The Courier - December 2014 by Aber Student Media

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December 2014

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Interview with Kirsty Williams 25

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MENTAL HEALTH PATIENTS DETAINED IN POLICE CELLS “Mental Health provision must be at the forefront of services... the lives of students depend on this”

Jonny Haseldine News Editor CONCERNS have been raised about the ongoing practice of locking up individuals with mental health problems in police cells at Aberystwyth police station. Speaking to Aberystwyth Student Media in an interview last week, Mark Williams, MP for Ceredigion, expressed his disappointment at the events taking place at the station. On a recent visit to the

station, Mr Williams asked staff what the most important issue for them at the moment was, and was shocked when they told him about what they described as the “totally inappropriate situation, where we have to use cells in Aberystwyth police station to detain people with mental health problems”. He continued, “People in a position where they’re going through a psychotic experience are being locked up in an police cell in

Aberystwyth overnight, and then shunted down to Carmarthen. This is totally inappropriate.” The current situation has largely arisen due to the closure of the Afallon ward at Bronglais Hospital back in July 2012, when the Hywel Dda health board made the decision to temporarily close the ward due to there being “not enough qualified staff to provide appropriate and safe care for patients on that ward.” Services were then moved to the

Glangwili General Hospital in Carmarthen, almost fifty miles away - a round trip of nearly three hours. The Afallon ward is now currently being used as office space. An individual can be detained for up to 72 hours, under section 136 of the 1986 Mental Health Act, if an officer believes that someone is ‘suffering from a mental disorder in a public place, and that person is in immediate need of care or control’. > Read more page 3

Aberystwyth officially named ‘greatest town’ in the UK

Jonny Haseldine News Editor

ABERYSTWYTH recently saw off competition at the prestigious Academy of Urbanism Awards to be officially crowned the ‘greatest town’ in the United Kingdom. The awards ceremony, which took place in London, covered five categories, including European City of the Year

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and Great Town, Neighbourhood, Street and Place. Described by the Academy as “a modest town that punches above its weight”, Aberystwyth pipped English rivals Beverley (Yorkshire) and Bury (Lancashire) to win the award. This was primarily due to its leading work in promoting its location, economy and livability.

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According to the Academy the key to the result swinging in Aberystwyth’s favour was the “attitude judges encountered towards creating and sustaining local partnerships, exemplified by the town’s response to the storms that devastated the seafront at the beginning of 2014”. > Read more page 4

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News Editor Jonny Haseldine news@aberstudentmedia.com @abersmNews

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Lifestyle Editor Sarah Thornhill lifestyle@aberstudentmedia.com @abersmLifestyle

Features Editor Emily Rowe features@aberstudentmedia.com @abersmFeatures

Sports Editor IIlltud Dafydd

December 2014

AFTER a long term, Christmas is finally in sight. Deadlines that have been piling up are finally starting to clear, and I’m sure most of you can’t wait for a few weeks rest, relaxation and maybe a little revision – whilst taking advantage of your mum’s cooking to eat far too much. I’m really pleased to be able to share with you our first ever housing supplement in this edition, created in conjunction with the Students Union. It’s got some really great advice in it to help you out when you’re house hunting so make sure to take a look, especially if you’re a first year house hunting for the first time. Also in this issue, a much more sobering piece on the utterly diabolical state of mental health

provision in Aberystwyth. Afallon ward, the mental health ward at Bronglais Hospital, was closed two years ago, meaning that the closest equivalent services are in Glangwilli Hospital, in Carmarthen. This has led to the appalling situation where the police are forced to detain patients in cells overnight, because there are no hospital facilities available for them. Aberystwyth, of course, has almost 15,000 students here – many of them young people, the age at which mental health issues are most likely to strike, particularly with the stresses of moving away from home and living independently for the first time. The University provide us with the Wellness Centre through Student

Support, which is an invaluable service, but it is overstretched – it can often take over two months to receive even a preliminary appointment. There are facilities available within the Students’ Union, with counsellors and the advice centre, who can refer you on to more specialist services such as support workers, but the fact remains that there is no inpatient mental health provision in Aberystwyth whatsoever. More and more services are being removed from Bronglais, but it is often the case that those services which are protected are the ones used by those who shout the loudest. Mental health sufferers, who desperately need services

Find everything from this issue and much more online! Visit aberstudentmedia.com for up-to-the-minute news, guides to what’s on in and around Aberystwyth and the latest scores from all the local teams.

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here in Aberystwyth, are, let’s be honest, not going to be shouting the loudest. Mental health is a growing crisis, and an area of healthcare which is chronically underfunded. If any physical illness that affected 25% of the population were to be as underfunded as mental health is there would be a national outcry, yet millions of people are left to suffer in silence as vital services are pulled apart, bit by bit. Quite simply, it is not good enough. It is time to stand up for mental health provision and say enough is enough and we will not put up with this, because our NHS is being dismantled before our eyes and those services which we don’t fight for will be the first to disappear.

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Aberystwyth Student Media is the integrated student media organisation for Aberystwyth. We produce www.aberstudentmedia.com, The Courier, Bay Radio and Bay TV. We operate independently of the Students’ Union and University; all of our content is produced by Aberystwyth students on a voluntary basis. We’re always looking for new members, and whatever you’re interested in, Aber Student Media is the place for you! To find out more, come to our fortnightly meetings (check out our Facebook page for details), or drop by our office, G13, on the ground floor of the Union. If you’ve got any queries about joining, or any other questions, you can email our Secretary, Cameron, at secretary@aberstudentmedia.com Any opinions expressed in articles in this newspaper are solely those of the contributors and are not to be attributed to the Aberystwyth Student Media committee, Aberystwyth University Students’ Union or Aberystwyth University. The acceptance of advertising by The Courier is not an indication that The Courier, its editors or contributors or anyone associated with The Courier either supports or opposes any activity in which the advertiser may participate. The Courier is published by Aberystwyth Student Media, an unincorporated association. Union Building, Penglais, Aberystwyth, SY23 3DX. © Aberystwyth Student Media 2013.

NEWS December 2014

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Penglais Farm moving in date announced Jonny Haseldine News Editor THE UNIVERSITY has announced to students that the initial phase of the Penglais Farm development is nearing completion, and that they now have set a moving-in date of between the 21st and the 25th January 2015. In an email to students, the Accomodation Office stated that: “We recognise that moving accommodation can be disruptive, and we will be working with Balfour Beatty to ensure that your move will be as easy as possible. We are therefore proposing that, in order to minimise impact on your studies and your exams, we facilitate your move to Fferm Penglais at the end of the exam period, between 21-25 January 2015. We will be assisting with your move, and removal firms will be used to carry your belongings from your current room to your new room at Fferm Penglais. This will be at no cost to you or the University. We will be in touch to confirm arrangements shortly.” The University also stated that it is “committed to ensuring that the accommodation provided at Fferm Penglais is of the highest possible standard, and has not compromised on the quality in order to ensure the quickest delivery date”. The Accommodation office have advocated that they are “confident that the accommodation provided

will be amongst the best available at any University in the UK.” A spokesperson for the Students’ Union stated that: “The Students’ Union is extremely disappointed to hear that Fferm Penglais will not be opening on the date that was agreed on between Balfour Beatty and Aberystwyth University. The SU was clear in our statement on 04/08/2014 that we were concerned about the revised timetable for opening Fferm Penglais and that we felt that this would cause inconvenience to some students. Our statement was therefore, true. SU officers have visited the site and we agree with the University’s recent statement that they are “committed to ensuring that the accommodation provided at Fferm Penglais is of the highest possible standard, and has not compromised on the quality in order to ensure the quickest delivery date.” We are in agreement that students should not move to Fferm Penglais until it is finished and of the highest quality. The SU have requested that Aberystwyth University show us the independent report from the independent certifier, (whom was responsible for updating the University on Fferm Penglais developments) from August 2014. The University has already responded offering to meet and exchange this information and for us to meet the Fferm Penglais team. At University Governance Committees, of which we attend,

Aberystwyth University reported that they were, following advice from Balfour Beatty and others that the programme for completion of Fferm Penglais (with an initial date of 31st of October from Balfour Beatty and a ‘long stop’ date finishing on the 15th of December, 2014) was achievable. However, it was reported to us in the University Governance Committees on the 24th of September and 21st of November that risks remain for this completion date. We are disappointed therefore that the University have failed to share their concerns with students on the risks of date completion, of which they were made aware in mid-November. This delaying is not acceptable. Indefinitely the Students’ Union recognises that the blame for delays at Fferm Penglais is fully upon Balfour Beatty. We would like to assure students that the Students’ Union will be continuing to work with the University to ensure clear and constant communications is done with the students who are affected.” Reaction to the University’s communication with student throughout the process has been mixed, with 3rd year historian Charlotte Yapp stating that “I understand that it wasn’t the University’s fault, but when it comes down to informing the students they were terrible. They didnt keep us informed, it was always the students nagging at them to inform us of what was going on, they

needed to know just as much as we needed to know”. Similarly, Sports scientist Charles Ing suggested that “the university should have really been more realistic with its proposed move in times, it is clear when a job is months away but the university have taken the approach of “it is nearly complete, just listen for updates” which clearly was not the case at the start of year, and has left a lot of people disappointed, especially when they are left in temporary accommodation”. The contractors Balfour Beatty provided a statement for the email stating that: “Balfour Beatty is sorry for the delay in moving in but assure you that we have worked to deliver a high standard of quality at Fferm Penglais and hope that you will be delighted with your new accommodation.” Speaking to The Courier, third year geography student Christopher-Cameron McNaught

and, whilst seeking to minimise the use of police cells, there are occasions ‘on an exceptional basis’ where police detention is the most appropriate place of safety; for example where the detained person is intoxicated or is violent.” The lack of facilities across the town has raised concern among staff, students and locals, with Mark Williams pointing out that having the appropriate facilities “really does matter when you see how much our population here shoots up by one-third when the student community are here”. He also told us that he raised the issue, unsuccessfully, with the former chief executive of the Hywel Dda health board, who told him that “I’ll have a chat with the chief constable of Dfyed-Powys police to see if he

can get extra training for the police officers.” Students’ Union Welfare Officer Will Atkinson stated that: “Due to the systemic dismantling of local mental health services over a number of years now, members of the public experiencing a mental health crisis have been either taken south to Carmarthen (recently to Llanelli) sometimes in taxis, to find a mental health ward bed. There have been times when even these beds aren’t available and police cells have been used instead. In our view this is totally unacceptable. Young people are at a greater risk of serious mental health problems. The majority of students are aged between 18 and 35 and according to prominent research undertaken by the Mental Health Foundation,

Alex Tanton stated; “I think that the January movingin suggestion is an optimistic target considering the setbacks they have had already. I feel they should have compensated everyone and moved everyone permanently for the year. This will cause disruption to many that may have thought it would be a 2-3 week delay and students may have formed relationships with their housemates. I moved permanently knowing that the moving in date would be likely pushed back more and more. I have formed friendships in my house and I personally feel the disruption would cause unnecessary drama and disturb an individuals sense of place.” The accommodation office once again apologised for any inconvenience caused by the delay and asked any students with queries or questions to get in contact with them.

Mental Health patients detained in police cells Jonny Haseldine News Editor

(Continued from the front page) It provides the officer with the authority to take the person to a “place of safety”, so that his or her immediate mental health needs can be properly assessed. A 2013 report covering England and Wales showed that police custody is regularly being used as a place of safety. For example, in 2011/12, more than 9,000 people were detained in police custody under section 136, while 16,035 were taken to a hospital. The percentage of those detained under section 136 being placed in custody varied drastically, between 6% and 76%, across police forces. In a statement, a Dyfed-Powys Police spokesperson said: “Annual

analysis of section 136 data over the past three years indicates that the total number detained under section 136, and those detained in police detention, has decreased during 2013-14 when compared with the previous two years. The total number and proportion of persons detained in hospital as a place of safety has increased. “We are working closely with partner agencies across Dyfed and Powys, including local health boards and third sector organisations, to develop a range of options including mental health triage to support people experiencing mental ill-health and provide the most appropriate place of safety. It is important that a person is detained in the most appropriate place of safety

suicide remains the “most common cause of death in men under the age of 35”. We know that Aber students are a significant proportion of the local population and we feel that Mental Health provision must be at the forefront of the preservation and development of Bronglais services. Quite simply, the lives of current and future students depend on this.” In a 2007 report, The Mental Health Foundation pointed to statistics from the Office for National Statistics, which found that in any one year 1 in 4 British adults experience at least one mental disorder, and 1 in 6 experiences this at any given time. Similarly, it was estimated that approximately 450 million people worldwide have a mental health problem.

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December 2014

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PUBLIC MEETING

Plaid Shadow Cabinet holds public meeting in Aberystwyth Jonny Haseldine News Editor TUESDAY saw the Plaid Cymru Shadow Cabinet hold their first open meeting in mid Wales, at the Belle Vue Hotel in Aberystwyth. The open meeting, which was part of a series of public events designed to engage with the public to develop ideas for Wales’s future, was attended by nearly 100 people, including students and Students’ Union representatives. Students’ Union President Jacob Dafydd Ellis said; “As Aberystwyth is entering 3 years of elections it is important that students enter the political spheres and contest different ideas and policies. The evening allowed us to ask Plaid Cymru on some student related issues such as the FCF and the Diamond Review. There will be plenty of opportunity for us to ask similar questions to the other political parties over the next year

as well and we encourage all of our members to do the same”. The five Assembly Members who are part of the Shadow Cabinet, leader Leanne Wood, Ceredigion’s Elin Jones, Simon Thomas, Llyr Huws Gruffydd and Rhun ap Iorwerth, answered questions on their policy portfolios and outlined a number of ideas to improve Welsh public services. Many of the students present quizzed the Shadow Education Minister, Simon Thomas, on a number of issues including the role of young people in the democratic process. Simon Thomas AM said: “As the Party of Wales we want to ensure that all people including young people are included in our democracy if they live in Wales. We campaign for votes at 16 in the National Assembly for Wales and at Westminster. We want to unite Welsh society not divide the nation. Plaid Cymru still adheres

Aberystwyth officially named ‘greatest town’ in the UK Jonny Haseldine News Editor (Continued from the front page) Tim Challans, lead assessor for the great town award, said: “The town’s resilience in recovering from the winter storms demonstrates how its people are passionate about their home.” The five stage process by which the award was judged, started with the nominations stage where any member of the public could contribute. The Academy then shortlisted 50 places across five categories, which were then voted down to three finalists in each category by Academy members. They then visited and assessed each

of the 15 finalists before the final vote. The ceremony was attended by Aberystwyth Town Cllrs Brenda Haines, mayor of Aberystwyth, and Wendy Morris, immediate past mayor, Cllr Ellen ap Gwynn, Leader of Ceredigion County Council, and Allan Lewis, Ceredigion’s head of economic and community development. Cllr Haines was presented with the award which was a framed copy of a poem “Aberystwyth” by Ian McMillan, Poet in Residence at the Academy of Urbanism. She said: “It is absolutely brilliant for Aberystwyth to be recognised in this way - the people of Aberystwyth can be very proud.” Tomos Nolan

Photo shows (left – right): Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood, Rhun ap Iorwerth (shadow minister for economy and transport), Elin Jones (shadow health minister), Llyr Gruffydd (shadow natural resources minister), Mike Parker (MP candidate for Ceredigion), and Simon Thomas (shadow education minister).

to the principle of free tuition at undergraduate level. We believe that this can, and should be, an investment for all for the future of

our nation”. Ceredigion’s local AM Elin Jones added: “I was delighted to welcome the Shadow Cabinet to

Aberystwyth. We had a very lively and informed discussion, which forms part of how Plaid wants to listen to the people of Wales.”

New Aberystwyth bandstand to cost £1.2m Andrew Simpson Online Editor IT HAS BEEN revealed that council leaders have agreed to push ahead with the new Aberystwyth bandstand project, even though it is expected to cost an additional £300,000 more than originally projected. This means the cost will be around the £1.2m mark. Council Cabinet members have agreed to find the additional funds for the project, thus enabling it to go ahead. However, the decision has been criticised by some councillors who accused the council of concentrating funds on Aberystwyth at the expense of areas in the south of Ceredigion. The estimated cost for the new bandstand project had been at around the £900,000 mark, as stated by Huw Morgan, the Strategic Director for Sustainable Communities. However, due to the concerns by contractors of working in close proximity to the sea, the tenders were more in the region of the £1.2m figure. Morgan considered that the damage caused to the seafront from last years storms and the dramatic pictures from those events have caused the 300k increase. He said: “Contractors are

nervous of working close to the sea in the inter-tidal area. The pictures of Aberystwyth from last winter have put a premium on the work unfortunately.” Council leader Ellen ap Gwynn also added: “It’s a disappointment the tenders have come in higher than we expected, but it is down to the work needed to strengthen the wall from the sea.” The Welsh Government have awarded £570,000 worth of regeneration funding to Ceredigion Council for the new bandstand

project to go ahead. Cllr Ray Quant has insisted that this payment was a “one-off ” chance to receive this money which would otherwise be lost to the county. With regards to where the extra money will come from, Gwyn Jones, the Corporate Resources Strategic Director, indicated that due to the unexpectedly higher amount of money coming from capital receipts he would recommend that some of this money be used for the bandstand project to help fill the funding gap.

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NEW PUBLICATION

Were the London Riots a food riot? Aberystwyth academics publish book on food politics Jonny Haseldine News Editor

A GROUP of academics from Aberystwyth University have written an interdisciplinary publication discussing the role of contemporary food politics. Professor Richard Marggraf Turley from the Department of English and Creative Writing, Emeritus Professor Howard Thomas from the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences, and Dr Jane Archer, a former lecturer at the Department of English and Creative Writing, have completed and published their research on Chaucer, George Eliot and the 21st Century food crisis in their new book titled Food and the Literary Imagination. The book argues that the 2012 London Riots began as a traditional food riot, rather than the general

assumption that it was merely a smash-and-grab for consumer goods and branded trainers. The trio’s 2013 research into William Shakespeare’s King Lear garnered international attention for their work on Shakespeare’s grain hoarding and tax avoidance. Shakespeare himself was prosecuted in February of 1598 for holding grain during a food crisis. Similarly, they examine the play Coriolanus, also written by Shakespeare, about a famine created by rich merchants and politicians to maximise the price of food. The trio’s research has

led to a potentially different interpretation of the play. Also covered in the new book are the watermills included in Geoffrey Chaucer’s classic, Canterbury Tales and George Eliot’s The Mill on the Floss. The researchers reveal, in entirely new ways, the importance of food in literature, and how our ideas of food and its distribution are governed by literary representation. One of the authors, Professor Richard Marggraf Turley, said: “The partnership between us wasn’t just complementary; it was transformative. Our ways of looking at

“The partnership between us wasn’t just complementary it was transformative”

food security were changed and transformed due to our unlikely combination of expertise. It might not have occurred to people, but English literature and the arts have a significant part to play in understanding and responding to issues of food values, supply, provenance and equitable distribution in the UK.” “What our book shows is that we need radically to recalibrate our ideas of the field and food; we need to recalibrate our sense of what the present food crisis is, and how we might shape and coordinate our responses to it, by looking at historical attempts to process similar crises of sustenance through literature. We’re not facing the current crisis for the first time, or alone – some of our greatest writers have already dedicated their best work to

Authors Emeritus Professor Howard Thomas, Dr. Jayne Archer and Professor Richard Marggraf Turley.

thinking through the problem.” Another, Emeritus Professor Howard Thomas, said: “Our new book shows the land as a source of food and as a source of story. We can look at the past, present and future to see where we are now, as well as the importance of food in culture and history, and socially and economically, as part of understanding the effects of disruptions to the food chain – especially with a food crisis looming”.

STUDENTS’ UNION

First poets in residence selected Jonny Haseldine News Editor THE STUDENTS’ Union has announced that two students have been selected to become Aberystwyth University Students Union first poets in residence. It is believed they are the first poets in residence for any Students Union in the UK. Endaf Griffiths a Welsh student will be writing poems in Welsh and Jacob Hallam a Computer Science student will

be writing in English. They will be called upon to write poems on Students Union events throughout the year. Speaking about the appointments, the Students Union said: “This is a great and innovative step for the Students Union. They will play a part in our communications and engagement strategy. This is one of the steps we have taken to give students opportunities to develop skills and experiences.”

Students’ Union and others pull out of ‘12 pubs of Christmas’ event Jonny Haseldine News Editor ABERYSTWYTH Students’ Union and other businesses in town have withdrawn from the ‘12 pubs of Christmas’ event, after advice from Ceredigion County Council Licensing department. In a statement, the Students’ Union explained their decision, saying that “Following discussions

with Ceredigion County Council’s Licensing Officer it has come to our attention that some of the advertising for this event may lead to a breach of our terms of license if the event were to go ahead. The legal implications of this would fall on us as an organisation rather than on he event organisers.” “In light of this new information, we have taken the decision to

withdraw from the event with immediate effect. We understand our decision has been mirrored by the following businesses in town for the same reasons: The Academy, Kanes Bar, Wiff Waff, The Marine Hotel and Harry’s Bar. The event, organised by an external promoter, involved a festival themed pub crawl around various Aber establishments.

Aberystwyth graduates more likely to be right-wing and female ABERYSTWYTH graduates are more likely to be right-wing and female according to a YouGov app. The market research company has released an app on its website allowing the general public to be broken down into groups including who went to a particular university, including Aberystwyth. The data revealed that more people who attended Aberystwyth University are female than the population average, while graduates are also more likely to hold a very right wing political view. Actress Imelda Staunton was the

celebrity more likely to be named as a favourite by Aberystwyth graduates than by those who attended a different university. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade was named as their favourite film. A YouGov spokesman said: “This app does not show the typical person, cus-

tomer or fan. It reveals the quintessential, rather than the average, member of that group”.

OPINION The Courier

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December 2014

Opinion Editor

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Ffion Murphy

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SCIENCE AND FEMINISM

Rosetta landing kicks up a shirt storm Shaun Butler I LOVE Neil deGrasse Tyson’s new update of Cosmos; I read Hawkins, Dawkins and even have a Darwin tattoo - so it’s safe to say I could be labelled as a bit of a science geek. Therefore these last few weeks have filled me with great excitement, what with the Rosette space mission flooding science news. One of the most notable moments was the interview with Dr Matt Taylor; a person so passionate about his work and so confident of its success that he had the landing depicted in tattoo form - one of many he had on display during the interview. It was with a heavy heart and a bad taste in my mouth I watched a second interview a few days later in which the same confident, outgoing guy, with his many tattoos hidden under a dark hoodie, broke down in tears to make an apology. This was not however, for making a mistake which led to the failure of a project (costing many millions of pounds, and thousands of manhours), or for committing some crime which would taint his and his

colleagues’ achievement. Instead, the crime others saw fit to punish this intellectual man for was his shirt which some people found offensive. What was so offensive? The shirt depicted caricatures of scantily clad women, which in itself could be considered a bad choice of wardrobe, but was made for him by a female friend. Headlines like “I don’t care if you landed a spacecraft on a comet, your shirt is sexist and ostracizing” (The Verge, Nov 13th) littered social media. The sheer achievement of landing of a camera on a moving comet which has taken ten years dedication has clearly surpassed some people (let’s not forget: it was

only two years ago that NASA’s Curiosity Rover successfully landed on Mars, let alone anything that is travelling around 55,000 km per hour). Professor Ian Wright from the Open University, which is leading the team for the Ptolemy instrument, stated that: “we will be looking for evidence recorded in remnants of debris that survived the processes of planet formation. Our quest is to gain insights into this transitional era, which took place more than 4.5 billion years ago.” Rather than focus on the success of ESA, The Verge article stated that: “This is the sort of casual misogyny that stops women from entering

certain scientific fields. They see a guy like that on TV and they don’t feel welcome.” Although it may be true that women’s entry into STEM subjects is limited, it does not mean that these days of abuse towards to Dr Matt Taylor are accurate for laying the blame for generations of misogyny and sexism in the science and technology industry at his door. It also stands that ESA prior to the interview did not pick up on his ‘heinous crime’. So what the hell is going on? A guy wears a shirt with some cartoon-style female characters, and he is portrayed as some chauvinist who thinks women belong in the kitchen and out of his science lab. He spent years working towards a goal which is a great achievement - not only scientifically, but also for mankind as a whole - and he is greeted with nothing but scorn and abuse from overzealous feminist doom-sayers.

Yes, women are grossly underrepresented in the the science and technology sectors, and yes, more should be done to rectify this; but instead of hanging Dr Taylor out to dry for something he wanted to wear, perhaps the problem should be directly addressed. If you want to change the way things are, fighting the problem at the source is key. For one, it would be imperative to change the way media portray females in the sciences; talk about the female scientists who have already made inroads like Rita R Cowell, Anne McLaren and Mayim Bialik. Next time someone achieves something amazing and worthwhile of praise it should be justly celebrated. At the end of day, it was just a shirt and a handmade gift from a female friend, but it’s probably not going to hinder women who truly want to be in scientific fields from achieving their goals.

“At the end of the day, it was just a shirt...it’s not going to hinder women”

‘All about that Bass’ still body shames Leanne Blairs

WE’VE all heard the song by Meghan Trainor, ‘All about that Bass’, on constant repeat wherever we go, since it now has more than 1.7 million views on YouTube. At first listen, it does appear to be a song full of empowering lyrics and positive body image messages, calling up magazines and photographers for photoshopping various images of woman into unrealistic proportions. Lines of the songs talk about loving your body the way it is, and knowing you can look and - more importantly - feel good whatever your size. In a world where women are constantly made to feel inferior

by the media because of body shape or size and many celebrity ‘role models’ have theirs touched up to portray unrealistic ideals of beauty and sex appeal, it is refreshing to hear some acceptance and surely it would have a positive effect on females of all ages. However there are messages in the song that are not quite so confidenceinducing; phrases such as “skinny bitches” and “stick figures” bring about the question: is it okay to make another group of people feel bad and substandard to increase your own feeling of selfworth? Surely making a woman who is naturally thin, and may or may not already have body image issues, feel bad about herself is just as wrong

“Trainor fails to grasp the sensitivity surrounding body image problems prevalent in today’s society”

as making a woman who struggles with being overweight feel bad. Expressions like this are found in many popular songs playing on the radio and in venues lately, such as Nicki Minaj’s ‘Anaconda’. The artists of these songs do not promote a healthy lifestyle or better diet choices in order to fight the battle of body image issues, instead choosing to give advice such as “don’t worry about your size”, which can be taken in rather worrying ways. And although this may help many women to feel more confident about their shape, it may lower or take away from the awareness of the severity of the health problems and conditions that can come with being overweight (or any weight), and having poor nutrition. Would it not be better to promote being happy with your size as long as you are fit and healthy, rather than not to worry at all? It becomes apparent that the singer, Trainor, doesn’t actually

Tomos Nolan know much about good diet and exercise when you look at comments made on Twitter about her childhood. She claimed to not be “strong enough to have an eating disorder”, continued with “I tried to go anorexic for a good three hours. … And I quit.” The artists seems to claim through her songs that she wants women to feel comfortable in their own bodies; however she fails to grasp the sensitivity surrounding body image problems prevalent in today’s society – especially the

effects on one’s mental health which can often be felt by some individuals. Listening to these songs and other aspects of the media, it becomes clear that not only do artists have a duty to make sure women feel sexy and confident in their own skin and shape it is just as important for them to stress that being happy and comfortable with yourself is more about healthy lifestyle choices rather than just size.

December 2014

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OPINION

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Trigger Happy: Why Bill Maher and other libertarians are wrong to endorse slurs James Edwards FEMINAZIS, kikes, n*****s, bitches, faggots, chinks…every single one of these vulgar words has invaded our language for the sole and intentional purpose of dehumanizing certain demographics of our society; as well as being virulently embraced by certain portions of the Left and Right wing media. The power of language is brushed aside by libertarian intellectuals who pitchfork and picket anybody who has the audacity to scold those who openly and arrogantly favour the side of their concept of ‘freedom of speech.’ By hideously yelling these abject terms on message boards, forums, or in the volatile space of the public, it simply causes a division within society. Libertarians seem to enjoy defending this position on the naivety that their ‘freedom of speech’ is being compromised, that their most important integrity of upholding social liberty by the censorship of their language is hindering the popular style of discourse and discussion of ideas. Bill Maher, an outspoken and unsophisticated voice for the Liberal Left, is one such commentator who believes that ‘political correctness Nazis’ are the problem, not those who the (proverbial) ‘Nazis’ are attacking. For instance, one of Maher’s many attacks on the position of liberal ‘political correctness’ is his scorn for the fact that Facebook now grants many of its American users access to 56 alternative transgenders. It is unsure as to whether Maher is living in a fantasy land where every single person he has ever interacted with is solidly defined by the gender they were given at birth, but it’s surprising that somebody who endorses freedom of expression under America’s first constitutional law can also choose to facetiously attack and eviscerate

the technological age’s new mode of self-expression. Transgender activist Janet Mock expressed nothing but praise when the new gender options became available, which now allowed those experimenting with gender to try out the changes in a social environment where they feel safe. The only purpose Bill Maher’s rejection of this gender experimentation resulted in (ignoring the obvious, exploitative and cheap ‘joke’) was his out-ofdate conservatism against the New Left’s embrace and LGBTQIA+ acknowledgement of Trans identities. Although Maher’s conquest for self-expression and freedom of speech is suggested to be a constitutional right, he does of course oppose the censorship of using slurs (words like the ones listed at the beginning) to the point that he has of course welcomingly used these on occasion. Those who object to Maher’s language are ‘called out’ for censorship of language or are dubbed as being on the Left (in a somewhat ironic fashion) and ‘politically correct’. We are the new Orwellian Big Brothers, holding out for when somebody uses the n-word or calls a disabled person a cripple, we strike at the very heart of liberty and free democracy. At least, this is what the infants of the anti-PC adversity try to instil. And yet, what the ‘intellectuals’ of the ‘free speech’ brigade try to convince us of is their own prowess as free thinkers and rational debaters, despite the fact that it’s clear to anybody who has at least opened a book on the subject of politicised language, that its usage by people who have and will never be affected by it is not only inappropriate but immoral too. The privileged class of celebrity-come-libertarian are a sordid breed of person whom, as it has happened for far too long, is only too happy to defend the

“The Right’s basic understanding of how language is and is not used falls so wide of the mark that it can only be described as a travesty”

freedom of self-expression when it suits them. Yet they conveniently forget the people struggling for their right to express themselves exactly as they want. Maher’s cheap joke is just another example of how resistant the status quo is to progression. Stephen Fry pines on this subject in regard to the Nazi’s dehumanization of the Jews during Hitler’s regime. Fry asserts that the Nazis used similar terms and names for their victims in order to dehumanize and degrade them. People, who would ordinarily act morally, were able to do disastrously loathsome things, and more due to a severed connection with the others’ humanity. Obviously there is no suggestion that those who use slurs in their vernacular are in any way equitable to the murderous actions of Nazis, but there is certainly an air of similarity. Words like faggot, bitch, hussy or chink only reminds the person you are telling that each of these words (depending on their respective history) has an oppressive back story of slander,

humiliation and often, murder. Political correctness advocates do not generally favour the eradication of freedom of speech; after all, the freedom of speech amendment provides that you will not be lawfully incarcerated for how you use your language (generally speaking.) However, the Right’s basic understanding of how language is and is not used falls so wide of the mark that it can only be described as a travesty when its advocates

attempt to engage in discussion surrounding the sociopolitical discrepancies of political correctness and its faculties. Tragically, the Right wing of social media will always advocate for their right to say whatever they like without impunity, childishly ignoring the fact that the rights afforded to you are and will always be afforded to every single one of your enemies.

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December 2014

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LIBRARY

Should our library be open 24 hour? Ffion Murphy Opinion Editor THE LIBRARY is often a source of irritation for many. In the build-up for essays and exams, book forts will sporadically appear upon table tops and students will roll back to their accommodation burdened with stacks of literature. As I poke my head out of mine I glance at the clock, it’s only 10pm. Every student knows this is early in terms of an all-nighter or probably half way if it’s for an essay due the next day. So why does the library torment me with only two hours before I must relocate my fort of books, stall my thought process and find a new warm computer desk to nestle down at? 24 hour computer rooms are available throughout campus, admittedly at least two of them (PJM and Rosser lounge) are more easily accessible if you live in that vicinity. If you do wish to make that long trek across the bridge or up to Rosser you can be assured you’ll be greeted by less than ideal working environments (if you’re like me and need relatively quiet study). There will be freshers ‘panicking’ about their first essay or exams but still talking loudly and let’s not forget the wafting smell of Dominos or Hollywood as you try to push through the hunger phase around 2am. Additionally if you live at the bottom of the hill, the hauntingly lone walk down Penglais at 4-6am

is another aspect to look forward to – but don’t forget all those books you can’t return to the library until tomorrow (unless you want to risk the book drop-box). Other options include B23, the newly refurbished Geography department room where the lights are on a sensor and WILL dim every 10 minutes forcing you to lose track, or C66 which apart from the lack of books, the smell and being so alone it’s almost scary, it is probably the only other viable option. Where else lends itself to focused work time? But it will cost a fortune you say. It wouldn’t need to cost a fortune, many 24 hour libraries have minimal staff and reduced running costs throughout the night. Other than a few security staff to check the various floors, very few members of library staff would be required during the late hours, perhaps one information services trained porter to watch the front desk and theft detectors. However, the majority of those that would use the 24 hour library would very rarely need the same assistance that is offered in the daytime. Furthermore, does it not already cost us a fortune to attend university? At £9000 a year the least we can ask for is a space open 24 hour in order to make our very expensive degrees the best they can be. Hell, I’d expect no library fines for that price but that is an entirely separate argument. To get the most out of our money a 24 hour library is essential as I should hope that our fees pay for many of the books in stock.

“But it will cost a fortune...does it not already cost us a fortune to attend uni?“

Tomos Nolan

When so many other universities have 24 hour libraries, Liverpool, Sheffield, Bath and Leeds just as a few examples, is it not time that others start to notice that students often study into the wee hours? Both Hugh Owen and Thomas Parry libraries offer something that the 24 hour computer rooms do not: books. Stacks full at an arm’s length. When you need a quote in a flash you can access the book quickly, and if you need to study in a group it’s easier to share books and space in the library than it is in a busy computer room. Benefits to students would be manifest. Those that find resources lacking as there is often only one copy of a book between twenty students, may have more of a chance if the library was 24 hour. By being 24 hour, students could take out and return books at all times giving others a greater chance of accessing the sources they need. The quiet study space the library offers is not given at any of the computer rooms, which at peak times can be quite busy and loud. People talking loudly, being distracting is not what you need when trying to churn out an essay the night before. It may be said that perhaps essays should not be left until the night before, however on the odd occasion it is quite hard not to. With books being scarce and essays never being particularly enticing it is hard to resist the draw of leaving it until last minute. With a 24 hour library students could study more when they work best or have time to – let’s not forget those that have to work most days as well to fund their studies and living expenses. Most importantly students are a diverse range of people; those pulling an all-nighter may not be wholly representative of the entire student body. Not every student studies full-time, those with parttime degrees or alternative courses may need access at out of hours times, especially if they have to work full-time to fund their studies. Limiting opening hours hinders progress, the majority of universities that currently offer 24 hour library services are some of the best universities in the UK. Is our lack of resources holding us back as an academic force?

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Tuition fee future Alastair Cameron

AS YOU WILL all be aware, the price of education is now set at £9000 a year for tuition fees, an increase which many students feel is an unwarranted and unfair burden to bear. According to the Institute of Fiscal Studies, the average debt a student will incur throughout their education amounts to £44,000 under the new increase and £25,000 if we go by the old pricing system. The intention of this increase was to create a system where Universities would be less dependent upon government subsidies and instead sustain themselves through the funds they receive from student applicants. This would enable the government to make huge cuts to University teaching grants, yet this system has only created more problems within the education system. By proposing to lift the cap on the number of students that universities can recruit and the cuts to teaching grants, there has been a restructuring within the higher education system. Universities are now divided into three different categories where third tier clearing universities will be under massive pressure to keep up recruitment numbers. There is a concern that third tier universities will have to accommodate applicants who aren’t suited to higher education. This is the strategy third tier institutes will have to pursue, in order to cope with the lifting of the cap restriction. Concerns over the standards of education and rising noncompletion rates will become forefront issues for these

universities. This argument still applies for second tier universities as they will seek to capitalize upon the declining third tier and offer an expansive repertoire of products to attract more applicants, again raising the same issues. Aberystwyth has been greatly affected by these issues, seeing a slip down the University rankings table coupled with a declining amount of applications for this academic year as students are drawn to other universities. This new system has forced universities to look at the costs affecting their revenue streams as they have been forced to operate more like businesses. Universities are increasingly accepting more applications from foreign, non EU students as they provide far higher grants than domestic UK students. This preferential treatment of foreign students may raise issues over profit instead of acceptance on academic merit. The focus upon costs has also seen a reduction in the time teachers have to lecture their students, in an effort to slash the costs that their wages employ, again raising concerns over education standards. Teachers also face the prospect of having their pensions slashed as the Universities UK organisation seeks to a career revalued benefits scheme where after £50,000 pounds a year, employers would only pay 12% of income into a pension scheme. All of these measures have greatly affected the incomes of education staff which has amalgamated into the ongoing marking boycott. I believe the new educational system being employed is at the centre of these problems.

The Courier apologises for any inaccuracies in the article ‘Does remembrance need re-examining?’ printed in the November 2014 edition, and for any offence caused by this.

ARTS December 2014

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DANCE

THICK grey fog billowed eerily across the stage, weaving through a backdrop of foreboding iron gates and castle windows. As the lights slowly went down in the suitably cavernous theatre of Aberystwyth Arts Centre, hushed chatter was reduced to a near silence. An air of palpable anticipation could be felt, almost as thick as the fog itself. From thereon in, the stage was set for what was to be two hours of powerful and richly gothic live theatre. The most intriguing element of this reworking of the classic Bram Stoker tale was its storytelling through the medium of both contemporary and traditional dance. Those who have experienced the tale of ‘Dracula’ through the traditions of book or film may have felt surprise at the prospect of such an adaptation. As a huge fan of the original novel, I was filled with high expectations and pre-show questions. Would they manage to convey all the emotions of the original text? Would the audience feel the same passion, horror and sense of evil versus goodness that the novel conveyed? I have to hand it to choreographer Mark Bruce, for he delivered all these elements and much more. His choreography was inspired; switching between fervent, energetic routines that captured the novel’s sense of mania and horror,

Arts Editor

Nadine El-Amami

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Mark Bruce Company’s ‘Dracula’: drawing fresh blood from a literary class Rebecca Jones

The Courier

to slower, seductively mesmeric dances that reflected the romance and undeniable eroticism of the tale. Award winning dancer Jonathan Goddard played the infamous Count. Displaying an athletic prowess throughout, he managed to capture a juxtaposing sense of

grace and primal ferocity. This suitably reflected the Dracula of popular imagination; attractive and charismatic, yet ultimately monstrous in nature. Although Goddard was the focus, he did not overshadow his fellow dancers. On the contrary, each dancer stood out and truly captured the personality of their character and their place within the fabric of the story. This is perhaps why a dance production was so refreshing, for it allowed the complex nuances of each character to be evoked primarily through bodily movements, rather than speech. Each dancer utilised their body to full effect, weaving the story through expressive motions in such a way that needed few words to feel the full, emotional impact. The production featured

accompanying music, ranging from upbeat Victorian music hall songs, Bach, Balkan folk music and Opera. It was a strangely eclectic fusion of musical influences and not what I had expected. Yet I felt that, overall, it worked to convey the constant changes in tone, from lighthearted to insanity to full on horror. Although the key backdrop never changed, it worked seamlessly alongside every scene. Each set design was clearly and carefully constructed, with particularly strong consideration of lighting and its effect in conveying a particular tone or emotion. With the addition of inventive props, these effects allowed the audience to feel further immersed in the many worlds described in the novel; from haunted graveyards and wolfinfested forests to the intimate, dimly lit dining room of the Count’s castle. The visuals were completely stunning, and a definite highlight. The final scene, evoking the sunrise at dawn with three slain vampires silhouetted against it, was an image which stayed with me for several hours post-production. Overall, this was an extremely memorable live theatre experience. Directed with panache, vigour and a real desire to both pay homage to, and refresh, a great work of British literature.

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BOOKS

Say yes to Amy Poehler

Alex Rees AMY POEHLER is one of mainstream comedy’s giants in the 2010s. No small feat, considering she is 5”1 and has a voice that’s reminiscent of the Barbie tour guide from Toy Story 2. Her first book, Yes Please, is heavy – the hardback edition is printed on glossy paper and filled with double-page spreads of quotes like ”forget the facts and remember the feelings”, and with pictures of her dressed in a ship captain’s uniform, as an ‘80s aerobics instructor, and in a full beard and moustache. I’d say that gives you an idea of the overall tone. She charts her journeys from a cosy suburban life in Boston in the ‘70s, when hippy culture was still very much in – she references one part of her childhood in which her father was suspiciously relaxed, friendly, and was always the first to suggest going out for ice cream - to the rise of her improv comedy troupe the Upstanding Citizen’s Brigade in New York and eventually to Saturday Night Live, where she met her comedy life partner Tina Fey, and starred in the joyful Parks and Recreation (about to start its seventh and final season on NBC).

It’s as much a biography as it is a self-help book; hence the title. Poehler explains the benefits of simply saying “Yes, please” to things more often, while still understanding the importance of the word “No”, as a complete sentence. She writes beautifully and in a relatable way about divorce, home owning, waitressing, motherhood, womanhood, apologising, friendship, and the time she sat on George Clooney’s lap (so maybe not all of it is relatable, as much as we wish it was). Yes Please does what is always rewarding about reading biographies; being humble about her many successes without seeming insincere. The first chapter (and a lot of the last) is mostly her describing how hard it is to write a book, but she obviously has fun with it too. Fans of Poehler’s material will get the most out of Yes Please, but others will find themselves b e c o m i n g fans almost immediately through her writing style; speaking to you breathlessly as though you’re sitting in the TV studio with her five minutes before airtime. “Is any of this useful? Should I keep going?” she would ask. “Yes, please” you would reply.

WEB SERIES

Top online entertainment: A top three of series to the smallest screen Andrew Monk

IN MY EYES the web series is one of the best forms of entertainment. Episodes are never too long and easily broken up into chunks, or you also have the option to binge watch one after the other. Usually dedicated to specific genres or fan groups on the internet, there are so many to choose from. Whilst those listed below are very much influenced by my own taste, I hope they will encourage anyone reading to go check them out, or find web-series of their own to watch. 3) Bravest Warriors First off is Cartoon Hangover’s Bravest Warriors, which finished its second season earlier this year.

Bravest Warriors tells the story of a team of teens taking on their parent’s mantle to help those in trouble around the galaxy. Done in very much an Adventure Time visual style, this series takes on a very light hearted tone and is less grounded in reality. This enables it to create some humorous yet cute characters, such as Catbug, arguably the best character of the show. It is also a show very much grounded in science fiction, with blatant nods to Doctor Who, Star Trek and Star Wars in its plot and jokes. Whilst still a relatively new, small show, it is definitely one to enjoy. 2) Video Game High School Those familiar with YouTuber Freddie Wong and his channel

RocketJump may be aware of the crowd-funding Campaign earlier this year that achieved just shy of $1M to help create its third series. The use of crowd-funding has al-

lowed Wong to create a web-series that is perhaps the one of the best around right now in terms of quality. Video Game High School is set in a world where video games are the dominant form of entertain-

ment, not unlike many sports. The First Person Shooter players can be likened to American Football jocks in an American high school film. When Brian kills the number one player in the world in a game he is invited to VGHS to play amongst the best. With an interesting world created and very similar length, quality, and format to conventional TV shows, go check it out. 1) Red vs. Blue However, hands down my most favourite web-series… ever, of all time, is Red vs. Blue; the world’s longest running web series which recently tied up its twelfth season. The show is the flagship production of the ever expanding RoosterTeeth team, and perhaps one of its funni-

est. The machinima series (that’s using a video game engine to create a production) is based in the popular Halo games and follows what can only be described as the galaxy’s worst soldiers. Even when saving the universe, the main characters still whine, wise-crack or even just mess up from their sheer incompetence. Full of in-jokes and irreverent humour, its plot arching the first six seasons is some of the best I have encountered, and considering it is made in a video game the quality of it is surprisingly decent. It would be a disservice not to watch it. All shows mentioned can be found both on YouTube and the creators’ respective sites.

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TV INTERVIEW

An afternoon with Y Gwyll/Hinterland Nadine El-Amami Art Editor WHEN Aberystwyth Student Media arrived at the Hinterland set it was a crisp afternoon by the sea. We were greeted by Ceri Perkins, the production co-ordinator, and a graduate of Aberystwyth University, who took pity on our frigid noses and hands and ushered us into Borth Golf Club. There was some time before the cast and crew were ready to break for lunch, as filming had run over – so is the nature of the business. I took the opportunity to take Ceri aside and pick his brain on Hinterland and what a normal day on set was for him. After rattling off an inordinate amount of responsibilities, he sighed “it sounds so boring!” I asked him if I should rather be asking him what he didn’t do, after a bit of deliberation

in Aberystwyth looking for jobs and I got a phone call from my lecturer who [through a series of other phone calls] knew that Fiction Factory were looking for someone to deal with scripts.” So, for those of you who are worrying about prospective jobs after graduating, Ceri did it, and so can we. After some time I was lucky enough to catch a few words with producer and cocreator of Hinterland, Ed Talfan. NE: First of all, obvious question, where did you get the idea from? ET: We spent a lot of time up here [Aberystwyth] and we found

Tomos Nolan

“To create a compassionate detective is quite unique, you don’t see it.”

Tomos Nolan he told me that he wasn’t “on set as often as [he] used to be”. Perkins also went on to describe how he was able to land the gig with Hinterland after his Masters graduation. “About a month after I finished my Masters I was still

we had a story that revealed itself to us. Same thing happened time and again; the marshes in episode four, looked really strange and exotic, kind of like the African Savannah on a good day. We decided early on that the landscape doesn’t get used enough NE: Seeing as Hinterland is shot in Wales, with bilingual actors, and produced bilingually; would you say it’s very important that there is more bilingual TV released now-a-days? ET: I think it’s a pity more drama isn’t made in Wales, that is set here. There is a thriving production community in Cardiff, but not a lot of the stuff made there actually reflects us culturally. And that’s fine. A lot of that is commercial transaction rather than cultural. And I think it’s important that big organisations always check themselves, that they are reflecting the culture. I was very curious about the choices that the producers and writer make on Hinterland and asked Ed whether the emotional turmoil that is very prevalent in most of the episodes was a deliberate decision, he responded “I think people enjoy the dark side of humanity, they like tapping into it from the safety of their armchairs knowing that they can switch it off at the end of the night and go to bed.” NE: I know that Hinterland like to involve the student community in Aberystwyth, how do you think that season two is going to be affected by that involvement and visa versa? ET: I would’ve loved to have had some time, whilst I was a student, being on set or in a studio. But seeing some of the pressures that people work under, a huge amount of the business is about being able to make the right decisions quickly. Needing to choose where to compromise and when to stand your ground, it’s also about being to put in very long hours, and turning up on time [laughs] and being able to do all of this with a smile on your face. I hope it’s been worthwhile for the students involved, it’s certainly been worthwhile for us. Seeing that enthusiasm, and being engaged with. It’d be nice to think that students and locals in Aberystwyth are proud of being part of something that is being

ourselves stumbling across places and locations that made us think “this’d be a great setting”. Devil’s Bridge is obviously ideal, we went there in the pouring rain, in a very bleak November and we just thought “imagine if that was a children’s home” and then suddenly

shown in thirty odd countries. The clear afternoon sky was dimming as I was able to perch on the Borth promenade with main actor and star of the show, Richard Harrington. It was an absolute pleasure to talk to him, and listen as he divulged in what we can expect in the second series before he had to shoot back off for another round of filming. NE: Tom Mathias is a very complex character, he’s quite mysterious. When we’re introduced to him in season one he doesn’t reveal much about himself, but as we follow his story we do find out more about his back story; do we get to see more of that in season two? RH: Yes, we do. I mean we can’t tantalise people with a glimpse of a past and not have any foundation for it whatsoever. It’s frustrating sometimes as an actor who has helped create this character, I know so much about him, I know that there is a back story that is steeped in history. It’s not random, it’s very particular – strategic. It’s frustrating for me sometimes, that we don’t reveal any of it. I guess it’s up to the producers to do that. I think as we go on, his story needs to come more into the foreground, and that’s what we’re doing. Certainly in the second series there is a huge revelation of why he is, who he is, and that’s when you’re going to create a seismic shift in perception. Once you reveal something, you can’t then hide that. It has to be dealt with. Or it’s up to the audience to decided what kind of person he is now, now that they know this information.

NE: Hinterland is a detective series and it delves into very dark subject matters, and as I was watching – as a drama student – I couldn’t help but analyse the choices made; that being that Hinterland explores very emotionally heavy situations. How was that for both you as an actor, and as Tom Mathias to react to those situations? RH: I don’t know what you’re like, but I’m an emotional chap anyway; I cry at adverts. I tend to – if I can – use the things I’ve learnt as a person and put that into the things I do. I feel with Tom, there is no way that he could be a dispassionate character, because he’s felt so much in his life, that it could only come out in his work. The two things come hand in hand really, compassion is something that I probably brought to him, but his ability to – his brilliance, for instance – in detecting things in the way that he does, is something that was orchestrated beyond me. That was something that the writers put together. I think that ultimately to create a compassionate detective is quite unique, you don’t really see that. He is a character that definitely gets affected by the cases that he works on, it’s very seldom that they show when they reveal who the “bad guy” is, you don’t necessarily hate them. I personally will be itching with anticipation for the second series of Y Gwyll/Hinterland. If you haven’t had your fill of the cast and crew of Hinterland; some of ASM were lucky enough to grab an interview with Gethin Scourfield and Kasha Bajor, which you’ll find online at www.aberstudentmedia.com.

“I think it’s important that big organisations always check themselves.”

December 2014

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MUSIC INTERVIEW

Enter Shikari’s Chris Batten talks to Bay Radio

Daniel Oldham ENTER SHIKARI are back, with their fourth full-length album The Mindsweep hitting the UK on 19th January 2015 and the debut single ‘The Last Garrison’ stirring up a lot of hype for the new release online. We’ve been beyond excited for what the St. Albans genre-defying quartet have to show for their tenure in music since the release of Take To The Skies way back in 2007. A couple of weeks ago, bassist Chris Batten took some time out of

The band had – up until recently – been scaling the Northern Hemisphere on their European tour, and they were particularly excited to be traversing the likes of Slovakia and Greece, as they’d never had the opportunity to go before. But it wasn’t all fun and games, as Batten emphasised making sure the boys knew that Enter Shikari were “focusing on getting the new record ready to play live.” Q: Where did the idea behind The Mindsweep come from? A: We never have a set idea of Alexy Makhov

18 songs on the go and we had to whittle that down. We wanted to make sure there was a good representation of everything we do as a band and that’s when we can start thinking about themes behind the album and lyrics. Q: Where did the idea behind the name come from? A: The first track on the album is called ‘The Appeal and the Mindsweep’, so immediately that stood out just in the way it stands for a different way of thinking and that’s what this album means; to think outside of the box and that the current mind of thinking isn’t working for us, so it’s a bit of a shiftand-change in that thought process. Of course, the Hertfordshire four piece are thrilled to get back into touring with their new material. Batten expressed that, that was something that Enter Shikari focus on quite heavily when creating their emotive pieces; how the tracks are going to transfer both on recorded format and to a live audience respectively. With that in mind, Chris promised that “come the February tour, there’s going to be a lot of new stuff on the setlist, and it’s going to be really fun.” In terms of material, Alex and Nathan were very interested to see whether Shikari were going to be bringing back some of their tracks from Common Dreams and Take to the Skies. “We always try to keep a bit of everything off each of the albums, and we don’t want it to just be an influx of new material that people don’t know that well” Batten was quick to reassure. Q: Does the live show get tweaked for every album release and can we expect any more instruments and electronics for the shows? A: That all comes from how experimental we’ve been in the studio; and we’ve been pretty experimental. There’s definitely gonna be new stuff, and we’ll have a new look for our shows with the stage lighting. In terms of instrumentation, myself and Rory are going to play more keyboards but there’ll be some excellent surprises, I’m sure. Q: Do you feel that Flash Flood of Colour has had an effect on other bands with a socially conscious message?

A: To be honest, we’re always a bit surprised that more artists aren’t speaking out about things that we feel are important and we’re often quite confused that a lot of bands can churn out the same mindnumbing lyrics which don’t seem to be that true. It’s always great when people come up and say you’re very inspiring, but I wouldn’t say we’re the only ones doing it. Q: Do you think that this sort of message is the direction music should take in recent years? A: It definitely defines us, since the first album we realised people were listening to what we were saying whether we liked it or not, so we decided it was best to say something that had a positive influence on people. It’s a very big part of what we do and we’d like to see more bands doing it. Look at Russell Brand; he’s in the spotlight now and trying to put a positive message out to younger people using his stance to get the word out to people. When asked whether they had a preference between stadium concerts and intimate gigs, there was a general consensus of enjoying elements from both aspects of touring. There is an interaction to the close quarter p e r f or m a n c e s , the audience are more responsive – or at least the band are able to register their responses better – and when it comes to production they can be bigger and bolder than ever in their larger venues. Enter Shikari told The Courier that they are “lucky enough to have both of each to keep things fresh.” Q: With The Mindsweep, are you shifting more towards electronics or instruments, which takes precedence in song writing? A: We never really focus on it saying we want it to be more electronic or more guitar-driven; each song was its own things. I think the way we use instruments now is for textures and we want it all to be one piece, we don’t want it

“We wanted to make sure there was a good representation of everything do as a band.“

the busy schedule of programming and mastering the new album to have a chat with Bay Radio’s own Alex Cranshaw and Nathan Evans to discuss the band’s European tour, the direction of their new sound, the American reaction to their genresmashing sound, and their online interactions with John Prescott.

where we want to take things; it’s very much at that time and how we’re feeling. Lyrically I’d say Rou takes influence from everywhere, from travelling around the world and anything like that, but really it’s as and when we’ve been writing it’ll kind of come out very naturally. We had a point when we had about

to be a dance track or a guitar track, so we focused on how best to use them to complement each other. Q: How are you received in live shows outside of the UK such as in Europe or Warped Tour in the U.S.? A: It’s generally very positive, it’s always strange when you go to a place for the first time and we never really know what to expect. They’re obviously never as big as the shows back here but it’s really just fun being able to play to smaller audiences and to give them that first impression which we really thrive on. I always remember when people used to see us in the UK for the first time and seeing people with a slightly confused look on their face, but we always strive for that reaction and it’s rare that we get to make a first impression. If you were wondering what the whole John Prescott tweet was all about, well, so do Enter Shikari “we still don’t really know whether it’s him or the people running his Twitter, but we were definitely as surprised as you are.” You can hear the audio of the interview on Redcoat Radio, 8PM on the 10th of December, along with a special selection of Shikari’s greatest hits and some in-depth discussion about the new album.

“We’re often quite confused that lot of bands can churn out the same mind numbing lyrics which don’t seem to be that true.“

Enter Shikari kick off their UK tour on February 16th at the Portsmouth Pyramid Centre, be sure to keep an eye out for The Mindsweep this coming January and don’t forget to check out ‘The Last Garrison’ on the band’s YouTube page.

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December 2014

Entertainment

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WINTER PLAYLIST

December, Chillwave, and Winter Vibes Daniel Oldham

WINTER is here; the season of putting on the most ironic knitwear you can find, worrying about making those last pennies count until you can go home, and trying to negotiate Penglais Hill in any way other than Wales’ largest slip n’ slide. The days are getting shorter and you’re finding it hard to appreciate those frosty mornings when the Victorian plumbing decides it wants the day off. Personally, I love winter; it has a certain magical atmosphere - one that can always be accompanied by good music. This month’s playlist satisfies both camps; urban and retro sounds accompanied by lo-fi sampling, with a touch of wintry melancholy, and perhaps nostalgia for the 1980’s. If any of those terms got you excited, you’re going to love these tunes. Clams Casino – ‘I’m God’ Washed Out – ‘Feel It All Around’ 1. PictoChat – ‘Oh.no’ ft. CIO 2. Nujabes – ‘Feather’ 3. Toro y Moi – ‘So Many Details’

4. Neon Indian – ‘Polish Girl’ 5. Teen Girl Scientist Monthly – ‘Ghost Coast’ 6. Broken Bells – ‘The High Road’ 7. Beach Fossils – ‘Fall Right In’ 8. Wayne Szalinski – ‘Some Collagist’ 9. Last Dinosaurs – ‘Time & Place’ 10. Local Natives - ‘Ceilings’ 11. Yo La Tengo – ‘Today Is The Day’ 12. Beach House – ‘Norway’ 13. Mutual Benefit – ‘Advanced Falconry’ I started putting this playlist together in August, and I’m finding it hard not to miss the longer sunny days and warmer climates; what’s more is these songs are guaranteed essay fuel, taken from the fledgling Chillwave scene we can see that nostalgia in the sound, using samples from pop, disco and hiphop tracks of the past in order to make a surprisingly new and diverse range of musical styles. We see stage names such as Washed Out, Neon Indian and Toro y Moi dominating the scene, providing mellow music

that has been featured in the media from Rockstar’s GTA V to IFC’s Portlandia. These are the perfect songs to plug in to whilst pulling a late one in the library or unwinding after a heavy study session. The latter half of the mix definitely smacks of the word ‘indie’; the feel will begin to switch from summer to winter, as synths give way to guitars and tempos begin to drop. Special mentions are the very new and exciting Teen Girl Scientist Monthly, and the melodic and soulful Wayne Szalinski. Moving towards the final songs on the mix we are delving into the melancholy and ethereal realm of Beach House, ending on the optimistic and heartfelt Mutual Benefit - the final song ending on a tone that I think can prepare us for the cold British winter ahead. As always though, have fun with discovering new music; open your mind to new styles and sounds, and let it add that special dimension to rid you of the winter blues. Be sure to support new music by following and supporting the bands..

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REVIEW

A disappointingly mediocre reveal for Foo Fighter’s album Bror Larsen

IN 2011, Dave Grohl and Foo Fighters released Wasting Light, arguably their best effort since 1997’s The Colour and the Shape. Wasting Light gave fans of Foo Fighters something new; it was heavy, fast, at times experimental and always interesting. Now, three years later, they have accepted the challenge of following up this creative little monster. The newest edition to the Foo Fighters catalogue is this year’s release Sonic Highways and the first question that sprung to mind was obvious: could the Seattle band possibly produce something as good as they did in 2011, and would they follow the pattern that they created with that album? Sonic Highways starts off promisingly for all those who enjoyed the bands previous efforts. The first three tracks on the album are all fairly fast paced songs that start off slowly, but quickly picks up speed and are best summarized as solid pop-rock tracks with a couple of interesting riffs here and there. The first problem with the album arises with track number four; ‘What Did I Do?/God As My Witness’. This is essentially two tracks, but they are placed together because of similarities so obvious that it would sound slightly ridiculous if they were to take up the space of two separate tracks. The whole song in itself is 5.43 minutes long, and when the first half (‘What Did I Do?’) ends the general feeling is positive. However, then ‘God As My Witness’ kicks in. This half of the track is as preachy as the title indicates and Dave Grohl – boss and frontman of Foo Fighters and

founding member of Nirvana – has created too many good songs to allow himself to release this. This track truly is a nose-dive moment; at the time of listening, it feels like surely there can be no return after this. Lyrically it becomes comically painful, and it doesn’t help that sound-wise the band unsuccessfully tries to copy Queen. Somehow, though, Grohl and company found a way back. After a catastrophically bad fourth track, Foo Fighters miraculously save the day with track number five, simply entitled ‘Outside’. This song is heavy, melodic and intriguing. It’s the only song on the album that has a distinct dark feel to it, and it remains the only standout song. From here on out Sonic Highways continues in a standard pop-rock style, with no particular lows and certainly no highs. The main problem of this album is the lack of originality. Whereas the band tried something new on Wasting Light, they now appear to have decided to go back to the safe formula of standard four-minute pop-rock songs. There is simply not enough to get excited about here, but on the plus side, with the exception of the second half of track four, the album does not contain any bad songs. As an album it flows very well, it has a theme that it refuses to step away from and the track-placing makes sense. All in all this is a safe, all-around good (but not great) effort from a band that is capable of doing a lot better. Had this been released by a lesser band it would probably have been considered a better album, however, this is Foo Fighters and we’re allowed to expect a bit more.

GAMES

Grand Theft Auto: reality at your fingertips, now for next generation consoles Dan Lannon THE LATE great rendition of real life released by Rockstar truly shines; reality and chaos blend together to create a seamless experience unlike no other. The next gen release on PS4 and Xbox One captures the beauty of an open world environment, a sandbox fit for psychopathic chaos to be the norm, without the blink of an eye. A simple action, like the shot of a weapon, creates a chain of chaos that matches the realism of Red Dead Redemption to the tyrannical protagonist that Rockstar constantly produces throughout

their renditions of reality, or lack of. The game may have the same storyline and baseline as its former console glory within the PS3 and Xbox 360, yet the texture upgrades and resolution of such atmospheres in the world create a new ambience that the older generation consoles cannot compete with. The graphical improvements paint a world as realistic as Los Santos in a way that no other Rockstar game can brag about as of yet; opening an entirely broad spectrum in which Rockstar can now only build upon with whichever game they choose to release next.

A point that can’t be forgotten is the addition of music to the once established radio stations upon the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of the game. Who wouldn’t love to drive on the American highways at 220mph to the Backstreet Boys? Or to fly over the beautiful sunset horizon to Kansas’ ‘Carry on my Wayward Son’? Within the re-release there are nods to the previous Grand Theft Auto games, such as GTA 3’s lonesome plane; the Dodo. Rockstar merged together the nostalgia of playing the older games within the series to the new experiences that those additions

create. Who knew flying a Dodo plane – the most useless plane ever created, with a maximum air time of 18 seconds – would be such a new experience? The aesthetic improvements surely can be questioned in terms of justification of paying for the same game over again, however the inclusion of 30 players online and a first person camera integrated into all aspects within the game (even the erotica, ‘who wouldn’t love a first person lapdance?’ says Rockstar’s ambition) seals the deal of a repurchase. If the soundtrack, quality of

textures, first person camera mode, or 30 player online sessions don’t somewhat intrigue you then we’ve got a problem. What is so interesting about the game – which is a problem within many games these days – is playability, to which GTA V truly lords over multiple games. The endless possibilities created within the game create an endless loop of the need to play the game, over and over. The multiplayer created by Rockstar, labelled GTA: Online is where the chaos comes to play with co-operation at your disposal, but trust no one. You never know when someone may be aiming at you.

STUDENT HOUSING Advertorial: In partnership with AberSU

December 2014

Halls vs House 14 Will Atkinson Welfare Officer WELCOME to the first ever Courier housing supplement. Housing is one of the most important aspects of student welfare and I’m extremely grateful to The Courier team for the opportunity to make my first foray into journalism. I hope that these pages help you in finding your dream student home at the right price, with the best people and for the best contract. The landscape of housing has changed massively in my time at Aberystwyth. We’ve gone from bunk beds in halls to letting agents struggling to let all their properties.

Twenty types of flatmates and how to deal with them 15 Halls spaces will increase from 3,500 in 2011 to 4,500 in 2015, and student numbers have dropped over the same time period. It’s never been a better time to let a house in Aber but that’s not to say there aren’t terrible houses and landlords out there. Hopefully these pages will help you navigate the market.

House hunting: ten top tips 1) Take your time: don’t rush in to signing a contract. Good agents won’t pressure you to sign, and will be happy for you to take contracts away for you to think about. 2) Know your budget: you may be able to afford a headline figure of £70 per week but have you factored in a potential £60 admin fee, summer rent, £10 per week utility bills and a few quid for broadband?

The housing market: deficit to surplus OVER THE last 3 years the housing market in Aberystwyth has changed drastically. It may not be obvious on the surface but still waters run deep. In 2011 there were almost exactly enough private houses and halls rooms for the students of Aberystwyth. Fast forward to 2014 where there are roughly 1,500 fewer students and the maths is pretty simple. Add to this the 1000 beds coming (fingers and toes crossed) from Fferm Penglais in January and the housing surplus becomes even more pronounced. Some landlords have sold their properties, some have converted them to rent to families and professionals but there will still be many hundreds of surplus rooms in Aberystwyth for 2015. If you don’t believe this then take a look in any letting agency window or website. You’ll more than likely find not just houses to rent in the coming academic year but also a number

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of houses available immediately. These are properties left over unlet. The future of the housing market is in your hands. If you want lower rents, ask for them. I’m not going to tell you when to rent. If you’ve found a great house at a fair price and you know who you want to live with then go for it. If you’ve decided staying in halls is for you then make that application, you can always withdraw it later. Knowledge is power and I would urge you to take contracts away to think about before signing on the dotted line. The Union Advice Centre will check your contract for free if you’re worried about any strange clauses. The most important thing is to take everything you’re told with a pinch of salt, be it the University claiming that halls are cheaper than houses or letting agents telling you there have been five other groups viewing the house you’re looking at.

6) Are you a tenant or a lodger: tenants have different rights to lodgers. Know which you are and what rights you have 7) View the property: always view a property before signing. During the viewing, look out for signs of mould, broken wiring or any other damage. Be suspicious of fresh paint. Is this covering a damp patch? Does the property have a Gas Safe certificate?

3) Are you happy with your contract: this is a binding legal document. Make sure you’re 100% happy with every clause before signing it. If in doubt, get advice.

8) Don’t be afraid to ask: is the carpet ruined? Do the walls need a coat of paint? Has the mattress seen one too many owners? Don’t be afraid to ask for work to be done before you sign the contract.

4) Know your tenancy agreement: is it an individual contract or a joint & several contract? The latter could leave you financially liable if a housemate leaves earlier. Know the difference.

9) Ask the current tenants: if possible privately ask the current tenants what they think about the property. Is the landlord helpful? Is there mould? How much are the bills really? Does the roof leak?

5) Protect your deposit: make sure the agent or landlord uses a tenancy deposit scheme. This will make getting your deposit back at the end of your tenancy much easier and is a legal obligation on agents.

10) Make sure you’re really happy living with these people: you’re about to enter a binding legal contract with this group of people. Are you absolutely sure? Good housemates can make the university experience but bad housemates can also break it.

Deposits: get them protected What is deposit protection? Since 2007 landlords have been legally obliged to protect your deposit in a tenancy deposit protection scheme. These schemes prevent landlords from taking cash from your deposit at the end of your tenancy without you being able to dispute the charges. How are deposits protected? There are three tenancy deposit schemes: the Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS), My Deposits and The Deposit Protection Scheme (DPS). Your deposit needs to be protected by one of these. You will be given paperwork alongside your contract explaining this.

What if you find out you’re not protected? If you find your deposit is not protected, don’t panic. The law is clear and you are likely to win not only your whole deposit back but also an amount in compensation. Book an appointment with the Union Advice Centre.

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December 2014

Student Housing

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Halls vs House WHETHER you’re working out where to live in second year or which accommodation in which to hit the last full stop on your dissertation, the choice between halls and house is clouded with hear-say and misinformation. Landlords are here for one thing: to line their pockets. That’s not to say that the Uni is happy about having empty halls rooms though; next year there will be 1000 extra beds for them to fill and roughly 2000 less students compared to 2011. Letting agents will reel you in with the promise of low or zero deposits, low headline rents and all inclusive deals but fail to mention the admin & referencing costs or full summer rent. The University will try and persuade you that halls are cheaper than houses using unreferenced private sector rent & bills figures. The truth, as always, is somewhere in between. For most the choice comes down to what you’re looking for

from your university experience. Some come to university to find independence. For you a house where you can learn to pay bills, budget and feel like an adult is the usual way to go. Houses are the classic 'uni experience' (there’s a reason Fresh Meat wasn’t set in a Penbryn-esque location). Here you can at least play at being a grownup and learn some vital skills in the process (even if it’s mostly being on hold to Scottish Power). Although if that sounds like too much trouble, you could always opt for an all-bills-included property. If you’re looking to live in Aberystwyth year round then you will probably have to opt for a house unless the higher priced hall rooms available on 52 week licenses are of interest. Halls offer a much higher level of security. No dodgy internet for you (Information Services dependent) or surprise electricity bills. If you can bear the white glove kitchen inspections (it’s worth

noting that some private landlords still do these) then halls may be for you. Paying no bills and only paying rent during the academic year can be very attractive. Remember this when working out total accommodation costs (most private houses will be let on 52 week contracts, albeit with some summer reduction in rent). Living on or near to campus can be another massive bonus. Being able to roll out of bed straight into a lecture hall could mean the difference between a Desmond and a 2:1. Add to this the fact that Fferm Penglais is absolutely s t u n n i n g Tomos Nolan

(even if the prices are overdraft enemy #1) then halls have a lot to offer. Whether you’re thinking of staying in or moving back into halls, or making a break into the private sector, AberSU is here to give you the impartial advice and information to help you make the right choice. If you have any doubts about your

contract or something a landlord or the University have said, the Advice Centre is here for you. Remember, there are more houses than students this year, so don’t be afraid to negotiate. Even £5 a week saved on rent would cover the cost of festival tickets or a return flight to Ibiza.

December 2014

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Twenty flatmates you’ll come across at university, and what to do about them Stacey Gaenssler and Emily Rowe

IT’S GETTING to that time of year again – the air is getting cold, you’re searching for that perfect deal, and you need to find a roof to put over your head for next year. But one thing you’ll definitely need to consider, be it private or uni res that you’re moving into, is who you’re going to live with. Here are the personality types to look out for, and whether you should move in with them, or avoid at all costs. 1) The personal chef. This is the housemate who can cook – and well. They’re willing to cook for you, if you’re willing to chip in for ingredients. More importantly, they’ll keep in mind all the things you don’t like in food, and only use them if you really annoy them. If you live off of ready-meals and instant noodles, this person could be a life saver in the long run – just make sure to stay in their good books. We say: Move in, but at the very least keep the kitchen stocked with the basics. 2) The slob. All flatmates and students will have their moments of letting a cup of tea go mouldy, but at least most of them keep it in their room. The true slob, however, is the one to really look out for, but they won’t be hard to spot. Dirty dishes in the living room, used underwear in the bathroom, and bags of rubbish left in the corridors for weeks on end. Piles of clothes, overflowing bins and crusty sinks are the least to expect. We say: Avoid, but if you’re truly desperate we suggest investing in a decent pair of rubber gloves. 3) The neat freak. Like the slob, the neat freak will be pretty easy to spot; a shelf full of cleaning products in their room, a nervous twitch at the sight of more than two dirty dishes; and their sock drawer organised from oldest to newest, by colour. Although it’s great having someone willing to clean up your towering mountain of plates from the beginning of the term, don’t push them too far. We say: Move in, but if you’re the slob, then maybe not. 4) The chauffeur. The chauffeur only has two qualifying factors: having a car; and being able to drive said car. Whether you live on campus or in town, having someone who can drive makes life so much easier, especially when it comes

to those early morning exams in Llanbadarn. As long as you follow any rules they put in place for their car,and chip in for petrol, you can persuade then to drive you just about anywhere in town. We say: Move in, but make sure they aren’t ripping you off for “petrol money”. 5) The psycho. The psycho is probably the hardest to spot, but are easily the most important to avoid. From playing a song on repeat at three in the morning, to banging the door down with an axe, there are varying levels of psychotic behaviour your housemates can show. However, it’s pretty safe to say that you don’t want to come home from a night out to a crazed lunatic… or take one out with you, either. We say: Avoid, just avoid. But nothing. 6) The ‘Richie Rich’. This lucky student has it all – laptop, computer, tablet, camera, iPod, sound system, and anything else that takes their fancy. They don’t always seem to understand the concept of budgeting, which is good news for you, as they’ll often cover your oversights. Just make sure they’re on good terms with mother and father, should their overdraft run out. We say: Move in, but don’t make your money-grabbing too obvious. 7) The Broke Betty. They think they can budget – they start off each month with a new plan, but inevitably they fall short by the end of the second week. Often found muttering in the corner of the room clutching their last pennies, the Broke Betty is the extreme version of the majority of the student population, but nine times out of ten they do mean well. We say: Avoid, but occasionally they are willing to pay off their debts with favours. 8) The alcoholic. Coming home so drunk that you have to help them to bed, and with enough empty beer cans and bottles to build a “monumenté du beveráge”, at the very least the alcoholic is entertaining. They’ll always know the cheapest places in town and the places to avoid, which is a great benefit to any student looking for a good night out on a budget. We say: It’s up to you, but do you really want to clean up after them? 9) The teetotaler. Basically, the reverse of the alcoholic, the teetotaler won’t touch a drop. Unfortunately, that

does mean that they’ll remember everything that you do. They may get aggressive if you try to force them to drink, but they can still have a good time without inebriation. And remember – just because they don’t drink, doesn’t mean that they can’t be entertaining for you. We say: Move in, but don’t expect them to be your drinking buddy any time soon. 10) The recluse. Barely seen, the recluse is a quiet and private person. That doesn’t mean that they aren’t a fun person, it just means that they like their space and the best thing to do is respect that. More often than not, even if they aren’t the best at keeping contact on a day-to-day basis, they are extremely loyal. They’re also the one to look out for when playing Cards Against Humanity. We say: Move in, but respect their space. 11) The night owl. Similar to ‘the one you’ll never see’, you’ll only find this one eating a bowl of cereal at 6pm. They spend the night playing video games or binge-watching on Netflix, and call it a ‘day’ around 6am to snooze through the rest of the day. Their single 9am exam in January will be more painful for them than for anyone else. We say: Move in, but don’t rely on them to wake you up for your 9am lecture – they’ll have slept through theirs too. 12) The couple. Eyes are opened, and cynical minds formed when you live with a couple, as no experience can throw at you the highs and lows of lateteen/early-twenties relationships. You get to hear everything - from their loudest arguments, to their most intimate moments. We say: Move in, but beware of being dragged into any arguments. 13) The FIFA boy(s). Coming together in the living room around someone’s telly to watch and play a few rounds of FIFA is a unifying experience for many students, male and female. But the resounding cheers and shouts over animated footballers that echo throughout the flat for at least a couple of hours a day is a sound you won’t forget. We say: Move in, they’re always good fun – just don’t let them get too competitive. 14) The deep house enthusiast. Enjoys student union events, usually has some variation of deep house or drum and bass pounding from their room. They also insist on

controlling the music at pre-drinks and consider Black House to be a legitimate music event. We say: Move in, but lay down the law early about loud music if it bothers you. 15)The North/South extremists. For some people there’s a NorthSouth line and it’s important. It’s so important, that if you question the ‘North’-ness or ‘South’-ness of a town or county or pebble on the side of the road you can expect passionate and aggressive retaliations. These people will also be especially proud of which side of this border they’re from and will put all their actions, words and instincts down to this heritage. We say: Move in – unless you’re from the Midlands. 16) The ‘Pass-Ag’. If you’ve never had a note slid under your door or stuck to the fridge about the amount of dishes or lack of toilet roll, then you’ve never lived in university halls. The ‘note’ in itself is passive-aggressive (‘pass-ag’) enough, but it will often be polite, girly and possibly even with kisses at the end. At the end of the day though they’re too British, or too smug, to tell you to clean up in any other way. We say: Move in, but try not to get into too many ‘note wars’. 17) The thief. The occasional missing glug of milk or slice of bread is expected in a shared living situation. But soon pizza slices, hunks of cheese and entire chicken breasts go missing. It’s usually when ‘the vegetarian’ (a flatmate not on this list, but you’ll still come across them) finds their last Quorn sausage stolen that a full

investigation kicks off. More passag notes will follow. We say: Avoid, unless you want to end up paying for twice the food you eat, and never see it. 18) The home body. Rather like the one you’ll never see, the homebody is both unwilling and incapable of being away from home. They make the trip back to “the shire” as they so lovingly and inventively call it on a weekly basis, and when they are in halls coping without someone to wash up and cook for them is near impossible. We say: Move in, they’ll save you money on bills by never being there. Just don’t bother trying to make plans with them for the weekend. 19) The stoner. When you walk past their room you’ll always get a strong waft of that noticeable smell. They’ve always got a good supply of junk food though, and they’ll always find your jokes funny. We say: It’s up to you, but do you really want to risk not getting your deposit back? 20) The workaholic. They’ll be in the library before you’ve even crawled out of bed, and come back long after dark. They make you feel useless with their complaining about how they think they did terribly when you KNOW they did amazingly. They also always manage to have enough time for a night out when the rest of you are slaving away over an essay that’s due tomorrow - because they finished it last week. We say: Move in if you’re a hard worker too, but if not then avoid – they’ll just make you feel bad.

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December 2014

Student Housing

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How to save on your bills Rhian Hughes Chair

AS STUDENTS, we all know that bills can become a bit intimidating, time-consuming and stressful, So here are a couple of ways to save money and avoid that stress. 1. Research Before signing any contract and paying any bills do your research, and make sure you get the best deal. Don't be afraid to use comparison sites, as they can give you all the statistics that you need in one place. Another point to this is to consider finding a contract that suits your house, so don't sign a 24 month one as you won't be in the house for that long and you will still have to pay. The 9 month contracts are rare, but they are available, if you can find one that suits all the tenants then go for it - if not, stick to a simple 12 month contract. 2. Sort the bills This takes time at the start of the year, but it will benefit you in the long run. Separate all of your bills into different sections so you can

keep track of them. Always check your emails, as companies may email you important updates, and never throw a letter away - it could be a life saver when looking for things like customer references and the like it will be easier. 3. Have one person as ‘The Bill Master’ If one person is in charge of the bills, it can be controlled. Having six different people for different types of bills can become confusing, and bills can then slip by without being paid for. The Bill Master is in control of all the bills, so that it is that person's responsibility to ensure they are all paid on time, which is made a lot easier by simply using a Direct Debit. 4. Set up Direct Debits. Direct Debits not only allow you to pay your bills with no fuss, but will also ensure that you don't get charged card fees for every transaction you make. If there is one Direct Debit that goes out of the Bill Master's account, then the rest of the tenants can Direct Debit into the Bill Master's account. This

is a very easy way to ensure that everyone pays the bills - and that they are paid on time. 5. Think before you use. Always think how much you’re using. There is no need for the heating to be on all day - heat for an hour in the morning and evening, and put a jumper on. Save on water by not having five baths every week; showers tend to be a lot cheaper. Turn off the lights and electrical appliances whenever you’re not using them - if the switch is still on you are still using electricity up. 6. Separate it equally. Some people will use more than others, but this should never be a concern. The bills should be divided equally between each tenant. It isn't worth trying to work it out, and will just result in an argument although you may have not been in the house this week for a reason, you might never leave it the next. The bills will balance out anyway, so don't try to work out who used what as it's too time consuming and your housemates will definitely not thank you for it.

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How to deal with damp Katie Saint Editor DAMP is a problem which unfortunately affects a lot of student houses, so if you are unlucky enough to have it in your home then it's important to know how to deal with it. If you can spot it before you move in then you can avoid a lot of problems, so keep a close eye out when viewing houses. Signs to look out for are peeling or bubbly looking wallpaper or paint; discoloured plaster; a lot of condensation on windows; and mould in ceiling corners or around window frames. If you do end up living in a house with damp though, it's not the end of the world. Just make sure you don't let your landlord fob you off with excuses - damp can make you very unwell, so it's important to deal with it quickly. If you've got a little bit of black mould around the window frames and your clothes aren't drying

properly, then make sure you're ventilating the house properly. Open the windows at night a little bit if it isn't too cold - if not then open them first thing in the morning to clear the condensation. If your house is too cold you'll get a lot of condensation on windows, so don’t be too stingy with the heating - it's better to spend more on bills than end up with a chest infection. Mould remover (from Poundland) is great for this black mould, and should stop it coming back - just make sure to ventilate the room well when you use it. If you have rising or penetrating damp or any more than a little black mould around the window frame, it's time to contact your landlord. They have a responsibility to treat the problem, so make sure you report any problems to them, and to Environmental Health if they won't fix the problem. Most landlords are pretty quick with fixing major problems, so hopefully your damp issues will be sorted in no time.

December 2014

The Courier

December 2014

The Courier

December 2014

LIFESTYLE December 2014

aberstudentmedia.com/lifestyle

The Courier

Lifestyle Editor

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Sarah Thornhill

@abersmLifestyle

Try something new this December Events to look forward to in December include the farmers market on Saturday the 6th, the notorious Aber 10K on the 7th, followed by a carol service at 8pm at St Michaels. There is also a carol service at Seion Chapel in town on the 10th December commencing at 1pm. Make an effort to support the runners of the 10K and soak in the festive spirit at a carol concert at a local church. Societies will most

Sarah Thornhill Lifestyle Editor

I CANNOT believe how quickly this year has gone. I say this every year, and every year it gets faster. Then every year I am more and more surprised at the pace of time. This is the sort of thing you hear your parents or grandparents say. However, we aren’t old yet, and there is much to enjoy in the present.

Simply having a wonderful Christmas time

Kim Jewel

IT IS that wonderful time of the year. Well…nearly. Oh yes readers, it is nearly that time of year where you think, where has 2014 gone? Speaking as a third year, this reality has left me feeling dread and fear of the unknown. I’ve actually had to mentally sit myself down and think, ‘alright you have one semester of university left soon. What are you going to do with your life?’ I’m not going to lie, from around the time I was thirteen university has been the long game, and anything after that has been a dark spot or a blur in my imagination. Gone are the days when I was a kid and wanted to be a fairy princess. The harsh reality of life is knocking at the door and I’m shaking at the prospect of answering it. So, what can numb the dissertation proposals, deadlines and the upcoming January exams that we are eagerly awaiting? Just some little holiday called CHRISTMAS. Now, we all know that Christmas means awful TV, too many calories, and a few hangovers that will make you wish Santa had left Paracetamol under the tree. It is hard enough feeling the excitement that after so many years still remains in some form or another, but when you haven’t been home since the beginning of term it can leave a longing for home, greater than Christmas (dare it be said....) For most of us (me included) that dare not venture on board Arriva, for a journey that can take as

long as it is dreadful, it can leave a sense homesickness that only a hug from mum can cure. So as Michael Bublé, beautifully put it, let me go home. In the meantime, however, enjoy university while it lasts! Yes, first years, this applies to you as well! So what is there to do? In my experience there is plenty to pass the time. Why not arrange a secret Santa within your society, sports team or accommodation? Suggest a Christmas meal perhaps; there are plenty of places that do great deal with groups at a discount price. If you are feeling in the Christmas spirit then decorate your house/ flat. B&M are known for their good prices when it comes to decorations, why not over indulge in the Christmas spirit and make your living space feel like a mini grotto. However, if you are not the Christmas kind, perhaps a cinema trip? The third and last installation of the Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies is due out the 12th, this is a film not to be missed. If that doesn’t take your fancy, then there’s only one thing for, it, do not be a SCROOGE! University is the best experience you will have in your younger years, indulge yourself in the holiday spirit with your friends, these three years go quick. Despite the hangovers, deadlines, and debt, just remember - time with family and friends is special and unfortunately limited.

likely be hosting Christmas dinners or themed socials so try to get involved. To me, December is a time to reflect on the events of the year; a time to get back to the values that you find most important to you. It is a time for family and friends. A time of celebration of what has been and a time of anticipation of what is to come. This December, remember to spend quality time

with your family. I don’t mean don’t revise - but give yourself time off to spend those few hours over a glass of wine and the Monopoly board. For a lot of us, we probably won’t be home again until Easter time, so do use the time fruitfully. At the same time, don’t leave all your revision until the last minute; I suggest that you start before you go home, so you don’t have a mad panic after the festivities are over.

Beat the winter blues Will Salmon THE NIGHTS are drawing in, temperatures are falling, essay deadlines are looming, it’s still not quite the Christmas holidays, and to top it all off you’re suffering from the latest bout of fresher’s flu. With all this to contend with, it’s not hard to begin feeling a little bit down about things. However, don’t despair just yet - there are plenty of good ways to keep your spirits up during the dreary winter days, and this article has some top tips to put a smile back on your face. If you’re feeling fed up, the temptation is always there to lock yourself away from the world and catch up on iPlayer’s latest offerings. While this can provide a welcome escape, it’s important to remember to stay sociable. Spending too much time shut away will make you feel lonely and isolated, which will only contribute to you feeling low on those dark December nights. So, gather your friends and head out of the house – a night out in town could be the perfect way to blow away the cobwebs. What’s more, with Christmas approaching it’s likely that your societies are planning some exciting events for you to get involved with, providing the ideal distraction in the last few weeks of term. That’s Kim Jewel

Kim Jewel not to say that you have to drink to be social - there’s plenty that you and your mates can get up to which doesn’t involve alcohol, too. For example, why not check out the latest release at the cinema or one of the events at the Art’s Centre? Another great way to beat the winter blues is by getting creative in the kitchen, and cooking some tasty and wholesome dishes. Enjoying a good meal is bound to lift your spirits and make the dark days just that bit more bearable. Most cookbooks and cookery websites contain some great recipes, ranging from simple soups to hearty pies. It’s a good idea to get some flatmates involved and cook

together. Before the holidays you could even get together to organise a traditional Christmas dinner, providing a chance to both bring the flat together and get you in the festive mood. Exercise is a great way to beat the winter blues, with the University’s sports centre being an ideal place to head on a chilly evening. Here, you can do a whole host of activities, whether it is a group spinning session or a solo swimming trip. A visit here will get you out of the house and get the blood flowing warming you up, if nothing else! Sometimes, however, you might just want to escape the Aber bubble and travel elsewhere during your free time. This needn’t be an expensive or long haul trip across the world, but could just be a train or bus ride to Birmingham or Cardiff for a day or two of Christmas shopping. Such visits can serve as a reminder that there is a world outside of this small Welsh seaside town and provide an entertaining way to hit your winter blues on the head. I hope that this article has provided you with some good hints and tips for keeping your spirits up this winter. Keep smiling, and have fun!

Student Living 22

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December 2014

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CHRISTMAS FASHION

Funky festive ties Christmas party dresses for £30 and under

Sarah Thornhill Lifestyle Editor AS THE FESTIVE season draws nearer you may be wishing to explore the possibility of purchasing a tie to immerse yourself in the festive spirit. Here are a few ideas of options if you are struggling to decide which to buy or don’t want to buy one in case you don’t wear it again. The ties in this article should hopefully dispel any worries you have about the process of buying a festive tie to don at your Christmas parties. The cheery Christmas tie (www.tiesplanet.com) This tie contains some of the most stereotypical items of Christmas including Santa, snowmen, presents and snowflakes, meaning that it will not be subjected to one year. You will be able to use this again. Perfect for those who have a secret bit of cheek in them. Price: £9.99 The reindeer tie (www.tiesplanet.com) This tie depicts a reindeer that has been abandoned in the process of delivering Christmas. Perfect for those with a childish side to Christmas cheer. Price: £9.99

Sarah Thornhill Lifestyle Editor

The penguin tie (www.marksandspencer.com) The penguin tie is a little less cheesy but still keeping in the festive spirit, and a little more mature. Perfect for those who feel they need to start acting their age Price: £9.50

Snowman tie (www.tiesplanet.com) This tie is of a snowman standing in front of a decorated tree, under the cover of a starry night. Perfect for those who still feel the magic of Christmas. Price: £14.99

IT IS THAT time of year again to grace your friends and family with your presence, and you will probably have been - or will be - invited to some festive soirée. I hope that these dresses will give you some guidance if you are looking for that perfect seasonal dress that you can potentially wear again. My picks will not break the bank but will still leave you feeling good over the holidays.

LBD (www.riverisland.com) This velvet strappy dress is sure to get you in the Christmassy mood. Perfect for soaking up champagne on Christmas day or hitting the dance floor! Price: £20 Sizes: 8-18

The savvy skater (www.asos.com) This dress is available in red or black, however, I feel the red will give you a cheery pop of colour over the cold winter months. Price: £28 Sizes:4-18

Pink skater dress (www.ohmylovelondon.com) This cute pale pink, strapless skater dress is simple but sweet. The sweetheart front means it is flattering but still subtle. Price: £24 Sizes: XS-L

The glitter bomb (www.newlook.com) This glittery number is one you can make the most of over the festive period. Nothing says Christmas cheer more than sparkles. Price: £24.99 Sizes: 6-18

DATING

How to get back into the dating game: The do’s and don’ts Eve Greenow I HAVE relatively recently come out of a long term relationship that I’d been in since seventeen; it was great, but in the end we just grew apart. Now nearly twenty one and in my final year at university, I feel catapulted into the deep end of the overly complicated, terrifyingly confusing, dating game. For anyone who knows this feeling: it’s the feeling of complete dread at the fact that, yes you will have to completely start all over again, and - chances are - you are going to get hurt big time. It’s a scary prospect. In the time that I have been single, I have quickly learnt a great deal about the codes of dating/ seeing each other/just messing

around. Here are some discoveries that may help you when dating: 1) Tinder sucks. In a little town like Aber, you will come across a fair amount of people that you already know: awkward! Tinder is a superficial way of meeting s o m e o n e , however if you’re lucky and hit it off, then fantastic: but be wary that it may not be anything serious. 2) Someone may say they like you, but may just be using you, so don’t rush into anything! This is an almost

blindingly obvious one. However it is (surprisingly), incredibly easy to get swept up in the cringey chatup lines, and their smooth-talking ways. So just make sure that they are genuinely interested in you before you invest your emotions. 3) The social pressures to meet ‘The One’ whilst in uni are ridiculous. This is unrealistic and, frankly, most people at this age just aren’t ready to settle down. Allow yourself to be selfish: this is a time

“Allow yourself time to be selfish: this is a time where you can do what you like on a whim”

where you can do what you like on a whim. So don’t allow yourself to fret about meeting ‘the one’, just enjoy learning more about yourself. 4) Playing it cool actually works. And helps you know if he/she’s not really serious about you. Don’t drop everything for that one date you’re really excited to go on: get your life in order, and fit them in around it. Plan a night in/out with your friends, get your work done, master your hobby: do everything you’ve always wanted to do but couldn’t whilst in a relationship this is the perfect time! 5) Don’t let Snapchat rule your life when ‘seeing someone’ - unless of course you’re taking lowcamera-angle attractive selfies for

your friends. If you have them on Snapchat, chances are that’ll be one of their main ways of contacting you… It can be a great way to get to know someone and let them know what you’re up to. However, if they are only contacting you after 12am: be a little cautious, they may just be lonely. In the end, I’ve decided that what will be will be: don’t go chasing a guy when he is clearly taking advantage of you, don’t think that you will never find anyone else, and never ever lower your self-worth or think you deserve less than perfect. Being single is a great time for selfdiscovery. So spread your wings and enjoy the freedom - you never know what’s around the corner!

Student Living December 2014

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CHRISTMAS GIFT IDEAS

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Five useful secret Santa gifts £5 and under Sarah Thornhill Lifestyle Editor IF YOU ARE struggling to decide what to get your friends and family this Christmas but don’t want to buy something to that will be thrown in a drawer for the next three years, then here are some ideas to get your brain ticking. Soldier egg cup and toast cutters (www.amazon.co.uk) This has to be one of the coolest egg cups ever. Taking eggs and soldiers to the literal extreme, this set will be sure to be received with a smile and be well used. Good idea for a hangover cure. Perfect for: your friend who likes a cooked breakfast Price: £5 The ‘ring for tea’ bell (www.next.co.uk) This ‘ring for tea’ bell will probably be one of those gifts someone overuses and then ends up in the kitchen being a communal item. However, it could be an extremely useful and thoughtful gift.

Perfect for: your friend who cannot go an hour without a cup of tea Price: £5 A thermochromic pacman mug (www.iwantoneofthose.com) This mug is made with thermochromic paint and when it is filled with a hot drink the characters of the iconic Pacman game appear. This will add an extra cheer to your tea breaks in assignments and may still surprise you when months after Christmas when you forget the secret of the mug. Perfect for: your friend who appreciates a good mug Price: £4.49

Jelly shots set (www.findmeagift.co.uk) A set of 4 ice-shot glasses and molds. The perfect gift for people who like to host predrinks. This gift will allow you to make jelly shots easier and with less mess than beforehand. You will know that it will definitely be used and not sat in a cupboard. Perfect for: Your friend who likes a party Price: £3.99

The rainbow torch (www.hawkin.com) This torch is perfect for walking home from lectures or the library late at night if your road isn’t that well lit. Also useful to have lying around the house in case of a power cut! Perfect for: your friend who can’t change a bulb Price: £3.50

FOOD AND DRINK

Seasonal December recipes: A new take on the chestnut Jenny Case

AS DECEMBER recipes go, a fair few involve the traditionally seasonal chestnut. It is perfect for stuffing, roasting and combining into delicious chocolate filled desert recipes, but that’s not the extent of its offerings. Here are a few less traditional chestnut options to spice up your Christmas. Japanese Chestnut Rice (www.earthydelightsblog.com) Ingredients 3 chestnuts ½ cup rice 1 teaspoon of Sake (Japanese Rice Wine) 1 teaspoon of Soy sauce Pinch of salt Sprinkling of sesame seeds (Serves 1) This recipe is a take on the Japanese rice dish Kurigohan. It’s

very simple, and requires little in After the chestnuts have cooled, the way of cooking know-how. begin peeling and removing the inner husk – Though few you’ll realise ingredients, the what this is subtle flavours once you begin of sake and soy peeling. It make this dish does not look worth the short appetising. while it takes to create. Sake is Once peeled, surprisingly easy slice each to locate in the chestnut in half. sup er markets, Bring a pan of so in following water to the boil this recipe, for your rice and keep your eyes add the sake, (and chestnuts) soy, salt and peeled. Nora May Engeseth chestnuts. Directions Garnish with Firstly, score an ‘X’ on the black sesame seeds and serve. flatter side of your chestnuts and Chestnut Pancakes add to a pan of boiling water for (www.hemsleyandhemsley.com) five minutes. Remove from heat and drain. It is suggested that (Makes 12 pancakes) Hemsley and Hemsley are the the chestnuts are left to steam in a tightly sealed container for food writers for Vogue, with an 10 minutes until cool enough to emphasis on healthy indulgence – that is a thing and these chestnut handle.

breakfast pancakes are a delicious example of this. I didn’t bother with tracking down chestnut flour myself, instead opting to grate and blend my previously boiled and peeled chestnuts into the pancake batter. Ingredients 115g (1 cup) chestnut flour or boiled, peeled and grate chestnuts into the flour 3 eggs 250ml (1 cup) water 250ml (1 cup) yogurt (coconut yoghurt suggested) 1 tablespoon of honey 1 teaspoon of orange blossom extract

Directions Combine flour, eggs, water and whisk until smooth Melt some butter or coconut oil in a frying pan

Cover the entirety of the bottom of the pan with mixture, about 2 or 3 tablespoons Flip when the underside of the pancake is a golden brown Serving suggestion – plain or coconut yoghurt (I added desiccated coconut to Greek yoghurt) and a drizzle of honey / orange blossom extract (not something you will likely have in your cupboard, I experimented with orange marmalade) Nora May Engeseth

FEATURES The Courier

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December 2014

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Features Editor Emily Rowe

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Essay Mills: a student-friendly service or plagiarising scams? Emily Rowe Features Editor WHEN deadlines collide and work piles up, it’s easy to wish there was some fairy godmother to wave a wand and write that essay for you. Well, as with many things, the internet is ready and willing to provide such a service for you. Just type ‘essay writing service’ into Google and link after link appears offering ‘plagiarism free’, ‘high quality’, ‘100% original’ work that offers you the chance to close the books and hit the town rather than slaving the night away. Whilst writing this, I also have an essay due in four days that I’ve yet to start. Like most students I’ll spend my weekend drinking energy drinks, slumped over my laptop, surrounded by empty packets of sweet chilli Sensations. But first I decided to see just what I could expect from one of these sites. With search-engine-happy names like ‘EssayWritingServiceUK’ and ‘OxbridgeEssays’ there is plenty of

choice. Many of the websites have price calculators and you enter the word length, due date and what grade you would like – with longer essays and higher grades, of course, coming in at a higher price. For a 2:1 and a stress-free weekend I could have my essay written for £245. The price seems steep, but for some students times may be desperate. Though it might be unsuspecting freshers who fall for these websites’ assurances and promises, a final year student with societies and a job might consider it a small price to pay for one less essay to worry about. But I still had my doubts – how could these sites promise a 2:1? I still find essay assessments and grades mystifying at times, with each tutor differing from one another. If I’m pulling over £200 out of my pocket I want a guaranteed grade, and if I was after a First the price would double. On one website a chat box immediately appeared, with a mysterious advisor named ‘Wayne’ asking if I needed

any help. When I asked him how he could ensure the essay would be marked as a 2:1 he responded in seconds: “We guarantee that you will receive a 100% original paper written according to all of your instructions and guidelines. However, we do not guarantee the grade you may get if the paper is submitted as your own work. Grades depend on the professor’s opinion, on your overall performance in class and many other outside factors that we cannot influence on. This is something we can’t guarantee.” I have no doubt something of similar wording is written into the Terms and Conditions upon buying an essay. Whilst scoping around other sites, ‘Wayne’ continued to ask about my essay until I closed the window. All of the sites place a particular emphasis on each essay being original. Many have a separate tab to disparage fears about plagiarism

and cheating, and some claim that these essays are not, in fact, for you to pass off as your own in but to act as a guideline. Some sites boast ‘academic integrity’ whilst others hope to ‘fill the gap’ created by universities that fail to help students with their essays. But who are they actually kidding? It is clear these sites reel in panicked procrastinators and lazy students with freshly arrived student loans. And as for originality? Turnitin – the electronic essay hand-in application used by our own university – claims that most of

prefer the great outdoors or staying out of the cold, there is somewhere to go and something to do. For the lovers of the outdoors, there are plenty of walks with wintery views over the town to be taken in Penglais Natural Park. The Santa Special trains are running on the Vale of Rheidol Railway, with a trip to Capel Bangor and back. This may be suited more to families, as storytellers, Santa and specially decorated carriages will accompany the views of the Rheidol countryside. For those wanting a more active event and to give to good causes, the Aberystwyth Charity 10K is running on Sunday 7th December, at 1.30pm. You can sign up beforehand on the Athletics Club’s Tomos Nolan website.

A pleasant evening may be spent at the Arts Centre. This year it is hosting a variety of Christmas shows, including ‘Miracle on 34th Street: The Musical’, ‘Dylan Thomas’ A Child’s Christmas in Wales’, and ‘Last Christmas, a oneman comedy’. Also at the Arts Centre is the chance to get some Christmas shopping ticked off your to-do list with the annual Winter Craft and Gift Fair running until the 23rd of December. There are over 80 stalls to choose from, many of which are run by locals from Ceredigion, Powys and Carmarthenshire. In the town centre you can stock up on ingredients for Christmas dinners and winter comfort food at the Farmers’ Market on North Parade. This is on the first and third Saturday of the month and starts at 10am, so there is still time for a weekend lie-in. For the more traditional among us there is a Carol service at the Seion Chapel on Baker Street on the 10th of December, and it is free to attend. If you enjoy mulled wine and

these essays are at least partially plagiarised. They reference a miniexperiment carried out by US professor Dan Ariely, who ordered essays based on his questions for his own students to mark and check for plagiarism himself. Unsurprisingly Ariely found the quality of the essays to be shocking and using a website that checks for plagiarism found that some of the essays were as much as 40% plagiarised. Over £200 to be accused of plagiarism – an offence which could cost you your degree – makes the price of using these essay mills even steeper.

Tomos Nolan

Winter is coming... Emma Mellor IT’S THE most wonderful time of the year… Winter is coming, and as we all know, that means it’s almost Christmas. For those of you that

think there is nothing to do or simply don’t know where to look, here’s a guide to get you out from under the duvet and into the world. In Aberystwyth there are many events to get you into the Christmas spirit this December. Whether you

mince pies, Ceredigion Museum and Gallery on Terrace Road is hosting Santa days on the 13th and 20th of December, with musical entertainment and festive workshops. On the 19th, there will be an evening Christmas concert with traditional carols and refreshments. The concert is free and starts at 6pm. If you are a university student going home for Christmas, there is plenty to get involved in before you leave. It may be cold outside but there are alternatives to Netflix! So why not get involved with a local event before you go? It’ll give you something to do and may even provide an opportunity to get all your Christmas shopping done without relying on Amazon. If you’re staying in Aber this Christmas holidays, you cannot fail to feel welcome. Whether you go alone or with friends and family, all these local events are a chance to meet new people and try new things. So, however long you’re staying in Aberystwyth, you can be sure that you will never be bored.

December 2014

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Kirsty Williams on league tables, Welsh education and politicians Jonny Haseldine News Editor

SATURDAY the 15th of November saw the Welsh Liberal Democrat autumn conference set up shop at our very own Medrus conference facility in the Penbryn building on campus. The event, boasting the ‘highest attendance since records began’ (at least in the memory of one party official), saw Liberal Democrats from across Wales gathering to discuss and vote on policy issues, membership, and a host of other different issues. I was invited along to interview their leader, Kirsty Williams Assembly member for Brecon and Radnorshire since the creation of the National Assembly for Wales in 1999. I started off by asking Kirsty about the University’s decline in the league tables. JH: Is the University’s fall down various league tables worrying and what can be done about it? KW: I’m sure it’s of great concern to the university; this is a fantastic institution with a long, proud academic history and historic institutions don’t become bad ones overnight. What we have here is the opportunity to regain a better position. I think what we do need to look at, is what we can do in Welsh government terms for the education sector here in Wales. This is one of the reasons why, in our Liberal Democrat higher education paper, we disagree with the policy that is being pursued by the Welsh government. They have really denuded Welsh higher education of funds that it needs to invest in teaching which is absolutely crucial,

Welsh Liberal Democrats

as well as research potential and good quality facilities. The Welsh government have taken a political decision and we’d like to redress that. It’s all very well having a tuition fees policy that is undoubtedly one that is generous to students, but it’s not going to be good enough if Welsh institutions become weaker and weaker. There has to be a balance between investment in individual students and investment in institutions as a whole. Universities are huge economic drivers that help create prosperity, and I’m very confident that Aberystwyth will be back where it belongs in higher education provision - not just in Wales, but across the UK - before too long. Do you think more should be done to keep more Welsh students studying in Wales? As someone who chose to study outside Wales and came home (Kirsty studied at Manchester University and the University of Missouri), I’ve never been very comfortable actually with the idea of saying to people you have to stay here to study. Welsh students need to have the opportunity to study wherever they want, doing courses, and at institutions, that suit them. The best way we can improve Welsh study at Welsh institutions is to make sure that those institutions are on top of their game, and are the institutions to study specific courses at. You don’t stay because you’re Welsh; you stay because that institution offers the best course in your chosen area of study. They are strong institutions that offer a high quality education and the prospect of a real job when people graduate. That’s how you convince more people to stay.

Is the University exploring the establishment of a veterinary school a positive step? Especially with regard to expanding the number of Welsh vets? It is clearly a very exciting proposition to establish a Welsh veterinary school here. Aberystwyth seems the very best place to establish a vet school, due to its already strong performance in the rural sciences. There is an issue in Wales regarding the recruitment of veterinary s u r g e o n s , especially Welshspeaking ones. This is causing problems to the Welsh agricultural community. But an Aberystwyth Veterinary school does sound like an exciting proposition. Can I ask you about the state of the NHS in Wales and, more s p e c i f i c a l l y, core provisions being moved from Bronglais hospital? It is absolutely crucial that we keep services at Bronglais and insure that as many services as possible are brought to Bronglais. We have seen an emphasis on taking things away but now the Welsh government needs to start talking about what things they’re bringing back. This is the nearest hospital for a number of my constituents and, as you say, a number of them

are traveling significant distances to get here. The government should be looking to repatriate services back to Bronglais. On the whole, the NHS has got to work smarter. On recalling AMs/MPs: This a very important principle that politicians should be recalled. At the moment, the reality is, that unless you’re convicted and sentenced to 12 months in prison you cannot be removed. Having a recall mechanism is important for democracy and would be a procedure that is fair. It is important that it doesn’t allow for the system to be abused. The main point here is that people (the electorate) should be able to hold their members to account. What is the biggest challenge facing Wales at the moment? It is important to see the Welsh economy grow and unemployment is down, but there is still a long way to go. We need to create conditions that mean that private companies want to start up here and that they want to employ people here. The major issue facing Wales is that of low wages. The Liberal Democrats are determined that people on the lowest incomes don’t pay income tax. We managed to lift thousands of people out of income tax. This in turn leads to growth which allows us to invest in valuable public services, such as Bronglais hospital or transport for example. We’re trying to campaign at the moment for a minimum nurse staffing level. We know, at the moment, that Welsh nurses are looking after more patients on their wards than they would be if they were in England. The legislation that we’re trying to bring forward would change that. Again, key to a successful future economy are skills; ensuring that we get our education system right for everyone. Too many of our children, especially those from the poorest backgrounds, are not getting the education qualifications that they need. It’s a vicious circle we find ourselves in because if

“It’s all very well having a tuition fees policy that is undoubtedly one that is generous to students, but it’s not going to be good enough if Welsh institutions become weaker and weaker.”

people are looking to set a business here then they’re looking to set up in an area where there is a good, skilled workforce. We’ve been successful in managing to row back some of the cuts that the Welsh government were going to make to apprenticeships. We’ve spent a lot of time in this interview talking about higher education; that’s not the route for everybody and we need to make sure that if people don’t go down the higher education route, they have the opportunity to train in skills via apprenticeships. So for me, the challenges that face Wales are how can we ensure that we have a well-qualified workforce with jobs for those people to do and good and sustainable public services that people depend on. What do you see as your greatest achievement as Welsh Liberal Democrat leader? The establishment of a pupil premium. I went in to politics to make a difference, and sometimes as a Liberal Democrat that can be quite challenging. I am really proud that children from the poorest families will have an extra £1000 spent on their education per annum. We have also been able to extend that to nursery places. If I never achieve anything else in politics I’ll be happy with that, but we’re not stopping there - my ‘more nurses bill’ is introduced in the National Assembly next month. If we can get that through the Assembly then it will probably rival the pupil premium. Finally, what’s the mood in the party like ahead of 2015 (General election) and 2016 (Assembly election)? We are ready for the fight, and are relishing the fight. We know that these are challenging elections that we face, but we’re absolutely determined to tell people about what we’ve been able to achieve as part of the coalition. We’ve been able to start to turn the economy around but I’m under no illusions that there is a long, long way to go. For families and individuals things still feel really difficult, but we’re beginning to see the turnaround in the economy. Looking forward to the opportunity, as public finances improve, to getting to a system where we can start really investing in services that others aren’t interested in such as mental health, which the other parties haven’t been interested in addressing. We’re ready for the fight and looking forward to it.

The Courier

Features

December 2014

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COLUMN

SOCIETY SPOTLIGHT

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Green Bay: A guide to Interview: Chess Club sustainability Emily Rowe Features Editor

Andrew Simpson & Beth Saunders

SUSTAINABILITY and becoming environmentally friendly have become well known phrases for everyone these days and we hope to develop on this with this new column. We will be providing you with the latest sustainability news and providing a top tip every week. Aberystwyth awarded the Eco Campus Silver Award In November Aberystwyth University was awarded a Silver level certificate as part of its participation in the EcoCampus National Award Scheme. The award is in recognition of the improvements that are taking place to improve the environmental sustainability of the University campuses. The UK wide environmental management system and award scheme, EcoCampus is for the higher and further education sectors to improve their environmental standard. Through this scheme, universities are able to systematically identify, evaluate, manage and improve their environmental performance. This is in an effort to comply with the European ISO14001 standard. The silver accreditation demonstrates that Aberystwyth University has a clear environmental policy. It also shows that the University have started to set objectives and targets for environmental improvement. Janet Sanders, Energy Advisor at Aberystwyth University, said; “Here at Aberystwyth we are committed to being as efficient as possible in our use of energy and natural resources in order to minimise the impact on the environment. “We are delighted to have been awarded the Silver award. The fact that we were only awarded Bronze in May of this year also demonstrates that we are making excellent progress in our work to improve the University’s environmental performance and have a number of key initiatives planned over the coming months.” The EcoCampus system covers many different areas, including; waste management, energy use, water efficiency, sustainable purchasing, construction and refurbishment, biodiversity, travel and community involvement. These are all important when aiming to become more environmentally conscious.

The success of becoming silver accredited means that Aberystwyth can now further develop their EcoCampus status by achieving the Gold and then Platinum statuses. Top Tip: What can actually be recycled in Aber? Where you can recycle in Aber. Credit: Ceredigion County Council We all know about recycling and the clear plastic bags, but the question I often find is, what can actually be recycled? It changes from place to place, and things that look like they should be recyclable aren’t. Firstly, food waste. This can be put into your food waste caddy. If you don’t have one or it’s blown away, you can pick them up for free from the council offices near Morrisons. Any type of food waste can go in here, bread, fruit, vegetable oil, tea bags, left overs, bones from meat and anything cooked or uncooked. So here’s your guide on what can go in those clear plastic bags (these can be picked up for free from the tourist information centre in town, on the same road as Salt and from the council offices): - Paper (newspapers, magazines, junk mail) - Cardboard (cartons, boxes) Food tins, aerosols, aluminium foil - Juice cartons - Plastics which have numbers 1-6 in the middle of the recycling triangle arrows. 1- PETE 2- HDPE 3- PVC 4- LDPE 5- PP 6- PS And here’s your guide to what can’t - Glass - Any plastics with the number 7 in the middle of the recycling triangle arrows, or that states OTHER, i.e. crisps packets, CDs and plastics which contain melamine, often found in plastic cups and plates. Glass cannot go in those bags, as I’m sure many of you have found out. Instead glass needs to be taken to bottle banks. Here’s a handy map of all the ones around town, as well as a few others.

ONE OF the newest societies at Aberystwyth is the Chess Club - welcoming everyone from the most advanced players, to someone who doesn’t know their Rook from their Bishop. We spoke to president James Corrigan to find out a bit more about the club. So, as a new society, how is this year going for the Chess Club so far? It’s going much better than I could have hoped for. We got over 80 signatures at the Fresher’s Fair, and new faces turn up every week to try their hand at chess. The good thing about it is that, because it lasts from 12-6 on a Wednesday at the Arts Centre Bar, people can come and go as they please. What can a newcomer expect when joining?

Fierce competition and kibitzing! We are a very easy going club, eager to teach others and for others to teach us. We usually play Blitz Chess or Short time controls, but often we play without the clock. Sometimes we split the club into two teams, and they use their collective nous to battle each other. That said - we welcome anyone who has no experience playing, it only takes five minutes to learn the rules and newcomers learn the ropes fast. Do you host socials? We sort of incorporate socials into the club, we’ll have a few drinks (although this is not obligatory) whilst playing. Afterwards, a few of us will go into town to carry on, but hopefully we’ll get a bit more professional at it as the club grows. What plans are ahead for the Chess Club? We will definitely be taking

part in Varsity this year, possibly even fielding two teams. Last year, the Bangor team took part in Varsity unofficially and we comprehensively beat them 12-4, so it would be great if we could do the same again on their turf. We are also currently looking into playing at the British University Chess Tournament in February. How might someone join the Chess Club? The best way would be to go along on Wednesday and sign up there; play a few games first to see if you enjoy it. No pressure to pay up straight away. It’s only £2. Finally, favourite chess piece? Tough question. It would have to be the Knight, as it is the perfect attacking piece that can really punch above its weight. No other piece can attack so many other pieces at the same time so well.

Five signs you’re an Aberystwyth student Emma Mellor

WE’RE from Aber and we couldn’t be prouder, but let’s face it - as universities go, Aberystwyth is a bit different. It’s in a small town, up a huge hill, and there are far more coffee shops than clubs. But we love it. So without further ado, here are five signs that you’re an Aber student. 1. Walking more than two minutes to the next pub seems unreasonable. Having become used to living in a place with more pubs per square mile than anywhere else in the country, anything more than simply turning around and walking into the next pub is just too much effort. 2. Whenever the sun so much as peeks out from behind the clouds, you’re on the beach. Seeing as this is Wales and it rains a lot, any sun is an opportunity to go to the beach. Even if it’s not really warm, and even if you have an exam the next day. Revising on the beach is next to impossible, but that doesn’t stop you. 3. Hills in any other place pale in comparison to

Alex Stuart

what you walk up every week.If you walk up it to lectures, you’ll curse the lucky people that can just roll out of bed because they live up top. If you have to walk up it with shopping, you’ll wish you lived in town near the supermarkets. Either way, you can’t win. Buying a bus pass or getting taxis everywhere are the only solutions. 4. You never get bored of the sunsets.By the time you graduate, you will probably have at least one album full of scenic sunset photos. You won’t delete these photos because every time you see a sunset it’s a little bit different, but just as stunning. The starlings are also a fantastic sight to see at that time of night, so you’ll most likely have pictures of that too. 5. You can’t go anywhere without seeing someone you know. It’s called the “Aber bubble” for a reason! Whether it’s someone from your course, or your flatmate’s boyfriend’s best-friend, you will see someone you know when you pop to the shops for emergency cheese, alcohol or chocolate.

ARCHIVE December 2014

UNTIL 2011, The Courier was a magazine rather than a newspaper. Generally speaking I much prefer it as a newspaper, except for one thing - Christmas specials! Sadly, The Courier being a newspaper means that I can’t really get away with a front page of the Grinch or Father Christmas so instead I’ll have to consign myself to very loud Christmas music and reading the old Christmas specials.

The Courier

Packed full of ‘useful’ tips on how to survive Christmas along with plenty of jokes so bad even your dad would cringe - at least since we swapped from a magazine to a newspaper our sense of humour has improved slightly and maybe become a little more highbrow (I like to think!). I hope they make you smile - if nothing else it’s quite nice to realise that Christmas really doesn’t ever change.

“The Courier” Christmas 2000 All these articles are taken from the Christmas edition in 2000, which was a particularly cracking example of a Christmas special.

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The Extinguisher

‘Student experience’ to enter dictionary ABERYSTWYTH University’s latest contribution to the literary world has seen Pro-Vice Chancellor Professor John Grattan

contributing a new addition into the Oxford English Dictionary, with ‘student experience’ set to be added into the 2015 edition.

The term, now all-too familiar to the ears of Aberystwyth students, was picked up by the most reputable dictionary in the world due to its frequency of usage in the last twelve months. One independent report said that 84% of the words uttered by Grattan in the last six months alone have been ‘Student Experience’. However trouble struck when editors of the dictionary sought to get a definition of the word from Professor Grattan himself. Editor, Theo Sawus said “We rang Professor Grattan to attempt to get his definition but we couldn’t seem to get a straight answer from him. He frequently stressed how important it was to students today, but didn’t seem to answer the question. Whenever we asked what

it was, he seemed to sidestep the question. “We asked whether it meant ‘capital expenditure’ but he replied that it didn’t mean spending any money in London. “In the end, we spent 84% of our budget in trying to get an answer from him to no avail. So this year’s edition now includes a biro, or colouring pencil for any Geography students, to write their own answer in the blank space.” The Extinguisher contacted Professor Grattan for comment and a definition, and he said: “I’m glad that the Oxford English Dictionary has included the phrase ‘Student Experience’ in their next edition based on our work here. The blank space provided also gives consumers the power to

Top 5 reasons to go to Yokos

LOVE LETTER

1. Because it’s the classiest joint in town. 2. You can get bottled cocktails for £1.05p. 3. The toilets are to dive for. 4. Why not go to why not?

Agony Angels SOME students emailed in their issues to The Courier in the last month, we try to answer them to the best of our ability. Hi Agony Angels, I have a bit of an issue, I’ve fallen for this guy. He’s really sweet and loving, and makes a lot of money. The issue

is he’s a book character. Mr Grey makes my life so much better, is now full of excitement and passion, two things I lacked before I met him. What do I do Agony Angels? Love J. The issue is J, he is a fictional character, try the audio books that might give kick start something.

5. You wont be pressured by your peers.

Hello Agony Angels, I have an issue. I'm desperate for attention and no one will give it to me, I've tried everything… I'm not saying I'm an attention seeker. I’m just a outgoing young girl who deserves better… Love B Hello B, you need to try harder, everyone loves a try hard. It’s particularly important to Instagram every low cut top you wear. Hey Agony Angels, I need some advice. There’s this guy Chris Edwards… he's really adorable. Well I like him but he loves monsters university more. Normally I’d be ok if it was FIFA or Call of Duty, but monsters university? Seriously? What do I do? Thanks, T.K Hey T.K, you’ll be fine. You have to embrace what he loves. Ever thought of dressing like a monster for him? Maybe he’s in to that.. I know it all seems scary, but you can be the Mike to his Sully.

decide their own definition and future, just like our consumers here at the University can do – Sorry I mean students. Our frequent usage of the term just shows how much we value the students’ student experience at the University. Because Student Experience is the most important to students today. It’s seldom realised how crucial getting student experience right is, to the experience of students. As PVC for Student Experience, I appreciate what student experience is, and to demonstrate this I have three words for you, Student Experience, Student Experience, Student Experience.” “What do you mean that’s six?”

Dear Monty, by RON DEAR Monty, Just writing to express my joy at seeing you in the 2014 John Lewis Christmas advert. It’s so great to see a new bird represented on television recently instead of those fame-hungry trollops that appear on Springwatch every year. I did happen to notice however a few issues with the advert. Firstly, didn’t anybody in wardrobe notice that Sam (a.k.a – the little boy) was wearing a jumper that consisted of so many different colours that he blended in with lego he was playing with – poor effort. Second, good effort on the trampoline.

Third, you’re a penguin, why the fuck are you sleeping on a bed?! Also, you took up a seat on a rush hour bus, not gonna lie, pretty sure a pensioner or young mother could have sat down instead. Anyway I think it’s great that you’ve found a new girlpenguinfriend bbz and I totes wish you both all the best. Personally, I’m hoping that you get offered a prime time chat show because I would totally ship that. Monty & Mabel > Richard and Judy All my love, R.O.N. xoxoxoxox

SPORTS

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December 2014

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Sports Editor Illtud Dafydd

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INTERNATIONAL

Welsh fortitude frustrates Belgium Lewis Owen

The Courier’s Lewis Owen travelled to Brussels to watch Wales claim a goal-less draw against the World’s fourth best team. Here are his thoughts on a nerve-wrecking match. It had been a weekend of plenty. We had sampled the exquisite chocolates and wolfed down a waffle or two. We had gorged ourselves on the mayo and chips and drained more than a fair share of the delightful local beer. But it was only after the final whistle sounded across the King Baudouin Stadium on Sunday evening that the 2,500 traveling Welsh fans knew that our appetites had truly been satiated. Belgium, the fourth best team in world football and littered with a salivating array of talent, had been held on their own turf by a defiant Welsh side, thus preserving the unbeaten record compiled by Chris Coleman’s men since the start of the Euro 2016 qualification campaign. As the Welsh players and their jubilant fans revelled in the joie de vivre of the cool Belgian night, the message was abundantly clear. Wales’ ambitions of qualifying for

a first major tournament since the 1958 World Cup are serious. This is not to claim that the match itself had been an easily digestible affair for the Welsh faithful. Indeed, this was a rather gritty and unrefined spectacle for the most part, as Coleman’s side conducted a valiant rear-guard action to take a share of the spoils. Unsurprisingly, Belgium were avaricious in their dominance of the ball, as Wales were forced to contend with meagre scraps of possession, and Marc Wilmots’ team were unlucky not to break the deadlock on a few occasions. Inspired by the mercurial Eden Hazard, the Red Devils should have taken the lead mid-way through the first half, as Nicolas Lombaerts’ shot thundered against the post before Divock Origi scuffed the rebound with the Welsh goal gaping, while Christian Benteke was denied by a goal-line clearance in the dying seconds of the match. For all of Belgium’s profligacy however, this was not a fortuitous result for the Welsh. Despite the aforementioned scares, Coleman’s side retained their discipline in the face of the Belgian barrage, and refused to be overawed by

their more illustrious opponents. Marshalled by skipper Ashley Williams, who has overcome a shaky display during the opening match in Andorra to find a new level of consistency with the national side in recent months, the Welsh defence parried Belgium’s attacking thrusts with admirable composure, and the Dragons were not afraid to deliver the occasional counter-punch on the break. Gareth Bale was at his scintillating best as he waltzed through the Belgian defence within the opening stages of the second half, his shot whistling narrowly past Thibaut Courtois’ post, while Hal Robson Kanu also forced the Belgian goalkeeper into a good save. Above all, however, this Welsh display demonstrated that Chris Coleman’s squad is more than the sum of its parts. Bale, perhaps the finest Welsh player since John Charles, clearly exudes a star-power that is unsurpassed amongst his colleagues, but it does not dilute the sense of comradeship that has been fostered within the team over the course of this campaign. Pre-match and post-match huddles have now become a regular rituals for the Welsh players, and

unlike in previous years, where individual brilliance has perhaps come at the expense of collective cohesion, Coleman’s men play for each other and the greater good. The consistent willingness of Bale and Robson Kanu to gallop back to aid their defence on Sunday was a clear testament to this fact. With team spirit comes confidence, and as Wales go into the winter break boasting a haul of 8 points from their opening four games, with their unbeaten record still intact, it is inevitable that the initial hope felt at the start of this campaign is gradually transforming into expectation. Of course, Welsh fans know better than any to temper such intoxicating thoughts with a sober note of caution. From Paul Bodin’s penalty miss to Joe Jordan and that handball, the Welsh national side has specialised in

unremitting heartbreak over the past half century. And yet, if you would forgive the melodramatic ramblings of this long-suffering fan, as I applauded our heroes at the end of Sunday’s match, I could detect a palpable sense of determination echoing across the King Baudouin Stadium that felt different from previous campaigns. Maybe it was the Belgian beer talking, but as the post-match celebrations ensued around the away end, it seemed, at that moment at least, that the players and fans were in total agreement: at long last, our time has come.

Lewis Owen

The Autumn Internationals so far Erik Olsson AS THE WINTER winds hit the Northern Hemisphere Erik Olsson looks at how the Autumn International have panned out for the Home Nations. We’ll kick off in Scotland, who continued to build on the fine work under a new coach. Although Vern Cotter’s stint with Scotland is in its infancy, the shift in playing style has been a boom to the side. A rather surprising victory over an Argentinian side which had beaten the Wallabies earlier this autumn, was followed by a solid outing against New Zealand last weekend. The match at Kilmarnock’s Rugby Park marked the first International Test match to be played on artificial grass. Five tries and a dozen points off the boot of the skipper Greig Laidlaw set up the Scottish side for yet another uplifting display over Tonga. Another northern hemisphere side that should be

equally pleased with the Autumn Series is undoubtedly Ireland. As the reigning Six Nations champions, they made it a clean sweep after a tense and highly entertaining 2623 victory over the Wallabies. The first half, in particular, was one of the most exciting of 2014 with Ireland giving away an early 17-0 lead to get back to 2020 at half time. Ultimately, it was a nail-biting last ten minutes that will surely take weeks to recover from. Now that they have beaten two of the southern hemisphere heavyweights in three weeks, it

demonstrates why Ireland should be considered as serious contenders for the Webb Ellis Trophy next year. This autumn was always set to be a big test for Stuart Lancaster’s side prior to the World Cup. Having lost to both South Africa and New Zealand with flattering scores this autumn, there can be no doubt that England have failed to impress. The Red Roses were for that reason faced with substantial pressure to get a result off Samoa and show significant improvement following a series of discouraging performances.

“However, in true All Blacks style and tradition, Steve Hansen’s side fought back and secured the win in the closing minutes of the game.”

Despite a shaky start, England got back to winning ways after tries by Mike Brown and Jonny May (2). Every now and then there were moments of brilliance, such as May’s first half try. Yet England continue to struggle with accuracy and handling, and they need the wit and flair of Freddie Burns or Danny Cipriani if they are to challenge the big three, especially with a home World Cup eleven months away. In his 100th game as the All Black’s captain, Richie McCaw celebrated with a 16-34 win over Wales. Like England, Wales were desperate for a win in order to erase the memories of a truly scrappy performance in the narrow win to Fiji last weekend. With the teams level at 3-3 at half time, the game came to life with six tries in the second half. As was the case against Australia, Wales found themselves in the lead with fifteen minutes to go. However, in true All Blacks style and tradition, Steve Hansen’s side fought back

and secured the win in the closing minutes of the game. Despite the fact that Wales have now gone 25 tests without beating the All Blacks and 22 without beating any of the ‘Big Three’, they showed signs of improvement with a passionate and encouraging performance. That being said, I still wouldn’t put my money on Wales to beat either of the Southern Hemisphere sides. After a 40-15 win over Fiji followed by securing a huge victory over Australia last week, you would expect France to shake off the Argentinian threat on Saturday evening. A lot has been said about the inconsistency of the French side in recent years and I am sure there will be a lot more for weeks to come in the wake of their 13-18 loss to Argentina. A spirited defensive display and four drop-goals by the Los Pumas proved to be too much for Philippe Saint-André’s side in their concluding game of a rather troubling 2014.

December 2014

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Aber Snow head to Val Thorens

regarding our weekly socials, as well as information about our weekly dry slope sessions. To our paying members we offer discounts from our sponsors, which include Dirty Dog Goggles, OnePiece, Ski Bartlet, Freeze Pro Shop, Sno and Stormriders. How do you guys train for the winter? Our sponsorship by the dry slope also means paying members can receive a 75% discount at the dry slope at Llangrannog. (Gwersyll yr Urdd Llangrannog) Val Thorens is part of the Three Valleys resort, which encompasses some world-renowned ski spots including the resorts of Courchevel and Meribel-Mottaret. In Courchevel you will find the Saulire

peak and in Meribel-Mottaret both area improves tenfold after fresh freestyle DC Area 43Park and the snowfall with plenty of open space Mont Vallon runs are found. This between trees to explore. is on top of being centrally based Onto the social aspect of things, in Val Thorens, (“VT” or “Val Tho” VT has probably the best choice amongst the seasonnaires based of après-ski and clubs within the there), Europe’s highest resort French Alps. La Folie Douce, which starting at 2300m. also has branches in neighbouring The highest point reachable is Meribel and Val d’Isere further the Cime Caron peak, at 3200m, afield, is expensive, but with live acts reachable by a bus-sized lift with and champagnes bottles popping, the same name you do get what as the peak. The you pay for. Bar “We chose the Col chairlift can 360, which sits take you up to the bottom resort because of atof Moraine similar heights, and the altitude , since Portette but with high lifts, winds expected not be we would definitely should in mid December missed either the chances of it along with a have snow” being open are burger at John’s minimal. A m e r i c a n restaurant a sibling to the larger The must-do pistes in Val Thorens John’s Scandinavian restaurant. are the red runs of Col de l’Audzin Both Le Refuge and O’Connell’s down from the afore mentioned Cime Caron and Douillet down Pub are good spots for a bière but from Col de La Chambre. In La Grotte du Yeti is your best bet for Meribel the beginner pistes are a a student atmosphere. plenty lower down in the Valley Val Thorens is one of the world’s with the blue Faon slope from best resorts to visit as a student Tougnete a wide open piste, but - pints of peche beer aren’t too make sure you hit it early in the day. expensive whilst snow is fresh for If you do get the Three Valleys the most of Winter. The resort is pass a visit to Courchevel and all high in altitude and many other the way down to La Tania would university ski trips head there too. be a very good day’s skiing. The So, party hard, ski harder. Bon Plan Fontaine green run all the way vacances! down to La Tania takes you through Aber Snow have organised some trees. If tree-skiing is your another trip for the Easter break cup of vin chaud then head towards to a different resort, so make sure Meribel Village at 1450 metres, you’re connected with them to be in and focus on the Doron run. This the know!

November - a gritty 27-16 win over strugglers Haverfordwest that keeps them firmly stationed in the upper echelons of the Division Two West table. Off the pitch, Aberystwyth finally learnt the identity of their opponents in the 3rd round of the SWALEC Plate, as they were drawn at home against Division One side Kidwelly, with the match

to be played during the second weekend of next month. Having already dispatched superior league opposition in the previous two rounds, the visit of Kidwelly will hold no fears for Aberystywth, and the autumn break will undoubtedly help to re-energise the players as they head into a crucial round of matches through December.

Illtud Dafydd Sports Editor

ABERYSTWYTH University’s snow sports club are heading to Val Thorens at the end of this term (December the 12th to 20th). The Courier chatted with Aber Snow’s President Daniel Fopma to discuss the trip to Val Thorens, in the French Alps, part of the Three Valleys resort. How long have you been on snow for? Do you ski or snowboard? I snowboard, and have been for 9 years. I’ve snowboarded in Les Arcs, Alpe d’Huez, Les Deux Alpes, and Tignes to name a few, but mainly in a resort called Tignes. I have been on one Aber Snow trip before when we went to Les Arcs last Christmas. Who decided on Val Thorens as a destination? Is it an Aber Snow organised trip? It was a joint decision between the whole committee. Personally I have never been before, but the rest of the committee went in their first year. We chose the resort because of the altitude, since we would definitely have snow at that time of the year. Luckily, the snow fall this season has been amazing already, so we should see most, if not all the runs open on the week we arrive. The company that takes us, and organises the trip including the social plan, is called NUCO travel, who specialise in student ski trips.

How many people are heading to the Three Valleys? Isn’t there another trip planned later in the year? We wanted to keep the Christmas trip small, so we decided to just book 50 places. The main reason is because financially, the first term is by far more expensive, and so far fewer people would be willing to fork out on a skiing holiday. That’s why this year, we are going to be running a second ski trip at Easter, with a capacity of over double that of our Christmas trip. Who are your sponsors for the year? The best way to get involved is to sign up to our mailing list on www.abersnow.co.uk. In the emails will be information

The Town’s Teams Lewis Owen A QUIET month of rugby and a European top goal-scorer, here’s a brief look at how the town’s sporting sides have fared. Aberystwyth Town FC The Seasiders’ impressive league campaign continues. Buoyed by a battling win over local rivals Newtown in last months’ MidWales Derby, Ian Hughes’ side have managed to remain unbeaten in November so far, which included a highly creditable draw away at runaway leaders TNS. Having been held to a 2-2 draw against basement club Bangor City on Friday night (the 21st), Aberystwyth find themselves level on points with second place at the time of writing, still very much in contention to secure the last remaining automatic European qualification spot. A top-half finish,

which many claimed would be beyond Aberystwyth this season, now looks increasingly likely as we approach the mid-season ‘league split’, which would guarantee entry into the Europa League play-offs at the very least. Undoubtedly, the chief architect of the Seasiders’ ascent has been the imperious Chris Venables, who heads the Welsh Premier League scoring charts with a scarcely believable 18 goals in 15 matches. These statistics have ensured that Aberystwyth’s sharpshooter is presently the third most prolific goal scorer in Europe, just behind Cristiano Ronaldo and far above the likes of Sergio Aguero, Robert Lewandowski and the little maestro himself Lionel Messi. Aberystwyth RFC Owing to the ongoing autumn internationals, Aberystwyth’s rugby club have only had one fixture in

December Fixtures Aberystwyth Town vs Rhyl December 5th Gap Connahs Quay vs Aberystwyth Town December 12th Aberystwyth Town vs Port Talbot Town - December the 20th Carmarthen Town vs Aberystwyth Town December 26th Llandeilo vs Aberystwyth RFC - December 6th

Tomos Nolan

Aberystwyth RFC vs Penlan December 27th

Sport aberstudentmedia.com/sports

Rugby Autumn Internationals so far > page 30

AberSnow Val Thorens trip previewed > page 31

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UP AND DOWN START TO BUCS

Tomos Nolan ABERYSTWYTH University sits in the 63rd position of the BUCS score table out of 142 institutions, a table that brings all BUCS teams together from individual universities. Aberystwyth are also 13th out of 23 universities in the Western conference. Out of all Aber’s teams, Badminton and Fencing are the top points scorers. Here is a round-up of how TimAber sides have done so far this season. Tarannau American Football are unbeaten so far; with two wins from two games they are 2nd in their BUCS table having beaten Keele University 44-0 in their opening match, and a tight 30-28 win over Manchester Metropolitan a week later. The afore mentioned badminton team have three teams,

the Women’s outfit are three from three, whilst the Men’s 1st team are unbeaten at home. The second team are second in their table, having only lost one match - at home to Swansea University 3rds. The Men’s basketball mix it up with some of the Western Conference strongest sides in Western 2B, and have lost two of their opening three matches, whilst Aber Sharks (the Women’s basketball team) are unbeaten in their league. The men’s cricket’s indoor season starts in late January the Women’s outfit’s season started with one win and a loss in early November. Women’s Fencing have not had the best start to their season, with a record of 0 for 4 whilst their male counterparts have 2 wins from

their opening 5 fixtures. Women’s Football sit fourth in Western 2B and they beat University of South Wales Pontypridd 9-0 in their opening league fixture. AUFC 1st team are bottom of their league and the second XI are top and unbeaten in their league. Aberystwyth Univeristy Golf Club, whose home club is Borth Golf Club, are fifth out of 7 in Western 2B. Women’s Hockey have a 50% record so far, and are unbeaten on the Astro on Penglais Hill. the Mens First XI are top of Western 3B and are through to the next round of the BUCS Cup. The Second team have won a game, drawn a game and lost a game and are fourth out of eight teams in Western 4B. AberLax Men’s have started steadily, with 2

wins from four, whilst their female side have only played two league fixtures and lost both matches. Aberystwyth University Netball are second in Western 3B, having only lost one fixture this season, as AUNC Seconds sole league win was a home win over Hartpury College 1sts. Aberystwyth Dreigiau Rugby League are yet to claim a win this season in a very strong Western 1A league. Aberystwyth Women’s Rugby Union have started very strongly, in spite of many fixture postponements, and have won 2 games from 2 fixtures including a 17-12 win over table -topping Trinity St. Davids Carmarthen. Men’s Rugby Firsts are unbeaten at home and also have beaten the

team (Hartpury 3rds) on top of their table. The Second XV have had a tough start to the season and are yet to claim a win despite some very good displays against the likes of Cardiff Metropolitan Freshers. The Squash team hasn’t had the best start to the 2014/15 campaign, they lie on the bottom of Western 2B having not claimed one victory this season. The Men’s Tennis team are unbeaten on the otherhand, but have received points reduction, whilst Women’s Tennis sit top of their league with 2 wins from 3 including a 12-0 point win over Cardiff Metropolitan Seconds. Neither Volleyball sides (Men’s or Women’s) are yet to play, neither have the Men’s WaterPolo side.

Illtud Dafydd

Tomos Nolan

Aberystwyth in sport...

Alex Tanton

Lewis Owen