bathimpact volume 12 issue 3

X-Rated Factor Opinion, page 6

Lovey Duffy

Hallowe’en fun Features, page 10

Ents, page 25

bathimpact The University of Bath Students’ Union Newspaper

Monday 1st November 2010

www.bathimpact.com

John Luck

Volume 12 Issue 3

Inside bathimpact

ESML staff attend EU event Dr Peter Wagstaff and Renate Rechtien from the Department of European Studies & Modern Languages, together with Diane Hay, Head of Careers, were invited to attend a presentation and debate at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office on Monday 18 October.

Bath student Ben Lane on the 2041 Inspire Antarctica expedition: turn to page 13 to read an interview with him about the trip

SU to bid farewell to commercial services »» Students’ Union to hand over commercial operations to the university SU will no longer control Pit Stop, Costa and Fresh among others

»» »»SU President, Daniel O’Toole, says move will have several benefits Sam Foxman bathimpact contributor

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n the 1st of January 2011 The University of Bath Students’ Union (BUSU) will hand over a number of its commercial operations to the university including Fresh, Costa Coffee and Pit Stop; BUSU will retain control of Plug Bar and Elements. This decision is likely to be confirmed by the Union’s Board of Trustees this week. Currently about half of BUSU’s income comes from its commercial operations; under the new arrangement the Union will be fully funded by the university. No student consultation has taken place.

BUSU’s commercial operations make an annual net profit of around £600,000. Earlier this year the university approached the Students’ Union about taking over their outlets. In

return for this concession, BUSU’s “core activities” will be wholly funded by the university, giving a security to their income.

BUSU has got no formal guarantees that prices will not rise and have retained no control in what services are provided on campus. Two members of the sabbatical team will sit on a strategic committee which will give them more influence over other aspects of university life (including all non-BUSU commercial activities on campus and rents). The loss of control risks these outlets becoming less sensitive to the needs of students.

BUSU President, Daniel O’Toole was asked to explain the decision saying, “If anything, it is a positive move. We now have representation on all commercial operations as well as security of funding for all our core

activities. Commercial services have enabled us, in the past, to fund the important things that we do - activities, sports and representation - but they are not, and have never been, central Union activities.”

For such a significant change to the way that the Union works to be made without any consultation is unusual. A number of students have questioned under what mandate these decisions are being made.

O’Toole was keen to address these concerns: “Of course, in typical circumstances, student consultation is paramount to any decision BUSU makes. In this instance however, it was a confidential matter for quite some time due to the sensitivity around staff. This decision will not negatively impact on the student experience. The full communication

of this will begin as soon as BUSU’s Board of Trustees give it the green light.”

On URB VP Communications, James Huelin, said, “We are going to let you know. We’re not going to let this go through without consulting with you first in some way.” Soon after, James retracted his comments and explained, “I apologise for misleading listeners. I felt a little under pressure, as it was my first time on the radio. By ‘consultation’ I meant ‘communication’. This was a silly mistake to make and I can only apologise for that.” On being asked about confusion within the Sabbatical Team on this topic, O’Toole said that, “The Union line was something we were all aware of. James’ nerves on radio must have got the better of him. I can only apologise for this confusion.”

See News page 2 for more information and to see a photo of the event

Blessing in disguise?

In Opinion this issue, Ollie Popescu, shares his view that the Browne Report contains some fair ideas that should be supported by students.

Flick to page 6 to read the full piece and read other interesting opinions from our contributors

Livin’ la vida loca!

International’s Foreign Correspondant, Daniel Pannell, tells bathimpact all about his new life in Spain and how he is eating well, drinking too much and living the dream in Castilla-La-Mancha See page 14 for the full piece and other International treats

Update on sports fees Joe Dibben, bathimpact contributor, gets to the bottom of the possibility of an introduction of fees for the use of sports facilities.

To read the in depth discussion on the changes, turn to page 28

Monday 1st November 2010

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News bathimpact Editor Gina Reay editor@bathimpact.com

Deputy Editor Hannah Raymont deputy@bathimpact.com News Katie Rocker news@bathimpact.com Opinion David James opinion@bathimpact.com Features Rebecca Stagg features@bathimpact.com Entertainments Rowan Emslie ents@bathimpact.com Science Professor Science science@bathimpact.com International Julia Lipowiecka international@bathimpact.com Sport Vacant sport@bathimpact.com Publicity Officer Julia Lipowiecka publicity@bathimpact.com Treasurer Rebecca Stagg treasurer@bathimpact.com Chief Sub-Editor Vacant subeditor@bathimpact.com Advertising Enquires Helen Freeman H.Freeman@bath.ac.uk 01225 386806 VP Communications James Huelin SUcommunications@bath.ac.uk 01225 386679

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The opinions expressed in bathimpact are not necessarily those of the bathimpact editors nor of the University of Bath Students’ Union.

Whilst every effort is made to ensure that the information contained in this publication is correct and accurate at the time of going to print, the publisher cannot accept any liability for information which is later altered or incorrect. bathimpact as a publication adheres to the Press Complaints Commission’s Code of Conduct.

Please contact them for any information.

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Got it?

Gemma Hazel Isherwood bathimpact contributor

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e are all aware of STI’s and their prevalence in modern society, but how much do you actually know about the help you can get here in Bath?

Many people across the UK suffer with some sort of sexual health problem but are either too scared or too embarrassed to talk about it. This means they don’t get themselves sorted out and this leads to ever-rising numbers of cases of STI’s across the country – including the news that Coventry may have even developed its own strain of Chlamydia. Failure to deal with STI’s can be devastating as many don’t have symptoms and can leave you with life-changing consequences. There’s no point re-iterating facts like Gonorrhoea leaving you infertile or Herpes increasing your risk of HIV, most people already know. The problem is getting people to open up a little more and realise that sexual health isn’t a taboo subject any more and that talking to someone about your problems could easily be the difference between having children or not.

Obviously this isn’t meant to scare you; often problems can be treated quickly and easily with a course of antibiotics or something similar, but awareness IS vitally important. Those of you in first year may have noticed the free Chlamydia testing kits provided at the start of term - this is a first for the University. Another first is Think Week, which the University will be running in the first week of December; a combination of previous Union-run Safe Sex Week which also ties in with World AIDS Day. This is an excellent opportunity to raise awareness and provide information to those who need it and those who need reassurance about any problems they think they might have.

Think Week is run by student volunteers from across the University, known as the Think Team, along with David Howells (Vice President Welfare & Diversity) and the rest of the Advice and Representation staff. The week will include various different emphases on different areas of sexual health and there will be a website for students to refer to if they need further support. There will also be a Think Fair during the week, and the local primary care trust will be offering more Chlamydia testing kits at club nights.

The plan is to repeat the process in semester two in the hope that it will inform, reassure and keep our students safe.

Job opportunities within EU for News in Brief Comedy club Komedia’s probmodern languages students lems with opening hours last r Peter Wagstaff and Renate Rechtien from the Department of European Studies & Modern Languages (ESML) together with Diane Hay, Head of Careers, were invited to attend a presentation and debate at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office on Monday 18 October. Discus-

speakers from the FCO, the Ministry of Europe and the EU Commission. The speakers promoted careers within EU institutions and encouraged UK graduates in modern languages and related disciplines to seize these opportunities, particularly as part of their placements.

Dr Peter Wagstaff commented on the event: “In the course of the event it was gratifying to hear un-

sions focused on the recruitment of UK graduates to the institutions of the European Union.

The aim of the event was to raise awareness of the wide variety of career opportunities within the European Union. The UK has 12% of the EU’s population but only makes up 6% of EU staff. Additionally these figures are likely to fall, as more than 40% of the UK nationals in the EU institutions will retire in the next 10 years. In the opening speech William Hague, Foreign Secretary, stressed the importance of increasing British influence in Brussels, a goal the Foreign Office has adopted over the current Parliament.

The meeting heard a panel of

prompted positive comments from a variety of sources about the high reputation of Bath’s undergraduate and postgraduate language degree programmes, and about the ubiquity of Bath-trained interpreters and translators in the various EU institutions. This is clearly one area where we are leading the field.”

There will be annual recruitment starting in March for graduate generalist administrators, followed in June/July by advertising of specialist posts.

For more information check the EU Careers website: www.fco.gov. uk/eucareers. You can also contact the Careers Advisory Service for general help with the application process.

Julia Lipowiecka International Editor

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Acknowledgement Gina Reay Editor-in-Chief editor@bathimpact.com

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athimpact would like to apologise for the nature of the article that appeared on the front page of the last issue, headlined “Bath students unite against funding cuts”. This article was an opinion piece, with a very obvious position on the issue, but this was not as clear as it should have been. It is wholly understandable that the intention of this article would be confusing since it appeared on the front page and ahead of the news section. bathimpact recognises that higher education funding cuts are an emotive and important issue for students, but it was not appro-

priate to represent only one side of this topic. It is not the case that all students endorse the National Union of Students (NUS) march.

Indeed, many of those marching with NUS on 10th November do not oppose the Browne Report and it was wrong for this paper to confuse the issues of higher education funding cuts with the equally important issue of tuition fees.

The opinion section of this edition of bathimpact contains an article supportive of Lord Browne’s proposals (on page 6) and we consider it important that the views of all students are represented.

If you have any comments on this issue of bathimpact please email: editor@bathimpact.com

year will hopefully now be over, after they submitted an application to extend their opening hours to 2am. Although they initially wanted to remain open until 3.30am, the new proposal is a compromise taking into account residents’ concerns over noise and disturbance in the area.

There are two additions to Score this week. Firstly, Jukebox hour - if you send in a song request at any point on Wednesday, it will be played during Score. The second change is that every week there will be a ‘Team of the Week’ chosen. Whichever team receives this will get free entry to Score the next week. Pictures of the winning team will be shown on the screens in Elements – keep sending in photos of your teams posing or playing, as you never know when your team might be chosen! Photos and song requests should be sent to Andy Crawshaw, VP Sport on susport@bath.ac.uk.

The NHS is aiming to increase blood stocks over the next few weeks in order to combat the increase in demand that occurs over the winter months.

On Monday 8th November, the STV is holding a blood donation session. To book your place call 0300 123 23 23. Booking is advised, as the sessions are always popular.

The SU is holding an ‘Open Doors’ event from 2pm on Saturday 6th November, for the general public - as well as students - to look around the new Student Centre. It is followed at 6.30pm by the RAG Annual Fireworks display.

Dr John Williams, a lecturer in Chemistry from the very earliest days of the University until he retired at the end of 1987, has died.

The funeral is at Haycombe Top Chapel at 2pm on Thursday 28th October.

Student Enterprise 10 gives students the chance to run their own business for a day. Using a £200 start-up loan and an empty shop in Bath, as well as a business mentor and expert training, students will set up their own business for a day to celebrate Global Entrepreneurship Week, 9th19th November. The team with the most profit wins the competition and get to keep their takings.

Monday 1st November 2010

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News

www.bathimpact.com

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Injured students left in pain as Referee’s comment on the incident SU Comment ednesday’s incident on paramedics and the officials from he SU understands that building site prevents access the Eastwood pitches Team Bath who tried to get to the there was a one-off breakJoe Dibben bathimpact contributor n economics student who suffered a broken leg during a football match last Wednesday was forced to wait for an ambulance for nearly fifty minutes, due to confusion over access to the Eastwood pitches.

The incident occurred in the afternoon during Economics’ match against Management in the university’s Inter Departmental Football Competition. After the accident had occurred, the emergency services were immediately called, and a first response unit arrived promptly via the path running alongside the building site.

Following a radio call from the on-site paramedic, a larger ambulance was asked for to take the player to hospital. However, this was the point where the problems began; the ambulance was forced to wait within the building site as

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those present tried to move the perimeter fence out of the way.

This took around thirty minutes, and culminated in the ambulance needing the aid of fork-lift truck to reach the pitch.

The injured student, who was in a considerable amount of pain, was then finally lifted onto the ambulance and taken to hospital.

The incident raises several questions over the lack of suitable access for ambulances to the Eastwood pitches, and a complaint has been formally lodged by the Sports Association.

The pitch where the accident happened is just one of four that are within close proximity of eachother. In a truly freak afternoon, another student playing in a match on the adjacent pitch dislocated his shoulder; both students are being treated in hospital, and bathimpact wishes them a speedy recovery.

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was quite frankly a disgrace, and should never be allowed to happen. The errors in communication which led to a player being unable to be treated by paramedics for such a long period of time should not be repeated. It is vital that people who use the pitches know how to deal with any problems that might come up and that paramedics can get access where necessary.

I cannot fault the work of the

tudents from both Bath universities and the city college joined union members in town last week to protest against the cuts and inform members of the public about how badly Bath itself would be affected by Higher Education funding cuts.

Members of Unite, Unison and the University College Union were represented alongside students in the protest outside the Pump Room in the city centre.

In a city where 21 percent of residents are students, any cuts are likely to have an impact on the city itself. SU President Daniel O’Toole stated that, “As Bath is a relatively small city with two HE institutions, we feel it will have a detrimental impact on not only the students, but the city and its local economy.”

Robbery behind White van stolen Serious incident Homebase from Campus outside Theory

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olice are appealing for any information regarding the theft of a white Transit Van from the parking compound behind 3 East.

While builders worked on the roof of the 3 East building, the man used a window to get inside the Portacabin at the base of the scaffolding. He then took the keys to the van from a table before leaving and driving off in the vehicle, which contained tools and other equipment.

If anyone who works in 3 East or the Estates office, or anyone who was in the area at the time, has any information that they believe would help with enquiries please get in touch with PC 807 Vogler at Bath Police Station on 0845 456 7000.

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down of communication between Security and the ambulance service which has caused the problem in this case. The correct procedure was followed by facility staff, who provided quality firstaid treatment.

This was an isolated, unforeseen incident, and the Sports Association are now liaising with the Sports Department and Security to confirm an access route that can be safely used.

Student demonstration S O

Appeals for information from police and security olice are appealing for witnesses after a man was robbed in Homebase car park. The incident occurred on Friday 22nd October 2010 at 11.30pm when the victim was walking along with his girlfriend. The couple were approached by two men, one of whom produced a broken bottle and demanded money from the victim.

The target was forced to empty his wallet, handing over £30.

The offender is thought to be 1920 years-old, white, with short brown hair. He was around 5ft 9ins in height and dressed in black jeans and a lighter coloured top with a white or light jumper across his shoulders.

Anyone who was in the area at the time or has any information at all on the incident is urged to contact Bath CID on 0845 456 7000 or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

scene of the incident as soon as possible, but it must surely be a legal requirement for building sites which are located in positions like that to provide an obligatory access route for emergency vehicles. Somebody must be held responsible for this complete farce. We should be thankful that the player concerned wasn’t suffering from an injury that was immediately life-threatening, because I dread to think of what the consequences might have been.

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serious incident occurred during the Theory club night on Friday 22nd October, in the smoking area outside Plug / Elements.

Early Saturday morning a student in the smoking area was injured, but the exact circumstances are unclear.

It is currently being investigated by University Security. If you witnessed the incident or have any information about the event, please contact Daniel ‘dot’ O’Toole on supresident@bath. ac.uk as soon as possible.

Simon O’Kane bathimpact Contributor

n Wednesday the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a 38% cut to the higher education budget as part of his Comprehensive Spending Review, along with a 25% cut to further education.

In response to this, the National Union of Students and the University and College Union, who represent academic staff, are organising a joint demonstration in central London on Wednesday 10th November - Unite, UNISON

Sign up now on www.bathstudent.com/ fundoutfuture and UCU are among other unions sponsoring the event and taking part.

Most of our Sabbatical Officers will be attending and will be bringing along coaches so that anyone wishing to do so can come along too, free of charge - all trav-

el expenses will be paid for by the Students’ Union. Anyone wishing to participate should sign up at www.bathstudent.com/fundourfuture and is also encouraged to sign up on the Facebook group “Fund Our Future: Stop the Cuts – National Demonstration”, which lists bathimpact’s own News Editor as attending and a couple of past Sabbs as maybe attending.

Anyone with any queries should email fundourfuture@ bathstudent.com or speak to any of the Sabbatical Officers. More information can be found at www. demo2010.org, the NUS’ website for the demonstration, where the slogan “Demo-lition” is clearly displayed. The Student’s Union has already made a variety of placards numbering in their hundreds, although making your own is highly encouraged.

For those who cannot attend the London demo, an additional event is being held on Parade on the same day – details are still to be confirmed as bathimpact goes to press. See also CTV’s “Fund Our Future” video.

Monday 1st November 2010

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bathimpact

Opinion

www.bathimpact.com

So, er, who the hell is Julie?

Opinion Editor David James puts your questions to VP Comms James Huelin (“Julie”) David James also presents and produces URB’s new weekly news show Buzz, on air every Wednesday from 6-7pm on 1449AM URB. For the full interview and other topical news, check out the Buzz podcast on www.1449urb.co.uk

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e’ve recently been hearing about the NUS ‘We will march’ demonstration in London. What exactly is happening at this protest and why is it taking place?

As you’re all aware, with the spending review that’s come up, the funding to UK universities is under threat. The message to get across straight away before anyone starts rolling their eyes is that we’re not stupid, we know that cuts have got to be made, but the reason for the demonstration is because of the breadths and depths of the cuts.

But why are you protesting against the cuts if you know they’ve got to be made?

We think they’re too severe, if what we’re looking at is the end to publically funded education, and a move to an American-like system where a family will be forced to save up for their child’s education, is, in my opinion, wrong.

But the US has many of the top universities in the world; many people would agree that it is a good system. If we paid for university the UK could have more of its academic institutions up there in the world’s top 100.

You could but I don’t think we’re ready for it. Current families haven’t been saving up for their child’s education for years. I don’t want to slow down progress in higher education,

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We’re not stupid, we know that cuts have got to be made

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but my own view is, make these changes gradual. It’s the breadth, the depth and the speed of these cuts that I have a problem with and the UK is just not ready for it.

So you think smaller cuts over a longer period would be successful?

But you’ve also got to find a system that’s fair. You can’t argue that your ability to go to university should be based on the size of your wallet. It should be on your academic potential.

And this is what will happen if we have a completely free market for education. These cuts are most likely to affect the poorest 10% of this country

and there would be plenty of children in those households bright enough to attend university.

How many people do you expect to be there and how many people from Bath have pledged to go?

The NUS is expecting 20,000 students to attend the march in London on the 10th of November, and it’s not an unrealistic target. When you look at the proportions, Bath University has near 14,000 students, and there are 8million students in the UK, so we would only need to take 50 students to equate the expected figure, but we’re actually expecting to take nearer 200 students. There are 947 people on the Facebook group and 175 people have signed up to travel to London with us by coach.

Last week we looked in-depth at the Browne Review, a publication by Lord Browne stating his recommendations for universities to set their own, potentially unlimited, tuition fees. What is your, and indeed the Union’s, reaction to this?

The Union’s reaction to this is still being complied, but I can give my own opinion on it. It’s a very lengthy document, so I haven’t read it back to front (I doubt if anyone has), but the bottom line is that I am completely opposed to allowing a free market in education immediately without having some support for families that can’t afford it.

How do you feel the Communications strategy has gone so far? How well do you feel you’ve implemented your goals for the year?

If you’re talking about a communications strategy, we as a Union don’t have one as such. It’s something that I thought needed changing when I actually got into the role. It’s not going to be a quick document to put together at all.

When I say we don’t have one as such, we do in parts but it’s all over the place and it needs bringing together. But my goal for this year is to compile that.

The objective of that document it to

break down the different demographic of each group of students and identify how we can reach each of them.

Because obviously the way we talk to postgrads will be different to how we approach to first-year undergraduates.

In your manifesto last year you stated, and I quote “I feel efforts to reach out to students have dropped” Now what was wrong with the Comms strategy last year I actually said in my campaign that I thought that not everyone should be involved in everything we do, but they should at least know about it. I’d be around talking to students and when I mentioned a Union activity I heard “what’s that?” all too often. But maybe it wasn’t what we were doing that was wrong, it’s just we weren’t doing enough of it. We conducted a survey that said students want to hear their

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I am completely opposed to allowing a free market in education

” news via email, but no-one asked the question: how would you like to receive them? No-one wants their inboxes bombarded, but I want to put more information in fewer messages – making it easier and quicker for students to receive that information.

Now we’ve seen that obviously your message is not reaching everyone. You currently use bathstudent.com, yet Buzz has learnt that last year some Bath students weren’t even signed up to the website, let alone use it regularly. You also send messages on Facebook, but whilst you may be popular Julie, you can’t be friends with everyone on Facebook. And you use university webmail which, I don’t know about you, but nearly all of the mail I receive is spam. What’s holding you back?

I was told by one of the Union’s full time members of staff that during campaign week, all the candidates have this immense enthusiasm to go out and talk to students. Though once they’re elected that enthusiasm suddenly drops. Now admittedly those first few weeks of term are always likely to be hectic, but I’d like to go back to grass-roots and actually get out there (though not in a paper chicken suit) and actually speak to people. But you can’t be on Parade chatting all day, so we’ve got to find a way for these forums

to work.

These forums are supposedly the Sabb Question times you proposed in your manifesto. At lunchtimes 2 Sabbs would sit and take questions from the student body. But are you guys seriously going to have enough time to commit to it?

If there are enough students to come into Plug bar and ask me questions, while I munch on my sandwiches, I will give up my lunchtime. You can quote me on that.

Now on to Union Ents. The SU actually runs Elements nightclub and the Plug Bar so you Julie help organise all the different nights such as Theory, Comedy Central and Come Play. Theory sold near twelve-hundred tickets on its opening night, which is pretty well full capacity for the SU club. Buzz has learnt that last Friday only 700 or so was sold.

Is this the beginning of a downward spiral?

Absolutely not, every year there is always a dip in that week two.

Are you saying then that these poor ticket sales were inevitable?

Maybe it was inevitable, but there is always a trend in that second week where students realise that town exists, and they want to go and explore.

Well what exactly makes Theory different from these nights that have failed in the past? Because when you look at competing nights in Club XL and other venues in town, Theory is definitely not value for money.

There are other things to compete on than the cheapest price for a drink.

The fact that we’re convenient to cam-

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It’s not responsilble to charge the prices that [Theory competitors] do

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pus, we’re the biggest club in Bath etc. also stands us in good stead. Other clubs in Bath are also not tied into the University’s Corporate Social Responsibility Policy, and it is right that the Union is signed up to it.

So you think Theory is safe, but other clubs in town have a lot more security on the door than Elements?

Yes but it’s not responsible to charge the prices that they do, and to

sell that much alcohol.

So you think the Union is being responsible by charging higher prices and higher entry because it discourages binge drinking?

It’s not as simple as that. The prices are only higher by miniscule amounts, and how many other clubs have got the room, the space and the pull to give you foam parties. It’s the experience of the night you get, not just the price of your WKD. Well we at Buzz found out that the Theory organisers had planned to get a long ‘Macarena’ going last Friday lunchtime. We at URB even had speakers and a DJ all ready to go for it, but in the end it never happened. Now in the last 4 years Friday nights have been known by 3 different names, Funky Guppy, Flirt and now Theory, what is the next name going to be if Theory fails?

It’s not going to flop, this year will be successful. Just look at our Wednesday and Saturday nights, they’re popular and full. There’s no reason why Theory can’t succeed.

Yes but Come play succeeds because it is the cheapest place to go on a Saturday night. Professionals in the city go out and socialise on a Saturday and clubs in town raise their prices. Even though the drinks are more expensive in Elements on a Saturday night as opposed to Fridays or Wednesdays, it’s still the cheapest place to go on a weekend. Theory isn’t the best value for money on a Friday night.

Let’s just see how this year pans out shall we?

Ok let’s move on, because after last week’s interview where we quizzed ‘dot’, the SU president about the campus shops changing hands, out of control from the Union to the University we’ve received many questions on why students weren’t consulted about this decision first.

Now your manifesto states and I quote “I will look at providing online elections to give you more say on the smaller things’. Now I may be wrong but this is a fairly big deal, is it not even worthy of an online vote?

There are two problems there.

Bathstudent.com has gone through some changes and it’s not perfect yet.

But that doesn’t mean it can’t be improved. There is still the ability to have polls, but the alteration to commercial services is a too bigger decision to be given a simple online poll.

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Opinion

www.bathimpact.com Why didn’t you want students to know about it? Why not let us students know, we’re the main people who use these shops?

We are going to let you know.

We’re not going to let this go through without consulting with you first in some way. [this comment was later retracted, see front page article] How we do that will become apparent in the next few weeks. What students think they know, and what they might actually know are two different things.

Now I know that students aren’t stupid. They know that the shop revenue will now go to the University, but we get a good deal in the form of a secured grant from the University each year. Students will not lose out because of this and it won’t make any difference to you personally. Money spent in the shops will go to the University, and they will have management of those shops, but they take all of the risk. If the shops were to have a bad year, the University loses out, not the Union.

Couldn’t we have a referendum on it?

Bear in mind, it’s not been signed off yet. I’m not going to say it’s inevitable, yet I’m not going

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Students will not lose out because of the shops changing hand from the Union to the University- and it won’t make any difference to you personally

to say it’ll be agreed without any sort of consultation whatsoever.

But the bottom line is that passing control of the commercial services, apart from bars and events, is the right thing to do. It doesn’t mean that we don’t get the funding from the shops. The shop revenue will now go to the University, but we get a good deal in the form of a secured grant from the University each year. Students will not lose out because of this and it won’t make any difference to you personally. Money spent in the shops will go to the University, and they will have management of those shops,

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but they take all of the risk. If the shops were to have a bad year, the University loses out, not the Union.

But if the University takes some of the risk, they will surely take some of the profit that would have otherwise gone to the Union?

But the risk is all on the University. The grant we receive from the University is secured and is not dependant on the shops’ performance.

But there are near 14,000 students that come up to campus and use these shops each day.

In reality how much risk of a loss is there when running these shops?

The Union is here for representation, development opportunities and fun. We want to use our resources to focus solely on these issues, not running commercial enterprises.

You say it will make no difference to us the consumer, but we, and by ‘we’ I mean the Union, have no control over prices any more. Power has simply been passed to the University.

What if the University decides it wants to recoup some cash after some definite spending cuts and uses the shops to do it? What if the University fancies a new 3 East building and thinks that raising prices in the shops is the best way to do it? It is completely out of our hands!

There will be no difference to the consumer and there’s no-to-little risk of the University doing this.

It’s not in the University’s best interest to do that either. At the moment the whole process is waiting on the University, the ball’s in their court and we’re waiting for them to carry out a few things, and we’ve completed everything our end.

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Monday 1st November 2010

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bathimpact

Opinion

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The Shame Factor: Why X Factor is heading downhill bathimpact’s Editor-in-Chief, Gina Reay, mourns the lack of quality in TV’s biggest talent show

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consider myself to have a fairly good taste in music. I like a diverse range of genres, both new and old, and I take a huge interest in the music industry and its never-ending quest to find new talent. I also, like the rest of Britain, have an obsession with the X Factor. These two interests, however, are starting to contradict each other. X Factor seems to have changed this year and, I have to admit, I’m starting to get turned off.

So what’s so different, I hear you ask? Yes, it is still produced by the music industry’s very own Berlusconi, Mr Simon Cowell.

Yes, it still primarily focuses on just one musical genre, pop. And yes, the end result of the competition will always be comparable to a little plasticine doll who has undergone the transformation of Cowell’s record label. By this I mean being pumped out of the Pop Machine after an extreme makeover, a lot of airbrushing and some classic old song to destroy. I mean cover.

So John and Edward are called Jedward. Anyone else wish they’d been called Peter and Rick?

But one thing was always constant: the artists had to have some basic grasp of singing. The British public tended to vote for the person who had the best voice. Whenever I open my mouth to bitch about Girls Aloud, Leona Lewis, Diana Vickers, Alexandra Burke, Joe McElderry or any of the other famous faces to have come out of the reality TV music bubble, I always keep in mind that they do have at least one home grown talent. Let’s be honest, Girls Aloud may have fake hair, fake nails and fake teeth, but they have real voices.

This doesn’t seem to matter any more. During auditions, X Factor 2010 was slammed for applying post-production auto-tuning software to singers’ performances.

Gamu’s audition was a prime example of how software had been used to create the illusion of a flawless recital. How terrible that bosses didn’t feel they could show us raw talent, at its most unrefined stage. The artificiality of today’s pop music industry crept in even at this early point in the competition.

The second problem I have with this year’s X Factor concerns

the live shows. Now these have always been pretty cringe-worthy, especially when the quality is fairly low, like last year. This series seems to hold some very promising talent, so why are ITV trying to hide it from us? I cannot be the only person in Britain to notice that the performances this year have the LOUDEST backing tracks ever. You can hardly recognise what the competitor is singing! A prime example of this was Diva Fever’s performance of the new Barbara Streisand track.

Of course they were bloody eliminated; they hardly sang a single

note and, even when they did, we couldn’t HEAR them!

On an ironic note, it has to be noted that the acts with the least vocal talent tend to be awarded numerous backing dances and aesthetic displays behind them, to distract the viewing public from actually understanding the poor quality of the performers’ basic talents. Although, with the music industry as it is, this isn’t the first time we’ve seen this technique. It cannot be a coincidence that Simon Cowell seems to like EVERY act this year. Cowell has hardly had a bad word to say about any live acts so far, proving that the more successful the shows are, the more people vote to save their favourites and the more money goes into his pocket and Cheryl Cole’s tattoo fund.

The days of actual competition are long gone. The X Factor has moved too far away from raw talent and into the realms of aesthetics, auto-tuning and media extravaganzas. Shame on you Mr Cowell.

Lord Browne really is a genius

How else are we going to cope with less funding and more students that are determined to come to university?

Ollie Popescu bathimpact Contributor

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ith the recent release of the Browne Report, tuition fees are once again back in the headlines and Student Unions across the country are gearing up for protests. The Liberal Democrats in particular are in a somewhat difficult situation given that they promised before the election to abolish tuition fees but now look set to support a rise in them. I would, however, argue that the broad thrust of Lord Browne’s recommendations should be supported and that there are adequate safeguards to ensure the university system does not once again become the preserve of students from privileged backgrounds.

The personal benefits that a student gets from going to university are huge. For starters, a 2007 estimate suggests that students who obtain a degree earn (on average) an additional £160,000 over their lifetimes than someone with only A-levels. For graduates from universities like Bath, which

has a strong focus on engineering, the sciences and business, this average will be even higher.

It’s not just the money you earn, either; getting a degree is absolutely necessary to get a job at all in certain industries and helps to give you the sort of “soft” skills for the workplace that all employers look for.

Given the size of these personal benefits, it doesn’t seem fair that taxpayers in general (the majority of whom are not graduates, and earn less than graduates will) should pay for students to receive them. It is surely fair that, if the student expects large personal gains from going to university, they should contribute substantially towards the costs of doing so. There are some wider benefits for society from having a more educated population (e.g. reduced crime), but the primary beneficiary is very much the student.

In this context, tuition fees of around £6,000-7,000 do not seem excessive, especially since the Higher Education Funding Council for England estimate that it costs £7,300 to educate the av-

Lord Browne’s recommendations are right on the money (excuse the pun!) erage student per year (this figure does not include things like the cost of maintenance of university buildings and libraries, or admin costs). Although Browne has advocated unlimited fees, under his proposals universities charging over £6,000 would have to pay a substantial levy to central government to cover the costs of lending to the student to pay the higher

fees. This should reduce the willingness of universities to charge above this level.

The key here is that the student should only pay back fees once they have become a graduate and are starting to reap the benefits of having a degree. This is the way the system currently operates and it means that potential students from poorer families are not excluded from higher education through having to pay high up-front fees. The Browne Report does not suggest changing this arrangement, and indeed recommends raising the income level at which repayments are triggered from £15,000 to £21,000, so that low-paid or unemployed graduates are not overwhelmed by debt repayments.

One recommendation of the Browne Report that should be commended (but has so far been largely ignored) is its call to remove up-front fees for the 800,000 or so part-time students in the UK. Part-time study enables students from a wide variety of backgrounds to gain a qualification where full-time study is not

feasible - for example, for mature students who missed out on higher education first time round but wish to combine study with their current employment. Allowing part-time students access to higher education on the same terms as their full-time peers seems only fair.

The Government has not automatically accepted everything Browne suggests, although Business Secretary Vince Cable (whose department is responsible for universities) has indicated general agreement with the proposals. One slight concern, however, seems to be the intention to remove government subsidy for the teaching of students almost completely. Although, as I have argued, students are the chief beneficiaries from higher education, given that there appear to be some societal benefits to higher education it does not seem right that there should be no government subsidy at all.

Nevertheless, Lord Browne’s proposals move the debate around Higher Education and university funding and tuition fees in broadly the right direction.

Monday 1st November 2010

bathimpact

Opinion

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7

Indians don’t get to vote. Well, not really.

Elections in the world’s supposedly largest democracy are an utter farce Vasudevan Rajesh bathimpact contributor

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ndia is the world’s largest democracy, with 480 million voters voting every five years .It normally takes place in five phases according to the geography of the country. These days, voting takes place through electronic voting machines. Campaigning starts three months in advance and stops 48 hours before the polls. From the outside the system might look flawless, efficient and a great way for people to elect their leader. But look closely and you may begin to agree with the title and realize the fact that “freedom of choice “ does not exist at all.

For starters India, although fast developing, is a poverty-stricken country with over 750 million people in rural areas lacking basic facilities. The level of education is so poor that 2,628 government schools don not even have teachers. When one is illiterate, poor and longs only for the next meal to

come by, media intensive elections and large campaigns make no difference to the “Aam Aadmi”; the common man.

Secondly, the candidates tend to have criminal records and independent candidates who genuinely want to make a change never stand a chance against the mammoth political parties with their money and muscle power. The voter is invariably left to choose between two people; both uneducated, corrupt and part of one of the big parties.

The hapless voter is lured into the

empty promises made by the candidates and fall prey to them like a deer falls to a lion. The election commission is normally a sitting duck waiting with nowhere to go.

Thirdly, the money spent on elections (usually around two billion US dollars towards private jets, security cover, poster printing and gifts to voters to get publicity) could have easily been used for the development of the nation. The candidates spend so much money because they themselves realize that, having done nothing for the people,

they have to save their seats by being proactive during their elections.

You will win every election if you genuinely make a change; if not then you have to live in the fear of losing.

In the UK it might be surprising for there to be a coalition government, but in India no single party ever gets a majority. Instead, the government is an alliance of many regional and national parties because the people are still divided, exploited by the barbaric caste system which the politicians use to

their advantage. The government thus formed is basically an under the table handshake where compromises and priorities change everyday for it to stay in power.

To conclude, I would like to say that democracy is the freedom of choice, but the freedom of choice perishes when you live in poverty, never having been to school and eat one meal a week. I’m not saying that India should become autocratic; all I’m saying is that we can have elections in a different less frequent way.

Blighty Nights would be an absolute flop

…and they’d be turfing you out before the show had even started. Hannah Raymont digs her claws into the ‘crap’ UK clubbing culture. Handbags at the ready...

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icture the scene. After several lectures and seminars, plus maybe a couple of meetings afterwards, you’ve finally hiked over Bath’s illustrious hills and made it home for the evening. What’s the first thing you want to do? Why, a slob on the sofa with a magazine or some mindless, un-taxing telly would be pretty nice right now, wouldn’t it?

However, within seconds of plonking your bum on the cushion, your phone beeps. A text message: Hey, wanna come out 2nite? We’re meeting at XL at 10. C u l8r, x. You check your watch. After the kerfuffle with the buses and then trudging back home (particularly if you live in the student underworld better known as Oldfield Park), it’s now 9.15pm. What?! You haven’t even thought about cooking your tea yet, never mind freshening up and getting your glad rags on. Just what is all this rush about?

After getting used to not stepping out the door til midnight whilst living in Spain, it’s hard to adjust. For starters, let’s take our attitude to nighttime attire. Given that the British climate is often far from mini-skirt friendly, I find myself shivering with cold whenever I see girls wobbling precariously in towering heels with just a patch of black Lycra to cover

their dignity. Okay, without meaning to sound like your Mum, I know that baggy, Nora Batty-style pantyhose ain’t exactly hip, but Marks & Spencer have shaken off that fuddy-duddy image now and actually sell some pretty cool evening tights, so for crying out loud, put some on! In addition to making you look a bit classier, they’ll actually keep your legs warm.

Oh, and please don’t get me started on the guys. You ponce around in a standard, lemming-like uniform of a striped/checked shirt paired with artfully distressed jeans and loafers, ‘chugging’ pints of yeast, barley and hops-derived drinks just so you can, ahem, perfect your ‘banter’ and then feel completely unashamed of rubbing your denim-clad erection against a poor, unsuspecting lass an hour or so later. Blimey.

Then there’s the journey. If you’re on campus it’s not so bad, especially if you’re rocking it up in Elements, but still no fun if it’s blistering cold.

Plus, your housemates started drinking games as soon as Eastenders was over and by the time you got a look in (you wanted to relax a bit, get some homework out the way, have a shower and of course make yourself look gorgeous), they’ve guzzled every drop of fermented fruit and vegeta-

ble liquid in your halls; so you’re not just cold, you’re stone cold sober.

You also inevitably have to endure the Baywatch theme at some point, which is only possible if seriously inebriated.

If town’s more your thing, then wherever you’re based in our wonderful spa city, you’ve probably got to get a bus, or at least walk a bit.

Those cobbles aren’t kind on heels, but before that there’s that special experience known as The Student Night Bus Journey©. Further to Jack’s article on Bus W**kers last issue, (I know, aren’t we a bunch of old grumps here?!) people, alcohol and public transport do not mix. Most of us are generally happier and more confident after a few drinks, but ‘confident’ can sometimes translate into cocky and just plain rude. Exactly like when people conduct loud and sometimes very personal conversations on their mobile, I don’t want you shouting and screaming in my face and just generally acting a complete a***hole just because you’re drunk. Sure, you should be excited about heading out for a fun night, but there’s only so many things that others will tolerate; saving your ‘tactical chunder’ for the bus floor isn’t one of them.

So, having ‘pre-lashed’ and

Brits: classy as ever... reached the centre of town, you have to head off somewhere to, er, shake your seriously sun-deprived booty.

Some places are situated in odd spots, such as XL (a good walk down Walcot Street), meaning that if you do decide to stop off for a drink, then have some thick bouncers kick you out after ten minutes, you’ve still got a little bit of a walk to go somewhere to dance.

Then what happens when you do get there? As you approach, you can see people lining up near the door, but upon closer inspection you find a queue to rival that frequently seen at around 8.45am on a weekday morning outside All Bar One. After hopping from one foot to the other in an attempt to keep warm for about quarter of an hour whilst you’re left to wait in the cold, a bouncer (or

maybe two sharing a single brain cell) looks you up and down with sneering contempt before he stares dumbly at your ID for a whole minute, then begrudgingly lets you in. Inside, there’s inevitably a bored looking girl bleating the obligatory club fee, often up to a fiver (!). Then you’ve got to put your coat away, so another £2 please.

You’re £7 down already, and haven’t had much fun at all up to this point (plus you’ll have to clear out in an hour anyway), and the experience is much more like being a sheep herded into a pen, ready to be fleeced.

Fortunately, it’s not that kind of fleecing we’re talking about. No, the real fleecing comes when you go to the bar, with doubles in clubs often about £5 and measly portions of alcohol (otherwise known as ‘shots’) usually around £2, sometimes £3.

Factor in taxis home and £20 barely covers it. For £20, you could have had a few decent film nights in with your housemates, plenty of sweets and popcorn and a good old laugh.

With HMV, Sainsbury’s and that stall in Green Park market (every Saturday) flogging DVDs (yes, ones you’d actually want to watch!) for less than a fiver, it’s really a no-brainer. Or do you prefer to be a sheep, in ol’ baaarmy Britain?

Monday 1st November

bathimpact

Features

www.bathimpact.com

9

Never have I ever… Made in Bath ...had a holiday romance. Ed-in-chief Gina Reay explores the world of the sexy summer fling, or should that be sleazy dull flop...

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ow good was your summer this year? I’m sure for most of you it was full of excitement, thrills, new experiences and numerous travels. We all know that the ideal holiday is centred somewhere around the 4 S’s… Sun, Sea, Sand and Sex (unless you’re a ski-bum, then it usually also involves Snow).

Holiday romances can be a dream; curling up with a hot, sexy, tanned senor or senorita, who speaks very little English, loves a good ‘walk’ on the beach and constantly tells you how amazing you are.

There can be nothing more exotic than losing yourself in a fleeting relationship that allows you to relax and enjoy a new location, almost becoming a new person with nothing to worry about but where your next fruity cocktail is coming from.

The problem with these ‘affairs to remember’ however, is that most of the time they are only temporary and coming back down to earth can be easier said than done. An exotic foreign amour can often feel like true love, but in reality, the situation would be entirely different if Rodrigo (or Pierre, or Alberto, or Troy, or Christina, or Amélie, or Francesca…) were to have met you in dreary old Britain, where we tend to trade Sun, Sea and Sand for Stress, Strain and Soggy Weetabix. Oh joy.

There’s also another type of holiday romance - the type where you choose to take your current romance abroad in the notorious, you’ve guessed it, couples holiday.

A concept that can sometimes go one of two ways, the couples holiday is a favourite amongst

students. A cheeky all inclusive summer getaway can solve all your relationship problems - and similarly start them.

There’s nothing worse than arriving in a hot country and setting up camp in the hotel room, only to realise that the two of you are now trapped together for the next seven days. You might run out of things to talk about, things to do… and let’s face it, there are only so many times you can have sex before you realise it’s actually quite boring to spend an entire day doing it.

The lucky couples who actually do enjoy these trips abroad are truly in a strong relationship.

Spending 24 hours a day together can inflict certain dilemmas on a

from 90210) when every meal is eaten ensemble. Still, we try our best to continue the illusion that we don’t poo, we don’t sweat,

Mr G does his best to impress the ladies with his unique diving techiniques we’re naturally hairless and we eat like Sarah Jessica Parker.

Maybe I’m coming across too cynical. There are tons of upsides to taking your relationship to a

Despite the pooing, sweating and eating Mark and Gina survive their holiday together. female. Not to divulge too many new level, and going on holiday of our secrets, but we do make an together can be a test. For those of effort to appear flawless at most you who enjoyed a romantic holitimes and this is fairly hard to do day abroad this summer, I salute when sharing a bed and bathroom you. I’m not going to lie. There is for seven whole days. It’s also hard a certain perverse pleasure in seeto do the classic trick of choosing ing a tanned, sweaty, half-naked only a salad (before going home boyfriend diving into a Turkish to binge-eat and drool over Liam lagoon.

Competition: free drink!

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alloween was just days ago, the ghosts were out to play and Zombies roamed the street at night. For one night of the year the most ghoulish parties are upon us, where you’ll either be dressed to rave it up all night or be wandering the outside world looking to hustle your neighbours for treats. So much fun!

To help celebrate Halloween, Relentless Energy Drink have teamed up with bathimpact to offer one lucky reader a chance to win a crate of Relentless Energy Drink. Whether you’re

trick or treating or throwing a spooktackular party with your housemates, Relentless Energy will provide the boost you need to keep you fresh and away from becoming part of the living dead.

To enter this competition, answer the following question.... What typical orange vegetable is used for Halloween decorations and other Halloween activities?

Answers should be emailed to Features Editor at features@bathimpact. com. Good Luck!

Sian Barnett interviews recent Bath graduate Anna Caraffi on her fresh pharmacutical career

Name : Anna Caraffi Year of Graduation: 2010 Subject: Chemistry with Management Favourite memory from your student days at Bath: Far too many to try and narrow it down to one. But I have to say, the final few weeks at University are the happiest. All my friends on campus, working hard but being there to help take my mind off my work in breaks. Then the big celebration nights out and the hangover days, all crowded on too few sofas in pj’s watching films and eating MacDonalds!!

Proudest achievement since graduating from Bath: Having a job and moving myself to London.

Favourite place/thing to do in Bath: In the winter wrapping up warm and walking through the town. Ending up in a cafe like Same Same with my friends, having a tea or coffee to warm up.

Your time at Bath in 3 words: Friends for life During your time studying at Bath whereabouts did you live – on and off campus?

Solsbury, Caroline Buildings (Widcombe), Pulteney Terrace What extracurricular activities were you involved with and what did you gain from them?

Lacrosse. I made my best friends through Lacrosse. From all year groups. It was a great way to meet new people from various courses. Great social life. Ability to travel with matches as well as to Ireland for tour. Also kept me

vaguely fit when I was battering my body with not enough sleep and too much drinking!!

What was your first job after you graduated and how did you find it?

GSK, Procurement Associate on their Graduate scheme. I worked for them in the summer before my final year (found the vacancy online). After my summer internship they asked if I’d like to be put forward for their graduate scheme, I did and then they came back to me in October saying I had the job!

What advice would you give to someone wanting to go into a commercial science – based career?

Get experience. This will make you stand out in assessment centres. Apply to wherever you can and get the practice with interviews and assessment centresthere is a knack. Be confident that you are from a great university and are doing a worthwhile degree. Even if it doesn’t necessarily seem the most appropriate career for your degree, what we learn in our courses is hugely transferable to the business world.

What does it mean to you to be a Bath graduate?

Bath has a very impressive reputation. Wherever I go and meet Bath graduates, it seems companies favour our institution because of the fantastic encouragement to take placements. The experience we gain from such an opportunity is priceless. I’m extremely proud to be a Bath graduate as people instantly know I am a well rounded individual- bright and willing to work hard.

Why do you think it’s important to stay in touch with your university and be part of the Alumni Committee?

Bath gave me the best years of my life so far. I met people who will be my friends forever. I had a very full university life- I enjoyed my course, had great friends and played a sport for Bath. In a sense I owe a lot to the university, so if I can keep in touch and help them in the future I will be willing to do so.

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Monday 1st November

Features Gunpowder, treason and plot :The man behind the bonfire Jess Bean bathimpact Contributor

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man runs down a narrow stone corridor with only a flame-torch to guide him.

The muffled shouts of his pursuers behind him get closer and closer until, just metres from his goal, he is caught. The man is taken away to the Tower of London and illegally tortured on the rack for

secrets, until his once flourished signature is reduced to an unintelligible scrawl. Left at the scene of his crime are numerous wooden barrels filled with gunpowder enough to destroy a whole building.

300 years later, on 5th November - the anniversary of the man’s capture - we huddle around a bonfire and watch fireworks shoot into the sky; a commemoration of a night that never was - of the gunpowder, the treason and the plot.

Like many times in history, it is not the successes that are remembered but the failures. We remember the Titanic, Scott of the Antarctic and to a lesser extent, Joe McElderry, not because they achieved their aim, but because they failed. Spectacularly.

In the early hours of 5th November 1605 (the day of the state opening of parliament), a group of Catholic revolutionaries had planned to blow up the Houses of Parliament in London and kill the Protestant King James I by planting 36 barrels of gunpowder in the cavernous tunnels underneath Westminster. The unlucky soul left to guard the barrels and light the charge was Guido ‘Guy’ Fawkes (the explosives expert of the group). Before he could do this, he was caught just in time by guards who had been sent an anonymous tip-off letter, arrested and taken to the Tower of London, where he held his silence on the whereabouts of the others. The

rest of the group, however, were no longer in the capital and had fled north to rural Warwickshire. After two days of agony on the rack, Guy confessed the names of the others, but this was not enough to buy him his release. He died two months later jumping from the scaffold on which he was due to be hung, drawn and quartered.

The 17th Century public decided to celebrate the thwarting of this ‘evil’ gunpowder plot every year with fireworks and the burning of a ‘guy’ on top of a bonfire. Nowadays, the venom has worn off and instead we enjoy the bright lights and warmth that are so welcome on a cold November night. Whichever bonfire you end up at this Novemeber, whether in Blackpool or Dorset, please take a moment, as you gaze up at the fireworks shooting into the sky, to remember Guido and the conspirators, and what the world might have been like if they had succeeded.

bathimpact www.bathimpact.com

Boom boom pow!

Ioanna Yiasemi bathimpact contributor

One of the biggest events on campus, the “Bright Orange Fireworks” is coming up in less than two weeks!!

The date is 6th November and the place is the University of Bath’s Claverton campus. It is a massive event organised by Bath Rag, the student fundraising group part of the Students’ Union.

All proceeds will go to Julian house, a local charity for homeless people.

It is a free event that will feature a funfair and radio roadshow, as well as the fireworks display provided by the Northern Lights team.

There will also be performances by university arts societies showcasing a wide range of student talent, from fire juggling to singing and dancing.

There will be a marquee serving drinks, as well as several catering vans serving a variety of food.

It is an event not to be missed and we welcome all public to attend! Last year Rag Fireworks raised £5000. This year we are aiming for more and you can be a part of this!

Also, for those of you who are keen on volunteering, marshalls are needed to help this year’s Fireworks display go off with a bang.

The marshalls will make sure

members of the public are kept safe as well as checking car parks.

They receive training, free food and of course a great view of the fireworks.

“Volunteering is a great way of building up students’ skills and having fun at the same time,” said Volunteer Support Worker Samantha Walker-Sowden.“People interested in taking part don’t need to have experience as training will be provided but they should be enthusiastic and reliable, which we know University of Bath students are.”

This year’s event will be held on Saturday 6th November 2010 from 6-10pm, with entertainments beginning at 7 pm and the display itself taking place around 8pm.

Anyone interested in becoming a marshall should email fireworks organiser Ioanna Yiasemi at iy203@bath.ac.uk or sign up online at http://www.bathstudent. com/rag/events/ .

Kilimanjaro and back : Episode 2

This excerpt from Jack Barrett’s Kili journal tracks his trip from Heathrow airport to the first foot of the mountain and beyond...

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e all trickled into Heathrow on the day of departure, bags packed and arms full of holes from last-minute vaccinations. Some of us were unsure of who’s who, as others past the meet and greet stage had attended the predeparture socials. We were the second group from Bath and had already started to hear stories of the other group’s antics whilst away and were keen to write history ourselves. We

met up with a group of students from York who would be joining us for the entire trip and it was relieving to see they were as clueless as we were. We left the miserable weather of the UK and, after various inter-group competitions via the in-flight entertainment, landed safely in Nairobi. This was followed by the nine hour ride of a lifetime into Tanzania on what we were assured were roads.

The next day we made our way

The Machame Route - take it on if you dare!

to see one of the projects our raised money would be funding, a primary school near Moshi. The kids were enthusiastic and incredibly friendly despite the difficulties in communication. We played team games, but eventually all descended into chaos as we played a two hour football match consisting of about six and a half teams and seven balls. We soon learnt that if you have nothing in common with a Tanzanian, there is always one reliable topic: football.

The entire day really brought home the reason we were there, why we’d spent all those hours raising the money and gave us renewed energy before the climb.

After a nerve racking sleep punctuated by an Olympic standard wrestle with my mosquito net (which I lost) we finally woke to the big day.

We had a short drive to the gates of the Kilimanjaro National Park, where we signed our lives away and handed over our passport details, on the off chance we inadvertently fell

down a cliff. We met our two lead guides Raymond and Herman whom we would all come to respect and admire, mainly for their insane fitness and organisational skills, and their team of 120 porters and chefs who would ensure we lived like kings on our way up the mountain. At first we all thought this a bit excessive, but soon learned that it was all necessary to ensure everyone had the best chance of making it to the top. Plus, no one argued with the logic of supplying more work to the local guys who don’t have much and want to help out for just a few bucks.

The Machame Route: 100 kilometres, gaining a height of 4405 metres. Off we went; one foot after the other, playing various games to pass the time and ignoring the burning thighs, while our guides patiently repeated “Polé Polé” (slowly, slowly) words that were so simple, yet so vital to ensure everyone could acclimatise properly. We started at Machame Village at a height of 1490m. Onwards

we trudged for hours and hours, the first day through dense, foggy jungle.

The second day we climbed above the clouds and into forest less dense, revealing better views, but still no real sign of the summit. That night we camped at the Shira Plateau (3840m), which offered amazing views as we saw the sun set from above the clouds, a taste for what the summit would be like. That night, however, the trouble began, as I was woken by some of the most violent vomiting I’ve ever heard; one of the effects of altitude sickness, the others being diarrhoea, loss of appetite and hallucinations. All symptoms that some, if not all of us, would be lucky enough to enjoy over the coming days. Despite all this, no one even had a thought of giving up, and so onwards we went...

For part three of Jack’s Kili journal read next issue of bathimpact realeased on Monday 15the November.

Monday 1st November 2010

bathimpact

11

Features

www.bathimpact.com

The tragic demise of Hallowe’en bathimpact contributor, Dave Langdale, discusses the highs and lows of the celebration of the dead

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allowe’en used to be great.

Like its peers, Christmas and Easter, the spooky tradition had its place firmly cemented within the year’s calendar.

Supermarkets, fancy dress and toy shops would adorn their shelves with frightening gimmicks and attire, from skulls and fake blood to rubber weapons and pumpkins.

Television channels across the board would clear their schedules

Hallowe’en appreciation at its best for a variety of festive films and specials, like the traditional Hocus Pocus, or terrible B-movie The Blob. Houses around the country

would horde bags of sweets, ready for the regular knock at the door, signalling children in various outfits were walking the local trick or treat circuit.

While it was never a patch on the Americans’ appreciation of Hallowe’en, everywhere made the effort. Whether it was a festoon of webbing across a window, a flickering pumpkin on a shelf, or a spider dangling from the ceiling, Hallowe’en was an event you couldn’t avoid even if you wanted to.

That was thirteen years ago.

Over time the popularity and participation in this enjoyable event has dwindled beyond sight, relegated to formulaic fancy dress nights at university bars, whose representatives sigh with relief that this is one weekend where they don’t have to circulate the unoriginal wheel of ideas fiercely limited to ‘Back to School’ and ‘80s fever’. Supermarkets barely spare a shelf for Hallowe’en based gimmickry any more, while televi-

sion has gradually reduced its participation in themed programmes to the point that Sunday’s schedule is as monotonous as a weekend alone with Deborah Meaden.

Even trick or treating appears to have lost its purpose, as children seem more likely to receive cash for their efforts instead of sweets.

Is this what Hallowe’en has been reduced to? Instead of the cheeky antics and tomfoolery of youth, should we now expect the shameless exploitation of a neighbour’s good will for profit?

The cause of this decline in popularity can be explained somewhat by the increasing timespan of Christmas. Like the Sun exploding into a Red Giant, growing in mass and devouring everything in its path, the exponential expansion of Christmas appears to be mercilessly swallowing any festive event in its way. The point at which shops decide it’s time to begin their advertising campaign has slowly and unnoticeably crept through November to the middle

of October, leaving Hallowe’en to gasp desperately at the snow covered quicksand sucking it into oblivion.

Fans of Hallowe’en should take heed of this warning, before the entity that is Christmas takes its next victim. Ignore it and it won’t be long before summer holidays are cancelled due to snow, birthdays will be eviscerated by razor sharp holly and the Easter Bunny

will be found murdered in his basket, a candy cane jutting from his jugular.

By this time there will be no stopping it, until the insurmountable force envelops itself and we spend our entire year perpetually wrapping and unwrapping presents, spending uncomfortable amounts of time with detestable relatives and watching Home Alone until our eyes bleed.

Hocus Pocus: damn do we miss these guys...

Monday 1st November 2010

bathimpact

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International International Student Journey to the bottom of the earth Taster Week In an interview with bathimpact, Ben Lane, final year www.bathimpact.com

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ot had time to join any Societies because you’ve been settling into a new country as well as University? Want to get involved in a the arts, student media or any of the other societies?

Over the last couple of weeks students from Britain and around the world have been getting together to discuss ways to encourage more EU and International students to get involved in clubs and societies.

For British, EU and International students, there may be challenges or barriers to getting involved. It is always easier to stay in the “comfort zone” of friends from your own culture. British students spoke about feeling embarrassed if they could not remember a name and not wanting to ask where someone comes from, in case they caused offense to the other person. The President of the China Ren society, also involved in CHAOS and the Bath Economics Society, said “When I first arrived it was all so confusing - as if there were all these rules that you were expected to know but there was noone there to explain it to you.”

Based on the discussions, different societies have decided to try a variety of ways to overcome the barriers.

Some suggestions and solutions that have been proposed include • Showing a film with subtitles to help with understanding • Organising to go to a pub quiz BEFORE going out drinking so that people who don’t drink don’t feel excluded.

• Having an international student helper available to actively include students in conversations, explaining elements that interna-

tional students may not understand.

• Inviting the international students to arrive early so that they can greet them before the event starts • Meeting at the library so that the event is easy to find.

For EU and International Students, it can feel intimidating stepping out of a comfort zone and away from co-national friends, but isn’t that why you travelled this far in the first place? As one French student put it “In the UK, the Students’ Union offers so many opportunities that we would never have in my country.” If you are determined to improve your English, meet British friends and gain skills for the future or try something that you have never tried before then the International Student Taster Week is an opportunity not to be missed. The societies involved include: Photosoc, Model United Nations, Hand Ball, Science Fiction Film Society and Gravity Vomit. International Student Taster Week starts 1st November and finishes with a Traditional British Sunday Lunch on Sunday 7th.

For a timetable of events check out: www.bathstudent.com/socs/exec/ societies/events/ Sunday 7th November 10:30 Traditional British Sunday Lunch and Walk Walk some of the beautiful Bath Skyline Walk, followed by a tasty traditional meal and a game of skittles. Cost £11:00. Limited Tickets!

Collect your tickets from the Student Centre SU Reception Open to all British and International students.

MEng student, talks about his adventure of a lifetime, an expedition to Antarctica

How did your trip come about?

How were you able to undertake this amazing opportunity?

My journey began with an email in my university inbox: ‘Visit Antarctica’.

It was a link to a BP competition offering the opportunity to be part of an international expedition to the Antarctic continent. Although my application to the competition was rejected, during the application I had become quite passionate about the trip, mainly because Antarctica is not the kind of place you get to visit every day. I decided to pursue my quest and emailed the expedition leader, Robert Swan directly. He invited me to come along on the trip but I needed to raise £12,000 to participate. After 3 months of fundraising I was finally able to secure enough funds from sponsors such as the University of Bath Alumni Fund, his former school Oundle, Wellstream, the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, and the Royal Academy of Engineer to cover the costs of the expedition.

What is the meaning behind the title of your expedition “2041 Inspire Antarctica”?

The name 2041 signifies the global importance of the Madrid Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty. Written in 1991, the Protocol includes a 50 year freeze on drilling and mining in Antarctica. In 2041 the Treaty comes up for review. The challenge is to continue the protection of the Antarctic through this Treaty so that the last great wilderness on earth is never exploited. 2041, the organization founded by Robert Swan, encourages people to adopt sustainable, renewable energy practices. The goal is that by 2041 we will have branched enough away from oil and gas to renewable sources of energy so that there will be no need to exploit Antarctica.

Tell us about the actual trip?

We began our journey to Antarctica in Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world, sailing across the formidable Drake Passage to the Antarctic Peninsula on an ex-Russian scientific research ship. We started our tour of the continent on the southern point of the Antarctic Peninsula and then each day we would travel to different locations and go on excursions exploring the surrounding land and water. We would do some sightseeing, take in the glaciers, the icebergs, whale watch...

During the two weeks of the voyage we witnessed unprecedented drama, the true blood and gore of the Antarctica food chain. We saw a pod of killer whales circling and killing a seal, seals hunting penguins, killer whales swimming right under our dingy – all this

set in the most extravagant environment you can imagine where the surrounding landscape feels gigantic and you feel insignificant and small. We would also take part in Robert Swan’s personal leadership and sustainability programme, Leadership on the Edge, with different workshops, leadership sessions, and debates – all focused on how human activity affects Antarctica and the environment.

John Luck

1st - 7th November

Antarctica is a part of the world many of us will never get to see.

Tell us a bit more about what it feels like to stand on the southernmost tip of the world?

Robert Swan said that once you have been to Antarctica you never look at the map the same way. More people fly through Heathrow in an hour than have ever set foot on Antarctica.

So after visiting Antarctica you do feel very special, and like you have a duty to spread the message of 2041 and inspire others. I think that neither words nor photographs can do justice to the awe-inspiring spectacle of Antarctica.

This desert of ice is so unique and so uncommon to man’s experience, that even the most dramatic of photographs pale into insignificance when

one is confronted by the sheer magnitude, beauty, enchantment and whiteness of the Antarctic landscape.

How has the trip inspired you?

The trip in itself, the people I met and seeing what they have done, was hugely inspirational. Robert Swan himself was the most moving speaker I have ever met, able to motivate you on such a personal level. When you are in Antarctica you think you can move mountains and change the world.

When you get back home obviously things sink back to reality, and you realise everything is not achievable, but you still can make a difference. Since at the moment I’m involved with a project run by Engineers without Borders, a society at the university, which involves building a wind turbine from raw materials and hopefully at some point in the future getting it installed on campus. The trip has really inspired me on a personal level and made me think about the idea of sustainable living. Sustainable living doesn’t have to be something that’s painful, it involves doing simple things that just make common sense such as recycling, switching off the lights, being aware of your carbon footprint and the amount of waste you produce. I’d personally much rather drink a local brewed cider than one imported from Germany.

Now that you have seen the effects of human activity on Antarctica, how do you feel about the environmental challenges facing us?

When you are given all the facts and possible outcomes of climate change it’s very easy to be negative, and develop a doom and gloom outlook on the environmental challenges facing us. But the whole expedition was focused around the positives - you did recognize the huge mountain we have to climb to combat climate change but you also saw that we already have the tools needed to climb this mountain and combat the challenge. The success of the international response in securing the recovery of the Ozone layer is a great example of governments acting globally. Robert Swan said that “the greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it”. We need to realise that the environment is out collective responsibility. It is imperative that the damage from our past is faced and we gain the understanding that change is only obtainable by excellence in leadership and unity in teamwork. It must happen on a personal level - turning off lights and recycling, and must happen on an industrial level - cap and trade with renewable energy solutions.

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Monday 1st November 2010

bathimpact

International

www.bathimpact.com

Jailed for words: Censorship in China William Wan voices his opinion on freedom of speech in China

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t is no surprise the Communist Party of China (CPC) receives harrowing remarks from the general media for the country’s lack of human rights. After all, actions such as censoring Google and banning the word ‘democracy’ on MSN Messenger can hardly rouse positive responses. Unfortunately, perfectionism is the CPC’s underlining objective at major, often international, events. At these events the CPC wants the world to see only more impressive side of the truth. Take the build-up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics. At the outbreak of the 2008 Milk Scandal, which affected 94,000 babies, China suppressed the media from publicising the story on the premise that the news would damage the Games. In a similar vein, at the Opening Ceremony China again strove for perfection, by having another little girl perform-

ing the song ‘Hymn to the Motherland’ instead of the actual singer, who could not sing in public because of her buck teeth.

When it comes to peaceful protests, arresting protesters and roughing up reporters are acts that show China’s inability to give the media more free dissemination of news and information.

You only have to look at the imprisonment of human rights activists like Xiaobo Liu, Hu Jia, Yu Jie, Ding Zilin, and her husband, Jiang Peikun to see punishment landing on anyone who berates the CPC. Liu Xiaobo received the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize Award because of “his long and non-violent struggle for fundamental human rights in China”. Liu is famous for his work on democratic elections, advocating freedom and separation of powers, and for urging the government to be

accountable for its wrongdoings. Work done by people like Liu would prevent the Tiananmen Square incident from remaining a forbidden topic in China, and prevent some other aspects of modern history being inaccessible to not only the people in China, but also people who are interested in modern Chinese history. Astonishingly little is publicly known about the famous Tank Man, apart from the fact he stood in front of Chinese Type 59 tanks on June 5, 1989, near Tiananmen in Beijing. .

The people who are labelled ‘enemies of the state’ are being punished by a government that breaks its own constitution. Article 35 of the Chinese Constitution states “citizens of the People’s Republic of China enjoy freedom of speech, of the press, of assembly, of association, of procession and of demonstration”. At this point, it is tempting to describe the CPC as hypocritical and severely intolerant. Quite clearly, the evidence we have towards this conclusions does not show the other side of the coin. But the kind of freedoms enjoyed in China would undoubtedly look trivial in comparison to the controversies at the Beijing Olympics, the censorship placed on the internet,or the Tiananmen Square incident of 1989.

Livin’ la vida loca Daniel Pannell Foreign Correspondent

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arrived in Villarrobledo, near Albacete in Spain, to find the town in a sorry state. The global recession has hit Spain hard thanks to its over reliance on unsustainable industries such as construction; the scars of which adorn the skyline - half-finished building projects are common. On a lighter note, I’m afraid to say that the vast majority of Spanish stereotypes

Grape-picking Villarrobledo are completely correct. We’ve waited two weeks for internet and enjoyed cold showers for three days thanks to the gas man having other priorities.

They certainly love their drink - many workers enjoy a nice shot of whisky or ‘Anis’ in the morning with their coffee to perk them up. Perhaps the Spanish Department.at Bath could take note and invite us to do the same before any 8am lectures.

If you are preparing for a Year

Abroad, prepare to be asked the same questions over and over again (Do you really drink tea at 5pm with biscuits?!). I’ve gained a nickname here, ‘El Rubio inglés’, thanks to my blonde hair and it seems everyone has seen me and knows all about me without ever having spoken to me news travels fast in a town as small as this. The people were a little closed at first, probably because they thought I would be a typical English boy of the type that usually spent their summers getting drunk and jumping off their balconies in Magaluf and Ibiza. But getting to know people has been easy - once you make an effort they’re soon friendlier than you could have ever expected, I already have an adoptive mother called Alicia who regularly feeds me (although, alas, not with a nice fry-up).

I’m in Castilla-La-Mancha, famous for its wine and Don Quixote. The Spanish lifestyle seems to be based around ‘you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours’! Some friends and I went picking grapes in the ‘campo’ and got a tour around a wine distillery with a 2 hour free tasting session in return So, all in all, it’s going well here in Spain... but I’d give anything for a Wetherspoons Sunday roast and a pint of Guinness.

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International

www.bathimpact.com

In the belly of the beast: Strikes in Paris Ivaylo Iaydjiev Foreign Correspondent

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magine a sunny Tuesday in October. Now imagine a big town square in the early afternoon. If the town is Paris and the day is 19th October, you’ve just found yourself in the middle of the sixth day of nationwide protests in two months. On each of those days there have been between 1 million and 3 million French men and women on the streets (depending on whether you trust government or trade union figures), waving big (often red) flags, making noise and chanting anti-Sarkozy tunes.

You’ve heard it in the news, but what is it like to be in the belly of

that legendary French ‘beast’ called ‘strike’? It is a slow, even solemn, procession; an endless sea of people in which the individual is drowned and dissolved and in which even your voice is overwhelmed by something closely resembling a ritual chant. In the manif (demonstration), however, everything seems so simple it’s them versus us and we are right and they are wrong. Strikes are also a chance to vent out frustration, to scream, contest authority and for once, the individual feels intoxicated with the power to actually make a difference since the sea of humans, at that moment, seems infallible.

The immediate trigger of the strikes was the announcement of

plans to raise the pension age by two years; from 60 to 62 years for early reduced pensions and from 65 to 67 years for normal retirement. This move is largely dictated by immediate fiscal pressures, but also with concerns about general aging of the French population. Thus, government officials argue that this is (to translate into English political vocabulary) “fair and progressive” by pointing to dramatic increases in life expectancy over the last decades and so the need to work longer.

The way the strikes have progressed has been quite interesting.

Originally, the unions declared a number of single, nationwide protest days with the usual transport perturbations, but they faced a complete lack of interest and response from the government. Gradually, as more and more people were mobilized, the unions felt strong enough to announce a rolling strike. With this, the dynamic of the strike changed completely. In the transportation sector the effects on the Parisian metro are minor, but the French rail services and some airports have had to cancel a significant number of journeys. Marseille in particular is badly affected by the combined strikes of rubbish collectors and port operators which has left many ships stranded off the coast.

The signature strategy of the strikers, however, is to blockade most, if not all, of the 12 fuel refineries in France, which has led to fuel shortages and between a quarter and a third of all petrol stations have run out of petrol.

Finally, the defining feature of these demonstrations in the last week has been the mobilsation of high-school

“

The individual feels intoxicated with the power to make a difference, the sea of humans seems infallible

”

students, decried by the government as irresponsible manipulation, which has given a slightly more violent edge to the movement.

How are we to understand this movement? Some observers claim the French have a history of protests and are being unrealistic about muchneeded austerity measures, but they are contradicted by polls which show that more than 50% of the French agree that they need an overhaul of the pension system. At the same time, however, around 70% of the French are still supporting the protesters - a surprisingly high number given the duration of the strike, but also since the proposed law has already passed both chambers of Parliament and is

on its way to final approval sometime next week.

This suggests that what we are seeing is primarily about mass disillusionment with Sarkozy himself, which the specific policy proposal unleashed. Sarkozy (whose approval ratings fell under 30 %, the lowest since his election to office) could, however, stage a comeback by playing his favorite insecurity card following a slightly violent turn and portray himself as the responsible strongman. He is already preparing a major government re-shuffling, which should take media attention away from the strikes - similarly to how pension reform took the spotlight off his controversial policies of expulsing Roma people.

So what should we make of all this? Parallels with May ’68 are flying around in most discussions, but in my opinion this is not a similar movement of cultural and generational contestation of authority, not least because of a lack of any intellectual framework to the strikes; they are much more about President Sarkozy than anything else. What is particularly interesting is whether or not they can inspire similar movements in other countries? Or perhaps amongst students in Britain on November 10th?

Foreign students face gloomy job prospects Leonardo Gonzalez reports on the effects economic uncertainty and changes in immigration law have had on the UK job market

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ver the past 15 years the number of international postgraduate students in the United Kingdom has been increasing steadily, the reputation of British universities abroad and the prospect of finding a job in the UK upon successful completion of the course proving a major draw. Over the past three years, however, the employability of foreign Master’s degree students has decreased significantly.

Ongoing economic uncertainty in the UK and most other developed countries has resulted in a significant crowding-out effect of a certain section of international postgraduate students, as well as an overall decrease in the numbers of opportunities available to them.

A recent national survey by prospects.ac.uk, the UK’s official graduate careers website, identified the average international Masters degree student as being in their midtwenties and having two to three years professional experience, and it is this sub-sector which is being squeezed out when attempting to re-

enter formal employment, particularly in the private sector. The overwhelming feeling from employers and recruiters is that postgraduate students fitting this profile currently find themselves in employability limbo; too much experience for some jobs and not enough for others.

Jane Bonser, Executive Director of Human Resources at Morgan Stanley in London, elaborates on the nature of this problem in the investment banking industry; “The vast majority of students we recruit are at entry-level analyst positions and therefore come straight from finishing their undergraduate degrees, with some, but by no means all, holding some degree of experience through placements and internships. We also recruit MBA students directly from Business Schools at the much higher Associate level, usually possessing five or more years of industry experience”.

This crowding-out phenomenon affects all Masters degree students, not just those coming from abroad.

The difficulties of finding a job in the UK for those that have come from

outside the EU have increased exponentially with new UK immigration restrictions.

Bonser added that the current economic pressures faced by all businesses, not just investment banks, mean that employers are taking less risks in their hiring activities than they did in the pre-financial crisis era and the reduced number of work visas allocated to them does not make things easier. “We’ve only

been allocated 85% of the number of Tier Two visas we had last year, and last year we weren’t doing much hiring - this is going to have serious implications in the number of non-EU students we are able to take on”.

Responding to the views of Jane Bonser and the results of the survey, Rodney Byram of Bridgeman International, a London recruitment consultancy, adds that employers are becoming increasingly selective.

“Many clients [employers] will only consider candidates that show an unrelenting commitment to the industry they want to work in. The ideas of transferable skills from one industry to the next or from one country to the other are giving way to a need for a greater degree of specialisation and local market knowledge”.

It is not, however, all doom and gloom for Masters graduates or the entire job market per se. Byram adds that the recent de-globalization of skilled labour between established economies has opened up new opportunities; “We have seen an unprecedented number of moves to emerging economies, particularly to the BRIC countries, where a lack of local people with postgraduate degrees may pave the way for holders of Masters degrees.”

Masters degrees may have temporarily lost their lustre in the UK and changes in immigration law may not be helping international students, but holders shouldn’t despair as their value lasts a lifetime and, if desperate, they can always look for employment further afield.

Monday 1st November 2010

bathimpact

Science

Robyn Brook bathimpact Contributor

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rofessor Andre Geim, a researcher for the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and formally a University of Bath research officer, has been honoured with the Nobel prize and placed himself firmly within the pages of scientific history for his pioneering research and contribution to several areas of physics.

In 2009, Professor Geim was awarded a grant of over £5 million from the EPSRC in order to study the wide range of potential applications for graphene, an extremely thin form of carbon with exceptional properties.

As part of the Condense Matter Physics Group within the University of Manchester, he, along with fellow Russian-born Konstantin Novoselov, achieved the significant breakthrough of isolating graphene. This feat was previously thought impossible given its unstable nature when isolated from graphite, a material found in an average pencil.

Their vision to develop a new material which can be used worldwide to improve both research and commercial production was successful and on Tuesday 5th October both were awarded the Noble prize in Physics “for groundbreaking experiments regarding the two-dimensional material graphene”.

In 1992, Professor Andre Geim spent a year with the University of Bath, Department of Physics working alongside Professor Simon Bending.

They spent a productive year focusing on semiconductor electronic devices and published six papers.

Graphene is a recent discovery of the past few decades and its unique properties have come to light in a relatively short period of time. Graphene is a form of carbon only one atom thick and is the strongest material ever to be measured. It is so dense that not even the smallest gas atom helium (which is the second smallest element but ultimately the smallest gas particle since hydrogen atoms pair up) can pass through; yet it is surprisingly flexible. This resilience and mechanical robustness makes it the perfect material for the manufacture of cars, airplanes and even satellites.

An exciting future application includes reducing the size, yet increasing the sophistication of electronics, such as mobile phones and computers by integrating graphene transistors instead of silicon ones, which are predicted to be faster. This is possible because of its remarkable ability to conduct heat and electricity due to the extensive distance electrons can travel within the graphene.

The transparent property of graphene makes it useful for advancing touch screens and maybe even solar panels. Further potential uses include the manufacture of toxin and pollution sensors which are significantly more sensitive.

The importance of this scientific development not only lies in its future application but also in the benefits to the UK economy. Funding by the EPSRC ensured the involvement of UK based academic and research staff in this breakthrough research and so hopefully will secure future funding for the next generation of technological change.

ntibiotics have undoubtedly improved the quality of life for both humans and animals. Their early success led to the belief that bacterial diseases could be eradicate, although we now know nothing could be further from the truth. The power of microbial evolution has proven far more unpredictable and sophisticated than any scientist could imagine. Antimicrobial resistance is a huge challenge facing us as we enter the 21st century with the most prolific example being MRSA, the resistant strain of Staphylococcus aureus. But what about the less talked about diseases? Bacterial species are continually evolving; for every new treatment there is a new resistant strain. There is a constant race between medical science and disease-causing pathogens, which shows no signs of stopping. Quietly making its way to the head of this race is a new ‘superbug’, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, the bacteria responsible for the Gonorrhoea.

Gonorrhoea is the second most common bacterial sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the UK (after Chlamydia) with over 16,500 new cases reported in 2008. Of these cases, 47% are accounted for by the group at highest risk of acquiring the disease, young men and women aged 16-24. The consequences of catching this disease can range from short-term symptoms including pain during urination, inflammation of

the groin area and recurring pain in the rest of the genital region: to long term complications such as blocked fallopian tubes and ectopic pregnancy for women, and infections in the testicles and prostate gland for men. The disease can also relocate to other places of the body such as eyes and throat and, if left untreated, can cause inflammation of the joints and tendons, infertility, skin lesions, inflammation of the membranes of the brain, spinal cord and heart.

The ability of N. gonorrhoeae to carry multiple resistance genes has led to its inclusion on the list of ‘superbugs’ N. gonorrhoeae has progressively accumulated resistance due to the frivolous overuse of antibiotics and incompletion of treatments. Resistant strains can arise when a mutation in the bacterial genome gives them the ability to survive an environmental pressure, such as a treatment of antibiotics. These resistant strains will then live on to reproduce, passing on this trait to their offspring, which will result in a fully resistant colony. Bacteria can also transfer genes between neighbours, in a process known as horizontal gene transfer, so the gene for antibiotic resistance can be shared around the population.

Standard oral treatments which use antibiotics like penicillin and ciprofloxacin have already been

abandoned after a bacterial strain acquired resistance and rendered them ineffective. Injectable drugs called ‘cephalosporins’ are currently used in the USA, however, fears are high that this extremely adaptable bacterium will in time inactivate the drug or alter other mechanism pathways; leading to a new strain of untreatable gonorrhoea. The ability of N. gonorrhoeae to carry multiple resistance genes has led to its inclusion on the list of ‘superbugs’, for which treatment options have become dangerously few. With a lack of additional classes of antibiotics and few new drugs in the pipeline, drug discovery research and raising awareness of sexual health is essential.

The ‘Advice and Representation Centre’, which is located in the Student Union, provided the following information: if a student has had unprotected sex or changes partners then they should get an STI test, they are available from the Medical Centre, the CASH Clinic in Bath or at the GUM Clinic at the hospital. Details about all of these are available from the Advice and Representation Centre in the Students’ Union. The ARC also sell condoms at cost price and have free Chlamydia and pregnancy test kits.

Nowadays it can seem like jumping into bed with someone is like jumping into a minefield of disease and infection. Especially since that drunken one night stand could leave you with more than a hang-over. Is the dawn of untreatable diseases coming? Only time will tell.

Research shows homosexual affairs amongst King Penguins Gina Reay Editor-in-Chief editor@bathimpact.com

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enguins have to be one of the world’s most adored species: cute, fluffy and amazing swimmers. Unlike some humans, most penguin species are completely monogamous. On top of this, mate selection is up to the female who will stay faithful to her chosen partner for the foreseeable mating seasons.

Reports in recent years have insinuated that penguins form both heterosexual and homosexual relationships. However more recent discoveries have proved that penguins do not form permanent same-sex relationships, choosing only brief flings caused by loneliness.

Scientists from the Centre for Functional and Evolutionary Ecolog in Montpellier have been investigating a colony of King Penguins. It has

been found that male penguins of the species form male-male companionships due to the lack of female penguins in the group. More than 25 per cent of the studied colony formed same-sex pairs, however only one

couple kept their relationship going permanently.

It is thought that the gay coupling amongst King Penguins is also down to high levels of testosterone amongst the males.

Just chilling: King penguins trying to find themselves a ‘bird’

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Science

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Former University Dawn of the untreatable STI of Bath Researcher wins Nobel prize A

Robyn Brook bathimpact Contributor

Monday 1st November 2010

bathimpact

The rhythm of life is a powerful thing Harriet Bridgwater tells bathimpact why some of us have two left feet and others are skilled in the art of unconscious entertainment...

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here’s always at least one occasion on a night out when you spot someone grooving away to the music, totally out of sync with everyone else. They might be drunk... or they might just be sober with terrible rhythm! How do some people naturally have great musical rhythm, while others couldn’t keep in time if their life depended on it? Where does our sense of rhythm come from?

Some of us might take for granted the fact that we can absent-mindedly tap our feet to a beat - a process called unconscious entrainment. But rhythm and musicality are actually very complex and unique attributes of humans - despite many animals being trained to perform elaborate tasks, none has ever reportedly shown an appreciation for rhythm (but there seem to be plenty of people out there who are convinced that their dog can “sing”...)

Scientists and philosophers have been interested in the perception of music by the brain for centuries. There are a huge range of theories circulating around the concept of rhythm; some scientists are convinced that we have an “internal beat”, while others believe

its origins may lie in courtship rituals. It was Darwin who first proposed the idea that human minds are shaped by natural selection for music, and there has since been much debate about whether there are fundamental aspects of music cognition which are innate. Many believe that we come into the world with an innate capability for music, and that it is shaped by culture as we grow up.

It’s not clear exactly which areas of the brain are involved with “feeling”

music. Music is as inherently motor as it is auditory; researchers have found activity in brain regions that control movement even when people just listen to music without moving any parts of their bodies. Both left and right sides of the brain are needed for complete perception of rhythm and it’s likely that different areas are activated depending on how complex the beat is.

There are however three specific regions of the brain involved with the

perception of rhythm and beat: firstly, the supplementary motor area (part of the cerebral cortex); secondly, the basal ganglia (deep within the cerebral hemispheres); and thirdly, the cerebellum (behind the brainstem at the back of the brain).

The cerebellum plays a particularly significant role in influencing motor responses to musical cues - it’s very active when you’re dancing!

Other animals have similar brain structures, so what’s stopping them from synchronising to a beat? There must be something else involved. The answer may be vocal learning, a rare phenomenon in mammals; humans are the only primates capable of it.

Music and language have long been associated, as they are both forms of communication which use a set of basic elements (eg. tones or words) which are grouped together to create different sequences.

An interesting example of how these two abilities may be connected is absolute pitch, where someone is capable of identifying a musical note regardless of the source. This skill is more frequently found among Chinese and Vietnamese

Devices and desires Simon O’Kane bathimpact contributor

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mongst the many different methods of electrical power generation, solar cells stand out as the one that can be harnessed and used anywhere. They cut out the expense of creating and maintaining large distribution networks, therefore making it the ideal power source for remote locations. The number of scientific papers on the subject first exploded after the oil crisis of the 1970s and again in the 1990s when nuclear power was no longer seen as a cureall for our energy woes (outside of France).

Most solar cells currently in use are made of silicon, though other semiconductors are being pioneered. Light energy hitting the solar panel excites electrons in the silicon into a higher quantum energy band, leaving a positive charge called a hole in the lower band. The electron and hole move in opposite directions to create a current in the external circuit. These devices are efficient enough to be commercially viable, but pure crystalline silicon isn’t known for being cheap and neither are the high temperatures and vacuum chambers required to make

the devices.

Professor Alison Walker of the Physics department has been working on two novel types of solar cell. The dye-sensitised or Grätzel cells, which have already demonstrated commercially viable efficiencies, utilise a dye that injects an electron into the external circuit when struck by light energy; the electron is promptly replaced through chemical reaction in a liquid electrolyte, taking an electron out of the other end of the circuit in the process. However, the use of an electrolyte places an upper limit on safe operating temperature, plus the electrolyte is corrosive and could hence damage the surroundings. Research into these problems is ongoing.

The other type is organic solar cells, which use semiconducting plastics. In these devices light energy produces tightly bound electron-hole pairs called excitons. The device consists of two different organic semiconductors: one transports holes and the other electrons. Excitons reaching the interface between the two separate into electrons and holes, which then attempt to travel through their respective layers to enter the external circuit.

The performance of these devices is critically dependent on how the two layers are arranged. If the interface between the layers is too small, most excitons disappear before reaching the interface so the energy is lost. If there is too much interface, the electrons and holes are unable to escape the cell and enter the circuit. I worked on this problem for my semester-long MPhys project, testing and fine-tuning a computer model, developed by another of Professor Walker’s students, which compares the efficiencies of different arrangements.

Although organic solar cells are far too inefficient for widespread use (for now!), their low manufacturing cost continues to drive research in this field. The inherent flexibility of plastics means such devices could easily be incorporated into any buildings and appliances that might use their energy, while the possibility of manually varying the constituent materials’ properties to optimise performance is open and undeniably tempting.

Whatever the outcome, we can be sure that scientific research and innovation will be vital if humankind is to have any hope of energy security in an uncertain future.

populations than others; it has been speculated that as their speech relies heavily on tonal quality, they learn absolute pitch as part of their acquisition of language. So when we are young, we may develop our musical ability in similar way to how we develop our language skills.

Despite the surge of interest in the neuroscience of musical rhythm in recent years, the exact source of our natural sense of rhythm remains unclear.

It is potentially a very valuable area of research; understanding how the auditory and motor systems are coupled in beat perception and synchronisation could further develop into treatment for motor diseases such as Parkinson’s, where rhythmic music has been shown to help people initiate and coordinate movement.

It seems plausible that we are hardwired with the capability to learn things, but whether we fulfil our potential may depend on the musical culture we grow up in. But for the rhythmically challenged of you out there, you now have an excuse the next time someone tries to drag you onto the dance floor – blame your brain!

Darius G

16

WANTED Professor Science needs you. Do you have a question you’ve always wanted the answer to? Could Science resolve your queries? Professor Science is awaiting your call and

would love to hear from you. Email editor@bathimpact with all your scientific wonderings and Professor Science will put your mind at rest in the next issue of bathimpact.

Monday 1st November 2010

bathimpact

Science

Robyn Brook bathimpact Contributor

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rofessor Andre Geim, a researcher for the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and formally a University of Bath research officer, has been honoured with the Nobel prize and placed himself firmly within the pages of scientific history for his pioneering research and contribution to several areas of physics.

In 2009, Professor Geim was awarded a grant of over £5 million from the EPSRC in order to study the wide range of potential applications for graphene, an extremely thin form of carbon with exceptional properties.

As part of the Condense Matter Physics Group within the University of Manchester, he, along with fellow Russian-born Konstantin Novoselov, achieved the significant breakthrough of isolating graphene. This feat was previously thought impossible given its unstable nature when isolated from graphite, a material found in an average pencil.

Their vision to develop a new material which can be used worldwide to improve both research and commercial production was successful and on Tuesday 5th October both were awarded the Noble prize in Physics “for groundbreaking experiments regarding the two-dimensional material graphene”.

In 1992, Professor Andre Geim spent a year with the University of Bath, Department of Physics working alongside Professor Simon Bending.

They spent a productive year focusing on semiconductor electronic devices and published six papers.

Graphene is a recent discovery of the past few decades and its unique properties have come to light in a relatively short period of time. Graphene is a form of carbon only one atom thick and is the strongest material ever to be measured. It is so dense that not even the smallest gas atom helium (which is the second smallest element but ultimately the smallest gas particle since hydrogen atoms pair up) can pass through; yet it is surprisingly flexible. This resilience and mechanical robustness makes it the perfect material for the manufacture of cars, airplanes and even satellites.

An exciting future application includes reducing the size, yet increasing the sophistication of electronics, such as mobile phones and computers by integrating graphene transistors instead of silicon ones, which are predicted to be faster. This is possible because of its remarkable ability to conduct heat and electricity due to the extensive distance electrons can travel within the graphene.

The transparent property of graphene makes it useful for advancing touch screens and maybe even solar panels. Further potential uses include the manufacture of toxin and pollution sensors which are significantly more sensitive.

The importance of this scientific development not only lies in its future application but also in the benefits to the UK economy. Funding by the EPSRC ensured the involvement of UK based academic and research staff in this breakthrough research and so hopefully will secure future funding for the next generation of technological change.

ntibiotics have undoubtedly improved the quality of life for both humans and animals. Their early success led to the belief that bacterial diseases could be eradicate, although we now know nothing could be further from the truth. The power of microbial evolution has proven far more unpredictable and sophisticated than any scientist could imagine. Antimicrobial resistance is a huge challenge facing us as we enter the 21st century with the most prolific example being MRSA, the resistant strain of Staphylococcus aureus. But what about the less talked about diseases? Bacterial species are continually evolving; for every new treatment there is a new resistant strain. There is a constant race between medical science and disease-causing pathogens, which shows no signs of stopping. Quietly making its way to the head of this race is a new ‘superbug’, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, the bacteria responsible for the Gonorrhoea.

Gonorrhoea is the second most common bacterial sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the UK (after Chlamydia) with over 16,500 new cases reported in 2008. Of these cases, 47% are accounted for by the group at highest risk of acquiring the disease, young men and women aged 16-24. The consequences of catching this disease can range from short-term symptoms including pain during urination, inflammation of

the groin area and recurring pain in the rest of the genital region: to long term complications such as blocked fallopian tubes and ectopic pregnancy for women, and infections in the testicles and prostate gland for men. The disease can also relocate to other places of the body such as eyes and throat and, if left untreated, can cause inflammation of the joints and tendons, infertility, skin lesions, inflammation of the membranes of the brain, spinal cord and heart.

The ability of N. gonorrhoeae to carry multiple resistance genes has led to its inclusion on the list of ‘superbugs’ N. gonorrhoeae has progressively accumulated resistance due to the frivolous overuse of antibiotics and incompletion of treatments. Resistant strains can arise when a mutation in the bacterial genome gives them the ability to survive an environmental pressure, such as a treatment of antibiotics. These resistant strains will then live on to reproduce, passing on this trait to their offspring, which will result in a fully resistant colony. Bacteria can also transfer genes between neighbours, in a process known as horizontal gene transfer, so the gene for antibiotic resistance can be shared around the population.

Standard oral treatments which use antibiotics like penicillin and ciprofloxacin have already been

abandoned after a bacterial strain acquired resistance and rendered them ineffective. Injectable drugs called ‘cephalosporins’ are currently used in the USA, however, fears are high that this extremely adaptable bacterium will in time inactivate the drug or alter other mechanism pathways; leading to a new strain of untreatable gonorrhoea. The ability of N. gonorrhoeae to carry multiple resistance genes has led to its inclusion on the list of ‘superbugs’, for which treatment options have become dangerously few. With a lack of additional classes of antibiotics and few new drugs in the pipeline, drug discovery research and raising awareness of sexual health is essential.

The ‘Advice and Representation Centre’, which is located in the Student Union, provided the following information: if a student has had unprotected sex or changes partners then they should get an STI test, they are available from the Medical Centre, the CASH Clinic in Bath or at the GUM Clinic at the hospital. Details about all of these are available from the Advice and Representation Centre in the Students’ Union. The ARC also sell condoms at cost price and have free Chlamydia and pregnancy test kits.

Nowadays it can seem like jumping into bed with someone is like jumping into a minefield of disease and infection. Especially since that drunken one night stand could leave you with more than a hang-over. Is the dawn of untreatable diseases coming? Only time will tell.

Research shows homosexual affairs amongst King Penguins Gina Reay Editor-in-Chief editor@bathimpact.com

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enguins have to be one of the world’s most adored species: cute, fluffy and amazing swimmers. Unlike some humans, most penguin species are completely monogamous. On top of this, mate selection is up to the female who will stay faithful to her chosen partner for the foreseeable mating seasons.

Reports in recent years have insinuated that penguins form both heterosexual and homosexual relationships. However more recent discoveries have proved that penguins do not form permanent same-sex relationships, choosing only brief flings caused by loneliness.

Scientists from the Centre for Functional and Evolutionary Ecolog in Montpellier have been investigating a colony of King Penguins. It has

been found that male penguins of the species form male-male companionships due to the lack of female penguins in the group. More than 25 per cent of the studied colony formed same-sex pairs, however only one

couple kept their relationship going permanently.

It is thought that the gay coupling amongst King Penguins is also down to high levels of testosterone amongst the males.

Just chilling: King penguins trying to find themselves a ‘bird’

17

Science

www.bathimpact.com www.bathimpact.com

Former University Dawn of the untreatable STI of Bath Researcher wins Nobel prize A

Robyn Brook bathimpact Contributor

Monday 1st November 2010

bathimpact

The rhythm of life is a powerful thing Harriet Bridgwater tells bathimpact why some of us have two left feet and others are skilled in the art of unconscious entertainment...

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here’s always at least one occasion on a night out when you spot someone grooving away to the music, totally out of sync with everyone else. They might be drunk... or they might just be sober with terrible rhythm! How do some people naturally have great musical rhythm, while others couldn’t keep in time if their life depended on it? Where does our sense of rhythm come from?

Some of us might take for granted the fact that we can absent-mindedly tap our feet to a beat - a process called unconscious entrainment. But rhythm and musicality are actually very complex and unique attributes of humans - despite many animals being trained to perform elaborate tasks, none has ever reportedly shown an appreciation for rhythm (but there seem to be plenty of people out there who are convinced that their dog can “sing”...)

Scientists and philosophers have been interested in the perception of music by the brain for centuries. There are a huge range of theories circulating around the concept of rhythm; some scientists are convinced that we have an “internal beat”, while others believe

its origins may lie in courtship rituals. It was Darwin who first proposed the idea that human minds are shaped by natural selection for music, and there has since been much debate about whether there are fundamental aspects of music cognition which are innate. Many believe that we come into the world with an innate capability for music, and that it is shaped by culture as we grow up.

It’s not clear exactly which areas of the brain are involved with “feeling”

music. Music is as inherently motor as it is auditory; researchers have found activity in brain regions that control movement even when people just listen to music without moving any parts of their bodies. Both left and right sides of the brain are needed for complete perception of rhythm and it’s likely that different areas are activated depending on how complex the beat is.

There are however three specific regions of the brain involved with the

perception of rhythm and beat: firstly, the supplementary motor area (part of the cerebral cortex); secondly, the basal ganglia (deep within the cerebral hemispheres); and thirdly, the cerebellum (behind the brainstem at the back of the brain).

The cerebellum plays a particularly significant role in influencing motor responses to musical cues - it’s very active when you’re dancing!

Other animals have similar brain structures, so what’s stopping them from synchronising to a beat? There must be something else involved. The answer may be vocal learning, a rare phenomenon in mammals; humans are the only primates capable of it.

Music and language have long been associated, as they are both forms of communication which use a set of basic elements (eg. tones or words) which are grouped together to create different sequences.

An interesting example of how these two abilities may be connected is absolute pitch, where someone is capable of identifying a musical note regardless of the source. This skill is more frequently found among Chinese and Vietnamese

Devices and desires Simon O’Kane bathimpact contributor

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mongst the many different methods of electrical power generation, solar cells stand out as the one that can be harnessed and used anywhere. They cut out the expense of creating and maintaining large distribution networks, therefore making it the ideal power source for remote locations. The number of scientific papers on the subject first exploded after the oil crisis of the 1970s and again in the 1990s when nuclear power was no longer seen as a cureall for our energy woes (outside of France).

Most solar cells currently in use are made of silicon, though other semiconductors are being pioneered. Light energy hitting the solar panel excites electrons in the silicon into a higher quantum energy band, leaving a positive charge called a hole in the lower band. The electron and hole move in opposite directions to create a current in the external circuit. These devices are efficient enough to be commercially viable, but pure crystalline silicon isn’t known for being cheap and neither are the high temperatures and vacuum chambers required to make

the devices.

Professor Alison Walker of the Physics department has been working on two novel types of solar cell. The dye-sensitised or Grätzel cells, which have already demonstrated commercially viable efficiencies, utilise a dye that injects an electron into the external circuit when struck by light energy; the electron is promptly replaced through chemical reaction in a liquid electrolyte, taking an electron out of the other end of the circuit in the process. However, the use of an electrolyte places an upper limit on safe operating temperature, plus the electrolyte is corrosive and could hence damage the surroundings. Research into these problems is ongoing.

The other type is organic solar cells, which use semiconducting plastics. In these devices light energy produces tightly bound electron-hole pairs called excitons. The device consists of two different organic semiconductors: one transports holes and the other electrons. Excitons reaching the interface between the two separate into electrons and holes, which then attempt to travel through their respective layers to enter the external circuit.

The performance of these devices is critically dependent on how the two layers are arranged. If the interface between the layers is too small, most excitons disappear before reaching the interface so the energy is lost. If there is too much interface, the electrons and holes are unable to escape the cell and enter the circuit. I worked on this problem for my semester-long MPhys project, testing and fine-tuning a computer model, developed by another of Professor Walker’s students, which compares the efficiencies of different arrangements.

Although organic solar cells are far too inefficient for widespread use (for now!), their low manufacturing cost continues to drive research in this field. The inherent flexibility of plastics means such devices could easily be incorporated into any buildings and appliances that might use their energy, while the possibility of manually varying the constituent materials’ properties to optimise performance is open and undeniably tempting.

Whatever the outcome, we can be sure that scientific research and innovation will be vital if humankind is to have any hope of energy security in an uncertain future.

populations than others; it has been speculated that as their speech relies heavily on tonal quality, they learn absolute pitch as part of their acquisition of language. So when we are young, we may develop our musical ability in similar way to how we develop our language skills.

Despite the surge of interest in the neuroscience of musical rhythm in recent years, the exact source of our natural sense of rhythm remains unclear.

It is potentially a very valuable area of research; understanding how the auditory and motor systems are coupled in beat perception and synchronisation could further develop into treatment for motor diseases such as Parkinson’s, where rhythmic music has been shown to help people initiate and coordinate movement.

It seems plausible that we are hardwired with the capability to learn things, but whether we fulfil our potential may depend on the musical culture we grow up in. But for the rhythmically challenged of you out there, you now have an excuse the next time someone tries to drag you onto the dance floor – blame your brain!

Darius G

16

WANTED Professor Science needs you. Do you have a question you’ve always wanted the answer to? Could Science resolve your queries? Professor Science is awaiting your call and

would love to hear from you. Email editor@bathimpact with all your scientific wonderings and Professor Science will put your mind at rest in the next issue of bathimpact.

Monday 1st November 2010

Media

www.bathimpact.com University of Bath Students’ Union

U n i v e r s i t y

STUDENT

bathimpact

o f

B a t h

S t u d e n t s ’

m edia

BLURB

n Sunday 7th November 1449AM URB will play host to the Student Radio Chart Show. As the name suggests, the chart runs down the 20 most played songs across all the stations in the Student Radio Association, as well as bringing you music news, games and special features. The show

is broadcast across 17 student radio stations between 15:0017:00 every Sunday, with a different station presenting each week. There is a lot at stake, as the station whose chart show is judged by industry professionals to be the best wins a prestigious SRA award. So, tune in and support URB!

Student Radio Chart Show comes to Bath

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University of Bath Students’ Union

Ctv Zap

C a m p u s Te l e v i s i o n

Ctv keep bathimpact up-to-date on what’s going on with Campus TV...

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URB

14 4 9 A M

U n i o n

ey everybody! Its been another crazy fortnight here at Ctv with the completion of our video for the LoveBath competition and some fine-lookin’ news bulletins produced.

We are proud to introduce Matt and Tamar as our fabulous new news presenters, check out their hot stuff on Bathctv.com now to keep

yourself updated with all the latest from Bath Uni. We are also pleased to present the bathimpact minute as an addition to our news, giving you information hard and fast with the joint media vibe.

Ctv’s very own Darah has directed her Louis XIV video for LoveBath. The video focuses on an ongoing drama between a girl and

her romantic interest, exploring her delicate emotional state around the fantastic scenery of Bath. The results should be announced soon and we have our fingers crossed.

We have also created the Show in a week Launch video which, along with other great material, is available on Bathctv.com!! Check it out now!

Featured Show Simon and Jamie’s Wittily Titled Show “Irreverent to the Point of Controversial” Tuesday 17:00-19:00

URB

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Simon Rushton and Jamie O’Sullivan are truly dedicated to the radio. So much so that, in the name of providing entertainment for you, the listeners, they both ate a whole tub of marmite each live on air. Their show is packed with crazy challenges, features such as Sportsperson of the Week and On This Day in Music, and lots of weird and wonderful news stories. Tune in and join the fun!

Take me to Pleasure Town

1449 URB, bathimpact and Ctv members painted the town red last week for the Anchorman Media Social. Here are a few pics from our moustache-tastic night...

Monday 1st November 2010

bathimpact

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Societies & Volunteering

www.bathimpact.com

Societies strip off Explain your society: Naomi Mackrill and Simon Priestley are back again and have interesting news for international students and (nearly) nudists

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ello again. Things should be starting to settle down in the Societies world and all those final Committee positions should have been filled. Hopefully you’ve got lots of events planned for the coming weeks and if you want a mention in bathimpact then please do get in touch! We always want to shout about how good Societies are so if you’ve had a really successful event then let us know, especially if you’ve got some good pictures! For the Committee members among you reading this, the next general meeting is on Thursday 11th November at 1.15 (room tbc). It’ll be my first time chairing it so please, be gentle!

The Societies area has been very busy over the last few weeks with the first socials and activities all getting up and running. The Exec, as ever, are busy looking at things from the Code of Conduct to how the Societies area as a whole is run.

Our next big event however is the

International students dance the night away International Student Taster Week which kicks off next week, with Societies across the board offering activities to International Students who want to get involved in SU activities. So, International Students everywhere, check out the timetable and all the information you need for International Student Taster at http://www.bathstudent.com/ socs/exec/societies/events/.

See you there and have a great week!

A few highlights of the first few

The labcoat: essential evening wear. Do Jack Wills do them? weeks: Bath University Guides and Scouts (BUGS) had a great Freshers’ Camp weekend; Physics Students Association (PSA) and Student Union Chemistry Socierty (SU:CS) had their traditional start of term lab coat pub tours; CathSoc have mingled with Bristol CathSoc and held a barbeque and the Cheerleaders have performed at the Rec. And don’t forget to email calendar@bathrag.com to get involved with the ‘Nearly Naked Calendar.’

Guides and Scouts

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re you fed up of getting the same questions about your society again and again?

Then we’re giving you a chance to explain yourselves and to show you more I’m going to start with BUGS Bath University Guides and Scouts.

There are some very common misconceptions about guiding and scouting - “don’t you just learn to sew and tie knots?” being a classic example! But I’m planning on telling you how different modern day guides and scouts are because that’s not the point. The point of this is BUGS, a society that you need to know nothing about guiding or scouting to join! We recently had an awesome weekend on Freshers’ Camp, during which members got to try out shooting, archery and climbing as well as a rather impressive campfire. No-one got too chilly either (although I will admit to having two sleeping bags...).

Another key point that sometimes gets missed is that you don’t have to help out at a local unit to be in BUGS. Yes, many of our members

Volunteering @ Bath: Do your bit!

Volunteering Exec Publicity Officer Naomi Mackrill gives you the lowdown on what’s happening in the world of volunteering and why you should get involved...

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message from your Volunteer Exec Publicity Officer: just a quick one because I’m sure you’ve all had more than enough of me, but if you’ve found yourself with a few more hours spare than expected, now might be the time to think about some volunteering. Both the groups mentioned below are free to join so what have you got to lose?

SCA: Romania & Bulgaria Could you give up a few weeks of your hard-earned summer holidays to volunteer in orphanages in Romania and Bulgaria? These truly worthwhile trips will give you the opportunity to see what it’s really like out there, you’ll be amazed at how much joy simple things can bring!

We are currently interviewing people who are interested so if you think it’s something you’d like to do email Karen at: K.L.Thompson@ bath.ac.uk for more details and to book an interview Julian House reCYCLEd (Bike Maintenance Project) is a new, up-and-coming project launched this year. It in-

Get in touch with SCA to do something truly amazing this summer volves working with homeless people in Bath teaching them (and you) how to fix and do up bikes, giving them valuable skills to take with them into employment. This project will really make a difference in the local area, but we need as many volunteers as possible!

Julian House currently have a wide variety of volunteering opportunities available at the moment; at Julian House, with the Day Centre, in their Charity Shop or at Nightshelter (open EVERY evening from 7.30 - 10 at the latest).

If you are interested in any of these opportunities please contact

Karen at K.L.Thompson@bath. ac.uk for more information.

RAG RAG have, once again, been organising the annual BathRAG fireworks, this year raising money for Julian House and sponsored by First. They are set to be as spectacular as always (and really were, weren’t they, if you’re reading this after the event, shame about the rain though?!). If you fancy going behind the scenes and marshalling then make sure you go to RAG’s weekly meeting: Tuesday 6.15 in 1E 3.6.

Have you ever, after a heavy night

outat theory or Score, considered having a quick nap on Parade? Look for the Sleepout, coming later in the semester, and you could have your legitimate chance!

RAG’s annual sponsored sleepout event involves sleeping overnight in a cardboard box on Parade to raise money for Julian House, a local homeless shelter. The evening promises to be extremely entertaining - there will be a cardboard box decorating and castle building competitions In the meantime, email sleepout@bathrag.com for more information.

do chose to volunteer their time, but not everyone does! Plenty of people join BUGS for the activities on offer - coming up this term are bowling and shooting trips, a sausage walk and a Christmas campfire.

I would also like to mention that Guiding celebrated the finale of its centenary year recently (yep, that’s right, both Guiding and Scouting have been around for over 100 years now) and without BUGS I may never have got involved in local guiding and been able to celebrate this with some fabulous people. I’m sure many societies have hidden treasures like these, use this space to share yours with us!

Acknowledgement from VP Arts & Dev

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n response to the article “Where will the road take you?” published on page 4 of bathimpact on Monday 18th October about hitches to Morocco and Prague, I would like to make it clear that these hitches are not endorsed by the Students’ Union. The Students’ Union has nothing to do with the organisation of these events and will not be promoting or fundraising for these hitches.

“I would like to make it clear that the Morocco and Prague hitches are not endorsed by Bath University’s Students’ Union”

The Students Union is proud to be supporting RAG (Raise and Give) in the Paris Hitch in the second semester. This is a fantastic opportunity to use your tactical thinking and wit to race to Paris for an awesome weekend!

All proceeds from this Hitch will go towards one of RAGs main four charities: Dorothy House Hospice, Forever Friends Appeal (at the RUH), Breast Cancer Campaign and Julian House.

Cardboard castles: Come, create and decorate your own!

Ann Howell VP Activities and Development

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Monday 1st November 2010

bathimpact

Arts

www.bathimpact.com

Arts: shows, salsa and singing

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i everyone. So, at the time of writing this, the Arts Societies are rehearsing for our superhero-themed bonanza, Show in a Week. I’d like to say a massive well done to everyone involved with direction, production, backstage, performing and everything else that goes into such a fantastic performance!

Taking guidance from Ann’s (Howell, VP Activities & Development) Launch Party idea, we went ahead and after a brilliant juggling set

by Ieuan Evans from Gravity Vomit, we ran into the announcement video created by Ctv. This not only included coverage of the event, but a caped cru-

sader was caught on camera teetering atop the library. None of us could possibly guess who wore the cape...

Now for some upcoming events.

First of all, we have the ‘Photo Assassins’ event held by the photography society, PhotoSoc, running from the 4th – 11th November. On the 12th we have Show on the Go!, a variety of arts performances throughout the

day, with BodySoc, Salsa and Break dusting off their dancing shoes and making an appearance. It will all take place on the Parade from 11am – 3pm, so look out for that too.

Finally, we have the Cha&s (Choral & Orchestral Society) Remembrance Day concert on the 14th November at 7.30pm in St Michael’s Church (on Broad Street in the city centre). For

more information on any of these, check out these Societies’ pages on bathstudent.com, or contact the respective committees by email (also on bathstudent.com). Failing that, Ch&os actually have their own website, so have a look!”

Once more I wish to thank everyone who was involved with Show in a Week, it was a fantastic event and I

hope it is as successful in future years as it has been this time and all the others I’ve been involved in. I’m looking forward to all the events coming up.

Enjoy the Arts on and around campus!

Simon King Arts Officer

Monday 1st November 2010

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21

Sabbs Corner

www.bathimpact.com

Sabba-dabba-doo: it’s The Sabbstones!

Students’ top ten concerns

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he Students’ Union gathered data from a number of sources, including: its 2010 ‘Student Opinion Survey’ (SOS) and questions about general campaigns and academic issues, trends in welfare and lifestyle concerns, Academic Council and other research methods. The ten issues agreed were issues that were most commonly raised with the Students’ Union, agreed by the Sabbatical team during the summer months.

They are: Timetabling We will lobby for a reduction of 8:15 and 18:15 lectures, a positive solution to lecture overcrowding, and an increase in useful module information.

Higher Education Funding We will campaign locally and nationally for a fair and sustainable solution to the higher education funding issue that does not put further financial pressure on students Social Space

Plans underway for National Interfaith Week at Bath

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Through a comprehensive audit we will continue to prioritise the amount of non-commercial social space available to students.

Assessment and Feedback We will continue to lobby for better feedback and fairer assessments for students.

Group Work We will work towards addressing the concerns that students have with group work through robust and representative research and lobbying

Food Provision We will campaign for better food provision that provides students with a wider range of healthy food at reasonable prices.

Housing We will strive to increase the support and information available to students on housing issues.

Sports Facilities We will campaign for fairer access to sports facilities and a student-focused arts complex.

Transport We will continue to push for an efficient and affordable bus service and an increase in support for cycling.

Library & Learning Resources We will lobby the university to increase the amount of library and learning resources in line with student needs.

fter an awesome trip to the National Interfaith Forum in Manchester on 20th September, myself and the chairs of all the Faith Societies here at Bath have been planning our own week of interfaith fun to tie in with the National Event!

National Interfaith Week is the week commencing 22nd November where interfaith events will be taking place all across the country.!

The aims of the week are: •to strengthen inter faith relations at all levels; •to increase awareness of the different and distinct faith communities in Bath, celebrating the contribution which their members make to the university community.

What are we doing in Bath?

The plans so far include: MONDAY Film Festival: showing of The Prince of Egypt and arrivals from 7.30pm with cakes from RAG. Film starts at 8pm. Venue to be announced soon - bring pillows and blankets.

TUESDAY: BANG! Discussion: Is religion a force for good in the world? 6.15pm, Chaplaincy. All faiths encouraged to join in the discussion WEDNESDAY: Fishbowl Forum, Q&A Session.Members of the Faith Societies would be encouraged to ask questions first to start of the session, at 1.15pm, WH1LT. THURSDAY: Cathsoc and JSoc: visit and talks from leaders of both religions. More information to follow.

FRIDAY: Faith Feast: students would bring a small dish from their own culture or religion to share, 7pm, Chaplaincy.

There will be world music.

For more information keep a look out on www.bathstudent.com, facebook or email me suactivities@bath. ac.uk. This is an event which all students can get involved with .

A guide to working the system, student style

VP Welfare & Diversity, David Howell, advises how to make the most of the help and opportunities available to you from your Students’ Union. Read on to know more...

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pset about conditions on your course? Unhappy with the price of food on campus? Dissatisfied with the quality of the buses?

Maybe you’ve joined a sports club or society, or perhaps you’re involved in volunteering. Maybe you’ve even become part of a committee or run for academic rep.

Or maybe you aren’t interested in any of these things. Whichever applies to you, the Students’ Union is here to represent you, and if you have any issues you want us to work on, there are plenty of ways to get involved.

The first thing to remember is that there are six Sabbatical Officers employed full-time to help.

While it is true that our jobs are frantic (at best), we are all dedicated to listening to student concerns and working on solutions, so no student should ever feel we aren’t available to talk to. All of us have offices in the Student Centre or the 1 East corridor, and our email addresses and other contact information is found on the website www.bathstudent.com. Not only are we here to listen, we also

Sabbs Andy and Julie: Contact them about your concerns desperately want to hear. Whatever the concern, please do let us know.

You can start discussions in bathstudent.com’s new forum section (www.bathstudent.com/ forums) on all manner of topics, so the opportunity is there to get other students talking about the things you care about.

If you aren’t satisfied with simply telling a Sabb, there are plenty more ways you can make a difference. Is your issue academic? Then academic council meets once every three weeks, and you can either tell your rep or at-

tend yourself. All Union meetings are open to any student, so if you want your voice heard, go along.

For international students, tell the ISA (international@bath. ac.uk), for postgrads tell the PGA (postgrads@bath.ac.uk).

Better yet, get involved in them!

The Students’ Union has executive committees that oversee each of the core areas, including societies, arts, media, sports and student support. Agendas and minutes for all meetings are available on bathstudent.com in the Your Union section, and you can find the dates and come along and see

Surf’s up: Find all sports groups and societies on bathstudent.com what they’re up to.

Maybe you just want students to hear about something. Well student media are here to help you out. Write an article for this fine publication, or tell the editorial team and they’ll undoubtedly find someone more articulate to write it for you. URB and CTV are also always looking for news.

But if you have a really burning issue that no one is addressing, you can call us out on it directly.

With a secure petition of 2.5% of students (roughly 350) you can call a referendum for the Union to adopt a policy, where the student

body itself gets to decide. That number might seem high, but I speak from personal experience in saying its much more achievable than you might think. Ultimately the Students’ Union is here to be the voice of the students, and if you think your voice isn’t being heard, then maybe you can make it heard.

For any comments or questions, or for advice on what to do with a specific concern, email me at sudiversity@bath.ac.uk.

Monday 1st November 2010

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bathimpact

Puzzles Corner

www.bathimpact.com

Easy

Welcome to Puzzles Corner!

Every issue we’ll bring you some puzzles, and something to laugh at whilst procrasting - puzzles make you think, so they have to be good for you, right?

We’re always on the lookout for people who want to contribute, so if you enjoy making sudokus, crosswords or any other kind of puzzle, or just like drawing cartoons, come along and have a go.

Difficult

Expensive boat (5) Dried flavourings (6) Teenage witch (7) Trick or ----- (5) Fight (6) Game played with clubs and balls (4) Very dirty (6) American space organisat ion (4) Sweet oat bar (8) PhD holder (6) Colour, fruit (6)

Containers for holding milk (4) Packaging (7) Teach a small group (5) Facial hair (9) Witch’s transport (10) Put at risk (8) Tropical cyclone (7)

Down 2.

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Turn; dance move (5) Unit of time (4) Site of the 1692 witchcraft trials (5)

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Feline (3) Spell-caster (5) A, B, C... (8) Vampire slayer (5) Inflatable bag (7) Very tasty (9) Capital of Burkina Faso (11) Blood drinker (7) Vital (3) Living dead (6) Apparition (5) Wave (10) Martial art (6) Halloween vegetable (7)

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Entertainment

www.bathimpact.com

WHAT’S ON: To get you in the know Please let us know about any great things coming up (email: ents@bathimpact.com)

Theatre/Comedy

Jessica Hynes & Julia Davis coordinating outfits AND comedy

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he Mission Theatre is just near the Odeon and has a long history of having ties with the Bath Uni. It is currently run by a former student and puts on one Bath University Student Theatre (BUST) performance a year, so you all should get down there to support it. Honour, a play by Joanna Murray-Smith, will be showing until 4th November. It is the story of a perfect domestic setting collapsing around a middle aged couple as contentment and temptation become unbalanced in their lives.

From two of the very finest comic minds in Britain comes an evening

of tripped-out waffling that should be very amusing: Julia Davis and Jessica Hynes. These two have been behind some of the most influential sitcoms of the last decade: Night Night took the classic smalltown Britain sitcom and turned into a dark, visceral terrifyingly funny nightmare; Spaced launched the careers of Shaun Pegg and Nick Frost via a surrealist, extremely pop-culture literate two series (check out the Spaced fake gun fight scene on YouTube because it is hilarious).

Definitely two mouths worth listening to for an evening. It’s on 4th November at the Old Vic in Bristol.

Exhibitions/Cinema

‘Hey you guuuys’: keep an eye out for Big Jeff whenever you can

Music

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here will be a delightful evening of folk at everyone’s favourite floating venue in Bristol, Thekla, on the 3rd November. The two acts performing are James Yuill and Silver Columns. The former has been enjoying a steady rise since the sleepy sort-of hit ‘This Sweet Love’ back in 2008 (which came along with a rather fantastic music video) and will continue his calm, highly musical troubadour act for your listening pleasure.

Silver Columns will also be performing with their slightly more electronic acoustic tunes. If you like Badly Drawn Boy or the more chilled-out side of the Beck coin then the evening will probably be one you enjoy – plus Thekla sells some damned fine cider so it’s probably worth it.

For a much more energetic evening of Indie fun head down to see Foals at the 02 Academy on 4th November. This Oxfordshire five-piece have been nominated for the Mercury Prize and garnered much critical acclaim in the last couple of years with their jerky, dance-influenced rock. Another reason to go is for the support act, Toro Y Moi, who are one of the finest examples of a type of relaxed electro that has been all the rage on the interwebs.

If you like Flying Lotus, Nosaj

T

he big news for the next fortnight or so is the Bath Film Festival. It is the 20th annual incarnation of the event and it promises to be a hell of a programme. It runs from 10th-20th November and will take in documentaries, classic films re-issued, animation, Indian cinema, short films and previews of upcoming releases.

One thing that we at Entertainment are getting excited about is the ‘Sound to Silent’ idea which features an Indian film from 1928, Shiraz, being accompanied by a live music group, The Sabri Ensemble. As the images tell the story of the creation of the Taj Mahal the group, led by Sarvar Sabri, play a score of ‘east-west fusion’ composition which melds with the film. As the film was directed by the German filmmaker, Franz Osten, the entire project rep-

Things or some of the comfortable Aphex Twin (which is, admittedly, fairly rare) then it’s worth having a gander in the Academy in Bristol on the 4th.

Indie producers of Arctic Monkeys, Peaches and Klaxons Simian are taking their DJing bandwagon on the road, calling themselves Simian Mobile Disco. These are true hipster darlings, as you can tell by the role call of bands they’ve worked with previously.

What’s more they are favourites of VICE magazine which practically makes them the kings of Hackney.

They’re rolling down to Moles in dear old Bath on 6th November so whack on some skinny jeans and a bit of statement headgear a la Lightspeed Champion and dance the night away.

For a completely different flavour of live music, the Museum of

East Asian Art (just of the Circus) will be showcasing some traditional koto music from Kaya Izumi. The koto is a thousand-yearold Japanese stringed instrument capable of some remarkably delicate compositions. Perhaps you’re sick of R’n’B, dub-step and indie every other night and wouldn’t mind something kind of unknown - try it, you never know, you might even like it. The performance is on 7th November.

The superstar pop bandwagon of Ellie Goulding rumbles into Bristol on 13th November, playing her incredibly popular tunes to crowds at the O2 Academy. She will relax you with her soothing, melodic voice and, in the words of bathimpact editor Gina Reay, “will transport you into a magical fairy world” with her music. High praise indeed.

Ah! They made a magic window! Someone make a pyre... resents a remarkable melding of influences, styles and techniques. Despite the sound and the visuals being created eighty years apart it is supposed to be quite a remarkable project.

Here in Entertainment we are also pretty stoked for the ‘Cinema Misterioso’ event, taking place on 19th November, in an unknown venue with unknown performers. All of this cloakand-dagger type behaviour has piqued our curiosity: what could it possibly be? We suspect that things like this are normally either utterly awful or completely brilliant so it’s a gamble that may well be worth taking.

Please note that this is not the same thing as the Unchosen Bath/Bristol Film Festival which focuses on films and performances that explore the issue of human trafficking all over the world. This event continues into

November with two more events on the 3rd and on the 10th, taking place in locations in Bath as well as Bristol.

Please support!

As is always a good call, have a look at the Arnolfini Gallery for the ‘Fun With Software’ exhibition. In the amazing Arnolfini gallery space there is a series of pieces that explore the history of computers and how humour and fun have been ever present.

One enjoyable example is the ‘Love Letter Generator’ which was created way back in the 1950s: at the gallery they have the self-creating love letters projected on a white wall which allows people to watch the over-use and abuse of words like ‘darling’, ‘dearest’ and ‘desire’. An enjoyable change to the way computers and electronics tend to be portrayed, this show runs until 21st November.

Big Jeff: The man, the legend He’s a legend in the Bristol music scene. Front and centre of every gig you’ll see his burly frame and wild blond hair, fist pumping and head bopping in ferocious determination. No one is more committed to live music than Big Jeff. Even Flying Lotus name dropped him when he last played in Bristol. Please email us at Entertainment (ents@bathimpact.com) if you see him because, as Flying Lotus said, “the party’s with my man Big Jeff”. Watch the Entertainment column for more news on Jeff watch and, possibly, an interview with this local hero.

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Monday 1st November 2010

bathimpact

Entertainment

www.bathimpact.com

Cultural totems right on your doorstep

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hen we received the email from Wendy, our European film studies professor, inviting us to a screening of Gillo Pontecorvo’s “The Battle of Algiers” - a movie about the guerrilla movements in Algiers during the war in Algeria, presented by Ken Loach - we didn’t see it as a way to get brownie points, but as an opportunity that we simply couldn’t turn down. This is how a small group of European film final year students found themselves at the Victoria Art Gallery at 7:30 pm on Wednesday 13th of October.

The current exhibition, Shaped

by War, by world famous British war photographer and photojournalist Don McCullin was breathtaking. The pictures he took of the Berlin Wall in 1961 (among others) reminded me that we really haven’t been around for that long.

In Loach’s own words, “He is the greatest war photographer of our time”. McCullin’s exhibit is the most popular one the gallery has ever had, with over 13,000 visitors this month. “That night,” introduced John Benington the manager, “the

gallery turned into a cinema for one evening”. A few minutes into his opening speech, we were still wondering why Ken Loach was introducing this movie, and what brought him to Bath. The answer was really quite simple. According to Benington, Loach is the Bath City Football Club’s “most devoted and dedicated supporter”, a title that Loach humbly declined later on.

The director, who has over 21 feature films in his repertoire, strongly encouraged us to watch games on Sunday. The only negative point of the evening was that sometimes we wondered whether he was there to introduce the movie, or to promote his beloved football club. We do, however, know very well that when it comes to football, there a few things more important to men.

The most amazing thing about this evening was the setting. Watching the film while surrounded by images of war gave it a whole other dimension. About an hour into the movie, I looked to my right and realized that what was on the screen was reflected in the photographs.

There was a real connection be-

tween what was on the screen and what was on the walls, especially considering that Pontecorvo’s film is as close to a documentary about war as you can get. Politics and Loach’s obvious disapproval of American foreign policy were also of the hour. After referring to Gillo Pontecorvo as a “twinkly little man, who always has a smile”, Loach went on to explaining how “The Battle of Algiers” was shown at the Pentagon as an example of how an invasion can go wrong, and how to win a war against terrorism but lose a war of ideals. “If only they had paid attention to the movie and taken their own advice”, remarked the director.

If any of you are interested in spending a delightful evening that for once doesn’t involve drinking (we know what you’re after when you finally have a night off) then make your way to the Victoria Art Gallery on the 27th of October, when Ken Loach will introduce another war time movie, and you will get a chance to admire McCullin’s pictures. Then go and find ‘Snowy the Mouse Man’ - he made quite the impression on us!

Joss Barratt

Morgane Heyne-Francisci takes in some war photography and a legendary filmmaker all in one evening

Ken Loach, director and Carl Hudson, focus puller on the set of The Wind that Shakes the Barley

Kings of Leon suffer from their ‘Sex On Fire’ Flickr

bathimpact contributor Jack Penrose gives the American rockers a thorough examination.

The diagnosis isn’t particulalry positive

Kings of Leon in the waiting room, getting a little anxious

W

hat do “Seven Nation Army” and “Chasing Cars” have in common? No, it’s not the ridiculous amount of sideprojects their singers indulge in..It’s that they each represent the moment that their authors moved from “well known” to “ubiquitous”; the yardstick by which all future work would be judged. The White Stripes followed

up with the enormous “Blue Orchid” to critical and fan-base acclaim, whilst Snow Patrol’s “Take Back The City” was somewhat underwhelming. “Sex On Fire” was Kings of Leon’s moment.

Following the 6 million plus sales of fourth album Only By The Night the brothers/cousin return with the sadly bloated Come Around Sundown, a fourteen-track demonstra-

tion of a frustrated group stagnating in the face of massive expectation.

With the exception of a couple of rare enjoyable moments the songs can’t seem to rise above the lower moments of their past – recalling (hold on) the forgettable “I Want You” from Only By The Night (sorry, took a moment to go back to find it) rather than hit singles “Four Kicks”, “Fans” or “Revelry”.

It’s not for lack of trying. Each track has evidently been revisited countless times, each note and sound revised and tweaked. Maybe this is the problem. Where Coldplay just about got away with it on X&Y some of the sonically overcooked moments in Come Around Sundown (I’m looking at you “Pony Up” and “Birthday”), feel messy and leaden, pulling back any momentum the track may have gained. This is particularly true in the case of “The Face” which succeeds only in ruining the pace that “Mary” had previously managed to infuse.

There is another bad habit on Come Around Sundown: the drumheavy verses. Present throughout are

verses consisting of repetitive vocals, picked bass and small flourishes of U2 guitar (a comparison many have made, I know) but all are completely dominated by enormous, reverberating drums. Need examples? “The End”, “Pyro”, “The Face”, “The Immortals”.... In fact almost every track bar the two standouts: first single “Radioactive” and Youth and Young Manhood recalling “Back Down South”.

“Radioactive” gave such hope.

With its soaring gospel chorus and emphatic refrain (“it’s in the water, it’s where you came from”) the song sits up there with anything the Kings have done before. For one of the few points on the album the guitar really works, strangely recalling the tighter sound of “12:51” by The Strokes.

“Back Down South” benefits from its simplicity and recalls past KOL classics “Milk” and “Trani”. Caleb sounds better here than anywhere else on the album.

But finally we come to the true Achilles’ heel of the album – the vocals. Lyrically the album is flawed

All [tracks] are completely dominated by enormous, reverberating drums. throughout (“just put your foot in front of the other, crow like a rooster”) whilst the melodies are repetitive and, frankly, unadventurous. Where’s the intensity of “My Party”, the anger of “Four Kicks”, or the soul of “Day Old Blues”? And yes, where too is the bellow of “Sex On Fire”?

The band have said much in the last couple of years about being uncomfortable with their fame, and here they have tried to return to their roots – with songs about home and a sepia-tinged album cover/first video (for “Radioactive”) in a bid for nostalgia. But I can’t help but wonder about the lack of joy that pervades the album. Let me put it another way: if you were writing, recording and jamming these songs as a group for about six months, would you come out the other end having had fun? I think not.

Monday 1st November 2010

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Entertainment

www.bathimpact.com

Italian music: not all love songs and gelato bathimpact contributor Fabiana Giovanetti takes us all on Italian rock music safari. Extensive YouTube cross-referencing ahoy!

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t’s about midnight, my last beer is almost gone and there’s still a blank page of Word waiting for me. I thought, a little bit naively, that writing about Italian rock music would have been easy because I’m Italian. As my empty screen proves, however, it is not. I’ve been checking my iTunes, listening all over again to my entire “Italian Stuff” playlist and I really don’t know where to begin.

I guess I’ll just provide you with a short list of really good music, mostly underground, to help you get to know the Italian rock scene.

First of all there are plenty of artists, many more than most Italians can imagine. Most of these artists are from the provinces. Some really talented bands rose through the ranks: endless town festivals with a bunch of old people, album almost given for free - or even thrown to somebody - during the gigs.

An example of this is “Mamamicarburo”, a mainstream rock fourpiece that comes from the provinces and is loved by an inner circle of fans for the irony and the energy they put in their songs - and for the unforgettable live performances as well.

But sometimes miracles happen and all of a sudden you’re famous.

Italian rock music survives thanks to the underground scene, with people going to festivals in barren fields or the word-of-mouth advertising.

Italian indie spread only with the effort of some bands who tried to mix punk, lo-fi music and some grunge like the “Afterhours”, one of the first Italian rock bands that released an album abroad. Another rock milestone is “Marlene Kunz”, a noise-rock band that influenced some of the most important new groups.

It seems that rock bands are revitalizing the dramatic - almost irrecoverable - loss of live music in Italy.

With no money invested in live music, the lack of concerts has been one of the biggest issues in the country.

But now things seem to change and take a new direction. Lots of people are facing the traffic jam just to see “il Teatro degli Orrori”, one of the best post-punk noise group around, well-known for elaborate lyrics and enviable stage presence.

Another garage rock group that knows how to tame the crowd is “I

A Toys Orchestra: the new craze set to sweep the globe...

Ministri”, providing “politically uncorrect” lyrics with a punkish energy.

Last but not at least “Tre Allegri Ragazzi Morti”, an Italian punk-rock three piece famous because of this tendency to wear skull masks on stage.

Folk-rock indie is a sub genre that contains some gems. “Carmen Consoli” is its most long-lived representative, a woman who plays the bass guitar just like a man and it’s not

afraid to draw a ballad near an acid rock song. Some brand new faces are coming from the remote areas of the provinces, like “Zen Circus” and “Pan del Diavolo”; mixing dialects, different languages and folkloristic sound in a big orgy of power.

Real Italian punk is nearly dead I know it’s a oft-repeated lament but this time it is sadly true. Groups like Vallanzaska, Punkreas, Persiana Jones, the soundtrack of Italian

teens, just broke up. So what next?

For all the post-rock lovers out there: “Giardini di Mirò” could be what you’re searching for. They’re performing abroad a lot to convey their kaleidoscopic psychedelic vision of the world.

At last we come to some groups that have Italian roots but owe a lot to the international music scene.

Let’s begin with “A Toys Orchestra”, Italian alternative rock band singing almost completely in English. Some of their songs can be found in the soundtrack of “The Beautiful Ordinary” (Jess Manafort, 2007). Wellknown by the English audience are “A Classic Education” the half-Canadian half-Italian band whose album “Hey There Stranger” has been just released this month. The globetrotter “Heike has the Giggles” is a young trio that promises to be a big hit.

English lyrics and catchy rock-pop are the ingredients for a band that is like listening to “PJ Harvey” singing with the “Arctic Monkeys”.

Unfortunately our brief trip ends here. I hope you enjoyed it, release your seatbelt and pay attention; Italian rock wildlife can be dangerous.

Singledom turns out to not be much fun

Pardy Dillon takes a look at a few singles released recently and finds the current crop of pop tunes a little wanting Artist: Gorillaz Single: Doncamatic

Artist: Duffy Single: Well, Well, Well

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N Kele Okereke treats himself to a Bono-esque photoshoot Artist: Kele Okereke beat is a perfect tune to get you buzzSingle: On The Lam ing on a Friday night out. You’ll have

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ormally known as ‘the guy from Bloc Party’, Kele Okereke’s ‘On the Lam’ introduces a slightly more electronic, edgy Kele who offers a single that seems to step out of the indie mosh pits of Glastonbury and enter the nightclubs of Ibiza. Written by Kele himself, ‘On the Lam’ is his third song from the album ‘The Boxer’.

Due to be released on 25th October, the track’s drum and bass/dance

your head bopping to the fast breakbeats and the numerous ‘oh and ahs’ that give this song a relaxing yet energetic vibe.

If however, you are seeking inspiration from the lyrics alone, then stop looking, as the lines ‘I’ve finally flipped out and I’m hiring a detective’ make this song too easy for Kele to write! But if you simply want to rock out to something this weekend, then this is it.

amed after a 1960’s Japanese drum machine, ‘Doncamatic’ is the latest song from Gorillaz’s ‘Plastic Beach’. The Gorillaz continue to impress with this perky and mellow tune which has a calming affect on the ear. The main vocals come from the up and coming Brit R’n’B singer Daley who gives ‘Doncamatic’ a soulful feel.

Released on 11th November, Gorillaz’s ‘Doncamatic’ utilises the chromatic accordion which creates an upbeat tone to the whole song.

Personally, this isn’t one of my favourite Gorillaz’s tracks, however, there is plenty more variety in their album ‘Plastic Beach’ to cater for all our needs. It is another example of Damon Albarn’s remarkable muscial dexterity, moving from BritPop legends Blur to a plethora of different bands and styles (he also heads The Good, The Bad and The Queen).

Murdoc from Gorillaz seems to like a bit of Duffy

uffy is known for her timeless singing voice and worldwide success. Personally, I find this hard to accept as Duffy’s new single ‘Well, Well, Well,’ certainly hasn’t reached number one in my heart. The opening to the song begins with a thunderous ‘well, well, well,’ which causes more than just discomfort to the ear. The piecing screech of her voice forbids you from listening any further as her poor lyrics and irregular beats. In addition to this, the dancing in the video reflects something from Geri Halliwell’s ‘It’s Raining Men,’ need I say more?

Any real quality appears to be absent from the single and I dread to hear what the rest of the album is like. In summary, I’m awfully sorry to upset die hard Duffy fans, but like others of this calibre. ‘Well, Well, Well,’ simply blends into C-list category of utter C***.

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bathimpact

Entertainment

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Students of Bath - it’s time to cast your votes

Andy Liszewski: Good at music, afraid of bath time

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oadshow, a Bath Uni band, now has the chance to win €10,000 in an international song competition after entering their song online this summer. Over 300 artists from around the world entered songs in the first round of the competition held at www.youbloom.com. The semi-final round was decided on by a panel of very accomplished judges, including Rupert Hine (famous for Producing the Rolling Stones and Tina Turner), Nigel Grainge (A&R man

who discovered Sinead O’Connor), Damion Young and Sir Bob Geldof.

Video of the judging session, in which Geldof singles out Roadshow as his ‘favourite by a million miles’, can be seen on the website.

Lead singer and song writer Andy Liszewski is a student in the Mechanical Engineering department and formed the band three years ago with friends he met through MusicSoc. They set a goal to get good enough to compete in the Bath Uni Battle of the Bands

(BOTB) competition. After a few years of heavy practice, Roadshow managed to win Battle of the Bands last spring. With the recording time that they won through BOTB they recorded their song ‘To the lights’ and submitted it to the YouBloom competition.

When asked why they want to win, Andy responded, “I’m finishing my course here soon and would like to go to the SAE Institute in San Francisco next year to study music production and be with my family. Tuition for the institute is $20,000, so prize money from this competition would really make that possible for me. Things have never been harder for musicians trying to make it in the industry, to have this opportunity with YouBloom is incredible but we need help from students at Bath Uni to really be able to make the most of it.”

There are currently four artists left in the competition, including Roadshow. The Grand Final is not decided by judges, but by online votes from the 15th to the 22nd of November, so the band needs the students at Bath Uni to really get behind them in order to help them win.

How to vote: - Go to www.youbloom.com.

- Register with the website.

- Check your email account for the confirmation email.

- Click the link, taking you back to youbloom - VOTE for Roadshow - ‘To the lights’.

Don’t worry about them spamming you - there’s a link to unsubscribe with every email. It will take you three minutes and will make it possible for these Bath Uni musicians to pursue a career in what they love.

If you’re interested in seeing a live performance, Roadshow will be performing an acoustic set on the 18th in Elements during the Open Mic night.

Owen Benson

Andy Liszewski

James Jardella wants you(!) to vote for a Bath Uni homegrown band

The Real Band of Brothers: a real disappointment

Dave Langdale isn’t pleased by producers cashing in on WWII war veterans this latest DVD release to follow a similar pattern - stories of epic bravery and heroism in the face of danger, all in the name of brotherhood.

Instead what you’re subjected to is a series of dull anecdotes, told by even drearier men that display no more heroism or bravery than any secondary school WWII documentary.

Worse still, the production budget for the DVD must have been somewhere in the region of a McDonald’s Happy Meal and a candy

Flickr

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or those who have seen the supremely popular, Emmy Award winning Band of Brothers series, you may be interested in the Real Band of Brothers DVD released last week. It is an accountbased documentary of real surviving soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division, covering those who fought in both World War II and Vietnam.

Due to the intense, highly emotional style of the television series, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to expect

A re-enactment of the D-Day landings that caused so much havoc

necklace; the grainy screen, terrible sound, hideous text and awful scene transitions make it unbelievably painful to watch. Add this to the fact every one of the veteran soldiers is bespectacled, old with yellow teeth and hideously monotonous voices and you have a WWII documentary series with the visual appeal of a pube sandwich.

Now, this isn’t said to take anything away from ex-soldiers or anyone who has died in the name of

defending their country, but a review of their ability to recount these stories in an exciting and interesting manner. Instead of starting the series with a bang, throwing the viewer straight into battle, the narrator and veterans alike insist on describing every small detail of their training process. This may have been rescued if it weren’t for the fact the dithering old fossils have the collective charisma of a dead badger.

Needless to say, by the time the first twenty minutes are up you’re ready to take a fork to your temple.

Yet as the programme progresses into the start of battle, dropping the novice Paras over occupied France, things get slightly more interesting.

While the planes, with newly trained pilots, flew over the ‘surrender capital’ at night they were battered by anti-aircraft guns and disoriented by thick clouds. The DVD captures this extremely well, as story after story tell of complete bewilderment, with soldiers from different groups picking each other up and helping each other, others taken as PoWs and the rest managing to capture the French

town they had been aiming for.

It’s a promising end to the first episode. The more you watch the series, however, the more you realise these stories are the minority.

The rest are generic tales of war; death, rescue, more death and more rescue. It’s a pattern that hardly changes. The only thing that does is the switch from WWII to Vietnam, where the men get only slightly younger and less monotonous. Because the mould rarely changes and the veterans look permanently sombre and upset as they’re forced to recount painful memories (often breaking down into tears, especially and understandably at the mention of loss of friends), it becomes obvious that this is less of an entertaining spin on the action drama Band of Brothers, and more a money-grabbing attempt to play off the award winning title, dragging ex-soldiers out of retirement to talk about past events they’d rather have left there.

It’s a DVD that I cannot condone buying, unless you’re one of the demented few people who play Call of Duty with a moist towel.

Monday 1st November 2010

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Entertainment

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The paedophile was really quite funny

Entertainment Editor Rowan Emslie enjoys an evening filled with the horrors of modern life. Pretty standard Thursday night then...

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ucy Prebble is one of Britain’s most exciting young writing talents. Her massive 2009 hit play, Enron, has been performed all over the world (notably on London’s West End and Broadway in New York) and won pretty much every shiny statue possible for drama-type things. Her clever wordplay and delicate character portrayals had earned her a reputation back in 2004 when her debut play, The Sugar Syndrome, won her unsuspecting mantelpiece the prestigious George Devine Award for a first play.

Last week Bath’s own Ustinov Theatre staged a revival of this tale of teen angst, adultery and sexual deviancy seen through the distorting lens of Dani, a confident, curious and

People’s true sadness is unseen or unnoticed, it belongs to them alone.

BANTER: Chekhov is pretty much the godfather of The Inbetweeners bulimic teenager. Her world revolves around taking risks as she constantly undermines a mother she detests by running around with a boy she meets on the internet before befriending a paedophile. The underlying theme is that people convince themselves of what is and isn’t alright; acceptability comes from how far you’re willing to take things and, ultimately, everyone has different limits.

The production made ample use of

indie hits to establish that this is Dani’s world, a distorted view of life rather than a simple ‘fourth wall’ drama. The script is electric, filled with unlikely humour and real, almost lost, touching emotion. The way of seeing people’s despair and cruelty but forgiving them for it reminded me of Chekhov; people’s true sadness is unseen or unnoticed, it belongs to them alone surrounded by walls of bravado and (not that Chekhov would have described it

as such) banter.

The acting was pretty good, particularly in the case of Justin Segal who plays Tim, a former teacher who exists in a permanent state of anxiety, not wishing to lapse into the paedophilia that led him out of school and into prison. His kindness and warmth to Dani is wonderfully sincere which allows him to underplay just how much he appreciates being able to have real, non-judgemental human interaction.

Isobel Arnett’s portrayal of Dani’s stiffupper-lipped, timid and bewildered mother was one part The Good Life and one part Absolutely Fabulous. A particular highlight was, on finally accepting the ever-absent husband is a cheat, her shame at having destroyed some ‘perfectly nice trousers that Oxfam could really have used’ in her rage.

There were points when the blocking was off and some of the characters were lost, even on such a small stage as the Ustinov. Plus the relative emptiness of the set felt like a lost opportunity to comment on how utterly spoiled the young characters are in this play, how much they have but how completely unaware they are of that – perhaps this is down to budgetary limitations rather than directorial input but, you know, in a perfect world…

All in all it was an enjoyable performance of what is an outstanding piece of writing, especially for a first play. Enron was, of course, a huge success, so watch this space for Lucy Prebble’s next outing - you’re pretty sure to be on a winner.

Monday 1st November 2010

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Bad spell for Liverpool could still get worse Adam Winsland bathimpact Contributor

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he red half of Merseyside has had very little to cheer about as of late. With backroom infighting, the worst start to a season in 57 years, and beleaguered manager Roy Hodgson insisting that things will only get better, one starts to question if the tables are beginning to turn in the upper echelons of English football.

Last weekend’s performance against bitter rivals Everton was disastrous. Poor passing, worse defending, and a distinct lack of the spirit that has previously guided this great club to unparalleled success leave Liverpool with a battle on their hands.

Although Hodgson insists that glimpses of his side’s performances have been encouraging, the Reds are well and truly in uncharted territory and seem to have very few ideas of how to get themselves out of it.

True, the Gillett-Hicks affair

New Liverpool FC owner John.W.Henry has been highly unsettling, but can new owner John W.Henry really reverse what may well be an inevitability? Success goes in cycles, and no club can claim to have a preordained right to consistently be among the title contenders.

Before 2005 Chelsea hadn’t won the league since 1955, and during the 1980s they were little

more than an average Second Division side. Now they dominate in both domestic and European competitions. With the rise of Manchester City and Tottenham to the top ranks, Liverpool’s days there may well be numbered.

Even with the talent available to them, the likes of Gerrard and Torres are flattering to deceive, and these are the players that Hodgson will need to rely on to ensure the season does not go from bad to worse. That is, of course, if he survives to see Christmas. Nobody can deny Hodgson’s qualities as a manager and as a person.

He has had countless successes both at home and abroad. Unless results start coming, however, Roy may find himself out of a job.

The headache for Liverpool’s new board is whether a new manager would be able to do any better.

The players are failing to live up to their salaries, and unless they do, Liverpool may well be finding themselves in mid-table mediocrity more often than they would like in seasons to come.

Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson is feeling the heat after the club’s worst start to a season in a generation.

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Monday 1st November 2010

Sport MoLES defy Physics to go top of Group A

»»MoLES 9-0 Physics David Jennings bathimpact Contributor

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oLES began their IDFC campaign with an emphatic 9-0 victory over a battling Physics side. Despite a sluggish first fifteen minutes, the home side were woken from their slumber by an impressive Orlando Pedretti, whose audacious rightfoot volley found the top-right hand corner of the net. A Rob Ferry strike quickly made it two before MoLES’ recent Italian acquisition Paolo Fuoli made an immediate impact off the bench with a fine solo effort for the third. An organised Physics back-line kept the hosts at bay for the remainder of the half.

Nevertheless, the floodgates were opened in the second period as the linguists took advantage of the slope and put 6 past their Scientist counterparts. Nadir Nahdi forced in a fourth soon after the restart - although the Dubious Goals Panel are debating the possibility of an own goal, skipper Dave Jennings then tapped in a fifth after a cleverly driven cross from Ferry, who notched his second goal of the game several minutes later. The onslaught was continued by debutant Pat Symes with a delightful lob over the keeper after a spectacular through ball from Fuoli. The Italian scored for a second time before rounding the keeper and having his seemingly certain hat-trick cleared off the line by some fantastic last-

ditch defending from the Physics right-back. He made up for this minor setback with an absolutely outstanding in-swinging corner for Richard Shuttleworth’s first goal for the team. Unmarked, Shuttleworth leapt like a salmon at the back post to power a bulletlike header into the back of the net thus compounding the away side’s misery.

A sound performance from the Physics centre-midfield partnership gave the Scientists a lift, but man of the match Ben Freeman and his well-oiled defensive unit prevented any late consolation goal.

MoLES: Joe Dibben; Nic Watkins; Rich Shuttleworth, Ben Freeman, Pat Balling; Ben Lambert, Matt Halliday, Nick Pearce; Rob Ferry, Orlando Pedretti, Dave Jennings; Pat Symes, Paolo Fuoli, Eric Humphery-Smith, Nadir Nahdi, Graeme Standing.

Physics: Tom McAlpine, Simon Vanstone, Luke Mellor, Sam Coulson, Sam Turton, Toby Smith, Richard Angliss, Pete Bourdman, Marin Huet, Henry Cox, Stuart Morgan, Rhys Thomas, Josh Stoner, Andy Seaman, Rich Woodward, Nick Perez.

MoLES goals: Ferry (2), Fuoli (2), Jennings, Nahdi, Pedretti, Shuttleworth, Symes.

Want your match to be featured in bathimpact? E-mail sport@bath.ac.uk to find out how.

MoLES players Ben Freeman (l.) and Paolo Fuoli (r.) in action during last Wednesday’s 9-0 demolition of Physics at the Eastwood pitches; goals coming from Ferry (2), Fuoli (2), Jennings, Nahdi, Pedretti, Shuttleworth and Symes. The win puts the language boys top of Group A, albeit after only one round of games.

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IDFC kicks off MoLES captain David Jennings looks ahead to another highly-competitive season in the IDFC

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nyone who doesn’t believe in the University of Bath’s reputation of having an abundance of talented Sportsmen should visit the Eastwood Pitches on a Wednesday afternoon.

The Inter-Departmental Football Competition (IDFC) is a regular fixture here at Bath and often very much overlooked, despite boasting some of the University’s top male footballing talent. The IDFC is an 11-a-side competition pitting the best players from each department against each other.

The teams are divided into two leagues in which everyone plays each other once, with the top four sides progressing to the knock-out stages and thus having the chance to play the final on the STV’s main pitch in May. This year there are 17 departments in contention. Last year’s winners Mechanical Engineering and runners-up Coach Education both look strong and semifinalists MoLES (who represent the European Studies and Modern

Languages department) and Team Best (Economics) - both of whom consistently put out very capable sides – are looking to go at least one better this time around. It promises to be a brilliant season, so if you, like many of us, are fed up of overpaid, arrogant and overindulged fairies ruining the face of the modern game, support your fellow coursemates and take a look at the best our university has to offer. Proper football.

MoLES captain David Jennings will be hoping for success this season

IDFC Latest Results 20/10/2010: Group A- MoLES 9, Physics 0.

Architecture 1, BUMS 1. Managment 6, Chemical Engineering 4.

Group B- Coach Education 9, Computer Sciences 0. Biology 3, Chemistry 0.

Fixtures 27/10/2010: Group A- Architecture v MoLES, Economics v Management, Natural Sciences v Chemical Engineering, Physics v Sports Science.

Group B- Mechanical Engineering v Electrical Engineering, Pharmacy v Team Maths.

3/11/2010: Group A- Sports Science v Economics, Natural Sciences v BUMS. Group B- Biology v Mechanical Engineering, Pharmacy v Coach Education, Electrical Engineering v Chemistry, Computer Sciences v Team Maths

Bath fail to meet high standards Jack Penrose bathimpact Contributor

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ath have started their season fairly well in the Premiership, although not to their usual high standards. They now lie sixth in the table with three wins and three losses. They have accumulated three bonus points, which could be useful later on in the season. At the moment, however, I am somewhat disappointed

by Bath. Their attractive “chuck it around and offload” rugby has been thwarted by the conditions, and other teams’ more muscular approach up front. Bath have forwards who can dummy, run and offload (like the legendary Lee Mears), but are often found wanting against the gnarly, powerful and savvy forwards of the likes of Leicester and Biarritz.

On that note, Bath lost to Leicester at Welford Road (21-16) on a typical drizzly and dreary day over the weekend, this being their second loss in their last three matches.

In the Heineken Cup, they turned round their Basque embarrassment at the Rec (12-11 to Biarritz) to win in style with a comfortable bonus

point win. They now compound their curious mid-table position in the Premiership with a 2nd place in their Heineken Cup pool. It’s been a tough start for Bath, but I think if they can survive this winter, they can be true contenders at the end of the season – and considering their Summer signings (like England captain Lewis Moody), they’ve certainly recruited well enough. But they will have to up it if they want to attain the elusive Premiership crown and run a successful campaign in Europe.

Here’s a roundup of what’s going on outside of Bath…

Flying high: With a buoyant win over Munster and at the summit of the Premiership, now is a good time to be an Irish fan!

Sucks to be: Leeds. With some really poor defensive performances, they lie rooted at the bottom of the Premiership with a point and are winless.

Dark Horse: Exeter. No-one thought they could survive at this level, well; a home win against Gloucester and some truly spirited performances have made people sit up and take notice of the men from Devon.

Underachievers: I would have said Leicester a couple of weeks ago, but since Toby Flood has come back, they have really improved. No, the Underachiever award begrudgingly goes to the club I support – Wasps. With a crushing in their own back garden from Northampton compounding a pretty miserable start to the usual top four contenders.

Biarritz’s Dmitri Yachvili kicked all 12 points for his side in their 12-11 win at the Rec.

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What we do in life, it echoes in eternity

Ioannis Costas tells the tale of the Bath Gladiators, the university’s basketball team

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hat we do in life, it echoes in eternity.

Those were the words Maximus Decimus Meridius (Russell Crowe) used to inspire his legion before charging into battle during the initial scenes of one of Ridley Scott’s most eminent films. It would be fair to say that the Gladiators, the University of Bath Men’s Basketball Team, took similar words to heart at the beginning of last season through the rallying cry of their general: Captain and Chair Nick Hutton.

We go back in time to the 2008/2009 season. The University of Bath fielded two sides in their BUCS fixtures; (no, not ‘Bath University Computing Services’; more like the ‘British Universities & Colleges Sport’) the Firsts and Seconds. BUCS is broken down into five leagues, descending from the tippy top (Premier League) through several tiers until the lowest level is reached: Tier Four. During the 08/09 campaign, the Firsts tipped-off their year in Tier One, hovering just beneath the Premier League, whilst the Seconds belonged to the more modest Tier Three.

The mere fact that the University could fund two teams within the men’s basketball should have meant that the Club was doing well. Currently, the University only subsidises one team.

This begs the question, what happened? What went wrong?

Current team Captain Tom Janicot synthesized the answer: “lack of commitment”. He went on to explain how players wouldn’t show up for training sessions and how they would rather unceremoniously not come to games (therefore, having walkovers). As I’m sure your Average Joe would be able to conclude, it was certainly not the type of attitude a team in Tier One should have displayed. As a consequence, the Firsts were relegated.

Regardless of the Firsts doing poorly, the more dedicated Seconds managed to get promoted, climbing from Tier Three into Tier Two. This resulted in somewhat of a kerfuffle, as at the beginning of the 09/10 season both the Firsts and Seconds would be competing in the same league: Tier Two. The university put on its thinking cap and solved this problem pronto: they cut the funding from the Seconds.

This left a single team and an irritated university – turns out that paying for walkovers wasn’t their idea of invest-

ing in sport (quite rightly so).

Before facing Tier Two, the basketball team decided to revamp themselves with a series of changes. Of all of these, the first and foremost factor which lead to this Cinderella-like story was the figure of Nick Hutton. As well as being in his final year, he took on both the roles of Captain and Chair, and, said bluntly, “made everything work”. In order to turn the players back into Gladiators, Hutton found inspiration in the form of Coach Tony Wright - who Tom J. describes as “a great motivator”. As is well known by all, cook-

Russell Crowe- a big fan (probably) ing a world class omelette is virtually impossible if all the chef has is mustard and a cheese grater – enter the batch of eight freshers that arrived in September 2009. These rookies pumped new blood and life into the squad - proof of it was that four of them walked into the starting five. Finally, the whole team fully believed in commitment – they were there to work hard. And they did.

The result of all this? An almost perfect season.

Under the combined guidance of Hutton and Coach Wright they were undefeated (6-0) in the League, usually treating spectators to 20 point victory margins. In the mean time, during the Cup, the Gladiators struck down their opponents one after another in the one-game-knockout competition.

Unfortunately, upon reaching the Cup Final, Bristol Firsts succeeded where

everyone else had failed: they beat Bath 70-82. This was a tough blow, especially for a team that hadn’t registered a single defeat all year long.

Regardless of this upset, the team’s main objective was to get promoted to Tier One. The only thing that stood between them and their quarry was a play-off against UWIC. A play-off which saw the Gladiators raise their swords and shields in victory in front of a crowd of 100 people: they had successfully completed an incredible turnaround season.

Once the festivities subsided, the team pursued basketball games beyond the British border and went on tour in June through Belgium, Germany and the Czech Republic, playing multiple U-21 club teams. It was in Belgium, though, that Tom J. was proudest of the team: “one of the teams we played there, BBC Hulshout, beat us by only 3 points”. His enthusiasm probably has something to do with having only just been edged out by a group that plays in the Belgian National U-21 League.

What is the next step for this rising group of players? “The goal this year is to get promoted to the highest level: the Premier League” hopes Tom. “Hopefully we’ll get more and more supporters turning up for matches this year” he adds.

Games are held on Wednesdays and are regularly announced via Facebook events and through the group ‘University of Bath Basketball’. Not only are you encouraged to come and cheer on the team, but also join Bath Basketball. The more members that sign up for recreational sessions (informal mixed drop-ins to simply enjoy the game), the bigger and greater the club will become. One of Tom’s aspirations is to try and get back a Seconds team for next year, but, for that, he requires some of your support.

Even if you have never been to a basketball game, I recommend you come down to the Coliseum that is Founders Hall and give it a chance.

Especially with the opportunity at hand to watch this team try and reach the pinnacle of University sport. You won’t regret it as you shall be introduced to a high-intensity game which displays great technique and, most importantly, the functioning of five members on a court working as one.

University of Bath Men’s Basketball Gladiators, I salute you.

Matt Blair was top scorer in Bath’s 68-59 win over Southampton Solent, with a haul of 23 points.

Bath overcome Southampton in BUCS opener

»»Bath 68-59 Southampton Solent Ioannis Costas bathimpact Contributor

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he Bath Gladiators stormed to a 68-59 victory in their season-opener against the intensely physical Southampton Solent.

The visiting Southampton charged into the game in 5th gear, ready to show Bath that Tier One of the BUCS League was a on a whole new level. However, instead of finding a shell-shocked team, the opposition ran into a defensively organised home squad which dominated early on and took a 12 point lead at the end of the first quarter.

Though Bath’s performance slumped during the second and start of the third quarters, it wasn’t until the visitors pulled within a point of the locals that alarm bells properly went off. It was then, towards the equator of the third quarter, that the Gladiators thoroughly reacted.

Tactically, they complimented their creative offensive ‘motion’ play by using their two behemoth centres more effectively: 6’9” Enrique García and 6’10” Adam Smith.

What Southampton brought to

the table in physicality, they lacked in height. Interior balls to the Bath big men caused the visitors to rack up fouls in an attempt to disrupt open play, gift-wrapping the Gladiators easy points from the free throw line. Moreover, Southampton had no answer for Matt Blair’s scintillating performance and his gamehigh 23 points. Of the 23, none were more beautiful than the two when he ran at the opposition’s defence and scored a reverse lay-up, igniting the crowd.

The match was contested until the final two minutes in which Bath exerted the dominance displayed in the first quarter, resulting in a 68 – 59 final score.

Gladiator’s Coach Tony Wright was satisfied after the game; nevertheless, he stated that “this team today is the weakest [in the League].

If this is the standard, all games will be tough. No run away high scores like last year”. Captain Tom Janicot wanted to highlight the collective performance above all else, and, when questioned about the comparison between Tier One (so far) and Tier Two, his reply carried no doubt: “it’s a lot tougher”.

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What do basketball and gladiators have in common? page 31 Monday 1st November 2010

Sports surcharge for students is ‘inevitable’ »» A fee could be implemented from as early as next year »»University of Bath one of the last with free access to sport Joe Dibben bathimpact Contributor

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ice Chancellor, Glynis Breakwell, has revealed to our SU President that a proposed new fee for the use of university sports facilities will not be compulsory nor added to accommodation fees as a flat-rate charge. This comes days after VP Sport, Andy Crawshaw, revealed the STV’s plans to potentially introduce an obligatory flat-rate charge of up to £100 for each student living on campus. Crawshaw had stressed that the suggested paper was not yet final, and that the STV is still open to suggestions.

There will still be a new fee for users of the university sports facilities however. The fees would bring Bath, which is the only remaining university in the country which doesn’t charge for its facilities, in line with the likes of Loughborough and Leeds Met (first and second in the 2009/10 BUCS table respectively), where annual access to facilities can cost up to £400 annually. The drive for this changecomes after it was revealed that the STV has been running at a deficit in recent times, despite having

made savings of around £600,000 in the last year. It is hoped that the plan, which would also involve second years paying for facilities should they wish to use them, will raise around £450,000 per year.

The introduction of this fee would in theory give university clubs priority over commercial bookings and put them on a par with Sports National Governing Bodies (NGBs), which, in recent times have had first say on facilities; part of the STV’s paper is to

£100

The fee that students on campus may have to pay for use of sports facilities from next year

introduce the ’12 til 2 plan’, which would grant exclusive access to the sports facilities on campus every day in the early afternoon. Some of the funding may also be used to refurbish certain parts of the STV, such as the swimming pool, which is now almost twenty years old.

The measure is also being taken in the light of extensive cuts to the

The Sports Training Village has been running at a loss in recent years.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) by the government.

It is therefore generally accepted that a fee needs to be introduced, and this idea was roundly recom-

£450,000 Amount that could be raised from introducing the surcharge

Students could be charged for use of the tennis courts at the STV in the future.

mended by students who completed a questionnaire at the end of the last academic year. However, just as the STV has been facing financial troubles, future students will also be hit hard in the next few years if the Browne Review leads to a steep hike in tuition fees; consequently, the STV’s plans were met by a lukewarm response from students at the Sports Association’s Sports Forum on Friday 22nd October. Among the more prominent

concerns of those present were whether students would truly get priority for facilities over other users, whether there would be reinvestment in these facilities, and whether the introduction of such a surcharge would pave the way for further fee increases in the future.

A flat-rate charge would also discriminate against poorer students, who would already be hardest hit by rising tuition fee prices, and it was argued that the fee should perhaps even be means tested.

The issue was also raised of whether such a drastic surcharge would have a decrease on sports participation at a recreational and elite level at Bath; when asked about it, Crawshaw seemed unsure about what had happened at other universities following the introduction of similar fees. This would probably not be surprising, given that it could cost £299 for a student on campus to use the general facilities at the STV, be a member

of the gym and be a member of a Sports Association club.

Several ideas and suggestions are currently being made to try and improve the proposition for a fee, such as ensuring that the fee wouldn’t be compulsory to students who will definitely not use the facilities. It was also suggested that the STV could employ a ‘pick and mix’ policy, whereby students pay an obligatory, but nonetheless smaller fee for the exclusive use of a certain element of the facilities, such as just the tennis courts or the swimming pool.

It must be stressed though that no proposal has yet been set in stone, and the university is still open to suggestions on how to change the plans for the better.

For more information or to voice your opinion on the proposed fees, contact VP Sport, Andy Crawshaw, at susport@bath. ac.uk.