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Campus fashion

Carys Bray: publishing sensation ÂŁ30m sports investment

Issue Three - Spring 2014

Prepare for your Applicant Visit Day 2014 preview

If you haven’t been here yet, you’re missing out on one of the UK’s most picturesque campuses. We also give you an insight into the kind of students who already attend the University – their style, their interests, their backgrounds, their hopes and dreams.

We strive to make Edge Hill a place where everyone can feel at home.

01° Meet our Students

05° The Boxer: The Man Who Would Be Khan 03° Sport Focus

07° The Ice Hockey Player: To Hull and Back

11° Just Visiting: Applicant Visit Days at Edge Hill 09° The Cheerleader: Three Cheers for Edge Hill’s Newest Sport

15° The Art of Selling

18° Catwalk Campus

22° Home is Where the Heart is

25° Putting Legal Theory into Practice

23° Cash for Carys

27° Stay Positive

29° Bunch of Fives

Cover Image Muhammed Ali Zahid Photographer: Stuart Rayner

Production Team Sam Armstrong Andy Butler Nick Lodge Mark Molloy

meet our students

Settling in at uni takes a bit of time.

Fortunately you’ve got at least three years to find the right people to accompany you on your journey.

2014 will be a big year for many of you as you begin the run-in to summer examinations, and that crucial next step. This third edition of Degree looks at the progress made by Edge Hill University – better facilities, more student opportunities, increased levels of support – not only to reassure, but to inspire and enthuse potential new students.

If you’ve already applied, don’t forget to take advantage of one of our visit or open days.

Please get in touch and let us know what you think of Degree, what we’re doing right, or if there’s anything you’d change.

Contents

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Welcome

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So let’s meet a few of our students. They’re a pretty diverse lot…and refuse to be pigeonholed. Students aren’t interested in politics anymore? Think again.

All they watch on tv are talent shows like X-Factor? Take another guess. All they care about are their phones? Well, you may actually be onto something there. Anyway, we chatted to a few of our students during another busy Freshers’ Fair.

Tom, starting a course in Computing Systems and Software, thinks ‘X Factor’s rubbish’, would vote for Ed Milliband because ‘the Conservatives are terrible’, and has no idea who Nick Grimshaw is. He’s pretty attached to his computer, though, and he’s looking into setting up a programming society.

Law student Luke thinks the likes of X Factor and Strictly Come Dancing are ‘ridiculous and pretty fake’, preferring ‘the best thing on tv ever’ Breaking Bad. And you won’t catch him dancing a rumba, he’s a dubstep man.

Nursing students Lisa and Vicki are X Factor fans, ‘hate Cameron’ and like live music, such as Example, erm, for example. What else do they like? Tattoos on guys and the Gaelic football society, and the hardest part of living away from home? Living with their mates. We think they’re joking.

Game of Thrones fan and Creative Writer Kate laughs when asked about One Direction – ‘My sister loves them. I’ve got a lot of metal on my MP3 player!’

She’s quite cynical about politicians – ‘I can’t say what I really think of them’ – but believes you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover when it comes to tattoos, maybe because she has a few herself.

Psychology student Jolene has a slightly different take on body art: ‘when you’re old they go really wrinkly’, she’s equally turned off by modern politicians, though, preferring to listen to the bickering of Simon, Will and co in The Inbetweeners.

Freedom. That’s what housemates Jasmin and Edward think is the best thing about living away from home. Cooking and managing money presented steep learning curves, but Edward now describes his cooking style as ‘experimental’ while Law student Jasmin has come to respect how her parents balanced the household budget. They’re less agreed on what constitutes a good night out – clubbing v bands, but we certainly know where Edward stands on tattoos – he designed his own.

Whether tweeting friends or getting the latest news update, Law student Daniel is never without his phone. Although a long way from home he finds living away easy – ‘I’m very sociable, and I like to meet people from different countries.’ Preston girl Amirah, on the other hand, was initially nervous about uni, ‘but it’s been really easy to get along with people – lecturers, staff, everybody’. She was looking to the student societies to help her meet people: ‘There’s an Islamic Society which will be good to get to know people, but there are other societies that I’m going to look at too.’

And off they all went, finding their own way in the world.

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University is about exploration and discovery. It’s about providing a platform from which to take ability to the next level. It’s about access to opportunity. And it’s about encouragement.

The latest £30million investment in our sports facilities is the University’s incentive to our students, encouraging both sporting excellence and sporting discovery.

Over the next few pages we’ll highlight the new resources as well as focus on students who are pursuing ambitions in some less fashionable sporting arenas.

Cover star Ali Zahid is making his presence felt on the amateur boxing circuit. Ryan Brown aims to propel cheerleading to the top of the pyramid, while ice hockey player Sarah Hutchinson’s hopes to take her blades to glory at the 2014 World Championships.

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Sporting Makeover

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What could you do with £30million? It’s a mind-boggling question, but rather than buy a fleet of yachts, we’ve decided to spend it a little more wisely on improving our alreadyimpressive sports facilities – and our increasingly impressive campus. You could call it our contribution to the legacy of the London 2012, although we just want to provide the best possible sporting opportunities for our students, staff and the local community. full size 3G floodlit football / rugby pitch floodlit hockey pitch 3 x floodlit 3G 5-a-side football courts competition standard 8-lane athletics track with 2 x 10-lane sprint straights 4 grass football pitches 1 x grass rugby union pitch 2.5km fitness conditioning trail with outdoor fitness stations outdoor table tennis tables outdoor basketball court

By September 2014 there’ll be even more to do when the new sports centre will house • • • • • •

a 25m competition swimming pool an 8-court sports hall a 100-station fitness suite an aerobics studio a sauna and steam room outdoor tennis/netball courts

These sports facilities cater for the more mainstream sports, but if you have a talent for, or interest in, other things, we’re equally supportive.

Find out more about sport at Edge Hill: edgehill.ac.uk/sport

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The Man Who Would Be Khan The Boxer

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“Seeing Amir Khan win silver in Athens in 2004 really inspired me. Seeing people get behind him, I thought I should do something where people get behind me.”

Now a BSc (Hons) Coach Education student at Edge Hill University, Ali and his mates started hitting the bags, but their commitment was questionable – “We wouldn't go for a few weeks because we'd get hurt” – and he was playing a lot of football.

However football’s blame culture was becoming frustrating:

Knockout punch! He graduated to the University Championships – winning the title, again in the first round.

Despite this early success, though, the hardest lessons were learnt when things didn’t go to plan.

His first loss came against a southpaw (a boxer who leads with his right) – “I just didn't know what to do, I froze” – but he came back fighting, training harder than ever, and is now ten fights undefeated and counting, and heading into the quarterfinals of the Amateur Boxing Association (ABA) championships, mixing with the best amateur welterweights in the country. An ABA title would certainly catch the eye of selectors before the 2016 Olympics in Rio, but his mantra doesn’t change:

Seeing Amir Khan “ win silver in Athens

“When I was boxing, if you lose you've only got yourself to blame, because you've either not trained hard enough, or you simply weren't good enough. I don't like losing, so I've got nobody to blame but myself if I lose.”

in 2004 really inspired me. Seeing people get behind him, I thought I should do something where people get behind me.

Fortunately, Ali was a natural: “As soon as I threw my first punch, I could see it in my sparring partner's eyes that he was hurt, and I took advantage.” Ali laughs at his killer instinct, and admits he had a lot to learn about the noble art: “People think it's a fight, but it's not a fight because if you don't use your brain and you go wild in there you get beaten up, simple as that. A boxer would always beat a fighter because a boxer's using their brain.”

Ali moved to Bury Amateur Boxing Club, knuckled down under the tutelage of Mick Jelley, Amir Khan’s trainer during his amateur years, and finally took his first steps into the ring.

Taking nothing for granted, he’s boxing clever, collecting coaching qualifications as part of his degree, and looking into further study once he graduates. He wants to stay in sport, and cites as inspiration a recent guest speaker on his course who had to relinquish his dreams of playing pro football, but kept up his studies, building a career coaching around the world, before landing a dream job at Everton FC.

”

Ali’s not ready to throw the towel in yet, though, and will chase his 2016 dream: “If you keep winning then you get your chance.

They want the best, don't they? So I've just got to keep winning, it's as simple as that.”

Jab! He won his first fight in the first round.

Upper cut! He won his second fight in the second round. Amir Khan’s dad was in his corner for this one, he mentions proudly.

“Listen to your coaches, and keep disciplined. Live a clean lifestyle, eat good food, watch who you hang about with, and definitely do your studies to back you up, because boxing is a very tough game.”

Find out more about sport at Edge Hill: edgehill.ac.uk/sport

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It’s 2004. Amir Khan is ducking and weaving his way from obscurity and into Olympic history, and the consciousness of a nation. One viewer that day was Muhammad Ali. Muhammad Ali Zahid, that is, a teenager from Bolton, looking for something to commit to:

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To Hull and Back

The Ice Hockey Player

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Sarah currently plays for Hull’s Kingston Diamonds in the Women’s Premier League, and the British National Ice Hockey league, which is the men’s highest amateur level, where “men skate past me and comment on my make-up or perfume to try to put me off”.

Ice hockey has a fairly brutal image, possibly courtesy of the iconic 70s mass-brawl-fest movie Slap Shot. At 6’1”, and with experience in men’s leagues, Sarah’s no stranger to the odd moment of “team-bonding”, but she says it’s not nearly as physical as people think. The Canadian professional leagues can be a bit tasty, she says, but “it’s a lot different playing against women, and I have to use a variety of techniques because it’s a non-contact sport for the women’s games.”

Sarah will use her scholarship to skate through the Universiade and onwards to Asiago, but she won’t be taking her eye off her studies, and her future career:

“I’ll be proud to be there wearing the GB kit and representing my country. In some ways it is the closest thing I’ll get to the Olympics.

“

She started out watching her brother play, and started skating when she was four. She didn’t hit a puck in anger though, until she was nine. Despite describing herself as initially ‘awful’, ‘something seemed to click’ around the age of 13, and eleven years later, she has a string of impressive achievements under her belt (or should that be helmet?).

She’s represented England and Great Britain (GB) around the world, and was one of the youngest players in the GB University Women’s squad at the 2010 Winter Universiade. She was picked again for the 2013 Universiade in Italy, and will be mixing with the absolute best at the senior World Championships in Asiago, Italy in April 2014: “I’ll be proud to be there wearing the GB kit and representing my country. In some ways it is the closest thing I’ll get to the Olympics. To play against teams like Canada and the USA will be an honour in itself. I’m in awe of their players.”

”

“As part of the GB squad I see how performance can fluctuate, and there’s no support there to address any contributing psychological factors. As a Sport and Exercise Psychology student, I’d be really interested in working with high level performance athletes at some point.”

And will she stick with her passion for the puck?

“I’ve always said it’s something I just want to do for fun. But even when it’s not fun I still want to do it. Even when I’m tired I’m still wanting to do it. When people are shouting at me, I still want to do it. Until I stop enjoying it I’ll just keep going as high as I can.”

Entrance Scholarships are available to prospective UK and EU students who have applied to study a full-time undergraduate degree or full-time PGCE at Edge Hill University and firmly accepted an offer of a place. The awards are not related to your financial situation or degree subject. edgehill.ac.uk/scholarships

Find out more about sport at Edge Hill: edgehill.ac.uk/sport

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Do you want to know what commitment is? It’s doing 18-hour days in order to fit everything in. It’s getting up at 6.30am for uni, and going to bed at 1am after the fourth training session of the week.

It’s travelling from Manchester to Hull on cold Tuesday nights, going through countless drills over the course of a training session, then setting off back to Manchester at gone midnight. You’ve got to love something a lot to do that. Sport and Exercise Psychology student Sarah Hutchinson loves ice hockey that much. And it’s the kind of dedication and determination that gets recognised at EHU with a Sporting Excellence scholarship.

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Three Cheers for Edge Hill’s Newest Sport

The Cheerleader

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“A lot of people might think of it as a group of girls standing pitchside in short skirts with pom poms – that's not cheer, that's cheerleading in the sense that people are cheering for a sport. It's actually a lot more athletic than people think, and we train and compete against other teams. We've got 20 or 30 trophies, so I think we're being taken seriously now.”

But isn’t it a girl’s sport?

“Mixed teams will be 50/50 boys and girls, and I've seen teams that are 100% boys. The boys are actually incredibly strong and athletic, some of the best gymnasts on the team.”

Ryan got involved in his second year at Edge Hill: “During freshers' fair I stopped at the cheerleading table and thought I'd give it a go. As soon as I tried it I fell in love with it, and I've never looked back.”

Since then he’s taken it from a society of eight people, to a fully-fledged sport recognised by the Students’ Union with 64 team members – two full teams of 32. At the last audition they had 160 people trying out. It’s not yet recognised by British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS), but considering the popularity of cheer in the US (“they've probably got as many cheer teams as baseball teams”), and the growing popularity in the UK – there are hundreds of teams – that could well just be a matter of time.

Our coach is one of the best in the country, and Ok, point taken. So what does it she teaches us involve, Ryan? “Cheer can be divided into sub-categories. stunting. Each You've got dance sections, gymnastic sections – there's a team trains for high level of gymnastics in the team as well – and then the main at least two aspect of it is called stunting.” hours a week.

“

Er, hold on, you’ve lost us there, Ryan. Stunting, it turns out, is performing highly choreographed team acrobatics. For instance, there’s ‘basket tosses’ “where we actually physically throw the cheerleaders about 20ft in the air”, or ‘libs’, where the person in the air will have one leg up by their ear, as well as being 10ft in the air. It’s all a long way from a few high kicks and ra-ra-ras at half time. This is hard work.

“The routines are two and a half minutes long, so there's stamina. And there's a lot of teamwork – because if you don't trust other people they're not going to trust you to catch them. Our coach is one of the best in the country, and she teaches us stunting. Each team trains for at least two hours a week.”

In the meantime, Ryan is busy co-ordinating the next set of routines, setting up showcases on campus, and fundraising to support the teams on their travels, all competing with Performing Arts course commitments and his role as part of the highly successful student dance troupe Edge FWD for attention. This must mean a lot to Ryan:

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“The biggest thing for me is the family. Because you train together all the time, and socialise together, you end up spending a lot of time together, people become friends outside the team. They end up becoming some of your closest friends at uni. It's a great, great people-meeter, especially for first years.“ Leave your preconceptions in the locker room and find out more about cheer at cheerleading.org.uk

Find out more about sport at Edge Hill: edgehill.ac.uk/sport

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Give us an E – E!, give us a D – D!, give us a G – G!. Whoa, whoa, whoa. It’s time to put common misconceptions about cheerleading to bed, and Edge Hill’s captain, Ryan Brown is only too happy to help:

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Just Visiting: applicant visit days at Edge Hill

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Edge Hill, Edge Hill – so good they visited twice. That’s the story we’re hearing from many of our applicants who first experienced the University at an Open Day, and wanted a second look.

Our Applicant Visit Days cater specifically for applicants who are holding an offer for a course that does not require an interview or audition. We invite you back for a fuller experience, a genuine taste of what university life would be like – taster lectures, workshops, campus tours, group discussions. No traffic light parties, though, I’m afraid.

Making a life choice that could shape the rest of your life is daunting, so we want you to be in a position to make an informed decision.

So, what can you do on an Applicant Visit Day? We asked a few of our departments what they had in store for visitors.

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Advertising

Social Sciences

“Advertising and design are truly multi-media disciplines today. The combination of a creative, persuasive message communicated visually across many media channels is the most effective way to reach ever more discerning and diverse target audiences,” says Andy Tibbs, Senior Lecturer and Programme Leader.

“During our social science taster session you’ll be introduced to different ways of thinking about the subjects the department offers. We discuss topics that you’ll be familiar with and present them in some of the different ways sociologists have used to understand them,” says Lecturer Liz Richards.

“Creativity, invention and innovation in the use of media channels are as big a challenge as creating the right message, headlines, images and design layouts. If the target audience doesn’t see the message, fails to understand it or simply doesn’t connect with it, then the campaign will not succeed.”

In practical terms, that means you get to ‘just do it’™ yourself, releasing your creativity and devising a mini-advertising campaign. At the last taster day, prospective students had fun brainstorming ideas for onesies, fireworks, beans and limos, and producing a few campaigns in our Mac labs. You can really let yourself go creatively, exploring a creative brief, devising a message, and identifying the media channels that will engage your target audience.

Dr Sally Hester adds, “One aim is to fire your sociological imaginations, and we do this by stimulating discussion about everyday social and cultural issues.”

“By introducing you to some of the exciting complexities of these social and cultural issues, by demonstrating how social science thinking helps us to understand them in particular ways, we’re also aiming to give you a real flavour of what we do here at Edge Hill,” concludes Liz Richards.

Discussion topics include elements of popular culture, when children become adults from social and legal perspectives, and how we see disabled people in our society.

Emily Farnan, BA (Hons) Advertising: “We had to think of ways to advertise bottled sunshine. In ten minutes I’d come up with seven ideas. The tutor was impressed, and I could see they really enjoyed their job. It all made me really excited for the real thing – and I’ve never looked back.”

Department of Media Applicant Visit Days

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15th

February 2014 March 2014

Department of Social Sciences Applicant Visit Days

15th

February 2014

12th March 2014 Book online at:

edgehill.ac.uk/undergraduate/visitdays

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Business and Management

The world of business has moved on a lot since the days of the pin-striped suit and bowler hat.

There are more women, for a start. The study of business-related subjects has also developed exponentially. You will be invited to take our “innovation challenge", or investigate the brave new world of digital marketing, while budding accountants can discover that there’s more to the profession than bean counting, with team sessions on product pricing, negotiation skills and decisionmaking.

Senior Lecturer Dr Charles Knight: "The applicant visit day activities are designed to be fun but also show potential students the cutting edge of current business practices and research".

Greg Anderton came along to an Applicant Visit Day and now studies Business and Management here: “It really sealed the deal. The campus atmosphere was really good. The branding exercise – carrots as crisps! – was genuinely interesting."

Business School Applicant Visit Days

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15th

February 2014 March 2014

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Law and Criminology

Geography and the Physical Environment

Should the punishment fit the crime? That’s one question you could be faced with, as you don your metaphorical wig and gown for a Law and Criminology taster session. Should justice be an ‘eye for an eye’, or should we consider other systems of delivering punishment? What would a system whereby the ‘punishment fitted the crime’ actually look like? And what might the alternatives be? As you discuss the relative merits of a hypothetical case, issues will be raised which will force you to question your beliefs, your understanding of the law, and notions of crime and punishment. Hopefully by the end you won’t be reaching for the black cap.

The Geography department will be showing off its own new physical environment on Applicant Visit Day, having recently upgraded its facilities. There will be a taster lecture from one of the staff and, depending on the programme for which you have applied, they will also host seminars, and provide hands-on practical opportunities in physical geography, environmental science and geology where you will hear all about the extensive fieldwork opportunities available.

Angela Tobin, Lecturer in Criminology and Criminal Justice: “Criminology taster sessions are designed and delivered in the same way as an undergraduate workshop. Students are expected to consider, explore, discuss and debate issues such as justice, punishment, human rights and inequalities.”

Nigel Richardson, Head of Department: “Current students will be on hand to give you the lie of the land, offering a unique insight into the department.

They’ll show you round our brilliant new department building where there’ll be plenty of opportunities for you to quiz staff and students.”

This is just a sample of what’s on offer at Applicant Visit Days during February and March 2014, covering all subject areas. They’re popular, though, so check the website for further details and to book: edgehill.ac.uk/undergraduate/visitdays We also have Open Days and monthly campus tours: edgehill.ac.uk/undergraduate/events

Department of Geography Applicant Visit Days

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February 2014

12th March 2014

Department of Law and Criminology Applicant Visit Days

15th 15th

February 2014 March 2014

Book online at:

edgehill.ac.uk/undergraduate/visitdays

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If you’ve got Helen Bullough, Head of CBBC Children’s Programming, Carol Crane, casting director and documentary maker, David Pichilingi, Director of the Liverpool SoundCity music festival, and tv producer Colin McKeown in a room together, then you had better not waste the opportunity.

And our students certainly didn’t, when these senior media personalities sat amongst an impressed audience at the spectacular end-of-year show and exhibition at the Lowry in Manchester.

Exclaim! brought together work from music, performing arts, creative writing, computing, film, television and advertising students under one roof for the first time.

Our third year advertising students made sure their presence was felt with an exhibition, Everything but Grey, featuring their coursework:

“End of year shows are a vital part of all Media degrees,” explains Andy Tibbs, Programme Leader in Advertising. “They give students the opportunity to discuss their ideas, inspire others and present themselves in a professional and confident way. As well as this, the events also provide students with the chance to meet a variety of influential people in their specialist field.”

Placements are a vital part of the learning experience, a place to put the lecture room theory into real world practice, from interpreting a brief to pitching to a client. Steve Waring, Senior Designer at local advertising agency Loaf Creative: “We were really keen to get involved with Edge Hill University as our agency is always on the lookout for young creatives. It also enables us to help enhance the learning experience of the students, while developing their understanding of the real world.”

The end of year shows are an integral part of the Media degrees at Edge Hill University, building students’ confidence and enabling them to develop a professional and outward-facing approach, and ensuring they’re job-ready on graduation.

The new £16million Creative Edge facility brings our media, film, animation, advertising and computing staff and students together under one roof, providing access to industry-standard facilities, and encouraging a culture of real interdisciplinary collaboration, broadening the minds of around 1,200 students. It’s already become a melting pot of invention and innovation.

Creative Edge

And our links with the creative industries have only got stronger, says Andy Tibbs:

“Encouraging and enabling our students to work with agencies is something we constantly do as part of the Media degrees here. By combining opportunities to work directly with clients, businesses and professionals alongside the cuttingedge facilities and experienced staff within the University, you bring about a creative environment that is an ideal platform for future success.”

Exclaim!

Follow the progress of our advertising students on the department blog: evbg.wordpress.com or visit edgehill.ac.uk/media

Andy Tibbs 17°

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Staff profile

Senior Lecturer and Programme Leader – Advertising

What do you teach, and what is your research about?

In a nutshell, advertising and design thinking. Creativity and how to apply it to mass-communication problems. In design terms I have a particular interest in typography, the design of letter forms.

Best/worst part of your job?

Students are the best part, the worst part is administration!

The advertising campaign I wish I’d devised…

This changes almost daily. Today I’d say it’s an Australian viral campaign for Metro (a transport network). It takes public service announcements to a whole new level and is a near perfect example of how to make advertising and an appealing message ‘contagious’.

Holiday destination of choice and why?

Jamaica. I love spicy food and reggae music so to hang around somewhere steeped in the cultures surrounding both those things would be perfection.

Who, alive or dead, has inspired you in life?

In music, Johnny Cash, a true American rebel. In art and design, the Bauhaus school of 1930s Germany.

Culturally, I never miss…

Any opportunity to visit an art gallery or design museum.

Usually the smaller, more obscure ones tucked away in cities.

Growing up I dreamt of being …

A rock ‘n’ roll star.

Who would you invite to your dream dinner party?

George Orwell, Johnny Cash, Bob Marley, [Russian designer and typographer] El Lissitzky and Tony Benn.

What is the worst job you’ve ever done?

Picking mushrooms under UV lights in hot damp sheds when I first left college.

Guilty pleasure?

Country music (but proper stuff, nothing to do with Stetsons and rhinestone suits).

How do you relax?

With a perfect pint of cask bitter in the sunshine outside an old man’s pub. Or playing aged rockabilly songs on my guitar.

What’s in your ipod/cd player at the moment?

The Cinematic Orchestra and some bonkers Hungarian gypsy punks called Gogol Bordello.

For my last supper, I would have…?

A South Indian chickpea and paneer curry.

What do you always have in your fridge?

Photographic film!

What has been your most embarrassing moment?

Nothing I’m prepared to include in this Q&A!

What do you wish you’d known before starting uni?

How to work hard and play hard. A skill I later perfected in advertising studios.

Finally, tell us a joke….

What do you call a man with a spade in his head? Doug.

What do you call a man without a spade in his head? Douglas.

Andy joined Edge Hill University after many years in advertising, working with Volkswagen, G4S, British Gas, Halifax plc, Lloyds TSB, and the AA. He is the author of Advertising: Its business, culture and careers, which reveals the tricks of the advertising trade.

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We ventured out onto campus in search of sartorial inspiration, and discovered students happy to shun haute couture and find their own style. Fashionistas of New York, London, and Paris take note

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Laura BA English Mac: Zara Boots: Office Bag: Accessorize

‘I like Victoria Beckham’s new line – it’s fitted and sophisticated.’

Listening to: ‘AM’ – Arctic Monkeys

Adam BA (Hons) Animation Jacket: Belfield Watch: G-Shock Boots: Timberland

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Adam BSc (Hons) IT Management for Business (ITMB) Glasses: Rayban Shoes: ebay Bag: Primark

Calah BA (Hons) Secondary Modern Foreign Languages with QTS Top: Vintage Shirt: H&M Shoes: Vintage Dr. Martens Necklace: Topshop Listening to: ‘Everything – from hip hop beats to obscure house.’

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Paddy PGCE English Combats: Primark Thumb ring: Top Man Trainers: Nike ‘The combats and braces were for a Carnage night out – they survived somehow.’

Listening to: Hip hop

Natasha BA (Hons) English Boyfriend oversized coat: River Island Watch: Selfridges Boots: ASOS

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Home is where the heart is...

P

sychology undergraduate Chanice Bennett is one of the first students to take up residence in our new halls of residence on the east side of the campus, joining a vibrant on-campus community of 1,900 young people.

One of the safest campuses in the UK, our new halls come with flat screen tvs and wireless internet access, as well as the usual bedroom furniture. And what a view:

“One of the reasons I came to Edge Hill was because of the lakes. Back home everyone’s like, ‘there’s lakes at uni, isn’t there?’, because that’s all I spoke about. It’s so pretty.”

Chanice’s room is spick and span, apart from the impressive array of photos covering the walls and hogging her bookshelf – ‘my textbooks are on my desk’, she protests, maybe a little too much. She’s one of six in her selfcatering apartment in Chancellor’s Court, and the experience has helped her make the transition from home to university relatively easily:

“Coming from home I wanted somewhere that was safe. It’s easier to get to know people in halls and know where you are going, so I thought it was a safer option. When we get homesick, we talk to each other. I got really homesick and I went home, just to see people, and I’ve been fine since. You do need to get through the first few weeks really, and then you’re ok.”

The question of what to bring is always near the top of every new student’s list, but Chanice is happy to give you the benefit of her experience:

“Things that have sentimental value are the things you should bring – photos, I’ve got a teddy that I brought with me.

If you bring things you don’t need they’re just going to take up room, and you don’t actually have a lot.

“All the things that made up my room at home, I’ve brought up with me, just so it feels more homely. We also have pinboards. I’ve got letters and cards people have sent me, and notes from my nan telling me what she’s been up to. When I’m feeling sad, I just go into my room, and it’s not so bad.”

Living away from home for the first time is exciting, but requires some adjustment:

“You’re going out and doing the shopping, and you have to do the washing and the cooking, so it’s the independence, and not having to think about what mum’s going to make me do. But the best part is, because everyone’s going through the same thing, they’re all supportive of you.

Straightaway you’ve got something in common, so you don’t feel like you’re on your own at all.”

Communal fridges are often a sadlyneglected part of student house furniture. What’s always in Chanice’s?

“Cheese, bacon and fizz,” she says without pause. At least parents will be relieved that the morning after is well catered for, but what else does she get up to in halls?

“It’s more sitting in together and having a laugh, rather than going out all the time. We play on the Wii, or we play board games. If you walk past our apartment all you can hear is shouting because we’re getting too competitive.”

Chanice plans to make way for the next cohort of first years on campus by moving into a shared house in Ormskirk in her second year, but feels a year in halls is a great base from which to launch the next phase of your life:

“If you’re far from home it gives you that support network straightaway, whereas if you were moving into a house I think it would be more daunting. And the best thing you can do is just be yourself.”

So, for a happy year in halls stock up on cheese, bacon and fizz, bring a teddy if it helps, but mostly, just be yourself.

More information about halls:

edgehill.ac.uk/accommodation

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ou need to sit down,’ said the agent on the other end of the phone.

This was the moment Carys Bray, Creative Writing PhD student, Associate Lecturer and short story prizewinner, realised she could now add fullyfledged novelist to that list. If this was not enough to make anyone go weak at the knees, the accompanying six figure publishing deal would certainly finish the job.

Hutchinson has signed the world rights to Here We Are Together, Carys’ novel of a Lancashire Mormon family whose world is shattered when the youngest daughter dies.

The father believes the family will see her again in heaven, while seven-year-old Jacob thinks he’ll be able to perform a resurrection miracle if he prays hard enough.

Described by the publisher as ‘devastatingly emotional and sharply observed’, Carys completed the novel as part of a PhD in Creative Writing at Edge Hill University and couldn’t believe it when she got the call.

“Forty-eight hours after she sent my novel out on submission, my agent telephoned me at home and said, ‘You need to sit down’. No one has ever said that to me before. When I heard the news, I reached for my mobile to text my husband but I couldn’t form the words because my thumb was shaking so much.”

So how did Carys get here?

Cash for Carys Carys Bray PhD Creative Writing/Associate lecturer/Novelist

“I’ve always been a big reader. I suppose it was only natural that I’d want to write as well.

I love Carol Shields – The Stone Diaries is one of my favourite books – and I wish I’d written The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood.”

“I’ve always been a voracious reader and I suppose it was only a matter of time before I began to wonder how the magic worked and whether I could learn the trick of it. I wrote reams of Famous Five fan fiction which I presented to my teacher who was kind and encouraging (poor man) and that’s how it began.”

How did Carys make the leap from young Blyton copyist to someone who could legitimately rub shoulders with ManBooker prize-winners?

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“I grew up in a Mormon family, and got married quite young. I was in my early thirties when I crawled out from under a pile of nappies and started to wonder what I was going to do with the rest of my life. I went back to university and did a BA in Literature. I had the option to choose some Creative Writing modules, and I loved them. I started my MA at Edge Hill when I was 34 – it was an opportunity to see whether I could write.

The MA at Edge Hill taught her ‘to be a better writer’:

“The staff expanded my reading horizons, taught me how to give and receive feedback, how to edit and discard things that don’t work, and how to submit work to journals and magazines.

“But I think the most valuable thing was that I found a writing community. I met other people who wanted to be writers.”

“I remember workshopping a story about a baby and a suitcase.

At the end of the workshop [tutor] Robert Sheppard passed the story back to me and said, ‘Get it published.’ It was the first time I’d written something that really felt finished. I drove home feeling excited and motivated.”

Until Alice Munro won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2013, the short story had been a neglected literary format.

Edge Hill lecturer and Carys’ PhD supervisor, Ailsa Cox, who has written a book on Munro, and launched Edge Hill’s own Short Story Prize, believes it is excellent preparation for the long form:

“Carys developed the clarity and intensity of her style from her beginnings as a short story writer, learning from writers including Carol Shields and Alice Munro; and she's still writing stories.”

“

Their words of encouragement inspired Carys to keep going, and her first collection of short stories, Sweet Home, was

The staff expanded my reading horizons, taught me how to give and receive feedback, how to edit and discard things that don’t work, and how to submit work to journals and magazines.

feel any pressure, I was just worried that I might be wasting a lot of time. If a short story work then it’s doesn’t disappointing, but if the novel didn’t work I knew I would be gutted about abandoning a couple of years of work.

“I wouldn’t really describe myself as a full-time writer yet. I’m still studying for my PhD and I do some part-time teaching. Having said that, I suppose my teaching and studying are part of being a writer… I might actually be a fulltime writer! Gulp.”

”

She still has to find time between ‘the school holidays and football training’, writing whenever she can:

“I used to be afraid to write what I knew because I thought it was too boring and ordinary. But I’ve since realised that there’s plenty of material to be found in family relationships.”

Not the glamorous shift in lifestyle she perhaps imagined:

published in 2012, winning the Scott Prize for Short Stories, and reflecting an understandable preoccupation with parenthood and children.

That validation from fellow writers was evidence that she could make a real living from it.

Carys still had to dig deep for confidence, though:

“The idea terrified me, so I decided to write a scene from the novel and disguise it as a short story. I told myself that if the story didn’t work I could abandon the novel idea, but when I finished the story I quite liked it, so I carried on. I didn’t

“I often cook dinner with my laptop open on the worktop and I take research material with me while I wait in the car for the children. Sometimes I turn my days upside down and work all night then sleep for a couple of hours after the school run.”

“I did an event at the Cheltenham Festival the other weekend with Dea Brovig and Orange Prize winner Helen Dunmore, but nothing major has changed, and I don’t expect it to.”

Carys plans to complete her PhD, and she’s already started thinking about the follow-up: “It’s going to be about family – maybe I’ll write a sci-fi epic next time!”

Here We Are Together will be published by Hutchinson in June 2014.

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putting legal theory into practice

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s a student, the closest I got to putting the law into practice was by becoming involved in ‘mooting’ at university. That’s where you’re given a (fictitious) legal problem and present the case either for the claimant or the defendant in a competitive environment, with a judgment given at the end for one side or the other. It helped me to develop many valuable skills, particularly public speaking, but there was never a real client in sight!”

Robert Collinson, Director of our new pro bono Law Clinic, appears a little envious of our Law students, who will have the opportunity to operate a free legal advice service to members of the public as part of their degree course, under his watchful eye.

“The Law Clinic provides opportunities for students to gain experience in interviewing clients, conducting legal research, and writing letters giving initial legal advice.”

Traditionally, law clinics have operated at the vocational stage of training, but Edge Hill is in the vanguard of universities offering this training at an earlier point in students’ education. Meeting real people with real problems, and seeing how they can make a real difference is a great advantage so early in their training.

“Our students get to see what legal problems actually mean for people, they develop vital ‘people skills’ such as listening, sympathy and empathy; they develop practical legal skills,

Robert Collinson is a Solicitor, Senior Lecturer in Law and Director of the Pro Bono Law Clinic

such as questioning appropriately and summarising issues which have been discussed.”

Put simply, they turn academic legal knowledge into something which makes an actual difference to a real person. Making an impact on someone’s life is what initially drew Robert to the profession: “It’s often said that ‘knowledge is power’ and that’s definitely true of legal knowledge. In my experience it’s the kind of knowledge which can redress the imbalance of power which exists between, for example, the large corporation and the private individual.”

And what of role models? We are fascinated by law and order. The tv and film schedules contain a plethora of legal characters, from Stephen’s Fry’s put-upon solicitor in Kingdom to Saul Goodman, Breaking Bad’s morally ambiguous Mr Fix It. Robert’s own inspiration is a little more traditional, and could have a few of you hitting your Google search button:

“I’ve always been inspired by Sir Robert Morton, the fictional barrister created by Terence Rattigan in his 1946 play The Winslow Boy. I saw the film version as a teenager and it played some part in me choosing to study law. The story, loosely based upon something which really happened, concerned a boy at a Royal Naval College who was expelled for allegedly stealing a postal order from another student. The boy continued to protest his innocence, but the Admiralty refused to undertake a

proper investigation. A leading barrister, Morton, took on the case and eventually the government was forced to acknowledge that there had been no case against the boy. For me it shows that with legal knowledge, even the state can be made to back down if they’re in the wrong. The satisfaction of being able to use legal knowledge to help someone with a legal problem, to find an acceptable solution to that problem, is very rewarding.”

So is the law an ass? Predictably perhaps, Robert doesn’t think so.

“The perception of the law as an ass largely springs from the fact that laws which go wrong make good newspaper articles. It tends to happen, in particular, when politicians have passed new legislation hastily, as a ‘knee jerk’ reaction to an issue of public concern. The overwhelming majority of laws work perfectly well.”

In summary, then. If you study Law at Edge Hill University you will be in an environment designed to prepare you for the real world, working with real people, whether that’s taking on corporate Goliaths, or using your new skills in other fields within the financial sector, human resources management, journalism, politics, or maybe even teaching, training the next generation of legal eagles.

The Edge Hill University Law Clinic will be open to the public from February 2014: edgehill.ac.uk/law

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POSI+IVE Student Careers

“Stay positive, there’s a world of career opportunities still out there.”

That’s the message from the Edge Hill University Careers Service amidst what may seem to be bleak times for young people looking for a full-time career, with the number of young people unemployed, or under-employed, higher than it has been for a generation.

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There’s plenty you can do to help yourself though, and staff in our Careers Centre will show you how to improve your employability, whether it’s volunteering to clean up beaches or signing up for Camp America.

Jacqui Howe, Head of the Careers Service: “A senior leader at IBM said recently that graduates need to be relevant and able to differentiate themselves, to clearly articulate the skills they’ve acquired from a variety of experiences, and to make a positive initial impact. We work closely with employers to ensure key skills are integrated into courses, 75% of our courses carry additional professional accreditation, and many courses have work placements built in. And there are plenty of other ways to improve your job prospects.”

Jacqui advises all new students to pay an early visit to the Careers Centre for a chat, but here’s our own short guide to boosting your job prospects.

+ BE A STEP AHEAD OF THE REST

Our free Employability Programme, endorsed by the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM), will help you develop the skills most valued by employers. BSc Accountancy graduate Tope Sadiku, now a Graduate Trading Assistant with Asda, took full advantage:

“The programme prepared me for assessment days and graduate level interviews. This, plus the great support from the careers team, contributed significantly to me successfully joining the graduate scheme.”

+ EARN MONEY WHILE YOU’RE HERE

Part-time or temporary work in the local area, or maybe taking a student job on campus, can familiarise you with the expectations of work. On top of the extra cash, the bonus is a CV that suggests a proactive approach to work.

+ SCHOOL’S OUT FOREVER?

Not necessarily. There are plenty of opportunities to combine work and play while you’re a student. Summer festivals can be an ideal way to earn money – or at least gain free entry – and catch a few of this year’s ‘next big things’. Or we can help you avoid the barriers to entry with a job at the Aintree Grand National. And if you fancy dodging the British summer and working abroad, the Careers Centre has all the information you’ll need.

+ HELP YOURSELF BY HELPING OTHERS

“Volunteering is seen as key experience by employers.

It’s the perfect opportunity for you to develop the skills you’ll need when you start applying for jobs,” says Volunteering Co-ordinator Jennie Owen. Alex Winstanley, recipient of a 2013 Volunteering Scholarship from Edge Hill, has dedicated a large part of his student life to volunteering. The sports student’s commitment to helping others has taken him from Wigan to the London

2012 Olympics, via Ghana, coaching young people, and promoting sport for all. As well as improving job prospects, though, there are other benefits: “I get the most satisfaction from knowing that people are enjoying what I’ve taught them.” You too can apply for a volunteering on-course scholarship to help fund your activities.

+ OUR COURSES PREPARE YOU FOR WORK

We work with employers and lecturers with industry experience to offer programmes with very practical skills, while the Careers Centre staff will provide expert advice on how to write great applications and prepare for interviews. Eamon Karpuska, a Computer Systems and Software graduate, was grateful his degree’s very practical side allowed him to build up his CV, and eventually landed a highly-prized place on the Barclays Bank graduate scheme as a UNIX technician:

“Much of the course was based on the kind of deliverables and deadlines expected in the workplace. At the end of my final year I was given a paid business project, involving delivery and set-up of a computer network. I was able to add this successful project to my list of achievements, which greatly increased my ability to get interviews.”

+ MEET YOUR FUTURE BOSS

Not a speed-dating session, you’ll be pleased to hear.

Instead, take advantage of regular opportunities to meet employers face-to-face, learn about different jobs, secure vital work experience, and develop contacts. Work experience is a genuine competitive advantage when pursuing graduate jobs – just ask MA Marketing and Communications graduate Holly Heslop: “During my MA I did work experience at Coca-Cola’s US HQ in Atlanta where I shadowed and interviewed global marketing managers. Both my university experience and the work placement allowed me to pursue my career aspiration to work in a large company.” Holly now works in online marketing for John Lewis.

+ FINALLY, DON’T WORRY IF YOUR CAREER PLANS AREN’T IMMEDIATELY CLEAR

We’re all plagued with doubts and anxieties about the future, which is why our Careers Advisers are on hand for confidential chats and guidance, about the right course, what you can do with your degree, or how to follow a particular career path. Pay them a visit as early as possible, and get a head start in your career. edgehill.ac.uk/careers

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A Bunch of Fives 2014 is likely to be a big year for you as you make the transition from further to higher education, but what else does 2014 have in store? We asked a few of our students from Vibe Media, the Uni’s studentrun media platform, for some tips.

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4

Interstellar Very few details are available about Christopher Nolan’s next film Interstellar, apart from its amazing cast – Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, and Matt Damon – and that it’s a sci-fi film exploring time-travel. But anything that The Dark Knight director does is met with giddy anticipation.

Expected release date: November 2014

X-Men: Days of Future Past With the recent online trailer, it’s fair to label the latest X-Men film its own beast, and not just another Marvel superhero filler as we await the next Avengers instalment.

With original X-Men director Bryan Singer back on board, accompanied by the old cast teaming up with the crew first seen in 2011’s First Class, you wouldn’t be considered crazy for thinking a new team of superheroes is ready to steal the limelight.

3

Godzilla After Roland Emmerich’s disappointing 1998 attempt at updating Godzilla for a newer generation, it looks like we’ll be treated to a more worthy take on the legendary lizard with up-and-coming British director Gareth Evans at the helm. If you are lucky, you’ll have seen the teaser trailer momentarily leaked online: terrifying.

Expected release date: May 2014

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1

The Grand Budapest Hotel

12 Years A Slave

The latest outing from eccentric auteur Wes Anderson looks set to be one of the surprise hits of 2014. The trailer suggests laughs, drama, mystery, and action, all played out by a wonderful cast, including Ralph Fiennes, Bill Murray, Jude Law, and Edward Norton. You’d be a fool not to book a room now.

Expected release date: March 2014

A true story about a free black man kidnapped and sold into slavery in the 1800s, this has Oscar nominations written all over it. Directed by one of the most provocative and talented filmmakers around right now, Steve McQueen, it boasts an extraordinary cast, including Chiwetel Ejiofor, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Michael Fassbender.

Expected release date: January 2014

Athletic types and masochists will jump for joy as the Rock 'n' Roll Liverpool Marathon returns.

A new format sees bands playing live music along the course, which begins at the Albert Dock, and takes in the Liverpool and Everton football stadiums, and Sefton Park. Not that you’ll be in any state to notice.

June

Liverpool’s Everyman Theatre reopens its doors after a threeyear £28m redevelopment with a production of Twelfth Night.

The Everyman has been a fixture on the Merseyside cultural scene since opening in 1964, with a stunning array of in-house talent over the years, including Edge Hill alumnus Jonathan Pryce.

May

March

Expected release date: May 2014

Liverpool’s Africa Oye Festival is an annual celebration of world music. Over one weekend in 2013, thousands gathered in Sefton Park to see bands from Cape Verde to Ghana to Cuba.

And they brought the sun with them.

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5 Google Glass Although technically already with us, Google Glass aren't yet for sale. Giving you constant visual access to the internet, only time can tell whether we’ll all be permanently online, or whether they’re just this year’s laserdisc/minidisc/Sinclair C5 (for our older readers). Either way, we eagerly await the outcome.

4 Curved OLED TVs The next phase in the evolution of televisual entertainment, say manufacturers.

An unnecessary addition to the viewing experience, say others. Wherever you stand, these new tellies, ranging from 55-105 inches, will be the must-have home entertainment trophy for the cash-rich this year.

3 Wearable tech Fashion and technology seem to be clashing bigtime at the moment, with a plethora of wristbands, watches, and even headbands programmed to do all sorts of clever stuff, like monitoring your skin's ultraviolet exposure, your heart rate, or your athletic performance, before sending all the information to a smartphone app.

2 Phonebloks Are the days of the iPhone and Galaxy numbered? This nifty little idea is the brainchild of Dave Hakkens. Customise and upgrade your phone yourself, with plug-in components. If it gets enough backing it will launch in 2014.

1 Polaroid Socialmatic If you have a nostalgic hankering for sharing photos the old fashioned way, Polaroid’s Socialmatic connects to social media, and lets you customise and print off little stickers of favourite/most embarrassing images with which to adorn diaries/fridges/each other.

Due out just in time for Christmas 2014.

3D head Thanks to the technology of 3D printers you can upload a picture of yourself and get it made into a little plastic version.

The best part? They fit on the bodies of a very popular toy brick company.

Since its launch in 1999, the Liverpool Biennial has commissioned over 200 new artworks, attracting over 600,000 visitors each time.

Liverpool braces itself for another new art invasion in 2014, scattered throughout the city. The fun is in exploring the city, and finding strange things in unusual surroundings.

August

July - October

The book Crafting With Cat Hair For the person in your life who has knitted and crocheted everything. And the bonus? You might even get a cat-hair craft present next Christmas. Score!

Petrolheads should set their satnavs for the 2014 Ormskirk Motorfest. Sports cars, motor bikes, and vintage classics compete for your attention amidst a lot of leather.

T-shirt folder As seen on The Big Bang Theory, you'll never have an excuse for bad folding again.

Underwater disco light show Flashing lights in the bath – what else is there to say?

Bluetooth gloves Look like a crazy person by conducting phone calls through the fingers of your gloves, using the classic 'call me' position.

Open Days 10am – 3pm

Saturday 21 June Saturday 16th August Saturday 11th October Saturday 15th November st

ehu.ac.uk/2q9

Come and take a closer look...

Edge Hill University, St Helens Road, Ormskirk, Lancashire L39 4QP T: 01695 657000 edgehill.ac.uk/opendays study@edgehill.ac.uk