Issue Four by Flex Magazine

flex www.flexnewspaper.co.uk

COELIAC BY THE SEA HOUSE HUNTING TIPS THE WHITE BICYCLES

issue FOUR

INTERVIEW

WHITE

LIES

also inside: CAMPUS NEWS / #FALMOUTH / 2014 entertainment / WINTER EVENTS

illustration: Freddie Pooley

HAPPY NEW YEAR! from everyone at flex

flex

A LITTLE

birdie TOLD ME WE’RE ON TWITTER. THAT’S WHERE WE LET EVERYONE KNOW WHAT WE’RE DOING, WHETHER IT BE WRITING, INTERVIEWING OR GETTING YOU INVOLVED!

@theonlineflex

PHOTO: Jon Tamlyn

WELCOME

good luck to everyone over the course of 2014!

Hey everyone! Happy New Year from us all at Flex. We hope you’ve enjoyed your break and had a good Christmas accompanied by lots of food, drink and free heating. We certainly have. Now it’s back to uni, back to work and back to deadlines. So good luck with it all! Our cover feature for this issue is an interview with post-punk group White Lies. We caught up with them when they were in Bristol and spoke about the state of the industry, taking iPads into gigs and going on a romantic stroll to the Bristol Suspension Bridge. Also in this issue we’ve got some topical features for you, such as the government’s plans to sell more of the student loan book - which is sure to be an issue to follow closely. We’ve also got a handy

COVER photo: Eliot Lee Hazel

guide to help students out with their house hunting over the next few months. Along with that we have the standard News section, with a really interesting story regarding the loss of library books. Throw in a host of articles looking ahead to what this year has got to offer in events, film and music and you’ve got yourself some pretty interesting reading for the bus home. We’d really like to have more of you involved and contributing to both platforms. If you have an idea or something you’ve written, just drop myself (rob@flexnewspaper.co.uk) or the Deputy Editor (ben@flexnewspaper.co.uk) an email. Good luck this term and let’s hope spring comes sooner rather than later!

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EDITORIAL TEAM

EDITOR Rob Slade DEPUTY EDITOR & DESIGN Ben Scott LIFESTYLE Minky Loh PHOTO editor Sam Marsh Jason Whittaker, Eliot Lee contributions: Hazel, Freddie Pooley, Jon Tamlyn, Mark Hardaker, Julia Conway, Jordan Stephens, Jasmine Irving, Corey Richards, Frank Ockenfels, Elliot Finn, FXU, Nicole Gomes

WE WANT YOUr help We want this project to grow and as such we want your contributions. Don’t forget we’re online too and always welcoming submissions. If you’ve got a unique feature idea, a big interview lined up or want to review a gig, email: rob@flexnewspaper.co.uk

www.flexnewspaper.co.uk

SECTIONS: NEWS We keep you up to date with everything that’s happening on campus.

LIFESTYLE This month we’re dealing with healthy eating and gluten-free food.

MUSIC A preview of 2014 and an interview with The White Bicycles.

#FAL

Here’s our roundup of the best photos that really showcase Falmouth.

INTERVIEW We caught up with White Lies in Bristol, on their most recent UK tour.

FEATURES GET SOCIAL, NEVER MISS OUT /theonlineflex @theonlineflex @flexmagazine

This issue we look at house hunting tips and the student loan book sale..

EVENTS

A look ahead to some of the big dates in the next few months.

INTRODUCING

THE WHITE BICYCLES

As most students know, Falmouth is a massive place in terms of music. There are always gigs on throughout town and the amount of talent coming out of The Perfomance Centre is insane. So we caught up with a band that is starting to cause some ripples. Turn to page 14 to meet Matt and Ryan, The White Bicycles.

INTERVIEW WHITE LIES We travelled to Bristol to catch up with post-punk trio, White Lies before they played the Bristol O2 Academy. The band told us about their most memorable gig to date, using iPads at gigs and about the best ice cream they ever had. You can read the full interview on page 22.

FEATURE STUDENT LOANS This feature is important to all students, old and new. The government has sold the student loan book of 1990-98 and now they are planning to do the same for loans between 1998-2012. There are signs that this may result in a rise in interest meaning a retrospective hike in fees. Turn to page 30 for the full low down.

LIFESTYLE

MUSIC

INTERVIEW

FEATURES

GLUTEN FREE 12

WHITE LIES 22

IN 2014

INTERVIEW #FAL 16

HOUSING 26

LILY & MEG 20 INSTAGRAM 22

EVENTS WINTER

NEWS

3,000 university books missing WORDS: Mark Hardaker Almost 3,000 books with an estimated value of £82,000 are missing from Falmouth University libraries. The irrecoverable books are thought to be either lost or stolen from the university campus libraries, said a library spokesperson. The list of missing titles dates back from 2008, yet the total figure could be much higher as many books have been replaced by the library over time. As part of the current collection of over 150,000 books, a total of 2,059 have disappeared from the Penryn campus library and a further 925 from the Woodlane site in Falmouth. Doreen Pinfold, Head of Library & Information Services said: “We suspect that most books may have not been returned by students who never finished their course and didn’t end up returning them.”

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Not returning books can put huge pressure on library resources and means much needed titles are often not available for students. “We do put a lot of time and effort into getting the books back,” said Pinfold. “We do put in staff time to try and make sure the books get back to us.” The cost of replacing unreturned books comes straight from the libraries budget and reduces the amount which can be spent on new releases, to keep the collection fresh and current. Although the library has not disclosed a value for the missing literature, Pinfold said that the average cover price of each book would be £25 to £30, which would represent an estimated figure of £82,000. Pinfold also added that she understood that library fines could put some students off returning long overdue books: “Sometimes people think we’re quite hard hearted about this. We’re not out to make money out of the students, it’s all about

getting the book back on the shelf. Come and talk to us if there’s a problem and talk to us if you can’t find what you’re looking for.” Ben Cozens, a student at the Tremough campus said: “It can be really frustrating when you need a book for an essay, but it’s not there. Most of the text books are too expensive to buy so I rely on the library.” Anyone who has mislaid a book is being encouraged to get in contact with the library. “Don’t be afraid to come and talk to us. We will try and work out a solution,” appealed Pinfold. “We would much rather people came and talk to us before we got to the point of blocking their account as not only will their library account be blocked but so will their IT account.” If you would like to discuss a lost or overdue book, you can visit the information desk or find contact details at www.library.fxplus.ac.uk.

uni students in advertising WIn WORDS: Ben Scott Two students of Falmouth University have won a creative competition set by coffee giant Nescafé. Jessica Weeks and Jo Taylor, both graduates of Falmouth’s MA Creative Advertising course, were the lucky winners chosen from among the other entries for the competition. Jo explained: “It was a lot of fun to come up with the design as the brand is really cool with some great bold colours. We decided to focus on pods for all occasions, creating the concept of ‘There’s always time for Nescafé Dolce Gusto.” Their designs are being used across Nescafé marketing, including eye catching newsletters. Jess and Jo were also invited to develop their idea with numerous advertising agencies, social media teams and Nescafé. “We were delighted by the quality of the entries received,” said Laura Muirhead, Brand Manager at Nescafé. “We felt Jess and Jo really understood the key consumer benefits of the brand.”

helston’s shelterbox charity aids typhoon victims in the philippines WORDS: Julia Conway A Helston charity is providing vital support in the Philippines assisting families in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan. Shelterbox, a humanitarian aid organisation, provides rapid response worldwide following natural and man-made disasters. David Crook, 63, a volunteer for the past six years, told Flex: “Our ethos is to provide shelter, warmth, dignity and hope in the shape of a green plastic box.” The Super Typhoon tore through the Philippines archipelago on November 8 2013 with wind speeds reaching 195 miles per hour. Mr Crook added: “This is the largest storm to make landfall. We estimate 11 million people have been affected with 1.8 million people displaced. “We have 11 response teams in the area; three teams were already in Bohal responding to the earthquake of October 15. The building they were in collapsed

around them.” Volunteers at the warehouse on Water-Ma-Trout Industrial Estate pack boxes with equipment including a family size tent, cooking equipment, water containers and purification, blankets and a children’s activity pack. A team of ten can pack 224 boxes in two hours. Mr Crook said of one victim whose home was destroyed: “Jeremiah and daughter Jingle Heart have moved into a Shelterbox disaster relief tent. They had been sheltering from torrential rain under a sheet of tarpaulin, but now they can keep dry.” Shelterbox’s first consignment was deployed to help earthquake victims in India in January 2001. Since then they have worked in 85 countries, responded to more than 200 disasters and provided temporary homes for about 1.25 million people. To find out more about fundraising, voluntary work opportunities or to make a donation contact www.shelterbox.org.

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LIFESTYLE

WAYS TO SHED THE WINTER WEIGHT

in Falmouth

WORDS: Minky Loh

The Core

http://www.thecore.uk.net It’s hard to say no to 2nd Floor, Post Office second helpings of Building, The Moor, FalChristmas dinner, mouth pudding, mince pies, 01326 310760 copious amounts of alcohol £60 per term for gym only and Christmas tree £90 per term for studio chocolate decorations £120 per term for gym so there’s no doubt that and studio combined you’re going to be more cushion for pushin’. Ships and castles There are several ways http://www.tempusleisure. that you can shed weight org.uk/ in Falmouth without break- Castle Dr, Falmouth ing the bank. Here’s a quick 01326 212129 list of gyms and facilities to £25 per month for classes, get you started in Falmouth. gym and pool

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Fit Pit

http://home.btconnect.com/ link-design/sites/fitpit/ 27 Market St, Falmouth TR11 3AS 01326 312082 £22.50 per month for gym facilities only

Flexsi

http://www.flexsi.org.uk £5 membership for the year giving you discount classes and activities

Running

Outside Competely free!

PHOTOs: Minky Loh

EASY TIPS TO MAKE 2014 A

healthy year WORDS: Minky Loh

stress and in turn, can lead to you eating your feelings. Use dates instead of Drink green tea. Its sugar to naturally sweeten catechins, antioxidants, and smoothies and milkshakes. caffeine stimulate your For you chocolate metabolism and improves fiends, opt for dark your endurance during chocolate instead of milk exercise. chocolate as it has more Swap sweets for frozen antioxidants. grapes. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re delicious, Try and cut out or so much easier and reduce caffeine. Caffeine healthier! can stimulate your appetite Swap your snacks of for sweets and fatty foods, crisps and chocolate for and can also trigger your apples and peanut butter body to produce more â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a much healthier option hormones, which cause

and is still yum. Incorporate more avocados into your diet. They are rich in monounsaturated fat and vitamin E, both of which promote healthy skin. Eating broccoli will help increase your intake of vitamin C and provides calcium as well, also helps towards healthier gums. Most importantly of all though, make sure you remember to HYDRATE!

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Coeliac

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Cafe Cinnamon, the Natural Food Storeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s interior, and the Courtyard Deli shop

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PHOTOs: Jordan Stephens

by the sea

TOP 5 GLUTEN-FRIENDLY EATERIES

WORDS: Jasmine Irving I was diagnosed with coeliac disease in my first year at uni, an auto-immune condition where your body attacks itself when gluten is ingested. At first it was daunting, living away from family for the first time and facing an endoscopy at a hospital far away from home. Next I discovered I was dairy intolerant. As a vegetarian too I quickly became a difficult dinner guest! I had to make some big changes but all were positive and I’ve never looked back. So, if you’re studying in Falmouth and have any food intolerances or coeliac disease, don’t worry, this guide should point you in the right direction. After diagnosis, I gave my housemates a debriefing on what I couldn’t eat and on the importance of them never sticking bread crumb covered knives in my spreads. They were supportive and even baked me my very own pizzas and scones so that

Cafe Cinnamon

Prezzo

Delicious gluten-free cake and very accommodating to dietary requirements. Vegan curry night every Thursday.

Easily located with gluten-free pizzas.

the Pancake House

The Courtyard Deli

Gluten-free pancakes are a rare find so it was very exciting to discover this place!

Gluten-free bread available freshly baked on order and coeliac suitable options always on the menu along with baked treats for pudding.

You can’t come to live in Cornwall without eating a pasty. Outlets across Cornwall.

I never felt left out. This really made a difference in adapting to the change. I’d advise you to register with a GP as soon as possible if you haven’t already. As well as this, The Natural Health Store offers some great free healthcare advice. I found them to be the most helpful source of information in discovering how to recover after the damage my body had suffered from years of eating gluten. Plus, this is the place to shop for all your gluten-free and dairy-free essentials, there’s a wide range of healthy choices (unlike the ‘free from’ sections in most supermarkets) and a 5-10% student discount. This store has been an essential for me and made me feel a lot more positive about my health. Usually I feel like a complete pain eating out and it can be more hassle than it’s worth. However, taking a trip along the high street to talk to local cafes and restaurants, I was delighted to hear how many were committed to offering gluten-free options.

Oggy Oggy Pasties

Caterers were keen to ensure that people of all needs could eat out and enjoy the unique places that Falmouth has to offer. Vegetarian Cafe Cinnamon told me: “So many people these days can’t tolerate gluten so it’s good to cater for them as it’s a growing need. We want to cater for everyone.” While The Pancake House said: “Lots of customers come here just for the gluten-free pancakes. I started doing them last year and will not stop because it makes people so happy.” Of course, always inform the place you are eating if you are coeliac and double check that there’s no risk of cross-contamination in the preparation of your food. Last but not least, if you’re missing drinking beer at the pub then head to Hand Bar in the courtyard at the top of the high street, which offers gluten-free beer. For more tips on living gluten-free as a student in Cornwall, visit: www.facebook.com/CoeliacByTheSea

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MUSIC

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INTRODUCING

WORDS: Rob Slade Matthew Howes and Ryan Nolan met on the Popular Music course at Falmouth University and formed The White Bicycles in early 2012. They started out in the traditional songwriter and guitar player format and since then have evolved massively, taking influences from The Maccabees, James Blake and The xx, among others. Last year saw them spend some time in the studio recording a collection of songs for their first EP, Volume 1: Elegy. To support the release the duo embarked on a tour of the south of England taking in places like Falmouth, Bristol and Exeter. We caught up with them after they spent a long day in the studio in the depths of the harsh Cornish winter.

How would you sum up your sound? Matthew: It’s changing, that’s the thing. The whole thing used to be that we wanted to go as mellow as we possibly could. Like really long silences and songs [so] that you weren’t sure if they finished. For a while we didn’t have breaks between our songs. That was the original idea. Then that’s gradually progressed. We listen to a lot of hip hop and so those kind of influences have started to come into the electronic themes. I don’t even know what it sounds like now. Maybe like James Blake but with guitars is probably a good way to put it.

So you played at Boardmasters festival in Newquay. How was that? M: It was probably the first one that really went well. It was cool to be involved like that. I mean, it’s not massive in the grand scheme of things but it’s a big event and it was a good stage and we had a good crowd. Ryan: It wasn’t Glastonbury. M: No it wasn’t Glastonbury. They [Glastonbury] do this emerging talent contest, they get about 8000 applications

and they get bloggers who whittle it down to what they call their long list which is the top 120 and we got in that which was really cool. So that was really nice. That was a nice confidence booster.

What’s next for you guys, a lot of work before deadlines?

M: We put on Somerwick Sessions at The Barefoot Amphitheatre with Lily & Meg and that was amazing. That was like choking me up. R: We were playing and then I turned around and it was a nice day and we were on the side of the cliff with the ocean. M: It was pretty spectacular and we were so lucky with the weather. We were stood there and playing and I was thinking, this is so cool.

M: To be honest, I think the way that we’ve probably approached it will help us out uni-wise, because we’re doing it for real and we haven’t approached it like, ‘this is my project and at the end of my project I’m gonna go back to doing what I was doing before’. R: Yeah we want to be here in 10 years. That’s how we’re thinking. M: We’re thinking about it as a long term project. Not just a ten week PIC (Practice in Context). I don’t want to go back to just doing lectures and writing essays. It just seems pointless because this is actually what I want to be doing. Now it feels like the next bit is just getting the degree done and it’s finished.

Any times when it’s gone completely wrong?

What impact do you think being in Falmouth has had?

Is there a gig that sticks out as a favourite one for you?

M: Yeah I swallowed a mosquito on stage and I choked halfway through a song. The thing is our music’s not very suited to pub gigs. We were in a pub, in a beer garden and it was just a disaster. The band that we were supporting stormed off and were like, “I’m not doing this anymore”. For us there were five people and they were all really rowdy and then I swallowed a mosquito. Then for those guys it was much busier and they were just so disinterested. R: I thought we were gonna get beaten up.

you’ve started a record label? M: We both got interested in some of the small labels particularly over in America. The way that those labels have a certain aesthetic that they adhere to and everything is ridiculously well made and looks really cool. They’re really sensible with their money and they treat their artists responsibly. That professionalism made us want to do it ourselves. We have the tools to do it. We can do things for a reasonable price, and we can do things well and we can sell things for a reasonable price too, is the idea.

M: The space to work. It sounds kind of bad but just the fact that there’s a bit more of an acceptance of doing something that is a bit more out there. I feel at the moment, we’ve maybe done stuff which was a bit extreme, like trying to be as mellow as you can. But when you mature creatively you sort of realise that if you rein all of those things in to a reasonable level, you really hit what’s good. I think places like Falmouth are really good for that because a lot of people are artistically minded and it’s not so, oh why’re you doing that, that’s not cool. It’s a bit more free.

So you’re glad to be here and not in a main city like London? R: There’s a time for it, yeah. I think down here is working for us. M: This place is a very good place to hone your craft isn’t it. Then, once you’ve got it, especially for us, it needs to go into a city. But yeah, it’s been great. You can listen to Volume 1: Elegy on Spotify, SoundCloud or on the bands website, www.thewhitebicycles.co.uk.

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THE

music you have to

LISTEN out for in

2014

Not sure who will be emerging into the charts, making a comeback or is completely new? Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got you covered for the whole year! Find out exactly who to like before they become cool on the next page... 16 flex

WORDS: Ben Scott The second half of 2013 was an interesting six months for music. Some of the best albums of the year were released in the Autumn months, namely Arctic Monkeys’ phenomenal AM, Arcade Fire’s Reflektor, Kings of Leon’s sixth record dropped, London Grammar’s fantastic debut and even AlunaGeorge’s take on pop are all available to listen to, right now. We also stomached Miley Cyrus’ transformation and controversial public appearances (both on the MTV awards and the EMA’s), Robin Thicke provided dissertation titles for University students everywhere and that secret Beyoncé video album dropped. But enough about last year, most people will want to know who to watch this year, who’s up and coming, and who’s coming back? We’ll start with a few of the soon-to-be’s.

NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK MØ is first up. The Danish sensation has already released her Bikini Daze EP which gives a great idea of her sound, and a tantalising tease of what her debut album might hold in February. The slow wash of her vocals is paired perfectly with the electropop melodies she’s used already, and most notably on XXX 88 - her collaboration with Diplo a couple of months ago. Foxes, a singer/songwriter from Southampton has been making headway too. She was featured as an iTunes free download at the end of last year with her single Holding Onto Heaven - a full sounding earthy track that really showcases her vocal ability. Recognise her voice? She featured on Zedd’s track Clarity, and more recently on the new Sub Focus record. Like MØ, she’s released an EP and full album Glorious is expected early this year. Another one to expect big things from would be MNEK. The London based singer has made serious moves into the industry of late, featuring on more tracks than you would realise. He’s also collaborated on Sub Focus’ new album - the track Close

specifically. He’s paired with Duke Dumont, Rudimental, DEVolution and also A*M*E back in 2012. Expect big things from him in the House genre this year for sure. It wouldn’t be right to mention ‘up and coming’ and not include Nina Nesbitt. Another singer/songwriter but hailing from Scotland, she’s gone from strength to strength and is releasing her first album this year. Flex saw her live at Camden just last year, and she put on a great show then. Upbeat feel good pop is the order here, with single Selfies leading the album’s release. Following on from two EP’s, we’re excited to hear what she’s worked on. Sam Smith is another to keep a sharp eye on. Everyone’s heard of him by now, especially after the release of Disclosure’s Latch. Since then, he’s been featured on

never say never, especially when they’re as hard working and humble as the bastille boys even more tracks (much like the artists mentioned previously) specifically La La La on Naughty Boy’s record released last year, and then releasing an EP of his own a month or so later. More recently, he’s paired with Disclosure and Nile Rogers for the Together single - a fresh sound reminiscent of what Daft Punk recorded this year for their album. His debut album, In the Lonely Hour is also launching early this year.

CHIPS OFF THE OLD BLOCK Despite releasing their debut album just ahead of the summer last year, playing festivals and having their own tour, Bastille are not ready to lie down and take a break just yet. They released Of The Night at the back end of the year, a track from their

exceptional two part mix-tape, Other People’s Heartache. There’s nothing to say that this could kick off a Part 2 of Bad Blood or a new album entirely, but never say never, especially when they’re as hard working and humble as the Bastille boys. Also having released an album halfway through last year, the Disclosure brothers are known to have music constantly coming out of their ears. They released a handful of EP’s before their debut album, and have released new work since. It may not amount to a full album (especially not one as polished as Settle) but with the chart successes that were White Noise, Latch and countless others, it’ll be difficult for the pair to say away too long. Both Kanye West and Jay Z released albums this year, and both are now parents. Two of the hardest working men in the hip-hop industry released one of the biggest albums a few years ago, and a Watch The Throne 2 has since rumoured to be in the works. As for when, if it’s coming it won’t be until very late in the year. West even said in a November interview that the pair “haven’t made any songs for it yet”. Bombay Bicycle Club are definitely returning in 2014. They’ve already released the first track from their next album, Carry Me, and the whole record is set to be available in February. Their fourth album no less, So Long See You Tomorrow, is an impressive feat in itself considering they released their first album just a year after finishing secondary school, in 2009. They shot to fame after opening the 2006 V Festival, and cemented that when they were asked to play at the 2012 Olympics. Their new sound (from the lead track) is much faster faced than previous material, but who knows what the rest of the album will have in store. You’d be mad if you said you weren’t looking forward to the year ahead in music. With what came from the end of last year and so much potential in what will be released at the beginning of this one, there’s not a shadow of a doubt that the artists on everyone’s lips at the end of this year will be altogether different from those on everyone’s mind right now.

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IS THE

walking dead TV’S ANSWER TO

HORROR? 18 flex

It turns out that horror isn’t confined to the silver screen and paperback anymore, we can fulfil our blood and scream lust from the comfort of our own home

PHOTO: Frank Ockenfels

WORDS: Corey Richards Horror is a very loosely defined genre, rife with sub-genres which combine various other genres such as drama and thriller to entice an audience. While at its heart, you expect a horror to supply quick and often cheap scares, these days the genre has risen to popularity on television stations such as AMC and FX by providing a combination of horror elements with the everyday drama we crave from TV. While horror based TV series’ are few and far between, in the last couple of years thanks to AMC’s ‘The Walking Dead’ we have seen a rise in the popularity of horror series’ with shows like ‘American Horror Story’ following suit. It turns out that horror isn’t confined to the silver screen and paperback anymore, we can fulfil our blood and scream lust from the comfort of our own home. However, while one may assume that ‘The Walking Dead’, a show that prides itself in it’s Romero-esque zombie horror is by definition, a horror; many fans and critics of the show will be quick to highlight its varying drama, thriller, and macabre romance as source that reference the shows all encompassing nature. Often the horror isn’t even presented in our pre-designated notion of what horror is, we assume that the zombies are the horrific source, but more often than not the horror is strained from the thrill, the emotion and the very human scenarios. For the first three seasons the show has been very nihilistic in a presentation of zombies, often reducing them to very little screen time. We spend a lot of time around

the shows main protagonists, which good or bad, reduces the shows status from horror to mere apocalyptic drama. The same applies to shows like ‘American Horror Story’ which, despite using well known horrors (i.e. ghosts and mass murderers) as the crux, the shows reduce themselves to a droll focus on things like family life, which can be found in any primetime soap. The main reason we revisit shows like these are for the crux, the drama can be titillating such as the love triangle between Rick, Lori and Shane, but the majority of the time I want to see human survival and fight against our minds most horrifying creatures, or at least one of the minds most horrifying creatures. This is why, with the return of ‘The Walking Dead’ for season four, I have held it in high regard already. I feel like the show is finally focusing upon the survival and ‘horror’ element. There are still some aspects which are only included for dramatic effect and deter from the realism and ruin the zombie slaughter, but I feel the show is finally on track. Instead of glossing over the survival aspects, the show has begun to embrace it. So is ‘The Walking Dead’ TV’s answer to horror? No. But as a TV show, it has to build a basis for entertainment that doesn’t rely on cheap scares that lose their effect over time, which ‘The Walking Dead’ certainly does. It’s managed to (despite being criticised for it’s lack of zombies) keep its audience interested throughout and with the end of ‘Breaking Bad’, ‘The Walking Dead’ should more than easily fill AMC’s top spot.

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THIS IS OUR SHOWCASE OF THE BEST PHOTOS TAKEN THAT WERE TAGGED WITH #FALMOUTH and then uploaded to instagram. enjoy!

#FAL

@JDMATTHEWMAN Falmouth Harbour

@indiapocock

@heatherjanemillar

@erayner

@wang1ane

Remember, you can now follow us on Instagram!

@harriegibs 20 flex

@jadeeesharples

@flexmagazine

Tag your photo with #falmouth and you might see yours in the next issue!

@georgiecowell

@KIWGILBERT

@elliotfalmouth

@phillylewis

@benleescott

@billyh1994

@gwithyenmair flex 21

PHOTOs: Eliot Lee Hazel

INTERVIEW

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INTERVIEW

WHITE LIES WORDS: Rob Slade

White Lies are a three piece post-punk band from London who formed in 2007. Since then they have gone on to release three records, tour across the globe and support the likes of Kings Of Leon and Coldplay on arena tours. We caught up with Harry (vocals and guitar), Charles (bass guitar and backing vocals) and Jack (drums) before they played Bristol O2 Academy and spoke about touring, the state of the industry and how none of them really like pasties. How’s the tour been going? Harry: Yeah really well actually. I think we’ve been pleasantly surprised by how well the shows have gone down with people and how many people have shown up as well. Yeah it’s been really good.

It’s been a while since you’ve been touring. Has it been hard to get back into? Jack: We’ve done a lot of shows or small runs of shows which have involved flying, hotels, early starts and all of that. So once you do a bit of that and you get back to being on a bus it’s actually very easy to get settled, because it’s so much more pleasant having the regularity and the routine of driving between each place at night, waking up, having all day to do what you want and that kind of thing. So no, this is the best kind of touring that you can do. I think we can all agree.

So you drive over-night and then get the day to yourself? Charles: Pretty much, that seems to be the way. It’s pretty easy in the UK because the drives are never more than about three hours. I mean we were out in Europe for a month before this and that was the sort of thing when you had long drives and lots of time on the bus. But this has been incredibly easy. It’s quite nice when you come to somewhere like Bristol which is actually a really beautiful city to hang out in anyway. And then spend your day at the dressing room. I did actually go to Pret though. It was lovely and I thought if I wasn’t so lazy I’d go to the suspension bridge like these guys did. Jack: We went on a lovely romantic walk to the suspension bridge, walked over it, then back over it and then back here. Harry: Thought about throwing ourselves off just to see what would happen.

You recently made your main stage debut at Reading and Leeds, how was that? Harry: Really good. We hadn’t played a festival that big for such a long time and we’ve never played on the main stage at Reading and Leeds. So we didn’t know what to expect. And I think we came off the stage feeling… that wasn’t that great. Then we looked back at footage from the BBC and actually it looked really good. It looked really busy and it looked like everyone was really enjoying it. It was just hard for us to tell at the time. It was a really weird stage that one, because you are physically about 60 feet away from the front row. I mean the polar opposite of that would be the gig we played last night at Rock City in Nottingham, where you’re literally face to face with the crowd. The barriers are only like three feet from the stage. I think we much prefer that because it’s really nice to

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FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: White Lies are made up of Charles Cave, Harry McVeigh and Jack Lawrence-Brown

feel that closeness to the audience. Charles: It’s very different to the other stages at Reading and Leeds. We’ve done the tents maybe like three times and those gigs in the tent, even that feels more intimate than the main stage. There’s something about it being in daylight as well. In the cold light of day and you can see everyone. It was quite a weird experience. Having said that it was great. Jack: Both were also Eminem day so there was a lot of die-hard Dido fans there waiting to see if she’d turn up, so it was a bit strange.

Did you play a lot of new stuff, how did it go down? Harry: Yeah, sort of equal. The Reading set was only about 50 minutes as well so you can cut out a lot of the rubbish. Tonight we’re playing for almost twice as long as that. To be fair I think we have quite a well-balanced set at the moment. There’s a

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good balance.

Jack: You always get a couple of moaners who want one certain song. Unfortunately we can’t play 30 songs. But, we’ve just been receiving a lot of very superlative feedback from people. People saying, “This is the best show I’ve seen this year”. We’ve kind of put everything behind this tour, financially and production wise, and in rehearsals and planning the set list. We were talking about this the other night and I think we’re now at a point in time where selling your music is a very wobbly kind of idea because of streaming and downloads. So in a way, we’re doing exactly the right thing and pre-empting any kind of, major shift in the way that music is consumed in a recorded format by effectively spending all of our money, making no profit on this tour but leaving everyone going away, going, “I have no qualms about buying a White Lies ticket again and telling all my friends to come with me next time” because I’ve got

every single penny of that ticket cost. You know, “they put lasers in Bristol Academy”. It is honestly an arena show in these kind of sized venues.

Does Spotify and downloads worry you? Jack: Nah you’ve just got to get on with it really. Just push on and find other ways to make it work. We can make a living by playing certain shows in certain ways whether its festivals or whatever. Harry: Or we can make a living working in an ice cream shop. Jack: White Lies-cream… Harry: It’s an interesting time for us actually because we’re sort of in a transitional stage. We’re definitely an established band now with a third record and shows that people are still coming to. Yet the music world is changing very quickly. We sell a fraction of the records, as does everyone, that we used to. So we’ve

got to look at how we’re gonna move forwards and the way our relationship with the industry is changing quite quickly. So it’s a really interesting time for us. But it’s exciting more than anything.

Where do you stand on people recording on their phones at gigs? Harry: I think if someone is annoying you at the show then you need to tap them on the shoulder and politely tell them to put their phone down. It’s not our job. There are arseholes in the world and if it wasn’t phones, someone would annoy you in a different way. Charles: It’s also quite useful, like we’ve been playing this song Goldmine in our set recently which we’ve never played before until about three or four shows ago and people want to see that. People who didn’t get to see it earlier in the tour. They can go on YouTube and find it. Yeah it’s crappy quality but you still get the idea of what happened. It’s a way that people share information and it’s not the end of the world I don’t think. It’s not something which particular bugs me. Jack: Its basically free advertising. Some people have got posh phones these days. Some of this camera stuff is pretty good. Charles: The iPad I’m not sure about. iPads are just cumbersome I think. Jack: The camera on the iPad is just crap. Charles: Having said that I do often take my iPad to sound check. Bands with iPads on stage is fine. Jack: We all appreciate you having RedTube open during the set [laughs].

Do you have a most memorable gig? Jack: One of our most memorable ones is definitely the first time we ever played in Poland at Heineken Open’er Festival in 2009. We woke up one morning on our bus to be told we’d broken down. We were four hours away from the festival. So we were stuck there for 10 hours that day and played a lot of frisbee in the car park but we were basically resigning our self to the fact that we weren’t gonna get to the festival and we were like, well no one really knows us in Poland anyway so it probably won’t be that big a deal. Eventually they sent some cars out to pick us up and the bare essentials

of our equipment. We got to the festival and had 10-20 minutes to get ready and then we were standing by the side of the stage which was in a very big indoor tent waiting to go on. And I don’t even know if someone made announcement but the lights went down and there was like the loudest roar that I’ve ever heard from a crowd in my whole life. And I really remember being terrified thinking, something has gone wrong, like there’s been a massacre in the crowd or we’re at the wrong stage, this is not for us. Then we walked on and there was like 20 thousand people and we were opening with Farewell to the Fairground. And it’s because it’s one of those countries where no one buys music, so before we had no way of telling if anyone really knew us. And since then we’ve had a really amazing career in Poland in terms of live shows.

I was thinking something’s gone wrong, like there’s been a massacre in the crowd or we’re at the wrong stage Is there anyone in particular you’d like to collaborate or tour with in the future? Jack: I think we still feel that there’s so much that we have to do and learn between three of us in terms of writing and recording music so it doesn’t feel for me like we’re stuck for ideas to involve someone else. Every year, every month we’re all discovering and falling in love with a lot of music that we haven’t heard before. You get so many more ideas. Right now I feel anyway, the most collaborative music experience you can have is to expose yourself to a lot of different music all the time. You just feel almost like you’re collaborating with that band or that record because you’re using it so much to inform something you do as well.

What are you listening to now? Harry: This guy Harry Nilsson, who had a few big hits. He was really good friends with John Lennon and I think, Keith Moon. He basically wrote this album called The Point after taking LSD, and he came up with this whole kid’s story after taking the drug. It’s just a mad story about this person who lives in the land of point. And he’s round and he didn’t have a point so they chuck him out. The music on it is really very good. It’s like great 70’s grooves.

If you had your own festival, which 3 headliners d0 you pick? Jack: I like it where bands sort of not really reform but do one of their best albums in its entirety. I would have Talking Heads reform and do Stop Making Sense. I would like to watch Yes do the first three albums in their entirety. I went to see Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds at Coachella this year and it was probably one of the best live shows I’ve ever seen. It was so amazing that I would probably let him play. Charles: Definitely like the idea of Talking Heads doing Stop Making Sense. That was one of our favourite albums when we were first starting out. I would also probably add, thinking of Coachella… I’m very excited about the thought of Outkast reforming. I would love to see Outkast perform live. Harry: Ian Dury and the Blockheads for me. All the way. Best band of session musicians probably ever.

Favourite pasty filling? Jack: I thought you were gonna ask about ice cream then, I don’t really like pasties. I’m gonna tell you about ice cream. I once had white chocolate ice cream in Cornwall on Polzeath beach and it was off the fucking hook. So I’d have some white chocolate ice cream but these guys can have pasties. Harry: Cheese and onion. Charles: I don’t know, what’s good? I don’t really eat pasties. Harry: Mushroom slice or Cornish. Charles: Well, what’s in that? Harry: Bits of potato and mince. Charles: Is there any like, fishy fillings? Is that not really what they put in pasties? I don’t really eat pasties I’m afraid. I’m so sorry.

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ILLUSTRATION: Freddie Pooley

FEATURES

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HOUSE HUNTING: A CHECKLIST WORDS: Rob Slade

It’s got to that time of year where the house hunt for first and second years is about to begin. So we thought we would draw up some friendly advice about what to consider when looking for your next home... Contrary to what a lot of people believe, there is a lot of student housing out there. Whether that’s in Penryn or in Falmouth itself, there is more accommodation than there are students. One of the first things to realise is that you don’t need to rush into anything. No doubt there will be people around you securing houses quite early on but that’s no need to panic. Houses come on the market at different times and as Frankie Boyd, FXU’s Vice President of Welfare says, “good ones often come up later.” The last thing you want is to jump into signing a contract only to find that much better and cheaper options come up later. Once you’ve signed your contract and paid your deposit, it becomes very difficult to get out of it.

WHERE TO GET ONE So, where do you look for houses? One of the best ways to get into a good student

house is word of mouth. Speak to any third years you may know and ask if the house they will be moving out of is any good. Many of the estate agents along the high street also have a portfolio of student houses and they will often hand out housing lists on request. Some agents advertise their properties earlier than others, so make sure you check back every now and again. The third and quite often most effective way of finding a house is by waiting for the housing list to be published by FXPlus. This is where you’ll find a lot of properties who are rented out through private landlords. The list also allows you to specify search criteria. So if you want something cheap and cheerful, you shouldn’t have too much trouble. It is sometimes a better option to rent with a private landlord over an agent for several reasons. Most agents have to check

with landlords before carrying out repairs and such which means that the response time can often leave something to be desired. But with a private landlord, you are in contact with them directly which usually results in a quicker turnaround, especially with a really active landlord.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR Now here’s another important question. What do you need to look for in a house? Having bills included can sometimes seem pricey but you’ll definitely be the envy of your friends in the winter when you are able to whack the heating up all day! It comes down to what you are prepared to pay and then factoring bills in on top of that. Sometimes you might find inclusive properties to be a similar price. There is the big issue of mould/damp to consider as well. Look out for dark patches on the walls, bobbling and of course dark

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marks. Sometimes it will look like dark freckles and be sure to look closely as it may have been wiped before your arrival. Of course, damp and mould is a problem for most houses by the seaside, but some houses suffer worse than others. Also, be sure to ask the landlord or agent about how they prevent and deal with mould. If they are hands-on in controlling the issue then that’s a good sign. Stephanie Clarke, a senior advisor of the FXU’s advice team said: “If there is mould and damp now, it might indicate a structural problem with the property.” You should also be aware of any marks on the carpet or surfaces and the general condition of the house. Clarke said:”If there are any repairs needed, they should get it in writing from the landlord, that these will be done before they move in.” If you are able to speak to the current tenants then I would thoroughly recommend it as they can give you a real picture of the house and landlord which you may not get otherwise. If the property you are looking at doesn’t include bills then it would absolutely be a good idea to ask the current tenants how much they tend to pay per month, and what they spend it on most (gas, electric etc.).

LOCATION, LOCATION Where do you want to be based? Whether it’s in Penryn or Falmouth make sure you consider the location well. Do you want to be central? Near the beach? Think about how noisy it might be if it’s on a main road or the high street. You’ll also want to factor in how close it is to bus stops or the train station if you have to commute to campus. Plus, it’s always good to have a nice view if it’s possible!

WHO YOU’RE LIVING WITH Some of you will have got on with house mates in halls amazingly well, whereas others will not have had the same fortune. Make sure the people you plan to live with are people you know well and beware of the potential pitfalls of moving in with a couple. That being said, some people enjoy the fresh start of moving in with people you don’t already know. Just make sure you consider your options in depth because as we’ve said earlier, once you’ve entered into a contract it becomes bloody difficult (but not impossible) to get out of!

CONTRACTS & DEPOSITS There are two types of contract, ‘individual’ and ‘joint and several’. The

former can be better as the tenant is then only responsible for their own rent. With ‘joint and several’ however, all of the tenants sign one contract so theoretically if one tenant leaves, the rest of the tenants may be liable for their rent too. Contracts can also vary in length and may have certain clauses in them. Some contracts will begin in July and run for 12 months while others will start in September and run for 9. If you are wanting a place over summer you’ll be interested to know some places offer half price rent over summer. Contracts can also have certain terms such as no smoking, no parties and no pets. It’s really important you read through the contract properly to look out for any of these before you sign your name or pay the deposit.

GOT ALL THAT? As a final note, you should know that you’re not on your own in this search. The FXU advice team are available to talk housing and contracts at any time and have a whole host of useful information at http://www.fxu.org.uk/content/748113/ housing. You should also keep your eye out for house hunting talks that will be taking place in January.

LEFT:

PHOTO: Ben Scott

Check everything! Early signs are tell-tale of a house that will need attention.

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THE GOVERNMENT ARE PLANNING TO SELL THE STUDENT LOAN BOOK What does it mean for past and present students?

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WORDS: Rob Slade As many students will already know, the government recently announced the sale of all student loans between 1990 and 1998 to a private debt collector in November. Approximately £900m worth of loans were sold for a price of just £160m but it seems that this is just the start of what is to come. The government is also looking at selling the student loan book for any loans taken between 1998 and 2012. In a statement to parliament in June 2013, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander said: “We will take action to sell off £15 billion worth of public assets by 2020. £10 billion of that money will come from corporate assets like the student loan book.” The plans were outlined in more detail in George Osborne’s Autumn Statement 2013 presenting the aim to raise an estimate of approximately £12 billion from the sale of the income contingent repayment student loan book between 2014 and 2020. In fact, the sale of the student loan book is referred to frequently throughout the statement and is highlighted as a key source of finance to offset the removal of the cap on the number of students at publicly-funded higher education institutions in England by 2015-16. The way in which the money from the loan book sale will be used was also outlined by Osborne in the statement: “So today I can announce that next year we will provide 30,000 more student places - and the year after we will abolish the cap on student numbers altogether. Extra funding will be provided to science, technology and engineering courses. The new loans will be financed by selling the old student loan book, allowing thousands more to achieve their potential.” Although it is widely considered to be a positive for there to be more students given the chance to attend university, the way the extra loans are being funded is not being so warmly received. It has also became apparent that in the current state, the student loan book will not completely fund the increase in student numbers and after five years the

government will need to find £720 million. This is outlined by Margaret Hodge MP in the Public Accounts Committee hearing in December: “We are in a period where it is unlikely that public expenditure is going to grow, even in five years’ time and you are suddenly going to find an extra £720 million in five years. If you have sold the loan book at a price to simply cover the loans in the short term, in five years you will have to find the money elsewhere.” The worry now is that they have already sold the loan book for loans between 1990 and 1998, have made plans to sell the student loan book up until 2012 but they will still be facing a shortfall after five years. So what is to say that the loans taken out post-2012 won’t suffer the same fate as the those pre-2012? There are fears among many that

it renders the terms and conditions of the student loans useless, they can be changed at any time in order to make the student loan book more attractive to potential buyers, the government may make it more lucrative by removing the cap on interest. In fact, in the terms and conditions for each student loan it reads: “You must agree to repay your loan in line with the regulations that apply at the time the repayments are due and as they’re amended. The regulations may be replaced by later regulations.” It effectively renders the terms and conditions of the student loans useless in that they can be changed at any time. During the Public Accounts Committee hearing in December, Martin Donnelly, Permanent Secretary, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills said: “The government does have the ability to change certain terms of the loan, including, for

example, the level of indexation.” However, Donnelly did outline the idea that if the student loan book is to be sold, the terms would also be sold in a frozen state so they wouldn’t be altered. He added: “But the question of what we have to say about what we would be prepared to commit to do or not to do is one of the issues that is in the value-for-money calculation we have to make.” This sentiment was also reiterated by Universities Minister, David Willets. Speaking to Sky News about the plans, Willets said: “Borrowers will remain protected and there will be no change to their terms and conditions, including the calculation of interest rates for loans.” It seems that as of yet, nothing is set in stone and there is still much to be taken into consideration. The worrying part about what Donnelly said is the value-for-money calculation that has to be made. There’s the possibility that down the line a hike in interest rates is considered appropriate to enhance the loan books value for money. There have already been nationwide protests by student activists who took to the streets to campaign against the government’s plans to sell the student loan book. Up to 25 universities took part in the protest which was co-ordinated by Students Assembly Against Austerity in November. The main focal point of the protests was the worry that the government’s desire to make the loan book more lucrative will see a hike in interest rates representing a retrospective hike in tuition fees. Students Assembly Against Austerity are now planning a further week of action to build on the movement to stop the sale from going ahead. The protests are to take place between 3-7 February and one of the main aims is to target local MPs for their support as well as raising the awareness of the plans. The plans for the sale of the student loan book already seem to be in place, and the powers are there to change the terms and conditions of the loans at any time without any form of legislation. So the question is, will the government stay true to their word? For more information on the protests, type Falmouth Assembly Against Austerity into Facebook.

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The films you just have to

SEE in

2014 WORDS: Elliot Finn 2013 was an interesting year for films. We had everything from explosive sequels, to spectacular reboots, mind-bending thrillers, experimental and divisive films, compelling dramas and inventive comedies. But with Oscar season winding down, it’s time to take a look ahead at the rest of 2014 - and there’s certainly a lot of movies on the slate. Of course, there are a bunch of high-profile sequels on the way. Captain America: The Winter Soldier and The

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Amazing Spider-Man 2 kick things off in April and May respectively, followed by Transformers: Age of Extinction and 22 Jump Street in June, and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes in July. Finally, we have The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 and The Hobbit: There And Back Again closing out the year in style. Alongside the expected sequels, there are a couple of high-budget franchise movies that stand out from the crowd for various reasons. May 23rd marks the release of X-Men: Days of Future Past, a film that rivals The Avengers for sheer ambition. The

movie brings together the original X-Men trilogy and the prequel X-Men: First Class, featuring future versions of Professor X and Magneto played by Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellan alongside James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender’s renditions. With a cast that also includes Jennifer Lawrence, Nicholas Hault, Halle Berry, Anna Paquin, Ellen Page and Peter Dinklage, director Bryan Singer certainly has his work cut out for him. Assuming everything goes well, X-Men: Days of Future Past could be one of the best comic book movies ever made. One of the weirder but more interesting

blockbusters of 2014 is Guardians of the Galaxy, Marvel Studios’ most risky film yet. Although set in the same universe as Iron Man and The Avengers, Guardians couldn’t be more different - set in the farthest reaches of space, the movie features an eclectic group of alien fugitives, led by Chris Pratt (Parks and Recreation, Zero Dark Thirty) who plays Star-Lord, a harsher and more troubled version of Han Solo. Zoe Saldana (Avatar, Star Trek) and Karen Gillan (Doctor Who) are also a part of the large ensemble cast, but perhaps the biggest actor involved is Bradley Cooper, who will be voicing a bad-mouthed alien raccoon that likes to shoot people. Yep, you read that right. It wouldn’t be a contemporary year in film without a couple of reboots, too. RoboCop is first up, in February, and looks enjoyable enough but could turn out to be rubbish. Equally, the Michael Bayproduced Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie (due out in August) doesn’t have a lot going for it, but seeing the turtles realised through motion capture could be cool. There is one reboot on the way that looks awesome, though: Godzilla. If you’ve still got a bad taste in your mouth from the 1998 movie, there’s no need to worry - with Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad) and Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Kick-Ass) starring, this new version is directed by Gareth Edwards, who made his name with the small-scale, guerrilla-shot and rather terrific independent film Monsters. If you’re still

in doubt about the Godzilla reboot, just go and watch the teaser trailer, which manages to be both terrifying and awe-inspiring. There are also a few original sci-fi movies arriving this year. Johnny Depp and Morgan Freeman star in Transcendence, a thriller about artificial intelligence and technological extremism that could prove to be one of 2014’s surprise hits. Christopher Nolan, director of Inception

X MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST COULD BE ONE OF THE BEST COMIC BOOK MOVIES EVER MADE and The Dark Knight trilogy, is an executive producer on Transcendence, but he also has his own film coming out in November. Interstellar is surrounded by mystery right now, but appears to focus on a team of explorers who voyage through a wormhole to push past the limits of human science. The film stars Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Matt Damon and Michael Caine, and just might be my personal most anticipated movie of the year. It’s about

time Nolan tackled some hard sciencefiction. Less assured successes include Edge of Tomorrow, a sci-fi action movie with Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt, and Jupiter Ascending, the latest weird and wonderful film from the Wachowskis (The Matrix trilogy, Cloud Atlas), with a cast that includes Mila Kunis and Channing Tatum. Another big release worth mentioning is Noah, a biblical epic from Black Swan director Darren Aronofsky, featuring Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connolly and Emma Watson. The trailer makes it look like a rather forgettable disaster film, but this is likely the work of the movie studio Aronofsky is a brilliant director, and I have faith that the final film will be more unique and interesting than the trailer suggests. I’ve talked a lot about 2014’s major films, but there will no doubt be many smaller movies that come out of nowhere and make an impact throughout the year. The only ones on my radar right now are The Grand Budapest Hotel from Wes Anderson and The Fault in Our Stars, an adaptation of John Green’s massively popular novel. There you have it - a brief guide to films you should keep an eye out for in 2014. This is by no means a comprehensive list, but I’ve covered all of the major movies. If you think 2014 is a good year for film, just wait until 2015: Avengers: Age of Ultron, Batman vs. Superman and Star Wars: Episode VII. Need I say more?

above: Still taken from the 22 Jump Street Trailer

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put lf e s r u o y ard! forw

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS First and foremost, working in one of these roles will give you another year in Cornwall and who can argue with that? You don’t have to be graduating this year to go for it either, as it is available for people wishing to take a year out in between studies. All four roles are also accompanied by a salary of £18,000. But more importantly, taking on one of these roles will provide you with the knowledge of how a charity is run and leave you will a host of skills that will prove to be an invaluable asset to any CV.

FALMOUTH PRESIDENT Currently occupied by Journalism graduate, Isis O’Regan, this position is pretty full on. One of the main responsibilities for the holder of this role is to represent Falmouth students on academic matters. The Falmouth President is primarily there to give students a voice and take any issues to the bosses who run the show at university.

EXETER PRESIDENT Chaz Malyon is the current Exeter President in a role which has a lot of similarities to the Falmouth President. The major difference between the two roles is that the Exeter President has the added task of liaising with Exeter University based on Streatham campus.

VICE PRESIDENT OF PARTICIPATION Described as the most fun of all of the roles by current holder, Oli Maskrey, the Vice President of Participation certainly differs to the others. This role deals with all of the extra-curricular elements of university including events, societies and clubs. It’s all about student involvement with this position.

VICE PRESIDENT OF WELFARE Much like the other roles, representing students is at the heart of being Vice President of Welfare which is currently in

PROMOTION

/FXUNION /FXUTWEET

the hands of Frankie Boyd. But as the name suggests, this position focuses on ensuring students are doing okay. This can cover living standards, health and liaising with advice teams and student services. As with all of the roles, it is important to maintain and build on relationships with the university and local community. All four people in office are there as a first port of call for any issues. They really do just want to speak to the students, and find out what is going well and what isn’t going well. So pop into the office and chat about one of the roles if you are interested and see what they have to say. Nominations will be open for all four positions from 13th January until 18th February. From then on, campaigning starts for all candidates to get their manifestos and ideas heard. Then, between 24th and 28th February it is down to the students to vote for their preferred candidates!

CHAZ

EXETER PRESIDENT

What skills have you gained? Before, my CV was full of little projects. I’ve got so many different experiences in this job that when presented with questions in interviews, I’ll now have plenty to talk about. It has also given me time to think about what I want to do after university rather than rushing into something and it has supported me in my plans for my future career.

What message do you want to give anyone thinking about nominating themselves for your position? Go for it! You’ve got nothing to lose by campaigning. Campaigning in itself is a great opportunity to see what other people think of you and your abilities. It’s also a great opportunity to do something different and challenging and to see how much your efforts are appreciated by others.

What message do you want to give to anyone thinking about nominating themselves for your position? Be brave and want it. You must motivate yourself to be the change. No matter if you win or lose the election, you will learn so much about yourself and the skills you possess. Stay true to yourself and set reasonable goals which you believe are representative of what students want.

What skills have you gained? I’ve improved my communication skills, developed managerial skills and ease with talking to staff at different levels whilst also maintaining a friendly face.

What message do you want to give to anyone thinking about nominating themselves for your position? This job gives you amazing experiences in the workplace that you wouldn’t get from any other graduate job for at least several years after you graduate. It is really hard work but the good days far outweigh the bad. When looking at the other three positions, my role feels like the most fun - I deal with all the extracurricular stuff. The things that I did outside of my studies completely shaped my university career and made it the best possible experience for me.

ISIS

FALMOUTH PRESIDENT VP OF WELFARE

What has been your job highlight so far? My highlight so far is that students trusted me when they were feeling down. They emailed me, found me in my office or simply walked in crying. They trusted me with how they were feeling and that means a great deal to me.

FRANKIE

A presidential role is a very big responsibility and you should know exactly what you’re getting yourself into. So if you’re ever thinking of this as just a stop gap, it’s not the job for you. It’s a wonderful opportunity to have but what’s even more important is what you can do for the students at your university. If you’ve got the guts and determination, do it!

OLI

What message do you want to give to anyone thinking about nominating themselves for your position?

VP OF PARTICIPATION

What skills have you gained? I’ve become a more confident public speaker and I am gaining more confidence in the important big meetings which usually have a lot of confidential topics or things I would never have been privy to before. I’m finding that my voice is getting stronger and I’m not afraid of voicing my opinions.

CHAZ EXETER PRESIDENT

PHOTO: Nicole Gomes

EVENTS

FROM TOP: Rizzle Kicks are playing at Plymouth, and last year’s 90’s Party, with 360º DJ booth

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PHOTO: Jon Tamlyn

Looking for something to keep you in from those chilling winter winds, or to get you embracing the cold? Well we’ve got you covered with this month’s biggest events from around Falmouth, Penryn and beyond…

WINTER WORDS: Corey Richards

The Stannary have got your evenings covered as soon as you get back. Boasting regular nights each week (Open Mic, Movie Night etc.) as well as huge parties. With Saturday 11th January bringing the return of last year’s 90’s Party, it looks set to be massive. Following that, Bondax will be playing on the 1st March. Or if that’s too much for you, you can head down to Plymouth if you’ve got a little bit of cash left over from your loan (or job) and see some of the many acts they’ve got to keep you company. On the 17th January you could see go see James Arthur, or

wait until the 7th February to see Tom Odell. However, this isn’t all they have got to offer - you can also visit the Pavilions to see Rizzle Kicks on 25th February (10 days after Bananas in Pyjamas are there).

you don’t have to head to plymouth to have some fun Head over to http://www.plymouth pavilions.com and book your tickets. But you don’t just have to head down to Plymouth to have some fun over the next two months. Truro Ice Rink will be open until mid January

and many local venues in Falmouth and Penryn will be hosting local acts for you. Just head down to Miss Peapods in Penryn or Jacobs Ladder, Mangos and Grapes in Falmouth for a good night out. And The Performance Centre have got you covered with many listings over the next two months. Similarly, the Hall for Cornwall in Truro will be hosting many events over the coming months. They have comedian Russell Kane coming down on January 30th, as well as a production of Shakespeare’s Eternal Love showing until February 15th. Just go to https://www.hallforcornwall.org/ online/ for more information.

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Falmouth Award

The Falmouth Award Step up. Stand out. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s your future.

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Find out more on our Learning Space. uk .ac. s? award n o ti s e

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