universe 12 by Marek Nusl

April 2006

Volume 13 Issue 5

For The First What Happend At Time We Bring NUS Conference? You P4 In Colour Page 8

Tribute

Circulation 5000

New Arts Pullout In Centre Fold

Free

The Signs Of Ageing Page 19

This Is Your New Car Park!

(It’s miles better than deHavilland and has less potholes than College Lane)

sabel Hodgson, aka ‘Izzy’, was a student nurse in her second year at university. She passed away suddenly on Friday the 24th Feb to meningitis Izzy was a very bubbly and outgoing person who lived life to the full. No doubt you would have seen her out most Wednesday and Friday enjoying the delights of the Font! She will be greatly missed by all that knew her on the Universe and the Students’ Union would like to express our heart ﬁlled condolences to friends and family.

More On Page 12

02 Issue 5 Vol 13

Editorial

universe@uhsu.co.uk

Masters Of The Universe during the Easter break is going to catch up with you.

Tamer has done an excellent Arts pull-out section. Thanks to every one who has contributed. It’s been a pleasure reading your work. Over the Easter the radio station has had a bit of a clean and a bit of DIY done to it and the website has had brief news stories added to the front pages. NUS Conference took place in Blackpool, but I won’t dwell on that right now as there’s plenty about it in the paper. Other than that, it’s been a bit boring, and especially quiet but that’s all about to change.

Editor in Chief Marek Nusl Vice President Communications & Media uhsu.comms@herts.ac.uk 01707 285 005 Editor Tamer Asfahani universe@uhsu.co.uk Assistant Editors News Editors: Mike Kelly, Arts Editors: t was about 1am when Tamer Ross Billington and I received a message from Jess Sturman, Matthew Ketchell, our drunken friend Ginger Rich Carole Shepherdson, Xavier who had just finished karaoke Mondoloni asking whether we could use a hand with the paper. “Of course Arts Design we do” was our response. Since Vicki Webb Rich was over the limit it meant we had to pick him up, so navigating late at night thought A Big Thanks To the fog we finally go to his house Ginger Rich (he lives above a shop, isn’t that cool?). On the way back we had to stop off for some doughnuts. Then on a happy tummy we got back to work. I sit here writing College Lane this five hours later, Ginger Rich Hatfield fast asleep after he spent the night Hertfordshire touching up Universe with a bit AL10 9AB of flair - and let’s not forget the spelling. Tel: 01707 285 000 Fax: 01707 251 118 I think its fair to say that this is E-mail: www.uhsu@herts.ac.uk probably one of the best papers Web: www.uhsu.herts.ac.uk we’ve managed to put together

UHSU

(yes I know I say that a lot). We’ve tons of news, fun… oh and

For all the latest info on our student media check out: www.uhsu.herts.ac.uk/studentmedia Printed by:

Sharman & Co Ltd Peterborough PE1 5TD

Now that term has started I hope you are all enjoying being back, especially since most of your loans have kicked in. There’s always a lot on in the last term: we have the Colours Awards dinners, the Volunteer Recognition evening and, of course, the Summer Ball, all this whilst taking exams.. aren’t you lucky.

elcome back children, I hope you didn’t miss us too much while you were away. First of all I have to apologise for not getting the paper out to you before the break, it was intended that we would, but we had a bit of a chat and decided that to do what we want to do (which we hope you will like!), we ought to work on the paper over the holiday. We did, in fact, do no work at all on the paper over the holiday, but have still managed to hit our goals! Tell us what you think of the new edition. As you will all have known from last issues paper, I was missing; lost! I just want to make absolutely clear that there was NO reward for ﬁnding me, but I am honoured to know that I am worth something to some of you... yeah, who am I kidding?! [Oh we love you really Tamer.. - GR]

A great way to relax would be to pop into the Font on a Thursday night for live Jazz where you can get some great grub - we’re talking massive ribs, onion rings, potato skins, lots of chilli and the sauces which will just feel like there’s a party in your mouth and everyone is invited... I could go Right, on to more pressing matters. on forever [but I’m going to cut Exams are just over the way there you short! - GR]... yum. - you can see them if you look closely enough. You can also smell them if the wind is right. Just a bit Maz of a reality check for those of you Marek Nusl that are of the chilled inclination, V.P Communication & Media like myself, but the end of term is 01707 285 005 only six weeks away, so all that uhsu.comms@herts.ac.uk work you have been putting off

Although the winter months may have been a bit drab, spring is finally here, and what a fantastic first few days of spring we are having. It got Maz and I talking: the birth of new things, the fresh and vibrant colours and smells. The refreshing mornings made us realise that we are slowly getting older. When I say slowly, I do mean it, I believe we are still fine specimens of nature and am sure any woman would agree. But this birth of new-ness sparked the inspiration that put this paper together. And as I write my editorial, all to familiarly on the morning of the print, a little tear forms in my eyes, for it’s not long now before it’s the end of the year and the start of a new one with a new sabbatical officer and new ideas. But enough of that...all that is left for me to do is announce the next deadline, which I can’t, so instead we are holding a meeting every Wednesday till the end of the academic year. You will find us outside LB400 (not necessarily where the meeting will be held!) on College Lane at 1800hrs. Be there if you want to contribute. Enjoy the paper my darlings, and as always if there is anything that can be worked on, please do tell us, just don’t send us porn...! Thanks Mr Ginge! Tamer Asfahani Editor

Universe Meeting LB400, 6pm, every Wed! Our new email address is:

universe@uhsu.co.uk (and please stop sending us Rolex watch spam)

www.uhsu.herts.ac.uk

UHSU

Tarquins Titilation

Issue 5 Vol 13

A round up of the student world from your President

ood day to all my fellow Hatﬁeldians (don’t believe that word exist but it does now!) I hope you all had a good Easter, had lots of eggs, nice gifts and watched the Star Trek weekend on the SciFi channel. Of course, there are many classic scenes with Captain Kirk and crew, such as Star Trek IV when they go back in time to steal Wales.. No - whales. When a Russian is asking the policeman directions to the Nuclear Wessels “Double dumb ass you”: courtesy of Capt. Kirk. However, nothing can beat the immortal quote from Star Trek II “Khan, Khan.. Khaaaaaaaaan!”: once again Capt Kirk. So what has been going on over the last month, well a lot really. Firstly let me congratulate all the newly elected ofﬁcers who you have chosen to represent you next year, I wish them the best of luck next year.

As the discussions around redevelopment move on, the proposal was taken to the Board of Governors for their perusal. Questions were asked about the cost and whether it is viable. However, there was a consensus that new facilities are needed for the Students’ Union and its membership. It has been referred to a later meeting so more information can be gathered. The Union has now assigned its solicitors to put our proposals forward regarding the joint venture. The first major event was NUS National Conference in, wet and windy, Blackpool where 1000 students, elected officers, staff and Boris Johnson descended on the town for the biggest democratic conference in the country. Throughout the course of the three days elections were held for 18 of the 27 the National Executive Committee (NEC). The mass onslaught of candidates and their campaign teams trying their up most to get their vote by throwing flyers, stickers, flags, wristbands, pens, even condoms the list goes on. During that time there were a number of motions discussed. They were put into three different zones ‘Strong and Active Union, Society and Citizenship, Education and Welfare’. Each year there are some heated

debates and this year was no different. There were three motions that caused the most heated discussion: NUS Extra, Coca Cola and Hizb-ut-Tahrir. NUS Extra was accepted for a national rollout from September,. This is the discount card which will cost £10 to buy and will have greater discounts on offer, more

Finally the Hizb-ut-Tahrir motion was to allow them a platform to speak at conference. There were a number of documents being distributed claiming they were a racist and terrorist organisation while other papers claimed they were ﬁne. The speeches were very heated from both sides but the most sensible speech was by a

info will be in this paper and the following issues.

gentlemen who said if you do not vote in favour of the motion that he will hunt everyone down and kill them all, which I thought was very smart as he proclaimed that they were not an terrorist organisation!

“Questions were asked about the cost and whether it is viable however, there was a consensus that new facilities are needed for the Students’ Union and its membership.”

Coca Cola has been an ongoing issue, which is based around the organisations work in Columbia, India and other countries that has allegedly caused a number of deaths. The motion was for NUS Services Limited to continue constructive engagement with the company while those opposed wanted a full boycott, this would have meant the removal of all Coca Cola products from commercial facilities. The boycott motion did not pass but not without a number of delegates calling the NEC and those who voted in favour of constructive engagement “murders with blood on your hands”, that was nice of him!

Election Results

So in the ﬁnal term what can we expect to be going on in the union? Well the Governance review has now begun with a number of interviews taking place with ofﬁcers, council members and students. This review offers us a chance to look at how effective the union democratic structures and processes are allowing us to change just like our student demographic has changed in what they expect from their union and university. Watch this space for updates on how the review is going. Trust me, it is exciting stuff - it gives

everyone a chance to really make a change. On the entertainment side we have the Sh*t shirt night in which I know Maz will have the best shirt and jump to go with it so he will be tough to beat. Then there is the Colours award diner with Gordon Banks (the man who did the greatest save of all time from a header off Pele in Mexico ‘70!). You have seen that the Summer Ball acts are now conﬁrmed and tickets are on sale. I would encourage you to buy them ASAP (or get your parents to!) as it one of the largest student festivals in the country where over 5000 people will be partying until the wee hours of the morning. Well that about it for now, if you’ve made it this far in my ramble - but all I have to say is best of luck in the ﬁnal hurdle and see you at the Summer Ball. Peace out and keep it real. Word of the month “Khaaaaaaaaaaan!” Quote of the month “Garlic bread oh try it, it’s a taste sensation!”

Tarquin Stephenson UHSU President 01707 285 004 uhsu.president@herts.ac.uk

From left to right - your next year’s executive team is as follows: Adrian Walker - UHSU President, Claire-Marie Pearson - V.P Communications & Media, Adrian Smith - V.P Commercial Services & Union Development, Rebbeca Green - V.P Education & Welfare , Mike Thomas - V.P Student Activities, Ciara Panayiotou - St Albans Site Co-ordinator, Levi Thorne - Internal Affairs Officer, Sarah Gilmour - Entertainments & Promotions Officer, Rob Wilks - RaG Officer.

Not all positions have been ﬁlled. Look at for the by-elections!!!

PT Student Media Ofﬁcer - Vacant PT deHavilland Site Co-ordinator- Vacant Chairs of Black, International, LGBT, Women’s Associations - Vacant Non executive members:

Craig Stuart Waggett - Independent Chair Student Council, Steve Newman - Deputy Independent Chair Of Student Council, Mohhamed Hossain - Chair of Students with Disabilities Association

STITCHED We at the Universe thought

we’d embarrass the newbies by publishing their University ID photos... oh yes... we went there.

04 Issue 5 Vol 13

Page 4...

Page 4

universe@uhsu.co.uk

in colour (or Ginger should we say) Richard Fish (Ginger Rich) This dude is a legend. He’s been here for 8 years during which he has had his ginger ﬁngers in every aspect of the Univeristy and Union. Ginger Rich - we salute you.

NUS has a reputation for striving to achieve equality and representation for all minority groups, regardless of skin colour, gender or sexual orientation. At the National Union of Students (NUS) Annual Conference this year a motion was brought forward claiming that Ginger People are currently underrepresented in their union and that a Ginger Ofﬁcer be introduced to the National Executive. Of course the motion was thrown aside but we at Universe support our ginger fellows.

Be A Page 4 Model (there’s only a few papers left)

News

News... because we are a newspaper! www.uhsu.herts.ac.uk

A Degree In Two Years

Issue 5 Vol 13

Students on the Property Ladder

By Adam Bastick

New scheme helps students get their ﬁrst step on the property ladder. Historically students have been neglected by many mortgage lenders, but is help on the way. A new mortgage product has been launched by the Bath Building Society and is directly tailored to the student market. This will allow students to get there all important ﬁrst steps on the property ladder.

tudents in England may be able to take honours degrees in two years, under new “fast track” plans to save time and money. “Compressed degrees” are being tried at five universities, so students can begin work sooner and with less debt. Higher Education Minister Bill Rammell said the UK must compete with the economic power of China and India. But the National Union of Students said a two-year course may be more difficult to afford since there was less time available to do part-time work. Therefore this might not be a choice for those lower income students who need to work to reduce their debt further - and these are the very students that they are clearly trying to attract through this.” Higher fees. The traditional full-time course pursued by most undergraduates takes three years - four in Scotland. The move to reduce the time it takes, first announced in 2003, signals a new effort to increase the proportion of young people with higher education qualifications. The government has a target of 50% by the end of the decade, but projections suggest it might struggle to meet this. From this autumn, full-time undergraduates face tuition fees that will in most cases be £3,000 - a year compared with the present £1,175. Most will not have to pay this until after they graduate, but cutting a typical course by a third would, when living costs are also taken into account, reduce graduates’ debts substantially. NATFHE claims that the proposals will devalue the degree and encourage the culture of ‘cramming’, They fear that these “Compressed degrees” fail to acknowledge the importance of developing critical and analytical skills while studying for a degree. NUS Vice President Education

Julian Nicholds said: “It’s good that the Government are ﬁnally acknowledging that debt may deter students from university, and that a shorter course could equal less debt. By putting forward such proposals, they seem to be recognising that a system of top-up fees is exclusive and doesn’t cater for all students, something we have been saying all along.

The Buy-for-Uni scheme is the first of its kind to be offered by a building society. The aims are to change the tradition that many students find themselves in by establishing their careers or getting married before buying a property. Research shows that a quarter of graduates who had left University in the past two years do not yet own their own place and are still living at home with there parents. One in seven graduates expects to get married before buying a property. A third of all graduates claim that having to have a deposit is the main barrier; it takes first time buyers in the UK an average of four years and nine months to save for the five per cent deposit.

We need to question the motives behind announcing such plans just months before top-up fees come into force. We know from recent reports that applications are set to drop this year, but attention may diverted from this by interest in shorter degrees. This would be very convenient for the Government The unique scheme will allow who are evidently concerned about students to borrow up to 100% of meeting their pledge to widen access. Whilst these proposals may offer up more choice to some students, intensive studying over a two-year period might not be an option for those who have to supplement their income through part-time work. We also hold concerns about how the Government will cram 3 to 4 years of study into a shorter time frame without adversely affecting the quality of degrees. This type of intensive study will leave less time for students to take part in nonformal learning and extra curricular activities. The proposals could also impact on teaching as lecturers have less time to pursue their academic research and explore new theories and ideas. He added: “Finally, the Government have conceded that their 50 per cent target is not achievable with variable fees in place. If they are really serious about widening participation then they must think again, read the warning signs and ditch this exclusive funding system.”

the property value, and then rent rooms out to their friends allowing them to cover the mortgage repayments. Malcolm Graham-Jones, Head of Lending with Bath Building Society, said “We are pleased and excited to have developed this speciﬁcally designed student mortgage facility. These days many students ﬁnd themselves in a great deal of debt when graduating and some can take several years to recover and get on the property ladder, often getting married before owning a home”.

This scheme allows students to invest in their future rather than adding to their debts. As home owners, students will beneﬁt from any property market growth. There is no deposit required for the Buy-for-Uni scheme and 100% of the property value can be borrowed subject to status, criteria and collateral charges over parent’s property. The scheme does require the property to be within ten miles of the University campus and that students live in the property.

Students told to sue over exams

housands of results could be disrupted by the dispute students are being urged to sue universities and colleges over courses disrupted by a lecturers’ marking boycott, a report says. Unions have rejected a 6% pay increase offer as “derisory” and are refusing to mark coursework, potentially delaying thousands of results. Lawyers are advising students to sue for “breach of contract”, the Times Higher Education Supplement claims and some are distributing leaﬂets, while others are visiting campuses, it adds. One lawyer said: “If students are partly paying for their course out of their own pockets, they will be concerned to make sure they are getting what they are contracted to have. “There could be a case of breach of contract if the boycott is having a direct effect on their study.”

John Brooks, vice-chancellor at Manchester Metropolitan University, said some legal ﬁrms had sent leaﬂets. Meanwhile, the arbitration service Acas has been asked to look at the dispute between universities and unions. The Association of University Teachers and lecturers’ union Natfhe have been offered pay rises of 3% from August this year and an extra 3% from August 2007. The University and Colleges Employers Association says this will exceed expected revenue from

variable tuition fees, payable from this September. UCEA chief executive Jocelyn Prudence said: “We share the very real concerns of many students that the industrial action now being taken by Natfhe and, in particular, AUT could severely harm their studies.” However, the unions argue that their members’ incomes have declined compared with those of other professionals and that strong action is required.

06 Issue 5 Vol 13

News...

News

universe@uhsu.co.uk

because we are newspaper!

NUS Conference

ne very cold Tuesday morning 8 sleepy delegates (the ones you elected during the elections this year) dragged their butts out of bed and headed for the 5.00am (yes 5 in the morning) meeting place, outside the Students’ Union. This was followed by a sleepy but pleasant drive to Stansted Airport where we boarded a Ryanair ﬂight to Blackpool where the annual NUS Conference was to be held.

can do to for them or even where it is? Students have said to me that the Students’ Union is rubbish and that it doesn’t meet individual needs, but it does. There are clubs, societies, a housing and lettings service, support and advice on health or course issues, and even a legal service available (just to mention a few!).

lobbying of Parliament for free condoms on prescription, NUS’s ‘No Platform’ Policy, Plagarism and also the much debated NUS Extra.

Everyone’s needs are different and if you (the students) genuinely feel

One of the motions that had caused quite a stir during Regional

All of these motions discussed, torn apart and debated. All issues relevant to student life in and out of university or college.

Picture courtesy of Patrick Link (UCL SU) Three of the delegates had been to conference previously and so were prepared for what was to come, however for the rest of us it was a brand new reality check on the power of NUS and the student movement, as well as what Students’ Unions individually stand for. After many reports about what the NEC had been up to, a few of the NEC members gave their report on one of this years Priority campaigns… Participate! This campaign aimed to enhance the student experience by getting students to engage with their own union. This particular campaign has a place, and that is in the room of every student studying for any course. There are just under 22,000 people that attend our university but how many of them know what UHSU

that you are being missed out then say so: attend our student council where you can raise questions and get things changed! The executive team (a smaller version of the NEC) are representatives of all of you and you should be the ones holding them to account and making sure that they are representing you in the right way, the way you want, as a group or individuals. Conference was all about people standing up and ﬁghting for what they believed in. Union against union, union against NEC, NEC against union. The list goes on - my point is that these people wanted change and most of them got it the way they wanted because they spoke up and won the argument. Debates for and against the boycott of Coca Cola and Constructive Engagement, Fairtrade, a new Priority support campaign for FE colleges, Sexual Health and the

Conferences this year was to be put forward outlining the go ahead for a new NUS Extra Discount card. The business venture put forward by the NEC for a new Extra

debate and with the conclusion that NUS are to go ahead with the idea. The normal discount card (the little green one you may have now) will still be available but if anyone would like more discounts then a small payment of £10.00 can be made to the individuals Students’ Union from September 2006. The Coca Cola motions also caused a stir. There were people campaigning outside the conference hall at all hours ‘Diet, Cherry and Vanilla…. Coca Cola is a killer’. A very catchy tune but it would take a lot more than that for some delegates to vote against the instructions of Constructive Engagement. A motion was also put forward to add to this argument about the need to boycott the soft drinks company, but that too was voted against. The motion for Anti- racism and an amendment about NUS’s ‘No Platform Policy’ was one of the highlights of conference. NUS stand by the policy 110% percent and engage with it to it’s fullest. It outlines that NUS will not stand by anyone that is discriminatory against another human being, and that everyone deserves and has the right to be safe within their union and educational experience. By giving one of these factions (that NUS opposes) the time to speak up and encourage conference to vote for a particular motion about the removal of the ‘No Platform Policy’ the speaker used their two minutes to address the delegates threateningly. NUS gave the person a platform and he wanted us to take it away. Instead he was

“All of these motions discussed, torn apart and debated. All issues relevant to student life in and out of university or college.” discount card caused a lot of debate as some unions were against the idea because they did not feel that paying for the card was acceptable due to increasing personal expenditure and therefore adding to student debt, whereas others saw this as a business venture that would enable NUS to plough more money into individual campaigns and that this would be a new beneﬁt for the students. A lot of heated argument fused this

taken away, escorted out of the building, the motion fell and NUS was able to keep a ﬁrm hold on its ‘No Platform Policy’. Conference was not just about motions, there was also the election for the National Executive Committee. If you think that UHSU student elections are a hassle then imagine this on a national level. The manifestos booklet was over 50 pages long, there were 24 (correct me if I’m wrong please)

candidates that ran for Block of twelve and only three for National President. Instead of ten supporting students, these candidates needed to get supporting unions as well as persuading individuals to vote for them on behalf of their union or as part of the NEC. Just like in UHSU elections, there was a chance to talk to the candidates, read their manifestos and listen to their speeches, whilst others were persuaded with a much-needed can of shark or pot noodle! All in all this election was on a much larger scale! The experience of Conference will be one that I will never forget. It had it’s laughs, it’s seriousness but most of all it had energy. Students, sabbaticals and officers standing up for what they believed in and voicing the opinions of the people they were representing. This is what being an officer, a delegate or a sabbatical is all about. Thinking about other people, thinking about the wants and needs of students and being pro-active in order for their university experience to literally be the time of their lives. NUS is an organisation that can only do good for the future of education and for the future of students rights and we as UHSU should be proud to be a part of it. So show us your support too, run in the elections maybe, see yourself as an officer? I hear Part Time Student Media is up for grabs next year……. ! (amongst other positions!) For any more information then please don’t hesitate to contact me…. Sara Wright Part Time Student Media and NUS Conference Delegate 2006 uhsu.media@herts.ac.uk

News

www.uhsu.herts.ac.uk

Issue 5 Vol 13

News... because we are a newspaper! Extra Cards???

wo weeks ago at the National Union of Students (NUS) Conference nine delegates from the University of Hertfordshire Students’ Union and 1000’s from other institutions around the UK voted for a new NUS discount card proposal to be rolled out nationally at the start of the next academic year. Over the last decade NUS’s ﬁnancial problems have become more and more critical and that’s were this NUS discount card proposal was born. NUS have been trialing the new card system in the North West of the country and they say it has been a success. So what exactly is the new NUS discount card? It’s called NUS Extra and NUS claim

that it will provide unprecedented discounts to students, extra ﬁnance for student unions’ and that it will relief NUS’s ﬁnancial burdens. Your existing student union cards will remain free, it will enable you access to student union venues, it will allow you to join clubs and societies and it will enable you to take part in the democratic process. In essence it will remain as your membership card, however all the existing discounts that it currently has will disappear.

card has an more. Though NUS say they don’t have a deﬁnite list of discount, they trail card including 25% of on RAC cover, 20% of admission to Alton Towers, 10% of Arriva tickets when purchasing online. Other companies which may be included in the sceam are The Body Shop, STA Travel, HMV, Pizza Hut, The AA and possibly a supermarket chain yet to be disclosed. Another feature which has been reviled is that the International Student Identity Card (ISIC) will be incorporated into NUS Extra card effectively combining two cards in one and saving students £7, the normal cost of the ISIC. NUS are also keen to emphasize that there will not be and exhaustive list of discounts as companies and organization will be approached throughout the academic year to sign up to the scheme beneﬁting students even more as more and more discounts will be added.

This is where NUS Extra card comes in to play. Students at participating students’ unions will have option of purchasing the NUS Extra card which will now have all the discounts that your current NUS

The price of the card will be £10 with £4 pounds going to the union to found it’s services such as the Advice Support Centre, Universe newspaper and one of projects such as the recent International

Cultural Awareness Week. £4 to NUS to found national campaigns like to highly published Top Up Fees campaign and of course to alleviate their ﬁnancial problems. The ﬁnal £2 will go to National Union of Students’ Services Limited (NUSSL), the commercial arm of NUS as an administration charge as they will be providing support to Unions with the new card system through out the year. NUSSL has already stated approaching union to see if they would like to take part in the scheme. It seems probable that

By Marek Nusl

Understandably worries exist that companies included in the scheme may continue to give student discounts to “normal” NUS card holders, this could invalidate the entire scheme, hence NUS say that they will take a hard stand with any companies and organizations not fulﬁlling their contractual obligations. It seem that NUS have well and truly put all their eggs in one basket with this project, if it fails then it is almost certain that NUS’s days will be numbered. If it prevails then UHSU will generate more

“Students at participating students’ unions will have option of purchasing the NUS Extra card which will now have all the discounts that your current NUS card has an more.” the UHSU Executive will agree for our students’ union to take part in the scheme but the means of ‘rolling the card out’ students remain unconﬁrmed. So it now appears that the NUS Extra cards could go on to sale at the Students’ Unions General ofﬁce as early as September.

money that will be used on you the students, providing representation, support, and even found your student newspaper Universe. Only time will tell, in the mean time visit www.nusextra.com and make up your own mind and contact your NUS executive and let them know what you thing.

MP Grant Shapps Visits UH

onservative MP Grant Shapps is used to facing the press. Since the start of his six-year campaign and subsequent election triumph in 2005 he has used his unique blend of passion for the issues he raises and what has been described as extreme localism to serve the residents of Welwyn and Hatﬁeld. Mr Shapps brought his passion to the University of Hertfordshire recently when he was involved in a press conference for Journalism students. During this time he was quizzed on everything from local issues to George Galloway’s appearance on Celebrity Big Brother. Mr Shapps has used his enthusiasm for his constituency to create a revolutionary campaign technique. By concentrating on local issues to improve his constituency rather then the usual empty promises made by election candidates. It is fair to say that he has his ﬁnger on the pulse when it comes to the problems in the area and is quick

to comment on the dilemmas that residents face.

Mr Shapps was also aware that there are issues with anti-social behaviour and attributes a lot of it to the lack of police presence in the town. The MP then gave the statistic that there may be as few as 6 ofﬁcers ‘on the beat’ at any time. The problem of the police force has caused Mr Shapps to speak out against the government.

The major issue he first commented on was that of parking within the Hatfield area. ‘There has been a problem with parking for several years now which we are looking to solve within the next year as we have been given the go ahead for a park and ride system.’ ‘It is interesting to note that when the De Havilland campus was given planning permission, there was an option for 900 parking spaces but this had to be reduced to fit in with European Law.’ Mr Shapps is currently looking into the problems of parking and holds an online forum to discuss suggestions and problems that the restricted parking has caused at www.hatfieldparking.com. Parking aside Mr Shapps has also been heavily involved with campaigns to save the QE2, Welwyn and Hatfield’s local hospital. This is a personal

issue for him as he underwent Chemotherapy for Hodgkin’s Lymphoma at the hospital. ‘Since undergoing Chemotherapy I have been involved with saving the hospital which is being closed bit by bit. Recently they shut down the chemotherapy ward which I was on stating that it was a temporary closure.’ ‘Since then I have asked on a regular basis when the ward will be reopened and will continue to do so until I get the answer.’ The decaying town centre was also

another issue that Mr Shapps was happy to comment on. As many students are aware the town centre offers little in the way of good shopping apart from ASDA, along with the history of anti-social behaviour it is seen as a place to avoid for students and residents alike. ‘At present there are plans to rebuild the town centre to make it a nicer place to be in general. Unfortunately this will probably take place after a lot of students who study here at the moment will have left.’

Charles Clarke recently announced plans to merge Hertfordshire Constabulary with the Essex and Bedfordshire Constabularies speaking after the announcement the MP said. ‘There is no support for these plans in Hertfordshire. A merger of the three forces will lead to the police being more remote and less accountable to local people.’ This seems to be the common theme in Mr Shapps political career. His passion for the issues and his commitment to ﬁghting to the ﬁnish to get what he wants, and ultimately what the people want will be precedent for other s to follow.

08 Issue 5 Vol 13

News...

News

universe@uhsu.co.uk

because we are newspaper! New Standards Set For Student Housing

tudents living in England and Wales will beneﬁt from a number of provisions in the Housing Act, which was implemented on the 6th April. Those living with lots of other students in big houses will be protected under the Housing in Multiple Occupancy (HMO) scheme where landlords will need to apply for a license and adhere to stringent criteria. A new ratings system will also ensure student accommodation meets health and safety standards and local authorities will be given new powers to ensure landlords make the necessary improvements. University halls of residence will also be covered by codes of standards. The National Union of Students UK (NUS UK) has been working with the Ofﬁce of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) and other partner

organisations such as Shelter for over three years to ensure the new legislation will meet the needs of students and provide them with safe and secure accommodation. NUS Vice President Welfare Veronica King said: “NUS has been working very hard with the Government on the Housing Act to ensure it works for students. Students will benefit hugely from these changes and hopefully we can begin to wave goodbye to unscrupulous landlords. We call on local councils to flush out the ‘bad’ landlords who continue to exploit students and rent out sub standard accommodation. These people are unlikely to come forward to register under the HMO licensing so it needs to be clear that not registering is a criminal offence with a fine of up to £20,000.” She added: “It is really satisfying that the Government listened to

How Can

An investigation into the An investigation by Mike Kelly

n September 2005 residents in Hatﬁeld were up in arms when a group of students were involved in a brawl after a heavy night at the Font. This incident fuelled the tension between the community and the student population. Just a few months after this the Dean of Students, David Ball, had a message published in the Universe to ask for the support of all students to help improve the relationship of the two communitie most of our concerns and changed the law accordingly. It is crucial now that students get to know their rights when it comes to housing and what they can expect from their landlords.”

Students Praise Move To Cut VAT On Condoms T he National Union of Students (NUS UK) today welcomed plans laid out in the Budget to reduce VAT to 5 per cent on condoms and other over the counter contraceptives.

The union has been working with Terrence Higgins Trust (THT) to campaign on this and other issues related to sexual health. Next month, students from across the country will attend a parliamentary lobby to call for shorter waiting times for GUM clinics, better sex education at school and free condoms for students’ union advice centres. NUS Vice President Welfare Veronica King said: “People, especially young people, should be encouraged to get into the habit of safer sex. High contraceptive prices affect everyone but particularly young people who have less money. No one should be in the position where they don’t use contraceptive because they can’t afford it. That’s why we are delighted that the Government have reduced the VAT on condoms. Young people living in the UK have the worst sexual health in Western Europe

and need encouragement to take contraception and safer sex seriously, not extra charges.”

Together with NSPCC, UNICEF, fpa, the National Children’s Bureau and the Terrence Higgins Trust, NUS is also supporting an amendment to the recent Education Bill calling for Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) to be a compulsory part of the curriculum

for 14-19 year olds.

The NUS/Terrence Higgins Trust lobby will take place on Wednesday 19th April and is also supported by the Women’s campaign and LGBT campaign within NUS. Students will meet MPs at the House of Commons to put across their views on sexual health.

This statement shows that problems between students and the local residents have been growing for some time, but the question for UH students still remains: What can we do to bridge this gap? Recently, the university and the local council produced a report on the impact of the university on the local area. The study found that over quarter of people found that the university had affected them in a bad way personally, but what does this mean to UH students? It is not only drunken violent outbursts, which cause these negative feelings towards the student population. Issues such as parking and accommodation cause a large concern amongst Hatﬁeld residents, but whatever the circumstances the issues still remain. Inadequate facilities are said to be one of the obstacles to student/resident interaction but De Havilland has a sports and social club which is used by both students and locals on a regular basis. Not only is this is an adequate facility to interact but also facilitates the supply of alcoholic beverages, in other words it’s a pub where students and residents drink together. Although many believe this to be the solution, alcohol is not always the answer. Students are known for their drinking, but incidents like the September street ﬁght show that this activity can cause more harm than good. The September brawl, although

an isolated incident highlights the way in which residents perceive UH students. Along with the growth of the university, figures regarding crime and antisocial behaviour have also grown. Luke Hill, 19, a second year Psychology student and Raise and Give [RaG] officer said “I am aware that there is a gap between the uni and local residents but I’ve never really seen anything happen. ‘You quite often feel a little intimidated by the locals and I have had a few dirty looks from local residents when I’m around the town but on the whole people seem to keep themselves to themselves.’ Luke has been involved with the fundraising committee and is starting his first year as the executive officer for RaG. Last year the committee managed to raise just over three thousand pounds for local charities and have already reached that target this year. ‘We try to raise a lot of money for local charities because they are smaller so the cash raised can be a big help.’ ‘It’s also quite a useful way to give something back to the local community, we do get a lot of thanks from supporters of the charities so it’s always good for the university and the students who are involved to receive that thanks.’ ‘The local charities we are donating to this year are PentaHact and Centre 33. PentaHact helps autistic people gain access to services which are usually unavailable to them. Centre 33 is a drop in centre for the Homeless which provides them with food, shelter and advice.’ At present the Student Union runs around 17 community projects which are used to provide services such as one off projects to improve community areas and ongoing p rojects which provide help in primary schools and other groups.

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Issue 5 Vol 13

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We Bridge The Divide?

problems locals and residents face living in Hatﬁeld

Residents in this close to the Uni have mixed feelings about students. One resident had seen the better side of living with students. ‘A few years back a student house on the street would organise parties for residents and students, they had a bouncy castle for the kids and a barbeque.’ But sometimes it’s not the students that are the issue. One student told of a local resident who became a problem for students. ‘I did have a problem a few years ago when a resident was pestering me and my friends. ‘He used to come around selling dodgy DVDs and stuff. It took us a while to get rid of him; it just goes to show that sometimes the feeling is mutual.’ If noise is an issue it would be remiss not to give advice on how to combat it. While students live a nocturnal existence most residents and their families enjoy a peaceful night’s sleep. This means:

Many students don’t realise some of the beauty in and around Hatﬁeld Along with this the university is involved with the mentoring programme which offers help to children in the local community. In his statement Mr. Ball Mentions that the efforts by students to improve their image and help the town goes unnoticed because of ‘the occasional problem caused by a large student presence.’ This lack of good publicity seemed to shock residents as much as students. When told of some of the ways in which students contribute to the local community Fionnuala Sheldrake said. ‘You would think that with all the negative feelings towards them, [the students], they would do more to promote this.’ Residents are unhappy with the way in which the university’s presence has caused the town to grow more quickly than it had done previously. Since the university started in 1992 the population has risen dramatically

and at present nearly fifty percent of the adult population living in Hatfield are students. A large proportion of these students live off campus in the local area, some in rented accommodation and others are themselves local to the area, but with a large student population attempting to integrate into the community, problems do arise. One local resident has lived in Hatfield for around 8 years and has seen the effects student have on the surrounding area. ‘A big problem with a lot of the people I know is the raise in the council tax rates, it feels like we [the residents] have to pay more for the students who are living here.’ The Resident said that many of her neighbours felt like they were paying not just for themselves but the students who live in the town as well. ‘Parking is also a complete pain. The road where I live has a lot of

students and they all drive. A lot of us look forward to the holidays so we can actually park near our houses easily.’ ‘A few people who live closer to the university have had trouble with rowdy behaviour keeping them awake in the past but I’ve never really had a problem.’ Parking issues and random acts of violence aside, the police deal with a lot of complaints from residents regarding students. The study revealed that complaints of antisocial behaviour have risen since 2000, with the main student related issue being noise. This could be seen at the Subways gig when acts were removed from the play list and shorter sets for the bands were set up at the last minute in an attempt to reduce the disturbance for local residents. One student said ‘I was quite annoyed when I saw that the two

bands weren’t playing.’ ‘We’ve lived in a private house since September and had no trouble with any of the neighbours, my housemates often stay up late but they try to keep the noise down and we haven’t had any complaints yet!’ Sometimes the complaints can seem a little unfair. Xavier Mondoloni, a second year humanities student has had several complaints from his neighbour regarding noise. ‘A couple of months ago my neighbour came around to complain that the music was too loud. We turned it down and everything was ﬁne but since then he has complained several times about the TV being too loud.’ ‘I can understand why the guy is unhappy he lives between two student houses, but it’s not always our fault.’

• Loud music, large gatherings and alcohol fuelled loudness should be kept down to a minimum • If you are going to have a party let your neighbours know so they can be prepared for the noise or let you know of their reservations beforehand. • If you are leaving the font and are on your way home, keep the noise to a minimum to reduce the number of complaints. As long as these issues exist, the rift between the university and the residents of Hatﬁeld will be around for a long time, probably longer than most students will actually be here. As long as the problem remains residents and student alike will have to put up with each other until a more reasonable solution can be found. •

10 Issue 5 Vol 13

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Man Arrested! Drug Development! Is Hatﬁeld’s drug problem out of hand?

e was found under his bed cowering with fear. Mohammed Jalloh, a suspected drug dealer, was caught in this position following a police raid on his Hatfield home in the early hours of July 21 2005. He was eventually jailed for possession of crack cocaine and heroin with intent to supply. Jalloh is the latest in a long line of known drug offenders who have fallen victim to ‘Operation Crystal’. An initiative set up by the Hertfordshire Constabulary along with the county council and various voluntary organisations to tackle the supply of crack cocaine and other associated class A drugs. For the most part it has been a success, with the campaign leading to an estimated figure of 1400 arrests countywide, following its conception in September 2003. Drugs can have a devastating effect on small communities. There already exists in Hatfield a large number of people who live in misery, a testament to the destructive power that drug abuse can wield not only on those who are directly affected by addiction but also that person’s loved ones. Prevention cannot be the only cure. To focus on law enforcement is to forget the human aspect surrounding the drugs issue. Drug culture is permanently ingrained in our society and may never be fully prevented by enforcement alone. Whilst the ‘1400’ arrests cited by the police shows an improving situation in the war on drugs it is a minor victory. There are a number of organisations based in and around Hatfield taking a different approach to dealing with the issues of substance abuse. The Cedar Project, based in Hatfield, aims to help those people who experience all sorts of problems related to their use of drugs. The project also offers support to family, friends or carers who are affected by this problem. The Cedar Project is overrun with patients from all walks of life and currently has around 300 people on its books. A social worker at the project sees a wide range of people coping with addiction. After speaking with

them for a while the main focus of their job became apparent; that of offering care and help to the truly desperate. ‘We try to keep people in treatment and engage people with hope’ she said, ‘as an alternative to what they’re doing’. These ‘treatments’ take a variety of forms and are dependent on the nature of that person’s addiction. If an individual is a long time user of crack then he or she may also have a problem with paranoia and acute anxiety. The Cedar Project offers a counselling service to help with these distressing side effects. The project also prescribes a number of substitutes for heroin, such as methadone, to reduce the symptoms of opiate dependence. The main difﬁculty when dealing with people who have drug dependencies is that after treatment, there is the inevitability of that person having a relapse. So not only does the Cedar Project have to deal with an ever-growing number of new addicts but also

A proud police statistic that seems irrelevant on a grander scale. To get a clearer picture of what exactly we are up against we need to ask an important question: What are the causes that lead to people taking drugs in the ﬁrst place? The Universe spoke to a senior drugs worker at an organisation called ‘the Chrysalis project’. A voluntary agency that works to reduce the harm caused from drug use to clients and communities. In their opinion the answer to this question lies within the individual. ‘I’m a fan of something called Neuro-linguistic Programming’ they said. ‘This has the philosophy that all behaviour has positive intentions for the originator. In layman’s terms this means that nobody says or does something without making them feel good’. The drugs worker added that the reasons people take drugs are a mix of external and internal forces and it depends strongly on each individual situation.

“Education plays an important role in loosening the grip that drugs have upon our local community...” the incredibly high percentage of existing patients who fall back into the trap of drug use. It is not surprising then that when the social worker was asked if the situation is improving in Hatﬁeld as a result of Operation Crystal, their answer was somewhat negative ‘Look, there is still no shortage of drug supply in Hatﬁeld. I have worked at the Cedar Project for 8 years and it is no better than it ever was’. They said. ‘For every person that is arrested, there is a new one to take their place.’

Alex Magee Investigates

People don’t take drugs due to the inﬂuence of dealers coaxing the weak willed into trying their wares but rather it depends on the actions and choices made by the individual, based on how they are feeling and the surroundings they ﬁnd themselves in. It is important to concentrate on making sure that people make informed decisions on what exactly they’re getting themselves into.

The sad truth is that, not matter how many users and dealers are arrested, people will always use drugs. As long as there are members of society willing to experiment, there will always be addicts and then there will always be people who are ready to exploit them to make money.

Overall, Chrysalis takes a very objective approach. They let the facts speak for themselves and there is more an emphasis on educating the client rather than the familiar ‘all drugs are bad’ stance taken up by our government and police force. Anyone who remembers the infamous ‘just say no’ campaign in the 1980’s will realise how ineffective this approach is.

The ‘1400’ arrests made by Operation Crystal are beginning to look more and more irrelevant.

People, especially youths, do not react well to coercion particularly from our Government or ruling

bodies. That is why agencies such as The Chrysalis project are so important. They do not speak down or patronize their clients but offer guidance and help so that people can make their own minds up. The workers at the Chrysalis project are adamant that if they listen to advice then their choices will be good ones: ‘People must make informed decisions and come to a conclusion on their own. They need to know what the actual consequences are of taking various different substances and make decisions based on reliable sources, if they follow this advice, then inevitably this will lead to more and more people leaving drugs alone.’ Even though Education plays an important role in loosening the grip that drugs have upon our local community it would be naïve to assume that everyone would make the right choices, let alone actively seek out organisations such as Chrysalis in the first place. The environment in which a person lives, plays a key role in the decision making process and this is perhaps the most difficult and challenging aspect to change. Boredom, peer pressure and selfloathing can all collide together to create the next addict. Look around this town and you will see a social vacuum. A sense of pride and a love for the community needs to be put back into Hatfield and environmental improvements can help make it a better place to

live. This is more difﬁcult than it sounds. According to the volunteers and employees at both projects, things are slowly starting to get better. Agencies such as The Cedar and Chrysalis Projects now have a closer working relationship and things are a lot more organized than they once were. They said this is all down to the National Treatment Agency, a Government run organization that oversees the development of drug treatment services in Britain. It is the ﬁrst time that a system of this nature has ever been in place and according to the projects it has been instrumental in supplying the best possible service: ‘Things have changed a lot over the last two years; all agencies are now working together and everyone is a lot better informed. The models of Care set up by the National Treatment Agency, has meant this has all been possible.’ It is tempting to say that drugs can never be fully eradicated from society and no amount of police enforcement can do otherwise but there is no doubt that the situation can be improved and controlled. Agencies such as the Cedar and Chrysalis Project work tirelessly to understand and treat this distressing condition. They play just as pivotal a role as the police force and their contribution to our society should not be forgotten.

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Issue 5 Vol 13

because we are newspaper!

Save Our Hospital!

By Chloe Williams

ur local hospital the QE2 is under threat from hospital bosses who plan to downgrade it to clear debts of over £49 million and we need you to help save it! This is a huge problem for all of us, if these plans go ahead it means that no more emergency ambulances will be directed to the QE2 hospital in Welwyn Garden City, instead the majority will have to go to the Lister hospital. That means if you had a serious accident and needed medical assistance, instead of being driven to the QE2 (only 3 miles away) you will be taken to the Lister in Stevenage, which could take up to 20 minutes (and that isn’t even considering rush hour!) This is a problem which affects the whole Hatﬁeld and Welwyn community from students to OAP’s. We all need a local hospital and without the services of the QE2, the most vulnerable members of our community will be forced to travel up 17 miles just to get the medical services they need. Some Expectant mothers will have to face the busy A1(M) at rush hour just to get to their local maternity ward, this most be a worrying concept for all pregnant women. The downgraded could also affect trainee nurses studying at our university, without the maternity ward at the QE2, students training midwifery will no longer have to opportunity to train locally, but will have to waste their time and money commuting to Stevenage. Laura, a ﬁrst year student nurse told me she was worried the downgrading will effect her studies “second and third year students spend some time training in the local hospital, but with the Welwyn hospital being downgraded I’m concerned that either I’m not going to be able to have this hands on experience or otherwise I will have to travel to Stevenage which is going to cost a lot more to get to and is going to take longer” If the downgrade goes ahead students like Laura could face a 34 mile round trip just to get the hands on hospital training they require for their degree. Our local MP Grant Shapps is very passionate about saving the QE2, his twin children were born in its maternity ward in 2004. He has set up the ‘save the QE2’ campaign to try and stop its downgrading,

He thinks that if the QE2 is downgraded it could seriously put lives at risk, he said it would be unacceptable to force patients to travel miles up a busy motorway to the Lister hospital in Stevenage. I spoke to Shapps and asked him what would happen if the QE2 was allowed to close, he told me that “partial close of the QE2 will leave us (Welwyn and Hatﬁeld) desperately uncovered when it comes to health care provision. It’s

for local work experience. Keith Baxter, a second year computing student told me “I think downgrading any hospital is a stupid ideas, its only going to increase waiting times and people will lose their jobs, if the QE2 is downgraded its going to be a major loss for the whole area” When asked why the QE2 faced these changes Shapps told me “it’s a straight ﬁnancial deﬁcit

“Although there are plans to build a Hatfield ‘super hospital’ this isn’t yet a certainly, and even if it was it wouldn’t be built until 2013.” a dangerous situation which will have a very negative impact on people in Welwyn Hatfield” The downgrade will also cause job losses, in an interview with the Welwyn and Hatfield times Nick Carver, the Chief Executive of hospital operator in East and North Herts NHS Trust said “staff at both the Lister and the QE2 will be effected…some roles will no longer be required”. This is terrible for any student wishing to gain work experience at the hospital, its going to leave student nurses with less options and more competition

thing. The government is putting more money into health, but there wasting it on levels of bureaucracy like we’ve never seen before. In our own area the E&N Herts NHS trust is forecasting a £49m deﬁcit in the next 3 years.” Last year the QE2 received over 900 patients via an emergency ambulance, under these new proposals many of these patients will have to be taken to the Lister which could be anything up to 17/18 miles away. Surely making seriously ill patient’s travel this distance along a busy motorway

just to receive treatment is idiotic when they could have been treated at the QE2 only 3 miles away? On December 18th last year, a rally was held in protest against the proposed changes. Albert Johnson, a retired hospital porter led the rally on his 80th birthday, this shows how committed our community is to saving to saving this hospital. Over 100 people of all ages braved the chilly winter weather and turned up bearing placards and posters to march with during the rally. Although there are plans to build a Hatfield ‘super hospital’ this isn’t yet a certainly, and even if it was it wouldn’t be built until 2013. Shapps thinks that this 7 year gap without any blue light A&E services, maternity, scheduled operations and other vital services in the Welwyn Hatfield area would put the community under an enormous strain. He said the QE2“should be kept open until the new hospital at Hatfield has been built.” Over 10,000 people have already signed the petition against downgrading the hospital, but more signatures are needed. Shapps is going to hand the petition to Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt in

the spring. I am urging all students to please consider signing this petition, safeguarding this hospital for other future students. Our local MP thinks that the NHS is facing some serious problems, its “overly bureaucratic, top down and too large to work efﬁciently” he said. people who run the hospitals today are no longer doctors or nurses, but bureaucrats. These bureaucrats are only concerned with cost cutting and not with the health of its local people. Grant Shapps told me he believes the NHS could be improved with “much more local decision making and accountability, (and) less target culture.” If Welwyn and Hatﬁeld can save the QE2 it could be seen as a step in the right direction in improving our NHS. As the portrayal of students in the community hasn’t always been entirely positive, the QE2 campaign could see us changing those past perceptions of students and help unite our community. Please visit the website www. SaveTheQE2.com and sign the petition, with your help we could save this valuable resource.

12 Issue 5 Vol 13

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New University Park And Ride Service

access to a park and ride scheme near us, would be a great benefit to all students who have cars. As a car owner I find it not only difficult but very time consuming to find a place near the University to park. Having this service will mean less hassle and no time wasting. I am looking forward to the service being run”

any of us students, who drive, can never ﬁnd a parking space at the university or are prohibited from parking there. Well I have good news!- the University’s new Park & Ride service which is a short distance from the College Lane Campus is now under development. The service will be running in the next academic year and will include 800 car park spaces.

Most of you have probably not heard about the current University Park & Ride service, let alone used it because it was based a long two miles away in Welwyn. You will be glad to hear that it will be closed down!

The new Park & Ride service will be run from a site situated next to junction 2 of the A1 (M) in South Hatﬁeld. The service will provide car parking with frequent shuttle buses running to both College Lane and De Havilland Campus. Deniz Kismar, a second year Business student said “Having

Student May Swap NHS for Tesco

rant Ciccone has dreamed of being a nurse ever since he was nine years old. So when he heard Tony Blair calling for more people to join the profession soon after Labour came to power he decided to take the plunge. Now, in his last few weeks of a three-year training course, his hopes look like being dashed.

As far as the eye can see will soon be home to hundreds of cars.

Details of the Park & Ride are still being developed and the latest information can be found on http:// www.herts.ac.uk/parkandride

Plastic Bottels Or Plastic Surgery A campaign has been launched by the mother of a man who was violently assaulted whilst working as a doorman on Christmas eve. He last four pints of blood and spent four hours in surgery where he received stitches to on the out side and inside of his face and parts of his neck. His jugular was missed by only half an inch. The attacker was sentenced to 2 years in prison but is likely to serve between 10-12 months.

The 38-year-old is one of thousands of nurses struggling to get a job as deﬁcits in the health service bite. He has applied to 50 NHS trusts, but to no avail.

This campaign aims to out law the use of glass bottles in night clubs and substitute them with plastic ones. Currently there are a number of night clubs that choose to use plastic bottles such as our very own Font bar which now makes it a completely plastic bottle venue.

The one positive response he has had is from his local Tesco in Redditch, Worcestershire. “I am seriously considering working for Tesco and stacking shelves. Sometimes I could cry. It costs £100,000 to train a nurse and all that taxpayers money looks like being wasted. “

By Henna Khan

The luck of availability of these bottles rests with the manufactures and famous brand names who are unwilling to compromise on materials. However progress is being made, recently plastic Budwiser bottles have been available and the font bar is now selling these at £2. There are 1.2 million incidents of alcohol-related violence per year, 40% of A&E admissions are alcohol-related which rise to 70% between the hours of midnight and 5am. This costs the NHS £1.7 billion per year. Help change the law and sign the petition on www.pop-campaign. co.uk.

University Challenge For UH

any of you may have watched the nail biting second round University Challenge match on BBC2 on Monday 3rd April as four students from the University of Hertfordshire triumphed for a place in the last eight.

Mr Ciccone believes about half his fellow student nurses at the University of Central England - which trains a fifth of the country’s nurses - are in a similar position. If the pattern was repeated on a national level it would Things were not looking very good mean 10,000 nurses finishing their for the University of Hertfordshire when they found themselves training without jobs. trailing by minus 5 points to 65 This situation has led to the Royal points. However, the team made College of Nursing to table a motion an astonishing come back to beat demanding the government “ensures the University of Wales Lampeter, every newly qualified nurse has a job winning with 145 points to 140 points. to go to at the end of their course”.

The University of Hertfordshire also beat Lucy Cavendish College Cambridge in the ﬁrst round after they were losing 55 points to zero. Team member Avril Day-Jones said: “We are absolutely delighted with the result. We made it extremely hard work for ourselves again though. We could have done without trailing by 60 points to zero for the second time. We are beginning to build a reputation for making dramatic ﬁght backs; it’s not good for our nerves.”

Everyone who watched the game would agree that it was an incredible show that evening. All praises go to the amazing, contestants who should be congratulated for making it so far, as only 28 university teams out of 200 who apply make it through to the televised rounds.

Unfortuntly on their quarter ﬁnal held on 24th April against the University of Liverpool the University of Hertfordshire lost. The search for next years team is now on if you are intressted please contact Bob Chapman at bchapman@star.herts.ac.uk.

1 in[arts] in[arts] Pull Me Out...

Issue 5 Volume 13

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Feeling Artsy - Fartsy in Hertsy?!

in[arts] - special

1 2 3 45 67

Charlie and his “special” friends

The special effects behind Tim Burton’s Charlie and the Chocolate factory Article by Paul Regan

in[theatre]

Carole Shepherdson is joined by Caroline Goss to bring you all the latest in recent shows around the area

in[games]

Xav and team get down to work reviewing this month’s top games...

in[film]

The hottest films showing at the big screens this month... Articles by Ross Billington and Simon Robb

in[music]

n these days of DVD extras with over 4 hours of special features, was a trip out to see a talk by two movie effects men really going to be worth my time?

“It’s a travesty it never got an Oscar”

Next came the discussion of the storyboards and how useful Pre-Visualization technology has become. Then we moved into something both men are clearly proud of: the chocolate river and little Oompas. The river (180 ft long 45ft wide and 3 ft deep, dontchaknow) appears to have been a logistical nightmare. Starting with the fact that Williams had originally been told that it was going to be 25ft wide before he had even ﬁlled it, his budget for the brown sludge had already jumped by £80,000. There were problems with viscosity, burly workman getting covered in the sludge, and the waterfall making the chocolate too airy: a fact I found rather ironic as, according to Wonka, that’s exactly what it’s supposed to do! And how did they make the chocolate? Well, like so many of Mr Wonkas creations, that remains a secret. We were then shown how, along with many other things, Scanlan’s team came up with a huge number of 30inch tall Oompas, including over 50 attached to the oars of the giant pink boat. All of which combined with the work of the art department to create the Chocolate Room, about which Williams said; “I have to say that in 30 years it’s the best set I’ve ever been on. It’s a travesty it never got an Oscar.”

The two men I saw on the stage in front of me were Joss Williams, special effects supervisor Reviews of this month�s top restaurants in the on movies such as Troy, Judge Dredd and the area... deliciously gothic Sleepy Hollow; and Neal Scanlan, the man behind the animatronics on (NAME OF RESTAURANT) Little Shop of Horrors, Kangaroo Jack and both Babe and Babe: Pig in the City. These two men, front runners in their professions, had come to jolly old Hatfield to talk about one of their latest movies; Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Considering these two are responsible for creating what I consider some of the finest moments on film it was with no small degree of hero worship I took my seat and waited for the talk. It started with introductions by both, each showing a kind of promo highlighting the work these men are justifiably proud of. Cue thumping background music and huge explosions (Williams) or childhood memories Toad, Badger, Mole and Ratty followed by in[theatre] Editor in[films] Editor of lip trembling dialog with a very charred Ralph Carole Shepherdson Ross Billington Fiennes (Scanlan). Next we were told what SFX (what the cool kids call Special Effects) is all about, and how it very definitely isn’t VISUAL effects. We were also treated to a very quick history lesson on animatronics. in[music] Editor Lets be honest, it’s not every day Abe Lincoln and Sir Didymus can be mentioned in the same Matthew Ketchell Continued on in[arts] page 2. breath, though perhaps it should be.

Meet your editors!

in[games] Editor Xavier Mondoloni

in[music] Editor Jessica Sturman

Special thanks to in[arts] design editor: Vicki Webb

2in[games]

After last months absence, we are back with more games and more news. This month, we give you an insight of our first steps in Shadow of the Colossus. Also check out our discovery section as one great game is set to arrive very soon now.

in[games] features

in[games] news

The Rise and Rise of the Nintendo DS Dr Kawashima’s Brain Training

ith its new look and colour the Nintendo DS Lite has been a complete success in Japan. The new version of the hanheld console comes in three different colours and was released in the space of a week. The Pure White DS Lite, that strangely reminds of an ipod, was released the 2nd of March and the DS Lite in Ice Blue and in Enamel Navy were released on the 11th. And it was with no surprises that the shops were already out of stock on the ﬁrst day . The DS has been leading the chart of best selling games since November with the release of titles like Doctor Kawashima’s brain training (a typical Japanese concept that trains your brain and even rates its age!) or games like Animal Crossing. The rise of the DS is also due to the successful launch of Nintendo Wiﬁ online mode which allows players from

any continent to compete against each other in games like the never ageing Mario Kart DS or conceptual games like Animal Crossing. With the release of the DS Lite, Nintendo will be trying to seduce mainly the occasional gamers. The DS Lite has been officially announced in Europe as they will permanently replace the good old DS that has barely reached its first birthday. No official release dates have been announced but it seems more likely that the DS Lite should arrive before summer in the old continent. Other games to be released soon in Europe : - Age of Empires : The Age of Kings - Guilty Gear Dust Strikers - New Super Mario Bros - Resident Evil : Deadly Silence - Tetris DS

Discovery Section

n this month discovery section; I’d like to talk of the arrival of one of the greatest RPG series ever. I am talking of Dragon Quest VIII of course, and even though it is already the eighth episode in Japan, it is the ﬁrst episode to ever reach Europe. As we say better late than never. This series has been regarded as possibly the best RPG series ever made and we can ﬁnally lay our hands on it. The character design is by Akira Toriyama, the Dragon Ball Z series creator himself. So fans of RPG’s, check for Dragon Quest VIII on April 13th.

ver the last two year and with the prospect of the revolution coming soon, Nintendo has always made clear of their intentions. They do not wish to compete on the same level with Sony or Microsoft. However, this doesn’t mean that Nintendo are giving up, it simply means that they basically trying to give more access to video games to non or occasional gamers. With this new policy in mind, we saw the arrival of innovative concepts like the DS or now the Revolution and its remote control. In a latest attempt to attract more and more non gamers to play, Nintendo with the help of Dr Kawashima (a famous Japanese neurologist) released in December in Japan a non game that allows you to train your brain on your DS. I can already imagine the dubious look on your face but the concept actually offers plenty of mini intellectual games to train your brain. And it has been an immediate success in Japan, where more and more women and people from both sex in their mid forties (not the usual

arch 20th 2002 was not a cold day like any other, it was also the day that saw the release of one game regarded as one of the most poetic and beautiful games ever released on the Playstation 2. ICO was an immediate success . Four years later, Sony releases the long awaited sequel, Shadow of the Colossus. Actually, the notion of sequel is not appropriate to describe Shadow of the Colossus as the story and character or even location it features are completely unrelated to the ﬁrst game. Like in ICO, no background information is given. The game’s narration is to be told like a legend. You will gain the power to revive your other half only by

gamers proﬁle) were seen hurrying to buy the game. If the concept of these mini games is actually simple, it is actually its main strength as it becomes immediately accessible to those who do not normally play. Nintendo has also announced that the younger ones won’t be left over as they will beneﬁt for their own version of the game. Big Brain Academy will be then specially dedicated for them where some exercises will be more suitable for their age. Considering how successful the game was in Japan does not guarantee Nintendo a full success in the US and in Europe but the Nintendo DS with its increasing game catalogue, will be almost the only console on the market to offer fun and quick access to non gamers, and in that respect Nintendo is already successful! Dr Kawashima’s Brain Training is set to be released in April 17th in the US and around the summer this year in Europe. Big Brain Academy is set to be released in May 30th in the US and around the summer in Europe.

defeating 16 Colossus, guardians of a sacred and mysterious land. Without hesitation, you carry the lifeless body of your dear love to a remote temple and then with the help of your faithful companion Agro, you begin your hunt for the first confrontation. And then you see it! If you first thought it was a mountain, you quickly realise that you are facing a dangerous but magnificent ancient creature. With only your sword, your bow and your courage you step towards the gigantic form. It has noticed you but you decide not to flee. You grab its leg and thrust your sword as hard as you can in its tensed muscle. A massive roar shakes the mountains but you hold on tight, no matter how tired you are. It then falls on its knee and you decide to climb towards its most exposed weakness. Once you have successfully pulled yourself all the way to its head, with all your will and

t is now ofﬁcial! God of War 2 Divine Retribution has been announced on the Playstation 2. This ends all the rumours that already saw the sequel of the acclaimed God of War on the Playstation 3. With the release of this title, the Playstation 2 shows that 2007 will still offer great games on the console despite the release of its little sister. No ofﬁcial date has been announced but experts already guess the title to be out around February next year. Fans of Kratos you now know your prayers have been answered!

God of War 2:

The Secrets Of Da Vinci : The forbidden Manuscript:

obilis has just made ofﬁcial the release date for The Secrets Of Da Vinci: The Forbidden Manuscript. The game will be released on April 21st on PC. The game will allow you to play Valdo, a young man whose quest is to ﬁnd the forbidden Da Vinci Manuscript. The story will be set at the beginning of the 16th century and you will have to overcome many riddles to elucidate all the famous painter’s secrets. However, this game is not an adaptation of the Da Vinci Code book by Dan Brown. For further information, check the website: http://www.secrets-of-da-vinci.com

remaining strength, you thrust once more your sword right in its skull! An enormous roar rises again and immediately fades away as it falls heavily on the ground. You are catapulted to the ground with a supernatural force. You wake up on the side of your dear love. You stand up; there are rocks on the ground in the temple. These same very rock that were forming a gigantic statue of a colossus, are now the sole proof of your bravery. Contemplating the other ﬁfteen statues remaining, you call for your only friend in these lands. As Agro gallops through the meadow away from the temple where your dear love awaits you, you gather again all your strengths as you now understand that the inhuman bravery you have shown will have to be repeated ﬁfteen times before rest and happiness can again be part of your life.

All the games were supplied by Mr Games located in the Galleria, ground floor. Check out new games and don’t forget your NUS card to get a discount!

in[theatre]

Carole Shepherdson and her team of theatre goers are back at the Watford Palace Theatre and de Havilland�s Weston Auditorium to look at what the theatres in our area have to offer.

The Beauty Queen

Article by Joseph Norman

Les Miserables...by school kids?!

he Beauty Queen of Leenane was written in 1996 over the course of only eight days. Its first performance was at the Town Hall Theatre in Galway, Ireland. Martin McDonagh came from an Irish working class background and left formal education at the age of sixteen because he objected to the teachings of the Catholic monks. He cites his influences as coming from television and films rather than from literature.

The Beauty Queen of Leenane is an extremely amusing, yet unrelentingly bleak and shocking look at small town life in Western Ireland. It deals with themes of alienation, broken communication and sexual frustration. The plot is essentially very simple revolving around the relationships between the thirty something virgin Maureen Folan (Cate Hamer) and her elderly mother Mag (Eileen Pollack) who live together in a remote Irish village. Maureen is constantly held back from her goals of ﬁnding a partner and moving away to an area with more job prospects by her lack of money and the responsibility she has to look after her mother. Her mother relies on her daughter for a great many things and attempts to sabotage her future so that she will remain living with her. The play is set in their kitchen, which is small and grimy. A lot of the play’s best comic moments are triggered by this claustrophobic, domestic space, which heightens the frustration of its two main characters.

Article by Caroline Goss

Caroline Goss, better known for reviewing “Adult Plays“, reviews Rare Productions’ performance of Les Miserable School Edition, with school children aged 8 to 18.

They burst on to the dark stage, more and more actors appeared, out. from the tiny to the towering. They shattered my ‘School Play’ expectation from the first note that came out of their mouths, The defining factor of the play was the spirit of the young actors and actresses. James Hensley managed to expose the giving complex and demanding vocal performances. They were talented singers, not one of them slipping out intricate fibers of his character, Marius, with his melancholic of character during the show. The melancholy sights were performance and superb vocals. performed in a serious and believable manner by these tweens Also the pub landlord played by Benjamin Potter really I attended the opening night of this production and teens. The audience reaction was so great that at some lightened the show at certain points, as every move was spring loaded with oodles of cheeky chappy charm. and was instantly drawn to the play because points their clapping drowned out the actors. Congratulations also go to Lisa Driscoll who stepped in at six of the atmosphere created by the layout of the stage and the eerie sounds of rain mixed with The play had themes of hardship, struggle, moral crisis and of hours notice to play Fantine Irish folk music played from a badly tuned course, love. An escaped convict struggles with his own moral radio. The strange yet effective addition of identity. He makes a fresh start as mayor in a new town and The Rare Productions group has groups in Hatfield and St Albans, so look out for their next performance of The Variety a ragged drape at the back of the stage gave tries to bring home dead Fantine’s long lost daughter. the impression of an area of dark woodland Realistic civil war fight scenes drew gasps from the audience as Show in mid March, as it will be nothing like the school play behind the house. The radio is cleverly used they were unsure whether the actors had actually been knocked I had feared! throughout the play, being turned up to cover watched a screening of the movie I and Jurassic Park, films that were just conversations and as a symbol of the lack of Page 1: SFX continued nodded. “What bit of that do you think jaw-dropping and revolutionary, and and withheld communication between the I was lucky enough to be able to ask Joss was CGI?” Ah-ha I thought, a trick wondered if he thought we would Williams a few questions. Personally I characters. question! You’re not going to get me see those kinds of movies again in think he felt sorry for me as I gestured THAT way. “The people?” I replied. the future. “There is such a feast of at my ‘Best Value’ notebook and My only criticism of the play was of the unclear Shaking his head I was told, “No, different things your mind can’t pick explained I was there writing for the delivery of some of Cate Hamer’s lines, as she none of it was.” Having clearly shown one thing out. Movies are going student paper, but whatever works is turned too much away from the audience. This I know nothing about the way film to have to go more into the visual, fine. During the talk Neal Scanlan had is, however, only a minor criticism considering works I decided to make an informed creating moments that will just stand mentioned Jason and the Argonauts as that it was the opening night of the production observation, pointing out that since out, rather than whole movies, as so a major infl uence from his childhood and was otherwise an excellently acted play. digitised colour, and the now hypermuch has been done. We’ve seen the and I wondered what Joss’ had been; This was especially true of Eileen Pollack who real look of every shot, most things on past, present and the future.” At this “Thunderbirds, Fireball XL5, Super managed to perfectly portray a character older screen tend to look like visual effects, point I was struggling with questions, Cars and old war movies. I was never than herself and evoked simultaneous feelings and it’s hard to know when something well... I hadn’t prepared any, but luckily really into westerns, nothing blew up. of disgust and sympathy in the audience is actually real. I think that struck a Williams asked me one. “You know I always wondered ‘how do they do towards her character. cord as the reply I got was a nod and the shot where they’re all walking that?’” Nothing blew up? If I hadn’t a rather rueful “Yeah, I know.” It only across the bridge in the factory with been a fan already I would now be a made me appreciate this mans work the waterfall in the background and full convert. I then spoke about movies that much more. the river underneath?” Having just such as King Kong (the 1933 version)

in[ﬁlms]

CINEMA: THE NEW WA

FREAKS AND GEEKS SIMON ROBB’S LITTLE PIECE ON FREAKS AND GEEKS... NO JOCKS, WHAT?!

“

OUR FILM EDITOR, ROSS BILLINGTON, LOOKS AT THE INDEPENDENT SCENE...

ovie-making isn’t about business. In the future, almost everything that gets shown in theaters will be indie movies. I predict that by 2025 the average movie will cost only $15 million.” These very words trickled from the mouth of the same man responsible for hollering ‘cut’ and ‘action’ on the set of all six Star Wars movies, George Lucas. Audiences are changing. Be wary to whisper it oh so quietly but the future of the Blockbuster is hazy at best, the people want change, the people want indie.

With the average summer blockbuster costing upwards of $100 million to produce, the luxury of a decent profit margin is rapidly on the decrease for the Studios who foot the bill. Realistically, a movie has to perform exceptionally well at not only the domestic but worldwide box office to be considered a success. Aside from the web slingers and Batmen of our planet, profit is fast emerging as the Holy Grail to the top brass of Hollywood. In order to make the money, you need to spend the money, right? Well actually, no. The Independent movie, or ‘Indie’, has proven consistently that with a threadbare budget, skeleton cast and crew and a basic digital camcorder, celluloid history can be forged. Until the recent advent of digital alternatives, cost of professional film equipment and stock was a significant hurdle. However, the watershed descended in the mid-eighties with the boom that was consumer camcorders. Your mum was a filmmaker, your Dad was too, and perhaps even you’re Nan as well. Historically, the gates had been unlocked, but who would provide the key?

aul Feig, creator of Freaks and Geeks, set-out to fashion a show that would portray the life and trials of the high-school outsiders. It cleverly and truthfully battles alienation and social categorisation of two specific groups, the ‘freaks’ and the ‘geeks’. The show revolves around Lindsay Weir (Linda Cardellini) and her younger brother Sam (John Francis Daley). Lindsay, a straight-A student and former member of the Mathletes, decides to find her-self after the sudden death of her Grandmother. Subsequent to befriending a band of freaks, she struggles with her teachers, former-friends and parents who fear she is on the path to a drug induced ‘burn-out.’ Sam Weir, the geek, consorts with his two best friends, Bill Haverchuck (Martin Starr) and Neal Schweiber (Samm Levine). They face the bullies day-in and dayout, who hassle, curse and segregate them from sport activities. What makes this show so realistic is its decision to avoid stereotyping. The geeks are not milk drinking, nose snorting losers. They are normal kids who try to understand their position in the high-school social hierarchy. Each episode was treated like a short-film, one hour long. It was sadly cancelled after the episode Chokin’ and Tokin’, where Lindsay tries marijuana for the first time. It was revived shortly after and only lasted for eighteen episodes (in all), before it was cancelled permanently. Since then, the show has rapidly built a cult status with a revival on DVD, and even won an Emmy Award for ‘Outstanding Cast in a Comedy Series’, plus two nominations for ‘Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series’. Freaks and Geeks is filled with wonderful seventies rock classics like The Who, Boston, Rush, and the final episode where Lindsay dances gracefully in her room to The Grateful Dead’s ‘American Beauty’ album. If you want to watch a show with heart and humor then check this one out!

This m the be his wo Robb o

QT to his friends, Quentin Tarantino to us, a 27 year old video store clerk held that elusive key. Armed with $30,000 and a 16mm camera, Tarantino wrote, directed and starred in Reservoir Dogs, the film that broke then burned before finally running over the mould. The gritty crime classic premiered at the Sundance Festival in 1991 to shocking effect. “I don’t think people were ready. They didn’t know what to make of it. It’s like the first silent movie when audiences saw the train coming toward the camera and scattered” one critic gushed. Reservoir Dogs went on to gross $40 million at the worldwide box office, Tarantino had arrived as had Independent cinema. Arguably, it was 1999 that garnered the one film that will forever be synonymous with independent movie making, American filmmakers Eduardo Sanchez and Daniel Myrick sent out three young actors for eight days into the Burkitsvillle woods armed with a 16m camera, food supplies and a tent to create a movie. The result was the highest grossing indie film ever. ‘The Blair Witch Project’, not only had punters vomiting in the aisles from sheer nausea but banked a $240 million profit. Originally made for $25,000, ‘The Blair Witch Project’ shook Hollywood to the core, sending shockwaves through audiences whom had never been exposed to grass roots filmmaking on a global scale. Hated by as many who loved it, ‘The Blair Witch’ unarguably slapped tinsel town in the face, the figures were impossible to ignore. Undeniably, as many success stories as there are, the reality is that independent moviemakers more often than not do not make it to the big screen on a commercial scale. Consequently countless amounts of film festivals are run in order for people to see what they would not normally be able to. As mentioned earlier, the Sundance Festival is chaired by screen legend Robert Redford and caters entirely for

indie releases. Q Smith all got thei ‘blood’ independ

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month our film team has been throwing reviews at us for enifit of you loverlieeees! Film Editor Ross Billington has ord on independent cinema and films to watch, and Simon offers his thoughts on Freaks and Geeks.

Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez and Kevin ir break at Sundance and it is these festivals that dent moviemakers.

two independent filmmakers, Justin Doherty and nnual festival ingeniously titled FILMSTOCK in ts seventh year FILMSTOCK offers a two-week e film from all corners of the earth, “Filmstock, does a service to independent films in terms of are grateful for the brilliant diverse material as m makers are grateful for what is effectively an hod of distribution.”

x originally imagined Filmstock as “a weekend couragement and youthful excitement led us to ull two weeks. We didn’t really consider what ight lead to. We just thought it would be cool.”

bout FILMSTOCK is the diversity of film on ram stays firmly fixed to its independent roots e for being the “first people in the UK to screen a, Identity and Batman Begins.” Admirably this th the worldwide cinema that slots in with the on Justin and Neil’s agenda, “There is no divide with or without subtitles. However by screening is great seeing people who don’t usually watch fest and taking a chance and finding that writing the screen is actually no big deal.”

themselves the Fox and Doherty have recently onth creative period” after “losing touch with bitions to make films.” Three short films later h ‘Clandestine’ “a noirish mystery heist film set ng Sigur Ros”, Justin and Neil are optimistic for LMSTOCK. “Any growth will be organic and l be on our terms, and we will welcome them. a swimming pool too.”

cas be right? It certainly seems the tide is turning h’ the latest indie smash hit was assembled for grossed ten times that whilst also nicking Best Oscars. Expect to see an inﬂux of indie ﬁlm ome will be fantastic, some will be ok and I can will be dire. Nonetheless, be patient and loyal inema because I would swap a thousand ‘Pearl ust one ‘Easy Rider’.

BORED? GRAB A DVD

OUR EDITORS FAVOURITE FILMS THIS MONTH... Casting light on some of the darkest corners of American politics Syriana follows the lives of a network of characters connected to one another by the far reaching consequences of America’s multi-billion dollar oil industry. It’s an ambitious film that tackles the sensitive issues surrounding America’s attitude to Middle Eastern oil supplies and the policies they implement to secure them. The main problem with Syriana is that whilst it entertains its audience with political conspiracies, assassinations and dirty dealings it lacks a definitive lead role. Matt Damon was cast as the lead playing financial broker Bryan Woodman, but with the numerous and intertwining stories, neither he nor his supporting cast fully manage to take the reigns. Playing the CIA operative who finds himself under investigation by the very people he works for, George Clooney is certainly what holds the film together, and although it might not necessarily be an Oscar winning performance, it is a worthy one nonetheless. Despite the vast array of characters and absence of a clear narrative, Syriana is an interesting attempt that cleverly shows the knockon effects of American energy policy from international oil companies right down to the poorest people who live at its source. By the end of the film what at first felt like a messy tangle of cinematic sinew draws together in an explosive finale. Syriana is worth watching but ultimately fails to fully challenge the theme it addresses and in the heated and uncertain state of the world today, it can be argued as a missed opportunity to exploit a controversial part of our lives.

SYRIANA

MOTORCYCLE DIARIES Set against some of the most stunning scenery South America has to offer, The Motorcycle Diaries follows Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara and Alberto Granado on their eight month road trip, from their home in Argentina to a leper colony in the Peruvian Amazon. Seen through the eyes of Che Guevara, the ﬁlm tracks his changing perspectives on the continent in which he lives, and aims focus at the events and people that set him on course with his revolutionary future The journey Che and Alberto embark on not only takes them deeper into the heart of Latin America, but closer to it’s people as they each learn valuable lessons about life, themselves, and most importantly the human spirit. Although it can be heavy going at times, The Motorcycle Diaries is deﬁnitely worth two hours of your time.

in[films] news Johnny Depp once again teams up with Keira Knightley and Orlando Bloom as Captain Jack Sparrow and co. return to the stage in the sequel to 2003’s big hit Curse of the Black Pearl. Bill Nighy (Shaun of the Dead, Love Actually) joins the cast this time alongside the familiar faces of Geoffrey Rush and Jack Davenport. Keith Richards, who inspired Depp’s original performance of Sparrow is also rumoured to be making an appearance as a pirate, but this has yet to be confirmed. With the first films $600M box office earnings behind them, Jerry Bruckheimer and Disney should deliver the goods second time around and with filming on the third film taking place simultaneously the trilogy should be with us soon.

6in[music]

Jessica Sturman Matthew Ketchell and Isaac Mavridis give us a flavour of what’s available. Features and cd reviews.

in[music]: feature

Richard Ashcroft Returns As Richard Ashcroft’s lanky fame casually swaggers onto the modest Electric Ballroom stage it’s hard to believe that it was over 10 years ago when his music was the sound track of a generation. The turn of the century has seen two modest solo albums ‘Alone with Everybody’ and ‘Human Conditions’ come and go, both containing one or two stand out tracks and largely falling way below the level of expectation for someone whose back catalogue is littered with timeless classics such as ‘Bittersweet Symphony’, ‘The Drugs Don’t Work’ and ‘History’. With his latest production ‘Keys to the World’ could it prove that third time is the charm for the former Verve front man? In the build up to these three sold out Electric Ballroom dates (booked as a warm up for his forthcoming UK tour) Ashcroft was ‘misquoted’ in the press as liking himself to Jesus Christ. Page one of the Rock and Roll handbook states this is a big no no and under no circumstances should the Jesus / artist parallel be attempted. Continuing what proved to be a busy week Wigan’s favourite son went on to sell out most of his live UK dates, start a three night residency at the Electric Ballroom and release his album the same week as ‘The Arctic Monkeys’ debut (DOH!) and subsequently reach number 2 in the album charts. Tonight’s intimate venue is a rare treat for an audience who have been starved of Ashcroft’s euphoric live performance for almost three years. “Cheers for bein’ the ones that got the tickets” thanks Ashcroft who knows full well that Ebay rather than Ticketmaster was the route taken by much of tonight’s audience (including myself). It was quite typical of the man to have made his unofﬁcial comeback six months earlier in front of 3 billion people at Live 8 performing Bittersweet Symphony with Coldplay after being introduced to the worldwide audience as “the greatest singer in the world” by Chris Martin. On tonight’s performance it’s a claim that is not a million miles off the mark, and an

extremely polished vocal delivery stirs every member of the crowd proving that a decade down the line his vocal cords are in equally good fettle unlike another of Britpop’s favourite son’s, a certain Liam Gallagher. Ironically Liam had appeared on stage the previous night to help the greatest singer in the world sing Bittersweet Symphony after Ashcroft had become carried away with his performance and forgotten the words! The northern souls have remained great friends having moving in the same circles during the mid 90’s and Liam proclaimed Richard “a free spirit” after helping him out on stage that night. Tonight’s performance is ﬂawless and despite the set being peppered with old Verve favourites History, Bittersweet Symphony, Sonnet, Lucky Man and ‘The Drugs Don’t Work’ the new tracks easily hold their own. New single ‘Break the Night with Colour’ is typical Ashcroft, deep opening piano licks, sprinkled with acoustic guitar breaks and soulful lyrics that are passionately delivered. Opening line “fools they do not understand the road I’m taking”, is clearly a direct poke at any media doubters with the message being that he is simply a misunderstood rock musician, not the son of God. ‘Music is Power’ is an upbeat summer hit in the making, with tingling electric riffs hanging over a customary acoustic back drop. Full marks go to Ashcroft and his producer on this one with rich string

and synth parts perfectly complementing that voice. The more serious and layered ‘Keys to the World’ is another stand out album track that blends the power and smooth rhythm of previous hits Bittersweet Symphony and the Euphoric ‘Song For Lovers’ which was easily the highlight of his debut solo album Alone with Everyone. “I’ve got the keys the world yea, Oh suicidal world” references his opinion on the state of the planet, such outlooks are more subtle than on previous albums but are still there for the listener to chew on, as an active peace campaigner it wouldn’t be an Ashcroft album without them. On this viewing third time has deﬁnitely been the charm for Richard Ashcroft but there is still room for improvement if he has any hopes of matching past glories but he’s deﬁnitely got his Verve back. Thanks go the man, the legend Tom Lawrence for his presence at this gig.

in[music]: cd review Artist: Panic! At The Disco Taken from the album: A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out (out now) Panic! At The Disco, have entered the alternative music market and have deﬁnitely caused a panic- as fans struggle to ﬁnd tickets at venues across the country for their UK tour. Panic at the what, I hear you say. The band are a new wave of Emo, think Fall Out Boy riffs and vocals blended with funky beats ranging from jazzy trumpets to more synthesised disco beats. This song, ‘I write sins not tragedies’ is not the most adventurous track from the album, but never the less it still pleases your ears.

Release date: 27/2/2006 Single Title: I Write Sins Not Tragedies Genre: Neo Emo

The quartet are from America, and are on the same label as Fall Out Boy so it is no surprise there are distinct similarities. The song ‘I Write Sins Not Tragedies’ is a melodic piece of work with Brendon Urie’s soft vocals combined with the delicate backing of drums, bass and guitar. The lyrics are upbeat despite the content being about the inﬁdelity of the bride at her wedding:‘ The poor groom’s bride is a whore.’

in[music]

More features and reviews, along with live music. Be sure to keep your ents guide for up coming events!

in[music]: feature

What is Emo, really?!

he lyrics are emotionally charged and when you reach that euphoric realisation that this song is something you can relate to, its words are so real your mouth is compelled to shape and spell them for you. This is what ‘Emo’ music is meant to be, an emotional roller coaster backed with punk guitar riffs and spine tingling melodies. But today the term ‘Emo’ no longer specifically implies a genre it is loosely used by the music industry to describe anything with a tear of emotion to a dress code. You may be surprised to know that ‘Emo’ was originally a sub genre of hardcore punk music and was born in America in 1985 with bands like ‘Heroin’ and ‘Rites of Spring’. Its bands were defined by their sporadic emotional outbursts on stage both lyrically and physically. Cathy Reay a regular writer for, Big Cheese, an underground music magazine said that Emo ‘originates from the word emotional, which, in the context of music means a sound that is comprised of different elements traditionally driven by a deeper, more intellectual and brooding force than that of other genres.’ As the genre has evolved over time, with bands like ‘Dashboard Confessional’, early ‘Jimmy Eat World,’‘My Chemical Romance’ and ‘Fallout Boy’ the genre has erupted from the underground into the mainstream world of music. Several years ago no one would have expected to see an ‘Emo’ band gigging on CD: UK but today it is nothing out of the ordinary. In fact ‘Emo’ labelled bands are popping up faster than you can say depressed. This leap seems to be in response to, today’s society’s invitation to “talk about our problems” whether on telly, broadcasting to the nation or in the privacy of a doctor’s office. Even Indie bands are now being sub genred Emo by the industry in the hope that sales will increase, but Indie and Emo have a completely different sound. Can you imagine a band like

the ‘Kaiser Chiefs’ or ‘The Killers’ donning heavy make up like ‘My Chemical Romance’ and shouting about how the world is against them? It’s a hard image to conjure. In order to express themselves and get across their message, Emo bands developed an image that was suited to their emotional, often traumatic lyrics. The key element was and still is black clothing, dyed dark hair, plaid shirts and thick framed black glasses. The trend itself is cool, but is slowly but surely deﬁning the genre- the music is being left behind. Emo does not seem to be about the music any more as Cathy said: ‘it has become a fashion not a sound.’ For example if a band ‘don’t wear black, or make up, sing about their parents hitting them as a kid etc than they aren’t Emo.’ The same stigma is now attached to the fan base and is giving Emo a bad reputation. As a blonde with only four piercing all of which are located on my ears and now with a lack of black clothing I have repeatedly been stared at when I join the queue at a gig, by other queuing fans as if to say, have you lost your way- shouldn’t you be going to see Kelly Clarkson in concert? But its not just those who don’t wear black who become ostracised it’s the fans who do, who get picked on by unsympathetic, non- Emo listening, members of the public. They use the phrase ‘Emo kid’ vindictively, and if you wear black and happen to wear glasses god forbid it must mean you are depressed, need Prozac, slit your wrists and write poetry all day. Quit the stereotypes! Real Emo music is all about breaking the mould. It’s about people who are ostracised, misunderstood or having a tough time being able to be accepted. It’s an inversion of the typical High School scenario with the jocks, the geeks, the art freaks and popular kids- because there is no pyramid of importance. Emo is something everyone no matter what your sex, gender, sexuality, age or race is, can relate to and enjoy.

in[music]: live music Fabric 27: Matthew Dear as Audion Release date: 20.03.2006 Slick, varied production - under his own name and the aliases Jabberjaw, False and Audion - relentless touring, and the backing of Ann Arbor’s super-industrious Ghostly International label have made 27-year-old Texan Matthew Dear part of electronic music’s elite. Recording on Perlon, M_nus and Ghostly offshoot Spectral Sound, he spans a multitude of sub genres, none accurately capturing his style. He was named ‘Artist of the Year’ by agenda-setting music title XLR8R in 2004, his music was described as “interesting and sexy” by Q, and even America’s mainstream media realised something was stirring; after 2003’s Leave Luck to Heaven LP and its ‘little brother’, 2004’s Backstroke, Matthew featured in the New York Times, Entertainment Weekly and Rolling Stone. On Fabric 27, Matthew has pushed the generally established limits of a compilation, taking parts from various tracks and splicing them together to make new ones. Continually shifting in shape, packed with polyrhythms and drenched in detail, it does many things at once, warping dimensions and growing in personality with every listen. Full of unexpected sounds, recurring themes and ingenious ideas, it moves from subtle through crazed to ecstatic. Like most things it’s best in the dark, though Matthew recommends playing it loudly in a car. Techno was once a faceless music designed to hit you over the head. Now, small-scale superstars like Matthew Dear make it to seep into your subconscious. And like anything designed to shift your reality, it can be highly addictive.

News

News... because we are a newspaper! www.uhsu.herts.ac.uk

Issue 5 Vol 13

News With A Bit Of A Difference

Bush is listening. It’s been a tough time for Dubya. His beloved country men are up in arms over his blatant disregard for the document which is the basis of their entire way of life. That’s right, thousands of government ofﬁcials have been listening in on the average

American phone call in an attempt to search out any possible terrorist activity. I bet you can’t guess what they found? If you thought nothing then you’d be right, well apart from the fact that there are millions of law abiding citizens

in America. This month we’ll be giving advice to those who need it. So Dubya you’ve got a list of all the non terrorists in the country, therefore you can eliminate them from your enquiry, just bang the rest of the country inside camp XRay and you’ll reduce the number of terrorists leaving wholesome American Citizens. It’s just a thought. Shamed Glam Rocker Gary Glitter has escaped the possibility of the ﬁring squad for now. The aging, wig wearing glam rocker now faces the less serious charge of engaging minors in indecent acts. Instead of facing what is probably the most humane act in the world he will spend up to and including seven years of his life in a squalid Vietnamese jail, well you’ve got to laugh haven’t you. Glitter has travelled the world to ﬁnd a haven including Cambodia

from which he was expelled. That was for lying and telling the Cambodian authorities that he was an entertainer. Surely nobody has been entertained by the shiny suited nutjob. Education Secretary Ruth Kelly hit the ground running as far as 2006 is concerned after being in the spotlight twice in as many

weeks. The first attack came when a newspaper printed the figures regarding the number of convicted sex offenders were working in schools across the country. The newspapers claim of 150 was quickly whittled down to around 88 and the figures show that 10 of the 88 were cleared by ministers while they were registered sex offenders. Now Ms Kelly had a choice here, she could have sorted this out and dealt with the matter with great urgency in an attempt to gain the voters trust. Rather than do this she announced that anyone put on the sex offenders’ register in future for offences against children will be banned from teaching. That’s right; you read that correctly, not today not next week even but in future. I mean why start today when you can start again tomorrow, clean slate and all that. Following this sterling effort came Ms Kelly’s education reforms. These reforms outline the

Make Levi Smile! “LEVI! Cheer the Fu*k Up..” -

Ginger Rich

Levis Smilometer™

Obviously there was something not quite right with his pint in this picture, we better leave him alone before he glasses us.

As he sits at home contemplating his plans to rid the world of all smiley faces, you can notice the joy in his eyes.

We want you to cheer up the DeHavilland Site Co-ordinator, he always looks so miserable. We at Universe are a bit fatigued at the mo and are a bit tired of looking at his miserable face every time we put a paper togeather (we love you really mate). So next time you see him patrolling the mean streets of DeHav, tell him a joke, give him a hug or just blow him a kiss.

His election photo has certainly seemed to have struck a cord with the voters as he has been elected twice.

Not even Levi could resist the temptation to have a cheery time when he got his hands on some glowsticks.

Is that a smile?... Go on son, squeeze one out!

Cheer him up and send him an email: uhsu.dehav@herts.ac.uk

idea of ‘Trust’ schools which are set targets to enrol a certain amount of children from poorer backgrounds. A good socialist idea in many respects guaranteeing places for less privileged children but not under this Tory, sorry, Labour government. The reforms were

met with some severe harrumphing along Labour backbenchers, as ninety of them wanted an alternate proposal involving the statutory use of the national admissions code. Well Ms Kelly can always look forward to next month.

14 Issue 5 Vol 13

Food

universe@uhsu.co.uk

Happy Chocolate Day!!!! W

from the Famous Andy

elcome back! And I hope you all enjoyed chocolate-corporate day ;) There’s only 8 weeks of term left now so peeps, best buckle down and get some work done! Or you can go to the brilliant events that the Alt-Night peeps have organised for you, looks like its going to be a scream! Also, watch out for the Drama Society’s next production, I’ve heard an industry rumour that it may be a Terry Pratchett play or a “Reduced Shakespeare Company” script… we’ll have to wait and see…

1 garlic clove ½ red onion, chopped 1 tsp cayenne pepper ½ red pepper, chopped salt and freshly ground black pepper For the basil oil: 25g fresh basil leaves (or a good handful) 50ml oz olive oil For the Chef: 2 Bottles of Pinotage

Right, okay, a recipe, always a plus in a food article …*rummage*… aha!!

2. To make the meatballs: rub ﬂour all over your hands and shape the sausage meat into six small meatballs. Then cover the meatballs in ﬂour.

Spicy Meatball Casserole With Basil Oil Ingredients For the meatballs 150g sausage meat 50g plain ﬂour 1 tbsp olive oil For the sauce 25g/1ﬂ oz olive oil

1. Open a bottle of wine, preferably a pinotage with this one ;), and heat the oven to 200C/Gas 6.

3. Pour another glass of wine. 4. Heat the olive oil in an ovenproof frying pan on about a medium heat. Pour another glass of wine and add the meatballs, turning occasionally, until evenly browned.

5. Pour another glass of wine and put the frying pan in the oven and cook for about 5-6 minutes. 6. Then for the sauce, heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and fry for 2-3 minutes, until soft. 7. Add the cayenne pepper and some salt & normal pepper and continue frying for a further minute, then add the cooked meatballs and chopped pepper stirring well. 8. To make the basil oil, place the basil and the olive oil in a food processor, season and blend to a smooth paste. Or if you don’t have one, chop up the basil really ﬁne and mix it all in a pestle and mortar. 9. Open a second bottle of wine and serve with the basil oil dripped over the meatballs, I ﬁnd that spaghetti makes an amazing addition to this dish ;)

Crush 1278

www.uhsu.herts.ac.uk

Issue 5 Vol 13

Interview With THE ROCK SHOW: Listen Online - www.crushradio.co.uk Make A Request - 01414 16 1278

Interview with Andy Sinden, Chris Hardiman and Andy Palmer from The Rock Show.

When can we catch your show? Every Monday night from 10 – 11.30pm. Why should we listen to your show? Chris: Because it’s original and genuinely good fun. We play a good range of music of the rock persuasion and have many original, funny and stupid features for people with a low attention span such as myself. What are you studying: Andy S: Nursing Andy P: Nursing too! Chris: Software systems for the arts and media. Who are your musical inﬂuences? Andy S: Pink Floyd, Stars, Arcade Fire, Radiohead, Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, Moffaty and Gideon (of Hatﬁeld Nights)… Chris: Blake Schwarzenbach Of Jawbreaker and Jets to Brazil fame is somewhat of a hero of mine. A true lyrical genius. I do however like a very diverse mix of music ranging from Public Enemy to Converge. Andy P: John Bonham, Josh Freese and Tommy Lee How did you meet each other? Andy P: We were all in the

Serengeti striving to save the endangered Goulash Tapeworm and we were placed in the same group. Our mutual love of kidney beans brought us together, and the rest they say is history. Chris: (more sensibly) Me and Producer Andy S were in 6th form together where Andy originally had the idea of doing a Rock Show when at Uni. It sounded like a great idea to me and knowing that I would also be studying at UH I agreed to DJ on the show once asked. Andy P is on the same course as Andy S which is how we met the witty young whipper snapper. Great lad he is, too. The Rock Show is a happy family of rock fans having a good time and supplying a high quality and entertaining listening experience. We are all really good mates which helps make a fun show. We are now set for world domination! Best night out since being here? Andy S: Chinese New Year without a doubt. Chris: hmmm.. At the Uni it would have to be one Wednesday a few weeks back.. I don’t remember much of it but the next day I couldn’t move. That bit was painful but the night was great. Factory nights are also pretty good.. Some ﬁne young DJ’s they often have there, plug plug plug! Andy P: That question is a contradiction in terms. But factory night was good!

Monday 9am -10am 10am - 11am 11am - 12pm

Tuesday

Tom,Kenno & Bob The Full English Tom,Kenno & Bob with Naj & Akeel

Who is your least favourite person? Andy P: I’m a lover, not a hater. Chris: erm... I’m a lover not a hater! Some people annoy me, but public places aren’t for personal grudges. I try not to hold grudges. Fill the world with love, that’s what I say! Andy S: James “rhyming slang” Blunt Favourite Drink? Andy S: Deﬁnitely JD, Snakebite by the bucket-load on Bar FooTSiE night at the Elehouse is quite fantastic. Andy P: Strongbow, Guinness & JD Chris: ooh.. well I generally drink Corona. Fine Mexican Beer. Some would say its a ladies drink. To them I say pah! It is very refreshing. Do you know why it has lime shhunted down the neck? Someone told me the other night, but I can’t remember. I think its something to do with keeping ﬂies out once its open. Either way, its very nice, try it! If it’s not available I will have what ever is available (and cheapest). How many pints until you would be considered shaggable? Andy S: I’m not too sure, but after he had 15 pints the other night, Bob Forsythe (secretive, token northerner of The Rock Show) was all over me!

Wednesday

Chris H: 7 pints… of water. No beer needed, but seriously? I don’t know. Depends who it is I guess…

Andy P: I pick my belly button.

Childhood incident that scarred you?

What is your porn name? Andy S: Pippin Crawley – freaky! Chris: Jerry Adams Andy P: Tigger Inman (suits him).

Chris: A game of “Bangkok” (don’t ask) that Andy S and I played. Andy P: I got attacked by a spider when I was 5! Weird bad habits? Chris: I’m going to develop one and get back to you.

Thursday

Andy S: Shouting my head off at Chris and Andy P off air.

The Rock Show MySpace: www. crushtherockshow.co.uk Add The Rock Show to MSN Messenger: crushtherockshow@hotmail.com

Friday

Saturday

Sun

Sticky Ami @ Uni Sticky Ami @ Uni

12pm - 1pm Dely Sandwiches The News Show News with Henna Khan 1 pm - 2pm Katie Wilde Show Dely Sandwiches Alfonst & Rodrieguez The Session 2pm - 3pm Reggae Vibes The A-Team Alfonst & Rodrieguez The Session Tom,Kenno & Bob Spidee 3pm - 4pm Reggae Vibes The A-Team The Nick & Ben Show Tom,Kenno & Bob Spidee 4pm - 5pm hOT ¬ BOX hOT ¬ BOX hOT ¬ BOX hOT ¬ BOX Flash with 5pm - 6pm Michael & Macca 3 Play Helen & Joe Show Reggae 6pm - 7pm Michael & Macca Rock the House 3 Play Helen & Joe Show Isaac 7pm - 8pm Michael & Macca Rock the House The Nick & Ben Show Dan Lawrence Show Flirt Request Fest Isaac 8pm - 9pm Hatﬁeld Nights Thrash 4 Beginners Hiphop with Decaholic Dan Lawrence Show Flirt Request Fest Soul,Funk 9pm - 10pm Hatﬁeld Nights Kaoss; Breakz Afcab Akeel (Urban) D’n’B & Breakz Soul,Funk 10pm - 11pm The Rock Show & d’n’b with Afcab Akeel (Urban) with G-Lab & 11pm - 12am The Rock Show Luke Taylor Afcab Akeel (Urban) Gamma 12am 8am www.crushradio.co.uk www.crushradio.co.uk www.crushradio.co.uk www.crushradio.co.uk www.crushradio.co.uk www.crushradio.co.uk

16 Issue 5 Vol 13

Advice & Support

universe@uhsu.co.uk

MIND MATTERS…. agencies with any mental health problems because of a fear that this might have an adverse effect on their future studies. The most common form of severe mental illness is schizophrenia. For the population as a whole it is estimated that one in a hundred people will develop this illness, and it usually strikes those aged between 18 and 25. It is therefore not surprising that there will be some students who do have a severe mental illness.

DID YOU KNOW: Mental Health Issues will affect 1 in 4 people in the course of a year? That’s 25% of your friends, 25% of your family, it could even be you! There still seems to be a ‘stigma’ attached to mental health. This article was written to make you aware of all the issues, and know what to do if you think that you, or someone you know, is affected by mental health issues. Mental health problems can be triggered in a variety of forms; depression, stress, ﬁnancial

worries, academic concerns and worries about the future to name just a few. New students can also suffer bouts of depression. One study has suggested that 61% of Freshers feel depressed at some time or other. 12% were estimated as feeling suicidal at some time, whilst 1 % actually attempted it. It has also been suggested that between 10 and 20% of students will need psychiatric treatment before they graduate.

• RELAX! Take a nice long bath, try some aromatherapy oils to aid your relaxation • Try Yoga, or other forms of exercise. The old saying ‘healthy body, healthy mind’ does actually work! Try cutting out all fast food, takeaways and fatty foods – its been proven those kind of foods make you feel worse if your already depressed! • Buy a stress ball or take up a new sport or activity!

However, you are not alone; conﬁdential help and support is available!

• Book a massage, or take a day in a health spa with sauna’s and jacuzzi’s!

What can you do if you think you are suffering from a mental illness?

• Listen to comforting music

• Speak to someone about it- the University run a conﬁdential counselling service. Appointments can be made on 01707 284453 • If you don’t fancy seeing a counsellor, pop into the advice and support centre where we can offer you support and a friendly chat (or call 01707 285022)

• Talk to your friends and let them know how your feeling, they’re your friends right!? • Get a student mentor- call 01707 285219. Sometimes it can help talking to another student about your worries, if you do not know them personally. • If you are having a serious problem, speak to the Samaritans on 08457 909 090

Academic Health Welfare Family Legal … to name just a few Hours of opening 10am- 4pm Mon – Fri Appointments can be made! On Wednesday afternoons, Wendy (our legal adviser) is available for appointments.

DON’T LET SPIKE RUIN YOUR NIGHT!!!! 

Let someone know where you’re going and what time you expect to get home



Avoid going out for the evening alone



Remember that alcohol affects your reactions; you’ll be less alert.



Never accept a drink from someone you don’t know



Never leave your drink unattended



Think very carefully before going off with someone you’ve just met

Contact details



Plan your night out

General queries: asc@herts.ac.uk



Appoint a drink watcher if you go to the toilet or off for a dance.



Don’t feel that soft drinks aren’t spiked…they are!



If your drink has been moved, looks topped up or tastes funny…then don’t trust it. Get another one!

• Call Nightline if you are feeling the need to talk to someone between 8pm-8am on 01707 275808

Want more info? Contact MIND (National Association for Mental Health) on 0845 7660163

There is evidence to indicate that students are often reluctant to approach institutional counselling and other help

Free & Conﬁdential Advice Distressed? Don’t know where to turn? We can help with a number of issues, including-

LOOK AFTER YOUR DRINK!!!

We also have a large selection of personal alarms, priced at just £1.50, pregnancy testing kits at £2.50, carbon monoxide alarms at £5 and free condoms.

Academic queries: Laura Mudge 01707 285003 ASC Manager: Ingrid Morgan 01707 285022 Welfare Assistant: Linda Twine 01707 286154

01707 275 808

Medical

www.uhsu.herts.ac.uk

Issue 5 Vol 13

[med sec]

Chlamydia We all know that to get somewhere in life, you got to start somewhere, right! Well Bunmi Odubanjo is planning on becoming a journalist and is starting right here; writing this medical section. Every month she will be addressing a new health issue. So if you have an area that you would like to have voiced contact her at part-time-journalist@hotmail.co.uk.

opefully the majority of you reading this have heard of chlamydia and have an idea of what it is, but for those of you that have not; chlamydia is a sexually transmitted disease (STD). Chlamydia is caused by a bacterium called chlamydia trachomatis and is passed to sexual partners through contact of semen and cervical secretions. Untreated chlamydia infections may lead to infertility in both genders. It normally affects the sperm production site in men resulting in pain, swelling and redness of the testicles. In females it can cause scarring and blockage of the fallopian tube. Eggs released in the ovaries get to the womb through the fallopian tube, therefore blockage of the fallopian tube may result in a fertilised egg growing in the fallopian tube and eventually tearing it apart, resulting in internal bleeding and excruciating pain. Growth of an egg outside the womb is called ectopic pregnancy. Chlamydia also leads to pelvic inﬂammatory disease (PID). Other problems caused by chlamydia are sore

food. This is because these food types often consist of chemicals that have a draining effect on the body. Before the natural treatment method is carried out it is necessary to research more into it.

throats, due to unprotected oral sex and eye infection; So make sure you wash your hands after having sex. Early treatments of chlamydia are possible and most people to contract it are fortunate enough to show symptoms, however a good percentage of us are asymptomatic and therefore show no symptoms. Symptoms that generally exist in both genders are discharge from genitals and burning sensation during urination. In addition, male suspects may experience irritation at the penis tip and irritation tends to persist for a couple of days. However, if symptoms no longer persist, it should not be dismissed as an infection may still be present. Further symptoms in females are bleeding between periods and after sex. If the infection is given the chance to spread to the fallopian tube then symptoms for this includes lower abdominal and lower back pain. If an individual shows some symptoms then it is ideal to go for a check-up. Clinics can now collect

No visible symptoms makes this little fella a particulary nasty STI urine samples as well as cervical swabs for diagnosis of chlamydia. If the results are positive for chlamydia then the individual will be treated with antibiotics. The main antibiotics used are Doxine and Arithromyzin. It is advised to arrange a check up for a retest four months after a successful treatment; this is because chlamydia has a high re-infection rate. There is an alternative natural treatment method towards clearing your system of chlamydia. They

include; increase your intake of Vitamin C, this improves your bodies natural defence system. Also change your diet so that it consist of fresh vegetables, fruits, brown rice, raw seeds, nuts, whole grains, puriﬁed water, sugar-free juice and herbal teas. This will create a healthy genital environment that the chlamydia bacterium cannot survive in. In addition you will need to avoid animal derived products, such as, dairy foods, ﬁsh, chicken, meat and fried and greasy

Note that one of the main ways to protect yourself from chlamydia if you are sexually active is through protected sex. The chance of someone below twenty five being sexually active and catching chlamydia is 1 out of 10. This chance rate is further increased by unprotected sex with more than one partner. So always be cautious. To find out more information on chlamydia get in contact with your GP or a genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinic. GUM clinics can be located through the internet or a local phone directory. Alternatively you can make a call to the fpa helpline on 0845 310 1334 during office hours. •

Are you thinking of participating in a medical drug trial?

uidance for students considering participation in medical drug trials

•Disclose any medication you are taking, such as the contraceptive pill.

If you are considering participation in a drug trial, here is what you should check before you go ahead: •The study must involve no more than minimal risk.

•Do not withhold any information regarding any food you may have eaten or drugs you may have taken (this includes common nonprescription medicines, prescription medicines and alcohol).

•No payout, coercion or bullying should colour your judgement and payment must never be offered for risk.

•Leave at least 12 weeks between any trails you participate in, and inform the company of any previous trials.

•There must be close qualiﬁed medical supervision for the whole period of the trial and not just when the drugs are administered.

•Always remember that whether the drug is ‘tried and tested’ or new on the market, you may individually suffer adverse reaction.

•Full resuscitation equipment and facilities must be on-hand, with trained staff to use them.

If you have concerns about any aspect of a trial, you have numerous ways to complain. You can complain to the chief investigator of the study, the research sponsor, your GP, local patient groups, and the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (12 Whitehall, London SW1A 2DY, Telephone: +44 (0) 20 7930 3477, Fax: +44 (0) 20 7747 1414).

•Conﬁdentiality must be maintained throughout and beyond the trial. •The organisation should hold full insurance and compensate without regard to negligence. •You must authorise, and they must request, your permission to access your past medical history

from your general practitioner. Full records must be maintained by the organisation and by your GP. •Only sign a consent form that you have read in full, and that gives you the right of withdrawal at any time without giving a reason.

•If you are ever approached by, or hear of any company carrying out drug trials which do not conform to the above standards, you should refuse to participate and immediately inform your students’ union welfare ofﬁcer about it. Things to think about if you decide

to participate in a trial: •You should be healthy at the time of the trial and undergo a full medical examination. Reveal any on-going condition you may have, such as asthma.

18 Issue 5 Vol 13

Feature

Be Fair 2 Fairtrade T

here are about 1500 Fairtrade products items in stores- with an easy to see Fairtrade logo on them. It is true that you probably do not give them a second look when you know you want the big name product that you always buy- because quite frankly they do cost a few more pence than your average chocolate bar. Why? Well because those few more pence are spent on the people who deserve it most- the people who produce the products.

many different people, including children. They can decide to build new schools so that the children can be educated and then go on to benefit the community with a great career. They can also set up water for their village, so that all the people of the village no longer have to walk miles away to find water. The money also enables people in villages to set up their own businesses which benefits the community as their will be more work opportunities.

“They are in many local and high street stores such as Marks and Spencer and Top Shop who have added Fairtrade fashion- which includes Fairtrade cotton.”

There are many different types of Fairtrade products and they are no longer only available in charities’ stores. They are in many local and high street stores such as Marks and Spencer and Top Shop who have added Fairtrade fashion- which includes Fairtrade cotton. Some other Fairtrade products available are honey, cocoa, ﬂowers, tea, coffee fruit juices, rice and beer!

People who beneﬁt are people who are living in poverty in such places as villages in Africa. With Fairtrade farmers are guaranteed a minimum price for their products. The people who produce the products receive more money and get a social premium that the community decides how to invest towards development projects. So it is not only the farmers that beneﬁt from Fair Trade but villages, which consist of

I have not forgotten chocolate- that’s my favourite! You will notice that Fairtrade products have a much better general quality than other products. If you like chocolate then you will know that Fairtrade chocolate tastes divine! Trust me you don’t know what chocolate is until you have had Fairtrade chocolate. Fairtrade chocolate is available on the university campuses too- in the

universe@uhsu.co.uk

By Henna Khan

refectory and student union store. Did you know that when you purchase a Fair Trade product a farmer will get 2-3 times more money than from other products they produce? How you can make a difference: • Boycott the companies that do not supply Fairtrade. If students say no to unfair products this has the power to change the

minds of big businesses and encourage them to go Fairtrade. • Buy fair-trade products regularly not only for yourself but as gifts for others. Easter is coming up- how about Fairtrade Easter eggs? • Bank with ethical banks like the Co-op and online bank ‘Smile’ who support Fairtrade.

De Havilland Round Up

From Levi Thorne

ell well, elections over already, seemed to pass so fast and once again you guys showed ya love me enough to vote me in…well 600 of you anyways or are you just one of those 190 who hates me, or maybe one of the other 21,000 students who couldn’t care less about the union? Anyway same thing as before, hello there! Another article from me, Levi ‘Spike’ Thorne, de Havilland Site Co-ordinator (future internal affairs ofﬁcer!!!), the site representative and one who tries to deal with the major issues affecting you guys, the students of de Havilland! So, guess what? CASH POINT!!!! Finally it works! Ever need cash on de Hav, go down to the R block and you’ll ﬁnd it there! Besides that not much has been done. As a student of the Business School I have had 4 weeks off

for exams and reading week, so kind of decided to take a bit of time off to relax myself. I did however still get a few things done in my time off. My survey which I have been working on for awhile now should have (by the time this article comes out) been finished and should be ready to be launched on the website and Studynet after the elections period. We have some prizes involved including alcohol and a MP3 player for those who wish to enter the competition. If you fill out the survey this will only take a few minutes for a chance to win. As well as this, I have been planning the Open Forums for Semester B, by the time this article is out, I will have had my first Open Forum of the Semester on 21st February, thanks for everyone who turned up and gave me their opinions and suggestions, the next one will be on 28th April as I can’t do the March Open Forum, there will be a post on Studynet closer to the time and

posters going up around de Havilland to replace the old ones at some point soon with the new dates and maybe even a sub slide in the street for it, so make sure you come along to say hello or just take some more of my chocolates! Hall of the Month Running out of stuff for me to put down here, so if you guys want your hall to be hall of the month, email me and let me know why at uhsu. d eh av @h er ts . ac.u k . This hall of the month is Redbourn Hall! Start with a few states, loudest hall, always the hall getting the most RA call outs and generally a total state, especially flat 12 who win the award for the messiest hall on de Hav, congrats guys (well kinda…), as well as this, we have 2 guys from flat 15 who like to see Backstreet Boys lyrics out from there window (right now that’s rather disturbing!) and of course finally, the big one, which most residents of Redbourn

will know, those who got a chance to see a certain union sabbatical getting a bit of action outside Redbourn with a girl from ﬂat 1 (who I can not name), after calling security out, they arrived and watched for another 15 minutes before they got involved, good to see sabbs are still getting into the student spirit! If you want to know who it was, be sure to read my next few articles where I may let the name slip and check stitched up as we have pictures! Once again, my rather random ending shout outs, go to Bijay, Lauren from Shenley (sorry I forgot you from the last article) and anyone else who knows me! (that’s my way of saying I’ve ran out of names to big up without repeating myself!) Levi ‘Spike’ Thorne de Havilland Site Coordinator uhsu.dehav@herts. ac.uk

Call the SU now: 01707 285 000

Feature

www.uhsu.herts.ac.uk

Issue 5 Vol 13

Life, the Universe and Everything By Allan Smith, University Chaplain

here’s a series of adverts running at the moment that causes me to wonder. The product isn’t one I personally use, so I wouldn’t normally pay much attention. But the adverts refer to the product reducing ‘the seven signs of ageing’. You probably know what the product is, but do you know what ‘the seven signs of ageing’ are? No, I didn’t think so. Neither do I. And the annoying thing is that the adverts never tell you either. So perhaps we’ll have to work them out for ourselves. What are the signs that you are getting older? Forget all the insigniﬁcant stuff like greying or thinning hair or a predilection for Werthers Originals. These things can easily be dealt with by the application (so we are assured) of ‘product’. The ﬁrst and most subversive sign is a resistance to change. It can be summed up in the phrase ‘when I was younger’. For example, when I was younger we never had ‘product’, we had shampoo. Not colour boosting two-in-one extra conditioner with essence of mango and tea tree oil,

being a new fad. I can remember all the arguments and betamax over VHS (if you know what I’m talking about here then you know you’re getting older). Of course, those debates were engaged in by other people as I couldn’t afford a video recorder at that stage. But now I hear that certain national chains have decided not to sell blank videotapes, because the technology has been superseded by recordable DVD and Hard-disc video recording. That means the shelves full of VHS tapes that I have at home have been dumped into the category same category as parchment manuscripts in libraries. Don’t laugh. Technology is changing faster than ever, tomorrow some spotty faced youth could be looking at your iPod, mobile phone or memory stick and sniggering, ‘Do you really still use one of those?’ Then you’ll know you’re getting older, and wonder if you too are about to go the way of ﬂoppy discs, MS-DOS and the cassette tape. A third sign of ageing is an increasing emphasis on experience

“Then you’ll know you’re getting older, and wonder if you too are about to go the way of floppy discs, MS-DOS and the cassette tape.” just shampoo. And so you see how it starts. But don’t be fooled, this isn’t a sign of getting old, just of getting older. You can hear five year olds complaining to their parents ‘but last time you let me …’ demonstrating how much we seek security in our past experience. Although it is a salutary moment in anyone’s life to hear yourself say ‘When I was younger …’ and realizing that they have uttered those words that had previously forever marked your parents as ‘old’. If the first sign of ageing is the ‘when I was younger’ phenomenon, the second follows on from that and really takes you unaware. It’s when a technology you can remember being introduced is declared obsolete. I’m not talking about little steps of technology, like which processor your computer uses. I’m thinking about fundamental technologies. Take videotapes for example. I can remember them

over imagination. Sad though it is, when we know, from our experience, what the result of some action will be we find it much more difficult to imagine a different outcome and so reach new goals. A simple example comes from skiing. I learnt to ski as an adult which is a bit more of a challenge than learning as a kid. You know how stupid it is to throw yourself down a mountainside on two planks of wood, and how much falling down that mountainside will be. Kids, generally seem only to imagine themselves flying effortlessly downhill like a future Olympic champion. This leads to the sort of embarrassment you can only feel when you are standing at the top of your first advanced run desperately trying to wind up enough courage to set off gently and some little kids belt past at about mach 9. Well, it’s either embarrassment or a strong desire to throttle the little ‘darlings’. Mind you, there is an upside. You learn

that hard work and discomfort do pay off. Teaching kids you often have to make things into games to keep them interested, to keep the imagination going. With adults you can cut out the silly games and say if you work at this, and this and … things will improve, and then you’ll have more fun. It’s a balance thing. Kids succeed because they don’t know they could fail, adults succeed when they are determined to keep going through failure until they achieve their goal. A good example of this can be seen with the Hurricanes this season. It hasn’t been our best season in terms of results. In fact, a couple of weeks ago we took our worst defeat in a long time. If it was

That moves us neatly on to the fourth sign of ageing, a changing perspective of time. When you’re a child ‘tomorrow’ and ‘next year’ can seem to be about the same thing, especially when someone says you have to wait. As you get older you suddenly notice that ‘next year’ has suddenly become ‘tomorrow’ rather sooner than you expected. Face it folks, exam time may be a couple of months away on the calendar but it getting rapidly closer. The down side of this is simply that time goes by without you noticing, report deadlines (and Universe deadlines!) jump out at you unexpectedly. The up side of this is that you begin to plan ahead. I’ve just ordered some fruit trees

“Kids succeed because they don’t know they could fail, adults succeed when they are determined to keep going through failure until they achieve their goal.” all about imagination that would probably have been the end of it for us. But, knowing what we had to face, we played the same team that had trashed us just a week later and almost pulled off a major upset. The way the team pulled together, worked and worked and stepped up our game was a sure sign that we had ‘grown up’ as well as grown older in that intervening week. Next year, next year they had better watch out for us.

and bushes for my allotment (yes, sad isn’t it – I’m even thinking of building a shed). I’m happy to do this because I’m thinking I might be here for a few years and I’m looking forward to growing my own raspberries and even a wonderful variety of plum called ‘mirabelles’. I can see the long term beneﬁts pay off. The ﬁfth sign of ageing? Well that’s probably a growing impatience

with niggling details and a greater sense of priorities. You’re going to have to come up with the other sign of ageing yourself, because I have other things I need to do. My priority at the moment is getting into training with three other members of the Hurricanes for the Vision Marathon. On 23rd April four of us will be running a marathon against other teams in the Sports Village. When I say running a marathon, each member of the team takes one stage of 10.5 kilometres. The idea is to raise sponsorship for the Anthony Nolan Trust. Oh, and if you think 10.5k is easy, we’re intending to run in American football kit (helmets and shoulder-pads) so it’ll be about the same as running in gorilla suits. That’s if we can raise our minimum target of £200 between us, otherwise we’ll just run like everyone else The Vision Marathon starts at 9.45am on 23rd April in the Vision gym, visit http://www. justgiving.com/vision_marathon . It appears that getting more sensible isn’t a sign of ageing. But who needs that anyway. Allan Smith, University Chaplain Tel: 01707 284456 (University internal 4456) Email: chaplain@herts.ac.uk Website: http://perseus.herts.ac.uk/ prospectus/student_support/dos/ chaplaincy/

Read Universe online on: www.uhsu.herts.ac.uk/media/universe/

20 Issue 5 Vol 13

& n Fu s e m a G

Fun & Games

FABRIC Competition

www.fabriclondon.com

Our friends at Fabric (yes Universe has friends in high places) have given us 3 copies of Fabric 28: Wiggle to give away. Just answer the following question:

In which year did Fabric ďŹ rst open? Answers to universe@uhsu.co.uk (The winners will be picked at random)

universe@uhsu.co.uk

www.uhsu.herts.ac.uk

Stitched Up

STITCHED

Issue 5 Vol 13

The student spirit is very much alive, with you crazy kids getting up to all kinds of shenanigans and your mates taking pictures of it. So why not have a little fun and maybe a bit of revenge and stitch them up?! Just send them to: universe@uhsu.co.uk

These two never thought they’d end up mooning the entire student population.

Censored You may need a bit of a wax love...

This guy thought he was being subtle, how wrong he was.

Not only is being ginger unfortunate, you also forget how to do things...

These bastards stole santa...

I really enjoyed last night...

...what did we do?

Boys...I really can’t ﬁnd my penis...

Motering

www.uhsu.herts.ac.uk

Behind the Wheel

Issue 5 Vol 13

with Nathan Ridgwell. Our brand new regular motering feature will take you for a spin each month!

emester B has begun, and the realisation for many ﬁnal years is that this is their last term of Uni, the last time in their life they can get away with drinking too many pints, sleeping with too many people and getting up to all sorts of mayhem, and most important of all, this is the last point of complete debt (well to a certain extent anyway). At this point many of us have just thought about debt as university criteria, an excuse to spend recklessly without any real thought or worry to the future; “one day I’ll get that job that I’ve been dreaming of all these years”. And you are all right to think this way, why should we all worry about money when the government can just give us a little help with the cheapest possible loan you will ever get? But what is going to happen once you start earning this money from the “dream job” you have been working towards? Are you going to save, pay off your loan, your bank debts and anything you owe your parents, or will you spend a little money on something that makes you feel good, proud even, for all that time you have spent studying, writing down quotes of academic writers, and well…creating the life you have been waiting for? What is it then that you want, what is it that will make you feel like you have done our best in life so far? It’s simple…you buy a car. When I say buy a car, I’m not talking

about a thousand pound jobby, I’m talking about a car that you can actually turn up to your “dream job” interview in something that doesn’t require explanations such as “I’m borrowing my sisters car at the moment”, or “someone crashed into me, and look what the garage gave me in return?!?”. This is such an important feeling that we all

unsafe, unreliable and down right madness, into something of a fashion accessory. The British public have accepted their love for the Mini again…even though owned by BMW, German if any of you were thinking, the key to basic good driving is back.

need to get, a feeling that once we sit in that “dream car”, driving to that “dream job”, we can actually feel like life is going all well. So what would I recommend you all go out to buy? This isn’t a simple question to answer at all. You see, depending on what you want out of a car, i.e does it get me from A to B in a safe and responsible way, or are you the kind of person that actually enjoys driving, and wants something that gets you from A to B, but you wouldn’t have minded if there was a million mile distance between the two? If you think you ﬁt in the ﬁrst category, get a Nissan Micra, or the new Clio, something that does the job in hand, and that’s about it…or if you actually fancy

the thrill of driving, you need to think bigger…much bigger! So lets all go out and buy a Ferrari! Um…don’t think so somehow, unless you happen to have some long lost uncle that just died and left you millions? To many of us, this isn’t going to happen, so we are going to have to look at something more…dare I say it…reasonable…

you will need a BMW! Now before you all think I’m completely mad, and will put you into more debt than you already are at the

feel like your in a well engineered car. Once you get into the larger models, the 118, 120, 130, or even the two diesels on offer, 118D and

“...does it get me from A to B in a safe and responsible way, or are you the kind of person that actually enjoys driving, and wants something that gets you from A to B, but you wouldn’t have minded if there was a million mile distance between the two?” moment…then you’re probably right. BMW, though the aim of going for the younger market, still aren’t the cheapest cars around, with the smallest model, 1 Series 116 being sold around the £15,000 barrier. For looks, it really does yell out the whole Marmite situation: you either love it or hate it. Sleek design, comfortable interior and a spacey boot for that important first move from student flat, to…well something a little better, will tempt you into buying one, but is it as good looking as the Audi A3 or even the new Golf? With an Audi or indeed a Golf, you still feel like a young person in a grown up car, but in the BMW, you start to feel like you shouldn’t be in there, maybe like the feeling of taking your parents car out without them knowing…fantastic! Top speed, this baby BMW can get you way into triple figures, and can cruise along comfortably on any stretch of the motorway without even a flinch. The 1.6 litre engine being the smallest of the range still has the power to get you from 0-62 in 10.9 seconds, slow at first glance, but the handling with the 50:50 distribution and the real wheel drive, you really start to

the 120D, the ﬁgures of power, speed and well…price, speak for themselves. What this car has is a sense of quality, a key to any ﬁrst new car. It deliverers what any driver wants out of their car, that sense of passion and enthusiasm. Which smoothly takes us onto the new Mini. Mini, its world premier into the British hearts in the Italian Job, has risen from its ashes of

Yes it’s small, and no, you won’t be able to ﬁt anyone in the back that is taller than 2ft 6, but that feeling of driving, the roots of it all, have just come back. You still feel like you are in a Go-Kart driving along at 100mph feeling every bump you hit, but you don’t care because even with the BMW engine, you feel British again. Now with added extras at no cost at all, you can even have the Union Jack printed on your roof just to tell anyone in their American Boeing 747s, or the European Airbuses, “Welcome to England”. There are three models available, the One, Cooper and Cooper S, ranging from around £10,000 to £16,000 which is a bargain if you consider what fun you will have once you sit behind the steering wheel. Yes, as with all BMW there are a lot of hidden costs such as the extras available, but the money you are spending for the power will easily outright any worries you have. So future graduates, what are you waiting for? Do you want to carry on driving your clapped out Vauxhall Nova, but live in a nice place, or do you want to drive a BMW 1 Series or Mini and live with your parents. It’s a difﬁcult question, but remember, the fridge is always full at home. To test drive the 1 Series or Mini, please contact Charlie Williams at Specialised BMW in Stevenage.

www.uhsu.herts.ac.uk

Sport

Issue 5 Vol 13

Donkey Flips at National Rodeo! D

onkey Flips, Tricky Wu’s, and Loops were just some of the moves that were seen at the National Students Rodeo (NSR) in Nottingham. This is a massive freestyle kayaking event that takes place every year at Nottingham’s Holme Pierpont (HPP), with well over 500 students taking part from all over the country. A team from UHCC with supporters went up to HPP to give it a go for the second year running. Tents were pitched by 7pm and after curry was consumed, we headed back to the meeting place and went to the captains talk. This was to give us the run down of the weekend to come! A few beers were had and much socialising with other university groups followed.

By Mary Stocks

For most of the people competing, it was their first NSR. 9am, Saturday morning, the extreme slalom began! This involved running the top half of the course scoring points for pulling off specific moves on the different features to see how well each competitor could paddle. They were then placed into novice, intermediate and expert. John Lea scored enough points for the novice category while Mike Wells, scored 2 points higher and managed the intermediate category. The rest of UHCC fell into the novice category. Once they finished their heats, Mike, John Boy and Mark made it into their finals!! Saturday evening was time to party 70’s style complete

with orange afros and a big hair competition! An early night was in need for the team (but possibly not had!) as for those not through to finals the duo competition was at 9am Sunday morning! The heats were a race down the course with a 360 spin. Unfortunately our team didn’t make it through to the final as we weren’t quick enough or naked! Naked duo kayakers did make the final extremely amusing as most competitors ended up swimming a lot!! After this it was time for the finals of the main event, where John Boy was placed 6th in the Men’s Novice category. Watch out for next years Rodeo as we are going back bigger and better than ever before! www.UHCC.co.uk

Sport Injury Clinic

Free

to students and staff Fully insured for the treatment and rehabilitation of: •Sport related injuries •General aches & pains •Stiffness OPEN - MONDAY to FRIDAY ROOM G103 in the CP Snow Building (during term time)

colours award ceremony 6 04 5 05

University of Hertfordshire Students’ Union

thursday 4th may hutton hall, college lane campus

OW N S T E K C I T ON SALE

Lane Campus FICE, College GENERAL OF SU Campus m 4p 10am de Havilland IES OFFICE, UBS & SOCIET CL m 4p 10am

£17.50 sports federation members £20.00 non sports federation members Champagne Reception from 7:00pm All Night Entertainment ‘til 1:00am Guest Speaker: Gorden t.b.c. Banks Live Band 3 Course Meal with complimentary wine

Tel: 01707 285252 (internal x5252) 0r Just Call in

Vice President Student Activities, College Lane, Hatﬁeld, Herts AL10 9AB t: 01707 285006

e: uhsu.activities@herts.ac.uk www.uhsu.herts.ac.uk