COULD YOU GO TECHLESS? page 9 Monday 1 December 2014
NEW £20M ENGINEERING
CENTRE
COMING TO UCLAN page 3
TIME TO RETHINK OUR DRUG LAWS?
page 10
CHECK OUT OUR PICK OF FESTIVE FILM AND BOOKS FOR THIS XMAS page 19 PLUTO is fuelled by
Issue 266
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UCLAN ASKS
STUDENTS TO #SAYNO Izaac Coles Naomi Mclellan-Edwards
Reporters The students’ union and university are preparing a campus-wide movement targeting sexual harassment. The campaign #SayNO will be raising awareness of the prevalence of sexual abuse in student life and reiterating UCLan’s zero tolerance stance. The National Union of Students (NUS) recently completed a survey that found almost half of university-goers have been victims of inappropriate advances. “I personally believe that sexual harassment does not belong anywhere, whether that in a bar, in the work place or on our campus.” Said Campaigns Officer Lucy Haigh, who is leading the campaign. “Nobody should be victimised or targeted in a public setting or be embarrassed or feel uncomfortable.” #SayNO will look at a suitable reporting system for sexual harassment for all sexes and isn’t just aimed at physical assault, but also at cat-calling, wolf-whistling, rape/ sexist-related jokes and inappropriate chanting. Women’s Officer Emili Peake, who is also heavily involved in #SayNO added: “I’m sick of my friends and I being harassed. I wouldn’t want anything bad to happen to others and just want to feel safe and for other student to also feel safe.”
CONTINUED ON PAGE 5
ELECTIONS THE RESULTS ARE IN
TURN TO PAGE 12 TO SEE WHO WON
2
MONDAY 1 DECEMBER 2014 | PLUTO
HAIR-RAISING! STUDENTS DO LEG WAX FOR BIPOLAR UK Emmi Bowles Deputy Features Editor
Andrew Ball, a first year sports therapy student, has raised over £5,000 for Bipolar UK and now adds more to that total after he and his friends got their legs waxed. Andrew’s Mum had bipolar; a mental illness that affects moods giving people severe highs and lows. When he was 8 years old he came home from an ordinary day of school to find that his mum had decided to take her own life .Since then Andrew has decided to do whatever he can in order to help others who suffer. Andrew started a ‘just giving’ page for the charity in September 2013, and has raised money by doing a skydive, cake sales, charity parties, car washes and now, a leg wax. After the sky dive, which took place at the Black Knight’s parachute centre
ONLINE www.pluto-online.com @UCLanPluto facebook.com/UCLanPluto issuu.com/UCLanPluto
ADVERTISING To advertise in PLUTO or online through our website please contact our marketing manager: Nicci Proctor 01772 894885 Printed by Trinity Mirror Ltd The opinions expressed in PLUTO are not necessarily those of the PLUTO Editors nor the University of Central Lancashire’s Students’ Union. While every care is taken to make sure the information is accurate, the Publisher can accept no liability for any consequential loss or damage, however caused, arising as a result of using the information printed. The Publisher cannot accept liability for any loss or damage to artwork or material submitted. The contents of this, unless stated otherwise, are copyright of PLUTO. Reproduction in any form requires the prior consent of PLUTO
outside of Lancashire, Andrew had collected sponsorship to the sum of over £6000. Andrew and his friends John Ripley, Dylan Modeste and Ross Maclean decided to get their legs waxed in the Student’s Union on November 18. They also set up a cake sale to make more money for the charity. He said that his friends were “happy as larry” to wax their mate’s legs and make them scream. They did however all admit that it hurt more than they expected! In total they raised £75 on the day but still have donations coming in online from friends and family at home. Due to his fundraising for the charity, hundreds of people have nominated him for the Bipolar UK Fundraiser of the year award. He has now been selected for the final top three and results will be announced in January. If you wish to donate you can do so by going to justgiving.com Andrew-Ball6.
CONTACT Pluto University of Central Lancashire Students’ Union Fylde Road Preston PR1 7BY Office Phone 01772 894891 Newsroom Phone 01772 894883 Email sumedia@uclan.ac.uk
TEAM Editor-in-Chief Matthew Murphy Deputy Editor Tom Greggan News Editor Kate Kennedy Deputy Vacant Features Editor Jasleen Kaur Deputy Emmi Bowles Comment Editor Alex Sambrook Deputy Megan Critchley Lifestyle Editor Ellie Rees Deputies Chloe Kenyon Zofia Mannings
Culture Editor Amy Woolmer Deputy (Gaming) Georgia Dana Gregoriou Deputy (Music) Priscila C. Sarmento Deputy (FIlm) Sam McKeown Societies Editor Toby Samuel Robertson Deputies Emili Peake, Ellie Sutcliffe Sport Editor Jack Mumford Deputies Matt Weston, Pete Mccarthy Online Editor Ayesha Dayaji Deputies Stephanie Smith, Martin Joyce Head of PR/Social Media Nelish Lalany Deputies Abby Littler, Hannah Ellis Head of Graphic Design Joseph Lund Deputy Yibo Chen With special thanks to Matt Houghton
THANKSGIVING AT THE SU Ayesha Dayaji Online Editor UCLan Students’ Union held a dinner in the atrium in celebration of Thanksgiving on Thursday November 27. The event included a traditional two course meal of turkey and pumpkin pie, a live stream of the NFL game and a team quiz with prizes to be won. Lucy Haigh, the SU’s campaigns officer, coordinated the event and said it was a great success. She added, “I’m glad everyone’s enjoyed the food and the company. I hope to do it again in future years”. This is the first Thanksgiving meal the SU has organised since 2012. It is also the first one to be done at its own venue with traditional food. Samantha Young, Chair of the
International Students Society, said, “This time of year is really important to some exchange students as it’s a big celebration in America.” She added, “It’s a time where they’re really missing their families so we wanted them to feel connected and for other students to learn about the culture. It’s been a nice, diverse turn out.” The society has recently been approached by students on exchange to have more diversity in their events and students asked for the Thanksgiving celebration. Rachael Bower, an international student from Washington, said, “It’s really nice to have a little piece of home, to get together with people who want to celebrate the same thing. It’s great to share my culture with other people and it’s always fun.” The SU held a Thanksgiving after party at the Source bar where students could watch the second and third NFL match.
Head of Photography Conor Clarke Deputy Emily Whitehall Joining PLUTO Want to be part of the team? contact Matt Murphy on 01772 894891 or sumedia@uclan.ac.uk.
THANKS FOR DINNER....students in the SU for Thanksgiving
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PLUTO | Issue 266
UCLAN UNVEILS £20MILLION INVESTMENT PLANS FOR UNIVERSITY CAMPUS
Kate Kennedy News Editor The University of Central Lancashire has released plans to construct a new home for the School of School of Computing, Engineering and Physical Sciences. Costing £20million, the building is scheduled to be complete by early 2018 and will see Foster car park turned in to the Engineering Innovation Centre or ‘EIC’. Students will have access to specialist equipment and links to local engineering projects and experts in Lancashire. The developments will also make it possible for students to take new degrees in emerging engineering disciplines like oil and gas safety engineering and aerospace engineering. An architect’s drawing shows what the new building could look like on Foster car park. A UCLan spokesperson said that new car parking space for visitors will be made elsewhere on campus to compensate for the loss of Foster car park. The ambitious project is set to provide long term economic support to Lancashire’s industrial sector. UCLan lists one of their main objectives for the project as: “An increase in the number of young peo-ple and,
in particular the proportion of females, choosing to take up engineering at a local university.” UCLan’s Dean of Computing, Engineering and Physical Sciences said: “We also aim to inspire and create the next generation of highly-skilled engineering leaders, ready to take on the challenges and opportunities within the UK and global economies. “For instance, by 2020 one in five young people in the UK will need to become an engineer if we are to close the skills gap. The EIC will help to address this demand and work with local schools and colleges to encourage more students to take up engineering as an attractive career option. “We are particularly targeting women who are vastly under-represented in this field.” The news comes after a series of international news stories about the lack of women in engineering in the UK. Labour leader Ed Milliband recently called for 400,000 people to be trained in the profession by the 2020. He said: “In 2013, only 14% of engineering graduates were women. And only 4% of professionally registered engineers are female.” UCLan graduate and aerodynamicist Andrew Williams commented: “The North West
has a rich heritage in engineering and manufacturing; the EIC will locate itself perfectly in order to drive innovation and the all-important transfer of knowledge. I look forward to seeing it develop and what opportunities it brings.”
Foster car park (above) is set to be the site for the Engineering Innovation Centre .... plans for the project were released online (below)
We are particularly targeting women who are vastly under-represented in this field
4
Monday 1 December 2014 | PLUTO
DOES SLEEPING AROUND MEAN LOWER GRADES? Kate Kennedy News Editor A survey of 2000 former university students has revealed that 36% of those who failed their degree and 32% of those who got a third said they had ‘numerous’ relationships in their last year of studies, compared to just 11% of those who got a 2:1 and 12% of those who got a first. The survey was carried out by ProPlus and showed that a third of those who got a 2:1 and 30% of those who got a first were single in their last year, compared to 15% who got a third and 21% who failed. The survey also revealed some telling statistics about how student’s work ethic correlated with their grades. Students who got a first only put in an extra 1 hour more studying per week compared to the 15 hours of studying per week
that their counterparts who got a 2:1 put in. The extra 12 hours a month meant that students were able to get a first. Students who got a third put in just 13 hours of studying per week. Good organisation also proves to be key to achieving the best grades. 38% of first class students said they often finished work a few days before the deadline. This is compared to 19% who got a 2:2 and 7% who failed. Finally it was shown the important role that sleep plays in achieving the best grades. Just 16% of those who got a first frequently worked through the night to submit to a deadline, compared to 39% who got a third and 43% who failed. Perhaps most surprisingly (or not) 53% of students admitted to falling asleep during a lecture
READY FOR ANOTHER WINTER SURVIVAL? Jessica Flynn Reporterw The event, which is almost sold out already, showcases the best of what Source has to offer students, such as karaoke night every Tuesday, and of course, the famous Sourcey Saturdays. Their aim is to always help students receive the best experience at UCLan. Michael Nutter, one of the managers at Source told Pluto that Source is hosting their trade mark event for students as a celebration at the end of the year’s first term. Source hosts both Winter and Summer Survival every year. They believe that students shouldn’t finish the term without having the time to celebrate, relax with their friends and socialise with other
students after the exam period. Michael explained how they are aware that not many students prefer to just drink. Therefore, Source will have offers on soft drinks all day with the aim to look after students and make sure that they are having fun but keeping safe at the same time. Michael revealed that he is hopeful for this Winter Survival to be just as successful as it has been previously, with the number of students attending increasing each year. Tickets go on sale on the 17 November at Source. Winter Survival will last from midday 13 December to 4am on 14 December. The first 200 students to buy their tickets will get them at a special offer price of £3. Once these 200 have sold out they will go back up to the original price of £5.
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PLUTO | Issue 266
UCLAN TO STAMP OUT SEXUAL HARRASSMENT START OF CAMPUS-WIDE MOVEMENT Continued from front page. A UCLan student who was been victim of sexual harassment whilst in Preston, came forward to speak exclusively to Frequency Radio about their experiences in order to help students understand how common cases like theirs are. James Hofsetter (who wanted his name to be used) was approached on separate occasions whilst on a night out. “We were in a big group, a big
party of people.” Said James. “And one of us had brought along someone we did not know. “He started to harass a lot of us… then came on to me later on in the evening; he just tried hugging me and kissing me…” “The group tried to get him away from me, but he just kept coming back to me.” When James and his friends went about reporting it, the club’s promo manager said “Aw, It’s just
a laugh, let him back in there… buy them a few more drinks”. “He [promo manager] didn’t even know who had been harassed,” James added, “He just automatically assumed it was a woman, saying: ‘Women are just there to be shagged’”. James says that the main problem with men speaking out is the response received from doing so: “When it happens to a guy, they think: ‘just man up”. (You can listen to James full interviews on Frequency Radio’s audioBoom) Lucy says she’s disgusted by what’s happened to people like James: “This just shows that sexual harassment affects both men and women, and that we need to work with local venues to help spread the word throughout the community.” Lancashire Police also have their own sexual harassment campaign, which Lucy also says she plans to work with. #SayNO is due to be rolled out before the Christmas break.
53 TO REMAIN OPEN INTO NEW YEAR Emmi Bowles Deputy Features Editor 53 Degrees, one of Preston’s main music and events venue was set to close to the public December 31st this year but is now going to be holding shows into the new year. It was announced back in June that the popular venue owned by the SU was going to hold its last shows before 2015. The venue has hosted acts like Dizzee Rascal, Pendulm and Example, as well as being the main venue for the SU’s annual fresher’s fair. But it was announced last week that a deal has been made between 53 Degrees and HD Concerts. The upstairs club room will be kept for use for public shows.
Joff Hall, from HD Concerts said: “Whilst we hope to secure some exciting acts to play the venue our expectations are realistic” The company plan to host a number of shows throughout the year but also do not want to put a drain on the Students’ Union resources. The Students’ Union commented that they hope 53 Degrees to be a student-led venue in the future, not only fulfilling the charitable purpose of the university and Students’ Union, but also enhancing the student experience. The venue may still be rented out to independant companies for public live shows, but each case will be looked at individually before any decision is made. Events for the new year have not been confirmed yet on the website but student events will still be held.
HOUSING FAIR A SUCCESS Emmi Bowles Deputy Features Editor Students flocked to the SU to speak to letting agencies and landlords at this year’s housing fair. Lucy Haigh, UCLan SU Campaigns officer, organised the fair which took place in the Atrium on November 18, the aim being to try and give students advice for when looking for accommodation and to encourage them not to rush into anything. After moving the housing fair from February to November a lot more people went along to the event and Lucy Haigh was pleased with the turn out. First year students made up the majority of those who attended
the event, Lucy told us. “We are happy we are grabbing the first years,” she said, “at least they’ll know what to do with regards to second and third year”. The student union were offering a raffle prize draw for those who attended, and students picked up the freebies on offer from the accommodation companies. The event invited 15 landlords and letting agencies to the Atrium, along with the police to help answer any questions from confused students. Food co-op was also invited to give information to students about the food delivery service they offer. The landlords that were invited to the event were accredited either by the university or a nation accreditation scheme so students know they are in safe hands.
We’re still here to help you for a lot of the Christmas break so just pop in to the Library or contact us on the details below!
Sat 13th Dec - 10am-6pm Sun 14th Dec - Closed
Mon 15th - Thurs 18th Dec - 9am - 5pm Fri 19th Dec - 9am-4pm
Sat 20th & Sun 21st Dec - Closed
Mon 22nd & Tues 23rd Dec - 9am-5pm
Weds 24th Dec to Thurs 1st Jan - Closed Fri - 2nd Jan - 9am-4pm Sat 3rd Jan - Closed
Sun 4th Jan - 10am-6pm
From Monday 5th Jan Normal Opening Hours
# UCLan Students’ Union Presents...
# MONTH 2014 | PLUTO
Daily events: 10am 5pm
WINTER WONDERLAND
Tue 9th Dec
Atrium / Outside Atrium by St. Peters Church & the SU.
CHRISTMAS MARKET & REINDEERS Market: 10am - 4pm Reindeers: 12pm - 4pm
FREE
ICE RINK 10am - 5pm
For students and staff!
Wed 10th Dec
Each day!
CHRISTMAS CRAFTS 3pm - 5pm
LOG CABINS Lookout for various activities taking place in our log cabins! Book via: giveitago@uclan.ac.uk
CAROL SERVICE
BE SAFE FOR CHRISTMAS
With non-alcoholic punch available to buy!
Chlamydia testing with free advice and giveaways.
5pm - 6pm
Each day!
Thu 12th Dec
SKATE OFF
12pm - 2pm
Head down to the ice rink for a skate and jive with your tutors and course mates!
GIFT MAKING 2pm - 4pm
Round off ‘Winter Wonderland’ with...
WINTER SURVIVAL Sat 13th Dec at Source.
Leaving for Christmas break? Donate unwanted food, clothes or give new toys to help the less fortunate. Donate unopened, in-date: dried, tinned & packaged food.
Donate at the Opportunities Centre.
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PLUTO | Issue 266
THREE QUARTERS OF STUDENTS WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO REPAY THEIR LOANS Georgia Clarke Reporter After the Conservative government raised tuition fees in 2012, many prospective students anticipated that they may never be able to pay off their student debt. Despite this, there are hundreds of students that would agree that student loans, whether they can be repayed or not, are invaluable in enabling you to achieve a higher level of education that you may not have had access to otherwise. The idea of the government financing advanced education, even if only for a limited period, feels modern, democratic and progressive in the eyes of some people. Tuition fees of £9,000 are supposedly a 'progressive' step in the right direction, according to Universities Minister David Willetts, and would ensure 'higher quality of teaching' in general. But what is the point in better teaching if nobody can afford to be taught? Some argue that the government would not have to fund our education had they not sky rocketed the price of tuition fees in the first place. The fact that financial experts have estimated that an
astonishing 73% of students will not be able to begin to start loan repayments before the thirty year period is up clearly demonstrates that the financial consequences of attending university is unsustainable. Furthermore, tuition fees appear to be dragging the UK even further behind the rest of Europe and back to the 19th century where education was exclusively for the 'elite' and wealthy. UClan student Emily Friday, 21, stated that she 'would not have been able to attend university at all' had she not been entitled to a loan. This again plainly suggests that students have no choice but to plunge themselves into serious debt in order to obtain the lives they ultimately want. Megan Dunn of the National Union of Students comments: 'forcing debt on to students as a way of funding universities is an experiment that has failed not just students, but our country.' I and the majority of my fellow students feel that Dunn is correct and that the government have failed us in this respect. University is and always will be worth the money, but thanks to rising tuition fees there will always be storm cloud in the shape of massive debt hanging over the heads of students.
the liberal-minded freedoms, diversity and anonymity of the city.”
An online survey conducted by a UCLan lecturer has found that Twitter makes teenage girls happier than social media giant Facebook and the ever growing anonymous site Ask. fm, formerly known as Formspring. The survey asked a series of questions to British girls aged 13-16 in which they had to rate the three sites in terms of the negative emotions they were made to feel whilst using them and on their positive experiences with the sites. The research follows the death of several British teenagers who are thought to have taken their own lives due to cyber-bullying, most commonly associated with Ask.fm. Hannah Smith was only 14 years old when she was found hanged in August last year after fighting a torrent of abuse from anonymous bullies on the site. Her parents have since become vocal advocates for the regulation of anonymity online. Amy expected Ask.fm to rate
much lower in terms of embarrassment, frightening and upsetting experiences. However she was shocked when the site rated similarly to Facebook. She said: “They were also significantly more likely to say they felt more left out on Facebook than other sites.” When asked about using a false online-persona, the girls agreed that they were more likely to present the ‘the real me’ on Facebook rather than the other sites. Twitter on the other hand was rated highest in terms of the girls’ confidence, mainly because followers are not always people that you know personally – therefore you’re less likely to get judged for expressing your views. The term ‘Twitter City’ refers to how ‘retweeting’ and ‘trends’ encourages you to follow other people, magnifying social circles. This differs from ‘Facebook Village’ which actively encourages you to only interact with people that you know personally, demanding social engagement. Amy said: “If Facebook, designed with a college-campus mentality, represents the comforting, conformist safety of the village then Twitter may represent
Vanessa King Reporter A group of UCLan students have organised a charity street sleep out to raise money and awareness for the Green Gecko project. The project supports 70 children who previously lived in poverty in Siem Reap, Cambodia. The scheme’s main aim was to get the children away from begging on the streets. Lauren Davies, a participant in the fundraiser said: “We chose the street sleep out idea as it connects to the charity, as the children were once street children themselves.” The sleep out will take place on the 7th January 2015 at the front of St Peter’s church, on the university campus. To find out more about The Green Gecko project visit http://www.greengeckoproject.org/
UCLAN LECTURER FINDS TWITTER MAKES TEEN GIRLS HAPPIER Emma Rosemergy Reporter
Green Gecko Project
TWITTER or FACEBOOK? Send us a tweet or comment on our facebook page with your thoughts. @UCLanPluto www.facebook.com/ UCLanPluto
8
MONDAY 1 DECEMBER 2014 | PLUTO
F E A T U R E S
IT’S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS Jasleen Kaur Features Editor As Preston gears up for the festive season, lights are brightening up the high street, trees have been hung with lights, baubles and tinsel everywhere you look and there’s no mistaking the towers of mince pies in Tesco. Usually, this would not be worth talking about. After all, the Christmas season now tends to start somewhere between September and Halloween with shops getting over-eager in their haste to push Santa and snowmen themed products on people. But this year, there’s a different vibe to Preston. The Christmas lights turn on was bigger than ever, the promise of winter wonderland hangs in the air and it looks like the city is going all out to get people in the festive spirit. And that’s all without even considering the Coca-Cola truck.
A smile on people’s faces is the great thing that I’d like to see.
Jasleen Kaur
Deputy Editor Emmi Bowles
the library and studying. A smile on
Christmas period but it’s a gesture
Especially if Lucy wasn’t just teasing us
people’s faces is the great thing that
that is appreciated nonetheless. The
about the puppy petting farm.
I’d like to see.’
Students’ Union is endeavouring to
Students speaking to PLUTO have
first for a lot of students. It’s the first
There’s no denying that the run up
make a difference in student welfare
mentioned when faced with the option
time they’ll be spending the holidays
to the December holidays can be one
and helping them deal with stress or
of going home taken away, they’re put
here on campus instead of vegging
of the most horrible times of year
loneliness – it just happens to include
to a bit more ease that the SU cares
out on their beloved sofa back home.
for students. Between a pile-up of
tinsel.
enough to recognise that though
With the threat of exams in January
deadlines that would give an accident
and the piles of assignments to be
on the M6 a run for its money and the
completed over the three weeks of
depressing emptiness of most bank
“holiday”, many will be choosing to
accounts, it’s no wonder the library
spend the most wonderful time of the
is full and the moods are grim. Lucy
year right here on campus. There are
however is on a mission to spread the
other reasons too of course, seasonal
festive spirit to as many students and
jobs on the high street and the price of
staff as possible.
But this Christmas will also be a
Features Editor
UCLAN STUDENTS’ UNION IS GEARING UP TO BRING THE CHRISTMAS FESTIVITIES TO THE PRESTON CAMPUS, FEATURES EDITOR JASLEEN FINDS OUT MORE.
flights back home are two of the many.
‘As a student, I never saw anything
there may not be many of them, there
We decided we wanted to do something around December to say thank you to students for their hard work this semester
are still people remaining close over Christmas. Christmas
is
a
holiday
that’s
inherently based on being around loved ones so it’s nice to know no one will be completely alone come the 15th of December.
The dinner also serves to create
UCLan’s SU are also hell bent on
for Christmas around campus’ she
cultural
stealing Christmas back from the
said. ‘So we decided we wanted to do
internation
Grinch this year. Campaigns officer
something around December to say
Preston.
Lucy Haigh will be calling in log cabins,
thank you to students for their hard
market stalls and a synthetic ice rink
work this semester.’
awareness
within
student
community
the in
Got an idea you would like to voice?
‘I’m doing it as part a community cohesion event, and showing people
over the next few weeks to help get
For students remaining on campus
people in the spirit. There will also be
Christmas Day itself, there will be
UCLan’s Christmas comes at a time
3 reindeer visiting the university on th
a home cooked traditional dinner
when morale needs raising around
10th of December ... including a baby
,pioneered and hosted by SU President
campus and students could definitely
one.
Lee Mac. The event is sure to take away
use the gesture of good will from
Speaking about what she’s looking
some of those winter blues and make
the university. It also now sets up
forward to most, Lucy said ‘I’d love
everyone feel a little less lonely, a little
the expectation for the SU to come
to see students enjoying themselves,
more at home and a lot better fed.
through for students over the rest
an insight to culture.’ Lee told Pluto.
getting involved in the students’ union.
UCLan is not the first university
of the academic year such as during
Smiling, laughing, having a break from
to have organised events over the
the Stressed Out Students Campaign.
YOU could be writing our next features article. Contact us @UCLanPluto sumedia@uclan.ac.uk
9
PLUTO | Issue 266
Technology Detox Diary
could you go 48 hours without technology?
Zofia Mannings Deputy Lifestyle Editor
Day 2: Saturday
Overall I found it really freeing
I woke up with no alarm (bliss) but
without the commitment of technology.
weirdly earlier than usual, and I felt
I was more present with people, and
better rested. I ventured into town with
out of respect they were with me too. I
company, and returned home around
muddy,
have a lot of appreciation for everyone
lunchtime. I had to work for a couple
climbing trees and running around,
who made an effort with me, and even
hours in the evening so that took up
it was the norm and I loved it. There’s
suggested tech-free things to do.
some time.
Growing up my entertainment was always
outdoors.
Getting
It’s no secret I’m the daughter
something special about a childhood
That afternoon though I picked up a
like this. Society today consists of
of some Afro-man relative, and I
book without an academic purpose for
emailing for contact, and ‘getting the
apologise to anyone that realised how
the first time in years, and boy was I
new book on a kindle’, but personally I
much of a safety hazard my frizz can
excited. I had a coffee, got reading, and
prefer the classic old book smell.
be.
kept warm in blankets. I had never had
I feel as though technology is
this mini combination before as I’m
perhaps relied on a little too much
usually so busy, but it felt so freeing.
these days, and relationships are
I thought it would be interesting to see if, a technology detox would be possible for a busy student, 300 miles
After a mini nap I woke up and
from home and employed. Sounds
created via a plastic screen rather than
decided to make dinner, I put in more
scary, right?
true presence. The feeling of being
effort than usual because I felt relaxed.
of being outside on a Sunday was
My housemates also chipped in and we
cleansing, and curling up cosy after it
all made risotto together, it was lovely.
was perfect.
Well I was in mixed emotions about this. On the one hand, half of me was really excited because I get so stressed out when my phone buzzes 626746 times a minute, or if my internet is slow. Even when I’m trying to talk to someone and they won’t make eye contact as they scroll down their Facebook- this I wouldn’t mind not having. But the other half of me was worried.
It was great visiting the child in
I picked up a book without an academic purpose for the first time in years.
playing games but loving every minute of it. I’d love to do this again, but for longer in the summer.
Day 3: Sunday until 5pm. The last day was when I started to
We rely on technology so much and it’s
get a little twitchy. I was conscious I
so daunting to be completely without
would probably have a lot of emails to
my mobile phone, tv, computer, iPad,
respond to, texts to answer, facebook
hair straighteners and microwave. But
to respond to, snapchats to clear,
I took on the challenge, and here’s
tweets ect.
how it went…
me, chair sliding, building a fort and
I suddenly felt anxious and not sure what to do with myself. I was out
Stair sliding and fort building took place.
of the technology trap but yet still a slave to it to a certain extent. My hair was a huge frizz, really curly and I couldn’t straighten it. I wanted to go back to bed until 5pm but apparently I wasn’t allowed to. I was invited on a
Day 1: Friday from 5pm I walked home from Costa and it
countryside walk. I didn’t really have much energy but I gave it a go.
was dark and starting to rain. Usually
It was beautiful, and autumn has
I’d love to curl up in blankets and
really proved itself to be the most
watch movies with my housemates
beautiful season yet. We found trails
while drinking a load of tea. But this
that are new to us and after a while,
wasn’t allowed. I got through the door,
we manage to scoot our way back
and I was so cold. I put dinner on, got
to some shops, have a browse at the
showered and into my pyjamas, and
winter collections and buy another
sat with my housemates. My hair was
board game- Monopoly.
wet. And cold. Ugh!
We got home and started dinner,
Luckily my housemates were really
brews were made and monopoly
supportive, more than I expected.
kicked off. It was a riveting game and
They spent the whole evening with
dinner was burnt, but we were too
me also off their phones. We played
engrossed to care.
board games the whole night. It was
5pm arrived and the first thing I did
hilarious! We were crippled with
was put music on, and attempted to
laughter, and to push the adrenaline
catch up with admin. 10 minutes later I
a little further, stair sliding and fort-
got distracted, I straighten my hair and
building took place. It was amazing,
watched Sunday TV (movies) with my
and I felt like I was a little kid again.
fellow, supportive housemates.
Zofia’s walk through the countryside
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MONDAY 1 DECEMBER 2014| PLUTO
C O
IT’S TIME WE HAD AN HONEST CONVERSATION ABOUT DRUGS
M M E N T
Advocates say decriminalisation will take power out of the hands of crime bosses
Kate Kennedy News Editor It was recently revealed that a Home Office report published on the 30th October 2014 was suppressed by the government. The evidence based survey gave the damning conclusion that there is no evidence to suggest that tougher enforcement on the levels of personal possession leads to less drug use. This unpalatable evidence goes against decades of political and public opinion. After years of the same political platitudes concerning drug use, we now have the evidence that shows that our current drug laws do not work. It is time that we stop speaking in hushed tones at the mention of a drug law reform and open up the (however incontinent) space for an honest dialogue.
After years of the same political platitudes concerning drug use, we now have the evidence that shows that our current drug laws do not work
Comment Editor Alex Sambrook
Deputy Editor Megan Critchley
Statistics on the government website show that 2955 deaths from drugs (legal and illegal) in England and Wales in 2013. These figures show an increase from previous years with a 19 and 23 percent increase in drug related deaths in males and females respectively. The statistics also show how paracetamol was one of the three drugs that contributed most significantly to an increase in male drug related deaths. The other two were heroin and benzodiazepines. Two out of three of these drugs are legal. Statistics like these give us reason to pause. The evidence is telling: tougher drug laws do not decrease overall levels of harm. What’s more, drugs that are routinely produced by the pharmaceutical industry are actually contributing to more drug related deaths than illegal ones. Resistance to the decriminalisation
of drugs has at its origins a pervasive fear that has been carefully maintained over many decades by the UK government. They argue that softer drug laws would lead to higher levels of harm and addiction and that prohibition successfully discourages drug use. In response to the recent Home Office report, David Cameron said the following: “I don’t believe in decriminalising drugs that are illegal today. I’m a parent with three children; I don’t want to send out a message that somehow taking these drugs is OK or safe.” The British public seem to echo this line of reasoning. A Mori survey conducted in 2013 asked 946 British adults what they thought about the current UK drug laws. The majority (60%) thought that possession of illegal drugs should remain a criminal offence. However, two thirds also favoured a review of our current drug policies. Many argue that decriminalising drugs would lead to an increase in their usage. If it became as easy to get a supply of heroin from a local dispensary as it is to get a pint of milk from the corner shop, then the number of heroin users would invariably increase. Replace heroin with a softer drug like cannabis and people would have even more reason to pick up a damaging drug habit. So the argument goes. But the fact of the matter is that this is simply not true.
In 2001 Portugal made the controversial decision to decriminalise all drugs. Thirteen years later and Portugal’s problematic drug use has significantly decreased In 2001 Portugal made the controversial decision to decriminalise all drugs. Thirteen years later and Portugal’s problematic drug use has significantly decreased, less time and resources are spent on drug related crime and drug use amongst children has also fallen. The fact that more addicts are in treatment is another statistic worth point-
ing out. When drugs are illegal we vilify addicts and call them criminals. Addiction is not a criminal problem, it is a health problem. A lot of the danger associated with drug use is down to the fact that these substances are not controlled. Last year, 15 year old Oxford schoolgirl Martha Fernback died after taking MDMA that was 91% pure. Her mother, Anne-Marie Cockburn now campaigns for a change to UK drug policy. She says that decriminalisation would help to “safeguard our children and lead to a safer society for us all by putting doctors and pharmacists, not dealers, in control of drugs.” Prohibition pushes drugs to the black market to be controlled and cut by unscrupulous and profit driven dealers. If drugs were decriminalised and regulated in the same way as alcohol and tobacco, the control would be taken out of the dealer’s hands and harm reduction measures could be implemented.
It is easier for a young teenager to buy cannabis than it is for them to buy alcohol There is evidence that cannabis is unsafe to take if you are a young teenager with a developing brain. And yet it is easier for a young teenager to buy cannabis than it is for them to buy alcohol. Decriminalisation and regulation could subject these substances to age requirements like we do with alcohol and tobacco. Professor David Nutt, neuropsychopharmacologist and ex-advisor to the Department of Health thinks that it is time the government confronted the evidence and reformed the UK’s drug laws. He says: “We need a drug revolution. We need to break through the misinformation and champion the evidence, champion rationality.” Whether you look to the local news headlines or to government statistics, the historical truth repeats itself: prohibition does not work.
EDITOR’S VIEW
Unis must clamp down on sexism Alex Sambrook Comment Editor Last month was one to forget for some of Britain’s leading universities. In Edinburgh minutes were leaked from the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity meeting where members joked about raping feminists, whilst at Durham University the controversial ‘Senior Man’ title for the leader of the student council kept its name despite calls for it to be changed. Such incidents are symptomatic of a society that repeatedly overlooks instances of sexism. Edinburgh University are yet to take action against the fraternity; however, even if severe sanctions are issued, there will still be the question of why the fraternity was allowed to form at the university in the first place after it was banned at Yale (where it was founded) after a similar sexist incident. One could not imagine universities being so passive in the case of a racist incident, yet when sexism is the issue they’re often reluctant to take decisive action. This attitude also extends out into society as a whole. In 50 years time people will look at the oppression of women in today’s society with the same disgust that we look back on the inexcusable treatment of black people in 1950s America. It is the job of universities to act swiftly and impose severe punishments in order to show students they take sexism seriously. Turning a blind eye to the actions of a minority of students not only enables sexism on university campuses, but also legitimises it. Do you have an opinion that you think needs to be heard? Contact us at sumedia@ uclan.ac.uk or at @UCLanPluto on Twitter.
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PLUTO | Issue 266
YOU DON’T NEED TO DRINK TO SURVIVE AT WINTER SURVIVAL
Revellers pose for a photograph at last year’s Winter Survival.
Sam McKeown Deputy Culture Editor On the December 13 at 12:00pm Source will open its doors to students who are attending one of UCLan’s biggest events of the year - Winter Survival. The event is organised by Source Bar of the Student Union and lasts for 16 hours until 4:00am the following morning. The object of the event in question is pretty much in the title - to survive the alcohol fuelled mayhem until closing time. The event has in the past held screenings of Christmas films for students who want a more chilled atmosphere. Additionally there is a mechanical reindeer game and also a raffle for students to win great prizes. Events such as Winter Survival though do run the risk of brewing up trouble between drunken students. After all, putting over a thousand people in a compact area with the addition of alcohol probably doesn’t bode well for the sceptics. However, what needs to be pointed out is that students have the choice to drink copious amount of alcohol, not to drink at all, or to just keep it easy with no more than a few pints.
versities receiving such a label is because some students do not take their education at university seriously. Dan Owens, a third year student at UCLan said: “I’d say the notion that university is just a place to get drunk is an exaggeration. The particular students that do treat it like that don’t stay in university long because they get kicked out or fail. But I like the survival events. It’s good to have a massive night with all your mates before everyone goes home for Christmas”. It will be Winter Survival’s 5 year anniversary, which means that the Student Union at UCLan do know how to manage and organise the event in relation to stopping trouble makers and keeping students safety as top priority. Chris Deans, a student and member of staff at Source Bar said: “Students are always going to socialise to some extent. At least you know somewhere like the SU is regulated and is going to ensure the safety of the students at big events such as Survival”.
if any student who attends feel like they have too much, they should students have the at least drink some wachoice to drink copi- ter and stay hydrated In conclusion Winter Survival is one of, ous amount of alcohol, if not the biggest event of the year and not to drink at all, or to it’s very easy to get carried away. What just keep it easy with no needs to be emphasised though is if any student who attends feel like they have more than a few pints too much, they should at least drink
Universities around the UK have received reputations for being places where all the students just get drunk and events such as Winter Survival do not help this repute. It can be argued that the reason for uni-
some water and stay hydrated; that way your night and the night of the people around you is not ruined. Keep it cool at Winter Survival – see you there.
DEGREES ARE NOT GETTING ANY EASIER Lucy Hill Reporter University students do not believe they are being challenged enough in their studies, according to a new report by the consumer watchdog Which? I feel as though most undergraduate students are being worked hard enough to justify the need for the £9000 annual tuition fee. The idea of having homework at University may seem a little excessive or even pointless to some - perhaps because of the fact that they already have to do coursework or exam preparation in seminar time meaning there isn’t then enough time outside of lessons to do further work. As a first year undergraduate student myself I have found that the teaching here at UCLan has been of a good quality. The ‘outside study time’ presented on our timetables is not always valuable though. Sometimes I don’t think that we are given enough time outside of our timetabled seminars and lectures to get the work that is expected from us done in time for deadlines. Additionally, I have noticed a decline
in the number of students turning up to lectures and seminars. Many of the tutors fail to notice the lack of students present. These students who purposely miss lectures and/or seminars maybe find that the classes in the first place are pointless and the work covered can be done in their own time. According to a report by the consumer watchdog Which?, fewer than half of undergraduates believe their academic workload is demanding. Only four in ten believe their course content stretches them and fewer than half say seminars are usually worth going to. So the fact that students do not feel that seminars are worth going to raises the issue of whether the lesson content is up to date. Is it of a good enough quality? While I was in the university library today I asked several people the question ‘are universities working students hard enough though?’ In order to reach their maximum capability some students I asked felt that they were given enough work to keep them on the right track to getting a good degree. In addition to this, 70% of the students I asked said their degrees were very intense and stated they had too much work and not enough time to do it.
In regards to the Which? report, Megan Dunn of the National Union of Students (NUS), said: “This report highlights the damaging effects of the market principles imposed on higher education by politicians, and the complacency of the vice chancellors. The market champions failed to realise that students, increasingly treated like supermarket customers, would look to exercise their consumer rights.” So clearly, many students do not feel that they are getting their money’s worth through embarking on a three year long undergraduate university degree. Many would view this form of higher education as more of a money making machine than a place of education. The BBC found that among the students they questioned, 13% admitted to missing up to five hours of lectures a week; while 17% said they had to prioritise their part-time jobs over lectures to be able to support themselves. There are of course many positives to gaining a degree. Of course you’re more likely to gain employment in your chosen field after graduating with a degree. But more to the point, is your degree worthwhile? That is the question many people ask and frankly, only a few can say ‘yes’.
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MONDAY 1 DECEMBER 2014 | PLUTO
E L E C T I O N S
THE ELECTION
Stevie Seymour
Lucy Haigh
Dan Dewhurst
Sana Iqbal
Matt Murphy
Emili Peake
NUS NATIONAL DELE-
GATES DELEGATES Three stressful days and 424 votes later, here are your NUS National Conference Delegates. They will join SU President Lee Mac in respresenting UCLan at the event, which is being held in Liverpool from April 8-10.
The delegates will be gathering opinions from around campus about national policies that will be voted on at the conference, and possibly put forward their own. “This year we need the strongest voices and I’m confident this is the most effective team possible,” said Dan Dewhurst.
Josie Linsel
There were a number of heated debates at the 2014 conference, such as whether NUS should be funding another protest march in London against tuition fee rises, and whether police should be allowed to raid halls without the permission of campus security. What will next year’s bring?
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PLUTO | Issue 266
RESULTS ARE IN SCHOOL PRESIDENTS, NUS LIBERATION CONFERENCES AND SU COUNCIL CHAIR School Presidents Journalism and Media (JAM)...........................................Hannah Mason
Sport, Tourism and the Outdoors (SSTO).......................William Gregory Architecture, Construction and Environment (ACE)......Abhinav Palkar NUS Liberation Conference Places LGBT...............................................................Nick Sanderson & Josh Ward Women’s (Open)............................................Emili Peake & Rachelle Women’s (BME)..............................................Sana Iqbal Women’s (Lesbian, Carer or Diasbility)........Lauren Illiffe SU Council Chair ........................................................................Sana Iqbal
THE BALLOT BREAKDOWN NUS NATIONAL CONFERENCE DELEGATE TOTAL VOTES QUOTA (VOTES NEEDED TO BE ELECTED) 53 424 SU COUNCIL CHAIR TOTAL VOTES QUOTA (VOTES NEEDED TO BE ELECTED) 158.5 317
#SHORT&TWEET
ELECTED....School Presidents Abhinav Palkar and Hannah Mason
THE CANDIDATES THANKING THOSE WHO RAN
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MONDAY 1 DECEMBER 2014 | PLUTO
Fashion
L I F E S T Y L E
All the latest fashion, advice, recipes and more. For more coverage, head over to PLUTO online: pluto-online.com/lifestyle
OUTFIT OF THE MONTH Zofia Mannings Deputy Lifestyle Editor
THE lifestyle section are carrying on the outfit of the month feature which is filled with A/W trends. For this issue, we are giving you chic, cool and casual and the ‘city look’. The cold months are approaching and the wonderful ‘layers’ technique never fails. We’d like to thank everyone that let us take a pictuer and have a chat with this month.
James Baillie: Sports Studies, Year two Shoes: Foot Asylum Jeans: Burtons Tshirt: TK Maxx
Kennedy Kwudum Fashion Brand Shoes: Debenhams Trousers: Dress Lilly Shirt: H&M
Katie Dunkers: Pharmacy Year three Coat: Primark Top: Miss Selfridge Jeans: Topshop Boots: H&M Tattoo Choker: Topshop
(LEFT) Charlotte Penrose: Psychology Year two Shoes: Schuh Jeans: River Island Top: River Island Coat: ASOS Ring: Pandora
(RIGHT) Tom Downing Business Management studies, Year two Jumper: Ralph Lauren Jeans: River Island Shoes: Bank
UCLan Graduate Success Ellie Rees Lifestyle Editor
Features Editor Ellie Rees
Deputy Editor Chloe Kenyon Zofia Mannings
Poppy Waters, 24 from Preston graduated from her course Fashion with marketing in 2011 after 3 years of hard work at UCLan and went on to set up her independent fashion business, later on that year. Mary & Milly is named after& inspired by her 2 special grandmas’. Poppy used her shopping experiences at the UCLan SU to her advantage by starting her Pop up shops which are located on university campuses across the North West, including UCLan SU. When on campus she offers student discount perks on her full
collection. Poppy then used her entrepreneurial spirit and introduced a home party service, allowing Mary & Milly customers to shop the collection from the comfort of their own home. Poppy then went on to do home parties Mary & Milly ventured out into an online boutique on ASOS Marketplace (www. MaryandMilly.co.uk) . The next chapter in the Mary & Milly story is the launch of the new fashion boutique whereyou can shop the stylish clothing, jewellery & accessories collection, with the new addition of unique gifts. Poppy has been keen to keep the business local by taking on fashion students as Interns who are
either, from Preston or are studying at UCLan. Mary and Milly offers unique pieces at affordable prices, allowing you to turn heads in style without breaking the bank. Dress the pieces up or down with ease avoiding that oh so common “I have nothing to wear” moment that we all hate. A new chapter welcomes a new fresh idea that adds a much need unique touch to the high-street, through a new & exciting shop party service, as well as a personal shopper service too. Poppy has
listened to customplete customer satisfaction. Mary & Milly can be found on 21 Guildhall Street in the city centre as is open 7 days a week, making shopping easy to fit around your busy university schedule. @MaryAndMilly
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PLUTO | Issue 266
Lifestyle
All the latest fashion, advice, recipes and more. For more coverage, head over to PLUTO online: pluto-online.com/lifestyle
INSPIRATIONAL STUDENT MOTHER Katie-Lauren Finn Lifestyle Writer AS I sit at my desk and recall the list of university work I have yet to do I groan and wish for more time in the day. How does it all pile up so quickly? I literally feel like I do work every single day. I love my course but sometimes I just need a break. Then I think about students who also have a children to take care of. They have the same amount of work as me as well as another human being to look after. Alice Hudson, 22, is a single, student with 2 ½ year old son, Dexter. As I meet with her today to ask her how she handles being not only a student but a young mum as well she brings her son Dexter along. He’s a very friendly, little boy with so much energy I don’t know how she copes. We say pleasantries and then sit down to chat. So Alice, first of all, at what point did you decide to come to university? Well I was going to come straight after college like normal but I couldn’t find a course I really liked. Then of course I had Dexter so I got a job. It was really hard at first and I even had post-natal depression but I still wanted to be a good mum. Then I thought about doing English because it’s something I always enjoyed and it’s definitely a course that fits around Dexter. Was it easy to apply for? I re-joined College when Dexter was about 1 to get the right entry requirements and now here I am. I wouldn’t change any of it though, I love Dexter and I’m in a better place and ready to learn.
That’s great Alice, did you get a lot of support to do that? Yeah loads, my mum lives right around the corner so she would always babysit when I needed her and student finance helps me with my finances. I didn’t really have a lot of friends who were mums though so I didn’t really have anyone to talk to about it but I knew it’s what I wanted to do. What kind of support do you get now? Well my mum still helps out with babysitting on days when I have early lectures and days I have late lectures so that’s a weight off. I’ve also made some really good friends here and that’s really amazing, it’s nice to have girly nights once in a while. That’s lovely. Does the University support you much? To a certain extent yes as there’s different grants I can get and of course student finance is helpful. There’s a lot more support than you think, especially with childcare costs. And the tutors? Yeah they’re really understanding. They know my situation so if there’s a personal problem like if god forbids Dexter ever gets ill they know why I might not bring work in on times. They’re supportive and they know that sometimes I might need to leave early because I need to pick Dexter up. Is there anything you think the University could do more, for example socially for student mothers? Yes definitely. The two closest friends I’ve made here don’t have children
and although they’re understanding and supportive sometimes I feel like I need someone in the same situation as me to have a chat to. There’s no groups for student mothers or fathers where we can meet people going through what we’re going through. I think that would be nice. That’s a great idea. How about Dexter’s dad? Yeah Dexter’s dad is still in his life and I’m grateful for his support. He still supports us as a family but we couldn’t live together anymore. We’ve remained friends and I’m glad because that’s important for Dexter. Do you ever feel like you miss out on the ‘leave home for university’ experience? Sometimes yeah. I sometimes feel like I’m missing out like I don’t get to stay in halls. Although, I’ve heard complaints from friends about halls so I guess in that respect I am actually lucky to have my own house. It would be nice to experience living with students but also I don’t think I’d like it for very long. It can be a nightmare sometimes. How about the social side of university? Not really no. I’ve been out with friends from here and had a really good night. We try and have a girly night at least once a week which isn’t always partying and we always end up seeing each other more anyway. We watch movies and cook tea. Ever feel like you’ve got too much work to do? Well I’m doing English Literature and Creative Writing so I have to do a lot of reading and writing but I did that anyway so
it doesn’t really get in the way. Sometimes having to write to a deadline can be tricky and it can pile up but I enjoy it so it’s okay. On Mondays I have a 3 hour break between lectures and I get a lot of work done then. How does being a young mum and also a student feel? It’s the best of both worlds. There’s so many people on hand to help you. You get a chance to make friends and you get so many opportunities to do things. It builds up your confidence and it’s nice to be doing something for yourself. It’s like you get your independence back whilst also having someone you love to look after. Best of both worlds. As long as you’ve got some kind of childcare then the workload isn’t too bad. You have just got to organise your time.
Have you got any advice for young mums who are thinking about University? Go for it. Seriously, if there’s a course you are interested in then do it. Surprisingly it’s not that hard to do. You’ve got to just not worry about finance because there’ll always be help. It’s good for you mentally because you get back your ‘me time’ and enables you to gain confidence away from home. Thank you Alice, you are an inspiration. Have you got any last comments? Aww thank you, I just needed to take control of my life. Making the choice to become a single mum was a hard decision but I fully intend on being the best mum I can for my son and I hope he sees that we both love him the same as we always did. I want Dexter to follow my example and believe he can do anything if he puts his mind to it.
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Lifestyle
MONDAY 1 DECEMBER 2014 | PLUTO All the latest fashion, advice, recipes and more. For more coverage, head over to PLUTO online: pluto-online.com/lifestyle
CHRISTMAS GIFTS FOR HIM & HER
Katie-Lauren Finn Lifestyle Writer WE all get excited for one thing towards the end of every year and that is Christmas. What’s not to love? You get to pig out on food; you get to spend time with your family and share presents. Although the one thing about Christmas that not everyone seems to enjoy is getting presents for their loved ones. So here are some tips of what you could get for him and for her. It’s always easy to say that it’s hard shopping for him and for her but is it? There are many things you could get for your partner that they would love.
For your girlfriend: • Perfume – Dior, Ghost, Dolce and Gabbana. You can never go wrong with buying your girlfriend some perfume as you know girls like to smell their best. • Does your girlfriend love Disney? Then treat her to
the very latest merchandise, what girlfriend wouldn’t want their very own Olaf or Timone and Pumba.
• Last but not least CHOCOLATE! Everyone loves chocolate especially around Christmas
there is a variety to choose from and you can test them all to see what you think will go best with your man.
• Don’t forget makeup. Never go with a cheap brand as your girlfriend could have a reaction and that would not be a pretty site for Christmas, therefore go with brands such as MAC, No7, Max Factor, Rimmel, etc. If you ever find girlfriend complaining about not having much mascara or foundation left, you know what to do.
For your boyfriend:
• Jewellery – Yes men like to wear jewellery from time to time and knowing it comes from you will make them happy to wear it. You can find men’s jewellery in a lot of places such as H.Samuel, Beaverbrooks, etc.
• Girlfriends love new clothes so if you know her taste and her sizes then be bold and daring this Christmas. Buy her some new jeans, tops, jackets, even pyjamas because one thing that everyone loves for Christmas is receiving new pyjamas, it’s almost a tradition. • Jewellery – every girl likes to be treated to a bit of jewellery so look at buying her a new watch or possibly a necklace.
• Games – The one thing a guy loves just as much as you is his Xbox, PS4, etc. So, if your boyfriend is a lover of Halo, Call of Duty, Assassin’s Creed, you know what to get him. • Clothes – Don’t be shy to buy him some clothes; don’t forget most men had a very standard and simple taste when it comes to clothes so buying clothes such as jeans, plain tops, and hoodies can make him very happy for Christmas. Although, if he has a favourite film that sells its own clothes merchandise then you know you can go wrong. • Aftershave – A lot of men may not seem to care about how they smell not as much as women do but in reality they do. This may explain why you might not ever see the hidden bottle of lynx or BOSS. The best thing is
batman as it will add a bit of more colours to his wardrobe. No matter what you decide to get your girlfriend or boyfriend just remember that it’s the thought that counts and your partner will be happy no matter what you get them for Christmas.
• Don’t forget men are big lovers of food so making them a lovely Christmas meal for two is a great way to show much you love him but also to spend quality time together. Or if you don’t feel confident in cooking then you can’t go wrong with buying him some chocolate. • If you’re ever in complete doubt of what to get your boyfriend or if you think you haven’t got him enough then you know you can never go wrong with buying your boyfriend some more boxers’. Don’t be afraid to be courageous either and buy him some superman themed boxers or even
HOW TO: GINGERBREAD COOKIES CHRISTMAS COCKTAIL Emmi Bowles Lifestyle Writer Ingredients:
350g Plain flour – and a handful to help roll the dough out 125g Butter 175g Soft light brown sugar 1 Medium egg 1 tsp Bicarbonate of soda 2 tsp Ground ginger 4 tbsp Golden syrup Step 1: Preheat your oven to 180C or Gas 4 and line two backing trays with greaseproof paper. Step 2: Sift together the flour, bicarbonate of soda,
ginger and cinnamon into a large bowl. Step 3: Add the butter and mix until it looks like breadcrumbs – TIP: it is easier to use your hands with this part. Step 4: Stir in the sugar. Step 5: Beat the egg and golden syrup together until the mixture clumps together. Step 6: Take the dough out and kneed lightly on a floured surface until smooth. Step 7: Wrap the dough in clingfilm and place in the fridge for 15 minutes. Step 8: Roll the dough out till at a ¼in thickness on a floured surface. Then using cutters of your choice, cut
out the shapes and place on the baking tray, leaving a gap between them. – TIP: if you don’t have cutters use a glass dipped in flour. Step 9: Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Then leave to cool. Step 10: Once cooled decorate using whatever you like and then enjoy.
Chloe Kenyon Deputy Lifestyle Editor Christmas is almost upon us and what better way to get into the Christmas spirit than to indulge in a little alcohol? These festive drinks will help you get into the Christmas spirit whether you’re heading out for a night on the town with your friends or spending a cosy evening indoors with your family. Candy Cane Spritzers You will need: * Cranberry Juice * Lemonade * Vodka * Candy Canes
Fill a glass with a double or triple measure of vodka and mix with equal parts of cranberry juice and lemonade to finish this cocktail. Add a candy cane as a garnish to make this drink even more festive.
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PLUTO | Issue 266
Music
‘“Tis the season to be jolly. Fa la la la la la la la la.” - Thomas Oliphant
IT’S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR Priscila Sarmento Deputy Culture Editor December is upon us, which means having to listen to Mariah Carey “All I want for Christmas” everywhere you go, in the shops, on the radio, in the car. Then of course there will be the overplaying of competitors for the coveted position of Christmas number one. To get into the spiritof things I’ve decided to put together a Christmas playlist for you all, made up of some of the favourite Christmas tracks of the hard-working editors and reporters here at Pluto. For me, the soundtrack to Christmas is “Santa Baby” by Eartha Kitt , “Jingle Bell Rock” by Booby Helms, which features in student favourite “Mean Girls” with some questionable choreography. Not to mention of course, “Last Christmas” by Wham!.
Our lovely editors/reporters picks are: Brenda Lee – Rocking Around the Christmas Tree (Ayesha Dayaji – Online Editor) Dean Martin – Let it Snow (Jas Leen – Features Editor) Eartha Kitt – Santa Baby (Georgia Gregoriou – Deputy Culture Editor) Ella Fitzgerald – Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (Megan Critchley – Deputy Comment Editor) John Lennon – Happy Christmas (Luis Sanchez – Pluto Reporter) Jona Lewie – Stop the Cavalry (Pete McCarthy – Deputy Sports Editor) Joseph Mohr – Silent Night (Stef Smith – Deputy Online Editor) Muppet Christmas Carol – It Feels Like Christmas (Emili Peake – Deputy Societies Editor) Rage Against the MachineKilling in the Name (Sam
McKeown - Deputy Culture Editor) The Wombats – Is This Christmas (Matt Murphy – Editor-in-Chief) Tim Minchin – White Wine in the Sun (Amy Woolmer – Culture Editor) Wham! – Last Christmas (Kate Kennedy – News Editor, Connor Clarke – Head of Photography, Katy Derby – Pluto Reporter) Wizzard – I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday (Ben Chuter – Pluto Reporter)
And of course, the ever popular…. The Pogues & Kirsty McColl – Fairytale of New York (Emmi Bowles – Deputy Features Editor, Jack Mumford – Sports Editor, Abigail Law & Charlotte Fletcher – Pluto Reporters) which it simply wouldn’t be Christmas without. Have we missed your favourite song? Let us know @UCLanPluto or on Pluto’s Facebook page.
“AWARD WINNERS”: Musical Theatre Society Showcase is a HIT! Sam McKeown Deputy Culture Editor On November 26 Roper Hall’s’ Attic opened its doors to an audience of around fifty people who enjoyed a musical theatrical show of award winning songs performed by UCLan’s Musical Theatre Society. The songs were performed in two acts; act one containing eleven songs and act two being made up of ten, completing a total of twenty one songs altogether. The songs themselves were from musicals of the West End that have been adapted from stories of famous films which included Jekyll and Hyde, Legally Blonde, Shrek and a couple of Disney classics such as Aladdin and The Little
Mermaid, but to name a few. The energy in the room before the show was electric and the atmosphere was a positive one from start to finish, but what else can one expect from being in the same room as theatrical students? A special mention should be rightfully awarded to the director of the show Nick Parry, who was a gentleman of few words in his introduction, intermission and epilogue, but evidently gave great direction and guidance during the performance and rehearsals. Mr Parry had obviously connected with his assembled performers and spoke of the lead up to the show, “We’ve all been working tirelessly for two months now and I am incredibly proud of each and every one of them”. The performers themselves also deserve praise, because it was obvious that there had been a lot of time and preparation put into the show and let’s just remember these are UCLan students who also with deadlines to attend to for their respected courses, which come up fast this time of year. What should be pointed out is that musical theatre isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but
C U L T U R E
Culture Editor The musical theatre society in action instead of taking advantage of an Orange Wednesday 2 for 1 offer at the cinema as we usually do, myself and my girlfriend (who I dragged along), took a risk tonight and attended this performance in a quaint setting and spent a total of £8 and in conclusion, I can honestly say... money well spent! It has to be said that although the seating arrangements were ‘a bit of a nightmare’, I would definitely attend another one of UCLan Musical Theatre Society’s performances. However, a recommendation for future performances should be that the Musical Theatre Society should invest more time in promoting their
performances to a more varied audience, because it seemed that most people who attended were friends and families of the performers. Another venture financially that the Musical Theatre Society should invest in is a few wireless microphones because a minority of the performers were regrettably quiet. As a final note, I plead to all students of the university to take a night off from their usual routine of getting drunk and try an alternative night supporting other students in their performances, because it can be said with unequivocal confidence, UCLan definitely has talent.
Amy Woolmer
Deputy (Gaming) Georgia Dana Gregoriou
Deputy (Music) Priscila C. Sarmento Deputy (Film) Sam McKeown
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MONDAY 1 DECEMBER 2014 | PLUTO
TEAM XBOX UCLAN HOLD HALO TOURNAMENT Georga Dana Gregoriou
Gaming Editor To commemorate the release of Halo: The Master Chief Collection, Team Xbox UCLan organized a Halo tournament at UCLan on the 12 November, featuring none other than the Halo collection itself showcased on the Xbox One in all its glory. Nostalgia seems to be the trendfor gaming in recent months as AAA franchises are taking iconic games and re-mastering them for next generation consoles. It’s a gamers dream to have their childhood games re-mastered, making these legendary games cohesive for players old and new is a rewarding and satisfying feeling for someone like me who grew up with the franchise. Since its release thirteen years ago the Halo franchise tells the story
about one of the greatest adventures brought to the gaming world, as it all comes together in one collection to re-tell the chronicles of the legendary Spartan, Master Chief. Dramatic in pacing, striking visual differences and the flow of level designs becomes significantly contrasting throughout all four games, as Halo has always been a pinnacle example of First person shooter combat dynamics and sandbox battlefields over the years. As the room flooded with Uclan’s Gaming Society, students battled it out Red vs Blue style across a generation of Halo games for the chance to win the Xbox weekender and legendary Halo merchandise at the conclusion of the tournament. As players worked their way from Halo: Combat Evolved to Halo 4 It felt like stepping into a time machine at every point each games release, as the unforgettable Halo soundtracks in higher quality filled the
room, the atmosphere was undeniably static and tensions were high. Student Ambassador for Xbox UCLan, Connor Trueman commented: I thought the night was a huge success and exceeded my expectations, everyone got involved and really enjoyed themselves. Chairman of the UCLan Gaming Society Joe Lester had a big part to play as well as he helped me organized the event and put everything together. 343’s Halo 4 distinctively sets itself aside from the series for a few reasons. This next generation artwork sticks out as a new chapter in the series as it steps into this next-generation of gaming with new striking graphics, cinematics, animation, characters, narrative and enemies. When Bungie stepped down and 343 Industries took the reins on this highly acclaimed and iconic franchise, no one expected such an ambitious project in this sheer scale - 343 executed it
perfectly. Bringing together different studios to produce a monolith package of the Halo collection, considering the span of 11 years into one disk, proves to be logistically smooth while opting between each campaign. Starting from Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, Halo 2 Anniversary, Halo 3 and Halo 4, with access to Halo 5: Guardians Multiplayer Beta on one console, the Xbox One becomes a waypoint for this iconic franchise There is an increased resolution and a jump to 60 frames per second making them fluid in both campaign and multiplayer maps. During gameplay there is an option to smoothly jump between original graphics to the revamped version, and the differences are striking. The crown jewel in the collection is undeniably Halo 2, with completely new cinematics produced by Blur studios, making it a revelatory experience. The
games are simultaneously nostalgic and liberating. Aadil Mcmeme Kapadia came out triumphant in the tournament and won the Xbox weekender. He said: It’s amazing to see such a huge turnout for an event like this, to be able to promote a huge product like the Master Chief Collection and improve the atmosphere of our own society. This tournament was a blast to take part in, and it would be great if we can do more events like this. There is no limit to the amount of expansion we could probably do with the society. Now my greatest fear is... where do I put all my winnings? The Halo Master Chief Collection is a real bang for your buck for £40 with all four historic entries in the series. So what are you waiting for? Earth needs you!
Aadil Mcmeme Kapadia Games Society Member Winner of the Halo Tournament
BIOWARE’S DRAGON AGE: INQUISITION REVIEW Jodran Isaac Smith Culture Writer Bioware, the developer of the Dragon Age and Mass Effect video game franchises, have kind of had it rough the last couple of years. Dragon Age II was the less than ideal sequel to one of their most critically acclaimed video games and then Mass Effect 3 had a very divisive ending Or rather lack of endings. So they’ve been rather quiet about it all, other than the obvious marketing for this new sequel in their Dragon Age series, I myself found Dragon Age II incredibly disappointing compared to the first game. Though I wasn’t particularly bothered about Mass Effect 3’s lack of endings, I did wonder if Bioware had started to lose some of their magic; if they were somehow still capable of delivering some of the best video games out there. Dragon Age: Inquisition is the game that its predecessor should have been, as this is somewhat being seen as the “redemption of Bioware”. Having played the first two games in the series, my excitement started before I even turned the new game on. For many years Bioware have been making video games that focus on making choices, and those choices affect the story so that each playthrough is different and personal to the player. But because you usually import your save files from one game to the next,
and what with the new game being playable on new consoles, Bioware needed a way so that even if their players had changed gaming system, they would still be able to have their personal stories from the first two games affect their story in Inquisition. To this end, Bioware created the ‘Dragon Age Keep’. This is an interactive storybook online that you can listen to and then choose the outcome of every minute choice that was made in the first two Dragon Age games. It took me a long time to remember every choice I made and import that data into ‘Dragon Age: Inquisition’ but I’m assuming that there will be some payoff for this at some point. The references to the previous games have been somewhat light so far; though fans of the series will undoubtedly get more pleasure from the game because they recognise the world that they are stepping into. Playing through about eight hours of the game so far, I’m trying to complete everything so I’ve spent a lot of time running around in an area called ‘The Hinterlands’ near Redcliffe - fans of the series will be well acquainted with this place. Bioware said before release that this one region (there are many more in the game) would be larger than the entirety of the first game’s world. And they weren’t lying, this place is huge. A mountainous and forested region, is where Bioware allows for their new graphics engine to shine. This game looks fantastic - It’s all in the details. I’m running this game on Medium to High graphics on my laptop
and though the game isn’t at its best, it still is a treat on the eyes. Next generation gaming is an exciting thing. Trees and grass blowing in the breeze, the lighting bouncing off objects realistically, the transition from wandering about in the mountains to running through a dark cave a moment later - it’s awesome. Load times only exist when you are loading up your game and when you are transferring to a new region. Otherwise, you’re running around for hours, completing quests, slaying monsters, discovering treasure, a standard fantasy RPG affair. This game is stuffed with activities to complete. I’m still in the first region that you get to after the standard
‘tutorial’ section of the game. It’s not exactly Skyrim in terms of size, but Skyrim had vast open spaces where all you could do is gaze at the scenery. The combat is a strange blend of the combat from the first two games in the series. If you like just being in the heat of the moment and spamming a button to attack your enemy, you can do that. Though now they make it less effort for you because all you have to do is hold the button down now. And if you liked the more tactical approach of the first game, then they’ve brought back the tactical view mode! It’s all very fun and engaging, whichever combat style you prefer.
Issuing orders to your team or simply hacking your enemy to death. Levelling up your characters feels a little too simple now, I much preferred the first game’s way of going about it, but that’s not a major gripe. The inventory system, kitting out your team with weapons and equipment, is as fun as it can get. After all, it’s just choosing items to make your team not... die too quickly. Overall, this game has so far been a very welcome return to form, not just for the Dragon Age series, but for Bioware as a game developer.
Pluto Playlist Dragon Age: Inquisition GTA V WWE 2K15 Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare Far Cry 4 Destiny: The Dark Below
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PLUTO | Issue 266
Festive Favourites - Straight From the Big Screen Sam McKeown Deputy Culture Editor It’s that time of year again... Christmas is a time of year that all families get together to catch up, eat a bountiful amount of food, share rooms and in some unfortunate cases have to share a bed with grandma; but it’s all in good fun. The one part of Christmas day that everyone can enjoy (even your mum, who has been slaving away in the kitchen for days end), is the annual sit down in the living room at around six o’clock where everyone has to endure each others’ company for that little bit longer in order to watch a Christmas film together. Christmas movies are arguably much better than Christmas songs, because whereas jingle tunes make you want to punch a wall after a few plays, a good winter wonderland film has the gift that makes you remember your childhood; when you used to wake up at ‘stupid o’clock in the morning’ (around seven) to unwrap your Christmas presents, the big one first of course. Most of these films are from around the same era, but then again who wants to watch a film in black and white anyway? If you expected Love
Actually to be in this top ten, you are sadly mistaken. Here is a mix of top ten films that cover different themes that I believe should be rightfully present at Christmas, counting down: 10. Elf (2003) – starring Will Ferrell 9. Jingle All The Way (1996) – starring Arnold Schwarzenegger 8. The Polar Express (2004) – (animated) voices include Tom Hanks as a myriad of fantastic characters. 7. Scrooged (1988) – starring Bill Murray 6. Miracle on 34th Street (1994) – starring Richard Attenborough 5. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) – starring James Stewart 4. Home Alone (1990) – starring Macaulay Culkin 3. The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) – starring Michael Caine 2. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000) – starring Jim Carrey 1. Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992) – starring Macaulay Culkin
watched around this time of the year include Henry Selick’s The Nightmare before Christmas (1993), Christmas animated classic The Snowman (1982), Disney’s animated Frozen (2013) and the action-pumped Die Hard (1990). I hope you enjoyed, agreed and disagreed (you’re entitled to your opinion) with this compilation of Christmas greats. Before allowing this article to be published, it is my duty to report that Culture Editor, Amy Woolmer, insisted that I was wrong giving the top spot to anything but The Muppet Christmas Carol. If like her, you disagree with this list, or any of your favourites were left out, let us know with a tweet @ UCLanPluto or via our Facebook page.
Coming soon and new releases at a cinema near you... 1) Into The Woods 2) The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies 3) The Penguins of Madagascar
It is my opinion that 2003’s Bad Santa should be in there, but due to there being too much usage of the F word I could not include it in this family orientated list. I also felt there would be an almighty uproar if I did not include Elf in this top ten. Other Christmas greats that should be
4) Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb 5) Exodus: Gods and Kings 6) The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1 7) Horrible Bosses 2
Winter Warmers: Christmas Reads Alice Lawrence Pluto Reporter If you’re reading this I’m guessing you’re a) a student and b) a book lover. So in honour of the holiday that promises many cosy hours curled up in front of the radiator with your favourite read, here are my top ten recommended Christmas reads. 10. ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas’ by Clarke Moore. I bet some of you can quote the next line. Clarke Moore’s lyrical poem has become part of Christmas culture, and no list of Christmas reads would be complete without it. For extra Christmas fun this year when you read it change the voice in your head to Morgan Freeman. Bonus recommendation: Love the Nightmare Before Christmas and Tim Burton’s general wackiness? Go and read Tim Burton’s poem version. It’s amusing, endearing, and deliciously twisted.
Here at Pluto, we’ve compiled a list of Christmas favourites to curl up on the sofa, when you’re not busy preparing for those dreaded January exams... 9. ‘The Snow Queen’ by Hans Christian Anderson. Let go of your Frozen obsession! This is the fairy tale that the Disney smash hit is based on; and like all Disney adaptations and their sources, they have nothing in common. ‘The Snow Queen’ is a story of a girl traveling through the Realms of the Seasons learning about the true nature of love. It’s sometimes dark, very wise, very heart warming, and a wonderful fairy tale. It is in the public domain so you can read it for free online or on your eReader. A quick read, but a good one. 8. ‘Letters from Father Christmas’ by J. R. R. Tolkien and Baillie Tolkien. Tolkien’s children, like many others, wrote to Father Christmas every year. But for them, Father Christmas wrote back. This book is a collection of short stories in the format of letters, all
Christmas themed, detailing the epic adventure of St. Nick. An ideal present for those people who are eagerly, or at least resignedly, awaiting the third instalment of Peter Jackson’s version of the Hobbit. 7. ‘The Polar Express’ by Chris Van Allsburg. When you were a child and it was Christmas Eve, you didn’t sleep. You held your breath, and you listened. You waited for that gentle tinkle of silver bells, the sound of reindeer, and of promises being fulfilled. Did you hear them? The little boy in this story did. A story about magic, hope, and a humble heart, this story excites children and wraps adults in a gentle blanket of nostalgia. 6. ‘A Christmas Carol’ by Charles Dickens. “Bah Humbug!” One of the easier Dickens books to read this Christmas Classic as a simple message: YOLO, so be kind. Read it so next time you claim you read Dickens, you’re telling the truth. 5. ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas’ by Dr Seuss. Gather round with your siblings, it’s time to read aloud, about the monster that ruined Christmas, and how his hate was cowed. This book is a family story, made for time to share, to cuddle up with loved ones, to show them you are there, and that despite the disputes, we all love each other really. 4. ‘The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey’ by Susan Wojciechowski and illustrated by P.J. Lynch. This book is a work of art. The words and illustrations are elegant, warm, and soft, and the
story is moving. It’s a book about love and generosity, two themes at the heart of Christmas. Perfect to read to children on Christmas eve. 3. ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’ by Jan Brett.. Unsatisfied by the smallness of reality the heroine of this novel decides to marry the man who gives her the gifts mentioned in the Twelve Days of Christmas song. However the man who proves up to the challenge is not the one she’s been dreaming of. If you’re a pragmatic individual who gets irritated by little people with their heads full of selfish ideas, this is the book for you. 2. ‘The Little Match Girl’ by Hans Christian Anderson. Christmas is can be sad for the lonely and the downtrod, with family arguments and missed loved ones. This short yet beautiful story highlights this, and has left a small child’s handprint on my heart. Once again, it is in the public domain so you can read it online or download it on your eReader for free. 1. ‘The Hogfather’ by Terry Pratchett. This is a children’s book for adults of all ages. It’s a humorous story about the
end of the world, murder, and Death. It has an exciting plot, deep symbolism, loveable characters and a message: the true meaning of Christmas, but that meaning may not be quite the one you were expecting. It is also a book that has been re-released in a beautiful new hardback edition hint-hint to any friends of mine who happen to be reading this.
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Monday 1 DECEMBER 2014 | PLUTO
S O C I E T I E S
UCLan SU’s Atrium plays host to another successful society event steamed LIVE by PSTV
Stuart Dawson Guest writer
Trans* Youtube stars Alex Bertie and Jake Edwards joined UCLan LGBT society as they celebrated Trans* Remembrance Day with a heartwarming event. The event took place in the University Atrium, on Thursday 20th November (Trans* Remembrance Day) to raise awareness and promote acceptance for the transgender community. Youtube musician Jake Edwards opened the night with some live, original music which spoke of some of the obstacles members of the Trans* community face on a day to day basis. After six songs, and a round of
applause, it was then the turn of his fellow internet star and boyfriend Alex Bertie, who delivered a charming, witty speech which touched the hearts of several members from the audience. Organiser of the event, and chair of the LGBT society: Chris Rowley, then announced a twenty minute interval, which gave the audience the chance to look down onto the lower floor of the Student’s Union, where eight hundred origami cranes hung as a visual representation for each Trans* person who attempts suicide each year. The LGBT society had spent the past couple of weeks making these, in collaboration with Japanese Society. There was also the chance to write down any questions one might have in relation to the struggles a member of the Trans* community may face each day. Once the break was over, there was then a Q&A set for Alex and Jake, which called upon both the audience questions gathered in the break, and social media, and were delivered by Chris.
CARRICK LOMAS:
YOUR INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY REPRESENTATIVE
The Q&A lasted about forty minutes, and was both informative as well as entertaining for the on looking audience. The event then came to a close through another musical master class by Jake, who sang a handful of cover songs to tie up the evening. While the event was running, PSTV produced a live stream of the evening which had a respectable number of streams throughout the night at approximately three hundred. The event has proven to be one of the most successful events the society has run to date.
Societies Editor Toby Samuel Robertson
Deputy Editor Emili Peake
Deputy Editor Ellie Sutcliffe
After a twenty five minute chat with Carrick Lomas, it’s safe to say that you can never be too busy when it comes to something you really care about. To start off with, Carrick’s role as International Society Rep involves a lot of commitments, as the role is ‘taking care of societies’, ‘work in the interest of societies’ and ‘gaging interests of the students involved’. She works particularly well with the Japanese society, of which she is a proud member. Her other societies include: AfroCaribbean Society, Chinese, Finnish, Ghanaian, International and Exchange Students, Korean Society, Nigerian, Portuguese, Indian and Pakistani, Saudi and Palestine. Carrick’s role engages a lot of interest in what these societies are serving towards, what their goals are and takes part in society development committee meetings which result in the ability for the international societies to progress, grow and see opportunities. There are many challenges to her role such as looking through
applications of those who apply for financial aids with events, justifying the needs of those within around twelve societies under the huge international umbrella; she openly admits she NEVER gets bored with all the business of staying in contact and exploring the interests of everyone. Carrick was extremely enthusiastic when talking about these challenges and made it clear that she loves the commitment her job affords her. One of the largest challenges for Carrick was her year of study in Japan. For someone so intense, she went through a period of suffering anxiety, thankfully overcame it, and managed to find work in Japan after studying and stayed for an extra six weeks. Carrick uses this experience in her confidence, and carries herself well. Carrick describes her experiences as ‘enlightening’ and loves it when she’s offered an opportunity to get ‘bossy’ (in the nicest possible way). When meetings take place, there is a real and quick bond between everyone and friendship is almost instant. She was particularly passionate about the idea of progression; not just for herself but for other people as well. “If you can’t laugh at yourself, how can you laugh at anyone else?”Carrick Lomas
TIMELINE Highlights
PALESTINE AWARENESS WEEK The Islamic society hosted numerious events throught the week of 24th - 28th including guest speakers, a henna workshop, charity tea party, Olive tree planting and a sponsored silence INTER CULTURAL SHOW A handful of international related societies came together to create and host a show celebrating diversity in culture. What’s Coming Up SDA SOCIETY The 7th Day Adventises will be hosting a Christmas concert @ The Atrium - 6.30pm 3rd December PSYCHOLOGY SOCIETY Charity gig set to raise money for The Brain Tumour Charity and Alzheimers’ Research UK @ 53 Degrees - 7pm 8th December ANIME & MANGA SOCIETY Christmas party quiz @ 53 Degrees - 6pm 9th December
ORIGAMI: 800 paper swans hang in the Attrium
SPOOKY ENCOUNTER FOR PARANORMAL SOCIETY Emili Peake Deputy Societies Editor
Zofia Manings Reporter
SOC
The
YOUTUBE STARS JOIN LGBT SOCIETY TO CELEBRATE TRANS* REMEMBRANCE DAY
Friday 21st November saw the first outing of the newly formed Paranormal Society. Now I’m a slight believer, but a skeptic at heart so was hoping to have proof either way, and that I did! We set off for Morecambe Winter Gardens on what appeared to be the perfect setting of torrential rain and wind. Upon arrival we were given a tour of this marvellous building by the site staff. Built in the 1870’s the Morecambe Winter Gardens was one of the North West’s prestigious venues. After staging the likes of Julie Andrews and Laurel and Hardy, it fell into disrepair and relies on the donations from events such as the Paranormal Society. Once the tour was finished we were given free rein of the theatre and as skeptic Becky Miller describes, “S**t went down”. Society Leaders, Joanna Tomlinson and Liam James led different groups on us newbies round searching for paranormal activity. They perfectly complement each other with both spiritual and evidence based background. Joanna, Society Chair says, “Morecambe Winter Gardens is a location not to be missed by any serious ghost hunter. This is why it was the perfect place for the society’s first event.” The eerie setting was nearly enough for me to run away, but as the night went on, and more activity
happened, the more I wanted to see what else we could find. For me, the pinnacle point was the glass divination at 2am, which I’m not going to go into details, but I have tried to explain the level of movement and there seems to be no explanation! Joanna rounds off the event by saying “between hearing footsteps, knocking on command, K2 spikes and amazing results with glasswork, the Paranormal Society will be hardpressed to find another location quite as special as this.” Interested in the Paranormal Society? Join Here! http://www.uclansu.co.uk/groups/ paranormal-society
IF you really can’t find a society that you like out of the seventy five UCLan proudly houses, you and your friends are completely welcome to create your own. All you have to do is fill out the Society Affiliation form, submit it to the Opportunity Centre (located in the SU) who will review your application, you’ll be asked to discuss how you wish to operate and fund activities and after that, the Societies Development committee will vote on your proposal. To Find out more information and a copy of the form, you can use the following website: www.uclansu.co.uk/societies
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PLUTO | Issue 266
PSYCHOLOGY’S LARGEST EVENT TO DATE SET TO RAISE HUNDREDS
Months in the making, society finally has a venue to home their charity gig Gig organiser, Keertana Raj, gives Pluto the insight to what we can expect Ellie Sutcliffe Deputy Societies Editor The Psychology Society opened sales for their upcoming charity gig. The event, which is being held to raise money for two charities, has been a labour of love for the Psychology Society and the organisers. The gig will be held Monday 8th December at 53 Degrees. Aryton Drake and Louis Webster are set to DJ, and the performing acts will include Ryan & Craig, Jessica Lawrence, Ben Robson & Glen Carvel and The Ask. The night will kick off at 7.30pm, with doors opening at 7pm. There will be a raffle on the night. First, second and third prize winners will all get a free booth at Cameo & Vinyl with waitress service all night. First prize winners will also receive a free bottle of vodka plus 3 mixers, second prize three free cocktails and a shot each and the third prize winners will get a free bottle of bubbly. There will also be lots of other prizes such as Body Shop discounts and a free ticket
to SeaWorld. Raffle tickets will be sold on the night. Fundraising to aid in the research of brain tumours, the gig will also be raising awareness for Alzheimer’s disease. Dementia affects over 830,000 people in the UK, with as estimate of twenty three million people having a close family member or friend with dementia. The charity aims to research and prevent, treat and cure dementia to give people a better understanding of the disease. Similarly, The Brain Tumour Charity seeks to fund research into effective treatments for patients diagnosed. Brain tumours are the biggest cancer killer of adult and children under the age of 40. The research currently being conducted throughout the UK is funded entirely by voluntary donations. Keertana Raj, one of the gig’s organisers and a Neuropsychology student here at UCLan, spoke to me about what inspired the society to hold the evening and her personal experience with both illnesses: “I work at Alzheimer’s society and
I have had the chance to work closely with the carers and the patient, which has brought to my attention that carers gets affected a lot more than we think. Via this degree we have learnt that there have been successful experiments and scientists are very close to finding a cure but require more research to find the causation of this particular brain illness.” “I have had a close relative that has been diagnosed [with a brain tumour]. However, he had been treated by one of the best neurosurgeons and only a small percentage gets successfully treated by this particular brain disease. There are more research and findings to be done within this brain illness as the society and I have learnt from our degree that is an ever growing topic to study on.” “From this event I am hoping to raise awareness of both these mental illnesses and support the charities via raising money to fund the research on Alzheimer’s disease and brain tumours.” Keertana hopes that by raising
awareness, UCLan students will donate their time and volunteer for these charities. Even giving one or two hours of your time can make a huge difference to these organisations. Tickets for the gig are on sale now, and can purchase online via the UCLan SU website.
You can also keep up to date on the Psychology Societies’ meetings and events via their Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/ UCLanPsychSoc
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Monday 1 December 2014 | PLUTO
S P O R T
CAPTAIN’S CORNER...
IN THE LATEST INSTALMENT OF OUR REGULAR FEATURE, WE SPEAK TO STUART ROBINSON, TEAM CAPTAIN OF THE UCLAN RAMS WHO ARE ENJOYING A FANTASTIC START Jack Wilson-Mumford Sports Editor
Despite being one of the university’s youngest sport clubs, UCLan Rams have grand ambitions. These ambitions are articulated by team captain Stuart Robinson who is proud of how far the club has come since he first joined, when he says it was “simply some lads throwing a ball about in Moor Park”. After a couple of years building the side, Robinson sees this year as a chance to make a huge leap forward. He said: “At the end of the year we want to finish with an undefeated season and get into the Premiership North next year”. They’re certainly going about it the right way with victories over Liverpool John Moores, Staffordshire and Bangor already clocked up. Robinson, a 3rd year Computer Games Development student, insists the team can’t get too carried away though. “As far as I’m concerned, we look to win the next game then we look to win the next game after that.” It’s clear the Liverpool John Moores victory meant a lot to the team
captain he sits up and details the match heatedly. “They had been tipped by a few websites to win the division which really annoyed us. We beat them 34-6 and it was a real grudge match for us. All the veterans were so fired up for it.” As well as simply playing for the Rams, Robinson has a big role in trying to increase interest in American football and UCLan sports in general. He believes everyone that represents UCLan should have more of a connection. He said: “We’re trying to make the UCLan badge a badge of honour, something that could bring everyone that represents UCLan in any sport together and proud to represent the university”. He’s also aware of Britain’s struggle to truly embrace the pigskin compared to our love of football and rugby and he’s keen to do as much as he can to change that. “Most of the people I’ve chatted to are more than happy to come down and watch it. I know they might not have a clue what is going on at first but they still enjoyed it. Some people that are maybe used to rugby might look down on it a bit.
Jack Wilson-Mumford
Deputy Editor Matt Weston
Deputy Editor Pete McCarthy
I played rugby for 12 years and there’s just as much contact in this.” Stuart, originally from Belfast, had never played the game before coming to UCLan and says he took it up in his 1st year as a way to keep fit because he couldn’t afford to play for the UCLan rugby teams. He now represents Lancashire Wolverines during the summer and is considering entering trials for the GB dent’s team, which shows just how far he has come in such a short space of time.
student’s, which shows just how far he has come in such a short space of time. Stuart says anyone considering giving the gridiron game a go is more than welcome. “Anyone can just come down and try out, we have starter kits available to use for people that just want to try it out. There’s no height, weight, gender requirements. It can be a sport for everyone.”
CHAMPIONSHIP HELD AT FOOTBALL THIRD TEAM FACE BUCS BAN UCLAN A “SUCCESS” STORY CONTINUED FROM BACK PAGE
Sports Editor
Rams shake hands after the Stafford victory
The biggest winner of the weekend was Helshan Weerasinghe who was successful on three fronts. The teenager from Tonbridge successfully defended his junior singles title after coming from one set down to defeat second seed Marcus Giles by three sets to one. Weerasinghe retained his first title of the day in the mixed doubles. Playing alongside Tin Tin Ho, the pair claimed their third successive title in the event. The pair defeated Danny Lawrence and Maria Tsaptsinos, and came from 5 – 2 down in the first set to take it 11 – 7. Lawrence and Tsaptsinos started quickly, taking the first three points of the second. However, from then on the top seeds were virtually unplayable, winning the second 11-5 and blitzing through the third, with the loss of only one point. The triple champion, Weerasinghe, then retained his doubles title alongside Tom Jarvis. The pair proved too strong for Sam Mabey and Danny Lawrence defeating the pair ranked number 2 by 3 sets to nil, to clinch the treble for Weerasinghe and a first junior title for Jarvis. Reacting to his achievement,
I don’t think he truly believed he could beat me over five sets.
Weerasinghe said “It feels really good to have won all three. Last year I won two and got to the other final, so it’s nice to win the clean sweep,” “Marcus was 1-0 and 5-2 up and playing really well but I don’t think he truly believed he could beat me over five sets. “Once I got back into the second game I knew I had a really good chance to win 3-1. I kept my focus and was quite comfortable in the end.” In the women’s draw Maria Tsaptsinos retained her junior Girls crown defeating Ho for the second time in consecutive years. Ho and Tsaptsinos then teamed up to win the girls doubles without dropping a set. In the Cadets tournament, the boy’s title was won by Alex Ramsden who beat Harry Dai in four sets to claim the title. The girl’s singles was won by Denise Payet, who defeated no.3 seed Sophie Barlow in a tight 5 setter. Harry Dai and James Clark defeated Ramsden and James Smith to claim the boys doubles title. The girl’s final was won by Kate Cheer and Denise Payet, defeating Megan and Alice Dillion in the final. Tin-Tin Ho spoke to Table Table England and said: ““It’s been good. It was good to win the mixed doubles again and in the girls’ doubles we didn’t drop a set. The event was described as a success by senior communications officer Paul Stimpson.
The UCLan men’s football third team have been ordered to pay over £800 for damages to the team bus. They were celebrating on a coach back from their victory at Keele on the 22nd of October when a window was smashed. In the midst of the celebrations involving chanting and singing, players were banging on the windows of the coach they were sharing with the netball third team when the glass smashed. Spirits were high after the 2-1 win and the team admitted to drinking alcohol on the coach when they met
with the Students’ Union, Josie Linsel. The team were given a deadline of two weeks to pay the £844.20 fine with the threat of being kicked out of the BUCS league if they didn’t hit the deadline. This deadline has now passed and the fine still hasn’t been paid. Miss Linsel said: “I’m really disappointed that the whole thing happened. It’s a shame we had to set this possible punishment but I feel there needs to be consequences for these actions.” Football chair Jack Le Huray has failed to comment on the matter.
BUCS ROUND-UP The men’s football 1sts have continued their good form. They are still top of the BUCS 2A league and are into the quarter finals of the Northern Conference Cup after a 3-2 victory away at Teeside. Both the men’s and women’s badminton teams suffered Conference Cup exits too, losing 5-3 to Sheffield and 7-1 to Loughborough respectively. Three wins and lots of goals for the women’s side continues their 100% record so far this season. A 3-0 win against Keele last Wednesday sealed their place in the Northern Conference Cup quarter finals.
It’s been a poor run of form for the men’s rugby union team after a narrow loss to Edge Hill then a crushing 42-0 defeat against Durham in the Conference Cup. A mixed couple of results for the women’s hockey team. After a 3-2 win over Edge Hill on the 19th they were knocked out of the Conference Cup after a 4-2 loss to Leeds Beckett. The men’s hockey side were also knocked out of the Conference Cup at the hands of Leeds Beckett, suffering a 10-1 defeat at the UCLan Sports Arena. However, the men’s basketball team are in the quarter finals after a 85-71 victory over Nottingham.
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PLUTO | Issue 266 PRESTON NORTH END
BECKFORD JOINS PRESTON BUT CAN HE FIRE THEM TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP? Jake Colley Sport Writer The name Jermaine Beckford has been seldom heard since his move from Everton to Leicester two years ago. At Leeds Beckford enjoyed a record of more than a goal every two games, a record which no doubt Simon Grayson will hope he can replicate for the Lilywhites. At Everton, Beckford recorded a respectable 10 goals in his first season for The Toffees. However, since his move from Everton a year later Beckford has struggled to replicate the goal scoring form which earned him a transfer to The Toffees in 2010. Since then Beckford has had spells with Leicester, Huddersfield (under Grayson) and most recently Bolton (who are his parent club) but has been far from impressive, with just 42 goals in 135 games since he left Elland Road. It is hard to pinpoint where it all went wrong for Beckford. One explanation for Beckford’s struggles since leaving, everton may be confidence, any
striker who has struggled to find the net on a consistent basis for as long as Jermaine has is bound to be a bit short of confidence. However, given Beckford’s record for Leeds under now Preston manager and former Leeds manager Simon Grayson one would assume that if any manager could get the Jamaican internatioal’s career back on track it would be Grayson. On the other hand, I remember thinking the same thing about Fernando Torres in 2012 when Rafael Benítez was appointed interim Chelsea manager. I thought that if any man could get Torres back to his world-class, Liverpool best it would be the Spaniard. After all, Torres did score an impressive 65 goals in 102 games for the Merseyside club under Benítez. Simon Grayson will be hoping that he can be more successful in reviving Beckford’s form than Benítez was in trying to save Torres’ career. It is even more important that Beckford hits the ground running since the injury of top scorer Joe Garner was confirmed.
UCLAN JIU JITSU LEAVE THEIR MARK IN THE STEEL CITY UNDER NEW LEADERSHIP Andrew Bell Sport Writer UCLan Jiu Jitsu enjoyed a successful trip to the Atemi Nationals last month, with Heval Agca taking 1st place in the yellow belt category and the team coming 3rd overall in the BUCS standings. It was the first National event for UCLan under new leader Brian Naisbitt, who became lead instructor for the club after attaining his brown belt following four years at the university. The annual event is the first of two main competitions the society take part in each year, and was held at Ponds Forge sports centre in Sheffield between November 14th and November 16th. UCLan took a decent sized team to the event, with 19 people going down and 11 competing. Speaking about the team’s performance this year, chair Sam Cobham described the Atemi Nationals as a “great success”. She added: “This year has already been a big one for UCLan Jiu Jitsu. With Sensei Brian now our lead instructor we really wanted to make an impact and build on our success from last years’ nationals.” Sam continued: “We definitely had a great presence on the mat due to
overwhelming support of our members, and as a club had one of the biggest individual attendance rates at the whole event. This was key to our success, both on and off the mat and really highlights how the club has grown in recent years. University teams from all over the country travel to the event, which consists of teaching from some of the most experienced instructors in the martial art. Cobham went on to explain just how much of an achievement the results in the nationals were, detailing the process competitors must go through. “Grades must go through two forms of competition in their category and this after around 5 hours of intense training on both the days. It’s a real testament to the skill and grit of every Jitsuka who competes at nationals and I’m very proud of everyone from UCLan who took part.”
I’m very proud of our results this year and look forward to future competitions On Heval Agca’s 1st place, she called it “an awesome result” and said everyone at the club wished him success in the future. “Not only did he get gold in the
Grapple: Heval Agca on his way to glory BUCS event, but also within the Jitsu Foundation itself. It’s an impressive achievement and he really made an impact.” Cobham is adamant the future is bright for UCLan Jiu-Jitsu. “Every success our Jitsuka earn strengthens the club as a whole, and inspires each individual to train harder and expand our knowledge of our style. I’m very proud of our results this year and look forward to our future competitions. “
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Last season’s Player of the Year Garner, who has 12 goals from his goals from his 20 appearances so far this season has a tendon injury and could be out for anything up to four months. If you combine that with the news that Callum Robinson has also been recalled by Aston Villa then Beckford suddenly becomes very important. Clearly Grayson believes that Beckford is that man and that he can get the striker back to his scoring best, otherwise he wouldn’t have signed him. Speaking to pnefc.net, Simon Grayson said: “I have worked with him twice before and he has a fantastic goal record. He has played in the Premier League and everyone knows what he is about and I think it’s a big coup for us.” Beckford has been given the number No.10 shirt by the Preston manager, the shirt number which he wore during his successful three years at Leeds United. Simon Grayson will be hoping that like Beckford’s last season at Leeds, Preston can get promoted from League One to The Championship and that Jermaine plays a pivotal part.
COMMONWEALTH GOLD MEDAL WINNER IN PARTNERSHIP WITH UCLAN SPORT
Matt Weston Deputy Sports Editor A Preston-born Welterweight has entertained UCLan students at his boxing club the Larches and Savick in the city. Scott Fitzgerald has had a successful start to his career and hopes to influence more people to play the sport at his club. Since training at a young age at the Larches and Savick, Fitzgerald’s best achievement was winning a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Fitzgerald defeated Mandeep Jangra in the welterweight division final at the Commonwealth Games to claim the Gold Medal. Speaking on his website, the 22 year old is hoping to be competing at the Olympics in 2016. Students of the Sports Coaching and Sports Development courses went along to see how the club had developed since its humble beginnings. The club has grown from strength to strength with its purpose built facilities to bring out the best in champions like Fitzgerald. Enthusiastic undergraduates had the chance to meet the coaches which had helped to make the club and its stars such a success. The students were also able to learn some basic boxing skills and try out the facilities on offer at the club. The ties between the boxer and his club with UCLan Sport have now grown stronger as they hope to set up a boxing partnership at the club. Students thoroughly enjoyed the visit and hope to work closely once more with the team at Larches and Savick.
PNE
SIGN BECKFORD READ MORE ON PAGE 23
Monday 1 December 2014
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BUCS ROUND-UP
PAGE 22 CAPTAIN’S CORNER
PAGE 22 JIU JITSU AT THE NATIONALS
TABLE TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS COME TO UCLAN
Luke Williams Reporter UCLan’s Sir Tom Finney Sports arena hosted the Cadet and Junior National Table Tennis Championships on the 22nd and 23rd of November. The event brought together some of the best young players in the country.
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