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Issue 263

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FRESHERS EDITION

RETURN OF THE ROGUE LANDLORD >>TENANTS WERE FORCED TO AGREE SILENCE BY EMAIL >>THE SAME LANDLORD PLUTO INVESTIGATED IN APRIL 2013

READY TO PARTY? NOT TILL YOU’VE READ OUR FRESHERS SECTION

*****PLUTO EXCLUSIVE ***** Tom Greggan Deputy Editor

TWO UCLan students have been locked in a battle with housing company Preston Student Homes to get their deposits back after being forced to sign an agreement prohibiting them from criticising the ﬁrm. Two students approached Pluto regarding their alleged treatment from the company and their landlord Michael Gibbons, who now works for a separate company called Student Accommodation Preston. Both students, who wish to remain anonymous, spoke of how they were refused their deposit unless they removed negative comments from social media sites regarding Mr. Gibbons. They were then asked to sign an agreement, sent via e-mail not to criticise the company in the future. Student A claimed: “He told me that our deposit was in this fund called ‘Deposit Guard’ that landlords are supposed to put stuff into. “But tenants are supposed to get a certiﬁcate to say that it’s gone in. I asked him and asked him and asked him for it but after about seven e-mails he still hadn’t got back to me.” “I asked him for my £99 back but he said I had to agree to this e-mail that said I can’t tell anyone bad things about him.” Student A’s four other housemates still haven’t received their deposits back. Student B, who lived in a different house to Student A, had similar experiences. Speaking on behalf of her housemates, she said: “When we didn’t get our deposits back, I knew it was coming. CONTINUED ON PAGE THREE

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PLUTO | Issue 263

15.09.2014 Contents News YBD tries to get back in SU’s good books Page 3

News What you missed while you were away Page 5

Features Are students to blame for failing pubs? Page 7

Comment Should UCLan SU leave the NUS? Page 8

Lifestyle Introducing... Outfit of the month Page 15

Sport UCLan golfer ranked 200th in world Page 20

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BIGGER AND BETTER: THE BIG VOTE IS BACK Naomi McLellan-Edwards News Reporter

The first of three ‘Give Blood’ sessions is to be held on campus next month after students voted to introduce them in last year’s Big Vote. Six campaigns were ran over the course of the year, such as one to lobby the university to allow equal festivity holidays. In the end, over 3,500 votes were cast; blood donation coming out on top with 1,108 votes. As a result, an NHS Blood donation team will be on campus once every term. The first term Give Blood session is to be held at Sir Tom Finney Sports Centre on Tuesday 14 October from 12pm-4pm. The Big Vote is a campaign headed by students to make change happen on campus and last year’s was ran by 2013’s Campaign Officer Sophie Bennett. Lucy Haigh, this year’s Campaign Officer will be following in Sophie’s footsteps as she heads the Big Vote. Again, there are six campaigns to choose from: • Lad culture- a campaign to make sure Preston and the UCLan campus are both safe, positive and empowering environments; • Our Neighbourhood Scheme- to rate local businesses in Preston in terms of student friendliness;

The opinions expressed in Pluto are not necessarily those of the Pluto Editors nor the University of Central Lancashire’s Student 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 require the prior consent of Pluto.

These ideas have all come from students, the Student Council and the SAC. The lad culture and residential assistant campaigns were all inspired from successful projects at other universities. Lucy told Pluto, “I am extremely happy that this is running for a third year as the campaign allows students to vote on the next big change or campaign that happens on campus. “This year we are hoping to reach between 5,000-6,000 votes and I’m excited to see what students vote for!” Voting is open now and closes on Saturday 20 September. Voting stations will be open across the campus, in more venues than last year to reach a wider demographic of students. The winning idea will be announced at 12pm on Monday 29 September, in 53 Degrees. What will you vote for?

GREEN THEME FOR SUMMER Ayesha Dayaji Online Editor

UCLan’s Green Ladder Project has collaborated with the Language Academy’s Summer School for international students to learn more about eco-sustainability whilst improving their language skills. This is the first time The School of Language, Literature and International Studies has brought a theme to their annual summer school and has collaborated with The Green Ladder Project, a student led initiative funded by the National Union of Students. The week-long programme, called EcoEnglish, was designed for students to improve their English, and experience sustainability and biodiversity in the context of real life. Over 120 International students from countries such as China, Korea, Hong Kong, Portugal, Columbia, and Angola have taken part so far. The project has been highly praised by the Higher Education Policy Advisor, Gordon Franks, after he visited UCLan to see the project in action.

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• General election campaign- to actively get students to sign up to vote; • Shuttle bus- to provide regular shuttle buses from campus to the UCLan Sports Arena by lobbying the university for funding; • Residential assistants- running hall events and socials to build residential life; • Anonymous marking- for the university to provide anonymous marking on written assignments on all courses.

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He said: “This is a great way to keep student projects active throughout the year and visiting international and UCLan students will benefit from shared experiences.” The programme included tours of an ethical business, a waste recycling plant, a nature reserve, and renewable energy being utilised on campus. Students also helped work on the campus’ new Secret Garden and built a bug hotel. Zurema Kapose, from Angola was one of the students who took part. Of the experience, she said: “We saw the whole process from trash being delivered to it being recycled, remade and re-used and some of it becoming compost. It was very interesting.” Green Ladder Project Manager, Emma Bartlet, said “The feedback from the students was overwhelmingly positive, with many students telling us they felt inspired by the experience.” She praised the Language Academy for appreciating the benefit and supporting their students through their Eco English experience.

SQUIRES AND RUMES REOPEN AS CAMEO AND MOKAI FOR FRESHERS

Dean Dallman Reporter

Two nightclubs have renamed and refurbished their establishments just in time for the onslaught of freshers. Squires changed to Cameo & Vinyl, and was unveiled on September 13, after a £250,000 makeover. However this does not mean the company will be changing its attitude towards its loyal student customers, as they try to carry on from their successful Monday Mayhem event. General Manager, Dave Brown, said: “Everything will be pretty much the same, Party in Vinyl, Dance and EDM in the main area and RNB in the lounge, the refurb is

mainly for the weekend clientele.” Former Church Street night club, Rumes, has also gone under the knife, being renamed Mokai. Managing Director, Chermaine Hewitt, said: “We are under new ownership, we will have five student nights a week and will be offering sponsorship to sports and societies.” The official opening will be on September 15, with I’m a Celebrity and TOWIE star, Joey Essex, making an appearance. Michelle Keegan, as well as other guests, are also expected at a later date. With Preston’s notoriously competitive nightlife, the new clubs will be looking to make their mark on incoming students.

News Editor: Vacant

Deputy: Yibo Chen

Feature Writer: Chris Coates

Deputy: Vacant

Head of PR/Social Media: Michelle Hennessy

Comment Writer: Daniel Dewhurst

Features Editor: Jasleen Kaur

Deputies: Abby Littler, Hannah Ellis

Lifestyle Writers: Tom Konstantynowicz, Frankie Torok, Shannon Beazeley, Josh Bamford

Deputy: Vacant

Head of Photography: Conor Clarke

Comment Editor: Alex Sambrook

Deputy: Emily Whitehall

Deputy: Vacant

Online Editor: Ayesha Dayaji

Lifestyle Editor: Rebecca Shepherd

Deputy: Anastasia Bates

Deputies: Jess Millington, Ellie Rees

Sport Editor: Jack Mumford

Societies Editor: Toby Robertson

Deputy: Steven Smith

Deputy: Vacant

News Writers: Kai Silva, Samuel McKeown, Naomi McLellan-Edwards, Stephanie Smith, Daniel Farrell

Head of Graphic Design: Maria José Lourenço

Sport Writers: Laura Shepherd, Callum Thompson, Eleanor Hamilton, Shaun Seville Joining Pluto If you would like to join the Pluto team as an editor, writer, photographer, graphic designer or any other role you think suitable, please contact Matt Murphy on 01772 894891 or sumedia@uclan.ac.uk

PLUTO | Issue 263

RE-UNION: YBD OFFER SOCIETY £5K TO LIFT BAN ON SU PARTNERSHIP

Jess Millington

Deputy Lifestyle Editor YBD, owners of Macs bar and Ships and Giggles, have attempted to repair their relationship with UCLan Students’ Union by offering £5000 to their Pole Fitness Society. The union has an official ban in place on working with YBD until 2015, following the company releasing a pamphlet that was deemed offensive to women which carried the SU logo without permission. A YBD employee approached the chair of the society Emili Peake, claiming they’d be willing to offer “£2500 upfront and the rest in fundraisers” to sponsor them, or £5000 if they could help get the ban lifted altogether. Emili, who is also Women’s Rep for the union, said: “We have politely declined the offer as the ban permits us from taking money from YBD. Even if it was a donation, we would have had to give it back. “It is good that they wish to

support a society, however I don’t enjoy being the middle man for YBD and the SU, especially considering they were using one of their bar staff to contact me.” It is thought that this ban will be reviewed at the upcoming event The Big Meeting at the end of September, but a Facebook apology was released by YBD in July, claiming that it was not their intention to release offensive material to the public. At an SU Council meeting on September 9, it was discussed and reaffirmed that the ban will stay in place until 2015. Andy Mac, Owner and director of YBD, said: “I respect Emili Peake’s decision, as she respected the SU’s decision in not allowing sponsorship until the ban is lifted. “The SU are considering lifting the ban for the sake of the teams and societies, but I will sit back and wait patiently on their decision. “If the ban is lifted, we can offer the funding they need, fundraiser events and facilities in which to practice and train.”

SCAMMING LANDLORD STRIKES AGAIN Student A’s Story

Continued from front page “We cleaned the shit out of that house. One of my housemates Mum was a professional cleaner so she brought in all her professional stuff because we were determined to get our deposit back. “When we didn’t that’s when I started kicking off and that’s when he found me, because I commented on Pluto’s last story from online. He basically said, ‘If you take that comment down, I’ll give you the money.’ He didn’t say that in black and white but that’s what he meant. This isn’t the first time that UCLan students have made allegations against Mr. Gibbons and the company he works for. In April 2013, Pluto revealed how two students were nearly left homeless after Preston Student Homes allegedly let them sign contracts and pay deposits on a house that the company didn’t even own at the time. At the time, UCLan threatened the company with legal action after it was found that they were misusing the university logo on their website, despite not being registered with them. In a statement, a spokesperson for UCLan

said: “The University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) takes the welfare and safety of its students extremely seriously and for this reason our accommodation office holds a registration scheme for private landlords which we advise all students to use. “Student Accommodation Preston or its forerunner, Preston Student Homes, is not, and has never been, registered within this UCLan scheme. “Under the scheme, landlords must meet stringent safety standards and abide by our core requirements which require fair treatment of students and professional management of accommodation. “Students also have access to registered properties via our UCLan ‘StudentPad’ website, which also contains a comprehensive guide on how to avoid the potential pitfalls of unregistered private landlords. Furthermore, throughout the academic year staff within our accommodation office also provide advice to students on which options to take.” “We advise any student affected by the actions of rogue landlords to contact the University’s student accommodation service as soon as possible to receive general advice and guidance.”

“The first problem for me was when we moved in. He said the house will be clean and all done up but I moved and very little had been done. Then he started ignoring my e-mails and trying to palm it off on someone else, saying: “Oh, you need to ring this guy, you need to ring that guy etc…” They never did anything either. When we moved in, someone had put a pentagram in the cellar with a knife in it! I didn’t even know we had a cellar! I went downstairs; they’d carved a circle with a knife and put a load of tea lights in it with a giant knife in the middle. He didn’t know about that either. We had problems with the bins as well. He told me the wrong dates to put the bins out so all the rubbish built up. He wouldn’t pay £25 for another bin, even though the council had got in contact with him after I’d forwarded this e-mail saying that it was his duty to get rid of rubbish. We kept getting the electric addressed to a person who wasn’t even living in our house. They started coming through, saying we owed so much and then they started saying that they would send bailiffs round and that they were applying to the courts because we hadn’t paid our electric bill. I e-mailed the landlord and he replied saying ‘Don’t worry, they e-mail them to everyone blah blah blah’ so we left it. Then, four out of five of us moved back home. The last girl to leave went back to collect her stuff and the electric had been cut off so everything in the fridge was leaking out. They’d actually shut it off and put a meter in. It turns out that one of the bedrooms had been converted from a bathroom but it still had a frosted glass window, in the smallest room. So the person whose room it was couldn’t see anything. She said it was like living in a prison. We messaged him to sort it out, someone came out to measure the window and then nothing else happened. My room was really bad for damp. There was water dripping down the walls on the inside and I think it made me really ill. I had bronchitis and the flu that year, but this year I’ve been fine. He never did anything about it even though I e-mailed him and e-mailed him.”

Student B’s Story

“My housemate had come a long way to move in and was stood outside the house. It was raining and the landlord wouldn’t let them or their dad into the house because he claimed he hadn’t received money from them, despite my housemate’s dad sending him cheques in the post. It turned out he had given my landlord’s dad the wrong address. I moved in the next day and e-mailed him to let him know but got no reply. I got to my room but it was locked so I was ringing him but there was no answer. It was past 5 o clock at the time so I thought I would end up sleeping on my friend’s floor. We managed to get into the room but I thought that was very shady. Then I met him in person and I offered my hand to shake his hand and he just completely blanked me. We noticed things here and there, like the water bills started to come through in a different tenants name and they were being contacted personally by the utilities company who were threatening to send bailiffs round to take our stuff. The heating bill he put into another of my housemate’s name. It came to £1800 and she was expected to pay this. First of all, you can’t put people’s names on bills without their permission. He’d come around a lot without giving us 24 hours’ notice and that was really annoying. He was just overall rude. In my house, there were six people living there and only one shower and one toilet. I read something in the Daily Mail that said, legally, after four people, you need two bathrooms so that was another thing. One night my roof was leaking and I woke up to it raining on my feet. I e-mailed and said that if this happens again I’ll be pissed off. He sent out a roof guy and the roof guy did nothing. So when he was doing a viewing, I just said, “Are you going to expect me to pay for the roof to get fixed?” So he told me to call this number and then he left and I thought, “Why do I have to call this number?”

NEWS IN BRIEF

UCLAN STUDY BREAKTHROUGH A research conducted by a UCLan academic has been published in the Journal of Sport Sciences. The study, conducted by Dr Vaithehy Shanmugam, a lecturer in sport psychology, found that atheltes with eating disorders are more likely to develop depression. Titled ‘Eating psychopathology as a risk factor for depressive symptoms in a sample of British athletes’, the study asked whether depression leads to eating disorders in athletes or vice versa and suggests there is strong empirical evidence linking eating disorders and depression. Previous research to determine causality between the two conditions has been conflicting. Dr Shanmuagn conducted the study with Dr Sophia Jowett and Dr Caroline Meyer from Loughborough University’s School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences and told uclan.ac.uk: “For many, sport participation or engagement in physical activity is associated with positive outcomes such as increased self-esteem or improved physical and psychological health, but that is not to say that sport participation offers immunity against the onset of psychological disorders. “Disordered eating/eating disorders and depressive symptoms are becoming a common feature of competitive sport, and this study focused on examining the directional relationship between these two disorders. “The findings suggest that disturbances in eating promote the onset of depression in athletes. This is not surprising given that athletes not only feel pressure to conform to the societal ideals of attaining and maintaining the perfect body, but also that of their sport environment to achieve the ideal body for their sport. Increased exposure to pressure from both, could result in dissatisfaction with body shape and weight, feelings of shame, guilt, especially if their body does not meet the set ideal, increased rumination and a low self-image, which can trigger the onset of depression.” The results make fascinating reading and conflict with the small amount of existing previous research. It was found by a small margin that eating and diet disturbances were precursors to depressive tendencies.

RISING STUDENT NUMBERS CAUSING HOUSING CRISIS Stephanie Smith News Reporter

Increasing student numbers have lead to an accommodation crisis, according to recent reports. Demand for more student housing is great for business developers, but it is causing problems for non-students. A spokesman for UCLan said: “The situation in the UK regarding different types of student accommodation and the amount of places available differs from city to city. In Preston for instance there are around 2,200 places available in UCLan halls of residence for ﬁrst year students. The halls are either owned or leased by UCLan and located within or very close to the heart of the main campus. “Government policy dictates that university accommodation must be self-funding; in other words all the University’s costs in relation to building, maintaining and managing the halls must be met in full from rents. Nevertheless, this University provides good quality accommodation at a price which compares very favourably with other institutions. We have not increased prices within our own residences for the last three years.

WHITENDALE HALLS “Prices in University owned or leased halls include all fuel and water bills as well as free internet access. Every resident also has 24-hour access to University security. “There are many other student accommodation options in Preston but we always advise students to ﬁnd private accommodation through our

own ‘student pad’ website where details of our registered landlords appear. Rents vary depending on facilities and location.” However, some landlords disagree that there is a problem. Robert Lineker, from Blackpool, is a private landlord who has been in the business for many years. He explains: “I think student numbers

are decreasing. This time last year, and the year before, I had students queuing up for house viewings and rooms were becoming occupied very quickly. Now, I am struggling to ﬁnd students to rent my shared houses. I think the university tuition fee increase from £3,000 to £9,000 since the past few years has made a massive effect.”

STUDENTS UNAWARE OF TRAVEL OPPORTUNITIES Anastasia Bates

Deputy Online Editor

ONLY 5% of students from the School of Language, Literature and International Studies (SOLLIS) are aware of opportunities abroad, according to their school report of July 2014. The second semester report showed that from the 58 respondents, only one person strongly agreed that they were aware of the opportunities when the questions were put to them. Only two agreed, leaving the rest of the students unsure, disagreeing or strongly disagreeing. Giulia Canigiani, president of the school, said that she was shocked at the low figure, and that studying abroad was talked about on several occasions, however the cost was holding students back: “I think students get caught up on how much it might cost them as a particular issue.” She said despite the fact that this information is available to students, its often given to them during induction periods: “Lots of them only really heard about it in freshers week and at the Dean of School welcome, when they’re bombarded with a lot of information and studying abroad isn’t particularly something they’re considering at that point in the year. “If we were to give the information at freshers, then remind students throughout the year, stressing that they can only go in first and second year, I think the figure would improve. I don’t think they

realise how early they’d need to enquire and leave it too long in some cases.” In response to the report, Valeriy Smolienko, principal lecturer, compared the findings to last year’s report. She spoke on behalf of the school and said: “SOLLIS Students have consistently been very active and successful in making the most of available study/placement abroad programmes and projects. She also said that last year’s statistics actually confirm that SOLLIS students are not only interested in available international opportunities but are very good in successfully completing their study and visits abroad. Jasleen Kaur, third year English Literature student, agreed that she left it too late to study abroad: “I am aware of a couple but sometimes the opportunities aren’t properly advertised between the two sectors. Of the languages students who know, the English students might not necessarily. “I would love to study abroad actually and even considered it but I found out about it in second year and it was too late to do so. “From my experience, SOLLIS does tend to listen to students fairly well. Students need to be more aware of all these opportunities.” UCLan Students’ Union Education Officer, Stevie Seymour commented on the report and said that each school Dean received their report, and were given a chance to comment on them.

Chart from school report showing students who were aware of opportunities abroad

LIVESEY HOUSE... Home to the School of Language, Literature, and Social Sciences

PLUTO | Issue 263

NEWS IN BRIEF EU STUDENTS TO FACE WAIT

THE government has proposed an increase to the required living period for non UK EU students from three years to five years. At the minute, non UK EU students are required to live in the UK for a minimum of 3 years until they are eligible for any form of financial assistance. The idea of this extension is to parallel the rules that currently apply for outgoing EU students; students travelling from the UK to study abroad. In a recent publication by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, they mention concerns over the number of incoming non UK EU students that will be applying for student financial support from 2015/16. This is due to the student number controls that will be abolished in the same year. Non Student loans have soared in recent years, more specifically doubled from £75 million in 2009/10 to £162 million in 2012/13. According to the BIS report, a majority of the loans in 2012/13 were for maintenance (£101 million). The worry with EU students is when the money will be paid back, with only 24% of EU returning students actually paying their loans back at all. According to a BIS analyst, the Treasury could make a significant £7 million saving if 1,000 EU students were not allowed to receive loan or grant support. That number would effectively double to £14.6 million a year if they decided to forgo higher education in the UK at all – as the Student Loans Company would not need to cover the cost of their tuition fee loans. The proposed changes wouldn’t come into full effect until 2016/17 at the earliest, and would not affect students with settled status, such as refugees.

TOP AUTHOR TO GUEST LECTURE

A LEADING author will visit UCLan this month to give a guest lecture. Beatrix Campbell OBE will be on campus on Wednesday September 17 as part of the university’s Distinguished Visitor Programme. She will be discussing her new book, ‘End of Equality’ which has been described as “a book that joins the dots between neoliberalism and sexism, between equal pay, war zones, the veil, The Wire, the web and welfare states... a new way of thinking about where we’re at.” Campbell is also an award-winning journalist, broadcaster, campaigner and playwright as well as a leading feminist and green activist. She has twice stood as a Green Party candidate in local elections. The 67-year-old was awarded her OBE in 2009 for ‘services to equal opportunities’ and has three doctorates; one each from Salford University, Oxford Brookes University and The Open University. The lecture will take place in the Darwen Lecture Theatre from 6pm-8pm. ‘End of Equality’ will be on sale at the event with a signing opportunity at the end. Tickets are free; to see if any are still available, e-mail Dr Megan Todd at MTodd2@uclan.ac.uk or call 01772 892259.

PLUTO | Issue 263

SINCE YOU’VE BEEN GONE PLUTO TELLS YOU WHAT HAPPENED THIS SUMMER

53 DEGREES TO CLOSE AFTER CHRISTMAS Anastasia Bates

Deputy Online Editor 53 Degrees will stop hosting gigs and club nights at the end of 2014 after nine years as being UCLan SU’s main entertainment venue. Since opening in 2005, 53 Degrees has hosted artists such as, The Courteeners, The 1975 and Ellie Goulding, as well as for comedians, club nights and various other types of entertainment. Joff Hall, Promotor and Events Manager at 53 Degrees spoke of the impact the closure would have on Preston, as a music venue: “It certainly leaves a large gap in the market. There’s no other good quality venue in Preston that can cater for live acts capable of selling 200 to

1200 tickets and it’s likely these shows will no longer come to the city. I have already noticed King Georges Hall in Blackburn picking up shows we would have normally expected to host at 53 Degrees.” He added, “I think this is quite a complex problem. However students no longer trust 53 Degrees to host a successful student night outside of Freshers, and there been many factors that have led to this.” Inspiral Carpets are set to be the last band to play a gig at the venue on 21 December and the ﬁnal event due to be staged there is Darkcide on New Year’s Eve. It is expected that UCLan will take over the building to use for various university activities and events, although nothing

has been conﬁrmed. The £5.6 million space will still be home to some of the biggest Freshers events this year however, as part of the UCLan SU Freshers Pass. To see a full line-up of events between now and the New Year, visit www.53degrees.net.

PRESTON BUS STATION NAMED UGLIEST BUILDING IN BRITAIN Samuel McKeown News Reporter

Preston’s main bus station has been named the ugliest building in Britain by John Rentoul of the Independent. The writer described the building as a ‘concrete lasagne’ and it has been entered in a competition that celebrates the worst buildings in the world. The winner will be awarded the ‘Dead Prize’, a Twitter competition that brings to light buildings that have a negative impact on the planet, be it by health and safety or just plain repulsiveness. The hideous building is now owned by the Lancashire County Council who received a pot of £8.3 million to turn this eye sore into a sight for sore eyes. Paradoxically, Preston’s University was recently voted second most modern University in the North West.

John Rentoul’s Top Ten Horrible Buildings: 1. Preston Bus Station, Preston 2. Buckingham Palace, London 3. South Bank Centre, London 4. National Library of Kosovo, Pristina 5. Lock Keeper’s Cottage, London 6. Seeley Historical Library, Cambridge 7. University of York Central Hall, York 8. Kensington Town Hall, London 9. Ministry of Justice, France 10. New Home Ofﬁce, Marsham Street

THINGS THAT GO BUMP IN THE NIGHT...CLUB

Kai Silva

News Reporter

affected, no light has of yet been shed on the origins, or indeed spooky intentions of the mystery apparition.

With yet a few moons ‘til Halloween, things have been bumping in the night somewhat prematurely over the summer for the staff at Preston’s own Perfect 10s after reports of a ghostly ﬁgure at the gentlemen’s club. “I could feel someone behind me,” said Steph Watson, manager of the establishment. “I turned around and a man was sat in the booth opposite the ladies’ toilets. I did a double take because I couldn’t believe it. I think I went into shock.” Following similar reports of eerie sightings, Leyland based Sixth Sense Ghosthunters were eventually called in to investigate. “One of the mediums came in and went straight over to the exact spot and said he could feel a man’s presence there: said Steph. However, despite a thorough inspection, and even a séance involving those directly

Do you need a letter confirming your student status? The can help with that! We can produce letters to confirm you are a student for Banks, Councils, Gyms, and other companies.

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PLUTO | Issue 263

Fashion

All the latest fashion news and more

For more fashion coverage and all the latest trends, head over to pluto-online.com/lifestyle

OUTFIT OF THE MONTH Toni-Lea - 3rd year studying Tesol and Japanese. Trainers - Converse Jeans - Levi’s Hat - DOPE

THE lifestyle section are introducing an outfit of the month, to feature in every issue. We will be roaming campus looking for you fashionistas, so beware!

That is all for this first issue, we’ve given you casual, layered, sporty, chic and everything inbetween - so you’ll be sure to get some inspiration from this first bunch! Thank you to all the students around campus that were happy to have a photo taken and a quick chat!

Theresa - 1st year studying Media Production. Trousers - MANGO Tee - H&M Hat - Accessorise

Jason - 1st year studying International Business. Trainers - New Balance Necklace, tee and shirt - Vintage

Maggie - 3rd year studying Fashion. Jacket - Banana Republic Skirt - Boutique Top - Forever 21 Jack - 3rd year, Sports Coaching Tee - Saints and Sinners (Preston) Jeans - Topman

Debbie - 3rd year, International Business and Communications. Shoes - Tata Cardigan - H&M Scarf - Bershka

Niki - 1st year studying Fashion and Lifestyle Brand Studies. Shoes - Zara Jumper - Criminal Damage

A/W 14 STYLE ESSENTIALS Ellie Rees

electric blue colour palettes. Celebrity’s like Rita Ora & Cara DelevDeputy Lifestyle Editor ingne already have this trend in the bag and will no doubt be rockin’ it all fall. The 60’s has popped up and it’s all SO summer is over, which means about the ‘Carnaby Street style’ which is trying to keep warm, but it doesn’t making a big comeback. mean we can’t be fashionable while This retro trend is all about mini- skirts doing it, right? and pastel pallets, following on from It’s time to knit up & listen up, here are the key autumn/winter style essen- spring and shift dresses. This means you get to do your own take on the modern tials that you need to know about to be on trend this season! Be prepared to day Twiggy look. Keep your eyes out for Alexa Chung layer, it’s all about getting warm & cosy to give some style inspiration. A pastel this A/W 14. two piece is the perfect necessity to fit The first trend is ‘Winter Garden’, into this ‘Carnaby Gir’l craze. gone are the pretty floral prints and Hit the shops and stock up on all girly patterns; these are now being these killer trends for A/W14 to be the replaced with bold, rich colours and luxe fabrics. Style essential tip #1 - Keep best dressed on campus. We’ll be featuring students from your eyes out for Oxblood colours as its UCLan in every issue in our ‘Outfit of the winter hottest shade. Month’ piece in Pluto’s lifestyle sections. Style essential trend number 2 is ‘Queen of the Jungle’. This trend is full of Khaki and statement leather pieces, but this doesn’t mean you have to splash out at All Saints to find the perfect leather... The high streets are coming up with lots of leather jackets that even ‘Sons of Anarchy’ would be proud of! Make sure you invest in some plunging necklaces to be bang on with this trend. The next trend that’s top of the catwalks for A/W14 is ‘The Sporty Style’. This trend looks to score another season. The sporty style includes fierce logo slogan tees, smokin’ hot 90’s. bomber jackets and monochrome and

BOUTIQUE BUSINESSES Ellie Rees

Deputy Lifestyle Editor

AS well as the main high street stores

such as Topshop & River Island, Preston offers a lot more when it comes to the shopping experience, which a lot of students aren’t aware of. Here’s a little information on these small unique business that you can buy one off pieces from. The benefits of shopping in independent boutiques are that you get a more personal, one on one shopping experience. It also means you won’t see someone wearing the same attire as you (let’s be fair that’s everyone’s worst nightmare). The first boutique you should keep your eye pealed for is Wonderland. It is a small, independent, vintage boutique which is based on Friargate road in Preston. Wonderland has a wide range of stock and specialises in handpicked and reworked pieces. As well as their unique interior and quirky window display, at the back of wonderland they work on handcrafting some of their pieces from their collection using the best quality fabric that they can get their hands on. Wonderland is such a pleasant boutique to shop in, from the cute bunting to the shops colour scheme with the light green walls and the montage in the changing room. Another vintage fashion supplier you should be aware of when shopping in

L I F E S T Y L E LIFESTYLE EDITORS

Preston as a student is a boutique called ‘Mary & Milly’. M&M is an exciting fashion brand that sells clothing, jewellery and accessories that have a vintage, classic style but are uniquely brand new. M&M’s collections are perfect for day or night. The founders of Mary & Milly are two grannys, and their aim is capture the old and new of the brand. Mary and Milly run a pop up shop in the Student Union which will be there at the end of every month. They have a shop opening soon and will also be at the Freshers Fair! Little fact for you, did you know, if each of us spent £100 a year more on local business instead of the chain high street stores, it would put an extra £3 million a year into our economy, not only that but it would create thousands more jobs every year. #SupportLocalBusinesses

EDITOR REBECCA SHEPHERD DEPUTY EDITOR JESSICA MILLINGTON DEPUTY EDITOR ELLIE REES Are you an aspiring lifestyle writer? If so, why not pop along to our Pluto meetings, email rjshepherd@uclan.ac.uk or follow us on Twitter and Facebook: @UCLanPluto /UCLanPluto

PLUTO | Issue 263

Fashion

Health

BATTLE OF THE SEXES: ROUTINES

Frankie Torok Lifestyle Contributor

We all know girls are the worst when it comes to preparing for a night out, but one of our students reminices on just how bad it can be. Shannon Beazeley

Lifestyle Contributor

FOR a girl, getting ready for a night out is one of life’s more important tasks. This is the time when we most wish we were guys - shower, throw on some clothes, brush your hair and done. For a girl, it’s not as simple as that, and a whole lot more stressful. I cannot tell you the number of times I’ve had a hissy fit over the flick of my eyeliner not being quite right. Or when my hair does that flicky thing and no amount of straightening or curling will get rid of it. After showering and washing your hair comes the most important part - fake tan. I must admit, I hardly ever bother with this, I’m pale and I got over that fact years ago - but I’m a very small minority that think that way. For most girls (and pretty much all of my flat mates and friends), fake tan in the most important part. So, after begging someone (probably the fake tan-avoider) to do your back it’s on to makeup we go… Now, this is the most enjoyable part of getting ready for a night out

(apart from picking out what to wear of course). From choosing your eye shadow, to deciding whether to do the death flick (otherwise known as winged liner), it’s so much fun. Apart from, when the death flick goes inevitably wrong and you have to start all over again, which smudges your foundation - maybe you could begin that again too. Lipstick done, fake lashes on, next comes hair. Another VERY important part, because if your hair doesn’t look nice, well, there was no point wasting an hour agonising over getting your makeup just right. Once you’ve perfected the hair, last but definitely not least is picking an outfit and getting it on without it covered in makeup. Sometimes this is a two man job, you shouting in agony while your friend rams it over your freshly perfected hair. Now, we’re nearly done. Next, pictures! Of course we’ve got to document how fabulous we look - it took us long enough. After cramming in just about the whole contents of your makeup bag into your tiny clutch, it’s finally time to relax. Whilst constantly fixing your llipstick after every sip, of course.

Guys are spending more time getting ready than... well, than ever. Here, one student reminds himself of the trauma he faces regularly on his nights out. Tom Konstantynowicz Lifestyle Contributor

LADS are the new girls when it comes down to getting ready for a night out. It is very important to start drinking several hours before you go out drinking. For girls, this is a chance to gossip, top up fake tan and straighten hair, for lads, this is a chance to gossip, top up fake tan and straighten hair. Okay, not for all lads, but it does happen. In the nineties, the mere mention of a spray tan would be enough to get a man’s pint confiscated and sucked up out of Yates’ into one of those air tubes like in the McCoy’s crisps advert. Nowadays, Veet, and GHD’s are commonplace on a lad’s dressing table, or if not on the table, hidden at the back of the cupboard behind the condoms and the Lynx. Yes, lads are taking longer and longer to get ready, it’s a fact.

Show me a guy who still jumps in the shower after a few cans then throws a shirt on followed by a quick spray of Paco Rabanne, all in fifteen minutes, and I’ll show you a guy sat on the sofa waiting for his mate to finish sculpting his quiff. Instead of sneaking one more game of FIFA in before the taxi comes, it’s one more quick outfit change and a pout in the mirror when no-ones looking. Seriously, if we’re not careful they’ll be adding one more stage onto the evolution of man diagram and it’ll be Joey Essex, or Gaz from Geordie Shore. Nah, the best way to get ready for a night on the ale with the boys is to play some tunes, drink some beers and talk about all the girls you’re going to pull, knowing full well you’re going home with nothing but a chicken and donner kebab from Spicy Grill, not plucking your eyebrows whilst listening to Drake. Get a grip, lads.

All the best recipes, workouts and more

“You’re in pretty good shape for the shape you are in” -Dr Seuss

10 MINUTE MEALS WE’VE all learnt the hard way that it’s not easy eating well when you’re short on time as well as money - and let’s face it, effort. Ready meals may seem like that answer, but do you really know what you’re eating (horse meat scandal anyone?!)? So here’s a couple of quick, cheap AND easy recipes for success... ful dinners.

Season with curry powder to taste. Cook until piping hot. Drain some of the water away using a sieve - but not all, as the sauce thickens when cooling. Serve with your favourite rice*. Makes 2 servings

Stir in tinned tomatoes. Add chilli powder to taste. Add rice and cook until piping hot. Makes 2 servings

*Basmati rice is the best type as it’s a complex carb so it releases energy slowly and keeps you fuller for longer. Also, you can get it super cheap and even frozen (as in picture).

BBQ Sizzling Chicken Easy Stir-Fry

Veggie Curry

Ingredients: 1 tin chopped tomatoes Handful of frozen veg of your choice (I used red and brown onion, carrot, broccoli, cauliflower and peas) Curry powder (Meat or a meat substitute can also be added -I used meat free chicken pieces) Method: Heat pan on hob. Cook frozen veg in microwave for approx 5 mins. Add veg, meat (cooked) or meat substitute (can be used from frozen) and tinned tomatoes to pan.

Ingredients: 1 tin chopped tomatoes 1 bag of stir-fry mixed vegetables Cooked meat pieces or meat substitute Chilli powder Rice*

Method: Preheat wok/frying pan on high heat. Add stir-fry mix and reduce heat slightly. Add meat/meat substitute.

Ingredients: 2 Chicken Breasts - diced 1 Yellow pepper (or colour of your choice) 1 Red Onion Rice Oil for frying 1 Packet of Maggi sizzling BBQ Chicken mix (available from asda) Frying Pan Method: First, slice peppers and onions. Then put enough oil in the frying pan and brown your diced chicken (3-4 mins). Once browned, set aside. Then, put the peppers and onion in the frying pan and cook for 3-4 mins. Add the chicken back into the frying pan with the onions and peppers. Sprinkle the BBQ mix over chicken, peppers and onion in the frying pan. Add 125ml of water to the frying pan and turn the heat to high until sauce turns sticky.

FITNESS FAVOURITES

We all want to get slim for summer - didn’t happen? Well, you’re in luck, here are some fitness tips from us to you. Josh Bamford

Another great exercise that’s sure

Lifestyle Contributor

NOW that summer is over and the

motivation of your holidays has gone, it can be hard to carry on exercising. UCLan students havn’t got any excuses though, especially with all the facilities at the Sir Tom Finney Sports Centre which is open six days a week and free membership is given to Advantage students. If exercising at the gym doesn’t feel right for you just yet then why not exercise at home? Leg raises are the perfect exercise for working your abdominal and leg muscles and the extra strength on your abdominal muscles also lessens your chances of a back injury. Simply lie on your back with your legs stretched out straight.

Next raise your legs up towards the ceiling before lowering them back down slowly until your feet are about an inch from the floor. Repeat this five times before taking a 30 second break.

to get your heart pumping is mountain climbers. Starting in push up position bend your right knee and bring it up to your left hand. Return it to its original position and repeat with your left side. Repeat this 10 times before taking a 30 second break. Mountain climbers are great for burning calories and increasing your core strength. Remember to know your limits when exercising, it’s important to push yourself without causing injury.

PLUTO | Issue 263

Drink

“I’m never drinking again”

Said every hungover student at some point

TOP STUDEN T DRINKING GAMES Rebecca Shepherd Lifestyle Editor

THE whole reason you’re coming to university is to drink as much alcohol as possible, right? Only joking, you do have a degree to be studying for (remember)! However, here are some great drinking games – besides the obvious Ring of Fire and “I have never…” you play every time you have a beer, plus they’re so last year. Firstly is a little ice breaker some call “Questions”, like ‘’I have never” these questions will probably get sort of naughty (you do know what I mean). Every player gets the chance to be the questioner; they must ask another person a specific yes or no question. If there is any hesitation, repetition of questions or laughing the violator’s punishment will of course be taking a shot/drink. This gives you a chance to get to know your new flat mates a little more! Next is “Flip Cup” - think “Beer Pong” but better! Equally divide your party into two teams and have everyone place a cup of alcohol in front of them on the table (teams must be on either side of the table), race to chug your drink then place your cup on the edge of the table (standing up), attempt to flip the cup and have it land in an upside down position. Whichever team finishes first wins and the other team chug another drink as a penalty. REPEAT!

Finally is a game called “Sixes”, get six differently sized ‘cups’ e.g. shot glass, pint glass (even a bucket if you want to go mental). Each cup is given a number 1-6, every person plays by rolling the dice and whichever number they get means they have to fill the ‘cup’ to the brim and chug their drink.

AND SOME THAT AREN’T SO GREAT...

Firstly, and most ridiculously is “Throw the ball, with alcohol” this is one I found on the internet - believe it or not, people were raving over it! It goes a bit like this – throw a ball, if you catch it, chug as much beer as you can and repeat. Exciting eh? Another disaster is “Spin the Bottle” whoever it lands on takes a swig of their drink, surely you could be doing something better with a few more laughs maybe… Finally, any drinking game that requires you to watch a full movie and drink along with it, “when Happy Gilmore mentions ice hockey take a drink” just a little tedious. You’re focus becomes hooked on Happy and his slowly dying relationship with hockey and the next thing you know you’re in for a film night in your pj’s.

Romance

GOING THE DISTANCE?

HOW TO MAKE IT WORK FOR YOU

Some of you may already be experiencing the troubles of keeping up a relationship, where travel is an issue. Two UCLan students, have shared their wisdom... LONG distance relationships can be a struggle, especially during such an important time in your education. We have opinions from two UCLan students; one who is still in a strong, and working, relationship and another who broke off a relationship on starting uni. Here are their balanced views, for those of you struggling to make your mind up. Whether you finish university still in a relationship, single, or married to your new graduate job, just make sure to make the most of your time here or you will look back with regrets. *Queue the career proposals* it’s certainly understandable! FOR “I hated being in a long distance relationship at university because I felt trapped, I felt like I couldn’t go out and enjoy myself without feeling guilty, like I was doing something wrong. My boyfriend became extremely paranoid and insecure about what I was doing, accusing me of cheating. Inevitably, this caused tension between us and, ultimately, lead to a break up. There’s just a

Did you know, The is open Evenings and Weekends?

Learning & Information Services

Problems, experiences and advice

“The best thing to do with advice is pass it on, it’s no good to yourself.”

www.uclan.ac.uk/the-i

lack of trust and freedom in relationships like that.” AGAINST “I wouldn’t say I’m so much ‘for’ a long distance relationship but for the RIGHT long distance relationship. I don’t believe you should ever be unhappy and I do believe you should always be free to do what you want, whenever you want – if you can find a partner who gives you that ability then that’s perfect. I guess you’re thoughts are “well, it’s easier said than done” and it is but some people are just lucky! If you have trust, communication and effort on both sides, why doubt your capability to have a happy and fulfilling relationship; you’re in love are you not? I plan my returns home early, to give us something to look forward to, and my partner sometimes turns up at my front door without telling me! We both put time aside to Skype and never cancel at the last minute; we’re there for each other and know that it will all be worthwhile in the end!”

COMMUNICATE everyday, more than once. It’s easy to feel like the victim, here you are at university working your back side off. That is true but, just remember your partner probably feels the same.

SUPPORT eachother when it is needed, if you face everything alone or your partner does then they will eventually no longer need you.

TOGETHER but not together. There is no reason you can’t do things as a couple without being with one another. Watch your favourite TV programme and ring each other afterwards to chat about it.

SLEEP together, let the other person know what side of the bed you’re on an they can sleep on the other. Even Skype and face each other - the first thing in the morning you’ll see your

THE FINGERNAIL FILES - WHAT NOT TO DO Rebecca Shepherd Lifestyle Editor

YOU’RE nails really are tough little things, you beat them, bite them and break them – sounds a bit 50 Shades, right? With the stresses of university, you’ve probably already broke a couple in the process of moving, pulled a few jagged edges off and don’t get me started on hangnails (the bits of skin at the side that appear from nowhere and always leave behind a sting)! I know you’ve done all this because I did the other day so here are some tips to keep your nails good and strong. If you have money to get fortnightly acrylics then - well done, you’ve read the ‘Stretching the Student Loan’ piece in the freshers pull-out and are learning to budget (or, maybe you just have a job)! Either way, you’re in the minority.

However, going back to acrylics - you can get into that vicious cycle; your nails are weak when they come off so you just HAVE to get them redone, otherwise you’ll break Every. Single. One. and end up with boy nails… You’ll probably moan when they’re on – they’re not long enough, or short enough, they’re not the right shape or you can’t fasten your jeans and you’ll most definitely moan when they’re off – your nails are ruined.

We all know it feels better having your nails painted, however, don’t leave nail varnish on every day. It can begin to discolour your nails and they will turn a yellowy colour – yum. Wear some cute rings to jazz your colourless hands up a bit (don’t forget, if they leave green marks on your skin, brush the inside of the ring with clear varnish). It becomes routine to moisturise, it makes your skin feel all soft and nice – bet your nails are getting a bit jealous though. Don’t forget they deserve a little moisture too! Pop rich cream on your hands and feet before bed and don’t avoid your nails! Throw some socks on for even better results. DON’T bite your nails! I bit mine until I was around 11, then I discovered varnish and nail art (you don’t care about nails when you’re a 10-year-old tomboy)… Then every time after that, when it got to exam season, I’d start again. So I’m the first person to know that it hurts – really, really hurts. Yet, it’s so hard to stop. You can’t just take them off, throw them out and forget them because they’re constantly there, attached. Medical experts have decided to change the classification from a habit to an actual obsessive compulsive disorder, according to the Daily Mail. What I’m trying to get across is, just stop biting them for heaven’s sake! Remember that your toenails count too! Sometimes we forget our feet because they’re always hidden away by our shoes (especially in preston)... Never cut them at an angle, always go straight across the nail end. All this nail talk and I didn’t even realise I’d been tugging at a hangnail – get me to therapy…

PLUTO | Issue 263

Jasleen Kaur Features Editor

In a world where originality is becoming harder and harder to achieve, an ex-UCLan student is standing proud, holding a sign. Michelle Thomas, a Theatre Practice graduate now lives in London and has spent an entire two years buying stories for £1. The project, called One Pound Stories, started as a desperate attempt to do something during a particularly prolonged period of unemployment. Michelle stands in random public places around London, like Greenwich Park, and offers to pay people a quid for their story. So far, she has collected stories of escaping cults, being chased by panthers in the Himalayas, favourite One Direction members and even finding God through LSD. The stories come from average people that one might encounter on a day to day basis and are recorded verbatim with uhms, aahs, stutters – the lot. The aim is to give the reader an authentic experience of listening to someone’s story, in their own voice. When asked about the success of the project, Miss Thomas said she was convinced from day one, when after a cold day of standing in a park, holding her sign, that she had 15 stories and something to do. Two years on and the project is still going strong with one hundred of the stories set to be published by Unbound. Even the publication of the project continues with the roots from which it started; as a crowdfunding venture where readers subscribe to the books they want to see published on unbound.co.uk. By putting the power in the hands of the people, Michelle is set to publish a book about people that people want to read- a completely new product in the market. Projects like One Pound Stories have become evidently popular in recent times. More and more artists are becoming inspired by the anonymity of living in

a big city which is reflected in Michelle’s demonstration of how the people that you might encounter in daily life have their own unique story to tell. Social media has also helped artists gain recognition and a following for their work and you can follow all updates on One Pound Stories on Twitter (@ onepoundstories).

“

The response convinced me that there is a need for this work- all of us have a story to tell, if only someone would ask.

“

F E A T U R E S

EX-UCLAN STUDENT BUYS STORIES FOR £1

‘Humans of New York’ is another such project and while she wasn’t aware it existed when One Pound Stories first started, Michelle has been influenced by other artists such as Sophie Calle and DV8. When asked about how UCLan was a contributing factor to her work now, Michelle was eager to explain how she took part in the Drama and Film societies and even took a show to the Edinburgh Film Festival during her time in Preston. The benefit of UCLan was in fact its lack of a ‘live arts scene’ because while people who go to big universities in big cities might have access to a lot more, personally rewarding, it’s a they’re not necessarily as progreat way to enhance your CV active. Living in a smaller city and improve your practise. Her meant that opportunities such as producing and watching live shows were not as accessible as they are in bigger cities such as Manchester, but this in turn meant that creative ideas were given more importance for their potential to turn into something tangible. One Pound Stories is a great example of alternative creative projects that are being undertaken post university in an economy where jobs in the creative industry are becoming a lot harder to come by. In a society where you need experience to get experience, Michelle maintains that it’s important to keep your goal in sight and to be proactive as ‘creative practitioners’. Not only is the work original and

words of advice – “Don’t tell people what you’re capable ofshow them.”

Got a story? Or fancy yourself as a feature writer? You don’t have to be a journalist to write for Pluto.

Email sumedia@uclan.ac.uk or visit out Facebook and Twitter: UCLanPluto

PLUTO | Issue 263

LAST ORDERS AT THE BAR? Are students the cause of pubs closing down and becoming take aways and accommodation? Chris Coates finds out more

Features Writer If you have taken a stroll down Moor Lane in the past few years, a small derelict building may have caught your attention. The seemingly abandoned shell of former pub The Queen Vic was hard to ignore, and not just because of its loud purple exterior and boarded up windows. But because it almost encapsulated in just one building, the rot that is deep seated within the foundations of the United Kingdom’s pub industry. According to the latest figures published by the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), the number of net pub closures in the UK has risen from 26 to an alarming 28 per week, over the period of April-December 2013. So in light of this, who in their right mind would dare to open a pub in today’s hostile financial climate? Well if you were to take that stroll down Moor Lane today, you would find part of your answer, and it would tell you, certainly not the current owners of The Queen Vic. The property, which is fittingly situated in the shadow of UCLan’s biggest student accommodation IQ Kopa, has suffered some false dawns during its stint among the ranks of Preston’s ‘ghost pubs’. Various plans by the previous owners have all fallen through. But now under new ownership, the property has received a much needed make over and will soon open as a fish and chip shop as well as student accommodation. So, why the change? According to co-owner Ibrahim Sanival, they weighed up the options and decided continuing the property as a pub simply wasn’t viable, as there is no demand for any more in the area. He said: “I think if you can obtain the alcohol from cheaper outlets, then why go to a pub and waste all your money? Especially being a student in this location.” Ibrahim cites over-saturation

as part of the problem: “There’s too many. Obviously, with the intense competition it reflects on how much business each pub is able to do. “From my experience, in the last 10 years, I’ve seen the night life decline. The economy as well as cheaper alcohol being offered in places like supermarkets could be factors.”

“

I think the students generate that extra income for businesses, and obviously they do drink quite a lot.

The Queen Vic - Formerly a popular student pub outisde IQ KOPA...

“

Chris Coates

But what of those pubs still open, is it possible to survive and even thrive? Amy Middleton, duty manager of popular pub The Adelphi on Fylde Street, believes adaptation is key, which is why they offer events such as live music and even eating challenges. But perhaps most importantly, there are nights where the alcohol is cheaper. She said: “Students don’t really have any money, I was a student myself so I know that. We have deals solely for students. We say “here’s a student card” and whenever they come in they show us that and they get deals on cheap drinks.” However with alcohol being so cheap in shops, students often prefer to ‘pre-drink’ in their accommodation before heading to the city’s bars and clubs, often bypassing local pubs altogether. This is a trend Amy has witnessed herself: “When I was studying, at least at first, I would rather stay in and drink with friends before going out (to clubs)”. So with this trend of students buying their own alcohol before attending clubs, are students more of a benefit to the city’s clubs than pubs?

...Now a fish and chip shop

nights and Wednesday nights we are affected because you’ve got Squires [now ‘Cameo and Vinyl’] on Mondays and Evoque on Wednesdays, it is evident.” But what of the students themselves? John Eginton-Manning, attending his second year at UCLan echoes this running theme: “It’s cheaper for us to go and buy our drinks from a shop and drink them in a flat than it is to go to a pub. Sometimes pubs do deals but overall it’s much cheaper to just buy your own.” With alcohol prices in shops and supermarkets seemingly not set for any drastic change, and with pubs somewhat limAmy says: “Obviously Monday ited in their capacity to offer

cheaper alcohol, a survival of the fittest landscape has developed. Pubs are now forced to evolve and adapt in order to attract the specific clientele in their area. For the pubs in and around the UCLan campus that clientele is students. Fail to do so, and they may very well follow the same path as pubs like The Queen Vic and the Tanners Arms, and become extinct.

Want to tell your story? Let us know @UCLanPluto

PLUTO | Issue 263

SHOULD UCLAN STUDENTS’ UNION LEAVE NUS? Dan Dewhurst Guest writer

To the surprise of many fellow students, I concluded a recent discussion on a democratic review for changes within UCLan student union by suggesting we should disaffiliate with NUS. They thought perhaps I’d taken a ‘leave of my senses’, or that I was joking. But I hadn’t and I wasn’t. The National Union of Student’s is no longer a progressive organisation committed to populous student support or representation. It is an otherwise capable political antagonist riddled with left-wing party hopefuls and narrow-minded feminists like a swath of air, full of tiny mold spores digesting on an organic substance. There is no denying that within, it has a basis to successfully lobby Members of Parliament and even the government; I’m simply suggesting it no-longer has the infrastructure or capability to achieve its potential; its negative reputation and unresponsive agenda are equally in need of reform.

“

We make a real difference to the lives of students.

Highlighted from its website, the self-observation is rather tainted and humorous when placed next to its real achievements; students paying triple the tuition fees, struggling with utility fees and fighting depository discrepancies with complacent landlords will sleep well in the knowledge that they will still receive their free student cheeseburger with their regular McChicken sandwich meal or their 10% discount on Boohoo. Equally so, whilst NUS promote their discount card as a student equivalent to the holy grail with over 160 discounts, students will be surprised to learn that only seven of which, come under financial assistance and study essentials. That’s like the National Union of Mineworkers championing better quality sausage buttes over their failure to deliver appropriate working conditions; is it worth the £50,000 membership fee SU’s have to pay? No, it isn’t. Equally, the majority of discounts associated with the NUS Extra card are student discounts, not NUS discounts. Students can already receive the majority of discounts with any university

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Our policies and priorities must be student-led and students’ union-focused through building open, transparent and accessible democratic structures that increase performance and strengthen accountability.

“

card with an expiry date. Placing it into perspective, Oxford Student Union produced some of the most outstanding student-led campaigns throughout the 2013/14 academic year in the form of ‘It Happens Here’ and ‘Mind Your Head’ campaigns, costing approximately £500 each. The possibilities associated with a campaign budget reflecting that of the NUS membership fee is endless and in total, NUS accumulates just under £4 million through SU subscription: are you seeing £4 million in productivity? The University of Central Lancashire certainly isn’t. Students are unconsciously handing over part of their tuition fees to a National Union, only to find they have to pay a further £11 to benefit from its inappropriate benefits in the form of a 12p silicone based piece of plastic. And how many students actually associate themselves with NUS? Less than 10% would be the answer. It’s like your parents withdrawing £1,000 from your current account to bid on a second hand, black Fiat Cinquecento on eBay for your 17th birthday, only to find out it isn’t black, its yellow, with 1 red door and no engine. The membership fee Student Unions pay up and down the country is disproportionate to that which it receives.

In months gone by I sat unconsciously and watched as members from my student union flocked to the delegate conference in Liverpool only to realise the farce that was to develop on the computer monitor in front of me. I was amazed at how negative, naive and narrow-minded the majority of these delegates were; how they bared such an uncanny resemblance to one and other; how they seemed to portray such a complacent fallacy of student life; and how they seemed portray so inappropriately the true identity of problems that are affecting students on a daily basis. Now obviously, we must marvel in the

abilities of the hypocritical politicians at NUS who have managed to implement policies centered on undemocratic ideals. And we must marvel, too, at the organisations president for securing a second term, despite the fact she has never been to university but advocates for reflective representation. But it’s bloody scary. A student movement that has advocated for so long in a democratic process has seized to rest upon such undemocratic principles; by patronising women into a system of forced representation whilst simultaneously solving the issue of equality through inequality; by implementing a system of political censorship in the form of a ‘no-platform’ policy; and by pushing forward policy, which is effectively voted for by less than 10% of the student population.

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Students and students’ unions are more effective when they organise together, locally, nationally and internationally. Unity is our strength.

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C O M M E N T

Speaking out... NUS President Toni Pearce at 2014 national conference

Better yet, student activists decided to take another trip on the political bandwagon shortly after the previous Universities and Science Secretary, David Willetts, announced proposals to restrict and re-adjust the perimeters for Disabled Student Allowance (DSA). Whilst the vast majority of students who decided to lobby their MP did so without thoroughly doing their research, questions would have been better directed to NUS President, Toni Pearce. Why you may ask? Quite simply, Toni Pearce failed to shrug off the negative reputation NUS developed since the student protests in November 2010. The political tactics and the boisterous nature of NUS is what have made students, on a national scale, muted within the halls of Westminster. It essentially left NUS flirting on the outskirts of political discussions like a cicada singing ever loudly to attract a mate, only to discover no one is actually listening (and nor do they care). Questions have to be asked as to why the NUS president wasn’t sat around a table having an input into the decision-making process instead of hitting new lows being sat behind her monitor, cutting & pasting tacky clipart

onto another poster of David Cameron (whose son happened to die from severe disabilities). Now before you contemplate a response, here is the answer: this NUS has failed. It isn’t reflective of the student population, it’s reflective of a minority of students who live in a bubble; the members of which, are required to adopt a hard-line left-wing ideology endorsing militant feminism, negative politics and a rather small list of twitter campaigns with little outcome. If a national union, which if endorsed by students is to be effective, it has to become centered, for students, and by students. Disconcerted and inappropriate policy, such as the anti-Israel and anti-UKIP policy must be dropped and efforts must be focused on political leverage on issues all students are concerned with: strikes, fees and landlords to name a few. At its best, the NUS could be a hardnosed, political antagonist; a name only whispered in the very dark corners of Westminster, and it is, but for all the wrong reasons. But unfortunately, they are effectively inadequate, unresponsive and well, to be honest, they’re pretty shit.

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writing our next comment article. Contact us @UCLanPluto sumedia@uclan. ac.uk

WELCOME, FRESHERS! DO

YOU KNOW PRESTON? (SEE PAGE 10)

GIVE IT A GO SEE PAGE 11

FRESHERS ADVICE PAGE 14

THE BEST AND WORST OF UCLAN PAGE 13 FIND YOUR CAMPUS MAP ON PAGE 12

PLUTO | Issue 263

HOW MUCH DO YOU KNOW ABOUT PRESTON? Welcome to Preston. The third-biggest city (yes, it’s a city) in the North West. This may only be because Bolton, Warrington and nine other areas are classed as towns, but we’ll take that title. Here are 10 things you probably don’t know about Preston. 1. Home to the third tallest church spire in the UK 2.

The actor who played R2D2 in Star Wars lives here

It never stops raining. Ever.

Wallace and Gromit’s creator Nick Park is from Preston

Has the longest line of continuous red telephone boxes in the country

Butch, from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance kid was based on a Prestonian

The bus station is the largest in Europe

8. Preston North End were the first ever football team to go an entire season un beaten 9.

The word “Teetotal” came from the city, meaning “abstinence from all intoxicating liquors”.

10. The first KFC in the UK was opened here

PLUTO | Issue 263

GIVE IT A GO THE UNION IS PROUD TO PRESENT ITS BIGGEST WEEK OF EVENTS FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS YET.

FOOD. DRINK. BOWLING. CASTLES & SHOPPING.

WE’VE GOT IT COVERED! From Monday 8th September - Friday 3rd October 2014

week 1

20 14

Monday 8th September

International Students Drink Reception Atrium. 5p.m. Free

Tuesday 9th September Ten Pin Bowling Night. Two games & food. 6pm. £5

Wednesday 10th September

Museum of Lancashire Visit

including interactive World War 1 re-enactment. 5pm. £5

Friday 12th September

Lancaster Day Trip

Transport & castle tour. 9am. £15

Source Bar Opening night

Come down to the Union bar for the first night of the UCLan year.

Saturday 13th September

Trafford Centre Trip

(shops, food & ents) 9am. £8

Sunday 14th September Lytham Hall Trip (including tour of hall)

Monday 15th September

Henna

SU Building. Free

Zorbing

53 Car Park. Free

School Of Social Work Drinks Reception

Harrington Foyer. 4 p.m. Free

SOLLIS Drinks Reception

Zorbing BBQ

Greenbank Foyer. 4 p.m. Free

Lancashire Business School Drinks Reception

Greenbank Foyer. 5 p.m. Free

Mature Student BBQ

Atrium* 5pm. Free

Thursday 18th September

Cycling

Halal Meal** Atrium. £3

Introductory Squash Sessions. 2-4pm. Sir Tom Finney Sports Centre. Free

Friday 19th September

Introductory Squash Sessions. 2-4pm.

Transport and entrance. 9am. £8

Sir Tom Finney Sports Centre. Free

Tickets available from *Opportunities Centre **Islamic Society & Opportunities Centre

Saturday 20th September

EMAIL: GIVEITAGO@UCLAN.AC.UK TEL: 01772 893000 TWITTER: @GIVEITAGOUCLAN For full info, please visit

week 2

Bowling

Liverpool City Centre Trip Leaves 9am. £8

Sunday 21st September

Blackpool Pleasure Beach

(transport & all day wristband).

Leaves 9am. £18

Ice Skating

www.uclansu.co.uk /giveitago

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PLUTO | Issue 263

YOUR UNIVERSITY & UNION Welcome to the University of Central Lancashire. UCLan has been around since 1828 and plays host to over 500 undergraduate and 200 postgraduate courses. If you’re a student here, congratulations. You’ve already got further than thousands of others. Now you’ve just got to do some learning again and it’s off into the real world. Here you will embark on what may possibly be the greatest adventure of your life, and find your closest friends. To help navigate yourself around campus, we’ve given you a map. (Thank us later)

As you may hear (and see, above) the Students’ Union is all about making life better for students. You’re already a member. They’re independent from the university and provide whatever they can for students to improve their life at UCLan. You can do almost anything here. Join a sports team or a society, grab a coffee, some food, maybe a beer (AFTER your lectures of course). It’s a place to hang out and get some advice. Most importantly you can find PLUTO here and the rest of UCLan SU MEDIA. (We’re near the Atrium, come find us) You’re represented by 5 officers that are elected each year (those 5 in the polos) We’ve no favourites of course but the ginger one is definitely the coolest.

Stevie Seymour Lee Mac Education Officer Presdident Matt Murphy @UCLanSU_Edu @UCLanSU_Pres Lucy Haigh Media Officer Josie Linsel Campaigns Officer @UCLanSU_Media APO @UCLanSU_Cam @UCLanSU_APO

UCLAN’S BEST AND WORST DRINKING GAME...

e h

t s e b t

“Probably shot roulette, some nice shots some horrible ones and praying you’re lucky” Josh Bamford – 3rd year “Battleshots is a good game… same as battleships – with shots” Tom Street – 3rd year – mental health nursing “Mushroom” Tom Storey – 3rd year – Sports coaching

NIGHT OUT... “Pub golf followed by pre drinks then on to Evoque before 12, followed by Subway or Dixie Chicken after.” Ashley Clitheroe – 2nd year – Policing

FANCY DRESS... “Avatar costume, someone had a fully painted blue body but looked so much like the real thing!” Ellie Rees – 2nd year – Fashion brand management

“My friend was a Christmas tree at winter survival which was pretty quirky” Molly Pritchard – 3rd year -

“Skoolies and paint party during freshers” Aleksandra Bialowas – 2nd year – Psychology

FINALLY, BEST CHAT UP LINE... “Guy: “You’re totally lesbian” – Girl: “No I’m not” – Guy: “Prove it then”” Overheard by Jess Hobley – 3rd year – Media production and technology

“Feel my shirt; do you know what it’s made of? Boyfriend material that’s what” used unsuccessfully on Kadeesha Mckenzie – 3rd year – Journalism

THING TO DO WITH A HANGOVER... “Going to a three hour lecture is the worst thing to do hungover” Manu Rascado – 3rd year – International Journalism “Move…” Will Watkins – 3rd year - Forensic Science & Anthropology

DRINK CONCOCTION... “A mixture of cider, baileys, tequila and Sambuca” David Wilkinson – 3rd year – Journalism

“You must be from Tennessee, because you’re the only ten I see” used successfully by Steven Smith

wors

“Sambuca and wine (I ended up with a black eye after that concoction)” Charl Waters – 2nd year – Interior design

MISTAKE EVER MADE...

“Anything with Tequila” Paul Spencer – 3rd year - British Sign Language & deaf studies

“Trying to outdrink everyone then ending up throwing up in the taxi on the way to the party and blacking out for the rest of the night” Hannah Rudd – 2nd year – Policing and criminal investigation “I asked a girl if this guy I like was single; it turned out to be her boyfriend” Emili Peake – 2nd year - Psychology

PLUTO | Issue 263

ADVICE TO STUDENTS FROM STUDENTS HOW TO KEEP HOUSEMATES HAPPY

FOR the majority of people, moving to University is a really big and quite a scary decision to make. Saying goodbye to family, friends, your boyfriend/girlfriend and your pet(s) can be really tough, especially if you are moving far away and visits home will be rare. Amongst the many worries that students face – fending for yourself, managing your finances, making new friends – one of the biggest worries most students face is moving in with flatmates. The fear of personality clashes, untidiness (or even unhygienic people eek!) and that you just might not get on well with them are all common concerns before the big move. Almost every single person (if not everyone!) who is starting university and living in accommodation will feel exactly the same as you and this is ok. You are not expected to be best friends with every single one of your flatmates at first and in some cases you won’t always ‘click’ with

everyone in your flat. I’m in my third year now and I am still living with 4 out of the 5 people I was placed with in Freshers year. My flatmates are lovely people and I consider them my second family, but there have been a few bumps in the road that really affected my time at Uni. But all was not lost, we worked through them just like you will. Here is some advice for what you can do when the usual ‘Honeymoon’ period of freshers is over: When things weren’t going too well in the flat I would often shut myself out, which led me to feel quite alone. I also tried to hide from any sort of confrontation and avoided the kitchen like the plague. At uni you are treated like an adult. It really is best to sort things out whilst you have the chance rather than letting it fester - it will only get worse. Talking things out like adults can seem a little daunting at first but you will feel better for it later!

One other thing to consider is if you have a disagreement with one or two people in your flat, try not to tell everyone else about it who also lives there. Speaking from experience, It can be really tempting to get everything off your chest but try not to rant to others that live there. Although there may be a noticeable tension, it’s better to keep the gossiping to a bare minimum so it doesn’t affect the rest of your flat. Least said soonest mended! Furthermore, probably the most important thing I’ve learnt whilst at uni, everyone has a different opinion and even if it isn’t the same as yours it doesn’t mean it’s wrong. Be open minded to other people’s opinions and what they have to share. An alternative perspective can sometimes make you look at things differently and you might even learn something new. Finally, perhaps the most essential: be respectful. Your flatmates will most likely

be understanding that you are busy and don’t always have time to make sure every dish and spoon is washed, dried and put away before your 9am lecture. But there’s nothing worse than taking over the kitchen with dirty dishes. It can be difficult for others to make meals or even just a cuppa after a long day if there’s stuff everywhere. In my first year it got so bad that I was washing my pots in my bedroom and leaving them on a towel to dry whilst I went out to lectures! Dirty pots and arguments aside, your flatmates are there to help you have the best first year (and possibly second and third year if you decide to continue living with them) at uni and help you to make the best memories ever! Although as a flat you probably won’t always agree on everything everyone has to say, the odd, little argument is healthy and it’s good to be able to express different opinions. I know that I have been really lucky with mine and If I had been placed with anyone different, my university experience would not have been the same.

STRETCHING THE STUDENT LOAN IF you’re anything like the majority

of us, right now you feel like you’ve won the lottery, you’ve never had so much money in your current account and you could do anything in the world – know the feeling? Thought so. Well, we’re going to land a huge downer on you... Come Christmas time you’ll be feeling the complete opposite (trust us, we’ve been there)! Tuna pasta might sound alright now but just wait until it’s your only meal. That is if you don’t take our

By Nikki Walsh

advice. So, here are some tips and you can thank us later! Tip #1 - Don’t celebrate your loan with a massive blow out, as tempting as it can be. Always ask yourself “do I really need this?” If you don’t learn anything else, you will learn how quickly money vanishes and it isn’t down to any little bank borrowers running around the back of ATM machines. There are apps to help you easily calculate your money like Student Money app at £0.69 from the App Store. Alternatively, you could

HOW TO AVOID FRESHERS FLU

Yes, freshers’ means you’re only one manky sneeze away from risking a bout of balm-tissue-consuming “freshers’ flu”. This charming syndrome takes its name from the fact that the annual autumnal gathering of students, coupled with hectic lives, little sleep, socialising and change of diet can spell disaster when it comes to keeping the lid on illness epidemics with flu-like symptoms. It’s simple really. Bin used tissues immediately, and wash your hands: before you prepare food, before

you eat, after you’ve been to the loo, after sneezing or coughing into your hands (well, wash your hands as often as you can), before and after picking your nose or messing with any other orifice we don’t want to know about - sorry about that last point. I couldn’t resist. Be prepared too! If you are unfortunate enough to go down with freshers’ flu, you’ll thank yourself for having already got in a couple of tins of soup, a box of tissues and some over-the-counter medicines to help you get back on your feet as soon as possible.

use studentcalculator.org for easy budgeting. Tip #2 - Beware of student overdrafts and search around to get the best deal. Never go over your limit as charges will shoot up and you’ll soon find yourself in a vicious cycle of getting your next loan and it disappearing before your eyes. Tip #3 – If you get a TV licence and have a full three months left on it at the end of the year, you can refund it – keep this in mind. Remember, you don’t need a TV licence for movie streaming sites on

your laptop. Tip #4 – If you will be travelling by train frequently invest in a 16-25 Railcard for £30 per year, or get a three year card for £70 saving you £20, if you are older than 25 then don’t worry, you can get one in full time education. Tip #5 – Know what help UCLan will offer to you, if you’re not told then ask! Those who get a larger loan are sometimes eligible to credits that they can put towards halls etc – every little helps!

MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR NIGHT OUT By Emili Peake We’ve complied a list of some top tips from drinkaware.com and the Police to help you keep safe on a night out: - If you leave without your friends, let them know, even its a quick text. - Pre-drinking is a great way to save money and have a good time but pace yourself! The clubs in Preston have a lot to offer. - Know your own limits! Going overboard will NOT impress your new friends. - Don’t leave your drinks unattended…. Just don’t! - Alcohol works different for guys and

girls - affects women quicker, but the effects last longer in men. - Keep some money aside for getting home…. But… - Don’t spend it on drink so you have to walk - Stash that money elsewhere - that way if your purse/wallet gets stolen you will still have money to get home. - Look after your friends! - If someone passes out put then on their side NOT their back! -Drink a pint of water before sleep keeps your head hydrated ie helps cure the hangover!

PLUTO | Issue 263

BUSY SUMMER FOR PNE

S P O R T

Callum Thompson Sports Writer

Growing up as a Preston fan you start to get used to things which seem to go hand in hand with the club, the main one being play-off defeats. After becoming the unwanted holders of the team with the worst play-off record in the country during the summer with defeat to promoted Rotherham in the League One play-offs making it nine out of nine unsuccessful attempts to gain promotion via this route. Pre-season expectations have always been promotion with North End. With one of the biggest budgets and fan bases in the division there is always a sense of expectancy that we should be challenging at the top end of League One. However, it isn’t always as easy as it seems with various cases of bigger clubs than Preston struggling such as Southampton, Leeds and Sheffield Wednesday. Failure to gain promotion last season could be pointed at many factors but the main one was the inability to hold onto leads in the final few minutes which meant North End dropped vital points at vital times. Preston actually only lost 7 games all season, the second best in the division behind champions Wolves, but failure to see games out meant Preston drew 16 games, the 3rd most in the division. The biggest and best business at Deepdale this summer was the contract extension given to top scorer Joe Garner. The former Watford and Carlisle man has been attracting interest from teams higher up in the footballing pyramid but the striker decided to extend his stay at the club. Garner, a boyhood Preston fan, scored 24 goals in total having only broken into the team midway through November.

Catch up on everything that’s happened at Deepdale since you’ve been gone

DO YOU THINK PRESTON WILL GET PROMOTED FROM LEAGUE ONE THIS SEASON? TWEET US @UCLanPluto The only concern for Preston fans now is if the leading man picks up an injury, where are the goals going to come from? The 2014/15 season has started in a very similar pattern to last with Preston unbeaten at the time of writing, however 3 draws in 5 games has a familiar ring to it and fans will start to become impatient if the draws and late goals continue to happen throughout the campaign. Manager Simon Grayson has an excellent track record at this level and he does have pressure to succeed here. There were talks in early September of a possible return to his former club and boyhood favourites Leeds United but Grayson quashed those rumours himself with the 44 year old insisting he wants to stay and finish the job at Deepdale. As a fan, my prediction for the season will be very similar to that of last year. With no standout club in the division like Wolves were last year it really is there for anyone who wants it, but I feel other clubs have strengthened their squads better than North End’s such as Bristol City and Peterborough which leaves the play-offs once again for Preston, and we all know what happens there.

PRESTON NORTH END 2013/2014 League One: 5th (beaten by Rotherham United in playoffs) FA Cup: 4th Round (beaten by Nottingham Forest) Capital One Cup: 2nd Round (beaten by Burnley)

International

Student Life

Careers & Employability

Deepdale: Preston will be hoping to make Deepdale a fortress

Will PNE win promotion? Eleanor Hamilton says

I think this season should be our season. Joe Garner signing a new contract has been a massive boost and we have a knowledgable manager in Simon Grayson, who knows how to get out of this league. I, as well as the majority of PNE fans hope we can get automatic promotion as we don’t have a great record in the play-offs, but without the likes of Wolves or Brentford in the league, automatic promotion is a realistic target.

Shaun Seville says NO Whilst Preston remain one of the favourites for promotion to the Championship, they face competition from the likes of Bristol City, Sheffield Utd and Peterborough for an automatic spot. This means four sides while be trying to secure one of the two spots available, therefore the lottery that is the play-offs may become Preston’s downfall yet again. PNE dropped 22 points away from home last season, and if similar circumstances occur this season, promotion may prove a stretch too far for the club.

Money

Health & Wellbeing

Research

YES

Contacts

Study

PLUTO | Issue 263

Students’ Union League Steven Smith Deputy Sports Editor Football is without hesitation is the sport most cherished by the majority of people worldwide. Even at its base level on the pitches of Moor Park or the UCLan Sports Arena you can witness as much passion and dedication on a Wednesday as you will at Old Trafford or the Etihad on a weekend. The Student’s Union League is played by no fewer then 200 players, who pay their subs to pit oneself against one and other and play to the superlative of their capability. It is even a league where we have seen the emergence of managers, Matthew Hill took charge of Sports Journalistico at the beginning of last season and had this to say on his time at the club so far: “The Student’s Union League is brilliant from both a social and competitive perspective.” He went onto add: “Not only do you get to meet a whole new bunch of people but it gives you something to look forward to each Wednesday afternoon.” Before finishing on: “As stressful as it can be, getting involved and setting up our side, SJFC, has been one of the best

things I have done at UCLan.”

“The Student’s Union League is brilliant from both a social and competitive perspective.”

WHY PLAYERS AND MANAGERS THINK YOU SHOULD JOIN THE SUL

Brad Poole, who was once of Cheltenham has played in the Student League for two years at Kopa Kabana and had this to say: “It is a good laugh and an ideal opportunity have a kick about with your friends in a competitive environment” There are even players who prior to University had not played eleven a-side before such as Oliver Roby of Sports Journalistico, he commented that he thought the Student’s Union League was: “a fun way to spend Wednesday, and helps me take my mind off my work, and also helps me stay fit.” The Student’s Union offers a wide range of leagues in sports such as 11 a-side Football, 5 a-side Football, Netball, Mixed Doubles Badminton, 5v5 Basketball and Futsal. What will you compete in? For more information go to… http://www.uclansu.co.uk/sul

Hairdryer Treatment: A Sports Journalistico team talk from their manager Matthew Hill

UCLAN STUDENTS CREATE TOUR DE FRANCE BOOK helped it pass quickly.

Stage 17; we decided today to go

to the beginning of the race and take

numbers of people waiting for the riders here in Paris.

Vincenzo Nibali had already sealed the

in all the excitement there, it was

famous yellow jersey but this didn’t stop

Laura Shepherd

unbelievable!

the crowds. There will be images in the

Guest Writer

shops enjoyed by hundreds of fans; it

Continued from page 20

passion for sport.

I am a UCLan Photography student and I joined them to capture the scene with my camera. We were so excited to fly to Nice to begin our own journey. There Carola, Bethanie, Susie and I all experienced the beautiful sights and food, not to mention the wine! Our next stop was a four hour journey to Mont Ventoux. We stayed here for two nights in which two great achievements were made. Susie and Bethanie had never even been on a road bike before we took the 21 kilometre journey to the top of the mountain. Susie made it over half way while Bethanie powered on to the very top! With a story for life they took their descent and travelled on to Lourdes where the work began. We chose to position ourselves at the finish of Stage 16 so we could gather as much information as possible. I placed myself on the final corner of the race and we waited for 6 hours. The wait was long, but the fans, crowds, stalls, caravans and electric atmosphere

There were bike stunt shows and was incredible to experience such a We placed ourselves on the first

books to show the deep crowds on the pavements. Luckily we found a spot on a small wall that gave us a great view. The riders cycled around the Arc de Triomphe

roundabout of the race and found the

eight times, giving us plenty of chance

atmosphere to be totally different to

to capture some clear images of the

the end of the race.

magnificent scene.

The riders were chatting to one

The trip as a whole was an experience

another, laughing, waving and even

we could never have imagined. We had

pulling faces! It was a nice sight,

to keep our minds focused on the job

especially in such a competitive sport.

whilst taking in every possible inch of the

Stage 18; we decided to climb the route the cyclists would ride that day.

experience of such a unique event we could.

Climbing the Col du Tourmalet, one of the highest roads in the French Pyrenees, meant we got to see some magnificent sights and get up close and personal with the riders. I got some amazing photographs that day and again, the atmosphere was fantastic.

Got a sports story from your summer?

Unfortunately we had to miss stages 19 and 20 for traveling. We left Lourdes and made our way to Bergerac, as a pit stop before we reached Paris. This was a very exciting day. Stage 21 and the final day of the 2014 Tour de France; today was the culmination of all of our efforts. I could not begin to explain the

Let us know: @UCLanPluto

SPORT

Monday 15 September 2014

Laura Shepherd Guest Writer The whole of England was hit with Tour de France fever as the Grand Depart this year began in Leeds. Four

CATCH UP WITH PNE’S SUMMER

WHY YOU SHOULD PLAY IN THE SUL

PAGE 18

PAGE 19

www.PLUTO-ONLINE.com

STUDENTS ON A FRENCH ADVENTURE

UCLan students caught the cycling bug and created their own project based on Le Tour De France this summer, experiencing all the world’s greatest road race had to offer. Publishing students Carola Kahl, Bethanie Greenwood and Susie Bertinshaw will produce two books, due to be published in the next few months, based on the British ways of cycling and a guide to the Tour De France.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 19

LOUIS’ CAREER HEADING IN ONE DIRECTION Got a sports story you want us to cover? Tweet us @UCLanPluto

Jack Wilson-Mumford Sports Editor UCLan golfer Louis Tomlinson is excited about his future in the sport and has even vowed to become more famous than his namesake. Sharing a name with a member of One Direction can become tedious but Mr Tomlinson hopes he can one day be the Louis Tomlinson everyone is talking about. The 20 year old said: “I’ll give it my all and see what happens!” It’s been a busy year for Mr Tomlinson as he helped Europe to an 18.5-11.5 victory at this year’s Palmer Cup, a Ryder Cup style tournament for students, after completing his Foundation Degree in Golf Performance at UCLan.

Teetotal: Louis helping Europe to victory in the Palmer Cup

PRESTON NORTH END FOOTBALL CLUB PP

STUDENT TICKETS FOR HOME GAMES FROM JUST £15! * * Full-time students with NUS ID only. This must be shown at the time of purchase or upon collection.

Mr Tomlinson has now accepted a scholarship in Arkansas, USA to play and study towards the dream of turning professional. Reflecting on his Palmer Cup success he said: “It’s a great honour to play for Europe, I feel very privileged to have played.” “I loved every minute of it and hope to get another opportunity to be part of a team like that again.” He earned his place in the Palmer Cup side by winning the annual R&A Scholars tournament on the world famous St. Andrews course, a tournament he was allowed to enter as part of his studies at UCLan and Myerscough College. Mr Tomlinson thanked UCLan, saying: “It’s a great experience at UCLan; you get what you put in. I want to improve my golf and my knowledge of the golfing world, so I put what I learned to the test in my game and I’ve seen major improvements.”

BUY ONLINE MYPNE.COM BY PHONE 0844 856 1966