www.studentdirect.co.uk
Monday 8 November 2010
Demo in pictures Page 6
Where have all the protesters gone? Page 31
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Give it a go – Cheese & Wine Page 33
Salford Students March on London Gemma Blackman
L
ast Wednesday 10 November almost 400 Salford students took to the streets of London to protest against looming education cuts and tuition fee rises. 50,000 students marched towards the Houses of Parliament and Salford students were amongst them; leaving at 5.30am just to make it in time. The protest was against the government’s education cuts which will see all funding for arts removed as well as others across the board, an area which the future of the country depends on, and the cap on tuition fees being lifted. The protest was aimed at the Lib Dem MPs who signed a pledge before the election stating they would not vote for a rise in tuition fees. This includes Nick Clegg and Vince Cable. If this were to happen then thousands of students may not be able to go to university, being unable to afford £27,000 of debt for the three years. The University of Salford Students’ Union was overwhelmed by the support for the cause, originally planning for 200 students to attend and having to book extra coaches the day before the event in order to cater for the demand. People even came at 5am on
Wednesday morning in the hope that they could still be squeezed on to the seven coaches going down and many were successful, but not all. On the coach down many people were very excited despite the early morning. Joseph Bijster, a Languages student, was particularly excited to be able to make a difference: “Having not been able to vote at the general election [being 17 at the time], I feel very strongly about this as I can finally have my say.” The coach loads of Salford students got separated on the journey down and London was overflowing with protesters so the two groups remained apart during the march. Despite being near the back of the march, the group was in high spirits. Chants had been created on the coach down which caught on quickly with the crowd. Most popular was “No if’s, no but’s, no education cuts!” which spread from the Salford group to various universities around. The march started off slowly, but soon gained momentum. The placards around were very witty, showing just what the future of the country will be missing out on if the cap on tuition fees are lifted. There was even a giant vulture being carried by one university, a very artistic portrayal which will be lost once arts funding is cut. Unfortunately a few anarchists ahead of the
Salford group had broken into Millbank, the Conservative party headquarters, burning placards outside it and a police stand-off ensued, with riot police called in. This meant the march could not continue. Many protesters simply faded away from the street and moments later the area was clear. Samantha Cryer, a Sociology student said: “It is such a shame we didn’t get to finish the march. Violence was never part of the plan for anyone I know who came down today.” Spirits remained high though, students had still been a part of a huge, potentially life-changing march. Ricky Chotai, the President of the Salford Students’ Union said after the march: “Today was a big success. It was amazing for the 371 Salford staff and students to make the effort to stand against these cuts. The student solidarity was brilliant and I am so pleased to have been a part of it. It is great to be involved with something on such a big scale, there were over 50,000 students there and I am proud to say that we were there.” Salford students arrived back from London 18 hours after they set off, satisfied and tired, certain that they will have been heard by the masses but disappointed that the Millbank incident will outshine the peaceful protest, at least for a while.
02: News
November 15th 2010 / Salford Student Direct www.salfordstudents.com
Editorial Hello folks,
15.11.10 News Page 02 News Page 03 The Review Page 04
Hot or Not A Passion for Strange Sounds
Comment Page 05 Does charity begin at home? Cynic’s Eye View
Feature Page 06
Well we did it! 371 students woke up at ridiculous-o-clock in the morning to march the streets of London against cuts in education and a rise in fees. The event was electrifying; the place was alive with chants, whistles and drums.
Page 31 Where did all the protesters go? The long lost art of listening
Lifestyle Page 32 Top Ten Tech Column
Breaktime Page 33 Pointless Nostalgia Give it a Go Cheese and Wine
Union Page 34 Sabbs Column Events
Sport Page 35 Round Up Captain’s Log Real back for good?
Sport Page 36 Ultimate Frisbee Cup matches
Students united for one reason; this
was a historical event. It may be remembered as the day students smashed up Tory HQ, but it should be remembered as the day students got together to fight for Britain’s future.
The National Demo 2010, though the riots maybe on the front page, every one of the 50,000 students and staff who were there know what really happened.
We are trying to make sure that people who want to experience what we have experienced – can and will.
That is the most important thing. Keep reading, Emily
MA Students learn responsible journalism Liam O’Connor
DEMO in Pictures
Features
The press may wish to focus on the violence that took place, but I was there. I didn’t see any rioting, I saw people coming together for a cause. People were angry; some so angry they lashed out, but from where I was standing all I could see was solidarity.
A media lawyer has issued a stark warning to student journalists: “One day, you may have the power to destroy lives.” William Lister, partner of Manchester law firm Pannone, said an irresponsible news media can needlessly ruin people. Talking to MA Journalism students at the University of Salford, he called for responsible journalism and emphasised the damage caused when exposing “once in a lifetime” mistakes. “After a lifetime of law abiding, media coverage of a mistake someone has made could effectively ruin their life,” he said. “The media needs to take stock and be responsible. It needs to think about the long term effect of publishing a story and ask whether it is really worth wrecking someone’s life where there may be scant, if any, legitimate public interest in the story.
“It is something that you journalism students need to think carefully about when you become industry practitioners. I hope you become responsible, conscientious journalists.” Citing Max Mosley’s high profile privacy victory against the News of the World, Mr Lister backed the High Court’s decision, stating that what went on behind closed doors should stay private. Mr Justice Eady found in the former F1 chief’s favour against the Sunday tabloid over a story alleging an orgy with prostitutes dressed in Nazi uniform. Mr Lister added that if a Nazi element had been proven, publishing the story would have been in the public interest, given Mr Mosley’s father was the founder of the British Union of Fascists. But as it was not proven the details of the orgy should have remained private as the story was not in the public interest. “The public needs trust in an authoritative media,” he said.
“Authority comes from accuracy and substantiated fact.” Mr Lister told students on a media law and ethics module, that he believed newspapers and magazines should be subject to statutory regulation in the same way UK television and radio are governed by Ofcom.
“A Press Complaints Commission that can fine publishers for flouting fact and accuracy would be in the interests of the general public. Currently, it is self regulation and toothless.” “The guidelines work for some of the more responsible editors but there are those who just don’t care.”
Contacts @ Student Direct: Salford Edition Postal Address Student Direct University of Salford Students’ Union University House Peel Park Campus Salford, M5 4WT
Editor: Emily Barker Phone: 0161 351 5432 Email: studentdirectussu@salford.ac.uk
Advertising Postal Address Student Direct University House The Crescent Salford M5 4WT
News: Mark Anderson Emily Barker Gemma Blackman
Comment: Nicola McCarthy Laura Johnson
Features Editor: Gemma Blackman gemma_blackman@hotmail.co.uk
Arts Editor: Tom Miller tom.factotum@hotmail.co.uk
Advertising: John Conway Phone: 0161 351 5402 Email: studentdirect@salford.ac.uk
Features: Chris Adams Andrew Langhorn Chris Mottershaw Anne Salomaki Marie Tyne Stephanie Vasconcelos Comment Editor: Laura Johnson L.J.Johnson@edu.salford.ac.uk
Arts: Tom Miller Kathrin Ohlmann Danielle Wynne Sport: Richard Ballout Mark Cockroft Chris Mottershaw Cartoon: Mac Toot Photography: Nick Early Jonathan Issacs
News/Features :03
Salford Student Direct / November 15th 2010 www.salfordstudents.com
Don’t take pride in other people’s work
Salford launches revolutionary Nursing MA Mark Anderson
The University of Salford has created the first ever MA in Nursing. The new course is open to all graduates, allowing people who wish to pursue a
new career in this field, the opportunity to do so. The MA acts as a postgraduate qualification and gives the students registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council as an adult or mental nurse. The course will be taught in the University’s new facilities which include clinical practice
wards and a state of the art clinical simulation ward with computerised mannequin patients. Students will learn practical skills by taking part in placements throughout the year. Through the research skills they gain they are encouraged to question
Earn £10 for attending a meeting! Fancy earning some extra cash and helping the Students’ Union better serve Salford students? The Union is looking for students who have not been involved with the organisation before to attend a meeting. Everyone coming along will be paid £10 for their time. The meeting will take place at 10am on Wednesday 24 November and last about an hour. It will involve you being asked some questions about the Students' Union as part of a group, but you don't need any prior knowledge of
the organisation to attend. You’ll hear about the Union’s strategic plan, which sets out the future direction of the organisation and all it plans to do to enhance students’ lives at Salford, and be asked for your feedback. Anyone can attend the meeting, apart from those who are student representatives or sit on the committee of a student activity group. If you'd like to attend, just complete the online form at: www.salfordstudents.com (check the news stories) and return it to
Helen Wilkinson at: h.wilkinson@salford.ac.uk by Friday 19 November. If you have been involved in the Union before, you are welcome to attend a separate meeting at 10am on Thursday 25 November. Attendees at this meeting will also be given £10 for their time. For further details, contact Helen Wilkinson on 0161 351 5400 or email: h.wilkinson@salford.ac.uk Remember: you could earn £10 just by completing a form and turning up on 23 November!
conventional ways of working and to develop new approaches to healthcare. Patric Devitt of the School of Nursing & Midwifery said: "This is a trail blazing course that gives nurses the skills they need to really stand out from the crowd while also delivering the highest level of care."
You are likely to be writing essays, presentation and dissertations in the next few weeks – it important that you make sure that the work is your own and all your resources are appropriately referenced and acknowledged! Plagiarism is defined in the Academic Misconduct Procedure Academic Regulations as “taking the work of another person or source and using it as if it were one’s one. Work includes, but is not restricted to, written work, ideas, musical compositions, computer programs, laboratory or survey results, diagrams, graphs, drawings and designs”. The University takes this very seriously and students found to be plagiarising could be seriously jeopardising the future of their degree. The best ways to avoid plagiarism is by checking the accepted style of referencing, plan your assignments so that you have plenty of time to organise your sources, make sure
you have a reference list while writing, go to a study skills workshop on good academic writing, referencing etc, use the Safe Assign Tool and/or Plato accessed via Blackboard, password protect your work and don’t leave your work unattended There are now programmes across the University that are using e-submission and a software tool called TURNITIN. This software is also an online system to help you to avoid plagiarism. It will help you check your assignment for plagiarism before you finally submit it to your tutor. You should speak to your tutor for more information and training on it. For any further information students can talk to their tutors, study skills officer, read the programme handbook or log on to www.governance.salford.ac.uk/ page/student_policies. If you are suspected of academic misconduct you can contact the Students’ Unions Advice Centre in University for support.
Media Collective The Media Collective held on 29 October gave students the chance to tell us what they thought of Student Direct and the Students’ Union website. The feedback from students was positive; they agreed that the paper catered for their needs and informed them of what was going on in the Union and the University. The main idea raised was attempting to expand the readership for the paper by placing it in social areas on campus; this
included the free buses and Bar and Café yours. During the meeting it became apparent that students were not aware that the paper could be viewed online, so this was another area we agreed to work on; including an advert in the paper and using social media to inform more people. Talking with the Digital Marketing Co-ordinator; ways of improving the website was discussed.
The idea of changing the colour of the banner and the contents to create a more striking look was raised, as well as making the logo more prominent on the Student Channel. This would make sure that everyone is aware of the website and its content. The Media Collectives are held every few months to give us an insight into what you think. Keep checking here for more details.
the RE-ViEW Extra Warpaint – The Fool Tom Miller
Women are often typecast in the charade that is the music industry as being unable to play their instruments, and there being a necessity of being beautiful and wearing skimpy clothing, thus keeping the chances of musicians making it based on gender and ability at around nil. Recently there have been attempts of women changing this, with artists like Marina and the Diamonds, Elly Jackson of La Roux, Kate Nash and Lily Allen to name a few, taking on the mantle of “female artists with credibility” and trying to take on the industry a bit. However, these artists keep strictly to the pop side of things – there are not many female bands around. Warpaint are, of course, one of the best exceptions to the rule for quite a while. Their debut album on Rough Trade, The Fool, is easily one of the best records out this year. Comprising of Emily Kokal (who used to date ex Chili Pepper guitarist John Frusciante),
Theresa Wayman, Jenny Lee Lindberg (sister of famous Hollywood type Shannyn Sossamon) and Stella Mozgawa (not related to anyone particularly famous, but an excellent drummer), Warpaint have been around for a while – 2004 was when they first started, and had a few member changes (including Josh Klinghoffer, the new Chilis guitarist) and after last year’s epic “Exquisite Corpse” EP have decided that 90s post-rock is definitely due a comeback, and so this is what they have gone and done. Songs drift in and out, Kokal and Wayman’s vocals are dreamy and rich, with fantastically interesting basslines from Lindberg which work so well in the tripped out sounds of the vocalists’ guitar work. “Composure” is great song, as is “Undertow” – the first single from the record. The tribal “Warpaint” is defiant in it’s aggression, yet they keep everything so laid back it’s hard to imagine where they come up with the music. This is something that men just can’t do as well as women – blokes in music are generally all good at the aggressive rock n roll
type thing, but to have the same amount of passion without having to get out of breath isn’t something we’re good at. Women are. This album is one of the most important records for a while. It’s getting away from the dreary indie tripe that we’ve been laden with for so long, and it’s genuinely something a bit
different to get your teeth into. Sure, you can hear the influences left, right and centre, but it’s a change in direction. But, most importantly, we have an all-girl band that cannot be typecast as the popstar. We have here a bunch of rockstars from LA kicking arse, just they don’t have any cocks.
04: ARTS
November 15th 2010 / Salford Student Direct www.salfordstudents.com
the RE-ViEW Hot or Not Tom Miller
HOT WAGNER – Single handedly riling up everyone who takes the pantomime of the X Factor too seriously. Aiden’s gorgeous, mind you – did anyone notice how intense he is? FOALS – “BLUE BLOOD” (SINGLE) – In a dramatic turn of events with their latest album, Foals got really good. This song is also really good. It’s sort of like if you make everything sound a bit too laid back and then put in a beat so good your mother would be happy for it to take you out on a date. CEE-LO GREEN – “THE LADY KILLER” (ALBUM) – So damn good! Cee-Lo’s voice is obviously the best thing to come out of music for the last 5 years or so, and the beats in the album are so dreamy. An album all full of groove and sexy stuff, and he does a great cover of “No One’s Gonna Love You” by Band of Horses. Buy/download this thing, ‘kay? WEEZER – “DEATH TO FALSE METAL” (ALBUM) – An album of previously unreleased songs, is this one. So er, it doesn’t really fit very well as an album, cos it’s not really an album. Some of the songs you’d be thinking “why weren’t these released earlier?”, and half the time you’ll be thinking “gee, this stuff is actually better than some of their earlier stuff. You’ll love this music if you’re a Weezer fan.
A Passion for Strange Sounds Kathrin Ohlmann
making rock music.“ Moebius says. But in a certain way it makes sense to him to create this genre in order to talk about certain German bands at that time.
Dieter Moebius of Cluster plays at Islington Mill – Sunday 7 November)
Moebius studied art in Berlin in the late Sixties, when he met Roedelius and Conny Schnitzler. In 1971 they produced their first album as Kluster and after a second album Schnitzler left and the two renamed their band Cluster. They would go on working together for a long time, or as Moebius‘ website states: “A neverending tour through the whole universe began.“
A rather short, skinny, grey-haired and
bespectacled man in a grey blazer stands behind a table cluttered with CD decks, mixers, samplers, synthesizers, and effect machines on the stage of Islington Mill. About seventy people are in the audience, mostly Thirty-somethings. As Dieter Moebius starts pushing the buttons of his Roland SP-404 sampler, it goes quiet, people stand still and listen. After the first song, four girls begin to dance in front of the stage, while others gently sway to the beats. Being dubbed the Godfather of German electronic music, Moebius was a prominent figure in 70s Krautrock with his band Cluster (with Hans-Joachim Roedelius). They formed Harmonia with Michael Rother of Neu! and later collaborated with Brian Eno, which brought international success. “I often get asked about Krautrock. We never really felt part of it because we’re not
Moebius‘ soundscapes are mesmerising, ever-changing, and always gentle. His multilayered, complex creations flow in unexpected directions: an almost steady 4/4 beat is interspersed with chirring, scratching, and fizzling sound bits and the odd dubstep bass sequence. The music makes it easy to understand while he and Cluster are said to have paved the way for later ambient and techno genres. Moebius says in his self-deprecating way: “I don’t know if we are still avantgarde, but we can keep up with the others. As long as it is fun, we’ll keep doing it.“ Improvisation is of great importance to the duo. “We work with pre-made material which we renew and play with on stage.“ When he performs with his Clustercounterpart Hans-Joachim Roedelius, he says they both never know what to expect from the other on stage.
Always seen as edgy and avantgarde, Cluster have been referred to as one of the most underrrated bands – at least at home in Germany. For Moebius, it’s not a case of being underrated: “It’s more about being uncommercial. I think we are one of the most uncommercial bands from that time and we still survived, but it wasn’t always easy.“ Whereas Cluster are famous in the UK, USA and Japan and toured many more countries, not many people know them in their native Germany. “There is a certain intellectualism in Germany.“ says Moebius,
Alexisonfire
I BLAME COCO – “THE CONSTANT” (ALBUM) – Previously famous for being Sting’s daughter, now famous for being Sting’s daughter who released an album, I Blame Coco has released an album which isn’t bad. Thankfully, it doesn’t sound anything like Sting’s stuff. There’s a good song with Robyn on it. She wrote two of the songs on the album by herself, so judge that as you want.
SKUNK ANANSIE – “TALK TOO MUCH/OVER THE LOVE” (SINGLE) – Talk Too Much isn’t bad, although there’s not that much going on with it. Over The Love is great for the first 10 seconds before Skin starts singing. People from the 90s will like this.
CHER – Just the most annoying face on television right now, with the exception of Dannii “Botox” Minogue. And no, she can’t sing. And very few white people are allowed to rap.
The last song is a bit shorter than the others, it ends abruptly. While the crowd is cheering, Moebius smiles kindly and modestly and thanks the audience. He is enjoying his applause and appreciation. He takes a swig of his ale and swiftly leaves the stage, leaving his machines to flash a little longer on their own. http://www.dietermoebius.de
‘Accept Crime’. It’s a far cry from the almost adolescent screeches of their debut. Of course, when the crowd are treated to a run through of their back catalogue, they still scream it back into the bands’ faces as loudly as humanly possible. Dallas Green is on form, his voice is pitch perfect and shiver inducing, creating the perfect balance between the melodic and George Pettit’s signature howl. The crowd are also treated to a number from the new EP, and somehow everyone knows the words already. The new material has the edge of a classic about it – possibly enough to rival ‘This Could Be Anywhere In The World.’
NOT
MICHAEL JACKSON – “BREAKING NEWS” – Regardless of whether it’s really Michael Jackson or not, it’s a really rubbish song. Just so you know, he’s still dead, but they’re trying to make as much money out of him as possible before it all gets a bit ‘out of hand’.
“but if you‘re getting big abroad, the feedback is coming back, so in Germany it’s now like, ‘well, there must be something to it!’“.
Danielle Wynne
Leeds Met 6/11/10 Supported by; The Computers, Chickenhawke.
The Computers look like Droogs – if Droogs played in a hardcore band, with a lead singer that circles the Met floor with a distinctive yell that some of the punters spend the next few hours mimicking. Whereas Chickenhawke have a much smoother, classier edge and the Met floor has
filled up impressively by the end of their set. Opening on ‘Young Cardinals’ it is clear that Alexisonfire are now a band of men; their music has matured along with them. The last album was littered with Military-like chants, demonstrated by the mass singalong of
Visually Alexisonfire are a very busy band. Pettit is constantly po-going round the stage, bare chested and sweating – and one of the very few examples of a man that can pull off a beer belly. However, he looks relatively sane next to bassist Chris Steele, who is seems to be attempting to make eye contact with every single person in the room. At the same time. It’s a solid performance, if not slightly on the polite side for a normal Alexisonfire show. It appears they are now a band that has so much good material it becomes difficult to find time to chat between each song. It can only be a good thing.
Comment :05
Salford Student Direct / November 15th 2010 www.salfordstudents.com
Comment For
Against
Nicole McCarthy
Laura Johnson
Charity begins at home
…Actually, let’s carry on helping people
The government have recently announced that they plan to cut the defence budget by around 8%. This might not sound like a large amount but 7,000 armed forces personnel will lose their jobs over the next five years, 40% of tanks will go and 35% of artillery. Is this really how they expect us to win the war in Afghanistan? The news comes just as the government announce that they will be sending £60 million to Pakistan and increasing international aid by 37% over the next four years. Surely not the best idea considering Britain’s current financial situation? Don’t get me wrong, I am all for helping those less fortunate than us, but do we really have to do it at a time when there are plenty in Britain in unfortunate positions themselves? David Cameron has backed these plans by saying that we have a ‘moral duty’ to help those in other countries but surely he has a ‘moral duty’ to help those in this country first. Is it not slightly naive of Cameron to think that the money we send over there actually gets to those who need it and doesn’t end up
lining the pockets of corrupt governments? I’m sure many people are questioning their vote for the Conservatives when they plan to cut OUR public spending and sack OUR workers, only to send millions of pounds that we don’t have to other countries. This is not the only case of Britain being too involved in foreign affairs. For years we have been meddling in situations that some could argue have nothing to do with us. Our involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan because of socalled weapons of mass destructions has left us with hundreds of fallen soldiers. And for what purpose? As far as we can see these countries have barely changed since 2001 and what little changes there will be reversed as soon as forces leave in a few years. Is it all worth the loss of life? We live in a world that is simply unfair. It’s the age-old argument of footballers getting paid £300,000 a week to kick a ball yet our armed forces risk their lives and get little more £30,000 a year! It might sound selfish saying that we should stop helping others, but it is a
A Cynic’s Eye View #8
We’re in Afghanistan because while people in our country live in “unfortunate conditions”, that’s nothing compared to the conditions people lived in under the Taliban.
Aid parcels for Pakistan's flood victims in Bannu, KhyberPakhtunkhwa province.
valid point when you see the irony of helping others when we cannot help our own. The phrase charity begins at home isn’t simply a selfish justification, if we help our own first we’ll be in a better position to help the rest of the world after. The government justifies the public spending cuts by talking about how the previous government have landed us in huge amounts of debt. They then try and justify sending millions of our money to other countries by saying that we are one of the richest nations in the world. Its make your mind up time! Until we as a nation are out of debt charity really should begin at home and if necessary end there. Attractive, no?
In an impassioned defence of the people of Britain, the argument is often made – with references to old people, children or soldiers (those, then, most likely to garner the mass sympathy vote) that we as a country should clear up our own affairs before we rush off to other countries, so to speak. This argument is expressed most often by the right-wing tabloids, and thus trickles down into the general consensus of the politically apathetic. It is a fair point, I suppose, but, to me, a selfish one. For I do not believe that, just because the British system needs a few tweaks, we should not help other people in other countries. Why are we in Afghanistan? Why are bright young British boys of 18 and 19 dying in Helmand? Why is money being spent on a war that I, the reader of the right-wing press, do not understand, when it could be hurled into the black hole spending budget of the NHS?
Laura Johnson
I have a confession to make. For the last few weeks and months, my mind has been utterly preoccupied by the higher education cuts and by the National Demo, which took place last week. It’s the same kind of half-trance I slipped into when the General Election was happening – an obsessive following of an event to the extent that I thought of little else.
I’m not going to go into the details – perhaps this article might prompt the casual reader to actually go and research the reasons the British army is in Afghanistan, rather than gleaning sketchy details from tabloid newspapers – but let’s just give one example. In Britain, everyone has the right to education, and thus to bettering themselves. In Talibanruled Afghanistan, girls and women were neither allowed to leave the house without a male guardian nor attend school. (And before you roll your eyes at this typical feminist response from me, then perhaps you should contemplate this: if you want to gauge a country for its fairness, take a look at how it treats its women). While we’re on the subject of right-wing tabloids, yes, I agree that it’s unfair that footballers are paid more than soldiers. But “it’s just unfair” has never been a strong argument for not helping those more unfortunate than ourselves – to the contrary, in fact, since life for such people is rarely fair and the level playing field that many in Britain find themselves on at birth isn’t experienced by the
majority of people in these countries. Britain is a rich, First-world country. It is a member of most international treaties and a purveyor of international law. To refuse to pitch in for humanitarian aid is to be more than a little hypocritical. To refuse to put money into worthwhile causes on the grounds of a few welfare shortcomings in Britain is a callous and selfish perspective and I’m certainly glad our government don’t endorse it. To refuse to stand up and say that things are wrong on the basis of a few financial grumblings is a ludicrous idea. The fact is, we can afford it, and in order to be the world power that we are, it’s simply not diplomatic not to do so. Our children are not starving in their millions. No-one lacks medicine. Everyone’s entitled to healthcare. In this country, AIDs is no longer the menace it once was – if caught early, people can still live fulfilling lives. Whilst I have plenty to say about women’s rights in Britain, I can do this from the context that at least women have access to education and work, that they’re legally sexually free and legally able to live independent lives. In a country like this, why shouldn’t we help people less fortunate than ourselves? Noone else will.
But plenty of people don’t particularly care about the higher education cuts, so for the benefit of those who don’t, I’m going to write about something different this week: namely, The Stupidity of the Electorate and Other Humans. Please don’t be offended, for I am referring to myself in this too. After all, didn’t I, too, half-believe that Barack Obama was the Messiah when the elections were happening back in good old 2008? The way people were raving about him – the way he spoke – the simple contrast in beliefs and values, manner and, well, intelligence between him and his predecessor – made me kind of fall in love with the Obama myth too. I do it every time. And so does everyone else. A breath of fresh air comes along and we all suddenly believe that things will be different, that politicians won’t be pragmatic and expedient, that people will be… well… honest with us. Hence why so many of us fell in love with Nick Clegg in the TV general election debates earlier this year, only to be bitterly betrayed by ill-kept election promises later on. No wonder people don’t vote. No wonder people put more effort into their X Factor choices than their electoral ones. At least with an X Factor you know what you’re getting: an awful CD and new tracks for retail store soundtracks. With an election, you can never be so sure.
06: COMMENT
November 15th 2010 / Salford Student Direct www.salfordstudents.com
DEMO IN PICTURES All pictures from the Demo can be found at www.bit.ly/demolition2010 or www.flickr.com/salfordstudents
Students gather at 5.30am to head down to the demo.
Excited for the march in London.
Salford start their journey on the march.
Banners held high.
Christabel Brown, Jim Dale and Caroline Dangerfield at the Demo.
Thousands of demonstrators turned up to the event. The end of a long day of protesting.
Features :31
Salford Student Direct / November 8th 2010 www.salfordstudents.com
Features
Where did all the protesters go? Emily Barker
Students have been at the forefront of protests since the care. ‘Its got nothing to do with me’ was heard echoing across the country. We all gave up.
1960s; from Poll tax, to equality, to anti
Suddenly, we’re back where we started. 52,000 students took to the streets against the cuts in education, 300 odd broke into Tory HQ – we stood up and took notice, making sure they were paying attention.
nuclear power, to any number of issues. It appears that 40 years ago you couldn’t walk the streets of London without bumping into a group of protesters shouting about one thing or another. Then it all changed. Labour came into power, everyone was quite happy. It’s Labour, no more Tory rule. It’s all going to be ok.
The event ended in media disaster – the National Demo in pictures; a mess of smoke, broken glass and terrified police officers. 300 let the 52,000 down. We all settled into our daily lives, students got back to watching daytime TV and stumbling into morning lectures with a pounding headache.
felt like the London Marathon of protests. They symbolised the ‘been there, done that’ attitude, rather than ‘been there, made a difference’.
Protests would come and go; orchestrated as a national event, some
People became apathetic; dulled by a lack of understanding or a reason to
Is this the end? Will the thousands give up that easily? The Today programme on Radio 4, discussed whether the students are just self indulgent. We may protest on
these issues that are relevant to us, but others? Do we care about cuts to the NHS? Are we angry at the spineless Lib Dems? Can we really stand up and show that we are more than the lazy uncaring group that the media has portrayed us? There is no real answer. Politics is complicated, extremely so and many will choose to ignore it rather than try to understand. The future is in our hands. Let’s show them we are more than selfish rioters. We are the brains of the next generation, when we reach comfortable middle age complaining that the government screwed us over. Maybe, we should have thought about what we could have done to stop it.
The long lost art of listening Marie Tyne
The Mighty Boosh, the League of Gentlemen, Little Britain – what do these all have in common? Apart from all being comedy shows from the last 10 years. Give up?
They all started on BBC Radio 4. Radio 4 has forever been the joke of the broadcast waves, often put down for its high brow intellectualism. Despite airing the longest running soap opera in Britain, the Archers (take that Corrie and Eastenders) and home to some of the greatest dramatic, comedic and journalistic minds that has ever graced our media conscience; most people under the age of 40 are unlikely to be taken in by its charm. This is not just a shame, but a travesty. The medium of radio is more than just a place for mindless pop tunes and for Chris Moyles to rant about his pay; people have just started to forget. Unlike TV, all radio budgets are incredibly low, but with such a little budget they can achieve things that not even the best CGI could and it does this with that forgotten tool – our imagination. The perfect example of this may be, Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy. The programme which sparked several best selling books, a TV series and a film, but for me it was the radio show that truly made it come alive.
Hitchikers had everything; space travel, a depressed robot, a man with two heads and a whole host of aliens, planets and other crazy scenarios (at one point a character is shown the whole of universe in one go – a torture device used to drive him mad). In the late seventies when it was released, there was no possible way they could have depicted any of these scenarios and as far as I can see there still isn’t. Hitchikers allowed the listener to create their own world, we decided what Marvin (the depressed robot) looked like, the colour of Arthur Dent’s dressing gown. Now TV and film do it all for you; and for those who’s reading habits barely flick past Heat magazine – that little part of the brain which could create whole worlds has been cut off, left to shrivel under the weight of Jordon’s new bra size and the colour of Charlotte Church’s armpit hair. Now with the internet, there is no excuse not to listen in. BBC iplayer caters for more than a quick TV fix, have a look and there are hundreds of radio shows just waiting to tantalise your eardrums.
My recommendations: Nebulous – starring Mark Gatiss. A Sci Fi comedy that might be one of the best written shows in the last ten years; it is in a word genius. The Unbelievable Truth – hosted by TVs favourite ranter David Mitchell. Comedians battle it out to try and unearth the truths among the lies – just
wait for Mitchell to kick off. It’s brilliant. The Today show – Jeremy Paxman maybe the king of the Newsnight, but nothing beats listening to John Humfreys making politicians squirm in the mornings. There’s so much more, so listen in and give radio a chance. Your eyeballs will thank you for the relief.
32: BREAKTIME
Nivember 15th 2010 / Salford Student Direct www.salfordstudents.com
Breaktime MY GREATEST LOVE IS…
Love is a big word; it can move mountains and stop oceans, or say they say. This week in Student Direct Stephanie Vasconcelos tells us what her biggest love is. When my dad taught me how to read when I was a chubby four-year old with abnormal large amount of energy, one could never have predicted it would be a process of mutual discovery and permanent learning. Presently, I can easily recognise that my biggest love is words. An alphabet full of the surprises with its pleasantly dissimilar sounds and a birthday card which makes an individual feel appreciated and loved. An old book with underlined sentences and coffee stained pages which I carry daily in my XXL bag and a current affair newspaper, which gives an insight regarding the contemporary world among the twirl of emotions provoked. A good morning text message conceding strength to get up from bed and a late night text message that sticks the most pathetic smile in your face or, the way, the lyrics of a
WORDS
TEN REASONS it’s better to be single in winter
The winter months are made for couples. Nights in front of the fire, evenings spent watching festive TV under a blanket, or daytime jaunts around the Christmas markets. For those who haven’t got a partner to cling to, here’s why you should be enjoying the cold dark months without pining for that special someone. By Chris Adams
TEN
Mulled wine and good company.
Find a pub with a fire, drink copious amounts of mulled wine and stay there until they kick you out. Take sometime to enjoy being with your friends.
NINE song can reflect perfectly what you felt or what one is still feeling. A word given in a thankful manner by a customer that recognises that being a waitress (after a whole day spent in university) is not easy and a speech given by disappointed parents that can make you feel guilty throughout your adolescence years. An analogy used to perfection or an intelligent turn of phrase that makes you burst in laughter. I still have my deepest secrets, best moments, daily “to do” lists and long-term objectives written in pieces of paper and I will maintain
this ritual throughout my life. One thing is certain, this love will never end. L.O.V.E – What does love really mean? The notion of love is in constant metamorphose… It varies upon the personal and unique perspective of each creature. Let us travel in a quest to find answers while celebrating one of the rare common bounds of humanity. Let us celebrate individualism. What defines your own being? What is your biggest love? Write in with your greatest love to studentdirect-ussu@salford.ac.uk
Changing the world… through code? Code – not the most interesting topic of conversation, unless you’re sat next to people like, say, Moss and Roy from The IT Crowd. What if code was used not as a tool for geeks (of which I am a somewhat self-confessed one), but as a tool to help everyone learn from and improve society at large? Ideas of this kind are exactly the types of things that have led to the birth of the Imagine Cup. It might sound like blue-sky thinking, but solutions to these problems need to be found. And the quicker, the better. The Imagine Cup follows the eight Millenium Development Goals set by the United Nations, and agreed by 189 of its members. They include combating widespread disease; reducing child mortality; providing primary education for all and ending hunger and poverty. For the past eight years, the Microsoft Imagine Cup has held its worldwide finals in places such as Sao Paulo, Delhi, Barcelona, Paris and Cairo – and, for 2011, it hits New York City. Entrants get together in teams, decide on a great idea to help dramatically change the world, then set about on a series of challenges – from pitching the idea in a Dragon’s Dentype challenge at Microsoft’s UK headquarters in Reading, to building the project with the help of some great software tools, and finally, if you’re lucky enough, heading off to NYC for a week. Oh, and there’s a cash prize in it for the winning team, too. So, if you think you can change the world, here’s your big chance. Get together with some interested people – in fact, if enough people get in touch, we may be able to put together a team from the University – and see where things go. You’ll learn some great life lessons, get to put your
skills to use, and might end up landing the job you’ve always been after if you’re selected as a finalist. Either way, it’s bound to be a great laugh and something decent to pop on your CV. Whether you know no code, or are fluent in C++, I’d strongly urge anyone interested to head on over to imaginecup.com to check it out, and see what others have done to save the world in the past.
Andrew Langhorn is an undergraduate student at the University of Salford studying Politics and International Relations. In his spare time, he’s a self-confessed geek, amateur photographer, live music lover and coffee addict. Visit his blog at ajlanghorn.com or email him: a.j.langhorn@edu.salford.ac.uk.
The Xmas party.
Being single means no worrying about the consequences of work party (and there often are). Throw on your best clothes and boogie on down with people you normally spend the rest of your time trying to avoid.
EIGHT
Guilt free eating.
No need to try and look good for your partner now. Winter is a time to eat! Get munching on that Christmas chocolate and don’t feel bad, everyone else is doing it too.
SEVEN
Extra money.
Think of all the money you’re saving by not buying presents for a significant other. Use it to buy yourself something special instead.
SIX
No In Laws (or spending time with their family)
Christmas means one thing; family. Your own can be bad, but hanging out with someone else’s can be even worse. Thank god that this time, you are saved the polite conversation and baby pictures.
FIVE
Other singles.
Being single during these dark nights can make anyone reach for the nearest bottle of whiskey. Make use of this by trying out some local nightspots and getting some company for the evening. Read into that what you will.
FOUR
Snow.
If it’s anything like last year, then snow could be piling onto our pavements and roads before you can sing ‘Do they know its Christmas time at all?’ Snowball fights, sledging and igloo building are all worthwhile activities with a group of friends.
THREE
Watch all the bad TV you want.
Winter throws us some gems of easy-to-watch mind-numbing TV. Without a partner in the mix; its perfect time to catch up on those guilty pleasures that your other half otherwise might have objected to.
TWO
Spend some time with your friends and family.
As Christmas starts getting closer; you suddenly realise you somehow have to meet up with all your friends from home, all your family and at some point buy presents, cook food and watch the Dr Who Christmas special (just me then?). With a boyfriend or girlfriend in tow; there’s even less time to get everything done. Now you can stay out all night with your mates, stroll into your parents house and still be able to spend some quality time in front of the TV. Phew.
ONE
Avoid the January/ February break up
After the stress of Xmas and the excitement of winter; these two months spark a large amount of break ups among those cosy couples. So sit back and realise that without anyone to break up with, you’re saving yourself a hell of a lot of heartache.
LIFESTYLE :33
Salford Student Direct / November 15th 2010 www.salfordstudents.com
Lifestyle
Cheese & Wine Stephanie Vasconcelos
Student Direct sent its intrepid reporter Stephanie Vasconcelos to test some Wine and Cheese as part of the Student Union’s Give it a Go scheme.
All kinds of biscuits
guidance though the tasting could not be supplied, the small group was given a booklet containing interesting information regarding the details so we could become suitable wine tasters. In order to make it more challenging, a bottle was offered to the student who could be able to distinguish the four different wines offered.
The Cheese & Wine tasting night, that took place on the 1 November, belongs to a wide variety of other interesting activities offered by the Give it a go programme. It was organised by Stephanie Pratt – a full-time staff at the Salford’s University Activities Development Unit – with the goal of providing opportunities to students to get involved in something new, the possibility to engage with different types of people and to give an all around student experience outside lecture theatres and the library.
The white Pinot Grigio and the red headed ladies named Merlot, Sauvignon and Shiraz could also be magically paired with three different cheeses: the Jervalaux Blue, the Lancashire Pineapple and Mango (its sweetness just made one keep asking for more) and the Sandhams Lancashire Creamy. It is accurate to say there was feisty and cheap company offered by highly motivated organisers, and it didn’t cost more than 5 pounds and a quarter of our time.
When hearing Cheese & Wine, I was naively expecting something fancy with a burlesque decoration and a candlelit venue, but our own Yours Bar was equally acceptable. Mainly due to the lack of funds, professional
There are still many events to go and I can’t wait to see what else the Union has to offer. I hope other students will be joining me.
Anne Salomaki
“Today at the gym I felt like a limp biscuit.” My Erasmus friend said it just like that, out of the blue. I had to think twice before I opened my mouth; I didn’t want to be offensive. I had only heard that expression in one particular context before. I had to do some thinking: first of all, was she being serious, and secondly, does someone really feel like listening to ‘Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water’ in sober daylight? I definitely couldn’t stay silent.
For more information log on to www.salfordstudents.com/giag
“Well, I usually don’t feel like I want to listen to Limp Bizkit.”
The Day the Phone Call Stood Still Chris Mottershaw
“Hurry up!” “Just a minute” “I’m expecting a phone call Christopher!” “Just let this picture load and save, one minute . . . ” “NOW!” This was the scene a few years ago, in houses up and down our fair land, as teenagers and young adults battled with their parents over possession of the phone line. The skirmishes had since surpassed wrestling over the
Erasmus Times
physical plastic phone, and had now progressed to the brand new 56k dialup modem.
“No I meant like a limp biscuit, I was tired!” It hit me again: the Language Barrier. My simple mind was wondering why my friend felt a sudden urge to listen to a rather out-of-date American rock band, when she actually was trying to tell me about her sore muscles; or at least that’s what she thought. My friend got hit by the language barrier too; later I found out what limp biscuit really means. Urbandictionary.com is a friend. No matter how good command of English we have, we’re still foreigners. We might know how to use a few not-so-common phrasal verbs, or sometimes manage to say a witty idiom here and there. Still we’re far from understanding cockney slang or the ability to gain any street cred with our speech. That’s why we’re here. Well, not so much for learning the contents of Urban Dictionary by heart, but using, understanding and communicating in English without too much extra effort. But we can’t do it without help from the locals; among exchange students the language isn’t really a textbook example of English language, since we look for words from our own languages, don’t really care about word order and don’t mind about double negatives. When we’re just aiming to understanding, grammar has to step aside.
Technology had bestowed a marvel upon us that would enable us to talk to one-another over large distances and gaze at foreign and forgotten pictures, as long as you had the patience to wait the five minutes for it all to load. There was only one problem; you couldn't use the Internet and the phone at the same time. This was problematic at best; family splintering at worst. Alliances between siblings over chores, between parents and children over domestic promises were now made over access to the ADSL socket plugin rather than when it was time to switch off the Playstation.
But we do want to know the Oxford English too. The efforts might sound ridiculous: we have no idea which structures are old-fashioned and which expressions only belong to the street slang. We try, and sometimes fail – but I believe that trying does count.
Oh yes, the time were a'changing. It's not that it was a bad thing the phone not working when the Internet was on; it's just that one of the household superiors would always need the phone as soon as you got the thing to work!
and beeps would have you believe that the connection had been made, but no. You were seconds later greeted by the familiar, but not welcome, error beep of Windows Millennium.
Anybody who has ever tangled with a 56k dial-up modem knows that they are the most temperamental pieces of technology on the planet. The tones
Hours of fiddling later, punctuated by cries of frustration and curses that would make Billy Connelly blush, you finally had connectivity! Praise to the
heavens! At last, a lifeline to the wider world of explicit pictures and windows messenger! But then you would hear the all too familiar shrill cry of, "You've 30 seconds to switch that Internet off before I cancel it with BT!" Dial-up modems and 56k surfing, remembered fondly, but not missed at all!
Some people don’t want to correct our speech as long as they understand. It’s fine; having a conversation in a pub isn’t about time tenses and conjugations anyway. In general I’m just happy to stand corrected – it’s the only way to learn. Laughing at us and our made-up expressions doesn’t help. I do have an answer ready for the mockers too: my English is still better than your Finnish. Finnish is a tough language, but I learned when I was only a baby,
Sport :35
Salford Student Direct / November 15th 2010 www.salfordstudents.com
Sport
Captain’s Log Captain: Ognyan Duchev Swimming Club
Have the old Real really returned? Richard Ballout
Yes that’s right. Real Madrid, the most successful club in world football, are slowly beginning to show signs of returning to their irresistible best. Leading Barcelona by a point in La Liga, comfortably through to the knockout stages of the Champions League and showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon, Los Blancos are in a rich vein of form. It’s the type of form that Real fans have sorely missed over the last couple of seasons. With Barcelona’s brilliance coupled with Real’s seemingly lack of appetite for success, the last couple of seasons have not been appalling, but simply lacking by Real’s exceptionally high standards. Throw in Madrid’s recent Champions League record a dismal showing of failing to get past the first knockout stage for the past six seasons - and the alarm bells were ringing loudly throughout the Bernabeu last summer. Real needed a fresh start, a fresh approach. Step up Jose Mourinho. Mourinho appears to be the perfect match for Madrid. Having won nine major trophies in the past six seasons and an unbeaten home league record stretching eight years, Mourinho is probably the best coach in the game. He fits the bill for Los Merengues. The ‘Special One’ bought wisely in the summer bringing in no more than five new signings, with Angel Di Maria and the sublime Mesut Ozil being the star attractions. Real struggled to find their feet at the start of the season, but since a 00 draw at Levante at the end of September, Real have been in scintillating form. They destroyed Deportivo 6-1 the following week and repeated that score line against Racing Santander two weeks ago, brushed aside Malaga and Hercules in two away fixtures 4-1 and 3-1 respectively, and comfortably beat their nearby neighbours Atletico 2-0 in el Derbi Madrileno on Sunday. Sandwiched in between
this has been two games against AC Milan in the Champions League in which they dominated on both occasions. It’s not only the results however that have begun to lift Real Madrid, it is the manner in which they are achieving them. The performances resemble a return to the philosophy of football that the Real Madrid board and Madridistas crave. Madrid’s enticing brand of quick attacking football led by the unstoppable Cristiano Ronaldo is at times brilliant. It is a breath of fresh air for Los Blancos. Critically, it is proving to be effective too. The hunger amongst the players is something that hasn’t been seen for years. The belief and appetite for success is pouring out in abundance. One sure sign of whether Real truly have returned is whether they can overcome and out achieve their greatest rivals Barcelona. Barcelona have been the kingpins in Spain for the last two seasons with their own brand of fantastic football, and with their 2009 Champions League win, they boast something Real Madrid are desperate for. Barcelona have made a steady start to the campaign but at times have looked tired. Fatigue may well catch up on the Barca players who featured in the World Cup for Spain. As many as seven Barca players started the final, and their irreplaceable playmaker Xavi has already shown signs of tiredness. In contrast Real are looking sharp, rejuvenated and ready for the challenge. El Grand Classico at the Nou Camp on the 28th November (make a note), is one not to be missed and will be a sure test to see how far Mourinho’s team have come. Should Real Madrid continue this devastating form they will be difficult to stop. The team is brimming with confidence with outstanding attacking talent and a well organised defence. Jose Mourinho has instilled a winning mentality, and with him at the helm Madrid have a truly world class coach. The platform is set, but the question is whether Real will fully step on.
What is does your activity group do? Swim. Swim. Swim. From easy swimming to hard swimming to working-out. Exercise is the reason we gather and of course after each session we have the sauna and Jacuzzi at our disposal where we get to complain about the hard work, talk about everything that a student might be interested in or simply chill out. We also go out in the evenings if we get enough enthusiasts. Why should people get involved? It is the simplest reason – to lead a healthy life. Swimming is one of few sports that give you great work-out without any risk of injury or trauma. We also intend to engage the other two universities in town Metropolitan and Manchester in a competition, so it will be a great way to represent and stand for Salford –
no matter how bad or good swimmer are you – it is the principle and the thrill being in a competition. How can people join? Since the Students’ Union has introduced the online membership system anyone can join by simply going to the Students’ Union site and registering online. Or people can just drop by at one of our sessions in the Tom Husband Leisure Centre and we will help them out. http://www.salfordstudents.com/swi mming/content/223675/about_us/ How did you become chairperson of the swimming club? I was assigned to it by the team members last year as the most regular swimmer. They said - you can run the club next year
because we all graduate, and since I love swimming and I knew I would go everyday anyway so I gladly agreed. How long has it been going? I know that there was a swim club more than seven years, but the one I’m involved in is since last year, so we have some organisational issues which we intend to remove shortly. What has been its biggest achievement so far? We had a charity swim for the Marie Curie Cancer Care organisation. Each of us swam 200 lengths for a set time in order to raise money for nurses to provide care to cancer victims at their own homes. We managed to collect around £300.
What has been your favourite moment while part of the society? I won’t be exaggerating if I say that enjoy every moment. Yes, our coach makes the sessions sometimes really hard, barely impossible to do but I love it and besides the output is really great too. I like talking to people that know what I’ve been through during the session and getting to know them chatting in the sauna or the Jacuzzi really makes my day. I guess as with every other society, it’s the people in the society that make it what it is. Ognyan Duchev Chairman of University Of Salford Swimming Club
Sports Round Up By Mark Cockroft
Cricket Pakistan wicketkeeper Zulqarnain Haider has announced his retirement from International Cricket at the age of 24. Haider claimed he had received death threats for refusing to fix a game, and left his team camp in Dubai as Pakistan prepared for their match with South Africa. Haider is now seeking asylum in the United Kingdom and has had his contract suspended by the Pakistan Cricket Board who are investigating his claims. “If your family was threatened, you would think like me” said Haider. “I’m a cricket player. I want to be a good citizen, I want to live in peace.”
Football The England team have begun their preparation for the Ashes with their first warm-up matches in Adelaide. Paul Collingwood made an important innings of 94 against South Australia, hoping to solidify his starting position in the team. The first test gets underway in Brisbane on 25 November, and England will go into the match knowing that they have not been victorious in the area since winning the Ashes back in 1986/87.
Manchester City 0-0 Manchester United. A snoozefest at Eastlands after a huge build up to the first Manchester derby of the season. Blues boss Roberto Mancini claims that City are now on a par with their neighbours, but a lack of ambition by both sides provided us all with a wasted evening. Chelsea extended their lead at the top of the table with a 1-0 win over Fulham, and Arsenal bounced back from their loss to Newcastle with a 2-0 win away at Wolves.
Ian Holloway has defended his decision to make ten changes to his Blackpool side following their 3-2 loss at Aston Villa. ""I've got every right to do what I like" said Holloway when questioned about his team selection.
event from day one, battling it out with world number one Lee Westwood over the final days.
Molinari secured a one-shot victory over his playing partner and described it as "the perfect week." Westwood, who has cemented his position at the top of the rankings, was upbeat despite the narrow loss -
“There’s not really any negatives other than the fact I didn’t win the tournament. Sometimes somebody just plays a bit better and that’s what Francesco did."2011 could be the year!
"I'm manager of Blackpool and I manage the players how I want" he added. Last season, Wolves boss Mick McCarthy made a number of changes to his first team and was handed a suspended £25,000 Premier League fine. Holloway has threatened to quit if the club receives a fine.
Golf Francesco Molinari claimed his second European Tour title after winning the HSBC Champions event in Shanghai. The Italian - who had not won a tournament since 2006 - led the World Golf Championship
36: SPORT
November 18th 2010 / Salford Student Direct www.salfordstudents.com
Inside Real Madrid back on form
Swimming team captain’s log
Salford Makes Ultimate Frisbee flies Headway in through first tournament Cup Matches Chris Mottershaw
Students from a number of teams from the University of Salford have made it through to the next round of cup tournaments. Fifteen teams overall have progressed; including men’s badminton, men’s and women’s football and rugby union. The matches were held on 3 November and showed Salford are proving their own amongst the universities. The groups had some extremely successful wins, with both men’s rugby union teams ending with impressive scores of 62-0 and 46-0 against Chester and Cumbria. The rugby union have had a number of wins since the beginning of term and are looking to continue with this streak throughout the year. The netball first team also stormed Manchester Metropolitan university with a score of 60-10.
However not all teams made it through. The men’s third football finished with a disappointing 1-2 result against Liverpool John Moores and the men’s fourth football and Cumbria ended in another 1-2. The BUCs matches are held every Wednesday and all information about fixtures can be found on the teams pages at www.salfordstudents.com. Students wishing to take part in any teams or support the University should log on to find out more. Last week, the BUCs matches were postponed for the National Demo in London, allowing any sports members to attend. Manchester University caused controversy after refusing to rearrange any matches, meaning Salford teams were forced to choose between the march or gaining points.
Earn Money for your club! The Salford Social at 42nd Street is offering your activity group the chance to make some well earned cash. For every ticket you sell to your members, the club will get 50p! The tickets are only £2 and it is the only club night for Salford Students in Manchester. Now you can enjoy a night out and make a bit of money on the side. The Salford Social is every Wedneday at 42nd Street in Manchester. To find out more, email Helen Wilkinson at: h.wilkinson@salford.ac.uk
The University of Salford’s Ultimate Frisbee team, Salford Chucks, won their group at a Liverpool tournament last weekend, securing a plate trophy. The team mainly compromising of total beginners won 5 out of their 8 matches during the weekendlong competition, narrowly suffering defeat from established teams. The Liverpool beginners tournament drew teams from all over the north of England, with teams from Leeds, Chester, Manchester and North Wales. Salford Chucks took two experienced players to strengthen the team, and 10 beginners to compete. The first day went well, with two narrow defeats to Loughborough 1 and Sheffield 2, but then the team rallied themselves for a storming 10-1 thrashing of Liverpool 3. And with the placing system of Frisbee tournaments, with both points scored and victories achieved, this meant that Salford were able to challenge York 1, who were top of the group, and the winners of the match were going on to play Manchester, who were leading the tournament. The second days opening match was very close, with both teams drawing at 3-3 for a period of time, but then York 1 took the lead and ended the match victorious. Knowing that a good place would still allow
them to play in the group final for a plate trophy, Salford played York 2 and Liverpool 1. Outstanding performances by Alex Salmon and Alec Morrell, supported by Jordan Toulson and Tom Crichton, allowed Salford to emerge with 2 confident victories. Tereza Kurkova, a Czech Erasmus student, also scored a point against Liverpool 1 on her Ultimate Frisbee debut. The final scores were 8-2 vs York 2, and 4-3 vs Liverpool 1. The Chucks were through to the plate final, to win the group, against Loughborough 2. A strong and passionate speech by captain Chris Mottershaw, before leading his players onto the pitch, had the team energised after a long weekend & prepared for match. Loughborough took the initial point of the match, before Salford snatched back the point
with a long run by Tom Crichton. The match was neck and neck, with both teams grasping back the lost point time after time, with a trophy victory in sight. The match was 3-3 before a great move from Dan Kirkton allowed Alex Salmon to score a point, taking Salford to the lead with only two minutes to go. With time swiftly running out Loughborough pilled on the pressure, and tested the Chucks to their limits, stretching the tired players to pull on their reserves. Salford defended strongly,
Inspired by the Ryder Cup or Wimbledon? Salford Students’ Union need you for the new tennis and golf societies.
and in the last few seconds of the game, Loughborough lost the disc deep in their half, allowing Chris Mottershaw to make an incredibly swift pass to an airbourne Alex Salmon, securing the victory 5-3 as the buzzer blew to signal the end of the game, and the tournament. This was a deserved victory for a promising new team, and hopefully the start of Salford Chucks bringing home more trophies this year, and continuing the Ultimate Frisbee tradition of having as much fun as possible with a flying disc.
Golf & Tennis Need Members
If you wish to apply then go on www.salfordstudents.com/student_activities or come into University House. Now everyone can go online to sign up to a club or society.