Latitude Lookout

Page 1

february 2015

2015

most anticipated

top tips for renting privately no more page three debate a-z of sports, societies and events



index

Editorial Hi Everyone! This is the first issue of Latitude Lookout this term, I hope everyone had a great break and the year is going well so far. It is almost time for the Student Union elections! Be sure to read the information included at the back of the magazine about this year’s candidates. Voting in the SU elections can be great practice for the General Elections in May! In this issue we have a list of the top five films, TV shows and musicians to look out for this year, a delicious recipe, and a debate over the No More Page 3 campaign. There is also important information about upcoming society events and a chance for everyone to get up to date on the intercampus bus campaign. If you manage to grab any spare time during this busy term, there are also reviews of a few interesting exhibitions that you may want to visit. Our next issue will be coming out very soon, do keep an eye out for it around campus at the end of March. If you are interested in joining our magazine team and want to come along to one of our meetings email me: lucyweller@ymail.com It would be great to see some new faces with ideas for new content. If you are more of a reader than a writer, check out our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter for more information about upcoming articles, events, and exciting content! twitter.com/UoGMagazine www.facebook.com/latitudelookout Also, don’t forget about the Latitude website, where you can find new articles, information about Latitude Radio, and work from Latitude TV. www.suug.co.uk/media Lucy Weller Editor-in-Chief

4 words from the president 5 your students union 6 A-Z of Active Sports, Societies and Events 8 LGBT+ History Month: This is the real transgender struggle 9 Top Tips for Renting Privately 10 Conflict, Time, Photography 11 36 Questions to Get Your Love 12 Home Cooked Nostalgia: Frittata Recipe 13 Undress Your Mind: The Institute of Sexology 14 2015: Most Anticipated

The team

Join the team!

Editor in Chief - Lucy Weller Assistant Editor- Jade Burnett Entertainment Editor- Kavell Dennis Creative Submissions Editor- Sara O’Brien Music Editor- Ruya Yonak PR- Heather Scott

Are you a budding journalist, photographer, or designer? Gain experience and show off your skills here. Anyone interested can email: lucyweller@ymail.com

Follow us! /latitudelookout

16 page three debate 18 writer's showcase 20 Raleigh Ritchie 21 Top Five Tracks of 2014 22 inter-Campus Bus Campaign 23 take 24 What the faq!

@LatitudeLookout


Words From The President the University, and we have entered a period of negotiation. Keep an eye on our website and social media for the impact of that work; hopefully it’ll be things like printing allowances for all students, removal of library fines, and such. We already got WiFi charges in halls of residence put back into the rent (#winning). The whole subject of student voice and listening to you has been best summated in our submission to the Quality Assurance Agency. The QAA, as they’re more commonly known, visit Universities in England and Wales every 3-5 years and ensure that they’re maintaining levels of quality, and they’re coming to Greenwich in April. As part of this process the students write a submission to help guide the QAA to key issues. We dealt with this a little more radically and decided to produce an online, living document that can be viewed by students for years to come. Viewable at www. greenwichstudentsubmission.co.uk, this website is the largest piece of student voice collection done at Greenwich for a long time. The submission has been received positively by the University and they’re using it to help guide the work they do to ensure that your time at the University is the best it can be. I’d also encourage students, new and old to view the submission and send feedback to the Students’ Union and the elected officers about how this matches up with their experiences. Here we are again, another Latitude Lookout piece and it sure does seem like a lifetime since the last issue came out. In fact it has been so long that I’ve had to be very selective about how much I can cram into these 500 words.

some of them. We spend a couple of hours in different locations on campus on different days and encourage students to engage with our campaigns, what we’re doing, and tell us about how everything is going.

It’s of the utmost importance that as student representatives we spend time with students, ensuring that we understand their lives as students at the University of Greenwich. So far this term we’ve been doing that more than ever, so way back at the start of January we began a new round of what we call Student Voice Roadshows – and hopefully you’ve seen

One of the most successful of these was our giant costs receipt. It was in fact not a receipt but a blackboard in which we encouraged students to write in any additional costs they’ve faced whilst at University. That’s everything above and beyond their tuition fee – because why should you pay for anything else? These costs, which totalled over £20,000 allowed us to make a series of recommendations to

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All in all, this term so far has been about listening and acting. Having just finished another round of Faculty Forums, been on the campaign trail for our big campaigns and having done some exciting roadshows I feel positive that the Students’ Union is working on behalf of you. And that’s how it should always be. As always, chat to be on Facebook or Twitter (@PresGreenwich) and let me hear your voice.

Alex Brooks President


Campaigning

for a Better University It has been a big few months for campaigns in the Students’ Union with several of our key priorities for the year swinging into action! The extended Avery Hill Bus timetable started this term (read more about it on page?) as did our efforts to secure a better service for our Medway students. On the 2nd of February the SU held our Medway Bus Campaign Day where we looked to engage students with the campaign by writing a postcard to the Vice Chancellor telling him about the problems they are facing with the service. There was also free pizza given out if students filled in a postcard. It also meant that the volunteers and officers were fed well for a day! The costs campaign has also been ploughing ahead with over £20,000 of costs now identified in our costs receipt. This evidence provided by you is vital to support SU efforts to secure a better deal for our students financially. The costs are divided into three categories; unavoidable, absorbable and unfair. This allows the Students’ Union to come up with a series of recommendations for

what the university can do about certain costs that fall into these categories. This campaign is nearing a close now with discussions with the university on what costs can be changed in the coming weeks. Our next big campaign is going to be focused on Mental Health. This is a campaign which receives its direction from our student Mental Health Focus Group where ideas are formed around awareness raising and improvements that can be made to the University’s provision in this area. The FeelGood Festival is one of the Group’s ideas, so the SU will be putting on various activities and events to help students chill out during the stressful exam period. Campaigning is an integral part of the Students’ Union and we should be very proud that things we are achieving together. So come and jump on-board the Union’s Bus of Positive Change.

Edward Oakes

@VPCWGreenwich

Wednesday Afternoon Policy

Every week your Union sends out an email describing the list of different Activities our Societies and Sports Teams and hosting throughout the week, we call it the ‘What’s on Wednesday’. At the bottom of every email is a small section, a footnote, that outlines a University wide policy designed to protect your rights as Students to have an afternoon off each week. This policy is called the ‘Wednesday Afternoon Policy’. Without this policy and without the time that it is supposed to give all students, many of these events and opportunities would not be possible. However practice and policy are often two different things and every year your Union engages in running battles with academics and staff who organise timetabling to ensure that you have this time off. Unfortunately, as many of you are aware teaching on Wednesday afternoons still continues, limiting your opportunities to get involved

in all those extra-curricular activities which we are constantly being told are so beneficial and important for our employability. Its due to this practice and the ever growing list of courses which are exempt from this Policy that your Union submitted a proposal to the University to review and update the existing policy. The Students’ Union is now part of a ‘Task and Finish’ group which will be helping create a new policy that goes further than just addressing Wednesday afternoon teaching and outlines the Universities attitude to Extra-Curricular Activities as a whole! Working with the University on this, we are really hopeful that it will lead to great benefits for students and address once and for all the right to get engaged, and get involved in some of the things that can really define your student years.

Harry Hodges

@VPSAGreenwich

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A-Z

of Sports, Societies and Events Happening This Year! Never again can any of you say ‘there’s nothing to do!’ Take a look at all the exciting events and activities that are happening in the next couple of months. I’ve even put it in alphabetical order for you, so there’s no excuse! By: Heather Scott

A

Anime and Games Society

Anime and Games are taking part in Varsity on March 25th where they will be playing against Medway in a variety of video games (the first ever society to do Varsity!) www.facebook.com/GreenwichGamers

D

Disabled Students Network

Aims to support all students at the University of Greenwich with any kind of disability - providing peer support, chances to socialise and have fun, as well as providing them helpful advice! Search ‘SUUG Disabled and Dyslexic Students’ Network 2014-2015’ on Facebook to find out more.

E Basketball

The Greenwich Gators are currently competing in BUCS (British Universities & Colleges Sport) and LUSL (The London Universities Sport Leagues), and they are pretty good at winning! Check out www.facebook.com/ GreenwichGators for more information.

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H

Hockey Club – Great Gatsby Night

The Hockey Club will be hosting a Great Gatsby Night on March 10th at Sparrows, with prizes from Nandos and Brooklyn Bowl! Please call Amy on 07766501461 to book your tickets, or visit www.facebook.com/groups/ uoghockeyclub

I

Individual Competitions

Did you know that the Students Union can enter students into individual competitions? To find out what is on offer, visit www.suug. co.uk/sports/compete

CoppaFeel

CoppaFeel aims to raise awareness among young people about the importance of early diagnosis when it comes to breast cancer, how to properly check for signs of the disease, as well as the dangers associated with this kind of cancer. Get to know your boobs! Are they peachy or doughy, soft or hard, lumpy or smooth? www.facebook.com/pages/CoppafeelGreenwich-Uni-Boob-Team

GRE Events regularly holds events at the Students’ Union bars to entertain those living on campus! Visit www.facebook. com/greevents to find out more, and check out their next event with CoppaFeel!

English Society

Come along to their monthly book club: they’ve already read ‘The Fault in Our Stars’ and ‘Gone Girl’, along with classics such as ‘The Great Gatsby’. Visit @UogEnglish or www. facebook.com/UoGEnglishSociety to find out more.

B

G

GRE!

F

Feminism Society

Aims to support the feminist movement and encourage both members and students outside the society to embrace and support this cause. Visit www.facebook.com/ groups/UoGFeminismSociety to keep up to date with all their latest events and campaigns.

J

Jailbreak!

Greenwich Raise and Give Society (RAG) are hosting a range of events in March, including a bar crawl and Jailbreak! Jailbreak is a fundraising opportunity where students must travel as far as possible without spending a penny! For more information and how to join, visit www.facebook.com/GREJailbreak


K

V

Karaoke

Every now and then at Sparrows or Bar Latitude you get the chance to show off your skills! With drink deals and the kitchen open till late, why not come down and release your inner Beyoncé?

L

Latitude Radio – Party Palooza!

Tune in every Wednesday from 7-9pm as Latitude Radio will supply your pre-drinks playlist. If you’re not dancing, you’re not doing it right! Visit www.suug.co.uk/media and click the radio link to listen live!

Q

Queer Bombing

The LGBT Society recently held a ‘Queer Bombing’ night at Sparrows to raise awareness on homophobia and to celebrate the LGBT community! Get involved at www.facebook.com/groups/grelgbt

R

Running and Athletics

The society is participating in the BUCS Indoor Championships during February! Get fit for 2015 and search for University of Greenwich Running & Athletics Club on Facebook for more information.

M

Mermaids – Rio Carnival!

The cheerleaders are hosting a fundraising event on Tuesday 24th February at Sparrows. The theme is Rio Carnival and there will be a minibus service to Greenwich Campus/ Daniel Defoe after the event for those living in Greenwich. www.facebook.com/groups/ Greenwich.Mermaids

N

Northern Appreciation Society

The society will be hosting a northern food and drinks week from the 16th February. There will be special meals and drinks available at Bar Latitude! www.suug.co.uk/ societies/northern

O

S

St Johns Ambulance Service LINKS

Their aim is to teach lifesaving skills to students in order for them to be able to provide First Aid cover at some of the most popular events in London. Visit http://www.suug. co.uk/societies/stjohns

T

W

Womens Hub

Women’s Hub aim to foster gender equality in the workplace and, more importantly, empower women in all industries. Visit www.facebook.com/womenhubgreenwich

X

X Rated Hypnotist Tony Lee

The most anticipated night of the student year, Tony Lee provides a night like no other. Putting students into an XXX rated stance, the results are those not to be missed! Look out for his next night at Sparrows!

Tease and Tassel

Celebrate all female attributes and their empowerment with the Tease and Tassel night on the 8th March! Join in the fun with an array of cabaret and burlesque as a tribute to International Women’s Day. Find tickets here www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/tease-and-tasseltickets-15035105405

O2 Greenwich Student Deals

Just a 10 minute bus ride away, you can enjoy student deals at Cineworld and discounts at restaurants with a valid student card. The Rugby team even have an exclusive offer with Jimmy’s World so get involved!

P

Varsity

The annual Varsity event between Greenwich and Medway involves 10 teams from 8 sports competing to be crowned Varsity 2015 Champions. Look out for promotions in March.

Pink Party

GRE Events will be holding a charity event in support of CoppaFeel at Sparrows on the 3rd March. In true GRE style, the Pink Party will provide jel-o shots, games and competitions on the night (including ‘pass the boob’) as well as a raffle with prizes¬

Y U

UNICEF on Campus

A fun way of raising money and awareness for UNICEF. Take part in a bake sale, treasure hunt, swim-a-thons, carol concerts, street collections and skydives to name a few, all raising money to change the lives of children around the world. http://www.suug.co.uk/societies/unicef

Yoga

Part of the Health, Wellbeing and Fitness Classes: head to Dreadnought for a completely FREE 8 week Yoga course with the Give It a Go Active scheme. Visit http://www. suug.co.uk/giag to find out more!

Z

Zumba

Also part of the Give It a Go Active scheme, head to Dreadnought for a completely FREE 8 week Zumba course! Visit http://www.suug.co.uk/giag to find out more!

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LGBT+ History Month

This is the real transgender struggle When household names like Ellen Page and Jodie Foster give empowering speeches on their sexuality, it can be easy to begin thinking that we in the LGBT+ community have equal representation. Though, when you look beneath the rug * where transgender people and queer people of colour have been so tidily swept, you see a completely different picture. By Elliot Parker

Recently a transgender woman named Leelah Alcorn took her own life. A blog post detailing the neglect she faced from her parents and her intended suicide was published on her Tumblr account, only to be later deleted by her family as though nothing had happened. I wanted so badly for all of the research on transgender suicide rates to be false, but time and time again it is proved right. Countless members of this community have taken their own lives, and countless more have attempted it. This is the real transgender struggle. It isn’t Jared Leto in a dress and it isn’t any of the hundreds of other cisgender people cast in films to play transgender characters. This being said, the representation that the transgender community is afforded is spectacular. Laverne Cox in Orange is the New Black is a shining example of why we

need transgender actors and actresses playing transgender characters. Everybody who watched OITNB immediately fell for Cox’s character Sophia Burset and for very good reason: her acting was honest; it was emotional; it was accurate; all because she is actually transgender. Stop reinforcing the idea that trans women are just men in women’s clothes by refusing to cast actual trans women. Of course, the list of inspirational trans women doesn’t stop at Cox. Janet Mock, CeCe McDonald and Bamby Salcedo are just three of the thousands trans women of colour fighting for LGBT+ rights around the world. Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera practically kick-started the entire LGBT+ movement with the Stonewall Riots in 1969. The sad truth however is that if you don’t look for their stories, you’ll probably never hear them. Trans people

don’t get the attention they deserve; we are here and we are trying to raise awareness of our issues but very few people are listening. When you’re discussing LGBT+ rights with your family, don’t just mention same sex marriage; mention that 25% of homeless people are LGBT+; mention that 50% of transgender youth will try to take their own lives; mention that 86% of LGBT+ youth are bullied at school because of their sexual orientation and/or gender. Don’t forget about us when we can get married. Keep fighting. Throughout LGBT+ history month pay close attention to the activists across the globe. Listen to transgender people. Listen to queer people of colour. Listen to our community as we work to try and change society.


Top Tips for Renting Privately With the end of the academic year fast approaching, many of you are sure to be looking to rent privately. Here are a few tips to make sure your experience runs smoothly. By: Hina Ali

• Budget diligently! Living in halls is a lot easier than many students appreciate and moving into private rented accommodation can be a reality check for some. In halls, your fee covers rent, bills, maintenance and security, whereas in private accommodation tenants must budget for all these as well as other things such as internet bills and food. Spend some time thinking about whether your income/loan will cover all your expenses and whether you are ready for more responsibilities alongside a greater workload in your next year of study. • Read the contract carefully! It may seem patronising and obvious but this is the most important piece of advice for any potential tenant. Look out for future charges related to end of tenancy and renewing tenancies. Break clauses can also be tricky so make sure you understand what your landlord requires. The majority of landlords and agencies will stipulate a ‘professional clean’ when leaving a property so enquire whether this refers to a professional company being hired or whether a thorough clean by yourselves would be sufficient. • Ensure you have read your inventory properly! This will be referred to at the end of tenancy to determine how much damage has been caused and how much of your deposit should be returned. Ideally, an independent property inspector should carry out the check-in and check-out inspection and it is important to note that you can only be charged for damage, not wear and tear. • If things go wrong, don’t despair! There is a lot more help available to tenants than most assume and the law is often on the tenants’ side. When beginning a tenancy, ensure that your landlord places your deposit in an independent deposit scheme, such as the Tenancy Deposit Scheme. During your tenancy, if you are unsure about your rights or anything your landlord/agent is discussing with you, you

are entitled to seek legal advice, and I would recommend your local Citizens Advice Bureau ,your Students’ Union Advice Team as well as the independent charity, Shelter. • At the end of your tenancy, a common cause of discrepancy is deposit return. If you are unhappy with the portion of your deposit that your landlord/agent states you should receive then you have every right to disagree, as long as your reasons are legitimate. If highlighting your concerns with your landlord/agent directly does not lead to an amicable resolution then there are a number of options open to you. Firstly, you can take your dispute to the independent adjudicator at the deposit company which is holding your money. This adjudicator will hear both sides of the dispute and will assess related evidence before deciding how much should be awarded to each side. If you are still unhappy with this outcome then you can take legal action, but this can be costly if you do not qualify for legal aid. • In general, if you are unhappy with anything your landlord/agent is stating or trying to implement then you have the right to seek advice or make a formal complaint. If the company’s complaints procedure does not resolve your issues then you are entitled to take the issue to your local property ombudsman, who can normally be contacted online or in writing. Legal action is also an option, but as aforementioned, this can be costly. • If something does not seem right, trust your gut! Don’t ever feel pressured to agree to anything that you are unhappy with and make sure to be aware of the alternative options open to you.

For more advice on Housing make sure you visit our Advice website at www.suug.co.uk/welfare/housing/

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Conflict, Time, Photography Tate Modern

26 *November 2014 - 15 March 2015 By Nilsu Ozturk

Works of different artists with different styles to capture the moment are composed to create an exhibition that embodies conflict over a period of 150 years. The name of the exhibition is selfexplanatory, revealing the three key focuses of the artwork; conflict, time and photography. Images taken in different time intervals have been organized in a way so that the curator Simon Baker is not providing a chronological survey of war. The exhibition is more like a visualization of the aftermath of any given conflict, regardless of if the effects of it are shortterm or longstanding. Starting from the section “Moments Later”, the spectator passes through galleries as the gap between the time of the

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actual “conflict” and the time that the photo of it chosen for the exhibition such as in The Map, a was taken expands with every sequential section. deathless work by Kikuji Kawada. Two minutes after an explosion in Afghanistan, With the advantage of seeing remarkable works weeks after the end of Paris Commune and ten of various artists, the exhibition is on until the years after the Lebanese Civil War… 15th March and my advice would be to avoid weekends for your visit. Choose a date when you The work on display is a thought-provoking documentation of time and perhaps one of can engage with the work without the haste of the crowd since Conflict, Time, Photography is an the works that sticks in the mind is A Living Man Declared Dead by Taryn Simon. The work exhibition with effects that will linger on. comprises portrait panels that produce family trees for the victims of Srebrenica. The portrait Tate Modern (02078878888) sequence is structured with the images of the until 15th March living descendants and blanks for the deceased or the missing. The lost, scars and traces of conflicts are displayed in every piece that is


36 Questions to Get Your Love What if I told you that all that it takes for a complete stranger to fall in love with you is asking 36 questions? Plus 4 minutes of staring at each other in the eyes but hey, after all that talking you will be practically married by that time anyway. At least according to psychologist Arthur Aron, it’s as easy as that! By: Ana Marta Laranjeira

a crowded place where people would very likely think you were absolutely crazy). By the end of the night, the two went from being simple acquaintances to moving on to a— surprise, surprise!—love relationship that is still lasting. Personally, I feel that from a certain age it gets harder and harder to make a serious connection with someone for various reasons (lack of time, previous bad experiences, or the simple fact that most people won’t stay that long in your life).

In his studies on interpersonal closeness, Aron and his team assembled couples of complete strangers in a lab. When selecting a pair of people there were two conditions: making sure they did not disagree on fundamental matters, and letting them know that the other person would probably like them, creating a certain expectation. They would be then left alone in a room to each other for the first time, with a paper containing three sets of questions (making a total of 36). These questions are aimed to guide them towards self-disclosure and the reveal of other intimacy-associated behaviours. The intensity of the questions would gradually increase with each set out of the three in total.

pairs even got married after getting to know each other during the process! Still, all of this happened about 20 years ago, but writer Mandy Len Catron has recently brought the subject back with her essay, “To Fall in Love With Anyone, Do This” (the title really is self-explanatory). Basically, Catron applied this experiment to her own personal life. Well, not exactly, starting with the fact that she did not do it with a random person, but with an old acquaintance that she had recently met again. Also, the environment where it happened was certainly very different from the original empty lab: a crowded bar and, later on, a bridge near by when the two felt too embarrassed to just stand in the bar looking at each other for four The result is an accelerated intimacy between the entire minutes. (Which is quite understandable couples who, an hour prior to the experiment, as simply staring into someone’s eyes for that had never seen each other before. One of the long must be “terrifying” on its own, let alone in

Children—and maybe a couple of us by the end of a drunken night— tend to share everything, from hopes and beliefs to embarrassing dreams and secrets with people that they don’t necessarily know that well. This ends up making it much easier to develop a strong relationship. I see these 36 questions as a standard for the rest of us to follow and achieve with a person of our choice. It could amount to, I wouldn’t necessarily say love, but most definitely accelerated intimacy—which was, in reality, the main goal of the original experiment. I do think these questions can be a great tool that one should try to use—either with a possible love interest, or as way to get to know someone better and potentially start a friendship from there. I am extremely curious to try it myself (I am now officially accepting volunteers to participate). For all of the intrigued ones like myself, you can check out and try the 36 questions now posted on our website. (PLUS the four minutes of eye contact, no cheating!) www.suug.co.uk/media

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Home Cooked Nostalgia

Frittata Recipe By: Sara O’Brien

While moving out has many upsides, my first trip to the supermarket left me in a state of culinary confusion and I immediately realised what I had given up. A quick succession of self-pity and nostalgia set in and I was left only to imagine the smell of breakfast cooking on a Sunday morning. Going home after a term filled with semi-burnt eggs and watery porridge, I could hardly turn down one of my Mom’s breakfast spreads. From pancakes or waffles to omelettes and bacon, such delicious scents sneak into your dreams and you can’t sleep through them. Growing up, I found that the best nights were the ones where we had breakfast for dinner…exciting, I know. Although I love a home cooked dinner, I have to admit that this fact remains true today. After some rummaging through family recipe boxes, I found one of the simplest and cheapest dishes to satisfy both morning and evening palates. A frittata, in basic terms, is an oven baked omelette, perfectly simple in its versatility. Besides a few essentials, there is no strict protocol when it comes to choosing ingredients. You are free to be as simple or extravagant as you like! I have put together a few combinations to try. Remember, you can always alter the recipe’s measurements depending on how many servings you wish to make. Enjoy!

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Instructions:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 220oC 2. Oil a 9 inch oven dish with deep sides 3. Slice the meat and vegetables into small pieces 4. Cook them in a frying pan 5. Once cooked: mix them together and spread them into the dish 6. Mix together: - 8 eggs - 1 measuring cup of milk - A few dashes of salt and pepper 7. Pour the egg mixture over the vegetables and meat 8. (optional) Add a final addition of grated cheese on top 9. Bake in the oven for 5 minutes at 220oC 10. Reduce the heat to 180oC 11. Bake for an additional 20 minutes (or until firm and golden)

Different combinations: (If using spinach, add it to the

egg mixture without pre-cooking it) * Sausage Peppers Onions Cheddar Cheese * Bacon Peppers Onions Spinach Feta Cheese * Spinach Onions Tomato Black olives Feta Cheese * Ham Broccoli Asparagus Black Olives Tomato


Undress Your Mind:

The Institute of Sexology During the third year of my degree, when I stumble across this myth they call ‘spare time’, I try to take advantage of studying in Greenwich and see what London has to offer (for free of course). Last week I visited The Institute of Sexology at Wellcome Collection in Euston, and if you have a few hours to spare I would definitely recommend dropping in. The exhibition is open until 20th September 2015. By: Jade Burnett

The exhibition displays amusing objects from sex-boxes and homemade sex machines (accompanied by pictures of their proud owners) to film footage of thought provoking discussions regarding sexuality. This collection is guaranteed to make you laugh, and gasp, whilst exposing sexual violence and prejudice that will shock you. In its brilliance, it exposes the darker side of societal anxieties regarding sexuality whilst being paired with an excellent balance of humour. The title of the exhibition was derived from Sexologist Magnus Hirschfeld’s Institute of Sexual research in Germany. Although it thrived

in 1920’s Berlin, it was destroyed by Nazis who obliterated and burned the library of archives. This 21st century reworking of the exhibition revives the study from the ashes of Nazi flames and pays homage to the Institute and Hirschfeld’s work. At no expense, this exhibition lets us delve into the study of sex, providing artefacts from centuries of research into the most primal of human behaviour. The centre extends out a bold invitation to engage with the ever changing approaches towards sex over time. They display over 200 photographs, pieces of artwork, and archival materials. Through these,

the space takes us on a journey from ancient fertility symbols to the Victorian obsession with hysteria— which equated woman’s sexuality with insanity and scandal. Feed your curiosity at the Wellcome collection, trademarked as “the free destination for the incurably curious”. It has generated a lot of interest, so utilise your flexibility as a student and visit during off peak times. It will prevent being squashed between crowds of people avoiding awkward eye contact through a glass display of archaic sex toys.

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2015

most anticipated By: Rob Henderson (Music) - Kavell Dennis (TV) - Will Linegar (Movies)

Music

Haim

Peace

Psychedelic masters, Peace are returning in 2015 with their hotly anticipated second album, Happy People. The boys from Birmingham launched onto the indie-rock scene with their debut In Love, a record packed with melodic anthems, pop tunes and a great summer vibe. You may have heard about Peace already but they’re sure to grow in popularity, expect to hear their tunes everywhere in the following twelve months. Check out ‘Money’.

Following their outstanding debut album, Days are Gone, Haim are planning an equally explosive return in 2015, with speculation growing around their new album. The three American sisters have a stylish image and a great brand of music to match. Born in Los Angeles, the girls use their personal experiences and city life to inspire their tracks; combining it with a slick style of R&B rock. Their roots lie in Beatles, Mark Ronson Billy Joel and Van Morrison covers, but they’ve invented a completely unique style of music that Mark Ronson is without doubt a household complements fantastic vocals and 2015 promises name, but his recent work shows a refreshing contrast to his old stuff. His upcoming album to be a big year. Check out ‘Don’t Save Me’ promises to be one of the musical highlights of 2015. Thanks to the romping ‘Uptown Funk’, disco is back, and Ronson carries this theme throughout his new album. The record, Uptown Special, features Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker whose alternative vocals add quality to Ronson’s finished work. Check out ‘Daffodils’ to get a taster of what’s to come.

Slaves

Slaves have been making waves at the back end of 2014 and there’s no sign of them slowing down with a debut album around the corner. Support from “BBC Radio 6” and “Radio 1” means you’re bound to hear a lot more from these guys in the coming months. Slaves have a unique sound to their music and with the combination of beat-box inspired lyrics and a toxic style of guitar work, the boys have conjured up a great recipe for success. Check out ‘The Hunter’.

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Mini Mansions

Not much is known of the mysterious Mini Mansions but their forthcoming album The Great Pretenders will be an excellent record if their previous tracks are anything to go by. Last week the group were joined on stage by Arctic Monkeys lead singer, Alex Turner, who is apparently a big fan. The group will be supporting rock sensations Royal Blood in 2015 to promote their upcoming album; lookout for tour dates. Check out ‘Sherlock Holmes’.

TV Shows The BRITS 2015

Although not a weekly show, the BRITS is the British music event of the year, where we, the consumer, get to decide which acts made the biggest impact in the music of 2014. There are always memorable moments and collaborations such as Florence and the Machine and Dizzee Rascal or last year when Disclosure joined forces with Lorde for a live ‘Royals’ remix. This year Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith and Taylor Swift have been announced to perform which means it should be a fun (or extremely weepy…) show. Where/When: ITV, February 25th

Orange is the New Black

Each year Orange is the New Black gets better, the characters get more complicated, loyalties shift and the villains become more menacing. It’s a sure bet that we can’t wait for the new season to of this gritty dramedy to arrive on Netflix so we can hibernate for the weekend and binge watch. To tide you over until the new season arrives in June, watch Uzo Aduba’s Audition Sketch on FunnyOrDie.com. When/Where: Netflix, June 5th


Movies In 2015 we’ve already had Big Hero 6 and Ex Machina, and for those more interested in humans, we’ve had The Theory of Everything and Whiplash. It’s hard to imagine things will get even better, so in case you aren’t convinced, here are just four highly anticipated upcoming releases of 2015:

Star Wars: The Force Awakens Game of Thrones

Coming up on its fifth season, the sword swinging, boob baring, chaotic show is far from over. Last series was packed full of surprising (and sometimes wanted) deaths, continuing corruption and exciting action. It was also the highest rated so far… So let the battle of King’s Landing continue. Tyrion and Daenerys for the win. Where/When: Sky Atlantic, April 13th

Spectre

“I’ve been expecting you, Mr. Bond,” is a major understatement ever since Skyfall skyfell onto our screens in 2012. SPECTRE is one of Bond’s oldest foes, led by Blofeld (and his cat) although it isn’t clear if he’ll return. It seems the organisation called Quantum in the Daniel Craig era is related to SPECTRE, and might be the same thing. Expect a cracking film seeing as most of the team behind Skyfall has been retained. For England, James!

Mission: Impossible 5 Fortitude

Fortitude has the makings of a great drama: Murder, Mystery and Stanley Tucci. This psychological thriller centres on Tucci as a Detective sent to the tranquil community of Fortitude to investigate a violent murder. The cast also includes Christopher Eccelston (Doctor Who) and Michael Gambon. Where/When: Sky Atlantic, January 29th

It’s your mission, should you choose to accept it, to believe Tom Cruise is having another crack at being Ethan Hunt. Everyone’s favourite disguised spy will return this summer, resurrecting our favourite cast including Simon Pegg as Benji and Jeremy Renner as William Brandt. We’ll get lovely scenery; filming took place in Austria and Morocco, as well as London where Tom was almost clobbered by a bus. Dedication. M:I 5 will be released at the end of July, months earlier than planned, to avoid competition with Spectre and…

Disney realised that franchises are the future, which is why this seventh Star Wars film leads a trilogy intended to revitalise the series for fresh audiences. It’s directed by J. J. Abrams so we’re guaranteed lens flare overkill, and it should be a competent film considering he has the Star Trek reboots under his belt. Noises were made about the hilted lightsaber in the trailer which was amusingly parodied online, but fans hope this will be a worthy addition to the canon. May the Force be with them.

Avengers: Age of Ultron

Marvel movies require no introduction, especially after the eighth spectacularly trashed our campus in 2013. The hammer bloke who did that will return with his shield-lobbing, missilelaunching colleagues to defeat one of Tony Stark’s pet projects that goes wrong. Original. It’s not like entity-created-for-good-becomesultimate-threat has been a plot device before. Regardless, this explosion-fest will be rollicking good fun and it should look really, really cool. Not a Marvel fan? Too bad, there’ll be sixteen thousand sequels, released every fortnight, until our Sun collapses.

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Why I Do Support "No More Page 3" By: Victoria Parrett

It may seem to some that opposing Page 3 is prudish and anti-sex. But this isn’t about sex, this is the sexualisation of women in a family newspaper. The Sun’s Page 3 puts sexualised images of women alongside photos of men leading the country and playing sport and normalises it. And when Lucy-Anne Holmes, founder of the No More Page 3 campaign gave a talk to students last term it was clear to me and so many others that this old-fashioned feature had to go. The No More Page 3 campaign has nothing to do with stripping glamour models of a job, or stopping people viewing porn. No More Page 3 simply asks for the editors of The Sun to remove the feature from their paper because of the damaging effect it has. One image a day in The Sun newspaper does not a glamour industry make. Surely those images belong in a suitable context, not in a newspaper, making many women and men feel uncomfortable, and showing children how society views women. Shown in a recent video ‘The Experiment’, a

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group of people cut out every image of men and women from 6 months of the Sun to compare. In those 6 months, in a newspaper renowned for its sports coverage, there was not one image of a woman playing sport. Most of the images of women were passive and posed, while most of the men were active. Given also, that in 40 years of The Sun just four black women have featured on Page 3, this clearly isn’t the fair representation of women’s bodies that The Sun claims it to be. It can’t be denied that the Sun has an image problem when it comes to women. I don’t believe a fair representation of women is an up-tight thing to ask for. I am constantly shocked by the abuse people receive purely for not wanting sexualised images to be the largest featured image of women daily in the country’s bestselling newspaper. Asking for No More Page 3 is not censorship, no law or ban is being requested, we’re just asking that the editors of the paper leave the Seventies behind and show women as they are: active citizens worth far more than just their tits. Nobody has the

right to be printed topless in a newspaper, and if it is such a liberating act I certainly appeal to those who oppose No More Page 3 to start your campaign for people who aren’t young, white, thin, massively breasted women to have their go on this page of so-called liberation. Some people claim that asking for No More Page 3 isn’t “real feminism”. Feminism asks that everyone have equal rights, opportunities, and treatment in society regardless of sex or gender. Because of this feminism does some wonderful things, and concentrates on some very serious and vital issues across the world, but this doesn’t mean we can just ignore the sexism in our own media, and the way it contributes to further inequality in society. Sexism needs to be addressed at all levels, because otherwise it will remain. Women fought hard for my right to own property, to vote, and attend university, but if I can’t walk from my home to a lecture without being asked to flash my tits because some boy’s been taught every woman is his personal Page 3 model, is the fight really over?


Why I Don't Support "No More Page 3" By: Lydia Fraser

A few weeks ago, I came across the rumour on Facebook that Page 3 had been scrapped, “no more having to be confronted with men gawping at women’s breasts first thing in the morning” my cousin wrote. I rolled my eyes and I thought to myself, this isn’t true feminism, this is women being uptight and old fashioned.

the website state that they want equal representation and that they have nothing against glamour models, but I feel as if this just patronises and contradicts their argument. I don’t see women complaining when a man decides to take his shirt off and flaunt his rather chiselled physique professionally. This doesn’t mean that women are going to rape that man, nor does it mean that a woman sees all men as sexual objects. It’s the same principle and, if anything, I believe that this I came to this campaign is a censorship conclusion over a scheme which revokes period of time and, women’s equality and their as when giving your rights. Feminism is about opinion on a current event; you should do your research first. The No More giving women power, and making them equal. Yes, maybe there should Page 3 campaign has its own website (which I urge everyone reading to be hunky topless guys on the opposite page, but this doesn’t mean Page check out) which provides “6 reasons why Page 3 has to go.” I didn’t find 3 should be discarded altogether. In my opinion, that is doing more harm any of these particularly thought provoking, in fact I recall feeling as if I’d than good. been transported back to the Victorian Era, when women were expected to “know their place”, when reading them, how ironic. Another particular point that I disagree with is the campaign’s use of the ‘innocent child’ principle. All children see their mother’s breasts at Firstly, they argue that Page 3 is “sexist” towards women and how women a young age and they should be taught why women have breasts (for should not be “celebrated” for their breasts. The campaign suggests that breast feeding purposes). Regardless of that fact, I don’t remember Page 3’s existence in The Sun undermines any stories they run pertaining even knowing what a newspaper was when I was a child, let alone to rape and sexual violence towards women, implying the idea that a remembering what was inside one. There are worse things in newspapers woman’s “primary role is to serve men sexually.” The campaign also goes than a bit of soft pornography, there are other things more horrific that on to say that this should not be an image projected to children in a family children are exposed to every day in the media. newspaper because it doesn’t teach them anything and that it’s not okay to view women in this way. Pretty extreme stuff, which in my opinion, has Therefore, in my opinion, trying to scrap Page 3 is not a useful just blown a bit of soft pornography out of context. demonstration of feminism and is in fact quite the opposite. I believe that feminists should be taking the time to promote other acts feminism, such I think that we should all be aware that if anything, women being able as the liberation of women’s bodies and Emma Watson’s position in the to appear topless in a newspaper is actually liberating. If a woman has UN. Such examples, I believe, would actually make a difference in people’s a nice pair of breasts why shouldn’t she be allowed to make a living out lives. Essentially, I feel that if you do not like Page 3, don’t buy the Sun, it is of flaunting them as a glamour model? The disclaimers at the bottom of as simple as that.

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writer's showcase Once again, thank you for all of your creative writing submissions! Each of the four writers showcased in this this issue express their own individualistic voices, an essential quality to have when writing either poetry or prose. I encourage more of you to engage with this form of self-expression and open yourself up to creativity. As a magazine, we are eager to showcase work without strict creative boundaries, from the unconventionally peculiar to the relatable, yet profound. We tend to keep short stories to a maximum of 500 words, but longer submissions have the opportunity to be included on our website. If you would like to submit please email your work to LLcreativesubmissions@gmail.com Please bring forward your ideas and, as Ezra Pound insists, remember to “make it new”! Sara O’Brien, Creative Submissions Editor

A Walk in Greenwich Foot Tunnel A hum of the bright fluorescent light as you first enter the dome, Sliding, grinding and clanking sounds as the lift elevates from below, The cool blue button makes the glass doors open, And a calm voice announces ‘Ground Floor’, People step out, and others go in, and the voice sounds again, once more Silence lingers in the large metallic tank, sinking under the water, Awkward glances are exchanged, a custom we find hard to alter, At minus-one-floor the rush begins, Everyone leaves in a fluster, Tick tick tick goes the wheel of a bike, the owner pushes as hard as he’ll muster Everything is hard and cold, nuts and bolts hold it all together, Drains clang, and the DLR roars, and foreign tongues talk amongst each other, The little boy runs ahead, And the tired Mother straight after, Businessmen stride, and the skaters roll, and some girls burst out in laughter Heavy booming of echoing footsteps, joggers pad softly on by, Dirty white tiles cover the walls, unknown liquids drip down the side, Flashing lights and cycle reflectors, The occasional ‘ding!’ of a bell, Rushing Thames up above, covered yet cold in a long narrow vessel Dim dingy bulbs light the tunnel and give it more atmosphere, Smells of sweat, and metal, and damp suddenly from nowhere appear, Leaving the tunnel my own footsteps tap, Swiftly climbing the stair, And at the top a smooth dead pigeon, is peacefully lying there.

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By Rhiannon Ashley


Sliced

(a cut-up poem) I’ve never felt safe in the ocean; you come home from New York City and a love affair you kept on a lowish heat I shot a video the footage is so sick smelling of the fancy, short drinks to where I refrigerate under January milky ways And we practice the gentlest of improvisations The vanilla extract of your Egyptian cotton offers a moment’s penetration of my 5&10 cheap perfumes, a far-cry from sweet lip flesh Meanwhile I have found drinks, like men are often quite strong and come in almost any flavour once you scooped me up like a blob of cream to place on top telling them I like the sweet fall of her And we practiced black ideas in the middle of heaven we spill like warm milk onto the sheets Stirring in the satin cream that is our bed where love is whisked alive You are yet to comment on my changing hair colour but sieve in the lies to soothe the sudden burst of my eyes’ hot peppers We are clingfilmed into doom

Two Fifty-Seven Trapelo This house is old. Green stained copper, aged into antiquity with photographs to match, quietly tittering on the walls they creak and crack in careful time to the slow moans of floorboards. Together they provide a steady tune for the outlines of shadowed figures to dance to across the textured ceiling. Carvings illuminated by an outer gleam sneaking through sheer curtains, high over each floor length window. Picture book stories paved into plaster, changing pose with each different gazer. This house is caught by youthful senses stretched in stages of contracting breaths and the inhale of memories threaded into aroma. Chopped firewood with flaked bark, still dry flower seeds and chipped window paint dust, muffled by stale potpourri ripen in photographed years As I become a glass reflection of the ceiling’s story. A portrait moulded into the wall.

Stonehenge Saplings scarred, bent by insult, they retreat diagonally, believing alluvial lands will betray them on diamond winds once drenched. Against June’s fertile cheek pressed December’s unwelcome vale. The longest night captive inside a tear to sodden deeper than ancestral bone. The turquoise edges of lichen sparked by breaking light to grip, fitting tight to majestic boulders like winkles sucking on a whale’s back. A green sea of misty soil dampens the ancient air. Entrenched. Through the waves of sphagnum moss the giant’s broken, age-worn teeth [ jut ] amongst the whirling pagans. Their stir vibrates the Neolithic rock circle beckoning the new curve of the solstice, rounded by the moon’s speckled wheel. 5000 years echo through stone.

By Jason James

By Sara O’Brien

By Filippa Bahrke

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Raleigh Ritchie A tOOR @ Heaven, London By Rüya Yönak

It was a great year for 24 year-old singersongwriter Jacob Anderson, known by his stage name Raleigh Ritchie. He released his third EP, went on tour and continues to work on his album, which he will be releasing in 2015. We got the chance to have a chat with him before his gig in Heaven, London and found out that 2015 was going to be an even crazier year for him. Handsome and talented; he is not a stranger to the public, as a lot of us know him by his character Grey Worm in Game of Thrones. However, Jacob says it was actually music that has been the oldest scene for him: “It’s the first thing I started to kind of enjoy and I really had a connection with it when I was 14” he says. A remarkable part of his music is the lyrics and he describes this process as a ritual to release his emotions and thoughts. He quotes Nick Cave, “Once you understand a song, it’s no longer useful to you” and says “I quite like that because I think once you start to understand how you’re feeling, you don’t need to dwell on it anymore. So I write songs to do that”.

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It looks like music, writing and stage are the things that come naturally to him and he cares very much about the honesty between himself and his listeners. When we asked him about his biggest support, he also says his listeners were a big part of it: “It was completely selfish when I started, I’d write songs when I felt bad or really good”, after he thought he was being heard and understood, Jacob felt like he’d made friends. It totally reflected in his stage performance as well, he was connecting with the crowd and the crowd was connecting

with him; jumping, singing all together. It was electrifying. Jacob says, what it took was honesty, perseverance and enjoying the moment to get where he is and he advises the young musicians out there to “make music that you’d want to listen to”. *Raleigh Ritchie is going on tour with George Ezra on February.


Top Five Tracks of 2014 By Callum Sharp

Ed Sheeran – Sing

Named the most streamed global artist of 2014 by the Guardian and with 3 sold out Wembley dates coming up this year, we believe this artist is in everyone’s good books, and Sing certainly didn’t fail by any means. This catchy, festival friendly number one tune was an international phenomenon, enough said.

James Bay - Hold Back The River Released in November, this hit single by Bay is yet to exit the UK’s top 40, having remained in the under 25 category for six weeks straight. It peaked at a startling number 8 on Billboard’s top 100, too. Born straight out of Hertfordshire, we can expect big things from the BRIT winner this year…

Clean Bandit ft. Jess Glynne - Rather Be Reason - This eclectic, electro-classical combination featuring one of the most sought after voices in music is definitely worth a mention. Reaching number one in four countries and number two in another four, I sincerely believe there’s no place these guys would rather be.

Alt-J - Hunger Of The Pines Reason - Their cleverly titled album ‘This Is All Yours’ was released in mid-September through Infectious Records, and the single ‘Hunger of The Pines’ is worthy of the list just based on the immensely graphic music video, in which a man is being shot down by bow and arrow. The song samples words from Miley Cyrus’s song ‘4x4’ and peaked at number four on the UK Indie charts. I’d go as far as saying it’s 2014’s greatest alternative tune.

Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars - Uptown Funk Reason - It’s safe to say Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars funked us all up in November of last year. This song sold 110,000 digital copies in a week and made the number one spot 21 times across the globe, impressive stuff. The real question is, can you deal with the implications of having it on repeat. It’ll haunt your dreams, tread carefully…

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The Inter-Campus Bus Campaign By Heather Scott

If, like me, you live quite a distance from the campus where you study at the University of Greenwich, then the inter-campus bus is an invaluable service to you. However, if also like me, you have experienced the gutwrenching moment of missing the last bus because you were up to your eyeballs in books and coursework at Stockwell Street Library and couldn’t run fast enough to the Greenwich bus stop… or like many of my friends, have lectures up until 9pm, then you’ll be happy to know that the Students Union have successfully managed to continue the University to extend the bus times till 9.15pm! The STOP, DROP and ROLL campaign has been operating since January last year, and has achieved massive amounts ever since.

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They aim to STOP the hidden costs of bus services between Greenwich and Medway; have already achieved their aim of extending the DROP off times at all campuses; and are still campaigning to ROLL back the prices already endured by those who have to travel from Medway to any other campus. However, they still need your help. Extended drop off times are only available Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, and if you need to get to a certain student night on a Wednesday, this is simply not good enough. Extortionate charges are still being made to students who need to travel to Medway for their compulsory lectures, which is ridiculous! So make sure to fill out the InterCampus Bus Campaign survey available on the SUUG website, and help campaign for a free and more accessible bus service for everyone.

Visit for more information:

http://www.suug.co.uk/studentvoice/ campaigns/stopdrollroll/

Sign the petition:

http://goo.gl/myL3h2

Like the facebook page: http://goo.gl/yvcI3J


take me out! As part of our Valentines Week celebrations Give It A Go, Latitude Radio and CoppaFeel! hosted their very own version of Take Me Out! SU President Alex Brooks, along with various others, competed for the hearts of our desperate panel, embarrassing themselves in style along the way!

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what the faq? Frequently Asked Questions answered by your own Students’ Union Advice Service Ain’t Nothing Going On But The Rent? - Get Advice! Renting for the first time? Can’t find somewhere to live? Can’t afford your rent? Landlord won’t get the repairs done? Can’t get your deposit back? The landlord’s told you to leave? We think you can learn a lot from song lyrics. When The Clash said ‘Should I stay or should I go?’, they answered ‘Know Your Rights’. And we say: you can find the answers to these issues in your Students’ Union Private Renting Guide, online at www.suug.co.uk/ welfare/housing/housingguide.

Written by housing experts at the Students’ Union with input from the University Accommodation Service, the guide is a useful introduction for first-time renters. And if you need practical help, then contact your Students’ Union Advice Service. From checking your tenancy agreement to helping you get your deposit back; from dealing with dodgy landlords to helping you find alternative accommodation, we can advise on most housing issues, and provide ongoing help until your problem is resolved. And if the worst comes to the worst, we can help you move on. Get advice early enough, and we’re usually able to help you come up with practical solutions to your housing needs.

Valentine’s Day Is Over. My wallet’s empty. Love is definitely not for free, whatever Robyn thinks! And who are we to disagree? But if you’ve lost that loving feeling and want it back, remember to register with Greenwich Sexual Health (GSH) for free contraception. Love on the dole (or on student finance) can be fiscally prudent! If you’re aged 16-21, GSH can post condoms to you in discrete packaging. If you’re older than 21, or you live outside the Borough, you can still get free condoms by registering with GSH. You’ll be sent a C-Card that you can use to collect free condoms from sexual health services in the Borough of Greenwich (Boots for example). See www. greenwichsexualhealth.org.uk for more information, or speak to your Students’ Union Advice Service.

And how many advisers does it take to change a lightbulb? Only one, but the lightbulb needs to want to change first

got any questions of your own?

Got a question of your own?

Email the Students’ Union in confidence at: suugadvice@gre.ac.uk

For further information, see:

www.suug.co.uk/welfare (Avery Hill & Greenwich-based students) www.gkunions.co.uk/advice (Medway students)

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st u d en ts' u n i o n

university of greenwich

eLECTIONs 2015

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