Bolton Issue: 17 Monday 7th March 2011
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Aaron Porter: “Proud of what we’ve done – but it’s time for a fresh start”
Page 3
GOAT Life
Page 34
Caliban interview
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Bolton firm rises to Olympic challenge
ArcelorMittal Orbit Leona Melling
ArcelorMittal Orbit, set to be Britain’s largest piece of public art standing at a giant 115 metres (377ft) high, is being made right here in Bolton. The £19.1million steel sculpture, intended to be a permanent, lasting legacy of London’s hosting of the 2012 Summer Olympics, is being put together by Lostockbased Watsons Steel and when completed will be 22 metres taller than the Statue of Liberty in New York. The ArcelorMittal Orbit was designed by Anish Kapoor in
a competition held in 2009 and has been developed in collaboration with one of the world’s leading structural designers, Cecil Balmond of Arup. The structure will be sited between the Olympic Stadium and the Aquatics Centre and will allow visitors to view the whole Olympic Park form its two observation platforms. Watsons has been producing precision crafted steel parts since late last year and work started in January at the London site. The 15,000 tonnes of steelwork will be assembled in segments on site at the Olympic site supervised by engineers from Watsons. Completion of the project is
expected by late summer. Watsons Steel has an impressive track record. The University of Nottingham’s ‘Aspire’ structure was fabricated by Watson’s and is currently the largest free standing public work of art in Britain and standings taller than the Angel of the North. The company are also noted for their engineering work on the roof of the O2 arena. ArcelorMittal, the official name of the sculpture, combines the names of the ArcelorMittal steel company who are the chief sponsor contributing £16million to the project, with Orbit, the original working title of Kapoor and Balmond’s design.
02: News
March 7th 2011 / Student Direct Bolton www.ubsu.org.uk
07.03. 3.11
News
News in Brief
Page 03 Caliban interview
Page 04 Letters & Editorial Your letters to The Mancunion
Page 06 News Feature War Crimes and the Hague War tribunal
Page 10 Union Are you receiving the feedback from the University you deserve?
Page 31
Reviews & film Reviews
Page 33 Opinion Opinion
Page 34 & 35 Sport Sport & fitness
Page 36
Developments in the Middle East Happy beginning of March everyone! Leona Melling
The end of February was far too cold and wet and I hate the beginning of March. I am still not used to this northern weather – maybe those stereotypes about southerners being soft are true? A bit of a personal note from me: this issue I would like to dedicate to Phil Edwards. A man who believed the published word was the best word. So, on with the usual and calling all final year students – remember to complete the national student survey! Details are below. We really count on your views and it honestly will make a gigantic difference for future students. Students that have come before you have made improvements which you have benefitted from! Remember, nominations for elections close on the 14th March. Standing for elections, win or lose, is a life changing experience. Stand up and make a difference. If you’re unsure or have any questions pop into the union offices – someone will always be around for you to speak to. And thank you to everyone who came to the AGM! Also if you’re feeling the cold, remember the Loft bar’s selection of winter warmer drinks. My favourites have to be the over the top hot chocolate and the ginger bread latte! Want to be involved with the newspaper? Email me at suvp@bolton.ac.uk
Daniel Crozier
Developments in the Middle East have drawn the attention of the world, the unforeseeable changes occurring currently in Egypt, Libya, Bahrain, Iran and other countries are continuing to develop in ways the media and governments are observing closely. Violence during transitions has been headline news, unconfirmed sources speculate that some thousand people have been killed in Libya, with the military, foreign mercenaries and aircraft firing on protestors. In a statement the United Nations said; “The members of the Security Council expressed grave concern at the situation in Libya. They condemned the violence and use of force against civilians, deplored the repression against peaceful demonstrators, and expressed deep regret at the deaths of hundreds of civilians. They called for an immediate end to the violence and for steps to address the legitimate demands of the population, including through national dialogue.” Debates have emerged as to what kind of governance the west would like to see in these countries. David Cameron when asked mentioned clichéd phrases like ‘power for the people’ and ‘fair government’. The west is seen to walk a fine line between recommending and dictating the structure new institutions will take. It can be argued that despite the US and other nations wish for Middle Eastern countries to structure themselves according to their citizens wishes, these same
countries may not want the wrong types of power to be instituted. On the recent BBC Question Time programme Melanie Phillips of the Daily Mail said regarding Egypt, “I don’t think anyone can fail to be inspired, which is; the great yearning for freedom among the Egyptian people and indeed more broadly in the Arab world. But I myself am petrified, we’ve seen this before; the Iranian revolution in 1979, when the Shah of Iran was toppled and arguably replaced with a dictatorship which is worse so many decades on. If the Muslim Brotherhood comes to power [In Egypt], freedom for the Egyptian people would go backwards not forwards.” The Violence in Libya prompted the UK to remove UK, US, European and other nationalities with the help of the RAF and Royal Navy. HMS Cumberland has made two journeys between Malta and Benghazi while RAF Hercules cargo planes have made numerous trips transporting stranded ex-pats at risk from looters and mobs. According to BBC News special forces escorted the Hercules cargo planes due to the danger faced, and justifiably as one Hercules
cargo plane was fired upon while attempting takeoff. World leaders have been stating unambiguously in recent days that Colonel Gadaffi’s dictatorship must end. David Cameron when interviewed by the BBC said “We are putting serious pressure on this regime; We have introduced a travel ban, an asset freeze, an export ban and all of this send a very clear message, it is time for Colonel Gadaffi to go….there is no future for Libya which includes him.” President Obama in a recent speech conveyed the message to Libya that no more atrocities should be committed, and in what could be seen as a veiled military threat said “I’ve asked my administration to prepare the full range of options that we have to respond to this crisis. This includes those actions we may take and those we will co-ordinate with our allies and partners, or those that we will carry out through multilateral institutions.” Student Direct will stay up to date with current affairs and continue reporting on the Middle East situation. Due to the daily changing nature of the situation, information presented may be backdated.
News:03
Student Direct Bolton / March 7th 2011 www.ubsu.org.uk
Aaron Porter: “Proud of what we’ve done – but it’s time for a fresh start” NUS President, Aaron Porter, has announced he will not be seeking re-election next month.
Leona Melling
After “considerable soul searching”, Mr Porter has decided against the idea of re-running and believes that NUS needs a new President “to lead the student movement” into the next phase of the campaign against the Government’s plans for Higher Education. The announcement came after a national movement of opposition to Mr Porter’s presidency. In an email to the union members Mr Porter said: “The challenge for a new National President will be great. They’ll need to support students’ unions and student officers to get the best deal for students, whilst running a major national campaign to defeat damaging marketization in education. They’ll need to build activism and radicalism on the ground whilst defending legitimate, democratic students’ unions from attack from our enemies. Above all, they’ll need a fresh outlook- because if we are to reach out, and engage with, the full diversity of our membership, we need to move
beyond the tired rhetoric and redundant tactics of some factional groups. I want to say thank you to the hundreds of students and student officers who have been so supportive this year, and indeed for the nominations for a second term which I had already been sent. It goes without saying that with a white paper on its way, the next four months remain a huge opportunity for the organisation, and I will be relentless in ensuring I do the very best I can in the role. We should continue to be proud of what we have achieved, and it has been an honour to be President at this time. If I have one criticism of this year, it would be that we have not been quick enough to talk about our achievements - and I hope we can pause for a moment to remedy this. Let's push on to make sure we credit ourselves for what we have achieved, and ensure we work together to push NUS and the student movement to the next level.” Support for Mr Porter dwindled since the march against the rise in tuition fees and education cuts on 10 November. His frequent noncommittal statements and actions angered
students. More recently he was forced to leave an anti-cuts rally in Manchester which he was scheduled to speak at. Vice President of Further Education, Shane Chowen, had to finish his speech after he was drowned out with negative chants from the crowds and pelted with eggs. Ashley Howell, President of University of Bolton Students’ Union on hearing the news said: “When Aaron Porter was elected in the last NUS election, I had high hopes for the student movement and couldn’t wait to see how he would lead the students.” “Looking at what Aaron has experienced, I think it is no surprise that he is stepping down as NUS President. Although he has said he thinks that NUS needs a new leader that will steer them in a different direction, I honestly think that the antics of the minority of “militant” students have taken its toll and forced him to make a very tough decision. I personally think that this is real a shame. In some respects I agree with some of the things students have said in regards to us failing to stop the tuition fees from raising, however I do not think that the militant action would have changed the decision. I think that this would have only made it easier for the Government to make the decision they did. I therefore think that Aaron was right in condemning violent action.” “Overall I am quite sad to see Aaron leave but this might be the time where those who have ranted and raved about a need for activism to get their chance to push that agenda and see whether or not it will truly make changes rather than be within the debate.” Aaron Porter was elected as President with a 65% majority and took office in June 2010 having previously served as Vice President (Higher Education) for two terms. Prior to this he graduated from University of Leicester in 2006 with a BA in English and whilst a student spent his time as editor of ‘The Ripple’, the student newspaper for the University of Leicester. He then spent two years as a sabbatical officer and trustee of University of Leicester Students’ Union. Porter backed graduate tax as an alternative method of financing higher education. In response to the review of Higher Education Funding and Student Finance chaired by Lord Browne, the NUS organized a national demonstration in London jointly with the University and College Union (UCU). 50,000 protesters took part in the protest which Porter spoke at. He later condemned the occupation of the Conservative Party’s headquarters.
News in Brief Exams may change for the digital generation Exams should be reformed and go from pen and paper to computerised exams to suit a generation more used to digital learning, Ofqual have said. Ofqual chief executive Isabel Nisbet said the current reliance on handwritten papers “cannot go on. Our school exams are running the risk of becoming invalid, as their medium of pen and ink increasingly differs from the way in which youngsters learn.” Currently, the three exam boards offering exams in England – Edexcel, AQA and OCR – offer only a small numbers of papers that can be done online. Edexcel managing director
LSE students protest over Gaddafi funds Students at the London School of Ecomonics staged a protest against the univeristy’s association with the regime in Libya. It was reported that about 12 students stormed the offices of LSE director, Sir Howard Davies, and an estimated 150 students held a rally outside. The LSE have said it is reconsidering links with Libya as “as a matter of urgency”. However the students are demanding the university pay back the £300,000 it had accepted of the £1.5m grant from a charity wing of the regime. The grant was pledged in 2009 by the Gaddafi International Charity and Development Foundation. The funds have so far been used to develop a research programme on North Africa, focused on politics, economy and society. The protesting students also urged the university to revoke the LSE alumni status of Libyan leader Col Gaddafi’s second son Saif alIslam, who studied at the university gaining both a Master of Science degree and a doctorate. LSE Students’ Union Education offer said "I think it's reprehensible that the university continues to benefit from money that was stolen from the Libyan people and it's only right to return it to the people who are now being murdered in the streets fighting for their freedom. The money should be returned either as scholarships to underprivileged students, or to the families of those who have been murdered and who continue to be murdered." In a statement the university said the LSE director shares the students' revulsion at the recent violence and gross violations of human rights in Libya, and much regrets the association of the School's name with Saif Gaddafi and the actions of the Libyan regime. The School's statement of 21 February made clear that School engagement with the present Libyan authorities, covering a number of programmes, has already finished or has been stopped following the events of the weekend of 19-20 February."
Ziggy Liaquat said “Technology has the potential to transform education by making its delivery more personalised, efficient and effective and more transparent and secure.” AQA chief executive Andrew Hall said that is it really important that students be "assessed in the same way that they learn and using the technologies that are commonplace in the world outside the classroom". However a spokesman for OCR said that their focus "was not to make existing paperand-pen tests electronic but to explore ways that computers can add real value to assessment".
Bolton student awarded prestigious scholarship University of Bolton student, Sharlene Moffat, has been awarded a prestigious engineering scholarship from the Institute of Civil Enginners (ICE). The Queen’s Jubilee Training Scholarship was awarded to the first year HNC Civil Engineering student by the North West division of the ICE. Sharlene moved from her hometown of Dundee for employment about a year ago. She fits her academic work around her job as a Pavement Engineer for Colas UK. She said 'I'm delighted to be receiving the scholarship; it has given me a huge confidence boost. When I applied for it I wasn't sure at first, I never expected to even get an interview as I'd heard that the competition for the scholarships is pretty fierce, so to say I'm happy with the outcome is an understatement.'
Bolton street booze ban Under plans recommended by an influential group of councillors, drinking alcohol could be banned in every street in Bolton. Under the new plan anyone drinking in public would have their alcohol seized by police. Those who refuse this could be given an instant £50 fine or be arrested and fined up to £500 through the courts. This new plan is hoped to reduce drunken anti-social behaviour. Council bosses and police believe there is a real problem caused by youths hanging around with adults who drink in public. Drinking in public is already banned in eight areas of Bolton. The Haulgh, Horwich and Blackrod, Little Lever, Westhoughton, Bolton town centre, Halliwell, Union Road in Tonge Moor and Green Lane in Great Lever.
04: News
March 7th 2011 / Student Direct Bolton www.ubsu.org.uk
Say Hello To Tragedy... Having international status, a following of thousands and possessing a name which reflects their intense sound; German metallers Caliban hit the UK last year. With special thanks to Patrick Grün (drums), Andreas Dörner (vocals) and Marc Görtz (guitar) I was able to have a chat with them before the show. Francesca Visavadia
This is your last tour before you go away to start your next album. What made you want to do this as you only toured last year? Marc: “What made us do this tour? Erm, otherwise we would be at home, being bored. We like playing shows, I mean we didn’t tour much on this album, we did tour right after it came out and a couple of shows in Berlin and that’s it because one tour fell apart because of the volcano so this tour is making up for it.” You are headlining in Europe except for the UK. Why do you think this is? Marc: “Why? Because I think All That Remains are bigger, it seems to happen a lot -” Andreas: “Yeah, they are just bigger than we are, we are bigger in Germany.” Marc: “It seems that German bands have it more hard here, maybe it is because of the World War? I have no idea because it was generations ago. I mean we try to do our best, we put on shows as good as possible and the kids seem to like it. Maybe next year it will be our turn.” Your last album “Say Hello To Tragedy” was inspired by some real events such as the ‘Fritzl case’ (2008) with the song “24 Years”. Why was this important to write about? Andreas: “It was important because it was a big case, this case was very horrible and I had to write about it.” Marc: “People just turned away, looked away, nobody cared. Nobody saw that, for example, it was going on for twenty-four years. That is what the title means; you can’t turn away, you have to open your eyes.”
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What made us do this tour? Erm, otherwise we would be at home, being bored.
What would you say to people who have never heard of your music? Marc: “I think one of the great marks is that we put many styles of music into our music because it is at the same time heavy, breakdown, melodic, heavy screams and heavy-melodic vocals. It is hard to tell what is actually good because we don’t want to come across as arrogant. I think what we do, we do really well. I mean technicalwise it is all thought through, the song-writing is good, the recording and we take a lot of time to actually produce. What matters are the fans, they pay to see us, give us their money and they should get a great show which they deserve. We don’t want to play shitty. Do you currently have any ideas for your next album? Andreas: “We are in the middle of our album record and a cover record with, I don’t know, about six to ten cover tracks so it will be out before summer. We have just finished collecting songs and playing them, we will record them in February.”
Marc: “The cover is really going to be limited edition stuff, so not many copies will be done, maybe some downloads. Our own record couldn’t have been finished for summer and we want to release something that we can play at festivals. We always like to cover songs and turn them into Caliban songs. There will be a mixture of metal songs, rock and pop-rock stuff, like for example tonight we are going to play Rammstein and then at another gig Anthrax, U2 and Pink Floyd. There is high variation.” Tell us a fact about yourself Marc: “I play online shooting games on Playstation3” Andreas: “I like to watch Gilmore Girls haha” If you were not in Caliban, what would you be doing? Marc: “Probably a vegetarian restaurant. I really enjoy cooking Thai food, Asian food and stuff. I have a friend who is a chef and have actually thought about joining him.” Why did you call yourselves ‘Caliban’?
Marc: “It’s a character from In The Tempest of the Storm. We thought the character fitted in with the music. The demonic and dark elements mixed with the moods changing drastically; like slow/fast and melodic/heavy.” Andreas: “I have never read it, but our guitar player was reading it at the time.” Who has been your favourite band to tour with? Andreas: “For me, In Flames.” Marc: “Suffocate, Scars of Tomorrow, In Flames were also nice guys. Machine Head were also pretty nice, the bands that have come for this tour. We have played with many people, many great bands and you sometimes forget. It is hard to say, it is always different.” If you could play a concert anywhere, where would you choose? Marc: [instantly] “Hawaii. Then just stay there for a month.” Andreas: “The moon... or Iceland. I just want to go there, I have never been but I’ve seen pictures.” Marc: “If anybody reads this,
book us to Hawaii.” Are there any treats in store for this tour? Marc: “We are going to play some songs that we have never played before like, “All That I Gave”, “Walk Like The Dead” and our cover song. Today is actually the very first time we will play Rammstein live.” Andreas: “A world premiere” [all laugh] Caliban played a simultaneously eerie and roaring half an hour set. They opened with the intro “Her Darkest Dream”, followed by: “Love Song”, “My Time Has Come”, “It’s Our Burden To Bleed”, “No-One Is Safe”, “I Will Never Let You Down”, “Walk Like The Dead” and Rammstein’s “Sonne”. However owing to some technical difficulties the set was unfortunately cut short by one song. With this in mind let us hope that Marc’s words become a reality: “we may try to maybe come back for just a UK tour, like just for ten days all the UK.” If they do, would you be willing to welcome the beast?
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Student Direct Bolton / March 7th 2011 www.ubsu.org.uk
Reviews & Film Yuk Jamie Coles
Yuk Yuk Release date: 21 February 2011
I’m not old enough to remember the likes of Pixies, Smashing Pumpkins or Sonic Youth but I sure am a fan of the late ‘80s, early ‘90s grunge music which stands firmly as an important part of music history, a fact which has been enforced recently by fresh, new band with a haunting ‘90s grunge revival sound. The band, astonishingly, are from London and go by the name of Yuck. Born out of Daniel
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You don’t have to be different to make a difference
Blumberg and Max Bloom’s collective musical talent which was first showcased to the world in the band, Cajun Dance Party in 2008 (a band which sadly fizzled out after a lonely album, leaving
behind heartbroken fans and disappointed critics alike) Yuck have brought the lo-fi, grungy sound that every teenage Nirvana fan born too late (like me) has had lacking from their life. Their sound is something of power and drive with strong rhythmic basslines, something any Dinosaur Jr fan would recognise, glimmering guitars, reminiscent of Smashing Pumpkins’ 1979 or Tonight, Tonight. The vocals, on the heavier songs, sound distorted, as if recorded on a vintage microphone and are edged right down into the instruments at some points getting lost in the music, think Gouge Away or Wave of Mutilation by Pixies. The quieter, gentler, lullaby-ish tracks evocative of the distant, haunting vocals and melodies of Elliot Smith or the gentler Radiohead tracks. It is, of course, unfair to compare Yuck to such notable bands but observing these likenesses is an inevitable part of experiencing their music as they take us back to
a rosy-romantic time of angst, melancholy and straightforward, durable, hardwearing music (much like the clothes). Yuck’s self-titled debut album opens with the powerful and
Film
Biutiful Biutiful Directed: Alejandro González Iñárritu Starring: Javier Bardem Maricel Álvarez
Helen Dunderdale
The Cornerhouse (Oxford Road, Manchester) is a great place for International Cinema and, if like me you have friends whose first language isn’t English; watching films in their native language with English subtitles often proves to be a great way to spend time together. So, as my friend and I had arranged to meet one Sunday afternoon, I quickly did some research (by the powers of the internet) and discovered the Cornerhouse was showing a film in Spanish with English subtitles – brilliant! I had no idea if what we were about to watch would be worth watching, or if my friend would ever come to the Cinema (El Cine) with me again. However, on arrival I discovered that Javier Bardem (Before Night Falls (2000), Oscar Winner for the role of Anton Chigurh in No Country for Old Men (2007)) was the starring Actor; and this made me feel slightly more confident about my film choice as we settled into our seats. I found everything about this film stunning in the strangest possible way and, at some points, I quite literally gasped in equal measure of shock and horror at the story of
Uxbal (Bardem), a man clearly in turmoil with every aspect of his life. Essentially, Biutiful is a love story between a father and his children and through this further explores his relationship with spirituality, his brother, ex-lover, and his criminal business arrangements with underpaid migrant workers. The film is intense and multifaceted. Every detail, direction, angle and piece of music flows seamlessly as the story twists and turns through the dangerous criminal underworld of modern day Barcelona. The one thing that struck me about this film was its use of imagery and the way it effortlessly captured the essence of Uxbal’s day to day encounters from the grimy apartment in which he and his children live to the appalling living quarters of the immigrant workers which, contrasted beautifully against the stunning backdrop of Barcelona and its many famous landmarks. Visually it was striking yet simple in its direction. Bardem is a seriously talented and engaging actor and gives a truly astounding performance; he gives himself over completely to the portrayal of Uxbal, and subsequently moved me to tears at several points during the course of the film. Uxbal is portrayed as a shifty man flawed in every way but someone with whom I couldn’t help myself empathising with as I watched him struggle with his guilt and attempting to ‘put his house in order’ both physically and spiritually for the sake of his Children. I found myself completely engrossed in this gripping and heartbreaking story, and at some points I wanted to shout out with frustration (thankfully, that didn’t happen). This, I feel, is completely down to
beautiful Get Away; thudding drums are the driving force of the track with a resonant guitar riff and those vintage, broken microphone sounding vocals that sooth the overdriven bass line. It
has a fun, driving around in summer with the windows down and the music up loud type feel that evokes the nostalgic sensibility encouraged by the next 13 tracks. The Wall is it’s follow up, keeping with the hurtling feel of the first track and that warm, wistful sound drawn from their late-‘80s and ‘90s influences. These two tracks start the album with such energy and simplicity that take us, without hesitation, into the rest of record (if you weren’t already convinced). The sound that Yuck have adopted is clearly not an attempt on new, innovative or revolutionary but what they do demonstrate is strong songwriting and variety; Georgia has that distinct grungy Seattle noise but it has a freshness that gives it such strength as a solid track for release. Other notable tracks are Suck, a melodic guitar piece with beautiful vocal hooks, Stutter and Rose Gives A Lilly, all stripped back, restful tracks that draw on the delicacy and emotion that can be evoked from crafted songwriting. Yuck are a great band who show that you don’t have to be different to make a difference, I just hope they can keep the raw, awry affection and driving spirit needed for 20 more years of teenage angst.
WHAT’S ON?: Bolton
Octagon Theatre Romeo and Juliet until 5th March 2011
The Price by Arthur Miller 10th March – 2nd April 2011 In the attic of a soon to be demolished house in 1968 New York, two brothers meet for the first time in sixteen years to sell off the possessions left by their deceased father. Victor had wanted to be a scientist, but settled for life as a cop on the New York streets, while Walter left home to become an eminent surgeon. Reunited, they set about dealing with the pain and misunderstanding that lies at the heart of their relationship, and the sacrifices they have both made. As they confront their history, eighty-nine year old furniture dealer, Soloman (one of Miller's great comic creations), haggles over the remnants of their lives, ready to offer a fair deal. After all, everything has a price. http://www.octagonbolton.co.uk/page/143/Whats+On
Bardem’s performance, and it is not a wonder that he picked up a Best Actor award in Cannes. Biutiful is an extremely fascinating and intricate film that quite literally blew me away. From the minute the film started and until the credits rolled I was literally stunned into silence and, after a very long pause, I managed to utter the word “wow”. Even as we walked the length of Oxford Road we were still discussing and picking apart all the intricacies of the film and deciding on our individual interpretation of what had happened. I desperately want to see it again because I feel that I watched the film so intently that I probably missed some of what was going on in the detail. However, it is no longer showing at the cinema so I will have to wait; in the meantime, I have managed to add it to my DVD rental list even though it is not released until 16th May 2011.
It’s hard not to use the word beautiful to describe this film, but quite simply it really is. The film is in a class of its own and I would strongly recommend it to anyone who likes a film that makes you think and provokes discussion. Since my encounter of Biutiful, I have also watched his performance in Vicky Christina Barcelona (written and Directed by Woody Allen), and I intend to work my way through Bardem’s backcatalogue. Biutiful has been nominated for 2 Academy Awards, a BAFTA, a Golden Globe among countless other film awards. Biutiful was the Winner of the Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards for Best Foreign Film (2010), Winner of Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards for Best Foreign Language Film (2010), and Winner of the Washington DC Area Film Critics Association Awards (2010) for Best Language Film.
Fred Dibnah Unseen! World Film Premieres 3,10,17,24,31st March 2011 Tickets: £5 (£4 concessions)/£20 (£16 concessions) to attend all 5 screenings Tickets can only be booked through the Octagon Ticket Office on 01204 520661. Performance time: 7.30pm at the Bolton Central Library Lecture Theatre Filmmaker Nick Wilding takes you on a never before seen journey into the life of Fred Dibnah with ten new World Premiere documentary films. Screened over five nights in Bolton Library's newly refurbished Lecture Theatre, this is an unprecedented opportunity to see Fred as he's never been seen before! http://www.octagonbolton.co.uk/page/143/Whats+On
Manchester ¡VIVA! 17TH Spanish & Latin American Film Festival From Sat 5 to Sun 27 March Throughout March we’ll be celebrating all things Spanish and Latin American as ¡Viva! Spanish & Latin American Film Festival returns for its 17th year. This year’s exciting programme of events and screenings, includes Mexican epic Daniel Sánchez Arévalo’s latest featureArrancame la Vida, smart satire Gordos, and surrealist film noir La Pantera Negra. http://www.cornerhouse.org/film/season.aspx?ID=272&page=0
34: Opinion
February 7th 2010 / Student Direct Bolton www.ubsu.org.uk
Go Out And Talk: Life David Entwistle
Anyone reading this article is obviously alive. However, there’s more to life than simply being alive. Starting with life changing experiences and ending with individual philosophies, we join the lives of the University of Bolton students. After twenty-two years of work, a divorce and losing over eight stone in weight, one student went to our university to pursue her passion for art. According to her, it was the best thing she has ever done, “I am now a life model. I just see my body as a vessel and am not worried about how I look.” Connor was eager to share the story of the worst week of his life. “It all started after a wonderful night out for a friend’s birthday. On the way home I attempted a cool and in fashion heel click, which ended horrifically with me on the floor and my ankle ligaments torn. The morning after, I awoke unable to walk and with a message from my mother informing me my dog of eleven years had died earlier that day. Later in the week, I was traveling down to Manchester and was involved in a life threatening crash where I picked up injuries. I had no car, no dog and one useful leg, but I was still smiling!” “I came to university and met my
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Don’t live for today, it’s half over with. Live for tomorrow
girlfriend. These last ten months I have changed rapidly and my life has changed drastically.” (Anon) Lee’s life changed when he received the highest mark for film studies ever recorded in Loreto College. “This changed my life as it made me work so much harder and showed what can be done if I can put all my effort behind it. It made me the person I am at university today.” “In 1999, aged seven, I was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumour which damaged a lot of nerves in the brain. I have very limited vision and am classed as blind. This has meant lots of hospital appointments. I’ve recently
been diagnosed with another tumour, this time non-cancerous. I am an artist and people are amazed at what I can see. My abilities have become far more fine-tuned and art has become an inspiration for me. Coming to university had enabled me to live away from home for the first time and I’m enjoying my newfound independence.” “After working for thirty-four years, progressing to learning and development manager for a large food manufacturing organisation, I was increasingly dissatisfied at how I was spending my time. After a restructure of the HR department, I took redundancy and applied for an art course. This brought me to Bolton University as a mature student. I gave up a good salary, package (including a car) and status for what is an improved quality of life.” “I left college in 2003. For the past seven years I worked. Then I decided to continue my education. I find it a bit difficult to cope with marriage and higher education. Anyway, life is what you make it. Currently, I am studying a BA in accountancy at Bolton University. My life has changed so much! I need to manage my time appropriately and concentrate on my studies.” “My life changed on the day I accepted Jesus Christ in my life.” (Amy) Prepare yourself, here’s a list of life philosophies from the students of the University of Bolton:
Conga Confusion Adam Martin
After the apparent popularity of my Valentines story in the last issue I thought I might share another of my love life foul-ups. This one is a little different from the last though because it happened in one of the oh-so fleeting moments of my life when I had a girlfriend. We only saw each other once a week because she lived a fair distance from me so I didn't get too many chances to cock the whole thing up (no pun intended). Come to think of it that was my longest relationship ever so maybe distance does make the heart grow fonder, or doesn't let me say as many stupid things at least. Anyway back to the story, we were at a friend’s birthday celebration, the ale was flowing and people were having a good time. My girlfriend even sat on my knee for a moment so it all seemed to be going very well indeed. Then came the words that all men fear “shall we go for a dance?” I say all men fear these words but it mostly applies to sober men and of course all white men. Not intoxicated white men though. Those guys know they can't dance but have drunk enough to make themselves think they have the smooth
moves as if a they were a young, and most importantly, black Michael Jackson. Despite my better judgement I was dragged onto the dance floor by my lady friend and began bending my knees and throwing my arms in whichever direction had the least people for me to aim at. For a time it was good and a smile found its way on to my face. The smile got even bigger when a pair of lady arms arrived around my waist and started to move my hips to the rhythm of the song. However, it went away when I looked up and saw my girlfriend was on the other side of the dance floor staring what can only be described as pure evil at me. In my panic I became confused and instead of simply turning round and explaining to the lady attached to my arms that I was flattered but taken I instead began to walk. Walk with
the lady still hanging on to me. Yes I was now dragging a total stranger across a dance floor and had no intention of stopping or turning round. When I reached a nearby chum I asked who was behind me. He managed to stop laughing and tell me he didn't know her but she looked very angry. Still without turning round I said “Could you let go of me now please?” in a very feeble voice. The arms released and ran away. I asked a few more people who it was and was informed that the lady in question was a friend of a friend and had left pretty quickly after the incident. My girlfriend and I followed suit soon after and when I suggested that perhaps the girl had just been trying to start a perfectly innocent conga line it only seemed to make things worse. Women are strange like that.
“One life to live. Live it to the fullest.” (Funmilayo) “You live this life, primarily for your afterlife.” (Fiaz) “The harder you work the better you will be.” (Lee) “Do good stuff and good stuff will happen to you.” (Shandice) “Don’t live for today, it’s half over with. Live for tomorrow.” (Amy) “Take it easy.” (Charles) “Enjoy whatever is and don’t be too concerned about the past and the future.” (Patrick) “Treat others as you would like to be treated yourself. There is always someone worse off than you. Life is too short to take too seriously.” (Gareth) “What’s done is done, don’t dwell on it, life is for living – make the most of it.” (Andrea) “Live, love and laugh.” “Live a good life and treat others as you wish to be treated.” (Phil) “Pay it forward – you may not be able to pay back or return the favours people do for you, but you can pass on good deeds and help others in return.” (Becky) “I believe we shouldn’t think about tomorrow until we have finished today. Otherwise we get ahead of ourselves.” (Antonia) “All possibilities are possible, hope for the best.” (Joe) “If you’re truly happy, little else matters.” (Steve) “Treat others as you want to be treated. Don’t judge others. You don’t know what goes on in
people’s hearts.” (Celia) “Work hard, achieve your goals in life.” (Alicia) It is my view that life is richer when filled with shared experiences. With this in mind, why not join one of the many clubs or societies at the University of Bolton? Pop into your Students’ Union office (Chancellors Mall) for more information.
Student Direct Bolton / March 7th 2011 www.ubsu.org.uk
Internet...bit rubbish isn't it? Adam Martin J
Hold on tight people because I'm about to blow your minds. I can remember a time when there was no internet. That's right I have knowledge of that by gone prehistoric time when pandas sneezing and cats playing the piano were reserved for only the most bizarre of cheese-just-before-bed dreams. Another thing I remember is when there were only four channels and the television and phones came attached to walls and had you had to share it with everyone who lived in your house! Seems strange doesn't it? I mean how did we ever get along without the internet and all the happiness it brings? Well I'll tell you, we had to look up facts in books, watch TV shows when the telly companies said we could and most terrifying of all we had to buy our pornography from corner shops and dodgy markets. That's how real men used to buy there porn. The day you affected your deep manly voice, put on that tshirt that made you look at least fifteen and reached up to the top shelf of the newsagents then you knew you were a man. Or that the shop keeper didn't care. But now the
internet has denied a generation of youths this rite of passage. Thanks to the information super highway if you typed “cheese” into google you'd probably get a result where someone is having way too much fun with a hunk of Edam. Also whenever the internet is shown in movies it works perfectly. Someone needs to find how to make his home into a fortress to defend against a gang of terrorists and all he has to do is type those words in and a million results will pop up showing exactly what he needs with clear and precise instructions on how it should be done. In reality if you searched for “house to fortress” you'd be bombarded with images if Doctor House M.D and some fifty year old American's jazz fusion band called “house fortress explosion”. Test used to be reserved for books and newspapers and having a chat
Feature: 35
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The internet has changed the world
with someone often meant that they had to be in the same room as you! How primitive it all seems now of course. There is no denying that the internet has changed the world and the way we live but occasionally I do find myself thinking about the days when everyone would talk about the same thing that was on TV the night before. It didn't even to matter what channel you had even been watching as you had a one in four chance of being right anyway. Ah simpler times...
SPOG- Save baby Adam Martin
I have cause to question my gaming manliness this week. I've been playing Dead Space 2 and it has made me jump more than it should have. At one point I threw my joypad into the wall because a beasty, I thought was dead, jumped up and tried to eat my face. I also shrieked like a little girl but I'm okay with that as I do all the time - the most common cause being when I realise I've eaten all my minstrels. The main reason Dead Space has caused me to hang my head in shame though is the amount of times I've saved my game. Every time a save station has presented itself I've pounced on it like it is a life raft on the Titanic. Not only that but if I'd just finished off a particularly tricky enemy or puzzle I'd high tail it back to the last save spot I'd seen, even if it meant a long trip in the wrong direction. This is wimpy even for me. So when did I become this man? When did I lose my gaming bottle? Perhaps it's just an issue of laziness. The idea of having to go over a section I've already played just leaves me
cold. But why should that happen all of a sudden? When I was jumping goombas and collecting coins in the 8-bit Mario world if I died it meant the end of the level and maybe even the whole game would have to be started again but I always kept plugging away. Nowadays I get angry if my last checkpoint is more than ten virtual meters away from where I died! And dying isn't even a big deal any more. If my head gets removed or I fall down the edge of a cliff I know that I'll be back up and kicking within a few seconds. I remember the first game that let me save at any point and
frankly I went a bit mad with it. By the end I think I'd racked up over a hundred saves and was clicking pause and save just because I didn't feel like repeating a two yard jump. I think that current games have made me this way. Now, with the many checkpoints and the disappearance of the “game over” screen almost entirely, I've become a flabby feeble minded gamer. It's time to queue up the rocky theme music, break out the Mega Drive with Streets of Rage and get back into some old school game training. It's time to get my ten year old thumbs back!
time when you feel like you have nothing to do, you are obviously not doing your job! The work doesn’t always find you, and most of the time you need to be self-motivated and free thinking to be able to analyse some of the issues that are presented in order to positively strengthen the student experience. As you are also ‘the face’ of the Students’ Union it is also important to be professional at all times, the impressions you make doesn’t only reflect yourself but on the Students’ Union also.
would normally take years to achieve, The Students’ Union is a unique organisation where you start at the top of the ladder, rather than conventionally at the bottom. After my two Sabbatical years, I believe the experience I have gained from working at the Students’ Union has definitely helped my future employability, and opened my eyes to a sector that I would never have previously thought about working in. I don’t think I will ever forget the experience.
Final Thoughts? Becoming a Sabbatical Officer in the Students’ Union in many ways, is a fast track to developing the free thinking management and leadership skills and experience that
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Why run for a position in the University of Bolton Student’s Union (UBSU) elections? Rob Church
When I was in the final year of my degree, I saw how some of my friends had been involved in the Union and how they had made positive changes for the benefit of students. It was then that I realised I wanted to get involved. In this case the motto ‘better late than never’ is definitely accurate. I made the decision to run in the elections, and subsequently won and secured myself the position of Vice President. The next thing I knew I was working 5 days-a-week as the voice for all students at the University, influencing decision makers and networking within a national organisation. I wanted to graduate from my business degree and work for a multi-national blue chip organisation. However, in taking what could be seen as a placement year working in the Students’ Union, I have successfully developed an array of skills and gained valuable
experience for example; · Creating innovative ways of engaging students with UBSU, and contribute as a benefit to the local community, i.e. Jailbreak (£1,000 addition to RAG), Freshers’ Helpers and an Alton Towers Trip. · Spending time in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE campus attending first graduation and running a student representative workshop for their student council. · Managing operation of our services to the same sufficient standard (some areas better) whilst operating on a 17.7% block grant budget reduction over the past 3 years. · Negotiating between UBSU and University Executives in order to withstand any additional cuts, writing a Value for Money report to enhance this. What do you do in a typical UBSU day? One of the most exciting things about my job is the diversity of dayto-day challenges. I am in constant contact with a range of problems and issues. Much of my work is undertaken on a 1-to-1 basis to support students through their personal academic issues and mishaps, and subsequently, raising
any issues further with key University staff. I am also accountable for the financial future and stability of the Students’ Union as a whole, and the direction in which it steers its services. I am not going to lie; there is quite a lot of ‘red tape’ to jump through working in partnership with the university, but once something is achieved - it gives me such a great feeling Any advice to give? Quite often you will find yourself quite literally ‘out there’, out of your comfort zone, stressed-out, possibly even scared at times but, in the back of your mind you have the constant reminder that your actions are making a positive change for the benefit of students. To help you along the way, the Students’ Union has a team of full time staff who have
a wealth of experience in their respective fields who are always prepared to help, support and guide you with anything you need. As much as it is important to have fun as a sabbatical officer, at the same time it is important to remember that the job is also very important. The support you give to students can have a lasting impact. The amount of time and money invested into Higher Education by any individual student makes it overly important that their experience is the best it can be. Having good time management and prioritising skills are essential. Assistance from the full time staff team can only go so far. You are responsible for the driving force of the Students’ Union as a whole, and the direction of others. If there is a
Telephone: (01204) 900 850 Website: www.ubsu.org.uk FB: facebook.com/UBSUnion
36: Bolton Sport
March 7th 2011 / Student Direct Bolton www.ubsu.org.uk
Contact the editors at: suvp@bolton.ac.uk
Getting fit… without
going to the gym! Keep on running….. Our Monday weigh-in is always filled with dread, and as we walk over to the gym we contemplate what we’ve done over the week and whether we think we’ve lost or gained weight. As it turns out, this week I was the biggest looser with a whopping -1lb off my previous weight of 9 stone 8lb, even though I had over indulged on alcohol over the weekend. Leona on the other hand had visited a spa; and all the pampering and 3 course meals had resulted in a disappointing +4lb weight gain. Monday 21st February 2011. I’ve got to say, I didn’t feel much like running anywhere when I looked outside this morning at the grey drizzly town that is Bolton, particularly not at 6am in the morning anyway. So, I took my gym wear to work hoping that I would find some motivation from my ‘team mate’. Needless to say, that didn’t happen and I can categorically say that neither of us are looking forward to this self
imposed challenge. So, after work we dragged ourselves through the drizzle to Leona’s house and got changed. On my way downstairs, I discovered she was smoking a cigarette in the doorway and at this point, I wasn’t holding out much hope of doing any ‘actual’ running. Armed with only a bottle of water (and no-where to put the change) we strode briskly towards Queens Park and were faced with a steep incline. “Which way are we going?” enquired Leona. “Up there (obviously)!” I retorted in a sarcastic tone as Leona’s face crumpled in disgust. Once we’d generated enough motivation, we ‘ran’ to the top and all I could hear behind me was Leona panting “That was more knackering than 45 minutes of Zumba!” Once more, I hung my head in dismay as I tried to encourage her to carry on ’walking’ along a stretch of flat terrene. A couple of minutes later we’d gone from walking to jogging
and back to walking, again on the incline I was at the top whilst Leona trailed behind somewhere at the bottom. Leona sat on a bench whilst I ran up and down some stairs and again, she waited whilst I sprinted a circuit of the flower beds. Running (although it was largely Leona’s idea), was not getting off to a great start and I contemplated finding a new partner for day two. Tuesday 22nd February 2011. Leona arrived at the office with a hangover and declared herself ‘out of the race’. So, up in the Loft bar at lunchtime (whilst indulging in a luxury hot chocolate), I snagged myself a new running partner. I can’t say that my second attempt at running went that well. Firstly, I had problems getting my breathing regulated - I put that down to the fact that I was chewing gum and secondly, part of the way around I developed a stitch. Today’s session was a mix
of running, jogging, walking (sorry Dan) and a bit of sprinting through Queens Park and Overdale Cemetery. On the whole I enjoyed the experience, the evening sky was pretty as day turned into night via a spectrum of violet skies; the air was cold and the company pleasant. If I looked objectively at yesterdays foray into running as a ‘false start’, I am pleased with today’s progress. Next time, I will find something to strap down my mp3 player instead of trying to keep it in place tucked somewhere in my sports bra and, I
may take a jumper that is less bulky (that I don’t feel the need to remove, tie around my waist and then put back on again) and I also need to figure out where to put my keys. Having mapped our journey this morning, it turns out we’d covered almost 2 miles, so I’m pretty pleased and I aim to continue with running, but probably not if it’s pouring down with rain. I might even be tempted to try the 5km at Manchester Platt Fields Park on Saturday, but I’m not overly enthused by the 9am start. I think my personal preference
is leaning towards more ‘social’ forms of exercise activities such as Salsa dancing and the Zumba classes however, maybe once I’ve got a bit better at running I will be able to socially interact with my running partner rather than just pant.
Running Rating: Leona: 2/10 Helen: 7/10 Quote: “Who invented running?” - Leona