The National Student May 2009

THE NATIONAL

STUDENT Asher roth FREE

Talks college, hip-hop, weed and teaching in this month’s

magazine

May 2009

Death threat made to Leeds student atheist is latest in long-line of attacks on atheist societies on campus

Atheists hit with death threats

The best of this summer’s festivals previewed in this month’s magazine

Star Trek

reviewed

magazine

The National Student has discovered that a death threat made during an atheist event in Leeds is the latest example of ongoing opposition and alleged prejudice towards atheist societies on campus. During an event held between April 19 - 25 called ‘Rationalist Week 09’ organised by Leeds University Atheist Society and billed as ‘the country’s largest atheist festival’ a member of the society allegedly received a face to face death threat. It is said the student, who wishes to remain anonymous, was threatened while patrolling outside the festival tent at night. The victim in question has decided not to

go to the police, but police in Leeds are now investigating vandalism that also occurred during the event. This is the second death threat received by the society, the last one being made by university’s Muslim society, member’s state. They believe that this most recent threat may have also been made by the same people. The previous death threat was made because the Leeds University Atheist Society wanted to show material in a debate about free speech that was deemed offensive to Islam, in this case the infamous Danish cartoons. News of the death threat and vandalism in Leeds came on the same day that the Southampton University

Atheist Society were finally permitted, after two months of extensive blocks from their Muslim Society and SU, to hold a debate on the limits of free speech. The debate was only permitted with police presence and security guard searches of student attendees, who claimed they were treated with suspicion and made to feel like they’d ‘done something wrong’. The Pro Vice Chancellor attended and thanked the Atheist Soc for making a vital contribution to campus life by standing up for freedom of speech. The process started two months ago when Southampton Atheist Society sought to run a debate about

freedom of speech featuring a screening of Geert Wilders’ controversial anti-Islamic short-film ‘Fitna’. The university’s Muslim Society launched a petition which gained much support gathering 180 signatures against the event. In response the students’ union intervened in the running of the event putting some conditions on the Atheist Society for them to be allowed to proceed. The atheists had to hire security guards when traditionally, Southampton societies don’t charge students for anything and have no income, and the event could only take place with police presence. Continued on page 5

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The National Student works closely with student publications across the UK. We are happy to accept news, comment, features, and reviews on any subject. Contact us at: The National Student PO Box 7731 Derby DE1 0RW or email: editor@ thenationalstudent.co.uk or phone: 0845 46 300 46 The National Student is the independent, monthly newspaper for higher education students in the UK. Published by Defender Newspapers, PO Box 7731 Derby DE1 0RW © 2009 All content is the copyright of Defender Newspapers unless otherwise stated thenationalstudent.co.uk

Oxford May Day Lemmings return May Day revellers returned to throw themselves off Oxford’s Magdalen Bridge today, four years after 40 people were injured and the bridge closed. Several students flung themselves off the bridge and one person was arrested during today’s celebrations. Following the disasterous May Day in 2005 when many students were injured throwing themselves off the bridge into shallow waters the bridge had been shut during tradition celebrations to stop leaps into the River Cherwell. The ambulance service said treating those injured after they jumped from the bridge in 2005 cost them £50,000. The bridge was reopened at about 6.45am but shortly afterwards several people jumped. Naomi Stokes and Christopher Wortom both students at Oxford Brookes University took

the plunge. Standing on the bridge afterwards, Stokes told the BBC: “We really wanted to celebrate May Day somehow but unfortunately we missed the first bit which is a shame.” “But I think we got here for the best bit - it was great. I want to come back and jump every year” “It was fun, a bit cold, but definitely worth it.” Mark Blandford-Baker, home bursar of Magdalen College, said despite the idea of it being a long standing tradition the bridge jumping only started in the early 1980s. “It is irritating when people try to portray the bridge jumping nonsense as a tradition that goes back for decades.” “People in years gone by had more sense than to want to throw themselves several feet in to a shallow river and run a high risk of broken bones and sprains,” he said. by John Marvis

NUS welcomes 0% student loan interest rate PA

The National Student welcomes contributions.

Revellers plummer into the River Cherwell

NUS has welcomed this month’s Government announcement that they will charge a 0% rate of interest on student loans. The Student Loans Company will apply 0% interest rate from 1 September 2009 – 31 August 2010 across the UK. The rate of interest makes no difference to borrowers’ monthly repayments. Borrowers repay 9% of their earnings over the income threshold of £15,000. Whatever the rate of interest is, that monthly repayment will not change. The repayment threshold will remain at £15,000 for the next 12 months. This will affect those who have an outstanding student loan taken out after September 1998 as well as applicants for both maintenance loans and tuition fee loans in the current and next academic year. NUS President Wes Streeting said, “We are pleased that the Government has listened to NUS’ concerns about how badly graduates are being affected by the current economic crisis.”

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Stressed out Think-tank recommends shutting ‘struggling universities’ students sink pints and performance

New unit awareness campaign to help students stay on top of their game As university students across the country gear up for exam season, a new survey reveals that a combination of study stress and university drinking culture could be causing their performance to plummet. While drinking is seen as a big part of the student lifestyle by half (52%) of all students, the same proportion (51%) admit that drinking too much is stopping them from performing at the top of their game. The survey, commissioned by Diageo Great Britain, to mark the launch of a new responsible drinking campaign in student union bars, reveals that one in five students (22%) admit to drinking more when they are feeling under pressure. That pressure is hitting its peak as exams lurk around the corner, with more than two thirds (67%) of students claiming that exams are their biggest source of stress - ranking higher than relationships and money. By having a few too many pints to escape exam stress, students could be causing themselves more problems with nearly half (48%) of all university students admitting they have missed a lecture or a seminar after drinking too much on a big night out and almost half (46%) reporting that they have been unable to study or revise effectively the next day. The findings of the study also suggest that students need to swot up on what’s in their drinks to help them avoid next-day disaster. Less than a quarter (24%) of students are able to correctly identify the number of units in a pint of beer, barely a third (34%) are clear on how many are in a glass of wine and only one in three (32%) know how many units are in a gin and tonic. To help students recognise when they are drinking more than their recommended daily guidelines, Diageo is launching new unit awareness tools in student union bars. Beer mats, bar runners, pool balls and posters showcasing different types of drinks and their equivalent number of units are being distributed to student campuses across Great Britain. Ama Uzowuru, Vice President of Welfare at NUS, said: “There’s no doubt that students are under increased pressure at exam time but drinking too much can add to that stress. These new unit awareness tools are a great way for students to identify exactly how much they are drinking so that they can make the most of their social life without compromising their studies.”

Tories to close unis? Conservativelinked, right-wing think-tank Policy Exchange have made the provocative suggestion that struggling universities should be shut or taken over by the private sector. Although the lips of David Cameron’s party are tightly sealed on what they would do with universities, the think-tanks report Sink or Swim? Facing Up to Failing Universities could be seen as an indication of the future of some institutions under a Tory government. The government should accept the idea that universities should go out of business, claims Policy Exchange. The report highlights that universities receive £8bn in public money with no threat of closure if they fail. Anna Fazackerley, head of education at the think tank, claims the culture of saving universities means they are “unable to learn lessons from failure”. The report adds, “The idea of a university going to the wall is one that we have steadfastly ignored in Britain for many years.”

Universities need to be more publicly accountable due to the massive public investment in higher education argues the report. “An environment in which all vice-chancellors and governors know that if they get into trouble they will be bailed out can only encourage bad practice,” the report concludes. And with the recession putting pressure on public and private funding, the think tank says that the prospect of a university having to close down is “a nettle that we must finally grasp”. It highlights the financial dependency on the higher fees paid by overseas students of many institutions and the serious risks that could follow if there were any decline in numbers. Despite the talk of shutting unis much of the report is more about mergers than outright closures. There have been 27 since 1997 with little or no publicity. Fazackerley has said the social and economic costs of a major university going under would be so great that a merger would inevitably be the preferred option.

David Cameron

Students could earn interest on loans Deflation means that students may be given rebates on student loans unless interest rate calculations are changed. Interest on student loans is calculated with reference to the Retail Prices Index (RPI), which in March showed inflation to have dropped to -0.4%. It is the first time Britain has experienced deflation since 1960. Interest is calculated in March but applied in September, meaning that current economic changes would not impact on loans

until later this year. The fall in inflation effectively means that students would start to earn interest on their loans, rather than pay it, and could result in rebates for some graduates. However, this will only be the case if the way that interest is calculated is not changed. A spokeswoman for the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills, which is in charge of policy making for the Student Loans Company, said that they are in discussions

Finalists announced in NUS Awards

Over 30 students have been announced as finalists across 12 categories in the 2009 NUS Awards. The NUS Awards, held in partnership with Endsleigh Insurance recognise the inspirational work carried out by individual students,

student media and students’ unions across the UK. Finalists were selected from almost 200 nominations. The winners will be announced at a ceremony to be held in London on June 12. Achievements recognised included local campaigns,

with the Treasury and will ‘consider the options available’. She added that the department hopes to ‘make an announcement shortly’. The DIUS has indicated that the situation will have been clarified well in advance of the annual change to interest rates in September. Interest on ‘mortgagestyle’ fixed rate loans taken out before 1998 must track RPI rates, even if they go into deflation. Post-1998 rates, in contrast, are based on the annual March RPI or the highest bank base rate,

whichever is the smaller, plus 1%. The Student Loans Company has also recently announced a new loan recovery system for outstanding loans. In a news release on its website, the company said that it will be contacting graduates who have consistently defaulted on loan payments. It threatened that those whose salary exceeds the maximum for deferment will be registered with UK Credit Reference Agencies. The changes only apply to those on post-1998

student representation, journalism and significant individual achievement in the face of personal challenge or adversity. One finalist, Adam Swallow of University of Nottingham Students’ Union summed up the sentiment of many of the nominees, “I was both pleasantly surprised and

very honoured to have been selected as a finalist in this year’s NUS Awards. I have thoroughly enjoyed every second of my involvement in the student movement … To be able to make a difference to the lives of students and the community.” The judging panel included representatives from NUS,

by Jessica Davies

loans which are tied to RPI. The company emphasised that options are available for those who need to defer or work out a new repayment plan. Before the fall into deflation last month, students had been paying the highest rate of interest on loans since the early nineties, at 4.8% throughout 2007/08. The SLC has said that interest in 2009/10 will not exceed this year’s rate of 3.8%. the education and third sectors. NUS President Wes Streeting said: “The NUS Awards are a unique opportunity to demonstrate the successes of students and the valuable contribution they make to their fellow students, university or college and the wider community.”

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Man jailed after Bodleian bomb hoax A man has been jailed for eight months for pretending to have planted a bomb in the Bodleian Library, Oxford. Steven Thomas, 34, phoned Oxfordshire police from a public call box and told them there were “incendiary devices set up in the Bodleian.” Thomas, told police to evacuate the library during the call on November 24 last year. The police did not evacuate the Bodleian after receiving the call. They traced the number to the phone box and found Thomas there 20 minutes after the phone call had been made. The prosecution, Clare Tucker described how the arresting officer found him. “His speech was slurred, he was unsteady on his feet and the officer could smell intoxicating liquor.” His defence, Lucy Tapper, said, “The call seems to have been ill thought through and not really a genuine attempt.” Tapper said of Thomas, “He is someone who is academically gifted and musically gifted.” He was given his eight month sentence on April 17 by Recorder Guy Hungerford. Thomas had alcohol and drug problems. He claimed that he was suffering from paranoid delusions and could hear voices in his head telling him to do bad things in order to be punished. Thomas, of Awgar Stone Road, in Wood Farm, Oxford, admitted communicating false information with intent. One first year student, who also suffers from paranoid

Tune in to Twitter radio

delusions, said, “There’s a fine line between malingering - pretending to be suffering from delusions - and actual paranoia but if the symptoms he describes are true, prison will not be helpful; he needs to be sectioned.” Thomas said that the incident had been a cry for help. The University declined to comment on Thomas’ sentencing, but did say that they have plans in place if an evacuation were to be considered necessary by the police. They run regular fire

drills. The terror threat at Oxford is considered high by the police and University. Recorder Hungerford said of the Thomas case, “This kind of thing can only add to the public’s anxiety.” Threats to University buildings in the past have chieflybeendirectedtowardsits controversial animal research facility. Police have had to deal with arson attempts at the site. University Buildings have also been evacuated before due to a false anthrax scare. by Nicky Henderson

A student from Queen’s University Belfast has come up with a fun and unique way of keeping track of what people across the world are up to each day on Twitter. Mark McKeague, 20, from Culdaff in County Donegal, has invented a radio which tunes in to and broadcasts messages posted on the hugely popular social networking site. He uses an antique radio to receive the tweets and has organised them into stations such as ‘Happy Twitter’ and ‘Sad Twitter’ based on the tone of the messages. “I found the radio when I was at home for Christmas, and I knew it was perfect with its old-fashioned style and feel. I took the radio apart and added an Arduino micro-controller to pick up movement on the

tuning dial of the radio. “I also added a connection to the radio’s speaker. This allowed me to connect the radio to the computer. I could then download tweets and send them to the radio which means the users can tune into spoken tweets.” Mark, who is studying for his final year of BSc Music Technology at Queen’s, came up with the idea when he was thinking about the amount of information that is broadcast on the internet. “There is so much information being broadcast and most of it goes unread and unnoticed. I wanted to find a new way to use this information. I looked to how we tuned into broadcasts in the past, and wondered if this could be applied to today’s technology,” he said. The Twitter service

has millions of people registered, who are broadcasting countless messages every day. Several 2008 US presidential campaigns also used Twitter as a publicity mechanism, including President Barack Obama. And although Twitter Radio is a dream gadget for many, Mark says it isn’t ready to hit the shelves just yet. “I don’t have any plans to commercialise yet as the radio is still very young in terms of its conception and design and at the moment is set up as an installation piece,” said Mark. “I’m continuing work in this area of Interaction design in my portfolio module this semester, and would be interested in developing the radio further.” by Jonathan Kennedy

Graduates fear gloomy job prospects

Students help stage music festival

STUDENTS at MidCheshire College are helping to stage one of the North West’s biggest music festivals. The college has teamed up with Whatfest 2009, with music students and staff set to host their very own stage at the three-day extravaganza. The festival, which is being staged at Riverside Organic Farm, at Whatcroft, Cheshire, from July 17, is expected to attract around 10,000 music fans, with indie heroes Dodgy and The Bluetones set to headline. Mid-Cheshire College viceprinciple Simon Andrews said: “Whatfest is a fantastic opportunity for Mid-Cheshire College to showcase its wealth

of music talent as well as promote our fully operational record label ‘Inclusive Records’. “The MCC stage will host DJs and bands from the college’s music department and the sound and lighting crew will be supported by our music technology students giving them invaluable practical experience.” Student discounts are now on offer for the festival with tickets priced at £15 for a day pass, and just £35 for the entire weekend. Camping is also available throughout the weekend at just £3-per-day. For tickets, and up to the minute news on the Whatfest line-up, go to whatfest.co.uk

The number of final year students who have secured a definite job offer this year has dropped by a third, compared with 2008, a poll of 16,000 students has found. The findings, released by High Fliers Research, found that only 36% of those finishing undergraduate degrees this summer expect to find a job after university, with confidence in graduate employment slumping to a fifteen-year low. As the recession bites, half of graduates fear that if they do manage to find a job, they will be made redundant within 12 months, or the offer will be withdrawn before they even start work. The research, which polled the views of a fifth of final year undergraduates, was conducted across thirty top UK universities last month, as part of the annual UK Graduate Careers Survey. This is the first year that teaching has been the

top career destination for university leavers, with more students seeking out the relative security of the public sector. In contrast, the number of graduates applying to investment banks has dropped by a third this year compared to 2008, and applications for jobs in property have also fallen sharply. With little faith in the jobs market, more than 25% of final year students are opting to stay on at university for postgraduate study. Students graduating this summer are the first to have paid higher tuition fees of up to £3,000 per year, throughout their university career. Graduates from the ‘Class of 2009’ expect to owe an average of £15,700, more than a third more than the average debt of £11,600 in 2008. Starting salary expectations are down, however, for the first time since the survey was first conducted in 1995. Managing director of High Fliers Research,

Martin Birchall, said that students are “gloomy and frustrated about their employment prospects”. “Although many students began their job search earlier than usual and made an increased number of applications to employers, noticeably fewer have been successful in securing a graduate position than last year,” he said. “Having invested an average of £15,000 on their degrees, tens of thousands of finalists are now set to leave university without a job offer and feel they have little prospect of finding work in the immediate future.” Samantha Beats, final year psychology student at Cardiff University, finds the prospect of graduating during the recession “terrifying”. “I know that if I was to enter into the job market now I would have to be willing to take something that I didn’t plan to do and which will probably not be

at graduate level, and the idea of working up all this debt only to be placed in a job which I could have done straight out of A-Levels is depressing.” Beats is now thinking about staying on at university for further study, something that she hadn’t considered previously. “Hopefully by the time I finish postgraduate study the economy will be recovering and there will be better employment prospects, but of course then I will have even more debt and I am unsure my parents will be able to support me as much as they have done due to the recession. I’ve seen first-hand how any form of career ambition has to be put on hold during a recession, my brother graduated last year and has been working in a bar ever since as he hasn’t been able to get any other job.” by Rhianna Morton

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Are atheists under fire on campus? Continued from front page The motives of the atheists were also questioned - it was suggested that they wanted to show the film to stir up religious hatred and debate the validity of Islam. These accusations were met with outrage from members of the Atheist Society. Between February and April it seemed possible that the Atheist Society was going to collapse due to public pressure. However, Jens Christensen, President of the Atheist Society made persistent efforts to claim that freedom of speech and whether or how it should be limited was the subject of the debate and nothing more. Eventually the screening went ahead on Tuesday April 21, the same week in which Leeds Atheist Society received further death threats. It is claimed that before entering the venue, some of the 20-25 students had food and drink confiscated and were frisked by police and security. Muslim students were invited to the event but none

attended on the evening. The event began with a speech by the Pro Vice Chancellor, Debra Humphris, outlining what the event was about and appealing for good conduct with no violence. The debate concluded that there should be no limits on free speech, although suggested that the vulnerable could be manipulated by propaganda like Fitna. A second year physicist called Joss concluded: “You can’t get rid of hateful ideas by silencing them - that just drives them underground where they get worse. It’s only by hearing these ideas that you can reply to them with counter arguments.” In response the Muslim Society are planning a talk called ‘An Intellectual Response to the Concept of Freedom of Speech’. The Atheist Society have now set up a joking petition to allow the event to go ahead without any fuss. Speaking at the debate Jens Christensen, said, “I advocate free speech because it is pragmatically observed to be a good way of doing things. Good ideas

tend to resonate more than bad ones, and hence our civilization benefits from everyone being able to speak freely. “Hate speech” is a sub category of “free speech”, typically it is intentionally offensive, based almost solely on personal opinions and designed to rally one population at the expense of another. The problem is that almost all opinions fielded about society from the most banal comment on public spending to the vile rantings of a white supremacist would fall somewhat into this category, and so the very act of judging if language counts as hate speech is subjective. Who is it offensive to?” “We can’t really judge it by its inoffensiveness to a majority, since then a racial slur against a minority would really not an issue.” Chloë Clifford-Frith, AHS Press Officer told The National Student that she believes atheist and agnostic students are experiencing prejudice on campus, “One of the reasons the AHS exists is to support uni groups who experience these problems. The level of suspicion with which the

New agents in fight against superbugs Experts from Queen’s University Belfast have developed new agents to fight MRSA and other hospital-acquired superbugs that are resistant to antibiotics. The fluids are a class of ionic liquids that not only kill colonies of these dangerous microbes but can also prevent their growth. The development of the new agents was carried out by a team of eight researchers from the Queen’s University Ionic Liquid Laboratories (QUILL) Research Centre, led by Brendan Gilmore, lecturer in Pharmaceutics at the School of Pharmacy, and Martyn Earle, Assistant Director of QUILL. Many types of bacteria, such as MRSA, exist in colonies that adhere to

the surfaces of materials. The colonies often form coatings, known as biofilms, that protect them from antiseptics, disinfectants, and antibiotics. “We have shown that, when pitted against the ionic liquids we developed and tested, biofilms offer little or no protection to MRSA, or to seven other infectious micro-organisms,” said Mr Earle. Ionic liquids are salts just like table salt that consist entirely of ions, which are electrically-charged atoms or groups of atoms. Unlike table salt, however, which has to be heated to over 800 degrees Celsius to become a liquid, the ionic liquid anti-biofilm agents remain liquid at the ambient temperatures found in hospitals.

by Jonathan Kennedy The commercialisation of this work is being supported through an Invest Northern Ireland, the province’s economic development agency. The goal for the team at Queen’s is to design ionic liquids with the lowest possible toxicity to humans while wiping out colonies of bacteria that cause hospital acquired infections. Mr Gilmore said: “Ionic liquid based anti-biofilm agents could potentially be used for a multitude of medical and industrial applications. For example, they could be used to improve infection control and reduce patient morbidity in hospitals and therefore lighten the financial burden to healthcare providers.”

News Editor wanted The National Student is looking for a student journalist to edit our news section. For more details contact:

[email protected]

atheist societies have been treated in both cases is sadly quite common and a readily understood prejudice. There is a popular idea at present is that religious beliefs should be protected from criticism, because the religious are easily offended. This is misguided, not to

Prof. Richard Dawkins mention rather patronising to religious people, because while human beings inherently deserve respect, ideas are open for debate. This a crucial aspect of a free society.” “Student Unions may feel pressured to automatically side with religious groups because of the current

trend, and religious groups are increasingly demanding immunity from having their ideas discussed. It should be noted that in both incidents neither of the Muslim Societies were actually even being targeted for criticism.” She also explained that there are many examples of such prejudice on campus and in wider society, “Leeds have experienced death threats, vandalism, theft and SU discrimination in the past. Warwick Atheists were also stripped of their ‘Best New Society’ award and prize money in 2008 after a complaint that a poster for one of their talks was offensive. The award, but not the prize money was returned some months later. Some societies have experienced problems with their SUs refusing to ratify their existence. Again, this is symptomatic of a wider suspicion of people who profess to be atheists - as if there is something threatening about not believing in a god or gods. Even Prof Richard Dawkins, when attempting to set up the charitable educational

foundation ‘The Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science’, had his forms returned to him with the suspicious question: ‘Please explain how “science” has benefited humanity’!” Still under the banner of the AHS atheist students are looking to expand the voice of non-religious students on campus. It is their aim to help at least 15 universities hold a ‘Rationalist Week next year and regardless of the problems the Leeds event has been considered a success. The Leeds event ran for 24 hours a day for 7 days in a large tent baring a ‘there is no god’ sign over the entrance. It was the festival’s third year and it is expected, once again, to draw crowds of hundreds across the week. Events can even be watched online via a live webfeed. A programme of interfaith and other educational events included ‘It’s Only Water’ - concerning homeopathic medicine, a church service to the cult god the Flying Spaghetti Monster and the ironic ‘Why are evil dictators always atheists?’.

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Exeter MCR stripped of Page 3 A mystery member of Exeter College, Oxford has been ripping The Sun’s notorious Page 3 from the Middle Common Room’s (MCR) copy of the newspaper. The vandalism went on “daily, diligently” until a warning message sent to MCR members put a stop to the defacement. The page, which features a photo of a scantily clad female, was torn out each morning, preventing others from reading stories on the other side. Sahana Ghosh, the vicepresident of the MCR, told members of the college, “Tearing a page out is NOT an acceptable way of showing enjoyment or disapproval-the paper is meant for all members of the MCR and this does not please members who find an unreadable story because the first half is gone every single morning.” The motive behind the incidents is still unknown, but several members of the college have suggested the move was a political statement. One MCR member said, “My inkling is that it was a religious or

feminist protest rather than a Page 3 collector.” One first year History and Politics student commented, “I think that person should be applauded, as it is disgusting that we are still degrading women in what is the biggest selling paper in the country.” But whatever the motive, the MCR is determined to put a stop to it. Ghosh warned graduates, “We have ways and means of finding out who is doing this and so there are suspects. In other words, you are being watched, so please stop.” She told students, “The MCR pays good money for its newspapers and will not tolerate vandalism of its property.” The culprit may also face disciplinary action, she warned. Anyone objecting to the page for moral reasons should bring the issue up through official channels. She said, “If it irks you so much, bring it up and we can assure you a fair hearing.” by Izzy Boggild-Jones

‘Political correctness is a term used by the Right to get people to shut up, and by authoritarian governments to ensure that nobody writes anything bad about them’

- Ian Hislop - page 11

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Formula 3 racing car powered by chocolate and steered by carrots Researchers at the University of Warwick unveiled the “WorldFirst Formula 3 racing car” which is powered by chocolate, steered by carrots, has bodywork made from potatoes, and can still do 125mph around corners, earlier this month. It was ready to be driven on May 5. It is the first Formula 3 racing car designed and made from sustainable and renewable materials, putting the world first by effectively managing the planet’s resources. The car meets all the Formula

3 racing standards except for its biodiesel engine which is configured to run on fuel derived from waste chocolate and vegetable oil. Formula 3 cars currently cannot use biodiesel. Dr Kerry Kirwan from the research team said: “Components made from plants form the mainstay of the car’s make up, including a race specification steering wheel derived from carrots and other root vegetables, a flax fibre and soybean oil foam racing seat, a woven flax fibre bib, plant oil based lubricants and a biodiesel engine configured to run

on fuel derived from waste chocolate and vegetable oil. It also incorporates a radiator coated in a ground-breaking emission destroying catalyst.” Project Manager, James Meredith, said, “It’s been very exciting working on the project and important for our team to develop a working example of a truly ‘Green’ motor racing car. The WorldFirst project expels the myth that performance needs to be compromised when developing the sustainable motor vehicles of the future.”

Students at greatest risk from online fraud Students are placing themselves at greatest risk of online fraud compared to any other adult demographic in the UK, according to a new study from GetSafeOnline.org. Internet users in fulltime education are almost twice as confident online as other internet users – more than half (51%) consider themselves ‘very’ internet literate, compared to the national average of 26%. Despite this, they are the most dismissive of the risk of online crime and of the importance of basic security tools (such as anti-virus software) in protecting them against it.

• One in 10 (10%) consider there to be ‘no risk’, more than double the national average (4%) • Almost one in three (30%) do not see security software as an important measure, far exceeding the national average of 18% This apparent complacency translates to their online behaviour, too – students are amongst the greatest culprits in taking unnecessary risks online. For example:

• 28% admit to entering personal details into a website from an unsecured computer, over double the

national average of 11%

• Almost one in five (19%) regularly post valuable personal information (such as their date of birth or home address) on social networking sites, almost double the national average (11%) Tony Neate, Managing Director of GetSafeOnline. org, explained: “Our study set out to establish whether online security factors vary according to age, gender, geography and occupation. Online criminals operate on a mass scale so are indiscriminate about who they target. Whether they are successful or not depends largely on two factors: firstly, how good we are at securing our computers; and secondly, how much we avoid risky activities and behaviours while we’re using the internet. Psychologist Donna

Dawson commented: “How confident and secure we feel using the internet as opposed to how secure we actually are - depends on our life-experience and on how emotionally ‘involved’ we are with our internet usage. The more we need something, the more we are likely to rationalise that everything surrounding this ‘need’ is okay. For instance, many students ‘need’ the internet for social prestige; they are inclined to put their personal details online in order to attract friends and admirers, and push any associated risk out of conscious thought. The silver surfers have the right balance between a longer life-experience of risk and a lower emotional need for internet usage; they therefore tend to recognise the rationale for higher internet security,” she explained. by John Mather

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Freshly squeezed juicy bits from the world of news...

Atheist buses attacked by God

Ulster student surfs onto big screen University of Ulster sports scholar Easkey Britton is the star of a new documentary film about surfing which is on general release in cinemas across the UK. Waveriders is the story of surfing in Ireland and has already won the Audience Award for Best Film at the Dublin International Film Festival and has been nominated for two Irish Film and Television Awards. Easkey, from Rossnowlagh in County

Donegal, has been surfing all her life and said that making the film was a fantastic experience. “Watching the movie for the first time on the big screen I got a different perspective of surfing in Ireland and a deeper appreciation for what it’s all about. This journey has made me realise how unique the Irish surf culture is and important we keep it that way.” The final year Environmental Science student is one of Ireland’s

top surfers having won four Irish National titles and competing in European and world tour events. She has also won the British Universities Sports Association Surfing Championships, the Roxy UK Pro Tour event in November and last year was named as University of Ulster’s Sports Person of the Year. “I am the only female surfer in the movie and it was such and exhilarating experience joining some of the top surfers not just in

by Jonathan Kennedy

Ireland, but in the world to make people aware of the surf culture that exists in this country. “Ireland is not a typical surfing destination and is a unique and special place. It has a wild, untamed rugged coastline with endless potential for discovering magic waves, but it is that very wildness that makes it so unpredictable and fickle. It takes time, patience and luck to find its treasures.”

Financial blunder costs OUSU thousands An Oxford University Students’ Union (OUSU) blunder has cost the Student Union thousands of pounds in lost affiliation fees over the past five years, a Cherwell investigation has revealed. It was only in September of last year that financial officers discovered that OUSU had been using the wrong inflation rate to calculate how much college common rooms should be paying. The lost revenue calculated to exceed £16,000 - will have served to further worsen the financial situation of the Student Union, which still owes £250,000 to the University. Lewis Iwu, the OUSU President, admitted, “An administrative error has led to common rooms over the past 5 years being undercharged for their affiliation fee. This had

been corrected at the start of this year and now the correct amount is being charged.” OUSU Representative of Trinity College commented that the problem might have been caused to the lack of long-term planning. She said, “The fact they have been using the wrong index is indicative of the management of OUSU. This however does not seem to be because of a lack of enthusiasm or competence of individual members of staff or executive, rather not having any planning and the relatively quick turnover of staff. Without any real long-term plan, financial mis-management is inevitable.” A graduate student commented, “I find it hilarious that OUSU bungled this simple calculation for so many years.” Alex Bulfin, JCR

President of University College expressed his relief that the problem has been solved. He said, “It’s a shame that this will add further to the perception of some students in the University that OUSU is unprofessional and ineffective. OUSU provides many valuable and vital services to students and common rooms, but events like these only seek to undermine much of the good work the Students’ Union does.” Iwu praised the enthusiasm of OUSU’s accounts staff, “I would like to reiterate that the staff of the Student Union have done the students of Oxford a service through their hard work, commitment and enthusiasm since this Student Union was created.” OUSU is meant to base its annual increase in common room affiliation

by Marta Szczerba fees on Retail Price Index from September each year. However, it was found that in the last 5 out of 6 years the figures on common room invoices do not match RPI indices published by the government. Cherwell’s examination of invoices revealed that the percentage increases correspond instead to an increase in the value of a basket of goods bought in 1987. The finance teams had then divided these indices by 100 in order to obtain a percentage used to increase the subscription fees. The figures obtained have been consistently lower than the Retail Price Index, resulting in OUSU undercharging common rooms by thousands of pounds over the past years.

According to the London Student there is a God and he is really angry at buses. In a recent issue the paper made the bizarre statement, “Atheists may be plunged into deep soulsearching after newly released figures suggest an anonymous deity may be exacting revenge on London bus routes which display the “There’s probably no God; now stop worrying and enjoy your life” slogan.” And how did they come to this conclusion? Statistics apparently show that “bus drivers on routes bearing the message recorded a collective 67% increase in Driver Reported Incidents for the month following the introduction of the message.” London Student concluded that this treble rise in violent incidents must be the wrath of a God, and the lord also visited, “A plague of thefts

upon Route 18, which saw a threefold increase in reported incidents (from two to six).” “It seems the almighty saved most of his wrath for the 149 between London Bridge and Edmonton Green,” adds the article. The writer also points out that prominent atheist Professor Richard Dawkins will be dismayed “to learn the statistics show the bus route suffered a biblical 966% increase in incidents of criminal damage after going Atheist (three to 32).” Also, “London Student understands many concerned commuters are already on their knees and repenting to an Abrahamic God, believed to be active in the North London area.” So violent incidents increases on ‘atheist’ buses as God enacts revenge – or maybe it’s just a coincidence!

Doughnuts to be ‘low fat’ A team of Oxford University experts has shown that proposed new European Union legislation could mean that 93% of foods will claim to be ‘nutritious’. The proposals, which go before the European Commission next month, suggest a limit of 8mg of saturated fat per 100g for bakery products. A Tesco jam doughnut contains 5.7mg. Under these criteria, Oxford researchers have concluded that just 7% of foods in the average UK diet will be prevented from claiming to be nutritious, while 60% could be marketed as ‘healthy.’ According to Which?, the consumer group who commissioned the survey, doughnuts could soon be advertised as ‘low fat,’ and foods such as custard tarts, pork sausages and ready salted crisps could carry health and nutrition claims. Which? along with health charities the British Heart Foundation and Cancer Research UK, have written to Health Secretary Alan Johnson asking the British Government to reject the proposals.

Colin Walker, Which? spokeasperson, said the new rules would “weaken the fight against obesity and poor diets, doing far more harm than good.” Walker continued, “Jam doughnuts and crisps being allowed to make nutrition claims would be laughable if it wasn’t so serious. The goalposts have been widened to the point that no one remembers why they were put there in the first place.” With almost one in four adults in the UK classified as obese, there are fears that poor food labelling could add to the problem and its related diseases, such as diabetes and heart disease. The Food Standards Agency has also considered the issue, with a spokesman saying, “we must ensure that health claims do not mislead consumers. The Agency understands Which?’s position and shares some of its concerns. Labelling must help people make healthier choices and we would oppose any moves that might encourage consumers to eat more fatty, sugary and salty foods.” by Ella Goschalk

The National Student, May 2009

NEWS

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Now you see it, now you don’t! Sara Watson, a second year Drawing and Image Making student at the University of Central Lancashire transformed a Skoda Fabia into a canvas which matches the background of a parking space outside her studio. She was given the car out of the breakers’ yard at Preston recycling firm Recycling Lives and now the company which donated the car is looking at using her trickery to advertise its own disappearing act by recycling unwanted cars. Watson commented: “I was experimenting with the whole concept of illusion but needed something a bit more physical to make a real impact.” she said. The project was a hit with the media with images of the ‘invisible car’ featuring in many national and regional newspapers and all over the web.

The National Student, May 2009

NEWS

Comment: Deadline Rebellion W

hy is it that most students, given weeks and months to prepare an essay or assignment, wait until the day before, the night before, even hours before the deadline? It seems to be an unspoken rule and inherent, mandatory compulsion. Students will spend time doing anything they can to avoid doing work and then panic and hyperventilate the day the assignment is due in. There is no better evidence I can offer than to confess that even now, as I type these words, I am approaching the deadline for 6,000 words of final assessments, due in tomorrow, and I’m only half finished. I’m powerless and simply cannot finish that work until I only have an hour left. This has been the case for every single piece of work I’ve completed this year, and I’m not alone. In this age of technological advancement, the Facebook Generation post status messages leading up to the deadlines of their work, informing their friends of their constantly updating

word count or the fact that they haven’t even begun yet, effecting a form of communal atmosphere where classmates feel as though there are working alongside their colleagues. The sense of unity no doubt helps calm and encourage the desperate student and reassures that one is not alone. However, the time spent updating Facebook statuses could obviously be better spent completing the work. The essay questions and assignment information are all provided at the very beginning of the course, meaning that effectively students have everything they need to complete all the assignments in the first week. Obviously this defeats the object and would negate the content of the course, but it does nevertheless illustrate the point that there is no reason to wait until a day before the deadline, there is ample time to prepare the work in advance. So why? Is it deficit of time? This does understandably factor into the equation, as there are so many assignments

due and so much reading to get through, that it is often difficult to get ahead and often we are merely keeping our heads above water from one day to the next. This does however apply to the main body of the course, not the assignments. In my experience, students spend vast amounts of time socialising and flirting with alcohol, drugs and each other, and immense periods of time quite literally doing nothing, why then are they unable to complete work in advance? Speaking from very current experience (i.e. while I’m typing this), it’s a psychological block. It’s the same principle as your parents telling you ‘don’t touch the iron, it’ll burn you’ and then eagerly waiting for the first opportunity to touch it, just to find out. When we are enforced to comply with something and denied the freedom to form our own judgement, we rebel by doing the opposite. The reason we touch the iron is because we are told not to, despite knowing full well for ourselves that we will inevitably be burnt. Similarly, because the

deadlines and workload are enforced, we feel an overwhelming urge to rebel and therefore feel the need to decide for ourselves when we complete the work. We know perfectly well that sensibly speaking we should begin the work well in advance, prepare it thoroughly and give ourselves plenty of time to complete it, but something in us, the rebel in us, feels compelled to deviate from protocol and decide for ourselves that we shan’t start the work until the date and time that we chose. Even though the brain advises against it, the heart demands that we assert our right to make the decision ourselves, the proverbial ‘cutting one’s nose off to spite one’s face’, doing it ‘just because’. This is understandable. After twelve years of school and all the regimented discipline, rules and education with little or no freedom whatsoever granted from parents, teachers and the Government, we are suddenly handed on a golden platter the opportunity to decide

something for ourselves, the first opportunity in our lives to rebel while remaining within the rules. It is a delicious and irresistible prospect. Why should we do the work when the university tells us we should? We can spend our time watching Jeremy Kyle and do the work in under an hour on the deadline date. It’s our choice to make, our right. Our time as students has always been traditionally and inherently entwined with acts of rebellion and assertions of independence, whether it be political activism or staying in bed until three in the afternoon. It is the first time in our lives when we are truly independent and ‘adult’, allowed freedom and decisions. Unlike school, if we don’t attend a lecture, nothing happens. We don’t get detention and our parents aren’t informed. We have the freedom to make that decision, we decide for ourselves. Thus, the eternal state of studenthood is mythically linked with rebellion and anarchy. So, is the reason for leaving

work until the last minute so profound and dramatic as innate rebellion and a need for independence? Or is it so simplistic as laziness and preferring to drink until we fall over? Is there even a reason for it? Well, there must be, given that every student I’ve met acknowledges and practices this mystical and unwritten law. There must be some reason, or it wouldn’t be as innate and inevitable as it evidently is. My conclusion is that I don’t know. I wish I did. I wish I knew why I was typing these words rather than completing my enormous piece of work, which is a very important final assessment, 50% of my course mark, and due in tomorrow, and which I haven’t even begun. It is impossible to answer but undeniable nonetheless. Students are powerless to this built-in inability to complete work in advance. As a good friend has just said; so it always has been, so it always will be. That’s it. by Vikki Littlemore

The National Student, May 2009

FEATURE

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The most sued man in Britain N

o democracy exists without the freedom to mock those at the top; satire is the cornerstone of a democratic state. That makes Ian Hislop, editor of Private Eye and Have I Got News For You team-captain, a pretty important cog in the democratic machine. You might expect a cut-throat, stop-at-nothing vendor of grime and gossip, when you imagine the man behind the fall of Jeffrey Archer and Robert Maxwell. A world away from the middleaged, chuckling man sitting opposite me. Don’t be fooled; Hislop’s dogged determination to sniff out the truth from the lies has landed him in court countless times, earning him the dubious title ‘the most sued man in British history’. Emerging from the extended court case with the wife of Peter Sutcliffe (The Yorkshire Ripper), who tried to claim up to £600,000 from the Eye, Hislop cheekily quipped ‘if that’s justice then I’m a banana’. His flippancy concealed relief; he appeared in court that day prepared to be sent to prison, toothbrush in briefcase. Hislop sits behind a large wooden desk in Private Eye’s musty head-quarters. His slightly grizzly appearance merges with the office around him, as though over eighteen years as editorin-chief, it has become an extension of himself. Private Eye cartoons hang haphazardly on the walls, winking cheekily down at the piles of papers and randomly-placed chairs which litter his editor’s den. “Satire should mock the strong,” he begins, speaking firmly and directly, unlike the politicians he pokes fun at. “There’s a strong tradition of it in Britain, which aids freedom and democracy.” Hislop agrees with one of his few heroes, Alexander Pope; satire is the ‘exposure of vice, folly and humbug’. Some examples?; ‘fiddling expenses’, deceiving shareholders...’ Politics hasn’t changed much in

300 years then. Hislop speaks angrily about the way politicians treat the public like they are stupid; and equally, praises the British press’s ‘rumbustious attitude’ towards authority figures. “This government has an authoritarian streak, but the press are always there to expose them.” Exposing people is at the heart of Hislop’s job; ‘my duty is to ask ‘Is that true?’ and to investigate’. Hislop talks about his former self with a wistful admiration; the quick, sparky Oxford graduate who controversially became editor at 26. “It is good when you are younger because you are more confident. This is one of the advantages of youth. They asked me if I wanted to edit the magazine with hardly any experience and I said ‘no problem’. Now I am a lot more careful.” He claims, at least; there have been times when the magazine has had to appeal to its loyal readers to save it from being made bankrupt under the weight of libel cases. Has he lost his nerve then, over the years? “I am more keen to get things right now, to run the correct stories and target the right people. Some stories turn out not to be true and you think ‘I wish I hadn’t run that’.” All of which has its consequences. “It’s reasonable that people should dislike me. You have to develop a thick-skin. I am much more thick-skinned now than when I first took the job.” The resulting feuds can be public; mocking Piers Morgan on Have I Got News certainly brought Hislop more than he bargained for. I ask him whether he’s ever stumped, especially on television. Appropriately enough, his answer comes without hesitation: ‘Never’. Both Private Eye and Have I Got News, he explains, provide a means to release pent-up frustration. “I often listen to the radio seething with irritation; Have I Got News is a platform. I’ve always fancied a platform

Eleanor Mortimer

Cherwell’s Eleanor Mortimer talks to Private Eye editor and Have I Got News For You teamcaptain Ian Hislop

where I could mouth off. It’s a way to vent steam.” Hislop, who never misses an episode of the quiz show, hosts a team opposite costar Paul Merton. He is the ‘witty one’, coming in with

Hislop is an efficient mix of ruthlessness and steely determination when it comes to exposing lies. If I were Brown I would be quaking in my boots, for Hislop, master satirist-

‘I often listen to the radio seething with irritation; Have I Got News is a platform. I’ve always fancied a platform where I could mouth off. It’s a way to vent steam.’ cutting quips and clever puns. I ask him whether he has a TV persona. He replies carefully that it’s an exaggerated version of himself; ‘friends and family will tell you that I’m just that bit more boring normally!’ Surprisingly, Hislop does admit that he’s ‘always nervous beforehand’.

is not a fan. “Labour government?!’” he scoffs. “This is not what people expect from a left wing government.” He is staunch in his opinion. “The people of Britain are badly served by the Government. There is nothing to grab them, nothing to choose from. Little surprise they are

becoming more apolitical.” I know better than to ask his own political leanings; though he does let slip that, “Vince Cable seems at times to be the only sensible person in parliament.” When I suggest that flow of speech in this country isn’t as free as it could be, he immediately puts things into perspective, showing a level-headedness which balances his taste for scandal. “Lets put it this way; there are no satirical magazines in Beijing.” But is satire dying out? “Political correctness”, Hislop spits, ‘is a term used by the Right to get people to shut up, and by authoritarian governments to ensure that nobody writes anything bad about them’. Ironically, another pet-hate of Hislop’s puts him on the same side as arch-nemesis Piers Morgan. “The tightening of privacy laws are a threat to freedom of speech. It’s difficult to see yourself on the same side as the Daily Mail, but these laws make it easy for the rich and powerful to get

away with things. They will be able to control what we know about them’. As he starts to talk politics, Hislops frustrations emerge. “Since 9/11 there’s been a steady erosion of civil liberties under the pretense that it’s necessary... Terrorism isn’t a new phenomenon. I remember when the IRA bombed Oxford Street.” A stiff-upper lip is all that’s needed then? ‘Yes.’ And the same goes for the Credit Crunch. He refers to the last economic meltdown; “In a similar climate of unemployment in the thirties, Oswald Mosley (founder of the British Union of Fascists) failed to spread fascism, simply because people’s reaction to him was one of laughter: PG Wodehouse turned him into a ludicrous figure of fun in the novel Code of the Woosters, and he was forced off the scene.” Hislop’s frank manner is refreshing, rather than blunt, cutting through the proverbial political bullshit; “Why is the Government blanketing the whole population in the name of wiping out terrorism? Why are they clamping down on protests?” Why indeed. Hislop is optimistic about young people, blaming flaws in the system rather than laziness for the apparent lack of political zest amongst the youth. He rejects the belief that youngsters are only interested in reading about film and music celebrities. “We do not believe in ‘catering’ for young people. It’s condescending to think they only want to read about popstars - the number of them involved in organisations like ‘Liberty’ and ‘Amnesty’ demonstrates this.” Do you target any audience at all, young or old? “No, what we put in the magazine comes from things I like and find funny.” This apparently simple strategy works. Private Eye is read by over 700,000 people, and sales are increasing. Hislop is a moralist, not a gossip; dedicated to truth, not lies. When I ask him whether he isn’t sometimes just a little tempted to make use of his position to finish a grudge or two, his answer is honest: “I try not to”. Does he ever think about giving it all up, trying something different? “Sometimes. But then I think, what else would be this much fun?”

The National Student, May 2009

FEATURE

12

Is Madonna Bad for Malawi?

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n her latest reinvention, Madonna the singer, actress, writer and entrepreneur has emerged as Madonna the Mother Figure. And as with all her previous personas, from erotic icon to lady of the manor, she has made a dramatic entrance onto the public stage in a puff of controversy. In her new role as ‘super mom’, Madonna is expanding her family through adoption. She already has two natural born children Lourdes, 12, and Rocco, 8. Her youngest son David, 3, was an orphan she adopted in 2006 from Malawi, one of the world’s least developed and most densely populated countries. Recently, she has sparked controversy and debate on both sides of the Atlantic and across the developing world with her plans to adopt a second Malawian orphan, a sister for David. Millions of people in Malawi struggle to find enough to eat. Farming methods cannot support the 90% of the population who are forced to live off the land. With regular droughts, it is one of the countries in Africa worst affected by climate change. And the high incidences of HIV, affecting one in seven adults, is reflected in the fact that there are 950,000 orphans. In 2006, when still married to British film director Guy Ritchie, Madonna travelled to Malawi to adopt then 13month old David. Despite a stipulation in Malawian law that foreigners cannot adopt a local child unless they have been resident in the country for at least eighteen months, Madonna was able to take David home with her. Human rights groups claimed her success was due only to her considerable wealth and fame, and compared the adoption to people trafficking. In April this year, now fifty and, following her split with Ritchie, a single mother, Madonna returned to Malawi with the intention of adopting a second orphan from the same orphanage where she found David, four-year-old

Mercy James. This time, a local Judge rejected her application on the grounds that she didn’t meet the residency requirements. At the time of going to print, Madonna is appealing the decision. In a recent email interview with a local Malawian paper, she wrote: “I want to provide Mercy with a home, a loving family environment and the best education and healthcare possible. It’s my hope that she, like David, will one day return to Malawi and help the people of their country.” Madonna is one of a number of American and British celebrities, including Angelina Jolie and Mia Farrow, who have adopted children from the developing world to bring them up in a lifestyle of private jets, body guards and 24-hour nannies. These stars, keen to share their wealth and privilege with the world’s most vulnerable children have a wide window of opportunity in Africa. According to the latest statistics from UNICEF and UNAIDS, there are 48.3 million orphans in Sub Saharan Africa, one-quarter of whom have lost their parents to AIDS. Projections from the two UN agencies suggest that by 2010 there will be 53.1 million children under 18 without parents, 15.7 million of whom will have lost their parents to AIDS related illnesses. The country by country statistics are chilling. The Democratic Republic of Congo has 4.2 million orphans, Zimbabwe 1.4 million, Zambia and Angola 1.2 million, Uganda and Kenya 2.3million. And South Africa has 2.5 million, of whom Nosipho Zuma, 16, is one. Nosipho lives in a deprived semi-rural area called Haniville, just outside of Pietermaritzburg in Kwazulu-Natal province, where she sleeps in a room with five others. She has lived here since her mother died of TB last September. Her grandmother, best friend and aunt both passed away in the same year. Neither of her

Christian Aid / Sarah Filbey

As Madonna causes controversy with her plans to adopt her second orphaned child from Malawi, human rights groups and commentators are at loggerheads over whether her attempts are noble or irresponsible. The National Student asks kids in Malawi and South Africa who have lost their parents what they think.

MALAWI November 2008. James lights a small parafin lamp for his sister Lucy to study by the light of at night. Lucy and her brother James often look for casual work after school in order to feed and clothe themselves. Lucy (pictured , 15) and James (17) Kalepa live in Matolela village in the southern district of Phalombe, Malawi. Orphaned and now living with a neighbour, the children must still provide for themselves, with resources in the household already scarce. Likulezi has helped the children return to school by providing school uniforms and Likulezi volunteers visit regularly to watch out for their welfare and offer encouragement in their schoolwork.

guardians, her two cousins, have jobs. Though her mother was never tested for the virus, deaths from TB in Sub Saharan Africa are mostly HIV related. Her father died before she was born. She explains: ‘my father was sick and was sent to hospital and then I think he committed suicide because he jumped out of the window.’ Her household relies on local organisation Thandanani, supported by Christian Aid, for income

support, food parcels and uniforms for the four children at school. Nosipho sees adoption by foreign parents as preferable to life in an orphanage: ‘it’s the best way to save the child from committing crime and being violent to other people. As long as the child is safe with that family, I don’t see the problem.’ Referring particularly to the situation for orphans in Malawi she adds: ‘if Malawi can’t provide for the children there, then adoption by

people from other countries is the best way.’ Dr Rachel Baggaley is Head of the HIV Unit at Christian Aid, which argues for the support of orphaned children in the home countries over foreign adoption. Baggaley can appreciate Nosipho’s point: ‘if you asked any kid from anywhere in the world if they’d like to be adopted by Madonna, the answer would probably be yes. “But when you’re thinking of a country like Malawi that has more than half a million

orphans, it’s not really a viable solution. You have to have a solution for the whole community and with that in mind, it is better for kids to remain in their own communities supported by their extended families.” And Nosipho predicts that while a life free from poverty would have obvious advantages, it could also bring difficulties for the adopted children: ‘they would be afraid because they would hardly know the people. They would fear the environment as it is such a different lifestyle.’ So what is the solution? How can the tens of millions of poverty-stricken, vulnerable children in Africa and across the developing world be helped, if they’re not adopted by Madonna or Angelina Jolie? Says Christian Aid’s Dr Baggaley: ‘there are a number of very reputable organisations that support large numbers of orphans in Africa. Christian Aid supports 33,000 orphans in four countries through a partner project CBCO (Community Based Care for Orphans). “We keep the kids with their extended families, create savings and loans schemes for guardians to improve their incomes, make sure the kids go to school, make sure the kids have proper medical care, counselling and child protection, which is crucial because kids who’ve lost heir parents are more vulnerable to sexual abuse and mental cruelty.” “If people really want to adopt a kid, there are an awful lot of children in the UK and USA who are in care and from difficult backgrounds. If parents want a child and want the best for that child, in my opinion that’s the best solution.” by Phoebe Greenwood for Christian Aid

A MALAWIAN ORPHANS TELLS HER STORY

Lucy, 16, ‘I’m told the weather is often bad in western countries. My teacher says this would cause disease.’ “I just can’t understand why it had to be our family. Why it had to be mum? Why? My childhood was filled with so many unanswered questions. Like, why do people have to die, leaving behind helpless children without anyone to help them, no one to send them to school, no one to buy them shoes? That was my childhood. Sometimes, my brother

who was the bread winner, would come home without any money or food – and that would mean sleeping on an empty stomach. I remember going to play with friends, not necessarily that I wanted to, but just so I could scavenge on the little pieces of snack and leftovers at their houses. ‘Beingadoptedbyforeign parents sounds exciting

because those orphans can live well compared to our impoverished village life. I think it’s good. When a child is adopted, he or she can go and do her school then come back and help our nation. Also the orphan can learn various different things. The problem is they might get involved in an accident because they are not used to the western

life style and facilities. Like how would they cross the roads in developed countries? I’m told they are lots of cars and the weather is often bad in western countries. My teacher says this would cause disease. I believe the best solution is for Malawi to do something for its own children so they can live well.”

More information at: christian-aid.org.uk

The National Student, May 2009

FEATURE

13

A Traveller’s Tale Continuing his epic journey back to the UK Nathan Millward heads across Thailand....

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feel dizzy, my heads all woozy and my eyes are a brilliant red. Nope, I’ve not been in mother’s gin cabinet or sat smoking Haile Selassie’s pipe. Not even a close. Instead I’ve just finished riding a moped from one end of Thailand to the other and after 25 hours on the road I’m feeling rather pooped. But there’s no point complaining, I’ve still got to ride the bloody thing all the way to England. Yes, for all those who don’t read this fabulous newspaper every month, that’s the reality for my little red moped Dot; Australia to England, just to satisfy my adventurous whim. Poor motorbike. There she was, all set to retire, put her feet up after a long career delivering mail around the suburbs of Sydney, then wham, I turn up at her bike shop, stick my underpants in her back box and begin riding in the direction of London. Why? For the adventure, for the challenge, for that sense of satisfaction if we finally crawl out alive at the other end. So far the two of us have crossed Australia, East Timor, Indonesia, Malaysia and are now in Thailand, the setting of the 25-hour ride we’re now wide-eyed from. It started in Pai, a hippytrippy little town set right out yonder in the northwest of the country. Me and Dot had ridden up there to escape the hustle and bustle of Bangkok while a man from India put visa stamps in my passport. That’s the route you see; from Thailand over to Nepal by plane (we

can’t ride through Burma) then down through India, across to Pakistan, Iran and Turkey, before making the final dawdle across Europe to England. But those adventures are still in the future, over horizons still very much ahead. Right now I can only tell you about Pai and the roads out of town that were as gnarly as the hair on my chin. They go up and down and round and round with me and Dot screaming at the top of our lungs as we went faster and faster. At times we’d slow down to look at countryside far more dramatic and prettier than anywhere in the rest of Thailand. Giant valleys, cute villages and towering mountains that Dot wheezes up before collapsing at the top. That all changed when we hit Chiang Mai, the biggest city in the north and one visually splendid with its ancient stone walls and old moat defence. We stayed for a short while, looking around, observing the tourists here for the cheap beer and ping pong shows, before leaving under a setting sun on the long and lonely road south. I’ve ridden in rain throughout much of this trip. I crossed Australia’s Northern Territories during the wet season, Indonesia in the middle of its storms and now Thailand as its sky also starts to cry. When it does rain I usually dress down to my shorts and flip flops and plough on with my feet dragging through puddles like when you were walking home from school as a kid. It’s what I’m ready to do now

as the sky above us grows angry and black. The rain is coming. It’s just a matter of when. First the lightening strikes. Huge pitch forks of the stuff, bright and fierce, blasting down from the heavens to this mortal Asian earth. Nature’s beast, snack, crackle and popping like a bowl of God’s cereal on his breakfast table above our heads. Lightening bolts dazzle the dark land. Dot runs over a dead animal. I stop for fried chicken and sticky rice. We take pictures with a disposable camera and on we ride. The rain starts, just a drizzle, then big heavy splats of fragrant summer rain. If only we could bottle the smell and attach it to this page. By midnight we’re tired and weary. The rain’s stopped but my shorts continue dripping. We’ve been riding 11 hours and can do no more. At the side of the road I find an empty field and pull in. With Dot’s light killed it’s pitch black. We can’t see a thing, just fumble around trying to put the tent up and brush my teeth. At last it’s up and I crawl in, sleeping in clothes and without a blanket or pillow because on a trip like this both are considered a luxury we cannot bring. Tonight I don’t even have a sprig of food or drop of pure water.

I lie listening to the passing trucks on the road not far away and then drift off while mosquitoes try desperately to get in. At 4am I wake, take one big arm-stretched yawn and

that in Thailand. In the east the sun now rises. Warmth fills the faces of these two lonely cowboys, a boy and his bike, just each other for company on an open road leading somewhere, out

First the lightening strikes. Huge pitch forks of the stuff, bright and fierce, blasting down from the heavens to this mortal Asian earth. Nature’s beast, snack, crackle and popping like a bowl of God’s cereal on his breakfast table above our heads. tell Dot it’s time to hit the road. The tent is packed, Dot’s oil is checked. Under the power of her headlight I study the map; South, still 400 kilometres to go. Ride Nathan ride, through the black morning-night, lorries passing, colder now, the rain has stopped, the trousers come on and so does a jacket given to me by a stranger I met on the road. He was worried about my arms burning in the sun and was insistent. ‘A gift from Thailand,’ he said; a young man who worked in a factory earning 100 pounds a month. Kindness. I’ve found a lot of

there, along there, anywhere, everywhere. We’re just riding. Finding. Searching. Discovering. Waiting for next week to come when we park our bottoms on the wing of an aeroplane and leave this great land for Nepal. Then the journey will really begin as we make our push west, home. To a plate of beans on toast and a cup of Tetley tea. For now, as the signs count us down to our destination, Bangkok, I scratch my chin and think about this trip. I think about Pakistan and how glad I am that they’ve decided to let me in. I think

about the debt this trip is getting me in and how much it shall grow. I think about the relationship left behind in Australia and how both of us will both cope spending another four months apart. I worry she’ll fall in love with someone else while me and Dot are blazing our trail, that someone more settled will sweep her off her feet and leave me with an empty heart when my boat docks in Dover. I worry about Dot and whether she can make it. Her weary legs have travelled 18,000 kilometres so far and have at least another 20,000 to go. That’s a lot for a bike designed to potter around cities or local dirt trails. But her soul is strong. She will make it. She told me so. Now though, as I peel the sopping clothes from my tired body in a backstreet Bangkok hostel, there’s no more time to think. Only time to do and to go. First to the British Embassy to ask if they can help me get a visa for Iran, then to the offices of the shipping company to reserve a seat for Dot on the Nepal plane, and finally on to the Canon shop where my camera’s been in for repair after I dropped in the sea. With that list ticked I shall return to the hostel to say farewell to a German friend who today is leaving. We shall have a beer. And then I shall go to bed.

The National Student, May 2009

FEATURE

14

When a degree isn’t enough… I

t’s harsh but true. You’ve spent three or four years working towards your degree, got into a pile of debt, and still the future job prospects aren’t looking too great. Now comes more bad news…graduates of 2010 will not only have to compete with fellow graduates of their year, but also with the 300,000 graduates of 2009. The country is in recession and only showing slow signs of recovery, unemployment is growing rapidly (currently 2.2 million in May 2009). As a result, the job market is incredibly competitive. But, it’s not all doom and gloom. Graduates are still managing to find work and it is work of a graduate level. But to get to those positions, you’ll need to be a bit creative and also show initiative. Employers are in a position of power to demand more from their workforce and are becoming pickier when selecting candidates. So, the key is to try to gain some extra skills and experience to prove your worth to prospective employers. The pressure on graduates now is not only to get the best qualification possible, but also to have some relevant work experience. This often leads to a Catch-22 situation; it is hard to get a job without experience, but equally hard to get experience

without a job. The solution an increasing number of graduates are turning to is to do an internship as a way to bridge this situation. Employers too are realising the benefits of internship programmes and increasingly offering such opportunities and they are also supported by the UK Government (DIUS have launched the Graduate Talent Pool programme). So with all the hype about internships, work experience, sandwich courses, placements etc., it’s useful to know what an internship actually is and what it isn’t. Ultimately, it’s not an opportunity for employers to take on a student or graduate and have them make coffee on a minimum wage! Instead, internships are an opportunity for graduates to apply their academic knowledge to the workplace and gain handson, professional experience. In brief, the benefits can be seen as: Benefits for graduates on internships •Gain professional experience

practical work

• Enhance your CV • Start to develop a network of professional contacts • Get your foot in the door

Careers advice online

Y

ou know what I’ve discovered? Getting a job is hard work. I’m a final year student and I’ve spent all year relishing the prospect of graduating, getting myself a job and earning some real money, but as my dissertation, exams and graduation approach that early optimism has changed to fear, trepidation and the occasional tinge of blind panic. Suddenly leaving uni behind doesn’t seem so appealing and the reality of entering the real world, getting a job and earning money doesn’t have the appeal it once did compared to the idea of sitting doing nothing – or at least doing very little. Helpfully

though,

my

occasional tinge of blind panic had been accelerated by all this talk of recession and unemployment and redundancy. Normally I’m not great at dealing with such things, buy oddly I’ve found my blind panic has helped focus me, with a new motivation towards understanding and ultimately knowing where I want to end up. I can honestly say my potential career is no longer a complete mystery. I’m still a little concerned, but at least I know where I want to end up and how I’ll get there. ‘How?’ I hear you ask. Like everyone my first port of call was the internet. These were the websites I found most useful: Wiki Jobs

Some schemes are free and others you pay a fee for. • Look at job sites and search for “internships” • Contact companies directly with a cover letter and CV. Many internship opportunities go unadvertised. • Speak to family, friends to see if they know of any companies with opportunities available. Again, positions are frequently not advertised.

•Develop employability skills such as communication, team work, leadership • Ability to reflect on a particular career route and assist with your future career-decisions Internships provide and require different skills to those attained through academic research. Working in a company, or in several companies, exposes interns to fresh challenges and new ways of thinking. Working alongside likeminded people to solve real problems develops their adaptability and effectiveness and so selfconfidence soars. Generally internship programmes tend to last for between 3 - 12 months. How to find the best

It maybe another Wiki powered community, which I normally write off as being half arsed but it’s actually pretty useful and brimming with career advice. Plus it brings together people in the same boat in an interactive community that anything Wiki brings with it, and this community is thriving and very active. wikijob.co.uk Here Comes The Boss Here Comes The Boss brings career advice to life. Instead of throwing pages of text full of career advice at me they’ve made entertaining career advice videos. There’s a video for everything, CV advice, interview technique, recession news…everything! It’s made career advice quick and easy and above all else they have a puppet – who doesn’t love a puppet!?!?

internship position There’s an increasing array of internship programmes available in the UK and overseas. Within the UK, companies might advertise options directly on their website and there are also many programme providers who are working on go ve rnme nt- sup p o rte d projects to offer internship programmes such as ShellStep. However, the world is your oyster and there’s also plenty of options to do an internship overseas as well, adding an international dimension to your CV – arguably this is important in today’s interdependent global society. To do an internship overseas, again companies will advertise opportunities which you can apply to directly or

herecomestheboss.com Careers Advice This is the government powered career advice website. It’s amazing and there is so much information at your fingers tips it’s hard to know where to start. The only down side is it’s a little dry, but it seems to be slowly getting better and I definitely picked up some valuable tips. careersadvice.direct.gov.uk Launch Mind Launch Mind is a free resource for employers, so it’s got to be pretty good for us. They ask you to upload your CV and then they show it off for you. Plus they give you a lot of information about improving your CV and presenting yourself correctly. launchmind.com Job Seekers Advice

you could go through independent programme providers who help match you to relevant positions such as idid. Key steps in finding an internship position: • Brush up your CV • Write a tailored cover letter – no longer than one page, which outlines what industry sector/ role you’re interested in, what you’d like to gain from the internship experience and what skills you feel you could offer the company • Look out for internship programme schemes which you might be eligible for. Many offer a service to match you to a host company.

Job Seekers Advice does exactly what it says on the tin, or on the front page! It look a bit old fashioned but the information on the site is great breaking down everything from job roles and industry standards to writing a good CV and interview techniques. jobseekersadvice.com CV Tips CV writing is an art form, and an ever changing one at that. Your CV is the one things that’s going to get you through the door and into your interview (well, it’s the one thing that will without getting you arrested anyway!) so it’s incredibly important you get it right. I’d managed to get my name on a sheet paper, now thanks to these guys I have a compact and hopefully good CV to show off. cvtips.com

• Visit your university careers service as they often have up to date records of opportunities. Some useful internship sites are: ididbetter.com shellstep.org.uk aisec.co.uk myplatform2.com hobsons.com Kate Gordon is the Director of idid. a company which creates, develops and promotes internship opportunities abroad. Prior to this role, she’s worked in the area of University international offices, assisted with the Erasmus scheme in the UK, and several marketing roles within the private sector. She also did internships in Canada and Germany as well as working in Norway, Finland and Brazil. ididbetter.com

Job News Wire Every website or blog I found said the best thing you can do is research the business you want to work for and be aware of its position, so I found these guys. They have all the latest news that’s affecting the job market for the better or the worse. It’s handy to know what’s going on, if a little alarming at times. jobsnewswire.com LinkedIn You’re probably thinking LinkedIn is a bit of an odd one to recommend, but there’s a reason…and it’s not just because I’ve got to the end of my list and can’t think of anything else! LinkedIn will let you identify potential contacts you can speak to in order to try and arrange a work placement or find someone just to get some friendly advice. linkedin.com by Steve Chambers

The National Student, May 2009

FEATURE

15

Why Study Abroad? Jennifer Miller for InternationalStudent.com takes us through the benefits of studying abroad.....

W

hether you are able to spend a semester or a summer in a foreign country, many students agree that study abroad is their most memorable and rewarding university experience. Just imagine arriving in a foreign country open for your exploration. From day one, you will be immersed in life among the locals, taking classes and enjoying the country’s activities and traditions. At first you may feel disoriented, with an unfamiliar language, new customs, and difficulty maneuvering through the streets. But a few weeks after becoming acquainted with your surroundings, you will begin to feel like a local yourself. Study abroad is an opportunity you will not want to miss – and here’s a few of the reasons why. Personal Growth Studying abroad is a fun way to learn about yourself and how you interact with the world around you. Not only will you have a heightened awareness about your new environment, but you will become more independent, self confident, and mature. While studying abroad you have the opportunity to be on your own, meet many new people from different countries, and get involved in new and exciting activities that you may never thought possible. The journey may open your mind to new ideas, thoughts, and beliefs. You may even find a new hobby

or interest that you may want to continue when you return home. The benefits of studying abroad are endless as the experience will travel with you for the rest of your life. After studying abroad, many students have even said that they had a clearer direction about their life goals. Cultural Understanding Studying in a foreign country helps you understand that country and its people much better – but also will give you a deeper insight into your own country, its cultures and traditions. Exposure to new foods, languages, and ways of life will broaden your international prospective. In fact, many studies agree that one learns best by doing and experiencing- and here is your opportunity! What will leave a greater impact on you – studying ancient Egypt in a classroom, or visiting the Sphinx and the Pyramids? You may even learn to cook new dishes with spices and vegetables that you may not have thought existed. Even the style of clothes may be different. And for each new insight you gain – whether it’s how to access health care, pay a bill or use a phone – you’ll think to yourself, that’s different than what I’m used to but it works. I wonder why they do it like that, and why in my country we do it the way we do?

Travel Opportunities

Traveling is an unforgettable experience where pictures become reality and adventure becomes your major. University is the perfect time to see the world and you can even continue your coursework and graduate on time. There are many study abroad programs to choose from that are geared toward your particular interest. Whether you are interested in language, history, government, business, or the environment, there are many programs that focus on specific concentrations. Whether you choose to travel to Europe, Asia, Australia or Latin America, you will be able to earn credits while you explore new countries. You may even have the opportunity to visit neighboring countries to see how life compares. Learning a new Language

Immersion in a foreign culture is the best way to learn a new language. Your language ability will increase daily and hourly, as learning is not limited strictly to the classroom. Whether you are buying groceries, eating at a restaurant or asking directions from a local, you will amaze yourself at how quickly you learn a language when you are fully immersed. Learning a language this way can be intimidating. The more language study and preparation you have before you leave, the better; and to ease the process further, you can also enroll in a language school as part of your study abroad program, or in addition to it. However, there is no faster, more effective way to integrate into the community and learn about

your new environment. By understanding the language, you will have a much deeper and more subtle understanding of your temporary home and its people. Career Enhancement As globalization takes hold, more employers are looking to hire students with international experience. More than ever, companies have teams comprised of people from all over the world. Living in a foreign country makes you a more competitive job applicant since you have shown that you are able to adapt and be flexible, work well with others, and have an interest in the international community. Working knowledge of a foreign language is an additional plus in today’s global environment. From

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Mercedes to Toyota, from Barclays to Royal Bank of Scotland, and from Disney to Starbucks, the leading employers of the 21st century are spread across the planet, and these companies need leaders that understand our world. Just Plain Fun We’ve put forth lots of solid and serious reasons to study abroad, from career to language and cultural understanding. But to be completely honest, the best reason to study abroad is the most obvious – its just plain fun! You will meet some of the most interesting people and make lifelong friends, and you are guaranteed to laugh on a regular basis. The memories of your travels, the people you have met, and the lessons you will learn will be with you forever.

The National Student, May 2009

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Sir Jackie Stewart H

James Davies chats to the Formula 1 legend

e made his name as one of the all time greats behind the wheel. Winner of three Formula One Championships, 27 Grand Prix’s and ranked in the top ten drivers of all time, Sir Jackie Stewart OBE is one of the most highly regarded names in global sport. On the track Sir Jackie’s story is an inspirational one of drama, drive, determination, danger, excitement, tragedy, controversy, glamour and, of course, massive success. Beyond the sport, his life is a compelling tale of battling against the odds and achieving worldwide recognition as an outstanding sportsman, a role model and a highly accomplished and well respected businessman. From growing up in a Scottish village, to the race track of Monaco, Sir Jackie Stewart has led a ‘chequered’ and eventful life. Revealing all however, the former race ace explains, “everything has not always been champagne and parties.” Although Sir Jackie will be 70 in June it seems evident he has no intention of slowing down, as he motored into the room at some speed.

Born, as he put it, “in a wee village” called Milton, Sir Jackie explained his love of fast cars began, at a tender age, while he worked at his dad’s garage. Although it is not a surprise racing became Sir Jackie’s passion, it was during a chance meeting, with a customer, that put the young apprentice on the road to becoming a world champion. As he sat sipping a glass of Coca Cola the Dumbarton born Scot, who left school at 15, explained, “I was preparing, what I would call, some club racing vehicles for a racing enthusiast, who was not allowed to drive himself. One day he came in and asked me if I would like to do a wee event as a reward for all the work I had done on his car. I finished second. He then came back and said ‘what about doing the next one’. I won. I was never really aware that I had any skills as such for racing, but once I got a taste for it I definitely wanted to do it again. From there, it was then a kind of rocket ship.” His first attempts were impressive. A young Jackie showed exceptionally quick reflexes and a cool demeanour behind the

wheel, demonstrating his incredible hand-eye coordination. Despite his eminent rise to the top, Sir Jackie was, by his own admission, “a failure in the making”. Twiddling with the phone cord next to him, he explains, “I was a failure educationally. I’m a dyslexic so my school years were by far the unhappiest of my life. In those days, as it still is in some places, dyslexia was never identified. You were just stupid, dumb, or thick. These were difficult times because it’s humiliating not being able to read or write, and do all the things everybody else does so easily.” Adding, with what can only be described as a real sense of sadness, “Dyslexics need to understand that they can achieve and they can succeed. Einstein was dyslexic, Leonardo Di Vinci was dyslexic, Churchill was dyslexic, Steve Redgrave is dyslexic. These are just a few examples. The great shame is that a number of dyslexics will never reach their full potential.” Nevertheless, his harsh Scottish school days are what instilled in Sir Jackie the will to triumph. Like many dyslexics wee Jackie had an overwhelming

desire to prove himself in life. Rocking back and forth, the affable racer said, “Because you cannot do the things that people your own age can do so easily you’re made to feel inadequate. You feel humiliated and you have no self esteem. I had a terrible complex but managed to rise over it through sport. Now it doesn’t really worry me that I can’t read or write correctly, and it doesn’t bother me that I don’t know the alphabet.” Adding, “I do look back and wish my teachers were here to see me now because they and the educational system had totally written me off.” The triple Formula One world champion, who last stood on top of the winners’ podium in 1973, the year he retired, is clearly proud of all he has achieved. So, I wondered, what does it feel like to be the fastest man on the planet? Launching into what can only be described as a vivid description, he exclaims “The adrenaline is unbelievable, but a good racing driver doesn’t make it look like he’s going that fast.” In 1966, while racing at 164mph, in the rain, Jackie Stewart left the track,

crashing into a tree during Spa-Francorchamps. He remained in the upturned car while the vehicles fuel poured onto him. “The tiniest spark would have made me a human bonfire”, he said. After this near-death experience, Stewart became an outspoken advocate of Racing Safety. Sounding somewhat frustrated, Sir Jackie explained, “In those days, if you were racing for a five year window in Formula 1 there was a two out of three chance you were going to die, which is a ridiculous average. People did not think racing drivers needed to think of safety because they were seen as gladiators and if you were killed that was your full awareness before you went in there. I thought that was all wrong. I thought I was being paid for my skill not for the risks I was taking.” After tirelessly campaigning for racing safety, Sir Jackie became incredibly unpopular with a number of those involved in the sport. He boycotted, campaigned and protested and was involved in a very major change in the safety of racing, making him more than just a wizard at the wheel. “It needed to be done

because there was a period in 1968 where four of our drivers died in consecutive months. When that happens to you and you’re constantly going to funerals and you’re witnessing the grief and the devastation, when it doesn’t have to happen, I realised I had to do something.” Sir Jackie, a man of immense charisma, charm and integrity, to this day remains a superstar and someone with legions of loyal fans around the world. Rather humbly, he admits he understands the joy his fans feel when they meet him, as he too has those he gets excited about meeting. “When I first met Peter Sellers, the Beatles, Elizabeth Taylor and the Queen I did get slightly star struck. But you often find these people are just as anxious to meet you as you are of meeting them. The real stars don’t need to act or behave in a manner that lets people think they’re something different. Although I’m Sir Jackie Stewart, I’m still the same Jackie as I’ve always been.” Winning is Not Enough: The Autobiography,

by

Jackie

Stewart, published by Headline, priced £7.99

The National Student, May 2009

SPORT

18

men’s 100m semi-final and surpassed Craig Pickering’s Championship best time, set in 2007, to qualify for the final in 10.23s.The Canadian Smith made a blistering start and never looked back bettering the previous record by 0.06 of a second. He went on to win the 100m final in an equally impressive time, not as fast as his previous outing which earned him his place university record books. Another remarkable performance came in the men’s discus as Brett Morse from UWIC achieved a new personal best of 59.52m, beating the Championship record throw set in 2002 by Emeka Udechuku by over one metre. Morse’s gold medal winning distance has exceeded the European U23 Qualification distance by an impressive 1.5m. A further Championship best performance came in the men’s shot put as Kieran Kelly broke his own record by 29cm. Kelly, the second Loughborough athlete to break a record that weekend, threw 31cm more than Rimantas Martisauskas of Leeds Met Carnegie who took home the silver. The men’s throwers were

Three is the magic number for Leeds Met Carnegie Before May arrived and the conclusion to much of the professional football across the country could take place there was a big game on the 29th April at Loftus Road. Leeds Met Carnegie took home the BUCS women’s football Championship after an impressive performance against Northumbria. Lucozade Sport Player of the Match Emily Heckler scored two of Leeds Met Carnegie’s goals as they defeated their opponents 3-0 in the final of the BUCS Championship. After a tense first half, Leeds finally turned their slight dominance into total control in the second half. Heckler began with a neat half volley in the 62nd minute

followed by a good finish from the edge of the box in the 72nd minute to give her side a two-goal cushion. Leeds Met were, by know, clearly the better side and it was Rachel Lee who finished the scoring with an excellent lob on the 88th minute. It was second time unlucky as Northumbria, in two consecutive years, departed Loftus Road losing out in the final of the BUCS Championship. Leeds Met, who beat last year’s winners UWIC in the semi finals, highlighted the strength of women’s football at Carnegie and the benefit of aligning alongside an FA Premier League club, Leeds Carnegie Ladies.

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not finished there though as Brunel’s Chris Hughff sent his javelin an enormous 76.92m in the final event of the Championships breaking the previous record which had stood since 2000. The silver medal was taken by James Campbell of Leeds Met Carnegie who also exceeded the previous record with a throw of 76.71m. These two throws,

with their phenomenal distances, are just one example of the abundance of quality within university sport. In the women’s competition Olympian Steph Twell of St Mary’s made her BUCS track debut in the women’s 5000m and returned home with a BUCS gold medal and Championship Record. She

finished the race in a time of 16.03.94, 23 seconds ahead of the second placed Emma Pallant from Brunel. Pallant, not content with a silver medal, hit the track again less than two hours later taking the gold in the 1500m in just one of several medal doubles over the weekend which also included Phillip Hinch from Wolverhampton (10000m gold and 5000m bronze), Bath’s Dan Cossins (200m gold and 100m bronze) and Jillian Drouin of Bournemouth (High Jump gold and Long Jump bronze) amongst others. Once all the points had been added up at the end of an outstanding weekend of sport, it was revealed that it was Loughborough who took home the overall team Championship with 99 Men’s points and 143 Women’s points. Whilst this was an impressive team achievement a more prominent point from the weekend was the outstanding talent which lies within all forms of sport at University level. A full set of results, including heats and the overall points tables can be found at bucs.org.uk/ athletics

Simon Roe

taking place at the Bedford International Athletics Stadium, lived up to expectations with five new Championship Best Performances and a Masters World Record. Oluseyi Smith, from Loughborough, put in a phenomenal run in the

DE Photo

May 2 was a momentous day in the BUCS calendar as it was the beginning of a massive weekend of university sport. Thousands of students descended upon Bedford for the Outdoor Athletics Championships. The BUCS Outdoor Athletics Championships,

DE Photo

Athletes shine in Bedford as records are smashed

The National Student, May 2009

SPORT

sportsalive.com

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UWE Hartpury clinch victory in epic Twickenham battle Despite their disappointment in the men’s football finals, UWE Hartpury did experience some major success in recent weeks with victory in the BUCS Rugby Union Championship at RFU Twickenham. On the April 22 Hartpury beat UWIC 49-30 to seal their third successive championships and their second victory at Twickenham in a week, after winning the EDF Energy Intermediate Cup four days earlier. It had been UWIC in fact who made a blistering start with full back Alan Awcock

scoring two tries inside just 11 minutes. The first came with nine minutes gone, Awcock bursting through the UWIC back line to score before repeating the trick two minutes after the restart. The second try was converted by Simon Humberstone with UWIC racing into an early 12-0 lead. UWIC had lost out to Hartpury in last year’s semifinals and it appeared that now they would have their revenge. With 17 minutes on the clock UWE Hartpury gained their first points of the day with a well taken try by Canadian International

Matt Evans and five minutes later they were back on level terms as Jon May scored Hartpury’s second try of the day, which was converted by Cardiff RFU Academy player Sam Dimmick. With 24 points in less than 20 minutes the spectators at Twickenham certainly had an end to end game on their hands. UWIC continued their dominance of the first half with two Morgan Thompson penalties and tries from Matthew John and Jack Shaw. Thompson converted one of the two tries meaning the two sides went into half time with the score 30- 14 to

L’borough stun England in memorial match On May 13 Loughborough students produced an inspiring performance in memory of their former team mate to overpower an eager England under-20 rugby side 23-20. The Dan James Memorial Match, England’s only warm-up fixture ahead of next month’s Junior World Championship in Japan, was played at Loughborough University in front of a 3,000-strong crowd that included England Rugby Union chief Rob Andrew. Both teams touched down twice during the monumental battle which provided an apt finale to a hectic season for Loughborough who finished in the top half of National North Three in their first year. “I’m absolutely delighted and extremely proud of the boys, the coaches and the support staff,” said

Loughborough head coach Dave Morris. “Going into the match we weren’t sure what to expect - it’s one of those fixtures you rarely get to play, but most of the team play in the Premiership which put the odds in their favour.” The match celebrated the life of Dan James, who died last September 18 months after he was paralysed in a training ground accident. James was an England Students hooker who played in two BUSA Championshipwinning Loughborough teams, scoring two tries in the 2006 final against Bath. Money raised from ticket sales is going to the Dan James Trust, which supports spinal injury research, and parents Mark and Julie presented a cup in Dan’s memory to Loughborough captain Evan Stewart.

UWIC. UWE Hartpury had a mountain to climb in the second half but they were helped in their cause when UWIC went down to 14 men, Owen Swindell yellow carded for killing the ball at the ruck. UWE Hartpury made their one man advantage count, and in the ten minutes Swindell was off the pitch, brought themselves within two points of their opponents. One penalty try and one try from Cresswell in six minutes, both converted by Sam Dimmick, meant that by the time Swindell returned UWIC’s advantage was a narrow one, with the

scores at 30 - 28. Despite Swindell’s return restoring the numbers on either side, parity could not be found between the teams as Hartpury began to take control. Dan Norton scored the first of his two tries for Hartpury on the 64th minute, again converted by Dimmick, taking the score to 35-30 and giving them the lead for the first time in the game. The game swayed back and forth for the last 20 minutes with a host of substitutions made by both sides. As the 80th minute hit UWIC pushed hard for the try that would draw the scores level and take

the game into extra time, but it was UWE Hartpury who hit on the break with Kosie Haarhoff scoring a breakaway try halting the UWIC resilience and handing UWE Hartpury the title. Dimmick once again converted. As UWIC had done at the end of the first half UWE Hartpury scored again straight from the restart as Norton raced clear to emphatically score his second try of the day. Dimmick rounded off the scoring converting Norton’s try with the final whistle blowing on a 49 – 30 UWE Hartpury victory.

England’s football representatives keep up winning habit An England Universities group returned from Guernsey with a 3-2 victory after playing the National Team at the Corbet Field on Monday April 27. The Universities had been invited by the Guernsey Football Association to help with their preparations for the annual match against Jersey on May 3rd and also the Island Games later in the year. A playing squad of 13, cut from 16 due to injuries, and 3 staff (Steve SharmanUniversity of Warwick, Bryn Clark - University of Hertfordshire and

Graham Potter - Leeds Met University) travelled for the match which help prove the strength of University football within England. Fresh from a narrow 1-0 over Scottish Universities, England’s representatives made a bright start to the game with some excellent passing and attacking play down both flanks. Despite this pressure, it was the hosts who took the lead, a wonderful cross glanced home by the Guernsey number 11 after poor distribution by Aaron Ratchford in the England goal. Ratchford went on to have a solid

game and was rarely called into action as his team-mates continued with their passing game. The approach paid dividends when, after fine play in the midfield, Ben Christensen fired home from 20 yards to level the match. Two second half goals by Adam Cunnington was enough to put the result beyond doubt despite a late goal for a Guernsey side who had been outclassed in a game which had a one sided nature not necessarily reflected in the game itself. by Tom Clarke

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UWE Hartpury clinch victory at Twickenham - page 19

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Coombes the hero as L’borough seal shoot-out glory Loughborough goalkeeper David Coombes having a shining performance. Still deadlocked at a goalless score line, the game went into extra time. However, a breakthrough soon came in the first period, and it was Loughborough who provided it. A vicious corner was met by the head of Suarez and his effort teed up perfectly for Charlie Mpi to apply the well placed headed finish. The second period saw Hartpury frantically looking to salvage the game in search for an equaliser. After much effort, they prevailed, when a left foot volley from Russell Courtney forced Loughborough goalkeeper Coombes to parry the shot onto the head of Steve Davies, who sent his team mates and Hartpury’s attending fans into raptures following a well executed finish. Despite continuous end to end action with both teams looking for the illusive winner inside added time, the whistle sounded to indicate the game was to be decided by a penalty shoot out. In a tense series of events, both teams scored their first five penalties, forcing the game to move into sudden death.

Simon Roe

by Rob Dalling

Continuing in the same fashion, both teams finished well, taking the shoot out tally to the remarkable parity of 8-8. In a dramatic twist, Coombes pulled off a fantastic point save from Ben Pugh in the next penalty, setting up Loughborough’s Liam Green to steal the headlines. With the Simon Roe

Amidst a lively crowd at Queens Park Rangers’ Loftus Road, Loughborough University made history on April 29, clinching the BUCS Men’s Football Championship title in a close affair against UWE Hartpury. With both teams winning their respective leagues, the tie had all the ingredients to be an epic encounter between two strong football sides, both of which boasted players in their line-ups who had represented English University team this season. The match began cautiously, with Hartpury, who were attempting to secure their third successive championship, being forced to contain the up and coming Loughborough side in the early stages, restraining dominant Loughborough striker Mikel Suarez. Despite losing key midfielder Sean Seavill as a result of a knee injury early on, these tactics appeared to be working for Hartpury, who had the first real goal-scoring chance of the game, with striker Marcus Palmer denied by the crossbar following a thunderous volley. The second half saw much of the same pressing and probing as the opening half, with both sets of defenders proving the key men in the game, as well as

pressure on, Hartpury’s goalkeeper Richard Thomas then pulled off an excellent save to keep the shootout alive. Still looking for a decider, James Baldwin stepped up next for Hartpury. However not to be denied, Coombes saved again, this time giving Adam Steventon the chance to give his side the glory. In yet another twist of fate, he fumbled his effort wide of the goal, greeted by groans from the travelling Loughborough contingent. With the scores progressing to eleven each, Courtney, Lucozade Sport Man of the Match stepped up for Hartpury. Coombes refused to give up his limelight however, saving for the third time to allow his side to clinch the title. Third time definitely proved lucky for Loughborough, who

following a thunderous strike from Charlie Mpi, broke Hartpury hearts and sealed the Championship. Loughborough Head Coach, Tom Curtis was delighted to comment on his side’s victory, “To come through what the guys did and pull together for the penalty shoot out is vindication of their courage, passion and team spirit; I’ve never seen a match run into so many penalties before. It certainly wasn’t the best looking football we’ve played all season but the guys did what they set out to do and I’m really chuffed for them.” Matt Holdstock, BUCS Football Development Administrator also commented on the game, “Although the 90 minutes was a scrappy affair at times – the excitement of extra time and penalties

means that this Championship Final will go down as one of the most memorable in recent years.” With the 2nd and 3rd teams also sealing promotion earlier in BUCS league season, this proved a memorable year for everyone associated with Loughborough. George Carney, BUCS Football Development Manager spoke in high regard of Loughborough’s achievement, “The success of Loughborough this season highlights what can be achieved by putting an excellent club structure and development plan in place. It is no co-incidence that Hartpury and Loughborough reached the final and credit should go out to James Ellis and Tom Curtis (Loughborough) and Tom Radcliffe (Hartpury).”