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Salford Edition: Monday 3 October 2011

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MediaCity UK is here

The University of Salford this weekopens its doors to its new teachingfacility at MediaCity UK, asconstruction work is finallycompleted on the highly anticipatedsite at Salford Quays.Located at the heart of the new

BBC headquarters, the buildingcompromises of unique digitallearning, teaching and researchspaces that have been designed forthe university courses set to betaught there. The 2011/2012 year willsee 39 undergraduate andpostgraduate programmes beingtaught at the new site includingjournalism, audio technology,animation and media production.To celebrate the opening of the

new building, a launch event istaking place on Monday, 3 October,

where Matt Brittin, ManagingDirector of Google in the UK &Ireland, will address Salfordstudents and employees. The talk istaking place at the BBC’s QuayHouse, where Matt will be sharinghis views on the digital sector andtaking part in a question and answersession.Teaching officially begins on

Tuesday, 4 October, when the firstlectures and practical sessions willbe getting underway as the first ofover 1500 Salford students willbegin to benefit from theopportunities the new technologyand neighbouring organisations willoffer.Vice-Chancellor, Professor Martin

Hall said, “To be able to announcethat we will be moving in onschedule is a major milestone andreal cause for celebration. Thedesign, fit-out and timetabling forour hi-tech new facility has been themost complex project the University

has ever undertaken, and we havesucceeded in delivering what willbecome the most technicallyadvanced learning environment inthe UK.”The production suites and studios

within the new building have beeninformed and specified by industryand future proofed for emergingcreative technologies. Includedwithin the four floors occupied bythe university are radio broadcaststudios, post-production suites andHD TV studios, with full accessavailable to all students 24 hours aday.Meeting rooms are available to

hire for group work, with videoconferencing available should agroup member not be able to makeit in for the day. Social spaces havealso been designed with a workmentality in mind, with videoscreens positioned around therooms to showcase the work offellow students.

Getting to MediaCity UK is easy -the new QuaysLink bus servicetransports students between theuniversity’s Peel Park campus andSalford Quays, calling at SalfordShopping City. The bus stop islocated alongside the roundaboutby Salford Crescent train station,and all students with a new ID cardare able to travel to and from thesite free of charge.The move to MediaCity UK is the

first stage of Salford’s Campus Plan,with an ambitious strategy in placeto rejuvenate the university andensure that it climbs the leaguetables over the coming years. The £2million-a-year rent is a statementthat the University of Salford wantsto be amongst the finest learningestablishments in the country, andthe opportunities this move couldbring with it should be enough toattract the most ambitious studentswanting to get a degree.

Mark CockroftNews Editor.

www.salfordstudents.com

Salford

Give Sport A Go, theStudent Union’snew initiative to getmore peopleinvolved in Sport,started last week.You can view thefirst photographs,reports and thetimetable on theSports pages.

The University ofSalford may oneday be part ofManchester, if newboundary changesapproved by theCouncil go ahead.See page 3 formore details.

The first StudentCouncil meeting ison Monday 3October, and will beheld in Maxwell 516between 6pm and8pm – get all over itfor discussionsabout the UCU strikeaction and the newSalford logo.

Wondering how onEarth you’resupposed to budgetwhilst at university?Go to theEmployability pageto find out how

The University of Salford’s new buildings at the MediaCity UK complex inSalford Quays. Photograph by Richard Meftah

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EditorLaura Johnson [email protected]

News Editor Mark Cockroft [email protected]

Arts Editor Tom Miller [email protected]

Features Editor Amanda [email protected]

Employability Laura Johnson

Your UnionLaura Johnson

Sport Richard Tree

AnalysisLaura Johnson

OurContributors

Do you have anews story? Emailthe News Editor,[email protected]

Contact

www.salfordstudents.com

Salford

Students Union Welcome Week Activities Round-Up The Students’ Union hosted its widest range of Welcomeactivities yet this month. International Welcome Week started on Monday 12 September,and included such events as a Tea Party, pizza night, treasure huntand cinema trip which were aimed at helping internationalstudents settle into the university. Welcome Week started on Monday 19th August. Bar Yours playedhost to many different events, such as the Band Night, ComedyNight and Quiz Night. The most popular events were the Activities Fair and Trade Fair. Atthe Activities Fair, the activity groups and sports groups of theStudents’ Union showcased their activities to new and old students. At the Trade Fair, which took place in the marquee, variouscompanies came together to advertise offers to students, includingthe infamous Dominoes and Baa Baa. There was also a poster sale. Shock Radio, the student radio station, DJ’d at the marquee everyday during the Welcome Weeks. Another popular Welcome event was the first Salford Social of theacademic year at 42nd Street in Manchester, with special celebrityguests the Cheeky Girls. “There’s been so much going on during Welcome Week, it’s beenaction-packed, I’ve really had a great time,” said one student.

Laura Johnson Editor

• As reported in previouseditions of Salford StudentDirect, the University isembarking upon somedramatic changes of its imageand campus. Student Councilwill be discussing this onMonday 3rd October inMaxwell 516, so make sure youattend.

• This week I’m also attendingsome of the fringe events of theConservative Partyconference, which discusshigher education and arebased in Manchester.

•Black History Month launchesthis week (see page 3).

• I’m at a loss as to what to dowith my life now there’s noDoctor Who in my life – whatdo I watch now? Answers on apostcard please

Editor’sNote

(Or, what I’mgetting all over

this week…)

Corrections

The Salford Sirens perform a stunt at theActivities Fair

The High Rollers society atthe Activities Fair

The newly formed FencingSociety at the Activities Fair

Salford students loving life atthe Salford Social

L-R Vice Presidents Christina Kennedy, SophieAtkinson and Tom Doyle (looking pleased as punch!)with the Cheeky Girls at the Salford Social.

A pleasingly coordinated Salford student and a palwith the Cheeky Girls at the Salford Social.

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Salford students get all over it at 42ndStreet for the Salford Social onWednesday 21 September

Last week we printedthat the University has a“wider ambition topropel the University ofSalford from the bottomquartile of UKuniversities to the topquartile by 2019”. Wehave since beeninformed that the yearis actually 2017, andwould like to apologisefor this error.

A student from the University ofSalford has seen one of his designs goon sale at John Lewis. Paul Humphreys, a product design

student, went on a work experienceplacement for eight weeks at audiovisual furniture company AlphasonDesigns. During this time he workedon turning one of the designs he hadmade on his course into a realproduct.Every year Alphason runs a design

brief with the University and this waswhen Paul came up with the design

for his ‘Pebble’ TV stand. He thenworked on the stand with theAlphason team to make it into afeasible product to be manufacturedand mass produced for themarketplace. Once completed, afterPaul had finished his workplacement at Alphason, the productwas launched and major retailerssuch as John Lewis placed firmorders.Paul is very proud of what he has

achieved. “I am very proud that alarge retailer such as John Lewis iswilling to stock a design which I havecreated, especially as I have only justgraduated from University. It issomething that I certainly didn'texpect, at least until a couple of yearsworking in the industry.”

The experience that he gainedthrough his work placement hasbeen invaluable. “The workexperience at Alphason was a greatopportunity for me. I developed andmatured as a designer due to theparameters which are involved increating a product that is capable ofbeing produced and manufacturedat certain costs. This was the realdifference between working on mydegree at University and working fora real company.”After graduating from the

University of Salford, Paul is now intalks with a couple of companiesregarding employment but he hasstill not ruled out continuing hiseducation in design by doing aMaster’s degree.

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Elliot Millward

Salford student’s design goes on

sale at John Lewis

Boundary ‘shakeup’shakes up anger in Salford

This week the University are tolaunch their annual Black HistoryMonth for the second yearrunning. The aim of Black History Month

is to remember important figuresand events in the history of blackpeople by engaging students, staffand local communities in dialogueand debate. The Universitysupports the movement as part ofits commitment to equality andcultural diversity.This year the events which the

University will be organising forBlack History Month are focussedon the theme of Racism(s):Discrimination, Displacement and

Home.Arts Development Officer and

organiser Harriet Morgan-Shamisaid: “Black History Month hasbeen launched for the secondyear running as part of theUniversity’s commitment toequality and diversity.“It’s essentially a celebration of

the wonderful diversity of theUniversity and the localcommunities.”Black History Month will launch

on Wednesday 5th October, 12pm-2pm in International Life Centre,University House.

The events for the rest of themonth are as follows:• Who do you think you are?Workshop led by Rani Moorthy Wednesday 12th October, 5.30pm-7pmSalford Museum & Art GalleryWorkshop examining familyhistory through drama, genealogyand creative writing. • Racism(s): A Symposium ondiscrimination, displacement &

homeWednesday 19th October,12.30pm-5.30pmThink Lab, Maxwell Building

Topics and speakers:Readings of a case study takenfrom Dr. Muzammil Quraishi andRob Philburn’s forthcomingpublication, ResearchingRacism(s): A Guidebook forAcademics and ProfessionalInvestigators. The second will includepresentations on relevantresearch by a number of ouracademics and the third will be anopportunity to discuss ideas for asimilar symposium next year.Confirmed speakers include: Dr.Muzammil Quraishi, Suryia Nayak,Professor Haifa Takruri MBE, DrTina G. Patel, Dr. Tony Whyton,and Jostine Loubser.• Closing lecture & film screening:Dr. Robert Beckford, Empire PaysBackWednesday 26th October, 7pmUniversity of Salford, Lady HaleLecture Theatre, Lady HaleBuildingDr Robert Beckford is aneducator, author and award-winning broadcaster in the field ofreligion, culture and politics. Afirm believer in teaching for socialchange, Dr. Beckford has retaineda commitment to teaching outsideof traditional contexts. In his filmEmpire Pays Back, Dr Beckfordbelieves that Britain should payreparations to the descendents ofslaves, and hires a team of expertsto put a monetary figure on theamount owing.

Salford Edition: Monday 3 October 2011

StudentCouncilMeeting All students areinvited to the firstmeeting of theStudent Council thissemester. It will take place onMonday 3 October,from 6-8pm, in theMaxwell building,room 516. The Student Councilis a new branch ofthe democraticsystem within theUniversity of SalfordStudents’ Union andall students arestronglyrecommended toattend. Topics tabled fordiscussion duringthe meeting will bethe rebranding ofthe University logo,the restructuring ofthe libraries, UCUaction and blooddonation for ethnicminorities.

Returning Salford students willhave noticed that the universitylogo has been adapted toincorporate Manchester in itstitle (reported in Issue 2, 26-09/11). Although many at theuniversity welcome theassociation with Manchester,Salford residents are not soreadily willing to form such anassociation with theirneighbouring city.Salford councillors have

agreed to oppose boundarychanges for the City of Salfordwhich have been set out by thecurrent government. This hascome as a result of the BoundaryCommissions report that hassuggested the controversialproposal to ‘shake-up’parliamentary boundaries and

would implement significantchanges up and down thecountry that would oversee areduction of parliamentary seatsin the UK. However, for Salford the

proposed changes would see itsvarious areas beingincorporated into otherManchester constituencieswhich would mean Salfordwould virtually be wiped off thepolitical map. Langworthy, Ordsall, Weaste,

and Salford Quays wouldbecome part of `ManchesterCentral', Irlam and Walkdenwould become part of Leighwhilst Swinton would be themain Salford constituency. This means that the

University of Salford would beplaced in the Manchesterconstituency. A vote on theproposals is expected to takeplace in October 2013 with thenew boundaries coming in toeffect in time for the next

general election.The proposals have been

met with anger from residentsof the Salford area and alsoamongst local councillors.Hazel Blears, local MP, has

voiced her distaste against theproposals on her websiteclaiming that they are an'insult to the local people'. She said: “These proposals

rip the heart out of Salfordand seek to destroy our onethousand year old city. Theyput the University of Salfordinto Manchester, they putSalford Quays intoManchester and they even putSalford Cathedral intoManchester.”“They are more to do with

improving the Conservative’selection chances than servingthe people of Salford. I hopethe people of Salford willspeak out clearly and loudlyagainst these disgracefulplans.”

Natalie Garforth

Black History Month Kicks Off Laura

Johnson

Last week Labour held theirannual conference inLiverpool. For those of youwho can’t be bothered toexhaustively trawl throughnews stories to find out whatwas said there, here’s a quickbreakdown. • Lord Glasman suggested atone of Labour’s fringe eventsthat Ed Miliband wouldconsider closing half of theUK’s universities, replacingthem with vocational colleges.He argued that the UK nolonger values skilled work andthat vocational courses aremore useful to young people.• Ed Miliband said he didn’t

care if voters thought he wasweird on a Radio 4 show.Gutted, because he is weird.And people don’t vote forweird – oh wait….• Miliband said that theConservatives need to changedirection on the economy,which I imagine a five year oldcould have told him was anamazing soundbite. • In other economic news, EdBalls apparently reckons hecan sort the economy out,which makes him sound asdangerously psychotic as theother two Labour B’s at a timewhen nobody appears to beable to sort the economy out. • Miliband also said that hethought that fees should becapped at £6,000 to ease thedebt on students. Scary that£6,000 sounds so little, after

we’d all got so used to £3,000…• Some kid stood up at theLabour conference, bled a fewhearts about the welfare stateand then turned out to be someponce whose father was afailed millionaire. • Aside from makingthrowaway comments and pot-shots at the Conservatives,which we’d all expected,Labour didn’t really make anymajor policy commitments.We’re told this is becausethey’re in the middle of a policyreview, something theycertainly needed after thecollective car crashes of Blairand Brown. I’m not entirelysure what they talked about foran entire week…• Eddie Izzard wants to be aLabour MP. God help that ill-fated constituency.

The killer question – Will there be anotherConservative term? You bet. This Labour party, whilstas full of soundbites as ever, haveno policies as yet and are about asan electable as a garden slug.Which is saying something if youtake a look at George Osbourne.

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Confused abouthow the Unionworks, or want toknow about anyof the services theUnion offers? Gotowww.salfordstudents.com

Link

You’re probably reading thesewords wondering whether ornot the world really needsanother article about 9/11. Intruth, it doesn’t. Since the attacks in New York

in 2001, reams have beenwritten about the tragedy.Firefighters and survivors arehailed as heroes, victims asmartyrs. Last month, we wereall treated to weeks of 9/11documentaries in the run-up tothe tenth anniversary. I’d arguethat you can now add thephrase “9/11 changedeverything” to a list of clichésthat includes “the currenteconomic climate” and “I’m notracist, but.” 9/11, some people have

argued, hailed in a new era –one characterised bywidespread fear of terror, knee-jerk legislation and reactionarywars on the part ofgovernments, and an entirelynew meaning to the phrase

“Man in a turban, on the tube,with a rucksack.” I watched some of the

documentaries about 9/11avidly last month, consumed byhorror at the terrifying deathsthat victims of the tragedy musthave suffered. Yet turning awayfrom the obvious awfulness ofhuman death, I found myselffeeling a little revolted.In 9/11 about 3000 people

were killed. Children were leftorphans and people today stillsuffer from post-traumaticstress disorder. Yet 3000 is atiny figure compared to theamount of people that havebeen killed in Middle Easterncountries since 9/11. Quite frankly, I believe that

we should no longer muchmourn those 3000 lives, forwhich many tears have beenshed and words written. Weshould now mourn theimplications of those deaths –the millions spent on wars inthe Middle East, the lives ofIraqi women and childrendestroyed by war, the schools

and hospitals and townshipsbombed in Afghanistan. We should mourn the

deterioration of logic ininternational law and theinstatement of a dated andarchaic “us and them”, “Judeo-Christian vs Muslim” systemfrom which Western countrieswill now struggle to extricatethemselves. We should mourn the new

intolerance in our owncountries which was sparkedby 9/11, the rejection of Muslimpeople in poorer sections of thecountry. Those are the greater human

tragedies, ones that willcontinue to affect people formany generations. As 9/11 reached its tenth

anniversary, I hope peopleasked themselves morepressing questions thanwhether or not the architectureof the Trade centre buildingscould have been better. Thereis much we have to deal with inthe present without dwellinginto the past.

Should the Westforget about 9/11?

Laura Johnson

Firstly, I would like to startmy weekly column bywelcoming all new studentsto the University and moreimportantly, the Students’Union. Make the most of whatboth have to offer to you overthe next three (or more)years. Immerse yourself instudent life and Salfordculture. Oh, and why notwrite for me here at theStudent Direct. My name isCallum, and I am the AnalysisEditor. I, like my felloweditors, am always on thelookout for writers; you cancontact me via my e-mail atthe front of the paper or thefoot of this page. So contactme with your pre-writtenarticles, or to request titleideas.Over the summer I have

stayed in Manchester insteadof returning home to the Isleof Man, choosing to work andimmerse myself in British life.Drinking tea. Eating scones.Pip pip! I partook in my firstever pride on my employersfloat (for which we won bestfloat), and I was terrified bythe riots. Nothing to date has inspired

such fear within me as the dayI was sent home from workearly, walking throughSalford Shopping City as therioters began to congregate,sat alone in a blacked outhouse in case they came ourway. Yet, nothing has inspiredsuch a sense of community

within me as walking to workthe next morning. Businessmen in their three-piece suitsswept the car-park at Lidl, asthe contractors from thebuilding site next doorreclaimed their materialsfrom the road allowing trafficto continue. Glass was sweptaside at the precinct andbusiness tried to return asusual. In Manchester, MarketStreet had never been so busyat such a time in the morningas people gathered to takepictures of Miss Selfridge.It’s this sense of community

that you are joining when youcome to Salford. Like it or not,we’re not in the most affluentof areas in Manchester, butwe’re getting there, and whatwith the Salford Quaysdevelopment and Media City,we’ve made leaps and boundsfrom when I first stumbledhere, my entourage of casesin tow. But through all this weall pull together. As auniversity. As students part ofa national union. And,possibly the most importantof all, as part of thecommunity we’re now basedin.

Callum Wright Analysis Editor

How Callum Sees It - #1

The Labour Conference For Dummies

Laura Johnson

Arts


Link

05Salford Edition: Monday 3 October 2011

So that’s it. After what seems likeno time at all, we are left yet againwith a timelord-shaped hole inour lives. Series six of DoctorWho reached its climax onSaturday, and, short of splurginga large chunk of precious loan oneven heftier box-sets, it seemswe’ve little to do but wait untilnext year for our next fix of themadman in the blue box. I have a confession to make,

Student Direct reader, and you’ddo well to keep it to yourself. I amwriting this article in the past.Although The Doctor wasevidently too occupied withname badges and babies to offerme a lift back to last week, I havesomehow found myself setting

out to write about Matt Smith’sDoctor Who career so far withoutseeing the final episode of seriessix. Wibbly wobbly timey wimey.In spite of being stuck in lastweek, I’d still love to celebrateMr. Smith’s superior timelordskills, because he rather deservesit. The transition between lead

actors in Doctor Who is adecidedly delicate process. TenthDoctor David Tennant wasconsidered an impossible act toequal, yet his sprightly, eccentricsuccessor has done just that.Bouncing tirelessly around theset demanding fishy custard, theeleventh incarnation’s everymannerism is, while uniquely

endearing, reassuringly Doctor-ish. New companion KarenGillan, a Scot with talent as boldas her tangerine locks, ischarming as impulsive Amy,while Authur Darvill is superb asher husband Rory. Withoccasional writer Steven Moffatnow firmly at the helm, the newseries was bursting with promise. Another series five highlight

was Vincent and The Doctor.During a trip to the Muséed'Orsay, Amy and The Doctornotice something worrying inVan Gogh’s The Church AtAuvers, and decide to pay a visitto the man himself. Tony Curranis captivating as the onceunappreciated artist who,staggeringly talented, wasultimately and devastatinglyruined by his depression. The lifeof the artist, who was frequentlyostracised and thought mad,proves a wonderful parallel tothe misunderstood creature that,like mental illness, plagues himthroughout the episode. Thebeauty of ‘Vincent and TheDoctor’, which was written byRichard Curtis, lies in its quest to

examine the complexity not ofthe entire universe, but themysterious human soul. Most recently, ‘The God

Complex’ again demonstrateshow effective a combination ofsci-fi and psychological dramacan be. In a frightening set-upcourtesy of Being Human creatorToby Whithouse, Amy, Rory, andThe Doctor find themselvestrapped in a 1980’s hotel. Like aStephen King take on GeorgeOrwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four,every unlucky visitor eventuallydiscovers a room containingtheir greatest fear. Impeccablecharacter development,excellent direction, and asurprising denouncement make‘The God Complex’ as intriguingas it is spooky. Every fan who doubted Matt

Smith, the youngest actor to everplay The Doctor, has an awful lotof backtracking to do. His talent isat this point undeniable - hisperformance through series fiveand six has been an absolutedelight to watch. Roll on seriesseven. =

In Defence ofDr Who

Hot Or Not..

There are many people whoare particularly Schadenfreudeyabout Nicola Roberts. She is, afterall, the ginger one from Girls Aloud. No onereally liked her; you can hardly even see herin the music video of Sound of theUnderground, which is an abomination.Roberts spent years under tanning bedstrying to de-white herself, and get thathealthy red/orange glow that all pop starshave. She tried to fit in, which was, for want

of a better word, a bit silly – and our dearfifth member of Britain’s favourite girl bandrealised this. After campaigns againsttanning, and starting a make up range forfair skin, Dainty Doll, Nicola did what allsensible people do in her position. Shewrote some pop songs and released themon a record.Now, for listening to this album, listeners

must realise what the record is. We have anelectropop record produced byMetronomy, The Invisible Men, Traxstarz,Dimitri Tikovoi and Diplo. It’s not a Cheryl“did she hit the black woman/didn’t she”Cole. It’s not Nadine “weird accent” Coyle.This is a credible pop record; there are greattunes on here. ‘Beat of My Drum’ is everything a pop

song needs to be, along with hipsters hatingit, which helps. The new single, ‘Lucky Day’is spot on; there is no denying itscatchyness. ‘Say It Out Loud’ is uplifting andpowerful, and could well be single with a bitof editing (it’s an epic four minutes 35seconds long, which for a pop song is a bitlike Stairway). In true pop record fashion,she’s also thrown in a few ballads – ‘sticks +stones’ happens to be gosh darnit

emotional without being too ChristinaAguilera. And the revelation of the record?She’s got a damn good voice.If there is one thing we have learnt from

the listening experience that is Cinderella’sEyes, is that Nicola Roberts has some depthand intelligence, unlike her other GirlsAloud bandmates. She co-wrote the songs,

and with the vibe of “everyone that’s everbeen a bitch to me go rot in hell”, this maymean more than just tapping a few buttonson the synthesiser. So yes, it turns out ourdear ginger one from Girls Aloud has grownup. She has done this admirably, withquirky if cheesy decisions. She’s got ballsthough, you’ve gotta give her that.

Nicola Roberts– Cinderella’sEyes Tom Miller

Review

Amanda Mace

Hot You Me At Six –'Loverboy ' – The onlydecent thing releasedthis week, a pretty goodpop rock song. Thesinger is hot too, whichhelps. They’ve certainlycome a long way sincetheir pop punk days.

All The Young – 'QuietNight In ' – They looklike an indie band, theysound like an indieband. They have all theappeal of an indie band.This song is average atbest, but on a bad weekof single releases,they’re near the top.

Viva Brother – 'TimeMachine' – Anothercrap indie band lookinglike an indie band,sounding like an indieband and having appealof an indie band. There’sa decent riff in this, but Ican’t see past thepretention.

Ronika – 'OnlyOnly'/'In The City' –The only reason this isgetting reviewed isbecause there are onlyseven releases thisweek. Saying that, OnlyOnly is a decent 80s popsong, as is In The City – itis, of course, not the 80s.

Not Jennifer Lopez – 'Papi'– The only redeemingthing about this song isthat the video is reallygood, with lots of menfighting over her inhilarious ways, and itdistracts you from thesong.

Skylar Grey –'Invisible ' – It’s likesomeone has written asong for all thosepathetic scene kids. It’sabout depression, whichis a very important thingand something we musttackle in society, but thissong is not really doingit. Scene kid depressionis much more “in” thanthe actual disease.

Sugababes – 'Freedom'– It’s a shoddy pop songat best, but they’re noteven the real Sugababes.It’s all a load of rubbish.

Features


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So, as you will now be aware, thedate everyone has been waitingfor is upon us. From tomorrow,the University of Salford will seethe opening of teaching at MediaCity UK in Salford Quays. Forcurrent students on media basedcourses or who are aiming topursue a career in journalism,this is most definitely a veryexciting time. As not only will theuniversity be working alongsidethe BBC, which has relocated fivedepartments to the site, it willalso have its own centre with

three floors of state-of-the-artfacilities. For those of you who don't

know, the ball was set in motionin 2009 when the University ofSalford signed an agreement withPeel Media for a new highereducation centre to be situated atthe heart of the Media City UKdevelopment in Salford Quays.This move also came alongsidethe BBC announcing that theywould be moving fivedepartments to the site. Thisexciting development is expectedto open up all kinds of new andexciting opportunities for Salfordstudents. So, you may ask, what is Media

City UK all about? And how doesit benefit Salford students? Wellfor someone like me who ishoping to pursue a career injournalism, the move couldn’thave come at a better time. Likeminded students who are or areintending to study journalism orsimilar media related courses atthe university will be taught atmedia city where they will haveaccess to the top-of-the rangeequipment. The centre is toinclude its own HD TV and radiobroadcast studios, digital mediaand performance labs, post-production suites, and a living labresearch facility, as well asmeeting rooms with video

conferencing. Among the courses - previously

housed in the Adelphi building -to be taught at the new locationare both undergraduate andpostgraduate degrees such asJournalism and Broadcasting , TVand Radio, Audio production andTechnology, and a number offilm production related courses.There are also various computerrelated courses such asComputer Science, CreativeGames, and Animation to betaught - to see a full list of coursessee the link below. All in all, these facilities and

courses will offer over 1,500students at the universityexceptional opportunities towork alongside mediaprofessionals, putting them inprime position for careers inmedia. Exciting, right? So by now you may have

guessed that the partnership withMedia City UK will mean many

new and exciting thingshappening for University ofSalford students in theforeseeable future. Theemployability chances of Salfordmedia students will undoubtedlyincrease upon their graduation,due to their prime location andlinks with the development. As a3rd year politics student aimingto continue my studies after Ihave finished my degree with apost-graduate course injournalism, I can honestly saythat I won’t even need toconsider going to any otheruniversity to further myeducation. Because for anyonelooking to go in to a career inmedia, Salford is certainly theplace to be! For more information aboutmedia city and to find out whatprogrammes visitwww.mcuk.salford.ac.uk OR goto the main site atmediacityuk.co.uk

Salford University:The place to be for media Natalie Garforth

Going to home fromuniversity to a small town formore than a few days is nevera very promising experience,and I really was not lookingforward to the prospect - butmy summer was the best I’vehad since I was about fifteen. Admittedly, I am absolutely

poor at the moment (I’mwriting this two weeks awayfrom loan day) and I feel sickat how much I’m in myoverdraft, but I’ve been onthree holidays, countless daytrips and laughed until I

thought I’d wee myself . I didn’t have high hopes for

a camping trip to Wales (Ionly agreed to the ideabecause although though lastyear’s attempt was a disaster,it was still a laugh) but I haveliterally never been so hot inEngland before! Two of mymates got sunstroke and allthirteen of us got burnt.Sitting under the stars with aspeaker and some of myoldest friends was probablythe best kick off to summerI’ve ever had. I actually also ventured to

Malia and came back alive.And yes, it was before all the

‘Maliatweeners’ mania. Atleast I can say I’ve done the 18– 30 thing now, and despitebeing ill as hell for aroundtwo weeks afterwards - sideeffect of drinking hideousamounts of alcohol for dayson end - it was fun in a sleazyway. Although I’ve lived near

Liverpool all my life I havenever been to Mathew StreetFestival before. It’s basicallylicense to drink on the streetsall day and all night for 48hours. Cue nearly beingknocked over by a shoplifter,encountering many a drunk,screaming 15-year-old girland horrendous toiletqueues. And once again Iproved that I’m an absolutelyuseless student and cannotdrink all day and night

without making myself veryvery sick - all in time for theactual only productive partof my summer. I had a workplacement for LiverpoolEcho, in which I interviewednumerous people in thestreet, along with PC Plumfrom Balamory and a ninetime gold medal paralympicathlete that made me feel likea right underachiever! I don’t think I could ever

live in the country - I gomental enough when I haveto go home to a small town,let alone houses that are 100miles apart. And walkingthrough the streets ofBarcelona is absolutelybeautiful. However, do avoidwandering down side streetsof the Rambla at night with amap in your hands if there’s

any chance you’re going towalk into the red lightdistrict – scary yet hilariousstuff. Although we attemptednot to do the tourist thingand abuse a Time Out bookfor the entire trip, weremained ignorantly Englishwith our ridiculously limitedSpanish and our trips toMaccies. I l iterally cannotthink of a better way toround off the summer thanspending it in a beautifulplace with some of my oldestfriends. Basically, this summer I

learnt that trying completelynew things, saying yes toeverything and not worryingso much about silly thingslike money (haha) will getyou into some brilliantsituations and experiences.

My summer Danielle Wynne

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Features


Despite the fact that Salford issituated just a mile fromManchester City Centre, itboasts a large area of greenopen space. 60% of the area is infact parkland - It’s not all urbansprawl! Visitors are alwayssurprised at how much greenand open space there is inSalford. There are thirty parksin Salford and two countryparks. The largest municipalpark in Europe, Heaton Park, isjust a couple of miles from theUniversity of Salford’s campus,and Peel Park, which bordersthe campus, adds a uniquetouch to the campus. The area of Heaton Park is

approximately six hundred

acres. Heaton Park is a verypopular recreational area andhosts many special eventsthroughout the year, includingconcerts by artists like Coldplayand Oasis. A number of musicalsand amateur dramatics havealso been performed there. Thepark is used by a wide variety oflocal clubs and societies. Thebowls pavilion was originallybuilt for the 2002Commonwealth games andremains a popular attraction.This park is home to a farmwhich includes both expectedlivestock and the slightly moreunusual animals such as alpacasand peacocks: these are alwayspopular with visitors. Peel Park, which was opened

in 1846, was Salford’s first park.It is situated between the RiverIrwell and the university

campus. As it is next to theuniversity campus, it is popularwith students when they wish totake time out from studying andrelax. There are plenty of treesin the summer to shade fromthe sun (when we get sun!). Thispark has several footballpitches, which are part of theDavid Lewis recreation ground.There are two sculptures in thispark called ‘The Fabric ofNature’ and ‘The Monument tothe Third Millenium’ whichform part of the Irwell SculptureTrail. Buile Hill park, which is within

walking distance south west ofthe University of Salfordcampus offers great views overthe Manchester. It has anoutdoor gym in its grounds,which many of the parks inSalford also have now. There isan 18 hole pitch and putt coursethere too. This park has agarden centre and a café whichis mainly run by volunteers. Though the green spaces

mentioned are the most wellknown, there are many moreparks in Salford, so you are trulyspoiled for choice.

Guide to Salford parks

Edward Whytock

To some students, beer is beer.Carlsberg, John Smith's, StellaArtois - all the same, just get itdown you and see where thenight leads. But it is for themost part cheap, poorly madeand lacking that certain 'je nesais quoi'. For the more refineddrinker, there are a number ofspecial places in Manchesterwhere beer is treated assomething to behold. It has tobe poured properly, giventime to settle, be admired for awhile and then gulped downwhilst taking in the traditionalsurroundings of a good oldfashioned British pub.There are many great ale

houses in Salford andManchester, but one pub inparticular embodies all thefactors that make up a greatBritish pub. The Eagle Inn is atiny back alley boozer, situatedjust off Trinity Way on CollierStreet. It has recently won theaward for being 'A fineexample of a traditional pub',and at £1.90 a pint you can'tcomplain at the prices either. It has been open since 1848

and regulars know it as theLamp Oil, which derives froma landlord named John Stone,who owned the pub in the1900's and worked at a localcoal yard situated nearby.

When he frequented the placeafter every shift, punters couldsmell the lamp oil on him,times being harsh andelectricity a couple of yearsdown the line. John used tosell the lamp oil round theback of the pub to punters andlocals, hence the nickname.There's also an old Lamp Oillight that hovers above thefront entrance.Inside, it's old fashioned and

filled with character. Notmany things have changed inits 163 years of standing,including the regulars, whoare a jovial bunch with a storyor two to tell. There’s threerooms in all, each just asquirky as the next. Some ofLowry paintings hang on thewalls and two of the roomsboast a TV for all the bigfootball matches. There's ajukebox, and darts night isevery Tuesday. Several bandssuch as Elbow and BeautifulSouth have enjoyed a break inThe Eagle Inn duringrecording over at nearbyBlueprint Recording Studios.For those students who

fancy a bit of an 'ale trail'around Salford andManchester, make sure youdrop in to the Eagle Inn. Iguarantee, after four pints oftheir finest, you might have toget one of the locals to pointyou in the right directionhome.

Hidden Gems Eagle Inn

Lee Mckay


Link

PJ Harvey – The Glorious Land(From Let England Shake, 2011)

An album written about thehorrors of war, and inspired bythe tragic circumstances inwhich Ms Harvey received herfirst Mercury, Let EnglandShake is a snapshot of erasgone by, gloriously told in hertypically harmonious shriek.

Franz Ferdinand – Take MeOut (From Franz Ferdinand,2004)

It’s a wonder Franz Ferdinandwon. Really. But when you’renominated amongst suchesteemed acts as Jamelia andKeane, you can see why.

Elbow – Grounds For Divorce(From The Seldom Seen Kid,2008)

Undoubtedly a poeticmasterpiece, Elbow’s 2008

winner saw the acclaimedband finally receive praise foryears of hard work. Thisalbum is the reason you had‘One Day Like This’ stuck inyour head for an entire YEAR.

Suede – Animal Nitrate (FromSuede, 1993)

The morbid darlings ofBritpop, Suede were anotherMercury band tipped for greatthings. Then they won. Andmade nothing more worthremembering.

The Klaxons – Golden Skans(From Myths Of The NearFuture, 2007)

Ahh the Klaxons. A casualty oftheir own hype, this neon-adorned hipster band flungout one ker-aaazay coolalbum, waited three yearsuntil neon went out of fashion,then released another, whichwas, at a push, ok. Their front-man now hangs around withPeaches Geldof.

M People – Moving On Up(From Elegant Slumming,1994)

It is said that a Heather Smallimpersonation is attemptedon average 4.3 times a second.You know you’ve done it.

Soundtrack to...The Mercury Prize

Oluwatobi Sunmola, better knownas Stripez Manchester, is a talented17 year old male rapper who grewup in Lagos, Nigeria. He has sincemoved to the North West where herecently met Sol Jazzie, founder ofRising Stars North West. ‘I spottedhis talent and potential straightaway’ says Sol Jazzie. It’s from herethat Sol Jazzie went on to form aclose relationship with and decidedto manage Stripez. Stripez has always loved music but

it was only four years ago that hispassion developed throughwatching his cousin. He hasdeveloped many tracks since andreleased his debut mix tape only afew months ago entitled TheStatement. ‘My inspiration comesfrom seeing someone succeed fromlittle or nothing’, he says.

Aside from his passion for music,Stripez is currently studying for hisA-levels in Maths, Biology andChemistry. This strong-minded teenis clearly very clever and he’s alsoaware of his talent and his life gameplan - which is quite endearing tosee from a 17 year old. ‘My goal,’Stripez says, ‘is to be successful andinspire people through my music’. Upon listening to his recent track

‘Hear Me (limelight)’ inspiration isexactly what I felt. The songportrays his hunger for thelimelight and an opportunity toshine. I recommend listening toStripez’s tracks, as I am sure manyof you will enjoy them. All of his tracks can be found on

Youtube, just type ‘risingstarnw –stripez’. If you have a talent or knows

someone who does get in [email protected]

Rising StarsNorth West Rising Stars North West is a new and excitingcompany dedicated to giving local talent achance to shine. Each week, a different rising starwill be profiled – this week, it is the turn of Stripez.

Laila Issa

So this year’s Mercury Music Prize was won (again) by PJ Harvey, withher eighth studio album Let England Shake. Here’s our soundtrack toMercury winners past and present.

Photo: Richard Meftah

Katy Howard.

Solutions in next weeks issue 4 of Student Direct

DIY Pizza (makes 2)

Ingredients375g Plain Flour1 Teaspoon salt1 Tablespoon Sugar7g (one sachet) dried activebaking yeast5 Tablespoons olive oil(vegetable or sunflower oil willalso do)225ml Warm water400g Can of choppedtomatoes1 Onion finely chopped2 Cloves of garlic, choppedvery finely1 Tablespoon mixed herbs1 Tablespoon tomato pureeYour choice of topping

Directions1) Combine flour, salt, sugar,and yeast in a large bowl. Mixin the warm water and 2tablespoons of the oil to createa soft dough.

2) Knead the dough on a cleanworktop for 10 minutes until itbecomes smooth and elasticthen place on an oiled baking

tray and cover with a clean teatowel and set to one side for 30minutes.

3) Meanwhile fry the onionover a medium heat in theremaining oil until beginningto soften and then add thegarlic. Cook for a further 1-2minutes then add the choppedtomatoes, tomato puree andmixed herbs.

4) Bring the sauce to the boilthen turn down to a simmer.Cook for 20 minutes thenallow to cool.

5) By now the dough shouldhave increased in size, give it aquick knead to knock the airout and divide into two.

6) Roll the dough out ontooiled baking sheets to yourpreferred thickness and prickwith a fork before spreadingthe sauce on top and arrangingyour chosen toppings.

7) Bake for 20-25 minutes atgas mark 6, 200 C until goldenand crisp.

28

Since our last broadcast,Shock Radio has entered anew era, with a new stationmanager Riain McCauley andnew members to theexecutive committee. We can’t wait to make this

year our best and mostexciting yet. This summer, wehave been working hard togive your university radiostation a new lease of life andimprove our output. Shockwill have its usual presence atUniversity events such asGrandstand on Wednesdaysand The Matt Bunt Cup as wellas other social eventsthroughout the year However, your station needs

you! We are looking forbudding presenters,engineers, journalists, or

anybody interested in radio tojoin our team. After all, thereare no shows without all ofthis! The first meeting for Shock

Radio is Tuesday 4th October.If you are interested inbecoming a member of thesociety, come along, listen in,ask any questions you like andget involved. If you can’t makeit, don’t hesitate to [email protected] orfind us on Facebook orTwitter. Our next broadcast should

be towards the end of Octoberand we can not wait to kick offanother brilliant year ofshows for you! From all here at Shock

Radio, we hope you enjoy thenew term!

Society SpotlightShock Radio

Have youenjoyedWelcome Week?

Confusedabout how theUnion works,or want toknow aboutany of theservices theUnion offers?Go towww.salfordstudents.com

Link

Cheap Recipe of the Week

Sudoku #2

On arrival at John Lester &Eddie Colman Court, my choiceof accommodation, it was clearthat everyone was as anxiousand nervous as I was.Fortunately it became clear thateveryone had also concludedthat we were all ‘in the sameboat’, so the smiles and ‘hellos’where coming thick and fast! After meeting my roommates

and getting off to a good start, atrip down to Bar Yours was inorder to kick-start what wasgoing to be a fun and amazingweek. Busier than expected, theUnion was full of students whowere just finding their feet(myself being one of them), tothe seasoned veterans of thirdyear. The amazing thing to findwas that everyone was minglingand having a good time; therewas no ‘cliques’ or ‘year-based’

mentality, everyone was astudent and everyone washaving fun. Colin Manford, the DJ and host

of Salford University’s comedynight, was entertainingeveryone with witty banter andrequested music. The night’sentertainment was giant boardgames, along with bar favouriteslike pool. It worked well, and gotpeople chatting and makingfriends. The Union hadarranged themed nights withvarious entertainment such asquizzes, pizza parties andcinema trips, so there really wassomething for everyone. TheSalford Social was the officialparty organised by the Union at‘42s’ and featured none otherthan the Cheeky Girls! As well as‘42s’, there is a whole host ofother clubs that you can getyour dancing feet down to,which play a variety of music tosuit all tastes. The activities and trade fairs

on Thursday and Fridayallowed me to pick up allmanner of freebies, from a sliceof ‘Dominoes’ pizza to a buspass holder. I also had thechance to sign up to many of theendless societies and teamsSalford has to offer. As we all know (or should

know by now), University isn’tall about the parties! In storefor new students duringwelcome week were variousinductions from tutors andcourse leaders. Talks and toursdidn’t seem that attractive on

paper; however, in hindsightthey were just as interestingand exciting as the nights out.Meeting people on my courseallowed me to discuss views onmy subject (English andJournalism) and exchange ideasof the hopes and aspirations wehave for the next three years. Excitement filled me

following the week of welcomeevents, and now I’m raring to goand get stuck into my course. Itis safe to say that the next threeyears are going to be ones toremember...

My welcomeweek Only one week in and already the University ofSalford shows it’s got more to offer than couldever have been expected.

Oliver Kurt

“It’s been great – it’s beenreally sweet”

“I had a lot of fun this week”

“There’s been so muchgoing on, it’s been action-packed, I’ve really had agreat time”

“I’ve met a lot of nicepeople.”

“It’s been amazing”

“I loved the free pizza andfriendly people – it was a…erm… joyous experience”

“We got very drunk…”

“Yeah, it was my final year,had to make the most of it!”

“I love the way Salford’scome back after the riots…”

Best bit aboutWelcomeWeek?

“Fresher’s fair. Free stuff.And a penguin!”

“The Trade fair – a lot offreebies!”

“42s – the Cheeky Girls wereamazing”

“Definitely the free pizza…”

“The Activities Fair!”

It’s all too easy to go on a hugeshopping spree as soon as yourliving allowance hits your bank

account, but blow the lot in thefirst few weeks and you’ll beliving off beans on toast for therest of the semester. Fairenough, you might think, butafter a few repetitive mealsyou’ll be wondering whetherthose £80 shoes were reallyworth itThe easiest way to get a grasp

on your money is to create abudget. They don’t take longand will help you figure outexactly how much you need toset aside for rent, bills, bus fare,etc, and how much you have‘spare’. A warning, however: you

might think you can live off £10a week, giving you more moneyfor going out, but that doesn’tmean you actually can! Living inhalls usually means a lot of yourbills are included in your rent,but for those of you in privatelettings your “outgoings” needsto include things like water, gas,electricity, TV licence, phone,internet and insurance.Next do your “incoming”,

which might include yourstudent loan or wages from apart time job. Once you’ve takenoff the money for essential livingyou will be left with money toplay with. The ideal thing to dowould be to divide up thisamount by the number of weeksin the semester so you have a setamount each week for going outand shopping. I strongly recommend you

open a separate bank accountfor your rent, bills etc. Thismeans you can’t accidentlyspend next month’s rentwithout realising until it’s toolate. Whilst you can’t open asecond student account, aregular current account will doand they are incredibly easy toset up.

A word about studentaccounts as well. Many comewith an interest free overdraft,which can be a godsend if youare unable to work (theoverdraft can be classed as‘income’ on your budget) and itis worth shopping around asthere are variations betweenbanks as to how much you canloan as well as other perks(although it has to be said,choosing a bank for the five freeiTunes downloads their studentaccount includes isn’t quitewhat I mean). Just bear in mindthat any money you borrow willneed to be repaid after yougraduate, although thetimescales vary from bank tobank. Another form of lending

offered to students is a studentcredit card. I’ll be frank, unlessyou are very careful with yourmoney and willing to pay it off,in full, every month (and notscrew up your budget thoughdoing this) then steer well clear.Student credit cards (and manycredit cards in general) comewith horrific interest rates.Whilst many offer 6 or 12months interest free onpurchases and unless you havethe money stashed awaysomewhere to pay it off whenthis period ends (and if you do,really this should be included inyour budget) then there’s astrong possibility that you’ll endup being charged a fortune ininterest.There are plenty of resources

online and the university has itsown webpage with lots of usefulinformation regarding money soif you are unsure aboutsomething or worried aboutdebt then log on tohttp://www.advice.salford.ac.uk/money


University, for many, is the first tasteof independence. For most it will bethe first time they live away fromhome, and ultimately the first timethey have to be totally responsible fortheir own finances.

Do Get someone tocheck over your CV.Other people canspot things you mayhave overlooked.Just one spellingmistake can makethe difference fromthe yes pile to theno pile

Don’t Be downbeat.Avoid negativewords, falsemodesty orinappropriate emailaddresses.

Careers andEmployability arebased inUniversity Houseand run CV drop-insessions from10am-12pm onTuesdays and 2pm-4pm on Thursdays.

CV Do’sand Don’ts

You should beknuckling down toyour lectures,finding outdeadlines forassignments andprioritising yourtime so that you canapply for part-timework. Good time-keeping is essentialat university as itallows you to utilisethe best of yourtime.

What youshould bedoing thisweek

Employab

ility

EmployerNATS

Job titlePaid Sandwich Placementwithin Supply Chain andBusiness Services at NATS

Closing date30/11/2011

Salary: Circa £15,000

Job descriptionThis role will involveworking within the SupplyChain and Business ServicesFunction based at ourCorporate and TechnicalCentre at Whiteley, nearFareham, Hampshire.

Person requirementsThe role will offer trainingand broad commercialexperience working in theday to day activities of SupplyChain Management primarilybut also within Facilities andAsset Management areas. Inaddition, as well asundertaking some specificprojects, the successfulcandidate will be givencertain responsibilities withinthe Function for example formonitoring and reportingFunctional Key PerformanceIndicators, aspects of e-business and themanagement of SCM process

and procedure reviews Applicants should be studyingfor a degree in BusinessRelated Studies and becompetent in MS Officeapplications together with theability to utilise internet tools. The personal qualities lookedfor include excellent literacyand numeracy skills, selfconfidence, an enthusiasticand positive approach, andthe ability to both work aspart of a team and tocommunicate effectively at alllevels. The candidate shouldbe well organised, selfmotivated and able to takeresponsibility for their ownworkload including planningand prioritising to meetdeadlines.Although no specificexperience is required as thisplacement is itself anopportunity to gainexperience, applicants shouldprovide details of any workexperience to date.

LocationFareham, HampshireWorking hours:Full Time

Contract: fixed term

To find out more about thisvacancy and to apply, visitwww.careers.salford.ac.uk

Work ExperienceOpportunity of the Week

How to…. budget whilst at University

Oasis Job titleSenior Sales Position

Closing date19/10/2011

Additional salary info£6.12 per hour

Job descriptionA committed team memberwho supports the BranchManagement in theachievement of storeobjectives by supervisingactivities on the shop floor.

Acts as a role model for thesales team and ensures that ahigh level of customer serviceis provided at all times to theOasis customers.

Hours:16 hours per week

LocationBolton

Working hoursPart TimeTo find out more about thisvacancy and to apply,visitwww.careers.salford.ac.uk

Job of the Week

EmployerSalford Royal FoundationNHS Trust

Job titleVolunteering Opportunities

Salary rangeunspecifiedAdditional salary infoOut of pocket expensesprovided but this willadhere to the Payment ofTravel policy

Job descriptionPatient Support VolunteerOutpatient VolunteerPatient Activity Volunteer

(Neurosciences)Radiology VolunteerNeuro-PsychologyVolunteerHospital Guide VolunteerChaplaincy VolunteerHours: Minimum 4 hoursper week – preferablyweekdays 9:00-17:00although most times can beaccommodated. This would be ideal forpeople on Healthcarecourses. To find out more about thisvacancy and to apply, visitwww.careers.salford.ac.uk

Volunteering Opportunity of the Week

Over the last few years it has become increasinglyapparent that a degree is not necessarily a ticket tobetter prospects and higher-paid jobs. Graduateunemployment is at its highest, with over 1 in 4graduates from 2007 still out of full time work. Suchstatistics, however, teach us that employability is a farmore complex animal than the acquisition of a pieceof paper. These days, employers aren’t just looking fora good degree grade – they’re increasingly on the lookout for skills and experience. It’s essential to utiliseyour time here at university and take the opportunityto improve your CV and repertoire of skills. Luckily, both the University and the Students’ Unionprovide services to help you with that. There arepeople who can help you, and they are all based inUniversity House on Peel Park Campus. And eachweek, in this brand new section, you can scan the pickof jobs, internships, programmes and CV tips that willboth help you improve your employability and getyou to where you want to be.

Employability Intro

We all know course books don'tcome cheap, so shop around. Past students sometimes sell offtheir textbooks for some extra cash - check notice-boards andyour student emails. Alternatively Amazon.co.uk has athriving second hand market and it’s also worth checking outstudentbooks.co.uk. Finally, don't forget libraries! Theuniversity has three, and Manchester public libraries also havea vast catalogue and you can search, reserve and requestbooks on their website librarycatalogue.manchester.gov.uk/.

You can also use other University libraries across the country,including Manchester University Library, which is huge! Findout how by asking at the Clifford Whitworth library.

http://www.do-it.org.uk/

Looking for a volunteering position to boost your CV, orjust fancy doing something different next summer? Getall over this website, which lists lots of different optionsfor unpaid volunteering work.

Kirsty Booth

Money-saving tip of the Week

Link

Kirsty Booth

SalfordPresCaroline Dangerfield Lots of free Give Sport a Gosessions tonight -sqaush/racketball, football,badminton & netball. GetInvolved!www.salfordstudents.com/gsag

SalfordPres CarolineDangerfield A busy day once again withlots of #wins including thedevelopment of my websiteediting skills!

SalfordPres CarolineDangerfield Having a littlecelebratory dance to

myself in the office is just notcool! #sad #odear

SalfordVPST Tom Doyle Just because I'm not wearingbright yellow doesn't meanyou can't speak to meanymore!#engagingwithstudents

SalfordVPST Tom Doyle I love Student Direct. Iwonder if it'll find out!

SalfordVPHSCSophieAtkinson Back fresh after an absoluteBLAST @WelcomeWeek11.What was your highlight?

Your U

nion

30

The Students’ Union is led byfour students known as theSabbatical Officers, whoensure that your interests are

placed firmly at the heart ofthe services and activities wedeliver. Sabbatical Officers (orSabbs) are students who have

been elected to lead theUnion, which means that theywork full-time, all year roundto make sure your studentexperience is the best it canbe! The Sabbatical Officerteam is made up of aPresident and three Vice-Presidents, and each VicePresident (or VP) representsstudents in one of theUniversity’s Colleges (seediagram below forexplanation). This meansthat whatever you study,there is a Sabbatical Officerworking to represent you. Asa campaigning organisation,we also make sure that weuse student views and

opinions to lobby for changesand improvements to theUniversity’s systems.

As well as the importantrepresentation andcampaigning we undertake,your Union also offersnumerous ways to makefriends and socialise throughactivities and entertainmentsprogrammes running all year.Getting involved in the Unioncan also help you develop theskills and experience to standout from the crowd when yougraduate. You could evenhelp to produce thisnewpaper!

1. Library Consultationmeetings. This week we’reattending them to see if acompromise can bereached over the libraryconsolidation plans.

2. The weather. It’s wellwarm outside, isn’t it? Wewish we had time to lollaround on the grass outsideUniversity House.

3. MediaCity UK has itsfirst taught classes thisweek! Pictures to follow.

This week we helpedtrain some CollegeRepresentatives,which was highlysuccessful – should beuseful to you if you’vegot any problems withyour course this year.

Going Up

1. Post 42s hangovers.We’re not happy with a 9amstart the next day. At all.

2. Not being able to be inseven places at once.

3. MediaCity UK costing £2million per year in rent(that’s £7,000) a day. Ouch.

Going Down


Link

Top Tweets

Your Students’ Union is led by students forthe benefit of students. Although we areindependent of the University, everySalford student is automatically a memberof the Students' Union. Our aim is toenhance students’ lives, and we do this byrepresenting your views on student life tothe University and by providing you withall the support you need to make the mostof your time at Salford.

Win ofthe Week

The Measure

Ah, the Welcome Week rush hascome to an end. A combination ofexcitement and panic has beenreplaced with the much moremellow tone of tapping keyboards,as the pile of e-mails which has builtup is dealt with – not to mention therather unfortunate sound ofsneezing. Yes, Fresher’s Flu may wellbe starting its annual battle withstudents already this year.

The weather would seem quitecontrary to what might be associatedwith colds as finally summer may(briefly!) have arrived. And, while itmay only last a week, I intend to takefull advantage of it by getting out and

chatting to as many students aspossible.

There are apparent issues withstudents in accommodation withlogging in through ‘Cisco’ and somestudents still didn’t have timetables atthe start of term.

The general mood though is verypositive, assisted I’m sure by thelovely weather and the many eventsgoing on throughout the openingweeks.

My day today consisted of makingour latest video blog, which can nowbe seen onwww.salfordstudents.com. I alsocaught up on the e-mails which I’d

decided could wait to be readthrough Welcome Week includingone which contained information onbringing sustainability into thecurriculum which is very exciting.

The downside to that e-mail washowever that it did contain a 32 pagedocument meaning the headphoneswere donned for an hour while I hada good mooch through it.

I also proudly now display mylatest achievement in my office after

attending the first Engineers Union(SUEU) meeting and finishing secondin the quiz. In truth the best teamwon though second prize, abeautifully crafted aeroplane boughtfrom an unnamed cheap store andput together by yours truly, wasgratefully received.

Thank you to SUEU for having mealong, I had a good night and wishyou the best of luck throughout theyear.

Contact Details

Caroline Dangerfield President of the Universityof Salford Students’ [email protected]: @SalfordPres

Sophie Atkinson Vice President of Healthand Social Care [email protected]: @SalfordVPHSC

Christina Kennedy Vice President of Arts andSocial [email protected]: @SalfordVPCASS

Tom Doyle Vice President of Scienceand Technology [email protected] Twitter: @SalfordVPST

A Day in the Life of a SabbVice President of Scienceand Technology

The CollegeStructure


Last Monday night saw GiveSport A Go take over the SportsCentre for two hours ofbasketball. The initiative is open to

anyone and a very healthy turnout saw boys and girls of allsizes take to the courts for thesession. It appeals to many whoare put off by the competitivenature of an organised clubenvironment, yet still want toimprove their game. Give Sport A Go is completely

free with a great emphasis onhaving fun, getting involvedand keeping fit. The coaches onhand ensured no one was leftstanding around bored –despite the large attendance –and the atmosphere washugely infectious. One student I spoke to said

the scheme was ‘a great way forme to become a better player.’ Another commented that it

was “the perfect opportunity tomeet new people and enjoy

myself.” There were a variety of

different exercises andactivities throughout, whichallowed everyone to work ondifferent aspects of their game. Yet what stood out most was

the manner in which eachindividual revelled in another’ssuccess whilst encouragingthose who made mistakes. Itcouldn’t have been friendlierand looked a pleasure to be apart of.Many people had come down

simply to watch or cheer onfriends, thus highlighting howyou can still get involvedwithout participating. Jane Grantham, who runs

Give Sport A Go, hailed theevents popularity. “You can seefrom the variety of peopleattending what a success it hasbeen. Many have just turned upwhich is what it is about allabout, nobody feelsintimidated.” The whole session was a

superb advert for basketballand brilliantly showcased howsport brings people together. If you fancy getting involved,

the session runs every Mondaybetween 8pm–6pm in thesports hall. Just take yourstudent card and give it a go!

Tom Kural

Basketball

Give Sport A Go

Give Sport A Go Give Sport A Go organised by theUniversity of Salford Students’ Unionlaunched this week. It is funded bymoney secured by the University andthe Students’ Union and is designed toencourage students like you to getinvolved in sporting activities.Participation in sport can vastlyimprove your health and wellbeing, somake time to go to the sessions – they’refree, it’s easy to register, and thesessions are all held at flexible times.

This week Salford Student Direct wentdown to the taster sessions to see whatit’s all about…

Ph

oto

: Richard Meftah

Ph

oto

: Richard Meftah

The Salford Fencing Club certainly knowhow to attract attention to themselves.

Having dramatic sword fights during theActivities Fair tends to turn heads.As the Fencing Club is new this year,

there’s no better time to join the club. Theyget together on Mondays, from 5pm until7.30pm in the Allerton Main Hall. Dependingon numbers, this could increase to twice aweek.Next week’s session, on the 10th October,

will be a Give It a Go session, beingcompletely free with no need to book ahead.The Salford University Fencing Club have

at least 2 fully qualified coaches, accreditedby the British Fencing Association.Current club members might be

competing in the Leeds Open and the BritishChampionships. Once the fencers aresettled, there will be scope for morecompetition with local Universities. That said, Fencing is open to beginners

more than most, as Treasurer Jonny attests. “Anyone can start Fencing regardless of

fitness, age or co-ordination. Everyone getsput up to the same level.”

Already proving a hit with the other teams,the fencers have been invited by thecricketers to join forces when it comes tosocials. Commenting upon what can only bethe most gentlemanly of Salford Sports Clubmarriages, Jonny said –“All we need now is the boat club and we’ll

be fine!”To stay updated with all things fencing at

Salford University, why not like the ‘SalfordUniversity Fencing Club’ Facebook page?

Sport

32

Join a sports team

RichardTree

Captain Abbi Phillips has been with the teamfor two years now, joining as a fresher afterspotting an article in your favourite studentnewspaper.In spite of playing only sporadically at

school, Abbi fancied taking up the sport hereat Salford. With the aims of doing somethingdifferent and making friends away from hercourse, she has more than surpassed that.Since joining Salford Women’s RFU, she has

gone on to play Union for both Lancashireand Eccles, the latter of which is now stronglyaffiliated with our University team.The Salford Women’s RFU team trains twice

a week. Monday evenings are at Castle Irwell,starting at 5.45. After Wednesday fixtures, theteam train again on a Thursday but the venuechanges to keep things fresh. There are plans for sessions at Eccles Rugby

Club, and even Aqua Aerobics has beenmentioned. The team are properly coachedby Trevor Parrott from Eccles RFU.

The Salford Women’s RFU are steadilyimproving year on year. When Abbi joined, afifth placed finish missed out on promotion.This was put right last year finishing fourth,but the girls aren’t planning on consolidationthis season.With firm conviction Abbi said “I think we

have the ability to go up this season.”On the question of socials, I’m greeted with a

cheeky grin and a one word answer –“anything.” Pushed a little further, Abbireveals a relaxed atmosphere amongst thegirls. Apart from the standard forfeits forplayers of the match (forwards and backs), theSalford Women’s RFU “do whatever the socialsecs see fit.”At the end of the interview I managed to

unveil a softer side to a rugby captain. Whenasked ultimately why Salford students shouldjoin the Women’s RFU, Abbi said “It’s really cheesy, but I have to say you meet

some people that you’re never going to losecontact with.”Why not join? Make your way to Castle

Irwell on Mondays at 1745, and join theFacebook group, ‘Salford University Women’sRugby Union.’

Fencing

Women’sRugby Union

Looking to climb during your time here?There’s no better way than joining the SalfordUniversity Mountaineering Club, SUMC forshort. Climbing in a variety of indoor and outdoor

environments, it’s a society that fulfils theneed for adventure.The SUMC meets on a Wednesday

afternoon at the Sports Centre climbing wall,from 1-5pm. In addition, members havediscounted entry to the Rockover boulderingcentre near the M.E.N. arena.After the Wednesday climbing session, the

SUMC meets for a curry and a pint. There arealready plans afoot for beer orienteering thissemester, with fun and games taking place

throughout Salford and Manchester.To get to the heart of the SUMC is to go on

one of their numerous trips. Plans for thefreshers trip are well underway, provisionallyset to take place between the 30thSeptember and the 2nd October in NorthWales. Leaving on the Friday and returningon the Sunday, it will be a great opportunityto climb, make friends and learn from moreexperienced mountaineers.There are also plans for a Bonfire Trip to

the Lakes, Ice Climbing in Scotland and aSpring visit to Yorkshire. SUMC secretaryCharlie Kelly is keen to point out that sheplans to arrange a trip to “somewhere niceand sunny”, for the more fair weatherclimbers.The SUMC is a friendly, welcoming society

in which ex-members return to help newclimbers. To those who have never climbedbefore, Charlie says “come along on aMonday or a Wednesday and we will teachyou everything you need to know.”You can find the SUMC on www.susu-

outdoors.org.uk, or get in contact with themat [email protected].

Richard Tree

Mountaineering

Confusedabout how theUnion works,or want toknow aboutany of theservices theUnion offers?Go towww.salfordstudents.com

Link

This week we continue with our overviews of what the sports groups in the Students’ Union get up to. Joining is easy: just go to www.salfordstudents.com/activities

RichardTree

Documents

Salford Student Direct