THE NATIONAL

STUDENT
FREE April 2009

Exclusive chat with the

new queen of UK hip hop

magazine
BUSY MONTH FOR NUS PROTECTING STUDENT’S FINANCIAL FUTURES
NUS call for
booze price-hike

In a move to try and drink’ and ‘three for
curb binge-drinking the price of one’ offers
amongst students, encourage students
delegates at the NUS to drink to dangerous
annual conference voted levels, and should have
to begin consultations no place in our students’
to set a minimum price union bars.”
on alcohol in students’ “NUS will now work
unions. with our commercial
At the conference in arm, NUS Services,
Blackpool at the start of and student officers so
this month, NUS decided that we can recommend
to campaign for alcohol a minimum price on
prices to be raised alcohol in students’
because of concerns unions.”
about binge-drinking. Reaction to the move
Discussions will now has been split with much
be started to look into criticism being leveled
setting a minimum at the union’s decision.
price on alcohol sold in Online tech publication
students’ unions. The Register came out
NUS President Wes in stark opposition
Streeting said, “Students’ to the plan, calling it
unions work hard to ‘politicians-gone-wild’
inform their members of and a ‘bizarro move’.
the dangers of excessive Have your say online:
drinking. But more can thenationalstudent.
be done. ‘All you can co.uk
The summer starts
here...
As the financial crisis
deepens and hits the
pockets of students in the
UK NUS had a busy month
in March campaigning for
our financial futures.
Following the Universities
UK report which revealed
vice chancellors believe an
average fee of around £6,500
pounds would be needed to
secure long-term funding
for teaching, the union lead
hundreds of students who
descended on Westminster
to ask for an alternative to
top-up fees.
The lobby on March 18
aimed to challenge the
report which considered
lifting the cap to £5,000,
to £7,000, and removing it
altogether. It also considered
capping student loans and
encouraging students to take
out private loans instead.
Former Education
Dealing
with
debt
to lift the cap on fees and
an early day motion (EDM)
tabled in the House of
Commons by top-up fee rebel
Paul Farrelly MP received
the backing of eighteen MPs,
just two days after being
proposed. The EDM gained
the signatures of 50 MPs in
under a week.
At the lobby, NUS
launched its new publication,
“Five Foundations for
an Alternative Higher
Education Funding System
for England”.
The NUS motion demands
that the forthcoming review
of university and student
finance must involve a broad
debate about how higher
education is and should be
funded and calls for their
involvement in the review.
Farrelly said, “It is essential
that the forthcoming review
of university funding looks
students who attend our
universities.”
“I oppose introducing a
market system in higher
education, like in the
US, which many elitists
want. We need to increase
participation by students
from poorer backgrounds,
not price them out of going to
university at all.”
NUS President Wes
Streeting said, “In the context
of the current recession, it
is extremely arrogant for
university vice chancellors to
be fantasising about charging
their students even higher
fees and plunging them into
over £32,000 of debt.”
“We will be talking to MPs
about a number of radical
proposals, including making
higher education free at the
point of use, with graduates
making a contribution
depending on how much they
system.”
“We will also be calling
for all financial support to
be based on how much a
student needs it, not where
they happen to be studying.”
The following day on
March 19, NUS came out
in condemnation of a Times
Higher Education report
that showed that university
vice-chancellors are receiving
huge payincreases whilst
asking for higher fees.
It showed that vice-
chancellors’ pay packets
increased by 9% on the
previous year whilst
nationally, British workers
received a pay increase of
just 4%.
Streeting slammed the
pay increases saying, “It is
obscene for vice-chancellors
to be lining their pockets
with such huge pay increases
while calling for students to

magazine Secretary David Blunkett

has condemned the plans
at all the evidence of the
effect of fees and debt on
are benefitting financially
from their own use of the
be charged even higher fees.
Continued on page 5

2 NEWS
The National Student
welcomes contributions.
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
In preparation for The
World Naked Bike Ride
environmental protest in
Brighton in June, the events
planning group braved the
chill for a short naked cycle
along the seafront on March
14, wearing nothing but their
winter wooly hats, scarves
and gloves.
The ride was in solidarity
with southern hemisphere
protests taking place the
same day, and to promote
Brighton’s summer
spectacle.
The World Naked
Bike Ride is an annual
event celebrating cycling,
protesting against climate
change and demonstrating
cyclists’ vulnerability on the
road.
Nick Sayers, who first
brought the ride to Brighton
in 2006, said: “The World
Naked Bike Ride always
gets a great response from
crowds of onlookers - with
incredulous gazes, smiles
The National Student, April 2009
and laughter - and greatly
boosts cyclists’ confidence
and feeling of liberation.
When it comes to cycling,
especially in the buff, there’s
considerable safety in
numbers - more is definitely
merrier!”
worldnakedbikeride.org/
brighton
A college lecturer
faces the sack after
setting fire to a female
student’s hair.
Timothy Pickard
was drunk at a St
Patrick’s Day event
at Myerscough
College, Garstang.
He had drunk four
pints of lager and two
gins when he used
a cigarette lighter
to start the fire in
Jennifer Tattersall’s
hair.
The fire was put out
by a fellow student,
Jessica Holt and
Pickard then spat
drink at her.
Holt put out
the flames and
approached Pickard
who was laughing.
He took a swig of his
drink and spat it at
her.
Defence lawyer
Michael Willey said
his client had been a
lecturer for 15 years
and bitterly regretted
‘an unbelievably
stupid gesture’. He
said Pickard would
most probably be
sacked.
Pickard admitted
two charges of assault
and was fined £300
and ordered to pay
compensation of £75
to each student.
The National Student, April 2009
NEWS
More students
ask for
hardship help
More students in the UK
are applying for emergency
hardship funds.
According to research
carried out by the BBC, of 18
universities questioned 11
saw a rise is applications as
students struggle financially
as part-time work dries up and
more parents lose their jobs.
Plymouth says requests are
up by 38% and Newcastle 20%.
University College London and
Cardiff also reported rises.
About 50% of students
work during term time, using
the money to pay for tuition,
accommodation, food and
socialising.
NUS have expressed
concern at the increase in
applications for hardship
funds.
The BBC reported that
Manchester Metropolitan
University was one that
reported a big increase.
The problem is being made
worse by a decrease in the
amount of part-time jobs
available.
Gail Hardwick, employment
manager at Leeds University
Student Union, said: “Students
who may have had jobs in the
last calendar year returned in
January to find their jobs don’t
exist.”
“For some students it’s
absolutely critical that they
work during term time. It’s the
difference between them being
able to complete their course or
dropping out.”
The universities contacted
by the BBC during their survey
were Plymouth, Newcastle,
Manchester Metropolitan,
Abertay in Dundee, Hull,
Cardiff, Nottingham,
University College London,
Exeter, University of
Manchester, and Sheffield.
The University of East
Anglia, Leeds, Liverpool,
Birmingham, Coventry, and
Southampton reported there
had seen no rise. Warwick
said it had seen a drop in
applications.
Five charged over Belfast St Patrick’s unrest
Five people have been
charged following unrest
close to Queen’s University
Belfast on St Patrick’s Day
last month.
Riot police were deployed
in the Holylands area of
south Belfast after dozens of
student house parties spilled
out onto the streets from
early in the day. Officers
were hit with bottles, cars
were damaged and rubbish
was thrown as the party
turned riotous after hours
of drinking.
Twelve people were
arrested following the
unrest, which was
condemned by residents
and local representatives.
The two universities,
NUS
Annual Conference:
What was discussed?
At the start of this month
the major players in the
world of student politics
met up for their annual
discussion on the issues and
polices that affect our lives.
The NUS Annual
Conference took place in
Blackpool between March
31 and April 2.
Theeventopeningfeatured
a speech from Matthew
Collins, a prominent Anti
Racism campaigner from
the HopeNotHate campaign,
who highlighted the issues
in the fight against racism.
Amongst the other
speakers was Fred Jarvis,
National President of
NUS 1952-53, who spoke
passionately about NUS
and the challenges ahead.
He said “The quality of
the leaders of the student
movement is a credit to the
movement that has spawned
them and a measure of their
strength.”
NUS President Wes
Streeting launched a call
to arms for a new student
movement: “We need a
national movement that
has ideas, capability and
strength. That’s what we’ve
been trying to do with NUS
reform. Rebuilding our
organisation so we can play
a full part in that future.”
“It was a hard road,
there’s no doubt about that.
And it was not without its
controversy. But I also have
no doubt it leaves us in a
far better state now than
when we started. And now
we can go forward with
Queen’s and the University
of Ulster, were criticised
for not doing enough to
discipline students who
become involved in anti-
social behaviour in the
area.
“Every year St Patrick’s
Day is used as an excuse to
engage in a booze-fuelled
rampage through the streets
of the Holylands area,” said
Jimmy Spratt, a South
Belfast MLA (Member of the
Legislative Assembly) “It is
time the local universities
adopted a zero tolerance
approach and expel those
identified as being involved
in this behaviour.”
The University of Ulster
confirmed that seven of
confidence. NUS in 2009
is an organisation fit for
the times and continually
renewing itself. Day after
day, we are being taken
more seriously by those who
are making the decisions.”
“We need to create a new
culture in our movement.
The future isn’t about
governance reviews or
fiddling with structures –
although sometimes that
has to be done. Winning real
change is about what your
students do, how they do it,
and what you do to empower
them as students’ unions.”
A wide range of issues
were discussed during the
conference, here is a break
down of the main decisions
made:
Ethical and environmentally
friendly students’ unions
and universities
Conference delegates voted
to help students’ unions to
develop ethical investment
policies, become more
environmentally friendly
and lobby their universities
to adopt socially responsible
investment (SRI) policies.
NUS President Wes
Streeting said, “Students’
unions have an impressive
track record of campaigning
on environmental and
ethical issues. We need to
make sure that we practice
what we preach, and NUS
will now help individual
students’ unions to develop
sustainable and ethical
those arrested were their
students. Professor Richard
Barnett, the university vice-
chancellor, said: “Whilst
recognising that the vast
majority of our students
are socially responsible
and hard working, a
handful of students has
brought disgrace to their
fellow students and to the
university, and misery to
local residents.”
In the last two years,
Ulster has expelled two
students for what it called
“serious misdemeanours”.
No students have been
expelled for anti-social
behaviour in the last five
years. A spokeswoman
for Queen’s said all of its
investment policies.”
“We will also put pressure
on universities to make sure
that students’ money is not
being invested in companies
which fund unethical
practices.”
Apprentices
Delegates voted to
commission research so that
the interests and rights of
apprentices becomes an
important part of NUS’
campaigning work.
Wes Streeting said,
“Because of the economic
crisis, more and more
people will have to take up
apprenticeships to develop
new skills. I am pleased
that NUS members have
recognised that work based
learners deserve better
representation in their
national union, and we are
looking forward to fighting
for the rights of apprentices
more effectively and
vociferously in the future.”
Student employment
NUS members also called for
an increase in the minimum
wage, for the current
system’s age bands to be
abolished, and for students
in London to be given the
London Living Wage.
Wes Streeting said,
“Many students take on
paid employment to fund
their studies, often at or
near the minimum wage.
NUS will work with the
trade union movement to
students are subject to an
off-campus disciplinary
code and can be removed
from halls of residence
for bad behaviour. But
students living in private
rented houses, like those
in the Holylands, can only
be thrown out by their
landlords.
The tightly-packed streets
behind Queen’s University,
known as the Holylands has
become renowned in recent
years for increasing levels of
anti-social behaviour from
students renting houses
in the area. Residents
and politicians say the
universities should act
more strongly to discipline
students who are involved
Wes is pres (again)
Wes Streeting has
been re-elected as National
President of NUS at the
union’s Annual Conference
in Blackpool.
Streeting, a member
of Labour Students, beat
challenger Ron Owen, of
Another Union is Possible,
by a massive margin of 631
to 140. The quota required
was 403 out of 804 votes.
Speaking of his
victory Streeting said,
“I have received the
overwhelming mandate
of 81% of delegates at our
conference to lead our
union for a second term
and I relish the challenge
that lies ahead.
“The year ahead will be
improve workplace rights
and protections, especially
for casual, temporary and
agency workers.”
“It is disgraceful that
younger workers are paid
a lower minimum wage,
despite the fact that they
have the same living costs
and do the same work. We
are calling for the age bands
for the minimum wage to be
abolished, and for an end
to all age discrimination
regarding pay.”
Beating the BNP
in such behaviour, while
others argue that the
problem cannot be avoided
now that so many houses
have been converted into
HMOs (houses of multiple
occupancy) marketed
specifically at the large
student population.
Both universities had
representatives on the
ground in the Holylands on St
Patrick’s Day in addition to
community safety wardens,
who were introduced by the
city council in 2006 when
‘town and gown’ relations
reached a previous low. The
wardens monitor anti-social
behaviour such as drinking
in the streets and litter.
The police officer
3
about fighting for a new
deal for students - one
that combats, halts and
reverses the marketisation
of our education system.
When the university fees
review starts later this
year we will step up to the
plate with an analysis of
its failings and a fairer,
equitable and sustainable
alternative that sees
graduates contribute
according to the real
benefits they obtain and
our government putting
its money where its mouth
is on the importance
of education and the
necessity to widen access
and increase opportunity
and aspiration.”
Delegates also voted to
campaign to encourage
students to turn out in
the forthcoming European
elections in order to defeat
the BNP.
NUS President Wes
Streeting said, “In just three
short months, Europe will
go to the polls. The economic
collapse we have seen brings
with it the threat from a
reinvigorated, international
far-right. It is essential that
students do their bit to meet
this threat full in the face,
and prevent the BNP from
getting a foothold in the
European parliament.”
by Jonathan Kennedy
leading the investigation,
Superintendent Chris Noble,
issued a clear warning that
the students involved in the
unrest have put their future
at risk.
“This was criminal
behaviour, that is the
bottom line. The people who
do this need to understand
the implications of their
behaviour. They will end up
with criminal records and
we fully intend to share all
the information we have
with the universities so not
only will their reputations be
destroyed but their careers
could also be at risk.”

4 NEWS
Students need
more sleep - FACT!
Students are lazy,
right? It is common for us to
stay up late and then spend
most of the following day in
bed instead of doing anything
remotely productive.
Well fear not, you might
not be that ‘lazy’ after all!
Researchers now believe
there could be a biological
reason why people aged 10
to 20 need to sleep longer
than everyone else, in fact
about nine hours.
Students perform better
in the afternoon according
to tests conducted by
Professor Russell Foster,
chairman of circadian
neuroscience at Brasenose
College, Oxford. This is
because their body clock
is programmed about two
hours later, possibly for
hormonal reasons.
“There’s a biological
predisposition for going
to bed late and getting
up late. Clearly you can
impose upon that even
worse habits, but they are
not lazy,” he said.
He suggests that
absenteeism and depression
could be reduced by starting
uni days by one hour and
moving more demanding
subjects to later in the day.
But that does not mean
young people should be
indulged and allowed to stay
in bed late.
“There’s a responsibility
for teenagers and their
The National Student, April 2009
parents to know that for full
cognitive performance, you
need a good eight to nine
hours.”
“You need to count back
nine hours from the alarm
clock going off and you need
to make sure you are wound
down and ready for bed, and
not playing video games
and watching television,” he
added.
Neil Stanley, a sleep
researcher at the University
of East Anglia, told the BBC:
“There’s a blip in teenagers Ian Parks and Robin Lewis are putting their best
where they need to have foot forward to help raise cash for War Child.
more sleep, but also their The second-year University of Edinburgh students set
timing of that sleep is off on foot from their front-door in Edinburgh to Big Ben,
on March 27.
shifted so they want to
The pair are walking around 450 miles to raise funds
go to bed later and get up for the charity that works to help children all over the
later in the morning.” world who have had their lives torn apart by war.
“While that is what They hope to arrive at their destination on April 17.
we know, we don’t know
why it is. There must be Sponsor them at:
an evolutionary reason justgiving.com/lewisparkscharityexpedition
why this happens.”
After the age of 20,
sleep becomes lighter as
we get older, but the time
we need to sleep each night
Follow us on Twitter:
remains fairly constant. search - NationalStudent
The National Student, April 2009

NEWS 5

Continued from front page

“Earlier this week, they were
fantasising about charging fees of
£7,000 a year and plunging students
into over £32,000 of debt. With
their six-figure salaries, many vice-
chancellors are obviously divorced
from the stark reality that faces most
of us in this country as we enter a
recession.”
NUS responded with criticism for
to Communities Secretary Hazel
Blears’ announcement that all
students from outside the European
Union are to be charged an extra £50
for visas.
The union’s campaigning produced
some results as well in March with
the Welsh Assembly taking on board
most of NUS Wales’ 10-point funding
plan when Education Minister Jane
Hutt’s made an announcement on
the future of HE funding in Wales.
As a result, more help will be
offered to students from lower
income backgrounds.
The team has also been invited to
participate in the drafting of the new
National Bursary Framework, which
will oversee HE funding in Wales.
Its 10-point plan to remodel student
finance included, a National Bursary
Scheme, more cash to those on low
incomes and grants and loans that
are better than England - a made
in Wales approach that stimulates
participation in Welsh HE. Images from the NUS lobby at Westminster

Beauty pageant protestors arrested

Protests against
the controversial Miss
University London beauty
pageant came to a head at
the events final when eight
members of Goldsmith’s
Feminist Society were
arrested.
The protestors chained
themselves to the doors
of the venue and as they
were removed by police,
more campaigners from
SOAS, King’s College, and
LSE positioned themselves
opposite the venue
chanting, “That’s not what
empowerment looks like,
this is what empowerment
looks like” and “We are here
for education, not for your
ejaculation.”
Helen Gurney, a first-
year English Language
and Literature student at
King’s who was involved
in the protest told the
London Student, “I don’t
have anything against girls
dressing up and having fun.
However, I think that by
taking part in a contest that
encourages people (mostly
older men) to judge them
based on their appearances,
they are colluding in their
own objectification.”
“Empowerment is about
self-determination, self-
confidence, and the beauty of
diversity - the beauty contest
entrants are being told how
to dress, how to pose, how
to act, and being ranked
according to how well they fit
a pre-existing ideal of beauty.
That’s not in the least bit
empowering,” she added.
Despite the action
contestants were able to enter
the venue, and the event was
eventually won by Susheel
Bal from King’s College.
Protestors did manage to
disrupt proceedings with a
number of protestors taking
to the stage, throwing paper
and bouquets out into the
audience, before being
forcibly removed by security.
Earlier contestant’s speeches
had been peppered with the
setting off of stink bombs.
Armani Bennett, one of
the night’s two compères
retorted: “Thanks to the girls
who tried to ruin the show
and failed miserably. We got
to laugh at you. You made my
job look better.”
“I feel embarrassed for
them,” she later told London
Student. “They made a fool of
themselves, they made the
event tawdry.”
Writing a column in the
London Student about why
she was willing to get arrested
for the cause, Lydia Harris for women’s liberation has homes, there should be no
said, “Our protest wasn’t just been won so we believe that place in our society for events
about a beauty pageant and we’re far from post-feminist. where men sit and ogle
it wasn’t meant as an attack As long as women are being women for entertainment.
on the women involved. We raped and abused on the And I’m happy to be arrested
don’t believe that the fight streets and in their own for that cause.”

6 NEWS
Loan sharks target campuses
Cash-strapped students
in Scotland are being targeted
more and more by ruthless loan
sharks as bank credit dries up.
NUS Scotland has
been receiving reports of
unscrupulous lenders targeting
campuses, as demand for
hardship payments mean
available funds are running
dry.
NUS Scotland president
Gurjit Singh said: “We are
very concerned by a number of
reports of students turning to
unreputable lenders for credit.
Interest payments on these kinds
of loans can very quickly become
a problem for those with little or
Possible student visa terror link
As this month’s National
Student went to press news
was emerging of dramatic
terror raids in the north west.
Two of the 12 people arrested
were picked-up outside a library
at Liverpool John Moores
University.
No one has been charged yet
in connection with any alleged
terrorist offences, but this
has echoes of previous plots -
Pakistan, and Pakistanis, have
been connected to most of the
major terrorist plots in Britain
since 2001, including the July 7
2005 attacks on London.
Little information was known
no income. We advise avoiding
this kind of credit.
“It is clear the low level of state
support for students, together
with the pressure on hardship
funds and availability of credit
from the banking sector, is
having a huge impact on hard-up
students.”
“That is why we are calling for
the government to do everything
they can to put more money in
the pockets of students while they
study.”
Speaking to The Scotsman
student finance insider revealed:
“We know people have got
themselves in real bother with
40% interest-rate loans. They
on those arrested but what has
come to light is the worrying
suggestion that al-Qaida
commanders based in Pakistan
are sending extremists, under
cover of student visas, although
this is likely to be a very small
minority of students.
Riffat Hussain, of the
Defence Studies department
at Islamabad’s Quaid-i-
Azam University, outlined
two possible scenarios under
which militants could infiltrate
Britain as students. They may
have been genuine students
who had entered Britain,
possibly overstayed visas and
The National Student, April 2009
have been turning to these people
who come round the door offering
loans and then take a fiver off you
every week for the next ten years.
Debt collectors have been saying
students have been advised to go
to them because the colleges and
universities can’t help them.”
Susan McPhee, Citizen Advice
Service director of social policy,
warned students about loan
sharks, “The credit crunch has
made everyone on low income
very vulnerable, making it
more difficult for them to access
affordable loans. Students – like
everyone else – need to be very
careful about the decisions they
make.”
fallen prey to Islamists, he told
the Guardian.
“Once you lose your legal
status you become vulnerable
to ... those with an extremist
agenda,” he said.
The other scenario was the
men had been specifically
dispatched by al-Qaida,
travelling under the cover of
third-level students, to carry
out the attack.
The National Student will
be following developments
on this story online at
thenationalstudent.co.uk
and on Twitter (search for
NationalStudent).
The National Student, April 2009
NEWS
Students turn to drugs to aid studies
A Varsity survey has
suggested that 10% of
students at Cambridge
admit to turning to drugs
to help them with their
studies.
The study of 1,000
students has revealed that
one in ten respondents
has taken drugs such
as Modafinil, Ritalin
and Adderall, without
prescription.
On top of this figure
one third of respondents
would take ‘concentration-
enhancing’ medication given
the opportunity.
The Home Office said that
possession of a prescription-
only drug without a has
prescription is a “serious
criminal offence”. It is
increasingly easy to obtain
such medication via online
pharmacies based outside
the UK.
Modafinil has recently
been the focus of media
attention, including a BBC
documentary due to the
growth of popularity in the
drugs use.
Following their survey
Varsity spoke to five
Cambridge students who
had taken the drug for the
first time.
All claimed increased
awareness on the day of
taking the drug, with four
stating an improved ability
to concentrate on work.
None of the students
asked reported any negative
side effects to taking the
drug.
One student told Varsity
that they had taken a
100mg Modafinil tablet
each day for a ‘number of
weeks’ and did feel a feeling
of “despondency” in the
evenings.
“Although Modafinil
undoubtedly aided
my concentration, after a
Modafinil-fuelled library
day I found it very hard to
engage with people socially,”
she said.
The stimulant is
proscribed by doctors to
treat patients for chronic
sleep disorders, also has
a wide non-medical use.
People in many high-stress
jobs such as the military and
nurses have been given the
drug to enhance alertness
and prevent tiredness.
It is easy to obtain generic
versions of the drug online,
which are sold under names
such as Modalert and
Modapro. Official brand
names for the drug are
Provigil and Alertec.
The problem with generic
versions of the drug is that
they are not subject to
regulations and concerns
have been raised about their
purity.
While the long term risks
of using the drug are not
fully known, it is said that it
benefits from not having the
nausea, irritability, agitation
and comedown associated
with amphetamines such as
Ritalin.
William Shanahan,
Consultant Psychiatrist
and Medical Director of the
Capio Nightingale Hospital
in London, told Varsity that
“there is a risk of addiction”
that comes with taking
Modafinil.
Lisa Halpern, a Senior
Counsellor with Cambridge
University Counselling
Service, said that no
students or colleagues
have approached her with
questions about the use of
Modafinil.
Commenting on the safety
of the drug she said, “Drugs
like Modafinil are relatively
new, so we cannot, as of yet,
judge the long term risks.”
“Modafinil is not listed
in the Misuse of Drugs Act,
hence doctors can prescribe
it widely to patients without
medical sleep conditions,
whose jobs require they
stay awake and alert for
prolonged periods. The
drug is, however, a banned
substance in sport.”
“It was added to the list
7
of prohibited substances in
2004, and a number of high
profile athletes, including
Dwain Chambers, have
since tested positive for
Modafinil use.”
“It would seem that for
a number of students,
however, risks to their bank
account and potential long
term health risks are of
little concern when it comes
to getting a possible extra
edge in Tripos,” she added.
Talking to Varsity one
student indicated that
peers at the university are
involved in the sale of these
drugs amongst the student
population, “One person
will order Modafinil in bulk
from the internet, and will
sell it on to their friends
and acquaintances. Many
people are unhappy to give
over their bank details to a
potentially dodgy website,
and would rather buy from
another student.”
Cambridge University
has not commented
on whether taking
concentration enhancing
drugs is considered a form
of cheating.
 The National Student, April 2009

8 NEWS
Advertorial

Are you looking to write your CV?

Here are jobs.ac.uk’s top tips on how NOT to do it!
Are you looking to write your CV?
Here are jobs.ac.uk’s top tips on how NOT
to do it!
Whether you are about to graduate, or you
are starting to think of applying for a sum-
mer job to tide you over until you start back
at university in September, you are probably
thinking one of two things: Is my CV up to
scratch? How on earth do I start writing my
CV?!
unless your personal information is relevant
to the job you’re applying form don’t include
it, no matter how tempting! This may mean
having to tweak your CV for each different
job role you apply for
• Burying important information – when
you’re compiling your CV always think, ‘ben-
efits, benefits, benefits!’, and make them
obvious. Make what you’re bringing to the
role easy to find, easy to understand and,
above all, compelling

In today’s job market it is more important
than ever to make sure your CV stands out
and doesn’t get cast straight into the bin.
With recruiters often receiving tens or even
hundreds of CVs for a job vacancy you’ll
be lucky if your CV is read for more than 10
seconds.
So, how do you ensure your CV stays IN the
in-tray? Well here are some top tips from the
team here at jobs.ac.uk on what NOT to do:
• Meaningless introductions – craft a short,
simple and benefits focused headline about
yourself, you don’t want the recruiter being
bored before they’ve even read past the first
few lines!
• Providing irrelevant personal information –
• Making spelling errors, typos and using
poor grammar – this is an ABSOLUTE no
no and guaranteed to send your CV straight
into the bin
• A long, waffly CV – keep your CV short,
punchy and to the point. This means it
should be no more than 2 pages of A4
• A badly formatted CV – stick with fonts
such as Arial or Times New Roman at font
size 10 or 12, and avoid colours, crazy
backgrounds or flowery page borders
• Lying or misleading information – recruiters
aren’t stupid, they can spot information that
doesn’t stack up and are always on the look
out for inflated qualifications and achieve-
ments
And finally:
• Applying for a position for which you’re not
qualified – you may look at the job advert
and think, ‘I like the sound of that, I think I’ll
apply!’ But remember, the reality is that if
you haven’t got the right qualifications and/
or experience you’re probably wasting your
time. Ask yourself, ‘do I have the right skills
set and experience?’ BEFORE you send off
your CV
By following these simple tips you will be
well on the way to writing a CV that is going
to make recruiters sit up and take note. Now
all you have to do is write the perfect cover
letter to go with it!
To see our top tips on writing a cover letter
go to:
jobs.ac.uk/tipsforwritingcoverletters
jobs.ac.uk is the leading jobs board for re-
search, science, academic and related pro-
fessions. We advertise over 47,000 vacan-
cies each year for recruiters ranging from
universities, colleges, research councils and
charities, to companies such as Google,
Coca Cola and Unilever. We also have a
free Jobs by Email service which sends all
the latest jobs directly to your inbox. Visit us
at jobs.ac.uk

Darwin’s uni bills revealed

Charles Darwin spent
more on vegetables than
books whilst at university!
Details from Darwin’s
student days at Cambridge
University between 1828 to
1831 have been published
online.
His bills show that he
was a privileged 19th
Century gentleman, paying
people to carry out tasks
such as stoking his fire and
polishing his shoes.
Darwin was also a
‘stickler’ for his daily greens.
Students eating dinner in
college were given a basic
ration of a joint of meat and
a glass of beer, but Darwin
forked out a further 5½d.
per day for vegetables.
Other optional extras on
the menu included pies and
cheese.
Others on Darwin’s
payroll included a bed-
maker as well as a grocer,
tailor, chimney-sweep,
apothecary, porter, hatter,
smith, laundress, linen-
draper and painter, among
others.
Overall, Darwin’s College
bills amounted to £636.0.9½
over the three years he spent
at Cambridge, not including
the £14 he paid for his BA
degree in 1831 and the £12
he spent collecting his MA
in 1836, following his return
from the Beagle voyage
The most interesting
thing about the published
bills is what they don’t
show, with there being little
evidence of money being
spent on books.
Famously, Darwin
spent little of his time
at university studying
and attending lectures,
preferring to shoot, ride and
collect beetles.
A spokesman for the
university said, “Thanks
to the discovery, historians
now have the exact date
of Darwin’s arrival at
the university - January
26th, 1828 - as well as
a huge assortment of
details which will enable
them to reconstruct his
undergraduate life as never
before.”
“The books show how
Darwin enjoyed all the
trappings one would
expect of a 19th century
gentleman, paying service-
people to carry out tasks
such as stoking his fire and
polishing his shoes.”
“They even reveal that
he was a stickler for his
five-a-day, paying extra
for vegetables at college
meals.”
“Darwin famously
spent little of his time at
Cambridge studying or in
lectures, preferring to shoot,
ride and collect beetles,” he
said.
Some details of Darwin’s
student days, however,
remain unknown.
Dr John van Wyhe,
director of The Complete
Work Of Charles Darwin
Online said, “How much
he spent on alcohol, for
example, or to have his
horse stabled we still don’t
know.”
“What we do know is
that a friend made a joke
coat of arms for Darwin
which makes drinking
and smoking Darwin’s
trademarks,” he continued.

More news and features at:

thenationalstudent.co.uk
The National Student, April 2009
NEWS
This year’s St Andrews
Charity Fashion Show (FS:09)
raised £10,000 for its nominated
charities including its headline
charity PEN.
The show on February 28
entertained more than 1,100
guests, in a marquee at the
university’s Lower College
Lawn. The proceedings featured
a fashion show, auction and
after party featuring German
DJ Oliver Klien.
9
Juste Jonutyte
19 student models sported a 24 carat gold Godfather box
clothing from a fine array of set, signed by Al Pacino, raised
prestigious designers including £1,450.
Juste Jonutyte
Emporio Armani, Luella, DKNY A signed Harry Potter book
Jeans and Luca Luca. Collections also went up for auction.
from three St-Andrews based PEN campaigns for freedom
student-designers were also of expression for writers
featured. writing from countries lacking
During the auction eager this fundamental liberty,
guests bid on a number of and promotes literature as
exclusive lots, and a signed a powerful force for dialogue
original Led Zeppelin LP Record and understanding between
fetched £1,600 for charity, whilst cultures.
Ben Goulter
Ben Goulter
Held an event?
Juste Jonutyte
Want to see it in The National Student?
Juste Jonutyte
Give us a shout at:
editor@thenationalstudent.co.uk
 The National Student, April 2009
FEATURE
Comment: ‘To tackle rape it is time for a
change in the way we all perceive each
other and ourselves in regards to sex‘
S
adly I wasn’t surprised
by the survey results
published in March’s
National Student that 1/3
of university students think
that a woman is in some
way responsible for being
raped if she is drunk or
being flirty.
We live in a society where
the media bombards us
with sex. Every aspect of
the media uses sex to sell us
things, for humour, to raise
their profile or to be ‘cool’.
With this they create
many stereotypes for society
to live up to. Paris Hilton is
a classic example of using
the ‘dumb blonde, sex toy’
image to further her career.
Celebrities such as Paris,
Jordan and the Pussycat
Dolls think nothing of
attending a premiere or
other event wearing clothing
with their midriffs, boobs,
and legs hanging enticingly
out as part of their ‘brand’.
This is absolutely fine if
you’re a celebrity and you
have security men to deflect
unwanted advances.
But what about teenagers
who think they too can
dress as revealing as they
want and get no sexual
attention? What about a 13-
year-old that spends a night
outside the local shops in a
mini-skirt, cleavage top and
high heels, projecting an
overtly sexual image way
before she has any sexual
experience, or knows how
to deal with this attention,
where are her security
guards to protect her?
When the media portrays
women in such a sexual
open manner then naturally
it will become considered
normal behaviour.
For young people sex is
there for the taking, with
Agree? Disagree? Read something that makes your blood boil?
You can comment on this month’s news, views and features online at
thenationalstudent.co.uk
11
women in particular being
shown as sexual objects in
Comment by Leonie Hodge, founder of Teen Boundaries UK
the popular media. When it
comes to sex, everything is
saying ‘yes you can’.
More worrying is the ease
of access young people have
to porn via the internet,
including a vast library of
incredibly realistic ‘rape
porn’ which is available for
titillation.
All this has lead to a
skewed idea of sex amongst
the youth.
For me university was a
time of mass exploration, I
tallied up a few notches on
the bedpost, but it wasn’t
without gaining a ‘slut tag’.
I’d walk down the street
to the student union in
dresses where my arse was
virtually on show, then get
confused why people would
shout ‘slag’ at me across the
street. I used to get annoyed
that no boys ever wanted me
as a girlfriend instead they
wanted a one night stand.
Is the amount of sex on show leading to warped perceptions of acceptable sexual behaviour?
I believe this is because
of the typical belief that victim not wishing that on Giving these signals out in any undue danger with supposed to bring us all
there are the ‘nice girls’ anyone, now as this recent to someone as drunk as them. more good times, but the
and the ‘slutty girls’. This survey highlights women you can lead to some bad negatives are rearing their
is problematic as the truth are also blaming women for situations, and put you at But at end of the day a head in the worst possible
is nothing is ever that black being raped. Why? risk of them taking sex by man can control his erection, way. Teenage pregnancies
and white. People have their force if you decline. to actually rape someone it are at an all time high;
own reasons for promiscuity; This could be attributed On the over side of the is a PHYSICAL act. Rape schoolgirls have ambitions
some think it’s a way of to the big panic in the press coin to wake up the next victims have been known to of being glamour models
achieving popularity, about date rape. Because day and say, “I think he pour bleach overthemselves and not doctors.
gaining affection you may rape is one-person’s word raped me but I don’t know” to try and get clean. This 1/3 of all sexual crimes in
never have experienced, against the other, being will make it hard for people isn’t a joke or something the UK are now committed
looking for love in the wrong drunk means that sadly you to take the case seriously. If you see in films, this is by under 21’s? Sexual
places and yes for some are less likely to have a case you don’t know if you were something that happens bullying is increasingly
girls enjoying no-strings and women do need to take raped how can you seriously everyday, wrecks lives and evident in secondary schools
attached sex without being responsibility for their own accuse someone of doing it? takes generations to erase and in recent years we have
in a relationship. actions. the memories. seen an increase in gang
However this does not rape amongst young people.
The price that has On a night out your give people the right to I have heard sickening
been paid for this is now actions can unfortunately brand every woman coming jokes about rape. My To stem this tide it is time
evident in attitudes and put you at risk, if you spend out of this situation a ‘liar’ question is why has for a change in the way we
perceptions. the evening flirting with – women should be able everybody lost their all perceive each other and
and kissing someone you to get drunk without the empathy? Do these people ourselves in regards to sex.
There was a time when if have met and then go home fear of being raped, but a not have mothers, sisters or It is only with a change
you heard someone had been with them, it could be seen woman should also take daughters? in perception that these
a victim of rape you were as you giving the green light responsibility for her own attitudes will ever change.
disgusted and upset for the for sex. actions and not put herself Sexual freedom, was teenboundaries.co.uk

12
Condoms versus the Pope
– what does Africa think?
As the head of the Catholic church insists condoms are
worsening the AIDS epidemic in Africa, The National
Student speaks to a new generation of Africans for their
side of the debate...
E
ven before landing in Cameroon
on his first official trip to Africa in
March, Pope Benedict XVI had given
an interview on the flight from Rome that
sparked outrage, debate and dismay across
the world.
Speaking with an Italian journalist about
the AIDS epidemic ravaging the continent,
he stated that the use of condoms was a
problem rather than part of the solution.
His comment that AIDS is ‘a tragedy that
cannot be overcome by money alone; that
cannot be overcome through the distribution
of condoms, which even aggravate the
problems’, was met by rapidly issued
statements of rebuke from both French and
German governments and HIV activists
around the world.
Despite significant medical advancement
in its treatment, HIV remains a crisis of
epic proportions in both the developed
and developing worlds. Entirely unknown
27 years ago, the epidemic has caused an
estimated 27 million deaths worldwide so
far and shows no signs of disappearing. In
2007 alone, 2.7 million people were newly
infected with the virus and 2 million died
from HIV related illnesses.
Of the 33 million people now living with
HIV, 67 per cent live in sub-Saharan Africa,
a region beset by poverty, drought and
violent conflict. Billions of pounds in aid
have been poured into the continent in an
effort to limit the horrific damage caused by
the virus.
Campaigns by countless charities,
including Christian Aid, to achieve wider
access to lifesaving antiretroviral medication,
HIV testing and counselling, comprehensive
sex education and condom distribution,
alongside huge efforts from such unlikely
sources as the former Bush administration
through USAID to promote greater HIV
awareness, particularly encouraging
abstinence, have made significant headway
in containing the virus. And yet even today,
for every two people living with HIV who
start taking antiretroviral drugs, five will
become newly infected.
The Catholic Church has a swelling
congregation in Africa with ordinations rising
by nearly 30 per cent in 2007, according to
the Vatican. Catholic dogma insists fidelity
and abstinence, rather than condoms, should
be used to prevent transmission.
The Pope’s recent comments were not
the first time he had spoken out against
condoms in the context of HIV in Africa.
Addressing bishops from South Africa,
Botswana, Swaziland, Namibia and Lesotho
at the Vatican shortly after his election in
2005, he said, ‘the traditional teaching of
the church has proven to be the only failsafe
way to prevent the spread of HIV.
‘It is of great concern that the fabric of
African life, its very source of hope and
stability, is threatened by divorce, abortion,
prostitution, human trafficking and a
contraception mentality.’
Dr Rachel Baggaley, Head of Christian
Aid’s HIV unit, explains the potential for
harm in the Pope’s position: ‘no one is saying
if you throw a lot of condoms at the HIV crisis
in Africa that it is going to do anything. It’s
not a matter of abstinence versus condoms.
‘We want young people to be aware of
all the facts, to have all the information
they need to make informed decisions. We
want them to be safe and avoid all sexually
transmitted diseases and unplanned
pregnancy. The worst case scenario is if they
thought using condoms was wrong. If they
think condoms are immoral they are more
likely to have unprotected sex.’
Winnie Ssanyu Sseruma, responsible for
assessing the impact of HIV on Christian
Aid’s programmes, staff and partner
organisations and who has herself been living
with HIV for 21 years, adds: ‘the Pope had
no business making such an irresponsible
statement. It is one thing saying that the
Catholic Church doesn’t allow the use of
condoms but it’s another thing altogether
to say that actually condoms accelerate the
impact of HIV. We were all looking forward
to his visit. His comments were such a
disappointment.’
Sseruma points to the example of
Uganda, where she was born. There
condom distribution was part of a multi-tier
approach that included an admission of the
crisis by the country’s president, a massive
grass roots effort to reach people in remote
areas and increased voluntary counselling
and testing services that led to fall in HIV
prevalence from 30 per cent to the current
Christian Aid / Sarah Filbey
Sierra Leone
Billboard on a roadside in Zambia. It is
estimated that over one million of Zambia’s
11 million population are currently living with
HIV.
rate of 5.4.
In the past two to three years the infection
rate has begun to rise again. According to
Sseruma, this is in part because of confusion
between comprehensive education and the
abstinence approaches to HIV prevention
The National Student, April 2009
FEATURE
which have been taken up by the government
recently: ‘young people are confused. What
is what?’
‘I’m afraid the policy of the Catholic
Church is very much out of touch with the
reality in which we live.’
For all the debate between the Catholic
Church, countless religious leaders,
politicians and the media in Europe, where
is the real insight into the reality of life
for a new generation of Africans born into
the epidemic? What is their understanding
of HIV and AIDS, how has it informed
their choices and behaviour? The National
Student talks with young people across
Africa for their thoughts on HIV and the
condom versus abstinence debate.
SIERRA LEONE – 1.7% of adult
population lives with HIV
Mohammed Mosay, 19, from Koidu, has
decided to abstain from sex until he gets
married but advises his friends who don’t
want to wait to use a condom.
‘We get AIDS through sex and unsterilized
needles. I’ve learnt a bit about HIV: our
teachers taught us.
‘I don’t want to use condoms – that’s why with no prospects for jobs.
I abstain from sex. I will abstain from sex
until I get married. Most of my friends like ‘Abstinence is not all a person needs
sex, so I advise them to use condoms. to know about tackling HIV. If we don’t
‘My mother told me if I have sex and I have the knowledge, we cannot tackle the
impregnate somebody, she will kill me! So situation. What matters most is education.
I’m afraid of sex. She said, ‘If you impregnate ‘If I have knowledge I can help other
a girl, you are in big trouble with me.’ people. I can show them how to use a
‘When I was small, I tried it out one
time, but I didn’t like it, mostly because my
mother threatened me.
‘HIV is getting spread in Africa so we need
education to tell us to abstain from sex and
Christian Aid / Antoinette Powell
other things. Even when you shave, you
have to be careful that the knife is sterile.
‘When I get married, I think I will like
sex.
‘I love my mother so I always listen to her
advice. But I have a girlfriend. The last time
she tried to force me to have sex, I told her
about HIV. She said, ‘doesn’t exist.’ I said,
‘No. Everybody is talking about HIV. How
can it not exist?’
‘I told her “I don’t want you. I don’t want
to die.”
‘Many of our people, most of them will
never abstain, so the best thing is to use
condoms. As for me, I can look after myself:
I am too young for sex and I can abstain.
But many of my friends like sex so I think
condoms are the way to prevent HIV and
AIDS.’
NIGERIA – 3.1% of adult population Sierra Leone
lives with HIV Gbense Market, Koidu in Kono.
Mohamed, 18, and his sister Momeh, 19, missed y
Eunice, 16, from Mista Ali a former mining not completed junior secondary education. Moh
community in Jos but following the collapse mother is unable to afford the fees that are charg
of the local mining industry, is now home to ties about government legislation to provide fre
a large number of young, unemployed people encourage girls to remain in secondary school.
 The National Student, April 2009
FEATURE
Zileh, 14, helps to run an HIV education session with a group of young children. The whole community has been mobilised by CHEP trained
peer educators. Drums are beaten and there is dancing to stimulate a gathering. A role play is performed, and the community split into
groups according to age. In these groups they discuss issues related to the spread of HIV and ways to combat this through changes in
behaviour within all sections of their community.
condom. If we do not have knowledge we
can’t halt the spread of the disease.
‘We are the parents of tomorrow and
we will know how to handle our children.
Parents and children must talk to each other
about sex and be honest. Parents today are
too embarrassed to talk about sex.
‘If you know what you want for your
years of school during Sierra Leone’s war and have
hamed attends school but Momeh does not as their
ged. NMJD is raising awareness among communi-
ee primary and junior secondary education and to
future, you will really want to prevent the
virus. You have to know your own goals and
have the self esteem to protect yourself.’
TANZANIA – 6.2% of adult population
lives with HIV
Emmanuel Masasi, 29, works in
construction. He became a peer-educator,
teaching kids about risk of HIV, having
nursed a close family friend who died of
HIV/ AIDS related illnesses last year. She
was 25.
‘I’m a footballer and lead the local league
team. We practice every afternoon and
before we start I take the opportunity of
having all these young men there to discuss
HIV. Before we start we come up with a
topic of the day. Some boys will say “let
AIDs kill me - I can’t stop having sex”. So
we’ll discuss it.
‘At the end of the day everyone has to
take HIV seriously. The football team and
the builders I work with are used to seeing
condom ads on TV and other places. When
I’ve tried to advise them on abstinence and
faithfulness it causes a big debate and it’s
difficult to come to any conclusion.
‘That’s one of the big challenges I face.
When you talk about AIDS many people
are aware, they know, young people are
frightened but the challenge is trying to
change people’s behaviour.
‘So I try to encourage a change of habits
and attitudes towards practising safe sex.
If you can’t abstain or be faithful use a
condom.
‘A problem is that it’s common here to
have many boyfriends or girlfriends. You
Christian Aid / Sarah Filbey
can have one then another and another.
People can’t stick with one. Same with
Zambia
Jon Hospice, Lusaka, for terminally ill patients.
married couples, both often have other
partners. Maybe in the marriage they are
not satisfied so they go elsewhere.
‘Poverty is another area. If the man can’t
provide for the family, his wife might have
to sell her body - it is easy for women to be
persuaded by a little money when they have
none. Men are willing to pay.
‘It’s also part of being a respected man –
having many women. Our grandfathers had
many wives and we’re expected to follow in
that tradition. My grandfather had seven
13
wives. He was rich and had many cows;
there is a correlation between number of
cattle and number of wives. You need more
wives to look after more cows. Having many
children is a symbol of your wealth.
‘Parents want children to live in the
traditional ways but today children are
growing up with different influences from
outside the family, from school, from the
street, TV and through music.
‘There’s a lot of influence from western
culture like wearing tight clothes and short
skirts. When girls walk past the football
pitch we all stop and watch. For some people
it’s not a problem for others it encourages
them to have more relationships.
‘Older people think AIDS is a curse from
God. Young people know it’s a disease like
any other.’
ZAMBIA – 15.2% of adult population
lives with HIV
Tokhnozih ‘Zileh’ Le is 14. After losing
both her parents, Zileh moved to a large city
to live with her aunt and ended up spending
a lot of time with girls who were prostituting
themselves to truckers for money. She was
earmarked by a local organisation offering
‘life-skills’ lessons to vulnerable teens where
she learnt about HIV.
‘At the life-skill classes, I’ve learnt a
lot about HIV transmission, how it can be
contracted and how this can be prevented.
It was the first time I’d heard any of this
I do feel more secure and empowered
because if any boy professes love to me I
have the grounds to refuse. We usually talk
about condoms for those who cannot refrain.
That is the main focus of prevention for
me.
‘I have found myself in the company of
girls who wanted to go out and get boyfriends
for money. I’ve tried to tell them about HIV
but they don’t listen. Some are the same
age; some are a bit older than me. Most of
them are fashion conscious girls so most of
the money is used on the last fashions, and
on beer.
‘Me, I refuse sex. I’ve never agreed to
any love affairs. If a boy proposes love to
me, I feel confident to say no. But most
people here have several sexual partners
so we talk about condoms because if you
Christian Aid / David Rose
talk about abstinence they may agree but
they will still go off with the truck drivers.
I feel so frustrated when they don’t change
because I see where they are going and that
one day they will crash.’
To find out more information about
Christian Aid’s HIV work in Africa, visit
christian-aid.org.uk
by Phoebe Greenwood for Christian Aid
 The National Student, April 2009

14 FEATURE

YOUR PAPER NEEDS YOU!

The National Student is your paper and needs your help!
We are always looking for contributors to write news, views, features and reviews.
To get involved email
editor@thenationalstudent.co.uk
or call
0845 46 300 46
 The National Student, April 2009
FEATURE
A Traveller’s Tale
Continuing his insane
journey across the globe
on a postal bike, Nathan
Millward hits Indonesia...
I
ndonesians are
murdering, militant
country invaders with the
blood of East Timor on their
hands. Or at least that’s the
conclusion I’d come to after
two weeks listening to locals
tell their horrific stories from
the 25 years of Indonesia
occupancy.
And that meant my knees
were knocking the day I
decided to cross to the other
side of Timor, the West side,
where Indonesia still rules. I
didn’t know what to expect,
I think to be tortured and
buried in the woods with the
200,000 East Timorese the
Indonesians had reportedly
made dead the last 25 years.
But in fact the men at the
border were very friendly.
Helpful even. We were
through in half an hour and
my conclusion was wrong.
Or so it seemed.
Already being late in the
day we decided to stay in
Atambua, a wild west town
just over the border where
three UN personnel had
been murdered a few years
back. It felt like that kind
of town, with one local man
following me to the hotel,
asking too many questions
then being there in the
morning to follow me to the
phone shop. I said “are you
following me?” He shook
his head. He clearly was, so
me and Dot got the hell out
of there, raced towards the
port town of Kupang and
then kicked ourselves when
we realised the fortnightly
ferry had sailed that very
morning. Bugger.
Thankfully smaller,
local ferries were running,
but not just yet because of
the weather. In Kupang
then we waited a week, me
developing a serious case of
man flu and Dot getting an
essential change of fluids
for the road ahead. Finally
a ferry came. Just a hard
metal deck on which a
woman with an over active
sinus gobbed big chunks
of her gooey lungs. Worse,
throughout the entire 20
hour journey I was harassed
by a local guy, snide looking
with a shifty grin. He scared
me, I hated him, and so I
could happily have pushed
him overboard along with
the spitting bitch.
Finally we reached Flores,
a long mountainous island
with hills that Dot could
barely make it up. She
huffed and puffed past all
these local villages that
occupy every inch of the road
and make stopping for a pic-
nic or a quick pee incredibly
difficult. Sumbawi, the next
island was the same, as
was the next, Lombok. With
Indonesia being so big and
me foolishly applying only
for a 30-day visa - not a 60
- we dashed across these
three islands in four days
before arriving in Bali for a
breather.
Despite the big boozers
and the idiots falling off
their mopeds the island’s
a great place. Especially
a town in the hills called
Ubud. There I stayed in a
cottage by a rice field and
sat in cafes drinking ginger
tea all day. It was just what
me and Dot needed before
we head-butted the buses
and lorries of Java. After the
mint Toblerone mountains
of Flores and the all-day
siesta of typical Indonesia
life, Java is like being hit in
the head with a shovel. Or in
my case, a bus.
It was the coming the other
way on the wrong side of the
road and I had no where to
go. ‘It’s going to hit me, it’s
going to hit me, it’s going
t…..’ BANG. The bus belted
Dot on her right side and
walloped us into the side of
a second bus that I was over-
taking at the time. Like a
pinball I ricocheted between
the two at 50mph and came
out the other side somehow
alive, unlike my two
opponents which must have
had been bent and mangled
judging by the amount of
their paint Dot was wearing
when I pulled over to empty
my underpants. She’s a
tough old bird.
And she’s had to be. In
few days that followed we
would fall off three times,
get stranded down a ditch
in the rain and be chased by
the police for running a red
light. ‘TOOOOT TOOOOT,’
went the policeman’s
whistle as we sailed past. I
wondered what best to do.
Stop or carry on? Then Dot
stood up and made the call.
‘Just ride man, just ride.’
So we gunned it, flat out at
80km/h with me looking in
the mirror every minute for
the flashing blue light. But it
never came, Dot was too fast.
We were free…. to be ripped
off by cunning locals.
But that was Java;
crowded, noisy and dirty with
just one too many tourist
scams for me to recommend
it. Unlike the much calmer
Sumatra, the next and last
of the Indonesian islands
where I was made honorary
member of an Indonesian
biker gang and felt safe
enough to sleep by the road
in my tent. Since East Timor
I’d covered 4,000 kilometres
in two weeks, I now had
just one week to cover 2,000
kilometres and get out the
country before my visa ran
out. Big problems I was told
if I didn‘t.
For Dot that meant her
poor throttle had to wrung
dry for kilometre after
kilometre. The roads though
were terrible. Potholes and
landslides with big trucks
blasting past the other way
on your side of the road.
Sometimes the speed dropped
to 10 km/h and I’d curse and
swear at the government for
not fixing them. The last few
days were really tough going
and with so little time I had
no choice but to sail past
Parapat and all the other
tourist attractions just to
make Medan and a ferry to
Malaysia before the visa ran
out.
Only we failed. Sort of.
Because actually we made it
with a day to go. The problem
was the ferry wouldn’t take
motorbikes and no one knew
when the next cargo ship
sailed. We rode back into
town deflated, defeated and
feeling very much alone. At
the internet café the owner
presented her daughter.
“She make good wife,” the
mother said. Sure, she
was beautiful and made a
cracking ice tea, but I need a
boat, not a bride. I rode back
to the port and began to ask
anyone I could find about a
big ship to Malaysia.
Finally we found someone
who could help. He was a
stout man, looking every
inch like an Asian Forest
Whittaker from The Last
King of Scotland. In a derelict
warehouse somewhere on
the dodgy side of the docks he
said he could take Dot across
the pond for 1million RP.
About sixty quid. Here that’s
a lot, but I was desperate. I
agreed, handed over Dot, the
money, and then left with no
receipt. “Not necessary,” he
15
assured me.
Later that week, with
Dot already on her way to
Malaysia and me two days
over my visa, I caught the
passenger ferry, paid a fine
for overstaying to Indonesian
Government plc and kept
my fingers crossed that Dot
would be waiting for me
when I got there.
That she was, but I’d been
conned. The guy in Medan
was only an agent and the fee
I’d paid him was just to line
his own back pocket. On the
Malaysian side I was asked
to pay the ‘real’ fee, another
million RP. I was fuming,
livid, steaming, but what do
you do? They had Dot held
ransom, I need her back to
press on to England so I had
no choice but to pay the price
and set her free. The boss
laughed when I complained.
I could have pushed him
overboard as well.
But that was yesterday,
today‘s another day, with the
two of us now in the Malaysia
highlands drinking tea and
singing songs around the
hostel’s campfire until we
decide to pack up once again
and make the short journey
north to Thailand.
Since leaving Sydney
we’ve covered 11,000kms
and reckon another 20,000
stands between us and
England. It’s tough and
everyday presents a whole
new heap of challenges, but at
the same time it’s awesome.
The freedom, the adventure,
not knowing where the road
will take you or what trials
and tribulations will come
your way. I’m loving every
minute of it. And so, I hope,
is Dot.
The National Student, April 2009
SPORT
James Davies speaks to the man who is sorely missed from
the game he graced for many years
D
uring his playing
days Shane Warne
was without doubt
a special cricketer. He
was arguably the finest
spin bowler of all time and
many have gone as far as
declaring him the greatest
cricketer to ever play the
game.
That assessment would
accommodate not only his
skill as a bowler, but also
his gift as an entertainer.
From the moment the
leg-spinner bemused Mike
Gatting just over sixteen
years ago, with that fizzing
first delivery, Warne has
dominated the game and
frustrated many of those
standing at the other end
of the wicket, with not only
his mesmerising talents as
a cricketer but also with
his barbaric competitive
streak, which has helped
him, throughout his
career, ruthlessly tear
sides apart.
Although the charismatic
legend made his name
from a number of different
turning deliveries, the
affable Warne, who has
708 Test wickets to his
name, doesn’t spin off the
field. The straight talking
Aussie, who has a very
physical presence, spoke
frankly and was reluctant
to pad a way any questions,
preferring instead to hit
them for six, saying “ask
whatever you want mate”.
Now retired from the
international game you
are more likely to catch
the Aussie legend around
a poker table than you
are on a cricket pitch, as
he tries his hand in the
professional game.
The tanned Aussie
explains, “I’ve played poker
my whole life. I probably
started as a 12 or 13-year-
old with matchsticks.
But I’ve only really been
playing tournaments in
the last three years, but
I’ve really developed a
passion for it.”
Throughout his
illustrious cricketing career
Warne was very good
at playing mind games
against his opposition, but
has he ever tried dropping
a few choice insults at the
table? “Well, a few of the
Yanks at the World Series
all thought they were
‘Eddie the Expert’. They
thought they knew exactly
everything about every
hand, so occasionally there
was a bit of sledging going
on, but most of the time
it was all pretty relaxed
Warne still
spinning
his magic
and I’d just go about my
business and keep my
mouth shut. I don’t really
say much.”
Adding with his infamous
mischievous look, “Give me
another year or so…”
Warne, who was born in
Ferntree Gully, Australia
moves on swiftly from
Poker and begins to talk
about his childhood; “I
used to get the cane a lot
for misbehaving. At school
I wasn’t the sharpest tool
in the box so if I didn’t
understand I would act the
fool. I would then have to go
down and see the principle
who would practise his
golf swing with six of the
finest.”
Jokily adding, “I must
have enjoyed it because I
kept on going back.”
‘Warney’, as he is
affectionately known by
his thousands of loyal
fans, has basked in the
glory of no fewer than
seven Ashes series wins,
taking an incredible 195
wickets in 36 Ashes tests,
leaving many of England’s
batsman bamboozled on
more than one occasion.
Not only have his
outstanding achievements
on the field revitalised the
art of leg-spin, but Warne
has played a major role
in the development of the
game.
So what is the secret to
facing the world’s most
successful leg spinner?
Warne revealed, “Just
watch the hand and how
the ball comes out of the
hand and you’ll know
exactly what’s happening.”
When Warne, the
cigarette-smoking, beer-
swilling sportsman, packed
in the jet-set life style of
an international cricketer
two years ago many found
it incomprehensible that
he actually even thought
about leaving the sport
when there was clearly so
much more there for us to
enjoy.
Smiling, Shane explains,
“A lot of people said you’ll
get to an age when you’ll
know when it’s time to
retire, but I didn’t get that.
But then I did and I knew
it was my time. Its better
they say to you why did
you, then why didn’t you?”
The legend however
really began in England,
during that famous Test
match of 1993 when he
bowled Mike Gatting with
the ‘ball of the century’.
A moment of cricketing
history was born, changing
his life forever.
Shane humbly says, “It
was a fluke. To do that on
your first ball when you’re
nervous and you haven’t
been playing for long and
you’re playing against
England and Mike Gatting,
who is a superb player, to
just land it was a fluke.”
Shane made spin
bowling famous with that
one bowl, and single-
handedly transcended the
sport. Soon fast bowlers
were shoved to one side
with leg-spinners coming
to the fore.
But what struck me most
about this loveable rogue
was that he didn’t actually
ever dream about being a
top class cricketer. Warne
calmly explains, “Being
a Victorian it’s all about
Aussie Rules Football and
I wanted to play Aussie
Rules when I was growing
up, but I wasn’t good
enough.”
A s t o n i s h i n g l y
confessing, “I just played
cricket in the summer
because most of my buddies
did, but I was a batsman
not a bowler.”
The man with somewhat
of an Aussie beach-bum
appearance explains,
“The bowling didn’t really
17
interest me because I was
being whacked around
and I wasn’t very good.
It’s tough being a spinner
when you’re not that good
and it’s quite embarrassing
as a youngster when you’re
bowling double bouncers or
the ball goes over the fence
and they can’t find it.”
He explains, “My success
has been down to hours
and hours of practise. I
could always spin the ball,
but the accuracy came a lot
later.”
So were those rumours
true that Warne, the
man who had been at the
forefront of England’s
downfall on so many
occasions, was really going
to come and coach the three
lions? With a wry smile
and a brief chuckle Shane
says teasingly, “I wouldn’t
rule anything out.”
Although Warne’s life has
been plagued by scandal
and controversy both on
and off the field, that is all
part of the legend. He will
forever be remembered for
torturing batsmen with
his flight, guile, spin and
mystery, all factors which
mean England can breathe
a sigh of relief that they do
not have to face him this
summer’s Ashes.

18
Championships bring double
gold for brilliant Birmingham
On March 14 and 15,
Sheffield played host
to the second British
University Championship
Finals. Twenty four sports
and 5,000 sportsmen and
women from a vast number
of universities converged
upon the City of Sport with
hopes of victory.
In its first appearance
at the largest multi-sport
event in Britain, korfball,
joined mainstream sports
such as basketball, football
and lacrosse. If the drama
that unfolded at the
Graves Tennis Centre is
anything to go by, korfball
will become a permanent
fixture at the BUCS Finals
weekend for many years to
come.
The group stages, played
on Saturday, passed
without much upset. Pre-
tournament favourites
Nottingham cruised to
victory in their group,
crushing Reading 17-2 in
a one sided game, whilst
Cambridge, winners of
the Southern qualifying
section in November,
demonstrated their mental
strength by coming from
behind to defeat a plucky
Edinburgh side by one
goal, meaning they missed
out on a place in the
quarter-finals. Another
side who failed to progress
was Southern finalists
Oxford, who missed out on
a top two spot after being
placed in a strong group.
Sunday brought with it
the quarter finals and a
re-acquaintance of some
various korfball rivalries.
In the Steel City derby,
Sheffield and Hallam
contested a close match
that was separated by
just two goals with Simon
Kisby’s lethal hat trick
enough to see Hallam
through at the expense of
a Matt Clement inspired
Sheffield. Nottingham
were drawn against
Leeds in a replay of the
Northern qualifying
final and the Yorkshire
side were unable to gain
revenge for losing that day
as they suffered a heavy
11-3 defeat with Under
23 GB international Joe
Bedford scoring four and
Ruth Evans impressing
with three of her own.
In the other two quarter
final games, Birmingham
cruised past Manchester
6-2 with Caroline Woolley
and Claire Howes getting
on the scoresheet whilst
Cambridge, spearheaded
by the freescoring George
Marshall, made light
work of surprise of the
tournament St Andrews in
a 9-6 victory.
The semi-final draw
ensured there would
be a northern and a
southern side contesting
the final. In the southern
half, Birmingham and
Cambridge came together
for the first time in
eighteen months and the
game did not disappoint.
Birmingham began the
game brightly with Matt
Warren converting a free
pass and Alex Turner a
penalty. Chris Whitt’s
superb defending for
Birmingham meant
danger man Marshall
had a quiet game and it
was subsequently left to
Nick Buttinger to lead
the Cambridge charge
with two goals, one a
superb faded turn and
shot after receiving the
feed, which meant they
led 4-2. After half time,
Birmingham rallied and
a hat trick from Claire
Bolton saw Birmingham
assume a three goal lead.
Sian Mawditt and Angus
Davidson were always
dangerous in attack and
it was the Scotsman’s
dangerous drop-offs that
ensured Cambridge stayed
within touching distance.
However, though a last
minute goal halved the
deficit but it was too little,
too late and Brum went
through ahead of the 1996
and 1997 champions.
The northern semi was
a less contested affair.
Nottingham dominated
from the off as John
Haggart and captain Tim
McLoughlin showed their
long shooting prowess as
they bagged two goals each.
Bedford supplemented
these with two of his own
to leave Hallam with a lot
to do going into the second
half. The strong collecting
of Robert Fletcher offered
Hallam some hope and
allowed George Buttinger,
a thorn in the side of
Sheffield in the quarters,
to plunder two goals for the
Sheffield side. However,
his efforts and one from
Vicky Greenshill could
not prevent last year’s
Nationals winners losing
this time around. Hallam
did, however, managed to
salvage something from
the weekend as they picked
themselves up from the
disappointment of missing
out on a place in the final
to beat a disconsolate
Cambridge 9-4 with Sam
Tolley and Jordan Icke
pitching in with a rare
goals.
In the final, Nottingham,
the winners of the
competition in 1998 and
2000, were pitted up
against Birmingham, who
had only ever come in the
top eight once. Tim Gregory
settled any nerves the
Midlands team may have
as he scored a stunning
long shot. From that point
on, Birmingham, coached
by former student and
Welsh international Nick
Wilkins, didn’t look back. If
they had done, they would
have seen a Nottingham
side, struggling to disarm
Brum’s stout defence.
Barring Joe Bedford, who
scored three to make him
the tournament’s top
scorer, the Birmingham
boys had little trouble
marking their opposition
though Taryn Al-Mashgari
and Sarah Cook pitched in
with goals for Nottingham.
It was Birmingham’s
impressive movement and
shooting in attack that
undid the East Midlands
side; first Alex Turner
lost his marker to shoot
a close range effort and
then Matt Warren evaded
Bedford and punished
the Notts player for his
rebound defence with a
smart finish. Birmingham
zipped the ball around,
using long driven diagonal
passes to turn their
BUCS Korfball
Nationals
Final placings:
1 Birmingham
2 Nottingham
3 Sheffield Hallam
4 Cambridge
5 St Andrews
6 Sheffield
7 Leeds
8 Manchester
9 Edinburgh
10 Oxford
11 East Anglia
12 Bristol
13 Cardiff
14 Kent
15 Lancaster
16 Reading
opponents and enabling
Birmingham Captain
Andy Davies and Bolton to
add to their tallies. In the
end, Nottingham had no
answer to Birmingham’s
The National Student, April 2009
assured and structured
brand of korfball and they
rightfully claimed there
first ever Nationals victory
and a place at the European
Korfball Championships
next year.
Birmingham’s success
was made doubly sweet
by their 2nd team
matching this medal
winning success at their
national tournament in
Nottingham on the 21st
March. Birmingham
sailed through their
group, with some stern
defending from the likes
of Catherine Hoggart and
Kim Watson meaning they
conceded just once in four
group games. In attack
Birmingham posed many
problems for the likes
of Sheffield Hallam and
hosts Nottingham with
James Secker showing
considerable skill and
composure, leading the
way with eight goals. In
the semi-final Birmingham
faced the physically
imposing Edinburgh side
but despite an early goal
for the team from Scotland,
Birmingham took control
of the game, eventually
sealing their place in the
final with a 6-4 victory. In
the other semi-final the
best placed second team,
Sheffield Hallam, who won
the tournament in 2007,
faced winners in 2006 and
2008, UEA. The match
was as tight as had been
expected but UEA booked
SPORT
their place in the final
with a 2-1 win thanks to
goals from Laura Burman
and Harry Low.
In the final, two early
goals for the strong
Birmingham side put
them in control, but Sarah
Bronson replied UEA to set
up a tense ten minutes of
play. Birmingham Captain
Ben Cawley set a perfect
example to his team
with some outstanding
defending to keep at bay a
some relentless attacking
from UEA. Despite the best
efforts of Secker and Kristy
Ellis in the Birmingham
attack, the side from the
Midlands could not get the
crucial third goal, until Jo
Bailey shot a long range
effort to relax the nerves
which were beginning to
show, if only on the faces
of the supporters. Cawley
then got his reward for his
consistency all tournament
by settling the match with
two goals, and Birmingham
went on to seal a hard-
fought victory 5-2.
This double success for
Birmingham is recognition
of several years hard
work and dedication from
many within the club,
particularly coach Wilkins
who’s commitment and
passion for the game has
clearly helped to lead
both his teams to gold
medal success and allow
Birmingham’s Korfball
Club to help push the sport
into the spotlight.
The National Student, April 2009
SPORT
Gavin bounces back from Olympic knockout
Frankie Gavin talks to Ben Whitelaw about
turning professional, playing pranks and 4am
wake up calls in the build up to his professional
debut at the NEC in Birmingham
Frankie Gavin is not
one to beat around the
bush. The 2007 World
Amateur Champion does
not bother with toeing the
party line, does not deal in
boxing clichés and is not
interested in regurgitating
any spiel he may be fed by
his new promoter, Frank
Warren. The Birmingham
born fighter speaks what
he feels and feels what he
speaks. Ask him about his
dramatic failure to make
the weight necessary to
compete as a lightweight at
the Beijing Olympics last
summer and he will tell
you. Quiz him about the
Amateur Boxing Association
and their suspect medal-
driven decisions and the 23
year-old will happily give
you his opinion. All while
baring a cheeky smile. It
really is never a dull day
when Gavin is around. It’s
no wonder they call him
‘Funtime Frankie’.
Yet, there was nothing fun
about Frankie last August.
Billed as the Olympic
favourite before a punch
was thrown, Gavin faced
ignominy after committing
a boxer’s cardinal sin by
failing to make the required
60kg to box at lightweight.
Gavin flew home in disgrace,
his life’s dream in tatters, no
Olympic fairytale in sight.
And all in spite of training
harder than he ever had
done before at the pre-
Olympic camp in Sheffield.
“I worked harder than I
ever did in the build up to
Beijing. You had to jump
on the scales five six times
a day, checking if you’d
Three is the magic number for TeamBath
TeamBath won
netball’s Co-operative
Superleague for the third
time, beating Mavericks
54-46 on the April 4 in
the grand final at the
Skydome in Coventry.
Victory over the
defending champions
means TeamBath
ended their 2008/2009
campaign with their
100% record this season
intact with 18 wins from
18 games.
lost a pound or gained. It
was all too much for me to
be honest, if anything it
knocked my confidence”.
It could have turned out
very differently for the
southpaw had the Amateur
Boxing Association, the
sport’s governing body,
granted Gavin’s request
to fight Bradley Saunders
to determine who went to
Beijing as the Great British
representative at light-
welterweight. If he had
been allowed, Gavin would
likely be the owner of an
Olympic gold medal. As it
was, he could only watch as
Saunders failed to make an
impression and was knocked
out of the competition in
the early stages. In effect,
Gavin suffered from his
own success, chained by the
ABA to box at lightweight
after winning both the
Commonwealth title
and the World Amateur
Championships in Chicago
at that division.
Thinking back on those
hardest few days of his life,
Gavin, sporting a cockney
style flat cap that only
serves to increase the sense
of mischief about him, is
remarkably candid. “I can’t
blame the ABA. I asked to
move up a weight and they
said no, it’s as simple as
that. Sometimes you grow,
get bigger and become a
man; that’s what happened
to me and it just meant I
was too big for the weight”.
There is a pause before
he starts up again. “They
should have let me have a
box-off though. They made a
mistake and cost themselves
TeamBath began the
game in the manner they
had played all season
and had soon chalked
up a 19-8 lead in the
first quarter. Mavericks
battled back, reducing
the deficit to five goals
in the final quarter,
but it was not enough
as TeamBath produced
an impressive all-round
team performance and
to ensure they sealed
the title.
19
a medal because I definitely
would have won gold had I
boxed at welterweight”.
His certitude means
you believe him too. The
Olympic debacle may be
water under the bridge but
Gavin’s reaction suggests
that such water has a strong
current of resentment that
may never cease until he
banishes the memories of
flying home from China
minus a medal and his
pride.
The only way to do
that, Gavin realised, was
to establish himself as a
professional. Thus, Gavin
ignored calls to stay on as
an amateur for another
four years and signed with
Warren along with fellow
Beijing team members Billy
Joe Saunders and James de
Gale. “I never thought about
staying round for 2012
despite the Olympics being million pounds onto his first new chapter in Gavin’s life any late night calls. “The
in London’ Gavin explained. professional contract though and one that it seems he is missus is a star. I couldn’t
‘I got the feeling it was my this is something Gavin relishing. do the early morning shift
time to go, the time to make brushes off with knowing “I know Manchester is and then get up at half six
my mark”. grin. ‘I want to become the the right move for me. It to get to the gym. Training
“It’s obviously a shame best and that is the most will obviously be hard being has to come first.”
that I didn’t finish my important thing. That away from friends and It is that attitude, that
amateur career with desire and knowing I have family in Birmingham but it burning desire to box and
an Olympic medal’ he what it takes to become a is just one of those sacrifices to prove himself, which
continued ‘but I’ve got on world champion means I you have to make.” set Gavin up so nicely
with it, I’m a professional am not worried about the “My little boy has made for his debut fight in his
now and not a amateur financial side of things. The me grow up a lot”, he home town of Birmingham
anyone. The Olympics is money will come if I do well continues glancing across at on the Februqry 28. Part
the past and being World and I know I will do well.’ Gavin junior, experiencing of the undercard to the
Amateur Champion means To ensure his plan comes his first press conference, Martin Rogan and Matt
nothing now. I have to start to fruition, Gavin has “I can’t wait till he gets Skelton Commonwealth
over again.” relocated to Manchester older so we can run about Heavyweight title fight,
One point Gavin is quick with his partner and six playing football.” ‘Funtime Frankie’ stopped
to quash is that idea that month old baby boy where he Asked if he had trouble George Kadaria in the
the Olympic disaster has in will be trained by Anthony juggling training with the fourth round to secure a
any way affected his future Farnell, former WBU early morning wake up solid victory and set the
career or earnings. Rumours middleweight champion, at calls, Gavin sheepishly tone for what he and many
circulated that a gold his gym in Failsworth. The divulged that it was his others believe will be a
medal would have added a move represents a whole partner that dealt with successful career.
This was not the as a player and a coach. they came back at us all through it in the end’
first time the two sides She said: “It was an the time. They closed it she said. ‘We won it in
had met on such an awesome start and that to five near the end. It the first quarter. We
occasion. says everything about wasn’t pretty at times, really came out at the
The previous years where the players were but I was really pleased start and built up a lead.
when TeamBath had tonight.” with the response from Everyone on the court
been successful, 2006 Garland was the players.” did their bit today.”
and 2007 they beat particularly pleased with Pamela Cookey, Cookey added and it is
Mavericks by eight how her players played who scored 26 from 28 clear that despite this
goals in final on both in a game which carried attempts, was named battling performance,
occasions. massive pressure; “We player of the match and this TeamBath side is
Jess Garland, turned over lots of ball she too was delighted also filled with extremely
TeamBath’s head coach, and we were clinical in with the hard-fought gifted players who have
becomes the first person attack. But you’ve got to victory; “We had to fight guided them to this
to win the Superleague give credit to Mavericks; all the way, but we came Superleague success.
SPORT
Futsal steals the show
in Sheffield
The BUCS
Championship
Futsal
Finals
were contested on the
March 12 and 13, where 16
men’s and eight women’s
university Futsal teams
competed at Ponds Forge,
Sheffield with the dream of
being crowned University
Futsal Champions as
part of the 2009 BUCS
Championships.
In a league format, the
men’s teams were drawn
in groups of four, with two
teams then qualifying to
the knockout Championship
Quarter Finals, and third
placed finishes entering the
Trophy.
Loughborough dictated
the proceedings in Group
A, scoring 21 goals in
three games, defeating
all opponents, Reading,
Southampton Solent and
Leeds Met to soar into
the Quarter Finals. Leeds
Met claimed the second
qualification spot, displaying
great performances against
Southampton and Reading.
Tim Johnson secured third
place for Reading in a close
affair with Southampton,
scoring in the final two
minutes to end the game
6-5.The impressive Brunel
claimed top spot in Group B
following victories against
East Anglia, Bristol and
an impressive 5-4 win
over Teeside. The second
qualification spot rested on
a game between East Anglia
and the seasoned Teeside.
East Anglia prevailed
to win 6-3 in a back and
forth encounter which saw
Teeside’s Jason Kilbride get
dismissed.
Group C saw Bath and
Stirling beat Brighton and
Lincoln to send them both
into the quarter-finals
respectively, with Bath
claiming top spot after a
7-0 win against Stirling
following an Ian Parkes
hat-trick. A final game
between pointless Brighton
and Lincoln resulted in
a 2-2 draw to see Lincoln
qualify for the Trophy due
to superior goal difference.
Group D was filled with
the experienced Hartpury,
York and Worcester and
Hertfordshire. Hartpury
secured the top spot
following three tight
victories. Worcester claimed
the second qualification
spot, where a 4-2 win
against York saw them
advance. York finished
third place, qualifying for
the Trophy.
In the quarter finals,
Loughborough, the
defending champions,
continued their fine form
against East Anglia,
winning 8-0 to advance to
the semis. Leeds Met who
finished second in group
A, shocked undefeated
Group B winners Brunel,
with a 4-1 victory to join
Loughborough.
Bath also joined the final
four, defeating Worcester
3-2 after a Daniel Ayash
extra time winner.
Shane Warne
Exclusive interview
The most tightly
contested match up of the
round was between Stirling
and Hartpury. In a thrilling
encounter, an 8-7 victory to
Hartpury allowed them to
advance to the semi-finals
following a Steve Davies
hat-trick.
Bath faced Loughborough
in the first semi-final, in
what was a close battle
between two experienced
Futsal sides. The scores
were tied at 1-1 after normal
time, before early in extra
time Mark Ingram scored
to put Bath in front. Amidst
heavy onslaught from the
chasing Loughborough,
Bath held on to complete a
famous victory and knock
out last season’s champions.
Hartpury displayed their
dominance in the second
semi-final against Leeds
Met where they were not to
be denied their place in the
final. A second hat-trick for
Steve Davies sealed a 5-2
victory.
The final lived up to
expectation, and was a great
advert for the increasingly
popular Futsal. Bath went
ahead in the game, before
quick Hartpury replies
from Davies and the
experienced Marc Richards
saw Hartbury take the lead.
As is the nature of the fast
paced game, Ian Parkes and
Mark Ingram soon scored
for Bath to regain the lead.
At 4-4, extra-time seemed
almost inevitable, however,
it was Hartpury’s day,
- page 17
when Jonathan Else made
himself the hero, finishing
from close range to seal
a 5-4 victory and crown
Hartpury as BUCS Men’s
Futsal Champions 2009.
The women’s format was
contested via two groups
of four teams, but all eight
teams were to progress to
the Championship Quarter
Finals. Brunel followed
suit from the Men’s team,
topping Group A with
Birmingham taking second.
Leeds Met controlled Group
B taking top spot, while
Durham claimed second.
The knock-out rounds
saw a change of fortune for
Durham, who were knocked
out by Loughborough who
advanced following a 3-0
victory.
Loughborough were
soon joined by Brunel who
defeated Imperial 3-0 in
their quarter final, with
Captain Zoë Lance leading
by example with two
goals. Birmingham were
eliminated after a 1-0 loss
to Bath, with a late strike
from Sofia Luxon helping
them progress.
Leeds Met continued
their group form,
eliminating Brighton from
the proceedings following a
dominant 5-1 victory. They
also proved unstoppable in
the Semi Finals, where Bath
suffered a 7-1 hammering,
with a notable hat-trick
from Carla Cantrell.
Loughborough were
then confirmed as their
SPORT REPORTERS
WANTED
email:
sport@thenationalstudent.co.uk
opponents, where a 2-0 delighted with the success
victory over Brunel sent of the tournament; ‘The
them into the final for the standard of this year’s
second time in two years. finals were even higher
In a close final, Leeds than previous years which
Met took the initiative shows the commitment
going 2-0 in front early on. by many universities to
Loughborough were not to develop the sport amongst
roll over however, where a their students. Planning
fine individual effort from is already underway
Lauren Hardern saw Leeds for next year’s regional
get pegged back to 2-1. heats as BUCS aims to
Loughborough gave all they produce an even bigger and
had for an equaliser, but it better tournament for its
was not to be as the Leeds members.’
Met defence held strong to It is clear from the success
see the undefeated team of this year’s championships
crowned BUCS Women’s and the growing popularity
Futsal Champions 2009. of the sport that Futsal will
George Carney, BUCS be in the headlines more
Football Development and more over the coming
Manager was obviously months.
English triumph in battle of Britain
On Wednesday April 8 Sheffield United FC
played host to a clash between the English universi-
ties football XI and their Scottish counterparts. Last
time the two sides met the a goal from Exodus Geo-
haghan was enough to see the English representa-
tives seal victory. This match was as tight as had
been anticipated, but a 75th minute goal from Leeds
Met midfielder Dominic Krief was enough to give the
home side the bragging rights.
George Carney, BUCS Football Development
Manager was pleased with all the work that had
gone into the game; “It is a massive achievement to
play representative football and lots of universities
can be proud of the players and programmes they
are developing to keep raising the standard across
the HE sector.”
For a full match report go to
thenationalstudent.co.uk