File

OCTOBER 2013
2013
OCTOBER
Student
activities
Societies, benefits,
anD reasons to volunteer
Living to
the fullest
Study efficiently
without restraining
thE party animal within.
Fair Photos
Have you been
snapped?
+
SU Activities.
Film. Music
and Plenty More
LAUNCHING EARLY NOVEMBER
ENGAGING STUDENTS WITH SUSTAINABILITY THROUGH:
- EXPANDING ON-CAMPUS FOOD GROWING
- SUSTAINABILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL
CAMPAIGNS AND FORUMS
- FUNDING FOR STUDENTS WHO WANT TO SET UP
THEIR OWN SUSTAINABILITY PROJECT
- AN ANNUAL SUSTAINABILITY SHOW
- OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS TO WORK WITH
THE UNION AS GREEN AMBASSADORS
Students’
Green Fund
editorial
index
6 Student Activities
Hello everyone,
Find out more on joining clubs and societies
I’m Chenae, the new editor of the
magazine written by students for
the students. First I’d like to
welcome all the Freshers to what
will be some of the best years of
your life and a warm welcome
back to the 2nd and 3rd years.
Now that August is just a memory,
most of us are now figuring
out how to survive, study, and
socialise on a student budget.
Yes, it sounds daunting but no
need to fret. You are in university, this is an exciting time of our lives.
Be prepared to enter a world of new friendships, societies and union
activities.
This year the team and I are determined to bring an engaging and
informative magazine for everyone. We are excited not only about
the print issues but the website as well, so stay tuned. Look forward
to campus news, sports reports, uni event reviews, etc.
This Freshers Issue is a preview of what is to come, I hope you enjoy.
Sincerely,
Chenae
Join the team!
Are you a budding journalist, photographer, or designer?
Gain experience and show off your skills here.
Anyone interested can email: [email protected]
Follow us!
/latitudelookout
@LatitudeLookout
Front cover photograph: Matin Hamarahevy
9 Fresh Perspective
The basics for first years
10 Getting The Most OuT
OF UNI
Whether it’s your 1st, 2nd or 3rd year
start thinking about how to get the
most you possibly can out of your time
12 Business and Economics
Society PROFILE
13 Fresher Food
14 Perks of Being
a Film Student
If you love films then Greenwich
just got a little more interesting
15 Eurogamer Expo
16 Greenwich Music Scene
17 Album Releases
18 Writers Showcase
A place to share your stories, poems,
and everything else that you’re proud of
19 Freshers Fair
23 What The FAQ?
COULD YOU BE OUR NEW ‘INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS OFFICER’
OR ‘POSTGRADUATE AND PART-TIME STUDENTS OFFICER’?
PEN
NOMINATIONSEO
R, 12PM
FRIDAY 25TH OCTOB
E
S
O
L
C
S
N
IO
T
A
IN
M
NO
12PM
BER,
FRIDAY 15TH NOVEM
CAMPAIGNING:
CANDIDATES’ MEETING:
FRIDAY 15TH NOVEMBER, 2PM
CAMPAIGNING BEGINS:
FRIDAY 15TH NOVEMBER, 3PM
DEADLINE FOR MANIFESTOS
AND PUBLICITY MATERIALS:
MONDAY 18TH NOVEMBER, 12PM
POLLING:
ONLINE VOTING WILL TAKE PLACE ON
THE FOLLOWING DATES:
MONDAY 2ND DECEMBER, 10AM-8PM
TUESDAY 3RD DECEMBER, 10AM-8PM
WEDNESDAY 4TH DECEMBER, 10AM-8PM
THURSDAY 5TH DECEMBER, 10AM-8PM
FRIDAY 6TH DECEMBER, 10AM-8PM
Visit our Bye-Elections website to find out more about
these positions and how to nominate yourself!
www.suug.co.uk/elections2013
#suugelections
meet the team
Chenae Rodrigues / Editor in Chief
I’ll just prepare you all and say some of you will not like your flat mates. This is a fact. I didn’t.
So do not rely on them to be your only friends. If you are in halls knock on your neighbours
doors, search out the flat parties, follow the groups walking to the SU pubs.
Alexandra Sims / Assistant Editor
For myself, freshers is a big blur of squeezing new found friends into washing machines and
racing down corridors on desk chairs. Learn your timetable and the rooms for each of your
classes; try not to be the one backing out of the door as you realise you didn’t choose a Spanish
module. If you’re living in halls, keep a jumper out and shoes by your bed in case of the 4am
fire alarm. There WILL be a 4am fire alarm.
Lucy Cave / Music Editor
My advice is for those freshers living at home. I was one, and I’m not going to lie, I did think
that I was going to go through university life without a social life. But it has been far from that, I
think I’ve got a bigger social life living off campus! Don’t be scared, you’ll make friends, I promise.
Sophie Hall / Creative/Entertainment Editor
It may seem daunting exposing yourself to all these strangers, but the comfort you’ll feel of
having friends to help you through your university years will more than make up for it.
Get to know your flatmates and the people living next door, have them round for dinner
(takeaway) or enjoy movie nights and board games with them (apart from monopoly, that will
likely destroy what bond you’ve formed.)
Jade Burnett / PR
Freshers is the start of an incredible 3 year journey, and for me finding out that bed bugs
existed! My advice to freshers is to make the most of every minute because every year group is
envious of you! Don’t miss out on the opportunities available at uni, join new societies and get
involved in student life- and don’t let the bed bugs bite!
Mahesh Subramaniam / Layout Designer/WebMaster Editor
You know how your parents and their friends laugh and reminisce about the good old days?
Well these are the good old days for us. You’re Spiderman/ Wonder woman creating your own
origins story right now. Even if you feel like you’re going through a tough time in your life,
you’re going to look back and remember these days with fondness.
5
student activities
By
Tony Whitehead
VP Student Activities
[email protected]
07813 695156
Student Activities provide opportunities for everyone at Greenwich to take part
in activities beyond their course, including student-led clubs and societies, volunteering, and our
Give It a Go scheme - so there’s always something to do! Student-led sports clubs and societies run
a huge variety of activities to take part in – why not check out the lists on the next couple of pages
to see what works for you. If there isn’t anything that catches your eye currently, then you can also
start your own student club or society and get support from the Union.
As well as helping the student committees to lead their clubs and societies, the
Activities team run the Give It a Go
scheme, which does what it says – provides activities for you to turn up and try!
Everything is included from learning new
skills, being creative, getting active, to socialising and going on trips. We’re here to
make your time at Uni fun, so why not try
out something different?
We also look after the volunteers here at
the Union, offering a way for everyone
who volunteers during their time at Uni
to log their hours and skills and get recognition for the fantastic things they do.
We work with all parts of the Union
and the University Guidance &
Employability Team to help our
student volunteers make the most
of their time, skills and experience;
making you more employable, as
well as having fun! If you have any
ideas or suggestions then please
get in touch with our VP Student
Activities, Tony. We always want to
hear from students and love new
ideas!
CAMPAIGNING,
AWARENESS
& SUPPORT
• Conservative
• Disabled Students
Network
• LGBT+
• Mature Students Network
• Palestinian Solidarity
• RAG – Raise & Give
• Socialist Students
MUSIC,
PERFORMANCE
& MEDIA
• Latitude Lookout
• Latitude Radio
• Music Video Production
• Performing Arts
• Rock & Indie
SPORTS CLUBS
• American Football
• Badminton
• Basketball
• Cheerleading
• Cricket
• Football Mens
• Football Womens
• Gymnastics
• Hockey
• Netball
• Rowing
• Rugby Union
• Snowsports
• Tennis
CULTURAL,
RELIGIOUS & BELIEF
ACADEMIC
• Banking & Finance
• Criminology
• Economics & Business
• Events
• Law
• Marketing
• Maths
• PR Fraternity
• Psychology
• Student Computing
ACTIVITIES
& GAMES
• Anime & Games
• Camping
• Capoeria Angola
• Climbing
• Pool
• St. John’s Ambulance
(LINKS)
• Ahmadiyya Muslim
Students
• Chinese
• Christian Union
• Edification Ministry
• Ghanaian Students
• Hindu
• Islamic
• Jewish
• Nigerian Students
• RockSolid Christian
Fellowship
• Urban Empire
7
volunteering
There’s loads of different ways and different reasons to
get involved with volunteering whilst you’re at University
- you can work in the community or with students on
campus, you can run events or help give advice, and you
can do it to build your skills, meet new people, or just to
have fun! Here at the Students’ Union, we work with the
University Guidance and Employability Team to make sure
you get recognition for all the amazing volunteering you
can do as a student and that you have a great time while
you do it.
There’s also tons of volunteeringopportunities
on offer, from running one of our student
groups or events, to helping in the local
community or joining our Raise & Give Society
to help fundraise for charities.
Whilst at Greenwich you can find student
friendly opportunities to volunteer, log your
hours and the skills you’ve developed.
Find out opportunities at
www.suug.co.uk/getinvolved/volunteer
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS
OF BEING A MEMBER
OF TEAM GREENWICH?
www.suug.co.uk/teamgreenwich
- Free entry to ‘Team Greenwich presents...’
- Free ‘Team Greenwich’ T-shirt
- Discounted gym membership
- £5 off sports team membership
- Discounts and offers throughout the year!
FRESH PERSPECTIVE
by Chenae Rodrigues
While being a university student can be daunting, it’s thrilling at the same time.
Here are the reasons why:
Freshers Fortnight:
This is perhaps the time that’s most
imperative to remember about your
first year. Everyone is feeling the same.
You are anxious and excited to meet
new people, but no need to fret, after
the two weeks of fun filled events the
Student Union is hosting you will surely
walk away with a few new friends. There
is something going on for everyone
from a Scavenger Hunt, an Open-top
bus tour, Cultural Cuisine Days, various
theme nights at Bar Latitude and
Sparrows. Don’t forget to bring in the
final hoorah at the Freshers Ball
Joining Societies:
If you really want to get a true university
experience join a society. Greenwich
offers plenty of or societies for you
to join. From sport clubs, Academic,
Gaming, Awareness, Cultural, and
Media societies you can take your pick.
Certainly there will be something to
tickle your fancy. For the full list go
to www.suug.co.uk/societies - there
you’ll find contact details for all of
the Students’ Union’s societies. Any
questions you have about a society can
be answered there and you can join
online!
Legal in London:
You’re 18, young, a fresher in London.
That is reason enough to make the
most out of your first year to go out.
In Freshers everyone goes out and
everyone is crazy, from the pranks,
embarrassing moments, to fancy dress
parties. You don’t want to be the loner
that stays in their room only to come
out for lectures. Explore the city. After
freshers you won’t have much time to
go out as your uni work will increase so
go out now when you have more time!
Living in Halls:
Although living with total strangers
might seem nerve wracking, no need
to fret. Depending on how you get on,
these people will become your house
mates for the years to come and friends
for life. Let’s not forget the flat parties,
‘family’ cooking, board game nights,
drunk escapades, etc. You also are very
close to the SU bars. If you live in Cutty
Sark or McMillan Halls it’s Bar Latitude, if
you live in Avery Hill, it’s Sparrows.
9
Getting The
MosT OuT OF UNI
And here we have the obligatory advice page.
Though, this one should be more appropriately titled;
‘Tips for getting through uni from someone who hasn’t yet done so’.
by Alexandra Sims
Not everyone has it all figured out, and in
respect to working towards a degree, we
are all just doing what works best for us to
get by. That’s fine. If you graduate smiling,
then who cares how many caffeine fueled
all-nighters it takes to get there? There are
a few things however, that we can all do
to make getting to that point a whole lot
easier.
Making a good impression is
important. Try to participate more in the
first few classes but that doesn’t mean you
should stop trying mid-year. Lecturers and,
well, everyone in general are more inclined
to help you when you’re struggling if you
have previously put some effort into your
work. Also, don’t hesitate to ask questions,
as it shows that you are involved in the
subject. Most people want to help you; you
have just got to help yourself.
Use the services provided (they are
there to help). Be sure to regularly
check the online class announcement
system i.e. Moodle. Waking up to get to
class only to find out it’s been cancelled is
frustrating. Also make a habit of checking
your emails daily, you don’t want to miss
out on important info. If you can, sync your
Greenwich account to your smartphone to
ensure that you don’t miss anything.
Constantly backup your assignments
and work, especially major papers. Save
it on your computer, on an external drive,
attach to an email, or use a cloud storage
system like Dropbox.
The course reading must be done
but don’t be a recluse. It’s not a three
year sentence; it’s a massively exciting
opportunity that you don’t want to regret
missing half of. No one feels like attending
the 9am lecture and sometimes it seems
like a better idea to just not go in after a
two hour gap. Once you get into the swing
of things though, going to every class
will become second nature. Spend the
between time on campus or in walking
distance, that way there’s no temptation
to just not go back for the day. It’s easier
to meet people if you get involved early
when everyone’s new, but every term you’ll
find yourself talking to someone for the
first time.
Be open and friendly, networking is
going to really help you out in years to
come. Also take advantage of the student
savings throughout London on restaurants,
attractions, and shops.
Don’t pass on opportunities, look for
things to do, keep busy and enjoy the
freedom. The university has plenty to
offer in way of events, seminars and guest
speakers. Having a part time job is great
for some extra cash but be careful with the
hours, your degree should take priority.
Manage the time you spend between
both, ensuring to cut back in second and
third year.
By the end of your time at Greenwich you
won’t regret the parties as long as
it didn’t cause you to fail and you won’t
regret the hard work you put in as
long as it didn’t stop you from joining in on
all the fun. The only regrettable
part will be the time you wasted sat
around doing nothing while some of the
best opportunities to both have fun and to
improve your future are waiting
right outside your door.
11
society profile
business & economics
By Roxana Bucur
President of the Economics & Business society
[email protected]
Who is eligible to join our society ?
Everyone! You do not necessarily have to
pursue a degree in Economics or Business to
become a member, you only have to passionate
and interested in this subjects, to be eager to
experiment and test your limits.
What events are we going to run?
This year’s programme has something for
everyone. For the adventurous ones, we
have a Treasure Hunt around City of London,
for the highly opinionated we have an inter
university Debate Competition, for those with
an entrepreneurship spirit, we will have great
workshops on “How to start my own business?”
, for all of you looking for a internships or
placement we will have workshops delivered by
representatives from the Bank of England. And
that’s not all! If you have a great idea and want to
run your own event, than we will help you do this
too through our newly launched “Project Leader
Programme”.
How can I join and pay my
membership fee?
In order to join our society you have to
pay a membership fee of only £5, either
online, on the SUUG website or at the
Students’ Union in Greenwich or the one in
Avery Hill.
For more information do not hesitate to
contact the president, Roxana Georgiana
Bucur ([email protected]) and for further
updates, like us on Facebook (University of
Greenwich Economics and Business Society)
FRESHERS FOOD
by Mahesh Subramaniam
too hard
Don’t be ’re young
elf, we
st of
on yours
d for mo
n
a
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fr
and
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ies can p t
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r
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us,
ga
e anythin
much tak ment.
the mo
Once the intake of strange beverages
calms and you start to create the pace
of your university life, it might be a good
time to capitalise on your creativity and
experiment with your culinary skills. I’d
like to give you some helpful tips that I
discovered over my two years of
university diet.
The food you start cooking now is
probably the food you’ll be eating for
the rest of your uni career. So why not
make it the tastiest and healthiest diet it
can be?
Firstly I’d like to dismiss the myth on
frozen vegetables, the vegetables are
frozen in their most nutritious state,
and… well its better than eating no
vegetables.
Whenever I find myself feeling hungry
and demotivated and that packet of pot
noodles is staring me in the face, I realise
watching a few YouTube recipes get my
taste buds and my brain working in
unison.
YouTube channels like
‘ShowMeTheCurry’ have dishes that
range from fried rice and curry dishes to
stir fried noodles and cake baking.
Research says a perfect diet consists of
a balance of carbohydrates, (potatoes,
noodles) fruit, protein (bacon, eggs,
tofu) and vegetables. A lot of the Asian
styled recipes require a lot of sauces and
seasoning. When it comes to ingredients
like Garam Masala and oyster sauce, I
highly recommend experimenting and
putting them in other dishes you cook.
You might find that oyster sauce will
result in a pearl.
Here are a few dishes from YouTube
videos that include most of these nutrients :
Ching He Huang - Singapore style noodles
Showmethecurry - Indochinese fried rice
OnePotChef - Tomato pesto pasta salad
13
The Perks Of Being a
Greenwich Film Student
by Sophie Hall
Greenwich is home to one of the most in
demand film sets at the moment. Take
advantage of that! We’ve hosted films
such as The Golden Compass, Sherlock
Holmes, Skyfall, Les Miserables and most
recently, the highly anticipated sequel
Thor: The Dark World. Apply to the media
department to become a runner and gain
first hand experience of what it’s like to
work within the film industry, a feat that
will look impressive on your CV.
Another great way to gain experience
within the film industry is to volunteer
at the London Sundance Film Festival;
situated at the North Greenwich arena
and only a bus ride away. The film festival
plays every year in April, and you can
apply for roles such as usher or film
advisor, and occasionally even watch
some of the films showing while you are
working (for free).
You can keep a lookout on their website
www.sundance-london.com early next
year to see when they release their
volunteer application forms.
For students coming to Greenwich from
outer London, the BFI (British Film Institute)
at Southbank is a great thing to be a part
of. You can do volunteer work there, watch
preview screenings and exclusive Q&As,
and also attend the BFI London Film Festival
that they run every October, where they
usually show all the Oscar bait-y shtick.
A great downtime for film students is
the event that E4 Slackers Club holds at
Greenwich Picture House, down the road
from the University, where they host free
student screenings. To find out about these
latest events, visit the cinema or check on
their website http://www.e4.com/slackers
Make sure to take advantage of these
events and expand your film buff
horizons.
Photograph: Praveen Kariyppervma
To all of you film freshers who think that
their creativity is restricted only to their
courses, don’t worry; Greenwich holds
many
opportunities
for
aspiring
filmmakers that few other universities can
only hope to achieve.
eurogamer expo
by Alexandra Sims
EUROGAMER is an annual gaming
The very realistic animation is delivered
through Performance capture, with Ellen
Page and Willem Dafoe lending their
acting chops to the lead characters. Writer
and director David Cage was there to lead
a developers session and deliver a sneak
peek at gameplay and behind the scenes
footage. One thing he hopes to achieve
with Beyond is to prove that a great
dramatic narrative can be told through
games just as they can in films. Though
Spielberg seems to disagree, if Cage’s
previous work ‘Heavy Rain’ is anything to
go by we can expect quite a spectacular
and emotional ride.
exhibition held at Earls Court. It showcases the biggest
upcoming tech, console and video game releases as
well as some fantastic indie creations. 2013’s Eurogamer
was host to two next-gen consoles; the Xbox One
and Playstation 4 - allowing fans to get hands on with
unreleased machines and content.
Both PS4 and Xbox One are set for holiday season
release, the former being £80 cheaper at launch. In
terms of the console aesthetics, Sony have made bigger
modifications to their controllers with the addition of
a central touchpad. Xbox One is being compared to a
chunky VCR and definitely box like, the PS4 is slimmer
but similar to the PS2 model.
Beyond: Two Souls exclusively for PS3 was just one
of the many games that attendees could get to play
before release day. It looks to emphasise storytelling
through gameplay and not cut scenes.
Eurogamer is not exclusive to video
games, there are free to play pinball
machines, board games and tech such as
computers and headphones. There is also
a merging of education, having a section
on one of the days dedicated to
answering questions and providing info
to students who have an interest in a
career in the game industry; whether it
be writing, designing or programming.
The biggest bonus of attending the expo
is of course the freebies. Many stands
hand out novelty items, t-shirts
and sometimes bigger prizes for trying
out their game. There are also hourly
giveaways in which clothing and other
merchandise are hurled into the crowd,
and if you don’t shy away from going on
stage you could walk away with a free
console.
Tickets are sold as either morning or
afternoon entry for a one day ticket,
weekend, or super pass; the four day
ticket that entitles the holder to early bird
entry over all days of the event. I highly
recommend it if you intend on getting
15
the most for your money.
greenwich
music scene
by Lucy Cave
So you’ve just started a new University, but you really don’t
know where you’re going to fit in. Luckily, there is one language
in life that everybody seems to understand…and that is music.
You’re in London now, every night of the week there is something
amazing going on. Whether it be an open mic night, or some
little up and comers selling out numerous nights at the O2, there
is something for everyone. As you are new to the area, let us give
a quick low down on all the best things music at University of
Greenwich.
Students’ Union
To get a real taste of what London’s scene has to offer, you do
not even have to leave campus. University of Greenwich’s SU has
something for every music lover - from our Rock & Indie Society
all the way to our theme nights at Bar Latitude and Sparrows - so
you really will be spoiled for choice. Also remember to tune in to
Latitude Radio, not to be biased, but they do give some of the big
leaguers a run for their money!
Music and Video Exchange,
The Beehive and Decksterity Records
If you like your music collection, you’ll be happy to know that there
is not one, but three record shops right in the heart of Greenwich.
It is quite easy to just to spend hours in the shops, flicking through
old classics and discovering new talent.
To quote Penny Lane from the movie Almost Famous: “And if you
ever get lonely, just go to the record store and visit your friends”.
The Music Venues
Now we’re not going to lie to you, most of the best music venues in
London are further away from campus, but the South of The River
does a pretty good job of keeping up there with the big leagues. Of
course you have the O2, but on a student budget you might want
to steer away. Instead why not try the smaller and newly named
Building Six (previously named Proud2). But if you love your niche
music, there are small clubs and cafes all around Greenwich with
music nights to suit every need. There you have it, a small guide
to all the cool music places that you need to know about to make
your first year that extra bit magical. And remember to stick with
Latitude Lookout to get your music news and reviews.
album releases
It’s the beginning of a new year at university and there’s plenty to look forward to right?
New starts, new essays…heck no!
Some of the BIGGEST stars are releasing albums that we are incredibly excited about.
Here are some dates to keep in your planners…
Eminem
The Marshall Mathers LP 2
November 5th
In his first album in years, Eminem
is expected to blow the rap doors
down once again with The Marshall
Mathers LP 2. If the first offering
‘Berzerk’ is anything to go by, we
can expect songs reminiscent of the
Slim Shady days, plus great duets
with rumoured guests including 50
Cent and Dr Dre.
Panic! At The Disco
Too Weird To Live, Too Rare To Die!
October 8th
They return for album number four,
and we could not be more excited.
Panic! At The Disco have always
been one to provide the hits (if you
don’t know all the words to ‘I Write
Sins, Not Tragedies’ then you are
lying) and this new album sounds
not different. Hits so far include:
‘Miss Jackson’ and ‘This Is Gospel’.
Sky Ferreria
Night Time, My Time
October 29th
A couple of years ago Sky Ferreria
was meant to be the next big thing
for pop music, but she suddenly
made a disappearing act to become
the hipster magazine’s favourite
model. Do not worry though, her
new material was worth the wait,
‘Everything Is Embarrassing’ is one
of the singles of the year.
Lady Gaga
ARTPOP
November 11th
Is she going to sink or swim? ARTPOP
has got a lot riding through Lady
Gaga, but we do not think she has
got much to worry about. Gaga has
always been one for risk taking, but
the first single from the album has
still got people singing along.
I live for the applause, applause,
applause…
17
Writer's Showcase
Hi there! I’m Sophie Hall, the new Creative Editor and will in charge of the submissions
of poetry and short stories to be published in the magazine. If you have any pieces that
you’re particularly proud of and want to share with other students, send them to me at
[email protected]. Know that you can only have one piece featured per
magazine issue, but you can still submit a few as they may be featured in a later issue.
Looking forward to reading and broadcasting your work throughout the year!
JOURNEY OF LIFE
THE OLD LONGING WOMAN
It’s the greatest journey of all time,
It starts on freshers week,
When we shot back the tequila and lime,
We meet many people,
Some stay and some go,
But that’s just life and just goes to show,
There are many opportunities for us,
To all adopt and to share,
We all have different abilities,
That’s why it’s important to care,
We are all in this together,
We make friends that potentially could last forever,
It’s a chance in life that reflects on both knowledge and liver,
Lectures, seminars and placement,
Means getting up early four days a week,
It’s a hard life for us,
We just want to sleep and to eat.
The old woman was fishing for her past
(The mother of oysters concealed it.)
Wading through the bay
the old woman was fishing for her past
I do not want it for dwelling on;
I will ply it into thread
so that she may don my hat
on her working mind.
Wading through the bay
the old woman went fishing for her past
(The obscured memory, long submerged,
climbed inside another shell.)
By Claire Wing
By Alexandra Sims
MAMA SAY
Mama, say every battle lost is a battle won somewhere.
Mama, say every test failed is a test of character somehow passed.
Mama, say that my motto still applies.
Mama, say that everything happens exactly when it should.
Mama, say that love is love, no matter who it’s for.
Mama, say. Mama, say.... My mama say...
My mama say she be there to hold me when I cry. Tells me she won’t leave me til the day she dies.
My mama tells me that everything is fine tuned to the tune of the universe.
My mama tells me to put it in another verse.
My mama tells me the hand I’ll hand the longest is my own.
My mama says I gotta dance with the melody playing in my soul.
My mama tell me: we never fully grown.
By Lauren Cadogan
freshers fair
were you there?
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what the faq?
Frequently Asked Questions from the Students’ Union Advice Team
Help! I’ve come to the University through Clearing.
I haven’t been able to apply for funding until my offer was
confirmed. My money won’t arrive until November. I’m
living off my overdraft and can’t even afford drinks!
•The University Student Finance Team can provide a £300
bridging loan, to help students manage in the meantime.
Contact Student Finance at your campus Student Centre, and
look at the Money Doctors section of the University Portal for
further information.
If you need help talking to people you owe money to,
especially if you’re being threatened with legal enforcement,
then speak to a Students’ Union Adviser. We’re licenced to give
debt advice, and we’re free. And if you want to find out about
part-time work, to beef up your budget, then contact the
Guidance & Employability Team at the University. See www.
suug.co.uk/welfare/money for more info.
I hate writing essays, and don’t understand anything about
referencing my work. What the hell do I do?
•You’re not alone if you find this difficult. The University has a
dedicated Study Skills service. You can find more information,
including useful resource and contact information on the Portal
in ‘My Learning’ under Study Skills Support, under My Support,
or via the Student Services A-Z on the Portal (easiest way to
find most information on the University system).
Don’t forget to speak to your Personal Tutor, and to ask for
feedback on your assignments to help you improve your work
in future. If you’ve asked for help and you’re not happy with the
support you’ve been given, then contact the Students’ Union to
discuss your options.
My landlord’s kicking me out of my flat in 2 weeks. How can
I find somewhere else to live?
•First, never give up your housing before you check your rights
to stay where you are. The Students’ Union provides free advice
on housing, and if you’ve got the right to stay where you are,
we can help you enforce your rights, or refer to more specialist
advisers if needed. If you need housing advice after normal
office hours, contact Shelterline, a free national housing advice
helpline, on 0808 800 44 44.
If you do need to find somewhere else to live, have you thought
about applying for University housing? Contact the University
Accommodation Service – see the University Portal for further
information.
You could look online for student-friendly accommodation at
Studentpad.co.uk – but this accommodation is not vetted by
either the Students’ Union or the University. See www.arla.org.
uk for details of lettings agents registered with the Association
of Residential Letting Agents. If you need legal advice on
tenancy agreements, eviction, rent, or other housing problems,
then contact your Students’ Union adviser.
19 Year old Virgin from Essex? Heard a lot about Uni life, is
it true?
•Not easy to talk about it, is it? If you’re thinking about it, then
we’d encourage you think about doing it in a safe, healthy and
informed way. Find out more, including support available,
through the Greenwich Sexual Health website
(www.greenwichsexualhealth.org, Medway’s is at www.
abettermedway/sexualhealth.aspx)
Got any questions of your own?
The Students’ Union Advice Service, and the GK Unions’ Advice
Service are free, independent and confidential. We will listen and help
talk through your options. We won’t make you do anything you’re
uncomfortable with, but talking to us may make you more confident to
deal with your situation, with or without further help from us.
We also promise not to write about your questions in the next edition if
you don’t want us to!
For further information, see:
www.suug.co.uk/welfare (Avery Hill & Greenwich-based students)
www.gkunions.co.uk/advice (Medway students)
Email questions to: [email protected]
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