The Smoke January 2010

WESTMINSTER BASKETBALL

REACHES FOR SUCCESS

IN 2010

M A G A Z I N E

JANUARY 2010

➤UNIVERSITY CLOSES NURSERIES

➤ARE TUITION FEES SET TO RISE?➤SOCIETIES SPOTLIGHT ➤GUIDE TO FREE LONDON

➤WESTMINSTER FASHION

Listen to Smoke Radio live at www.smokeradio.co.uk

MONDAY11am MONDAY MAYHEM

With Lee & Lynne

THE REQUEST SHOW Matty & Manish play whatever you want to hear. Email, text or shout them your requests!

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRSGossip, news and views with Bex

THE APPLE BITES BACK With Spike, Rich and Jake

AMY MAY SHOWWarming you up for Mix Up Mondays

BEATS & PIECESWith Max DMC

JUST THE BASSICS

FRENCH TOASTWith Frank McWeeny

SIMPLY UNDERGROUNDThe best underground dance music with Larry Suranyi

AMERICA SAYS HEY!With Christine Slivinski

FUNKYSOULTOWNWith Ben & James

THE DANCE SHOWWith DJ Sam Cotton

TALES FROM THE TALK DIMENSIONTalk show hosted by Robert Rostant

LISA’S TAKEOVERA mixture of indie/alternative music with live sessions & bands. Hosted by Lisa Sa

SYNAMATIXLate night mixes from the dubstep DJ Synamatix

VINYL VILLAINSWith Elad Elul, Rachelle Abbott and Michaela Nash

JON & FROSTYFeaturing Jukebox Jury, Dr Frost and Have I Got Moos For You

LOVE YOURSELF AND LIVE WITH JOY Positive thinking and Bianca Arsene

APPROACHING TOMORROWWith Jamie & Greg

THE BRAINLOKK MC SHOWUrban show with Daniel Blake aka Brainlokk

THE SPECTRUMWith Hayley Crotty, Mike Jennings, John Cadigan & Carly Maile

DEFENDERS OF THE FAITHThe rock show with Nick Scott-Dickeson

DUMPSTER PUNKWith Silas Armstrong and Matthew Jude Cooper

THE SPORTS HOUR With Tom & Tom

BRITT PEARCE’S REVIEWWant something reviewed? Ask Britt!

SIGNALA tongue in cheek show that refl ects on the modern, eccentric and opinionated world we live inLEFT OF THE DIALWith Matt Rider

THE VOICEWith Kathy & Nick

URBANALITYWith Sam Brinkley and Josh Reynolds

ON THE SLANTWith Scott Watson

FILM SHOWSoundtracks from fi lms - with Nassia

TIME WITH THE GP With Gary Pounder

OLI PDamn baby! WAAAN!!

GENRE WANDERERWith Tiger & Becky

JESUS JAMSGospel and faith music from Tenz Tendai

PSYC-ER-FUNK-DELICWith Tim Porter

FROSTY’S FOLK JAMWith Sam Foster

SONIC EXPRESSIONwith DJ Janno

CALLUM

ANGLO SAXONS TO THE DISCO

POP GOES SMOKE RADIO With Matty Deller

GARYGary Pounder

THE JOINTWith Herda Vim

THE ANDERSON & POLLARD SHOWTwo chaps talking about all things student-y and London-y

LONDON LOVELIESMaking the most of London on a student budget. With Rosie Duffi eld

HERE COME THE GIRLS With Jade & Nicola

WIRELESS RADIO3rd year radio students’ project

CHAS & DAVEMusic, banter and the odd question-able joke

PRELOADEDWith Dan Roberts

THE ROUND UPFriendly banter and debate with Luke & Darby

THE FULL WORKSWith Rhianne Boland & Hayley Crotty

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THURSDAYTUESDAY FRIDAYWEDNESDAY SATURDAY

January 2010 The Smoke 3

CONTENTS

Contents MESSAGE FROM BILAL KHAN, VICE PRESIDENT OF COMMUNICATIONS

Hi,

Thanks for picking up the fi rst edition of Smoke.

This year UWSU is looking to run many campaigns

that will help you have an enhanced student experience.

However it has been a bit of a slow start as we haven’t

had the level of participation we originally anticipated.

Never the less, it’s the start of a new decade, a

new year, a new semester and most importantly a

new Smoke!

So, there are many activities and campaigns you can

get involved in, or even start one up this January. Pop in

to one of our offi ces or browse around on our website

www.uwsu.com to fi nd out more.

With regards to what you are currently reading (Smoke

Magazine, if you haven’t already realized) the idea this

year was to have all of the content suggested by students

and written by you, the students. We will be having a

meeting to discuss the topics for the next issue soon,

after which you will be able to write for the headlines.

This doesn’t mean that you will only be able to write for

the headlines we suggest; you are more than welcome to

write about whatever you wish. In future editions you may

even be able to spot certain articles that demonstrate

how students have expressed their views in the

‘comment sections’.

If you submit an article it is not guaranteed that the

editorial team will include it exactly as you wrote it: we

may offer suggestions on how you can change it (like

make it shorter) or may decide not to include; if this is

the case we will justify the rationale behind the decision.

This doesn’t mean that there is an unreachable sovereign

editorial board.

In fact if you want to be an editor, please email me at

[email protected] as we are looking to increase

our editorial board. We particularly want a news editor,

sports editor and societies editor.

Hope you enjoy this edition and if you don’t: get

involved or let us know what we can do to make it even

better next time.

Enjoy Re-freshers!

NEWSNurseries close page 4Harrow protests page 5Global warming page 6

EDUCATIONTop up fees page 7Somali graduation page 8Academic calendar page 10

SOCIETIESSocieties page 11

CULTURE Fashion page 15Book reviews page 16Poetry page 16

SPORT 6 a-side page 19Basketball page 20Cheerleading page 22

LIKE WHAT YOU SEE?HAVE SOME IDEAS FOR SMOKE MAGAZINE?WANT TO HAVE YOUR SAY IN SMOKE?…then get involved.

We are looking for keen writers, designers and photographers to contribute to the Smoke magazine. So if you are a budding journalist, roving reporter, have something to say or a story to tell, we want to hear from you.

Smoke wouldn’t be anything without some good pictures so if you are good with a camera and can get some great shots of our sports and social events or student life in general get in touch.

If you are interested in getting involved with Smoke please contact Bilal Khan, VP of Communications and Campaigns - [email protected] or email [email protected].

Contact the Students’ Union: [email protected] out our website www.uwsu.com Follow us on Facebook www.uwsu.fi letap.com

EDITORSBilal KhanEmma BrennanNas Said

Robin LawSuneel MehmiTom Barbour

Design and Production: Vortex Creative Ltd • www.v-creative.co.uk

4 The Smoke January 2010

news

The UniverSiTy of WeSTminSTer’S nUrSerieS at Harrow and Marylebone campuses closed on 31 December leaving some students without childcare.

The University said it cannot afford to run its own nurseries anymore but it will provide financial support for affected students up to the end of this academic year.

This is a great cause for concern for students that are currently, or looking to use the childcare facility. At the Students’ Union Emergency General Meeting (EGM) in November, parents expressed that they would not have chosen the University had it not been for the childcare facilities.

Some students now face the dilemma of whether they should continue their studies at Westminster and be further from their child or discontinue their course and start over somewhere else. One student told Smoke magazine that she had planned the next few years assuming that the childcare facility would be stable. She now has to either leave her child in a nursery further from her (although he has a disability which needs his mother to be reasonably close to him) or leave her course, for which she sacrificed two years of

time and dedication. University registrar and secretary Carole Mainstone said: ‘This is a

challenging time financially. We must conclude with deep regret that we cannot afford to run our nurseries - particularly as the number of students using the service is so low.

‘The staff have worked hard on an alternative business plan, but we do not believe it stands a realistic chance of success.’

The University first announced it was considering closing the two nurseries on 14 July 2009 following a report which revealed that they cost £140,000 a year to run.

The Students’ Union called for the University to do some research into students’ childcare needs and to look at the alternative support they could provide if the nurseries were to close. Disappointingly, no action was taken on these recommendations.

The University did consult with the parents (students and staff) of the 40 children at the nurseries and the nurseries presented a business plan to keep the nurseries going.

Yet, the decision was taken to close the nurseries.

Nurseries closedBy Bilal Khan

SMOKE RADIO WINS TWO AWARDS


NEWS

ANTI-ISLAMIC GROUPS HAVE PROTESTED AGAINST THE PLANS FOR A NEW MOSQUE IN HARROW

ON 13 DECEMBER 2009, 15 members

of the Stop Islamisation of Europe (SIOE)

staged a protest outside Harrow Central

Mosque to demonstrate against the plans for

a new Mosque nearby.

According to the BBC, 200 supporters of

Unite Against Fascism gathered in response

to the protest.

The protest passed peacefully with police

keeping both sides of demonstrators separate.

This is a different story to an earlier

protest in Harrow on 11 September. There

were violent clashes as protestors from

SIOE were met by demonstrators from Unite

Against Fascism and members of the local

community. The police had to intervene and

ten people were arrested.

The return of the SIOE to Harrow raised

concerns in the local community about the

potential for another riot.

A local teacher, who witnessed the

December protest but did not want to be

named said: “There were lots of police

around and roads closed with diversions in

place. But I didn’t dare get close enough to

see any of the demonstrators. It’s a worrying

time after the last demonstration turned into

a riot.”

The Mosque’s general secretary

Ghulam Rabbani had warned young

Muslims “not to fall into the trap from those

who clearly want to provoke you into an

angry response”.

Some students at Westminster

echoed this message preferring to

raise a discussion about Islam in

response to the protest. Rizwan

Parwaiz, a fi rst year Electronics

student at Westminster said:

“Regardless of the atmosphere and

predominant anti-Islamic feeling,

the Muslim community must not

be intimidated and capitulate on its

identity and values. With so many

misconceptions about Islam and

questions regarding the Muslim

community, this is the time when Muslims

must present their beliefs in the clearest and

most honest manner.

“Islam is a way of life that builds strong

families, produces societies with low crime

rates and economic equality and it’s about

time Islamic solutions became the focus of

discussion, but this necessitates the Muslim

community to be clued up and active in

discussing these subjects.”

SMOKE RADIO – Westminster’s very own student radio station – scooped two awards at the 2009 Student Radio Awards (SRA).

The two gold awards for Best Marketing and Branding and Best Outside Broadcast join the station’s previous SRA accolades (Gold for Best Newcomer in 2008 (Dan Roberts), Silver for Best Station in 2007 and 2008, Bronze for Best Journalistic Programming in 2008 and Bronze for Best Station in 2007).

The awards were presented to the Smoke Radio team at a ceremony on Tuesday 24 November.

The Student Radio Awards sees student radio stations from across the country pit themselves against each other in 14 categories. Smoke Radio was nominated for four awards and took home two.

Visit the Smoke Radio website to fi nd out more www.smokeradio.co.uk


NEWS

THE UNIVERSITY OF WESTMINSTER seeks a massive behaviour change to help tackle global warming and is working on two campaigns to make that happen: 10:10 and Degrees Cooler.

Both campaigns will encourage students and staff at the University to use less energy, recycle more, eat more sustainable local food and reduce non-essential fl ying.

Launched in September 2009, the 10:10 aim is to cut carbon emissions by 10% in 2010.

Switching off all the offi ce equipment and lights after a lecture or working day are changes that have a

major impact – but only if we all do it. Anne Raudaskoski, the University of Westminster sustainability manager, said: “Reducing electricity consumption through Information Communication Technologies can result in huge CO2 emissions reductions, as it forms around 25% of our electricity bill.”

She added that it is not just turning off PCs and screens. It also includes printers, photocopiers and all other offi ce equipment.

To tackle the travel targets, the University is planning to make train the preferred option for domestic and European destinations. To

address the transport goal, the University has bought an electric van and is

UNI CHILLS OUT FOR GLOBAL WARMINGBy Muriel Gonzalez

selling the old ones. “We’ve also revised the delivery schedule to make sure that we use it as effi ciently as possible without any unnecessary driving,” Raudaskoski said.

The University of Westminster is one of the 20 universities involved in the Degrees Cooler project which is a joint initiative between the University and Students’ Union and consists of two projects: Green Impact targeted at staff and Go Green campaigning organised by students for students.

Shared target with 10:10, the Degrees Cooler further encourages the habit of recycling and a diet change towards sustainable local food.

For its bit in the Degrees Cooler project, the Students’ Union will be taking part in the Go Green week: 8-12 February 2010. Check out www.uwsu.com for more information on how you can get involved.


EDUCATION

COULD STU DENTS BE PAYING FEES OF £6,500 BY 2012?

This section is all about getting you clued up on educational issues facing you as a student. SECTION EDITOR: ROBIN LAW

GASPS HAVE BEEN HEARD around

campuses and school common rooms

recently as news outlets warned us of

possible government plans to increase top

up-fees to almost £7,000.

In November Business Secretary Lord

Mandelson announced a government review

of student fees. And the Independent reported

that most vice-chancellors would like to push

for a new top-up fee ceiling of up to £6,500.

Second year Westminster University BA

Journalism student Radmila Loncar thinks

such proposals are “ridiculous”. She said

that “increasing the fees just excludes

poorer families”.

Radmila added: “If the fee went up I

wouldn’t be able to go to uni because…

journalism jobs don’t pay well so how would

I pay my debt? A degree today is so valuable

and I think increasing fees will just put people

at a risk of unemployment from age of 18.”

Lord Mandelson has maintained throughout

the debate that no student should have to

forgo a university education just because they

cannot pay the fees.

Elsewhere, the National Union of Students

(NUS) has proposed an alternative strategy.

Its model recommends that a People’s Trust

for Higher Education should be established.

Students would pay a percentage of their

salary into the Trust for 20 years

after graduating.

According to the NUS’ report ‘Funding our

future blueprint’ “graduates should contribute

to the future costs of higher education

according to their actual future earnings,

so that those who benefi t the most from

university by earning more will contribute

more, in order to give future students access

to higher education.”

However, there are some who have

criticised the NUS model.

Smoke Magazine spoke to Nick Taylor, a

PhD student from Lancaster University, who

said: “The NUS proposal seems to penalise

those who work hard and make the most

of their degree while providing a cheap

education for those who don’t”.

The results of the upcoming government

review of fees will not be announced until

after the next general election and it looks

unlikely that universities will start charging

any more until autumn 2012. However,

the review will be in consultation with

Conservative’s higher education spokesman

David Willetts, and according to the

Independent, “it would be a fair bet that both

parties will eventually sign up for an increase

in student fees.”

Whatever the outcome, until things become

more certain after the next general election,

this is sure to be an area of both debate and

concern for young people all over the country.

By Sophie Hudson

For 29 students from the University of Banadir, in Mogadishu, Southern Somalia, Thursday 3 December 2009, their graduation, was both a day of triumph and a day of mourning.


education


education

Many deScribe graduaTion day as one the ‘happiest’ day of their lives. It is a day in which all those sleepless nights (drinking coffee and Red Bull) can finally come to an end. The anxiety of sitting exams and the agony of waiting for results seems so worthwhile. A day in which you feel elevated, as all of your hard work has finally paid off and you can look forward to a brighter future.

But imagine if that day does not go to plan? And instead turns into what many can only imagine to be their worst nightmare.

For 29 students from the University of Banadir, in Mogadishu, Southern Somalia, Thursday 3 December 2009, their graduation, was both a day of triumph and a day of mourning. What was supposed to be the happiest day of their lives suddenly turned into a day of catastrophe and bloodshed as a suicide bomber blew themselves up in the middle of the ceremony.

The explosion killed 35 people. The majority that died that day were students. But the Somali Education Minister, the Health Minister, the University Principle, professors and journalists were also killed in the explosion. It was assumed by the media that the government officials had been the target of the attack, but this remains unknown.

This ceremony marked only the second year in which students were to graduate from the new university. Students of medicine, engineering, education and IT were all due to graduate that day. It was only last year that the first wave of medical students had successfully completed their studies. They were the first graduates in Somalia since the civil war broke out in 1991.

These students told stories of how they ‘dodged bullets to become doctors’. The struggle that these students had to go through to gain their degrees was enormous.

Somalia is a country in the horn of Africa. There has been civil war there since 1991. Some parts are relatively safe such as the northern and eastern regions; however the southern region (namely the capital city-Mogadishu) has remained lawless for the last 18 years.

In spite of the circumstances in Somalia being so volatile, there are those who still strive to make a better life for themselves, like the students who graduated that day.

As one of the survivors of the bombing, graduate Sakhaudin Ahmed, said “You have no idea how hard we worked to get our degrees, there were days we could not go to class because of the security situation. I had to cross roadblocks to get to the university and brave gunfire many times”.

In contrast, here in the UK, living in a country that is relatively safe and where education is readily available, it can at times lead us to take these things for granted. We can all at times become lazy and complacent about our studies. How often on a rainy day do you feel the desire to stay at home rather than attend that 10am lecture? How often do you complain about your work being boring, difficult or even annoying? How often do you see friends skipping a class, talking though lectures, or not studying?

Just three days after the bombing took place in Mogadishu, survivor Sakhaudin Ahmed began

University of Banadir stUdents killed at gradUation By Fatima Hagi

As one of the survivors of the bombing, graduate Sakhaudin Ahmed, said “You have no idea how hard we worked to get our degrees, there were days we could not go to class because of the security situation. I had to cross roadblocks to get to the university and brave gunfire many times”.

his first day of work in a local hospital. He stated to the media “I will not be deterred by anyone in fulfilling my ambition of being a doctor and helping others. Every day I go to the hospital my friends and professors will be in my thoughts.”

Sakhaudin’s determination to get to work and use his education to benefit others is a true embodiment of the thoughts of Nelson Mandela, who wisely said:

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world”.


EDUCATION

THE UNIVERSITY OF WESTMINSTER is changing the structure of the academic calendar again.

The current calendar for the year 09/10 saw a reduction in class teaching time to allow for the introduction of two new ‘Guided Independent Study’ (GIS) weeks per semester. This original change caused a great deal of concern within the student population.

Students were outspoken in their distaste for the new calendar, dubbed the “10 week term” (on account of the reduced teaching hours), and there was an immediate backlash against the University including several student petitions and Facebook campaigns to change the calendar back.

The University’s response to this outcry has been to adapt the calendar again. This time with greater inclusion of students and staff in the decision making process.

Welcoming this opportunity, in April 2009

the University of Westminster Students’ Union (UWSU) composed a highly detailed survey report for the University highlighting the concerns of the students around this issue.

The report demonstrated enormous student dissatisfaction and said “the idea that students are being short-changed by the move from 12 weeks to 10 weeks is widespread.”

This report found that GIS did not work. Just under half of students said that they had not been given any GIS tasks or opportunities and over 70% of the student sample revealed no one in the University had explained to them what GIS is. Worryingly nearly 80% of respondents said that they thought GIS was actually meant to be time away from the University.

Nearly two thirds of students reported having coursework deadlines and exams in the same week – yet the intention of this new calendar model, was to alleviate the ‘bunching’

UNIVERSITY RETHINKS ACADEMIC CALENDARBy Robin Law

of deadlines. This problem was particularly accentuated for those students who had their third year dissertation to hand in during their exam period.

At the time of writing the most recent development in the calendar consultation process is that the University, in response to feedback from staff and students, has produced a draft revision of the academic calendar. As not enough students responded to our surveys or focus groups the calendar did not receive support from the Students’ Union, nonetheless it was still passed by majority at Academic Council.

The positive point to take away though is that the changes were based on student feedback. We will just have to wait and see how the student population responds to the newly revised calendar.

• Read the full UWSU survey at www.uwsu.com

RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE STUDENTS’ UNION ➤ Increase the time between the end of teaching and the start of exams, preferably to two weeks.

➤ No coursework deadlines should be scheduled during exams.

➤ Deliver a much more coordinated approach to GIS, with minimum standards in place for what students should expect from it.

➤ Coursework deadlines should all be scheduled within a week of teaching being completed.

➤ Feedback on some coursework should be accessible before the exams.

➤ There is a need for the University to improve its communication with students on this issue.

➤ The prevailing attitude amongst students is that the University is not delivering value for money, and that the change to 10 weeks has hugely impacted on their studies.

➤ The University should send out some communications stating the benefi ts of the new system, actively stop lecturers denigrating the new calendar, and promote small pockets of good practice of GIS to increase the number of students who experience positive GIS.


EDUCATION

SINCE THE STUDENTS’ UNION is always keen to see teaching of the highest quality at Westminster University, we would like to introduce our lecturer of the month feature.

This award will be given to the lecturer who is nominated by the most students on grounds of their teaching quality, helpfulness and general brilliance in education at the University.

In this, our fi rst edition of the Smoke this year, we are proud to announce that the UWSU lecturer of the month is Dr. Lisa Thorn from the psychology department.

Lisa has a great research background and a fantastic enthusiasm for her work. Students and staff were keen to state their appreciation of Lisa’s passion for the job, and her kind and helpful nature. Having completed her PhD at Westminster University in 2007, Lisa has dedicated her time to teaching and research in the psychology department and has recently been appointed as a full-time staff member. We would like to congratulate Lisa on her new job, and thank her for delivering quality education to the students. We hope to see her carry on with her fantastic work for years to come.

To nominate your lecturer for this award please check out the lecturer of the month feature on our website at UWSU.com or alternatively email [email protected] with your name, your lecturers name and why you think they should be lecturer of the month.

Smoke Magazine Lecturer of the month

THE AIM OF THE SIKH SOCIETY is to provide a fun, productive medium to experience and learn about Sikhism alongside the rest of your university lives in order to attain a balanced and rewarding life style. We encourage all people from different backgrounds and ethnicity to join us to understand their beliefs as well as sharing our faith to bring unity within the community or as we like to call it, Sangat.

So far this year we have signed over 70 members from the freshers’ fair and undertaken events such as weekly gatherings, cha and samosa party and football. For the next semester we will be displaying a martial arts event which will be hosted by the fi ghting group, Baba Fateh Singh Gatka Akhara.

Gatka was established in the 17th century by the 6th Sikh Guru, Sri Guru Hargobind Ji. Gatka was put into effect in 1984, where four Gatka warriors were posted at the four doors at Amritsar, golden temple (Harmander Sahib) to defend attacks from the Indian army. The form of the art was so effective the army was unable to come near.

So if you free on the evening of Friday 29 January, come down to P3 at Marylebone campus to enjoy an unforgettable experience of the Gatka demonstration. Plus, there will be pizza too! [email protected]

STUDENT COMMENTS ON THE ACADEMIC CALENDAR:

Nivedita Varu, BSc Accountancy and Business Management; “Ok, they (the University) do ask for our opinions, but then do they really take it into account when they make decisions?”

BSc Nutrition and Exercise Science student Chris Foody commented: “Westmin’ students just complain. When the Union ask them for opinions though they don’t give them. It’s quite funny.”

UWSU ‘Vice President of Communications’, Bilal Khan, said: “In my opinion the University have not always asked for student views in the past so their request for student opinion on the calendar was quite refreshing, and hopefully marks a positive new trend at the University.”

Has anyone from the University explained to you what Guided Independent Study (GIS) is?

Source: Taken from UWSU student survey report, April 2009.

No - (70.9%)Yes - (29.1%)

SIKH SOCIETY


SOCIETIES

THE LAW SOCIETY

JESUS CREW ALBANIANSOCIETY

Societies are set up and run by students. They represent lots of diff erent interests, beliefs and cultures and with 50 diff erent societies at UWSU, there’s plenty to get involved with. THE SMOKE put some of our societies in the spotlight and asked them to tell us who they are and what they’re up to.

JESUS CREW IS A GATHERING of Christians who hold weekly meetings, fellowship and study the bible together in the hope of growing as individuals and growing in the knowledge of God.

You don’t have to be a Christian to join and any issues you have that you need help with or you need to talk about or if you have anything you want us to pray for you about - whether you’re able to come to the meetings or not, please contact us. Meetings are on Fridays from 5:30 -7:00pm. To fi nd out more, including details on where our meetings will be held and any upcoming events [email protected]

THE LAW SOCIETY IS A MUST for every

student. We provide exciting opportunities to

network with barristers and solicitors alike

whilst giving you more information, in the form

of presentation evenings from law fi rms and

alumni, on the legal profession, CV clinics as

well as talks on specifi c areas of the law that

may appeal to you.

We already have an ever increasing list

of contacts that we use regularly to provide

Westminster students with the best portal of

information. In addition to the presentation

evenings, we hold bi-weekly socials such

as Nandos nights and pub crawls to help

students meet new and different people

at the university who they would have not

normally met had it not been for

these events.

One of our highlights of the year is the

Quiz Night where teams of barristers and

solicitors are put into teams of students to

fi ght it out to see who has the best general

knowledge. It’s an excellent chance for you

to try and get a work experience placement

from them too! Also, this is a brilliant

opportunity to meet them outside a

formal setting.

Furthermore, we organise tours

to the Inns, Royal Courts of Justice

and Parliament!

[email protected]

THE AIMS OF OUR SOCIETY is to promote the Albanian culture, language and music in the United Kingdom and help Albanian speaking students to socialise and adapt to a new place. Raise awareness on problems affecting students and Albanians in the UK and problems affecting Albania and the Balkan region. We also like to show a bit of Albania to all the students at Westminster.

The Albanian Society celebrated Albanian Independence Day in Intermission on 28 November [email protected]


SOCIETIES

ALBANIAN

WESTMUN SOCIETY PREPARES ITSELF FOR COMPETITION SUCCESS

SOCIETY

THE WESTMINSTER MODEL UNITED NATIONS (WestMUN) society has its sights set on awards success this year as it sends delegates to major events across the globe including:• London International Model United Nations (LIMUN) Conference• Harvard World Model United Nations Conference in Taiwan • National Model United Nations Conference in the UN Headquarters in New York

Since starting out in 2006 WestMUN’s delegation has been fortunate to win awards at Harvard WorldMUN in Mexico (2008) and LIMUN (2009) and is aiming even higher this year.

The (WestMUN) Society’s main aim is to train and give their members the bodacious chance to participate in United Nations simulation conferences around the world. It holds weekly training sessions to prepare its members for these conferences. Students attending the sessions develop transferable skills, such as public speaking and diplomacy skills.Mehrad Jaberansari, President of WestMUN, said: “If you think you have the dedication and courage needed you are in for a life changing experience. We are all enormously proud about our team’s success and look forward to meeting you in one of our training sessions.”[email protected]

RACHEL ELNAUGH, who is one of

Britain’s highest profi le female entrepreneurs

and best known from the BBC’s hit show

Dragons’ Den, was a guest speaker in

November at the Westminster Enterprise

Entity society event: ‘Being a Passionate and

Successful Entrepreneur’.

The event was in conjunction with

Inspired Entrepreneur, a business

networking group led by author and

business coach Nick Williams.

There are now over 200 active members

of the society running their own enterprises,

organising events, producing publicity

materials, writing funding bids and giving

presentations.

[email protected]

DRAGONS’ DEN STAR SPEAKS AT SOCIETY EVENT

Image: Rachel Elnaugh


CultureCulture

free londonBy Kate Ross

The culture section of The Smoke showcases the best student talent as well as the most trustworthy reviews. This is where you access the world of ideas and beauty at Westminster. We bring you literature, art and fashion. Please email Suneel Mehmi, Culture Editor, at [email protected] if you wish to send in any letters or comments or to contribute to the section.

New STudeNTS To LoNdoN are probably experiencing shock at how rapidly their pockets can empty when exploring the big smoke. Unless you possess the blagging gene, exploring London on a student shoestring can appear tricky.

But ‘Free London’ has become something of a movement as those without a disposable income find activities to keep them occupied; all you need is a travelcard. Here are just a few of my suggestions.

Covent Garden houses street performers and hours to wile away browsing market stalls. If markets are your thing and you can exercise enough self control not to give into temptation, head to Portobello Road and Borough Food Market.

For a more unique experience, Hyde Park offers up Speakers’ Corner, where free speech reigns and, since this is available to any aspiring speaker, can end in controversy.

If you’re determined to take scavenging to the extreme, head to the food halls of department stores such as Selfridges and Harrods. By adopting a multitude of disguises, you could circle the area numerous times and swipe yourself an entire meal from tasting different samples.

Finally, if you need a night free of hardcore clubbing, the Theatre Royal Stratford offers free comedy nights, or for inspiring musicians, The River Bar in London Bridge holds an acoustic Open Mic Night.

‘If markets are your thing and you can exercise enough self control not to give into temptation, head to Portobello Road and Borough Food Market.’

Borough Market


Culture

fashionWhat’s ‘in’ in Winter student FashionBy Suneel Mehmi

This time round, I find out how to get that unique student look at our trendy Regent’s Campus and at what cost.

Edgy and playful, striking and colourful, Rhiannon’s outfit makes her stand out in any crowd. The vibrancy and freshness is achieved by contrasting colours against a black base layer.

Coat (H & M) £10Jumper (Taiwan – Private Designer) £40Stockings (Primark) £2Shoes (Effie) £60

So glamorous, cute and uber-chic, Tia looks like an ‘A’-Lister. The classy tonal composition of black, grey and white is rejuvenated in post-modern style by the fun, pink sub-text.

Coat (Warehouse) £80Scarf (Camden Market) £5Top (Topshop) £20Belt (Primark) £1Leggings (Topshop) £20Shoes (Asos) £20Handbag (Angel Jackson) £380

Sophisticated, subdued but super-sexy, Gulsum manages to strike the perfect balance through her artful layering and graduating colour combination, which works to show off her figure at its best.

Cardigan (Miss Selfridge) £35Dress (Topshop) £30Leggings (Bershka) £10Boots (Bershka) £60

Laura’s take on leathers and autumnal brown feminizes the ‘retro’ air-pilot style and works to create an air of subtlety, maturity and confidence.

Coat (Brick Lane) £65Scarf (London Boutique) £5Dress (Topshop) £38Leggings (New Look) £4Boots (Dune) £60Bag (Asos) £30

Classy and quirky, mysterious, Olga’s look works to build up a fascinating and imposing statuesque quality, accentuating the perfect shape and length of her legs.

Scarf (Russia) £60Jacket (H & M) £40Top (H & M) £20Trousers (Uniglo) £30Shoes (Zara) £40Handbag (Topshop) £90

Laura’s smart casual look is very textured and tactile and has an updated 70s-chic feel, an effect achieved by a choice selection of ‘flower-power’ and ornate and seemingly hand-crafted materials.

Cardigan (Topshop) £95Jeans (Camden Market) £25T-shirt (Republic) £20Shoes (Topshop) £55Handbag (Fred Perry) £45

Rhiannon (interpreting, translation & diplomacy)Total cost of look £112

Tia (sociology and Criminology)Total cost of look £526

GulSum (Cognitive science)Total cost of look £135

lauRa (sociology)Total cost of look £202

olGa (int. Business and spanish)Total cost of look £280

lauRa (nutrition)Total cost of look £240


CULTURE

BOOK REVIEWS

POETRY

READING THE RENAISSANCE: SUNEEL MEHMI

THE RENAISSANCE COMPLETE AND RENAISSANCE are two well researched, truly international, image-intensive catalogues of one of the most striking periods in European history. Both are user-friendly, thematically-arranged information resources and provide timelines and a gazetteer of museums and galleries. Both give precedence to subject matter over art history, allowing the viewer’s eyes to do most of the talking, but also engage with the sheer complexity of the period under study through the use of lucid introductions, commentary

• The Renaissance Complete• Margaret Aston• Thames & Hudson• 368 pages

• Renaissance• Christopher Masters• Merrell Publishers Ltd• 287 pages

and marginalia. This dualist movement of text and image creates in both cases a fascinating admixture of awe and understanding for both the beginner in the fi eld as well as the enthusiast.

The two books are at some pains to show that the Renaissance was not simply an unmediated continuation of the culture of the Ancient world or derived exclusively from a sort of pristine Christian vision, as per the unsophisticated and rather Eurocentric commonplaces. Masters, for example, demonstrates the range of contingent infl uences on the movement from current warfare to courtly life, and maps out its interaction with Byzantine and Islamic civilization, mentioning for example, the hybrid nature of Gentile Bellini’s art. Similarly, Aston engages with the transformations of the period, including a cross section of material from the Reformation, Iconoclasm and the Counter-Reformation. She also conceptualises her analysis of the classical infl uences as an active ‘rebuilding’ of antiquity, rather than a passive copying.

The Renaissance Complete is perhaps, in terms of the visual, the more wide-ranging work, since it covers not only artwork, but also coins, architecture, cartography and scientifi c treaties, etc. It aims to encounter, in fact, as much of the stylisation of life in the period that it can, with the use of over 1000 images. However, what Renaissance lacks in this sheer diversity – although it deals with a not insubstantial forty illustrations per chapter itself - is made up for by the more extensive treatment it gives of its chosen subject matter of painting, including beautifully reproduced full-page pictures which one may examine comfortably at some length.

Master’s is probably the more populist work and shows occasional fl ashes of humour. It is suited more to the student of art. Aston’s work has much more of the feel of historiography about it. Both writers are extremely lucid and illustrate beautifully in terms of prose the principle of brevity without superfi ciality. As fascinating and erudite introductions and collections of source materials, it is diffi cult to conceive of a better selection of books. Suneel Mehmi

CATSUNEEL MEHMI

cat on the wallwith man in your eye

you disdain ground

do you tire of the grey?

you fl icker with a memory

i wonder what you wait forand if you are at all

wise

if you are dreaming lazy shapes of cathood

behind your coat and countenance of colour

one

i hope i do not disturb you

silent you are andpassive

in your powergreat

maybe you areresting orrefl ecting

simply you may have caught meas you would

a mouse

such a cold summer’s day

ANOTHER LIFE LOST AMONG MANY

SUNEEL MEHMI

She was like a swan afl oat,on an undisturbed pool of water.

Each and every feat was a reason for her to gloat,yet she was well known as a modest daughter.

She was one among the many playing.Deeply focused with none to disturb her world of dreams,

but all of a sudden her playmates were fl eeing.Filling the whole world with screams!

Didn’t she realize she was alone?For all her friends had fl ed!

Fearing death they had run home.Didn’t she hear what they said?

“Sister, sister, please take heed,for there is word that they will approach soon!

They will kill you like deer for meat.Wait here and you will only meet you doom!”

Fear made them forget she was blind!Panicked they forgot she was deaf!

She was a defenseless fi gure left behind.Unaware she was the only one left!

Renaissance Complete

Aston

Hudson

• Renaissance• Christopher Masters• Merrell Publishers Ltd


CULTURE

I HAD THOUGHT ONCE, after reading Umberto Eco’s astonishing tome, The Name of the Rose, that another author would have had great diffi culty in so convincingly, so lovingly recreating the Medieval past. Eco’s heady, hybrid mixture of very thorough historical research, insight, and vivid imagination stood as though unassailable. For Eco had bridged the gap between literature and history and skipped lightly across it, with a beatifi c smile and an occasional pirouette. Perhaps I have not yet been proved quite wrong in this thought, but it does seem as though Eco’s postmodernist project for the Middle Ages has taken on a new lease of life by, surprisingly, not a writer but someone on the other side, a historical scholar. Achingly erudite, easily accessible and elegantly composed, Ian Mortimer’s time traveller’s guide is indisputably a major accomplishment in the recent historiography of the Middle Ages. Mortimer animates the period with his always interesting, lucid prose and his remarkable range of knowledge and emphasises our human connections rather than our technologically induced and intellectual disparities with the English of the fourteenth century.

He leads us authoritatively, and compassionately, into diverse terrains

• The Time Traveller’s Guide to Medieval England: A Handbook for Visitors to the Fourteenth Century• Ian Mortimer • Vintage • 368 pages

THE TIME TRAVELLER’S GUIDE TO MEDIEVAL ENGLAND: A HANDBOOK FOR VISITORS TO THE FOURTEENTH CENTURY

But no, they came back,came back with their folks, though too late.

Only to see petals of red in her mane of black!Oh! The tragedy that had befallen their beloved mate!

She was killed! She was shot in the head!Her lithe but graceful body was now all limp and cold!

Doubly blind, family bereft,a loved child had departed in another tragic death!

But for the others, only part of the holocaust,of a war from days of old!

HEART OF POLISHED GLASSSUNEEL MEHMI

This serendipitous pebble of glass which the sea has bitten onSmooth and tempting like a lime drop

This pebble of glass which the sea has rolled and rolled within its tongue

Every summer there is a harvestLittle ones squat down in the sand

Without practice they are experts inConnoisseurs of

This precious adventitious jewel of artThis bounty

Which promises an intense point of lightInside a frosted shell

Between land and sea they claim itThey wash

Bekiss it with the saltWhat strange dreams they coat it in

This heart of polished glassThey hold it in their palms

And love itThis heart of polished glass

It has a warmth inside itWhich clamours for the touch

Far away from factoriesIts mother in the sea

It becomes abandonedLustful

Beautiful TragicSparse

AndMeaningful

They grip such in their tiny handsAs though it were their life

They treasure this rubbish highlyAs though it were their life

They hand it to their fathers with smiles inside their eyesHe tosses it in his hands

CasuallySide to side

He talks of something elseBecause he knows its price

populated by haggling marketers, corrupt administrators, hypocritical priests, vile chefs and viler doctors, miniscule sheep, orgiastic monarchs and Flemish whores, across fi eld and cobblestone. We journey alongside him, always fascinated, through the seraglios of the Southwark stews, the stinking mass of a City without a sewage system, occasionally stopping over at a hospital or the humble abode of a villein, sometimes stopping over the spectacles of leprosy and public torture and humiliation. And Mortimer, time and again, corrects our presumptions, our facile assumptions and generalisations, adding more depth to this experience of living history. He reminds us of the lack of class resentment across the Three Estates of Feudal society and readdresses the real contingency of historical transformation in the period. He shows us how quickly, and how capriciously and drastically, fashion, sport and even the offi cial language altered in the space of just a hundred years.

In this book, Mortimer reminds us of the contingency of lives – our own and other’s. Knitting has not been invented in the Middle Ages. The foods that we eat do not exist there, livestock is smaller, men are much stronger, people are much younger. But there is no reductivism; Mortimer demonstrates the wide gulf between the classes and sexes, blue blood and common stock. In spite of this, he stresses everywhere the continuity of human experience which allows us to ‘time travel’: the timeless encounter with suffering, love and beauty. He shows us how we are all linked across the ages. And this is why his book is so engaging. Suneel Mehmi

Every Morning 9am-11am

The Undercroft now

serves breakfast

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A6 breakfast flyer:Layout 1 04/01/2010 11:19 Page 1



sport

juVenTuS and Fc porTo were the fi nalists in the UWSU six a-side football tournament and split the prize pot. A draw between the two teams was declared as the early December nightfall sealed the fate of the competition at Chiswick Sports Ground.

The popular competition is now a permanent addition to the Students’ Union event calendar. This time round every team was given a team name from this season’s Champions League competition and battle commenced to be crowned university 6-a-side champions.

17 teams and over 120 students took part in the tournament which kicked off with a one sided victory for Bayern Munich against AC Milan.

The tournament consisted of three groups of four teams and one group of fi ve with the top side from each section automatically progressing to the quarter fi nals. It was tough going for those fi nishing second or third in their group as they had to navigate their way past an additional knockout game in order to reach the fi nal.

Favourites and two time winners Juventus FC, captained by Eddie Arthur, had a fairly straight forward path to the fi nals and were rarely troubled taking down Rangers by a goal to nil in the semi-fi nals. Forward Raphael O’Selle was the star performer, scoring six times for his team.

Two time runners up Porto FC, captained by Allan Mufti, lay in wait for Juventus after fi ghting their way through a tough opening group in which three of the tournaments eventual semi-fi nalists emerged. Porto were hoping to make it third time lucky however, the game was deemed unplayable due to the lack of light, with both teams agreeing to share the prize pot. The sides took home a handsome £150 each.

Juventus FC captain, Eddie Arthur, was in good spirits after the competition: “We are always there or thereabouts when it comes down to the fi nal stages of the tournament.

The team played well, it was lucky for Porto that the bad light disrupted the fi nal, otherwise we would have won it outright for the third time.”

Quite a few surprises were sprung along the way with some of the University’s footballers falling at the knockout stages. Of particular highlight was the performance of Real Madrid, who despite fi nishing third in their group managed to progress to the semi fi nal stages knocking out group winners CSKA on the way. They were unfortunate to concede a late penalty and free-kick against FC Porto in their semi fi nal match during a tightly contested game which could have been won by either side.

Smoke Magazine spoke with Vice President of Activities Nas Said after the tournament: ‘It was a good day until my team got knocked out! The turnout was pleasing and I believe this tournament provides the perfect opportunity for more people to get involved especially for those who are not able to compete for the University on a Wednesday afternoon. We’ll be holding two more tournaments in the New Year and it would be fantastic to see even more students getting involved,” said Nas.

JUVenTUs anD fC PorTo BaTTle IT oUT aT

WesTMInsTerBy Tom Barbour


sport

The season so far: BaskeTBallBy Helen Chandler

Image credit: Kit Oates/westPHOTO

Men’S baSkeTball reSulTS

Date team playeD Result Home/away

21.10.09Imperial College, London

Men’s 1stLost - 47:74 Away

28.10.09London South Bank University

Men’s 2ndWon - 75:69 Home

04.11.09King’s College, London

Basketball Men’s Club 1stLost - 63:64 Away


Men’s 2ndLost - 51:79 Home

18.11.09Royal Holloway, University of

London Men’s 1stLost - 70:73

Home

02.12.09Canterbury Christ Church

University Men’s 1st Won - 80:57 Away

09.12.09City University London


all did noT go exacTly according to plan for the University of Westminster Basketball team last term with the boys suffering a succession of disappointing losses in a series of very close matches, as the 2009/2010 season got under way. In the words of Basketball captain Jermaine Josephs, the latter part of 2009 was a story of “ups and downs”.

Unfortunately it was a down that the season began on back in October, as Westminster went down 47-74 to a strong team from Imperial College, in their first match of the academic year. And things didn’t get much better from there as only days later Westminster lost to Middlesex, with another sub-standard performance.

Basketball coach Bertan Gur, who has been in charge of the Westminster Men’s team since 2005, was left feeling frustrated by these early defeats, believing that his side have more potential than they were able to show in their opening encounters. He described the results as “disappointing” and attributed the poor performances to “a loss of team spirit and a lack of focus”.

For 21-year-old Josephs, who is enjoying his first season as Basketball captain following a successful vice captaincy last year, it is precisely this lack of focus that has caused the team to lose so many of their recent fixtures.

“We have played a lot of teams so far who we are as good as, if not better than, however we have been unable to close out close matches where we have often been ahead from the beginning. I think there is a certain amount of complacency in the side this year once we are in the lead, whereas the teams we have played have really been pushing themselves. This is something that I have had to talk to the team about.”

Maybe it was thanks to Josephs’ motivational speaking that November was a slightly more successful month for the boys, who recorded two important victories to break their long losing streak. Despite losing a couple more tight contests, the good results continued into December with an impressive win against Canterbury University, leaving both Bertan and Josephs feeling more positive about their 2010 campaign.

“We have the ability to play better than we have been doing we all just have to buckle down now and show more commitment to the team” Josephs said, “It’s obviously hard as most of us have a heavy workload but if we can do this then we can be much more successful in 2010”.

The University of Westminster Basketball team is made up of 15 players, most of who have only ever played the sport recreationally before joining the University squad. The team train for several hours over two days a week and compete in two leagues, the British Universities and College Sport (BUCS) league and the Metropolitan league which is for teams based in London.

The next Basketball fixture is on 20 January when Westminster will once again face the team from Canterbury University, in the BUCS league. They will be hoping for a repeat of December’s victory over the side, as they aim to get 2010 off to a winning start.


sport

“We have the ability to play better than we have been doing we all just have to buckle down

now and show more commitment to the team”

jerMaine joSephS

Men’S baSkeTball reSulTS

Date team playeD Result Home/away

21.10.09Imperial College, London



Men’s 2ndWon - 75:69 Home

04.11.09King’s College, London

Basketball Men’s Club 1stLost - 63:64 Away


Men’s 2ndLost - 51:79 Home

18.11.09Royal Holloway, University of

London Men’s 1stLost - 70:73

Home

02.12.09Canterbury Christ Church

University Men’s 1st Won - 80:57 Away

09.12.09City University London


Image credit: Kit Oates/westPHOTO


sport

By Helen Chandler

cheerleading iS STill a relatively new addition to Westminster’s sporting programme, having only been on offer since 2006. But the University squad has gone from strength to strength in its fi rst couple of years and the team have high hopes of success in 2010, coming off the back of what newly appointed captain Ayana Charles describes as the team’s, “fi rst confi dent year”.

The squad, captained by 20-year-old Charles, are currently preparing for their fi rst competition which will take place on 4 April this year. The girls will be travelling north to the West Midlands, in order to participate in the British Cheerleading Association’s Midland Classic, a cheerleading and dance contest open to all teams over the age of 14, held at the Telford International Centre.

It will only be the second time Westminster has participated in such an event, but the cheerleaders are feeling positive about their prospects and are hoping to improve on their previous performance in 2009. “Last year we only had about six weeks to train and still fi nished ninth out of the 18 teams which was a surprise to us as it was our fi rst ever competition together,” Charles told Smoke Magazine. She added, “This

year we will have about three months so our expectations are obviously a lot higher, a top seven fi nish is what we are aiming for

because the fi rst seven teams each get a trophy!”

The team hold two two-hour long practice sessions a week in which they

attempt to perfect complicated gymnastic routines, lifts and balances,

which require a great deal of teamwork and trust between those involved. And what started out as an initial intake of 50 would-be cheerleaders, as the new academic year got under way in October, has now been carefully whittled down to a 27 strong competitive squad who are ready to take on teams from all over the country.

Whilst cheerleading is now closed to new members until after the summer break, Charles, who has been an active member since she began University in 2008, would encourage anyone who is thinking about it to give the sport a go.

“There is absolutely no previous experience needed to get involved, although it is nice to have people joining who have gymnastic and dance experience. We have a really good group this year which is why we are so positive about our chances in the competition”.

CheerleaDers seT sIGhTs on TroPhY

Image credits: Jon Applegate/www.squeezephotography.co.uk

Image credits: Jon Applegate/www.squeezephotography.co.uk


sport

sPorTs InTerVIeW WITh VP aCTIVITIes nas saID

The uniVerSiTy oF WeSTMinSTer has 13 sports teams, eight of which compete on a weekly basis in the British University and Colleges Sports league (BUCS). Smoke magazine caught up with the Students’ Union Vice President of Activities, Nas Said, to fi nd out more on sport at the university this year so far and what students can look forward to in the coming year.

hi naS, So hoW haS The SeaSon gone So Far For our TeaMS?

Certain teams have performed very well; netball and football are enjoying some good results in their leagues. The men’s basketball team has shown fantastic commitment, they are currently fulfi lling all of their fi xtures on both a Wednesday and at weekends.

On a negative note our hockey teams have struggled for players this year and have had to withdraw from a number of their fi xtures. It’s been a frustrating start to the year for our men’s rugby with the majority of games being cancelled as a result of other universities pulling out of games.

WhaT can STudenTS expecT in 2010?We are starting a volleyball team; there has been high demand from students and so the union has decided to set up the side this semester, so if it’s something that appeals to you then look out for more information in the near future. Also, we are looking for students who are interested in ultimate Frisbee as well as expanding upon our existing teams.

WhaT Would you Say To STudenTS Who Feel They are unable To parTicipaTe on a WedneSday aFTernoon aS a reSulT oF TiMeTable claSheS?

Everyone still has the opportunity to attend training sessions which take place at various times during the week. As a student I would always recommend campaigning to keep Wednesday afternoons free as it is the designate day for university sport. If anyone wants to get involved at weekends then the Students’ Union can assist in contacting local teams and leagues.

aS The elecTed oFFicer Who oVerSeeS SporT aT The uniVerSiTy WhaT deVelopMenTS Would you like To See in The FuTure?

I believe the open space which we have available at the Harrow

campus could be converted into a massive multi-sport facility boasting the latest sports equipment. In an ideal world this would be made free to all Westminster students.

In the short term I would love to see the existing sports facilities opened up more to sports teams and students, we tend to have a lot of external clubs hire them out and this inhibits are use of them. This is something I’m actively working on, and we are always seeking alternatives.

SporTS Training TiMeSBasketball

Friday 5pm to 7pm at Harrow Sports Hall

Cheerleading

Tuesday 6pm to 8 pm at Regent Street Gym

Football

Monday 6.30pm - 9pm at Harrow School

Hockey

Tuesday 6.30pm to 9pm at Harrow School

Jiu Jitsu

Monday at 6pm to 7.30pm and Wednesday 7pm to 9.30pm at

Regent Street Gym

Netball

Monday 6.30pm to 8pm at Harrow Sports Hall

Rowing

Monday and Wednesday 6.30pm to 8.00pm and Saturday and

Sunday 11am to 12.30pm at Chiswick Sports Ground

Rugby

Monday 7pm to 9pm at Chiswick Sports Ground

Running

Thursday 6.30pm, meet at Harrow Sports Hall

Visit www.uwsu.com for more information on our sports clubs.

The Smoke January 2010

Documents

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