Bangor University Students’ Union March Issue 2017 English Language Issue No. 261 Newspaper FREE @SerenBangor seren.bangor.ac.uk TAXI 2017 VARSITY 2017 COUNTDOWN EASTER TIME SEREN BUSINESS AWARDS ‘17 Undeb Sabbatical winners announced by EMMA JEWKES he UNDEB sabbatical o cers for 2017-18 were announced last week following a record Tbreaking 2145 votes being cast by students from across the university. Altogether, sixteen candidates put themselves forward for the ve Student Union Sabatical O cer positions. ese were the UCMB President, SU President, VP for Education, VP for Societies and volunteering and the VP for Sport. With present SU President Conor Savage choosing not to run for re- election, and Becca Kent (VP for Sport) and Ifan James (UCMB President) having served the maximum two terms, only two existing sabatical o cers were seeking re-election. Helen Marchant and Matt Day had both been campaigning hard to remain as VP for Education and VP for Societies and Volunteering respectively. e voting had run for three days with students ecouraged to vote for the candidates they believed in most. One of the most popular candidates had been Panos Kokkos who ran for the SU Presidency with a manifesto that promised, among other things, weekly meetings with his trusted group of psychic lizard people. He also pledged to untilise carrier pigeons for when UNDEB Sabbatical o cers 2017-18. From le to right UCMB President – Mirain Roberts, President – Ruth Plant, VP for Education – Helen Marchant, Blackboard crashed, make ceilings VP for Societies and Volunteering – James Williams, VP for Sport – Tatenda Shonhiwa higher in lecture rooms and to sell e Caban to Aberystwyth. rival Ankita Goyle by 743 votes making rival omas Lee by a mere 77 votes Elizabeth Strange and Ruth Plant. running for re-election. Taking the e rst result to be announced was her the only returning sabbatical in the 3rd round a er other candidates Despite being closely run by Elizabeth result to three rounds, he lost by 161 the UCMB President for which Mirain o cer for next year. She said: were eliminated. Clearly relieved, Strange, Ruth managed to win with votes to his successor James Williams Roberts was elected, her being the sole “It’s going to be an interesting year Tatenda said: “It’s like a huge weight 900 votes to Elizabeth’s 675. Clearly who took 838 votes. Becoming the rst runner. She said: ‘“It’s great to take although it’ll de nitely be strange has been li ed o my shoulders and I overwhelmed she said: “It’s just a candidate to beat someone running over from Ifan James who has done without the old team.” can relax now. I’m looking forward to fantastic feeling. ere’s nothing else for re-election in the SU elections, a great job. We’ve got a great team in ird up was the VP for Sport. starting though and getting stuck in.” which compares job wise and the fact he said: “Obviously it’s controversial, place for next year.” Following Becca Kent’s completion of e forth result to be announced was that we get to do it in this fantastic city due to beating Matt, but I’m just eager e second result of the night was the maximum two successive terms, Ruth Plant as the new SU President. which I love is amazing.” to move forward as a union. I hold the VP for Education for which Helen a new candidate was required for the is post had the largest number e nal result of the night was for volunteering close to my heart and I’m Marchant had been seeking a second job. In arguably the closest vote of of candidates with ve students the hotly contested VP for Societies looking forward to helping the union term. Managing a huge 1080 votes in the night, Tatenda Shonhiwa was the competing for the position but a er and Volunteering for which last promote equality for all.” the rst round, she beat her nearest successful candidate beating closest successive rounds it came down to year’s sabbatical o cer Matt Day was March Issue 2017 | Seren 3 CONTENTS 5 News 4-7 Politics 8-9 Comment 10-11 Science 12-13 Environment 14-15 What’s On? 16-17 Union 18-19 EMILY RIMMER Societies 20-21 EDITOR [email protected] Varsity 22-23 Spring time has sprung in Bangor!! Music 24-25 42 The start of March always signi es the start of Spring for me, with TV 26-27 lambs being born, da odil’s rising Film 28-29 up and most importantly the warming of the weather. Bangor is Business Awards 2017 30 the perect place in Spring (when the sun is out not when we have Books 31 Spring showers) as this place is perfect for sunny walks and Games 32-33 adventures. March is also my birthday month Gadgets 34 and this year it signi ed the Fashion 36-37 dawning of me being an actual adult as I turned the ripe old age Lifestyle 38-39 of 22. To me 22 is the age where I have to accept I am now old and Travel 40-41 the good years such as 18 and 21 are behind me. To celebrate this Food & Drink 42-43 momentous occassion I nally got myself down to Bounce Below Breaktime 44 after 4 years of being in Bangor Sport 45-48 and wanting to go but just never getting round to it. I can honestly say it was well worth the money and the traveling down to the midle 48 20 of nowhere. This issue is our second to last one this academic year and so my second to last issue aswell. This month we are on the count down to Varsity at the end of the month which has come round quickly. We are preparing for the big day by getting a team together to report on the scores of all the events and all the happenings from each game, to keep the supporters back in Bangor up to speed. Our Twitter and Facebook wil be live and quicking throughout the day with live updates and photos of the day and the sporting events as they happen. Our website will tell you te latest scores from each game and the overall important score of who 12 is winning Varsity. As no one has 36 ever won away before, I feel like this year could be the year that Bangor clinches the trophy and brings it that 3 hour journey back hoe to where it belongs in Bangor. As we do not have an April issue this year because of the way the Easter holidays fall, I wish everyone a happy Easter with lots of choocolate eggs and bunnies. See you at the May issue. ----- The views presented hereinafter do not represent the views of Seren TEAM CONTRIBUTORS Bangor, Bangor Students’ Union or Bangor University. Editor Emily Rimmer Gadgets Editor Jack Carr-Brickles Kayleigh Lavornia Nishanth Chinthangal Deputy Editor Emma Jewkes TV Editor Jordan King Abi Robinson ----- News Editor Beth Smith Film Editor Joe Caine Tiarna Armstrong Politics Editor Will Keeley Music Editor Finnian Shardlow Francesca Sciarrillo Seren is printed by NWN Media. Science Editor Azat Kalybay What’s On Editor Madeleine Towell Eleanor Kirk Books Editor Chloe Heath Lifestyle Editor Abbie Howard Lizzy Dillon Games Editor Megan Richards Fashion Editor Sash Deacon Ellie Webb Deputy Games Editor Laura Aspin Food & Drink Editor Charles Ben-Co e Faye Boyd Environment Editor Yendle Barwise Travel Editor Matty Rowland Sean Derby Comment Editor Simran Prasad Sport Editor Jack Hollinshead Alice Heeroma 4 Seren | March Issue 2017 NEWS IN Ysbyty Gwynedd £14m A&E gets BRIEF upgrade approved to treat up to 70,000 patients a year Other improvements will see pae- e current unit was built in 1984 diatrics facilities and waiting rooms to treat around 20,000 patients a year updated. but in 2015-16 roughly 52,217 patients Arfon AM Sian Gwenllian said the passed through its doors. current department is “way too small Health Secretary Vaughan Gething, and outdated” for the 52,000 patients who approved the £13.89m funding who use the service each year. for 2017-20, said it would make “a real Ms Gwenllian said: “ is had been di erence to patients accessing emer- High street a long time coming and I wish to gency and urgent care in North Wales.” thank all those who have vigorously Improvements consist of: Costa possibly pursued the need for brand new fa- • A single point of entry to the cilities and have campaigned with me department getting cut to get this investment. e people of • ree triage rooms North West Wales will now be much • A four-bay resuscitation area BANGOR high streets Costa, has a better served and I am particularly plus a separate isolation bay wobbly future a er it was o ered for pleased that children will be treated with external access let. in a separate area. I wish to thank the • Eight cubicles plus two treat- e Costa store is being marketed sta s who have delivered a fantastic ment rooms by Mason Owen, Liverpool with a service here for many years despite • Eight chairs in minor injuries rental cost of £32,000 a year or £2,667 second rate facilities. ey will now • An assessment unit including a month. face the di cult task of maintaining relatives’ waiting room Costa, which is owned by the early £14m worth of fund- resuscitation areas as well as more the service during the transforma- • Paediatrics facilities including Whitbread Company, also has a sec- ing announced today will pay treatment rooms at the hospital in tion and construction phase but I’m three assessment rooms and ond outlet on the city’s outskirts, above for extra triage rooms and Bangor.