THE NATIONAL Heads up New Term, New Wmusic
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THE NATIONAL Heads Up New term, new wmusic STUDENTFREE November 2009 The heads up on new music you have to hear in this month’s BRANDING LEAVES 15 SCARRED FOR LIFE Drunk friends used scalding-hot What coat hangers to brand themselves in ‘group challenge’ Drunken students does the used scalding-hot coat hangers to brand the initials of their former halls of residence onto NUS do each other. The ‘group challenge’ by Exeter University students involved the burning of the initials into chests, arms for you? and thighs by holding the reshaped hanger against the skin for ten seconds. The NUS President Wes entirely male group made the Streeting fills us in plan while sober, and all took part voluntarily. Many were on what our national said to have been gritting their teeth and biting down union does for us on a wooden spoon. - page 9 One of the branded men, branded students were first incident of this kind, the who sought to remain “shaking and gritting their University of Exeter have nameless, said: “We are a teeth”. experienced controversy over tight group, all very close The University of Exeter’s student behaviour before, friends. There is a daredevil director of communications, with the death of 18-year-old culture amongst us, and it Stuart Franklin, said the Gavin Britton in November Camera wasn’t a spontaneous thing: incident was the first of its 2006. we had talked about it kind and was unlikely to The teenager was found at before” incur any disciplinary action. a building site the morning Three of the group He stated: “What they after partaking in a ‘pub were taken to hospital for have done to themselves golf’ event where he drank phone treatment, and all have been is probably punishment so excessively it caused him told they will be scarred enough”. to die. for life. A witness said the Although this may be the by Vikki Littlemore goodies up Free digital new music sampler for every reader 27 choice cuts from acts covered in this month’s magazine including Smoke Fairies, FUNfun, for grabs Dials, Pagan Wanderer Lu, Solvor Vermeer, Cougar, Spokes and many more - page 10 Details in this month’s magazine The National Student, November 2009 2 NEWS The National Student welcomes contributions. DISGRACED OUCA BACKED BY CONSERVATIVES The National Student THE CONSERVATIVE join Conservative Future, by Vikki Littlemore works closely with Party have offered their a national organisation student publications backing to a disgraced linking Conservative across the UK. association of student groups. Association’s right to use Conservatives from Marius Ostrowski, a ‘Oxford University’ in their We are happy to accept Oxford. third year student at Oxford name. The name change news, comment, has come under criticism, features, and reviews Following the telling University, expressed on any subject. of racist jokes at a anger at the decision, however, as ‘nothing drunken hustings, Oxford stating: “The Conservative more than a superficial, Contact us at: University Conservatives Party’s decision to back an placatory gesture’ in which The National Student Association were banned institutionally backward no substantial changes will PO Box 7731 from using the University’s and bigoted organisation, be made. Derby name. However they have such as OUCA has Michael Rock, National DE1 0RW now been welcomed as an consistently proved itself to Chairman of Conservative official branch of the party. be, is a serious blow to the Future, responded by or email: pointing out that the editor@ Ben Lyons, co-chair of current Tory leadership’s members of the Association thenationalstudent.co.uk Oxford University Labour pretences to compassionate Club commented: “OUCA Conservatism and open involved in the Hustings or phone: 2.0 are the same people representation of those who controversy had been 0845 46 300 46 who got elected at racist share Conservative ideals. expelled from the party. Hustings. They are the He added: “The party’s David Barclay, JCR The National Student is same people who spoke in refusal to seek a more President of Worcester, the independent, monthly debates on re-conquering suitable mouthpiece for is less than convinced, newspaper for higher the empire. And they are Oxford Conservatism risks insisting that the education students in the same people who are alienating its supporters Association would require the UK. still not allowed at Freshers in the current student “close scrutiny to ensure that a return to the Published by Fair. This exposes the body, and only fuels Defender Newspapers, sham of David Cameron’s dissatisfaction with the shame of the port-swilling PO Box 7731 ‘progressive Conservative state of UK politics in the pompousness of OUCA is Derby Party’ as it goes out of its younger population as a never again allowed a place DE1 0RW way to support a bigoted whole”. in Oxford’s public life.” Bullingdon-lite.” In response to “complaints He added, “As Obama © 2009 The Association held of inappropriate and infamously warned us just All content is the copyright an emergency meeting unacceptable behaviour”, a year ago, you can put of Defender Newspapers David Cameron’s party has offered their support to the where a unanimous Oxford University Proctors lipstick on a pig; it’s still a unless otherwise stated disgraced OUCA decision was reached to decided to remove the pig.” thenationalstudent.co.uk The National Student, November 2009 NEWS 3 Student loan Student groups protest BNP fiasco continues THOUSANDS OF new by Robert Dalling Question Time appearance and returning university students are still waiting for confirmation of loans to pay of the SLC claims he ordered for fees and rent, despite more staff to be taken on, university commencing as well as extra telephone many weeks ago. lines opened, to deal with As of the end of October, the rush. over 100,000 students “We’re sorry that our were still awaiting their customers are experiencing payments from the Student difficulties getting through Loans Company (SLC), to our customer advisers at who have struggled to cope Student Finance England,” with the record levels of the company said in a applicants, which this year statement. “This year, reached 1,091,653. we have received record Universities UK which numbers of applications. represents vice-chancellors We have increased the in higher education, said number of staff by 120 in that universities had order to deal quickly with responded sympathetically the unprecedented numbers to the situation, and most of calls and applications.” had measures in place However, Seymour- to help cash-strapped Jackson has come under students. Other students intense criticism by NUS have been forced to ask President Wes Streeting, for extra parental help in to the point where the a time of recession, after NUS have called for him to the manner of applying resign, or be sacked: “I’m STUDENT ACTIVISTS Sarah Gibbons, the vociferous and the police was changed from regional absolutely furious at the by David Bateman united against the BBC’s Glasgow Metropolitan presence grew. councils to directly to the bizarre claim of the head of decision to allow the British Student Union President The police lines were SLC. Student Finance England, National Party a place on and a board member of the broken several times, and Pam Tatlow, a chief Ralph Seymour-Jackson, parliament elections in Question Time recently. NUS said: “More people there were some minor executive of Million+, a that delays to the payment June. Protestors from groups are getting involved in the reports of violence on both think-tank set up by the of loans to 50,000 students The BBC have since been including the Socialist fight against fascism. They the police and protestors universities, has criticised are ‘reasonable’. criticised for allowing the Worker’s Union, Fight are taking a more active side. After the show, a the Student Loans Company “Tell that to the students far-right party a voice. Against Fascism, the interest because it’s in failed attempt was made for failing to respond to the I’ve spoken to who are BBC deputy Director- National Union of Teachers their best interests.” to prevent the BNP leader volume of applications: panicking about how to pay General Mark Byford (NUT), the Communication The protests were being allowed to leave, “The additional demand rent, pay bills and pay for insisted on BBC News Workers Union (CWU) initially peaceful, with with Griffin exiting from from students starting food. He must have been that the BBC had no right and NUS rallied together chanting and anti-BNP another exit. in 2009 can hardly be a speaking live from Cloud to deny them a voice, outside BBC offices to leaflets being handed out. The BNP were asked to surprise, and the SLC Cuckoo Land!” only governments could protest the appearance However, as it got closer to appear on BBC’s Question should have staffed up He added: “It’s time for advocate such a thing, as the of Nick Griffin, the BNP Nick Griffin’s arrival time Time after winning two to meet the expectations Ralph Seymour-Jackson to BBC has the “responsibility leader, on the show. the crowd became more seats at the last European of both students and do honourable thing and of due impartiality”. universities. resign – or for ministers In response to the to step in and sack him. situation, Ralph Seymour- There’s a growing consensus Young women use ‘spiked’ drink as excuse for excessive drinking Jackson, the chief executive that enough is enough” FEMALE STUDENTS claim myths fuelling hysteria their drink has been spiked about drink-spiking. BNP would be ‘very comfortable’ in Exeter to explain embarrassing However, police reports have ACTRESS EMMA be.