Awards Season Results Pictures from recent Undeb awards events FREE Page Page 74-75 26-29 Best shots from our Aber away win Varsity 2019 Results Round-Up May Issue 2019 Issue No. 277 seren.bangor.ac.uk @SerenBangor Y Bangor University Students’ Union English Language Newspaper Chemistry To Close Bangor University cuts the only Welsh taught Chemistry course in the UK REACTION by PAIGE BROOK while those currently on the course Graham Upton said the cuts are Chemistry, may be impacted as a result nish their degrees. “necessary”. of sta cuts. INSIDE angor University has con rmed Existing students have been assured He said: “We will do everything we President of the Welsh Union at that its chemistry department they will be able to graduate. However, can to support the sta and students Bangor University, Gethin Morgan, will be discontinued. from the 2019/20 academic year, the a ected. said: “UMCB will continue to work PAGE 4-5 BProposed plans to completely course will be accepting no further “We will also be working with with the university to ensure that our phase-out teaching of Single Honours enrolments. external funders, project partners current students get the best experience Chemistry within three years have been Bangor University was the only and companies to complete research possible. Our focus is minimizing the approved a er a consultation period. institution to facilitate the study of projects and studentships.” disruption to our current students.” e cuts will result in an estimated chemistry through the medium of Current students are concerned that Go to Page 4-5 for a full rundown of loss of 15 academic and 3 technical sta Welsh. the accreditation of Bangor’s chemistry reaction to the announcement. Interim vice-chancellor Professor course, awarded by the Royal Society of IT’S SIMPLE! Live in one of our NO WORRIES award winning student LOW YOU KNOW IT MAKES SENSE! villages next year PRE-PAYMENT Book online now! SHOW FLATS COME HOME WWW.BANGOR.AC.UK/MYROOM AVAILABLE THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT ENJOY OUR RECORD BREAKING 80 PAGE ISSUE SEREN | May Issue 2019 3 CONTENTS News Feature 4-5 News 6-11 14 76 THANK YOU Politics 12-13 Politician Opinion 14 Science 16-18 FINNIAN FOR YOUR SUPPORT Environment 20-21 SHARDLOW Union 22 EDITOR Sabb Space 23 [email protected] Campus Life 24 Photographic Society 25 Well, here we are then. The last issue of the year. For me, the Soc & Vol Awards 26-27 culmination of 4 years’ worth of hard graft, writing na and big laughs in AU Dinner 28-29 Seren. Seren Business Awards 30-31 It’s bittersweet, as our front page is a tribute to the chemistry Travel 32-33 department, which will be facing the axe after months of hard-fought Food & Drink 34-35 opposition from the student body. Lifestyle 36-37 Our thoughts are with all the 68 students and sta at the school. Fashion 38-39 Also inside the paper, a photo reel of all the society events we’ve Arts & Culture 40-42 covered this year, an interview with Feature Interview 43 the new AU President, and the return of Seren’s Business Awards International 44-45 – over 200 of you voted for your favourite businesses, go to page Social 47 30 to nd out who were crowned champions. Seren Interview 48-49 Notably, we’re ending the year on Film 50-53 a record-breaking 80 page issue. Once again, all the credit goes to our TV 54-55 43 wonderful sub-Editors, contributors, photographers and proof-readers. Music 56-57 There’s no doubt about it. This team Summer Fest 58 have secured themselves in Seren 42 30 history. It wouldn’t have happened Books 60-61 without them. And so, I’d like to take this Games 62-63 opportunity to thank the 2018/19 Creative Corner 64-66 Editorial Team. For your unwavering commitment, for your resolute Societies 68-69 determination, and for your consistent success. Above all, Volunteering 70-71 I’d like to thank you for being cracking people. You haven’t simply Seren Stats 72-73 been colleagues, you’ve been Sport 74-80 companions. We’ve shared laughter; tears; memories. I’ll remember you all. Finally, I have to thank you – the student population. Without you, we don’t have a job. This year, you’ve engaged with your student newspaper more than ever before. I can’t explain how much that means. TEAM It’s given us purpose, passion and Editor - Finnian Shardlow Ben Exton Jordan McEvoy John Farnworth people to serve. Hopefully, we’ve Deputy Editor - Jack Hollinshead Owen J Hurcum Zach Reading Josie McInnes served you well. News - Darby Higgins Undeb Bangor Josh Cain Henry Williams Seren has been around for 36 Politics - Oliver Hewson Grace Worsley Stephen Owen Tanya Riley years. It will be around for another Comment - Simran Prasad 36 years. I’m just proud I played my Write For Any Ryan Miles Susan King Dan ‘Hero’ Turner part. Science - Charlotte Bilsby Carmen Ria Smith Ryan Stephen ENJOY OUR Environment - Anna Ray Section! Mark Barrow Wright It’s been special. Travel - Sophie James Muhammad Fir- Holly Peckitt Be A Food & Drink - Paige Brook Head to our Ta x Lifestyle - Courtney McHugh daus Laura Labno Contributor! Fashion - Isabella Timpany website for sub- Fergus Elliott Lloyd Gri th RECORD BREAKING Arts & Culture - Laura Pätäri Editor contact Francesco Rota Anna Monnereau ----- Contact: International - Libby Shaw details Sam Price Jade Taylor Social - Abi Rose Robinson Rory Formstone Joe Graham The views presented hereinafter Film - Jordan King do not represent the views of Seren Roberts Carys Hyett Bangor, Bangor Students’ Union or TV - Ciaran Gri ths editor@seren. www.seren. Sian Billington Jolyene Leow Bangor University. Music - Vicky Wilkes bangor.ac.uk bangor.ac.uk Caitlin Riley Ka Nam Siu Books - Beth Smith Tom Qwen Alisya Boyraz ----- Games - Sinclair Davis Emily Brown Matthew Foster Creative Corner - Alec Tudor Dylan Hannigan Chloe Glover Seren is printed by Mortons. EDITORS 80 PAGE ISSUE Sport - Corie Shorrock CONTRIBUTORS 4 SEREN | May Issue 2019 NEWS FEATURE Statements Regarding The Con rmed Closure Of The Chemistry Department before our exams is disappointing to the University has laid out plans with say the least. a lack of substance and actual details: e vendetta management seems they’ve refused to draw up costings to to have against Chemistry has cover the modules run or part-run by been relentless. e response to the department for other subject areas, their proposed business case was the cost of emptying the building, the overwhelmingly opposed to it. loss in students that they are already at Everyone and their dog was telling a de cit of and absolutely no idea what them that this was a bad decision: they are going to do with the building from the sta and students to locals; when we have vacated it. from schools to businesses, from Since December 2018 we have had industry professionals to respected this threat looming over us, yet we individuals. have struggled through our exams, A counter-proposal was submitted, a whole semester and are preparing proposing a shi towards a more to grit our teeth through another set, environmental and sustainable whilst we are being used as pawns in OWEN J HURCUM approach bringing us closer to the a bigger game to satisfy their vendetta BEN other parts of SNS and allowing against us. STUDENT PROTEST ORGANISER numerous cost saving measures to One of these ongoing concerns is EXTON be made and would give us a USP of our courses accreditation by the RSC would like to start this statement of the University and the only Welsh Sustainable Chemistry – something (Royal Society of Chemistry). e by reiterating what we have Language Chemistry degree available that will only become more prevalent University has been insistent that it always said – our anger over is a massive mistake. However, we HEAD as society acts more to prevent the will remain but the RSC have said this Ithese cuts is not because we do not do not accept that just because the impending environmental catastrophe cannot be guaranteed. like our University, rather because University have not put themselves CHEMISTRY we’re heading towards. It is disappointing to be continually we love it. e cuts now con rmed rmly on that path that we cannot COURSE REP Alas, next-to-nothing in the business ignored and no other alternatives were by the University will do nothing but convince them to see the error that case was changed but they still felt considered in CoESE. Bangor Needs to shoot itself in the foot. How do this will be. We must save Chemistry comfortable in concluding “the Chemistry, it’s not just us saying it yet they expect to be able to recruit more and we will continue to ght to t is fair to say that moral is very consultation was meaningful” – how it is still being ignored. students in future when the reward ensure this degree is protected and all low in the ChemTower and not that conclusion can be reached is for the hardworking sta that make a ected sta (and indeed all a ected because of the impending exams. ba ing. our University outstanding is to give sta from all departments) have the ToI be noti ed of the closure of e nancial saving by closing the them the sack? job security they deserve secured. Chemistry during our Easter holidays department has been shown to be e closure of the Chemistry and only fully briefed about it just minimal.