theMedwireFree

SPECIAL: The Medwire’s ultimate Freshers Guide

Team Medway preview

The rise of Crowdfunding

September- November 2014

Cooking on a student budget

The Freshers’ Edition

Want to know more?Book now for an Open Event Canterbury – Sat 4 Oct and 29 Nov (all programmes and locations)Medway – Sat 11 Oct (Medway programmes)www.kent.ac.uk/pg

Paris Athens Rome

Canterbury Medway Brussels

Continue your studies at a top 20 world-leadingresearch university with a global outlook.Discover Kent’s European postgraduate centresand specialist programmes.

Benefits• Discounts and scholarships for Kent graduates• £8m postgraduate scholarship fund• The Graduate School’s Global Skills and

Researcher Development programmes• Remain a member of your clubs and societies

POSTGRADUATE STUDYAT KENT WHERE THEWORLD MEETS EUROPE

Subjects availableAnthropology and ConservationArchitectureArtsBiosciencesBusinessComputingEconomicsEngineering and Digital ArtsEnglishEuropean Culture and LanguagesHistoryJournalismLawMathematics, Statistics and Actuarial SciencePharmacyPhysical SciencesPolitics and International RelationsPsychologySocial Policy, Sociology and Social ResearchSports Studies

AD_117498_Scholarships_Medwire_fullpage 14/09/2014 13:57 Page 1

The Team Editor: Victoria Polley

Deputy: Michelle Gleaves

Deputy: Amy Nickalls

Campus News: Stine Wannebo

Local News: Katie Palmer

Lifestyle: Sarah Boast

Sport: Danny Rust

Comment: Ben Kosma

TV: Cecily Snowball

Reporters: Conor Diggin, Andrae Akeh, Ali Iveson, Jayna Rana, Lauren Meechan, Helen Grimes, Rebecca Lawerence, Sheryll Goddard, Tom Graves, Kat Maw-ford

What’s Inside? 4: Campus News6: What’s on? 8: The Ultimate Freshers Guide11: The Rise of Crowdfunding12-: Lifestyle 15: Comment 17: Medders’ Profile 19: Sport

Welcome back to The Medwire and to the

Freshers amongst you… welcome

for the first time! Whether you’re at

Medway, Canterbury, Greenwich

or studying elsewhere, I hope you

enjoy your time here!

For most of you, University life wil

be a completely new experience

so we’ve packed this issue full with

everything you need to know this

Freshers’ Fortnight and beyond.

We’ve got the ultimate guide on

how to make the most of the expe-

rience, including what to do before

you graduate, things you need to

remember to bring and the best places to visit in Kent. (Page 8-9)

Wherever you may be, there is bound to be a jam packed schedule of things to get up to

this Freshers’ fortnight so we’ve narrowed down our top picks of the goings on this Sep-

tember (Page 6).

And with the new term comes new sports teams and of course, the much talked about

initiation ceremonies. In our brand new comment section, we discuss whether these rituals

still have a place in uni life (Page 15). As well as all that, we’ve got the latest campus and

sports news, interviews with your Union Presidents in the Medders Profile (Page 17) and

some handy fashion and cooking tips in our lifestyle double page spread (Page 12-13).

We haven’t stopped there though! As always, The Medwire team have been working really

hard to put this magazine together as well as keeping www.themedwire.co.uk up to date

and uploading Medwire TV videos for you to enjoy on our YouTube channel.

We’re always looking for new contributors so if you think you would like to get involved,

contact me on themedwire@outlook.com and don’t forget to ‘Like’ us on FacebooK, follow

us on Twitter and subscribe to our Youtube channel!

If you want to know more about the people behind The Medwire, head to www.themed-

wire.co.uk/about. Until next time,

Victoria

themedwire.co.uk

Find us online Who are we?The Medwire Student Media is run as a community organisation seperate from both the University and Student Union. All the money we make from advertising is used to produce free and independent student news and entertainment. No-one gets paid; we’re all volunteering students. Our aim is to report events both on and off campus accurately and contempo-ranrously uing online, print and film.

Like us on Facebook!The Medwire

Follow us on Twitter @the_medwire

Email us at themedwire@outlook.com

3

Subscribe toThe Medwire Student Media

Fresh cargo for LQCampus NewsThe new academic year is upon us and so is the most exciting few weeks of the year, Freshers’ Fort-night. Stine Wannebo and her team have collected everything you need to know before you fall head first into the madness.

4 themedwire.co.uk themedwire.co.uk 5

... or green t-shirts anyway. Green is the colour of helpfulness this season, meaning that to wear green you will need to not only be friendly and welcoming, you also need to be good at lifting boxes. Consider yourself warned.

Food lovers rejoice! The empty lot at Liberty Quays has finally found a new use, and it will be full of ‘Cargo’.

The new bistro will report-edly be open 7 days a week, with food served weekdays between 12pm and 9pm, and two late nights dedicated to live music and DJs.

David Leslie, Managing Di-rector of Cordery Build, the contractors behind the bistro renovation, said that the bistro, “went according to plan and looks great.”

Students got the opportu-nity to name the new bistro in June, choosing between ‘Cargo’ and ‘The Salty Dog’ in a competition, with ‘Cargo’ be-ing chosen as the name, The winner of the competition will get the VIP experience at the champagne reception on Fri-day, September 19.

Samantha Riddington, who oversees both the Rochester No.1 Bistro on campus and ‘Cargo’, said that the cafe is stu-dent based, with plans to make

certain nights ‘student-only’ with the possibility of more se-curity to ensure student safety during late nights.

Students at the Medway campus are looking forward to using the new space. Ka-tie Palmer is going in to her third year at uni and at Liber-ty Quays. She said: “I think the opening of cargo will be ben-eficial to students because it will improve their social expe-

rience. There is no place like it at the moment, so I think it will definitely attract customers. it will be nice to have a new place to meet friends if you’re still there”

‘Cargo’ will open its doors for students on the Saturday Sep-tember 20 for Welcome Week-end but there will be a small opening party the night before where students are welcome to join in.

Green is the new black...

by Cecily Snowball

Last year, Gemma Nixon choose to be a Fresher’s Helper for GK Unions.

Along with over thirty other students, she helped the newbies settle in by carrying luggage, arranging activities, answering questions and just being friendly.

This aumtumn the final-year pharmacy student intends to do it all again but this time as a Fresher’s Leader, not only helping freshers but her fellow helpers as well.

“I really enjoyed being a freshers helper last year and I liked being able to help new students who were nervous about univer-

sity and still have fun. It was also a nice way to meet lots of new people,” she said.

All the Freshers’ Helpers go through ex-tensive training before they are allowed out to assist all the new students, from who to call in a medical emergency to what to do if a student looks lonely.

So if you have any questions or just want a friendly chat, do not hesitate to talk to Gemma or one of the other helpers in bright green t-shirts walking around cam-pus in the coming weeks - that goes for old students as well as new.

Above: Gemma at last year’s volun-teering awards.

by Stine Wannebo

The society search begins!Fourteen societies may have to fold this year according to GK Unions. Three more have yet not confirmed that they will be continu-ing in the coming academic year.

Some of the societies that have had to call time are the Film Society, Cycling Society, Bright Futures and Unicef.

Societies folding is something that hap-pens every year but there are numbers as to how many societies close down from one year to the next.

But despite this sudden drop in numbers, there is also growth. Three new socie-ties have already been approved by the Societies Council Committee (SOCCOCOM); Photography Society, Biosciences Society and Medway Labour Students.

Robert Pitt is one of the members of SOCCOCOM and is certain that there will be more society applications in the coming year.

He said: "It is of course sad that some societies will not be continuing into the new academic year, but I am sure more will continue to flourish.

"We are heading into freshers where we will get to meet a whole new group of students and reconnect with those students who perhaps haven't been a part of the soci-ety experience."

For those societies remaining there will be two events where they can attract new members and show themselves off. This year there will be two Fresher's Fayres - one for the Greenwich Freshers' Week and one for Kent, and sports teams and societies will attend both.

In previous years there have been two Freshers' Fayres in the course of one week:

one for societies and one for sports teams. The reason for the sudden change is that with the number of students starting this year it is not possible to have two fayres in the same week because of rooming demands.

GK Unions' Claire Friday said that the new arrangement could be challenging but will also open up for new possibilities.

She said: " I am confident the fayre will still be fab as clubs and societies always put so much effort in which makes the atmosphere amazing!"

Her advice to societies and sports teams planning to have a stall at the fayre is simple: come prepared and equipped.

Keep up to date with all the Freshers’ fun by subscribing to our YouTube Channel!

Don’t forget that you can join in on the fun on your universi-ty’s main campus.

This year’s Kent lineup fea-tures an additional event in the form of a Green Fayre on Wednesday, September 24. This will consist of a Farmers’ Market stocking fresh food, and a Free Shop, allowing new students the chance to pick up home essentials such as kitchenware and decorations donated by students in the previous year.

Evening events at the Venue

will begin with Hall Wars, an event largely organised by the different colleges, and finish with the Freshers’ Ball on the final Saturday.

Greenwich Fresher’s Fort-night kicked off with the oh-so useful Fresher’s Fayre, tasty Cider Festival and even a trip down to the West End, but there is plenty more left to en-joy.

Of course, the highlight of any fresher’s week is the Fresh-er’s Ball. ‘The Masked Ball’, on the 26th September promises

a red carpet experience with professional photographers, a shisha terrace and a VIP cock-tail lounge.

Sparrows Bar will help you mend that headache with ‘Hangover Days’ where the ob-ligatory greasy breakfast will be served all day.

Canterbury Christ Church are also in full fresher’s swing.

With pottery painting in Touchdown Cafe on Tuesday 23rd, Bowling in the Pentagon Centre on Wednesday 24th and ‘The Big Night Out’ on Fri-day 26th, fresher’s will have plenty to get their teeth into on the Medway campus.

If you’re heading down to the Canterbury campus of CCCU, The Lounge is the place to go for your evening enter-tainment. Tuesday 23rd will see the comedy acts of Canterbury take centre stage.

Fresher’s Fest 2014 on Thurs-day 25th will be an open mic night with a range of fun activ-ities and the week is topped off with a silent school disco.

Freshers’ is all aroundLeft: Both students and bun-nies are welcome at the fayre.

Above: Liberty Quays’ new bistro is setting sail.

Above: Join the events in more than one campus.

Jon  Gauld  Student  Lets  

     

 

     

Call  Us  NOW  on  01795  534416  From  £350  Per  Month  Per  Person  

 

 

All  Your  Utility  Bills  Included    

*****Broadband*****Flat  Screen  TV*****      

*****Furnished*****Free  Rent  in  July  &  August*****    

*****Lounges*****Washing  Machines*****    

*****Mains  Linked  Smoke  Alarms*****Gardening  Included*****    

AND    

No  Deposit  -­‐  Simply  a  £125  Non  Refundable  Admin  Fee    

AND    

We  Will  Pick  You  Up  From  Campus  &  Take  You  To  See  Our  Houses    

AND    

We  Get  Things  Fixed  As  Fast  As  Possible    

NEW  HOUSES  AVAILABLE  ALL  THE  TIME  PLEASE  REGISTER  YOUR  INTEREST  on  our  website:  www.jgstudentlets.com        

Jon  Gauld  Student  Lets  has  been  renting  accommodation  to  students  since  1985.  We  normally  rent  whole  houses  but  will  rent  to  individuals  to  make  up  groups.    

What’s on?So after having your welcome weekend and getting the boring paperwork out of the way, it’s time to have some fun! Freshers week is starting from Septem-ber 22 and our local news editor Katie Palmer has found you some great events to get involved in.

Skool Disco at The Venue, September 24

themedwire.co.uk6

It’s time to dig out your old school uniform and put it to good use for the Skool Disco at The Venue nightclub on the University of Kent’s Canterbury campus. Doors open at

9pm. With a Kentertainment pass entry is half price at just £3.

What’s your status? Are you single and looking for love at university? Or are you in a relationship and are just up for a party? All freshers are welcome to this freshers only party at The Venue at the University of Kent Canterbury Campus. A limited supply of Freshbook t-shirts

will be available at the door, entry is £6 and with a Kentertainment pass you can party for free. It all kicks off 8pm. Start your university experience with a bang this September!

Bliss nightclub in Gillingham are hosting a moving in party where you can dance away the stresses of starting uni life. Tickets start from just £4 for super early

birds. Find out how Medway people have fun and buy your tickets now at www.medwayfreshers.fatsoma.com/. It starts at 10pm.

Before you start experiencing campus life you may want to have one last day out appreciating the outdoors. This free festival at Capstone Farm Country Park celebrates

countryside life and you can be a part of a wide range of activities such as kite and bike displays, craft workshops, live country music and many more. Visit www.visitmedway.

org for more information.

Freshbook 2014 at The Venue, September 21

Moving in party at Bliss, September 21

Capstone Festival Sunday, September 21

Outdoor Cinema September 25 and 26

Mad Hatters Tea Party, September 25

If you have not yet had the joy of experiencing an outdoor cinema then grab the opportunity during freshers week in Rochester Castle’s gardens. On Thurs-day, 25 the Luna Cinema will be showing Gladiator at 7.15pm, and at 7.30pm on Friday, 26 they will be showing Mama Mia. Grab a few friends, a couple of

blankets, picnic and come and watch one of these well-loved films. To book visit www.thelunacinema.com

Now here is a day for a childhood throwback. As well as enjoying free biscuits and cake, you will get to design and create a hat! This event is hosted by the Get Crafty Society,

who’s members will be dressed up as Alice in Wonderland characters. Join the party from 11am.

themedwire.co.uk themedwire.co.uk

The Ultimate Guide to Medway Freshers

The top 5 reasons to love Medway

9

There’s more than five reasons to love Medway, obvs. Rebecca Lawrence has narrowed it down...

1There’s a Nandos nearby

Let’s be honest, you may plan on eating healthily and making your own meals, but we all know you’re going to end up eating junk. Nandos is cheap, delicious, and right on our doorstep. Perfect student food.

2 You’re only five minutes away from Rochester

A couple of train stops away lies the beau-ty of Rochester. Cobbled streets, cute little coffee shops, a cathedral. Rochester will soon become your haven if you’re craving a change of scenery.

3 Your fellow students be-come your family

Unlike other students who live on massive campuses, you’ll soon start to recognise other people whilst out and about, and as there’s only a few of us, there’s a nice com-munity vibe.

4 The transport links are good

This may sound like a rather boring point, but being only 45 minutes away from Cen-tral London definitely comes in handy. Hey, you could always hop on a train to St Pan-cras for a weekend in Paris...if you haven’t already blown all your student loan that is!

5There’s always some-thing to moan about

This may not sound like a positive, but let’s be honest now, us Brits love a good ol’ moan. When hearing about other students amazing freshers week and all the celebrity guests at their events, we can halfhearted-ly sigh that we spent the week in Bliss and Coopers. We’re obviously going to have a good time, but our friends don’t need to know that.Check out what else there is to love about Medway at www.themedwire.co.uk!

Our musical maestro Tom Graves has rounded up the best of Kent’s live music treasures...

The 8 music venues you must check out

The Command House (Dock Road, Chatham)Situated right on the edge of the river Med-way and with an underground nightclub, this is a great venue but at the moment live music is rare. With university record label KM Collective having launched there last year, however, you can expect to see stu-dent run live music here a little more often.The Barge (Layfield Road, Gilling-ham)The Barge always seems to have a full list of events coming up. Something of a hidden gem, it is probably the closest venue to Lib-erty Quays but caters mainly for locals with older blues band and family bands often playing.Beacon Court Tavern (Canterbury Street, Gillingham)This has a spacious stage and separate pub and venue areas. It is a short walk south from Gillingham High Street, near Priest-

field football stadium. They also generally have a very full schedule, but are very ap-proachable for bands. They generally get more young, Indie and Rock Bands but also deal with many tribute acts.The Eagle Tavern (High Street, Roch-ester)If Jazz is your thing, give The Eagle Tavern a try. It will not disappoint. Promise. Again, they often have full timetables, with Pop, Blues, Acoustic or Rock on Thursdays and Jazz on Sundays. Located within sight of the Casino Rooms nightclub in Rochester, it could make an ideal stop off before your night out on a Thursday.Poco Loco (High Street, Chatham)Tiny, weird, colourful; these are all words that could be associated with Poco Loco. Set in the bar of a little Spanish Restaurant, Poco Loco invites very diverse music styles. From Rock to Hip Hop to Electronica to experimental Didgeridoo ensembles (yes,

that’s right, I said experimental Didgeridoo ensembles). Coopers (Medway Campus) The most obvious place for a Medway stu-dent to go for live music is, of course, our own student bar. With Music Society events every Tuesday, as well as bigger events such as freshers week and Coopersfest, The Lady Luck (St Peters Street, Can-terbury) The Lady Luck has a similarity to many Medway venues in its ramshackle charm. In here you can generally find Heavy Metal, Rock and Alternative bands.The Ballroom (Orange Street, Can-terbury) If you’re willing to travel to Can-terbury this venue is ideal. Decked out with weird paintings, wallpaper, chandeliers and tables on top of porcelain baths,They get the best bands from Canterbury, Medway and further afield, and also host part of the Oxjam festival. It may be a little pricey for the student pocket, but more than worth it.

1. Join a societyThere’s loads to choose from during the fresher’s fayre and it’s a great way of meet-ing new people with the same interest. You can get in shape for a lot cheaper than joining the gym if you sign up for a sport and enjoy the company of other people. There’s religious societies, teams of crafty people and here at the Medwire, we’re always looking for new contributors.

2. Don’t steal public propertyWe’ve all seen the pictures of people who bring home a traffic cone after a night out but let’s face it, it’s pretty unhygienic, heavy and I’m guessing the cone was there for a reason.

3. Go to the docksideIt’s got the biggest range of shops within walkable distance and is literally across the road from campus. There’s also a cinema, restaurants and a nice view of the river Medway if you’re planning on going on a date!

4. Don’t just shop at TescoBy the train station at Gilling-ham there’s an Aldi and there

are other reasonably distanced Co-ops, including on the dockside. You’ll save a lot of pennies and have a wider choice of noodle flavours.

5. Go to Coopers every TuesdayIt’s battle of the bands each Tuesday and if you’re a fan of live music, it’s a great opportunity to see other university stu-dents perform. After a while you tend to recognise faces, so it’s a great way to meet new people too.

6. Have a flat partyThis is one that your accommodation provider won’t agree with, but it’s a cheap alternative to a night out. That said, be considerate of other people sleeping. If it’s

a Monday night, you’ll probably lose more friends than you make.

7. Do the workThis seems obvious, but you should be willing to put the work in. It may be first year and it “doesn’t count” but you don’t want to be scraping 40 per cent and be frightened of not being allowed back. If you work hard you’ve got a head start for when it does matter.

8. Find yourself a hangoutIf you’ve got an hour gap in your timetable, there’s no point walking back home just to come out again a few minutes later. There are loads of places on campus where you can sit and chill out with classmates.

9. Don’t blow your student loanThis is obvious but it’s still surprising how many people decide to go on one big spree at the beginning of the term and then have to live off store brand baked beans (do you know how much Heinz costs?!)If you start struggling with money you can visit the Financial Advice centre in the Medway building.

10. Visit RochesterFor just a £1.65 return on the train (with railcard) you can visit Rochester. You’ll probably grace the streets with your pres-ence in the early hours when you’re trying to find a cab from Casinos, but make an effort to go during the day. There’s a ton of boutiques, a castle, a cathedral and some beautiful cafes. Canterbury is a similar style on a much grander scale, which you can get to via shuttle bus from campus or Liberty Quays for free.

10 things to do before you graduate...By Michelle Gleaves

14 things you will need to rememberBy Sheryll GoddardBooks, folders and stationary (Y’know for the study part of university)Ha! Only joking, here’s what you really need.....1. IDYou’d be an idiot to forget this!2. NUS cardGets you great discounts on food, clothes and outings. It’s also worth getting a club-card, Subway card and one for Nando’s too.3. Student bank accountYou’ll probably end up needing that £1500 overdraft.4. Door wedgeOpen door policy is great for making friends during the first week.

5. Playing cardsFor Poker, Ring of Fire, etc.6. ClingfilmTo cling film someone’s entire room as a prank, obviously. Tin foil works too.7. RedbullIf you hope to get to your morning lectures during the first few weeks.8. Disposable shot glassesNo explanation necessary.9. Non-perishable microwavable foodsNoodles, cup a soup, canned food etc are all useful for when you’re hungry and need a quick fix.10. Halloween costumeSave some money come October as Hallow-

een bashes are huge at university.11. Lemsip/ParacetamolTo lead the fight against Fresher’s Flu and winter colds. You WILL get one, just saying.12. Dioralyte sachetsIt’s not just used for diarrhoea. It’s a rehy-dration treatment, restoring your natural water and electrolyte levels, which makes it a great hangover cure!13. The recipe of your favourite home cooked dishThere’ll come a time when you’re in need of some home comforts!14. CondomsIf you’re going to, make sure you practice SAFE sex guys

8

Above: Shannen Turner reached her goal of £500

themedwire.co.uk 11

Got an idea but money is the issue? Crowdfunding is giving people the opportunity to chase their dreams, but are people using it to get a free ride? Victoria Polley and Cecily Snowball investigate.

Getting an idea off the ground in this day and age can be tough. Finding investors to put their money into your plan, before it has even become a product, is no easy feat.

But many budding entrepreneurs and art-ists are turning to the web to launch their creative enterprises.

Social media has long been a way of pro-moting business ventures but now, crowd-funding websites are attracting more and more interest as a golden ticket to fame and fortune.

So what exactly is crowdfunding? Websites such as Kickstarter, Indiegogo

and Go Fund Me are giving inventors, art-ists, and developers a chance to fund their projects in a way that was almost impossible before.

Those who donate are offered something in return for their investment. This could be a small thank you note if you donate £5, or for the more generous donations, a chance to get your hands on the product itself. Dona-tions can be anything from £5 to £500 .

Kickstarter has seen the launch of the peb-ble smart watch, which had almost 69,000 backers and reached well over its $100,000 goal, making $10 million.

Virtual-reality gaming system Oculus Rift, the resurrection of US TV show Veronica

Mars, and even a potato salad were just a few projects backed on Kickstarter, with over $1 million pledged each day.

All sounds pretty good right? The rise of crowdfunding websites has

seen weird and wonderful projects emerge. But where does funding a project end and allowing someone a freebie start?

Shannen Turner, 21 from Rochester has re-cently used Kickstarter in order to raise cash to allow her to study at Trinty Drama School in Dublin.

She needed money in order to afford to move away from home.

She said: “My friend had just used the website to fund her profit share Shakespeare play that was being performed at “the space” in London. I obviously was in need of mon-ey for my career in the arts and so I thought why not, I’ll give it a try. I made my target very low because I didn’t know how success-ful I would be.

“That money I raised can pay my deposit on the tuition fees which is great. I don’t know how I could have done that with-out Kickstarter.”

Not your average busi-ness venture, but Shannen says the support she re-ceived was encouraging.

“People I hardly knew were donating amounts like £100 with the only intention being to help a stranger.

“I think kickstarter re-minded me that there are good people out there who are willing to help you, all you have to do is ask. I have kept in touch with sever-al of my backers so it also brings people together.”

And it’s not just people like Shannen using the sites to launch their careers… there’s also been a surge in a different kind of invest-ment.

Crowdfunding site Go fund me has seen a surge in users asking for donations to help pay their vets bills.

Recently on the site, dog owner Tony War-burton asked backers to raise money to pay for his dog, Alfie’s treatment.

Within a few days, more than £4,000 had been donated for his cause.

GoFundMe describes itself as a “fundrais-ing site for personal causes and life-events”, where anyone can donate money towards a given cause.

It’s a crowdfunding site for ‘the rest of us’ and does not require you to reach your goal in order to receive funds. It launched in 2010 and raised over $420 million.

Is this taking the crowdfunding trend a bit too far?

A spokesperson for GoFundMe, said: “An-yone can raise money on GoFundMe for just about anything, so long as they are not breaking any local laws.”

This contrasts the terms and conditions of the famed site Kickstarter, which does not al-low users to ‘fundraise for charity’ and lists ‘financial incentives’ as one of its prohibited items.

Local singer Leo Kelly Gee is using the site to propel himself onto the music scene and launch his EP.

He said: “ Even if I don’t reach my target, I will still have more people interested in what I’ve been playing than I did before.

“I think using crowdfunding for other projects can be hugely successful, especial-ly where charity events are concerned as it gives people more of an incentive to pledge money.

“The variety of crowdfunding projects is definitely positive, however, there is the risk that within the music projects that your pro-ject can be lost if you are a new artist, espe-cially if a high number of similar groups are doing the same thing.

“You run the risk of becoming ‘one of the crowd’ as opposed to the main attraction. “

The new road to artistic success?

“I made my target very low because I didn’t know how successful I would be.”

Discover Medway this Autumn Term

Kent is known as the ‘Garden of England’ and although Medway might not be the first place in the county that springs to mind, there are some hidden gems in and amongst the Medway towns that can provide a little beauty. Local girl Sarah Boast looks into the off-campus spots you might not know about, but definitely need to...

themedwire.co.uk10

Rochester, with its cathedral and castle is an ideal place to visit when look-ing for history, and also for a quaint little tea room for afternoon cakes. Stroll down the cobbled high street and view the art shops, exhibitions and haber-dashery shops on offer before finding the green grasses of the Esplanade by the River Medway, the perfect picnic spot.

For those film fanatics out there, the Rochester Film Society could be just the thing. Pop along to Chatham’s Odeon cinema every Thursday at 7.45pm for a range of thought-provoking films at a discounted cost. The evening includes an introduction, film screening and a post-film discussion usually held at Porter’s Bar (above Dickens World).

With crazy golf, netball and tennis courts, football pitches and miniature railway, The Strand is the place to release your inner child. Take chill out on the grassy banks or visit the cafeteria for refreshments during a busy revision week. There’s also some scenic walks on offer here to relieve your mind and help you escape those studies!

For an evening with a twist head to Gillingham’s Ice Bowl, for skating and a night of fun. Situated on Ambley Road it sits on Gillingham Business park meaning a trip to B&Q or Family Bargains could well be on the cards after a skate on the ice. With guest prices of £5, what’s not to enjoy?

One of the best places to head to for lunch is Blueberry Park, situated at the back of The Pentagon in Chatham. It’s a bus ride away from uni and will leave you feeling full for about a week! The menu boasting a wide range of fresh salads, sandwiches, toasties and bagels. This sandwich shop is decorated with American sports team flags and names its sandwiches with American influenced names, so if it’s a Bronco Chick sandwich you’re after, Blueberry Park’s your place.

lifestyle

themedwire.co.uk themedwire.co.uk12 13

If there’s one week on every university social calendar renowned for fashion, it’s Freshers’. It’s also going to be tough on your bank account and your laundry pile but fear not...Here’s all the fashion tips you need based on one simple cami to keep stylish this Freshers’ Fortnight!

Look fashionable this Freshers’

From fashion to food and the best party music, our lifestyle editor Sarah Boast and her team have Freshers’ Fortnight covered for you...

By Sarah Boast

Cooking on a student budget... made easy!

Your cupboard essentials

Your Freshers’ Playlist 2014!Getting pumped up for your first night at Coopers? Or just something soothing for your hangover so you can get up in time for those intro-ductory lectures? Tom Graves has a selection of songs for you.

Track 1: Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie XX- I’ll Take Care of UThis track, to my recollection, has not had much of a club life so far, since its release in 2011, but that does not mean it should not have done. The vocals may not be particularly memorable, despite being from the old soul-man himself Gil Scott-Heron, but it is The XX main man’s remix prowess and super catchy indie guitar riffing that gives this song the edge.

Track 2: David Guetta Feat. Sam Mar-tin- Lovers On The SunI have a bit of a beef with David Guetta in general, but even I must admit that the melodies in this song are master-fully crafted, plus I love the spaghet-ti-western twangy guitar. Plus it is number one in the Itunes Singles Chart at time of writing, so it is likely you will be hearing a lot of it. Might as well get used to it.

Track 3: Avicii- Wake Me UpA club favourite, you will probably hear this track a few too many times in your time at uni, but that doesn’t stop it from being great. Hopeful, uplift-ing ballad-cum-dancefloor filler, the strangeness of this track is obvious, I do not quite get why everyone loves it so much, but I certainly am not complain-ing.

Track 4: Daft Punk feat. Pharrell- Get LuckyMoving a little away from the club mu-sic, who could fail to know the chorus of Get Lucky. Drawing on 70’s disco (and employing 70’s discoman Nile Rodger’s on guitar), Daft Punk created the anthem of 2013. Released as part of Random Access Memories, the best selling album of the decade, this track will put a smile of any fresher’s face.

You can view the full playlist at www.themedwire.co.uk

By Jayna Rana

One of the most daunting things about moving away from home and starting university is being faced with the task of shopping and cooking for oneself for the foreseeable future. Even if you’re already a whizz in the kitchen, catering for one can be more difficult than for a group while shopping itself may prove the hardest task of all due to limited funds.

It is far too easy to over-spend during a trip to the supermarket (especially at the start of term after a student loan instalment!) and more often than not, you’ll find yourself buying the wrong things simply because you’ve forgotten what’s already in the cupboard! What’s worse, you may find yourself having to throw out food.

It is therefore ideal to take some time to sit down, think about the meals you like and can actually cook and write out the ingredients you’ll need. Drawing up a weekly menu means you can create a shopping list with a purpose and won’t get caught out with nothing to eat later on in the week.

If you have trouble sticking within your budget or are tempted by ‘special offers’ on food that you really don’t need, try shopping online or just check out the prices beforehand

and only take a certain amount of money with you.

Supermarkets don’t always have the best prices so do shop around and make sure you visit the fresh fruit and vegetable stalls in Gil-lingham High Street every Saturday. Keeping it local can save you money!

That’s not to say you should only buy the cheapest option available. Sometimes, it’s more

cost-effective to invest in an expen-sive item that will last longer. Buy a good-quality sunflower or vegetable oil for everyday use but spend a little more on a decent bottle of olive oil for salad dressings and dips. The same goes for your kitchen wear – a cheap frying pan will eventually become burnt and lose its durability while a good non-stick pan will last for years.

Once you’ve settled into your new student accommodation and made

friends, think about shopping, cooking and eating together. Make menus as a group, taking into consideration each other’s preferences and dietary requirements. If you then all put in a small amount, you could end up buying a great deal of food. Take turns to cook every evening and an arduous task can become fun and enjoyable. You will soon notice the savings you’ve made so could even treat yourself to a meal out!

aButter (keep in the fridge)aCanned beansaCanned sweetcornaCanned tomatoesaCaster sugaraCerealaCheese (keep in the fridge)aCoffeeaConcentrated tomato puréeaCouscousaEggs (keep in the fridge)aFlour: plain and self-raisingaGarlicaHerbs: basil, coriander, rosemary, thyme

aMilk (keep in the fridge)aNoodlesaOilsaOnionsaPastaaPotatoesaRiceaSalt and pepperaSauces: tomato, soy, sweet chilliaSpices: cinnamon, ground cumin, chilli powderaStock cubesaTea bagsaYoghurt: natural or Greek to use in cooking

Keep your cupboard and fridge regularly stocked with these necessities and you’ll never be caught out with nothing to eat.

As you wander through the Freshers’ tables by day wear this white cami with printed slacks and sandals. If it’s chilly grab a denim jacket and prepare to flatter your fellow freshers.

For a chilled-out vibe on moving day wear leggings and a kimono for a light-weight option. Sweep your hair back in a low bun so as not to get sweaty moving those boxes in!

When the evening draws in team this cami with leather-look plaid skirt and heeled chelsea boots for a modern rock look. Swipe you lips with a dark red to leave the locals stunned.

Look 1: Cami (Dorothy Perkins, £12), Slacks (Matalan, £12), Sandals, (Accesorize, £35) Jacket (H&M, £29.99)

Look 2: Cami (Dorothy Perkins, £12), Leggins (Asda, £6), Kimono (Quiz, £24.99), Donut Hotbun (Boots, £9.99), Bracelet stack (Acce-sorize, £12)

Look 3: Cami (Dorothy Perkins, £12) Leather skirt (Dorothy Perkins, £22), Boots (H&M, £59.99), Clutch (River Island, £40), Lipstick (Topshop, £8)

Whether it’s practicality, prettiness or pride you’re after, Sarah Boast has found the best shopping spots in Kent to get yourself kitted out for your uni move-in.With over 300 shops, 60 restaurants and showcase cinema there’s enough at Blue-water to keep you entertained for hours. It’s the perfect place to deck out your uni

room in all the latest commodities and essentials. Just off the M25 this is easily-ac-cessible using the 700 or 701 bus from Chatham bus station.To bag a bargain head down to Chatham high street. Though it may not be the most pleasant shopping destination, you are definitely sure to find a deal. With more

than three 99p or pound stores in one high street alone, you can kit yourself out on all the essentials needed for a year at uni.For classy shops and cheaper bargain stores, Maidstone offers the perfect mix. Fremlins Walk offers a wide range of cloth-ing stores as well as House of Fraser for all your electronics and fundamentals.

Initiations are definitely a big part of university life for many students, particularly for those who are members of sports societies. Fresher’s are made to feel like if they don’t participate, then they’re not getting the full uni experience or will not have any friends.

Students want to feel like they belong to their university and prove their dedication. It’s a process that is so set in stone and has such historical significance in some cases and in particular universities more than others. It’s a cycle that’s difficult to break because the fresher’s that were once the victims will then become the initiation leaders and so on.

I was aware of initiations before uni but I’d only witnessed them in films, and more specifically, American films. I can’t help but wonder if these scenes have glorified the behaviour, encouraging more students in the UK to ‘out-do’ them, increasing risk and humiliation to the point where students are dying.

During my time at university, I never en-countered any of the typical initiations. I studied music, a course that isn’t traditionally associated with these types of rituals. I was aware of fresher’s club nights that I felt were extremely sexist, degrading. There were times I felt heavily pressured to drink more than I was comfortable with or go to clubs I didn’t want to go to but I wrote it all off as uni life and didn’t want to miss out.

Every student I have ever met has either been a victim of or has witnessed inappropriate or even illegal behav-iour while in a club. It feels as though this behaviour gets dismissed as ‘lads being lads’, so much that women have actually become desensitized to it.

It’s difficult to pin point exactly why initiations affect sport societies more than others but I believe it has to do with the competitive nature that’s so vital to becoming a successful team member or athlete. Some societies may require you to attend an interview or audition but where sport is involved, being the strongest, the fittest and the toughest is crucial to being accepted. Therefore the lines become blurred between a physical test and a test of your physical limit.

It’s become apparent that the whole routine has been taken way too far. The older students know how much influence they have over freshers and abuse it. I believe that the universities should take the matter seriously and persuade students to participate in healthier team build-ing activities before it becomes a bigger problem than it already is.

Comment

themedwire.co.uk 15

Every year across the country, Freshers are welcomed into sports teams with initiation ceremonies. You might have heard the horror stories about pints of sick or girls being pressured by ‘lad culture’. So are these events really as bad as these frightening tales suggest or are they a bit of harmless fun?

Should we ban sports initiations?

I think that initiations are a huge part of university life, especially for freshers. For me ,it was one of the first opportunities that I really felt like I was part of the team. They helped me to feel that I was settling in properly and that’s really important for many students that are living away from home.

My initiation with the netball team was really fun, defi-nitely one of the highlights of my first year. It seemed like a really big event and because we had a joint initiation

with the football team, loads of people came down to Coopers to watch. I’d say it was one of my first real experiences of ‘university life’ and it really helped me to get to know the girls.

I can’t wait to be on the other side of netball initiations this year! It’s going to be really enjoya-ble making sure that all of the freshers are having a good time and getting to know people like I did. It is a shame that I can’t be initiated again though!

I’ve only experienced two initiations since being at university, and while there was alcohol involved in the netball ones, the committee were all sober and did a good job at making sure it all went smoothly. At the rug-by initiations, I think that there was a lot more drinking and there were chilies put into some of the pints for one of the games, which was a disaster and I think that’s when it went too far.

I think that most sports socials encourage lad culture, but definitely more so with teams that are predominantly male. Drinking is a big part of lad culture and obviously there was a lot at my netball initiations, but even without alcohol, lad culture seems to be significant among certain teams.

Tradition is probably one of the main reasons that initiations still take place. They’re usually good fun for everyone and if there isn’t a specific reason for them to end, then I don’t see why sports teams and societies wouldn’t want to do them every year.

I certainly don’t think that initiations are an outdated concept. There couldn’t be an easier way for freshers to make friends with other freshers and existing students, which helps you to settle in quicker. I think that a better description is that they’re an old ritual; once you’ve been initiated, you officially feel like part of the team.Join the discussion at www.themedwire.co.uk

No Danni SymonetteDanni is a second year Business student at the University of Kent and is Vice Captain of Team Medway Netball’s second team.

Yes Emily ParishEmily is the Press and Media man-ager at PinUp Payback, a Medway based organisation campaigning for women’s safety.

Above: Medway Spartans initi-ations are well attended at the Medway Campus

Your Move

Student Accommodation, Medway

Houses and rooms to let in Gillingham now and for

2014/15.Large selection of student properties available at great prices so look no

further!gillinghamlettings@your-move.co.uk

01634 852345

www.your-move.co.uk

themedwire.co.uk 17

As President: I help the team of elected officers be consistent and coherent with their work. I most often spend time with senior members of University management discussing the issues important to students.

I am going to: Build upon the hard work and success from last year. We’ve managed get more students involved and spark the interest of many more. So with that in mind, I want not only for more growth but for that engagement to be of a good quality, for students to really

have their university experience enhanced by the Students’ Union.

Last year: We won academic campaigns like anonymous marking, campaigns around stu-dent safety, we raised awareness about equality issues at the heart of our student body. The list is too long and none of them be-long to me, they’re a team effort.

You should get involved: Be-cause it’s fun and a great way to meet new people and talk about subjects that affect our lives.

How do you get involved: Well join a society that’s related but also speak to your elected officers and ask them about their campaigns, you may find one you’re passionate about.

Top tip: Get involved, it’ll make a huge difference to your universi-ty experience and over time it’ll change you as a person. I have seen hundreds of students get involved with Union activities and every one of them change in positive ways because of it.

Medders’ A great way to meet new people and leave a mark on your university is to get involved with union poli-tics. Helen Grimes, Lauren Meechan and Amy Nickalls spoke to your presidents on what they want to do and why you should get involved. Profile

Tammy Naidoo Kent Union President

This year I will: My priority is tackling student housing issues both in Canterbury and Medway and making sure that students are getting a fair deal in both on campus and off campus housing.

Past Achievments: I was the President of Keynes College on the Canterbury Campus, a role which focused primarily on running events and campaigns within Keynes College and representing Keynes students at Union Council.

Make a change: Fresher’s are in a great position to create change that they will see in their lifetime at university! Sometimes a student might take up a campaign in their final year and become disheart-ened that they won’t actually be around when change comes into effect. By getting involved at the start, you can see the ide-as come into action! It’s exciting to make a change!

Join a society: Don’t underes-timate the politics involved in

joining, partaking in or running a sports club or society. Passion for a hobby or sport can often spur people on to get results they want.

You should: Use University to learn about who you are.Don’t be scared to try new things. Your course is important, but it won’t teach you everything. Ex-perience of the world is critical in getting you where you want to be.

Darcy Anderson Christ Church Students Union president

What I do: I’m the main corre-spondent for the union to the university. There’s loads of other parts to the job, but I’ll explain that another time!

My aim this year: To look at where our tuition fee’s go and also make the unions spending and staff output more transpar-ent. It’s going to be a lot of work, but I think it’s an important question that needs answering.

My Achievments: Last year I worked with Kent Union and Canterbury college on various initiatives. We came runners up for an NUS award for innovation which was amazing. I also won outstanding contribution to sporting media at sports fed last year. It was lovely to be recognised for something I love doing!

Get involved: Politics is seen as a dirty word. I think that it’s your right to get involved in the

democratic process of the union because that’s where they get to make the decisions about what we do. Join union council or turn up to one of our student forums. It’s a great opportunity to have your voice heard.

My pearls of wisdom: Don’t blow all your money at once. Learn how to cook. Go out of your comfort zone. Wherever you are make friends.

Alex Brooks Greenwich Student Union Presidents

By Ali Iveson

The new academic year of course means a new sporting year, and as ever students from the Universities at Medway will be taking part in the BUCS competitions.

BUCS, which stands for British Uni-versities and Colleges Sport, have over 150 member institutions and this is the first season in which Team Medway will be competing, following their rebrand earlier this year.

At the beginning of their last cam-paign, the Medway sports teams de-cided they wanted to become more unified and as a result Team Medway was launched.

Fixtures start on Wednesday Octo-ber 15, and Team Medway currently have 11 teams covering six sports en-tered into leagues.

There are two men’s football teams and a women’s team, two men’s teams and a women’s side in basketball, two women’s netball teams and men’s outfits for tennis, futsal, badminton and rugby union.

NetballTeam Medway’s Netball first team were the only side to win promotion last term and will be looking to con-tinue their good form in the South-eastern 4B league, while the second team go again in the 9B league.

BasketballThe relaunched women’s basketball side will be competing in the South-eastern 3B league while their male counterparts in the Medway Mayhem first team will be going for glory in the equivalent.

BadmintonThe men’s badminton side will be looking to continue their good form in the Southeastern 5A league.

Women’s FootballMeanwhile the women’s footballers will look to build on their previous successes in the SE 2B competition, to which they were promoted in 2013.

RugbyThe Medway Spartans will have high hopes as they go again in the SE 3B league. They ended their run of con-secutive promotions in 2012/2013 but will be looking to climb back into the 2B league after a consistent sea-son last year.

FutsalElsewhere, futsal will compete again in the SouthEastern 1B league after a successful first season.

Men’s FootballElsewhere, the men’s football teams will be looking to settle some scores

with their rivals in Southeastern 5B and 5D leagues respectively.

TennisAfter some impressive results last sea-son, the men’s tennis team will com-pete again in the 5A league.

RowingMedway’s rowers will also have a number of BUCS encounters along-side various regattas following a suc-cessful season for a number of their members last year. To check your team’s fixtures, search ‘BUCS’ on our website.

Keep up to date with all the scores and news from Team Medway at www.themedwire.co.uk/sport

Sport It’s a new year and a new start for Team Medway. Danny Rust and his team have all the latest news from on and around campus.

BUCS Season Preview

themedwire.co.uk18 19themedwire.co.uk

Above: Medway Spartans in action against Kent

Sports Teams will be present at Freshers’ Fayre on September 19th and September 24th where new recruits can sign up.Students from all the Universities at Med-way can come together and represent the campus in a variety of sports.There are many different sports to choose

from, whether you prefer indoor futsal or rugby, there is a sport that will interest you.There is the men’s Rugby team, either the men’s or women’s Football, Basketball, Rowing and Cricket teams, the Athletics team or the Netball team.You can also join clubs such as Karting,

Futsal, Taekwon-do, Thai boxing/Kick box-ing and Volleyball. Whether you want to compete or just have fun, there is some-thing for you. For more information about joining a team, make sure you ‘Like’ Team Med-way on Facebook.

Medway Freshers’ Fayre

By Danny Rust

Many of you may have come to university thinking that Gillingham is the only local team you can go and watch. Well, there are much cheaper alternatives to paying up to £28 to watch League One foot-ball at The Priestfield Stadium. Here are some other options:

Chatham TownAddress: The Sports Ground, Maidstone Road, Chatham, Kent, ME4 6LRAdmission: £6 for studentsDivision: Ryman League Division One NorthSelect fixtures: 27th September, v AFC Sudbury, 3pm4th October, v Great Wakering Rovers, 3pm25th October, v Wroxham, 3pmChatham Town celebrate their 132nd anniversary this year so expect some special events taking place at the club during the season. It’s been a mixed start to the season for the Ryman Divi-sion One North side but there has also been plenty of goals for spectators to enjoy!

Rochester UnitedAddress: Rochester United Sports Ground, Rede Court Road, Strood, Kent, ME2 3TUAdmission: £6Division: Southern Counties East Football LeagueSelect fixtures: 23rd September, v Deal Town, 7:45pm11th October, v Greenwich Borough, 3pm25th October, v Sevenoaks Town, 3pmCompeting in the Southern Counties, there will be lots of local derbies for fans to enjoy this season when watching Rochester United. They will also be competing in the FA Vase second quali-fying round on 4th October if you fancy the short trip to Bexhill.

Maidstone UnitedAddress: Gallagher Stadium, Maidstone, Kent, ME14 1LQAdmission: £7 for studentsDivision: Ryman League Premier DivisionSelect fixtures: 27th September, v Leatherhead, 3pm5th October, v Wingate & Finchley, 3pm7th October, v Cray Wanderers, 7:45pmRiding high in the Ryman League Premier division, The Stones could well be on course for a successful season. And forget buy-ing your tickets on the turnstile, you can get them online before heading down to Gallagher Stadium!

Elsewhere...If you fancy travelling a little further down the coast to see some quality non league football, why not hop on the train? The likes of Margate FC, Dover Athletic and Whitstable all play in the local leagues and what’s more, they are great places to visit for a day out too!

Your guide to Football in Kent

It has been a busy few months since the end of term for Team Medway FC as they look to reinvent themselves after last year’s campaign.

The club has finally named a location and dates for its trials before the new season kicks off in October as well as two new sponsors for this year.

With the majority of last year’s squad graduating, and Team Medway FC be-ing cut from four teams to two, a major shake-up will be needed.

Straight off the back of Team Medway announcing Student Accommodation Gillingham as the club’s new sponsors, Travis Perkins Plc, the builders’ mer-chants, have also been confirmed as club sponsors for the coming year.

These new sponsors replace Team Lucra-tive, who had their name emblazoned across the kits of the four teams last year before the Team Medway rebranding.

In addition, the club will be using the Freshers’ Fayres for new and existing stu-dents from Kent and Greenwich to revamp

the new-look two teams.The trial dates are as follows and players

will be notified of which dates they need to attend:

Initial trials at 2pm at Great Lines Park on September 25th, 26th and 28th before final trials at Beechings Cross on October 1st.

The University of Greenwich Fresh-ers’ Fayre takes place on Friday 19th September and the University of Kent Freshers’ Fayre takes place on Wednes-day 25th September.

Elsewhere, the rest of Team Medway will be donning their new kits for the start of the 2014/2015 season. As part of the rebranding of the sports clubs, the teams will be getting new strips with the Team Medway logo on them.

Former Medway student and Captain of the football first team, Sten Mayunga came up with the idea for a more interg-trated sports unit last year.

He said: “This intiative will improve our clubs’ togetherness, identity and

help motivate our athletes as they will feel part of something much bigger than the

team they are in.”

You can find out what is happen-ing with all things Team Medway by following @the_medwire on Twitter.

Team Medway Football Club relaunch

Above: Team Medway Football Club’s First Team