H2O

Volume 9/Issue 4/14/1/08

Inside this Month

Sabbatical News

Sports Action

New Takeaway Menu

Editor’s letter H20 Magazine,
Students’ Union,
Bath Spa University,
Hey guys and dolls! Newton St. Loe,

Bath,
So we’re entering February and delving that bit BA2 9BN
deeper into 2008. Kept your resolutions? For
h20@bathspa.ac.uk
those of you that have-high five, for those of you
that haven’t – join the club. January’s always (01225) 875588
such a hectic month. In my house we’ve just www.bathspasu.co.uk/h20
endured the pain of paying our hefty bills, tidying
up the utter carnage of Saturday’s house party Editor/ Rosie Taylor-Trigg
Features Editor/ Vicki Mason
and dealing with a slug invasion. It’s a hard life Arts Editor/ Stuart Richardson
eh?! Music Editor/ Natalie Huitson
Sports Editor/ Emily Farrar
It’s been a mad month in the h20 camp, with Designer/ Dan Polak
Sub Editors/ Claire Sibbick
everyone having piles and piles of Uni work to
Zoe Meredith
do on top of scribbling articles for the paper. Jasmine Ayres
However it’s worth the blood sweat and tears to Photographer/ Lotte North
see the finished result and hopefully you guys
will like it! Marketing/ Tim Holden
Simon Antrobus
We’ve got a couple of new features for you this
month to spice things up a bit, ‘New Year new VP Communications and
Campaigns/ David Jones
start’ and all that jazz! We like to keep you on
your toes! We’ve also got some fab new writers
contributing to this issue, and bringing with them
new ideas and quirky writing styles guaranteed Contributors/ David Jones,
to make h20 even better. A big welcome to our Bethan Howell, James
new Sports editor Emily Farrar and our new Anderson, Owen Davies, Jenny
Music editor Nat Huitson; these talented ladies Martin, Molly Case, Loralei
Haylock, David Bryant, Emily
are sure to make a great impact on the paper! A Farrar, Matthew Bolton, Vicki
big thank you to all the h20 team who’ve worked Mason, Dan Manning, Stuart
their bottoms off to pull this issue together. Richardson, Rosie Taylor-Trigg,
Dan Polak, Simon Regan
As I said last issue we’re always on the lookout
for more of you to join us in the h20 boot-camp, The opinions expressed in the
so if there are any of you out there that love pages of this paper are those
putting pen to paper then don’t be shy! Email me of the authors and do not
on: rosietaylor-trigg@hotmail.co.uk necessarily represent the views
of Bath Spa University Students’
Anyway people, have an amazing February, Union. However, BSU Students’
enjoy the issue and I shall see you next month! Union makes every effort to
Bye for now! check the content of the articles .
CONTENTS

REGULARS/
/ sabbaticals page 4
/ jobshop page 18
/ arts page 20
/ music page 28
/ sports page 36
 along to the Re-Freshers’ Fair
as well.

• Buns and Beer is your chance

to VOLUNTEER (no rhyme
intended!). Ed Stevens, from
Students Support Services
with the University, has been
working hard with Bethan, Katie
and Rachael from the Students’
Union to provide more ‘quickies’-
your chance to do quick one
off volunteering work. Not only
is this great for experience of

James
Anderson:
SU President
Hello everyone!
Hope everyone is well and
enjoyed a quick break before
the start of our next semester,
the lead up to summer where the
nights get shorter and all third
years panic about what they will
do next year when university life
is over. The best time to start
thinking about what you will do
when you graduate is now so get
along to the careers department
in the library for some guidance
if you are feeling lost!
I’m writing this before Beth and I
take a lovely group of students to
the fabulous city of Amsterdam
for some sight seeing so we
probably will have loads of good
stories by the time you read
this.
On a serious note there is a lot
happening in and around your
Union this semester:
• A big thank you to all those who
came along to our first ever Re-
Freshers’ Week. Thanks to you
it was a great success. Another
thanks to everybody who came
team working and develops
personal skills but it can also
count towards your PAD work
experience so it’s well worth it!
• Elections are coming up, so if
you think you can work in a part-
or full-time role in Union activities
and actively work to improve
student life for the future please
log onto the website:
www.bathspasu.co.uk/elections
now or come to the SU office
for more information. The roles
cover all aspects of student life
from academic representation
and clubs and societies work
through to environmental
campaigns and fighting for equal
opportunities.
As ever, I am freely available
to help and advise students
on many issues and if you feel
you have failed a module or not
done as well as expected and
need someone to talk to you can
come and talk confidentially at
any time. Both book a time with
me or simply come into the office
and I’ll do my best to help you.
Take care everyone and I’ll see
you around campus
James
Bethan Howell:
VP
Activities and
Participation
Happy New Semester!
Well…Re-Freshers has been
and gone, and considering it
was the first one that’s been
held it was quite a success! I’m
exhausted and am going to catch
up on some sleep this week!
Since the last edition of H20 the
one-off “quickie” volunteering
days have taken place and were
a great success. Ed Stevens
organised these events and
did a grand job – so cheers
Ed! James helped out in the
first day at Kingswood Heritage
Museum doing some DIY work
and relaying a carpet. I went to
Bath City Farm to help cut back
some brambles and we got to
visit the animals. The next day
out was at Bath Cats and Dogs
Home where we built a shed
and did some dog walking, I was
quite impressed with our work
considering the instructions
were worse than those you get
from Ikea! Then we went to St
Stephen’s Churchyard and did
a scrub clearance and planted
some plants. We made a big
difference, and for me that was
the most rewarding day. Well
done to all the students that
got involved and hopefully we’ll
see some new faces at the next
events (which will take place at
the end of February).
I’m planning a “Bollocks to
Poverty” event at the SU
on Friday 29th February to
campaign, raise awareness
and fundraise for ActionAid. So
come along, bring your mates,
pick up a load of freebies and
have some FUN!!
As I’m sure you’re aware, it’s
election time. If you want to make
a difference in your SU, it’s your
chance to become a part-time or
sabbatical officer. Have a read
through the election handbook
and of course feel free and come
and chat to us.
Llawer o gariad!
Beth xx
P.S. Jenny from Harrington thinks
my helpful tips should be printed
in H20, so…when you put your
coat in on an event at the SU,
put your ticket in the notes part
of your wallet because you’re
more careful when spending
notes and are less likely to lose
the ticket = safe return of coat!
David Jones:
VP
Communications
and Campaigns
Greetings Bath Spa!
Blimey, what a busy week. And
as for Barry from Eastenders,
what a legend!!
OK, for those of you who don’t
know how this works, I’ve not
yet met Shaun Williamson or
finished my busy week. It’s
currently 3 days after the h20
print date, and I am having to
do some filling and making sure
that issue looks good and not
out-of-date.
Luckily for me, I hadn’t actually
written my article before the
original deadline, as to give
myself some breathing room.
Beth is actually sitting next to
me rewriting her section to get it
up-to-date.
So what has been happening
in the wonderful world of
Communications & Campaigns.
Well, I’ve been doing a lot of
designing to be honest. With
Simon away for a couple of days,
I was made Designer-in-Chief.
My first duty was to design a logo
for the new Buns & Beer society,
followed by a colour postcard,
which were being handed out
at the Re-Freshers’ Fair. Add on
some 7 foot banners and some
made phone calls, it’s been a
pretty good few weeks.
Website-wise, discussions are
on-going to try and get extra
permissions added, which will
allow the clubs and societies to
update and edit their own pages
on the Union website, and try to
drag them away from the eternal
chasm that is Facebook.
On the campaigns front, we’ve
been having meetings about
Green April, and I have liaising
with people from Bath & North
East Somerset Council in order
to do some sort of day event in
the Oldfield Park area. With the
addition of the Bath Chronicle, it
looks set to show the residents
of the area that students aren’t
just the drunken bums that they
imagine; well, not the Bath Spa
students anyway.
The big campaign at the moment
is the Union Election. Whilst
Election Regulations prevent
me from going into too many
details, it looks set to be one of
the biggest contested elections
of recent years.
Apparently, my last little h20
write-up was found to be
particularly amusing by some
sectors of the student body,
namely Miss Zoe Meredith, so
she gets a mention, as well as a
big Happy Birthday for the 18th
Feb!
You stay classy Bath Spa!
David
Brought to you by the letters W
and Z and the number 8.
Buns & Beer
They are the newest society in the Students’ Union, but with a pretty
strange name! So what are they all about? Debbie Braybrook wrote in
to tell us...

How do you fancy making a difference? Not only could you enhance the
lives of countless people in a community by improving natural environments
and supporting the fight for equal opportunities, you could also better
your CV, expand your horizons, meet other people who fancy making a
difference too… AND have fun doing it! I give you the brand spanking new
society (drum roll please!) Buns and Beer: it gives you the chance to do all of
these things in a flash.

We’re the SU’s Volunteering society and are free to join and open to all
students from any year on any course… not that fussy really! Even better, if
you decide to make a difference YOU choose the kind of project you work
on: we arrange it all and you simply pick anything that tickles your fancy.

SO, “what do you arrange?!” I hear you cry! Well, there are heaps of
“Quickies” on offer at Bath Spa, that is, one-off day projects where you can
have a go at everything from planting trees, to ripping out ivy (trust me,
good stress relief!), to fund-raising, to cheering on a few crazy marathon
runners! If you have a whole lotta love to give, then we also arrange projects
that span over more than one day – look out for the Green April campaign
that will be on-campus after the Easter Hols.

Each Quickie gives you the chance to develop a wide range of skills, and
with no need for previous training and no strings attached there really is
nothing to lose. We even arrange all your transport, give you lunch and
shout you a much-needed drink at the end of the day … all for FREE! After
the success of the Quickies we ran in January, 4 more are planned before
Easter and a load more for after.

Joining Buns & Beer is easy – just email our team at babs@bathspa.ac.uk
with your name, student number, course and graduation year. We’ll then
put you on our circulation list and send you out our projects as and when
they’re available. Then just choose the ones you want to help out with
– easy! . So if you’d like to spread a lil’ love and make a big difference (or
maybe you have a shiny new idea for us) just get in touch!

www.bathspasu.co.uk/babs
Bath City Farm –
17/01/08
Off we trundled in the retro
minibus; Ed, Marge Simpson
(who is often seen walking
around dressed as Bethan
Howell) and 6 willing volunteers
(housemate Jess included).
We arrived at the farm not
far off 10am. We met the
animals; sheep and goats to
start with. We then went to
meet the chickens and learned
a valuable lesson; don’t ever
let Marge Simpson be the
last through gates. I’m sure
the sheep and goats enjoyed
their outing to the chicken pen
though… We then met Mummy
pig (who was the size of a small
horse) and her piglets, washed
all those introductions down
with a cup of tea and got to
work.
Armed with loppers, scythes
and rakes we set to work
clearing brambles. It was
here that Marge got a thorn in
her hand and came out with
the classic of the day that
deserves a mention; ‘I thought
I had a real natural talent’ (on
playing the violin when she
was younger). Four hours and
a lunch break later we had a
done a pretty good job. Ok, so
maybe the farm guys did put
us to shame toward the end
of the day but we gave it a
good go and every little helps!
Positive feedback all round on
evaluation. Although I’m sure
I won’t be saying that when I
wake up tomorrow morning and
all my muscles (even the ones I
never knew existed before now)
are aching like a bitch and I
can’t move…
Kat Trower, 1st year, Music
and Media Communications
Bath Cats and Dogs
Home – 23/01/08
7.30am hit me hard that
morning. Oh god I’d promised
to be part of this volunteering
idea at the Bath Cats and Dogs
home. What had I done? I
looked out of my window and it
was still pitch black, tentatively
stuck my foot out from under
the duvet, yes definitely too
cold. Somehow though when
8.30 arrived I was standing by
main house, getting to know
everyone who was in this
group, a little bit nervous that
we were a majority of girls with
no D.I.Y experience despite
this, we set off.
Barking dogs were our welcome
as we were shown where we
would be putting up the agility
shed-the goal for our group
today. Surprisingly we all
managed to get off to a quick
start and soon had the base
and structure put up. Kindly
fuelled with tea’s and coffee’s
from the home (without which
we’d have surely have frozen
to the metal shed we were
meant to be building) we made
progress. Throughout the
madness of this, in pairs we
went and signed up for the dog
walking. A big factor in what
made this particular volunteer
job so appealing! A few good
men were roped in from the
home when it was discovered
inevitably that not all the pieces
were the right ones and with
this we made a few inventive
changes. By 4.30pm we were
all knackered but satisfied, so
far the shed was standing on
its own. Who knew building
a shed could be so fun and
as of yet I haven’t heard any
news of our hard work being
blown into Bath central. I would
definitely recommend trying the
volunteering next time if you’re
feeling restless or in need of
some good karma. And if that
doesn’t sway it for you, the
university pays for you to have
a drink at the SU afterwards. I
liked the idea (petty perhaps)
of the uni paying for my cider
and black, especially as the
accommodation rent had just
come out…
Kat Shaw
British Trust for
Conservation
Volunteers – 24/01/08
A guide to gardening…
1. Arrive at St. Stephen’s
Church, Lansdown
2. Drink tea
3. Clear ivy from very steep
banks
4. Give Kat and Beth saws
and loppers and tell them to cut
down yellow painted trees
5. Drink more tea
6. Watch Kat run screaming as
she sees a frog in tree stump
7. Watch Kat run further as
Beth and Rachael pretend they
have frogs in their hands and
make Kat jump!
8. Eat two lunches
9. Continue ivy clearance
10. Use an axe to take anger
out on a rotten tree stump
11. Rake away all leaves and
ivy
12. Plant small wild flower
plants
13. Cover with mulch
14. Have your picture taken
with groovy Greenprints
certificates
15. Pack all tools away
16. Retire to SU for a pint
Kat Trower, 1st year, Music
and Media Communications
EDITORIAL
WITH ROSIE TAYLOR-TRIGG
‘The post drops on the doormat,
your eyes dart open and your
feet hit the floor. Your dressing
gown hangs sloppily around
your shoulders as you hurry to
make it down the stairs. After
performing an over dramatic
leap off of the staircase and
into the hallway, you approach
the post nervously, desperately
hoping that you won’t be
disappointed. You grab the
letters and scan through them
speedily, ‘bill, leaflet for kebab
shop, bill, letter from mum,
letter from gran, and ooh a red
envelope. Yes! Who could the
card be from you wonder? Man
of my dreams? Or perhaps the
man of my nightmares, or the
postman, or (ewww) my lecturer;
or it could just be from mum
again. You look at the back of
the envelope and see ‘s.w.a.l.k.’
Classic. Good old s.w.a.l.k.
eh, translated as ‘sealed with
a loving kiss.’ The card is an
explosion of pink and red, hearts
and flowers, slushy words and
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx; signed of
course from ‘your secret admirer.’
How much simpler would it
be if people just signed their
names instead of signing off
with a mysterious ‘?’; not that
I ever would; far too scary. We
get clammy just pondering over
whether to post a card to our
Valentine, despite the fact that
‘For the there’s no way they could possibly
discover it’s us that sent it; unless
we scribble our name all over it.
average However despite our ‘clammy
pondering’ 1 billion of us pluck
lad, the idea
up the courage to send a card
to our Valentine each year,
which puts Valentine’s day
of queuing
second in the league of the
‘largest card sending holiday
of the year’ competition.
for a me
Christmas unsurprisingly wins
by an extra billion. How many
of these cards do you think
2 u teddy are sent by men? Predictably
Women send a whopping 85%
of the 1 billion cards – who
is rather said romance was dead eh?
You can imagine the horror most
like being men face when confronted with
the male cashier behind the till
in Clinton Cards, who is likely to
kicked in smirk at their soppy, heart covered
card filled with sentimentalities.
For your average lad, the idea
the balls’ of queuing for a ‘me 2 u’ teddy
is rather like being kicked in the
balls. Ah the things we do for love.
Of course for most young folk,
Valentine’s Day is nothing more
than a commercial gimmick put
in place to rob us of as much of
[More from this writer at
www.rosieh20.blog.com]
our precious loans as possible.
Red roses cost more than a
pint of Fosters y’know. However
there are the odd few (in both
the rare and peculiar sense of
the word) that are romantics
at heart. Moonlit walks, cosy
dinners, bubble baths for two
are just a few things that tickle
the ‘old romantic’s’ fancy.’
However, despite our efforts
we’re a love league away from the
romantic deeds of St Valentine.
St Valentine is a martyred saint of
Ancient Rome, he’s well-known
in several countries but despite
this his date and place of birth
are unknown. There are many
legends surrounding the origins
of Valentines Day, it is uncertain
which of these are accurate. The
most widely believed account
and my personal favourite is as
follows. The legend says that St
Valentine actually sent the first
Valentine’s greeting himself.
When in prison, it is believed
that Valentine fell in love with a
young girl, who may have been
his jailor’s daughter, who visited
him during his confinement.
Before his death, it is alleged
that he wrote her a letter, which
he signed ‘From your valentine.’
In Great Britain, Valentine’s Day
began to be popularly celebrated
around the 17th century. By
the middle of the 18th century
it became common for friends
and lovers in all social classes
to exchange small tokens of
affection or handwritten notes.
Of course in time handwritten
notes evolved into ready-made
cards complete with their own
sentimental message inside.
Ready-made cards were an easy
way for people to express their
emotions in a time when direct
expression of one’s feelings
was discouraged. Not a lot has
changed in that department,
the department of ‘feelings’ that
is. Men hate buying flowers,
it makes them feel, well, a bit
silly. Women on the other hand
tend to invest in a Valentine’s
Day card on the second date,
presuming that the relationship
will make it to the 14th, whereas
a man bides his time, waiting for
the night before to at random
pick up a cheap and cheerful
card from the valentine section.
If you take a stroll to your
local shops on Valentine’s Day
morning you can’t help but notice
the hoards of men frantically
racing to the nearest flower shop
desperately seeking a bargain
bunch of red roses to keep them
out the ‘dog house.’ If you, the
singleton, brave the restaurant
scene with the loved up ‘winers
and diners’ you’re bound to feel
nostalgic. The rows of diners
gaze into each others eyes
over the candlelit tables whilst
they indulge in a gourmet meal.
Love soup for starter, heart
of artichokes for main, rose
flavoured dessert and coffee
with a heart shape of cream.
Are the men bending down to
propose? Or perhaps they’ve
keeled over at the size of the bill.
For those of us who’ve just
suffered a painful break-up,
Valentine’s Day is not exactly
a welcome festival. It feels like
your nose is being rubbed in it
from every angle; everywhere
you look it seems there is love.
‘Love is in the air, every time
I look around’ and all that.
So what’s my opinion
on Valentine’s Day??
For me, romance is far more
than a box of chocolates (unless
they’re Lindor white chocolate
truffles) a bed covered in roses,
or a picnic in the park. It’s
about the little everyday things
that keep a relationship going.
Grand gestures often seem
false and insincere, whereas
a spontaneous bunch of
flowers on a day you’re feeling
blue never goes out of style.’
Filling the International Gap
During the second year of my
degree, it is compulsory to take
a Professional and Academic
Development course, which
includes a two-week work
placement. Most students
know all too well about this. I
am taking mine in International
Activities at Bath Spa University.
I currently live with two students
from Japan who have become
great friends, and as I’m
moving to another country
myself next year, I wanted to
gain an advantage by working
with internationals.
Students visit Bath Spa
University from all over the
world, including America,
Europe and the Far East.
The other day I had the
opportunity to meet with some
of the current international
students that are leaving us
this semester in 2008. Eliza
(International Activities Advisor)
and I attended a leaving party
where students could come to
say goodbye and socialise with
other students.
It may be difficult to see our own hard”.
culture from the perspective
of another, especially if you’re
someone who doesn’t travel While foreign students are
frequently. Three of the six learning more about life in
students asked about student the UK, do British students
life here
mentioned
a “drinking
culture”;
something that
most foreign
students were
surprised by.
Regardless,
all of them
said they tried
to adapt to
British life by
visiting pubs.
Then there are
social rules;
things that may seem natural have something to learn from
and unsaid to a British national, internationals? Perhaps we can
but can be very difficult for learn from their work ethic. Think
others to adapt. For instance, about your last assignment;
a culture that greets others with how many marks did you
hugs may seem unusual and lose for poor punctuation or
forward to another. Yuri Masuya essay-writing skills? Many of
mentioned that “British students the students that come from
are much more independent other countries were anxious
and have confidence in making about their academic output;
their own decisions” - something their essay structure, their
that was said to be a learning vocabulary, their grammar and
experience. their time management skills -
She also something that British students
a d m i r e d may find they neglect in their
the “time- own work – and work extremely
management hard to perfect this.
b e t w e e n
studying and
socialising”. After speaking to some of the
F u m i k a students that were leaving,
Masadome I realised that they enjoyed
c l a i m e d their experience very much
that “British but that many of them found
students can it difficult to communicate
be noisy but with the British students.
they work very The University encourages
interaction by mixing these
nationalities through classes.
The international students
themselves also make some
of the effort. Kagari Saisu, Yuri
Masuya and Yuko Toda have set
up a ‘Japanese Culture Society’
where Japanese students can
feel more at home whilst giving
British students the chance to
learn more about other cultures.
As many as eighty people
attended Japanese parties and
an Anime film night. However, if
British students are genuinely
interested in other cultures,
why is there a barrier between
them and internationals? What
can be done to break down the
barrier of communication?
From the perspective of a
British student, it is difficult
to imagine what it’s like to
travel to a foreign country to
study, especially when there
is a language barrier. Some
international students tend to
stay within their own group and
use their home language and
for this reason, British students
find it difficult to approach them.
I know that when I tell a friend
about my Japanese housemate
for instance, the first question is
often “does she speak English?”
International students have
usually studied the English
language for many years
before even coming to the UK;
and then there is attendance
of the language school at the
university. Foreign students
that you find taking the same
modules as you have passed a
crucial test to show that they are
capable of understanding the
language. Saki Arimoto says
that “you need a strong mind
to study here and improve your
English” as it is so tempting to
speak in your native language.
Despite this, international
students find it hard to
communicate with Native
students, especially when
they’re constantly practising
their English in their heads
before they speak. There
is also a factor of social
behaviour; people from other
countries aren’t necessarily
as forward as the British.
International Activities are
constantly attempting to fill in
the gap between nationalities.
You could help by simply
introducing yourself the next
time you spot an international
student around campus. Make
them feel welcome at Bath
Spa.
Gemma Mitchell
BSc Psychology w/Creative
Writing

UNTIL MARCH 17, IT’S ONLY £2.75

HALF-PRICE
(£2.50 BEFORE 6.00) FOR A TICKET TO
SEE ANY FILM AT THE

CINEMA
TICKETS
independent…international…intelligent…incredibly cheap

CALL 01225 330817 FOR DETAILS, OR

POP IN TO SEE US AT ST MICHAEL’S
PLACE, BATH

FOR FILMS COMING UP INCLUDE:

NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN
SWEENEY TODD

STUDENTS
THERE WILL BE BLOOD
THE DIVING BELL & THE BUTTERFLY
MY BLUEBERRY NIGHTS
WWW.PICTUREHOUSES.CO.UK
 BOTHERSOME
BUSES
Standing at the side of the road,
on a cold winter’s morning,
with the freezing wind buffeting
at your face. It is a comfort to
know that in six minutes or
less, the warm orange glow
of a First bus will appear on
the horizon to provide swift
transport to Bath Spa University,
and shelter from the cold. If
only this were still the case.
Students used to have no qualms
about paying the £82
for a term bus-pass.
They were safe in
the knowledge that
their money was
giving them a bus
service that turned
up every six minutes
without serious
delay. For a while,
it was. But now, I
feel justified to call
the ‘one every six
minutes’ advertisement blazoned
along the side of all First Bright
Orange buses, a complete
lie. The students at Bath Spa
University, who are forced to
use the bus system day after
day, agree. Asking around the
university, you will not find one
student who has not been made
late for a lecture or seminar by
a First bus failing to be on time.
The worst case I have
personally witnessed, though
I’m sure others have had more
trying experiences, was my usual
bus arriving half an hour after it
should have reached my stop.
Now, I’ll allow for heavy traffic, or
a road accident, or even a Mother
duck helping her chicks to cross
the road, but when it eventually
turned up I would have expected
another five bus’s behind it. Of
course this wasn’t the case,
and I was over half an hour
late for my Monday seminar.
There have also been many
cases of rude, obnoxious
conduct from bus drivers towards
students. When this is happening
as well, in conjunction with the
all over the place timetable, it
is clear to see the bus service
has gone downhill on a massive
scale. In one of the first weeks
of being in Bath and using the
First bus system, I had taken
a Bright Orange bus around
town, when the driver simply
pulled over to the side of the
road and told everyone to get
off. We were given no reason
for the sudden stop; the driver
simply ignored our questions.
At first I thought maybe the bus
had broken down, though there
were no obvious signs it had.
Then once everyone was off, he
simply drove away. Fortunately
the bus had stopped relatively
close to my stop, but there were
others whom had to make it all
the way to the other side of town.
This was simply outrageous
treatment of passengers, whom
are effectively customers. If you
went into Argos and halfway
through paying for a product the
member of staff simply stopped,
without explanation, and kept
your money, you wouldn’t stand
for it, so we shouldn’t have
to stand for this poor service.
This problem has been brought
up by many students at both
Bath Spa University and Bath
University. Petitions have been
made, passed around and
signed by hundreds of angry
students, including myself. A
Facebook group has been put
together, called ‘More Bright
Orange Buses!’ that has four
hundred members and counting.
An article has even appeared
in the Bath Chronicle, and is
accessible through the website
www.thisisbath.co.uk, the link
is on the Facebook group.
So if you are also unhappy
with the First bus system, make
your voice heard and either
join any of the current attempts
to improve the situation, or
just as good, start your own!
COFFEE SHOPS
In Bath
Part of a small West Country
If you like to indulge in a bit Leaves.
chain; it remains innovative,
of people watching while
using locally sourced, organic
sat at a cosy coffee shop The hot brunch menu is just
products and free-range meat
window, hands cupped around the thing to kick start your day
and eggs. Soya milk lattes and
a steaming latte with your at Uni.
vegan dishes clearly marked on
only dilemma being what to
the menu make BTP a haven
choose from the menu’s array
for vegans/veggies
of delectable delights, then 3rd. For its size the Bridge
this guide to Bath’s top three Coffee Shop on historic
Whether grabbing a quickie
coffee shops will satisfy all your Pulteney Bridge overlooking
lunch, or lounging with friends
bohemian needs. the Avon is a busy little café
BTP is a great café that is right
in the centre of Bath. that often gets filled to queuing
capacity at peak time.
1st: A much-loved hotspot on
Bath’s café scene, trendy venue Ideal for those tired of
2nd: With free Wi-Fi for every
Boston Tea Party in Kingsmead pretentious coffee chains
customer, the striking black
Square has a laid-back, this modest establishment
and orange Kindling Coffee
welcoming atmosphere ideal is refreshingly understated
Company in Claverton Buildings
for catching up with friends and despite its magnificent views
and Chelsea Road is an
working on assignments. over the weir, the front exterior
ideal space for working on
assignments or surfing the net. is unassuming and the quaint
Popular with students and assortment of cakes and bread
business-types, the homely in the window is somewhat
Equally inviting, both premises
ambience and aroma of nostalgic.
share a relaxed, friendly
wholesome cakes and velvety
atmosphere and zingy
hot chocolates make it a The café has a considerably
personality that explains the
perfect escape from the current amorous setting where after
loyal following Kindling has
weather. spending quality time with that
gained.
special someone over coffee
A curious mixing of furniture and and cake you can take a leisure
Popular with folk that have
a general rustic appearance stroll around the captivating
computer needs, PC facilities
creates a charming quirkiness Parade Gardens nearby.
are available in Chelsea Rd
distinct from corporate chain
and you’re welcome to flip your
cafes. The wholesome menu is
laptops open even if ordering
just a latte. The pavement reasonably priced, takeaway
Coffees are full flavoured and optional and full of baked-on-
seating provides a perfect spot
varied and the numerous loose- the-premises pasties and pies,
to people watch.
leaf teas are served in quaint panini’s and filled baguettes
china pots or alternatively including the very popular All
Kindling strives to provide a
you can chill out with freshly Day Breakfast and Falafel
locally produced, organic and
squeezed juices and old-style baguette.
fair-trade menu. Sandwiches
ginger ale.
are made from organic
farmhouse bread delivered Friends can natter over coffee
The menu also features wraps, or tea and Bridge Coffee have
fresh every morning with
salads and nutritious speciality regularly changing morning
organic fillings like Lye Cross
sandwiches bulging with fillings coffee/afternoon tea offers and
Farm Somerset Cheddar &
like humus and nut pate. the choice of rich sweet treats is
Homemade Cider Chutney and
Chili Chicken & Organic the perfect finale.
LOTTE AND ISSY DO: MASTER DUNCAN’S SPEAKEASY
Our reporters take to the most
egotistical poet this side of
Taylor Mali
Master Duncan. He’s certainly
an interesting character. Well
known for his bizarre hairstyle-
related accidents and his
‘creative’ ensemble of clothes, he
is also responsible for bringing
the spoken word to Bath. Whilst
the city is host to many open-mic
nights, his fortnightly offering -
The Speakeasy - differs wildly
from its competitors. Firstly,
we’re pretty confident in saying
‘I once
that no other venue would
allow performers to indulge in
the onslaught of pretentious
tongue-lashing and audience
f*cked
heckling that is so fervently
encouraged. Secondly, music
plays a very small role in the
raucous pantomime that is the
a Before the short interval, Master
Speakeasy - most of the night
is taken up by wild MCs, beat-
boxers, performance poets,
storytellers and comedians. You
badger’
don’t even have to go on stage
to take part, you can make your
way to the Doodle Corner where
rule-free scribbling is promoted
and then showcased on the
Speakeasy Facebook group.
On Friday 18th January
Master Duncan kindly held a
Speakeasy charity special,
with all of the £250 proceeds
going to The Bath and Weston
Society for the Blind. The
evening kicked off with a round
of poetry featuring Bath Spa’s
own Creative Studies graduate,
Sam Reader, who delivered a
wonderfully witty set, that was
later described as “good, dry
poetry, like water biscuits.” The
Master himself then took to the
stage, wowing the crowd with
his fast-paced MC skills. Next
up was local musician Nicholson
Heal who, described by many as
“the highlight of the night”, has
drawn his inspiration from Elliott
Smith. Nicholson captivated the
audience, momentarily bringing
calm to what was otherwise a
spectacularly chaotic evening.
Duncan announced the winners
of the Speakeasy Raffle; the
prizes for which included stuffed
Pokemon toys and tins of
Spam. Comedian Dave Eggins
headlined the event. When
asked of the night’s success,
Master Duncan claimed Eggins
‘rounded off a really good night
with astounding perfection’
and judging by the crowd’s
reaction, he wasn’t wrong.
We understand why some of
you may have doubts about
attending or taking part in
future Speakeasy’s, after all,
the first thing the organiser
said to us when we asked him
about the night was, “I once
f*cked a badger.” Putting first
impressions aside, Master
Duncan’s sincere passion for
all things spoken word has
truly made The Speakeasy a
success. Having said that, he’s
one cocky son-of-a-gun who
claims university’s for pansies -
and we reckon he could do with
being taken down a peg or two.
It’s time for more of Bath Spa’s
representatives to go show him
what we’re made of (not pansies).
Despite the hostile banter and
verbal vandalism, we’re both
Speakeasy converts who enjoy
the shambolic yet crazy-fun
tomfoolery that the night has to
offer. Don’t just take our word for
it - go see for yourself. The next
Speakeasy will be held at The
Festival Cellar Bar (underneath
The Assembly Inn) on the
..... (will be confirmed before
h2O deadline on wednesday!)
What happens when you ask
three quick questions to Bath’s
most egotistical ranter? Not three
short answers, that’s for sure.
(Lotte and Issy) : Where did your
spoken word passion come from?
(Master Duncan) : It started
when I was only nine years old,
living in India, where my father
owned a tea plantation. One
day a travelling Minstrel passed
by, flaunting his talent. That
was the first time I had been
exposed to the art of spoken
word. It captivated me so much
so that the very next day I went
to the local corner shop and
bought myself a Fry’s Turkish
Delight in celebration of writing
my first poem, entitled ‘Why
mother, why? Why don’t you
ever try to replace the onion
with the seeds of cumin?’ It was
a piece depicting the conflict
between youth and old age.
Despite only being nine, I was
asked to perform this to the
Maharaja of India from whence
I was later deported for trying
to make love to a heron who at
first consented to the act, but
later honked allegations of rape.
(L&I) : Where does your
inspiration come from?
(MD) : I get most of my inspiration
from Bourbons - the poor man’s
Penguin. I like to look at the finer
things in life, such as £4 pints
of beer and silk. In fact, I like
stroking silk against my face, but
not too much because it brings
me out in a rash that irritates,
which in turn inspires me to
write of hatred and discomfort.
When I was younger, people
threw stones at me and I was
made an outcast from society for
continually engaging in sexual
activity with herons - which also
contributes to the desperate
loneliness apparent in my work.
(L&I) : Why should we
go to the Speakeasy?
(MD) : I wish to let the people of
Bath enjoy something different
from the usual - necking a
six-pack of Stella, fighting
with the bouncers over the
excessive prices charged for
pathetic entertainment, and the
eventual trotting to Schwartz for
a delightful dinner of road-kill
between charred bap-halves. I
would also like to bring together
people from all different walks
of life, and on a personal
note, the odd heron or two.
 the
National
Student
Sur ey www.thestudentsurvey.com
Are you a final year undergraduate?
Do you want your opinions on your student experience to count?

Take part in the National Student Survey.

It's quick to complete and you'll be helping prospective

students make the right choices of where and what to study.

Are
you satisfied

HIGHER EDUCATION e ce
FUNDING COUNCIL FOR ENGLAND
n u s
www.nusonline.co.uk
Ipsos MORI
A SUNNIER CHRISTMAS?
Our writer discusses the benefits of a Christmas abroad
When you think of Christmas, the
images of roller coasters, Mickey
Mouse and tropical temperature
don’t usually pop into your head.
However for my mother and I,
this year, that was exactly what
the festive season involved.
Although I had been to Orlando
before, I had never been during
winter, nor had I ever spent a
Christmas away from the rest
of my family in good old Devon.
It’s hard to sum up that feeling
of excitement as you drive
through the gates of the Walt
Disney World Resort and you
become a seven year-old
again. In December, this feeling
is amplified as you witness
the most spectacular sights.
Personal highlights for me were
the Osborne Family Christmas
Lights at MGM, where over a
million bulbs and fake snow
floating down from the buildings
made up the visually orgasmic
exhibit. Other magical moments
included the Candlelight
Processional at Epcot, where
an amazing choir sang carols
to a packed audience under
the stars. Finally, there were
the Holiday Wishes fireworks at
Magic Kingdom, a festive take
on the most memorable display
you are ever likely to see, which
involves a real life Tinkerbell
soaring through the air. The
fireworks were also perfectly
timed to Disney renditions of
Christmas songs and narrated
by the wonderful Jiminy Cricket.
We stayed at the Animal Kingdom
Lodge, a hotel surrounded by a
replica savannah where animals
roamed freely. I can tell you now:
there is nothing more bizarre
than waking up on Christmas
morning with a giraffe twenty
metres from your balcony. The
hotel was stunning and the huge
Christmas tree in the atrium gave
me a sore neck from staring at it
so much. I think the main reason
why the hotel was good was
because it didn’t feel like you
were staying at a Disney resort,
whereas many of the others
we looked at seemed to be
quite garish and ‘in-your-face’.
All of the special seasonal
events put on by Disney were
excellent. However, I found that
something wasn’t right when I
was walking around a crowded
park on Christmas Eve, fanning
myself in the eighty degree heat
with ‘Carol of the Bells’ playing
on a continuous loop. I began
missing my father and his pre-
Christmas drinking and the crap
television schedule (albeit, Fox
helped ease that pain). It didn’t
help receiving constant texts
saying “OMG u must be having
an AMAZING time!!!” I was
having a great time but it just
didn’t feel like Christmas to me.
Towards the end of the holiday
I found myself getting cynical
about Disney (which is a big
thing for me) and I had become
sick of little girls screeching
because their parents couldn’t
get them an appointment at the I wouldn’t advise it if you are a
Bibbiddi Bobbiddi Boutique (an traditionalist. However, if you’re
overpriced salon that ‘turns your after a fun, novelty time with a lot
little pumpkin into a princess’- of Florida sunshine, then go for it.
how cruel!) I think that the main In the end, my Christmas Day
problem I had with spending was spent riding on Space
Christmas in Orlando was that Mountain, eating some quality
it was too perfect, so much ribs for lunch and then seeing
so that it was artificial. It was Sweeney Todd at the amazing
very over the top and in the twenty four screen cinema in
process of making it ‘perfect’, Downtown Disney. It wasn’t a
much of the sentiment was lost. bad day; in fact, it was a pretty
If you’re thinking of ever damn awesome day. Just a
spending Christmas in Orlando, very, very strange Christmas.
JOB SHOP
find out more at jobs@bathspa.ac.uk

Hello everyone!
[Good
I hope our service has been useful to lots of you
by now and that you’ve found that ideal job. experience
using
1116 of you have contacted us so far this
academic year which makes it our busiest year
JOBSHOP?
to date! 1855 of you are registered with us – so Get in touch
if you’re not one of them why not register now with them at
on line at www.bathspa.c.uk/jobshop. After you
have done this you will be able to peruse online
jobs@bathspa.
at your leisure our wide range of jobs simply by ac.uk or fill out
logging in to our site. Not only that but you’ll also the feedback
be able to access our Minerva resources and
receive regular emails from us regarding the latest forms at the
and greatest jobs we have to offer. end of the year.
If you’ve found
We’ve also received extremely positive feedback
from lots of employers on how you guys have a job through
been getting on, so well done for working hard! the JOBSHOP
Some employers have noted though that some of
adverts in H2O,
the covering letters you’re sending them with your let us know how
CVs aren’t as strong as they could be; to help you it went at h20@
with your applications (and it is competitive out
there for part time jobs as you know!!) check out
bathspa.ac.uk]
the job shop Minerva site under “Looking for Work
section” where we have provided links to sample
covering letters and CV’s.

The Jobshop is open…

For Sion Hill students in SP5 GO1 on
Tuesdays - 9.30am – 11.00am

For Newton Park students in LY 102B on

Monday to Friday - 12.30pm – 2pm
BSU Summer Infinite Group
Campus jobs (100519)
for Conference In-store Are You
and Events Demonstrators
Services and Satisfied
Summer Merchandisers with the
domestic £7.00 – £12.00 JobShop?
assistants/ p/h
reception office Bath + Various The JobShop will be
assistants/Sales Places launching their 2008
and kitchen Student Satisfaction
assistant Survey on 25th
February.
(100342/3 & Advanced
100506) Studies in They want to know
£6.63 p/h England all your views and
NP Campus (100572) opinions about the
service that the
Student Helper JobShop provides
Old Mill Hotel £6 p/h in order to make it
Ltd Bath better for all students.
Bar and Waiting
All out for details on
Staff (100512) how to take part.
£6.00 p/h International
Batheaston House
(100166 &
100570)
The Royal Activity
Photographic Leaders/
Society Organisers for
(100573) summer (£290
Admin Asst p/w full time)
£6.50p/h £6.50 p/h
Bath Bath
 Upcoming
Electioneering Work
It’s election time again!
Bath Spa Students’ Union will be holding elections for the student
body to elect their Union Officers for the next academic year.

These elections will allow you to decide what direction the Students’
Union will take for the next year. Every student at Bath Spa is eligible
to stand for election, either as a full-time Sabbatical Officer or a
part-time Student Officer.

If you do want to get involved and run in the election, pick up a copy
of the Election Handbook from around the Students’ Union, or log
onto the Union Election website.

General Election 2008 Timetable

Nominations Open Monday 11th February

Nominations Close Friday 22nd February

Hustings of Candidates (NP) Monday 25th February

Hustings of Candidates (SH) Tuesday 26th February

Voting Opens (9.30am - 4.30pm) Wednesday 27th February

Voting Closes (4.30pm) Monday 10th March

Results Announced (1pm) Tuesday 11th March

Don’t stay
underground,
get involved
www.bathspasu.co.uk/elections
 [Contribute to the ARTS
section by emailing isil-
dur121@hotmail.com or
h20@bathspa.ac.uk]

ARTS
With Stuart Richardson
Now here is a book with a story
to it, as well as in it. Published in
July of 1951, The Catcher in the
Rye has since become one of
the most censored books ever
written. In 1981, it was both the
most censored and second most
taught book in public schools in
the United States. Around that
same time, John Hinckley, Jr.
tried to assassinated the then
President Ronald Reagan, and
claimed that one of the major
influences on this decision
was Catcher. The year before,
Mark David Chapman shot
and killed John Lennon. When
police arrived at the scene,
the only thing Chapman had
on him, other than a gun, was
his beloved copy of Catcher.
In 2006, for the first time since
its initial publication, the book
came off the American Library
Association’s ‘most challenged’
list. After the combined success
and controversy of the book, its
author J. D. Salinger became
more and more reclusive, and has
not published a work since 1965,
or given an interview since 1980.
So, what’s going on? Why has
a short, sweet novel about an
intelligent and troubled young
man become an embodiment of
so much hate and vilification? Is
it a sign of the sickness of society
or the book? Well, first and
foremost, what is the book about?
The Catcher in the Rye details
about 48 hours in the life of its
central protagonist, Holden
Caulfield, and is written from
his first-person perspective
when he is 17, about events that
occurred one year previously.
He is expelled from Pencey
Prep, a top-class school, and
heads home to New York, but
must survive on his own for a
few days so that he can pretend
he is back for the Christmas
holidays when he sees his
family again. Over that time he
drinks heavily, meets up with
ex-girlfriends, picks a fight with
a vicious pimp and generally
fumes about the way of the
world, and all the ‘phonies’ in it.
He becomes deeply depressed
and almost spins completely
out of control, beginning to
exhibit all of the qualities of
‘phoniness’ he constantly claims
to so revile. I will not spoil the
ending, because it is one of
the most moving and satisfying
‘why has
a short,
sweet novel
become an
embodiment
of hate and
vilification?’
conclusions to a book I have
ever read, and everyone should
have a chance to read it without
knowing what will happen.
So is that it then, a few of the
crazies have got their hands on
a rare work of subtle acumen
and turned it to their own
twisted agendas? This may be
true to an extent, but it could
be argued that, even with its
climax, Catcher is frequently a
very dark, brooding novel that
seems to vindicate hatred, fear
and aggression (Yoda would not
be pleased). There is no light
shown at the end of this tunnel,
but the cynicism of the narrative
voice gives the impression,
for a while at least, that it is
the only honest choice worth
taking. This is a very accurate
mirroring of the mind of an angry
adolescent man, but should this
state of mind be recognised
in such a thorough way?
Of course it should. The purpose
of art is to reflect the world around
us, and to make us see it in new
and interesting ways. Catcher
does this vividly, and cannot be
held responsible for the actions
of people who concentrate
on its negative reflections as
some kind of bizarre bible, or
people who assume they have
the right to say what is or is not
acceptable in art. People like
Hinckley, Jr. and Chapman will
always exist and always find
ways to justify their actions to
themselves and apparently
others. It is up to everybody else
to give the same works positive
meanings, and to deal with the
world that inspires controversial
statements before trying to alter
the statements themselves.
The Catcher in the Rye is
a funny, charming and very
poignant story told in a manner
that still feels fresh and exciting
today. It helped me, as I am sure
it did many other young men
and women, to deal with the
world around me and become
a better person for reading it.
Literature is a very powerful
means of communicating what
exactly it is to be alive, but few
books make you feel happier
for it. This is one of them.
DD
SMOKE LONG
Every month another fun-kay story to be read in the time
it takes to smoke a cigarette. We ripped this idea off from
SMOKELONG.COM, which probably does it better than us,
but we still do it well. All applications to Isildur121@hotmail.
com. Let’s do this.
The Ocean Blues
Water slapped up salty against
the sides of the dinghy, almost
in time as Henry played
Reinhardt tunes to nobody on
his banjo. All around him, dark
little shards and larger floating
chunks of wreckage were
burning. The orange flames
cast dancing reflections on
the shifting surface below and
crackled in constant applause.
Some way off, the waves broke
back and sighed as a whale
lifted its bulk up into the night.
It spat a high jet of water,
sucked back a gasp of air and
then slipped down again into
the deep. Henry ignored it and
lay down as he played, resting
his head and neck and letting
his feet flop over the edges of
his modest vessel to lap in the
currents. His woollen socks
became damp and heavy and
the water pooled in the ends of
his shoes which were too big
for him. He stared at the many
stars above, and dreamed of
his girl for a while, wondering
if she was looking at the same
stars as these. He played on
for hours, and when his fingers
grew tired and sore he threw
the banjo overboard, loosened
his frayed necktie and began
to sing. His words condensed
above his eyes in little white
puffs, and then vanished into
the breeze.
He should have been sad. He
should have been lonely and
desperate and he knew it, but
the mild concussion from the
crash made his spirits soar, and
it was a lovely night.
He sang first about home,
then about love and finally and
despite his mood, he sang the
blues because it was fitting.
He sang Lead Belly and Blind
Lemon Jefferson. He sang
like a drunkard, and when his
voice ran out, he hummed
and whistled. When even he
could not manage this, he
closed his eyes and listened to
an imaginary big band. They
played all his favourites as he
requested them, in perfect time
and with a swing that was just
too cool, baby. He clicked his
swollen shredded fingers and
ignored the pain.
‘This is a good death’, Henry
thought, ‘this is romantic. A
genius string player never
appreciated in life who
disappeared into the Atlantic,
then became a Star. It doesn’t
even matter whether I was good
or not, though I was. A dead
artist of any calibre is never a
hard sell.’
A long low bass tone brought
him out of his happy trance,
and when he sat up he saw that
his dinghy was resting gently
on the flaky metal hull of a
steamship. Above him he could
make out the figures of tiny
men leaning dangerously over
the side of the ship and waving
their arms. He could see their
mouths opening and closing as
they were calling down to him.
Henry fell back in his dinghy
and wept. One by one, the
memories of his real life came
back to him, his many debts,
the family members he had
been ignoring and the girl
who was driving him to the
madhouse.
He was still weeping when
the confused sailors lifted
him up onto their ship on a
hairy brown rope, and he was
weeping when they gave him a
rusty foldout bed, and he wept
though every bad meal they
tried to feed him. By the time
they reached the nearest port
three days later, he was kicked
out with no money and not so
much as a goodbye, and they
were glad to see the back of
him.
This cheered Henry up a little
bit, but not much. He put his
hands in his pockets and
walked away and looked for
a bar or somewhere he could
sit down and maybe smoke,
and made his mind up that he
would write a song about his
experiences. He wondered
what he should call it.
DD
TAKE-AWAY MENU
PIZZAS
Margarita Cheese, Tomato & Oregano £2.80
Hawaiian Ham & Pineapple £3.00
Veggie Tomato, Onion, Pepper, Mushrooms, & Sweetcorn £3.00
Mediterranean Veg Aubergine, Peppers, Onions, Courgette, Basil £3.00
Seafood Supreme Tuna, Prawn & Sweetcorn £3.20
Meat Feast Ham, Pepperoni & Beef £3.20
Extra Toppings 50p each
TAKE-AWAY TIM
MEALS
ES
Noodles Veg/Beef/Chicken £2.50
Buritos Veg/Beef With Rice & Salsa £2.50
Chilli Veg/Beef With Rice £2.50 MON-FRI
Thai Curry Veg/Chicken With Rice £2.50 5-9PM
Veg Spring Rolls (2) £1.00
Nann Bread £1.00 SAT/SUN
8-10PM
AVAILABLE FR
OM
MONDAY 18th PRE-ORDER
FEB
TEL: 01225 875404

SATURDAY NITE TAKE-AWAY

N K * O N LY £ 5.00
CU RRY & DRI value of £2.00 *Drink to the

Sat 8th March

@ Newton Park SU

7.30pm - 11.30pm, Bar til 11pm

WEBSITE: WWW.BATHSPASU.CO.UK EMAIL: BATHSPASU@BATHSPA.AC.UK

THE:SU Ents (Newton Park/sion hill)
TERMS & CONDITIONS APPLY
BAR OPENING TIMES WEEK - WED, FRI 10am - late / MON, TUES & THURS 10am - 11pm
WEEKEND - SAT 8pm - 11pm / SUN 8pm - 10.30pm

mon
karaoke
8pm - 11pm

18th
bar til 11pm

MONDAY
DOOR ENTRY:
feb2008 FREE

mon FINE ART

18th
SEE POSTERS AT

SKOOL DISCO SION HILL

FOR DETAILS
feb2008 AT SION HILL

wed The UK’s No1 Student night 8pm - 2am

flirt!
bar til 1.30am

20th Door Entry - £3.00

(£1.50 OFF with VALID
feb2008 SKOOL DISCCO
Flirt Flyer before
9.30pm)

thurs AMBI - MUSIC 8pm - 11pm

21st
bar til 11pm
BAND NITE DOOR ENTRY:
feb2008 SEE POSTERS FOR DETAILS FREE

fri
Flux
FRIDAY 8pm - 2am
bar til 1.30am

22nd pop rock indie cheese Door Entry

feb2008 you choose the songs, we play the music

WITH BOUNCY CASTLE
£1.50 B4 10pm
£3.00 After 10pm

sat KRRANG! 8pm - 12am

23rd
bar til - 11.30pm
ROCK PUNK EBM
INDUSTRIAL INDIE
DOOR ENTRY
feb2008 ALTERNATIVE EMO
NEW METAL
FREE

SSHH! - Keep the noise down when leaving the bar at night.
BSU NUS/ID Cards are required for entry into SU events, “guests” (with ID) must be signed in by another BSU member who will be held responsible for their “guests” behaviour.

e: bathspasu@bathspa.ac.uk w: www.bathspasu.co.uk
THE:SU Ents (Newton Park)
TERMS & CONDITIONS APPLY
BAR OPENING TIMES WEEK - WED, FRI 10am - late / MON, TUES & THURS 10am - 11pm
WEEKEND - SAT 8pm - 11pm / SUN 8pm - 10.30pm

mon
25th karaoke
8pm - 11pm
bar til 11pm

feb2008 MONDAY DOOR ENTRY:

FREE

tues AMBI - SITCOM

26th
8pm - 11pm
IN THE LOUNGE 7PM bar til 11pm

feb2008
A REVIEW OF WHAT MAKES THE
PERFECT SITCOM DOOR ENTRY:
FREE
WITH CLIPS FROM ALL THE BEST....

wed

flirt!
The UK’s No1 Student night

27th
8pm - 2am
bar til 1.30am

feb2008
Door Entry - £3.00
(£1.50 OFF with VALID
Flirt Flyer before
9.30pm)
GREASE Vs ROCKY HORROR

fri
Flux
FRIDAY 8pm - 2am

29th bar til 1.30am

feb2008 BOLLOCKS TO Door Entry

£1.50 B4 10pm
POVERTY £3.00 After 10pm

sat
1st
mar2008
UNISEX
2ROOMS OF
8pm - 12am
bar til 11.30pm

DOOR ENTRY
£1 ALL NIGHT
ALTERNATIVE MUSIC

SSHH! - Keep the noise down when leaving the bar at night.
BSU NUS/ID Cards are required for entry into SU events, “guests” (with ID) must be signed in by another BSU member who will be held responsible for their “guests” behaviour.

e: bathspasu@bathspa.ac.uk w: www.bathspasu.co.uk
THE:SU Ents (Newton Park)
TERMS & CONDITIONS APPLY
BAR OPENING TIMES WEEK - WED, FRI 10am - late / MON, TUES & THURS 10am - 11pm
WEEKEND - SAT 8pm - 11pm / SUN 8pm - 10.30pm

mon
3rd karaoke
8pm - 11pm
bar til 11pm

mar2008 MONDAY
DOOR ENTRY:
FREE

wed The UK’s No1 Student night

5th
flirt!
8pm - 2am
bar til 1.30am

mar2008
Door Entry - £3.00
(£1.50 OFF with VALID
Flirt Flyer before
9.30pm)
www.live2flirt.co.uk
thurs BATTLE
6th
8pm - 11pm
OF THE
BANDS
bar til 11pm

mar2008 WINNING BAND WILL PLAY

DOOR ENTRY:
FREE
THE 2008 SUMMER BALL
SEE POSTERS FOR DETAILS

fri
Flux
FRIDAY 8pm - 2am

7th
bar til 1.30am

Door Entry
mar2008
pop rock indie cheese £3.00
you choose the songs, we play the music

BUNNY BALL SEE POSTERS FOR

DETAILS

sat
CURRY
8th
8pm - 11pm
bar til 11pm

mar2008 NIGHT DOOR ENTRY:

FREE
CURRY & DRINK ONLY £5*
*DRINK TO THE VALUE OF £2

SSHH! - Keep the noise down when leaving the bar at night.
BSU NUS/ID Cards are required for entry into SU events, “guests” (with ID) must be signed in by another BSU member who will be held responsible for their “guests” behaviour.

e: bathspasu@bathspa.ac.uk w: www.bathspasu.co.uk
THE:SU Ents (Newton Park)
TERMS & CONDITIONS APPLY
BAR OPENING TIMES WEEK - WED, FRI 10am - late / MON, TUES & THURS 10am - 11pm
WEEKEND - SAT 8pm - 11pm / SUN 8pm - 10.30pm

mon
10th karaoke
8pm - 11pm
bar til 11pm
mar2008
MONDAY DOOR ENTRY:
FREE

wed

flirt!
The UK’s No1 Student night

12th 8pm - 2am

bar til 1.30am

mar2008 Door Entry - £3.00

(£1.50 OFF with VALID
Flirt Flyer before
ST PATRICK’s CELEBRATION
9.30pm)

www.live2flirt.co.uk
fri
14th
mar2008
last day 8pm - 12am
bar til 11.30pm

before DOOR ENTRY:

FREE

easter....

SSHH! - Keep the noise down when leaving the bar at night.
BSU NUS/ID Cards are required for entry into SU events, “guests” (with ID) must be signed in by another BSU member who will be held responsible for their “guests” behaviour.

e: bathspasu@bathspa.ac.uk w: www.bathspasu.co.uk
MUSIC
[ Contribute to the MUSIC
section by emailing
waitingfor2020@hotmail.com
or h20@bathspa.ac.uk]
----------------------------------------------------------------
BJORK
Volta
ONE LITTLE INDIAN
Out Now
8/10

Ok, this article should’ve been written a while back so I’ll apologise to you personally, if you really are
bothered, for this massive release not making it into H2O until half a year late… Firstly, I’ll say this; if
you are reading this review and you don’t like Björk - the Icelandic Goddess - don’t palm off this article
and move on after the opening, you simply don’t know her music.
You haven’t given her the chance to crawl into your soul…
So get over yourself, you’re missing out. Go out and buy Vespertine, listen to it more than once,
and tell me I’m wrong. (To those who have taken the time out and still don’t agree with her quirky
wonderfulness, then fair play, you’ve given her a taste. Each to their own, an’ all that crap…)
Otherwise, there is no excuse. She’s a Pop-queen, a master of production, carver of icy
imagery and whittler of dreams. Take any track from her sixth album, Volt - though please ignore the
awful single ‘declare independence’, which truly is pap - and you will be graced with her beautiful
vocal range and attentiveness to technicality. Every sound created in her previous releases, even the
controversial beat-box weirdness of Medulla, can be heard on this recording. The tribal opener for
example; ‘Earth intruders’, has the pounding bass and soaring vocal effects of Homogenic, creating
a very catchy, driving and psychedelic start to the album. This track blends nicely into Volt’s highlight,
‘wonderlust’, another example of Björk on top-form; sexy, delicate, determined and downright melodic.
Even the horns of Debut; the gay-club sounding dance album, can be found on Volt, in fact, more so,
for here the brass is tugged to the forefront of the listeners attention. At times there will only be horns,
horns, horns and beautiful vocals, but can’t that be enough?

In Matthew Barney’s Drawing Restraints 9, the answer is simply no. Horns and imagery alone will
never suffice for over three hours of Björk and her lover doing weird sh*t on film. Some would even
argue that the track ‘dull flame of desire’ is self indulgent, uninteresting and leads to nowhere but a
purgatory-like abyss - much like the film. But I can’t help but find the translation of Fyodor Tyutchev’s
poem, co-sung with Antony – from Antony and the Johnsons – to be anything short of stunning. This
song ebbs and swells gracefully as is transcends a plateau of longing and lust: “I love your eyes, my
dear, their splendid, sparkling fire… like lightning flashing in the sky”. As always with musical poetry, its
melody has to be heard to touch your core. Otherwise this album is nothing new, which for Björk must
be a tranquil purgation in not having to constantly push boundaries – there is only so far the envelope
can be bent after all. Personally, this album is perhaps a demonstration of a peak in her career, and
maybe it is only downhill from here. To be honest, I sincerely doubt Björk will fizzle out into the scene
of aged artists who simply don’t know when they’re done. When she runs out of ideas, which oriental
track ‘I see you are’ proves she hasn’t, I’m sure she will offer her crown to the most deserving and
endearing of female artists.
Unfortunately, at the moment nothing seems to come close. She encompasses Joanna Newsom,
Kosheen, Nina Simone, and PJ Harvey in one record, and adds leagues more talent than they
often possess. I think this album is a good start, and I’m jealous to think that you may have years of
Icelandic-exploration ahead of you, as it collaborates all of her fantastical sounds. Strangely enough,
there’s even a touch of Missy Elliot on ‘innocence’ – a must listen. Finish off however, with ‘my
juvenile’; let it lull you gently away as it sinks into the depths of your soul, creating a space for her
royal-iciness until the ends of time.
“This is an offer to better the last let go…”
 MONO
Gone (A Collection of EPs: 2000 – 2007)
TEMPORARY RESIDENCE
17/12/07
7.5/10

I understand that Japan doesn’t interest or excite the masses quite like it should, and I’m wholly appre-
ciative of people palming a nation off as ‘silly’ purely because of TV shows such as Takeshi’s Castle, or
Ninja Warrior, but what I don’t comprehend is why you guys haven’t heard of this artist… They’re pretty
special.
Mono, the Japanese quintet of Post-Rock, are back with a double release. I can’t speak for
their new album; Palmless Prayer/Mass Murder Refrain – released on the very same day – but what
I can guide you through is their collaboration of EPs, titled Gone. Mostly gouged from innocuous
releases, these ten songs are a clear representation of what this genre is truly about. They define the
elevated crescendos, mood swings and spiritual journeys created by swirling effects (oh-so) often
used, triumphantly. Really Mono are nothing new, but merely an apt surmise of what you would want
to look out for in the Instrumental scene. ‘Yearning’ is a perfect example of this; an artist at their finest,
teaming up with the Sludge band Pelican to create a moving, sixteen minute, musical painting awash
with colour, imagery and remorseful regret.
Sound poetic?
Mono are poets. Not the lyrical poetry of Joanna Newsom or David Bowie. But musical
vignettes carved from Rock and Metal, forged in the fires of chilled Electro and reborn in the twentieth-
century’s need for high literacy Progressive/Instrumental. This isn’t a musical rendition of Sylvia Plath,
but more William Blake’s sardonic take on the industrial revolution. This is our future prospects, our
need for pacifistic Anarchism and our fear of the apocalyptic times to come.

“May you live in interesting times…”

Bill Hicks would have been proud.

The opener, ‘finlandia’, reeks of Mogwai, but supersedes this aged artist quickly, patching their mis-
takes with well thought out riffs and building themes. The only untraditional instrumentation is from
Takaakira’s delicate violin and cello, which swells beautifully, occasionally moving to the forefront of
the music. ‘Black rain’ is particularly nice, with the only voice on the album – in Japanese of course
– adding tension to the music. Otherwise, the looping guitars, controlled with heavy delay, flange, and
a careful finger, are prominent, and reminiscent of Explosions In The Sky and This Will Destroy You
– though lacking the soft Electronica of the latter. Particular highlights, you will discover, are ‘memorie
dal futuro’ and the last track; the swollen, puffy-eyed ‘little boy 1945 – future’.
Maybe you need to take a lot of hallucinogens, preferably Mescaline, to fully understand what Mono
may be trying to convey. One can only speculate. If you’ve never heard of this artist before then try out
Walking Cloud and Deep Red Sky, the Flag Fluttered and the Sun Shined... first, as this album is lack-
ing the momentum it delivers.
I love this recording, but then, I love Japan.
MUSIC
----------------------------------------------------------------

A WILHELM SCREAM
Career Suicide
NITRO
08/10/07
6/10

What is punk rock in the 21st Century? Refused amassed a cacophonous fusing of the electronic
and ambient, with the tense and hard, with their magnum-opus album The Shape of Punk to Come.
Skewed math riffs transcending the barriers set down in the “Oi!” debacle, balancing expert song
smithery with sheer bombast.

A Wilhelm Scream, then, came closer to the solution with their previous album Ruiner. Tossing aside
the electronic aesthetics in favour of hyper speed riffs, kinetic time changes and catchier-than-a-cold
vocal stylings. All the terms and hyperbole used to describe them could be replaced with simply one.
Rocking.
‘Career suicide’ steams out of the traps like a fourteen year old sugar addict on a mountain of whiz,
with the damning “I wipe my ass with showbiz”. Aging “Punks” like Johnny Rotten may be wise to heed
their message. The guitars buzz through a riff that would work in any technical metal epic, but at four
times the speed of light. The drums pulse a heartbeat with a vocal performance that compliments the
six stringing perfectly.
Tracks like ‘5 to 9’ and ‘get mad, you son of a bitch’ showcase an older, more mature A Wilhelm
Scream, mixing the technical aptitude of The Fall of Troy with elements of Strike Anywhere’s melodic
burning anger - particularly in the vocal performance. The vocals feel tighter and less formulaic than
on their last release, but are still blessed with hooks big enough to snag a blue whale. ‘The horse’
explodes from your speakers with an amazing tapped bass riff that breaks away into an amazing
arpeggio-laden guitar break around the midway point. The drums beat a certain drama into the piece
as it nears a crescendo. A piece of lead virtuoso that any Slash, Dick or Harry would kill for. The vocals
take more of a backseat here, but appropriately so.
‘Jaws 3, people 0’ breaks new ground for the band with a jazz-punk breakdown that erupts into a quite
magnificent solo that goes everywhere you least expect. The song could be ten minutes long, but it
reaches its conclusion before the 3 minute mark. Brutal song writing paying dividends here. ‘These
dead streets’ gallops as hard as Iron Maiden in their heyday, and ‘our ghost’ jangles as hard any of the
post-hardcore brigade. ‘Career suicide’ was produced by Bill Stevenson of Black Flag/The Descend-
ents fame, and I think that the latter’s influence shows here strongest. The guitars sound as crisp as
anything from Everything Sucks or Cool To Be You and this clarity of recording makes AWS sound
better than ever. The sheer technicality of playing shines in the mix. All labels aside, A Wilhelm Scream
have produced an album that encapsulates perfectly the energy and optimism of music in the nough-
ties. ‘Career suicide’ feels like a natural evolution for the band, a gentle step from Ruiner but in the
right direction. Punk or Melodic Hardcore or Post-Hardcore or Post-melodic Punkcore, it matters not, it
is relevant and it rocks. ‘Career suicide’ I feel, is therefore rather a misnomer.

A Wilhelm Scream are touring Britain throughout February 2008 on the back of this album. Go
and see it played even faster live!
 NEX
Promotional Use Only
RISING RECORDS
Released: 24/03/08
?/10
Obviously, I doubt if the album
name really is Promotional
Use Only, but if we aren’t
given the information then
what are we to do? University
teaches you pretty swiftly that
in these scenarios, the answer
is to contact your educational
authorities and seek assistance.
Otherwise, it should all be in
your module handbook, just look
a little closer. More close-ly-er…
God, I don’t want to
look any closer at this recording
than I have to. It’s Metal, but
it’s something else. Do I like
it? Do I want to know if I like
it, or not? Do I care? We have
to care, don’t we? Excuse the
cliché, but life’s never so sweet
without first tasting the sour.
And this is sour. To be honest,
I can barely bring myself to tear
The Mars Volta’s promo from
my CD player and have another
listen to Nex. Don’t ask me why
I’m not reviewing the Latino
genius The Mars Volta until
next month, just understand that
their fourth album; the Bedlam in
Goliath, takes time. Wait a little
longer. In fact, this review will
be more of an avoidance of any
mentioning of the music on this
album at all. It will be enough
to say, if you’re still stuck into
Nu-Metal – and I don’t mean
Linkin Park – then you’ll get this
album, allot. Whisk me back
in time, say seven years, and
I’d have liked the double-bass
pedalled drums, harmonics and
F-Zero X guitar riffage, but now
it seems so tired and old. Think
Mushroomhead, American
Head Charge and Disturbed in
one album, with even maybe,
if we’re lucky, seconds of
Earthtone 9 and Mastadon. Buy
it if you want, it’s not my choice.
LIVE AT THE FLEECE
First band of the night was
Triggerfish. I’ve seen these
guys play a lot lately; each
time I’ve seen them I’ve really
enjoyed their upbeat style. In
fact, I recommended Triggerfish
to Vaughn from Jetking as
a band worth checking out,
when he asked me for some
recommendations of who I’d
seen lately. On their Myspace,
Triggerfish describe themselves
as “Indie/Rock/Progressive’,
but they also have an Electro
edge to them with the added
effects from their synthesizers.
Although, each time I have seen
Triggerfish in the last couple of
months, their set has been pretty
much the same, but I have loved
each and every time. Their set
tonight did include a new song
by the name of ‘Emperor’s new
clothes’, which like every song
of theirs tonight, went down a
storm with the bustling Fleece.
Triggerfish appeared comfortable
on stage, and clearly seemed to
be enjoying themselves. All of
their material consists of catchy
guitar riffs and foot tapping beats.
Their sound was flawless from
start to finish. These guys are
worth keeping an eye on. www.
myspace.com/triggerfishbristol
Second up was Fabric, a band
who describe themselves as
“classic Rock/live Electronic/
Progressive’ on their Myspace.
Fabric were previously known
as Parry: Matthews before they
started to play as a full band.
This band were at ease, relaxed
on stage, and didn’t feel the need
to be moving about constantly.
Vocals came from Anna Parry,
who has an amazing voice that
can only be described as very
low and sexy, though she has
the attitude on stage to match.
Each one of Fabric’s
songs were different to the next.
I couldn’t believe the audience
weren’t taking the time to watch
them in awe, but then again,
audiences can be completely
selfish, and though Anna’s voice
was complemented by some
really nice guitar work, no one
seemed to pay her any attention.
Fabric’s sound is really well put
together; it ranges from being
really mellow, to really rocky in
the space of one song. I loved
the last song they played, ‘where
the music used to be’. The bass
on the track was so amazing you
could feel it shake your very core.
I also thought the instrumental
they finished the set off with was
particularly stunning. So, if you
see the name Fabric appear
on the bill [Ed: not the London
nightclub, obviously – wholly
different experience], then go
and see them, I’m certain you
won’t be disappointed. www.
myspace.com/fabricsounds
Onto the headliners of the night,
the Bristol sensation Jetking.
As ever they clearly seemed to
be enjoying themselves up on
stage, and even Andy appeared
to be more relaxed than when
I saw them last in August.
Jetking’s sound consists of
short, catchy Electro songs
that edge over to the rockier
side at other intervals. It’s well
known that Jetking don’t have
a drummer, but at least it gives
them a different sound to other
bands on the circuit. Despite
a few technical problems, this
artist appeared to be on top form
with Nick’s voice growing ever
more powerful. As always you
had Vaughn bouncing away on
the left of the stage - I don’t think
anything would get him to stand
still. The biggest hit of the night
however, seemed to be ‘reasons
to disappear’ which sounded a lot
rockier than some of their other
material. I have to admit that I’m
leaning towards their material
with a rockier edge to it, rather
than their older, more Electro
material. Jetking can always be
relied upon to put on one hell
of a show, so they are worth
dragging yourself out to see when
they play in a town near you.
( - I’m looking for people to
get involved with my music
website, LiveMusicScene.
We cover reviews in the local
area, and complete interviews
with different musicians.
It’s a great chance to get some
experience in music journalism,
or just find out more about the
local scene. Jodie - livemusi
cscene@googlemail.com - )
Sport
AEROBICS
Every Monday since the
beginning of semester one,
Spa’s netball team have been
working to improve their level
of fitness by attending a weekly
hour-long aerobics session.
After arriving at the gym and
reaching the studio dominated
by tram-pets and exercise
balls, instructor Laura starts our
regime; she takes no prisoners.
Gemma Hanvey and Hannah
Evans are the main motivators
in the group, laughing and joking
before the class has begun.
It normally takes a little more
persuasion for the other girls, but
the moment the cheesy dance
music comes on everyone,
Emily Vibert especially, is
transformed with energy.
I think its fair to say that when
Gemma Hanvey, Mel Rainsley
and I walked into the gym for our
first session, we were all pretty
nervous of what lay ahead;
luckily we were all pleasantly
surprised. The sessions are
hard but the real purpose of
going is to be able to withstand
a full hour game of Netball. The
aerobics routine isn’t too hard
to pick up and there is always
some funky music for us to sing
along to. All the classes vary,
however we start the class with
a ten-minute warm up to get the
blood pumping and to prevent
any injuries and finish the class
with a ten minute cool down
which is important to do when
you do any form of physical
exercise. We perform static and
dynamic stretches and then
move straight into a routine that
involves lots of ‘grapevines’,
‘punches’ and ‘screwballs’.
The aerobic parts of the classes
are a great way of loosening
up and involve kickboxing,
star jumps and jumping jacks.
There were some collisions at
the beginning of the classes in
September, but it now looks like
a well rehearsed dance routine.
It was even performed at the
netball Christmas dinner in club
XL by Hannah Evans, Emily
Vibert and myself. Each step gets
embedded into your brain. The
last 20 minutes of the session
are always the most challenging
as we do squats against the
wall for 30 seconds followed
by a minute. In these times of
pain we all go to our ‘happy
place’, even though sometimes
it’s hard to find! Having now
been attending for over three
months, additions to the usual
routine happen each week
and it’s getting more complex.
After 30 minutes of aerobic
exercise we concentrate on
toning and strengthening
[Contribute to this sec-
tion by emailing lizzie_
overton@hotmail.co.uk or
h20@bathspa.ac.uk]
important muscles groups. We
use different techniques each
week so that there is variety in
our classes and so we’re not
working the same muscles all
the time. Laura likes to make us
suffer so we do more sets and
hold dreaded squats for longer.
After the last sit up during the cool
down we breathe a sigh of relief.
All in all our Monday morning
aerobics sessions are really
enjoyable and have definitely
been improving our fitness levels.
You may be wondering what
aerobics is? The word aerobic
means oxygen. Aerobic exercise
is any repetitive activity that you
do for long enough and hard
enough to challenge your heart.
There are many advantages
of doing this type of exercise,
they include lowering the risk
of heart disease in the future,
improving muscle flexibility,
increasing bone strength and
increasing endorphins in the
brain. It is also a great way
to burn calories and getting
rid of any unwanted weight.
Sport
FOOTBALL
Bath Spa 0
Plymouth 7
Despite a squad fit and raring
to go after the festive period;
with no signs of having a few
too many mince pies, it has
been a frustrating start to the
new year campaign for Bath
Spa Men’s football. Many
thanks owed to the great British
climate for this stumbling block
as it has seen all the Saturday
and Sunday games postponed,
as well as all bar one of the
Wednesday team’s matches.
The sole contest to report on
this month is one I’m sure all
the players involved would
rather forget. On the extremely
RUGBY
So Bath Spa men’s rugby
is going through a bit of a
bad patch. With a lack of
props available to play every
Wednesday, we have had to
leave the BUSA league because
all through December we were
unable to fulfil any fixtures. The
rules state that if you turn up to
a match without an experienced
front row you give up the
points for that match as it is too
dangerous to put inexperienced
people in the front row of a
scrum. However we are doing
things to improve this situation.
We have created a link with
saturated pitch affectionately
known as the ‘coliseum’, which
was more like a mausoleum
with the proverbial one man
and his dog in attendance,
Bath’s Spartans succumbed to
a tight knit U.P. eleven. Gifted
with technique in areas and
organised like a military corps
throughout, the South Coast
outfit cut through the swamp
of a pitch as effortlessly as
they did the Bath Spa defence.
In spite of the dour score line,
there are a few positives to
take from the performance.
Goalie Luke Cheater kept the
goals conceded away from
the double figures margin and
couldn’t be blamed for any of
the seven that got past him.
Tom Belton managed to raise
a few smiles when he tried to
latch onto a threatening through
ball during a dominant spell for
the home team. The attacker,
who likes to play in the hole,
Stothert and Pitt and we’re
using their training facilities.
In return, they are offering us
some weekly coaching which
is visibly improving the team;
with new drills, moves and skills
we are really moving forward.
We also have weekly training
sessions at Phase One gym,
where our own James ‘Cube’
Churchill takes us through some
pretty vigorous circuit training.
However, this will not make
a massive difference whilst
we don’t have Wednesday
afternoons off for extracurricular
activities. We don’t have an
abundance of rugby players
at our university, but if we had
Wednesday afternoons off then
probably wishes he could have
dug himself one after doing the
opposing defenders a good
turn and diverting a seemingly
goal bound ball safely into
the grateful keeper’s hands.
The Wednesday team may have
suffered a rare heavy defeat on
the pitch, but centre half Steve
Dennehy kept morale up by
out-talking the witless students
from Plymouth with his sass
– at least war of the words went
in Bath Spa’s favour. With a
must win game approaching
against University of St. Mark
and St. John, the squad are
really going to have to perform
like they know they can, if they
are to finish in a league position
their ability warrants. So if you
find yourself on the Newton
Park campus on a Wednesday
in a quandary of what to do,
come along and cheer on the
boys. It’s always worth a watch!
our numbers would increase
dramatically. Prospective
players are stuck in lectures
while they could be representing
their university, not only in rugby
but in all sports and activities.
We are one of a tiny minority of
Universities in the whole of the
UK who don’t leave Wednesday
afternoons available for students
to partake in extra activities.
In an age where exercise
is being promoted from all
directions, it seems bizarre that
our university appears to think
differently. Exercise, it has been
proven, improves concentration
which can only be a good thing
at an educational institution you
would think. Also if being given
Wednesday afternoons would
mean more integration between
the two campuses then this
would be a positive move by the
university. If the time was made
available then students would
be able to take part in all kinds
of sports and passions. Drama,
Duke of Edinburgh award
schemes, clubs or trips; all of
these improve team work, morale
and would also improve our CV’s.
Clearly it would take a lot of
reorganising by the University to
make this change, but it would
NETBALL
Revision for exams has
reluctantly taken priority over
the past few weeks but now
Bath Spa netballers can refresh
for the start of term two. There
have been no matches since
November, but training will
resume on Thursday 14th
February. I hope everyone is
feeling as eager as they were
at the start of last term. Both
our first and second teams
have had the advantage of
being flooded with experienced
players this year, so let’s keep
up the commitment girls!
Having finished the BUSA
League season, ranking in third
place; we will continue to play
non-competitive matches and
varsity tournaments. A team will
be selected for a home match
on Wednesday 6th February
against Winchester. We hope
to be in the zone from the first
whistle, and sustain our cardio
fitness levels that we have
been focusing on at the weekly
Phase One gym sessions.
With little activity and no
matches to write up on, here is
a flavour of what events are in
store for netball over the second
term. Tour is a fabulous bonding
experience and it’s only seven
weeks away. During the next
mean that Bath Spa is sending
out the message that they really
do care about extracurricular
activities; for its students having
time to try new things, take part
in organised sports, events and
keeping fit. Apart from it taking a
large amount of effort, there is no
clear argument against making
time available on Wednesday
afternoons for students to
participate in these activities.
The rugby team has suffered
hugely this last year due to lack
of players, however, we do have
few social events and training
sessions, the committee will be
recording amusing moments,
analysing individual players and
being creative with nicknames
to have printed on the back
of everyone’s tour shirts. We
visited Salou last year and our
face painting skills were so
successfully admired, that our
team photo was published in this
year’s brochure. Although Salou
is in the north of Spain, the windy
weather didn’t stop us from
strolling round the corner from
the hotel to lounge on the beach.
The terrifying Port Aventura
theme park has one of Europes
tallest rollarcoasters in Europe
so we can’t miss out; it’s only a
bus ride away from the centre
of the town. The tallest loops
can be spotted from the beach.
The transfer coach will pick up
both Bath Spa’s Football and
Netball teams on Saturday
15th March and travel through
France, into Spain. 22 hours
later, every minute being worth
the wait, we’ll arrive at our hotel
in Salou swamped by a mass
of other university teams like
a herd of elephants in a water
hole. The chanting, competition
and dressing up will commence.
Barcelona is only an hour and
some exciting events coming
up. We will be playing against
the Bath Spa Rugby ‘Old Boys’
soon; a team made up of all the
players who have represented
the university in the past. Last
year it was a grudge match with
few points separating us, this year
should be just as exciting. Also
we go on tour to Bournemouth in
Easter to watch an international
sevens tournament which will
be fantastic, I will be taking
my boots just in case the
Welsh team needs a hand.
Dan Jones
a half on the train from Salou,
which gives us the opportunity
to be typical British tourists and
climb Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia
cathedral. If the building’s
ornate architecture isn’t enough
of a sensation, the view from the
very top when you step out of the
elevator is astonishing as you can
see every angle of Barcelona;
sea, countryside and city. The
vast landscape variety captured
in a single glimpse is similar
to Edinburgh when standing
at the top of ‘Colton Hill’ tower
at one end of Princes Street.
The well known ‘Ramblas’ in
Barcelona are not to be missed;
the classic Spanish streets
are full of freelance artists,
galleries, statues and jokers.
Netball will definitely
be played whilst we’re on tour;
a tournament is spread over
two days and we’ll be entering
both teams. Matches are always
serious competition; we can
find our opponents weakness
as the real challenge on tour
lies with the team who has the
most stamina. Gemma Hanvey
has to demonstrate the largest
pressures of being Netball
president by taking charge of all
23 girls for the week. She is very
capable, but good luck to Gem!
band profile:
THE VOLT
The Volt are a young, fresh, four
piece band from Bradford Upon
Avon, who have been circulating
the Bath, Bradford Upon Avon,
and London music scene. They’re
a collaboration of four skinny-
jeaned, quirky members; Sam
Brooks on lead vocals, capturing
the audience with his soulful voice
and melodic lyrics, Jack Kendrew,
on lead guitar, with his immense
guitar rifts and who looks and
sounds like a younger John
Mayer, Dominic Bartolo on drums,
cranking out extensive drum
beats, and, finally, the only female
member of the group, Phoebe
Phillips with her funky technical
bass rhythms, who proves that
girls can kick ass on the bass!
Phoebe Phillips and Jack
Kendrew are the original
members of The Volt, meeting at
school, leading to the introduction
of the lead vocalist Sam Brooks
at an open-microphone night.
Dominic Bartolo joined later after
auditions were carried out to find
a drummer and the combination
works well, as all four band
members thrive on each other
to produce an incredible sound.
Describing their sound as Indie,
Folk-Rock, this band can get a
crowd buzzing. From headline
gigs at the resound Moles, to
major venues in London, the Volt
can get a person out of a mood
in seconds and up and dancing
with their catchy fun, uplifting
songs, due to their instrumental
originality. To hear a band with
a mixture of so many genres,
including blues, is a pleasure to
the ear and a winning combination
to many. The Volt have got a
catalogue of gigs behind them,
including the Glastonbury 2007
festival, and although the festival
was a year of constant rain and
mud, this didn’t dampen the spirits
and enthusiasm of the band. They
did, in fact, give it some wellie!
The band is made up of a
selection of raw talent throughout
the spectrum, making them
a clear winner in peoples’
eyes. They have competed in
numerous Battle of the Bands,
to which as of yet, haven’t won
any, although coming second
place is an achievement in its
own, this hasn’t affected the
passion and feel for the intensity
of the group, making them
stronger and more determined.
The Volt have a big following
behind them, with the crowd
getting up and singing the lyrics
of their songs, and knowing what
to expect from their performance.
The marvellous ‘buckskin lady’ is
a layered instrumental beginning,
full of electric guitar, with a
mixture of chilled beats from the
beginning that eventually merges
into a strong sound with dashes
of harmonica, electric riffs, fun
lyrics, and a funky-danceable
chorus that will get anyone,
pissed or sober, up on their feet.
‘Twisted land’ is a classic for the
band, with another awesome
instrumental beginning getting
the crowd started before it’s even
begun! The thing with The Volt
is, they have a uniqueness about
them, which is different to many
other bands around. When you
hear the band once you will want
to see them again, for they bring a
flare and energy to every venue.
‘Creative spark’ is an incredible
song, sounding as professional
and catchy as the British band The
Editors. With a heavy influence
on the sound and feel, this tune is
one that will follow you threw the
rest of the day, with soulful vocals
and passionate playing making it
a song that’s impossible to forget.
The Volt are not just an amazing
group of musicians, they are
a great bunch of guys. They
always have time for the people
who want to say how good they
were, and this aura will get them
as far as their musical ability.
The Volt are on the way to good
things, and with the amount
of gig surfing around different
parts of the country, their sound
is beginning to get recognised.
Watch out for this band as they
SHOULD be the next big thing.
And finally...
SPA-DOKU

7 1 9
This week, we have a bit of a
2 9 challenge for you with two different
Spa-Doku’s for you to complete.

5 3 8 1 9
5 7 4 2 EASY
1 2 7 4 6 9 8
9 4 3 6
3 8 5 2 6
5 4
6 2 8

5 3 2
1 6 8
8 4
DAMN 1 9 2 4
6 3
HARD
8 6 3 1
7 3
9 7 4
5 9 7
AABBEY TAXIS ESTABLISHED 1971

A BBEY TAXIS LTD ARE

PLEASED TO BE APPOINTED
BY BATH SPA UNIVERSITY
STUDENTS’ UNION TO BE
YOUR TAXI SERVICE
AT ALL TIMES

A
• 24 HOURS A DAY WITH A FLEET OF OVER 150 VEHICLES
RANGING FROM SALOON TO MULTI-PEOPLE CARRIERS AND
WITH DISABILITY FACILITIES.

• SPECIAL RATES FOR ALL STUDENTS TRAVELLING TO AND FROM

NEWTON PARK, SION HILL, WATERSIDE COURT AND
CULVERHAY SCHOOL.

• AIRPORT TRANSFERS & OTHER TRIPS - PRICES UPON REQUEST

PLEASE NOTE: NORMAL ADDITIONAL FARES APPLY TO ALL VEHICLES ON BANK HOLIDAYS

ALWAYS REMEMBER TO RING

44 44 44
TEL: 01225

PLEASE CANCEL TAXIS IF THEY NOT REQUIRED

NO FARES COST THE DRIVER - THANK YOU!