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PICK MEUP
I’M FREEYour
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ent
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Student Elections 2016:
Student Led Teaching Fellowship winnersinterviews on p.17
Society Profile: Kendofull profile on p.10
CSAD student shaves head for charityFull story on p.7
This is your chance to vote for who you want to lead the students' union for 2016/17!
Check out the complete candidate profi les inside on Page 4.
Stef Kelly, Incumbent Students' Union President
meet the candidates
@cardiffmetsu on twitter www.cardiffmetsu.co.ukCommitted to providing a world-class student experience March 2016
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Editor Luke Williams // ldwilliams@cardiffmet.ac.uk Advertising Dave Jackson // djackson@cardiffmet.ac.uk
Welcome
Paul Sander
csadrep@cardiffmet.ac.uk@CSADRep
As all of us 2nd Years are now over half way through our degrees, I can reflect on the way our school has adapted over the last 18 months and I invite you to do the same. The way in which students have made B-Block their own by creating habitable working environments as opposed to the cold concrete shell that was there such a short time ago, I hope that you can all feel the lively buzz of artists and designers infectiously spreading into every nook and cranny.
CSAD has developed a communi-ty feel to it and the rep structure epitomises that. We all want to do what is in the best interests of the students and it amazes me the way in which students build bridges with other students from other courses through fundraising, events and societies. As a school we have the largest number of non-sport socie-ties, something that I think reflects the true persona of CSAD students, understanding that time and effort are the greatest currencies we have and knowing that whether you're taking part in a quiz, casting spells or helping refugees, it is the social aspect of what you're doing that is far more benefi cial than sitting in bed watching Netflix.
So let’s keep going CSAD and keep working hard towards the degree shows!
Welcome to the Spring issue of retro
Wilf Brotherton-Ratcliffe
cserep@cardiffmet.ac.uk@CSERep
I hope term two is going well for you and that you're making the most of it! There's been lots going on at the SU this term so here’s a few updates from CSE!
January blues were quickly brushed aside with the newly designed School of Education hoodies going on sale and over 100 students ordering one, creating more of a CSE identity on campus.
Exciting prospects are ahead with the birth of the CSE Social Commit-tee. They held their fi rst meeting earlier this term where ideas were shared and plans made for a fund-raising week at the end of term.
Final year students have been busy completing the NSS survey, gaining a free Starbucks in the process, as well as 5 lucky students winning prizes including Six Nations tickets.
The CSE Ball will be held on the 3rd of May. An event many of you have been looking forward to. Tickets can be purchased now from the SU.
Applications for the School Rep po-sition in the next academic year are now open. I've had a brilliant time as a School Rep, gaining invaluable experiences and skills. If you would like to know a little bit more about the role, please don't hesitate to contact me!
Niamh Chapman
cshsrep@cardiffmet.ac.uk@CSHSRep
As my time at Cardiff Met and Cardiff as a city comes to an end it's hard not to look back and reflect on my time here. It seems like only yesterday I decided to move to the Welsh capital, although admittedly it was initially to study. The fi ve years I have spent in Wales have been fantastic and I have changed so much as result of them. Deciding to return to uni and to study at Cardiff Met was one of the best decisions I think I will ever make. I have made so many great friends, shared some fantastic experiences and fallen in love with an awesome city.
A large part of my student expe-rience and many of my highlights have come from my involvement in the SU and that is always my top tip for any student – it’s never too late to get involved and you never know what opportunities it might lead to. While I get ready to fi nish my degree and pack my bags for my next ad-venture (off down under for 3 years!) it is bittersweet to say goodbye to the city that means so much to me. We’re in the last stretch of the year now and I’m sure more than a little stressed with deadlines, but for me I’m still trying to enjoy the little things and the last of student life! Here’s to great memories, friend-ships that’ll last a lifetime and all the adventures yet to come!
#CMet16Graduate
Damon Lewes
csmrep@cardiffmet.ac.uk@CSMRep
So you are in the school of manage-ment and you are looking to maybe study abroad or do a placement abroad but it is just such a HASSLE. Well here is the good news: it’s not!
We have a wonderful International Offi ce that can guide you through the whole experience. Just a few short forms and a short statement and you are nearly done. I did not think it was so simple. I emailed for a chat and less than a week later I had seen a lovely person in the In-ternational Offi ce and we had talked through what I wanted to do, where I wanted to go and how I could get the funding in place.
If you are on a course with Inter-national in the title you should be looking at least to do a placement, even if you don’t want to do a whole year. Even if you just want to dip your toe into the subject, try going to the International/Partners tab on the Cardiff Met website. There you will fi nd some of the places you can go or just look at the HUGE map in the CSM reception area for inspiration.
So these opportunities are available to most if not all CSM students, let’s make this year the best for interna-tionalisation and outward mobility. Remember if you don’t ask you don’t get. I am nearly always around so just come up to me for a chat.
Polly Cleaver
cssrep@cardiffmet.ac.uk@CSSRep
Welcome back everyone! I hope everyone had a great Christmas and is looking forward to the upcoming term. At the SU, we are constantly aiming to improve the student ex-perience and we love to share how your needs have been met based on your feedback. An example of this being the great range of new socie-ties that have been developed such as the Food Society, the Dance So-ciety and even Dumbledore’s Army! However, this is not a defi nitive list and if you ever want to create your own society all you have to do is complete a short form highlighting the main aims of your society. You can even get funding!
In addition, the SU continues to take great pride in sport by supporting students via the AU. These sports are supported by excellent facilities, coaches and funding. Additionally scholarships were recently awarded to students in a variety of sports. These scholarships include fi tness testing, nutrition advice, physiother-apy and memberships.
It is great to see the students across the uni fully embracing the opportunities available to them pro-vided by the SU including societies, the AU, Starbucks and of course the food. Although we always welcome new ideas on how we can improve, so don’t hesitate to pop into the SU offi ce and have a chat!
Welcome to the Students’ Union Elections special of the Retro newspaper! I must say it is great to see the amount of interest the Retro has had since its reinstatement this time last year.
We’ve got a jammed packed paper for you with some great individual student articles, stories from our societies and sports updates. We are also entering into our Students' Union Elections this week and you will be able to fi nd all the information about how to vote and the candi-dates that are running for SU President and Vice President this year. I’d encourage everyone to take the time to read all the candidates manifes-to and make your vote count in deciding the new Student Executive Offi cers.
Over the course of the year so far we have
managed to cut out the minimum card trans-action charges at all of our venues across both campuses. I am also pleased to announce that we will soon have free cash-withdrawals from all of the SU cash machines.
This term we have also been very fortunate to have been granted funding from the university to set up our very own radio station! We are very excited to have received this funding and will be looking to get students involved in the running of the radio station. Keep an eye on our website for all the updates on the radio station and how you can get involved.
I’d also like to give a special thank you to every-one who has contributed to Retro and our editor Luke for pulling it all together.
Stef KellySU President
Representation update & president welcomeP.2
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Upcoming EventsElectionVoting
Commences14
mar
If you'd like to have your work featured in Retro or the Students' Union website, send an e-mail to:
ldwilliams@cardiffmet.ac.uk
Retro is your student newspaper, so we'd love to feature your artwork, photographs, sporting achievements or written work!
tickets available at cardiffmetsu.co.uk/events
Varsity13thApril
Diss hand-in party - 1oth marSports Awards - 4th MaySummer Ball - 27th may
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Elections 2016
ElectionsElectionsElectionsElectionsElectionsElectionsElectionsElections 2016
2016student
SU Elections 2016Who will you vote for?
Voting opens on-campus between 14th-16th March
Aymen Al-RawiCandidate for President
Hello, my name is Aymen. I am a second year Biomedi-cal Science student in Cardiff School of Health Sciences and I am standing for the Students’ Union elections for the posi-tion of president this year.
I believe that the SU is well respected and well-estab-lished, however there are some points that need to be worked on, they are:
• Sourcing work placements for students in different specialities.
• More available car parking on both campuses.
• Improving transportation between the two campus-es and town.
• Improvement of communication between students in schools by organising events that will marry between them.
• Improvement of library opening times during the holidays and exams and the availability of books.
• Improvement of students’ safety issues e.g. Taff Trail.
Brad WoolridgeCandidate for President
For the current academic year, I have been lucky enough to be the Students’
Union Vice President. I feel in this time, I’ve been able to make positive
changes to the student experience, and would love the opportunity to continue
representing all students here at Cardiff Met. I have been part of a range of
initiatives this year, and feel I am able to persevere with the on-going devel-
opments that have been made, as well as initiating new ideas. Below are the 3 main points I’d like to focus on:
Student Safety and Wellbeing Campaigns
One of the main things I’d like to strive to achieve is the safety and wellbeing of all students. In the last year we
have established our ‘Safe Taxi Scheme’ and ran our ‘Mental Health Week’, which I think are great projects over
the last year. Going into next year, I would like to build on these schemes, and make it an aim to address issues
such as the poor lighting on the Taffs trail, and housing issues that students may face when fi rst moving into
private accommodation.
In regards to mental health, this is something that I have a great interest in. There has been great work done
over the last year in the school and sport and school of art and design to increase the awareness around the
topic. If I was to be elected, I would endeavour to develop mechanisms for students to access support for men-
tal health.
Build on the Increase in Student Societies
Over the last year, we have seen an increase in societies, and now boast over 40 active societies. The Students’
Union support societies by helping to fund events/activities as long as they meet the established requirements.
The more societies we establish should mean that we reach a larger population of students, which in turn will
hopefully enhance the experience they have whilst at university.
Bus Timetabling
This has been an on-going issue for some time now, but one that I would like to try and resolve. Throughout this
year, I have had feedback from many cohorts of students expressing their dismay around the bus timetabling.
In recent discussions with a group of the student representatives, we came up with further justifi cation for the
need for the timetable of buses to be improved. If I get the opportunity to become President next year, I would
like to make this a priority to meet the students’ needs, and to improve the cross-campus interaction.
These are just a few of the developments I’d look to work on during my time in post as President. With the
experience I have to date, I feel I am able to achieve these and represent all students to enhance their student
experience.
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Rhydian BirkinshawCandidate for Vice President
My Pledges to you:
• More accessible IT and Study space
• A real discussion on student parking in
LLandaff
• A real debate about NUS
• Improved transport between campuses
• Enclosed smoking areas
• More incentives for Postgraduate study
• More opportunities to learn different languages
• Extended I-Zone opening hours
The Welsh Language
• I’m a fluent Welsh speaker and have studied 80 Credits of my degree
in Welsh through the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol since starting at
Cardiff Met.
• I’m a student member of the academic board of the Coleg Cymraeg
representing the Coleg’s students form universities across South East
Wales.
• Dwi'n teimlo'n gryf iawn dros yr iaith Gymraeg. Dwi'n credu maen
pwysig bod unrhyw fyfyrwyr sydd eisiau yn gallu cael mynediad i ad-
dysg gyfrwng Gymraeg yn y Fet.
What will a Vote for me achieve?
• If I’m elected I’ll be one of the most hands-on Vice Presidents Cardiff
Met has ever seen.
• I’ll work hard to represent my fellow students.
• I’ll strive to make our Union the greatest in the country.
• I’ll do all I can to ensure that we have the best possible student expe-
rience.
• I’ll make sure that we strike the right balance between social and
academic.
• I’ll work to broaden the activities provided by UMAX.
• I’ll do my best to ensure all our Athletic Union teams get all the support
they need to be the best while also ensuring our Campus sports teams
are supported so that anyone of any skill level can take part in the
sport they love.
• I shall endeavour to improve the provision for students with Specific
Learning Difficulties from across the University so that they get the
same opportunity as other students.
• I will make myself available to speak to students anytime any place.
• I’ll do all I can to get black and white printing charges abolished.
Will FullerCandidate for Vice PresidentI have been a student at Cardiff Met for 5 years and have seen a lot of
changes in my time here. I have also worked at many levels within the SU
from bar staff all the way up to UMAX Intern. I have some ideas of ways that
the student experience can be improved and ways to maintain many of the
good ideas that have already been put in place. Most importantly, I want to
be the figurehead for the student voice. I want to ensure that all Cardiff Met students are represented effectively and that your opinions are heard and acted upon at all levels.
• Improve cross campus/school interaction and collaborations
Having been fortunate enough to work within all five of the schools at the university within my UMAX role, I have
seen how incredible many of the departments are in their own right. What struck me however is how many of
the courses and departments could complement each other. There is a huge amount of knowledge within each
school, some of which is transferable and applicable to other departments and I would like to improve the num-
ber of collaboration projects between students of each of the schools.
• Continue to represent and be the voice of all Cardiff Met student groups within the University
One of the key roles of the Vice President is to represent students at University level, whether that be in fitness to
study meetings or at board level when meeting with heads of the university. I want to represent the students of
Cardiff Met in these meetings to ensure that their voice is heard. I will forge good relationships with course reps,
lead reps and school reps to ensure that all the information that students feed back to the Students’ Union is
heard and acted upon.
• Further increase the number and quality of societies on offer.
One of the big improvements over the last 12 months within the SU is the number and quality of societies on
offer to our students. Having a place to meet with likeminded individuals is something that can make a person’s
experience so much better so I want to ensure that the current societies continue to be well run, especially
during the transition period as existing society committee member’s move on and new members step up. I also
want to continue to help new societies to be set up and ensure that funding for trips is available to all.
• Improve the number of experiential and placement learning opportunities for students
Having seen a lot of people leave university and struggle to get jobs due to a lack of experience, I want to help
more people gain experience in the workplace during their time at Cardiff Met. The UMAX volunteering and Job-
Shop are great ways for students to do this and I want to ensure that these continue to develop and improve as a
means of offering students ways to develop their skills and CV whilst still studying.
• More social events for all schools
Each school has very different social requirements so I will look to work with each school rep to listen to their
students and gear what social experiences they want. Whilst some schools like formal balls, others prefer large
socials; I would work with each school rep so that students can create memorable social events that meet their
needs.
• Increase the number of sport and recreational opportunities on Llandaff campus
As Vice President, I would look to improve the number of sporting opportunities for students based at Llandaff.
Continuing to develop the awareness of and number of Pinnacle Campus Sport initiatives on the Llandaff cam-
pus to ensure that everybody has access to the great activities that they offer.
• Continue to increase the number of healthy food options on both campuses
This year has seen the introduction of salad bars to the canteen areas has been a welcome addition but intro-
ducing more snack based healthy options to the SU venues, fresh fruit and protein bars etc. is something I will
look to implement should I be elected.
Hi, my name is Nuuria Nuuh and I’m running for the Students' Union Vice
President 2016. I’m currently studying education at Cyncoed campus
hoping to be a primary school teacher. I was told to write something for the
newspaper and didn’t really know what to say. This is me trying and me over
there in the picture: took a while to get the right one.
Moreover, I am extremely excited for running and hoping to put forward my
ideas and the changes that might take place if I become VP.
I hope to bring more SU hosted events that are suggested by the students,
Candidate for Vice PresidentNuuria Nuuh
listening and putting forward your thoughts. I also wish to voice your concerns about the
facilities on both Llandaff and Cyncoed campus e.g. parking and library. I will try to make
a difference when thinking of ways to bring together all students from all the different
school. Maybe in events and helping to encourage you to be more involved, such as
joining a society. Vote Nuuria Nuuh for Vice President 2016. Or for those guys on the other
pages, but make sure you vote for someone, your vote is the change that will happen.
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I Still try to brush my hairin the mornings!
Reece Elder
Lead RepSchool of Art & Design
“I still try to brush my hair in the mornings”
is one of the things I didn’t think I’d ever be
saying! Back in December 2015 I shaved
off all of my hair and hosted a waxing
session to raise money for my personal
challenge of going to Sri Lanka for charity
aid. I'm pleased to say that I raised over
£450 from the event!
I’m used to having long flowing locks but
I got rid of it all and donated my hair to a
charity (http://www.littleprincesses.org.
uk) which makes wigs for children going
through chemotherapy as a sponsorship
event. The charity is called SLV (http://
slvolunteers.com/about-us) and they host
and organise events for students to travel
to amazing places in the world and allow
the students to aid in the development
of these locations in different ways. I am
personally going to Sri Lanka to teach
English & Numeracy to children and adults
with cognitive disabilities where I (with
the help of my team) will be running &
organising all of these classes. This is a
purely volunteer-led project and will run
for 6 weeks where I will be staying in a Sri
Lankan family's house where we can teach
and learn from each other.
Cardiff Met Student Reece Shaves Head for Charity
The project has a major effect on the
area which is - generally neglected by
other charities - and has, for many years,
improved the lives of people living there.
I will be running a number of events this
year in order to raise money to get there.
This will include various tournaments, stalls
and other sponsorship events which will be
good fun for everyone at Cardiff Met and
will be a major boost to my fundraising
effort.
I’d be very grateful towards anyone that
wishes to help either through running an
event, helping me to run an event or even if
you’d just want some information about it
so you can get involved!
My fundraising page is:
https://www.gofundme.com/Sri-
LankaVolunteer and any help will be greatly
appreciated.
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Food & Drink Review: Deli FuegoDeli Fuego can be found on City Road, a
short walk for many Cardiff Met students
living in Roath or Cathays. We arrived at
Deli Fuego to a warm welcome from man-
ager Salah and our waitress for the night
Larysa, who showed us to our table. Larysa
swiftly took our drinks orders, bringing
us two freshly squeezed orange juices.
The restaurant was well decorated with a
relaxed vibe.
For starters we ordered mozzarella garlic
bread and bruschetta casalinga, which con-
sisted of garlic king prawns on bruschetta.
The starters were amazing, well flavoured
and a perfect size so as not to fi ll you
before the main, however the garlic bread
was defi nitely a sharer, perfect for a shared
side order. Our choices of main dishes were
a T-bone steak and linguini Bolognese. The
steak was unbelievable, it fell away from
the bone and was perfectly seasoned with
peppercorn sauce and the accompanying
chips, sauce and salad fi nished it off nicely.
I’m told the Bolognese was amazing, a
simple dish beautifully made.
Between the main and the dessert we were
offered a traditional Arabic tea, a blend of
black tea and mint which gave us a nice
break before dessert. To fi nish, we opted
for the Sicilian mess, a play on the tradi-
tional Eton mess with the addition of frozen
yoghurt, and a chocolate fondue for one.
There was also a huge range of cakes on
offer as well, all freshly made in the up-
stairs bakery.
I was left absolutely stuffed after 3 tru-
ly enjoyable courses, so if beautifully
cooked food and generous portion size is
something you look for, then Deli Feugo is
defi nitely for you!
This dining experience was reviewed by
Alys Little who is a student at Cardiff Met
and plays for the AU netball team.
Deli Fuego is at 91-99 City Road.
*Terms and conditions apply
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WIN a month’s rent for you and your housemates*
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P.8
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MARCH ‘16Advertorial Feature: Swipe & Save at Deli Fuego (10% off all food orders)Get your card at cardiffmetsu.co.uk/swipe to save £££'s in uni and around Cardiff
PODCASTSPRINGVARSITYELECTIONSBUSINESS
ENTREPRENEURSPORTSCHOLARSHIPPRESIDENTVICE
CHARITYMENTALHEALTHSOCIETIESATHLETICS
RADIOVOLUNTEER
Solutions overleaf
SUDOKUEASY HARD
STUDENTS FROM ACROSS THEGLOBE ATTEND SU PARTNER EVENT
On the 1st-3rd February 2016, Cardiff Met
Students’ Union invited students from Car-
diff Met’s partner institutions to Cardiff to
take part in the SU Partner Event.
The aim of the event was to give partner
students representative training and to give
them a chance to meet other student reps
from Cardiff and all over the world.
Cardiff Metropolitan University has nearly
7000 students studying Cardiff Met pro-
grammes in different institutions around
the world. 10 partner student reps attended
the event from institutions in India, China,
Bulgaria, Lebanon and Greece as well as
local partners in Bridgend and Cardiff.
Dimitris Vlastos, a student who attend-
ed from City Unity College in Athens said
about the visit, “the Students’ Union helped
us realise how important it is to be a
student representative. It was an amazing
experience.”
Some of the students were very nervous
when they fi rst arrived in Cardiff as it was
the fi rst time they have travelled outside of
their country alone but they praised the SU
and University for helping them feel so wel-
comed. Xu RunWen, a student from Renmin
University of China said, “It feels like I'm
talking to the members of a big family that
opens its door to anyone who wants to join
in, it doesn't matter where we come from or
which language we use”
Susan Cooke attended the event from
Bridgend College, she said “I found the in-
teraction with Cardiff Met Students’ Union
to be very enlightening and the opportunity
to meet with students from internation-
al partner institutions very enriching. I
enjoyed fi nding out about what the SU
does and hope we continue to strengthen
relations and use the support and services
that you provide.”
During the event, student’s met University
staff and had campus tours. Cardiff Met SU
gave the students representative training
and a session on how the Students’ Union
is able to support them. A Train the Trainer
workshop was delivered so that partner
students could take back the information
they had learnt from their visit to then teach
the students studying at their campus.
Right: Partner event
attendees at the new
Llandaff Students'
Union Offi ces.
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SOCIETY PROFILE: KendoJac Davies
Cardiff Mets Kendo Society has been estab-
lished since 2010 and teaches students the
Japanese way of the sword. Which, when
you get down to the nitty-gritty, is essen-
tially hitting each other with large bamboo
swords. Since its inception the Society has
taken Cardiff’s students all over the country
to meet, learn and fi ght other competitors
from around the world. And, with the begin-
ning of a New Year competition time has
begun in earnest.
The Society uses Cyncoed’s dance hall as
a makeshift Dojo where all the students
train on Thursday nights. The Dojo needed
a Japanese name and so the Cardiff Met
Society is called Denshinkan. 2015 has
been an incredibly busy and successful
year for Denshinkan with a long list of
achievements and awards under their belts.
Throughout 2015, Denshinkan has entered
many competitions and gradings, along
with its sister Dojo in Cardiff named Akai
Ryuu. Both Dojos have racked up a consid-
erable head count in the competitions as
well as having many Met students progress
through the ranks.
On the grading front, Cardiff Met students
have been busy and done incredibly well.
Many have progressed quickly since they
started practicing with Denshinkan, and this
has been reflected in last year’s success.
Grading’s in 2015
Watchet Grading:
Ikkyu - Lewis Martin, Lynette Danielle
Wesson
Yondan - Hannah Jones
Stoke Grading:
Ikkyu - Yasmeen Al
Mumeishi Grading:
Ikkyu - Hammooda Al
Shodan - Yasmeen Al
Sandan - Rosanna Riches
Success within the Denshinkan Dojo has
resulted in some skilled students both from
Cardiff Met and within the city itself. The
newest Cardiff Met students, who began
training at the start of the year, have recent-
ly undergone their own grading. With large
numbers of the students doing well it’s
looking like a competitive year for Denshin-
kan.
Women's Dan grade 2nd place - Rosanna
Riches
Women's kyu grade 1st place - Yasmeen Al
Mumeishi 3's:
3rd place women's individuals- Rosanna
Riches
1st place teams
Northern Open:
3rd place teams
British Open:
1st place women's - Rosanna Riches
2nd place women's - Sayo Ryokai Williams
1st place open - James Gordon Ogle
As you can see 2015 has been a busy year
for Denshinkan. We’ve travelled across the
UK to compete in numerous tournaments
and have been fortunate to train with many
skilled fi ghters. A tournament of importance
was the Mumeishi 3, with over 60 teams
from all over the world traveling to London
to compete. The Denshinkan A-team fought
through their pools to win the gold medal.
The next competition Met’s Denshinkan
Dojo has its eyes set on is the University
Taikai. The Taikai consists of universities
competing from all over the UK and so is
one of the most anticipated events for Ken-
do clubs. This will also give new members a
chance to flex their muscles.
The past year has been very exciting for the
club with a variety of events taking place
and new students joining. Met’s Denshin-
kan Dojo is always happy to welcome new
members so that it can continue to com-
pete, train and grow. With a whole new diary
of events coming up it is as good a time as
any to start swinging that bamboo stick.
Cardiff Kendo is very competitive and has
been winning or ranking highly in many
of the tournaments. As well as hosting its
own competition this year, Cardiff Kendo
has had an illustrious year with Met's own
Denshinkan at the forefront.
Competitions in 2015
University Taikai:
Fighting Spirit - Yasmeen Al
Welsh Open:
1st place women's individuals - Rosanna
Riches
3rd place teams
Premier Cup Individuals:
1st place - Ryutaro Tanaka
2nd place - James Gordon Ogle
Frank Bowden Team Taikai:
2nd place
Cheltenham Regional Individual Shiai:
Men's Dan grade 1st place - James Gordon
Ogle
Joining a society at Cardiff Met will help you
meet new people and is a great way to en-
hance your university experience.
We have many different societies, from course-
based, to cultural and hobby related ones.
We’ve had lots of new societies that have been
started up this academic year. These include,
Dumbledore’s Army, Student Action for Refu-
gees, Artisans Anonymous, St John's Ambu-
lance and Chess Club to name but a few.
If you can’t fi nd a society that catches your
eye, then you can try starting up your own.
Email societies@cardiffmet.ac.uk to fi nd out
more.
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Sudoku solutions atcardiffmetsu.co.uk/puzzles
VolunteeringStrengthen your employability skills, make new friends and do something worthwhile by volunteering with UMAX. We organise a variety of one-off and on-going projects for students to get involved in.
So far this year, projects we have or-ganised include:
• Dog walking- Students visited a dog rescue charity to take some of the dogs for a walk.
• Beach clean with Keep Wales Tidy at Ogmore-by-Sea
• Christmas card making- Students got crafty to make cards for poorly children in hospital
• Students have volunteered to give out recycling bags and waste infor-mation as part of Go Green Week
• A community litter pick• A day at the farm- Amelia Trust
Farm project- Students volun-teered to help with the animals and on a woodland trail restoration project at Amelia Trust Farm. The farm is a charity which provides an alternative education for vulnerable and disadvantaged young people.
Another project which students can get involved in is the Cardiff Met Student Action for Refugees (STAR) society. The group run weekly sessions at a
refugee support centre every Tues-day in term time from 17:30-19:30. The aim of the sessions are to help refugees integrate into British soci-ety and to run an informal and basic English conversation club.
As well as organising our own volun-teer projects, UMAX also advertises volunteer roles in external organisa-tions through our website. So far this year, we’ve advertised opportunities in local Primary Schools, for Cancer Research Wales and South Wales Police to name but a few.
UMAX is looking for students to be part of the Volunteering Committee during the next academic year. So if you are interested in organising, promoting and attending projects offered by the SU, then please get in touch with us about this.
Take a look at our volunteering webpage: (www.cardiffmetsu.co.uk/umax/employability/volunteering) and sign up to our volunteering mailing list to be emailed our latest opportunities.
You can also e-mail Amy for further information:
acampbell@cardiffmet.ac.uk
Left: Students taking part in the dog walk at a rescue charity.
Above: Card making for poorly children in hospital.
Society ListingsArtisans Anonymous
Brunei Students
Chess Club
Chinese Society
Christians in Sport
Christian Union
Computing Society
Dance Society
Dice & Dorks Society
Dig Deep Challenge Society
Dumbledore’s Army
Economics Society
FAB LAB Society
Film Society
Food Society
Gaming Society
Gender Equality Society
Illustration Society
Islamic Society
Kendo Society
LGBT +
Mature Students
Omani Society
Participatory Arts Society
Podiatry Society
Product Design
Psychology Society
Quiz Society
Saudi Society
Science Society
Speech and Language Therapy Society (SALTSOC)
Seventh Day Adventist (SDA)
Sign Language Society
St John Ambulance
Student Action for Refu-gees (STAR)
True Vine Bible Study
Y Gymdeithas Gymraeg (The Welsh Society)
Youth & Community
20 Minute Society
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Advice from Cardiff Met SU's Agony Aunt
#didyouknow#DidYouKnow is a social media campaign
where we aim to give you short snippets of
key information that we think you may need
to know.
This information is already provided in your
student handbook, academic handbook,
programme handbook and other docu-
ments available to you when enrolling at
Cardiff Met but we think it is best to have
this information in the back of your mind
just in case you ever need it.
The kind of info we're covering with our
#DidYouKnow hashtag on Twitter includes:
• Key university dates
• Exam information
• Complaints procedures
• Mitigating circumstances
• Appeals procedures
• Services offered by your SU
To keep up to date, follow us:
@UMAXStudents
Or for further friendly advice and support,
call in to the SU offi ces on either campus.
You can also email us at:
suadvice@cardiffmet.ac.uk
#DidYouKnow that there are timescales for all university procedures
#DidYouKnow that the SU has a team of friendly advisors that can advise you through all university procedures
Students’ Union if you need more advice:
We would always urge students not to sign
up too early – you might feel differently in a
few months!
Q: I have exams coming up after Easter and
as a mature student it’s a long time since I
last sat an exam – I’m terrifi ed, help!
A: It’s perfectly natural to feel some anxiety
about approaching exams, but even more
so if you have been out of the education
system for a while: speak to your tutors
about the setting and style of your exams,
so you know what to expect. Talk to your
fellow students too, and maybe organise
study groups so you can share ideas. Have
a look at some of the revision tips we’ve
put together on the SU website: http://
www.cardiffmetsu.co.uk/umax/advice/
examsupport/. Speak to the Students’
Union if you need more advice.
Q: I know we’re almost at the end of term
but my money’s run out way too fast, plus
I’ve had a couple of unexpected expenses
to pay – I’m worried how I’m going to
manage until my next loan payment comes
through.
A: If you’re fi nding it hard to make ends
meet, you might be able to get some
fi nancial help through a grant which does
not have to be paid back: contact the
Student Finance & Advisory Welfare service
who can help guide you in an application
for the Hardship Fund: https://tsr.
cardiffmet.ac.uk/Units/SS/Finance/Pages/
Hardship%20Fund.aspx
Q: I signed up for a house share next year,
back in October, now I’ve decided I would
rather live with some other friends and
want to get out of the contract – can you
help?
A: Unfortunately, tenancy contracts are
extremely diffi cult to get out of once you
have signed – they are legally binding,
and it’s not enough to say you have now
changed your mind. Most contracts will let
you terminate if you can fi nd a replacement
for your room, and even then both the
landlord and your fellow flatmates will also
have to agree to the change, otherwise
you are still liable. There might also be a
small admin fee to change the contract
into someone else’s name. Speak to the
P.12
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MARCH ‘16
Cardiff Met Award Update
they havelogged over1908 hours
of experience
43 studentsare signed up
this year
and attended140 workshops
so far
The Cardiff Met Award is an excellent oppor-tunity to gain new skills and experiences that will allow you to develop personally and from an employability perspective.
We have students from all 5 academic schools completing the award, ranging from first year students to postgraduates, and there's still time to sign-up. You can do so by emailing a CV and a 500 word cover letter to hareilly@cardiffmet.ac.uk.
If you’re worried about fitting it all in before the end of the year, don’t worry you can make a start now and carry it over to the next aca-demic year.
JOBSHOP hits a milestoneUMAX at Cardiff Met SU are thrilled to an-
nounce that since we launched in 2012 we
have hit a milestone of advertising a 1000
jobs to our stUdents and graduates.
In addition to over a 1000 job postings be-
ing advertised, a large percentage of these
offered multiple positions, giving far more
students and graduates work opportunities.
These roles included volunteering, intern-
ships, part time and full time opportunities.
UMAX thrives on networking and building
relationships with employers and university
departments. The team at Cardiff Met SU
and UMAX work hard to highlight the quali-
ty of the talent we have here at Cardiff Met,
and how our students and graduates can
add real value to organisations.
Some of the roles our students have filled
are internal positions at the university,
which are not only convenient but offer
great employability experience for students.
UMAX can offer you guidance and advice
with job applications and employability
skills.
You can take advantage of this service by
calling into the SU offices or by emailing
Charlotte:
chmiles@cardiffmet.ac.uk
UMAX WORKSHOPSAll of our workshops are in the SU
meeting rooms on either campus.
Sign-up online at:
cardiffmetsu.co.uk/UMAX
Cultural Awareness8th March 1pm – 4pm
Cyncoed
Promoting a Positive Image at Interview9th March 1pm – 4pm
Llandaff
Exceptional Customer Service19th April 3.30pm – 5pm
Cyncoed
Effective CV Writing20th April 1pm – 4pm
Llandaff
Perfect Presentations26th April 1pm – 4pm
Cyncoed
Equality and Diversity5th May 1pm – 4pm
Cyncoed
Promoting a Positive Image at Interview6th May 10am – 1pm
Llandaff
Effective CV Writing10th May 1pm – 4pm
Cyncoed
UMAX jobshopApply online at:
cardiffmetsu.co.uk/UMAX
Tutors Superstars, closing date 31st May
School Reps Cardiff Met SU, closing date 18th March
Advisory Committee on Degree Awarding Powers Student Member QAA, closing date 18th March
Event Volunteer Tenovus, closing date 8th March
Teaching Assistant (Maths and English) Superstars, closing date 30th April
Volunteer 3H Fund, closing date 30th April
P.13
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MARCH ‘16
E CHANGEMaking the Most of what University has to OfferIeuan Gardiner
School of Education
For some of us, we are now just
over half way through our degree
and deciding what to do when we
graduate. For some of us, including
me, this will be the most memorable
years of our life where we have
devloped some really meaningful
friendships. The way I have made
these friends and memories is by
getting involved in all the extra-
curricular activities that are on offer
from the Students' Union and from
my course.
Before coming to Cardiff Met I went
to a different university and I didn’t
get involved in any of the extra
activities that were offered to me. I
consequently dropped out and didn’t
feel a part of anything other than the
course I was on. I made friends that I
still keep in contact with but we only
knew each other from our course and
that was the main thing we had in
common.
Since coming to Cardiff Met I have
immersed myself in all the additional
things that the university has to offer
and I have made friends with a wide
range of interests. Why grow old
before our time? We spend enough
time working when we graduate
so make sure that you get involved
with everything that university has
to offer. The more you do, the more
rounded you become and the more
fun you will have.
Bruges by bikeEllie Antippas
BA (Hons) International Tourism & Events
Management
By bike, I mean a KTM 990 Adventure
Motorcycle. Yes, that’s right. I rode on the
back of a KTM from Cardiff to Bruges. This
was just before Christmas so, naturally the
weather was expected to be unforgiving.
However, the promise of Christmas Markets
made it worthwhile.
On the 13th December, my dad and I had
finished packing all of our necessities into
the two bags which would fit into the ‘old
man’ paniers. The ‘old man’ paniers weren’t
exactly the look my dad was going for, how-
ever, they were, the most space efficient
method of getting all our kit with us. The
following morning, we set off. The first 30
minutes of our journey began with tailbacks
from the rush hour traffic. There was a
collision on the M4, which resulted in hold-
ups for 12 miles! Luckily for us, the bike
could easily weave through the three lanes
of traffic. It would take us just over 3 hours
to get to Folkestone, which would give us
40 minutes until our scheduled Eurotunnel.
However, we made it in a record time of 2
hours and 40 minutes! This gave us two
options, the first, to stick with our original
booking, or the second, to catch the next
booking, which would leave in 14 minutes.
We decided to catch the earlier booking.
My dad and I were freezing down to the
bone. Even though we were both layered
up to the extreme, wind still wove its way
through the fibres, through to our bodies.
The Eurotunnel only took 25 minutes. We
were in Calais in no time! The next stage of
the journey was to find our final destina-
tion. It was estimated that the ride would
take roughly 90 minutes but it only took us
an hour! As we flew past the laden lorries,
the high winds pushed us back across the
lane. We arrived at our rented terrace. It
was hidden away in one of the many, little
lanes, only a 5-minute walk from the main
square. And now we were within an urban
area, the wind had dropped drastically,
and it was surprisingly mild. We wrapped
up and headed out on a search for food.
We ambled through the lanes and found
ourselves in the biggest square. It had a
towering clock tower and underneath it lay
a maze of Christmas stalls. Surrounding
the square, restaurants and cafes were lit
up with Christmas trees and giant, bright
baubles.
We settled with sating our cravings: PIZZA.
We looked around and could see four
different establishments. We settled for an
authentic Italian which was a mistake. We
had to drown our sorrows in the Irish Bar
across the street, which, even though it
looked dodgy, had a very relaxing atmos-
phere. After a few drinks we ambled back
to the rented terrace to be greeted by the
warmth of the heaters.
Tuesday consisted of touring Bruges.
Bruges, from a Birdseye view, looks like a
spider’s web. It’s centered and then layers
out from the middle with lanes and streets.
The whole morning and early afternoon
consisted of walking from the outside
back into the centre. During our walk, we
identified the local treasures, the real-deal
restaurants. During the evening, we found
ourselves going back to a hidden, ‘actual’
Italian restaurant. The food was lovely, so
too was the alcohol. So much so, dad got
incredibly drunk, thought about getting a
tattoo (studio was closed), and misdirected
our walk, meaning it took us three times
as long to get back than it should have.
Wednesday contained yet more walking.
You could easily amble around for hours
without realising how many miles you
had covered. We dedicated Wednesday to
shopping for Christmas presents. It was the
ideal place to shop, the exchange rate made
it cheaper, and with less tax on products,
we felt as if we were stealing. The day
ended with a burger, a really good burger,
another hidden treasure. No booze after
yesterday. Thursday, we packed up and got
on the bike to head back. We made the trip
to the Eurotunnel in less than an hour and
the crossing was quick. However, as soon
as we got into the UK, it tipped down. The
weather continued to be as unforgiving as
expected.
P.14
EXCHANGEEXCHANGE
MARCH ‘16
Georgia PearsonBA (Hons) Illustrationinstagram: illustratedpear
Ken Ebihara's Youth Work ExperienceKen is an international student from Japan
studying at Cardiff Met
The reason why I have participated in
voluntary work is to experience 100 hours
of on-the-job training as part of my course.
The purpose of this voluntary work is to
learn what young people and children’s
lives look like and to understand their
individual personalities through commu-
nicating with them. Having experienced
this particular field of work, I have obtained
some findings about how youth workers
work for young people.
Glenwood Church Youth Centre where I
have worked provides many activities for
not only the community, but also for youths.
There are three main activities called Wave,
Mud and Youth Band. Wave is generally
aimed at high school students. They can
talk with each other and learn about Chris-
tianity. On the contrary, Mud is for primary
school children and consists of playing
football and group games. Youth Band is
where many young people practice playing
musical instruments and sing for concerts
which are held in the centre. Most of the
activities are available for as little as £1.
The youth centre has a good relationship
with Cardiff Met and they have accept-
ed many students as volunteers. In fact,
some of my co-workers are studying at
the university. Observing them, I gathered
some observations. For instance, when I
attended a talk on Christianity, we had to
split into small groups which consisted
of 5 or 6 people. At that time, I found that
every staff member successfully dis-
persed into small groups and attempted
to invite the young people to talk and to
lead the conversation. Personally, I think
this means the staff members can work
efficiently for young people as a team. After
finishing every youth activity, we have a
short meeting talking about the outcomes.
Some colleagues refer to the good achieve-
ments of individual young people, others
mention points that should be improved.
These meetings contribute significantly to
understanding how to pay attention to their
behaviour and communicate with them
properly.
It has been approximately 3 months since
I started working for the youth centre. As
I work more, I have wondered why young
people would like to take part in these
activities. Obviously, attending the activities
JustificationBy Gemma Iqbal
MA English Literature and Creative
Writing
Words, repeat them enough and they
become meaningless. They move to
a place beyond comprehension; fall
on deaf ears. The same cannot be
said for actions.
Actions have consequences and
consequences lead to actions. This is
his argument, his reasoning. This is
his justification.
He uses words like, ‘I lost control.
I didn’t know what I was doing. I
couldn’t stop myself.’ In her case,
these words are meaningless, they
have moved beyond this world and
left her silent.
‘Wrong’, wrong is the word he uses
to affiliate with her actions. She
had wronged him. She stank of
wrongness. Wrongness must be
corrected, identified and punished.
He believes this, yet does not hold
himself to such convictions. He sits
in the dock, listening as the words
unfold, painting himself the victim. A
victim of her actions, a victim of his
right to justice.
The judge does not agree with him.
The man in cell 212 on Block B,
whose mother had been beaten to
death when he was eight, does not
agree with him.
To have your written work considered
for publication in Retro, email:
ldwilliams@cardiffmet.ac.uk
Flash Fictionis not compulsory for them, even so, they
choose to join the activities. Therefore, I
have asked them why? The major answer
was communicating with other young
Christians. According to them, the major-
ity of students are not Christians in their
school. This point is one of the distinct
differences of nature between youth centres
which are run by a church and a school.
They would like to immerse themselves
into a young Christian community. As the
second reason, they mentioned the pleas-
ure of communication outside of school.
They can be free from the pressure of study,
especially examinations, for example. In
addition, it is also a good factor that these
activities have a wide age range of partici-
pants. Most of them told me that the centre
has a good environment for them. They
understand that it is valuable to talk and
play games with other local young people in
a comfortable atmosphere.
In my opinion, it is respectable that the
youth centre provides a place for local
young people where they can socialise with
their friends freely. Obviously this is a sort
of social welfare and securing accessibility
and equality of the services are neces-
sary factors for the users. Why is it that
the youth centre can sustain its manage-
ment under the severe budget cutting? It
is because almost all staff members of
the centre are voluntary workers who are
willing to communicate with young people
with happiness.
Needless to say, supporting children and
young people who will become leaders of
the future has to be the first priority of any
society. To make it feasible, it is also impor-
tant for society to encourage and train the
people who would like to be youth workers
to help young people with diverse needs. I
really appreciate the opportunity to par-
ticipate in these activities and to study the
subject in the university. In fact, there is no
similar system for young people in Japan.
Therefore, I genuinely would like British
people to be proud of the circumstances
of welfare for young citizens and the kind
heart of British people that underpins the
current situation of young and promising
people.
More info: cardiffmetsu.co.uk/volunteer
P.15
EXCHANGEEXCHANGE
MARCH ‘16
Sally Bethell (CSE) - Physical Education
“Sally always makes me feel very welcome and you can tell she really cares about how we are
all progressing and getting on in our PGCEs!”
Which Spice Girl would you be? Sporty Spice.
What Super Power would you have? Switch off button.
What do your pets dream of? The washing up.
Where would you hide an elephant? Paint it’s toenails red and hide it in a cherry tree!
Through a keen interest in playing and excelling in sport Sally first found a love for helping
others progress through coaching. Consequently, she completed an undergraduate degree
in Physical Education and sociology followed by a PGCE in Physical Education and History
at Exeter University. Today we see Sally as the program director of the very prestigious PGCE
secondary programs run at Cardiff Met, where she has guided and continues to guide many
aspiring students to their teaching careers. In sharing her teaching experiences with PGCE stu-
dents, Cardiff Met has been seen to produce excellent teachers and with Sally’s contributions
will continue to do so!
Richard Morris (CSAD) - Furniture Design
“He pays a lot of attention to every need we have and gives very
constructive feedback which is supported by fair precise argu-
ments. Also he is very easy to approach if you have a problem and
has a personality that makes you want to work harder.”
Which Spice Girl would you be? Baby Spice.
What Super Power would you have? Endless Energy.
What do your pets dream of? Long walks on the beach.
Where would you hide an elephant? Return the elephant to its
rightful owner.
Katherine Mutter (CSM) - Marketing
“Everyone I have spoken to agrees that she is a phenomenal teacher,
and always leaves her classes having fully understood the informa-
tion she has provided us with.”
Which Spice Girl would you be? Sporty Spice
What Super Power would you have? Invisibility cloak and to fly (pret-
ty much Harry Potter)
What do your pets dream of? Food or an invisibility cloak
Where would you hide an elephant? Llandaff Fields
Katherine has had a phenomenal career in marketing and has be-
SLTF Fellowship WINNERS 2016As you all know, the Student Led Teaching
Fellowship provides an opportunity for
students to reward a member of staff that
has made a major contribution to their de-
velopment. The winners are chosen based
on the content of written nominations from
students, giving the award more sentimen-
tal value. We had the opportunity to have
a little chat with this year’s winners and
here’s what they had to say.
The programme runs annually so if you
have a member of university staff that
you'd like to nominate for an award recog-
nising their contribution to the teaching of
your degree subject, keep an eye out for
next year's nominations opening.
For more information on the SLTF pro-
gramme, visit:
cardiffmetsu.co.uk/sltf
Dr. Leanne Etheridge (CSHS) - Psychology
“Nothing is too much trouble for her, every student is her priority and she will do what she can
in her power to ensure that each and every student is happy and comfortable during their time
at university.”
Which Spice Girl would you be? Posh Spice.
What Super Power would you have? To be in multiple places at once.
What do your pets dream of? Salmon and a quiet house.
Where would you hide an elephant? I’d disguise it (inspired by her daughter’s book ‘Elmer’).
After completing both her undergraduate degree and PhD at Loughborough University, Leanne
was inspired by one of her own lecturers to get into teaching. Since becoming a member
of staff at Cardiff Met she has set up the psychological literacy award that is run alongside
students’ degrees. This award provides opportunities for students to apply the academia they
have learnt on the course in practical and professional environments. With these concerns for
her students after graduating, you can understand why they feel she deserves the award and
we hope that her efforts are appreciated throughout CSHS. will continue to do so!
After developing a keen interest in Design Graphic Technology in secondary
school, Richard felt as though he wanted to make a difference in the way that
people work in different environments. Through his passion for furniture design Richard has been
able to create innovative projects. These projects provide students with real life experiences,
where they are required to interact with different members of staff and departments in order to
create the final outcome. The passion that Richard expresses toward his work has clearly rubbed
off on his students who feel inspired to work harder and to the best of their ability. With his hum-
ble attitude, he is also very complimentary towards the rest of the staff in CSAD and to me feels
like a great personality to have in the department!
Sally Varrall (CSS) - Dance
“There is an ease to her teaching, she makes everyone feel very comfortable because she is so
passionate about what she does.”
Which Spice Girl would you be? None of them! – I’m not a fan of celebrity status!
What Super Power would you have? A power that changes minds when fairness, equity and reason
is not apparent.
What do your pets dream of? Escaping!
Where would you hide an elephant? I wouldn’t hide it. I’d set it free!
Ever since Sally attended her first dance class she has been passionate about dance and dancing.
She became a lecturer to develop and challenge her own learning experience and equally, to develop
and challenge student learning. With her strong beliefs in becoming more than just a lecturer, Sally
has ensured that she has had positive influence on students’ professional development by support-
ing and nurturing them through university life. Similarly, it can be seen that Sally provides students
with opportunities to engage in industry led residencies with professional dancers/choreographers,
etc. The purpose of these opportunities is to develop their experience in and of dance; to challenge
their perception and exceed their expectation of dance and dancing. Her efforts in CSS are very
much appreciated and we hope they are reflected throughout the university.
come an international marketing strategy specialist. This career started after
a series of promotions at the steel company that provided materials used in
the construction of the Severn Bridge and for major automotive manufacturers. Following this,
Katherine became a lecturer at the Chartered Institute of Marketing. It is through these employ-
ments and experiences that she has been able to provide such a fulfilling marketing course at
Cardiff Met. Her links to the Chartered Institute of Marketing has permitted the opportunity for
students to gain a professional qualification in alignment with their degree, increasing their em-
ployability after graduating. With her long list of traits including the ability to speak 5 languag-
es, Katherine is a clear asset to CSM and deserves the recognition the award has brought her.
Interviewed byDan Spencer
P.17
EXCHANGEEXCHANGE
MARCH ‘16
Graduate Entrepreneurs Supported at Cardiff MetThe Centre for Entrepreneurship has recently
opened a brand new start-up incubator as an
extension of its support for graduate entrepre-
neurs. The entrepreneurs benefit from free office
space within the incubator and a place on the
start-up accelerator programme in partnership
with Simply Do Ideas. Currently there are five
graduate entrepreneurs working from the space
on a regular basis:
Oliver Norcott, freelance graphic designer and
photographer
Oliver completed a Master of Design at Cardiff
Met in 2015. Oliver’s business is focused on
graphic design for fellow creatives. A lot of his
time is spent photographing artists’ work and
producing marketing materials for them (includ-
ing fellow Cardiff Met graduate and fine artist
Aidan Myers). Oliver has also produced several
company logos and websites for small busi-
nesses, including some of the fellow graduate
businesses in the incubator.
Megan Bearpark, founder of Workzone Therapies
and Total Equilibrium
Megan is a Complementary Therapies graduate.
She specialises in vocal massage and offers
work-based massage sessions for businesses
which help to relieve employee stress levels.
Megan has picked up contracts with the likes of
British Gas and has recently gained a new client
for her vocal massage service, actress Sophie
Linder-Lee who recently starred in the Rocky
Horror Show at the New Theatre in Cardiff.
Ali Mahoney, founder of ithinksport
Ali is the founder of ithinksport, a website and
mobile app that’s dedicated to providing sports
people with mental skills training through sport
psychology techniques. Ali has a wealth of ex-
perience in sport science and has undertaken an
MSC in Applied Sports Psychology.
James Symonds, founder of J Yoga
James graduated with a degree in Business In-
formation Systems in 2015. He is in the process
of establishing a yoga business which will offer
classes for students and staff at Cardiff Met as
well as providing outreach to charities and par-
ticularly individuals with mental health issues.
James is also aiming to provide mindfulness
and meditation as well as retreats and relaxation
events as the business develops.
Laura Smith, freelance product designer
Laura Smith completed a Masters in Product
Design at Cardiff Met in 2014. She has designed
a modular pet home which can be used indoors
or outdoors and is stackable, therefore giving pet
owners the freedom to expand and grow their
pet home. Laura is now working on taking the
product to market.
The five start-ups will be given guidance, men-
toring and support over the next six months as
they develop their businesses. The Simply Do
Ideas team meet with the entrepreneurs once a
week and set them tasks to complete which help
to take their idea to the next level. The graduate
entrepreneurs also benefit from the co-working
space in which they can share ideas, problems
and challenges with one another.
Megan Bearpark commented: ‘I’m really gaining
a lot from the accelerator programme so far.
I’ve found it challenging and I’m excited for the
on-going support and training. It’s been really
useful to network with other entrepreneurs on
the programme and it’s good to have such a wide
array of abilities and skills amongst the other
graduate businesses.’
Two of the graduate entrepreneurs (Oliver and
Megan) were awarded a place in the incubator
following their successful pitch at Countdown to
Launch in June last year. Countdown to Launch
is a five day business start-up programme open
to students and graduates of Cardiff Met. During
the five days budding entrepreneurs learn about
what it takes to start a business with a number
of workshops and presentations from entrepre-
neurs and industry professionals.
On the fifth and final day participants are given
the opportunity to pitch to a panel for funding
to start their business. Last year £7000 was
awarded to seven new start-up businesses.
This year from June 6th to 10th Countdown to
Launch will be taking place once again and any
graduate business that successfully pitches on
the final day will automatically get a place in the
incubator and join the accelerator programme.
Those who cannot attend Countdown to Launch
can still apply for a place on the incubator and
accelerator, email entrepreneurship@cardiffmet.
ac.uk for details.
The incubator is also open for current students
to use on a ‘hot desk’ basis as they develop their
business. If you’re interested in using the space
email the team on entrepreneurship@cardiffmet.
ac.uk.
The incubator is based at Llandaff just next to
the new Student Union offices (down the corridor
from Starbucks). The Centre for Entrepreneurship
has also moved into the adjoining offices and is
enjoying its new central location where students
can call in and chat about their business ideas.
Cardiff Met SU working with the Centre for Student Entrepreneurship
The Centre for Entrepreneurship comes across
lots of students who like the idea of being an
entrepreneur but don’t have a specific business
idea. Others have a business idea and know
that they definitely want to start-up but they
need some guidance on how to get started. The
Mingle events were created to help in both these
scenarios.
By mingling with successful entrepreneurs on a
monthly basis, students learn about the realities
of starting and running a business from someone
who has been there and done it. Those who don’t
yet have an idea often walk away from the events
feeling inspired by hearing someone else’s story
as well as being armed with new contacts.
Over the past academic year the Centre has
brought in some fantastic guests to inspire the
entrepreneurial students of Cardiff Met. This has
included Debbie Williams, angel investor and
founder of Confused.com; Mark Hooper, founder
of Wales’ largest co-working company Indycube
and Josh Barnett, former Student Union Presi-
dent and founder of Treatment Clothing.
People are often afraid of networking but the
Centre has made the Mingle events relaxed and
informal, ranging from an afternoon of chatting
over tea and cake to an evening of roundtable
‘speed networking’. In every case the students
can contribute as much or as little as they like
within the event. Some students who attend are
confident in talking about their idea, asking ques-
tions and throwing themselves into the opportu-
nity while others prefer to sit back and listen to
what others have to say and absorb all the useful
tips and insights on offer.
The Mingle events are held on the first Tuesday
of every month with the next being ‘Employabil-
ity Mingle’ on May 3rd where the Centre will be
exploring the link between an entrepreneurial
mind-set and landing that dream graduate job.
For more information email entrepreneurship@
cardiffmet.ac.uk.
Get Inspired at mingle
Above: Students at a Centre for Entre-preneurship Mingle event.
Front row (l-r): Laura Smith, Josh Bar-nett and Lee Sharma (all Simply Do).
Back row (l-r): James Symonds, Oliver Norcott and Megan Bearpark.
cardiffmet.ac.uk/business/cse
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SWIPE Card
SWIPE & SAVE!Only
£10.00
for 3 Years
Swipe Card is Cardiff Met’s student lifestyle card, offering huge offers and discounts on many of your favourite brands.
What sets Swipe apart from all the other student discount cards is not only does it provide you with offers and discounts in your favourite retailers in Cardiff but Swipe also offers and discounts on-campus at Cardiff Met.
Swipe Card Benefi ts:
• Valid Student I.D. and Discount Card
• Exclusive to Cardiff Met Students
• Offers & Discounts on Big Brands
• 10% Off Food & Drink at run bars
• 5% Off Selected items at run shops
• Weekly Email Offers & Discounts
Bag a Swipe Card at: www.cardiffmetsu.co.uk
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Scholar Profile:Jordan Lam
Jordan Lam (21)Football
BSc (Hons) Sport & Exercise Science
Who do you play/compete for?
I play for the firsts both Wednesday
(BUCS) and Saturday (Welsh League).
What is an average week like for you in
terms of university and training?
An average week consists of sitting
in the library attempting to write my
dissertation. Then off to train for the
upcoming game, then back to attempting
to write words for my dissertation, before
finally playing the game that I trained for.
I'd maybe say the work productivity of the
next week normally relies on if we win or
lose!
What is your best/most memorable
achievement in sport and why?
I probably should say my most memorable
achievement would be playing for Torquay
United. Other than that, playing for Devon
wasn't bad and of course being selected
for Cardiff Met isn't all that bad either!
At what age did you begin your sport and
how did it come about?
My parents took me to play football when
I was four but apparently I wasn't really
interested and just started going onesies
on the field. I wasn't born with the football
at my feet. My actual passion was for
hip-hop dancing. Aged six, my parents
took me back to football, I guess they
really wanted a footballer. It's from here I
realised my potential to be the greatest.
How is your season going so far?
My season was actually going really well,
until I got shingles on my face and now
I'm fighting to get back my fitness.
What are you aims and aspirations for the
future?
I would love to go pro, perhaps even go
abroad to play. The world is my oyster!
Tell us something not many people know
about you?
I was quite the little actor and originally
applied for drama school, but changed my
mind last minute. They said I was better
than DiCaprio but I'd rather learn about
energy systems.
Quick Fire Team Mates Quiz
Best dance moves?
A few have been known to shake up the
dance realm. Notable movers being Josh
Barnett and Chris Baker, however I must
proclaim this title for myself.
Most vain?
I'm going to say Dan Spencer because he
looks like a Greek God.
Cardiff Met athletic union Summaries
men's footballThe first team finished 3rd in their first
BUCS Premier South season, they now
face Stirling University in the quarter finals
of the BUCS Championship. In the Welsh
League, the team sit top of League One, 6
points clear of second place as they look
for promotion to the Welsh Premier League.
The team have also made it to the quarter
finals of the Welsh Cup where they host
Connah’s Quay at Cyncoed on the 5th of
March which will be Sgorio’s featured live
game on S4C.
The second team are chasing promotion in
their BUCS league and still have the league
leaders to play. On Saturday, the team
currently sit 14 points clear at the top of the
reserves division as they look to retain their
title under the leadership of PhD student
Martin Longworth and player/coach and
MSc student Liam Black.
The youth team have had a strong season
so far and are second in BUCS. A large
proportion of the team are also playing
in their first season in the Welsh Premier
Youth Development League South where
they are currently top.
The 4th team have enjoyed mixed fortunes
and find themselves 5th in the BUCS
league.
The 5th team are enjoying an unbeaten
season in BUCS and are 5 points clear of
the second placed team.
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Women's FootballNearing the end of the BUCS season the
1st team have won the Premier South with
2 games left to play. They will soon begin
the knockout stages in the search of BUCS
championship gold! The 2nd team currently
sit in 3rd place in Western 1A with 3 games
left to play and will also be looking for
BUCS trophy success.
In the Welsh Premier League, the 1st team
are sitting top of the table on 28 points with
a goal difference of +61. Winning the title
this year would mean the club enter the
Women’s Champions League for the 4th
time in 5 years. The team are also in the
Quarter Finals of the FAW Cup.
FutsalQasmal Ghani (Head Coach)
In the BUCS Western 1B division, the 1st
team is currently 2 points behind top-
place Bristol, but having played a game
more. The potential turning point could be
letting a 9-6 lead slip and drawing 9-9 in
December’s top of the table clash. For 2
seasons running, we have exited the BUCS
Trophy in the 1st round. This year has also
seen our fi rst participation in the FAW Elite
Futsal League. Despite results not being
forthcoming, more higher-level games
are helping us gaining much-needed
experience in order to develop our game
to the next level. We will be entering the
FAW Futsal Cup at the Quarterfi nal stage.
The only ever-present player in the club’s
14 fi xtures, Samuel Plowright, is currently
topping the team’s scoring chart with 18
goals, whilst ‘Irish Giant’ vice-captain Oisin
Murphy has been the leading player of the
season so far.
NetballAs we go in to the second half of the
season, Cardiff Met Netball currently have 3
out of 6 teams sitting at the top of the table.
In addition to this, the fi rst team have made
it through to the knock out stages of the
premier league, with the potential of getting
to the BUCS fi nal for the second year in a
row.
The club ran a successful mixed fancy
dress fundraising tournament to kick start
2016. The tournament involved 15 teams
of students and staff, some great fancy
dress and some even better netball being
displayed. We will be looking to build on
this and host another tournament around
Easter time.
Following hours of planning and
preparation, a mix of 15 Metballers
from fi rst, second and third years have
now qualifi ed as UKCC level 2 coaches.
These girls have since gained a number
of coaching roles in and around the
community.
With only 1 win in 4 so far in the BUCS
Western 2A division, the 2nd team are
looking to bounce back in their fi nal 2
games before the BUCS Conference Cup
Semi-fi nal fi xture against Bristol 2nd in
March. 2nd team captain Alex Le Blancq
is hoping to lead the club to its fi rst ever
silverware.
This year we have a great representation in
the Netball superleague from Cardiff Met
Netball. Students and coaches selected to
represent the Celtic Dragons are: Georgia
Rowe, Melissa Steingass, Bethan Dyke,
Cathy Bastian and Suzy Drane. Bethan
Moore and Chloe James have been selected
to play for the Junior Dragons, and Chelsea
Lewis for Team Bath.
Both teams in the Cardiff league are also
doing well, the B team are currently second
in the league and the A team are making
a come back for the second half of the
season.
Women's Basketball2016 started well for Cardiff Met
Archers BUCS Women’s 1st team, with
a comfortable away win against Kings
College. A scrappy affair and several
injuries meant the game did not serve as
perfect preparation for the following weeks
title clash against London South Bank.
Earlier in the season LSBU handed Cardiff
Met their fi rst league loss in over 3 seasons
and with neither team looking likely to drop
another game this season - Wednesday's
fi xture became a possible title decider. To
make the job even more diffi cult Cardiff Met
would need to win by at least 15 points if
they hoped to retain their Premier South
title.
Cardiff Met would be without key post
players Jo Thomas, Annie Scanlon and Tina
De Martino, however, with GB legend Stef
Collins back from injury the smaller line
up would still be strong. The fi rst quarter
was close with LSBU taking an early lead,
but the gap was quickly closed as a full
court pass from Lacey Mackenzie found
Judit Fritz for an easy lay up. WBBL guards
Caoimhe Colgan and Stef Collins soon
checked into game on their returns from
injury and upped the defensive intensity.
A Collins three-pointer and another lay up
from Fritz, this time from a Colgan assist,
put the home team up by 4 going into the
2nd quarter.
The defensive effort, fuelled by the home
fans, continued for the rest of the half
leading to more scores in transition. The
Archers lead 9 at the half and were on
track to win by the margin they needed for
the title, however, LSBU wouldn't go down
easily. The start of the second half saw
the bigger LSBU team converting from mid
range and fi nishing close to the basket
to gain a foothold in the game, but Beth
Jones battled on inside to stamp out their
run. Mackenzie and Colgan continued their
fantastic perimeter defense and the lead
started to grow. Big shots from captain
Azeb Smalley and Collins edged the margin
past 15 half way through the 4th quarter as
they Archers’ experience kicked in as the
team were able to extend the lead to 23 and
hold on until the fi nal buzzer.
Judit Fritz provided an MVP performance
contributing 19 points as well as limiting
the opposition’s key scorer to just 8 points.
The huge team effort against LSBU has
kept Cardiff Met top of the table with only
one game left as they travel to Oxford on
Wednesday for the last game of the regular
season, with a win confi rming them as
league champions.
Read an update on the Women's Basketball
2nd Team over on our website:
cardiffmetsu.co.uk/Retro-Spring-2016
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Scholar Profile:Keely Empson
Keely Empson (19)Swimming and Open Water
BSc (Hons) SCRaM
Who do you play/compete for?
My main team is City of Cardiff Swimming
Club and I compete for the Cardiff Met
Swimming Club at BUCS Fixtures.
What is an average week like for you in
terms of university and training?
I train 18 hours a week in the pool with
City of Cardiff, which consists of 4
morning sessions and then 5 evening
sessions, but I do my strength and
conditioning sessions here at Cardiff
Met with Dai Watts and the Strength and
Conditioning Team. I am lucky enough
to have had my timetable adjusted so
that I am able to have the majority of my
lectures in the morning, so that I can go
home and rest before afternoon training.
What is your best/most memorable
achievement in sport and why?
When I was 15, me and my best friend
were the two fastest seeds going into our
50m Backstroke final at regionals, and we
ended up dead heating the final and both
winning the gold medal. To dead heat in
a final is pretty cool, but to do it with the
girl who was my best friend just made the
moment memorable.
At what age did you begin your sport and
how did it come about?
I started swimming aged 7 doing a crash
course and was scared of the deep end
of my home swimming pool, but I found I
really enjoyed swimming afterwards and
joined my local team aged 8 and have been
swimming ever since.
How is your season going so far?
This season I’ve moved clubs to join City
of Cardiff under Graham Wardell, who
was head coach of Scotland at the 2014
Commonwealth Games. I became Welsh
Champion in the 100m backstroke at the
2015 Welsh Short Course Championships
and made my 2nd consecutive 50m
backstroke final at the 2015 BUCS Short
Course Championships, breaking both my
50m and 200m university record.
-I am now beginning to focus on the
Olympic trials in April, and will be
representing the university at the BUCS
Long Course Swimming Championships in
February and City of Cardiff in the National
Arena Swimming League Final in April.
What are you aims and aspirations for the
future?
My aims for this season are to get a
place on the Welsh Senior Elite Squad
and to qualify for my 3rd British National
Championships in July. But long term
I will be looking towards qualifying for
2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold
Coast, or going as part of the Team Wales
medical team as a Sports Masseur.
If you could play any other sport what
would it be?
It would probably be field athletics as I
used to do shotput and discus at high
school before swimming took over.
Tell us something not many people know
about you?
One of my old training partners and close
friends is a Paralympic Gold Medallist
from the 2012 London Paralympics.
Quick Fire Team Mates Quiz
Funniest?
Matt Edwards and Chris Sandom (I’d get
in trouble if I picked one).
Best looking?
Hannah Gamble
Worst banter?
Seth Davies (sorry coach)!
Best dance moves?
Oli Coe
Most intellectual?
Joe Parker
Women's Hockey (2nd)Ladies two’s have had a stormer of a
season so far with and impressive 6 wins
and one draw in the league! However,
they suffered a defeat against Bristol
2nds early in the cup knocking them out.
The ladies are currently sat at the top of
table for BUCS league and are gunning
for promotion. With 3 games left they are
hoping to maintain their position at the top
to hit their promotion target!
men's HockeyFirst off Cardiff Met would like to
congratulate Alf Dinnie on making his
national league debut. The men's 1st team
have really come along way since our first
game, losing 3-0 to Bath university. After
0 points from 3 games the leader board
wasn't a pretty sight. The team stuck at
it and hard work and determination soon
delivered results, with revenge at the
return fixture from the first game of the
season beating Bath 3-2 away from home.
Wins against Oxford brookes and Oxford
University and draws home and away
against Bristol soon followed resulting in
a solid season. We finished 4th meaning
a cup knock out game vs Nottingham
University at Home on the 24th February.
for more AU info including fixtures & results, visit the
students' union website and social
media
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