serenMAY 2002 Official English-language paper of UWB Students’ Union PRICE: FREE

INSIDE THIS MONTH’S ISSUE...INSIDE THIS MONTH’S ISSUE...INSIDE THIS MONTH’S ISSUE...INSI

STUDENT LEADERS MEET EDUCATIONAL MINISTERMEETING TO IMPROVE FUTURE OF HIGHER EDUCATION

BROWNSELL, DAVIDSON, DAVIES, TEGID, IFAN AND MORRIS AT THE S.U.

IN A BRILLIANT move to improve the future of Higher Education in Wales today, Jane Davidson AM, Minister for Education and Lifelong Learning, visited Bangor Students’ Union on Wednesday. She made the journey to meet with Union offi-cials to discuss student funding and Welsh-medium teaching. Present at the meeting were Andrew Wilson (next year’s SU President) James Brownsell (cur-rent SU President), Aled Ifan, Ellen Davies, Huw Tegid and Jeni Lyn Morris.James Brownsell said of the meet-ing, “A couple of years ago we were only a small voice in a tiny town in North Wales. It is a testa-ment to the work of the Executive that Bangor Students’ Union is now seen as an effective lobbying and campaigning organisation that has the opportunity to influence key decision making and really make a difference for the good students of Bangor.”Ms Davidson was in talks with the Union representatives for over half an hour. Prior to the meeting Brownsell commented, “A lot of promises have been made to double the number of lecturers available to teach through the

CONTINUED PAGE TWO

p2Esso protestscandal

p8Careers special-Business

p11Battle of BemaniGames

p12Music-Live bands!

2 SEREN May 2002 NEWS news@seren.bangor.ac.uk

STANA TO SPONSOR BANGOR

STUDENTSBY L.L.KIDNEY, ACADEMIC EDITOR

Delyth Prys of Canolfan Bedwyr at the University of Wales, Bangor has been selected as one of the judges of a prestigious new book prize for the best children’s book written in any of the Celtic languages.

This is the first year of this new competition, the Clann Lir Book Award, (Children of Llyr) which has been organised by the North American Association of Celtic Language Teachers.

As one of the judges Delyth Prys will be looking for attractiveness and suitability of the books for modern readers as well as for the intended age group.

Delyth Prys, who has been elected a Member at Large’ of the Association, is an Welsh language expert and complies Welsh diction-aries at the University. She has also published magazine articles and poetry.

The Judging will take place at the Association’s Conference in Nova Scotia, Canada between May 24-26 2002, where Delyth Prys and Geraint Wyn Jones, both of the Uni-versity’s Canolfan Bedwyr, are pre-senting papers.

“We hope that the publicity which arises from the competition will help promote awareness of the Celtic languages and encourage the use of newly published books in Celtic language programmes in North America,“ said oslyn Blyn La-Drew, President of the North Ameri-can Association for Celtic language teachers.

KIDS BOOK PRIZE: JUDGE C H O S E N

E N T R E P R E N E U R S REWARDED

A LEADING Welsh business aca-demic from Bangor university has been chosen to chair the UK’s most prestigious entrepreneurship awards for the fourth year in succession. Professor Dylan Jones-Evans of the School for Business and Regional development will act as chair for the Ernst and Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year Award Southern region finals, covering Wales and most of Southern England. This year’s regional final will take place at the Celtic Manor Hotel on July 1st 2002. The Entrepreneur of the Year awards programme is a regional, national

and international annual scheme that identifies and recognises the achievements of outstanding entre-preneurs within successful growing dynamic businesses. The pro-gramme celebrates entrepreneurial success and recognises the benefits that entrepreneurs and their spirit bring to the economy in terms of job creativity and the UK’s competi-tiveness. The awards were founded and are produced by Ernst and Young. They are sponsored by the Citigroup Private Bank, The London Stock Exchange and The Times, as well as being endorsed by the DTI,

the BBC, the Design Council, the IoD and the Community Action Network. Last year, over four hun-dred of the UK’s most outstanding entrepreneurs were nominated for an award. Over two hundred and eighteen finalists were short-listed and a total of forty-nine individuals were recognised as regional award recipients at five separate awards banquets. The UK National Overall Entrepreneur of the Year 2001 was awarded to Vijay and Bhikhu Patel of Waymade Healthcare plc at a glittering awards ceremony held at Grosvenor House last Autumn.

AWARDS TO BE CHAIRED BY BANGOR ACADEMIC - REPORT BY L.L.KIDNEY

BRITAIN’S BIGGEST ever global warming protest is coming to Bangor on Saturday May 18th when local campaigners protest at the Bryn Llwyd and Bangor Service Station Esso garages. The event is part of a national day of action against the oil giant, which is wrecking interna-tional action on climate change.Campaigners are taking to the fore-courts of Esso garages up and down the country on Stop Esso Day. Hun-dreds of service stations are being targeted in the protest, including the Bryn Llwyd and Bangor Service Sta-tion garage. The day of action, which is being organised by groups including Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth, comes at the end of an international week of action against Esso. Last month a memo to the White House from Esso was leaked, in which the oil giant asked Presi-dent Bush if the US could use its power to remove the head of the UN global warming panel. On April 19th US lobbying led to the removal of the scientist – British born Dr Bob Watson.“Esso has done more than any other company to sabotage international action on global warming,” said local

Greenpeace campaigner Jonathan Lincoln. “We are bringing this pro-test to Bangor because we want drivers in the area to hear what Esso are up to. If people care about the environment they can make a difference by refusing to fill their tank at Esso stations.”“We aren’t asking drivers to get out of their cars,” Jonathan added, “We are asking them to stop filling up at Esso. If we hit this company’s profits it might just see the light and stop wrecking action on climate change. At the moment they clearly don’t give a damn about global warming, but they will if drivers take their business elsewhere.”Esso makes profits in excess of $15 billion a year, but unlike other oil companies, it doesn’t spend a cent on clean and renewable energy.

GREENPEACE BRING “STOP ESSO” PROTEST TO BANGOR

PROTESTORS WILL GATHER TO DISCOURAGE GLOBAL WARMING

medium of Welsh, and to provide greater support for students. This will be an excellent opportunity for us to find out exactly how this is to be done. It is also a great oppor-tunity for the Minister to find out about the specific needs of stu-dents in the North of Wales.”It is hoped that the meeting has proved to be a step towards bi-lingual education in Wales and another step forward in the cru-sade against tuition fees.

S T U D E N T S ’ UNION MINISTER VISIT - CONT’ FROM FRONT PAGE

BANGOR BUSINESS BOOM

CHURCHILL SCHOLAR TO TRAVEL THE WORLD

academic@seren.bangor.ac.uk ACADEMIC NEWS SEREN May 2002 3

The Stena Line, which runs fast and traditional ferries from Holy-head to Ireland, has sponsored 3 undergraduate students at the University of Wales, Bangor.

Carmel Kelly, who is currently studying Radiography at the Uni-versity of Wales, Bangor received a £1,000 award as the student applying to Bangor with the best Irish Higher results. Carmel who is 19 years old comes from Coora-clare, Killrush, County Clare and is a former pupil of St Joseph’s Sec-ondary School in Spanish Point, County Clare.

The other 2 students who each received ý500 awards from Stena-line are Bethan Eleri Ellis; 18 year old Bethan, from Cerrigydrudion, Corwen who is studying Welsh & Journalism and is a former pupil of Ysgol Dyffryn Conwy, Llanrwst, and Angharad Wyn Jones from Bethesda. Angharad who is 19 years old is also studying Welsh & Journalism and is a former pupil of Yssgol Dyffryn Ogwen, Bethesda.

Both attained excellent results in the University Scholarship examinations but were not awarded scholarship prizes due to lack of scholarship funds

John Jones, Director of the Uni-versity’s Development Trust said, “One of the selling points for stu-dents coming to Bangor is the proximity of the Irish capital. In fact, Dublin is only 2 hours from Bangor - considerably nearer than London or Cardiff. Therefore, we were pleased to come up with a package with Stenaline that gives some exposure to the company in the University. We expect that we can develop our partnership with Stenaline to offer various dis-counts and incentives to our 2000 staff , 8000 students and 31,000 alumni. They have kindly sup-ported two students from Wales who qualified for an entrance scholarship, but there was insuffi-cient funds to give them an award and the best student application from Ireland. In these days of stu-dent hardship, this kind of help from large companies is to be applauded.“

The donations are being given to the Development Trust which was established in 1984 and is the charitable arm of the Univer-sity.

A UNIVERSITIES UK report on knowledge transfer and enterprise culture at universities in Britain highlights the University of Wales, Bangor’s BioComposites Centre as an example of the way universities can turn their knowledge into busi-ness and contribute directly towards economic growth.

The government has identified enterprise as the third priority for universities after teaching and research. By sharing their exper-tise and forming spin-out compa-nies, universities make a significant contribution to employment oppor-tunities and wealth creation in the regions and in country as a whole.

Contributing to the economic strength of the region is a well established aim of the University at Bangor.

One of several research centres at the University, the BioCompos-ites Centre develops new applica-tions for renewable materials, such as wood and other plant fibres, and is particularly interested in develop-ing renewable materials to replace materials derived from non-renew-able sources such as petrochemi-cals.

The Centre has a world-wide reputation and is completely self funding, being financed entirely by contract research.

The report highlights two spin-

out companies to have been derived from the Centre’s work. Work on adding value to hemp and flax fibres has developed in the formation of two local companies. Biofibre, which has a plant at Llanfair-is-Gaer or Griffiths Crossing, near Caernarfon, is the pri-mary processor.

The Company buys hemp and flax crops from local farmers and sepa-rates the fibres from the remainder of the plant. These are then processed further by JB Plant Fibres, also at Llanfair-is-Gaer, which adds value to the initial material by converting the fibres into a range of goods such as hanging basket containers and mulch matting for gardening and landscap-ing.

“ I am delighted that our work here at Bangor is being used to illustrate the crucial role that Universities can play in contributing to the knowledge economy, “ said Professor Roy Evans, the University’s Vice-Chancellor.’the University aims to play its full role within the community. A very genuine part of our mission is to make sure that the knowledge generated by our research is transferred through to the benefit of the regional economy.

“We have long believed that to secure the long term future of the regional economy and indeed of wales as a whole, it is essential for that economy to be based on new knowl-edge,“ he added.

WINSTON CHURCHILL Scholar 2002 Lucy Drake-Lee is preparing to set off on travels that will be the chance of a lifetime! In June and July, Lucy will travel to America, Ger-many and Luxembourg to investigate interactive music education in Chil-dren’s Museums.

Originally from Birmingham, 23-year-old Lucy studied music at the University of Wales, Bangor from where she graduated in 1999 with a B.Mus. degree with first class hon-ours, and with an MA in perform-ance in 2001.

She now gives concerts regularly as part of the duo Ap-Lwsions with Sioned Roberts; is a clarinet and piano teacher; and is part-time Administrative Assistant for Anthem Cymru/Wales.

The Winston Churchill Scholar-ship will give Lucy the opportunity to

BRANSON: BUSINESS ROLE MODEL

REPORT MAKES EXAMPLE OF UNI

research two of her passions: music and education.

She said, “I feel ver honoured to have been awarded a Churchill Fel-lowship, it is the chance of a lifetime for me. I will be visiting Children’s Museums, centres where children “learn by doing“ which is very impor-tant, especially for Early Years chil-dren.

The museums are similar to places like Techniquest in Cardiff, where children learn and have fun at the same time! I look forward to return-ing to Wales in July brimming with new ideas and skills. I hope to use the new knowledge to develop music workshops for young children in Wales.“

If you are interested in music events for young children, phone Lucy on 01248 372505, or e-mail lucy@drake-lee.co.uk

CHURCHILL: SCHOLARSHIP NAMED AFTER HIM

STANA TO SPONSOR BANGOR

STUDENTSBY L.L.KIDNEY, ACADEMIC EDITOR

4 SEREN May 2002 COMMUNITY community@seren.bangor.ac.uk

Exclusive investigation by

Karl Sadil

ON FRIDAY 5th April 2002, around 50 people from the Muslim com-munity marched twice along the High Street to protest against Israeli military attacks on Pales-tinian civilians. The demonstrators carried bilingual placards saying ‘Stop The War’ and ‘Stop Killing Muslims’, calling out messages such as, ‘Come and join us!’ and ‘We are all human beings!’ during the march.One of the organisers, Abdullah Al-Sheik, said: “We are out here today to protest about what is happening to our brothers and sisters in Pal-estine. We simply want a peaceful solution and we are asking the people of Bangor and the rest of North Wales to join us in campaign-ing towards peace.”It marked a significant change, as it is unusual for Muslims to organ-ise and march in public in North Wales. Halfway through the brave protest by the Muslims, which was a non-violent demonstration with no arrests, at least one white man made a threatening gesture, and someone else shouted at the Mus-lims in a hostile way. This was a fairly irrational response to peace-ful demonstrators who were calling on the Israeli government not to kill any more of their people. The pro-testers said they just wanted Mus-lims in Palestine to have the same human rights as everyone else.Demographically, much of the land currently occupied by Israel has a majority population of Palestin-ians, in some places as high as 98%. People have to carry an identity card classifying them into two main categories, Jew or Arab. Those attending a recent West Bank anti-war demonstration were told via the Internet not to forget their cards, as being stopped by the police without a card is an arresta-ble offence. Despite Israel having one of the most envied rescue organisations in the world, Israel has refused to send its own rescue teams to help Palestinians, and so international organisations have sent teams instead. However, Israel does its best to thwart efforts by international humanitarian organisations, media and activists to reach the Palestinian people. Those in the mainstream and alternative media who have made it through the barricades, have reported large-scale breaches of human rights such as the deliber-

ate murder of doctors, nurses, and civilians from babies to the elderly; and the destruction of homes, property, and medical equipment –even schools. Cur-fews imposed on Palestinans can mean that anyone who ven-tures outside is shot, forcing fam-ilies to stay indoors without food, water or medicines, and often alongside the bodies of slain rel-atives. It is part of Islamic belief that ideally bodies should be buried within a day, which adds further distress to their grief. Much of the killings of Palestin-ians have occurred in Jenin, but others happened elsewhere. One Jenin man, a wheelchair user, was wheeling himself away from the soldiers and they sent a tank over him. His wheelchair was crushed flat and his distorted body was found some distance away down the road. Two sisters, one a nurse, went out with non-combatant symbols to try and help the wounded, and the nurse was deliberately shot by the Israeli army. Jericho, a former fertile region, is increas-ingly arid because Israeli set-tlements receive almost all the water. Meanwhile, a young Irish woman called Caoimhe is actu-ally living inside the Ramallah compound with Yasser Arafat, who she sees at least once a day. She has reported back to the global community of Internet activists, many of whom have networks across Wales. Caoimhe says that she believes in the cause of the Palestinians, ordi-nary humans who mostly just want to get on with their lives. Unfortunately, the minority of the people on each side of the conflict stir up hatred, perpetuat-ing the violence. Reprisal after reprisal means that generations grow up seeking revenge. Addi-tionally, Israel is a major arms manufacturer and exporter, spe-cialising in products such as small arms (Will Self, Corre-spondent, BBC 2 Wales, 28th April). Activists have called for a global boycott of all Israeli goods, such as oranges. The Students’ Union of London’s School of Ori-ental and African Studies passed a resolution against Israel and for the boycott of goods from Israel. Similar motions were defeated at SU’s in York and Manchester. 16-year-old Aneesa Ahmed from Blackburn wrote to The Muslim News, “Every day, we see pregnant women being

shot at, by an American-financed army. Old people being thrown out of their houses, by an army supported by America, men being blown up in their cars, by an army armed by America, and you expect me to love America, ‘our saviour’? Give me a break!” The irony is that the Jewish people, persecuted for centuries by ghettoisation, disenfranchis-ing laws, and pogroms, and in the 20th century by the Nazis in the Holocaust, have as a nation now imposed the same stand-ards and mindsets over another population. It is a sad sight to see, the apartheid being prac-tised against the Palestinians. Not every Jewish person, though, is a supporter of the policy of Ariel Sharon. Yesh Gvul is a group of conscientious objectors who refuse to serve in Pales-tinian territories. There are now many Jews who are standing up against the bloodshed, and who say that killing Muslims is against Judaism. Other groups include: Gush Shalom, Jews Against the Occupation and Ariga. In some cases they have been working with Muslims who believe it is un-Islamic to kill Jews, that killing those who are different contra-dicts the fundamental principles of Islam, which is supposed to be a religion of peace. Jihad is

a concept of holy struggle in Islam, which some people have interpreted literally to mean that Muslims should use violence. But some local Muslims here have explained that jihad is actually a struggle within oneself so one lives ‘in the right way’. Islam is a faith for those of any ethnic background.There has been a Muslim pres-ence in North Wales for many years. Most of the older mem-bers of Bangor’s Muslim commu-nity have lived here a number of decades, hold secure and respectable jobs, and are settled and integrated in Welsh society. All speak English and some can even speak Welsh. They contrib-ute to our regional economy, with many businessmen and interna-tional students coming to the area. Families send their children to local schools where they learn English and Welsh, making them at least trilingual, which is fast becoming a positive benefit in a multicultural global community of the 21st century. It is time to pro-mote hope and diversity, not hate and divisiveness. As reported in the local press and in Seren, last autumn following September 11th the local mosque in Bangor was externally vandalised with graffiti, and Muslims living in North Wales have been intimi-

dated, harassed or attacked. This behaviour does not fit into any definition of ‘civilised’, however you look at the issue.After last month’s demonstration dispersed, the Muslims invited two local journalists, represent-ing Bangor and Anglesey Mail and Seren, into the Bangor Islamic Centre and Mosque. They were introduced to the imam, and were given a tour of the building, being shown rooms for prayer, teaching, ritual wash-ing, eating, etc. The mosque boasts an extensive library, hold-ing works in Arabic and other lan-guages.A local women’s group, Shekina, has a large number of Muslim women from around the world. Bangor’s peace movement now contains both Jewish and Muslim members, so on a small scale there is some hope. Colin Pow-ell’s apparent failure to resolve the Middle East crisis is a set-back, but latest reports that Yasser Arafat may be granted a conditional release could reduce some of the resentment felt by Palestinian communities.

The response of Seren’s Com-munity section would be the same if Jews were the people being sub-jected to wholesale persecution. Holocausts of all kinds: No More, and Never Again!

MUSLIMS MARCH FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE - PALESTINE SPECIAL

GIVE PEACE A CHANCE, SAY PEACEFUL PROTESTORS IN BANGOR

ALL-WALES FESTIVAL FOR PEACE

“The sanctions

are violent meas-

ures and do cause

death and pain. “

IN FEBRUARY, Student Volun-teering Bangor (formerly Student Community Action) held a Volun-teer Fair in the PJ Hall at Main Arts. There was free food and drink, entertainment and a bouncy castle. The aim was to promote volunteer-ing, both with SVB and in the wider community with independent vol-untary organisations and commu-nity groups.. SU President James Brownsell had a go on the bouncy castle and said he was “quite pleased with it” when Seren asked him how he thought the afternoon had gone.

Syrcas Circus provided displays and workshops on juggling, plate-spinning, diabolos, and unicycles.

Dimensions Wholefoods sup-plied food and fairtrade goods as well as health magazines. SVB had 2 stalls at which they were enroll-ing prospective volunteers, who like all volunteers must undergo a rigor-ous screening process before they are hired and considerable training afterwards.

RSPB Cymru protects wild and garden birds, and helps to conserve their habitats. They want a lot of vol-unteers. To be an Information Vol-unteer four days a month at South Stack, phone Alastair Moralee on

(01407) 764973. To do reedbed work in the mud at Valley and South Stack, call Ian Sims at the same number. An office DIY person and a birdwatching/identification tutor are wanted; call Mair Evans, the Development Officer, on (01248) 363800. If interested in photography call the senior reserves manager, Richard Farmer, on the same number. If you want to survey black grouse, call Patrick Lindley on (01978) 844475. The Marine Conserva-tion Society North Wales is mainly concerned with large marine mammals, including cetaceans, and runs porpoise and coastline surveys. On 26th May there is a sponsored walk around South Stack on Anglesey to help whales and dolphins. Call 01248 351560 or email g.stoyle@ntlworld.com Or order catalogues from MCS Sales Ltd at (01989) 566017. To help skates and rays in Wales, there is a Welsh Ray Project coordinated by the Shark Trust and the Welsh Federation of Sea Anglers. It is funded by the National Marine Aquarium, G.O. Angling, North Western & North Wales Sea Fish-eries Committee, CEFAS, Coun-tryside Council for Wales, and BioSyB of National Museums and

Galleries of Wales.General charitable bodies

present included the Community Fund, which makes grants avail-able to selected not-for-profit groups. Conwy Volunteer Bureau and Mantell Gwynedd Volunteer Bureau, also Student Action India, Opportunities Centre, and Medrwn Môn Voluntary Work, are general suppliers of volunteers. SVB helps disadvantaged children, children in creches, disabled people, homeless, men-tally handicapped/learning dif-ficulties, and elderly people. (svbangor@undeb.bangor.ac.uk)

Christian Aid is a Christian-ish charity that helps the poor of developing countries. People and Planet (formerly Third World First) is for fair trade and the end of third world debt, using fairly traded food to empower the poor abroad. It is also for the protec-tion of the environment. Annie’s Orphans is a Christian charity run by the Assemblies of God church, which helps the lives of orphans in poor countries. Bangor Rag raises money through sponsored fun events, for deserving local charities.

Arthritis Research Campaign, Epilepsy Cymru (office@epilepsy-

wales.co.uk, or call Richard Wil-liams on 07740 813850), North Wales Deaf Association, and Mul-tiple Sclerosis Society deal with sufferers of specific health con-ditions. St David’s Hospice cares for dying people in North Wales, and holds a lottery to raise funds. Abbey Road Centre is a mental health service users centre where people affected by mental ill-nesses can go for counselling and group support. Arfon Mind is also based here, a charity for the mentally ill. Nightline coun-sels stressed students at night. The Greenhouse is a drop-in centre, meeting place and hub of activism, which needs its own volunteers. Community Transport Association gives transport solu-tions to elderly and disabled people. SOVA Cymru is for the rehabilitation of young offenders and the reintegration of the unem-ployed. (01978 262223 or Cath-erine Sharp on 01745 343215.) Shekina Multicultural Women’s Group gives education, training and social contact and support for women from other countries.

Sussed ‘n’ Able is a Permac-ulture Project to help the envi-ronment. They are into reusable energy, low-impact living and sus-

tainable development. One of their projects is the construction of yurts (Mongolian circular dwell-ings). If you want to build a yurt, email Resi at resi@tesco.net . Princes Trust Cymru is a volun-teering scheme for young people interested in conservation and the outdoors. Antur Waunfaur helps people with learning difficulties and is also a centre for the envi-ronment and sustainability. BTCV Cymru, the British Trust for Con-servation Volunteers, wants lots more volunteers, so look them up in the phonebook.

S.U. PRESIDENT “QUITE PLEASED”

BOUNCY CASTLE FUN FOR BROWNSELL

ALL-WALES FESTIVAL FOR PEACEON 23RD February, Seren Com-

munity travelled to Aberystwyth to attend the All-Wales Festival for Peace. It was a coalition of rights groups coming together against the war in Afghanistan.

Bangor was mainly represented by Jenny Gaiawyn. A banner reading ‘End the Israeli illegal military occu-pation of Palestine’ was opposite another that said ‘Millions are suf-fering, End the sanctions on Iraq’.

Alec Jones, the Mayor of Aberyst-wyth, opened the festival. He said he had received a message of sup-port from the Mouvement de la Paix in Paris, France.

Jill Evans MEP was originally from the Greenham Common march and is now the Chair of CND Cymru. She is from Plaid Cymru. She said Wales 20 years ago wanted a nuclear-free Wales. She still wants Wales to become an example of a Nuclear-Free Zone, and she wants other countries to take this on. The Euro-pean Network for Peace was set up in early 2002. Globalisation is about control, not justice and peace. “We must have the right to control our own futures.”

Jenny Gaiawyn has lived at peace camps with the coordinators of Tri-dent Ploughshares. She took med-

icines to Iraq with Voices in the Wilderness, to break the sanctions that have been in place 11 years. The sanctions are violent meas-ures and do cause death and pain. They have killed 500,000 under-5s. Only oil can be traded. Iraq’s infrastructure has been destroyed and can’t be rebuilt yet, because there are no funds. There is no clean water supply and no electricity. Doctors can’t get new medical books or up-to-date training. There has also been massive inflation - 10,000 dollars worth of money in Iraqi currency (1990) is now in 2002 worth 5 dollars. The average wage is only enough to rent a room for a month, excluding food. Mass mal-nutrition is occurring, especially of the most vulnerable people. Iraq has a population of 22.5 million. “The people are not their govern-ment”. The sanctions are being carried out in our names. The education system is collapsing. Jenny met a 14-year-old boy called Ahmed, who looked 10 because of malnutrition. He said he’d like to be kidnapped to the UK because then he would be able to go to school.

Ken Booth is the Head of the

Department of International Poli-tics at the University of Aberyst-wyth.

In conventional thinking, ‘just war’ is a crusade, a duty. Once you start thinking justice/right/God/duty is on your side, it allows you to do anything. “Once self-righteousness sets in, a pious certainty of right devel-ops. Guilt diminishes, conscience

is silenced.” The so-called ‘just deterrent’ is the deliberate target-ing of millions of innocent civil-ians. Bush’s phrase ‘The Axis of Evil’ has echoes of Reagan’s phrase ‘The Evil Empire’ used of Russia in the Cold War. Ken Booth is not a pacifist. He believes in self-defence and in defending the law, for example against geno-cide. It may be morally excusable but it is not morally right. The peace movement is still very alive

and important.Aberystwyth Students Against

the War have over 300 members.Lydia Bulmer said we should

discuss the reasons for war and the ways to achieve peace.

James Radcliffe said the media have sided with the warlords and have even asked the opponents of the war to apologise! “I refuse to apologise.” Who will we attack next? The USA is the most war-like nation on earth. “The real anti-Americans are the American government themselves. A nasty brutal rightwing administration.” They should apologise to us.

Ben Gregory is a coordinator of many groups, including Cynefin Y Werin.

The USA pulled out of the talks at Kyoto. They refused to curb their gunrunning and to agree to dis-armament. They deleted interna-tional aid and development from their budget and policy. Justice and peace are mutually depend-ent.

Julian Goss is a socialist and anti-capitalist. He was a founder of Wales Against the War.

A UN report of 1996 revealed that over 100 countries of the world have less GDP (gross

domestic product) than they did 15 years previously (1981). This is due to the World Trade Organi-sation, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, USA, and inter-national trade agreements that punish poorer countries.

Greenham Common Peace Camp were running an appeal to raise money for ‘Helen’s Garden’ at the Commemorative and His-toric Site. Helen Thomas was 22, and died 11 days before she was due to turn 23. She was killed in 1989 at Greenham Common by the police, while trying to post a letter. Send a cheque with ‘Helen’s Garden’ on the back, made pay-able on the front to GREENHAM COMMEMORATIVE FUND APPEAL, to: Dept. GWPC, 15 Sydney Road, Wanstead, London, E11 2JW.

The Welsh Anarchist Associa-tion is an Aberystwyth-based all-Wales group run by students. It is against the ‘war on terrorism’ and for discussion of alternatives. Leftwingers who aren’t commit-ted to anarchism are also wel-come. It is an anti-racist group, for civil liberties. It is a non-dogmatic communication net-work. To join them write to welshanarchists@yahoo.co.uk.

community@seren.bangor.ac.uk COMMUNITY SEREN May 2002 5

6 SEREN May 2002 STUDENTS’ UNION su@seren.bangor.ac.uksu@seren.bangor.ac.uk STUDENTS’ UNION SEREN May 2002 7

SINCE THE last issue of Seren, the most significant event that has occurred was the SU Elections – where the officers for next year should have been elected. The whole process was not without hitch. Due to the Union’s stance on Welsh-English bilingualism, and a complaint from within the Welsh Community, all nominations were re-opened for an extra few days – during which time, one extra can-didate applied for the position of Llywydd UMCB – President of the Welsh Students’ Union.After the nominations stage, there is supposed to be a period for can-didates to prepare and submit their advertising preparation. This didn’t go as smoothly as it should have, and due to the print unit not being informed in advance, all candidates faced a delay in getting their propa-ganda. Indeed, it was only during the hustings period that propa-ganda was returned to candidates.So then Hustings came about – a chance for the Union’s mem-bers to scrutinise the candidates – although due to the inherently bureaucratic process of hustings, candidates are not permitted to attack other candidates policies, and questions that are to be posed, must be answered by all candi-dates for the job. These were, like many of the Union’s demo-cratic processes, incredibly poorly attended. It had become a ques-tion by the time of the Normal Site hustings, well into the process, that the only people attending were candidates and their core support-ers. Of course, had there been an interim Seren, perhaps more adver-tising could have been done …It also appeared that at each hus-tings, once candidate for the AU had withdrawn, taking some five candidates down to one by the end of the process.Fun hustings, the traditional time for all candidates to get pissed and enter ritual self-humiliation took place in remarkably sober sur-roundings – The SU’s Main Bar, and was, for one of those rare occasions, actually open and serv-ing booze in the afternoon (see Columns passim – whoops, too much Private Eye again …). Previ-ously, candidates have used this as an opportunity to grab those last minute votes as well as get pissed in the name of democracy.We had songs, dance, water throw-ing, juggling, music and ‘comedy’. The Welfare candidates sang a

I WANNA BE ELECTED!dedication to what old gits like me call the Welfare Centre – to the tune of the world’s favourite gay anthem – the Village Peo-ple’s YMCA – lyrics circulated for the audience, and complete with hard-helmets I believe. Unfortu-nately, not a handle-bar in sight The Presidential candidates ‘sang’ Python’s “Always look on the bright side of life” – but two thirds were in drag (myself included), the other topless save for a bra. Sang being of ques-tionable status, given my own hatred of singing, and therefore in a Bob-Style Noël Cowardesque manner. The photo of course, happened to be the language selection background picture on the Union’s Website for a few days …CCSO candidates joined in the fun – and here came further songs (Bill Shatner’s version of Lucy in the Sky with Dia-monds, as performed by Chap-man), Water throwing by Rob Strickland, which started off the ritual water-throwing at all.The UMCB wanna-be presidents performed, Ifans had a stand-in due to preservation for Choir the following day, and Wyn Evans combined stand-up comedy with vocal exercises – and sometimes both …Jon Ewing, the apparent MC for the elections affair, once again reminded the Union of his sing-ing abilities, and performed a comedy ditty which involved an Irish accent …Of course, not all candidates made it, and as with the whole campaign, this was another light-hearted affair.The humiliation and hustings over, it then came to voting.In all, approximately 1500 stu-dents voted, some 17% of the 9,000 odd UW Bangor students – hardly representative, and I suspect, closely based on the Union’s funding strategy.So, what did the people running the election have to say? Rich Singer, a Union Veteran, and the Elections Sec, has already reported to the Union on the elections – something which those in Unionland don’t recall happening previously. It does mean that a precedent has now been set, so hopefully it will carry on next year. Although fairly round, and of course, the full report will be published, it has

some alarming points – “gener-ally there was a lack of participa-tion by the electorate” which it is feared “will not only isolate the Union from the greater stu-dent population but also, as closed elections often tend to, potentially indirectly discriminate against groups”. On the funding issue, Mr. Singer feels that it is “chronically low” which he feels means that the Union is “unable to produce any real publicity or provide anything other [than] the basics to allow an election” – comments which Seren feels must have action taken on if the elections are to be considered as a democratic and representative affair, and not just a formality of a contest between those closely associated within the Union.To those elected, there are diffi-cult challenges, and in my nostal-gic look-back on my three years

here in Bangor, two and an half in the Union, I feel that the Union has a lot to do. Successive administrations – included those of which I was a member, did not act in the best interests of the Union’s members, and did not do enough for the members. For this I am genuinely sorry:

the Union really must change, and become more representa-tive. Our members must become more involved, else, the Union will become a closed circle – a ruling elite, where only those effected will speak. This will be a sad day should it occur.

BOB CONNERTON HITS THE ELECTION CAMPAIGN TRAIL

THOSE ELECTEDSABBS:

NON - SABBS

LIFE’S A DRAG: PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES GET GIRLY

TOP ROW, LEFT TO RIGHT: SU PRESIDENT, ANDREW WILSON, AU PRESIDENT BECKY ALLEN, SCA OFFICER, REBECCA HEWITT

MIDDLE ROW: CCSO, HELEN WRIGHT, UMCB PRESIDENT ALED IFAN, WELFARE OFFICER, KIRSTY HAYSOM

BOTTOM ROW: LGB OFFICER, ROBERT PIRIE-WARSOP, WOM-EN’S OFFICER, SARAH HAINES

su@seren.bangor.ac.uk STUDENTS’ UNION SEREN May 2002 7

LIFE’S A DRAG: PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES GET GIRLY

LIFE IN THE UNIONEXEC LINE - UP

JAMES, OUR esteemed, President has written his review of the year, which means you can read some-thing of his, not mine so I com-mend that to you, and other than that, the only things that remain are a very abridged round-up of the Union’s Annual General Meeting …For roughly five hours, added bureaucracy, obscene red-tape, and long overdue processes held up the fun of decision making. For some unknown historical reason, the Union’s Annual General Meet-ing is a revered occasion when there are plenty of reports and oodles of paper. Here, all of the committees are meant to report on their actions, but in practice, the reports are never submitted in writ-ing in advance, so an abbreviated version is given. James has sum-marised this in his State of the Union address, and the full report will be published somewhere on the Union’s WebSite I guess …Anyhow, the import issues that were resolved by about sixty who bothered to turn up, were that the Union’s boycott against Shell would not be renewed, but the Nestle motion – first introduced in 1995 was renewed – the Union still boy-cotts Nestle. Other business, there will be a new Welfare Committee to organise Welfare campaigns, The Union is to take positive action campaigning for a Welsh Federal College, there will be a Post-Grad

officer on the Union’s Exec Com-mittee. Then there was a motion to investigate the relationship between the Trading Company, the Union and its members. Ser-en’s own reservations on this matter are that the investigation won’t be independent, or neces-sarily receive a full picture. That will be allegedly be introduced to the General Meeting in October/November next year…A few more officers and Commit-tee heads were elected: Seren’s editor next year will be Dave Ben-nett, who stepped down from the role of Mature Students’ Officer; there’s also been a Welsh Affairs Officer elected for the first time in two years; Stephen Glencross takes the Chair next year, and Helen Browning takes the role of Exec Without Portfolio. Ken Bower becomes the only General Meeting elected Senator. A RAG manager has also been elected.The Union’s greatest Honour – Honorary Life Membership has also been granted to a few people – most of the Non-Sab-batical Officers who completed a term in office; Bob Connerton; So that’s my report. Bob Con-nerton. Seren News, Bangor.Have a fun summer, enjoy the ball, and take care. I’m leaving Bangor, although I will probably be back some time next year …

NASTY BOYS: NESTLE BOYCOTTED BY UNION AGM

Full-Time Sabbatical OfficersPresident: Andrew WILSONUMCB President: Aled IFANSClubs and Comms: Helen WRIGHTAU President: Becky ALLENWelfare Officer: Kirsty HAYSOMVolunteering: Rebecca HEWETT

Non-Sabbatical, Part-Time OfficersChair: Stephen GLENCROSSExec Without Portfolio: Helen BROWNINGLGB Officer: Rob PIRIE-WARSOPWomen’s Officer: Sarah HAINESWelsh Affairs Officer: Jeni LLYN MORRIS

Vacancies: Standing CommitteesCampaigns Officer RAG Manager: Katie Schreiber

Convenor Seren Editor: Dave Bennett

Nursing Rep

Disabilities Officer

Education Officer

International Students’ Officer

Normal Site Rep

WRITERS NEEDED:Are you interested in journalism? Got something to say that you want every-

one to hear? Do you just want to get involved in something fun? If you are and

you will be in Bangor next year, Seren would like your help. We are looking

for writers and section editors for September. Seren gives you the oppurtunity

to voice your opinions, gain experience and be part of a fun team. It

also looks great on your CV. Whether you are interested in news, films,

games, books or creative writing, Seren will have something for you. We also

welcome help with the technical side e.g. photography, layout. Contact us at

serensays@hotmail.com if you want to know more.

8 SEREN May 2002 FEATURES editor@seren.bangor.ac.uk

I WANT TO BE MY OWN BOSS - CAREERS SPECIAL

MIKE‛S BITES

OPEN 9-6 EVERY DAY!18 HOLYHEAD ROAD, UPPER BANGOR,NEXT

DOOR TO BOOZE BUSTER

OPEN 8th JUNE FROM 5.30am for post-ball brekkie

THE PROPRIETOR AND STAFF EXTEND THEIR THANKS TO THE STUDENTS OF BANGOR FOR ALL

THEIR CUSTOM THIS YEAR.

KIRSTY SHUNS THE TRADITIONAL COUNTER IN FAVOUR OF LEANING ON SAM

CATERING INDUSTRY - KIRSTY GOATCHER, MANAGER OF MIKE’S

BITESKirsty Goatcher, Manager of Mike’s Bites in Upper Bangor, decided to enter the catering trade after deciding that life in her home town of Brighton was getting far too hectic. Her husband Mike suffered a heart attack due to his stressful job as a funeral director, and it was that that prompted their sudden decision to move to Wales. “I had family in North Wales,” says Kirsty, “and I always enjoyed visiting them during holidays.” She had the brainwave of opening a café, and felt that Upper Bangor was the place to be. She waited eight months for the perfect location, drawing

all the debts were paid off. Now they make a tidy profit that allows them to support staff wages. Kirsty enjoys the feeling of self-sufficiency in owning her own business. “As your own boss, every minute of work you put in is for you, and if you turn up late you won’t get told off! But the harder you work, the more rewards you see. You get a real sense of achieve-ment.” She also likes to keep her hand

in all aspects of the business, and isn’t afraid of mucking in with the rest of the staff – “If I expect my staff to do some-thing, I want to know that I can do it too.” The downside is mainly in the hours spent working. “I work sixty hours a week at the moment, so I don’t see much of my husband, and when I do I’m often thinking about the business – that’s a definite downside. There’s no time for holidays either.” Furthermore,

together money from savings and a bank loan, and even-tually opened the shop in August 2001, with her brother Sam Perry as Assistant Man-ager and her husband as a partner in the business. The first two months were difficult, as they were making a loss. Says Kirsty, “I worried a lot, thinking ‘What if it doesn’t work out?’ So I went on a course and found out that most busi-nesses make a loss for their first year.” Fortunately for Kirsty this wasn’t to be so. In the third month they made a small profit, and by the sixth

if anything goes wrong in the shop, the blame will always fall at her feet. As you can expect, working so closely with the public can lead to some encounters with some odd people. Kirsty has had her fair share of these, and has had to deal with some awkward, and often downright rude or unreasonable requests. “I remember one man, about fifty years old, coming in and complaining about five tuna mayonnaise baguettes he’d bought the day before to take away. He said they were off, and wanted a refund, so I went into the kitchen to ask Sam about it. He said he didn’t remember making five tuna mayo baguettes all at once – and that’s something you’d remember! – so I told the man that I’d phone the supplier and ask about the tuna they’d sent. As soon as my back was turned, he ran out. You’d think a man his age would know better than to try and cheat someone like that!” On the whole, Kirsty very much enjoys her life at Mike’s Bites – “Apart from getting married to Mike, it’s the best thing I’ve done” – and has plenty of advice to any budding businesspeo-ple out there. “You’ve got to be deter-mined to do it. If you really want to do it, someone will lend you the money.” Her own inspiration came from an inter-view with Richard Branson, in which he said “Life is short – take a chance. If it works, it’ll be the best thing you ever did, and if it doesn’t, it won’t be the worst.”

“Apart from getting

married, opening my

own business is the

best thing I’ve ever

done.”

editor@seren.bangor.ac.uk FEATURE SEREN May 2002 7

I WANT TO BE MY OWN BOSS - CAREERS SPECIAL

“THE BEST PART OF OWNING YOUR OWN BUSINESS IS LEANING ON THE COUNTER AND LOOKING DEBONAIR...”

ANDY ROBERTS opened Summit Games last November as Press X Games, and has since bought out his partner’s share in the store. He used to be a taxi driver, and had a friend who owned his own small games shop. It was something that Andy had thought about doing. Through conversa-tion they decided to go into busi-ness together on a larger branch, and so Press X was born. Says Andy, “You need to know a lot about what you are selling, and I was a games addict. You have to have life experience, you have to be deter-mined, too, or you’ll never do it. You can’t just do it on a whim. You have to be focused.” Andy did his own shop fitting and worked seven days a week. He believes that anyone starting a new business must be prepared to not make a profit for the first few months, and adds, “You’ve got to love what you do.” Much of the stock for the shop came from his personal col-lection at home, and the money was raised from savings, friends and a bank loan. He looked for

the right location, and then bar-tered for a good price and rea-sonable lease. “With technology, you never know about the future. When I took the lease I took that into account and got one for five years (rather than ten or fifteen). In fifteen years time we could be playing games in zero gravity!” He initially decided on Bangor, and says he encourages the healthy competition from Acme games. He warns that you must be prepared to face fierce competition, especially from larger stores who can buy in bulk to offer lower prices. “Big stores have buying power. But on some things you can compete.” Andy believes that the benefits of owning a business are that you get to do what you love for a living. “I love games and talking to the customers. I am lucky to be in position where I

can give someone a job, but the downside is the paperwork that goes with that.” However, there are down sides, such as red tape, tax, rules and regulations and stress. “It could be years before

you see a real profit. You can only take the money you need. With it happening for me quicker, I had to register for VAT sooner, which is a lot of headache.” Andy advises any people

starting their own business to be wary. He recalls one instance of shoplifters moving stock to a shelf near the door so they could come in the next day to steal it without being noticed. Andy also warns against taking second hand items that are stolen or copied as it could land you in jail. However, with most custom-ers you should bend over back-wards to help people, whilst not forgetting to draw a fine line. His advice to anyone looking to set up a business is to avoid spending money too early, and to be prepared to work seven days a week to get your business off the ground. Andy had lots of sleepless nights over his busi-ness, but now has started to reap the benefits. Buying out his partner was expensive and stressful, but he maintains that it was worth-

TECHNOLOGICAL RETAIL - ANDY ROB-ERTS, PROPRIETOR OF SUMMIT GAMES

while. “It’s more than I could have hoped for. It’s not just about the money, I’m not a materialistic person, but I enjoy what I’m doing. I can offer better service.”

His wife, Jill, even has a hand in the business now – as accountant! He says it is vital to have an accountant to handle your books as there is a lot of paperwork involved. And the future? Andy is optimistic. He says he is delighted that more girls are playing computer games. It shows that the popularity of the industry has boomed, and that gaming is finally becoming a mainstream hobby, alongside films and music. “The industry is growing at a phenomenal rate. I am making improvements to my shop week by week.”

“You have to have life experi-

ence, you have to be deter-

mined, too, or you’ll never do

it. You can’t just do it on a

whim. “

10 SEREN May 2002 GAMES games@seren.bangor.ac.ukgames@seren.bangor.ac.uk GAMES SEREN May 2002 11

MAD! Hats off to the insane!5: Leather Goddesses

Of Phobos (1986)

THERE WAS once a time when games did not rely on spanky graphics and ear-shafting sound effects to give gamers their jollies. Some games were based solely on words – ‘text’, if you will – and they led the player on a wondrous quest – or ‘adventure’ – through strange lands, using their imagi-nation to fill in the blanks. They were cunningly named ‘text adven-tures’, and they were often utterly hatstand. Leather Goddesses was one such game, but it had a twist – it could be played in a variety of levels of ‘explicitness’. The option was there for the player to enjoy textual intercourse with certain other characters in scenes that read like a collaboration between Mills & Boon and the Farrelly brothers. Bonkers, in every sense

of the word. The game also came with a scratch ‘n’ sniff card to lend a multi-sensory edge to the

proceedings. The smells? Use your imagination...

SUMMIT GAMES 8 WELLFIELD ARCADE, BANGOR, LL57 1EY

PSONE, PLAYSTATION2, DREAM-CAST, PC CD-ROM, DVD, XBOX

AND GAMECUBEGAMES BOUGHT, SOLD AND TRADED IN.

PHONE: 01248 360095 www.summit-games.co.uk

Fancy a

Flutter? Gambling. An entertaining

pastime that occasionally rakes in a tangible cash reward, but one that can seem like so much expense and effort. Welcome, then, with open arms, oh ye student masses, the arrival of www.free-bet.net, with its plethora of money-frittering oppor-tunities. Designed with students in mind, the site allows free bets to be placed on major sporting events – all from the comfort of your home or computer lab!

So if you’ve got a spare wad burning a hole in your wallet, why not see what’s available? Sure beats buying food or paying rent.

AT BIRTH we are labelled. For most of us, this label sticks with us until the day die. Our names define us. But what if we are not sat-isfied with the names thrust upon us? What course of action is open to us? Well, I’m buggered if I know, but it is possible to have a great deal of time-wasting fun on the Internet with little more than your own humble moniker. So, if you find yourself with a bit of time to spare between the end of an exam and the opening of the pubs, why not shove your name through these themed Name Generators?

Metal Gear Solid Name – www.buzzsite.com/goodies/MGSnamegen/

In honour of the foolish crea-ture-based codenames that run rife through Hideo Kojima’s classic stealth-em-up. Snaaaaaaaake!

Michael McGeachin = Humongous Bass

Pokéname – pizza.sandwich.net/poke/pokemon.html

For those of you who wish you had a name as butch as Jigglypuff. Also comes with a brief biog for your non-official pocket creature.

Michael McGeachin = Pikarider

Ninja Name – www.ninjaburger.com/fun/ninjaname

An authentic-sounding pseudonym

for anyone who enjoys prowling around in the dark, twiddling their nunchucks.

Michael McGeachin = Tachikawa Tono-san

WuName – www.recordstore.com/cgi-bin/wuname/wuname.pl

How ‘bout joining the rap equiva-lent of the Brady Bunch, the Wu-Tang Clan? Huh? How ‘bout it?

Michael McGeachin = Greasy Choirboy

Oz Prison Bitch – members.iglou.com/lyons/bitchGen.html

One for fans of the brutal chokey-based drama. Don’t expect to be flattered by the result.

MY NAME IS...

HUMONGOUS BASS?

THE STONES WERE FALLING BEHIND THE TIMES

NINJAS:NAMED AND SHAMED

games@seren.bangor.ac.uk GAMES SEREN May 2002 11

BEMANI FACE OFF: PARAPPA VERSUS ULALA

MUSIC IS great. Everybody knows that. Whether it’s pop, rock, jazz, classical or any number of other genres and sub-genres, there’s a little something for everyone. It seems obvious, then, that someone would try to incor-porate music into a game – something in which the tunes would play a stronger role than simply tootling along behind the action. And so it came to be that games such as PaRappa The Rapper and Bust A Groove were thrust console-wards, and all was good. Recently, however, there has been a sudden explosion of interest in song-centric gaming. Since the last issue, Seren has received three new games in which music features heavily, and there are many more on the horizon. So what is available for the beat-crazy gamer, and what can we expect in the future?

Firstly, let’s look at now. As was to be expected, the PS2 has seen some long awaited sequels and ports from other consoles, and, nestled among these titles are PaRappa The Rapper 2 and the Dreamcast hit Space Channel 5. Both of these games are part of a genre that is referred to by games journos as ‘Bemani style’. This essentially means that the action revolves around call and response – the player copies the actions of a com-puter-controlled character, and so makes progress through the game. Other than this, how-ever, the games couldn’t be more dif ferent. PaRappa 2, as you may have guessed, constitutes the continuing adventures of the two-dimensional canine MC. His job now is to save the world from a hostile noodle takeover (what?) by engaging in rapping

face-offs (what?) with a number of characters. Anyone familiar with the first game will know what to expect. The graphics are a tad more crisp and colourful, but still essentially the same as ever. The songs are reassuringly daft, and a certain amount of scope is given for improvisation. The genius inclusion of a two-player mode (against the computer or a friend) lends a whole new angle, and extends the lifespan of the game no end. But what of SC5? This little nugget is rather more graphically realistic, but still quite stylised, and it centres on roving reporter Ulala and her quest to find out why an invading troop of aliens, the Morolians, is forcing people to dance (whaaat?). Decked out in tight orange PVC outfits of varying lengths (from short to indecent), she whups ass by means of dance-offs and shoot-outs. In the latter, Ulala must shoot Morolians with one gun, and free hypnotised prisoners with the other. Tricky. The music is fun and funky, and the voice acting reas-suringly hammy, making the game a fun little package. It is rather easy, though, and there isn’t much scope for repeated play. And that’s the Bemani twosome for you. But there’s a third title which defies descrip-tion and belief. This game, which is essentially a scrolling shoot-em-up, has had gaming magazines in a whirl for the past

couple of months. The game is Rez, and you simply must own it. The aim of the game is not to destroy all of the baddies and complete the levels – that’s just a surface distraction, much like the sketchy plot. Your goal is a state of synaesthesia, which essentially means that your senses become so con-fused that you begin to taste col-ours, see sounds and so on. The game strives to achieve this by involving the player in the creation of the in-game music. As you destroy things and make progress through the levels, the tune

becomes more complex, and the beat, which is channelled through the Dual Shock control-ler, slams more heavily. Sump-tuous light shows accompany the explosions, and the overall effect is messy, but strangely coherent. Perhaps synaesthe-sia is just beyond the game’s reach, but this reviewer had a merry old time becoming utterly immersed in the experience. And that’s the state of things today. But there’s still more to come. Space Channel 5 Part 2, Mad Maestro! and Britney’s Dance Beat (featuring the Spears-ster herself) are just

SLAVES TO THE RHYTHMMike McGeachin looks at the latest gaming craze

Fight! Fight! Fight! We know who has the better game, but which of these dynamic funk-masters would cut the rug – and the mustard – in a one-on-one dance to the death?

Place your bets now!ROUND ONE: The LookGranted, PaRappa looks the part in his baggy clobber and beanie hat, but ultimate sartorial kudos must go to Ulala’s fig-ure-hugging ensembles, thigh-mounted lasers and candy pink hair.WINNER: Ulala

ROUND TWO: The TunesAgain, whilst PaRappa kicks out some catchy rhythms, Ula-la’s taste for booty-shakin’ funk-o-matic groove-fests

comes out on top. A narrow miss for the Dogfather.WINNER: Ulala

ROUND THREE: The WordsA blanket victory for PaRappa. His gift for waffling an endless stream of bollocks without a slip vastly outshines Ulala, whose most amusing mid-dance quote is ‘Shoot Up’. Snigger.WINNER: PaRappa

ROUND FOUR: The MovesWatching Ulala bump, grind, kick and shimmy is oddly satisfying,

but PaRappa can serve burgers, cut hair and pull off some mean BMX stunts without breaking his flow. Respec’.WINNER: PaRappa

FINAL ROUND: The SidekicksPaRappa wins the initial quantity vote, but Ulala’s troupe of groove-meisters have the quality. Fur-thermore, Ulala’s knack of boost-ing her numbers Pied Piper-style swings victory her way. Besides, PaRappa’s buddies seem a little two-dimensional. Arf!WINNER: Ulala

GITAROO MAN: JUST AS ODD AS IT LOOKS

BRITNEY DANCE BEAT: SNAKE OPTIONAL

12 SEREN May 2002 MUSIC music@seren.bangor.ac.uk

MUSIC REVIEWSWHAT SEREN HAS BEEN LISTENING TO OF LATE

Alternative EightiesVarious ArtistsSony TV

Until recently the music of the 80’s was some of the most maligned of the 20th century. It now however finds itself more popular, and cred-ible, than it ever was back in the day. While dance music has been pilfering the decade’s sparse elec-tronic arrangements for a couple of years now, the guitar based under-ground has been largely ignored.So “Alternative Eighties” is a timely reminder that it wasn’t all eyeliner or poodle perms in the decade that cool forgot. Like most compila-tions of this type, there is a mix of the usual suspects (Echo and The Bunnymen, The Cure, The Clash) mixed with some surprises (Coc-teau Twins, The Associates). The ace/shite division is only just on the right side of the mark, but this is only to be expected on a record as packed with tunes as this.What does grate though, is that the compilers have missed an oppor-tunity to tell the full story of the decade’s underground. Where are Joy Division, The Birthday Party, The Pop Group, Spaceman 3, Gang of Four, A Certain Ratio and The Smiths? These groups, and others too numerous to mention, were much more important in terms of influence and innovation than, say, Dream Academy.So, a strange preference for filler over the genuine alternative acts of the decade makes this a strangely bland record at times. What could have been a document of a some-times forgotten era for alternative music is instead only half the story. Some good songs, but ultimately disappointing.

Dan Hartley

DovesThe Last BroadcastEMI

The long-awaited second album from Manchester’s Doves. And it’s a real pleasure to report that it doesn’t disappoint. All of the familiar components from their first fare Lost Souls, are back in place - the jangly guitars, the volume swells, the dance influ-enced drumbeats, the lazy vocals - yet the whole is by far greater than the some of its parts. Some-how Doves are able to weave all these things into an album that soars. From the epic single ‘There Goes The Fear’ with its infectious drumming and even-tual descent into a Latin Mardi Gras, to the delicate fingerpick-ing of ‘M62 Song’ and the loud guitars of ‘N.Y.’, this is an album that speaks of hope in an almost tangible way. ‘Pounding’ does exactly what it claims, yet avoids being oppressive in any way; in fact, it’s quite a freeing tune. Yet when not singing about such things, Doves make music that you can wrap around you like a warm blanket. The Last Broad-cast is not an album done by half, Doves subscribe to the axiom ‘why make a three minute pop song when you can make a six minute psychedelic epic’. Don’t let the morose voice of Jimi Goodwin fool you, this is a joyous album and one that will move you with each listen. Buy it. Now. Enrich your lives.

Kid GalahadGold Dust NoiseIgnition

Though tempting to write Kid Gala-had off as just another indie band it would do little justice to their worth. Certainly all the key influ-ences seem to be in place - ele-ments of early Blur, a hint of The Verve and the boundless enthusi-asm of just about every Britpop band that ever was - but there’s something inherently warm and likeable about their music. Tracks like ‘Where’s My Gold?’ and ‘Stea-lin’ Beats’ bounce along with a chirpy exuberance impossible to deny. The stomp-a-long ‘Pack It In’ and the Teachers soundtrack gracing ‘Distant Sunshine’ deserve to become indie classics. Even at their most melancholy, for example the piano-driven ballad ‘Salvation’, Kid Galahad manage to feel warm and uplifting. And they don’t even feel the need to unleash an entire orchestra to get that epic glow, that has to count for something, doesn’t it?A comforting likeable band, then. And yet, though they deserve good things they need a hook, a gimmick perhaps, something that will mark them out from the rest of the crowd if they ever hope to achieve the superstardom heaped upon their predecessors. Maybe a new logo cos frankly, the one they’ve got at the moment is just crap.

Lauryn HillMTV Unplugged No. 2.0Columbia

MTV strikes again. The newest instal-ment in the Unplugged series show-cases two CDs worth of Lauryn Hill. And her new tunes are good. Touch-ing lyrics with a social conscience and her voice is able to deliver the goods, even if she’s starting to sound a little haggard. In fact, the bare, stripped-down performance - just Ms Hill and a lone guitarist - makes this album sound, at it’s best, intimate and per-sonal, like the demo for an album to rival Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On? Indeed, it sometimes makes you wonder if she’s completely left behind her hip-hop roots till you get to tunes like ‘Mystery Of Iniquity’ where she once again shows that she can rap with the best of them.Which is why it’s such a shame that she’s used the Unplugged forum as public therapy. In-between tunes she shares herself with the audience in a frankly unwelcome way. She has worked through her issues and is determined that she share her rev-elations with the world. What wisdom has she to depart? Unfortunately nothing that a thousand others have hit upon before yet you have to wade through seven interludes and more. Should MTV have taken it upon themselves to edit out the solilo-quies, this would make for good lis-tening; instead it becomes an ardu-ous chore. One can only hope that Lauryn intends to take these tunes to the studio and make a proper album.

The BellraysMeet The BellraysPoptones

Alan McGee’s Poptones label continues to go from strength to strength. Following the success of The Hives, prepare to have The Bellrays thrust upon you. And they will be thrust upon you - whether you like it or not - cos there will be no denying their music. Basic guitar, bass and drums, playing in that old school rock - you can feel the legacy of bands like Led Zepplin in every note. But there’s so much more than an Almost Famous-era rock band courtesy of the enviable tal-ents of the fabulous Lisa Kekaula who wails like Tina Turner and Aretha Franklin put together, while the boys bring the rock back. That’s it. That’s the gim-mick. But it’s one hell of a gim-mick and they have the tunes to carry it off. From the single ‘Fire On The Moon’ to ‘They Glued Your Head On Upside Down’, The Bell-rays pack every single track with so much raw energy you’d be forgiven for thinking this was a live bootleg from back in the day when metal was still a fresh dream. Furious riffing, mad drum-ming and a black girl with the sexiest, huskiest voice, shrieking into the microphone about god-knows-what and it’s all great. If you don’t like rock don’t buy this. If you wish you could’ve been around during music’s heyday, then what are you waiting for?

For our fantastic “About

a Boy soundtrack competi-

tion, see the Film Section.

BANGOR’S LIVE music continues unabated. On the thirteenth, Main Bar witnessed a storming gig from the Moonies and Easyworld. Big shout out to both bands and a spe-cial one to Jo, the bassist from Easyworld, whose smouldering yet glacial beauty made the gig all the more special. At least for the red-blooded males in the audience. Yeah, she knows she’s hot but, hey, those of you who missed it didn’t. You do now.

Coming soon, we have only got the one and only Robert fucking Plant! Led Zepplin ROOLS! Eyes peeled also for Hundred Rea-sons, kindly playing this sum-mer’s Trash Ball with support from Cave In and the always-appreciated Fubar. Then the week after there’s Wheatus – you must have seen the posters by now. Then for graduation week – yeah, most of you won’t be here but that’s your loss

– we’ve got The Bluetones. Something of a coup for our tireless Ents guys as the ‘Tones are only playing about five gigs this summer.Next year, in the autumn, you’ve got the Levellers and JJ72 heading Bangor’s way – or so I’m told. Rockin’.

Keep supporting the live music – you know it makes sense.

films@seren.bangor.ac.uk FILMS SEREN May 2002 13

Win a signed copy of the new Badly

Drawn Boy album/soundtrack to the film

“About a Boy” – along with your chance to

win a Badly Drawn Boy platinum disk.

The 8th of April 2002 saw the release of Badly Drawn Boy’s original soundtrack to the film adaptation of Nick Hornby’s best selling novel, ‘About A Boy’The album was recorded in Los Angeles with producer and Bong Load Records founder Tom Rothrock (Beck, Elliot Smith, etc) and is his first major release since the million selling, Mercury Music Prize winning ‘Hour Of Bewilderbeast’Badly Drawn Boy became involved with the film at the request of Nick Hornby. “I wanted to get on with my own record. But I met them (the film’s creators), read the book and started to get a good feeling” explains Gough. The soundtrack was written in its entirety by Badly Drawn Boy - including eight new compositions and all the incidental musicThe first offering from the new album was ‘Donna And Blitzen’ a limited edition 7” Xmas single released late last year, which sold out on the day of its release. Also included on the record are the forthcoming single releases, ‘Something To Talk About’ and ‘Silent Sigh’The film, ‘About A Boy’ starring Hugh Grant, Toni Collete and Rachel Weisz and directed by Chris and Paul Weitz (American Pie) was released on 26th April.

In association with the release of the About A Boy album HMV are giving Seren readers the chance to win a signed copy of the CD and enter a national competition to win one of 3 Badly Drawn Boy Platinum Disks. To be in with a chance of winning just answer this simple question. Who plays the lead in the film About A Boy? Is it:

(a) Hugh Scully(b) Hugh Lemon(c) Hugh Grant

To enter simply e-mail the answer to hmv@nus-ents.co.uk Please title the e-mail About A Boy Competition and include your name, age, address, university, year of study, telephone/mobile number and e-mail address.

ABOUT A BOY COMP - WIN SOUNDTRACK

BOUGHT TO YOU IN ASSOCIATION WITH HMV - TOP DOG FOR MUSIC, VIDEO, GAMES. DON’T FORGET YOU CAN GET 10% OFF BADLY DRAWN BOY “ABOUT A BOY” SOUNDTRACK WITH YOUR HMV STUDENT CARD.

THRILLERS CAN be a tricky genre to excel in. The uneasy balance of tension and action with an eye on keeping the audience hanging on the edge of their seats, but not holding back too much on the excitement. The consideration of pace. The ugly prospect of cliché. It is always a pleasant sur-prise to find a director that gets it right. But what about a nation with the notion? Strange as it may seem, one country has produced with enough near-perfect thrillers to keep the rest of the world hidden behind the couch for years. The country? Japan. Japan’s launch into the thriller limelight could arguably be said to have begun with Hideo Naka-ta’s Ring. This film followed Asa-kawa, an intrepid female journalist, as she began investigating a sup-posedly cursed videotape. The tape, it was alleged, caused people to die mysteriously exactly one week after watching. Mysteriously and, judging by the faces of the corpses, horribly. The film was directed with admirable restraint, never giving in to cheap shock tactics and gore-drenched visuals. The acting was also of a high, but muted, standard, creating an unnervingly atmospheric and atmospherically unnerving expe-rience. Its strength was its differ-ence. Not simply the difference in language, but the utterly alien feel of the whole film. This tangible oddness was carried through into a sequel, Ring 2, and, most recently, a prequel, Ring 0: The Birthday. Even a change of director (Norio Tsuruta took the helm for 0) didn’t harm the sheer skin-crawling terror provoked by the series. Naturally, all would be well if this were a one-off. But no. Further fear of a whole different shape could be found in the form of Takashi Miike’s Audition. The film’s premise was simple enough: an aging widower is egged on by his son to find a new wife, and so enlists the aid of a film-making companion to set up a pre-tend film audition in order to view a series of nubile young women. He finds what he wants in the form of Asami, an angel-faced, virginal, wai-flike beauty, who he proceeds to court in the manner of a perfect gentleman. Naturally, all goes hellishly wrong, and the viewer is eventually

treated to the most harrowing few minutes of film since Mr. Blonde first picked up a razor. That said, neither violence nor gore feels unnecessary or over-stated. Rather the film builds to a bloody climax, gripping its audience in a brutal chokehold. And still the canon does not finish. Not content with bringing us supernatural and psychological thrillers to rival the greats, our Eastern cousins have produced what has been touted by some as A Clockwork Orange for the 21st century. The film in question is Kenta Fukasaku’s Battle Royale. The plot concerns the decline in behaviour of Japanese school-kids, and some seriously hard-line measures to tackle it. The children are chosen at random to be sent to a deserted island, whereupon they are issued with weapons

of all shapes and sizes, and instructed to kill each other until only one remains. Failure to comply results in instant demise via a Running Man-style collar of death.

The resulting film is a sublime mixture of social com-mentary and extreme violence − a kind of Lord of the Flies with guns − which is enjoyable on many levels. As with Audition, underlying themes of the grow-ing gap between the old and the young in Japan, which becomes apparent with later watches. With all these wonder-ful films on offer, and doubtless many more to come, is there any reason why you should resort to renting the same old tired, trite tripe spat out by jaded Hollywood movie execs? Try something different. You just might like it.

FAR OUT EASTMIKE MCGEACHIN LOOKS AT THE

PHENOMENON OF JAPANESE FILM

14 SEREN May 2002 CULTURE culture@seren.bangor.ac.uk

A NOVEL FANTASYBOOK REVIEW BY JULIE NIELD

David Gemmel

“RavenHeart” (paper back

£6.99) and “StormRider”

(hard Back £16.99)

I HAD never heard of or read David Gemmel, and so was surprised to discover that I had been missing out for all these years. Receiving both the new paper back and the new hard back novel, and in the absence of anything else to read one night, I started Ravenheart - and it was great! An off-world fan-tasy that concentrates on charac-ters rather than making up stupid names for things, is well written with beautiful descriptions and good dialogue is something that is hard to come across. Unfortunately for me though, when I try to tell people how great they are, they all seem to already know about his work. Why didn’t anyone tell me before?Both Ravenheart and Stormrider concentrate on a race of peoples, called the Rigante. Like all off-world novels, there are parallels to cul-

GO AWAY AND READ THIS BOOK!

No Shitting in the Toilet:

The travel guide for when

you’ve really lost it.

Peter Moore

Taking its title from a sign on a toilet door in a dodgy café in remote China, this is not a normal travel guide. For a start, this is a readable travel book. Not only readable, but humor-ous, informative and enjoyable too. Written in a very relaxed and truthful way, and set out in simple to read, easy to flick to sections, it covers all eventuali-

ties and situations, from why and where to travel, eating and drink-ing, modes of transport, souve-nirs and relationships. Each chapter has several sub-headed sections for ease of read-ing, meaning that you don’t have to plough your way though large blocks of text to get to the bit that you are interested in. And its all written from a very friendly and funny point of view - telling you honestly what has happened to him, however ridiculous or unu-sual or pointless, which makes it good to read. At the end of each chapter there is a list of ten things about the previous topic, but with a bit of a twist, for exam-

ple, “Top 10 most useless things to pack” or “ Top 10 shitholes.” Even though I hate all travel guides, and think that they are the most boring and useless thing to own, I actually really like this book. Well written, obviously researched and with a dry sense of humour, NSITT is the travel guide to buy, even if you aren’t planning to travel at the moment, it’s a great book to just dip into ever now and again. Funny, informative, and not taking its self seriously - now that is how travel guides should be.

MONEY MONEY MONEYHow to Settle Debts with

Creditors: A bankruptcy

Association Guide

John McQueen

Paper back, £9.95

Not exactly a great read, and not going to win the Whitbread prize for literature, but it could be useful, if you need to know that kind of thing. Handling you money is one of the most important things that you need to be able to do, and if you do it badly, then you can end up in trouble. Quite a lot of trouble.If you are vaguely sensible with your money then this book will not tell you much that you don’t

already know through common sense. But, when it comes to the more complicated stuff, like if you need someone to guide you through IVAs and bankruptcy then this is probably a good thing. However, if you do find your self in trouble, then this might be able to help you out.This no nonsense, no jargon guide, it will tell you what to avoid, and the best ways to sort out your finances and settle debts with creditors. It doesn’t deal with student loans or anything like that, but if you ever need advice about finances in the big wide world, then this might be useful. Check out www.theba.org.uk for more details.

tures of this world, and the Rig-ante are based on ancient the Celtic lifestyle. Gemmel’s char-acters are wonderfully in depth and realistic, and his style of writ-ing pulls you into the action and leaves you wanting more. Raven-heart is the better novel, but it is left quite open at the end, leav-ing you wanting to know more. Hence the second novel, Storm-rider. Stormrider, however, is not quite as good, with some of the better characters missing, for reasons you’ll have to find out yourself. The pace is kept up, right until the last couple of pages too, leav-ing you guessing how he’s going to wind everything up in such a short space. Then, suddenly, eve-rything is over. It felt a little bit like he got to his word count and felt that he had to just end it there. But, Gemmel is definitely worth a look. An excellent writer of off-world fantasy, the best I’ve read in years.

serensays@hotmail.com EDITORIAL SEREN May 2002 15

SEREN STAFFEditor in ChiefProductionDistrib.

NewsCommunitySUCultureMusicGamesAdministrationLifestyle

L.L. KidneyMike McGeachinFrankie O DowdChris ChapmanCatherine WalkerKarl SadilBob ConnertonJulie NeildIan FallonMike McGeachinKirsty HarrisonDaniella Mangano

AdvertisingTo advertise in

Seren, call 07074 692773 or email us at ads@seren.bangor.ac.uk.

Seren is distributed free to every Students’ Union site, every hall of residence and many other locations around Bangor. We offer com-petitive rates to busi-ness and discounts for Union clubs/societies.

Next IssueThere will be no

more official issues of seren this term. We plan a souvenir issue to coincide with the ball, but this is yet to be confirmed. The next issue will be the Freshers’ Issue in September. Anyone wishing to write for Seren next year is advised to contact serensays@hotmail.com.

SEREN,

STUDENTS’ UNION,

DEINIOL ROAD,

BANGOR

LL57 2TH

CONTACT NUMBERS

Tel: 01248 388017

Fax: 01248 388020

Mob: 07714750400

serensays

There has been much controversy over immigration in the national press, with many tabloids calling out for the closure of the channel tunnel. This is a knee jerk reaction that will not solve the problem, and will only make it someone else’s issue to deal with. The only way to solve the problem of immigrants is to get to the root of it. We must work on a national scale to give everyone equal rights and opportunities. Of course, this is a massive under-taking and some may consider it unrealistic, but surely it is better than pushing immigrants from pillar to post without resolving the underlying problem.

The Queen’s Jubilee has drawn a lot of comment, especially following the death of the Queen Mother. Seren feels sure that the students do not deserve the anti-royalist reputation they have been lumbered with. We may not actively support the royal family, but we are not all active protestors against it. The truth is that most students probably just don’t care. The Royals are a national tradition, and often seen as a burden on taxpayers. Students are not taxpayers, and not really interested. Most of us see the Royal Family as a tourist attraction and source of tabloid gossip, nothing more. It is just like the student apathy towards the government – give us something to vote for and we will, but until we are shown that any party will make a drastic change for the better, it is hard to care. The death of the Queen Mother was a sad event, as it is when anyone passes away, but it does not mark a great national change. Life will go on for every citizen as usual. It is only to be expected that the Queen does not wish to publicise the contents of the will – this is, and should be, strictly a family affair.

On a lighter note, the Summer Ball draws closer. Let’s hope everyone enjoys themselves, and that all the third year students can use the ball to bid fond farewell to the university. Ents have done a great job organising the ball this year and Seren is sure that all the students will appreciate it – as long as they aren’t too drunk to notice, that is.

Next year, Dave Bennett will have the thankless task of edit-ing Seren. I wish him all the best and I feel sure that he will have the continued support of the Students’ Union and the students themselves.

Have a great summer, everyone!

THE STUDENTS’ UNION. It’s all a bunch of arse isn’t it? Half a dozen muppets get elected by a handful of students conned into voting for the prettiest candidates, jumping onto the gravy train to fraudsville and cor-ruptionland.Or are the sabbaticals a collection of students, just like you, who care enough about student issues and who have enough commitment to the cause to give up a year of their normal life to get paid a pittance and work ridiculously long hours in order to help the good students of Bangor, and never get thanked for their work?This year, your elected representa-tives have worked vigorously for the students of Bangor. Highlights of the year have included the oppor-tunity to work with the University on the issue of the Halls of Resi-dence. Through having Union repre-sentation, we have stopped the halls from being privatised – without using hyperbole, a move that has secured the homes of 2,500 students for the next 30 years. Another highlight came when Neuadd John Morris Jones has its status as a Welsh-speaking hall called into question. Through consultation with students and staff, we saved JMJ from being abolished.The Students’ Union exists to provide support, to campaign on issues rel-evant to students and to ensure stu-dent representation within the Uni-versity, in Cardiff Bay and at West-minster. A lot of the work of the Pres-ident is based on a national scale, in order to succeed for students on a local level. I did not truly believe last August that the work of Bangor Students’ Union, with the Welsh Presidents Forum and UCMC/NUS Wales would see the reintroduction of grants to Welsh students, but it has. Our Students’ Union is winning.

Our Students’ Union is winning for students, and that is some-thing of which I am justifiably proud.The reintroduction of grants has been a step in the right direction toward a fair system of student funding. Looking to the future, I honestly believe that the abo-lition of the demon tuition fees is now within our grasp. We must continue to put pressure on

the key decision-makers to see a reasonable funding system instead for our students.The Welsh language movement has been passionately cam-paigning this year, more than ever before. It is a credit to those activists that we have seen a commitment from the National Assembly to double the number of lecturers teaching through the medium of Welsh. The right to receive an edu-cation in your native language when in your native country is an intrinsic one, and we will con-tinue to put our weight behind

SO WHAT HAS THE UNION DONE FOR YOU?

James Brownsell speaks out on behalf of the Students’ Union.

this campaign.The Advice and Representation Centre has seen an average of 100 students every week, deal-ing with matters personal, legal, financial and bestial. The crucial work that the centre does and the importance of the service that it offers must not be under-estimated, and we are thankful that we are able to offer this pro-vision.The students of Bangor are what make Bangor Students’ Union great. The Union, however, would simply grind to a halt if it were not for the tireless efforts of the staff and the Executive, and I wish to convey my deepest thanks to all who have given of their time and energy to help the Students’ Union this year, and those who have given self-lessly over numerous years. I leave this position humbled by the sheer dedication and enthu-siasm of those around me, people that I am proud to call friends.The future is bright indeed for Bangor Students’ Union. There is much work still to be done in key campaigning areas. The chal-lenge for my successor will be to continue to fight in the areas of student housing, welfare sup-port, student funding, provision for cultural, social and athletic development and communica-tion with the membership. I know he will be relishing the opportunity. I hope most sin-cerely that he is offered the sup-port and help that I have been so privileged and honoured to receive.Mewn undeb mae nerth – In a Union, there is strength.

“Looking to the future, I honestly believe that the abolition of the demon tuition

fees is now within our

grasp.”

16 SEREN May 2002 LIFESTYLE lifestyle@seren.bangor.ac.uk

EXAMS ARE a stressful time for everyone – especially if you have essays and a dissertation to worry about. But here’s how you can beat those end of term blues, by following the simple six-step Seren guide.

Step One:Don’t plan marathon revision ses-sions. It has been statistically proven that we concentrate best and learn more in short periods, punctuated with lots of breaks. So promise yourself that you will do one hour’s work, then have a ten or fifteen minute break. Try to avoid high caffeine drinks, because they will make you edgy. Have a glass of juice instead – it’s healthier and much more refreshing.

Step Two: Take one thing at a time. You have to prioritise. If you have two exams in a week, by all means revise for both but try to keep them as sepa-rate as possible. Try revising for one on one day, and the next day concentrate on the other. This way you won’t be switching between the two and getting confused. Also, decide which is worth more marks,

or which one you need to work on most. Don’t panic, and be rational about how much you need to know.

Step Three:Make efficient notes. Read through your lecture notes and decide how much is relevant. Also have an idea of which topics you want to look at in depth and study those thoroughly – don’t just blindly try to take it all in in one go. You’ll only end up remembering half of it and it won’t be much use. Be mer-ciless and make brief but con-cise notes that will prompt you to remember more. Don’t use your notes as the only way to remem-ber the facts, but use them as a memory jog. Learning parrot-fashion may help some people, but it is better to try and learn everything for yourself so you can be more flexible.

Step Four:Look at past exam papers if pos-sible. You will probably find that many subjects come up often, so you can focus on those. Also you’ll know what is expected

of you so you will avoid making mistakes in the exam, such as answering the wrong questions or not reading the instructions prop-erly. Try taking some of the past exam papers in the recommended time, as this will give you an idea of how much you are capable of writing in the time period, as well as being a good indication of your personal progress.

Step Five:Don’t bother about what other people are doing. Everyone has their own favourite areas of study, and just because you are taking the same paper as someone, it doesn’t mean you will be able to answer the same questions as easily. Choose the areas that interest you the most and find a study timetable that suits you. Put in as much or as little work as

HOW TO BEAT THE EXAM BLUES

AQUARIUS Jan 20 – Feb 18 A wise man said

that the sky is always darkest before the dawn. He was right. Dawn’s on the way now, so greet it with a smile. And put some clothes on.

PISCES Feb 19 – Mar 20

Why the long face? Times may be diffi-cult right now, but it won’t last for-ever. Stand tall, walk confidently, and soon your troubles will get tired of following.

ARIES March 21 – April 19 Working hard is all

well and good, but have you thought about yourself recently? Slip on your gladrags and get out of the damn house – you’ll feel better for it.

TAURUS April 20 – May 20 Things are a bit

confused at the moment, so take a moment to sit back and think about what you’re doing. Everything will slot itself into place like some mad jigsaw.

GEMINI May 21 – June 21 Worry worry

worry. Is it all worth it? Keep your head down and get every-thing out of the way, and all will be well. It’s your birthday soon, anyway. Yay!

CANCER J u n e 22 – July 22 If straws were

meant to be clutched at, they’d have handles. Consider your options, and the right path will become clear. Just settle down and think ration-ally.

LEO July 23 – Aug 22 You’ve got your

sights set on something, but it’s a long way away right now. Don’t worry about that – you’re just looking through the wrong end of your binoculars.

VIRGO Aug 23 – Sep 22

The weight of the world seems to be resting on your shoulders. Why not try prop-ping it up against your bed and sneaking off for a few jars? It won’t notice.

LIBRA Sep 23 – Oct 23 My mother

always told me never to trust a Piscean with glasses. She also liked rice pudding. Shows what she knows. Why not give them a go and see what hap-pens?

SCORPIO Oct 24 – Nov 21 You’re feeling

proud of yourself right now, and with good reason. Don’t forget that there are still things to be done – but that doesn’t mean there isn’t time to party!

SAGITTARIUS Nov 22 – Dec 21

It seems that all you’ve been doing lately is complain-ing. Stop singing the blues and find yourself a new tune before all your friends get sick of it

CAPRICORN Dec 22 – Jan 19

Things aren’t going to plan right now, are they? So find yourself a new plan! Remem-ber, if life deals you a bum hand you don’t have to bet on it.

mystic kitty predicts the future...

you feel you need, and don’t be put off by your friends spending all day every day in the library. It doesn’t mean that’s what you have to do. It’s better to find your own space to revise – some-where where you are comforta-ble and relaxed, and has a good source of light.

Step Six:Relax a little. It’s difficult to unwind when you have so much to do, but it will do you good to promise yourself at least one night off a week, and give your-self rewards for meeting goals. For example, say to yourself, “If I complete this exam paper in time, I will have a chocolate bar.” It’s not much, but it gives you small goals and rewards. Breaking the work up into small chunks will make it seem more manageable. Before your exam, be sure to get an early night, pre-pare everything you’ll need for the next day and try to avoid last minute cramming. Take a deep breath, and keep thinking posi-tively. In the exam, be organised and as calm as possible. Be realistic about how much you can

do in the time, and try to think out your answer before you commit it to paper. Finally, when you leave, don’t be put off if everyone seemed to do better than you, or are more confident. Only the examiner knows how everybody did, and the results are a long way off. Put it from your mind, and enjoy yourself.

-26th May, South Stack, Angle-sey: Marine Conservation Society sponsored walk for whales and dolphins.

-2nd June, Rhyl Pavilion Thea-tre, 7:30pm, Bjorn Again.

-2nd June, North Wales The-atre, Llandudno, at 8pm. Spirit of the Dance. Irish show, tickets £15.50 and £13.50.

-3rd June (Location to be revealed later if you join): Ma’m (Movement Against the Monar-chy) protest at the Queen’s Jubi-lee.

-19th June, North Wales Thea-tre, Llandudno, at 7:30pm. Willie Nelson. £33.50.

-20th June: Botanical walk at Cwm Idwal. Meet at Treborth Botanic Gardens before 5:30 when the minibus leaves, or be at Cwm Idwal at 6pm when the walk starts.

-4th July: American Independ-ence Day.

-14th July: Treborth Botanic Garden, 2-5pm, Open Day and Plant Sale. £2.50 admission.

-July-August: Exhibition at Pen-rhyn Castle, including the work of Stuart, a local mature student at Bangor and photographer.

-August: Holyhead Maritime Museum, Diving Exhibition.

LOCAL AND COM-MUNITY EVENTS