St. Matts Site Committee
What's going on at our favourite campus
The first site committee meeting for St Matts kicked off on a positive note, with Julia from the SU office sending out a big Thank You to all those who helped during Freshers week. I'm sure most of you couldn't help but notice the sheer size of the Freshers fair up at Frenchay, even if you were just wandering around in a drunken circle all day from all the free alcohol they were pouring down your necks! Well, next year we're looking to make it even bigger and better, so watch out!
Your say
UWESU is all about giving you, the students, your say. As the ones directly affected by decisions made by the grey men in even greyer suits doesn't it make sense for them to have your input too? That's why it's so important to have Student Reps, so if you feel thoroughly p****d off at the way things are run then get involved and have the chance to put your views across, just see Julia in the SU office for more details. It'll look great on your CV too!
We all know where it is, so why aren't we spending more time (and money) there?
Not only is it cheap, but the relaxed atmosphere and more than friendly staff should be more than good enough reasons to make the bar a key venue for a night of chilling out and drinking with your mates. But the days when a Friday night meant fighting your way to the bar, and bopping your stuff to some serious cheese like fish in a jam-jar before being drunkenly carried fireman's-style (there are buses now, however!) to Frenchay seem to have disappeared. Therefore, it is not surprising that the bar has reported a drop in numbers this term. To pump things up a bit then, and to get you lot into some serious drinking Friday nights are going to be packed full of games and competitions, all of the drinking variety of course! And to whet your appetite a little bit more they'll even be giving away prizes too! For all you hardcore drinkers with the ability to down pints like water, recognition of your talents is finally here in the form of St Matts Beer League. Make it to the top and you could find pictures of your drunken mug decorating the bar - fame at last, hey? Also, a host of new theme nights are on the horizon there's no reason for you not to be tempted - you might as well give it a try anyway! And if you don't like it host one yourself! Theme nights have already lined up include: the Drama Society Cabaret Night for all you budding thespians and for all you film buffs a Film Night, possibly with special promotions on jugs of cocktail - aren't we getting sophisticated now?
Cocks Soc?
While we're on the subject of cocktails there was also a suggestion to start up a Cocktail Society- we need 15 interested people in order to start up though. I'm sure there must be plenty of you who'd be more than happy to commit yourselves to getting slightly squiffy on a regular basis! Let us know if you'd be interested in joining, or if you have any ideas at all by seeing Julia in the SU office (what would we do without her? - I'm sure all communication would cease if she wasn't there to organise us all!)
Let's have a ball!
OK, so maybe we're getting ourselves in a bit deep here, but the vote was unanimous. Following the success of last years very first St Matt's ball we have taken it upon ourselves to put on another one! Tickets will initially only be open to third years, before being offered to second years, and finally first years (sorry, but you did have your freshers ball!). Keeping the same venue of Ashton Court, we are looking into other key features that will help turn it into the time of your life, or at least your University life. So, please help us by answering the questionnaires that Charlotte will be bombarding you with very shortly!
Cheap as chips!
The new slogan for the new-look quiz, not a rip off at all I'm sure! With Lee, Tom and Haylie focusing their attention on their Friday night Fromage-a-Trois, Thursday night's quiz is now being run by Nick, Chris and Carrie. With even better prizes promised and a very successful launch it's definitely worth checking out! You might find a few drinks help the mind too! (NB: No animals were harmed during the process of last week's quiz, well not terminally)
Kids are us!
The campaign to save the Hallery Nursery from closure has received great support from all you guys who have signed the petition - if you haven't signed yet then please do!
Seriously though…
As I'm sure most of you are aware there have been various issues of violence and security recently surrounding the St Matts area. In response our security procedures are being questioned and rethought to hopefully minimise chances of anything similar occurring in the future. One change already in place is that the buses running to Frenchay on a Friday night now depart from the Oldbury Court car park- just follow the crowd!
News Editor Emma Phillips sat through a lot of boring meetings to get you this information, so be grateful.
Welcome to the Mutt’s Nuts Sports Page. No magazine such as this would be complete without a page dedicated to the universal language of sport. Most people who pick up the paper on a Sunday morning flick straight to the back page to see the reaction to their team’s latest defeat (or maybe that’s just the case for Cheltenham Town supporters such as myself).
The great thing about sport is that no matter what your interest, whether it be hockey or fencing, there are always people just as excited about it as you. You may never have participated in popular sports which are there just ready and waiting for your enthusiasm.Squash may be just your cup of tea but you may have no idea of the rules except for hitting the ball as hard as you can against a wall. But in most cases that’s all you need to know. Consider sprinting. All you do is run as fast as you can in a straight line. Yet the sport is encased in competetive passion.
My advice to you readers is to get into sport. Do something. No, no, not yet! Read the rest of this article first and hopefully by the end of it you will be longing to grap your broom and brush away the dust from your football boots. I know sport involves time away from drinking and dancing away to Chesney Hawks, but after a good session of kickboxing you’ll be able to dance to Chesney, S Club and still have energy for the time warp at the end of the night. Trust me. I know. Just think of those fearful words that have haunted your dreams... Belly’s gonna get ya... belly belly belly!
Sport should not be rejected as part of a student lifestyle but embraced in order to save your bodies from the abuse you, yes you, have been giving it! Obviously I’m referring to the amount of time you spend sitting down with your workbooks studying hard. Sport can be an extra interest in everyone’s life. It takes you away from the everyday grind of... daytime T.V. and those funny spaceship thngs... or am I thinking of the geezers that make those whistling noises and live on the moon. What are they called?
This page is there for you to keep you informed on sporting news and events at St Matts, and the rest of the U.W.E. teams and clubs are looking for new members, so don’t feel it’s too late to join. There’s only one ingredient you need and that’s enthusiasm. However, there are so many sports and activities available at U.W.E. that it would be impossible to give information on every one in this introductory sports page. Therefore I will be only too happy to help you with any queries you have. Just drop me a e-mail at crimsonchris@hotmail.com and I will do my best. Alternatively you could ask student services who will be happy to help. I will however say that the recreation centre at Frenchay which has squash facilities and a weight training/fitness room is open seven days a week.
Although I have done my best to sell the glory of participating in sporting activities for a good four paragraphs, there will still be some of you who would still rather sit and watch a good game of footy. Therefore this page will also keep you the reader up to date on scores and match reports around the different sporting teams. Oh yeah, and those dudes who live on the moon. The Clangers! Just had to get that in.
Special information - there has been a huge request from people wanting to play Quiddich at U.W.E. It’s the new sport that’s sweeping the nation and now you can get involved! If you’ve never heard about Quiddich then ask your friends and try to get them involved as well. All you have to do is send me an e-mail and ask me anything you need to know about Quiddich, such as where games will be played, what equipment you will need, or what special training you will require. If there is a big enough response then we may be able to persude the student’s union that it is a good idea and the first ever Quiddich team will be seen at St Matts.
Mutt's Nuts Sport Editor Chris Daymond spends far too much time watching daytime T.V.