The Medwirewants YOU...

...to vote in the general election

Easter eggs for allappetites

Varsity reportinside

April - May 2015

A recent poll shows one in eight students have already decided not to vote come polling day. We need to change that.

Deadly Beauty: a history of poisonous

approval

The Team Editor: Sarah BoastDeputy: Gemma Josa HuescaCampus News: Abigail NuttallLocal News: Lauren MeechanLifestyle: Sarah BoastSport: Danny Rust TV: Cecilie Rygh TrodalProduction: Ben Kosma

Liv EdenSean PrevilConor DigginJayna RanaBoglarka KosztolanyiVictoria Polley

Whats Inside? 4-5: Campus News6: Whats on? 8-9: Medway Gyms11: Election coverage12-13: Lifestyle 15: Comment 17: Medders profile18-19: Sport

Welcome

themedwire.co.uk

Find us online Who are we?The Medwire Student Media LTD is run as a non-profit company, seperate from both the University and Student Union. All the money we make from advertising is used to produce free and independent student news and entertainment. No-one in the company gets paid;were all volunteering stu-dents. our aim is to report events both on and off campus accurately and contemporanrously uing on-line,print and film.

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Email us at themedwire@outlook.com

3

to the Easter edition of The Medw

ire.

This is the first edition run by the

Centre for Journalism second year

students and weve worked really

hard on this edition to bring you a

ll

the latest news of Medway.

Well be taking over from now on,

with a summer edition coming ou

t

next term.

Easter is upon us so turn to pages

12-13 for some great Easter

recipies and the best places to buy

your eggs. Danny Rust has all

the latest sports on pages 18-19 inc

luding Team Medway at Varsity

and the Sports Awards.

The leadership elections for Kent,

Greenwich and Christchurch are

covered in this edition so head to p

age 11 for all the gossip on the

people who are now representing

you.

Until next time,

Sarah

Spring Term is almost over but there is a lot still happening on Campus. Abigail Nuttall has gathered all the stories that you need to know about.

4 themedwire.co.uk

Cam

pu

s N

ew

s

Student engagement in the gen-eral election was one of the issues brought up at the Canterbury hus-tings held at the University of Kent the night of Monday, March 23.

With one in eight students having already decided they will not vote in May, according to uSuv for The Press Association, the question posed to four candidates in attendance was why students have become disen-gaged in politics.

Hugh Lanning, Labour candidate for Canterbury and Whitstable, said the vote is important in choosing who you want to represent you in Parliament.

He said: Politicians vote for people who vote. If young people want their issues to be addressed, the best way to do it is to be voting and holding politicians accountable for it. If you dont vote, politicians, as we can see, will graduate towards those issues for those who are the voters.

Megan Wells, VP (Welfare) for the university, has been heading a cam-paign to get more students to vote.

She said sometimes it is lack of information that prevents students from voting.

She said: Its about encouraging

them to vote and they dont know the stuff around it. They dont know they can be registered both at home and at their university constituency. They can vote in both elections.

She added most international students, which make up 25 per cent of the campus, can vote in local elec-tions if theyre part of the European Union and can vote in the general election if theyre from a country thats part of the Commonwealth.

An Ipsos MORI poll taken in 2010 found of those aged 18 to 24 who were eligible to vote, only 44 per cent voted in the 2010 general election.

Steven Williams, city councillor for Barton, said he is not surprised by the lack of voting amongst students.

He said: There is this certain amount of anger out there and this level of apathy that whoever it is, its not going to change. Life will go on, do you know what, on the seventh of May, no matter what I do with the ballot paper, the eighth of May will be the same. I think we need to move away from that.

The candidates in attendance also said having Hustings at places of education, like the one held at the Canterbury, is important because

how they vote now will affect their futures.

James Flanagan, Liberal Democrat party candidate for Canterbury and Whitstable, said by visiting schools, they can find out what students want.

He said: You do have a voice, make sure you exercise your voice at election time and go out to vote and its incumbent upon again politicians like us to come and meet with young people, to engage with young people in colleges, schools and universities to ensure that we hear your voice.

Stuart Jeffery, Green Party repre-sentative for Canterbury and Whitsta-ble, said in his opinion, another rea-son for the lack of engagement could also be what goes on in politics.

He said: Students are very inter-ested in politics, they just get a bit turned off by party politics.

So how will you vote in the upcom-ing general election or will you vote at all?

If you are still thinking of voting, you can contact Kent Union who will help you register or visit https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote.

Follow this story online

Campaign for students to vote in general election

By Sean Previl

Whats On?

There is something for everyone in the month ahead, whether you are a sports fan at the core, one that enjoys a spectacular performance or someone who is ready for a new and exciting challenge.

MGS conventionSunday, April 12, 11am

Held the day after international tabletop day Medway Gaming society is holding free video game tournaments. Alongside the casual and competitive gaming tournaments the society will be holding a X-Wing Tournament with a 3 entry fee for students and 5 for friends and family, the prize donated by Dicing on the Cake is the new ship from the Imperial faction, The Imperial Raider.Rugby madness

Quiz NightWednesday, April 2, 8pm

Coopers is hosting Medway Amateur Dra-matic Societys first general knowledge quiz night. Entry is 2 for individual or 10 for a team of six. With three winners the odds of receiving prize are higher than most.

PaintballingSaturday, April 11, 9.15am

The Forensic Science Society has 20 places to fill on their paintballing trip to Westerham Paintball Centre Covers Hill Farm in Wester-ham. On a first come first served basis tickets are available for society members 15 and non-members 18. To book a place email the Forensic Science Committee.

Study 24/7Monday, March 23 Friday, June 5

Its that time of year again. The library is now open 24 hours a day 7 days a week for students who want to study for upcoming exams. And to help students working late into the night Coopers are now serving food until 11pm.

Celebrate the end of examsSaturday, May 30

Coopers have announced their annual end of year party will be held on the last Saturday of May. The date was decided by a student poll and more details on the event will be announced in the coming month.

Medways only campus shop could close in August it was announced Friday.

According to GK Unions the number of customers has con-tinually declined since August 2013, meaning the shop is making more financial losses.

Staff were informed there will be a consultation period to decide the future of Essen-tials before a potential closure on August the 1st this year.

In an email to students, signed by Kent Union Pres-ident Tammy Naidoo and Greenwich Union President Alex Brooks, GK Unions said it faced a difficult decision over which services need prioritiz-ing on Medway Campus.

They said: Universities and their Students Unions are very mindful of the need to use resources, particularly financial resources, carefully and prudently.

Adding: analysis shows that 70% of what we sell in the shop is available elsewhere on the Medway campus.

The Union will be working over the next few months to ensure that some products, including stationary and clothing are made available

elsewhere on campus across the GK Union Offices and the Pilkington reception.

The email also outlined how a new Asda store due to open at Dockside this Autumn could impact on Essentials already declining popularity.

The C4 building will also be opened as a student hub in September 2016.

Medways Essentials was saved from closure last June,

thanks to a subsidy from both Kent and Greenwich.

Last year the proposed clo-sure also sparked a campaign and petition on the Medway campus to #SaveEssentials but so far no campaign has been started this time.

What do you think about Es-sentials closure? Let us know your thoughts via Facebook or Twitter.

Staff and students were on the hunt for golden eggs last week to celebrate Easter and the University of Kents 50th anniversary.

The Kent Bunny spent the week of March 23 - 27 hiding golden Easter eggs in different places around four of Kents campuses.

Scattered across Canterbury, Medway, Brussells and Rome, students and staff, searched high and low for the eggs in hopes of finding one that would lead to a possible prize.

Prizes included plenty of chocolate eggs, sports massages at Kent Sport, a meal for four at Woodys, venue tickets, Universi-ty of Kent Monopoly boards and a grand prize of an iPad mini.

themedwire.co.uk 5

Win prizes on campus

Above: Essentials could close in August

The end of Essentials?

Right: The Easterbunny hopping around campus

Whats on?Staying at uni during the Easter Holidays? Our reporter Lauren Meechan has many things to keep you occupied.

The English Festival

themedwire.co.uk6

Celebrate St Georges Day at Riverside Country Park on Saturday April 18. It will be a brilliant day out with picnic areas, a farmers market and a punch and judy show

at the seafront.Enjoy the most iconic English traditions with a countryside experience to meet baby farm

animals and a duck herding display.There will also be some English characters walking around the park and above all, its free!

Have a great night out with your friends and enjoy Al Murrays One Man, One Guvnor show on Thursday April 23.

Beer loving Murray will appear at the Central Theatre in Chatham.Tickets are 25 and the show starts at 7:30pm.

Tickets are now on sale to see headliners Peter Andre and Blue at Castle Concerts.The concert is being held in the grounds of Rochester Castle once again.

It boasts a four day extravanganzer of live music from 15-18 July.Other acts include Status Quo, Billy Ocean and soprano Laura Wright.

Ticket prices range from 32.50 to 37.50.

Visit Buckmore Circuit Park, Chatham to chase your inner Lewis Hamilton this Easter.They are hosting turn and drive days on Tuesday April 14 and Thursday April 16.

Go-karting is for all ages between 4-84 with no booking necessary.Also, all new for 2015, Laser Warfare Open sessions are set in authentic war zone with base

camps and missions to complete. Lasers are used to hit opponents giving accurate scoring as you carry out a series of games

played in the forest. The activity is suitable for people over the age of 8 which is also based at Buckmore Park.

Al Murray the pub landlord show

Rochester Castle Concerts

Go-karting and Laser Warfare

Rochester Castle Concerts

themedwire.co.uk

Three new gyms set to open in MedwayWe sent out reporters around Medway to visit the three new gyms which are opening in the coming months. Heres what they think...

New Outdoor Gym at Rochester RiversideThis is a gym with a difference.

Its free to use whenever you want, has no joining fee and offers amazing views.

The Paralympic gold medal winner, Charlotte Evans opened the gym earli-er this week.

It has eleven pieces of equipment, including a cross trainer, hand bike, spinning bike, chest and leg presses and a treadmill.

The machines are easy to use and offer a great view of the River Medway.

It was set up as part of the exciting Rochester Riverside plans.

Therell also be new waterfront homes, cafes and bars that could arrive in 2016.

The gym was developed by The Great Outdoor Gym Company and will even-tually form part of a public park.it her seal of approval.

Date announced for Chatham

truGymThe truGym in Chatham Maritime

was due to open months ago, but today the manager has announced members will have to wait another four weeks.

The gym was first advertised last summer with a pre opening offer of just 10.99 per month, hundreds rushed to sign up only to be told it would not open.

From August to January, members were emailed frequently with a new opening date each time, due to com-plications with the internal construc-tion.

But, last month local gym goers breathed a sigh of relief when the manager of the gym, Karl Patton said it would be open in the first or second week of March.

Today its been set back yet again to April 20.

Mr Patton said: We are very sorry for the delays. We were hoping to open in March but have been unable to because of complications with the building process.

We now have all our staff in place and members will be invited in a week prior to the opening to get their membership cards and have a look at the facilities.

Strood leisure centre is up and runningThe new and improved Strood Sports Centre reopened its gym today after a 12-month refurbishment project.

The makeover aimed to make the leisure centre more modern, spacious and inviting according to Medway Council which has funded the 1.9m plan.

The council said this refurbishment, which started in April last year forms part of its commitment to help local people get fitter and healthier.

The centre will not be completely fin-ished until the summer, but members are back in the gym and happier than ever.

Strood Leisure Centre was in the midst of the Legionnaires scare last March where Legionella bacteria was found in water systems feeding the centres toilets and showers.

This resulted in one school keeping its pupils out of the gym and others refusing to return.

Now the leisure centre is said to be back in business and booming.

Fitness classes and facilities have remained open to the public while the refurbishment work takes place but members can now enjoy the brand new facilities on offer including dance studios, squash courts and a sauna.

LEFT: truGym open date is set and Strood leisure centre is now in business

themedwire.co.uk

by Gemma Josa Huesca

9

Get fit with lets play

Suk pannu and Tom Allen two third year students organised a sports event on Wednesday 4th of March in the Pilking-ton building.The event consisted in giving studetns the chance to know and try some of the sports facilities the Universitites at Med-way provide. The event started at 11 very quiet. It kicked off around 12, when many stu-dents started to come into the lecture room and played table tennis, badminton and some others enjoyed the free mas-sages given by sports therapy students. The free massages offered in the event were a tester for what students can get in Medway park clinic. 3rd year sports therapy students run the clinic, they offer personalised massages for anyone that

needs it. Students have a discount when using the clinic. Many students were part of the event. Sports study society, Medway sports hall on campus, a couple of personal trainers, voleyball and basketball players were all there to try and promote their societies. William Brufatto, 1st team captain in Team Medway Basketball, was also there selling tickets for Varsity and the sports awards. Tom Allen, one of the organisers of the event said: I think the event was a success.In terms of what was in there everyone had a go, and I thought it was a good introduction to sport.

by Boglarka Kosztolanyi

Binge drinking on the up in Medway

An alcohol worker from Medway suggests that an increase in binge drinking could lead to more people having unsafe sex or using illegal drugs.A study from the universities of Bath and Essex found that binge drinking costs UK taxpayers 4.9bn a year.The report discovered that binge drinking also increased the average daily number of injury-related admissions to A&E by 8% - which means 2,504 additional daily admis-sions nationally. It also caused the number of road accidents to go up by 17% - equivalent to 82 addi-tional accidents a day nationally - while the average number of alcohol-related arrests are equivalent to 786 additional arrests per day nationally.The research said more needed to be done

to address the social factors leading to binge drinking, which is more common among individuals aged 18 to 30. Ruhsen Sevketoglu, Wellbeing Adviser at the University of Kent said that they find that more and more people are getting addicted to substances in Kent.She said: Most people dont realize that it is a problem, because everyone is doing it. But, alcohol is a depressant, so once its effects wears off, you shoot down and as a result you become reliant on that, its a coping mechanism.Caroline Ralph, Deputy Operations Manager at Turning Points Medway Active Recovery Service, says that there is an increase in alcohol related issues in areas with a high concentration of off-licenses, pubs and bars, and young adults should be aware of the

health risks of excessive drinking.She said: Alcohol reduces our periods of REM sleep, which our brain needs to operate fully and this effect can have a significant impact on your ability to retain information. There are also longer term health impli-cations, including the risk of liver damage, and increased risk of many cancers. Another issue is the effect alcohol can have on decision-making. We often hear of people having unsafe sex, or being tempted to try other, illegal drugs, while their reasoning is impaired by alcohol.

Above: Lets Play organisers at the event

Private View: Monday, 31 March, 18:00 - 21: 00Exhibition Opens: Tuesday, 1 April 10:00 - 17:00

GREAT STUDENT ACCOMMO

DATION

IN LIBERTY QUAYS, MEDWAY

Studios are available to book o

nline now

or why not pop over and have

a look?!

Call Laura on 016 3485 3285 or

visit www.libertyliving.co.uk

If you book a studio for 2015/16

at Liberty Quays well

give you 50 Tesco voucher to

fill your fridge!

And because we are so aweso

me, youll also get entered

into a prize draw to win a 250

voucher of your choice!

Tesco voucher and prize draw will happen during move in period.

I really like living here, its a hu

ge

residence & there are lots of p

eople

to socialize with. My room is r

eally

modern & I love it.

Miruna University of K

ent student

& Liberty Quays resident

Get involved with campus politics

themedwire.co.uk 11

With the countdown to the general election looming many of you will be thinking of voting. But national politics arent the only ones you can get involved in.Elections for Kent and Greenwich Unions presidents and vice-presidents have closed and results of who will be the 2015-2016 sabbatical officers at Greenwich Union will be published soon.At Kent Union the results have been pub-lished and the officers have taken up their posts. Kent Union president after seven stag-es of voting, with 1378 in the final round, is Tammy Naidoo. Supporting her in the role of Vice-Presindent for Education is Jack Lay. With only two com-petitors Jack only went through two stages of voting before being appointed.Vice-President for Activities after receiving almost two thousand more votes than his closest competitor in just one round of voting is Tom Currie.

After four stages of voting Nina Mehmi was appointed as Vice-President for Sports.The final member of the leadership team is Rory Murray. Like the president Rory faced seven rounds of voting before being named as the Vice-President for Welfare. But there are still elections to get involved with. In Kent Union there are 23 part time officer positions and two elected trustee posts including; ethics officer, international students officer and science faculties rep. A full list of positions is available online on the union website.Nominations for these posts open in under a week on Tuesday, April 7. Once the list of candidates is complete students can vote on who they want to represent them when polls open after the Easter break on Monday, May 18.There are also society elections across both Greenwich and Kent Unions. A lot of Kent societies have their committee elections at

the beginning of April with society members able to nominate themselves from Monday, March 30 to Thursday, April 2. Voting is then open until the end of Sunday, April 5.Some societies have later election date; including the Raise and Give committee, T24 Drama society and the Critical Law society.You can see a fill list of society elections and dates on the unions website; www.kentun-ion.co.ukGreenwich societies also have upcoming elections. The soonest is their Rase and Give committee election for which nominations close at noon on Thursday, April 9and voting opens the following morning.

To check out what elections are upcoming in Greenwich societies you can visit the union website; www.suug.co.uk

The month of March saw Kent, Greenwich and Christchurch appoint new Leadership teams. Find out who will be representing you for 2015/16 and how you can get involved.

GREAT STUDENT ACCOMMO

DATION

IN LIBERTY QUAYS, MEDWAY

Studios are available to book o

nline now

or why not pop over and have

a look?!

Call Laura on 016 3485 3285 or

visit www.libertyliving.co.uk

If you book a studio for 2015/16

at Liberty Quays well

give you 50 Tesco voucher to

fill your fridge!

And because we are so aweso

me, youll also get entered

into a prize draw to win a 250

voucher of your choice!

Tesco voucher and prize draw will happen during move in period.

I really like living here, its a hu

ge

residence & there are lots of p

eople

to socialize with. My room is r

eally

modern & I love it.

Miruna University of K

ent student

& Liberty Quays resident

lifestyle

themedwire.co.uk12

Aside from a roast dinner and chocolate eggs (duh), when we think of Easter food, we think of the traditional hot cross bun. Light, fluffy rolls mixed with currants or raisins and marked with a cross, sometimes made from icing. Whats not to love? But a lot of people have a love/hate relationship with raisins so heres a light, fluffy alternative that removes the dried fruit but keeps that sweet and spicy taste! The cinnamon roll...

Simple Easter recipies

From fashion to food and the best shops for your Easter eggs, our lifestyle editor Sarah Boast and her team have all the answers.

By Jayna Rana

IngredientsRolls:

One pack (7g) of active dry yeast

230ml warm milk100g sugar

75g cup butter1 tsp salt

2 eggs500g flour

Filling:200g brown sugar

2 tbsp cinnamon2 tbsp flour

75g butter, softened

Icing:100g butter

200g icing sugar60g cream cheese

tsp vanilla extractPinch of salt

1. Dissolve the yeast in warm milk in a large bowl and leave to activate for 10-15 minutes. You should see the yeast frothing at the top of the milk. 2. Add the sugar and 1 cup of the flour. Stir gently and set aside to rise until double in size (about 30-45 minutes).3. Add the butter, eggs, flour and salt and mix well. Knead for 5 minutes.4. Place the dough in a large, greased bowl and leave for an hour or until double in size.5. Make the filling by combining the brown sugar, flour and cinnamon.6. Roll the dough into a 40 x 40cm rectangle and spread over the softened butter. Sprinkle over the filling mixture evenly, making sure to go over the edges.7. Roll the dough into a cylinder starting at the long edge and making sure to keep it tight as you go along.8. Cut the cylinder into 12 equal pieces and place into a baking dish, allowing at least 2cm between each roll. Use another baking pan if necessary. (see pic for positioning guidance).9. Leave the rolls to expand for 30-40 minutes. Preheat the oven to 190c.10. Bake the rolls for 20-25 minutes or until golden. Once done, remove immediately and place on a wire rack to cool slightly. Make the icing mixture by combining all the ingredients and generously lather onto each roll.

Remeber:- If you fail to activate the yeast correctly in step 1, the recipe will not work.

- Layering the work top with cling film before

rolling out the dough in step 6 will make it easier

to roll.

- The rolls can keep up to five days in an air-tight container. Heat in the

oven on 100c for 10 min-utes before eating for an

instant pick-me-up!

- For a neater look, use a piping bag to decorate the

rolls with your icing. You could even draw crosses to rival the hot cross bun!

themedwire.co.uk 13

Celebrity inspired eye-raising makeupBy Liv Eden

The artwork for Rihannas eighth al-bum has raised eyebrows after new fash-ioning to accentuate her new found style - both musically and physically.

The artwork is a distinct contrast from her first album Music of the Sun empha-sises her transformation from innocent, sweet Rihanna to badgalrhirhi.

Now this year, with the rise of edgy model, Cara Delevingne, its been all about the brows and her new album proves it, as Rihanna poses with Frida Kahlo-styled brows.

In 2009, it was bleaching or even shaving the eyebrows off, now, the likes of Audrey Hepburn and Brigit Bardot join Frida Kahlo with historically prominent brows.

Eyebrows have the ability to frame the face, lift the eyes, and accentuate facial expressions and continue to become a dominating beauty ritual, after all if the brows arent right nothings right.

The trend has been so influential that #eye-browgamestrong is a popular hashtag on social media sites like Instagram and twitter.

The bold-brow fashion is also apparent among new clothing styles. This seasons look includes clean cut lines with cool colours which help dark brows really stand out.

As well as this, the retro craze is back in and the edgy brows suit the styles of the 70s with Margaux Hemingway being the Delevingne of

the decade.

Bianca Jagger, Debbie Harry and Liza Minnel-li were style icons of the seventies and all had strong defined brows, proving big brows have made a bold comeback.

Remember: the bolder the better!

Cara Delevinge, well known for her brow

Get the latest freebie

Easter eggs for every appetite

FOR THE CHOCOHOLICS:To make this Easter extra special then head to Hotel Chocolat. At 27 these eggs offer the thickest chocolate around filled with 12 treats inside. Their Rocky Road to Caramel Extra Thick Egg consists of one half 40% milk chocolate with cookies, puffed rice and chocolate chunks while the other half is caramel-milk chocolate. Presented in a ribbon-tied hatbox this is a gift youll always remember.

FOR THE SWEET TOOTH:Believe it or not some of us actually dont like chocolate so head to online site Retro Sweet if you know someone with a sweet tooth. Theyre offering 20% off various products including the large retro tuck box which can also be personalised. Its crammed full of 28 of your childhood favourites, including Flying Saucers and Jelly Beans.

FOR THE MONEY SAVERS:To bag a bargain youll need to head to Tescos. Theyre currently offering half price on their large easter eggs including Maltersers, Cadbury Oreo and Chocolate Orange. So for 3 per egg indulge yourself in chocolate whilst saving money at the same time!

FOR THE HEALTHY EATERS:If youre opting for healthiness this Easter then try Green and Blacks organic 165g dark chocolate egg. At 580kcal this is one of the lowest calorie eggs around. Its organic dark with 70% cocoa solids.

FOR THOSE WITH ALLERGIES:Easter can be a tough time for people with coeliacs disease because theres the risk chocolate can contain gluten. But this blog lists all the eggs that are free from gluten including Cadburys, Green and Blacks Thorntons and M&S. Eggs should have allergy guidance but to be sure on nut-free, dairy-free and various other ingredients head to Free From For Kids.

Bag the latest freebie by downloading your FREE subscription to The i.

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Your Move

gillinghamlettings@your-move.co.uk 01634 852345

www.your-move.co.uk

Houses and rooms to let in Gillingham for now and 2015/2016. Large selection of

student properties available at great prices

Comment

themedwire.co.uk 15

Deadly Beauty; a history of poisonous approval

By Madelaine HansonMadelaine is a first year journalism student at the University of Kent.

Your Move

gillinghamlettings@your-move.co.uk 01634 852345

www.your-move.co.uk

Houses and rooms to let in Gillingham for now and 2015/2016. Large selection of

student properties available at great prices

My little sister, aged thir-teen, is watching a history programme semi-interested-ly over her phone. A leering, talcum powdered woman is

grinning through rotten teeth behind a fan. My sister is smirking back at how ridiculous this ac-tress looks. To be fair, she does look fairly weird. But Im pretty sure I looked weird at fourteen, wearing my mothers stiletto heels and No.7 coral lipstick.

Come on, we all did. We must have looked like a Nabokov nightmare. You must remem-ber the joyful days when rubbing lipstick into your cheeks was still acceptable, and the right amount of mascara was how much you could coat over your traumatised eyes. Back when the idea you couldnt be painted a luminous orange at school was a social outrage. Im still trying to work out why I fought for it so ferociously as part of the feminist agenda on the school coun-cil. By fifteen, we looked bizarre enough for a pantomime and more sexualised than a banned Japanese manga cartoon. Still, at least weve all been through it, experimenting with shielding our newfound insecurities. But at least we wer-ent putting our health at risk, like the women of times gone by. Were we?

Actually, the health risks of covering yourself in Edwardian lead or baking your body under ultraviolet light seem equally extraordinary to me. The prospect of shoving two cheap bags of silicon under my chest incites equal feelings of dread. But these were things that were normal, even desirable, when I was at the height of my insecure teenage rampage.

I was definitely going to have my nose bridge thinned,ribs shaved, not eat until I looked like Kate Moss and get a tan. Who cared if I looked like a beetroot for over a month in the summer. Deadly sinus infections? Skin cancer? Eating disorders? Starving to death? Please. Some of us had our thigh gaps to worry about.

Walking around Gillingham high street, I pass numerous tanning salons, false nail extensions and dieting wraps; thats where they leave you to dehydrate for hours until you lose your water weight scattered behind various discount posters. I can actually point you in the right direction from here to three rhinoplasty experts alone. Im really not suggesting its disgusting women wear make up or want to lose weight, its just scary how huge this business is, and how extreme the pain levels and danger risks have become. We seem prepared to sell our happiness, health, wealth and futures into an abyss of surgeries, powders and creams that promise us some distorted version of femi-nine fulfilment.

The Atkins diet, for instance. Depriving your body of glucose isnt just depressing for my fellow pasta lovers, it actually can lead to severe short-ages of energy and nutrients your body needs

to survive. But of course, we all want to be thin. We all need to be able to triumphantly squeeze ourselves into that XS in Mango and subtly boast about how much larger sizes have become. Before going home early because we feel like we are go-

ing to faint from skipping food for three days. But corsets were worse than dieting, surely?

Weve all seen almost grotesque images of sad looking monotone ladies with tiny, Disney-esque waists they couldnt possibly walk with. Sadly, my dear ladies, we all know they arent a thing of the past. Please just ask anyone on the womans floor in John Lewis or New Look and they will discreetly show you at least five racks of slimming under-wear. And any woman who says she hasnt heard of Spanx is lying. The tragic heroine look, or these days tragic heroin look, has infiltrated our minds in a modern blur of slightly confused romanticism.

What about the hairstyles? The Georgians and the Gibson girl wannabes wore towering hair pieces that caused baldness, asthma from the powder and severe migraines. They had heating tongs that had no maximum temperatures and could burn you severely.

Already I can see flaws in criticising them;I have had hair extensions myself after many

a drastic, germanic haircut, and goodness was it agonising. Hundred of tiny metal rings digging into your scalp when you slept, the weight of the hair making your neck ache, the constant fear of baldness looming over you so much you might as well have just worn a fedora. Yes, even that is half the agony. I have more straightener burns

than digits. At least Ive never had the misfortune to bleach my hair, which Ive heard a great num-ber of horror stories about. Its enough for all the keratin to jump out of your body in fright. At least the Georgians didnt have fake nails. Anyone with

more than a week of being unable to type, use a touchscreen or write due to these infuriating pointy sadists will congratulate them on that, at least.

Well, we dont use poisons, I hear you say. Sad-ly, ladies and some gentlemen, we still do. You know the lovely scented shampoos and mois-turisers very carefully labelled with DO NOT USE AROUND MOUTH and THIS PRODUCT IS NOT INTENDED FOR INGESTION Well, they might be there for a reason. In 2013, Washington DC, over 2,500 people were exposed to cosmetic poi-soning, the highest ranking out of any category including household cleaners, medication, and mushrooms. Bit of a wake up call.

But why do we still put ourselves at so much risk? No one is going to throw you in an asylum if you lose your looks later on in a marriage. But still, even today, beauty is a matter not only of survival, but self worth. I feel more confident when I wear concealer, and a little eyeliner. To me, my appearance is as much my make up as my choice of clothes. Im pretty certain Im not wearing it so every man who sees me at Star-bucks potentially wants to marry me.

Maybe, after so much conditioning from the media and the world around me, being a little bit more beautiful makes me a little more - well, happier to be me. And if non-deadly, painful or

poisonous options are there to increase our confi-dence, then go for it, I say.

Im never going to look as good as Kate Moss, Ive decided, forming that epiphany at the grand old age of 18. Im always going to have slightly too wide a nose and feel much happier after eating a croissant every morning. But Id rather live as me than put my happiness, health - or my life - at risk.

Ultimately, unless you were unfortunate enough to be born with the looks of Quasimodo, the heart of Elisabeth Bathory and the charisma of John Major, you are always going to be attractive to someone. We dont have to marry at twenty before dying tragically six years later, ladies. Take your time, enjoy life before love. We are more than pretty things with fans.

We are, rather suddenly after a century of pro-tests, pretty much people. No longer will our looks alone be our only selling point. You can have the most wonderful nose in the world and it still wont make you the best friend and life partner of your boss. If a man wont marry you because you didnt have that potentially fatal gastric band operation, is he really the one?

We dont live in a perfect, equal world; but lets not make it a deadly one.What do you think? Join the discussion at www.themedwire.co.uk/comment

We may sneer at our ancestors for covering themselves in lead; but are todays women really any better?

The MeddersProfile1) Tell us a bit more about yourself

Im 21, from Kent and am in my second year studying Journalism. Some things most people dont know about me are Im a qualified hairdresser, can play saxophone, piano and clarinet and I worked as a PR girl for a London photography studio.

2) What does your job as editor involve

Ill be responsible for the running of The Medwire from now on, including this edition and the summer one which will be out during next term. Ive got a great team behind me wholl be dedicated in bringing you the latest news from Medway. Im now also in charge of The Medwire website so take a look there too! Gemma Josa is the new deputy editor and together well be in charge of all things Medwire-based.

3) What made you want to study journal-ism?

I get asked his question a lot and in all honest I actually didnt set out to studying Journalism, I kind of fell into it. I planned to do Music but changed my mind on results day so opted for Music Journal-ism. Then after a year at a different uni I realised I really wanted to just focus on Journalism alone so switched degrees and started at Kent - best choices Ive ever made!

4) Whats the best thing about Medway ...and the best places to go?

The best thing for me about Medway is the fact its home. I grew up here, all my friends are here and its my home town. Its a small campus here which can be a good thing as it means theres more of a com-munity feel and everyone seems to know each other without making much effort, I dont think youd have that on a bigger campus.

...and the worst?

Sometimes being on a smaller campus can be bad because theres not always a lot of good things going on. The main campus at Canterbury will be busier with events and what not.

Wheres the best place in Medway to go?

The good bits well worth a visit are Rochester Ca-thedral, Blueberry Park sandwich shop in Chatham (all American inspired sandwiches that are amazing) and the esplanade in Rochester.

themedwire.co.uk

Victoria Polley caught up with Sarah Boast, the new Medwire editor to find out what shes planning for future editions and to hear a little more about her.

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Above: the new editor Sarah Boast, below The Medwire team

SportIts the end of the season for Team Medway. Danny Rust and his team have a round-up of Varsity, the BUCS season and the lowdown on the Sports Awards.

Team Medway defeated in Varsity

themedwire.co.uk

By Danny Rust

Varsity has ended with Team Medway and Team Greenwich drawing in the last two years, but Greenwich were crowned the winners of Varsity 2015 on March 25.

The day begun with Team Green-wich seeing off Team Medway in the badminton mixed doubles, but the home side was only confirmed as win-ners in the final game of the day.

Four wins each, at Greenwichs Avery Hill campus, meant that the basketball match would decide this years winners, and Team Greenwich were ahead at the end of each quar-ter. The game finished 81-71 to the home side, and Team Greenwich were crowned winners.

Medway Spartans, who recent-ly won their division and went the whole season unbeaten, kept up their fantastic form to beat University of Greenwich 45-5. Team Medways womens football team were also con-vincing, as they won 5-0.

Team Medways indoor cricket side won by one

wicket

The mens football matches were extremely close. Despite racing into a 3-0 lead within the opening 25 min-utes, Team Medways second team had to fight hard to complete the vic-

tory. The second team were pleased to win an exciting encounter 5-4.

The first team, however, were un-lucky to lose their fixture. With Team Medway leading 2-1 going into the closing stages, a late goal from Team Greenwich took the game to extra time. The match ended 2-2 after extra time, and so the game went to penal-ties. The two sides matched each oth-er, but Team Greenwich registered the win in sudden death.

Greenwich registered the win during sudden death

on penalties

Indoor cricket was a new event at Varsity this year, and Team Medway became the first team to win the fix-ture at the annual competition. With Team Greenwich batting first, Team Medway were aware of the total they were chasing. They succeeded in the run chase, as they won by one wicket.

Team Medways two netball teams, however, were unlucky to lose. The second team took to the court first, and they fell to a 28-20 defeat. The first team also ran Team Greenwich close, but they lost 42-32.

Team Medway will hope to prize the trophy away from Team Greenwich in the annual competition next year.

Varsity results in full:Badminton: Team Greenwich win in the mixed doubles event

Rugby: Medway Spartans win 45-5Womens football: Team Medway win 5-0Mens football first team: Match drawn 2-2 after extra time. Team Greenwich win on penaltiesMens football second team: Team Medway win 5-4Indoor cricket: Team Medway win by one wicketNetball first team: Team Greenwich win 42-32Netball second team: Team Green-wich win 28-20Basketball: Team Greenwich win 81-71Keep up to date with all the scores and news from Team Medway at www.themedwire.co.uk/sport

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Above: Team Medway took on Team Greenwich in Varsity 2015 at the University of Greenwichs Avery Hill campus

Above: Medway Spartans celebrate defeating Team Greenwich 45-5 at Well Hall

By Conor Diggin

Varsity saw Medways rugby team maul Green-wich with a staggering 45-5 victory on Green-wich turf.

It only took 10 minutes for the Spartans to get their first try, after Mack Harter intercepted a poor Greenwich line-out and offloaded to Harley Button 10m from the try-line after a quick break. The captain, Phil Dugard, made the easy conver-sion.

Button then doubled the lead after a Medway lineout 15 minutes later and duly converted.

However, with five minutes until half-time the hosts claimed their only try of the match when Medways full-back spilled a catch and let Green-wichs winger through with no one to stop him.

But the Greenwich fly half put a simple conver-sion wide.

The next few minutes was all Medway and on the brink of half-time the away side won a lin-eout only 2m from the Greenwich try line. Tom Wymans throw set Medway up to haul the ball over the line and go in at the break with a 19-5 lead.

Medway were put straight under pressure when Greenwich kicked off the second half and the captain, Dugard, was forced into a last ditch tackle 5m out after a breakaway run by Green-wichs flanker.

However, Medway weathered the storm, forc-ing a mistake out of Greenwich to win a scrum in their last third.

After a quick counter and brilliant teamwork by Harter and Dugard, the captain went over for

his first try of the game on the 50 minute mark and Button converted to increase the gap to 19 points.

The fiery encounter saw a lot of injuries to both sides and only five minutes after his only try, Dugard was forced off injured with a hamstring strain.

With 15 minutes to go, Harley completed his hat-trick after a Spartan scrum in the hosts final third, yet missed a tough conversion right by the side-line.

Greenwich were on the back foot again merely 5 minutes later as Medway pressed hard for try number six and the visitors hard work paid off as Wyman forced his way through the Greenwich forwards and over the line to extend the lead to 38-5, with a Button conversion to boot.

It was a nervy last five minutes for Medway as the home team pushed them all the way back to their try line and threw away three clear chances to reduce the deficit.

However, Medways sturdy defence paid off and Henry Lord was able to get a try in the final minute before converting to cap off a stunning victory for the still undefeated Spartans.

Medway Spartans captain was pleased to end his final year on a high. We were glad to win but it was a disappointing performance, especially considering we beat a Kent 1sts and 2nds com-bined XV 62-7 the weekend before, said Dugard.

Im proud of all the lads and to gain back-to-back promotions and be the first captain to be undefeated, its a huge high to go out on.

Be sure to follow The Medwires twitter account: @the_medwire

Spartans score high

Netball successful at annual Sports AwardsNetball won the Club of the Year award at Team Medways annual Sports Awards for the second year in succession.

The awards took place at St. Georges Hotel, Chatham, after catering problems meant that it could not be held at Gillingham Football Clubs Priestfield Stadium.

The netball first and second teams have im-pressed this term, and second team captain Vic-toria Polley was pleased to win the Club of the Year award.

Its been great to be part of the netball club over the past three years and Team Medway as a whole, said Polley.

Im proud and privileged to be a member of the club of the year and am really excited to see how Team Medway develops over the next few years. Im just sad I wont be a part of it.

Amy Burgess, in particular, had a successful year. Her Taekwon-Do side, along with Thai Boxing, won the Best New Club award, while Burgess was the recipient of the Captain of the Year award.

Basketball won the Outstanding Achievement and Outstanding Commitment awards.

Basketball captain William Bruffato also had a

good night, as he was the recipient of a special award from GK Unions and named Sports Person-ality of the Year.

The unbeaten Medway Spartans were awarded the Most Improved Club of the Year award, while Team Medway FCs first team were named Team of the Year.

themedwire.co.uk

Spartans and mens football win titleBy Danny Rust

Medway Spartans were confirmed as their Division winners last month, and were pleased to go the whole season unbeaten.

The Team Medway side secured the title when one of their oppo-nents failed to turn up for their fixture at Priestfields Recreation Ground last month.

The Spartans were confident going into the season, with them targeting promotion from the very start of the BUCS campaign.

But they had the added bonus of going unbeaten for the whole campaign, and now they will be hopeful of continuing their good form next term.

Another side that impressed this season was the mens football first team. They, also, went in to the sea-son looking to win promotion.

Promotion was secured at the end of February, with victory over Canterbury Christ Church Univer-sity.

A 4-1 win away from home secured the title for Team Med-way, and captain Billy Doyle was pleased with his sides victory.

It was a great performance by Medway FC, said the skipper.

Congratulations to the lads as well as we won the league today by a clear distance.

Team Medway FCs first team will, like the Medway Spartans, be hopeful going in to next years BUCS campaign.

With many players also being first and second year students, they will be pleased that most of their team will still be available when they look to stay in the divi-sion next season.

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Above: Medway Spartans went the whole BUCS season unbeaten and won the title

Above: Nebtall won Club of the Year