contents:

ESCAPE

Pick of the Crop : #002

Hi! Welcome to your first issue of The Beat, the ATRiuM’s very own newspaper which will be distributed twice a term. And, if you’re a fresher, a very warm welcome to your new CCI campus, located in the heart of Cardiff!

The Beat is part of T.A.G (Trefforest, ATRiuM, Glyntaff) connecting all three campuses of Glamorgan together.

The Beat will focus on CCI issues, whether that is to do with building or course issues, let your voice be heard. Our main focus is to present to students and your fellow peers your work within The Beat. This can be artwork, feature writing, hard news stories, photography or even if you know of any events coming up. Let us know, and we’ll let everyone else know about it.

A little about me:I would like to introduce myself; my name is Cheriton (Cher or Chezza for short). I’m in my 2nd year of Journalism at the University of Glamorgan, and I am enjoying it immensely. If you see me around campus sporting a Course Representative hoody then you’ve probably found the right person!

My aim for The Beat in T.A.G is to find the best events around Cardiff and bring them to your paper.

I am also looking for people to send me there artwork as with every issue I will be showcasing this

artwork featured on the back of the paper.If you would still like to participate and missed

us at the fresher’s fayre, then please email theatriumbeat@ymail.com, and I will add you to the

mailing list.Enjoy fresher’s week!

Most of all Get Involved!

The University of Glamorgan has invested five-hundred thousand pounds into a new Students’ Union for the ATRiuM campus, which is due to be opened at the beginning of the autumn term. The students union which is set to be officially unveiled next month comes after students were unhappy about having to travel to the Treforest campus in Pontypridd, in order to reach events hosted by the University. The new state of the art union can hold up to three

New SU @ ATRiuM

Cheriton Lee

hundred people, which is great for both freshers to meet new students at the campus, and also makes for a great relaxing afternoon with friends between lectures. The union comes equipped with a bar, a shop for any essentials youmay need for the day (always greatwhen you decide breakfast isn’t always the most appealing option), kitchen, toilets and not forgetting an office for union staff who shall be happy to help you with any queries you may have about the union or University.

I’ve personally had a look at the union, and I must say that I’m very impressed with the amount of work that has been completed in the two months and I’m sure you’ll feel the same when you receive the opportunity to enjoy this new attraction to the ATRiuM.With the opening of the new students union in Cardiff comes even greater union orientated events, as well as acting as a great way to start a perfect night out sowhy not stop off at the union and have a few drinks before you go

clubbing, after all you’ll be paying a lot less in a safe environment.In order to stay updated on the events happening at the student’s union feel free to log onto the University website or check the listings section presented by the writers in Treforest in order to stay ahead and get the most out of the University experience. I hope you all enjoy the new students union at the ATRiuM and make the most of the new facility you’ve all be so patient for.

by Steven Lawless

Dear Freshers, Firstly I’d like to say congratulations! Welcome to the University of Glamorgan, and thank you for taking the time to read our newspaper which will ease you into student life.

from time to time with the ongoing activities here at the University.

The first issue is our way of helping you settle into the student lifestyle, along the way we’ll suggest hints and tips in our survival guide through the first year, believe me it’s very humorous and hopefully you feel the same. Indeed, starting anywhere new is nerve wracking whether it is a new job or moving home nobody really likes sweeping change but remember, everyone is in the same position and the freshers week that is available to you will allow you to meet lots of new like-minded individuals where friendships are inevitable. The beginning of the new term is always the most exciting, and by reading T.A.G. you’ll learn not only about the campuses and what the University of Glamorgan has to offer but also the highlights surrounding these - afterall if you’re new to the city you need to know where to get a cheap drink and with our help you’ll have no trouble at all. Admittedly many of us aren’t fans of consuming large quantities of alcohol but who says you need a drink in your hand to have a good time, there are many music venues in the heart of Cardiff; Clwb Ifor Bach, the barfly and buffalo bar just to name a few which always showcase the latest talent both home-grown and from abroad. The budding journalists will no doubt be informing you of all the latest happenings which you can find in the listings section.

Just a few friendly tips from me to you once you’ve settled into your new home for the next twelve months:It’s never a wise decision to think that you can live off of your loan and it’ll get you through University there are plenty of jobs available in Cardiff, (Yes jobs in a recession) with the open-ing of the new St. David’s shopping complex and without trying to sound like your parents (al-though I probably will haha) it’s time to get a job and start earning some money for the luxuries that go with being a student.

A good way to make friends with similar inter-ests is by joining societies at the freshers fayre these can range from the film society, writing for the University newspaper like myself or even the religious societies on offer.

Remember most importantly University is a place for you to flourish and believe me at the University of Glamorgan I have no doubts that you shall, providing you put the work in and get the most out of it!!

If you’d like to write for the University newspaper you can usually find me in CA218 in the ATRi-uM or you can contact me through our facebook group self entitled ‘TheBeat’ – hope to see you soon!

My name is Steven Lawless, I’m currently studying journalism and about to move on into the second year at the Atrium here in Cardiff. Throughout the year, me and the other writers shall be doing our best to inform you of the happenings, and hopefully entertaining you

Steve Lawless

BarflyBy Ross Jones

If you’re new to the city of Cardiff and have a penchant for all things alternative then look no further than Barfly. The venue holds a plethora of events from club nights to gigs with some-thing to fit the music taste of almost anybody. If you are one of the lucky individuals who can remember a far gone era where The Spice Girls topped the charts and alumi-nous clothes were socially acceptable and wish to relive that beautiful time then Barfly’s weekly 90’s disco “Hammertime” is the place to be. It is as close as you can get to a children’s disco without being a teacher.The only discernable difference is that instead of an endless mountain of Hotdogs for 50p you are offered pretty much any bottle of alcohol for the bargain price of £1. What I will say is if you want a guaranteed spot inside then start cueing early because when it gets busy it adopts a “one in one out” policy which can leave you in the queue for a long , long time. Although recently renovated it is still smaller than your aver-age venue so if you’re not a fan of close contact with complete strangers then Barfly definitely isn’t for you. It’s close proximity often leads to gigs being that much more special there than anywhere else. So if a night of sweaty , drunken debauchery is your bag then head on down to Barfly were you are sure to be obliged.

Metrosby Jade KinseyWhere is there to go on a night out in Cardiff? There’s the obvi-ous...Oceania, Walkabout, Tiger Tiger etc, but where is there if you want to rock it out? There’s just one answer....Metros. It’s one of Cardiff’s only specialised rock/metal clubs and with student friendly Wednesday nights mixing cheap drinks (bottles often form 99p!!!) and hard fast rock you can’t really ask for a better night out! It’s also conveniently located on Baker’s Row, near Howells. The basement club draws in the crowds with a mixture of music from heavy metal and punk to alternative and a touch of indie, be prepared to mosh through the night! Wednesday’s ‘Cheap-skates’ student night offers ‘alternative mayhem’ and some ‘old skool cheese’, something you definitely don’t want to miss. To find out more about Metros and the drink offers, competitions and flyer savings add Metros Cardiff as a friend on Facebook. The club is also looking for flyer distributers so it’s a great chance to make yourself a few quid so take a look at the job section of their website www.metroscardiff.com/jobs plus when you register on their site you can give your name and e-mail to the doorman on a Friday or Saturday and get a free drink!! But be quick, the offer only stands for one month after you sign up.All in all, Metros is a great place to go for an eventful and often crazy student night out that won’t break the bank! One word to describe this basement venue.....smashing! sometimes quite lit-erally! But let’’s get serious for a second, this alternative club will be the highlight of your many evenings out on the razz which is why i’m giving it a creditable 4/5 Beer

Oceana – The Marmite of nightclubsby Emily Cole

The biggest and hottest (literally sometimes) nightclub in Cardiff is Oceana. It may not be the ‘typical’ student place, it’s not boho, it’s not

really very cool, but you won’t fail to have a good time.Billed as “the world in one night” because of its many themed rooms, it’s certainly a new experience for those who have never ventured through

its doors before.

Oceana’s student nights take place on a Monday and Wednesday, of-fering reduced entry for NUS card holders and cheap drink prices, with

bottles of VK around £1.80 and not much more for other drinks.The main room in the vast expanse that is known as Oceana is the Ice

House, ironically named as it is possibly the hottest place in Cardiff. Sean Kingston, Rihanna and Kanye West are the flavour of the night but

don’t worry if R’n’B isn’t your thing, Oceana caters for most. Just next door is the New York Disco and it’s exactly what it says on the tin. With a multi-coloured light-up dance floor and choons from the 80’s and 90’s,

it grants those of us who want to return to our childhood to dance the night away to the likes of S Club, Baywatch and the song that blighted

every primary school party; the Macaraena.Downstairs houses the chill out rooms which provide seating areas and bars to the sounds of relaxing, elevator-type music. Villa Tahiti even has

sun loungers to chillax on!

The most ‘interesting’ room shall we say is the Parisian Boudoir, and if you’ve been there, you’ll know why but if you’ve yet to experience the plush red crush velvet sofas and curtains and the walls adorned with

pictures of naked ladies, you’re going to be somewhat astonished. But no doubt in Fresher’s week it will be the one room where you’ll see the most revealing look of Cardiff city’s new students. It is a boudoir after

all…

Buffalo BarBy Cheriton Lee

Travel to the bottom end of Queens Street and take a turn onto Windsor Lane. Venture a little further past a bustle of cheap end pubs and nice restaurants and you will find yourself in London. Well it looks as if you

were in London (the mixture of rows of trees, lawyers and solicitors offices make it look that way). To your left you will find a converted town house right on the edge of this lane known as Buffalo bar. Walk inside

and prepare for a festival of the senses, gothic wallpaper, antique aviar-ies suspended from the ceiling, retro phones stuck to the walls. The three story building includes: a lounge/bar/dining area on the ground floor, tables and chairs set out to comfort the clientele in style. Step

outside and down to the ‘secret garden’ where people can mingle, eat, chat smoke... The garden itself is again designed to invite, wallpaper

tattooed on the walls, benches tables all covered by comforting garden parasols. Move on up to the top floor nicknamed the ‘Beatbox Ballroom’ introducing you to another level of the Buffalo brand. Another trendy bar area, this time with retro televisions and old Marantz stacked on top of each other, a picture of a sexy lady and her beau sprayed on the side

of the wall, well in tune to the Buffalo thematic. A welcoming sign states ‘What the Fuck?’ zeitgeist imagery to feast on whilst relaxing/dancing

with one of the many cocktails on offer. Yes, cocktails. Buffalo is ‘known’ to offer some of the best cocktails around town. From a Long Island iced tea to a more sophisticated Martini cooler, this bar caters for the

more demur style of drinker. But if that’s not tempting enough, the many drinks/food offers given every week really do reflect Buffalo’s thinking

drinker ethos. Manage 2 41 deals on the ‘favourite’ cocktails, £2 bottles of Stella, and a specialised array of spirits and organic beverages to sat-isfy a wide range of customer. Add to that a shake of the big name DJ’s

from around Cardiff from Killer Tomato (GLC tour DJ) to Tom Bentley and on special occasions playing host to both the C-Y-N-T DJ’s and the Aperture family. Don’t be surprised, either, if you bump into the likes of Radio One DJ Bethan Elfyn, spinning tunes with her ‘Vinyl Vendetta’ to mix you up a treat, and brushing shoulders with some well known

celebrities too...Highlight: Catch the secret garden in full swing at one of the many

‘Silent Discos’, it’s a great laugh and definitely worth a visit.Student Budget: With 241 deals on cocktails, and food offers through-out the week, Buffalo entertains the student variety kindly. Keep your

eyes peeled for flyers around town...Atmosphere: A healthy mixture of in the know office workers, and a dose of hip young adults. Buffalo bar is a place to be seen at...and it’s

relaxed enough to lay back and take in an independent grainy B movie, whilst indulging in your own sense of sensibility.

Clwb Ifor Bachby Gareth Kyffin Vickers Jones

Clwb Ifor Bach or ‘The Welsh Club’ to non welsh speakers in my opinion is Cardiff’s best club. For the alternative scene it is one of the best nights out in Cardiff I have been on, if Walk-about and Oceana are not your idea of a good club then Clwb Ifor Bach will be.

Although a predominately Welsh speaking club when it opened in the 70’s it is very welcoming to English speakers and English and Welsh is spoken equally around the club, although anti-welsh sentiments usually result in a swift removal.

The clubs has 3 different rooms usually offering different types of music in each room and I feel it gives the clubbers some consumer vote in their night and means that the DJs and bands put on a better show to keep people in their room.

The best night that Clwb offers is the C-Y-N-T night which is a night dedicated to the latest and best artists in Drum and Bass and Electronic music. C-Y-N-T night is usually a Thursday and entrance is £3 and bottles of beer are about £1. You may love it or hate it but I fully recommend that you at least try it.

Revolutionby Adam CheungDo you enjoy a venue where the playlist consists of classic hip hop and rap and modern day chart toppers? A club that goes beyond the simplicity of only one flavour vodka shot and instead offers an extensive range from chocolate to bubblegum? And finally do you believe the best nights out offer a place to chat with your friends as well as a large dance floor to show off your disco moves? If your answer was yes to these questions then I believe Revolution is the place for you. “Revs” sits near Cardiff castle and can cater for almost everyone’s perfect night out. Downstairs features Re mixes of old school hip hop to modern day hits with large seating areas available inside and outside of the building; perfect for socialising. While upstairs hosts a mas-sive dance floor with club remixes played throughout the night fuelling the adrenaline of the clubber within you.

However it’s not a “revolution” as the name suggests. It is an or-dinary club featuring the glamour that most clubs have and the same type of music most Cardiff clubs play. However the edge “Revs” have over the competition is the massive scale of differ-ent flavour vodka’s available. You won’t like all of them but you have to marvel at the variety available and challenge yourself to try each flavour throughout the term. If it’s a night socialising with new and old university friends you’re after or a classic night out dancing the academic blues away then Rev’s is the place to be. Also I suggest buying your friends chilli flavoured vodka

So you’ve just enrolled as a fresher. Moved in your brand new laptop, your HD ready television and you juggle your iPod, mobile and designer handbag for all to see. You party hard for the first semester and are regulars and Cardiff student nights.Then it’s six nations rugby, so you go home for the night and leave your everyday essentials alone in a house without a burglar alarm, a quiet back entrance and nobody to keep watch. Except the local band of thieves who would most happily take care of your precious and expensive items.It does happen. Students in Cardiff are regularly victims of crime amidst falling crime figures. A group of Atrium students living in Cathays were burgled earlier this year.It was the first time since Christmas that the house had been empty overnight, with all five going home for the six nations games. Cathays is an area of high crime in Cardiff, due to the high population of vulnerable students but crime in the area has decreased by 10.9% over the last 12 months.

Simon Parfitt, 21, now in his third year of graphic design at the Atrium. He was one of the victims of the burglary. “My housemate Moe rang me at 2am. I got dressed straight away and drove to the house. I was shocked but couldn’t describe exactly how I felt. I could tell Moe was an-gry. They took my iPod and my speakers.”The burglars came through the front door, locked with just the catch so easy to slip the lock. The quiet back lane is probably how they got away, with no streetlights and two exits; it is easy to slip away. Only the one bedroom door was locked, but that got destroyed and they got in. Daniel Jones, 21, is now in his third year at Cardiff University.“I missed the call from the boys early in the morning because I was out drinking and watching the rugby match. My mam woke me up at 8:30am and said I’d been burgled,

I told her I locked my door and went back to sleep. She woke me up again at 11:30am and said I had to go down the house. My mam was wor-ried and you could tell my dad was on edge and snappy, I was hung-over and couldn’t take it in.”The burglars were determined to get in, using spatulas and ladels from the kitchen to break the doorframe. They took his Xbox console, games and CD

player.Michael Morgan, 21, was getting ready to graduate in Popular Music with a hassle free uni life, until the break in.“I couldn’t believe they didn’t take my guitars because they are worth more than everything else put together. I’d advise other students to lock all their doors and not take anything for granted.”

Ironically, the police visited the stu-dents a few weeks before to warn them of the dangers of burglary in the area. PC Bob Keohane is the student liaison officer for the city of Cardiff. Cathays has it’s own burglary squad that investigate all burglaries in the area, so it is important to report all crimes. PC Keohane gives students advice on crime prevention and helps students and police work together. He can be contacted by email robert.keohane@south-wales.pnn.police.uk.

PC Keohane’s Top Safety Tips1. If your door doesn’t lock unless you have a key, get an alarm free from the police that will alert you when the door is opened.2. When you go out in the evening make sure all doors and windows are locked, especially ground floor as they are easy accessible.3. Leave a light or a radio on to make people think you are there.4. Register all your belongings on the UK National Property Register site www.immobilise.com by Rebecca Ransom

“What’s your name?” “Where are you from?” and “What course are you studying?” University is about meeting new people, as well as gaining an education, but it always seems to start in the same way. I was just about getting bored of behaving like a parrot until an unfortunate incident occurred in our student flat involving a frying pan, oil and some sausages which led to the entire twenty one floors of Ty Pont Haearn being evacuated for two hours in the cold. We were then approached with a different question...”Are you from the fire flat?”

Dramatic how it sounds and despite the rumours, no-one was harmed (apart from a pair of melted tongs which we kept on our shelf all year as a trophy). However we had people knocking on our door for days after asking for a tour of the ‘fire flat’. They were left disappointed though as all that was left after our joint effort of scrubbing away the extinguishers dust was a bad smell. This smell seemed to appear again under poten-tial friend’s noses if my flatmates or I revealed the number ‘905’.

We were eventually forgiven, but everyone should learn from our mistake. You should charge at least £1 if you give someone a tour of your flat.

“How to win friends and fumigate people” by Holly North

Oceana ListingsDigital - The Official Student NightEvery Monday 21:00-03:00£3.50 with NUS £4.50 without

Student at Treforest or Glyntaff? Why not grab the coach down to Oceana?! Leaving every Monday from Treforest Campus at 10.30pm.Grab a ticket for £9 which includes FREE Entry and a coach ride there and back. ATRiuM Students don’t feel left out, you can grab your discounted tickets which include queue jump & entry from Union reception.

This page is brought to you by the Glamorgan Students’ Union Entertainments Team. It will provide you with all the information about our upcoming events happening during 2009/10. This includes all three campuses: Treforest, ATRiuM and Glyntaf. So, who are the Entertainments Team? Jason - Entertainments, Promotions and Publicity ManagerHelen - Entertainments, Promotions and Publicity AssistantBob - Web Developer and Photographer (and now newspaper developer!) We all know that you’ve come to University to get better qualifications, but if you just attend your lectures, then go home and work on your coursework day after day, night after night, life would get very boring to say the least!That’s where the Glamorgan Students’ Union Entertainments Team come into play…to save the day (and night)! We offer a huge range of entertainments both in our new home in Brecon Block (Treforest) called ‘Beacons’ and in our new building at the ATRiuM SU called ‘Escape’.The bars will be open seven nights a week and will bring you burlesque evenings, fancy dress parties, club nights, karaoke, comedy nights, movie nights, quiz nights and more...keep an eye out for posters! For more information on events check out www.glamsu.com/events/, or why not add the Glamorgan SU Entertainments Team on Facebook (Search for Glam SU Entertainments Team)

Treforest EventsGlamorgan Students’ Union is dedicated to providing you with the very best entertainment. As we are operating in a smaller venue during 2009/2010 (awaiting our brand spanking new building!), We are spoiling you with a huge marquee during Freshers’ Week. For the rest of the year, check out the entertainment we have in store for you in our new bar called Beacons.

ATRiuM EventsGlamorgan Students’ Union proudly presents their brand new Escape bar at the ATRiuM Union. Fresh for 2009/2010, we are giving you the pleasure of being the first students to experience our exciting new building. Why not start off your year in style!

Best Bar NoneOur Bars have won the Best Bar None competition for Rhondda Cynon Taff 2009! Thanks to all who have come to SHAFTS, Baa Bar and Smiths over the last year. We hope to make the new bar, Beacons, just as great!

For those of you who don’t know where we are, we live at The Pick & Shovel17 Fothergill street

TreforestCF37 1SG

01443 404632

The Pick and Shovel is a student focused pub where everyone is welcome to join us in our comfortable and

contemporary environment. With great deals on food and drink and the best entertainment around we provide the ultimate social experience to compliment your University life.

Offers with Attitude Card, only £1, giving you 20% off all draught, bottles and exclusive access to loads of other amazing deals.

Look what’s here!

• Sky sports and ESPN • • Wii for free - loads of great

games to play •• Food served everyday till 9pm •

For loads more info check out our website:

www.pickshovel.com

I’m going to pass out. At least that’s how I see it in my head. I’m going to pass out in one drooling, undignified, unconscious, slow motion swan dive onto the floor in the middle of the Atrium foyer; simultaneously ending my chances to ‘be cool’ and not get called ‘fresher-face-plant-guy’ in the process. At least I have a month in which to practice putting one foot in front of the other without going head over skate shoes; or to come up with a line of reasoning that the ‘fresher –face-plant’ is in fact slacker vernacular for some sort of hip, parkour trick I learnt from the locals in South America, while on tour with my fictional death metal band; ‘Ovarian Usurper’. Now, back to reality; let’s calm down, and run the checklist; bank account heaving under the strain of taxpayers’ money; check. Sense of pride at doing something positive with my life while simultaneously anticipating doing the minimum amount of work, and the maximum amount of partying; check.

feeling of despair that I might not ‘fit in’ or be ‘down with the kids’ due to my bones technically being half dust already because of my age; double check. I’ve relocated to Studentville; which is a small distance from the first stop on the unemployment line if I’m not careful; and a long, long, way from the comforting glow of home. Although I will be out of my depth; I feel welcomed by the thought of waking up at five to nine covered in last night’s kebab and running, half-dressed, to lectures that are located in rooms I have never heard of. By being crushed under monolithic debts and mounting deadlines until I am forced to breathe air through one of those small masks, involuntarily impersonating Darth Vader; forgetting to make notes then intently scanning blackboard for hours like an undergraduate Miss Marple; and by eating way more super noodles than humanly possible and enjoying the desperate

After a year of student life I have a pretty good idea of what it means to be a student. Leaving home was no surprise having spent most of my years in boarding school. For me student life is all about: drinking copious amounts of alcohol then waking up to unexplained bruises, eating party rings and chips all-day everyday, discovering the insane world of cheerleading, and wasting my entire student overdraft in Topshop. After my gap year I also rediscovered my intolerance for Monday mornings, isn’t it odd how we all seem to have an uneasy feeling about Monday mornings?

I fell asleep every Monday morning, my brain just seemed to go into meltdown every time it discovered itself exposed to media history.For a pessimist such as myself I don’t like having expectations because there is always the inevitable disappointment to come. However I can’t help myself, this year as a returning student to the Atrium I have many expectations, of myself more than anything. I was a Journalism student for a year but then decided to change courses. I definitely didn’t waste my time though; I just couldn’t see myself studying it for another 2 years. After all it was drummed into my head that experience is what you need to become a journalist, so I think a year of studying it is enough.

For me the journalism course was all about writing for fashion magazines but I feel I need to understand everything surrounding it before I can really start writing about it. Consequently I made the decision to nip it in the bud and study Fashion Promotion instead. It seems a good choice for me to expand my “fashion brain” and hopefully find my feet in the enormous world of fashion. Another thing that I love about being a student is cheerleading, I’ve made some great friends, helped with fundraising, competed in some awesome competitions and gone on tour to Lloret de Mar. You know the news clips you see of rowdy drunken Brit’s well that would probably

sum up tour week. Every night was fancy dress and for some bizarre reason the rugby boys translated all of them as: get your chest out and lather yourself in oil. I can’t wait to get back to Uni especially cheerleading on a Saturday morning, because there just isn’t anything like being thrown up in the air still half cut.

Harriet de Bretton Gordon

6.am combination of Fosters and Frosties without getting two punches for flinching.Two punches I could well be receiving when the lecturers outline the course guide and I realise the amount of work I’ve let myself in for after taking an extended full time education boycott; when I try to be socially adept and reference something from the eighties, forgetting that everyone around me was born of a generation readily equipped with an iphone in their hand, and ‘lol’ was their first utterance; and when I realize that lasts nights imaginary kebab is now oozing its way down my front, glistening as it glides. This will undoubtedly be the best semi-free education of my life; like college on amphetamines. All I have to do now is avoid falling over, pack enough oxygen masks, and brush up on my Portuguese, in case of face plant.

by Tom Hughes

5. Your bank will likely offer you a credit card, do not use it unless you absolutely need to, the people working at the bank may seem friendly but always remember it’s ONLY your money they are interested in.

6. If you really desire a Playstation 3, Xbox 360 or a Wii, save first, don’t put it on your credit card as interest rates are high. Pay for your non-essential items in cash and you won’t have any unexpected surprises.

7. Keep record of your purchases. Keeping an eye on how much and where you spend could save you falling into debt.

8. Use your free time to earn money, get a part-time job, a few hours every week will gain you a nice bit of extra cash.

9. Respect your flatmates; remember anything you break of theirs you are eligible to pay for.

10. If you feel you need to talk to someone face to face, there is always the drop in centre; the staff will always be ready to listen to your problems and more than happy to help.

by Jamie Williams

1. Go into your local banks and ask them what they can give you that other banks cannot, remember they want your money, so make them give you a good deal on your student account, e.g. Railway Card.

2. Make sure you set up your student account if you have not already; it means you get a handy overdraft, so if you run out of money for essential food, the overdraft will be a life saver.

3. DON’T IMPULSE BUY. Remember your loan and grants have to last the year for food bills, equipment, rent, etc. It is surprising how quickly money can disappear.

4. Set up a High Interest/Savings Account and invest part of your loan & grant for when you have to repay your loan. However, this can be a safety net if you find yourself short on money towards the end of the year.

1. Get Talking – Don’t hold back from meeting new people, remember, you’re all in the same boat so ask a few questions and spark up some conversation, you’ll be surprised at how many people will be grateful for someone to talk to. You’re going to be spending a few years with the people on your course so you might as well get to know them now.

2. If you’re unsure, ASK! – University staff as well as older students, believe it or not, are here to help. Remember, they’ve been there and done it so they know where all the best places are! If you get a bit lost or even if you just want to know where the nearest pub, cinema, fast food restaurant or shops are just ask but don’t forget to take your NUS card to bag yourself some student friendly offers.

3. Get Involved – A great way to meet new people is to join a club or group. The university has a range of different activities for you to have a go at! If you’re into sport you could try rugby or tennis or even cheerleading but if that’s not your type of thing you could try your hand at a spot of journalism and send us a story or review. There is loads of new stuff for you

Okay, so you’re all excited and nervous to be starting university and you can’t wait to get into the swing of things, right? Great! Enthusiasm is just what you need to get you started, but here are

the top 5 hints and tips to help you on your way:

to try; you could even start your own band since the university

has loads of budding musicians, studios and photography students at your disposal, well, as long as you ask nicely.

4. Make an effort – Start as you mean to go on and turn up to your lectures on time. But when university is over for the day, go out! You know you want to! The Student’s Unions are a great place to start with millions of pounds having recently been spent on new buildings, very exciting stuff. There are loads of events scheduled AND it’s cheap! So get your glad-rags on. When you’ve worn out the SU you could always pop into town, Cardiff has fantastic night-life as many of you will already know.

5. Have Fun! – This whole experience might seem a bit scary but once you get into it you’ll be wondering what you were thinking! Just have a good time! I hope that will help you on your way and break the ice with fellow freshers and have a great university experience.

by Jade Kinsey

Neil Sweeneywww.barbershopgraphics.com2nd year BA [hons] Graphic Communication

I started graphic design as a teenager while attending Glyntaff College for Art & Design Technology. When I was 19 I entered into an international competition with Microsoft called Origen. To enter you had to design a 65 x 65 pixel image of yourself as a gamer otherwise known as a ‘Gamer Tag’. I won the competition and got to attend the Xbox 360 Worldwide launch in America called ‘Zero Hour’.After that I joined many websites looking more in-depth into graphic design and job opportunities. I designed CD Covers for a few artists all over the World, such as the Late Proof from D12 and DJ Salam Wreck.

I decided to further my education in graphics including typography and print. I am now in my second year at the Atrium. The course has proven to be very useful and I have had to adopt many aspects of design as well as Website and ‘Interactive’ which I had little knowledge of before attending.At the moment I am in the process of starting my own online company which I hope to have up and running before I graduate.

Images: Cardiff Airport re-branding: (example of Uni work)Demon Barber EP Cover (personal CD cover which was designed to look dark and gritty)

Pick of the Crop : #001

Pick of the Crop : #002

Willy DownieStaff of the ATRiuM reception

THIS summer for one hour I was a work of art in Trafalgar Square, London. I’d volunteered along with thousands of other people to be part of artist Antho-ny Gormley’s One & Other project which was to put a person on the empty 4th plinth in the square. The plinth has been empty for years and ex-mayor Ken Liv-ingston began com-missioning artists to produce work that would be displayed on the plinth. I’m a big fan of Gormley who made The An-gel of the North up in Newcastle and Field for the Brit-ish Isles which con-sisted of thousands of tiny clay figures crowded together in a room. I think his work has an ex-traordinary power and was thrilled then terrified when I won a slot on the plinth. What was I going to do for an hour in the middle of London in front of a live audi-ence and a live web cam? I had a brain-

storming session with the Drama Mis-tress Jodie Allinson about how to sus-tain the audience’s interest for an hour. Binned ideas in-cluded dressing in a straight-jacket then lying on the plinth screaming for help for an hour and dressing as the Grim Reaper then randomly pointing at people saying “You’re next”! I settled on doing a few things: Cele-brating the fact that we had saved The Vulcan pub from being demolished, promoting the Free Gary campaign, let-ting some Chinese lanterns off and making a model of myself on the plinth in the style of Gorm-ley. Ten o’clock was my time to go on

the plinth and they put me on a cherry picker and swapped me with the previ-ous plinther. I un-rolled a sheet on the top of the plinth which I’d painted the words “Get me off this planet” just in case there were aliens flying over-head then started mixing the model-ling clay. The crowd were asking “who is Gary?” as I’d paint-ed on the back of my Vulcan t-shirt in huge letters ‘FREE GARY’ so I told them about the campaign to stop computer hacker Gary McK-innon being extra-dited to America. While making my model I spied my friend Claudia so I threw her a Chi-nese lantern kit and asked her to make

it. Soon everyone wanted one. We got about 3 in the air before One & Other security appeared with fire-extinguish-ers and there were a few tense exchang-es down below. My mate Laura told me later how she’d ar-rived a bit late but had seen a lantern floating towards her down the Charing Cross Road! It was all over far too soon but I finished mak-ing my model. The cherry picker came back to get me and off I went. It was an amazing experi-ence.

GLAMORGAN SU: Escape

The ATRiuM campus’ eagerly awaited stu-dent union was host again on Tuesday 10th November to another Giggle box comedy night. This one - held during reading week for the majority of stu-dents, was unusually quiet.

As a Treforest student I followed the fortnightly comedy religiously last year due to its bargain £2.75 entry, MC Elis James’ hosting style that tricks you into thinking he is your very own funny best friend and because Tref’s alternative Tuesday night entertain-ment was.. well nothing. It was al-ways sold out.After moving to Cardiff this year my housemate and I were pleased to find that when the ATRiuM’s Escape Bar opened they would also be hosting Gigglebox.The first night was a success. All the seats were filled and after new com-père Clint Edwards’ original disap-pointment at the venue was overcome (the union wasn’t the 180 capacity theatre he’d expected) we settled in for his raconteur style hosting and the featured comedians of that evening.

Three - usually nationally recognised - comedians for £2.75 is an event you won’t find repeated in Cardiff and we are lucky to have this on offer. The drinks are cheap in the union and the venues cosy stature means that the gig feels intimate – particularly Tues-days gig where the audience was only ten strong. Tuesday’s comedians Henry Widdi-combe and last years host Elis James gave the audience exactly what they came for. The small crowd didn’t put them off in the slightest it just en-hanced the personal material and crowd interaction. Elis James’ banter style comedy in particular works bril-liantly with a small crowd.Food is served in the union from 8am till 9pm everyday which gives the op-portunity to get in early on a Tuesday, eat, grab a good seat and make a night of it.

byMichelle Davies

The opening of the su bar: es-cape has spurred students to write in and share their views: The stage is set. Adrenaline run-

ning through the veins of every competitor. The challengers have sized up their opponents and have set their sights on a win. Who will be victorious? Who will reign supreme? Is this the Olympic games? The Champions league final? No it’s the Glamor-gan Student Unions quiz night. Every Sunday night a dozen or so of the most feared , re-spected and down right ridiculed quiz teams gather to battle it out in a no holds barred quiz inside the Student Union. But wait it’s on at the same time as X factor. Wouldn’t I rather be home living the high life on my settee with my pals? That way I could see another young , starry eyed hopeful have their dreams crushed by the unforgiving words of Cowell and friends. Well wouldn’t I? No need as they have the results showing as the quiz is underway. Phew! Anyway on with the quiz. Firstly the quiz master seems to have some sort of crazy over confidence that a man only truly gains whilst hold-ing a microphone. Is he right to do so? I’ll let you be the judge of that. Whatever you think the outcome of allowing them free speech is always WILD! The quiz consists of three rounds with all the usual categories ( music , sport etc) and banter is rife throughout…with the Student Union staff and quiz master. Highlights include the roll call of ridiculous team names , some tragically unfunny, some devoid of any sense, some brilliant. (re-lease the Craken anyone?). The quiz always proves to be a fierce battle and the prize is usually some drink and chocolate which gives the thirsty teams some extra incentive. Overall Sunday nights are a boring , depressing reminder that you have work tomorrow. I still can’t hear the theme tune of “Heartbeat” without thinking “homework time, school tomor-row”. It triggers a sort of Rambo style Viet name flashback within me. I digress. The quiz is a sweet way to spend your Sunday nights. With some good friends , some smooth drinks and a desire to win a crate of Stella.

byRoss Jones

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Some students may have heard of teepay.com already? The site is an exciting e-tail initiative that supports and profits anyone who wishes to submit artwork to be produced on a howies® Tee-shirt and sold on the teepay.com website. Just consider how teepay.com could help out during university?Teepay.com is an opportunity for aspiring new design talent to turn ideas into cash. The principle is simple students can upload designs to the website and tee-pay.com provides the tools to promote their work online. What everyone gets in return is royalties for each tee-shirt sold; As soon as 10 people order one design submitted you’re in the money. Royalties are 10% of the selling cost; a man’s tee-shirt selling for £25 will pay £2.50, sell 100 tee-shirts and students earn £250. Royalties will be paid on

the10th of each month which comes around a lot quicker than student loan day.

Nur AbbasNur –One of Louis Vuitton senior designers- found the teepay concept really interesting. “It seems far less wasteful than just printing a whole bunch of tees and hoping for the best. Everyone gets paid, ev-eryone’s happy.” He designed the Brain Bird for teepay, inspired directly by his own aesthetic universe, creative, new, full of humour and dark.

Y Peth Y Peth, fronted by Rhys Ifans is a 12 strong group that have the most infectious anthems in their reper-toire. Y Peth has received a little help from some profiled friends over the last year most famously using The Chapman Brothers to put a music video together. With that in mind it was an honour to find that the band wanted to get involved with teepay to produce some band tee shirts.

When We Where Kids for teepayWhen We Were Kids (WWWK share a graphic obsession with howies® that pays homage to sporting sub cultures. The range is a tour de force that takes a positive and un-nostalgic graphic walk along the memories of the ‘80s skate and street wear sector. The designs have all the joy of an endless summer’s day using vintage typefaces and a bold pop colour scheme. WWWK and teepay.com are a group of adults that take pleasure in all aspects of grown up child’s play.

Acid Casuals “Acid Casuals is a collective of multi disciplinary creatives including Cian Ciaran, most famously known as one fifth of the legendary welsh group Super Furry Animals. Acid Casuals are equally famous for their glimmering minimal electronic music as they are for their clothing lines and their celebrated SomBom music festival.”

The site is also an opportunity to show on a CV how ideas can be used commercially and effectively. Employees love to see ideas at an interview, they also like to ambition and hard work to compliment your 1st class degree! Believe us we’ve done quite a few interviews in our time.It’s not difficult to see how teepay.com helps. In fact it’s easier than making a Pot Noodle.

DRAMA students from the Atrium brought horror to the stage on Wednesday November 4th, as they showcased their ‘Trio of Grand Guignol’ plays in the Atriums theatre, in anticipation of performing on stage to hundreds of horror fans at the; ‘Abertoir Horror Festival’ in Aberystwyth.The three plays where chosen by director, Richard Hand, be-cause they are classic Grand Guignol plays, two horrors, all meted out with an ample dose of black comedy.The whole production mimicked the style of ‘Théátre du Grand-Guignol’, as soon as you entered the theatre you where greet-ed by the doctor and nurse for the evening as Grand Guignol achieved a legendary reputation as the ‘Theatre of Horror’, a venue displaying such explicit violence and blood-curdling ter-ror that a resident doctor was employed to treat the numerous spectators who fainted each night.With the scene set for a night of ‘horror and laughter’ the first play ‘The Final Kiss’ opens, with a disfigured, heavily bandaged man poised either to forgive or take revenge on his beautiful ex-lover. The play revolves around the grim seduction of Joanne, By Henri, who’s only motive is to do unto her what she has done to him,-an eye for an eye-.In the final scene he gets his revenge and for the first time reveals exactly how much his ex-lover has scared him, the special effects where simple but very effect, not only in this play but throughout.With Joanne’s screaming still ringing in our ears, the second play begins, cleverly using the butler-of the next play- to clean the blood of the floor and rearrange minor details in the set. ‘Tics, or Doing the Deed’ is the comedy piece for the night, and for me the most enjoyable. Doctor Martin, who suffers under the rank accusations of his wife, Madame Martin who thinks he’s hot-to-trot for the Madame d e Merliot, who is visit-ing with her husband that very night, both men suffer from bi-zarre sexual tics, sure to expose their infidelities. The star of the show is the maid Venus, who’s onstage and off stage antics was a huge hit with the crowd.The final play of the night ‘The Kiss of Blood’ is the trio’s most horror filled piece, and also involves a lot more special effects. It is also the longest and most complex play, as I write this I am still confused about it, as are many others who watched it. The play keeps us in suspense as it is not until the final scene that we are allowed to know what is wrong with Joubert, the shady man with the ‘unknown’ pain in his hand who goes to the doctor, pleading him to amputate his finger and rid him of the un-bearable pain, when the doctor refuses, and pretends to do the amputation Joubert does the deed himself. However when the doctor visits Joubert at his house, he finds that things are definitely not what they seem, when Jouberts wife Helen makes an appearance-we are led to believe that he killed her however she appears alive- and we find that her kisses are the cause of his unbearable pain. The last scene is the most disturbing with Joubert, cutting his hand off and Helen screaming while licking the blood off it. The props were simple but very effective with the set staying mostly the same throughout. Lighting and music played a huge part in setting the scene, especially in the kiss of blood, were the pulsing music, created suspense, drama and represented the patients pulse during the procedure.The whole production was a roaring success, both in the Atrium and at the horror festival in Aberystwyth. And I for one was Tricked, Teased and Terrified!

HEARD..

byMaeve McKenna

RELATIVELYunknown punk band, The Computers, were very confident on stage and rocked out in their tight shirts and flowing fringes. Front man and lead singer Alex tried to im-press the Cardiff crowd with anecdotes like “This love-bite on my neck is the biggest one I’ve ever had…shame it was from a big hairy biker!” The crowd didn’t take kindly to “I’m wasted on you lot.” either. Alex still had the guts to jump over the barrier for their last song and head-bang amongst the people he’d annoyed…got to give him kudos for that!Pulled Apart By Horses from Leeds were much better re-ceived. More people started to get involved and sure enough, there was soon a mosh pit. Self-named lead ‘shouter’ Tom Hudson took part in banter with the crowd and created a more intimate atmosphere. With James Brown on guitar, (not THE James Brown obviously, that would’ve been dif-ficult) PABH gave a satisfying performance.Scottish headliners Biffy Clyro, who are also involved in the band Marmaduke Duke, took around 20 minutes to finally come on stage! It’s a good thing they were worth the wait with the rowdy Cardiff-ians. Front-man Simon Neil performed in true Biffy Clyro style, topless as-per-usual, while bassist James Johnston gave everything he had. They were even nice enough to put on a lovely light-show for us and make the most of the SU setting. How thoughtful. Drummer Ben Johnston threw his drunk-sticks into the crowd when they ended with the epic song ‘Mountains’, but Simon and James’ guitar picks were mostly taken by greedy security staff!!!

byJade Kinsey

AFTER a deserved promotion last year, The University’s Men’s hockey team are struggling to adapt to life in the Western Conference’s top division. Hopes of playing in the BUCS Pre-mier division next year were dampened from the beginning, after the first two games against Gloucestershire and Exeter yielded a draw and a loss respectively. However a 7-2 demol-ishing of Plymouth University followed up by an impressive 2-0 victory against Southampton has shown that the talent and skill is there. Centre back Chris Hext agrees “There’s been a noticeable step up in fitness since we got promoted, and we struggled with it at times. But the freshers have been really great and they’ve really showed promise.”Injuries have prevented Tom Kelly from appearing so far this season, but he has some observations on how this season has been progressed.“This year we have had about 5 or 6 third year drop outs, so we’ve had to rely on the freshers to carry the load. Luckily, we’ve had a high number of lads show interest in playing for the team.”A third straight win was on the cards against rivals Cardiff, but unfortunately Glamorgan slumped to a 5-3 defeat.“The last game against Cardiff was unsettling. We played at home, with 11 and a half men (Caveman had pulled his calf earlier in the week, but he was determined to play even with an injury).Kelly also believes that Glamorgan shouldn’t be ashamed of their performances so far “Even with this loss, the boys are holding their heads high, we are mid table in the highest re-gional hockey league and we are holding our own.”

by Owain Pinheiro

Freshers fair well as Men’s hockey team come to terms with promotion

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