Issue 3

UON TO TAKE ON DERBY IN FIRST EVER VARSITY FOR UNIVERSITY

newsThe FREE newspaper for the students of The University of Northampton

Full story on page 3

Society of the Month: Global Students -Page 4

The University of Northampton Students’ Union has partnered with the

University of Derby Students’ Union to host the University’s first ever Varsity Tournament. Taking a range of twenty three different sports from the University, from Archery to Lacrosse, the University of Northampton will compete against the University of

Derby for East Midlands bragging rights. After being arranged and carefully planned over the past term, team captains were finally told at the end of November that the competition was well and truly on...

Let the Inter-university Games commence

December Edition

Page 2

Welcome

(L-R) Joe Frost, Casey Goodman, Ben Gray, Lucia Conte, Brian Hinton, and Morgan Masson

Students’ Union Contact Information-Haviour Xihui Chen, Presidenthaviour.chen@northampton.ac.uk

-Kane Roderique-Walker, VP Student Experiencekane.roderique-walker@northampton.ac.uk

-Tom Hatton, VP Engagement & Participationtom.hatton@northampton.ac.uk

-Will Boyce, Marketing and Communications Coordinatorwill.boyce2@northampton.ac.uk

Happy December! What a few months these have been, with assignments due in, new societies being created and a brand new newspaper layout and team! We hope to have made your first term back at University much more exciting! Thank you for all your support last issue, we got great feedback with the Starbucks vouchers, so keep your eyes peeled for future issues with bigger and better deals!

Look out for our Christmas feature special on Page 9! Have a safe Christmas break and enjoy it to the max, it’ll be tough in the next term but we promise to help get you through it!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Gabriella Romano, Editor

NU Radio is booming this month, with over twenty shows going live EACH AND EVERY WEEK. Congratulations to all of those who have set up their own radio shows, it takes a lot of hard work and dedication to stick to your shows. So good luck, stick to your deadlines and most importantly - have fun.

NU Tube are finally getting their feet on the ground and filling all of the applications. They have a range of special interest, comedy, sports, events and news videos coming your way shortly. They’re not to be missed, we can assure you of that.

Meet the Team

Editor’s Letter

Gabby x

Issue 3

Disclaimer NUNews is written and edited by students of the University of Northampton and members of NUMedia. Personal views expressed are solely those of the respective named contributors and are not necessarily those of the University of Northampton Students’ Union or University of Northampton. Every effort is made by NUNews to ensure that the information printed is accurate and correct. Please report any errors to the NUNews Editor.

News

By Casey Goodman

Page 3

By Casey Goodman

Protect your computer from hackers this term

Courtesy of Students’ Union

Battle of the East Midlands

Union strikes leave students in the dark

With all sports teams preparing for this national event, competition is as high as ever. Our teams will battle it out in their games against teams at the University of Derby to see who will win the infamous trophy of ‘University of the East Midlands’. Kane Roderique-Walker, Vice President Student Experience said of the announcement “I’m thrilled that we’ve been able to partner with the University of Derby in order to provide our students with the opportunity to compete in a Varsity Tournament. It provides a platform for us to work closer with their Students’ Union in a number of areas and should prove another fantastic example of the Stallions Spirit we have at the University of Northampton.”

LECTURERS at the University of Northampton went on strike for the second

time this term in order to take action for fair pay. Higher education in the UK has a great reputation internationally, and this combined with student surveys shows that teaching staff are providing a high quality service. But in return, they have seen their pay cut by 13% over the last four years. This is why some lecturers as part of the Union have chosen to strike. The United for Education awareness campaign leaflet states: “We feel we are left with no other option. We have tried to persuade our employers to tackle the problems of falling pay by talking, negotiating and campaigning, but they still refuse to use any of their amassed money for a fair pay deal. “That means we have to either accept an endless attack on our pay and conditions – or do something about it”. The National Union of Students (NUS) supports the joint staff unions in believing that university staff should be properly supported and remunerated. Staff on strike apologise for any disruption that may have been caused by the action, but they ask for the support of students, and hope they understand.

Continued from front page...

Issue 3

STUDENTS at the University of Northampton are being warned to be on the look out

for a new computer scam known as the ‘Cryptovirus’. This virus is by far the worst and most destructive of its kind, as it works by holding data like Word documents, Excel files and pictures to ransom. It locks the user’s data, and then requests a ransom in the amount of £300 – which later converts via the online currency ‘Bit Coins’ into $400. The Cryptovirus is ransomware, which is a kind of malware (malicious software) used by criminals to lock computers from a remote location.

So, if your computer gets infected, and your data is not backed up, then you could face either paying the $400 ransom, or throwing away years worth of work and photographs. IT Expert and Microsoft Certified Professional, Alan Goodman, says he’s never seen anything like this in 13 years of working in the business and offers the following advice to students: “This is real. Please back up your data as soon as possible, and as always, be cautious of opening suspicious looking emails, and steer clear of untrustworthy websites. He added, “If your data is backed up, then the potential risk of losing either $400, or all your

computer files can be avoided.” As well as backing up your data regularly, Gary Hill, Head of Computing at the University of Northampton advises to install free anti-virus/malware software and keep this up to date.

Union strikes are not uncommon. At the end of October this year, there was a nationwide series of Union strikes over pay disputes. Members of the University and College Union (UCU), Unison and Unite trade unions have picketed at various university campuses. They argue a planned 1% pay rise offered by the government, which in reality means a 13% pay cut in terms of staff. A key member of UCU, Graham, said: “Here at Northampton, we are experiencing a 13% real term pay cut, while chancellors are being paid £250,000 a year and that’s not including their other benefits such as a pension scheme. He added “It is painful to us to make students the focus of our campaign but we want them to be aware of the issue.”

Strikes of the past

The events at the University of Derby will be held on 26 March 2014

Society of the month: Global Students SocietyFeature

Our Society of the Month for December is the Global Students’ Society (or the GSS), which brings together and engages students from all

different cultures. Gaurav Ravindra President of the GSS, describes it as “a great platform for people to come together and enjoy events regardless of where they come from.” Gaurav took over as President of the society in 2012. What does the GSS mean to them? “To me, not only is being part of something this big really exciting, but I get to think on a level where whatever I do with my society can actually make a good change, get people together, help them socialise, and at the same time I gain immense experience and transferable skills as a Leader, Manager, improve my interpersonal skills and what not. GSS has become such an important part of my student life!” It is one of the largest, most active societies which the University has to offer, with over 120 members of over 15 nationalities. The GSS regularly hold events of all kinds to celebrate the various cultures that make up their membership, as Gaurav explains. “There was a big fireworks display celebrating Guy Fawkes and Diwali - The Indian New Year. We organised various club nights based on different themes such as Bollywood, Hollywood,

etc. We also took students to the Famous Wax Museum (Madame Tussauds) in London.” What attracts people to join the GSS? “It has been active since a long time, we’re organising fun events which are usually very cheap to join or even free, may it be trips or club nights or festive celebrations. Also there is no single theme, no single faith around which the society revolves, GSS could do anything.” Often the society will listen to member feedback and organise events based on what the members want. Last Christmas, the GSS and the Student Union organised a Christmas dinner for everyone on campus. It was free to attend, and everyone brought presents to be placed under the tree, with a raffle for everyone to receive a gift from the pile. “Everyone really loved the spirit, the food and the cakes.” The next big event the GSS is hosting is ‘Project Paintball’ on 14th December, with tickets on sale now, promising to be one of the biggest events to close off the first term. If you fancy becoming a member of the Global Students’ Society, visit: www.northamptonunion.com/society/6119/

By Ben Gray

Page 4

Issue 3

Did you know?The University of Northampton welcomes over 1,000 International Students from more than 100 different countries every year

Global Students are one of the largest student societies at Northampton

By Joe Frost

By Ben Gray

Celebration for the University’s new Innovation centre

Northampton’s Christmas Lights: festive decoration or bandwagon-jumping?

NewsIssue 3

It’s that time of year again, if the ceaseless television adverts and stocked supermarket shelves didn’t already warn you – Christmas has arrived in full force, and the streets of Northampton’s town centre have been decorated in a flurry of festive lighting to mark the occasion. But is it all a bit half-hearted? The annual switching-on of said lights took place late in November, and flicking the switch were none other than Heart Radio’s Linda (who?) and Sam (who again?), Illuminating the streets with Christmassy outlines hung loosely between shops. Except these decorations were the same as the year past. And the year before. And before that… rather than serving to make the streets much more vibrant for the season, for myself they’re just recycled bombast, void of their festive meaning. Would it kill for the council to put in just a little more effort? Only at night can most of the decoration be seen in action, and students only usually find themselves on Abington Street at that time when they’re fantastically drunk, the lights a colourful blur as they regular the town’s bars. Kudos must go to the increase in the gargantuan Christmas trees that erect alongside the lights; their presence injecting the streets with more Christmas cheer than the lights ever manage. Maybe I’m just too pessimistic, and fail to embrace Christmas as much as the rest of the general public. Who knows?

This is Scrooge, signing off.

Page 5

Local choir get into the Christmas spirit for the big switch

The University held a Ceremony on 2 December for the Innovation centre, situated at the gateway to the Northampton Enterprise Zone.

Over fifty businesses will be housed in the state of the art building, with access to support from the University’s Inspire2Enterprise service. The University of Northampton has been internationally recognised as a leader in supporting Social Entrepreneurship and has recently been designated as a ‘Changemaker Campus’, a prestigious values-based award shared with only 25 other universities world-wide. Leader of Northampton Borough Council, David Mackintosh, said: “Innovation centres offer businesses the best chance of surviving those early years. Many household brands are where they are today thanks to the vital start offered by such centres and this one is particularly important as it will support an industry which is still in its infancy.” Terry Neville, Chief Operating Officer at the University of Northampton said: “The Innovation Centre will be a flagship for the Social Enterprise sector and will specialise in business support for this sector, which is rapidly expanding across the UK and globally. Encouraging enterprise and entrepreneurship is crucial to the University of Northampton and significantly enhances the experience and employability prospects we offer to our students. Occupants of the new University of Northampton Innovation Centre will also benefit from its central location and very fast broadband speeds.”

Computer generated design of what the Innovation centre will look like when completed

Punk gone ‘ballzy’: NME’s Radar Tour 2013

Arctic Monkeys’ AM tour rocks the LG Arena

Panic! At The Disco: It’s been a long time coming

Music Issue 3

By Brian Hinton

Once upon a time, Arctic Monkeys were simply four young lads from Sheffield, but long have their days as youngsters passed. Their recent UK tour included arenas in London, Glasgow, Birmingham, and their home town of Sheffield to name a few; and what shows they were. It’s a well-known fact that their stage show is always something special, and their performance at the LG Arena in Birmingham was no exception. The crowds had been previously let down the previous month, due to lead singer Alex Turner being diagnosed with laryngitis, which culminated in numerous tour dates being postponed. Unfortunately for Birmingham fans at the time, (myself included) they cancelled as doors had opened at 6pm. That said, it was worth waiting that little bit longer. Their set list consisted of the expected: half of their new album AM, with a few fan favourites thrown into the mix. Well, it wouldn’t be right if they didn’t let the hordes mosh and rave to

‘I Bet You Look Good On The Dance Floor’ would it? The show was incredible. Turner also seems to have taken a leaf out of Jagger’s book, something that can only be described as the way a dad dances at a wedding. There’s also the slick combed back hair, and suave mannerisms that make him a pretty cool frontman. Another aspect that made for pure viewing pleasure was the well-constructed and choreographed light show that ensued as the crowds surged and heaved to get as close as possible to their heroes on stage. I managed to make it to somewhere around ten rows from the front, before being surfed back to halfway. I caught eye contact with Turner though, I’m sure of it… Overall my high expectations were really met, and I would definitely attend one of their gigs again; just so long as they keep playing the classics that us fans know and love.

Headlined by what The Strokes front man Julian Casablancas calls ‘a truly legit modern hardcore/punk band’,

Cerebral Ballzy, and supported by The Amazing Snakeheads and The Bohicas. This tour was always going to be a punky finger to the man pit of a night, and it didn’t disappoint. The venue, Manchester’s Deaf Institute is a small, cosy, and atmospheric place with a tiny theatre type stage with wallpaper covered in parrots, and a bar just big enough to fit your drink and your hardcore excitement. Straight from the off, Essex based newcomers The Bohicas gave us the energy we were expecting from the night, with solid bass lines that ride along with lyrics and guitar lines that make you feel like you are listening your way through a punk party. Then came The Amazing Snakeheads. Hailing from Glasgow, and producing the eeriest sound straight from the gutter, these guys really set the stage alive with nothing but pure passion behind the guitarists/lead singers mannerisms, volatile

playing, and choice of clothing, the band create a real vintage punk image that would make any modern punkster proud. The finale, Cerebral Ballzy, rising from the skateboarding, pizza eating reaches of New York City, came with a lot of attitude and set the small crowd wild. Almost instantly, their scream punk politically tinted sound created a mosh pit, with hardcore fans all partying like crazy. Honor’s ability to draw the crowd’s attention to almost a mesmerizing degree made for what resulted in speakers being kicked around, the bar being used as a catwalk and a microphone being shared with all. I can only agree with The Strokes’ Julian. These guys are really are the inspiration a population needs to say ‘y’know what, don’t tell me what to do’. The tour was made up of three of the most ideal bands for the task at hand, three bands that fought for the crowds attention, fed the crowds appetite for punk and created a night of epic proportions.

By Joe Frost

The Forum, Kentish Town, London, was in many ways the perfect venue for Panic at the Disco. Large enough to cram in an enormous crowd of all nationalities, with Danish, Canadian and American flags waving around in the audience, but also small enough to give that intimate gig feel, which really makes it a night to remember. The hour and a half long set was packed full of all the hits since 2004, featuring fan favourites such as Lying is the Most Fun, Nine in the Afternoon and The Ballad of Mona Lisa, along with a few surprises as well. It’s fair to say that no one saw front man Brandon Urie first spontaneously quoting ‘Back to the Future’:

“Okay guys, listen out for the changes and try to keep up” before giving a cheeky wink, and then performing a medley of covers. The band treated the crowd to a short cover of ‘Any Way You Want’, ‘You Shook Me All Night Long’ and ‘Groove is in the Heart’, and Brandon’s Brian Johnson (AC/DC) impression was absolutely uncanny. The band ended on a major high, with the song that pretty much brought them to fame: ‘I Write Sins Not Tragedies’. Even those in the crowd who weren’t quite familiar with Panic’s songs were singing and dancing to this, and after nearly 10 years in the business, Panic at the Disco definitely know how to wow a crowd.

By Casey Goodman

Page 6

Katniss Everdeen hasn’t had the best of days; the first film The Hunger Games proved as

much, with her narrow victory over 22 over tributes who were brutally murdered in all kinds of ways for public entertainment, in the disturbing dystopia Panem. Much to her dismay, the stakes have been raised dramatically in this much anticipated sequel, Catching Fire, which sees her thrown into the arena once more. With an expansive cast, this second film focuses less on Katniss’ own journey and more on the grander scale of consequences put into play from events in the first film. Early scenes in the film following the Victory Tour show greater desolation spreading far beyond the reaches of District 12, and gradually it climbs towards the nail-biting Quarter Quell games. These scenes largely contrast to the first film; whereas the last hunger games saw Katniss go it alone, these tropical games intrigue viewers with speculation and far greater characterisation as she forms alliances with other tributes. Director Francis Lawrence is at the helm this time around, and has done a superb job of building on the foundations of the original, with expert pacing throughout. Those who’ve read the book won’t be disappointed, as the transition to cinema hasn’t detracted from the original in the slightest, and manages to better the exceptional first film. Jennifer Lawrence and co. give strong performances, especially newcomers Sam Claflin (Finnick) and Jena Malone (Johanna), both playing enigmatic roles. Catching Fire is a worthy sequel, which doesn’t give a satisfying conclusion, but acts a cleverly constructed midpoint for the trilogy that outshines its predecessor.

Starring Jean Claude Van Damme and enough training montages to make you feel dizzy, Kickboxer is the film full of muscle, martial arts and marvellous 80’s music. Filmed in Thailand and bringing together a modern style of kickboxing and the ancient art of Muay Thai, it produces that feeling in every man when they watch a martial arts film, jealousy. When Kurt (Van Damme) and his kickboxing champion brother Eric (Dennis Alexio) decide to travel to Thailand to take on the world’s best fighter Tong Po (Michel Qissi), things quickly become tragic. This is when Van Damme takes the spotlight in the film, where he seeks to learn ancient Muay Thai from an old training instructor. What follows is an envious amount of kicks, splits, and Thailand weather. Van Damme’s films can easily be placed alongside greats such as Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan, and this is no exception. Jean Claude inspired a generation to begin martial arts with Kickboxer and there is no misunderstanding why. So if you’re fancying a martial arts themed film night with your mates, start with this classic. Then move on to another one of Van Damme’s greats, Bloodsport. You’d have to kick yourself to miss out.

Following the success of the first Christmas film, the directors have definitely lived up to expectations. Nativity! 2 is loud with slapstick humour, cute children and of course, Christmas songs. For those of you who have not watched the first one, it isn’t difficult for you to catch up with the storyline in its sequel. With David Tennant’s appearance, it makes the (Christmas) star packed film even more appealing to a wider audience. His paternal instincts definitely help him throughout his time as new class teacher at the Coventry based school towards the build-up to Christmas and the school’s chance to take part in the national competition to win the best Christmas Song Award. Comically, this competition involves a range of different schools with their own talents and comical abilities. But of course, it is in the true spirit of Christmas that sees the schools come together to create a Christmas song that wins and proves to beat the evil school headmaster - uncanningly played by our very own David Tennant. With him playing the protagonist AND the antagonist, he definitely wins the most lovable award. Family values are prominent in this film with marriage, family, unity and even a baby in a manger to fill up your Christmas needs.

Helping those less fortunate - Children In Need 2013

What’s going on in the world of film? - The good, the bad, and the ugly: Film reviews The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (12A)

Film & TVIssue 3

By Ben Gray By Gabriella RomanoBy Brian Hinton

CHILDREN in Need hosted its annual fund raising extravaganza last Friday, and students and staff at the University of Northampton did their bit to help.Various ‘wear your pyjamas’ campaigns were held over Avenue and Park campuses, and crowds of people in their onesies were spotted throughout the university. Notably when a firedrill took place in Maidwell in the morning and a large group of people were stood on the edge of the Racecourse.Izabela Mundzik and Rachel Smith, second year Fashion students organised one of the onesie wearing campaigns, and managed to raise £105.The library also contributed, as all of the fines collected on November 15, 2013 were donated to the charity. Avenue campuses’ Gregg’s also raised a lot of money for the cause. Pudsey bear key rings, cupcakes and giant cookies were sold in the weeks leading up to November 15.

By Casey Goodman

Page 7

Children in Need 2013

Kickboxer (18) Nativity! 2: Danger in the manger (PG)

By Joe Frost

Unicef Society host debate on World AID’s Day at SU

NU Radio to have its launch party in the new yearNewsPage 8

Issue 3

By Gabriella Romano

NU Radio’s launch party has been set for Monday 20th January 2014, and

will be a strong milestone for not only NU Radio, but NU Media and the Students Union. The event will be celebrating all talent, new and old, that has been broadcasting across the Union’s airwaves since the station went LIVE in September 2013. The launch is something that has been a long time coming, with the radio station itself being built in 2011, yet due to technical difficulties, being postponed to go LIVE until earlier this year. NU Radio Editor Kilian McIntosh said “This is a truly great achievement for NU Radio. There’s such a passion for this station

to grow, and do well, so I’m glad to see it finally up and running after so long. The hard work starts now, but I know we will all continue to do a great job”. After only three months, NU Radio has over fifteen radio shows, with live broadcasts every day of the week. The radio station encapsulates a wide variety of formats, from chat shows such as The AOK show, The Ham, and the Breakfast show, to music specialty shows The Wave, City Sound, Pre-drinks, Catalina Wine Mixer, and The Glass Collectors. The launch party will take place on the 20th January at Avenue Students Union, Avenue Campus.

If you have got any tips for the party or want to be in with a chance to be in next month’s issue, then please let us know on Twitter @numedia_news, or message us on Facebook

City Sound

Kick off

Pre Drinks

November saw the University of Northampton’s Unicef Society host ‘World AID’s Day’. With AIDS being a worldwide issue, it is important to be able to talk about this, the funding for donations and also how it affects the world’s population. They made this day very useful by hosting a social debate at Park Campus, University of Northampton to raise the awareness of this issue in order to encourage people to find out more about HIV and AID’s and see how it affects people’s lives in a long term scale. UNICEF President, Wahito Kangere spoke to us about why talking and learning about this is important in this day and age; “We have the opportunity to explore the attitude and perception of HIV as a sexual health issue in the youth population of today.”

With national events such as World AID’s Day and Comic Relief raising money for overseas countries with these problems, it comes as a surprise that HIV is being left out of campaigns. “HIV has been left out of the sexual health campaign in the UK and we want to try and find out how this influences the attitudes young people have towards AIDs”.

By Gabriella Romano and Joe Frost

Let’s jump into Christmas

OpinionIssue 3

What is there not to like about Christmas? You get presents, you get cards, you get to wear

Christmas jumpers and most importantly, you get to eat chocolate without getting judged! I think what I love most about Christmas is getting to see the family again - when you’re at University and you’re busy doing your assignments, making friends and having lots of fun of course, it can become difficult to get into that Christmas cheer. There are tons of activities over Christmas to get you in the mood, there is nothing I love more than seeing people excited for Christmas. The shops even get involved, and even though people may deem Christmas as a commercial entity, I would like to disagree. Why does people having fun, getting excited for presents, snow and family time together, a commercial entity? It just doesn’t make sense to me. Then there’s the food. Don’t get me started about the food. For those of you who like baking, it has to be the best time, Christmas currant cake, sponge cake, any cake, it doesn’t even matter. As long as you’re wearing tinsel or a santa hat whilst eating it, I class that as Christmassy. Now I have a confession to make regarding mince pies; yes, I do like them. I know that people reading this are going ‘ew, mince pies,’ I know that they don’t have the best taste in the world. But warm that mince pie up and put some really fat whipped cream on it and job’s a good’un. But that is not my confession, I had mine not on the first of December, but...the day before. I know I know, it’s ‘too early’, and I’m ‘jinxing Christmas’ but they were just sitting in my cupboard calling my name (well, that’s the excuse that I’m going to be using anyway). So, enjoy Christmas, put on your cheesy Christmas jumper and start singing Christmas songs, I mean, it only happens once a year, right?

(Apologies in advance to those who love Christmas)

The season of festivities and goodness, loved and shared by hordes of people globally. But let’s be

honest, most of it isn’t that great. Let’s break it down into sections. First off, there’s all the gifts and preparations you have to either time consumingly purchase, or if you consider yourself particularly creative, to make yourself. What a waste of time. I personally hate the build up to what will be, and let’s not sugar-coat it, a pretty average day. If you sit for a moment and think about Christmas, all it is, is a stress inducing, pointless celebration of a festivity that we take part in, but never even question. We gather with our loved ones for this so called special day, and reminisce of times gone by, and how good the year has been for us, when let’s be honest, it probably hasn’t been all that good. Been made redundant this year? No worries, a mince pie will see you right as rain! Secondly, why do we spend one day a year with all of our relatives. We probably don’t even like a majority of them. Your aunt Carol from Leeds always ends up spilling sherry on the floor, and Uncle Rick is just a strange human being. But no, it’s tradition to do this, so we’ll all sit around and pretend like we’re having the best day ever. I shall digress from a rant about bad things for a moment, as some of the food is nice. But it’s also expensive. We convince ourselves into buying far more food and drink than we need, but ‘It’s Christmas isn’t it?’. What? We never buy this much stuff in the year, because we know it will mostly just go to waste, and don’t kid yourself with fallacies of ‘Treating yourself’ for the festive season, because you buy most of the stuff all year round. If what I’ve said hasn’t got you thinking, just remember, we’re all a year closer to dying anyway, so enjoy your mulled wine and turkey, and stop complaining about it making you gain weight.

Merry Christmas.

As much as we don’t want to admit it, Christmas is drawing ever closer. With only a few weeks to go, are you excited? Have you got the Christmas cheer this year, or are you waiting for it to pass by? Find out what Joe and Gabby think on the topic.

FOR AGAINST

Love it or loath it, Christmas is just around the corner. But what do we feel?

By Gabriella Romano

Page 9

I’m a bit sceptical when it comes to Christmas jumpers. I understand the appeal and yes, maybe I do want one but there are some around in this weird world that make you think...what? Not only do they look cosy (probably because someones granny has gone around making them) but they look so Christmassy...well, duh.

Right, so here is a scenario for you, remember looking at your old childhood photos, you know, the ones in which you’re playing with your Etch-a-Sketch or on your scooter and you’re parents have bought you a jumper (because at this stage they bought you clothes)? Okay, now think of the pattern, that woolly pattern with a clown’s face on it, well that’s what Christmas jumpers are like. Some are subtle, some are not so...I mean, come on...what is this one all about?

Gabby Joe

But nevertheless, if Christmas jumpers are your thing and you can pull them off then be my guest. It’s Christmas, so who cares what we look like? I bet it’s statisically correct that you will look worse in your life.

So get out that reindeer jumper that you have saved up in your wardrobe for this festive season and flaunt your jumper.

News

IT’S DIFFICULT to stay on top of things over the Christmas Holidays when you’re so caught up in having as much fun as possible.

But it is important that you keep your wits about you and make sure you keep your eyes peeled this Christmas. It can be argued that there is no specific time of year that is worse than the next when it comes to staying safe and keep away from

burglary. As students we know full well that things can go wrong in a spilt second, especially when alcohol is involved. When out and about this Christmas, whether you are at a Christmas party or within the comfort of your own home, make sure not to make silly mistakes. Here are a few that NUNews have come up with for you to follow: 1. Shut all windows and doors when you go to bed. 2. Don’t leave valuables out, even when friends and family are around.

3. Make sure you stick with a friend and never be alone.

Most of all, remember to have fun this Christmas, after all, it’s going to be a long and tiring term after.

Staying Safe over the Christmas PeriodBy Gabriella Romano

Page 10

Issue 3

Our Students’ Union has given up some amazing tips and tricks in staying safe over Christmas. Head over theto the website for more information

www.northamptonunion.com

What’s On?Page 11

Where shall we go out tonight?The best that Northampton night-life has to offerWe’ve complied a list of the best places to drink and dance to dance the night away. Tailored specifically for students, these clubs offer an array of cheap drinks, good music, and a night you won’t forget.

Starting off in MoMo at the top of the Abington Street, Monday’s are beginning to look pretty hot again.. Then head down to Embargo’s where there are 3 floors ready for you to bust a move in. No matter what kind of music you are into there is a floor for you.

Wicked Wednesday’s – The night begins with The Party Bus taking students from Park Campus to the doorstop of NB’s Bar where you can dance the night away. But it doesn’t stop there as Elysium is just around the corner and waiting for your moves. There are Wicked Reps selling queue jump tickets so keep your eyes peeled.

MONDAY

Don’t forget that as well as on Tuesday The Student’s Union holds regular events at both Park and Avenue Campus. Details can be found through Facebook (search Northampton SU Events) or go via Twitter - @NorthamptonSU

Tuesday plays host to Comedy Night, which alternates weekly between Park and Avenue Students’ Unions. Introduced last year, the night has grown spectacularly and the first event at Avenue Bar was packed to the rafters. So come down and see what all the fuss is about, and what’s more, have a laugh or ten. Its free entry too.

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

Don’t be the odd one out. Always

take your Student ID with you when you hit the town

Thursday is that good that we do it twice.

Avenue SU see’s the new indie night with live bands and musicians every week. Along with the DJ’s that the SU have put together, the drinks are cheap, it’s a great place to socialise and that’s not even mentioning the cheap drinks. Park’s ‘The Attic’ hosts Flirt every Thursday with a range of events throughout the year from dances, film nights, fancy dress events and much more.

With all of this going on, you’d be a fool to miss out.

Issue 3