Tag Archives: university

Cardiff Student Elections 2017

It’s election week here at Cardiff Students’ Union and we’ve grilled every candidate so that you can get a better picture of who’s in the running to represent you next year. Below are podcasts which feature interviews with each candidate running for each post. You’re able to vote every day this week up until 5 PM on Friday the 24th online or by visiting a polling booth in the Students’ Union.

Know the Facts

Be sure to check out what each candidate’s ideas and principles are either online in the 2017 Manifesto Booklet┬áor by picking up a copy of Gair Rhydd.

Students’ Union President

VP Education

VP Heath Park Campus

VP Postgraduate Studies

VP Societies

VP Sports and AU President

VP Welfare

Black and Ethnic Minorities Officer

International Students’ Officer

Mental Health Officer

Students with Disabilities Officer

Make your Choice

Now that you’ve heard from each candidate, it’s time to vote. Head over to the Students’ Union website or stop at a polling booth anytime up until 5 PM on the 24th of February to cast your vote. Every student at Cardiff University can vote so make your voice heard and ensure that┬áyour┬áStudents’ Union is run the way you want it to be.

Interviews conducted by: Ella West, Ryan Beckerleg, Michael Ash and Jack Rowlands.

**ELECTIONS HAVE NOW CLOSED**

Voting for this year’s Students’ Union elections has now closed. To view the full list of successful candidates, head over to the Students’ Union website.

Our festive film picks

Here at Xpress Radio, we love a good ‘ol film at Christmas. So, to save you some time, we’ve trawled through the festive edition of the Radio Times (can you actually get a copy┬áon paper nowadays?) and chosen our favourite films that are on TV over the next few days.

Christmas Eve – 24/12/16

Despicable Me: ITV, 11:20 AM

101 Dalmatians: ITV, 4:20 PM

Christmas Day┬á- 25/12/16 🎅

Despicable Me 2: ITV, 9:55 AM

The Snowman: Channel 4, 11:50AM

The Wizard of Oz: Channel 5, 2:10 PM

The Lion King: ITV, 3:10 PM

Frozen: BBC One, 3:10 PM

Home Alone: Channel 4, 6:00 PM

Mr Bean’s Holiday: ITV 2, 7:15 PM

Love Actually: ITV, 11:00┬áPM (we highly suggest watching this if you haven’t before. Guaranteed to get you in the festive spirit.)

Boxing Day - 26/12/16

Sleeping Beauty: ITV, 2:40 PM

The Chronicles of Narnia: the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe: Channel 4, 4:10 PM

Pitch Perfect: Channel 4, 11:10 PM

27/12/16

Happy Feet: ITV, 2:10 PM

Stuart Little: Channel 4, 4:20 PM

28/12/16

The Muppet Movie: Channel 4, 10:45 AM

Wallace and Grommit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit: ITV, 2:40 PM

29/12/16

Chicken Run: BBC One, 10:50 AM

30/12/16

Kung-Fu Panda 2: BBC One, 2:20 PM

1/1/17

ET the Extra-Terrestrial: ITV, 4:30 PM

Monsters University: BBC One, 5:00 PM

If you like Harry Potter then make sure you check out ITV every day this week (24th – 31st) as they’re showing every single film, yes, EVERY SINGLE FILM, throughout the week.

If you don’t fancy watching films and just want some amazing festive┬ámusic then we’ve also got you covered. Xpress Xmas is playing 24/7, advert-free Christmas music all this festive season!┬á

And that’s it! There’s many more hours of fantastic TV shows that we won’t delve in to but for now, from everyone here at Xpress Radio, we wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!┬á🎄

┬® 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment

Images courtesy of Cinemablend, The Telegraph, Presto, Vogue, ytimg.com and jeded.com.

Varsity is tomorrow!

It’s nearly here… Welsh Varsity 2015 will be taking place in Swansea tomorrow! The biggest day of student sport in Wales culminates in the rugby grudge match between Cardiff and Swansea at the Liberty Stadium.

We’ll be providing live coverage and commentary of the rugby from 6:30pm. We’ll be live from Swansea from 9am and with you throughout the day bringing updates, results, interviews and analysis, and we’ll also have live commentaries of the men’s and ladies football matches on Xpress Sports Xtra, available at xpressradio.co.uk/varsity.

actual kick off times (1)

There have been 5 events so far, with both Cardiff and Swansea winning two. Cardiff won the rowing after Saturday’s Welsh boat race , winning three out of four races. Cardiff won the equestrian competition with Swansea winning the track cycling. Last night, the Varsity boxing event was held at Swansea Union, with Swansea’s boxers winning 3 fights to Cardiff’s two. Today, Cardiff’s rifle club were beaten by Swansea’s ┬áwith Swansea finishing on 1110 and Cardiff on 1073. Swansea are currently 3-2 up in the Shield going into the main day of Varsity Action with 25 sports set to take place tomorrow.

We’ll be providing updates and results live┬áon 87.7FM in the Cardiff area, at xpressradio.co.uk and through our free app – just search xpressradio in Google Play and the iTunes store.

 

Here’s all the starting times for tomorrow:┬ávarsity schedule (1) (1)

 

Cardiff – The home of Welsh sport

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Cardiff is the centre of Welsh sport and you can catch Cardiff City and Cardiff Blues in action at a discounted rate for students.

The rugby autumn internationals kick off with Wales against Australia on the 8th November, followed by a fixture against Fiji on the 15th; tickets start from just £20 for the Fiji match. Wales also face New Zealand and they seek revenge against South Africa following their 31-30 defeat to the Springboks in June. The Millennium Stadium is a fortress regarded by many as one of the best rugby stadiums in the world. The atmosphere on match days is unlike any other in Britain, if not Europe.

Xpress Radio does live commentary from the Millennium Stadium every year as part of our extensive Welsh Varsity coverage, where Cardiff University take on Swansea University in over 20 different sports, culminating in a massive rugby game between the two rivals.

Cardiff CityÔÇÖs Championship campaign is already underway; their fixtures during September include play-off final losers Derby County and Brighton & Hove Albion. The Cardiff City Stadium recently hosted the UEFA Super Cup Final, with Welsh wizard Gareth Bale playing on Welsh soil for the first time since moving to Real Madrid.

Cardiff Blues offer student season tickets for just £80, which includes all home games (even European matches!). Cardiff Blues have recruited well over summer, with star signing Gareth Anscombe expected to make a big impact upon his arrival in Wales. On their day the Blues can rival the best northern hemisphere teams, shown through their Heineken Cup win over French giants Toulon last October.

As well as watching professional sport, there are plenty of opportunities to take part in sport at Cardiff University . From trying a new sport to representing your country, Cardiff UniversityÔÇÖs Athletic Union accommodates all levels. All of Cardiff UniversityÔÇÖs sports clubs can be found here (http://www.cardiffstudents.com/activities/au/list/ )and it’s well worth attending the free taster sessions during the first few weeks of university.

By Bethan Lyons

Cardiff’s music scene – a brief guide

As well as big venues such as the Motorpoint Arena, where IÔÇÖve seen massive acts like Florence + The Machine, Manic Street Preachers and Frank Turner over the past few years, Cardiff has many smaller places you can go and watch your favourite bands. The StudentsÔÇÖ Union itself has played host to bands like Two Door Cinema Club, Bastille and Jake Bugg and has some of the UKÔÇÖs biggest acts like George Ezra and Clean Bandit gracing its halls over the next few months.

Aside from those, Cardiff has a huge amount of local talent that play in some of the best small music venues in the country. Clwb Ifor Bach has helped launch the careers of Coldplay and The Strokes by hosting them in years gone by. Other venues like Buffalo and The Globe play host to new talent like Pulled Apart By Horses and Swim Deep as well as legendary acts such as The Wurzels.

The biggest weekend on the Cardiff music fanÔÇÖs calendar undoubtedly comes around the middle of October as S┼Án Festival hits the Welsh capital. Taking over practically every venue in the city and playing host to both new Welsh music and established cult acts, S┼Án Festival is the ultimate weekend to find your favourite new band. Whether it is watching a Japanese acid punk band in Clwb Ifor Bach or checking out an acoustic session in The Hayes, there is something for everyone.

Xpress Radio will be putting on monthly gigs at Gwdih┼Á, one of CardiffÔÇÖs most renowned bars (and recently named one of the 100 best bars in the country!), with the first one on October 2nd to be headlined by CardiffÔÇÖs own Life In Cold Climates. Finding the cityÔÇÖs hottest new bands is a passion at Xpress Radio, so tune in for all the latest gig news, sessions and new music from the best bands to come from the Welsh capital.┬á

By Matthew Jones

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5 things that defined my Cardiff University experience

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It seems so long ago that I was in the same position as you are now. Nervous, but excited. Scared, but raring to go. Happy to be moving out, but worrying about how IÔÇÖd do my laundry without my mum to help. Yes, moving to university is a time of your life thatÔÇÖs packed with a mixture of contrasting emotions, but itÔÇÖs honestly one of the best things youÔÇÖll ever do. I arrived in Cardiff in September 2010 to study Journalism, Media, and Cultural Studies, and graduated this July with a 2:1. My experiences at university have shaped me in so many ways; I am nothing like the young teenager that arrived at University Hall in Roath four years ago. Below, IÔÇÖve written about five aspects of university that really defined the experience for me, and even though it sounds stupidly clich├®, some of them changed my life. Here goes:

1. Student Media

I joined Cardiff Student Media in my second year when I signed up to do a show on Xpress Radio. I was really nervous to begin with, but it provided a unique opportunity to use professional studio equipment in a low-pressure, fun environment. After doing it for two years it did absolute wonders for my public speaking skills, which is something IÔÇÖd previously struggled with. Now, speaking in front of people in high-pressure situations doesnÔÇÖt faze me at all and I put a lot of that down to my experiences at Xpress. I made many friends in Student Media, and decided to apply to help out on gair rhydd, the student newspaper, and spent my third year as News Editor whilst doing my radio show on the side. Without Student Media, my university experience would not have been the same. It allowed me to try my hand at journalism whilst hanging out with like-minded people. This is why my message to every single fresher is this: join a society or sports team. Obviously, IÔÇÖd like you all to join Student Media, because I think itÔÇÖs great, but if thatÔÇÖs not your thing, there are so many societies at the SU that youÔÇÖll definitely find something youÔÇÖre interested in. ItÔÇÖs an amazing way to meet friends who share your interests, and most societies have exec teams that you can join, and gain invaluable experience in leading a team.

2. Music

IÔÇÖm a huge music fan, and for live music Cardiff definitely does not disappoint. During freshersÔÇÖ week in my first year I went to see Dan le Sac vs Scroobius Pip at Solus in the StudentsÔÇÖ Union (which has since been replaced by Y Plas, I feel old) and havenÔÇÖt looked back. If youÔÇÖre into your music, the SU should be your first point of call. Posters and flyers are dotted about around the building listing the upcoming events in the UnionÔÇÖs three music venues. Whilst the Union does have loads of events on, you should cast your gaze further afield and check out the venues across the city. Clwb Ifor Bach on Womanby Street ÔÇô also known as Welsh Club, or simply Clwb – is a personal favourite of mine, putting on shows from up and coming bands from throughout the UK and the Cardiff music scene. Also, a protip for freshers: they also put on some of the best club nights in the city, which are often overlooked by first year students. Across the street from Clwb is the Moon Club, which also offers small shows, but they typically attract less big names than Clwb. The Motorpoint Arena is the cityÔÇÖs biggest dedicated music venue, attracting some of the UKÔÇÖs biggest acts. In my first year I saw LCD Soundsystem (whoÔÇÖve since broken up, again, I feel old), and recently I saw Frank Turner there. The venue is a bit impersonal, and drinks arenÔÇÖt cheap, but for the biggest acts itÔÇÖs the best place to go. If youÔÇÖre a music fan, youÔÇÖll find a lot to do here.

3. Study abroad

In my second year I was fortunate enough to secure a semester abroad at Erasmus University Rotterdam, one of the top universities in the Netherlands. I was incredibly nervous, and the first couple of weeks I experienced massive amounts of culture shock, but it was honestly one of the best experiences of not only my time at university, but my entire life. The majority of people I met and befriended were not British, which seriously altered my outlook on life. It was the first time I saw things from an international perspective, which helped me make friends from all over Europe. Sadly, IÔÇÖm not still in regular contact with all of my friends from Holland, but I still have people to visit in numerous countries across Europe, such as France, Germany, Scotland, Italy, Poland, and, of course, the Netherlands. Deciding to study abroad is a scary prospect, and I understand that it wonÔÇÖt appeal to everyone. If itÔÇÖs too much for you, you should consider taking language lessons. From this year, the university will be offering free classes in foreign languages to any students enrolled on a course, even if youÔÇÖre not doing languages as a degree. You should definitely take advantage of this; a semesterÔÇÖs worth of classes for a non-student costs around ┬ú250. If youÔÇÖre interested in living outside of the UK, doing a study abroad scheme, or learning a foreign language as a stepping stone to living abroad in the future, is something you should consider whilst at university.

4. Social life

One of the most appealing aspects of university to prospective students is the social life. IÔÇÖm not going to play it down, itÔÇÖs everything itÔÇÖs cracked up to be. When youÔÇÖre in halls, itÔÇÖs likely that youÔÇÖll make a lot of friends in your flat, your building, and your student halls complex. The result of this is that youÔÇÖll have a large network of friends within a few minutesÔÇÖ walking distance. Expect your first year of university to be the busiest year of your social life. Social events will frequently fall into place without any prior planning, simply by virtue of masses of people you know being congregated in the same place. Chances are, youÔÇÖll probably drink a lot in first year too. I did, and so did almost everyone I know. In the years before the hangovers started to feel like they were splitting my skull wide open, going out on the town was a very frequent activity. What I would say, though, is to get involved in as many societies as you can in first year instead of waiting until second year. Partying is great, and freshersÔÇÖ parties will be some of the wildest youÔÇÖll ever attend, but try and get involved in as much extracurricular activity as you can from day one. Not only does this give you more to do, but also allows you to meet more people and make more friends. When it comes to societies, the more you put in the more you get out, so donÔÇÖt hesitate!

5. High Class Teaching

IÔÇÖm probably not telling you anything you donÔÇÖt know, but here goes; Cardiff University is a Russell Group research university, typically in or around the top 20 UK universities, and the top 200 universities worldwide. As such, the academic staff it attracts are some of the smartest minds in their respective fields. I can only speak for my degree programme, Journalism, Media, and Cultural Studies, but many of the lecturers who taught me were some of the leading academics in their chosen discipline. I can only speak for my own experiences here, but especially in my final year I found the support from academic staff to be nothing short of superb. Lecturers were highly accessible, either via email, or for a face-to-face chat, and donÔÇÖt neglect to go and see them if you have any issues. 99% of the time they will do everything in their power to resolve your issue. As a result of this high class teaching, Cardiff University has an incredibly high rates of graduate employment; more than 90% of its graduates have achieved employment 6 months after their graduation ceremony. Seminars, opportunities for group discussion led by a lecturer or postgrad student, are often engaging and a great chance to bounce ideas off your coursemates or the seminar leader. There are also impressive library facilities, with thousands of books, free for students to access. Cardiff is one of the most prestigious universities in the UK, and with good reason. Make the best of the facilities and staff you have access to in your time here. Some students do just enough to scrape through their degree, but thereÔÇÖs so much out there for you to get stuck into if you so choose.

By Ash Bebbington