Mystery behind Medway campus stones revealed

Some have likened the structure to Stonehenge, while others have called it an eyesore. But the Medwire can exclusively reveal the facts behind the mysterious new stone structure outside the Gillingham building.

Defunk'd change band name following Keynestock win

Keynestock winners Defunk’d have dropped their band name for a surprise alternative.

Students party at Kent's annual Summer Ball

Thousands of students partied to the likes of Labrinth and Chase & Status last night, as the Kent Summer Ball was hailed a “big success”.

Guide to the Kent Summer Ball 2013

With the likes of Labrinth and Chase & Status all taking to the stage, or rather car park, this year’s Kent Summer Ball looks set to be a night of fun, bad dance moves and lots of alcohol to celebrate the end of the summer term. 

Kent students condemn Tesco greetings card

Tesco has come under fire from students at the University of Kent for selling a new card which the students claim “trivialises sexual harrassment”.

The greetings card, on sale in Tesco – the UK’s biggest supermarket – was criticised by Kent Labour Students for its portrayal of women and sexual harrassment on Twitter yesterday (May 8).

The card, priced at £1.50, shows a female answering a phone and typing at a typewriter, with a message that reads: “Glenys had heard all about sexual harassment in the workplace and deliberately wore a short dress with a plunging neckline to ensure she didn’t miss out.”

In a direct tweet sent to Tesco UK’s main Twitter account, Kent Labour Students said: “Kent Labour Student’s appalled at @UKTesco for selling a card that trivialises sexual harassment and women’s equality.”

One Labour student Bex Bailey, from Nottingham said in a series of tweets sent to Tesco: “You are showing utter disregard for the thousands of women (incl. your customers) who suffer from sexual harassment every day.

“By making a joke of it you portray sexual harassment as not being a big deal…

“…discouraging victims of sexual harassment to come forward and making men think that such behaviour is acceptable.”

Ashley Wise, Kent student and KLS member, tweeted Tesco: “It suggests women invite sexual harassment because of what they wear.”

Tesco responded to the Kent Labour Students tweet, stating that while “the subject matter is serious”, the “card is knowingly a joke that many find humorous.”

The retailer confirmed that comments from KLS and other students would be passed on to head office.

Meanwhile, one Twitter user, Helena Dollimore (@gingersocialist) has started a petition asking Tesco to stop selling the card.

(Article written by Kieran Watkins for The Medwire)

President of NUS Liam Burns to talk to Kent students

Outgoing NUS President Liam Burns will address University of Kent students about student funding in May. 

The talk will see Liam, who has been president of the National Union of Students for two years, explain the findings behind the NUS’ ‘The Pound in Your Pocket’ report and discuss potential policy responces to tackling the financial problems facing students.

The report, which took two years to complete and involved surveying thousands of students from across the UK reveals the true financial concerns facing students at university.

Issues the report addresses include where and how students get their financial support, and the problems with hidden course costs.

In a joint statement with NUS Welfare VP Pete Mercer, Liam said: “Through our research, we have come to the conclusion that many students are struggling to meet ends meet, concentrate on their studies and stay the course.”

“This is because financial support is systematically inadequate across both further and higher education.”

The free talk and presentation by Liam Burns starts at 6pm on Friday, May 10 at the Rutherford Lecture Theatre 1 on the Canterbury Campus.

The talk is part of the Spring 2013: Open Lecture Series run by the University of Kent. To find out more about the talk, click here.

(Written by Kieran Watkins for The Medwire)

Volunteers needed for Medway Samaritans bucket collection

Medway Samaritans are holding a bucket collection next week and are looking for volunteers.

The two-day bucket collection, at Tesco Extra on Bowater Roundabout, Gillingham needs volunteers to help out for a couple of hours between 10am and 6pm.

The collection will be raising money for the Samaritans, a charity which has offered emotional support to people in the UK since 1952.

Each year the charity deals with over 2.5million contacts from people who may be distressed or despaired.

The Medway branch of Samaritans is run entirely by volunteers, who help run a 24 hour support service.

David Coldwell, Volunteering and Skills Development Coordinator for the University of Kent said: “The impact that Samaritans has on people they support is immense and this opportunity helps raise valuable funds and its presence will help raise awareness.”

“Any hours that you can do can be added to your volunteering hours for this year.”

The collections are taking place on Wednesday, April 24 and Thursday 25th. If you have a couple of hours spare and fancy helping raise money for a good raise, contact D.Coldwell@kent.ac.uk for more details.

(Article written by Kieran Watkins for The Medwire)

Students from across UK elect NUS representatives

Students across the UK have elected new representatives for the National Union of Students.

The NUS, the union for students in the UK, held its annual National Conference this week in Sheffield, where 1,000 students voted in their new NUS representatives.

Joining the delegates, Kieran Watkins and Nick Duffy from the Medwire were present along with Kent Union and University of Kent delegates as representatives from universities and colleges voted in Toni Pearce as their new National President.

Currently Vice President for Further Education, Toni will take over the reins from outgoing President Liam Burns later this year. She was elected on 424 votes, nearly double that of her nearest rival Vicki Baars.

Toni, who said in her manifesto that she wanted to link college and university students’ unions together and campaign for a single central admissions system, said about being elected: “I’m really proud to have been given the opportunity to build the student movement around a vision for public education, and to be leading NUS as we build towards the next general election.”

In other results, Kent Union’s very own Colum McGuire was voted in as VP Welfare. Colum won with a landslide victory, gaining 545 votes.

Speaking about his victory, Colum said: “In my first year at University I joined a society committee to help organise a couple of events. I never imagined where that would take me.

“I cannot believe I have just elected as Vice President (Welfare) of the National Union of Students. What an honour to take office in July and start working and fighting for the 7 million students across the UK.”

Other results include: Rachel Wenstone (VP Higher Education), Joe Vinson (VP Further Education), Raechel Mattey (VP Union Development) and Dom Anderson (VP Society and Citizenship). Results for the Board of 15, Democratic Procedures Committee and the Trustee Board will be announced in the next week.

With voting for their new NUS representatives aside, students also decided on new policy for the NUS. Three days of motions saw controversial subjects including gender balancing, votes at 16 and trustee boards decided on.

Commenting on his first experience of the NUS and the national conference, Kieran Watkins says: “NUS opened my eyes to the importance of the national student movement in the UK.

“Before I arrived here, I like a lot of people just viewed the NUS as the student card that gives you a free cheeseburger at McDonalds.

“In reality, the NUS is much more than that. All the students that attended conference are all active campaigners for real change; change to the problems and issues that affect their students back on campus.

“Conference opened up my eyes to the real significance of the NUS, and I for one can’t wait to make a greater impact campaigning in Medway.”

For more information on the NUS, the new representatives and the policies passed, check their website here.

Kent Summer Ball 2013 line-up revealed

Labrinth will be the headline act for this year’s Kent Summer Ball, it has been announced.

At midnight this evening at The Venue on the Canterbury Campus, Kent Union made the announcement for this year’s summer party, which will take place on Saturday June 1 and has been renamed “Party in the Car Park”.

Other acts confirmed to play include Chase & Status, I Am the Giant, The Trinity Band and Alex Blood and The Diggers.

Early bird tickets for the event will go on sale today at 9am, costing £30, with general sale tickets from May 1 at £37.50, making a £9.50 drop on last year’s price.

24-year-old Labrinth, real name Timothy McKenzie has had a string of successful hits over the last year with ‘Earthquake’ featuring Tinie Tempah, ‘Let the Sun Shine’ and his duet with Emile Sande, ‘Beneath Your Beautiful’, which reached number one last November.

The headline act follows disappointing acts in previous years. Last year’s ball was headlined by Noah and the Whale and The Saturdays, with the latter band arriving 30 minutes late and being booed by students when they finally arrived on stage.

Reacting to the news, Journalism student Lydia Hamilton said: “I’d definitely go to the summer ball this year.

“I was a bit disappointed last year with the quality of the acts, and so to have Labrinth would be amazing.”

For information on the ball or to pre book tickets, visit www.loveitkent.co.uk or follow the Ball on Twitter: @kentsummerball

Written by Kieran Watkins for The Medwire

Allergic reaction at club leads to investigation

Management at Canterbury’s Venue nightclub have launched an investigation after alleged delays in getting an ambulance when a student suffered a “severe” allergic reaction.

Liam Hewitt, who made the claims on Facebook, raised concerns when his friend, Jack, fell ill at the club’s SOAP St. Patrick’s Day event on Saturday, March 16.

He claimed his friend experienced “facial swelling and an increasing inability to breathe” after drinking part of a friend’s drink who had eaten nuts earlier that day.

Though Liam praised the door staff as “compassionate” and “understanding of the situation”, he claimed staff at Venue “failed to understand the severity of the incident”.

Although Liam admits him and his friend were “inebriated” at the time, he says that staff should have been quicker to react.

Liam said: “I feel it could have had much more serious consequences had Jack consumed higher amounts of nuts.”

Liam did however praise the help of security staff at the nightclub, who assisted the boys with skipping the queue at Essentials, the campus shop, and giving the boys money to pay for antihistamine tablets.

“The bouncer staff handled the situation impeccably”, Liam said. “They were faultless.”

Colum McGuire, vice president for welfare at Kent Union, said: “We take all complaints seriously and following an incident in the Venue on Saturday night, our Licensed Trade senior management are currently investigating the complaint.

“It is therefore inappropriate to comment until these investigations have concluded.”

Article written by Kieran Watkins for The Medwire

Kent Union Election coverage 2013

I was thrilled to attend the hustings at both the Medway and Canterbury campuses for this year's Kent Union elections on behalf of The Medwire, Medway's student news group. The election saw more than 30 students stand for five sabbatical roles. My coverage for The Medwire involved profiling all the candidates, giving details about their manifesto pledges and telling students a little bit more about their candidates.

For the full coverage, visit The Medwire's Election page here.

Info on how to vote in the elections.

Info on President candidates 2013.

Info on VP Activities candidates 2013.

Info on VP Welfare candidates 2013.

Info on VP Education candidates 2013.

Info on VP Sports candidates 2013.

The new sabbatical officers for Kent Union 2013 are Chelsea Moore (President), Amy Gilchrist (Activities), Megan Wells (Welfare), Alex Murray (Education) and Chris Bull (Sports). I was thrilled to attend and cover the event on behalf of The Medwire.

Just under 100 students voted from the Medway campus.

I'm looking forward to reporting (or maybe even standing, who knows) next year!

Plans unveiled for Paramount Studios London

“Britain’s largest post-Olympic regeneration opportunity” was promised by the project leader behind London Paramount, students at the University of Kent were told recently.

Speaking at a talk arranged by the Kent Business School, Tony Sefton, the project leader behind plans to build a £2bn theme park and entertainment resort in Kent, unveiled details ahead of a public consultation in June this year.

The project by London Resort Company Holdings, which if granted planning permission would open in 2018, includes a number of plans to develop “a new world-class entertainment destination.”

Unveiling the “Master Plan” for the park, which was code-named Project C to avoid leaks, Mr Sefton told students that the park would merge hotels, rides, event space and restaurants together to “utilise facilities” in order to create “the largest entertainment complex in the world.”

London Paramount will be situated on the Swanscombe Peninsular, and will consist of an entertainment district at the centre of the park, with rides, attractions and a water park spread around the entertainment plaza.

The theme park will be based on themes from different films, including romance & drama, comedy, family and action & adventure.

Speaking about the theme park, Mr Sefton said: “The park will have more rides and shows per hour than any other studio park in the world.”

“There will be five first class rollercoaster’s,” he added.

Films from Paramount Pictures that will feature as attractions include Mission Impossible, Tomb Raider, Titanic and Star Trek.

The theme park brand and theme has yet to be unveiled, however it is likely the park will feature heavily on British themes. Mr Sefton confirmed that the British Film Institute would be working with the project, with other partners to be announced in the future.

The main entertainment plaza of the park, which will be accessible to guests for just £5, will feature an array of attractions. This includes nine world-class experiences, a spectacular evening show, plaza shows every half hour, a daily carnival and two amazing play areas.

Other areas of the park planned include a Techno Expo, which Mr Sefton called “our version of Epcot”, which “will consist of 10,000 sq m of high tech attractions based around the best technology in the world.”

A 1,500 bed hotel, 150 food outlets and 10,000sq m of retail space will cater for more than 26,000 guests on peak days, with 7,000 staff on hand to manage facilities.

Guests will also benefit from “75% of the operating area being undercover” to cope with the British weather, as well as a revolutionary new queuing system which will ensure guests are not wasting their time in queues for their favourite rides.

Mr Sefton went on to confirm that the park would open all year round. “Business won’t be seasonal, there will be full time jobs”, he confirmed.

With “infrastructure key” to the project, Mr Sefton confirmed that lobbying was underway to extend Crossrail to the site to improve transport links into the city.

The park will be accessible by the current HS1 line, with trains taking just 17 minutes to travel into central London from Ebbsfleet International Station.

The station will also allow for visitors from further afield in Europe to travel to the park, which will open slightly later then most parks to avoid congestion on roads like the M25.

“Every customer is an entertainment customer”, Mr Sefton said as he stressed the importance of local communities and families to the project. The park has the backing of local MPs and councillors in Kent.

Talking specifically to students from the University of Kent, Mr Sefton said: “There are serious job prospects here for students, with hundreds of jobs available in many departments.”

Public consultation on London Paramount will begin in June. Although the scheme has not officially been given the go-ahead, Mr Sefton said he was “quite confident that it will go ahead.”

If planning is approved, the 872 acre park will start construction in 2015.

-

Tony Sefton, the project leader behind the plans, also unveiled that the project had come together as a result of a night-out in South Korea. When asked by one of the Kent Business Students how the project had been brought about, Mr Sefton said: “The ideas came together at a karaoke bar in South Korea four years ago”.

(Written by Kieran Watkins for The Medwire)

Writers wanted for Medway Law Journal

One of Medway’s newest societies is appealing for writers to provide legal news, academic work, analysis and court reports for their website.

The Medway Law Journal, which was the idea of third year journalist student Jemma Rogers, is an online academic journal similar to the National Law Journal and hopes to rival Cambridge and Harvard.

Already live and just a click away, Jemma has had help from other students including Harriet Lythgo- Smith and Anthony Toma in setting up the website, and is now hoping that other students will get involved and start to write and post content.

Talking about what the journal will offer to students, Jemma said: “It is primarily for people who are interested in really beefing up their CV, as writing for a law journal is highly recognised by employers in any sphere.”

Although the journal has not yet applied to UMSA to become a society, it is hoped to be approved in the near future.

You can find out more by visiting  the group’s Facebook page, or visiting their website. Anyone interested in writing for the journal should email jzr2@kent.ac.uk

(Written by Kieran Watkins for The Medwire)

Medway students to meet man behind new theme park plans

Students on the Medway Campus will get to meet the man behind Kent’s answer to Disneyland in March.

Project leader Tony Sefton will be talking about the £2 billion project which could create up to 27,000 jobs in the local area.

Under plans unveiled last October, London Resort Company Holdings wish to build a “Disneyland rival” on the Swanscombe Peninsular, near Dartford in Kent.

The company were successfully granted a license from Paramount Pictures to use their name for the entertainment resort, which would include Europe’s largest indoor water park, live music venues and hotels.

The park, which if built would be the fourth biggest resort in the world, would be right next to Ebbsfleet Station, which is on the London St Pancras line from Gillingham.

Mr Sefton will be talking about the impact the park will have in the local community, as well as the difficulty in developing and planning a resort.

Kent Business School, who have organised the event, said on their Facebook page: “This event would also be a great chance to network with the project leader regarding the 27,000 jobs this development is estimated to create, to help get your foot in the door early.”

The talk by Tony Sefton is from 4pm to 5.30pm on Monday, March 4 2013 at Kent Business School on the Medway Campus (Room M3-04), and is open to all students. To attend, email kbsm@kent.ac.uk or attend through the Facebook event.

(Written by Kieran Watkins for the Medwire)

Medway braces itself for ice and snow

Gritting lorries and snowploughs are at the ready as Medway braces itself for snow and ice.

With temperatures falling into the minuses and snow falling across other parts of the country, Medway Council have reassured residents that they are fully prepared for an outbreak of snow.

More than 5,000 tonnes of salt has been stockpiled for the Medway area, with 388 salt bins fully stocked on streets and roads.

Eight gritting lorries will be safeguarding the major roads across Medway following news from the Met Office that “heavy snow showers” could hit the South East this weekend.

Councillor Phil Filmer, Medway Council’s Portfolio Holder for Front Line Services, said: “The forecasts for snow over the weekend may be uncertain, but there is the potential for wintry showers over the weekend and into next week.

“Medway Council are fully prepared and our teams will be working hard to salt all primary and secondary routes across the area and minimise any potential disruption to residents,” he added.

University students have been advised to check the universities snow procedure in the outbreak of snow.

With many students returning to university this Monday (January 14), both the University of Kent and Canterbury Christ Church University have stressed that caretakers will clear pathways and grit paths in order to keep the university open.

The University of Kent said that “in adverse weather conditions, the university will not normally close”, whilst Canterbury Christ Church said that they “will strive to keep the primary on site pathways and roads clear of snow / ice in inclement weather.”

Students and residents are advised to check before going to work or university.

For Medway Council news on Snow and Ice, visit: www.medway.gov.uk
For the University of Kent, visit:http://www.kent.ac.uk/campusonline/campusnews.html?id=snow-and-ice-procedure.txt
For Canterbury Christ Church visit: http://www.canterbury.ac.uk/support/facilities-services/estates-infrastructure/winter-gritting.asp

Pictures courtesy of Wikipedia

Medway universities make National Kissing League

(written by Kieran Watkins, taken from The Medwire)

The first University Kissing League results have been released, with all three universities from the Medway campus making the league.

The University of Kent appeared above the University of Greenwich and Canterbury Christchurch University, placing 31st on the league.

The league gives an average for the number of people students are likely to have kissed in the last term.

According to the survey, conducted by studentbeans.com, each student from the University of Kent locked lips with an average of 3.03 people since September 2012.

The University of Greenwich placed 66 with an average of 2.1, with Canterbury Christ Church significantly lower with an average of just 1.37, placing 84th on the list.

Topping the league, which surveyed 4,039 students from 89 universities, was Northumbria University, where each student has kissed an average of 6.13 people. To read the results, follow visit Student Beans

Medway Book Club launches for students

Written by Kieran Watkins for The Medwire:

A new book club for students and staff is being launched on the Medway Campus.

The Medway Book Club at the Drill Hall Library will be open for all students and staff who have a passion for reading.

Aimed to “encourage reading for pleasure”, the group will hold informal discussions on favorite reads on the last Thursday of every month.

Titles planned to be read at the book club, which have been recommended by library staff, include Jennet Winterson’s ‘Why be happy when you could be normal?’ and John Grisham’s ‘A Time to Kill’.

The club is open to students from across the three universities at the Medway Campus. Members can come to every session, or to as many as they like.

Members are also encouraged to bring their lunch with them. The first meeting starts at 12:10pm on Thursday, November 29 in room DB034 at the Drill Hall Library.

For more details, email Louise Frith at ljf@kent.ac.uk

Club schedule:
Thursday, November 29 – Jennet Winterson ‘Why be happy when you could be normal?’
Thursday, December 13 – Levitt & Dubner ‘Freakonomics’
Thursday, January 31 – John Grisham ‘A Time to Kill’
Thursday, February 18 – Sarah Waters ‘Fingersmith’
Thursday, March 28 – Mitch Albom ‘The five people you meet in Heaven’
Thursday, May 9 – Margret Attwood ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’

Pictures courtesy of Wikipedia

Wolves, bears, guns and tornadoes: the Leon McCarron story

Former Kent film graduate turned adventurer Leon McCarron visited the University of Kent to talk about his adventures as a cameraman travelling through the USA and China. Kieran Watkins reports on the highs and lows of his trek.
Imagine walking across the Gobi Desert with only your shadow for company. What about trekking through the Australian outback as the blistering sun scorches your back? Or maybe even running into a tornado, away from a mad man wielding a gun in America?

Unbelievable you might think, but for former University of Kent student Leon McCarron, 25, they are just some of the more memorable moments of a three year travel expedition which has seen him cycle and walk across the globe.

Speaking to students and members of the public at a bustling Woolf College tonight (Wednesday, October 3) at the Canterbury campus, Leon spoke passionately about his journey from New York to Hong Kong with enough excitement to entice the whole crowd to book an adventure holiday. But for the former Film student, who graduated in 2008 with a first class honours degree, it was something much more than just a holiday.

Commenting on his early university years, Leon, from Northern Ireland but now living in London, said: “I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life after school.”

“So I came to university”, he added. “And I really enjoyed Kent. In fact, I felt unhappy about leaving university after the three years.”

The film degree provided Leon with one of the happiest things in his life; the skill of filming and knowing how to document stories through the camera. Combined with his love of travel, it wasn’t long before Leon set his sights on travelling the world.

“The creativity from filming is great, and practising documenting and filming is one of the happiest memories of my life,” he said.
Having already toured the UK on a bike at just 15 years-old and later Europe at the age of 16, Leon had set his sights on foreign territory.

He said: “There’s something very liberating about being on a bike.”

His friend, Howard Thurman who he travelled with across Europe, gave him the drive to continue his travels.

“Howard said to me, ‘Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it because what the world needs is people who have come alive’ and that inspired me”, he said.
So in 2010, he set off to New York where he would travel over 14,000 miles on a bicycle to Hong Kong. Dubbed ‘the Cycling Reporter’, he planned to meet and interview people along the way.

At first, the journey seemed an unachievable, complex task that even Leon worried he would not be able to complete.

“There were times during the early stages when I tried not to cry myself to sleep,” he admitted.

The USA proved an interesting start for Leon. Encountering bears at night and visiting events including the ‘Testicle Festival’ in Montana – where festival goers can sample various animal testicles – proved to be memorable, but one encounter topped all other memories. What started out as a short stay at a ranch in the Mid-West by a man offering him shelter later led to Leon running for his life.

 
“I was about to pitch my tent one night when a man, Eric, in a truck pulls over and offers me a place to stay”, Leon said. “It was dark and Eric said a storm was coming, and so I agreed to go with him to his ranch.”

However Leon’s stay at the ranch didn’t last long. After a ‘near-explosive’ episode in a shed with a friend of Eric’s and a whole load of guns, Leon quickly fled the ranch in fear of his own life – straight into the approaching tornado.

“I was running away from these men and their guns without noticing I was running straight into a volcano,” he told.

“That incident was the scariest thing that happened to me over my three years of travelling.”

Leaving America behind, Leon visited Canada before being given free flights and travel across New Zealand by the New Zealand tourist board. He spent six weeks touring the North and South Island before flying over to Australia, and onwards to Thailand and Asia, finally arriving in Hong Kong on March 5, 2011.

It was quite an achievement for someone, who at the age of 23, was still struggling to find his real goal in life.

“Despite having no job, no money and feeling very tired, the trip changed my life,” said Leon. “In fact, travelling around the world made my life.”
It took Leon just over a year to cycle from New York to Hong Kong, travelling a staggering 14,325 miles across three continents.

But there was no time to put his feet up. Meeting up with a friend Rob Lilwall, they both decided to walk the impossible; a 3,000 mile walk from North China back down to Hong Kong in the South.

This time, Leon would be filming his expedition for National Geographic. Setting off with Rob just six months after his gruelling cycle, Leon admitted he initially struggled to qualm his nerves.

“Flying over China towards the Mongolia, we looked out on the land we would be passing”, he told.

“For every three minutes travelling on the plane, it equalled a whole day of walking.

“So for every 30 minutes in the sky, that meant a month of walking,” he added.
Setting off from Mongolia, the pair’s first test came as they crossed through the Gobi Desert. With temperatures falling to a chilling -50c in some parts and only the wolves for company, the duo pushed through on to the Great Wall of China, with only a small trailer and back packs carrying their belongings.

Commenting on their few resources, Leon said: “You get used to living a simple life, everything we needed was on the trailer.”

“At one point, I went without a wash for 16 days!” he added.

It was over Christmas when disaster struck the duo. After sending footage from the first leg of their journey to National Geographic, Leon received the devastating news that the images obtained from his camera were too blurry. Subsequently, they would be unfit for broadcast.

What was more; Rob had sustained a foot injury, meaning the pair had to delay their trek for three long weeks.

Talking about the difficult period, Leon said: “It proved to be the worst period of my life.”

“The last six weeks of filming had been in vain, and I was now worried about Rob and the possibility we wouldn’t be able to film a TV programme,” he added.

However it didn’t hinder the pair from continuing their trip. In three weeks the pair were up and away, heading South as they interacted with the locals, learned a bit of Mandarin and even celebrated Chinese New Year after being invited in by a family.
On March 26, 2012, the pair arrived in Hong Kong after six long and difficult months. It took them 195 days in total, and despite a few uncomfortable moments with the local police – they were arrested 15 times during the trek – they had completed it.

Summing up the achievement, Leon said: “You never feel more alive until you’re about to fall off a cliff in China!”

“The world really is an exciting place, and opportunities come in lots of forms.”

Confessing to having well and truly caught the travelling bug, Leon plans to hike again over Christmas, this time from the Empty Quarter in Oman – the largest sand desert in the world - to Dubai. The 1,000 mile trek should take six weeks to complete. He also plans to write a book about his journey in the future.

Providing the audience with one last though, Leon said: “Embrace opportunity and embrace change.”

To find out more about Leon’s travels, visit www.leonmccarron.com or www.walkinghomefrommongolia.com. A four-part series filmed on the China trek is scheduled to be shown this Christmas on National Geographic in the UK.

First picture taken from Leon McCarron online

Liberty Living bosses intervened in departure of halls boss

Former Liberty Quays manager Stephanie Triggs left after a series of failings at the student halls, it has emerged today.
In an exclusive story for the Medwire, a source at the university confirmed that management from Liberty Living, which owns the University of Kent halls in Gillingham, “could not risk” having Ms Triggs as a manager during the Welcome Weekend.
As new students settle in to the halls this week, we revealed last week that Liberty Quays was without a manager following Ms Triggs’ departure from site after just six months in the position, the second manager to leave in just a year.
The source confirmed that management had been to see Ms Triggs just weeks before the start of term, after a series of failings and mistakes made by the former manager.
“They couldn’t risk having her as a manager during welcome weekend,” the source, who does not wish to be named, confirmed.
The source went on to confirm that Ms Triggs had sent emails to various Liberty Living representatives, staff and even students, asking for advice and help.
This comes after a campaign by over 150 disgruntled students, parents and members of the public criticised the halls, complaining about the checking-out procedure, steep fines and rude, unfriendly staff.
The source said: “She used to ask people what to do in silly situations.”
“They needed a manager who could make decisions on their own”, the source added. “Not someone who kept hassling other people for help.”
“Liberty Living have officially said it was a joint decision she left,” the source said.
In exclusive emails obtained by the Medwire, Ms Triggs had asked one student to provide an appraisal for the company as a gesture of goodwill.
In an email sent to student trustee Maya Esslemont, who had previously launched a successful petition against Liberty Quays following bogus fines sent to students regarding fire extinguishers, Ms Triggs asked Maya to give her “an honest appraisal of the general check out experience at Liberty.”
Ms Triggs went on to reveal that the appraisal was needed after several students and parents had complained about the service provided by Liberty Quays.
“We have had a few unpleasant accusations”, Ms Triggs said in the email.
“I really would like to see if you have a perspective that would help me put things into context”, she added.
Commenting on the request, Maya said: “I couldn’t help but wonder if my involvement in the last Liberty Quays controversy crossed her mind when my heavily stained room was given the seal of approval.”
“Even if my intentions weren’t cynical, I could never support a company that continually rips off students, through high rent and scams in equal measure”, she added.
Liberty Living were unavailable for comment. Written by Kieran Watkins for the Medwire

Why everyone should embrace Freshers at university

So the car is packed full of your belongings and one too many toilet rolls, you’ve tearfully waved goodbye to your friends and family and you’re ready to start your new life at university. We’ve all been there, and it’s weird to think that you’re waving goodbye to eighteen or so years of your life for pastures new.
Sounds a bit daunting really. But not to worry, you see universities across the country have this thing a week before studying commences where you basically get drunk, make new friends and experience the reality of uni life. It’s called Freshers’.
Freshers’ for me was one of the best weeks of my life. Standing outside my new flat with a hundred or so bags, I was apprehensive about my new life. Worried about making new friends, getting along with flat mates, doing well on the course etc. But it’s best to leave any worries you have in the car.
As soon as I entered my flat, I was welcomed by my seven flat mates. They turned out to be a fantastic bunch of guys to live with over the next year. You might start off having trouble understanding their accents or remembering their names, but it’s nothing a few beers wont sort out. In fact, having moved in on the Sunday afternoon, I was off out to my first flat party later that night where I made more friends and started a turbulent relationship with my new found love, alcohol.
Your first night in your new flat is a little bit daunting to say the least, but all it takes is a few hours kip and you’re ready for the week ahead. And what a week it will be.
I kicked off my Freshers’ with an introduction to my course, which was great. It meant I finally met my other course mates, who all turned out to be a perfect, colourful bunch. In fact they ended up (and still are) my drinking buddies during Freshers’. Nights spent at Coopers were brilliant with the fancy dress themes just adding to the excitement. The School Disco was my favourite, with all the cheesy tunes you could wish for.
The good thing about the Medway campus is that there are so many people from all different walks of life. It’s great to make friends from different cultures and countries, and having three universities sharing the same campus means you’re guaranteed to make lots of friends.
Apart from the nights out and barbeques on campus (you won’t need feeding during Freshers’, practically all the food is free), the Freshers’ fayre is a good chance to socialise and make new friends by joining up to various societies. And if that doesn’t take your fancy, then the various stalls offering discounts and free pens are pretty handy too. So you won’t need to bring any stationary with you to uni either!
My course also put on a special dinner for all the new first years, which can only be described as the last supper; the only decent meal you’re going to get for the next year.
The downside for me last year was the horrendous Freshers’ Ball, which I hope will be a lot better this year. When you hear that your friends at other uni’s have the likes of Florence & the Machine and Tinie Tempah headlining at their Freshers’ Ball, disappointed is just one of the many words I could have used to describe our ball.
The headlining act were ok, but the fact I can’t remember their name sums up how rubbish the ball was. Apart from a face painting stall and an over-priced food counter, entertainment was scarce. In fact, it seemed fitting that whilst sitting in the middle of the dance floor wondering why I‘d stumped up the cash for this rubbish evening, Sak Noel’s hit ‘Loca People’ would play in the background. What the fuck indeed! Fingers crossed it’s better this year.
So what did I learn by the end of Freshers’ week? Well there’s the fact my liver should be nominated for an Oscar for the performance it put in over that week. Or that I’ll go to great extents to get freebies, like swapping a pot of pee at the Chlamydia stand in return of a free keying (totally worth it). But most importantly, I realised that university was to be the start of a fantastic, fun-filled three years of my life, with new friends, new challenges and new opportunities. So don’t miss out on Freshers’, because once the week is over, you’ll be praying for it to happen all over again. Written by Kieran Watkins for the Medwire