UCMK Now

High flyer
Milton Keynes College Dean Julie Mills discusses plans going forward for Higher Education

13th December

The magazine by students, for students

The Full Degree

Uni set to host third year of Foundation Degree

Tech advice from in house nerds Emma and Sean

Teccy tips

Congraduations!
Staff and students at the University Centre Milton Keynes wave goodbye to their second roll of graduates this year
PROUD parents looked on as students from the University Centre Milton Keynes completed their courses and collected their degrees at the universitys second ever graduation. During the first half term of the year, students and tutors congregated at The Church of Christ the Cornerstone in the city centre for the presentation. Sharon Oh, graduated from Digital Imaging and Design on the day. She described her by Emma Woolford feelings of elation at the event. She said: Its a bit nervewracking but its such a good experience because Ive never graduated before so its really exciting. I dont see graduating as the end of a journey but the start of a journey because weve still got another year to go and after that some people can probably get a job, but some people might go for post graduates. Graduation isnt the end of our journey, its the start of our journey. Like many of the students at UCMK Sharon is set to move forward with her degree having moved to Luton to continue her Foundation Degree to a full BA Honours. Cory Steppings has taken his degree to the next level and has seized the opportunity to move to Southampton to complete the course. He said: Its nostalgic to be back, very, very weird. Im happy but Im sad as well because I made some good friends here and were always having some good times. It feels like an end of an era but the beginning of a new chapter Id have to say definitely. Ellie Geogeiva has continued her Journalism course at Bedford and commented on how

Continued page 4 1

Contents
Second roll of graduates celebrate

News
Page 3 Page 6

w Graduation Celebration w Sharing new techniques

New media facilities for students

The media department at the college has grown fast in the past few years

Chinese teachers learn new methods from MK staff

w Uni set to host third year Page 6 w MKs first poet laureate w MKFM new premises w Sky high parking w High flyers w Rayzie w Seasonal shortage
Local radio station gets new studio Meet poet Mark Niel who works with UCMK

Foundation degrees will be completed to Ba Hons

Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Uni gets a visit from one of the MK Dons most promising players Page 11

Students outrage at expensive parking spaces

Supplies at MK food bank take a hit

Page 10

College moving forward with Higher Education Matt tells us how he mixes uni with DJ-ing

Page 12 Page 13 Page 13 Page 14 Page15 Trevor Sinclair works as Olympic volunteer Page 8
Department lecturers Vikaas Mistry, Becky Findley, Nigel Quinn, Shane Harper and Leanne Taylor together in the new studio THE beginning of the new academic year has marked a new era for the media department with the opening of new facilities at Chaffron Way. The popularity of the media courses has been overwhelming over the past few years and as a result the department have outgrown their space on the Bletchley campus. Becky Findley, a tutor in the media department played a big role in the move between campuses. Originally we thought we could modify our existing surroundings at Bletchey to accommodate what we needed. But with the way the media industry has moved on and how technology has moved on, it was decided that it would be cheaper and more efficient to create a new space over at Chaffron Way. Becky explains how success has been the driving force behind the move; Weve become very, very successful as a course and what that meant was that we have actually outgrown Bletchley. With the addition of new by Emma Woolford courses, in particular the games development course, and the quantity of students weve had join us in the past years we just didnt have the capacity at Bletchley anymore. So what that meant was that we were getting an exciting upgrade. Each year the college go through a rigorous planning process in which they measure demand that is coming through from students, Julie Mills describes the steps they took to make the decision to move the department; Every year we have many more investment options than we have investment cash so we have to identify which we think is going to be the best one that will deliver. One of the areas that we identified as being really good quality with the potential for growth was the media and photography area. By moving media to the Chaffron Way campus and investing in the new studio, it has also allowed us to grow photography and some of the other related things on the Bletchley campus. Julie expanded by describing how the media department stood out particularly prominently last year; Theres quite a hub in Milton Keynes around digital media employment and therefore we know weve got employers who are working with us and who want to develop skills. Recruitment so far is demonstrating that, that is right, there is the demand for it and we are now able to offer a fantastic level of quality. Julie enthusiastically pointed out the learning opportunities the new studio has presented students with at the college; Weve had employers coming in to look at the studio who have seen the facilities and actually are saying to us: Can I come and work with you? To which our response is of course! If we can build it so that theyre actually working with students as part of that then thats great. It gives you something back as an employer and it helps our students become much more employable and really experience the real world. Nigel Quinn hosts most of his lessons in the new media studio, sat at the Macs in the back of the studio a smile spreads across his face when asked about the new technology students have been able to interact with, he said; The college have invested in a new set up in the studio so a new space completely compared to our old studio, its great because the students are getting to use new technology. The old studio was great in its day but it had been there for a few years or so, so it was getting a bit dated. Everything now is on solid state, we dont use any tapes so we record everything onto a hard drive. Its a lot easier for the students, I think their work flows better now. Its good that weve tried to keep on top of the technology and everything so the students are learning skills that are relevant to whats actually happening outside. Its been good for the students.

w Train fare soars w Interfaith Art w Dan the Man

Maria Eagle discusses train fares Combination of art and faith exhibition

IT guru walks us through achievements

Entertainment
w Teccy tips w Student Producer w Art exhibitions
Advice from our resident nerds Arkwright AKA Sam King talks DJ-ing Savvy ways to watch the pennies The exhibitions that have been on

Page 16 Page 18 Page 18 Page 19 Page 19 Page 20 Technology advice Page 12

w Money Saving tips

w The Best Christmas TV w Christmas Survival tips

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Ben King is back with his take on festive TV Help from UCMKs own super scrimper

Grad you came

University waves good bye to second round of graduates in half term
cntd. from front page happy she was to graduate from UCMK. She said: I feel really happy its been two very tough years but I think its worth it in the end its been blood sweat and tears but weve had a great time! Im only in my third year and already I can see that Ive got the skills, I know what I want to do so I can organise myself a bit better. That is all because of what weve learnt here and as a result of all the work we did. Journalism lecturer Jon Boyle was at the event waving goodbye to his second batch of graduates. He expressed his joy at the event, he said: I actually felt like a proud Dad up there. It was the second time Ive been along and I was just as proud as I was the first time I did it last year. The batch that have just graduated are a really lovely class, they worked hard and Im glad they got their rewards by graduating and Im sure theyre going to go on to really big and really good things in the future. Pictures taken by Charlie Ray at the Graduation ceremony in the centre of Milton Keynes during November. Kate stephens fixes journalism graduate, Jess Williams, gown

Proud lecturers, Jon Boyle, Dan Vine, Tom Shilliday and Judy Mudge with UCMK director Kate Stephens

Digital Imaging and Design students Sharon Oh, Regina Damola and Cory Steppings Dan Vine with his happy students Justine Rennie and Natasha Carr

MK College Dean Julie Mills stood with journalism graduates, Jon Boyle and Nick Isles outside the church Journalism graduates Elenor Geogeiva, Mary Biswell, Neil Shefford and Jess Williams

Sports Science lecturer Tom Shilliday with his successful students

Chinese teachers learn new techniques from our staff

by Miriam Baseluoss TEACHERS from China came to Milton Keynes, based at MK College in cooperation with a college in China, to learn British teaching techniques. A three week teaching programme was set up some time ago for these academics to gain techniques such as setting assignment styles and how to assess students work. The visiting scholars lived with families in Milton Keynes while they undertook courses such as an introduction course for new teachers, how to check quality of work and different approaches to teaching. These courses were taught by Natalie who said: we realised that these teachers were very educated and qualified and took on board what we were explaining to them. We had two different sessions which were observation and theory in the morning and practical in the afternoon.

Niel Milton Keynes first Poet Laureate

JUST before 2007/2008 Mark Niel had an interest in writing songs, poems and plays. However during the period of 2007/2008 two of Mark Niels poems had been published in the local magazine, Monkey Kettle. Soon after that he discovered performance poetry which he enjoyed doing and then went on to performing at a local festival. He said: This was a good event, which encouraged me a lot. Poetry has a bad deal, its all about the art and that is why I hope to take it to a new level. Nowadays poetry is expressed in different ways mainly through poets but also rappers who some people may argue have ruined the was poetry is. Mark Niel writes all different types of poems such as love, seasonal messages and humorous poems, he hopes to cross the boundaries by taking his poems to pubs and festivals. He also uses social networking sites to showcase his poetby Priyanka Rajput ry for example Facebook and Twitter. Stand up comedians are most influential to me the way they engage the audience, they are so brave and its all quality performances. Les Dawson, Rupert Brooks and John Hegley are Marks favorite stand up comedians. However, he mentioned: At the end of the year I always write a top 20 of my favorites, Ian Macmillan being a fantastic poet. Mark Niel has achieved many things such as; being on air with BBC sports presenter Luke Ashmead and Mark himself being a sports laureate every week, going to schools and teaching poetry also writing about football and the crowds reactions. He also wrote two poems for the Diamond Jubilee which were aired. Mark also received an arts bursary and was shortlisted for a fantastic book of poetry prize.

Lecturers working with teachers from China to develop fresh approaches

Exploring new ground: Chinese teachers put their newly acquired techniques into practice They were very engaged and continuously asked questions about each point we had made. This allowed us to analyse our own work and build on our own teaching from the questions that rose. The reason why China has such interest in the work that takes place academically in Milton Keynes is the fact that it is a growing and developing city. The reviews at the end of the programme were based at UCMK and they were split into three different groups to do final presentations. They explained areas such as the different levels, techniques and areas of study that they could interpret back into their own teaching in China. There were also comparisons and contrasts between the two countries approaches and what they could take back to their departments and what needed to be strengthened.

High achiever: Mark Niel performs to engage his audience

City set to host third year for foundation courses

FINALLY what many people have been waiting for, 3rd year Journalism taught in Milton Keynes. This will be a one year top up degree to convert it from a by Priyanka Rajput foundation degree to a full BA Honors degree. Keith Straughan the dean of University College Milton Keynes had promised there will be there a 3rd year at UCMK at the point there was a chance it could happen, alongside this there was Julie Mills MK college dean who played a supportive role in the whole process. Both people shook hands with David Barret to finalize it all; a lot of pressure had also been put on to get things done. Kate Stephens said happily: Yes it will happen and this was due to the hard working people who were involved in making this happen. MK had made several attempts for there to be a university in MK but it just never fell through until a couple of years ago when the college took on the role of the Centre and became in partnership with UoB. Kate said: It is a good idea if we have a new building as we will loose students if they have to go to Luton as there are many problems that could occur for students as they may already have commitments back in MK. Now that we will have a new building which will teach 3rd year journalism for students this will be more easier for students as they will be able to manage commitments they already have and still get on with units at the same time. Keith has worked extremely hard to get many agreements and now has got a good outcome and MK will have a new campus to teach Journalism and some of the other courses taught at UCMK. This is set to take place from the beginning of the next academic year September 2013.

Chinese students experience British student life

A RECENT programme brings Chinese academic partnership with UK universities and students closer. Higher Education students from China were invited to the UK, especially the South East Midlands area, to visit universities and gain a British experience of student life. Twenty-three, year two undergraduate students were involved in the programme which ran over three weeks during the summer. The universities involved all have partnerships and relationships with other universities in China, such as Bedfordshire, Northampton, Open University and UCMK. The programme was launched a year ago and has been successful in what they had aimed to achieve. These aims included keepby Miriam Baseluoss ing close academic ties with China and teaching students how British Higher Education is structured. They could physically experience, be involved in and understand the comparisons between the two countries and the contrasting styles of Higher Education. Charlie Ray, Journalism student at UCMK had the chance to teach some of these students at University of Northampton and he said: It was a great opportunity to share what weve learnt with pupils from another culture and to try our hand at teaching. Matthew Clifton, who is a main figure in the accomplishment of this programme said: Overall, I think it was very successful because each university put in a little effort into the programme syncing together. It wasnt just one of these universities taking on the burden and because it was a collaboration it gave us strong feedback from the students. The students lived in university halls of residence and attended different courses at the universities. The courses they took part in included, Media Journalism, Business English, Industry Enterprise and Digital Media. These courses gave them the opportunity to visit surrounding areas such as London, Bath, Oxford and Cambridge. And businesses such as Jaguar, which allowed them further experience and understanding of the academic tie with the economy in Britain. In this perspective, the programme as a whole builds relationships and creates stronger links with the partner universities in China developing a rapport instead of just selling them courses. This also engages the fact that when British universities work together, it creates a sustainable environment for programmes like this to continue to be successful. Following the triumph of this programme there is further aim to expand it after understanding there is strong interest in inviting British students to take on a similar experience in China for the length of a semester. In return British students would teach English and British culture, however, these plans are still in their early stages and nothing is yet certain.

Kate Stephens UCMK director determined to host third year

Sinclair works as Olympic volunteer

by Sean Stevens TREVOR Sinclair is a University of Bedfordshire employee who worked at the Olympics as a games maker. He was based at the Copperbox as part of the handball special volunteers team working with senior technical officials One of the professors at the university, Jon brewer arranged for Olympic organisers to host a recruitment campaign at Luton campus. They encouraged people to apply, interview in London and once selected went through a series of development days Trevor thought the Olympic lanes were fine and not that much of assistance. He got to drive a new BMW with internal sat nav that didnt always work! The majority of his time was taken up with the event Hand-

The games makers were the highlight of the event for some

ball which was very well attended. He revealed there was alot of overseas passionate supporters. The French team who went on to win gold are held in the same regard as our premier league players and the event has the largest combined crowd attendance of any in Olympic history. It used to be played as a 11 a side competition, had over 100,000 standing spectators. Now 7 players largest indoor court of any Olympic competition, even bigger than a basketball court. A typical day for Trevor would start at 7 after getting up at 4:45 he would drive to Bedford station, park his car and get ready to get 5:30am train to London. Once got to London St Pancras by 6:30 and then javelin train to Stratford park.

Town parking charges not the ticket for citys drivers

Staff and students are up in arms over the high parking charges attached to the parking spaces aurrounding UCMK
by Tony Hornsby STAFF and students of University Centre Milton Keynes have mixed opinions over the premium rate parking charges outside their building. With the university being located in the heart of CMK its an inconvenience to students and staff alike having to pay 30p every 15 minutes of their stay. Noticeably both are finding cheaper places to park as of the 28 available spaces outside the university only 9 were being used when I visited. Student of the university Matt Ray, 23, studying the Journalism course had this to say: Its awful, theres nowhere to park thats free. It costs a lot over the week to park and standard rate spaces are not always available. I once spent 30 minutes finding a space and another time had to park at Sainsburys and walk over Abdul Karim, 30, a security guard for the university gave mixed feedback on having recognised parking spaces for UCMK students. Personally I think its a bad idea due to the amount of students who do drive that wont receive a space. However, if it was possible to create a level playing field for all members of UCMK then it would be a good idea When asked if lowering the current premium rate outside of UCMK was an option Abdul stated: It would be unfair on the other local companies who would still have to keep paying the premium charge Joe Appleby, 20, also on a Journalism course at the university expressed strong opinions on the subject despite not using the parking facilities himself. As a student if I drove to university every day Id like to think there would be some

Local radio station gets broadcast upgrade

THE Mayor of Milton Keynes, Councillor Catriona Morris has officially opened the new studio of local radio station MKFM. The state of the art studio in Northfield will provided enhanced facilities including a dedicated news-room that will optimise the stations local content. The commercial station, up to now, has been broadcasting all shows from outside Xscape but will now alternate between studios. MKFM are currently campaigning to get a permanent FM licence from broadcast regulators Ofcom, and having a second studio will potentially improve their chances of a positive decision. Program Director Chris Gregg is optimistic about MKFM being granted a full time licence and insists the Pod outside Xscape is an important part of the stations future. He said: The existing pod is important to us because it lets our listeners see that were here, were local and were by Matt Ray broadcasting live from MK but we needed more space. The new studio will enhance what we can do behind the scenes as we work towards a permanent FM license. The station is currently on its fourth trial broadcast and will be on 107FM right up until Christmas pleasing many local listeners. The station is run with a focus on local content; Commercial Director Darren Dorrington believes there is demand for a station like MKFM. He said: We think Milton Keynes is an important city with a unique identity which should have its own dedicated local radio station. Were a not for profit organisation committed to broadcasting high quality programs with local news, travel, school closures, sports coverage and details of local events. MKFM run workshops for anyone wanting to get involved in the station, more information can be found at mkfm.com

Red spaces in the city centre often left empty because they are so expensive for shoppers help in finding parking such as designated spaces for patrons of UCMK. Im not saying it has to be free but charging students the premium rate for parking is a bit naughty, other costs are far more important at our age A Milton Keynes Council traffic warden gave his view on the situation. Other businesses may complain at a change to standard rate parking charges, also they would just use these spaces before the students and staff could get to them. Standard rate parking is only across the road of the building so common sense says just park there. When contacted, the Milton Keynes Council gave feedback on the parking tariffs around the UCMK campus. It is recognised that the demand for parking in CMK continues to increase, this can lead to difficulties in the driver finding a place to park. It is appreciated that pressure is placed upon parking in CMK for all users. All CMK parking schemes are a compromise between conflicting demands. There are over 20,000 parking spaces in Central Milton Keynes, some have parking restrictions. Milton Keynes Council is always looking to improve their parking tariffs. On 19th September 2011 the Council converted 859 underused premium rate parking spaces into standard rate or free (time limited) spaces. In response to possibly changing the spaces in the UCMK vicinity from premium rate to a lower rate for students and staff alike the MK Council began to explain how other spaces are available in the area and a change of rate may impede parking for visitors to local businesses. There are other areas within Central Milton Keynes, particularly in the business district, where occupancy of premium rate spaces is low. However, these areas are the only small pockets of premium spaces within vast areas of standard spaces and converting these to standard would likely result in employees occupying the bays all day (with any unoccupied spaces then being much farther out). As they are close to places of major business it is essential that spaces are available to visitors and the premium rate tariff is a tool for ensuring this. Milton Keynes is one of the cheapest Boroughs for parking with their standard purple bays being at only 30p per hour.

Catrina Morris officially opening the new MKFM premises

Shortage at food bank

Uni takes Saviles doctorate

by Sean Stevens JIMMY Savile has been stripped of his honorary Doctor of Law degree by The University of Bedfordshire. The degree had been presented to Jimmy Savile in 2009 by Professor Ebdon who has been keen to make it clear that he was not a personal friend of Jimmy Savile. The decision was made by the University of Bedfordshires honours committee. They said: The honorary award for Jimmy Savile was in recognition of his charitable fund raising. It was given in good faith in 2009 without the knowledge of the current very serious allegations. In this light, the University of Bedfordshire has confirmed that the honorary award should be rescinded. Saviles scandal has spread to include fourteen police forces, three hospitals and three childrens homes. The BBC which initially turned down calls for an enquiry, has announced it will be conducting two separate enquiries. The Department of Health has also acceded to calls for an enquiry. The announcement comes in the wake of news that former patients of Leeds General Infirmary, Stoke Mandeville Hospital and Broadmoor are intending to sue. UOB Student Ashleigh Stokes 22 studying primary education said: I think common sense has prevailed, there is no way the degree should have stood and I commend the university. The Metropolitan police have announced it is pursuing 340 separate lines of enquiry. They also revealed that it has officially recorded twelve allegations of criminal sexual offences against Savile.

Students grill big Mac

by Ben King MILTON Keynes Dons favourite Gary Mackenzie went into UCMK to do a press conference with Foundation Degree Journalism students. The MK Dons defender did the press conference while he was still on injury recovery time from the team. The press conference came just two days after MK beat rivals AFC Wimbledon 2-1 at home after plenty of hype about the match. The vibe before the game was very much like a FA Cup final said Mackenzie when asked about the hype before the match. The place was buzzing, which probably made it even more frustrating that I wasnt involved in it. All the lads were up for it, but I think the hype couldve probably gone against AFC Wimbledon. Journalism student, Charles Crook, 19, said: It was quite an informative

Dons Gary MacKenzie visited university and was grilled by journalism students

Gary MacKenzie with Sean Stevens, Tony Hornsby, Matt Ray, Roland Shaw and Neil Shefford interview we had with him for the group. Its not all the time you get to do things like this so it is quite a good opportunity to meet players and gain practice for doing more things like this in the future. I look forward to the opportunity to speak to more players again. The students were doing it as part of portfolios that they had to complete. Course leader, Jon Boyle was happy with how the press conference went. He said: The students asked him some really good questions and it had the feel of a professional press conference, which I was delighted with. Gary spoke afterwards about how professional the students seemed, which is a credit to them as he used to being interviewed by national journalists. I just hope the feature articles that the students write about him are as good! The press conference lasted about one to two hours and they all seemed satisfied with what they had come out of it with.

MK food bank van stocking up on supplies in preparation of the cold winter months ahead VOLUNTEERS at the Milton Keynes food bank are bracing themselves for another tough year ahead with concerns donations will fall short of the anticipated rise in demand next year. The food bank highlighted concerns over the benefit system noting that they have seen an increase in individuals in trouble when their Job Seekers allowance is sanctioned for review. Rebecca Savage, 32, Manger of the Food Bank, talked about the difficulties some people have: What weve seen a lot of peoples benefits being sanctioned, so people are left with nothing for weeks. Many of these people have by Matt Ray families and children so thats an added problem. Ms Savage talked about Job Seekers allowance: Job seekers allowance is low anyway so you cant save when youre on it, so when the payments stop, people find themselves in trouble. Over the summer supplies fell to a critical level which resulted in emergency appeals made by the food bank to increase public awareness about the organisation. Economic issues are likely to put an increased pressure on the Stacey Bushes based Food Bank, which gave out a record 6000 parcels to people in need last year. Local Conservative MP for North Bucks Mark Lancaster talked about this issue: There are some changes that will be implemented in April 2013, which will allow people on Job Seekers Allowance to continue receiving benefits whilst their payments are being reviewed. Mr Lancaster also admitted there were some issues with the current system The benefit system has been long overdue some changes, the new system will be fairer for both the people that use it and for the people that fund it. Anyone that wants to find out about volunteering or donating can do so through www.mkfoodbank.org.uk

Network Rail move HQ to growing city

NETWORK Rail are enthusiastic about future local prospects and opportunities generated from their move to Milton Keynes earlier this year. The impact on such a large company moving to the New City has already had a positive impact on both the local recruitment sector and local economy. Network Rail; founded under Tony Blairs government in 2002, are responsible for overseeing Britains railways and have relocated their Operational, HR and IT departments to Milton Keynes as a result of years of strategic planning. Network Rail representative Russell Spink is satisfied with the companys integration. He said: The reaction from the local community has been over whelming positive, thats everyone from the local authority, Local Chamber Of Commerce, MPs to local peoby Matt Ray

Youth unemployment rises

by Ben King NEW reports announce that global youth unemployment is set to rise over the next five years. The International Labour Organization have said that youth unemployment will be at about 13% by 2017. The euro crisis will be the main reason behind the possible rise that will take place and ILO have warned that many young people have given up hope of ever getting a job. They have called for more government-backed jobs and training, with countries such as Austria, Denmark and Sweden already having introduced such schemes. The Middle East and North Africa have the highest current rates of youth unemployment, with the Eurozone crisis having a big impact on East Asia and Latin America as demands slows and exports decrease. North Africa is expected to stand at 26.7% in 2017, with the Middle East projected to have 28.4% of its youngsters out of work by that time. Current figures here in Milton Keynes currently show that 3.6% of the population were claiming unemployment benefits, compared to 8.4% of youths in Milton Keynes claiming Job Seekers Allowance. Milton Keynes Job Centre Plus was unavailable to comment on the matter.

Central Location: Shining new Network Rail headquarters

ple, who think that its great to have a high profile organisation in the community and the jobs that come with it. The relocation was met with some anger by workers who were told that they needed to live within a 75 minute journey of the new office; questioning the legality of the decision, however network rail insisted there were few issues and that some members of staff affected were re-located to other areas of the business. Although we have brought two thousand people with us, we are going to be in Milton Keynes for a long time, every time one of those people decides to move on that becomes another post for a local person. From the new recruits that have joined us 50% of those are from an MK postcode, Milton Keynes is highly skilled.

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Setting high sights

by Emma Woolford MILTON Keynes College and the University of Bedfordshire are strengthening their partnership and planning to deliver a stronger range of Higher Education in Milton Keynes. Despite UCMK dropping courses this year, plans are in place to move forward with a wider range of courses at the University Centre Milton Keynes over the next few years. Dean of Milton Keynes College Julie Mills is heavily involved with the partnership and is keen for the college to deliver courses that will help students move on to employment, she said: Its a really exciting time for higher education development and the college is absolutely committed to continuing to grow and develop our higher education program. Whats really important is that whatever the course is that it meets the needs of the students and the industry that they want to continue to work in. So what we have been testing out is what the particular courses are that both students and employers want to do and in some industries the HND or HNC is more desirable than the foundation degree. This is because some employers recognise an HND or an HNC more than they do a Foundation Degree. Julie Mills pointed out the college are working to run two types of courses parallel to each other in order to test the waters and see which are most successful, she said: A student doing the HND or the HNC route can still top up to a full degree with a partner university but theres not that automatic progression to the third year of a BA degree as there is with a foundation degree. So how we invisage it growing over time is that there will be a real mixed arrangement. If the HND is the right course to meet students and employ-

Local uni for local people

by Cathy Isaacs STUDENTS of UCMK travel from all over the country on a weekly basis to attend their classes and lectures. University Campus Milton Keynes first opened its doors in 2008, with most of its students filtering in from MK College and the local areas, but in recent years the campus has branched out, expanding class sizes and attracting more and more students from across the country. But with public transportation not always being as reliable as we would like, and most students using buses, coaches and trains as their means of travel, it can have a knock on affect on their studies. Digital imaging and design student at UCMK Jo Hanley travels from St. Albans, south Hertfordshire, on a weekly basis to attend her lectures. I have to get two trains in total; one train to Watford junction which comes every hour, and then its a twenty minute wait until the next train which takes me straight to Milton Keynes. It takes about an hour or so to get in everyday, but I dont mind, its just habit now. Fortunately, UCMK is located in central Milton Keynes, a ten minute walk away from the city centre and train station, with bus stops located just behind the campus. Second year journalism student Charlie Ray travels by bus each day to UCMK. I take one bus from Olney to Milton Keynes, it takes about forty minutes altogether, but the journey does not phase me. Other students not only regularly commute, but have moved from home to be closer to the university showing how popular the growing university has become over the past few years.

Rayzie cant scratch this

by Miriam Baseluoss JOURNALISM student at UCMK, Matthew Ray, has turned Dj-ing in his bedroom to touring with Calvin Harris and eventually taking his aspirations even further. Matt, stage name Rayzie, taught himself a few basic tips and at only 11 years old took the first steps to becoming the DJ he is now by taking his talent to small parties and progressing from there. He said: I had help from my mum and stepdad to move equipment around and got into it from there. Many would say that their inspirations come from people or what certain people have done, but instead for Matthew it was more an environmental motivation: My inspiration was actually being around lights. Obviously Ive always liked music and thats a main aspect, but the lights drew me into the club scene and pushed me to

Dean Julie Mills is working closely with UOB to develop uni in Milton Keynes

want to be and work in that sort of environment. However, no matter what his inspiration is, it did a lot for him and he followed in the footsteps of his role models too. I look up to Swedish House Mafia and Calvin Harris. I went on tour with Calvin Harris last year and it was just incredible. Touring with Calvin? Youd think Matthew has lived the dream? No, he wants to take

his career even further he told UCMK Now that after he finishes his degree he would like to work in Ibiza. But these ambitions would surely take up a lot of time, It used to conflict with working in the day because I had a full time job and worked four nights a week as a DJ. It used to be a pain but university has taken the pressure off a lot.

Eagle comments on soaring fares

by Matt Ray suggests the government have lost connection with the public. She said: They are completely out of touch if they think its reasonable to keep clobbering commuters with huge fair rises above inflation at a time when their wages are stagnating or going down. We have been advocating for some time the government must get a better grip over rail fair rises. Increased prices are hitting the most vulnerable the hardest and with the busiest trains in Europe, commuters are angry that companies such as Virgin paid shareholders a dividend of 29 million pounds in 2011. Ms Eagle acknowledged that both young people and students are amongst the most venerable people financially and admitted many are finding it difficult to travel for both educational and for social purposes. She said: The cost of transport is one of the biggest problems that they have. Young people have got to be able to get to their educational opportunities and their employment opportunities if they are going to be able to reach their full potential. The government are under mounting pressure to address the issue as more people want to see the re-introduction of nationalised rail.

THE Shadow Sectary of State for Transport, Maria Eagle, has expressed serious apprehensions over above inflation rail fare increases planned for 2013. Rail prices are to go up an average 6.2% from January with annual tickets going up as much as four hundred pounds. Mrs Eagle expressed concerns over the last 10 years of increases above inflation and

Julie Mills muses about the upcoming ventures for Higher Education in Milton Keynes ers needs it will be developed down that road. If the Foundation Degree is the right product, if you like, then we will go down that road. There are also differences in pricing and those sorts of issues which come to bear as well, so its also about finding the right kinds of courses and qualifications that are affordable and deliver the quality and talk to employers so its getting the balance of those things right. The University of Bedfordshire are a key player in the partnership. Twelve months ago UOB proposed further plans to establish a university in Milton Keynes to the Milton Keynes Higher Education Board, of which the college is a member. Julie said: The University of Bedfordshire offered to establish a University College Milton Keynes in Milton Keynes and that was discussed by stakeholders, the council, the college and really very much a partnership between the college the University of Bedfordshire and the council. That was discussed and debated and tested out.

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Sacred geometry exhibition expression of cultural variety

by Miriam Baseluoss BRINGING art and faith together in Milton Keynes, UCMK held its very own sacred geometry exhibition of interfaith art. Students from Milton Keynes College created geometric art pieces which were displayed in UCMK. The exhibition was an expression of the cultural variety that is within Milton Keynes. The students were able to understand the meanings behind geometry and how shapes can be symbolic and have sacred meanings. They expressed their interpretations through the art that was displayed. The deputy Mayor of Milton Keynes, Brian White was asked to open the exhibition and expressed how an event like this can link to Milton Keynes on a whole rather than just from the perspective of the college. Milton Keynes as a growing city is a city the size of southampton, and were going to grow to be a city the size of Bristol. We have got so much energy, so many things we want to achieve and the key thing about Milton Keynes is that we do it in partnership, we do it networking together, we do it sharing and also we draw on our history. So, if you look at the way that Milton Keynes is laid out there are geometric shapes, the people here have been brought together, and we all bring our own culture and aspect but what we create is actually amazing and this is exhibition is Milton Keynes on a much smaller scale. He continued to explain exactly what the exhibition meant to him, how important events like this are and what it and other similar events can do for the college. Its wonderful what has been done by the students and by the interfaith groups. What I take away from this is the sheer variety of community groups in Milton Keynes. Just

Concrete cows are vandalised

by Sean Stevens THE legendary Milton Keynes Concrete Cows will cost 2,000 to repaint after mischievous vandals turned them into skeletons. Liz Leyhs statue replicas created in 1978 are thought to have been painted into skeletons sometime during the evening of Tuesday 9 October 2012, just in time for Halloween. Chief Executive of the Parks Trust, David Foster, condemmed the act and highlighted the importance of the cows. He said: Public art is an integral part of the city and park landscape and as custodians of the cows we do take any type of damage very seriously. The cows are a part of Milton Keynes, they are a piece of public art and they should be valued by all. We will restore the cows to the artists, Liz Leyh, original vision. Briony Serginson, Community Team Manager for the Parks Trust says: repainting the replicas at Bancroft will cost the charity 2000. The Oak tree in Central Milton Keynes Midsummer Place shopping centre is where the original Concrete Cows are now grazing so an eye can be kept on them. In the past vandals have painted the cows pink, dressed them in pyjamas and one cow was even beheaded. The sculptures located at Bancroft have become a target for whats known nowadays as guerrilla art. Hated by many people outside Milton Keynes the concrete cows are adored by people in the Buckinghamshire city and have come to symbolise it along with the roundabouts. The home supporters end at the Milton Keynes Dons ground: Stadium MK is known as The Cowshed.

Pioneering Dan the Man

DELL and Microsoft will be doing a case study on Milton Keynes College campuses including UCMK for being the first educational institution in the UK using tablet programme for students. The college campuses have had a drastic movement towards making the Wi-Fi system more effective in more than one aspect or both staff and students. Dr Daniel Hidlebaugh director of ILT at the college explained exactly what steps have been successful and what is to follow and be expected from the programme. Before the summer there was almost nothing in the college, there were only around 30 wireless APs covering all three sites which gave almost no coverage. Over the summer we worked with a company to set up almost 400 APs throughout all the campuses. We upped our bandwidth into Janet, which is a bandwidth provider for the Internet for all educational institutions in the UK, universities, colleges, and schools. We went from 100 megabytes of Internet access at each campus to 1000 megabytes in each location. It also covers BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) e.g. phones, laptops and tablets. This was also for other reasons not just for higher bandwidth and high-density coverage or students to go on the Internet, he said. He happily told UCMK Now that the other new prospects this movement introduces are advances such as changing Microsoft Office to Office 365. It would be based in the cloud where everything students do will be stored and they will be able to access all their work from any of their own devices. The main reason the system has been updated is so the tablet programme for students takes place. Dr Hidlebaugh explained in thorough detail the aspects the tablet will have and what it will do for the future of the college, we are moving to tablets at by Miriam Baseluoss the college. The move is strategic in the sense that different types of classes will get the tablets next year. Instead of students going to classes with computers each student will receive a tablet that they can carry around with them. However, it wont be an iPad because I dont believe they work very well in an educational institution. Theyre good for e-mail and surfing the Internet but they arent strong in aspects like using Word, PowerPoint and Excel. They will be interactive with the whiteboards, you will be able to do all your printing and it will have a copy of timetables on an app since students are known to lose them. All work will be saved into the cloud, which holds all the storage so they can work on their stuff anywhere they go on these tablets which will also be running on windows 8. On top of all of that, for new students, instead of getting lost there will be an app to triangulate where they are and they can click which classroom they need to be in next and it will show them the fastest route to get there. It will include tasks and/or quizzes from teachers that will give instant feedback on student progress. This makes sure that it communicates between students and teachers rather than being just another piece of technology that just sits there. There are so many other features like video conferencing, built in libraries and a whole array of things to follow. The students will be able to work on any of their projects as long as theyre connected to any Wi-Fi system and it would still save to their drive on the cloud. His experience comes from his PHD from Hertford Regional College and this has given Milton Keynes College the benefit of progressing so far so quickly. The many advantages this will bring to the college are the main reason why Dell and Microsoft are interested is that this movement will change the way students learn and take student teacher communication to higher planes. The old idea of many different things to bring into learning institutions, students forgetting their work or certain items to help them learn will be in one simple space and can be taken anywhere easily. Dr Hidlebaugh confirmed that the main aim of putting in this pervasive wireless network, is so that all these technical things could be achieved and will take place by September next year. However, he also made clear that this is just the first step of the timeline they have planned out for the college. Everything will be tied in with curriculum tying in with dates and when certain things go online. Currently were also working on the back end of everything that would run this is going to be newer and faster.

The Bishop of Bucks giving a speech on importance of faith how much quality is given by people, volunteers and other businesses that come together and give so much that theres so much going on and its hidden from view. People dont realise how much is going on in Milton Keynes. An event like this, a lot of people wont know its happening yet it still touches a lot of people. What this event does for the college is that you can take a very simple concept, what is a geometric shape? and looking at how things are all connected and you look at this exhibition and you look at the college and its not a series of individual classes its about a series of relationships that give a platform for people to develop and thats what this is all about. He proceeded to give a speech to open the exhibition. The Bishop of Buckinghamshire was one of the main figures present at the exhibition along with other significant members of different faiths. He also expressed the relevant view that exhibitions such as these bring people from different backgrounds come together at one place at these events, it brings together things you observe in the real world and maths and faith. The reason why Im here is that UCMK is one of the most interesting places of our city. As a university centre, as a way of getting people going with education, a place to learn and a place to grow. And I love the way that students come from all over the city and everybody is treated equally here, he added. He acknowledged the hight of the aspirations these students have and how they express themselves and how other people connect with their work. You dont see the challenges they face as a problem, you see them instead as an opportunity. Theres real creativity here, theres really good ideas to communicate themselves really clearly.

Dan the Man responsible for quality technological advancement across all the campuses

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Teccy tips

Modern technology has opened doors for students to get the best out of their studying but its a minefield and navigating it can be pretty tricky. So heres a list from our resident nerds Emma and Sean that will help you navigate this tricky landscape without any tech faux pas.

Laptops

A good laptop is important to every student, its easy to opt for the cheapest Acer you can lay your hands on but if youre going to part with your cash you want the best you can get. Acers are cheap however they arent reliable, often they will break and cant be repaired, so you have to cough up another few hundred for a new laptop. If you squeeze your budget as tight as it will go youll get a better, more reliable product that will last you longer. Refurbished laptops can be an option but you need to be prepared for things to go wrong because they are often older units. Ultrabooks are tempting but you wont have much money left to live after you splurge on one. The cheapest we could find is the Toshiba Satellite U-840111 14 for 500 at PC World and

The new laptops from Google: Great value Chromebooks set to take the market by storm that was on sale. But if youve got generous parents try your luck at squeezing out a few extra hundred from them, possibly as a generous Christmas present. Your requirements for what you want from a laptop will make the decision for you, if your main requirement is for it to be portable go for a Netbook. Netbooks tend to be quite cheap, the most expensive one we found was a Samsung N series for 250. It boasted 8.5 hours battery life and a 320GB hard drive. Not bad specs for under 300.

Top: Flagship Samsung Galaxy S3 Bottom: Best selling Samsung Galaxy Ace

Software Phones
The rise of smartphones has seen a mass of apps rise to the surface with many that can be used to aid your study. Studious Studious is an organisational app for the Android operating system. Allowing you to plan out and anticipate all sorts of assignments, tests, and events. The app works as a planner, providing an easy to use calendar interface where you can enter class schedules and upcoming due dates for assignments. The app also reminds you about classes, switching the phone to silent when lectures start to stop your phone sounding off and save any notes you type into the app. Alarm Clock Xtreme Free Probably the most ingenious alarm app, it wakes you up with maths! You cant turn off the alarm without answering the question, and it offers a pleasing selection of options alongside its variable difficulty: alarm frequency and sound can be altered, as can the number of maths questions that need answering before your pocket Carol Vorderman shuts up. If youre averse to embarking on maths so early you can set the app to deactivate if you shake the phone or if you simply press the Snooze button. Evernote This app works across most computer and mobile devices so you can access all your files anywhere. Evernote is brilliant for uni and college work, with it you can get information from everywhere and collate it all together in one place. The app will let you save a whole webpage: text, images and links. Great for those long essays you have to track your research on! One handy aspect of the app which is great if you need to collaborate on a project is the sharing aspect. It allows you to pass notes onto colleagues or friends and classmates to make your life easier. The iPhone is not the be all and end all of the phone world, its overpriced and over hyped. If youre savvy and you go for an android based handset you can save yourself some money and still get a great handset. Samsungs flagship handset the Galaxy S3 has pushed down the price of its pre desesscor the Galaxy S2. The S2 doesnt support the faster internet capabilities of 4G however, it will support useful apps such as Microsoft Word. If you havent got the money for a laptop, getting Word on your phone is a great way to catch up on lecture notes on the go. Samsung are a great manufacturer of mid market handsets that perform brilliantly while still being fantastic value for money. The Samsung Galaxy Ace is a great example of this, running on the Gingerbread Android Operating System its a little lower spec than a lot of phones available at the moment however it is available on contracts as low as 7.50 a month so it works out cheaper than pay as you go. If you want to get your hands on the S3 but youre concious of how much it is going to cost then look no further than the newly released minature version. The Samsung Galaxy S3 mini is the S3s little brother, everything is in minature yet it still performs to the same high spec as its older brother. The camera is lower spec but at 5 megapixels and still carrying all the sharp features such as shot burst, the S3 mini can take a great picture. Unlike Apples operating system iOS, Android is super versatile. iOS is quite restrictive with what it will allow you to do whereas the Android system will allow you to do almost anything you please. With a wider range of apps the play shop is certainly the way forward for the phone world.

Screen shot of organisational app for students Studious

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Arkwright drum and bass

by Miriam Baseluoss JOURNALISM student Sam King from UCMK has taken his hobby of making music to higher levels and instead of taking time away from his university work he has used it to his advantage. After starting out as a bet he has progressed in the music industry and has two releases on different labels. I had one on Bass Taste Records and one coming up on Gradient Audio and this has come from literally putting my music up on the internet, giving it to DJs, and theyve put it on the radio including Kiss 100 and Radio1. People have heard it and got in touch with me and said they like what theyve heard and they want to put it out to the public which is nice, he said. There are usually deep meanings and reasons behind why people make music but Sam was very honest and told UCMK Now exactly how his journey started which is the exact opposite of deep and meaningful. I started making music when my mate bet me 10 that I couldnt make a song. I literally typed into youtube, how to make dubstep, and I made a really bad song but it was still a song so I won the bet and I just carried on doing it for fun, he said. Since he enjoyed making music and continued doing it, only six months down the line he figured out that he was good at it and people started noticing it on the internet. He also said that it doesnt conflict with his university work because he considers it a hobby: Instead of it being a chore I enjoy doing it and its quite easy to balance it around, and in actual fact it has allowed him to progress with his university work. He explained that he has been working with FatKidOnFire which is one of the biggest websites around that showcases new talent and with Sams notable knowledge on music he contacted them with reviews and interviews and now writes for them monthly. Because I do journalism at Uni and I love music, Im always looking to integrate the two. I also know people on the music scene so its easy to get interviews and know of new things happening. On top of that they found out about my music so theyve been releasing some of my songs as well which goes out to around 20,000 people which

Sam King AKA Arkwright ametuer student producer at UCMK is a really good way to promote your music as well. However, he did mention that the only problems that emerge are when you start taking it seriously and making sure its up to standard so that the labels that have contacted you take you seriously. I have to spend some extra time making it sound good and that can get a bit stressful. Sometimes I have to take a weekend off and lock myself in my bedroom with tons of biscuits and fizzy drinks.

EXHIBITIONS that have been on recently are Drawn to Stitch and Postcards Anonymous. The exhibitions were on in UCMK and on the Bletchley campus of MK College. Drawn to Stitch is an exhibition which is using different drawing styles and was created by the Royal School of Needlework, which is based in Hampton Court Palace in London. Gino Ballantyne, Head of Development & Curation of UCMK Galleries, said: The School produced for Alexander McQueen and helped create the Duchess of Cambridges dress. Gino explained that the exhibition would change in early November from Drawn to Stich to the Postcards Anonymous display. He said: After the graduation ceremony it will be taken over by Postcards Anonymous, which is a local charity selling over 300 anonymous art cards, for three days. At Bletchley we have a display of first year student work

Latest UCMK art exhibitions

by Ben King about experimental photography. Gino also explained how the artists are from all levels, international, national and local, and have quite often moved into the field unintentionally. He says the whole of this year is about drawing and there are about one or two exhibitions a month. The exhibitions featured various works of arts by different artists including worldrenowned embroider Tracy A. Franklin, Royal School of Needlework teacher Nicola Jarvis and professional artist Julia Triston. Artist Caroline Homfray was involved in the Drawn to Stitch exhibition. A professional maker and artist since 1999, Caroline has had a wide variety of work displayed over the years including paintings, drawings and embroided pieces. The postcards in Postcards Anonymous were created by random people and were up for sale for as much as 20.

Caroline Homfrays work was exhibited in Drawn to stitch

Christmas television crackers this year

by Ben King CHRISTMAS is one of those times of year where family is important, and what better way to spend it in front of the telly! Firstly the current series of Friday Night Dinner and Downton Abbey will finish with a Christmas special. ITV1 will once again be having their Text Santa charity event probably to be shown on Christmas Eve. A massive fundraising event for six different charities to benefit from this festive season. Over on the BBC, Mrs Browns Boys will have not one, but two Christmas Specials, in a two-parter. They will also show the annual Royle Family Christmas Special as well as Series three of Miranda culminating in a Christmas Special. The centrepiece of Channel 4s schedule will be a sequel to the hit animation The Snowman called the The Snowman and the Snowdog. Another animated treat is Room on the Broom, an adaptation of the book of the same name. The mid-season Christmas Special of Doctor Who is also set to air as part of the BBC1 Christmas Day listings, with Jenna-Louise Coleman set to take up the role of Matt Smiths companion, with Richard E Grant cast as the villain. Channel 4 is also airing a follow-up to Adam Hills The Last Leg that aired during the Paralympic coverage, with an apparent series for 2013. Cooks will also be pleased with BBC2 because there will be a Christmas Special of thehugely successful Great British Bake Off, after the third series recently finished. BBC2 is also set to air a festive special of Top Gear and QI. As well as being in Downton Abbey this Christmas, Hugh Bonneville will also appear in an adaptation of David Walliams hit book Mr Stink. From the novel The Wheel Spins filmed by Hitchcock as The Lady Vanishes, this 1930s thriller by Ethel Lina White has been adapted by Fiona Seres for Christmas on BBC One. On the back of the success of Great Expectation last Christmas, BBC have confirmed The Moonstone , a detective drama to be shown in 3 episodes. Other Specials for the festive period include Outnumbered and Call the Midwife.

Money saving tips for students

Student living can seem fun and daunting at the same time. The most difficult challenge is saving money! Priyanka Rajput looks at how students can work to save the pennies and look after the pounds so you can make the most out of student life. Books Buying books for the new term is one of the most expensive parts of student life. Ideally, you would borrow all the books you need from the university or local library, but this may not always be possible so hunting around on the internet is always a big help the most popular sites would be Ebay and Amazon. You can also check the book stores to see if they have deals. Electronics In our generation today we tend to use and rely on technology. So when it comes to buying new technology always looks around for deals on the internet and in shops. There are even cash back websites you can earn cash back on the amount you spend. Food Dont spend a fortune on food. Food prices have risen sharply in the last year. Eating out, takeaways and other convenience foods are expensive and will make a huge dent in your budget. If you cant cook then learning should be a priority. Shop around for the best prices and be ready to pounce on those bargains. Shopping Dont be afraid to ask shops and businesses if they offer any student discounts. Check the discount offers available on websites. However dont be tempted to buy something just because you get a discount or you wont end up saving any money at all! Nights out Dont Forget to budget for nights out. If youre not realistic about what you spend your money on, youll find yourself falling into debt. Take advantage of any free entertainment on offer. If youre in a big city, look out for free gigs in record shops or small venues.

Popular drama Call the Midwife set for Christmas Special

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Christmas survival tips

Shopping can get stressful this time of year with intense crowds and cold weather but Christmas doesnt have to be a drag

This time of year can be expensive for everyone. UCMK Nows clued up super scrimper Matt Ray dishes out the golden rules that make for a great festive season without the crippling price tag.
Make a list Check it Twice Spend a little time working out whos been naughty and whos been nice this year. Decide how much you can spend on each person and stick to it. Budgeting is a great way to make sure you dont get carried away. Become a lone-huntsman Did you know youre scientifically likely to spend more money when shopping with peers? Get in unity with your caveman instincts and hunt for

the perfect gifts solo to save your cash. Create your own Christmas Workshop! Why not bake a cake for a family member or create some photo boards for friends, great presents dont have to cost the earth. Driving home for Christmas Theres no place like home over Christmas, spend some quality time with the folks, therell be glad to see you; certainly for the first hour anyhow. Christmas is the time for giving, but not to yourself! If you can hold out till Boxing Day on those self-indulgent acquisitions, youll most probably be able to pick them up at bargain prices in the sales, afterall Christmas is for giving.

Catch up with your old mates The Christmas Holidays are a perfect chance to get out and catch up with the people you havent seen all year. Diet...What diet? Enjoy the festive period and all the tasty treats that come with it, after all theres always January to feast on cottage cheese, plants and rice crackers. Rocking around the Christmas tree! Loading the decorations on your tree to the christmas hits never fails to make you feel a little Christmassy. An added bonus is that it doesnt have to cost the Earth, especially if you do it with youre family and use their decorations! Secret Santa rules! Clubbing together and pick-

ing your mates at random will not only save you time and money, but gives you a fantastic opportunity to get someone something rude or shocking and remain totally anonymous, genius! Stock up on the vitamins Hangover cures are a must for the festive season. Not only are all those deadlines rushing up on you but so is the work Christmas party. Carry a vitamin C boost with you to lift you through that difficult morning after feeling. Enjoy it After-all it only comes round once a year and in a flash it will be gone! Spend quality time with your folks in front of the TV and try to give your mum a hand with the dinner so shes not the only one stressing.

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