Author: Alec Tudor

Bangor University has been awarded a ‘First Class Honours’ for its sustainability credentials. by People & Planet, the largest student network in the UK campaigning for social and environmental justice. Only 29 of the 154 universities in the UK are placed in this category. This latest table sees the University rising nine places in the table, and achieving its highest ever score, and is assessed on a wide range of environmental, social and financial sustainability criteria. Dr Einir Young, Bangor’s Director of Sustainability said: “This is further evidence that we are making progress and underlines our commitment to sustainability as a…

Last week, Bangor University declared a climate emergency, joining other institutions across the world in the fight against climate change. But what does it imply? What are the changes that will be made? How will this impact students? The first point in understanding this topic is knowing what declaring a climate emergency means: It acknowledges climate change as an imminent threat It commits to certain local, national and global targets of combating climate change It acts as the beginning of the climate change mitigation process, influencing policy making and planning Simply said, declaring a climate emergency is sounding the alarm for action…

Today, Bangor University is flying the Pride Flag in honour of LGBT+ Pride Month. This year also marks 50 years since the Stonewall Riots, a series of demonstrations by members of the LGBT community against police violence which ensued at the Stonewall Inn in New York City. The events are important to LGBT+ history,  leading to the gay liberation movement and to the modern fight for LGBT+ rights. Pride Month commemorates those demonstrations, being set every year in June. By raising the Pride flag, Bangor celebrates its pledge on Equality and Diversity, welcoming students and staff from all backgrounds, origins,…

Undeb Bangor will issuing an official response to the Estates Strategy soon.  Bangor Healing Garden Volunteers and Project leaders are issuing a petition letter regarding Fron Heulog Site’s consultation by the University. The letter argues the university should embrace the Garden as an ecological and sustainable asset, by including the site in the ‘Biodiversity and sustainability’ section of this PACs strategy. The University’s consultation document “proposes a radical consolidation of the University’s Estate to reduce the footprint and improve the quality of the built estate, thereby reducing costs and improving the experience of students, staff and visitors.” The deadline for…

The annual UniBrass contest returns to Bangor University on 8th February 2020, marking 10 years for one of the largest Brass Band contests in the UK. University brass bands from around the country will be welcomed to Bangor to compete across two sections; the Trophy and the Shield. Full details about the contest and the venues will be announced in due course. The UniBrass Organising Committee are hoping to make UniBrass 2020 “the biggest contest yet.” The contest began in 2010 at Lancaster University. It was also held at the University of Warwick in 2014, and in Yorkshire for two…

A new Estate Strategy for 2020-2030 has been proposed for consultation, involving significant changes to various Bangor University buildings and departments. Undeb Bangor will be issuing an official response to the Estates strategy soon. The proposal comes as a result of a need to reduce costs due to “poor efficiency of use” and improve the staff-student-visitor experience on campus. It mostly oversees non-residential buildings, and also focuses on reducing energy consumption and the overall size of the estate. It also emphasizes the University’s aim to be “in all aspects, the Sustainable University.” Significant changes Closure of the Dean Street and…

An email was sent out yesterday to the students of the School of Music & Media, regarding the business changes that are to take place over the summer. The changes involve staff cuts, restructuring and discontinuation of certain modules and programmes, potential developments such as a Pontio Arts collaboration, summer schools and renewed strategies towards research, student engagement and recruitment. The school’s revised business plan also describes a focus on maintaining its strong reputation in research and impact. The final plan comes as a result of a months-longs consultation period, during which course representatives and Undeb Bangor have offered student…

Professor Iwan Davies has been appointed by Bangor University Council today as the institution’s new Vice-Chancellor. Professor Davies is set to start on the first of September, and will be the 8th Vice-Chancellor of the university. Professor Graham Upton, the Interim Vice-Chancellor, will continue in post until then. Davies, a fluent Welsh speaker, has spoken of his excitement to start life at Bangor University. “Bangor University is unique in terms of its location and history, as well as its research and teaching strengths which underpin an outstanding student experience.” Davies added: “I look forward to build on these strengths to…

Moving Stories of Anglesey and Gwynedd is a student-led project intended to inspire curiosity about different languages and cultures, and to encourage people to get involved in learning languages. CALL FOR YOUR STORIES, ANECDOTES AND THOUGHTS Topics can range from anything related to language and culture – what being bilingual or multilingual means to you, how this affects your identity, how languages influence the way we see the world, and how this perspective might change when you learn another language. How do the languages you know differ from each other? How are cultures reflected in languages? Or, do you have…

We all hear about Varsity and the AU going to cross-university competitions and such all year long, but what about societies? Last week, Bangor English Dramatics Society (BEDS), together with Keele University’s Drama Society, organized a full day event in John Phillips Hall, hosting workshops and an evening showcase. “The Keele-Bangor collaboration was the first of its kind, and we were unsure what would happen,” said Briony Collins, BEDS’s Writer’s Group Coordinator. “We were met with nothing but confident and generous people who led us through some fantastic workshops and an exciting showcase.” The workshops were run by different people…

Hannah Grimston is the president of the Film Society and a member of the English Dramatics Society.  She is a 3rd year Creative Studies student in the School of Music and Media, and wants to be a playwright in the future. Why did you choose to be a member of the English Dramatics Society? I was introduced to the society in the 2nd semester of my first year through Byron Dean. I later went on to work on his play for the Conwy One-Act Festival. I made a lots of friends in the society, it was very welcoming and very…

With Rostra’s second show of the semester, The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde, ticked on the to-watch list, one must wonder how to prepare to review such pleasant and surprising performances. Shifting from cocktail bar comedy to high society humour, Rostra greets audiences with a well-chosen cast, a well-staged play, simple and clean directing, and a lot of energy. There is much to be observed: Oscar’ Wilde’s unique style of comedy and use of language is delivered smartly. The lighting and decor are kept simple and to the point and the acting is vibrant and natural. Although 500…

For many budding artists and photographers, displaying work publicly is a hard and daunting task. But the last week of November’s gallery night in Pontio, hosted by the Art and Photographic societies, had many students display their work to the public for the first time. The space was filled with various artwork, done in pen, pencil, paint and charcoal. Portraits of animals, portraits of people, self-portraits, caricatures, sketches and many more were lined up against walls, with some artists being credited for multiple artworks found in contrast by comparison, proof of diversity. Same could be said for the photographs; from…

The first student drama show of the year, Shakers Re-stirred (written by John Godber and Jane Thornton) brought back the casual and fun nature of student shows to the JP stage, a daring take on the world of cocktail bars, with actors both old and new, provided by Rostra. This cocktail bar comedy featured, well, a cocktail bar manned by four slightly eccentric bartenders visited by slightly more eccentric guests, some seeking to be intoxicated, some already intoxicated, some on a date, some seeking a date, all in red-tinted décor and lights, with occasional music usually heard, well, in cocktail…

There are times when you have to challenge yourself and change the way you do your craft; either by improvising, starting from scratch, or by collaborating. Fergus Elliot, chair of the Photographic Society, and Anna Monnerau, chair of the Arts Society, are having their societies do a joint event: an event through which fine art and photography transcend and draw from each other. We invitied them for a joint interview here in the Seren Offices in order to learn more. What made you choose your societies? Anna: It’s a chill society. Because of university…

Every so often, there are some student projects which find their way on the big stage: one of these is Suddenly Last Summer, a Tennesse Williams play directed by Alma Nordstrand and Peter Jones, two members of the Bangor English Dramatics Society (BEDS), in Pontio on the 13th and the 14th of November. What made you become BEDS members? Alma: I was looking for a drama society in particular. I joined after I saw BEDS at Serendipity. I liked the atmosphere, it was a really communal sort of feeling. The first semester, I was really inactive, and then I did…