Kingston University pocketed more than £8,000 last year thanks to students who finished their courses with money left on their printer accounts.  

The average amount outstanding on students’ print accounts was £1.37 in 2008/09 but this amounted to a grand total of £8,290.00. KUSU have promised to take up the matter with Information Services.

 The university claimed that Information Services publicises the fact that refunds cannot be given but KUSU and many final year students have been left in the dark. Kayleigh Pickering, VP Student Support, “I must admit that neither myself nor my colleagues were aware that the University did not refund money to students which remains on their printing credit when they leave Kingston.”

 Clare Rixon, in her final year studying Media and Cultural Studies, agreed: “I don’t remember being told that. Kingston University tends to rip us off on library fines, so it doesn’t surprise me that they don’t refund print credit. That is bad.”

The university said the rationale behind the decision to keep unspent balances was because of the high administrative costs involved. A university spokesperson said: “I imagine the cost is mainly in terms of the resources it would take to administer a system to refund students for what are usually very small amounts. This is time that staff could be spending supporting students and dealing with inquiries.”

 Not all students are convinced by this argument. James o’Sullivan, MSc in Building Surveying, said: “Not refunding money because of inconvenience is no excuse and I’m sure any admin fees wouldn’t amount to £9,000.”

 Students who are in the final days of their course can use outstanding balances to pay off any library fines due. Learning Services uses any unspent print credit to buy library stock or on services for students.

With exams and course work deadlines coming up almost two in three KU students will be reaching for the cans of energy drinks unaware that they could be seriously damaging their body.

Latest research has shown that energy drinks can lead to heart damage, strokes and heart attacks in young people.

Around 65 per cent of Kingston University students admitted to drinking energy drinks regularly and 26 per cent of these students have experienced side effects from energy drinks. These side effects included shaking, upset stomach, increased heart rate, heart palpitations, a hazy feeling the next day and not being able to sleep.

 Research was carried out on the energy drink Red Bull which claims “to give you wings”. The study was carried out on a group of 30 university students aged between 20 and 24 and the results alarmingly found that just one 250ml of a sugar free can of Red Bull raised the risk of blood clots forming by making the blood more “sticky”.

Dr. Scott Willoughby, of the Cardiovascular Research Centre at the Royal Adelaide Hospital and Adelaide University said: "After one can it seemed to turn the young individual into one with more of the type of profile you would expect to see with someone with cardiovascular disease. People who already have existing cardiovascular disease may want to talk to their physician before they drink Red Bull in future."

Students are also being warned about the dangers of mixing energy drinks with vodka.  Around 50 per cent of Kingston students drink vodka Red Bull on a night on but scientists warn that mixing a depressant (vodka) with a stimulant (Red Bull) can be dangerous.

In a study carried out by Dr Mary Claire O’ Brien at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Centre in North Carolina, researchers’ questioned 4, 271 students and found that people who drank vodka Red Bull were more likely to have a false self awareness of intoxication,  injure themselves on a night out and be taken advantage of sexually.

Dr Mary Claire O’ Brien said: “Students whose motor skills, visual reaction times and judgements are impaired by alcohol may not perceive that they are intoxicated as readily when they are also ingesting a stimulant.”

Banned in countries such as France, Norway and Denmark, energy drinks have been linked to the cause of a few deaths.  An investigation was ordered after the death of Ross Cooney, 18, from Limerick, who drank four cans of Red Ball during a basket ball match and later collapsed.

Last year Chole Leach, 21, suddenly collapsed on the floor in the Sugarmill club in Hull after she consumed four cans of energy drink and several VKs. An inquest showed that her death was caused by caffeine triggering a rare heart condition. 

 In July 2001 a 33 year old Australian man died of a heart- attack after drinking a pitcher of Red Bull and vodka.

Red Bull has denied that their drink is dangerous. In a statement a spokesmen said that Red Bull had been proven safe by “numerous scientific studies”.

In a spare moment when you are just thinking about life’s big questions have you ever asked yourself:  What would a vagina wear if it had the chance? Stockings? Male tuxedo? Evening gown?  Spectacles? Or if a vagina could speak would it say during sex? “Slow down?" or “Oh that’s brave?”

No? Well I was lucky enough to spend an hour and a half being enlightened by these sorts of important questions in The Vagina Monologues, which was held at Knights Park and stared Cordelia Howard, Tanju Duncan, Anne Doyle and Georgie Farwell. It was held in aid of the Croydon and Kingston Rape Crisis Centre.

Written by playwright and activist Eve Ensler, the play is famous for inspiring the movement for V-Day which was a global movement to end violence against women and girls.  The play is made up of monologues of women telling the audience the various experiences their vaginas have had whether it’s through sex, rape, birth, menstruation, orgasms and in some cases these experiences are very few.

It was described by a Sunday Broadcast columnist as the kind of work that allows “self important lovelies to feel radical and dangerous.” I could not have expressed my feelings towards this play better myself.

The show is meant to be controversial and shocking by touching on issues that are taboo to a lot of people by having very open and explicit, foul mouthed discussions about women’s bodies, sexual lusts, fears and desires. For example woman performed a monologue listing the inanimate objects that have given her an orgasm:

“My orgasms happened all over the place, on the treadmill at the gym, on a bike, in the bath. I have not had an orgasm in a while and I am getting terribly frustrated. “

The Vagina Monologues is a little out of date and fails to be controversial to most modern day audiences with its five minutes of different orgasmic sounds performed very loudly by the women on stage and the overuse of the word “cunt”. This is because most people nowadays swear like trooper and have heard orgasms sounds only forest woodmen can make out.

A lot of the monologues were rather self indulging and pointless, for example one lazy spent most of her monologue describing her vagina to the audience and described it as a “ a shell opening and closing.” She then continued to describe the first time she saw her vagina and compared it to cutting a fish open for the first time and “you see all those layers.”

Some of the issues touched upon by the play are important and sensitive concerns for women and relationships, such as a woman in one of the monologues described how her husband forced her to shave her vagina but when she refused to shave it again her husband had an affair. She concluded with the very significant message “you have to love hair in order to love a vagina.”

Despite the ultimate message of the Vagina Monologues being that the vagina is the ultimate power of femininity and the picture of individuality, I personally never want to hear the word “vagina” ever again.

Kingston University has paid tribute to a Kingston engineering hero by naming their new learning resource centre after him.

TV presenter Kate Humble opened the Sir Sydney Camm Centre at the Roehampton Vale campus on March 25.

Sir Sydney is most famous for designing one of the most important fighter planes of the Second World War, the Hawker Hurricane.

Ms Humble, whose grandfather worked with Sir Sydney, said: “If it is true that we look to the past to find inspiration for the future, there is good reason to remember those who have achieved extraordinary things in their lives.

“The pressures are different today, but engineering remains crucial to our future way of life.”

Sir Sydney's career started in Kingston with the Hawker Aircraft Company where he went on to be instrumental in the design of several of the world's most famous military aircraft including the Hurricane and the Harrier Jump Jet.

Aircraft Engineering student Mike Yeomans, 24, said: “I think it's a good name. I hadn't heard of him to be honest but I probably should have. There should be some pictures of him and what he did. Some Hurricanes or something.”

Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, Dr Peter Mason, was pleased with the new Learning Resource Centre.

Dr Mason said: “The Sir Sydney Camm Centre has transformed the Roehampton Vale site. It has become a great place to meet, develop projects and thrash out ideas.”

The second heat of Kingston University’s “Battle of the Bands” was played out today, with an overall winner to be decided by the end of the week.

Students gathered in the Coombehurst Studio, Kingston Hill Campus, for the lunchtime show, which featured performances from Pickpockets And Sky Rockets and Pages Walk.

Judges included Alex Evans and Phil Chambon, both music tutors at the University, and Pete Aves, a singer / songwriter and member of The High Llamas.

Praise for Electro-Acoustic duo Pickpockets was effusive. As Evans addressed the band with his verdict he told them they were, “a really interesting mix of styles. You did it with great aplomb. The song writing was fantastic.”

Though Chambon agreed, Aves was less complimentary, saying;

“I felt the material was good but all the songs were regularly the same tempo. I’d had enough of the drum machine, which was relentless. The lyrics began to lose importance after the eighth repetition.”

Band members Sam Ratcliffe and Pete Buffery accepted the comments without protest, but later admitted that when it came to assessing their chances of winning the competition they were still “in the dark”.

Five-man guitar outfit Pages Walk, meanwhile, attracted a similar mix of praise and criticism. Evans complimented their “sweaty gig vibe”, while Chambon mused that “your audience contact was good, and you were very tight, but the songs were, on the whole, average”.

Aves went further, telling the band that “if you’re writing these songs collectively that might be part of the problem.”

Singer Andi Karchauser had few complaints, saying in response that “it was all fair”.

Today’s bands will be judged against those from last December which included: Vesuvius Club, Ochrelane, Katie Malco, Buffalo Kite, Gentlemens Club and Tea.

Skipping down the London street where I lived, at six o’clock on a glorious May morning in 1997, I was jubilant. For the first time in my life I was living in a country where I had voted for the government. My vote had counted; my voice had been heard.

Voting has long been seen as a rite of passage into adulthood and this year many 18 to 24 year olds will have the right to cast their ballot at a General Election for the first time. But in 2005 just 37 per cent of eligible young people voted and few experts expect a sudden surge interest this year.

Across the country slightly more people voted in 2005, than 2001 but overall turnout remained the third lowest since 1847, at just over 60 per cent. An investigation by the Electoral Commission found that young people were only half as likely to vote as older age groups and concluded that many people stayed at home because they thought the result was a foregone conclusion.

As the election hangs in the balance and polls suggest David Cameron and the Conservatives face a fierce battle to overturn the Labout government – the only thing all politicians can agree on is that every vote will count. So will this be enough to make students and young people visit the ballot box?

Not according to Martin Boon from ICM which conducts polls for The Guardian. He said: “Young people do deserve their reputation for apathy. Turnout estimates by demographics are unreliable in the extreme but I’d not expect more than 30 per cent of all 18 to 24s to turnout, even in a high turnout election.”

The British Social Attitudes Survey, which tracks trends in attitudes to voting, has identified a decline in the belief that voting is a civic duty, particularly amongst young people.

Alison Park, co-director, said: “The general view is that it is very unlikely that turnout will return to the levels pre 2001 and 2005. I don’t expect it to jump to over 70 per cent unless some big issue emerges in the next few months that galvanises young people. A big issue would show that there’s a real point to voting.”

Robin Pettitt, lecturer in comparative politics at Kingston University has a different perspective. He said: “The impression one gets, both from the research and from asking around, is that people are probably just as engaged now as they were 20 years ago. But the way that people are politically engaged is very, very different. When people want to be engaged now, they no longer think about trade unions, political parties and voting. They tend to think much more about single issue groups, demonstrations, one-off political activities.”

The Obama campaign’s mastery of social media has been credited as a factor in persuading young people in the USA to cast their ballot in November 2008. Could our political parties learn from his example?

Molly Kearney from the Citizenship Foundation, which recently conducted a survey of 3,000 14 to 25 year olds with YouGov, is not so convinced. She said: “Politicians are using social media in the best way they know how but they are missing a trick. They are focusing on Twitter and Facebook but not talking about the issues young people are passionate about.”

Max Freedman, the Labour Party candidate in the Kingston and Surbiton constituency, agrees. He said: “I don’t think that using new technology like text voting is the way forward. It’s about thinking where to put polling stations. Putting polling stations in supermarkets and places where people are already going, makes it easier for them to vote.”

Sir Robert Worcester, of Ipsos MORI, has written on his blog that turnout will be key in determining who will be calling Number 10 home on the morning after the election. He believes that if turnout is low, then it will be David Cameron who the Queen will ask to form the next Government but that Gordon Brown still has a fighting chance if turnout hits the 70 per cent mark.

At the general election in 2005, over 55’s accounted for 42 per cent of the total turnout, giving that age group a disproportionate impact on which party won the mandate to govern the country. When deciding whether to exercise your democratic right to vote in 2010, remember that it is just 40 years since 18 to 21 year olds have had the opportunity to cast their ballot at the 1970 election.

Make your vote count, make your voice heard.

London has seen a dramatic rise in anti-Semitic attacks according to a new report by the Jewish Community Security Trust (CST).

New figures that have been released reveal that 460 of the 924 recorded anti-Semitic incidents in the UK last year took place in Greater London - almost double the 236 incidents that were recorded in 2008.

Spokesperson for CST, Mark Gardner explained that anti-Semitism is a growing problem for British Jews.  He said: “The trend must be reversed and we call upon decent people to speak out against anti-Semitism in all its forms.”

The report by CST states that in 97 of the incidents, the victims were Jewish students, academics or other student bodies.  This is a 43 per cent rise from the 68 campus-related incidents that were recorded in 2008.

Professor Philip Spencer, Associate Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at Kingston University, who is an expert in anti-Semitism said: “I know of Jewish students at some universities who are anxious and feel vulnerable.  It is very serious because you don’t need to have a lot of Jews for anti-Semitism to gain momentum.”

He continued: “With this rise in anti-Semitism, we appear to be witnessing the breaking of some taboos.  As the memory of the holocaust has faded it has now become acceptable for people to say certain things about Jews.”

However, despite the Capital being one of the main areas for anti-Semitic attacks, there have not been any known incidents at Kingston University.

President of the KU Jewish Society, Simon Frais, said he had not witnessed or heard of any anti-Semitism at the university.

He said: “I think the attitude here towards Judaism is really positive.  Considering all the different ethnic cultures at Kingston, all the students seem to get along well.”

Despite rising concerns over student radicalisation, Kingston University will continue to allow the Student Union to monitor guest speakers at society meetings.

Last week David Lammy, Universities Minister, announced that a number of universities have been identified as being at risk from Islamic radicalisation and will now work with Special Branch to monitor the behaviour of social societies.

Kingston University would not comment on whether it was one of the universities targeted by the Government but confirmed that the Student Union works autonomously to vet guests of social societies. The increase in concern comes after claims that the "underpants bomber" who tried to blow up an aeroplane on Christmas day was radicalised at a London University Islamic Society.

A Kingston University spokesman said: "Kingston University Student Union [KUSU] societies operate under the banner of the Students’ Union which is an independent organisation in its own right. The responsibility for overseeing arrangements for speakers and venues therefore rests with the Union management. Should the university be made aware of any concerns about the views expressed at such events the university and the Union would work together to resolve the issue".

KUSU requires societies to inform them of all invited speakers before a room is booked for a meeting, then a background check is made on guest before approval is given.

There are strict penalties imposed if these proceedures are not followed and KUSU says that representatives often attend meetings to make sure the rules are being obeyed.

Rhiannon Hiscocks, VP Activities for KUSU, said: "Within the University’s “Freedom of Speech” policy, the Union has strict procedures to ensure that no speakers who are known to incite racial hatred and violence are allowed onto campus".

"KUSU has concerns that these issues, alongside the proposed “monitoring” of certain religious groups does nothing more than create unnecessary suspicion, pressure on members of those groups and distrust across what should be a diverse, engaged and educated University community".

The Students Union could not confirm when asked whether they kept a list of previous guest speakers or if such a list is open to public scrutiny.

The Government concerns follow the revelation last month that Christmas day bomber Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, was the fourth president of a London university Islamic society to face terrorism charges in the last three years.

Hikmar Umm Abdullah, Head Sister of the Islamic Society at KU, said: "KU is watching who we invite to speak. I think it is quite reasonable because unfortunately with every group of people there will be some people who deviate, so in order for the uni to make sure we are not producing deviated people they check up on our speakers, and that is fine as we have nothing to hide."

Students looking to earn cash and improve their CV are being offered the chance to apply for jobs promoting higher education to the local community.

The Kingston University Student Ambassador (KUSA) team have paid part time positions up for grabs that can be fitted around study commitments. 

Greg Harradine, a Composing for Film and TV masters student and lead/specialist student ambassador, said: “For me, being a student ambassador has been as almost an important part of my uni life as my course and social life have been.
“I have been an ambassador since my first year, and since then I have made many great friends through the job.
“In fact, three of them are now my housemates!”

Each employee on the KUSA team earns a minimum of £7 an hour, having completed a paid training period and is not asked to work a minimum or maximum number of hours each week. 

Paul Hammond, third year Media and Cultural Studies, suggests that KUSA is "inspirational and life affirming".  

For Greg, the chance to visit schools and colleges and to represent KU on open days and at higher education fairs is a gratifying addition to the financial support for his studies, adding: “This is a job in which you can genuinely make a difference to young people’s lives.”

For others, there are professional benefits in being a member of the KUSA team.  Kate Filmer, a third year English Literature student said: "Working as an SA is a great job.
"What other job has so much flexibility, such like-minded colleagues and such down-to-earth managers?
"I love being an SA because we are never left to stagnate, but given new skills to learn with every shift - one's that will come in handy in all walks of life."

For more information and to apply visit www.kingston.ac.uk/studentambassadors.

Applications close on Monday 15 February 2010.

Kingston University has expelled ten students for cheating, plagiarism and other academic misconduct last year.

According to a Sun investigation, KU had the third largest number of cheats in the UK after Teesside University in Middlesbrough (17 students) and Middlesex university in London (15 students).

Nationwide, 160 students were “booted out of University” for the academic year 2008-2009, according to the Sun following its enquiry under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

 “With more than 23,000 students at the University, the number of expulsions represents a tiny proportion of those studying at Kingston”, said a KU spokesperson.

The fourth and fifth campuses on the league after KU are Sheffield University, with seven expulsions and University College London, which expelled six students last year.

With 27,954 students for 2009, Teesside University in Middlesbrough had the largest student population. All five universities are average to large.

Addressing the problem of cheating, a Kingston University spokesperson said: “The university takes cheating and plagiarism very seriously and will always take appropriate action should a student be found to have cheated.”

KU students can access a guide for academic misconduct procedures on the University website.