News

The British summer has finally decided to join the party, after much consternation and anxiety from sun-worshippers across the country. The change in weather, of course, also calls for a change in clothing, which means you're going to have to start thinking about making some serious fashion decisions in the coming months.

Before you charge into stores to buy denim hot pants or those breezy summer dresses, we urge you to have a browse through some of these fashion tips for students this year - it'll definitely make a difference to both your comfort and your look!

Metallic Colours

Metallic colours are making a comeback this season. Of course, if you're choosing outfits for evening events, you'll perhaps want to avoid gold and silver and go for the more pastel-metallic colours and materials instead.

Going metallic is a style commitment - those brave enough will dive in at the deep end to achieve this shiny, retro-futuristic look. But if you don't want to go for full-on sixties sci-fi gal, it's still possible to work the trend to your advantage subtly, with a sheer gauze top or maybe a skirt.

The sporting world was shocked this morning when Manchester United announced that Sir Alex Ferguson would be retiring at the end of this season- in less than two weeks time. After 26 years as manager, bringing unprecedented success, many football fans only know United with 'Fergie' in charge.

Unexpected rumours around his retirement started to swirl last night, before an official announcement was made by the club this morning. The statement revealed that Ferguson's last match will be in the league against West Brom on Sunday 19th May, after which he will step down as manager and take up the role as a United director and ambassador for the club.

Ferguson's Final Statement:

Ferguson also released a statement, which read as follows:

"The decision to retire is one that I have thought a great deal about and one that I have not taken lightly. It is the right time.

It was important to me to leave an organisation in the strongest possible shape and I believe I have done so. The quality of this league winning squad, and the balance of ages within it, bodes well for continued success at the highest level whilst the structure of the youth set-up will ensure that the long-term future of the club remains a bright one.

Students at universities in London are facing a battle to keep the city's student union after senior academics decided it was to close next year. The University of London Union (or ULU) represents the students from all of the 18 different institutions that make up the University of London, including LSE and UCL. However, facing tougher and tougher cuts, the university's collegiate council decided that from 2014 the individual colleges would cease paying the current £750,000 a year each to ULU.

Social & Political Hub

In its current form, ULU is the largest association of its kind in Europe and is central to the social and political life of 120,000 students in the Bloomsbury area and throughout London. The new plan will maintain the social facilities "including the swimming pool, gym, shops, cafes, bars, venues and the administrative support for intercollegiate sporting events".

However, it is the political side of the union that many fear losing. ULU has traditionally been the hub for student politics and activism, uniting all students across London in events such as the fees protests over the last few years. In the new plans, there will be no elected officers and therefore no student representation.

I've been living in London since last September and, trust me, the food did not bother me at first. I had my first ever Nandos, and occasionally went to Pizza Hut and Pizza Express (I am not even mentioning the numerous take-aways we have had in my flat but I still get daily promotional emails from many of them). And I am soon to pay a visit to Jamie's Oliver.

However, I like French food; I have realized it now. It is so tasty, expertly prepared and requires an expert knowledge for presentation.

I have heard many critiques of French cooking. First and foremost, every time I mention that I am French, people automatically assume that I come from Paris (wrong guess France is not limited to Paris), and that I eat snails and frog legs (many of my friends even call me frog legs or French-fries knowing that fries are not even French and that English people refer to them as ‘chips'). 

For your information, these are only stereotypes- just as I am aware that English people do not eat fish and chips on a daily basis! However, the cliché I heard about beans on toast was correct (I am afraid), as was the one about tea. I am going to refrain from negative comments, though I have to mention that I mostly buy a sandwich at my university as I am not a fan of English food.

Erik Redli is a university graduate from Slovakia who is currently living in London. Each week he gives his view on the events of the last seven days. This week he's looking at sharks at Oxford University and the benefits of a gap year.

The Oxford Party Shark

It emerged last week that Oxford students had been banned from hiring a live shark to appear at their end of year Ball. 

"A few weeks ago I mentioned the Oxford students and their game of ice hockey on the frozen university mews. At the bar at my former university, they have a goalkeeper hanging above the counter (as you can see in the photo above). Really original, but harmless.

But some ideas are really crazy, and I agree with the final decision of the university over the shark. Bringing animals to parties can be alright- you can see it in every American movie. Even in Slovakia, there is a joke about two students:

One of them suggests: "We should keep a pig in our room?"

"I don't know" replies the other, "How about all the dirt and mess?"