Do the swish

Due to the recession lots of us don’t have that much money left over to spend. But thanks to the new craze of ‘swishing’ that shouldn’t be a problem.

Swishing is the new way to swap your old clothes and accessories for a whole lot of new ones. Galaxy are supporting this campaign by holding a swishing party of their own.

They’ll be at Crystal, 23-32 Carver Street Sheffield on Thursday 30th April with the Hirsty’s Daily Dose cast. The swishing kicks off at 7.30pm and is for over 18s only. To get tickets go to http://www.galaxyyorkshire.co.uk/come-to-our-party-5306.

If you don’t fancy that then why not hold your own swishing party. All you need to do is get a few friends together and ask them to bring about 5 garments round with them and get swishing.

It’s a great way to save money, and also makes a great night in. If there are any clothes left over you could always give them to a charity. You’ll be getting a new outfit and helping someone.

Hannah McCann a former swisher said “Due to everyone been skint lately, swishing is a great way to get a new outfit. Not only that but it’s a good laugh and a great night out. Any thing that was left over we bagged up and gave to Oxfam.”

Story by Deborah Reilly

Mumps - Students Beware!

Sheffield University has been hit with an outbreak of mumps. An email has been sent out to all students warning them of the virus which is being spread from students still attending University with the common disease.

The email stated that the University is ‘currently experiencing an outbreak of mumps in the student population. At the end of February the total number of cases notified was 28. By the end of Monday, March 30th, the number of cases had risen to 75 with more cases presenting yesterday.

For all those that do not know what mumps is: Mumps is a viral infection of the parotid salivary glands. Mumps is caused by a contagious virus, which is transmitted through the air from the coughs and sneezes of infected people.

It takes 14 and 21 days for the symptoms of mumps to develop, after coming into contact with someone who has the virus. Mumps is normally a mild illness, but in a minority of cases there can be severe complications, such as deafness, infertility and meningitis.

Students at the University have been urged ‘to have an MMR booster if they had not already had 2 MMR vaccinations’. Those that have caught the virus are told to stay at home to prevent the epidemic from spreading.

Beware students, the disease can cause infertility and also the guys painful testicular swelling!

1-0 Sheffield Hallam (for now).

Sheffield's Big Spring Clean.

Sheffield City Council launched a campaign last week in a bid to get locals to clean up the city.

The ‘Big Spring Clean’ is the biggest clean-up operation that Sheffield has ever seen, with hundreds of people, from school children to local businesses being encouraged to roll up their sleeves and get involved.

With Spring just around the corner, Council bosses are urging local people to make a conscious effort to tidy up the city by picking up litter and keeping their local area tidy and rubbish-free. They are offering to provide plastic sacks and litter picking equipment to anyone that wants to get involved. Even Cabinet members have been doing their bit, by litter picking at Darnall Community park last week.

The campaign which began on 21st of March, will go on until the 19th of April.
Councillor Sylvia Dunkley, Cabinet Member for Culture, Leisure and Streetscene said: “Sheffield people take great pride in their city and we are calling upon everyone to get behind this campaign and show what a real difference they can make.”

Over the next four weeks it is hoped locals will show their support for this campaign to help keep Sheffield green. Cllr Dunkley added: ”I know there is already a lot of excellent work carried out by many groups and individuals to keep their local areas tidy, but we want to focus everyone’s commitment to this four week period and join in Sheffield’s Big Spring Clean.”

“We can all do something to help” she said.

Lucy Owen








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Rise in tuition fees branded 'crazy' by students

University students are to be even more out of pocket following a proposal to raise tuition fees.

Some students would find themselves with debts of up to £50,000 which they could be paying off well into their 50s.

Students studying in Scotland and Wales already pay less on fees, with talk of the fees being totally abolished and wiped out.

Universities have been saying for some-time now that they do not receive enough money from students.

The government have backed this up by saying graduates benefit from having gained a degree - through wider career opportunities and earnings - so ought to contribute something.

Vice-chancellors said they should be allowed to charge £5,000 a year in tuition fees, above the current cap of just over £3,000.

Student ambassadors in several universities have branded the proposals ‘crazy’.

This was certainly echoed by concerned students at Sheffield Hallam University.

“It’s not a case of will I get the grades, but a case of will I have enough money to finance myself at university,” said Shelley Foster, an Art and Design student.

Journalism student Anil Pattni said: “It worries me a great deal, how can being in massive debt appeal to people wanting to come to university.”

"I think it's crazy, it's like the government don't get enough money out of us as it is," said Adam Kelly, a 3rd year Sport and Exercise student.


Story by Jack Nesteruk

School children keeping it green

The colour of our money or more the lack of it has made us forget about the other global disaster. Global warming! With the recession hitting everyone hard, not only has the Government put a hold on plans to deal with global warming so have the public.

However not everyone has forgotten about the dangers of global warming. Green-fingered school children in Netherthorpe will be making their area even greener next Monday as they plan to plant four trees during the day. Accompanying the pupils on the activity will be City Council’s Chief Executive, John Mothersole.

However it's not just the children at Netherthorpe Primary that will be planting trees, pupils from Angram Bank Junior School and Lound Infants School will help to plant six trees in a bid to make their area greener.

Councillor Colin France, the City Council’s Cabinet Adviser for Climate Change and Local Environment said: “It’s great to see so many young people getting involved in planting trees right across the city. They will have the opportunity to see the trees grow and make a valuable contribution towards ensuring that Sheffield remains this country’s greenest city.”

The tree-planting is part of the Council’s commitment to plant at least 5,000 trees this year to improve Sheffield’s green environment. Matthew Webb from Netherthorpe Primary School added: "Our pupils were really keen to be involved in this project, as it will allow them to do something positive that they will see every day. As a school we are passionate about making the Netherthorpe area an even better place to be."

The Lord Mayor said: “It’s wonderful to see so many young people getting involved in planting trees to improve the environment right across the city. They will be able to see the trees grow and make a positive contribution to this country’s greenest city.”

Anil Pattni

NHS Choice Roadshow comes to Sheffield.

An awareness campaign to inform people of their healthcare choices has been launched this week by the NHS.

NHS Sheffield is hosting an NHS Choice roadshow which began on Monday and is being held throughout the week at different locations around the city. The campaign will cover twenty four primary care trust areas over the next eight weeks, with three teams covering the South, South West and North of the country.

Alan Smith, an adviser who hosted an NHS Choice stand at Sheffield City Library on Wednesday said: “Our aim is to make people more aware of their healthcare rights. Some people may already be aware of some of the choices available as they have been advertised in GP surgeries and on television, but we want everybody to know exactly what is available to them.”

The campaign hopes to inform people of the healthcare options available that they may not have been aware of. These options include, patients having the right to choose any hospital in England to have treatment, and receiving non-emergency treatment within 18 weeks of being seen by the GP. Also, through the NHS Choice website, patients are able to compare hospital infection rates, services and read comments from other patients, as well as find local GP surgeries and other NHS services. Other services include local community support for long term illnesses such as diabetes and asthma and longer opening hours for doctors surgeries and pharmacies.

In addition, a new “Choose and Book” computer system will allow patients, together with their GP, to decide which hospital they will go to for treatment. It allows patients to book appointments online and provides a greater choice of dates and times, allowing the patient more freedom.

It is hoped that these new measures will see hospitals improve their services. Alan Smith said: “The fact that people now have more choice when it comes to their healthcare will force hospitals to effectively compete against each other to attract service users. Hospitals will ’up their game’ to make themselves more appealing to patients and visitors and will be driven to improve their services. So far, the response from the public has been very positive.”

For more information about NHS services, call 08454647 or visit http://www.nhs.uk/.

The Six NHS Choices: You can expect to start treatment for a non-emergency condition within 18 weeks. You have the right to choose to go to any hospital in England. There’s lots of local support to help you manage a long term condition. There are now more healthcare services available in or near your home. You have greater access to Gps with new health centres opening and more GP practices open for longer hours. Many pharmacies are open in the evenings and weekends.

By Lucy Owen

Student Restaurant, 'Deli Delicious'

The top floor of the Owen Building at Sheffield Hallam University was transformed into a prefab restaurant this Tuesday. ‘Deli Deli’ was opened as part of the 2nd year Hospitality Management course at the University. Diners were invited to enjoy 3 courses for just £6, so I jumped at the chance.

The menu offered a choice of 3 dishes for each course. I chose homemade salmon fishcakes as a starter. The fishcakes were made with jalapeno peppers, which at first seemed a worrying choice of ingredient. However, the mix of the flavoursome salmon with the occasional burst of spice was very enjoyable, and innovative.



For the main course, I chose the spaghetti carbonara. What was promised as a ‘hefty portion’ did not disappoint. The pasta was light, counteracted completely by the richness of the creamy sauce. While this balance was tasty, I must admit it felt a little too heavy after a few mouthfuls. Indeed, aware that I still needed to enjoy a dessert, I regretfully had to leave some of the pasta.


While I opted for what I had hoped would be the light option, some of my fellow diners chose fillet steak in a red wine sauce, which, after watching it arrive at the next table, I immediately desired. Indeed, I was able to sample the steak, and I began to wish I’d chosen it in the first place.

However, dessert was next, and my choice was by no means original - chocolate fudge cake. However, I must add that nothing on the dessert menu sounded particularly appetising. This created the impression that desserts were perhaps an afterthought in the restaurant’s preparation. While a somewhat ‘stock’ dessert, the fudge cake was delectable, and the light ice cream it came with was the perfect antidote to the heaviness of the main course.

While the sheer amount of food left me reeling, the quality of the service was steadying. I did not expect professional treatment, but was pleasantly surprised at just how competent the student-waiting staff were at adding to the positive atmosphere. Our table all received its meals at once, and any requests were dealt with very efficiently.

Other members of the Hospitality Management course are staging their own efforts over the coming weeks, every Tuesday and Wednesday in the Owen Building. I, for one, will be attending again.

Posted by Joe Moody

Should the Yorkshire Ripper ever be freed?

Notorious serial killer Peter Sutcliffe, dubbed the Yorkshire Ripper, was jailed in 1981 for the murder of thirteen women, most of whom were prostitutes. He also attempted to murder seven other women but was unsuccessful. The murders were committed in Yorkshire and Manchester between 1975 and 1980. He was finally arrested in the Broomhill area of Sheffield and sentenced to twenty life sentences, being told he would serve a minimum of thirty years. His reign of terror left 23 children motherless and those who survived his attacks severely traumatized.

Having served most of his time at maximum security hospital Broadmoor, there have been recent reports in the press that he could one day be released and sent to a medium security prison, meaning that theoretically, he could one day be rehabilitated. According to a report by the Sun, doctors have decided that he is effectively cured, provided he continues to take his medication. His solicitor also claimed last year that the Home Office had disregarded his human rights as it failed to formally fix a tariff for his sentence. He is aiming to get Sutcliffe back into the prison system to a less secure prison which would prove highly controversial if this ever happened.

We asked the people of Sheffield what they thought about the prospect of this notorious serial killer ever being rehabilitated, and if they think he should ever be released.

“If Peter Sutcliffe has been rehabilitated, I guess you can’t keep him in a maximum security unit if he has received treatment.”
Steve, 23, Sheffield.

“I was in my teens when the Yorkshire Ripper was on the loose. I remember as a 15 year old girl living in Yorkshire we didn’t have the amount of freedom we should have had because it was too dangerous. It is very prominent in my memory and although it was a long time ago I don’t think this warrants him being released from Broadmoor.”
Wendy Appleby, Sheffield.

“I think he should stay where he is.”

John Mcloughlin, Sheffield.

Story by Lucy Owen and Deborah Reilly

Movie Review: BOLT 3D

Disney’s latest 3D film, Bolt, is about a dog that plays a T.V superhero. Bolt is brought up on the T.V set and thinks that he actually has real super powers. These include incredible strength, laser vision and super bark.

When Bolt (John Travolta) escapes from the set and is accidently shipped to New York City he begins his biggest adventure yet. On his task to save Penny (Miley Cyrus) from the Doctor Calico (Malcolm McDowell) also known as the Green eyed man, Bolt meets some of the most unusual friends. He is accompanied on his adventure by Mittens (Susie Essman) an abandoned house cat, and Rhino (Mark Walton) a obease hamster who rarely leaves his ball.

Bolt sets a whole new level for animated films, the first 3D film that actually works. It’s fair to say it will be enjoyed whether it’s watched in 2D or 3D. As the film goes on you find yourself falling in love with the characters.

This maybe an animated Disney film, but it can be enjoyed by audiences of all ages. It is heart warming and extremely funny, bringing laughs all around. With the likes of John Travolta and Miley Cyrus it is bound to be entertaining. It’s much more than your average kids film.

It sets a whole new era for animated films. Due its huge success in 3D I think it’ll have a huge impact on future movies. It’s a film you don’t want to miss, whatever your age.

10/10

Story by Deborah Reilly

New film triggers security at Cineworld

FILM fans were forced by police to walk through knife arch when they
were searched for weapons at a Sheffield cinema.
They claim they were told the searches at Cineworld, on the
Centertainment complex, had been organised to coincide with the release
of the film Bronson - about a notorious violent criminal caged for life.
Police dispute the allegation, claiming the arch was used to search
people attending all the Centertainment businesses, not any one in
particular.
Cinema-goer Mark Grayson said: "Shocked by all of the security measures
I asked the ticket sales man what it was all about.
"When speaking to him, he said because of the new Bronson film they fear
people may be bringing weapons in, because a lot of people are
influenced by it."
He said visitors were asked to remove their bags and coats, jewellery,
belts and mobile phones before walking through the metal detectors.
A South Yorkshire Police spokeswoman said the searches were carried out
as part of a "series of public reassurance operations".
"The different venues have been chosen because they attract a large
number of people rather than there being any concerns with that
particular location," she said.
"These operations have involved working closely with partner agencies
who have supported the use of these arches to carry out checks of public
attending events.
"An operation was carried out at businesses within the Centertainment
complex in Sheffield, where arches were erected and members of the
public were randomly invited to pass through the arch."
Sergeant Mick Allott from the Attercliffe Safer Neighbourhood Team, who
ran the initiative, said: "We had over 250 people pass through the arch,
and I am very pleased to say nothing was found.
"Officers received many positive comments from members of the public who
stated they felt reassured and the operation was successful in that we
helped to show that such venues are safe places to attend."
A Cineworld spokesman said: "The local police rang up and asked of they
could test out some new equipment.
"Our cinema was chosen because of its high footfall, no other reason,
and nothing to do with the release of the film."

Story by Deborah Reilly

Win a Mother's Day Treat

If there is any one person in the world worth buying a gift for, you bet its your mum and with mothers's day around the corner what better way to treat your mother to a special gift by winning it.

Market traders at Crystal Peaks Shopping Centre have donated a wide range of luxury gifts to a free prize draw. The idea of not having to spend any money to treat your mum is a opportunity to good to pass up especially with the credit crunch snapping at all our heels.

The reason for the Mother's Day prize draw is due to success of the Valentine's day competition which attracted 200 participants. From the 200 entries, there were 6 eventual prize winners. One of the treats was a make-over and photo-shoot worth £145 won by Melanie Smith from Killamarsh.

Sheffield City Council’s Cabinet Member for Employment and Enterprise, Cllr Sylvia Anginotti, said: 'it is wonderful that the traders in the market place want to reward more of their customers on Mothers Day.'

Melanie’s prize included a new hair style and make-up session at Director’s Cut, followed by a professional photo shoot from PhotoWizards. Melanie said: ”It was a great Valentines Day treat for me – a real surprise to win such a nice prize. All the staff at Director’s Cut and PhotoWizards were really nice to me and also very professional, so I will definitely be visiting The Market Place again soon. ”

The draw was an obvious attempt to attract more people to the come shopping centre, and the valentines competition was a great success. With the recession hitting global businesses, it is no surprise that local market traders are suffering and having to come up with new and quirky ways to attract customers.

Prizes for the upcoming Mother’s Day draw include plenty of treats for mums, including:

• Haircut, colour, and blow dry plus hair straighteners from Funky Divas
  
• Haircut, spray tan, facial, teeth whitening and a full set of nails from Directors Cut
  
• Mother’s Day goody bag and card from Sweet Delights
  
• Bouquet of fresh flowers from the Flower Stall
  
• Cake from Breadline
  
• Seafood Platter from Shellfish
  
• Twenty pound food vouchers from the Post Office and Chicken Shack

To enter the competition, customers simply need to pick up an entry form from any stall in the market, complete and hand back to any trader by Thursday 19 March. Winners will be notified on Friday 20 March, and will be able to pick up their prize just in time for Mothers day.

Anil Pattni

Comic Relief Is Here!

With Comic Relief quickly approaching we wanted to find out what people were going to put themselves through in the name of charity.

On Christmas Day in 1985, Comic Relief was launched from a refugee camp in Sudan. They’re vision back then is still the same as it is today: A world which is free from poverty.

“The money we raise is allocated to a wide range of grants and social investments aimed at delivering real and long-lasting change to the poorest, most vulnerable people at home and across the world; as well as informing the public and young people in particular about global citizenship and the underlying causes of extreme poverty.”

The majority of people assume that money raised from Comic Relief goes straight out to places like Africa and Asia.

Infact, a large chunk of money raised helps out people all over the UK.

An organisation in Sheffield, The Sheffield Futures (SF), aim to help young people who have been exploited through prostitution and who need support to take control of their lives. They have a worker who spends time advising the police how to help young people sexually exploited through the internet.

As well as organisation’s doing there bit, we wanted to find out what members of the public were going to do up and down the UK…in the name of charity of course.

Eileen Clarke from the West Midlands said: I'll be participating by taking pledges at PCMS in Coventry! Looking forward to doing my bit

Tom Symonds is growing a moustache for Comic Relief. He said: It's rubbish, I look a prat, however I've raised £140 so far both on and offline please help that figure grow! Visit www.myrednoseday.com/cash4tash

Gavin Williams from Wolverhampton, along with four other staff members plan to visit all 20 Premiership Football Clubs in 24 hours. “We work at the Gun and Pup and will be doing the whole thing in fancy dress, and getting our photo taken outside each club to prove we have made it.”

Steven Moore from London is raising money for Red Nose Day by organising a London Based Rock Concert. To buy a ticket go to www.wharfstock.com or search wharfstock on Ticket Web to buy tickets.

Dan Wells from Leicester said: “I like raising money so much I have decided to wear girls clothes this year”

So whatever you’re doing this year…get involved and get raising!

Story by Jack Nesteruk

Sheffield's Student Accommadation: The Pinnacles

Students find it very hard to choose from a long list of accommodation choices nowadays and in Sheffield it is no different. First years in particular can fall victim to fake advertisement and not reading the small print are one of the most common mistakes committed.

The Pinnacles is a newly developed complex which supposedly 'prides itself on being the most desirable and affordable accommodation in Sheffield'. It opened for the first time in 2009 and I applied to live in the halls for the year.

When visiting the complex in 2008, the halls in development looked amazing and the show room without fault. I was handed a leaflet, detailing what the accommodation had to offer and after living at The Forge I was in need of a change in scenery. However this is where I fell victim to the dangers of 'small print' even as a second year student.

This is what the accommodation halls promised me and the main reason that I decided to live there was the fact that it was in a fantastic location. I think that's the only thing I can't take away from them as Sheffield Hallam University is only 10 minutes walking distance away from the halls.

However the rest of the promises were what I like to call 'bent versions of the truth'. The extra large bedrooms that were promised and were demonstrated in the show rooms, changed and instead I got a smaller version the room. However some other students were lucky enough to get disabled rooms which were twice as big as the standard rooms.

The en-suite bathrooms that were promised were actually delivered, however much like the extra-large bedrooms they also tended to 'shrink in size'. Also after moving in to the development, that was promised to be finished ("again with the promising") by the time we moved in. Every other day there would be a new technician walking into your room at the early hours of the day taking unnecessary measurements. I don't think the staff at Pinnacles had heard of privacy.

On top of the fact that the fact that the rooms had not be finished, when I walked into the living area section of my halls, there was dust everywhere. It had looked like the builders had come in the morning and against the clock raced to finish, completely forgetting to clear up the mess they had made. Instead it was left to me to ask the reception desk for a vacuum that I should already have in the room and clean it up myself. However... the staffs at the reception desk had run out of vacuum cleaners and were awaiting a delivery of more vacuums. This meant that I had to wait a whole two weeks for 'Henry' before I could actually clean my kitchen.

This leads to one of the biggest unfulfilled promise with The Pinnacles, the promise of the 32inch LCD TV with freeview and SKY. I was promised at the showroom that the living rooms will all have a TV that had freeview and a full Sky Subscription. Now for any student, the thought of being able to come home from a hard day of University and switching on the TV and watching some good old fashion Sky TV is way too hard to pass up.

However in good Pinnacle fashion, this was another 'bent truth', and instead of that I received a T.V that was 'possessed by Satan himself!' For the first two weeks of living in the halls, the only thing I got to watch was a small rectangular sign in the middle of the screen saying 'No Signal'.

Now you can imagine what I was feeling now at the sight of dust around me and no T.V. Along with all the dust in the room was the 'dodgy' temperature control that made the living area look and feel like the Sahara Desert.

However living in the Sahara I could put up with, but NO T.V.... I was not having it, so I marched right downstairs (I live on the 8th floor so I actually took the lift, another problem we will get on to later on) to the reception desk. Described to them the 'nightmare' I was living in and was PROMISED it would be sorted out within a few days. The problem was eventually sorted out a whole week later and that just meant that we received only freeview. A whole MONTH later we then began to receive the SKY Sports Channels... Wait a minute, I was promised the whole Sky package, where are the rest of the channels.

Another visit to the reception was on the cards, after speaking to them, they then told me that if I had read the 'small print' it stated that I would only receive the Sky Sports channels. To be honest, as a male I had no complaints, least it meant I could watch the footy'. However for my female flatmates, they were a little angrier.

Now if you count up the times I had been downstairs to the reception desk to mainly complain, you would be thinking 'phew' good job he had a lift, especially with living on the Eighth Floor. However you would be horrified at the sight of OUT OF ORDER staring at you every time you want to take the lift. That's right people! Most of the time I had to walk down EIGHT flights of stairs just to complain and then walk back up them again.

My final complaint was with the promise of an on sight shop and cash point. Now being a student, I want to save as much money as I can and therefore thought that the ability to withdraw money for free is a fair request. Not for The Pinnacles it isn't, they wanted to take us for everything we had.

A charge of £1.75 to withdraw money from the cash point meant that most of the student would just pay by card at the on site shop. But the guys at Pinnacles had thought of every possible way to take every penny they could get. A 50pence charge was placed when paying by card. This meant that if you wanted to pay for what you were buying, you would have to pay by cash.

I am going to stop there, also carrier bags cost 10pence. Seriously I will stop now; just reminiscing has bought tears to my eyes. The lesson to learn from this article is that make sure you read the small print people! And if there are going to be further developments, then make sure you ask questions and get written proof of what is said and promised. I have learnt from my mistake, I hope I can prevent you from making the same mistake.

Anil Pattni

‘Fakebook’: Who's watching you?

Everyone uses Facebook or a social networking site. But who's watching you? Jack Nesteruk investigates.

Facebook users could be putting themselves at risk of identity theft by giving away personal details too easily, research suggests. Two in five people who use the social networking site revealed personal information to a stranger, according to a snapshot survey.

“As of December (2008), Facebook had an estimated 150 million active users of all ages, many of whom are unaware that there are people on the same site trying to corrupt their computers, steal their identities and prey on victims," says PRFriend.com - a site dedicated to reviewing webpage's.

"This is a wakeup call for all users, and especially, parents because of the vulnerability of young people on social network sites."

The figures are horrific. At any time of day - 50,000 paedophiles are on-line and 20% of children are receiving unwanted sexual solicitation on- line, according to figures complied by Enough Abuse.

Unsurprisingly, 61% of 13-17 year olds have a personal profile on a social networking site and 71% of teens have received messages online from someone they don’t know.

To investigate the problem, I created an alias - David Hallam, a 23 -year -old engaged man from Newcastle. My task was to add as many people as I could to my Facebook site - and then sit back and wait.

Monday and Tuesday was spent browsing through people’s accounts, people’s friends and adding who I felt necessary. I was shocked at how easy it was, and how many routes there were leading onto individual profiles. Having a Facebook account myself, I am all too aware of having too much personal information on show, information which any Tom, Dick or Harry could access.

Adding someone on Facebook is simple, you can either search for their name, go through someone's friends or Facebook even suggests 'people you may know'.

I added as many people as possible to my David Hallam profile. The best Facebook could do in terms of a warning was to suggest I slowed down.

On Wednesday I checked how many people had accepted my friend request. I knew this investigation was to expose critical flaws in today’s social networking sites. In just two days I had 128 members, who didn’t have a clue who I was, or, if I was who I said I was.

By Thursday this figure rose to 173, Friday’s total was 243, Saturday 260 and Sunday ended with 278 members.

With so many people at my disposal, I was able to gain a number of personal details. A 20 year old girl’s profile from Sheffield stood out. It included a number of contact details - a mobile number, email address, college, area she lived, pictures and status updates.

Facebook distance themselves from any blame connected to content by saying, “You (the user) are solely responsible for the photos, profiles (including your name, image, and likeness), messages, notes, text, information, music, video, advertisements, listings, and other content that you upload, publish or display (hereinafter, "post") on or through the Service or the Site, or transmit to or share with other users (collectively the "User Content").

These terms and conditions are hidden away in small print at the bottom of the page, a million miles away for a child being bothered to read them.

Monday finally came back around, a week after starting this investigation. I was horrified to see I had 291 members in the palm of my hand.

The most worrying aspect of the whole exercise was the fact that out of 291 members, only 6 asked me to identify myself.

I was sickened at how easy it would be to prey on vulnerable individuals and especially how easy it would be for someone like a paedophile, hacker or nutcase to access and store someone else's details.

Things are being done to try and protect children online. NetiDMe Ltd develops online safety solutions designed to protect young people from Internet predators and cyberbullies.

ChatShield works in conjunction with NetiDMe Ltd and is an add-on for MSN Messenger allowing parents to prevent their children from speaking to internet strangers.

Marilyn Hawes was unaware her two children were being exposed to a paedophile who was a trusted friend of the family, and their headmaster at school.

“What happened to me was 6 years ago but the passion will never leave my life no matter how hard I try,” she said.

From this moment, Marilyn has campaigned tirelessly, creating an organisation – Enough Abuse - for the protection of young children.

“It is a terrible crime for a mother to know or feel she led her children into danger through lack of knowledge and I attended the Child Protection courses with the guy who abused my sons and still didn’t see what he was doing.”

Marilyn believes children need to be educated on the dangers of the internet.

“The Internet is an amazing invention but the hidden dangers are there for the innocent and uneducated,” she said.

“The social networking sites are a beast in disguise. I have not the remotest idea why kids use them. Even my own do - kids have no idea who is looking at these things other than the people they intend to do so.”



Story by Jack Nesteruk


http://www.prfriend.com/pr/2009/02/18/connecticut-bbb-warns-facebook-users-about-new-dangers-lurking-in-cyberspace/

Broomhall residents complain of vandalism.

Residents of the Broomhall area of Sheffield are being increasingly targeted by vandals it is reported.

In recent months, residents have been victims of petty crimes and vandalism which have left people living in the area extremely concerned.

A block of student flats on Broom Street were targeted twice in one week in the run up to bonfire night last year, with fireworks being pushed through their letterbox. The fire brigade and police were called out but the offenders were not caught. One student said: “Some minor damage was caused to our hallway, however it was lucky nobody was seriously hurt.”

A nurse also had his car number plates stolen recently. Paul Wood, of Broomhall Street woke to find that both plates had been removed from his car, leaving him unable to travel to Rotherham where he works as a community mental health nurse. He said: “I am frustrated and angry that this has happened. I need my car for work as I work in the community so this has caused me a great deal of unnecessary inconvenience and expense. In my opinion the police and council need to do more to reduce the number of incidents of crime that is happening in the area at the moment.”

One resident suggests these incidents may be related to the gangs of youths that frequently hang around the area. Vikki Farr of Travis Place said: “We constantly see groups of young lads hanging around outside the Costcutter store. They can be quite intimidating if you walk past and they hang around until late at night making quite a lot of noise. We have had to call the police out in the past due to these gangs fighting and just making a general nuisance of themselves.”

Other reports of vandalism in recent weeks have included property being defaced by vandalism and garden gates and fences being damaged. An officer from South Yorkshire police said: “There have been a number of complaints made recently regarding incidents of vandalism and general nuisance making. We are working with residents to try and reduce the number of incidents similar to this. We have increased the number of police cars that patrol the area and we are sending out more Police Community Support officers to patrol the area on foot.”

Story by Lucy Owen.

Sheffield says 'NO' to Station Barriers

A group of concerned Sheffield residents gathered outside the City Hall on Friday, to form a protest against East Midlands Trains.


The Derby-based company is proposing the introduction of ticket barriers on the footbridge at Sheffield station. This, they say, is a measure to prevent fare dodging. However, users of the station have reacted strongly against the idea, stating that the bridge is not only used by train users, but by many who live behind the station. They also argue that the footbridge provides necessary disabled access to the platforms, and to the city centre.


The protest was organised by Geraldine Roberts, a resident of Norfolk Park. As the protest began, a number of guest speakers addressed the crowd. Richard Caborn, Labour MP for Sheffield Central called the proposal ‘economic madness’, arguing that, amongst other things, the introduction of barriers would see a negative effect on attractions near the station, including the newly built Digital Centre on Sheaf Street. Caborn also suggested that to introduce barriers in the station would limit ‘social mobility’ in Sheffield.


Paul Scriven, Sheffield’s Lib Dem council leader vowed ‘Sheffield says no to barriers at Sheffield station’. He also argued that there are other solutions to the fare dodging issue, saying, ‘If we can put a man on the moon, then we can find a solution to this problem.’


A number of different groups were present at the march, which moved down Fargate, and across to Sheffield station. The Socialist Worker’s party were there to show their support, as were many students, some of whom brandished banners supporting the cause.


The protest was carried out without any problems, and may lead to another similar gathering, pending a response from East Midlands Trains on the issue.

By Joe Moody

Facebook users demand: SORT OUT THE DEATH TRAP

The A61 Penistone Road is one of the most important roads in Sheffield. It connects areas such as Hillsborough, Grenoside, Ecclesfield, Southey Green and Chapeltown with the City Centre. It also provides access to roots further north including the M1, Barnsley and Leeds.

With 60,000 journeys each day Travel South Yorkshire say that it is the second busiest road into Sheffield, after the Parkway.

Having claimed over five lives in the past and having had a number of accidents take place the top end of Penistone road which runs through Grenoside to Chapeltown is known as a fatal accident area. There have always been a number of signs warning drivers of this and telling them to slow down.

Since 30th December 2008 this stretch of road has claimed yet another three lives and left others involved seriously injured. The youngest victim was a twenty-year old man from Yew lane, Ecclesfield.

The most recent accident took place on 23rd February, claiming the life of thirty-two year old Anthony Scullion who was pronounced dead at the scene.

The group on Facebook named ‘Sort out the death trap! A61: Penistone road, Sheffield’ has over 590 members. The creator of the group, Claire Salt says that “Something has to be done on this particular stretch of road…I am wanting to get as many people to join this group, both in the hopes of being able to present it to Sheffield City Council along side a petition to have something done with the road”.

A Road Safety Investigation wich took place in June 2008 said that the A61 is the most dangerous road in Britain. Its had an amazing 22 fatal and serious injury accidents in the three years analysed (2004 - 2006). The number of accidents is still rising. The latest accident took place yesterday morning (8th March) around 10am. It wasn't a fatal accident but it shows it keep rising.

Story by Deborah Reilly

Spice Girl Memorabilia

Deborah Reilly meets South Yorkshires very own Spice Girls super-fan, Liz West. We met at the English Institute of Sport Sheffield, where Liz works as a steward in her free time. Over a cup of coffee she tells me what made her want to become the Spice Girls biggest fan.


What is it that you believe got you hooked on the Spice Girls?

I was hooked as soon as I head their first single ‘wannabe’ play on the radio when it reached number 1 in 1996. I marvelled at how much energy they all had and I loved their tacky outfits and platform shoes. I loved every song they released because they were always so catchy.


How does it feel being the Spice Girls biggest fan?

I’ve always been competitive so I feel happy to be the biggest collector and ‘fan’. I have showed my fandom through collecting their stuff and buying their singles, other fans show it by stalking the girls, which I don’t agree with. I believe they are entitled to their privacy. I am constantly on the look out for new stuff to add to my collection, its an every expanding thing, unlike other collections which are static.


What was the very first Spice Girls product you bought, and why?

The first thing I was given, and it was the first album, ‘spice’. The first product I bought myself from my pocket money was the photo album and cards to go it in. you had to collect 120 in total and I would treat myself to a pack of 6 whenever I could for £1 to swap with my friends at school. I eventually completed the album! Among other things.

What is the most expensive item you own? And how much did it cost?

I splashed out on a green tasselled Geri dress which Geri wore in 1998 on the world tour, I went to the concert where she wore it, so it has huge sentimental value. It cost too much, I probably overpaid for it, but I didn’t want anyone else to get it before me.


What’s your favourite Spice Girls item? Why?

My favourite item is probably one of my costumes that they wore or Geri’s union jack glitter platform boots I got recently. My favourite dress is Emma’s pretty pink and blue sequin, but its so fragile with all the sequins on it.


Have you ever met any of the Spice Girls? What did they think to your unique collection?

I have met Emma, she joked that I had more than her. I also have met mel B, she thanked me for supporting her charity CLIC Sargent which the proceeds of the auctions I took part in went to. That’s the auction where I got several of her spice girls outfits.

Have you done any other exhibitions since the one at Cusworth Hall?

Yes! After Cusworth hall in Doncaster I had a summer exhibition at Clifton park in Rotherham. I included a few new items to make it a bit different from the Cusworth hall one, but it was equally as successful.


What Spice Girls item would you love to own but haven’t managed to get hold of?

The holy grail for any spice girls collector, including me, would be Geri’s union jack dress. But unfortunately the Hard Rock Café own it in Las Vegas. It was the most expensive piece of music memorabilia ever bought at auction sold at £36,000 at Sotheby’s in 1998! That’s without commission! Ouch.

Story by Deborah Reilly

Sheffield Makes Some 'Noize'

Sheffield Hallam’s student union building was buzzing on Sunday night, for a festival of unsigned local bands. The ‘Make Noize’ festival was organized by 2nd year students Tom Davison and Mikey Corns as part of their university course, and was a fantastic success.

The 5 hour event featured six unsigned bands from in and around Sheffield, handpicked by the event organizers after an audition process. Each act had a set amount of time to impress, with very brief changeovers between bands. The result was a fine-tuned, sharp show that never dragged but never felt rushed.

In recent years, Sheffield has offered some of the country’s biggest bands, which has led to a stream of young bands emerging out of Sheffield, many offering completely new styles of music, and some refining an already established sound. All surely hope to achieve the same success as names now synonymous with Sheffield, such as Arctic Monkeys, and Reverend & the Makers.
The six acts on show at the Make Noize festival played to a crowd of over 300, and as the night continued, the crowd began to become more involved. The event was very well advertised, using Facebook as its main promotion spot.

Adam Carter, a student who attended the festival, said ‘Its great to see quality bands getting a good crowd… if it weren’t for this festival, they might not have got the chance to be heard.’

David Adams, another student amongst the throng, said 'I'd never seen a live band before tonight, I'm definitely going to more gigs after this... the atmosphere is fantastic'

The Make Noize festival was originally planned as a one-off event, but its overwhelming success has led the organizers to begin plans for a similar festival next year.

The bands:

The Silver - www.myspace.com/thesi1er

Kiss Track Comeback - www.myspace.com/kisstrackcomeback

Modern Eulogy - www.myspace.com/moderneulogy

The Talk - www.myspace.com/thetalkband

Side Passenger - www.myspace.com/passengerthenextgeneration

Cabfire - www.myspace.com/cabfire

Modern Eulogy get the crowd going

Crucial Blow For Job-Seekers

People seeking to get a job in Sheffield have been dealt a crucial blow following an on-going investigation.

With the recent job cuts across the country, the most recent being the loss of 500 jobs at Vodafone, is the time now harder than ever to find a job?

More importantly, how difficult is it for a student to earn and finance themselves? We hit the streets to find out.

Armed with 20 CV's, we went undercover to investigate if we could actually find someone out there willing to employ us.

We went into 25 seperate shops, supermarkets, restaurants and bars to discover who, if anyone, was willing to give us a job.

Our first stop - Marks And Spencer. After being greeted by a friendly lady on the door, we enquired about jobs - "We're not currently taking anyone on", she snapped back in an instant.

After being knocked back a series of times from Footlocker, H+M, WH Smith, Topman and embarrassingly Somerfield of all places, we struck a bit of luck.

Walking into video store Game, we were half expecting a polite 'no chance' when asking "I don't suppose you're looking for any part-timers are you?"

"Yeah we are mate, have you got a CV?", the big chap behind the cash desk replied, before he changed his mind we handed a CV in and made a hasty retreat with a quick parting, "cheers mate, bye!"

The afternoon seemed to go on forever, with time and time again the same response, "No sorry" being thrown at the pair of us. After around 2 hours of trying we gave up.

Of the 20 CV's we had, we managed to hand out a mere, depressing, pathetic... 6

Of those 6 we handed out, we were invited to just the 1 interview... our good old friend, Game.

Either it's true when they say now is the hardest time to find a job, or the guy at Game needed a friend to play his Xbox with.


Story by Jack Nesteruk and Anil Pattni

Charity Pro Evolution Tournament

A group of Sheffield students are organising a virtual soccer tournament to raise money for three major charities.

James Parkin,20, Ashley Thorpe, 19, and Jamie Maw,20, who all study Sports Management at Sheffield Hallam University, are planning the event to raise money for Help the Heroes, Cancer Research UK and Kick it Out racism campaign.

The tournament, which will take place on March 6th at The Hubs, Sheffield Hallam University’s Student’s Union, is expected to attract more than 300 people. It will feature popular Playstation game ’Pro Evolution Soccer’ or ’Pro Evo’ as its known. Participants must enter in teams and the prize for the winners is £250. There will also be live entertainment from local bands, an auction and a raffle.

Ashley Thorpe said: “we wanted to do this event as we have learnt a lot about event management on our course, and wanted to have a go at doing it for ourselves. Also, my brother is serving with the army in Afghanistan at the moment so I particularly wanted to do something for ‘Help the Heroes’ as it’s a charity close to my heart”.

James Parkin added: “So far we have had lots of support in planning this event. The Student’s Union have kindly agreed to let us hire the venue free of charge, and businesses such as Currys and Game have donated products for us to auction which is great. We have also had some signed football memorabilia donated by Sheffield Wednesday and Sheffield United football clubs, so we are extremely grateful.”

David Crouch, spokesman for the charity Kick It Out said: “We are delighted that these young people have chosen to support our charity. I hope their fundraiser is a success.”

Lock and Key Night at Carling Academy

The lonely hearts of students in Sheffield had something to look forward to this year. With Valentines Day here O2 Academy decided to throw a 'Lock and Key' party in order to promote their Vodka Nationwide club nights.

I attended the night to see whether it would deliver and it turned out the night had mixed reviews. Although I was fortunate to receive a key after paying an additional £3.00 on top of the £7.00 for the ticket, some others were less fortunate. Those that turned up to the club later on during the night received no key as the club promoters had ran out of them.

This was evident that the club had a great turn out, by the time I got in all the bars were 'rammed' with thirsty and half sober students all eager to find the lock for their key! A few students tried to look for their 'partners' during the beginning of the night, however this did not last long, by the middle of the night alcohol started playing its role and the novelty wore off.

There were upsides such as even though lock and key concept wore off, the turn out was great. The dance floor was packed full of crazy students 'strutting there stuff' to a great choice of music. Personally, (speaking as a student) the combination of alcohol, great music and the opposite sex proves always to be a great night and if that night is on Valentines Day then that's a bonus!

Story by Anil Pattni

Credit Crunch Valentines Day Special!

With the credit crunch crippling purses and wallets, we here at the A-team had a look at cost effective places to wine and dine your partner this Valentines Day

From Chinese to Italian, we’re sure to suit everyone’s taste buds with our selection of up market, value for money restaurants.

Here are our top restaurants for Valentines Day:


1) WokMania - £8.50 per person – All You Can Eat


With its variety of 70 different dishes, WokMania basis itself on an All You Can Eat menu where you help yourself to what you want.

It is the UK's largest all-you can-eat oriental restaurant




2) Zizzi’s - £18.95 per person. Includes glass of Champagne

Zizzi prides itself on its fresh Italian flavours and homemade dishes. Perfection is key. “The Italians have a law that states traditional dried pasta must be made with 100% durum semolina flour and water and then allowed to dry slowly for up to 50 hours. The result of this is a pasta that has a firmer, denser texture and a superior sauce holding quality.”

3) Nirmals - £38.00 per couple

This restaurant is recommended by various Food Guides and is in the Top 100 Curry Restaurants in the UK.

With its two tier restaurant and party room, this restaurant is highly recommended.

4) Popolo - £14.99 per person (2 course meal) Includes glass of Champagne

- £19.99 per person (3 course meal) Includes glass of Champagne

Popolo is a bar and restaurant serving Tapas, light bites and full a la carte menu. All food is freshly prepared and the restaurant gives off an authentic rustic feel. The restaurant is located upstairs overlooking Leopold Square.

5) Platillos - £40.00 per couple

Platillos is a relaxed Latin American / Mediterranean style restaurant.

“Welcome to Platillos, where it's all about little plates and big flavours. Here we eat with abandon, so feel free to lick your plate, eat with your fingers and play with your food. Swap your favourites, feast with your friends, feed the family and if it tastes good, pass it on.”

6) Strada - £24.95 per person. Includes coffee and glass of Champagne

Strada is well renowned for its Italian origins, especially its pizza’s. Strada serves pizza and pasta from the Amalfi region of Italy cooked in traditional wood burning ovens. “We use only the finest and freshest ingredients such as single vineyard extra virgin olive oil, prosciutto and Buffalo mozzarella to provide exactly the kind of rustic, traditional dishes you would expect to find travelling around Italy's regions.”

7) Café Rouge - £24.95 per person

The Cafe Rouge is a French themed cafe-bar, complete with authentic looking French waiters and waitresses. If you want something different then this is a great place to try.
“Our menu covers a range of French classics from croques and baguettes, ideal for a quick and easy snack, to more substantial fare such as steak frites and boeuf bourguignon.”

Contacts:

WokMania : 0114 2755 885
Zizzis : 0114 2781 178
Nirmals : 0114 2724 054
Popolo : 0114 2758 405
Platillos : 0114 2763 141
Strada : 0114 2795 948
Café Rouge : 0114 2682 232

http://www.zizzi.co.uk/zizzimenu.html

http://www.sheffieldrestaurant.co.uk/restaurants

http://www.strada.co.uk/about


By Jack Nesteruk

Valentines Day in Sheffield

Sheffield is going all out for Valentines Day this year. From 9th to 22nd February there will be a number of events taking place in the city centre. Sheffield City Council has been working closely with small businesses to make this a Valentines to remember.

There will be a number of events and activities taking place over the Valentines period. These will include a fun fair in the city centre from 13th to 22nd February. Bars and restaurants across the city centre will also be taking part by offering a number of special offers this Valentines. There will also be a number of roses and chocolate giveaways on February 14th itself.

With Valentines Day being an event in everyone’s calendar, The LoveSheffield campaign brings opportunities to all. Councilor Sylvia Anginotti, Cabinet Member for Employment and Enterprise at Sheffield City Council, said: "The LoveSheffield campaign demonstrates the joined up thinking between the city council and businesses in the city.” Some of the venues taking part will be Graves Art Gallery, Plug, Sheffield Hallam University and The Showroom. So if you thought the credit crunch was going to ruin your Valentines then think again, with offers such as 2 courses for £15 you can’t go wrong, there’s no excuse to stay in this Valentines.

One of Sheffield’s most upbeat night clubs is also in on the action this year. Embrace nightclub is hosting ‘My bloody Valentine’ on 13th and ‘Embrace Love’ on 14th February. We will be writing reviews of the nights so stay tuned. So whether it is a night on the town or a romantic meal for two, you won’t be lost for ideas. For more information about Love Sheffield events, please visit www.eventsheffield.com

Story by Deborah Reilly