2000s

The Naughties … 😉

The Beginning of the Welsh Boat Race

The age-old university boat race between Oxford and Cambridge was so good that it was not surprising that Wales wanted one. In 2008 their wish was granted with the first Welsh Boat Race in Cardiff. The competitors were Swansea University Rowing Club Vs Cardiff University Rowing Club. With oarsmen at both universities originating from all over Europe, they raced from the Millennium Stadium 3600m down the River Taff to Cardiff Bay. Swansea University Rowing Club, having only been created in 2004 & with very little funding, have claimed 2 Senior Mens wins in 2009 and 2010 and one Novice Mens win in 2012!

Adios Amigos 2010

In 2010, Swansea students were warned of the cuts to the MFL department. This saw students march from Singleton Abbey to Fulton house in a Mock-funeral style in protest to the cuts to the MFL department. This protest saw many societies joint together to fight against future cuts. This Campaign was supported by Luke Young the Student Union President and the Student Union.

Tuition Fees

In 2010 the government decided to change its plans and put the cost of tuition fees to the sum of £9000. This was a massive increase for people looking to go from school into further education. Swansea University Student Union took part in demonstrations in London to protest against the rise in fees.

Horror-ball

Reported in The Waterfront in February 2011, two men dressed as sheep for a night out at Oceana Swansea caught fire in the smokers’ area. As the cotton wool on the two boys’ costumes ignited, all-hell broke loose and panic set-in. In a lucky escape, those involved survived with only minor injuries.

It’s Elections and We Know It

The 2000s saw a change in the way students accessed information about upcoming full-time officer elections. Firstly, voting evolved in a big way, where 2011 saw student being able to vote online for the first time. Secondly, the latest elections of 2012 saw the use of new media taken very seriously. Candidates utilised Twitter, Tumblr and Facebook in a larger way than before. Also, The Waterfront embraced online video and Youtube, by creating informative pieces about the elections, and by hosting immediate interviews with the winners. Below you can find examples of how this new media was used to reach out to students:

‘He’s Raja and You Know It’ – for the campaign of the Education Officer-elect, Zahid Raja.

The Waterfront’s attempt to have people vote in the election.

***

After looking through a number of newspapers from the 2000s, it became increasingly obvious to me that Swansea University has changed a considerable amount over the decades. While many of the buildings are similar, attitudes of students at Swansea have altered incredibly. Times have changed; we can now access The Waterfront, the most recent Student Union newspaper, online at the click of a button. The digitization of data perfectly emphasises the dawning of a new age whereby the world is at your fingertips. The ‘Researching and Re-telling the Past’ module, which has newly been made available to second year history students this semester, has been highly useful in helping to understand Swansea University in previous decades and has allowed me to compare the attitudes and feelings to contemporary student life at Swansea.  After reading a number of extremely interesting articles from the ‘naughties’, I can’t help but wonder what stories will be available to students in generations to come? Will newspapers online be a thing of the past? We’ll have to wait and see!

[Kate Godding, Victoria Bodington, Sion Durham and Emma Davies]