Holiday GreetingsTime flies so quickly when you’re having fun! Its coming to the end of the calendar year and a lot of you will be

making arrangements for the holiday period. We hope that you have enjoyed your first few months of term and that you have a great break during the holidays.

For those of you who are leaving us following the end of the first term, we wish you every success for your future.

Halls Life

Office opening timesYour local halls office will be open throughout the holiday period, 9-5pm with your usual team to assist you. Outside of these hours and on bank holidays (25th & 26th of December 2012, 1st of January 2013) the office will operate with 24 hour security as per usual.

Please do not hesitate to drop in during this time. We are here to help.

Prize winnersAllison Petruzzi was one of our welcome fete prize winners.As an international student, it can be quite daunting to move to a new country and set up a whole new life. Several thoughts were running through my head as I waited in line for room assignments: Am I going to make friends? Will I like my course? What happens if I get lost? And more importantly, how am I going to get all my bags up two flights of stairs? The last concern was quickly dismissed as a student helper not only showed me to my room but also carried my 27KG bag up the stairs for me. Then, thankfully, all of the other worries turned

out to be a major waste of my time because not only do I love my course and have yet to get lost but thanks to the welcoming events, I have met quite a few people. At the welcome party, booths were set up with a bunch of groups that were not only from the university but from the community as well. From the fire brigade, I learned that I should not drink and cook at the same time or I might burn down the building and from the campus security group, I received a sheet that had several ways to stay safe in London. There was also food, music,

bumper cars, chances to sign up to win prizes and, best of all, everything was free. I, now the owner of a newly won Nexus 7, I am very grateful to Viridian and Cablecom for making me feel welcome in my new country. I have now been in London for two weeks and it is starting to feel like home.

Arrivals survey winnerCongratulations to Eva Vaľušová (pictured above) who won a brand new iPad, simply by filling in the arrivals survey.

Resident shows his love for Ivy HallLennie Mason, an Ivy halls resident, has enjoyed his time at Ivy halls so much that he has sealed the memory for the rest of his life with an Ivy halls tattoo! We do not recommend this to any of you, however we appreciate the sentiment from Lennie.

MyUnihub updateIn the last edition of Halls Life we advertised a ‘Magic circle’ picture competition; the photos were posted onto MyUnihub, however the circled people have not yet come forward, the £25 vouchers will still be up for grabs until next year.

FairtradeAs a ‘Fairtrade University’, Middlesex is committed to promoting Fairtrade to students and staff and offers a wide range of products in its cafes and shops. Fairtrade is about better prices, decent working conditions, local sustainability, and fair terms of trade for farmers and worker in the developing world.

By requiring companies to pay above market prices, Fairtrade addresses the injustices of conventional trade, which traditionally discriminates against the poorest, weakest producers, enabling them

to improve their lives and have more control over them.

So next time you are deciding between fairtrade and non fairtrade products, consider the difference you could make by choosing fairtrade.

As a Christmas treat Viridian and Middlesex will be providing fairtrade chocolates at every local halls office, for all residents, so next time you’re

nearby come and visit your team and help yourself to some chocolate!

Need Help with Private Rented Accommodation?Do you need any tips on looking for accommodation in the private rented sector for the next academic year? We will be holding a series of roadshows during March. Look out for posters which will shortly be put up around halls and campus for roadshow dates and venues. In the meantime if you have any questions please email the private rented accommodation office at pra@mdx.ac.uk or phone 020 8411 5068.

Green weekAsk not what your environment can do for you, ask what you can do for your environment! We will be holding a Green week in February, which will give everyone a chance to reduce their carbon footprint. With the help of Student Switch off and the Middlesex environmental team we will be holding competitions and events, all geared around being green. We will be sending out more information about this closer to the time.

Green plans over winterWe are aware that a large number of residents will be departing Halls for the holiday season. In order to help reduce our carbon foot printing we will be operating heating in restricted parts of the Halls only over the December Break Period – 16th December 2012 to the 3rd January 2013.

This will mean that heating in your areas (both communal and room) may be affected (reduced or turned off completely).

Please advise the Local Halls Office urgently if you are remaining in Halls during this time so arrangements can be made for your ongoing comfort. Continued heating will be provided for those residents in Halls over the break, however, it is vital that we are informed of your presence to ensure that your service is not affected.

Get in touchWe love hearing from you, so if you have any suggestions for improving the

halls experience, or if you would like an article you have written included.

Please contact your local halls team for more details on how to make this happen.

Safety over the HolidaysAt this time of year, we know that there are lots of parties and festivities, and we want you all to enjoy the fun. If you are out though please be safe. Try and stay with your friends and look out for each other. If you’ve had a little too much fun while out and need a taxi home, please use the Cabwise service, which will send you details of 3 registered companies in your area.

BOOK IT – Book your minicab with a licensed minicab operator by phone, email or in a minicab office. CHECK IT’S YOURS – Make sure the driver can confirm your name and destination before you get in the car, and check the driver’s photo I.D. SIT IN THE BACK – Always sit in the back seat, and carry your mobile phone in case of an emergency.

Cabwise text serviceText CAB to 60835* and we’ll use GPS to text your two nearest minicab numbers and one taxi (black cab) number.

Overseas or 3 network customer? View your Cabwise instructions here:

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/termsandconditions/7163.aspx#networks

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