The Courier 1229

You’ve made you’re choice now they are yours Election Results page 3

C OURIER THE

Issue 1229 Monday 21 March 2011 www.thecourieronline.co.uk

THE INDEPENDENT VOICE OF NEWCASTLE STUDENTS

Students evacuate Japanese nuclear zone

EST 1948

FREE

J. OFFREDO

All 14 Newcastle students told to leave Fran Infante Editor Erasmus students are fleeing Japan after the devastating earthquake and tsunami that rocked the nation 10 days ago.

The British Embassy has advised nationals to leave the region as Japanese authorities battle to quell the potential nuclear meltdown at the Fukushima plant.

The University sent out an email to the 14 Newcastle students studying there requiring them to leave immediately. The cost of flights has been met by the University as chiefs became increasingly worried about the safety of students as events unfolded.

Third-year student Jim McCarthy, who had been studying near Tokyo for six months, recalled the moment

the earthquake hit on March 11 just before 3pm local time.

“I was actually in bed when the earthquake started,” he said. “I didn’t hear anything but the room was shaking, as was everything on my shelves and desk. I just crouched down on the floor next to my bed and waited.”

The 21 year-old had been staying in Tachikawa, where he said food supplies became quickly exhausted in the immediate aftermath of the disaster.

“The Japanese way is to not show their emotions but when the locals started getting worried so did I,” he explained.

Students and locals gathered together to watch news reports of the devastation that had occurred just a few hundred kilometres north of Continued on pages 4 and 5

Closer than close: four out of the six newly elected Sabbatical Officers won their ballots by a margin of less than 35 votes. In the Athletic Union ballot Alice Holloway won her new role by just three votes in the final round despite trailing Andrew Curry all along

New Sabbatical Officers anounced in closest election in Union history For full election results, page 3

Inside today >>>

Influx of UK students to European universities

The AV debate

Festival holidays around the world

Hollywood vs. Europe

NWR thrash Teesside

Large numbers of students plan to study at foreign institutions in order to avoid tuition fee rises.

News, page 2

Tom Saunders and Harriet King debate whether a change to the Alternative Vote is the way forward.

Comment, page 14

Vicki Dacker discovers why you don’t have to choose between a beach holiday or a festival this summer Life & Style, page 22

Chris Binding explores the differences between Hollywood and European films and their respective successes Culture, page 32

Women’s Rugby Union Firsts continue their memorable season by beating Teesside 38 - 0 Sport, page 46-47

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Monday March 21 2011 THE COURIER

News Editors: Simon Murphy and Charlie Oven

Have you got a news story for The Courier? Email us at: courier.news@ncl.ac.uk

European universities face potential influx of English students as fees rise Sophie McCoid An increasing number of prospective students are looking to European countries to escape the fee rises of 2012.

Trinity College Ireland expects applications to soar. Due to EU rules, all students from EU countries, who attend EU universities, must be treated as local applicants, meaning that English students could pick up a top class education for less.

The only bill they’d have to pay is €2000, an annual administration charge that covers student services and exams.

Applications to Scottish universities have been increasing for several years as English students only pay £1820 a year compared to the £3290 they’d have to pay for an equivalent course at an English university.

This trend is set to continue, as even if the proposed increase in fees occurs, English students can still expect to pay less at a Scottish institution than an English one.

Future students are looking even further afield than the British Isles, as Hannah Grace, 17, comments: “I’m looking at Maastricht, south of Holland because the students are typically from a variety of countries, meaning I would end up with a diverse friendship group.

“Fees are £1400 a year, meaning I could save up to £20,000 on tuition fees alone. I could possibly leave with a PhD debt free.

“With the money saved, I could fly back and forth often and it’s only a short flight away, so I would be able to come home swiftly if needed.”

Hannah’s reasoning seems to echo her peers’ sentiments, with many of her friends also looking at university’s in European countries.

All this suggests a drop in admissions for Newcastle in 2012 but Le-

Comment George Sandeman examines Islamaphobia in America’s Congressmen Page 13

Lifestyle Madame et Monsieur advise a student on how to spice up sex with his longterm girlfriend Page 17

Culture Juliet Armstrong previews an inspiring new play based on the experiences of four women and sexual violence Page 28

Sport Harry Slavin speaks to student and Falcons’ player Will Welch prior to Sunday’s LV Cup Final Page 41

Meetings Timetable: Monday Sport- 12pm, Crow’s Nest News & Comment - 1pm, Rm 6 Park Terrace Photos - 2pm, Rm 6 Park Terrace Fashion - 4pm, Rm 5 Park Terrace

As an EU university coming under EU guidelines, Trinity College, Dublin, is expecting a rise in applications from English students

sley Braiden, director of Marketing and Communications at Newcaslte University claims: “From our ongoing work with schools and colleges, prospectus requests and requests for information about Newcastle University at HE fairs and in schools, we are experiencing an increased level of interest in Newcastle University from stu-

dents considering university entry in 2012.

“We would expect this for a university of Newcastle’s reputation and quality, and we are confident that we have a very strong market for admissions to our degree programmes, although it is not possible at this stage to predict the actual patterns of applications.”

So, the situation may not be as bleak as first seemed for Newcastle but with prospective students facing a bill of up to £27,000 for their tuition over three years under the new fee system, it’s easy to see why students are looking elsewhere in an attempt to minimise their debt, and who can blame them.

An Newcastle student to abseil apology to our readers down iconic hotel building The Courier would like to issue an apology to the University. This is in response to inaccurate information in the article entitled “University set to withdraw from green scheme” from Issue 1228.

The paper would like to clarify the University has not decided to stop funding for the People and Planet’s Green League for 2011.

As the independent voice of Newcastle students, the paper prides itself on accuracy however on this occassion would like to point out that all contributors are also unpaid volunteers.

The Union Society, King’s Walk, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8QB. Tel: 0191 239 3940

Menglei Zhang On April 2, Newcastle student Alex Ioakimids is planning to scale 200ft down the Vermont hotel in tribute to World Autism Awareness Day. For Alex, abseiling down the Vermont hotel will hopefully be a reminder to those young adults who take freedoms in life for granted.

“In a nutshell, most of us have it easy, at least before we enter the job market. But life is very different for people who grow up with autism.

“They are caught up in a strange limbo between childhood and

adulthood, which makes their fights towards independence all the more difficult”.

Autism is defined as a type of Spectrum Disorder. Currently, there is no medical detection or cure.

Within the UK, there are approximately 600,000 autism suffers.

Children with autistic conditions commonly have various learning difficulties; they can also develop obsessive behaviours and are easily irritated.

In severe conditions, some may never learn to speak. Throughout their adulthood, social interaction and flexibility of thoughts are con-

stant struggles.

It is probable for them to have no concept of friendship or love and they could remain emotionally isolated in life.

Based in Sunderland, the North East Autism Society (NE-AS) is the charity hosting the abseil on April 2.

For more information please visit the website at http://www.ne-as.org.uk/ event-details.aspx?id=31.

To register for the abseil please visit http://www.ne-as.org.uk/media/editor/ file/Events/Abseil%20Information%20 Sheet.pdf

Tuesday Life & Style - 12pm, Room 6 Park Terrace Fashion - 12pm, Room 6 Park Terrace Wednesday Arts - 12.30pm, Room 6 Park Terrace Film & Music- 1pm, Rm 6 Park Terrace TV & Radio - 1.30pm, Room 6 Park Terrace Editorial Team: • Editor - Fran Infante • Deputy Editor - Aimee Philipson • News Editors - Charlie Oven & Simon Murphy • Comment Editors - Danny Kielty & Laura Heads • Life & Style Editors - Mary Mullarkey & Kat Bishop •Fashion Editor - Lauren Girling • Arts Editor - Stephanie Ferrao • Film Editor - Adam Williams • Music Editors - Polly Randall & Joe Skrebels • TV & Radio Editor - Ellie Wilson & Lynsey Fawcett • Puzzles Editor - Andy Pitkeathley •Listings Editor - Ciara Littler • Sports Editors - Kat Bannon, Jono Taylor & Wills Robinson •Photo Editor - Briony Carlin • Design Editor - Helen Mamalaki •Online Editors - Bethany Sissons, Katie Hicks, Elliot Bentley and Colin Henrys •Proof Editors - Charlotte Loftus, Katy Lawson, Hannah Davey, Gemma Farina, Jessica Cree, Amy Jordan, Rebecca Gee, GemmaJayne Turner,Verity Cunningham, Emma O’Neil, Jenny Beer & Georgia Morgan The Courier is printed by: Harmsworth Printing Limited, Northcliffe House, Meadow Road, Derby, DE1 2DW. Tel: 01332 253013.

Established in 1948, The Courier is the fully independent student newspaper of the Union Society at Newcastle University. The Courier is published weekly during term time, and is free of charge.

The design, text, photographs and graphics are copyright of The Courier and its individual contributors. No parts of this newspaper may be reproduced without the prior permission of the editor. Any views expressed in this newspaper’s opinion pieces are those of the individual writing, and not of The Courier, the Union Society or Newcastle University.

THE COURIER Monday March 21 2011

News

3

New Union Officers announced during a nail-biting end to elections Elliot Bentley Laura Perry is to be next year’s President of the Student Union, having won the most closely-contested election of the last five years. The results were announced in the University’s Courtyard Cafe on Friday night in front of a highly-charged crowd of supporters.

Only sixteen votes separated Perry and her closest competitor, James O’Sullivan. She emerged surprisingly calm and collected to her victory tune, Rihanna’s ‘S&M’.

The president-elect, who gathered 761 votes in total, told The Courier: “It’s just amazing, absolutely amazing – I’m really looking forward to having a brand new Union and really just a change of attitude and obviously the new building.”

Asked what she wanted to achieve over the next year, Perry said: “I just want to get people back into the Union. I really want to make it somewhere where everyone feels they can get involved.”

As well as the position of Union President, the results of all of last week’s elections were announced at the event. Twenty-three percent of the student population voted, which is one of the highest turnouts of any student body in the country.

The position of Editor of the Courier went to Simon Murphy, who walked calmly out to the crowd’s applause. He told the Courier he felt “shocked” and that the week of campaigning was “a horrible, horrible experience”. Kat Bannon came a close second, behind by only 33 votes.

The closest-run contest was for the position of Athletics Union Officer, with only three votes separating Alice Holloway from Andrew ‘Felix’ Curry. Liam Dale defeated his closest competitor, Elle Chilton-Knight, by six votes to become Education Officer and was mobbed by his supporters after the announcement.

The position of Welfare and Equality Officer, meanwhile, went to Katy-Lou Hargreaves.

Out of the five contenders for Officer Without Portfolio, Sam Steventon emerged triumphant. Steventon, who won by a margin of only 23 votes said he felt “elated”.

The organisation of next year’s RAG went to the ‘RAG Dolls’, Georgina Nunan and Sophie Ryan.

Lindon Francis won the position of Convenor of Debates by a significant majority as did Bethany Golightly and Jennifer Stott who walked away with Ethics and Environment Officer positions.

All of the candidates won their seats in the uncontested positions: Caroline Shorthouse for Student with Disabilities Officer, Lucy Johnson for NSR Station Manager, Daniel Bird for LGBT Officer, Adit Agarwal for International Officer, Oliver Robinson for Campaigns Officer, Shanna Lennon and Anna Howard for Racial Equality Officers, and Esta Innes for Gender Equality Officer.

The new team of Sabbatical Officers will start their positions in July after graduating. Breaking in the new Union building, which should be complete by September, will be just one of the many challenges they face over the coming year.

Clockwise from top right: Liam Dale’s win as Education Officer is celebrated by his supporters, Rag Dolls Sophie Ryan Georgie Nunan victory dance through the doors, birthday girl Ania accepts her place as Activities Officer, KatyLou Hargreaves celebrates, Lindon Francis beams, Alice Holloway tells her campaign team of her record breakingly close win and Editor of The Courier elect Simon Murphy takes it all calmly in his stride

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Monday March 21 2011 THE COURIER

News

‘The room was shaking, so was everything on my shelves and desk.

I just crouched down on the floor’ As Japan struggles to come to terms with one of the worst natural disasters in its history Editor Fran Infante speaks to Newcastle students forced to flee the country Continued from front page Tokyo, where Japanese and Linguistics student Anna Kenolty was living in Saitama, the response was both more coordinated and alarming.

“I was in my third floor apartment with my Canadian flatmate when it hit. We were both just chilling in our rooms when the tannoys sounded an earthquake alarm - they have them everywhere in Japan on the outside of buildings and they chime for a few seconds before a major earthquake hits.

“I’d only heard one once before so I didn’t actually remember what

in a disaster movie.

“It felt just like being on a boat in a storm and the floor was going up and down and side to side. But nothing was falling over or anything so I didn’t think either of us were in any danger. A few minutes later everything started really shaking again.

That was a bit more worrying even though it wasn’t as strong because normally it’s one and that’s it so this time we headed outside.

“There were 10 international students in the building at the time, we all gathered outside but no-one really knew what to do or if we should stay outside. Then one of the staff

Bare: many shops have been left empty as shoppers in Tokyo stock up on supplies

it meant, then suddenly my bed started rocking pretty violently. I heard my flatmate say something next door so we both headed into the kitchen. It just kept going - usually the quakes are over in seconds but this one must have lasted about a minute. We were looking around our kitchen and all the plates and stuff were rattling – it was like being

members from our university came running up wearing a hard hat and told us to go to the university where staff and students were gathering.

As we were leaving a couple of police officers pulled up on motorbikes and started shouting at us to get away from the building.”

The group of students were periodically moved in and out of the

buildings as aftershocks rumbled on. For many like McCarthy and Kenolty the experience of small but frequent tremors is simply another element of the culture shock experienced by students when they first arrive in Japan. But in this case it was clear from the onset that this was an entirely different beast.

For others, the magnitude of what has occurred is still difficult to realise – the quake has since been measured at 9.0 on the Richter scale.

“I never imagined that Japan would have such a devastating earthquake during my year here,” said Alastair Coates, a 21 year-old Japanese and German student from Rotherham.

Unlike the others, Coates was not in Tokyo at the time of the quake, having decided to travel and take advantage of the long spring vacation period which runs until the start of new Japanese academic year in April.

“I was on the southernmost island called Kyushu, in a little town called Futsukaichi,” Coates told The Courier. “I didn’t even know anything had happened until later when I received messages from friends and family back home asking if I was ok.

It wasn’t until I saw the news later that I realised the scale of the thing.

“The next day all the trains were cancelled, I assumed because of the tsunami warning. I was alone and as news of the damaged power plants kept getting worse I felt increasingly anxious as I didn’t know where to go or what to do.

“It was really scary but in hindsight I know I was incredibly lucky to have been so far away when the earthquake struck and when I see what the Japanese people are going through I know I’m even luckier not to have lost anyone in the quake or tsunami.

Staring at tragedy: citizens of Tokyo stop in their tracks as footage of the devastation that

“Sunday was the scariest day for me, I was alone travelling inland just to be safe from the threat of more tsunamis. I heard from my German friend that their Foreign Minister had advised them all to come home and that most German students had already left. At the time our government was just advising against going to the north or to Tokyo so it was really worrying to feel that the Germans knew something we didn’t.”

Throughout the ordeal Coates kept in touch with a number of other students, exchanging plans, updates and even practical advice to minimise the effects of radiation.

“My friend instructed me to buy iodine tablets which I could take in case something did go badly wrong.

It was good advice but it really panicked me – suddenly I had visions

of trying to survive in a post-nuclear wasteland.”

International media sources have highlighted the disparity between the information being reported by foreign journalists and that by the Japanese press which appear to deliberately play down the possibility of any nuclear threat.

“It soon became clear that I had to remain in the south, at least until Tokyo was safe, especially from the radiation,” Coates said. “I was staying in a hostel and most of the people there were in the same position as me.”

Despite their relief at being able to return home to the UK, the trauma of what many have experienced together with sense of shared misfortune with the Japanese people is likely to stay with these students

THE COURIER Monday March 21 2011

News

5

Support for Japan disaster across campus Jui Sadekar

occurred in the North of the country is broadcast on open air screens, many only realised the strength of the earthquake when they saw pictures of the tsunami and flooding

for a long while to come. “My heart goes out to the entire nation,” said Coates “even though I won’t be here, I will keep up with everything that happens and hope that things can go back to normal soon and that people are safe. I am relieved but sad to leave as because there is the possibility that I might not be able to come back. I am still hoping that we will be able to return for semester two.”

Kenolty echoed this sentiment “I was actually a little angry when I was told to I had to leave. Japan is getting back on its feet with incredible dignity and courage and I hate walking out like this. The Japanese people have been really lovely, all my friends and random people I’ve talked to seem almost apologetic that the quake happened while I was

in their country, like it was somehow their fault. So they are worried about us and we are worried about them, and we are the only ones who get to leave. I felt really awkward walking through my town, Soka, with my suitcase.”

Since the first earthquake struck, staff at both the International office and the School of Modern Languages have worked around the clock to try and ensure the students concerned felt adequately supported and were repatriated safely. Keeping pace with the ever changing reports and circumstances has been a challenge and Head of School Elizabeth Andersen admitted that it had been “a bit of a panic” to make sure everyone was safe.

“At this stage,” she added, “all attention has been focussed on getting

them out, things may prove problematic for universities in Tokyo depending on how the situation continues to change. Some have already notified us to say they are delaying the start of the new term, there is no doubt that this is an unfortunate interruption to their year abroad but safety must come first.

“We will do everything we can to help students to return to Japan if they want to.”

All students contacted by The Courier commended the response from the School of Modern Languages at Newcastle; “On behalf of all the Newcastle students currently studying in Japan, I would like to extend my thanks to them for the excellent advice and help they provided during this difficult time” McCarthy said.

Coates agreed; “the uni was very good about checking that we where we were, whether it was safe for us to stay and providing some updates on the nuclear situation,” he added “some of my friends from other unis said they had heard nothing at all and were completely on their own.”

In spite of the difficulties, all students seem keen to return to Japan as soon as it is safe for them to do so.

“I would love to spend the rest of my year abroad in Japan” McCarthy told The Courier “it is an incredible country, I have met some amazing people and I do not worry about further earthquakes; I know the Japanese government and indeed the rest of the world will have learned a great deal from this experience.”

The ‘Land of the Rising Sun’ could have had a normal day like the rest of the world, but March 11 had something else in store.

Japan is one of the world’s most seismically active areas and many more earthquakes than most other places in the world. Though earthquakes are typical Japan, the tremors that rocked the country last Friday shook and devastated an entire nation and shocked the globe.

The quake that hit about 400 km (250 miles) north-east of Tokyo, triggered a massive tsunami that swept away almost everything that came in its path. Buildings as far away as Tokyo shook vigorously. Auto plants, electronics factories and refineries shut, roads buckled and power to millions of homes and businesses were knocked out.

The Tsunami left a wake of destruction killing thousands and levelling entire towns. More than 45 countries, including the United States of America and the United Kingdom, are offering aide, kicking off a mass relief effort.

In Newcastle, the Anglo-Japanese society raised over £5,000 pounds by last Friday to donate to the Red Cross.

“After seeing the full scale of the disaster on Friday, in a country where I lived and loved, I felt that I couldn’t sit around in the house all day doing nothing.

“The next day, I sent out a message saying we should have a donation stall, and by Sunday there were lots of us in Coffee Trader making hundreds of origami cranes”, said Chloe Brood, President of Anglo-Japanese Society.

The disaster left 4,300 dead and more than 440,000 families homeless. The country is also struggling with an escalating nuclear crisis that has sparked foreign evacuation from the country.

Takahiro Nakagawa, a Japanese Exchange student said:“Sitting here I felt very helpless but at the same time I wanted to take actions for Japan, not just watching the news. If we work as a group, we can have a better idea than if we each think about it individually”.

On Friday night during the Union Officer election results announcement cakes were being sold to raise further funds. Athletic Officer, Charley Wright has announced that some profits from the annual Athletic Union ball, due to be held in May, will also go towards helping the disaster victims.

Last week the University recalled 14 students from their year abroad programs in Japan. University officials said the student’s flights would be paid for in full and that all of the students are safe and sound.

THE COURIER Monday March 21 2011

News

7

Newcastle graduate shares ‘Chalet Girl’ film success with students M. ZHANG

Georgie Cossins Last week, Tom Williams, a 1996 graduate from Newcastle University and screenwriter of the newly released blockbuster film Chalet Girl came back to the city to talk about his big hit.

Williams spoke to students about his career as a screenwriter last Wednesday, only a few days after the first UK cinema viewing of Chalet Girl.

Needless to say he spoke in a tone of excited nervousness; the next few weeks are crucial in determining the success of his future career as a screenwriter.

Nevertheless, Williams, informally dressed in jeans, looked at ease in the familiar surroundings of his past student life.

Chalet Girl is the first of Williams’ scripts to be produced into a film.

Even before its release, the film had received an encouraging reaction as a British romantic comedy, and the film was also this year’s chosen release for the BBC’s Comic Relief.

Williams had to admit his film’s commercialism: “that was probably the only reason for it being accepted by the film company”, he joked.

During his talk, Williams often spoke with sarcasm about his own work and career, perhaps reflective of the comedy within his film.

Chalet Girl with its predominantly British cast, stars Bill Bailey, Bill Nighy, Ed Westwick, and Felicity Jones, who plays the female protagonist, Kim. Williams spoke as if enchanted by the young actress: “I could speak for hours about how wonderful she is”.

Phil Traill, also a Newcastle University graduate, directed the film.

After Williams graduated from Newcastle University in 1996, he worked in advertising for Saatchi and Saatchi in London for a few years. He described his experience as rather “boring”, and so he quit his job and travelled to Hollywood…

From then onwards Williams has worked as a script reader, script editor and a scriptwriter.

During his presentation Williams

Graduate: Newcastle graduate Tom Williams speaks to students about the release of his new film Chalet Girl, which has been chosen as the BBC’s 2011 Comic Relief release

spoke of his career with light-heartedness and self-mockery, keeping the tone light within the auditorium. Though of course everyone in the lecture theatre knew, Williams

more than anyone, that at present there is nothing at all light-hearted about his career. If his film flops, then so does his career: “at least for a while, when I shall have to lay low

for a bit”. The audience then realised just how much was at stake in the young screenwriter’s unforeseeable future. Throughout his speech, Williams urged everyone to go and

see his film, and I urge you as well, if you wish to support our fellow Newcastle Alumnus.

Newcastle engineers set to launch record-breaking ‘solar plane’ Miranda Dobson A team of Newcastle University engineers are commencing work on a record breaking solar powered plane, after securing the contract with UK firm QinetiQ. Professor Barrie Mecrow of the Centre for Advanced Electrical Drives will lead a team in the development of a motor for the project, dubbed ‘Vulture II’.

The wingspan of the plane will reach a staggering 120-metres across;

the longest wingspan ever.

The undertaking will be jointly funded by the US government and Boeing, with The Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency contributing £56 million.

The plane, named ‘SolarEagle’, will be solar powered and unpiloted, and will be used to collect data from the skies. It is to remain air-bound for five years.

This astounding feat has been described as “a big challenge” by Professor Mecrow, who commented

that, “in general, the more powerful a motor, the bigger and heavier it is. In this case, the motor will have to be powerful enough to drive the propellers to get this gigantic plane off the ground, while still being super efficient and incredibly lightweight”.

The ‘SolarEagle’ will remain at 60,000 ft., meaning that the plane will have to sustain itself at temperatures lower than the extremes of an arctic winter.

Mecrow commented further, say-

ing that at these temperatures of “below minus 60 degrees, conventional systems stop working”.

With this project of extremes in size and conditions, the Newcastle University team will be playing a part in aviation history, as well as creating an environmentally friendly piece of engineering.

The first prototype is to be expected in the next six months, looking towards a demo flight in 2014.

‘Vulture II’ sees the second time the team has worked with QinetiQ,

as they played an essential role in the development of their Zephyr project last year.

This was a much smaller, but also record-breaking, unmanned plane, which achieved a two week, nonstop journey powered by solar energy alone.

This venture shattered all previous endurance records for unmanned vehicles, but the ‘SolarEagle’ presents a new and exciting challenge for the Newcastle University engineering team.

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Monday March 21 2011 THE COURIER

News

Study proposes a regional Council in the North East Harriet King A study by Newcastle University’s Centre for Urban and Regional Development Studies and PriceWaterhouseCoopers has suggested that a Council of the North is needed to help champion the North’s interests.

As government cuts begin to bite, there is serious worry among groups in the North East, Yorkshire and Humber and the North West that the cuts will disproportionately hurt the North and increase the North-South economic divide.

The study set out recommendations in ‘Re-balancing the economy: Prospects for the North.’ The pur-

The Careers Service provides information and advice on developing your skills, finding a part-time job, work experience, supporting business start-up and (when the time comes) exploring graduate opportunities.

For more details about these and other vacancies, including details of how to apply, visit their website at www.ncl.ac.uk/careers.

Vacancies brought to you by the Careers Service...

PART-TIME VACANCIES Job Title: Customer Service Advisors Employer: Lloyds TSB Closing date: 30/03/2011 Salary: £14,000 - £18,420 pro rata Basic job description: To be the key, and often only, point of contact for customer calls, providing an excellent level of customer service.

Location: Sunderland Job Title: Bar and Catering Staff Employer: 21 Hospitality Group Closing date: Ongoing Salary: Dependent on role and experience Basic job description: Staff required for new Pub opening in May 2011.

Location: Newcastle Quayside Job Title: Membership recruiter/ receptionist Employer: National Trust Closing date: 01/06/2011 Salary £6.50 per hour Basic job description: To give a warm welcome to all visitors and provide them with information about the National Trust and Lindisfarne Castle. Temporary post for July and August.

Location: Holy Island, Northumberland Job Title: Student Representatives Employer: Newcastle University Closing date: 25/03/2011

pose of the council would be to argue the North’s case both in Westminster and in Brussels and would involve business and universities, along with the community and the tertiary sector. These groups would also work together to create a clear brand for the North.

Local planning authorities will be able to develop strategic plans for key housing and economic developments as they deem required in their areas. The report also suggests that many government policies, such as the New Homes Bonus and the impending business rate reforms, will favour the South and again cause increased economic disparity between the two regions.

Salary: £335 Basic job description: The Student Recruitment Team is looking to recruit a team of 64 Student Representatives to support the Bite size Uni Summer School.

The dates you’d be needed are Tuesday 19 – Friday 22 July 2011.

Location: Newcastle University Campus Job Title: Camp Activity/ Leader Positions Employer: Telligo Closing date: Ongoing Salary: National Minimum Wage Basic job description: Summer camps for French children in the UK to improve their language skills. Activities and duties vary but would include Organising and managing entertaining workshops.

Location: UK Wide Job Title: Customer Service Adviser Employer: Lloyds TSB Closing date: 30/03/2011 Salary: £14,000 - £18,420 pro rata Basic job description: To be the first point of contact for customer calls, providing an excellent level of customer service.

Location: Sunderland Job Title: Part time Lettings Consultant Employer: Walton Robinson Closing date: 30/08/2011 Salary: Competitive Basic job description: Duties include: accompanied viewings; negotiating offers; calling mailing list; meeting & greeting customers and general administration duties.

Person Requirements: Must be available every Saturday Location: Newcastle upon Tyne Job Title: Sales Assistant Employer: Phones 4 U Closing date: ASAP Salary Up to £14,000 pro rata plus commission Basic job description: You’ll be

The report goes on to state that the North needs to pose possible solutions to a variety of solutions, such as greater support for declining industrial areas, increased relocation of public sector jobs to the North and an examination of why Scotland receives more government spending than the North East, despite a devolved Parliament, under the Barratt formula.

The new Big Society Bank, for example, could have its HQ in the North, creating essential public sector jobs. The director of the Smith Institute, Paul Hackett, described the report as “a wake-up call to the government”.

responsible for driving sales to hit personal and store targets whilst delivering the very best customer service Location: Gateshead Job Title: Part-time Sales Consultant Employer: Black’s Closing date: 31/03/2011 Salary: National Minimum Wage Basic job description: Duties will include general customer service, cash handling, stock replenishment and maintaining company standards.

Person Specification: Outdoor enthusiast preferred but not essential.

Location: Gateshead (Metrocentre) Job Title: Sales Advisor Employer: Barclays Bank Closing date: ongoing Salary: £16,000 pro rata Basic job description: Outbound Sales. Part Time shift patterns are: Mon - Thurs 17:00 - 20:00 & All Saturdays 9:00 - 15:30. Roles are to start in April 2011.

Person Specification: Sales experience preferred.

Location: Sunderland Job Title: Stockroom Assistant Employer: Next Closing date: 25/03/2011 Salary: National Minimum Wage Basic job description: To work as part of the delivery team in order to ensure all stock is tagged, size cubed and stored in the correct place, on time and to company standard.

Location: Durham Job Title: Time University Manager Employer: High Fliers Research Closing date: 01/04/2011 Salary: £10.00 per hour Basic job description: Duties are varied and include managing and promoting the final year student survey. Full details available online!

Gaddafi donation openly joked about reveals LSE insider

MP calls for investigation over Durham’s links with Iran

A senior source at the London School of Economics claims that leading figures at the university openly joked about getting a donation from Gaddafi, even before he had been examined for his PhD. The source said: “at really top levels of the school people were joking and very aware he was going to be examined for his PhD and thinking ahead to what that could mean”.

An inquiry has been launched into the university’s links with Libya, looking at the circumstances of when Gaddafi was awarded a doctorate in 2008, and the £1.5m donation from his foundation that was accepted by the LSE the following year.

Conservative MP Robert Halfon has called for an urgent investigation into Durham University’s link with Iran.

Halfon claims: “if a university takes blood money, it should lose an equivalent amount in public subsidy”.

According to Halfon, the university has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Iranian government’s Ministry of Science, Research and Technology.

In the agreement, the Iranian government paid the university £10, 000 after “promises to publish joint books, hold joint conferences, undertake joint research and exchange students and members of staff”.

However, the Commons Leader, Sir George Young, replied: “universities are autonomous organisations and accountable for what they do”.

Cambridge bursaries will not be cut following protests

Aberystwyth University proposes plans for student village

Students at Cambridge have welcomed the university’s decision not to cut maintenance bursaries after hundreds of students protested, with some camping overnight, against the original plans to cut the maintenance bursaries available to poorer students.

The present Cambridge Bursary Scheme will continue, offering up to £3500 a year, while students from particularly disadvantaged background will be offered £6000.

The president of Cambridge University Students’ Union, Rahul Mansigani, said: “I am delighted that we have forced the university to throw out its plans to cut maintenance bursaries.

The plans for a multimillion pound student village development could replace the hall of residence where Prince Charles stayed as a student.

The new £45m scheme will provide self-catered accommodation with en-suite facilities for 1000 students.

The university said that the scheme shows “its commitment to improving the quality of the accommodation”.

Rebecca Davies, Pro Vice Chancellor at the university, said “Aberystwyth offers one of the best student experiences in the UK. “The university will be engaging with student representatives to ensure the new halls provide the living experience, in terms of social and technological facilities, that future generations of Aberystwyth students will expect”.

Rosie Libell

New legislation for Scottish universities if York leaks SNP is re-elected private details The SNP government is planning of entire student new legislation for universities in Scotland, if it is re-elected in May’s body election.

The plans include proposals on student support and how the sector is run following an investigation by BBC Scotland that found there had been “a sharp upward trend in student hardship”.

The amount of students asking for emergency help has increased by almost 40 per cent in five years. Over 13,000 students got more than £9m in financial help from the hardship fund.

Alex Salmond, SNP leader, also insisted that tuition fees would not be introduced if the SNP were reelected.

The University of York may be facing serious repercussions after leaking private and personal details of the whole student body.

On a student enquiry screening function enabled on the website, ehich was open to the general public, the private details of any registered student were made freely accessible.

This included all their personal details such as mobile numbers, home and term-time addresses, and date of birth.

The university apologised for their “failure to adequately protect student data”.

THE COURIER Monday March 21 2011

News

9

Method in the mileage: third of the world’s surface covered in a simple one litre car engine Jessica Cree Imagine, you’re in a car with a onelitre engine, similar to the ones you see crawling down the motorway, looking like they’re about to conk out. Now imagine that you’re about to set out on a 10,000 mile journey covering a third of the world’s surface in that car.

The Mongol Rally – it’s all about the adventure, and that’s exactly what Newcastle University students Joe Ibbotson, Rich Downey, Greg Turner and Northumbria student Toby Smeaton can expect, as they embark on the challenge of their lives to raise money for three very worthwhile causes.

The Rally’s official charity is the Christina Noble Children’s Foundation, which supports orphans and street children in Mongolia’s capital, Ulaanbaatar.

The team will also be raising money for Help for Heroes and Cancer Research UK’s testicular cancer section. In addition to the race itself, they are busy promoting a rugby tournament to be held at York Rugby Club to help raise yet more funds for the trip.

On July 26, the team will set off from London and start their journey to Mongolia. This trip is not for the

faint-hearted. They can choose any route to reach their final destination and they could cross through some very dangerous places: “there’s one place on the [Mongol Rally] website, where they say just don’t go through!” says the team, with a tone of fear in their voices. There’s only one checkpoint along the way in Czechoslovakia, where there’s a huge celebration for making it that far.

The areas the team will drive through are very remote and they’ll have to prepare in advance for hostile conditions: “you could be in the middle of nowhere and you don’t know where the petrol stations are, so I think we’re just going to take a couple of Jerry cans and hope for the best”, says Ibbotson, who admits to knowing very little about cars.

“We have no mechanical background or skills in that area; we can change a tyre and check the oil” claim the guys, who accept that learning a thing or two about cars may be a good idea.

The team is excited to have “the opportunity to do something that’s completely out of the blue”, however, they’ll need luck on their side, as only 50 per cent of cars make it to the finishing line.

The team hopes to raise as much

B. CARLIN

Road trip: in an adventure of a lifetime, three students are competing in the Mongol Rally, all in aid of worthwhile charitable causes

money as possible and has set a target of £7000.

If you’d like to follow their progress or make a donation then just visit their

website at www.justgiving.com/MongolRallyWR.

Supermarket to be built in Jesmond Dan Robinson It’s been spinning the rumour mill for months, but luxury supermarket Waitrose has confirmed that this summer it will take over the derelict site opposite Pizza Express, which was formerly occupied by Osborne Garage petrol station.

The confirmation was revealed through a statement issued via Waitrose customer forums, announcing it had “agreed a deal for a new convenience store in Jesmond, Newcastle upon Tyne.

“Situated in the thriving and much sought-after Osborne Road, the 7,500 sq ft shop will build upon the success of our existing stores in the North East.”

Rumours have also abounded concerning the opening of Sainsbury’s at the former Jesmond Cinema site, but it seems the suburb, heavily populated by students, is becoming ever more a middle class haven.

At a time when tuition fees are set to hike towards astronomical amounts, library fees continue to hover over the keen studier and part time jobs become more difficult to find by the day, those who choose to live within a drunken stone’s throw of the bright lights of Osborne Road never cease to be punished by stinging prices for their weekly shop.

The word echoed by many at the University is that the Jesmond Tesco Metro branch is the most expensive in the country, while the deep fried junk food-craving student must ven-

ture all the way to Sandyford for the nearest fish and chip merchant.

Why? Because Jesmond won’t allow the sight of a greasy chip shop to ruin its aesthetics; something which Waitrose seeks to boost yet further with its upmarket groceries.

But for Brian Taylor, Jesmond’s Tesco store manager, the incoming competition is most likely to effect the permanent residents, rather than students, who represent 60 per cent of the stores 26,000 weekly customers, despite only 40 per cent spend.

“Obviously there’s going to be a lot more competition, as Waitrose is going to be brand new and there will be the curiosity factor”, he admits.

“But we have a greater range of products and will be able to beat them in price. Local residents will probably choose Waitrose as it’s more upmarket and I think they hate Tesco and they hate students.

“But students are students so they probably won’t be too bothered by Waitrose as they want their shopping to be cheaper.”

Indeed, the biggest challenge for Brian, who actually believes Jesmond will benefit from the challenge to the Tesco dominance, is the incoming Sainsbury’s store.

“It will be a gold mine for them to have a store by the Metro station, so that would be more of a worry for us.”

Still, who wouldn’t prefer a Heron Foods or an Iceland, even if it is as likely as an in-and-out shop during Tesco rush hour?

GRADUATE SCHOLARSHIPS IN JOURNALISM Two-year paid traineeships at the biggest Sunday newspaper in the world.

Full details at

www.notw.co.uk/graduates

10

News

Monday March 21 2011 THE COURIER

Campaign close: four days Elliot Bentley A week of campaigning got off to an exciting start last week with Monday’s hustings. With more candidates competing and more positions available than any previous year, it was even more important than ever for candidates to stand out from the rest.

Unsurprisingly then, hustings (or, as it had been renamed this year, ‘Question Time’) was a lively event.

For the highly-contested sabbatical positions, competition was particularly high.

The position of Activities Officer, was hotly contested, with six candidates competing. Ania Kurek and Anthony Morris were the most colourfully dressed - the former dressed in leggings and a tutu (presumably to remind the audience of her history in the dance society) and the latter dressed, bizarrely, as a Cuban revolutionary complete with scarf and beret.

Edward Marston, meanwhile, dressed in his blue RAG hoodie, faced tough questions over his involvement in the RAG ‘number scandal’ and pledged to continue a tradition of “epic winning” for the Union.

The most important position being contested, that of the Union President, also saw passionate speeches and difficult questions abound.

All candidates indicated a desire to re-engage the student population with the Union, citing low turnout numbers at the recent NUS referendum. Thomas Cheney, however, whose policies included repealing the University’s smoke-free campus policy, failed to turn up to deliver his speech.

Difficult questions from both ends of the political spectrum were put to James O’Sullivan regarding his Conservative party membership and to Jonny Pickering on whether his focus was too limited to cuts to higher education.

A key theme to many of the speeches of the candidates for Editor of The Courier was the newspaper’s independence - either to the Union itself or to any political bias.

The most entertaining question of the day was directed to Joe Skrebels as to why he was wearing an adhesive novelty moustache. He replied: “I don’t know if you’ve seen the film Anchorman...”

The speeches of the candidates for Education Officer were particularly passionate despite only three students applying for the position.

Liam Dale was cheered on by a very loud choir of screaming girls, while Linjiao Wu’s speech, recorded on video, had unfortunately poor sound and image quality.

Of all the part-time positions up for grabs, Officer Without Portfolio was by far the most contested, with five candidates vying for the position.

Sam Steventon’s opening line (“Well, this is scary, isn’t it? Not exam results scary, more chlamydia test scary...”) was a risky gambit that appeared to pay off, and Tarren Smarr arrived seconds before she was due in front of the microphone, proposing an annual ‘Breastival’ to raise awareness of breast cancer.

Overall, this year’s hustings were an exciting opening to one of the most cutthroat elections of recent years.

THE COURIER Monday March 21 2011

of frenzy...

11

News

Expense claims spark campus protest Finola Miles Following the exposure of ViceChancellor Chris Brink’s expenses and the University payout in honorary degrees, it is no surprise that a protest was organised on Thursday of last week. Staged outside of the King’s Gate building that aptly was one of the University’s multimillion pound developments, a small gaggle of protesters gathered to voice their criticism of the Vice-Chancellor.

Mick Warwicker, Head of Communications, said that he believed professionals at the level of the Vice-Chancellor were entitled to rack up hefty expenses. Part of the job, he commented further, was the University’s ability to host guests adequately and treat them like VIPs. Questioned specifically on the example of Chris Brink’s claim for a £1.40 Metro ticket, he raised the issue of whether we expected the Vice-Chancellor to get a taxi, and if so, who should pay for it.

Warwicker believes students are entitled to protest and wanted to stress that although nothing concrete was likely to be achieved by this particular protest, the University takes into account each instance of student protests.

The King’s Gate building itself contained a small force of police, and members of the management team looked on as protesters rallied outside the building and attempted to drum up support from their peers.

The building, as was believed, had to be protected as it is the administrative hub of student support at the University.

Outside the protest, the atmosphere was one of disappointment at the small numbers that had gathered. Students shouted through a megaphone, highlighting individual expenses claims and chanting “Chris Brink, shame on you”, whilst approaching people to sign a petition.

The petition was aimed at holding the Vice-Chancellor personally accountable among other members of the management team. Demanding an immediate freeze on executive expenses, the petition calls for plans to be instituted to reduce executive expenses as quickly and publicly as possible.

Jonny Pickering, a member of NFEN, attended the protest and was quick to condemn the University’s defence of the claims.

He said: “It is unacceptable that the Vice-Chancellor’s expenses can be condoned, particularly when we are facing the rise in tuition fees and cuts in funding and lecturers’ wages.”

13

THE COURIER Monday March 21 2011

Their finest hour?

Will the proposals for Historical Studies work?

Comment Editors: Laura Heads and Danny Kielty - courier.comment@ncl.ac.uk

> Page 15

King’s Muslim inquiry amounts to nothing George Sandeman

On March 10, Republican politician Peter King launched a Congressional investigation into ‘The Extent of Radicalization in the American Muslim Community and that Community’s Response.’

On the face of things, this seems a relatively run of the mill, unexciting and drab event that frequently takes place on Capitol Hill. For example, for the last five years, there have been a set of rather uneventful Senate hearings entitled, ‘The Threat of Islamic Radicalism to the Homeland’ that have drawn a fraction of media attention.

The hearings come at a time when home-grown Islamic terrorism has come to the forefront of the American consciousness with the shooting in Fort Hood, Texas by a Muslim soldier born and raised in Virginia, and the recent attempted bombing in Times Square by a student.

To some degree it is Peter King himself who has attracted the increased media attention. The Congressman from New York Third District has had some quite unsavoury things to say about Islam in the past.

Whether it be unsubstantiated claims that 85 per cent of Muslim leaders in the USA preach radical teachings, or simply that “unfortunately, we have too many mosques in our country” are some of his more acceptable sound bites.

You, The Courier Miranda Dobson, English student, reviews the last edition

A

nother controversial front page article

by Simon Murphy followed up on the expenses scandal on the executive board by highlighting the extravagance of honorary degrees handed out to celebrities.

The Union Elections section was very helpful for giving an informed vote and promoting the elections themselves.

The Yes/No comment pieces

by Sophie McCoid and Simon Murphy were thought provoking. Life and Style’s spotlight on the International Women’s Day march was also particularly enlightening.

Fashion’s article on John Galliano prompted a swift visit to YouTube to watch the legendry designer fall from grace.

The Culture section did not

Added to this, his hearing has taken on a narrower dimension where he specifically looks at the response of the Muslim community to the threat of home-grown terrorism.

It is here that he has been particularly critical of Muslims and it is here that the community feels it is being singled out and unfairly picked on, considering two thirds of domestic terrorism in the USA has nothing to do with Islam.

Environmental terrorism has been the largest growing form since 2001, and added to this, you have the ever present Christian terrorism, where abortion clinics have been bombed and gay businesses targeted.

Peter King and his supporters believe that the Muslim community has not been doing enough to help the US authorities weed out and clamp down on radical Imams and radicalized individuals when, in fact, FBI statistics show Muslim Americans to be their largest source of intelligence.

He went on to criticise CAIR, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, as an example of a nationally representative body of Muslims not doing enough in spite of the testimony given by LAPD Sheriff Leroy Baca, who claimed they had been more than co-operative in California.

CAIR is by no means the national voice for Muslims in the USA and showed King to be clutching at straws in his attempts to justify his accusations of an uncooperative Muslim American community.

Many political commentators have said that the hearings resemble somewhat of a show trial, and hark

disappoint, and I have to agree wholeheartedly with Stephanie Ferrao’s score of five stars to the Theatre Royal’s production of Willy Russell’s Blood Brothers, having seen the show last week.

Encouraging bigotry? King’s inquiry has favoured emotional over statistical evidence

back towards an era of McCarthyism and the Red Scare, where unsubstantiated and inaccurate accusations were made against individuals, such as Senator Joe McCarthy, who were thought to be Communists in

Stopping the sting to bee numbers Elizabeth Gray

Your Union, you decide.

Elections pull out inside.

Turn to centre pages

C OU RI ER THE

NEWCASTLE STUDENTS THE INDEPENDENT VOICE OF

EST 1948

FREE

University splashes the cash on honorary degrees

2011 www.thecourieronline.co.uk Issue 1228 Monday 14 March

nts Almost £1000 spent on floral arrangeme •Fancy dinners to honour famous faces • Simon Murphy News Editor

The University has lavished thousands of pounds dishing out honorary degrees to the wealthy and famous.

In the wake of last week’s expenses scandal, The Courier can reveal Newcastle blew £14,656 honouring a government advisor, a playwright, and Toon legend Alan Shearer over the last three years.

The figure is almost three times the amount spent by Northumbria University, whose bill for honorary degree ceremonies was just £5,673 over the same period.

The extravagant sum could have ve covered a year’s tuition fees for fifor underprivileged students or paid more than a dozen income-assessed bursaries.

“The figure is almost three times the amount spent by Northumbria University, whose bill for honorary degree ceremonies was just £5,673 over the same period.” have universities Nationally shelled out a staggering £1.3 million handing out the degrees – which PR are increasingly being used as

stunts. at The 17 famous names honoured Newcastle over the last three years include former Magpies striker of Shearer - who was made a Doctor Civil Law - Billy Elliot screenwriter Lee Hall, BBC medical correspondent Fergus Walsh and government

Hats off? Newcastle University has

spent almost £15,000 handing out

advisor Sir Donald Curry. In 2007 the University even handed Irish derocker Bob Geldof an honorary gree in Civil Law. The majority of the cash was spent providing food and drink at swish after dinner ceremonies but a stag-

honorary degrees to celebrities like

gering £961 was even used to fund floral arrangements. a The new figures surface amid backdrop of higher education cuts.

Newcastle University is set to lose up to £7 million in government are funding, while University chiefs

Alan Shearer (pictured) and Bob Geldof

insisting lecturers take a cut in their wages.

Last week The Courier uncovered the the colossal expenses claimed by University’s Executive Board, which totalled just short of £150,000 since June 2008, including Vice-Chancel-

over the last three years

lor Chris Brink’s personal expense of £39,600.

University chiefs have been holding secret crisis talks over the handling on of the affair. The Journal reportedlast The Courier’s expenses exposé Continued on page 2

What do you think of The Courier this week? Send your 180-word review to courier. comment@ncl.ac.uk

the 1940s and 1950s.

The lack of statistical evidence in the hearings is perhaps the most damming point of this PR exercise.

Many hearings bring in experts to help politicians decipher the vast

amount of statistical analysis, but in these hearings nearly all testimonies have been of an incredibly emotive and touching nature.

Melvin Bledsoe talked of his son who was converted to radical Islam and went on to shoot a military recruiter in Arkansas in the name of Jihad in 2009. Another father talked of his son being radicalized during his first year in college and then going on to fight in Somalia where he subsequently died.

Perhaps the most emotional testimony was that by Democrat Congressman Keith Ellison, the first Muslim American to be elected to Congress, who described the life of Mohammad Salman Hamdani, who died in 9/11.

A naturalized American citizen he was a student and part-time Paramedic who died in the fires of the World Trade Centre trying to help the injured.

After his death he was accused in some parts of the American media of being a conspirator in the terrorist attack, no doubt on the basis of how his name sounds.

It is this kind of Islamaphobia that makes judgements on face value, which is most damaging to the efforts of Muslims to integrate themselves into the Western countries they live in.

It is this kind of Islamaphobia that is seemingly being promoted by these hearings that will inevitably achieve a grand total of nothing due to its lack of credible content.

Anecdotes and stories, as heartwrenching and tear-jerking they may be, are not evidence for a hearing of this sensitivity.

I am sure that I am not the only person in the world who thought of bees as cunning and crafty little insects, whose purpose was to make you run a mile, shrieking in fear from the moment they set eyes upon you.

Well, after reading the Report from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) on the declining bee population, I have reconsidered my opinion. Bees are crucial to everyday life.

According to the executive director of UNEP, Achim Steine, “of the 100 crop species that provide 90 per cent of the world’s food, over 70 are pollinated by bees”. As pollinators, bees enable the transfer of pollen which allows plants to reproduce: If this is not happening, or happens on a much smaller scale, it will have a huge impact on the economy and

on what we eat in the future.

The report highlights that main causes of bee decline are linked to toxic pesticides used in agriculture; pathogens attacking bees as they move or are transported globally; pollution interfering with the bees’ senses (preventing them from detecting important plants); urbanisation destroying wild bee habitats, and global warming killing off the

“In Paris, beekeeping is becoming something of a hobby; families, restaurants and hotels are among many who are keeping bees on their rooftops.” plants on which bees survive.

If these reasons seem understandable in our era of globalization, then it is rather disconcerting that the report also documents some bee colonies that have just collapsed without explanation in parts of Western Europe and Japan.

Steps are being taken though, both on an industrial and local level.

Those in the agricultural sector have been urged to focus on caring for nature rather than exploiting it, by building or restoring “pollinatorfriendly” habitats and using fewer pesticides on plants.

In Paris, beekeeping is becoming something of a hobby; families, restaurants and hotels are among many who are keeping bees on their rooftops and there are now over 400 hives in the French capital.

Britain is not far behind, with retailers like Sainsbury’s establishing specially managed “bee hotels” on the roofs of some of their London supermarkets.

The British Beekeeper’s Association (BBKA) also offers uncomplicated advice on how to manage your own garden or rooftop beehive and provides information about different types of bees to keep.

For those of us who, given our tempestuous history with the insect, might not be so brave, they also offer an “adopt a beehive” scheme at your nearest apiary; this way we can assure their protection, without the prospect of bee-ing stung!

14

Monday March 21 2011 THE COURIER

Comment

Is a change to the Alternative Vote the way forward?

J. WHITTAKER

Yes

Harriet King

Tom Saunders

There are two types of people who are in support of a No vote in the referendum, and are therefore by default in support of an electoral system which has categorically ran its course and is no longer fit for purpose.

The first are those who are against reform on principle; the second don’t think AV goes far enough in that reform.

I say this to the latter: if the Nos have it in May, there won’t be another chance to reform our electoral system for a generation.

AV may not be everyone’s first choice, but if you want reform, we have to demonstrate that enough of the country is dissatisfied with the status quo.

If we throw away this chance to change the voting system, the only winners will be those who want it to stay as it is.

As for those who are in support of first past the post, I have to ask why anyone would prop-up a broken system which doesn’t represent the views of the people any more.

Sometimes supporters of electoral reform are portrayed as geeks, obsessed with details or complex formulae. Well democracy is based on simple ideas: fairness, representation, equality.

In the last election, over half of voters did not get the MP they voted for, meaning 15.7 million people have no say whatsoever in what the current Parliament does with our trust and our power.

Their views are not represented in

No

the Commons and their voice will go unheard.

When we look across to the Middle East, where young people have been dying in the streets to fight for the future of democracy, we should be ashamed to live in a country that allows this many people to go unnoticed.

Under AV, a candidate has to gain over half the support of their constituents to be elected to Parliament. At the minute, a full two thirds of MPs didn’t win majorities in their own seats; over half of the people who voted either didn’t want them or may have preferred someone else.

Changing to AV will mean campaigns will no longer be about crossing this false ‘finishing line’ and leaving behind those who don’t agree; they will be about building consensus, about politicians working harder for our trust and our

votes.

In short, it will give power back to the people.

And it couldn’t be simpler. Instead of putting an X in the box on the ballot paper, you would just put a one next to the person you’d most want to win, a two for your second preference and so on. Find it hard in last week’s Union Elections? I thought not.

This could not be more important for students and young people. For many of us, 2010 was our first General Election as voters.

It was the first chance we had to influence the way our nation is being run, and you don’t need me to tell you that we have been utterly failed by our democracy.

On May 5 we get the chance to take it back and say Yes to fairer politics.

The Alternative Voting system referendum is being held on May 5. The referendum was part of the Coalition agreement, one of Nick Clegg’s key demands in making a deal with the Conservatives, and, if the answer is Yes in May, could result in many such deals being made in the future. It’s interesting that Cameron himself is one of the key opponents of AV being introduced.

The primary reason why Clegg and the Yes group are clamouring for AV is because, they say, it is more democratic. First past the post, they claim, does not mean that the candidate, whom the majority of people want, wins. Yet AV is not democratic either.

Under AV the candidate who comes first may often not be the winner, rather, the second or even third candidate could win. One man, one vote will be eradicated, and, in more extreme cases, the system will chose who wins. This is how gerrymandering occurs, creating deeply flawed elections.

AV will also create weaker governments. The reason Clegg wants AV introduced is that it increases the chances that the Liberal Democrats will be a stronger third party.

AV, however, is far less likely to result in clear majorities in parliament, creating more hung parliaments, the situation which occurred in May 2010.

Hung parliaments often mean coalitions, and coalitions mean weak government. A weak coalition government fails to get things done, and

often results in a weak opposition too.

Although I would not argue in favour of PR, for the above reasons, at least PR is the most truly democratic form of government.

First past the post is the lesser of two evils; while not being purely democratic, it does allow strong government.

Nor is the government as likely to be formed through backroom coalition deals, as happened in May under first past the post. In May, Clegg essentially chose the government.

Under AV, the Liberal Democrats would have the chance to choose many more.

More worryingly, AV also lets in more extreme parties, again without the democratic saving grace that PR offers. I truly believe that everyone has the right to support whatever political party they chose, but I would rather the small minority of extreme individuals across the country did not gain many seats.

AV also reduces accountability, one area in which first past the post has a distinct advantage. An MP who has displeased their constituency is far more likely to lose their seat.

An MP, who is truly reliant upon his constituency to retain his job, is more likely to represent them, and not just their party. A weaker opposition reduces governmental accountability.

Finally, do we really want the government to spend £250 million in a recession, a time of cuts and general hardship, to fulfil part of a backroom deal, which the Prime Minister was unhappy about, which will decrease accountability, democracy and fairness in our electoral system and result in weak government?

I’m not sure we do. AV is the worst of both worlds, creating weak governments in an undemocratic manner.

Response: University splashes the cash on honorary degrees Graeme McConnell

Last week News Editor of The Courier, Simon Murphy, exposed the large sums of money spent on awarding honorary degrees to people such as Alan Shearer OBE, describing the expense of such honours as “unjustifiable” and “morally wrong”.

Football is not my forte, nor do I think it is morally justifiable for football players to receive the phenomenal wages they, quite often undeservedly, enjoy.

However, when footballers, such as Alan Shearer, devote so much time and money to their local communities, why shouldn’t local universities show recognition of their good work?

The News Editor suggested that honours should be given, only if great expense was not attached to them.

Imagine if people like Alan Shearer took that attitude to their charitable work; charities would have all of the good will in the world but no mon-

etary benefit.

Shearer’s honorary degree was described by the News Editor as “getting Alan Shearer to dress up in some funny robes for the day”, which seems a little offensive when one examines exactly what Alan Shearer has done for his local community and Newcastle University.

Alan Shearer has worked closely with the NSPCC since 2006 to help the most vulnerable children in the country.

In 2008 he raised £300,000 for Sport Relief. He donated all of the £1.64 million he received from his testimonial football match to 14 local and national charities, £400,000 of which went to the NSPCC and £320,000 to the completion of the Alan Shearer Centre.

The completion of the Alan Shearer Centre for the St Cuthbert’s Care Charity meant that a holiday centre was established that offers holidaystyle breaks for children and adults with physical and learning disabilities.

Shearer has also lately became the patron of the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation, which was founded by Sir Bobby Robson whilst he was suffering from terminal cancer.

Needless to say, Sir Bobby was recognised by Newcastle University

with an honorary degree.

The Sir Bobby Robson Foundation works with academics from the Northern Institute for Cancer Research at Newcastle University and the NHS Foundation Trust to help in the fight against Cancer and to promote Newcastle University as one of the leading research universities in this field.

“Imagine if people like Alan Shearer took that attitude to their charitable work; charities would have all of the good will in the world but no monetary benefit” Sir Bobby managed to get Fabio Capello to donate £75,000 to this cause and the same from the FA. This money went towards the £300,000 used to fund two research posts at the university, a doctor and a nurse.

Professor Ruth Plummer, oncologist and professor of Experimental Cancer Medicine at the Northern Institute for Cancer Research at Newcastle University, said: “I asked Sir Bobby if he knew of

any people who might like to help us raise the £500,000 we needed to equip this centre.

“In true fashion he did so much more than that by making a personal donation and setting up this charity to help us.

“Incredibly we raised the money required in just seven weeks and because of his commitment, and the fantastic ongoing donations and fundraising efforts, we’ve also been able to fund a training research nurse post, with a special interest in skin cancer, and a senior training fellowship doctor.

“The three year posts will be based in the Cancer Trials Research Centre and will give us even more opportunity to help treat patients and develop our clinical trials and cancer research.”

More than £1.2 million has already been raised by the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation, all of which is used to fight cancer in the North East.

More recently, the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation, under the patronage of Shearer, has made a large financial commitment to help Newcastle University buy a Biomarker Generator, an ultra-compact cyclotron, which will help with the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.

This has been highly praised by the

academic researchers of the Northern Institute for Cancer Research at Newcastle University and will help Newcastle University stay at the forefront of cancer research.

This is exemplified by the University becoming the first to be awarded the UK Prize for Translational Cancer Research.

Can the News Editor still seriously and morally say to The Courier: “How does giving Alan Shearer an honorary degree benefit students?”

How, then, is it unjustifiable to award the two men behind all of this tremendous work with honorary degrees, costing an average of £4885, in light of their contributions and influence that has raised hundreds of thousands for Newcastle University and the fight against cancer?

In this light, a few thousand pounds spent on rewarding Shearer seems a bit insufficient and in that sense, yes it is “morally wrong.”

Courier Online What do you think?

Let us know! www. thecourieronline.co.uk

THE COURIER Monday March 21 2011

15

Comment

Narrative approach won’t reinvigorate History The walk to J. WHITTAKER

Danny Kielty Comment Editor

university Matthew Blackwell Columnist

Anyone who has decided to study History at university will know that as well as learning a thing or two about the kings and queens of Great Britain, you also hold the crown for the highest level of graduate unemployment.

Add this to Education Secretary Michael Gove’s recent remarks that the teaching of the subject at primary and secondary level is severely lacking in “any coherent, long-term narrative” and the outlook is about as bleak as being appointed Henry VIII’s marriage counsellor.

Gove claims that a dwindling interest in the subject is partly a result of teachers who don’t “have adequate subject knowledge beyond the specific elements of history that they taught”. However, Gove’s remarks have provoked accusations from Labour and teaching unions that his attempts to return to a chronological, rather than episodic teaching of history would mean a return to the austere methods of the 1950s.

In many respects Gove’s position would seem to have many merits.

During some work experience at my old secondary school; it was genuinely shocking to see the amount of students who were apathetic, disinterested and unwilling to engage with the subject.

Equally so, when you have to sit and watch the teacher explain to the class what the Second World War was, or why learning about slavery is actually still relevant, it’s hard not to get depressed. The current ‘episodic’ system of (in my case) teaching you firstly about how terrible the Black Death was, before swiftly moving on to pictures of goose-stepping men with their hands in the air, means it isn’t really surprising that History as a subject that is struggling to engage young people.

If you just show kids pictures of battles and buboes, then don’t be surprised if they don’t care about what went on in between.

So then, a more coherent and chronological narrative must be the

way to go? Well, no actually. If you look at the amount of time that kids in schools are being given to look at History, compared to the ‘Big Three’ of English, Maths, and Science, teachers haven’t got the time or the resources to travel from the Normans to the Nazis, stopping off at every point along the way.

Logistically, if History was given the priority it deserves then maybe I, like many others in my class, could have learned an awful lot more, rather than ticking government target boxes by spending my afternoons doing peer development folders.

That goes for other subjects like Art too. As it is, teachers have to be selective. Keen to study Stalin, I only narrowly avoided, by a class vote, the ordeal of early 20th century agricultural reforms. The future could have looked very different if my mate Joe Robinson didn’t put his hand up.

The point is that History is clearly too big of a topic for everybody to be interested in the same parts, but the priority it is currently given makes the logistics of choice inherently unfeasible. Therefore, Gove’s attempts to return to a vast chronological method of teaching would only leave many alienated and disinterested before they even reach Nelson at Trafalgar.

Another problem that seems glaringly apparent to me is the stilted fashion in which the subject is still taught. It wasn’t until I’d made the choice to do a History GCSE that we started to do museum visits, historical talks and were exposed to a bit of Schama and Starkey. This is clearly not on.

Many historians sniff even at the mention of ‘TV History’, condemning it as riddled with inaccuracies and sensationalising events. Though this may be the case, I can say with some authority that a 14-year-old

child, given the choice between a dusty copy of the Communist Manifesto and ‘The Heroes of the Second World War’, will probably go with the latter. I did. If kids aren’t engaged before they choose whether or not to continue with History, then they will be forever condemned to a lifetime of Hollywood war films, in which the victors at Troy and the last of the Mohicans are all chiseljawed Americans with impeccably white teeth.

Despite the fact that there will perhaps be a few teachers of History who think Zeus was a real person or Hitler was a nice bloke, it is not acceptable for Gove to lay the blame at their door.

As applied to the other arts and humanities subjects from primary through to university education, if you cut the contact hours and cut the coffers, then don’t expect any ‘Glorious Revolution’ to occur in the realm of education any time soon.

Torture to gain information: always unacceptable Louise Naylor

Using torture to get information sounds like a sick horror film to me, so when it came into the news that the former President of Pakistan believes that Britain approved of his actions to question terrorists, I was shocked.

What did they think they were going to gain? Everyone will admit to something under torture. It’s a natural human instinct.

Now I like to think that I have a high pain threshold, especially after watching a James Bond movie.

However, this is repeatedly proved wrong when drawing blood.

Recently, I’ve had several injections and occasionally they will take a blood sample to see if I’m suitable.

It always turns out I’m fine, if a little melodramatic about pain.

If the nurse takes even a drop of my life source, I swoon like Michael Bublé has just entered the room. It’s very embarrassing, especially as the nurse has to then reassure me that “it happens to everyone”.

Well, I’m pretty sure that lying on a hospital bed for half an hour with water is not standard procedure, for what amounts to less than a nose bleed.

This incident shows me time and again how rubbish I would be under torture. Instead, just get me some girlfriends and a cup of tea, and I’ll have told you my life story before the night’s out.

To think that torture will make people talk is true, but to make them

say the truth: really?

Many ex-prisoners have come forward to say that they’ve lied under torture, just to make it stop. Of course they have.

Imagine an investigator asking if you planted that bomb the first time, you reply “no”. Well try saying that after you’re half dead and delirious from pain. I guarantee you’ll have changed your mind.

It reminds me of the novel 1984 when the lead character is asked what two plus three equals, he says five, until he can no longer see straight, then answers four so the evil dictator is satisfied and lets him off the hook.

This is fiction, but the consequences will be a reality playing out in torture-led interrogation rooms everywhere.

It particularly shook me that some interrogation officers admitted to

using television shows to get ideas for new torture methods, one being 24.

Wait, isn’t this show about saving lives, rather than destroying them?

These confessions again show a fine line between fantasy and reality.

Raising the question: are these people informants or psychopaths? It seems only the state decides.

This is because torture methods are deluded at best and barbaric at worst, and to be associated with the practice in Britain makes me ashamed.

We should develop more sophisticated lie detectors or intelligent investigators, of the CSI strain I think, and use what makes us human, rather than sticking to the behaviour of animals.

It’s only this way that we can get truthful information on terrorism and help stop it.

I love walking into Uni. It would also seem that I enjoy making ridiculous sweeping statements at the start of everything I write, probably not the best trait for an English Lit student.

Anyway, where others look and see a monotonous, ever-lasting trudge, often against the clock (see my advice from last week), I see an exciting and potentially dangerous social minefield: I love the challenge.

To give you a bit of a mental picture, I walk from Jesmond Pool past Tesco etc, down to the Metro bridge and across that, past the schools, through Exhibition Park and arrive nicely at the back door of the Percy Building.

The first moment of happiness on my walk of joy comes at the Metro bridge. Have you ever crossed it at the exact time that two trains go under and you see the innocent bliss on the faces of the drivers as they smile, wave and sound their little train horns?

It’s beautiful, and I feel slightly voyeuristic to have shared in their pleasure.

However, I cannot linger on these thoughts as the next threat has reared its head and I have little time to react.

I have seen someone I know. I’m not talking about a good friend, no, that would be easy. I’m talking about one of those people on the very peripheries of my social circle: the newly appointed girlfriend or boyfriend of a friend of a friend, twice removed, who you met once, on a Wednesday night, two weeks ago. That’s the kind of tenuous relationship I’m dealing with here.

Do I wave? Smile? Stop and chat?

Or do I keep the earphones securely intact, eyes down and make no gesture at all?

The tactic I have developed for this is to stick the iPod on pause, that way I can hear if they say anything, and just keep it to a smile and an incredibly non-committal ‘you alright?’

Of course this does raise the question of when to deploy this strategy - smile too early and you’re walking down the street with an inane grin on your face, say hello too early and you risk the other party not hearing you, asking you to repeat yourself, by which time you’ve both stopped and let’s face it, you’re in a world of trouble.

After this come the slow walkers and the groups. You can probably tell from my bias that I am a solo fast walker. If it were an Olympic sport, I’d win medals.

But it seems that these three people are determined to deny me the pleasure of getting to my lecture on time by spreading all the way across the pavement with approximately two feet of clear airspace between them, walking at a collective speed of 1.5mph.

I don’t know why, but it reminds me of that game where you have to get the frog to the other side of the river via the moving logs. Oh well, I did say I enjoyed the challenge!

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Monday March 21 2011 THE COURIER

Comment

Widespread terror at Japanese nuclear disaster Jui Sadekar

We are all aware about the devastating nuclear explosions that took place in Japan. Despite earlier assurances, engineers were losing their three day battle to avoid a full-scale meltdown after all efforts to cool the cores appeared to have failed.

The authorities were facing the “worst case scenario” of the plant’s reactors exploding and releasing a massive dose of radiation into the atmosphere.

There are now growing fears the situation could escalate beyond a Three Mile Island-style leak and towards a disaster on the scale of Chernobyl, explained daily Telegraph Science correspondent, Richard Alleyne.

The earthquake of 8.9 magnitude off the north east coast of Japan on March 11, led to the cooling of the reactors one, two and three, followed by the accidents at the Fukushima I nuclear power plant, rated as Japan’s nuclear safety agency at level four in the International Nuclear Scale.

Later on Monday, the government

said cooling systems at a third reactor had failed. The Kyodo news agency reported that the damaged fuel rods at the third reactor had been temporarily exposed, increasing the risk of overheating. Sea water was being channelled into the reactor to cover the rods, Kyodo reported.

So far, Japanese officials have said that the melting of the nuclear cores in the two plants is assumed to be “partial,” and the amount of radioactivity measured outside the plants, though twice the level Japan considers safe, has been relatively modest.

In a country where memories of a nuclear horror of a different sort, in the last days of World War II, weigh heavily on the national psyche and national politics, the impact of continued venting of long-lasting radioactivity from the plants is hard to overstate.

“The current situation of the earthquake, tsunami and the nuclear plants is in a way the most severe crisis in the past 65 years since World War II,” Prime Minister Naoto Kan said on BBC. The fire, which was later extinguished with the help of US troops, broke out in the plant’s number four reactor, meaning that four out of six reactors at the facility were in trouble -- and temperatures were report-

Cluster cloggers ruin it for the rest Jessica Cree

I’m sitting here in the computer cluster writing this article and all around me are people waiting like vultures to pounce on the next available PC. I look around and see screens with Facebook, YouTube and games open. Is it really fair that people can get away with this, when others are trying to get some work done?

It is not uncommon to walk into one of the University’s cluster rooms and not be able to find a computer so that you can do that little bit of last minute printing, write an essay or email a lecturer. But we are in the age of social networking and it has taken over our lives.

If you ask someone why they are on Facebook at university, they say they are taking a five minute break and want to catch up on the latest gossip before getting back to their work. Yeah, right.

Are we so obsessed with tracking other people’s lives that we are happily willing to put our academic careers, and those of others, at risk by taking up a work station? And all because we just have to check out the pictures of last night’s antics?

I asked staff in the OLB cluster room if they had a policy on using the computers for social reasons rather than academic study. “They think of it [the cluster] more as an internet cafe than a workplace,”

commented one staff member, who seemed resigned to the fact that computers are frequently used for non-university related business.

I completely agree. Apparently some students can be “quite surprised” when they are asked to turn off MSN Messenger and get on with some work.

Now, what riles me even more is when people lock their computer and go off for a spot of lunch or a coffee break, not allowing others to use their PC while they are away.

Frankly, I think it’s selfish.

I know it will be hard for them to find another machine when they get back from their jolly holiday, but others have looming deadlines that need to be met and can’t afford to waste time.

To add insult to injury, I’ve even seen people fall asleep at their computers. “Really?!” I hear you cry. Oh, yes. Apparently, during the winter months, the clusters are warmer than some of our student pads.

This may be the case, but do you really need to take a nap with your head on a keyboard that someone else could be using to do something constructive?

Whether it be Facebook, YouTube, a football match or a Skype call to Mum, the computers in the University clusters should be, in my humble opinion, only used for university work.

It’s really not fair that people who are serious about their studies and want to work are hindered by those who are just here for a bit of social networking.

edly rising in the other two.

The UN weather agency said that winds were currently blowing radioactive material towards the ocean, and that there were “no implications” for Japan or countries nearby.

France’s Nuclear Safety Authority said the disaster now ranked at six on a seven-point international scale of gravity for nuclear accidents, ranking the crisis second only in gravity to Chernobyl.

Meanwhile, a technology that can make spent nuclear fuel deposits safer is on its way. A Bristol University research team has devised a system that can last for at least 100 years and that features power sensors telling future humans how the residues are doing, without going in with cables that may represent a point of failure.

Either way, nuclear power is still a controversial subject and will always be. Japan’s main power source is nuclear, so these people won’t give up on it too soon, because they don’t have other resources.

Let’s face it, this is a problem we all have to deal with – and if that means harder work, better testing and engineering geniuses, we already have lots of them.

Nuclear is not clean enough by any chance – let’s make it cleaner.

Aftermath of the tsunami: how will the country cope with the ongoing nuclear crisis?

THE COURIER Monday March 21 2011

17

STAR :Newcastle students raise awareness for refused asylum seekers > page 14 & 15

Sex & Relationships blind date

Dangerous Liaisons

Andrew Thomas & Sarah Tupper He said: I was surprised to get a text telling me that I was going on a blind date after being set up. I didn’t receive a message and assumed that I had been stood up, but on Saturday night the text arrived.

We had organised to meet up at Avanti around 7:30, and then go for a few drinks in Billabong after the meal. I thought it would make a good impression if I arrived before her, but I did not intend to turn up 15 minutes early since I was told it was a good 20 minutes away.

It was quite odd to find myself waiting for a complete stranger, but I was pleasantly surprised to see Sarah as she asked, “if I was waiting long”. I told her 15 minutes causing her to laugh, which broke the nervousness of the situation. The conversation flowed during the meal, where I found that we had a few things in common that gave us a lot to talk about. Sarah surprised me when she mentioned that she was part of the Poker Society and that we had met already on Wednesday outside Osbourne’s. There was a point when the conversation stopped, but this allowed me to catch up with the meal.

Afterwards we went for a few drinks in Billabong and the evening was going really well, but it may have looked bad on my part that I occasionally looked at the football on the TV (can’t say no to some football!). I went to the bar for some drinks only to find that someone had moved in while I was away. It was quite amusing to talk to drunken Jonathan but it became quite un-

comfortable, as he just didn’t get the hint to go away.

We were the last ones in Billabong so once we downed our drinks we called it a night. Being the perfect gentleman I offered to walk her home, which she accepted straight away (maybe a bit too quickly) but I didn’t mind.

I had a good evening and I’m hoping Sarah had a good night too.

Maybe there will be another date on the cards!

madame vs monsieur

She said: Due to my dear friend who was obviously taking unnecessary pity on my single life situation (I must add, her situation is nicely on par...), I found myself caught up on a blind date with The Courier. After a few hiccups we eventually managed to arrange a date for Sunday evening.

Knowing absolutely nothing about this guy apart from his name ‘Andy,’ this was truly a blind date.

K.VONG

Help! Madame & Monsieur, I want my girlfriend to be kinky I have been with my girlfriend for six months now and it is going really well but I find our sex life really dull. She is beautiful and amazing but I just find it really boring as it is repetitive and unadventurous. I have a fetish, which I myself think is a little strange so I will not be revealing it, which I haven’t told her because I am scared she will think I am a weirdo and leave me and tell all my friends about it! What should I do?

Monsieur

It takes two to tango my friend and how do you know that she hasn’t also written in with the same prob-

lem? Six months you say? Sounds like a bit of a crunch point doesn’t it? If it’s going well overall then I’d say stick with her but start to hint at the fact that you’d like things to get a bit raunchier in the bedroom. If you are completely comfortable with each others body then she should pick up on it easily, and hopefully things will go in the right direction.

As for the whole fetish thing it really depends how extreme it is, if it’s something like sex outdoors then I

wouldn’t worry, but if you’ve got some kind of machine hiding in the cupboard, then I’d keep it hidden.

As I often say, relationships should be based on trust as well as having a good time, and if you trust each other why not tell her about this fetish?

If it’s extreme just keep it between the two of you. If she has no clue about your needs then things aren’t going anywhere fast; you never know, she might have some handcuffs just waiting for your wrists!

He was already there when I arrived and I must admit I was fairly impressed with what was waiting. When we got seated we went through the obvious conversation topics. With Andy doing Biology and I doing Human Geography, our academic subjects were poles apart however, our conversations flowed fairly nicely. By discussing relatively active subjects we quickly found common ground. It was only when I mentioned that I was secretary of the Poker Society that our topic changed slightly. This revealed that his flatmate was in fact my fellow committee member. Whether this worked to my advantage, I don’t know – apparently he had heard a few stories about me! Although he assured me there was nothing too bad…

All filled up, we moved onto a bar on Osborne Road. Ever the gentleman, Andy payed for the dinner and bought two rounds of drinks – although I did try to insist (maybe not very hard…) on paying for some.

Settled on a comfy couch I was impressed with Andy’s conversational skills as there was rarely a moment of awkward silence. It was not until Andy decided to buy more drinks that we were joined by Jonathan.

Settling down beside us, this gentleman, who had obviously had one too many, decided to grace us with his presence. After about 10 minutes of conversation or more like monologue, that involved every second word being banter or craic, Jonathan decided to take the hint and left.

It was about half past ten when the bar closed so we decided to call it a night. Still on gentlemanly form Andy offered to walk me back to my house. Although I feel there was no chemistry as such, I don’t regret going as it was a lovely evening with plenty of laughs.

Madame

Mon ami says that sex is sex and you should just be grateful for what you get. However, he obviously has not had a crap shag. Under those circumstances even a bloke can fake it!

You may think that keeping shtum is the best course of action but you’d be wrong to do so. Dissatisfaction in the bedroom will inevitably affect other parts of your relationship. You should talk to her as she might think the sex sucks too and you never know, she might embrace your fetish or have one of her own to throw into the mix! Sex should be amazing and fun, not a chore. However, if on the off chance she freaks out about it and leaves you, don’t worry. She won’t tell your friends because she’d be more embarrassed about people knowing the reason she dumped you. Anyway, there are loads of seriously kinky girls out there looking for a like minded fella.

Though you might struggle if it is a foot fetish....

#16 Casual to couple Pamela Mardle Columnist

So you’ve been ‘seeing’ each other for a few weeks now (I never really know what that means; we all must be serial love rats if it’s meant in the true sense of the word) and it seems appropriate to move to the next level. From booty call to boyfriend: will it work? The casual nature of the fling is perhaps the thing that drives it; what if the commitment required from a ‘relationship’ is too much and turns out to be to the detriment of the romance? The ‘seeing’ each other stage allows the best of both worlds: play the field and lap up all sorts of attention safe in the knowledge that you still have an indifferent bed to go to at the end of the night. Then again, perhaps this sort of behaviour is just the thing that has landed you in the commitment trap; no-one wants to hear drunken tales of flirtation with a stranger when you’re trying to get in the mood.

This thing started out with a few inebriated phone calls and consequently a taxi ride to the opposite end of Jesmond at three in the morning; now it’s all tables for two. Can you really expect to be taken seriously as a couple when you and respective friends are all too aware of the unconventional beginnings of the romance? The time when both of you were separately bitching to friends about the effort the other half demanded; when walking all the way to the door to see them off the following morning seemed too keen and begrudgingly donating a chicken nugget from your post-lash snackbox summed up the point at which you drew the line. Now you expect everyone to accept you as a devoted and loving couple who are willing to skip a casual night at the pub in order to display your devotion to one another down at the Quayside. Don’t be scorned if you experience somewhat frosty reviews of your recent shift in commitments, especially if the new-found romance has catapulted you from scandalous singletons to conservative couple. Imagine Bridget Jones suddenly ditching her feminist, independent views to join the smug couples at THAT dinner party, discussing the merits of coming home to a cuddly night on the sofa in favour of the absurd idea of heading out with the girls on the lash.

You’d feel slightly abandoned; left in the lurch, right? As long as you remember the humble beginnings of your love story, go ahead: leave behind the walk of shame, and, instead, tread the stride of pride.

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Life & Style

Monday March 21 2011 THE COURIER

Life

life

Student Action for Refugees: sleeping rough in Newcastle for the city’s asylum seekers As part of a national series of events to raise awareness of destitution amongst asylum seekers, Simon Childs braves the cold North- Eastern weather for the STAR ‘sleep-out’ to find out more about the campaign Usually if I’m awake at 4am on a Saturday morning it’s because I’m in a take-away slurring “you’re my best mate in the whole world” to my chips, cheese and gravy following several too many rums and some disastrous shape-pulling in WHQ. Not this Saturday morning. This morning I’m awake at 4am because I’m cold, my sleeping bag is a little damp, and no matter how hard I try, I just can’t seem to get comfortable on this cardboard box which has

been flattened out to make a rudimentary mattress on the concrete floor of the porch of St Thomas’ Church.

Welcome to Student Action for Refugees’ (STAR) ‘sleep-out’; part of a national series of events to raise awareness about destitution amongst refused asylum seekers.

“Sleeping outside is the situation that destitute asylum seekers find themselves in every day, so we’re doing it for one night,” says Kathy K. CUDLIP

Sleep-out: Volunteers spent the night in similar conditions refugees regularly face

Garret, one of the STAR activists.

“Destitution is the situation a lot of asylum seekers end up in,” explains Anna Furniss, a Newcastle University medical student. “People who have been refused refugee status and exhausted the right to appeal, but can’t go home because it’s unsafe – they aren’t allowed to work but they can’t claim benefits, so they’re denied the right to support themselves and end up destitute.”

“They’re easily exploited because they can’t work so they have to get illegal work such as sex work,” adds Josie Vallely, one of the organisers of the event.

One of the many difficulties facing asylum seekers is proving that they deserve refugee status. “As well as stories that are hard to prove practically, there are stories which are hard to tell emotionally”, says Furniss. Apparently the UK Border Agency doesn’t take into account the fact that someone who has undertaken a perilous journey fleeing torture, rape, or war, might find it difficult to discuss their experience.

Asylum seekers who are neither allowed to work nor claim benefits are in a ‘Catch-22’ situation that doesn’t sit easily with the lurid headlines of the gutter press, routinely accusing them of both ‘scrounging benefits’ and ‘stealing our jobs’, oblivious to the contradiction. Pricking that narrative is absolutely on STAR’s agenda as they campaign. “I feel like the media has filled up a bucket with shit about immigration and we’re putting a small hole in it,” says Vallely, painting an unpleasant picture in my head. But if asylum seekers were allowed jobs, wouldn’t there be some truth in these claims?

“When they were allowed to have jobs [before the law was changed in 2002], they were only from the reserve list, so giving them the right to work wouldn’t take away British jobs” counters Rachel Belward, who by this point is looking rather chilly despite her several layers.

“But that’s not the point,” interjects another STAR activist, “that’s a useful economic argument, but the real point is that these people are destitute.”

Sleeping outside for a night certainly helps to reinforce the human dimension to destitution, beyond the cold statistics. My night is bearable, even fun at times, thanks to the warm welcome and interesting conversations with the STAR members, the free bottomless tea refills,

and the feeling that we’re doing something for a good cause. These elements turn the reality for many destitute asylum seekers on its head – replace the warm welcome with institutionalised discrimination, the camaraderie with loneliness, the free tea with hunger, and the smug feeling of doing a good deed with one of enforced worthlessness and shame. Is it any surprise so many have mental health problems and turn to drugs to cope?

It’s certainly no surprise that the humanity of refugees is rarely on the lips of reactionary politicians or in tabloid print. But recently, as we face the destruction of the welfare state and the very real possibility of home grown destitution, it has rarely even been a focus for political activists.

As someone who has personally been involved in anti-cuts campaigns, I wonder whether it’s reasonable to expect people to focus their energies on asylum seekers, when we face cuts that will materially affect our own lives. Kathy Garrett agrees that this is a problem, but emphasises, “even if you’re struggling with tuition fees, you’re still going to have a roof over your head.

Many asylum seekers don’t, which puts our problems in perspective.”

People find themselves in destitution when they have been refused refugee status and exhausted the right to appeal, but can’t go home because it’s unsafe. They can’t work, claim benefits or support themselves.

For Kieran Cudlip a sixth former at Newcastle College, it’s a question of atonement for the UK’s foreign policy sins; “A country bears responsibility for what it does, and for what it enables other countries to do. We have a history with these countries which is not always rosy. For instance, if people are fleeing torture in Egypt, the instruments of torture used were probably manufactured in the UK.” These are complex arguments, or at least, they feel like they are as we proffer them to people returning from nights out at three in the

Star: Student members gathered together to

morning. “You sound like you don’t know what you’re on about”, complains one, before storming off in a huff. Most people, however, are in a more generous mood, alcohol seeming to add to their sense of empathy, and many sign the petition to allow asylum seekers the right to work.

Others admit their confusion, but take a leaflet, promising to read it in the morning when they’re in a better state to understand. One reveller is so empathetic with destitution that he thinks even the sleep-out is too much for people to go through.

“You don’t need to do this to yourselves!” he says, promising to bring us tents from his house.

This recognition of self-sacrifice validates the action on the one hand, but on the other it prompts a difficult question – aren’t there easier ways to campaign? Not everyone wants to spend the night shivering, even if they do care. Anna Furniss is keen to emphasise the range of tactics STAR is using to highlight this issue.

“We’re making an important impact with the sleep-out to encourage others to do a smaller act, like signing a petition and writing letters to MPs. We’re also spreading awareness because that’s what drives government policy.”

After being awoken at 6am by a loud inquisitive Scotsman walking his dog, we have breakfast, and then it’s back home to sleep in my warm bed long into Sunday afternoon – a luxury not afforded to the UK’s many destitute asylum seekers, for whom sleeping rough isn’t an opportunity to make a point and get out of your comfort zone, but a recurring nightmare.

THE COURIER Monday March 21 2011

Life

W. SEBAG- MONTEFOIRE

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Life & Style

The Penny Pincher #16 Mother’s Day Sarah Bennett Columnist

gain a better understanding of destitution amongst asylum seekers, whilst raising awareness of the problems faced by thousands of people who have fled their unsafe countries

Case Study- Lusi Originally from Armenia, Lusi and her family fled to the UK when she was sixteen years old after facing religious persecution in Uzbekistan where they had lived for a number of years.

Over their four years in Newcastle, her family’s claim for asylum has been rejected several times and they face deportation. Their last hope is in a judicial review, which will take the case out of Home Office hands and give it to the High Court.

It has been difficult for the family to provide evidence that they were persecuted. “When we arrived in the UK we didn’t even have our passports. It’s so bureaucratic here; you even get a letter when you get a library fine. It’s not like that in Uzbekistan – you can get arrested for your religious beliefs or go through court and never receive any notification that it ever happened.”

Deportation would split the family apart, with Lusi, her mother and brother being sent to Armenia, and her father to Uzbekistan.

“My mum and I will be imprisoned on arrival and then most likely released, but my brother will be imprisoned for three or four years and have to pay a massive fine.”

Harsher treatment is expected for Lusi’s brother because by living in England he has been evading service in the Armenian military. “There is one non-combat death per month in the Armenian army,” claims Lusi.

“Recruits are often beaten to death by officers.”

As for her father, Lusi says, “I have no idea what would happen to him,” but it seems likely that he will find

himself imprisoned in Uzbekistan, a country that several NGOs have raised concerns about because of “wide-scale violation of virtually all basic human rights.”

Despite this, Lusi is arguably one of the lucky ones. Her family and strong community ties have meant she has avoided the destitution experienced by so many failed asylum seekers, even though she was cut off from government support over a year ago and is not allowed to work.

A charity pays the family’s rent and they receive food parcels. They have also been helped out by the grateful members of the numerous community groups Lusi volunteers for. Having lived here for her entire adult life, Lusi has built a number of friendships and thoroughly immersed herself in community life – ex-

actly the sort of person David Cameron’s so called ‘Big Society’ would want to hang on to, you would have thought. But when considering her case, the government doesn’t take this into account. “They say that because I was always aware that my stay here might be temporary, they don’t recognise my friendships or volunteer work as a ‘private life’ worth considering.”

With her case at a critical stage, Lusi is keen to put on record her gratitude to those campaigning for the rights of refugees; “STAR’s sleep-out is a brilliant idea. The awareness they’ve raised has been enormous. The fact that they would sleep outside to raise awareness means a lot – students don’t get enough sleep as it is! There are a lot of bad labels attached to asylum seek and I’m

grateful that STAR is trying to reverse that.”

Common Misconceptions • Immigrants and asylum seekers are the same - No. There’s a difference between an economic migrant, who comes to Britain because of its relatively good economy, and an asylum seeker, who is fleeing war, prosecution, and other human right abuses.

• They steal jobs from British workers - Wrong again. Since 2002, asylum seekers haven’t been allowed to work in the UK. • They are here to scrounge off our benefits - Many asylum seekers are fleeing from countries that don’t have benefits systems. They don’t even have a concept of what benefits are, so are not ‘lured’ to Britain because of the opportunities to ‘scrounge’. Failed asylum seekers aren’t entitled to benefits, but those who are allowed to claim benefits receive a meagre £35 per week – hardly a gravy train • Britain is swamped by them - In fact, asylum seekers account for a tiny proportion of overall immigration. The number of asylum seekers that come to the UK in a year would only half fill St. James’ Park. Most immigrants end up in the country next to the one they’re fleeing.

• Why should we care about them - We have a duty under international law to protect asylum seekers, and it can be argued that it is our government which has caused many of the problems.

So it’s a week or so away, but you might be starting to think about what you might get your mum for Mother’s Day. I know the last lot of loan may be nearing its end for some of you, but you still want to get your mum something special.

Never fear, the Penny Pincher is here! (And don’t worry, I’m never using that sentence again!) www.snapfish.com If you’ve not heard of this site already, it’s a place where you can upload photos and they’ll print them and send them back to your front door. Mother’s Day items include photo gifts, ranging from mugs, magnets, prints and jigsaw puzzles, as well as cards which you can add your own photos to. Better still, there’s an offer on for Mother’s Day until 28th March, where if you enter the code 20MUM11 then you’ll get 20% off these cards and gifts. If you’re just looking to get some free photos, the first time you sign up to the site, you can get 20 free prints and just pay P&P. However, if you’re looking for more photos to brighten your room, go via www.maximiles.co.uk, and you can get 40 free prints, as well as points on your maximiles account. www.justminatures.co.uk Now, I don’t know what your mum is like, but Mother Bennett does love her whisky. However, as much as I love her, the last lot of loan is dwindling and I’d rather not buy her a full 70cl bottle. However this site allows me to buy miniatures of her favourite whisky, obviously for a fraction of the price of a whole bottle. There is a whole range of spirits on offer, including a variety of different gift sets, so if your mum is a fan of rum, Irish whiskey or even various liqueurs, you’ll be able to find something for her.

If it’s not a favourite tipple you’re after, the site also does miniature bottles of fragrance so you can treat Mum to some smellies, without splashing out on a massive bottle.

Flowers Now your mum may be expecting a bunch of flowers for Mother’s Day. There are a ton of sites on the web to get your bunches from but the best place to start is at www. vouchercodes.co.uk, to try and find sites with current discounts.

Most are usually 10% off, but it’s worth shopping around as some have gift sets with chocolate. Plus, it’s worth looking for the best looking bouquets of flowers!

Chocolates Now, I have to say that these are generally not cheap. As I already mentioned, you may be able to get some in a bundle with a bouquet of flowers, but generally, I’ll be boring and suggest Thorntons and you can’t go wrong. They even do ‘Alphabet Truffles’ where you can have your own message written on separate chocolates.

Next week is the last Courier before the Easter holidays. Doesn’t time fly when you’re having fun?!

20

Lifestyle

Monday March 21 2011 THE COURIER

Health

health

Quit now: put an end to smoking Xiaodan Li explores effective quitting methods after statistics show 63 per cent of UK smokers want to give up Are you a smoker? If the answer is no, don’t you just hate it when you inhale other peoples’ smoke? If the answer is yes, then do you actually enjoy this habit, even when you are exposed to heartbreaking news about lung cancer or other diseases caused by smoking?

According to recent statistics revealed by BBC news reports, about 90 percent of lung cancer is caused as a result of smoking. It is a well known fact that ‘smoking is the enemy of good and healthy lifestyle’.

The following statistic, however, might come as a surprise: 63 percent of smokers in the UK are actually willing to quit smoking, as shown in a survey by The Office for National Statistics. These statistics show that a high proportion of smokers are willing to give up the habit, so here’s some personal advice for those wanting to quit: There are many solutions for smokers who want to give up. First and foremost, be fully aware of WHY you want to give up. This means that you are100 percent sure about your goal, and it will help you stave off cravings. It is well known that when giving something up, persevering is one of the hardest things.

It may be easy to go without a cigarette for a day or so, but for most smokers, ten days of ‘smoke-free’ lifestyle sounds like a nightmare.

When quitting, you have to think of the benefits to your health, and also those around you. Whether you like it or not, smoking does not just affect the smoker. Secondhand smoking is a topic surrounded by debate, as smoking in enclosed areas can affect others’ health.

Secondly, when you are determined to quit, set a plan for yourself.

Don’t quit right away, but steadily reduce the amount of cigarettes you have per day. Another suggestion is to smoke only half of a cigarette, and save the rest until later. Which-

Maria Moffatt tries the Rosemary Conley diet Weight Before: 9 stone 2 pounds Weight After: 9 stone 3 pounds

Hard work: Quitting smoking is always going to be challenging, but a combination of will power and professional help can pay off.

ever method you choose, the idea is to remove yourself, little by little, from the effects of nicotine.

Thirdly, find the approach that suits you. For example, each time you fancy a smoke, do something else: go and buy yourself a little treat, like some chocolate or fish and chips. Of course, this is not the best thing to do if you’re on a diet! Chewing gum is another alternative.

The NHS also offers a Stop Smoking Service. According to statistics on their website, one in two people who use this are not smoking four weeks later. Another service offered by the NHS is Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT). This works differently to cigarettes, as it does not contain toxic chemicals like tar

or carbon monoxide, and does not cause cancer. NRT is suitable for most people, however you should check with your doctor if you are pregnant, or have a heart condition. Some stop smoking methods include patches, gum and nicorette inhalers.

According to the NHS, Nicotine Replacement Therapy is believed to be very affective.

The NHS believe that if you use their stop-smoking techniques to

manage your cravings, you are up to four times more likely to be successful.

Asking for support from your friends is always beneficial. Their encouragement will help you move in the right direction. If they are not there to dissuade you when you are desperate, look at the mirror and say to yourself: ‘there is no point giving up now.’

This is not going to be easy. Even though I am a non-smoker, I can imagine how hard it would be from my experience of losing weight. Separating yourself from a cigarette is similar to saying goodbye to cakes.

You know what, the results will be rewarding when you really make it.

Why not give it a go now?

Bad hair day? Lucy Johnson tries high-street and homemade hair remedies If you and your straighteners are inseperable, you’re overly fond of colouring your hair or you’re addicted to hot rollers, you won’t be a stranger to hair damage. Whether you’re feeling flush or you’re strapped for cash, there are many solutions to cure your damaged hair.

One of the simplest ways is to get a regular haircut, not only will your stylist be able to completely rid you of your split ends, but they’ll also be able to advise you on treatments and products that will limit the damage done to your hair. Also, if you’ve been a peroxide blonde for a while now, try a colour like dark blonde or brunette, it’ll condition your hair and give it a break from the regular bleaching.

A quick and easy piece of advice is to try not to wash your hair every day; try and do it every other day, and if you’re stuck in the house over the weekend, leave your hair unwashed a little longer to give it a break from the heat and the products.

If you feel like splashing the cash,

Maria’s diet diary

Frizz-Ease by John Frieda have a range of products, such as their Smooth Start Hydrating Conditioner (£5.69). Many high street leave-in conditioners and hair masks, such as Herbal Essences Hello Hydration Intensive Mask (£4.09) also do the job just as well. Just leaving your normal conditioner on for five minutes extra during your regular shower can also make a difference.

Certain high street hot oil treatments can also be particularly helpful, such as Alberto VO5’s Hot Oil Moisture Soak (£2.18), a quick treatment for the penny pinching student.

Keep an eye open for shampoos and conditioners which ‘hydrate’ your hair, or state they aid damaged hair; regular use of these products could make all the difference.

At home treatments can prove to be some of the most effective. Any sort of cooking oil can sort pesky damaged hair. Coconut suntan oil can have the same effect and will also make your hair smell pretty tasty.

It may be hard to lay your hands on, but peanut oil can also give the

Radiant: Beyonce’s hair is always healthy

same repairing effect but give your hair a peanut scent; when you’re ready to rinse it out, use a moistur-

iser or baby shampoo to wash out the greasiness. Other remedies such as egg whites (mixed with water), mayonnaise and avocado (although not together, but there’s nothing to stop you trying) have also proved to be effective.

Another home remedy is vinegar.

This removes residue to restore your hair’s natural shine, and vinegartreated hair is less likely to tangle.

Don’t worry about the smell; it will diminish as your hair dries. Vinegar is effective as it removes scaly buildup and residue from hair shafts and closes the cuticles. It also promotes blood circulation.

Certain vitamins can be particularly useful; vitamin E helps reduce damage to hair, and can be found in olive oil, nut butters, avocado and spinach. It can be taken in supplement form if the above foods don’t take your fancy. The anti-oxidant vitamin C is also beneficial, and adding foods such as lemons, limes, oranges, strawberries and melons to your diet can help reduce the effects of dry, damaged hair.

Rosemary Conley diet means only eating food with five percent fat or less, apart from the 150 calorie treat you’re allowed each day (or save over consecutive days for a larger treat).

Not a bad diet in terms of what you eat: being allowed to eat as many vegetables as you like and lots of fruit may not appeal to some people but if followed, I can imagine it would be a very effective long-term diet.

Breakfast caused no problems as I had a variety of healthy cereals to choose from: Bran Flakes, Special K and Rice Krispies amongst them.

Toast with butter or jam would also have been an effective alternative.

Lunch ran as usual: making sandwiches at home, with crisps and biscuits or if in a rush, I grabbed a Boots Meal Deal.

Unfortunately, I was unable to follow the diet during the evening. My weekdays consist of lectures and meeting friends during the evening, which gave me limited options for food. Constantly busy and having to find something to eat, it was often the case that I either ate food which contained more than five percent fat or nothing at all. I chose to eat. There’s nothing worse on a diet than feeling sick from a lack of food and what’s more, it’s unnecessary.

Difficult to maintain in the evening unless you never tire of Boots meal deals or spend lots of time in the house to prepare healthy meals.

This diet also emphasised the importance of exercise as well as a healthy diet: I managed this on two days out of seven, oops! My busy schedule and social life meant that I either had no time to go for a 20 minute run or I had no energy by the time I arrived home. Even though I did not keep up the exercise, it really does make a difference and makes you feel healthier.

Although inconvenient for those with hectic lifestyles, I think this is a very good diet and will work long-term if followed properly. It’s a form of healthy eating which will give you a smooth transition into a healthy balanced diet; no initial weight gain because you’ve been on a fad diet such as the Atkins.

If you’re constantly on the move but also want to try an effective diet, look elsewhere: you’ll find it difficult to maintain. If you’re not that busy person and want a sensible diet to lose weight then I say, give it a go!

Balance: this diet focuses on moderation

THE COURIER Monday March 21 2011

Food and Drink

Uno’s Trattoria 18 Sandhill, Quayside 0191 261 5264

Quality: Uno’s serves great food at cheap prices, so it’s perfect for budgeting students

inch of the online menu.

The menu looked simple and tasty, however due to the very reasonable prices (starters 2.95- 6.50, mains 6.25-10.00 for pizza/pasta), I wasn’t expecting anything extra special. I was proved wrong and was pleasantly surprised with the quality of the food at Uno. We both opted for seafood starters; I, the Mussels with a Tomato and Chilli Sauce, and Andrew, the calamari. The mussels were fresh and succulent, and the sauce had just enough chilli to give it a kick without drowning out the

other flavours. The calamari was excellent - in my experience it can be rubbery and greasy, however the chefs at Uno produced a light and crispy batter that perfectly complimented the fresh and tasty squid.

The efficient, friendly staff ensured that all our needs were met and that our glasses remained topped up and therefore, after the success of our lovely starters, we eagerly anticipated our main courses. As we were in an Italian we decided to go for the classic pasta/pizza options when in Rome and all that (sorry!). I

had a pasta dish called Affumicato, which consisted of fresh salmon, onions and mushrooms, in a white wine and parsley cream sauce and a pasta of my choice (a little touch that I always enjoy!) The dish was lovely, the delicate flavour of the salmon was complimented perfectly by the onions and light cream sauce. It wasn’t too filling and the pasta had clearly been made to order. Andrew went for the slightly novel, yet unbelievably contrived Kiev pizza, which was a garlic-ey creation topped with mozzarella, chicken and mushrooms. The topping was generous with no skimping on the chicken, and the stone baked dough was thin, crispy and perfectly cooked, a proper Italian pizza!

With the thought of pudding nearly being too much to bare, I started to wonder if Andrew would notice if I secretly undid my shorts! But after spying one of my favourites, a Crème Brulee, I couldn’t say no!

Having recently had a harrowing Crème Brulee experience in one of Osborne Road’s most expensive restaurants, I was hoping Uno would restore my faith in the classic desert.

It was completely perfect, with the crunchy and warm top contrasting perfectly with the cold, firm bottom.

With Andrew describing his Chocolate Brownie as: ‘A veritable carousel for the taste buds’, I can presume that he too was not disappointed.

All in all, it was a great evening, the homely atmosphere, smiling staff and fantastic food have definitely warranted Uno’s a second visit!

Georgie Denny and Andrew Curry

Georgie Davies puts Jamie Oliver’s 30-minute-meals to the test After receiving the latest offering from Jamie Oliver, in the form of ’Jamie’s 30 minute meals’, as a gift, it soon seemed that Jamie would be competing with the likes of Delia.

The book sold over 735,000 copies in 10 weeks, gaining the title of UK’s quickest selling non-fiction title.

The reviews, however, seem somewhat mixed, with some negative press regarding the 30-minute time limit promised by Mr. Oliver. It seems to me, that the majority of his recipe ideas are inspired and reinforced by beautiful photographs.

He covers a plethora of recipe ideas encompassing a wide range of cuisines, from pasta dishes to various Asian inspired recipes. Of the recipes I’ve tried so far, (I’m on a mission to cook my way through the book!) his Moroccan lamb is particularly delicious, as are his chicken skewers with satay sauce.

The fact that they are all ‘meal’ ideas, with drinks, puddings, and sides included is inspiring, especially if you’re cooking for a dinner party. I’m not entirely keen on the layout of the instructions, (the order in which to do the whole meal) as often I want to just try out one dish from the meal and its then rather disjointed to follow.

My favourite dish to date has to be the ‘Pregnant Jools’s Pasta’: penne with a scrumptious, sausage ragu, with a very welcome fennel seed note. I first tasted this last September cooked by his team at a Jamie’s Pasta stall at Jimmy’s Harvest Festival.

Since appearing in the book I have cooked it again and again, each time

Lifestyle

food & drink

review

Having frequented, and grown slightly bored of, Jesmond’s many Italian Restaurants, the prospect of sampling something further afield was a very appealing thought. Passing Uno’s on many occasions, I had never actually eaten there and so was looking forward to seeing what this little section of the Quayside had to offer.

As we walked into the bustling restaurant, complete with checkered table cloths and low ceilings, we were welcomed by the authentic atmosphere provided by the wonderful smell of garlic and chilli drifting through from the kitchen. Met with a smile from the Maitre d’, we were then led to a cosy corner where our drinks order was taken immediately. So far so good.

I take AGES to order. My love of food combined with the crippling fear of getting ‘menu-envy’, means it usually takes me a good 45 minutes, and half a bottle of wine, to make a decision. This time, however, to save Andrew the infuriation and embarrassment that my dinner date usually endures, I made sure that before I left I had scoured every

21

Snack Swap Georgie Denny swaps fatty snacks for healthy alternatives...

Courgette fries with sour cream and chive dip.

These are a healthy alternative to potato chips. Dip the courgettes in egg white, then coat with breadcrumbs, pepper and parmesan. Bake for 5-10 minutes in a preheated oven (245°C) until browned and crispy.

Mozarella, tomato and basil cocktail sticks.

These are a great accompaniment to a Barbie.

Put half of a cherry tomato on a cocktail stick, follow with a strip of mozzarella wrapped in basil, then top with the other half of the tomato. Easy.

Peppers wrapped in palma ham

Use peppers instead of sausages to reduce the saturated fat in this dish. You can use any coloured pepper, and cheese fans can stuff the peppers with a reduced-fat variety.

Success: previous books, such as Jamie’s America, have been sellouts. 30-minute-meals is no different and has been a phenomena

it is equally pleasing. An almost, pork alternative to a Bolognese, with a real twist and something I would never have thought of.

For me the time limit isn’t really an issue as I mainly use the book for recipe ideas and am therefore not too concerned if it takes me longer than the promised half an hour. But it is marketed as such, and I think the only real way to make the whole meal within the time-frame is to have EVERYTHING ready before you ‘set the timer’: the oven preheated, the ingredients laid out, the pans/knives/boards all at the ready. Which almost defeats the point as it’ll take at least ten minutes to do all that plus the inevitable slog

of washing up at the end, which is made a further challenge by the requirement of the food processor in almost all the recipes.

For me the recipe ideas are great, and I can’t wait to continue cooking my way through the book. This is the general reception it has been welcomed with by everyone else I know who has the book; not falling at the first hurdle must therefore be a good sign. The only issue with the actual recipes I have faced so far is the strange recipe for his banoffee pie. The sugar and water caramel layer simply solidifies resulting in a layer akin to the outside of a toffee apple- definitely not something you want to bite into when you’re

expecting the usual banoffee-esque gooey, caramel! His base for the pie is a shop-bought piecrust (clearly an addition to aid the time-limit), but for me, this essentially removes all the yummiest parts of a banoffee pie, the biscuit base and the gooey caramel!!

Regardless of the unmastered pie and the skepticism on timing, I must say I still remain a diehard Jamie fan, and would definitely recommend his book for the majority of recipes.

The wide range of brilliant and diverse ideas, exquisite food and photos highlight some really great meal ideas. Next on the to-cook list is his rib-eye stir-fry, dan dan noodles and chilled hibiscus tea- yum!

Broad beans & goat’s cheese on toast A healthy alternative to pate: Toast ciabatta slices, then top with cheese, broad beans, peas and pancetta.

To season, sprinkle with chilli and pepper.

A. DEWING

22

Lifestyle

Monday March 21 2011 THE COURIER

Travel

travel

Festival or beach break holiday: Why not both?

Bored of Glastonbury? Vicki Dacker has some alternative festival suggestions that combine music, sun and sand...

Festival or beach break holiday?

A true dilemma for the money poor, sunshine deprived student of Newcastle University. As summer approaches we all gear up for a summer to remember but when the loan and job situation get in the way either that Glasto trip or lying on a pebbly Croatian beach loses out. But why compromise? There are places both near and far that can satisfy your music, tanning and relaxing needs. All you need is a tent, sun cream and flip flops (or at least here’s hoping!)

Near - Beach Break (June 16-20, Pembrey Country Park, South Wales) South Wales may not chime ‘summer holiday’ or conjure images of sun, sea and sand, but when you hear that Tinie Tempah, Katy B, We Are Scientists and Prof Green will all be there, you realise this could be worth a visit.

The festival sets out to be an all-encompassing summer holiday, with music, sports and an events list that seems inexhaustible. Amongst the madness are burlesque and magic workshops, dance classes, sports including wakeboarding and skiing, epic paint fights, fancy dress en mass, silent discos, yoga, knitting (!), graffiti battles, funfairs, theatre and of course the beach and all water/ sand related activities. What’s more, if ‘Feel the rhythm! Feel the rhyme!

Get on up, its bobsled time! COOL RUNNINGS!’ strikes a chord with you then there is always the toboggan run.

Beach Break certainly stands apart from the rest. Add to that the ticket and camping price of £99 and the potential for 20,000 fun and free students, it’s a unique win-win. So pack up the car, or book onto one of their handy coaches, and head down to South Wales to enjoy the coast.

Far – Benicassim (July 14-17 - Benicassim, Spain) Two hours south from Barcelona and you reach the seaside town of Benicassim (FIB), host to the legendary all-nighter summer music festival. For a week in mid July the quaint Spanish town comes alive as the world’s greatest artists and music fans descend for the 9pm-6am party.

The resort is easily reached from all the surrounding cities by train or the rather convenient eufest buses which take you door to metaphorical door (i.e. tent zip) from Reus, Girona, Barcelona, Valencia and Alicante.

This year do not miss Brit award winners Mumford and Sons - last year’s moment of Beni for most, including myself, belonged to these Spanish-festival virgins. From further afield, Julian Casablancas returns for the second year in a row but this time with band The Strokes in tow, with Arctic Monkeys, Portishead and Arcade Fire also on the bill.

With a fun and fanciful fairground spirit, great food and drink from around the world and incredible music, Benicassim’s spirit cannot be faulted. With your £160 ticket, you get full access to the festival and a week’s camping (11-18) at one of the two sites – Beni Camp (approximately 30 minutes walk from the site

Best of Britain’s...

Stately Homes Liv Mason visits Chatsworth House in Derbyshire

Try something new: UK festivals such as Glastonbury are renowned for their excellence, but travel abroad for festivals with a twist

or a two Euro bus ride away, think mud free Glasto with palm trees, proper showers, Lidl on your doorstep and pizza takeout) or Camp FIB (right by the festival site but a good 30+ minutes walk to the shops and the beach - large, loud, lively and [porta] loos).

But the best part about the festival is being able to enjoy music at night and still have time to explore during the day. Within 40 minutes walk of both Beni Camp and Camp FIB are the beach and Aquarama water park (entry 20.50Euro) – which happens to have an amazing fake sponge grass area for the all too needed 40 winks after the night before.

Benicassim makes a fantastic summer holiday with friends. The heat can be unbearable in and out your tent – hello mini fans and massive umbrella as shade – but the people you meet, the performances you witness and the overall atmosphere really makes Beni something special. If that’s still not enough then venture to Barcelona or Valencia on your way back and soak up some city buzz.

Just don’t do what I did and exhaust yourself for the rest of the week by dancing to Benga and Skream solidly until five in the morning...on the first night.

Further – five of the best Fuji Rock Festival (Naeba Ski Resort, Japan - July 29-31): If Wales and Spain just don’t fit your adventuring needs then why not head further afield to Japan. Set high in the mountains and surrounded by forest, Fuji Rock already boasts a line up featuring Arctic Monkeys, Coldplay and Chemical Brothers. Despite the apparent credit card quivering price tag of 40,000 yen the festival with camping works out at under £300.

Surely, this is one of those ‘paying for the experience’ type festivals.

There is even a free shuttle bus from JR Echigo Yuzawa station to the festival site. On a mountain; in Japan; insane!

Splendour in the Grass (New South Wales, Australia – July 2931): Top Australian and UK performers heat up the Oz winter. Last year’s line up included The Strokes, Mumford, Florence and Temper

Trap.

Reggae Sumfest (Montego Bay, Jamaica – July 21-23): Reggae, R&B and dancehall take centre stage as the finest artists take to the beach.

Beach parties and Jamaican cuisine a must.

Summer Sonic (August 13-14 Tokyo and Osaka): Stellar line up including Red Hot Chili Peppers, Strokes and Primal Scream at the Japanese version of Reading and Leeds.

Rainforest World Music Festival (Sarawak, Malaysia). Music festival in a rainforest in Borneo. Need I say more?

So, there you have it. A veritable feast of festivals that can fulfil your summer travelling and musical needs. If all else fails there is always Evolution Festival (May 28 and 29) at the Quayside. It may not be on a beach but the Quayside will come alive with 2011 festival stalwart Tinie Tempah and Plan B if you fancy a well deserved break from revision.

Certainly the best British festival for the less mud-loving among us!

Whether we like to admit it or not, secretly we’ve all lived the period drama fantasy. The idea of owning a stately home and being able to be lord and lady of the manor is quite enjoyable. So what could be a more perfect way of living out the dream than visiting some of the stately homes around Britain? Although there are countless spectacular examples around the country, for me the finest is Chatsworth House in the Peak District. This is an expansive courtyard-style house standing in very impressive grounds, backed by the River Derwent and surrounded by cascading waterfalls, rocky mountains and beautiful lawns.

Not perfect enough for you? Well to add a cherry on the top, this is the very house that Mr Darcy from Pride and Prejudice fictionally lived in, as Chatsworth was chosen to be the setting for Pemberley in the 2005 film. This is the place that Keira Knightley gasped at the beauty (of the house and Matthew Macfadyen, of course).

This is a true example of British architecture featuring different styles from its long history. For stately home fanatics, much of the inside is open to the public giving us a glimpse of the luxurious lifestyle the Cavendish family were able to indulge in. The rooms are lavishly decorated with furniture from its beginnings in 1549, and the house is lucky to have been kept in such good condition. The chance to go inside will give you much to envy.

Chatsworth also has holiday cottages for weekends away, a farm shop and a café perfect for afternoon tea. Whilst you’re there, you can dream of your own Mr Darcy.

In winter there are even Christmas markets.

The house is constantly being restored, with new rooms opening up, furniture exhibitions and 105 acres of open garden. There are herb gardens, mazes, and fountains, making it a perfect day out and an alternative to the usual weekend activities.

Without a doubt, the best thing about Chatsworth is its sheer beauty and magnitude. Few countries have such a wealth of stately homes and we proved that the British could live in style. Albeit it only the very rich.

With its recent use in Pride and Prejudice, this only proves that their popularity is not waning and we have many more stately homes to look forward to. Stately homes are once again becoming a national treasure and a very popular weekend trip.

Chatsworth boasts striking architecture

THE COURIER Monday March 21 2011

23

Give your LBD a fashionable fix > Page 21

Music: do they have fashion mastered?

Rosanna Sopp asks what happens when fashion and music collide with fashion’s new hopeful The internet has been abuzz with rumours that Kanye West, Mr Cool himself, has applied to Central St Martin’s College of Art and Design, one of the most prestigious fashion schools in the world, to do a MA in Fashion. St Martin’s has produced the likes of Alexander McQueen and Stella McCartney, and 90 per cent of the 20 students doing the masters go on to found their own label or are snapped up by fashion powerhouses likes Gucci or Chloe, so it would seem Mr West wants to add ‘fashion designer’ to his repertoire. It does seem slightly strange though, as those who apply to St Martin’s need the degree to gain the contacts and experience vital for starting their own line and as a celebrity, this may be Mr West’s forte.

This isn’t the singer’s first brush with fashion; his CV boasts experience with Louis Vuitton and Fendi. He has also hardly shied away from fashion, wearing outlandish outfits over the years, and regularly being seen in the front row of fashion shows. However, with 500 people applying for 46 places on MA courses, Kanye West could face some stiff competition. While having the superstar studying at their college would be great for publicity, one hopes his place wouldn’t stop a deserving young designer from getting the chance they need.

Kanye’s rumoured application brings to light the phenomena of when fashion and music collide which is happening more often as

Kanye West: the well-dressed ‘college dropout’ has applied to Central St Martins, an example of when music and fashion combine

the two worlds become increasingly interwoven. Fashion and music have always gone hand in handmusicians display their personality and attitude through their clothes, and designers jump at the chance to dress musicians because it means guaranteed publicity. Celebrities like Lady Gaga have made their fashion almost, if not more, as headline grabbing than their music, and others have ventured into the fashion world in different ways - having their own clothing line or modelling for designers. When Lady Gaga’s

video for ‘Born this Way’ came out, it wasn’t the video itself that was grabbing the most column inches, it was her outfits. While her music itself is still hugely popular, as her four UK number ones prove, it does beg the question - to become a famous artist, is it more about looking and being distinctive than actual musical talent?

Celebrities like Lady Gaga, Beth Ditto and Paris Hilton have dipped their toes into the fashion pool by walking the catwalk for their favourite designers. Another way in

which the fashion and music worlds meet is when celebrities do collections or one off’s with high street or designer brands. Kanye West himself has already created trainers for Louis Vuitton, P Diddy has his own line, Madonna has done a collection for H&M as well as her own brand ‘Material Girl’, and Gwen Stefani has the extremely popular L.A.M.B line.

For musicians nowadays, getting a clothing line seems a natural progression in entrepreneurship. What starts off as a singing career can

quickly progress into endorsement deals, two perfume releases and three different clothing lines. Who can blame them, when the collections are so popular and so lucrative too.

In today’s world, it appears that a musician can’t just be a musicianthey have to have several strings to their bow. The problem with this is that just because the celebrity is well dressed, doesn’t mean they’re going to do well in the fast paced and fickle fashion arena. The world of celebrity is becoming increasingly more fashion oriented, and so it seems to have only been a matter of time before famous faces like Kanye West sought an actual degree to make their forays into fashion more credible.

While that can be applauded, as it means they’re taking fashion seriously, some could argue that singers should stick to what they do best - singing. Designing should stay with those who dreamt of making dresses since they were 12, and trained specifically for that purpose.

These people may be more likely to utilise their degree better, and could become influential and popular designers. Imagine if, in 1994, a musician had gotten a place at Central St Martin’s instead of a twenty-five year old called Lee. If he had lost out on a place, Alexander McQueen, one of the biggest fashion lines in the world, may never have been created.

Over to him: is the average man a closet fashionista?

Matt Green discusses a perplexing issue: do men actually take notice of what is en vogue?

Guys and girls aren’t wired the same and at times this can prove frustrating; especially when it comes to fashion. Being a close friend of the fashion editor I have experienced this first hand, as most lads probably have. I’ve heard my fair share of opinions centred around what’s hot and what’s not within the female fashion world. Catwalk trends, high-street trends, ageless style and dressing to flatter your shape are just some of the things I’ve had to endure. And that’s without talking designers! Whilst I’ve persevered and, at times, feigned interest, I do wish that I could just press a mute button to end the bombardment of style, trends and accessories. All this aside, I believe that when pushcomes-to-shove, I could select an appropriate outfit for that special someone. But how many other guys could confidently say that?

It’s one thing deciding on a present for your mum or sister but when it comes to selecting a present in the form of clothing for your other half, the difficulty of the task is instantly

amplified. Most guys are selective listeners and like to hear what they want to hear. And the latest female fashion trends aren’t something that set the pulses racing. Stereotypically, lads have a very negative perception with little or no appreciation of the accompanying energy and effort behind looking good. We tend to appreciate the finished article though!

A lad’s perspective of what looks good on a girl is likely to differ from that of the female population. We’re more likely to be of the opinion ‘if you’ve got it flaunt it’ and what you wear should show off your assets.

This is understandably unlikely to be met with the same enthusiasm from the girls. Very few will want to create an image of being easy.

Most will value an outfit that compliments their good looks. This can prove a problem when buying for that special someone.

A bit of research proves handy in these situations. Simple things like knowing their size, knowing what styles flatter their body shape and

choosing accordingly with the season’s trends will hopefully get you out of a tricky situation. It does also help if us lads listen now and again, especially when girls drop hints about what clothing has caught their eye this season. It might even make spending Saturday afternoons staring at their backs as they trawl through the rails on Northumberland Street or at the Metrocentre just that little bit more bearable. Therefore, my answer would be that men don’t take an interest in women’s fashion out of choice but rather to make sure that they make the right choices for a certain girl when it matters. Before you know it, you will learn how to spot an absolute gem of an accessory that makes THE outfit - something that will always pass my understanding.

Web Exclusive

A familiar scene: do guys follow girls around the shops because they have an interest?

Check out www.thecourieronline.co.uk/fashion for more articles and videos

26

Monday March 21 2011 THE COURIER

Fashion Menswear

You’ve got male

Male haircare: are we all metrosexuals?

Are men fussy about their hair? Matthew Wild discusses the world of the male hair style To start off this article I must confess that personally I do take pride in my hair; I use shampoo, own a pair of straighteners and wouldn’t get my hair cut by a mad-man down some back-alley barbers. But is the norm now that men spend as much time as women on their hair? Or are those with the wax and conditioner part of the minority, with the ‘short back and sides’ still being the more favourable approach?

It is clear that I’m not alone in this ethic as on a night out, it is visible that a fair amount of hair products have been used on the majority of guys so that they can look their best. Hair can be key when on the ‘pull’. Women can be put off by the thug look yet at the same time, it is highly doubtful that they would go for anyone with hair longer than themselves, so is there a balance that achieves the desired effects?

However, all the talk of what men now use on their hair can overshadow the truth. From past experience, it is wrong to compare how men get ready to women. Women can take a good couple of hours sorting their hair out perfectly, down to every last strand being perfectly straight; would it ever be like that for a guy?

Though confessing to straightener use, valuable drinking time would never be wasted in front of a mirror for two hours. A couple of minutes sorting out the fringe and a dollop of wax are all that is needed to get

Beckham: a male icon on and off the pitch but can he pull off the difficult skinhead?

the necessary look without the need to seriously analyse.

Of course there are always exceptions as there is always someone that is the last to be ready every night out and equally, there is always someone who would go out looking like Stig of the Dump without a care in the world but there is no consensus in what the habits of the male species are. For guys, the winning combo seems to be the right hair, clothes and shoes but one doesn’t ever outweigh another as they are all equally important in impressing others.

Can there ever really be a perfect style of hair? Some people look good with short hair, others long it is just about what suits your style and personality. This is probably the most important factor as personality traits, believe it or not, can be judged through your hairstyle.

Many stereotypes are now associated with different hairstyles as using the term ‘meathead’ not only gives the mental image of a prison-bound thug but also the idea of a number one all over, with as little time wasted on the hair as possible. Likewise you would not expect to see someone with hair down past their nose to be enlisting to join the Marines any time soon.

There are, however, certain male celebrities that seem to get it right and guys (secretly) like to emulate them. These are generally football-

ers for the sports mad lad, the greatest icon being David Beckham. Ok, maybe he hasn’t always had amazing hair but he is inventive and seems to have got it right these days.

Most importantly, he isn’t afraid to experiment and all his styles of the past give modern males some inspiration to try out what’s hot and what’s not on their own hair in hope of one day getting it right.

Hair is obviously crucial to attracting the attention you want. There is no perfect look as members of the ‘target audience’ have their preferences and a perfect look for one would be totally different for another. It is important to get your hair expressing a personality that stands out to who you want to be attracting. There is limited time to get noticed so hair may well be the key element when trying to make a good first impression but I doubt it will ever be the deciding factor in a relationship.

The idea that modern men focus on their hair more than ever before is a general view but not entirely true. Though my granddad keeps telling me I look like a girl, he probably uses more brylcreem than I do wax; changing styles mean a change in hair and how men present it.

With the growing diversity of looks there is going to be more and more hairstyles to match, though the time spent getting the look will probably never really change.

A wardrobe staple: what is a lad’s LBD? Resident men’s expert, Tim Perkin deciphers the untold mystery of staple clothing for males For some it’s a well worn pair of jeans, others that reliable pulling t-shirt, for me it’s my faithful old beanie.... I’m talking about that one staple item we all fall back on time and time again. Like your oldest friend it knows you, it compliments you and you feel safe when wearing it. So what is your wardrobe failsafe?

When it comes to girls the Little Black Dress has come into common parlance when discussing that faithful item of clothing that never lets you down. Now I ask: do we boys have an LBD equivalent and if so, what is it?

Jack had this to say about his wardrobe hero, “Yeah I guess I do have a wardrobe staple, I call it my safety shirt. If I can’t find anything I am happy with to wear on a night out, I automatically fall back on my safety shirt because I know it suits me and I feel really comfortable in it.”

George, a third year Economics student agreed, “Yeah boys definitely have staple items that they whip out at anytime. For me it is sweaters that can be worn during the day whilst kicking about in trackies or on nights out as well.”

So why is it that we have these staples and do different lads have different reasons for their constant use.

Is it comfort, style or simple familiarity? Take my beanie. It is not particularly cool but I have had it for so long now that often an outfit feels incomplete without it even though it doesn’t add much to the look. I’m sure the psychology students out there would have something to say about this neurosis!

Through asking a few students the main answer I received was comfort. This is generally acknowledged throughout campus by the wearing of the insanely comfortable Canterbury tracksuit bottoms. As mentioned last week, a signature look of the Newcastle crowd, most people asked said they wore them day in and day out because of the comfort. However there is a danger of comfort taking over when it comes to staple items. A prime example of this was ‘Pyjama Boy’ of Castle Leazes who was never seen without his nightwear.... There is being comfy and being lazy!

Another phenomenon I encountered when researching this article was the abundance of ‘pulling’

clothes. I mainly encountered pulling t-shirts and pulling pants however people out there also apparently have pulling shoes and even socks. “Watch out ladies I have my pulling socks on!” seems to be a phrase not commonly uttered yet may be coming into prominence.

These staple items are supposedly the ones that make an appearance when the girls of Newcastle are in for a treat because the owner is going on the pull.

Personally I don’t have a pulling shirt but maybe that is where I am going wrong. The boys who I spoke to who all very surprisingly wanted to remain anonymous assured me that if I got myself some pulling shirts/pants/socks my chances with the ladies will dramatically improve - I may just leave that one for the time being but it is certainly food for thought.

Although we boys don’t have anything as ubiquitous as the LBD we definitely have those hero items in our wardrobe that are our saviours time and again so look after them and they will look after you. As for me, it may be time to go and buy some pulling socks.

A man’s must-have item: is there a need for all guys to have a pair of ‘pulling socks?’

THE COURIER Monday March 21 2011

27

LBDs Fashion

Fashion Quick Fix Four ways to liven up your LBD Four looks from just one dress. Katie Henry gives us her guide to the perfect LBD whilst Rosanna Sopp, Victoria Mole and Emily Symington create four outfits perfect for any occasion R SOPP, K HENRY, V MOLE, E SYMINGTON

Everyone knows that black can do wonders for a girl’s figure, but the real reason that the little black dress is a timeless wardrobe essential for every woman is because of its versatility, and can be dressed up or down in a flash. Rather than going for a mini or a maxi dress which could slip out of fashion, if you go for a dress that falls just above the knee, you’ll have bagged yourself a timeless piece. Every girl should own at least one LBD, and if you follow these simple rules for dressing for your shape, you can’t go wrong when choosing your perfect little black dress.

Women with a voluptuous hourglass figure typically have a larger bust, curvy hips, and a small waist.

This body type is enhanced most by dresses with V-neck fitted tops and an A-line skirt that flows out over the hips.

Women with pear figures typically have slim torsos, and so look great in dresses that accentuate the bust line, balancing out the proportions of the upper body in relation to the naturally curvy lower half. Dresses with fitted tops and straight skirts are quite flattering on women with pear shaped bodies.

To avoid looking boyish rather than feminine, those with a boy figure should go for dresses that create the illusion of a curvy chest, narrow waist and fuller hips. Good choices for this body type include dresses with a stitched or piped line around the bottom of your rib cage to create a visual waistline and fuller bust.

Women of this shape can also get away with daring scoop- and Vnecklines without running the risk of looking too risqué.

Women with an apple, top-heavy body type benefit from dresses with

a blouse type top and a fitted or pencil skirt. This counter-balances the upper body by playing up curves where you are slimmest. Appleshaped ladies should avoid dresses with fitted tops or plunging necklines that accentuate an already disproportionately large upper half.

The LBD really is the ‘cheat card’ of outfits, and if you follow the tips above, investing in a high quality LBD, you’ll have a piece which can be worn time and again to create a number of different looks.

The Big Shop: Victoria Mole

The LBD is a classic example of the staple that every fabulous femme needs in their wardrobe; it’s acknowledged as the ultimate go-to garmant for formal wear, the LBD never fails to flatter you and impress those around you. It may be the staple of sophistication, however the modern woman can, by adding subtle touches of flair, transform the LBD from sipping cocktails by the Quayside to grabbing a Starbucks on the high street.

The first way to tone down the formality factor is by what you wear over it - take a casual jacket such as a bomber or quilted jacket to soften the edge and have that ‘just thrown this together’ for a day of retail therapy look down to a fine art. Remember that the LBD is just that, a black dress. Therefore there is no limit to the pattern or colour that you are able to successfully match it with.

Another way to make your ensemble casual enough for a day shopping is to layer, the cropped oversized top is very much on trend at the moment and sections the LBD into an outfit unrecognisable from the formal one-piece is formerly was.

If you wear this top off-the shoulder so that a strap remains visible it emulates a casual ‘dancer’ look and softens the once striking LBD. Other instant tips for making your LBD fit for casual wear is by accessorising.

Part of the LBD’s power is in how people match their hair and makeup to it so if you stay true to the cosmetic ‘natural look’ and wear your hair in a casual bun or leave your tresses tousseled it will affect the image of the overall look. A particularly cute way to prep this outfit for shopping is to wear it with a hat such as a beret or a floral fascinator. Top tips for casually accessorising the LBD are: wear with a waist belt (avoid brown and stick to neutral/nude shades) and a simple fringed scarf.

Moreover always wear with flats and avoid black ones (unless they are patterned) and go for something with unusual features or embellishment to compliment the plainness of the dress.

The First Date: Katie Henry

It’s one of those hotly debated questions amongst girls - what should we wear on a first date, especially if said date is a romantic meal for two? It is often difficult to judge the tone of a restaurant, and as girls we can often run the risk of being a little overdressed or even worse, underdressed.

The LBD is the perfect outfit for a cheeky dinner date - simple and sophisticated, it is the tried and tested staple fashion item. Restaurants can often be a little stuffy so a short sleeved or sleeveless number would be perfect, not forgetting a black cardi or pashmina in case it gets chilly.

Team with a pair of black platform stilettos and also black tights to cre-

ate a glamorous look without revealing too much flesh. Accessorise with a chunky gold bangle and a thin black belt with gold detailing and you can’t go wrong. If you’re feeling a little too dark, why not try a red or pink flower in your hair to add a splash of colour to your date outfit.

The Interview: Rosanna Sopp

The little black dress is perfect for an interview. Simple, classic and well tailored, it is an excellent way to make the ideal first impression.

Wear with black court shoes or pumps, simple, minimal jewellery, black tights and perhaps a thin brown waist belt to create an impeccable look. Slip on a grey blazer to add the finishing touch to your smart yet sophisticated ensemble.

For an interview, the best way to style the little black dress is simply - anything too fussy or loud will merely distract the interviewer and perhaps even give off a bad impression.

As first impressions are everything when applying for a job, you need to make sure yours is a good one. Simple, elegant styling will show the interviewer that you are professional and the kind of person they want to hire. The great thing with the little black dress is that it is extremely versatile- just a simple change of accessories or jacket and you’ve altered the look drastically. Therefore you don’t have to worry about spending the rest of your day looking overly smart - once the interview is completed you can simply slip out of the blazer, find a statement necklace, throw on some stilettos and let your hair down in congratulation of your (probably) newly acquired job.

The Party: Emily Symington

As many of you may know, a night out is a very difficult occasion to dress for as it can depend entirely on whereabouts you are going as there is very little point in wearing your Louboutins just so they can get stuck to the floor of Sinners. Therefore, I have teamed a mix of springinspired accessories to ensure there’s some life in your LBD. To make a flirty, floral evening look as well as injecting some colour, try taking the traditional LBD and somewhat less traditional accessories by using a variety of colours and textures. Try mixing your LBD up with a leopard print scarf as a belt to cinch in your waist and channel this season’s trend of print and team this with a bold floral corsage in your hair or on the belt to add an interesting mix of textures, colours and keeping you on-trend for this season.

To take the outfit a step further, a bold clutch would ensure you were channelling the trends of acid brights and colour-blocking for spring. If you were combining all these trends, be careful of incorporating too many in one outfit as it may be best to choose just one of these accessorising themes.

If you were opting for a more delicate, low-key evening, never underestimate the power of some glittering accessories to smarten up the look. Whether it’s a simple necklace, bracelet or a customised trim on your LBD, a little glitz goes a long way and will ensure that you can recycle the simplest of black dresses time after time and make it look dazzling for a special night on the Toon.

24

25

THE COURIER Monday March 21 2011

Listings

Listings

what’s happening on your campus? monday

tuesday

The SACS present

Room 2.21 Research Beehive, 15:00 17:00,

Cultural Lab, March 21, 22, 23, 25 & Clore Suite, Great North Museum, in Fine Art Lecture Theatre, March 24 17:30 - 20:00, FREE screening from 6pm, FREE

The credit crisis

Professor Donald MacKenzie gives a Public Lecture on ‘The Credit Crisis as a Problem in the Sociology of Knowledge’. A number of scholars have recently been applying perspectives from the social studies of science and technology to financial markets, an activity sometimes called ‘social studies of finance’. Amongst the questions this work throws up is how market participants evaluate financial instruments, an issue which is (amongst other things) a problem in the sociology of knowledge.

First Assault Gig

Riverside, 20:00 For your fix of Alternative/Pop Punk/ Rock music head down to Riverside to catch one of the University’s best bands.

International week Music night

Bijoux, 19:30, FREE To kick off International Week in style, this Monday you will see the Student Union head to Bijoux for a night of music from around the world.

Starting off with the Indonesian Society performing live music with bamboo instruments and dancing, the night will continue with Flamenco, Greek and Electronic Reggaeton music, to name but a few. All within the stylish surrounding that is Bijoux.

Theatre

Calendar Girls

Sunderland Empire, www.sunderlandempire.org.uk for info Calendar Girls has been the fastest selling tour ever and now it’s coming to Sunderland as part of its final tour for one week only. A group of ordinary women do something extraordinary and spark a global phenomenon when they persuade one another to pose for a charity calendar with a difference!

Chinese Film Festival

Give yourselves a special chance to enjoy five prized Chinese movies next week! It’s a great opportunity to meet and chat with students who share an enthusiasm about Chinese culture and cinema and listen to a lecturers who are experts in Chinese movies after the screenings.

This is the first year for Chinese Film Festival at Newcastle University, which is launched by the School of Arts and Cultures; it not only wants to present Chinese culture, but also provides students of different nationalities a chance to meet and get to know each other. To discover more about this festival and for a great screening experience, please put these dates in your diary!

If you are interested in getting involved, please visit our website www.wix.com/ chinesefilmnewcastle/index and feel free to e-mail chinesefilm.newcastle@gmail. com for any queries. Also go to the “Chinese Film Festival at Newcastle” Facebook page to find out more.

International week World film night

Lecture Theatres 2&3, Herschel Building, 18:00, FREE Experience the very best the International Film community has to offer! Following on from last night’s ‘World Music Night’, International Week will be hosting ‘World Film Night’. Go beyond the blockbusters, and experience some of the best movies that the world has to offer, all in the comfort of Lecture Theatres 2 and 3, inside Herschel.

Doors open at 6pm, with the first two films starting at 6.05pm, followed by a second set afterwards.

International Week continues all this week with a number of other events including a ‘Big Night Out’ on Wednesday at Madame Koo’s and a pub quiz and Culture Challenge on Friday. Check out www.unionsociety.co.uk to find out more about International Week and all the events that are going on throughout.

Public lectures

Give it a Go! Go karting 13:30, £7

Come for a fun and spine-tingling day out go karting in Newcastle! This cost includes transportation and two hours go karting!

Book FAST to get your space as spaces are very limited. For more information and to sign up, e-mail giag.union@ncl.ac.uk or visit www.facebook.com/giag.newcastle.

Charity gig

Latin benefit concert

Star and Shadow cinema, 19:30, £5/£3.50 A night of Latin music to help support the Haiti Earthquake Recovery Fund. The night will feature the amazing Alx Alfaro and his acoustic set of Dale Burundang, The Ladies of Midnight Blue, Newcastle University Salsa Band, and a DJ to end the night. In association with the Vamos! Festival - remembering Dr Vanessa Knights.

All proceeds will be going to the Haiti Earthquake Recovery Fund.

Our top events happening in Newcastle this week 3. Theatre 2. Film 1. Theatre/ Film Toute une Nuit (1982)

Danny Boyle brings Frankenstein back to life in this thrilling new production of Mary Shelley’s classic gothic tale. Adapted for the stage by Nick Dear and featuring Benedict Cumberbatch (TV’s Sherlock Holmes) and Jonny Lee Miller (Trainspotting) in the roles of Victor Frankenstein and the Creature, this really is the mustsee theatre production of the year. For info visit www.tynesidecinema.co.uk.

In this sort of Midsummer’s Night Dream, a large group of people are followed around Brussels on a balmy summer’s eve. Couples couple seeking out the imminence of love and romance. The erotic subsumed by Chantal Ackerman as a series of codes and gestures.

Part of the ID the films of Chantal Akerman season. For more information visit www.starandshadow.org.uk

Tyneside Cinema, March 24, £11.50 - £15.50

Star and Shadow Cinema, March 27, 19:30, £12

BlueGiro, by Open Clasp Theatre Company Live Theatre, March 24-26, 19:30, £10/£8

Jodie might have that undefinable ‘something’ that makes for star quality, and she’s on the move, so is mum Evie and neighbours Lisa and Laura. Set against the backdrop of a televised singing competition, BlueGiro tells the story of a young woman’s desire to grow and a mother who threatens to stop the show. BlueGiro is Open Clasp Theatre Company’s brand new show.

Dance Show

Curtis Auditorium, Herschel Building, 17:30-18:30, FREE

Cluny 2, 19:00, £5/£4

Northern Stage, £5

Necck it

T-shirt charity bar-crawl Starting at Sam Jacks, T-shirts £5

Your North East: Lidisfarne in Northumberland is captured with its surrounding inhabitants on a beautiful summers day last year. This image was taken by Hannah Davey. To enter your pictures into Your North East, send your photo to courier.listings@ncl.ac.uk

weekend

Bagpuss

On the eve of the School of Modern Languages Centenary Conference, Kate Adie, an esteemed graduate of the School, discusses the theme of ‘transmissions’ - how language and other media act as vehicles for meaning across cultural and geographical boundaries and over time. Please note: only spaces in the overspill room are available for this lecture.

Climate change is undoubtedly one of the most pressing issues for the modern human society, and a key for the better prediction of our near future lies in better understanding of what happened in the past. Knowledge about the past provides insights into the mechanism of climate change, as well as a tool for validation of the computer - based climate simulation.

An international research group has been working on an annually laminated sediment core from a lake in Japan. Through lamination counting and various analyses of the sediment, the group has successfully reconstructed climate change in the Asian monsoon at an exceptionally high time resolution and with high precision in the age determination. Comparison between our data and existing data from other study sites gives new light on our understanding of the climate system during times of transition.

Please register your interest at http://www. ncl.ac.uk/events/public-lectures.

friday

Public lectures Transmissions

Takeshi Nakagawa

Your City:

Frankenstein live from the National Theatre

thursday

wednesday monday

Lecture

Listings Editor : Ciara Littler - courier.listings@ncl.ac.uk

This evening is running in aid of two cancer charities: the ‘Toma fund’, set up in memory of the remarkable Jordan Thompson , whose mother set up the charity shortly after his death to help kids who are treated on the cancer ward at the RVI. The second charity, ‘Just Say Yes’ is a fund which has just been set up in memory of Mark Bulman, a Newcastle University student who sadly lost his battle with cancer last October. Lots of games and entertainment and generally a good night for a good cause.

An evening of music “Bagpuss, Dear Bagpuss, Old Fat Furry Catpuss” - did you know that Sandra Kerr and John Faulkner composed and performed all the music for the classic BBC kids’ show Bagpuss? Now you can re-live those classic songs, in a great show for all ages. Join original cast member Sandra as well as Lucy Farrell and Jonny Kearney, in an interactive and often hilarious performance, with loads of chances to join in. Contact: paul.dennant@ hotmail.co.uk.

Newcastle Sinfonietta An evening of music

King’s Hall, Armstrong Building, £8/£5 Join Newcastle Sinfonietta for an evening of exciting classical music. This challenging programme makes for a wonderful evening of music pleasure to suit all. This chamber orchestra uses the finest players from the University Symphony Orchestra; music is of the highest quality. Including Dvorak Symphony No. 8, Brahms Serenade No. 1, Vitali Chaconne

Newcastle Dance Society Newcastle University Dance Society presents their annual dance showcase at the Nothern Stage on the Thursday 24, Friday 25 and Saturday 26th of March. A glittering array of perfomances from the Newcastle dances, this promises to highlight all the best this society has to offer. contact dance.society@ncl.ac.uk for more information or www.northernstage. co.uk to purchase them online.”

Do you want your event advertised in The Courier?

To get details of your event published in these pages, all you have to do is email the date, time and location of your event to: courier. listings@ncl.ac.uk.

The BIG SMOKE Session Head of Steam, March 26, doors 19:30, £5, Advanced tickets on sale outside the libaray Wednesday 2-4pm and Thursday 12-2pm & on the door

Like live music? Want to see some top up-and-coming acts? Fancy a different kind of night out in Newcastle?

Well look no further. It’d be a travesty to miss the three live acts who are travelling up from London specially for this one-off show. You can expect to hear music from Kal Lavelle, Emily and the Woods and Ryan Keen.

Kal is an inordinately talented performer who has not only was she nominated for an Indy Music Award, but she has also played support slots for (The) James Brown, Damien Rice, Paloma Faith and the Beach Boys. She has also just recently confirmed that she will be supporting the highly acclaimed Ed Sheeran on his UK tour this summer.

Emily and the Woods is one of the most original and enthralling acts to come out of the London folk scene in recent years and is currently finishing the recording of her EP; previous collaborators include Laura Marling.

Ryan Keen has a guitar technique to rival Newton Faulkner, and a truly captivating voice. He has written music for Wiley and has had his music played on popular Canadian drama ‘Degrassi’.

Don’t miss your chance to see these great acts perform; support will come from the University’s very own Katy Covell. You can catch some of the music you can expect to hear on Spotify, and check out the ‘BIG SMOKE session’ page on Facebook.

The evening is supporting ‘Women for Women International’ who will be getting 50p from each ticket sold.

Get ahead.

Search the latest graduate jobs.

First.

Visit Vacancies Online* at: www.ncl.ac.uk/careers/vacsonline We advertise graduate roles across a range of sectors, from HR and engineering to publishing and finance.

Whether you want to stay in the North East, or move further afield - check out our website and sign up for your personalised email alert today! * If you visit Vacancies Online off-campus, you will need your campus login details to gain access

28

Monday March 21 2011 THE COURIER

Life & Style

NSR is now available on 87.7 FM - check out our full schedule and listen in > Page 39

stage

Inspiring real-life stories take to the stage Juliet Armstrong on a locally-created play that uses a comedy backdrop to explore the myths surrounding sexual violence

BlueGiro is a boundary-breaking comedy drama that focuses on the lives of four women and their experiences of sexual violence

This March the Live Theatre is presenting the play BlueGiro by Open Clasp Theatre Company. BlueGiro is a new comedy drama that explores the lives of four women and their involvement in a televised singing competition.

Jodie has a great talent and she hopes that she will be able to pursue this interest by auditioning for the competition. However, a domineering mother attempts to stop the competition, which threatens to ruin Jodie’s opportunities.

The play promises to be a humorous yet powerful production from this local theatre company who have had numerous successes in the North East. Open Clasp tackles important issues that affect women and BlueGiro has an emotional storyline by confronting the issue of sexual violence.

The play challenges the myths surrounding sexual violence and the company resists stereotypes that women are responsible for getting into difficult situations. Open Clasp aims to help women understand that they are victims of serious crime and they need a support system. These women do not deserve to be blamed for what has happened to them. Instead they need help to rebuild their lives.

The theatre company aims to empower and help women to overcome oppression and so helping to raise self-esteem and confidence.

This is a key focus behind all of the company’s theatrical work and it is

a prominent feature in BlueGiro as the women struggle to overcome life’s difficulties.

Open Clasp’s previous productions have all focused upon the issue of domestic violence because this underpins other issues that affect women’s lives. Their emotive drama makes audiences confront difficult themes that other plays and theatre companies tend to avoid.

However it is important that theatre can address a range of issues in order to reach out to a wider audience, ensuring that people understand and consider how these issues affect people’s lives.

The four female characters in the play have all been inspired from women’s own life experiences and so there is a realistic element to the play. BlueGiro is not an imagined horror story of violence and abuse but a version and documentation of what has happened and what is still happening in our society today.

Catrina McHugh, Open Clasp’s artistic director and also the writer and director of BlueGiro has created a funny but also deeply emotional play that makes audiences more aware of the struggles women face to be happy and self-confident in their own lives. This production will no doubt have the audience laughing and crying in the same evening, clearly it is a show not to be missed.

BlueGiro is performed at the Live Theatre from 24-26 March

art

stage

A room of one’s own for new talent

The crime of bad rhyme

Based in Jesmond Dene, The Armstrong Studio Trust is an independent organisation that provides a facility and space for art exhibitions, mainly showing exhibits of fine art but also working with interests in architecture and the environment.

The Armstrong Studio Trust encourages the production of original creative work in response to the changing needs of artists within the region; this in the past has included the chance for Newcastle University’s architectural school to display their project work.

The Trust began in 1986 and since then has helped artists to maintain professional practice, quality of work and career development. It also offers training and mentoring for artists who are new to the profession and want to increase the profile of their work.

Presently at the venue there are five artists’ works on display: Paul S L Richardson, a sculptor and painter who has recently branched out into video and digital manipulation.

Ken Grant a founding member of the Studio Trust, whose work surrounds the abstract form making by developing processes to combine materials to produce unique sculptures.

He is also currently working towards an exhibition in a variety of materials to include a combination of printmaking and drawing.

Bob Lawson, a Newcastle University graduate whose interests surrounding the elemental processes involved in painting and an existential approach to creating an art of the self that is “not out there, but out of there”.

Jennie Speirs is another founding member of the organisation who is a firm believer in crossing traditional boundaries of academic disciplines, as new needs and professions have emerged in society. This interest in interdisciplinary has led to a number of collaborations within architectural and landscape settings through both public and private commissions.

She has also worked extensively within the NHS in the context of arts and health and on related specialist projects that explore the different forms of perceptual experience.

Kerry Neasham is the final artist featured who believes her work is produced from her relationship with material; she works with all types of material and experiments to allow for new pieces to be created. She wants her work to figuratively display “insubstantial fallacies” to the audience; she creates her work from quick sketches so that the creative spontaneity will be intrinsic in her pieces. She specialises in sculpture as this allows her to further explore a variety of different materials.

These exhibitions shown at the Armstrong Studio Trust are small but allow for local artists to display their unique creativity in an affordable space, as well as working on new works for exhibitions all over the country.

Sally Priddle

Mention the phrase ‘poetry slam’ to the average student, and it is likely to conjure images of 18th century lords having something of a duel over a rhyming couplet. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth, as poetry events are very much alive and well in the North East.

Why should this appeal to students, though?

Well, for one thing, Oh Noetry, MORE Bad Poetry is not the average poetry event, as it is the best-worst poetry and the best-worst poets that win prizes. Expect a night of funny little poems, bewildering neo-modern performance pieces, rubbish haikus and improvised poetry that will shatter your previous vision of pompous gentleman sat around in tuxedos and smoking cigars.

So now that our previous misconceptions surrounding poetry events have been well and truly stamped on, here are a few basics about the whole poetry slam concept...

In a poetry slam, members of the audience (three in this case) are cho-

sen to act as judges for the night.

Each poet performs some (bad) poetry, after which each judge announces their score. Then, predictably, the highest scoring poet wins.

The bad poetry team is keen to accept submissions from any budding bad poets, and anyone wishing to be involved in the performance can find the event on Facebook. So if you secretly suspect that you could write a truly terrible limerick, or have filled a bookshelf with ironically witty verse, this is certainly the night for you.

But be warned, anyone caught reading ‘real’ poetry will be forcibly ejected from the venue. It’s a perfect chance to go out and do something different without draining the last remnants of your overdraft. It’s time to start scribbling.

Oh Noetry, MORE Bad Poetry is on at the Bridge Hotel in Castle Square on 29 March. Free entry.

Rosie Tallant

THE COURIER Monday March 21 2011

29

Arts Editor: Stephanie Ferrao - courier.culture-arts@ncl.ac.uk

poetry

Morden Tower : a true literary landmark

J.BUSH

Georgia Snow visits the hidden cultural gem Sandwiched between Chinatown and St James’ Park, the ancient city walls of Newcastle today seem dwarfed, but nestled among them lies a literary gem.

In an unassuming turret on the city’s west wall, Morden Tower has played host to some of the world’s most prolific poets in the 45years it has been used to give poetry readings.

From Allen Ginsburg to Seamus Heaney, Ted Hughes to Fleur Adcock, poets from across the world have come to Newcastle to give readings in this unique and intimate venue. Its stripped back, yet welcoming atmosphere has been drawing in packed audiences since the first reading by poet and songwriter Pete Brown in 1964.

Tom Pickard, the initiator of the movement known as the British poetry revival, along with his wife Connie, championed the emergence of Morden Tower in the 1960s with the help of poet Basil Bunting.

Bunting, who gave the first reading of his milestone work Brigflatts at Morden Tower in 1966, effectively kick-started the series of readings which saw Morden Tower become one of Britain’s best known literary landmarks, which continue to this day.

It has been popular with students throughout its use as a performance space, archival photographs showing literary fans crammed in, sitting on floors, tables and windowsills,

all just to be a part of the experience.

Poet Peter Bennet described how the “acoustics are perfect and the atmosphere is unique” - there is surely nowhere else one can hear poetry in a circular stone room housed in the “gloriously battered” tower of a 13th century city wall.

Its simplicity and informality is regarded as a perfect place to tie together the art of poetry with local oral tradition for which the readings at Morden are noted.

To this day, poetry readings and intimate concerts are selling out time and time again as people relish the warmth and real authenticity that comes from a venue so unpretentious yet with so much character and where history permeates the very walls themselves.

Many of the greatest poets of our time have read in this renowned venue which is now one of the many performance spaces which no longer receives any kind of government funding.

Morden Tower lost funding from Arts Council England in 2005 and has since relied solely on donations, fund-raisers and the events themselves. Poetry may be an art which is seen by many to be stuffy and boring, and with the loss of funding for many smaller venues and businesses it is surprising that voiced poetry as an art form has survived at all.

However, under the radar, which is dominated by bright lights and glamour, places like Morden Tower

Morden just a building: the 13th century tower has played host to some of the most celebrated poets including Allen Ginsburg

have fought tirelessly to keep this impassioned art alive. In a city like Newcastle where entertainment opportunities are plentiful, Morden

Tower continues to sell out events giving us faith in small arts venues around the UK struggling to survive under the crushing thumb of contin-

ued funding cuts and the increasing popularity of reality and fame-based culture.

debate

Should ghost-writing have a place in autobiographical writing?

YES Some may call it cheating, others might call it lazy but in spite of all of this the use of ghost-writers is still a largely beneficial process. Obviously there are still some problems as many ask: “Will they distort the truth?”, “Will they receive credit?” and so forth but these are basically ridiculous and the pros for employing a professional writer to aid the creation of an autobiography for example, will certainly outweigh any doubt.

Perhaps the greatest benefit or reason for using these ghost writers is that fact that not everyone is blessed with a fine command of the English language, let alone any form of eloquence. Of course, there is a varying need for this (some writers will merely guide and tweak whilst some will take full command).

Without a ghost writer, Wayne Rooney’s autobiography would be a series of carvings, childlike drawings and incoherent grunting that only a monkey could translate.

Would we want to read this? No, of

course not! But there is still a large group of people that want to know the ins and outs of his life, and this extends not only to sportsmen, but actors, musicians, politicians and pretty much anyone else in the public eye.

We have to consider what we expect from these books and I’m assuming it’s usually along the lines of glamour, excitement and grand hyperbole, features that wouldn’t often come to be without a professional writer. Look at celebrities like Katie Price: if she had to write her own autobiographies (the endless number of them) we’d be left with sentence after sentence, of “like, whatever, so yeah” and whilst we are all curious to know just exactly what she does with her life, only a ghost-writer could do her tales justice.

Moreover, it seems that people approach this topic with the assumption that the ghost-writers are locked in an isolated place on the other side of the world with absolutely no contact with the subject of the book. But in reality, the relationship between the writer and the subject has to be close and intimate if they both want

the combination of a book worth reading, and a book that can actually be read.

Nobody complains when politicians employ professional speech writers, or when songwriters are similarly employed with little credit, so why should we consider ghost writers to be an issue. For our own need to enjoy these books, these writers are invaluable to the industry.

Grace Harvey

NO Celebrities pervading, profitable culture in today’s society, and the popularity of autobiographies of our favourite stars has increased, however, is it really worth our money if the book we’re buying is written by someone else who isn’t the face on the cover?

Ghost writers allow for celebrities to publish their autobiography without having actually put a pen to paper or even touching a keyboard.

This to me, seems to defeat the objec-

tive of an autobiography - you don’t just buy one to find out the story of that particular celebrity’s life, but to hear it from their perspective and understand how the events actually affected them and led them to be the person who is seen in the media.

An autobiography to me is meant to demonstrate to the world the other side to a celebrity’s personality, the one that does not have to be perfect and generally allows their sense of humour to be seen. However, if the book is written by a ghost writer it is completely detached from the actual celebrity and you are merely hearing about events that occurred rather than the consequences that they had personally for that person.

The ghost writer culture has now gone beyond the world of autobiographies, and celebrities are using ghost writers for all areas of their lives. Katie Price has a ghost writer for her series of children’s books and 50 Cent and Britney Spears have ghost writers for their Twitter pages.

Although some would argue that ghost writers allow those who are not literarily able to write a book to publish their story for the world, the

past celebrities that have used ghost writers would not all fit into this category.

Former American President Ronald Reagan released a ghost-written autobiography and, as he ran the most powerful country in the world, you would hope he’d have the capacity to write down his own life story.

The publishing of ghost-written autobiographies prevents us from having a genuine insight into their lives and does not make them seem to the readership to be a more relatable person but rather leads us to assume that they are only publishing the book to make more money.

It has become ludicrous when celebrities, such as basketball legend Charles Barkley, complain they have been misrepresented and misquoted in their own autobiography.

The use of a ghost-writer goes against the entire concept of an autobiography, as well as the literal meaning and therefore there is no difference between reading a ghost written autobiography and reading a Wikipedia page about a celebrity.

Sally Priddle

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Culture

Monday March 21 2011 THE COURIER

Arts

arts reviews Spring Collection The Biscuit Factory February 28 - March 12 At first glance The Biscuit Factory is merely an old warehouse in the industrial part of the city, but venture inside and you will find a fully functioning gallery with the opportunity to purchase the artworks on show.

This makes it hard to define as an exhibition space, and this is similarly felt with the brand new spring collection, that is currently on display. It houses a plethora of different art forms: from printing to oils and from sculpture to photography, with various separate spaces for each artist.

The highlight of the collection is probably the area devoted to the Horsley printmakers, which follows numerous members of the group, while conveying the full spectrum of printing as a media. Nature is a common thread running throughout the pieces and crucial to the work of Rebecca Vincent, whose huge textural landscapes have just as much vibrancy and power as any oil painting.

The mono-print technique employed is scrappy and experimental questioning standard practices of printmaking. Meanwhile, tutor of the group Chris Daunt takes a more conventional approach with his wood engraving Magda and Flowers, which is stunning in its mono-

chrome, delicate and linear beauty.

He fully fuses the figure with nature, thus even her skin is formed by complex scratchings that evoke flowers confirming the sheer skill and workmanship of the artist.

On the other hand, there is a lot of work that is a little less quirky for example the urban and rural landscapes of the North East produced by Emma Holliday. She follows a standard formula, using her environment for inspiration and forming her works while outdoors giving them an immediate quality.

These acrylic paintings have nothing much wrong with them, but they appear to be almost like picture postcards from a holiday, while on occasion the colour can be slightly overly bright and almost garish.

Also of note are the photo realist works of both Tim Cornley and Chris Jones, which share many elements such as a flat use of paint and focus on the figure in a certain space.

However, it is arguable that in the process of aspiring for an image so close to reality some of the freedom with the paint is lost, providing a lack of texture and atmosphere to the work.

The Biscuit Factory is quite a confusing space, though its new collection has much to offer and with its vast array of works there is surely something to appeal to all tastes.

However, there is almost too much on show to fully appreciate every individual space.

Catherine Langley

The Biscuit Factory has a huge amount of artwork on exhibition including the above piece: The Summer Garden by Julie Dumbarton

Siege and Storm Discovery Museum February 12 - October 30

NUTS Rosencrantz And Out of Site Guildenstern Are Dead Great North Museum Northern Stage February 22 - April 1 March 10-12

A 001.1 11 NewBridge Project March 11 - April 9

NUTS Medea Culture Lab March 14 - 16

The Discovery Museum’s new Siege and Storm exhibition tells the story of how Newcastle was affected by the English Civil War. The exhibition starts with a metal coin with which you vote for your side, ‘Cavalier’ or ‘Roundhead’. The exhibition includes a video remake of a Cavalier arguing with a Roundhead with token dodgy acting.

It features King Charles’ chair from when he came to Newcastle during the war, Cromwell’s death mask and a model of the original castle that is now St. Andrew’s churchyard.

There is a comic book style cartoon depiction of the attack on the castle and an interactive image of Newcastle that allows you to see where the original walls and gates of the city were and where the remaining parts can still be found.

There are also artefacts from the 1600s including coins from Charles I and Crowmwell’s reign and weaponry such as a morning star mace and a crossbow.

Although the exhibition is quite small, there is a lot of information and it allows you to see how Newcastle’s future was changed bythe Civil War. It is well worth a visit and as it is free, what have you got to lose?

Tom Stoppard’s absurdist play focuses on two minor characters from Shakespeare’s Hamlet who attempt to make sense of a world they don’t understand.

Taking on the role of the clownish Rosencrantz, Tom Dickson warmed up the crowd with enthusiastic and comically timed tomfoolery whilst the more sedate Guildenstern was played by Dan Grant, who broodingly paced the stage delivering tongue-twisting lines in rapid-fire, almost always getting it spot on. We can forgive him the occasional slip – Stoppard is known for using language as a particularly confounding form. The pair showed off the philosophical complexities of Stoppard’s script, most effectively seen in the wordplay rallies of Act One. Particular mention must go to Julia Middleton for her performance as The Player, as she cut through the frenetic verbal jousting of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern with a bright-eyed boldness that wouldn’t look out of place in the Theatre Royal. With her crew of tragedians, she brought to life the “play within a play” with real comic effect. Despite a slight technical problem with the lighting at one point, the performance was most certainly a convincing, engaging and entertaining one.

Shannon Cleg’s collection of unique and inspired installations is currently on display at the Great North Museum. She translates her South African origins into her representation of the landscapes of Newcastle, creating a small but significant series of weirdly wonderful creations.

She has used locally inspired materials such as cork and wood to contemplate the current thinking people have towards the surrounding landscape. Her work intends to display the influence people have on nature, and the power they presume to posses over it. The artist speaks through her depiction of the redevelopment and construction of the local landscape, and effectively captures the negativity towards this issue.

The pieces co-existing in the collection are ornamental and delicate, and this effectively shows the fragility of the subject. The artwork is literally out of sight, and thus the title of the exhibition is very fitting.

It seems somewhat suppressed and hidden in a dark corner of the building, even though the collections’ natural theme fits in very well with the diverse contents of the Great North Museum. Despite this, the collection is eloquent and original, and really deserves a lot of attention.

A 001 .1 11 by German artist Katharina Monka, who takes photography, sound and sculpture, and puts them in strange, unconventional contexts.

For example, small photographs of sections of flesh are contrasted with large areas of flat colour on the walls.

There is a beauty to the zoomed in photos of the body, yet their size does not do them full justice, while their relation to their counterparts lacks meaning or purpose.

Another striking part of the display is a video installation, which clearly links to the bodily imagery in the first room, focusing on a nude and cutting to different viewpoints of the figure. Here, the body evokes a sense of stillness and calm, almost being an artwork in itself. However, this is quickly juxtaposed by the loud, jarring sound and movement of someone hitting a plinth.

It could be argued that disconnection is at the heart of this exhibition, with often random objects or ideas put together that are actually at odds with each other. The result is that one feels quite distanced and cut off from the art itself.

On the other hand, if this is the aim of Monka, she is ultimately successful.

Those expecting a traditional take on Greek theatre were in for a surprise; those expecting an explosive, emotionally draining bloodbath were not.

Playing the title role was Hettie Du Cros, whose portrayal of a woman betrayed by her husband was both shocking and moving. Her intense emotions were embodied by such an intense energy that the audience was in danger of being injured by flying chairs.

Medea’s estranged husband was depicted by James Hepworth, who at first appeared as a tyrannical chauvinist. As the play progressed, though, a vulnerable, anguished Jason emerged that created a strong conflict of sympathy.

Supporting these strong leads was an energetic chorus, who embodied various aspects of Medea’s personality through the effective symbol of a wine glass. The bellowing voice of rage combined with the realistic sobs of sadness, eerie laughs of idiocy and jerky movements of confusion established a strong ensemble.

These emotional performances were complemented by creative set design and simple, but effective costumes. Overall, an innovative and moving production of a classic Greek tragedy.

Sally Priddle

Stephanie Ferrao

Wendy Malkin

Catherine Langley

Rosie Tallant

THE COURIER Monday March 21 2011

31

Film Culture

film

Film Editor: Adam Williams - courier.culture-film@ncl.ac.uk

film of the week

Battle: Los Angeles Director: Jonathan Liebesman Cast: Aaron Eckhart, Ramon Rodriguez, Michelle Rodriguez, Bridget Moynahan Runtime: 116 mins

With Skyline fresh in everyone’s minds, I had my suspicions of the Battle: Los Angeles team and what they would produce in respect of Skyline’s awful attempt at an alien invasion movie. Aaron Eckhart is back in the heart of the action, after a slow couple of years since The Dark Knight. Joining him is Michelle Rodriguez, fresh off the set of Machete, who has swapped taking down rednecks for aliens.

After what can only be described as a poor performance in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Ramon Rodriguez stars as the rookie squad leader with a point to prove. This B-list cast may not look much on paper, but they do the job in this action-packed survival movie.

The plotline is basic, as it was always going to be. Alien invasion

films are not complex and Battle: Los Angeles is in keeping with that tradition. The invasion happens pretty much instantly, taking the world by surprise, and soon to be retired war hero Sergeant Nantz (Eckhart) is called back into action.

LA is seen as one of the last defences of the western coast of the USA and it is up to Nantz and Martinez (Ramon Rodriguez) to look for survivors and save them from the alien onslaught. From this point, the plot quickly unravels into a basic survival movie, but what is done well by director Jonathan Liebesman, is that the action and set pieces really give the movie substance, and constantly make you think ‘who’s going to win’ all the way to the end.

However, the character development is pretty poor, leaving you detached from most of the squad members, therefore meaning you do not really care if they get killed off.

Eckhart’s character really is the only one to receive any sort of back story and even then it’s brushed over for the entire movie. What does develop is the bond of the team, more so toward the end, resulting in one of the biggest movie cliché’s of all time.

Clichés are abundant and while this is by no means a bad thing, they are expected in a military-based movie, they do make some events very predictable.

The special effects and action set pieces really are the movie’s main weapon. Camera work is good and adds to the overall effect of the movie. It is very much non-stop action as soon as the invasion hits, leading to some impressive shots of a war-torn LA coastline. The alien space crafts do look a little sketchy, but the rustic junkyard design makes it more believable, especially when they get shot down.

Verdict: Battle: Los Angeles lends itself to being an enjoyable, easy to watch movie with explosions, shootouts and special effects. Recommended for any sci-fi/action fans that will enjoy what can be described as a pretty decent, yet predictable, alien invasion movie.

Kris Mason

Thanks to our friends at Momentum Pictures we have copies of Skyline to give away. To win answer the following simple question; Which Scrubs actor starred in Skyline? a) Zach Braff b) Sarah Chalke c) Donald Faison Send your enteries to courier. culture-film@ncl.ac.uk. The competition closes on Wednesday at 5pm. Skyline is out on DVD now.

feature

Crossing the language divide Laura Bennett looks at the foreign directors who have made the switch to English language films From German Expressionism to French New Wave, the world of European cinema is an acquired taste.

Depending on your personal preference it can challenge and inspire, or entirely alienate English-speaking audiences with cultural references and subtitling. Rightly or wrongly, European cinema is immediately classed as cinema with a message that is tastefully scornful of all that Hollywood represents; cinema as art rather than profit-driven entertainment; the ‘thinking man’s cinema’. Why then is it, with such a distinction firmly set, that more and more European directors are shooting films in the English language?

While English-language films reach a wider audience, and have a potential for higher box office results, is money the only motivator for this shift?

Many modern Hollywood blockbusters are in fact the products of European directors. A prime example is Roland Emmerich, German director of Independence Day and 2012 who, influenced by Hollywood films, self-confessedly creates ‘movies for the masses’. However, this European influence is not limited to high budget action films; Lasse Hallström, Swedish director of Chocolat and Dear John, and Wolfgang Peterson, German director of Troy, show that all genres are up for grabs.

What remains to be seen is whether the director’s roots shine through.

Frenchman Michel Gondry’s Oscar winning Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind showcased the ambiguous ending typical of European art-house cinema and the work of controversial Roman Polanski combines European and Hollywood elements. In his 1968 classic Rosemary’s Baby, Polanski brings art-house aesthetic and ambiguity to the horror genre, leaving the viewer questioning the characters’ sanity up to the last moment. The Pianist succeeded in bridging the European/U.S.A gap by bringing home three Oscars along with the Cannes film festival Palme D’Or, gaining exposure that would be unlikely for a film not in the English-language.

Conversely, there are European directors who draw their inspiration from Hollywood, none more so than French cinema’s Luc Besson. Criticised by the art-house set for prioritising style over substance Besson’s French-language, high production value films are a clear nod to Hollywood and the transition to the English language seems an obvious one. Working in a language foreign to the director and native audience brings with it the risk that the film will connect with neither home nor international audiences, missing the mark in both continents. However,

with hits such as 1997’s The Fifth Element and Leon Besson has drawn attention to his French-language films and built his reputation as an international director who decides on which language he will work in on a ‘case-by-case’ basis.

Branching away slightly, Englishlanguage remakes of European films pose questions of their own.

Besson’s La Femme Nikita, the story of a drug addict turned assassin, now a cult classic was remade three years later as Point of No Return.

Besson reportedly turned down the opportunity to remake the film in English but the Hollywood version is strikingly similar, even in terms of camera angles, which prompts the question of the motivation for the remake, was it simply to cre-

ate a version of Nikita that could be watched by English-speaking audiences without subtitles?

In an unusual move, Austrian director Michael Haneke directed an English language remake of his 1997 psychological thriller Funny Games a decade after the original. Haneke’s films are routinely described as disturbing in the starkness of their violence and Funny Games is no exception, focussing on the torture and subsequent murder of a middleclass family. In interview Haneke has explained that his films are inspired by the violence of American cinema, and more specifically how violence is seen as a source of entertainment. As such his original film was aimed at an American audience, to provoke thought and chal-

lenge, however he himself has said that the German language acted as a barrier, preventing the film from reaching a wider audience, and it is this that prompted a remake identical but for location and language.

In my mind, if working in the English language allows great filmmakers a wider platform for their films then all the better, however some elements must inevitably be lost in translation. This in itself is a shame; if in turning to Hollywood European cinema becomes formulaic and loses the elements that define it. However if talented directors continue to create high quality films in multiple languages this can only serve to diversify their production and add beneficially to the film industry.

32

Monday March 21 2011 THE COURIER

Culture Film

film feature

Anti-Hollywood?

Chris Binding looks at the creative side of European cinema and asks why it can be radically different to Hollywood productions As American cinema has evolved, it increasingly relies on genre, star power and audience association, and international cinema is still full of stereotypes that collectively define countries to mainstream audiences.

As opposed to the ‘dream factory’ of Hollywood, European cinema is often surrounded by avant-garde stereotypes with inward-looking sensibilities. These stereotypes damage the compatibility of European exports in an American-dominated world market, and also omit the impact that European innovation has had upon both the cinematic medium and form. Even today, Europe’s radical new waves, art-influenced film movements and fearless explorations of controversial subject matter, remain challenging and shocking to audiences.

Individual countries all made their mark through artistic movements or new waves, in which select directors and artistic circles explored the cinematic medium. Where the British new wave developed the ideas of social realism under Ken Loach and 60s psychedelic drug culture in films such as Nicolas Roeg’s Perform-

ance; French film rejected standard Hollywood conventions in the Jean Luc Godard’s self-referential genrebending Breathless, continued by the pioneering implementation of long shots and freeze frames in François Truffaut’s 400 Blows. The now mainstream technique of montage was developed and implemented by Sergei Eisenstein in the Russian propaganda films such as Strike while art movements such as surrealism and impressionism took visual ideals and pushed the boundaries of the moving image.

A notable example was the influx of expressionism in post-war 20s German cinema, with its focus on shadows and macabre visuals, which created atmospheric terror in the first vampire silent Nosferatu and sharp geometric angles in Fritz Lang’s pioneering Metropolis, with art and cinema combining to create the origins of modern horror and sci-fi genres. The cultural exchanges between cinema, politics and art revolutionised the medium in ways that challenged audiences while developing stylistic trademarks that are now standardised elements of film

Crossing the divide: Amélie won critical acclaim both in its native France as well as all around the English speaking world

language. From the switchblade eye scene from Luis Buunel’s Un Chien Andalou to the Odessa steps massacre in silent propaganda piece Battleship Potemkin, European cinema has always pushed the boundaries of taste with its unsparing exploration of controversial themes. Under the exposition of censoring and limited distribution, European films have become notorious, with 120 Days of Sodom and Irreversible balanced on the thin line between realism and pornography. Italian horror also pushed the boundaries of cinematic gore with Dario Argento’s grotesque filmography equally matched by director Ruggero Deodalto’s faux

film five

4) The Commitments (Ireland) This film features first and foremost on thing: good music. Soul music, to be exact. That seems especially weird as the Commitments are made up of a couple of working-class Dubliners. But the clash of the harsh rainy setting and its even more cragged discouraged inhabitants with the best of Aretha, Otis and other soul classics works perfectly. And even if you don‘t necessarily like the film: the soundtrack should be included in every well-assorted CD collection and soul playlist that prides itself on diversity and completeness.

3) La Cité des enfants perdus (France) Without a doubt, the French director Jean-Pierre Jeunet is mainly known

for his international success Amélie, one of the 1000 films you definitely have to see before you die. But The City of Lost Children is another cinematic and way too underestimated jewel of his that deserves more attention. The insane story and wacky characters within the dystopian and apocalyptic setting is a feast for the eyes and will make every Tim Burton fan weep for joy. And again the importance of seeing beyond one‘s own filmic nose is proven.

2) Så som i himmelen (Sweden) If December comes and you‘re sick of watching Home Alone, How the Grinch Stole Christmas and National Lampoon‘s Christmas Vacation, but still want to get the spirit of the time out of the film, watch this movie. It‘s not your usual happy-go-lucky feelgood Christmas film and that is just what makes it so special. In fact, it‘s not even meant to be a Christmas movie, but it‘s full of warmth, tragedy, song and the amazing Swedish winter landscape and that‘s what makes it better than everything on the 25th‘s TV programme.

1) La vita é bella (Italy) Rule of thumb: if this film doesn‘t make you cry or at least touch you deeply, then something is wrong with you. It is hard to find a film where wit and romance lie so close to tragedy, moments of laughter and

Bye Lenin! and Amélie being recent examples of individual, yet successful, European films. It still has great influence and cultural prestige with Hollywood often looking to Europe for ideas; both Spanish horror REC and Swedish shocker Let the Right One In were remade in America soon after their release, and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series is set for the same fate. In a film industry dominated by American productions, the fact that one of the most revered independent film festivals takes place in the French town of Cannes showcases the importance of European cinema, as artistically relevant and influential as it always was.

preview

European gems 5) Adams Æbler (Denmark) Even though the Scandinavian countries are known for their gloomy novels and films, this movie stands out from the crowd due to its black humour that is darker than the crows that hack up the apples from the title. The story about the abnormally optimistic pastor Ivan, played by the magnificent Mads Mikkelsen, and his attempts to help a bunch of failed people is loosely based on the Book of Job and deals with the good and evil binary in a witty and brutally honest way that is beyond comparison.

documentary Cannibal Holocaust, where scenes of real animal killings, genital mutilation and snuff film quality led the director to be tried for murder and the film banned in 53 countries. Even today with the recent controversy surrounding the censorship of A Serbian Film and the public outrage to Lars Von Trier’s Anti-Christ, European directors still sacrifice commercial success to challenge audiences and explore the taboos that Hollywood wouldn’t dare touch.

Despite European cinema’s self imposed individuality, it continues to remain creatively autonomous and artistically challenging with Good

zest for life so close to heartbreaking scenes that make you bawl your eyes out. The story of a man who finds love just to lose it and his family in the insanity of the Holocaust has moved a generation of cineasts and will move those to come.

Lisa Bernhardt

The Extraordinary Adventures of Adèle Blanc-Sec

Director: Luc Besson Cast: Louise Bourgoin, Mathieu Amalric and Gilles Lellouche ETA: April 2011

French cinema has always been the most prolific in Europe, but it’s rare that we get such a big budget adventure story such as The Extraordinary Adventures of Adèle Blanc-Sec from the country. Based on a French comic book series of the same name, it looks set to be an exciting new addition to French cinema, perhaps giving us a European alternative to the typical American fantasy adventure. Director Luc Besson has an impressive Hollywood résumé behind him, including films such as Leon, Taken and The Fifth Element, and it will be interesting to see him turn his hand to directing once more after a break from the role, especially as he returns to his French roots. While the lead Louise Bourgoin has only had a handful of roles, the rest of the cast is packed full of French stars, including Gilles Lellouche (Tell No One) and most notably, Mathieu Amalric, star of The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Quantum of Solace and Munich. Set just before the First World War, this is a zany adventure where various prehistoric monsters are let loose on Paris. A journalist Adèle Blanc-Sec

is attempting to awaken a Mummy to save her coma-bound sister, but ends up having to deal with a 136million-year-old pterodactyl who’s just been hatched by a man with telepathic powers. The special effects look first class on the French trailer, and if nothing else this should be a real visual treat, with a lively, fast paced storyline and plenty of action.

The film was released last year in France and, despite some mixed reviews, still did well at the box office, grossing over €40 million. Unfortunately in the UK it looks to be only getting selected showings in the mainstream cinemas, as the film will be subtitled, but most independent theatres should be playing it.

A big budget doesn’t always spell success when it comes to cinema, but with such a great cast and a fantastic writer and director, this should be an exciting film, hopefully filled with fun and a little bit of French humour.

Beth Kirk

THE COURIER Monday March 21 2011

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Film Culture Film Editor: Adam Williams - courier.culture-film@ncl.ac.uk

in cinemas

Fair Game

Director: Doug Liman Cast: Naomi Watts, Sean Penn Runtime: 108 mins Based on a true story, Fair Game is an examination of ‘The Plame Affair’, the story surrounding a CIA leak in the wake of the US invasion of Iraq.

In 2003 former ambassador Joseph Wilson (Penn) published an opinion piece in the New York Times alleging he had first-hand knowledge that the decision to go to war was based on false information.

Not long after this article was published Wilson’s wife, Valerie Plame (Watts), was revealed in the press to be a covert CIA operative, this

Norwegian Wood Director: Tran Ahn Hung Cast: Kenichi Matsuyama, Rinko Kikuchi, Tetsuji Tamayama Runtime: 133 mins

Amongst literary purists, turning a Haruki Murakami novel into a film, or any other form of media for that matter, is pretty much blasphemy.

Cries of anguish would ring out from all corners of the hippest coffee shops as people discover one of the defining novels of the 80s, which be-

Hall Pass Dir: Bobby and Peter Farrelly Cast: Owen Wilson, Jason Sudekis, Christina Applegate Runtime: 105 mins

Would you cheat if you were given permission to for a short period of time? Despite the potential humour this premise presents, the latest film from the Farrelly brothers is a real disappointment from start to finish.

Since the success of There’s Something About Mary the pair have made a number of comedies, each of which has been progressively worse, and this is as bad as it gets.

Rick (Wilson) and Fred (Sudekis) are best friends who have much in

The Company Men Director: John Wells Cast: Ben Affleck, Tommy Lee Jones, Chris Cooper, Kevin Costner Runtime: 113 mins TV producer John Wells makes his first foray onto the big screen with the American drama The Company

revelation effectively ending her career. Fair Game depicts the situation surrounding these events, effectively arguing that the leak was in direct response to Wilson’s article; a deliberate attempt to discredit his assertions. Any film’s claims to be based on a true story should usually be taken with a pinch of salt.

Despite the protestations of certain conservative elements within the press, however, Fair Game seems to be towards the more factual end of the spectrum even if Liman is a little careless with the specifics at certain points. The first half of the film focuses on Wilson’s involvement with the CIA, who asked him to go on a fact-finding mission to Niger to investigate the possibility of Saddam Hussein procuring uranium in the region. We also see the nature of Plame’s work, investigating the possibility of WMD programs existing in Iraq. These segments of the

film certainly bear some of the impressive cinematic elements which Liman, who also directed The Bourne Identity, has come to be associated with.

Despite the strengths of Watts’ and Penn’s roles, it’s hard for the viewer to really care about Plame and Wilson’s domestic problems when this is placed in the wider context. The ‘happy ending’ when the couple reconcile their differences and their alleged tormentor is brought to justice feels pretty hollow given the continuing instability in the Gulf.

Fair Game certainly has its saving graces however, which come in the form of its powerful acting talent and its political commentary. Penn’s usual smug self-righteousness shines through but he is still very impressive, whilst Naomi Watts is very dynamic in her portrayal of the multifaceted Plame. We also get an insight into the treacherous relation-

came a cult craze in Japan, is being made into a film. But they may have a point. Murakami’s novels paint a picture so delicate and so intricate that no film could ultimately do it justice. His work is extremely poetic and vivid, with even the tiniest details becoming important. Taking on such a task is no mean feat so respect has to be given to director Tran Ahn Hung for taking on a source material where what isn’t said is just as, if not more, important as what is said.

The film does away with the nostalgia element of an older Toru Watanabe hearing Norwegian Wood by The Beatles and being reminded of his youth in Tokyo instead focusing purely on young Watanabe’s delicate love story. It’s an omission that will most likely cause upset

but, at its heart, Norwegian Wood is very much this love story. Set in the late 60s, the film follows Watanabe (Matsuyama) as he falls for Naoko, a long-time friend who used to date his best friend Kizuki until he committed suicide at 17. It is this dark and tragic past which leads the relationship into a difficult place. With the memory of this psychologically destructive event lingering in both their minds, Noako’s more so, their relationship begins to take a confusing form somewhere between love and lust. Whether this attempt at a relationship, ultimately based around this mutual loss, is an attempt to make their lives more exciting or not is the true background of this story. Watanabe is clearly unhappy with sleeping around, as

ship between government, intelligence services and the media, which makes for interesting viewing.

previous films, but Fair Game is a worthwhile and interesting piece of political drama.

Verdict: For a political thriller, Fair Game is somewhat devoid of thrills. Its strength lies in its compelling story and the performances of Penn and Watts. It may not have the action and tension of Liman’s

Jack Torrance

is seen in his exploits with fellow student and ladies’ man Nagasawa.

His twisted relationship with Naoko leads him to the free spirited Midori who, under her bubbly shell, is just as if not more emotionally damaged than Watanabe.

This is a love story for those fed up of the usual tame relationships, hitting hard at the core of human emotions. But, at times, Murakami’s subtleness and mastery with the pen does not come across well on screen.

At points, the film feels laborious and you’re washed with a feeling of apathy towards the characters only to be brought back by some masterstroke on the part of the gorgeous photography by Ping Bin Lee. Gorgeous shots of sparse fields or Tokyo streets full of protesters are used in

very much the same way shots in Never Let Me Go were used. Accompanied with a score by Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood can make a simple shot of two people walking into a real emotional scene.

Verdict: Norwegian Wood is hard work. Like the novel, you really need to be in the right frame of mind to truly enjoy the film. A lot of the source material doesn’t translate well but what doesn’t work is counteracted by gorgeous photography, a superb score and some breathtakingly emotional scenes.

Chris Taylor

the chance to display his comedic talents apart from a deleted scene in the end credits. His role is one which could have been a success if he had been given a more prominent role to play. The attempt at a sentimental ending is feeble, and by that point it was difficult to care too much about any of the one dimensional anyway.

common. When they display signs of restlessness in their respectivemarriages (which amounts to little more than ogling other women) their wives seek a love guru’s advice and take the bold step of granting the pair a ‘hall pass’. This equates to a week off from marriage, a period where they are free to do as they please with no consequences and no questions asked. Despite their initial excitement, it quickly becomes clear that Rick and Fred’s’ expectations of what the week holds in store are completely different to reality. The middle-aged duo set out in an attempt to seduce and bed as many women as possible but become side tracked and find opportunities are few and far between. The jokes really do seem to be scraping the barrel and the few laughs that were heard came more through cringeworthy embarrassment than genuine humour. Any moments of sincerity

and warmth are instantly forgotten as another terrible joke is never far away. Nothing anyone does throughout the film makes sense or resembles anything more than a dated stereotype. There is gross humour in abundance, the worst of which sees one of the characters ex-

crete in a bunker on a golf course.

Owen Wilson is depressingly miscast, whilst Jason Sudekis is never going to achieve the fame he has in the US (as a star of Saturday Night Live) with this lame leading role.

Stephen Merchant briefly appears in a couple of scenes but never gets

Men. The film explores the lives of three executives working for the fictional company GTX. The trio find themselves made redundant in a downsizing exercise in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis. The three men are all at different stages of their lives and careers and their respective redundancies have a profound effect on all of them. The youngest employee Bobby Walker (Affleck) sees himself forced to leave his suburban home and shiny porsche and move his family into his childhood home. He is left with no option but to take a manual job with his brother-in-law (Costner), he learns to re-

evaluate the life he leads and what is important to him.

Phil Woodward (Cooper) is one of the last men to work his way up from the workshop floor. He is lost in the modern job market, spiralling into an irreversible depression and represents the lost workers of the financial crisis - those too young to retire, but too old to be competitive any more. The oldest of the three is Gene McClary (Lee Jones), with the company from the start, his financial position is least affected by the redundancy. Instead his home life is transformed, he leaves and begins to doubt the things he worked for

throughout his life. McClary does quote one of the most poignant lines of the film. In response to the company being protected legally over redundancies, but arguably being unethical, Jones says, “I thought we held ourselves to a higher standard than that”. Where the film falls short is in its finale, especially after setting up an interesting social comment on American society. The character of McClary reflects on the futility of the corporate society in which the trio live, but in true American style Bobby’s livelihood is saved as he is re-employed by McClary for his new venture. In many ways it is similar

Verdict: Rude, crude and offensive, this pathetic excuse for a comedy never engages the audience and deserves all the criticism it gets. Too many jokes are forced and none of the characters display any endearing qualities while Owen Wilson turns in his worst acting performance to yet.

Simon Howard

to when Well’s assumed control of writing The West Wing, there are some good parts and some aspects which seem just a little convoluted.

Verdict: The film is an interesting look at the impact redundancy can have on the lives of a well paid executive. It is a good, but not great film that puts an intriguing twist on the usual stories surrounding the job market.

Joe Palmer

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Monday March 21 2011 THE COURIER

Culture Music

music column Krieg Sam Booth Columnist

Welcome back to Krieg, bow down to our occult overlords and pray for mercy. This week’s topic is the glorious Sublime Frequencies, dedicated to releasing obscure and righteous world music. Don’t worry though; this isn’t Peruvian panpipes or some watered-down attempt to create ethnic music. This is zonked out psych, folk, drone, noise and everything else inbetween from across the world.

Started in 2003 by Alan Bishop from Sun City Girls and Hisham Mayet, the label has already gained a reputation for a high quality output.

The label describes itself as focusing on “acquiring and exposing obscure sights and sounds from modern and traditional urban and rural frontiers,” which it does via a stunning catalogue of CDs, DVDs and vinyl.

With Sublime Frequencies, Bishop has succeeded in creating a reputable label which listeners can trust, enabling the label to release amazing compilations of obscure music in the knowledge that customers will approve. Clearly a product of hard work, the label’s ability to collect and release such a vast array of talent that is not exactly ‘chart music’ has been of great public service.

You’ve heard what they do, but what have they released? Clearly I’m unable to describe it all, but largely the label has released north African, middle eastern and southeast Asian music in a bewildering array of compilations and new music. A great place to start exploring sublime frequencies is with Syrian dabke king Omar Souleyman. Taking the very traditional format of dabke music and using some traditional and some new instruments Souleyman and his band have created a virtuosic new approach. This stuff will get you dancing like nobody’s business. For a small taste watch some of his Youtube videos to watch the sultan of badass dabke.

If you want to delve a little deeper, I would suggest listening to Sublime Frequencies’ guitars from Agadez series. Compromising three bands group Inerane, group Bombino and group Doueh, Sublime Frequencies have released a slew of records containing this unique brand of sub-Saharan guitar psych, each band with their own unique take on Western psych guitar music. Again, watch it on Youtube. My final recommendation to begin your journey into Sublime Frequencies would be their compilation of 70s proto rai music from Algeria. Can’t really begin to describe this one, riotous horns and God knows what else combine to blow your tiny mind.

This is just a small taste of what the label has to offer. Go and see for yourself and find a world of unpretentious musicians creating a racket for the hell of it. You won’t find people enjoying playing music more than the bands on this label, a true passion for music that really comes across in the releases.

interview

No more dancing to Joy Division Matthew Blackwell discusses the tricky issue of second album syndrome with The Wombats

As I entered the dressing room Tord, the bassist, stood like a rabbit in headlights, clad only in boxers having just emerged from the shower, the lead singer Matt was M.I.A., leaving the drummer, Dan, to chill on a sofa. The setting was a laidback one then, and after the kind offer of some hummus, on which I had just commented, I took my place on the opposite sofa to kick off proceedings with The Wombats.

The band’s debut album was released in 2007, giving us indie gems such as ‘Kill The Director’, ‘Moving To New York’ and ‘Let’s Dance To Joy Division’, however, their second album only hits shops this April. “As soon as we recorded the first album we went on tour for two years and it was the start of 2009 by the time we had finished,” answers Dan to my admittedly vague question of “Well, what have you been up to?”. He also highlights that they had toured so much, the band were in no rush to get in the studio, make another album and do it all again.

“We needed breathing space, to get back to some normality,” comes the honest admission.

“We really worked on writing songs and practicing, we wrote 34 songs, always pushing ourselves in different directions to see where we ended up, and then selected 10 for the album.” For me, this is evident as their new material exhibits a slightly darker side to the Wombats. Dan agrees adding, “the songs are a bit darker and heavier sounding in parts, but it’s still storytelling, you can tell they are Murph’s [Matt Murphy] lyrics, they’re still quirky and have a little twinkle in their eyes whilst being self-deprecating.”

At my mention of the ‘difficult second album’ complex, both lads smile and admit “Yeah, it was really hard

debate home

to write. All of a sudden we had an album that had done well and the record label was expecting things, we needed to make something we were really proud of, so most of the pressure came from ourselves I think.” Despite the ‘ups and downs’ they have experienced over the past few years, about which they do not go into further detail, the boys conclude that “we’re really pleased with how the album has turned out.”

One of the main things that The Wombats seem to have done in their period of relative radio silence is grow up a bit. That’s not to say they’ve become boring or anything, in fact it was their sense of humour and friendly nature that shone through the most during the 30 minutes I had with them.

They seem to have matured as artists, “the first album was just a collection of songs from the first four years when we were together,” recalls Dan, “we would get together hungover, practice a bit, and then

play the song at a gig the week after, there was no end goal of what we were trying to achieve”. The methods have changed somewhat for the second album though, which was recorded in America, “We were in the studio 13 hours a day pretty much, in little bursts of two or three weeks for about three months.”

Tord, the Norwegian born bassist, feels that their songs are “not quite so blatant, you don’t always know what the song is about the first time you hear it.”

When I probed their experiences of America I uncovered a difference in memories as Tord happily recalled the weekends they had off from recording, to which Dan shook his head saying “No, we didn’t,” Tord’s response was a dry “When you think about it, yes we did,” “With who?

Who did we have weekends off with?” I stepped in to steer the conversation away from America and to their hometown of Liverpool, but it seems the two were determined to

Almost moving to New York: The Wombats recorded their new album away from home in America, doing 13 hour days in the studio

Festivals - Home or Away?

Every summer there’s always someone banging on about how much better festivals are abroad, but is this just another case of the grass being greener on the other side? Sure, European festival ticket prices are generally cheaper than UK ones but having to pay for flights evens the difference. There’s also the expense of flying over your luggage (three essentials: tent, clothes and drink), unless you intend to buy everything abroad which ends up costing even more.

Then there’s the weather. Everyone knows British weather sucks and everywhere else is always sunny in summer. This isn’t always the case.

Benicassim (Spain) in 2009 was hit by extreme winds and fire, leading to a rather disgruntled Liam Gal-

disagree over almost everything.

As time slipped away from us, so too it seemed did reality, as questions became increasingly light hearted. I implored the pair to say the first thing that came into their heads to my next questions, “oh no, that’s dangerous,” warned Dan but we carried on regardless.

I learned that their favourite marsupial was probably actually Kangaroos, due to the enzymes they have in their stomach which prevent them from producing methane, that Taz (from the Looney Toons) was actually a glorified Tasmanian Devil as, in reality, they were “shitty crap ferrets with red eyes and they’re vicious little bastards!” Qui Gon Jinn would easily beat Aslan in a fight and that the band like their flavours “simple but strong,” advising any would-be pizza buyer to opt for “lots of pepperoni and hot jalapeños.” Well, thanks for that boys.

lagher branding it “a waste of time”.

Should’ve stuck to hanging out with rappers at Glastonbury.

Finally, going to a UK festival involves all the thrills of preparation and going with friends. Unless you’ve got very likeminded friends, they’re probably going to need some persuading to go abroad for a festival when there’s plenty of decent UK ones. Waking up early from excitement and travelling with other friends and festival goers is all part of the fun. Somehow, catching a 6am flight full of families with screaming kids and hanging around airports for hours isn’t quite the same.

Then there’s the added risk that the plane might crash. Is it really worth risking your life just to see Arctic Monkeys in Spain when they’ll probably tour or play UK festivals next year? Play it safe, buy British.

Graham Matthews

Bulmers’ bold advertising campaign focused around the ‘Great British Summer’ is the very definition of both optimism and naïvety. The thing about festivals in England is that, well, they’re in England. The majority of us make our first festival a local one, where we can be introduced to the joys of funnelling Strongbow, tripping over guide ropes and navigating a sea of mud; it’s the definitive experience. It doesn’t always have to be this way, though. Foreign festivals are the perfect high point to build a holiday around. The likes of Lollapalooza and Coachella are expensive events in their own right, however, combined with a full holiday of a given country, they can work out extremely economical – festival prices are typically a third

away

cheaper than your major UK events.

It’s not an option for those on the tightest of budgets, but then again neither is any major festival.

The likes of Reading, T and Download are incredibly expensive in their own right, without even going anywhere novel. Foreign festivals also reflect a different culture’s musical tastes, so line ups are often more refreshing than our festivals; you won’t see Kasabian or Razorlight headlining EXIT or Roskilde.

The sheer quantity of festivals now running annually in the UK provides a plethora of choice; however the most intriguing acts are usually split between multiple events.

Europe and America has less grandiose events and the line up’s consistency reflects this. It’s at least an interesting option to consider whilst planning your summer.

Stuart Edwards

THE COURIER Monday March 21 2011

35

music

Music Culture Music Editors: Polly Randall & Joe Skrebels - courier.culture-music@ncl.ac.uk

listings

festival previews

Continuing on our weekly round up of festivals, previewing everything from the biggest to the smallest, most local to the furthest-flung and(crucially) the cheapest summer music experiences you can get to. This week, we look at festivals from around the globe and more importantly in the sun!

Where: Ibiza When: June - September Cost: £30 per event It may come as a surprise to some, but the Spanish island of Ibiza actually offers much more than extortionate club entry fees and an abundance of unconscious British 20-somethings sprawled across the San Antonio beach every morning. Ibiza Rocks, rather than your usual weekend festival, spans the 17 weeks of peak Ibiza season and will be hosting a gig every Wednesday from June until September. With some mind-blowing performances from Calvin Harris, Florence and Pendulum last year, the festival oversees a diverse flavour of music

which promises something for almost everyone.

Plan B is set to headline the opening party on the first day of June and the remaining line-ups will be announced on the website over the next few months. Tickets are priced from a modest £30 and with each show taking place at the intimate, open-air stage in Ibiza Rocks Hotel, you will be guaranteed a sizzling location and an incredible vibe. If you’ve already booked your Ibiza stint then make sure you don’t miss out. And if you haven’t? Keep your eyes peeled for the rest of the headliners because you may just find yourself persuaded to join the remarkable experience that is Ibiza Rocks, 2011.

Rebecca Markham

Where: Indio, California When: April 15-17 Cost: SOLD OUT

Where: Valencia, Spain When: July 14-17 Cost: £165

Coachella, which takes place in the Coachella Valley in Indio, California, is very much the premiere music festival in America.

The wide range of music genres that play the numerous stages in the desert is what brings back music lovers year after year.

If you could name a genre, there’s the possibility at least one band playing that would fit into it. Starting in 1999, a mere three months after the infamous Woodstock ’99, Coachella has grown and grown, with many bands such as Pixies choosing to stage their reunion shows there.

This year’s line-up is no less fantastic featuring the reunion of Death From Above 1979, festival staples such as Elbow, Arcade Fire, Interpol and The New Pornographers as well as smaller bands such as Phantogram, Warpaint, Cut Copy and Titus Andronicus.

Just flicking through the line up, there’s something for everyone. Be it Duran Duran, CSS, Duck Sauce, Tinie Tempah, OFWFTKA, Best Coast or Cee Lo Green, Coachella is designed for everyone.

It is definitely, year in year out, one of the more accessible festivals. That is if you can stand the 38C weather during the day!

If you fancy heading to a festival this summer, but don’t fancy risking a weekend in temperamental British weather, Benicassim is a festival that may be more to your liking. On the east coast of Spain, between Valencia and Barcelona, the four day festival plays host to some of the world’s best music. The line up this year includes big bands like; Arctic Monkeys, Arcade Fire, Mumford & Sons, The Strokes, Primal Scream and Elbow. They’ve also included some British urban artists in the line up this year, including The Streets and Professor Green. As it is a foreign festival, big UK artists such as these are included further down the line up, so it’s an opportunity to see some of your favourite artists in front of a smaller crowd.

The festival also shows short films, theatre, fashion and art, so you’re never short of things to do in your spare time. A four day ticket is £165, which includes a week’s free camping, however, you may have trouble finding reasonably priced flights, so do shop around before you start booking tickets. Held between July 14 and 17, you should get the best of Spain’s weather, nothing like enjoying your favourite music and catching a tan at the same time.

Chris Taylor

Lucy Johnson

Monday 21 Enrique Iglesias Metro Arena. £35.74. 7.30pm Do you know what it feels like to hear music that you secretly love but won’t admit it? Come on, you all sing along when one of his tracks are played in Legends! Mr Iglesias is playing the metro arena with special guest Lemar as part of his ‘Euphoria Tour’.

Tuesday 22 Arbouretum The Cluny. £8. 8pm.

Promoting the band’s fourth album The Gathering The Cluny will be the perfect venue to hold this slow, melodic rock band. With it being a small venue, expect an intimate feel to the night and let the haunting vocals take the night away.

Wednesday 23 Eyes Set to Kill 02 Academy. £7. 7pm.

A real rock night at the 02, so get your neck warmed up for some serious head banging! Supported by VANNA, Stray from the Path and This is Divine, the line up will throw heavy metal rhythms and screams for vocals relentlessly in your direction.

Where: Serbia, Petrovardian Fortress When: July 7-10 Cost: £89 Dubbed the most striking festival location in the world, Exit takes place in Eastern Europe’s jewel, the picturesque Petrovaradin Fortress, overlooking the River Danube and one of Serbia’s largest cities, Novi Sad. The headlining artists include Arcade Fire, Pulp, Portishead and Deadmau5, but these are only the tip of the iceberg as the festival promotes the finest selection of Europe’s up and coming bands. From metal to reggae or from indie to salsa, an impressive array of musical genres is celebrated across the 13 stages, with

Where: Chicago When: August 5-7 Cost: £110 Each year, close to 200,000 music lovers descend on the Windy City of America and get down to one of the biggest festivals in North America.

The term Lollapalooza means ‘an extraordinary and unusual event’, a description which certainly befits this mix of the best in Rock, HipHop and Metal music.

In 2011, Lollapalooza celebrates its 20th anniversary, and with headliners last year including Lady GaGa and Arcade Fire there is a real desire to match or even better that line-up (rumours for this year include Foo Fighters, Eminem and Muse).

The success of the festival has also seen it expand overseas, with Lolla-

close to 100 acts performing daily.

200,000 individuals are expected to attend Exit Festival 2011 which is to take place between July 7 and 10 – sweltering daytime temperatures mean the artists are to perform after sunset and through the night until the following morning. Flight prices may be fairly steep and sleep probably isn’t an option, but at £89 for a 4 day pass and around £12 per night in a hostel you can avoid the sweaty tents and overflowing porta-loos at an unrivalled bargain. So if you’re considering something a little different this summer, this festival abroad has a unique personality that certainly promises to be a highlight of 2011.

Rebecca Markham

palooza being held for the first time in Santiago, Chile in April, where The Killers and Kanye West will headline.

British bands also flock to the festival, with the likes of Arctic Monkeys and Mumford and Sons relishing the chance to play in the beautiful green surroundings of Grant Park.

Unlike most festivals, this isn’t one where you camp, but there are countless hotels and cheap places to stay - rather than going back to your tents afterwards, festival-goers head to the trendiest after-shows around, hosted last year by the Black Keys, and MGMT. This three-day, eight stage festival costs around £110 and is considerably cheaper than most UK festivals, with a line-up which few can rival.

Simon Howard

Thursday 24 Patched Up Heroes Head of Steam. £4. 7.30pm The local band of the week, Patched up Heroes, are an indie rock/power pop band with potential and combine infectious guitar riffs with vocals that compliment the rest of the outfit well. Listen out for the track ‘Who are you’ which showcases the band’s growing talent.

Friday 25 MUNCH MUNCH The Star and Shadow. £5. 8pm This exciting, Bristol born four piece is destined for great things. Having already accumulated an impressive portfolio of live festivals around Europe and live sessions for Radio One, it’s only a matter of time before they make it big. A mixture of true experimental electro pop with eccentric creativity.

Saturday 26 Late Night Jazz Lounge The Central, Gateshead. 11pm.

Free.

This late starter is ideal for those who are at a bit of a loose end and don’t feel like going on a mental night out to end the working week. Expect a chilled out vibe and live acts that intend on seeing in the weekend with a glass of wine instead of a Jagerbomb.

Sunday 27 New York Dolls 02 Academy. £25. 7pm.

2011 will be the 40th year of this band’s existence, which is just one measure of their greatness. Another measure would be to look at the plethora of artists this band influenced, in particular; The Ramones and Blondie. One of the true gems to come out of the Seventies Punk era.

Chris Scott

36

Culture

albums

Monday March 21 2011 THE COURIER

Music

music

top 5

Elbow

Build a Rocket Boys!

Build a Rocket Boys! is the studio follow-up to 2008’s much-praised, Mercury Prize-winning The Seldom Seen Kid. Kicking things off, ‘The Birds’ is a catchy, bleep-drenched wander into the record and unfurls into something rather grandiose.

Guy Garvey’s earnest tones ring out on ‘Lippy Kids’ as he repeats the album’s title, the simplicity of the song only accentuating its melody.

‘With Love’ raises the tempo a few notches but keeps the unified sound you’d expect from such an experienced outfit; the song’s choral refrain and chiming riff mesh together very nicely. ‘Neat Little Rows’ delivers a crescendo and no little amount of scale, but becomes a touch wearing by the end of its five minute stint. ‘Jesus Is a Rochdale Girl’ wisely strips things back though. Its winning formula revolves around minimal guitar-playing and the innovative suggestion that the aforementioned Messiah might be possessed of a Lancashire accent and two X chromosomes. It’s clear by this point that the band aren’t short of a note or two, and the intro to ‘The Night Will Al-

1.Katy B – ‘Broken Record’ Music Video

ways Win’ is downright ear-warming, Garvey’s delivery again beautifully clear. ‘High Ideals’ changes up once more, briefly sounding as if it might launch into a Shaft-themestyle funktacular (before deploying some Bollywood-esque chords to good effect). Unfortunately ‘The River’ is slightly closer to a puddle as one of the more forgettable songs on the record, but its piano-driven sparseness reflects the variety the band provides on BRB! – no two songs are the same and they’re all given ample room to breathe. Unsurprisingly then, things get firmly back on track with ‘Open Arms’. It’s big. There are drums. Lots of people join in with the singing. Altogether a job well done (though “we’ve got open arms, for broken hearts” sounds slightly like the jingle of a helpline for people who are unlucky in love). Matching swirling vocals to perfectly orchestrated music, ‘Dear Friends’ is an appropriately tuneful finishing touch to a very listenable album, which the band will be touring all this month.

Martin Flynn

Follow up to ‘Lights On’, Peckhamborn Katy B delivers another dubstep hit. Sounding similar to her debut ‘Katy On A Mission’, ‘Broken record’ demonstrates the range of Katy B’s brilliant vocals. The music video, directed by Jamie Thraves, lives up to the theme of the song, showing Katy reliving the same night three times; we’re unaware if it’s a dream, but it completely compliments the song.

2.Birdy – ‘Skinny Love’ New Single

Little known Birdy is a 14-year-old, Hampshire born musician who recorded this single herself. She’s been lurking around under the radar since she was 12, but has found fame since gaining massive radio play on Radio 1. If you’re a dedicated Bon Iver fan, chances are you’re not going to take a great liking to this, but there’s no denying that she’s a talented girl.

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart Belong

Jonny Greenwood Norwegian Wood Soundtrack Best known as the highly rated Radiohead lead guitarist, Jonny Greenwood’s musical ability is not constrained to convention, as demonstrated over post-2000 Radiohead.

In 2003, he took it upon himself to release a solo album, also serving as a film score to Bodysong. Norwegian Wood is a score in a similar vein, with eight years more recording knowledge as the driving force.

Those expecting a record packed with riff-driven songs will be sorely disappointed – Norwegian Wood is a traditional minimalist film score, A handful of songs from 70s Krautrock band Can divide the OST into three distinct sections, of whom Greenwood is an avid fan. Every

piece of music is expertly composed and reaffirms Greenwood as the most versatile and skilled of Radiohead’s five members. ‘Toki no Senrei’ and ‘Iiko Dakara’ provide some welcome respite from the dominant classical music influences, as Greenwood returns to the guitar to provide two intimate acoustic compositions.

Another standout track ‘Naoko’ has a haunting sense of urgency to it and is the most grandiose of tracks spanning the OST. Whilst this is not the Jonny Greenwood so many of us know him for, it’s a compelling collection of compositions that will only encourage fans to explore new musical avenues. Just don’t approach it expecting 50 minutes of ‘Fake Plastic Trees’-esque thrashery, hopefully that’s to be the fruit of a different labour.

Stuart Edwards

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart managed to hit every cliché along the way. Their tales of love, loss and more love wouldn’t go amiss in a John Hughes-esque film of the 90s.

And yet every song they put out feels fresh and new.

Name any twee pop band ever and you’ll probably be able to guess what The Pains of Being Pure at Heart sound like but it doesn’t feel samey or boring. Their self-titled debut album was critically acclaimed, and for good reason, mixing the youthful sorrow of Belle & Sebastian with My Bloody Valentine inspired fuzzy guitars. Even with reverb pushed all the way to the top, emotion still shone through.

Belong, their second album, is no different. The stories of teenage love lead to about 20 break-ups and get togethers throughout the entire album. That’s a lot of woe! But, they seem to capture the essence of their youth whilst making damn good pop music along the way. It’s very much an expansion upon their first album, taking everything that worked and

taking it up an extra notch. Kip Berman’s woefully, whispery vocals of a man that has clearly been through his fair share of break ups still penetrates each song.

The wonderfully crafted wall of fuzzy guitars creates an intricate pattern that channels sadness through the joy. It’s surprisingly disarming.

It sounds so happy yet is full of tears and heartache, like looking at your past through rose-tinted glasses then having them whipped away to see the realities of your youth.

From ‘Belong’, which wouldn’t sound out of place on a more experimental album from The Smashing Pumpkins, to ‘Heart in Your Heartbreak’, which could have been plucked from their first album.

Belong manages to take 10 songs about youthful sorrow and make them sound fresh and exciting. If anything, that’s the mark of a great band and one that’s doing it better than any other at the moment.

R.E.M Collapse Into Now

sound of day’s gone, whilst new single ‘Mine Smells Like Honey’ is a barbaric lyrical wildcard that has been a trademark of Michael Stipe. ‘Überlin’ is a haunting melody that can only be described as a less enthusiastic ‘Man on the Moon’, whilst ‘Walk It Back’ comes from the same emotive vein that propelled ‘Everybody Hurts’ to worldwide success.

None of these songs can genuinely be described as ‘better’, but they’re a welcome return to the philosophy that made R.E.M. such an important band 20 years ago. Recent releases have shot the behemoth in the foot somewhat and it’s a shame that the band has taken the decision to not tour Collapse Into Now. It is a record that may well help the band return to the summit they’ve slowly lost their grasp of.

Everybody knows and loves R.E.M. even if they don’t know they do.

The likes of ‘The Great Beyond’, ‘Imitation of Life’ and ‘Man on the Moon’ are seminal rock songs that became ingrained in many a generation’s heads. Even this grammar checker recognises the periphrastic full stop at the end of the band’s name. That’s why the past decade or so of releases from R.E.M. have been so crushingly disappointing to the world. No more. Collapse Into Now is a record packed full of memorable moments and is arguably their most consistent release since 1992’s Automatic For The People. Opening track ‘Discover’ underlies the band’s intention to return to the anthemic

Chris Taylor

Stuart Edwards

3.Fleet Foxes – ‘Helplessness Blues’ New Single

The title track of their album by the same name, ‘Helplessness Blues’ is another faultless release from Fleet Foxes. Expect to hear this song on repeat whilst the band are on the festival loop this summer. I predict it’ll become the ‘summer anthem’ of many after the radio play it’s had recently.

4.Jamie Woon – ‘Lady Luck’ New Single

‘Lady Luck’ is the follow up to Woon’s debut ‘Night Air’. Sounding remarkably more R’n’B than ‘Night Air’, ‘Lady Luck’ is Woon using electronic music to his advantage, sampling various vocals and beats to generate a sound not usually heard in mainstream music. Woon’s vocals are faultless as ever; if you’re a big fan of his voice, go have a look on YouTube for his cover of Olive’s ‘You’re Not Alone’.

5.Glasvegas – ‘Euphoria, Take My Hand’

Music Video ‘Euphoria, Take My Hand’ is a new release for the Glasgow band who have been laying low of late.

James Allan still has his sunglasses permanently attached to his head throughout the video, posing like a modern day Morrisey. It’s obscure at best, showing videos of the band travelling, and performing in front of a constantly changing projected background; all in all, not one of their best.

Lucy Johnson

The Courier Online For exclusive reviews of album releases and live gigs from around the city, as well as Spotify Playlists, head to the music section of The Courier website: thecourieronline.co.uk/music

37

Monday March 21 2011 THE COURIER

Culture

TV & Radio

tv & radio

tv highlight

soaps

The Model Agency

Coronation Street

Halfway through the series, you still have a chance to catch up and discover the interesting world of fashion, just tune into 4OD. Wednesday 10pm, C4 Anyone who has watched The Hills or The City will know the world of fashion is full of bitchy comments, overtly dramatic models and brutal bosses. For those of you who haven’t seen these shows, then Channel 4’s Model Agency is your chance to get an honest and harsh look into the industry. The series is already half way through; yet all the episodes are on Channel 4od, so it isn’t too late to make The Model Agency your guilty pleasure.

The show is a fly on the wall documentary and follows the ins and outs of the world famous company Premier Models. Previous success stories include Naomi Campbell, Claudia Schiffer and Linda Evangelista.

The seven part series follows them through the September Show Season, as they try to prepare themselves and their models for the important Paris, New York, Milan and London shows.

The documentary mostly centres on the actions of the company owners Carole White and her brother Chris Owen. The electric mixture of staff at Premier Models also feature in the show, providing many dramatic and humorous moments.

My favourite character is John; you

tv previews

Supersize vs Superskinny Kids Tuesday 8pm, C4

Mon, Thurs, Fri on ITV1 Becky wreaks havoc after clashing with Kylie and Liz, whilst Maria makes a deal with the devil to save Underworld. Janice is thrilled when Trevor returns to Weatherfield and he cheers her up when she outstays her welcome at the Bookie’s flat.

Gail warns Frank about Tracey’s murderous past and Tyrone seeks revenge after Kevin’s windfall.

Eastenders

Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri on BBC1 Fatboy and Lauren set off in search of Whitney, while Ricky and Carol are shocked when they find out the truth about her. Jodie realises she isn’t ready to be a stepmum, forcing her to make a decision about her relationship with Darren. Max is not impressed when he sees Abi and Jay kissing and goads Jay into punching him, while Jack goes into business with Michael.

Models: This fly-on-the-wall documentary follows Premier Model Management, giving us an insight into what the fashion world is like

can tell from the first episode he is a diva in the making.

So far in the series we have been introduced to several models including Leomie, who was spotted at 14 years old whilst waiting for a bus (it happens to us all, or maybe not).

At 17, Leomie is one of the agency’s rising stars and has landed some of the biggest shows in fashion week.

We have also been educated on the difference between commercial and editorial models. According to

Violet, a commercial model herself, they can eat and have a (slight) figure, I say slight because her waist is a mere 24 inches.

In my opinion, episode three was the best; this is when John lived up to his diva potential. After storming out of the office in frustration the rest of the team are left trying to pick up the pieces.

The prodigal son is back by episode four and quickly settles back into the model environment. The

peace doesn’t last for long as next week the tempers rise once again as the bookers are trying to prepare for London Fashion Week.

Whether you are interested in the world of fashion or not, this show is a fascinating watch. If you think the world of fashion is glamorous, then think again; one model sums the industry up nicely saying: “we are not acting but we are actors.”

My Big Fat Fake Wedding Thursday 9pm, BBC 1

Jo Frost: Extreme Parental Guidance Friday 9pm, E4

The Only Way Is Essex Sunday 10pm, ITV 2

Rosie Daly

Emmerdale

Weekdays 7pm on ITV Jackson struggles with Jerry’s good intentions, while Hazel and Aaron are troubled by Jackson’s behaviour.

Jimmy is determined to find out whether Kelly is telling the truth after she makes a revelation and Chas makes Debbie question her decision over Cameron. Aaron is forced to admit he read Jackson’s diary, leaving Jackson devastated.

Hollyoaks

Weekdays 6.30pm on C4 Heidi is astounded to walk in on Lynsey withholding treatment from Silas and Darren is caught up in a love triangle. Warren is questioned about the body in the river and stirs things by telling Ste that Brendan did something terrible; but Brendan and Warren have a fight, which doesn’t turn out well. Jason and Seth hold an after-hours party in the pub when their parents go away.

Neighbours

Over four consecutive nights this week, Supersize vs Superskinny returns with a campaign to try and tackle over and under weight kids. The UK has Europe’s highest number of obese kids, whilst the number of children suffering from anorexia has doubled in the last decade alone.

Dr Christian Jessen and Dietician Ursula Philpot work with parents and their children to help them kick their bad habits .

This first episode surrounds 15year-old Leuan Rosser who weighs an astonishing 17 stone and 13-yearold Jess who weighs a shocking six and a half stone. Leaun consumes 4000 calories a day while body conscious Jess’s dad is urged to put his foot down to stop his daughter’s unhealthy diet.

It also follows the harrowing ordeal of Erin, whose eating disorder spiralled dangerously when she became addicted to anorexia sites.

Panorama’s Richard Bilton investigates sham weddings in the UK and takes on various guises to expose the ways immigrants stay in the country illegally.

At a London register office it’s Ali and Maria’s big day. Ali, from Pakistan is marrying Maria, who claims to be Spanish. The only guests are a handful of the groom’s friends; one of which admits he was only invited the day before and does not know the bride. Ali now has the right to stay in the country for at least another five years before the Home Office is allowed to check if it really is a love match. Ali and Maria’s wedding has been added to nearly 600 suspected sham marriages that happen each year.

Richard also investigates a European gang that supplies teenage prostitutes as bogus brides and an immigration solicitor who prepares the legal paperwork for sham couples.

Jo Frost has really made her mark in the parenting world, what with seven successful series of Supernanny, three book deals and international success in 47 other countries, it’s no wonder she receives countless bags of mail from desperate parents asking for advice.

Now she is back with her second series of Extreme parental guidance helping out squabbling families and researching childhood issues.

She kicks off her first episode by looking at the effects of violent video games that countless children are exposed to. She also meets a four -year-old girl who hasn’t eaten anything in her life other than sweets, and tries to educate her on the dangers of not sticking to a healthy diet The series has some shocking scientific research and psychological issues at heart that are very thrilling to watch. You always feel like you’ve learned something when you watch one of her shows.

Spray tan? Check. Cristal champagne? Check. The Only Way Is Essex is back, and this series continues the journey into the glamorous world of Essex with its nail bars, nightclubs and a whole lot of drama to boot.

Dubbed as the UK’s answer to The Hills, The Only Way is Essex scored one and a half million viewers for ITV2 in its first series.

Viewers were hooked on its depiction of the typical Essex lothario, alongside the Essex girls with not only the Christian Louboutin heels, but savvy instincts to match.

Series two promises to continue the entertainment, with familiar faces like Mark Wright (Jack Tweed’s best mate) and Amy Childs reappearing alongside new characters.

Yes, it’s all based on stereotypes, and yes the show is pretty much entirely staged, despite the characters actually playing themselves. But so what? We’re all allowed a guilty pleasure...

Lynsey Fawcett TV & Radio Editor

Maria Moffatt

Luke Hearfield

Gemma Farina

Weekdays 1.45pm & 5.30pm on Five Lucas hassles Billy for details of the next race. However, when Lucas receives the details, he caves and arrives at the race, coming face-to-face with a shock. Zeke offers Summer a place to stay after she tries to get away from Tash. Toadie suggests to Sonya that they expand their family, but she refuses point blank. Rebecca confesses that she pushed Paul, but Michael’s reaction is not what she expected.

Home and Away

Weekdays at 2.15pm & 6pm on Five Colleen’s van is almost ready for her to move back into, but she seems to be finding excuses not to return.

Ruby is over the moon to finally be with the man she loves and can’t wait to tell everyone her and Romeo are together, but Romeo ends up breaking her heart when he denies it. Charlie is called in to deal with the River Boys gang, with Brax ending up being arrested. Elijah tries to build a relationship with Thabo, but is struggling.

Lynsey Fawcett TV & Radio Editor

38

Monday March 21 2011 THE COURIER

Culture

TV & Radio

tv & radio YouTube clip of the week

radio highlights

“Rebecca Black - Friday (OFFICIAL VIDEO)” Uploaded by: trizzy66

Ellie Wilson shares her YouTube video of the week. To catch the best each week, visit www.thecourieronline.co.uk.

The latest music sensation to be sweeping the twittersphere is not there because of any particular lyrical or musical merit. The hit number is in the millions but I doubt many among those viewers would call

themselves fans of Rebecca Black’s autotuned track Friday.

It’s not clear if the song is a spoof of real, but the literal nature of the lyrics (the opening lines include: “Seven a.m., waking up in the morning, Gotta be fresh, gotta go downstairs, Gotta have my bowl, gotta have cereal”), autotune overload and awkward acting in the video make it one to watch in wonder (but definitely not one to buy)!

tweets of the week Rufus Hound Have just been described as a DILF. I am delighted by this. #anewphasehasbegun.

Marcus Brigstoke What’s the point of Halloumi?

Doesn’t melt, squeaks and doesn’t taste cheesy. #spycheese.

Jedward Why does everyone love moustaches its like look this is my face its a moustache and its gonna moustache all over you and move when you talk .

Gok Wan Just left the party like Cinderella!

My pumpkin is a people carrier & I’ve left with both of my shoes, guess I won’t be marrying the prince! X

debate Yes

Book at Bedtime: Mathilda Monday - Friday 1.45pm BBC Radio 4

What’s in a Meme?

Tuesday 11.30am BBC Radio 4

Jo Whiley Sunday 1pm BBC Radio 1

Following in the wake of Danny Boyle’s stage-adaptation of Mary Shelley’s seminal novel, Frankenstein, BBC Radio 4’s Book at Bedtime presents a reading of her lesserknown novella, Mathilda.

Having been denied publication by her father, and revolutionary author William Godwin, for its exceptionally controversial themes of incest, death and hopeless love, Mathilda became publically available only in the late 1950s when a copy was discovered in Oxford’s Bodleian Library.

Although not strictly autobiographical, the resemblance of central characters to Shelley, her father and husband affords a fascinating insight into one of the nineteenth century’s most beloved authors and a mother who had recently lost her children and sees no continued hope in the world.

The reading by award-winning actress Emilia Fox promises to be passionate and thought-provoking.

Whether you’re just familiar with the cultural giant, Frankenstein, and long to learn more or you’re already acquainted with Shelley’s wider body of work, this is not to be missed!

Radio 4 lives up to its reputation of random documentaries this week, bringing its listeners a programme about internet memes. Even if the term means nothing to you, you’ve almost certainly come across a meme at some point. An internet meme describes a concept that spreads like wildfire on the web. It could be a video, an image, or even just a word or phrase – often spread via YouTube, Facebook and blogs.

One example is the Downfall parody that flooded YouTube. This involves subtitled spoofs of a scene with Hitler from WWII film Downfall where internet users replace the subtitles with their own hilarious interpretations. One you’re sure to know is ‘rickrolling’, where users are tricked into clicking on a Rick Astley video, thinking they’re viewing something else.

Radio 4’s typical listener is stereotypically out of touch with internet crazes, but this programme gives them the opportunity to get ‘with it’ - but there’s no reason why it can’t be interesting to students either.

Dr Susan Blackmore investigates the motivation behind creating and sharing memes and questions their cultural significance.

Jo Whiley will be presenting her last weekend afternoon show for BBC Radio 1 this week before moving to present a new show over on BBC Radio 2.

Having spent 17 years working with Radio 1, this will be a special weekend for Jo, with tributes to this incredible lady from many of her friends from the music and entertainment world, including Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl.

Jo joined Radio 1 in spring 1993 and in September of that year she became permanent co-presenter of the seminal radio programme The Evening Session, with Steve Lamacq, until 1997.

Four years later she landed her own daytime show and remained part of Radio 1’s weekday line-up until 2009, when she launched a new weekend programme. She is also a regular presenter of the BBC’s live events television coverage, including Glastonbury Festival and Radio 2 Electric Proms coverage for BBC Two. Jo’s current weekend slots will be filled by new music champion Huw Stephens, who will kick off with his brand new show on Saturday 2 April.

Simon Barnes

Adam Rummens

Ellie Wilson TV& Radio Editor

Famous for all the wrong reasons, you have no future as a celebrity so you turn back to the real world and find work but who would employ you? We all like to get drunk and end up doing stupid things but appearing on these reality shows sends out this message to future employers. Employers could never

take you seriously as a professional businessperson but instead associate you with the humiliating incidents from your past. Employers know we aren’t serious all the time and have a social lives but embarrassing yourself on TV is not the answer.

Would featuring in a reality programme further your career?

When news broke that MTV were recruiting for Geordie Shore, it triggered conversations with my friends about whether we’d ever apply. One said she wouldn’t because you couldn’t have a real career afterwards. But in my opinion that isn’t true.

Lauren Conrad, Olivia Palermo and Kim Kardashian, are just a few examples of people who have appeared in reality shows which have opened up career paths they could never have previously imagined.

When LC first appeared in Laguna Beach I doubt anyone could have predicted that she would go on to have a fashion line and a bestselling novel. During the show Lauren maintained her interest in fashion and she could have tried for a fashion career without the show. But fashion is cut throat, and her time on the show gave her opportunities that she wouldn’t have had without it. She might have faded into the background with other wannabe fashionistas. Instead, she was able to utilise the chances and make herself a brand worth a reported $5million.

Being on a reality show isn’t just a good career step for the stars; Lauren’s best friend Lo Bosworth has also had a best selling book and now works for ABC TV network.

Lo studied Art History at university but without the help of The Hills, I doubt her career would have followed such a successful path.

It isn’t just those in LA that have managed to forge a career out of their time on reality TV. Snookie and J-Woww are also carving out names for themselves after Jersey Shore and surely it is only a matter of time before they launch their own fake tan range.

Cynics may argue that those who appear on reality shows only have successful careers if they remain in the media industry. But if you are applying to appear on TV, chances are that this is the industry you want to be in and, to me, it seems the perfect step in to the media world.

If MTV offered me the chance to appear on a show would I worry about the negative impact on my career? No, because I think having a camera crew behind you can open doors that are otherwise very difficult to open on your own.

Rosie Daly

No

At some time in our lives I’m sure lots of us thought (even if only for a brief second) it’d be a good idea to apply for a reality TV show; whether it be Big Brother, Survivor or Jersey Shore. It just seems like a bit of fun, a good laugh. So what is it that stops us? We think of the humiliation that comes with being involved in these programmes.

Imagine having gone onto Big Brother and baring your breasts on TV (and more!) as Kinga did or taking part in the famous jacuzzi moment like Makosi. They have made themselves famous for all the wrong reasons. They’ve embarrassed themselves on national television and as a result of the decision to appear on shows such as these, their private lives are not longer private; there is no hiding from their actions.

Jersey Shore follows the lives of eight young people living in New Jersey where they get drunk, go through relationships and break-ups, fights, tears and tantrums. Shows such as these do not depict the people in a good light and sends out all the wrong messages to viewers.

Maria Moffatt

Career Prospects: Are people hindering their chances of employment after reality TV?

39

THE COURIER Monday March 21 2011

Culture

TV & Radio

tv & radio

nsr news

NSR Station Manager Louise Morris introduces an exciting couple of weeks for NSR as they broadcast their programmes across the city on FM from March 21.

With emails of support from old NSR presenters and local radio staff, Newcastle Student Radio has begun their two week Restricted Service Licence – you can listen to us now as 87.7 NSR FM! Funnily enough it seems to be the same frequency that Glastonbury festival will be using to broadcast in June. From March 21 NSR has brought you an extended schedule, starting at 7am for those early risers to get up whilst listening to some uplifting tracks and student oriented chat during the two hour NSR Breakfast Shows.

Saturday 26 sees NSR broadcasting at the weekend for the first time in a few years with an excitingly diverse range of shows including some special features. From 10am Guava Beats brings you an eclectic mix of world beats swiftly followed

by James Fairfield’s The Jazz Effect to

ease you into a Saturday morning.

The first of our special features then commences with a lunchtime play

by R. White from 12:30-1pm, Evolution Introduces is next up where I will be informing you about the best acts you can expect to see at Newcastle’s largest music festival.

Kirsty Graham then takes over for a three hour focus on local and student unsigned bands, she will be interviewing a few of the acts and even playing some live sessions that we have recorded with the bands (check the website for further details: nsrlive.co.uk).

Bee’s Banging Beats with Rose and Maz then takes you from 6-7pm with their engaging chat and perfectly selected tracks and Hedd Thomas returns to NSR at 7pm for his much loved show United World Radio where he shares his incredible knowledge and passion for world music.

For our final week as an FM station March 28-April 1) NSR will be focussing on the Stan Calvert competition with Sports shows every day from 12-1pm. Spread the word of our FM frequency: 87.7FM and don’t forget that you can still tune in online!

TV & Radio Editors: Lynsey Fawcett & Ellie Wilson - courier.culture-tv@ncl.ac.uk

monday

7-9 Louise Morris: NSR Breakfast

1-2 Ed Stapley

9-10 Bethan Brown & Victoria Mole: NSR Chart Show

2-4 Louise Morris: Busy Doing Nothing

10-11 H. Adams-Cains & Matt Valencia: T.G.I. Mondays

4-5 Max O’Collins: Choons and a Chinwag

11-12 Tom Warren: It Wozza Me

5-6 Ewan Biggs: The Biggs Show

12-1 FM Special NSR News & Sports

6-8 Nile Amos & Joe Repath: Toe Jamm

8-9 Ben L. Smith: NSR Introduces 9-10 Lucy Johnson & Olivia Mason: Ms. Connections

tuesday 7-9 Kirsty Graham: NSR Breakfast

1-2 Tom Wilson & Ed

dron: Imagine That

9-11 Will Reynolds & Callum Sibley: Morning Glory

2-3 John Challis & Rob Haughton: Thrashed Organ

6-7.30 James Fairfield & Philb: Prog.

Amp.

11-12 Gus Hunter & Sean Lightfoot: North/South Divide

3-4 For The Record

7.30-9 Elliot Bentley & Aimee Palmer: A&E Radio

12-1 FM Special NSR News & Sports

wednesday

7-9 Christian Allen: NSR Breakfast 9-9.30 NSR News 9.30-10.30 Ashleen Morgan & Vicky Napier: Radio Gaga 10.30-12 Isobel Tetchner 12-1 FM Special NSR News & Sports

thursday

4-5 Emma Humphreys: Afternoon Tea 5-6 James Tabbinor & Tom Wal-

1-2 Richard Anderson & Patrick McCluskey: Peel’s Ghost 2-3 Kat Norry & Miranda Dobson: Alt. News 3-4 Rose Boyce & Lizzy Skingley: Kaboom!

4-4.30 NSR Ents

7-9 Cathryn Yeates & Samantha Sanderson: NSR Breakfast

12-1 FM Special NSR News & Sports

9-10 Matt Dunn & Duncan Swainsbury: The C Word

1-2 Will Tasker: Themoglobin

10-11 Alex Bishop & Tom: Time to Time 11-12 Matty Guy, Dan Greant & Mitch Labiak: The Classics Hour

2-3 Ros Howes & Katy Covell: Music From Movie Moments 3-4 Gaby Sarll: Hit The Decks

9-10 Joe Vann & George: Joe & George’s Musical Almanc

4.30-5 EUPHONY 5-6 Kit McCormick & Daniel Carr 6-7 Max Beavis: Golden Wonder 7-8.30 Joelle Learner & Ros Fraser 8.30-10 Chris Tindall: Reggae Toast

5-6 Becky Such & Rachel Belward: The Angry Beavers 6-7.30 Helen Stephenson: NSR in your Bass 7.30-9 Bee Hollingdale: Bee’s Banging Beats

4-5 Kieran Flynn & Lorenzo Squire: It’s bigger than the hip-hop

9-10 Nick Searing

7-9 Rob Sellars: NSR Breakfast

1-2 Charles Campbell: Soundcheck

5-5.30 LOUDMOUTHS

9-10 Tom Jafferty: The Manual

2-3 NSR Film

10-11 Richard Anderson: Flashback

3-4 Rob Denby, John Pelham & Joel Hawkins

5.30-6.30 Rosie Libel & Sarah Firby: Faces For Radio

friday

11-12 NSR Sports 12-1 FM Special NSR News & Sports

saturday

10-11.30 Joelle Learner & Ros Fraser: Guava Beats

11.30-12.30 James Fairfield: The Jazz Effect 12.30-1 FM A Play By R.White

4-5 Joe Skrebels & Polly Randall: Southern Comfort

1-2 NSR @ Free Think Festival 2-3 Evolution Festival Introduces 3-6 NSR Live Sessions

6.30-8 Kirsty Graham: Live transmission 8-10 Mark Corcoran-Lettice: MMMMMM!

6-7 Bee Hollingdale: Bee’s Banging Beats 7-9 Hedd Thomas: United World Radio

40

Monday March 21 2011 THE COURIER

Culture Puzzles

puzzles Get all of the solutions to this week’s puzzles at www. thecourieronline.co.uk

Across 4 Bandage to support injured arm (5) 9 Imaginative, artistic (8) 10 2009 James Cameron Film (6) 11 Pompous fool (3) 12 Brook, natural stream (5) 13 Medical Practitioner (abbrev.)

(2) 14 A bovine animal (2) 17 Sturgeon roe (6) 18 Gratuity (3) 20 Old Testament prophet (6) 21 Group looking for a missing person (6, 5) 23 Roll of tobacco (5) 25 Burn caused by liquid (5) 27 Sensationalist tabloid newspapers (6, 5) 30 Buccaneer (6) 31 Hearing organ (3)

logic problem A canal barge is in a lock ten metres long and five metres wide, currently flooded to a depth of two metres. Over the side hangs a rope ladder whose bottom rung is 15 cm above the surface of the water. The upstream sluice gates open and water pours into the lock at a rate of 500 litres per second. How soon will the water touch the ladder?

phone in Use the clues and the keypad to find the answers to the grid using the week’s theme to help you. For example the number three in a clue could be D, E or F. This week’s theme is Signs of the Zodiac.

Puzzles Editor: Andy Pitkeathley - courier.puzzles@ncl.ac.uk

33 Stringed instrument (6) 34 2001 Spielberg sci-fi movie (2) 35 Wooden staff used in Japanese martial arts (2) 36 Animal entrails (5) 37 Unknown alien craft (abbrev) (3) 41 Field gun (6) 42 Five-line poem (8) 43 Vine fruit (5)

24 Agenda, list of events (9) 26 Unlawful, illicit (8) 28 1983 Al Pacino remake (8) 29 Chinese capital (7) 32 Lottery, tombola (6) 38 Explosive (abbrev) (3) 39 Feather scarf (3) 40 Form of address for some members of royal family (abbrev) (3)

Down

Last week’s Crossword answer

1 Competition between nations for weaponry (4, 5) 2 Document sent by telephone line (abbrev.) (3) 3 Pecking order (9) 4 Choose, opt for (6) 5 Unwell (3) 6 Archangel (7) 7 Pub, inn (3) 8 Vista (8) 15 British overseas territory (9) 16 Chinese grapefruit (4, 5) 19 Small (French) (5) 22 Angle less than 90 degrees (5)

sudoku

wordsearch

logical The words below make up a common phrase. Can you read what the phrase is as well as the word?

Across

Down

3. 828787 5. 436464 6. 27437

1. 27827487 2. 84746 4. 7267746

word link Find the word that can be placed between these words to make two new words or phrases

Find all the words in the grid below, the words are all linked. This week’s link is University Buildings.

Daysh Devonshire Ridley Bedson Agriculture Armstrong Drummond Union Stephenson Fine Art Merz Court Percy Herschel Old Library Cassie

andy’s number cruncher Keep your brain in shape by trying to complete these sums as fast as you can without using a calculator

JOB

UP

EASY

FAMILY

KIND

41

RUN

OFFICE

SAFE

ARREST

HARD

OFF

DOWN

41

Divide by 9

Cube this

1/5 of Square root this

+5

Double this

=

-5

Divide by 1/2

-12

1/6 of Square this this

-55

Divide by 9

=

Times itself

-11

30% of Divide this by 1/2

Cube root

3/5 of this

=

+4

MEDIUM

41

-2

Square root

The puzzles get harder as you work your way down the page.

11

THE COURIER Monday March 21 2011

41

The number of Stan Calvert wins for Newcastle if victorious in 2011

days to go

Sports Editors: Jono Taylor, Wills Robinson and Kat Bannon - courier.sport@ncl.ac.uk

The Will to overcome the odds Before yesterday’s LV Cup Final, Harry Slavin spoke to student Will Welch about representing the Falcons in his ultimate test

The former Newcastle Grammar School pupil (pictured above) has overcome some injury problems this season and has managed to become a mainstay in the First team squad, starting the majority of games this season.

While most students at this time of year are gearing up for exams and focusing on dissertation deadlines, one Newcastle student spent last week preparing himself for a completely different test altogether.

Will Welch, alongside his Newcastle Falcons team-mates, was undergoing last minute preparation for their LV Cup final against Gloucester, which was played yesterday at Franklin’s Garden in Northampton.

Newcastle came up with some solid displays to get to the final, including one of the greatest last gasp victories away to Harlequins in the semifinal, a tie they won by 21 points to 20 thanks to a stoppage time try by Tane Tu’ipulotu. They topped their pool to reach the semi-final, one which included the current Premiership champions Leicester Tigers, although they, admittedly, did not face them in the round robin stage, due to the undisputedly bizarre layout of the competition.

Welch knew that his team were seen as underdogs going into yesterday’s match, with Gloucester flying high in the Premiership and

pushing for a play-off spot. However he believed before the final that everything was up for grabs, “I think we have a great chance, it’s a one off game where whoever turns up wins. Gloucester are playing really well at the minute, so we’ll be in for a tough game, but we have real confidence that we can win it.

We’ve hit a decent patch of form at the minute too so we’ll be confident going into it.”

“It was difficult trying to balance the two, because rugby was always going to come first” This good form is something which Welch admits has been lacking all too often from the Falcons’ season so far, a situation which has left them scrapping to avoid relegation from the Aviva Premiership. They are just one place off the foot of the table but their recent revival has seen them create a comfortable gap

between themselves and basement club Leeds Carnegie and Welch believes that the confidence created by the run of games will be more than enough to see them secure top-flight status for next season. “We’ve been disappointed with our run of form in the league, but we’re starting to pick it up again after the win over Leeds. I think form comes through playing with a bit of confidence, which has been the case since Leeds.

We’re playing much better now and everyone’s sure that we’ll start picking up a lot more points in the league.”

The game comes at a time when university study begins to pick up and as most students worry about finding the time to fully prepare themselves for exams, Will is in the completely enviable position of having little time to revise at all, due to the pursuit of his - and let’s be honest, most other guys’ his age - dream career. Welch says it was hard in the past maintaining a decent compromise between his passion for rugby and his revision, admitting that “it was difficult trying to balance the

two, because rugby was always going to come first.” However, now only studying part-time Will says he finds it easier to concentrate on his goals and ambitions on the rugby field.

Welch made his First team debut in 2008 and became a squad member in 2009

The final on Sunday was arguably Newcastle’s biggest game of the season, but it is widely felt within the dressing room that a trophy wouldn’t go any way to softening the blow of relegation come the end of the season and that the priority for the Falcons remains maintaining their seat at the top table of English rugby union. “I’d prefer to lose the final and stay in the premiership.

Everyone wants to play in the top league week in week out, that’s the most important thing as a club.

But to win the LV would be a huge achievement that we’re not taking lightly.”

Most people around Newcastle would probably concur that they would rather see a different professional outfit from their city making an appearance in a major cup final. However it is a chance for a city, usually devoid of all forms of silverware, to celebrate two trophies in two years, something any local would not deny their pride in should the LV Cup make its way back to the Falcons trophy cabinet on Monday morning.

42

Monday March 21 2011 THE COURIER

Sport

North East: the hot bed of English footballers Dan Robinson looks at the findings of a recent survey which suggest that the North East produces the most Premier League footballers Paul Gascoigne, Alan Shearer, Bryan Robson, Steve Bruce, Peter Beardsley. The list goes on and on…

Last week, Trueknowledge.com confirmed what many have known for generations when they released statistics revealing that the North East is, indeed, a football hotbed.

Measured according to the Premier League footballers which have been produced per 100,000 population, County Durham topped the table with 9.49, and was joined in the top ten by fifth-placed Tyne and Wear (5.06) and Northumberland (4.18), in eighth.

The North East has always been known for its great love of the beautiful game despite the fact it’s teams can boast just one major trophy in the past 38 years, and only two sides currently make up England’s elite.

Yet the region has never ceased to be a conveyor belt of talent for the top clubs in the country. Gazza is one of the most famous England players ever and has provided moments of sheer magic, such as that incredible Euro ’96 strike against Scotland. Shearer is the Premier League’s all-time scorer and, like Robson, has proudly captained his

country, while the likes of Beardsley and Chris Waddle are never far away from the words ‘truly’ and ‘gifted’.

Whilst the clubs in the area may have missed out on the top honours in the game, its players have often been at the centre of the trophy hunt. Robson, Bruce, Gary Pallister and, more recently, Michael Carrick, have all been focal points of successful Manchester United teams, while Gascoigne and Waddle have enjoyed stints abroad with Lazio and Marseille, respectively.

Although the absence of North East players from the 2010 World Cup squad was highly notable in local circles, this season has seen a resurgence of regional names carrying national hopes in the shape of Andy Carroll, Jordan Henderson and Adam Johnson.

Carroll became the most expensive British player ever just six weeks ago as he joined Liverpool for a astronomical £35 million fee, with fellow England debutant Henderson expected to follow a similar path in future years.

Meanwhile, Johnson’s stock has risen rapidly over the past year

Students Race to Africa in aid of Red Nose Day Grace Harvey Most of you will have donned your red noses at some point in your life, or have been on campus shaking your buckets of change in aid of Comic Relief, but one of the most popular fundraising events on campus has undoubtedly been the ‘RACE TO AFRICA’ competition ran in conjunction with the Sports Centre.

Running from Friday 4th March and finishing last Sunday, ‘RACE TO AFRICA’ has not only been a great opportunity to imrpove health and fitness, but it has also generated a significant amount of money for this genuinely worthwhile cause.

Over the course of two weeks, teams of up to ten students have been trying to accumulate over 2000 miles (3218km) which is roughly the distance from England to Africa and back. Each team members has paid only £2 to enter, and they have been challenged to raise as much of their own personal sponsorship as possible with every penny being donated to Comic Relief.

The teams have acquired these miles by running, walking, rowing, swimming, cycling or any other way competitors can think of, even on the treadmills, as long as it has been honestly recorded. Adding an extra competitive dimension, the team who contributes the most amounts of miles at the end of the challenge will be rewarded with

not only victory but an additional prize.

However, no forfeits are given if the 2000 miles are not actually achieved, instead putting the focus on raising as much money as possible for this genuinely worthwhile cause.

Catching up with one of the event co-ordinators Nicola Lazenby last Wednesday, she confirmed 50 students entered starting the fundraising at £100, not including the money the individual team

“Teams of up to ten students have been trying to accumulate over 2000 miles” members will bring to the pot.

They’d achieved over 1250 miles at this point, with each team still pushing hard over the last four days to ensure they reach this demanding goal, though there is no question that with the dedication and enthusiasm each individual provides, this goal can realistically be achieved.

It only costs a fiver to purchase a life-saving mosquito net to protect young vulnerable children across Africa from the lethal Malaria disease, and a fiver can buy 45 schoolbooks for children in Tanzania.

Every penny raised by events like ‘RACE TO AFRICA’ counts towards the ambition of making poverty history.

since he joined Roberto Mancini’s Manchester City revolution in January 2010, with his omission from the plane which headed to South Africa not preventing him finishing as the third best England player of the year.

The past few years may have brought more hurt than promise for the North East, but at least these figures are indicative of what the future could hold for clubs which have always valued their own and continue to boast some of the most passionate fans in the country.

With the current emphasis in the age of austerity in football on youth and growth, we can surely expect to see this roll call of football greatness expand yet further.

Dan Robinson’s North East Premier League XI: Steve Harper, Steve Watson, Steve Bruce, Gary Pallister, Barry Venison, Adam Johnson, Paul Gascoigne, Bryan Robson, Stewart Downing, Alan Shearer, Peter Beardsley. Manager: Sir Bobby Robson The North East’s prodigal son: Alan Shearer boasts a near god-like status in the region

THE COURIER Monday March 21 2011

43

Sport

Laughable Molesok concede four

Intra Mural Football Division 3

Molesok Ar-U-Shavin a Laugh

0 4

Ben Mander at Longbenton 3G On a misty afternoon at Longbenton Ar-U-Shavin a Laugh faced their old rivals Molesok for the second time in two weeks. Having beaten them 6-0 the previous fortnight ArU-Shavin prepared for another big victory. However, early scandal had threatened them to postpone the game; Molesok playing mind games by reporting that they couldn’t field a team, and several of the Ar-UShavin players were absent with ‘really serious injuries’. Nevertheless both teams were able to attain the prerequisite 11 players and the game kicked off without further incident.

Early forages by both teams into the opposition’s half lead to few chances as, due to the wet surface, the majority of through balls were easily dealt with by the respective keepers. Ar-U-Shavin a Laugh were the first to strike as a diagonal ball from Mark Green found William ‘Hoppsy’ Hopps who was able to slot it past the scrambling Molesok goalkeeper James Cook.

The rest of the half saw both teams exchanging chances, with Ar-UShavin a Laugh able to sustain pressure through midfield maestros Nick ‘Eboue’ Parkinson and Martin Windebank. They were, however, unable to break through a resilient Molesok defence. As a result of this the scored remained 1-0 at half time, with both teams requiring a strong second half performance if either were to clinch a victory.

Ar-U-Shavin a Laugh were to get

a dream start to the second half as straight from the kick-off some one touch passing from the midfield saw Jonny ‘lucky finish’ Smith through on goal, but unfortunately scuffed his shot. As both teams turned away for the following goal kick, Molesok keeper James Cook watched in horror as the ball slipped through his grasp and landed in the bottom corner of the net!

Visibly shocked by the suddenness of the second goal Molesok lwere quick to retaliate, however a revitalised Ar-U-Shavin looked steady in defence with their back four keeping the Molesok attacks at bay with some resilient defending.

The third goal, whichever way it went, was going to have an exponential impact on the result of the game and with the Ar-U-Shavin defence holding firm centre back James ‘Higgsy’ Higgs was able to venture into the relatively unknown territory of the opposition box for a corner. As the ball was whipped in Higgs leapt like a Salmon and was able to guide the ball into the net (skilfully using the leg of Charlie Courtenay Clack to deflect the ball past the keeper).

At 3-0 down and with the introduction of Paddy ‘epic one-liner’ Gilhooley the game became much more open. As a consequence of this, William ‘Hoppsy’ Hopps found himself in some space on the edge of the Molesok area and another simple shot was fumbled by the keeper into the back of the net.

With both sides tired after a hard fought 90 minutes the ref blew his whistle to end the game 4-0. Ar-UShavin a Laugh, with 15 goals in their last three games, looked set to take the top spot in division three, and with the cup quarter final looming on the horizon look set for yet another strong end to the season.

S.TYSON

Foggy conditions at Longbenton didn’t get in the way of Ar-U-Shavin scoring four as they look set to take the Division Three title

Happy Feet dance past Ian Intra Mural Football Division 4

Happy Feet Ian FC

3 1

James Claxton at Close House A foggy Close House was the venue for an evenly contested encounter between Intra Mural Football Division 4 teams Happy Feet and Ian FC. It was all to play for with both teams lingering at the wrong end of the table, and after a tight 4-3 victory a few weeks before; Happy Feet entered the game as favourites. After stand-in skipper Ben Agar won the toss, ‘Feet carried a good mentality into the game, starting the stronger of the teams, trying to make the most of a boggy and uneven surface.

After missing most of the season

through a career threatening injury, Feet’s Lloyd McMillan was looking to cement a, self proclaimed, ‘Jack Wilshere’ role in the centre of midfield. Any comparisons were few and far between as McMillan soon sent a ball spiralling into row Z. Despite this early impetus, chances for both teams soon ran dry and the main talking point came around 25 minutes was team sweat bucket Tom Jaffrey pulling up with cramp. The Happy Feet midfielder managed to play on for the remainder of a tight goalless half, before he was replaced

by Cal ‘the Kaiser’ Barthrop.

A rousing team talk in the ‘Feet quarters, led by Serbian import Nemanja Berry citing “this will happen”, seemed to kick start striker Chris ‘Q-Bert’ Charles into action, getting onto the end of a flick on to coolly slot the ball past Ian’s ‘Keeper. This early goal forced Ian FC into action, but Happy Feet absorbed the

pressure well, relying on the help of the woodwork to keep the score line at 1-0. Happy Feet constantly looked a threat from set pieces, and after a long throw, utilizing the freakishly long arms of defender Tom Richards, Q-Bert beautifully struck the ball on the half volley which left the ball nestling in the top corner.

Q-Bert soon rounded off his hatrick with a poachers finish, reiterating why he’s known as the ‘Ox in the box’. He certainly made the most after filling in for regular striker Robert ‘Pocket Rocket’ McLovin. A near perfect day was tarnished when Ian FC wiped out the clean sheet from a free kick. The free kick appeared to be struck well, however cramp-sufferer Jaffrey commented: “The ball trickled over the line. Classic ‘keeping from Dehlavi.”. Any hope of a comeback was soon extinguished as the final whistle went.

Brown Magic their way past mechanics Intra Mural Football Division 3

Brown Magic Real Mechanical

5 1

James Burns at Longbenton 3G Brown Magic cruised comfortably past Real Mechanical, at a misty and damp Longbenton, coming out 5 – 1 winners at the final whistle.

The grim weather was soon lifted by the magic however, as they took the lead just under ten minutes in.

Skipper James Burns showing good pace to overrun the Mechanical left back, squaring the ball back to

striker Jack Whittaker, who saw his snapshot parried into the path of Eddy Hill, who neatly slotted away.

The Magic dominated the large periods of the first half, and the second goal shortly followed. Neat play

by Jack Whittaker, slipping a ball through, which was dummied by Burns, drew the defender and gave on-running midfielder Ste Taylor a gap to burst into and fired powerfully into the bottom left corner.

Mechanical showed some spells of attacking intent, but never seemed to get going. The lone striker formation was posing little threat to the Magic back four, dominating possession on the ground and in the air tremendously.

A reply did come from Mechani-

cal however, their first and only real shot in the game falling to the Mechanical striker in the middle of the area who was allowed to turn and half volley into the bottom left, after poor defending from a free kick by the Magic.

The gap was opened again soon after by Brown Magic, as an outswinging corner was neatly volleyed in from close range by attacking midfielder Thomas Thornton, scoring his first goal of the season Thornton pulled out one of the performances of the season, linking up well with Whittaker and wingers Hill and Burns, to create some effective attacking football. Both wingers harassed the Mechanical full backs the entire game, and created some

golden chances throughout.

The second half saw the Magic continue on as they had throughout the first, however as the game wore on, tired legs came into play, and frustration began to creep into the game as the red shirts of Mechanical were simply out competed in all areas of the field.

Centre back Dominic Hulley put the game to bed for the Magic, after Ste Taylor won a free kick on the edge of the area. Hulley stepped up to take it, and placed it neatly into the bottom right corner.

The icing on the cake for Magic came in the final minutes of the game, as man of the match Thornton, showing great strength in the box, was hauled down and award-

ed a penalty. Desperately wanting to score at least once this season, goalkeeper Freddy Green was given the thumbs up to step up to the spot and put it away in the bottom left corner.

With two games left in the Intra Mural season, it is a three horse race for promotion, with Brown Magic competing against Boca Seniors and AR U Shavin’ A Laugh for a ticket to Division Two. The new boys Brown Magic have proved themselves in their debut season, and with Boca and Shavin left to play in their remaining games of the season, it could be promotion at the first time of asking for Burns’ men.

44

Monday March 21 2011 THE COURIER

Sport BUCS

Team of the Week Women’s Basketball 1sts

Overview

Newcastle Knight’s first team started the season strongly and went on a winning rampage of nine games straight. The combination of new players mixed with the old created a fresh dynamic and a united front was made precedent from the beginning. All around the North teams were left cowering on courts and crying into their sports bras after merciless defeats by the Knights.

The final of the Knockout cup and an unbeaten record were easily achievable aims for the Newcastle team, but this was not to happen after a shock loss knocked them off their perch. The Knight’s confidence took a hit which lead to another loss against a brutally moronic Sunderland pack. However, like all great teams, Newcastle pulled themselves out of their rut and fought back in their last few games to earn their rightful place as league winners.

Captain: Claire Vaughan (fourth year medic, saving eyes since 2011) President: Alice Holloway (3rd year English Language student, busy body and part-time nudist sponsored by tinytowels.com) Move of the Season: Coach: Adam Ballard. Back from left to right: Egle Duleckytė, Emily Jackson, Tiff Hung, Alice Holloway, Jess Ambler, Jenny Monney, Rosie Wowk. Front: Corinne Vaughan, Katie Boyd, Claire Vaughan, Inga Vareikaitė, Jacqui Fisher (lying down).

Pentathlon debut proves triumphant Pentathlon Laura Mason in Oxford Last weekend saw Newcastle University’s newly formed modern pentathlon squad travel to Oxford for this year’s BUCS championship.

Team Captain Laura Mason, a regular pentathlete, decided to delve Newcastle University into the world of modern pentathlon. The modern pentathlon consists of show jumping, fencing, swimming, running and shooting; a big weekend for anyone involved.

Riding was the first event up, with riders competing in a lottery for which horse they would be blessed with. Mason was first up and led by storm, showing brilliant skills to navigate the jumps without fault.

Newcastle’s Robbie Thompson, Jennie Tillott and Eleanor Earp all completed impressive rounds knocking down only one fence.

The other two team members Patrick Navein and James Kinnear offered invaluable support, sacrificing the points for this event in order to have a small tactics session in the local pub.

The next day saw the team rise full of confidence after they managed to stretch their measly BUCS allowance to toast and butter, the food of success. It was the earliest start that any member had seen for a while, proving the first obstacle of the day before the girls took to fencing. Novice fencer Eleanor Earp took the com-

petition by storm, beating both experienced fencers Tillot and Mason, but all women registered top end finishes for this event. Meanwhile the boys took on the combined event of running/shooting by blending a gruelling 3000m run with precision shooting. An unfortunate gun break for Thompson and a lack of shooting ability on the behalf of Kinnear and Navein led to maximum time penalties in the shoot section. Luckily all three boys managed quick times in the run to score well in this event.

The boys then moved straight on to the fencing, both Navein and Kinnear producing top end finishes, whilst novice Robbie achieved such agility that it led many spectators to leave the room for ‘emotional reasons’. The ladies then moved on to the combined run/shoot and Tillot and Earp proved formidable competitors in this event, whilst Mason won her heat with an impressive shoot.

The last event of the day saw all competitors head to the pool. After a day of competition everyone dug deep for their last stores of energy and strong swims from the women saw them improve their positions in the overall table whilst James Kinnear experienced ‘technical problems’ involving some loose shorts/ goggles. Consequently this was not his strongest event but Thompson swam well to finish second in his heat.

All-in-all the weekend proved a success, hopefully fuelling the establishment of a strong pentathlon squad for the future.

The travel, double-dribble, pass to self, score, move courtesy of Corinne Vaughan aided in Bradford’s downfall but special mention goes out to the flying block performed by Jacqui Fisher at the beginning of the year.

Moment of the Season:

Buzzer beater from Egle Duleckyte to secure a one point win over Hull.

Emotional for all involved.

Team Strengths: The intensity

and passion to win has earned the team the deserved place at the top.

Personal strengths also include outside shooting, tight defence, body bumping, air balls and English.

Team

Weaknesses: Susceptible to conceding softly on the counter, the team can sometimes be guilty of lapses in concentration in defence. Away form has been somewhat of a stumbling block at times for the Royals, with the side often starting games as if they are still on the bus.

Team Liability: The infamous Rosie Wowk is a wiley character known for her height, quirkiness and sleep-ins. Attendance at training has not been her forte with excuses ranging from “didn’t hear my three alarms” to “I can’t afford £2.” Wowk’s health has also been in question as she is often brought down by the fatal sniffly nose, making the trek from Ricky Road to the Sports Hall near impossible. However, as a newcomer ‘the Wolf’ has made a large social impact proving her inter-sport mingling skills are top notch, unlike her catching.

Jessica Ambler

THE COURIER Monday March 21 2011

45

BUCS Sport

Back-to-back victories and buzzer beater clinches thrilling promotion for Knights Women’s Basketball

Newcastle 1sts Hull 1sts

62 61

Jessica Ambler at the Sports Centre After two difficult losses the Newcastle Knights knew this game was crucial in their final league placing and Hull were not going to make it easy.

However, no one could have predicted the sheer excitement, intensity and movie-style finish this game would produce, as Newcastle won the game, and clinched promotion as a result.

The first quarter started slowly, with both teams committing repeat fouls due to poor defensive movement. Newcastle players looked nervous and the importance of such a game produced a tense offense and forced passes created openings for Hull to make their drives to basket.

Alice Holloway did manage to take some control and crash the board,

making use of a foul opportunity.

However, a low scoring quarter left the Knights trailing 13-14.

Hull came straight back on court to score three consecutive baskets followed by a three-pointer from J. Lasabbliere, who proved she was a threat from all positions on court.

The Knights fought to reduce the deficit and mouthy Inga Vareikaite penetrated the key for the lay-up and the foul, setting the path for Corinne Vaughan to do the same.

Jenny H.P. Monney delighted her onlooking fiancée with tough defence, preventing Hull converting any given chances.

As the quarter finished, Newcastle were still just behind at 25-29.

Powered on by the tiger blood in their systems, the Knights started the second half with something to prove.

Duleckyte held off the vodka and tears long enough to pull the Knights back into the lead with strong charges down court.

Captain Vaughan took control of the ball and used her dominance to draw in the defence before shipping the ball out to an open Emily ‘animal’ Jackson.

Giants K. Boyd and R. Wolf caused Hull to push the 24 shot to the limit and go without scoring for four minutes.

Offensively, Newcastle became the dominant side and quick hands from T. Fung caused Hull to turn over the ball as they began to tire at the pace the Knights were now setting.

The quarter ended 46-46 showing everything was still to play for.

The last quarter proved to be a tense 10 minutes with the score failing to ever get past a six point difference.

It finally all came down to the last 10 seconds when J. Fisher landed two free foul shots from the line.

The team anxiously looked on and were elated as the score was successfully taken to 60-59 in the Knights favour.

However, Hull quickly reversed this fortune as they powered their offense forward to find a bewildered SuBo under the basket who proceeded to nut the ball through the hoop.

As Hull began their celebrations coach Ballard used his final timeout to stop the game with three seconds left to play. This tactical move

left the Newcastle players with one clear instruction and one last attempt to score.

As the ball was inbounded an unplanned three man screen allowed an opening for Egle Duleckyte to release the ball just as the referees blew for full time.

The whole court watched as the ball ricocheted off the backboard to drop through the basket for what would be the winning point.

Coach Ballard was clearly very emotional after the game but managed to sum up in a couple of words: “awe-inspiringly brilliant.”

Women’s Basketball

Newcastle 1sts Bradford 1sts

75 40

Jessica Ambler at the Sports Centre Newcastle weren’t looking for such a nail-biting movie finish to this game, but they knew their final game against Bradford had the potential to be a gruesome bash in

their final bid for the league win.

However, Bradford were on the back foot from the beginning, being unable to rise to the intense levels Newcastle were playing at.

The Knights had some bad moments, but heads never dropped as they showed their true commitment to finally establish a win.

The game ended 75-40 with Bradford having only three players on court, as not only were they outplayed but also outclassed.

The Knights end their season as clear winners after a lot of hard work and effort.

Coach Ballard gave his final thoughts on the season: “They are great people both on and off the court, I just had to encourage them to believe.

“I am really proud of this achievement and think I am a better person for being part of it.

“I try to be professional and calm in public but inside I am jumping for joy, it’s just a fabulous feeling.”

After clinching promotion, Newcastle now look forward to the Stan Calvert showdown with rivals Northumbria, and hope to end a fantastic season in style.

Pedal to the mud: cycling free-wheeling success Cycling Will Askew in Wales Last weekend Moelfre, Wales, hosted arguably the greatest sporting event on the student calendar: the annual BUCS Mountain Bike tournament.

Newcastle’s finest led the team colours out in style over the three day event, with a team of 20 heading down to do battle in Cross Country and Downhill disciplines.

Friday was the Downhillers’ practice day, with uplifts to the top of the hill being provided by a fleet of tractors and trailers.

The track was running dry, fast and smooth, but still managed to cause a few issues, with fresher Tristain “Donner” Tinn ripping his hand on a finish line bail, requiring stitches.

Big shout outs must go to Cross Country riders James Robinson and Tom Able, who marshalled in the rain all day, with only “Bierre Delux” for company.

After a grim night in the tents, Saturday saw the qualifying runs for the top 200 riders to enter the downhill final. Top racers Ali Masson and Simon Wilkins couldn’t keep it rubber side down, ending their races in gorse bushes, leaving fans of the “ginger flash” Masson disappointed.

Downhill captain Ollie Yeaman led the way, qualifying comfortably under the three minute mark at 2:56, followed closely by Krzysztof Dabrowski at 2:57 and Will Askew at 2:58.

The remainder of the club either lay broken on the hillside, or were just off the pace. As final runs came

around, the temperature dropped and the winds picked up. Crowds gathered like a dark storm near a tricky drop section and the end of the track, baying for blood.

Askew came in at 2:53, complaining that he didn’t have any more in his legs, and Dabrowski blew a corner out resulting in a 2:58.

Tensions were running high as the team waited for last Newcastle rider, Yeaman.

The horrified reaction of the crowd was the first indicator that he was approaching the finishing drop, cresting the horizon in ill-fitting lycra and going like a train, bringing in the top Newcastle time of the day at 2:50.

The team awoke Sunday morning to glorious sunshine, checked for damage from the night’s whiskyfuelled sausage rave, and prepared to get pedalling.

Matt Higgins brought in the top spot for Newcastle in the sport category, finger restored to its former glory, coming 23rd out of 111.

Road captain Jon Bean made a guest appearance, crashing in a swan dive in the uber steep “heckling zone” so spectacular that he gained internet fame.

Top performances were also put in by newbies Tom Able and Jack Satchwell placing 59th and 30th respectively.

In the elite championship race, money man James Robinson smashed out 44th place, not to be sniffed at with over 100 big gun XC racers.

Big dog orienteering champ Kris Smith came in 56th, while Henry Smart and Will Askew bought up the rear with 72nd and 79th, being content with taking some scalps on the downhill sections.

D. HILPOTT

Newcastle sent a 20 man squad down to Moelfre in Wales last weekend to compete in the annual BUCS Mountain Bike tournament

46

Sport

Monday March 21 2011 THE COURIER

BUCS

Scrum-shy Royals gift Durham an easy victory Men’s Rugby Union

Newcastle 1sts Durham 1sts

3 46

Colin Henrys Online Sports Editor at Cochrane Park Newcastle proved to be no match for table-topping Durham Men’s Firsts as their North East rivals maintained their 100 per cent league win record. On a misty day at Cochrane Park, Durham dominated proceedings throughout, storming to a 46-3 victory in a match as one-sided as the scoreline suggests.

Playing for the Stewart Evans Memorial Trophy, in memory of the late Newcastle University professor and former president of the rugby club, the hosts were sadly unable to provide a fitting tribute to the “Pride in the Lion” author as, devoid of several key players, they struggled in the face of an outstanding Durham performance.

The ominous signs were there from the offset, when an early drop goal attempt by Durham fly-half Mike Ward drifted just wide of the posts, and the ball had still not left the Newcastle half when the visitors took the lead.

Centre Tom Shiel burst through a poor attempted tackle to score the game’s first try and Ward added the extras with a good kick from wide on the left.

Newcastle got themselves on the scoresheet moments later with a penalty, but that was as good as it got for the Royals, with poor handling and a scrum, that only ever seemed to go backwards, proving to be the hosts’ downfall.

The first signs that Newcastle’s pack were going to struggle to compete came when their first scrum went against the head. From the resulting passage of play, Durham scored their second try.

Newcastle’s scrummaging didn’t improve either as they were regularly penalised for not staying bound properly in the face of some huge pushes from the Durham pack.

Durham were quick to pick up on their dominance too, often opting to scrum when awarded free kicks, and to great effect.

Ward soon added a penalty to the visitors’ tally, and on the stroke of half time, another scrum ended with a great passing move, covering the whole width of the pitch, James Dennis finishing the move by diving over in the corner.

Ward missed the conversion and with the score at 22-3, the half time whistle allowed Newcastle some much needed respite. A lengthy team talk at half time ensued, but

it was to no avail as the Royals suffered the worst possible start to the second half.

Possession was surrendered from their own scrum for the fifth time in the match, and Newcastle were powerless to stop the huge drive from the Durham forwards.

When the Newcastle pack popped up once again, the referee produced a yellow card, leaving the hosts a man down. Durham made their advantage count as the now depleted Newcastle scrum lost possession once again and Ward’s exquisite kick through the back line was touched down by Dennis.

Durham soon extended their lead as wing David Haigh easily sidestepped a poor attempted tackle and offloaded well to Shiel.

Shiel had no problem evading another poor tackle and touched down under the posts. Ward converted to make it 34-3.

Newcastle continued to misplace passes and knock on in key areas, particularly crucial given their failings in the scrum, and Durham’s sixth try of the day epitomised all that had been wrong with the Royals performance. A really poor pass, under very little pressure, was knocked on in the centre and the Royals just stood and watched as the ball bounced kindly for Sam Rupar, who scored in the corner.

At 39-3 down, Newcastle finally started to create some chances, the best of which saw a great run from deep inside their own half held up just short of the try line before the ball was knocked on.

However, the hosts seemed afraid of being tackled, and on more than one occasion, possession was needlessly kicked away.

Durham then managed to complete their rout with little over five minutes remaining. A well worked move started from a rolling maul.

Some good offloads and very quick recycling allowed replacement Holmes to feed Haigh who went over by the posts. Ward couldn’t miss the ensuing conversion and made it 46-3, the scoreline remaining so until full time.

Although little was expected from Newcastle against the unbeaten league leaders, particularly with players such as Harry Peck, Sam Shires and Casimir Gross all absent, the performance will have disappointed many observers.

Too many poor handling errors and frequent indiscipline, both at the breakdown and in the scrum, all need to be eradicated before the return match next week, and with one eye on the forthcoming Stan Calvert match, which doubles as the final one of this league campaign, Newcastle must improve quickly.

Scrum down: Last week saw the Newcastle Women’s Rugby Union 1sts play both Liverpool John Moores and Teesside within a week.

Teesside thrashed complete fantastic Women’s Rugby Union

Newcastle 1sts Teesside 1sts

38 0

Emma Boyle Following on from their win against their closest rival for the number two spot in the league, Liverpool John Moores, at the weekend, NWR were determined to make it another win to secure their position.

Conditions were not ideal with fog reducing visibility and dewy ground making the ball slippy.

Newcastle were not deterred, however, and played to their strengths with strong forwards crashing the ball in and managing to make ground as they did so, before then shipping the ball wide once the Teesside defence was drawn in.

The attack worked well for NWR and they were soon in Teesside’s

22 where they stayed until they got their first try off a scrum on the five metre line. An efficient backs move carried the ball to within a metre of the line, and a quick pick and go from number 8 Roo Chintoh finished the job.

It was an afternoon to remember for NWR, as they made it three wins in nine days after producing another commanding performance against a lack-lustre Teesside outfit

Newcastle had a discipline problem which started to cause problems 15 minutes into the first half. Penalty

after penalty was awarded to Teesside for various offences on NWR’s behalf, mainly around the breakdown area, which meant Newcastle were persistently forced to defend in their own 22.

NWR’s strong defence prevailed and they took full advantage of the few opportunities when they were in possession to make ground back towards Teesside’s try line.

Winger Elizabeth Severs brought the score to 10-0 for Newcastle before number 8, Roo, ran hard and broke through the defensive line to score a try right under the posts, which fly-half, Phoebe Lebrecht subsequently converted to bring the score to 17-0 in the hosts’ favour.

Two more tries from winger, Severs, gave her a hat-trick, while full back Diane Purvis finished the scoring with a brilliant and well deserved try in the final five minutes of the game.

Back of the match went to Purvis

THE COURIER Monday March 21 2011

47

BUCS Sport S.TYSON

Lebrecht magic stuns beleaguered Liverpool Women’s Rugby Union

Newcastle 1sts L’pool John Moores

48 20

Holly Malins

The team continued their fine form this season by securing two comprehensive victories, further cementing their place in the league

at Cochrane to week for NWR

for her excellent play in gathering up the ball from kicks and restarts and carrying it forward whenever she was in possession to gain a lot of ground. Forward of the match went to prop Maddy Robinson for taking on board criticism and improving

from it.

Player of the match was awarded

by Teesside to flanker Helen Martin for constantly putting pressure on and disrupting their play throughout the match.

The victory over Teesside now

means that Newcastle’s Women have cemented their position in the league, and will now go into this Wednesday’s final game of the season full of optimism.

This season has certainly been one to remember for the girls.

On a fine Sunday afternoon, Newcastle assembled in perfect rugby playing conditions to take on Liverpool John Moores. The sun shone and a light breeze carried with it only 12 Liverpudlians.

Although this was Newcastle’s third game in six days and they were playing with a reduced number of players on a full-sized pitch, this did not affect standards, and from the off, the ball was played almost entirely within Liverpool’s 22.

It was not long before the forwards were rucking just metres from the try line.

A disallowed try from scrum half Hannah McShane was quickly avenged by number 8 Araba Chintoh, who successfully picked the ball from the back of a ruck and dove for the line. Phoebe Lebrecht successfully added the conversion.

Persistent pressure from the hosts ensured that the Royals were never far away from the try line, and it was winger Laura Wealsby’s turn to take advantage of Liverpool’s weak blind side defence, slipping through to score the second try. Lebrecht once again made no mistake with the extras.

A disallowed try from outside centre Fran Infante didn’t hinder her determination, and after a series of moves from the forwards and the back line, the number 13 eventually forced her way over for Newcastle’s third try.

Liverpool’s first try came when their winger slipped through the line, taking the score to 21-5.

Unfazed by this, Newcastle then sent hooker Amy Skiles crashing over for a fourth try and, after a series of excellent breakaway runs, Araba Chintoh scored her second

try of the game, bringing the score to a commanding 31-5 at half time.

Newcastle started the second half with a breakaway try down the wing from inside centre Holly Malins, but this was quickly matched

by Liverpool.

Fly half Phoebe Lebrecht scored Newcastle’s seventh and most outstanding try, by selling her opposite number a highly convincing dummy, before cranking up the speed and the score to 41-10.

Newcastle’s final score of the game came from back row Hannah Bassirat who, after having repeatedly broken through Liverpool’s defence, was rewarded with a try which Lebrecht converted.

Liverpool scored two tries in the final 10 minutes, but this proved a mere consolation, and at full time the score stood at 48-20 to the hosts.

Forward of the match was awarded to Sophie Bale for her solid and consistently effective rucking and counter-rucking at every breakdown.

Back of the match was awarded to Laura Wealsby, whose confidence and hard running repeatedly broke Liverpool’s defence and made ground.

Liverpool’s player of the match went to Phoebe Lebrecht for all her hard tackling and epic ball skills, but most importantly the perfect dummy leading up to her try.

As a result of their latest victory, Newcastle’s Women remain second in the league.

A massive thank you would like to be said to John Fenn for the support he has shown the Women’s club and his help in organising the pitch after the succession of cancellations that have plagued university sport as a whole over the last month.

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BUCS Results - March 16 Badminton

Mens 1sts 6-2 Sheffield Hallam 1sts Mens 2nds 3-5 Sheffield 2nds Womens 1sts 3-5 Manchester 1sts

Basketball

Mens 2nds 40-62 Leeds 2nds Womens 1sts 75-40 Bradford 1sts Womens 2nds 56-51 Sheffield

Hallam 2nds

Fencing

Mens 2nds 103-127 Hull 1sts

Football

Mens 1sts 3-2 Leeds 2nds Mens 2nds 3-2 Teesside 1sts Mens 3rds 0-6 Leeds 3rds Womens 1sts 0-1 Sheffield Hallam 2nds

Hockey

Mens 1sts 2-0 Durham 4ths Mens 2nds 5-1 Leeds 3rds Mens 3rds 1-4 Sheffield 3rds Mens 4ths 3-9 Sheffield Hallam 2nds Womens 2nds 2-3 Leeds Met 2nds Womens 3rds 4-0 Leeds 4ths Womens 4ths 0-5 Hull 1sts

Lacrosse

Squash

Rugby

Table Tennis

Mens 1sts 6-3 Manchester 2nds Mens 1sts 3-46 Durham 1sts Mens 3rds 36-10 Teesside 1sts Mens 4ths 31-15 Sheffield Hallam 2nds Womens 1sts 38-0 Teesside 1sts

Mens 2nds 1-4 Sheffield 1sts Mens 2nds 8-9 Teesside 1sts

Tennis

Mens 1sts 4-8 Sheffield 2nds Mens 2nds 0-12 Leeds 2nds Womens 2nds 6-6 Durham 3rds

48

Monday March 21 2011 THE COURIER

Is the North East a hotbed for football?

Sports Editors: Paul Christian, Jamie Gavin and Tom James - courier.sport@ncl.ac.uk

> Sport, page 42

Sports Editors: Jono Taylor, Wills Robinson and Kat Bannon - courier.sport@ncl.ac.uk

Dark day for Men’s Rugby after enduring Durham defeat page 46 K. BANNON

Last Wednesday proved to be a nightmare for the Men’s Rugby Union Firsts, as they were ruthlessly put to the sword by fierce rivals and table-toppers Durham on a bitterly cold and wet afternoon at Cochrane Park

Royals elation at last-gasp promotion Men’s Football

Leeds 2nds Newcastle 1sts

2 3

Daniel Clements in Leeds Following a disheartening couple of weeks for Newcastle’s First team, which saw them agonisingly eliminated at the semi-final stage of the cup by Leeds Met and held to a draw against the same opposition in a pivotal league clash, Newcastle headed to the Leeds knowing that only a win would realistically grant them any chance of topping the table and gaining promotion over bitter rivals Leeds Met. A strong Newcastle side, which saw both the reintroduction of Elliot Connolly to partner George Coyle in the centre of midfield and captain Ben Burt, after a slight strain confined him to the bench last time out, found themselves on the back foot from the beginning as the hosts utilised both their wide men and target man to great effect.

On a number of occasions the Newcastle defence were unlocked by the Leeds front line as the midfield were afforded too much time on the ball in advanced areas. 20 minutes into the game, Leeds got the breakthrough they deserved following good work from the Leeds left winger, who found the head of the problematic centre forward.

A delicate flick on found his strike partner who, unmarked in the heart of the Newcastle area, coolly slotted past stopper Andrew Kilshaw.

An energised Leeds side continued to dominate proceedings for the remainder of the first half, although few chances fell to either team. Newcastle despite being much the worse side arguably had the best opportunity to score when Rob Pearson powered a header over from a dangerous James Swainston corner, and on another day may have had a penalty as winger Daniel Clements was clumsily bundled over in the box.

The half time whistle came as a relief to the visitors who re-emerged a different side to the one that had played for the first 45 minutes. Captain Ben Burt’s stirring half time

speech seemed to spark an immediate reaction from Newcastle’s First string as they played the opening five minutes with an intensity and quality that had been totally lacking to that point.

This excellent start was promptly rewarded as Newcastle equalised through right winger Daniel Clements with barely five minutes played. Drifting in from the touchline, Luke Fisher found himself in enough space to turn and shoot at goal. With his original attempt well blocked, the ball fell kindly to him once again, and his subsequent 25 yard effort found no obstacle as it flew into the top right hand corner.

Frustratingly, Newcastle then conceded with just 25 minutes left to play, and their dreams of promotion appeared in tatters when a lay-off from the edge of the 18 yard box was expertly bent around the keeper.

However, as is often attributed to title-winning sides, Newcastle showed great resolve in continuing to play superb passing football and were back on level terms following a magnificent team goal.

Leading by example following

neat build up from the back four, captain Burt found freshers Stapleton and Clements in space, and the three worked the ball around the despairing Leeds back-line for Stapleton to guide a pinpoint low cross for Clements to score his second of the game with aplomb.

>> Season Results

Northern Conference 2B 0-0 Sunderland 1sts 4-2 Hull 1sts 7-1 York Uni 1-2 Leeds Met 2nds 9-0 Sunderland 1sts 3-3 Hull 1sts 3-1 Leeds 2nds 1-1 Leeds Met 2nds 3-2 Leeds 2nds With no more than 15 minutes left in the game, Newcastle were wondering if it was not to be when the referee waved away protests for a

clear foul inside the area on the excellent Burt, while Elliot Connolly’s rasping low shot from outside the area was somehow tipped onto the post and ran the full length of the goal line before being hacked clear by the vocal Leeds left back.

However, with only moments remaining, although he didn’t know it at the time as promotion depended on the Leeds Met vs York result, Swainston produced a remarkably similar piece of excellent technique to win the game, the league, and subsequently promotion for the side.

Newcastle’s second promotion in three years is a magnificent achievement, and few would argue that the side finished in the position which they most thoroughly deserved, having been the stand out performers all season with an impressive goal difference of 19.

Built upon a strong team spirit and excellent strength in depth to the squad, the First team will be flying Newcastle’s colours in the Northern Conference 1A next year against the likes of Manchester Firsts and Sheffield Hallam Firsts.