THE OFFICIAL UELSU NEWSPAPER
FREE OCTOBER 2014 facebook.com/uelsudaze
Est. 2013
Film Screenings FILM p.12
ohmydazeonline.com
Latest UELSports News
Latest Netflix Shows
A Room With A View
COFFEE BREAK p.3
TV p.11
COMMENT p.7
STUDENT NEWS
Your Freshers’ in pictures
Check out p.4 for our double spread
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Hi Dazers
CONTENTS Listings Coffee Break Students News Comment Student Showcase TV Books Music Film Sports
p.2 p.3 p.4 p.7 p.8 p.10 p.10 p.11 p.12 p.14
I hope you all had a wicked time at Freshers’ last month. We’ve got a double spread full of pics of most of the nights so check out if you made it to our paper! If not, don’t despair - more pictures will be uploaded to UELSU Facebook page so have a look and tag yourself! It’d like to take the opportunity here to welcome back 20FourFrames and the FilmSoc to Oh My Daze. They’ll be taking over the Film section, with reviews and listings of what they’ll be showing each month. They’re a lovely bunch of people and if you ever want to write about films in OMD, they’ll be your point of contact. As always with Oh My Daze, we have a compe-
tition in our Coffee Break. As the weather is getting worse as we speak, we though you could do with a nice, cosy UEL hoodie to keep you warm. Just email us the right asnwer to be entered in the draw. Finally, you’ll find all the usual suspects. Latest books, latest albums, latest news and more. Until next month,
Marion L.
We made this! Editor: Marion Legrand
Music Editor: Josh Gray Film Editor: Emma Burles
Contributors:
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in Oh My Daze are those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or views of UELSU unless otherwise stated.
Bartholomeow Dulake Warren Greatex Laxmi Gurung Raisa Hassan
Jo Lazar Emerald Young
Searching4Sound UELSports
FilmSoc
Get involved! Fancy joining the team? Or even just contributing and getting the chance to see your name in print? Contact Marion, UELSU Media Coordinator, at m.legrand@uel.ac.uk SUBMISSION DEADLINE FOR NOVEMBER ISSUE: 22 OCTOBER
October Listings 13 Monday
15 Wednesday
17 Friday
23 Thursday
International Week - Europe Day
International Week - South & East Asia Day
International Week - International Day
UEL English PEN Open Mic Night: Body Rights
14 Tuesday
Sports Night
Event from 11am to 9pm, Docklands & Stratford For more details, please visit: www.uelunion.org/internationalweek
International Week - American Day & International Graduation Event from 11am to 1am, Docklands & Stratford For more details, please visit: www.uelunion.org/internationalweek
Event from 11am to 9pm, Docklands & Stratford For more details, please visit: www.uelunion.org/internationalweek Fun from 10pm to 2am, Underground Bar, Docklands Campus
16 Thursday International Week - Africa & Middle East Day Event from 9am to 9pm, Docklands & Stratford For more details, please visit: www.uelunion.org/internationalweek
Event from 11am to 1am, Docklands & Stratford For more details, please visit: www.uelunion.org/internationalweek
22 Wednesday Sports Night
Fun from 10pm to 2am, Underground Bar, Docklands Campus
Societies Event From 7.30pm, Students’ Union lounge, North Building, Docklands Campus UEL English Pen and My Body Not Yours soieties come together to offer you a great open mic night. With exciting guest speakers, topical poems, pieces and more.
29 Wednesday Sports Night
Fun from 10pm to 2am, Underground Bar, Docklands Campus
31 Friday Halloween
Fun More info available soon on: uelunion.org
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Oh My Daze - Oct’ 14
COFFEE BREAK Competition time!
Quote of the month
1 UEL HOODIE For a chance to win, all you have to do is answer this simple question correctly.
“
What was the name of Jack Skellington’s dog in The Nightmare Before Christmas?
‘You expected to be sad in the fall. Part of you died each year when the leaves fell from the trees and their branches were bare against the wind and the cold, wintery light. But you knew there would always be the spring, as you knew the river would flow again after it was frozen. When the cold rains kept on and killed the spring, it was as though a young person died for no reason.’
”
a) Scraps b) Zero c) Sparky
Ernest Hemingway A Moveable Feast
Send your answers to m.legrand@uel.ac.uk by November 15th.
Overheard
“ “
‘If I binge drink everyday, is it still called binge-drinking?’ ‘I swear, when I wake up in the morning, I sound like Barack Obama.’
“ “
‘She’s no fun with her shoes on.’ ‘I need to talk to an advisor about changing my major. I want to be a space girl.’
Sudoku Medium
Hard
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STUDENT NEWS Freshers’ 2014 in pictures
Oh My Daze - Oct’ 14
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For more pictures, check out our Facebook page! /UELStudentsUnion
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STUDENT NEWS Volunteering fair OMD News Team Earlier this month, UEL Volunteering held its annual ‘beginning of the year’ Volunteering Fair which proved, once again, to be a success. Of the 120 charity partners UEL Volunteering has, 30 of them attended, including Anthony Nolan, Well London, Sycamore Trust and Hackney Pirates. The fair was a great opportunity for students to find out more about how they can make a difference in the local area by adding new skills to their CV at the same time.
“UEL Volunteering really values the opportunity to welcome our community partners into the university to meet with our staff and students,” Danielle Bailey, Mentoring and Volunteering Coordinator, said. “The Volunteering Fair is always a happy energetic event where positive people get to meet and work together on a range of initiatives. I was so proud to introduce a student who is seeking a career in pathology to the Anthony Nolan Trust and see him beam as he put himself forward to be president of the Anthony Nolan Society at UEL.” UEL Volunteering is also present online with their successful Volunteering Hub but as Danielle added, “noth-
ing can beat the opportunity to build face to face relationships.” UEL Volunteering currently has 652 students registered, with 420 active volunteers. They also have 160 students registered to their Volunteering module who, over the course of the Acedemic year, will be donating 60 hours of their time, resulting in 9,600 hours of volunteering. The next Volunteering Fair will be held at Stratford Campus in February, during the Student Volunteering Week. In the meantime, if you want to get involved, visit: http://uel.xvs.org.uk
UELSU Part-Time Officer’s campaign nominated for National Award OMD News Team Will Nickell’s campaign “Stop Killing Cyclist” recently got nominated for “Cycling Campaign” of the year at the Cycling Media Awards 2014. Will, UELSU Ethics and Environment Officer, has been working on this campaign since its launch in November last year. The campaign was launched with an unprecedented 2,000 person-strong “die-in” outside of the headquarters of Transport for London, as reported by several mainstream media outlets including The Guardian, The Times and many others. Commenting on the nomination, Will said; “It is an exceptional priviledge to be nominated for our 3rd award in just one year of existence! It really shows the difference that can be made when a small group of like-minded people know how to campaign effectively and use that knowledge for the good of everyone. It is my sincere hope that
these awards will be a strong platform for us to grow even stronger and secure a safe future for all road users.” On the 15th of November, the Stop the Killing Coalition, of which Stop Killing Cyclists is a part, will be hosting the “National Funeral for the Unknown Victim of Traffic Violence” on Oxford Street. The event will see thousands of people from across the UK swarm Oxford Street to mark the passing of the UK’s car-dominated culture towards cities that are designed for the health of their citizens, making walking and cycling easier and more attractive for all. The Cycling Media Awards are a brand new celebration of excellence in cycling journalism, honouring magazines, websites, broadcasters, blogs and of course the journalists themselves. Results will be announced Thursday 16th October during the awards ceremony at the Bloomsbury Ballroom, Central London.
Oh My Daze - Oct’ 14
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COMMENT A room with a view
with Jo Lazar
A bit of everything, really If you’re reading this, you survived freshers. Both the week and the actual freshers. Yay. You’re probably complaining about the rain, the wind, the laundrette, the queue in Costa, Student Finance (and aren’t we all?); and that’s alright, you’re entitled to that. But stay with me on this one, okay? I need to point out a couple of things because it is an opinion column and because I can. First of all, a bit of history time: I come from Romania (yeah yeah, hashtag why I vote Ukip and whatnot) and after many years of dictatorship and subsequent censorship, every hint of that makes my left eye twitch. So when people are trying to stop opinions from being printed, it makes me have even more opinions. Makes sense? I hope so. Hypothetical situation: say I feel strongly about that place in Docklands that had the nice baguettes; say I hate the current opening times and the theme food and everything that comes with it. Say I want to write a scathing article about it and have it published in the uni newspaper. And say someone would go “nah, mate, [insert name of relevant people here] would be annoyed and it would put [ibid.] in a bad light.” So? Freedom of speech is relevant, guys. Like, very relevant. Like, not being able to say your opinion on something that affects you directly, even when you’re doing so in a civilised manner
is sh*t. Like, it’s your right. Right, enough of the subtlety and passive-aggressive bits. Just wanted to get that out there, to remind people of its importance. Also, shameless mention of a great event I’m helping with: UEL English Pen Society is organising an open mic night on body rights; 23rd of October, at 17:30. Look it up on facebook for more
information. Or ask me about it. Hope to see you there! Particularly at this point in time, it’s of utmost importance to understand body rights. I’m not sure how many of you are familiar with the massive nude pictures leak that happened recently, but I want everyone to take a moment and get into another hypothetical situation. Say you’re a successful
public figure. F*ck, anything will do. Now say you have nude pictures because most of us do – and that’s okay. And say they somehow fill the internet. Now say you have to call your parents and tell them that. How fucking cringy would that be? Yeah, okay, some parents would be okay. But think hard and consider having to tell your grandmother that your semi is on the internet because someone thought that would be funny. Also, can I just point out that so far only one man has been affected by this? I’m all for seeing boobs, but with permission, dude. Consent. Jennifer Lawrence made a very good point in the upcoming Vanity Fair article (and I don’t care if you don’t like her, it’s so not about that): “It is a sexual violation. It’s disgusting.” Different approach: would you be okay with having your internet history published for everyone to see? And I’m not talking about the ‘clean’ version of that. I’m talking about the disgusting, four in the morning binge porn watching. The one some use the incognito mode for; but say it could be published. Say you have to call your mum and explain you don’t really like
public humiliation videos and it’s all a mistake. Think. And stop being a twat about it. Stop blaming people for taking nude photos. How many times have you sent a d*ck pic on Snapchat? Or a boob shot? Or whatever? Right. I realise this entire text is all over the place and I apologise, but in perspective, it’s a good metaphor for the chaos a lot of people are doing their best to cope with. I’m running late with this one and I swear my editor is going to kill me soon. Ah, yes! Thanks for those who did call me out on my typos in the last article. Also, Sarah is awesome. If you don’t know who Sarah is, you’re not going to the Underground Bar enough. And speaking of chaos and workload and all that: don’t let it build up. Talk to someone; find the type of help you need. And spend an extra twenty seconds thinking before saying cr*p about this or the other. Jo is one of our monthly columnists. She lives in halls and writes about all her findings as a Third Year at UEL.
UEL English Pen Open Mic Night: Body Rights An evening of guest speakers, poetry, original pieces and more...
23 October
5.30pm
Students’ Union Lounge, Docklands
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STUDENT SHOWCASE
Chronological Lies That You Might Hear by Emerald Young
“This won’t hurt.” “Maybe later, darling” “Yes, we’re nearly there.” “Nothing’s going to change, it’s just Daddy will live at his new house, and Mummy will stay living here.” “Things will be so much better when you get to secondary school.” “You’ll definitely use what we learn in this lesson in future life.” “No, it’s Daddy that doesn’t want you to get your ears pierced, I’m fine with it.” “We’ll be best friends forever, won’t we?” “No, I liked him before you liked him.” “I hate you.” “I love you” “These exams are the most important things you’ve done so far.” “That haircut looks so good on you!” “Of course I know how to pierce ears, who doesn’t?!” “These exams are the most important things you’ve done so far.” “Things will be so much better when you get to university.” “Nah, no-one’s actually allergic to MDMA, I reckon it’s a government conspiracy.” “Seven inches, swear down.” “Oh, that assignment? It’s at home.”
I’m Breaking Free by Laxmi Gurung
This time I’m flying, And I’m not looking back; This time I’m flying, Out of the cage that I was used to. My wings might have forgotten to fly, But the wound will heal with time I will slowly and gradually take off, I will find my soul. This time I’m flying, I am going to fight and be bold; And find my own place. This time I’m flying Away from the comfort, And I am going to fly far away, Faraway. I am going to sail away, I don’t know what tomorrow holds, But I shall be breathing life. And I am going to remember... But This time am flying, And am not looking back, This time am flying, I’m breaking free.
“No, honestly darling, I love your tattoo!” “I love you.” “I won’t be late.” “Now you’re in the real world!” Any sentence that starts with the words “When I was your age...”
Encaged by Raisa Hassan
“It’s not that I don’t like him...” “Oh come on! It’ll be fun.”
Held tightly by bolts, Can I stop counting down now? Peeking through the gaps.
“You’re too young to be this sad.” “This won’t hurt.”
Catversity
by Bartholomeow Dulake
Do you have a talent you want to share? A cool project you’re working on? Or know someone who does? Let us know and you could be our next student showcase!
Come back next month for even more comics!
Oh My Daze - Oct’ 14
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TV
Netflix: Top 3 of the month Warren Greatrex
To kick off the new start of the year, it’s a fresh Top 3, all recently added.
Bojack Horseman
Dom Hemingway
Hunger Games: Catching Fire
With: Will Arnett, Aaron Paul, Amy Sedaris and Alison Brie.
With: Jude Law, Richard E. Grant
With: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth,
Netflix comes through again with some truly enjoyable fresh content. Bojack Horseman provides self consciously lowbrow comedy in the form of Will Arnett spitting Bojack’s terse dialogue dryly in the face of his supporting characters. In fact, Arnett proves to be so good as Bojack that it makes it difficult for any supporting characters to pull through. This rings especially true for Aaron Paul as his contribution gets off to a slow start for the series. Nevertheless, it’s solid comedic performances are turned in by all and when combined with slapstick; which is derived through the characteristics of certain animal characters, we are provided with a show that is truly worth watching. With Bojack Horseman, Netflix offers exactly as it advertises: Original Content.
Jude Law as you have never seen him before, chewing through scenes as a drunk overweight, safe-cracking extraordinaire who is seemingly out to get exactly what he’s owed after spending twelve years locked up for keeping his mouth shut. It’s Richard E. Grant who adds a quintessential britishness to the affair, as Law and Grant fire working class quips ever so eloquently at each other, with the odd f*@£ thrown in, in good measure. This film is as crude as it is charming thanks to Law, whose recent turns in Macbeth and Henry V aren’t as far from his Hemingway performance as you might think. Shepard, who penned and directed Hemingway offers up a true roller-coaster ride with a pace well and truly solidified by Hemingway’s memorable cracking of a modern safe.
A great addition to the Hunger Games Franchise, Catching Fire continues to offer the same quality of drama, story-telling and action that audiences enjoyed so much in The Hunger Games first instalment. With an industry oversaturated with male-comic-based heroes, The Hunger Games provides a much-needed leading female hero in Jennifer Lawrence. The all-star cast classes up the entire affair and your left with a film that serves as an important entry to the over arching story and not just filler between the first and last instalments. This film has moments that are genuinely touching thanks to these performances and serves as the perfect device to expand the universe in preparation for the upcoming Mockingjay – Part 1.
created by Raphael Bob-Waksberg
by Richard Shepard
by Francis Lawrence
BOOKS Coming soon
Moriarty
by Anthony Horowitz Out: 23 October
Sherlock Holmes is dead. Days after Holmes and his arch-enemy Moriarty fall to their doom at the Reichenbach Falls, Pinkerton agent Frederick Chase arrives in Europe from New York. The death of Moriarty has created a poisonous vacuum which has been swiftly filled by a fiendish new criminal mastermind who has risen to take his place. Ably assisted by Inspector Athelney Jones of Scotland Yard, a devoted student of Holmes’s methods of investigation and deduction, Frederick Chase must forge a path through the darkest corners of the capital to shine light on this shadowy figure, a man much feared but seldom seen, a man determined to engulf London in a tide of murder and menace.
The Sleeper and the Spindle by Neil Gaiman Out: 23 October
A thrillingly reimagined fairy tale from the truly magical combination of author Neil Gaiman and illustrator Chris Riddell weaving together a sort-of Snow White and an almost Sleeping Beauty with a thread of dark magic, which will hold readers spellbound from start to finish. On the eve of her wedding, a young queen sets out to rescue a princess from an enchantment. She casts aside her fine wedding clothes, takes her chain mail and her sword and follows her brave dwarf retainers into the tunnels under the mountain towards the
sleeping kingdom. This queen will decide her own future - and the princess who needs rescuing is not quite what she seems. Twisting together the familiar and the new, this perfectly delicious, captivating and darkly funny tale shows its creators at the peak of their talents. Lavishly produced, packed with glorious Chris Riddell illustrations enhanced with metallic ink, this is a spectacular and magical gift.
Oh My Daze - Oct’ 14
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MUSIC Brought to you by
It was great to see so many people reaching out and joining S4S over Freshers’ Week. There is so much talent spread across UEL and we want to unlock that potential. If you are interested in working with us, be it writing reviews, performing music, designing promotional material or maybe you have event ideas you’d like to share, we need YOU!
Calling All Producers/Technicians Musicians Illustrators and Graphic Designers Film crew Promoters & Events Dancers Journalists Party crew
So get in touch and gain free entry to our next event in the process! searching4soundcrew@gmail.co.uk facebook.com/search4sound Below you’ll find our favorite music of the month with QR codes that take you straight to it, neat eh?
Fresh 4
Join the Search @ searching4soundcrew@gmail.com Tell us what your about and automatically get free entry into our next event.
with Josh Gray
This Is All Yours The Physical World
by Alt-J
After crashing on the scene in 2004 and quickly disbanding, many thought DFA’s cult status would remain crystallized on ‘You’re a Woman, I’m a Machine’. However, the dance punk duo have released yet another hook laden beast. The thrashing, danceable drumbeats throw you around, while chunky bass riffs punch you right in the cojones. DFA’s focus on two instruments means that parts are never compromised, always in your face. Intensity is heightened by the visceral directness of intros and endings, shrieking to life and dying suddenly. Sebastian’s high-pitched vocals cry out for attention above the madness, loaded with searing lines. The 10 years between albums has made them wiser but no more conservative!
In a world of music that is constantly reinventing the wheel, Alt-J offer a breath of originality. Their sound is somewhere between folk and electronica caught up in Tudor sounding lamenting melodies. Singer Joe Newman’s delivery can be ethereal and brooding harmonized with the band. Equally he evokes a Dylan-like folk twang, weaving olde world prose with sometimes confusing but always intriguing sexual metaphors. Simple instrumentation of clean guitars and piano are the glue to most tracks but complex song constructions keep ears attentive, such as the romantic line-for-line duet on ‘Warm Foothills’. Horns, strings and samples lend themselves to create the most dramatic moments, such as the dub leaning electronics of ‘Every Other Freckle’. Alt-J continues to look further into music’s medieval while drawing on the influences of the now.
Top track: Cheap Talk
Top track: Left Hand Free
by Death From Above 1979
A Toothpaste Suburb
Wonder Where We Land
Milo doesn’t have a Maybach, neither does he ‘ f**k bitches’ and although I’m pretty sure he smokes something, he hasn’t got much to say about it. His first full-length effort paints a nerdy suburban kid, consuming his way into adulthood. Flicking through through popculture with precision while eating pizza and searching Wikipedia for success. As he teases humor from the mundane, Milo deconstructs his world view just enough to leave you starting to question your own. The album’s dream fuzz atheistic serves as a fitting background to Milo’s abstract lines “I wrote this song in green pen // I’m content with 1st base and a staggering birthrate of first mates”. If Cypress Hill is for getting high to, this is for the haze about 30 minutes in when your mind starts to wander. Milo won’t be for everyone.
After his debut self-titled album in 2011 stormed the dance with anthems like ‘Wildfire’ and ‘Living Like I Do’ it has been a quiet 3 years for the masked producer. The new album has ‘Landed’ further away from the dance floor but is no less exciting. Impatient, itching rhythms are borrowed from all corners, in songs that range from soft RnB ballads to funk’ed out electronica. SBTRKT has talent for making even the weirdest sounds sit in the mix. On ‘Look Away’ a dramatic piano holds down the song while everything seemingly breaks apart around it; panning wildly, reversing and glitching. Assembling a huge cast for the album; Jessie Ware, Ezra Koenig, Koreless, Denai Moore and Raury all feature. Sampha returns, playing the role of the producer’s voice yet again. By lending his mournful tones to 5 tracks, it creates a sense of cohesiveness in an album that goes in many directions.
Top track: Peanut Butter Sandwiches
Top track: The Light ft. Denai Moore
by Milo
by SBTRKT
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FILM Filmsoc news
FilmSoc We are relaunching the film society this month with lots of exciting things for UEL students to get involved in! Read on to find out what the UEL film society will involve this year. UEL FilmSoc Makes: This part of the society is for anyone (whichever subject they are studying at UEL) interested in the practical side of film. The production team will meet weekly to discuss ideas, help each other de-
velop scripts, experiment with techniques, host workshops on a variety of film-making skills and produce films throughout the year. Details about the first meet-up for this year will be announced on the Facebook page soon, and look out for flyers around campus. UEL FilmSoc Screens: Screenings will launch in October and run weekly during term time, showing a wide variety of films; from mainstream to obscure, cult classics to independent, well-known directors to documentary. We are also planning to work with other societies to host special screen-
ings so if you represent a society and would like us to screen a related film in association with your society - get in touch! UEL FilmSoc Reviews: AKA 20Four Frames Film Magazine. Online publication that’s been running for a couple of years now, featuring news and reviews on the world of film - reviews of films currently in the cinema, articles on subjects within the world of film, local cinema listings, festival dates and cinema reviews. This publication, as well as aiming to inform UEL students interested in film of anything that may interest them, is a great opportunity for students to get journalism pieces published. The magazine relaunches at the start of October with new articles and reviews. We accept submissions from anyone interested in contributing. We
also contribute to the film section of SU printed publication Oh My Daze. Membership fee is just £5/year, for which you receive access to all of the above! You can join on the SU site (login with uni comp details): www.uelunion.org/society/FilmSocUEL/
We are in need of more team members to help with the marketing, promotion and organization of the society, so if you are full of ideas and enthusiasm, are reliable, and would love to have something interesting to add to your CV, get in touch with us!
For enquiries specifically related to the magazine (i.e. submissions) contact magazine editor Emma Burles on: 20fourframesuel@gmail.com /FilmSocUEL
/20fourframesUEL
@20fourframesUEL
20fourframes.co.uk
Call for submissions! We are looking for contributors to the UEL Film Magazine: 20Four Frames. Students from any discliplines are welcome to submit articles, no journalism experience is necessary but you must be a skilled writer and able to put an article/review together. A love of film is also essential! We have monthly editorial meetings so if you’d like to be invited to these or if you are interested in submitting film related reviews and articles please contact us on 20fourframesuel@gmail.com /20FourFramesUEL
@20fourframesUEL
UEL FilmSoc Screenings Programme Brit Movie
Ratcatcher
Director: Lynne Ramsay (1999)
Subversive Hollywood
Milk
Director: Gus Van Sant (2008)
Mulholland Drive Director: David Lynch (2001)
Set on a run down council estate in Glasgow during a housing crisis and binmen strike in the early 70’s. 12 year old James and his family wait o be re-housed as conditions around the estate slowly worsen.
Biographical American drama based on the life on gay rights activist and politician Harvey Milk.
David Lynch’s film about two women looking for answers in a combination of reality, dream and amnesia.
Thursday 2 October 6pm, Moving Image Studio, EB 1.37 Docklands Campus
Wednesday 8 October 6pm, Students’ Union Lounge Docklands Campus
Thursday 9 October 6pm, Moving Image Studio, EB 1.37, Docklands Campus
Experimental Documentary
The Act Of Killing
Director: Joshua Oppenheimer & Christine Cynn (2013) Award-winning experimental and controversial documentary that focuses on the anti-communist killings in Indonesia in the mid 60’s. Directors encourage the murderers (still influential in Indonesian right-wing politics and corruption) to renact their killings, resulting in a surreal film and some remorse for the former killers.
Wednesday 15 October 6pm, SU Lounge, Docklands Campus
Oh My Daze - Oct’ 14
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Reviews The Riot Club
Director: Lone Scherfig
Emma Burles Danish director of the critically acclaimed An Education (2009, UK), collaborates with rising playwright Laura Wade, on a film based on Wade’s award winning 2010 play Posh. Although Wade claims the play and screen-play are entirely fictitious, the ‘Riot Club’ closely resembles the notorious Oxford Bullingdon Club, with their formal dinners; expensive penguin suits; misogynistic attitudes; and reputation for wrecking restaurants, before paying generously to appease the owners. The film begins in the 17th Century at the supposed founding of the Riot Club, named after Lord Ryot (a clerical error results in Riot becoming the name of the club instead, a more fitting name considering the club’s penchant for debauchery). Lord Ryot, just mur-
dered for cuckolding a husband, had a notorious reputation for hedonism, and the new society seeks to emulate his excess. Other rules dictate that the club take on only male members, must all be privately educated at the country’s best schools and should consist of 10 members each year. We travel forward to 21st Century Oxford during Fresher’s Week, where the modern-day Riot Club are in a predicament. They currently have only 8 members, and it would bring great shame upon them to be “the only year who couldn’t get 10”. Enter the two most likely candidates; Miles Richards (Max Irons), Westminster educated with left wing views and a Northern state school educated girlfriend, and the shy and socially awkward Alistair Ryle (Sam Claflin), a right wing supporter and brother of a past ‘legendary’ president of the Riot Club.
Experimental Documentary
Leviathan
Director: Lucien Castaing-Taylor & Verena Paravel (2012) Not to be confused with the recent Russia drama film, Leviathan is an experimental documentary about the North-American fishing industry. A vivid representation using incredible imagery.
Thursday 16 October 6pm, Moving Image Studio, EB 1.37 Docklands Campus
As there apparently don’t appear to be any other prospective members, the pair are both accepted, and initiated into the Club, by way of downing a glass of wine filled with phlegm, cigarette butts and maggots; imbibing a suspicious yellow liquid from a condom before sprinting around campus and answering general knowledge questions; and having their rooms completely trashed, Ryle reinventing himself as a swaggering hedonist in the process. Much of the rest of the film centres on one of their formal dinners, where as is to be expected they ingest copious amounts of booze, food and drugs; mock and insult everyone they feel to be beneath them: the working class, the Scottish, anyone without a private school education, prostitutes, and women; and eventually trash the place. They defend their traditions
and opinions throughout the dinner, claiming that the lower classes are lazy and resentful, with the almost amoral Ryle in particular firing everyone up with his defense of right-wing politics. The pace is at times slow and stilted – with a lot of unnecessary lingering on exchanges between the pub-owner and his staff. But when it gets going it’s a great piece of filmmaking – the disgusting excess and outrageous misogynistic and classist attitudes brilliantly depicted, and the members’ sheer arrogance and sense of entitlement displayed nauseatingly. Several uncomfortable confrontations occur with outsiders, as they try and fail to ‘buy’ the services or sufferance of women and the ‘lower classes’, further fuelling their growing resentment and leading to a barbaric climax of a scene, with even the members stunned by their own actions. One thing distinctly lacking in the film was meaty political debate. Aside from a couple of very brief exchanges at the beginning of the film, and a heated one-sided riling up of the members during the dinner (which seemed rather to serve as a plot device as it incensed the characters to the point that they committed certain atrocities later in the film), there were no substantial political discussions and parties were implied rather than explicitly named. Considering that the film is a clear satire of the club that once famously included three of the most prominent conservative politicians serving in our country at the present time, and is supposedly a depiction of potential
Black History Month
I’m in love with a Church Girl
Director: Steve Race (2013) Wealthy drug dealer, Miles Montego, meets a nice Christian girl, Vanessa Leon, at a mutual friend’s house, and the two hit it off and start a relationship. Miles tells Vanessa that he used to be a drug dealer but now wants to change his life.
Wednesday 22 October 5.30pm, SU Lounge, Docklands
4 Little Girls
Director: Spike Lee (1997) Powerfully moving documentary by the celebrated filmmaker Spike Lee. 4 little Girls explores the Birmingham Alabam Church bombing of 1963, which killed 4 little girls and was influential in bringing civil rights to the worlds attention.
Thursday 23 October 6pm, Moving Image Studio, EB 1.37, Docklands Campus
future political leaders’ informative university years, this lack of discussion and the choice not to directly name political parties is even more present and questionable. Instead the filmmakers seem to focus on making the film more entertaining, drawing attention to the handsome selection of leading men, the raucous excesses of the club’s members, and the quaint depictions of Oxford university life. And perhaps they preferred to criticize the institution as a whole, and the classist and sexist attitudes rather than attempt to take on specific politics. Whatever the reason for this choice, the film is otherwise highly watchable, providing a charged and entertaining insight into the lives of some of the most privileged and well-educated in our country, and with a range of the finest young British thesps (who possess a collective filmography of some of the most popular recent teen-films). Although not as brave politically as it could have been and perhaps overglamourizing the revelry of these men, it’s timing is pertinent, with the 2015 elections coming up. Perhaps this film will encourage some younger voters to consider the morals of certain politicians, and one hopes that the gross inequality and sexism depicted are the issues to stick in the minds of audience members long after the credits have rolled, as opposed to the sex appeal of the leading cast members.
The last week of October is our independent study week so we will be back from Wednesday 5th November for our belated Horror week! November screenings to be announced towards the end of October! For the latest movie releases from the Stratford Picture House, go to:
www.picturehouses.co.uk
14
SPORT
Free sport with My UELSports Congratulations to the school of Architecture and Computer Engineering who won the My UELSport Futsal tournament, My UELSport’s first official tournament! A variety of schools and houses have been represented so far including; Shepherd House, Redbridge House and Health, Sport and Bio-science but schools such as ADI and Social Sciences are yet to enter. Sign up your own team now to make sure your school, hall or society is represented. Enter a tour-
nament weekly to be in with a chance of the title, league champions. Want to get in some free practice? My UELSports hold FREE, coached sports sessions every day at SportsDock and Chobham Academy on the Olympic Park. Sports include, Netball, Basketball and Football. No need to book, just turn up as a team or on your own and play. For more information visit: uel.ac.uk/myuelsports
All tournaments take place in SportsDock on Tuesday from 5-8pm, the upcoming tournaments are: 21/10/2014 Basketball 28/10/2014 Football 04/11/2014 Cricket 11/11/2014 Badminton
Volunteering Opportunities Looking to expand your CV? Want to put the skills you learn on your course into practice? UELSports are looking for match reporters, photographers, sports reps and international sport ambassadors. UELSports are always looking for students to photograph, film and write about clubs. With opportunities to get by-lines in the Newham Recorder and videos shown at the annual sports awards, joining the UELSports media
teams has plenty of benefits. To apply, email uelsports@uel.ac.uk and let us know what you would like to do. Enthusiastic about getting students involved? Why not become a Sports Rep? My UELSports Reps are a team of students who help organise and run social sessions and tournaments. They get students involved in the programme and can benefit from coaching qualifi-
cations, kit and gym membership. Are you an international student? Want to encourage fellow international students into sport? Become an International Sport Ambassador. So far we have representatives from America, Malaysia and India so get involved, represent your country and receive kit, membership to your chosen club and a ticket to our annual sports awards.
Join a Sport Club There is still time to join a sports club at UEL. UEL has over 22 sports clubs for you to join and get involved in over the year, the sports vary from Badminton, Handball, Table Tennis, Judo to Futsal so there is something for everyone. UELSports clubs offer competitive and social elements and are perfect for having fun, making new friends both in and outside of training and competitions. Most of our sports clubs compete in British Universities and Colleges
Sport (BUCS) competitions on Wednesday afternoons. In the 2013-2014 season 12 of our BUCS teams won their respective leagues (Basketball, Cricket, Football, Hockey, Rugby, Table Tennis, Tennis and Volleyball) with Men’s Basketball & Men’s Volleyball being promoted into the BUCS Premier Leagues for this season. So get involved, whether it’s joining a club, supporting a club or volunteering!
For more information on sports clubs visit www.uel.ac.uk/sport/clubs/
Oh My Daze - Oct’ 14
15
Meet new (and returning) sports scholars Returning sprint hero Adam Gemili headed an all-star cast as a record number of 84 Sports Scholars from were formally inducted into the University of East London’s Sports Scholarship programme. Adam, a third-year Sport and Exercise Science undergraduate, enjoyed a spectacular summer on the track, winning two gold medals at the European Championships in Zurich and two silvers at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. But he was not the only UELSports Scholar to experience Commonwealth Games success. Fellow sprinter Bianca Williams won two bronze medals in Glasgow while Aimee Willmott, a London 2012 Olympic swimmer and a new arrival at UEL for this academic year, won two silver medals in the pool.The medalwinning trio are part of the largest and most talented Sports Scholar line-up ever assembled by UEL, underlining its reputation for world-class sports provision. The group, which comprises sportsmen and women from 13 countries and 12 different sports, includes numerous national and international standard athletes. Sports boasting the largest contin-
gents of scholars include volleyball, basketball, tennis and athletics while, for the first time, UEL is welcoming scholars from rugby union, football and archery. Since the scholarship programme was launched in 2009 with just seven athletes, UELSports has gone from strength to strength. UEL is now widely considered to be the most improved university for sport in the UK and this year’s campaign is shaping up to be the most successful ever across a range of sports. There are particularly high hopes for UEL men’s volleyball and basketball teams, who will be competing for the first time in the British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) Premier South League after gaining promotion last season. UEL vice-chancellor Professor John Joughin, who awarded the athletes their scholarships at a ceremony in the university’s prestigious SportsDock facility, said: “In a fairly short period of time, UEL has established a great reputation for sport and we are well on our way to becoming the best university for sport in the whole of London.” David Cosford, UEL’s director of Sport, said: “Over the past five
years University of East London has built a fabulous sports offer that attracts and supports the highest calibre athletes across the full spectrum of sports.“Having achieved so much success last year, I am humbled and excited to see so many national and international standard sportsmen and women make the decision to study at UEL and join our world-class sports programme. I fully expect 2014-15 to be our most successful yet. “UEL can now compete with the best educational institutions for sport in the UK and it is our objective to not only compete but bring back the silverware.” Adam, whose triumph in the 200m at the European Championships was the biggest victory of his track career to date, said he excited to be part of such a high-calibre programme.He added that he was looking forward to returning to his academic studies now that his athletics season is over. He said: “I’ve had an absolutely amazing summer. When I started the season I was still seeking my first senior international medal, so to win two golds at the European Championships and two silvers at the Commonwealths was an absolute dream. “But now it’s very much back to business for me.
The year ahead is very important because it’s my final year at UEL. “I want to make sure I get a good degree before I turn my attention to trying to win more medals at next year’s World Championships in Beijing.”
For more information on sports scholarships at UEL visit uel.ac.uk/sport/ highperformance/ or contact Matthew Tansley, High Performance Sport Officer m.tansley@uel.ac.uk
2014/2015 UELSports Scholars Athletics
Adam Gemili, Bianca Williams, Darren Wiafe-Morson, Harry McQueen,Jordan Kirby-Polidore, Kyal Palmer-Francis, Kyle Ennis, Omololu Abiodun, Shannon Rapacchi, Thalosang Tshirletso, Will Rial
Basketball – Women’s
Marcelle Ingham, Raychele Parker
Basketball – Men’s
Blayne Freckleton, Damian Lyons, Douglas Bennett, Jefferson Davis , Lamar Roberts, Leigh Greenan, Lukas Volskis, Lukas Weingarner, Matic Zupanc, Pavlo Ostapenko, Trent Reeves, William Ashby
Boxing
Lawrence Okolie, Luke Batstone, Mohammed Gharib, Sam Bezzina
Swimming
Aimee Wilmott, Hannah Travell, Michael Gunning
Tennis
Alexsandra Mitrovska, Camille Prulhiere, Christopher Neill-Smith, Jack Anton, James Ledger, Jared Linzell, Lewis Thompson, Lutfiana Budiharto, Lyuboslava Peruhova, Marie Prulhiere, Millenia Severino, Michael Suleau, Sebastian Kay
Volleyball – Men’s
Dan Fabry, Daniel Shmidtke, Damian Andrzejewski, Darius Grigas, Dominik Motylewski, Dwain Bowman, Gervaise Bynoe, Grant Kocher, Graham Bell, Gustavo de Oliveira Vieira, Kacper Koltun, Konrad Fraszczyk, Lazar Stoyanov, Lee Hamilton, Mark Garica-Kidd, Miroslav Gospodinov, Mohammed Ali Tighsazzadeh, Scott Weninger
Volleyball - Women’s
Alex Vajdova, Beth Gunter, Carrie Beck, Luca Toth, Patricia Lyn Co, Rebecca Westphal, Yuliya Zhurba
Other
Jaspreet Sagoo (Archery), Dillan Stephenson, Ousmane Kone, Nnamdi Harold-Egole, Richard Robins, Stefan Nielson (Football) Julia Scardone (Judo) James Costa, Sophie Newnes (JuJitsu) Callum McBrierty, David Loveday, Max Murdoch, Michael Lawrence (Rowing) Christian Bennison (Rugby)
New exercise class timetable at SportsDock SportsDock launched its new exercise class timetable last month and introduced new classes that take part in and around the functional rig. Why not add these to your weekly workouts! Visit sportsdock.co.uk/classes for further information on these classes