Brig Newspaper Freshers 2017

brig

University of Stirling’s student newspaper

since 1969

Freshers edition 2017 | Twitter: @brignewspaper | Website: www.brignews.com

FEATUREs: Brig sex survey

News: Degree figures shock

Students ‘furious’ over accommodation shambles Credit: University of Stirling

Ross Brannigan Editor in chief

S

tudents have been left “furious” after being told they would not be getting accommodation - two weeks before the start of term.

Many of those affected were first-years, who were told via email they had been unsuccessful in getting university accommodation due to increased demand.

Brig ran an exclusive story on the matter, following numerous cries for help on the Official Stirling Freshers Page on Facebook.

One student wrote it was the “Worst way possible of starting UofS!!!”, whilst others desperately attempted to find flatmates and last-minute private letting.

However, due to legislation, some landlords refuse to let to anyone under the age of 18 as they are considered a minor.

The story reached STV and BBC Scotland, with VP Communities Jamie Grant giving an interview for BBC Radio Scotland’s Newsdrive show.

One university accommodation worker told Brig she had several cases where parents phoned to complain their child was 17, and so could not find a place to live.

The university cited “significantly increased demand” for university accommodation, with the number of applications for accommodation rising by 609 this year, from 3,070 last year to 3,679 for 2017/18.

The university reported it had 2,900 beds available for September 2017.

The university accommodation worker told

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Brig: “There was one girl whose mother phoned.

Her daughter had been given an offer of accommodation and didn’t get the grades for one of her subjects.

“They got in touch with the university and said they were appealing it because of problems at home, and Accommodation Services promised to hold onto her place.

“The mum phoned today very agitated that the university was now telling her they had no accommodation for her.

“I don’t know if it was resolved but I doubt it as

the buildings are full to the brim.”

One of the solutions the university has provided is housing some students outside of Stirling, and placing them in accommodation in Glasgow.

The university said: “All students have now been made accommodation offers, either in university accommodation or purpose-built student accommodation in the centre of Glasgow.

“A number of students have also secured private accommodation in the local area.”

Dobbie’s Point, where

some students have been placed, is close to Queen’s Street Station, with the University of Stirling offering students a free 16-25 railcard.

However, for all journeys made between 4.30am and 10am Monday to Friday a minimum fare of £12 is payable with a 16-25 railcard.

Accommodation prices at Dobbie’s Point range from a ‘Bronze Lower Level’ flat, with a double bed and en-suite shower, at £125 per week for 50 weeks, to a ‘Gold Studio’ at £208 per week. continued on p.5

gaming: Top Halloween games

Canvas is the online home for your module materials Access Canvas from your portal homepage and download the free Canvas app Chat: from the Help menu in Canvas Web: www.stir.ac.uk/is/student/it/software/canvas For 24/7 Canvas support Phone: +44 (0) 800 014 8776 (calls are free from UK landlines and mobiles)

2 Brig | September 2017

News

Student finances in ‘desperate state’ NUS survey warns Rebekah McVey News Editor

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ccording to research led by the National Union for Students Extra,(NUS Extra) almost half of British students have concerns about not having enough money for essential groceries such as bread and milk with a weekly food spend of £24.32.

The survey also found that students are worried about finding the money for travel and textbooks.

The online survey of around 2,000 students found that travel costs of £17.35 a week is a cause for concern as 43% worried about daily travel to

university or college.

Shakira Martin, the new NUS Extra president claims the survey shows the “desperate state” of student finances.

“Not only are university students forced to take on an enormous debt burden from the moment they begin studying, they are also given insufficient support to survive throughout their studies.”

“No wonder we are seeing those from the most deprived backgrounds dropping out before they complete their studies.

Rising living costs affect the poorest students the most, forcing those at uni-

versity to take out bigger loans which means that they now leave with the highest levels of debt: up to £57,000. With the situation as it is, we can never achieve equality in this country. The education system is in urgent need of change.”

An English from Sheffield who participated in the survey explained: “As a student you expect to be strapped for cash – in many ways it is all part of the experience – but it was much harder than I expected. It’s much more than not having much money to spend on a night out, it’s paying rent,

books for your course, and a fridge that needs to be stocked.”

Such financial concerns can have a wider impact on students as almost three quarters of students (71%) were stressed and anxious about money.

While half of those who completed the survey worked during the semester, 23% had dipped into their overdraft.

The same study found that a quarter of students were not looking forward to returning to college or university because of financial worries.

Credit: NUS

NUS plans for new student poverty commission Rebekah McVey News Editor

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n August 30 the National Union for Students announced plans for a new poverty commission following the findings of the survey by NUS Extra This will look at the

barriers faced by working class people before, during and after further and higher education.

In a speech NUS President Shakira Martin announced: “We know that students from disadvantaged backgrounds are still 35% less likely to attend university.

Brig Newspaper The Robbins Centre University of Stirling Stirling FK9 4LA

Editor-in-Chief

Ross Brannigan editor@brignews.com

Deputy Editor

Amy Beveridge deputyeditor@brignews. com

News Editor

Rebekah McVey Craig Munro news@brignews.com

PoliticAL Editor

Rebecca McCurdy Abigail Taylor politics@brignews.com

COMMENT Editor Rebekah McVey Claire Keraudren

comment@brignews.com

We know that even if they make it to university, under privileged students are much more likely to drop out.”

“I’m not just talking about the people who have been lucky enough to make it to university though, I’m talking about students like myself: a single parent of two from a work-

ing-class background who could never have had what many people would call a “typical” university experience.

“I’m talking about the people across the UK who leave school at 16, or even sooner, and go into minimum wage jobs because they simply cannot afford to do anything else, or perhaps because they

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Craig Munro Stuart Graham filmandtv@brignews.com

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have been made to feel that they are not capable of anything else.

“We are all capable of achieving, but for some the odds are overwhelmingly stacked against us. That is what I want to change.

“That’s why I am launching my poverty commission: a massive piece of

David Mckay contact@brignews.com

work that will span two years, will reach out to the forgotten corners of our society and will involve agencies, experts and students from all areas of further and higher education.”

The commission board will be announced soon and over the next six months evidence will be gathered to produce

a set of recommendations.

This commission will be the first of its kind, the main aim is to collect filmed testimonials, data and written evidence.

It will be collected from working class communities across the UK at ‘Listen and Learn events.

Editor’s Column

elcome to this issue of Brig, and I am very proud to be its editor for 2017/18.

I would say it is the best one yet, but then, I am biased.

In music this month, you will find an article about the Manchester bombing, and why terrorists taget such happy events as music concerts.

This summer has been marred with hate and fear, sometimes from extremists, but sometimes from those people we once called neighbours and friends.

I am thinking of the violence we have seen in the USA, but also of the hate that goes unseen; people who once felt safe in their communities now live in fear of the people they see everyday on their streets.

Hate crime towards minority communities in the UK and elsewhere has shot up, along with a rise in parochialism, bigotry and, ultimately, fear of

the unknown.

As students and just citizens, it is our duty to ensure those we know and those we have never known feel safe in the places they call home, and encourage diversity in all its forms.

Last year, Brig had two months dedicated to causes that often go unheard in the media: LGBT+ welfare and mental health.

Both months were enormously successful, and opened our eyes to the stories of people we see every day, the struggles they have endured.

Our LGBT history month is something we will be returning to early next year, but it should not be the case that this issue and

others go unnoticed for the rest of the year.

Brig will always be a place in which diversity is encouraged, and where our readers are exposed to the diverse breadth of opinion our writers hold.

Hate must be challenged on the streets, in the media, in the workplace, but we should look to ourselves also to see which prejudices we possess without knowing.

Sometimes this requires a bold step on our behalf, but there should be no one in modern society who feels they are not valued or wanted.

Life should not be dictated by your luck of the draw when you were born.

Everyone deserves the right to flourish and succeed.

3 Brig | September 2017

News

Meet Stirling’s International Officer fighting to reassure students after Brexit Warren Hardie

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n her own words, Arletta Gorceka is the “voice of international students” at Stirling University. Arletta, a law student who moved to the UK from Poland, is going in to her third year at Stirling and her second term as international officer. She believes that her role is to to promote the need for a “racism-free” society, and that the reason that her position exists is to raise awareness of the issues that international students will experience during their time in higher education.

“It is very important to show students how international students might be disadvantaged and prejudiced.”

After being elected international officer just months after the Brexit vote, more than a year later she is still faced with the challenges that leaving the European Union will present for international students.

Earlier this year, Office of National Stastics (ONS) figures revealed that significantly less

students were choosing Britain as their destination of choice. 40 000 less students decided to study in the United Kingdom in 2016 than the previous year.

When asked if this concerned her, Arletta told me that: “Yes, it is shocking to find this out. I think that it caused mainly because the students are concerned about their post-Brexit status. They are unsure how Brexit might affect their rights to study in the UK. “I believe that there should be guidance available on the changes that Brexit might introduce.”

Arletta suggests that the government should work to ensure that students are able to spend their studies in Britain “stressfree” and made to feel welcome.

“There should be fundamental changes in the [government’s] visa policies. Also, it is vital to introduce more welcoming campaigns and messages in the social media. Communication is the key!”

As for what the students union is doing to to alleviate students’ fears, “we are going to do everything to reassure internation-

al students about their rights after Brexit. This will be more highlighted during the academic year.

[We are] going to work intensively towards ensuring students about their post-Brexit future.

“The University of Stirling is welcoming and benefiting from international students. Therefore, we aim to make their stay pleasing and unforgettable.”

An aspect of Brexit which has not received much attention is the future of the Erasmus student exchange programme. Erasmus allows British students to study at a number of universities and colleges across Europe, and also enables EU students the ability to do so in Britain. While the Brexit Secretary David Davis has so far refused to confirm the status of Erasmus, politicians such as First Minister Nicola Sturgeon have urged the UK government to ensure that Erasmus continues something which Arletta feels should “absolutely” happen.

“Erasmus is one of the greatest cultural building programmes. Besides going to study in a different

country, one can make friends and memories that will last a lifetime. I believe that it is very important to continue the Erasmus heritage, as it helps students gain amazing experience.

“Taking a semester abroad would increase the employability, as it would help students to stand out

one to become openminded towards other cultures and people. It is an important step towards a society with no prejudices.”

Last week, it was revealed that the government had inflated the number of international students overstaying their visas. For years, the

Credit: Stirling Students’ Union

on the job market. More importantly, it would help to gain cultural awareness, as dealing with people from all over the world would help to become more tolerant and understanding.

“It would simply allow

Home Office had claimed that ‘hundreds of thousands’ of foreign students were choosing to remain in the UK upon the expiration of their visas. Yet last week it was reported that the actual figure was less than 5000.

“I could not believe that. I think that it was caused by those all political events, students might be feeling less welcome here.”

“Also, there were drastic changes introduced for the immigration policy.

It is a clear indication that UK becomes a less attractive destination for international students.

We need those talented people to study here!”

“The government should do everything to introduce vital changes in order to make the UK [more] appealing for students.”

One measure which has been proposed by MPs, including the crossparty Education Select Committee, is to remove international students from the government’s immigration targets. For years, the Conservatives have routinely pledged to reduce immigration to the ‘tens of thousands’ - but have been continually unsuccessful in doing so.

“The government needs to realise the damage of their policies. There should be changes to the visa system. At the moment, they appear to be, indeed, unfriendly for

students. The UK is turning away the international talents. Those people are very skilled students.

“The UK government ought to work towards attracting them so the economy and universities could benefit from the diversity international students bring.”

“In relation to Brexit, the government should keep working hard on making the UK an attractive destination for EU students, who are very valued at the UK’s universities.”

Despite the challenges which Brexit has presented for her as international officer, Arletta remains encouraged. She discussed a number of proposals which she would like to see implemented during her term, one of which is to work closer with the International Society.

“One of [these] ideas would be to establish some kind of language cafe. That could be a good opportunity to learn phrases that we might later use during the holiday season.

“It is going to be a good year!”

Stirling professor puts charity fundraising regulation in the spotlight Rebekah McVey News Editor

D

r Alasdair Rutherford from the University of Stirling has found that big charities are more likely to

IN BRIEF

pay a voluntary fundraising levy than smaller ones.

These findings developed following analysis from the Fundraising Regulator for England and Wales, and the Charities Commission.

Senior Lecturer in Social Statistics, Dr Rutherford said: “It is critically important to build trust in the charitable sector, and to ensure good practice in fundraising. But in

Stirling academic wins at Scottish Women’s award

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University of Stirling professor has been recognised for her Services to Science and Technology at a prestigious event in Glasgow.

Carron Shankland, professor of Computing Science at Stirling, received the accolade at the Scottish Women’s Awards on August 30.

In 2016, Professor Shankland was one of 12 women to be awarded the Suffrage Sci-

naming charities who have decided not to contribute, a distinction should be made between those large charities who have opted out, and the smaller charities who have been caught up in the Levy due to an exceptional year in 2014.

“This affects only a small number of charities, but being named and shamed could have consequences

ence Award in computing and mathematics.

Professor Shankland said: “I hope this will raise the profile of women in computing. I especially want to encourage more girls to take computing at school and university, and to consider a career in technology.

“There are lots of great careers and opportunities for them.”

for their reputations.”

Around 84% of the 1,665 eligible charities have paid the Levy and signed-up to the new Fundraising Regulator. The largest charities are most likely to have paid (93%), with lower take-up amongst smaller charities (82%).

Nearly 90% of the charities who spent large sums on fundraising across both 2014 and 2015 have

paid the Levy in the first year. Charities with falling fundraising expenditure are less likely to have paid, with 86% joining the scheme.

Most of the Levy payers work in the fields of Education and Research; Health; or Social Services.

This includes many universities, as well as large charities providing health and social care services.

Dr Rutherford added:

Royal Geographical Society to visit Stirling University

T

he Royal Geographical Society is hosting a number of “Inspiring People Talks”, one of which will be held at the university in October.

The event is part of a tour through Scotland, featuring award-winning BBC presenter Will Millard, who will be hosting the “Life With the Hunters of the South Seas” talk.

The tour will begin in Aberdeen on October 2, and

will continue to make its way down the country, finishing in Stirling on October 11.

The lecture will be held in the Logie Lecture Theatre.

The second talk to be held in Stirling will be Rebecca Lowe, who cycled from London to Tehran - a distance of 11,000km.

The talk will be held on November 8.

The final talk for 2017 will feature adventurer Mark Evans on December 6.

“In order to ensure that the Levy is as fair as possible, the Fundraising Regulator should consider ways in which multiple years of fundraising expenditure are taken into account when assessing eligibility to pay the Levy.

“Reputation is a critical element for charities building relationships with donors. The reputation of the sector can be affected

by the actions of a small number of misbehaving charities, and the firmer focus on good fundraising practice and independent regulation is designed to build confidence in those charities who are taking their responsibilities seriously.

“Increased transparency - and the availability of data - makes checking up on the charities we support even easier.”

Tokyo receives gold from Stirling dementia centre

S

tirling University’s Dementia Services Development Centre has awarded two buildings in Toko gold accreditation for services to dementia care.

The two buildings, situated in the Tokyo suburb of Setagaya, are the first international locations to be awarded the gold accreditation.

The senior living development comprises 176 living

units, a 75 bed care residence, accommodating people with dementia, and a multi-functional long-term care service for patients who live at home.

The Dementia Services Development Centre is worldrenowned, and will continue to deliver training to the buildings’ owners and their frontline care staff on the importance of communication, behaviour and dementia design principles.

4 Brig | September 2017

News

First class degrees rocket 18% in just one year Ross Brannigan Editor in chief Craig Munro News Editor

F

irst class degrees at the University of Stirling are up by 14% in the past 10 years, Brig has learned.

Information gleaned through Freedom of Information (FOI) found the overall number of firsts awarded at Stirling rose from 10.1% in 2007/8 to 23.8% in 2016/17.

However, the statistics also showed the number of first class degrees awarded is at its lowest level in three years.

According to the data, first class degrees have dropped from 28.9% in 2014/15 to the current 23.8%.

Furthermore, the number of third class degrees is at 2%, the highest it has been since 2012/13.

A spokesperson for the university said: “We are committed to enhancing and delivering the best student learning experience, underpinned by high quality teaching and an enhanced emphasis on assessment and feedback.

“Places at the university are highly competitive and our entry standards have risen.

“Degree awards recognise the excellent performance of our talented students.”

The figures also revealed a stark change in de-

gree classifications after 2013/14.

The difference between 2013/14 and 2014/15 classifications was highest for first classes (a jump of 18.3%) and 2:2 classes (a fall of 12%).

Before 2013/14, first class awards averaged 10.2%, but have since risen to 26.3%.

The schools of Health Sciences and Sport Sciences saw saw the biggest leap with a combined increase of 21.9% in first class degrees.

The two schools now form the combined Health and Sport Sciences faculty.

The majority of students have consistently been achieving 2:1 classifications since 2007.

The university indicated five reasons for the sharp rise: introducing a grade point average approach to degree classifications; more effective feedback methods; revised semester structure and assessment periods; common marking schemes for undergraduates and postgraduates; and an enhanced tutor system.

A spokesperson added the university had taken part in national enhancement themes, which included the introduction of a final year induction conference.

They said: “Entry qualifications have risen from a tarrif in [sic] 330 in 2010/11 to 360 in 2011/12, and to 389 in 2016/17.

“We would expect this

to be reflected in the outcomes achieved.”

The grade point average (GPA) scheme is one that has been used and is most closely associated with the American higher education system.

However, UK universities have, in recent years, been moving towards a GPA style of degree classifications.

Stirling University still maintains the traditional degree classification style, but has introduced a weighted system to include “eligible module credit”.

The personal tutor scheme was reintroduced

in September 2014.

According to VP Education Matt Adie, the tutor scheme was scrapped before being reintroduced

by John Gardner, former senior deputy principal at Stirling.

The scheme has had a turbulant few years since its reintroduction.

The current system is under review, with Adie and Professor Tim Whalley, Dean of Student Affairs, analysing data collected from course representative surveys.

The results of the survey are not expected to bring any changes into effect until 2018/19.

Credit: University of Stirling

The low-down

First class degrees at three-year low Third class degrees up to 2% - highest since 2012/13 First classes jump 18% in one year

Health Sciences and Sport Faculty Craig Munro Ross Brannigan

T

his year saw the gap between Stirling’s Health Sciences and Sports Faculty and the rest of the university in first-class graduate degree attainment widen further than at any other point in the last five years, according to statistics obtained by Brig.

The percentage of students from the university’s smallest faculty who graduated with a firstclass degree fell a mas-

sive 14.9% from last year, down to just 9%.

All of the other faculties had percentages in the twenties, with the nextlowest being the Faculty of Arts and Humanities with 21.6% and the highest being the Faculty of Social Sciences, where 29.8% of students graduated with a first-class degree.

The figures also reveal that a far higher percentage of Health Sciences and Sports students graduated with a 2:2 or thirdclass degree than students

from the rest of the university’s five faculties.

In fact, Health Sciences and Sport – the university’s smallest faculty – was the only one where the attainment of first-class and 2:1 degrees was below the overall university percentage, and the attainment of 2:2 and thirdclass degrees was above the university percentage.

This is a significant decrease from the two previous years, when the faculty’s results were roughly comparable to those in the rest of the university.

The faculty’s first-class degree graduation results leapt up with the other faculties’ between 2013/14 and 2014/15, from 6.7% to 28.6% - the latter figure almost equal to the total percentage of students across the university who graduated with the top classification that year.

In the six years since 2012, the total percentage of graduates who left the university with a firstclass degree has increased from 9.2% to 23.8%, with the highest percentage

being 28.9% in 2015.

In all but two of those years – 2015 and 2016 – the Faculty of Health Sciences and Sport had the lowest percentage.

However, this year’s 12.6% gap between Health Sciences and Sport and the next lowest faculty represents the largest disparity seen in the last five years.

In response, a university spokesperson said: “The Faculty of Health Sciences and Sport has the smallest cohort of any University of Stirling fac-

ulty, accounting for just nine per cent of the whole cohort graduating with honours in 2016/17.

“Therefore, due to the small numbers involved, slight changes to the overall number of students can result in amplified figures when expressed in percentage terms.

“It is normal for degree classifications to fluctuate regularly. The Faculty of Health Sciences and Sport supports all of our students to achieve their potential.”

Statistics prior to Sep-

tember 1 2016 are taken from a combination of the then-Schools of Health Sciences and Sport Sciences.

The statistics also show that the 2016/17 academic year saw the first time that the Faculty of Natural Sciences has not led the field for first-class degree results since at least 2012.

They were overtaken this year by the Faculty of Social Sciences, where nearly 30% of students graduated with a firstclass degree.

5 Brig | September 2017

News How is a degree classified? Matt Adie explains

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ut of all the academic related queries I get asked, how an honours degree is classified is by far the most popular but also, usually, the most difficult to explain.

However, through this article I’m going to attempt to do just that. But before we get into the real meat of the issue, it’s worth covering the basics.

A standard honours degree is made up of 480 credits; these are usually broken up into the 20 credit chunks we know as modules.

You’ll study 120 credits each year (i.e. six modules). In most cases you’ll have a dissertation to complete in your final year – which is often worth 60 credits (the equivalent of three modules).

In basic terms, your degree will be classified based on working out the average of your marks for your best 220 credits from year three and four.

However, there are a few conditions attached to that.

Firstly, your dissertation is always included in the classification – so that’s 60 credits. The remaining 160 will be made up from the remainder of your module grades from third and fourth year.

You also need to have at least 50% of your credits within the classification band your average works out to (i.e. if your average was 70.5%, then you’d

need to have 50% of your grades from third and fourth as firsts).

Now you may be questioning why your degree is only classified on 220 credits when you’ll study 240 credits in third and fourth year. Well, that’s because you’ll be able to drop your worst grade from third and fourth year from the classification.

Note that if you’ve passed any modules by compensation in these years then you won’t be able to discount any further grades from the calculation.

So there you have it, that’s how degrees are classified. But… with Stirling being renowned for its flexibility, there are a couple of exceptions to the above rules.

For example, take those who have studied a module for which there was no grade (just a pass or fail), placements, study abroad or those coming in with entry credits.

Well, as long as these don’t add up to over 120 then you’ll still follow the rules above; if they do go above 120 then you’ll not be able to discount any modules.

Over the past few years, the method for calculating classifications has been altered where there’s been a good reason for doing so.

For example, last year I was keen to stop prioritising compulsory modules over optional modules, as previously compulsory

modules would take precedence in the calculation.

This meant that a jointhonours student would have their classification based solely on their performance within their compulsory modules – completely devaluing optionals.

The university agreed that this would be an important change to make and so we rewrote the algorithm for this year.

Due to these changes, the University agreed to adopt a “No Detriment” approach to classifying the degrees of those graduating in 2018 and 2019, meaning your classification will be calculated under the new and old methods – whatever’s highest will be the one you graduate with.

We also spoke about making the whole process more transparent – both in terms of how the regulations were worded and the possibility of, in the long-term, developing some form of online calculator to let you calculate and track your classification.

Hopefully, that shines some light on the whole degree classification process. If you’ve ever got any questions about your classification, feel free to get in touch with me (education.union@stir.ac.uk) or with the Registry team directly (ask@stir.ac.uk).

‘Worst way possible of starting UofS’

continued from front Older Stirling University accommodation tends to cost around £93 per week, with more expensive and newer flats costing £145.

One student who accepted accommodation in Glasgow said: “I live in East Ayrshire so being anywhere further up was a bonus. The first suggestion they [Stirling] gave us of private letting worked out far too expensive.

“At first I was completely furious and felt really let down by the university, especially to hear those in the above years got spaces before first years, and those who only live 15 minutes away.

“While I still think something needs to be done about the allocation of accommodation, I’m

pleased that they have tried to resolve the problem and gave everyone a solution.”

A spokesperson for the university said: “Around 180 students were initially affected, however, 76 have now been offered university accommodation, with priority given to students under 18 and to those with previouslyknown health considerations which could impact upon their university education.

“Application dates were also considered as part of the process.

“The university offers students the opportunity to apply for university accommodation and strives to meet the needs of all of our students.

“However, due to the

number of applications, the university is unable to guarantee accommodation to every student.”

It was once the case first-year students were guaranteed university accommodation, but the university’s website now states first-years will be given “priority”.

Since the story was released, the University of Stirling’s Facebook page has received a number of one-star reviews, with parents voicing their frustrations with the university.

One review said their child had been “reassured only two days ago that everything was in hand”.

Their child was then told they would not be getting university accommodation this year - “unaccep-

table”, the parent said.

The university has stressed it has offered accommodation to all students affected.

When asked how the situtation would be avoided next year, Stirling University added: “We constantly review the uptake of university accommodation and will continue to work closely with the Students’ Union to plan for next year.

“We will also continue to discuss private student accommodation options within the local area working with the City Council and welcome the addition of private purpose built accommodation in Stirling opening in 2018.”

falls behind on degree attainment

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8 Brig | September 2017

Politics

Stirling councillors reinstated into Conservative Party following suspension suspended after it was reported he was behind a series of racist remarks on social media, including likening Africans to cannibals.

The SNP called on Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson to take decisive action against the Stirling councillors, and in May a petition calling for their resignation reached 2,350 signatures.

A spokesman for the Scottish Conservatives said: “Having served a suspension, both council-

lors have been readmitted to the party after offering unreserved apologies for any offence caused.

“It has been made abundantly clear that behaviour like this will not be tolerated in future.”

But the decision has come under fire from the SNP, who called the reinstatement “outrageous”.

Alison Laurie, SNP councillor for Stirling East, said: “This is an utterly outrageous move for the Tory Party to make with regards to Cllrs Ma-

jury and Davies, both of whom have demonstrated that they are unfit to serve in office and represent our local communities.

“Far from taking decisive action, Ruth Davidson has sent out a message that this sort of abusive, offensive and xenophobic behaviour online is acceptable in the Tory Party.”

Stirling Council have since updated their website to include the councillors as Scottish Conservative members.

Councillors Robert Davies (left) and Alastair Majury were suspended from their party shortly after being elected. Credit: Daily Record

Rebecca McCurdy Political Editor

S

tirling councillors Alastair Majury and Robert Davies have been reinstated into the Conservative Party after being suspended for making offensive social media posts earlier this year.

Majury, elected councillor for Dunblane and

Bridge of Allan back in May, was unmasked as anonymous Twitter troll ‘Mulder1981’, where he used the account to send abusive tweets from a pro-Unionist stance, including comparing the Scottish National Party (SNP) to Nazis.

It was also revealed that the then-newly elected councillor had made de-

grading comments about women on a dating site.

While it was reported the 35-year-old was talked out of resigning from his position as councillor, he was suspended from the Conservative Party.

However, Majury and fellow councillor Davies have had their suspensions removed, which has prompted backlash from

fellow politicians.

Mark Ruskell, Scottish Green MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, tweeted his dismay at the decision: “Disgraceful, imagine a racist and an internet troll now deciding on @StirlingCouncil school bullying and equalities strategies.”

Davies, Forth and Endrick councillor, had been

Councillors Davies and Majury with some of the other Conservative councillors in May. Credit: Stirling and Clackmannanshire Conservatives/Facebook

Tech-tonic shift in Stirling City Deal

Artistic interpretation of plans for Harbour in Stirling as plans for City Deal get underway. Credit: Stirling Observer

Abigail Taylor Political editor

T

he UKs largest technology incubator has recently opened a base in Stirling’s city centre.

Based in the newly named ‘Digital District’ of the city in a converted landmark building, The

Municipal Buildings, CodeBase Stirling is now at the heart of a growing technology ecosystem.

The digital hub has come as a part of the newly approved Stirling City Deal, which promises to unlock Stirling’s greatest potential by providing key projects designed to position it and its neighbour-

ing areas as an economic powerhouse.

CodeBase is designed to gather, provide and support a tech community by hosting new events, providing co-working spaces and mentoring.

The Stirling hub is aimed to further the success of CodeBase Edinburgh and will therefore

be the hub for the rest of Scotland.

The official launch event took place on September 5th which was also supported by other local businesses such as Napizza.

Along with the launch, CodeBase works with other local businesses such as Creative Stirling and welcomes fellow tech companies like CoderDojo Scotland.

The Royal Albert Halls are next for enhancement and extension with plans to turn the historic buildings into a state of the art conference and performance venue.

The City Deal aims to create digital greatness which will inevitably allow businesses and residents prosper.

Along with redevelopment of historic buildings in the centre, the Stirling City Deal has pledged to link the city with its rural community neighbours.

By further improving transport bus links and creating environmentally friendly fuel stops available for rural residents, the city can further flourish in its growth.

The completion of a new cycle route from Dun-

blane to Callander, follow developments to revive the River Forth in Stirling life.

The key elements of this project include the development of river tax network, expansion and enhancement of pedestrian and cycle paths, development of peninsulas and associated riverbanks and new tidal feature to allow water levels and water quality to be controlled.

The city deal has been applauded by many as it has come as a cross party and cross policy agreement. This removes the stereotypes of politics away from the matter and provides an optimistic overview for the deal.

VP Communities, Jamie Grant, welcomes the plans. He told Brig: “I’m delighted to be in a position, as your VP Communities, whereby I can represent the views of students in the proposed regeneration project area, as part of the City Deal.

“It’s one that will positively impact on our community and the wider fortunes of The City Next Door for decades to come.”

Scotland to end public sector pay cap

Rebecca McCurdy Political editor

T

he Scottish Government announced plans to scrap the 1% on public sector pay rises.

Nicola Sturgeon made the announcement earlier this week as she announced her government’s plans for the next year.

The pay cap had previously come under fire after public sector workers claimed they had seen dramatic real-terms drops in their wages.

Sturgeon told Parliament that “nurses, teachers, police officers and firefighters deserve a fairer deal for the future.”.

She added: “We will, therefore, aim to secure pay rises from next year that are affordable, but which also reflect the real-life circumstances our public servants face and the contribution our public services make to the overall prosperity of our country.”

It is hoped that the plans from the Scottish government will increase pressure on the UK government to make similar

plans.

In the same speech, the First Minister announced the government would introduce 16 “fresh, bold and ambitious” new policies.

Sturgeon set targets for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and aims to “phase out” petrol and diesel cars by 2032, eight years ahead of the UK target.

The government also said it was time to make use of new tax powers.

Sturgeon raised the idea of tax rises for the welloff in Scotland in order to fund a programme of higher spending.

Speaking of her government’s new programme, Sturgeon said: “The programme that I have set out is fresh, it is bold and it is ambitious - and because of that, aspects of it undoubtably will be controversial.

“This is inevitable - indeed it is necessary. No one has ever built a better country by always taking the easy option.”

But opposition parties accused the SNP of trying to fix problems it had once ignored.

9 Brig | September 2017

Politics

How is Stirling changing the world? The Challenges of Our Time Lecture series Linda Bauld Dean of Research Impact

T

hroughout the week of September 18, a series of events are being held on campus to highlight how research conducted at the university of Stirling is addressing some of the most significant issues facing Scotland and many other countries.

Entitled ‘Challenges of our Time’, this involves a series of lectures and open discussions focusing on topics as diverse as climate change, food security and chronic disease prevention.

I’d like to extend a personal welcome to all students to attend one or more of these sessions.

Each faculty has been responsible for organising an event on a single day of that week.

On Monday the 18th, the Faculty of Social Sciences is hosting presentations on the topic of children’s rights with the Chief Executive of the national charity Children in Scotland and Dr John L’Anson

from the university.

This is taking place in the Iris Murdoch building from 6-7pm.

The second Challenges of our Time lecture focuses on the controversial issue of electronic cigarettes, and whether they could help Scotland and other countries to move towards a ‘tobacco free’ society.

Chaired by Professor Sir Kenneth Calman, Chancellor of the University of Glasgow, I’ll be speaking in this session on behalf of the Faculty of Health Sciences and Sport and will be joined by Martin Dockrell from Public Health England who is a leading international policymaker working on tobacco harm reduction.

All are welcome on Tuesday September 19 from 12.30-2pm in Lecture Theatre B4.

who will be focusing on how to feed the world’s growing population.

This lecture will be held in the Logie Lecture Theatre from 1.30-3.30pm.

The complex issue of ‘Big Data’ and how information from individuals and organisations is being used in modern society is the topic that a panel of speakers from business and the public sector, joined by Professor William Webster from the School of Management, will explore on Thursday September 21.

All students are welcome at the Stirling Court H o t e l for this

On Wednesday the 20th, Professor Rachel Norman and colleagues from the Faculty of Natural Sciences are hosting Professor Tim Benton from the University of Leeds, an international expert on food security,

early evening event from 6-7pm.

Finally, on Friday September 22, we are lucky enough to be joined by the former First Minister of Scotland, Lord Jack McConnell, who will speak along with Dr Andrea Schapper from the Faculty of Arts and Humanities.

They will be debating the huge challenge of climate change and how this is affecting individuals and communities across the globe in Pathfoot Lecture Theatre from 5:30 to 6:30pm.

Programme for Challenges of our Time Lecture Series Monday 18 September at 6pm Iris Murdoch Building The Faculty of Social Sciences presents: The importance of Children’s Rights: policy and research in Scotland

Tuesday 19 September at 12.30pm Lecture Theatre B4, Cottrell Building The Faculty of Health Sciences and Sport presents: Tobacco harm reduction: how e-cigarettes and vaping devices have

All you need to do to attend is register at www. stir.ac.uk/events.

I hope you’ll join me and others from across the University and beyond.

We’d love to hear your views on these issues and there will be plenty of time for questions and discussion at each event.

transformed tobacco control

Wednesday 20 September at 1.30pm Logie Lecture Theatre The Faculty of Natural Sciences presents: How to feed a growing population

Thursday 21 September at 6pm Stirling Court Hotel The Stirling Management School presents: Big Data Revolution: Transforming Our Futures

Friday 22 September at 5.30pm Pathfoot Lecture Theatre, Pathfoot The Faculty of Arts and Humanities presents: Climate change: greatest human rights challenge of our times?

Events are free to attend, but we ask that you register in advance at www.stir.ac.uk/events

Jack McConnell. Credit: McConnell International Foundation.

Stirling’s political societies Freshers round-up Rebecca McCurdy Political Editor

I

t’s been a busy year for British politics, with council elections and a shock general election, and our very own political societies at the university have no plans to slow down.

With a new group of students joining us this academic year, Freshers Week is the ultimate opportunity for politics lovers to get to know what the various political societies are getting up to.

Firstly, still hyped up from the excitement created around Jeremy Corbyn after June’s snap election, Stirling University Labour Society are keen to keep the ball rolling with their Give It A Go event, by putting a political twist on classic board games.

With the general election in mind, people are required to work in their teams to try and ensure a Labour victory.

President Emily Green said the event will be “quite easy going for those who know lots about Labour, and for those who maybe don’t or just want a taster, it’s a nice introduction to the party and our society.”

She added: “After Freshers, we’ve got antiSemitism training in conjunction with Labour Students, our liberation officers are working on campaign ideas and events, and we’ve got a few socials in the works.

“Any student who has a passion or interest in leftwing politics, the Labour Party, or politics in general should come along to the society.

“We are a group of lovely people that like to campaign, discuss issues, and get involved in politics on a student and national level. The society hasn’t been around for long, but we’ve certainly made our mark and would encourage everyone to come and

be a part of it!”

We then have Stirling’s newest political society, University of Stirling Libertarian Society.

Over the year, they’ll host weekly or biweekly discussions between members, allowing them to debate a range of policies, current affairs and philosophical concepts from a libertarian slant.

The society are opening their events to people of all political opinions and said “those who do not consider themselves libertarian are welcome to attend”.

The society is also planning to arrange some high-profile speakers to come to the university, and increase student engagement with the Student Union and NUS by hosting stalls and workshops.

President Stuart McLuckie said: “Our society’s philosophy is to encourage students to express themselves and

debate others without the fear of being ostracised.

We believe this allows students within our community to become more intellectually refined, as well as helping those with differing opinions get along.

“So, if there are students who are interested in free speech, open debate about pressing issues, or would like to see more positive interactions between themselves and other student organisations, we are more than happy to have them sign up!”

Brig unfortunately has yet to hear from SUSNA (Stirling University Student Nationalist Association), but you can catch up with Stirling SNP students’ upcoming events on their Facebook or Twitter.

University of Stirling Conservative Society has been growing over the years and boast exciting plans for the year ahead.

If you’re both a politics

and pizza fan, you might just like the sound of their upcoming events, with their first meeting showcasing their activities and pizza.

Following Freshers Week, ConSoc promise their first social and, of course, politics and pizza night, where members can debate political and current affairs.

The society promise trips to party conference and Westminster to meet Stirling MP Stephen Kerr, as well as a visit to FMQs. President Alasdhair McBride said: “In previous years, the focus of the society has been assisting the local association in campaigning for elections, but fingers crossed (as my legs are still tired from dropping off leaflets from the council election) that this year we can focus on having fun.

“But why should you come along? If the temptation of all our fun events hasn’t tempted you, the

Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party is Scotland’s only patriotic centre-right political party.

“As June’s election results showed, we are a party on the up in Scotland, standing up for the UK against the dangers of nationalism.

“Joining our society is a great way to meet likeminded people and enter into this exciting community.”

According to their Facebook page, Stirling University Greens are having a quiz night for their Give It A Go. The Greens describe their society as a “way for like-minded members to connect socially, exchange and discuss the issues they care about on a regular basis.”

They added: “We are committed to engaging in the democratic process and seek to empower individuals, especially our students and young adults.

“We support transformation of the current political system, developing a more sustainable way of life and creating a more equal and just society.”

Last up, PolSoc are having a Speed Debating event for their Give It A Go. They said: “Speed Debating is perfect to get a grasp of what PolSoc is about and enjoy interesting topics we prepared for the debates.

“It is an introduction to our society, after which you’re invited to come along for a drink, and a great year ahead of us!

“The Politics Society is a neutral platform where people from all of the political spectrum are welcome to join and share their opinions.

“It is an opportunity to learn from students around the world, meet new people and gain a better understanding of politics regardless of your current knowledge of it.”

11 Brig | September 2017

Politics

Sarwar and Leonard in contest to replace Kezia Dugdale as leader of Scottish Labour “And they need a united Labour Party across the UK working together to elect Jeremy Corbyn as prime minister.”

Sarwar called for a Labour government in Scotland that could fix the crises in the NHS and education.

His opponent, Richard Leonard, was elected as MSP for Central Scotland in 2016, after 20 years working as an organiser for the GMB trade union.

Leonard, who is notably left-wing, called for “a united Labour committed to real and bold change”.

Supportive of Corbyn’s UK approach, Leonard has called on the Scottish

party to take more risks in an attempt to win back support.

He cites issues such as inequality, fuel poverty and public sector cuts as important factors, saying: “It is for these reasons that we need a distinctive Scottish Labour vision again - delivered with energy but also conviction and credibility.

“It is now time to set out our vision of a more equal Scotland with full employment, funding quality public services, providing dignity for our OAPs and hope for our young.”

It had previously been speculated that Dugdale’s resignation would leave

Scottish Labour leaderless until at least November.

But it is expected that the official campaigns will kick off next week after Scottish Labour’s executive committee agrees on the rules and timetable for the contest.

Dugdale announced her departure as leader after two years in the job, where she replaced Jim Murphy following a harsh defeat in the 2015 general election.

She said the party needed a new leader who brought “fresh energy, drive and a new mandate” in order to prepare for the 2021 Holyrood elections.

Anas Sarwar (left) and Richard Leonard officially announced their bids for the leadership on Monday. Credit: The Guardian

Rebecca McCurdy Political editor

T

wo MSPs have officially announced their plans to replace Kezia Dugdale as Scottish Labour leader following her shock resignation on August 29.

Former deputy of Scottish Labour, Anas Sarwar,

has been tipped as the front runner over tradeunionist Richard Leonard.

Sarwar may prove popular with Scottish Labour’s 32 MSPs, MPs and MEPs, while Jeremy Corbyn supporter Leonard could find support from Scottish Labour’s left politicians.

As the party’s health

secretary, Sarwar will be hoping to use his experience to his advantage as he said the leadership election should be about who can serve as the next First Minister.

He had previously opposed Corbyn in the Labour UK leadership election but now professes his support for him. He said:

“Labour is revitalised in Scotland and I am ready to unite our party and lead us back to power.

“The people of Scotland do not need a Labour party that is fighting itself.

“They need a united Labour Party in Holyrood that is fighting the SNP and ready to form Scotland’s next government.

Kezia Dugdale announced her resignation as leader of Scottish Labour after two years. Credit: The Independent

Brig’s Brexit Breakdown: What’s actually going on?

Theresa May triggered Article 50 in March, beginning Brexit negotiations. Credit: The Independent

Rebecca McCurdy Political editor

C

an you remember waking up to the results of the EU referendum in June last year with a mixed array of emotions

spiralling through your head and, most importantly, wondering what Brexit actually meant for the country?

It is often difficult to believe it was well over a year ago since 51.9% of the country voted to leave

the EU since it feels like so little progress has been made.

But Brig likes to make things simple, so here’s a rundown of what has been going on with Brexit over the past year.

Brexit kicked off with

the announcement that David Cameron was resigning as Prime Minister after failing to seal a victory for the Remain camp.

He was replaced by former home secretary Theresa May. May was initially against

leaving the EU; however, was never quite vocal with her views, and has since pledged to act in the interests of the British people, saying “Brexit means Brexit”.

With a new PM settled, it was time to actually get

round to doing something about it. In March, parliament voted in favour of the European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Bill, resulting in the government triggering Article 50 on March 29.

The economic effects of the referendum were pretty clear immediately.

As predicted by Remainers, the pound slumped as the result was confirmed and, even now, it sits around 10% lower against the dollar and 15% against the euro.

But perhaps it is not all doomed. The economy is said to have actually grown 1.8% last year, and unemployment has continued to fall, now at a 42year low of 4.4%.

It is fair to argue that the snap general election shook things up a little.

The Conservatives probably hoped they would secure a strong majority which would allow for May to strengthen her position on negotiations with European leaders.

But, despite increasing the number of seats for her party, May’s government actually weakened as they ended up having to seek support from ten Northern Ireland MPs in the Democratic Unionist Party.

With all of this out of the way, official Brexit talks finally began on June 19.

This means that the UK and EU negotiation teams will meet for one week each month.

Still, nothing is concrete, but the priority issues are said to be agreeing what rights EU citizens in the UK – and UK citizens across the EU – will have.

The matter of how much money the UK will have to pay the EU to leave is being highly debated at the moment and, of course, the UK will want this to be as low as possible, while EU countries demand a higher fee to make up for the loss to income they will incur.

Issues such as immigration remain at the forefront of the government’s plans, with May pledging to cut net migration down to a “sustainable” level.

But how this will plan out in negotiations is still unclear.

Let’s not sugar coat it – what the UK will look like after Brexit is by no means clear, as it looks like we are nowhere near discovering what the negotiations will lead to.

12 Brig | September 2017

Comment

The food porn epidemic Amy Beveridge Deputy editor

T

hese days everyone’s a foodie.

Well, who doesn’t love

food?

We photograph it, write about it, worship it.

We schedule our day around it.

We use it to celebrate, and to control our emotions.

Food has become the new porn.

Nothing is more erotic than a glistening egg yolk, oozing chocolate, or strings of melted cheese.

We desire it, crave it, but ultimately deny ourselves as we are aware of the calorie count and disapproving looks.

Inside we all are conflicted.

We are encouraged to

make our diets healthier, but we know that we will never be satisfied with avocado and kale.

We are bombarded with what we could have, but can’t have.

So instead we satisfy ourselves in the only way we can – by looking and watching.

Social media has only heightened this passion.

Now everyone can share with the world what they are eating before they have even eaten it. #foodporn is the 55th most popular hashtag on Instagram, and it’s not difficult to see why.

The next best thing to ourselves eating is seeing what other people are eating.

And what they are eating is just plain suggestive.

Recipes overflowing

with cream and sugar, chocolate and cheese.

Exotic foods in exotic places.

But we also wander into the realm of fantasy too.

We dream about what we could have if money,

pizzas for buns.

Novelty cafés we will never eat at in places we will never go.

distance and common sense were no object.

Tag-a-mate nugget challenges and burgers with

But it’s nice to look all the same.

Part of food porn’s appeal is that it tantalises

Credit: The Independent

Greasy meals that contain more calories than you are meant to eat in an entire day.

Five things I wish I realised when I was in first year A Rebekah McVey Comment editor

rticles with a title like this often come across as being a little pretentious.

Some of you are probably thinking it’s a boring fourth year who wrote this who has nothing better to do with their time than to lecture first years.

To be honest, I wouldn’t blame you for thinking that.

I didn’t listen to any of the advice I was given before moving to Stirling three years ago and learned from the mistakes I made the hard way.

Whether you make terrible decisions or sail through university with no regrets is in your hands.

However, the least I can do is share with you five things I wish I realised when I was in first year.

1) I didn’t need to go to Dusk every Tuesday Granted, it was fun at the time, but looking back I didn’t need to go to every Skint Tuesday.

I’ll touch on this a little more in my next point, but part of me feels all those nights out at Dusk may have been partially responsible for the problems I had with money.

Of course, I’m not saying that your time at Stirling should only be spent in the library.

What I am saying is not to abide by the advice I was given and to prioritise nights out over studying for exams.

2) Budgeting money every week will come in handy This is something you’ve probably heard enough of already from your par-

ents.

It’s not the most exciting thing you’ll have to consider, but it certainly is important.

I had got into a habit of assuring myself that if I didn’t look at my bank balance, everything was okay.

That was until one day, I’d realised that I’d dipped into my overdraft and couldn’t think of what nonsense I wasted my money on.

There are plenty of websites that offer advice on how to budget your money sensibly.

If you would rather speak to someone in person, you can always arrange an appointment with the Student Services Hub on campus if it’s something you would like more guidance with.

3) Not everything is worth stressing over

Credit: Film Takeout

This seems like something that is so simple that it doesn’t need to be explained.

However, when you’re feeling so overwhelmed with stress, even the smallest inconveniences can seem like a bigger problem than what they are.

Taking time out to tell the difference between a pressing concern and something that isn’t that big of a deal is a step in the right direction.

I appreciate this can be easier said than done if you overthink everything like I do.

However, that doesn’t mean that it’s not possible – I believe in you.

4) You don’t have to start dating just because everyone else is I’ll never forget playing Never Have I Ever on my first night of Freshers

with my new flatmates.

Being painfully innocent, there were few questions that I could actually drink to.

I was never made to feel embarrassed about this, but it turned out I was the only one out of nine girls who had never had a boyfriend.

It was something that I’d never thought of before, but it suddenly felt like I was missing out, knowing everyone else had at least been asked on a date and I hadn’t.

Don’t get me wrong, dating can be fun, and you’ll meet lots of new people now you’re at university.

However, if it’s something you’re not too experienced with yourself, don’t feel like you have to jump into it just to say you have.

Agreeing to go on a date, just to get your first one over and done with, and not because you want to

everybody.

It does not limit itself.

Even the pickiest eater or the most hardcore vegan will see something forbidden that they desire deep down inside.

And there is no guilt.

We know that we shouldn’t give in and allow ourselves the pleasures of these foods, no matter how much we want them.

So we don’t; we don’t have to when we can watch instead.

What else explains the popularity of programmes such as MasterChef and GBBO? We watch others make these delicious recipes, yet never try them ourselves.

It’s because we don’t need to – we are simply content to watch.

Unlike with porn, these images and videos can be unabashedly shared with others – half the enjoyment is displaying your desires to those around you.

When you tag a friend in a picture of a chocolate milkshake you think you would both enjoy, you are creating this connection.

Food now bonds us in a way that may not have replaced sex, but at least rivals it.

We are free to display our wants and desires, however fantastical they may be.

It is not secret and shameful, but loud and proud, and shared in part by everyone.

Everyone loves food, and food loves you back.

Even if you can only look, not touch.

- at least from my experience - isn’t a clever idea.

other society or sports team you’re thinking of joining.

Although you don’t need to sign up from the get go, there’s a good chance you may regret it if you keep putting it off.

It can be daunting walking into a room with people you don’t know, but it’s honestly the best way you can meet others with similar interests.

5) You may regret not joining a club or society in your first year My biggest regret from my university experience is that I didn’t join Brig sooner (although better late than never).

I had thought about joining long before I did, but it wasn’t until my second semester of third year until I had finally plucked up the courage to do so.

It sounds ridiculous for someone studying journalism, but the thought of other people reading my writing made me incredibly nervous.

When it came to essays, I was completely anonymous so, although my work was still being judged, nobody knew it was me.

The same applies for any

I was always told that school would be the best years of my life, but being at Stirling has been better in every single way imaginable.

Before you know it, you’ll be in your final year wondering where the past four years have gone.

It sounds cheesy, but apart from what I’ve already shared with you, make every moment count.

14 Brig | September 2017

Comment

Quidditch is a sport - and it’s not just for Potterheads Rebekah McVey Comment Editor

Y

ou’re now at a university with a reputation of sporting excellence and you want to be part of that.

There’s plenty of sports teams and societies involving exercise, but it’s not always easy deciding which one to go for.

At Freshers Fayre, a variety of clubs and societies will try to entice you to join them.

Regardless of what anyone tells you, don’t let them convince you that muggle quidditch isn’t a sport.

It sounds unusual at first, but it’s not as silly as you might think.

Sport can be defined

as: “An activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment.”

With this in mind, it’s fair to say that quidditch ticks all of these boxes.

Though it’s up for debate, if bowls is considered a sport to some, then quidditch can be too.

Muggle quidditch is like a combination of rugby, handball and dodgeball.

If you’ve ever been involved with any of these sports, you’ll know how physically challenging they can be.

With so much happening on the pitch at the same time, quidditch certainly isn’t a boring sport to watch.

The rules are similar to

the fictional version, the most obvious difference being that the players’ brooms can’t fly.

The aim of the game is for the chasers to get the quaffle through the hoops and get the highest score possible without getting

beat.

The game ends when one of the seekers catches the snitch, which - unlike the books and movies is attached to the snitch runner.

In other words, it’s a person who runs around

with yellow clothing and has a tennis ball in a sock hanging out of their shorts.

Snitch runners can be prone to tackling seekers and throwing away their brooms just because they feel like it.

Credit: Marco Lombardi

This can go on for quite a while and it’s not always as easy as seekers wish it could be.

It can be praised for being a progressive sport as players don’t have to place themselves within the gender binary if that’s not how they identify.

The Quidditch UK rulebook explains that “each team can have a maximum of four players who identify as the same gender in active play on the field at the same time.”

If you still have this idea of nerds gleefully prancing around a field with brooms, you might change your mind upon realising that it’s a full contact sport.

There’s something wildly entertaining about seeing a 4ft 11 chaser take

down someone twice their size.

It’s not exclusive to people who haven’t come to terms with not receiving their Hogwarts acceptance letter either.

Although we have JK Rowling to thank for this existing in the first place, extensive knowledge of Harry Potter won’t make you a more skilful player.

Regardless of your fandom, it is training that will better your abilities.

If you’re still not convinced that quidditch is in fact a sport, why not join Stirling’s very own Dumyat Dragons for practice to see for yourself?

Their training takes place every Wednesday and Saturday and new faces are always welcome.

Stand clear of the Echo Chamber Claire Keraudren Comment editor

G

oing on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter, content is always designed to suit your tastes.

The websites welcome you back with open arms and offer to catch you up on what you may have missed.

The Internet being what it is, you look up hours later to find that you’ve engaged in yet another online debate that you won, but not really.

You were just in an echo chamber.

Their algorithms are designed to draw you in, show you what you want to see.

YouTube ventures a little bit by offering videos which aren’t exactly what you’ve seen in the past but could broaden your horizons.

Facebook, on the other hand, is all your friends and all their similar opinions on society.

Twitter is an interesting mix of the two, now that it shows tweets and ‘threads’ people you follow, have liked, or engaged with.

Clearly, it’s up to you to curate your Internet space. You discover people and choose to follow them.

So, be careful.

You’ll enter into debates where you won’t be able to back your arguments for lack of previous discussion on the topic.

Once you’ve started en-

gaging with the community, the arguments will come naturally because you’ll understand the cause you’ve chosen to support.

That has been me for several years.

Once an ardent conservative thoroughly opposed to gay marriage and with little appreciation for the hardships women everywhere dealt with in attempting to advance in life, I expressed my opinion on Tumblr one day and got quite the backlash.

What’s funny is that I remember the day perfectly and when I got back to all those notifications, I read and kept an amazingly open mind on the whole issue.

Hours later, the debate I was supposed to prepare for my ‘Analysing Journalism’ lecture, in which I supported freedom and the current gender imbalance in journalism, crumbled before me.

I had no arguments.

How could I possibly support inequality when women worked twice as hard as men to gain half the appreciation men did?

You would think I believed I had joined the rest of the world in rightful thinking.

You would think it because every publication you read has in some way expressed support for intersectional feminism.

I think they’re right to.

I also think you need to venture.

If you focus on the leftthinking papers and web-

sites who agree with you and make you feel like the wisest of citizens, you’ll trap yourself into thinking the world is a more equal place and those Men’s Rights Activists (MRA) really are in the wrong and live in a sad, secluded little space. You’ll be wrong.

A housemate here at Stirling engaged me in a lot of interesting debates. One day, he went so far as to tell me people might appreciate feminism more if they had an intelligent discussion with me (cue the massive David Byrne: remaining in your comfort zone will restrict your intellectual abilities. comswelling of the musubject to mockery. ego).

So, I watched. It has nity (they really don’t like He and I disagree on a been surprisingly inter- being put on the same lot of topics, which always esting. level as everyone else, makes for interesting conThere was a video on these men), there are arversations. why Caitlyn Jenner is a guments and issues which To illustrate his points ‘ridiculous person’ that I should be heard. or show me a different agreed with wholeheartThere is the issue of angle on an issue, he’s edly. biological differences beshown me videos by peoFrom that same creator tween men and women. ple who tend to be male, was a defence for a rape The fact that you can’t tend to be white, and tend joke – I squirmed, be- just ignore the instincts to have had it with ‘safe cause it really bothers me society raised you with spaces’. when people don’t take in the name of ‘politically You’re probably won- the time to appreciate the correct’ thinking. dering why I didn’t run gravity of rape, and its (I The Google memo away. wasn’t alright. think) non-laughability.

To do that would be to There were a lot of soIf you pay attention to support stereotypes and what they’re saying, be- ciological discrepancies isolate oneself from any hind the cover of inherent and as a recent response external challenges. misogyny and harsh criti- by The Economist sugThat won’t let you grow cism of the LGBTQIA+ gests, it was really just a and you’ll just become fancy way of trying to find

valid ground for a man’s hurt ego when he realised he had to work hard and respect women at his level to get work done.

It wasn’t all wrong, either.

It made some people think and hear another opinion out. That’s what we should always do.

There is middle ground to everything and I don’t believe that the loudest faction of intersectional feminists on social media has found that middle ground.

Instead, they choose to ignore men, dismiss them and continue on their merry way to extreme thinking, never looking back.

Society should be daring and radical in exploring new orders, defending the underdog and fighting for equity.

People have changed in the past hundred years and we can’t ignore people wanting to feel positive about who they are.

In that same line of thought, we should listen to those we might be leaving behind, who haven’t had an intelligent conversation on modern issues, or who just don’t feel heard.

Marginalising people really only harms your cause, so open the door to that echo chamber and let differing voices in.

2 Brig | September 2017

Music Live music and the shadow of terror brig considers why music events have been the target of extremism and what it means for the future PETER STEWART MUSIC EDITOR

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he link between Islamic extremism and live music is real. It may be an indirect link, each wildly far-removed from what the other represents, but recent incidents must force us to examine that link nonetheless.

The events of May 22, which saw Salman Abedi detonate a suicide bomb in the foyer of the Manchester Arena and kill 22 while injuring 116, sent shockwaves throughout the world.

The indiscriminate targeting of children brought the UK to its knees and the country’s terror threat to ‘critical’. It was the deadliest attack in the UK for a decade.

The atrocity came eighteen months on from the Paris terror attacks, the most deadly of which was at an Eagles Of Death Metal concert. 89 of the 130 victims of November

13 2015 were shot by gunmen at the Bataclan Theatre. The attacks have been called ‘Paris’ 9/11’ and to many will feel far fresher in the memory than a year and a half ago.

While these attacks felt closer to home, literally and figuratively, between them came the Orlando nightclub shooting in June 2016.

With 49 killed, it was the deadliest mass shooting by a single gunman in American history, and the worst terror attack in the US since 9/11.

The highlighting of these particular attacks is in no way intended to diminish the horrific impact caused by the many other recent acts of terrorism.

The backdrop of the three London attacks that took place this summer, at Westminster Bridge, London Bridge and Finsbury Park, significantly alters the place of the Manchester bombing within the UK picture, for example.

What is important is their occurrence in a live music

setting, and the subsequent scale of impact.

It is fair to say that in most countries, the most consistent and concentrated gatherings of people are to be found in one of two settings.

The first is sporting events, which have infrequently fallen victim to deadly terror in recent years. The only deadly terror attacks on sporting events this decade were the bombing of the Boston Marathon in 2013, which killed three, and the attempted suicide bombings that were part of the Paris attacks in November 2015.

Only one bystander was killed outside the Stade De France.

The second setting is that of live music – chiefly concerts and nightclubs.

The previously mentioned recent incidents were the most high-profile, but they are by no means the extent of the acts of terrorism live music has seen recently.

The Istanbul nightclub shooting on New Year’s Day of this year killed

29; a lone shooter killed five at BPM Festival in Mexico later that month; and the suicide bombing at Ansbach Open Air Festival, Germany, killed twelve in July 2016.

The reason for the gulf in frequency and deadliness of terror attacks between these two settings is not immediately clear.

In the case of a target such as the Stade De France, the vast scale of the occasion entailed that security was appropriately extensive.

Similar measures are to be found at the most highprofile sporting events. But where is the distinction between, say, the Bataclan massacre and the Boston bombing?

The grim answer may lie in those dimly lit rooms we so often find ourselves in at weekends, senses dulled by the thump of over-produced beats or the thrill of screaming along to our favourite songs. Metaphorically escaping from the outside world, while potentially physically trapped.

Trapped by bottleneck exits, venues rammed to profit-maximising capacity and bare-bones security measures.

It is an unlikely coincidence that the deadliest of these recent attacks occurred under cover of darkness.

A second factor may lie in the surprise aspect of targeting the relatively small-scale. Ten times as

many people were at the Manchester Arena on 22 May than the Bataclan in November 2016, but the latter was four times as deadly.

The 1,500 capacity, 19th century Parisian theatre allowed the gunmen to induce panic on account of the close-quarters nature of the venue, and the basic security that is typical of a concert of that scale. At the cavernous, modern Manchester Arena, bomber Abedi knew that he stood next to no chance of accessing the main concert hall due to the extensive security required of such a high-profile concert. Given the possibility, he would surely have opted to cause even more carnage.

The nature of live music venues and clubs as impractical and potentially dangerous is not a new or ground-breaking observation. Nor is it likely to change any time soon. But if the global terror threat continues, and there is nothing at this moment to suggest that it won’t, the public, policy-makers and security officials should reexamine the obvious.

Solutions are far from obvious. Every nightclub in the country cannot be shut down. Nor can every gig employ airport-style security checks. Awareness and sheer grim expectancy may be the most valuable defences available at this point.

album review: pvris - All we know of heaven, all we need of hell

PVRIS’ DEBUT ‘WHITE NOISE’ WON THe AMERICAN BAND LEGIONS OF followers IN 2014. HOW DOES ITS LONG-AWAITED FOLLOW-UP COMPARE? jamie harris music editor

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ince their 2014 breakthrough hit St. Patrick, PVRIS have been establishing themselves as a band with beatheavy alternative rock.

They’ve clearly established their electro-rock sound at this point and are sticking to what has worked for them already, although

they have come back with a much darker edge.

There has been a clear lyrical evolution between their previous album, White Noise, and this. Lyndsey Gunnulfsen’s voice has an edge to it that really adds to the darkness of some of the lyrics throughout the album, particularly the angstfuelled lead single (and opening track) Heaven.

One of the stand-out tracks on the album is Anyone Else. The composition beautifully balances

an upbeat rhythm, that reminded me of the style of Ellie Goulding’s debut album Lights, with Gunnulfsen’s ethereal voice and emotional lyrics. With a thumping chorus, it’s a stylistic melting pot that culminates with screams of “I don’t belong to anyone else” before mellowing back out into a soft harp as the song ends.

This is followed up by a track more reminiscent of their first album, What’s Wrong. With its screams of

“I will never sell my soul”, a strong beat and a catchy hook, it is a clear standout in terms of tracks that will have live audiences screaming along when PVRIS tour the UK later this year.

The hook on Same Soul makes it one of the more memorable tracks on the album. It starts out with a more mellow indie guitar riff and then the bass starts thumping.

No Mercy is probably the most experimental track

on the album, but seems somehow out of place among the other songs on the album.

Separate reminded me of Florence and the Machine’s ghostly second album Ceremonials, with a slower sound than the rest of the album and dark lyrics.

Rounding out the album is Nola 1, probably the least rock-influenced track.

Instead it has more of a mellow electro-pop sound.

As a result, it’s probably

the most suitable closing track, as it is a final showcase for the evolution of their sound throughout the album.

It is clear that this album has been a labour of love for PVRIS. The artful production, haunting lyrics and catchy hooks ensure that the Massachusetts-based band don’t suffer from the ‘sophomore slump’. By being a little experimental, whilst sticking to their tried and tested electro-rock sound, PVRIS have cre-

ated an eclectic album that may win over some new fans without alienating their original followers.

RATING: 4/5 ‘All We Know Of Heaven, All We Need Of Hell’ is available now.

You can hear our editors’ picks from the album on the Brig Freshers 2017 Spotify playlist.

Credit: Pvris.com

3 Brig | September 2017

Music

brig chats to the xcerts’ murray macleod peter stewart music editor

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riginally hailing from Aberdeen, Brighton-based alt-rockers The Xcerts returned this summer with their first new single in two and a half years, Feels Like Falling In Love. They were a surprise addition to the main stage at Reading and Leeds festivals at the end of August, and buzz around the band continues to grow ahead of the release of their fourth album in early 2018.

Singer and guitarist Murray MacLeod spoke to Brig about this exciting time for The Xcerts.

Brig: The Xcerts were announced to play Reading and Leeds on the Friday morning of the festivals. That must have been incredible. How much notice were the band given of that?

Murray MacLeod: Yeah, that was actually the first time we’ve ever played Reading and Leeds and the fact that we played on the main stage was mind-

blowing. We were told on Thursday evening. It was quite a hectic 24 hours.

Leeds was first on the Friday, and that felt quite rushed. We had Saturday off to prepare for Reading (on the Sunday) and that was a lot more chilled.

Brig: Feels Like Falling In Love received a million streams in under a month. It must have been amazing to come back to that sort of reception.

MM: You never know how a song’s going to be received, but we were

really confident about it.

We thought we’d written a really great song, but you never know. We could release it and people could say, ‘this is a bit too poppy for me.’ But, thankfully for us, it seems to have gone down an absolute storm.

We’re so appreciative of everyone listening to it and spreading the word, and it’s been amazing to watch it grow in such a short space of time.

Brig: Was it planned to leave such a long gap between There Is Only You (the band’s previous

album, released in 2014) and the new record?

MM: Our intention was to tour for a year and a half, write the (new) record, record it and then release it. It was going to take two years. And then basically, we kept getting offered tours that we couldn’t turn down. Then we didn’t stop writing, we had this tidal wave of songs. We said to ourselves and to our management, ‘we may as well just keep writing,’ because the songs were getting better and better.

We never stopped working; we were constantly writing, constantly in the studio.

Brig: The Xcerts are often said to be a very underrated band. It took a band like Biffy Clyro four or five albums to reach the top. That could still happen for The Xcerts.

MM: We’re really fortunate that the people that like our band really love our band. I don’t think there are many people that listen

to us that want us to stay unheard of. It’s something that we’re happy about.

Biffy (Clyro) kind of set out the blueprint for a band like ours - you know, if you don’t blow up on your first, second or third record, you don’t have to stop. We’ve always said that as long as it’s going in a forward motion, and it’s going up, then we shouldn’t stop.

For us, it’s still slow, but it’s gradually moving forward all the time.

Brig: The Xcerts have been grouped among both indie and heavier bands in the past. Where do you see the band in that sense? Does it not matter? Is it a negative thing to be tied down to a particular genre?

MM: When we first came out, we were too rock for the indie kids, and too indie for the rock kids. We were in this weird purgatory in the rock world. We’ve thought about it, but we don’t really care for it. We would rather be across the board, rather than in one group. We want to appeal to everyone.

Murray MacLeod, centre, with The Xcerts. Credit: Pomona PR

five of the best: summer 2017 albums Cameron watson picks out some of the summer’s highlights, including a few you may not have heard...

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ummer is over.

It’s a sad time.

Let’s all mourn.

Alright, enough mourning. This summer saw the release of some truly awesome albums from a wide range of artists, so here’s my rundown of the best music to come out this summer.

Royal Blood. But they have left us with some absolute bangers.

Top three tracks: Hole In Your Heart She’s Creeping Hook, Line and Sinker

feels like a response to the worldwide fame they have gained, but still feels true to their origins throughout, with an ethereal quality resonating across the twelve songs. Easily a highlight of the summer’s music.

Top three tracks: Waste Bigger Than Love Solo

Royal Blood – How Did We

Top three tracks:

Oh Wonder – Ultralife Get So Dark?

I covered Royal Blood’s sophomore release earlier on in summer for Brig and it’s never left my Spotify playlist. It’s hard-hitting, punchy and everything you would expect from the boys. Sadly though, if it’s anything like after the first album was released, we will have a long wait until the next new music from

These guys are truly special. If you’ve never listened to them, you should change that now. This alt-pop duo knows how to create amazingly soft and dreamy-sounding music. Their first album, a compilation of music they had been creating for a year, took the world by storm, and - after a little break from touring - they are back with their second album, Ultralife. The album

sketch comedy, misheard lyrics and his own music.

Awkward and Depressed is the second full length album he has released but the first under the moniker Canadian Softball. It is rather complicated, but the gist of the album is that it’s a modern pop-punk joy ride. It is filled with enjoyable punk tunes while also filling another role completely unexpectedly – that of comedy. The album is quite the treat to listen to.

Great Again Ohio is for Emo Kids Your Validation

Canadian Softball – Awkward and Depressed So, this one is a little bit different, and by a little, I mean a lot. Canadian Softball is the brainchild of YouTuber Jared Alonge, who is a comedian, singer, songwriter and vlogger.

His channel is an array of

Superfruit – Future Friends Part One

If you are looking for an album that oozes summer then this is the one for you.

Superfruit is comprised of two members of the vocal harmony group Pentatonix and you can hear the influences throughout. Scott Hoying and Mitch Grassi started Superfruit as a comedy channel that then moved into making music but these guys know their stuff. It is vibrant, glossy, bubble-gum pop at its best and betters most of the summer’s albums due to the vocal harmonies the guys can create. It is summer boiled down into 23 minutes.

Top three tracks: Imaginary Parties Future Friends Vacation

Brig: When can we expect to hear more new music?

MM: The next single’s coming out on September 16, and the album gets announced on the same day. There’s going to be at least two more new songs released this year, and another single before the album. And then there’s still a lot more new music to be heard and released, so even after the album we’re going to be releasing new music, because we recorded a lot of songs.

The Xcerts are on tour in the UK from September 29 - October 10 (3 Oct: Glasgow, St Luke’s; 4 Oct: Aberdeen, Tunnels).

Feels Like Falling In Love is available now. You can hear it on the Brig Freshers 2017 Spotify playlist.

WHAT’S ON LEWIS CAPALDI 15-Sep-17@St. Luke’s Glasgow LCD SOUNDSYSTEM 19/20-Sep-17@ Barrowland Glasgow

alt-J – Relaxer Relaxer was one of those albums that slowly grew on me over time. I loved the traditional quirky alt-poprock tones of In Cold Blood and Deadcrush almost immediately after listening, but the more acquired taste of 3WW and Adeline took its time to sit right with me. alt-J always seem to smash it out of the park album after album, and this addition to their catalogue is no different. Also, their beautiful cover of House of the Rising Sun needs a mention. It’s almost haunting in its sound but compliments the album to no end.

Top three tracks: Deadcrush House of the Rising Sun In Cold Blood

You can hear the top tracks from Cameron’s chosen albums at Brig’s Freshers 2017 Spotify Playlist.

MAYDAY PARADE 21-Sep-17@O2 ABC Glasgow HOT DUB TIME MACHINE 22-Sep-17@SWG3 Glasgow THE JESUS AND MARY CHAIN 23-Sep-17@O2 ABC Glasgow SIGUR RÓS 24/25-Sep-17@SEC Armadillo Glasgow YOUNG GUNS 24-Sep-17@The Garage Glasgow LORDE 2-Oct-17@O2 Academy Glasgow THE XCERTS 3-Oct-17@St Luke’s Glasgow

4 Brig | September 2017

Film & TV

Credit: BBC

BBC’S GAY BRITANNIA:

A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION Stuart Graham film & tv editor

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having traditionally male genitals.

With all this in mind, Gay Britannia could be said to hold a mix of positives and negatives with the season commemorating the 50year anniversary.

Firstly, I must commend the two-part documentary Prejudice and Pride (one of the better names for a piece of queer media I admit) as a strong positive of the season.

Prejudice & Pride: The People’s History of LGBTQ Britain, to call it by its full name, was presented by Stephen K Amos and Susan Calman

the police clampdown on practices like cottaging and all non-private, underage forms of practicing homosexuality.

(If you are unfamiliar with the term ‘cottaging’, find a room alone in your house, open up yourself a little incognito tab, have a little Google and delicately peer through at the glory.)

However, with all this happening, there was never any discussion being had about acts of femalefemale homosexuality within the law.

Although this kept them out of prison, this lack of acknowledgment of their sexual practices was an underhanded way of society saying their sex wasn’t real or valid enough to be illegal in the first place, a public opinion that has strongly impacted the lesbian community for over a century.

Additionally, in 1967, the concept of being transgender wasn’t one many were aware of or understood.

However, due to this ignorance, those who lived as trans women would suffer the same penalties as males as, in the eyes of the law, they were male - still

as they combed through archive footage, historical documents and meaningful testimonies, in an effort to create a timeline of events and form a real sense of exactly what queer life was like for the community in years gone by.

From the inclusion of interviews with celebrities, personal accounts from activists and some quite raw tales from the presenters themselves, the two

Credit: BBC

his summer saw the BBC create a whole season of content revolving around the 50th anniversary of the Sexual Offenses Act, a political ruling that partially decriminalised male-male sexual acts and defined British queer culture for decades.

Taking on the name Gay Britannia, the season saw radio and television, both factual and fiction, examine exactly what it meant to be queer in the 60s, and how the landmark legislation affected the LGBT com-

nificant but also still heavily restrictive and prejudiced.

For example, men serving in the armed forces still could not “practice homosexuality” without being arrested and dishonourably discharged.

It is also worth noting this law was only passed in England and Wales; Scotland was to wait another 13 years before it decriminalised any form of homosexuality.

Despite the act being driven by the motivation to incarcerate less homosexual men, the number of arrests after the act passed actually increased due to

munity.

A history lesson is most probably required before I take a metaphorical red pen to the hours of content I have laughed, sobbed and scoffed through over the last month.

In 1954 there was an investigation launched which looked into both homosexuality (here referring to only male-male homosexual acts) and prostitution.

This investigation culminated in the Wolfenden Report being published in 1957. In a nutshell, this report stated that there are acts such as “practicing homosexuality” and prostitution that, although sinful, if committed within the privacy of the perpetrators’ homes, should remain none of the law’s business.

Ten years later, after years of debate and knockbacks, the Sexual Offenses Act was passed, which permitted gay males to have sexual relations if, and only if, they were both over the age of 21; they were behind closed doors in private property; and only two participants were present at the time of the “sexual indecency”.

The law change was sig-

Credit: BBC

hour-long features packed an emotional punch, and brought to light some truths that I feel history has overlooked until now.

Having me both punching the air in pride and sobbing into a pillow within the same ten minutes, the documentaries stood out as one of the more diverse, inclusive and moving parts of the season.

Staying on the factual programming from the season, the online series Queer Britain, presented

by YouTuber Riyadh Khalaf, did some incredible things in realistically representing the community.

Available on iPlayer as part of the new online BBC Three, this series saw Riyadh tackle some until now untouched topics in modern day queer culture.

The show stood out as it took a critical look at the discrimination the community face, not only from society but also from within, the ‘LGBT in-fighting’ that makes being truly out and proud so difficult, even within inclusive spaces.

Groundbreakingly covering subject matters such as body image standards for gay men, trans porn and racial issues on hook-up apps, the series’ content balanced out the slightly poor execution of the vlog style of documentary, that just didn’t feel fitting for covering such issues.

At times preachy and a little too millennial-ish for a show that holds so much potential to change opinions, I think more time and money could have been

spent making this series one of the headliners of the whole Gay Britannia Season.

We move now to look at the fiction programming produced as part of the season, and to question whether the season managed to encapsulate the historical shifts within the programmes.

The half period half present day two-part drama Man In An Orange Shirt proved to be a moving and eloquent expression of what living a homosexual life was like in these two separate times.

The first episode follows one man after he falls in love with a friend during the Second World War and tries to live happily with a wife and child despite his taboo love.

The second follows the wife from the first episode, now in her 90s, and her gay grandson as he navigates hook-up apps in a world of modern instant gratification homosexuality.

The first episode seemed a little familiar and uninventive for an LGBT text, yet it is when you watch the second part that links in the two storylines that you see the real power of this piece and feel the real weight of how the law and stigma of

homosexuality changed, and continues to change, lives for so many people.

BBC Four’s Queers proved an unconventional piece of programming.

Taking the form of downthe-lens monologues, the stories again spanned over a century of living as, or in close proximity to, homosexuality.

If you could, however, look past the abnormal form of television storytelling, the programme had real punch coming from the one-to-one intimacy with each actor in their episode.

Russel Tovey, in particular, shone in his monologue More Anger, playing an actor typecast as a gay man dying of AIDS during the community destroying epidemic.

Despite all these pieces of pioneering media, there is still a severe lack of certain groups being represented in this metaphorical blanket of content.

Firstly, bisexuality has yet again remained invisible on screen. With how the law stood, individual homosexual acts were the things punished as opposed to identifying as gay, so there was huge potential here for exploring a bisexual storyline of a pre-1967 male who had sexual relationships with men and women, yet suffered the same legal fate as a homosexual male.

The programme could also be used as a criticism of the biphobia coming from within the queer community, and the dismissive attitude that often goes unchallenged.

Another aspect that wasn’t covered in enough depth, especially within the fiction programming, was the struggle trans women would have faced around the time of the 1967 law change. A drama about a character assigned a male gender at birth but now identifying as female, in a time before biologically transitioning was possible, would open unfamiliar

audiences to the idea of being transgender and the hardship they have historically faced.

Additionally, with the historical look the season aimed to take on LGBT life in Britain, a drama or specialist documentary about living as a lesbian through the 60s and 70s is something there was a lot of room and demand for.

One of the most outstanding issues with the season was the scheduling times given to the programmes.

With the exception of Man In An Orange Shirt, which was given a 9pm Sunday air time, the majority of the Gay Britannia programming was relegated to near-graveyard shifts, with the potential of grabbing the attention of the active population greatly decreased.

With so much of the content in this position, people would have to actively seek out this kind of media.

This means the chunk of the population whose opinions are outdated aren’t being confronted with any sort of programming.

Despite these issues, the BBC has taken a huge step in the right direction with the season. In all my experience of queer media I have never seen so much synchronised content, and with such research and heart behind it.

I feel although there is still a long way to go before the representations we are seeing of LGBT people are where they should be, I feel the BBC deserves credit for the feat it has at least attempted here.

There are so many programmes from the season I haven’t discussed, as well as all the radio content I haven’t even touched on.

This says something about the mass of content that has been created for the purpose of showing queer culture and history in a realistic manner, something the community has been waiting on for years.

5 Brig | September 2017

Film & TV

WHY IS NOBODY TALKING ABOUT FARGO? craig munro film & tv editor

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rom my perspective – i.e. sitting at an awkward slant on a defective swivel chair and staring at a glowing screen that makes my eyes tired – three television shows have dominated social media discourse this year.

There’s the perennial presence of Game of Thrones, inevitably dominating the conversation like a giant dragon kicking dirt over a squabble of elves with its hind leg (I do not watch Game of Thrones).

It’s been on top since it first popped up in 2011, and there’s no sign of its popularity flagging now.

The second is The Handmaid’s Tale, the new adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s brilliant 1985 novel, starring Elisabeth Moss. The unfortunate state of politics at the moment has lent this dystopian programme a relevancy that its creators presumably neither intended nor wanted. Women around the world have been protesting about reproductive issues and women’s rights by wearing handmaid-style red cloaks and white bonnets.

These images, along with the quality of the show’s

Credit: hollywoodreporter.com

writing and acting, have been much-discussed.

And the third is Twin Peaks, which maybe people are only talking about on my part of the internet.

We were all anticipating the return of the series after 26 years, but none of us were expecting it to be quite as good as it has been.

Predictably, it has been confusing, eccentric and mind-blowingly niche, but that hasn’t stopped it blazing a trail. Episode eight of the new series, in particular, was one of the most

extraordinary episodes of television I have ever seen.

But that’s for another article.

This one is about a programme which has been almost entirely overlooked: Fargo.

The programme has recently finished its third season, and I can remember the acclaim that came with the first. Much like Twin Peaks, anticipation had been high, while actual expectations were somewhat further down.

If anything, I was a personal microcosm of that

situation. I adore Fargo, the 1996 film by the Coen brothers that acts as the inspiration for the series.

I had decided that any attempt to adapt it was blasphemy, and I would avoid the show at all costs.

But, gradually, good reviews and my sister’s insistences wore me down, and I gave the show a shot.

What I discovered was a show that had clearly been made by someone with the same reverence for the original movie as me – someone familiar

film review: detroit

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Credit: MLive.com

he reviews for Detroit, the new film from Zero Dark Thirty and Hurt Locker director Kathryn Bigelow, have been steadily petering in over the past couple of weeks, and they’re fairly predictable.

It’s hard-hitting. It’s a tough watch. It’s heartbreakingly relevant, despite being set fifty years ago.

The problem with such clichés is that they encourage a very simplistic reading of a particularly complex film.

Detroit is set during the titular city’s 12th Street Riot in 1967, centring on an incident in the Algiers Motel.

The riots were a magmatic eruption resulting from decades of friction between races and pressure from local police and politicians,

factors explained through a brief, beautifully animated introduction to the film.

Rather than continuing with a wide-angle view of the riot’s various causes, Bigelow narrows in on several different stories - a group of singing brothers; a trigger-happy racist cop; a black part-time security guard - which eventually converge at

the aforementioned motel.

Filmed in a documentary style, there is no place for the viewer to hide as the camera moves so close you can almost smell the breath of the National Guard. In fact, various clips from contemporary news reports are placed alongside the filmed scenes, emphasising just how similar they are in authenticity and intensity.

enough with it that they were able to take its careful tone and transfer it to television. Because that’s all that was really transferred: tone. Fargo the programme shares nothing with Fargo the film beyond the setting of Minnesota and North Dakota, some subtle references, and that tone of bleak comedy, nihilism and hard-fought optimism.

So, I was won over and impressed by the first season. Then something amazing happened: the second season was even

better. And the third season, which finished screening on British television last month, was better still.

If you’re still unfamiliar with Fargo, each season very loosely follows the same plot: ordinary Midwesterners get reluctantly drawn into the world of crime, and their lives spiral spectacularly out of control. Wrong decisions are made. People die horribly.

A pragmatic yet optimistic police officer begins to follow the breadcrumbs.

It’s a formula that works thanks to the unceasingly creative minds at work in its production. There’s no artificial ‘ramping up’ – each season just places another crop of odd characters in another series of disastrous situations, and lets the wit and skill of the writers do its work.

The most recent season, for example, was set in 2010, and followed the rivalry between the ‘Parking Lot King of Minnesota’ Emmit Stussy, played by Ewan McGregor, and his less successful twin brother Ray, also played by McGregor. After Emmit is bullied by some shady new business partners, their bickering turns into something far more serious.

McGregor’s is (are) the standout performance(s)

in an exceptional cast, but not a solitary wrong note is hit all season by anyone. David Thewlis is the perfect creepy puppetmaster, Michael Stuhlbarg is the perfect appalled friend, and Carrie Coon is the perfect pragmatic police officer, a character far more dimensioned than I’ve made her sound.

But the real star, as ever, is the storytelling.

Episode three of the new series follows the police officer’s trip to LA to find out more about her sci-fi writing grandfather, with her thoughts being mirrored by the animated story of a lonely robot from one of her grandfather’s books. It’s one of the best episodes of television I’ve seen all year.

Episode four has music and narration taken from Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf. It works so well, I felt like I was being spun upside-down at times.

For innovation and creativity in writing, Fargo really is one of the best TV shows of the last ten years.

A fourth season will come out next year, and it will be just as good, if not better, as those that came before it.

While we’re obsessing over the newest big-budget, loud and angry small screen adventure, Fargo will continue to be quietly brilliant.

craig munro Showing @ the Macrobert film & tv editor Writer Mark Boal, who also wrote Zero Dark Thirty and The Hurt Locker, is as much responsible for this incredibly maintained tone as Bigelow. The content of the deeply affecting scenes in the Algiers Motel was pieced together through the various accounts of those who were actually there, and Boal’s script flows so naturally that we feel as if we are witnessing the actual, terrible event - helped along, of course, by some of the year’s best acting.

Detroit is a brutal film, aware of how important it is but careful not to let that override its honesty. There are many people in the world today who ought to see it and heed its lessons, and even those outside that camp should learn something from this awful tale of violence and discrimination.

RATING: 5/5

(september - october) DETROIT - sEPTEMBER 8-14 GHOST STORY - SEPTEMBER 8-12 CARS 3 - SEPTEMBER 9-17 TOM OF FINLAND - SEPTEMBER 9-14 an inconvenient sequel - september 10-13 the limehouse golem - september 15-21 god’s own country - september 15-21 logan lucky - september 15-19 mother! - September 22-28 it - september 22-28 the emoji movie - september 23-october 1 mean girls: pyjama screening - september 27 in between - september 29-october 3 victoria and abdul - september 29-october 5

6 Brig | September 2017

Arts Upcoming art exhibitions in Glasgow and Edinburgh

Something for Everyone at MacRobert

Located right smack dab in the middle of the country’s heavyweights, Stirling offers you the perfect location to enjoy the best of both cities. On the agenda today? Upcoming exhibitions this autumn.

ANNE STOOP

ARTS EDITOR

Edinburgh Shadows of war ; Roger Fenton’s Photographs of the Crimea, 1855 On now until Sunday November 26 Student price: £5.70 Location: The Queen’s Gallery, Palace of Holyroodhouse

Collection of pioneering photography that showed the impact of war to the public for the very first time On now until Sunday October 29 Price: £10 Location: Scottish National Gallery More than 80 paintings brought together, created by an almost forgotten generation of artists. An exploration between realist tradition in British art in between the two World Wars.

Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Jacobites

CREDIT - www.travelalphas.com

On now until Sunday November 12 Price: £8 Location: National Museum of Scotland Presenting the wider story of the Jacobites, a must visit for any Outlander fans.

Glasgow The art of comics

On now until the Sunday October 1 Student price: £5 Location: Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum All your favourite superheroes brought together in one exhibition. From displays to artwork and swooping into your own superhero costume.

TASTE!

On now until January 14 2018 Price: £6 Location: The Hunterian Marvel at major paintings from the Bute Collection, merging art, biography and cultural history. Art of power shows light on the Enlightenment figure, John Stuart.

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sacrifice. The story depicts the longstanding friendship between fisherman Nadir and tribe leader Zurga, and the threat the arrival of the stunning priestess Leila brings to the men’s loyalties.

The cast of Opera Bohemia delivered an enchanting performance, especially considering the somewhat limited room allocated for the stage and the live orchestra, and the sub-opera acoustics of the space.

The troupe was led by former Scottish Opera artist Lissa Lorenzo as director, with tenor Thomas Kinch

playing the love-struck Nadir, Monica McGhee as the charming Leila, and baritone Douglas Nairne portraying the reserved, wise Zurga.

The performance also featured a poignant and colourful chorus, as well as a dramatic interpretive dancer.

Although all the casting choices were apt and effective, it was Nairne’s performance specifically that raptured the audience, and resulted in the start of a standing ovation at the opera’s finale. His slight melancholy and burdened

Cars 3 – 9th-17th

The trilogy of Pixar’s Cars is here.

Beloved Pixar. This lighthearted film can make you laugh in the midst of the stress of your first or second week of university.

An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power – 10th -13th

The Inconvenient (2006) brings a sequel just over a decade later for a little real life drama of the world of energy revolution.

Some of Scotland’s finest performers bring this piece of rapture theatre to life.

Art of power: Treasures from Mount Stuart

eorges Bizet’s celebrated opera Les pêcheurs de perles, set in an ancient fishing village on the island of Ceylon, has been courteously brought to Macrobert for a single performance by Scotland’s up-and-coming Opera Bohemia.

The original three-act piece, composed by Bizet when he was only 25, features some of the most famous duets in world opera and showcases the emotional turmoil behind dilemmas of oath, duty, affection and

So what is coming in September?

A Streetcar Named Desire – 13th

On now Price: Free Location: Gallery of Modern Art Exhibition on how collections are built, artworks are commissioned and exhibitions are organised.

a rare opera treat with Bizet’s The Pearl Fishers

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ne of the main highlights of the Stirling University campus is the fact that we have a cinema right on campus.

The Macrobert is heart of the entertainment at the university if you do not want to go out to Studio to drink.

Furthermore, the Stirling University Drama Society shows are often performed at Macrobert and they are always fantastic. Take full advantage of the Macrobert Centre as it shows a multitude of cultural and humorous shows and plays of all different genres for everyone of all ages. It is at your disposal to use and the student tickets are fairly priced, often £5.

IRINA NAKON FOOD EDITOR

demeanour at the production’s onset boldly turned to fierce passion and jealous rage by the third act, and then onto self-sacrifice with such an honorable resignation, that much of the audience was left disconcerted.

The orchestra accompaniment, provided by the Opera Bohemia Ensemble and director Alistair Digges, beautifully set the original score to the action onstage.

Overall, a terrific treat of a performance at Macrobert by a very promising troupe of artists.

Daniel Sloss: Now – 15th

A night of comedy cures the soul.

One of the UK’s comedy rising stars comes to Macrobert!

CREDIT: Stirling Student Union website

Stand By – 21st

A fascinating look into the life of four police officers during a raid, with a twist. You will be able to experience the action by being provided with a comfortable, light-weighted police-style single earpiece, which can be used with hearing aids - fully emerging you into the action to give you the full cinematic experience.

King Lear: Live from Shakespeare’s Globe – 21st

The retelling of Bard’s classic play through live broadcasting from the Globe. Experience the sheer beauty of the Globe Theatre in London, minus the long journey.

Mother! – 22nd-28th

A psychological horror film with Jennifer Lawrence. Does it get any better?

Divas Unleashed – 22nd

A fun musical evening that will have you singing some of pop’s biggest hits all week!

IT – 22ND-28TH

A horror film where a group of kids come together to fight against a greater evil. However, if you are petrified of clowns, maybe not the best choice.

The Emoji Movie – 23rd – 1st October

If you are looking for something for children or for a night at the cinema with your friends, you are in for a good night!

Blanche and Butch – 23rd

God’s Own Country – 15th-21st

Singing + high camp = fabulous.

Limehouse Golem – 15th-21st

This is definitely something to put into your calendar! A good old big screen experience with complete nostalgic, in pyjamas.

A story of love and longing in the Yorkshire Pennines. You are in for a treat as this film has been acclaimed as one of the best British films of the year.

A murder mystery with a mythical and fantasy twist may help you stay awake to finish your coursework!

Logan Lucky – 15th-19th

A Soderbergh classic with crime, high-speed drama and the loveliness of Channing Tatum and Daniel Craig.

Mean Girls – 27th

Coal – 27th

This is for the people who love dance theatre, as well as history re-enactment!

In Between – 29th- 3rd October

A look into a different world with three Palestinian women living in Tel Aviv, Israel trying to mix their traditional heritage with their 21st century life!

RIGHT HERE ON CAMPUS! Student Tickets Only £5.50*

CINEMA COMEDY

ENTERTAINMENT AND SO MUCH MORE...

#CultureOnCampus *Subject to availability, excludes event cinema and applies to select live shows only

MacrobertArtsCentre

@Macrobert

macrobertartscentre

www.macrobertartscentre.org I 01786 466 666

8 Brig | September 2017

Gaming

which laptop? Get kitted out for the new semester Jack Gupta Gaming editor

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reshers week is upon us and whether you are a first year or a fourth year, you will know how important a laptop is to your student life.

Whether you use it for taking notes in lectures or binge watching Netflix, it will be the most essential tool in your life. Therefore, you best do your research before you spend your hard earned SAAS on something other than alcohol.

Here are the top 10 student laptops on the market right now to help you narrow down your choice.

Acer chromebook 15 - £279.99 Credit: Acer

The Chromebook 15 is extremely cheap, but is still an extremely capable laptop.

The hardware is in line with that price, with lower

specs compared to the majority of laptops.

However, the machine runs on Chrome OS, which is more than capable to keep up with basic student tasks.

The 15.6-inch screen is fantastic for the price you pay with 1920 x 1080 pixels.

The speakers are relatively poor, with weak bass and treble – but for this price, you can afford to buy yourself a Spotify subscription for your phone.

Pros • Great monitor • Long battery life Cons • Large and heavy • Poor speakers

Microsoft surface pro 4 - £749.99

Microsoft’s Surface Pro 4 is the perfect laptop for students on the go.

The laptop/tablet hybrid design makes it hugely functional; build quality is fantastic, and the folio-style keyboard is one of the best around.

Pair all that with a mere 1.3kg all-in weight (that’s including the tablet, Type Cover and power supply),

top horror games this halloween

T

Neil Brannigan

he genre of horror in gaming has come a long way in recent years.

The development of virtual reality, improved graphics and better audio design has seriously made horror games a viable alternative to horror movies.

Yet now, with so many titles to choose from in the ever-expanding sector of gaming, just what games should you play this Halloween season? Grab a set of headphones, boot up your PC or console and remember: it’s only horror with the lights out.

Outlast 2

Outlast has become synonymous with the horror genre of gaming despite it being a relatively new franchise. Outlast 1 really revolutionised horror gaming when it was released

in 2015; its story-driven and atmospheric gameplay make Outlast a real terror to be experienced. Outlast 2 built on the success of its predecessor and added in a tone of new content for fans of the franchise.

The game, set in a vast canyon in the Arizona desert, follows the story of Blake Langerman as he searches for his wife Lynn amongst the insane cultists, mad heretics and demented creatures that infest the canyon. Yet, bloodthirsty cultists is not all the game offers.

Throughout the story you are transported back to Blake’s school that he attended as a boy. We assume these transportations are purely in the Blake’s mind, but in Outlast 2, nothing is certain. Either way, being chased by a dark, blood-soaked, manyarmed monster around a terrifyingly oppressive

and you’ve found one of the most versatile laptops on the market.

You’d expect performance on a tablet this slim to be relatively poor, however that does not apply to the Surface Pro 4.

The Core i5 model is extremely capable and outperforms many of its current competitors on the market, but if you want to drop the price or boost the performance, you can always choose between Core m3 and Core i7 versions.

Battery life is one issue, though, with it lasting only seven hours 40mins.

However, you can extend this by dimming the screen brightness and altering the power settings, extending it to around the 10-hour mark.

Pros • Portable • Versatile Cons • Battery life • Limited performance

Dell XPS 15 - £1649.99

Like its smaller sibling, the XPS 13, Dell’s XPS 15 has an almost frameless Infinity Edge display.

Catholic school is one of the most real and intense horror game experiences.

Outlast 2 may not quite have the story of the original game, but its thrills and jump scares are certainly not for the faint-hearted.

If you plan on undertaking your own gruesome journey through Outlast 2, best bring a friend to play it with you, or you may find yourself on your own being chased down a corridor in your own mind prison.

Firewatch

While not strictly speaking a ‘horror game’, Firewatch is certainly masterful in the way it keeps you on the edge of your seat for hours and makes you ask some big questions.

Firewatch is a truly new experience in gaming, or at least has qualities not seen in a game for many years. This ‘Walking Simulator’ takes you on an immersive journey, driven exclusively by dialogue and story. This is the real

It brings the dual benefit of refreshing whatever task you are doing on its 15-inch ‘4K’ screen while also giving it the dimensions of a smaller 14-inch laptop.

It’s bag-friendly and comes fully stocked, including an NVidia GTX 960M mobile graphics card, which can handle almost any game so long as you run it on 1080p.

The XPS 15’s battery life is its main weakness, so don’t expect it to last more than 10 hours if you forgot your charger at home.

Pros • Stunning 4K display • Portable for its size Cons • Heavy • Battery life

HP Spectre x360 - £1199.00

There’s something strangely great about HP’s Spectre range. The range is intended to compete with Apple’s quality, but priced slightly lower to gain some traction with potential buyers. The X360 is another

accomplishment of the game; while Outlast and Alien may frighten you with constant jump scares and spooky settings, Firewatch achieves the same feeling, but purely by creating an awesome atmosphere and story with characters that feel real.

Resident Evil 7

One of the newer titles on this list, Resident Evil 7 has reverted the franchise back to its old roots in survival horror after having a bout in the first-person shooter genre.

The new direction of the franchise is a welcome refresh from the rather overplayed shooter version of the Resident Evil games of recent years.

This game has all the elements of a great horror game, and really shocks you sometimes with its gore, which is comparable to Outlast 2, if not worse.

The maniac American family, who form the main antagonists, really feel

convertible that allows you to fold the screen fully back to use it as a tablet.

This is a great feature for Windows 10, although you are unlikely to use it much as a tablet because it’s still a laptop-weight device.

Pros • Incredibly thin • Dynamic, bright display Cons • Too heavy for tablet feature • Strangely wide trackpad

Macbook pro 13” - £1099.00

The MacBook Pro is a larger, heavier machine than the MacBook Air, but it’s also the powerhouse of the range. The price is extremely high, however.

You’ll get around 10 hours battery life, in the ideal conditions, and the keyboard makes for a great user experience. The track pad is the main highlight; there’s nothing like it currently on the market.

If you need Windows 10, that’s not an issue, as you

alive and terrifying, and some of the encounters with them really set your nerves on edge. Unlike with cheaper horror games, Resident Evil 7 does not overly use jump scares to make the game action-packed, but rather has a solid story, twisted and weird enemies and great combat to keep the gamer on edge.

If this game doesn’t keep you up into the wee hours of the morning I do not know what will, because this one really ticks the horror game boxes, and to make things worse, it supports Virtual Reality headsets.

Agony

Many titles on this list can claim to mimic the same setting but none recreate hell like Agony.

Agony is an upcoming game on all platforms in which gamers must battle through the blood-soaked and bone-strewn wasteland of literally hell.

Many cultures and religions have some sort

can install it with Apple’s Boot Camp.

dell xps 13 - £1499.00

If you’re looking for a Windows laptop, it’s hard to go wrong with the Dell XPS 13.

The XPS 13 is less expensive than the XPS 15, however it is still a great performer.

It’s surrounded by a bezel that’s a few millimetres thick, making the 13.3-inch laptop have a body that’s closer in size to 11-inch laptops.

It gives the XPS 13 excellent portability, and - unlike its competitor, the 12-inch MacBook - Dell has done it without sacrificing ports or power.

The XPS 13 comes equipped with Intel’s latest Skylake processors and features Thunderbolt 3 and USB 3.0 ports.

Pros • Gorgeous bezelfree display • Lightweight, compact frame Cons • Off-centre camera • Small frame limits battery life

of place for the evil ones and demons of the world and Agony asks the player to fight their way through these terrors and somehow survive.

While it is a trend in gaming to give upcoming titles awards before they release, I think the hype is deserved here and we may be in for a truly new horror experience in Agony.

While Amnesia makes you think you are in hell or Outlast feels like hell, Agony is the game that actually drops you into hell, and you had better be prepared before you go because you’ll probably never be back out.

Soma

Soma is developed by the same creators as Amnesia, Frictional Games, and really lives up to its predecessor.

Soma received an excellent reception from gamers and critics alike, gaining an 8.1 from IGN and a 10/10 on Steam.

Lenovo Yoga 900s - £729.00

Convertible laptops make much better tablets when they’re lightweight.

The Yoga 900S is one of these, weighing in at 2.2 pounds.

What you get is a 12.5inch laptop with a bright and colourful screen that can rotate into a number of positions, making it easier to take notes in lectures or watch Netflix in bed.

In terms of design, the Yoga 900S has a watchband hinge design that enables its flexibility.

It’s incredibly thin and has a pixel-packed 2,560 x 1,440 pixel-resolution display. This is a great portable laptop at a reasonable price.

Pros • Fantastic design • Flexibility Cons • Keyboard • Small trackpad

Soma asks some tough questions about life and death, really making the gamer interested about the world in which they are playing.

It is filled with intense scares in a great setting of an underwater research centre, where you are tasked with figuring out what the hell is going on.

With an unsettling storyline and a level of mystery similar to Amnesia, Soma is definitely a game to pick up this Halloween season.

Some of the puzzles feel a little overcomplicated and break up the action a little too much, but Soma will have enough action and mystery to keep you coming back to it for a long time before you need to get into Amnesia.

see the full article on brignews.com

9 Brig | September 2017

Food Stirling’s Napizza bags ‘best pizza in Scotland’ award Irina nakon Food editor

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ne of Stirling’s newest pizzerias has, after a quick 10 months, become a popular local business and an acclaimed award-winning establishment, as the authentic Italian restaurant

accepted the Dine In 2017 award in the ‘best pizza takeaway in Scotland’ category.

One of the founders of Napizza, Alex Sorlei, is a fourth year International Politics and French student at the university, and the initiator of the idea to bring the authentic Napoli pizza

credit: Yelp

tradition to Scotland.

Dedicated to providing a genuine south Italian product and experience, the team import the necessary fresh ingredients, and employ traditional Italian cooking methods for their pizzas.

Plans for expansion are also in the pipeline, as the owners have announced the imminent opening of a second restaurant, so watch this space for updates.

The pizzeria also delivers, so check out their website and Facebook page for more details and offers.

Congratulations to the Napizza team!

for those sweet sundays: Vegan banana bread and peanut butter cookies

What’s breakfast without ‘toast’? irina nakon

I

f you, like me, are constantly on the lookout for breakfast and brunch places to explore with friends on those coveted quiet mornings, then look no further than Stirling’s popular café Toast.

Located by the river on Forthside Way, it serves a wide variety of great breakfasts, from sizable platters of fry-ups to more modest poached eggs, bagels, or home-made yoghurts.

The menu is extensive, with everything from salads to toasties, sandwiches and full meals – all perfect for wholesome brunches.

Most importantly, it’s absolutely delicious.

Everything we’ve tried – superfood salads, chilli chicken, hot sandwiches, various desserts, and especially the coffee and hot chocolate – was always

fresh and consistently tasty every time.

There are loads of veggie and gluten-free options as well, including desserts and pastries made fresh every morning.

I highly recommend the Croque Monsieur, which comes crispy and melted with a fantastic sauce; and the avocado eggs on toast, which are spicy, light, and perfect for an early morning pick-me-up.

So next time you’re wandering around Riverside, make sure to treat yourself to some fresh and delicious Toast.

Also, the café is hiring at the moment. Check out their Facebook page for more details, or pop there in person to get info on the positions available.

The cafe is open every day from 8am-4pm, and from 9am on weekends.

mixer), beat the butter and sugars until light and fluffy (about 2 - 3 minutes).

Beat in the peanut butter. Add the egg and vanilla extract.

In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to the peanut butter mixture and beat until combined. Fold in the chopped peanuts, if using. If the batter is too soft to form into balls, place in the refrigerator for about an hour.

Roll the batter into 2.5 cm balls. Transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheet, placing about 5 cm apart.

Then, using a fork, make

crisscross patterns on the cookies.

Bake for 10-12 minutes in the center of the oven, or until the cookies are lightly browned around the edges.

Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.

To serve, place a Hersey’s chocolate kiss in the middle immediately after removing from the oven, and leave to rest for a few minutes in order for the chocolate kiss to melt slightly.

Enjoy with your favourite hot beverage.

credit: TripAdvisor

credit: TripAdvisor

nour almesmari

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or the banana bread, you will need: 1½ cup plain

flour 3 tsp. baking powder 1 cup brown sugar 3 tsp. cinnamon 3 large overripe bananas 1/3 cup almond milk (or any dairy substitute) 2 tbsp. maple syrup 2 tsp. vanilla extract ½ cup chopped walnuts or chocolate chips (optional).

extract. Mix to a smooth paste.

Add the dry ingredients: the flour, baking powder, sugar and cinnamon. Mix until well combined, but do not over-mix.

If using any optional ingredients such as walnuts or chocolate chips, add at this stage.

Pour the batter into a loaf pan and bake for approximately 40 minutes until lightly golden and firm.

Let cool for half an hour before serving.

Pre-heat oven to 200°C. Mash the bananas until smooth, then add the milk, maple syrup and vanilla

For the cookies: 170 g. unsalted butter, at room temperature 1/2 cup light brown

sugar 1/2 cup granulated white sugar 1 large egg 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract 3/4 cup peanut butter (smooth or crunchy) 2 cups all purpose flour 1/2 tsp. baking soda 1/4 tsp. salt 1/2 cup chopped peanuts or chocolate chips (optional).

Preheat oven to 180°C. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In the bowl of your electric mixer (or using a hand

credit: Petiscos.jp

tom collins: ‘it’s just a prank, bro’ of cocktails irina nakon

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he Tom Collins we know today is a refreshing, zesty concoction made of gin, sugar syrup, soda, and fresh lemon juice.

It’s a widely popular gin cocktail and, due to its subtle and mellow flavours, a favourite for any occasion.

The origin story of the Collins, however, is far from mellow and subtle.

During a warm New York spring of 1874, The Great Tom Collins Hoax was born, and spread like wildfire to all the watering holes of the city.

The prank consisted of a group of friends telling

their intended victim that a certain Mr. Tom Collins

individual’s reputation.

The outraged pal, who’s

was sitting at a tavern at such and such address, spreading all matter of wild rumors, marring this

the butt of the joke, then inevitably races to the aforementioned bar and asks the bartender if they’ve got

a Tom Collins.

The barkeep answers in the affirmative, and serves the individual this sour drink, which he then has to pay for.

The prank, perhaps not as funny by today’s standards, has quickly made its rounds through all the inns and bars of New York, with the newspapers retaining the hype by contending that Mr. Tom Collins is indeed a real individual, and ‘has been spotted on numerous occasions, just narrowly missing his pursuers’.

The hoax died down by autumn of that year, but the joke has kept the name

lodged in the minds of New Yorkers and retained the cocktail’s popularity until, a few years later, the Tom Collins has made its way into all the prominent mixology books for posterity.

So, the Collins of today is a great boozy by-product of a mass practical joke which rocked the city of New York for a season.

To prepare the refreshing drink yourself, mix two shots of gin with a shot of fresh lemon or lime juice, add half a shot of sugar syrup (dissolve 1/1 ratio of sugar in water), and mix well with some ice cubes; then strain into a tall glass and fill up with soda.

Of course, as with all concoctions, do experiment. Add various fruit, like passion fruit or mango or kiwi, for a different twist, or try adding a flavoured soda.

Or, to get a fine Collins prepared for you, walk on over to The Meadowpark, where, who knows, you also might just catch the elusive man himself.

Credit: Culinary Ginger, Oh So Beautiful Paper

10 Brig | September 2017

Lifestyle

how to survive freshers week KIRSTY MACLEOD LIFESTYLE EDITOR

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reshers Week is a whirlwind of a time. Everything is new and exciting, but a tad scary. Here are some pointers to make it go a little smoother!

Going to Dusk on a Thursday or Fubar on a Tuesday.

Unless you want to find yourself dancing around with only your friends.

This does have its upsides as there is no line at the bar and there are no

creeps looking at you while you dance.

However, the same buzz is not there!

Having a Domino’s for breakfast This will happen.

It is inevitable, especially in Freshers Week on the way to a lecture five minutes prior to starting and it is fine!

Make your bed first

This is so you can happily collapse in a comfy bed when coming back from a night out.

Take advantage of the Freshers Fayre

You can get amazing posters to decorate your room or a few massive t-shirts to sleep in.

But don’t take every leaflet or Domino’s bag you are offered or they will fill your student room quicker than you realised.

Friends will come This is a given - you will make friends.

However, do not panic if you don’t immediately flow with your flatmates - it’s fine, just give it time.

Just try and be yourself

Freshers edition: Night-life cheat sheet

Boozy Cow. Credit: ResDiary

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Katie williams

or when flat predrinks become dry, Stirling’s night out starts at the pubs. Moving to a new place can be daunting, but get your new flatmates together and get down to the pubs for some fun, shots, and cocktails leading to Dusk.

Monday

8pm: Live Scottish music at the rustic bar and bothy, Nicky Tams, with a local band or musician each week if you want to have a listen with a pint in one of the oldest pubs in Stirling.

8pm: BrewDog’s Big Quiz! Specially crafted quiz including music rounds and picture rounds - a fun night where you can chill with your new pals over some craft ales. But be sure to get there around 7, before the seats are taken and you are forced to stand right next to the bar.

9pm: Musical bingo at Kilted Kangaroo gets you geared up for Guilty Pleasures at Dusk, with old and new tunes and chances to win meal vouchers.

9pm: Mooniversity Challenge at Boozy Cow. These quiz nights fill up fast so make sure you go earlier to find a seat. Boozy Cow offers discounts on food and drink on Monday nights for quiz goers and on September 11 it’s Friends themed!

Tuesday

9pm: Open Mic Night at Kilted Kangaroo hosted by Adam Donaldson, whether you want to have a sing yourself or listen to the talent that Stirling has to offer.

9pm: Cathy’s Quiz at No2 Baker Street, with prizes won at every round.

Wednesday

9pm: Pub Quiz at the Kilted Kangaroo includes general knowledge, music and observation (watching a film intensely). Rounds start getting full with quizers at around 8:45. Run

by DJ Charlie, there are winners and raffles and losers, with a theme of a team name each week.

9pm: Jam Night at the cosy Nicky Tams opens

their doors with opportunity for all musicians to have a jam together, complete with a massive Jenga upstairs.

9pm: Jam Night at No2 rivals Nicky Tams with more local musicians.

Thursday

9pm: Karaoke at Kilted Kangaroo that goes on until 1am with a chance of winning some cash and having a good laugh with a wide range of songs.

FRIDAY AND SAURDAY

Friday and Saturday are reserved for the go hard or go home’s. With shots being poured cheaply in Spoons and Kilted, you are sure to get that weekend feel for Fubar and Dusk.

Meanwhile, Nicky Tams and No2 continue their live music nights for a more easy going night.

Sunday

8pm: If you’re not too sore or hit with that curse of fresher flu, Nicky Tams offers their quiz night and in the cosy wee pub, it is

and do not be afraid to put yourself out there.

Be the one who suggests going to Studio for the pub quizzes or cook a flat meal!

Go to the Give It a Gos

Put yourself out there and go to every single one you are interested in.

Societies and clubs are the best way to make new friends as you are guaranteed to have at least one thing in common.

Pre-drink and go to Aldi These are the best money-saving tips.

Additionally, try to

only get the deals from Domino’s.

It is open for delivery until 5am and it is sometimes just what you need after a night out!

Save where you can Course books can be expensive.

There is the campus bookshop, which is great, and you can sell your books back to them, depending on their condition.

Additionally, there is the University of Stirling Second hand books Facebook page, where you can see if you can find your books from other students!

Go to Studio Studio is the go-to place for good, cheap food and drink and a good night.

Karaoke nights are on weekly and they can be a lot of fun, even if you are not singing.

Pub quizzes are on very regularly as well and again they can be a great way to bond with your flatmates.

There are also all the main sporting events which are shown; including the Super Bowl!

Have fun!

important tip of all.

It is your first year of university, so try not to stress too much.

There is time for being stressed in second, third and fourth year.

Of course, do all of your coursework to the best of your ability, but do not stress too much.

Get to know as many people as you possibly can and enjoy yourself.

Meet people with different beliefs, habits, sexualities, genders, tolerations, passion and interests and just have fun!

This may be the most

journaling for dummies Anne stoop LIFESTYLE EDITOR

W

e struggled but conquered; another academic year had come to a close.

The battle scars of multiple deadlines, exams and presentations were brutal.

The words ‘never again’ were whispered endlessly while references were frantically added.

Yet we never learn.

However, this semester it is going to be different and here’s why: journaling. It is one of the latest crazes that has hit the internet and it is the perfect way to get your chaotic life in order.

We talked to Charlotta Lundahl, a true journaling pro, to give you a rundown of the basics.

Have realistic tasks and goals A classic mistake when it comes to setting goals is making them a tad too utopian.

By making goals that are attainable, you will keep yourself motivated, which will result in you reaching the goals you’ve set for yourself.

While you won’t be able to finish two essays in a day, you might manage writing two paragraphs.

Give your goals some thought Think about your goals.

Can you reach them?

Can you track them and tick them off when com-

pleted?

There’s a difference between “Becoming a nicer person” and “Send a nice text to a friend every day for a week.”

Split up large tasks This ties in with the earlier mentioned realistic goals.

By splitting up a larger task into many small ones your to do list becomes a lot more manageable.

So, instead of writing

peace, you ended up not even changing out of your pyjamas.

No need to despair; even then, journaling can help you out.

By the end of the day, write down the things you’ve done and tick them off.

In that way, your unproductive day suddenly seems very productive and that was just the feeling you needed.

Keep track of monthly bills Keep track of monthly payments such as bills and rent.

That way, you’ll quickly see when bills need to be paid, helping you to never again miss a payment.

Warning: this is adulting on the highest possible level.

Track bad habits Track habits you want to get rid of or start.

For example, going to bed before midnight, hitting the gym more often, or upping your Fubar game.

Whatever floats your boat.

Doubles as a sketch book These white papers truly are blank pages.

Doodle, draw, write, keep it as your super-secret diary.

You decide!

Credit: Boohoo berry habit tracker

down “finish essay” on your to do list, split it up into multiple tasks: introduction, paragraph 1, paragraph 2, and so on.

It helps you to stay motivated and get stuff done.

Write tomorrow’s tasks tonight.

That way, when you wake up, you’ll know what’s on your agenda for the day.

Turn unproductive days into productive ones While you were planning to discover a cure for hangovers and world

Have specific lists Keep different lists for different things that should get done within the month, but not on a specific day.

Check that list every now and then and tick off what you’ve done.

Try to finish the tasks before the end of the month (since having a deadline makes you get things done), but if you’d still have unfinished tasks, forward them on to the next month.

Some tasks remain on that list month after month, and that’s okay.

Ultimate tip: do whatever works for you Most importantly: Do whatever works for you.

Bullet journals are getting really popular just now, but you don’t need a fancy notebook and expensive pens – or even to follow the bullet journal method of journaling.

A normal notebook works, or just the calendar, the notes function on your phone, or just an excel document. It doesn’t have to look good since it is for your eyes only. Remember, it is just about getting things done.

11 Brig | September 2017

Lifestyle

brig goes abroad Anne goes to vietnam hayley goes to and cAMBODIA A

new zealand

N

n endless stream of honking scooters, exotic looking fruit, and clammy heat that hits you right in the face.

Welcome, you have arrived in backpacker’s paradise, better known as Asia.

A part of the world where the beer is cheap, the culture abundant and your surroundings safe.

This summer I had the honour of visiting this beautiful part of the world once again.

On the itinerary this time, Cambodia and Vietnam.

Vietnam

Halong Bay: breath taking views are a given in the north east of Vietnam.

Rent a kayak and float on the emerald waters separating endless limestone islands.

This place has something for absolutely everyone, from lazy beach bums to rock climbing scuba divers.

An absolute must see.

Hoi An: An ancient town turned into a touristy hotspot.

While much of the town is covered in souvenir shops, there are still some authentic alleyways left to be explored.

For just one dollar you can rent a bike and cruise around town, hopping from local coffee shops to amazing beach restaurants.

A perfect place to wind down for a while and meet a ton of other travellers.

Ho chi minh City: talking about the hustle and bustle of the city, this place is a true experience.

Visit the War Remnants museum to get a unique view on the Vietnam war, or visit the Ho Chi Minh Fine Arts museum for a healthy dose of art.

Definitely pay a visit to Bến Thành Market to get your hands on some souvenirs.

Insider tip, visit the markets during the day since the prices skyrocket at night.

Mekong Delta: the south of Vietnam is an area that

most people don’t seem to visit.

Luckily, I’m here to steer you away from a similar fate.

Since tourism hasn’t completely found its way into the Mekong Delta just yet you can get a unique glimpse into local life.

The most primitive looking restaurants serve you mind blowing dishes, and despite the lack of English the locals are extremely friendly and helpful.

Make sure you get yourself on a boat to visit the floating markets to fully immerge in the local way of life.

Cambodia

Angkor Wat: The number one reason to visit Cambodia, and rightfully so.

The wondrous temples of Angkor are simply breathtaking, both in size and in numbers.

Hidden in the jungle, these architectural gems give you the feeling you walked right into an Indiana Jones movie.

While the stream of tourists grows larger each year, Angkor itself hasn’t turned into a tourist trap all too much.

The neighbouring city of Siem Reap is also absolutely wonderful, so definitely give yourself enough time to discover

the area.

The Killing fields/S21: Cambodia’s chaotic but strangely charming capital Phnom Penh is home to some of recent history’s biggest horrors.

The three year long Khmer Rouge rule has left grave scars.

Choeung Ek, located just outside of the city centre, is one of several killing fields scattered among the country.

The traces of cruelty and death are clearly visible, similar to the Toul Sleng prison (S21).

This former school building served as a prison during the regime, and is kept mostly in its original state.

While a visit to both of these sites is confrontational, they are not to be missed.

Battambang: A town in rural Cambodia filled with post-colonial architecture once built by the French.

The town itself is relaxed

and diverse, offering all kind of cafés and restaurants.

Some of my favourite memories of my trip originate here, from climbing a Buddhist mountain and coming face-to-face with the horrors of the Kmer Roughe regime, to riding a bamboo train.

This last one is incredibly touristy, but too fun not to do.

While it is always good to have an idea of what a country has to offer, I will urge you to go and explore yourself.

The magic of travel lies in the immense freedom and endless possibilities.

Chat with locals, get out of your comfort zone and, most importantly, fully enjoy what comes your way.

All of it, even the uncomfortable night trains and unavoidable food poisoning.

It’s all part of the charm.

ew Zealand is the New York of the South Pacific — it’s a place where anything is possible.

After all, as my coach driver concluded, “Where else in the world did they decide it would be an ingenious idea to strap an elastic cord around your waist and jump off a ledge?”

Only a 2.5 hour plane hop from Sydney to Christchurch, New Zealand is perfect to explore with friends after your study abroad semester.

So here are seven must-see places across the two islands.

If you’re flying in south, hitch a ride on the Transalpine Express, a train line that travels from Christchurch and Canterbury on the east coast to Greymouth on the west.

Each carriage is equipped with wide windows to enjoy the panoramic mountainous views and an open-air carriage to take photographs.

Hop off half-way through and explore the natural wonders of Arthur’s Pass National Park, where you won’t need a filter for your followers to wish they were there.

Queenstown Queenstown is the jewel of the South Island.

It has something for everyone, whether you’re an adrenaline junkie into bungee jumping and paragliding, or simply admiring the view from hillside gondolas and seeing a Kiwi bird in make-shift nocturnal surroundings at the Kiwi Bird Life park.

No trip to Queenstown is complete without a visit to Ferg Burger and a day trip to Milford Sound.

An organised coach tour will take you through the

quaint town of Te Anau, a stop at Mirror Lakes and the finale of gliding over green waters in the Skull Island-esque surroundings of fjord land.

Stop over at the glacial town of Franz Josef, when on a clear day you can take a heli-hike to land on a glacier.

Then unwind in the thermal hot pools and have dinner at the uber-delicious

no preservatives taste will make you question everything you thought you knew about wine.

Napier is also home to the National Aquarium of New Zealand, and for an absolute steal of $19 you can see an alligator, sharks, rays and visit viral sensation Timmy the naughty penguin and his rescued friends.

Don’t bypass a trip to

Asian restaurant Snake Bite.

Heading to the North Island, there is something for both literary and movie buffs in Wellington.

On Tinakori Road, you can visit the childhood home of 19th century Kiwi author Katherine Mansfield.

Further afield, Weta Cave is a museum of movie miniatures showcasing models from such films as The Lord of the Rings, King Kong, The Adventures of Tin Tin and The Hobbit.

Napier without going to Mister D’s, because where else can you inject alcoholic jelly into a steaming hot donut with a plastic syringe?

Save your pennies before going to the Lord of the Rings region of Matamata because, as the movie set is located on private land, a $79 two-hour bus tour is unavoidable.

If you are on a budget, the tourist centre in the small town of Matamata is designed in the shape of a Hobbit Hole, and the Dew Drop Café is painted with a Lord of the Rings theme.

Before catching the flight home from Auckland, bungee jump off or climb the Auckland Harbour Bridge.

Or, if that’s not thrill seeking enough for you, walk up (and I mean outside) the Auckland needle.

All places visited had back-packing accommodations and restaurants had vegetarian/vegan options.

napier

Travelling south-east, the coastal city of Napier is like walking through a time capsule.

After a 7.8 Richter scale earthquake destroyed the city in 1931, it was re-built in a current art-deco style.

Go wine tasting in the wider region of Hawkes Bay, a personal recommendation is the Veganfriendly Moana Park vineyard because their crisp,

15 Brig | September 2017

Comment A trip to Dundee

Public transport - is it even worth it?

Ross Brannigan Editor in chief

Credit: Scotrail

P

Travel cost: Around £11 Parking: £8+ Pros: Comfortable, reliable, an asset Cons: Parking, tax, MOT, insurance, driving lessons, driver’s licence, service and repairs, enviornmentally unfriendly

Travel cost: Full price of £21 Parking: Free Pros: Envrionmentally friendly, convenient for city living and visiting, no parking Cons: Often crowded, punctuality, rising costs, cost of getting to the station

Travel cost: Around £9 Parking: Free Pros: Often reliable, convenient, environmentally friendly, Megabus between cities is cheap Cons: Comfort, seemingly disproportionate charges

ublic transport is becoming a staple in many people’s lives, and that is a good thing; public transport increases city investment by moving people more efficiently around the country, and, crucially, is better for the environment.

One bus full of passengers is about 30 less cars on the streets, and that helps with noise, air and environmental pollution.

However, this writer has some questions to ask about public transport, specifically the cost. Is it even worth it forking out your cash on public transport versus owning a car?

Considering the recent decision to increase rail tickets (again), we have to review our options.

Now, don’t misunderstand my position, for that I shall be clear in: I am not reliant on public transport, having the good fortune to own a car. However, I do rely on public transport at times, be that travelling around the country by train, or forsaking the car and taking a bus.

The day the question of the worth of public transport came to me was on a day trip to Dundee.

I had been tossing with the idea of driving to Dundee instead of getting the train. After all, it wasn’t a long drive, but surely the train was much more worthwhile.

I regret to say, I was wrong.

One return ticket to Dundee from Stirling is over £21. With a railcard, you cut that down to about £14.

On cost of travel alone, the car wins hands down.

I calculated that driving a car with an economy of 50MPG to Dundee and back would cost you a grand total of around £11 with current fuel prices.

Furthermore, more often than not on an early morning train until just after 9am, space is not exactly abundant.

One train to Edinburgh from Stirling will be jampacked by the time it leaves Stirling, and people will be turned away as early as Larbert.

Compare that with a

car, and you are sitting in comfort with your favourite mixtape flowing out of the windows.

However, we have to consider some other factors, car parking foremost.

Car parking in a city can be both difficult and very expensive for the day.

Parking in Dundee’s Marketgait NCP will cost just over £8 from 9am to 5pm.

That takes the total cost of your journey to about £19, which still beats the full price of a train ticket.

However, put this to a city like Edinburgh, and a seven-hour parking ticket at the OMNI Centre will cost £13.50 (the next time period of 12 hours is £18).

Think NCP is cheaper?

Think again: 9am to 5pm will set you back a whopping £28.

So, in that sense, there is a lot to be said for trains, at the very least. However, it is through no real merit of their own.

Travelling by car can often be comparable to travelling by road. One stark figure I found was it costs £3516 for a yearlong ticket to Dundee from Stirling.

That equates to 324 journeys by car. Threehundred and twenty-four.

For starters, I doubt anyone would travel by train to Dundee 324 times in a year, but this also highlights the issue that actually travelling by car

Credit: First Bus

“That isn’t the worst of it. I once travelled from Stirling to Alva (a town three miles from where I live) for about £5. To then travel from Alva to Tillicoultry did not cost a logical £1, but over £3.”

is almost comparable in these terms.

And we haven’t even got to buses yet.

I live in Tillicoultry, out in Clackmannanshire.

Last time I travelled by First bus with a return to Stirling, it cost over £6.

That isn’t the worst of it.

I once travelled from Stirling to Alva (a town three miles from where I live) for about £5.

To then travel from Alva to Tillicoultry did not cost a logical £1, but over £3.

The problem I have personally with public transport is that it is becoming more expensive to travel by rail and bus for a service which is criticised for being slow, busy, late and uncomfortable.

Nevertheless, we do not see the half of it in Scotland compared with English prices, with some season tickets costing into the tens of thousands.

Now, this comparison is all well and good, but one must remember the costs of running a car: fuel, tax, insurance, service, MOT and repairs.

Those costs add up to a significant amount, not to mention the cost of purchasing the car in the first place.

This sets the car a long way back when comparing with public transport.

Even if you describe the car as an asset to you, it is still an expensive one.

The verdict?

Well, during this article,

I set out my hypothesis: I am sometimes grudgingly purchasing a rail ticket when the price of £21 pops up.

However, I think if every time I got in my car I got an update on my dashboard informing me of how much each journey cost me, including all of the factors I have mentioned above, I would have a different opinion.

Furthermore, as someone who did not pass their driving test until the third time, I can attest to the fact that both lessons and tests can creep up the cost of a car very quickly.

Not to mention the other fact of driving a car: fuel prices fluctuate, as we have certainly seen in recent years.

Public transport is frustrating and can be costly, but for some it is the only option, and the most financially efficient means of travel.

And it is certainly more environmentally friendly, and that is the crux of the debate for me at times.

Until cars become more affordable, easier to maintain, cheaper and more efficient to fuel, and environmentally friendly, then I feel the bus and the train will stay ahead in the race.

But, as we have seen, not by a country mile.

16 Brig | September 2017

Features

Mum vs mate - who knows best?

Emma Simper Features Editor

F

or many, Freshers Week is full of firsts.

Whether you’re 30 minutes from home here at Stirling, or an eight hour plane ride away, you’ve started a new chapter that will at one point or another test you on all the valuable life do’s and don’ts you’ve hopefully accumulated along the way.

If not, it’s never too late to learn - just be prepared for some occasional quizzical looks and bits of laughter.

There’s no such thing as a stupid question, but there are funny ones.

Different people possess different natural areas of expertise.

Most of the time - perhaps 90% - the safest bet would be going to your parents for help, as they’ve seemingly known everything we’ve asked them as far back as we can remember. But what

about that other 10%?

You know those kids who, from a young age, mastered the art of “which parent will say yes to what”?

As a kid myself, I remember thinking that it was cheating, choosing only to listen to the answers you wanted to hear.

But, soon enough, I realized that the majority of people continue that childhood process, whether it’s consciously decided or not.

We can ask for opinion or knowledge, or sometimes even both.

Opinion is where I believe our questions become biased.

I may believe that I don’t know whether I want to wear the black or the blue top, but in the back of my mind I have a preference revealed through the disappointment in an answer where the original options were seemingly presented as equals.

Many times, what we as individuals present as a request for an opinion is more often a request for affirmation.

That is, when the tricky question of mum vs mate arises.

90% of the time, mum would have the answers, and 10% of the time, your mates would have your back.

But that’s the normality, and Freshers Week is anything but that.

The odds are flipped and for one whole week you’ll be living your best life.

You know, the one you dreamed of aged eight, when you were tired of being bossed around by adults, always being told what to do and when to do it.

You decided that when you moved out you would eat McDonalds and pizza every day, go to bed whenever you wanted, and wear that favorite sparkly princess dress to

the supermarket.

Now you’ll be wearing that princess dress as you wobble home at 3am, but - depending on how laundry has been going so far - I’m sure you’ll have to wear it to the supermarket as well.

During Freshers Week, you are free to live your day-to-day however you want, and for most this will consist of long nights out and about, enjoying your new sense of freedom and love/hate relationship with alcohol.

These such nights will, of course, come with plenty of occasions to take advantage of that 10% of the time when your mates know best.

Well, maybe not know “best”, but we all know that in the immediate future their suggestions and alterations of advice will result in the most fun.

When the partying calms down, and the laundry piles up, the tables

will once again turn (maybe slightly messier than they were before) and your mum will be there to share those sorely missed nuggets of wisdom.

Without them, there was a time when you didn’t know that lettuce doesn’t need to (really shouldn’t)

be boiled before serving, that it isn’t wise nor effective to hang wet clothes in the closet to dry (especially with the door closed), and that no you haven’t “run out of plates”, they’re all just covered in dried ketchup and stacked by the sink.

For some, that time wasn’t until starting university.

But hey, there’s no such thing as stupid questions, just funny ones.

Mum

of “Take care n’t o d f, el yours uch” m o to k n dri “Nev

er head

p home alon that to e” “Isn’t w cut, lo le tt a li “H ” ow ? about honey

staying in tonight?”

Mate “Yee

your nd all get e p s ’t on ’ll “Just d drinks - we n o s” e y e r mon ed at p smash in this taxi? Okay, “How many people can we get y have a fiver, onl I ? so what is 12 divided by six ?” nge cha any e anyone hav

ss love, love that top! You look fab! could I bo rrow it sometime? ”

“The only cure t will thing tha over is g a h your n l, and ho o c l a e mor th” l ’l get bo chips, we

Brig’s Sex Survey Describe your best sexual experience during your time at Stirling University: “My partner and I had purchased a ‘game’ from Ann Summers that involved various types of foreplay and role play.

It lead to easily the best and most intimate sex I’ve ever had.”

Heterosexual male, third year “Library ‘quiet zone’.

About 11pm during exams fortnight. Nearly got caught by the security on rounds!”

Heterosexual male, fourth year

the whole thing was an awesome experience for everyone in the end.”

Heterosexual male, second year

sweets, we watched Netflix and it went on from there.”

Heterosexual female, first year

“Going to my room during a party and having sex while everyone else was still in my flat partying. After finishing up we went back through and rejoined the party.”

Bisexual male, second year

“Having sex in the middle of the night in the kitchen of a certain student residence with a flatmate I had a crush on for months.”

Homosexual male, fourth year

“Experimental sex positions with a Spanish international student who barely spoke any English but we understood each other without words through body language.”

Heterosexual female, second year

“Being pinned up against a door and fingered until I was desperate for release.”

Asexual transgender male, second year

“Sex on a twenty-fourth floor hotel balcony while on an exchange semester.

It was quite late at night, so I don’t think anyone was watching us from the office building across the street.”

Heterosexual male, fourth year

“My girlfriend wanted to have a threesome with another (lesbian) girl. Me and the girl both worked hard for my girlfriend and

“A guy came over to watch movies. I only invited him because he was so keen and I couldn’t say no to meeting. He brought

Amy Beveridge Deputy Editor Chart creation credit: Amy Beveridge/Microsoft Word

“Receiving oral from the guy I was dating.

Though I didn’t manage to orgasm, he just kept stimulating me until I decided I wasn’t going to come (it had been like, 20 minutes at this point, so I felt bad). He made me feel good about myself though, saying that that was completely fine, and that he just liked watching me too.”

Bisexual female, third year “When my boyfriend got really good at handjobs.

It wasn’t necessarily the best orgasm I’ve had, but it was the best experience because there was more closeness.”

Homosexual male, second year

Want even more juicy details? Head over to brignews.com for your stories of the most embarassing sexual experiences, even more sexy statistics (except for the STI one, please do get tested), and an in-depth interview with one brave student.

17 Brig | September 2017

Features Get to know Brig’s ultimate power couple With a new power duo taking command as Brig’s deputy and editor in chief, your features editors are here to let you know how this couple truly feels about working together.

Danni Martin Features Editor Emma Simper Features Editor

Amy Beveridge - Deputy editor - What would you consider your own biggest motivation? & your partners?

I would say that I’m fairly ambitious, and that I like to do things well. If I get a good idea then I try my best to follow it through.

When Ross gets into something he becomes absolutely passionate about it, and will live and breathe it. He enjoys researching what interests him, and this often makes for an excellent article.

- Who would you say wears the pants in your relationship? Why? Ross may be the editor, but I think I wear the trousers here!

But seriously, we do often bounce ideas off of each other, so it’s more a partnership than anything else. Sometimes I do have to give Ross a nudge if his ideas need some work, but that’s all part and parcel of the job.

- What’s the best you bring out in each other? & the worst?

I’m a pretty uptight person, and Ross is more relaxed and spontaneous, so he can make me chill out and I can make him more organised! Ross changes his mind a lot, and

Icon credit: polyvore.com

I find it hard to be patient enough to deal with this a lot of the time.

- On several occasions you’ve written articles together, how does that process go?

It’d actually gone better than I would have expected!

We work well together as a team, and often have a lot of the same thought processes, so there’s not much conflict.

Instead we make suggestions, work on it, and then are quite pleased with the finished product!

- Do you both work well under the same conditions at the same time of day?

Not at all! Ross enjoys getting up very early and writing an article before I’ve even woken up. Then I’ll be typing away like mad at 10pm when Ross wants to go to bed!

- Who’s the first to get moody when they’re hungry?

When I get hungry I get moody; when Ross gets hungry he gets desperate. The two of us hungry together are not fun! Luckily we both know that all we need is some food to get back to normal again.

- What character trait do you admire the most in the other?

Ross is passionate about whatever he throws himself into, and shows a dedication to it that is truly admirable. He is also very kind, and remembers the little things that nobody else would.

- Who gets distracted most easily while working? Most often by what?

Ross, definitely! He especially loves procrastinating by watching cycling videos. Or other stupid YouTube videos.

- Where do you see the other person being in 10 years time?

Ross can’t even decide what he’s having for dinner, so even I can’t predict where he’ll be or what he’ll be doing! But I reckon education is the path for Ross - he loves teaching people and learning himself, so it seems like an ideal fit.

He even looks like a teacher!

Either that or something to do with the outdoors.

Ross Brannigan - Editor in chief - What would you consider your own biggest motivation? & your partners?

Being in a relationship with the person who is your deputy editor can mean you see how the other person ticks in a different setting. I think how we balance the two is really good, because Brig was always something we had in common, and we have always wanted the best from it.

I would say we are different enough to feed well off one another, but similar so that we don’t crack when one of us is daft.

We are both quite ambitious, but I would say in different ways. I really enjoy being able to look back at a year and seeing what I have achieved, never letting any opportunity pass me by and always push to put in the best effort I can.

I think Amy is a very structured person, so she has tangible goals in mind whenever she does things: Doing things to improve her CV or make her chances to getting a job better. I suppose I am similar, but I tend to do things for the personal experience than for the CV. Both have their merits.

- Who would you say wears the pants in your relationship? Why? Despite, technically, being the one in charge, I don’t think one of us takes total control of a situation. It can be the case some partners have one in charge, but I do not think that is necessarily healthy, because it presumes one is better than the other.

I think we both support each other equally; we both have our strengths and weaknesses, and take responsibility equally.

It depends whose attributes would work best.

- What’s the best you bring out in each other? & the worst?

I feel that any relationship means you need to somehow be better through it. I believe

it was in Plato’s Symposium in which he said a relationship was akin to a jigsaw; where there are gaps, the other fills.

Amy would say the best she brings out in me is getting me to put the milk bottle caps in the bin – that really annoys her, and it is great. I think Amy forces me to think empathetically about situations, something I tend to forget when analysing things.

One of the things I want to see happen at Brig is for us to have more join bylines; I feel it just breeds an environment for collaboration and teamwork. So, where better to start that than with Amy? Whenever we write articles together, it tends to be that one of us will come up with an idea, or spot something, and then the two of us add methodologies and ways of writing the article.

Or it could be we assign tasks to one another, one providing photos, one providing copy, one providing quotes. It is quite a nice cooperation.

- Do you both work well under the same conditions at the same time of day?

Despite all the rosiness I appear to have painted, we are obviously different people. The most stark has to be when our brains kick into gear.

You know those memes with ‘Me vs my morning person friend’? That is definitely me and Amy. I will be up at 7am or 8am, making breakfast, doing emails and writing stories before Amy rouses herself a couple of hours later. After 9pm, though, I am done for the day, and thankfully we are bookish people so tend to read after that.

- Who’s the first to get moody when they’re hungry?

If anyone knows me closely, they know I plough through food like it is going out of fashion. Fortunately, both of us like good, home cooked food – and have appetites to match it.

I don’t think we have ever gotten especially moody when we are hungry around each other, but we tend to have raging metabolisms and get very hungry very quickly. I would say I am maybe a little quicker to dip and reign in my temper.

- What character trait do you admire the most in the other?

Obviously working with Amy and knowing her personally I am not allowed to say anything bad about her – right? Truly, though, there are a lot of things I admire in Amy. Amy has ideas coming out by the bucket load; she has more ideas than she lets on, I think.

She also has this insane ability to recall things she learned almost a decade ago, it is quite scary. All those features are obviously ideal qualities for a journalist, and by goodness would she be good at it or research.

When it comes to work, though, I think I am probably more easily distracted, but usually by things that are (I would say!) valuable, because it will be an article from the news or The Conversation – but sometimes it is just Les Miserables mash– up videos.

- Where do you see the other person being in 10 years time?

Given her experience writing in features-style journalism, and her knack for research and asking questions, I can see Amy working in something such as magazine journalism.

There is a lot of potential out there for people as talented as Amy, and she has the skills that would be required to do a job like that really well.

18 Brig | September 2017

Features

Success story blogger gives you the how-to

Emma Simper Features Editor

W

hether you love or hate them, bloggers are on the rise. As we here at Brig can testify, writing is a powerful tool in the art of self expression.

You can write about anything that interests or inspires you, and in today’s age of social media and online platforms, even put it out there to share with the rest of the world.

Blogging is open to anyone and everyone and what better time to start than now.

It’s your freshers week at university and whether it’s your first or fourth, you can treat it like the rest of the population does New Years.

You have the opportunity for a fresh start, a new year ahead, so why not discover a new passion?

Coming to you from the lovely Scandinavian country of Denmark (totally not a biased opinion) is 23-year-old success story fashion blogger Laura Tønder, with her blog Couturekulten.

Laura’s blog started as a secret little project with a close friend in 2009 and has present day managed to mass a few thousand

Credit: Maria Jernov

ing off, especially not the bills.

But asked of her proudest moment or accomplishment, Laura told me that what she’s proudest of is the feeling she gets looking through her blog, seeing all the progress it possesses and knowing that she’s created something strong.

After an incredibly interesting conversation with a girl who has already experienced so much, I’m here to reveal the top tips she has for other aspiring bloggers:

avid readers as well as almost 15 thousand Instagram followers. Having always had a passion for fashion and love for photography, Laura longed to one day be able to look at her own photos and have even just one of them considered the work of a real fashion blogger.

She’s definitely made it, not only as an established blogger, but even scored her dream job, currently working as design assistant at high fashion label Munthe. With a degree

in Fashion Design from Margrethe Skolen in Copenhagen, she was slowly but surely working her way towards the position,.

But because of her already prominent image in the fashion community, one person led to another, and only five days later the job was hers.

Creating this online portfolio didn’t come easy. With hours on hours of hard work through planning, editing, and shooting, it could often feel like it wasn’t pay-

1. Choose a name that inspires you The name Couturekulten easily translates to “the couture cult” and was a product of some magazine cutouts and a bit of imagination. Laura laughed as she said that 16-year-old her had originally been drawn to the likes of names with “star” and “fashion” in them, names she’d been convinced were cool because they were what everyone else was using. Instead she went with something a bit more peculiar, and to her surprise it became a bit of a trademark, a name that grew with her as she

developed her signature style and fan following.

2. Find others who share and can support your interests – a public, already established platform The odds that very many people will somehow randomly stumble upon your private blog are quite slim. In order to have a blog grow and blossom, it’s important to sprinkle some seeds where others can help care for them, giving them light, love, and water.

For Laura this platform was a type of “look-book” called StyleGallery for the Danish magazine Costume. This forum allowed bloggers to post pictures of their outfits in a trusted community, giving them some exposure and feedback, and the ability to find others with similar interests.

3. Give some likes, and share some love Everything will feel so much less intimidating the day you realise that you aren’t the only person nervous, new and just starting out. Spread some love, tell someone when you admire them, and

the chances that it’ll come back around are significantly increased.

4. Don’t be fooled Laura states that one thing she always hears from followers is how photogenic she is, and to that she just says, don’t be fooled. In order to get maybe five photos that she likes, she’s taken maybe 500.

It’s all composed of the right editing, aesthetic, style, angles, and even just having a photographer you feel comfortable around is essential in creating these “naturally photogenic” pictures.

5. Don’t feel pressured to hop on the trend train Even though being a part of a blogger’s network was a huge stepping stone in Laura’s Couturekulten success, an even bigger factor was when after two years of collaboration, she decided to break off on her own, and trust that the following she’d built would continue to support her.

She had a distinct vision for the future of her blog and wanted to stay true to it. She was determined to

be seen as the fierce fashion individual she is and not a cliché follower in the suddenly popular categories of food and lifestyle in which she felt she had no knowledge to offer.

6. Be brave This answer was actually the result of asking what fashion trend she wished people were more into. She responded that she wished people wouldn’t say that there are things they wouldn’t dare to wear, or that they wouldn’t be able to pull them off like she or someone else does.

“Of course you can”, she urged, “I’m not a better wearer than you are, that doesn’t exist”. “Be more daring with what you want, try the trend, buy those shoes; just be brave.”

But if you still aren’t quite convinced on a blog of your own, and writing is still something you’re interested in, contact us here at Brig and we’d be more than happy to welcome another person to our journalistic team.

To see Laura’s work Blog: Couturekulten.dk Insta: Couturekulten

Aunt Em-ployability Emma Hill Careers and Employability Service

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elcome to the start of a new academic year. It’s an exciting time with everything ahead of you. Whether you’re just starting first year or facing your final year at the university, there’s a lot to think about in terms of getting experience, developing your skills and finding employment.

No matter what stage you’re at, the Careers and Employability Service team is here to help you.

We’ve had quite a lot of enquiries from students (and parents funnily enough!) about finding part-time work while you’re studying at university.

Here to answer all you career questions If you register with the Careers and Employability Service http://bit.ly/stircareersconnect then you can search for roles in the local area. All the employers registered on the system have been approved by us so you know they should be flexible around your study commitments and be paying at least the minimum wage.

If you’re thinking about getting more specific career-related experience then you might want to consider an internship.

We only advertise paid internships through the Stirling Internship programme and they are all for Stirling students.

Some are for vacation periods, but there are also part-time opportunities

that will fit around your studies. For more info www.stir.ac.uk/stirlinginternships Another way to gain experience is to volunteer.

I can’t tell you how many amazing stories I’ve heard about the experiences students have had through volunteering.

No seriously, I can’t. There’s too many. I really can’t.

If you are interested in finding out more, then contact the Student Union for information www.stirlingstudentsunion.com If you are working part-time or doing any voluntary work and you’re in second or third year then why don’t you think about signing up for the My Stirling Award.

It gives you recognition for your extra-curricular activities and will appear on your academic transcript. It’s a great addition to your CV and will make you stand out to employers www.stir. ac.uk/employability/mystirlingaward Another question that

students have been asking about is using LinkedIn. Employers are increasingly using LinkedIn in their recruitment process and even if you’re social media savvy, creating a professional LinkedIn profile can be a bit daunting.

There are over half a billion people on LinkedIn so to put it mildly, there’s a bit of competition to make your profile stand out. The main tips I can give you are to use a professional profile picture and keep your information up to date.

If a potential employer

searches for you online, they will be trying to pic-

ture you working in their organisation so your photo matters.

They will also want to see your latest relevant experiences so keep updating your information regularly.

The Careers and Employability Service are running a programme of workshops throughout the autumn semester and creating a LinkedIn profile is covered in a couple of these sessions.

For information on all our events and workshops go to http://bit.ly/stircareersconnect See I told you at the start there was a lot to think about when it comes to gaining experience and developing your career!

Hopefully this has helped you and shown you how you can #beinvolved while you’re at university.

If you have any careerrelated problems or questions for me then just email emma.hill@stir.ac.uk

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MOCK THE WEEK, NEVER MIND THE BUZZCOCKS, ALMOST ROYAL, MAN DOWN & RUSSELL HOWARD'S GOOD NEWS.

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23 Brig | September 2017

Sport

Men’s Football 2nd Stirling rugby club to host pre-season 10’s XI begin BUCS tournament title defence with Strathclyde test O Chris Bond Sport editor

Peter Lynch Sports editor

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he men’s football 2nd XI will begin their Scottish 1A title defence with a home tie against Strathclyde 1st XI in late September.

After a fantastic league campaign last season, where the side managed to win their fourth league title in five years.

The boys now face a tough challenge in maintaining their status as the best university team in Scotland.

The following Wednesday brings a tough trip to Aberdeen to face Robert Gordon, while both the University of Glasgow and the University of

Edinburgh visit the Gannochy this semester either side of a trip to Abertay.

With just two games arriving in the spring semester, the return fixtures will be well and truly wrapped up come Christmas time, with no space for error as the matches come thick and fast in the month of November.

The busy month also brings with it a tantalising fixture at Leeds Beckett University in the BUCS Trophy, a competition in which the boys were narrowly knocked out in the first round after a narrow defeat in Sheffield last year.

In an extremely competitive league, the side unquestionably have their work cut out as the five other universities look

to knock them off their perch, while the cup competition provides the boys with another opportunity to represent the university on a much larger scale.

After a victorious campaign last season where the 2nd XI managed to win the league by a single point, with five out of the six sides finishing on double points come the end of the 2016-17 Scottish 1A, the competition has only become stronger.

As the only 2nd XI in a league compiled of 1st teams, the young squad really are flying the flag for the University of Stirling, but retaining their title will certainly be no easy task.

n September 20, Stirling will host a preseason 10’s tournament that will bring university teams across Scotland together to enjoy a day of rugby in preparation for the upcoming BUCS season.

Participating universities are: Stirling, Glasgow, University of the West of Scotland, Strathclyde, Heriott Watt, Edinburgh Napier, Queen Margaret, Dundee, Robert Gordon, and Aberdeen.

All of these universities will compete in Stirling on the same day in a tournament that promises a very high standard in preparation for the season ahead.

Melton races to fourth in British downhill champs

S

tirling’s new superstar, Elena Melton, raced to come fourth in the British National Downhill Championships in Wales this summer.

She laid down an incredible time to finish behind famous UK downhill racers Rachel Atherton, Manon Carpenter and Tanhee Seagrave.

It has been an exciting summer for Elena, finishing second at the Crankworx Open Enduro at Whistler, Canada.

She also finished fourth in the arduous downhill race down Alpe d’Huez at MegaAv-

alanache.

Speaking after her result in Wales, Elena said: “I hadn’t been on my downhill bike in about a month, so the first run on Saturday was just for getting used to the bike again and checking out the track.

“But I was surprised how quickly I got back into the big bike and pretty much immediately loved the track.”

Riding for a relatively small team, Elena admits she had nothing to lose, and was relieved to only have her own expectation to put pressure on her.

Outside of the top three female riders on the course, there were many others on bigger teams who are top level athletes.

The Cairngorms-based rider will be looking to continue her successes as the university returns to normal business, with the University of Stirling Cycling Club eyeing up the Falkirk Funduro in November.

Keep track of Elena’s results by following Brig Sport on Facebook.

Credit: Dialled in UK

They will also run ‘tartan touch’ - a chance for rugby novices to learn and enjoy playing the game.

However, the day will be more than just rugby. There will be live music from Oliver Eaton, Fubar’s resident DJ on the top pitch.

Fubar have kindly sponsored to team again this season. Refreshments will also be available, catered by Stirling Venues out of their van ‘The Shed’, and there will be a trophy prize for the winners.

This will be the first event of its kind to be hosted by the rugby club.

They are expecting attendance numbers between 400500, and they would really appreciate your support on the day.

SURFC President Matthew Clark said: “As a club this is a great platform for us to launch our season.

“There has been a lot of work that has gone on behind the scenes to make this happen.

“It will not only be a great event for the club but also the university.

“Hopefully, throughout the year, students will come and enjoy the brand of rugby we are playing.”

The first fixture is at 10am and the tournament should be wrapped up by 4pm. Come on down and see the team in action for the first time this season.

24 Brig | September 2017

Sport

Barbour: ‘It’s been a real honour’ Craig Wright Sports editor

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oday, she’s one of the fastest-rising stars in the world of sports journalism.

Back in 2001, however, Eilidh Barbour was a fresh-faced first-year student at the University of Stirling. As the presenter explained, though, her mind was already set on a career covering some of sport’s biggest events.

“I knew before I went to Stirling,” said Barbour.

“I chose Stirling because it offered me the chance to combine media with sport in a joint honours degree, although I ended up majoring in one because I chose to study audiovisual production in my final two years and put all my focus on that.

“It actually helped a lot in my early days of work experience to know a little about how TV and radio were put together, so it was probably the right choice.”

Since graduating with a BA Hons in Film and Media in 2005, the 34-year-old has gone on to cover a range of sports, from presenting BBC’s Football Focus to covering international rugby union.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, it’s the sheer variety of her job that continues to enthuse and excite the Stirling alumna.

“Absolutely. It’s key for me and I’m so lucky to have the variety I have,” agreed Barbour.

“I love sport as a whole, so to be able to cover a number of different sports and both team and individual sports is really enjoyable, while also challeng-

Credit - Glasgow Warriors

ing me to continue to develop my broadcasting to suit different environments.”

Having been announced as the successor to Hazel Irvine – a long-time hero of Barbour’s – as the anchor for the BBC’s golf

Eilidh Barbour is one of the highest-profile sports presenters working today. Credit: Tongue Tied Media

coverage earlier this year, 2017 has arguably been the pinnacle of the Dunkeld native’s career to date.

She admits to feeling a sense of pride at following in her idol’s footsteps, and was quick to praise Irvine for her influence and advice.

“It’s a real honour and I’ve loved it so far,” said Barbour.

“It’s a total cliché but there’s always pressure to do the best you can. The fact I had admired Hazel for so many years just added a different kind of pressure.

“She’s inspired me to keep following my dream, and is loved by so many that it did add some extra nerves. She was so supportive, though, and helped me out a lot at The Masters, where I was able to shadow her and learn from her for the week, which was invaluable.

“Sometimes when new presenters come into a job it’s because the previous one has been replaced - which can be hard - but that wasn’t the case this time. Hazel chose to step down for personal reasons, but she still loves the team and the sport, and I genuinely felt she wanted me to be as ready as I could be to carry on the job she’s done so well.

“To feel that support was really important and the team themselves have all been so welcoming, which helped me relax a lot.”

As well as being one of the

SPORTING SNAPSHOTS

most visible faces in contemporary sports journalism – as well as a passionate supporter of St Johnstone - Barbour has also earned a reputation as a champion of women’s sport, backing a number of campaigns that aim to increase female participation in sports such as golf. So, after a summer of sport which has seen Euro 2017, the women’s Rugby World Cup, the Solheim Cup and the women’s Cricket World Cup all take centre stage, how does the former Stirling student assess the rise in the popularity of women’s sport?

“There have been changes, I think, in the attitude towards women who participate in sport, which means more girls and women are active in general,” said Barbour.

“There’s still a long way to go but certainly, in my experience of going to the gym or playing competitive sport, participation is a lot healthier.

“In terms of that elite level, our athletes and players have closed the gap that maybe existed in some sports to nations that had taken it seriously before us. England, in particular, have had an incredible year of sporting success with their women’s teams; Scotland have broken records in many sports by achieving big things for the first time.

“Success is what attracts people to support a team or an individual, and that’s the key.

“I also think some people are seeing these sports played by women for the first time and are enjoying seeing the game played in a different way, with a different approach but with just the same level of excitement and competition.”

Indeed, it is precisely the excitement and entertainment to which Barbour alludes that has seen the media place women’s sport front and centre over the summer months. Criticism remains, however, with many highlighting the 2015 statistic that only 7% of all sporting media coverage focuses on women’s sport.

The situation has undoubtedly changed since then, though, with Barbour optimistic on what the future holds.

“I think we need to have a bit of patience. Women’s sport has grown massively over a rela-

tively short space of time.

“We have major football, rugby, cricket, golf, tennis tournaments amongst others all covered on TV and radio with some sports, football and tennis for example, also having their domestic seasons fairly well covered.

“It’s still a work in progress and, as much as I would love to see money pumped into women’s sport, we need to realise that broadcasters have targets they need to meet as well, and building up a commercial interest is going to take a bit of time.

“As the interest grows and the standard of competition continues to develop, it will become more commercially viable to cover more and more women’s sport.

“It’s not going to happen overnight, but I think there are enough encouraging signs to show that women’s sport is taken seriously, and will continue to be so.”

With her profile continuing to rise, the sky appears to be the limit for Barbour.

If she were to place herself in the shoes of a fresher with ambitions to be the next Eilidh Barbour, however, what advice would she pass on?

“The most important one is never give up!

“It’s not easy - there are a lot of knocks along the way but, if you believe in yourself and what you’re doing, then just keep plugging away.

“Take every opportunity to learn that you can, and eventually the break will come.”

Fast Facts • Favourite sporting memory?

It’s between St Johnstone lifting the Scottish Cup and Andy Murray winning his first Wimbledon title • Proudest moment?

Probably just that I kept going to get this far • Best place you’ve been to in your career?

City-wise - Vancouver. I could live there. I spent a few weeks there for the Women’s World Cup and the final at BC Place was an amazing occasion.

NEWSFLASH Rebekah McVey News editor

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he Stirling Scottish Marathon will take place again next April, following the success of this year’s event which was held in May. A new and improved course has been designed, starting in the city centre, and runners will follow a route past Blair Drummond Safari Park and through Doune, Dunblane and Bridge of Allan.

Stirling Council leader Scott Farmer said: “Stirling Council is delighted to once again host the Stirling Marathon in 2018 after the fantastic success of this year’s inaugural event.

“The marathon proved to be hugely successful, helping to attract a large number of visitors to the region and promoting Stirling to an international

Credit: Stirling Scottish Marathon

audience.

“It was wonderful to see the way that local communities embraced the event, with crowds lining the course to support the runners. The route is truly stunning, taking in rural villages, the iconic Wallace Monument and Stirling Castle, providing a fantastic experience for runners of all abilities.

“We are well on course to achieve the ambition for the Stirling Scottish Marathon to become the leading marathon in Scotland by 2019 and look forward to the continued support of local communities in achieving this.”

Great Run Company chief executive Paul Foster added: “We were delighted with the response to the first-ever Stirling Scottish Marathon and we are excited to return to the heart of Scotland next year, with an improved course.

The inaugural marathon reached capacity months before the event, with 6,500 people signing up for the 26.2 mile run through the Stirlingshire countryside.”

25 Brig | September 2017

Sport ‘It feels great to be one of the top two university tennis teams in Europe’ Aneesa Dastgir

A

grabs. This will take vigorous fter winning such a training to ensure preparation prestigious medal, for the competition.

Patricia Skowron“Training on court is very ski is understandably individualised and self-directdelighted. ed,” said Skowronski.

Strong showings in the pre“Most players know, or are liminary rounds aware of, the things they

by Skowronneed to work on, and ski and her train accordingly with teammates, each other.

Maia Lums“In the gym, we are den and supervised by qualiZoe Moffat, fied strength and confollowed by ditioning coaches, who a hard-fought provide us with individual victory over Isprogrammes to help prepare tanbul Aydin Credit: Stirling University us for the upcoming comUniversity petition.” earned the women at least a With such huge commitsilver medal, with only the ments to tennis, finding a balUniversity of Bordeaux deny- ance for university life and tening them the ultimate prize. nis must be challenging. If so, With an impressive showing how does one make sure that under their belts, sights are they can achieve the best of now set on the British Uni- both worlds? versities title, which is up for “Me personally, I don’t find it

difficult,” said Skowronski.

“I have been a student-athlete for six years now, and I know how I need to plan my day or week to be able to give 100% on court as well as in the classroom.”

We all have our tennis superstar favourites, so I had to ask if Patricia had met any tennis legends while playing competitively.

“One year, when I played the Junior Gerry Weber Open, I checked-in to the hotel and was waiting for the lift.

“The door opened and Roger Federer stepped out of it.

“I didn’t say anything though, as I was too surprised!”

For someone who wants to try something completely new, the tennis club is a perfect activity.

“Stirling Uni Tennis Club is one of the most developed uni tennis clubs in Scotland,” said

Skowronski.

“It offers training for beginners, all the way up to scholarship and world-ranked players.

“My advice would be: no matter what level you are and how much playing time you are looking for, you’ll get it at Stirling Uni Tennis Club.”

It’s going to be a busy year ahead for the club at Stirling, Skowronski says.

“The season starts again in September, and will bring the usual national championships later on.

“We have new players coming in replacing people who are leaving, so we will have to see how strong the team is this year. It’s hard to make predictions just yet.”

However, after such an impressive summer, you wouldn’t bet against the team continuing their incredible run of success this year.

Rebecca Blair Q&A with Craig Wright How have you found life as Sports President so far?

It’s been good so far! It was really hard to get used to at the beginning but, now I’ve found my feet, I feel more comfortable and confident within the role.

Has there been anything that you’ve found challenging or that you weren’t expecting?

I wouldn’t say that I’ve found anything challenging as of yet, but probably for me, it’s been the realisation that, in a role like Sports President, you’re never going to make everyone completely happy. All you can do is your best and devote as much time as possible to as many people and clubs as possible.

What have you found to be the main difference from being a member of the Sports Union to being the President?

That’s a tough one! I would probably say the amount of responsibility and having to think about the other 50-odd

clubs rather than just women’s football. That, or actually having to check my email inbox on a daily basis!

a judo club. They seem really passionate and dedicated, and it’s fantastic to see so much energy from all those involved.

You’ve had a lot of success with the women’s football team in recent years. How do you think they’ll do this year?

We have indeed! It was fantastic to be a part of and it’s definitely my highlight of my time as part of the club. I think we will do well this year - I’m pretty confident! We’ll definitely give the other teams in the league a run for their money and I can’t wait to get started again.

What are the main things you’re looking to achieve as Sports President?

The main thing I would say I’m looking to achieve during my time within the role would be to bring everything sportrelated under the one umbrella here at Stirling.

This involves everything from kit to social media accounts to coaching opportunities - basically just trying to bring everything together to make everyone feel a part of #BleedGreen.

Who should we be keeping an eye on in terms of success this year?

I think this year will be great for a number of our clubs. To name a few, probably fencing, cricket, trampolining and gymnastics and golf.

Are there any new clubs we should be watching out for?

This year, we’ve introduced

Which sport that you haven’t previously tried would you like to try during GIAG week?

That’s a great question! I do plan on attending a few GIAG sessions.

I’m thinking archery and judo, probably even boxing as

well!

What would you say to a new student who is unsure about joining a sports team?

It’s not all about the competition here at Stirling! There is something for everyone, and it’s a wonderful addition to the student experience, and a great way to meet new people and make new friends!

Credit:

Stirling Union

Students’

Sporting Memories

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n celebration of the 50th anniversary of the University of Stirling, we asked some of the university’s notable sporting figures of the past half-century for their memories of their time at Stirling. Here are their responses…

Susan Egelstaff – Six-time Scottish badminton champion, 2006 Commonwealth Games bronze medallist and Olympian at London 2012. Now a successful journalist for The Herald “One of my most memorable moments from my uni years was when my friends and I went to see the mighty Chesney Hawkes of The One And Only fame at Enigma nightclub (which I think is now long closed down).

“Chesney Hawkes was, by far, the biggest celebrity who had come to Stirling during my time at uni but, even taking that into account, our excitement levels were completely disproportionate to his Credit: @SusanEgelstaff mediocre level of fame. And, as it turned out, the night wasn’t quite as good as we had all built it up to be, but the thing that Stirling was so brilliant for was that every night out was a good one.

“The town is small enough that you’d always bump into someone you knew, and for years after Chesney Hawkes’ visit, he still got frequent mentions.”

Ross Murdoch – Commonwealth Games gold medallist at Glasgow 2014, bronze medallist at the World Championships in 2015 and Rio 2016 Olympian “I’ll never forget when I moved here for the first time. I lived in AKD and in that first week – even as an athlete not able to experience the traditional Freshers atmosphere as such – meeting all these new people and starting new classes was just really good. I loved it, and I’ve never really looked back.

“I’m not really ready to go anywhere else!”

Eilidh Barbour – leading sports broadcaster for the BBC and BT Sport “A lot of my memories revolve around sport. I played in the women’s football team and we had a great time. A lot of my friends from uni are from that team.

“Most of my memories, though, are just great times with the people I met there. I think you build such close bonds at Stirling because of the campus nature of the uni.

“You live in each other’s pockets, study together, eat together, drink together, all in the one campus. I loved it.”

Gordon McRorie – Represented Canada at the 2015 Rugby World Cup, and has earned 30 caps at scrum-half “I have a fond memory of my time at the university involving rugby. We won the top university league in Scotland back in the 2008/2009 season when we were in the same league as Dundee, Aberdeen, St Andrews and Edinburgh.

We had to beat Edinburgh away with Credit - Zimbio a bonus point to win the league.

“We won and scored four tries to gain the bonus point and were crowned champions.

“We had a pretty good night too!”

26 Brig | September 2017

Sport

Queen’s Baton comes to campus

University Principal and Vice-Chancellor Gerry McCormac (right) welcomes the baton to campus along with incoming golf scholar Hazel McGarvie. Credit: Ross Brannigan

continued from back page the swimmer returning to the university following his triumph in the 4x200m freestyle relay in Budapest earlier this summer.

Reflecting on his success, Scott said: “I thoroughly enjoyed Budapest. I’ve had a couple of wellearned weeks off, physically and mentally, and it’s back into it now.

“I was hugely delighted with how I swam – I had my first individual swims at a World Championships, then obviously bringing home the gold in the 4x200m was massive.

“The team swam really well, so a massive shout out to those boys – I couldn’t have done anything without them. James

Guy on the last leg, Stephen [Milne] and Boris [Nick Grainger] on the legs before – it was a real team effort.

“The depth we have in those events is incredible, and it’s beginning to show in British swimming.

“It bodes well for the future.”

Despite the traditional Scottish weather doing its best to combat thoughts of Australian sunshine, local residents and university students turned out to provide a warm reception for the baton and its bearers, a fact appreciated by Sochi 2014 curling bronze medallist Anna Sloan.

“That’s Scotland, isn’t it? We know how to have a good time in the dry or in the wet,” she laughed.

SPORTING SNAPSHOTS All the best from the Queen’s Baton Relay on campus (Credit: University of Stirling/Ross Brannigan)

Part of Eve Muirhead’s rink that added Winter Olympic bronze to their 2013 world championship victory, Sloan trains at the recently opened NCA Curling Academy in Stirling, and admitted her pride at seeing the symbol of “the friendly games” at Scotland’s university for

Credi: British Curling

sporting excellence.

She said: “It’s really great to have the Queen’s Baton Relay here. It makes you appreciate how special an occasion it is and how special Stirling is.

“We’ve got so many

great facilities around for different sports, and for everyone to come out today is brilliant.”

With the Commonwealth Games having never included a winter sports programme, the chances of Sloan and her teammates following in the footsteps of Scott and Murdoch appear to be slim – something of which the 26-year-old is slightly envious.

“Any multi-sport competition is great for curling to be involved in,” said Sloan.

“I don’t think [competing in the Commonwealth Games] is ever going to happen with curling being a winter sport, but it’s a great event to watch.

“I was lucky enough to go to a few events in Glasgow and the atmosphere was unreal. Any time you get to represent your country is a special moment, so I’m jealous of these guys!”

Any mention of Glasgow 2014 is likely to invoke recollections of Ross Murdoch’s gold medal in

the 200m breaststroke, with the then19-year-old going on to become one of the faces of the games.

The man from Balloch has fond memories of the event, having since gone on to represent Great Britain at world

Credit: BBC

championships and the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio. “I still look back on it and don’t really know how I did it, to be honest,” smiled Murdoch.

“That whole year was really good for me – even my in-season swimming was unbelievable compared to these days, where I need a taper for major meets to get any sort of decent time out.

“Looking back on it, it’s still the pinnacle of my career, definitely.”

The Stirling star is quick to banish any thoughts of going into the 2018 Com-

monwealth Games as defending champion, however, preferring instead to focus on his present form.

He said: “I’m not really going into it thinking about defending anything, because this is a brand new competition for me, so there’s nothing to defend.

“I treat every competition the same, whether it’s a district meet or the Olympic Games. You start every day with nothing like it’s day one, and that’s the mantra going forward.”

The baton, made of macadamia wood and recycled plastic from the oceans surrounding the Australian coast, will continue its journey to destinations such as India, Singapore and Fiji in the coming months prior to arriving at the Carrara Stadium on April 4.

The message from the Queen to the Commonwealth that is encased by the baton will be read to the athletes and watching TV audiences, before the 21st Commonwealth Games is officially opened.

27 Brig | September 2017

Sport Hard work pays off for Stirling swimmers Craig Wright Sports editor

S

tirling swimming is in fantastic shape as attention turns towards the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

That’s the view of two world championship medallists, with Ross Murdoch and Duncan Scott paying tribute to the quality of the university club.

Speaking at the hosting of the Queen’s Baton Relay on the university campus, Murdoch highlighted the work of those behind the scenes of such global successes.

“Looking back over the last few years, every stroke has

been counted,” he said.

“I know exactly how many lengths I’ve swam for probably the last five years now.

“Then there’s also the work that goes into my nutrition, psychology and trying to stay on top of my body.

“With the amount of training that we do [your body] starts to break down, so you need to stay on top of that and be as injury-free as you can be, so you can give it 100%.

“If you go just one day at 90% you’re already behind, because someone is giving it everything.”

Scott and Murdoch were far from the only two Stirling athletes to claim major honours

Credit: University of Stirling

this summer, however.

Danielle Joyce’s double goldmedal winning display at the 2017 Deaflympics saw her given the honour of bearing the Great Britain flag at the closing ceremony.

Calum Bain was part of Team Ireland at the World University Games in Taipei.

Meanwhile, Kathleen Dawson made her first world championship final in Budapest.

“The place looks in fantastic shape,” smiled Murdoch.

“You’ve obviously got the

swimmers you just mentioned, but also the likes of Craig Benson [who won gold at the British Summer Championships], who came fourth at Glasgow 2014 and made the team for Rio. “There’s a few others right up there ready to make teams. It’s a really tough programme to be part of.”

Having won world championship gold at the age of just 20, Scott agreed with his Stirling and Great Britain teammate, saying:

“Since I joined Stirling, there’s been a lot of representation at the highest level.

“When I joined, there were four or five, then before that you obviously had the likes of Robbie [Renwick] and Dan [Wallace].”

The programme at Scotland’s university for sporting excellence has paid dividends in recent years, with representation at Glasgow 2014 and Rio 2016, as well as British and European championships.

In a season that has seen Stirling’s coaches recognised as Scotland’s best, Scott believes the success is set to continue.

“I think it’s something Stirling has always strived to do with the professionalism it carries in the programme,” said Scott.

“Day in, day out though, having the likes of Ross, Kathleen and the others helps you become a better athlete, because they’re striving for the same things as you.”

Roll of Honour Budapest 2017: Duncan Scott (gold), Ross Murdoch (Silver) Deaflympics 2017: Danielle Joyce (Two Gold, Two Bronze) British Summer Championships 2017: Craig Benson (Two Gold, One Silver), Jamie Graham (Silver), Charlie Boldison (Silver), Danielle Huskisson (silver), Lauren Mills (silver), Callum Lawrie (Bronze), Calum Bain (Bronze)

Clansmen aiming for record-breaking campaign Harry McArthur Sports editor

T

he reigning BUCS National champions, the Stirling Clansmen, are looking to qualify for a record-breaking fifth consecutive national final.

Last season’s triumph in the final went down to the wire in a closely-fought 10-7 match, the outcome of which was determined on the final snap of the season.

After confirming this title, a third national championship in four seasons, the team’s ambition hasn’t slowed.

Ashley Hopkinson, a veteran in the team and this season’s club president, said: “There are always ways to improve, not just as players but as a team.

“We have lost a lot of players from last year, but we also have guys that have been with us for three or four years now that are really in tune with the system we have and what we

want from it.

“We also had rookies last season that made a big contribution in their first year that will only get better with training in the offseason and being in the same system for their second year.”

Head coach Victor Peredo, who is in charge for his third season, has vowed to focus on the fundamentals and taking every practice and game one at a time.

Recruitment has been paramount to the success of the team in recent years, and this year sees another six players that will be battling for a starting spot in the first team.

Tom Lees (TE and OLB) and Connor Hassan (WR) join from Kent Exiles.

They boast four years and three years of playing experience, respectively, both playing a major role in the Exiles u19s championship-winning season last year, with Hassan

being picked as MVP for the final.

Libs Isse (OL) and Joshua Olaiya (DT) will join from the Birmingham Lions Jr team.

They have both been playing for three years.

Uchenna Obasi (LB) has four

He was also head coach for a community team in Bristol as part of the Bristol Academy Community League.

Vangelis Trasanis has been brought in to bolster the offensive line.

He has five years of experi-

Credit: Katie Stepek

years of experience.

He has played for London Warriors Jr and the Bristol Pride football academy.

ence playing for the Northern Bobcats, Filton Pride and the u19 GB National team.

Hopkinson felt that the com-

mitment and hardworking ethic of the players has been essential in recent years for the success of the team but it is also in a big way thanks to the coaches: “We don’t have a single coach who is paid, yet they all volunteer their own time after work to help make this team better.

“They are always educating themselves by learning new ways to make their players better.

“Without this commitment, we wouldn’t be as successful as we are.”

Hopkinson also highlighted that the team trains a lot, which will be vital to get the players ready to play, and ensure they are prepared for the season.

As well as playing football, Hopkinson is also looking forward to his role on committee: “It’s a bit daunting that this is my last year with these guys but I can’t wait for the season

to start.

“Being president will be difficult with it being my last year and also trying to get the team in a good place.

“I have a great group of guys that are on the committee that will keep me right and help out whenever I need it.”

A busy offseason has set the team in good stead in their battle to retain their national title.

The players and coaching staff are all confident and are looking forward to what should be another exciting season for the Clansmen.

Follow the clansmen’s journey on brignews.com

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From coast to campus: Stirling hosts 2018 Queen’s Baton Relay Credit: Ross Brannigan

Craig Wright Sports editor

T

he University of Stirling welcomed the Queen’s Baton Relay for the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games to its campus

recently, with a host of sporting and university dignitaries in attendance.

The relay, which will see the one-ofa-kind baton travel 230,000km over 388 days across the Commonwealth prior to

the opening ceremony on April 4, arrived in Stirling as part of a five-day spell in Scotland, with university Principal Gerry McCormac and incoming golf scholar Hazel MacGarvie the first to carry the baton on

university soil.

MacGarvie, who has represented Scotland four times to date in golf’s home internationals, admitted that she was surprised to be chosen as one of the baton carriers, alongside household names

such as Ross Murdoch and Duncan Scott.

She said: “I wasn’t expecting it!

“It’s a really big event to be involved in and a great opportunity. It’s great to find out more about

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the Commonwealth Games, the history of the baton and where it’s been and is going to.”

World championship gold medallist Scott took over from the young golfer, with continued on p.26