1447 - Freshers' 2023

Issue 1447 Monday 11th September 2023 Est. 1948

Freshers’ Edition 2023

thecourieronline.co.uk

Welcome to Newcastle University!

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i everyone! My name is Gabbi, and I have the absolute pleasure of being your Student media Officer and Editor-In-Chief this year. Over the summer, I’ve been working hard behind the scenes alongside the Editorial team and NUSU to bring you this Freshers’ issue.

Not only will you find loads of incredible articles written by our fantastic sub-editors, you’ll also find a one-stop guide to Freshers’ week, including an introduction to the Freshers’ week assistants who have put together an amazing programme of daytime activities for you all.

Freshers’ week is a time to get to know more about Newcastle

University, but also the city as your new home. After calling Newcastle home for the last three years, there is nowhere else I’d rather be. There’s something for everyone, so don’t be afraid to get stuck in!

Not only do I oversee the paper, but I also look after NSR and NUTV throughout the year. The Freshers’ Media Crew is led by NUTV’s station manager and deputy station manager, documenting all the fabulous experiences during the week. On campus, you can hear NSR played in the Students’ Union building, so keep an ear out!

As your Student Media Officer, I am committed to keeping students informed, inspired and involved around campus, making our branches

Inside 11th September 2023 Your 2023/24 Sabbatical Officers Meet who will be representing students this academic year!| Page 18-19

Current Affairs | Science What can University students do to combat the Climate Crisis?

In a world where making a difference in the fight against Climate Change seems impossible, we've put together a handy guide to some simple steps anyone can take | Page 9

Life & Style | Relationships Making new friends during Freshers' week The very first week of uni can seem intimidating, but fear not! Read this guide to put your mind at ease | Page 13

Life & Style | Food & Drink Freshers' cupboard essentials Grab these essential items in your next shop and you'll never be stuck without a meal| Page 16

Culture | Music A rundown of Newcastle's best clubs With the sheer quantity of clubs in our beloved city, you will need to consult our guide before heading out on the toon | Page 25

Hi everyone! My name is Gabbi, your shop for pleasure all things and I one-stop have the absolute of Newcastle University being your Studentrelated. mediaWhether Officer that's news, adivice, orthis BUCS and Editor-In-Chief year.results, Over we everything needworking to keep thehave summer, I’veyou been up-to-date on what's happening. hard behind the scenes alongside We’re so excited to have all on the Editorial team and you NUSU to campus, and whether you’re a watcher, bring you this Freshers’ issue. listener or reader, I hope enjoy Not only will you find you loads of everything Student by Media incredible Newcastle articles written our has to offer!sub-editors, you’ll also fantastic find a one-stop guide to Freshers’ All the including best, week, an introduction to the Freshers’ week assistants

Gabbi

w h o have put together

Image: Laura Linceviciute

THE COURIER SECTIONS Editor

Gabbi de Boer mediaofficer.union@newcastle.ac.uk

Deputy Editors

Rachael McCreanor and Ross Bennett R.Mccreanor2@ncl.ac.uk / R.Bennett3@ncl.ac.uk

Social Media

Heads of Social Media: Paige Rutter and Jess Bradbur P.E.Rutter1@ncl.ac.uk / J.L.Bradbury2@ncl.ac.uk

Current Affairs Senior editor: Sam Norman S.Norman3@ncl.ac.uk

News

Amana Khan Rhys James Izabela Kirschnerova Tommy Atkinson

Campus Comment

Libby Griffiths Grace Boyle Mia Dale

Opinion

Adelaide Dodson Rosie Brennan Margeux Martinez

Science

Elisabeth Gores Matthew Barratt

Senior editors: Daisy Harrison D.M.Harrison3@ncl.ac.uk Samantha Seidu B.S.Seidu2@ncl.ac.uk

Relationships

Rebecca Wright Adriana Newbury

Blind date and Agony Aunt: Charlotte Lee

Lifestyle

Fashion & Beauty Lana Free Ivy French

Travel

Sport

Senior editor: Arthur Ferridge A.Ferridge2@ncl.ac.uk Mitchell Hall Castor Chan Raff Tindale Dan Balliston

Get Involved!!

Life & Style

Zahra Hanif Jay Barber Marina Snyder

Charlie Reid Ollie Withers

Food & Drink

Roseanna Leconte Anna Nix

Page 10-11

Website

Heads of Online: Anthony Welsh A.J.Welsh2@ncl.ac.uk

Culture

Senior editors: Imogen Smillie I.C.Smillie1@ncl.ac.uk Lucy Bower L.A.Bower2@ncl.ac.uk

Music

Poppy Bedford Madeha Ali

TV

Ella Townson Jenica Davis

Film

Jess McKeown Olivia Carter Ned Carter-Owen

Gaming

Adam Lovegrove James Kellett

Arts

Sarah Tunstall Laura Kasongo

Puzzles

Katie Siddall K.E.Siddall1@ncl.ac.uk

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Monday 11th September 2023

Freshers' Week Assistants

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BRIAN CASSIDY MATTIE H B S Image: Laura Linceviciute

hmellloooooo, I’m Brian and I’m back again as a Freshers’ Week Assistant. I’m just finishing up my Masters in Advanced Computer Science after many, many years of pottering about on my undergrad. My Freshers’ Week was all the way back in 2018 and since then I’ve been volunteering as a part of crew in Freshers 2019 and 2021, along with being in this job last year organising all the activities for the week!

If I had to pick just a few activities to get booked onto I would have to say Cocktail Making, Ice Skating and any of the Toon Food activities – although maybe not in that order. We have so much on offer for Freshers’ Week this year, so I hope you make the absolute most of it and book yourself into as many opportunities as possible.

ey, I'm Cassidy and I'm one of the Freshers' Week Assistants for 2023! I’m currently studying my Undergraduate Degree in English Literature and History, and I’ll be graduating next June (hopefully). It’s only been two years since my Freshers’, but that time has gone so quickly, I wish I could be starting again and have the chance to take it all in for the first time. I've really enjoyed helping create such a unique experience for the upcoming students (you!) and we're so excited for you to join in on the activities.

The week is packed with so many different opportunities, but my favourite activity would have to be the Bubble Tea Making, my go-to is a matcha latte, or the trip to Alphabetti Theatre to watch their show Mr Punch. Hope you have the best week and I wish you all the luck for your time here at Newcastle University!

onjour! I'm Mattie and I'm one of this years Freshers' Week Assistants! I have just graduated from Newcastle University with a degree in Physiological Sciences (awful I know). Since my Freshers' I have been involved in a number of societies taken part in Freshers' Crew three times and spent all of my student loan on travel (woops). I'm really looking forward to Freshers' Week, it is full of loads of fun and unique opportunities. My top picks would probably be Paintballing and Surfing cause when else would you get to experience this! I hope you all have a fantastic time during the week and the rest of your time at Newcastle!

Turn over for your Freshers' Week timetable! >>

Freshers' Graphics: Andrew Pyle

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Monday 11th September 2023

Freshers' Week

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What's On: Freshers' Week 2023 Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday 24th 21st 19th 20th 22nd 23rd 18th Freshers' Week daytime activities (book in-person at the Students' Union, wristband required) Edinburgh Trip with Lundgren Tours Poster Sale Poster Sale 8am-8pm 9am 9am Depart from NUSU Venue NUSU Venue International House Newcastle A Second Life (Volunteer session) 11am-12pm Give it A Go pop-up activities 12pm NUSU

Grow Volunteer 11am-12pm Clubs and Societies Fair 11am-4pm Sports Centre

Clubs and Societies Fair 11am-3pm Sports Centre Give it A Go pop-up activities 12pm NUSU

Trip to Jesmond Dene 11am-2:30pm Meet at Jesmond Metro Station

Give it A Go pop-up activities 12pm NUSU

A Second Life Grow Volunteer (Volunteer 1:30pm-2:30pm session) 1:30pm-2:30pm

The Big Freshers' Scam Fender Quiz Night and the Kopykat 5:30pm-7:30pm Killers NUSU Venue 7pm-11pm (Wristband NUSU Venue required) (Wristband required) The Big Freshers' Quiz Night 8pm-10pm NUSU Venue (Wristband required)

Bingo Revolution 5:30pm-7:30pm NUSU Venue (Wristband required)

Late 'N Live music quiz 5:30pm-7:30pm NUSU Venue (Wristband required)

Bingo Revolution 8:00pm-10:15pm NUSU Venue (Wristband required)

Late 'N Live music quiz 8pm-10pm NUSU Venue (Wristband required)

Wheelchair Basketball taster session 7pm Sports Centre

Head of Current Affairs: Sam Norman Page edited by: Rachael McCreanor

Monday 11th September 2023

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News Decision to return to pre-pandemic grade boundaries causes turmoil for students 6

Sarah Tunstall - Arts sub-editor

The pre-pandemic marking style of 2023 exams has caused a mass lowering of results across the UK.

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he 17th and 24th of August 2023 (A Level and GCSE results days) caused a lot of turmoil for students planning their next steps within education.

With marking and grade boundaries returning to pre-pandemic regulations students were left with lower grades than anticipated. According to Ofqual (The Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation), national results were already expected and announced to be lower this year on result days. However, though announced beforehand, the day of results left many of the UK’s students saddened. Many of them are having to turn to clearing universities as a chance to get a place for their degree.

With talk of all of this, what really are grade boundaries and why do they fluctuate per year? The grade boundary is the minimum mark that a student needs to achieve a certain grade. Each exam board differentiates per subject

as well as to each other but overall, the boundaries are to ensure consistency in grades from year to year. Grade boundaries are also released as the results are released so students and parents are made aware of where their grades and marking lay in a broader sense. This makes it easier for colleges and universities to ensure their spaces are filled with students promising to reach grade expectations.

From 2020 to 2022 all exam boards within the UK have taken account of students experiencing the global pandemic in their studies and results.

This was all alongside exams being cancelled in 2020 and 2021 where teacher-assessed grades led to a flourish in marks. Thus, grade boundaries were easier to attain for students, and there was more support for students in taking the next step in their education.

step in getting back to normal” but there would be significant protection for the students believed to still be at the source of disruption due to Covid-19.

“There remains concern for the students who faced severe disruption”

concern for the students who have faced more disruption than others during the pandemic and fall at even more of a disadvantage in marks.

With all of this in mind, what happened on results day 2023? A-level results were deemed broadly like those in 2019. This still meant however that only 27.2% of the UK achieved an A

The Association of School and College Leaders ensured a "safety net” to ensure national grades didn’t fall lower than results in 2019, h o w e v e r, there was and still is a

Grade or above in their results in 2023, one of the most expected grades from universities. With understanding, this pre-pandemic approach has guaranteed employers and universities more awareness of a student’s capabilities.

The students who opened their results on the 17th of August this year, experiencing the lower boundary, however, have been left unsure of their next steps and ability to go to university.

“Many students are having to turn to clearing for a chance at university” This year, however, returning to pre-pandemic expectations, the grade boundaries of 2023 have been at higher stakes in comparison to previous years. Dr. Jo Saxton, Chief Regulator of Ofqual, in a statement last year, deemed that “2023 […] will return to pre-pandemic grading as the next

Image Credit: Pixabay

NSPCC reveals almost 2,000 North East bus drivers North East grooming crimes anticipate strikes after committed against children ongoing pay disputes Ollie Withers - Travel sub-editor

Rising levels of online grooming ignites debate around the charity's Online Safety Bill

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ince the NSPCC first proposed the Online Safety Bill six years ago, almost 34,000 online grooming crimes have been recorded by the police, with nearly 2,000 (5%) of those occurring in the North East region.

In Northumbria, 788 offences were recorded in total, followed by 749 in Cleveland and 450 in Durham.

Of the 34,000 crimes recorded nationally, 1 in 4 involved primary school children, and where the gender was revealed, 83% of the victims were girls. The draft Online Safety Bill was first introduced two years ago, with MPs and Lords set to make their final decisions on the bill this month.

However, it has faced backlash from tech firms and bosses, who say it will threaten their encryption services and that answering to an independent government regulator will make them less competitive, whilst some commentators are concerned that the conditions

it places will make the UK a less appealing destination for technology conglomerates and the growing cyber sector.

“MPs and Lords are set to make their final decisions on the bill this month” But with 73% of the online grooming crimes of the past 6 years taking

place on Snapchat or Meta-owned platforms, with over 150 apps, games and websites being used in total to groom children, the NSPCC argues that these very same tech bosses and firms need tougher responsibilities laid on them, to crack down on the crimes occurring nationwide and in our own community.

The Online Safety Bill is currently in it's final reading stage, and once Parliament returns from its summer recess, it could be introduced to law as soon as this autumn.

Anthony Welsh - Head of Online

If voted for, strikes will likely take place from mid September

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round 1300 members at Go North East buses were balloted for strike action due to below-inflation pay offers for drivers and

engineers.

Trade union Unite said passengers will face “severe disruption” across North East England.

Go North East drivers and engineers have been offered pay cuts and changes to their terms and conditions. This includes a reduction in paid meal break durations and time to travel between bus stations, where some drivers sign on for work and their depots. Administrative and clerical staff have not received any pay offers.

“Trade Union, Unite, said passengers will face "severe disruption" across North East England” Image Credit: Pixabay

Unite general secretary, Sharon Graham, said: “Go-Ahead is a massive company running bus services, not just

in the north-east of England, but across the country and overseas. Yet they treat their workers with contempt by offering real-term pay cuts with these belowinflation offers.”

“Go North East said the Union was "refusing to engage" with the offer" Drivers have been offered a two-year deal, which consists of a 9.11% pay increase in the first year, followed by the rate of inflation next year.

But drivers said they were effectively "funding their own pay rise and working more hours for less pay".

Go North East said the union was "refusing to engage" with the offer.

Go North East business director, Ben Maxfield, said, “The two most talked about inflation measures, CPI and RPI, are currently running at 6.4% and 9.0% respectively. Our offer of 9.11% beats both these figures …Unite is claiming without any attempt at justification, that driver pay is not keeping up with inflation. Quite simply, it is a false flag” The depots that are being balloted and would be affected by industrial action are Consett, Gateshead, Hexham, Percy Main (North Shields), Sunderland, and Washington.

The ballot on industrial action will close on 12 September. If industrial action is voted for, strikes will likely take place from mid-September.

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Monday 11th September 2023

Head of Current Affairs: Sam Norman Page edited by: Rachael McCreanor

Campus Comment

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Dear Freshers: what I Time to decolonise the curriculum? wish I knew in first year Amana Khan - Campus Comment sub-editor

Libby Griffiths - Campus Comment sub-editor

Five sweet spots to check out to make you feel more at home in Newcastle

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wrote my first article for The Courier a year ago, based on the dreaded freshers' flu and my experience with it. Here’s what else I wish I knew as a fresher, other than to stock up on lemsip and paracetamol.

Don’t take anything too seriously.

Everyone is just as confused and nervous as you are.

Your experience is entirely based on what you make of it yourself.

Image Credit: Pixabay

Join a society to make friends. Ask someone for a coffee in the first week.

Email your lecturers, and remember their office hours. Learn to say yes more.

What steps have already been taken, and what measures are still needed

“Pick and choose which advice you follow, make your own rules"

ducation is a key part for of everyone’s lives, but despite the diverse cultures, religions and races within the UK, there remains a gap in the education system regarding these things.

In recent years steps have been taken to ensure education inclusivity. This has included protests that have tried to force universities to decolonise their curriculum in a variety of subjects, including history and chemistry, as well as teaching unions calling for decolonisation, arguing that black history and colonialism need to be taught in schools and universities.

However, the extent to which this has worked has been questioned. In 2020, it was reported that only a fifth of universities, including Queen Mary’s University of London and Bristol University, have begun decolonising their curriculum in order to “confront the harmful legacy of colonialism”. The push for decolonising education has been a prominent aspect of the fight for racial equality, however after the

But, be responsible. Register with a local GP. Try to do your readings on time. Going out every night of the week is unrealistic in the long run. Look after yourself, or it’ll catch up to you.

All that being said, you can fully reinvent yourself at university. A chance at a fresh start. Pick and choose which advice you follow and ignore. Make your own rules and your own life.

No matter what advice you decide to take, or not, you’ll always wish you knew more. You can’t ever be prepared enough for starting university. The only way to learn is through experience.

Who knows, maybe you’ll be writing the fresher’s ‘what I wish I knew’ article next year.

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murder of George Floyd this fight has become stronger, with arguments that Black History Month is not enough in recognising the injustices that racial minorities have faced and continue to face. Therefore, there has been a continued campaign to ensure a wider historical education of colonialism.

“The push for decolonising education has been a prominent aspect of the fight for racial equality" It was reported that academics and students found that higher educational institutions were reluctant to confront Britain’s history of slavery and racism in the present day, as well as these

institutions neglecting to understand that decolonising the curriculum involved “challenging and remaking the current pedagogy, which was rooted in imperial and colonial ideas about knowledge and learning, at an institutional level,” rather than just placing BAME authors on a reading list.

It is clear that there has been a lack of educational reform, which is a clear neglect of BAME history. Educational institutions are in need of further reform because neglecting teachings around the history of colonialism, slavery and racism, reinforces modern day racism, colour-blind ideologies and unconscious bias. Through teaching about Britain’s colonialist past, educational institutions encourage discussions about race and racism that are otherwise forgotten, and in turn this will help young people understand and confront the racisms seen today, as well as confronting their own biases.

Image Credit: Pixabay

Your one-stop guide to Newcastle Uni's Campus

Grace Boyle - Campus Comment sub-editor

Five sweet spots to check out to make you feel more at home in Newcastle

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ello Freshers and welcome to Newcastle University, it is a pleasure to have you and we hope you had an amazing summer! Moving to a new city can be very daunting but during your freshers week you have the opportunity to explore The Toon and get familiar with our beautiful campus.

Here is a list of places that should be added to your 'To check out' list: Did someone say Spoons? Well now we have one right on the campus doorstep. SURPRISE. This year, NUSU have remodelled Luther’s into a new and hot looking Weatherspoons serving food and drinks all day long. A

great spot for socialising with friends, getting a quick coffee before a lecture, or a checky post-study session pint. It’s the place to go to in the heart of campus and easy to find down the stairs of the Student’s Union.

“The Student's Union - the heart of campus and allround perfect spot" There are plenty of there places to check out in the students union mind you, it just has everything you could need when you are spending a day on campus. From Starbucks, food outlets, the very convenient Coop, a bar and the large number of

study spaces. It’s the heart of the University campus and an all-round perfect spot for meeting people. You will find events and gigs are hosted down in the huge basement, where you can find the student advice centre, and where lots of clubs and societies host their events. It is well worth exploring and seeing what is going on at the student’s union.

The Armstrong building isn’t just to pretty to look at but probably the most historic and iconic building on our campus. Inside the red brick walls,

Armstrong has housed and educated students since 1887 and the legacy continues. You can peek inside the halls of where in however many years, you may walk on stage and collect your degree and admire the memorials and art along the corridors. The arches and the architecture are a highlight of the picturesque campus and where you will no doubt pose in black robes when your time ends with us.

The Grand is definitely a sweet spot when you can get great coffee and sweet treats. Sitting inside or out, the cafe is lovely when you can watch the comings and goings of the students and want to get the ‘studying in a coffee shop vibe’. Also appreciate the plug socket ports everywhere! A little added bonus is that it is next to the University bookshop Blackwell’s where you can find a

great selection of fiction, non-fiction and importantly text books useful for the upcoming year. For you book lovers it might be dangerous to know they offer student discounts too.

Finally, you will come to know the debate between the best library the university has to offer and that is between Philip Robinson and the Majorie. Many will have differing opinions but, in this article, we are Philip Robinson supporters. This library is jam packed with books, study spaces and resources at your disposal to help you over the course of your degree. You may find yourself doing an all-nighter here with the perks of it being open 24/7 studying for that exam or writing that essay last minute. With hundreds of silent and group study spaces and the amazing number of vending machines offering a wonderful supply of snacks and drinks makes the Philip Robinson Library superior.

Image Credit: Instagram @newcastleuni @newcastlesu

Head of Current Affairs: Sam Norman Page edited by: Rachael McCreanor

Monday 11th September 2023

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Opinion Should politicians' wealth The first Republican influence public opinion? Presidential debate 8

Rhys James - News sub-editor

Have we really 'moved beyond' judging people based on their wealth?

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n May of this year The Sunday Times rich list reported that Rishi Sunak and his wife, Akshata Murty, have an estimated worth of around £529m, a fall of over £200m from 2022. I suppose even the extremely wealthy are “struggling” from the cost-of-living crisis.

Sunak is reportedly the UK’s wealthiest ever Prime Minister, although the PM believes that the UK has “moved beyond” judging people based on their worth. However, when the man leading the UK through one of the toughest financial periods in recent history falls in the list of the top 250 wealthiest British families, how could he possibly expect the British public to look past this?

The influence of a politician’s wealth on public opinion is a divided debate, with many believing that Sunak’s wealth means that he cannot be in touch with the financial issues that most of the British public face, but others seeing him as a smart and confident figure to lead the country through hard times. I certainly believe the former, with the famous Labour advert coming to mind: “Do you think it’s right to raise taxes for working people when your family has

benefited from a tax loophole? Rishi Sunak does.”

While I fully support the systems of Capitalism, I do not believe that people’s own selfishness of accumulating such a vast wealth as Sunak and his family has, while existing amongst and witnessing so many other families struggling to put food on the table and be warm during the winter months, is an aspect of Capitalism that should be accepted.

Capitalism can still exist alongside the sharing of extreme wealth.

Just for fun lets look as some of the promises that Rishi Sunak made entering No.10 and see how far they have come. One of Sunak’s five promises which he set out in January was to half inflation. Between October and December 2022, inflation was at 10.7%, and in July it had fallen to 6.8%. The Bank of England has said that it expects inflation to be around 5% by the end of the year, meaning that Sunak will have stuck to a promise, a rarity for politicians. Not every promise is going quite as well.

A promise that is very important to the British public is to decrease the NHS waiting lists. I doubt people even need to see statistics to know that this has definitely not happened. In

England, the overall number of patients waiting for treatment in England rose from 7.47 million in May to 7.57 million in June.

It is not even a question about whether politicians wealth influence’s public opinion, of course it does. When the UK economy remains smaller than it was pre-pandemic, bills continue to rise and NHS waiting lists continue to grow, yet the PM’s personal wealth sits comfortably in the hundreds of millions, how can anyone ignore this? Should the public’s opinions be influenced by Sunak’s wealth?

Absolutely. It is the right of the public to question everything about the person who is running their country, and this includes morals surrounding personal wealth.

identity, encompassing race, gender, education, family, opportunity, and language.

of England from a Northern perspective as anything but some form of alternate reality of what the North could blossom into if this socioeconomic divide was truly a fantasy.

This interpretation of the South is brief and admittedly not entirely informed due to my own position. However, the barebones facets are integral when looked at in conjunction with the reality that is living in ‘the North’ of England.

Northern neglect, disenfranchisement and the assumptions attributed to it are all three factors to understanding how, from the perspective of a Northerner, I have ended up in the position I am to write this article.

Image Credits: Pixabay and Flickr

Tommy Atkinson - News sub-editor

Let's unpack proceedings and see who came out on top

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epublican primary season has begun! Fox News hosted the first “Democracy ‘24” debate, welcoming all candidates who could appear in person and weren’t being arrested...

Winner - Donald Trump The former president was an absolute winner in this debate, as he is in all polling for the party nomination. He was the giant invisible elephant on the debate stage and was the subject of many lines of discussion throughout the slog fest between the rest of the GOP’s finest. Trump decided not to partake in the debate due to his massive lead in the polls and that he is basically wasting his time being in the same room with the likes of Asa Hutchinson and Doug Burgom. Instead of debating he chose to be interviewed on X by Tucker Carlson, the disgraced former Fox News anchor who now hosts an interview series on the platform but judging from the comments, only his diehard supporters can be bothered to watch. Despite not being there and running a campaign that is the subject of ridicule, Trump still managed to win the endorsement of every single one of the people debating that night, showing his ever-present vice grip around the Republican party.

Winner- Vivek Ramaswamy Ramaswamy, a self-proclaimed “Nixonian Realist” (no, I can’t decipher this either and I actually study Politics…) won the debate itself; his jabs at other candidates and constant large grin made it look like he was having fun and was far more politically seasoned than reality. His youth and inexperience also helped him position himself as the “outside candidate” on a stage of establishment politicians, a strategy we’ve seen work exceedingly well for a previous GOP candidate in 2016. While Mr Ramaswamy may have limited chances to win his party’s nomination ahead of Trump, trailing him in the polls by 41 points, he may be posturing for selection as Trump’s running mate and VP on the 2024 ticket; something that seems far more plausible after his debate performance.

Loser- Ron DeSantis Governor DeSantis fell flat on his face during this debate. Being centre stage and seen as the most realistic challenger to Trump only 6 months ago, he was wooden and sidelined for many of the key moments, especially on Ukraine and abortion - issues we know he has strong views on. DeSantis also seemed to tie himself in knots over the recent indictments of former President Trump, saying that the “election isn’t about January of 2021 but January of 2025”, a strange position that seems to satisfy no one. A poor performance gave rise to pre-existing concerns that the Florida Governor simply doesn’t have the right character to handle the ferocious nature of the American media.

My interpretation of the North/South divide Matthew Barratt - Science sub-editor

The reality of the North-South divide as seen by a Northern student

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s comforting as suggesting that the North-South divide is a thing of the past may be, this couldn’t be further from the truth.

What is untrue, however, is that England is a unified nation; that we, despite the inherent structural inequalities that comb every fiber of our existence, are all participants within this country for a shared purpose. That we all share a communal link of national identity is but a mere farce enforced by the upper echelons of the stratum to convince the lower masses – of both the North and South – that we are all in this together against the perils of tyrants from other countries, from the treasonous radicals within, and from the rapacious outsiders who wish invade our borders.

This extends beyond the unidentifiable dividing line between North and South because there is no true physical barrier. Some say Manchester. Some say York. Some people who haven’t left the bubble of the Capital say anything above London. Yet, our location is the starting point of the North-South divide, a discourse that leaks into the recesses of one’s geographical

“That we all share a communal link of national identity is but a mere farce enforced by the upper echelons of the stratum " More specifically, the North-South divide as we know it is examined through the contemporary lens of the past 40-50 years of socioeconomic disparity that grows more apparent each year. This dichotomy collides within the University system itself where, as ironic as it seems, local students from the North of England at Northern Universities feel isolated and distant from the masses of Southern students.

The North of England has, throughout history, been a place of lower life expectancy, lower income and limited opportunity.

Although debate would encourage the idea that the entire North has been placed at an institutional disadvantage, this obviously does not apply to all Northern residents and by extension, the privileges of living in the South most certainly do not pertain to all Southerners. The North is England, is still a wonderful place nonetheless: a culturally diverse hub with some breathtaking natural landmarks and famously friendly residents.

Nevertheless, it’s hard to view the South

“Neglect of these communities has only further separated the divide" As mentioned above, the contemporary discussion regarding the divide links back to the de-industrial process of the 1970-80s, a time in which unemployment ravaged not just the Northerners, but the Scottish and the Midlanders too. This period reduced once prosperous communities reliant on their respective industry to being at the mercy of the welfare state. The subsequent neglect of these communities has only further separated the pre-existing divide, enhancing many classist assumptions about the ‘backwards’ and ‘traditional’ nature of underdeveloped Northern communities. Contrary to popular

belief, the North has progressed socially and culturally along with the rest of the country and yet economic neglect and stagnation remains.

These factors fueled the vitriolic fires of the 2016 Brexit Referendum. Mainly the working classes with little to lose rallied into believing that they were combating a common hidden ‘enemy’ that never existed by leaving the EU, being unfortunately willing to sacrifice the freedoms of others in the process. In response to the outcome of the Referendum was an onslaught of blame attributed to the North and to working class communities within for being ‘stupid’ enough to succumb to Nationalistic ideologues of the Leave party, implying that those who voted to remain were simply just smarter to see through the layers of deception.

An incredibly complex situation was reduced to dispensing classist diatribes against ‘unintelligent’ working-class Northerners.

It’s this account of these fundamentals which form the basis of my interpretation of the NorthSouth divide as somebody who lives in the

Northeast of England, as I have become more aware of since entering University. The divide isn’t a trivial matter of basic culture as some would like to believe, like how there’s just so many Greggs’ in the North and not enough Pret’s. It’s a deeper issue that encompasses the institutional inequalities of economy, representation, and opportunity, recently worsened by the countrywide energy, housing and cost of living crisises on the back of a global pandemic that nearly brought the so-called ‘nation’ to its knees.

Image Credits: Pixabay

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Monday 11th September 2023

Head of Current Affairs: Sam Norman Page edited by: Rachael McCreanor

Science

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What can university students do to combat the climate crisis?

Izabela Marie Kirschnerová - News sub-editor

Nowadays, it is very easy to lose hope when it comes to the climate crisis

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eeing Kylie Jenner create a ton of carbon dioxide by taking a 17-minute flight can be demotivating to take any action at all. But while it is impossible for an individual to change anything, millions of individuals make a difference. Here are some steps everyone can take to help mitigate the climate crisis.

“It's impossible for one individual to create change, yet millions of individuals can" Sustainable shopping According to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the fast fashion industry is responsible for 10% of the world’s emissions. That is more than the maritime and aerospace industries combined. By introducing hundreds of new models of clothing every

week, fast fashion chains are creating a spiral of ‘fomo’ in customers who constantly fear of not being trendy enough. Newcastle offers a great range of charity shops that can make shopping more sustainable and a lot cheaper.

There are also many brands that make their clothes sustainably and do not harm the environment. It takes a few minutes of research to find the brand that fits your style.

Reducing waste Waste reduction is key to the prevention of pollution. Reusing products that would normally be thrown away is the easiest way to limit waste. For the people who menstruate, there are now many sustainable menstrual products like menstrual underwear or menstrual cups. While it might be a more expensive investment in the beginning, it pays off in the long run. The same goes for reusable cups because some coffee shops offer a discount if you bring one. Buying coffee in reusable cups for a year can save a lot of money (for more coffee). Having a reusable grocery bag has never hurt anyone either, and neither did buying products not wrapped in plastic.

Volunteering There are many opportunities to actively help the environment.

Newcastle University students have numerous volunteering options. For example, participants of NUSU’s Grow

Volunteer can try growing vegetables or flowers on campus. A Second Life is an up-cycling project dedicated to giving old products a new form of use.

And the Urban Green Volunteer offers a wide range of activities, such as picking up litter across parks in Newcastle.

There are many more volunteering opportunities on the NUSU’s website as well. By participating in such projects, one not only helps the environment but also networks with other people with similar goals.

“Helping the environment is not about being perfect, it's about small meaningful steps" Nobody’s perfect Lastly, helping the environment is not about being perfect. It is not about becoming a self-sustained farmer in one day. It is about small meaningful steps. In the context of the UK, there is such a wide range of products, brands, and people one can choose to support. But choosing those that do not harm anyone or anything is the least one can do. Because if demand changes, companies and politicians will notice and alter their strategies. Why else would there be a vegetarian option at McDonald's?

Image Credits: Pixabay

Newcastle City Council gains £50 million investment to allow revamp of science sector Matthew Barratt - News sub-editor

Newcastle is set to become a leading location in the life science industry

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ewcastle City Council has received a £50 million investment from an assortment of companies to help accelerate growth within its science sector.

The plan was initially announced at the Real Estate Investment and Infrastructure Forum (UK REiiF) in Leeds which took place between May 1618th, w it h the

hope of encouraging inclusive investment and employment opportunities. Director of Invest Newcastle, Jen Hartley, considered the plan as a “once in a lifetime opportunity” to meet the “growing demand [we] are seeing from spinouts, start-up and global brands”.

The investment opportunity was funded by the North East Local Enterprise Partnership (NELEP) who partnered with Newcastle City Council to bring the plan to the forefront.

Chief Executive of the NELEP, Helen Golightly added that with this major growth for the North

East’s economy, they “hope to double the number of jobs and double the number of businesses active in the sector by 2030”.

“The investment opportunity was funded by the North East Local Enterprise Partnership (NELEP)" Newcastle is a prime hotspot for life sciences with over 130 scienceoriented companies located within the region, many of which are based at Newcastle Helix, the prominent science sector. The city itself has a science eco-system worth over £1.5 Billion in research, experiments and i n f r ast r u c tu re and Newcastle Helix works c l o s e l y alongside academics at Ne w c a s t l e ,

Northumbria, Durham, Teesside, and Sunderland University – some of the highest achieving in the country - to help close the gap between academic and innovative scientific development.

The city’s science scene also leverages research to local NHS Hospital Trusts.

Areas of research and development involve urban planning, data, and ageing. Newcastle Helix is comprised of 24 acres with 20 different building plots, providing an estimated 4,000 jobs to the city.

“The Biosphere was a momentus success in public fundraising" Within Newcastle Helix is the Biosphere, a research center that launched in 2018. The Biosphere was a momentous success in public fundraising, receiving £8.6 million in funding from the NELEP’s Local Growth Fund. The Biosphere also works alongside The International Centre for Life (est. 2000) which not only showcases a range of exhibits but also is a leading research center for genetics and fertility treatment.

Fitted with chemistry and biology labs

and office space, the Biosphere aims to connect businesses to collaborate within Newcastle.

Recently, The Biosphere has reached full capacity, housing 20 businesses that are working towards solutions for cancer, climate change and Covid-19 research Companies include: Newcells Biotech, CellRev, AMLo Biosciences, Iksuda Therapeutics and many more. Raising over £50 million in investment, these

companies have been able to expand their operations into The Biosphere, generating more than 100 highly skilled jobs in the process.

Councilor Alex Hay at Newcastle City Council celebrated the investment and its long-term impacts for “supporting graduate retention”, helping to “secure Newcastle’s position as a leader in life sciences and innovation”.

Image Credits: Flickr, Pixabay

Monday 11th September 2023

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Student Media

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The Courier Senior Team Gabbi de Boer Editor-In-Chief

Rachael McCreanor Deputy Editor

Ross Bennett Deputy Editor

Anthony Welsh Head of Online

Imogen Smillie Heads of Culture Lucy Bower

Paige Rutter and Jess Bradbury Social Media

Sam Norman Head of Current Affairs

Samantha Seidu Heads of Life & Style Daisy Harrison

Arthur Ferridge Head of Sport

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Monday 11th September 2023

Student Media

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NUTV and NSR Sophie McMillan NUTV Station Manager

Daisy Harrison NUTV Deputy Station Manager

Daisy Slater NSR Station Manager

Erin Reid NSR Deputy Station Manager

Get Involved!

We hold a student media afternoon every wednesday in the Bamburgh Room, Student Central, 1:30pm-2:30pm, where you can get involved with all three branChes of student media. Can't make this? Don't worry! All Opportunities will be posted on our social media or the Facebook Noticeboard! @thecourieronline @thisisNSR @newcastleunitv

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Heads of Life & Style: Daisy Harrison and Samantha Seidu

Monday 11th September 2023

Relationships

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Long distance friendships: staying in How to bond contact when time zones are at play with new flatmates Marina Synder - Lifestyle Sub-Editor

Time zones make it harder to keep in contact with loved ones, but you may appreciate your friendship that much more...

“

Why did you call me at 7 am?”

“Well, why are you replying only now to my call at 1 p.m.?”

“I was in a lecture!”

“What? Really? What country are you even in atm?”

“America!”

A real conversation I had the other day with my best friend of 7 years, and one we have had countless times before. Having long-distance friends can often be a struggle, one that, though it is necessary, is certainly not for the faint-hearted.

With that said, that does not mean that putting in effort to see and talk to your friends who may live on opposite sides of the world is not worth it.

Having moved around a lot over the past few years, I’ve ended up with most of my friends living in different countries, if not different continents, and with most people moving to university, a lot of people are in the same boat having to leave their friends back home. But the question is: How can you maintain these friendships?

My advice is to understand that, to begin with, it can be hard. Really hard. You’ll miss them constantly, wishing for just one more

sleepover or you may see some of your friends back home arranging things without you and feel like you’re constantly missing out. It’s difficult to not obsess over, to not want to Facetime and call every day to cling to these friendships and your past life. But, although it’s important to keep in touch, just remember you also need to make space for a new life and the new people you will meet and become friends with.

In this digital era, there is no better time to stay in touch with long-distance friends. Even if

you’re in different time zones, send TikToks and pictures and voice messages to wake up to, it’s little

“Send TikToks and pictures

and voice messages to wake up to, it’s little things that just help you connect and maintain that friendship” things that just help you connect and maintain that friendship. Being long-distance isn’t all that bad; for one thing, when you do call, even if it's after a couple of weeks or a month, getting to catchup will be a three-hour conversation updating each other about everything and anything and it will be sure to brighten the rest of your week. Also, if your best friend lives in another country, then you’ll get the perfect excuse to travel and explore places and get free accommodation with it!

All in all, having a friend across the world is difficult, but it’s not impossible. By the end of it, it will amaze you how much you can grow together as friends, despite being on separate continents or countries. Your friendship will be tested, but if you make it out at the end, then you can appreciate the fact that your friendship can get through anything, making you friends for life!

Image credit: Pixabay

Making new friends during freshers week Lana Free - Fashion & Beauty Sub-Editor

If you're worried about making friends when starting uni, read this guide to put your mind at ease...

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aking friends in your late-teens and twenties seems a lot harder than when you were a kid; in primary school, asking someone to share a crayon or play with you at break time was the key to sparking a friendship. Now, you’ve moved away from your school friends and are placed back at square one.

But this time there are no crayons to share and your youthful innocence has been replaced with a small dose of social anxiety. The main thing to remember is that everyone is in the same boat and will be thinking the same thing: what if I don’t make friends? Trust me, you will. But to help you out, here’s my foolproof list of ways to make friends at uni.

“Societies are a great way

to meet people because of shared interests” 1) Talk to people Even if you’re not the most extroverted person, chatting to new people is the main way you’re going to get to know everyone. Don’t be afraid to spark up a conversation with someone you sat next to in a lecture or are in a society with, because they could be your next best mate. Or just someone you see around for the next 3 years. Societies are a great way to meet people because of shared interests, so chances are you’ll get along with at least one person there!

2) Say yes There are a lot of parties and events going on all the time (especially in freshers) so say yes to as

much as possible. If no one sees you at anything you won't be able to get to know people properly, and even if you’re too shy to start a conversation there’ll always be someone around who will. If you’re stuck for things to do, NUSU post current activities on their Instagram and there’s always a mix of things: from dog cafe visits and beach days, to quiz nights and sports games. Sign up for as much as possible!

“Everyone is so open to meeting new faces ”

3) Invite people to things Be the organiser! Host a flat party and ask your flat mates to bring their friends and invite the neighbours too - you’ll end up meeting people from so many different courses and accommodations without trying too hard. If you’d rather not organise something, invite a flatmate or a society friend to another event you’ve seen. Everyone is so open to meeting new faces in freshers (and first year in general), so take advantage of that.

your face and body language, and try to be as approachable as possible!

5) Compliment someone This is possibly one of the best ways to start a conversation because it’s an easy talking point.

You’re saying something nice and everyone likes to be flattered! There are also so many things you can compliment someone on: their hair, their style, items of clothing, jewellery… literally anything.

People react well to compliments 9.9 times out of 10, so it’s pretty much a foolproof way to start a conversation and hopefully a friendship.

6) Social Media Add people on social media and make group chats! Make sure you’re in a group chat with your flat mates and course mates, and add new people you’ve met on social media too. Even if a few months down the line you have to un-add a bunch of strangers that you added on Snapchat when you were drunk in Soho, it’s still worth asking people and making some sort of connection.

Remember that everyone is there to make new friends and have a good time, so don’t be scared to put yourself out there.

4) Don’t have your headphones in 24/7 Despite being one of the biggest music-lovers out there, I advise against having your headphones in all the time… especially in your first year.

It automatically makes you unapproachable when you’re wearing headphones and people will be less likely to start up a conversation with you, so leave them in your bag more than you usually would.

Be friendly and open to conversation with Image credit: Pixabay

Rebecca Wright - Relationships Sub-Editor

Rebecca shares some top tips to overcome the daunting experience of meeting new flatmates

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hether you’re moving to uni for the first time or you’re just moving in with some new people, the prospect of having to ‘bond’ with your new flatmates can be daunting, even if you aren’t particularly shy or introverted. For better or worse, your flatmates are sure to shape your uni experience in one way or another! It can be difficult making this transition, but these are a few tips that have certainly helped ease it for me.

1. The first week counts It is so much easier to build any kind of relationship with someone when you first meet them. And, as much as I hate to say it, first impressions do matter. Personally, I’ve found that it’s much easier to break the ice in the first week of meeting someone new, than further down the line. This doesn’t have to feel artificial and procedural - it can be something as simple as spending more time in communal areas and getting used to each other’s presence, organising a group night out, or even just leaving your door open so people know you’re open to talking to them!

2. Confidence is key For whatever reason, a lot of people doubt that they are even worth getting to know, or that they possess any quality that is interesting to other people, and don’t bother being open to others. Now is the time to throw that doubt to the wind, and just go for it. You are cool enough, smart enough, and interesting enough to be anyone’s friend you’d like. If you don’t believe me, you’re welcome to prove me wrong, but you might just surprise yourself. That familiarity we crave with the people we live with can only be cultivated through frequent exposure. In other words, you’re probably going to have to speak to them for the silence to ever feel comfortable.

“You are cool enough, smart

enough and interesting enough”

3. It doesn’t matter anyway Oftentimes, and especially in your uni years, there’s this pressure to find your ‘forever’ people in the first few weeks of being there. You may very well do this, but it isn’t necessarily the norm. It’s crazy, really, to expect to connect so well with people that you’ve been randomly allocated with. This creates a lot of pressure and jealousy around your relationships with others, because you might be wondering “why doesn’t this feel like that?” or “what am I doing wrong?”

Putting this unnatural pressure on the relationships you make with others will make them feel just that, unnatural. Instead, try to appreciate the people you live with for what they are, not what you’re trying to make them. And if you’re still waiting to find your ‘forever’ friends – they’re out there, I promise!

Heads of Life & Style: Daisy Harrison and Samantha Seidu

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Monday 11th September 2023

Lifestyle

Rest and relaxation: the summer of nothing Rebecca Wright - Relationships Sub-Editor

Sometimes, the best way to relax during summer is simply to do nothing

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reviously, summer has been a time to let go and experience things that I wouldn’t normally get to during term-time. I’ve relaxed by breaking routine, visiting new places and investing my energy in holidays and festivals. This year was a little different.

I certainly found time to relax over summer, though not in the ways I thought I would. As someone who really likes to travel, I went on a few little city breaks in Italy, Scotland and Ireland. I’ve spent my summer doing a lot of what I usually do, but with a much calmer attitude towards it all.

Rather than rushing around and making my holidays action-packed, I did my best to slow everything down. I café-hopped around Dublin and wandered the streets of sleepy church town Monselice in Italy, collecting postcards and journaling as I went. I ate my weight in pasta in Venice, I ran around like an excited child on a rainy North Berwick beach with my boyfriend.

“It’s been gorgeous, to do

close to nothing with the people I love, and to take the time to reflect on what memories I have made” Despite seeing some really beautiful things this summer, though, the most beautiful part was just being able not to rush it all.

It’s been gorgeous, as boring as it sounds, to do close to nothing with the people I love, and to take the time to reflect on what memories I have made. In a way, it's made the summer seem a lot longer than it was, though it still feels too soon to be retreating back to the bustle of university life.

Going forward into September, I’d love to say that I’ll maintain this carefree attitude,

COURIER

How to flow through

Freshers' Week pressure free Ned Carter-Owen - Film Sub-Editor

It may feel like there's a lot of pressure riding on your Freshers' experience - here's how to avoid those feelings

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reshers’ week is a wonderful and exciting start to uni life. Packed full of society events, course introductions and nightlife antics, there is so much to sink your teeth into. However, all of this choice and sudden freedom can be daunting; so in this article I hope to offer some guidance to quiet any preuni nerves.

Firstly, a quick word on “pressure”. I think there are multiple types of pressure when it comes to Freshers' expectation and experience. It is worth mentioning that pressure you put on the week yourself can be quite distracting. There’s so much hype around this first week that it may seem like the be all and end all, but I can assure you it is not. Think of it as the beginning of something great, and if it’s exactly what you hoped for then that’s amazing, but if not then be reassured in the enormous amount of time you have left of the year!

Now in terms of external pressures, such as from peers or FOMO, if you feel uncomfortable, there is no shame in removing yourself from any

situation.

Remember that whatever it is you’re being pressured into is a tiny drop in the huge, exciting pond that is Newcastle. Don't feel bad about not taking part and instead seek out the other drops.

There are thousands of other like-minded people and hundreds of better-suited activities that are waiting to be found.

“If you feel uncomfortable,

there is no shame in removing yourself from any situation” That being said, I think it’s important to highlight the distinction between nervousness and pressure. You will find yourself in situations that you are not used to and therefore may very well venture out of your comfort zone. Now once out of that zone, again if it feels all wrong, then don’t stay! But I certainly found so many new things that I enjoyed and met so many great people in situations that I never imagined myself in. In particular I think of a fellwalking society beach event, where I ended up winning the rounders game, despite having a lifelong disliking of competitive sport.

The brilliant thing about university life, and especially in Freshers' Week, is that you can try

so many things without committing. There is no pressure to stick with the same people or the same society, so explore as much as possible.

Now, I’m not saying that all of the products are Lastly I’d like to make a reminder not to forget basic human decency in these new unfamiliar territories and to urge you to focus on the commonalities rather than the differences. You don’t have to like the same things as people, or do the same stuff, but don’t isolate yourself or anyone else because of these differences. Of course I’m not saying to give your misogynist, heroin-injecting flatmate a second chance, just to consider that everyone is likely feeling the same nerves and undergoing the same amount of change – that right there is a shared experience to bond over.

I’d say the best way to approach freshers is to imagine yourself as a flowing river. Travel by and through everything, opting to stop and create ponds or lakes at places you find interesting, but as soon as you feel yourself hitting a hard uncomfortable rock, don’t stress, just wind on around and keep moving!

Image credit: Pixabay

Coping with homesickness Madeha Ali - Music Sub-Editor

Here's some top strategies to help subdue homesickness

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tarting university is an exciting and transformative journey that offers countless opportunities for personal growth, academic validation, and lifelong friendships. However, for many students, this transition can also bring about feelings of anxiety and homesickness. The longing for familiar sights, sounds, and faces can become overwhelming without the correct support

system. If you find yourself grappling with homesickness, find solace in the fact that you are not alone. In this article, I will explore strategies to deal with homesickness and make the most of your university experience.

1) Create a home away from home From personal experience, decorating my new bedroom played a crucial role in easing my homesickness. By bringing a piece of my old life to my new environment, I established a comforting space where I could retreat when the pangs of homesickness struck. The photographs, posters, and cherished items I surrounded myself with acted as constant reminders of where I came from.

“Decorating my new

bedroom played a crucial role in easing my homesickness”

“Rather than rushing around

and making my holidays action-packed, I did my best to slow everything down” though just from looking at the number of books in my reading list I don’t know that it will be achievable.

What I do know, though, is that autumn is here; which means that watching gossip girl in my pyjamas with an oat milk cappuccino might just be enough to make the whole experience bearable!

THE

2) Seek connection This time last year, I arrived in Newcastle knowing no one. However, I quickly realised that I was far from alone in this predicament. While forming new connections took time, each interaction brought a glimmer of friendship that eased any loneliness I experienced. So, don’t be shy to ask someone to meet up - whether that be for a drink or a library session.

Who knows, they may end up being your new best friend!

Image credit: Pixabay

3) But also stay connected!

Maintaining contact with loved ones from home can be a strong remedy for homesickness. And in today’s digital age, staying in contact has never been easier. Set aside time to schedule video or phone calls with family and friends to share your experiences and hear about each other’s lives.

“Set aside time to schedule

video or phone calls with family and friends”

4) Explore your new surroundings Whilst it’s completely natural to miss home, remember that you are in a new and exciting place! Take the time to explore campus and the surrounding areas. Find your new favourite cafe or park. Discovering new places with new friends can help distract from feelings of homesickness.

5) Practice self-care Amidst the adjustment to university life, prioritising your physical and emotional wellbeing is of paramount importance. Engage in activities that bring you joy, such as exercising, reading or even just getting cosy and watching Netflix! Adequate sleep, a balanced diet, and a stable routine can contribute towards a more positive mindset.

Homesickness is a natural part of the university experience, and with time, it does get easier.

However, if your homesickness becomes overwhelming, don’t be afraid to seek support!

Remember that universities offer a range of support services to help students navigate these challenges. Your peer mentor, personal tutor, and course leader are just a few examples of people who can provide guidance and point you in the right direction. Reaching out for help can pave the way for a more enriching and fulfilling university experience.

THE

COURIER

Heads of Life & Style: Daisy Harrison and Samantha Seidu

Monday 11th September 2023

Fashion & Beauty

Newcastle Vintage stores to look out for Marina Synder - Lifestyle Sub-Editor

Here are some shops to keep an eye out for in Newcastle's vibrant vintage scene

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s a personal lover of all vintage things and antiques, when I first moved to Newcastle, I enjoyed the hunt for vintage clothing and charity shops. Though at first, you may not suspect Newcastle would have much of a vintage store setting, when you know the right places to look, you can be guaranteed to find some cute items to wear to your 3 p.m. lectures without having to break the bank.

Some of my top suggestions include Retro, a vintage clothing store that’s tucked away near Grey Street. Retro holds a lot of stylish and classic vintage clothing items from leather jackets to 20s style fur coats, it’s easy to spend an enjoyable afternoon looking through their collection of oldschool style clothes.

“When you know the right

places to look, you can be guaranteed to find some cute items to wear”

If you’re looking for something a bit more central and a bit less independent, there’s also ‘The Vintage Clothing Store’ on Northumberland Street. The store, also found in York, is a chain which sells lots of vintage clothing ranging from decades whether it’s a vintage Nike sweatshirt or an 80s bomber

jacket.

Personally, I also enjoy taking a wander through Grainger Market, which is where you can find The Yesterday Society vintage clothing shop, a colourful and vibrant store that sells lots of little vintage items from sunglasses to scarves to 60s-style dresses. Whether you’re a fan of vintage clothing or need something to wear for a themed party, I always enjoy taking a wander through the store.

“If you don’t mind the search

great for a lot cheaper than a usual vintage shop, so it’s definitely something to take a look at.

I’d also highly recommend going to markets.

Ouseburn has a weekend market for independent sellers and makers and often there will be a few vintage items. This also applies to the Tynemouth Saturday and Sunday market, which is not just a great trip to the beach but also includes selling old cameras and prints to quench your vintage hearts. Also, Ouseburn Garden occasionally holds a small vintage clothing sale, selling a lot of unique clothing. And even if you don’t find anything, it still makes a good day out!

for vintage pieces, then I also recommend just visiting some of the local charity shops” If you’re looking for some vintage furniture or objects, a great place I’d recommend near Portland Green and Ouseburn, is Flea Circus, a department store of independent sellers that sell lots of vintage gems, from lamps to tables to vinyl, if you look well enough, there’s tons of great finds!

If you don’t mind the search for vintage pieces, then I also recommend just visiting some of the local charity shops. There is one particular street, near the Gate, that has the majority of the charity shops along the street. Salvation Army, British Red Cross, Marie Curie, and all the main charity shops are there and often have a lot of cute items if you look hard enough. Also, a lot of the time you can find something

Don't let being busy stop you from feeling your best

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niversity life is notoriously busy.

Your schedule is packed with lectures, seminars, coffee dates, exams, nights out, the gym, meals to be cooked, and laundry.

Everyone wants to look and feel their best, but finding the time on a busy schedule might prove more challenging than you originally thought!

Here are 5 tips to show up to every event in your packed planner looking like a god/goddess: 1. Beauty sleep Your mum was right all along - beauty sleep is a real thing! Getting a solid night's sleep truly helps your appearance, minimising dark circles, brightening your complexion, and improving overall mood. That being said, uni brings both wild nights out and 9am lectures, so some sleep will have to be sacrificed…but maybe give the 4-day-bender a miss if you want to show up as your best self!

“Have a solid, simple

skincare and/or makeup routine and stick to it on the busy days” 2. Carry the essentials Sometimes there isn’t enough time to go back to your room and freshen up between events, so

carrying a few beauty essentials in your bag is key.

I’d recommend a pack of gum or mints (no one likes bad breath!), a hairbrush and hair bobbles, mini perfume or deodorant, lip balm, a water bottle, and a portable charger. Long days will also be extremely tiring, so bring a few snacks to keep your energy up.

3. Solidify your routines Having set daily routines will cut down your getting ready time by a considerable amount.

Have a solid, simple skincare and/or makeup routine and stick to it on the busy days - save the eyeliner experimentation for when you actually have the time!

4. Pre-planned outfits Channel your inner Cher from Clueless by taking pictures of all your outfits and storing them in a folder on your phone. You’ll have all your outfit combinations right there at your fingertips and won’t need to think about putting together something cool or chic when you haven’t got the time to decide. Or if you’re not that organised, then simply choose your outfit the night before.

Which leads to the next point:

Olivia Carter - Film Sub-Editor

Keeping on top of fashion trends can be hard whilst you have a limited budget the best week of your life

A Image credit: Instagram @ Image credit:

How to look and feel good when dealing with a busy schedule Lana Free - Fashion & Beauty Sub-Editor

15 Feeling fresh without financial stress

feeling good usually requires a balanced diet that fuels you properly, and that can be difficult when you haven’t got a lot of time. Planning your meals before you go shopping can really help, as well as making your breakfast or lunch the night before.

Secondly, having a nighttime skincare routine usually means you’ll wake up with a better complexion and will therefore cut down the minutes you’ll need to spend on yourself in the morning. This can also go for applying hair products etc. Spend time on yourself when you can - to still look and feel good when you’re short on time. Being super busy at uni can be unbelievably fun and rewarding, but it’s also extremely tiring. Taking a day or night to yourself every week to refresh may save you from feeling down and unorganised, and help you to feel and look your absolute best.

“Spend time on yourself

when you can - to still look and feel good when you’re short on time”

5. “Being high maintenance to be low maintenance” The basic breakdown of this point is being prepared the night before, so you can feel and look your best the next day, and many thingsImage credit: Instagram @laneige_us can fall under this headline. First of all,Image credit: Pixabay

s a university student who is constantly surrounded by changing fashion and trending styles, it is so important for me that my personal style represents who I am whilst remaining relevant and trendy.

Personally, I don’t have one particular style, therefore, my wardrobe is expanding all the time with random pieces here and there as I impulse buy and strive to stay up to date.

This can have its consequences, however, as I am forced to watch my bank account take hit after hit, leaving me with limited funds.

As someone who cares about my personal fashion and has an interest in mixing my style up constantly, it is important for me to find ways to stay on top of it all whilst saving my pennies.

Second hand fashion is the key; no, I’m not suggesting you buy a horribly overpriced, stained jumper from The Vintage Store. My go to this year has been Vinted, an online second hand fashion retailer that allows users to sell their old clothes and items that they don’t want anymore. Although rather similar to Depop, it has not yet been plagued with an incessant community of ‘Y2K’ sellers flogging new Primark as vintage. I have had many successes myself using this app, even selling a few of my old clothes to lovely and reliable buyers. As one sells, a balance can be built up as a part of your account that can either be drawn out as a profit or credited onto the app itself, creating a satisfying cycle of buying and selling.

Charity shops are also a big win when it comes to finding hidden gems; having become more popular in recent years amongst our generation, prices are slowly rising with the demand, but not enough to cause any real competition between their department store neighbours. They are great as they take away the need for online shopping, keeping the high street in full swing, something that I have noticed is slowly dying out, particularly within the trade of clothing. There are so many charity options dotted around the city centre of Newcastle (and Jesmond); it is easy to find what you are looking for.

Whilst The Vintage Store can be a great place to go for inspiration and a cheeky one-off purchase, other stores such as The Vintage Scene, located down Ridley Place, and The Yesterday Society Vintage Boutique, found within Grainger Market, are great alternatives with just as good attire and slightly less overbearing music. Whilst based slightly out of Newcastle, Durham Textiles is a great vintage unit sale that sells great second hand clothing for super affordable prices; they can be found on Facebook, taking part in car boot sales and opening up their unit to the public - with consistently great prices, I find it hard not to leave with a whole bin bag of ‘new’ clothing!

Heads of Life & Style: Daisy Harrison and Samantha Seidu

16

Monday 11th September 2023

Food & Drink

A summer of good food Rosie Brennan - Opinion Sub-Editor

Foods that have been worth obsessing over

L

ike every other young woman on the entire planet, the rise of the so-called ‘girl dinner’ has completely taken over my TikTok. For those unfortunate enough to be unfamiliar with the term, a ‘girl dinner’ typically refers to a random concoction of whatever foods are left in your kitchen. It usually takes zero amount of cooking (not even 200 degrees for 20 minutes) and can often take on the form of a non-pinterest worthy cheese board.

“The perfect girl dinner for me would be a delicious carbonara” While I have always loved a good cheese board, the foods I have been obsessing over during summer are much more substantial. The perfect girl dinner for me would be a delicious carbonara, with fresh sauce, crispy salty bacon and, of course, tons of parmesan grated over the top. I kid you not, on holiday in Barcelona this year, my friend and I went to the same Italian restaurant (very Spanish, I know) and ate the exact same carbonara for three nights in a row.

Absolutely. Unreal.

The second food on my list is also one for the girls. There’s just something about a Cesar

salad that cannot be explained. The crispiness of the croutons mixed with the tangy dressing (and obviously, grated parmesan, the star of the show) makes for an ultimate meal. If you really want to take this to the next level, add a side of crispy salted fries onto the side and an ice-cold diet coke. Trust me.

A summer abroad would not be complete without the taste of an Aperol Spritz. It can be an acquired taste. Don’t be fooled by the neon-orange look of it.

Many hearts have been broken as a result of people believing this drink would actually taste like a sweet orange.

Nevertheless, the zesty, bittersweet tang of the drink can be a perfect accompaniment to the sunshine. And if you end up hating it, at least you can post a picture of it, so you look like one of those aesthetic European summer girls we all secretly long to be like.

THE

COURIER

Recipe of the year: Pesto Pasta Daisy Harrison - Head of Life & Style

A foolproof recipe to see you through Freshers' (and beyond) Ingredients: Dried pasta (my favourite is farfelle) Jar of pesto Cheese (if you're having boujee) Method: Step 1: Pour your dried pasta into a pan (however much your heart desires).

Step 2: Boil the water and add to a pan with your dried pasta.

Step 3: Remember to geneorusly salt the pasta water!

Step 4: Bring the water to a boil and let the pasta cook for around 10 minutes.

Step 5: Once cooked, drain the water and add a few dollops of pesto.

Step 6: Then grate bascially an entire block of cheese over it.

Voila, a gourmet meal prepared in no time!

Image:@aperolspritzuk on Instagram

Freshers' cupboard essentials Anna Nix - Food & Drink Sub-Editor

Grab these essential items in your next shop and you'll never be stuck without a meal.

M

oving to university, settling in, finding new friends, and getting your bearings in a new city can be overwhelming. It might overtake your life so much so that you forget you actually need to feed yourself from now on as well. I doubt that any of us came to university with master chef skills - if so congratulations to you - but for the rest of us, some cupboard essentials are just what’s going to save us from buying a Tesco meal deal every day.

Breakfast time: Whether you start your day early with a 9am lecture or you get to sleep in, you might not want to start your day by whipping up a five-star breakfast. Keep things like cereal, yogurt, milk, crumpets and some porridge packages in your kitchen. That way you will always have something low-effort on hand for your mornings.

Pasta, pasta, oh and pasta (while you’re at it – rice): Pasta is probably every student’s best friend. It fills you up, is ridiculously easy to make and there are so many variations of it.

Image: Pixabay

Spaghetti, Macaroni, Fettuccine, Fusilli, Penne, or even Gnocchi, are all great and you can alternate between them and feel good about your chef skills.

And while you are out buying pasta, throw some rice in with your groceries as well. Same as pasta, it is easy to make and is a nice change from your pasta-based diet.

Post night out saviours: We all know the feeling when you come home late, after a long day of lectures or a night out and all you want is something effortless to eat.

In

that case a frozen pizza or some chicken nuggets are exactly what you will be looking for. My advice is to keep a version of these quickies in your freezer because there will come a time when they will be handy.

On the healthy side: To keep yourself (and your mum) in belief that you are being healthy, go ahead and buy some vegetables. You can always throw them

in with pretty much whatever you are cooking. If nothing comes to mind, I find that a pasta salad with whatever vegetables, you have in your fridge always does the trick.

Protein: When you are putting together a groceries list for the next day, do not forget to include some protein.

Whether that is meat for you or other options like eggs, chickpeas, lentils or beans, always have some wating for you when you get home.

Salt and pepper and seasoning: Your meals will be so much more enjoyable if you don’t forget to buy seasoning for your cupboard.

Add salt, pepper, and then whatever your taste buds desire and you might even look forward to your own cooked meals.

Just bread: When everything else fails, always have a few slices of bread to save you. Bread, some ham and cheese, or anything else you find in your fridge, and you will always end up with a satisfying sandwich to cure your hunger.

Quick snack: And finally for some quick snacks that you can just grab on your way to a lecture.

Keep a collection of chocolate bars, muesli bars, and random crackers. When you will be running from one lecture to another, they will be most convenient.

THE

COURIER

Monday 11th September 2023

Heads of Life & Style: Daisy Harrison and Samantha Seidu

Travel

17

Summer recap... Budget-friendly Krack-ing Krakow travel locations Daisy Harrison - Head of Life & Style

T

owards the end of August, my two friends and I travelled to Krakow, Poland. It was a jam-packed five days of sightseeing, good food, and wonderful weather. Krakow is a beautiful, interesting city; here’s some of my highlights: Kazimierz Otherwise known as the Jewish Quarter, we repeatedly went to Kazimierz. It was filled with food markets, coffeeshops, bookshops, bars, and more. Krakow is a very cheap city – we had cocktails for less than £3 in Kazimierz! It was also great to walk around the area and take in some of its history.

Judah Food Market This is located in Kazimierz but deserves its own bullet point. Judah Food Market has several trucks serving a wide range of food – from zapiekanki to jacket potatoes, there's something to suit everyone’s tastes. I had my dream burger (peanut butter and chilli jam) whilst my friends had pierogi (filled dumplings). A few days later, we bought chimney cakes. These were made from a soft, sweet dough and covered with sugar on the outside. I had mine filled with Nutella, ice-cream, and brownie pieces… delicious!

Baseny na Zakrzowku Visiting this outdoor pool was the highlight of our holiday. Baseny na Zakrzowku is newly opened, which meant that it was completely free to visit. It was only a 20-minute tram ride out of the city and consists of multiple swimming pools, each

with a different depth, and a huge lake. We spent all day diving, bombing, and floating around in the gorgeous, clear water. There’s also rocks that you can jump off into the lake, which was a lot of fun.

If we had been in Krakow longer than five days, we would have definitely returned to Baseny na Zakrzowku.

Wielicka Salt Mine On our last day in Krakow, we visited Wielicka Salt Mine. After descending 135m, we were given a tour around the mine, which included underground chambers, saltine lakes, and statues made of salt. One of these chambers included the Chapel of St Kinga, which displayed chandeliers made of crystal salt. The tour guide encouraged us to lick the walls of the mine, as they tasted like salt!

Honourable mentions for our time in Krakow include: exploring the Old Town, walking along the Vistula river to the funfair, and dragonhunting in the Wawel Castle grounds. Krakow is a fabulous city - it's cheap, easy to get around, and friendly. I’d recommend it to anyone!

Image: Daisy Harrison

Charlie Reid - Travel Sub-Editor

Escape the UK without breaking the bank

A

s the UK embraces a summer of turbulent weather, the urge to travel to sunnier (and less grey) destinations is prevalent.

However, with the cost of living crisis keeping much of the UK public in its grip, people looking for a warm escape are keen to skip notoriously expensive holiday destinations, such as the Greek islands or Ibiza.

Boasting balmy temperatures and quiet beaches, Albania has seen its tourism skyrocket as a budgetfriendly holiday destination, over the likes of Croatia. With affordable accommodation options dotted along its Adriatic coastline, Albania is the perfect destination for a low-cost summer holiday. For intrepid holidaygoers, Albania offers vast mountain landscapes with quaint towns and villages nestled amongst them, making it the perfect option for individuals looking to keep busy whilst away.

Despite Europe's obvious appeal during the summer season, prices are reaching unimaginable highs, driving tourists away from Mediterranean hotspots. With costs of accommodation, meals, and activities being more budget-friendly further afield, by keeping an eye on flights in advance, individuals can secure (more) affordable long-haul flights to Asia, or Africa for example.

Using Google’s flight tracker tool, you can stay up to date with notifications alerting you to

How is plastic waste The affecting sea turtles?

Mia Dale - Campus Comment Sub-Editor

W

e often throw around the phrases ‘save the turtles’ and ‘don’t use plastic straws’, but is enough action really being taken to save our marine life?

My experience looking after injured turtles this summer in Sri Lanka has confirmed that there definitely is not…

Plastic waste has detrimental effects on our sea life. From micro plastics to larger bottles and bags, our rubbish is harming marine life in a multitude of ways. Turtle sanctuaries provide care to disabled or inured turtles that are unable to survive independently in the ocean. At the sanctuary I volunteered at, one turtle in particular saddened me. She is 184 years old and weighs 65kg. Her overingestion of polythene has caused her stomach to swell, meaning she constantly floats, and the top of her shell will never fully submerge under water.

Sea turtles are one of the only animals that can’t be operated on, so we can’t remove the plastic from her stomach without her losing her life.

After seeing the amount of waste that has been washed up during our beach cleans, it’s no surprise that turtles end up in this situation. On average, a small group of us would collect 80kg of rubbish in just one beach clean. Seeing this amount of plastic waste, whilst looking after the turtles that have consumed it, really opens your eyes to the urgency of the situation.

Plastic bags, bottles, and straws have become a huge threat to sea life, but so have micro plastics, which are less commonly addressed in the media. These micro plastics are

ingested by smaller sea animals and can therefore be passed through food chains (even to humans!).

For example, the ingestion of micro plastics in baby sea turtles blocks their gastrointestinal areas, causing them to die of starvation. This is a big reason why such a limited number of sea turtles survive but is something that can be prevented by humans. If we reduced our waste and disposed of it correctly, our marine life would have a much better chance at survival. As the World Wildlife Organisation states, 52% of the world’s turtles have consumed plastic waste. Our production of plastic is increasing at a much faster rate than our methods of disposing of it safely, which is posing increasing threats to sea life.

Volunteering at a turtle sanctuary has really opened my eyes to the severity of the situation, and it is something that I believe everyone should witness if they can. But even without this direct experience, we must collectively work harder to reduce our plastic usage, and waste. Whilst change is needed from large corporations, we can individually make a difference by educating one another and reducing our plastic usage.

Image: Mia Dale

the fluctuations in flight prices. Another great option to secure cheaper flights is using external companies such as Jacks Flight Club, which sends its members regular deals on cheap flights across the globe.

To avoid steep flight prices in general, avoid flying on peak travel days, like the weekends. Wednesday is notoriously the cheapest day to travel on, so a mid-week trip away to keep the costs down is wise.

Furthermore, avoiding the peak holiday season (July-August), and booking your holiday for May/ June or September/October will dramatically decrease overall expenditure, whilst still enjoying the Mediterranean summer.

Looking to head away for a short city break on a budget flight? Avoid the likes of Paris & Barcelona, and head to less popularised destinations, such as the Balkans. Belgrade, the capital of Serbia is becoming increasingly popular amongst travelers looking to enjoy a city break, with cultural hotspots throughout, and when the sun goes down, excellent nightlife.

Sadly, travel across Europe and the Mediterranean is eye-wateringly expensive these days. However, a positive aspect of this is that it leaves those looking to venture abroad with more desire to head to more budget-friendly destinations which may not have always been at the top of their bucket list!

My prediction for the next summer season is an explosion of package holidays and flights to Balkan destinations, so get in there before these beautiful countries become overrun by tourists, sending your holiday prices out of the budget-friendly category.

best spots in Newcastle...

Zahra Hanif - Lifestyle Sub-Editor

There's so much to explore whilst living in Newcastle...

W

elcome to the Toon! There’s so much to love about Newcastle, and whether you’re a new or returning student, there’s always so much you can do!

One of the best things I’ve found about this city is its close proximity to a range of different areas - from the bustling centre, to the quieter rural areas up towards Northumberland. With that being said, here’s a few must visit destinations while you study here!

Ouseburn Here’s a close one to start you off - situated just a 20 minute walk from the centre. Ouseburn is a thriving cultural hub, with funky street art, a range of quirky pubs and bars, and even its own farm.

Hosting regular markets and gigs, it’s the perfect alternative day out to let off steam after a hectic work week!

Jesmond Dene Located just a half an hour walk from the centre, Jesmond Dene offers a tranquil, leafy escape from city life. The park is perfect for nature lovers with its streams, waterfall and overall outstanding beauty. An exceptional choice for a weekend stroll with your headphones in, a picnic catchup with friends, a reading spot - the options are endless.

The coast You can’t not! Tynemouth and Whitley Bay are both just a metro ride away from town, their beaches being perfect for a change in scenery from the city centre. Walk along the sand, visit Tynemouth’s weekend markets for some handmade goods,

Image: @guidaalbania

grab some fish and chips. You’ll feel like you’re on holiday!

Northumberland This one’s pretty broad, I won’t lie. But there are endless places to explore in Northumberland - with the county containing everything from castles, to waterfalls, to even its own islands. It’s accessible by car, train, or bus, for when you want to break away from the urban centre of Newcastle to somewhere less populated.

Image: Daisy Harrison

Monday 11th September 2023

18

THE

Your 2023/24 Sabbatical Officers

COURIER

Meet this year's Sa

@nusupresident

@nusu_educationofficer

@nusu_pgofficer

@nusu_welfare

Shah Yaseen Ali President president.union@ncl.ac.uk

Lulu Chen Education Officer education.union@ncl.ac.uk

Chirag Kumar Postgraduate Officer pg.union@ncl.ac.uk

Lucy Leeds Welfare & Equality Officer welfare.union@ncl.ac.uk

Hi everyone, my name is Yaseen, and I am your President for 2023-24. As President, I sit on some of the key governing committees of the University.

This includes the Council, Court, and Senate. My job is to represent YOUR voice to the University, ensuring that you are heard. My door is always open, so feel free to pop in if there is anything I can help you with.

Some of the things I enjoy doing in my spare time include going to the gym, playing badminton, and catching up on Netflix. I also have an interest in all the 'boring' stuff like finance, legal , and governance.

I look forward to getting to know you all throughout the next year!

If you ever want to find me, my desk is located on Floor 1 of the Students' Union building in the Your Voice office.

Hi, I’m Lulu!

Your brand new, made in China, Education Officer! Here to serve all students and support education across the whole University. I have studied a masters in Multimedia Journalism here in Newcastle, so I know the exciting academic journey you have ahead of you.

I care about students' well-being and looking at opportunities to support students. I am also passionate about supporting international students and welcoming them into our thriving student community.

I really enjoy getting to know people and hear their stories and experiences.

By the way, when I’m not in the office I am cooking something really tasty or travelling to new places.

If you ever want to find me, my desk is located on Floor 1 of the Students' Union building in the Your Voice office.

Hi peeps, my name is Chirag Padmesh Kumar and I come from the land of curry India.

I was very intrigued by energy, sustainability and entrepreneurship and therefore decided to pursue my MSc in Renewable energy enterprise and management at Newcastle.

I ran for Post Graduate officer to make situations such as housing, events, careers, alumni, grading and ATAS less of a pain point than it should be. I help students by bringing issues faced by PG students particularly to the spotlight and have the university act on them for the benefit of PG students. During my free time, I have two sides, sometimes I like to go out exploring and on adventurous sports and other times ill be playing computer games or building computer games for hours on end like a hobbit. I love the Quayside Sunday market, but I prefer the Tynemouth weekend market more for the LEGOS and antiques. I'm also a big fan of Latin American and Asian cuisine. I'm really excited to meet you all this year and to work towards making your stay at Newcastle as amazing as it should be!

Peace and Love, Chirag.

Hi! I’m Lucy, my pronouns are She/Her and I am the welfare and equality officer! I have just graduated from my undergrad BA Geography degree.

My main role is to represent the student body in all things relating to mental health and wellbeing, creating an inclusive and safe space for all! Every day, I attend lots (and lots!) of meetings with various university departments, where I advocate for and criticise the choices the university make to ensure all of your needs are being fulfilled.

Outside of this, I have a passion for fashion, and I am nearly a black belt in mixed martial arts. My favourite place to go in Newcastle is the quayside, especially the market on Sunday. You might also see me out and about in Jesmond, maybe in one (or two) of the pubs :D I hope to continue another great year of positive change, continuing to lobby the university to improve your university experience. Feel free to come and find me in the support and advice hub on the ground floor of the SU by the Co-Op!

THE

COURIER

Monday 11th September 2023

Your 2023/24 Sabbatical Officers

19

abbatical Officers!

e_and_equality

@nusu_au

@nusu_activities

@nusu_student_media_officer

Alex Theodosiu Activities Officer activities.union@ncl.ac.uk

Kimiko Cheng Athletic Union Officer au.union@ncl.ac.uk

Gabbi de Boer Student Media Officer mediaofficer.union@ncl.ac.uk

I go by Alex, but you can call me your new Activities Officer! Having travelled all the way from Cyprus to study here, I’ve now completed my BA in Combined Honours with Politics and Archaeology, so it’s needless to say I love a good debate and a handful of interesting rocks, the essays… maybe not as much.

During my time at university, I was a member of 7 societies and a sports club, including committee for half of those. You may ask how I found the time; the answer is I lived on pure adrenaline and no sleep the last three years.

You can find me in the Activities corridor with my bestie Monty the Activities monkey.

We like reading, tea drinking and watching crime documentaries in our free time. On the weekends you’ll find me enjoying the comfort of my bed (catching up on 3 years’ worth of sleep), bar the odd occasion of a night out, or lying on some grass like a lizard enjoying the sunshine on a desert rock. I’d like to say I’m a fun person but alas, I am biased.

If you ever want to find me, my desk is located on floor 1 of the Students' Union buiding in the Activities corridor.

Hi everyone! I'm Kimiko, I was born and raised in Newcastle and I'll be your Athletic Union officer for the upcoming year.

In case you're wondering how I got to this point, it's a mix between loving water polo and wanting to watch sports for free, so of course I'm counting down the days until Varsity. I just graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Maths, and for two of my three university years I was a member of the Water Polo club, so I'll look forward to sports on a Wednesday afternoon as I will still be playing water polo. During the day you can find me in the Activities corridor on Floor 1 of the Students' Union (desperately trying to answer emails), or wandering around the Sports Centre (I promise it's in my job description).

On the weekend I make my own jam sometimes, I'm just cool like that.

Hi! My name is Gabbi, and I’m your Student Media Officer for 2023/24. I did a degree in Combined Honours (English Literature & Media and Communications), and have been part of student media since first year.

Coming to uni during COVID, I spent my time in between Zoom lectures on Neflix as well as writing for The Courier, which has led me to where I am today. I’m a sucker for a good book, spending many of my spare hours devouring novels, and my life would not be complete without some good music to go along with it.

I love being able to utilise creative outlets to express myself, and I’m looking forward to helping others develop their skills within Newcastle Student Media to express their passions the way I have during my time here!

The Courier, NSR and NUTV play such a big role in portraying and shaping student life, and I want to ensure we are informing all on campus of what’s going on within their community.

If you'd like to find me, I'll be spending most of term time in The Courier and NUTV office on floor 1 of the Students' Union.

What do we do?

As recent graduates (or- in Chirag and Lulu's cases - masters students), we are here to make sure NUSU and the university are making decisions that will positively impact your student experience.

This includes helping make decisions on how to mitigate the impact of strike action, what events to put on, and how we can make your Students' Union a more welcoming place.

We all have roles in various committees accross campus and are here as a bridge for students to make sure your voices are heard!

As well as this, we act as the face of NUSU, so you'll be seeing a lot of us this coming year.

THE

COURIER

Monday 11th September 2023

Welfare Services

21

Looking after your welfare Katie Siddall - Puzzles sub-editor

Wondering where to get help on campus? Whether it's practical advice or counselling, we're here to help

H

ere at Newcastle University Students Union (NUSU), the staff want to make sure you have the resources and information to help you stay safe. There are a variety of ways to look after yourself, but NUSU also offer multiple ways on how to resolve issues that may arise even when you look out for yourself and others.

NUSU want to help you stay safe when going on nights out; therefore, they offer free anti-spiking resources, drug testing kits, STI tests, condoms and pregnancy tests.

You are welcome to come and pick up any of the above - anonymously - during the opening times (9am-4pm).

Spiking can happen and although it is never your responsibility to not get spiked the SU think that offering information and support might be helpful. Whether you are scared of getting spiked or believe that you have already been spiked, we are there for you.

If after taking any of the supplies - which can be found on Level 0 of the NUSU building (next to the Co-Op) - you may want to talk to someone about your experience. There are many options you can take as NUSU want you to feel safe.

The Support and Advice Hub: The Support and Advice Hub is made up of two departments within NUSU; the Student Advice Centre (SAC) and the Welfare and Support

Centre (WSC). These two departments offer a range of help.

The SAC offers help regarding housing issues (including contract reviews), academic help (from appeals to complaints) and finance support (budgeting advice). Your wellbeing may feel affected by similar issues and the SAC can offer you practical advice to handle them.

Whereas the WSC offer welfare support. If you want a rant because you've fallen out with your housemate or you're grieving over a relative/ friend passing away, WSC offer a space to talk things through in an informal setting.

You can find the NUSU Supporting Survivors information here.

University Student Health and Wellbeing (SHWS) Wish to talk to someone in a counselling setting? SHWS, located in King's Gate (the glass building before the stairs onto campus) offer counselling sessions for students as well as other types of mental health and wellbeing support. If you are struggling with your mental health, this may be a pathway you want to look into taking.

To find out more information, you can click here.

Nightline: Nightline is a confidential service ran by students, for students. If you are struggling at night throughout term time then someone will be on the other end of the phone to listen to you. Similarly, to WSC, Nightline are there for varieties of problems and will try to help through listening - even for a simple rant.

You can find the Support and Advice Hub on Floor 0 of the NUSU building

Images: Laura Linceviciute

Monday 11th September 2023

22

Societies

THE

COURIER

Want to get involved on campus? Join one of Newcastle Uni's 171 societies!

Why should I bother joining a Uni society?

Arthur Ferridge -Head of Sport

Here's why the Freshers Society Fair is actually one of the best Fresher's Week events...

I

t is no secret that making the step up to Univerity can be rather daunting.

Stepping up from sixth-form, the majority of first-year students find themselves in a new city, leaving behind an established circle of friends, family, and general day-to-day familiarities. Being an international student, I found it particularly frightening, and like many other first year students, I found solace in the societies fair.

As you start to research and decide between Universities, the amount of societies available to students tends to appear as an oft-touted statistic designed to draw you to the school, and, given the amount that you see these numbers, it fast bacame one that I would gloss over as I scanned prospectus reports and websites. It wasn't until I had moved into my first year flat at Park View, however, that I realised just how valuable the wealth of available activities would prove to be. I found myself faced with an abundance of free time, and, being a fresher, not much work to do.

Desperate to find something to do with myself, I turned to the NUSU website, home to the seemingly interminable list of societies you can see on this page. With 171 societies to choose from, where do you even start?

"With 171 societies to choose from, where do you even start?"

A decent place to start might be to ask this question: why bother joining a society in the first place? I think the reasons are boundless.

The first reason is so obvious that I almost don't feel it is worth mentioning, but you will make a bunch of new friends upon joining a society. whether you join one relevant to your course, a hobby of yours, a genre of music you like, or a sport you're a fan of, you will undoubtedly meet a huge variety of people who you might not ever have crossed paths with otherwise. I have experienced this firsthand. Despite not being much of a metal fan, a friend of mine in first year dragged me along to a Rock Soc social at the infmaous Grey's Club, one of Newcastle's most Marmite nightlife venues.

At first I was dreading it, thinking I wouldn't fit in or have anything in common with the metalheads of Newcastle University. Despite my apprehension, I pushed my fears aside, donned a black denim jacket, grit my teeth, headed out, and ended up having one of my most entertaining nights of first year. While I was far from impressed by Grey's, the music was solid and the people welcoming, and I found myself buying a Rock Soc membership first thing the next morning.

Following on from that, joining a society is a great way to find your way into new interests. I had no interest in metal music prior to my baptism by fire on a Saturday

night at RISE, and to tell you the truth I am still far from being any kind of metalhead, but I was happy to have gotten out of my comfort zone and tried something new.

You may have had the old adage "try everything once" drilled into you by parents, grandparents, or teachers, and while it is massively cliche it couldn't be more applicable to joining societies. Push the boat out, do something you've never done before.

Go hiking in the Lake District with the Fellwalking Society. Find your pitch with the A Cappella Society, or alternatively with the Non-League Football Society. Gamble away your student loan with the Poker Society.

The world is your oyster!

Society // Astronomy Society // Baking Society // Bar Society // Bee Society // Biomedical Sciences Society // Biology Society // Blank Canvas Craft Society // Board Games Society // Bollywood Dance Society // Book Club Society // British Sign Language Society // Brunei Society // Caledonian Society // Cardiology and Cardiothoracics Society // Catholic Society // Chemical Engineering Society // Chemistry Society (NU:KEM) // Chess Society // Christian Union Society // Civil Engineering and Geospatial Society // Classics Society // Computing and Technology Society (NUCATS) // Conservative Society // Consulting

Archaeology Society

"It can be hard to narrow down the list, but a great place to start is with your course" Admittedly, it can be hard to narrow down the list, but a great place to start is with your course. There is a society for pretty much every course at the Uni, so if you only join one society in your time at Newcastle you can start with that. I study English literature and history, so I felt it was only natural to join each subject's respective society, a decision which I have not regretted. As a result of having joined these societies, I have been able to meet coursemates in other years who have offered me valuable advice surrounding navigating the treacherous waters of Uni life, which can be helpful when it comes to second year module selection and learning which lecturers to aim for or avoid. I have also been able to attend free guest lectures and pub lectures (which are a lot more fun than they sound, trust me), end of year balls, regular socials, and more. I have made some of my closest friends through the history society's intramural football team. HistSoc is not unique in this either, as many other societies offer intramural sports teams of their own with more than just football available, but you can read more about

"Many other societies offer intramural sports teams of their own covering far more than just football" intramural sport on page 35.

In summary, there is no good reason not to be joining at least one society in your first year. There are friends to be made, socials to attend, formals to get dressed up for, intramural sports to be played, lectures to listen to, tickets for metal nights at Grey's Club to buy. Joing a society at the very least will land you some interesting experiences over the course of your first few weeks and help you to make aquaintances as you find your feet in the toon. With so many incredible options, I can't recommend joining a society enough. There are so many benefits, and you can tailor your society experience to suit your schedule, doing as much or as little as you like.

20 Minute Society // 93% Club // A Cappella Society // Academic Medicine Society // Accounting and Finance Society // Afro-Caribbean Society // Agricultural Society // Ahlulbayt islamic Society // Anaesthetics and Critical Care Society // Anatomy Society // Anglo-Chinese Society // Anglo-Japanese Society // Anime Society // Archaeology Society // Architecture Society // Art

Society // Creative Writing Society // Cyber Society // Debating Society // Dentistry Society // Dermatology Society // Dip Society // Disability, Mental Health, and Neurodiversity Society // DJ Society // Drag Society //Earth and Environmetal Science Society // Ecological Society //Economics Society // Electrical Engineering Society // Emergency Medicine Society // Engineering Projects Society // English Society // ENT & OMFS Society // Entrepreneurs Society // ESN Society // Extinction Rebellion Society // Fashion Society // Fellwalking Society // Feminist Society

Bee Society

// Figure Skating Society // Filipino Society // Film Society // Friends of MSF Newcastle // General Practice Society // Genshin Society // Geography Society // Gilbert and Sullivan Society // Greek and Cypriot Society // Haematology and Oncology Society // HIIT Society // Hindu and Sikh (HAS) Society // Hispanic Society // Hong Kong Public Affairs and Social Service Society // Indonesian Society // International Society // Investment Society // Irish Dance Society // Islamic Society // It Happens Here // Jazz Orchestra Society // Jewish Society // Kalarava Society // Kizomba Society // Korean Society // KPOP Society // Kuwait Society

93% Club

// Labour Society // Latin and Ballroom Society // Law Society // Lawyers Without Borders Newcastle University Division // LGBTQ+ Society // Lifestyle Medicine Society // Linguistics Society // Llama, Alpaca, and Goat Society // Malaysian Society // Marine Science Society // Marrow Society // Marxist Society // Maths Society // Mechanical Engineering Society // Media and Journalism Society // Medical Womens Federation // Medtech Newcastle // Model United Nations Society // Modern Languages Society // Music Society //

Drag Society

Musical Medics Society // Musical theater Society // Neurological Society // Newcastle Muslim Medical Sciences Society (NMM) // Non-league Football Society // NSR // Nutritank Society // NUTV // Opthamology Society // Outreach Medics // Pakistan Society // Palliative Care Society // PGCE Society // Pharmacy Society // Philosophy Society // Photography Society // Physics Society // Pilates Society // Planning Society // Plastic, Reconstructive, and Aesthetic Surgery // Pokemon

It Happens Here

Society // Poker Society // Polish Society // Postgraduate Research Community // Psychiatric Society // Psychology Society // Racial Equity in Medicine Society // Rock Society // Running Club Society // Salsa and Bachata Society // Saudi Society // Scout and Guide Society // Sexpression Society // Singapore Society // Sober Socials Society // Social Tennis Society // Socksoc Society // South Asian Society // Southeast Asian Society // Speech and Language Therapy Society // Student Brewing Society // Student Orchestra and Choir // Students for Global Health // Surgical Society // Sustainable Medics Society // Swift Society //

LGBTQ+ Society

Swing Dance Society // Table Top Society // Tamil and Malayali Society // Team Kenya Society // Teddy Bear Hospital // Theater Society (NUTS) // The Courier // Turkish Society // Ukrainian Society // Vascular Surgery Society // Video Gaming and Esports Society // We Are Donors Society // Wet Soc // Wilderness Medicine Society // Wind Band Society // Women's Social Sport Society // Yoga Society // Zumba Society

Jazz Orchestra

THE

COURIER

Monday 11th September 2023

Give it a Go & Go Volunteer

Give it A Go

Jess Bradbury - Head of Social Media

Want to try something new but worried about committing too early?

Try Give it A Go!

G

ive it a Go (GIAG) is a cost-effective Newcastle Students Union programme which puts on sportsbased events and activities to encourage students to get involved. It is one of the biggest departments in the Students’ Union, meaning there are always a wide range of opportunities for both freshers and returning students. The programme is open to all Newcastle University student and staff members, regardless of ability levels, and requires no membership to join.

The scheme includes a vast range of activities, including crafts, social sports, one-off taster sessions and much more, meaning there is something for everyone. Events are run at an introductory level, allowing students to have a great experience without the associated cost of activities. All activities are delivered by the friendly team of Give it a Go assistants, with

many of the events on offer based around Newcastle and the North East.

With the current cost of living, the Give it a Go scheme recognises that activities must be financially accessible for all students. There are free weekly sessions on offer, with many of the activities taking place on campus or within walking distance. Taster sessions which are run in collaboration with clubs and societies are an excellent way to try out a new activity before buying a membership.

In addition to this, there are opportunities to buy discounted tickets and access to events from £1. This means that Give it a Go is a great way to meet other students whilst trying out a new activity. Students can get involved in surfing, climbing, visits to the top of Monument, tours of St James' Park, fun karaoke and games nights, trips to Edinburgh and discounted theatre and sports tickets, to name a few! It is a scheme which not only provides benefits for those in first year, but it is something which students can participate in throughout their time at Newcastle University.

"Really exciting activity and very relaxed atmosphere - felt very comfortable talking to people and activities assistants were lovely!"

Pottery painting "Very fun, great activity, great atmosphere, great price."

Newcastle Eagles basketball

Images: @nusugiveitago on Instagram

Go Volunteer Jess Bradbury - Head of Social Media

If you enjoy giving some of your time to the community and getting involved in fun projects, look no further than Go Volunteer!

G

o Volunteer is a great way for freshers and returning students to find volunteering opportunities in Newcastle. There are over 150 organisations, schools, charities, voluntary groups and communities which offer a wide range of opportunities for those who want to get involved. Additionally, Go Volunteer has several of its own internally managed projects, including the Schools Volunteer Project. N.E.S.T, Stu Brew, Nightline and many more.

The staff at Go Volunteer have a vast

range of knowledge and connections to the local community, meaning they can assist with any questions students may have. There is also a weekly newsletter, along with posts on the Go Volunteer social media accounts, where opportunities are posted for those wanting to get involved. In October, students can also look out for the Part Time Jobs & Volunteering Fair on campus to see what opportunities are available.

Getting involved in Go Volunteer means that students have the chance to gain experience as a project leader or coordinator. Anyone who gets involved with Go Volunteer can gain valuable, real-word experience in managing resources and becoming an effective leader. Full training and support are given to all volunteers. There are many opportunities for students to use their creative skills and add valuable projects to their CVs. Additionally, the ncl+ scheme accredits students for their volunteering and gives recognition for the work that is carried out.

This means that any volunteering work which is accredited on ncl+ is also recognised on student’s Higher Education Achievement reports, as well as the Celebrating Success and Pride of Newcastle University Awards later in the academic year.

You can find the Go Volunteer team on Floor 1 of the Students' Union

Images: Go Volunteer

23

THE

COURIER

Monday 11th September 2023

Heads of Culture: Imogen Smillie and Lucy Bower

Music

25

How to make your hangover playlist Poppy Bedford - Music sub-editor

One of our seasoned music sub-editors talks you through the guide to the perfect hangover playlist

U

n for tu n atel y, hangovers are a part of university life almost as much as the lectures are and tend to make those lectures a whole lot harder to get through, here’s my thoughts on the best hangover playlist to get you through.

You’ve got to start with something to get you up – important when you’ve got a banging headache and a 9 o’clock lecture – something with a slower beat is always good. I would recommend song’s like Heaven knows I’m miserable now by The Smiths or The Funeral by Band of Horses or, Sober by Demi Lovato,

“You've got to start with something to get you up - important when you've got a banging headache”

etc to get you started; it also helps if the feeling of dread you will probably be feeling is reflected in your choice of song.

“Alternatively, you could just hit shuffle and still be debating staying in bed as you walk through the door” Once you’re awake and inevitably considering just flunking off your lecture as you lay in bed and think about how stupid past you was, next should be something to get you up and out. This is the kind of song that will be playing as you try and eat something and put on the same pair of jeans you’ve been wearing for the past 4 days. My Chemical Romance’s Teenagers is a great addition here as well as some fast classics like Eminem or ACDC – something that will get you up and ready – but something you know well enough that it won’t break your brain.

The next thing you have to tackle is the walk to your lecture hall, whether it’s 5 minutes or 30, this is the most important part of the playlist – this will set the mood of the day. This is when you pull out I Can See You by Taylor Swift or Zombie by The Cranberries, something that you know will get you pumped up for your lecture on a very niche subject at 9 o’clock in the morning.

Alternatively, you could just hit shuffle and still be debating staying in bed as you walk through the door of your building, a favoured pastime of many students, past and present. This is all also totally dependent on your musical style and what you’re like after a hangover.

I, for instance, can’t listen to anything with too many words or I lose track of any thoughts I have managed to collect.

All I can say is good luck to all of you over the next year, you can do this, and remember to drink lots of water.

Images: Unsplash

A rundown of Newcastle's best clubs Adriana Newbury - Relationships sub-editor

With the vast amount of clubs for you to start exploring in Newcastle, here's a brief guide....

A

rguably Newcastle’s most infamous attraction is its night scene; if you enjoy a variety of nights out, you have 100% come to the right uni. No horrific chain clubs like Pryzm taking over the clubbing scene, and because of multiple club nights with different music styles running each day, none of this ‘everyone trying to get a ticket to the Student Union’ as they have to struggle through at the likes of Loughborough and Warwick uni.

Monday Mondays consist of Oops Mondays at Greys' club, Space Mondays at Bohemia and Kandi Island at Digital. My personal favourite is Oops, where the vibe is rap, grime and hip hop music.

Kandi Island is a lot more focused on pop music or radio style tunes, and Space Mondays is basically just a house party for Leazes students (it is a lot less cheesy than Kandi Island but still pop-dance vibe).

Wednesday Wednesday is obviously sports night, with everyone and their Nan flocking to Soho in their fancy dress. The music is classic pop club tunes, a lot of 2000s and 2010s stuff… but you’ll usually be too drunk to remember! An alternative is Tup Tup’s Playground Wednesdays, which offers 3 rooms, each with a different style of music.

Tuesday Tuesday's star event is undoubtedly Groovy Disco Tech which recently moved to World Head Quarters. Its music is disco-house and disco-tech and is mainly done by student DJs. If you want something a bit more chill, head to Holy Hobo for classic pop club tunes and 2 for 1 drinks.

Thursday Thursday's MVP is Swingers at Greys' Club, which plays dance tunes mixed in with a bit of pop; I just wish you good luck dancing in the alleyway for the whole night without getting pushed over every 5 minutes! The Cut, which is essentially a room in Tup Tup, offer an indie/rock & roll night which can be fun to spice it up.

Market Shaker and Dog & Parrot are both trebles bars with some great music to get you in the mood for the clubs each night, with Shaker playing more pop tunes and D&P offering more of an indie scene.

Of course, each club offers more than I have listed, but these are just my highlights; it would be impossible to fit the whole of the Toon’s nightlife into one page!

Friday Fridays have seen a newcomer over the last year, Casa at The Social Club.

It plays house and tech with a sprinkle of Latin and samba, something super fun and different to dance to all night long. Feral Fridays at Think Tankk will always have a special place in my heart, playing hip hop/pop tunes from the 2000s and 2010s… or what some may refer to as hot girl music!

Image: Unsplash

Heads of Culture: Imogen Smillie and Lucy Bower

26

Monday 11th September 2023

TV

THE

COURIER

The big debate: Bonding with binge watch or new flatmates weekly release? does not have Rebecca Wright - Relationships sub-editor

Who doesn't love a good TV binge watch? Or can some people actually wait a whole week for more?

Y

ou can tell a lot about a person by the TV shows they watch. For example, a Gilmore Girls fan is likely to be quite different to the kind of person to watch Rick and Morty, but you never know. You can also tell a lot about a person by how they choose to watch their favourite shows.

"Fairly obvious, this isn't the healthy way to watch any TV shows"

without blinking. Reality gets put on hold, until I inevitably finish the show prematurely and then don’t know what to do with myself.

"You can tell a lot about a person by the way they choose to watch TV" Fairly obviously, this isn’t the healthy way to watch any TV show, especially more cerebral programs like the new season of Black Mirror that can be quite heavy to watch back-to-back.

The irony of Black Mirror regarding the abuse of technology isn’t wasted on me, I assure you.

So whilst weekly episodes are probably the healthiest, most functional way to watch a TV show, I’m not sure that it’s the most fun. The best things in life should not be consumed in moderation - be it caramel stroopwafels or Adventure Time.

Now, more organised and stable people probably find it quite normal to watch a show week by week. A little treat, a reward even, for getting through a tough seven days. I bet they don’t even need to put the subtitles on to know what’s going on. I envy them, I really do, because I am very much not that person.

When I find a new show I like, I bingewatch it to death. I confess. I do not have the self-control to wait a whole week for a new episode. I will sit glued to the TV for five business days and work my way through 36 hours of television

to be Pointless Poppy Bedford - Music sub-editor

You've just moved to uni with a bunch of strangers, it's time to bond over gameshows!

B

onding with your flatmates can be hard, especially in the early days when everyone is trying to get to know each other; this is my attempt to find the best TV gameshow to watch with your

flatmates.

Before going to uni, Pointless was my favourite gameshow, but it’s a bit serious to be watching with your flatmates, especially if not everyone is too keen on gameshows. I find The Chase and Who Wants to be a Millionaire have the same problem – they focus too much on the questions rather than being funny. If you care about the game it's fun but if you don’t, it can be a bit boring.

"You can talk all the way through as it tends not to be a game you get too invested in"

enjoy - you don’t need to know anything about the show to start watching it, everyone can play along with all the rounds and it’s easy to make up your own drinking games too (if you’re that way inclined)! You can also leave for a night out and talk all the way through as it tends not to be a game you get too invested in. There are a few games that fall into this category: Taskmaster, Total Wipeout (when it’s replayed), Would I lie to You, etc.

"Bonding with your flatmates can be hard, especially in the early days when everyone is trying to get to know each other" Of course this is just what I found with my flatmates last year and, to be honest, we started out by watching the Queen's funeral as that was the day after we all moved in and everything was closed (I think whatever you watch is probably going to be better than that)! Good luck freshers, and anyone else moving in with people they’ve never met before, and happy quizzing!

The time and day these shows are shown is important as well because if your accommodation is like mine, we can only watch live TV, so anything on a Friday or Saturday night, like The Wheel with Michael McIntyre, wasn’t really an option as most of us had plans.

Similarly, games that run across the week are also not a great option as it requires commitment from your group, this makes shows like Richard Osman’s House of Games not a great option either.

In my experience, the best game shows to watch with your flatmates, especially as you get to know each other, is something like 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown. It’s funny but there are lots of different comedians so normally there's something for everyone to

Image: IMDB

FRESHERS!

Image: IMDB

THE

COURIER

Monday 11th September 2023

Heads of Culture: Imogen Smillie and Lucy Bower

Film

27

Not like the movies...

Jenica Davies - TV sub-editor

Do films and the media provide unrealistic expectations of university life?

W

hen a film tells the story of a teenager heading off to university, the plot tends to follow a sequence that we’ve watched many times before, stringing together a reasonably chaotic yet cathartic experience of student life. An experience that will leave you punching the air like John Bender at the end of The Breakfast Club. Ultimately, the movie magic that is sprinkled over the university life of fictional teenagers leaves a lot of students feeling robbed of the university experience that was countlessly depicted on screen.

"Coming-of-age films surrounding the lives of students have given us some cult classics that we will never get tired of watching" Films lead teenagers to believe that they’ll be granted a scholarship at their dream university, instantly find their (pitch) perfect group of

friends for life, and miraculously land a job after graduation. They showcase the drama-induced highlights of student life because realistically most people don’t care to sit and watch the awkwardness of a silent morning seminar, or watch the protagonist cram three essays in 24 hours. It is true that you end up meeting a range of people at university, people that are far more complex than the stereotypical cliques on screen, however the majority of these new friendships barely survive a week. And whilst we do see characters spiral to rock bottom at some point during the film, everything conveniently falls into place at the end.

If there’s one thing about fictional students that I’m jealous of, it is the luxury of free time they seem to have. With assignments, extracurricular, and part time jobs, most students don’t have the time to get up to half of what students in film do.

our joggers, sit in the library for an hour to feel productive, and then go back to our damp and dark student house to eat pasta for the third day in a row. Depictions of student life doesn’t differ that much from films when it comes to the small screen either. With social media, there is a pressure to portray your university experience like the ones in films. Your classmates’ monthly Instagram dump is more likely to consist of pictures from their nights out in town rather than the allnighters they’ve pulled in the Philip Robinson

Library. People want you to see them living the best version of their life – it is a part of the main character mindset that our generation preaches.

Coming-of-age films surrounding the lives of students have undeniably given us some cult classics that we will never get tired of rewatching.

However, whether you’re seeing these depictions of university through films or social media, it’s important to remember the intentional, romanticised filter that these moments are captured with.

"They showcase the drama-induced highlights of student life" Students simply don’t have the budget that Hollywood does to romanticise their university experience to the degree that we see on screen. We drag ourselves to our lectures half-awake in

An introduction to Best films to

Image: IMDB

Tyneside Cinema watch with the

Sarah Tunstall - Arts sub-editor

O

pening in 1937, Tyneside Cinema in Newcastle has been bringing the Northeast one of the best cinematic experiences.

They’re one of few independent cinemas in the city that ensure viewings of blockbusters, independent films as well as world cinema within one building. The cinema is also a registered charity and supports local filmmakers in their cinematic creations, something that is deemed to be even more important today as arts funding is cut back more and more by the government.

As a fresher in 2021, Newcastle was a very large jump from my small village near Selby, the community was at first a little swallowing and hard to get used to. But I found Tyneside cinema to be one of those areas that is still so imbedded in the North East culture but rather than consuming me, it was welcoming. I often went to the cinema alone, which I know can be very scary initially, but with the welcoming staff, smaller screenings and admittedly the cute tickets you’re given per film, it's honestly one of the perfect places to destress from the

From Freshers' week, Tyneside are playing...

Image: Pixabay

large move of home to university. As well as all of this, Tyneside Cinema facilitates every customer and includes a “Digital Twin” of their building on their website, so customers are made aware of wheelchair accessibility, toilets, changing places, places to breastfeed, and information for those who are hearing and vision impaired. Assistant dogs and Emotional Support Animals (ESA) are also highly welcomed into the venue with more information found on their website for how they approach this. For me as well, someone who has bad social anxiety, I used the “Digital Twin” to scope out areas of the venue, so I didn’t feel lost or confused on my way to the cinema screening, this is a great idea if you’re someone who feels the same.

With audience members yet to return to prepandemic levels, the cost-of-living crisis, and cuts in funding, the cinema is struggling for security in keeping the venue open. Their plan, however, is to raise £150,000 within the next six months via a Just Giving Page (also found on their website) to hopefully save the cinema for 2024. If you don’t wish or don’t have money, to donate, however, I recommend getting the Tyneside Cinema Membership card. It reduces tickets to £5, supports them via cinema screenings instead, and enjoy the films you want to see or films you’ve just never had the chance to see in the cinema.

1.Dazed and Confused (30th Anniversary screening) 2. The Untouchables 3.Terminator 2: Judgement Day 4.Beauty and the Beast (1991)

...and many more new showings for you to enjoy!

new flatmates Olivia Carter - Film sub-editor

Jess Mckeown - Film sub-editor

he perfect fresher’s flick can be hard to come by; a group of strangers can find it hard to make a collective decision, whether it be down to difference in opinion or simply not wishing to upset anyone. With such dilemmas in mind, for me, Greg Mottola’s Superbad (2007) is the perfect comedy film for those who are just getting to know one another. Michael Cera’s quiet, nerdy personality as Evan mixed with Jonah Hill’s boisterous, ‘big dog’ persona as Seth, make for the perfect melting pot of stereotypical (and yet somehow unique) teenage identities that everyone can relate to, providing a flat of different individuals with a very similar comedic experience without alienating anyone.

Both Bill Hader and old school Seth Rogen deliver a hilarious performance as two corrupt yet cool police officers, taking us for a ride as they help Fogell (played by Christopher Mintz-Plasse) complete his overage antics as an underage boy.

Despite the diabolical wardrobe and outdated technology, Cera’s toast to female respect and the focus on friendship and love makes it a film that truly feels like an old friend; a perfect mix of laughter and reminiscence that can be shared with friends old and new.

ou may be picturing Fresher's Week as a week of clubbing, drinking and massive hangovers, and for some of you, particularly if you come from a smaller town, this may be your first encounter with city nightlife. However, it is important to slow down a little and get to actually know the people you will be living with for the year. Rather than wake up with a raging hangover with no clue if you ended your night in Soho or Shaker, why not watch The Hangover trilogy and think "Thank God we didn't have a night out like that". Even if you have watched The Hangover before, the film still makes you laugh and cringe at the friends' antics as they piece together the events of the night before to find their missing friend.

T

Superbad

Y

The Hangover

Image: IMDB

Heads of Culture: Imogen Smillie and Lucy Bower

28

Monday 11th September 2023

Gaming

THE

COURIER

XBOX vs Playstation: but which console are you bringing to uni?

Jess McKeown - Film Sub-editor

The great debate of gaming, but which one are you relying on to get you through uni?

T

he age-old debate persists: Xbox or Playstation? If you're a gamer, you won't want to part with your console when you move to university. Not to mention it is handy if you fancy a solo movie night in your room. But which console is better to take to university?

Note: whilst a Nintendo Switch no doubt appeals to those who would like to play with their flatmates at Mario Kart, I will not be considering the console in this debate.

“After you have spent hundreds of pounds on the basic console, you may be thinking about Xbox Gamepass and Playstation Plus” Even though many of you will be taking a console you already own, some of you may be in the market for a new one. Given that money is usually a little tight for students, price will be a crucial factor in your decision. There are two types of PS5s: a standard console or a digital console (removes the disk drive). The RRP listed on Sony's website is £479.99 for the standard console and £389.99

for the digital edition. If you were to buy a second hand console from CEX, the standard console is £400 to £435 or the digital console is £350 or £360. There are currently two Xbox series at the minute, the 1 TB Series X with a RRP of £479.99 or the 512 GB Series S at a RRP of £249.99. Again if you looked at second hand consoles at CEX, the Series X goes for £370 to £405 second hand or the Series S goes for £200 to £230. Price wise, Xbox is a cheaper console to buy.

"Many of you will be taking a console you already own” Looking at the storage on each console, both PS5s are 825 GB, Xbox Series X has the highest amount of storage at a whopping 1 TB, whereas the Series S has the lowest at 512 GB. If you are willing to pay £479.99, the Xbox Series X is a wiser choice than a standard PS5. If you bought the Series S and found yourself struggling with the storage, you can always buy a Seagate game drive to expand your storage.

After you have spent hundreds of pounds on the basic console, you may be thinking about the Xbox GamePass or Playstation Plus memberships. These memberships allow you to play online but also get access to downloadable games, handy if you don't have physical storage in your room for game discs. But which is a better deal?

Last year, Playstation Plus received an overhaul, becoming a three tier membership with the lowest Essential

plan giving the basic PS Plus benefits of monthly games, online multiplayer and discounts, costing £6.99 a month or £49.99 a year. The Plus tier includes the above and gives access to a catalogue of downloadable PS4 and PS5 games, costing £10.99 monthly or £83.99 annually. The highest Playstation tier also gives access to a catalogue of classic games from PS1, PS2, PS3 and PSP, costing £13.49 monthly or £99.99 a year.

The Xbox Game Pass has three different versions: console, PC and Ultimate (includes both). Priced at £8.99 per month for the console pass or £12.99 per month for the ultimate pass, members get access to a catalogue of over 300 games.

Part of the Xbox versus Playstation debate comes down to the exclusive games found on each console which ultimately comes down to personal preference. Do you prefer The Last of Us, Uncharted, Shadow of the Colossus and SpiderMan or would you rather play Halo and Forza Horizon?

Many consider Playstation to

have better and more iconic exclusives.

Full disclosure here, I own a Playstation 4 and feel a little biased towards the Playstation exclusives as The Last of Us is one of my all-time favourite games. It was to my shock that as I conducted my research into the different consoles that Xbox is better value for money both on the basic console and membership purchases. Is this debate settled?

Probably not, but loyalties are fierce.

Image credit:Pixabay

Bring your pres into 2023 with videogames

Adam Lovegrove - Gaming Sub-editor

Our Gaming sub-editor gets creative with a modern twist to pre drinks!

W

ith Freshers' week right around the corner, it’s important to have some fun drinking games to play with your new friends or flatmates and break the ice. Whilst board games or a deck of cards are as great as ever, here’s some fun video game drinking games to introduce to the party this Freshers'.

Image credit:Facebook @Mario Kart

Beerio Kart

All you need for this is a console with Mario Kart and your drink of choice. Across your selected number of tracks, everyone must finish a certain number of drinks. For example,

you might have 2 drinks each and play a total of 4 races. However, you are not allowed to drink while driving, so must come to a complete stop before having even a sip. You can’t cross the finish line of the final race without having finished all of your drinks, and the player who ends the series with the least points loses.

“Whilst board games or a deck of cards are as great as ever, here's some fun video game drinking games to introduce” Mario Kart is a great combination of skill and luck, making it a great choice for new friends, as even someone who has never played the game before can still have fun with it. You can even introduce forfeits for losers, such as the player with the least points having to take a shot at the end.

Whether you’ve got a brand new Nintendo Switch or a Wii that you haven’t touched in years, Beerio Kart is the perfect drinking game to bring to your flat, and a hilariously good example of why drunk driving is such a terrible idea.

“You can even introduce forfeits for losers, such as the player with the least points having to take a shot at the end” The Jackbox Party Pack Series With 9 different collections of party games, the Jackbox Party Packs are easily the most accessible

options on this list, and can be played on everything from a PS5 to a laptop. All you need to join in is a smartphone, and the games themselves are all simple but very fun.

Some games need you to type funny responses to questions while the rest of the room vote on whose answer was the best, while others might need you to give a presentation to the group, sketch up a design for a t-shirt, or write a short verse for a rap battle against your friend. A sip could be taken for every round a player loses, with the player who comes last at the end of a game having to chug a drink or take a shot. The variety of games make sure the fun lasts for hours, and the creativity of your answers allow you and your friends to all get to know each other’s senses of humour.

get scared in a horror game; take a shot for every goal you concede in FIFA; down a pint every time you die in Black Ops: Zombies. It’s an interesting way to break through some of the freshers week awkwardness, and create some great first memories with your new friends at university.

“In reality, almost any videogame can be turned into a drinking game” Fighting Games If you’re looking for something a little more competitive, fighting games are a great choice to bring to the party for pres. The rules are usually to take a drink for every life you lose, but as always forfeits can be added to spice things up a bit.

There’s a great variety of games to choose from, such as more casual options like Smash Bros and Brawlhalla, or more competitive ones like Street Fighter, Tekken and Dragon Ball. Once you’ve all got drunk enough though, your reaction times will have dropped and any real skill will go out the window, making things much more hectic and fun for newcomers.

In reality, almost any videogame can be turned into a drinking game: have a sip every time you Image credit:Facebook @Jackbox Games, Unsplash

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COURIER

Monday 11th September 2023

Heads of Culture: Imogen Smillie and Lucy Bower

Best bookshops in the Toon Best summer book releases Jay Barber - Lifestyle Sub-editor

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f you’re moving to Newcastle for the first time this year, you’ll soon be searching for all the best places in the Toon. Bars, restaurants, clubs - but what about the best bookshop?

For anyone like me, meaning anyone with an addiction to buying pretty hardcovers to fill up my bookshelf (and maybe eventually read), this is an important question.

The obvious answer is Waterstones, situated just opposite Grey’s Monument. And, for an in-person bookshop, I have to agree. The stunning building boasts four entire floors of books with a gorgeous café to top it all off. There’s something about it that’s hard to beat, especially when you convince yourself that the admittedly small student discount actually means you’re making smart financial decisions.

To top it off, the staff there have complimented my book choices a few times, and that gave me an ego boost that lasted all week. You can’t go wrong with Waterstones as your top choice, especially in the winter months when you can write your assignments there and pretend you’re in some sort of dark academia novel.

amongst the ‘middle-aged-mum’ genre.

My top choice of bookshop, though, goes to a gem of the city’s queer community and market scene. Olive’s Book Club (on social media and the name of their website) is a queer-owned, intersectional bookshop with an extensive range of books available. You’ll find everything from popular fiction releases to fascinating non-fiction and even some adorable kid’s books. Though I’m keeping my fingers crossed for a physical location appearing at some point in the future, Olive’s Book Club is a welcome sight at any of the Toon’s markets.

“Olive's Book Club is a queerowned, intersectional bookshop with an extensive range of books available” Blackwells deserves a mention too. It’s right next to campus and has really improved it’s selection of fiction, but you will have to take out a loan to get the textbooks for your course. Another honourable mention goes to all the charity shops in the Toon - if you’re willing to sort through 50 romance novels about some woman in World War Two, you might find a treasure

Image credit: Pixabay, Lucy Bower

Katie Siddall - Puzzles Sub-editor ver the summer I regained my passion for reading. It got lost during my English Undergraduate; however, with some amazing releases this summer my world has been filled with books!

3. Pageboy by Elliot Page Pageboy is the first biography I've read of a living person under the age of seventy (yes I've also read Sir David Jason's) and it was worth the read.

This book carries big statements and messages that I wish everyone in society would see and hear, but alas not everyone will read this brilliant book and not everyone will see it the same way I did.

Though I wish those who will read it or have read it, do.

2. Yellowface by Rebecca F. Kuang Yellowface is a novel that I've seen many people read this summer. I just had to read it for myself too - partly to join the club of people who were talking about it... Who am I to judge without having read it?

I honestly thought I would know where Kuang would take this novel, especially after I spoke to people who had already read it. Well... I was wrong!

Though it probably isn't a spoiler to say that it was no surprise when June took Athena's manuscript what happens when her secret is compromised is something to behold.

3. Gwen and Art are Not in Love by Lex Croucher When I got this book back in May, I knew it was my holiday, summer read. Once I started reading this book I couldn't put it down. It is one of the first LGBTQIA+ books that I've read set in the medieval period and it did not disappoint. The idea of people being a part of the LGTBQIA+ community hundreds of years ago is not uncommon; however, novels set around this period are. Or at least to my knowledge. Read the rest of this article online...

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Arts

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Sluggish

by Zahra Hanif searching for something i can't hear, see, smell, touch or taste. because in every glistening tassel, i sense your presence. your silver linings carry me to my sweet sanctuary, where i dream that for once i wake up alone. but each morning i thrash awake to the vision of you crawling under my skin, taking your time as you roam, weaving around my bones in search of a new home. flicker, blink, bang, your faint scent fuels my early exasperation. now i'll have to watch my stride on what you've made a slip and slide.

God help me.

- a poem about, or a message to, the slug on my floor

Windier Up North: How creatives are taking the arts by storm in Tyne and Wear Laura Kasongo - Arts Sub-editor

An introduction to the vivid Arts scene in your new city

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tudying in Newcastle as a young creative is often met with confusion and raised eyebrows. When I moved here, I didn’t know what to expect, let alone such a fruitful Arts scene. To save you relying on word-of-mouth or social media scavenging like I did, we’ll be introducing a new feature to this section which keeps you updated on all the latest events/platforms to explore. I’ve spoken to people who are currently thriving in the NorthEast about their work to hopefully inspire you and promote them too.

Seeking diversity had a large part in why I began to explore the North-East scene. I felt isolated until, on the verge of wanting to move back home, I found community through the Arts. Like Athena springing from Zeus, from ‘Out of Your Head!’ sprung more open mics, theatre companies and websites than I had ever imagined.

Hosted by Amy Langdown, OOYH! is a ‘spoken word event in Newcastle for those of us who think too

much and share too little.’ On the last Thursday of each month, there’s a themed call-out opportunity, two featured artists and an open mic. Whilst finding a home in Ouseburn’s Cumberland Arms, Amy faced many venue changes and found the problem in the Arts lies in “sustainability and retention” and Charlie Care agrees.

Cultural venues are the “lifeblood of the entire artistic ecosystem” and if they struggle to stay open, so do we. Charlie hosts Zoetrope on Tyne at Tyneside Cinema, doubling up as a fundraiser, with all ticket proceeds going straight to keeping its doors open.

“We'll be introducing a new feature to this section which keeps you updated on all the latest events”

An event connecting people through transport and art across the North-East is Yellow Lines Poetry, hosted by Haley. Following the Metro’s yellow line to Whitley Bay station, you’ll find it at The Ticket Office the second Tuesday of every month. Being so small, the venue is perfect as “its all about being intimate”, releasing pressure at a free, truly open mic.

“Needing and welcoming new minds, our Arts scene is about sharing a crowd” For the theatrical, SoreSlap is a company started

by Rhian Jade and Papi Jeovani to “empower and develop artists to have their voices heard!”.

As Black, Queer and disabled artists, they felt underrepresented in NE theatre and needed a platform to “speak our truth and play together”. I’d recommend checking out their ‘SketchSlap’ night,

even if you’ve never written script/acted before!

Also created to “platform marginalized voices”, Navii Media.com is a diverse breath of fresh air among socials which have left people out for too long. Living in the North, Dami Fawehinmi found that being a Black and Queer person makes it “even more important to tell these stories and experiences so others know they’re not alone”.

Via their website, you can submit videos, written content and art without a deadline, ownership remaining completely yours.

Needing and welcoming new minds, our Arts scene is about sharing a crowd. Likened to ‘group relaying’ or the improv ‘yes and’, Geordies pass the baton on and that’s why I love it here.

Note: When asking poets for an opinion, don’t be surprised if you get a load of metaphors/similes.

Don't forget to support these artists and follow them on Instagram: @ooyh_poetry @zoetrope.tyne @naviimedia @soreslap_tc. @yellowlinepoetry

Image credit: Instagram @ooyh_poetry, @zoetrope.tyne, @naviimedia, @soreslap_tc. @yellowlinepoetry

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Puzzles Master: Katie Siddall

Monday 11th September 2023

Puzzles Crossword

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(4) 2) “Sport ______”, also the same day that Student Media Afternoons take place on (9) 3) Where students live whilst they are at university (13) 4) “_____ Week,” the first week as a student (8) 10) The sound that the Newcastle University mascot would make (4) 11) Your average Jesmond student (3) 12) “_____ sessions,” what clubs and societies are putting on for you to try (6) 13) A name of a park and accommodation situated in Newcastle (6) 15) Students often live in blocks of ____ (5) 16) The name of NUSU’s newly refurbished bar (7)

1) The city the university you are attending is located in (9) 5) There are three Student Media branches: The Courier (newspaper), NUTV (TV station) and NSR, what does NSR do? (5) 6) The name of the free student newspaper (7) 7) The Newcastle equivalent of the London Underground (5) 8) Night club in Times Square/the Centre for Life (7) 9) The student media branch which has recently changed its logo to red (3) 14) If you drink, the next few weeks you will be “skiving ___” lectures (3)

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Head of Sport: Arthur Ferridge

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Monday 11th September 2023

Sport

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Premier League Predictions: Who will claim top spot in 2024?

Multiple Writers

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he day the world has been waiting for since May has finally come: Premier League football is back, and we couldn't be happier for it. As the 31st season of the world's finest football gets underway, The Courier's new sport editorial team has dusted off the crystal balls to have a crack at predicting the campaign's outcome.

Newcastle United, by Raff Tindale With last season seeing Eddie Howe’s Newcastle secure their highest topflight finish since the 2002/2003 Premier League season, the expectation for the Magpies to perform is higher than ever. With the club competing in the Champions League for the first time in over two decades, the hopes of the Newcastle faithful are at an all-time high, but will European football prove to be a distraction for Eddie Howe’s men, or will the club’s 60+ year long trophy drought finally be ended this campaign?

“Last season brought hope and excitement back to the Geordie faithful.”

Last season brought back hope and excitement to the Geordie faithful, but the pressure for Eddie Howe to continue improving this season is apparent.

While Newcastle have undoubtedly improved the squad quality and depth with summer signings of Sandro Tonali, Harvey Barnes, Toni Livramento and Lewis Hall, many fans remain sceptical as to whether the club can retain their top four status this coming term.

With Premier League clubs spending a combined £2.36bn this summer transfer window, Newcastle is certainly not the only club who have spent big this summer. With the quality of the league and their opponents forever improving, in tandem with the added minutes of European football, the amplified physical and mental demand on the players has the potential to lead to a drop-off in form and quality.

Newcastle head into the international break having amassed an underwhelming three points from four games. While early on in the season, it is clear Eddie Howe’s team have to improve if they have any chance of retaining their Champions League spot next season.

With Newcastle drawing Paris-SaintGermain, Borussia Dortmund and AC Milan in Champions League Group F, the Magpies' return to European football may prove to be Eddie Howe’s toughest challenge yet. A group which includes the French champions, the Bundesliga runners-up and last year’s UCL semi-finalists, many fans believe it would be nothing short of a miracle to see Newcastle advance to the latter stages of the competition.

But with the fortress that is St. James’ Park, nothing is certain. Newcastle only lost twice at home last season, and backed by a fanbase who haven’t seen European football for over

two decades, St. James’ will not be an easy place to pick up points for their European opponents. While Newcastle are by no means favourites to advance to the round of 16, there is no doubt Eddie Howe’s men won’t go out without a fight.

Manchester City, by Arthur Ferridge Coming off the back of a historic treble winning campaign in which Erling Haaland scored a stunning 52 goals in all competitions, all eyes will be on the Cityzens and their talismanic Norwegian striker to see whether they can repeat the feat. After impressing in their opening three Premier League fixtures, it seems Manchester skies may stay blue for the foreseeable future.

Following such a successful season, City’s summer transfer business has been relatively quiet.

The outgoing Ilkay Gundogan, Aymeric Laporte, and Riyad Mahrez have been replaced by the highly rated Croatian center back Josko Gvardiol, attacking midfielder Jeremy Doku, Portugal’s Matheus Nunes, and Mateo Kovacic, who is looking like a tidy bargain at 25 million pounds following a lackluster Chelsea campaign. City could soon rue the deadline day departure of starlet Cole Palmer, a 21-year old with seemingly limitless potential who has moved to Chelsea after having already netted in both the Community Shield and Super Cup. At many times last season, it seemed that no team could hold a candle to City. Finishing with just five losses and a goal difference of 64, their dominance was undeniable.

With Pep Guardiola at the helm, arguably the best manager in the world, there is very little evidence to suggest that City will be deposed.

Brentford F.C., by Dan Balliston Brentford’s second season in the Premier League could not have gone much better as the Bees now sit as an established Premier League side looking to break into the European spots. The loss of talismanic striker and last season’s top scorer, Ivan Toney, to the thoroughly documented betting scandal will certainly not aid Brentford’s push to improve on their ninth-place finish last season; however, there is so much more to the London club than just their excellent striker.

In Thomas Frank, the Bees have one of the most promising young coaches out of a fantastic group of innovative managers operating in the top-flight.

The way in which the Dane has turned players such as Bryan Mbeumo, Rico Henry and Christian Norgaard into established Premier League players, who are now turning into matchwinners, proves that Brentford really are no one-man team.

Even the loss of ever reliable goalkeeper, David Raya, to Arsenal, does not appear to have troubled the Bees as the 3-0 victory away at Fulham followed a very respectable 2-2 draw against a rejuvenated Tottenham Hotspur side. Home form will again be key for Brentford after just two losses out of nineteen at the G-Tech stadium last time out, including a 4-0 victory over Manchester United and 1-0 triumph over eventual treble winners, Manchester City.

A very quiet transfer window and the reintegration of Toney into a settled front three in January will take some careful management; however, Thomas Frank has not got an awful lot

wrong in his tenure so far so Brentford fans should be able to look forward to another year of supposed overachieving that is very quickly becoming an expectation.

Crystal Palace F.C., by Mitchell Hall The start of a new season in football symbolically marks a new beginning and new aspirations, a clean slate on which to build a fresh story. As romantic as that sounds it doesn’t entirely ring true for Crystal Palace who, coming off the back of a turbulent time for the club, must work to steady the ship before setting off on a new course.

“The start of a new season marks a new beggining and new aspirations.”

Crystal Palace’s summer was always going to be a struggle, with the inevitable yet somehow surreal departure of longtime talisman Wilfried Zaha replacing the usual sense of anticipation with one of anxiety. Things looked to go from bad to worse for the South London outfit as rumours kicked up of a Chelsea swoop for Michael Olise, during the storm of which Palace made their first positive move of the window, a near £20 million move for Brazilian teenager Matheus Franca from Flamengo. The late window saw Olise renew his contract, as well as the shrewd signings of Rob Holding and Dean Henderson for depth.

The results Palace have picked up so far seem to align with the vision of stabilising the club. None of their first three fixtures yielded more than two goals, with just 4 across the three fixtures and Palace being responsible for only two. A narrow home win against Sheffield United on opening day, followed by a tight loss to title hopefuls Arsenal and a draw against a strong Brentford side, might suggest that the Eagles are not in danger but

Images: Twitter @LFCApproved, @DeadlineDayLive, @NUFC, @Luke_Seychell

shouldn’t hold their breath for a spellbinding season. As the team grows in confidence and receive the boost from return injuries of Olise and Franca, they might seek to rush the top half in the latter stages of the season, but with the quality present in the league this year don’t be surprised if Palace can only surge to around 12th.

West Ham United, by Castor Chan Despite the loss of Declan Rice that had fans grumbling over the summer period, the Hammers seem to have recovered their mojo. Currently visible on the FPL app League Table (fourth to be precise), manager David Moyes will be gleeful over how this season has kicked off.

West Ham had a shocking start to last season, with the top 10 form from the year prior nowhere to be seen. But some incredibly late signings - and the record breaking £105m from Rice’s transfer - seem to have perked up Moyes’ side, with new names like Edson Álvarez, Mohammed Kudus, and James Ward-Prowse. Alphonse Areola’s move to starting goalie has also proven to be a clever choice, with the Frenchman boasting an 81% save percentage.

But the tide truly turned when Brighton finally fell to the Hammers after a 12-game winless streak. Ward-Prowse shone on the pitch by delivering the first blow 19 minutes in, then two more goals (Bowen, Michail Antonio) in the second half had fans on the edge of their seats. That three goal lead would prevail despite a staggering 6 minutes of added time and 78% possession by the Seagulls, and that win was like a breath of fresh air. This match was one where you could truly see the players making the most of every chance they had and making it count.

West Ham face a difficult month ahead, with Manchester City and Liverpool being their next two matchups. But if they continue to show that sharp precision and determination, along with how well the players seem to gel, I think West Ham can do something special this year.

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COURIER

Monday 11th September 2023

Head of Sport: Arthur Ferridge

Sport

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WWC2023: Lionesses fall at final hurdle following dramatic trip down under faced China in the final match of the Mitchell Hall group. Already qualified, the team shed -Sport sub-editor their somewhat mechanical efficiency t was a run brimming in favour of a 6-1 drubbing helmed by with composure, heart, 21 year old Chelsea forward Lauren and headlines as England James, contributing two goals and three attempted to build upon their assists to add to her match winning goal Euros success, and whilst they against Denmark and cementing herself fell short of the trophy, the feelings as the player to watch this tournament. of optimism surrounding this squad Russo, Hemp, Kelly, and Daly all got have only grown as they their share of the spoils in the result, passed test after test. leaving the team full of well earned The group stage confidence heading into the didn’t open in knockout stages against Nigeria. a spectacular Despite now being probably manner for the the first name on the Lionesses, but teamsheet, James would two composed take the decision away and efficient from Sarina Wiegman, 1-0 victories grabbing herself a two against Haiti match ban for a bizarre and Denmark stamp on Nigeria’s set the tone for Michelle Alozie. The a side that could lapse in judgement was grind out the indicative of the war of results when attrition that the game it mattered. had become, neither Perhaps then it side being able to break was the comfort the deadlock in normal of the 6 points or extra time. England already banked held their cool in the that unleashed shootout to continue through the squad to the quarter finals against Image: Twitter @laurenjamess22 when they Colombia. Santos rocked

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England at the end of the first half with a back post finish, but whatever intense half-time team talk Wiegman was readying to push her side back into the game, it would never see the light of day, Hemp pouncing on a loose ball in the box to equalise in the 6th minute of injury time. Georgia Stanway and Alessia Russo combined smartly in the second half to give the Lionesses a lead that would prove enough to put them in the Semis.

her class, carving a pass through the Aussie defence to Russo who made no mistake to send England to the final.

With James now free from her suspension Wiegman had a decision to make, but eventually omitted her from the lineup. England struggled from the start to deal with Spain’s overlapping runs around the box, Bonmati regularly picking the ball up deep, scything through England’s

“The Australians proved the most energetic yet” The Australian hosts would prove to be the most energetic contest yet, Toone latching on to a ball in the box after some improvisation from Hemp and thundering a shot into the very top corner. England had the momentum but any team facing the quality of Sam Kerr have to always be on their toes, a lesson learned the hard way as Kerr picked up a pass in her own half, charged up the field and rifled a shot over Mary Earps from 30 yards. It was a wonderful moment for the home fans, but Lauren Hemp had no interest in fairy tales, chasing down a ball over the top before finishing into the far corner.

She soon had another chance to show

midfield before releasing Ona Batlle down the right side. It was a similar run on the other side that gave Olga Carmona a chance in front of goal, defender Lucy Bronze nowhere to be seen after an ill-advised run across the field. It was a chance that Carmona would not pass up, drilling low across goal and past Earps. Spain's intricate passing moves proved too much for England’s extra mechanical build up, having chance after chance to get their shots off. This pressure culminated in a second half penalty to kill the game off for Spain, which Jenni Hermoso stepped up to take.

It was a low right effort, but Earps guessed correctly and even managed to hold on to the ball, preventing a follow up.

Earps’ passionate reaction represented the kind of campaign it had been for the Lionesses, but they ultimately couldn’t find a way through and fell to a deserving Spanish side.

Image: Twitter @Lauren__Hemp

Cricket's new love affair: The Hundred embraces the old and captures the new

Dan Balliston -Sport sub-editor

tier domestic competitions in cricket.

As The Hundred Since its grows, is British establishment in 2021, it attempted to Cricket entering a capture a new audience through subtle alterations Golden Era? of the rules, between innings he Hundred returned entertainment and a new wave for its third season in of current players and television the English domestic personalities simplifying the cricket calendar and commentary. A recipe for success it this year’s tournament was deemed by cricketing authorities, for both men and women looks to but the oven was not even heated for have finally put the Hundred in the debut season, with the Coronavirus the conversation amongst the top restrictions forbidding international stars from playing, meaning that the tournament was purely a watereddown version of the already popular Vitality Blast. The purists did not warm to the changes made to the game they loved, whilst new viewers were not exposed to the international players and worldclass cricket they were promised; ultimately resulting in an unpopular addition to the cricketing summer.

Fast-forward two summers though, and after both the men and women’s Hundred has concluded, the opinion has appeared to have drastically Images: Twitter @CurranSM, @TheHundred, shifted. A sceptical reception, with the

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competition directly following the memorable women and men’s Ashes series in which England and Australia put on a show for all cricket lovers, was hastily improved as English entertainers such as Joe Root, Sam Curran, and Sophie Ecclestone took to the field and produced some magnificent cricket from the off.

Spectators were then treated to the overseas brilliance of Sunil Narine, Matt Wade and Shaheen Shah Afridi as the Hundred focused on providing excellent cricket rather than teatime entertainment.

Watchable times, terrestrial television slots and the combination of men and

women’s matches on the same day all combined to ensure the tournament was a resounding success.

“This summer, cricket is the winner“ The Ashes had already hooked the nation. The initial job was done for them and so the Hundred just needed to maintain the nation’s captivation with the sport. An eightytwo percent increase on viewing figures for the men’s opening match and a peak viewing figure of four-hundred and five thousand ensured that statistically the men’s Hundred has made the desired impact. A smaller yet equally significant rise of six percent average viewers for the women’s equivalent meant that this summer has been a resounding success for the female game and the English Cricket Board’s decision to distribute equal match fees to both genders is a step in the game and sport worldwide that cannot be underestimated.

Cricketing victories for the men’s Oval Invincibles and women’s Southern Brave in thrilling finals continued the adage that in sport there can only be one winner; however, another phrase as old as time can well and truly be used to describe cricket this summer and at last the Hundred has contributed: cricket is the winner.

Head of Sport: Arthur Ferridge

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Monday 11th September 2023

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Hometown Hero: Newcastle fresher Eze becomes European U20 100m Champion Castor Chan -Sport sub-editor

First year Pharmacy student Joy Eze ran an 11.39s to claim European gold in Jerusalem

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ll eyes were on the British duo who lit up the women’s 100m track, but it was Joy Eze’s supreme effort that put her on top.

Despite Renee Regis narrowing down the lead to a final gap of 0.1 seconds, it was no match for Joy’s stellar pace right off the line.

Having been part of Great Britain’s winning U20 4x100m lineup in 2021, Joy has had a taste of European victory before. But this solo accomplishment not only supersedes her 2021 100m bronze medal, she is the first British athlete to take gold in this discipline since 2011. We sat down with Joy to find out more about her training, her degree, and what it’s like being the European U20 champion.

what you know; I have a good team, a physio, a nutritionist, a massage therapist, etc. They all help me to be at the level I am at, it’s not just one person, it’s a community. As they say ‘it takes a village to raise a child’, I’ve been at Gateshead for a long time, I know all the coaches and they always tell mine ‘You should try this’, so everyone kind of helps out.

What made you choose Newcastle University?

I feel that this is a really important point of my career, you’ve got big championships coming up, European seniors next year, the Olympics next year, and Worlds going forward, so I wanted to stay in Newcastle where I’m already set up. The transition from U20 to seniors is hard enough [as it is], if I stayed here it would be one less thing to worry about. I’ve been with my

coach for ten years now, you can’t find someone who can understand you that easily in a different city.

"This is a really important point of my career, you've got big championships coming up” I’m sure your routines are a little different to the typical Newcastle student. Run us through what a week looks like for you.

On Monday: I’ll have gym at maybe 5 or 6 pm after my lectures. On Tuesday I have Training in the evening after lectures and I’ll have a break in between for studying. Wednesday is my rest day, so after uni I’ll go home and sleep, catch up on any notes I need to make or

meet friends. Thursday: Lectures, then I’ve got my evening running session again in Gateshead. Friday is a rest day.

Saturday I have a gym/running session in the morning, then the rest of the day to myself. Sunday is another rest day. In between days and sessions, I’ll also do some running and stretching to keep my body fluid, I need to be moving around all the time.

Apart from the physical training, what would you say is the most important part of your mental preparation?

If you have religion, stick with it. I’m a Christian, and I always make sure to pray about my races, to trust in God for everything that He has done for me. It’s also knowing that you’ve done the best you can to get to where you are. There’s no point worrying about what you can’t control, the only thing you can control is how well you run. I try not to focus

on anyone else apart from myself, which can be hard when they’re running next to me. I can’t control how anyone else runs, so I just trust in God. Now that you’re the best junior in Europe, what is your next goal?

Definitely the Olympics. Any athlete you ask will want to make it to the Olympics. Who knows if it will be next year, but I want to get to at least one Olympics in my career. That is my biggest goal, but I also have small ones.

For example, I want to be improving my times, having appearances at certain competitions, and doing well at my age group championships etc. because there are certain steps you have you take, you can’t just shoot straight to the Olympics.

Some people have, but that’s not how it is for the majority so I have to focus on those mini goals.

How are you feeling right now?

It’s hard to explain really, once you understand it’s actually happened it becomes reality. It’s like a sense of relief because everyone is working to become European Champion, everyone my age wants it. And all the training sessions I was putting in, the competitions didn’t do very well in but just kept pushing, all the injuries I had this year - it just makes it all worth it. It’s hard to explain, but it does feel good to reap the rewards of my hard work.

“All the training... all the injuries... it just makes it all worth it” When did you get into running?

I got into running when I was in Year 4 because of my headteacher at my primary school, he’s still my coach now, and he saw that I was good at athletics at that age. I started off with cross country, as anyone who does athletics will tell you, and then he said ‘Join a group and see how you progress, see if you like it’.

And now I’m still here.

Having also competed in other disciplines like the 60m and the 4x100m relay, do you have a favourite event and why?

I’d like to say I prefer the 100m but 60m is very close. I like how the race is over and done in several seconds, I don’t like running for long. (This is why me and 200m don’t go well together!)

But definitely 100m, that’s when I can express myself. It is also a popular event, if you do the 100m everyone’s watching. I like that, it brings out my competitiveness.

You run for the Gateshead Harriers, what kind of support is needed to get someone to a championship-level athlete?

Having a sports coach that understands your training needs but also that you have a life as well. They know that some days you are not going to be at your best and will work the training around that, and obviously understands your schedule and other things going on in your life. I think it’s more so knowing people rather than

Image: Joy Eze

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COURIER

Monday 11th September 2023

Head of Sport: Arthur Ferridge,

Clubs

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On-campus sport A-Z: Get to know Newcastle's 63 sports clubs Newcastle is a city steeped in sporting history, and the University is no different. In the 2023/24 school year, Newcastle will play host to no less than 63 competitive sport teams, competing in BUCS as well as other national, regional, and occasionally international competitions. From sailing to squash, kickboxing to korfball, there is something for everyone. Feel free to reach out and get involved!

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American Football Club Archery Club Athletics and Cross Country Club

B

Badminton Club Baseball and Softball Club Basketball Club (Men's) Basketball Club (Women's) Boat Club Boxing Club Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and MMA Club

C

Canoe Club Caving Club Cheerleading Club Clay Pigeon Shooting Club Climbing Club Cricket Club (Men’s and Ladies) Cycling Club

D

Dance Club Darts Club (NUDS) Dodgeball Club

E

G

Golf Club Gymnastics Club

Fencing Club Football Club (Men’s)

R

Real Tennis Club Rugby League Club Rugby Club (Men’s) Rugby Club (Women’s)

S

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Sailing and Yachting Club Skate Club Squash Club Sub Aqua Club Surf Club Swimming Club

Hockey Club (Men’s) Hockey Club (Ladies)

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Ice Hockey Club Jiu Jitsu Club

T

K

Karate Club Kendo Club Kickboxing Club Korfball Club

Table Tennis Club Taekwondo Club Tennis Club Thai Boxing Club Trampoline Club Triathlon Club

L

U

N

V

Lacrosse Club (Men’s) Lacrosse Club (Women’s)

Ultimate Frisbee Club

Volleyball Club

Netball Club

Equestrian Club

F

Football and Futsal Club (Women’s Futsal Club

P

W

Pole and Aerial Club Polo Club Pool and Snooker Club Powerlifting and Weightlifting Club

2023 CLUBS AND SOCIETIES FAIR

SEPTEMBER 19th + 20th Newcastle University Sport Centre

Images: Instagram @nu_raiders, @newcastlerowing, @nupwc

Water Polo Club Wheelchair Basketball

SCAN HERE FOR MORE INFO

Looking for something social? Consider trying an intramural sport!

Arthur Ferridge -Head of Sport ntramural sport is a fantastic alternative to competitive sport at Uni. Whether you don't feel up to the time commitment and travel of BUCS or just want to meet some new people, there is an intramural team for you!

Newcastle University operates a huge amount of intramural sports leagues, including a three-tiered eleven-a-side football pyramid with accompanying cup competitions, a huge rugby union league that plays to an impressive standard, a heated basketball league, and so much more.

I have played intramural sport in each of my three years at Newcastle, playing football for the history society's Han Dynasty FC and rugby for the engineering society's Engines RFC, making close friends and great memories with both sides.

I'm sure that my experiences with sport at Uni will be similar to a lot of other people. I played rugby competitively throughout high school, and while I knew I wouldn't be talented enough to compete at BUCS level, I didn't want to have to give up what had become not only one of my primary hobbies but also my primary social outlet. My closest friends in high school were those that I trained with six days a week, and although intramural sport doesn't demand the same time commitment, it has the same effect of quickly developing your social circle. Joining an intramural sport has given me back both the competition and social aspect that I missed. Making freinds at Uni can be tough, particularly if, like me, you only know one other incoming fresher at the school, but being on a sports team immediately presents you with a circle of friends.

Another social perk of intramural

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sport is that many courses will sponsor a team. Being a history student, playing for the history society has introduced me to coursemates across various years who have offered advice and guidance as I began my Uni career.

While a uni-sponsored sport might demand several days of training per week, intramural sport doesn't even require prior experience, and of course comes with a post-match pint, though you still get to enjoy simply being able to play a sport.

Intramural sport, generally, is what you make of it. If you want it to be competitive, you can join a team of likeminded players willing to push for silverware. If you're feeling more social, you can plumb the depths of Saturday Division 3 football and spend more time in the pub or at socials than on the training pitch.

Intramural sports on offer include 11-a-side football, men's 7-a-side football, men's five-a-side, men's futsal, basketball, netball, badminton, rugby union, women's football, squash, and table tennis.

The Sports Centre also offers referee training in both football and rugby, if you're a cop.

I truly cannot recommend intramural sport enough. Playing football and rugby have been some of the best experiences of my Uni career. I have met some of my closest friends, new coursemates, and people from across the Uni who I may not have ever crossed paths with otherwise.

Participating in intramural sport on a casual basis is a no brainer for me. Teams are always looking for new players (keep an eye out on social media and at Freshers Fairs for trials adverts), or you can found your own team and create a legacy.

I look forward to seeing lots of first years down at Cochrane Park this season!

In this issue...

Introduction to Student Media / pg.10-11 Meet your 2023/24 Sabbatical Officers / pg.18-19 A guide to NUSU’s welfare services / pg. 20-21 Societies / pg. 22-23 Sports Clubs / pg. 34-35