Courier 1340

www.thecourieronline.co.uk Monday 21 November 2016 Issue 1340 Free

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The Independent Voice of Newcastle Students

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Autumn election results revealed

Election victors: (L-R) Kieran Peel, Chloe Burton, Josh Turner, Errol Kerr, Daniel Wood, Vidhya Gupta and Karishma Joshi Image: Harry Young

By Jade Holroyd Editor Last week Newcastle University Students’ Union (NUSU) held its annual Autumn elections. After a week of voting from Monday to Thursday (November 14-17), during which 1208 votes were cast across four categories, the results were announced at a small ceremony in the Students’ Union on Friday evening. Here it was announced that ‘Freshers: Take 2017’ had been selected as the Freshers’ Week Organisers for next year, whilst Vidhya Gupta was elected as Scrutiny Officer, Errol Kerr and Daniel Wood (Job Share) as Students with Disabilities Officers and Karishma Joshi as Students with Faith or Belief Officer.

Alike last year, the race for Freshers’ Week Organisers was relatively quiet, with only one team running for the position. Freshers: Take 2017, the winning team of four, includes Chloe Burton, Alice Boniface, Josh Turner and Kieran

Peel.

Although they were uncontested, Freshers: Take 2017 ran an active campaign throughout the week and receieved 343 votes, with the Reopen Nominations (R.O.N.) option receiving 26 votes.

Chloe Burton, Stage Four Fine Art said: “We’re all so happy and excited. Even though we weren’t running against another team, we still went around halls and campaigned. It was good to meet Freshers and hear about what they liked and disliked about Freshers’ Week this year. Josh and Alice were kind of worried about R.O.N., but me and Kieran were always quietly confident.

“I’m really excited for all the alternative events we’ve got lined up for Freshers’ Week”.

Josh Turner, Stage Three Fine Art added: “It’s going to be great. I’m most looking forward to the Prohibition night we are going to organise”.

Speaking exclusively to The Courier,

Kieran Peel, Stage Three Mathematics said: “It hasn’t really sunk in for me yet, It’s going to be a crazy summer next year but we have loads of ideas and are re-

want to get as many people as possible.

Taking part in Crew it’s such a fantastic opportunity and I’ve enjoyed doing it so much in the past few years, it’s a really unique experience”.

Alice Boniface, Stage Three History and Politics said: “I’m really excited to start putting together 2017’s Freshers’ Week. Our manifesto includes some new features such as the society performance space and alternative Union events every night, which we can’t wait to organise. It’s a brilliant opportunity to put our stamp on Freshers’ Week and hopefully make it the best yet!”

Freshers: Take 2017’s manifesto includes alternative events every night for the first time, using Northern Stage and Venue, with activities such as a Murder Mystery evening, Horror tours and a Poker tounament.

For the Part-Time Officer (P.T.O.) positions, all three roles were contested. The positions of Scrutiny Officer,

“Our manifesto includes some new features such as the society performance space and alternative Union Union events every night which we can’t wait to organise” ally psyched about what we can achieve, especially some of the new alternate events we have in the works.

“We are really trying to big up Freshers’ Week Crew for next year too as we

Students with Disabilities Officer and Students with Faith or Belief Officer, have been vacant since the start of the 2016/17 academic year following the Spring Elections during which no candidates ran for these particular roles.

The newly elected officers will join the six other Part-Time Officers who were elected during the Spring elections, to form a full Part-Time Officer team.

For the position of Scrutiny Officer, Vidhya Gupta, won the two-horse race with 166 votes. Devaditya Agnihotri came in second place with 69 votes, with R.O.N. receiving 0. At the results ceremony Vidhya Gupta stated: “With every situation I just want to go with whoever is right and I want to go through the process of deciding this and this is what I’m most looking forward to”.

The role of Students with Disabilities Officer was the most contested position in the elections, with three nominations. Errol Kerr, MA World Politics and Popular Culture, and Daniel Wood, (continued on page 3)

News

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NEWS

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Modi-vation for Indian Student visas

Monday 21 November 2016

The Courier

Deputy Editors Ollie Burton & Daniel Robertson News Editors Liam Carson, Valentina Egorova, Louise Hall Kotryna Kairytė & Helena Vesty

Annual Hult Prize Challenge

University hosts Interfaith discussion

COMMENT

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Battle for justice over Orgreave

CULTURE

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Blind Date: Sophie and Matt Alphabetti Theatre: Sticking Last year’s Hult Prize winners Image: Lisa Van Heereveld

Debate: Social Media Promotion Bohemian Hacksody: Malek is Mercury Guilty Pleasure: BanjoKazooie Mythbusters: Do mobiles cause cancer?

By Kotryna Kairyte News Editor Newcastle University team is organising the quarterfinals for the Hult Prize Challenge which will encourage students to develop business ideas to improve the lives of refugees and give them a chance of winning $1,000,000 and a fully paid trip to the European regionals in London.

The global social innovation challenge will take place on 3rd of December in Newcastle University Career Service and is open to all current Newcastle University students from all disciplines and stages.

Lisa Van Heereveld, one of the organizers and a President of Newcastle Entrepreneurs Society, said: “The Hult Prize believes that the power of tackling social issues lies with students. They are the next generation. It’s important they’re given the chance to help shape the future. Working on societal challenges is an opportunity to de-

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

The Courier is a weekly newspaper produced by students, for students. It’s never too late to get involved in the paper, whether you’re a writer, illustrator or photographer. Just visit thecourieronline.co.uk/getinvolved for more information.

velop innovative, game-changing ideas whilst improving enterprising skills that meet the graduate framework.”

This year’s challenge is focused on a contemporary issue of refugees’ crisis which, Lisa believes, affects everyone and raises moral questions about human rights.

“In the UK, 67% of initial asylum claims are rejected, leaving most refugees destitute. This means that they will remain in the UK but without a recognised identity or license to work (and earn money),” Lisa explained to the Courier. “This has a significant impact on their wellbeing and mental health, raising questions such as that of identity. Some children don’t even remember which country they came from.”

Participating in the challenge will give students a great chance to meet likeminded people, develop enterprising skills that future employers are looking for and find out more about the refugee crisis. The winning team will also have the opportunity to pitch their ideas at the European regionals.

Lisa was also excited that “the Hult Prize is supported by various industry leaders including former US President Bill Clinton, who has signed all the certificates of participation for attendees, and serial entrepreneur Bertil Hult, who will be awarding the winning team with $1,000,000 funding.”

“The Hult Prize believes that the power of tackling social issues lies with students.

They are the next generation”

Editor Jade Holroyd Deputy Editors Ollie Burton and Daniel Robertson News Editors Liam Carson Valentina Egorova, Louise Hall, Kotryna Kairytė and Helena Vesty Comment Editors Jamie Cameron, Sinéad Corkett-Beirne and Sunil Nambiar Culture Editors Jack Oliver Parker and James McCoull Lifestyle Editors Ana Beretsos, Antonia Coleman-Harvey, Ruth Loeffler and Brooklyn Shakeshaft Ward Fashion Editors Liz Rosling, Izzi Watkins and Zofia Zwieglinska Beauty Editors Miranda Stoner, Ellie Trent and Ellen Walker Arts Editors Johnathan Hastings, Meg Holtom, Tamsin Rees Film Editors Emma Allsopp, Zoë Godden and Simon Ramshaw Music Editors Sophie Ahmed, Serena Bhardwaj and Ben Grundy TV Editors Luke Acton, Dominic Corrigan and Alison Scurfield Science Editors Matthew Byrne, Natalie Farmer and Ciara Ritson-Courtney Gaming Editors Errol Kerr, Jared Moore and Jordan Oloman Sports Editors Lucy Brogden, Tom Shrimplin and James Sproston

The prize money is given to the newly created company, which will be run by the student team who came up with the idea.

She encouraged students to come along if they are interested in taking part as no specific skills are needed. Students can come in teams or individually and form teams on the day. As students will be joined by organisations working with refugees, they will explain the crisis and how it is affecting vulnerable people.

Students can register on Student’s Union website by paying the £5 is a deposit which will be returned to them on the day.

The Hult Prize is a start-up accelerator for social entrepreneurship which brings together the brightest college and university students from around the globe to solve the world’s most pressing issues. The annual initiative is the world’s largest crowdsourcing platform for social good and one of the planet’s leading forces for good.

The Courier is printed by: Print and Digital Associates, Fernleigh House, 10 Uttoxeter Road, Derby, Derbyshire, United Kingdom, DE3 0DA. Established in 1948, The Courier is the fully independent student newspaper of the Students’ Union at Newcastle University. The Courier is published weekly during term time, and is free of charge.

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

The Courier

news .3

Monday 21 November 2016

November election results announced Freshers’ Week Organisers

Scrutiny Officer

Students with Disabilities Officer

Students with Faith or Belief Officer

(continued from page 1) Stage Two History and Archaeology, won the ballot as a job share with 196 votes. In second place was Pravnav Gupta with 67 votes, followed by Chelsie Boyd with 16 votes and finally R.O.N. with 9.

The victors, Errol Kerr and Daniel Wood, nominated themselves for the Students with Disabilities position as a job share. Daniel Wood stated: “We decided to do the role as a job share in order to make sure that we represented all students with Errol being a Postgraduate and myself being and Undergraduate.

Also to ensure that all disabilities are represented”.

On the evening of the results Errol Kerr said: “We’re very pleased. We were stressed out this week we’re not going to lie about that. Whilst campaigning wasn’t necessarily difficult, it was very tiring.

Maintaining a presence constantly was probably the hardest thing”.

Daniel Wood added: “Yes, this was especially difficult having two essays due at the same time”.

When asked what they are most looking forward to as the newly elected Students with Disabilities Officers, the pair said: “We’re most looking forward to Disabilities Awareness Week. The plan is to expand it further than last year and get more students involved”.

The position of Students with Faith or Belief Officer had two nominees: Haaris Qureshi and Karishma Joshi. Both candidates were took part in the Inter-Faith

discussion last Wednesday. Karishma Joshi won the ballot with 202 votes.

Haaris Qureshi came in second place receiving 97 votes followed by R.O.N. with 17.

Following the announcement of the results Karishma Joshi stated: “I was so nervous. I’m really looking forward to the faith week which I’m going to organise”.

The evening was hosted by Sam Cooke, Chair of Student Council, and Saffron Kershaw-Mee, Marginalised Genders Officer. Commenting on the event, Saffron Kershaw-Mee said: “Elections week was such a positive experience. Seeing every position as contested showed the passion students have to engage with and represent those particular groups.

“The results ceremony, was a huge success! Sam Cooke (the chair of NUSU council) and I were the glamorous hosts, and walked onto the stage to the classic stylings of Everybody by the Backstreet Boys (we did in fact, bring the flavour and show them how).

“Congratulations to all! The current PTOs, myself included, are so excited to finally have a full team of part-time officers in place at NUSU, ensuring all underrepresented demographics have a representative figure who can raise awareness and initiate a dialogue through campaigns, open forums and more”.

“Seeing every position as contested showed the passion students have to engage with and represent those particular groups”

Students encouraged to learn First Aid

By Isabel Sykes

A recent research by the Red Cross reveals that 70% of students do not feel confident performing simple aid actions that could potentially save a life.

The study - conducted by the British Red Cross at the University of Manchester - shows that while 93% of students coming across an injured person call an ambulance, only half of them offer any first aid.

The research also reveals that 59% of prehospital deaths from injury could be prevented with a basic understanding of first aid.

Some are concerned that learning these skills should be more widely encouraged.

The Red Cross’ findings’ suggest that schemes similar to CPR in Schools, where pupils are taught basic lifesaving skills, should be introduced for university students.

Joe Mulligan, Head of First Aid Education at the Red Cross, states: “Something as simple as turning your friend on their side and tilting their head back to keep their airway open – could be all it takes to make that difference between life and death in certain situations.”

Lesley Cann, PR Officer for St John’s Ambulance in the North, told the Courier how important it is for university students to learn first aid.

She said: “First aid is particularly im-

portant for newly-independent young people.

“Whether you’ve cut your finger in the kitchen or one of your mates has had too much to drink on a night out, knowing what to do can calm down a stressful situation and could save a life.

“Uni life is an exciting time when students are bursting with new skills, and we think that the ability to give lifesaving first aid should be part of that mix.”

Mahatir Pasha, a student at the London School of Economics and Political Science, writing for the Independent called for all university students to learn first aid.

According to Mahatir, this research is oneof-a-kind in 22 years and has naturally caused a growing concern that students might be unprepared to deal with emergency situations, when a friend is in need of help.

Newcastle University students can learn first aid through the St John’s Ambulance LINKS society or the Give it a Go scheme.

Those, who are interested in learning first aid, can visit the Facebook group Newcastle LINKS to find out more about the sessions St John’s Ambulance provide or have a look at the Heartstart courses offered by Give it a Go on the NUSU website.

“59% of prehospital deaths from injury could be prevented with a basic understanding of first aid”

St. John’s Ambulance Image: Lesley Cann

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Monday 21 November 2016

The Courier

Jason Knight gives illustration speech

By Yoana Cholteeva Jason Knights dropped by Newcastle University last Thursday to talk about Blue Kangaroo, UK based creative agency that worked along Disney, Pixar and Warner Bros.

Blue Kangaroo’s designers have created some of the most recognizable characters from Despicable Me, Frozen and Secret Life of Pets.

Recently, they finished the latest project for Cars 3.

The agency has clients from around the world, including Australia and North America.

During his speech, Knights told how he established Blue Kangaroo from scratch ten years ago.

The company is based in Gateshead and has only 13 employees.

Knights said that he never sought to employ experienced specialists from other parts of the world – his employees come from Tyne and Wear.

Knights as an employer always considered personality and attitude as decisive factors.

He said: “We have invested in the latest technology and applications to make our lives easier and our quality second to none.”

Knights said he was as dedicated to his work as loyal to his employees. His door is “always open” if one of his employees is going though hard times. A crucial element of a successful team, Knights pointed, is to build a strong, trustful bond between each other.

He said: “I can’t draw anything, but

I’m full of ideas. What we do is we all sit down as a company and talk about the project.”

Ten years ago Knights had only an idea, he believed in, and no business plan. He said: “It’s my first business attempt and it succeeded.”

It took Knights about an hour to draw the business plan sitting in a café Nero and he headed to present his idea to a bank to get a loan.

His first breakthrough was when Blue Kangaroo started working for Disney Store and when those, who were already familiar with his work, recommended him to others.

Asked what made people choose him, Knights replied that it was about managing people’s expectations. He said: “There will always be someone cheaper than you, better than you.

“Just give something that is exceptional and nobody can think of.”

Knights added, what kept them on the market and reinforced the company’s name was that they proved themselves as a responsible organisation, delivering impeccable service and outstanding quality.

Knights’ main advice read: “Look after yourself. You are the best asset you’ve got.”

Some students believe Knights is an inspiration for young entrepreneurs.

He is a proud father of three children and has his wife’s support during every achievement.

After the talk Knights treated his guests with boxes of pizza and beverages.

Jason Knights giving talk on November 17 Image: Yoana Cholteeva

Modi-vation for Indian student visas

By Liam Carson News Editor

The Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, has highlighted his desire for Indian students to have ‘greater mobility’, in order to study at British Universities.

Mr Modi was speaking alongside the British Prime Minister, Theresa May, at the Indian-UK Tech summit, an event which was held with the aim of increasing trade between the two nations.

The summit also featured discussions on defence and the links between the two nations, but it was higher education that Mr Modi was keen to focus on.

The Indian Prime Minister, in his address, stressed the importance of education and, specifically, Mr Modi promoted a ‘greater mobility’ for Indian students.

“I am happy to note that the IndiaU.K. Tech Summit focuses on higher education. Education is vital for our students and will define our engagement in a shared future.”

“We must therefore encourage greater mobility and participation of young people in educational and research opportunities.” Mr Modi said.

In her time as Home Secretary, Theresa May tightened visa rules, which incorporated limiting international student’s study period and also their ability to change courses.

These changes have subsequently seen

the number of Indian students enrolling at UK Universities halved.

The official spokesman for India’s Ministry of External Affairs, Vikas Swarup said:“As far as the issue of student visas is concerned, yet it is true that in the last year or so the number of Indian students enrolling in UK universities has gone down by almost 50 per cent, from around 40,000 to around 20,000 now. This has happened because of restrictions on post study stay in the UK. The British Prime Minister, Theresa May, however has said that the UK’s visa system is already accepting “Nine out of 10 visa applications from India” and has confirmed plans for India to be the inaugural nation to have access to the ‘registered traveller scheme’.

Mrs May said: “The UK will make India the first visa country to have access to our registered traveller scheme, offering many Indians smoother and swifter clearance at the border.”

The scheme means that Indian nationals who regularly travel to the UK may undergo an entry process that is significantly easier. The move is hoped to improve trade between the businesses of the two nations however, it is the post-study period restrictions of UK visas which appear to be a more pertinent issue, for the Indian government, as they are said to be the main reason for the decline in Indian students, at UK Universities.

“The UK will make India the first visa country to have access to our registered traveller scheme”

The Courier

Monday 21 November 2016

news .5

South Asian society holds annual Diwali Ball

By Meera Vaidya Newcastle South Asian Society’s annual Diwali Ball was held this year at the prestigious Lancastrian Suite in Dunston, Gateshead.

This event was planned by the society to bring, not only South Asian students but, everyone together to celebrate one of the biggest and most beloved festivals in the South Asian community.

The Vice-President of the society, Nikita Telkar, explained the event’s important stating: “It signifies new beginnings.”

Nikita Telkar began planning for the ball last year when the new committee was elected in April, and worked all through the summer with great support from the President, Chandini Sree, and the committee Sonali Venkat, Tanya Haldipur, Isha Karnik, Tanya Rupani, Nihal Sharma and Adwait Deshmukh.

Last year the event was held at the Beacon Newcastle but this year, the decision was made to relocate the event to the Lancastrian suite, which is home to one of the largest capacity banqueting suites in the North East.

Nikita Telkar said, on the decision: “(the Lancastrian Suite was) the best that there was, the biggest there was in the vicinity and we wanted to give our members a grand time, members and all our guests.”

The ball this year was a very festive event with everyone dressed in traditional South Asian clothes with over a hundred people attending this extravaganza, Live entertainment was provided in the form of an instrumental performance, dance, singing hosted by very funny hosts and a live DJ as the committee tries the to improve and increase the standards, of the ball, every year.

A delicious three-course dinner was served to guests and was prepared by a chef who had travelled over 200 miles, from Birmingham.

The DJs, DJ Gaurav and Sandeep from Spice FM, have supported the Newcastle South Asian Society for many socials, over the past two years, providing the music and entertainment for the events.

The festival of Diwali is one of the oldest festivals in the Hindu tradition; it is embedded with historical and spiritual meanings.

Thousands of names and meanings have been attributed to the festival but its true meaning remains enduring.

Diwali is the festival of lights. It allows generations of family and friends to unite in a five-day long celebration of light, love, gratitude and blessings.

Every celebration calls for long-established festivities such as exchanging traditional homemade sweets, snacks, along with prayers, exchange of gifts, family feasts and different traditions every day.

The festival, also known as the festival of lights, is celebrated all over the world by lighting up the house with lanterns, diyas (oil lamps) and fireworks.

It is the celebration of Lord Ram returning with his wife, Sita, and brother, Laxshman, after Ram defeated Ravan to rescue Sita, from Lanka.

The lighting of homes represents light triumphing over spiritual darkness.

While many attendees were not able to be at home with their families, for this special celebration, guests still celebrated into the night with friends and colleagues.

Vishmie Sachinthanee said: “It made up for not being at home with family to celebrate this special occasion”

“It made up for not being at home with family to celebrate this special occasion”

Students enjoying the Diwali Ball Images: Chandini Venkataramani

6.news

Monday 21 November 2016

The Courier

Top laughs for Newcastle University comedy award winner

By Laura Higgins A student of Newcastle University has been awarded the chance to have their comedy sketch performed at Newcastle’s City Hall.

Alison Scurfield, an English Literature and Creative writing student at Newcastle University, will see her script come to life, in a performance at the next ‘Sunday for Sammy’ concert.

Miss Scurfield’s unique sketch, which featured a computer illiterate elderly couple in ‘internet banking’, was met with a wave of success.

In her childhood, through television programmes such as Bottom and The Catherine Tate Show, Alison fostered her love for comedy, and now, as an adolescent, her interest has been transformed into reality.

As well as the winning the chance for her sketch to be performed, Alison was also awarded the ‘Sketch for Sammy 2016 Philip Richardson Award’.

Alison told The Courier “it was so ex-

citing to hear that I had won the award.

“The Laffalang Gang who performed my sketch were amazing yet, considering the competitive cohort that they were up against, I was very surprised to win.”

The award was created in memory of Philip Richardson, a musician who tragically drowned in Whitley Bay, in the November of 2013.

His tragic and unexpected death sparked a wave of donations to his memory to celebrate his musical and comic talents.

Philip Richardson was a talented musician and a regular on the ‘open-mic’ comedy circuit in the North East.

The Philip Richardson award is also in partnership with the Sunday for Sammy Trust.

The Trust is a North East charity that organises biennial entertainment extravaganzas, which are held in the memory of the late Sammy Johnson.

The charity also provides financial support for young performers to help them develop their arts and talents. It also gives young artists the chance to perform on stage with some high profile professionals from across the region.

“It was so exciting to hear that I had won the award. The Laffalang Gang who performed my sketch were amazing, I was very surprised to win”

Scurfield on her way to receive an award Image: Alice Scurfield

The Courier

news .7

Monday 21 November 2016

New scholarship puts women in drivers seat

By Louise Hall News Editor Newcastle University will be participating for the first time in the global Trans Awareness Week between 14th and 20th November.

Following a number of events during last year’s LGBT+ Awareness Week that focused on transgender issues such as trans health and a day of action on ‘unnecessarily’ gendered toilets, the Student Union is running a week in conjunction with the LGBT+ society devoted to encouraging conversations relating these issues. The week will offer stalls, talks and panels about those who identify as transgender in an effort to combat stigmas and stereotypes about the letter ‘T’ in the LGBT+ community.

Speaking on the decision to hold a separate week devoted entirely to the discussion and teaching of trans issues, Courtney Levin, Part-time LGBT+ offcer and also trans representative for the LGBT+ society, said: “Transgender people face the highest murder rate in society, so I think it’s very important that we educate people on the most basic difficulties that the trans community faces. By having our own week, we can draw attention to these unique issues, as well as remember those whose lives were lost this year as a result of transphobic hate crimes.”

Events on the calendar include a

question-and-answer panel featuring Saffron Kershaw-Mee and Asher AmorTrain, the Marginalised Genders Officer and the LGBT+ society’s non-binary representative respectively, between 3-4:30pm on Wednesday 16th in the History Room, as well as a talk led by LGBT+ Officer Courtney Levin titled “The Transgender Reality” from 7-9pm on Friday 18th in the Students’ Union lounge. In this talk Courtney will be discussing the issues trans* people face every day, why transphobia exists, and how we can all work together to combat it.

These events will be open to everyone who wishes to learn more about people who identify as transgender.

“We’re very proud to be par ticipating in a worldwide event that can spread awareness and acceptance of our c o m m u n i t y,” Courtney added.

The week will close on Sunday the 20th, coinciding with the International Transgender Day of Remembrance, with a candlelit vigil led by Courtney Levin in front of the Students’ Union building. Anyone is welcome to attend and show their support; candles will be provided.

To find out more about the events, you can visit Part-time Officers’ facebook page and LGBT+ facebook group, or contact Courney Levin regarding LGBT+ and tras related issues.

“Carspring are attempting to widen the opportunities for women in this male dominated industry as only 16% of those employed in the automotive sector are women”

Carspring Team Image: Joe Newman

Newcastle Science Central short listed for prestigious award

By Viktorija Gecevic Newcastle Science Central, a 24 ache city centre multifunctional development land, the largest development of its kind in the UK have been shortlisted for the prestigious LGC (Local Government Chronicle) Award in the Driving Growth category.

The innovative and sustainable Science Central is expected to attract the leading scientific organisations to the centralised land of development with an increased engagement with other sectors like education, business, leisure and residential facilities.

One of the Science Central projects is a Newcastle Laboratory, funded with 20 million pounds; it will provide 70 thousand square feet of specialist facilities to attract the leading edge businesses into the sector of sciences and healthcare in the North East region.

Egle Lakyte, third year Computer Science student, said: “I am really gutted that I won’t have a chance to use these facilities, as I am graduating this year.

We, as students, were consulted at the beginning of the process in order to ensure that this building makes our

life at university most comfortable and provides us with unique and innovative space to work and develop our projects.”

Newcastle Laboratory is said to become a unique eco-system of associated services such as bespoke business acceleration service. Also, the access to expert industry knowledge will help tenants innovate and grow, in turn, the insight-led research supported by the tenants will contribute to the commercialisation of products and services.

The laboratory building has been designed by an Aura led design team which included award-winning architects Ryder.

It also received support from the leading healthcare and life sciences industry specialists such as CAMSCI, to ensure the building meets the needs of the sector.

Newcastle Science Central, a mixeduse development is set to create over 4,000 jobs, 500,000 square feet of office space, and 450 new homes in the heart of the city. This landmark of sustainable innovation is delivered through the dedicated partnership between Newcastle City Council and Newcastle University.

The winner of the award will be announced on Wednesday 8th of March 2017 at Grosvenor House Hotel, London.

“The winner of the award will be announced on Wednesday 8th of March 2017 at Grosvenor House Hotel, London”

Science Central Image: Andrew Curtis

The Courier

news .9

Monday 21 November 2016

University hosts Interfaith discussion

NEWSTACK Manchester

Bar closes after US elections cause fights

By Ollie Burton Deputy Editor As part of the nationally established Interfaith Week, last Wednesday students gathered to take part in a discussion comparing their experiences with faith and their opinions on various topics. The open discussion featured a panel of representatives from participating faith societies on campus, who answered questions fielded to them by attendees. The audience were mixed up on their tables to ensure a mix of faith perspectives could be discussed in each sub-group with regards to the current topic of focus. Representatives were present from the Jewish, Atheist, Catholic and Islamic societies as well as the Christian Union.

Questions asked to the panel included broader queries such as ‘How did you come to your belief system?’, as well as more pressing political issues - ‘Has your faith impacted your opinions of

Brexit and the US election?’. Following answers from the panel to each question, the audience were encouraged to share their own thoughts with each other to ensure an open dialogue.

Important points emphasised by the panel included the inclusivity and sense of ‘family’ that comes from being part of a faith-based group, as well as the more

“...the inclusivity and sense of ‘family’ that comes from being part of a faithbased group...”

unfortunate labels that might be placed on religious individuals by the public.

Dom Barstow, President of the Atheists’ and Secular Humanists’ Society

said ‘This event gave us a fantastic opportunity to engage with the faith societies and their members, we believe only by debating and discussing our differences will we come to the truth. We greatly look forward to the next event in summer’.

This year Interfaith Week ran for eight days instead of the usual seven to include Remembrance Sunday, to recognise that many people of varying backgrounds and beliefs will all be celebrating that in some way. The purpose of the week itself, according to the event website is ‘Having a special week provides a focal point, helping to open inter faith activity up to a wider audience so that more and more people are made aware of the importance of this vital work and are able to participate in it’. It is just one of a large network of groups seeking to promote harmony and open discussion between various faith groups, which will prove ever more vital as political spheres become increasingly charged.

Police were called to a bar on Manchester University campus in the early hours of the 11th of November, after a fight broke out between students over the contentious results of the United States Presidential election.

Around 6:20 AM, as the results began to show favour for Republican candidate Donald J. Trump, tensions mounted as supporters of Trump and Clinton

clashed, and one man threw a drink at another. This escalated to a fight, in which one person involved sustained minor injuries.

The bar in the student union in which the results were being broadcast was forced to shut as the situation developed. The individual responsible for the assault had left the premises by the time the police arrived.

Birmingham

Sports centre and pool The opening of the University of Birmingham’s new sports centre building in Edgbaston has been pushed back to 2017, the latest in a series of delays throughout the year.

The sports centre, costing a total of £55 million, features a 50 metre pool the only pool of this size in the city, and the second in the West Midlands region.

The centre was originally scheduled for a December opening, but after surveying the state of the building’s construction as of mid-November, the estimate has been readjusted to early January.

Although the centre has been delayed previously, in July and September, officials are “confident” of a January opening without further incident.

Central London

Palestinian protest at Israeli event

At an event scheduled by the ‘Friends of Israel’ group at UCL, anti-Israeli protestors surrounded the room in which guest speaker Hen Mazzig had been arranged to give a talk.

The protesters blocked the exits to the room in which attendees of the event were waiting, before banging against the doors and windows, leaving many shaken and distressed.

As police arrived to respond to calls from within the room, opposing factions representing Palestinian and Israeli groups clashed outside. This conflict remained nonviolent, however there was a plethora of aggressive chanting from both sides. Mazzig was escorted by police, later tweeting: “I had to be rushed out of the event at @UCL with security, the campus was the war

Glasgow

Simpsons Philosophy The University of Glasgow has outlined a course which will mediate philosophical study through the themes and characters of American cartoon The Simpsons.

Convenors claim that creator Matt Groening’s roots as a philosophy student shine through in the writing of the globally-renowned show, which is soon to reach its 27th year anniversary, and believe that this will serve as a good ve-

hicle to teach philosophy in line with more standard courses.

Tutor at the University of Glasgow, John Donaldson, said that The Simpsons’ “broad scope and depth” promised a good bed of insight for examining the theories of noteworthy philosophers throughout history. The course costs £30 per head and is set to begin on the 14th of January, 2017.

By James McCoul Culture Editor

Comment 10.

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Monday 21 November 2016

The Courier

Comment Editors Jamie Cameron, Sinéad CorkettBeirne & Sunil Nambiar courier.comment@ncl.ac.uk | @Courier_Comment

Trump: will he, won’t he?

It’s really unlikely the president-elect will live up to his campaign promises, writes Alexandra Sadler

Alliance in question

M

r. Trump is no stranger to being incredibly vague on a multitude of issues, and this is no different on the topic of NATO. On the one hand, Trump has expressed great criticism of the organisation, citing it as ‘obsolete’ and arguing that the members of NATO are ‘ungrateful’ allies of the United States who rely too heavily on the protection of America and take more out than they put in.

‘‘It is hard to paint a picture of what exactly The Donald’s plans are for NATO’’

This is centred on the frustration America has with the other members of NATO who are not reaching the required spending of 2% GDP on Defence. Trump argues America cannot afford to protect these European and Asian nations anymore, he demands compensation and threatens withdrawal of American forces unless members pay up. Yet, during a presidential debate and in a dramatic turn of events, Trump appeared to be in favour of NATO stressing he was “all for NATO” – confusing, ey?

It is hard to paint a picture of what exactly The Donald’s plans are for NATO – what is clear however is that there will definitely be some form of shake-up of the organisation, what that manifests itself in is for us to find out.

Thomas Hussey

Why does NATO matter?

T

he 28-member North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) is a military alliance that guarantees mutual defence, binding Europe with the United States.

The relative leeway of the American President across foreign undertakings may prove consequential for the alliance. The United States’ hitherto guaranteed involvement in conflicts affecting treaty partners in the Baltic states has not been assured by Donald Trump.

The weaknesses inherent in these countries’ –

‘‘Beyond questioning American support, Donald Trump has not ruled out an American exit from Nato’’

Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia - defences compel deterring aggression that may undermine territorial integrity.

Beyond questioning American support, Donald Trump has not ruled out an American exit from NATO. Sunil Nambiar

D

onald Trump made many a-promise during his presidential campaign.

These promises varied wildly, from the seemingly mundane such as cutting taxes, to the ridiculous and discriminatory, such as a ban on Muslims entering the US. And of course, who could forget the Wall?

Generally, when presidential candidates who then go on to become the President make campaign promises, they are held to account and people expect them to fulfill said promises.

‘‘Trump’s policy strategy appears to be having an idea of where to start, but not planning

Think of it as a deal struck between the people and the President; the people elect the President who then fulfills his side of the bargain by ensuring campaign claims are enacted or achieved.

However, I can hardly see Congress approving a plan to build a wall - as the United States would be paying for it because Mexico have made it quite clear that they will not be paying for it. It seems, therefore, that many of Trump’s campaign promises were made in order to create sensationalism and gain media coverage and supporters. This only becomes more of an issue when we look at Trump’s other policies. Or, rather, a lack thereof.

Trump’s claim that he will ‘bring manufacturing back’ seems positive at first, until you realise that his plan on how exactly to achieve this is rather vague. He has stated that he would withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, and renegotiate NAFTA partnerships to get a better deal for workers. That seems like a solid basis on which to start building up manufacturing, and yet that is all it is - a base.

Trump’s policy strategy appears to be having an idea of where to start, but not planning beyond that. This technique may work occasionally when

trying to wing an exam, or write an essay the night before, but not when you’re about to become President of one of the largest economic powers on the planet. Furthermore, it does not seem that his policy advisors - if Trump actually listens to them - have thought through the plan to impose tariffs on goods made in China and Mexico. Firstly, this violates international trade rules. Secondly, you don’t even have to look that far back in history to see that previous tariffs, such as the Depressionera Hawley-Smoot, didn’t work out so well for the economy.

It seems inevitable at this point that those who voted for Trump in the hope that American manufacturing and industry would be revitalised, will be disappointed. Additionally, those who voted Trump as an anti-establishment, anti-lobbying protest, will also be disappointed.

For example, his transition team contains Jeffrey Eisenach, a well-known telecomm lobbyist, and Reince Priebus as chief of staff, a former Republican National Committee Chairman, hardly an outsider in politics.

However, those who voted for Trump because of a hatred for gender equality, racial equality,

homophobia or intolerance of various religions and a number of other things, will be pretty pleased with themselves.

‘‘It seems, therefore, that many of Trump’s campaign promises were made in order to create sensationalism’’ Despite Trump stating that he wouldn’t attempt to reverse the marriage equality decision as it was made by the Supreme Court, opposing the extreme anti-LGBT stance of Pence, he has stated that he is pro-life and hinted at reversing the 1973 Roe vs. Wade ruling.

In this matter, the new Vice-President would be helpful, well known for his ultra-conservative stance as Indiana governor, with several previous attempts to prevent any and all abortions taking place.

Of course, a new and comprehensive set of policies may materialize between now and his inauguration, but it seems that the Trump administration may just as well be following the Republican platform for the next 4 years. This is the issue with making campaign promises that you can’t keep, or have no substance, you end up relying on someone else.

It just seems unfortunate for the liberal world that this someone else happens to be someone else plural, ultra-conservative wing of the Republican Party. If Trump is backtracking on campaign promises I suspect it is not because he is softening his stance, but rather he is realising that being the President is actually a lot of work, and appealing to less than half of the population just won’t cut it.

If the Republican-lead government of the next 4 years ploughs through with all of Trump’s campaign promises, then good luck to them. At the moment, with numerous promises, but limited policies, it really is anyone’s guess what the Trump administration will achieve.

Battle for justice over Orgreave

Sinead Corkett-Beirne and Benjamin Eckford discuss why the refusal to conduct a fresh inquest into the 1984 clash between police and miners, is a complete disgrace The government’s decision to reject an appeal for an inquiry into the battle of Orgreave has been buried underground. The Home Secretary, Amber Rudd, deemed that it was unnecessary to review a single drop of evidence held by South Yorkshire police before she made the executive decision to not pursue the case any further.

Rudd might as well have rubbed salt into the wounds of the ninety-five miners that were arrested in the ordeal, not to mention all those who have campaigned tirelessly to find out the truth.

The confrontation that took place at the coking plant on 18th June 1984 was nothing short of legalised state violence. Whether you agreed with the governments decision to close down twenty mines in 1984 or not, the violence that the British state inflicted against its own citizens at Orgreave was inexcusable.

As the granddaughter of a former miner I stand by my opinion that the government made the wrong decision to shut down the industry, leaving hundreds of thousands of people without a job.

The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM)

had every right to partake in striking as a form of protest; some conducted during 1972 and 1974 helped to bring down Ted Heath’s Conservative government.

The miners picket that took place from 3rd – 10th February 1972, in particular, blocked any fuel from leaving Saltley Gate fuel depot which essentially forced Heath to meet the demands put forward by the miners involved.

Margaret Thatcher, who had served in Heath’s cabinet, was determined not to let history repeat itself. Thatcher was determined to break trade union power and the cohesive spirit of the working class in Britain.

The NUM was the strongest trade union in the country, and many working class communities were built on coal mining.

The 18 June 1984 confrontation was a microcosm of the struggle. Over six thousand police officers were given the licence to charge on horseback at striking miners. They used violence at their own will, and they abused their authority by arresting anyone who even remotely tried to defend oneself.

The BBC showed footage that had been edited to deliberately show the miners attacking first, when in actual fact this was not the case. Consequently, seventy-one miners were charged with riot related charges and twenty-four were arrested for violent disorder.

It does not come as a surprise that all those arrested were acquitted because the evidence submitted by South Yorkshire police was deemed unreliable.

It is in the publics interest for them to know exactly what happened at Orgreave, especially after the cover-up of Hillsborough. The disaster occurred five years after Orgreave, and it is worth reminding ourselves that it was the South Yorkshire police force that were responsible.

The public has been been denied a full and accurate account for thirty-two years, and the police violence and attempts to smear the miners have gone unrecognised and unpunished. Truth and justice has finally been served for Hillsborough – now it must follow for Orgreave.

The Courier

comment .11

Monday 21 November 2016

Heralding a new Chinese age Errol Kerr on the dawn of an era characterised by an East Asia on the rise

W

ithout a doubt, the political events and climate of 2016 have resulted in the largest shift in global power in centuries – arguably since the Cold War. Political demagogues have used rhetoric of countries, such as Britain and the USA, being “in decline” in order to shift power. They are attempting to recover the influence and status that particular states once held. In essence, this has indeed shifted power - just, you know, away from those countries.

The result of the EU referendum, affectionately called “Brexit” to cushion the massive economic downturn that the UK faced, has not resulted in the UK recovering power. The result of the US election has not made America any greater than it once was.

Both countries suffered currency drops in the wake of these events, and countries nearby have also lost reputation. Mexico and the European Union have also been drastically affected by these results.

well in the wake of political and economic downturns of the past few years. So, the question

Strangely enough, this coincides with a shift in power that has been occurring for decades.

East Asian countries, such as China and Japan, have monopolised international manufacturing industries and construction industries. The Chinese stock markets are still doing remarkably

arises – are we coming to the dawn of China, Japan and other East Asian powerhouses on their way to dominating the global political climate?

For a few reasons, I can see this being entirely possible. The United States’ political power, despite

A Republican-controlled government would, whilst aiming to expand its global power, most likely lead to a collapse. I mean, that’s what happened the last two times the USA had a Republican President, Senate and House.

Here’s an example of the power that East Asia holds over the West: Japanese manufacturing firms have been damning in the wake of the EU referendum vote, and their abandonment of plants in the UK is a genuine threat to British business. Should American manufacturing and fuel processing businesses lose the massive amount of foreign workers that they rely on to keep going, it’s fairly feasible that oil from outside of the USA would be worth a hell of a lot more than it is now.

We also forget China’s influence in Africa.

Centuries of Sino-African relationships has resulted in such a huge increase in trade between the two of them. The Western political powerhouses would be foolish to ignore these – and it seems that they have in their inward spiralling politics. China is the continent of Africa’s first trading partner, surpassing the USA, and that power is only going to grow.

Working women can stand alone Emma Bancroft discusses the controversial topic of special privelege in the world of employment and argues that women and minorities should not have advantages at work

T

he press is plagued with articles explaining why us women are on the back foot in this ‘man’s world’: “there just aren’t enough women in high powered positions.” Oh, alright then, lets not consider Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany, or Ginni Rometty, chairwoman and CEO of IBM, or Chair of the Federal Reserve, Janet Yellen or perhaps Christine Lagarde, managing director of the International Monetary fund or even Susan Wojcicki, the CEO of Youtube, or… They must just be flukes, complete coincidences. Maybe they were put there because people felt sorry for them in this ‘man’s world.’

“By using tokenism as a way to pretend workforces are ‘equal’ in gender, we are undermining the skills and competencies of women”

The two widespread words in this debate are ‘gender’ and ‘equality’, but maybe we ought to reconsider what gender equality truly means in

order to grasp an understanding of this ‘poor little women’ rhetoric. Apparently, gender equality is where equality - i.e. opportunities and rights - is unaffected by gender.

Or perhaps, according to current practises, we ought to re-write this description… ‘Gender equality is where we take a look at our statistics, panic that they aren’t completely representative of the country’s ratio of males to females, and then shove some women in at some higher positions in order to create the illusion of some sort of parity within our workplace.’

Equality is not equality if you have to go and search for it; by definition this completely undermines the key principles of equality. Perhaps one day we will be trying to reinsert men into high powered positions because the women that we initially inserted there to replace the men on our quest for ‘equality’ have now completely taken over and now it’s a ‘woman’s’ world’.

I am a feminist. Which means I believe in equality for women. I don’t, however, believe in the superiority of women, which includes crowbarring them into places they shouldn’t be. That’s not equality, that’s just an unnecessary, demeaning practise. As a woman, I’d be completely offended

under threat

being remarkably durable, seems to be moving away from globalisation in its election of Trump.

‘‘China is the continent of Africa’s first trading partner, surpassing the USA, and that power is only going to grow’’

‘‘The Chinese stock markets are still doing remarkably well in the wake of political and economic downturns’’

NHS

to think that I was given a position over a man who was more qualified than me, simply because the company were trying to introduce more women into the firm.

“I believe in equality for women, however I don’t believe in crowbarring [women] into places they shouldn’t be” By using tokenism as a way to pretend workforces are ‘equal’ in gender, we are undermining the true skills and competences of women. How about we spend less time and effort working out all these silly percentages and just get on with employing the highest standard of workers, then, gender equality will happen naturally and women will be employed based purely on their merit, and not to artificially make up numbers. Don’t patronise us; we want to be employed because of our skills and capabilities, and because we will do the job better than anybody else.

The Tory privatisation project is an unmitigated failure, putting NHS services in the wrong hands, writes Caitlin Disken

W

e’re living in a time when the NHS is under more pressure than ever. It’s already coping with increased budget cuts, rising waiting times, and a balooning difficulty in hiring doctors, yet with the government’s latest move, its problems just became a whole lot worse.

In the last week we’ve witnessed the latest wave of our healthcare’s underhanded privatisation.

Bath and North-East Somerset’s Tory-led council have granted Richard Branson’s Virgin Care a colossal £700m contract to run services in the area. Not only is this incredibly dangerous, but it also undermines everything the NHS stands for.

‘‘They’ll seek to make more by reducing services, so general quality of care will inevitably decline’’

£700m is such a huge figure that it’s almost impossible for the everyday person to comprehend.

So, let’s put it into perspective by thinking about what the government could, and should, actually be putting that money towards. With that kind of cash, you could provide care for just over 6 million A & E patients, provide training for around 1,100 new doctors, and build 8 or 9 average-sized hospitals. Yet instead, the government is throwing that money towards a company who already rake in the millions. Rather than investing money into the NHS itself, they’re trusting a company founded by a self-professed tax exile’, further reducing tax revenue and demolishing our public services.

With the recent disputes around Southern Rail, we’ve already seen that private ownership of public services end in disaster. The services you receive don’t improve – just ask anyone who’s ever been on a TransPennine Express train – and companies are generally less accountable for what they do. Take train prices, for example. Year on year, they rise, yet nobody ever notices an improvement in what they get for their money. And what can you do about it?You can complain to the company, of course.

But when pound signs are involved, it’s obvious they will never do anything. Instead, the prices go up and the services continue to decline. This is the sensible fear surrounding NHS privatisation.

‘‘They’re trusting a company founded by a self-professed ‘tax exile’’’ As the NHS is such an integral part to all of our lives, public perception of the way it’s run is powerful enough to swing general elections. Every government knows that if the NHS declines whilst they’re in power, the public can easily turn against them and they’ll lose votes. So, it’s in their interests to run it well. A company like Virgin Care doesn’t have this fear. Yes, they may be making £700 million from the deal, but we all know they’ll seek to make more by reducing services, so general quality of care will inevtiably decline.

Who will hold Virgin accountable? The odd patient may complain, but Branson’s friends in the Tory party will never end the contract. Throughout all the many failed privatisation efforts, not one has been reversed. Even if the contract is cancelled, it barely matters to Virgin, which will have plenty of other opportunities to cash in. Yet it does, and will matter, to the individuals who will suffer from a company like this taking the NHS, which should always remain public. For them it will be too late.

Culture

12.

thecourieronline.co.uk/culture

Rant of the Week:

Bouncers India Copley has had enough of the ‘guardians’ of our clubs

S

ometimes being a uni student is hard. You skipped too many contact hours the last two weeks and suddenly you’re stuck pulling an eight-hour shift in the library playing catch up.

Your lecturer has suddenly decided that after a month of minimal additional reading you just have to read these three 50 page articles in the two-day gap between the lecture and your seminar. You’ve done three all-nighters in the space of a week because you have an assessment deadline and your module leader is being Fort Knox about what exactly they want you to write.

“Dressed all in black, arms crossed menacingly and with a semi permanent scowl” You deserve a night out. So you get dolled up, you play drinking games with cheap vodka, you serenade the poor taxi driver and you hit the toon.

With the week you’ve had you have earned every drink, every inappropriate dance move, every second spent laughing, joking or flirting. You did your time, and now you’re free to do whatever you want.

Or you would be; if it weren’t for The Bouncer.

Dressed all in black, arms crossed menacingly and with a semi permanent scowl fixed in place these guys hold the outcome of your night in the palms of their power hungry little hands. And boy do they know it.

Admittedly standing for six hours in the cold, policing drunk and stupid uni students, was probably nobody’s first choice of job, but does that give Bouncers an excuse to be rude, biased, power tripping tyrants? No. We get that Bouncers are there to protect businesses from lawsuits and hooligans.

We know that sometimes we are too drunk to be allowed into bars and clubs. We’re not stupid or delusional; we know the drill. What we don’t understand is why, they feel that they not only need to reject us but to embarrass and abuse us as they do it.

When we come to the door and claim that ‘Danny never ID’s me’ we’re jokingly trying to tell them that we’re regulars here, we are not ‘being sassy’, and we definitely do not deserve to be separated from our friends and made to wait out in the cold.

When they decide they won’t let us in because our ID isn’t valid odds are we will try to argue with them about it, undoubtedly annoying, but not deserving of the use of the ‘c’ word or the torrent of abuse they throw at us. Our behaviour is because we’re drunk, what’s their excuse?

“Our behaviour is because we’re drunk, what’s their excuse?”

And if after we’ve argued that we’re sober enough to be allowed in, smiled and apologised that our ID photos are five years old and don’t look like us, they still don’t want to let us in, that’s cool, we understand. But then comes the ultimate insult; as we’re leaving we see they let in some girl who is stumbling all over the place and hiccupping every other word. Yes she has legs up to her ears and long blond hair that bounces as she walks but they’re not going to score with her, they’ll only see her again as she leaves in twenty minutes needing to be sick, so why they gotta discriminate? Now we’re going home feeling disappointed, fed up and embarrassed, night ruined. So thanks for that!

Monday 21 November 2016

The Courier

Culture Editors: James McCoull & Jack Oliver Parker Sections: Lifestyle, Fashion, Beauty, Arts, Music, Film, TV, Gaming & Science courier.culture@ncl.ac.uk | @CourierOnline

Wonderful Winter Weekends Sophie Schneider’s list of student-friendly winter breaks that won’t break the bank

A

student budget & holidays don’t usually go hand in hand, especially when ‘splashing out’ usually involves buying a second £2.75 pint. However, it’s this time in the semester when you’re starting to crave a trip that isn’t to Tesco’s on Northumberland street.

I’ve come up with three weekend trips which might help.

Edinburgh Yes, okay it is even further North and if you’re a soft southerner like me, the thought of minus degrees centigrade is more than mildly terrifying, but it’s undeniable that Edinburgh is a Mecca for students/travellers looking for a culture and countryside combo.

What to do: Book yourself a £20 Air BnB near the Arthur’s seat park, which is a lot cheaper than anything in main town. Alternatively, Castle Rock Hostel is at a pretty reasonable price and has a lively bar inside the hostel (although you may be swarmed by obnoxious Australians left right and centre). Edinburgh isn’t short of countryside literally inside the city, so if you want to kid yourself that you’re being adventurous and rural then walk up the crags to Arthur’s seat, or a walk to Port Edgar. Another fake rural activity is to take a 30-minute bus to the sweet village of Berwick which is the equivalent Durham to Edinburgh (pretty, but boring as shit).

Bruges A late November getaway to Bruges Christmas market might be everything you didn’t know you needed. Bruges really is that place you visit in your mind mid-summer when you’re bored of Britain’s pathetic efforts at summer, as you start visualising log fires, hot chocolate and the prettiest ice rink in the world. This medieval city has all the above plus bratwurst, horse and carts, and shit loads of beer: it really is heaven.

What to do: I mean, Christmas markets itself is pretty self-explanatory, but find a base away from the hub of the markets (Grote Markt) for cheaper options and then hobble on the cobbled streets into town where you’ll find all those things that aren’t acceptable before December in the UK, such as Bailey’s hot chocolate (don’t we all love it really?) and massive slabs of gingerbread.

Krakow With flights cheaper than a train to Barnsley this is a surprisingly cheap trip, especially if you stay in travelling hostels. Eastern Europe, as every student is aware, is the place to go, due to ludicrously low prices, beautiful architecture and a mental night life – Krakow is no exception.

What to do: Walk down old town, which appears like an Eastern European fairy-tale complete with cobbled streets and castles at every other turn. A real bonus of Krakow is that there aren’t nearly as many tourists here than in Prague or Budapest, so you can enjoy the city without watching tourists take sickening selfies documenting every step on to Instagram. It’s super cheap here, and you can enjoy a swanky hotel room for £12 in the centre!

Night life ideas: Boteca is a cheap cocktail bar featuring blaring salsa music and some Scottish teens attempting to salsa dance, which is always an experience to remember. The Dome is a bar in a huge old market building – there’s a damn good insta to be made from that ceiling.

Beat those morning blues

Winter is here and so are the chilly mornings. As if those 9am starts weren’t bad enough, now you’ve got to battle with the weather; but fear not, Hannah Frew is here with some tips to ease your sleepy heads

T

he temptation to lie back and think of England’s weather rather than face it is particularly strong this time of year. Take it from me: a southerner with an indefatigable ability to fall back asleep, who has been likened to a slug when swaddled in a duvet. My only foothold is that back home my mum refuses to turn the heating on until deep into November. Still, a titanic effort is needed to venture into the Arctic tundra of the second year house. First years note – take full advantage of your radiators.

1) Set many, many alarms. Place these far, far

away from your bed. Do not set a song you like as an alarm unless you are prepared to end up hating it. Even if it feels as if you are waking up into an American teen movie or a channel 4 sitcom about university student life, this is not an option. Ideally, something not too breezy either unless you’re a real morning person. The last time I heard the Samsung alarm ‘Morning Flower’ I felt mildly repulsed. I will never be a Morning Flower. I’m more of an afternoon cabbage.

2) After the first alarm goes off, open your curtains to let in the harsh winter sun (or lack of).

Open your windows as well. Although it will be colder, fresh air helps you wake up (and sober up if you’re hungover). Remember to shut the curtains again when you get dressed. Unless you’re into that.

3) Crucial are those first few seconds before you

remember that Donald Trump is the president of the United States. Distract yourself before you get out of bed otherwise leaving it will be a lot harder.

“Do not set a song you like as an alarm unless you are prepared to end up hating it”

While the weather forecast for the UK may not be great, the political forecast for the USA is much more dismal. Take selfish comfort in this. Every cloud has a silver lining.

4) Look forward to something, even if it’s breakfast; tea or coffee if you’re feeling adventurous. The housemate that gave me this advice makes waffles, my saving grace is a cereal from Tesco that contains 7 different types of nut.

5) Prepare a motivational speech. It will polish your creative skills. You could set it as your alarm.

Who doesn’t hate the sound of their own recorded voice? Even people who like the sound of their own voice too much in a conversation probably don’t like it replayed to them. You’ll be leaping out of bed to make that godawful racket stop. It doesn’t need to be a rhetorical work of art. Here I’ve started one already: don’t let anything stop you, wake up from your dreams to live your dreams. If all else fails just download Shia LeBeouf ’s 2015 masterpiece. JUST DO IT! 6) Radiator pants work well for another of my housemates. Leaving clothes on the radiator overnight compensates leaving the warmth of bed a little. Pro-tip: make them thermals and layer yourself up like a lasagna. Marks & Spencer do a good range (thermals not lasagnas). Inadvertent product placements aside, hopefully this helps you seize the day.

The Courier

.13

Monday 21 November 2016

Sophie on Matt

Sophie Ahmed, 3rd Year English Literature meets Matt Backx, 2nd Year, Archaeology

How was the date?

It went really well! It wasn’t awkward from the start he was just quite confident and gave me hug.

Gave you a hug! That’s a strong start! So, where did you go?

So first we went to Lady Grey, the pub near monument because basically he messaged me on facebook and he said do you fancy going to the Stand for drinks and stuff. I was a bit apprehensive because I don’t really like Stand-up comedy but it’s quite cute that he’s like thought of what he wants to do so I’ll go with it. But I suggested to go for a drink first because I was like it’s better to talk. So we went to Lady Grey and then went to The Stand after that.

How was the comedy at the club?

Well it was like a beginners like Stand Up night and it was their first time, which was quite funny to just laugh at them at how shit it was.

Could you talk in between the jokes?

Yeah they had two intervals so that was good. I ended up drinking quite a lot.

Okay so going back to the beginning, what was your immediate impression of Matt?

Well he was quite confident. I had been given his name first so I’d had a bit of a stalk but he was like my height which I didn’t realise.

So you said you got quite drunk during the date, how did that happen?

Well I was trying to keep up with him. I was drinking cider but I’m a lightweight so I could have had like 2 pints and that would have been enough for me but I had 4.

Do you think he noticed?

I think he might of, on the last pint I like spilt quite a bit on him and the table. But he found it funny so I think it was fine.

Well saved. Right now another editor mentioned that you sent some very positive texts whilst in your inebriated state, can I ask about them?

I know what’s coming here. It ‘s just what I’m like, I definitely exaggerate when I’m drunk and I do drunk text people pretty often so I don’t know. Apparently you say the truth when you’re drunk so who knows!

Was there a bit of a spark or any chemistry?

Umm… he was touching my leg a few times.

But in a friendly way! Like a little pat. *Input from the office* ‘That’s not what you were saying last night!’

Oh god, stop! But back to the spark, there was nonstop chat, it wasn’t awkward at any point but he was really talkative so that might have been it. Meant I could relax a bit.

That sounds pretty good then! Right so the classic; if he was an animal what would he be?

We knew this was coming so we talked about this and decided not to tell each other before the interview. So my first reaction was that he was like a bear, but he’s quite small so maybe a koala bear?

Was he hairy?

He had a bit of stubble, it was a nice amount. Nothing too beastly.

So as an experience, would you go on another blind date?

Yeah I would actually.

How would you rate this out of 10?

Well I haven’t been on many dates but this was definitely the best one so I’d say like an 8?

Okay brilliant, thanks Sophie!

Matt on Sophie

So, how did you find the date?

Yeah it was really nice, just had a couple of drinks, went to lady greys just past monument, and then we headed over to the stand for their weekly cheap comedy night That’s very fancy, sounds like you spoilt her Well it was only a cheap night, it was an easy good night, I’d recommend it for dates. I thought it would be quite good to do something out of the ordinary It’s nice that you put so much thought into it! What were your first thoughts when you saw her?

She was quite small. Erm, she had a nice smile, she definitely looked like she was quite chilly. She had a nice voice, she was very friendly.

That’s good, sounds like there was a bit of a spark? …

Little bit? I can see it in your eyes Matt, did you fancy her?

Yeah I did, she was a really nice date! She laughed at all my jokes which was a plus! We never struggled to find things to talk about the entire night, which was good Aww it’s always nice to have someone you can talk to easily. What were your free favourite things about the date?

Erm… I really liked that she was really confident, I liked all the music because we went to places that I really liked, and luckily it was a really good night at the comedy! Sometimes it’s not that good and it can be a bit awkward, but sometimes its really good, and last night was really good.

Sounds like you had a lot to bond over Yeah we had a lot in common, places we’d been, we talked a lot about films and books we had in common. Had the obvious small talk about where we are from and what we like and dislike . I learnt a lot about how she loves music and she plays in a band. I guessed her instrument first try!

What was it?

The bass guitar!

Ah! I wouldn’t have guessed that I was quite disappointed she didn’t play the recorder Is that what you play?

No, but I wish I could Well it sounds like a really good date. Would you like to see Sophie again?

Yeah definitely, she was really fun. She was easy to make laugh, she was charming, she was really laid back and chilled, and she’s a lightweight Aww… If she was an animal what animal would she be?

A koala bear!

Koala bear! Why? Because she’s like the right size… and I can imagine her all huddled up Okay…If she was a type of egg what would she be? …

As in scrambled or fried?

Oh right! I was going to say I know nothing about chickens… I’m going to say scrambled, because I really liked her.

Aww that’s such a sweet answer! Finally what would you rate her out of 10?

7.8 That’s very specific! Thanks Matt!

Fancy a date? We’ll set you up. Contact us!

Find us on The Lifestyle Writers 2016/17 Facebook page

14.lifestyle

Monday 21 November 2016

The Courier

Lifestyle Editors: Ana Beretsos, Antonia Coleman-Harvey, Ruth Loeffler & Brooklyn Shakeshaft Ward

Horoscopes from Astrological Antonia & Sorceress Shakeshaft Ward Antonia ColemanHarvey and Brooklyn Shakeshaft Ward use their mystic powers to guide you through your week Aries March 21- April 19

Get ahead of your work this week and stop being a party animal! I know its tempting but your’e only sabotaging yourself!

Taurus April 20- May 20 If your surname begins with a D, your stars are telling you to man up and text that person back that you have been putting off.

Gemini May 21- June 20

Take a break, Gemini. You’re working far too hard and your housemates are starting to think your boring. I can see it by the alignment with Uranus.

Cancer June 21- July 22

Yo, Cancer. You’re overthinking everything.

Don’t get ahead of yourself. That person you keep thinking about probably isn’t as amazing as your fantasies are.

Leo July 23- Aug 22 Leo you’re known for being loud and aggressive.

Tone it down. Your friends need a bit of peace and quiet sometimes and surprisingly might not want to know all about your super original night in Swingers.

Virgo Aug 23- Sep 22

Your stars are telling you to take new chances. If your first name begins with S and you are single, it is your destiny to enrol in our blind date and get back on it again.

Libra Sep 23- Oct 22

Libra, you might get ill this week. Sorry, you obviously didn’t wash your hands properly after a grimey metro ride or definitely sat next to the wrong sniffler in the library.

Scorpio Oct 23- Nov 21

Wahoo it’s your birthday today or just has been.

You’re probably feeling a bit dejected and you’re right. Make the most of this and Christmas because that’s you done until the next year.

Sagittarius Nov 22- Dec 21

Sagittarius, what have you done? something you did last week will come back to haunt you in the worst way... maybe lay off the bitching and concentrate on being nice for once.

Capricorn Dec 22- Jan 19

You’ve worked really hard this week, you deserve a break! You need a night out, pronto! Get the trebles in, go wild... you haven’t cut loose in ages.

Dancing away the stresses of university life with your bestie will cure any winter blues.

Aquarius Jan 20- Feb 18

The super moon is in your favour Aquarius, something big and bright is going to happen in your future! Trust your vision, this week will be majestic!

Pisces Feb 19- March 20

As one door closes, another door opens... although everything might seem like it’s going wrong for you, good things are just around the corner- hang in there!

Putting the G and T in great In our new society spotlight feature, Ciara Ritson-Courtney from the newly formed Gin Appreciation Society, extols the joys of the G and T and explains why Gin is the best

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rab a glass; Newcastle Gin Appreciation Society (NUGAS) are making your mums favourite drink cool again. As one of Newcastle universities newest societies, Newcastle university gin appreciation society has some big boots (or bottles) to fill. Founded by the now president Sam Robinson, the society became officially ratified on November 1st 2016 and has grown incredibly quickly in that time! Now at just under 50 members after only 1 social the society seems to have big plans for the future.

“NUGAS: Making your mum’s favourite drink cool again” The first social they hosted comprised of a tasting of a local gin, Steampunk, which is based in the north east of England and won a spirits business gold this year. The gin was originally developed in 1892 by Sir Raleigh Holmes-Dunston and had hints of juniper, cardamom and citrus that melted in the mouth. This was served with the wellknown Hexham based brand of tonics (and soft drinks) Fentimans, who were even there to meet some members. One of the members Jack Oliver Parker claimed “It was lovely to enjoy a nice gin in a relaxed society environment instead of being forced to down Bombay sapphire on a night out” and said he would suggest joining to friends.

Gin itself is actually made by the addition of approved natural flavourings to a neutral spirit that has to be of agricultural origin. The distinctive ‘gin’ flavour is from the juniper berry, which is in fact not a berry but a cone, and is the only spice derived from conifers.

Although we are the ‘Gin Appreciation

Society’, we also appreciate tonic in equal measure. never settle for anything but the best- A cheap tonic can ruin even the best of Gins. my personal favourite tonic is Fentimans (sorry for the product placement, it just tastes the best!).

If you fancy learning more facts about gin the society is currently selling tickets for their next social, a gin tasting master class and is planning a Christmas dinner.

NUGAS aim to try as many local gins a s

possible as well as searching further afield for more interesting and rare varieties. While of course loving the taste of the drink, the society is also interested in the brewing of the famous beverage and is currently talking to various companies about visiting a brewery for a day trip.

“We also appreciate tonic in equal measure!”

The gin industry has undertaken a massive increase in recent years as 49 gin distilleries opened across the UK in 2015 alone, over 50% more than in 2014. With London dry gin being one of the most popular gin types it’ easy to think that gin is quintessentially British. However, London dry gin in fact has nothing to do with the place! It’s based on the amount of sweetening added to the final product (which cannot exceed 0.1 grams of sugars per litre).

How to combat short evenings

As the days get shorter and the nights get colder, all can seem rather doom and gloom.

Amanda Yap shares her top tips on the best ways to make the most of the winter nights

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feel tired whenever I end class at 6pm these days, it feels like I spent the entire day in the library and left in the wee hours of the morning. Now, we are experiencing shorter days and longer nights, it can get slightly lonely when all you feel like doing is jump into your onesie and wrap yourself up in folds of blankets. Here are some ways to combat the impending short days and even longer nights ahead.

1) Netflix Marathon

It is a blessing to wrap yourself in layers and just enjoy some ‘me-time’ after a day of being surrounded by over-competitive peers and sarcastic lecturers where they have the penchant of throwing out the January exams like a passing remark. It’s only November, thank you very much! Whether it is Game of Thrones or a weepy romance sob story, as long as it calms your mind and occupies your entire being, if necessary until sleep takes over and a new day begins.

“It’s a blessing to wrap yourself up and enjoy metime”

2) Baking/Cooking

It might seem too easy to be true but never underestimate the length of time it takes to prepare

!

Spotted

ingredients and get accurate measurements. Who knows, you might enjoy modifying your favourite food, instead of constantly paying for over-priced food outside. Not trying to aim for Gordon Ramsey or Nigella Lawson’s Heaven-like culinary standards, but it motivates lazy sloths like you and I to give our convenience food and crisps a rest to re-familiarise ourselves with how proper and nutritious food taste like since summer.

Otherwise, there will be a cultural shock when we arrive home for Christmas.

“What is a gathering without wine?”

3) Social Time with Friends & Wine

What is a gathering without wine? To pass those all-so-lonely nights, it is highly recommended to gather a few like-minded friends to socialise, drink and bitch about everything and anything under the sun. Playing board games is a good icebreaker, it reveals hidden personalities that is not always appropriate in a university setting. If you lot feel up to it after your pre-drinking session, an hour or two at the club would drain all that remaining energy.

“Get out and enjoy what the quieter parts of Newcastle has to offer before the bright city lights suck you in again”

4) Exercise

Instead of lying in bed and wasting your precious daylight hours, exercise and do a couple of repetitions to get the oxygen flowing and to keep warm. Even if it is too cold to go for a jog, you could exercise with those chirpy home training videos on YouTube, work those thighs and that ass so that you can start working on that summer bod’ way in advance. Or round up a few friends and play a few games of badminton together, to flush out the toxins from the crazy nights out.

5) Day Trips Away

It is a bit sudden to book a flight to Northern Ireland for a week in the middle of the semester.

You could still afford a short metro ride to Tynemouth Beach or visit Hadrian’s Wall or even to the Northumberland Coast, at least it gets you out of the monotony of university life for a little while. Get out and enjoy what the quieter parts of Newcastle has to offer before the bright city lights suck you in again.

Everyone loves a story about dogs, especially about the most famous herd of dogs in Newcastle. The infamous snowdogs have taken over the metro! Aside from creating great photo opportunities on a night out, look out for the multitude of dog puns-- ‘Monumutt’ has replaced Monument, West Jesmond is ‘Westie Jesmond’, ‘Paws Lane End’ has taken over Four Lane Ends... How many will you spot? You’ve got to be quick to see them all!

Have you seen something weird and then wished your friends were there to witness it? We’d love to know who/what you’ve seen around campus that has made you chuckle in the last week. The weirder the better. Just Facebook us and let us know, because chances are we’d love to have a chuckle too.

The Courier

lifestyle .15

Monday 21 November 2016

thecourieronline.co.uk/lifestyle c2.lifestyle@ncl.ac.uk | @CourierLifestyle

TOP

5 Battle of the Festive Drinks Recipe

Just about every shop on the high street is displaying a Christmas theme, coffee shops included. Victoria Young talks us through her festive favourite drinks for you to enjoy

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o… it’s that time of year again when businesses start putting their “Christmas twist” on absolutely everything. Fenwick’s has its Christmas window, Gregg’s has its Christmas pasties, McDonalds has its Christmas take out cups, and the cafés have their Christmas coffees – how exciting!

In this week’s publication, I will share with you my top 5 Christmas drinks and how to enjoy them this winter:

5

MCDONALDS: SPICED COOKIE LATTE

At the bottom of my 2016 Christmas drinks list is McDonald’s Spiced Cookie Latte. Like last year’s Toffee Latte, I enjoyed it, but… you could tell it was from a fast food restaurant and cost me less than £2. The Cookie Latte is unique and I was desperate to try it because I had never seen it attempted before. Gingerbread, Apple Spice, Toffee… they’ve all been done before, but the cookie one is new. It was good, and I would probably have it again if I went in for fast food.

4

COSTA COFFEE: GINGERBREAD LATTE

Costa Coffee’s Gingerbread Latte was peak of my list last year, but has fallen a bit, purely because it’s been on their menu for a while now, and there are simply too many new Christmas drinks to cast aside. This is a great drink for winter. It’s warm, it’s traditional and it even comes with their signature gingerbread man sitting in the cream.

going perfectly well with their cinnamon buns or a bag of fudge. Just to make it even better, it sparkles!

What’s not to like?

1

COSTA COFFEE: ORANGE HOT CHOCOLATE

3

ROCHESTER GINGER DRINK

At number three is a drink for ‘adults’ with an acquired taste: Rochester’s Ginger Drink. It’s possibly one of the strongest ginger beers that have ever passed my lips, but it fits its description exactly: “how ginger wine should taste without the need for alcohol… Its smooth, clean and crisp, with a satisfying kick that lingers”. This Christmas drink gets you right at the back of the throat, but is a traditional one that I love to hate, reminding me of an authentic Christmas, as I tuck into it with my box of ginger thins.

My 2016 Christmas drink winner is Costa Coffee’s new Orange Hot Chocolate which they have claimed has “turned everyone’s favourite Christmas stocking filler into a delicious drink.” Personally, I didn’t think they’d come up with anything that could beat last year’s mulled wine, with the wee slice of orange and cinnamon floating on top, but apparently I was wrong. The Orange Hot Chocolate is definitely top of my Christmas drinks list – smooth hot chocolate with a shot of orange and finished off with a ‘cascade of gold stars’ just for the extra seasonal effect!

2

STARBUCKS: FUDGE HOT CHOCOLATE

In second place is Starbucks’ Fudge Hot Chocolate which was a sickly sweet sin to tuck into last week as I went to do a few hours of study (especially considering I ordered the Grande). This Fudge Hot Chocolate is definitely not for those who can’t handle sickly cakes or drinks – it’s intense – and it’s not for those who are a bit tight for money either… but for me, it’s my go to study drink this winter,

Let’s talk about casual sex, baby We’re young adults and everybody’s talking about it. You guessed it - sex. Jennifer Cooke explains the unspoken rules on how to keep it casual with your feelings on mute

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he question, “what’s the big deal?” springs to mind. It’s reported that about 80% of University students engage in casual sexual activities outisde so why are people so quick to be critical? Anyway, rant over... When it comes to casual sex, we’ve all been there. And more often than not, we’ve all been hurt by it. Either it’s not the right time, or you just want to focus on other things, but sometimes you need a causal situation more than a relationship and i’ve got some helpful tips for keeping the feelings and commitment at bay:

TELL THEM

First things first, the best way to keep things casual is to talk to them. Miscommunication will lead to issues further down the line, by making sure you’re all on the same page, you avoid any awkward confrontations. Having said that, another piece of advice is;

DO NOT TALK ABOUT YOUR FEELINGS

By talking about feelings you’re opening the other person up to the idea that you HAVE them, and the best way to avoid that is to avoid the conversation entirely. Yes, it sounds childish, but if you don’t talk about emotions, people are less likely to feel comfortable developing them.

A good way of avoiding feelings on your end is to talk to other people you may be interested in. If you’re avoiding a relationship because you have too much work to handle one this might not be ideal for you, but it can help in general.

NO DATES

This probably goes without saying, but if you’re going on dates, or meeting up, it’s more likely classified as dating and they just haven’t told you it yet.

So avoid dinners or drinks or romantic walks in Jesmond Dene holding hands. A good way of ensuring that would be my next piece of advice which is:

MEET UP AT NIGHT

Nothing says causal like refusing to see each other by the cold light of day. By only meeting on nights or at night out you can ensure that they only get the vibes that get thrown out on a night out, that being sex. This could bite you on the ass if you’re one of those drunks that gets hyper emotional, but that’s down to what you think you can handle. Also, maybe don’t stay over all the next day, it has more of a relationship feel.

DO NOT TEXT THEM TOO MUCH OR SEE THEM OFTEN

Leave the bed messy, you owe them nothing

TALK TO OTHER PEOPLE

Kind of self explanatory, but you are both a lot more likely to develop feelings and try to take it further if you become reliant on one other. Also, by seeing someone a lot it throws out commitment vibes which leads to all sorts of potentially messy complications.

These feet are way too entwined to be casual...

DO NOT HESITATE TO STOP IF YOU ARE FEELING UNCOMFORTABLE

If you feel like one of you are creeping into the relationship zone, there’s no shame in scaling it back to friendship, in the end you have to go by your own needs, it’s okay to be selfish.

If all else goes wrong, it may be mean, but a good holy grail get-out-of-jail-free card is to get with someone else, it may seem harsh, but better that than hurting someone further down the line.

of the week

Hope Coke is keeping your student bellies full and happy with her weekly recipe. This week, it’s chickpeas.

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his is a dish that’s really versatile and so easy to throw together. It can be eaten hot or cold and I like to do a big batch so I have leftovers ready to build some quick meals when I need them.

As well as being delicious, chickpeas are full of protein and have a good bite when warmed through in the oven that goes beautifully with the softness of the roasted vegetables. The dressing here is an extra step that you don’t have to do if you don’t want to, but it really takes this dish to the next level. It also happens to be pretty much my favourite dressing. I put on almost everything because I love it so much.

Just saying.

Serves 2

Ingredients: -half a small butternut squash, (about 500g) diced to about 2 cm cubes -1 large red onion, peeled, cut into quarters then broken up into wedges -1 red pepper, cored and chopped to bite size chunks -4 tbsp olive oil -2 tsps cumin and/ or cumin seeds -1 tsp cinnamon -1 tsp turmeric -1 400g tin chickpeas -50 g feta cheese -small handful fresh mint -small handful fresh parsley Dressing: -1 tbsp tahini -juice of one lemon -good pinch salt -warm water to thin, as needed Directions: Preheat your oven to 220 degrees C. Tip your chopped squash, onion and pepper into a roasting tray,add to oil and spices and toss until evenly combined. Roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the squash is tender and starting to caramelize around the edges and the onion and pepper is soft and charred in places. Drain and rinse off the chickpeas, then let them dry a little before tipping them into the roasting tray, spreading over the vegetables. Crumble the feta over the top of the veg and chickpeas, letting some pieces stay chunky and breaking others into smaller pieces. Return the tray for the oven and grill for 5 minutes, or until the feta is browning and the chickpeas are warm and firm.

Remove from the oven and make your dressing, whisking together the ingredients with a fork and thinning with warm water until your have a pourable consistency. Drizzle this all over the roasting tray, before chopping your fresh herbs and sprinkling them over the top. Serve warm from the tray and leftovers can be packed up and refrigerated. It’s great stuffed into wraps or pittas, bulked up with brown rice or quinoa or just alongside a salad for a light lunch.

16. fashion

Monday 21 November 2016

The Courier

Fashion Editors: Liz Rosling, Izzi Watkins & Zofia Zwieglinska

Is age really just a number?

Jamielouise Hudspith discusses age-appropriate dressing in fashion

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s there any such thing as dressing for your age?

Do clothes become inappropriate once you hit a certain age? A quick Google search would certainly make you think so, instantaneously you find yourself bombarded with articles full of tips, the do’s and don’ts on how to dress ‘correctly’ for your age. Personally I find the notion ludicrous.

Millie Bobby Brown, child star of the recent Netflix phenomenon ‘Stranger Things’, has surged as a fashion icon. The 12-year-old is putting her exceptional style on display, at the NYFW she was snapped sporting an endearing combination of a pink silk bomber jacket, black studded leather ankle boots, and a surplus of colour in her knee length dress. Much like stars twice her age, Millie’s style is fun, bold, quirky and is a statement to both her youth and her personality.

“Stars such as Baddie Winkle (internet sensation and Missguided’s new campaign star at age 88) have been a huge hit online.”

GQ’s Most Stylish Man Of The Year: Mark Ronson Philip Wittich on music sensation Mark Ronson, and how best to imitate his smart-chic style

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ften associated as being the slick, sleek, polished man of the music industry, it came as very little surprise to us that last month Mark Ronson was awarded the prestigious accolade of being named GQ’s most stylish man of the year. Never failing to get the perfect balance of a sporty yet fashionable, smart while remaining on-trend outfit, Ronson’s attire is one that you can always draw inspiration from, whether you are dressing up or down. On paper, the ingredients to Ronson’s style should not whisk up a scrumptious masterpiece, however he never fails to be a complete feast on the eyes that will leave you drooling for more.

In what is quickly becoming one of his signature DJ’ing attires, Ronson stepped out this month to perform at The Sunday Times Style magazine party wearing a buttoned-up bomber jacket. Agreed, it will be difficult for Ronson to re-create the impact his outfit made when opening up for Bruno Mars at the 2014 Super Bowl in Saint Laurent’s highshine bomber, however there is a lot to be learnt from his persistent use of the versatile

jacket. Like much of modern menswear, the bomber owes its allegiance to military history; its evolution from air combat convenience in the 1940s to its place today in men’s fashion is not one to be overlooked.

“The confidence and elegance that oozes out of Ronson is desirable, and it has led to him redefining and redesigning the timeless smart getup so much so that it yet again appeals to the younger generation” With many streetwear brands including TOPMAN, Supreme, and yes, even Yeezy, regularly reinterpreting the bomber jacket, this winter it has become a staple addition to every man’s wardrobe. You will all no doubt be pleased to hear that several designers have even adapted the classic favourite to make light-weight versions, so we eagerly await the humble bomber being styled with a preppy Pretty Green shirt and a classic pair 1.

Stars such as Baddie Winkle (internet sensation and Missguided’s new campaign star at age 88) have been a huge hit online. Her unique flamboyant style may be described as ‘out there’ and not something you could never picture your gran in, but she owns her look and looks fabulous doing so.

After all, not many women at that age feel they can pull of an luminous yellow bad girl fur coat, blue velvet thigh high boots, equally outrageous orange swirl drop down earrings along side sunglasses so big they look like outer-space goggles. I for one know that I couldn’t without feeling like less of a fashion goddess and more of a fashion disaster.

I’m a firm believer in dress for your body shape.

So if you manage to nail this then you can wear anything with confidence - regardless of your age.

I believe that style has no restrictions as long as it makes you feel good and keeps you happy. So that being said here is a mini style guide for the four main body types: 1. If you’re the well sought-after hourglass figure, then show off those curves – crop tops, pencil skirts and wrap dresses are your friends.

2. For you bottom heavy girls – off the shoulder fit and flare, structured jackets and A-line skirts are the way to go.

3. For those with slim legs and are top heavy set - a shift dress and a high waist circle skirt will show you off in all the right ways.

4. Finally, for those of you who aren’t very curvy and want to create an illusion of curves – try tapered trousers, cropper bomber jackets and a good old ruffled top to look as good as you feel.

To many fashion is a passion, but it is also an art to those who live and breathe it and art is inclusive to all. Be comfortable, be happy, and look good doing it. instagram: @baddiewinkle

5.

3.

BUY THE LOOK:

4.

At some time or another we all fall into the habit of dressing in styles now deemed too young for us, ergo having the opposite than desired effect and making us look old and outdated. This attitude prevents us from mixing our fashion choices up and experimenting, in reality you wouldn’t want to go from your favourite LBD that always left you overwhelmed with compliments, to a frumpy old jumper and washed out jeans that may make you feel more soccer mum than student.

“I believe that style has no restrictions as long as it makes you feel good and keeps you happy”

of distressed jeans this spring.

If you were to ask people what dress-sense you would associate Mark Ronson with, I would expect to hear an overwhelming amount of “smart-chic” responses, and unsurprisingly so: it is a phrase inadvertently defined by Ronson himself. Having joined Yves Saint Laurent as Creative Director in 2012, Ronson took their Seventies vibe and put his own retro, grungy, rock-star spin on it, cementing his name in the fas hion industry. The confidence and elegance that oozes out of Ronson is desirable, and it has led to him redefining and redesigning the timeless smart getup so much so that it yet again appeals to the younger generation.

Every time Ronson releases a new record, he proves that he is not a man afraid to take risks; this is mirrored in his unprecedented approach to men’s fashion. His suave yet cool take on such classic fashion statements has made him a true style icon, and you could do a lot worse than to model your dress sense on his constantly on-trend dapper style. Although, owing to his love for Gucci, that may be slightly more difficult for you and I.

1. END Yeezy Season 1 Nylon Bomber £905 2. TOPMAN Navy Lightweight Bomber £32.00 3. Pretty Green Military Print Shirt £85

2.

4. Pretty Green Samos Paisley Pennycollar Shirt £75 5. TOPMAN Black Ripped Stretch Slim Jeans £32

Dress for your b’day the Kendall J way

Isabelle Bettany tackles birthday dressing by taking inspo from the gals who do it best

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ith the world still recovering from THAT silver dress – yes we are referring to Kendal Jenner’s incredible silver number that she rocked during her recent 21st birthday celebrations in West Hollywood, let’s take a moment to discuss.

Early November marked the elder Jenner sister’s 21st birthday, a milestone for any girl and she celebrated in inevitable style. Ms Jenner was spotted dancing the night away in the Hollywood club Delilah, sporting the most incredible, custom-made LaBourjosie dress.

The designer, Antoine Salameh created the bespoke Swarovski crystal covered slip especially for the starlet for a whopping $9000. Miss Jenner collaborated with stylist to the stars Monica Rose, who added the finishing touches (in the form of accessories) to the incredible dress. Pairing it with a metallic Lucite clutch by L’Ashter, barely there strappy heels, layered jeweled chokers and finishing off the look with coordinated metallic nails.

With the rest of the party in strictly all black attire Kendal’s dress made the birthday girl the center of attention – no doubt her aim.

“With the rest of the party in strictly all black attire Kendal’s dress made the birthday girl the center of attention – no doubt her aim”

Whilst this look sets the standards for show stopping birthday attire, we can’t not refer back to the original creator of this look, rocked by a fresh faced 21-year-old Paris Hilton back in 2002. Homage to the original queen of LA? We totally approve.

Here are a few of our favourite birthday girls donning their best birthday outfits: Let us start with the queen of fashion herself –Kate Moss Renowned for her great sense of fashion, as seen here on her 30th birthday, Moss doesn’t disapoint.

Kate Moss held her ‘The Beautiful and Damned’ themed birthday extravaganza at the infamously glamorous Claridges in London’s Mayfair. The star of the evening however was undoubtedly the in-

credible iridescent blue vintage sequin gown she wore, accompanied with matching cape.

She may be the youngest sister of the Kardashian clan but Kylie Jenner shares her sister’s flare for fashion. Subverting the traditional LBD, KJ donned a stunning white Balmain mini for her 18th, looking oh so chic.

“When it comes to dressing for your birthday, whether it’s the big 21 or otherwise, remember that classic pieces are timeless”

Another IT girl of the moment Gigi Hadid, proves you don’t need to be wearing a dress to feel feminine in this incredible baby pink jumpsuit, UHMAZING. Planning on something a bit more low key this year? Then look no further than the queen of effortless dressing – Alexa Chung. We love her relaxed approach to dressing and this whimsical number is no exception. Proving you don’t need to be head to toe in sequins to nail that birthday style.

Lastly, when it comes to dressing for your birthday, whether it’s the big 21 or otherwise, remember that classic pieces are timeless. Never ever opt for current trends, as thanks to Facebook those photos will last forever…unlike the trend you were wearing…

Pinterest: Harper’s Bazaar

Intagram: @K.Kardashianqueens

Steal her look for less..

Faux Fur Shawl, TOPSHOP, £32

Skinny Sandals, TOPSHOP, £29 Silver Cowl neck dress, Miss Selfridge, £24.50

Outfit Total: £85.50

Pinterest: Charlotte Tilbury

Pinterest: PopsugarFashion

Instagram: @mynaeiss.e.x

The Courier

fashion .17

Monday 21 November 2016

thecourieronline.co.uk/fashion

You’ve got a trend in me: me:VELVET VELVET CYA later Sally Mu shows us the most decadent trend of the season right in time for party season Cleavage

Vogue has declared the death of cleavage, Emily Higgins has her say

Zara Hooded velvet top in Maroon, £29.99 Missguided Crushed velvet wrap around heeled sandal, £35.00

Zara Flowing Velvet Trouser in Sea green, £25.99

Asos Plunge Halter Top in Midnight Navy, £32.00

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he velvet trend is back and bigger than ever! It emerged from virtually every AW16 catwalk, as seen at Vêtements, Valentino and Alberta Ferretti. This means that velvet has officially left the underground and become the new wardrobe energizer for this season.

So how to nail the trend and make it your own?

I’d recommend styling it with separates for a daytime look, and hit up on pieces in jewel tones like ruby, sapphire and emerald green. These are ideal for winter and very easy to style. As the most luxe and incredibly practical fabric, it is perfect for this winter. Most of the high street brands have used velvet to recreate runway pieces to keep you fashion-forward without breaking the bank. This rich vampy coloured hoodie from Zara is the wearit-anywhere piece that can work all year around, and it also has the right balance of timeless and sporty. Team it with a vintage style undershirt and matching trousers for a stylish and cozy wintry look.Want a more relaxed but equally sparkling item? Then partner the versatile hoodie above with

these eye-catching sea green cropped trousers in lush velvet. These slouchy and flowing pants have the power to slim and lengthen your legs while creating a soft silhouette in an instant. They are luxurious, and classy, with the smooth texture flattering everyone. Styling rule: keep the rest of your look simple as this glittering piece will definitely draw loads of attention to your outfit.

“Styling rule: keep the rest of your look simple as this glittering piece will definitely draw loads of attention to your outfit”

Well, hello, you gorgeous velvet top! This chic top in midnight navy is the perfect starting point for nighttime luxe and it is versatile enough for all your parties. The flash of rich navy adds allure and elegance, creating a sophisticated yet glamorous look while the choker detail adds a gothic vibe. The plunging halter neckline design brings new levels of sass to this take on the sumptuous

velvet trend. So forgo the LBD and opt for this ‘IT’ top instead and it looks just as amazing with black skinny leather jeans as it does with a mini skirt and barely-there heels. A must-have for your new season wardrobe. Calling all shoe addicts- your search for the perfect pair of night-out heels is over. Missguided is offering the perfect party shoes that allow you to put our best foot forward! This is the item for those of you who just want to dip your toe into the velvet trend, instead of doing it head-to-toe.

This is another way to incorporate it in small doses and keep it subtle, with this pair of show-stopping heels in peach velvet. These heels are a wonderful wardrobe essential that will instantly lift your look for the evening. Moreover, the tie-leg strap has taken party dressing to new highs and will add something different to your party wear. Finish this evening look off with a velvet headband and a statement choker to really bring out the glamour of the velvet trend!

Top 4 Fashion Books Zofia Zwieglinska browses through the newest and best fashion coffee-table books

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ogue magazine, the fashion bible, has claimed “the cleavage is over” as women fight back against the judgment of social media to pack away their push-up bras.

An article in this month’s edition claims women are turning their backs on showing off their breasts, choosing instead to show more demure flashes of the shoulder, stomach or leg in a bid to outwit “creepy” online feedback. But why should women be concerned? Surely they should be able to post a photo on their own account without the worry.

Elizabeth Saltzman, stylist, said she now has to take online harassment into account when dressing those in the public eye, with the open public comments on sites such as Instagram, Twitter and Facebook leaving stars open to scrutiny. Online retailer ASOS has launched a “side boob bra” to suit the trend to have clothes cut low at the sides rather than cleavage, while supermodel Heidi Klum, who produces her Intimates range, has said she is seeking “less underwire and padding, something simpler, more racer backs.”

“In this day and age surely women should have stop having to mould themselves to fit society, society should mould to suit women”

In this day and age surely women should have stop having to mould themselves to fit society, society should mould to suit women.

In an article headlined “desperately seeking cleavage”, a Vogue writer states: “Rejecting the stereotypes of gender has been brought sharply into focus, with the days of women as eye-candy, their sexuality positively smouldering rather than subtly played out, officially over.”

But is this truly a liberation for women or just another aspect of the fashion world aimed to make women more self-conscious and aim go to more extreme lengths to expectations which ae seemingly becoming less and less realistic.

Not long ago, big boobs were all the rage…so are the women who years ago succumbed to society and got boob jobs now expected to have their implants removed?

But that begs the question, what about the big breasted girls? Are they no longer fashionable if they inevitably show some cleavage when wearing a round neck top? It all feels as though, in a time where gender equality has never before been as prominent, Vogue is going backwards. How can they decide what body type is in fashion?

“It all feels as though, in a time where gender equality has never before been as prominent, Vogue is going backwards”

vogue.com

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race Coddington is known as being the behind-the-scenes face for Vogue, creating wonderfully styled scenes that transport you into her imagination. Her journey from British Vogue as a model to styling for the magazine and assisting Anna Wintour is something that many aspire to in their fashion careers, and there is no one more knowledgeable or experienced in fashion styling and set creation. Her experiences in the fashion world in ‘Grace Coddington: The American Years’ are both despairingly funny and detailed, showing the inner workings of Vogue. This is her second book that only just come out this year and brings to light her time working for American Vogue.

fq.co.nz

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ina Garcia has worked at Marc Jacobs, Elle and Marie Claire and was a previous judge on Project Runway, making her a great style role model and ideal candidate for the authorship of ‘The Little Black Book of Style’. The book aims to help the reader find their inner fashion virtuoso, finding perfect pieces that compliment the person’s personality and style. Showing how to pair colours and textures, it stays relevant no matter the season. Chasing the concept that “style is eternal”, Nina aims to help people learn about fashion styling, find inspiration and reinvent their sartorial sense. This little tome is a worthwhile addition to the fashionista’s shelf.

bloomsbury.com

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licia’s extensive documentation of the lives and careers of Karl Lagerfeld and Yves Saint Laurent take a personal approach to the fashion world and its cold glossed veneer. As an experienced journalist she both describes and critiques the fashion world, truly presenting a different view of the world of clothing and couture. As Lagerfeld is still headlining the collection at Chanel it is like delving into an early history goldmine, complete with anecdotes and the evolution of key pieces brought forward by these famous designers.

‘The Beautiful Fall’ aims to bring the to light the dips and turns of the career tracks of the two most revered designers in the world.

metmuseum.org

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lexander McQueen’s ‘Savage Beauty’ exhibition was the most popular fashion exhibition of all time, with 650,000 people visiting it in New York in 2011 when it was held. This led to added days and midnight queues for the New York’s exhibition and an equally successful repeat of the exhibition in London at the V&A. The exhibition is faithfully documented by Harold Koda in the (very big) ‘Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty’ book. The perfect present or coffee table book, it covers the most famous pieces and narratives from the designer’s previous collections and an extensive look into the design process, and an interview with the current Creative Director of Alexander McQueen, Sarah Burton.

It’s surely time that body-types were not placed at the judgement of the fashion industry. Instead their focus should be on young upcoming designers, the design and manufacturing process and other aspects of the fashion industry overlooked by big institutions such as Vogue.

It’s about time that women were not expected to mould to suit style, but they made fashion work for them.

Instagram: @jelly_draw

18. beauty

Monday 21 November 2016

The Courier

Beauty Editors: Miranda Stoner, Ellie Trent & Ellen Walker

Kale-ing It

Miranda Stoner shares her vegan beauty survival tips on showering right

Does your hair say it all?

Beauty Editor Ellen Walker reveals what your hair colour says (or doesn’t say) about you

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s a beauty fanatic who has gone through nearly every hair colour you can think of, I like to think of myself as somewhat of an expert on how hair colour can define one’s personality.

Certain hair colours have been associated with different personality traits practically since time began, so I’m here to decipher which are true, and which are a load of B*******.

Image: @bleachLondon on Instagram

Blondes have more fun

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Image: @joeyt108 on Instagram

or me the hardest part of becoming vegan was working out which products I can use and wear and where to buy them.

I’m still mourning the loss of John Frieda hair care products, as they test on animals. However, the challenge has forced me to mix up my daily routine and discover new go to products. As a general guide the best vegan brands which are also against animal testing are Soup and Glory, Good things, Lush, Natural Source, Yes to and St Tropez. Whilst some of the certified vegan products have high prices there are plenty of budget friendly high street options out there.

So to start with shower gel- who would have thought that the simplest part of your daily routine could suddenly become so troublesome? Thankfully Natural Source shower gel comes to the rescue. It clearly states Vegan on the packaging and is a great product for all skin types although if you have sensitive skin you are best off with their shower milk range. These have a really creamy and come in a range of scents from the sharp mint to the sweet green banana and bamboo milk or for a really luxurious texture there is the coconut and shea butter. The RRP is £1.80 but if isn’t £1 or less in tesco, then Wilkos or Boots are bound to have a deal on.

Now comes the difficult part- shampoo. For years I was on the search for the perfect shampoo to strike the balance between soft and frizzy. I have probably experimented with every brand available in Boots.

It seems to me that the first wash with a new shampoo leaves it in perfect condition but several washes in and the glamour wears off- Naked Naturals shea butter and avocado shampoo and conditioner being prime examples. So I now choose to withhold judgement of a shampoo until the end of the bottle. However, I promise you that the Yes to range will not disappoint- at £5.99 per bottle it is a little expensive but you get a lot of product in the tube and you won’t need to wash your hair more than 3 times a week. The first one I tried was the yes to carrots which despite its carrot smell ticked all the boxes for me. It has since been remarketed as a scalp-relief shampoo but don’t let that put you off. It will leave hair soft and downy but without the mad scientist frizz. Since then I have tried yes to blueberries and cucumber and found them to be equally successful.

Another shampoo option is Happy Naturals Macadamia oil shampoo and conditioner, they have a faint Marshmallow odour and are perfect for coloured hair as the natural oils provide extra moisturisation. The only problem I had with this was that it was a little sticky and hard to wash out.

I also tried Happy Naturals Coconut oil shampoo and conditioner and these weren’t sticky at all, these are more suitable for normal hair though as they aren’t as rich and creamy.

On special days I like to use Lush body conditioner- my current favourite is Christingle but I also love the body scrubs by Soap and Glory- if you can trust yourself to not eat it I would Smoothie Star Breakfast Scrub, but I have just finished a Hekla volcanic body scrub from purity herbs from Iceland. I loved the idea of washing myself in volcano and the smell was soothing with hints of lavender and citrus and it left my skin feeling energised and refreshed.

After showering I will always use a moisturisermy go to is LUSH dream cream but at the moment I am using the LUSH Christmas special- Sleepy, which provides the same level of hydration for the skin but has a more delicate smell.

An obvious place to start I thought. As this phrase is so well known in our society, I thought I’d do a little research as to where this phrase came from. I was incredibly disappointed to discover that it was not Shakespeare, nor a translated works from a long-dead prophet, it was in fact from an advert by Clairol from around WW2 trying to convince women to purchase their hair dye. Seems as though then, that this misconception is simply a marketing ploy and holds no truth what so ever. In fact, having died my hair from fairly-dark-brown to blonde, I can tell you that it’s no fun whatsoever. Firstly, you come to learn the lesson that this needs to be done by a professional. Some learn this through friendly advice from others, however some, like myself, learn this shortly after an attempted botched bleach job on your bathroom floor. Not only have you destroyed all your mums best towels (sorry mum), you’ve also seemed to have only managed to reach an interesting shade of fluorescent orange, with a few strands of brown that you managed to miss chucked in there.

“Having died my hair from fairly-dark-brown to blonde, I can tell you that it’s no fun whatsoever”

This, ladies and gents, is where you will discover toner (very expensive) and book yourself in to your local hairdressers for several recovery jobs (even more expensive). Now you’ve taken out a

what having red hair says about you. Starting with Naturally red hair, first of all this says ‘I’m probably Scottish or Irish, am I’m proud of it’. The fact that despite all the stick that ginger people get, you have had the strength to resist ending your suffering with a simple Superdrug dye packet is pretty impressive in my eyes. Don’t get me wrong, despite societies demeaning associations, I think red hair is beautiful, so hats off to you natural reds for sticking it out and embracing your roots (no pun intended).

For those who have taken the un-natural route into red and gone for the crazy vibrant shade, you clearly have something to say. From one look at you people already know that you’re a bad ass bitch and that when you want to make a statement, you God damn make it. You’re not one to be messed with and you’re not scared of showing your personality.

Brunettes have no catchy slogan second mortgage to achieve this sought after look and you’re ready to start having all that fun they talk about, Right? Wrong. A few weeks later your roots are kicking in, need them sorted. Then the post-salon ashy blonde is starting to head back into orange territory, more toner plz. Purple shampoo, yep need that. My hair is starting to feel like straw, yes but you need more bleach.

To sum it up for you, the fun bit never really happens. Yeah when you’ve just had some fresh highlights done and you walk out of that salon feeling like Blake Lively, it’s a good feeling. But a few days later that feeling starts to fade and the dull ache of upkeep kicks in. In conclusion, do blondes have more fun? No, they certainly bloody don’t..

Ginger’s have souls Remember that one? Of course the question here is not weather gingers have souls or not, but

This one kind of stumped me, being a natural brunette myself. I’ve never had any particular comment about my hair colour, nor could I think of any societal associations with having brown hair.

“I think me and my fellow brunettes should just take this one as a compliment and not ask too many questions” At this point, I did a little research online and came across what I’m sure is an entirely scientifically accurate article from The Mail. The article states that, following intensive ‘research’, they have discovered that ‘(58%) of people say brunettes are better in bed’ with only 16% of men choosing blondes, 12% black hair, and 9% voting for red heads. I think me and my fellow brunettes should just take this one as a compliment and not ask too many questions.

Going under the knife Amanda Jane Yap on cosmetic surgery and why it might not be worth the hassle at all

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lastic surgery has evolved from restorative procedures for burns victims and people suffering from facial deformities to procedures to beautify a perfectly unharmed face.

Cosmetic surgery originated from Ancient Egypt, though it was not used on the living but on the dead. Slowly it spread to India where the cosmetic procedures were utilised to repair noses or ears that were detached as a punishment for crimes committed or in battle. However, these days is the dissatisfaction of one’s own looks that prompts the plastic surgery trend.

Society needs to be reminded that every one of us is genuinely loved not because of our looks, but because of who we are. There needs to be more emphasis on celebrating one’s inner beauty because there will always be somebody out there that you will deem ‘better looking’ than yourself. Ultimately, it is not worth the time, pain and money because, as cliché as it sounds, you lose your unique essence in the race to be one of the same.

“Subconsciously, we rely on outer appearance to get the upper hand” In the 21st century, appearance is valued over other inner qualities. Vehemently deny it if you will, however, both you and I know that people often judge you on your outer appearance before determining if he or she has a good or bad character?

Subconsciously, we rely on outer appearance to get the upper hand during an important job interview or to make the opposite sex to do a double take and grab their attention during a social gathering.

It is largely the belief that our lives will significantly improve as we improve our looks, solving to all our personal and professional problems. The dangerous part is that plastic surgery is addictive, the first procedure could be getting double eyelids and before you realise, your face has undergone massive face reconstruction to look like Kourtney Kardashian. (An exaggeration, but you get the drift.)

Image: @drhugoaguilarvilla In South Korea, the cosmetic surgery culture is positively booming and showing no signs of dying down. The trend of the doe-eye look for the females and the high nose bridge for the males can be seen on every blown-up billboard across South Korea, Korean celebrities are ambassadors of these mainstream looks. It becomes ridiculous when young girls just barely out of high school request for minor plastic surgery procedures as their 16th birthday present or as a reward for getting into a prestigious university. I strongly believe that there

should be an age limit for people who wish to undergo plastic surgery. At the innocent age of 16 years old, looks should not dominate every waking moment of a teen’s life. What makes the formative teen years memorable are the friendships you develop while struggling through the demands of high school. The age limit is not to discourage people from improving their image but rather, it is to protect the innocence of fragile youths whose selfesteem is dependent on his or her looks.

This is something the plastic surgeons are reluctant to reveal is that the bigger the operation, the more risks involved. Take, for instance, a tummy tuck, even after a successful procedure, it is possible that an infection or gangrene can occur during recuperation. The repercussions could exceed monetary damage and more often than not, the emotional damage: the unrest and fear of seeing your body ruined by an unexpected turn of events.

We can all say that ‘these things definitely won’t happen to us’, the risks are one to a hundred, and yet again there is no 100% guarantee, right? Aside from botched operations, there is a possibility that the outcome you have in mind is completely different from reality. The urge to patch up the ‘damage’ becomes a never-ending cycle of cosmetic work needed to be done. Ultimately, I feel that plastic surgery only becomes necessary when urgent restorative work is needed especially on burns victims or to fix deformity caused by an accident.

There is no complete assurance that the brand-new you will be happy, for all you know, you may constantly live in a state of dissatisfaction. After all, what is the point of fixing what is not broken?

The Courier

beauty .19

Monday 21 November 2016

thecourieronline.co.uk/beauty Instagram @courier_beauty | Twitter @CourierBeauty

Top-notch budget make-up

High school beautiful

Laura Greatrex shares the best make-up dupes for a flawless face at a student price Instagram: @elfcosmetics

Instagram: @nyxcosmetics

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e all want the glitz and glamour of a red carpet model but none of really want to spend a fortune. Fortunately for you I have some advice on how to get the top quality for bottom prices.

My first tip is to try the e.l.f Studio Rose Gold Eyeshadow Palette for £12.50 instead of the Urban Decay Naked 3 Eyeshadow Palette that is £38.50. e.l.f ’s affordable palette has the same gorgeous shades as the Naked 3, but will save you £26. Although e.l.f ’s version has two less shades, is slightly less pigmented and does not come with a brush, it is amazing value for money. The colours are still blendable and can be built up to provide a beautiful vibrance, to create the same stunning looks as the Naked 3. The palette is also stored in a sleek black case making a perfect addition to any makeup collection.

Instead of the notoriously hard to get a hold of Kylie Jenner Lip Kits which cost around £23, NYX’s Lip Lingerie Liquid Lipsticks offer the same stunning matte effect for only £6.50. Lip Lingeries come in a wide range of seductive shades, of which you can buy three for the price of one Kylie Lip Kit. NYX’s matte formula isn’t too drying and the product lasts all day, even holding through eating and drinking. If you’re looking for a dupe of Kylie’s more colourful shades, the NYX Liquid Suede Cream Lipsticks (£6.50) range from subtle nudes to

Instagram:

@saman-

Laura Bolden takes us on a trip down memory lane back to our childhood make-up icons

L Instagram: @maybelline both vivid and pastel colours of the rainbow- even the sought after blue lip is achievable with this collection. What’s more this formula glides on effortlessly and will stay on your lips all day and night.

Sleek’s Cream Contour Kit is a mere £10.99 compared to the pricey £39 Anastasia Beverly Hills Cream Contour Kit. Sleek’s budget version is highly pigmented and extremely creamy. The formula blends effortlessly into the skin to create a perfectly chiselled contour. Sleek provide an option for every skin tone as their kit comes in four different variations. This product is perfect for anyone who is new to contouring, as it comes with a helpful guide for how and where each shade should be used on your face.

If you prefer using powder for your contour, purchasing the NYX Highlight And Contour Pro Palette (£18) instead of the Anastasia Beverly Hills Pro Series Contour Kit (£39) will save you £21. Not only does NYX’s version have two more shades, the colours are extremely pigmented and come in a wide range to suit every skin tone. Furthermore, the shimmery highlighters in the NYX palette work gorgeously on their own for the days when you decide to strobe instead of contour. The yellow-based powder is also perfect for setting under-eye concealer and prevents it from creasing throughout the day.

This list of affordable makeup dupes would not be

Instagram: @sleekmakeup complete without my current favourite highlighter palettes by Sleek. They come in four beautiful colour variations - Cleopatra’s Kiss, Midas Touch, Precious Metals and Solstice. For only £10, the stunning pigmentation of these highlighters rivals any high end brand, and I can’t help reaching for them nearly every day. Each versatile palette is a mixture of cream and powder formulas. The cream colours provide a subtle shimmer for a more toned-down look, whereas the powdered shades will dazzle and mesmerise anyone you pass and can be built up for a dramatic, high-impact look. I could not recommend these beauties enough!

Benefit’s Watt’s Up Highlighter for £24.50 can be substituted by Maybelline’s Master Strobing Stick in Medium which costs only £6.99. Maybelline’s version of this high end highlighter gives the same stunning, golden glow and shimmer for a fraction of the price. If you’re looking for a cheaper alternative for Benefit’s £23.50 Hoola Bronzer, try Makeup Revolution’s Baked Bronzer, which at only £4 means you can buy every shade and still have money left over! Although it is less matte than Benefit’s product, Makeup Revolution’s bronzer is highly pigmented and blendable, to effortlessly chisel out cheekbones or give a summer glow even in the bleak mid-winter.

What long lashes you have

Susanne Norris tackles the controversial issues that revolve around wearing make-up

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y make-up collection is similar in size to that of a drag queens’. I live for contour kits, nude lipsticks and highlight (seriously, I would honestly cover my whole face in highlight if my Anastasia Beverly Hills kit wasn’t so expensive I have to use it sparingly).

So with this love of make-up in mind, if I’m going on a date I take hours getting ready. I love sitting in front of a mirror and doing my eyeshadow with three different palettes- I do want to look my best after all. So, what gets me is when I turn up for drinks and my date tells me he’s so happy I look ‘natural’ as ‘too many girls wear too much make-up and they actually look like a dog underneath’. Yep, that is what one guy said to me when I went on a date with him. Thanks a million Tinder.

So, my natural look actually consists of being totally unnatural, and I am totally okay with this. I use make-up because I love it and loves the way it makes me look, so I’m not going to start changing that because some boys believe it’s deceiving.

It was this comment from this one date (he turned out to be super obnoxious as you’ve probably guessed) that really got me thinking about boys who say make-up is deceiving. As previously mentioned, what boys think is ‘natural beauty’ really isn’t natural at all. When they say they want a natural girl, what they really want is a girl who spends two hours in front of a mirror getting ready.

Apparently, anything that isn’t bright yellow eye-

“‘Too many girls wear too much make-up and look like a dog underneath’ Yep, that is what one guy said to me”

Obviously, I had a pretty big problem with what this loser said, and not just because us girls always need to have each other’s backs. To begin with, just because I didn’t have on bright red lipstick doesn’t automatically make me ‘natural’. Boys don’t seem to get more natural looks often involve using the most make up of all. I mean come on, do you really think I have naturally perfectly sculpted cheekbones, eyebrows with an arch that put the bridges in Newcastle to shame never mind hair so long I could sit on it? Of course not. The reality is I have a £50 contour kit, a woman who does HD brows for me and a very realistic set of clip in extensions.

shadow or blue lips means a girl doesn’t wear much makeup. How wrong they are. Also, how much makeup a girl chooses to wear is not a boy’s business. If you enjoy wearing makeup go for it, whether it be subtler nude lips or full on space-princess purple highlighter. What it comes down to is you should never feel bad for wearing make-up because a boy thinks it’s deceiving. It’s just another way for not very nice boys to put you down. Just like you’re slated if you don’t have Kim K curves but you’re also slated if you do but you have the tummy that realistically always comes with such curves, makeup is no different. Boys saying you’re deceiving for wearing it, or wearing what they consider being too much of it, is just another way of them putting you down because you said no to having a drink with them next Saturday.

“If when you take off your make-up in front of a boy for the first time he says he feels deceived, dump him”

Instagram: @kattloveslife

So my advice to all you gorgeous girls out there is to keep wearing any amount of make-up you wish.

You’re beautiful with and without it, and you certainly shouldn’t listen to any boy who tells you otherwise. If when you take off your make-up in front of a boy for the first time he says he feels deceived, dump him. Or equally, if it was more of a one-night thing, throw the used makeup wipe at him and sass walk out Beyoncé style. It is always important to remember that no matter how much or how little make-up you wear you should always wear it for you, not for boys.

ooking back on our childhood beauty choices we all cringe at our crazy looks, but in a time when Lizzie McGuire ruled the Disney Channel and we were all listening to ‘Sk8r Boy’ by Avril Lavigne on repeat, our beauty choices were anything but simple.

Unlike preteens these days, we didn’t have youtubers and beauty bloggers to teach us how to apply the wacky new trend properly. We had to remember the trend and do it ourselves. Our inspiration came in the form of our favourite TV characters or pop stars of the time, our mothers had Farrah Fawcett and we had Xtina. The 2000’s were life-changing for us young girls, we began to choose our own clothes, style our own hair and buy makeup (even if it was against our parents’ permission). And I could not be more grateful that we had such colourful icons to help style our new found identities.

Tyra Banks

As the Queen of Americas Next Top Model, Tyra inspired us all to try news styles and had us perfecting our ‘smize’ in our bathroom mirrors. Her crazy hair styles and colours made us all believe we too could rock crimped bright ginger hair.

Her outrageous styling of contestant’s hair made us dream of a models makeover, and lead to some crazy experimentations with our own hair.

Lizzie McGuire

The ultimate icon of our childhood, Lizzie embodied every one of us from her outfit repeating ways to her wacky beauty experimentations. She basically invented the half curled half straight hairstyle, and she rocked those butterfly clips in a way we could only have dreamed to achieve. From braids to scrunches, Lizzie ruled them all and her beauty still was what we considered dreams to be made of (literally).

Paris Hilton & Nicole Richie

We all had ‘that’ rebellious stage when it came to beauty, and Paris and Nicole were there to guide us through our teenage angst. From crazy coloured hair extensions to deep orange fake tan and three layers of foundation, we looked to them for our more turbulent techniques and parents across the world hated them for it. Paris inspired our first purchases of fake tan and the darker the better was the motto we lived by, but not even the blurring of nostalgia can make these beauty faux pas seem any better.

Bratz Dolls

The origin of our makeup obsessions, from bold eye shadows, strong eyebrows and statement lips, The Bratz dolls were ahead of the game. While they may not be living icons, they still provided a lot of inspiration when it came to first experimenting with bold coloured makeup palettes. We used our collection 2000 glittery eyeliners to achieve the same sparkly over the top looks and lip liner became one of the hardest tricks to master (I still can’t get it right).

Cheryl Cole

We loved her style when in Girls Aloud, but Cheryl became an official Icon when she first appeared as an X-Factor judge back in 2008. We came to envy her super bouncy hair and flawless complexion and her infamous red hair even inspired my first ever attempt at a red box hair dye. Every week we watched on in pure envy as she showcased her newest hairstyles and we all wanted someone to invent a way for us to get the same cute dimples.

Instagram: @officialbratz

20. arts

Monday 21 November 2016

The Courier

Arts Editors: Tamsin Daisy Rees, Jonathan Hastings & Meg Holtom

Immortality

Alphabetti Theatre: Sticking

Little parts of Charlotte Hill to Alphabetti theatre to check out Matt Miller’s performance creative arts from your We sent eveloped over the last eighteen months, calling his first term at university through the mu- such as Tory Tom and Posh Rich), but, as you writer Matt Miller, alongside director sic he listened to- though of course on vinyl. will have noticed, only one actor. Matt managed student hearts Peader Kirk, performed Sticking at the to portray a multitude of characters- all distinctly

BETHANY EDWARDS ARTIST

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Alphabetti theatre in Newcastle from the 8th to the 12th of November.

The theatre is a bit of a rabbit hole; once you find its hidden door (or I suppose, blue wooden gate at the back of the building), you enter a tiny maze of staircases, a bar, lovely staff, and a random collection of chairs. It is laden with poems, miscellaneous decorations, post-it notes and, generally, all the ingredients for a bohemian haven. Amongst the heart of the city centre, it transports you for a couple of blissful hours into a place that is entirely open to new ideas.

“The performance itself was in a word: incredible”

The piece explored the idea that music (or even the fault in a vinyl) can act as a memory, commemorating and even encapsulating our experiences- hence the play’s name. ‘It’s the scratch in the vinyl, the sticking point, that brings back as much memory as the song.’

The play included several characters (those that you may stereotypically encounter at university,

“It is laden with poems, miscellaneous decorations, post-it notes and generally all the ingredients for a bohemian haven”

recognisable and separate, with ease, expertise and control. From drag queens to band kids there was never a falter in characterisation. He did this on an entirely minimalistic set that consisted of a bed, a vinyl player and some records. However, Matt remembered a series of events, some of which were sidesplittingly funny, others heart breaking, in a way which produced a complete and detailed picture. Matt manipulated the audience, bringing us close to tears at one moment and laughing the next. These memories were not necessarily framed by time or dates, but by music, feeling and discovery- each memory enhanced by one of 12 iconic British records.

“It is a play about people who feel, really feel, and are desperate to connect to everything and everyone”

The event was part of a scheme the theatre run called ‘pay what you feel’, meaning exactly that. Instead of buying your ticket, you receive a brown envelope at the start of the play and pay what you feel the piece deserves at the end. Even hard up students can attend the theatre without feeling embarrassed about what they can afford, helping move art and performance into a far more inclusive field.

The performance itself was in a word: incredible.

The story traced a first year student called Matt re-

But Sticking isn’t simply a play about the memories of a single student. Nor is it simply a play about the importance music has in our lives- though both are true. It is a play about people who feel, really feel, and are desperate to connect to everything and everyone. The people who see the depth to themselves and others, who struggle, who elate, and even through hardships, such as heading home after one term at university, endure.

Our North-East Picks of the Week OREET ASHERY

ARTS AUCTION

TYNESIDE CINEMA

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Bethany Alice Edwards After years of documenting where I grew up, I began to draw from the archive created to gain inspiration from experiences, history, and external beliefs, to fuel my work.

I am a multi-disciplinary artist creating works that range from videography, social participation projects and performance. My practice is innately social as I explore the rich northeast culture and pride of the working class.

‘Looking up’ is my current project where I wish to create a dialogue between information on the current view of art. I’m working with art institutions and the public to create a visual publication accessible to the masses.

This sits alongside a series of visual pieces based on the themes of character and placement varying from videography to collage.

CHECK OUT BETHANY’S ART HERE: https://www.instagram.com/bertie_bop/

louched in a crisp white beanbag watching the introductory film to Oreet Ashery’s exhibition at the Tyneside Cinema, I found myself in a serene realm of other worldliness.

Watching the slow and transfixing bodily motions of the main feature in an abyss of the colour white, I realised I was very close to the screen itself. A very intimate setting of three beanbags a matter of inches away from the large plasma playing the film makes the exhibition immediately comforting, even though the film is quite indistinguishable in terms of time and place.

On entering the main gallery space however, this comfort is taken away. The film takes the form of a series of episodes and we are introduced to different conversations at more depth in each episode about a digital legacy after death. The conversations occur between a variety of participants representing sections of society; the male, the female, the transgender and in a group format. The film is diverse in terms of the conversations had. However, all of these conversations return back to what each participant will be remembered for, which is presented as the most significant issue of death.

The focus of the camera dictates this significance when it skims past bodily expression as opposed to the digitally focused elements of the film.

“The film is diverse in terms of the conversations had”

For example, there is more emphasis on the iPad playing a video of a lifelike robot than there is on an artist fluidly dancing. There is a juxtaposing element of fear and pleasure to the work in that it is scarily confrontational about death but it is also pleasurable in the sense that humanity is diversely represented as important. There is also a focus on the female legacy throughout the film regarding the reference to the Guerilla Girls and the working conditions of females in the past from the M & S cake factory in Swindon. This domesticated legacy grounds the film and reminds us of the main ethos of the film, the idea that we are all important and deserve to be remembered, even if this is through spooky futuristic robots or death plans.

Michaela Hall

FINE ARTS BUILDING

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re you into Art? Well, you must be a little interested if you’re reading this section.

So, in order to introduce you to a range of artists in the local area, Newcastle University is showcasing an event that we, The Arts Editors, are very excited about.

As part of our local events column, we would like to introduce you to the Newcastle Arts Auction. This event is for everyone, and highlights the perfect balance between student ingenuity and their intricultly mixed media output. It is something that is perfect for people both casually interested in art, as well as those that are critically engaged in the art world.

So, what is it, and where can you find this?

This year it will be the Newcastle University’s Fine Art Building that will be hosting this yearly art auction. All the money that is raised will be flooded back into future undergraduate degree shows, as well as the degree show that is hosted at the end of the year; and there’s the possibility of a London show in the future, to highlight the students’ work.

The Fine Arts Auction is a widely anticipated event that has amazing artworks available for purchase, as well as some of the artists, with whom you can talk and grab a further feel of their work.

So, come along and witness the excitement of this live auction, as well as purchase fantastic art works made by a wide range of artists from various, diverse backgrounds. ‘From the up and coming to the already famous. They have art works by Conrad Atkinson, Amanda Palmer, Sam Ainsley, and plenty more.’

It’s a great opportunity to buy auctioned students’ artworks, and gives you the possibility to see a huge range of current pieces that the artists’ are producing and will introduce you to some of their previous pieces.

The event will start at 5pm on the 2nd December and will continue until 9pm. We’ve been advised that you enter through the glass doors at the Hatton Gallery entrance.

Find out more at: https://www.facebook.com/ events/329699860734000/ Arts Editors

THE WINTER LAUNCH THE BISCUIT FACTORY

A

t the Biscuit Factory Winter Launch, I made the somewhat surprising discovery that I have a real thing for overpriced ceramics and the rather less surprising discovery that I have the same passion for free champagne.

The event was very pleasingly festive (yes, I am one of the twats enjoying the fact that tinsel is already invading our lives) with mulled wine, roast chestnuts and a gospel choir accompanying the art.

A highlight was a collection of prints and watercolours of bumblebees by Andrew Tyzack, reminding us that the political can be understated.

I like to think Attenborough would be proud of these delicately rendered, highly moving works.

There seemed to be a strange but enjoyable proliferation of works including Llamas, it seems there is a vogue I was unaware of but am extremely glad to have discovered. Key Llama-lovin works included shimmering Raku-fired ceramics by Henrietta Corbett, with gorgeous flat-faced-lion counterparts.

“The mulled wine may have brought something bad out in me”

The variety of ceramics was extensive, ranging from the delicate espresso cups of Neville Tatham to Mary Jones’ somewhat psychedelic ceramic heads. The exhibition made me slightly question whether I have anything which could be described as ‘taste’ concerning art, but quickly decided that ‘things which make me happy’ is a sufficiently discerning criterion.

It became a slightly wistful evening at the realisation that all the works were priced, reminding me that the rest of the visitors (most of whom with markedly more grey hair than me) were looking to buy inspiring a bout of complaint ‘when will I be rich’/ ‘grrr I will never be rich’/ ‘grr fuck capitalism’ etc. It became more fun, however, when I embraced my student-poverty and instead marched around swishing my imaginary fur cape loudly proclaiming ‘yes but it would all look a little pedestrian next to the Freud’. Fun on my own eh… The mulled wine may have brought something bad out in me.

Helena Buchanan

The Courier

arts .21

Monday 21 November 2016

thecourieronline.co.uk/arts c2.arts@ncl.ac.uk | Instagram: @CourierArts

Can musicians be visual artists too?

Katie Myers on the artwork of musical legends Bowie, Bob Dylan and Ronnie Wood, and discusses whether or not musicians can transcend their influence into worthy art

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rt is, and should be, subjective. But is subjectivity possible for a painting with Bob Dylan’s name stamped on it? Can the paintings of famous musicians stand alone as credible pieces of art, and not just an extension of said-artists name and career?

November 5 brought the opening of “The Beaten Path,” the latest exhibition of artwork by Bob Dylan at Halycon gallery in London. The collection is a series of paintings depicting scenes from across America: a Los Angeles theatre, a scene from downtown New York, and an abandoned motel, are all sights captured by Dylan. Whether you think his paintings are good or not, how relevant are Dylan’s portrayal of New York to us as viewers? I won’t deny Dylan as a good artist; his work has depth and vision. His paintings have a sense of movement that give these everyday scenes a whimsical quality. But I’m just not sure I can see the artwork in any other way than Dylan telling me to look at some random motel. Anyway, why Bob Dylan? Who gave you the authority to do that? I’m sure he isn’t spending his time on the road in motels anyway, is all I’m saying.

“But at what point does the musician transcend their title of musician to become all round ‘artist’ when everything they create under their name is credible and worth our attention?”

I stumbled across a selection of The Rolling Stones’ Ronnie Wood’s work displayed in Castle Fine Art gallery in London, and admittedly was

pretty impressed. Wood has completed an entire range of paintings of the Stone’s members. It’s a nod to his name, and what his name has brought him. His identity is as a band member, and this is not ignored here but embraced: the result is memorabilia at its finest. His paintings are done in an eclectic show of colour and the Stones as performers are brought to life though a whole new artistic vision. His website portfolio shows the work of a very capable and diverse artist; Wood supposedly received formal art training before pursuing a career in music, so perhaps this makes him more qualified to milk his superstar title for all it’s worth.

David Bowie was another enthused art collector and painter in his time. On Thursday 10 November his personal art collection was put to auction, which included a painting he produced with Damien Hurst. Bowie’s own paintings in his expressionist style are individualist and sensational in their design. There are a couple of selfportraits, but mostly they cover a range of more personal and abstract range of topics. They are quite a diverse and effective range of paintings, but I still find that I can’t view these paintings in suspension to Bowie’s name. And it’s kind of a shame; the greatness of his name sort of makes us cast a second, potentially harsher judgement on what is (of would have been) good artwork.

It’s okay to be multi-talented, sure. Painting on the weekends, doodling in a notebook, we’ve all done it. But at what point does the musician transcend their title of musician to become all round ‘artist’ when everything they create under their name is credible and worth our attention? Has this not become bad representation for what art is really about?

Maybe the famous musician’s art careers are best kept exclusively for their own exhibitions, and not for being showcased in London’s finest galleries.

SALTY CLASSICS: ERROL KERR What classic do you tell everyone to read, and why?

It’s not necessarily an older classic, but I insist everyone reads Mark Haddon’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. It’s a beautiful novel, and rarely do you see an interpretation of Aspergers’ Syndrome that isn’t straight-up savant. I insist you all read it before coming to speak to me again.

What’s the most overhyped classic?

To be honest, I’m sick to death of Wuthering Heights.

A well-written novel, sure, but you’ve got heaps of abusive relationships and Heathcliff ’s a nasty piece of work. Like, how is this such a well-received novel regarding romance when all the men are dicks?!

What classic do you lie about having read?

I was meant to study Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar in… one of my years doing my undergraduate. I don’t remember which one, because I never actually read it. Having to study books completely kills them for me. I plan to read it soon, though, now I don’t have to look at it and analyse it.

Snog, marry, kill the characters in the last classic you read.

So, I re-read Les Miserables, because I enjoy putting myself through shit. Snog Enjolras - passionate revolutionaries do things to me - Marry Fantine, mainly because she’s just such a caring human being and I just want to tell her things will be okay – and kill the Thenardiers. Both of them.

Rake to the face. Do not like at all.

From two different classics, what is your likely ship?

Trump’s dump on the arts

Jay Gatsby and the ocean in Moby Dick. Go swim, you capitalist dick.

No no, hang on, in all honesty I’d quite like to see the hilarious combination of two children’s books – Bilbo Baggins from Tolkien’s The Hobbit being best friends with Roald Dahl’s titular BFG would be hilarious. Imagine the levels of awkward.

Trump may well be the president-elect, but we vote Carys Rose Thomas for Arts pres

W

ednesday 9th November really was the cherry on top of this absolute shitshow of a year. It was an abysmally sad day for both American and global politics. However, although my day began with a flood of tears at 7am, it ended on a rather more optimistic note.

I have been an avid listener of Regina Spektor since I was about 8 years old. I think the idea of ‘having an idol’ is a bit naff, but I’d also be lying if I were to say that that’s not exactly how I see her.

For various reasons over the last 11 years, I have never been able to see her live – Wednesday night I finally got this chance.

As an American citizen born in Russia who emigrated from the Soviet Union to America, I wasn’t too surprised she had to stop singing mid-song because she was overcome with a bout of Trump-induced tears. She managed to finish the song, then turned to us and gave one of the best speeches I have ever heard. She spoke of unity; and from her experiences in the Soviet Union when she said that it is tough times like these when people need to join together and rise up for what is right.

“Trump can ignore us all he likes, but that does not mean we shall submit and stay silent”

One thing she said really stuck with me: ‘there’s a reason they always try to take out the artists first’. I immediately linked this idea to that of censorship, and of artists like Ai Wei Wei and others who use art to speak out against the political injustice in their countries.

Yes, Trump is an absolutely dire excuse for a human being who will try and strip people of their liberties and their basic human rights. But try as he might to ignore over half of voters who did not vote for him, he simply can’t silence them, nor can he silence

their art.

In trying times like those which are sadly to come, an artist’s ability to express themselves and share that expression with others is crucial.

“But try as he might to ignore over half of voters who did not vote for him, he simply can’t silence them, nor can he silence their art” In 1999 in a hypothetical fantasy “if I were president” statement, Trump said how keen he is to cut federal funding for the arts. I believe this is due to his closed-minded beliefs that the arts are “useless subjects” – a belief he appears to share with Theresa May (*cough cough* Art History A Level).

I also believe he wishes to shut out others’ emotional and political freedom of expression.

There is so much frustration surrounding this cheesy wotsit half-human that must be channelled in some way, one of those ways being art. Particularly for more marginalised groups of society who sadly seem to be Trump’s key targets, the ability to express themselves through art allows them a voice that may otherwise go unheard.

I go back to Regina Spektor’s point about taking out the artists first. Sadly, the arts probably will suffer under Trump – as they seem to under most right-wing governments. But artists, please don’t allow yourselves to be disheartened or discouraged. Take all that anger and disappointment and channel it into your work. Make a scene, make some noise, get your voices and your work heard.

Trump can ignore us all he likes, but that does not mean we shall submit and stay silent. We will make him listen.

How do you feel about the repercussions that politics can have on the arts? Let us know! c2.arts@ncl.ac.uk

WHAT’S DOON IN THE TOON 21 November SHORT FILM NIGHT @ TYNESIDE CINEMA 19:00 22:00

24 November

VELOMENTARY CYCLE PRINT EXHIBITION @ THE CLUNY 17:30-19:30

26 November ALPHABETTI SOUP @ ALPHABETTI THEATRE 19:30 22:00

22. music

Monday 21 November 2016

The Courier

Music Editors: Sophie Ahmed, Serena Bhardwaj & Ben Grundy

Toon In Sophie Ahmed indulges in 6 hours of Electro Swing bliss inside Newcastle’s hidden treasure, Wylam Brewery

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ast Saturday, me and The Courier’s very own Culture Editor Jack Parker were given access to Mr Scruff ’s sold out 6 Hour superset in Newcastle. For those of you who aren’t familiar with Mr Scruff, he’s a British Electronica and Soul DJ renowned for his marathon performances, scruffy appearance and signature quirky illustrations. The tracks that made me aware of his work were probably the two most famous, ‘Music Takes Me Up’ and one of the defining tracks of the Electro Swing genre, ‘Get A Move On’. If you’ve owned a computer with Windows 7, you may have also heard ‘Kalimba’, one of the sample songs on that system. What I love about Mr Scruff is his seamless blending of the vintage and modern in his music and live show at Wylam Brewery; old skool Soul and Swing instrumentation gives way to House beats, a retro Disco ball copliments an entrancing visual light show, and Scruff flits between vinyl collection and Apple Mac.

“Scruff flits between vinyl collection and Apple Mac”

I don’t need to tell you that Mr Scruff is brilliant.

You either already know or you can go and find out for yourself. What I do desperately need to tell you about is Newcastle’s best emerging music venue, as it was Exhibition Park’s Wylam Brewery that really made this night memorable. To get to the Brewery, you have to enter the park by foot and navigate your way through pitch black darkness towards the glowing building past the pond, without falling in.

It’s a mystery why there isn’t a single light in the entire place, but it’s almost as if they want you to get mugged. After making it safely to our destination and accepting the price of £4.80 for a berry cider because we got free tickets, Jack and I had time to take in our surroundings at around 7pm before the place filled up. The small stage that Mr Scruff inhabited felt like background furniture compared to the spectacle of the domed roof which provided exceptional acoustics for the music, or ‘noise’ as Jack preferred to call it.

“Hypnotic House earlier on in the evening gave way to feel good uplifting Disco hits ”

At first we were the youngest people in the room, as the demographic was mainly middle-aged bald hipster male with glasses, scarf and occasional flat cap. But as the night wore on we bumped into a few of our student friends, and the subdued older crowd loosened up. This was aided by the mood of the music, as hypnotic House earlier on in the evening gave way to feel good uplifting Disco hits like Chicago’s ‘Street Player’ and Roundtree’s ‘Get on Up (Get on Down)’. Other aids were visible in the crowd, as we spotted people keying substances with no inhibitions, but luckily Jack permanently carries a bottle of Poppers so we were sorted for the night. The show just built and built, with the lights gradually getting more intense as Scruff ’s own animations of cute characters drumming and slapping bass were also projected behind him. If I had to criticise one thing, it would be the “Incoming Bassline Warning” that started flashing before a bassline that wasn’t as heavy as that might have suggested. Maybe my expectations as a bass player were just too high.

“It feels like an insult to culture itself that we ended up in Sinners and Rusty’s after this” It feels like an insult to culture itself that we ended up in Sinners and Rusty’s after this - a pilgrimage to Newcastle’s so-called ‘Palace of Arts’, for 6 hours of losing yourself to an eclectic array of sounds from one of Britain’s best DJs. If you want to recreate the experience from Brewery to bedroom, the set is available to download on the Facebook event page.

Make sure you follow us on Spotify at - https://play. spotify.com/user/thecourierdoesmusic

Social media promotion: yay or nay?

Robyn Wainwright whaps out the sass when discussing bands’ online presence and argues that human interaction with fans should hold precedence over tweeting fangirls

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ocial media is not known for its intimacy.

When bands share pictures and updates of which city they’re going to next or how great the audience were the night before, there is no real connection between fan and artist. Indie band Parquet Courts strive to maintain that intimacy through a full boycott of social media.

By returning to traditional forms of advertisement, the band use face-to-face human interaction and billboards to get themselves noticed. Lead singer Andrew said in an interview with BBC 6 Music: ‘On the back of the records there’s a physical mailing address that people can write to and they do.

And we have good old-fashioned email too so we’re not complete luddites. I mean of course there’s the old tried and true interfacing method where you talk to people at shows and look them in the eye. I usually venture out after a set and try and get to know some people. ‘Hi, how are you, my name’s Andrew, thanks for coming to the show tonight’. … ‘We’ve found a way where we are comfortable operating a band without it, and it shouldn’t be expected of groups, I think.’

“Human interaction is the best proven way to build an impressive fan base ”

Many in the music business find adopting this anti-mainstream stance a risk, yet bands were and continue to be successful without social media.

The use of social media means that bands have lost their mystique. Showing us a picture of the band’s Halloween costume or a band member’s new hair-

terview opportunities or any chance of meaningful interaction with their fans. There is no better opportunity with fans than grassroots exposure. Get to know your fans by name on a one to one basis.

Engage with fans, do a Q and A, ask them their favourite song from the new album, ask them if they’d like you to visit their city or town…

The Stone Roses continue to advertise with billboards with some surfacing recently in Manchester with a large lemon on it and no writing. An article in NME magazine stated that ‘fans of The Stone Roses are speculating that the band could release a new single this week after mysterious lemon adverts were displayed on billboards around Manchester’. The band did something similar last year to announce their 2016 gigs. The speculation and fascination this spurs with the fans is something that social media could never offer.

cut means that b a n d s have lost the charisma that bands such as The Rolling Stones or Led Zeppelin had.

More important than thousands of Facebook followers are the fans that go to the same artists’ gigs every month or every year. The fans that pre-order the albums or stay after a concert and buy the merchandise. The fans that truly want to experience the music rather than press like on the newest post about the bands single. While some fans are busy creating fan pages or websites as dedicated bulletin boards of every time a band breathes, the band itself should be looking for in-

“Bands have lost the charisma that bands such as the Rolling Stones or Led Zeppelin had”

In my opinion, a band that grows organicallynot through a social media driven frenzy - is a lot more likely to build up a loyal and caring fan base.

A band posting about where their next gig is or posting a picture of their latest album cover isn’t the problem. It’s bands who believe themselves to be demi-gods because they received 1,000 likes on their latest post about how amazing their music is.

Social media is fine to use as an online billboard, just remember that human interaction is the best proven way to build an impressive fan base.

Soundtrack of doom: Trump tunes

Following the result of the recent U.S. election, Jack Coles compiles a powerful playlist full of songs that will suit the needs of both your tears and tantrums...which will it be?

R.E.M - ‘It’s the End of the World as We Know It’

I made a joke playlist prior to the election called ‘2016 Playlist’, where all 16 songs were just this one particular song. If I had known just how prophetic I was going to be that day I would have bought lottery tickets.

Madness - ‘Mumbo Jumbo’

I can’t help thinking that Madness wrote this song about Donald Trump. After all, Trump talks nonsense, incites fear, has farright tendencies, redirects attention away from the issue at hand, lies through his teeth, and otherwise perfectly represents all that’s wrong with modern politics; just like in this song.

Random Hand - ‘Morally Blind’

It is no surprise that Trump’s main voters were white Americans. Slightly more surprising is the fact that he was endorsed by the KKK themselves.

Random Hand, on the other hand, have had a long history of opposing bigotry, as evidenced by this track from their first album, Another Change of Plan. Their latest album, Hit Reset, is about the aftermath of a nuclear attack, which is also relevant (but I’m not putting an entire ska-core album in here).

The Selecter - ‘Too Much Pressure’

I added this track with Donald Trump himself in mind. He has never held a political position. His campaign was based largely off shouting, not feasible policies or experience. When he finds that he has to actually do work, he might get a nasty surprise and crumble under the new expectations.

Smash Mouth - ‘All Star’

I have seen numerous people say that Trump’s presidency will bring in the greatest Meme Age the world has ever known. So at least we can look at rare Pepes and develop a new wave of ‘post-postirony’ from the depths of our concrete bunkers, while singing our Vault children to sleep with the traditional lullaby ‘All Star’.

Green Day - ‘Holiday’

Green Day are one of those bands that will blame the government for anything, but this song is particularly aimed at politicians that deliberately put down gay people (for example) to win the votes of the traditionalists.

Talking Heads ‘Life During Wartime’

This one song is about a man that spends his life after the apocalypse spying, stealing, and basically scraping by. If Trump ever gets involved in nuclear warfare, this song may become a reality. I hope you like peanuts.

Bob Marley and The Wailers - ‘Get Up, Stand Up’

This song comes as a statement of hope. If people fight back against Trump’s laws, they can influence the outcome. With the right attitudes, 2016-2020 can just be a setback for American society, instead of a regression.

Kaiser Chiefs - ‘Cannons’

While Education, Education, Education & War may not have been the best received of albums, it does make a point on the realities of war and the political machinations behind it. Imagine that the little poem at the end of this song is about Afghanistan, and you get a glimpse of the recent (and likely future) US foreign policy.

Toy Dolls - ‘Nellie the Elephant’

‘Nellie the Elephant packed her trunk and said goodbye to the circus. Off she went with a trumpety-trump, Trump Trump Trump!’

The entire playlist is available on Spotify. Simply search “Playlist of Doom” and look for Donald Trump’s face.

The Courier

music .23

Monday 21 November 2016

thecourieronline.co.uk/music c2.music@ncl.ac.uk

The Heavy Entertainment Show

by Robbie Williams W

hen you get to the upper echelons of pop music, like Robbie Williams has, you can afford to piss about a bit with your career, and that’s exactly what he’s done with The Heavy Entertainment Show. When you’ve belted out classics like ‘Rock DJ’, ‘Millennium’ and of course, the end of party song to end all end of party songs ‘Angels’, you would expect another solid effort from Williams. Hmm, that doesn’t seem to have happened here.

Anyone with an iota of good taste likes a bit of Robbie Williams to listen to, be it with a nice bottle of red, or whilst you’re in the bath, and Williams has certainly managed to deliver something that is generally easy to listen to. Starting with the album’s eponymous opening track, Williams welcomes us to the record, the song itself is catchy enough, but this is mainly achieved

by Williams repeatedly singing: “Welcome to the heavy entertainment show” throughout the song. I know that repetition is key in a good pop song, but a good fifty percent of the song is the same line repeated over and over. The problem is though, it just sounds so Robbie Williams, you can’t help but capitulate and fall in love with it.

expletives for the next four minutes, alienating his dear listeners, but the result is far from it. What starts out rather slowly turns into a full-blown ballad, a full-on celebration of being a bad motherfucker. You don’t expect a song like ‘Motherfucker’ to come out of Robbie William’s mouth, but it does, and it just seems to work. Weirdly.

The album just gets better and better with songs like ‘Bruce Lee’, which isn’t really a song about Bruce Lee, in fact he isn’t mentioned at all through-

“I know that repetition is key in a good pop song, but a good fifty percent of the song is the same line repeated over and over” The album remains astonishingly on brand with songs like ‘Motherfucker’ being the real surprise of the album. The song title suggests Williams is about to shout

Babes Never Die

Honeyblood

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oneyblood’s second album comes in the wake of a line-up change—and when there’s only two of you in the band, that’s pretty significant. This is certainly proven to be the case; Cat Myer’s hurried drafting following drummer, Shona McVicar’s surprise departure in 2014, lends Babes Never Die a new sense of raucous energy.

Where the duo’s self-titled debut dealt in sugartinged low-fi, Honeyblood’s sophomore album is an ode to the guitar. The title track is a case-inpoint, with its biting riffs and savage production that lends it a ‘fuller,’ more polished rock sound than that of the band’s previous LP —but not too polished so as to lose the debut’s fresh energy.

Rather, it’s a refinement.

“A more polished rock sound”

The enhanced production of Babes is also matched by Tweedale’s rapid development as a songwriter. While Honeyblood was awash with tracks about Tweedale’s own experience, for Babes she moves further outside of her comfort zone: ‘Sea Hearts’ is about the experiences of a close friend, and inverts the heartbroken woman/ callous man stereotype, while ‘Hey Stellar,’ which focuses on a betraying ‘bitch’ and ‘Justine, Misery Queen,’ showcase a dabbling in nuanced character study. All the album’s characters are ones you could do without, but the record is thematically richer for them. Babes represents a more coherent album than its predecessor and more successfully sustains its ethos of not just surviving, but fighting.

The feminist defiance of the opening track is carried through right until the album’s close, where it finds new form in the class-based anger of ‘Gangs.’

Though McVicar’s departure could have marked disaster for the band, Tweedale found strength in adversity to craft the band’s strongest album yet.

Louise Message

Simplicity

JAWS

T

he Indie/ alt-rock scene has had a long wait for the follow-up to JAWS’s 2014 debut album Be Slowly. Now, JAWS have returned with Simplicity. They may be without their original bassist, but their progress since has been immense considering they’re still a developing band. One thing to note is the effort that has been put into production and arrangement of the track list that pulls together Simplicity as a unified product.

JAWS has taken a heavier approach, hardened the previously soft vocals, used loud, grainy guitar riffs in addition to the clean dream pop sound that made Be Slowly and the Milkshake EP chill-out records to sing along to. JAWS’s iconic swell effects are still there and funkier than ever, although with Simplicity’s lyrics, there’s a greater sense of maturity.

“With Simplicity’s lyrics, there’s a greater sense of maturity”

In ‘Right in front of me’, frontman Connor Schofield rejects the banal lifestyle of ‘the man who can’t feel a thing/ the one with the nice big house, the car/ the wedding ring’ whose greed has earned him material goods at the expense of an emotionally rich life. The instrumental track ‘Interlude’ is possibly my favourite. Its opening chords are reminiscent of Angelo Badalamenti’s Theme for Twin Peaks whilst incorporating Eddy Geach’s drums and cymbals crashing like waves against the rocks.

All this seamlessly segues into the upbeat ‘On the Sunshine’. To be critical, upon first listen, there were concerns this album felt unoriginal. However, it is likely that anyone who listens enough will catch themselves joining in on the chorus of ‘What We Haven’t Got Yet’, that introduces us to Simplicity’s darker side. ‘The Invisible Sleep’ is a finishing piece that, whilst sombre, also delivers a moment of frisson as it concludes.

Alistair Geear

Electronic Blanket

Jack Parker out the whole song. In fact, it is a self-proclaimed love letter to Robbie Williams, from Robbie Williams. Robbie, we know you’re great, you don’t have to keep telling us. Williams also proves that

“Basically, if you like Robbie Williams, you will enjoy listening to The Heavy Entertainment Show” he can still master the slow ballad, as ‘David’ demonstrates beautifully, a song about a dying man’s last few minutes on earth. Sounds melancholy, but it really is a beautiful song.

However, we must also talk about what drags the album down, firstly the lead single, ‘Party Like a Russian’ is absolute dogshite, with clumsy lyrics and bad rhymes, Williams manages to shout sing throughout the whole song. If this is how Russians party, I don’t want to party with them. I think Russians wouldn’t even want to party with Robbie. ‘Sensitive’ should also get a mention for just frankly being a forgettable song that sounds strange when you listen to it. Both of these songs just don’t belong on a Robbie Williams album at all.

Overall however, The Heavy Entertainment Show didn’t sound like it was going to shape up to be a good album, it turns out that his eleventh album is actually quite enjoyable to listen to. It sounds like Robbie Williams, but not too like the Robbie Williams of the past, but it is Robbie Williams. Basically, if you like Robbie Williams, you will enjoy listening to The Heavy Entertainment Show.

Soft Hair

LA Priest and Connan Mockasin There has already been a lot of hype surrounding English and Kiwi artists, Sam Eastgate (better known as LA Priest) and Connan Mockasin’s first collaboration Soft Hair. Yet this has been long in the making, as their friendship stretches back to 2008 when Mockasin supported Eastgate’s old band Late of the Pier.

A lot of the sounds and tracks stretch back to this time, when they would jam together in Eastgate’s old Nottingham residence. Both went on to forge successful solo careers, each known for their eccentric brand of psychedelic electro Indie pop respectively. Whilst LA Priest has gone down a mellower route, Mockasin has often pushed the boundaries a lot more.

“The duo immediately quashes all sceptisms”

With that considered, you could forgive many for being apprehensive about the album they would deliver. However, the duo immediately quashes all scepticisms. Redgate’s deeper and darker voice never feels out of place alongside Mockasin’s higher and at times eerie vocals (think Bee Gees crossed with Simply Red). There is a vast array of instrumental experimentation, which only rarely clashes. In the second track ‘Jealous Lies’, the duo switch between almost funk sounding synths, before dropping down into a haunting high pitched pipe sound, and switching back to a traditional electro backing. It sounds like the product of continuous playing around with different sounds and beats, which makes the album’s effortless flow even more impressive. This collaboration is not without its flaws though, and could be guilty of over stepping the ‘experimental’ mark. It is still slightly rough around the edges, but that is to be expected from such a challenging project.

Tom Harrow-Smith

Ellie Phillips discusses the return of The XX, Caribou’s chilled vibes and previews Romane at World HQ

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ver the last few weeks, London based indie-electronica stars The XX have been dropping teasers all over social media for their forthcoming 3rd album I See You that drops next January. In a recent Facebook statement, the group commented that they “realise these are uncertain times and we hope the joy and love we found making the record will find its way out into the world, in however small a way.”

What a testament of future truth this statement is.

Being such an iconic dream pop group, the news of The XX’s return has sparked up massive sighs of relief across the UK. The works of their previous two albums XX and Coexist are guaranteed to have been played at every after-sesh, every break-up and every montage-worthy moment of somebody’s life so it’s no wonder we’re so content and excited to be blessed with more touching tracks in the future.

Their mixture of spine-tingling beats and poetically deep lyrics are capable of making anyone stop, think and contemplate about our personal self, so here’s hoping that this admirable feature of The XX manages to continue throughout their endeavours next year.

“The XX’s return has sparked up massive sighs of relief across the UK” You need to hear: Caribou

Continuing with some more chill vibes, Caribou (also known as Dan Snaith) is yet another dreamelectronica act that might take your fancy. The mix up of his tracks can suit whatever your mood, whether it’s to de-stress from those nightmarishly impending semester one deadlines, to hypnotically focus in on a horrendously long chapter of reading, or to mellow out with your mates to, this act has got it all. I was first introduced to Caribou via his 2010 album Swim, which includes some of his alltime best tracks such as ‘Odessa’ and ‘Sun’, of which I was incredibly lucky enough to see a 10-minute encore version of live at Open’er Festival in Poland last summer, seriously one of the biggest highlights of my gig history so far. Caribou is one of those acts that manage to position sounds creatively enough to send you into a total scene-scape of sound. His electronic beats and absurd samples are completely individual and to see him live isn’t just like standing there looking at a DJ. As a musician, he manages to utterly consume you with his tracks and transport you into a realm of awe. Sound a bit pretentious? You bet your ass it does, nonetheless it is the truth, so if you’re ever given the opportunity to bear witness to this, be sure not to miss out.

Listen to: Caribou - ‘Can’t Do Without You’ Preview: Bloom Presents: Romare, Thursday 24th November at World HQ Archie Fainhurst aka ‘Romare’ will be taking to the decks later this November at none other than World HQ. Being a student of African American Visual Culture in his university days, Romare brings something more individual to the scene than your average weekend DJ, by providing a total mix up of all dancefloor genres. Jumping from funk, soul and disco to house, techno, balaeric to italo, there’s guaranteed fun for everyone with a good sense of taste in the house this coming Thursday. World HQ have stated that they will yet again be putting on some awesome live visuals and lights to really enhance the night and make it one to remember. With tickets starting from just £6, there’s no reason not to get involved. Just remember- no chin waggling allowed.

Go follow us on intagram for live gig updates, fun pictures and the latest music gossip- @courier_music

24.tvfeatures

Monday 21 November 2016

The Courier

TV Editors: Luke Acton, Alison Scurfield and Dominic Corrigan

Did Buster the Boxer steal your heart?

Finally, the new John Lewis ad is here; will our 2016-hardened hearts be touched, or will we scorn the possible emotional manipulation for money? Georgina Howlett discusses ‘this basically says Santa isn’t real because the dad is there setting up the trampoline’ (‘Flipping Guy’) and ‘why didn’t Santa bring the trampoline kids are obviously not gonna belive in him now’ (‘Lacey Mcanlly’). The majority of people have taken things much less seriously, being more impressed with the quality of CGI than the apparent message of Santa’s non-existence. Personally, I am in love with Buster and all of the other animals which feature in the advert. I got a fair few stares on the Metro as I made embarrassing noises when each cute animal appeared, and a fair few more from my housemates when I excitedly showed them the advert, but that didn’t and still doesn’t faze me in the slightest. If there are cute animals, especially cute dogs, my heart is won without question.

ck a b w o r h T Catherine Tate brought her sketch show live to Newcastle City Hall last week. TV editor Alison Scurfield recounts some of the best moments of the hit noughties show

“If there are cute animals, especially cute dogs, my heart is won without question”

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t’s hard to believe it’s been over ten years since Catherine Tate first graced our screens with her eclectic array of comedy characters, in the award winning, The Catherine Tate Show.

From sex obsessed Nurse Bernie, fund raising fanatic Geordie Georgie and gay-but-in-denial Derek Faye, Tate proved herself an extremely diverse comic, leaving viewers in stitches week after week.

Amongst her most renowned characters are argumentative teen Lauren Cooper, along with her ‘brethren’, Lise (Niky Wardley) and Ryan (Mathew Horne). The sketches saw Lauren challenged by teachers and friends, always resulting in a fastpaced and witty argument, perfectly delivered by Tate. The popularity of this character lead to then Prime Minister, Tony Blair and Her Majesty the Queen finding theme selves on the receiving end of the classic “Am I bovvered?” catchphrase, in Comic Relief and Royal Variety performances.

“Tate dispelled any myths that old comedies are never as good when they return, proving she’s still very much got it” Arguably, though, Tate’s finest comic creation is non other than fiery pensioner, Nan. Nan sketches comprised of the sharp-tongued old lady being polite to people’s faces, then outrageously slating them to grandson Jamie (Horne), as soon as their backs were turned. Contrary to popular belief, Tate has claimed this character were not in fact based on her own nan, but on a number of old ladies she knew growing up. She puts nan’s carefree, say-itlike-it-is attitude to “the privilege of age.”

After taking a break to play companion to David Tennant’s Doctor, Donna Noble, Tate returned to our screens in 2009 with a Christmas special, Nan’s Christmas Carol. Moving from sketch into narrative comedy, the spoof of Charles Dickens’ novel, A Christmas Carol, saw the notorious Nan take on the role of Scrooge. With an all-star cast Nan was visited by three ghosts on Christmas eve to teach her the error of her ways. And did she learn? Of course she didn’t. True to form, the spirits were met with Nan’s foul language and quick wit, making this one of the most cleverly written Christmas specials in British comedy. In 2015, Nan returned once again with three specials. Tate dispelled any myths that old comedies are never as good when they return, proving that she’s still very much got it.

“The Catherine Tate Show is a masterclass in sketch comedy”

It’s no surprise viewers can’t get enough of these characters, as each and every one of them were spot on. It is difficult to recall another sketch show before or since that quite comes close to the quality of Tate’s work. Her clever writing and skilled acting, married with acute comic timing make for an extremely funny show. The Catherine Tate Show is a masterclass in sketch comedy. With Christmas just around the corner, I urge you all to grab a copy of the DVDs, kick back, and settle down to some festive funnies.

Alison Scurfield

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he John Lewis Christmas advert for this year was revealed on November 9th, and as with the past few years, it has now come to symbolise the beginning of the festive season – more so, perhaps, than even the traditional ‘holidays are coming’ Coca Cola advert, which still hasn’t graced our screens. Traditionally telling heart-breaking and heart-warming tales of good will, love and friendship at Christmas time, it is now the expectatio to shed a few tears upon seeing the advert for the first time. This is not the situation this year.

A John Lewis spokesperson admitted upon the release of the 2016 advert that the company was trying to move away from so-called “sadvertising” around Christmas and return to positive, lighthearted representations of the holiday. As such,

this year’s ad features a little girl called Bridget who loves to bounce on her bed, and when her parents buy her a trampoline for Christmas they discover that someone else loves to bounce even more: her pet boxer dog, Buster. Not only this, but during the night of Christmas Eve various animals come to enjoy the trampoline’s presence in the garden – a pair of foxes, a badger, hedgehogs, squirrels – demonstrating that the simple pleasures really are the best that life has to offer us after all.

The advert has thus far been met with very mixed responses by the public. Some feel betrayed that an overly emotional narrative hasn’t featured, with one comment on the YouTube upload of the advert reading ‘not nearly as good as last years advert’ (‘Gâbrïel’); others have even accused the advert of ruining the Christmas spirit and ‘Santa’, writing

Overall, though I can’t say as I haven’t loved the adverts that have graced our screens over the past few years, I do certainly support John Lewis’s decision to now make adverts with more positivity. Last year’s absolutely heart-wrenching ‘Man On The Moon’ advert, which reminded you of all the lonely elderly people who spend their Christmases in solitude, had me in fits of tears every time I saw it and made me want to take in entire nursing homes’ worth of elderly people to share in my Christmas celebrations. 2014’s ‘Monty the Penguin’, 2013’s ‘Bear and the Hare’ and even 2012’s ‘The Journey’ adverts reminded me that friendship and family are perhaps the greatest gifts of all, and that it wouldn’t be hard for me to make someone’s Christmas that little bit better and more enjoyable if I tried – and thus made me feel actually quite inept at doing so. Whilst I’ve loved being made to cry at such wonderful storytelling in all of these adverts, I do think now is the year for change – and progression to the use of numerous adorable animals is definitely not a bad thing.

Eating Bob’s Burgers

After being thoroughly inspired by Bob’s Burgers, a man has actually been making the burgers from the specials board in the FOX cartoon

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he workplace comedy is a well-established TV genre, and perhaps even the most prominent sitcom format of the past decade. Bob’s Burgers, the cartoon series created by Loren Bouchard, is the closest that an animated series has ever come to a show that’s as contingent on its workplace setting as say, The Office or 30 Rock.

Since the Simpsons’ writers began to fully exploit the capacity for world-building that animation afforded them, it’s been the trend for other animated shows to follow in step and work to establish recurring guests and new characters. Bob’s Burgers has now been on the air for since January 2011 and has at the time of writing run for 111 episodes, its racked up strong guest stars and expanded its storytelling, but a key to its success may be its dedication to rotating background gags that reward careful viewing.

One of the tenets of the show’s humour is its unapologetic approach to depicting Bob as a sad-sack.

The use of puns on the store’s “Burger of the Day” board is often tied into this. The puns (“The Cauliflower is Cumin From Inside the House” burger, “The Ten Scallion Dollar Man” burger) are unwieldly and occasionally impenetrable. The joke is often that Bob is over-zealous in defending the puns and doesn’t understand how other characters fail to understand them. Sometimes they go unmentioned completely in the dialogue and are left as an additional gag for observant viewers to catch.

When Cole Bowden began the Bob’s Burgers Experiment as a tumblr in 2013, it garnered a strong following from its sufficiently unique concept: Bowden attempting to make real versions of every Burger of the Day. To travel through the blog itself

is an odd experience, Bowden is neither an expert chef nor an expert photographer and the images of his work can feel clinical and unappetising but the intent shines through: college senior creates fun blog to honour a fun TV show. It’s not a radical concept and it fits with the general response to the show, a sort of homely appreciation for its simple values and small-town mentality. It also made sense for Bowden to work with tumblr, a haven for fan-created material.

“One of the tenets of the show’s humour is its unapologetic approach to depicting Bob as a sad-sack” In March of 2016 a book was spun out of the project, a series of recipes based on Bowden’s blog and bolstered by additional content from Loren Bouchard and the show’s writers, it’s professionalism betrays the sincerity of its source material and also renders it less susceptible to criticism. The idea

that the meals (which in Bowden’s hands are entirely subjective as the show offers up the burger’s name but no instructions on preparation or exact ingredients) originate from an imaginative expansion of a cultural object that is taken away from its original creator and reside by an outsider. It’s clear that Bowden didn’t intend for the blog to serve as a meta-commentary on the extraction of original content from a previously-existing intellectual property, but the fact that the blog was able to be re-marketed as an expansion of the show’s brand is a loss for fan-made content more generally. It is a loss which reminds us of the subtle ways in which profit overrides creativity, even in trivial matters like novelty burgers.

The blog was bolstered by an audience who could access it easily and freely, and who could also directly contact the author and therefore shape the narrative of the content. By repackaging the idea as an object that requires a monetary transaction the consumer is subtly reminded that the “final” or “definitive” version of the product is a paid-for item that is removed from its origin almost entirely.

E.A. Southside

The Courier

highlightstv.25

Monday 21 November 2016

thecourieronline.co.uk/tv c2.tv@ncl.ac.uk | @courier_tv

Joel’s dead good shows

Planet Earth

BBC One, Sunday 9pm

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ight, let’s get this out of the way – that scene with the iguana and the racer-snakes is THE most exhilarating television I have seen in my life, and I’m not huge on documentaries. Or at least, I thought I wasn’t until Planet Earth II. I was screaming at the screen hoping for it to make it through its ordeal, and it takes some kind of high-octane emotional stuff for me to get that attached to individuals.

That now out of the way, Planet Earth II has taken everything that was amazing about the original Planet Earth series and has successfully one-upped all other BBC wildlife documentaries, which I initially thought impossible. 40% of the UK’s television viewing public tuned in to watch, and trust me, it’s thoroughly worth it. I’m quite surprised that number wasn’t higher, as the BBC has spared no expense in working toward making Planet Earth II one of the best things on television right now.

“The once-simple work that documentaries were wellknown for has been eschewed for a far more cinematic experience”

Hans Zimmer, the composer of film-scores such as Pirates of the Caribbean and Inception, has been called in to compose for the BBC series, and his contribution has definitely paid off. Pairing the long distance, breathtaking shots with such stunning score music makes all the difference – and calling on that lizard-snake scene again, what really made it so exhilarating was Zimmer’s work on the score that fits around the scene.

Zimmer’s score perfectly complements Atten-

AHS: Murder House

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borough’s beautiful voiceover work. As always, his calming tone and relaxed nature sits well alongside picture and music, and it’s a pleasure to hear David’s voice on our screens again. As always, I’m as awe-struck as Attenborough sounds whilst he speaks with such deep interest and passion at every moment. With the shots all being in 4K quality, each image looks sharp and clear, and perfectly captures the focus in question, whether it’s snowleopards in brawls or beautiful panoramic shots.

One of the best scenes to showcase all of these is the descent made by the Ibex across sheer cliff edges. The BBC have managed to create some of the most enthralling television of 2016, and it’s sorely needed to remind us of the world around us.

The cinematography – where do I even begin?

The once-simple work that documentaries were well-known for has been eschewed for a far more

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eryl Streep’s addiction to Home’s Under the Hammer and Come Dine With Me, extractor fans and Sexy Geeks. If you haven’t guessed the programme already then shame on you. Shame on you indeed. Dave Gorman’s infamous power point presentation returned to our screens this month with ‘Modern Life is Goodish’, and the first episode (‘It Was an Accident and I was Hospitalised’) didn’t fall short of expectations. Dave’s commentary ran from anger towards people who suck the enjoyment out of things (extractor fans) to analysing the modern day advances of Photoshop.

By far, one of the best moments of the episode was the analysis of Photoshop, in which the LizHurley’s-son-is-drinking-a-glass-of-champagnebut-it’s-been-unsubtly-photo-shopped-out-of-thepicture scandal was recapped with one of Dave’s glorious found poems in which the title of the episode came to light. In gathering online tweets, Dave poked fun at some up tight british folk that branded Hurley an irresponsible mother for allowing her poor 14 year old to drink. Dave soon revealed that he had been drinking Port since he was 5. He had his first beer at the grand old age of two, and he drank some whisky as a baby. The episode altogether was filled with smart jokes that can tickle you to the bone. At the same time, you could probably get a grand education from Dave Gorman. Did you know that a Superb Starling, which is a type of bird; you guessed it, a starling, is called a Lamprotornis Superbus in Latin? Not to be confused with the superbus company, that just means huge bus. I would thoroughly recommend tuning in for the rest of the series.

Holly Cowan

Errol Kerr

Bob’s Burgers

Dark Angel

Modern Life is Goodish Dave, Tuesday 10pm

cinematic experience. Remotely operated cameras and triggered cameras placed across locations allowed for and incredibly personal and up-close experience of wildlife, and develops an almost action-film narrative, forcing the audience to develop attachments and interest in each and every creature brought up in its mini-narrative. Planet Earth II’s dramatic and visceral nature is beyond fascinating – it’s unbearably gripping, and considering the nature of the world around us, Planet Earth II has reaffirmed that in pockets around the globe, nature is indeed thriving. I do look forward to the later episodes focusing on animals in cities and those coming into contact with human life.

What else is there to say? Planet Earth II is nothing less than… extraordinary.

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ITV, Mondays 9pm

n this two part programme, viewers enter into the world of Mary Ann Cotton, a Northern woman who descends into a life of murder. A dramatisation of a true story, Dark Angel follows a pattern of historical retellings that seems to be emerging on both our TV screens and online. The increase in the popularity of period dramas should be no surprise after the staggering success of Downton Abbey. But with the stories of Mary Queen of Scots, Queen Victoria, and Queen Elizabeth II being released onto the small screen, the genre is becoming saturated.

However, Dark Angel breaks away from these. It shows the life of an ordinary woman with ordinary struggles, which is refreshing, as the shots of palaces and country houses all start to blend together.

In regards to plot, it was easy to follow almost too easy. The twists were unfortunately very predictable, particularly the ending to the miniseries.

Pacing is naturally slower in these dramas so the suspense is vital to build, but there was no sense of wonder or unease at all. This was partially due to Joanne Froggatt’s depiction of the protagonist, as she felt twodimensional and fell quite flat in terms of character development. It was obvious that she was poisoning people so the blindness of the other characters was frustrating from the beginning. To her credit, I wonder if this was a directing fault rather than performance, as she played the malicious side to Mary Ann incredibly well.

Overall, it’s easy viewing and not a huge commitment, but it lack memorability. Although they may have been done before, the period dramas surrounding monarchies certainly seem to be of a much higher quality.

Siobhan Fuller

ince it first aired in 2011, Ryan Murphy’s American Horror Story: Murder House has kicked off the popular anthology series.

The cast featured several known faces, namely the three leads: Friday Night Light’s Connie Britton; The Practise’s Dylan McDermott; and Oscar-winner and King Kong heroine Jessica Lange. Murder House also starred relatively unknowns Taissa Farmiga, Evan Peters and Sarah Paulson. Both Peters and Paulson would go on to become the longest-serving cast members of the anthology series, appearing in all six cycles so far, along with Lily Rabe.

The first season of American Horror Story invited audiences into a modern ghost story centering on the Harmon family. Having suffered a miscarriage, and in the aftermath of an affair, Ben (McDermott) and Vivienne (Britton) move to Los Angeles with their teenage daughter, Violet (Farmiga), for a new beginning. Unbeknown to the family, their new home has a history of its own, and some past tenants who haven’t vacated the property. This is how the source of the season’s subtitle comes into play, as the Harmon’s new home has a reputation as “The Murder House”. Its history involves over a dozen violent deaths, and anyone who dies within the confines of the property has their spirit trapped there forever.

Online

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ans of Bob’s Burgers can get ready to enjoy the everyday trials and tribulations of the Belcher family once again, as the show makes its return to the UK’s TV screens for a seventh season – with the added bonus of knowing that Fox has already confirmed that we will be able to enjoy an eighth helping of the culinary comedy next year. Perhaps the only downside is that if your accommodation’s TV subscription doesn’t stretch to Comedy Central, you may well find yourself having to resort to, shall we say, ‘underhand tactics’ in order to watch.

The show won’t be departing from what longtime viewers expect to see. It retains its trademark charm, as even in its most unusual moments – be that a surreal, musical trip into Louise’s subconscious mind, a supernatural feud with a lollipop lady, or a madcap dash through a cow-infested island – the show is grounded in the foundation of likeable, relatable characters in familiar sitcom scenarios. Every joke may not be a laugh out loud moment, but viewers can expect a base-level humour that won’t fail to make you smile, along with the occasional extra hit of gold material. This show is perfect for anyone who is a fan of animated shows, but wants a change from the predictably crude humour that many other cartoons aimed at adults rely on. Even after seven seasons, Bob’s Burgers manages to strike a balance between maturity and paletability.

With every episode served up on a fresh pun, accompanied by a side order of genuine characters and washed down with the perfect blend of ridiculousness and realism, Bob’s Burgers is sure to satisfy anyone’s appetite for comedy.

Aisling Hough

Part of the mystery of the season was uncovering the identity of the “Rubber Man”. After finding a latex bondage suit in the attic, Vivienne is raped by a man wearing it, who she wrongly assumes is her husband. Subsequently she discovers she is pregnant, with twins by two different fathers.

Far-fetched but interesting viewing, it isn’t until the eighth episode that Tate Langdon (Peters), the ghostly lover of the Harmon’s daughter, is revealed as the “Rubber Man”. His motive being that Nora (Rabe), a fellow ghost in the home, desperately longs for a baby and so he sets out to impregnate Vivienne. Nora and the ghost of Ben’s mistress later set out to look after the babies themselves.

Although involving shocking moments, the show has become particularly popular because of its characters: there’s the star-crossed fan favourite lovers Tate and Violet with their mental-health suffering romance, the sassy-talking and cunning Constance (Lange) whose portrayal won the actress a Primetime Emmy and a Golden Globe and the optimistic Adelaide (Jamie Brewer) who longs to be a ‘pretty girl’ in the face her mother considering down syndrome to be anything but pretty.

Several of the Murder House characters have returned for the show’s fifth cycle, Hotel, which premiered in October 2015. But his isn’t the last we’ll be seeing of the show’s first incarnations, as Murphy recently revealed that he’s planning a Murder House and Coven, the third cycle, crossover. He confirmed that the sixth season has already been green lit, and due to actor’s schedules, the crossover will likely be the seventh or later.

Joel Leaver

26.filmfeatures

Monday 21 November 2016

The Courier

Film Editors: Emma Allsopp, Zoë Godden & Simon Ramshaw

No swearing please - we’re kids

GUILT TRIP Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams (2002) In this week’s column of shame, Calum Trenamen returns with another guilty pleasure - Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams. Will childhood nostalgia prevail?

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ES! Remember this gem from our childhood? If you don’t, you have my sympathy. There must have been an absence of something in your formative years, which is probably why you’ve started your adult life with an inexplicable emptiness that won’t go away no matter how many trebs you consume.

Okay, so Spy Kids 2 isn’t the best movie. It’s not even the best movie in the franchise. The original was the best with both critics and audiences. Although there are some moments of cringiness and it is painful at times to watch Antonio Banderas just collect his paycheck, there is still something so endearing to me about this film.

It possibly stems from being a little brother to an overachieving older sister. While the protagonist Juni was just this in the original, he comes into his own here, being a cool spy and chatting up the President’s daughter. Maybe on its release, 6 year old Cal lived vicariously through the Juni’s adventures.

With a definite shift towards children’s films becoming more adult-friendly, Jamie Gomersall looks at the past, present and future of family films in their truest form

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s a child, I spent hours on end sat in front of the television watching my way through piles of video tapes. The Jungle Book, Bedknobs and Broomsticks, Chicken Run, and The Lion King are just some of the video cassettes now left gathering dust at my mum’s house. I return to these films again and again, not just out of a sense of nostalgia, but because even in my twenties, I still appreciate many of these films to be funny, moving and genuinely well-made. Even now, Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit ranks as highly on my list of best films as Goodfellas or The Shawshank Redemption.

Why do these movies appeal to adults? Personally, I think it’s because of the timeless messages that they convey. Take Finding Dory, for example, the highest grossing film of 2016, and deservingly so.

Yes, it appeals to children because of its likeable characters and charming narrative, but the film also acts as a nuanced statement on disability. We see Dory, an amnesiac, team up with Hank, an octopus missing a tentacle, two whales, one whose radar is faulty, and the other with poor vision, and little Nemo with his damaged fin, in order to find her parents. Finding Dory has a hopeful message about the differently-abled and their unique strengths.

Similarly, A Bug’s Life is almost communist in its outlook. The oppressed masses, the ant colony, stand up and revolt against the regime of the tyrant grasshoppers, in a move that Marx himself would applaud. Likewise, Zootropolis is so overtly a social satire about institutionalised racism. It is no wonder that these tales of unity and revolution are embraced by millennials.

These films don’t talk down to children, but they also don’t try too hard to get the grown-ups onside.

I tend to dislike kids’ films with nudging and winking references to adult films that the mums and dads enjoy. This tactic was way overused in Dreamworks’ Shark Tale, which was awash with references to The Godfather, even featuring Robert De Niro as the leader of the shark mafia.

The best animated films don’t have to rely on these references. They rely on strong narratives,

compelling characters, and inspiring messages.

No collection of films demonstrates this better than the PIXAR canon, revered by children and adults alike. Who doesn’t stifle a sob at the end of Toy Story 3 when Andy hands over his toys and heads off to college? Who isn’t moved by the first ten minutes of Up, a montage of a married couple’s lives, their hopes and fears, or Inside Out, which examines the depression of a young girl as she moves home? Unless you have a heart as black as charcoal, it is impossible not to appreciate the warmth and gravitas of these films.

And so I look forward to the upcoming releases of The Lego Batman Movie, Moana, and The Incredibles 2, pleased that the adults in the audience will be just as charmed as the children, and comforted knowing that these wonderful children’s movies will stay with me for the rest of my life.

“These films don’t talk down to children, but they also don’t try too hard to get the grown-ups onside”

Look at The Lego Movie; a gloriously absurd film that champions anarchy and anti-authoritarianism, a film whose anti-government ideology is barely disguised by bright colours and zany visuals.

Bohemian Hacksody: Malek is Mercury

After two left-field casting choices for real life figures have been announced recently, Errol Kerr takes a look at the highs and lows of the biopic genre and shares his views

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ecently, Gary Oldman has been announced to play Winston Churchill in Joe Wright’s biopic Darkest Hour, and with Rami Malek’s latest casting as Freddie Mercury in the biopic project entitled Bohemian Rhapsody, I have regained some faint hope for the biopic genre. To be honest, whilst these could go remarkably well, I’m still incredibly sceptical. Certain award-winning biopics, such as The Queen starring Dame Helen Mirren, are absolutely spectacular, and are well-deserving of recognition, but I’ve seen far too many biopics which have been far too insensitive for my liking.

And I’ve got a relatively thick shell.

Spy Kids 2 takes it up a notch and tops the first with the addition of spy rivals Gary and Gerti Giggles (best use of alliterative names in cinema history?), adding competition for Carmen and Juni.

While there is no George Clooney cameo in this one, instead we get Steve Buscemi as the cowardly Romero, whose hybrid animal creations have got out of control forcing him into hiding. He is joined

by C-lister Bill Paxton as a Texan theme park owner and D-lister Christopher McDonald (Shooter McGavin of Happy Gilmore) as the President.

On the face of it this movie sounds completely absurd and without sense. Honestly, yes, it doesn’t make much sense. The script is dire and the acting from everyone, not just the child actors, is terrible.

The CGI is awful and there are points where you laugh at the film, not cheer with it.

However, even now I cannot escape the great sense of nostalgia and warmth that this film gives me. The spy gadgets are still cool and the lifestyle is still wondrous. Deep down didn’t we all want to be Spy Kids? And more importantly, don’t we all wish we were?

Ultimately, if 2016 has taught us anything, it is that we need to reach back into our past to find some happiness and joy to cling on to, because fuck knows where we’re going to find it in the future.

“Ben Kingsley as Gandhi? As you can imagine, I’m quite sceptical of the biopic genre” The most recent draft of Bohemian Rhapsody was written by Anthony McCarten, who wrote the script for The Theory of Everything,, the recent biopic on Stephen Hawking. In reference to this film and many others, there’s a recurring issue in biopic films t h at they’re often really good, but the casting choices are poor in respect to the individuals in centre. Eddie Redmayne is undeniably a good actor – his

performance as Marius in Les Misérables as my favourite of the film, and I’m very excited to see him in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, but seeing him as Stephen Hawking was a tad bit infuriating for myself. This is for the same reason as I wasn’t pleased seeing him as Lili Elbe in The Danish Girl – there’s no way that he can really fit into this role. Hawking is a man with severe motor neurone disease, and Elbe was a transgender woman. Redmayne is neither of these.

“Will Will Malek’s Mercury correctly explore elements of the Queen singer’s sexuality? sexuality?”

In all honesty, it wouldn’t take too much effort to cast a disabled actor as Hawking. It wouldn’t have taken any effort to cast a transgender woman as Lili Elbe. But in all honesty, this all pales in comparison – no pun intended – to Oscar-nominated 1982 film Gandhi.. Starring Ben Kingsley. As Gandhi. You know, the white Yorkshireman. In blackface. As you can imagine, this was just infuriating. This is no Robert Downey Jr. in Tropic Thunder, you can’t even remotely define this as satire. The worst part? A man in blackface was nominated for an Oscar. Would an Indian man playing as Gandhi get the same recognition?

As you can imagine therefore, I’m quite sceptical of the biopic genre, however I see some hope in the casting of Rami Malek, an American with Egyptian parents, playing Freddie Mercury, a Tanzanian born Briton. Seeing a western individual with African heritage playing a person with the same background gives me some hope – and Malek’s acting

skills are fantastic, so there’s some hope yet.

I’ve seen a fair few biopics which have been decent – Benedict Cumberbatch’s work as Alan Turing in The Imitation Game was stellar, however certain elements – such as Cumberbatch’s general ‘emotionless’ character which he tends to play – did somewhat overshadow the biopic, and the film’s shyness about Turing’s homosexuality was something that was duly noted by many viewers.

It makes me wonder, will Malek’s Freddie Mercury correctly explore elements of his sexuality?

Will Oldman’s Churchill explore his questioning faith and his descent into alcoholism? I suppose it’s only time that will tell now.

Coming soon (in our dreams): Tilda Swinton as David Bowie!

The Courier

reviewsfilm.27

Monday 21 November 2016

thecourieronline.co.uk/film c2.film@ncl.ac.uk | @Courier_Film

Arrival (12A)

Golden Oldies Presents...

O

nce every little while a film comes out that leaves you completely dazed. You cannot just watch it; you need to rewatch it at least once. But then you might want to rewatch it even more. You need to (and you will) think about it and discuss it. But above all, you will have a small existential crisis after watching it. 2010’s Inception, 2014’s Interstellar, and 2015’s Ex Machina can be considered as some recent examples of this, and now Denis Villeneuve’s Arrival can be added to the list as well.

In Arrival, twelve extra-terrestrial ships appear in twelve different spots all over the world – spots that do not appear to have any connection, except that in all these places Sheena Easton had a hit in 1980. Nobody knows anything about these aliens.

The ‘shells’ stay in those places, and every eighteen hours a hatch opens to let humans in. It is up to Amy Adams’ Dr Louise Banks, with the help of Jeremy Renner’s physicist Ian Donnelly, to discover what these so-called ‘heptapods’ want. However, before this important question can be asked, the language barrier needs to be broken, and figuring out a language that isn’t in any way similar to those spoken on planet Earth is not that easy.

Jeremy Renner called Arrival a “thinking person’s sci-fi film that is thoughtful and emotional”, and there might not be a better way to describe it.

The film is impressive in every single way. It comments on our society in many different ways, but its main theme about communication is an eyeopener, and shows how important talking to one

The Light Between Oceans (12A)

D

erek Cianfrance’s new romantic drama, The Light Between Oceans, has a tendency to subvert the latter genre. Unlike so many of its predecessors, this is not a ‘Romeo and Juliet’ tragedy; this is a story that focuses on a love that some may consider more important than romantic: a familial love.

The film chronicles a couple (real-life beaus Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander) in 1920s Australia who are struck with a series of devastating miscarriages. Yet when a boat containing a dead man and a very-much alive baby washes ashore near their lighthouse, their luck changes.

Vikander gives a moving performance in a role that would, even to the best of actors seem difficult to portray in a relatable manner. There are some definite Lady Macbeth vibes being given off towards the beginning of the couple’s dilemma, which would otherwise to make it hard to believe she was just a heartbroken young woman who could not have a child of her own. Then again, the harsh truth of her reality in which happiness can only come from a family complete with kids provides added depth for her to contend with. Such views are also held by Rachel Weisz’s mysterious character (whose situation is not that much different from Vikander’s), and this is where the film’s moral dilemma begins.

The emotional journey we see Vikander, Fassbender and Weisz go through as they navigate what is right, wrong and just plain selfish when it comes to family is fascinating; it’s a situation that at first glance you feel more for one side or another, but it is so thoughtfully portrayed from both sides that you may, perhaps, even end up questioning your own morals.

For sure this is a drama that will pull on your heartstrings, but won’t leave you with a pessimistic ‘love is doomed’ feeling so commonly associated with this genre. Definitely a tear-jerker, but will those tears be of sadness or happiness? That I can’t say.

More like this: By the Sea (2015) Natasha Walsh

Abel Gance’s

Napoleon

another is. At the same time, Arrival unsettles you with every single shot, keeping you at the tip of your seat throughout the story.

If that isn’t enough praise yet, Amy Adams’ performance is absolutely amazing. Her Dr Banks is a valued professor who is dealing with a traumatic experience. When Forest Whitaker’s Colonel Weber calls upon her to decipher the alien language, she is thrown into a stressful situation that she calmly handles with tact and intelligence, while being afraid and bewildered at the one hand and frustrated with the situation and the separate world leaders at the other. Adams is able to create an incredible depth to her character that many recent cinematic characters seem to miss.

The rest of the cast is stunning as well, and there

is nothing wrong with the script either, as none of the lines feel irrelevant. Everything presented is significant to the plot, and the amazing score by Jóhann Jóhannsson adds to the thick atmosphere of the film while chilling you to the bone. The story’s twists and turns bring the film to a whole different conclusion than can be imagined at the start, and create a new and different road for films in the sci-fi genre.

Arrival is an alien invasion film like no other, balancing a thought-provoking story with wonderful images. It is unique, and might be one of the best sci-fi films to date.

More like this: Inception (2010)

B

T

Becky van Leeuwen

The Innocents (15)

The Accountant (15)

en Affleck’s latest blockbuster is this action thriller where a mundane accountant, Christian Wolff, also earns his money by, uh, ‘taking care’ of the criminal enemies of big organisations. The poster and trailer pretty heavily hints at how Affleck takes care of his adversaries, so I’ll say no more!

What sets this film apart from a standard action or thriller is the complexity of Affleck’s character, who has autism. Throughout the film, you see how this constantly affects Wolff, as well as providing added depth to a predominantly dark character and script.

Crosscutting is frequently used to show Wolff as child and his experiences with autism, as shown on screen by child actor Seth Lee. Lee establishes Wolff ’s autistic traits, but Affleck fails to be consistent with these in the film’s present-day narrative.

Hence, Affleck’s portrayal of an autistic person in comparison to Lee’s is rather unbelievable which creates a flaw in the film.

Similarly, J.K. Simmons’ character is undeveloped and the audience need to know more about him. Simmons plays Raymond King, the head of financial crimes for Washington D.C. who is trying to identify the mysterious ‘accountant’. However, Simmons and Affleck’s storylines seem completely separate, providing confusion throughout the film.

When they do interact, it is a weak and jumbled encounter and this is one of the film’s downfalls.

The standout actor has to be Anna Kendrick, who provides much-needed comic relief in the film’s dull stretches through her innocent and unaware character Dana Cummings, another accountant who gets mixed up in Affleck’s encounters. Surprisingly, the awkward, amusing conversations between Affleck and Kendrick were some of the best parts of the film.

With a cast full of Oscar nominees, it was surprising this film was not better, but if you want some gripping action sequences and a few unexpected plot twists, then this is the film for you.

More like this: The Gunman (2015) Ashley Clay

he Innocents (or in its native language, ‘Les Innocents’) is a French film set in Poland, 1940. One of the selections for Sundance Film Festival, it is a beautifully-shot testament to human suffering in a time of war.

The storyline follows a French woman who works for the Red Cross, Mathilde, who chooses to help a convent which has been pillaged by Russian troupes, where many of the nuns are raped and left pregnant. This of course causes many problems for the women’s vows and general belief in their faith. Mathilde insists that the women need professional, medical help in their time of need, but to avoid shame for the convent the Mother Superior insists that only Mathilde can know.

Just 10 minutes into the film we are presented with a gritty depiction of a caesarean, which whilst shocking at first, goes surprisingly smoothly. This sets the tone for the remainder of the film and reflects the plot’s subversion of ideas, and the notion that what once may seem impossible can become plausible.

As well as focusing on Mathilde’s personal experience and what she learns from the nuns and their incredible triumph of suffering, the film’s second protagonist is Maria, one of the few French speaking nuns in the convent. Maria develops a real friendship with Mathilde, and their unlikely comradery is the saviour of the whole film.

Along the way we experience the terrible ways in which the Mother Superior handles her conflict of faith, and also the many ways in which human kindness can overcome even the most terrible of events. The cinematography is intense, often showing you more than you would like but the intention of the film is pure honesty.

Although it has a slow start by half way through I was totally gripped and invested in the film’s depiction of motherhood, pain, and the extents people will go to in order to keep faith in the midst of war and suffering.

89 years after its release, us modern kidz can finally see Abel Gance’s silent epic, Napoleon, in its glorious highdefinition restoration. Simon Ramshaw went to see if the 50 years of work gone into this restoration was worth it, or whether it was a questionable cinematic revolution.

D

ISCLAIMER: I did not actually see this on Sunday at the Tyneside Cinema, but on the previous Sunday at the Royal Festival Hall in London with a live performance of the score by its composer, Carl Davis. Also, Wes Anderson was there.* We take a lot of things for granted. Films are one of them. A lucrative commodity that we spend £3.75 on at the Empire in an effort to catch up on the slew of edgy, flashy modern blockbusters we’re fed every week. But a man by the name of Abel Gance slapped us in the face 89 years ago with the OG edgy, flashy slice of cinema with his astonishingly-ambitious biopic, Napoleon.

Chronicling the rise and rise and rise of Napoleon Bonaparte (and most definitely not his downfall; that’s not exactly in the director’s political manifesto), Gance’s five and a half hour sprawling masterwork essentially invents the cinematic rulebook as far as anybody who’s remotely seen any films is concerned. Say what you will about Sergei Eisenstein’s revolutionary invention of montage in 1925, it’s difficult not to argue that Gance gave birth to a plethora of other stylistics, as well as a bunch of techniques that are rarely used today because they’re so barmy. Take the moment where Gance places his camera ontop of a swing above a moving crowd to show the passion of the French Revolution at its very height. Name one other director who would attempt that today (and don’t say Gaspar Noë…)

More like this: Mother Joan of the Angels (1961)

As well as being a stylistic explosion of cinematic invention, Gance deftly handles a number of different genres with ease. One of the things I definitely wasn’t expecting to experience in Napoleon was frequent belly-laughs, but lo and behold, Gance magics them out of thin air. He’s got an eye for milking every drop of comedy from the most unlikely of places, even taking a good few minutes to focus on the comic absurdity of a man that literally ate death warrants during the Great Terror. It’s a lovely sequence, full of spot-on comic timing and fantastic physical comedy.

The film culminates in what can only be described as a triptych, with three cameras assembled next to one another to create an unparalleled width to the screen itself. It stands as a towering statement to Napoleon’s sheer ambition; it’ll show you things that you’ve never seen before in ways that you can only dream of.

Released today on crisp blu-ray by the BFI, Napoleon is worth every one of its 19,920 seconds.

Rachel Baker

*I didn’t meet him.

28.filmfeature

Monday 21 November 2016

The Courier

Film Editors: Emma Allsopp, Zoë Godden & Simon Ramshaw

Star and Shadow: your new favourite art-house picture palace

Set to open by Summer 2017, The Courier gets an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the construction of The Star and Shadow Cinema on Warwick Street, uncovering exactly what it can offer to The Toon’s film-loving students to ensure that you know what to expect when it opens

Words: Zoë Godden Photography: Ava Forbes, Joseph de Haan & Arto Polus

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he Star and Shadow is a cooperative cinema made for and run by the people of Newcastle upon Tyne. After nearly a decade of hosting events at their venue on Stepney Bank, the site had to close down after it was taken back by its owners for redevelopment. Today, after getting planning permission from the council back in April 2016, The Star and Shadow is now reopening at a new location on Warwick Street, right between the student areas of Sandyford and Heaton, where it’s set to become one of Newcastle city centre’s largest community spaces.

The group is run entirely by volunteers, in a non-hierarchical fashion with all members having a say in what happens – a DIY ethos, if you will. It puts the people and the community at the

heart of the project. It’s precisely these volunteers that are leading the rebuilding process of the old SCS on Warwick Street, giving the premises a complete makeover in time for the estimated April 2017 opening date. Plans include constructing the titular cinema, recording studios, workshop spaces, a café, and a community garden. There are up to 20 volunteers on site at any time, ranging from long time volunteers to local filmmakers, refugees to “a guy in his 80s.”

It’s a testament to the melting pot that is Newcastle city centre.

A large part of the redevelopment came from the group’s Crowdfunder campaign. Accompanied by the hashtag #buildyourcinema, the online campaign ran for 62 days until 7th November, raising a total of £41,609 with 740

backers – one of whom anonymously donated £10,000.

Reward tiers included sponsoring your own square foot of the cinema, archived film posters, and a years pass to attend all film screenings once the site opens.

The new premises will be open to anyone who wants to become involved in any aspects of the cinema, from working on the bar at gigs to programming or hosting films and events.

There isn’t an expectation for people to come prepared; rather, the space will provide an environment for people to pursue their interests with the aid of training from volunteers. To quote the crowdfunder, The Star and Shadow will “create a new haven from the mundane mainstream of film and music, a nursery for independent creativity and thinking” - providing a space, equipment, audiences, and the support of volunteers to start up numerous cultural events near campus.

At the heart of the project is the belief in cultural agency; engaging people in film and the arts not just as consumers, but as active

participants, an approach far different and more meaningful than a profit-driven commercial cinema. The group plans to continue their work they started at the old premises, supporting local filmmakers, musicians, artists and storytellers with their projects, and continuing to host events, discussions, lectures and festivals of international scope such as TUSK music festival, AV Festival, Language Café Newcastle, ¡VAMOS! Festival and Wunderbar Festival (to name a few!). With an eagerly anticipated Summer 2017 opening, it’s safe to assume the curtain won’t come back down on The Star and Shadow anytime soon.

THE FLOOR PLAN

“A new haven from the mundane mainstream of film; a nursery for independent creativity and thinking”

The Courier

featurefilm.29

Monday 21 November 2016

thecourieronline.co.uk/film c2.film@ncl.ac.uk | @Courier_Film

Attending an AGM: What They Do In The Shadows £41,609 740 Backers

W 62 Days 1 Cinema

So, what fab film fun will be on offer?

hether you study it at university or just love the cinema-going experience, The Star and Shadow will have something for everyone who is passionate about film. Fancy holding a private movie screening for a society event? The cinema itself will have 89 seats, including accessible spaces, available to hire out for a more casual (and cheap!) film trip.

How about getting your own film crew for a week to shoot a documentary? Workshops will be held on shooting in 16mm film, and filmmaking projects can be facilitated via on-site equipment. You can even learn how to become a projectionist, and become the undisputed king of home movie nights. If don’t like getting your hands dirty though, you can always head to the shop and browse through their extensive film poster archives, to make your student flat look that little bit more posh. However, if films aren’t your thing at all, The Star and Shadow is ideal for art and music festivals, gigs, exhibitions, and a plethora of other community events. You just need a bit of imagination.

THE LIFE OF A STAR AND SHADOW VOLUNTEER

I

ris Priest has volunteered for The Star and Shadow on and off for the past eight years.

Due to a broken foot, she was unable to help with the project on-site, so instead acted as one of many individuals that coordinated the fundraising aspect of the project.

Noting the initial uncertainty after the original premises was shut down, Iris is quick to praise the resilience of the volunteers in getting a new location set up.“It was a real blow to the cinema, our volunteers, artists and larger communities of participants,” she said, “But we weren’t just going to lie down and accept this would be the end, so an emergency meeting was held to discuss what to do next.”

Iris further notes the positive experience of working on a project from the ground up.

“As individuals and an organisation, we are always learning,” she states, “Many of us working on the current rebuild are learning about site management, building regulations and health and safety. But it’s the constant learning which keeps us ever-evolving and excited.”

S

tephen Turner has been volunteering at The Star and Shadow since 2010, keen to find out more about arts in the North East. He acts as one of eight Site Supervisors at the new site, organising the build and training new volunteers.

“We’ve reclaimed lots of materials from the old site,” he told The Courier, “Cinema gear, bits of the old bar, wood, bricks – it’s nice to be putting some of the old stuff into our new place.”

Constructing the new building from the ground up is the most exciting part of the project according to Stephen, who says he has always enjoyed construction work.

In the old premises, Stephen notes that many students came to volunteer during their gap year or during the holidays. When it’s complete, it’ll be a fantastic venue for socials – gigs, screenings, party hire – and at only a fifteen minute walk from campus, the location is ideal.

“The Star and Shadow is whatever anyone wants to make of it. We allow the space for that to happen,” he assures, “It’s a place to make as well as show.”

I

never thought I’d attend a meeting where motions were approved with jazz hands, but hey, first time for everything, right? I had the pleasure of attending The Star and Shadow’s 10th annual general meeting on 7th November, getting a glimpse of this cooperative effort in action, and left feeling even more enthused for the site’s opening. These meetings take place on the first Monday of each month, and are open to anyone to attend – volunteers old and new.

Hence it’s a great starting place if you aren’t sure where to start when it comes to volunteering.

This meeting was particularly special as it was also the group’s 2nd AGM as a Community Benefit Society. This meant examining financial and social accounts (the latter adorably listing local residents’ thoughts on the project), and electing new on-site stewards. The latter are required by law, serving a similar purpose to directors in your typical company.

N

yree Denney is originally from Scotland, but has lived in Newcastle for the past 26 years. She started volunteering for The Star and Shadow back in 2007, after getting involved in their popular TUSK music festival.

For the new location, Nyree admits she’d never been involved in a practical way before, but was eager to learn more, becoming one of eight Site Supervisors that lead the organisation of the build.

She describes the project as a collective, a ‘DIY’ that is what you make of it.

“There aren’t enough spaces like this in the city centre,” she says, “There is no hierarchy, and you don’t have to worry about the money in your pocket to get involved.”

For Nyree, the most poignant aspect of the build is getting to work with volunteers from so many backgrounds.

“It’s a kaleidoscope of community experiences; we have refugees, unemployed people looking for work experience, there’s such a variety – it really does tackle the misconceptions that you see in the media.”

Wed and Thurs - 6pm to 8pm Saturday - 11am to 6pm Sunday - 11am to 5pm

The Star and Shadow differs to most organisations as it runs as a ‘flat’ hierarchy, valuing all members’ inputs equally. Therefore, though some may seem to have fancier titles than others (such as Site Supervisors, the aforementioned stewards, and members of the Finance and Administration Collective), every volunteer is considered to have an equal impact on the project. It’s a collective effort, rather than the work of individuals over some. Anyone can chair the meeting if they put themselves forward, and one can put in as much or as little time as they like.

As such, when it came to decision making in the meeting, the aforementioned jazz hands came into play. Not only is this great for accessibility, but also serves as a way for attendees to show their agreement with motions/proposals via an overall consensus rather than with your typical voting system. Marx would be proud.

If you’re interested in finding out more of what goes on behind the scenes of building The Star and Shadow, the next meeting will be held on Monday 5th December, at 6pm in the Ouseburn Community Centre. Refreshments are provided.

Star and Shadow Cinema

info@starandshadow.org.uk

@StarAndShadow

Star and Shadow Cinema

Want to help out with the build? You can turn up to volunteer at these times:

“It’s a kaleidoscope of community experiences”

How exactly can a group of people set up their own cinema? Why, with the highly organised method of monthly meetings of course! Zoë Godden eagerly attended the previous one to see how it all goes down.

30.gaming

Monday 21 November 2016

The Courier

Gaming Editors: Jordan Oloman, Errol Kerr and Jared Moore

BlizzCon: Highlights

Georgina Howlett digs into Blizzard’s newest announcements

A

nother year, another BlizzCon. This year Blizzard Entertainment dazzled us like never before, announcing new content for every one of their games, and here’s what you should know…

World of Warcraft has two new patches coming up containing masses of new content to supplement August’s Legion expansion. The first will re-introduce the Brawler’s Guild for Season 3 with a range of new bosses for players to tackle, introduce micro-holidays, apply various class updates (including amendments to the relative weightings of secondary stats such as Haste, Mastery and Crit) and also an update to the Blade’s Edge Arena. The second and more substantial patch will introduce a new raid, titled ‘Return to the Broken Shore’, where players will work together to defeat members of the demonic Burning Legion – as well as New World Quests for players to complete.

Flying through the Broken Isles will finally be available, much to the delight of practically everybody, and both a new raid zone (the Tomb of Sargeras) and a new dungeon (Cathedral of Eternal Night) will be available for fighting in. Much more is also coming – the return to Argus, PvP brawls, Artifact updates, class mounts – but to get the full scope of new content, Blizzard’s extensive patch notes and BlizzCon re-caps are probably the best place to go.

“Flying through the Broken isles will finaly be available, much to the delight of practically everybody”

The elusive Sombra was finally formally announced in Overwatch through a new animated short, titled ‘Infiltration’, and released onto the PTR (Public Test Realm) a few days later – and, as of November 15th, onto the proper game servers. Along with various new game styles in the new ‘arcade’ mode such as 1v1, 3v3 and ‘no limits’ play (replacing traditional ‘quick play’), a new arena map has also been released called Ecopoint: Antarctica, which has origins of being Mei’s old research facility, and it is expected that more about Mei’s backstory will soon be revealed in order to tie into this.

Perhaps the other major announcement for Overwatch to note is the upcoming establishment of the ‘Overwatch League’ – a professional worldwide eSports league that will bring players from all over the globe together to compete for fame, glory and – most excitingly – money. This is the chance for the best players and teams to prove their worth on a global scale, to the same acclaim as traditional sports teams, so get practicing if you want to become the next big shot in Overwatch.

“Hearthstone, too, is returning to the spotlight given the announcement of a new expansion...”

In smaller game news, two new heroes have been announced for Heroes of the Storm: King Varian Wrynn, the recently-deceased Alliance leader, and Ragnaros, the Firelord. Varian will be the first hero to transcend the in-game classes, being both an assassin and a warrior, while Ragnaros will seize control by unleashing a whole new set of fiery abilities upon his enemies.

Hearthstone, too, is returning to the spotlight given the announcement of a new expansion titled ‘Mean Streets of Gadgetzan’; 132 new cards will be available to add to your collection, with many already having been previewed, and packs of cards available to pre-purchase now via the in-game shop. Finally, Diablo III has been announced by Blizzard to contain a remake of the original Diablo, to be introducing a new class in the form of Necromancers, and even an all-new dungeon – inspiring its return to the forefront of Blizzard’s gaming line-up. StarCraft II even has new updates incoming, with the third and final Nova mission pack launching on November 22nd, Alexei Stukov soon infesting co-op missions, and a new map for players to sink their teeth into.

More information regarding each of Blizzard’s titles can be found on their website and blog, so be sure to check those out if anything we’ve covered has tickled your fancy.

This is Chris Duddy and this is his favourite newspaper on the Citadel

“

This…is...incredible” – The first words uttered

by Mass Effect’s newest – and currently nameless – villain who appeared in last week’s reveal trailer for Mass Effect Andromeda.

A statement that reflects most people’s feelings towards the announcement itself. The game supposedly takes place (at least initially) during the

same period as Mass Effect 2, where you take up the role of a “pathfinder” who sets off towards the Andromeda galaxy (duh) should the Reaper threat pose ` much for the allied species of the Milky Way Galaxy. That may read as gibberish to some, and seeing as little more is known about the upcoming game beyond the trailer, I’ll go back to square one and discuss the original trilogy.

The Mass Effect trilogy, in my opinion, sits comfortably amongst the likes of Legend of Zelda, The Elder Scrolls, Metroid, Mario, GTA etc in terms of “defining video game series”, but perhaps more impressively, it earns its own place on the shelf amongst the best that Sci-Fi media has to offer (in the same way that Red Dead Redemption now sits amongst Spaghetti Westerns in general).

The series is an obvious (yet delightful) blend of the Alien series’ atmosphere, Star Wars’ depth of Universe, and Star Trek’s sense of comradery and adventure into the unknown.

“it earns its own place on the shelf amongst the best that Sci-Fi media has to offer”

Image Credits: EA Games

In short, you play as Commander Shepard (either male or female, and with a totally customisable appearance), who becomes not just humanity’s hero, but the hero of all species within the Milky Way galaxy in the face of a terrifying threat called “The Reapers”, a race of ancient sentient machines who are en route to the Milky Way to cleanse it of all life. Perhaps

the most frightening thing about the story is that it accurately reflects a highly-regarded possible ‘solution’ to the “Fermi Paradox”.

Each instalment of the original Mass Effect trilogy managed to perfect 3 different essential elements of Sci-Fi RPG’s. The first nailed the sense of scale and, more importantly, isolation. As mentioned above, the “Alien” influences are obvious. Mass Effect 2 nailed the story, and is in my opinion the best game of the trilogy (the rule of three after all. The second is always the best). Mass Effect 2 did a particularly superb job of creating chemistry between you and your crew, and provided two of my favourite moments in the entire series. The first being the revealing of who “Archangel” is, and secondly, a scene entitled “Normandy Reborn” which pilfered a classic Star Trek tactic of “turn the lights on slowly to make it look epic”. The third instalment, for all of its unfortunate flaws towards its conclusion, perfected gunplay in an RPG-setting. In theory, the stars have now aligned for a Mass Effect game to come forward and nail all 3. A game with perfect gunplay, a fantastic story, and that quintessential Mass Effect feeling of isolation and darkness, may be just around the corner.

The trailer for Andromeda oozes Mass-Effectness.

From the classic “bwaaaam” bass-lines to the guttural speech of the villain, from what we’ve seen everything appears to be alive and well in the Mass Effect world. To adapt a quote from Mass Effect 1’s villain, Sovereign; “I am the vanguard of your finances. Your wallet is full because I allow it. Your wallet will empty, because I demand it.”

Memory Card: Harry Potter (PS1) Jack Coles finds a troll in his brain-dungeon. We thought you ought to know.

I

remember the first time I played Harry Potter on PC. I was six. I managed to get as far as halfway through the Flipendo challenge, when I fell into a bottomless pit, got scared, and hassled dad into finishing the game for me.

He got as far as Fluffy, and then gave up.

Years passed. I spent most of my allocated one hour of computer games (per day) playing Age of Empires II, but I’d occasionally dig out Harry Potter to play up to Fluffy’s level – and then give up.

A few summers back, I rustled up the first three games for PC and made a concerted effort to 100% complete them. Which I did. And yes, I do consider this to be my biggest achievement in gaming ever.

As I boot up the game and start a new save, the familiar and enchanting music is played over an introductory narration of Harry and Hogwarts.

Jumping and climbing are explained to me in a tutorial, but I could already recite what Fred and George would say. “Talk to Fred, he’s the one with the Wizard Card.” See? Speaking of Wizard Cards, they are a particular sticking point for players of this game. To ob-

tain the secret Wizard Card, you must get all the other cards, collect 250 Bertie Botts’ Every Flavour Beans, and defeat Lord Voldemort. Problem is, you only get one chance to find a Wizard Card, as locations are rarely revisited and are never persistent. If you miss one out because you didn’t think to check that slightly misaligned wall, then you have to start all over again for that 100%.

“the familiar and enchanting music is played over an introductory narration of Harry and Hogwarts””

Other petty niggles start to mount up. You can’t skip tutorial cutscenes (a change later implemented in HP II), you can’t move while casting spells (so gnomes can bite you while trying to use the unwieldy aiming), and you can only do the flying sections once (which are an absolute highlight of the game).

On the whole, though, I still enjoyed it. Partly because I’m wearing nostalgia blinkers the size of

Kanye West’s ego, but also because it’s almost completely unique – not counting the sequels. There’s also an undeniable charm to it. The music for the game really captures the magic of Hogwarts, and the voice acting is pretty good. The characters animate like poorly assembled LEGO figurines, but I also used to have Harry Potter LEGO, so I’m snacking on double nostalgia.

“I still enjoyed it. Partly because I’m wearing nostalgia blinkers the size of Kanye West’s ego”

I am now going to spoil the ending of the game, which I do with no shame as it has been out for fifteen years now. Fred and George are collecting all those beans so that they can pretty much drown Professor Snape in them, which was much funnier before JK Rowling wrote The Deathly Hallows.

And that secret Wizard Card? It’s one of Harry Potter himself, presented by Ron to Harry during the narration sequence at the end of the game.

Image Credit: Traveller’s Tales

The Courier

gaming .31

Monday 21 November 2016

thecourieronline.co.uk @Courier_Gaming

What I’m Playing: Dragonball Xenoverse Top 5 Dictators

Ollie Burton charges his Spirit Bombs, as this article’s power level hits over 9000!

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ccasionally questionable anime series aside, the Dragonball franchise has pretty resolutely stood the test of time. A long-running manga, the multitude of aforementioned anime productions and of course an enormous number of games has ensured that Toriyama’s original vision has continued to grace our screens for more than thirty years. Having played every single game in the series apart from the Japanese arcade exclusives, naturally I was quaking in my humble weeaboots when Xenoverse was released in 2015.

Of course real life inevitably came between me and this most recent of brawlers in the series, so only now have I been able to find the time for it.

However, it’s been more than worth the wait; right off the bat Xenoverse tackles my oft-repeated criticism of modern Dragonball titles, namely simply following the plot of the first few anime sagas and offering relatively little substance aside from that.

This story was a really nice way of pleasing the fans and providing nostalgia while bringing a completely new twist to the classic adventure. Of course in my opinion this does make Xenoverse unsuitable for newcomers due to lack of familiarity, but this series was in dire need of service for veterans.

“This story was a really nice way of pleasing the fans and providing nostalgia” In terms of gameplay it’s most reminiscent of the Budokai Tenkaichi series, featuring large immersive maps in beautiful cel-shaded 3D. Multiple fighters from opposing teams can all battle simultaneously,

“real life inevitably came between me and this most recent brawlers in the series” Xenoverse conversely sees your avatar (a customisable fighter from one of five Dragonball universe races) join Trunks and the ‘Time Patrol’ on their mission to travel back to various points in the timeline to prevent the proper flow of events from being distorted. Some sinister-looking figures have been interfering in key battles and raising the power of the villains such that the familiar band of heroes could be killed off, drastically altering the timeline and throwing the entire universe into peril. Several quirky new characters are introduced to interact with, including the spunky Supreme Kai of Time and her pet bird Tokitoki, responsible for creating time within the world.

something I absolutely love about this title, as it creates an incredibly cinematic fighting environment. You have to keep your eyes on all the other fighters as well as your current opponent, as being caught by a Kamehameha launched from the other side of the map could spell trouble if you’re not careful.

Beyond the main story there are Parallel Quests, missions with specific objectives that afford you the chance to earn new skills and items for your character, which can also be purchased using Zeni in the shops scattered around the hub world.

Some of these quests are online-only, and I highly encourage you to check them out, as playing with your friends online is an absolute blast. No pun intended.

Dragonball Xenoverse can usually be found in sales for around £15 including the three DLC packs, which each add new characters and parallel quests – it’s a great investment and by far the best game in the series for a very long time; a perfect purchase for any longtime fan of the Dragonball universe.

“Th The other issue was also finding a game I don’t actually like” For those who aren’t aware, BanjoKazooie was a 3D Platformer created

by British developer Rare for the N64 which came out in the late 90s to great critical acclaim, even spawning a brilliant sequel hilariously badly named “Banjo Tooie”.

These are arguably two of the greatest 3D platformers ever made, full of brilliant levels, exploration, fantastic music and a colourful cast of characters. Both developed quite a following, expecting a 3rd game for the Nintendo Gamecube, but this never materialised due to Microsoft’s acquisition of Rare, a dark

“These are arguably two of the greatest 3D platformers ever made, full of brilliant levels”

day in gaming history.

Fast forward to E3 2006 when Microsoft teased a Banjo-Kazooie game for the Xbox 360.

Everyone was excited, finally everyone’s favourite bear and bird were returning after a long six year

5: Wallace Breen - HL2 Wallace Breen isn’t really the kind of guy who inspires obedience or terror. An uncharismatic and unassuming former scientist, Breen comes across more like a dislikeable head teacher than an all-powerful despot. Yet by somehow negotiating Earth’s surrender to the Combine after the events of the first game, he was designated Earth’s administrator by its new conquerors. Now this veritable sci-fi Quisling rules with absolute impunity over the subjugated earth, maintaining a strange omnipresence over his domain through his broadcasts to a populace that hates him. Breen may be more dickhead than dictator, but he ultimately fits perfectly into Half Life’s surreal world.

4: Yourself - Crusader Kings 2

3: Father Zachary Comstock Bioshock: Infinite

Image Credit: Bandai Namco

Sam Blackburn shares his dirty affair with the bird and the bear’s Nuts and Bolts

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Gerry Hart discusses the characters who made videogames great again

For the uninitiated, Crusader Kings II is a strategy game where you play as a feudal lord in Medieval Eurasia, with much of the gameplay revolving around interpersonal relationships between yourself and other rulers. The options available to the player are staggering and many of them aren’t exactly scrupulous. Say you want a piece of land held by a one year old Count ruling under you. You could simply fake a claim to the land, falsely imprison the owner or even engage in some infanticide. Congratulations, you now have one more piece of land. Hope you enjoy it, you monster.

Guilty Pleasure: Banjo-Kazooie

ooking at my collection of games, I had a stark realisation “I don’t play many bad games”. This meant that finding my favourite guilty pleasure game was so much harder than it should have been. The other issue was also finding a bad game what I actually like. In all honesty, I could probably find so many more critically acclaimed games that I don’t enjoy. But alas, I did narrow it down to one game which could definitely go under the classification of a guilty pleasure: Banjo-Kazooie Nuts and Bolts.

in Videogames

hiatus. There was a feeling of joy and excitement once again in the young hearts of gamers, but come November 2008, that joy was soon to be extinguished. Instead of releasing a true platforming sequel what everyone wanted, Rare released a game built around designing and building your own vehicles called BanjoKazooie Nuts and Bolts. Although scoring a decent

average by some reviewers, the game was not well received by the true fans.

Sure, I would have preferred a true sequel to Banjo Tooie, but in all honesty, Nuts and Bolts is still a great game and arguably a very cleverly designed game. In hindsight, Rare should have made this a new franchise entirely, rather than profiteer on the Banjo-Kazooie name, but there are some

In hindsight, Rare should “In have made this a new franchise entirely, rather than profiteering on the Banjo-Kazooie name name”

logical comparisons. Instead of using moves like the Talon Trot to ascend steep slopes, shooting eggs out of Kazooie’s behind, you attach guns to your vehicle and the whole ability to fly from the first two games is replaced with being able to build helicopters, planes and even a stealth bomber (If you’re creative enough). When you look at it from this perspective, you realise how the game continues the N64 originals legacy.

You still have massive levels to explore, a colourful cast of characters, just a lack of platforming. Despite this, you can still find this game cheap and it’s pretty fun to just mess around in building whatever your heart desires.

It looks like we’re never going to get another Banjo-Kazooie game, unless Rare came back home to where it belongs at Nintendo. You can still play all 3 of them on the Xbox One and if that’s not good enough, Yooka Laylee is out next year, which is basically just Banjo-Kazooie 3… or Banjo Threeie!

BioShock: Infinite’s Father Comstock might not be as captivating an antagonist as the first BioShock’s Andrew Ryan, but he’s an interesting character nonetheless. Through his floating city of Columbia, Comstock has created a bizarre dystopia that embodies the very worst aspects of early 20th century America, complete with jingoistic nationalism, the subjugation of Irish and African Americans and fanatical puritanism. All the while, Comstock is venerated as a prophet who shall “purify the Sodom below”. In his own twisted way, Comstock could be seen to be “making America great again” which seems rather fitting for our age of dank memes and broken dreams.

2: Caesar - Fallout: New Vegas

It doesn’t take much to realise Caesar and his Roman-inspired Legion are pretty repulsive.

Their flagrant use of slavery and mass executions to subdue insubordinate populations, their almost fascistic devotion to their leader and their insatiable lust for war all attest to that. Nonetheless there is something compelling about the man himself. Rather than the usual cliché video game psycho, Caesar reveals himself to be an eloquent and principled. You wouldn’t find Ganondorf or Arthas citing Hegelian Dialectics as intrinsic to their worldview for example. Touches like these make New Vegas a great game and Caesar a truly terrifying antagonist.

1: Ulfric Stormcloak - TES V: Skyrim Ok so technically Ulfric’s more of a dictator in the making but he’s still deserving of a spot on this list.

Like Caesar there’s something fascinating about this charismatic, firebrand nationalist who would rid Skyrim of its Imperial rulers (and anyone who isn’t a Nord for that matter). Its just fortunate that Skyrim’s just a video game. I mean I couldn’t imagine a scenario where people were torn between a stagnant elite and a racist, authoritarian demagogue who seeks to exploit peoples’ anger by turning it on innocent scapegoats and OH GOD SOMEBODY MAKE IT STOP!!!

Image Credits: Bethesda, Valve, Irrational Games

32. science&technology

Monday 21 November 2016

The Courier

Science Editors: Matthew Byrne, Natalie Farmer & Ciara Ritson-Courtney

On this day

21st November

Just keep swimming

Matthew Byrne listens in on the beginnings of Jonny Mayes explains the country’s sad sperm shortage and why as students, we should engage in ejaculation for the nation because your swimmers might just be priceless music as we know it sperm donor drought has swept the UK. clines with age; sperm motility decreases and the required. Denmark increased its numbers by link-

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t’s 1870s America, industrialisation has taken hold, and there is rapid expansion of the great railroads and factories across the States. There is also a tremendous increase in the number of inventions, many of which were invented by Thomas Edison. On the 21st November 1877, this prolific pioneer announced the phonograph.

But what on earth is a phonograph? Only one of his most innovative inventions! As well as being the iconic device on the HMV logo, the phonograph was a revolutionary sound recording device.

Edison’s invention was simple. The phonograph consisted of a horn that collected sound and channeled it through a diaphragm that was attached to a metal stylus. This stylus touched against a drum, which was covered in tin foil and rotated by a hand-crank. As sound enters the horn, it hits the diaphragm, which causes the metal stylus to vibrate. These vibrations are then scraped into the drum by the stylus and a groove is formed.

“The phonograph consisted of a horn that collected sound and channelled it through a diaphragm that was attached to a metal stylus”

Once the sound has been recorded, it can be replayed by turning the hand-crank in the opposite direction, which reverses the process. The grooves cause the stylus to vibrate and in turn the diaphragm too. This then produces sound which is amplified by the horn. Initially, the tin foil only lasted for a couple of playbacks, as the stylus would damage the grooves each time it passed through them. This would be heard by loss of definition in the sound and extra erroneous sounds similar to white noise. It took eleven years to solve this problem when Edison replaced the foil with wax, and finally vinyl, and each iteration increased the lifespan of the recording.

Edison nicknamed his device the “Talking Machine”, it was officially termed the phonograph and later became known as the gramophone. It was a serendipitous discovery, as Edison was in fact working on a device to record telephone communications and not reproduce the sounds it recorded. Edison recognised the gravity of his invention, saying “I was never so taken aback in my life.”

It was hailed by major press and he received high accolades from prominent scientific publications.

Since, it has become one of his greatest inventions, an impressive feat given that he owned over a thousand patents.

The phonograph was initially used to record phone conversations, but soon it became a music recording device. So if you’ve ever listened to music on a tablet or a video with sound, you need to thank Mr Edison. It was the first in a long line of similar music devices. Now, modern “turntables” still use a stylus to ‘read’ the vinyl records in a similar way to the phonograph. However, the vibrations do not directly contact with a diaphragm to produce sound. Instead, the motion of the stylus is converted to analogue or digital signals, which are sent to a speaker.

The first recording was Edison’s own dulcet tones singing “Mary Had a Little Lamb”. It’s been over one hundred years later and we’re not doing much better, with Nicki Minaj spitting ‘sick’ rhymes over an equally ‘sick’ beat. Edison was justified in his comment, “I was always afraid of things that worked the first time.” If you listen closely, you might be able to hear the first phonograph playing a recording of Edison turning in his grave.

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Fewer men are choosing to donate their swimmers than ever before. The National Sperm Bank in Birmingham has stopped recruiting having only successfully taken seven men in the last two years.

This is in part due to a change in the law in 2005.

On his or her 18th birthday anyone who was donor conceived could request DNA testing to find out who left the deposit 18 years previously. The donor has no legal obligation and is not named on the birth certificate, but the fear of being found is stopping men donating.

Couples also seem to prefer anonymous donors, so have resorted to importing sperm from abroad.

The majority of anonymous samples come from the USA or more commonly Denmark (the sperm capital of the world). In fact, along with Lego and Carlsberg, sperm is one of the Denmark’s biggest exports. These companies circumvent the ‘anonymity’ law, exploiting a loophole allowing them to send the seedy packages direct to houses. They arrive complete with ‘self-fertilisation devices’.

The largest company in Denmark for a brief time stopped taking donations from ginger-haired men due to a lack of interest, although this was likely a publicity stunt.

“Couples also seem to prefer anonymous donors, so have resorted to importing sperm from abroad”

In the UK, the older generation is stepping up to fulfil demand. Donations among older men have increased due to the (perhaps incorrect) expectation they won’t be alive when any future children start knocking. Unfortunately sperm quality de-

risk of autism, mental health problems and learning difficulties increases.

Sperm which pass the initial testing for genetic abnormalities, infectious diseases, and quality control measures undergo a freezing and thawing process six months after their initial deposit. All of this means

ing sperm donation to masculinity with campaigns promoting Viking invasions and men becoming ‘Supermen’. If the idea of sowing one’s seed far and wide does not appeal, donor centres hope altruistic donations will increase.

A black market has arisen to plug the gap in donations. Donors advertise on websites such as Gumtree usually with unscreened, untested and unsafe sperm often for free. There have been stories of men exploiting women who are searching for donors. Registered services can eliminate this problem and stop couples turning to the black

“Unfortunately sperm quality declines with age; sperm motility decreases and the risk of autism, mental health problems and learning difficulties increases”

90% of samples are rejected, and the spermatozoa never meet their significant other. Even when a donor does successfully produce a viable sample, couples often wish donations ‘come’ from 6ft barristers or doctors.

Unfortunately the average male height in the UK is 5ft 7, and donors are required to visit clinics twice a week – unlikely on a busy professional schedule.

Each year, 2,000 children are born using donated eggs, sperm or embryos and the number is steadily increasing. Demand from same sex couples and older women mean more sperm donors are

market. University students could make ideal donors; they have the time to donate and couples likely desire their future graduating gametes. Donation centres normally compensate their visitors with an average of £35 per session – it perhaps could be more, but too large a financial incentive may cause gentlemen to lie about their previous health problems.

If you are considering donating, you will have to refrain from ejaculating for two days before your deposit as this ensures a higher quality sample.

You should also refrain from alcohol, marijuana, tight-fitting underwear, smoking and stress – all of which can lower your count. Men need to come and give generously, so everyone is able to have children.

ANIMAL INSIDE OUT: A Body Worlds Production

Editor Jade Holroyd visits Gunther von Hagens’ must see exhibition of 2016 at Life Centre

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will openly admit that I’m not much of a science whizz; however I do love a good exhibition. So, when I was asked to go along to the Animal Inside Out exhibition at the Life Centre with Give It A Go, I couldn’t say yes faster.

The aim of the exhibition is to demonstrate the weird and wonderful complexities of animal physiology. The exhibition offers the unique opportunity to view the nervous, muscular, circulatory, respiratory, digestive and reproductive systems of more than 100 real animal specimens. The exhibition allows you to explore the inner workings of animals, enabling you to gain a clear insight into how their bodies work. Throughout the exhibition

the functioning of the human body is referred to alongside that of the animals, thus comparisons can be made and explored. ANIMAL INSIDE OUT displays how different animals have evolved over the years both in terms of their anatomy and their organ functions to their natural habitat.

ANIMAL INSIDE OUT was made possible thanks to Dr. Gunther von Hagens and his invention of plastination. Dr. Gunther von Hagens invented plastination at the Institute for Anatomy at Heidelberg University in 1977. Plastination has developed to gain general approval and has since been carried out in many institutions across the world.

“ANIMAL INSIDE OUT displays how different animals have evolved over the years both in terms of their anatomy and their organ functions to their natural habitat” Prior to visiting the exhibition I’d never even heard of the process of plastination, however at the beginning of the exhibition there was a handy little step-by-step guide which explained how things were carried out. The procedure consists of: 1) Embalming and anatomical dissection; 2) Removal of body fat and water; 3) Forced impregnation; 4) Positioning; 5) Curing. Although this may be a somewhat oversimplified explanation of the practice of plastination, it was interesting to bare all of the steps in mind as I navigated my way around the exhibition because it really demonstrated the time and effort that had been put into creating what can only be described as true works of art.

ANIMAL INSIDE OUT was developed through working alongside zoos and several university veterinary programmes. It is a credit to all involved

that the exhibition has been created because it really is amazing. Admittedly, it took me a while to get my head around the fact that everything on display was real and I gained a new sense of appreciation for the world of science.

I’d definitely recommend going to visit the exhibition, regardless of your level of interest in science. I attended the exhibition along with Give It A Go as part of their activities programme. This event is just one of many opportunities offered by Give It A Go, all of which can be found online at: www.nusu.co.uk/getinvolved/giveitiago.

ANIMAL INSIDE OUT is at the Life Science Centre until January 8 2017.

The Courier

science&technology.33

Monday 21 November 2016

thecourieronline.co.uk/science

Wildlife pandamonium Is modern consumerism costing us 58% of the world’s wildlife? Elle Clarke investigates

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rom the advent of global warming theory in 1896 to the declaration of the black rhino as extinct in 2011, human impact on Earth has long made headlines. At the time of writing, more than 1 million people have ‘checked in’ to Standing Rock Indian Reservation to fight a pipeline that could potentially contaminate water sources for thousands of downstream inhabitants. Paris agreements have just last week come into play, marking the beginning of a pledge to keep the increase in global average temperature to below 2 degrees above pre-industrial levels. Now, just in time for Attenborough’s highly anticipated Planet Earth 2, comes the news that global wildlife populations have fallen by 58% between 1970 and 2012.

According to WWF’s ‘The Living Planet Report’, a two-yearly publication assessing global wildlife, the trend could continue to decline, seeing twothirds of vertebrates gone by 2020. Monitoring 14,200 populations over 3,700 species of mammals, fish, birds, reptiles and amphibians, the study covered roughly 6% of the world’s vertebrate species. It compared the findings with similar results from 1970, with weighting against geographical

areas in which there was a surplus of data to counterbalance any skew towards already well-documented decline. Freshwater animals have been the most dramatically affected, with an 81% decline compared to 38% of terrestrial and 36% of marine life. Moreover, the 2014 Living Planet Report had found biodiversity, a measure of the range of species on Earth, was also found to have dropped by 52%. Destruction of wild areas for farming and logging is the largest known factor in the report.

Widespread deforestation means just 15% of the Earth’s land area is protected for nature, leaving animals vulnerable to predators, unable to nest or find adequate food sources.

“Destruction of wild areas for farming and logging is the largest known factor”

Unsustainable hunting practices also play a significant role in the decline; 301 species are currently thought to be being ‘eaten to extinction’ by the bushmeat trade. An estimate from the centre for International Forestry Research estimates that 6 million tonnes of animals are trafficked annually in this industry alone.

Industrial pollutants have been shown to be destroying marine life, with the UK’s last pod of killer whales ‘doomed to extinction’ by high levels of toxic PCB found in their blubber. Amphibian trade is causing a fatal epidemic of fungal disease, and vultures in South-East Asia have suffered a serious loss from eating the meat of cows treated with anti-inflammatory agents.

Despite the significant findings, some sources have cast aspersions on the report.

Most notably, Professor Stuart Pimm from Duke University has stated that

Robots in your brain to take away the pain Errol Kerr delves into the mind-controlled nanobots that could be releasing drugs in your body in the near future

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obotics interfacing with the human body always brings about discussions of science fiction, however in certain cases, it’s more real than we may think. Late last month, scientists from two Israeli universities developed technology to allow individuals to control organic nanomachines with their minds. The organic machines, built from DNA strands, form shell structures which contain small amounts of drugs. A small iron oxide “gateway” exists within the shells which reacts only when exposed to electromagnetic energy.

A computer was then programmed to detect the difference between human resting brain activity, and human brain activity when performing general mental arithmetic problems. Initial tests placed these nanobots containing a fluorescent drug into a cockroach, then placing the roach inside an electromagnetic coil. An individual wearing an EEG (electroencephalography) cap to measure brain activity was then instructed to either rest, or perform mental arithmetic. The electromagnetic coil would activate when the individual performed arithmetic tests, which would open the gateway allowing for the release of the drug.

This could have multiple uses should the process be transferred to drug release in the human body. The programming could be aimed at detecting fluctuations in brain activity linked to ADHD, and the nanomachines contained drugs aimed at limiting ADHD symptoms, then this could be an efficient way to combat it. Similarly, mental health illnesses such as depression, anxiety or schizophre-

nia could be targeted through this manner, with the end result being that medication would be automatically taken by the human body whenever it was necessary to take it. On a non-medical level, however, this could be used to trigger the release of any form of drug under any form of thought pattern, therefore, misuse of this possibility is something that needs to be taken into account.

Not only would this method of administering medication hugely reduce side-effects, but the machines themselves can be pinned to specific parts of the body, meaning that should drugs need administering to one particular section or organ within the body, this can be specifically targeted – again reducing harmful side-effects that could damage other parts of the body.

“The electromagnetic coil would activate when the individual performed arithmetic tests, which would open the gateway allowing for the release of the drug”

To make this a reality, an EEG cap would need to be far smaller than it is today, and would still need to register brain activity whilst being portable by humans. The technology to create the EM field does indeed already exist, and could easily fit in small watches, however this brings up the possibility of interference if individuals cross paths.

looking at wildlife as a whole is inefficient, and that looking at particular groups, such as birds, is much more precise. He also says “some of the numbers are very, very sketchy”, pointing out that there is little-to-no data from South America or tropical Africa. The study is skewed massively towards Western Europe, making the figures less relevant globally. However, Dr. Freeman, head of ZSL’s Indicators and Assessments Unit, says he is confident his team have used the best method to present an overall estimate of population decline. He adds that data is missing because it didn’t exist or was very difficult to monitor, and therefore flaws in his method would be more likely to underestimate the damage, rather than overestimate.

Dr. Freeman remained positive in light of the results, saying that the decline was linked to decreasing numbers of prevalent animals, rather than extinctions, allowing us a window of opportunity to allay the damage. Tiger numbers are thought to be increasing, and giant pandas and the manatee have been removed from the list of endangered species.

Influence has even spread to politics, with a recent global wildlife summit introducing new protection for some the world’s most trafficked wild products, including rosewoods and pangolins.

“Eating less meat can be an effective tactic, as the livestock are likely to be grazing on deforested land”

So, how can we aid the immediate action required to halt, or at least slow, the decline of wildlife globally? It all boils down to how society consumes resources; eating less meat can be an effective tactic, as the livestock are likely to be grazing on deforested land. Businesses should also be held more accountable, says the WWF director of science, Mike Barrett. Their supply chains should be shown to be sustainable, especially with regards to the meat trade and timber supply. Politicians, he adds, should also be under pressure to push environmental law to the forefront of the agenda, ensuring all of their policies, not just environmental ones, are sustainable.

Word of the Week: Brontide

Ollie Burton shakes your socks off with this week’s word

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ver heard a muffled, rumbling thunder-like sound but observed no flashes in the sky?

Then you may have borne audible witness to a brontide. This term describes that very familiar sound, but instead of being generated by lightning, these noises are thought to be caused by short instances of seismic activity deep in the earth.

Oddly, not too much is known about these effects because of the difficulty involved in studying them. While simple acoustic transmission through the earth has been found to account for some brontides, scientists postulate that eruption of pockets of natural gas beneath the surface might also be responsible for the readings. Additionally, the increased prevalence of artillery, artificial or test explosions and sonic booms from military aircraft makes isolating natural brontides extremely difficult.

Bronté is the ancient Greek term for thunder, for which the brontosaurus is named, being so large and heavy. There you go, you learned two things today.

Mythbusters: Do mobile phones cause cancer?

Christopher Little tells us about the possible link between phones and cancer

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round 93% of adults in the UK own or use a mobile phone and there are over 6 billion subscriptions worldwide. They have become so embedded in our culture it is difficult to imagine life without them. So the very idea that they could cause cancer is a frightening thought... Surely it can’t be true?

We have all heard someone claim that they do.

It may have been a friend, a relative or just some bloke down the pub. They’ll have probably said that it was obvious, mobile phones emit all kinds of weird radiation, don’t they? Nothing that does that can be good for you.

Well, there’s more to it than that. Mobile phones do emit radiation in the form of radio and Wi-Fi waves, but it is a type of non-ionising radiation.

Most radiation of this kind does not have enough energy to damage our cells in the same way as ionising radiation (such as X-Rays and Gamma Rays).

This did not stop the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) from reclassifying mobile phones in 2011 as ‘possibly carcinogenic’.

We may roll our eyes when our friends and family spout some grand claim, but when the specialised cancer agency of the World Health Organisation says it, you take heed.

“Mobile phones emit all kinds of weird radiation, don’t they?

Nothing that does that can be good for you”

They did not say that mobile phones do cause cancer, but that they could ‘possibly’ cause cancer.

Their decision was based mainly on the results of two large studies that suggested there might be a link between some types of brain tumours and the heaviest users.

Though this sounds ominous, there was not enough evidence to come to a clear conclusion.

And just to put it into perspective, the IARC has placed mobile phones in to the same carcinogenic grouping as coffee, carpentry and pickled vegetables.

The reliability of these results has also been questioned as they emerged from case-control studies.

This means that people with and without cancer were asked to remember how they used their mobile phones. The accuracy of memory, and the subconscious belief that mobile phones may be associated with cancer, could have distorted the answers they gave.

An alternative means of research, known as a cohort study, is often seen as more reliable. These studies ask people about their habits and then follow them up over a period of time. Two major studies of this kind have been conducted since the IARC made its decision, both of which found no link between mobile phones and cancer.

Earlier this year, a peer review study found that rats exposed to mobile phone radio waves were more likely to develop tumours in their brains and hearts. One of the researchers made the bold claim that it ended the debate on whether mobile phones do or do not cause cancer.

British scientists said that the new research, that found a “low incidence” of cancer, was not strong enough to raise concerns. Cancer rates have not been rising in response to mobile phone use and there are vast ranges of other studies that have found no links.

The key phrase repeatedly used, is that mobile phones are ‘unlikely’ to increase the risk of health problems.

The truth is, they are a relatively new invention. We still do not fully know the long-term effects of these beloved devices.

The Courier

Puzzles Across

puzzles.35

Monday 21 October 2016

1 Beloved hit by A-Ha!, known in karaoke for its unreachable high note (4, 2, 2) 5 Slang term for a cool individual, common in the lyrics of David Bowie (3) 6 Tell it to her heart, tell her she’s the only one (6, 5) 8 ‘___ Tail’ awful hairstyle (semi-)popular in the 80’s (3) 10 Protagonist of the Star Wars original trilogy (4) 13 Peppy 1984 earworm by Black Lace (6) 15 Iconic 80’s pop duo. Write in the exclamation mark at your leisure (4) 18 Australian actor, star of the first three Mad Max films (3, 6) 20 Shorthand for a soldier captured by the opposing faction in a conflict (3) 21 According to R.E.M., it’s the ___ of the world - but they’re not too fussed (3) 24 The only bit of a tiger’s anatomy with which Survivor is concerned (3) 25 Seminal cyberpunk masterpiece starring Harrison Ford and Rutger Hauer (5, 6)

Down

1 Celestial phenomenon and cardiac affliction, according to Bonnie Tyler (5, 7) 2 One-person sailing craft propelled by a double-ended oar (5) 3 Powder added to water to make gravy (3) 4 A time period, for example the 1980s (3) 5 Sang the other half of ‘Dead Ringer for Love’ with Meat Loaf (4) 7 Lesser-known other half of 15-across (8) 9 1985 sci-fi thriller, and the android it’s named after (10) 11 Shorthand for a dangerous excess of drugs, sometimes causing death (2) 12 Last word in the title of Tiffany’s 1987 hit (3) 16 First name of the pop icon who also had a role in Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome 17 Archaic American insult popularised in the 80’s (5) 19 Desperately Seeking ___, 1985 film starring Madonna (5) 22 Shorthand for a patient found dead by the time the medial assistance arrives (3) 23 Rimmer’s more successful counterpart in Red Dwarf (3)

Puzzles Editor: James McCoull 1

2

4

3

6

5

7 8 11

10

9

12

13 14

15 16 17

18

21

22

19

20 23

24 25

Completing this crossword at 88 miles per hour will launch you back in time, allowing you to perform a wicked guitar solo at a school dance in the 1950’s and arrange your parents’ marriage. Bring proof of your achievement to the Courier office and you might just be able to save the Doc, too.

36. sport

Monday 21 November 2016

The Courier

Sports Editors: Lucy Brogden, Tom Shrimplin & James Sproston

First impressions count

After Haseeb Hameed, the youngest person to open the batting for England, scored a total of 113 runs on his test debut, our writers give the low-down of five other sportspeople who made a first rate first impression on their first appearance

Adam Peaty One of this summer’s Olympic heroes, swimmer Adam Peaty, claimed Great Britain’s first gold medal of Rio 2016 at his debut Olympics. He stormed to victory in the 100m breaststroke, and it was quite a performance.

Once the Staffordshire born swimmer got halfway through the race, there was no looking back and he powered to victory in a phenomenal 57.13 seconds, beating his own World Record which he set the previous night.

The Brit left memories of Adrian Moorhouse, Duncan Goodhew and David Wilkie in the past, becoming the new poster boy of British swimming.

Peaty drummed up quite the fan base with his heroics and down-to-earth personality, which came across in the disbelief he showed during interviews afterwards. His 74 year-old grandmother, Mavis Williams, also warmed the hearts of the British public with her Twitter presence as #OlympicNan. There was something quite brilliantly British about Peaty’s gold medal which made it one of the summer’s standout moments.

Eddie the Eagle Prior to entering the 1988 Olympics as a fearless ski jumper, famous British skier Michael Edwards was an experienced downhill skier, and his initial intention was to participate in the 1984 Olympics in the downhill event. He narrowly missed out on qualification of this event and this resulted in him entering into the 1988 Olympic games for ski jumping - the first competitor since 1929 to represent Great Britain in this event.

The press coined his rather unusual and charismatic nickname after he arrived in Canada for the games, where a fan club was waiting for him holding a banner welcoming him to Calgary and naming him ‘Eddie the Eagle.’

Ski jumping at the 1988 Winter Olympics consisted of three events: two individual events and one team event, but as Edwards was the sole competitor representing Great Britain, they didn’t enter into the team event. The Men’s Normal Hill event saw Nykänen of Finland take home gold with 229.1 points, whilst Edwards finished bottom of the table in 58th place with 69.2 points. Finnish competitor Nykänen stole another gold after his incredible jump in the Men’s Large Hill, walking away with a mighty 224 points, leaving plucky Brit Eddie, at

Peaty becomes Britain’s poster boy in the pool Image: Wikimedia Commons

Toby Bryant

Sam Burgess 1969: the year that defined the career of Eddy Merckx. Four years after becoming a professional cyclist, Merckx took on his most prestigious race to date, the Tour de France.

In the year of his Tour de France debut, Merckx already had several victories under his belt. He had already won the Tour of Flanders, the Vuelta a Levante and the Paris–Nice, but the Tour de France was his opportunity to establish himself as ‘the one to beat’.

After doping allegations earlier on in the year, Merckx had even more of a point to prove in the Tour. With this drive and determination to clear his name and make his mark, Merckx started his first ever Tour de France.

Nearing the end of the 4,117 km Tour, on the 17th stage, Merckx began to pull away from the other contenders. With still five stages left, his team, worried that he wouldn’t sustain the lead, told him to wait for the chasing riders. He

ignored this instruction and pushed on gaining, at first, a forty-five second advantage and then finished the stage with an eight-minute advantage.

This huge lead meant he won the race overall by eight minutes. Out of the 22 stages, Merckx won six and claimed the end classification, the points classification and the mountains classification.

He is still the only cyclist to have won all three of these titles in a single tour.

The first Belgian in thirty years to win the Tour de France, at twenty-four Eddy Merckx had not established himself as ‘the one to beat’ but ‘the one who couldn’t be beaten’. Eddy ‘the cannibal’ Merckx had arrived and he wasn’t going anywhere.

Merckx went on to win the Tour de France another four times and, in total, 525 competitions in his professional career, making him the most successful cyclist in history.

Josie Baugh

the bottom of the table once more with 57.5 points; a whole 53.3 points behind Canadian skier Gillman, just one place above him in the table.

Many would say that Eddie’s performance didn’t exactly reflect a successful debut, but he did manage to avoid injury - certainly an impressive feat in such a dangerous sporting event. He also beat his own personal record and, above all, achieved celebrity status, later becoming an embodiment of the tryhard, determined underdog-like figure for Britain. Frank King, chief executive of the games was famous for saying during a speech in the closing ceremony of the Winter Olympics, “You have captured our hearts. And some of you have soared like eagles,” making a clear reference to Edwards’ performance.

Unfortunately for Edwards, in 1990 stricter rules were imposed for the qualification for the ski jump event at the Olympics and, despite his attempts to qualify for future Olympics, he didn’t manage to. He did, however, become the British ski jumping record holder, and a stunt jumping world record holder for jumping over 6 buses.

Emma Bancroft

Simone Biles Rarely does a debutante in any sport arrive with such expectation, particularly at an Olympic Games. The 19 year-old didn’t falter under the intense spotlight, however, and her success catapulted her to a superstardom that transcended gymnastics.

Biles was going for glory in five events in Rio, beginning her stunning feat with gold in the team event as part of team USA. Two days later, she followed this up with her first individual Olympic medal, claiming gold in the women’s individual all-round event.

She soon added further gold, in the vault, to her already incredible collection, but had to settle for bronze in the balance beam, behind Sanne Wevers of the Netherlands. She completed the games with a spectacular floor routine, beating her teammate Raisman, who finished in second place.

The tiny Biles had cemented her place as a giant of her sport, becoming the first quadruple gold medallist in women’s gymnastics since 1984. It was

not just her astounding achievements though; it was the manner in which she accomplished them. The world was watching the teenager in her Olympic debut, we’d all been promised one of the greatest talents the sport had ever seen, and she definitely delivered.

Biles ensured the eyes of millions remained firmly on her throughout the competition. Underneath her glistening smile purred a quiet confidence; she had succeeded on every other stage, now it was time to show everyone why she received top billing. After rounding off her Games on the floor, the smile sparkled once more – job well done. If they hadn’t before, the world had now been introduced to a phenomenon.

At the closing ceremony, Biles was chosen to bear the flag of the United States, an honour never before bestowed upon a female gymnast. With the era of Michael Phelps ending in Rio, that of another US sporting behemoth began in breathtaking fashion.

James Harris

Biles waves to the crowd as she takes gold in Rio Image: Wikimedia Commons

Paula Radcliffe

Merckx after winning the MilanSan Remo day race in 1971 Image: Flickr

You can accomplish many things in 2 hours, 18 minutes and 56 seconds: watch a film; do some shopping or even start that four thousand-word essay you’ve been neglecting. But how about running your first ever marathon whilst smashing the course record? This was all in a day’s work for British athlete Paula Radcliffe, who’s exceptional 2002 London win defied all odds.

An avid runner since the age of seven, Radcliffe refused to let a childhood diagnosis of asthma and anaemia interfere with her passion. Aged twelve, she came 299th out of 600 in a national cross country championship, but her

motivation was clear from the start and she then went on to place fourth at the same event a year later.

Fast-forward seventeen years to the 2002 London Marathon. With two World Cross Country Championship titles tucked safely beneath her belt, Radcliffe’s debut was more than a mere continuation of an already-fruitful career.

By both winning and breaking the female course record by a whole 2 minutes and 10 seconds, she set a powerful precedent, especially given that she had previously never competitively run more than a half marathon.

At London the following year, Rad-

cliffe once again made history and beat her personal best from Chicago whilst setting the new record for the world’s fastest female marathon at an incredible 2 hours 15 minutes and 25 seconds. Her record remains unbeaten to this day.

A woman of many talents, Radcliffe graduated from Loughborough University with a first-class honours degree in modern European studies. Now retired at the age of 42, she lives in Monte Carlo with her husband Gary Lough and her two children, Isla and Raphael. A welldeserved break after such a successful career.

Lily Earnshaw

The Courier

sport .37

Monday 21 November 2016

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Archery club, please take a bow

Sports Editor Lucy Brogden, spoke to the Treasurer of the Archery Club, Jowan Barnes, to find out about their club Newcastle University’s archery club welcomes those of all abilities: from experienced archers to total beginners- the club caters to all. With a 50- strong membership, the club is made up of both competitive and non- competitive members.

The two biggest events in archery’s calendar are the annual BUCS indoor and outdoor competitions, which take place in February and June respectively. The club also participates in local competitions against other Northern universities, which are organised by NEUAL (North of England Universities Archery League).

For beginners wishing to get involved in the sport, there is a six-week introductory course that they must complete, but then they are free to attend whatever training sessions they wish.

The current course has just finished, but they are planning to put on another introductory course in February for anyone who missed signing up.

“For beginners wishing to get involved in the sport, there is a six week introductory course...”

Archery is thought to be one of the oldest sports in existence, dating back to an estimated 20,000 BC, when bows and arrows were originally used solely for warfare and hunting. Nowadays, the principle remains the same, but archers shoot at a target, with the ob-

jective being to get all of your arrows as close to the centre of the target as possible. Each arrow is marked out of ten, and arrows that hit the golden centre of the target are given a score of ten. The score decreases as you move out towards the outer rings, with the lowest score- a one- being awarded for hitting the white, outermost ring. .

In order to prepare for the BUCS competitions, the club trains three times a week at Longbenton, where they are coached by members of the local archery club, ‘Bowmen of Walker’.

As well as training, they compete lo-

cally in the NEUAL league, where they compete against other teams in the North East including Durham, Sunderland and Teeside. In the Northern championships they compete against teams from as far away as Liverpool and Leeds.

Last weekend, the club hosted a NEUAL league match against local universities. We look forward to catching up with them later in the year, and seeing how their season is progressing.

“The two biggest events in archery’s calendar are the annual BUCS indoor and outdoor competitions” In indoor competitions, archers shoot a ‘Portsmouth round’. This means that each bowman shoots a total of sixty arrows, at a 60cm diameter target from 20 yards away. Archers shoot three arrows at a time, and their overall score for all sixty arrows is added up to give their final score. In the BUCS competitions, there are medals awarded for the highest male and female individual scores for each type of bow available for competitors to use, as well as medals for the highest team scores. .

Notable success in the club last year came in the form of then-novice, Joss Cousins, winning the barebow category at the NEUAL Novice Championships.

In outdoor competitions, the same scoring system applies, but archers shoot from different distances, with the same medals being awarded to both individuals and teams.

Newcastle compete at NEUAL Image: Heather Flint

38. sport

Monday 21 November 2016

The Courier

Sports Editors: Lucy Brogden, Tom Shrimplin & James Sproston

Shrimpers samples: Boxing

Championship Sports Editor Tom Shrimplin on learning the basics of the brutal, but brilliant, sport of boxing Corner

By Tom Harrow-Smith Championship Correspondent With the season’s second international break thankfully behind us, the Championship now is a great time to take stock with the league beginning to take shape.

In my last column I mentioned how Newcastle were still adapting to their new surroundings, yet they have put to bed any doubts about their title credentials. Having watched their last three home victories over Ipswich, Brentford and Cardiff, I have to say it is beginning to look all too easy for them.

To say those wins were comfortable would be an understatement, with the Tractor Boys and Bees lucky to only concede three in their trips to St James’.

Jonjo Shelvey looks invincible at this level, completely dominating the middle of the park, and whilst Dwight Gayle’s scoring streak has slowed down, the team are finding goals from all over, with Gouffran and Perez gladly taking on the mantle. At this rate the Magpies could easily break Reading’s 106-point football league record tally, set exactly ten seasons ago.

First of all, it is important to mention that rather than trying out boxing just this week, I have in fact been going to boxing sessions since the start of term.

Nevertheless, I feel it is important to describe my exhausting but enjoyable experiences of learning how to box.

There are two types of sessions that Newcastle Boxing Club provides; fitness sessions and boxing classes. Fitness sessions take a number of forms but are guaranteed to get your heart racing- even just from the warm-up. Since sessions tend to work your entire body from head to toe, things can get quite tough from the start.

For instance most sessions start with jogging around the room, with a few stretches from lunges in between to help get your blood flowing. However more recently sessions have started with periods of skipping and shadowboxing.

Needless to say, I am terrible at skipping and frequently step on the rope. But I have started to figure it out over time and got a rhythm going.

After the warm-up, comes the actual fitness session itself. More often or not these come in the form of circuits, in which you move around each station trying a number of exercises ranging

from press-ups to squat jumps. However sessions have also involved other routines, in which the class is split into two groups where one group carries out a recurring exercise like and the other group a number of different exercise each time before alternating.

Sessions normally end with an abs workout. This is definitely my biggest nightmare because my core is weak as a pancake. Although as keep going to sessions, I can definitely start to feel it strengthening. I can actually do a sit-up out of bed now!

“Since most sessions tend to work your entire body from head to toe, things can get quite tough from the start”

Additionally within fitness sessions, there is opportunity to learn the basics of how to box, in getting your stance and punches right. The boxing gloves are a cesspit of sweat unfortunately from other boxers, so I’d advise you to wash your hands afterwards. But it’s a small price to get your technique right. Plus

it gives you the chance to work out your stress from that terrible assignment you can’t quite get your head around.

There are of course also a number of actual boxing classes to go to really develop your skills. At the moment I have only been to one beginners class but I really enjoyed it. The class involved you and a partner switching out between gloves and pads each every few seconds to practice your ability to defend and attack. The session involved trying out a number of punches from jabs to uppercuts, with this sequence. While I am definitely not ready to go into the ring any time soon- I’d get myself knocked out- already I feel that I have gotten better at boxing Overall, I would really advise everyone to try boxing out. If it’s just for general fitness, then the sessions are varied and challenging enough to keep you on your toes. However if you are trying it out for self-defence like me, or to pick up boxing as a sport then classes will be useful to develop your technique. Everyone at the club is really sociable and friendly so why not go check the Facebook page and get yourself down to one of the fitness sessions!

Pretty in pink: Shrimpers has the look, if not the skills, of a boxer Image: Tom Shrimplin

What says fun like camping in the bitter cold?

“This all means good news for Newcastle, whose only real threat now comes from an ever Sports Editor Lucy Brogden spoke to the Secretary of the fellwalking society, Max Spalding-Gardner The fellwalking society is one of the members, so there is plenty of oppor- are of different difficulties, so walkers provided by the society). improving Brighton” Speaking of the Royals, they have slipped under the radar so far this season, (which is just the way they like it) but go into this week’s fixtures (19/20th November) in fourth place having lost just twice since mid-August. I will try to speak impartially here as a Madejski Stadium season ticket holder, but Jaap Stam’s surprise appointment is looking to be paying off, with his side top in the leagues possession charts, averaging over 60% in total.

The only thing missing is a proven goal scorer, but their director of football and Stam himself have spoken out about their desire to clinch such a player in January. A solid defence is already accounted for, conceding just four goals in six including three clean sheets in their last three matches, which means Reading may replace Huddersfield as this seasons dark horses.

The Terriers have dropped off since my last column, where I praised their defence but questioned their lack of proficiency in front of goal. Yet their defence has been caught short in recent games, conceding three times to Preston and an astonishing five away to Fulham who had hardly been prolific beforehand.

This has resulted in the team actually slipping into minus goal difference that could prove costly later on.

Likewise, Norwich have surprisingly been shipping goals for fun; after their 4-3 thriller with Newcastle, the Canaries have conceded a further thirteen, that makes it seventeen times Michael McGovern has picked the ball out of the net in just seven matches. Worrying signs indeed, and there is a real risk that Norwich could finish the weekend outside the playoffs for the time since August.

This all means good news for Newcastle, whose only real threat now comes from an ever improving Brighton who still occupy second place, what a game that promises to be when they meet in January.

oldest and most well-established societies at Newcastle, with this year marking their fortieth year of independence from their sworn rivals: Newcastle’s mountaineering society.

The fellwalking society allows students the opportunity to explore some of the most beautiful parts of Britain at an affordable cost. It welcomes walkers of all abilities, provided they have a pair of walking boots and a set of waterproofs.

With well over 100 members the society consistently proves popular with students, with trips every other weekend, and weekly socials for all members to enjoy. Already this year, they have had day trips to Ambleside and Patterdale in the Lake District, and the Yorkshire Dales, as well as weekend trips to Glencoe and Crianlarich in Scotland.

Upcoming trips before Christmas include a day trip to Keswick with more details found on their website. Day walks cost only £15, and attract up 50

tunity to get to know some new faces, whilst weekend trips are for more hardy members, and cost £40 as they head further afield and stay two nights.

“Leading into winter months, society members are given winter training by competent instructors in using hand axes and crampons”

2-6 6-2 5-3

Basketball M1 v Durham 1sts M2 v Leeds Beckett 2nds M3 v Leeds 3rds W1 v St Andrews 1sts W2 v Teesside 1sts

75-99 63-64 59-49 88-43 104-27

Fencing M3 v York 2nds W1 v Durham 1sts W2 v Manchester 1sts

118-110 101-133 139-129

Highlights of the fellwalking calendar include a three-day trip to Skye over the May bank holiday weekend, a weeklong trip at the end of the year, and their ball, which is held in the glorious Featherstone Castle in Cumbria every February.

Patterdale in the Lake District

Image: Harry Cornish

Overnight accommodation for weekend trips ranges from staying in bunkhouses, where the group enjoy a communal meal cooked by committee members, to camping, where all equipment is provided by the society and they get the chance to cook with trangias.

Each trip has three routes, all of which

Football M1 v Manchester 1sts M2 v York St Johns 2nds W1 v Leeds Beckett 3rds Badminton M1 v Sheffield 1sts M2 v Hull 2nds W2 v Hull 1sts

are able to pick which one is most suited to their abilities. Committee members plan routes in advance, and two trained committee guides lead each route.

Leading into the winter months, society members are given winter training by competent instructors in using hand axes and crampons (both of which are

5-1 2-2 9-0

Hockey M1 v Leeds 1sts M2 v Sheffield Hallam 2nds M3 v Hull 1sts M4 v Leeds 4ths W1 v Sheffield 1sts W2 v Durham 3rds W3 v Leeds 3rds W4 v Leeds 5ths

1-2 0-4 2-1 2-5 1-0 0-3 3-4 6-2

Lacrosse M1 v Leeds 1sts M2 v Durham 2nds W1 v Durham 1sts W2 v York 2nds W3 v Durham 6ths

15-2 1-18 2-23 12-0 16-0

Netball 1 v Northumbria 1sts 2 v York St John 1sts 4 v Leeds Beckett 4ths

46-51 44-35 44-39

Table Tennis M1 v Sheffield 1sts M2 v Durham 3rds

4-13 13-4

Rugby M1 v Nottingham 1sts M2 v Hull 1sts M4 v Leeds 3rds W1 v Durham 1sts W2 v York St Johns 1sts

Tennis M1 v Sheffield Hallam 1sts W1 v Liverpool 1sts W2 v York 1sts

38-10 27-12 28-25 0-25 31-45

8-4 8-4 12-0

Ultimate M1 v Hull 1sts M2 v Durham 3rds

14-4 6-9

Rugby League 1 v Northumbria 1sts 2 v Huddersfield 1sts

0-56 10-62

Volleyball M v Durham 2nds W v Edinburgh 1sts

3-0 1-3

Squash M2 v Sheffield 1sts M3 v York 2nds M4 v Leeds Trinity 1sts W1 v Liverpool 1sts W2 v Sheffield 2nds

3-2 3-0 3-0 2-2 0-4

Waterpolo M1 v Lancaster 1sts

21-0

Riding C

3rd/4

Wednesday 16th November Results

The Courier

sport .39

Monday 21 November 2016

thecourieronline.co.uk/sport Instagram thecouriersport | Twitter @Courier_Sport

Knights put St Andrews to the sword Women’s Basketball Newcastle 1sts

44

St Andrews 1sts

83

By Courtney Strait at Univeristy of St Andrews Sport Centre The Newcastle women’s basketball team took down St. Andrews for the second time this season. The Knights used their speed to wear down the Saints and pull ahead after a slow start in the first quarter and toppled their opponent 83-44.

Besides brief spells at the beginning of the game, it was all Newcastle. The most St. Andrews led by the entire game was three points, which occurred within the first couple possessions in the game whilst Newcastle were finding their feet. Once Newcastle took the lead, it was one-way traffic, and the Knights were able to move the ball from all sides of the court with ease.

Different from the first contest against Newcastle, St. Andrews displayed a soft man-to-man defence on four Knights players while faceguarding one player.

Despite St. Andrews’ best efforts, the Knights were able to slice through the defence, attack the smaller Scottish guards, and create scoring opportunities from many St. Andrews turnovers.

Throughout the game St. Andrews also switched to a 2-3-zone defence.

At first, Newcastle was tentative to attack the slow-moving zone defence, but after head coach Mark Elderkin called for a change in the offence, the Knights picked up where they left off and poured in the points.

Instead of slowing down and running set plays against the St. Andrews’ zone, Newcastle pushed the ball up the court with pace and attacked the gaps in the defence to find the open player.

Overall, Newcastle was able to transition between the two defences without too much hesitation and shared the ball comfortably.

The difference makers in this game came from the fast break and ball movement. Newcastle finished for breakaway points left and right as the Knights’ defensive pressure in man-to-man proved to be too much for St. Andrews to handle. Newcastle scored more than 20 points from long passes down the court and pushing the ball after turnovers or missed baskets.

When Newcastle had to slow the ball down and run the offense in a half court set, they were successful due to their ball movement. The Knights were able to move the ball around the perimeter, run ball screens, and pass the ball inside to post players all game. Every player on the Knights squad scored in the game

Men’s Tennis

castle boys had to be cleverer than their opponents in order to come away with the win.

Unlike the week before, the match swung quickly in the favour of the home side. Winning both doubles left the team in a strong position. First pair of Corey Chan and Leandro Mariani pulled together to beat a changed Hallam first pair 6-2 6-3.

Oliver Warren and Timothy Brazel, who were playing together for the first time, found that each others doubles tactics were well suited as the new pair won their match 6-1 6-4. On very wet Astroturf, both pairs dominated the net on both serve and return, demonstrating sublime hand skills and reactions.

The singles was not as straight forward. Tom Smith was brought in for

Brazel and did not disappoint. Winning 6-0 6-2, Smith showed his class and the strength in depth that the Newcastle team has at its disposal.

was kept out by Georgie Baker-Hadfield’s solid goalkeeping.

The guests were at the top of their game at this point, as skipper Becky Lear lamented that none of her teammates were moving enough and therefore, she had no options.

However, there was nothing she could do moments later. The penalty corner led to a very confused situation in the box and, via Mollie Robinson, Harriet Freeman and Rosie Dale, the ball found its way into the back of the Bees’ net.

Great relief for the home team, but Sheffield weren’t done yet. The opposition had a huge chance in the last seconds of the match missing the target from a very close position, scaring the home supporters that weren’t expecting

“Newcastle pushed the ball up the court with pace and attacked the gaps in the defence to find the open player”

from the perimeter.

In order to prepare for next week’s match, the Knights have many improvements to make. After the match, Coach Elderkin said that the team needs to come into each quarter more aggressive and ready to play defence and follow the team’s defensive rules.

The Knights’ match-up zone struggled during segments in the game and

and contributed to the victory.

Top scorers in the game were Noelia Quintas, Courtney Strait, and Eleanor Goodwin. Quintas used her length and athleticism to shoot over smaller guards, attack the basket off the dribble, and cut to the basket for easy points.

Eleanor Goodwin was very productive in the post for the Newcastle offence. Throughout the game she tracked down offensive rebounds, sprinted the floor for easy fast-break layups, and hit tough shots with a hand in her face.

Strait and Izzy Johns paced the Knights

lead to a handful of easy buckets. He also said the defence needs to improve against opposing post players so that they do not get easy position and offensive putbacks against the smaller Newcastle players.

PLAYER OF THE MATCH:

Noelia Quintas

Domination: St Andrews never threatened Newcastle Image: Leana Tajkov

Tennis stars outsmart Sheffield Hallam The conditions were deceptively windy at the Northumberland Club Image: @newcastletennis on Twitter

Newcastle 1sts

8

Sheffiled Hallam 1sts

4

By Oliver Warren at The Northumberland Club On a sunny day with not a cloud in the sky the conditions seemed perfect for a spot of tennis at the Northumberland Club.

However, on arrival to the courts, one could tell the day’s play was going to be difficult and be a battle of who could use the conditions to their advantage. A strong cross wind meant that the New-

“Oliver Warren and Timothy Brazel, who were playing together for the first time, found that each others doubles tactics were well suited”

The next to finish was Chan who again had to play through the pain but unfortunately conceded to a 3-6 3-6 loss. Warren was next off losing his first match of the season 3-6 4-6. The condi-

tions this week suited his opponent and on the day played a better tactical game than the Newcastle third player.

This left the tie hanging in the balance again at 3 wins to 2 Hallam wins. Mariani came from a set down (5-7) to win the next two 7-6 10-8 in the championship tiebreak. The two players looked visibly tired at the end as they shook hands after their marathon match.

It was another close win against a good Hallam side. Newcastle 1st team is still unbeaten this season and it is safe to say that the away tie will be just as tasty as the first two.

PLAYER OF THE MATCH:

Leandro Mariani

NULHC sting Bees with late strike Women’s Hockey Newcastle 1sts

1

Sheffield 1sts

0

By Oliver Ross Assogna at Longbenton Late drama at Longbenton as Newcastle snatch an important victory in the last minutes of the game, leaving a very tough Sheffield side heartbroken after a hard-fought match.

Newcastle and Sheffield were looking to heat up the atmosphere on an extremely chilly Wednesday afternoon, battling strenuously to grab all three points to make sure they did not lose track of ‘top of the table’ Birmingham.

NULHC started aggressively, and confused Sheffield right from the beginning, with the opposition struggling to defend tidily and conceding a dangerous penalty corner.

Though, the Ladies in yellow gradually started to gain confidence, Anna Waddell didn’t seem to be affected by Sheffield’s aggressiveness, as she continued to produce excellent accurate

passes that occasionally took the opposition by surprise.

Bethan Lowe was constantly at the centre of the action, sprinting breathlessly on the left flank of the pitch. After the opposition bench continuously shouted “raise the intensity”, the team reacted brilliantly, leaving Newcastle hardly any space at all to pass the ball around comfortably.

Spectators had to wait for the first shot to come, which was easily saved

by Sheffield’s goalkeeper, Ann Radcliffe.

Both teams struggled to create chances and the Geordie Ladies’ manager complained that his side was always “second to everything”, with Sheffield anticipating almost every long pass.

After a period of difficulty and imprecision, NULHC were more relaxed and started building promising situations although the finishing wasn’t satisfying enough; the defence, instead, was always alert, especially with great blocks performed by skipper Becky Lear.

The watered field of play had its impact on the match, as the second half was much more enjoyable to watch.

Becky Lear continued bossing the opposition’s attack, although one of her tackles led to a penalty corner, which

“Bethan Lowe was constantly at the centre of attention, sprinting breathlessly down the left flank of the pitch”

Sheffield followed up with two important opportunities; the first was a shot that crossed the entire box which almost removed the paint from the post.

A couple of minutes later, instead, they were not able to capitalize a perfect counter-attack as the Sheffield forward missed the ball completely.

Newcastle woke up after the shock and Leolie Telford-Cookie threatened Sheffield on the right side of the pitch, earning an insidious penalty corner – the colossal opportunity was denied by an outstanding save from the Radcliffe in the Sheffield net.

a potential last-minute draw.

NULHC took all three points, surpassing Northumbria, and enjoying a solitary second place. The result was a bit harsh on Sheffield that did not deserve a defeat. However, Newcastle’s team spirit snatched the victory and now the Ladies are really on fire.

PLAYER OF THE MATCH:

Becky Lear

Powerless: the Sheffield players look on as Newcastle clinch the match Image: Oliver Ross Assogna

Sport

www.thecourieronline.co.uk Monday 21 November 2016 Issue 1340 Free

thecourieronline.co.uk/sport

Sports Editors: Lucy Brogden, Tom Shrimplin & James Sproston courier.sport@ncl.ac.uk Twitter: @Courier_Sport | Instagram: thecouriersport

ARCHERY, P.37

SPORTING DEBUTS, P.36

FELLWALKING, P.38

BUCS MATCH REPORTS, P.39

Short course success for swimmers

By Lucy Nehring at Ponds Forge International Swimming Centre

Last weekend, Newcastle University’s Swimming club headed south to Ponds Forge International Swimming Centre in Sheffield to compete against some of the best swimmers in the country in the annual BUCS short course swimming championships.

Following some great early season preparation, the team, 25 of the Toon’s finest swimmers, was ready and rearing to go, excited to get some racing under their belt in their first competition of the 2016/ 2017 academic year.

In amongst the squad was second year speech and language therapist, Lucy Ellis, who made it to the British Olympic trials in the 400m and 800m front crawl.

The swim club train an impressive five times a week to prepare them for their BUCS competitions, and they didn’t disappoint in Sheffield. As there are only three BUCS swimming competitions a year, every performance counts.

The BUCS short course event takes place in a 25m pool, and is held annually over three days, with a total of five swimming sessions taking place: one on the Friday, two on the Saturday, and two on the Sunday. Sheffield’s pool was divided by a boom into a 25m boys’ pool, and a 25m girls’ pool.

Game face: Lucy Ellis claimed 8th place in the 200m individual medley A final Image: Lucy Nehring

“The swim club train an impressive five times a week to prepare for their BUCS competitions” The first session was for the 800m and 1500m front crawl, as well as the preliminary medley relay races. With the individual events, swimmers only swim

once, and this time decides their final placing, since the event takes so long to swim.

The rest of the weekend’s races (the 50m, 100m, and 200m of each stroke) were split between Saturday and Sunday. BUCS points are awarded for every final a team member makes, and double points are awarded for every relay final a team makes.

“The highlight of the day was undoubtedly Ben Purcell, who qualified for the men’s 50m breast stroke B final”

The first session of competition saw Matt Allsop compete in the 1500m and record a new personal best of 17.51.

This got Newcastle off to a flying start, and gave confidence to those competing later. Both the men’s and women’s relay teams also raced on Friday, with the women narrowly missing out on a place in the final. Despite both teams missing out on finals, the performances were very impressive considering the field was filled with both Olympic and Commonwealth representatives, with the crowd loudly cheering on all the competitors.

Following on from a positive first evening, Saturday’s races were approached with great enthusiasm by all team members. In the morning session, the team swam hard and produced a number of personal best times, proving that all their time training hard in Newcastle had paid off.

The highlight of the day was undoubtedly Ben Purcell, who qualified for the men’s 50m breast stroke B final. Purcell finished 8th in what was a very fast race, backing up his impressive performance in the heats.

Going into day three of the competi-

tion, Newcastle were keen to end their weekend in Sheffield on a high. Sunday’s results reflected their desire, with many of the team achieving personal best times and exceeding their own expectations. Squad member, Lucy Ellis, had a particularly rewarding day as she finished an impressive 8th in the 200m Individual Medley A final (with a new personal best), and 10th in the 400m Freestyle. Special mention should also go to Issy Centeleghe, who finished 7th in the B final of the 50m Butterfly.

After a successful weekend, the team returned home, excited and full of enthusiasm to start training for their long course BUCS competition in February, where events are swam in a 50m pool.

After this, they will work towards the Team BUCS Championships in March.

All in all, the weekend saw a host of great performances which the team will undoubtedly build upon over the coming year.

“Sunday’s results reflected that desire, with many of the team achieving personal best times and exceeding their own expectations”

Newcastle Swimming Club’s President, Peter Sands, said of the event that ‘It was a brilliant weekend with plenty of fast swims. It was great to see the team doing so well and getting some personal bests of my own was a good bonus” Fellow competitor and team photographer, Lucy Nehring, said ‘it was a great weekend, and we bonded so much as a team.’ We look forward to seeing how the team fare in the BUCS long course event next year, and wish them the best of luck.