The Courier 1263 by The Courier Online

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Monday 4 February 2013 Issue 1263 Free

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HAIL THE RETURN OF PUZZLES, p.40 2

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Third year Biomedical Sciences student needs bone marrow donor Register as a potential life-saver with a quick ‘spit’ test at a Marrow clinic

By Ben Travis Editor Within our University’s student population lies a potential life-saver. We’re not talking your course friend who lends you those lecture notes you lost at the last minute, or the flatmate who’s already got the kettle on when you come in from a hard day. No – this is someone who could actually save the life of a fellow student. And there’s one student in particular who’s in need of that lifeline. Martin Solomon is a 20-year-old third year Biomedical Sciences student who has been diagnosed with Stage 4 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, a form of blood cancer. He’d previously fought off the illness in December 2007, but relapsed in August 2012 and has had his studies put on hold since. Martin is in desperate need of a bone marrow transplant. All he needs is to find a compatible match. Anthony Nolan, a UK blood cancer charity, is currently searching for a compatible donor through their Marrow campaigning group, but so far none have been found. Because Martin is mixed-race, his chances of finding a match have been halved to 40%. The odds may be difficult, but there is still a strong chance that the right person can be found. And it very well may be you. So how can you do your bit? Well, the main thing you can do is sign up to the Marrow Newcastle register – it’s a quick, easy process. Get all thoughts of needles and blood tests out of your mind – signing up involves filling in a form of basic details and providing a sample of saliva. Just spitting into a tube. It’s as simple as that. Marrow Newcastle is an official society of the Students’ Union and is utterly dedicated to getting people to sign-up to the register and put themselves down as a potential bone marrow match for Martin and other patients needing a donor.

They are currently hosting a series of clinics, which aren’t as scary as they sound - they’re pop-up stalls where within 15 minutes you can be all signed-up and back to going about your day. A series of these clinics will be taking place over the next few weeks – the next confirmed clinic will be on 25 February at Castle Leazes. Details of more clinics, as well as fundraisers to buy the testing kits, will be announced via The Courier’s social media platforms and weekly in the newspaper. You can also order a ‘spit kit’ online at www.anthonynolan.org The more people that sign up, the better. However, there are a few factors that could heighten your chances of being a match for Martin: you must be between 16-30 to sign up, but if you’re also male and mixed race, there’s an even stronger possibility that you could be the person Martin needs to give him the lifeline that could see him live out his life with the rest of us. And what after that, if you find out that you are a match? Isn’t bone marrow donation all needles and pain? No – in fact, 90% of the time, it’s a course of a few injections in your arm and then a few hours hooked up to a blood-spinning machine. Apparently you’ll feel a big groggy for a day or so, but nothing worse than that hangover you get each time you revel in the joys of CCTV on Saturday nights. And because you can see it through every weekend after a heavy night on the Toon, you can do it to save somebody’s life. We’ve all been through the struggle of getting to University, battling through essays, exams, application forms and personal statements. Martin’s been through all this and more – together as Newcastle University students, I urge you to sign up and encourage others to do likewise, so that we can do our best to find a #match4martin.

Can you save Martin’s life? News p.4

Photo: Anthony Nolan and Manchester Evening News

Accusations of University Twitter censorship By Anna Templeton News Editor A postgraduate student has accused the University of trying to censor his freedom of speech after being warned about a statement he made on Twitter.

Tristan Pithers, who is currently studying for a PGCE in secondary education, tweeted criticism about one of his lectures being politically biased. The tweet in question, posted on 15 January, read: “Lectures here should end ‘That was a party political broadcast

by the Labour Party’. So unprofessionally biased. #newcastle”. The day after the tweet was posted, a lecturer on Tristan’s course gave a talk about responsible use of social media. The students, all training to be continued on page 5

News

thecourieronline.co.uk/news

NEWS

Monday 4 February 2013

The Courier

News Editors: George Sandeman, Susie Beever and Anna Templeton Online News Editor: Aine Stott courier.news@ncl.ac.uk | @TheCourier_News

RAG rake in big bucks with 5 £7,500 bagged in busy week

SWEET LIKE SUGAR

The new student trend for online ‘Sugar Daddy’ dating

ALL GROWN APP, LIKE Geordie Shore’s Gaz releases his very own ‘Lad App’

COMMENT

10 13 SPORT

A WEIGHT-Y ISSUE Childhood obesity and its ‘links’ to social class

EU GONNA VOTE?

Students have their say on the potential EU referendum

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By Sally Priddle Raising And Giving Week 2013 raised £7500 after a week of fundraising. Around 100 crew and 20 committee members worked tirelessly to organise events and collect on the streets to raise as much as possible for their six chosen charities: SCAN, Help For Heroes, Willow Foundation, Cry, Centrepoint and Marie Curie. The week also held special events to promote the bone marrow charity Anthony Nolan. Two donation drives held throughout the week inspired a lot of student interest with nearly 200 students signing up with Anthony Nolan for the bone marrow donation register. The committee organised numerous events throughout the week, kicking off with a packed CCTV and charity raid

on Durham. Monday saw the delicious yet disgusting Man v. Food, with competitors facing extreme eating challenges Monday saw including Dominos, Zapatista the delicious Subway. yet disgusting and There were Man v. Food, nearly 50 challengers and only with comor two chunpetitors facing one ders. The evenextreme eating ing brought on a raunchier afchallenges with Take including Domi- fair Me Out, hosted nos, Zapatista by the hilarious Marc Smethurst and Subway and Charlie Rowley. This was no normal Take Me Out, members of the panels were not afraid

RUGBY INTERVIEW Interview with Rugby stars of the future

of hurting anyone’s feelings and many awkward comments left the hosts, audience and contestants squirming; with

INTRA MURAL

What’s gone wrong with student rugby?

YOU DON’T IMPRESS ME MUCH

Whilst RAG organiser Hattie Hill enjoyed excellent fund raising success, she appears to have struggled to maintain that form during Take Me Out Images: Sally Priddle

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.

pub quiz that involved spaghetti tower competitions and cereal box challengers.

“Everyone has got involved and pulled off some amazing events. Rosie and Hattie have done a really great job of organising it all.” one particularly ruthless member of the male panel being heckled off stage. Despite some people’s reputations being tainted, the night was overall a success and raised over £1000. On Tuesday, the Union was transformed into its very own rave cave with a silent disco that tempted in many students to enjoy raising money for charity. Wednesday night was a pub quiz at The Lonsdale Pub in Jesmond, which attracted hundreds of students to test their knowledge and physical skill. RAG held their unique version of a

Editor Ben Travis Online Editor Ben Brown News Editors George Sandeman, Susie Beever and Anna Templeton Online News Editor Aine Stott Comment Editors Georgie Moule and Laura Wotton Online Comment Editor Jennifer Evans Features Editor Tom Nicholson Listings Editor Sally Priddle Lifestyle Editors Catherine Davison and Ellie Cropper Online Lifestyle Editors Rosie Devonshire and Colette Hunter Fashion Editors Elissa Hudson and Lizzie Hampson Online Fashion Editor Sally Greenwood Beauty Editor Amy Macauley Arts Editors Lisa Bernhardt and Millie Walton Online Arts Editor Grace Harvey Film Editors Hayley Hamilton and Sam Hopkins Online Film Editor Chris Binding TV Editor Chris Taylor Online TV Editor Ben Parkin Music Editors Chris Haywood and Sam Summers Online Music Editor Sophie Coletta Science Editor James Simpson Sports Editors Ralph Blackburn, Nick Gabriel and Lucy Williams Online Sports Editors Freddie Caldwell and Jack Gelsthorpe Copy Editors Rachel Horrocks, Maddie McNeill, Charley Monteith, Leanne Penning, Amy Preston, Tom Rhodes, Gemma Thompson, Jessica Timms, Chris Smith, Matty Aston, Sabine Kutcher

A raffle offered some brilliant prizes donated generously by local businesses, including free meals and drinks at Gusto, Pitcher and Piano and Nandos. Activities Officer Jasmine Walker said: “The week has been such a success again this year raising lots for some amazing and deserving charities. “Everyone has got involved and pulled off some amazing events, even doing a bit of gardening. “Rosie and Hattie have done a really great job of organising it all.”

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

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Monday 4 February 2013

BAFTA brilliance for film lecturer By Ellyn Bramley

I AM NOMINEE

Film lecturer Tina Gharavi has been nominated for a coveted BAFTA award for her ﬁlm I Am Nasrine Images: Tina Gharavi

100,000 donors in 100 days By Nathalie O’Donovan A blood drive is being organized by NHS Blood and Transplant at Newcastle University to try and encourage more students to give blood and help save lives. The NHSBT (NHS Blood and Transplant) confirms that there has been a significant decline in the number of young donors signing up in 2012. They are campaigning to recruit “100,000 New Donors in 100 Days” in response to this shortfall, and are hoping to radically increase the number of donors and protect future stock. The NHS states “every year 225,000 new donors are needed to replace existing donors who drop out of the system”. Since the launch of the campaign there

has already been a great response from thousands of dedicated new donors registering, but as Donna Batty explains, the lead Donor Relations Manager for the North East, “more needs to be done, and young people are vital to the blood service”. Blood donations are a vital resource to help treat health conditions including cancer and long term illnesses, people involved in accidents and in maternity care. Hospitals across England need 7,000 units of blood every day and each unit saves or improves the lives of up to three people. Over a lifetime, some blood donors help more than 500 people through their donations. The extraction process is described by former donors as quite easy to do if

you’re not afraid of needles or extremely squeamish, takes very little time and is relatively painless. Only 4% of the eligible population are active blood donors and the NHS says this can be easily changed. A rewarding and easy thing to do for someone, the NHS says now more than ever, becoming very necessary. Batty said: “We hope students in Newcastle can rise to the challenge and save people’s lives”. The next blood donor sessions being held on campus will take place on the 8 and 11 February.

Want to donate blood? Visit www.blood.co.uk or call 0300 1232323

Lecturer Tina Gharavi has been nominated for a BAFTA for her own independent film. Tina, who works in the University’s department of English Literature, Language and Linguistics, is a nominee in the category for ‘outstanding debut by a British writer, director or producer category’ for her The ﬁlm’s film I Am Nasrine. opening The film is a coming of age stoscenes were of teenage asyshot illegally on ry lum seekers from the streets of Iran and their batTehran without tle as outsiders as they settle in the a permit and North East. the crew had to The script was dodge police. developed over eight years with asylum seekers and refugees and informed by their stories of hardship. The heart of the film attempts to present unheard voices and untold stories. Tina, who fled Iran herself aged just six years old, began her creative career as a painter and so her passion for filmmaking evolved through her interest in the visual arts and her passion for storytelling. The lecturer believes that filmmaking and teaching (as a lecturer in Digital Media) complement each other as she devotes her job to explaining the filmmaking process to students, whilst also questioning herself and her work. Though only two weeks were spent filming in Iran, all those involved in the process faced the possibility of imprisonment had officials caught them filming or immigration discovered the tapes. This risk of imprisonment nearly happened, and so commitment and belief of the importance of the film was key. Tina believes that what makes the film so universal is that it addresses issues of identity, belonging and overcoming struggles which she said: “will either swallow you up or make you stronger.” The film’s opening scenes were shot illegally on the streets of Tehran without a permit and the crew had to keep dodging police. Tina was also unable to credit locals

who helped make the film for fear they would be punished for portraying Iran in a negative light. It took many years to develop the story and it was based on listening to the often harrowing stories of refugees and asylum. She mixed their experiences with her own - leaving Iran in 1979 during the revolution - to come up with an original story. After fleeing Iran, she came to the UK and lived in the Midlands. She also lived in New Zealand, the United States and France before settling in Newcastle. Tina talked about the crazy aftermath of the nomination. She explained how only a short while ago the team were experiencing frustration and stress at the difficulty of distributing the film, which has all suddenly changed. Now the likes of Fox Searchlight Pictures and Weinstein Company are asking for screeners of the film, Tina has soared in the IMBd STARmeter and has acquired an agent. In light of this she pointed out that “it’s the same film as it was three weeks ago!”, yet is fully aware through her vast experience in the industry that “these things happen for a short moment… there’s a hype.” And how does Tina feel about the fellow nominees, including James Bobin’s The Muppets, staring Jason Segal? “Who doesn’t want The Muppets to win?” she responds and emphasises that she has already won through the surprise nomination and unprecedented reaction from producers now asking rather than being approached to take the film. Despite excitement for the ceremony, Tina said: “I don’t feel any pressure” and that her only hope for the evening is to accidentally on purpose “spill a drink over George Clooney and potentially rock some biker boots on the red carpet.” Tina’s next project is a big budget (in comparison to by far the lowest budget film nominated at this year’s BAFTAs) gangster feature film. With plans to cut Newcastle arts funding by 100%, Tina’s BAFTA nomination epitomises the importance and excellence of the cultural arts in Newcastle. I Am Nasrine is showing at the Tyneside Cinema on Tuesday 5 February at 6pm with a Q&A session.

4.news

Monday 4 February 2013

The Courier

Martin’s cause tightens campus community By George Sandeman News Editor “Martin is 20 years old, 10 minutes out of your life could give him the rest of his.” That is Martin’s mother Paula asking you to take a few minutes out of your day to potentially save her son’s life. Every 20 minutes someone, somewhere in the United Kingdom is diagnosed with some form of blood cancer. It could be a type of lymphoma like Martin’s or it could be a type of leukaemia or myeloma. That’s 70 people everyday whose lives are turned upside down. To date, there are nearly 1,600 people in the UK in need of a bone marrow, or blood stem cell, transplant and this is usually their last chance of survival. 70% of patients seeking a transplant will not find a matching donor within their own family and when this is the case they look to organisations like Anthony Nolan to see if they have a match on their registry which counts over 460,000 people. Even with so many people registered, none are currently a match for Martin and so he needs you to join and find out if you can save his life. And because he’s mixed race, his chances of finding a match are reduced to 40% meaning now more than ever is the time to register. The cost of recruiting each new donor

is £100 so whilst it’s important to register, it’s also vital that the University community comes together and gets involved in the Marrow Newcastle fund raisers so that they can keep buying donor registry kits. By now you Martin is 20 should have read years old, 10 Editor Ben Travis’ rallying minutes out of front-page cry for everyone at your life could the University to give him the come together and do their utmost to rest of his find Martin a lifesaving bone marrow match. It’s an absolute privilege for everyone here at The Courier to get on board with the sterling work done by the Solomon family, Anthony Nolan and Marrow Newcastle. We aim to give the clinics and fundraisers run by Marrow Newcastle as much publicity as possible to encourage as many people on campus as possible to register. It is also fantastic to have the backing of the University and the Students’ Union and we hope you will give us yours too by registering with Marrow Newcastle. Ellen Marshall at Anthony Nolan had this to say: “For us, it’s a simple equation - the more people who join the register, the more matches we can make and the more lives we can help save.”

FAMILY MATTERS

Martin with his family who urge you to give up 10 minutes of your life so you could give him the rest of his. Image: Manchester Evening News

Rising for One Billion women By Faye Kelly

A third year student has taken an international cause into her own hands by organising One Billion Rising’s ‘V-day’, a global event, in Durham city centre falling on Valentine’s day next week. Catherine Symonds-Thompson, an English student at Newcastle, was prompted to organise the event in light of recent shocking statistics. One Billion Rising was launched by Eve Ensler, writer of The Vagina Monologues, with the ultimate motive of eliminating violence against women. One in three women will be raped or beaten in her lifetime, which amounts to approximately one billion women, the statistic which is namely the inspiration for Symonds taking action into her own hands. The student told The Courier, ‘There are events happening all over the world and the country and the idea is to give them a joyful celebratory feel to bring positive energy to the struggle against this unacceptable violence against women.” “For our event in the Market Place in Durham City Centre, we aim to create this celebratory feel by having music, dancing, martial arts demos, a performance of The Vagina Monologues as well as some performance poetry.” V-Day has been premeditated to be a catalyst that promotes creative events to increase awareness, raise money, and revitalize the spirit of existing anti-violence organizations. The V-Day event is growing at a rapid pace becoming an international phe-

nomena, whilst Symonds added, “the event has already had attention from multiple local media outlets.’ Ensler, a well-know activist for women’s rights, said, “it is something that has gone across class, social group and religion. It’s like a huge feminist tsunami.” The event stands against violence which encompasses domestic One Billion abuse, gang rape, Rising was female genital mutilation and war. launched by The campaign with Eve Ensler the core belief that with the ‘You cannot end violence against ultimate women without motive of looking at the ineliminating tersection of poverty, racism, the violence environment and against war’ has raised women over £57 million to date. Much of the effort in the UK has been concentrated on changing sex education in schools to embrace relationships and violence. A cross-party group including Labour MP Stella Creasy and Conservative MP Amber Rudd is hoping for parliamentary time on 14 February to vote on making “personal, social and health education a requirement in schools, including a zero tolerance approach to violence and abuse in relationships”. Campaigners are already wondering what will happen following V-day. “The dancing will be amazing but more important is what’s happening to move violence against women to the forefront of the agenda,” said Ensler.

The Courier

news.5

Monday 4 February 2013

Sugar coated students seek studying funds By Lusi Manukyan Statistics reveal that eight older men from Newcastle have signed up to become part of the latest student trend of ‘sugar daddies.’ The website, named ‘Seeking Arrangement’, provides students with alternative ways of paying for their tuition fees. The dating site offers opportunities for respectful and generous ‘sugar daddies’ and ‘sugar mummies’ to meet attractive and goaloriented ‘sugar babies’. Claiming to have coined the term ‘mutually beneficial relationships’, the site, which was launched in the UK in May 2012, attracts both male and female young people. A sugar baby on average receives £5,000 per month from rich and successful (and generally older) individuals in return for “friendship and companionship”. The site’s most recent blog entry providing ‘sugar safety tips’ for the sugar babies, suggests that some of the users might have experienced abuse, despite the background check services carried out on most members. The CEO and SeekingArrangement. com founder, Brandon Wade, claims that, ‘because the relationship between a sugar daddy and a sugar baby is romantic in nature, most sugar relationships will likely involve sex.’ However, he argues, despite money being involved, the young girls’ and boys’ behaviour does not amount to prostitution. Rather, it is a great oppor-

tunity for them to pay for tuition, as well as be pampered, while ensuring they stay safe at all times. Commenting on the situation in the UK, Wade said, ‘Your new tuition fees have been great for business. We’ve had a huge influx of beautiful, highly educated young women.’ A 2012 poll by the dating site suggests that it has been frequented by an increasing number of UK students, particularly from top institutions such as University of Cambridge, which boasts 168 new sign ups in 2012 alone, closely followed by LSE and University of Kent. Students having to resort to such extraordinary, and potentially dangerous, methods to fund education, should, in theory, cause the current government to reconsider or at least question its decision with regards to tuition fees. However, some might suggest that using sites such as SeekingArrangement. com is not extraordinary at all in today’s society. Whether the controversial site leaves space for morals is open to debate, but for now, the fact that Newcastle University has not managed to make the top 20 does provide some consolation.

Interested in this story? Turn to p. 12 for a Comment article on students and sugar daddies

PICK ME UP

Eight of the website’s Sugar Daddies are said to be from the Newcastle area. Image: orijinal (Flickr)

“As soon as I had hashtagged Newcastle, a phone call was received from the marketing department” continued from page 1 teachers, were warned to be careful about relationships between themselves and students on social media platforms. After the talk, Tristan was spoken to by his course director who told him to be careful about what he posted on the Internet. Tristan alleges that the course director told him he was contacted by the University’s marketing department requesting that he be academically disciplined for his critical tweet. However, speaking to The Courier, a University spokesperson said it was fellow students who had reported Tristan to the course director and that the University was not involved. He explained: “These tweets were brought to the attention of the lecturer [and subsequently the course director] by Tristan’s fellow students, and a colleague, who were concerned by the content.” He added: “We cannot and do not monitor students’ private accounts.” The course director, who wished to remain anonymous, also spoke to The Courier, saying: “Fellow students and a colleague from marketing raised concerns about the tweets which referred to the course and lecturers.” “I took advice from senior colleagues who were concerned that the tweets may bring reputational damage to the University, which would be in breach of the Student Charter. (Appendix 1; page 4) “ “I therefore dealt with this in what was intended to be a supportive and professional way. It is important that students on a professional teacher-training course understand the possible impacts of inappropriate comments relating to their professional contexts in a public forum.” Addressing the University’s assertion that they do not monitor individual student social media activity, Tristan said:

“As soon as I had hashtagged Newcastle, a phone call was received from the marketing department asking what the course director was going to do about my criticism.” Tristan was keen to emphasise that he was not angered by his course director or lecturer, saying: “I have absolutely no issue with the course director, as he was just passing on a message and the lecturer can use her lectures to say whatever she likes, it’s her job.” He added: “The lecturer has the right to give us the lectures however she likes, but we have the right to say what we like.” “We went into a lecture and a few of us thought that it was politically skewed and so I tweeted about it. I didn’t slag anyone off, or name anybody.” “But the idea that the marketing department monitor what we say and then can report us to our course directors because we’re saying negative things about the University – when we’re paying customers – seems a bit ridiculous.” The University spokesman added: “As you would expect, the University monitors its own social media channels and those people talking about ‘Newcastle University’ so we can respond to questions and build relationships.” Although Tristan used ‘#newcastle’, rather than ‘Newcastle University’, he believes he was reprimanded regardless. “They got in touch with me because I

said something negative about the University.” “It seems we are not allowed to criticise, and they evidently have someone checking hashtags to check nobody is criticising.” “I think students should know there is someone in marketing monitoring and censoring what we say.” Another member of Tristan’s course, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “As much as universities might dislike talking about it, students are now paying a heck of a lot of money to study and this gives them consumer status meaning they have the right to criticise.” “The fact is, now students are paying £9,000 per year, they are going to expect higher quality courses and are going to be more willing to criticise if they aren’t getting that quality.” “It is shameful that any university would seek to stifle criticism of its courses and shut down debate. It shows a basic unwillingness to engage with students and improve their courses in response to student feedback.” Tristan decided not to remove the tweet in question, citing his right to free speech. He said: “I refused to take it down. I was never asked to by my course director, although I don’t know whether he was asked to tell me to take it down.”

TWEET RELEASE

Did Newcastle University attempt to stiﬂe unfavourable remarks made by a student on Twitter? Image: George Sandeman

6.news

Monday 4 February 2013

The Courier

Frank Morton Sports Day races to the Toon By Aine Stott Online News Editor This February marks the eagerly anticipated return of Frank Morton Sports Day to Geordie shores. The annual sporting competition is taken on by students of Chemical Engineering departments from 25 Universities across the UK. 2100 Chemical Engineers are set to descend on the Toon for a fun-fuelled day of playing sport and partying. This year boasts a bigger and better array of sporting events tailored for every taste: games will range from dodgeball to tag rugby to ultimate frisbee. The Metro Radio Arena and 15 £6,000 has other Newcastle been spend on venues will play to the sports sound, lighting host extravaganza, ofand pioneering fering opportunipyrotechnics, ties for audience participation too. with voiceSpectators who overs from the remain in the arena are encourBig Brother aged to tackle a narrator Royal Navy assault course and various inflatable challenges. Popular comedian Chris Ramsey is set to present the post-games award ceremonies, which promise to be greater than ever before. £6k has been spent on sound, lighting and pioneering pyrotechnics, with voice overs recorded by the legendary Big Brother narrator, North East’s very own Marcus Bentley.

And the fun doesn’t stop when the sports do: Uni teams get the chance to dine out at The Gate complex before competing in a ‘Battle of the Unis’ at Sam Jacks. Newcastle Chemical Engineering student Luke Krumins has been competing in the event for two years. He told The Courier: ‘Its definitely one of the best things I’ve done whilst being a student. It’s a great chance to really get behind your Uni and pull together to show the rest that Newcastle are the best!’ He added: ‘I’m really looking forward to this year, it’s the biggest club crawl they’ve ever had, we’ll show the other Unis how to have a real night out.’ The event was originally named after Frank Morton, a prominent professor of Chemical engineering at Birmingham University sixty years ago. His love for sport and Uni connections led him to organise the first of these sports days, in the form of a football match in 1961 between academic departments. The event has expanded fourfold since those early days. Frank Morton’s widespread popularity with students was internationally recognised when Singapore celebrated the sports event in 2009. In the history of Frank Morton, Newcastle has emerged victorious only once in 1997. The firm favourites this time round are Birmingham, with ten wins to their name (the last being 2012). UK sporting leaders Loughborough University are currently sitting in second spot, winning a total of seven previous competitions.

IN THEIR ELEMENT

2100 Chemical Engineers are set to take part in an extravaganza of sporting events as well as partying in the Toon

The Courier

Monday 4 February 2013

news.7

Vice chancellor opens film competition By Johnny Farrar-Bell With the Oscars almost upon us there couldn’t be a better time to launch a new short film competition. ‘NU - Through My Lense’ is the brainchild of three Newcastle University masters students: Anahita Guha, Zhenhua Jin and Maham Masood who study Media, Journalism and Public Relations – and has been sponsored by Vice Chancellor Chris Brink. Anahita, who is studying for an MA in Media and Public Relations explains: “We know that students like different aspects of life here in Newcastle, whether it’s their accommodation, their tutors or their sports society and so we are confident that we will get many different views of Newcastle captured on film. “We are also keen to encourage our Newcastle students in Singapore and Malaysia to submit entries to give their views on studying on the other side of the world.” The idea is that students send in a 40 second video trailer about some aspect of University life they are particularly interested in. The best of the trailers will then be selected to contest the second – film round. The trailers will then be expanded into 3-minute long videos. The short films will be judged by an expert panel involving staff from across the University including academics from the media school. There will also be a viewers’ panel with

students encouraged to vote for their favourite video online. The competition is being backed by Newcastle University’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Chris Brink. He said: “I am pleased to be supporting another student-driven initiative that we hope will capture the imagination of students in showcasing what’s best about the University and the city of Newcastle. The theme: ‘Love it, Film it’, leaves a lot of room for manoeuvre enabling students to film a broad range of genres. Musicals, Animation, Fiction The theme and Documen‘Love it, Film taries are all well within the scope of it’, leaves a the competition. lot of room However, whilst some may enter for students for the sheer ento capture a joyment of filming broad range of their 360 double back flip with ingenres verted pike in the Exhibition Park skate park, the lure of a £2500 prize may more than tempt others. Additional prizes of £1000 will go to films with the best cinematography, concept and original music score. The best three trailers will each be rewarded with £500. The deadline for the trailer round is the 15th of February. Successful entries will then have until March the 18th to submit the 3-minute film version.

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION

Three masters students, Anahita Guha, Zhenhua Jin and Maham Masood, are attempting to capture different views of Newcastle

8.news

Monday 4 February 2013

The Courier

NU careers search for next Alan Sugar The Rise Up team at the career service are giving students the opportunity to test their business savvy potential in a competition to win a cash prize of £500. NU Apprentice 2013 is a competition consisting of three tasks in three weeks, with one task per week. Anyone interested can apply by the 12 February on the university website.

most famous businessmen – Lord Alan Sugar. The NU Apprentice 2013 programme is sponsored by the successful online retailer Spark E-tail. The programme’s motto is: ‘Achieve. Experience. Excel.’ the idea being that by taking part in the competition students will achieve skills, experience business and excel. Former participant Victoria Dorling says it was great to take part in the fast-

Participants are to sign up individually but after the start of the competition on the 20 February people will be divided by the organisers into teams of two. Students will work with their partners to achieve the set task of the week in order to proceed to the next round. The first stage of the competition starts at 1pm on 20 February and will test participants on their negotiation skills. Task focused workshops will be provided from established business experts, enabling students to develop skills and impress with innovative ideas. The two winners will receive a £500 cash prize. The idea for the programme came from the long-running BBC TV show The Apprentice with one of the UK’s

paced and practical activities and that she immensely enjoyed the experience. Last year’s winner and Business Management student, Natalie Diver, adds how “NU Apprentice really developed my enterprise skills and enhanced my CV.” Natalie’s partner was Rix Babu, Msc International Marketing. Their team – Infinity PR – competed against 8 other duos in the final task held at Deloitte’s Quayside offices. Each team had to pitch their marketing plan for start-up jewelry business Owleyes to the judging panel. After strong deliberation by five judges, Team Infinity PR were chosen the winners of NU Apprentice 2012.

By Evgeniya Boykova

The programme’s motto is ‘Achieve. Experience. Excel.’ The idea being that by taking part in the competition, students will achieve skills, experience business and excel

AIM, SET, FIRED

Students who take part will be put though rounds of tasks on a weekly basis to test their business skills, with the victors winning a prize of £500

The Courier

nationalstudentnews.9

Monday 4 February 2013

Geordie Shore’s Gaz releases Lad App Exeter stuBy Georgie Moule Not content with simply being Newcastle’s ultimate lad, Gaz from Geordie Shore has launched his own app for iPhone users. The app, Gazzd, allows users to listen to recordings of Gaz’s memorable catchphrases such as ‘Bosh’, ‘Banter’ and ‘Absolute worldy’. Users can also play the official game in which they have to score goals past Gaz, with the high scorer of the week being lucky enough to receive a personal tweet from the Geordie lad himself, including a screenshot of their high score. Lovers of Gaz who want to follow his every move are able to see a list of dates and locations where he will be making appearances, although at the time of

Job Title: Newcastle Work Experience - Marketing Officer Employer: Beamish Park Golf Club Closing date: 10.02.2013 Salary: £600 bursary upon completion of placement Basic job description: Beamish Park Golf Club provides a warm and relaxing welcome to golfers and non-golfers. We are seeking a placement student to carry out the following: Assess the organisation and look at making improvements; Compile a marketing strategy looking at all elements of the business; Research usage through previous custom; Look into possible diversification opportunities; To increase the club’s profile, turnover and outreach. Person requirements: The following essential criteria is required: Effective at planning with the ability to use own initiative; Possess a keen interest in marketing with excellent communication skills; Ability to plan time effectively; Experience using Microsoft office; Current market awareness, meeting the needs of the business and individuals; Previous research, decision making and report writing skills. Location: Durham. Job Title: Newcastle Work Experience - Back End Web Development Employer: Cloud Data Service Closing date: 10.02.2013 Salary: £600 bursary upon completion of placement Basic job description: Cloud Data Service Ltd is an award-winning software development company based in the heart of Newcastle upon Tyne. We specialise in ‘Software as a Service’ data solutions for the web and have worked with a range of different clients to deliver powerful and bespoke products. We are seeking a student with back end software development. Person requirements: Experience and competent skills sets in: xHTML, CSS, object orientated PHP (version 5+) MySQL. Good knowledge of the jQuery library & a solid understanding of Javascript would also be an advantage. Bonus Skills include: HTML5, CSS3, Linux Server Management and Web Services development using technologies such as SOAP. Location: Newcastle upon Tyne. Job Title: Newcastle Work Experience - Marketing and Communications Assistant Employer: Fuse Media Centre Closing date: 10.02.2013 Salary: £600 bursary upon completion of placement Basic job description: Fuse Media Centre is a unique and inspiring venue at the heart of business, education and community. It is the only venue in the North East offering integrated state-of-the-art TV, radio and recording

Tax dodgers dents get revealed at frisky at ball York Uni

writing, only those lucky enough to be in Australia will be able to meet the man himself. This is after Gaz opened his shop, Lovers of Gaz ‘Project 722’ in the Metro Centre last who want November, which to follow his features fashionevery move able clothing are able to see brands, attractive a list of dates girls and weekly and locations FIFA and COD where he will tournaments. For those not be making content with just appearances having Gaz’s catchphrases on tap, MTV have released an app featuring quotes from every single cast member. You’re welcome.

studios under one roof. We are seeking a placement student to carry out the following: Assess the organisation and look at making improvements, Compile a Marketing strategy looking at all elements of the business, Research usage through previous custom, Look into possible diversification opportunities, To increase Fuse Media’s profile, turnover and outreach. Person requirements: The following essential criteria is required: Effective at planning with the ability to use own initiative; Possess a keen interest in marketing with excellent communication skills; Ability to plan time effectively; Experience using Microsoft office; Current market awareness, meeting the needs of the business and individuals; Previous research, decision making and report writing skills. Location: Prudhoe, Northumberland. Job Title: Bank Telephonist Employer: NHS Closing date: 04.02.2013 Salary: £14,153 to £17,253 pro rata Basic job description: A Bank Telephonist is required to work on an as and when required basis for the NHS Switchboard located in Cobalt Business Park. Switchboards deal with a high volume of calls and respond to a range of emergencies including Fire & Cardiac Arrest. Main Purpose of the Job: To be the first point of contact to the Trust for all internal & external calls to 11 Trust Sites, to respond to and activate Emergency procedures in a calm and effective manner, to provide Alarm receiving services for the Trust and to respond following laid down procedures. Person requirements: Applicants must have excellent communication skills, the ability to deal with staff and members of the public on all levels and the ability to work as part of a team. Keyboard skills are essential. PAS experience would be desirable. Previous experience of working on a busy Hospital switchboard would be advantageous. Location: North Shields. Job Title: Sales Advisor Employer: French Connection Closing date: 07.02.2013 Salary: National Minimum Wage Basic job description: A Sales Advisor is required to work 8-12 hours per week at the French Connections concession within House of Fraser, Metrocentre. Duties include stock replenishment, creating sales and meeting targets, cash handling & other general store duties. Person requirements: Applicants must have excellent customer service & communication skills. You must also be able to work within a team environment. Location: Gateshead.

Job Title: Administration Clerk Employer: Alliance Healthcare Closing date: 15.02.2013 Salary: £7.87 per hour Basic job description: This is an essential and varied role, providing accurate and speedy administrative support to the Service Centre. Key responsibilities include processing invoices, collating performance reports, recording Purchase Orders and allocating to correct cost codes, placing job advertisements, conducting pre-employment checks, and ordering branch supplies. This role will also require the candidate to provide holiday cover for the payroll department. You will work 16 hours per week. Person requirements: You will be well organised with great attention to detail, and be proficient in the use of all Microsoft Office packages. Location: Newcastle upon Tyne. Job Title: Sales Assistant Employer: Le Creuset Closing date: 07.02.2013 Salary: £3,406 per annum Basic job description: A Sales Assistant is required to work 10 hours per week at the Le Creuset store in Royal Quays, North Shields. You will maximise the sales potential and profitability of the store through providing excellent levels of customer care and exceeding the Le Creuset customer service delivery expectations. You will also assist in the smooth running of the store. Person requirements: Basic numeracy and literacy qualifications. Excellent oral and written communication skills. Good teamworking skills and the ability to take pride in your work. Location: North Shields. Job Title: Domestic Assistant Employer: NHS Closing date: 04.02.2013 Salary: £14,153 to £14,864 pro rata Basic job description: A Domestic Assistant is required to work various part-time hours at North Tyneside General Hospital. Hours of work may be throughout mornings or evenings. In this role you will maintain the standard of cleanliness as specified throughout the designated work area by means of approved cleaning methods. Person requirements: General education and knowledge of cleaning products i.e. COSHH is essential and knowledge of food hygiene would be beneficial. You should also be friendly, conscientious, highly motivated with good organisational and communication skills, you should also enjoy working as part of a team. Previous applicants are requested not to re-apply. Location: North Tyneside.

University of Exeter

University of York

Exeter University’s Safer Sex Ball, a charity event that raises money for AIDS research, has come under fire after a leaked CCTV tape shows a couple apparently having sex in the students’ bar during the event. The S t u d e n t s’ Guild has launched an official investigation to discover how the tape made it into the hands of students, in breach of data protection procedures. This scandal comes after a string of complaints made in previous years due to the Ball’s raunchy theme. Many students choose to show up in only their underwear.

An investigation by Nouse, York’s student newspaper, has revealed connections between the University and a possible tax avoidance scheme. In 2010, the University sold half of its share in two halls of residence to a subsidiary of the Evans Group. It is registered in Jersey and therefore pays no corporation tax despite making a sixfigure profit. This discovery has caused outrage among York students, especially among the residents of the two halls as they will see their accommodation cost rise by an average of £10 per week.

Oxford make progress in HIV treatment

Warwick vice chancellor recieves fat bonus

Oxford University Oxford researchers have discovered a breakthrough treatment for early stages of the HIV infection. The study published last month shows that a 48-week course of antiretroviral me d i c a tion significantly slows t h e damage to the i mmu ne system and delays the necessity for longterm treatment. The new treatment also lowers the amount of the virus in a patient’s blood for up to 60 weeks after it is stopped, thus potentially reducing the risk of onward transmission. However, early recognition is necessary for the treatment to work; therefore students are urged to get tested regularly. Images: Flickr

Warwick University Nigel Thrift, Warwick’s Vice-Chancellor, has received a pay rise of £42,000 bringing his yearly salary to £316,000 including pension. This has sparked anger among critics, especially since students have to face paying £9,000 a year in tuition fees. But lecturers, too, voiced opposition as their pay rises had been minimal. The University has defended its actions saying that the pay rise comes after two years of pay freezes and is in line with other Russell Group vice-chancellors’ salaries.

Sabine Kucher

10.comment 3 reasons why... ...You shouldn’t care about Beyoncé’s lipsynching 1) It’s happened before, it will happen again... Why are you even surprised? Stop kidding yourself that pop acts like Beyoncé don’t make a living out of miming, doing the odd dance and demanding millions for it. If you don’t believe me, I point you to a widely circulated video on the internet showing Justin Bieber hitting every note despite violently puking up three of his ribs and a toy from McDonald’s. I’m more surprised Beyoncé could suppress her laughter as she duped 800,000 people, including the leader of the free world, in Washington, and millions more as they dribbled over their TV dinners at home.

2) It overshadows more pressing political concerns... This whole debacle seems to overshadowed the event it was supposed to celebrate, Obama’s presidential inauguration, and his desperate attempts to re-ignite interest in his flickering political flame. “Nothing can stop America” was the message. Really? The Afghan insurgents that don’t seem to be dying (if anything, multiplying) might suggest otherwise.

3) Beyoncé doesn’t care so why should we? It should go without saying that there are vastly more important things to occupy your time with. Go play in the sand, or build an ant-farm for all I care. In fact, why not spend your time worrying that people that actually get worked up about ‘issues’ like this a) exist, b) can vote and c) can reproduce. Celebrities like Beyoncé and Bieber don’t care about you or your trust. Nor do supermarkets, apparently. So spit out the horse-meat and wake up. Image: Noemi Nuñez (WIkimedia Commons) Simon Harwood

Monday 4 February 2013

The Courier

No longer ‘skinny runts’ of society In the light of Public Health Minister, Anna Soubry’s controversial remarks on Question Time, Hew Rous-Eyre discusses the proposed link between weight and social class. HEW ROUS-EYRE

uring an interview with The Daily Telegraph, public health minister Anna Soubry made a number of socio-political faux pas while talking about obesity. According to her, healthy eating is under threat by a culture of “TV dinners” and that back in her day poorer children where generally the “skinny runts” of the school. The cherry sat atop of this was her claim that “you can almost now tell somebody’s background by their weight.” It goes without saying that this is categorically wrong, however the sensationalised coverage by the media has led to an entirely contrived, pseudosentimental, sanctimonious opinion of Soubry and the point she was making. Don’t get me wrong, she clearly is an

idiot. Well, in this particular instance anyway. The problem was that in trying to explain an important point about the realities of obesity amongst poorer children, the Tory switch in her brain short-circuited resulting in a crass generalisation about low income families.

“Sensationalised coverage by the media has lead to an utterly contrived depiction of Soubry”

It’s bizarre that such a blatant error of judgement could be so easily made; anything a conservative MP says has to be mitigated and qualified ten times over before being slowly and carefully

mouthed out. Unless obviously they’re Boris Johnson, in which case the opposite process is generally celebrated. Unfortunately Soubry never hosted Have I Got News For You? Moreover, after watching her appearance on Question Time, I can confirm that she’s not that funny, even if she does enjoy calling children fat. What she was trying to explain was that sometimes the only food available in the supermarkets for poorer families are those that are cheap, quick to make and packed with salt, saturated fat and other crappy ingredients. What’s more is that these children often go to state schools where, because of limited funding, the meals offered are again cheaply made and high in fat and salt. Sporting facilities are not what they could be, again because of funding, and the children therefore don’t get enough exercise. Children aren’t made aware enough of unhealthy food in class and therefore don’t understand the consequences of unhealthy eating themselves. The reason for the hugely unfavour-

able reception of Soubry’s interview was that it sounded like she was making some kind of moral judgement over poor people. However the only real criticism one can make of Soubry was that she let it sound like that. On said episode of Question Time the smarmy, holier-than-thou, Ben Bradshaw, a Labour MP, accused Soubry of lecturing the poor. Either he’d missed the point or chosen to miss it at Soubry’s expense. In any case he was wrong; she wasn’t lecturing the poor she was lecturing the manufacturers that produce the food. Her error was that she came across as utterly out of touch, snobby and mildly delusional. But she’s a Tory - since when is that news?

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Full steam ahead for HS2

With the government’s proposed 32bn investment in British rail services, Johnny Farrar- Bell debates the pros and cons of the second phase of High Speed Rail.

JOHNNY FARRARBELL

ith the metro running literally In My Back Yard I feel in a good position to respond to the cries of the NIMBIES threatening the future of our country with their attempt to thwart High Speed 2. The history of civilisation has been one of technological progress. Things have moved rapidly since the invention of the wheel gazillions of years ago. The locomotive engine at the turn of the 19th Century, powered flight in 1903 and more recently the internet and other gadgety things we now take for granted, have all radically altered life in Britain.

“Beneﬁts will only come about if customers are not priced into oblivion” But crucially, they haven’t been without their cost. I’m sure our Celtic ancestors kicked up a fuss when Roman roads bulldozed straight through their threshing parlours, and all sorts of cartoons lampooned early railways as machinations of the devil. Even motor-

way-mania from the 1960s onwards caused a backlash.

“Progress has always demanded sacriﬁce and the lesson of the past is that it is worth it”

But without these technological advances it would be hard to contemplate life in Britain as we know it now. Imagine planning complaints successfully thwarting the building of the Fosse Way, or 1960s politicians blocking the M1 for fear it would destroy England’s ‘green and pleasant land’. No doubt motorways, roads and railways are not all that aesthetically pleasing – though old Roman roads and disused railway tracks make handy cycle paths – but without them life would be rather difficult indeed. With this historical context HS2 can be seen from a new and altogether more enlightened perspective. Progress has always demanded sacrifice and the lesson of the past is that it is worth it. So HS2 will be a vital step into the 21st Century – yes it will ‘scar the landscape’, but so has everything else we’ve built. We have this new technology, let’s embrace it and use it. But High Speed Rail practically makes a lot of sense too. The linking up of the Northern Cities with London will be invaluable for the redistribution of wealth and jobs, because for too long London has dominated the economic proceedings, forming a North/South divide. But with a new artery running north, com-

OFF TRACK? HS2 has faced considerable opposition from those who believe its economic beneﬁts are over-estimated. Image: Calum McRoberts (Wikimedia)

panies will able to relocate to say Leeds or Sheffield – boosting growth where it is needed most. Building HS2 will also have the added bonus of freeing up space on other railway lines. This extra leeway will be used to siphon freight from the lorries currently clogging up our already jammed motorways and A-roads, onto slick, fast, reliable railways. A side-effect will be clearer, less busy roads to drive on. However, a cautionary note needs to be added. All these aforementioned benefits will only come about if customers are not priced into oblivion. An elite railway will benefit no one, only furthering economic and social divisions. Tickets will need to be priced sensibly

so that the railways are well used, and moreover, that there is a return from the billions invested. But hopefully the rail chiefs aren’t so daft as to not realise that. So HS2 is a step forward – it won’t solve every problem – but it will certainly help to even out the latitudinal discrepancies so obvious in our island nation. NIMBIES cannot and will not stop it, but it needs to be done well and be a convenience not a luxury. But above all I am excited at the prospect of whizzing along at 250mph rather than being confined to a fuggy Peugeot 106 at a standstill on the M40. So let’s make sure it happens even if it isn’t until 2030.

The Courier

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Monday 4 February 2013

Comment

Comment Editors: Georgina Moule and Laura Wotton Online Comment Editor: Jennifer Evans thecourieronline.co.uk/comment courier.comment@ncl.ac.uk | @Courier_Comment

BEST TEST?

The debate continues around reintroducing University entrance exams beyond A levels. Image: Lewser (Wikimedia)

Should Unis introduce extra testing for students? SABINE KUCHER

YES L

ast week Michael Gove announced new plans to reshape the education system. Should these go ahead, students would no longer have to take AS Levels as a step towards their A-Levels. Instead, the AS would be a stand-alone exam. In the wake of this shake-up, the University of Cambridge has announced a review of their admission procedures with the possibility of introducing entrance exams. Just to give this debate a bit of perspective: Currently applicants to Cambridge submit a UCAS form together with answers to supplementary questions. If successful, the applicant is invited back for an interview. Then the admissions officers decide on whether the applicant is suitable taking into account the student’s academic record, personal statement, any recommendations as well as interview performance and any relevant test scores. Although there are many, especially students, that oppose entrance exams because they see it as only another hoop they have to jump through, I wholeheartedly endorse them. They make the process of getting into the university of your choice a lot more transparent and a lot fairer, too. This is because under the new system, entrance exams will be the only objective measurement of an applicant’s ability.

They also give a much better picture than AS Level grades do at the moment. One only has to look at the Milburn Report published late last year to see that exams like AS disproportionately affect state school students’ chances to get into university. The same is true for personal statements and the supplementary questions.

“Everyone is there purely because what they can do, not who they are” Entrance exams, however, are a pure test for merit, not how good the tuition is you get. If designed well, they won’t ask for subject specific knowledge, but test cognitive abilities like the WatsonGlaser Critical Thinking Test. With the introduction of well-designed entrance exams, quotas or lower offers for less-advantaged students that often feel like a hand-down will become obsolete. This would make tensions, which are often the result of quotas, highly unlikely. Everyone is there purely because what they can do, not who they are. It will disperse assumptions that the investment banker’s daughter is only there because of her family’s wealth and do away with suspicions that the black student from inner-city London is there because of a lower offer and an easy interview. Entrance examinations will also empower students from more diverse backgrounds to consider going to uni-

versity because they won’t feel like they are being looked down at all the time. And isn’t a more diverse, competitive environment beneficial to the success of every single student? Sure, exams also have downsides: the pressure that comes with sitting them and the fact that this is your only chance. It’s over if you mess up. However, this is just a preparation for the tough university exams they will sit in a year’s time. Many modules are assessed based on one single exam. But ultimately, the benefits outweigh the harms and examples from other countries have shown that they can create better outcomes in terms of social mobility. Because what anyone needs to get into university are a strong drive to succeed and a willingness to work hard for your goals. Entrance exams make sure everyone gets a fair chance.

VICTORIA ARMSTRONG

NO I

n light of the proposed changes by the education minister to the Alevel system- i.e. the abolishment of the AS-level as a qualification in its own right, many top-level universities are protesting and Cambridge University is considering reintroducing a standardized test for all applicants, thus providing more information regarding admissions. However, AS-levels were never an ap-

propriate measure of ability as students are allowed to sit the exams modularly as well as take repeats. For students who never sat their modules over multiple sessions or re-sat a module, it is grossly unfair to compare their grades with those have had the chance to sit early under less pressure or were able to re-sit modules again and again till they eventually got the grades they desired.

“It is an elitist system as private schools will beneﬁt from such a test” This disparate method of examining sixth form students indisputably is unfair. This has in no small part contributed to the rise in higher grades over the years. To suggest that their removal will worsen the university’s ability to choose future students from applicants is ironic. The notion that Cambridge now needs extra testing due to the removal of an inherently poor exam is silly. It will disadvantage students as they neglect their A-levels to focus on these exams in the hopes of entering one of the UK’s most prestigious universities to get their money’s worth since fees have risen. This is to say nothing of the likely effects on Cambridge University’s intake should such a test be implemented. Even at current, larger private schools provide much more in the way of helping their students prepare for Oxbridge interviews. The introduction of a standardized test would provide private

school students with an even greater advantage as they are prepared for such a test in a way that other schools simply cannot provide. An issue would also be created in regards to these students from other schools: their rigorous preparation for such a test would likely be to the detriment of their A-level exam preparation. Should they fail to gain an offer from Cambridge, they may be in a lesser position with their applications to other universities who expect high grades but do not have their own entrance exam. Considering that many degrees offered by Cambridge already have admission requirements beyond that of the average university, including the submission of written pieces, rigorous interviews and aptitude exams, one might suggest the idea of this test is mostly symbolic. Education minister, Michael Gove, has had his proposals for the overhaul of our current education met with considerable criticism from top universities such as Oxford and King’s College London. There was a reason Cambridge abolished their previous standardized test in 1986 and the suggest of the reintroduction of it (albeit a different form of it) seems to me to be more in support of their political criticisms of Gove’s actions as opposed to a reasonable action in its own right. To bring in a standard test is unfair. It suggests our current education system is insufficient and planned measures to improve it are insufficient. Furthermore, it will likely provoke accusations against the historic university of being elitist as private schools will benefit from such a test where other schools will disadvantage. We can merely hope that these comments from Cambridge are only symbolic, and such a test has no place in modern day.

12.comment

Monday 4 February 2013

The Courier

Take me to the candy shop

As more and more students sign up to ﬁnd a ‘sugar daddy’, Adam Thompson debates the moral issues surrounding the phenomenon

ADAM THOMPSON

t has recently been suggested in the media that increased tuition fees are leading female students to seek ‘sugar daddies’ online. SeekingArrangement.com has reported 58% more students signing up to their website which sets up meetings between rich men and younger women. The site is based in the US but is receiving more and more applications from British students. This has led some to accuse various institutions of encouraging prostitution as a means of getting by. Weirdly, more students signed up from Cambridge University than anywhere else. I’m not sure what to make of that – does this mean higher fees encourage prostitution or, more worryingly, are our prostitutes getting smarter? ‘Planet of the

Prostitutes’ would make a stupendous summer blockbuster – biting satire on 21st century sexual mores and, before you say anything, don’t fear, I’m sure monkeys can still be accommodated into the plot somewhere. What is prostitution to many is smart, quirky opportunism to others. Unsurprisingly Brandon Wade, founder and CEO of the website had this to say: “While some may argue that these women are just using men for their own personal gain, I believe that they are proactive in pursuing a higher education.” That’s one way to put it. I’m just not convinced these girls have exhausted all other avenues yet. Times are hard but looking for lecherous old men on shady dating sites seems a little extreme when McDonalds are recruiting. I don’t think we can blame the coalition for golddigging, really. Some might look at Cambridge students becoming members and point to how they pay the highest tuition fees but I feel there is another explanation. If there is any pattern emerging from the rise in ‘sugar daddy dating’ it seems to

be linked to living costs rather than the specific institution one attends. Markedly more students sign up if they live in and around London – Newcastle for example, doesn’t feature in the top twenty – while most others study at Scottish Universities (an anomaly I’ll discount for that reason).

“What is prostitution to many is smart opportunism to others” If I could reach far enough into my ether of indignant feminism I might pull out an argument about how young women, who could one day be lawyers, doctors or politicians, should set them-

SWEET OR SOUR? Would you have a

sugar daddy? Image: Roy Erikson (Flikr)

selves higher standards than this, have more self-respect, that they should get a part-time job in Debenhams instead. Unfortunately, deep down, I know I secretly yearn to be a sugar baby myself. There doesn’t appear to be a ‘sugar mother’ alternative at the minute. Then again, it’s not like I’m taking the opposite sex by storm (they remain consistently unruffled) so I’ll happily switch allegiances and join up myself if it means an upgrade on beans on toast. Wouldn’t

we all? “Old man, buy me lobster bisque and you can cop a feel”: it’s always been the natural order of things. Nothing new here.

Interested? Read the original News story on page 5

Poles apart

After an article slamming University Pole Dancing Societies, Sally Priddle speaks out in favour of the sport

SALLY PRIDDLE

have always been what can only be described as a bit of a prude, so before I came to University the concept of pole dancing would do nothing but make me blush. However, since being at University I have seen the pure skill, fitness and confidence that is required I am ashamed that I would have previously jumped to the same uneducated conclusions as others do. A recent article in The Daily Mail exclaimed that it was mortifying that pole-dancing societies existed and were promoted at well-respected universities; they claimed that pole dancing is sexually inappropriate, increasing antifeminist opinions and is degrading to women. I have numerous friends who are involved in the Pole Dancing Society and who train three times a week as well as practicing alone at home whenever possible. If they were purely aiming to be sexually inappropriate and please men surely they would choose a much easier option. Newcastle Pole Dancing Society are award winning, and are currently awaiting confirmation for breaking the Guinness world record for the world’s longest pole marathon. Again this feels like a lot of effort just be sexually appealing to as many men as possible. The members of pole dancing societies have been accused of not wearing enough clothes and doing inappropriate moves around a (let’s be blunt here) phallic shape object, but this appears to be an overly simple perception of a very technical sport. The core muscles that are required to hold yourself up, with only one arm, requires a lot of training and stronger

muscles than many other sports which are considered ‘legitimate’. Olympic gymnasts were revered for their technical prowess, despite the men wearing tight leotards and the women wearing similarly skimpy outfits, but they were only recognised for their strength, talent and award winning routines.

“This feels like a lot of effort just to be sexually appealing to as many men as possible” However, a sport that requires a similar amount of strength, intricate routines and endless training, is considered a disgrace because it can be used to objectify women. To enable you to perform more advanced moves, it requires bare skin for maximum friction and contact and therefore, despite people believing that the nudity in this activity is to appeal to men but it is actually necessary to complete moves. I admit, as I am sure most people would, in some situations pole dancing can be overtly sexualised, and used as entertainment for men, however this does not mean that pole dancing societies in universities are the same. They commit to their sport in the same way as any other athlete but they have to overcome a stigma as well. So instead of making rushed or uneducated judgments about a sport that you don’t know enough about, attend one of the Pole Society shows see the unique talent and skill that these girls have for yourself.

The Courier

comment.13

Monday 4 February 2013

Axing D-Day won’t deal with drama

After last week’s football deadline day, Jack Gelsthorpe discusses whether it is the right option JACK GELSTHORPE

hen we are forced to contemplate January and what it signifies, the majority of people bring up the usual ideas: resolutions, dieting, cold days, long nights, poor weather, and most importantly the financial hangover that usually accompanies people all the way through to February. It is a time of thrift, of making sure that the chilli you are cooking can last for at least three more nights, of spurning nights out or going to the pub in favour of sitting in front of the DVD’s you have accrued over Christmas wrapping up in your duvet as you are afraid to turn the heating up. However, January to football fans and those in the game is completely dichotomous to this; it is the craziest month in football. As I write this, QPR are in the process of signing a player and paying him £100,000 a week. Considering they only bring in around

17,000 fans each game this shows that the January transfer window, the month where clubs look to bring in new players and offload their deadwood, is not a month where clubs consolidate their finances. Increasingly many in the game are calling for the January transfer window to be scrapped; Steve Coppell believes it encourages panic and ‘scurrilous’ activities, it breeds a fire sale mentality and defies logic. Sven Goran Eriksson argues that the transfer window should be open all season as most clubs act out of desperation, usually paying over the odds for players. Many players signed in January for exorbitant amounts of money have been flops. The most obvious example has to be Fernando Torres who was signed for £50 million in the 2011 January transfer window and in those two years he has scored a grand total of 14 goals, which is approximately £3.6 million a goal. The January transfer window does incite a sense of panic among clubs, and angst among fans. It unsettles players and teams as people don’t know who will be left at the club by the end of the month. It causes divisions and it further disassociates clubs, who are prepared to spend millions of pounds on players, from their

Don’t EU want me baby? ALEX HANSON

ince announcing his plan for a referendum on membership of the European Union, early polls suggest an increase in voter confidence for David Cameron and the Conservative party. A poll by ComRes for The Sunday Mirror and The Independent on Sunday indicates three in ten people are now more likely to vote Conservative and that the Tories have gained five points, now holding 33% of the potential vote. Interestingly the same article goes on to claim that half the public share concerns highlighted by Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the business community, that the announcement is likely to have negative consequences for the economy. The fears centre on the uncertain economic conditions the announcement has created for companies and investors. Nick Clegg has previously warned Cameron that a promise of the referendum was against the national interest and risked derailing the fragile UK economy; Clegg’s words clearly once again having a big impact on Cameron then. Cameron is keen to hold the referendum after renegotiating the terms of the British commitment to the Union; thus offering an opt-in to a streamlined version of the union, or an opt-out. The EU website proudly claims that ‘What began as a purely economic union has also evolved into an organisation spanning all policy areas, from development aid to environment’. Yet it is this that is Cameron’s main issue. Whilst keen to maintain economic links with con-

fans who foot part of the bill through rising ticket sales. It allows players and their agents to demand ridiculous wages from teams

“It unsettles players and teams as people don’t know who will be left at the club by the end of the month” who are desperate to win titles or survive, and it causes players to agitate and disrupt dressing rooms to design lucrative moves to more affluent clubs. It embodies the sense of greed permeating the once beautiful game. However, it is fun isn’t it? I like refreshing the BBC Sport pages until midnight as much as any football fan to see who has signed who or what ridiculous rumours are emerging. It invokes comedy as the same player can be seen outside multiple grounds

in the UK at the same time; either they have developed the ability to travel through time (which would push their transfer price even higher) or the hysteria created can become too much for fans who believe any rumour out there. The month is entertaining, and football is an entertainment sport. Those opposed to the winter transfer window call for the window to be open all year which will bring prices down and stop the flagrant spending. However, this will also cause agitation, as players can be signed or approached at any time and it can bring in tactical buying as a team in second place can try and buy the best player from the team above them in an attempt to win the league. This is one of the reasons why the window was implemented. However, it hasn’t stopped clubs making approaches before the window in a bid to try and formalise the transfers as soon as the window opens. Realistically keeping the window or getting rid of it won’t change anything, football has commercialised fully and teams will spend ludicrous amounts each year; the January transfer window just gives us an intense insight into this now normal way of life and like it or not nothing will change.

CHOICES Cameron has prom-

ised a referendum on EU membership by 2017 Image: Wikimedia Commons

tinental Europe, Cameron, pressured heavily by party backbenchers, wants more autonomy for Britain.

“Nobody can know what is to come for Europe, for Britain or for the world economy” The Party’s issues with Europe stem from the majority of European countries being more socially democratic than the UK. Most countries therefore tend to tax more, spend more on welfare and have more active policies in market control; clashing somewhat with traditional conservative values. Britain’s annual contribution to the European Union after rebates currently stands at €9bn, equivalent to a mere 0.6 cent of GDP. The deficit currently stands at 8.3 per cent of GDP. Removing ourselves from the Union would save money in the short-run which could be put towards deficit reduction, however, as the above figures suggest, to no great extent. One must also consider the nature of these contributions and potential benefits they may hold for our economy in the long run. The European Union is by far Britain’s biggest single export market, with 53 per cent of our goods bought by European nations in 2011. Upon leaving the EU, Britain would still be allowed to sell into the single market; however, it would lose any say in the governing of it. This would leave open the possibility

of the union moving further in a direction disliked by the British. The Labour and Liberal Democrat viewpoint has been backed by a number of economists, who believe overseas investors would be put off by a British exit of the Union. The National Institute of Economic and Social Research, for example, estimate that foreign direct investment would fall and as a result GDP would permanently be 2.25 per cent lower. This would equate to an overall loss, with 2.25 per cent GDP being lost and only 0.6 per cent being saved on costs. Cameron’s decision to commit to a referendum with such a time gap before it is to be held, appears then to hold a number of risks. However, the main issue Cameron now faces lies in

honouring this commitment. Nobody can know what is to come for Europe, for Britain or for the world economy between now and 2017; but if the UK is still run by a Conservative government, a referendum on Britain’s EU membership will be held. On a slightly different note, a poll in France by research agency BVA shows that the majority (52 per cent) of French people favour Britain leaving the EU, while a lesser 48 per cent would see it stay. The French, always going the extra mile to maintain relations!

Can you get your views into 140 characters? Tweet us at @Courier_comment

JAKE UNSWORTH

MARX MY WORDS

#1: Grad to Get Away It’s pretty sad and unpatriotic, but it’s true: Britain is no longer a welcome place for aspirational young graduates. The most logical thing we should all be doing is leaving. But likelihood is that we won’t: why is that? Each year around 75,000 ‘professionals’ leave Britain and emigrate; these people have an education, but often little or no family money. They are the ‘aspirational class’ who are leaving to help build someone else’s economy. They are also sensible people, doing the most rational thing. Around 2,000 of last year’s graduates went to the Far East for work. This would make the region the biggest single graduate employer by 800, 40% more graduates than PWC. A further 3,000 graduates left for the continent and North America. These nations just do not have the cultural and political hostility to aspiration that we do here in Britain. Britain is a high-tax economy; on £20,000 a year, a graduate will surrender 21% of their wage in direct taxes and fees, not only this but council tax, fuel duty, expensive public transport and 20% VAT will take a vast quantity of the £15,800 that remains. By the time that graduate has worked their arse off and they earn £40,000, HMRC will take around £12,000, along with additional duties and taxes. Ahh, but what do those taxpayers get in return you might say; world-best public services, fantastic education for their children, great healthcare and a second-to-none transport system. No. In education we’re the 21st in the world, having fallen from the top ten just 12 years ago. In the western world, there is no country where parental income and quality of education provision correlate so closely – for 21% or more tax; you don’t get fantastic education for your children. Healthcare then, in terms of outpatient care, a recent study by the British Journal of Community Nursing found that most patients would be better cared for at home; due to the proliferation of information on the internet, caring for people at home would be better than on a ward. Great healthcare? No, I don’t think so. What about transport system - some numpties think that a high speed line, getting people to Birmingham at the speed of sound, will lead directly to some kind of economic utopia. The venture will cost £32billion. A peak return from Leeds to London currently costs £300. Nick Clegg and the Lib Dems recently committed to making every 30mph zone, a 20mph zone – our transport system is a joke, without a funny ending. So you don’t get much for your money, and whilst plenty of it is spent on these three crap public services, a stupendous amount is spent on utter rubbish. Like the artist Alex Hartley, who spent £500,000 of taxpayer’s money towing 6 tons of Norwegian Glacier around the UK to ‘highlight’ climate change. Britain dislikes people who want to do well. It is suspicious of them, it wants and is addicted to - their money. While ever this is the case; those logical young graduates, the would-be engine room of our economy, will leave because it’s the rational thing to do.

The Courier

elections.15

Monday 4 February 2013

Nominations are now open for the next leaders of your Students’ Union Nominations are now open for the six Sabbatical Officer and 19 Part-Time Officer positions that represent you in the Students’ Union, the University, locally and nationally. Any student can stand, and you can choose a full time, paid position or become a part time (voluntary) officer to make a difference and gain some much needed employability skills and experience.

What are the jobs? Sabbatical Officer positions are President, Education Officer, Welfare and Equality Officer, Activities Officer, Athletic Union Officer and Editor of the Courier. Part Time Officers include Gender Equality Officer, Ethics and Environment, RAG officers and International Officer. More details and a full list of positions can be found at www.nusu.co.uk/elections

Why should I run? This is an ideal opportunity for students to kick start their career and those that are successful in running for a sabbatical position will have not only successfully found paid full-time employ-

ment, they will gain the kind of experience you wouldn’t expect in a first job. Each sabbatical officer receives an annual salary of £17,827 with 25 days annual leave plus NUSU closure days and bank holidays. Leading an organisation with a £3 million turnover and a registered charity before they have even graduated puts officers in a great position, developing skills in leadership and organisation and learning about finances, democracy, education, event management and a whole host of other skills. All officers gain experience of chairing meetings, leading campaigns, managing budgets, communicating and team building, both full time and part time. In addition to this, full time sabbatical officers have a dual role as trustee of a charity and director of a company, gaining invaluable insight into how the organisation works, and making real decisions that shape the future of NUSU.

Where could this job take me? Previous sabbatical officers have gone onto some fantastic careers and many state that they would never have got to where they are without the experience of being an officer. Ex officers from the

past 10 years now have positions as Co-Producer for Sky Sports news, Assistant Director of Newcastle University Careers Service, HR Business Partner for Lloyds Banking Group, Management Consultant for Accenture, Radio presenter on BBC and Lincs FM and the NUS Welfare Officer. A new section on the elections website gives more information on what officers have gone on to do and their views on how being an officer helped them. These include a quote from Charley Wright, the AU Officer in 2010-2011, who is currently a Graduate on the Catlin Business Management Scheme, working in the Lloyds of London insurance market. “I wouldn’t have this job without it (the year as a sabbatical officer). That simple. The step up from being admin of a club to being the AU Officer helped me to cement my organisational skills and reputation on a bigger scale and prove to myself that I had the skills to run what is effectively a business (the AU). I use those skills every day here and there isn’t a day when I don’t think about how being a sabb helped me.”

February 2012 and full details on how to run can be found at www.nusu.co.uk/elections Nomination packs can also be downloaded from here or collected from the Admin office on the second floor of the Students’ Union. To find out more about the positions, call along to ‘Speed Date a Sabb’ in the History Room (1st floor, NUSU) on Tuesday 5 February at 6.30pm.

How do I vote? If running for a position is not for you, then don’t forget to vote which opens at 12pm on Monday 25 February and closes at 12pm on Thursday 28 February 2013. Make sure you have a say on who you want to lead your Students’ Union.

How do I run? Nominations close at 10am on Monday 11th

nusu.co.uk/elections

16.fashion

Monday 4 February 2013

The Courier

Fashion Editors: Elissa Hudson and Lizzie Hampson Online Fashion Editor: Sally Greenwood

The best of the sales Dress: Topshop, £22.50 (was £59) Shoes: Next Clearance, £16 (was £45) Earrings: Accessorize, £2.40(was £8) Snood: Accessorize, £5.70 (was £19) Jacket: H&M, £10 (was £24.99)

Dress: Urban Outfitters, £9 (was £85) Ankle Boots: River Island, £30 (was £75) Ring: Whistles, £14(was £7.50) I’ve wanted this dress for ages as the cut is just amazing. The fact I got student discount on top was just the icing on the cake. So despite promising myself I wasn’t spending anymore money on clothes this January, this was impossible to walk away from. Sometimes it’s worth waiting until the final reductions as you may just find yourself a gem. You can never go wrong with a pair of tan ankle boots and for this price I snapped them up. They’re perfect for taking me from campus to Osborne Road. They’re super comfortable and give me a vital few extra inches as I’m a teeny 5ft 3”. Whistles is one of my favourite high street stores, however my student bank balance doesn’t seem to always agree with that. Sale time is therefore the perfect time to pounce as I snapped up this gorgeous yet simple gold ring which I’ve had so many compliments on.

I loved this dress straight away and thought it was a really flattering style and colour. It’s sort of Marilyn meets the ‘60s, and although it’s completely inappropriate for our current weather, it will be lovely for summer. My shoes were bought from an outlet and I couldn’t believe my luck when I saw they had my size, and they were 1/3 of the original price. I’ve been looking for some low, chunky heeled shoes for ages and these are so comfy! I threw on a cropped jacket and a chunky knit snood to make my outfit slightly more seasonal. My scarf was from Accessorize, I managed to get loads of really nice things for 70% off in their sale.

Kathy Davidson

Mathilde McKenna

Mathilde McKenna and Kathy Davidson show off their bargain hunting skills

2012’s fashion room 101

Hannah Walsh tells us which of the worst trends need to be left behind as we enter the New Year

Bralets

Mullet skirts

Head to toe prints

Meggings

There are bras, and then there are tops. ut for some reason many of us got the two confused in 2012, and are still continuing to exercise this bad habit. Now I’m all for baring a bit of midriff, don’t get me wrong, but unless your stomach looks like you’ve just walked off the Victoria Secret catwalk ladies, keep it tucked away. A midriff revealing ensemble should be sophisticated and chic, something that can be translated into an evening look. It’s not about exposing the whole of your stomach to pull this belly-baring trend off, moderation is key; it’s about showing just enough skin. For that very reason bra tops should be kept primarily in the bedroom. If at any point in the future this trend does return, keep in mind the following rule: no baring below the belly button unless you have a freakishly fast metabolism, or you’re not planning on eating that day.

The mullet is the worst haircut in hairstyle history, no doubt about it. So, let me introduce you to its ulterior form: the mullet skirt. They have been dominating the high street since early spring, and in case you haven’t been exposed to them yet, this is the hideous term for those skirts with hemlines that are long at the back and short at the front: aka the dip hemmed skirt. Quite frankly, wearing one just displays a lack of commitment on your behalf. If you want to go long, then go long, and if you want to go short, then crank up the hemline and don that mini skirt like a true Geordie lass. There’s no need to mullet over, unless you want to channel your inner Billy Rae Cyrus or have a deep love for the ‘80s. The dip hemmed skirt is one fashion trend that you should be leaving well behind for the New Year.

Even in moderation animal print is hard to pull off, but when worn head to toe this not-so-subtle trend is a disaster waiting to happen. Even a few years ago wearing any pattern from top to bottom would have been considered a fashion faux pass, not to mention head to toe in animal print. Although this trend may feel somewhat intimidating to the majority of us, and may only be reserved for the more edgy individual, a select few designers did manage to pull this look off last season. Take Peter Pilotto for instance. Those psychedelic digital prints seen on the AW12 catwalks filtered down into our favourite high street stores such as Topshop and Zara. Now if there is any variation of this trend that shouldn’t be allowed into the coming season it’s animal print, so ditch it ASAP!

Men’s leggings, otherwise known as ‘meggings’ are the up and coming hot new menswear trend. As we discovered in 2012, leggings and tights are no longer just for the ladies - celebrities such as Justin Bieber and Russell Brand have been spotted wearing them. Men’s tights have been creeping into closets globally and are said to serve as a replacement for the popular drainpipe jean trend that has become more and more common amongst males in recent years. From the depths of fashion hell, this is one of the most repulsive trends in the history of sartorial menswear; not to mention that donning a pair of leggings is sure to be the ultimate female repellant. We’re all for comfort gents, but the line has been well and truly crossed this time. As an avid Mean Girls fan, in the words of Gretchen Wieners, “Stop trying to make meggings happen! It’s not going to happen!”

The Courier

fashion.17

Monday 4 February 2013

New year, new trends

thecourieronline.co.uk/fashion c2.fashion@ncl.ac.uk | @Courier_Fashion

Wondering what looks are set to storm the high street this year? Amy O’Rourke ﬁlls us in on what we can expect from 2013

Fashion Blog of the Week www.thebriarroseblog.com

Image: Megan McMinn

Graphic Prints

Iridescent

1920s Flapper

Briefly seen in 2012, brave pattern clashes and abstract geo prints are back, brighter and bolder than ever before. These busy prints are perfect for those who love to stand out in a crowd, but can also be worn by those who prefer a more understated look by pairing a graphic piece with solid monochrome separates. Keeping accessories to a minimum and allowing the print to be at the forefront of your look is essential. This year it’s definitely going to be a case of go bold or go home.

Following on from the metallic surge of A/W 2012, iridescent, holographic fabric is set to be just as big this spring. Wearing the high-shine fabric doesn’t have to be as daunting as it sounds; sticking to one statement piece and keeping the rest of the look monochrome is the perfect way to embrace the trend without going OTT. Seen on the Dior, Burberry and Viktor & Rolf catwalks, 2013 is definitely the year to indulge in the shiny stuff.

Due to be released in May of 2013, the re-make of The Great Gatsby has not only had a huge impact in cinema, but within the world of fashion too. Taking us back to the 1920s with sparkles, fur and lace, this elegant yet edgy style is sure to be a hit this spring. Incorporating elements of this trend into your outfit ‘2013 style’ is simple; think tassels, pearls and embellishments galore. This year it’s time to embrace your inner ‘flapper’ and look to the 1920s for inspiration.

20-year-old Megan McMinn is the creator of unique blog thebriarroseblog.com. Her blog covers everything from fashion and beauty to lifestyle and even some incredibly delicious recipes! Her love of vintage trinkets and teacups is displayed in her gorgeous photographs that make you feel like you’re looking back into a time of sophistication. You’ll love Megan’s style if you like to be the one setting the trends rather than following them. She manages to effortlessly put an outfit together with a quirky edge, whether it be an eccentric Alice band or androgynous brogues with a super girly outfit, she manages to pull it off. Follow Megan on Twitter: @the_BriarRose Daisy Ridley

Online Boutique of the Week

www.orangecircle.spreadshirt.co.uk

Get 15% off at Orange Circle with the code ORANGECIRCLE15

White

Swinging ‘60s

Neon Brights

A definite spring/summer staple, tailored white trousers and monochrome dresses are sure to storm the high street after gracing the catwalks of designer giants Alexander Wang and Jil Sander. Be brave and embrace an all-white outfit by layering the colour in crisp separates, or, for the more demure, white accessories can bring an outfit stuck in 2012 right back into 2013. Although often perceived as fashion’s most tricky neutral, white is stylish, versatile and definitely not boring.

Dropped waists, short shift dresses and flower power are back in full force this year, as seen storming the catwalks of Louis Vuitton and Michael Kors, with looks inspired by the retro silhouettes of the swinging ‘60s. Already easy to spot on the high street, this 2013 trend is fun and easy to experiment with. The shift dress is back with a mature twist, higher hemlines and transparent fabrics, so just grab a pair of round sunglasses and you’re good to go!

If you didn’t dive into the sea of neon that swallowed up the high street last season, spring 2013 is your chance as we see the rise of the fluorescent hues once again. This trend doesn’t have to be as eccentric as you think, in fact infusing a pop of hot pink or canary yellow into an outfit with a clutch or statement necklace means anyone can embrace it. Sticking to flowing fabrics when buying your perfect piece softens the bright colours, meaning there’s no excuse not to get noticed in neon this year.

If you’re partial to a printed t-shirt, then you’ll love Orange Circle. They have a huge collection of original designs, offering everything from hamsa hands to unicorns, all printed on plain white t-shirts and priced at £13.79. Don’t let the oversized shape of the t-shirts put you off though, as they can be easily customised to fit whatever cut you prefer, all you need is a pair of scissors. Orange Circle’s biggest highlight has to be their Harry Potter range. Whether you go for a cosmic Deathly Hallows symbol or the design featuring Harry’s ‘cupboard under the stairs’ address, you’re sure to have something that can’t be found on the high street. Elissa Hudson

The Courier

beauty.19

Monday 4 February 2013

Beauty Editors: Amy Macauley, Elizabeth Hampson Elissa Hudson & Sally Greenwood

Trends for the new year 2013 sees the arrival of some controversial new ideas in the world of make-up. Here’s a few to look out for. Coloured Eyeliner Start the season with bright eyes for 2013 - wearing coloured eyeliner is about drawing the attention to the natural colour of your eyes by creating a contrast, and should be worn with understated lips. Styli-Style is a unique eyeliner brand that has a wide selection of colours for high-street prices and New Look have some lovely ones too. Jewelled Eyelids Dior rocked jewelled lips and eyes at the 2013 Spring/Summer catwalks, but this could be too much of a statement for a night in Sinners. Instead, make a contemporary statement with jewelled eyelids. Ideal for a glamorous costume event, face jewels can be found in Claire’s accessories and online.

thecourieronline.co.uk/beauty courier.beauty@ncl.ac.uk | @Courier_Beauty

Try something new

A new year means a new beauty regime. Molly Deaville brings us into 2013 with one of her must have skin care products

Product: Liz Earle ‘Cleanse and Polish’ Hot Cloth Cleanser Price: £14.25 (for starter kit) If you’re looking for an effective new skin care product, I thoroughly recommend Liz Earle ‘Cleanse and Polish’ Hot Cloth Cleanser. This cleanser has a rich creamy texture that is massaged into the skin, dissolving any make-up and grime. It is removed with a muslin cloth soaked in warm water; this gently exfoliates your skin whilst removing every last scrap of your make-up. Designed for all skin types, this product is perfect for anyone and everyone. ‘Cleanse and Polish’ contains naturally active ingredients, so it’s gentle enough to use on even the most delicate areas of your face. It also helps to even out skin texture, combatting any dry areas. ‘Cleanse and Polish’ also removes any excess oils from your face, ensuring your make-up looks natural and doesn’t sit on the surface of your skin. One of the best things about this product is that it is successfully de-

signed to remove all of your makeup, even mascara! This makes it ideal for after nights out or long days at Uni: there is no faffing around with separate cleansers and eye make-up removers. This product is super gentle on your skin and won’t leave it stinging and puffy. It can also be used all year round as it is so natural and mild. You can buy this product either from the Liz Earle website or from John Lewis. It is priced at £14.25 for the starter kit which includes two muslin cloths and a 100ml bottle of the cleanser. Cleanse and Polish lasts for about two months per 100ml bottle, and the muslin cloths are reusable - you can just pop them in the washing machine! This product really does live up to the hype and is excellent value for money. It definitely delivers the results it promises.

Tip of the week We all know fake tanning can be a nightmare. Not only is it a massive effort to exfoliate, buff, and moisturise prior to applying the stuff, but the mishaps that often follow can be a pain to put right. Elbows and knees are well known disaster locations, while muddy looking hands really give the game away. Hopefully using a tanning mitt or latex gloves when applying goes without saying, so I’m not talking about orange palms here. Slightly-too-dark fingers, backs of hands and knuckles, however, are often a tell-tale sign that your tan isn’t the result of two weeks spent in Marbella. To combat this, after you’ve swept a small amount of tan over the backs of your hands, just apply a pea-sized amount of hand cream and massage in. This dilutes the fake tan and leaves a natural, even finish. Simple! If you’re looking for a hand cream recommendation, Soap and Glory’s ‘Hand Food’ is amazing! Elissa Hudson

Extra Long Lashes Want to achieve extra long yet natural-looking eyelashes, as seen at both the Richard Nicoll and Louis Vuitton catwalk shows? Eylure Naturalites Natural Texture False Eyelashes give a defined and striking look, while several coats of Maybelline’s Falsies Volume Express Mascara will give you a naturally wide-eyed look without the hassle of eyelash glue. Matte Lips Enhance a minimalistic look with matte lips. Fuchsia, red, or coral are classic options that have appeared on the runways. As well as the hard wearing quality and staying power, this look will brighten those gloomy winter days. Just make sure to keep matte lips as moisturised as possible with a primer. I recommend the Kate Moss for Rimmel collection of matte lipsticks, they’re affordable whilst still really good quality. Nicole Stevenson

Neon Neon

Two Tone Manicure The two tone manicure is an easy way to achieve a striking look. Incorporating the flash of metallic look that was seen in the Monika Chaing and Nicole Miller shows in New York, it can be achieved in a variety of ways, but the easiest is to paint a dark base and finish with a thick metallic line over the top.

Huge for spring, the neon trend is yet to die out. To get the best out of your colour, first apply a white base coat, then apply your chosen neon polish over the top. The 2013 Dior ‘Cruise’ collection has three great neons, but if you are looking for a more affordable option, American Apparel and even Primark have neon polishes.

2013: nailed

Glitter nails are set to remain a With caviar nails seen everystaple among nail art lovers, but Jessica Howell ﬁlls us in on this year’s hottest nail trends where last year, thank goodness this year they come with a twist. Instead of painting the whole nail, a more there are some fresh texture polishes coming out this season. Nails Inc are chic version is to ombré the glitter, from either the nail tip or the cuticle, leading the way with their 3D glitter polish, creating a more matte effect. leaving a gradual effect. Use a classic shade for the base coat, such as a deep Their limited edition ‘concrete’ range comes in four colours, so there is no red or nude, then let the glitter to do the talking. reason to be bored in 2013!

Glitter

New Textures

20.lifestyle

Monday 4 February 2013

The Courier

Lifestyle Editors: Catherine Davison and Ellie Cropper Online Editors: Rosie Devonshire and Colette Hunter

Top 5:

Spotted Posts To the people who think geography is useless, you’d be lost without us... Quite literally. #WhomakesyourMaps?

Cute black haired girl, seems to be revising Bio-Med... If I could be an enzyme I’d be DNA helicase so I could unzip your genes!

To the guy who saw me under a table on the 4th floor, I wasn’t being weird, I was playing hide and seek

Mrs Robinson Speaks

As the curator of the ‘Spotted: Robinson Library’ Facebook page, she’s kept you going in those long, tedious nights of studying, given you free chocolate and kept her identity ﬁrmly under wraps… now, Mrs Robinson speaks! Hi Mrs R, how are you? Where did you get the idea for Spotted in the first place? Well I would be lying if I said the idea behind the page was 100% my own, as it wasn’t. Back in December I noticed a similar page for the University of Edinburgh and thought that Newcastle needed one. We can say, however, that the page was the first of it’s kind in England, but elsewhere Scotland beat us to it. As we all know, the real measure of something’s popularity is its haul of Facebook likes, and Spotted has clocked up over 8000 so far. You’re officially more popular than Newcastle City Council (1792 likes), Phil Mitchell’s Crack Hat (3518), Sinners (5226) and even that perennial yardstick of human achievement, sliced bread (7749). Not content with being the best thing since sliced bread, you’ve gone and bested it. Why do you think you’re so popular? I think the page is so popular because it’s just very funny. It’s also a much needed source of entertainment during a stressful period of exams. It’s also worth noting that it’s not the person who’s running the page that makes it funny, it’s all the ridiculous comments, photos and observations that people make in the library that then get sent it. The success of the page is completely down to the followers and how much they’re engaged in it. Nonetheless, I sometimes look at the number of likes, pretend they’re my undying fans who worship me daily and it generally makes me feel a bit better about myself. You’re still miles behind the Dalai Lama though, he’s got 4.8 million likes. What does he have that you don’t?

To the tribe of rah’s in the cafe, stop staring at me, my Greggs pasty is delicious and your Waitrose salad looks disgusting.

Well I’m not even going to attempt to compete with the Dalai Lama, he does his thing, I do my mine. Saying that, however, we do have the same outlook on happiness; “Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions” – but in my case I spread other peoples actions across Facebook for everyone else to enjoy, allowing them to take a five minute break from revision to revel in their own happiness. Any ideas on how you’re going to go about catching him up?

Robbo, Thanks for the hospitality. You’ve been great. See you in May.

Well I definitely want to keep the page popular and keep people engaged, however now that exams are over the library will no longer be the hub of social activity, and the activity of ‘library spotting’ may be a thing of the past. I’ve been thinking about launching Mrs Robinson as an all round cross-campus provider of entertainment, supporter and giver of freebies – but she may have in fact have run her course and be ready for an early retirement. I feel though, there’s still a lot to be got out of the page. With such a big audience comes a lot of interest, especially from local businesses, so I’m hoping that I can still bag you lot a whole bunch of free things, and maybe continue to run competitions

and arrange some awesome events. You were recently instrumental in bringing together two love-struck library-dwellers, in the process reminding us all what a beautiful thing true love is and giving us hope that humanity might be alright after all. Where would you rate yourself as a matchmaker on a scale from Cilla Black (amazing) to Gok Wan on Baggage (extremely poor; frequently bewildering; tedious)? No one could ever be as great as Cilla. However I would rate myself high above Gok and I reckon most other people would too. There was just so much passion and excitement in the words exchanged between our spotted couple that I knew it was to be the beginning of something special. I’m just glad I was there to bring them together. Has running the page ruined your exams as much as it ruined those of the procrastinators who read it?

to… especially when it’s something that not even Keith Lemon could get away with saying. Have there been any close shaves regarding your anonymity? Yes there have been – especially as I’m part of one of the many clubs and societies at University and everyone in that particular club knows that I am Mrs Robinson. However I have seen a couple of comments in which people have said things like “I know who this is… I’m so tempted to tag them and give it away”, yet the people who have left these comments are people I don’t actually know, or even have mutual friends with. So I’m beginning to think that they think they know who it is, but in actual fact don’t.

I’m actually very rarely in the library. I do the majority of it from the comfort of my own home. I actually orchestrated the “Round of Applause” without even being in the library – and it was a great success. Are you going to maintain complete control over the page? You wouldn’t leave us and hand over to anyone else, would you? Of course not. As long as people are still actively engaged then I will be there in all anonymity updating posts, making people laugh and trying to provide more free stuff ! Cheers, Mrs R.

Do you update stealthily the page from within the library, or work from home to prevent being uncovered?

The page has been incredibly time-consuming, but it’s been worth it. It’s safe to say that I did next to nothing in terms of revision for my one and only exam, which is reflected with such clarity in my grade. But I still have the chance to redeem myself in June, unless of course Mrs Robinson lasts until then. Do you hide the goodies you give away around the library yourself, or do you have a network of minions? The first few rounds of chocolate I did myself, and this required me getting up at 7am in order to have them hidden and myself out of sight before 8am. I really am dedicated to my followers. However on some occasions I have had some help from my anonymous minions. Do you have any favourite posts? Yes, I have a couple actually. One of the very first photos posted was of a girl dressed (not intentionally) as Wally from the Where’s Wally books, with the caption “We found Wally!!” – I was honestly crying with laughter for a good half hour. And of course the video of the newly appointed BNOC , Dave Malortie attempting to start a round of applause on level 3. That video will go down in history. It was watched by more than 100,000 people and even Microsoft Windows shared it on their facebook page. If you haven’t yet seen it I urge you too. Have you had any submissions which were simply too weird or disgusting to publish? Yes many, but less so now. I try not to judge people on the messages they send in, however sometimes it’s hard not

Illustration: Catherine Davison

Tom Nicholson and Ellie Cropper

The Courier

sex&relationshipslifestyle.21

Monday 4 February 2013

Blind Date: Spotted special

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

Verity Barter, 3rd year Psychology meets Michael Haynes, 4th year French and German student

Verity on Michael

Michael on Verity Tell us briefly how you met Upon the ritual pre-work checking of emails and Facebook, I saw a post from Spotted asking someone dressed in what I was wearing (check shirt and NUBC jacket) to roll up their sleeves so they could ‘check out their arms’. I replied via an anonymous post to Spotted along the lines of ‘ask me in person’. Spotted then posted a survey, asking whether my suitor should pluck up the courage and ask me or not. The overwhelming majority of responses were ‘yes’, although ‘Giraffe’ wasn’t far behind! Eventually, a very pretty girl sidled up to me, shook my hand and said something along the lines of ‘Hi, I’m Verity, nice arms’. The rest, so they say, is history. What was your reaction to Verity’s advances? I was flattered above all. Never have I been in a position where a girl makes the first move, so I wasn’t really sure how to react. Nevertheless, I’m glad she made the effort! What did you think of the response from Spotted? Did you expect it? I’d never have thought that our two posts would have sparked such a reaction amongst the exam-stricken students in the Robinson. Had it not been for their ‘yes’ vote to the ‘should she/shouldn’t she’ survey, I don’t know whether Verity would have come to say hello. Who says peer pressure is a bad thing? Do you ever get recognised by strangers as the spotted couple? I was bombarded by texts on the night from friends along the lines of ‘OMG YOU’RE THE CHECKED SHIRT GUY WITH THE ARMS’ but have only been recognised by one stranger in Osbornes. He now owes his mate a pint because they were arguing over whether it was actually me, the bloke off of Spotted or not.

Tell us briefly about how you met. We were bored of revising in the library, so Luke decided to find me a man and pointed Mike out. I posted a silly message on Spotted, to which he replied. Then Rachel posted the poll on Spotted asking people whether or not I should go and talk to him. I agreed that if more than 100 people said ‘yes’ I would man up and introduce myself. What did you think of the response from Spotted? Did you expect it? Not at all. I guess people really will do anything if it means avoiding revision. Do you ever get recognised by strangers as the spotted couple? I never have. Even a couple of my coursemates have had to ask to check if it was actually me or not. First impressions on meeting? He’s very well spoken, and very polite. The kind of guy you would take home to your mother. What’s your usual type? Not Mike (sorry!). Tall, dark and a little rough around the edges. What was the weirdest thing you talked about? Ummm, nothing springs to mind. I don’t really remember much about what we said at all. Not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.

First impressions on meeting? Very happy indeed! Not only had I been spotted, but by someone leagues above my own with the confidence to introduce themselves to a complete stranger. To quote Ice Cube – ‘Today Was a Good Day’.

Any awkward moments? I did say he looked cute, which apparently is not an appropriate compliment to give a guy. Who knew?

Any nerves waiting for the date? There were a tense few minutes before she arrived where I was on my own in The Fat Hippo. But she arrived fashionably late and when she did, it was well worth the wait as she looked stunning.

Did anyone dominate the conversation? Not that I noticed. Which may mean that I did. Or that I was too busy downing the wine.

What was the weirdest thing you talked about? The surrealism of the situation we were in. I mean how often do you a) pull in the library and b) become campus sort-of-celebs?!

Halfway through the date, would you have ‘no likey, no lightey’-ed by now? No. I certainly had a fun evening. What was their most attractive physical feature? Got to be his arms. Bit weird, but I have a thing about arms.

Did anyone dominate the conversation? I’m normally terrible at making conversation with pretty women, but on reflection it was fairly balanced.

What was their worst personality trait? He hasn’t seen Made in Chelsea. That’s pretty bad.

What was their worst personality trait? I’ve yet to find any bad personality traits, I must confess. She has exquisite taste in single malts, can identify an Aston Martin DB4 from only a glance and likes men who suit up. What’s not to like?!

Were you tempted to lean in for a kiss? Yes. So I did. He’s not a bad kisser. Would your parents approve? Definitely. My mother would adore him. . Marks out of 10? 7. Maybe 8 after half a bottle of wine.

What was their most attractive physical feature? Easily her eyes. But that’s like asking ‘What’s a rose’s best petal?’

How did you leave it? Will you see each other again? We’ve seen each other a couple of times since. I think we’ll at least be friends.

Marks out of 10? 9 How did you leave it? Will you see each other again? We left it well. I’d like to see her again; she has my number too and I hope she uses it.

Who persuaded you to talk to Mike initially? Were you nervous / how long did it take you?! A couple of lovely friends of mine Luke Martinson and Rachel Sanders bullied me into talking to him. It took them most of the day and a poll on Spotted. I was very nervous, but I’m glad I did.

Unlucky in love? The Courier is here to help! Send your details to c2.lifestyle@ncl.ac.uk

Jonathan Lipfriend

Lost in translation

#3 - The Jaws of fashion

Had I known writing a column for the Lifestyle section would have involved me sitting in my room reading old copies of Glamour instead of having a pint on Osbourne Road with my friends, I might have thought a little harder about accepting the offer. As it is, I am sat alone in my room (which seems to have its climate control stuck on ‘Siberian winter’) flicking through magazines and becoming more and more tetchy and frost-bitten. Thankfully genuine distraction comes when I finally reach the actual fashion section, in the form of the price tags. First though, for those of you not familiar with Glamour, let me make one important point: there are a lot of pages between the cover and the fashion section; I was getting desperate... Anyway back to the point. From the implications of the title, ‘Your wardrobe NEEDS THESE’, it doesn’t seem that the author can be a maths whiz. Just the first outfit (a cotton shirt, a skirt and shoes) comes to £1,199, or, in other words, about £100 more than what we students get to fund a whole term of living (consequently, around 720 trebles). Suddenly all of my clothes purchases feel amazingly, marvellously cheap in comparison. Is this how my housemate can justify buying two pairs of shoes and, when realising they don’t fit, just buying them again a size up? (naming no names...). I mean, what’s £100 on shoes compared to the ‘absolute necessities’ in Glamour which amount to £4,013.50? (this grand sum buys you 2 outfits and accessories, which can then be ‘reworked’ into 6 outfits, I am told). I can understand why someone would want to spend a lot of money on a fitted suit or dress. But to spend such a huge amount on basically everyday items, however cool and edgy they may be, is completely incomprehensible to me. As I continue to flick through Glamour, mostly to keep the blood from freezing in my fingers, the fashion section remains completely alien to me. What really takes the proverbial biscuit however, is the cat-walk fashion. To someone who doesn’t understand (i.e. myself), this form of high fashion looks like a selection of very tall, very skinny women wearing the most ridiculous items of clothing imaginable. It feels very much like a case of the Emperor’s new clothes as I read about how magnificent the horribly shiny stripped jackets are and how inspirational the baggy, sleeveless vest-like thing is. I honestly believe that if anyone (even a tall, skinny model) walked down Northumberland Street in any of the cat-walk fashions which Glamour praise so highly, even the people trying to save the tigers would avoid them. To give it a parallel, cat-walk fashion seems to be very akin to the artwork of Damien Hirst; it’s all very well for people to admire its weirdness and even to say that it is beautiful and worth an obscene amount of money but, honestly, would you want a shark in formaldehyde in your lounge or a wardrobe full of cat-walk fashion in your bedroom? I think not.

22.lifestyle

Monday 4 February 2013

The Courier

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

The Unmastered Art of Baking

BNOC knock...

Who’s there? Des Harwood: cleaner and maintenance man for Castle Leazes Halls

Apple and Blackberry Pie Fran Ede, student celebrity and creator of TCTV’s ‘The Unmastered Art of Baking’, guest stars in this week’s baking column, showing us all how it’s done with her favourite recipe from last semester’s series: Welcome to The Unmastered Art of Baking! Today we’re making Apple and blackberry pie. This homely classic is perfect for a cold afternoon, or a warming Sunday lunch. You can make the pastry in advance, and then simply make the filling. Used alongside my video, found at www.youtube.com/ user/thecourieronline, I’ll take you step by step to making this delicious British classic. There’s a new video every week, so prepare to be covered in flour! For the pastry: 1 egg, lightly beaten 250g plain flour 50g icing sugar the zest of 1 lemon 1025g cold unsalted butter a splash of milk For the filling: 50g butter 100g sugar 4 large cooking apples the juice of 1 lemon around 2 punnets of blackberries 1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C. 2. Sift the flour and icing sugar into a bowl. 3. Cube the cold butter into the mixture, and then break into the flour using your fingertips, until a crumb like consistency is reached. 4. Add the lemon zest and the egg, and combine. Add your milk, starting with just 2tbsp - just enough to bring the pastry together. Work in until the mixture begins to form into a ball, and as soon as it has, stop mixing. 5. Wrap your pastry in clingfilm, and chill in the fridge for at least half an hour. 6. In a saucepan, melt the butter and add the sugar, heating until it has dissolved, but be careful not to boil it as this will make toffee! 7. Peel, core and slice your apples, adding them to the sugar/butter mix as you go, and making sure all the apple is coated. 8. Put the lid on the saucepan and cook on a low heat for about 10 minutes. Add the blackberries, and replace the lid for 2-3 minutes. 9. Pour your filling into a pie or flan dish. 10. Now roll out your pastry to about a 1cm thinness, making sure that the pastry is at least an inch bigger than your dish. 11. Use excess pastry to cut thin strips to place around the edge of the dish. Coat the strips with egg wash, and then place your rolled out sheet on top. 12. Using two fingers to pinch, and one to push, seal the pastry all around the pie dish. 13. Cut a cross in the centre of the pastry (to release steam during the bake) and add your decorations. Milk wash the top of the pie, and then dust lightly with sugar. 14. Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until golden brown on top.

before my 9am Spanish speaking lesson, I took it upon myself to talk to one particular member of staff, maintenance man Des Harwood, whom I see almost every morning on my way to breakfast as he shines the floors and whistles enthusiastically to himself.

As I breeze - sometimes soberly, sometimes drunkenly - through my year living amongst the Freshers in Castle Leazes Halls, I realise I am certainly making the most of the facilities offered to me. Constantly stuffing my face with the contents of the vending machines and the Leazes shop, competing poorly in the Sunday night quiz at the Leazes bar, queuing - pre-night out - for the cash point and generally making reception a loud (and, I like to think, atmospheric) area with my friends, and arriving - post-night-out - intoxicated after trebles and pitchers and swaying past the dining hall and games rooms through the corridors and back to my own, I sometimes (after sobering up) begin to wonder who the people are who keep the place up to scratch; cleaning, cooking, sorting, fixing and maintaining, while many Freshers drink (and possibly study) their way through the year, blissfully unaware of what goes on behind the scenes in a halls of residence housing a thousand students. This is why, one cold January morning

Restaurant Review Six (BALTIC)

What is it like working in a university environment/anything funny happened during your time working here? Well, some students are friendly and will say hello on a morning, others are more stand-offish and don’t really acknowledge me and the other staff. I clean the floors so I work in many areas, and in my job you really do see everything. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve started my shift at 7.30am and had various students walking in still drunk, stumbling everywhere, some in fancy dress, and some only half dressed… I laugh along, but am reminded of the time my friend returned at around that time from a night out and threw up on the very same floor Des cleans every day… I refrain from mentioning this to him. How are the colleagues? My colleagues are really friendly; we all muck in together and working as a team means we get on really well. As he tells me this, he turns, waves enthusiastically and greets Liz, another member of staff passing through the corridor, about to begin her shift.

Worst part of the job? That’s got to be at the end of the year, when the students have moved out, and we’re in charge of clearing out the rooms, and scrubbing them all down for the new students arriving. Some of the rooms…well…after a year of student living, they can be in a pretty bad state, you can imagine. My mind is involuntary cast back to the state of my room back in September after Freshers’ week; I decide I don’t really want to think about what it’ll look like in June… Best part of the job? Probably the pay, and getting to go home! Des probably, and understandably, thought me to be very weird for approaching him - notepad and pen in hand - and more or less asking him for a brief version of his life story. However, the fact that he agreed -mid-clean- to a casual interview with a random student just accentuates that amicable and cheerful personality who greets me each morning when I am en route to (once again) stuff my face with a cooked breakfast at the dining hall. This is a guy who undoubtedly must see student living from a different angle to most…and oh, the things he must see… Holly Ingram Image: Flickr, wayne’s eye view

Opening Times Mon-Sat 12-2.30pm and 5.309.30pm (10pm on Fri /Sat) Sun 12-4pm 0191 4404948 Online bookings available.

Once cooked, you’re ready to serve. I enjoy this pie with a splash of cream, or a good dollop of custard!

Situated at the very top of The Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, Six restaurant makes a perfect location for one of the best views of the Tyne and Millennium bridge. Made entirely from glass there is almost a 360 degree view of some of Newcastle’s most famous landmarks. Welcoming staff and pleasant table decorations made for a good first impression. Their three course Sunday Lunch menu is fairly reasonably priced, although it would

How do you spend your spare time? I like to watch a bit of telly, listen to music and do some reading.

be preferable to take a parent or friend that felt sorry for you being a deprived student and offered to pick up the tab. The Citrus Cured Salmon with Orange salad was light and refreshing and was just enough to make you hungry but not over faced for your next course, and at £5 was more than reasonable. The vegetarian option - Goats Cheese Cream with Red Wine Poached Pear and Walnut Dressing - was

“There is almost a 360 degree view of some of Newcastle’s most famous landmarks” perhaps an adventurous combination, and the cheese proved to be slightly too much to handle after a few mouthfuls. A fair wait passed between starter and main so when the Roast Topside of Wallington Estate Beef arrived with all the trimmings I was ready to eat everything, including the plate. Although somewhat stringy the meat was of good quality and the seasonal vegetables were agreeable, and with a Yorkshire Pudding of good size I was more than satisfied. After being excited beyond all measure at the prospect of Roast Corn0Fed Chicken Supreme we were unsure as to what exactly was ‘Supreme’ about it, but it was nevertheless well cooked and presented. On a student budget £13 for a main is quite steep, although the January offer for two people, two courses and a bottle of wine for £30 seems manageable for a birthday or special event. The £5 Sticky Toffee Pudding with Vanilla Ice Cream was simply wonderful and worth every penny, whilst the Milk Pannacotta, Spiced Pear and Ginger Tuile offered a plethora of flavour and was an enjoyable experience for the palette. Six offers an extensive daytime and evening menu and afternoon tea at £14.95 per person, which can be upgraded to a cocktail or champagne afternoon tea. This would be a fantastic location at night as the view would be even more impressive. I would recommend a stroll around the gallery followed by afternoon tea or something more substantial - as long as none of your party has an irrational fear of heights. Then again, with such a broad cocktail and drinks menu you might JUST survive. A most enjoyable way to spend a few hours on a Sunday afternoon, and I will certainly be going back to sample some more delights on the daytime and evening menus. Image: Flickr, Uli Harder

Ellie Cropper

The Courier

lifestyle.23

Monday 4 February 2013

This Never Happened to Ewan McGregor... 1 - The smallest ﬁsh are the most evil The Gap Yah. A phrase that strikes terror in the hearts of those who prefer to consider themselves ‘travellers’ and who balk at references to Perah. At the risk of being similarly branded, I’m going to recount to you my 10 month wanderings across Asia, a tale which consists mainly of food, diving and me falling off things. Enjoy… I started my travels in Thailand, in the most remote, untouristy place I could find. This was Ao Kranom, home to some local celebrities; pink dolphins! The first thing I found, to my delight, was that no-one there speaks English. The tuk-tuk driver had me in stitches from the start, quoting countless lines from American movies, but without a clue what any of them meant. He had me at hello. After checking in to a hostel using some improvised sign language, I decided to break my first promise to my parents and rent a motorbike. Within 10 minutes I had found two new loves: biking and Ao Kranom. In this magnificent, tiny stretch of coastline, my sister and I were the only Falang (non-Thai) people I saw in our week there, with one notable exception. With me feeling a lot like Ewan McGregor in Long Way Down, we biked to a waterfall and rockpool where we met a Thai family and made friends with the kids. Turns out Thai children love Duck, Duck Goose. We then took off to find a beach and found one just down the road that was absolutely stunning and completely deserted. At the risk of gushing, I’m going to say it was perfection. It was however my first experience of the evil ‘cleaner fish’-tiny fish that eat bacteria off any wounds you may have picked up after scrambling through forests. This cleans them so is technically a good thing, but hurts like a bitch! Pathetically, I was being attacked by one of the smallest fish in the sea and swam around with my feet out of the water from ankle height, much to my sister’s amusement. A week spent like this wasn’t TOO terrible, but on our last day, in search of those elusive pink dolphins, we found the bike teetering out of control. Typically stuck halfway between our hostel and the nearest town with the sun setting, nobody else around and regardless, not quite enough Thai vo-

With Kit-Kat Johnston Monday Libby and I are going into business. We both love vintage clothing and need cash for Amsterdam, so we’ve set up our own fashion range. Sent off for young entrepreneur funding, applied for Dragons Den, set up an official Chillingham Vintage Boutique eBay account. Corner shop doesn’t do champagne, so we settle for Lambrini to toast our future success.

cabulary to say “Do you happen to have a spare motorbike tire that you want to give us?” we had a flat. After a while contemplating just how unimpressed my mum would be if the 16 year old sister I was supposedly responsible for were to die of thirst walking back to a hostel in Thailand, we were blessed when the ONLY other non-Thai person in Ao Kranom just happened to drive by and stop to help us. Bruno the Frenchman, who spoke perfect Thai, knew where the closest repair shop was and was more than happy to drive there and get all the necessary tire-changing equipment for us, must have been sent by the Gods. By sundown, we were happily back at the hostel, where not only did they not mind that we had broken their bike but they actually wanted to pay us, because they felt guilty that the bike incident had caused us to miss our chance to see the dolphins. So we left Ao Kranom completely unsuccessful in our original aim, but already besotted with everything Thai. Christy Clemence

Hottie of the Week Paddy, 22

Interviewed by Emma Beaumont

Course: Psychology Stage 3 Single / Taken? Single What’s your favourite sex song? ‘Freak Me’ Most embarrassing moment? I fell over once in the middle of the street and had to have stitches. And I walked into the girl’s toilets earlier today, that was pretty embarrassing... How are you spending your Valentine’s day? I’m actually going to the opening of the new blood donor centre. Describe your ideal girl I’m in love with everyone! No, seriously though, she just has to have a nice smile and I’ll be won over. What’s your guilty pleasure? My music taste in general is probably pretty guilty. Let’s just say I know all of the words to lots of Disney songs...

Trending Topics of the week #WaysToGetSlapped The most common use of Twitter – complaining, reared its ugly head in this trending topic as Twitter exploded into an endless stream of people’s pet hates. This trend taught us to never take food from a man’s plate, or ask an angry girl if it’s her ‘time of the month’. #WeirdTowns Some people used this hashtag to hate on their hometowns. But it’s more amusing use was the altering of town’s names; we saw simple humour at its best with the likes of Burning Ham and Mans Chest Hair. #ToMyFutureKids Twitter offered advice to future generations. Heart-warmingly many promised to love their future children, whilst others threatened to disown their unborn offspring for supporting the wrong sports teams. Valentine’s Day 14 February is swiftly approaching, and the world of Twitter appears to be dreading it already. Apart from the odd few boastful tweeters, most are either wallowing in the self-pity of singledom, or are criticising the day’s commercial aspect. #YoureMoreAttractiveIf A medium for tweeters to list the important characteristics they look for when searching for a partner. A good sense of humour, confidence, and a similar taste in music were all popular qualities. TWEET OF THE WEEK: @VeryGrumpyCat Sorry but your password must contain an uppercase letter, a number, a haiku, a gang sign, a hieroglyph, and the blood of a virgin. Rebecca Gregory

Tuesday Do a quick raid in Oxfam, fill a binbag with shirts, cardies and handbags. Spend the evening putting everything on the eBay account. Genuine vintage PandaMonium and Carnage shirts with unique marker pen customisation for £17.99 each. Boyfriend-fit socks for £6.49. Anything with permanent stains we’ve just labelled ‘grunge chic’. Emailed the links to Mum to prove I have a plan for after graduation. She replies saying that she wants her wedding dress back. She also bids on Nan’s old cardigan and three of Dad’s shirts. Business is already booming. Wednesday No extra bids yet. Try teaching myself to knit from YouTube to access the novelty jumper market. Fail. Consider investing in actual knitting needles rather than just chopsticks. We decide to extend our range into jewellery design. I start on the macaroni necklaces - so old skool, they’re practically nursery. Libby goes shopping for supplies, comes back with a massive bag of safety pins - we’ve already put some on the site as authentic 70s-style Punk earrings. I tried testing one, but turns out my belly button piercing has grown back since Year 10. Ouch. Thursday Still no bids. Reduce Punk Earrings to £5.99 a pair. All shirts now under £15. Drastically cutting into our projected profits. Libby reckons that using Instagram for the photos means that people don’t know what colour the clothes actually are. We decide we need more accessories, so we take the lenses out of all the 3D glasses we’ve picked up from the cinema. Geekalicious. Friday One bid for Libby’s Russian army jacket. Mum has removed all of her bids. Libby decides to keep the jacket anyway. Back to square one. Saturday The fashion world is too hard to break into. We agree to dissolve the company. Take all the stock back to the charity shop, buy some chocolate muffin mix on the way home to cheer ourselves up. We mix some hot chocolate powder into the icing for extra flavour. Genius. Create Facebook page for our new cupcake business. Post-graduation plan sorted. Becca Price Illustrations: Daisy Billowes

24.listings4-10February

Monday 4 February 2013

The Courier

Listings Editor: Sally Priddle

Monday

Steffen Peddie’s Chat Show 7pm The Stand Comedy Club

It’s a chat show, live with no cameras and no censor. What do we discuss? Who knows! Your host Steffen Peddie will welcome you to pull up a chair and listen to the backstage chat that the audience do not get to hear. With live stand up, chat from the guests and the chance to put forward questions yourself and maybe win a prize from the “Table of Tat”, why would you not want to be there? Tickets £3 available from The Stand’s website or online

Tuesday Refreshers Fair 11am-4pm Venue, Students’ Union

Entering 2013, does the end of the academic year already seem to be looming? Well, it’s not too late to get involved in clubs and societies – come along and sign up. It’s a great opportunity to try something new, meet a load of new people and gain some CV-friendly skills. Oh, and maybe a few freebies too!

Wednesday Go Global Chinese New Year Crafts and Games

NME Awards Tour 7pm O2 Academy

The legendary NME Awards Tour returns with one of the most exciting line-ups yet! With Django Django, Miles Kane, Palma Violets and Peace. Tickets £23 available from o2 Academy’s box office and website

10am-3pm Venue, Students’ Union

Join Go Global in their first special event in aid of the Chinese New Year. Get involved in crafts and games to learn about the traditions associated with Chinese New year in preparation for the unique trip to the celebrations in town on Sunday. Free for Students

Ronan Keating

The History Of Apple Pie

Ladies, need I say more? Oh wait, Brain McFadden is supporting Tickets £33.50 available from City Hall’s website or box office

Clearly not the best band name you’ve ever heard but they play great, grungy, ‘90s-sounding power pop. Tickets £4 available from the Dog and Parrot

7.30pm City Hall

Thursday

7pm Dog and Parrot

Poison

7pm Northern Stage

It takes the lid off the twenty-first century Chinese family, showing the tensions lurking beneath the surface. Not one of the characters is two-dimensional: all have their problems and weaknesses, and they are certainly not a stereotypical, harmonious family! Wan Fang addresses disability, alcoholism, greed and dishonesty in this slightly absurd, slightly surreal drama. Tickets free to students, or £5 for non-students

The Courier

4-10Februarylistings.25

Monday 4 February 2013

thecourieronline.co.uk/listings courier.listings@ncl.ac.uk | @Courier_Listings

Friday

Madagascar Live 7.30pm Metro Radio Arena

Join Alex, Marty, Melman, Gloria and the plotting Penguins as they escape from New York’s Central Park Zoo and find themselves on a journey to the madcap world of King Julien’s Madagascar. This celebration of friendship is brought vividly to life by imaginative sets and costumes, action packed adventure and spectacular new songs that will inspire you to MOVE IT MOVE IT! Tickets from £20 available from MetroRadio’s box office and website

Nick Harper

Something for the weekend Alternative Development: The Road Less Travelled 9-10 February O2 Academy

The IDS Conference 2013 aims to give a platform to orthodox and alternative approaches of development, challenge the dominance of western neo-liberal perspectives, and uncover realistic paths of development within the context of a diverse globalised world. IDS Conference 2013 will play host to a controversial debate between opposing views and routes of development, seeking to inform people about the strengths and weaknesses of various ideologies, and the future ahead. Tickets £10 in advance available from stand at the Students’ Union

8pm The Cluny

Not in Newcastle... With the Metro going to Sunderland, trains to Durham only £5 return with a Railcard and special weekend deals on trains and buses to Scotland there really is no excuse for your weekend or evening activities to be limited to the Toon. Expand your horizons and find out what the whole of the North East and beyond has to offer.

CATS

9 February- 2 March 2.30pm & 7.30pm performances Edinburgh Playhouse

CATS is Andrew Lloyd-Webber’s extraordinary record-breaking, smash-hit musical. Adapted from TS Eliot’s Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats, this wonderful blend of fantasy, drama and romance is set on the night that the Jellicle Cats meet for the Jellicle Ball in a sparkling fusion of music, dance and verse. With an amazing musical score that includes the timeless Memory, spectacular set designs, stunning costumes and breathtaking choreog-

raphy, CATS is a magical musical like no other. One of the longest-running shows in West End and Broadway history, CATS has enchanted audiences in over 300 cities around the world – now you too have the chance to experience this legendary musical phenomenon.

Radio Show of the week: WHOLE new radio schedule NSR is back with a whole new schedule, new shows to bring light into your week and presented by your fellow students. New shows include wonderfully intriguing titles such as Let’s Talk Farming and John McCririck’s Left Handed Parrot. The new line-up gives you the chance to experience all the variety student radio has to offer, different music, features and ramblings that show you why student media the pure genius of student radio.

Nick, son of Roy Harper and legendary British musician, bring his tour to The Cluny. A chance to see a big name in the best venue in Newcastle.

When do you tune in? Everyday from Monday 4 February

Go Global: Chinese New Year Celebrations 11am Entrance of Students’ Union

Help usher in the Year of the Snake at the City of Newcastle Chinese New Year celebrations. It is your chance to partake in traditional dance, martial arts, crafts and music. The well-known dragon dance will be performed as well.

Something free: Homemade Jam

Thursday 7 February, 8pm MensBar, Students’ Union

MensBar’s open mic night Homemade Jam is back! The standard rules apply: turn up, listen and play. It’s as simple as that – anyone is welcome, everyone that enters gets a free bottle and the best of the night will win a bottle of bubbly. MensBar’s own ‘Mind Over Matter’ real ale will be on sale for just £2.50 a bottle.

The Friday Night Show 8pm The Stand Comedy Club

There’s no better way to end the working week than with The Friday Show. Brilliant comperes, seasoned headliners and a roster of up and coming home grown comedians combine in this two hour live show. There are five acts on every bill including the very best comics from the UK and beyond. Tickets £12 available from The Stand’s wesbite and box office

We Are The Ocean

10 February o2 Academy

Four piece rock back, who are part of the rock revolution that is taking over the radio. For a little taster try their new single ‘The Road’. Tickets £12 available from the academy’s website and box office

Something to look forward to: Jimmy Carr Live Saturday 2 March, 8pm City Hall

Brand new show, brand new jokes, same old Jimmy. “Gagging Order” promises to be an hilarious night out… The show will be packed with one-liners, stories and jokes. Some clever, some rude and a few totally unacceptable. Everybody’s welcome. Just leave you conscience, sense of common decency & moral compass at home & come out for a laugh. Jimmy has sold over a million DVDs and hosted countless TV shows but live comedy is what he does best, come and see for yourself. Tickets available from City Hall website and box office.

@CourierListings

26.features

Monday 4 February 2013

The Courier

The vast supper Gluttony, greed and glory were the name of the game as RAG week kicked off, with students pitting their stomachs against the most intensely indulgent challenges Newcastle’s restaurants could throw at them. Taking inspiration from hit TV show Man v. Food, dozens of wannabe-Adam Richmans took eating to the extreme. This was not for the faint of heart – or the diet-conscious. Sally Priddle and Features Editor Tom Nicholson watched as students were stretched to breaking point as food sweats poured and vomit flowed...

Round 1: Subway foot-long speed-eat

WINNER!

The Challenge: Eat a 12-inch Subway filled with all the meats, extra cheese, all the salad and all the sauces as fast as you can.

Early frontrunners attack the titanic sub with naive gusto

Fatigue sets in at the eight-inch mark, causing dizziness, retching, and delirium

Downing the final few inches (SOUND THE INNUENDO KLAXON), all pretence of decorum and etiquette breaks down

Round 2: Domino’s pizza pig-out

The Challenge: Eat a large Domino’s pizza as fast as possible.

The revolutionary ‘double-stack’ technique gives Rob Painter an early lead

Steely determination slowly overtakes lust for pizza as the sixth and seventh slices go in...

...but it gets too much for this plucky loser, launching his lunch firstly over his shoes, then bin-ward

Name: Nick Robinson Age: 19 Course: First year, Chemical Engineering Worst point: ‘The taste. It would have been a lot easier if it tasted better.’

WINNER!

Name: Rob Painter Age: 26 Course: Second year, Information Systems and Management Reaction to prize: ‘I don’t think I’ll be using the voucher for a couple of weeks. I’m all pizza’d out.’

The Courier

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Monday 4 February 2013

Round 3: Desserts Delivered The Challenge: Eat as many desserts as possible in 5 minutes.

The unanticipated dryness of the raspberry jam doughnut takes its toll

An anonymous last-minute challenger takes a pit-stop as the competition reaches its climax

Harry Francis shows great inner strength and bouncebackability after his disappointing performance in the Subway challenge

WINNER!

Name: Harry Francis Age: 18 Course: First year, Geography Preparation for the day: ‘Rowing.’ Worst point: ‘I’m not actually a desserts man. I almost lost faith when I hit the cheesecake, it was so sickly.’

Round 4: Zapatista’s Four Burrito Challenge

WINNER!

The Challenge: Eat four burritos as fast as possible.

Dignity and table manners kicked to the curb as the burrito challenge begins

A disappointed contestant throws in the towel after a shameful one-and-a-half burrito effort

Tactical belt-loosening gives Anthony Whitfield the edge in the final furlong

Name: Anthony Whitfield Age: 20 Course: Third year, Geography Worst point: ‘The hardest point was the last mouthful. It just would not go down.’

Round 5: Zapatista’s face-melting Burrito Challenge WINNER! The Challenge: Eat one burrito with the world’s hottest salsa, featuring the legendary ‘ghost chilli’. No milk allowed. This is serious.

Initial shock as the first heatwave breaks over unsuspecting tastebuds

A traumatised contestant begins to wonder if his innards will ever be the same again

Hopelessly defeated, a challenger succumbs to the dairy temptation

Name: Sean Hooker Age: 21 Course: Postgraduate, International Law Preparation for the day: ‘None - I love hot food, but this is the hottest thing I have ever eaten’ Worst point: ‘The aftermath. I feel a lot worse now I’ve finished.’

28.arts

Monday 4 February 2013

The Courier

Arts Editors: Lisa Bernhardt and Millie Walton Online Arts Editors: Grace Harvey

From the stage to the screen revolutionary or très misérable ?

Susie May Beever comments on the latest musical-turned-movie hit Les Misérables and asks: Can ﬁlms truly capture the magic of musicals?

The Seduction of the Small Black Sketchbook “To draw in order to discover- that is the god like process” Janos from “A Painter of Our Time”, written by John Berger.

When on the East Coast train to London, hours roll by with not all that much to do. People try and defeat boredom with iPhones, kindles and the occasional gaze outside the window, yet everyone still appears glum and indifferent. Whilst drinking a bottle of wine certainly makes the clock tick faster, there is still a void to be filled. This is one of many circumstances where all those with any creative inclination ought to be pulling out a small black sketchbook from their coat pocket. It’s a damn shame that our richest ideas pass us by unrecorded and are rarely acted upon, simply because we are too involved with the distractions of daily riff-raff. But if we were to take a step back from routine, get out a pencil and sketch what our surroundings or imagination dictate, we would be able to catch those fleeting moments of ingenuity. Here are three pieces of advice to draw you into the glorious habit of sketchbook filling: 1) Treat yourself to a Uni-Pin Technical Fine liner pen set and a cheap hardbound pocketsized sketchbook In the end it is all down to personal preference, however you will find the preciseness and clarity of mark from this set of pens an easy way of getting down shape and form quickly. It’s important to get a sketchbook that you can carry with ease. Hardbound books are generally more durable and they deter temptations to rip out drawings that frustrate you. Additionally try experimenting with coloured inks, dabs of coffee and graphite pencils.

2) Take the time and effort to make your first few pages impressive and to a high standard It is inevitable that at some point a prying friend will demand a sneak through your sketchbook. Generally people only look at the first few pages, so make your first few impressive. You will also take more pride in your sketchbook with a good set of introductory pages. 3) Have no fear in overlapping sketches, poems and project ideas Ideally your sketchbook should act as a melting pot of your observations and ideas. Allowing the sketchbook to grow organically and not to be overly fussed about the final outcome of your images is important to developing a loose and free state of mind. In short, your sketchbook should appear like the jottings of a crazed genius. After all, you may just be one. James Ricketts

aving raked in over £8 million in just two days, Les Misérables has already found its place alongside recent emergent blockbusters, The Hobbit and Skyfall. Tom Hooper’s adaptation of the stage musical is only the most recent of stage-toscreen blockbusters, following in the footsteps of Mamma Mia! and Hairspray. However, despite its on-stage success, I admit I had very low expectations of Les Mis. Any film that has half the hype surrounding it as Hooper’s is surely setting itself up for disappointment even with a cast that’s more star-spangled than my baby cousin’s bedroom with those vulgar glow-in-the-dark plastic stars blu-tacked to the ceiling. Having a multitude of superhuman actors seemed just too good to be true; Wolverine, Catwoman and Gladiator all in one film? I just wasn’t buying it. Surely the Hollywood glitz attached to the film was going to detract away from the powerful story and stunning music? Happily, I was proved entirely wrong. The well-loved musical works surprisingly well as a film. Baring in mind its main selling-point is its emotional factor, the performances from Anne Hathaway and newcomer Samantha Barks more than replicate its effect on the audiences at the Broadway show. The star-studded cast and CGIenhancing don’t surpass the awesome power of the story, but instead hugely emphasise it. The cast have all had prior experience in performing in the West End and sing incredibly well meaning that Les Mis, thankfully, manages to avoid any cringe worthy mo-

ments. Initially believing that stage adaptations capture something in the audience that expensive blockbusters can only aspire to, Hooper’s Les Mis shatters all expectations. It brings the political backdrop to life, and the injustice which Hugo portrayed in the novel seems to cut even deeper. I’ve now seen it twice, and I’m considering going again next weekend in case there were any minute details I missed the first couple of times. I even took my parents to see it. My dad is the most unfeeling person in Britain - his response to my sister being born was “brill, nice one”, and the only time I’ve seen him cry is when Bradley Wiggins won last year’s Tour de France. So this was the grand test for me to see just how far Les Mis stretched its agonising tentacles of victimised children and unrequited love into its cold-hearted and self-absorbed audience. I was left aghast once more.

Surely the Hollywood glitz attached to the film was going to detract from the powerful story and stunning music? Maybe it’s the music, or maybe it’s that tear-jerking moment where Javert puts his medallion on the dead body of an eight year-old boy, but something in Les Mis left my father a changed man. Not only was the term ‘heart-rending’ used, but upon leaving the cinema, he turned to the ticket

The iconic picture of young Cosette- does the ﬁlm grasp her hardship as well as the beloved musical?

guy and said, “brill, nice one. Thanks mate”. So there you have it. Les Mis works in a way that other stage-to-screen adaptations like Mamma Mia! never even came close to. There’s less of the sickening and unrealistic happy-go-lucky factor, instead Les Mis just gets down to business of pulling at the heartstrings. Plus, Amanda Seyfried is slightly less irritating this time round. What do you think? Does the film do the musical justice? And what would you prefer: Watching a musical or its film adaptation? Join the discussion at www.thecourieronline.co.uk/arts

Oh the weather outside is frightful! As the winter snow dissolves into slush, Arts Editor Millie Walton discusses its place in literature

now is a word we’ve all heard far too much lately. Unless you’re in the Alps, it means delayed trains, red noses and wet feet. And nobody likes wet feet. But this time next year when the first snowflakes start to fall, we’ll all instantly revert back to ten year-olds: squishing our faces up against the window, pulling on our wellies and carving giant snow willies (okay, so maybe not ten year-olds). The fact is, there’s something about the whiteness, the coldness, the sparkliness of snow that’s irresistibly fascinating. And it is this absurd fascination that bewitches the world of literature. Living in a fairly temperate climate, it is very much literature that has formulated our impressions of snow providing us with the vivid images of vast snow-covered landscapes and iced mountains which we project onto the humble British countryside. As children, and to lesser extent adults, snow is the perfect encapsulation of magic and innocence. Ramond Brigg’s much-loved children’s book, The Snowman demonstrates the strength of snow’s enchantment as a young boy’s snowman comes alive at the stroke of

twelve to take him on the adventure of a lifetime. Something about the glittering whiteness makes the story of a flying snowman seem not entirely impossible. Indeed, ‘snow’ seems to belong to a fantasy world - a world from which Father Christmas comes, a world where anything can happen. Though undercutting this sense of inspired imagination and excitement is the aching cold and eerie quietness of snow. In John Keats’s The Eve of St. Agnes we are presented with a very different perspective of snow. Keats, like C.S Lewis in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, draws attention to snow’s lethality as it smothers existence, freezing rivers and vegetation, causing illness and depravity. Snow in The Eve of St. Agnes provides an ominous sense of death, whilst the frozen land-

scape in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe acts as a constant reminder of reigning evil. The lack of life in snow also provokes a huge sense of loneliness, which is paradoxically terrifying and enlightening, providing a freshness (quite literally) of thought. It is this element of paradox that renders snow so intriguing and it is through literature that we come to understand and appreciate these mixed responses. After all, writers are, largely, a thoughtful and enlightened bunch. Want to escape the newly visible concrete pavements and disappear into the beautiful, cold, magical, ominous world of snow? Read Charlie English’s The Snow Tourist and follow him on his journey to find the best snow on the planet.

The Courier

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Monday 4 February 2013

thecourieronline.co.uk/arts c2.arts@ncl.ac.uk | @courier_arts

Spotlight on... Goodnight Mr. Tom Sunderland Empire 5-9 February

oinciding with the 30th Anniversary of the publication of Michelle Magorian’s novel, David Wood’s play adaptation of Goodnight Mister Tom comes to the Sunderland Empire this February. Following a hugely successful nine-week run in London, this newest adaptation comes to Sunderland for one week only as part of its UK tour. Staying true to the well-known narrative, Wood’s production is set in the ominous, terrifying lead up to the Second World War, telling the story of Willie Beech, a boy from London who is forced to evacuate to the countryside to avoid Nazi bombardment. Coming from an abusive home, Willie arrives at the home of old Mr. Thomas Oakley, underfed and insecure. In the midst of the violence of the war Willie progresses under the loving care of Mr. Oakley in a touching tale of hope and friendship. As the country’s leading writer and director of plays and musicals for children, including the Olivier-nominated production of The Tiger Who Came For Tea, David Wood alongside director Angus Jackson promises a beautiful production of the highest quality. Tickets are only reduced for students and will almost certainly sell out, so get buying now! Tickets are £10 for students and are available from the Box Office on High Street West (Open 12 noon – 6pm, Mon – Sat) or call 0844 871 3022 or visit the website www.ATGtickets.com/Sunderland; also check out the website for the matinée and evening performances Millie Walton

Who’s the fairest of them all?

Online Arts Editor Grace Harvey presents her Top 5 Royal portraits Paul Emsley (2013): Portrait of Duchess Kate Unveiled just weeks ago at the National Portrait Gallery, the first official portrait of the new princess marks a new legacy of the British monarchy. Yet, whilst Glasgow-born Paul Emsley’s talent is undeniable, there’s just something odd about the portrait. I doubt I’m the only person who thinks this, and I’m not even sure what’s wrong with it but it is just a bit odd. It’s not bad but it doesn’t flatter the young princess. Neither Kate’s pasty pallor nor her tight lipped grin do her any favours, and at best pluck her straight out of the Twilight saga according to writer Charlotte Higgins... Lucian Freud (2001): Elizabeth II After revealing his controversial portrait of our reigning queen, Lucian Freud completely divided art critics, some revering him as the greatest artist of the 21st century whilst others held him as a greater enemy of the state than Guy Fawkes. And, to be honest, you only need to look at it to see why, and it’s not pretty. Is the Queen ugly? Or is Freud brave? Either way, the portrait is uncompromising, and whether flattering or not, the provoked debate and enthusiasm for the painting secured Freud a decent pay-check and enough curiosity to confirm his position as one of the most influential contemporary painters. Stuart Pearson Wright (2004): Portrait of Prince Philip Although there isn’t anything in particular wrong

previews

he Trials of Invisible Man is the latest gem of edgy, alternative performances coming to the Live Theatre, proving that a monologue can be an inviting experience for more than one person. The snug auditorium, renowned for staging some of the quirkiest theatre in the North East, houses yet another theatrical experiment. The Trials of the Invisible Man is a unique mixture of spoken word, stand up comedy and theatre, created and brought to life by the talented Mike Edwards. The story follows the inner torment of scientist Joseph Wells, whose experimentations with the human skin go so disastrously wrong that he becomes totally invisible. However, instead of embracing the wonderful potential of this extraordinary situation, Joseph is forced to go on the run to escape the military forces that are desperate to know his secret. As if that wasn’t enough tension already, Joseph is also forced to confront ghosts from his past, wrestle with a giant komodo dragon and regain his visibility before he disappears entirely! Edwards steers the audience through the chaos and anxiety with a comic and dramatic monologue revealing the struggle of the scientist’s bizarre situation. The result is a genetic hybrid of comedy, sci-fi and horror, targeting almost all of your emotions and promising to leave you stunned and possibly, slightly bewildered. Inna Iljina

Nicky Phillipps (2010): Portrait of William and Harry Phillipps’ portrait, whilst incredibly detailed and exhibiting what is perhaps the most ‘real’ portrait of the royals, is both suitable and sardonic. The two princes in their military finery has been a unique springboard for a relentless stream of parody and satire, and given the seemingly camp and hyperbolic stature of Will and Harry it’s hardly surprising and completely ridiculous. Andy Warhol (1985): ‘Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom’ Although not the most recent, Warhol’s portrait of Liz has firmly cemented itself into pop culture from prints, to post-cards and even wrapping paper. As part of a series of monarch’s portraits screen -printed into Warhol’s iconic style, the sheer simplicity of the art makes it the most effective and the most flattering depiction of our Sovereign leader.

reviews

The Trials of an Invisible Man Live Theatre 7 February

with Pearson’s bizarre portrait of Prince Philip, it does look as if it’s come straight out of a Wallace and Gromit episode direct by René Magritte. Yet, none of this is marginally concerning compared to the Prince’s lack of clothes in the portrait, and the scrawny display of chest-hair is disturbing beyond mere words. And on top of this, there’s a seed growing out of his finger, and a blue bottle on his shoulder. One is not amused.

Poison

Northern Stage 8 February

ake your concepts of theatre and plays and throw them out the window because Poison is in town. Introducing it as an experimental production is an understatement, centring around disability, alcoholism, greed and dishonesty, asking the audience: What is your poison? With tensions lurking under the surface from the off, we see the tale of a twenty-first century Chinese family as a translation of a Chinese play from one of China’s most prominent playwrights, Wan Fang. All the characters have their problems, issues and weaknesses resulting in no character being what they first seem which creates tensions between all members of the family. The play is not one to see for a bit of light relief as it was written with the intention of showing what great harm extreme emotions and family conflict can have on personal relationship. These complex and tense relationships can lead to people changing how they see themselves. This student run and translated production gives you an insight into a unique world and makes you question your opinions and relations with your own family; you will be emerged into a dark and cryptic world that will resonate with you on many levels. The experience is a surreal mixture of emotions and conflicts, love and loneliness, all portrayed through the relatable situation of a Chinese family. Sally Priddle

What Would Beyoncé Do?

Live Theatre 9 February

ho doesn’t judge themselves against the ultimate independent woman herself? Beyoncé: some want to be her, most seem to fancy her. Whichever way you are inclined, you can guarantee Louisa Omelian will have you indulging in pop-culture silliness in her confessional stand-up about her lack of life-achievement and rather unfortunate love life (she’s preaching to the choir here) accompanied by a huge amount of energy as she breaks into the occasional song and dance impersonation à la Beyoncé herself. Yes, she does sound ever so slightly mental, but that said, her success stems from a completely sold-out run at the Edinburgh Fringe as well as a sell-out residency at the Soho Theatre in London, establishing her as comedy’s newest diva. ‘The Independent’ hails the show as ‘part stand-up, part Single Ladies’ dance-off ’. So you know it’s going to be fun. Omielan studied comedy at Salford University and The Second City in Chicago, where Tina Fey (of Mean Girls and Saturday Night Live fame) refined her improvisation skills. What Would Beyoncé Do? was her 10th show at the Fringe in five years, but her first solo outing and an undisputable success. You are guaranteed to be in the capable hands of a professional, so get down to Live Theatre and embrace your inner diva. Anya Thaker

Sun, Wind and Weather Laing Art Gallery 15 December 2012 - 19 May 2013

rudging trough the brown mud which used to be pretty white snow which continues to cover Newcastle’s streets, the idea of visiting an exhibition about the weather and beautiful sunny landscapes does not seem to be particularly appealing. However, the Sun, Wind and Weather exhibition currently on show at the Laing Art Gallery might exactly be the place to lift your rainy post-exam spirit. The small-scale exhibition features a range of stunning landscape paintings which majestically capture the effects and variations of sunlight, clouds and wind in a variety of settings. From the Scottish Highlands to Scarborough Beach and Durham Cathedral, the mainly French and British painters, including Albert Goodwin and Charles-Alexandre Coëssin de la Fosse, explore the visual capacities of weather both from an aesthetic and emotional point of view. By infusing their mostly anonymous landscapes with a specific atmosphere, utilising an either ‘warm’ or ‘cold’ colour spectrum, they create sense of connection with the places, representing the very human tendency to develop an attachment to their environment and a sense of belonging. This visually-attractive exhibition manages to offer an accessible range of art that can be enjoyed by gallery aficionados and first time visitors alikeentry is free as usual, so do pop in if you’re sick of muddy snow! Lisa Bernhardt

30.musicreviews

Monday 4 February 2013

The Courier

Music Editors: Sam Summers and Chris Haywood Online Music Editor: Sophie Coletta

How to Buy...

Pedestrian Verse

Frightened Rabbit

Gothic Rock

Getting into Goth is frightening as it is without having to wade through the massive amount of generic, sludgy records. Sam Summers is here to sort it all out... For Beginners:

Siouxsie and the Banshees Juju (1981)

Siouxsie Sioux and her oft-rotating group of Banshees began life as a particularly dark punk band, easily morphing into Gothic pioneers as the former genre started to peter out. Songs like ‘Sin In My Heart’ are essentially punk songs with slightly creepier guitars and titles like ‘Sin In My Heart’. There are poppy songs here too, like the lush ‘Arabian Knights’ or catchy opener ‘Spellbound’, mixed in with undeniably disturbing stuff like the brilliant ‘Night Shift’, a first-person account of necrophilia, or ‘Head Cut’, in which Siouxsie decorates her flat with severed heads. Juju is very, very dark in its timbre and its themes, but it wraps it all around a set of tunes that anyone can get into.

t’s difficult to admit sometimes that a band’s best work may well be behind them. In Frightened Rabbit’s case, that would be The Midnight Organ Fight, 2008’s masterful break-up record which laid out frontman Scott Huchison’s dirty laundry in full view, making for stunning but uncomfortably confessional listening. Whilst follow-up record The Winter of Mixed Drinks was occasionally brilliant, it lacked that emotional sledgehammer found in their previous album, with a slightly polished-up sound. Now signed to major label Atlantic, it’s make-or-break time: to tone down the harsh, well, ‘Scottish-ness’ of it all (i.e. liberal swearing and misery) for a more commercial listen, or step up and use those studio bells-and-whistles to progress? Pedestrian Verse is a mix of both. And it’s an absolute cracker – production-wise, this is closer to The Winter of Mixed Drinks but with an even bigger heft (see the huge riff of recent single ‘The Woodpile’). However, here there’s even a little dabbling with slight electronic flourishes and unexpected instrumentation – opener ‘Acts of Man’ slinks out of earshot with woozy synths, and I’m pretty sure there are tin pans hidden in the background of ‘Holy’. Using a bigger budget and more options, Frightened Rabbit have embellished their sound without cluttering it, creating a record which demands repeated listens to catch every melodic fragment. For all that the production’s stepped up a notch, it’s clearly not in a cynical bid to hook in a Radio 1 crowd. Their frankness is still abundant, their songs still full of personality setting them far apart from other indie-rock bands.

For Experts:

Opposites

Sisters of Mercy Floodland (1987)

For The Bin:

Bauhaus Mask (1981)

The thing about choosing a crap Goth album is that for most of its lifespan the genre was the domain of cookie-cutter dirgechurners with names like ‘Balaam and the Angel’, ‘Sex Gang Children’ and ‘Virgin Prunes’. There are a lot of crap Goth albums, and most of them you’ll never hear. Mask is one album you are in very real danger of hearing. Bauhaus pretty much founded the genre with single ‘Bela Lugosi’s Dead’, so it’s only natural for someone interested in Goth to seek out their biggest album. According to a lot of critics this is it. The singles are still good, but the album tracks are a bunch of ridiculous spoken word pieces, in which singer Peter Murphy spouts such non-sequiturs as ‘I will climb this high wall in remembrance of Clancy’ and ‘this is how you make fishcakes’. Just buy a best of.

Frightened Rabbit have embellished their sound without cluttering it Best of all though, there’s an abundance of melody in Pedestrian Verse, picking up where Mixed Drinks’ more upbeat numbers left off and running with it. ‘Backyard Skulls’ thunders with ‘Bloodbuzz Ohio’-esque drums, ‘Holy’ rattles along on a soaring chorus, and ‘Late March, Death March’ ambles on Arcade Fire-esque strumming. For a genre often seeming stagnant, there’s real variety and personality. Simply put, this is the band’s best since Midnight Organ Fight. Will it ever better that album? Only time will tell, but that it has such potential is a truly ringing endorsement. For a record titled Pedestrian Verse, this is anything but pedestrian. Recommended download: ‘Holy’

Ben Travis

If you like this, try ... The National High Violet

The National’s breakout album brought their muddily-produced misery-rock to wider attention. Chock full of beautifully downbeat melodies, the run of tracks from ‘Bloodbuzz Ohio’ onwards is genuinely incredible.

ANNA

Biffy Clyro

The original Sisters Of Mercy completely disbanded following their debut, First And Last And Always, leaving frontman Andrew Eldritch with nothing but the rights to the name, the deepest baritone you’ve ever heard coming from a white man and one of the Gothiest stage names in all of Gothdom. He recorded his masterpiece pretty much singlehandedly, resulting in a sprawling symphony of singular vision and flamboyant insanity. Centrepiece ‘This Corrosion’ is the greatest Gothic rock song ever recorded. It makes full use of all ten of its decadent minutes, sticking a call-and-response pop chorus in the middle of an operatic choral intro and an obscene hard rock guitar solo. Epic never felt this epic.

That personality comes from a different perspective this time around though – where The Midnight Organ Fight was absolutely, intensely personal in its lyrical focus, this time Hutchison turns his gaze outward to tragic tales of downtrodden families and urban squalor. It’s remarkable that this never makes for depressing listening, invested with wit and fighting spirit. Frightened Rabbit have retained their emotive appeal, but in looking to different inspiration, it’s a welcome progression.

Anthems

The Courteeners

Pure Love

Recommended download: ‘A Girl And His Can’

Recommended download: ‘Money’

Recommended download: ‘Beach of Diamonds’

he beautifully bearded Biffy Clyro are back, four long years since the release of their last record, Only Revolutions. Opposites makes the wait worth it though. Reverting back to their alt-rock roots, Opposites effectively compiles the best bits from their previous five releases whilst also managing to bring something completely new to the table. The record does exactly what it says on the tin. From deep grungy guitar riffs in ‘Different people’ to alternative pop rock in ‘Opposite’ this album tries to do everything, maybe even too much. Disc 1, titled The Land At The End Of Our Toes, opens with a slow intro, sounding like something by Snow Patrol. ‘Black Chandelier’ follows, which was the second single, and mixes the haunting lyrics ‘two of us and a cute little cup of cyanide’ with an incredible catchy tune. ‘A Girl And His Cat’ will be the one echoing around festivals, and with the distinct catchy tune and fantastic Neil lyrics ‘you can build a house but not a home’ it is sure to be a favourite with listeners. Disc 2, or The Sand At The Core Of OurW Bones, is made of more heavy rock with first single ‘Stinging Belle’ which is indisputably Biffy – ‘grow some balls and speak your mind, think you’re cool like a porcupine’ – giving the old school fans more of what they know and love. With some strange and out of place tunes like ‘Spanish Radio’, this album will bring mixed reviews. To the old school Biffy fan it’s a masterpiece, but if you’re going to listen to this after enjoying Matt Cardle’s horrific cover of ‘Many Of Horror’ it’s going to be your worst nightmare.

James Simpson

lethargic sloth trying in vain to wake you up from a light nap is what comes to mind when listening to this new offering from the ‘Not Nineteen Forever’ hitmakers. It’s not awful, it’s not even bad, it’s just nothing. Opening with ‘Are You in Love With a Notion?’, sounding like one of The Strokes’ worse tracks, it doesn’t really set your ears up for much. Then, despite a faint glimmer of something a bit different in the intro to ‘Lose Control’ comes another meek face-slap as the following three minutes sets you back into The Strokes-meets-Two Door Cinema Club-but-not-as-good-as-either zone. That’s not to say it’s all bad; tracks like ‘Van Der Graaf ’ at points make you wake up a little bit, and the lethargic sloth tickles some life back into you for the verses. However that might just be because it sounds almost exactly like a Kasabian track, and the chorus is again like being presented with a little box of air. The highlight is ‘Money’, a genuinely good song. It’s found crouching ready near the end of the album, preparing a punch to the teeth for thinking the album had nothing to it. Catchy, heavy riffs and anthemic vocals set you up for what could be a classic driving song, and it even has little breakdowns and guitar solos. The only flaw with this awesome track is that the rest of the album was nothing like it. Overall then, ANNA is a particularly miserable and limp attempt at what could have been a great album from one of the mainstays of the waning indie genre. It’s a frustrating listen: nothing, nothing, nothing, oh wait there’s something good! And now it’s gone.

Tom Payne

he departure of Frank Carter from hardcore punk outfit Gallows has led to the birth of quintessentially British hard rock band in the form of Pure Love. There is a clear departure from his previous work on Grey Britain, both lyrically and musically. This could be down to his new partnership with exHope Conspiracy guitarist Jim Carroll, also from a hardcore background. The album is filled with big, hook-laden anthems, all of which come complete with heavy riffs. ‘She (Makes The Devil Runs Through Me)’ opens with gritty guitar, and sounds like an angry Johnny Marr. This sound is quickly left for dead as the reason for their first effort being aptly named Anthems becomes clear. The lyrical content is far removed from Carter’s previous writing. Lines about love and hope abound in ‘Bury My Bones’ with a more positive outlook; ‘I’m so sick of singing about hate, it’s time that I made a change’. ‘Beach of Diamonds’ is unmistakably catchy, though this can be said for most of the album. ‘Handsome Devils Club’ is a great backdrop for Carter’s lyrics, rattled out in his recognisable North London twang. This album couldn’t have come at a better time, after all there is a large gap in the market for the next great guitar rock band. Those who say guitar music is dead are proven sorely wrong by this record; it is both soulful and heavy in its sound, and heralds the return of Carter with a new sound which is clearly the brainchild of both himself and of Carroll. Pure Love are a band, not a one man project.

Max Palmer-Geaves

The Courier

localmusic.31

Monday 4 February 2013

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

sceNE: Nadine Shah

Unknown Pleasures

Delving into the region’s exploding music scene, Charlie Dearnley brings you a sample of what the North East can offer... No artist. No title. sat in the Baltic’s vacant café, waiting in the dark for Nadine Shah’s arrival. The effervesNo clue... cent glow from the lights outside wandered

through the door casting a dim light onto my notes, only to be broken by her arrival… a shadow fell across the table, throwing the salt and pepper into darkness. Contrasting this foreboding setting, Nadine was all smiles and laughter. She walked in, apologised for the lack of light, and despite nervously waiting to go on stage in front of a few hundred people she was incredibly chatty. Upstairs the stage was set, waiting for her to sit down and harmoniously sing sorrows through the room. She commented that the use of Newcastle’s largest art gallery as a concert venue is “slightly ostentatious, but fuck that,” she wants there to be a “real sense of occasion” for her first major E.P release. Aching Bones resonates an ominous darkness. It is genuinely haunting as Nadine’s vocals reverberate around the room like an otherworldly cry for help. When asked about what inspires her to make such spine tingling music she was brutally honest and stated that, “some quite shitty things have happened.” She jokingly followed this up by asserting that she’s looking for some new inspiration, and so if anyone were to be overly affected by her performance and subsequently “top themselves and jump off the bridge,” then it might actually be helpful. She laughed and I nervously reciprocated. She reaffirmed that she was just joking, with an irreverently mischievous glimmer in her eye, and we swiftly moved on. Nadine began her musical career working the London jazz scene, playing with aged and skilled musicians, an experience which taught her a great many things, including the dynamic respect needed when playing with other artists, especially in improvisational jazz when reacting quickly to the soloist is vital. She then went on to write songs to be played with just a piano, largely because it’s “cost-effective,” and she “couldn’t afford to hire musicians.” All of this experience has rendered her ideal as an artist manager and she now manages bands as well as maintaining her own reputable solo career. She’s aware that managers can get things very wrong, as she herself has been given some exceptionally inappropriate gigs in the past. One such

This week we gave metal fan Scott Tailford a copy of Belle & Sebastian’s twee pop masterpiece without telling him what it was. It did not go well.

Belle & Sebastian

If You’re Feeling Sinister (1996)

‘O example is when she was placed in between the Sugababes and Pixie Lott. Her meaningful and somber lyrics were understandably quite out of place in amidst the sickeningly happy dancing and bright colours that sat either side of her. This really knocked her confidence, though one wouldn’t have guessed it from her performance that night.

Nadine’s show at her E.P launch was indubitably enchanting, each song held the audience captivated on every unfaltering note. The addition of drums and a bass to her tracks helped fill the room with a wash of ethereal sound, which when coupled with her relaxed nonchalance resulted in a memorable concert from a profound and brilliant artist.

What is the future of jazz in Newcastle? Keith ‘Jazz Man’ Crombie remembered by campus Art Café

ucked away at the back of the Arts Building, the Fine Arts café has been officially renamed in honour of the late Keith Crombie which has been transformed for the evening into a mock-up Jazz Café. It’s a loving, carefully done tribute; the café has been decked out in the signature Jazz café gingham curtains, the usually white lights filtered by paper covers into ambient yellows and reds. Tea lights flicker in the centre of each table. Footage of Keith himself, in his element in the café and on the streets of Newcastle, plays on computer monitors lining the walls. Most vitally, of course, is the live jazz band. It is also very busy. You don’t run Newcastle’s most unique live jazz venue for twenty years, it seems, without amassing a fair number of friends. The night is not only a tribute to Keith himself – man, character, legendary hat, and so forth – but a celebration of the café’s future. The aim is to start a co-operative, to buy the original café in Pink Lane, renovate it if necessary, and reopen it as a live jazz club once more. It must be authentic, but sustainable; a preservation of the atmosphere of Keith’s original, but with a new, more effective business model. The co-operative will be made up of those who admired Keith himself, the uniqueness of the café, and those who are committed to live jazz. ’The Café was Keith,’ a representative of the coop tells us. ‘And there will never be another Keith.’ He’s right - the café is undeniably Keith’s legacy.

But the co-operative isn’t merely trying to pay tribute to Keith; nor does it want to make the café into a shrine. They recognise above all else the importance on maintaining it as a music venue. ‘He started something great,’ he adds. ‘And we were hoping to build on that’. But to transform the Pink Lane café into a successful venue will require more than coloured paper and candles – a major renovation is in order. The night is the first in a planned series of promo-

tional evenings of live jazz, to keep interest in the café alive, but also to raise funds. My £1.50 plastic cup of wine feels altruistic. I have three more, out of charity. Drinks aside, it will be a long, uncertain stretch of time before the café can open again in Pink Lane, but if you’re interested in getting involved, then the sooner it will return. Email pinklanejazzcoop@gmail.com. Lydia Carroll

h, it’s one of those’ I thought. It’s one of those ‘one-man-and-his-guitar’ indie pipsqueaks, insisting on speaking softer than a newborn kitten whose making a bed in a cloud whilst strumming through the same old chord progressions that are outlined in the first issue of ‘My First Guitar’. Throw in the occasional piano interlude and add a brass section to perk up every now and then when the caffeine kicks in, and you’re guaranteed to convince the majority of fresher students that it’s all very ‘interesting’ and ‘layered’. Usually with any review of decent music, you’re spurred on to say something because the music itself awakens that little ball of creative fuzz inside you that needs to bounce off the walls and make sure someone notices how you feel. It’s rare that I encounter an album as ultimately uninteresting and utterly devoid of any remote eyebrow-raising hook that I’m left sitting, gawping emptily at the computer screen and struggling to stretch the word ‘meh’ into 499 more. Each and every song is as completely unmemorable as the rest, at least in any positive sense. There is one standout though, and please, if you’re a fan of whatever this is I implore you to listen to track 5 [‘The Fox In The Snow’] and tell me that ending repeated line doesn’t sound like ‘farts in the snow’. ‘Interesting’ I’m sure you’ll agree. Sorry, my apologies. I’m getting rather carried away. I mean its all very serviceable, this sort of thing. It ticks all the boxes of bland with a gilded feather quill, so perfect is its execution of utter turgid boredom that you really have to just doff your cap and say ‘carry on’. Randomly twee, Twilightian lyrics that if you sat and forced yourself to ascribe some meaning to, you could maybe eventually do so, safe in the knowledge that only you truly ‘get’ whatever they’re warbling on about and nobody else. I’ll tell you what it reminds me of: Y’know the kinda stuff that you say you enjoy because your girlfriend does, back when you were first dating, but really you HATED it with the passion of a thousand burning suns? It’s one of them, and it’s awful. I mean there’s got to be people out there that like this tripe right? Wandering skeletal human rakes, clad in jeans tighter than the deficit, looking as though they’ve misplaced their sexual organs at whatever recent charity shop they were at when they purchased their latest woolly bobble hat. To them I say enjoy, you’re too far gone to save anyway.

The Courier

musicfeatures.33

Monday 4 February 2013

Don’t call it a comeback ...

Except, well, it sort of is. For whatever reason, the past month has brought us a string of unexpected comeback singles from some of music’s biggest names - dead or alive. We rank them from worst to best. 16

Jimi Hendrix

‘Somewhere’

David Bowie ‘Where Are We Now?’

‘Somewhere’ is the first single taken from People, Hell and Angels, an album of previously unreleased material out March 4th. Unfortunately, it follows a similar pattern to most of his recent posthumous releases. It’s got everything we’ve come to expect from a Hendrix track – a groovy riff, typically strong vocals and a trademark guitar solo – it just lacks that something special. Don’t get me wrong, it’s nothing bad, it just doesn’t have the spark that much of his earlier work possesses. There’s clearly a reason why it’s been left unreleased for so long. It’s now time to focus solely on the material that saw him become the greatest guitarist in rock history.

It’s been 10 years since we last heard from Bowie, but the sleepy rhythm and the wistful chorus of his new song made us believe again. The new single from his next upcoming album The Next Day engages romance, vulnerability, power and introspective nostalgia; with his quietly defiant vocals and decaying synths Bowie returns to reclaim his status as rock god. ‘Where Are We Now?’ is a pure Bowie composition that will get to your bones from the very first chord. So go ahead and check it out because this is just the first peek of the upcoming March album. The Thin White Duke is back!

Matty Aston

Carlos Manrique

Justin Timberlake

‘Suit & Tie’

I’ve been given 150 words, I’ll need 4: WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK? Was he high when he produced this? I don’t know. I don’t even get what this is about. It speaks volumes that my mam ‘quite likes it’ and thinks he’s matured. It has the classic JT component: it’s extremely catchy, and it does make me want to put a tie on and take my woman out on the dance floor, but there’s something just not right. The only saving grace is that Jay Z brings this hazy and trippy tune back to Earth. It’s sad, really, that the guy who single-handedly brought sexy back has quite honestly brought nothing back to the world of suave and sensual macho music. Eve McGeady

Destiny’s Child ‘Nuclear’

For those who followed the girlband through their first phase it’s hard not to expect something amazing. This comeback single is a nice soft melodic piece but it’s no ‘Survivor’ or ‘Bug-A-Boo’. Though they are older, I see no reason for them to slow it down; Beyoncé may have a child but still has her feist, and Kelly Rowland has said she’ll be a commander – potentially a dominatrix. It’s not that I don’t like it, it’s just the sense of disappointment when you compare it to the old upbeat, powerful, feminist songs we know and love from them.

Mausi ‘Move’

A year and a half on from their critically acclaimed single ‘Sol’, Mausi return in 2013 with an elevating new track, the electric-indie offering ‘Move’. With skies grey and snow on the floor, there’s not much that currently feels like summer, but the uplifting beat to the new single, intertwined with the crisp, catchy vocals of Heaton-via-Italy’s Daisy Finetto, means that this track is one us Northerners can call our own, while dreaming of that sunshine we’re so sorely missing. It’s pretty difficult to listen to this track and not pick up the lyrics so as to sing along. A shoulder shaking toe tapper, it for me is their best offering to date. It not only makes you feel like it’s summer, but you’ll play it at parties all summer long. The sun might not be shining, but when it is, you’ll still be playing this track.

6 2

Ian Mason

Josh Nicholson

Suede ‘Barriers’

After a decade-long hiatus, fringe Britpoppers Suede are on the comeback trail. With new album Bloodsports due in March, the band have released taster single ‘Barriers’. Although a vast improvement on some of their previous output, it feels slightly plastic; while the soaring strings and guitars are undeniably epic, it’s unauthentic - especially with twee lyrics about “aniseed kisses and lipstick traces”. It’s all just a little bit too Snow Patrol. So here we are: a decade after the acrimonious split fuelled by drink, drugs and, erm, chronic fatigue, a set of balding men burst back onto the scene to top up their bank accounts. Sound familiar? Of course it does. They can’t expect to find a new audience - but old fans are in for a treat. Alex Bell

34.tvlistings

Monday 4 February 2013

The Courier

TV Editor: Chris Taylor Online TV Editor: Ben Parkin

Top

30 Rock episodes to rewatch while you mourn its end

Tracy Does Conan, Season 1 Episode 7 The episode where the first season really started to hit its stride. Tracy is set to appear on the Conan O’Brien show, but is busy having a mental breakdown. His last appearance on the show saw him try to stab Conan yelling “I AM A STABBING ROBOT”. This one includes the notable appearance of Tracy’s hallucinatory vision ‘the blue dude’.

MILF Island, Season 2 Episode 11 The highlight of what is possibly the show’s best season, ‘MILF Island’ may well be THE best episode of 30 Rock. The fake show-within-a-show is an absolute classic, and Liz Lemon’s downfall running parallel to competing MILF Deborah’s schemes is a stroke of genius. Fey’s writing delivers some truly killer lines here.

Louie

Fox, Tuesday 9pm

ouis CK is a man who likes to do things by himself. He’s felt the heat of the writers’ room as a staff writer on shows such as Late Show with David Letterman and The Chris Rock Show, also penning Pootie Tang, the spin off movie to a Chris Rock sketch, but he’s had enough. He wants creative autonomy and with Louie, he very much gets it. Writer, director, editor, star, producer, guy who goes to get the crew their lunch, Louis is a jack-of-all-trades, master of, well, all of them. At first glance you might think the “off stage comedian” sitcom is one that has been done already,

Utopia

Apollo, Apollo, Season 3 Episode 16 Jack rediscovers a video of himself receiving a present for his fifth birthday and being so pleased with it that he throws up everywhere... he just can’t remember what the gift was. Cue an epic search involving deaf lip-readers to discover for his lost youth. Meanwhile, the rest of the TGS crew convince Tracy he’s on a mission to outer space.

The Problem Solvers, Season 4 Episode 5 Not the most consistent season, but this episode is chock full of amazing one-liners. As new cast member Danny joins the TGS team, Jenna and Tracy reinvent themselves as ‘The Problem Solvers’ in a very unhelpful fashion. Liz tries to negotiate a deal for her Dealbreakers TV show without Jack.

Jackie Jormp-Jomp, Season 4 Episode 18 Jenna’s Janis Joplin biopic hits a major snag when they fail to secure the rights for any of her songs, or the use of her name; and so, Jackie Jormp-Jomp is born. The project looks set to bomb, until Jenna’s reported as dead and becomes a posthumouslybeloved celebrity. Liz is off work for sexual harrassment and accidentally joins a fight club. Ben Travis

and extraordinarily well at that in the form of Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm, so why do we need another? There’s something about Louie that puts it in a whole other place to Seinfeld or Curb. This isn’t to say it’s better, it’s probably on the same fantastic level, but it’s something different. This might come down to the fact Louis CK does have this creative autonomy and a low budget which means he is answerable to no-one. Producers don’t want to look over scripts so there are no restraints on what the show does. There are often times where things just get quite surreal yet are not even questioned. Louie’s agent, for instance, is a teenager. In one excellently odd scene, Louie has a masturbatory fantasy in a lift that is interrupted by a Chinese man with a literal bag of dicks. But alongside this inconspicuous surrealism is some true heart. The majority of the show is fo-

Helen Jamison

Chris Taylor

Girls

Channel 4, Tuesday 10pm hannel 4’s new six part thriller explores a small group of people on the run from a secret organisation known as ‘The Network’ who ruthlessly want to wipe out anyone involved with the manuscript of a cryptic graphic novel named ‘Utopia’. Starring Nathan Stewart-Jarrett (Misfits), Adeel Akhtar (Four Lions) and Alexandra Roach as Ian, Wilson and Becky, who find themselves tangled up in a deadly Government conspiracy over their knowledge of ‘Utopia’. We’ve already been served up an interesting blend of Soviet germ warfare plans, an eyeball torture scene involving chillies and a spoon (I imagine it was very difficult for anyone who wanted to pop into Tesco and buy these items the day after), two very dodgy hit men, a gruesome blackmail plot concerning a pregnant Russian prostitute and probably the most cringeworthy drunken sex scene in television history. Utopia takes a refreshing, surrealist spin on the thriller genre with its eerie soundtrack and enigmatic cinematography which the likes of Stanley Kubrick would be proud of. The pacing is generally slow, but peppered with enough shocking revelations and shoot-outs to keep you gripped and Fiona O’Shaughnessy gives a striking performance as the elusive Jessica Hyde, a hard as nails ‘Lara Croft’ type lady who’s optimistic life motto is “Adjust or die”. With more twists and turns than a rubix cube, Utopia leaves you with more mind-boggling questions than answers, as the mystery unfolds further into something very sinister concerning a flu pandemic. Obscure conspiracy theories with a dash of blood and torture thrown in the mix for good measure. Lovely.

cused on the life of Louis’ on screen persona who is much like himself, a single dad of two. The show is at its greatest when focused on his relationship with his two daughters. He’s well-meaning but sometimes his daughters have the propensity to be really annoying, often seeing Louie flip the bird at his daughter behind his back. Yet you can still tell he loves these girls more than life. It knows when to be serious, and boy does it get a bit dark in places, and it knows when it can make a load of fart jokes. Mixing dates gone wrong escaping via a helicopter in the middle of the street with sentimental late night chats with his daughters, it shouldn’t work but it does and it does it well. It’s this fine high wire act that gives Louie that amazing appeal that is generational, much like Seinfeld.

The Following

Sky Atlantic, Monday 10pm

Sky Atlantic, Tuesday 10pm

n its first season, Lena Dunham’s Girls managed to straddle the line between being critically adored and derided in fairly equal measure. It was praised for its unflinchingly realistic portrayal of the lives of barely-employed college graduates, while at the same time condemned for its astonishingly irritating cast of characters and almost complete lack of non-white actors. The first episodes of season two immediately address the latter issue, introducing AfricanAmerican Donald Glover – of Community and being-quite-a-good-rapper fame – as lead character Hannah’s new boyfriend, Sandy. Dunham even goes further, totally deconstructing the criticism in an argument which reveals Sandy to be an avowed republican and has Hannah hilariously claim that she ‘didn’t even notice he was black’. As for the complete obnoxiousness of Hannah and her friends Marnie and Jessa, it continues unchecked, and remains incredibly entertaining. Anyone who is appalled rather than amused by self righteous hipsters might want to give it a miss. As for the characters you wouldn’t want to bludgeon to death, season two finally brings together one of the greatest telly couples going at the moment, Ray and Shoshanna. Every scene they shared last year made me squee like a teenager, and being able to listen to their adorable pillow talk this season – ‘We should bathe a pig together!’ ‘What’s better than bathing a pig?’ – is immensely satisfying. We also get to see more of Elijah, Hannah’s now gay exboyfriend who steals every scene he’s in. If you’re after some old fashioned sitcom relationship drama but don’t want to lose your hip cred, hit this one up.

tarring Kevin Bacon as an FBI agent (Ryan Hardy) who finds himself in the middle of a serial killer’s crime ring, and James Purefoy, as a college professor (Joe Carroll) turned mass murderer, the series The Following has been heavily marketed by Sky Atlantic as the new dark, brooding drama series which seeks to follow the serial-killer episodic footsteps of shows like Dexter. After seeing those EE adverts all over the place (seriously, leave us alone), Kevin Bacon is everywhere and no-one is really sure why. The poster boy of the 80s who saved a whole town from... not dancing now has his own show. And yet after watching the first episode it just seems tiresome and trite rather than the Silence of The Lambsmeets-Charles Manson drama that we were so seemingly promised. A thin script and far-fetched storyline leaves you wishing for maybe a dash of reality in what is a poorly executed premise. We are led to believe that the imprisoned and infamous serial killer, who is kept under a scrutinized lock and key, has unlimited access to the internet and social media to orchestrate murders, kidnaps, and grotesque crimes through a group of copycat killers dotted around America. And yet investigators are none the wiser even though the cause and crime seems to be staring them in the face. It’s almost too implausible to believe, and thus it’s difficult to really watch with an open mind. There is encouraging suspense and swift-slick violence that seems promising at points, but interlaced with eye-rolling melodrama and gratuitous gore, it’s merely a step too far in the cliche of rehashed brutality of American TV. Is this maybe signaling the demise of the serial killer trope?

Sam Summers

Beth Durant

The Courier

featurestv.35

Monday 4 February 2013

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

‘13: Unlucky for some, lucky for TV

2013, despite being one of the worst-sounding years, has some corkers lined up for your TV viewing pleasure. Returning favourites, new exciting US exports and homegrown goodies, 2013 has something for everyone. TV Editors Chris Taylor and Ben Parkin alongside Sally Priddle guide you through what to expect!

think we can all agree that “2013” just doesn’t have the same ring to it as “2012”. It’s already off to a pretty poor start as we have to face the one two punch of the end of the great 30 Rock and The Office US, the latter of which although having a huge lull in the middle of its run has managed to pick itself up in recent seasons. But while the first few weeks have been mourning the passing of The Girlie Show with Tracy Jordan and Dunder Mifflin paper company, there’s plenty to look forward in 2013 and celebrate the fact the world didn’t end last year. 2012 left us on tenterhooks, stopping many of our favourite TV shows half way through its season. And nearly every single one is returning at some point this year. One show most people across the world are waiting for with baited breath is Breaking Bad and its final few episodes. After taking the world by storm, hypnotising the TV viewing public into saying it was the “best thing since The Wire”, the first half of the final season left everyone on the edge of their seats and this year it finally comes to an end. The world will either implode with joy or break down in tears. Expectations are high for this one, so we can only wait and see. The Walking Dead also left us on a bit of a cliffhanger too, with The Governor finally making his proper transformation into the malicious leader of Woodbury we all know and love from the comics, eye patch and all. With the gang engaged in a war with The Governor, it seems like it shows no sign of slowing down from the action packed first half that more than made for the mediocre second season. Game of Thrones is also ready to hit us with its yearly instalment, this season focusing on the events of the first half of A Storm of Swords, the third book that is so large it was split into two. This season promises plenty of action as the War of the Five Kings shows no sign of dying down, instead preparing to reach breaking point for all Houses involved. Everyone craving more from The Avengers is going to be in for a treat this year. Joss and Jed Whedon have teamed up to write the script for the Marvel story of S.H.I.E.L.D. There’s not much

information on this show as of yet, but the trailers due to be released soon and let us take a peek into Joss Whedon’s return to TV after the patchy but enjoyable Dollhouse. We’re just awaiting its inevitable cancellation! After the huge success of the Catfish documentary, MTV have teamed up with lead man Yaniv ‘Nev’ Schulman to create a fascinating and powerful series following the lives of people who fall in love online. The idea of love may seem sweet to the eye, but delving deeper into the reality of their online love fantasy really is creepy, and yet we can’t look away. And really, who doesn’t love watching someone find out that the fit lad they’ve been talking to online is actually a fat 40 year old? We will also see something rather revolutionary as Netflix have gained exclusive rights to show two series: one, a remake of the classic 1990 BBC political drama House of Cards, this time starring Kevin Spacey (which we’ll be reviewing next week) and the other the new series of Arrested Development, finally returning to screens since it got cancelled by Fox in 2006. The latter is the one most people are nervous about, due to the critical acclaim it gained during its original TV run. 2013 also sees the return of many old favourites.

Zooey Deschanel-fronted New Girl is back and less focused on the Manic Pixie Dream Girl, which is probably a good thing. Season 2 allows the rest of the supporting cast to properly shine, particularly Schmidt who becomes very loveable in his douchiness. 50 years later and the sensational Doctor Who is still going strong. The 50th Anniversary, seeing the return of some previous Doctors and assistants, could go two ways though, it could be a nostalgic affair that brings back all your beautiful memories or it could be a tactless big up of the BBC creating a show that has been successfully revived and intrigued a whole new generation. Mad Men is set to return for it’s 6th season in Spring as well as Justified, the criminally underrated drama tucked away on FiveUS (seriously, does anyone even watch that channel?). Sherlock is also returning, hopefully ready to clear up all the questions we had and have been debating since the end of last series. However, knowing Steven Moffat, we’ll probably be left with more questions than answers. 2013 is definitely a year to look forward to, so secure your place on the sofa and call dibs on the remote because you’re in for a treat.

That’s what I go to school for

As the pop culture laden cult classic, Community, ﬁnally hits US screens again this Friday (after many, many problems with the network), Beth Durant takes a look at what makes it such a cult hit

Unless you’re intensely embedded in the deep depths of the internet, or your well-informed friends have spread the news through word of mouth, you probably haven’t heard of Community. There’s no denying it: Community is a cult TV show. And not just that, but its cult status is the primary reason why it’s managed to remain on the air during it’s struggled 4 year run. Set at a community college in Greendale, the study group serves as the stage for genre experiments (most of the episodes are named after college courses, such as “Introduction to Film” or “Anthropology 101”) and themed episodes. It begins with Jeff (a recently suspended lawyer) inviting Britta (a former political activist) to a fake study group in order to seduce her. However his plans

are quickly derailed when Britta invites Abed, who in turn invites four more members of his class, creating a catalyst of eccentric characters who, over the course of the series, become incredibly close yet fairly self-centered as an entity. Playing off the meta-humour, each member of the group has personality flaws that are highlighted in specific episodes, whether it’s Troy’s unhealthy obsession with Levar Burton, or Abed’s incessant need to refer to TV tropes or cliches. The casting of actors heavily involved in social media such as Donald Glover, Alison Brie, and Joel McHale, has only boosted the series’ following. However despite the inviting premise, it’s a comedy series that’s both alienating and inviting in equal measure, attracting a certain archetype of fan

with a generally chaotic outlook on media and culture. Basically, it’s not for everyone. Yet that’s not to say that it’s not deserving of these avid fans, in fact quite the contrary. But why has it gained such a niche following? Unlike a lot of other comedy shows in syndication right now it doesn’t assume the audience is looking for an endless string of cheap laughs. Without being too harsh on our beloved E4 primetime slot, if you switch on an episode of The Big Bang Theory you’re guaranteed to be subjected to a continuous lather, rinse, repeat of blonde jokes, nerd jokes, and aptly-placed laugh tracks. Oh look, one of the scientists is inept at social interaction! Do we laugh now? As an antithesis to this, Community assumes the fans are willing to sit down and absorb the referential dialogue without the need of an unsubtle push. Heavy on the selfmeta and packed full of pop culture references, the unabashed criticism of television clichés and tropes almost seems like a parody of itself. The removal of show-runner and mad-scientist of a sitcom creator, Dan Harmon, has been the source of general interest and intrigue, especially when combined with the fact that his feud with actor Chevy Chase left to Chase’s announcement of his departure from the series. (?) Despite these backstage setbacks, we can only hope that the fourth season lives up to its given fan status and doesn’t give NBC another notch to chalk up towards its ever-threatening cancellation. After seeing the demise of so many similarly loved shows, it’s a case of fingers crossed.

You can’t handle the truth! Self confessed West Wing-aholic George Sandeman is fed up of Aaron Sorkin’s recent narcissistic spree on The Newsroom. Here, he looks back at Sorkin’s heyday, attempting to chart this decline

During a debate over Second Amendment rights, White House Communications Director Toby Ziegler was disdainfully informed that he didn’t know what the Founding Fathers’ intentions were when they wrote the Bill of Rights. He replied: “No. But I do know that if you combine the populations of Great Britain, France, Germany, Japan, Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark, and Australia, you’ve got a population roughly the size of the United States. We had 32,000 gun deaths last year and they had 112. Do you think it’s because Americans are more homicidal by nature? Or do you think it’s because those guys have gun control laws?” That season two episode of The West Wing was aired over a decade ago and the sentiment remains crushingly poignant today given the current conversation in the USA after the horrific shootings at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in December. It is also an illustration of the kind of brilliance that writer Aaron Sorkin is capable of, a brilliance he has arguably not reached since. The first two seasons of The West Wing, which Sorkin wrote, are arguably two of the best seasons of drama ever produced in television history. Those first two seasons were nominated for 21 Emmy awards of the 37 all seven season were up for. Prior to this perennially successful political drama, Sorkin wrote and created the critically acclaimed A Few Good Men, Sports Night and The American President. In his post-West Wing career, his adapted screenplays for Charlie Wilson’s War, The Social Network and Moneyball have gone down well with both critics and viewers alike, but it’s his original creative works that have sullied his reputation for brilliance.

In both Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip and The Newsroom, he has attempted to copy the recipe used for the lauded Sports Night in which the series take a behind the scenes look of a television show, essentially a show-within-a-show type format. Studio 60 was on the receiving end of much media hype and expectation as it signalled Sorkin’s comeback to TV after his acrimonious exit from The West Wing. However, viewer numbers fell off a cliff after the first couple of episodes with the four million people watching the season finale representing under a third of the total viewers tuned into the season premiere. The Newsroom is Sorkin’s latest endeavour and adopts a worrying narcissism and self-aggrandizement that warps the reality of a modern cashstrapped newsroom. The most beloved quality of The West Wing was the window it provided into the lives of those committed to public service, a quality we can only hope Sorkin instills in The Newsroom before it’s pulled from our screens.

36.filmfeatures

Monday 4 February 2013

The Courier

Film Editors: Hayley Hamilton and Sam Hopkins Online Film Editor: Chris Binding

Top

Pulp friction: Hollywood’s anti-hero Film nerd, visionary or gloriﬁed copy-cat? Chris Binding discusses the difﬁculties of classifying controversial director Quentin Tarantino

Big-screen musicals

Mamma Mia

The light and frivolous 2008 film version of the light and frivolous stage musical which many thought would not last tells the story of a young girl inviting her three potential fathers to her Greek island home without the knowledge of her mother. Hilarity ensues. Featuring an all-star cast, like the musical this was a surprise hit.

The Sound of Music

This 1965 adaptation is about a young girl named Maria who is sent to be a governess for the Von Trapp family, finding joy and love whilst there. Featuring Julie Andrews in one of her most memorable roles, this will always be remembered for cementing iconic songs such as “The Sound of Music” and “Do-Re-Mi” into the public psyche.

Deep within the sun-bleached boulevards and cut-throat entertainment culture of Hollywood, the under-dog rising from anonymity to super stardom is an attractive concept. Thus comes the appeal of Quentin Tarantino, the video-store clerk and movie buff whose early scripts and eccentric persona catapulted him into super-stardom under Harvey Weinstein at the height of the American independent revolution. Although his career has had its ups and downs, from winning the Palme D’Or for Pulp Fiction to the misguided and poorly received Deathproof, his specific ‘brand’ of cinema encapsulates postmodern hybridity, with its pastiche, off–kilter dialogue and exploitation facade standing aside from the glossy predictability of Hollywood exports. As the enfant terrible now pushes late middle age with his 8th feature film, his reception from conservative media often questions his validity, reducing him to his cinematic portrayals of violence and in the case of the recent Channel 4 interview, implicating him in cases of real world American violence. Yet from his exaggerated ‘nerdy’ persona to the ability to make a post–Grease John Travolta distinguishably ‘cool’, Tarantino manages to work the Hollywood system while presenting himself as alternative and one of the most important contemporary directors working today. One of the main criticisms of Tarantino is that he lacks originality, taking inspiration (and often the titles of his movies) from obscure B–movie genre pictures which at times borders on plagiarism. Yet, in many ways Tarantino’s tapestry of cinematic references render him as the cinematic equivalent of an hip – hop artist, ‘sampling’ the forgotten pleasures of the sleazy B–movie genre picture and in-

Photo: thefoxling novatively reworking them for a modern audience. From mashing ‘blaxploitation’ with Western, creating his own form of product placement (Big Kahuna Burger, Red Apple Cigarettes) and often casting cult actors themselves in cameos, his recipe makes for a extremely entertaining brand of cinematic broth. Speaking of casting, Tarantino’s strong flair for dialogue and scriptwriting have both launched and attracted some of the best talent in Hollywood. From the discovery of Christoph Waltz in Inglourious Bastards to defining Samuel Jackson’s later career as a ‘Bad–Ass Mofo’ in Pulp Fiction, he has unlimited leverage when it comes to securing the best Hollywood talent. From the attempt to restore the feel of exploitation cinema with the Robert Rodriguez Grindhouse double-bill, his infectious nostalgia for classic cinema both sources his films , while educating new generations of cinephiles looking for that little slice of the alternative. However, the thing about watching Tarantino

Cinemanic Rant: 24/48 frames debate

3 Chicago This jazz-based hit features Renee Zellweger and Catherine Zeta-Jones as two murderesses awaiting trial in the 1920’s, fighting for the fame that will keep them from the gallows. This stylish, Academy Award winning film is a brilliant showstopper that revived the true musical film in Hollywood.

The high frame rate release of The Hobbit has divided film fans. Luke Hearfield gives us his take on the controversial filmic development

films is realising that they are indeed ‘Pulp Fiction’; trashy genre pictures with all the recognisable subversions of cinematic cliché. If Django Unchained has taught us anything it is that his tendency to cameo in his own films, self–indulgently speaking his own dialogue (Planet Terror) is just another validation of his power and brand as the malevolent master–mind pulling the strings. Audiences will always flock to see the latest Tarantino vehicle regardless of its quality but the question of how long can the same re–packaged ‘Tarantino’ formula be sold while remaining critical and commercial appraisal remains. Although there will come a day when another underdog inherits Tarantino’s playful empire of pastiche, violence and subversion, not many contemporary American directors have hit the heart of Hollywood with an adrenalin shot in the same way since, branding cinema once again as fresh , exciting and unashamedly ‘cool’.

WIN!

In the first of our weekly competitions, you can nab tickets to Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln

2 Les Misérables This version of the longest running West End musical tells the story of an ex-convict Jean Valjean and his journey in seeking redemption. Despite being relatively new, it already deserves such a high place because of epic cinematography, superb acting and rare, raw, live singing.

West Side Story

The story tells of Maria and Tony fighting for their love amidst a sea of gang warfare. Winner of more Oscars than any other musical film and providing a great musical twist on the much loved romantic tale of Romeo and Juliet, this is the definitive musical film. Christopher Addison

Hollywood has certainly thrown a few curveballs at us lately which seem to have spiced up the politics of traditional cinema. Whether it’s the 3D debate, Ben Affleck being snubbed for a best director nomination by the Academy, or choosing Seth MacFarlane to host the accolades this year, there certainly has been some divine intervention taking place. However the biggest pile of crap to hit the proverbial fan was Peter Jackson’s decision to shoot The Hobbit in 48 frames per second over the standard 24. I’m just going to clarify this now - I loved The Hobbit. I’m well aware that the first in Jackson’s trilogy of the beloved children’s novel was right at the epicentre of a spinning vortex of controversy. Yes, the book could have been easily split into two films rather than three, but unlike many other directors the story was expanded out of respect to the story, not to Jacksons pay cheque. While it may be adventurous to experiment with

new techniques, sometimes you should leave well enough alone and respect the classic routes of the medium. The argument for 48 frames per second is that it provides a more immersive texture to the quality of the camera, and hence a more real experience. However the backlash of this is that because the camera quality is just as clear as the quality of HD camcorder you can pick up at Argos, you’re left with something that amplifies the realism to a point where you can tell when a prop is a prop, and makeup is makeup. The beauty of the typical 24 frames is that it creates a boundary between the audience and the screen. It’s what gives a film that ‘film look’. While watching The Hobbit in 48 frames, there were times I felt like I was watching a high school play with props crafted by the Wood Tech teacher. Yes the aerial landscape shots were sweepingly breathtaking but unfortunately those pesky dwarf noses were screaming at me, “We’re not real!”

Lincoln has already made headlines ahead of its release by hoovering up more Oscar nominations than a one could shake a humongous stick at, and thanks to our friends at Tyneside cinema, we’ve a pair of tickets to give away to one of you lucky readers. Just answer this question: Which of these actors has played Abraham Lincoln on film? a) Brendan Fraser b) Brendan Rogers c) Brandon Flowers Email your answer to c2.film@ncl. ac.uk before 12pm on Thursday 7th to be in with a chance.

The Courier

reviewsfilm.37

Monday 4 February 2013

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

Django Unchained (18) Following thematically in the footsteps of Inglorious Bastards and Kill Bill is another tale of revenge, brutality and sharp dialogue. Quentin Tarantino’s latest work Django Unchained is a brilliant turn on the Spaghetti Western genre, and marks a triumphant return to the peak of Tarantino’s talent. While I’m the first to admit that Tarantino can be a highly overrated director, his latest work fires on all cylinders and hits the proverbial bullseye every time. From the editing to the cinematography to the costume department every aspect is meticulously perfect for the tone and pacing of this film. Some may call this a slightly more rightwing outing for Tarantino in comparison to his usual method and style. The narrative isn’t split into chapters and there’s almost zero emphasis on feet, but there are typical winks that you’ll usually find engrained into his work, such as his trademark cameo or the quick zoom shots and the contemporary soundtrack against the rustic backdrop. Even the choice in outfit for Django is incredibly Tarantino. It’s bold, outlandish and hilarious. The plot is rife with a-historic nonsense, but you go along with it with pleasure. The film begins in

Les Misérables (12A)

1858, as Django (Jamie Foxx), a slave being transported to his next implantation crosses paths with Dr Schultz (Christophe Waltz), a German bounty hunter who resources Django for his next bounty targets. After completing their mission, both men find themselves admiring their collective qualities and agree to team up to save Django’s wife Broomhilda (Kerry Washington), from the sadistic slave trade owner Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio). The cast for this film couldn’t be more perfect. Foxx and Waltz have a delightful bromance chemistry which carries the first half of this film, before new characters like Candie and Stephen (Samuel L. Jackson) are introduced and up the ante even higher. Both DiCaprio and Jackson deliver sinisterly brilliant performances as the Master and kingpin slave. Kerry Washington barely says anything through the entirety of this film; however her eyes speak a thousand volumes that bring a necessary emotionality to the story. Tarantino is once again fearless when it comes to the dialogue. Many directors would tip toe around such sensitive areas in this time period. Not Tarantino. The rubbish that comes out of these char-

West of Memphis (15)

acters mouths will shock and appal you (in a good way though). However this is why Tarantino films are so delicious to watch: he’s completely unapologetic and what he verbalises is hollowly accurate. The only flaw with this film is that it does feel dragged on a bit further than necessary. However, there is no material featured that does not serve a valid purpose to the story, so it’s a forgivable error.

VERDICT: Django Unchained is a brash and bonkers tale of revenge, justice and reformation. With a strong cast, a well-executed plot and brutal action sequences this is Tarantino back at his best. Despite being snubbed for a best director nomination from the Academy, Django Unchained is Tarantino’s comeback and a powerful way to start 2013 for cinema. Luke Hearfield

Texas Chainsaw 3D (18)

Adapted from the long-running stage musical, Tom Hooper’s Les Misérables has epic scale. In spite of a running time of 157 minutes, the film maintains momentum for the majority of that, with the action rarely losing steam. The plot follows Jean Valjean, played by Hugh Jackman, from being a convict to reinventing himself while on the run from the guard Javert, played by Russell Crowe. Along the way, Valjean adopts Cosette (played by Isabelle Allen and Amanda Seyfried), who falls in love with Marius (Eddie Redmayne), one of the students involved in the 1832 rebellion in Paris. The plot doesn’t really matter, being overly reliant on coincidence (or within the context of the film’s heavily religious overtones, fate) to allow for incredible set pieces. The sets of the shipyards, the brothels, workhouses, and streets of Paris are all vividly executed, providing a perfect backdrop for the cast. Anne Hathaway’s Fantine singing ‘I Dreamed A Dream’ is particularly memorable, and the realism and horror of the poverty really surprised me. The battle scenes are also powerful, being both dramatic and realistic, and the actors with minor roles play them with gusto. There are flaws: actors sing dialogue that could easily be spoken; a lack of any real historical context; as well as the acceptance that the poor everywhere speak Cockney. However, these mis-steps are made forgivable by solid performances, particularly that of Hugh Jackman. He lost 15 pounds to play Valjean in the opening scene, gained 30 for the remainder of the film, and the physical transformation from broken convict to a self-made yet morally conflicted man is very believable. It also helps that he (unlike Russell Crowe) can sing.

As documentaries Capturing the Friedmans and Thomas Vinterman’s The Hunt have previously explored, the impact of child–abuse on small communities can distort perceptions in such a frightening way that morality and the judicial system can crumble into irrational blood-lust. Perhaps the most famous case of this was the ‘West Memphis Three’; three American teenagers sent to death row for the murder and brutal mutilation of three children. With no real physical evidence tying the teenagers to the crime, accusations of satanic cults attributed to the motive and several HBO documentaries re-visiting the case, a widespread campaign emerged appealing the boys’ innocence. With the recent release of the accused, director Amy Berg’s documentary West of Memphis stands as the final chapter on the subject, chronicling the seventeen-year campaign to freedom and exploring the a terrifying story of blood–lust and failed justice. With many high profile talking heads who funded the campaign offering their views, the film explains the chronological progression of the case from imprisonment to release. The focus here is on corrupt prosecution and new suspects in the wake of new evidence. As a documentary primarily about the frustrating bureaucracy and corruption of legal institutions, the emotionally-charged interviews are deeply affecting, sweeping you along to a relieving and philosophical finale. Although the suspected killer and state was never held to account for its actions, the film’s post–credits ‘thank you’ to supporters of the campaign offers a vestige of hope for the public’s influence on challenging political corruption.

VERDICT: Les Misérables is not subtle and certainly not perfect. But it is an emotional spectacle which is worth a watch (and cry!).

VERDICT: West of Memphis is a powerful, frightening portrayal of the failure of justice and the resilience of the human spirit.

VERDICT: Lussenhop’s lastest Texas chainsaw romp is clunky, predictable and nonsensical. Fresh insights into one of the genre’s most recognizable characters fail to bring fresh scares.

Alexandria Morgan

Chris Binding

Tom Chapman

Texas Chainsaw 3D sees a return to the screen of Leatherface, one of the slasher genre’s most recognizable characters. In a franchise already including sequels, remakes, reboots, and prequels, does the new offering bring any fresh scares to the series? The answer: not really. TC3D’s opening occurs directly after the events of the 1974 original – when the townspeople exact revenge on Leatherface and his cannibal family members by burning their home to the ground with all its occupants save a baby and its mother presumably dead. Said baby is promptly adopted and grows up into the beautiful Heather (Alexandra Daddario). Years later, Heather discovers that her estranged grandmother has died – leaving behind a sizeable inheritance. Heather enlists the help of boyfriend Ryan (Trey Songz), and friends Nikki and Kenny for a road-trip in which they visit the family estate. Unbeknownst to the group, the Texas mansion is also home to Leatherface who swiftly begins his murderous rampage. TC3D’s main crime is that it attempts to ground the nightmarish character within a believable or explainable framework. It paints the skin-wearing killer as a character to be sympathized with. Whereas in the original there was very little logic or reason behind the violence, the attempt to humanize the character serves only to subvert mystery and diminish fright potential. Similarly, the plot is nonsensical, with holes you could drive a bus through. Daddario’s performance is perfectly fine, and there are some scares. However, the film fails to deliver the horror of the original. It’s not terrible; it’s just not any good.

The Impossible (12A)

Spanish filmmaker J.A. Bayona, director of 2007’s well-regarded horror, The Orphanage, returns to the silver screen this year with The Impossible. The film already has plenty of positive buzz and has been a huge success in Bayona’s native Spain. The film’s leading lady, Naomi Watts, has recently been Oscar-nominated for her performance in the film, which is testament to the fact that there is some great acting in this somewhat controversial Asian tsunami film. The film is based on the true story of the Belon family on holiday in Thailand, who are caught in one of the worst natural disasters in human history, the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and subsequent tsunami. Actress Naomi Watts plays the mother, Maria, and Ewan McGregor the father, Henry. The family includes three children: Lucas (Tom Holland), Thomas (Samuel Joslin) and Simon (Oaklee Pendergast). After the tsunami hits their hotel, the family is split into two. The film follows their desperate efforts to stay together and reunite, seemingly an impossible task amongst the mayhem and carnage of the tsunami aftermath. Once past the numerous controversies, such as further ‘Westernising’ the film by focusing on tourists and not locals, using an English family over the original Spanish one and the ‘too soon’ notion with the disaster only 8 years ago, The Impossible is a brilliant film. Superb acting, especially from Naomi Watts and the young Tom Holland, as well as brilliant sound and visual effects help in making this film an emotional, raw and harrowing tale. VERDICT: Powerful and visceral, this melodrama pulls no punches. The tsunami sequence pulls you in and only releases you when the last waves have subsided. This simple story is breath taking and unforgettable. Jacob Crompton-Schreiber

The Courier

science.39

Monday 4 February 2013

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

Science Editor: James Simpson

Slippery when wet, or is it?

My t h s r e t s u B

Ever wondered why your ﬁngers go wrinkly when you’ve been in the bath too long? Lizzie Hampson met Dr Tom Smulders who recently conducted research into wrinkly ﬁngers here at Newcastle University What made you decide to research into this topic? It’s all down to curiosity in the end. A paper by Mark Changizi really struck me, arguing for a functional role for these wrinkles. He suggested that they serve to remove water from the tips of the fingers, like rain treads on tires. We thought, maybe it enables us to handle things under water efficiently. So you obviously had a very clear hypothesis, how did you go about testing it? We proposed it as a Masters Student project - we came up with the idea of manipulating objects underwater quickly. So, we asked people to submerge their hands under water for thirty minutes, and then move a series of objects, mostly marbles, from one place to another. If our prediction was correct they would be able to complete the task faster with wrinkly fingers.

without breaks. I’ve got to ask, what were the wrinkliest fingers you saw? Well, my Masters student tried to take pictures of each individual’s fingers, but it’s quite hard from a picture to determine which had the most wrinkles! However, since the results have been published I’ve had a phone call from Sir Roger Bannister. He deals with patients who have problems within their autonomic nervous system, some of which don’t get wrinkly fingers and he feels it would be interesting therefore to look at the individual vari-

ation in the wrinkling. Is it just humans that get wrinkly fingers or do other animals, like primates, get them too? We don’t know. There is one piece of evidence which is by no means conclusive involving one picture of Japanese macaques (a primate that sits in hot springs in Japan to keep warm) showing what appears to be wrinkles on their fingers. That’s all the evidence we have so far. You can’t just ask a great ape to hold his hands in a bucket of water for a while like you can a human!

o put it bluntly, it is a load of utter tosh! All bats use their eyes; however some do not rely on them as much as their other senses. Bats use vision to avoid predators and find flowers as key pollinators (not just bees!). Bats are subdivided into two groups - the microbats (true bats) and megabats (fruit bats). Let us consider the differences between each. Microbats have the interesting ability to produce ultrasonic sounds that are used to detect prey and avoid predators (echolocation). This enables them to detect the presence of other animals, meaning microbats don’t use vision that much. Despite having small eyes, they have very powerful sight and a well-developed visual cortex (part of the brain that deals with seeing things). Interestingly, research has shown that microbats are able to detect UV light. Megabats don’t use echolation and therefore have better visual perception and larger eyes than microbat meaning their sight is significantly better. The megabat’s retina has many rod cells on it meaning, bats have similar eye cells as us and work in exactly the same way, converting light into electrical impulses which creates images in the brain. So, we know ‘blind as a bat’ is a pile of rubbish, but where did it come from? It’s probably due to the fact bats have tiny eyes and because so much is known about their echolocation.

So did you find the results you were hoping for? We did! We were almost surprised at how clear they were. However, it was a good experiment because no matter what we found, it would be interesting as even if the results were negative we could start looking at other ideas. Great! Do your findings also apply to toes? If I went outside in the snow barefoot would I fall over less? You obviously wonder about toes because if it gives fingers better grip it should give toes better grip. This remains to be tested; you can imagine the health and safety issues with having people run around on wet surfaces! I think the question we all want to know the answer to is; how long can we be in the bath for before our fingers get wrinkly? We didn’t time our participants; we looked at previous literature and went for the conditions that seemed to be optimal for getting as many wrinkles as possible. That was; water at around 40 degrees which is probably the temperature of your bath. Their fingers were submerged for half an hour

Photography: Sebastian Wallroth (wikimedia)

Hideous hangovers from hell

So with the end of exams just behind us, no doubt everyone has been partying hard. Science Editor James Simpson looks at why those last few trebles weren’t such a good idea after waking up with the hangover from hell

hangover, surely we’ll come to our senses and stop drinking so much. I somehow think not! And

Did you know? • Bats are the only winged mammals which can fly •There are over 1,100 species of bat. That’s a quarter of all mammals! •Bats wash behind their ears, which probably makes them cleaner than most students.

D E T S BU

without sounding too much like your mother, please drink responsibly!

Photography: Wikimedia commons

Photography: Matthew Whittle

Albert Einstein

aking up with a dry mouth is a frequent occurrence, but why? It’s simple, severe dehydration. When you drink alcohol, whatever amount you drink, you get rid of four times as much bodily fluid through urinating, sweating, and occasionally, vomiting. This is due to your body directing all the water straight to your bladder causing you to urinate excessively. Getting rid of your body’s water stores is the reason you wake up and grab whatever’s nearest and neck it. The searing pain of a headache is probably the main reason most of us hit the snooze button. It’s caused by alcohol constricting blood vessels in and around the brain. This causes higher blood pressure in your head causing that pounding headache. Linked with this is sensitivity to bright lights. You will have also noticed the more you drink the worse you feel for longer (obvious right?). This is the action of chemicals caused by conversion of the alcohol into acetaldehydes, which are also a contributor to headaches. This also produces a chemical called glutathione, which prolongs the effects of alcohol and thus the hangover. Why do some drinks give worse hangovers than others? It’s down to chemicals called congeners, which are effectively toxins. These are found in higher concentrations in darker drinks such as wine and bourbon. These add to the hangover making you feel a lot worse. The presence of these toxins is also the reason mixing your drinks causes more pain. So now we know the basics behind the hideous

It’s time for a bit of myth-busting as Samantha Softley explores the phrase ‘blind as a bat’

“The only reason for time is so that everything doesn’t happen at once”

40.puzzles

Monday 4 February 2013

Puzzles The puzzles page is back! Back! BACK! Got a few minutes spare? Chill out with a few brain-teasers to be in with a chance of winning vouchers for MensBar

Crossword 1

Win a £4 MensBar voucher*

Find yourself stumped? Check out The Courier’s website next week for the solutions

Supermarket Sweep “Hi gang, it’s your old pal Dale Winton here. I’m throwing a party tonight - guess how much the party food in my basket adds up to and you could win a voucher”

In Dale’s basket this week:

- 6 iced finger buns - Branston pickle (520g) - Basmati rice (500g) - 8 all-butter croissants - Tin of chicken soup - Gordon’s dry London gin (70cl) - 12 cod fish fingers

=£?

14 11

Sudoku

17 18 20

The Courier

24 23

Across

1. A bet laid on the outcome of multiple events (11) 8. Designers, fitters and vendors of speectacles (9) 9. Unwanted or unpleasant sound (5) 10. Lethal Bizzle’s catchphrase (5) 11. Class of battleship (9) 17. Manchester City footballer Samir (5) 18. Poem or speech praising one who has died (6) 20. Pinch (3) 21. Feeling of being overwhelmed (3) 23. Respiratory disease carried by badgers (12)

Down

2. A baby’s bed (3) 3. Difficult to see (through) (7)

4. US state (4) 5. Stomach muscles; former member of boyband 5ive (3) 6. Related to the sense of smell (9) 7. Quiz show hosted by the late Richard Whitely (9) 12. Part of the foot (7) 13. Pound, American poet (4) 14. Twombly, American artist (2) 15. Conceptual artist and Beatlesruiner, Yoko (3) 16. Irish musician (4) 19. To look at someone in a creepily suggestive manner 22. Informal document acknowledging a debt (1-1-1) 24. Chemical symbol for gold (2) 25. To court romantically; exclamation of excitement 26. Morse code distress signal (1-1-1)

1 6 3 9

8 7 1 6 9 2

2 5 3

7 5 4 1 8 9

8 6 1

*The first person to bring the completed crossword or supermarket sweep to The Courier office in the Students’ Union will be awarded the £4 prize

The Courier

featuressport.41

Monday 4 February 2013

Fighting for the Red Rose Online Sports Editor Freddie Caldwell and Jen Evans spoke to future England rugby stars Jonny May and Elliot Daly about playing for the England Saxons, the 2015 World Cup and which is better: ketchup or brown sauce?

What encouraged you to get into rugby in the first place? Jonny May: Well, I’ve played rugby since I was five, I didn’t really watch much; I just loved it. Did you ever consider playing sports other than rugby? Elliot Daly: Yes, I played cricket as an all-rounder to a similar standard (as rugby) till I was 17 and got into the England U15 cricket team and then U16s but I had to choose so I went to rugby after trying to juggle the two for a while. JM: Rugby has always been the one sport for me; however, I played a lot of other sports alongside it and enjoyed those. I was in the Swindon football academy and was pretty good at athletics and it is good to play lots of sports when you are young because there is a lot of cross over in terms of attributes. What was your route from education into rugby? JM: I was 16 when I decided to risk it, even though the more conventional route was to go for A levels I choose to play rugby for two years and it was a risk that paid off; after GCSE’s I did a BTEC which allowed me to play a lot of rugby and after those two years I was given the chance to go and train with Gloucester and was offered a place at university to do sports business management; I was then able to break into the Gloucester first team. Rugby is a short career that can end very quickly so having a degree is useful. ED: I got picked up by Wasps when I was 14 and still at school, GCSE year was a big year trying to get into England U16s, and the year after got into the England U18s and then the U20s the year after that. The A-level years were quite hard but luckily I got through it and thought about going to university but decided to give rugby a go first and this is now my second full year in the sport. Was it a struggle doing A-Levels at the same time as playing? ED: Yes, it was quite hard because the World Cup was in the summer during the exam period. Also, for the Six Nations we were away for weeks at a time so missed a lot of school. How do you find the setup at the Saxons in comparison to your home clubs? JM: It probably is slightly less work physically but mentally you need to switch on because you’ve only got two weeks to get to know everyone and also learn all the new plays. It is all about focus on detail rather than running around at 100% and it is important to make it as close an environment to your home club as possible. ED: They try and keep it so that a week at your club is the same as a week here, so there is the same amount of pressure on you during training but with the added competition of fighting for a Saxons shirt. How do you find the quality of the Guinness Premiership? ED: I think it’s one of the best leagues in the world in terms of the quality of the teams, especially this year because

Jonny May (left) in action for England U20s, Elliot Daly (right) playing for England Juniors Photography: Getty Images

it is so close, I think a lot more people are getting into it as you can see from the Harlequins games at Twickenham which are sold out, and that is the first time that has ever happened. What about the fans? JM: I can’t fault the Gloucester support, we get a lot of fans both home and away and I really enjoy playing for Gloucester, it’s a great atmosphere. Would you consider moving to a league with higher salaries? ED: No, I think maybe when I’m older but it’s not at the top of my agenda, my focus is on playing at the moment and trying to do well for Wasps. Where do you think that your career will be by the 2015 Rugby World Cup? JM: I hope I’ll be able to break into the full England squad, I’m 22 now so I’ll be a good age by then, I’m doing alright coming through the system so hope-

fully if I have a few good games for the Saxons this season then I could get into the squad, it’s an achievable target. ED: Breaking into the full England team is everyone’s aim but at the moment it is just about trying to impress people in this game and playing well for

inspire the next generation? JM: You would hope so having seen what the Olympics have done for the country, and the 2015 World Cup is the next big thing. Everyone is going to get behind England and hopefully we will do well, and just like when Wimbledon

“It is going to be brilliant for people to say that you played in the 2015 World Cup”

your club and then maybe getting on the summer tour which is probably the start of the World Cup build-up. It is all about now but you always have to look forward to 2015 as well. Do you think the 2015 World Cup can

is on TV everyone picks up a tennis racquet, I think you will find a lot of people getting into rugby. It is encouraging that some live Premiership games will be shown on ITV soon. ED: I think rugby is going to take off as soon as we get near the World Cup,

everyone will be playing it and it if you get to play in the team then it is going to be brilliant for people to say that you played in the 2015 World Cup. Do you think more women will get involved? ED: I think so, as soon as the World Cup comes to London then people are going to be enthused by it and it should make both genders try and get involved in anyway they can, even if it is touch tournaments or things like that. Do you prefer red or brown sauce on your sausage sandwich? JM: Red ED: Red; people from the South always prefer red. But I’m from the North, and I prefer red. ED: You’re weird then.

42.sportfeatures

Monday 4 February 2013

The Courier

Britain’s sports stars of tomorrow

After the unprecedented sporting successes of 2012, The Courier takes a look at some of the sporting stars set to make 2013 another golden year for Britain FREDDIE BURNS

ADAM GEMILI

Up until very recently, Adam Gemili was splitting his time between athletics and playing full back for League Two side Dagenham and Redbridge FC. It was only in 2012 when Gemili started to fully concentrate on sprinting by

turning down a professional football contract from the club. He has since made a blistering start to his athletics career. The 19 year old broke the British national junior record in July last year, a record previously held by Dwain Chambers, by running a time of 10.05 seconds in the 100 metre to win the gold medal in the World Junior Athletics Championships at Barcelona. Gemili’s impressive Gemili celebrates his ﬁne form at London 2012 Photography: Getty Images

performances swiftly saw him being drafted in to the Great British Olympic team. At London 2012 he came second behind the former 100 metre record holder Asafa Powell in his opening heat. He ran his second fastest ever career time of 10.06 seconds in the semi-finals and narrowly missed out a spot in the Final by 0.01 of a second. His astronomic rise has led him to receive many plaudits, including Tyson Gay, another former 100 metre record holder, who stated that he was “going to be one of the greatest sprinters of all time.” 2013 is looking to be a promising year for the young sprinter with a decent showing at the World Championships in Moscow sure to be on his top list of priorities. Adam Gemili looks sure to be the name on everyone’s lips in the coming year and in years to come. Miles Reah

With the Lions tour, Six Nations championship and domestic competitions taking place this year, it is a busy calendar for English rugby. Freddie Burns has showed signs that this could be a massive year for him in the number ten jersey. The twenty two year old is the Aviva Premiership’s form fly half, and also its leading points scorer with 185 points, ahead of England internationals Owen Farrell and Toby Flood. He has played a massive part of Gloucester’s success so far this season, with his flamboyant style of play and a notable performance in Gloucester’s 27-21 thrilling win over the Leicester Tigers, where he contributed seventeen points including a magnificent solo try. Burns’ performances have drawn the attention of England Manager Stuart Lancaster as he was named in the England squad for the autumn internationals against Fiji, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand. He was handed his first cap as he came off the bench and played an impressive cameo role in England’s memorable 38-21 win over the All Blacks. He has also been named in Engl a n d ’s 6 Freddie Burns during the England captain’s run at Twickenham Photography: Getty Images

nation’s squad and has the opportunity either off the bench or starting to make an impact as he tries to make the number ten shirt his own. As England look to build to the 2015 world cup, Burns epitomises the youth and confidence England are looking for. With the Lions tour to Australia only round the corner, a string of impressive international performances in the Six Nations could not go unnoticed to coach Warren Gatland, and could be a surprise inclusion in the squad despite tough competition from Jonny Sexton and Owen Farrell. As a current fringe player with England and only one cap, 2013 is a important year for Burns to build on his early promise and make a strong case for the England number ten jersey in the

Six Nations. Burns is certainly a name to keep in my mind for future tournaments and with his age he has the talent to take England to the 2015 World Cup and onwards. Patrick Castleden

LAURA ROBSON The future’s bright and at last the future’s tennis. Brits have been treated to a rare bout of tennis success over the last year and this looks set to continue. Andy Murray conquered Flushing Meadows, Heather Watson won her first singles title and if good things come in threes then expect more from Laura Robson. The British number 2 can look forward to a good year in 2013, building on her previous successes. Having turned pro in 2008, it has taken her time to adjust to the differences of the senior game but she now appears confident in her abilities. Her link with the Murrays is proving vital to her progression. The more relaxed nature of the Olympics brought smiles and confidence to her game, made better by the weight of a silver medal round her neck. She topped off 2012 by making the last 16 at the US Open; the first time a British woman has made the 4th Round at any major since 1998. Undeniably, she has talent; her serve and ground strokes are formidable weapons against even the best in the game, highlighted by her now regular appearance in the last 32 at majors. She has the shots, but it is her mental strength that makes her so difficult to beat. Petra Kvitova ignored this to her peril. The world number 8 was a set and a break up, only for Robson to turn the match in her favour and slip into the 3rd Round instead. More than anything, she has drive; she has worked hard to break

into the top 50, and it is likely that 2013 will be the year that she wins a singles title and fights her way into the last 8 at a grand slam. Future Top 10? I think so. Richard Speir

Photography: Getty Images

The Courier

featuressport.43

Monday 4 February 2013

CONSTANTINE LOULOUDIS Olympics fanatics and rowers might like to keep a sharp lookout for Constantine Louloudis this year; at only 21 he has achieved much of what others crave. He has already won the Boat Race as an Oxford undergraduate and has proved to be one of the best oarsmen in Britain. He was prominent and successful in the GB Junior and U23 squads, and broke into the senior squad in time to stroke the Men’s Eight to a worthy Olympic bronze in London. However it hasn’t all been easy, indeed, it seemed in doubt as to whether Louloudis would be fit for London after suf-

JAMES DAVIS

fering back problems that plagued his crew’s programme in the run-up to the games. He missed all three 2012 World Cup Regattas and had to prove his fitness in order to compete. This tenacity is what makes him special; a bronze at London will almost feel like failure and we can expect to see him fight for a major role in the GB Senior squad for the 2016 games. In the meantime, he has a seat in the Oxford blue boat to secure. Oxford will have last year’s ill-fated race in their mind as they train for their showdown with Cambridge in March. Louloudis is likely to make the boat and

will want to put right last year’s sour defeat to a slower Cambridge crew, after protester Trenton Oldfield disrupted the race. Whatever your views on public schools, they seem to breed Olympic oarsmen; Eton educated Louloudis has potential to follow in the footsteps of Sir Matthew Pinsent and become a household name of British Rowing. It won’t just be Cambridge that will have to watch their backs; this young man looks set to make some waves at Rio and beyond - you heard it here first! Richard Speir

From an early age, James’s talent on the piste was obvious, with call ups to the British Cadet team culminating in a bronze medal at the European Championships and a BUCS Foil Title. As he moved into Senior Competition, it seemed Davis could be heading the same way as so many other promising Cadet Fencers by missing out on successes at the highest level. However, during the off-season in 2011 he embarked on a strenuous Strength and Conditioning programme, which was developed specifically for Fencing; leading to a fitter, trimmer athlete stepping onto the piste at the London Olympic Test Event. As part of the Great Britain B-team, Davis showed ability reminiscent of his Cadet days in their fabulous win over Italy and near victory over Russia. With the possibility of an Olympic place pushing him onwards, Davis delivered through the international season, tak-

Video of the week

Spot the ball

Testing times

1) Youngest British Olympic medallist at London 2012? 2) Prior to Luton defeating Norwich, when was the last time a non-league side knocked out a top tier side in the FA Cup? 3) What tour did Lance Armstrong allegedly test positive for EPO and then cover is up ? 4) When did Laura Robson first compete at Wimbledon? 5) Jonny May scored the try of the season last year, against who?

James Docherty

Davis ready for the piste at the Olympics Photography: Getty Images

Louloudis (right) takes to the water Photography: Getty Images

Back of the net

ing a Quarter Final place at the European Championships and an agonising fourth place with the Foil team at the Seoul World Cup. These efforts impressed the selectors, and at the age of 21 Davis found himself in the British Olympic Team, finishing a creditable sixth in the Team Event and having the ExCeL crowd whipped into a frenzy during his outstanding individual match against former World Champion Andrea Baldini, In this memorable match points came so freely that many thought an upset was on the cards. With a fantastic coming of age season behind him and the 2013 season just beginning, James Davis is a definite talent to watch, who has until June at the European Championships to improve his world ranking from an already impressive 23, and maybe deliver another medal into Great Britain’s hopeful and waiting hands.

1 2

1.) Rebecca Tunney 15 2.)1989 3.) Tour De Suisse 2001 4.) 2008 5.) Halequins

Tip of the week

With the Six Nations starting, it’s only fair we offer some odds on the potential winners A funny video compiled to make it seem as if Armstrong is singing one of Radiohead’s most well-known songs in his interview with and at The Courier we think Oprah reflecting on the fact he is not such a popular guy right now. Ireland could be worth a shot. With home fixtures against the favourites England and - Newcastle United FC - @NUFCOf�icial France, there is potential for “Today’s menu at Training Ground: soupe a l’oignon, ca- an Irish outright victory.

Lance Armstrong singing Creep by Radiohead : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLwE4CBk4m0

nard, coquille saint jacques, selection de fromages. c’est trop bon! #nufc” (30 Jan)

(Odds from William Hill)

7/2

5 6 Want to win a £4 Men’s Bar voucher? E-mail courier.sport@ncl.ac.uk where you think the ball is.

44.sportintramural

Monday 4 February 2013

The Courier

Intra Mural Rugby caught in a ruck

With only two thirds of the scheduled games going ahead, Sports Editor Lucy Williams investigates what is going wrong within Intra Mural Rugby Newcastle University has always prided itself on an impressive Intra Mural Rugby Union programme since it is one of very few universities in the country that can boast a ten team-strong league which plays week in, week out. However, in contrast to previous years, the current season has seen a serious discrepancy in the amount of rugby being played, and for many of the teams it has yet to gather momentum. In comparison to last year where teams had played a total of fifty-eight games, only thirtyfour games had been played by the end of semester one in the 2012/2013 season with the Agric 2nds only having two games to their name whilst, the Law Blacks have only played a solitary game. With five completed matches, Cheeky Ladies have played the highest amount of games and only had one cancellation, but they are a rarity in a league found wanting in energy and vitality. Director of Rugby Tom Wilkinson has argued that the frequent cancellation of matches was due to an amalgamation of obstacles that worked to conspire against the consistency of the league, and that there was not one specific factor halting play. He noted that the bad weather has affected rugby across the board with the University 1st team having only played five matches this season due to pitches being unplayable, and so it is not only the Intra Mural games that have been affected. Yet, matches started to be cancelled as early as the weekend of the 3rd November under fine weather conditions, thus bringing into contention how much the weather was to blame. Wilkinson also stressed the drastic decline in membership of the Newcastle University Rugby Referee’s Society as a real problem this season. Founded in 2008, the society was a pioneering move from Newcastle University, as they were one of the first academic institutions to launch such a society in order to recruit referees from amongst the student body to officiate Intra Mural rugby union league and cup fixtures. The society’s formation led to a vast improvement in the quality of refereeing and there was the hope that officiating in this area would be supported for many years to come. A statement on the Sports Centre website reads as follows: “Newcastle University have a rugby referee’s society, who provides fantastic support to the rugby programme”, yet this claim unfortunately fails to hold any validity this season, as the development of the society has faltered. In the 2011/2012 season, there was a reliable cohort of 12 referees who were consistently available, however eleven of these twelve graduated at the end of the last academic year, and this

Intra Mural Rugby in action, last year, before the switch from Wednesday to Saturday Photography: Hubert Lam season, Wilkinson argued that they, “physically can’t get any referees”. Precautionary steps were made

Mural teams to help the referee society has been beyond his control. As well as the refereeing prob-

“Moving games to Saturdays is slowly destroying the enjoyment of the league” to ensure this would not happen; for example, it states in the Intra Mural Rugby Union 2012/13 Captain’s Notes that one player must be sent from each squad on the Rugby Referee’s Course, yet it appears that this supposedly compulsory rule has not been adhered to. The current President of the Rugby Referee’s society, Michael Burgess, has done an excellent job in recruiting referees since taking the post and doubled referees’ pay per match. However, the lack of interest among students and the Intra

lem, the controversial switch of intra mural rugby fixtures to Saturday afternoon instead of the usual Wednesday afternoon slot has been a major cause for disruption. Arguably, this re-organisation in the playing structure was because Intra Mural rugby proved too strong last year with many students participating instead of playing for the University rugby club, Armstrong being a fine example. This change means students now choose BUCS rugby over Intra Mural and the strengthen-

ing of the University rugby club is a positive from the switch. This however has had a detrimental effect on Intra Mural, with teams struggling to put sides out. Wilkinson failed to touch upon this issue, whereas team members have focused mainly upon the Saturday switch as the reason for the inability to frequently field teams with Hamish Van Gruisen, Captain of Cheeky Ladies RFC, commenting that “moving the games to Saturdays is slowly destroying the enjoyment of the league.” The move to Saturday was always going to be unpopular, as students are always in Newcastle on a Wednesday, yet at weekends people need to go home to work, as is the case with many of the Agric players in particular, or there are family events or parties to attend. Also, we cannot lose sight of the fact that Intra Mural sport is recreational. However, by moving the rugby union fixtures to a Satur-

day afternoon, fun, so to speak, has been taken out of the programme by breaking the tradi-

programme would recover from the disaster of last term and that the fixtures would start to build

“Burgess was the only available person to referee this past weekend where five games were supposed to have taken place” tion of a Wednesday game followed by a well-attended social. Either way, it appears no one is keen to either play or referee on a weekend, which is reiterated in the views of Sam Stephenson and Ian Dagg, the Agrics’ 1st and 2nd captains respectively, who argued, “the support from the students is not there, both in players and referees…directly as a result of the move to a Saturday.” Wilkinson expressed hope that the Intra Mural Rugby Union

up again. Although, as The Courier went to press it was revealed Michael Burgess was the only available person to referee this past weekend where five games were supposed to have taken place, thereby raising the question of how the problem is ever going to be resolved. Tom Wilkinson urges anyone who is interested in refereeing to get in contact with him via tom.wilkinson@ncl.ac.uk

The Courier

intramuralsport.45

Monday 4 February 2013

Medics’ operation going to plan

At the half way point in the season Sports Editor Ralph Blackburn assesses the title contenders, and the favourites for relegation have been inconsistent at best, with an ineligible player punishment docking three points from Crayola. Luckily for these two it seems as if Forsyth are nailed on for relegation with zero points from five games, conceding 27 goals in the process.

Division One Despite the Medics 1sts appearing capable of running away with the title in the early part of the season, with Nathan Campbell scoring goals for fun, their noisy neighbours the 2nds have remained unbeaten since losing to the 1sts in October taking them to the summit of the table. Of particular note was a shock 2-1 win over last seasons champions Barca-Law-Na on Halloween. Josh Batham has now scored 16 goals in five games, meaning the 2nds should not be discounted come the business end of the season. Henderson Hall, perennial nearly men, have also managed to maintain a consistent run of form that saw them head the table in the early part of the season. Despite a shock defeat to Crayola, they defeated BarcaLaw-Na and the in form Medics 1sts, with goal contributions coming from across the park. At the other end of the table Borussia Forsyth look set for relegation, with Hugo Tapp having the near-impossible task of assembling an entirely new team, given that last year’s promotion squad have now all graduated.

PREDICTIONS CHAMPIONS MEDICS 1sts DARK HORSE MEDICS 2nds RELEGATION BORUSSIA F Division Two For those fighting to get into the top flight, it is a fine balancing act between maintaining a strong squad and ensuring a good intake of youngsters to ensure that any success can be maintained. Ecosoccer currently lead the charge, with captain Tom Warren assembling a fine blend of youth and experience to create the tightest defense in Intra Mural football. Ecosoccer are also the only team in Intra Mural not to drop points, winning tight top of the table clashes against Aftermath and Lokomotiv. The rescheduled game against the Hurricanes could decide who takes the title, with Hurricanes skipper Adam Duckworth on fire with 13 goals in five games. The Hurricanes are now tied on points with Ecosoccer at the top of the table, with Eco leading on goal difference whilst also boasting a game in hand. Leading the chasing pack are After-

Captain’s Comment “I think our season’s been a little inconsistent so far, but we’ve had a lot of big results, and we’re not struggling for goals so we’re hoping for trophies come the second half of the season.” Olly Ingram, Barca Whilst Barca-Law-Na have struggled, they would appear safe from relegation and anchored to mid-table. Crayola and Dyslexic

math, who topped the table in the early part of the season and are likely to be in the mix come the end of the season. Lokomotiv, predicted by many to be title contenders, have had a poor first half of the season. Drastically unfortunate in their opening game against Ecosoccer to have two players sent off for dissent, that loss seems to have affected them badly. They lie second from bottom above Castle Leazes, who have no points from five games. Unsurprisingly, the bookies have stopped taking bets for Leazes to drop into Division Three.

Division Three

Boca Seniors are also just about treading water, with four points to their name they’ve been fairly inconsistent, however if they win their game in hand they’ll leapfrog newly promoted Roman Villa who’ve made a solid start in the Second Division.

Division Three is certainly the one to watch this season. With a similar topsy-turvy nature to the Championship, the top five sides are separated by three points. Jesmondino lead the table with ten points from four games having convincingly beaten rivals Newhist 7-1 and Brown Magic FC 5-1. Three teams lie one point behind Jesmondino, Newhist currently have a game in hand over rivals Brown Magic FC and Politic Thistle. The history boys have only played two games since mid October, with their fixtures being particularly badly hit by the weather. Experienced hands such as captain Will Robinson and left winger Ray Crisp are leading the charge making Newhist dark horses for the title. Politic Thistle have the inform striker of the division with Ollie Thornton notching nine goals so far. Newcastle Dynamos lie fifth with seven points, having recently beaten Newhist in a 5-goal thriller. Multiple Scorgasms lie second to bottom, and can count themselves incredibly unlucky, losing by one goal in three of their five games. They stay off the bottom spot courtesy of a better goal difference than Bio Neverlosen who, despite their name, have lost three of their four games.

PREDICTIONS

CHAMPIONS ECOSOCCER DARK HORSE AFTERMATH RELEGATION LEAZES

CHAMPIONS JESMONDINO DARK HORSE NEWHIST FC RELEGATION BIO NEVER

Captain’s Comment “Our league position? Unsurprising. Our run of form? Unprecedented. Our playing style? Unforgiving. Our legacy? Unforgettable.” Tom Warren, Ecosoccer

Photography: Ralph Blackburn

Division Four After a year’s absence, Division Four is back, and with it an array of teams of differing qualities. Sub Standard Liege are currently at the top of the pile, with striker Jake Wimhurst scoring 15 goals in five games. Liege have not managed to take an extensive lead in the division after only managing high scoring draws against their two closest rivals FC Bayern Toonich and the Thundercats. Toonich lie a place and a point behind Liege, however with a game in hand, they are in a strong position. Johnny Armour, the team captain, has notched nine goals, and his team are the highest scorers in all of Intra Mural football. Third in the table are the Thundercats, who could still make a late bid for the title. Their impressive progression to the semifinals of the Wednesday Cup reflects the genuine quality they

possess in their team. The battle at the bottom is between Crystal Phallus and Trigger Happy, with the Trigger boys winning the first fixture, the return fixture could decide who lies at the bottom come the end of the season. The Establishment and Geomatics lie solidly in mid-table, a decent return for their opening season in Intra Mural.

PREDICTIONS CHAMPIONS TOONICH DARK HORSE THUNDER RELEGATION CRYSTAL P

League Tables Wednesday 11 a-side Football

Division 1 1

Division 13

Division 2

Team

Pld

Pts

Newcastle Medics 2nds

Team

Pld

Pts

Ecosoccer

Division 41

Team

Pld

Pts

Jesmondino FC

Team Team 1 1 Sub-Standard Barca Law NaLiege

Pld Pld WW

5 12

25 50 13 15 11 28

Pts Pts

Newcastle Medics 1sts

The Hurricanes

Brown Magic FC

2 2 FCNewcastle Bayern Toonich Medics 1sts

4 12

26 36 8 20 10 26

Henderson Hall FC

Aftermath FC

Politic Thistle

3 3 Thundercats Henderson Hall

4 12

22 41 8 29 722

Crayola

Roman Villa FC

Newhist FC

Dyslexic Untied 4 4 The Establishment

4 12

32 1026 619 13

Barca-Law-Na

Boca Seniors

Newcastle Dynamos

5 5 Geomatics Crayola FC

5 12

13 18 15 22 615 6 14 26 47

Dyslexic Untied

Lokomotiv

Multiple Scoregasms

6 (R) Trigger Happy Aftermath

4 12

Borussia Forsyth

Castle Leazes

Bio Neverlosen

7 (R) Crystal CastlePhallus Leazes

4 12

4 10 2 12 2742 0 4

Top Goalscorers 16: Batham (Medic 2s) 6: Campbell (Medic 1s), Hurworth (Barca)

4: Robson (Dyslexic), Holt (Medics 2s), Womersley (Crayola), Hoctor (Barca) 3: Kemp (Borussia)

Top Goalscorers 13: Duckworth (Hurricanes)

(Aftermath), Wilson math) 4: Stacey (Ecosoccer)

5: McCrory (Hurricanes), Jones

3: Golzari (Aftermath),

(After-

Fixtures - 6/2/13

Division One Division Two Crayola vs Henderson Hall FC Close House 2.00PM Lokomotiv vs Boca Seniors Medics 1sts vs Borussia F Longbenton Grass 2.00PM Hurricanes vs Aftermath Barca-Law-Na vs Medics 2nds Longbenton 3G 8.15PM Castle Leazes vs Roman Villa

Close House 2.00PM Redhall 2.00PM Longbenton Gr 3.45PM

Top Goalscorers 9: Thornton (Politic Thistle) 6: Smith (Jesmondino),

3:Wren (Brown Magic)

Top Goalscorers

15: Wimshurst (Sub2: Grosvenor (Scorgasms),, Standard Liege) Walton (Newhist) 9: Armour (Toonich)

Division Three Bio Neverlosen vs Dynamos Close House 2.00PM Scorgasms vs Brown Magic FC Longbenton Gr 2.00PM Politic Thistle vs Newhist FC Longbenton 3G 3.45PM

6: Prichard (Thundercats) 5. O’Callaghan (Toonich) 4: Page (Toonich), Parkinson (Liege)

Division Four Thundercats vs Trigger Happy Sub-Standard vs Crystal Phallus Geomatics vs Bayern Toonich

Close House 2.00PM Longbenton Gr 2.00PM Redhall 2.00PM

46.sportbucs

Monday 4 February 2013

The Courier

Seconds hold Thirds to scoreless draw Women’s Hockey Newcastle 2nd

Newcastle 3rds

By Francesca Fitzsimmons at Longbenton Rain failed to dampen spirits at Longbenton, as Newcastle University 2nd XI met the Newcastle University 3rd XI in an anything-but-friendly BUCS encounter. With Lauren Asfour and the 2nds tipped for promotion, it was obvious from the first fifteen minutes why they

were sitting top of the league. Liz Shedden came out all guns blazing, causing havoc amongst the 3rd’s defence. With three shots in quick succession by the attacking twos, the everdependable Jayne McLaughlin ensured they failed to convert. Following frantic defence from the threes, they were finally on the war path courtesy of a rifle of a clearance from Sophie Mason out of the D. Johanne McAllister picked it up in midfield and made a charge for the 2nds’ defensive line. Experience prevailed, however, as Captain Asfour proved unconquerable, and released the ball out wide to Sophie Fox. With the 3rds’ midfield in upheaval, Roxanne Morris collected the ball on her reverse and took on the defence.

Composed Captain Becky Newmarch played the threes out of danger to Holly Magill who relentlessly charged down the touchline. The unexpected counter-attack had the 2nds stretched, allowing Katie Hay to dominate the midfield and play a through ball to Lauren Bell whose accurate shot was impressively deflected away by the pads of Izzy Rice. The 2nd XI kept the tempo up at the start of the second half, failing to show the repercussions of three weeks without any hockey. Cara Bell tore down the left side, and with Lucy Kent supporting ahead, the 2nds found themselves in a promising attacking position. After conceding a sequence of penalty corners, the mighty 3rds watched anxiously. A straight strike from Roxanne Morris went a mere fraction wide of the

goalposts leaving those on the sideline speechless - a first for 3rds coach James Jordan. With the 3rds on the back foot, territory tactics were adopted with a great defensive clearance from the skilled Katie ‘Larry’ O’Kelly. Intercepting hit outs from the 2nds’ 10 yard line seemed to be the best chance for attacking opportunities for the 3rds. There was plenty of pressure on Asfour and Freya Berkin as fresher Abi Jennings hustled the 2nds - instigating fresher steals that were reminiscent of Wednesday nights. Following a sequence of passes from Rosie Griffin and Emily Stubbs through the middle of the field, 3rds ‘keeper Izzy Rice was tested once more as Katy Jones took her chance at glory and released a cracking shot that flashed marginally

wide. After a second influx of penalty corners, the 2nd XI had the momentum, and ex-3rds player Jen Hobson showed no sympathy for her former teammates as she charged up the line on the attack. Faye Shearer tracked back from right midfield position and made the tackle, regaining possession for the 3rds. After a game of cat-and-mouse in the middle of the field, and with five minutes to play, there was one last chance in the game as Caroline ‘Caz’ MacMillan neatly played the ball to Rosie Scott, pushing forward and putting pressure on the omnipresent 3rd XI defence. Due to the sharp passing by the 2nds around the D, the 3rd XI frantically searched for the sideline to clear the unyielding danger from the skilful twos to bring a nerve wrecking game to a close.

Uni’s netballers suffer rare setback Women’s Netball By Sophie Haslam Newcastle 1sts vs Loughborough 1sts: Away Lost 22-54 This week provided a tough encounter for the 1st team. Pitted against a top team and renowned sporting uni, this was always going to be a difficult game. The first quarter was strong, and the girls went 3 up, determined and up for the fight, but the opposition soon woke up and then took a 12-8 lead at quarter time. Loughborough fielded an accomplished team, with the majority of their players having played at national U21 level. It was 25-13 at half time; Rachel Saville kept on her WA at all times and worked hard to close down. Alice Hag-

yard working beautifully driving down court, however feeding in to the circle was tough for WA Katie Rimmer as they were very tall and physical, the GD and GK jumped in to a lot of Newcastle’s shots, making it difficult to convert. The final score was 22-54, a respectable score for the away outfit who were up against some world-class competition. Newcastle 2nds vs Sheffield University 1sts: Away Lost 29-28 This week the 2nds were back in Sheffield, facing the University of Sheffield this time round. The away side began strongly, taking the lead and carrying this through to the second quarter. However with much confusion and dispute, the teams were made to switch courts half way through the match, resulting in the girls cooling down and losing their focus.

Player of the match Karron Marron and GD Lauren Barnett worked solidly in defence, helping the ball flow nicely up court with great support from Sassa Hamilton. Feeding in to the circle

a respectable performance nonetheless.

worked beautifully, whilst the shooting from Harriet Humphries and Louisa Sorenson was impressive as ever. NUNC worked hard up until the final whistle, and tried desperately to get that draw, however the final whistle blew at 29-28 to Sheffield. An unfortunate defeat, but

team to turn up, the 3rds became restless and perhaps lost motivation. A deal was decided that as the umpires, having waited long enough, needed to leave before the game would finish, the quarters would be cut down to 12 minutes each and a loss or win of 3 or

Newcastle 3rds vs Teeside 1sts: Home Lost 19-24 After a 45-minute wait for the Teeside

“The majority of their players were England U21, so they were quite the amazing team ”

less points would result in the game having to be replayed. The game started well and both teams looked strong and demonstrated a desire to win. However Teeside took full advantage of their GS who failed to miss and took the lead after the first whistle. Newcastle went out strong and determined in the 2nd quarter, with solid defence from Freya Cromarty and Charlotte Plumtree. The pace of the game was maintained beautifully by player of the match Holly Nuttall and feeds in to the shooters were working nicely. However the third and fourth quarter didn’t work out well, with strong rebounds from Teeside’s GK and pace and long balls down court proving difficult to stop. The 12 minute quarters had a lot more impact than perhaps first thought, and its difficult to say what would have happened otherwise.

Newcastle’s Hector Hall demonstrates his dribbling prowess Photography: Ralph Blackburn

Last Wednesday, the Men’s hockey 1st team suffered a surprise 3-2 defeat at the hands of a spirited Durham 2nd XI. The loss was only the Royals’ second of the season. They currently sit 2nd in their division, 6 points behind Manchester’s 1st team.

The Courier

bucssport.47

Monday 4 February 2013

Newcastle’s Arthur Okonkwo closes down a Liverpool winger Photography: Ralph Blackburn

Royals flushed with success Men’s Football Newcastle 1sts

Liverpool 1sts

By Jack Gelsthorpe at Longbenton Newcastle finally ended their barren run this season with a win in the bottom of the table clash against Liverpool. Before this match Newcastle were sitting at the very bottom of the league having endured what can only be described politely as a disappointing season. Liverpool weren’t faring much better and both teams trudged onto the field in the knowledge that whoever lost would most likely be relegated. The pressure on both teams showed in the opening skirmishes as the match lacked the fluency that is usually associated with confident teams who are enjoying their football. The lack of confidence and pace up front for both teams, combined with the extreme conditions with the wind playing havoc with any high balls, was reflected in the lack of clear cut chances for either team in the opening twenty

minutes. The Newcastle defence looked nervous and resorted to punting the ball up the field on numerous occasions for the strikers who were haplessly overcrowded by the Liverpool defence. However Newcastle started to grow into the game late into the first half and were presented with a glorious chance to take the lead when, having been played through on goal, Swainston skied the chance. The anguish of the miss was clearly visible as he was left holding his head in his hands. However the miss didn’t alter the direction of the match as Newcastle were gifted a penalty two minutes later as Stapleton was fouled cheaply in the area and Sexton converted to the keeper’s right. The relief of the Newcastle players was evident and further joy came five minutes later when the lively Swainston showed some neat tricks and devilish footwork to engineer some space, get into the box, and cut back a dangerous ball which hit an unlucky Liverpool defender and went in. Newcastle were jubilant and Liverpool furious, venting most of their frustration on the referee with their bleating comparable to most premiership football teams. With half time approaching it would have been easy for Newcastle to sit back and protect their lead until the interval.

However they were in a very hungry mood and they grabbed their third goal in bizarre fashion as a corner seemingly swung in, caught the wind, and went in the goal with a slight deflection from one of the sheer mass of players in the box. By they time the interval arrived, Newcastle found themselves sitting in a rare position of comfort. The half time team talk would have been a very posi-

they were going to throw away a threegoal advantage that would have effectively ended their season. However, the Royals showed substantial fortitude to repel the wave of Liverpool attacks and started to control the game again. They should have re-opened the gap when Stapleton was played in for a chance yet he chose power when he should have chipped it and the keeper

“The Royals must now use the momentum generated from this victory to haul themselves out of trouble” tive one whilst stressing the need to not become complacent, however it did not have the desired effect. Liverpool started the second half strongly, in contrast to Newcastle who started poorly with misplaced passes, poor decisions, and a tendency to lump it up to the forwards allowing Liverpool to steal in and grab two cheap goals. This induced much anger and panic in the Newcastle team and it looked like

saved. Minutes after this Newcastle grabbed a deserved fourth with Swainston scoring a sumptuous goal, cutting in from the right and expertly steering the ball into the top corner much to the delight of the Newcastle players, and with certain contingents of the Liverpool squad nodding with reluctant appreciation. This goal put the Liverpool fight to bed and their players became visibly

deflated and tired. Their intensity was gone and Newcastle exploited this and finished the game looking much fitter than their counterparts. The last goal capped off a strong performance from the Royals and the free flowing team goal typified the overall team performance. However it was fitting that Swainston was at the centre of it as he looked the most likely to do something for Newcastle and was a constant source of irritation for the beleaguered Liverpool defence. Swainston played a through ball, which was cut back to Wheeler who tucked the ball away easily. Overall Newcastle were well worth the three goal margin of victory. It keeps them alive for the rest of the season, and a relatively strong performance up front and in defence, apart from a mad twenty minutes in the second half, should give them confidence for the second half of the season. However, they will have to play teams of a much higher calibre than Liverpool who were very poor and who look completely out of their depth in this league. The Royals must now use the momentum generated from this victory to haul themselves out of trouble, and certain flashes in this game clearly showed that they do have the ability to cause other teams trouble and grab the necessary points. Man of the Match: James Swainston

Sport

www.thecourieronline.co.uk Monday 4 February 2013 Issue 1263 Free

thecourieronline.co.uk/sport

Sports Editors: Ralph Blackburn, Nick Gabriel and Lucy Williams Online Sports Editors: Freddie Caldwell and Jack Gelsthorpe courier.sport@ncl.ac.uk | @Courier_Sport

RISE UP!

THE COURIER TALKS TO TWO OF ENGLAND’S HOTTEST RUGBY PROSPECTS, p.41

Newcastle Knights look to build an attack Photography: Lucy Williams

INTRA MURAL RUGBY

A TALE OF REFS, RAIN AND RESCHEDULING, p.44-45

Knights defeat ‘Invincibles’ Women’s Basketball Newcastle 1sts

Bradford 1sts

By Rosie Wowk in Newcastle The Newcastle Knights won their first home game of the New Year against Bradford’s 1st team, who had previously been undefeated in the league for two years. With Bradford arrogantly only bringing six players to the Newcastle University home court, it was inevitable that foul trouble could be on the cards, as they had to finish the second half of the final quarter with only four players. The first quarter revealed the fight within both teams as they battled to put points on the scoreboard. Strong defence from the Knights reduced the Demons to taking speculative longrange shots. The Knights’ captain, Eglė Duleckytė, then got stuck into the game with a

swanky dribble move with a jump shot to finish, scoring the home team their first points. Although she may have problems with her time management, fresher Danielė Stukaitė had no such issues with her defence, as she flew through the air for a well-timed interception. Taking full advantage of the turnover in possession, Tasslem von Streng posted up low, with Duleckytė feeding in the ball for the towering forward, converting into another two points for the Knights. The home team managed to keep the table toppers from gaining a strong lead, with the first quarter finishing just 4-8 to the away side. Inevitably, the Bradford Beast was unleashed from her cage in the second quarter, as the dragon-like number 15 made her presence felt all over the court with some lucky three-pointers and fiery moves under the basket to push the gap between the score further apart. Determined to close the gap, Von Streng timed an excellent back door cut with architecture pessimist, Leonie Smith, zipping the ball in from the wing for an easy bank shot for the giant. It was then time for look-alikes Emily Jackson and Laura Tognarelli to double team, as ‘Togs’ fired the ball from one

end of court into the hands of hop-along Jackson, who pulled up for an uncontested jump-shot. Despite their efforts, Bradford built a nine-point lead as the half drew to a close. With determination pumping through their veins, the Newcastle ladies headed back onto their home turf with a potential win against the toughest team in the league a genuine possibility. Her height not holding her back, pint-sized Corinne Vaughan fought for a loose defensive rebound, and immediately launched the ball up the court. This move baffled the away outfit as Duleckytė ran the length of the court for an effortlessly fast break. Vaughan then used her lightening speed to pluck the ball from the air as Bradford feebly passed the ball around the three-point line, converting yet more points for Newcastle. Yet, with every basket the Knights managed to sink, Bradford’s cronies 15 and 9 doubled up with some slinky entry passes to keep their score at a breathable 10 point lead. However, the away teams foul trouble finally became advantageous to the Knights in the final quarter, with just five players eligible to play in the con-

test’s final stages. It was comeback season for Jen Monney, as she stole the quarter with her aggressive defence that forced Bradford to make costly shots, allowing giants Olivia Bowles and Tasslem von Streng to clean up under the basket. The veteran did not stop there as she took her chances at a three-pointer, sinking the Monney shot and racking up the much needed points for Newcastle. Bradford began to waver, making unnecessary fouls at high cost as yet another player was benched for bad behaviour, leaving just four players for the Knights to battle. Back-to-back shots from Action Jackson pushed the home team to equalise with the reigning champions. This gave Newcastle the adrenaline boost they needed to finish the game up with a victorious and well-deserved win of 52-47. The Knights have a treacherous road ahead of them with four more tough games to play, as well as a semi-final clash in the BUCS cup. Yet, with this win against the seemingly unbeatable Bradford now under their belts, Newcastle should have every faith in the Knights rising to the challenge.

Photograph: Ralph Blackburn

FUTURE STARS OF 2013

YOUNGSTERS TO LOOK OUT FOR THIS COMING YEAR, p.42-43

Photography: Getty Images