www.thecourieronline.co.uk Monday 25 February 2013 Issue 1266 Free
ELECTIONS PULL-OUT INSIDE EVERY CANDIDATE, EVERY BALLOT, EVERY MANIFESTO
‘Engagement monitoring’ set up after biometrics cut •
Measures attendance and Blackboard visits
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System to comply with UKBA regulations
RAG: Some things never change
News p.5
The University is in the process of deciding which measures it will use to constitute the ‘engagement monitoring’ system it hopes to implement next September. ‘Engagement monitoring’ allows the University to gauge how regularly a student is ‘actively engaging’ with their degree by looking at measures such as attendance at teaching hours, visits to Blackboard and the number of books borrowed from the library. A range of measures are currently being considered by the University but attendance will likely be monitored through the use of smartcard scanning. This is a departure from previous University proposals that favoured a biometric fingertip scan, which were met
gaged with their course on the full-time basis that their visa requires. Speaking to The Courier, Dr John Hogan, the University’s Registrar said: “The whole [Higher Education] sector has been concerned about compliance with the UKBA, it’s a relatively new organisation. And there’s two sides to it really. One, the controls they want to see in place before students are admitted to this country. These include things like visa requirements, evidence of English language qualifications and academic qualifications. “The second thing they are focused on, quite heavily, is that when a student is admitted to study in this country, on perfectly legitimate grounds, are they continuing to study?” Hogan explained that in order to retain their license the University must report any non-EU students who have
with opposition by various members of the student body and academic faculty. In December, the Students’ Union held a referendum which saw students vote against the use of biometrics with 1,206 votes to 320 in favour. Turnout was 7.3% which represented a historical high for a vote of that kind despite less than one in ten students participating. The adoption of ‘engagement monitoring’ comes in response to UKBA requirements surrounding attendance monitoring of non-EU students. The University is required to comply with such requirements if it is to keep its license that permits it to enrol nonEU students. These UKBA requirements have arisen as a result of last year’s London Met scandal. This saw the University stripped of its license, in part, because it failed to provide sufficient evidence that its non-EU students were actually en-
“ceased to study”. And the University believes that the best way of determining this is through the concept of ‘engagement monitoring’. Hogan also explained why the University believes the ‘engagement monitoring’ system should incorporate all students and not just the non-EU students that UKBA requires. “So far we have treated all students as the same but there are arguments either way. Some say we should split it because the workload would be much less. However, it is not going to look great if we operate a policy in every lecture that says: ‘All those not from the EU please sign in now.’” He also said that the pastoral responsibilities belonging to the University apply equally to both EU and non-EU students and that the ‘engagement monitoring’ system would better help them continued on page 4
By George Sandeman News Editor
“It is not going to look great if we operate a policy in every lecture that says: ‘All those not from the EU please sign in now’. ”
News
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NEWS
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UNEARTHED GEMS
The archive service dig out Union treasures from the past
LGBT HISTORY WEEK Christos Mexias and volunteers speak to secondary students
COMMENT
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CONVICT RIGHTS Should prisoners be entitled to the vote?
COMMENT ON CAMPUS What do you think of biometric scanning?
SPORT
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WOMEN’S CRICKET A review of the recent World Cup in India
STAN CALVERT STARTS Raiders draw first blood for Newcastle
Monday 25 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
Sexual health service scrapes a 2.1 By Sabine Kucher Newcastle University’s sexual health services for students have recently been ranked only 10th in a league table of the 24 Russell Group universities. Researchers from the online medical service Dr. Ed have compiled the firstever comparison of such services across elite universities in the UK. The project was inspired by a similar survey in the US which is sponsored by condom manufacturer Trojan. The cofounder of Dr. Ed said in an interview with The Guardian that he hoped the report card would drive improvements to
in were special events, the availability of testing and student satisfaction. In fact, the yearly ‘Sexual Health and Guidance Week’ run by the Welfare Officer puts Newcastle ahead of many others in terms of campaigning efforts. However, these good points were overshadowed by the bad marks on location of the service (D) – for any of you that do not know about it, the nearest clinic is the Newcroft Centre – the availability of drop-ins (D) and the website’s ease of use (D). Indeed a quick online search reveals that the University’s resources on sexual health are remarkably few and far between.
SAFE SEX? Newcastle scored well in student satisfaction, as well as sexual health testing Image: Kaptain Kobold
The universities’ sexual health facilities were ranked by many criteria including operating hours, whether or not they operated drop in sessions, access to contraception and the quality of information available services like it has done in the US. The universities’ sexual health facilities were ranked by many criteria – including opening hours, whether or not they operated drop in sessions, access to contraception, and the quality of the information available on site and online. Dr. Ed also focused on special events promoting sexual health awareness and the availability of sexual assault support. The site used information obtained from welfare officers as well as ‘mystery shoppers’ and secondary research on sexual health centres. Nottingham University topped the table with an impressive score of 83 bagging a first, while Manchester, Durham and Cardiff all failed - with Cardiff only scoring a shocking 31. Newcastle University landed in the middle of the pile in joint 10th with Liverpool and Birmingham. While this seems like a respectable result, closer examination shows that Newcastle just made the 2:1 with 60. Areas Newcastle did particularly well
It does not have an easily accessible site on the topic and other than research papers there is only advice for international students arriving in the UK dating back to 2009 as far as the author could tell. The survey also puts a spotlight on an essential service: the sexual assault support, or rather the lack of any such facility, failing Newcastle in this category. The only reference on the University website links to an old guidebook for international students about keeping themselves safe. However, the guidebook does not give any advice on where to turn when keeping safe is not an option anymore. For anyone seeking advice, NUSU’s Welfare website, http://nusu.co.uk/welfare, offers links to support groups and other useful information. In a first reaction, NUS expressed their hope that the report will help improve service standards at many universities. With the cuts to local health provision that seems more than necessary.
Much-loved Richard Briers dies aged 79 By Jenni Cannon Renowned television and theatre actor Richard Briers has passed away from emphysema aged 79. Briers was most well-known for his role in 1970s sitcom The Good Life, but some might remember him from Doctor Who, voicing the rabbit Fiver in Watership Down, and playing Hector in
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the BBC’s Monarch of the Glen, set in the Highlands of Scotland. Briers was also a well-respected theatre actor, specialising in works of Shakespeare with Kenneth Branagh’s Renaissance Theatre Company, and had a range of major classical roles from the late eighties onwards. In addition to his TV roles, Briers was a patron of the Friends of the Theatre Royal in Newcastle, and appeared on
Briers was well-known for his roles in The Good Life, Doctor Who - voicing Fiver in Watership Down - and playing Hector in Monarch of the Glen
stage both there and at the Newcastle Playhouse (former name of the Northern Stage). He recently wrote a foreword to the history of the Theatre Royal, describing
Editor Ben Travis 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 Emily Rae, Catherine Davison and Ellie Cropper Online Lifestyle Editors Rosie Devonshire Colette Hunter Fashion Editors Elissa Hudson and Lizzie Hampson Online Fashion Editor Sally Greenwood Beauty Editor Annie Morgan Online 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 Sports Editors Ralph Blackburn, Nick Gabriel and Lucy Williams Online Sports Editors Freddie Caldwell and Jack Gelsthorpe Copy Editors Harriet Andrews, Helen Battrick, Georgina Grant, Rachel Horrocks, Maddie McNeill, Charley Monteith, Leanne Penning, Amy Preston, Tom Rhodes, Gemma Thompson, Jessica Timms, Chris Smith, Matty Aston
it as ‘the finest [theatre] in the country,’ and he was widely considered a loyal friend of the arts in Newcastle and the North East.
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.
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news.3
Monday 25 February 2013
Marrow members pull off mammoth 24-hour cycle in build-up to big trips By George Sandeman News Editor The Newcastle Marrow society undertook a 24-hour cycle-thon last Wednesday and raised over £1,200 as a result. Using cycle stands lent to them by Steel Cycles in Gosforth, who also donated £100 to the cause, the 26 participants hitched up their bikes doing roughly two hour slots each. Speaking to The Courier, one of the organisers Cari Hook said: “We want to say a big thank you to Steel Cycles for being so generous and extremely helpful.” Fuelled by a seemingly endless supply of tea, coffee and biscuits, the fourth year medic also added that she estimated, over the 24-hour period, the participants collectively rode 600 miles which would take them to London and back again.
Hook added: “This really started out as quite a small thing, we didn’t expect to raise nearly as much as we did.” The cycle-thon comes in the run-up to two major cycling fundraisers which will Hook added: “This really start- see two sets of a r t i c i p a nt s ed out as quite a pcomplete a small thing, we coast-to-coast didn’t expect to (C2C) ride over two days raise nearly as a colosmuch as we did.” and sal expedition from Land’s End to John O’Groats (LEJOG) over 14 nights. The money raised last week will help pay for the spit testing kits that potential donors use when signing up to the Anthony Nolan registry, where their DNA will be entered into the database to see if they are a bone marrow match for a
WHEELY GOOD CAUSE
Tarni Duhre and Cari Hook put the pedal to the metal early on Thursday morning as they enter the last couple of hours of the cycle-thon. The money raised will help fund the spit testing kits students use to register as a donor Image: Celia Houghton
patient in need. The cost of the two fund-raising rides will mostly be borne by the participants
current total Newcastle Marrow have raised is £7,000 with a target of £10,000. Members are hoping that the C2C and
The coast-to-coast takes place over the weekend of 16/17 March - from Whitehaven to Tynemouth and Land’s End to John O’Groats starts on 29 March and finished on 12 April themselves with 60 people undertaking the C2C and 14 people taking on LEJOG. The C2C takes place over the weekend of 16-17 March - from Whitehaven to Tynemouth - and LEJOG starts on 29 March and finished on 12 April. With the £1,200 raised last week, the
LEJOG can raise the rest with the C2C hoped to bring in £6,000 and the LEJOG £3,000. You can donate to the C2C trip by visiting: [http://bit.ly/XeJ6Zm] You can sponsor the LEJOG riders by taking a look at: [http://bit.ly/YteMe5]. To donate directly to Marrow and help
them continue the fund-raising and registry work they do via text message, send the code MARR72 and the amount you want to donate (Eg. £1,£2,£5,£10, etc.) to 70070.
Could you be a #match4martin? You’ve read the story, now is the time to act: Fancy saving a life? Then sign up to the Anthony Nolan register:
The Cube in NUSU, Thursday 28 Feb, 12-4pm
4.news
Monday 25 February 2013
The Courier
Doreen Lawrence to open centre for racial equality By Josh Corlett Doreen Lawrence, mother of murdered teenager Stephen Lawrence, is set to open up a centre to boost the prospects of students from ethnic minorities on February 21st. The centre will be opened at the University of Birmingham and will be one of many events planned to mark the 20th anniversary of Stephen Lawrence’s death. The Stephen Lawrence trust which is behind this new venture was established in 1998 by Doreen Lawrence and initially provided bursaries to young students wishing to study architecture, the subject which Stephen wished to study. The trust has since expanded, with this being its most ambitious project yet. The ‘Centre for Research into Race and Education’ (CRRE) has been launched amid accusations by Doreen Lawrence that the government is simply not doing enough to address the issues facing young minorities in Britain today. The centre’s mission is to “pursue race equality and social justice by working to close the gaps in educational achievement and experience and career outcome of black and minority ethnic groups.” Doreen Lawrence believes that a centre like this is necessary to offset the “old boy network” at the heart of government and to help create a society where “the opportunities and outcomes for education and career success are fairly
balanced across all ethnic groups.” Issues such as why black students are three times less likely to be awarded a first class honours degree than their white class mates, and the difficulties people with foreign-sounding names face when applying for jobs, will be some of the many the centre aims to address and redress. The centre also intends to highlight the “instiIssues such tutional racism” as why black present throughstudents are out Britain. three times A recent report less likely to be by MPs found that awarded a first women of ethnic endure class honours minorities “discrimination at degree than every stage of the their white recruitment proclassmates will cess”. Institutional be addressed racism is still sadly present in almost every aspect of our society; it is not as blatant as the racism that led to the tragic murder of Stephen Lawrence or the far right extremism we tend to associate racism with, but it is there all the same. Once open, the centre aims to concentrate on its three main objectives; “focusing largely on research, informed debate on race inequalities in policy and practice and the encouragement of collaborations between policy makers, activists and the wider community”.
ELIMINATE HATE
Doreen was awarded an honorary doctorate for her campaigning work against racism and inequality Image: Delaina Haslam
Entitlement victory for mother and daughter By Emily Armstrong A Stage 2 student has emerged victorious in her ordeal against Student Finance. Last week, The Courier reported on its front page that the 25-year-old student - who has a young daughter - was told by Student Finance that she owed them £2,500 and that she would be receiving a smaller student loan. In December of last year, they alleged that she hadn’t submitted the required supporting documents, which evidenced the fact that she had a dependent, and that therefore her financial entitlements had been reassessed. After months of communication back and forth, with little progress being made, her public assertion that Student Finance had mishandled her documents was validated this week. This came despite official comment from Student Finance last week saying: “At no time were the application forms or supporting documentation of the
student in question misplaced.” The student received correspondence this week telling her the documents had been mishandled and that she will be receiving the correct financial entitlements. Extracts from the back-tracking letter say: “We do take full responsibility that this evidence received was We do take full scanned under responsibility the incorrect coding, this in turn that this evithen picked dence received was up by the incorwas scanned rect processing under the incor- team causing a delay in your aprect coding plication.” “In the meantime I have reinstated your grant award to what you were originally awarded. However I must inform you that this is not normal procedure”. “I can only apologise for the inconvenience that this has caused you as I believe this could have been resolved earlier”.
“We always want to listen to student opinion” continued from page 1 fulfil these duties. Discussing the impact of the aforementioned Students’ Union referendum on the University’s position regarding biometrics, Hogan said: “We always want to listen to student opinion and the Students’ Union is the right vehicle for that to be expressed. I can’t say that it was absolutely the determining factor because the turnout was low but we were aware anyway of the sensitivities surrounding this.” Hogan added: “The UKBA is there to
play a particular role that is challenging to higher education. As a University, we want to attract some of the best and brightest students from around the world and we’re very proud that we do that. But it is difficult with the current government’s message that we have too many people coming into this country.” Rachael Thornton, the Students’ Union Education Officer, told The Courier: “The referendum was taken seriously by the University and impacted their decision-making on the possible use of biometrics, it got dropped.”
The Courier
news.5
Monday 25 February 2013
Curators shine new light on Union history By Catherine Bundy Unknown to most students at Newcastle University, there is a collection of historical objects and archive material relating to the history of the Students’ Union. This collection, which dates back to the early 1900s, is hidden away in the History Room and has been painstakingly systematised by the university’s curator team. Emily Willis and Elise Bath work hard to preserve this important collection, which is increasingly valuable now that the Union building has been modernised. “This is a really exciting collection, which we feel that not enough people know about. With the recent refurbishment of the Union building, it seems more important than ever to preserve the Students’ Union history and involve the students in it.” Students may have noticed the art-
work of a time-line running along the wall towards the History room. This is a curator project and Emily and Elise hope that more of these can be created at various locations around the Union building to The collecincrease student tion dates awareness of the back to the project and inearly 1900s form students of - kept in the the Union’s past. The archives inHistory Room photos dat- and has been clude ing back to the painstakingly 1960s, documentsystematised ing events which by the curators are still central to the University year - including RAG week and Stan Calvert. It is fascinating to see some stark differences, but also note the similarities between the eras, clothing styles aside. With RAG week recently coming to a close, it is particularly interesting to
PEEKING BACK Events such as the RAG road race are currently confined to the past, but the tradition of medical students donning their scrubs for a big night out remains very much alive Images: NUSU Archive
look through past RAG week photographs ranging through the 1960s to the 1990s. Photos of crews in fancy dress, on RAG raids and partying in the old union building are sights familiar to today’s student population. Alongside these are traditions which have now died out - such as the RAG road bike race, pageant queen and parades through the city centre with student performances on floats. A large collection of ‘RAG Mags’ have also been saved. These were discontinued at Newcastle University in 2011. A ‘RAG Mag’ is a small booklet traditionally filled with un-PC humour and sold to students and the local community alongside street bucket fund-raising as a way of pulling in more change. A price can’t be put on this sort of collection and once gone, it is gone forever. Keeping a fragment of the history of the Union, while perhaps not seeming
essential, is something that is certainly worthwhile. The curators of the Students’ Union historical collection are also looking for volunteers to help with the History Room project. They are looking for people to help out with designing and installing exhibitions, researching the objects they have, and cataloguing the items. If you are interested in the history of the Union, or if you want to develop your research skills, or just get a taste of what it might be like to work with an historical collection, get in touch and let them know. This is a really interesting opportunity and a great chance to get some new skills on your CV. Email them at curator.union@ncl. ac.uk with your name, school and year of study if you are interested.
Business school appoints ‘innovation gurus’ By Emily Keen
NEW GURUS
Professor Roy Sandbach is to become the 10th David Goldman Visiting Professor of Innovation and Enterprise at the Business School Image: NU Business School
Professor Roy Sandbach is set to be the 10th David Goldman Visiting Professor of Innovation and Enterprise: continuing the tradition of the David Goldman endowment’s highly regarded contribution to enterprise and innovation in the region. The Business School has also announced that its new, permanent David Goldman Professor of Innovation and Enterprise is Savvas Papagiannidis. David Goldman played a leading role in transforming the economic fortunes of the North East region. In 2001 the Goldman family made an endowment to Newcastle University Business School to commemorate his life and work. The endowment enabled the School to establish the two positions, both designed to stimulate entrepreneurship and foster innovation within the North East of England. The David Goldman Visiting Professorship is a twelve-month appointment, awarded each year to a leading entrepreneur or business leader from within the region who will be able to provide inspiration and motivation to budding entrepreneurs and business leaders. The role involves working with the School to provide leadership and mentoring to students and faculty, and also
delivering the David Goldman Annual Business School Lecture. For over 30 years Professor Roy Sandbach has led global innovation pro-
I gained my Ph.D. Most of all, it will be an honour to build on the legacy of David Goldman.” The position of permanent David
The David Goldman Visiting Professorship is a twelve-month appointment, awarded each year to a leading entrepreneur or business leader from within the region grammes at Procter and Gamble, the biggest consumer products company in the world. Sandbach maintains a strong commitment to science. He is a Trustee at Newcastle’s Centre for Life, sits on the Industry Council of the Royal Society of Chemistry and is a business ambassador for NetPark, the hi-tech science park in County Durham. In March Sandbach will take the David Goldman Visiting Professor reins from James Timpson OBE, chief executive of the family firm Timpson Group. Professor Roy Sandbach told The Courier: “I am honoured to accept the David Goldman Visiting Professorship. It offers a wonderful opportunity for me to share my knowledge of strategic business innovation and it is a particular pleasure for me to be able to do this in my home region, at the university where
Goldman Professor of Innovation and Enterprise will be filled be dedicated scholar, Savvas Papagiannidis. Papagiannidis has spent over 16 consecutive years studying at Newcastle University, achieving two PhDs and two Masters. Professor Papagiannidis says he is delighted with his new role as permanent David Goldman Professor of Innovation and Enterprise. “I hope that in my new position I am able to make an impact by leading the development and delivery of the innovation and enterprise agenda of the Business School.” James Timpson OBE, who steps down from his position as David Goldman Visiting Professor in March, explains: “This role is all about imparting knowledge and more importantly, inspiring enterprise. It has been a great experience, and I am delighted to have been given such an esteemed role.”
6.news
Monday 25 February 2013
The Courier
PM pushes British HE to India By Liam Turnbull-Brown David Cameron has said that there will be “no limit” on the number of students who can come from India to study in the UK, as he aims to encourage more Indian students to choose UK universities as their place of study.
visa restrictions for international students, amid fears that the government’s tightening of visa restrictions for international students has led to some negative perceptions of the UK as a place to study, making many feeling ‘unwelcome’ in the UK. Critics, including Boris Johnson, worry that this may have resulted in many
The aim of the delegation is to develop strong economic ties between the two and create a ‘special relationship’ for the future The Prime Minister has been in India over the last week, leading the biggest ever trade delegation to leave the UK, with over 100 representatives from British companies and universities, including the chief executive of the Premier League, Richard Scudamore. The aim of the delegation is to develop the strong economic ties between the two countries and create a ‘special relationship’ for the future, with the Indian economy a potential future economic superpower, estimated to be one of the 3 biggest economies in the world by 2030. One of the ways David Cameron has pledged to do this is to make it easier for Indian businesses to invest in the UK, including speeding up the visa application process for Indian businessmen from up to three or four days to a new ‘same-day’ visa application service. However, he has faced criticism over
being put off from applying to British universities, instead applying to study in other countries such as the USA, Canada and Australia. Previously, afAccording to the ter graduating Higher Education international could Statistics Agency, students apply for a in 2010-2011, post-study work visa, there were which would 39,090 Indian them to students enrolled allow stay in the UK on university for up to two courses in the years in order United Kingdom to look for a job. However, as part of its commitment to reduce net immigration and its bid to crack down on bogus university visa applications, last year the government
changed its policy on visa applications for international students. Now, if non-EU students wish to stay in the UK after graduating, they have to apply for a post-study work visa through Tier 2 immigration status. This means that they have to qualify for employment under the points-based system, and find a job with a minimum salary of £20,000. This could potentially prove very difficult considering the current state of the UK job market, creating extremely high levels of competition for jobs amongst graduates. The UK is one of the most popular destinations for Indian students to study abroad, second only to the USA. According to the Higher Education Statistics Agency, in 2010-11 there were 39,090 Indian students enrolled on university courses in the UK. However, since then the stricter visa rules may have led to a fall in this figure, estimated to be between 9% and 25%. An example of the economic cost of this fall can be seen in Middlesex University, which has seen its the number of its Indian students decrease by 30% since the visa changes, costing them £20 million.
What are your thoughts on the incentives being offering to India?: Visit thecourieronline.co.uk
LIMITLESS The new same-day visa service will help speed up the application process for businessmen Image: bisgovuk (Flickr)
The Courier
Monday 25 February 2013
news.7
LGBT history month sees soc teaching By Lisa Bernhardt A group of volunteers from the university held a series of anti-homophobia workshops at a local school on the occasion of the LGBT History Month. Led by LGBT Officer Christos Mexias, the volunteers visited a secondary school in Peterlee, County Durham, to discuss curriculum related LGBT topics with the students. “As with any prejudice, homophobia is a product of ignorance”, says Mexias about the subject of homophobia in schools. “People are either not aware that what they’re saying is offensive or they don’t care because they don’t know much about LGBT issues. That’s why it’s crucial to above all educate people. Knowledge is the key to fighting bigotry.” With the help of the national LGBT education charity Schools Out, the group developed several English, Science, and Citizenship lessons that conveyed positive anti-homophobic messages to the students. The discussion topics included, amongst others, the emancipation of disabled, LGBT and People of Colour as well as the portrayal of gay characters in film and literature. According to the organisers, the workshops turned out to be well received. “We were all overwhelmed by their open-mindedness and receptiveness to new ideas. The students seemed to have an innate understanding of equality” states Mexias. He further stresses the role education plays in “normalising” the emancipation and acceptance of
LGBT people “by illustrating that LGBT rights are essentially human rights.’” The annual LGBT History Month consists of a range of events held in February in the UK and during October in the United States. Its aim is to celebrate the lives and achievements of Lesbian, Gay, Bi- and Transsexual people; whilst also raise awareness of their on-going strugIts aim is to gles with discrimicelebrate nation and prejuthe lives and dice. achievements It was firstly orof lesbian, gay, ganised in 2005 mark the abolibi- and trans- to tion of the consexual people troversial Section whilst raising 28 that prohibited awareness of political instituand schools discrimination tions from ‘promoting’ or positively discussing homosexuality. Inspired by its precursor, the Black History Month, the LGBT History Month continues to be an important event as “there is still a social stigma about LGBT issues”, according to tMexias. He believes that its role is to actively eradicate any existing prejudices whilst also being “an important tool in showing and celebrating the social, cultural, and political aspects of being lesbian, bi, gay, or trans.” More information about the events at Newcastle University can be obtained at the LGBT Society’s website newcastlelgbt.tumblr.com and the Facebook group Newcastle LGBTsoc – Events.
WAVE THE FLAG
The volunteers spoke to secondary school students about LGBT issues to help eradicate prejudice and discrimination Image: Dachler (Flickr)
8.news
Monday 25 February 2013
The Courier
Universities accused of spending student transgression fines to fund “staff jollies” By Sarah Pratley It has been revealed that last year disciplinary and administrative fines for students totalled over £550,000. Common offences include smoking, drinking and unauthorised parties. Others include keeping chickens, leav-
revealed in the amount of each offence. At Kent University, a student was fined £50 for “insulting or violent behaviour including or involving racial, sexual or other abuse, harassment or threat of violence” whilst many were fined the same amount for smoking offences. The amount of time allowed to students to clear fines also varies. Most
Bangor was in second place, charging £42,479 in fines. Students failing to pay their fine within fourteen days faced further disciplinary action or court proceedings ing food on a window ledge and stealing loaves of bread. The university to charge the most fines was Middlesex, reaching a total of £61,400. This figure was mainly made up of “late payments”, with students having to pay a £200 penalty for failing to pay their tuition fees on time. Bangor was in second place, charging £42,479 in fines. Students failing to pay their fine within fourteen days would have to partake in further disciplinary action or court proceedings. Certain irregularities have also been
universities permit fourteen days. Oxford, however, have the power to issue immediate fines which students must pay within two days. Oxford said that their immediate fines are “imposed for specified acts of antisocial behaviour on public thoroughfares after university examinations. The typical amount is under £100”. They also stated that “there is a right of appeal and failure to pay does not result in automatic suspension”. Only thirty-four out of the 128 institutions questioned by The Guardian stated
they did not fine students for disciplinary matters. A secretary at one of these universities said “there is reluctance to fine students because [of] the financial hardship that many students face; if an alternative remedy could be found, this would be preferred.” Most universities stated that the money collected forms part of their “other income”. The University of Wales Trinity St David, Hertfordshire University and two Cambridge Colleges admitted that this income does not appear on their accounts. Cambridge colleges fine between £10 and £200 for missing a supervision with a tutor. Whilst most colleges stated they use the money to fund student hardship programmes, Downing college revealed it uses the fines to fund the “annual staff outing”. Many universities admitted they have no such student hardship programme in place and treat each case individually. Most of the institutions stated that students are unable to graduate until they have cleared all of their fines. Liam Burns, the National Union of Students president, condemned this evident lack of support. He said “at a
time when students who cannot rely on their families or savings for financial support face a living cost shortfall At Kent Univer- of £8,500 each, it sity, a student is also crucial that was fined £50 any consideration levying of fines for “insulting or of takes student violent behav- hardship into aciour including count”. Burns said that or involving “any possible racial, sexual sanctions ought or other abuse, to be made clear harassment to the student ahead of time, or threat of should only be violence” issued after adequate warnings, and be in proportion to the offence.
“It is completely wrong for money extracted from students to be siphoned off to fund staff jollies. “If money is collected through fines it should be reinvested to benefit students, in hardship funds and library resources.” In an article published by The Courier in December 2011, we revealed that Newcastle University had collected over £32,000 in damage fines in 2010/11 and that over £280,000 had been collected since 2003. The Richardson Road halls of residence was the most fined accommodation area on campus. Have you been fined for something you think is unfair? Email us:
courier.news@ncl.ac.uk
CLUCKING MAD One student was fined for keeping a chicken in their halls of residence, with Middlesex University doling out the largest amount of fines to students Image: normanack (Flickr)
The Courier
nationalstudentnews.9
Monday 25 February 2013
storm Degree fakes going for a grand Media for dateless By Kathryn Riddell Online companies are offering authentic replicas of degrees from several UK universities for the cost of £1000. Institutions affected by fraudulent degree businesses include the University of Southampton, Salford University, the University of Hertfordshire as well as Oxford and Cambridge. The fake degrees mean that a one-off payment of £1000 could be spent rather than £9000 a year on actual university education. The companies claim that the degrees are designed to be indistinguishable from the real certificates and will be considered genuine by potential employers.
Job Title: Waiter/Waitress Employer: Cafe Rouge Closing date: 01.04.2013 Salary: To be confirmed Basic job description: A Waiter/Waitress is required to work 16 hours per week at the new Cafe Rouge restaurant on Grey Street, Newcastle. You will give excellent levels of service to all guests with whom you are in contact with, and to assist your colleagues to ensure a professional and consistent service in line with brand, menu and legal standards/specifications. Person requirements: Personality, image, and a certain something about a candidate is more important than experience as training will be provided. It may be beneficial to have an element of sales experience for Front of House staff. Location: Newcastle upon Tyne. Job Title: Lunchtime Supervisory Assistant Employer: North Tyneside Council Closing date: 28.02.2013 Salary: £11,768 - £12,508 pro rata, per annum Basic job description: A Lunchtime Supervisory Assistant is required to work 6 hours per week at Balliol Primary School in Longbenton. We are looking for someone kind, enthusiastic, imaginative and energetic to make the most of our lunchtime play. Person requirements: You will need to have a good sense of humour, a calm but assertive manner and be really good at listening. Ideally you will enjoy sporting activities. We are a really supportive and welcoming school who enjoy meeting and working with new people who bring fresh ideas and a positive outlook. Location: Longbenton. Job Title: Stockroom Assistant Employer: Topshop Closing date: 08.03.2013 Salary: National Minimum Wage Basic job description: A Stockroom Assistant is required to work 8+ hours per week at the Topshop store in the Metrocentre, Gateshead. Duties will include: meeting targets, stock replenishment, warehousing and other general store duties. Person requirements: Previous retail and stockroom experience within a fast paced environment is essential, as is a passion for the Topshop/Topman brand. The successful candidate must have excellent customer service, communication and numeracy skills, and should also possess the ability to work as part of a team.
In emails to a reporter from The Cambridge Student (TCS), one online business called “verifiabledegree.com” boasted that it can order degrees from a choice of We have not six UK universiencountered any employers ties. The company commenting claims to have on fake degree a “confidential agreement with certificates universities” when recruiting the are “unable to straight from but release the name Cambridge of the schools.” The director of Cambridge University Careers Service, Gordon Chesterman, said: “In my 15 years at the Careers Service, we have not
Location: Gateshead. Job Title: Trainee Supervisor Employer: Subway Closing date: 13.03.2013 Salary: To be confirmed Basic job description: 2 Trainee Supervisors are required to work 16 hours per week at the Subway store within the Metrocentre, Gateshead. Duties include leading a team, opening/closing up the store, managing the till, serving customers, cash handling, preparing food & adhering to workplace health & safety standards. Person requirements: Previous supervisory skills are essential, but this does not need to be within the hospitality/catering sector as full training will be provided. Applicants must have excellent customer service and communication skills, possess an outgoing and friendly personality, be presentable, enthusiastic and passionate about their work. Desirable: A current clean driving licence. This position is permanent subject to a three month probationary period (Salary will increase after 3 months training). All applicants must be fully flexible with their working hours as days/shifts will vary. Location: Gateshead. Job Title: Sales Negotiators Employer: Keith Pattinson Ltd Closing date: None given. Salary: Base salary + commission Basic job description: Pattinson’s the region’s largest independent estate agents are looking to recruit part time sales negotiators. Sales negotiators have a varied role which includes arranging viewings for sales and rentals, negotiating offers then following the sale through to completion and selling auction properties. Person requirements: Previous property or sales experience is not essential however a positive attitude, tenacity, an ability to work alone and as part of a team and determination are! We provide full training and this is an excellent opportunity to gain experience in a professional working environment. Location: Newcastle upon Tyne. Job Title: Post Office Counter Clerk Employer: WH Smith Closing date: None given. Salary: £6.97 per hour Basic job description: A Post Office Counter Clerk is required to work 16 hours per week at the WHSmith store in Newcastle. You will be responsible for serving customers quickly and efficiently, ensuring they are fully informed of all relevant services on of-
encountered any employers commenting on fake degree certificates when recruiting first-time jobbers straight from Cambridge.” However, he did acknowledge that fake degree certificates could be “a problem with those employers taking on experienced staff with several years’ experience, where the candidate may have claimed to have got a degree from Cambridge in the mid 1990s, for example.” Fake degree businesses have led to arrests in the past. In 2010, a graphic designer running an online business that sold fake Open University certificates was jailed for three years, following a trial at Birmingham Crown Court. A 2011 report also labelled the UK as Europe’s bogus university capital.
fer, completing transactions in an accurate and timely manner to provide a positive customer experience, demonstrate good product knowledge to customers on key promotions and offers, maximising all selling opportunities. Person requirements: Good level of numeracy, strong communication skills and ability to participate as a key team member. Location: Newcastle upon Tyne. Job Title: Waiting Staff Employer: Coast to Coast Closing date: None given. Salary: Competitive Basic job description: Coast to Coast Newcastle in The Gate, are now hiring Bartenders, Waiters & Waitresses, Food Runners, Door Hosts and Bussers. Person requirements: The successful applicant will be mad about hospitality and delivering excellent customer service. If you think you have what it takes and got relevant experience - basically you’re top dollar as far as restaurant staff go - we would love to hear from you! Location: Newcastle upon Tyne. Job Title: Support Assistant Employer: Newcastle City Council Closing date: 04.03.2013 Salary: £14,733 - £15,444 pro rata Basic job description: A Support Assistant is required to work 15 hours per week at Hilton Primary Academy in Newcastle. You will carry out 1:1 sessions, lunch time support, small group work, as well as being part of the whole class to deliver the Year 2 curriculum. You must be confident in assisting children who need extra support and able to demonstrate skills which support learning and development. This is a great opportunity to join this school and become part of our fantastic team. We are looking for exceptional candidates for this role in order to meet our total commitment to our children and families. Person requirements: We are looking for qualified candidates with passion, energy, and enthusiasm toward delivering high quality provision for all and to contribute with day-to-day tasks. The school is looking for someone who is Level 2 qualified and passionate about SEND or has proven experience working to support children with SEND. Location: Newcastle upon Tyne.
valentine
Fireworks run riot in smoking area
Leeds University
Oxford University
A student from Leeds University has become a media sensation after starting a Twitter campaign to find a Valentine date. Third year English student Adam Wood has had a huge response from potential dates, casting agents and even death-wishes from internet trolls after starting his campaign #findmeavalentine. The student quickly gained fame after the Daily Mail covered his campaign on their website. Wood has commented that he is shocked by the response and said: “The whole campaign has been mental.” The student turned down willing responses including a columnist from Nuts magazine in order to auction his date at a Help For Heroes charity sale. Wood has claimed not to be fazed by the media attention saying, “I’ve been contacted by numerous journalists, online publications and even offered a role with Big Brother. All this doesn’t matter right now as all I’d like to do is find a girl who’s up for having a fun (and free!) evening.”
“Large fireworks” set off in a nightclub have been linked to two Oxford University students. The incident took place in the The Bridge nightclub in the early hours of Friday 8 February. Bridge general manager Phil Davidson said: “Two males were apprehended and later removed from the premises. Two large fireworks were lit and then thrown into the smoking area which was busy with fellow students. “The individuals were held and then dealt with by police who were called to attend. We did find out the identity of the male who threw the firework.” Thames Valley Police issued a statement stating that: “No one was injured and no property had been damaged. A 20-year-old man was given an £80 Fixed Penalty Notice for letting off a firework in a public place.” Last month 235 people were killed in a nightclub fire, started by a flare or firework in a club in Santa Maria, Brazil, which one of the band members lit whilst performing on stage.
Facebook Flash mob posts stick in welcomes gay mind best marriage bill Warwick University
Lincoln University
Research from the University of Warwick has suggested that our memory of Facebook posts is stronger than our memory of books and even faces. The research suggests that it is the colloquial style of Facebook posts, which mimics natural speech that make them easier to remember than sentences in published books. One of the experiments on 32 undergraduate students found that Facebook posts were remembered one and a half times better than sentences from books. An experiment on 16 participants then found that Facebook posts were two and half times better remembered than faces. It is believed that the reason for these findings is because of our natural interest of trivial gossip, and the stand-alone nature of the information which makes the posts easier to remember. The findings may be able to offer insight into improving education and advertising, as natural speech could be used to communicate information more effectively.
A march has been held by the Lincoln University students to celebrate the Government’s new bill allowing equal marriage. The event was a celebration by the Lincoln Liberal Students organisation and took place on Saturday 9 February. The march began after a flash mob formed in the Baligate area of Lincoln, wearing fancy dress and singing “gay” anthems. The group then marched down Lincoln High Street handing out stickers and rainbow hearts before heading to the University of Lincoln, where speeches were made. Organiser Natasha Chapman said: “It was overwhelming to see such a diverse group of people out to celebrate a victory for LGBT and equality. “This change is part of a natural progression of equal rights. It isn’t just about the right to marry who you want, but also the legal recognition of relationships having the same value regardless of who you love.”Despite popular support for the bill, Lincoln MP Karl McCartney opposed the move.
Images: WolfS�ul and Corey Oakley
Kathryn Riddell
10.comment 3 reasons why... ...Murdoch’s ‘glam fashionistas’ are no better than topless models... 1) ‘Glamorous fashionistas’ still promote unrealistic expectations of women One of the main complaints about Page 3 and other soft porn in the mainstream media is that it gives both men and women an unrealistic idea of what actual female bodies look like. Call me a cynic, but I highly doubt that The Sun has any intention of having Doveadvert style ‘real women’ on their new Page 3; chances are, it’ll just be equally unattainable bodies, but with a few more clothes on.
2)Objectification is objectification, top on or not The entire point of the feature is to give the readers of The Sun something that’s nice to look at: a pretty object, you could say. Nobody genuinely believes that Bianca’s 100 words on the conflict in the Middle East is why she’s smiling at you with her top off, and putting her in glamorous clothes isn’t going to make her any less of an object.
3)It’s equally demeaning to consider a woman a clothes horse as it is to think she’s a sex toy She might not be nude, but how much of a step up is it really? All Rupert’s really doing is taking the monumental step of attributing ‘ability to select nice clothes’ onto a CV which previously amounted to ‘ability to look sexy.’ Not the leaps and bounds into intelligent political commentary one might hope for. But then again, perhaps it’s a bit much to expect too much enlightenment – after all, it is The Sun.
Jenni Cannon
Image: Adrian Dutch (WIkimedia)
Monday 25th February 2013
The Courier
Maybe it’s his time of the month Been feeling emotional recently boys? New research shows men also suffer from a time of the month. Sally Priddle discusses the new revelations and what they mean for men SALLY PRIDDLE
I
t is one of the ultimate taboos but unfortunately for the female sex, once a month we have to suffer the pain, persecution and PMS that occurs from the dreaded period. Whatever your favourite name is for ‘the time of the month’, it is an inconvenience that we could all do without and leads most men to make inappropriate jokes and blame any anger, annoyance or awkward behaviour on the inseparable PMS. Although some suffer more than others, when I am lying in bed trying to remember what it felt like to feel human, hugging my hot water as if it’ll provide oxygen and refusing to move from the foetal position, I regularly think that I wish it was the male sex that suffered from this pain and I could be free as a bird. Yes, I know men claim that being kicked in the balls is worse, but that
pain does not happen regularly once a month and doesn’t last a week so until
“New evidence shows that the joke of the ‘man period’ is real”
it does this comparison is not a fair one. However, science has once again come to the rescue and new evidence now shows that the joke of the ‘man period’ is real and men also suffer from PMS. I don’t want to fuel men’s fire by giving them an excuse to blame their bad moods on biology and eat as many sugary treats as they desire (that’s reserved for us ladies), but I am slightly relieved that they too have to power through some form of emotional turmoil once a month. In some cases, some men were reported to suffer PMS symptoms worse than women (as a woman I obviously just
believe they have a lower pain threshold than us), evidence showed that particularly in middle-aged men testosterone levels decrease once a month effecting sex drive, sperm production and muscle tone; however an American studies show that these symptoms could be attached to age or lifestyle. But the more I read about this subject, the more I was convinced, thinking back on past friendships or relationships there were points were for genuine unknown reasons they would act out of character or really annoyed for a ridiculously petty reason and a change in hormones and PMS could be a nice
“I don’t think manpons will catch on any time soon”
For those of the opposite sex who merely think periods are icky and an excuse to whack out a dirty rhyme about sexual activity, then I will outline some of the symptoms you could be suffering due your PMS: hot flushes, mood swings, increase or decrease in appetite and even stomach cramps. Sound like you? Well you could possibly consider professional help (a recommendation by some psychologists) or you could take the traditional female approach: grit your teeth, take some ibuprofen, eat inappropriate amounts of chocolate and carry on. Although I can understand there is some weight in the argument that men have a ‘time of the month’, somehow I don’t think manpons will catch on anytime soon.
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little excuse to explain these previously confusing scenarios.
Cameron’s Indian getaway
In light of Cameron’s recent trip to India, Victoria Armstrong looks at the implications his announcements have for students in India VICTORIA ARMSTRONG
T
his week, Prime Minister David Cameron made a three-day trade mission to India with several other motives, including that of encouraging young Indians to come and study in Britain. The 2011 to 2012 period saw a 23.5% drop in the number of Indian students in the UK. This comes after increased talk by the coalition about lowering immigration numbers in coming years and making it increasingly difficult to obtain visas to stay post-education. Whilst previously any immigrant who had completed tertiary education in the UK was allowed to stay so long as they were employed, now the graduates must immediately enter a job paying at least £20,000 per year or be denied a work visa. These changes to Britain’s foreign policy received considerable negative attention in the Indian media, a factor that the Government recognizes in explaining decreasing numbers of foreign students. However, following this visit by the PM, the press’ tone has changed dramatically, at least for now. Cameron emphasised before an audience that there would be “no limit” on the number of Indian students allowed in the UK, so long as they had a basic English language qualification and had
obtained a place at a university. Furthermore, there will be no limit to the amount of foreign graduates who can stay, so long as they “obtain graduatelevel employment,” Cameron stated. Various others accompanied the PM on his trip, notably the Minister for Universities and Science as well as
CURRYING FAVOUR?
Cameron has dramatically changed his tone on international students Image: World Economic Forum (Wikimedia)
“It is early days and much could still be done by the Coalition in the wake of this trip” representatives from several leading universities. All openly supported this move to give greater confidence to both Indian students and the UK higher education sector. One area of contention that does remain though is that despite a change in tone, there have been “no concrete changes in policy” as the International Students’ Officer of the National Union of Students, pointed out. On one hand fear inarguably plays a large role with Indian youths worrying that they will attend a British university but that policy allowing them to stay after their degrees completion will change. How-
ever, it would add significant weight to Cameron’s statements to see, at least, the wheels set in motion for identifying possible areas of change and improvement that the Government could make. Nonetheless, it is early days yet and much could still be done by the coalition in the wake of this trip. Cameron
Lauren has made an undeniable step forward in changing his tone on the topic, which had been described as “neutral” for the entirety of his premiership to date. It will be interesting to observe this new phase in the British-Indian relationship develop; where Cameron believes “the sky is the limit”.
The Courier
.11
Monday 25 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
FORWARD THINKING
Are graduates too qualified to stack shelves? Image: Zelman Menashi (Wikimedia)
Are graduates above some jobs? ROSANNA HUTCHINGS
YES U
sually, the next step following graduation is to search for a job. But recently graduates are facing an ever-increasing dilemma; unemployment or a job that is potentially “beneath them.” This is a modern phenomenon, with more than one in three recent graduates employed in lower skilled jobs compared to one in four in 2001. It is not just about graduates seeking a “quick-fix” job in a supermarket in the interim straight after graduation. The Government’s new “work experience” scheme has led to some students being placed in unpaid lower skill level jobs under the friendlier title of “work experience” to in order to receive their Jobseeker’s Allowance. Ian Duncan Smith argues that there are people today with an “unjustified sense of superiority and sporting an intellectual sneer, we find a commentating elite which seems determined to belittle and downgrade any opportunity for young people that doesn’t fit their pre-conceived notion of a ‘worthwhile job.’” The most prominent case was Cait Reilly, geology graduate, age 24 who was labelled a “job snob” by Duncan
Smith. She was told to stack shelves in Poundland as “work experience” or lose £52 Jobseeker’s Allowance. She claimed these breached her human rights. Miss. Reilly recently argued back saying it was not the unpaid work in Poundland that angered her, but being told by the Job Centre that she could no longer do work experience in her local museum. Why would the Government believe it to be more efficient to put graduates into work experience in a lower skilled job, when in reality, at least in most cases, they are perfectly capable of pursuing the work experience that would benefit them in the area they are skilled in?
“Voters are unlikely to remember the successes of such a scheme”
While of course we don’t want a nation of graduates sponging off the state, surely as long as they prove they are actively searching for jobs they feel are suitable and are doing the correct experience they should be left to it? Is it really economically viable to encourage graduates to enter lower skill level jobs that they are not even being paid for? The skills the Government’s scheme is offering is largely in retail and many would argue they already have some sort of experience in this sector through past part time work, so what would they
gain? While the Government may claim high success rates with half of those who join the scheme having either found work or stopped claiming benefits after 13 weeks, voters are unlikely to remember the successes of such a scheme and more likely the high profile controversies. We could compare Ian Duncan Smith’s comments to Norman Tebbit’s more than thirty years ago. Duncan Smith said supermarket shelf stackers are of greater value to society than the ‘commentating elite’. Likewise, Tebbit argued that his father did not riot against unemployment; he simply “got on his bike and looked for work, and he kept looking ‘til he found it.” Like thirty years ago, jobseekers still do not appreciate being told what to do. Perhaps, instead of condemning those who are trying work towards a successful career, the Government should encourage and assist such people.
HEW ROUSEYRE
NO F
inding oneself on the side of an argument held by Ian Duncan Smith is an alarming realisation. However once you look past the clichéd elite-versus-average, educated-
versus-uneducated side to his argument, it’s clear to see what he’s getting at. Cait Riley refused to work for free at Poundland for two weeks, doing 30 hours a week, as part of a volunteering programme that aims to give those on unemployment benefits a form of work experience. In theory this helps people jazz up their CV and go on to get a job, while also giving something back to the community. Ian Duncan Smith labelled her actions as “intellectual snobbery”.
“Are there any jobs full stop should be the initial worry”
Although the petty name-calling made a melodrama of the issue, I agree with him. Riley claimed that being “forced” towards Poundland was a breach of her human rights. Working at the store, for two measly weeks, was part of an Employment, Skills and Enterprise Scheme via which she received her unemployment benefits. No one “forced” her to make that agreement and accept the benefits. Phrases concerning, beggars, choosers and free lunches spring to mind, but in the interest of avoiding clichés, I won’t go there. To some extent, I sympathise with her. Working in Poundland probably wasn’t what she had in mind when she signed up to study geology at university, albeit at Birmingham. When society pressures
young people to take out a student loan and invest thousands of pounds in their future, one is under the impression that the investment will amount to more than free labour at a high-street discount store. However, the sympathy dries up there. Young people are unemployed at the moment. One million young people aren’t in employment, training or education, undermining the very question “are there any jobs beneath a graduate?”. Are there any jobs full stop, should be the initial worry, and from there one takes what one can get. The qualifications received at university will come into use once joined with some work experience. Now there’s a cliché, one that’s bored me to death over the last few years. But it’s relevant; a degree alone doesn’t open every door into any ideal job, it has to be alongside some experience of a working environment. What Riley displayed was an advanced stage of teenage adolescence, developed into young adult complacency and entitlement, if you’ll forgive the pseudopsychological analysis. If Poundland seems like forced labour, don’t work there and give up the benefits. Go and get a job that you’re happy with. It’s easy for me to say, I’m an institutionalised man safe within the cocoon of university life. I don’t have to worry about getting a job so it’s maybe wrong of me to dictate how others should go about doing it. And admittedly, free labour for brands like Poundland doesn’t fill me with joy. It would be nice to see local businesses, state schools or hospitals receiving some volunteers, but, as this article has tried to explain, that’s life. If you don’t like the system, don’t work it.
12.comment
Monday 25 February 2013
Meteor injures 1,200 people in Russia
Tsunami support groups aid fishing port In a heart-warming gesture of generosity, a small Japanese fishing port badly affected by the 2011 tsunami has been receiving gold ingots worth £160,000 in the post from an anonymous benefactor. Two tsunami support groups and the fish market have been given 2kg of gold each, which experts estimate to be worth £160,000 in total. Some of the gold has arrived wrapped in bubble wrap, while other ingots were wrapped in pages from magazines. The people have said they plan to use the gold to rebuild the fish market, which is currently operating out of tents.
Burger King’s twitter account hacked Sometimes the funniest hacks are the simplest ones – like last week when someone hacked Burger King’s Twitter account and replaced their logo with the McDonald’s golden arches. The Burger King account then tweeted, ‘We just got sold to McDonald’s! Look for McDonald’s in a hood near you’. The tweets continued for a little less than an hour, before Burger King’s PR department noticed and the Twitter account was suspended. Order was restored at the @BurgerKing account less than 24 hours later, when they tweeted ‘Interesting day here at Burger King, but we’re back! Welcome to all our new followers!’
The Courier
The meteor that crashed to earth in Russia was about 55 feet in diameter, weighed about 10,000 tons and was made from a stony material, say scientists in Russia. This is the biggest recorded meteorite to hit earth in over 100 years. Scientists have recovered over 50 fragments of the meteorite so far, but are still searching for one main chunk of rock. More than 1,200 people were injured by breaking glass and damaged buildings, caused by the pressure wave that accompanied the meteorite’s descent. It is estimated that it has caused £21m worth of damage.
WORLD AT A GLANCE
Australian MP branded a security threat An Australian MP trying to enter Malaysia on Saturday 16th was detained by Malaysian authorities and deported back down under. Outspoken independent Senator Nick Xenophon said he was whisked away to an interrogation area on landing in Kuala Lumpur and told he was a security risk. Xenophon, an independent senator from Australia, was on an unofficial fact-finding mission as Malaysia’s elections loom. Malaysia has been run by the same party continuously since independence from Britain 56 years ago.
Emily Armstrong
Image: NASA (Wikimedia)
The ‘big’ issue
Regarding proposed measures to tackle obesity,Sabine Kucher discusses the success of such cuts to consumption SABINE KUCHER Last week a report by the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, which represents nearly every doctor in the country according to the BBC again put the spotlight on obesity. It’s undoubtedly an epidemic. 26% of the UK’s adult population are considered obese and this figure is expected to more than double by 2050. The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges suggested a ban on advertising of junk food before the watershed, a reduction of fast food outlets near schools and further taxes on sugary drinks to increase the price by at least 20%. Now I have to put my hands up: I’m not in the best shape ever - Christmas and the exam season may have seen me gain a couple of pounds. But my love of all things chocolate is not why I oppose these suggestions. Principally I know that measures like these can work when trying to achieve a public health goal. The smoking ban and the hefty taxes put on tobacco have helped to reduce the numbers of smokers; they are the banished shivering in the cold these days. But let’s just stop and think: Smokers directly harm themselves and others through second-hand smoke. It’s also easy enough to ban it, people don’t need to smoke. They do, however, need to eat. Harms from consuming junk food or fizzy drinks are less clear cut because as part of a healthy, balanced diet they are fine. In fact, a piece of dark chocolate might even be good for your heart (the science is out on that one). Besides: taxing cheap calories will hit the poor the hardest. I’m not agreeing
with Anna Soubry here, who said that she could tell someone’s socio-economic background by their weight. Nobody actively works towards being obese; it is not a symbol of a specific social class. But one doesn’t have to be an economist to see that all the light-drinks, fruit and vegetables are considerably more expensive than other groceries. Living on a tight student budget, you opt for the cheaper (and sometimes less healthy) option.
“Taxing cheap calories will hit the poor the hardest” Also I hate to break it to well-meaning doctors, but people will still buy what they like, even if it costs slightly more. 2litre bottle of fizz for £1, anyone? The only thing this policy will achieve informing people that they’re considered to be too stupid to make choices for themselves. Other than that it will have remarkably little effect – just hop over to New York and see how effective Bloomberg’s soda ban is. There are other, more effective ways in getting the UK back in shape. Obesity does not have a single root cause, so there is no simple solution. Getting the industry to agree to drop sugar, fat and salt contents is a start. Large campaigns on healthy eating, teaching inner city children to garden and advocating family dinners would be other options. Michelle Obama’s ‘Let’s Move!’ campaign sets a positive example. And at the end of the day the carrot works much better than the stick.
The Courier
comment.13
Monday 25 February 2013
Guns: the best protection possible? As Oscar Pistorius awaits the trial for the murder of his girlfriend, Sarah Pratley discusses whether guns ever have a place in the home
Oscar Pistorius shot his girlfriend and claims that he thought she was an intruder. Image: Kastom (Wikimedia)
W
hat has the Oscar Pistorius case left us with? A dead girl, a fallen hero, a shocked fan base... And the realisation that guns have an alarming presence within the home. News about gun deaths fails to shock me these days. Only two months ago we watched many a family Christmas destroyed by the Connecticut shootings which left 26 dead, 20 being children. But this time it is a little different. The world’s attention has not only been seized by the fact that the murderer is the world-famous ‘blade-runner’, but also because the victim was his girlfriend and the scene was their home. Did Pistorius intend to kill Reeva Steenkamp? Did he actually think she was a burglar? Who knows. Let’s leave that for the court to decide. The point is that he had a gun to hand with which he could shoot, whether he thought she was an intruder or not. South Africa remains one of the
MOULE IT OVER
#1- Out with touts!
A BROKEN MAN
SARAH PRATLEY
GEORGIE MOULE
world’s most dangerous countries, and for many owning a gun is a necessity. Roughly one citizen in every twenty owns a firearm and millions more are circulating illegally.
“The most
likely person to be hurt by your gun is someone you know”
Despite the strong presence of guns, the number of murders in South Africa has actually been falling. In 1996 nearly 26,000 people died a violent death, but by 2012 this had dropped to roughly 16,000. Gun crime is less prevalent in South Africa than in countries such as Mexico and Colombia and it is behind the United States in the number of fatal shootings it sees each year. However, this is perhaps unsurprising as the Americans continue to struggle against the second amendment and the 4.5 mil-
lion strong NRA. So, if the gun situation isn’t completely out of control, it’s fine, right? No. Guns are by no means the only selfdefence precaution South Africans can take. The likes of Oscar Pistorius live in exclusive communities with high security mechanisms. These wealthy neighborhoods, particularly in Pretoria and Johannesburg, are patrolled by armed guards and anyone wishing to enter must give their name and have their car searched. Some places even have a fingerprint entry system to detect known criminals.
“Essentially what is a gun? A killing machine” Sure, not everyone can afford this. But even if you don’t have a panic button which immediately brings armed guards to your aid, many a house in South Africa is characterised by high walls and electrified barbed wire. A gun acts as a last resort.
In fact, owning a gun may mean you are more likely to face an intruder these days. Stricter gun laws are making firearms more desirable, and common, objects to steal. So yes, South Africa is still one of the world’s most violent communities, but owning a gun doesn’t immediately confirm safety. Statistics have continuously shown that the most likely person to be hurt by your gun is someone you know. And to be frank, this isn’t surprising. Guns are owned to be shot, and when they are shot, they kill. The victim won’t always be an intruder. We need look no further than the Oscar Pistorius case for proof of this. Yes, South Africa is dangerous. Yes, guns act as self-defence. But essentially what is a gun? A killing machine. And who wants a killing machine in their home? I certainly don’t.
Got an opinion you want to share? Come along to our meetings: Mondays 3pm in the History Room on Level 1 of the Students’ Union
All I wanted was tickets to see Beyoncé. Just two tickets to see the most amazing woman in the world. I wasn’t picky about where I saw her, or when, or whether I was standing or sitting. I just wanted to be there. Except after three mornings of waking up before 9am, spending more than an hour each day refreshing pages over and over again, I still have no Beyoncé tickets, and I’m furious. I’m not furious because I didn’t get tickets – there was always a chance of that. At least all the other people who got tickets are huge Beyoncé fans and will have a really great time. Except they aren’t, are they? You only have to look at Ebay and Viagogo to see touts (or as I like to call them, and will refer to them for the remainder of this article, ticket touting knobs) selling tickets for more than three times the face value of £55. It just isn’t fair. As ridiculous as it may sound, I live by the mantra “what would Beyoncé do?” I’m fairly sure if I was Beyoncé (I wish) I’d be particularly pissed off. Ticket touting knobs - you’re not just upsetting me, you’re upsetting Beyoncé too. She’s all about the fans, and obviously wants her shows to be accessible to them as much as possible, if only for more amazing moments like ‘Crazy Beyoncé Fan’ on YouTube. Watch it. You won’t be disappointed. You can thank me later. It used to be that ticket touting knobs would hang around outside venues looking shady. Now, they’re hidden online on Ebay and Viagogo. The director of Viagogo, Ed Parkinson has defended the website by saying it provides a “secure market for people to buy and sell tickets”. Fair enough, if you have one or two tickets for a gig you can no longer go to. But selling them at a ridiculously inflated price, having bulk-bought tickets to an event that is already in high demand with no intention of actually going, is at best selfish and at worst immoral. How anybody can think it’s fair to stop genuine fans from going to a concert just so they can make a quick profit is beyond me. I’d been under the impression that touting was something that was being clamped down on, but apparently not. It should be, because when the weather is this crap and I have essays to write, what else is going to cheer me up except the chance to see Queen Bey? On the plus side though, I managed not to cry about the lack of tickets - quite a feat considering I once broke down in Subway because they’d run out of what I wanted. I’m going to be watching the tickets on Ebay and Viagogo. And hoping nobody is willing to pay ticket touting knobs more than £200 for something that was sold originally for £55. Hopefully, they’ll be relisted again and again, and I’ll be laughing with glee that the ticket touting knobs aren’t getting the profit they expected.
14.lifestyle
Monday 25 February 2013
The Courier
Lifestyle Editors: Catherine Davison, Ellie Cropper and Ellyn Bramley Online Editors: Rosie Devonshire and Colette Hunter
Top 5:
How to: improve your employability
Overheard in Use our guide to find out the do’s and don’t’s of job searching, what Jesmond ‘If people don’t actually go skiing in the winter, what do they actually do?’ Bar Blanc
After paying in Tesco Express: ‘I don’t understand why they actually give you change, I just chuck it away’
employers really think and how to improve your chances of finding work after you graduate Spice up your CV Find Work Experience Many students fall into the deceiving illusion that having a degree is enough to glide you through the doors to a successful career. Unfortunately this view is becoming increasingly wrong. A degree is no longer the rare and wonderful life achievement it once was and has instead morphed into a relatively fundamental requirement for many career pathways. As a graduate you can assume that you are within the majority of applicants hoping for that same dream job, thus making it all the more necessary to have extra practice so to stand out from the masses. Work experience of any length and form is an optimum way of doing just this. There are many work experience organisations in existence which provide invaluable opportunities for both undergraduates and graduates, allowing you to immerse yourself within a work environment. Even smaller scale experience arranged by yourself will propel you further towards a successful career. Don’t let the fact that you may not know which career pathway to take hinder you, as any experience is useful and will ultimately aid your career decisions. Employers are favouring candidates who have acquired such experience, not only showing a desire for self- improvement but a keen work ethic. This is a great place to start…
It’s true, work experience is absolutely vital. However, what so many people don’t realise is that if it doesn’t sound exclusive and you actually had to work, then there’s no point putting it on your CV. Better put the whole thing in pt 18 type so it fills more space rather than putting down that voluntary work experience with the local vet. Nobody wants to know that you actually have useful knowledge. The best placements are those with titles ending in ‘assistant’- they don’t need any of your help and you’re free to do as you please. Even better, ask a friend’s parent e.g. Cynthia’s dad who got hilariously lashed at your last garden party and may (or may not) have been sick in Mummy’s favourite garden urn. You know he’s fun, he owns an advertising agency and if he says ‘no’ you can bring out the ammo. Further CV pointers: most definitely put down your bungee jump. It shows you’re confident and can bounce back smiling after a fall, just as trekking in India screams ‘adaptable’ (obviously you wanted to do it in Thailand but settled for second best after Tarquin got into a bit of a scrape in Bangkok: swift exit required.) Anyway, Asia is Asia when it comes to showing your wide and all encompassing knowledge of the world. A well rounded, cultured person can always name at least one local Asian tipple/ recommend a relaxing bar/ thought provoking view/ regale an epiphany during an elephant ride. Leta Bernhoeft
http://www.ncl.ac.uk/careers/develop/ workExperience/nwe.php
‘Can you believe Carys is seeing that boy, I mean, he didn’t even go to private school’ - R and K’s Corner Shop
‘I recognise you from somewhere?’ ‘Well I do have a very distinguished face, don’t I?’ - World Headquarters
‘Did you pay to go to school?’ ‘Yes’ ‘Exactly, we are posh’ - Students’ Union Shop
Georgina Bankier
Google Yourself Employers obviously check your Facebook and Twitter to see if you’re worth employing so it’s definitely worth cleaning up your online presence. A good place to start is changing your privacy settings to ensure only your friends can witness your mad antics. If you don’t wish to completely put your online identity into hiding, you might want to do some damage control. Delete and refrain from using strong language and referencing major hangovers. You also might want to replace your drunken profile picture with something more sophisticated, maybe a photo of yourself wearing glasses you don’t actually need so they’ll think you’re super smart. Another good idea is to use backgrounds and cover photos to illustrate how cultured you are. Fancy art and photos of places you went on holiday will lure them into thinking that you are incredibly mature and interesting. If you haven’t been on holiday recently, just find a picture online, no one will be able to tell. Use social media to your advantage, make sure when an employer Googles your name, nothing shameful pops up to ruin your job prospects. Rebecca Gregory
Cass Walkland and Rachel Kelly
Illustrations: Ellie Hegarty
Improve Your Interview Technique It’s all very well looking great on your CV and Facebook page, but what about in that first, all important meeting: the interview. It is claimed that within the first 7 seconds, you will have already made a critically important impact on the interviewer(s) through your body language, greeting and general appearance. As it is very difficult to turn these interview qualities on and off, perhaps the best way to really improve these essential skills is through repetition. Every time you open a door, imagine you are walking into an interview for your dream job. When you come down for breakfast before your 9am, greet your sleepy housemates as you would prospective employers. Practice that perfect interview smile in car windows on the way to your seminar and finally, forget the rules of Geordie nightlife: in an interview,
more is more when it comes to clothes. But here is my top secret tip: fit as many puns into your interviews as possible. This will show prospective employers that you really are adult and ready for the workplace. For example, in an interview for a butchers shop, tell the boss that not hiring you would be a big missed steak as you have no beef with working extra shifts, seeing as you really want to bring home the bacon. It is even more impressive to employers if you can fit a pun into a compliment; for example, when the butcher gives you a piece of advice, reply, “so sage...” Good luck and don’t forget, that perfect position is out there waiting for you, so chop chop go fillet! Jonathan Lipfriend
The Courier
sex&relationshipslifestyle.15
Monday 25 February 2013
thecourieronline.co.uk/lifestyle c2.lifestyle@ncl.ac.uk | @Courier_Life
Blind Date Tsang Pak Ki, 2nd Year Business Management meets Melissa Whipp, 3rd Year Business Management
Tsang on Melissa
Melissa on Tsang
Jonathan Lipfriend
Lost in Translation
#5- He Texted What’s your usual type? My usual type would be the kind of girl who has a good personality and a caring heart, both as a lover and soul mate. Good looking would be a bonus though! First impressions? I arrived slightly early that night but after ten minutes she appeared and sat on the bench looking around. She was quite fit and seemed to be a very nice girl! Any funny conversation topics? To be honest, we shared many common topics as we’re both Business Management students. Things like pole dancing also caused some amusement. Any awkward moments? Not particularly. But I’ve got to say it was quite awkward at the start of the evening when we were both wondering ‘are you my date?’ But the nerves faded away when we got into the bar and started chatting. Good times! What was her best trait? That would probably would be her enthusiasm for pole dancing. I am easily impressed by someone who has got a passion for the things she does. I also dug her talkativeness. What was her worst trait? Can’t think of anything. At any point did you understand why she was single? We didn’t touch that topic in depth. Were you tempted to lean in for a kiss? Well as a real gent, my instinct told me that was not a good thing to do in the first date. Yet, facing such a classy lady, I was very tempted. We didn’t kiss at the end… I am such a loser. Would your parents approve? Son! Score one for the family mate! Yeah, I don’t see why my parents would oppose it. After all, it’s what I think that matters anyway. How did the date end? I ended up a little tipsy cos I was mixing up both beer and wine. Yeah, we did swap numbers. Marks out of 10? A solid 9
What’s your usual type? I usually go for tall and dark haired guys. They have to have a good sense of humour. First impressions? Alex seemed like a really nice guy, he was friendly and chatty which definitely put me at ease. Any funny conversation topics? We both did business management so we had a lot to talk about there. I am also running the NU Apprentice this year and he had applied - Turned out I’d had to judge his application… luckily we had put him through! Any awkward moments? There weren’t any awkward moments really, we chatted quite easily. What was his best trait? He was a really good person to chat to, he kept the conversation flowing and he kept me entertained. What was his worst trait? I was a little surprised he didn’t offer to buy me a drink; I would have reciprocated but didn’t want to be the first! At any point did you understand why he was single? Not really, he just seemed to be enjoying life and doing his own thing. Were you tempted to lean in for a kiss? Unfortunately no! I think we got on much better as friends. Would your parents approve? They would probably think he was a really nice guy - as he is! How did the date end? The date ended well, we both agreed that it had been surprisingly fun and we shouldn’t have worried! He asked for my number and I think we will stay in touch as friends. What would your ideal date be? With someone I’ve never met before I think doing an activity would be really fun, like ice skating, bowling or something a bit more active. Marks out of 10? 6.5
Unlucky in love? The Courier is here to help! Send your details to c2.lifestyle@ncl.ac.uk
The internet. One of the greatest innovations of the modern age, bringing us seemingly unlimited knowledge and entertainment at the simple click of a mouse. Perhaps one of the most magical moments of internet-trawling is that moment when someone shows you something (a YouTube video for example) which forces you to change your whole outlook on life (an obvious example being ‘Baby Monkey’ by Parry Gripp). I was lucky enough to experience this the other day when a friend told me about HeTexted.com. Imagine a girl who isn’t sure if a guy likes her or not. She is probably nervous, maybe even a little paranoid. Now put this girl in a virtual room with millions of other girls who feel the same kinds of things. Welcome to HeTexted. com. The premise is relatively simple: post a picture of your text conversation with said guy on the website and then the public can vote as to whether he is ‘into you’ or not. If you have seen the film He’s Just Not That Into You you will already be familiar with many of the more harrowing examples. They portray girls being bluntly refused by the love interest before asking, is he just playing hard to get? Or do you think he’s scared of commitment? Upon reading some of these I came very, very close to signing up to the website solely to verbally shake these women and tell them ‘HE REALLY DOESN’T CARE!’ When a guy says, for example, that he doesn’t want a relationship now and doesn’t want to imply that he wants one with you in the future either, you can be reasonably sure of his meaning. Despite this, the majority of texts have a completely different vibe - one which seems to baffle a lot of girls. The girl asks if the guy wants to hang out and he replies that he is actually playing FIFA with his friends, but maybe afterwards. Of the replies she received, a huge majority said he wasn’t into her. Standing in her shoes, I can kind of see why you would be worried. I mean, he’s just directly picked FIFA over time with you. However, I’m guessing the guy didn’t think of it like that at all. He thought ‘Yeah sure, I would like to hang out but right now I’m playing FIFA with my friends so why don’t we do it after that’. I can assure you that no more than 15 seconds went into the composition of that SMS (the only reason it could have been more would be if he texted while still playing...) Another important thing to note about the time men take over texts is our reading of a girl’s response. If you reply simply ‘fine’ we assume we are on the same page and are meeting after we’ve thrashed our friend at FIFA. So girls and boys, maybe we should all spend a little longer reading our texts: guys in order to understand that ‘fine’ might not be fine and ‘nothing’ might not mean nothing; and girls in order to understand that we aren’t trying to fuck with your mind, it’s just the 88th minute and Arsenal are one goal away from an impossible comeback.
16.lifestyle
Monday 25 February 2013
The Courier
thecourieronline.co.uk/lifestyle c2.lifestyle@ncl.ac.uk | @courier_life
BNOC knock...
Who’s there? Laura Perry, President of the Students’ Union Gluten-Free with Grace Lamb and Spinach Curry Having a gluten intolerance is really annoying at times because it can mean missing out on your favourite meals. However, there are loads of recipes out there that are suitable for a gluten-free diet, whether you suffer from an intolerance or are just trying to cut down on the gluten in your diet. Gluten-free doesn’t have to mean flavour-free! As I accidentally ordered a kilo of ginger rather than just the one piece on my online shop, I’ve been cooking every recipe under the sun which has ginger as an ingredient in an attempt to shift the stuff ! Everybody loves a good curry, and although you could easily make this recipe with chicken, it makes a nice change to use lamb. Also, I’m not the most adventurous when it comes to spice, so you could definitely add more chilli if you wanted to heat things up a bit! We have a pretty large selection of herbs and spices in our kitchen, so we had everything lying around, but most curry powders contain cumin, turmeric and coriander, so you can use that as an alternative if you can’t be bothered to faff about buying individual pots. You can also use a can of chopped tomatoes to save time on preparation, but I really think the flavour is so much better with fresh tomatoes. Ingredients - Chunk of ginger, peeled and chopped - 2 garlic cloves, chopped - 2 onions, roughly chopped - 1 green chilli, chopped - 1 tbsp oil - 1 tbsp ground cumin - 1 tbsp ground coriander - 1 tsp ground turmeric - 1 tsp chilli powder - 5 chopped tomatoes - 100g spinach - 400g diced lamb
With all the election candidates busy trying to outdo one another with the silliest video campaigns in a bid to secure your vote, I grabbed Laura Perry, self-confessed David Attenborough fan, the current president of our Students’ Union, before she loses her BNOC status and slips back into the anonymity of regular student life… So Laura, what was the basis of your campaign last year? I was against five guys for the position, so went all out in hot pink (even though I hate the colour!) The guys in my campaign team looked great in tshirts with ‘Perry for President’ on. It was mainly based on recommendations from the sports clubs and societies – I’ve been a member of quite a few and had Committee roles. Well-deserved then. How did it feel on election night when you won? Epic. I only won by 16 votes, out of thousands! I really wasn’t expecting to win, being one of the SU’s biggest critics. Tell us, what is the most random thing you have had to do in your job?
Restaurant Review M and M Takeway
So many moments! Taking 60 people out for a three-course dinner on my credit card in Freshers’ Week because they thought there was a grub crawl was pretty random! We didn’t want to let them down. Negotiating hard with the restaurant manager was great fun.
aren’t working? Jumping out of planes, playing hockey with the one and only NULHC, and watching Attenboroughnarrated programmes. I work for snowsports companies during holiday time, so spend several weeks in the Alps each winter living the ski-rep life!
I bet! Huge dinner parties aside, what’s the best part of your job? Such a cliché, but going to work and making a difference to people’s lives is incredibly rewarding – even if they never know you did anything.
Do you have any plans for next year once your term is over? I’m a ‘true’ Sabbatical, and I’ve done my term as President after completing Stage 2 Biology, so I’d definitely like to finish my degree. The job offers are coming now though, so if any are exceptional, I might take them.
Is it a bit awkward having your face plastered around campus? Ah, the cringe-worthy posters? A bit, but hopefully a few more people will wonder what we do because of them… Do you get recognised a lot? Yeah, quite a few people ask me on nights out if I’m the President, and then point me out to their mates… Bit awkward when you’re not looking your best! What’s it like being part of the SU team? I bet there are lots of stories you can (or can’t!) tell…? Ha, how long do you have? There’s always a drama happening somewhere. It’s the most intense team you’d probably ever work in – the lows are really tough, but the highs are incredible. Nice swerve! What do you get up to when you
At only 448 calories per serving, it is way healthier than a takeaway, and a lot cheaper, and was a hit with my flatmates! Grace Stephenson
Nestled in the hub of Jesmond on Cavendish Road – not too close to Spy Bar to be overwhelmingly busy, yet just close enough to stagger down Grosvenor Road after Happy Hour or even after a 45 minute intense spinning class at Jesmond Pool Gym. This isn’t your standard takeaway on Bigg Market, one does not even have to be drunk to enjoy the food from M and M’s. Expect excellent service from M and M Takeaway, which is quick, well prepared and good quality. There is the added interest of a mural painted by the Manager, which is perhaps where the artistic aspect of the food derives from. Being cheesey chip connoisseurs, they had a lot to live up to. We hold our hand on our cholesterol ridden hearts when we say that these are by far the nicest cheesey chips we have ever experi-
To ensure we have such a great SU president for next year, check out the current candidate’s manifestos. Voting opens at 4pm on Monday 25th February at www.nusu.co.uk/vote so make sure you get your votes in before it closes on Thursday 28th February at 12pm. Results Night is on Friday 29 February, where Laura will probably be found crying in a corner, mourning the loss of the best job in the world. Grace Stephenson
Opening times: Sun – Thurs 17.00-00.00 Fri – Sat 17.00-01.00 6 Cavendish Rd, NE2 2NJ 0191 2871332
Method 1. Throw the ginger, garlic and onions in a food processor and whizz to a paste. (If you don’t have a food processor then it’s really worth investing in a hand blender. They are only about £5 and come in useful for loads of recipes.) 2. Heat the oil in a pan, then add the paste with the chilli and ½ tsp of salt. Cook for about 5 minutes. 3. Add the spices and cook for another couple of minutes. 4. Add the lamb and cook until browned. Make sure you keep stirring so as to coat the lamb and stop it from burning. 5. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato puree and a cup of water. (If you are using tinned tomatoes then a good top is to fill the can with water and use that, as it means you don’t waste any of the tomato juices). 6. Bring to a simmer. Cover and cook for 1 hour. 7. Add the spinach and then cook for 15 minutes more. 8. Serve with rice or gluten-free naans. (Or regular naans for those of you who aren’t fussed about eating gluten free!).
Finally, any words of advice for this year’s candidates? Put everything you can into this week, and MORE. There are times when you’ll wonder whether it’s worth it, but I can guarantee that it is. These are the best jobs in the world!
enced. Thick chips are layered in between generous amounts of not microwaved, but lightly grilled cheese, finished in their authentic pizza oven. The end result is a firm, crisp top layer of cheese, which can be peeled back to reveal moist, but not soggy chips. Upgrade to gravy, which isn’t merely poured on as an afterthought, but integrated into the dish meticulously. And don’t be afraid to add donner, which like the gravy is folded into the chips. And of course, add a side of garlic mayo for 50p, which you’ll be able to taste for days on end, acting as a reminder of your M and M experience. Main course: deep pan pepperoni, red onion and chilli pizza. The deep pan base was a good spongey texture, not too soggy and yet not burnt. A commendable cheese to base ratio, which these days is hard to find in takeaways. Extra pepperoni was
“A commendable cheese to base ratio” hidden in the depths of the cheese, which was a brilliant surprise. We’re not exaggerating when we say that this pizza was cooked to perfection. Bold statement we know, but true. A hint of chilli gave it a nice kick and really worked with the classic pepperoni and red onion combo. The prices range from £5.70 for a basic 10” to £13.80 for an 18” with all the trimmings, which is fair. Don’t get robbed blind by Dominoes folks, just head to M and M Takeaway, who deliver for £1.50 for orders over £7. Next was the Tandoori Chicken Kebab (£5.70) – a bestseller. A generous amount of well flavoured chicken was accompanied by full salad (we’re talking lettuce, onion, red cabbage, tomatoes and cucumber), pots of garlic mayo, chilli sauce and a white pitta bread. Could have done with more pitta given the vast quantity of chicken and our love of carbs. This is a good dish for all you health keenos out there as the only calorific aspect was the garlic mayo. So drop in on your way back from Pine Tree. Ellie Cropper and Ellyn Bramley
The Courier
lifestyle.17
Monday 25 February 2013
Lifestyle Editors: Catherine Davison, Ellie Cropper and Ellyn Bramley Online Editors: Rosie Devonshire and Colette Hunter
Travelling the Unknown: weekend trips on a budget Image: Flickr (photosteve101)
#2 - A day trip to York
With Simon Knapper
The intricate Christmas decorations may have been removed and the Ice Angel Festival may have ended, but fear not – York still has lots to offer you wandering travellers. The official site of the town council humbly promotes it as ‘the most beautiful city in Britain’ and with a reason – visiting York is giving your eyes a visual treat. From the grand ancient buildings and coquette tiny cobblestone streets to the charming pedestrian squares full of all the shops you can think of – York is a must-see destination. If you hurry and go right now you can enjoy the Jorvik Viking Festival. Fun activities include watching a duel of two ‘Vikings’ at the Festival Combat Arena and shield making at the York Minster. Whenever you go though, make sure to spare some time for the world famous ‘Jorvik Viking Centre’. There you can see the reconstructed Viking-Age streets of the Jorvik city, look at four exciting expositions and even meet ‘real’ Vikings. If you are into historical reenactments you will like this.
Monday I’m so glad I didn’t move to Jesmond. Heaton is so much more real. Think the next door neighbours are growing wacky baccy in their yard. LOL. Pretty sure the ice cream van is dealing drugs too. It’s basically like the ghetto round here. Loads of sick graffiti at Chilli Road Metro. And that Shoe Tree thing in the park. Heaton is MENTAL.
For the fans of traditional monuments I strongly recommend the York Minster. It is the largest Gothic cathedral in Northern Europe and is situated at the city’s centre. Beautiful outside and inside, for free you can enter the Minster and enjoy the gorgeous stain-glass murals. To enter fully, climb to the top and walk along the tower, you have to buy a ticket. Clifford’s Tower, part of York Castle and close to the city’s centre is the perfect place to view York from a considerable height and take tons of cool pictures with your mates with the entire city as your background. Right opposite the tower is the York city museum or you could visit the relatively close Railway museum. If you have had enough of expositions, you can go to the also nearby Ferris wheel – the waiting is not too bad, the views are breathtaking and while you are going around, the cabin radio plays the history of York. Another must-have experience is walking along the city wall. Parts of it are preserved throughout
Hottie of the Week James, 20
Interviewed by Lifestyle Team
Course: Biology Stage 2 Single / Taken? Taken Who would be your ideal celebrity wife? Kate Middleton Ideal first date? As a Yorkshire man, I’m a keen ferret racer so I’d really like to introduce a girl to my passion. What’s the worst chat up line that’s been used on you? Do you have a map? I keep getting lost in your eyes What do you look for in a girl? She must have a symmetrical face, and have a big thumb to crawl under. What’s been your most embarrassing moment recently? Probably featuring as Hottie of the Week
York and in good weather there are multiple points of access where you can climb on the wall. Beware though; sometimes these are locked for safety reasons. If the wall is considered slippery, they close it so no enthusiasts fall and hurt themselves. Experiencing for myself the slope to the right of the walk I must agree with the measures. My Favourite Tip for York: After you pass the marvellous medieval street, filmed in the Harry Potter series, you get to St Helen’s square where you can find the notorious ‘Bettys’ cafe tea rooms. You can recognise it by the twostreet-long queue of people waiting to enter. The treats there (the cakes in particular) are rumoured to be divine. If you want to visit, make sure to arrive really early in the morning – if you are lucky you can get in right away or wait significantly less than you would when the crowds arrive. Evgeniya Boykova Images: Flickr (Glen Bowman and SFB 579 :))
Trending Topics of the week #IWishICouldMeet This one was almost entirely devoid of Justin Bieber, which is a surprise for Twitter. Instead we had “myself ”, their future spouse or even the man that adorns the cover of The New Yorker. In fact, the ratio of pretty good choices to “please stop already” was pretty in favour of the former, which makes a change. Good work, Twitter. #ASKUNIONJ OK my praise for Twitter in the last one may have been premature because then you reach this one. This is where they were all hiding. Here you have a wide number of people, all that apparently look like the members of Union J judging by their profile pictures, asking the band to talk to them. Yep. Ok. Sure. Happy President’s Day Just like us Brits, the Americans love a good excuse to take a day off work. We get Bank Holidays while the Americans get all sorts of different stuff. President’s Day is, as you can probably tell, a celebration of their many executives which falls around the birthday of George Washington. Hurray for days off !...and historical figures of course. TOP TWEET – Patrick Carney The Black Keys drummer did something that no sane person with any knowledge of Twitter would do. He stared right into the belly of the beast, tickled the inside of its mouth a bit and then climbed in for a poke about. That’s right. He aggravated the Beliebers. After a little spat after Carney said something about Bieber at the Grammys, things descended into farce as more Beliebers kept attacking him, leading him to do what any normal person would do: pretend to be Justin Bieber on Twitter. The man has balls. Chris Taylor
Tuesday Had lecture at 11 but missed the bus and couldn’t be arsed to go in. Went to Spar for supplies. Fit blonde on the till again. Bought, like, EVERY can of Relentless they had. Like a boss. Could tell she was impressed. Went home and played Skyrim. Wednesday Went to Byker Morrisons with Matty for EPIC FOOD SHOPPING before our COD night. Jesus, it was grim. Never seen so many chavs outside of the Jeremy Kyle show. Only got to play a bit of COD before Matty’s new girlfriend came over. She’s doing catering at Northumbria, or some shit like that. Her housmate has a gallery opening down the road tomorrow. Not really my scene but there’ll be free booze and maybe fit girls? Thusday Turns out “gallery” is just a function room above a pub. Full of fine art students from the Poly. Bet they were just there for the free booze. LOL. Couple of fit girls - talking to one, turns out she had her gap year in Thailand too. Showed her awesome Full Moon Party pics on my phone. Said I would help her set up a website for her art stuff and she added me on FB. Score. Friday FB stalking Sarah from last night. Her profile says she’s ‘in a relationship with Emma.’ Love it when girls do that. Hilarious bants. She messaged me and asked to meet up to talk about website. I am definitely in there. LAD. Saturday Sarah wanted to meet up to chat about website. Told her I was in the Robbo all day but could meet in evening for a drink. She said she’s out in Heaton tonight - some night called Lady Garden. Guess it’s like a Ladies Night thing - girls get in free? Hope she brings some of her hot friends with her. Went next door to buy some wacky baccy. Sunday Total washout last night. Lady Garden is a lesbian night. WTF?! The place was full of them. Not like the ones on the internet - actual real lesbians. Can’t believe Sarah was just using me for my coding skills. Came home and smoked the weed I got from next door. Matty’s girlfriend was over. Told me it wasn’t weed, I’d actually bought a bag of oregano. FML.
Peff Soulsby
18.fashion
Monday 25 February 2013
The Courier
Fashion Editors: Elissa Hudson and Lizzie Hampson Online Fashion Editor: Sally Greenwood
Online boutique of the week
Fashion blog of the week
Luce’s Lustful Lucidity www.luceslustfullucidity.co.uk Lucy Stephenson is an 18-year-old YouTuber, blogger and student from Middlesbrough who runs an online boutique selling lovely, affordable jewellery that you won’t find on the high street. Being a young entrepreneur, we asked Lucy a few questions about the process of setting up her boutique…
How did you go about it? Where did you start? I trawled the internet for days and days, it’s an endless search and I still look for good quality products now. I buy one of each product to start off with and test run them to see whether the quality is up to scratch. If they make the cut then they are sold on my website for £8 and under!
What made you start up your business at such a young age? Every girl (or guy) has their one obsession that makes them feel better, and mine is jewellery. I can eat as much chocolate as I want but a necklace is always going to fit me. I’ve always loved bargain hunting and getting the best deals possible, so I thought why not bring both together and do the hunting for others whist sharing my passion for jewellery?
What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced so far? Probably managing my time alongside with my Alevels and editing the website. It’s so time consuming but totally worth it when I see the outcome! What’s your favourite piece you sell? I love everything but I especially love the rings because they are all adjustable, so no matter what size fingers you have, they fit regardless! Elissa Hudson
www.chicest.wordpress.com
The weather is getting warmer, the greys are being pushed to the back of the closet and the quirky, bright hues are making their way to the front. The Chicest is the perfect blog to check out at this time of the year. Sandra Tang (Sandie) is the brain behind Newcastle Fashion Week. Her blog, The Chicest, is full of quirky new styles and bright colours to keep you feeling inspired this season. Her outfits are weather appropriate for all of us living up north, as she lives in Newcastle herself. Her posts on Newcastle and London Fashion Weeks, as well as her musings on new trends are refresh-
ing, short and fun to read. The Chicest allows you to stay on top of trends whilst getting some great outfit ideas that you can recreate using items from your own wardrobe. If you don’t like to draw too much attention to yourself, the inspiration she offers is subtly edgy so this spring maybe you can try something new without overdoing it! Springtime in the North East is soon to be well and truly upon us, so out with the greys, browns and blacks and in with the whites, oranges and pinks. Aditya Sharanya
London Fashion Week : yes or no?
‘Tis the new season, and the fashion world is revamping its wardrobe but is lusting over the Fashion Week collections that we cant realistically afford really worth our time? Where do you stand?
No
Yes
While it may seem premature to be thinking about what will be trending in AW13, designers are already readying their lines for next season to showcase at the biannual London Fashion Week. Amongst the hype filling the glossy pages of magazines and barraging the internet, some may wonder like sweet, naive Andy Sachs in The Devil Wears Prada: what’s all the fuss about? Fashion is a cyclic industry, constantly in a state of reinvigorating old trends. At fifteen, I scoffed at my mother’s highwaisted trousers, only to be wiggling into a pair four years later, feeling chic and anything but outdated. Why the preoccupation with what’s the newest trend, if the new is simply a repackaging of what was old? Fashion Week still captivates me because of its ability to rebirth old trends. My mother’s trousers, a clothing item that had been pigeonholed in my mind because of their proximity to a woman I considered outdated (sorry mom), were given a fresh lease of life. Suddenly the same design, with a twist, was redefined and freed from my previous associations. And in that sense, fashion allows us to redefine ourselves. Biannually, the fashion world is bombarded with
designs, altering our perceptions of items we may have overlooked otherwise. The success or failure of reintroduced trends decides what we’ll be shrugging on to keep warm next fall, and personally, I’d be bored wearing the same clothes I’d found so irresistible a season ago. Hannah Goldstein
As the AW13 Fashion Weeks come to a close in Milan, we question whether these clothes can be worn in our everyday lives or are they purely just for the rich and the famous? As far as Fashion Weeks go, London is by far one of the more conservative, and only a select few up and coming British labels tend to showcase outlandish designs that tip the balance between artistic and
wearable. Take Eudon Choi for instance, the Korean born young designer, initially trained in menswear, recently sent out his AW13/14 collection where shapely coats were accessorized with unusual flower and fur filled head pieces that were far from wearable. The bizarre accents reference London’s outlandish side by channeling a folk vibe, whilst the collection displayed hints of romantic and Russian influences throughout. What is it that makes Fashion Week clothes so inaccessible to many? Besides high price points which inevitably do not bode well with student budgets, a significant proportion of showcased designs are somewhat conceptually and aesthetically pleasing but unwearable for all practical purposes. One might argue that if, as individuals, we do not lead extravagant and luxury lifestyles then the need for such clothes merely vanishes as quickly as you can say PPQ. In other words the clothes on display at Fashion Week are just there to tease us mere fashion mortals, by dangling in front of our faces all the things we want but simply can’t have. Hannah Walsh
The Courier
fashion.19
Monday 25 February 2013
thecourieronline.co.uk/fashion c2.fashion@ncl.ac.uk | @Courier_Fashion
How to style printed T-shirts
Lucy Harper gives us some tips on styling our favourite prints from orangecircleclothing.com Jacket: Zara T-shirt: orangecircleclothing.com Trousers: Topshop Boots: Topshop
T-shirt: orangecircleclothing.com Disco Pants: River Island Wedged Trainers: ASOS.com For nights out in Newcastle, girls can dress to impress without opting for the traditional skimpy dress and heels ensemble. This basic yet eyecatching outfit teams a printed t-shirt with black disco pants and metallic trainers. The t-shirt’s galactic looking cross incorporates a sci-fi theme into the outfit, whilst keeping it simple and understated.
For day to day life at university, the classic jeans and t-shirt combination is the perfect way to stay comfortable and keep your look simple. Highwaisted black skinny jeans with a printed t-shirt tucked in can be matched up with a jacket and a classic pair of Chelsea boots for a casual look. Bring your outfit into spring by opting for a brightly coloured blazer and painting your nails in a matching shade.
Casual Drinks
House Party
For 15% off at orangecircleclothing.com use the code ORANGECIRCLE15 Jacket: Topman T-shirt: orangecircleclothing.com Jeans: River Island Boots: Marks & Spencer
Hoodie: Topman T-shirt: orangecircleclothing.com Jeans: Topman Trainers: Converse at Office
To find the balance between smart and casual for a boy’s outfit, try teaming a printed t-shirt with dark jeans, brown leather shoes and a grey blazer. Whether a night out on the toon is on the agenda or just a simple meal with friends, this smart outfit allows printed t-shirts to be worn for slightly more formal occasions, whilst maintaining that casual yet put together look.
For daytime wear, nothing is easier to pull off than a printed t-shirt with a pair of black jeans and a hoodie. This outfit is perfect for a day of lectures or wandering around town as it’s well put together whilst being low maintenance – virtually zero thought is required with this ensemble, so it’s perfect for the lazy guy.
Photography: Amy O’Rourke
Date
Day at Uni
The Courier
beauty.21
Monday 25 February 2013
Beauty Editors: Amy Macauley, Lizzie Hampson Elissa Hampson & Sally Greenwood
3 bad beauty habits to give up for Lent
Cheap v. expensive
With liquid eyeliner no longer classed as a purely night time look, is it a product worth investing in or are you just paying for a brand? Amy O’Rourke investigates
Lent has already started, but it’s never too late to give something up. Heather Ratcliffe suggests a few bad beauty habits you should kick
1. Going to bed without removing your make-up Collection 2000 Extreme 24 Hour Felt Tip Liner - £2.99
It is really important to remove your make up before bed as it can prevent dirt and oils getting locked into your pores over night. This can reduce unwanted breakouts and prevent the dreaded ‘panda eyes syndrome’. A quick tip is to keep a packet of facial wipes near to your bed, just in case!
2. Straightening your hair
Ceramic hair straighteners have improved in recent years but they are still very damaging to your hair! So, for lent, give your hair some TLC and reduce your use of heated styling tools. If you can’t go cold turkey with this bad beauty habit, invest in a good quality heat protectant spray, deep repair conditioner or hair oil treatments.
3. Biting your nails
thecourieronline.co.uk/beauty courier.beauty@ncl.ac.uk | @Courier_Beauty
Smashbox Limitless Liquid Liner Pen - £16
The Collection 2000 Extreme Eyeliner is perfect if you’re shopping for beauty on a budget. Retailing at less than three pounds, I had low expectations when it came to pigmentation, but after a single application the liner produced a strong black colour, something you’d only expect from the high end brands. The applicator resembles a jumbo-felt tip, unlike the precise pen the Smashbox liner boasts, meaning application is rather clumsy and limits the range of looks you can create. Lasting power was another downfall, several touch-ups where needed during the day to maintain the strong colour seen when first applied. Substantially higher on the price scale is the Smashbox Limitless Eyeliner, making you thirteen pounds poorer than its rival. Despite being bad for your bank account, this product brings the expectations of a high end buy to life with its luxurious packaging and simple, sleek design. The felt-tip style applicator provides controlled and precise application, enabling you to create that perfect cat-eye you’ve never been able to achieve before. Although this product didn’t budge during the day, meaning no pesky touch-ups, the liner lacked in pigmentation. Unlike its budget contender, re-drawing the line a couple of times was necessary to achieve the ‘jet black’ look desired.
Winner: Smashbox
Tip of the Week
Got a big night out coming up but faced with battered and bruised legs after ? Emma Graveling has just the product to disguise marks of trebles past
Before
After
You’ve got a big night out planned and you want to look fabulous but you didn’t bank on having legs which look battered black and blue. Luckily, I have discovered the perfect solution. Sally Hansen’s ‘Spray on tights’ (available in Xtras in Eldon Square for just £6 and comes in different shades for a variety of skin tones). First apply a small amount of your regular concealer onto any bruises. Then spray the ‘spray on tights’ evenly over your legs and using a regular fake-tan mitt rub it in. Once blended your legs should be one colour all over and the bruises should have practically vanished. The product also adds a bit of tan and shimmer, but without the odour of fake-tan so all you’re left with are flawless pins.
Spring makeup trends A new season means fresh looks in the world of beauty. Hazel Parnell and Olivia Jeffery reveal how to nail the trends and help you stay up to date this Spring
Peachy Cheeks and Pastel Eyes Pastel eyes tend to look better on brown eyed people, but unfortunately for me none of my brown eyed female housemates were here this weekend
and the one male was surprisingly unwilling to help with this task. Estee Lauder have brought out a new pastel five shaded eye palette called ‘Pure Colour 5 Colour EyeShadow Palette’, there are brown tones in the palette which can be used in the crease of your upper eyelid. At £35 it’s a little pricey for a student, however B Never Too Busy To Be Beautiful has a really nice blusher in shade 3, it’s not too dark and it comes in a really pretty glittery case. Accompanying the eyes with peachy cheeks is also more of a spring trend as it moves away from the browny/orange tones of bronzer. However, be careful to avoid over doing the blusher with pastel eyes, as you could end up looking quite doll-like.
Blue Eyeliner and Orange Lips This may not apply to everyone, but nail biting can seriously weaken your nails. To kick this bad habit try painting your nails and carrying out DIY manicures regularly. This will improve the overall appearance of your nails and act as disincentive to chew your pretty polished nails.
4. Not exfoliating
It is really important that you invest in a good quality exfoliating scrub; this applies not only for your body but for your face too! Scrubs help to buff away dead cells and allow oxygen to penetrate the skin more effectively. Exfoliating once a week will give you a healthy glow and improve the way make up sits on your skin.
This look is inspired by a picture of the gorgeous Cara Delevingne. The blue liner only costs £3.99 from Barry M in shade ‘Ec8’ and makes blue eyes look bigger, brighter and bluer; it also makes a nice change from the standard black eyeliner. The lipstick is Louise Gray from Topshop in the shade ‘Mexican wave’ and isn’t as heavy as your normal red lipstick, whilst looking a lot more seasonal for spring.
Fishtail Plaits Fish plaits are much more achievable than people presume. Although they look complicated, once you learn how to do it, it’s a simple way to add a spring feel to your look. There are plenty of tutorials available on YouTube, so get practising for the
sunny days and warmer nights coming up. This look is perfect to keep your hair off your face for early morning walks into Uni, and keeps you looking up to date at the same time. Split your hair into two sections and take a small outside section from one of the sections and cross it over so that it joins the inside section of the other half. Repeat this on the other side pulling tight as you go along. Secure with a thin band and loosen as desired for a more laid back spring look.
22.listings25February-2March
Monday 25 February 2013
The Courier
Listings Editor: Sally Priddle
Monday
Elections Question Time 12pm Venue, Students’ Union
Find out what the candidates in the Student Union elections plan to do for you. Come along and question them on their policies or just ask them about anything you think they should be doing for you, before you decide who to vote for.
Chugger
7.45pm, 25th-27th February Northern Stage
On a local high street, a charity fundraiser approaches an unsuspecting shopper, ‘Excuse me, have you got a minute?...just to chat about some of the work we’re doing?’ The target is ensnared. Bored graduate, Kay, has taken a job with a street fundraising company and is about to learn that charity is an industry and that guilt is its currency. Enter the cut-throat world of chugging with this fas cinating new play by Dale J. Pearson (The Ride of the Bluebottles, 2012). Dark, satirical and hilarious, Chugger is a gripping new production that is simply not to be missed. Tickets £7
Friday
The Polite Room 9pm The Tyneside Bar
The Polite Room is our live music and spoken word night. Come along and see some of the region’s rising talent perform on the first Friday of every month in the Tyneside Bar. Hosted by singer-songwriter Ben Holland- of the gorgeous and brilliant The Winter Hill Transmission - the Polite Room showcases the very best in local alt-folk, trad-folk, poetry and spoken word, with each night featuring an eclectic mix of performers. Tickets £5
Tuesday Give it a go: Bowling 6.30pm
Tie your shoes; choose your ball and play. We are offering two rounds of bowling at one of Newcastle’s local bowling alleys; it’s sure to be a fun filled night, so come along and show off your skills (no experience necessary). Tickets available from the Activities Centre for only £1 deposit
10.30pm Venue, Students’ Union
Total Uprawr are bringing their fresh brand of alternative club nights to Newcastle on the first Friday of every month. This is for you if you love rock and feel that your inner metal-head is not satisfied by the standard Newcastle night out.
Otello
7.30pm, 27th & 2nd March Theatre Royal
Tormented by jealousy and betrayed by his faithful ally, Otello’s anguish results in the ultimate crime of passion. Based on Shakespeare’s classic play, Verdi’s great tragic opera contains some of his most thrilling and beautiful music. Tickets £10 for under 26s
Go Global: Pub Quiz 7pm Venue, Students’ Union
Questions will be general knowledge with an international focus. For more information about Go Global, check out: www.nusu.co.uk/global
Olly Murs and The Loveable Rogues 7.30pm MetroRadio Arena
He is the cheeky chappy who didn’t win the X Factor, but probably should have although he seems to be doing pretty well anyway. Supported by The Loveable Rogues, famed for their performance on Britain’s Got Talent, this is sure to be a great show full of energy with many hysterical teenage girls in the audience. Tickets £32.50
The Weekend Met Opera: Parsifal 5pm, Saturday 2 March Tyneside Cinema
Part of their stunning Met Opera 2012-2013 season, broadcast live from the Metropolitan Opera House in New York. Director François Girard’s timeless new vision for Wagner’s final masterpiece explores the many facets of this mystical score, while designer Michael Levine (Eugene Onegin) creates a surreal landscape. Jonas Kaufmann stars in the title role of the innocent who finds wisdom. His fellow Wagnerian luminaries include Katarina Dalayman as the mysterious Kundry, Peter Mattei as the ailing Amfortas, Evgeny Nikitin as the wicked Klingsor, and René Pape as the noble knight Gurnemanz. Daniele Gatti conducts. Tickets from £21
Uprawr
Wednesday
Feel the Spirit 10.30am The Sage, Gateshead
In a day reflecting his Southern roots in Virginia, Michael Harper leads this workshop of traditional spirituals and gospel with great gusto and a warm sense of fun. With accompaniment at the keyboard from versatile native New Yorker Abraham Hampton, you are assured of a truly unforgettable experience. The workshop is open to all singers. You will learn songs by ear. Tickets from £42
Veronica Falls 8pm The Cluny
The very best type of pop music is the kind that mixes sweetness and light with dissonance and darkness, the sort which injects a perfectly addictive harmony with something sadder, stranger. Think of the gloomy melodrama of ‘Tell Laura I Love Her’, which kickstarted the “teenage tragedy song” craze in the ‘60s, the bleak farewell of ‘Seasons In the Sun’ in the ‘70s, even The Smiths’ ‘Girlfriend in a Coma’ in the ‘80s – all meltingly beautiful melodies with something considerably darker lurking at its heart; the black cloud on a summer’s day, the bruise on a perfect face. It is a long and storied lineage, and one which London four-piece Veronica Falls are quite happy fitting into. Tickets £8
Thursday Beauty and the Beast 7.45pm Northern Stage
We all know the story (even if it is just the Disney version), Enchantress wants shelter but the mean prince refuses so turns him into a Beast and says he will only return to his previous form if he can find someone to love him despite his looks. And at this point we are introduced to the beautiful Belle, will she or won’t she love him? It isn’t a nail biter but it is still a wonderful and enchanting story that everyone can enjoy. Tickets £7
Homemade Jam 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, you could win a free bottle of bubbly if you play.
Something to Look Forward to : NUTS season The Foreigner 4-6 March Theatre Royal
Written by Larry Shue. A tale from the Deep South.
Pornography 8-10 March Culture Lab
Written by Simon Stephens. A unique play set in the wake of the 7/7 bombings in London. Unsuitable for under-18s.
Flare Path 6-8 March St Luke’s Church Hall
Written by Terence Rattigan. Three WWII love stories get to the heart of life with the Bomber Boys.
Romeo and Juliet 11-13 March St Luke’s Church Hall
Written by William Shakespeare. The world’s oldest love story, set in prohibition America.
Illustration: Daisy Billowes
2.
Monday 25 February 2013
The Courier
It’s that time of year again WHY SHOULD I VOTE? S LAURA PERRY NUSU PRESIDENT
o, it’s that time of year again - people run around in coloured t-shirts, facebook is deluged with endless notifications, and the campus goes wild for your vote in the Students’ Union elections. This week each year, the whole campus turns into a wash of brightly coloured, hassle-factorguaranteed keen beans who just want you to vote! They’ll be throwing flyers at you, knocking on every door in halls and plastering posters across the University just to gain your attention. What’s it all about then? The AU sports teams, the numerous student so-
cieties, the welfare services, the course representative systems and even this very newspaper - all of these services provided by the Students’ Union are run by elected student representatives. Your six chosen Sabbatical Officers have a major impact on your time here at Newcastle, and they’re fullypaid year-long jobs, so if any candidates ask for a minute of your time, they’re worth listening to. Every current student at Newcastle University has the right to have their say through an online vote, ranking each candidate in order of preference where “1” is your favourite. This week, you’ll need to choose who should run the Students’ Union for the following year as Sabbatical Officers, and who should represent you as a Part Time Officer. All manifestos and candidates’ details are available here and online at www.nusu.co.uk/elections The ballots will open at 4pm on Monday 25 and close at 12pm midday on Thursday 28 February at www.nusu.co.uk/vote Any questions during the week? Feel free to drop me an e-mail at president.union@ncl.ac.uk
HOW DO I CHOOSE?
During elections week, candidates will be out and about asking you to vote for them; you can read their manifestos and ask them why they think they will be good for the role. We will also have a Candidates Question
Time, where candidates will each give a short speech and answer questions from you on why they think they’re the ones for the job. Come downstairs to the Students’ Union Venue at midday, Monday 25 February.
WHO IS RON? Do none of the candidates in a particular ballot seem like a good choice to you? Well, that’s not excuse not to vote give RON a chance. No, not either of the Rons
pictured here - RON stands for ‘Re-Open Nominations’. If RON wins a ballot, the nominations you guessed it - are opened again to allow different candidates to put themselves forward.
WHEN ARE THE RESULTS? Election results will be announced from 5pm, Friday 29 February in the Students’ Union History Room, on the first floor. Candidates are told the results in a separate room and successful candidates will emerge onto the stage to say a few words. Come along
to find out first, just exactly who the new Officers are. Hopefully we now have you convinced! Unable to make it down for the results on Friday night? Don’t forget to check out The Courier next Monday for full results.
It’s all “by students, for students” and about having a good time here – choose the people that best represent your views and you’ll end up with a pretty decent SU. Your Students’ Union is run by elected student Officers. These people oversee the campaigns, services and facilities that your SU offers, they advocate student views in many University, local and national meetings, and generally strive to improve the student experience while studying at Newcastle. If you think that you’ve never had anything to do with the Students’ Union, then you may be mistaken. Are you a member of a society or sports club? Ever been part of or would like to take part in Freshers’ or RAG Crew? Have you ever given feedback on your course to a course rep, or taken part in a Students’ Union campaign? Hell, we may have even served
you some food or a beverage… If you answer yes to any of these questions, then the Students’ Union has hopefully had a positive impact on your experiences here. An elected student officer even runs the very paper you are reading. Therefore it’s really important to use your vote in electing the best candidate for the job. In these Elections, the six Sabbatical Officers who run the Students’ Union and represent your voice in the organisation and in meetings with the University will be elected. They’re fulltime paid positions which cover all areas of the Students’ Union - from activities, media and sport to representation, democracy and welfare. Also elected will be Part Time Officers, current students who take up various more specific representational roles in the Students’ Union.
HOW DO I VOTE?
All voting takes place online at nusu.co.uk/ vote. Log in using your student login details and you’ll see a list of ballots and the candidates who are standing for election (you will already be logged in if you are on a campus computer). Simply put a ‘1’ next to your first choice candidate, a ‘2’ next to your second choice, and so on. If you like, you can just put a ‘1’ next to your favourite candidate and leave it at that, or just ‘1’ and ‘2’, and so forth. In our Students’ Union, we use the Alternative Vote (AV) system. A candidate must have 50 per cent + one of the votes to win the election. If this is not reached in the first round of voting, then the candidate with the lowest votes
is removed and their second votes are counted. This is repeated until a candidate has 50% + one of the total votes, so second and third votes carry just as much weight and everyone’s votes are taken into account. Voting is open from 4pm Monday 25 February until 12pm Thursday 28 February - any and every Newcastle student can vote. You will notice that for each position running there is another candidate, ‘RON’ (Re-Open Nominations), he’s not actually a real person… Choose RON as your first preference if you’d like the Officer position to remain unfilled because you reckon none of the remaining candidates reflect your wishes.
VOTE ONLINE NOW:
nusu.co.uk/vote
The Courier
electionsmanifestos.3
Monday 25 February 2013
SABBATICAL OFFICERS: PRESIDENT
DAVID BENDALL Why vote for me? I believe my extensive leadership experience and commitment to the Union is absolutely unrivalled. - Elected as Part Time Officer in 2012 - Newcastle Student Radio Station Manager - Elected onto Disciplinary Committee - Crew on Freshers’ Week and RAG - Volunteer Nightbus driver
My policies: Improving NUSU’s presence and reach both digitally and physically. Bigger events, better acts, more often. Work with staff and students to overhaul Union website and communication by utilising student media to its full extent. An informed President that regularly has open office hours to any student and acts upon your requests. Remove restrictions and lower prices for clubs and societies to use Union and University resources to increase participation and encourage student led events. Continued opposition to cuts which will close pools and decimate arts funding; our clubs and societies depend on these facilities and I will fight these cuts or find alternatives. Increase international, postgraduate and mature student participation. NSS shows only 2/3 of mature students are satisfied with the Union. This must change! Represent students in the community to build relationships, improve quality of life for students living off campus and introduce NUSU landlord accreditation scheme. Vote Bendall #1 for President!
PAUL FREW
My experience: • NUSU Councillor 2011-13 – I am a regular speaker and critic in Council. • NUSU Committee work including Activities, Welfare, Steering, Community, and Public Debates. • President of the Debating Society (includes running national competitions, competing internationally, and running training a pro-
Hello my name is Nikki Doherty and I am running for President of the Student Union. I am currently a final year English student who has also worked for the past two years as a supervisor on Men’s Bar. My time at university has made me passionate about our union and I want to be a part of its future. If elected I will focus on these policies: • Representation – I aim to represent the stu-
gramme for members). Excellent working knowledge of NUSU and its institutions.
• help with accommodation - create NUSU lettings agency • say in what your Union does
My Prorities: • More funding for students suffering higher tuition fees and frozen loans • A more competitive and diverse MensBar and Venue with more events. • Affordable swimming facilities for all students and clubs. • Protecting international students from discriminative university policy. • Consultation on a NUSU Estate Agent. • Making societies first for events and business. • RECAP all lectures, digital essay hand in, and return all exam papers digitally.
Making the most of Newcastle with more: • links with city enterprises • local opportunities for volunteering and internships to increase employability
•
I believe the Union works very hard for its students and I have been involved in it for most of my time at Newcastle. From my experience, however, the Union can do far more, far better. I believe I can make the Union more engaging and relevant to students and have the skills to get the most from the University and your Union.
NIKKI DOHERTY
Why me?
Vocal Organised Trustworthy Energetic Friendly Responsible Experienced Worked hard on this acronym
FREW THE PRESIDENT FOR YOU
Undergraduate, postgraduate, local, international, mature, part-time, whatever your interests, you’re all part of the Newcastle community: your voice should be heard.
RONNIE KITELEY Let’s make NUSU the best SU in the country! Making the most of Student Life with more: • live music - make NUSU the leading venue for live music in the Northeast • space for student art, photography, performance and cultural events. Let’s exhibit what we’re proud of! • support for your sport - Newcastle is a top place for sport, let’s build on that
Why Vote Little?
My experience in representing the Union and the University is extensive and diverse. ➢Sitting on the Union’s board of trustees as a Student Trustee has given me experience of making Union decisions at the highest level. ➢ A passionate participant of University sport, I’ve been part of the AU for three years, with BUCS experience and two years of committee experience for one of the largest clubs in the AU.
➢ Promoting inclusion of postgraduate, international, and mature students. ➢ Ensuring every officer is recognised and approachable to every student. The aim? To better every student’s University experience through the Union, it’s what it’s there for! LITTLE VOTE, BIG RESULT
#ideaoverload #voteRonnie
• Make sure as President I am readily available through, regular office-hours, Facebook/Twitter to allow students to voice any concerns they have or changes they would like to see • Encourage the greatest level of participation in the Union’s activities, ensuring the inclusion of postgraduate and international students
Key Policies… ➢ Raising awareness of Union activities and encouraging increased participation by students in all aspects, from the sports pitch to the radio station.
➢ Representing the views you care about on a national level.
Vote Ronnie for President and make NUSU the Ultimate Package!
I WILL:
➢ Working with the representation and democracy department to promote Council and elections has given me an extensive insight into the Union’s democratic values.
➢ Increasing funding for all clubs and societies.
I have loved being a student at Newcastle, and I want every other student to feel the same way when they leave. The end of my student experience in the wild and wonderful city of Newcastle is nigh, but my work here is not complete.
Making the most of your Union with more: • help with books - open NUSU Second Hand Book Shop
➢ Involvement with RAG on crew and committee has given me extensive experience in organising society activities.
TIM LITTLE
dents of Newcastle University in whatever way they require. What do you want to see happen to improve your union? I believe I am approachable and would be able to cater to student’s needs. • Integration – I believe the union is the nucleus of university life and brings together students from all backgrounds. Enabling one and all equal opportunity for access and interaction will help this space reach its potential through more events of a wider variety. • Innovation – Due to my experience in the union I know it has further potential. I have seen it grow since its opening two years ago and I wish for it to continue. This can be done through wider publicity on campus and promotional times in the bar.
• Make better use of the of the Union, not just with more events but making sure we get bigger name acts and high-quality nights
CALUM MACKENZIE To ensure the Student Union’s resources are focussed on the enhancement of the University experience for all students As President of Men’s Hockey I have leadership experience of running a large University club, and coupled with this I believe have a rounded understanding of what students actually want their Union to deliver. I believe the President should be highly receptive to the demands of students and focus their energies into representing these views.
• Make clubs/societies a top priority in terms of funding, as I believe they are one the Union’s major functions in delivering Newcastle’s university experience • Look to streamline where possible any unnecessary bureaucracy associated with running a club/society which at times adds to the already large workload of committee members
SEE MORE CANDIDATES FOR PRESIDENT OVERLEAF
4.electionsmanifestos
Monday 25 February 2013
The Courier
SABBATICAL OFFICERS: PRESIDENT ing housing issues. - More emphasis placed on the non-academic aspects of student lifestyle. - Better representation for students with academic issues; support to those struggling with their degrees. - Enable the union to become a self-sustaining commercial entity, whilst allowing the diverse student demographic to access its full potential. - Increase awareness of the support the Union already offers its students - To make sure students are at the heart of every decision made within the Union.
CHRIS PUGH In 2009 Newcastle was voted the best city for ‘The Student Experience’. My aim as President will be to ensure that as a Union we create the ULTIMATE STUDENT EXPERIENCE. What I would like to achieve:- A stronger line of communication between estate agents and students; support to students fac-
Why vote for ME? - I have previously been employed by the Union, and therefore have an understanding as to how it is run. - Organised Freshers’ Week 2012, so have experience working in a high pressure environment with a vast budget, similar to that of the role of the President - Involved in Hitch at committee level, as well as roles in Freshers’ and RAG at both crew and supervisor level.
CONT.
• Increase student participation in the union. Not just by talking at students, but by engaging with students, including mature, postgrad and international students. • Create the best community for students by working with the local council and other local organizations to create a safer city, with better services for students. • Give NUSU a strong voice at NUS at a national level including working with other North East Universities to highlight issues in the region.
ANDREW TODD My name is Andrew Todd, and I think that I am the ideal candidate to be President of the Students Union.
The Students Union has had a strong year this year, but I would like to continue this progress, and I feel that I have the experience and the knowledge to create an even better NUSU. So get online and put a 1 next to Andrew Todd for President.
As a student and a Part Time Officer, I am involved with the students union and hold an in depth knowledge on the way it runs, its strength and its weaknesses. If I become President I aim to:
SABBATICAL OFFICERS: EDITOR OF POLICIES:
I have the ENTHUSIASM, COMMITMENT and VISION to make The Courier even better, and am used to working UNDER PRESSURE and to A DEADLINE Ideas and Innovations
RALPH BLACKBURN
I am the current SPORTS EDITOR of The Courier, meaning I have practice of editing one of the largest sections in the paper. I have written for Sport, News and Comment regularly over the last three years and been part of the team which won the Guardian Student Publication of the Year. I have also been HEAD OF SPORT for NSR when it won ‘Most Improved Student Radio Station’.
TOM NICHOLSON Who? - Third Year English Literature student - Currently the Courier’s Features and Puzzles Editor - Writer for the music, film, lifestyle, TV and arts sections of the Courier over two years If elected, I would endeavour to: - Keep NEWCASTLE STUDENTS at the centre of
• INTRODUCE A CAREERS SECTION to the paper with interviews and tips from employers. • UPDATE THE WEBSITE DAILY with breaking news stories and a sports results ticker. • Create a role for a News Editor to be IN CHARGE OF LONG RUNNING STORIES AND REPORTS, to make sure The Courier uncovers every scandal. • Make a focus on INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM and encourage reporters to bring their own stories. • More IN-DEPTH REPORTS AND FEATURES • Live MINUTE BY MINUTE BLOGGING of important events. • Work with NSR and TCTV to provide PODCASTS AND VODCASTS on the website. Vote Ralph for Editor, Covering everything that matters. #VoteRalph4Editor Vote at: www.nusu.co.uk/vote
our news agenda - Create a UNITED STUDENT MEDIA by pushing for greater inclusion and promotion of NSR and TCTV within the paper - Continue the development of a MOBILE APP, giving students access to the Courier, NSR and TCTV 24/7 - Produce a more VISUALLY STIMULATING paper with greater use of graphics and illustrations to GIVE YOU NEWS AND FACTS QUICKLY alongside in-depth analysis - Bring you EVEN WIDER BUCS AND INTRA MURAL SPORTS COVERAGE, from football and rugby to fencing and archery - Include more dry, irreverent WEEKLY ENTERTAINMENT which has made features such as Made in Jesmond a hit with readers, as well as keeping old favourites like Blind Date - Reflect and stimulate Newcastle’s diverse ARTS AND CULTURE across all sections - Give SOCIETIES AND CLUBS support and exposure across all student media - DEFEND AND SAFEGUARD THE UNION and its members as a Trustee and Sabbatical officer
FREDDIE CALDWELL EXPERIENCE: I have worked as a sports editor at The Courier for the last year and have been involved with both the print and online parts of the paper. I have also appeared on TCTV and NSR so I have a good understanding of every part of Newcastle University student media.
WEBSITE - To develop The Courier Online so that it is updated more frequently and increase links to social media so that it is as relevant as possible, particularly in relation to sports results and breaking news stories. E.g. Spotted on Campus posts. CLUBS AND SOCIETIES - To give them more space to advertise events both in print and online. VISUAL - To make the paper more engaging by including more illustrations and cartoons. TCTV AND NSR - To develop links after their re-branding and to ensure content is easily available and well promoted through The Courier. E.g. Made in Jesmond TCTV show. INTERNATIONAL AND POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS - To include more diverse content to make sure that The Courier serves the entirety of the student population. E.g. More reviews of foreign language films, TV, books etc. CONTACT: I will answer any questions or comments sent to freddiecaldwell@hotmail.co.uk
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GEORGE SANDEMAN The Courier is an outstanding, award-winning student newspaper but I think with my experience it can be made even better for readers and writers. A bit about me: • Writer for 3 years, News Editor for 2 years. • DEDICATED, DETAILED, APPROACHABLE and cheesy music lover (unfortunately).
I’ve worked for The Guardian, ITV News, The Huffington Post and London 2012.
I hope to achieve: 1) DAILY ONLINE STORIES. I think students want a live web presence from The Courier and I think we have a responsibility to meet student demand. I want to increase our online activities to compliment our weekly print output. 2) PROVIDE EMPLOYABLE SKILLS. With the shift of readership away from print in the national media, employers are looking for people with online skills. The Courier should help teach these to writers and editorial team by increasing our work online. 3) REPRESENT INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS. To use my position as Editor and as a Sabbatical Officer to promote international students and represent them at the highest level of Students’ Union and University meetings. With your help we can make a great paper even better for everyone. So remember to Vote George for Editor, ‘because the Sandy-man can!’
The Courier
Monday 25 February 2013
electionsmanifestos.5
SABBATICAL OFFICERS: ACTIVITIES got involved as much as they wanted to.
this combined with coaching the Ladies 3rd XI and Mens 4th XI has given me good time management skills and confidence. In addition to my activities with hockey I have also been a competitive member of the ski club for 3 years including being part of the team that won BUSC at Easter. Over my time at university I have tried to be involved with as much as possible with sport and freshers crew and with this role I would see even more and hopefully a vote at www.nusu.co.uk/vote will help me to do that.
What I will do if I am elected…
LAUREN BRENTA Hi! I’m Lauren and I want to be your Activities Officer! I’m studying Marine Zoology in my third year. Having recently been part of RAG crew, I’d love to get more involved in the organisation of the amazing events the union runs. University is about more than just a degree so I want to make sure everyone finds something to get involved with.
• Advertise activities, events and societies better to make students aware of what is on offer and how to get involved • Everyone is different so I would listen to views and opinions to ensure there’s something on offer for everyone’s tastes. After all, if you don’t like something, change it! • Increase awareness of RAG week to make it bigger and better next year • Strive to make the union the heart of university University is what you make it, so make it count. Vote for Lauren!
I’m dedicated and organised and I think I would be the right person for the job because I will do my best to make sure everyone leaves Newcastle knowing they got the most out of University and
JAMES JORDAN
Hi I’m James Jordan and I am running for the sabbatical role of Activities Officer this year, this post requires a lot of commitment and enthusiasm and I feel that I would be the ideal candidate for the job. If I was elected then I would try and focus on more co-ordination between different societies in order to make our events even bigger and more successful and also looking at a your views for a cheaper graduate ball. This role needs good organisation and my experience in the hockey club where I was 2nd XI Captain last year and I am the current Vice-President,
their societies’ opportunities & involvement COMMUNICATION - Organise weekly dropins: societies can discuss their problems/ideas helping societies become the best they can be PEP RALLYS- Encourage students to see what each other are all about- BBQs at Rugby matches, spectators at netball; get societies and clubs together! APP- improve media for societies- making information accessible and easy to follow
ROSIE LEATHERLAND With students now paying £9000 fees, they need more out of their university experience. I believe societies and activities, alongside sport, is the answer to more. Why vote Rosie? TEAMWORK - I’ll work alongside societies, finding out what works for them and supporting them INTRA MURAL- I aim to make intra mural sport bigger and better- get people talking about
Experience: I will represent you - the student! I’m an approachable, experienced student: RAG OFFICER- I’ve organised events, coordinated hundreds of student volunteers, and managed 24 committee raising thousands for charity; proving my organisational skills, ease with people and willingness to get stuck in. FRESHERS - Supervisor: met hundreds of students through Freshers and RAG crew PTO - Current part-time officer of the union – I’m ready to represent you at the next level. VOTE ROSIE: I’ll be there for you!
- Create a forum for society committees to interact and help each another - Encourage societies to host joint events - Offer more guidance for new societies through regular meetings - Support societies through committee handover, by offering training Why vote for me?
BEN PARKIN I am approachable, dedicated, and determined to help students get the best out of their university experience. I think societies can really help you to gain more skills, make more friends, and generally just have a great time – now who doesn’t want that? My Aims - Encourage societies to host events that involve all students, not only their members - Increase societies involvement in Fresher’s and RAG weeks
- I am very passionate about our student’s Union and want everyone to get involved! - Creation of Marrow Society- president. Experience creating new society, as well as organising large events– o Largest Coast to Coast charity cycle ever! o Regular donor recruitment and fundraising events o University wide Match4Martin campaign - Fresher’s and RAG crew - Sub-Editor for The Courier – 1 year Lifestyle, 1 year online TV - New societies rep – societies exec committee I believe my experience makes me perfect for the job, so please vote Parkin!
MEL NUNN=ST. JOHN I am PASSIONATE, ORGANISED and DEDICATED. I think I have what it takes to get YOU using what your union has to offer. My aims: • Raise the profile of activities on campus- Increase awareness of RAG week, Refreshers, society events and help available via banners, posters and social media • Be more accessible- Introduce drop off boxes for forms, drop in sessions for students outside teaching hours
• Introduce anonymous feedback on societies and new measures introduced, including the star system • Increase student involvement and volunteering. Create more, affordable volunteer opportunities • Push to implement a “blackboard-like” web page for societies (and clubs) • Create an unforgettable grad ball - send you out with a bang! WHY ME??? • 2 years active involvement in Pagan society, currently exec-have good knowledge of what societies need from an ACTIVITIES OFFICER • Member of RockSoc for 2 years • Collaboration with other universities/ societies to create events • Initiated a marketing campaign for grassroots volunteer company: raised their profile, now offer over 100 opportunities • Good listener – I want to know what YOU want from your societies/ activities so I can try to implement it VOTE MEL FOR ACTIVITIES @ www.nusu. co.uk/elections
SEE OVERLEAF FOR MORE ACTIVITIES OFFICER CANDIDATES nusu.co.uk/vote
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Monday 25 February 2013
SABBATICAL OFFICERS: ACTIVITIES If elected, I would aim to integrate Societies firstly through making Officer Training a more sociable event to provide a chance for Society Officers to get to know each other and, in turn, invite each other to events and boost membership.
ALICE SHARMAN My name is Alice Sharman. I’m a Maths & Statistics student and am applying for the position of Activities Officer.
So please vote for me for your future Activities Officer!
In my time at Uni I have been Secretary of MathSoc, Treasurer of NUTS and was elected to the Societies Executive Committee in the role of Political & Campaigning Officer. These positions have given me insight into the role of Activities Officer and the workings of the Union to help prepare me for this position.
CONT.
• Provide more guidance for new societies – including a handbook and allocated time to resolve issues • Increase awareness of the benefits of being members of societies and taking roles on committees • Increasing student engagement with societies – More promotion of GoPlay and Give it a Go • Introduce better SU booking system
I would also like to help Societies to secure sponsorship through creating a database of companies who have sponsored Societies at Newcastle University in order to assist the funding of the great work that Newcastle’s Societies currently do. My involvement in Societies has shaped my experience of University life and I would like to run for this position so that I can help other students have the great time at University that I have.
The Courier
MELISSA WHIPP Manifesto: I am approachable, organised and passionate about the University and making student experiences the best they can be. I believe societies are crucial to making friends, getting active and balancing uni life; I want everyone to get involved! Aims Making the SU for STUDENTS! Increase involvement for all students in the SU… • Encourage links between societies –knowledgetrades and joint events
Why vote for me? • I LOVE our societies! And I am passionate about helping to improve them • President 2012/2013 & Secretary 2011/2012 of NUPD a 200 member society • Organising classes, jams, Inter-Uni competitions & showcases • Previously a member of Thai Boxing, Dance, Management, Latin & Ballroom & Entrepreneur Society • Experience in organising large events (Guinness World Record Attempt, Dance Competitions, NU Apprentice 2013) • Worked with RAG, Medsin and other University charity events • Enterprise Intern, at Rise Up I believe my experience would make me perfect for the job! VOTE MELISSA!
SABBATICAL OFFICERS: ATHLETIC UNION clubs interact with the AU, and how this could be improved.
talk to anyone who needs assistance, and marketed the club as well as possible. I have loved my time as treasurer and excelled in the position, proven by the fact that the club is currently more profitable than ever, and I wish to take this further by applying the same skills and dedication to the position of AU officer, to hopefully produce a similar outcome to University Sport as a whole.
RICHARD AULT
Through my position in NUSSC I have learnt much about the position of AU officer and what the job entails by working closely with the AU. I believe that I am the best person for the job as I can add much to the position though my motivation, previous experience, and drive for sucess.
I am currently a final year business management student. I am the treasurer of the largest club on campus (NUSSC) giving me a lot of relevant and similar skills to that of what is required for the position of an AU officer. I have done what I can to assist the growth of the club this year through such methods as running beginners sessions to get more people involved, made a high effort to
Experience as part of the Netball club: • Vice Club Captain – Heavy involvement in running a successful club.
BEN LAMBDEN I believe I am made for the job! I am an extremely passionate sportsman and am dedicated to bettering Newcastle sport, both socially and competitively.
My targets as AU officer:
Hi, I’m Katie Rimmer (yes that really is my surname!) and I’m campaigning to be your AU officer. Sport at Newcastle University has made my student experience incredible, spurring me to make as many people as possible benefit in the same way I have.
Money • Ensure funding is allocated fairly. • Attract additional sponsors.
Hi, I’m Ben Lambden and I’m campaigning to be YOUR new AU officer!
• Vice Captain of the 1st team – I’m very committed and have the ability to lead and work within a team. • Social Secretary – Strong connections with other teams and knows the importance of good socials.
KATIE RIMMER
I believe I can make a real difference to sport at Newcastle! Here’s how........
• Work hard, play hard o Restore Wednesday nights out! – everyone under one roof. o Introduce an ‘End of Term AU Event’ involving every sports team • Maintain the Olympic fever o Focus on all 59 AU sports and ensure we remain Top 10 in BUCS o Participation at all levels – From ‘Give it a Go’, Intramural, BUCS to elite and international athletes. • Once a member, always a member o More clubs focussed on an Alumni setup. * If you want an AU that’s a winner... put a 1 in the box next to Rimmer *
Experience I have been a member of the AU for three years and in the past two years have held committee positions of President, 1st team captain and vicepresident. These positions have shown me how
Sport for all • Encourage students to get involved in sport through intramural and ‘Give it a Go’. • Increase the amount of social sport sessions to get students interested in sport and attract potential team players. Social • Re-establish Wednesday nights as the best night of the week! • Organise an unforgettable AU ball! • Provide support for all clubs, helping to deal with any issues faced. Success • Maintain a top ten BUCS ranking and push for better! • Ensure a win in Stan Calvert! Vote Lambden #1!
FOUND YOUR FAVOURITE?
nusu.co.uk/vote
The Courier
Monday 25 February 2013
electionsreferendum.7
SABBATICAL OFFICERS: EDUCATION • Increase trained Course Reps by 10% • Run campaign to explain new degree gradings • Reduce/end Saturday exams • Student input in assessments: skills for life, not just exam week! • Welcome pack for freshers to get help and find reps • Permanent office hours and regular drop-in sessions
CHARLES BARRY
My godmother came here 35 years ago. Then it was 100% exams and students wrote anonymously in The Courier to avoid punishment from lecturers. We’ve come on loads since. I want to push on: I want to put YOU back in UNIVERSITY. I believe I’d be a great candidate because I’m both experienced and enthusiastic! My aims • Keep Wednesday afternoons free of lectures/ seminars/university events.
Experience • Student Councillor (2010-) • Overseen SU finances (2011-) • University Senator 2011/2012, representing 21,000 students • Hired by government as University inspector • Sat on 5/7 SU committees of this role • NUS Conference attendee (2012), delegate (2013) • Freshers/RAG Crew (2012/2013) Getting stuff done • Student Council Chair: attendance up 50% • NSR Deputy Manager when won first award in 15 years! • Boat Club Treasurer 2011/2012 – managed £90,000 turnover • Four-time BUCS Gold Medallist Visit my website for more details: tiny.cc/ charles4education
tions to their problems. • I will seek to build upon the improvements made to representation, look at increasing representation for Postgraduates and International students and expand student representation in services including the Library, Open Access Centre and Estates.
KATHERINE BROWN
My Voice But YOUR Words
I have 4 yrs experience in various forums representing students including; • Undergraduates AND Postgraduates • Full AND Part Time AND Mature Students
• Use my experience to train and support representatives and students, and help them find solu-
A stronger union between international and home students would improve classroom efficiency. • Further development of course structure A further coordinated academic structure within the course and more guidance from the module leaders will improve students overall performance,
• Work closely with the University to strengthen the campaign against education cuts.
EVE BERWIN
• Improve feedback mechanisms. In light of current concerns about consistency of meaningful feedback, I aim to introduce an online system that increases the level of oral feedback you receive from lecturers on both exams and submitted work. • Develop the role of student representation within the Students’ Union. Too many students aren’t aware of how they are represented within the University. I will therefore
We need to build a good working relationship between the Union and the University. By doing this, we can make our student voices heard and protect ourselves from facing further education cuts. My experience: • Elected by Student Council as the only student rep. on University Senate (the University’s governing body) • President of the Linguistics Society • School Rep. for School of English Literature, Language and Linguistics • Member of Education Executive Committee • Member of Student Council Vote Eve #1 for Education Officer: www.nusu.co.uk/vote
RUONAN CHEN I’m Ruonan Chen, course representative of CrossCultural Communication and Education. I’m running for Education Officer of NUSU 2013/2014. Education changed my life. It gave me the confidence to leave my sheltered life in China and venture across the globe to learn as much as I can. I’m so passionate about education, not only for myself, but for everyone. Education can change lives, but the system creates challenges. My main focus points of interest are:
-Union democracy is unaccountable. There has no discussion with students of the ramifications of the deal with Adidas, despite claims to be “consulting students”. I’ll push to make our Union more transparent, which is crucial in the fight to save education from private, for-profit interference.
LUKE NEAL Luke Neal, 2nd year politics & history student. I am running for Education Officer to speak up for a radical perspective for education. So what are the issues? - Privatisation of Higher Education. This is currently hitting humanities and postgraduate studies the hardest, but the privatisation of the NHS means that there is an approaching crisis in Medicine. I’ll campaign against all course cuts and for-profit provision.
-Education beyond the lecture theatre: I’ll organise SU training on workers’ rights, trade unionism and how to campaign. -Debt and fees: I will fight for the write-off of student debt and for free, public education. lukeaneal.wordpress.com
• Improved relationship between course reps and students As a course rep myself, I have found a lack of interaction between course reps and fellow students. I would like to remedy this problem by training course reps to promote themselves. In China, it is tradition to share a meal with one another to enrich the belly. I would like to share my knowledge and experience to enrich the education system here in Newcastle. Vote Ruonan!!!
• Greater integration within the student body
-UK Border Agency racism: I want to continue our campaign against attendance monitoring as it degrades education and divides ‘international’ from ‘home’ students.
-Union democracy is inaccessible: I’ll argue to replace Council with General Meetings open to all students. Similarly, I want to replace the closed course-rep system with Open School Forums.
THE FUTURE OF EDUCATION With the 2015 General Elections coming the policies of education are being devised for manifestos. Working with the NUS and other North East Institutions I will make sure that your opinion of what education should be like will be heard by those wanting your vote.
As Education Officer I will represent ALL students to the best of my ability and;
provide more support for course reps by working more closely with individual schools. I believe that school reps should be granted Union officer status to ensure that course level problems are taken seriously at Union level.
If elected I will:
The DO YOU KNOW YOUR SKILLS? Campaign to help you to identify the skills you gain from all aspects of University. Working with Careers, Schools, the AU and Activities Officers, students and alumni with advice to share, this campaign will help you to translate your experience into something attractive to future employers.
EMMA DEVINE • About me- I’m a third year biology student and during my time at Newcastle I have participated in both RAG and Fresher’s week, giving me an insight into how our union works and the way it runs. As a soon-to-be graduate I have a good knowledge of the challenges students face throughout their time in university from beginning to end. • Bridging the gap- New students often find it difficult to adapt to the independent learning environment of university compared to school. Through a student’s first semester here, extra
mentoring from both students and academic staff will help with this transition. • Communication- I want course reps to have a louder voice within their school. Although they raise important issues with the university this is often unheard by students. Communication between students and their reps will make for a more effective system when it comes to raising issues with the university • Careers- At the end of their time at Newcastle, students are often unsure about what kinds of careers their degrees prepare them for. I want to increase the interaction between the careers service and students within lectures so that students know what opportunities are available to them after graduation.
SEE ANOTHER EDUCATION CANDIDATE OVERLEAF
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Monday 25 February 2013
The Courier
SABBATICAL OFFICERS: WELFARE
NAOMI BROWN Hi, I’m Naomi (Nay) Brown and I’m running for the position of Welfare and Equality Officer. I’m a 2nd year bio-med student and an active member of the canoe and surf club. I was on Crew for both Freshers’ week and RAG committee this year. I also have a vast array of experience working with people with disabilities. I am passionate about welfare, equality and diversity.
EMMELINE TANDOC Accessible Passionate
If elected I will…
your interests are represented!
Continue working closely with the student advice centre and build on all the fantastic current campaigns such as the stressed out student campaign, SHAG week, mental health awareness week and disability awareness week.
Heather on Health: Your health and wellbeing are fundamental to your academic success; therefore on your behalf I will campaign for more funding and advertisement of the University wellbeing services.
Things I will aim to change…
Heather on Housing & Finance: Do you know what to look for when renting a student house? Do you understand your contract and what you are liable for? Well, I want to put on workshops to advise on all of this. From legal contracts to double-glazing, I want to help you know your rights and where to get financial help if you need it.
• Encourage the council to put in more cycle lanes across the city; in particular student routes. • Promote awareness and increase funding for nightline services. • Establish regular night bus services after popular union nights. • Improve accessibility for students with disabilities in all areas of the university to make it a fully inclusive campus. • Introduce an opt-in buddying scheme between students from different years creating a ‘family’ atmosphere. TURN THAT FROWN UPSIDEDOWN VOTE - NAOMI BROWN!! Vote at www.nusu.co.uk/vote
HEATHER RATCLIFFE
I am 21 and a stage 3 Politics student. I juggle my studies, part time work, social life and societies. Uni life isn’t always easy! I want to help YOU with all the small things that collectively make a BIG difference to your university experience. Heather on Equality: University is for everyone, no matter what your age, gender, sexuality, disability, race or religion. I want to make sure ALL students are treated fairly, feel included and that
1) Events that include post graduate, mature, part time and international students 2) Hall based activities to make undergraduates feel involved after Freshers Week 3) Classes that equip students with skills applicable now and in the future 4) Utilize elected officers make people more aware of the students representing them
- Set up a Tenants’ Union so students can work together and fight dodgy landlords. - Produce in-depth materials on students’ rights including housing, workers’ rights etc. - Oppose fees and fight for living grants for all. - Campaign for a Living Wage for all studentworkers and workers employed by our University. Inequality is still a real issue.
Experience
I will:
1) Student Parents and Carers Officer 2) Volunteer at The Globe Café working with international students 3) Publicity Editor Creative Writing Society 4) Freshers’ Crew & RAG Crew 2012
- Help develop the liberation campaigns and work with LGBT, women’s, disabled, black and international students to create a Liberation campaign assembly. - Campaign to ensure our Zero Tolerance to sexual harassment policy is enforced and for zero tolerance to all inequality. - Develop our campaign to stop the targeting of international students over attendance monitoring.
ELLA THORP I’m Ella, 4th Year French and Politics student.
Dedicated
Beliefs
Welfare is a strength of the Union, but this needs to be developed, especially focusing on the impact of government cuts. Debt is a growing problem with increases in fees, rent and cost of living.
1) A Students’ Union for everyone 2) Engage hard to reach students 3) Educate in mental health issues 4) Stronger officer team
Elect me and I will:
Actions
- Campaign for better quality and cheaper student accommodation.
SABBATICAL OFFICERS: EDUCATION CONT. • Active member of AU with surf and ski clubs • Understand the way the union works by attending student council • RAG crew 2013 Policies:
Be Prowde of your education!
Education is the fundamental reason that we are at university and therefore it’s the right of every student to have a representative that is willing to listen and act to fulfil to their needs. I intend to bring a fresh perspective to the role, one of an ordinary student that wants to change things for you.
1. Increase presence around campus to ensure awareness so students know who their course representatives are or that they can approach and talk to their education officer directly. 2. Tackle the ‘hidden costs’ within a degree. 3. Restructure the access to resources and facilities in the university libraries. 4. Increase support and representation of postgraduate, mature and international students. 5. Create more opportunities for courses to give feedback for assessments and work for each course to have model questions with worked answers. My aim is to get students the quality of education they want by working in close partnership with the students and staff.
We need to fight to stop cuts to public services. To do that, students need to unite with the trade unions and community campaigns. ellaforwelfare.wordpress.com
• Secretary of English Society 2011-12 • Freshers’ Week Crew 2011 and Freshers’ Week Officer 2012 AIMS:
Why should you vote for me?
CATHY PROWDE
From the mature student to the fresher, the PHD student to the undergraduate, I want to make sure ALL your needs are looked after!
EMILY WALLER
HOLLA for WALLER for WELFARE – SHE’S WELL FAIR! I’m Emily, hoping to be your new Welfare and Equality Officer! EXPERIENCE: • Gender Equality Officer 2012-13 – representing over 21,000 students at the University and nationally • Societies Executive Committee 2011-12 • Community Executive Committee 2011-12 • Welfare and Citizenship Executive Committee 2012-13 • Students’ Council 2011-13 • President, Captain and Secretary of Badminton Club 2011-13
• GET ATTENTION – Raise awareness of ALL campaigns ACROSS CAMPUS! • GET RESULTS – USE and ENFORCE our Zero Tolerance to Sexual Harassment Policy • GET RELIABLE – Make Disabilities and Mental Health Awareness Weeks a permanent fixture • GET RID – NO MORE ‘LAD’ CULTURE! • GET TOUGH – Combat casual racism and the normalisation of sexism • GET SMART – Strengthen campaigns for housing information and financial advice • GET SAFE – Promote safety in sexual health and help students defend against burglary and assault • GET IN TOUCH – Increase hours for drop-in sessions, making welfare advice as accessible as possible • …GET VOTING – PLEASE! I am enthusiastic, committed and approachable and believe my experience and vision make me perfect for this job. THANK YOU!
The Courier
electionsreferendum.9
Monday 25 February 2013
PART TIME OFFICERS RAG OFFICER
rienced in representing and helping the student body through roles which include: student rep, freshers’ crew member, nightline volunteer and Madventurer fundraising intern.
student body. This year we intend to work with other University RAG teams to diversify the opportunities and experiences for fundraising and meeting new people. Creating partnerships with other RAG teams will enable us to share best practice and pick up extra ideas. This will increase potential and possibilities for RAG to grow and raise more than ever before!
Our aims and how we plan to achieve them:
ELLIE ISAACS AND ELINOR THOMAS Vote Ellie&El headed by Ellie (psychology student) and El (combined honours student) for RAG officers 2013/14. With a wealth of charity work and an array of volunteering behind us, we believe we would be perfect for the job. Both current members of RAG committee, our aim is to raise the profile of RAG. Whilst passionate about RAG, we are both expe-
• Increase awareness and student participation in RAG through a strong promotional strategy and encourage the involvement of Stage 1 students throughout the year. Moreover, we plan to hold a carnival-themed RAG weekend, as well as the infamous RAG week, to give a taste of the exciting events that are to come. • Provide volunteering opportunities and work closer with the community, through improved connections with SCAN. • More frequent events and fundraising for YOUR chosen charities, as well as new and improved events during RAG week. • RAG raids to other cities, as well as international projects with Madventurer. So, to raise the profile of RAG…VOTE Ellie&El!
WILLIAM BRANDON AND IWONA KLOCZKO Manifesto This year we’re planning on making RAG Bigger, Bolder, Better. Raising the awareness of RAG amongst Fresher’s is the key to growing RAG. Planning events to start early on in the year will increase awareness and participation from the
Sports clubs and societies NEED to be included in potential fundraising ideas, as inter-club tournaments and competitions are always hilarious, and get far too competitive for any charity event but that’s why we love them! We aim to secure a larger amount of sponsorship to decrease costs and increase overall charity gains. Alongside running the larger events we have identified the lack of smaller, more regular events including bake sales, FIFA tournaments, sponsored Movember, spare change tins around University and the odd flash mob now and again! For all this and more VOTE RAGtastic…………
CHAIR OF STUDENTS’ UNION COUNCIL the Chair of Students Union Council I want to ensure that the effectiveness and organisation of this council remains, so that it can truly represent students as effectively as possible.
tive and Community Executive Committees, and chair the Scrutiny and Disciplinary Committees. • I’m the School Representative for the School of Chemistry.
Key experiences for the role
PETER STYLE My Manifesto I fully understand the importance of student council here at Newcastle University. I have been part of student council all the way from my first year here, therefore fully understand the role that council plays within the structure of the students union. Most importantly I have already been experiencing first-hand what an impact and difference council really does have on the students of this University. By being elected to become
• I already have an extensive understanding of the structure of student council as I have been regularly been attending council meetings since my first year. • Confidence speaking in front of audiences developed though being a committed member of the Debating Society. • I have loved being the Convenor of Debates of the Students Union this year. As a result I already have an extensive knowledge and understanding of the importance of being a Part Time Officer of the Union and have shown that I possess the trust and responsibility it requires.
My Aims:
JASON WATSON The Students’ Union is your Union, and as such, I want to make sure your voices are heard at the Students’ Council! What I can offer: • Last year I was elected by you to be your Scrutiny Officer. Through the position I gained a better understanding of the internal workings of the Union, having scrutinised what the Union does as part of a committee. • I’m a member of the Steering, Education Execu-
CAMPAIGNS OFFICER
RICHARD PARRY I’m seeking election as Campaigns Officer because I’m confident that I have both the skills and the commitment that the role demands. I’ve been involved in a number of campaigns in the past, most recently leading an effort to introduce the living wage for Students’ Union and University staff. I’m passionate about improving the university ex-
• If I am elected, I will ensure Council meetings are more efficient and disciplined, with prioritisation of topics and timeslot allocation, thus ensuring more focus and effective debate on achieving positive results. • Work with other Officers and Councillors to reach the Council’s maximum potential. • Raise awareness of Council. Please Vote Jason #1!
ETHICS & ENVIRONMENT OFFICER
perience for everyone, and enjoy listening to new ideas and suggestions that can help achieve this. If elected, I will seek to: • Campaign against attendance monitoring in lectures, and keep in regular communication with international students to ensure they are not disadvantaged by any current or future UK Border Agency regulations • Raise awareness of housing issues, and work to ensure students can get the best possible housing at the best possible prices. • Improve knowledge of mental health issues, and make sure every student knows where they can find support in times of difficulty. • Create new ways for us students to get their voice heard, so issues can be brought to attention more quickly, and acted upon sooner. • Continue the work of this year’s officer team in campaigning to reduce exam stress, and increasing awareness of sexual health and student safety issues.
• Currently, the main role of Council is to debate new motions. However, from experience, I have found there is never time available to simply discuss current issues. For this purpose, I would introduce an additional segment to Council meetings where Students and Councillors can raise and discuss any current “burning” issues they wish.
Newcastle University ranked 26th on the People & Planet Green League 2012 with a first class award. This is an amazing achievement - but by paying attention to the areas in which we achieved low results, I believe that we can transform this great ranking into one of the best. IF ELECTED I WILL:
CATHERINE BUNDY Environmental and ethical issues have played an important part in my life so far: every job that I’ve had has been with ethical/ green businesses; I study Environmental Science; and I am currently President of the Conservation Society. I strongly believe that my passion for all issues relating to ethics and environment would make me an ideal Ethics and Environment Officer.
• Ensure that Ethics and Environment has a more active presence around campus. I will always be approachable and take on board student views. • Create a website where all students can share their opinions. It will also act as a forum for all ethical and environmental societies. • Organise regular and varied events with the aim of increasing awareness of issues and how students can make a difference. • Campaign for improvements in sustainable and ethical University resources and for complete transparency. • Create incentive schemes • AND MUCH MORE
10.electionsmanifestos
Monday 25 February 2013
The Courier
PART TIME OFFICERS NSR STATION MANAGER
BRIDGET HAMILTON & PEFF SOULSBY NSR’s Head of Entertainment, Peff, and Social Sec, Bridget, want to take your favourite radio station to the next level. Between us we have four years’ experience working with the Courier and NSR, two English degrees, four exec positions within societies across campus and more than 2 years’ combined work experience in the charity and media sectors. We believe that Newcastle Uni is FULL of the creative talent that makes a GREAT student radio station. If elected, we want to work towards integrating NSR into your student experience: • DYNAMIC coverage of key events in the Uni-
TCTV STATION MANAGER
versity calendar such as RAG Week & The Stan Calvert Cup • THE BEST Freshers’ Week broadcast yet, with hourly updates on events, fairs and activities • INVOLVEMENT with ALL clubs and societies - advertising to potential members and promoting your events • Encouraging a VARIETY of new content, including radio drama, chat shows, and quizzes • A HUGE presence around the University • Even more COMPETITIONS, gig opportunities and PRIZES!
tastic account of the activities that go on, so that both members and viewers would increase. My second aim was to transform TCTV from a society into a sub-council so that it would be officially recognised as a branch of the Unions media and be given the necessary support from the Union. As TCTV President I, with the support of TCTV members, managed to achieve all of these goals in a matter of months and since have been continuing to improve and expand TCTV so that the Union and its students can enjoy the visual media available to them.
So don’t let RON have all the fun! Student radio is getting bigger and bigger and with your vote, we could make this year the best yet.
If I was to become TCTV Station Manager, a role which I created, I would continue to work hard to improve TCTV general image as well as ensuring TCTV underwent a rebrand, received more equipment and would do my very best to promote the Unions visual media to all students to continue to increase members and viewers.
STEPHANIE NEWPORTBOOTH Becoming TCTV Station Manager 2013-2014
When I joined TCTV in my first term at Newcastle University, back in September 2011, the society was small and barely known across campus. Since then TCTV has gone from strength to strength, acquiring devoted members and producing fantastic videos which have not only helped promote the Union but also to entertain the students within it. When I became President of TCTV I could see the potential TCTV had to become an even bigger part of the Unions Media. My primary aims where to create as much awareness of TCTV during Freshers’ weeks 2012, whilst producing a fan-
The Courier
electionsmanifestos.11
Monday 25 February 2013
nusu.co.uk/vote SCRUTINY OFFICER
Committee ensuring that you are treated fairly throughout the process.
INTERNATIONAL OFFICER
eties participating in. • Created a closer link between international students and NUSU by enabling them to prepare and manage events rather than just being visitors. • Sought for career and self-development opportunities for international students through building relationships with external organizations.
I believe that fairness and accountability should be at the heart of what our Students’ Union does and I want to be your Scrutiny Officer to uphold these values.
Reelect me and I will:
Why vote for me • Strong sense of justice and fairness. • Always there when you need me. • I promise that I will do my utmost to be an excellent Scrutiny Officer who works for YOU.
SABINE KUTCHER Vote Sabine Kucher #1 for Scrutiny Officer Hi, I’m Sabine and I’m standing to be your Scrutiny Officer for the coming year. I’m originally from Austria and a second-year Economics student. Why I want to be Scrutiny Officer The Scrutiny Officer holds your officers to account. And should you ever get into trouble the Scrutiny Officer will convene the Disciplinary
Experience • Member of Disciplinary Committee I’m familiar with the disciplinary process and the strict confidentiality it requires. • Students’ Union Councillor I’m used to speaking up for the fair treatment of all students. • Trained mediator I possess strong experience in conflict resolution. So vote Sabine Kucher #1 for Scrutiny Officer :) Vote at www.nusu.co.uk/vote from Mon 25th February, 4pm.
LGBT OFFICER
• International Students’ Officer of NUSU in 2012-2013 • Chair of the Staff and Student Committee of Media and Cultural Studies • Member of Talent Management Team, AIESEC Newcastle
• Develop the International Forum by organizing monthly meeting with national, religious and cultural societies to increase both quantity and quality of social activities and supports for international students. • Delivery initiatives to recognize the contributions of national, cultural societies to NUSU and our international community. • Monthly newsletters for international students with your questions and solutions, so students can utilise those that are there to represent them in NUSU. • More activities featuring international students in Fresher Fair 2013-2014 as well as during the next academic year.
My achievements in 2012-2013: • Co-organized the Diversity Day in the 4 March 2013 with 15 national, religious and cultural soci-
I believe that together, we can build up a solid foundation of an internationalized campus. The question is “Will you join me?”
SOPHIA DOAN About me: Sophia Doan
OFFICER WITHOUT PORTFOLIO
dealing with LGBT issues. If I’m elected again I will be working hard to help LGBT students at Newcastle connect with and support the wider community. I intend to do this by working closely with local charities and by running joint events with Northumbria, Sunderland, Durham, and Teesside universities.
CHRISTOS MEXIAS Hey everyone! I’m Chris – a third year History student – and I’m running for a second term as LGBT officer. Having already served for one term has allowed me to achieve a lot, but it has also showed me what else could be done.
In the year when equal marriage will hopefully be a reality I also intend to champion equality and acceptance on campus by supporting various societies and by helping students connect with the National Union of Students LGBT campaign, as well as other relevant national networks. I will also be organising forums aimed specifically at trans* students discussing various issues around transitioning. To make a difference, please vote for me. Thank you.
So far I have organised anti-homophobia workshops in local schools, I’ve helped a local college do the same, and I have co-hosted a show on NSR
GENDER EQUALITY OFFICER I will: *work with senior management and the unions to establish a zero tolerance policy on sexual harassment and transphobia. *install better street lighting around campus to increase student safety. *raise awareness of gender inequalities on campus through publicity campaigns and events. *represent individual and collective student concerns at all levels of university governance and ensure they are fully addressed
EMILY HORSWILL • In the role I would try to encourage more of the student body to become involved in clubs and societies and the many volunteering opportunities that the Student Union has to offer as all • I am currently involved in these clubs and societies: o Treasurer for the Newcastle University Parachute club o Fresher-Rep for Women’s rugby o Pilates society o Surf club • This gives me a wide span of interaction with the
student body and I feel this makes me relevant to helping increase student participation within the Student Union that will help diversify the representation that we as students receive • I would strive to support Student Union activities and help to keep encouraging the student body to engage more pro-actively with the Student Union and activities offered by it • As an officer without portfolio I would want to work on increasing the engagement of students in the student council and other democratic activities • Newcastle University has a large student body and we need to understand the importance of democratic engagement in electing the people that represent us and how it affects us in the wider world, beyond University.
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES OFFICER
using social media eg Facebook; and the creation of a society. 2. Practical support. • With Kings Gate and the Student Wellbeing service, we hope to make the adjustment to independent university life as easy as possible. • For Freshers we realise how daunting it can be with all of the services on offer, and will try to make to become a helpful, approachable point of contact for all stages.
YINGHAN (JOANNA) ZHAO
MOLLIE HENAGHAN & JOSEPH MULCAHY
I’m Yinghan (joanna) , a second year Marketing student. I am passionate about campaigning for gender equality, and I have organised events, communicated while I was A-levels. I have the dedication, enthusiasm and confidence to ensure that gender equality is placed at the heart of Newcastle University Student Unison policy.
Our aims 1. Creating a community. • Through personal experience, we understand how isolating it can be living with a disability. We aim to combat this through creating an inclusive, supportive community- Via regular meetings;
• By working with the welfare and equality officer, For current students we will aim to amend any issues brought to us, including tackling inconsistencies with ReCap, and generally improving access and facilities for students with disabilities. 3. Raising Awareness within the student body. We hope to diminish stigma and highlight the complexity of disability, whilst celebrating the achievements of people within the disabled community. We hope to achieve this by building upon the success of past campaigns e.g. Previous Disabled Prejudice week, whilst establishing our own. Also fundraising for local disabled charities.
24.arts
Monday 25 February 2013
The Courier
Arts Editors: Lisa Bernhardt and Millie Walton Online Arts Editors: Grace Harvey
The fight for women isn’t over yet! With International Women’s Day in mid-March fast approaching, David Grundy takes a look at the work of local organisation IWNE as they strive to make the public see through the layers of fake tan
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co-art (Ecological Art) is a contemporary form of art which was initiated, and continues to be developed, by artists who are concerned about their local or global environmental situations. The artists use environmentally friendly and recyclable products to create their artwork, such as soya oil-based eco paints and bio-degradable fabrics. The art, in itself, is usually also themed around protecting the environment and so is not just a piece of recyclable art, but is used in a functional way to promote the issues they are concerned about. For example, many artists have used litter and clothing to
create sculptures which raise awareness about recycling in a dramatic and interesting way, which they argue is more accessible for people than a simple advertising campaign. Whilst there are limited large-scale eco-art projects currently, I don’t think it will be long before eco-art is used in protests and campaigns to help attract the attention of the public and inspire their support. For the names of key eco-artists, current projects and tips on how to make your art ‘eco’, head over to www.greenmuseum.org.
Jennifer Hopps
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lery and will focus on women’s achievements both past and present. A key feature of the project is its interaction with the public; their website, www. iwne.org, provides an opportunity to nominate your own inspirational woman to be featured in the exhibition.
North Eastern women suffer media stereotyping more savagely than others There are also a good number of fringe projects, which will perhaps prove a vehicle for progress considering the Hatton gallery’s limited number of visitors. iWalk is a series of walking tours that knit together women’s narratives in the region. iTalk meanwhile aims to create places and forums of debate for women to discuss important topics and share inspirational stories. However, what will hopefully cement the legacy of the exhibition is the group’s goal of facilitating requests to local authorities, those proverbially inert monsters, for women’s visibility in civic spaces. It is hard to imagine promotion of women’s history and achievement without the likes of charitable, proactive organisations such as IWNE and the interactive grassroots appeal it encompasses. It is disappointing, though, not to see any outreach to men on the website; promotion of the fringe projects repeatedly makes explicit that the events are ‘for women’. It is obvious that men are just as in need of enlightenment about women’s causes as women themselves – arguably more. After all, it is chauvinism and ignorance that have traditionally legitimised the repression of women and their omission from history. Ultimately, any male readers that have read this far will believe that there is real male interest in women’s history and that any event that excludes or alienates them risks preaching to the converted. That being said, the following month is rich pickings for women’s interests in the North East. Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy (acclaimed feminist) visited Northern Stage on the 22nd February and International Women’s Day takes place on
the 7th March, celebrated by a number of events throughout Newcastle and the region as a whole. Crucially, what the IWNE exhibition will reveal is the role of the arts in addressing important social issues – in this case erasing those stereotypes of the drunk Bigg Market lass. Have an opinion on this topic? Share it with us at www.thecourieronline.co.uk/arts
Horribly outdated and utterly booring? Does horror literature still have its legitimate place in our book shelves? Or should we simply stick to scary movies? Online Arts Editor Grace Harvey and Michael Slaski investigate the classic literature genre
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fter Hammer Books announced that crime writer Martyn Waites has been commissioned to write a new version of Susanne Hill’s best-selling 1983 book Woman in Black, critics have been quick to offer Waites a long list of expectations and his task to create the new horror classic is tall to say the least. But who actually reads so called ‘horror literature’ anymore, and what even is it? Many of us have ‘fond’ memories of R.L Stine’s series Goosebumps or Jekyll and Hyde and even now some novels continue to horrify me; Mills and Boon or even the infamous 50 Shades of Grey sends shivers down my spine, but is horror literature really that scary anymore? What has become the preserve of film seems to be struggling to truly make any impact any more. Although horror cinema will be forever indebted to literature, its access to special effects that bring these horrors to life have meant literature has stopped being scary. Yes, everyone’s favourite The Shining and The Silence of the Lambs were adaptations of novels, yet their access to visual technology allows them to offer horror in a way that literature just doesn’t always seem able. Obviously this isn’t the case for all literature, and examples like this are exceptional but horror films have undoubtedly changed how we read horror films. If you ask any literature student to name classic horror literature, they will inevitably quote you Shelley’s Frankenstein or Stoker’s Dracula that would invoke shock and terror to leave the reader unable to sleep for days. Nowadays these texts can be
found in the children’s section of a bookshop with some twee and charming illustrations, and the suggestion that these once terrifying books are little more than spooky tales. Hill’s Woman in Black has been a consistent bestseller since its first release, and the 2012 film featuring a pretty menacing Harry Potter star, Daniel Radcliffe has resulted in a second surge of unbelievable sales of the original novel, but the number of horror novels in the best-sellers lists is constantly dwindling.
... even the infamous 50 Shades of Gray sends shivers down my spine... pictures by Chicago Sketcher and wheesel (flickr)
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igital poetry, or electronic poetry, is a relatively new form of literature that, quite frankly, baffles me. It’s not simply text displayed in electronic form, but actively uses digital properties in a ‘meaningful’ way, such as making it interactive so that the reader becomes directly involved with the poem. Often digital poetry includes audio, either setting it to music or using sound samples to replace certain onomatopoeic words with the literal noise. Some of the more extreme pieces of digital poetry go even further than that, using movement to muddle the lines and make the words fly across the screen out of order. You, like me, may now be wondering what the point of combining technology and poetry is, if it only makes it unreadable and confusing? Jason Nelson, a prominent digital poet who has received numerous awards for his work, argues that ‘a piece of digital poetry attracts millions of readers, whereas a successful print poem might attract a hundred; therefore, digital truly is the future of poetry.’ Whilst this is true, I can’t help feeling that the meaning of the poetry is lost amongst these hectic additions rather than emphasised, and that currently readers are merely attracted by the novelty of this bizarre new literary form rather than captivated by a genuine appreciation of it. However, it seems that, with electronic literature rapidly on the rise, this form of poetry will quickly become the norm. Despite my reservations about this new form, it is fascinating to observe and well worth a look. I suggest starting with Brian Kim Stefans’s The Dream Life of Letters and John Cayley’s Overboard. If you get really hooked, the Electronic Literature Collection (free online) has plenty to satisfy your appetite for digital poetry.
oozy, breasty and easy: the popular image of the North Eastern woman. You’ll find her in the clubs selling vodka shots and cigarettes, slammers and her soul. In the same region she once hauled coal barges up the Wear, fought against slavery and claimed her right to suffrage but this admirable past is being quickly forgotten. North Eastern women suffer from media stereotyping more savagely than others (think ‘Geordie Shore’) and in a bizarre distortion of female-empowerment, are given the impression that being a sex object sets you free (Cheryl Cole). The sad truth remains: we grow into the people we are told to be. There are, however, a number of organisations changing the way women are represented in the area, one of which is Inspirational Women North East (IWNE). The group is made up of a diverse range of women living, working and studying around Newcastle and further afield. Their aim: to promote the achievements of local women, from iconic figures such as author Catherine Cookson and suffragette Emily Davidson to the ‘invisible’ or forgotten heroes of the region. Artwork produced by the project as well as research will be presented in an exhibition running from 2nd to the 23rd November in Newcastle University’s Hatton Gal-
Ghosts are simply not as scary as they used to be...
But is this not a product of swanky filmmakers showing off, and this chicken or egg viscous cycle of blame is relentless. Films like Saw and Hostel, or other excuses for gratuitous gore and violence, make it more and more difficult for authors to invoke compelling fright and dread but simultaneously gives life to a new level of fear that the imagination sometimes cannot do. Either way it seems a modern audience has been de-sensitised to shock, controversy and terror and the boundaries of what is both acceptable and believable is being pushed to new limits pushing Waites seemingly impossible task of breathing new life into a literary classic into new realms of terror. What do you think- do you feel that modern horror literature has lost its spine-chilling edge? Are horror films the way to go? Let us know on www. thecourieronline.co.uk/arts
The Courier
arts.25
Monday 25 February 2013
thecourieronline.co.uk/arts c2.arts@ncl.ac.uk | @courier_arts
Spotlight on...
Les Ballets Trockadero
Theatre Royal 19 - 20 February
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he Dying Swan is without a doubt one of the most iconic pieces from the world of classical ballet. Famous for its sad, dramatic portrayal of a beautiful white swan facing its death, it has moved many a theatre visitor to tears. The rendition of Les Ballet de Trockadero de Monte Carlo has the same effect, however, it’s tears of laughter you’ll wipe from your eyes when the swan clumsily stalks across the stage whilst losing his feathers. All of the excerpts from the beloved ballets the ‘Trocks’ performed had the company’s typical comedic twist to them that you wouldn’t expect from classical dance. Apart from the broad muscular shoulders and the chest hair peeking through underneath the beautiful tulle costumes, the combination of ballet and slapstick paired with virtuosity and brilliant choreographies works incredibly well. The ethereal sylphides kick and hustle each other until their wings fall off and the four pink ladies of the Pas de Quatre do somersaults and cartwheels in their floor-length tutus whilst the Black Swan chases the White Swan off stage before demonstrating his talent by doing ‘32 fouettés en tournant’ (32 consecutively performed turns on one leg), a virtuosic movement in pointe shoes that usually only women are required to do, before gasping for breath and using an asthma inhaler. The ‘Trocks’ prove that great comedy and the beauty of dance don’t exclude each other and that the art of ballet doesn’t have to be as highbrow as it often seems. With an unexpected gem of an encore, it was a highly enjoyable and certainly memorable show. Lisa Bernhardt
own obs d t n g cou heartthr i b e Th tional of fic
#4: Mr. Darcy
Book: ‘Pride and Prejudice’ by Jane Austen Jane Austen’s Fitzwilliam Darcy, better known as Mr. Darcy, constantly wins polls as women’s most desirable date and is it any wonder why? The archetype aloof romantic hero; Darcy is rugged, smouldering, moody, arrogant and oh so masculine. What’s more, he’s the proprietor of a large country estate. Handsome and wealthy - boy does he have it all. Okay so Darcy may be a little stuck up and rude on occasions, but I think most girls will agree that’s better than being sickly sweet. After refusing to dance with Elizabeth Bennet, the novel’s protagonist, at a dance, Darcy shows himself to be the master of ‘treat ‘em mean, keep ‘em keen’ and inevitably Elizabeth is eventually won over by his dark charm. It is, in fact, Darcy’s imperfection that makes him so desirable. When we first meet Darcy in the novel he’s monosyllabic and superior in manner, but after being accused of being ‘ungentleman like’ he reforms his ways, admitting that his interference between Jane (Elizabeth’s sister) and Bingley was wrong (he ruined the couple’s budding relationship by persuading Bingley his feel-
previews
reviews
Beauty and the Beast
An Evening with Rich Hall
xcuse me, have you got a minute? Just to chat about what we’re doing? Save the tigers? The whales? Here come the chug-
gers! We’ve all experienced ‘the Fear’. You know what I’m talking about: a spritely looking thing bounding toward you sporting an unflattering luminous waterproof, a laminated card of facts and figures bouncing round their neck. You’ve had it now, cue awkward five minute conversation about heating costs which you know will culminate in your tipping the entire contents of your wallet into a big, shiny bucket. All you wanted was a coffee! Welcome to the world of Charity Mugging, or ‘chugging’. The latest NUTS production of Chugger pulls you into the cutthroat world of street charity, where guilt is currency. This new play by Dale J Pearson (The Ride of the Bluebottles, 2012) is a compelling, satirical and hilarious story about the people who pull on your heartstrings for a living. The tale follows Kay, a bored graduate in need of a job. She’s employed by a street fundraising company and quickly learns the charity’s deep, dark secret. Chugger is showing at the Northern Stage Monday 25 - Wednesday 27 February at 7:45. Tickets £9 / £7 concessions.
est known as Walt Disney’s film adaptation, Beauty and the Beast tells the wonderfully heartwarming story of Belle, a girl yearning for her own fairytale story. Longing to leave her sleepy provincial town and desperate to escape the attention of Gaston, the town’s adored dandy, she sets off on an adventure. However, her father is captured by the terrifying Beast who rules his castle, spellbound by an old beggar woman. Belle offers to take her captured father’s place as prisoner and, held under lock and key, her life becomes very different from the one she left behind. Hidden away, Belle must learn to adapt to her new life. The servants, turned household furniture, teach her about the Beast and he, in turn, learns to accept her. Can he learn to love, and be loved, by another before the final petal of his enchanted rose falls, or he will be stuck a Beast forever? NUTS’ stella cast invite you to ‘Be our guest’ in an unforgettable night of uplifting fun and entertainment. Full of song, dance and lovable characters, Beauty and the Beast is sure to awaken your childhood fairytale fantasies. Beauty and the Beast is showing at the Northern Stage Thursday 28 February - Saturday 2 March at 7:45. Tickets £10 / £7 concessions.
resh from comedy panel shows Have I Got News For You, QI and Stand Up For The Week, American comedian Rich Hall is on the road again with his hotly anticipated new show, An Evening With Rich Hall. His renowned grouchy, deadpan style has established him, in the world of stand-up comedy, as the master of absurdist irony and the king of rapid-fire wit. In this brand new show, he discusses a variety of topics, all delivered in his own hilarious and unique way. Award-winning Hall has won critical acclaim across the globe, performing sell out shows worldwide; he’s even won 2 Emmys for his work on The David Letterman Show. If that’s not enough to tempt you to see this comic genius at work, he has been described by The Simpsons creator Matt Groening as the inspiration behind Moe Szyslak, Springfield’s resident bar tender. This is an unmissable opportunity to see one of comedy and television’s best-loved stars in the electric and spontaneous environment of a stand-up show. A blend of comedy, improvisation and music, An Evening With Rich Hall is everything you could want in a comedy show, and makes for an alternative and hugely entertaining night - and let’s face it, is not everyday you get to see Moe from The Simpsons in real life.
Charlotte Valletta
Charlotte Valletta
Georgia Snow
Chugger
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ings were unreciprocated). Besides, it turns out Darcy always had the best intentions at heart – perhaps he’s not arrogant after all. I have to admit, Colin Firth probably has something to do with Darcy’s appeal after starring in Andrew Davies’s 1995 TV adaptation of Pride and Prejudice – remember that scene when he emerges from the lake after an early morning swim? If you haven’t seen it, YouTube it - now! Likewise, Helen Fielding’s character Mark Darcy from the Bridget Jones novels, who was consciously based on Austen’s Darcy, brought the brooding and difficult but devastatingly sexy man into the modern day so that he actually seemed within reach (incidentally Firth also plays Mark Darcy in the film adaptations). However, I have a feeling Darcy wouldn’t be the easiest man to handle in a social event; after all he spends most of his time glaring angrily around the room. It may be sexy in the bedroom, but it would be rather embarrassing at a dinner party! And for that reason Fitzwilliam Darcy remains my number 4. Millie Walton
Northern Stage 25-27 February
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Northern Stage 28 February - 2 March
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White Rabbit Red Rabbit Live Theatre 21 February - 17 March
Tyne Theatre 8 March
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assim Soleimanpour’s White Rabbit, Red Rabbit can hardly be called a play in the traditional sense of the word; there’s no director, no set, no rehearsals and a different actor reads the script cold for the first time at each performance. As Shaun Prendergast nervously opened the large white envelope on stage, the audience shared the wonderful sense of excitement and apprehension at discovering it together. Then suddenly the author is in the room, as if Shaun is simply the puppet through which he is ventriloquizing: ‘Hello my name is Nassim Soleimanpour’. Through his script, Nassim addresses Shaun and the audience directly, selecting particular members of the audience to participate in what he calls his ‘experiment’ and inviting us to email him our feedback on the show. He becomes not just a distant young author trapped in Iran, but somebody we know intimately, somebody we can communicate with. At the same time Shaun constantly reminded us that he was also ‘meeting’ Nassim for the first time, so that when the script was silly and funny, Shaun also shared in the laughter, creating a sense of unity and friendship between audience and actor. It was deeply moving and caused the audience to leave the auditorium with a strange feeling of manipulation. I will definitely be booking tickets to another performance - after all they differ every night. Millie Walton
26.tvlistings
Monday 25 February 2013
The Courier
TV Editor: Chris Taylor Online TV Editor: Ben Parkin
BADvertisement Becca Price has established her position against Italian opera singers touting insurance in the past but she’s not letting that beef die as she takes another shot at Gio and his car insurance brethren, the meerkats
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an we all have a whip-round for Robert Webb? Maybe a tinned food collection? I think he’s in some sort of trouble. Sure, he’s plugged things before (that is his voice for the Cushelle Koalas, isn’t it?) but you feel bad for him turning to the meerkats. With a silly voice and false beard, he prattles around a library, explaining the meerkat/market pun that everyone understood four years ago. Apparently these two words ‘contain different letters’. Read it again. They’re technically the same letters, but in a different order. Barney the Dinosaur could have done this better.
Seeing as Compare The Market have managed to squeeze a popular website, a best-selling book (and probably either a children’s cartoon or a full-length movie in the future) out of an insurance mascot, I doubt they’ve entirely scrapped Alexsandr and co just yet. Meerkat Mania is one of those things that will be remembered as a minor quirk of the early 2010s, like ‘Gangnam Style’ or ‘Keep Calm and Carry On’ posters. No one can really explain how it suddenly got elevated above its place to an enduring phenomenon. The cuddly toys are going to be in stuffed in the backs of the nation’s cupboards for years. Our children and our children’s children will play with donated meerkats at every playgroup, nursery and pre-school. Two Alexsandrs in every Home Corner. Mind you, it’s a bumper season for awkward celebrity plugging; Dawn French suffering the company of Churchill the dog, Jennifer Aniston having a breakdown over sub-par internet and the uncomfortable sight of Kevin Bacon talking about unfamiliar British pop culture. However, the award for Most Surprising Celebrity Sell-Out goes to… Stephen Hawking!
I’ve already covered the sad existence of the Go Compare man, now being tortured by a string of celebrity cameos. But still. Stephen Hawking. Can you imagine being the director on that shoot, telling Stephen Hawking to smile? ‘Put a bit more into it, we really need to see that wry little curl in the corner of your mouth there - perfect!’ Wouldn’t that make you feel like an awful human being? Or would it make you feel like a god - you may be directing the Go Compare ads instead of the Scorsesean epics about the criminal underworld that you once dreamt of, but you still get to boss around the smartest man in the world. That’s something.
Vegas
ky Atlantic have been gobbling up American cable dramas left right and centre, and, as one might expect, the action for this latest venture, Vegas, is set in the glitz and glamour of 1960s Las Vegas. However, as one might also expect, the glitz covers all manner of shady business. This is where Sheriff Ralph Lamb (Dennis Quaid) comes in; dropped in at the deep end once the actual Sheriff has gone AWOL, his task of keeping law and order in the Nevada desert is made that much harder by the Chicago mob, led by Vincent
Savino (Michael Chiklis), who have decided to diversify their interests and run a casino. Even more excitingly, Vegas is written by Nicholas Pileggi, author of Goodfellas and Casino – well, sort of. The pilot was, but nothing else. To be honest, it shows. After spending an hour in his company, I’m not sure I like Sheriff Ralph Lamb. He seems like a bit of an upright, tedious, by-the-book copper of the type we’ve all seen a hundred billion times before. I’ve got a boxset of Lewis to delve into if I want to bore myself to death. Fortunately Michael Chiklis is terrific as Vincent Savino, which is what saved the pilot for me. It’s a bit arbitrary to compare two programmes just because they’re set in the same time period, and indeed it’s a touch unfair to compare most things to Mad Men, but there is a kind of reticence
in Vegas to do what Mad Men does; that is, revelling in the excess and glamour of its surroundings, like a pig rolling around in chardonnay. Whether intentionally or not, Vegas doesn’t seem to fancy doing that. Its tagline is “Let the sin begin”, but it’s actually quite hard to say what its stance is on the whole sin thing. Chiklis is magnetic, Quaid is staid. If we’re meant to like and identify with Ralph ‘Vanilla’ Lamb, then the writers aren’t doing a very good job of it. Still, given that we’re only two episodes in it might be a little premature to start discussing how good it is or isn’t, but there is at least enough there at this point for it to blossom into a very, very good show.
Spiral
Complicit
Spy in the Huddle
outed as France’s answer to The Wire, Spiral is one of those subtitled European crime dramas that BBC 4 have started putting on since the runaway success of Wallander and The Killing. Similarly to fellow continental import The Killing, Spiral lets one case unfold over an entire series, rather than having a neatly-packaged episodic structure where everything is tied up just before the credits roll; it also has its tough female central character in Police Captain Laure Berthaud (Caroline Proust). This, the fourth series, opens with a young couple driving into some woods with a horrifically mutilated, dying man in the back of the car. Throughout the first episode, a number of other plotlines are set up, including a fractious protest group torn between violent and peaceful methods, and the deportation of a Malian immigrant. Berthaud must grapple with these and her own problems: namely her ongoing trial for shooting a criminal, carried over from the previous series, as well as the casual sexism that pervades her male-dominated profession. One thing that sets Spiral apart from your average ITV crime drama – other than its foreign-ness – is the sense of reality. The camera doesn’t shy away from grisly images such as the empty body cavity of an autopsied corpse, while the small details of everyday life are subtly worked in: Berthaud frantically straightening her skirt as she runs after a quick change in her car, for example. If you find Midsomer Murders too melodramatic, or not quite intellectually stimulating enough, give Spiral a go.
orture – I think most people would be hard pressed to say that they’re massive fans. But what if it get results? And what if those results could save hundreds of lives? These are the terribly complex moral questions thrown up by Complicit, Channel 4’s younger small-screen cousin to Zero Dark Thirty, currently being advertised alongside Black Mirror, Utopia and Run as part of the station’s ‘isn’t everything a bit shit?’ season. David Oyelewo (him off Spooks) stars as Edward Ekubo, an MI5 agent who’s convinced that a major terrorist operation is about to unfold. Well, you would be if you’d been in Spooks wouldn’t you? With a suspect detained but claiming innocence, has Ekubo got it all wrong or does he need to push his captor just a little bit further? While this might all sound a bit 24-meets-Spooks in its subject matter, don’t expect blistering minute-by-minute action from Complicit. It’s in a more thought-provoking vein – think Homeland’s first season but with more quiet scowling and bureaucratic hoops and you’re close. Oyelewo puts in a great performance as a man, ironically, tortured by his nagging suspicions. His quietly bubbling feelings boiling over in some excellently-written (and convincingly-performed) dialogue with detainee Waleed Ahmed. With the whole “can torture be justified” issue being a decidedly difficult one, no easy answers were coming from Complicit. No sides were forced upon the viewer, but a sting in the tail at the 90-minute drama’s conclusion will have left many viewers curiously chin-stroking and will have perhaps instigated some intense flatmate discussions. Ben Travis
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lthough the tones of time-lord David Tennant are no match against the mighty David Attenborough, Penguin: Spy in the Huddle is every bit as entertaining and enjoyable as anything with the Attenborough voice of approval. The creators of the programme have promised and delivered ground breaking footage of these adorable little critters from their point of view. Seventeen robotic cameras, shaped like eggs, chicks and lumps of snow, filmed more than 1,000 hours of footage over 300 days in Antarctic temperatures as low as -40°c. The first of the three-part BBC1 series captures unique pictures filmed in the Antarctic, Falkland Islands and the deserts of South America. Rockhopper penguins try to alight from stormy seas, the Humboldts deal with desert extremes and Emperors battle icy wilderness for the mating rituals to begin. Where the first episode leaves off, the second continues, documenting the early lives of the newly born chicks in the episode aptly named, ‘First Steps’. Chickcam films the young ones walking on their mothers’ feet and taking their own first unsteady steps. Females without young try to kidnap the new arrivals and giant petrels force the chicks to huddle for protection. In tonight’s final episode, the Penguin Cams look at how these little chicks make it to fully formed adults, to start the whole process all over again. Expect more falling over, waddling around and sliding away. Because who doesn’t love watching an hour of penguins just do things adorably? Anya Thaker
The Courier
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Monday 25 February 2013
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The prized man Brooker
Charlie Brooker has gone from strength to strength. Starting out reviewing games for PC Zone, he predicted ‘Vice’ culture in Nathan Barley, parodied awful TV schedules with TV Go Home and married every boy’s Blue Peter crush, Konnie Huq. Matt Tate looks at the rise of the most sardonic man in telly at his peak
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harlie Brooker has been all over our television screens for a while now. You can’t get rid of his miserable face, or more notably the words that come out of his face and find their way onto scripts and screenplays that pepper the Channel 4 schedule. There is no respite from his unrelenting cynicism and the overflowing pint of scorn he is willing to launch at society’s ignorant face at any given opportunity. And this, I would argue, is a good thing. A glance at Brooker’s twitter bio reveals him as a self-confessed ‘underwhelmist’, which is about as accurate a description of the man as any other. He’s not been hesitant in the past to admit that the angry demeanor so often associated with him is chiefly for comedic effect, which is not actually hard to believe. As a fan of Brooker since his early TV work, his outstanding character trait is not in
fact the condemning cynical side, but his weird ability to see where society is going, and how our obsessions and preoccupations lend themselves conveniently to satire. It seems to me like he is always one step ahead. One of Brooker’s most critically successful projects, Black Mirror, returned to the box in the last few weeks, and if the first episode is anything to go by, just like the first collection, we are forced to have a good sit down and think about how the allencompassing online social media explosion has the potential to eventually know us better than we do. In bearing all to the world in one big exhibition of individualism, we actually risk losing the exclusivity of being an individual. We are giving ourselves away. Brooker has an innate ability to dream up these uncomfortable parables and lace them with the dry wit that makes them so recognisable
as his own. It taps into the 21st century chokehold that technology has us all in, and consequently we all shit ourselves. His TV career highlights reel does not end with Black Mirror though. Cast your minds back to 2008 and the 5-part horror drama Dead Set. If the noughties are at least partly defined by its indulgence in banal reality TV shows, Dead Set launched a full frontal assault on the zombified genre with, well, zombies. It took the Big Brother phenomenon and decided that the concept became a lot more interesting if everybody started eating each other. The show was fantastically bloody and grim, and boasted one of the best cameos in the horror genre’s long history. It was sharp and tense enough to receive lavish critical praise and even a BAFTA nomination but, again, it felt like underneath it all Brooker was trying to tell us all something. Of course when he isn’t busy penning his own original telly treats, Charlie Brooker busy’s himself with the ridiculing of everybody else’s. Following his popular column in The Guardian newspaper came the ‘Wipe volume. The show has existed in various formats since its inception, including an annual summary of the year’s events, but basically involves Brooker sitting on his sofa, flicking through the TV “highlights” of the week. Aided by some of his friends, including Barry Shitpeas (Life Form), this is where his sharp-tongued hatred is gleefully unleashed upon any show unfortunate enough to pop onto the screen. New to 2013 is Weekly Wipe, currently aired on Thursday nights, where Charlie extends his reticule beyond TV and his beloved video games, and goes to town on the news of the week. It’s kind of like Russell Howard’s Good News, but funny. I think Charlie Brooker is one of the shining lights of British writing and entertainment. Some might say he needs to lighten up. He may be too awkwardly dry and crude for others. But Charlie Brooker might be mainstream now. So they’ll just have to deal with it. Prepare to be ‘underwhelmed’.
To be continued...
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Cliffhangers Good cliffhangers are increasingly difficult to come by. Most shows bombard us with run-of-the-mill conclusions, where anyone who was awake for the entirety of the episode can make an educated guess of how the next instalment will begin. However, the occasional episode can conjure up something leaving us itching with intrigue. Here are my three favourites:
24: Jack goes to China First up we have Jack Bauer and 24. Although the latter fits the category for countless predictable cliff-hangers, there was indeed one in particular that stood out from the monotonous drivel. Captured by the Chinese government, the Season 5 finale saw Jack sent off on a cargo ship to Shanghai to answer for the death of a Chinese consul. Was Jack going to die? No, but we didn’t know that till season 6.
Cliffhangers have become a staple part of modern TV. Helen Daly explores whether they keep the punters coming or whether it ultimately detracts from a show’s emotional impact
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e’ve all been there: watching our favourite television series, and suddenly, they just end without concluding the story. We’re left metaphorically hanging over the edge of a cliff, waiting for the characters to pull us back to the safety of a conclusion. Cliffhangers have become somewhat of a ‘norm’ in television today. The most common type is seen in the “duff duff ” endings after every episode of Eastenders. These dramatic endings seem to be used to draw the audience into the next episode, or even the next series. This was used to a great effect with the “Who shot JR?” pandemic from iconic eighties drama, Dallas. This was so milked by the producers that fans of the show were left waiting for over a year to find out who actually attacked the show’s villain, JR Ewing. “Who shot JR?” became an international advertisement for the show, with t-shirts being printed and people even started to bet on who was the attacker. This massive cliffhanger created publicity for the show, with the reveal episode being the most watched programme for a considerable time in the US and the UK. Twin Peaks could arguably be one big cliffhanger with the looming question of “Who Killed Laura Palmer?” present throughout the first season and a half. Popularity can be perpetuated simply from the creation of a gripping cliffhanger as seen in Dallas. However, with cliffhangers being used left, right and centre, is this not a cheap means of keeping viewers watching the show? When cliffhangers become the predictable ending for the show, this can be quite tedious and repetitive; the cliffhangers lose their shock value when they are being repeated time after time. Viewers come to expect this ending as seen in Eastenders, instead of it be-
The Simpsons: Mr Burns does a JR Secondly, it’s the case that sent shockwaves through Springfield. Who shot Mr. Burns? You know, the sullen old bugger with the eerie laughter and devilish chair swivel. They really left this one wide open, maybe even milked it a little, giving us the conclusion in the next season rather than just the next episode. Just like ole JR, Burnsy had quite a few enemies knocking about. It could have been anyone, literally. And it was: Maggie Simpson emerging as the ever so unlikely culprit.
ing unexpected, and therefore more interesting. So who are cliffhangers benefitting; the viewers or the production team? The constant use of cliffhangers in recent shows has led to fans of the show seeking the answers from elsewhere; namely, the internet. The numerous amounts of leaks and spoilers on the internet has caused a new generation of audience members who simply cannot wait until the next episode to give a resolution, so they search for it instead on the internet which has led to stories being ruined for the audience should they choose to search for the answers; narratives are genuinely better when the answers to key questions are left as a surprise. The production team benefit from the publicity that the internet brings, however the show can be ruined for those audience members who choose to find spoilers on the internet. This begs the question, what is the point in these cliffhangers if the
answers to them are out there on the internet? Cliffhanger endings, which are normally associated with drama, are now even used in sitcoms; Big Bang Theory for example uses these endings at the end of each series, to set up the overriding narrative arc of the next season. Love them or hate them, cliffhangers are now an integral part of television today. They are now a talking point of society with colleagues and friends asking if they saw the latest episode of Made in Chelsea or Coronation Street. These endings have become a part of general conversation in everyday life; instead of making small talk about the weather, people can often find common ground comparing different theories to the cliffhangers of their favourite shows. It seems apparent that cliffhangers are necessary in television. It is these that make the audience return week after week, series after series.
Dallas: JR does a JR There’s only one winner: Who shot JR? The question that gripped so many, and provided many a talking point in those dreary weeks between Seasons 1 and 2. Heck, even our Queen wanted answers. A crew member was offered 100,000 dollars for the identity of the fictional character and bookies around the world swooped to take bets on the outcome. What made it such a mystery? Well JR had successfully pissed off pretty much all of the 10 or so central characters. Turns out it was JR’s irate mistress who pulled the trigger, an attractive 4-1 shot! Jack Thomas
28.filmfeatures
Monday 25 February 2013
The Courier
Film Editors: Hayley Hamilton and Sam Hopkins Online Film Editor: Chris Binding
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A good day to earn hard
Bruce Willis Films
5 The Sixth Sense It is suggested that animals have a sixth sense; this may include predicting the weather, sensing danger and seeing beings that have crossed over. So what if this is true for humans? Willis as Dr Malcolm Crowe tries to help a young boy named Cole through this experience, again showing the versatility of Willis. But he is harbouring his own dark secret which you won’t expect!
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Armageddon This is a tear jerker! A giant meteor is heading to earth and guess who has to save us? Yup 10 points, Mr Willis is front and centre, with Ben Affleck and Steve Buscemi to make sure we can continue breathing. He really is taking work away from ol’ Chuck Norris! However, this beautiful Michael Bay film (I know!!) has one of the saddest and beautiful send-offs. Try not to weep!
3 The Fifth Element Back to the future! Willis plays a taxi driver in the future and after a beautiful specimen falls into his lap, it seems he’s on adventure to save the world again! This cool movie about past, future, religion, war and peace is why sci-fi is so good. Willis here is the picture of macho; well what else were you expecting?
2 Twelve Monkeys Based in the past, present and future, with a MENTAL Brad Pitt, Twelve Monkeys is the futuristic tale of a convict sent back to discover information about the man-made disease that ruined the future. Willis is sublime and as tough as ever but more mature in his acting, making a fantastic impression throughout.
1 Die Hard The ultimate Willis film! It’s Christmas, there’s guns, hostages, tall buildings and Alan Rickman. There’s also his iconic voice as the baddie and twelve people waiting to get their bottoms kicked. This is a funny, decent 80’s action film, well worth a watch, even for the ladies.
Aisha Din
Love or hate him, Bruce Willis has rolled in an enormous fortune for Hollywood. Luke Hearfield discusses his timeless appeal To many, he’s simply the man who provided popculture with the most awesomely profound use of profanity in late history. But when you look past the glare bouncing off his ridiculously shiny head, you can see just how successful Bruce Willis’ career has been and how he’s more than a happy-golucky trigger-finger for hire. A Good Day to Die Hard was just released in cinemas, marking Willis’ fifth outing as the wisecracking New York cop which turned him into an international superstar. Since the first Die Hard which was released in 1988, Bruce Willis has been thoroughly embraced as the staple of action hero protagonists, and without his blend of charisma and wit, we wouldn’t have the hotheads we have today trying to emulate his presence such as Jason Statham, Channing Tatum or even Joseph GordonLevitt. Many will find it hard to believe that before Willis made his break as an action movie icon
he was a well established TV comedy actor. Willis got his big break into Hollywood playing lovable rascal David Addison opposite Cybill Shepherd on the light-hearted sitcom Moonlighting. Not many TV actors have managed to glide so easily into the world of cinema but Willis has definitely made a name for himself in both worlds. The collective income for his films have garnered over $3 billion at the box office making him one of Hollywood’s top 10 most bankable stars. While Schwarzenegger and Van Damme were reputable in the eighties for bringing the muscle and bravado to the action genre, it wasn’t till Willis showed up shoe-less in a white vest in Die Hard that the formula was changed forever. John McLane still resonates with men of all ages as a cheeky-chappy who personifies the inner action hero inside all of us. Since then Willis has spawned a festival of similar action heroes in other films such as Armageddon, Lucky Number Slevin and The Expendables.. Willis may appear to gravitate towards the more aggressive slaphead roles (in fact it’s rare to see him without a gun in a film nowadays) but he’s managed to avoid falling into
Sequel stupidity? Haven’t I seen this before? Marcus Redgrave discusses the shameless sequel and prequel culture that is still pervasive in Hollywood Films which boast originality are a hard notion for Hollywood to undertake. The knowledge of whether an innovative film will flop or succeed is unknown and this causes worry for film investors as it creates the anxiety of chance. Originality is therefore unfortunately often overlooked, resulting in an inexorable amount of prequels and sequels hitting our screens instead. With them they carry the regular rehash of overdone themes and clichés which have forever plagued Hollywood. This results in creativity subsiding whilst un-originality soars, showering us with repetition and boredom. It has tragically developed into an obsession which only readily results in hindering the development of our film culture. We don’t need another Scary Movie or another The Fast and Furious; they don’t bring any new substance and just simply feature the generic mild simplistic comedy, the usual big explosions and the cheesy one liners. That’s not to say they aren’t entertaining. I can enjoy a Scary Movie sequel but for values in aesthetics and resolution they don’t stand tall and you’ll soon forget about them, or wish you would. Such sequels also thwart the legacy of the originals by overshadowing over them; a perfect example is Die Hard, a series which should have been left at the trilogy, complete and still enticing. Hollywood however is unable to end their addiction. They see the box office ripe with profits from their latest sequels and look to the future with a gluttonous eye of greed as they pour out more. The more recent splitting of Breaking Dawn and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows into two parts shows such greedy extremities and the clear desire for maximising profits. The companies weakly spout lies against exploiting consumers but we all know the truth: it’s a lucrative business model. Disney’s purchase of Star Wars from Lucasfilm excellently shows this by their overeager climax into the horrific promise of many sequels and separate films, even though those infamous other three Star
the realm of a typecast character. You only need to see his powerfully moving performances as Dr Malcolm Crowe in The Sixth Sense or Butch Coolidge in the cult classic Pulp Fiction to know he means business. One of his most recent performances which reminded us of his raw talent was Captain Sharp in Moonrise Kingdom. If he’s not tossing bad guys out of windows then usually he’s surprising us with an Emmy award winning guestperformance on the TV show Friends or finding another project to collaborate on with Samuel L. Jackson. At fifty-seven years of age and with seventythree films attached to his name, Bruce Willis is still regarded as an A-list actor and only seems to continually progress his popular momentum. In some ways Willis is in a category of his own. Sure, he may have had a few flops (Surrogates, Cop Out and Hostage) but his wily persona and sensitiveyet-smarmy charm has rendered him as a lovable leading man and he’s giving the younger generation action leads a run for their money.
Illustrations: Isabelle Owens
WIN!
It’s competition time again! This time win tickets to see horror-thriller Stoker at the Tyneside Cinema
Wars prequels disappointed. You soon guess the potential profit behind this after you notice they paid £2.5 billion to purchase it. I certainly don’t disapprove of Hollywood trying to create a profitable business but the amount of sequels and prequels has become tedious. It has become a standard acceptance and unfortunate reality that most successful films will eventually be continued and become a franchise, even if the original film ended justly. As Hollywood is the world’s largest cultural film distributor, one should expect greater quality which has some withstanding value instead of a focus on producing mass quantity tripe.
From director Park Chan-Wook (Oldboy, Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance, Thirst), comes his English-language debut Stoker, a critically-lavished story of family obsessions, infatuation and death. Fun! We have two tickets to see it at the Tyneside Cinema. Stoker star Matthew Goode played which character in Watchmen? a) Rorschach b) Nite Owl c) Ozymandias Email your answer to editor.union@ncl. ac.uk before 8pm on Thursday 28 to be in with a chance of winning. Stoker opens at Tyneside Cinema on 29 February
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Monday 25 February 2013
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A Good Day To Die Hard (15) Two phrases you don’t often hear coupled in the same sentence - ‘Valentine’s Day’ and ‘Die Hard’. I have a theory as to why such a notoriously testosterone-fuelled action romp was released on the most lovey-dovey day of the year. It is comparable to the clichéd routine of some doughy American sitcom where the single girls stay in on Valentine’s Day, snuggle up with a tub of Ben & Jerry’s and have a Bridget Jones’ Diary Marathon. I believe the clever marketing directors of the Die Hard franchise decided to release the fifth instalment to provide the male equivalent. All around the country, the single lads decided to indulge in the ‘bromance’ hypothesis and treat themselves to a wacky night of white vests, ridiculous action and Bruce Willis’ bad guy banter. Even though it’s been done four times before and four times better it was still fun to just go with it and give my mind a good dissolving. It’s been twenty-five years since John McLane first exploded into popular culture and immortalised the iconic ‘Yippee-ki-yay’ line. Unfortunately time has taken its toll on Bruce Willis and he clearly is not as enthused with the role as much as he used
to be. He’s the senior citizen in a younger man’s film, but that’s where Jai Courtney comes in playing McLane’s son Jack. The plot for A Good Day to Die Hard is one that is difficult to recite as even I had trouble keeping up with the confuddled narrative. Basically, John travels to Moscow to locate his son but accidently gets caught up in the epicentre of a delicate CIA operation being helmed by none other than Jack himself. John tags along for the ride and teaches him some old school tricks of the trade, and you guessed it- a lot of stuff blows up. Standard Die Hard formula. Of course Jack still has some daddy issues and the two constantly bicker over the trivial clichéd rubbish that you would expect in a bad comedy. The father/son relationship should have been the strongest asset to this film yet the chemistry between Willis and Courtney didn’t quite gel so ultimately you don’t care if they both survive. What made the original Die Hard so delectable was the combination of believable action and brilliant one liners from the wise-cracking hero McLane. This film doesn’t have enough McLane-
isms to match the standard we expect. All we get this time is multiple ‘Atta boys’ and ‘I’m on vacation!’ McLane appears to be off his game when it comes to quips but what most viewers will really care about is the action which is inarguably the cornerstone of the entire franchise. Yes, the action sequences are thrilling in a leave-your-brain-atthe-door kind of way. But between the car chases, jumping off buildings and taking down helicopters you can’t help but feel you’ve already seen it all before in its predecessors. There’s nothing rewarding-
ly new about this film: it’s simply just a repackaged assortment of Die Hard moments with a slightly older Bruce Willis.
Beautiful Creatures (12A)
For Ellen (15)
This Is 40 (15)
Sammy’s Great Escape (U)
Oscar nominee Richard Lagravenese (P.S I Love You) brings us Beautiful Creatures, the next addition to the rapidly expanding paranormal romance genre. The film is an adaptation of the Twilightstyle bestselling novel series by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl packed with the supernatural, the gothic and some classic teenage romance. Ethan Waters (Alden Ehrenreich) longs to leave Gatlin; his uneventful South Carolina hometown. On cue, a classic case of boy meets girl ensues when he meets Lena (Alice Englert), a mysterious newcomer from out of town. But Lena is not what she seems when she eventually reveals to him that she is in fact a ‘Caster’; a witch who on her sixteenth birthday will be chosen by either light of dark forces. Despite stern warnings to stay away from Lena from her uncle Macon (Jeremy Irons), Ethan continues to become further involved in the lead up to her birthday. It is soon revealed that Lena is from a long line of cursed casters who have been lured to that dark side, including her long lost mother Sarafine (Emma Thompson). Lena resolves to break the dark curse but soon finds out that to do so she must sacrifice the thing she loves most: Ethan.
When it comes to your passion and your family, it can sometimes be hard to choose. Joby Taylor has this exact problem when his career as a front-man in a rock band eclipses his marriage, and now he is facing a divorce and no custody of his child Ellen. Written and directed by So Yong Kim (producer of Jack and Diane and The Exploding Girl), this indie film, though only ninety minutes is also a slow burner. The camera just happens to be there, witnessing the lows and lowers that Joby goes through. The icy bitter landscape reflects the suffering he is going through. The film plays out nicely as the first forty-five minutes are Joby fighting for Ellen and the last include him with Ellen. However, the movie seems to have a stronger message, pointing towards Joby and his choices in life. It seems to suggest that Joby is still a child. He has black nail varnish on, wears sunglasses at night when it’s snowing and frequents phrases like ‘come on man, you know’. Ultimately Joby is a child and you cannot look after a child if you are a child. He tries in his limited two hours with Ellen, and seems to get the hang of what it would be like to be a father. However, this is snapped away suddenly. The ending is difficult as Joby seems to find some closure but then throws it back in our face.
Judd Apatow returns to cinemas with his latest film, This is 40. Directed, produced and also written by one of the kings of Hollywood comedy, This is 40 follows in the footsteps of The 40 Year Old Virgin, Funny People and Knocked Up. The film follows Pete (Paul Rudd), his wife Debbie (Apatow’s wife, Leslie Mann) and their two kids Sadie and Charlotte (both played by Apatow’s children, Maude and Iris) as they go about their daily lives in California. Pete and Debbie, who were both characters in Knocked Up, are now entering their forties and the dreaded ‘middle age’. They have plenty of problems as Pete’s record business is struggling whilst Debbie is having trouble accepting she is turning forty years old. The whole film builds up to the finale of Pete’s fortieth birthday party at the house when everything comes to the boil. Firstly, the film isn’t completely sure whether it is a comedy or a drama, but as a comedy it passes the mark, as it is very funny throughout. It also manages to be very accurate and well observed of what middle age does to people; seeing Pete cycling in full apparel with a group of similarly middle-aged men fits the ‘it’s funny because it’s true’ maxim perfectly. However, Megan Fox’s part and the related sub-plot seems shoehorned in, unnecessary and lowers the tone of the film. Though, the biggest gripe is the fact that the film is simply too long.
Sammy’s Great Escape follows the adventure of best friends Sammy and Ray, a Green Sea Turtle and a Leatherback. Living in paradise, their idyllic life with new born grandchildren is quickly turned upside down when they are captured by humans and thrown into a stagnant tank on board a ship. After being sold into the modern and nouveau aquarium run by an eccentric manager, it is up to Sammy’s grand children, Ella and Ricky, to save them. Friendships quickly form both within the open water aquarium and out as we meet some weird and wonderful characters from a bipolar lobster to a dead blob fish (who isn’t actually dead). The villain is a New York Italian gangster boss who takes the marine form of a sea horse and manages to manipulate the whole aquarium. The posh and upper class dine within pods on the aquarium floor; little do they know all the fish are plotting together to try and escape. Can Sammy and Ray give the fish the confidence to go against the controlling ‘Big D’ and finally stage a breakout or will it fail like so many of the attempts in the past? This is truly a feel good film about friendship, trust, and teamwork suitable for all audiences. With slapstick comedy to slight adult humour as well as decent animation and an easy to follow story line this will definitely be a favourite with the children.
VERDICT: Unsure on whether it is a true comedy or a drama, This Is 40 still manages to be very funny thanks to Apatow’s witty writing. Unfortunately, this film could easily be called ‘This Is 40 Minutes Too Long’.
VERDICT: Provided what you would typically expect of a children’s film as well as keeping the parents entertained. Standalone this film is good but compare it to Disney Pixar classic Finding Nemo and it just looks cheap.
Jacob Crompton-Schreiber
James Simpson
VERDICT: Despite positive reviews for newcomers Englert and Ehrenreich who delivered average performances, the film is a step down for Academy nominees Thompson and Irons. It is a harmless, teenage gothic romance but the special effects are slightly tacky, and the generic plot and cheesy ‘love conquers all’ philosophy proves all too familiar after the Twilight films. Isabelle Owens
VERDICT:
Ultimately it’s a bitter sweet film about how life really pans out for the average human. It’s definitely worth a watch, especially if you’re a fan of the slow-moving realist drama. It’s not for those who rely on fast-paced action to get them through the film. This film is now showing at Tyneside Cinema. Aisha Din
VERDICT: A Good Day to Die Hard is a boy’s
film if ever there was one but it’s not the cream of the crop that we once knew. Overall it’s a very bloated film, but good enough for a bit of mindless escapism. Luke Hearfield
30.musicreviews
Monday 25 February 2013
The Courier
Music Editors: Chris Haywood and Sam Summers Online Music Editor: Sophie Coletta
How to Buy... Foo Fighters
180
Palma Violets
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Conceived as a one-man project after the dissolution of Nirvana, Dave Grohl has since gone on to win 10 Grammy Awards with Foo Fighters. Matty Aston helps us get to grips with this prolific rock band. For Beginners:
The Colour And The Shape (1997) Whilst Dave and the boys have yet to produce that one classic album, The Colour and the Shape is perhaps the closest they’ve come. From the opening chords of ‘Doll’ to the rapturous closing number ‘New Way Home’, the record showcases everything great about the band. Even the most reluctant of rock fans will have struggled to make it through the last eighteen years without coming across anthems such as ‘My Hero’ and ‘Everlong’. These modern rock classics essentially propelled the band to superstardom and they’ve never looked back since. I’ve yet to even mention the likes of ‘Monkey Wrench’ and ‘Hey, Johnny Park!’ such is the quality of this album.
80 is a master class in British guitar rock and Palma Violets have something that was mastered by both Arctic Monkeys and The Libertines; a mass following pre to the release of an album. The opener ‘Best Of Friends’ could already be heralded as an instant indie classic in the same vein as the Arctic’s ‘I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor’, the mixture of Jesson’s rasping snarl and Fryer’s smooth baritone make for a great pairing and an almost punk assault on the ears. The album’s grounding appears to be in garage rock with some psychedelic influences and songs like ‘All The Garden Birds’ bring a welcome change of pace and show that this band have a knack for writing catchy and well crafted pop songs. They clearly draw on their influences but without bastardising them. Any noticeable ‘guitar band’ clichés can be forgiven due to the fact that an album like this has been needed on the music scene for a while. It may seem to be a record of eat-your-heart-out, love drenched guitar anthems, but moments like the end of the anthemic ‘Chicken Dippers’ remind you that the band are just four normal guys writing about their lives. The selling point of this record is therefore that anyone listening to it can think ‘I can do that’, because the songs are simplistically written without overcomplicating a tried and tested formula, and you are left with an album that sounds like it could have been made in a shed, full of passion fuelled drama. When I first looked at the track list, songs like ‘Johnny Bagga’ Donuts’ jumped out at me as ridic-
The real strength of 180 is its accessibility, which lies in its simplicity that is delivered with passion. The biggest surprise of the album is ‘Three Stars’, a mellow Johnny Cash-esque ballad that becomes an almost Alabama Shakes-like tune due to the great use of an organ sound by Peter Mayhew. By the time the opening notes of ‘14’ start to ring in your ears, you realise with astonishment that you have listened to the entire album. As they repeat in unison ‘oh fourteen, oh fourteen, take me home through the night’, it becomes apparent that this is the real strength of 180. Its accessibility lies in its simplicity, pounding drums, bashed guitar chords and a guaranteed shout along, all delivered with passion and lyrical integrity, making for an album that the British music scene has been crying out for for far too long. Recommended download: ‘Best Of Friends’ Max Palmer-Geaves
Songs For Imaginative People
Anxiety
Autre Ne Veut
For Experts:
ulously titled, and to my fascist mind this meant it must have no real meaning to it, but while listening to it I started to hate myself for my pretension. It is pure perfection in loud, shouty guitar-rock that makes you want to get drunk and jump around like a madman.
If you like this, try ... The Vaccines What Did You Expect From The Vaccines?
The last lot of NME-deified indie Gods, The Vaccines put in a decent effort with their debut album, which featured such hits as ‘Post BreakUp Sex’ and ‘If You Wanna’, as well as their 1:24 magnum opus ‘Wreckin’ Bar (Ra Ra Ra)’.
Theme Park
Darwin Deez
Theme Park
One By One (2002) This record has been unfairly labelled as their worst by many critics over the years, but I don’t see the logic. Written at a time when Grohl held doubts over the future of the band, their fourth studio album contains arguably some of their best songs, although Dave refuses to play seven of these live ever again. Opening number ‘All My Life’ has become somewhat of a live set staple since its release and in ‘Times Like These’, the band have in their arsenal one of the greatest rock songs ever written. Even the less celebrated tracks including ‘Tired of You’ and ‘Come Back’ deserve some recognition, although they’re admittedly much more likely to appeal to avid fans rather than the casual listener.
For The Bin:
Foo Fighters (1995)
Let’s make one thing clear, I would never ever bin a Foo Fighters record. That aside, if I had to choose my least favourite it would be their debut, the main reason being that it was effectively a solo album. Dave wrote every song and played every instrument, therefore it’s somewhat unfair to compare this record to the others that have followed. Sure it contains much-loved tracks ‘This Is A Call’ and ‘Big Me’, which are still very popular to this day, but for me the actual band began in 1997 with The Colour and the Shape. There will be those who say this was Foo Fighters at their best before ‘selling out’ and entering the mainstream, yet this argument is something I couldn’t possibly disagree with more. It just isn’t the real Foo Fighters.
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Recommended download: ‘Ego Free Sex Free’
Recommended download: ‘Free (The Editorial Me)
Recommended download: ‘Two Hours’
he second album from Brooklyn’s Autre Ne Veut, Anxiety, locates itself somewhere between the pretention of 80s pop and contemporary R & B. Slow, minimal drum beats are punctuated by synth and gospel-inspired backing vocals at every opportunity, and the production in general feels polished and highly stylised. Vocally, ANV’s earlier work was relatively constrained, but on Anxiety, he allows himself to let rip, and demonstrates real ability. His voice soothes for the most part but on occasion excites, and is strangely reminiscent of Prince. Where the album really succeeds, however, is in the way it manages to feel so intimate. The lyrics are incredibly personal and even the title is a reference to the anxiety disorder from which the artist suffers. Autre Ne Veut is not afraid to talk about sex too, but not in the ‘Love In This Club’ way - rather in a nuanced and somewhat more tasteful account of its effects on relationships. The downside is that when you mix this level of emotional outpouring with that much synth, the end product is always going to be inescapably cheesy. At times this album will make you cringe, but this is purely a result of it being unrestrained. Autre Ne Veut is what Ne-Yo, Usher, et al could sound like if only any one of them had a shred of imagination or integrity. It is R&B in the truest sense, but fused with the heavy influence of both future and ‘80s pop. Startlingly, the result is an intelligent-sounding album with inspired production. Fans of The Weeknd, Prince, and Frank Ocean will love Anxiety.
Lewis Lister
arwin Deez’s first trip into the musical world was a sunny and quirky, yet acerbically bitter foray into indie pop. A negative Cajun Dance Party seemed the most obvious comparison for its lo-fi, almost twee sensibilities. ‘Radar Detector’ and ‘Constellations’ had the ability to be true earworms; the melody stuck in your head for days and days. Unfortunately, with Songs For Imaginative People, no such thing properly exists, making what was a promising start seem like a waste. Deez has chosen to focus on the darker, more chaotic sounds he tried out first time around but they were, by and large, the weakest tracks on the record. So an entire album of overly negative, often nihilistic wittering is too difficult to bother with. There are some really bum metaphors here too; ‘Redshift’ basically becomes an extended game of madlibs in which he replaces words with a space themed equivalent, thus ‘quirks’ becomes ‘quarks’. There are occasional bursts of dark humour but the rest almost becomes cringey. At least with the first album we had the pleasure of some sweet and quirky melodies, to offset the clunky metaphors, but here Deez has whacked up the fuzz pedal to 11 making something overly chaotic to the point of incoherence. Coming across as rather unstructured – and not in a way people would see math rock but really, really unpredictable and random at times – it removes any element of melody that might exist and made the first album so appealing if slightly flawed. Gone is the Darwin Deez that danced like he was auditioning for the newest Wes Anderson film with his baggy shirts and headband. I’d quite like that one back, please.
Chris Taylor
heme Park are one of those currently in-vogue bands who pick fun-sounding names – Summer Camp, Best Coast, etc etc. – and have slickly-shot music videos that feature young, attractive people drinking, dancing about and generally having a wonderful time while looking like they’ve been filmed through every Instagram filter layered on top of each other. Theme Park, their imaginatively-titled debut, is not a terrible album. ‘Not terrible’, however, is not the same as ‘good’. Theme Park’s sound is exactly the sort of thing to go with those vapid music videos. It’s summery, upbeat, glossily produced, and totally lacking in anything that approaches substance or originality – you can imagine any of these songs popping up as the soundtrack on an advertisement for a smartphone, or Match.com, or a probiotic yoghurt drink, or something else on that sort of soulless, homogenous, sickeningly aspirational level. Some of the tracks such as ‘Two Hours’ and ‘Ghosts’, are actually quite catchy, but its hard to get over the fact that they could have been written by any number of other bands. It’s a bit Friendly Fires, a bit Bombay Bicycle Club, a bit Jack Peñate - there’s nothing distinctive, nothing that would make anyone go “hey, this is that band Theme Park”. I’m sure they’re nice lads, and with their pastel Topman shirts and that whole summery laid-back vibe thing they’ll go down fantastically at this year’s music festivals. But if its summery, world music-influenced indie pop you’re after, you’re probably better off hanging on a little longer and shelling out for the new Vampire Weekend album instead, because the utter vacuity of this one cannot be overstated.
Kate Bennett
The Courier
localmusic.31
Monday 25 February 2013
thecourieronline.co.uk/music c2.music@ncl.ac.uk | @courier_music
sceNE: Crooked Hands
Delving into the region’s exploding music scene, Lewis Lister brings you a band that have quickly made a name for themselves
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he words ‘acoustic’ and ‘folk’ are often offputting when reading about a new band, as they are usually synonymous with ‘bland’. This is not the case with local boys Crooked Hands. When asked to describe the band’s sound, singer and founding member Chris simply said: “We make nice sounding noise”, and he’s right, they really do. Fans of Bon Iver, Mumford & Sons, City & Colour and Frightened Rabbit will love this brilliant Geordie 5-piece. The new single ‘Under’, out now, is a real triumph: it manages to be stirring in a strangely melancholy way, without being depressing in the slightest. The high-pitched vocal harmony is quite beautiful, and soft piano and guitar parts blend together perfectly alongside shimmering cymbals and a resonant bass drum. Chris says the song is ‘‘more or less about pursuing something that you’re totally convinced is the one thing you sincerely want, but really all it’s doing is causing you misery and frustration.” The song accurately conveys misery and frustration – but causes neither, I promise – in the overall tone, as well as in the touching lyrics. The intriguing video, filmed on a train-track, provides the perfect accompaniment, and is well worth a watch: “we wanted to have the actors doing something with a bit of mystique so it can be interpreted rather than people deciphering what the story is supposed to be which is often the case with videos. If you don’t fully know what’s going on, it makes it all the more intriguing.” Crooked Hands are just one of many talented
bands in the North East right now, and Chris shares the frustration that a lot of bands feel regarding the lack of support from music fans: “I think the North East has some amazing talent and there are some bands out there that deserve to go really far. On the audience side of things, it sucks.” He points out that “people are more interested in going to Madame Koos than The Cluny”. To this end, I implore you to go and see their live show with Let’s Buy Happiness at The Cluny, March 2nd and prove Chris wrong. It promises to be a fantastic night of live music, expect “lots of reverb, nice quiet bits, epic loud bits, perhaps a cheesy rendition of Lionel Richie’s ‘Easy’, and Liam’s ginger beard” – what more could you ask for? From their humble beginnings as a solo project confined to Chris’ flat in 2011, Crooked Hands have gained recognition from BBC Radio 6, Amazing Radio, NARC Magazine and Generator. They also played last year’s inaugural Evolution Emerging festival, where they went down a storm: “we were really well received I think. We still had an element of ‘it could all go to shit’ onstage, as our guitarist Tom had just joined and we hadn’t had much chance to rehearse but we pulled it off ”. They’ve come a long way over the course of last year and aren’t showing any sign of stopping. The band are currently working on their next single, ‘The Stream’, scheduled for release in June. Talking about their immediate future, Chris said: “hopefully you’ll be able to catch us at some festivals over the summer”. They’re also planning a UK
tour, with some added European dates. Finally, I asked where he sees the band in five years’ time, Chris’ response was: “Sitting on our gold toilet seats, counting the millions we’ve made from our collaboration with Dappy from N-Dubz”. So there
you have it. Just be sure to catch them before they inevitably sell out and spend all their money on lavish bathroom fittings, starting 2 March at the Cluny.
The Academic Playlist
In this feature, we discover the music tastes of your favourite lecturers. This week, the School of Modern Languages
Dr. Samuel Anaya-Guzman
Dr. Jorge Catala-Carrasco
Dr. Franck Michel Lecturer in French
Lecturer in Latin Am. Studies
What music did you grow up to? Can you remember the first record you ever bought? A mixture of Julio Iglesias, Camilo Sesto, Miguel Bose and other Spanish singers on the one hand and Mariachi Bands on the other. The former are seen by some Spaniards as cheesy but nevertheless they bewitch millions of Latin Americans with their exotic accents and romantic lyrics.
What music did you grow up to? Can you remember the first record you ever bought? Spanish music (Sabina, Serrat, La Unión, Antonio Vega), and I always had a great time listening to ‘Los Rodríguez’, such a fantastic band! Then I came to the UK for my Erasmus and I became obsessed with The Cure…and The Corrs!
What music did you grow up to? Can you remember the first record you ever bought? Mainly cheesy (and mostly forgotten!) French pop bands of the ‘80s: Gold, Images, Les Rita Mistouko, etc. I was also a bit of a classical music geek (Bach, Mozart, Saint Saens) and a closet disco queen (Boney M, Abba, etc.)
What music soundtracked your time at college and university? (Un)fortunately I began socialising with some tequila shandy lovers and my social life in Mexico was kind of dominated by The Beatles, Queen, Ruben Blades, Joan Manuel Serrat and Silvio Rodríguez.
What music soundtracked your time at college and university? I used to listen a lot to Fleetwood Mac, Alaska (Spanish artist), Ismael Serrano (another Spanish songwriter), but the Rolling Stones and Queen were always there too.
What music soundtracked your time at college and university? I was a huge fan of French gay icon Mylène Farmer, and Jamiroquai. I discovered funk and acid jazz (Keziah Jones, the Brand New Heavies, Corduroy) during my year abroad and it rocked my world! Elton John was my guilty pleasure too.
What music did you grow up to? Can you remember the first record you ever bought? As a kid in the ‘60s with siblings in their ‘20s there was a lot of hippy stuff around, Dylan and Hendrix mainly, Janis Joplin, The Stones and The Kinks. As a teenager it was Led Zep and the like, until I was saved from myself by New Wave, especially early Talking Heads.
What music are you listening to at the moment? Salsa! I am an enthusiastic dancer and enjoy moving to the rich rhythms of salsita. I even successfully use Hispanic music integrated into my PP slides to liven up my teaching. A colleague recently introduced me to funk. Thank you Guy Austin!
What music are you listening to at the moment? Lately, I returned to Morrissey and the great Johnny Cash. Oh, and I used to be a proud fan of Lady Gaga but not anymore. I like jazz too (Miles Davies, John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley) and I can’t get tired of Nina Simone.
What music are you listening to at the moment? Alphabetically, and non-exhaustively: Bon Iver, Christophe Willem, Emilie Simon, Friendly Fires, Deadmau5, Ed Sheeran, Emeli Sande, Fink, Groove Armada, Grizzly Bear, Lady Gaga, Maroon 5, Madonna, Pet Shop Boys, Robyn, Scissor Sisters, Sondre Lerche, Sulfjan Stevens, Will Young.
Lecturer in Hispanic Studies
Lecturer in Hispanic Studies
Dr. Nick Morgan
What music soundtracked your time at college and university? Burning Spear, Abyssinians, Culture, Lee Perry, Augustus Pablo, Tommy McCook mainly. I went to the Haçienda in Manchester a few times and lived opposite The Factory in Hulme too, but it was the dub nights rather than Joy Division that hit the spot for me. After my first trip to Colombia those crazy Latin syncopations took over in a big way. What music are you listening to at the moment? It tends to be more Miles Davis, Debussy and Ravel these days, although those Fania recordings remain a great love.
The Courier
featuresmusic.33
Monday 25 February 2013
Metal rejectors
Long past the peak of it’s mainstream popularity, metal music tends to be overlooked as a cheesy niche genre by even the most dedicated music fans. Scott Tailford writes in defence of the scene that dare not speak its name...
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s I look around in 2012, it would seem as if it’s no longer the most ‘cool’ thing to be a metalhead. Although, if we’re judging ‘cool’ by the majority of what’s milling around town on your average Saturday night, then I doubt male cleavage and bucketloads of makeup is the preferred option either. If it is, then by all means grab a copy of the latest Frank Ocean album and politely do one. This disconnect from the mainstream has always allowed metal to exist within it’s own subculture, caring not one jot about the ever-fluctuating charts. Aside from Nickelback trying in vain to fly the hard rock flag, metal hasn’t been on the ears of your average listener since Metallica’s Black Album back in ’91. However, to think any metal fan gives a flying pair of leather pants about their favourite bands’ placement on some random NME chart is to completely miss the point. Ever since Black Sabbath sounded out those hauntingly doomy chords back in ’69, metal has divided
the majority of listeners. Like thrash and grunge, which would emerge over the next 20 years, this was music made for the music fan – not the consumer. In 2013, society hasn’t moved very far forward with their perception of the heavy music aficionado, proclaiming anyone who’s wearing a leather jacket and an accompanying t-shirt to be some twisted dog collar-wearing Satan-worshipper. So, with a vast knowledge of all things neck surgery-inducingly heavy and a desire to spread the word of an under-appreciated genre, I thought I’d have a bash at tackling the tricky idea of getting into something so shrouded in shadow and somewhat ignored by your average student.
Hesitance
I understand the aversion towards the genre, of course I do. I don’t think metal would be anywhere near as special as it is if everyone and their mum was into Metallica or Testament. I’m not going to recommend you go home and whack on the latest Black Breath album either. Instead I think you need to work your way through certain ‘gateway bands’ and see what you like the taste of. Don’t forget, the concept of melody can exist inside someone screaming their lungs out. It’s all about writing attitudinal peaks and troughs, vocal highs and lows, and overall it’s about passion, integrity and artistry. Whilst it’s only a fraction of bands that will resort to screaming entire songs, it still takes a while to build up to somet h i n g that’s instantly abrasive and aggressive.
Bands like Shinedown, Disturbed, Halestorm, Black Stone Cherry and Seether all have elements of what the masters do best, but condense and refocus them into a more commercial sound complete with infectious choruses and meaty chord progressions. Great metal is distinctively different from the norm and it’s a shock to the system for sure, but if you can refrain from doing the ‘but I just don’t know what they’re SAYING!’ reaction, you’ll start to discover a world of amazing music. Metal can be the most empowering genre known to man when it’s played to tens of thousands of devoted fans at a festival, and it’s also there to comfort you after having a rather naff day by sticking on something with a bit of aggression behind it and letting those feelings find company. We have violent films that are just as enjoyable as the comedies, books about fantastical wizard schools that are just as engaging as the latest gory action thriller, so why not explore the darker end of the music spectrum too?
Emergence
Growing up in the ‘90s I became acquainted with the heavier side of music through the Golden Age of WWF wrestling. Don’t act like you didn’t watch – wrestling ruled the world back then! Each and every Pay-Per-View event they did back in the day had a killer rock or metal tune as its theme, and wrestling’s stupidly over-the-top mentality was a perfect marriage to the attitude that lies at the heart of the metal/hard rock community today. Rock fans and metalheads are a dedicated bunch, devoutly tattooing band logos and lyrics onto various parts of our bodies to show off just how much we love the anarchic safety-in-numbers messages of bands like Pantera or Slipknot, and there is a very prevalent sense of humour amongst the entire metal community in relation to how everything is perceived by the mainstream. We are fully aware metal can be big, brash and ridiculous, and that’s part of why we love it so much. What I find when talking to a lot of music journalists is that the general opinion of metal fans is a stereotype of a very closeted individual, blindly declaring that metal is the greatest thing since man combined pancake and syrup and refusing to listen to anything else. While there’s definitely a lot of pride that comes with embroiling yourself in these bands by understanding the lyrics and meeting the
artists after their gigs on a regular basis, this doesn’t mean that heavy music fans are close-minded. Instead, you’ll find your average rocker will be open to a variety of moods regardless of what their aesthetic may suggest, mainly because a great band can juggle a variety of tones throughout an album without losing any credibility or intensity. Hard rock, punk and heavy metal bands have written some of the most beautiful songs I’ve ever heard. Just listen to Rise Against’s ‘Swing Life Away’ or Alter Bridge’s ‘In Loving Memory’, and try telling me they aren’t sumptuously gorgeous tracks, baked in the most exquisitely professional ovens and made all the more delicious due to their respective bands’ penchant for favouring the more intense stuff. It’s this contrast that allows the genre to bend and flex within itself, and it’s why Metallica’s ‘Nothing Else Matters’ is one of the best songs of all time.
Acceptance
What I’m getting at here is that, while I personally love heavy metal, hard rock, punk, hardcore, metalcore and everything in between, it hadn’t really occurred to me until I arrived at Uni just how neutered everyone seems to be, wearing clothing from their little sister’s doll collection and showing as much enthusiasm for the music that defines them as one of those grumpy cat memes. It’s a weird state of affairs when donning your favourite band shirt and a leather jacket makes you stand out from the crowd, especially when after you get talking to people you find that they have a special place in their heart reserved for screaming the words to any of the old rock classics at the top of their lungs. These songs came from a certain point in time, giving them invaluable nostalgia in 2013, but the ingredients that make those songs resonate so strongly are more than present within hundreds of artists that carry the torch in 2013. With heavier bands rounding out the likes of Reading & Leeds every year, it’s pretty obvious that the vast majority love to get their collective rock on whenever they get the chance, chanting the words to something with more bounce than Nicki Minaj’s fake arse. Hopefully after all this I’ve planted the seed of curiosity in your head. The doors of heavy music only swing one way, and perhaps its time you dabbled in the aisles of the aggressive. We’ve been waiting for you...
The Courier
science.35
Monday 25 February 2013
Science Editor: James Simpson
P-p-p-pick up a penguin
We all love penguins, and with the launch of new BBC documentary Spy In The Huddle Anya Thaker gives us the breakdown of must-knows for those fluffy flightless fauna
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he smallest of the penguin world is the aptly named fairy penguin (or little blue penguin if you’re from New Zealand), which averages a height of approximately 33 cm (13 in), that’s around the same size of a ruler! These miniature critters are a far cry from their wintery relatives, preferring the warm climates of the coasts of Australia. In western Australia penguin lovers have the opportunity to see these small birds in their natural habitat all year round.
Photo: Wikimedia
On the other end of the penguin scale are Emperor Penguins, scientifically known as Aptenodytes forsteri who can stay underwater for an impressive 20 minutes at a time. This is a useful ability as penguins spend around half their time in water and the other half on land. While swimming, penguins will leap in shallow arcs above the surface of the water, a practice called porpoising. This coats their plumage with tiny bubbles that reduce friction, allowing them to swim as fast as 20 miles per hour. It also helps them evade predators and allows them to breathe more regularly, and some scientists theorize that Photo: Wikimedia they may make these leaps out of sheer joy. Chinstrap Penguins get their name from the thin black band under their head. At times it looks like they’re wearing a black helmet, which might be useful as they’re considered the most aggressive type of penguin. These bizarre looking birds swim about 80km offshore each day in search of food, during these trips
they have to avoid their main predator, the Leopard Seal. Surprisingly no penguins live at the North Pole, many of them prefer warmer habitats such as New Zealand and South West Africa. When we think of penguins sliding about in the snow we’re thinking of the previously mentioned Emperor Penguin, which inhabit the frosty plains of Antarctica.
The horsemeat scandal is something that has been plastered all over the news recently. Science Editor James Simpson uses the powers of science to discuss whether it is actually such a bad thing if we eat ‘My Little Pony’
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Photo: Wikimedia
muscle than cows. This is partly owing to them been more active animals. This means that horsemeat naturally contains more Iron and protein due to the increased muscle fibres. This is reiterated by horsemeat been leaner than beef. Because horsemeat is leaner there is a lot less fat and saturated fat so it is in fact healthier! Horsemeat has also been shown to contain less cholesterol as well. I must at this point state that although my sources are widespread and consist of Korean research p ap e r s as well as websites such as FOX news. The evidence is consistent even if the figures do vary marginally. There are some negative health benefits to eating horsemeat as well. The main one is at the forefront of the debate, and involves the use of veterinary drug Phenylbutazone.
science vs:
creationism Creationism is the idea that God (or another higher power) created the universe and everything we see within it. Dave Grundy discusses his views on the topic
F
Science never foals around arnished with scandal, no one has actually addressed the issue of why it’s such a big deal if we eat a little horsemeat. Well, as always, super science is here to save the day and answer this question we’ve all been wondering. If we look at it from a nutritional point of view, horsemeat is a better alternative to red meats such as beef and pork. Gram for gram, horsemeat is leaner than beef due to the nature of horses having more
thecourieronline.co.uk/science c2.science@ncl.ac.uk
Phenylbutazone (bute) is an anti-inflammatory drug commonly used in horses to treat conditions such as pain relief from muscular disorders as well as prevention of swelling from fevers. It was used for humans until the 1950s when it was found that it depleted white blood cell supplies thus causing a decline in immune response and making the person a lot more vulnerable to infection. It is still used in humans but only in extreme cases of Angkylosing Spondylitis where they are unable to be helped by other treatments. The problem within the horsemeat scandal is that the metabolites (products produced when digested) are extremely toxic to humans and can cause Aplastic anemia, which is similar to the condition mentioned above concerning white blood cells. Linked with this is that within humans, bute has strong evidence linking it with cancer showing that it could be a carcinogen. This is the main reason that horsemeat has been so highly shunned and it is such taboo. It should not be left out that red meat in general has been strongly linked with bowel cancer, which is why it is recommended that we should only eat it around 3 times weekly. In my opinion, I feel the horsemeat scandal has been blown a little out of the water. I can understand that it is not acceptable to pass horsemeat off as beef but the original taboo of not eating horsemeat at all is pretty absurd. Unless of course it has been treated with bute. Countries like France and some other countries in Asia consider horse a delicacy. One thing many people do not know is that here in the UK we do actually export horsemeat as long as it has not been treated with bute. Maybe it is us who in fact need to change our attitudes.
inding a piece of music that I love feels great, but finding that my brother can’t stand it is infuriating. He hears the same progression of notes and rhythms, the same sequence of vibrations and patterns so why can’t he enjoy it as I do? Does it not colour his thoughts in the same way as it does mine? How can he be so wrong? This is often how we feel when we think about religion. To deny the facts of science is absurd, just as silly as denying that a tune is made up of notes. However, when confronted with the same world, we process it in different ways that can lead us to drastically different conclusions. The machinery of my brain is different to my brother’s and anyone else’s but, traditionally, religious dogma and, now, constant advertising work to condition sameness for control and profit. It can be said that scientific reason is now the guarantor of cultural freedom; if science is the lynchpin of what we know, how are religious fundamentalist ideas like Creationism defensible in light of 21st century knowledge? I think creationism is bad science but a beautiful story. When commentators profess a ‘literary’ appreciation of religious texts it is often taken as a slight on practising religious people. I don’t think this is the case. In the blockbuster film and book Life of Pi, Pi, an Indian boy, creates a furore in his home town of Pondicherry when he becomes a practising Hindu, Christian and Muslim all at the same time. Pi makes clear his pleasure in the traditions and cultures of the various religions and they form the basis of his philosophical meditations throughout the story. Similarly, Lisa Simpson is seen flicking through ‘Zagat’s Guide to World Religions’ after she loses faith in the First Church of Springfield. She is looking for a religion that is right for her rather than the ‘true’ belief. What is unclear is whether this ‘pick-and-mix’ or quasi-faith is just that or whether it is an entirely different conception of what religion means in an increasingly secular world. Pi and Lisa consider the merits of religious practices and traditions from a perspective outside or above the new religions themselves. Should we think of religious stories as attempts to explain the universe (science does this better) or rather as an incredibly rich part of the cultural landscape with which we can try and create meaning ourselves. I believe in the latter. Illustrations by Zoe Molloy
36.puzzles
Monday 25 February 2013
Puzzles
The Courier
Puzzles Editors: Tom Nicholson and Sally Priddle
Busy day? Have a sit down, grab a coffee and unwind with this week’s puzzles - and return them to The Courier office to have a chance of winning drinks at MensBar
Crossword 1
3
2
4
5
6
Win a £4 MensBar voucher*
Picture-makey-phrase
Be the first to work out which celebrities these pictures spell out to win a £4 Mens Bar Voucher
7
9
8
Find yourself stumped? Check out The Courier’s website next week for the solutions
+
+
+
+
=?
10 11
1-1
12
=?
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
Across
Sudoku
1 Off-kilter; not straight (5) 4 Eastern European country, big fans of Norman Wisdom (7) 8 ____ Mansell, F1 driver (5) 9 Levi ____, inventor of Reggae Reggae sauce (5) 10 Large flightless bird (3) 11 Outgoing (11) 12 Without a name (8) 13 Rip (4) 14 Difficult; sensitive; barbed (6) 15 Service whereby one pays for drinks at the end of a night rather than drink-by-drink (3, 3) 18 American game very similar to rounders but with more hot dogs (8) 19 Noisy; high-spirited; uncontrolled (12)
Down
1 Urge to travel (10) 2 Dialogue between two parties in attempt to agree terms (11) 4 Stupid; vapid (9) 5 Abnormally swollen (7) 6 Decline quickly (8) 7 John Dryden’s ‘Year of wonders’; term used to describe any year which is brilliant (5, 9) 15 Fundamental; form of HTML code (5) 16 Name of the former International Space Station, retired 2001) (3) 17 Uncertain noise emitted while searching for a hard-to-find word (3)
2 6
7
3 2
7 8
6 9 1
8 6 3 1
2 3 2 5 4 2 5
5
1 9
9 7 3
5
1 2 7
*The first person to bring the completed crossword or Picture-makey-phrase to The Courier office in the Students’ Union will be awarded the £4 prize
The Courier
featuressport.37
Monday 25 February 2013
Bowled over by the girls
Memorable performances, highly competitive, yet still lacking serious investment and attention. Member of Newcastle University’s Women’s Cricket 1st team, Lavinia Hudson reviews the Women’s Cricket World Cup There were two sides to this year’s Women’s Cricket World Cup (WCCC) in India: the enthusiasm, desire, and great individual and collective skill from the players on the field juxtaposed with the somewhat lack of passion from the supporters of this growing sport. As the tournament progressed into the super six stage, one got the impression that the host country was simply not interested in women’s cricket and saw it as more of a hindrance. This emanates the deepest irony with the girls having to play in virtually empty stadiums in a country which is well known for having the most colourful and vibrant support for all forms of men’s cricket. It is not as if Indian cricket is suffering from a lack of economic input: teams of the 2013 Indian Premier League were willing to spend hundreds of thousands in high-end bidding warfare to secure the contracts of the top T20 players; the most expensive being a bid of $1 million from the Mumbai Indians for
publicity meant that even though spectators could watch the cricket for free, many did not know about it. Also, there was no official merchandise, players’ shirts, caps or match programmes on sale in any of the stadiums. Spectators would even struggle to buy a simple half time hot dog between innings. However, this did not prevent the players from achieving some of their best performances yet. The 2013 World Cup was one that was full of surprises, most notably the rise of the West Indies - thanks to the help of the hard-hitting Deandra Dottin - as a female cricketing nation. They are definitely up to the task of challenging the formidable triad of England, Australia and New Zealand and proved this in getting to their first ever final. This was also the tournament for the fast bowlers: England’s leading wicket taker, Anya Shrubsole, has at times been unplayable. Not to mention the new poster girl of Australian and women’s cricket,
“Perhaps in the eyes of the BCCI women’s cricket does play second fiddle to men’s” Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell. The blame lies with the tournament organisers. Six days before the opening match got under way, there was scheduling confusion. With the entire tournament due to be held in Mumbai, protests against Pakistan’s presence in India’s second city led to the introduction of a second venue, the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack, which was almost 1000 miles away. Furthermore, the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) chose to hold two domestic men’s matches in Mumbai’s largest stadium emphasising the fact that ‘perhaps in the eyes of the BCCI, women’s cricket does play second fiddle to the men’s game’. Such comments from International Cricket Council Chief Executive Dave Richardson do little to inspire what is a much needed change in attitude among fans of the sport. In addition, a lack of communication and poor
Ellyse Perry, who dominated the West Indies top order in the final. Only one out of eleven top wicket takers at the WCCC was a spinner in a country where usually pitch conditions are far more favourable for the spinners than the quicks. England can count themselves unlucky that they just missed out on a place in the final. An opening one-wicket loss to Sri Lanka and the two-run defeat to Australia were games that on another day would have resulted in English victories. There were many positives for England to take from their time in India, mainly captain Charlotte Edwards becoming the first woman to reach 5,000 One Day International runs, but unfortunately this will be a World Cup where England will look back on with regret; where early defeats and inconsistency cost them dearly. In a tournament in which there was no easy game, England simply played their best cricket too late.
From top left clockwise: Anya Shrubsole (England), Deandra Dottin (West Indies), Ellyse Perry (Australia) and Charlotte Edwards (England)
Back of the net Video of the week
Spot the ball
Testing times
A
1) What is Nike’s now seemingly inappropriate slogan? 2) Between what years did Lance Armstrong win the Tour De France a consecutive seven times? 3) What place did Justin Gatlin finish in the 100m final of the 2012 London Olympics? 4) What is Tiger Woods’ real first name? 5) In what year was British athlete Linford Christie banned for two years for testing positive for a performance enhancing drug? 1.) Just Do It ; 2.)1999 and 2005; 3.) 3rd; 4.) Eldrick 5.)1999
A Crusaders Harlem Shake
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOCAlL9WPy E&feature=youtu.be All the ladies’ fave rugby player,
Dan Carter, had been teasing all last week about doing a Harlem Shake video and he eventually produced this one with his team mates at New Zealand Super Rugby team, The Crusaders.
Tweet of the week
- Samuel Ameobi - @SammyAmeobi
“The ‘real’ boss is finally back #hatem”
(18 Feb) Sammy speaking for most of the Newcastle support in welcoming the return of Hatem Ben Arfa to training after being out since December with a hamstring injury
Long shot of the week Three wins from three. Scored the most and conceded the least. Huddersfield Giants are sitting pretty at the top of the Super League table and worth a trip to the bookies early on to tip them to win the league outright. (Odds from William Hill)
12/1
1 2 3 4 5 6
B
C
D
E
F
38.sportfeatures
Monday 25 February 2013
The Courier
“I am the bullet in the chamber”
The shooting of Pistorius’ girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, has shocked the world. This week , Julia Dwyer takes a look at the athlete’s life and the repercussions for the advertising industry which has taken hit after hit It was just last summer in the London Olympics when images of Paralympics champion Oscar Pistorius, the ‘blade runner’, were all over television screens inspiring others. He was making history by becoming the first disabled athlete to qualify for the able-bodied 400m. But now, since the news of the shooting of his girlfriend, model Reeva Steenkamp, Pistorius is making headlines for much different reasons. While the circumstances surrounding the death of Steenkamp in the early hours of Valentines Day are still being determined, Pistorius’ murder charge has numerous ramifications for the once-revered sports star and the brand that was created around him. In a public statement made on February 18th, Pistorius’ agent Peet Van Zyl confirmed that all upcoming races have been cancelled in light of the tragedy and remained adamant that Pistorius’ sponsors were remaining supportive. However, a very different narrative is ultimately beginning to emerge. Since being charged with murdering Steenkamp at his home, Pistorius’ sponsors have been on constant high alert. Celebrity brand endorsements are a
multi-billion-dollar industry, but as history has shown before, they come with their own risks. Take, for example, the “I am the bullet in the chamber” ad that Nike inadvertently produced featuring Pistorius or the 60-second video also produced by Nike of Pistorius along
stars’ characters. The brands that build off these traits elevate them to the highest tiers of society, but when that illusion is shattered, the fall is great. The Pistorius case is far loftier in tragedy and magnitude than any doping or cheating scandal which means the ‘brand’ of Pis-
with the words, “my body is my weapon. This is how I fight.” There was no way of knowing these words would ultimately come to have a double-meaning and Nike has subsequently pulled the ads, but not before the risks of celebrity endorsement were once again put at the centre of focus. This sort of sponsorship fall-out has become all too familiar amongst the sporting community in recent years following the scandals involving Lance Armstrong and Tiger Woods. There is a sense of invincibility and heroism represented in these sport
torius has everything to lose. According to the sponsorship consultancy company IEG, the global sponsorship industry is worth $50bn (£32.2bn) a year and 80% of that is spent on sports. These sponsorship deals involve a meticulous and well-thought out agenda, in order to maximize sales and create a brand that sells. And where there is money, there is expectation. Nike has confirmed that they have no future plans for ads with Pistorius, but like other sponsors such as sunglasses maker Oakley, the company has only re-
“The Pistorius case is far loftier in tragedy and magnitude than any doping or cheating scandal”
leased a statement offering condolences. While these companies have yet to sever all ties and are remaining tight-lipped on the subject, there is no escaping the fall-out of a sports star with a tarnished reputation. In the world of advertisement which likens sports stars to represent a notion of perfection and triumph, these scenarios prove ever more tricky to manoeuvre. The Pistorius tragedy has shocked the national sporting community and has struck a chord at home with South Africans. In a country that felt a sense of
deep pride for their sports hero, there is a myriad of emotions surfacing as a narrative of Pistorius’ life away from the track begins to emerge. In this case, as it has been with so many before, the fall-out extends farbeyond the expensive sponsorship deals and goes right to the heart of the supporters. For those that believed in the brand and the icon behind it, the shock hits hard. Whether proven innocent or guilty — this will forever be a mark on Pistorius’ life and the brand he worked to create.
Photography: Getty Images
Athlete Profile Oscar Pistorius, “The Blade Runner”, was born in 1986 without fibulae, and as a result had both legs amputated at just eleven months old. This certainly didn’t stop him from competing in sports, as he grew up in South Africa playing rugby, water polo and tennis. Pistorius started running aged 16, as he was recovering from a knee injury that he sustained whilst playing rugby, and won his first athletics gold medal only a year later at the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens. He took the gold medal in the 200 metres with a world record time of 21.97 seconds; a rather successful Paralympic debut for “the fastest man on no legs”. In 2005, Pistorius broke his own 200 metre world record at the Paralympic World Cup, and the following year, he once again beat his 200 metre world record as he won gold in the 100, 200 and 400 at the Paralympic Athletics World Championships. Oscar Pistorius has always remained keen to participate in able-bodied athletics events, and attempted to qualify for the 2008 Summer Olympic Games as part of South Africa’s 400 metre team, but failed to meet the qualification time of 45.55 seconds. His attempts to break into the relay team were held back by the world athletics body, who said that Pistorius should not be selected for the team for safety reasons, as he could cause harm to himself and other athletes due to the pack nature of the race. In the end, Pistorius’ 400 metre time of 46.25 seconds was not good enough
for him to qualify for the individual event, and the South African team did not select him for the 4 x 400 metre relay, although he did still win gold in the 100, 200 and 400 metre events at the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games. Pistorius did become the first amputee runner to compete in a Summer Olympic Games, making it to the semi-finals of the 400 metres and the final of the 4 x 400 metre relay. At the following Paralympic games, Pistorius could only take the silver medal in the final, and failed to retain his 100 metre title. Oscar did win a gold medal in the 4 x 100 metres relay team, and he won gold in the 400 metre event. Following his 200 metre defeat, Pistorius complained about the length of gold medallist Oliveira’s blades, only for the IPC to confirm that the Brazilian’s blades were of regulation length. This was not the first controversy that Pistorius had been involved in, as in 2007 he took part in tests to determine whether or not athletes running with prosthetic limbs actually had an advantage over able-bodied athletes. The tests found that athletes with prosthetic limbs did indeed have an advantage, but the results were later appealed by Pistorius after the IAAF banned athletes using prosthetic limbs from competing in able-bodied events, and the verdict was successfully overturned. After overcoming that controversy, the current storm surrounding Pistorius shows no sign of stopping. Jack Legind
The Courier
intramuralsport.39
Monday 25 February 2013
Barca-four-na, Dyslexic nil
Wednesday Division 1 Barca-Law-Na
keeper. A pass-back from the Barca defence provided Dyslexic with the opportunity to take the lead from an indirect free kick, but the subsequent attempt from Slattery sailed way over the top. Barca nearly found themselves in front in bizarre fashion as an in-swinging corner, with the aid of a strong gust of wind, sailed straight over the head of the helpless Untied keeper, only to be cleared off the line by the man on the back post. Nevertheless, they were to score not long after as the deadlock was finally broken just before half time. After Dyslexic failed to clear their lines, Bagot’s attempt on goal found its way past Fletcher, who was deceived by the awkward bounce. After the break, the second half started in similar fashion to the first, with both sides creating chances. Da Silva had a great chance to level things up, but failed to convert into a gaping net after the Barca ‘keeper could only parry Robson’s shot. A second Barca goal did come midway through the second half after some quick thinking from Hurworth allowed him to direct what looked like to be a wayward attempt into the empty net. The last time the two sides met Dyslexic managed to overturn a three goal deficit only to lose to a last gasp winner in an epic 5-4 encounter. However a repeat of this seemed unlikely as the second goal appeared to take the edge off the game, with Barca beginning to dominate possession and continue to create chances. A third goal soon arrived to definitively end the tie as Hoctor, who was a threat throughout, was given time to turn and slot the ball into the bottom left hand corner. The best goal of the game, nonetheless, was saved until last as Hurworth added to his early goal, leaping high to convert a cross from the right past Fletcher, who could do little but stand and watch. The game will provide confidence for Barca, having to face the tough prospect of second placed Medics 1sts next. Dyslexic on the other hand will need to pick themselves up for a six pointer against Crayola, as although relegation may be unlikely due to the form of those around them, they need to pick up some wins fast or they could be in trouble.
4
Bagot 44, Hurworth 60, 84, Hoctor 73
Dyslexic Untied
0
By Michael Slattery at Longbenton
Towers Quinn
Howard
Rylance
Bagot
Rawlings Beahon
Hoctor
Robson
Massey
Milton
Adamson
Hurworth
Wheelhouse
Da Silva
Ingram
Hudson
Slattery
Hall
Higgins
Smith Fletcher
Barca-law-na preserved their 100% record over Dyslexic Untied this season with a comfortable 4-0 victory at Longbenton. A brace from Hurworth and goals from Hoctor and Bagot now means Barca haved moved 3 points clear of fifth-placed Untied, with two games in hand, while only one point behind Henderson Hall in third. The game started as a scrappy affair, with neither side managing to sustain possession for long periods. As the half wore on, however, chances began to emerge at both ends of the field, Hoctor having the odd sight at goal only to find the side netting or be denied by a smart save from Dyslexic keeper Fletcher. Meanwhile at the other end Robson found himself clean through but couldn’t find a way past the Barca
Robson pulls a freekick wide, in what was an unproductive day for the striker Photography Ralph Blackburn
League Tables Wednesday 11 a-side Football
Division 1 1
Division 13
Division 2
Team
Pld
W
D
L
F
A
Pts
Newcastle Medics 2nds
9
7
1
1
36
13
22
1
Team
Pld
W
D
L
F
A
Pts
Ecosoccer
6
5
0
1
15
6
15
1
Division 41
Team
Pld
W
D
L
F
A
Pts
Jesmondino FC
6
5
1
0
31
8
16
Team Team 1 1 FCBarca Bayern Toonich Law Na
Pld Pld WW
DD
LL
7 12
11
0 2 4450 1315 19 28
69
F F AA
Pts Pts
2
Newcastle Medics 1sts
7
6
0
1
34
5
18 2
The Hurricanes
7
5
0
2
22
15
15
2
Politic Thistle FC
8
4
1
3
22
18
13
2 2 Sub-Standard Liege 1sts Newcastle Medics
8 12
48
22
2 2 3736 2320 14 26
3
Henderson Hall FC
6
3
1
1
14
15
10
Aftermath FC
6
4
0
2
21
15
9
3
Brown Magic FC
7
4
0
3
17
17
12
3 3 Thundercats Henderson Hall
6 12
47
11
1 4 3341 1129 13 22
3
4
Barca-Law-Na
6
3
0
3
23
13
9
4
Roman Villa FC
7
3
0
4
16
17
6
4
Newcastle Dynamos
6
3
1
2
9
11
10
Dyslexic Untied 4 4 The Establishment
6 12
36
01
3 5 1932 1726
919
5
Crayola
7
3
0
4
13
23
6
5
Lokomotiv
7
2
1
4
18
26
4
5
Newhist FC
7
3
1
3
15
19
10
5 5 Trigger Happy Crayola
7 12
35
00
4 7 2318 3422
915
6
Dyslexic Untied
8
2
0
6
11
29
6
6
Boca Seniors
6
1
2
3
15
21
4
6
Multiple Scoregasms
5
0
1
4
7
13
1
6 (R) Geomatics Aftermath
8 12
23
00
6 9 1514 3647
69
7
Borussia Forsyth
7
0
0
7
8
41
0
7
Castle Leazes
7
1
1
5
10
17
3
7
Bio Neverlosen
5
0
1
4
2
17
1
7 (R) Crystal CastlePhallus Leazes
6 12
01
01
6 10 5 12 4242
04
Top Goalscorers
6: Womersley (Crayola)
Top Goalscorers
(Aftermath)
Top Goalscorers
4:Hughes (Politic Thistle)
23: Batham (Medic 2s)
5: Hoctor (Barca)
16: Duckworth (Hurricanes)
4: Stacey (Ecosoccer)
13: Thornton (Politic Thistle)
10: Campbell (Medic 1s),
4: Robson (Dyslexic), Holt (Medics 2s),
5: Wilson (Aftermath)
3: Golzari (Aftermath), Bond (Ecosoccer), Jones (Leazes), Green (Leazes)
6: Smith (Jesmondino)
3:Wren (Brown), Walton (Ne- 21: Wimshurst (Subwhist) Standard Liege)
9: Hurworth (Barca)
Results - 20/2/13
Division One Newcastle Medics 2nds 5 vs 1 Henderson Hall Dyslexic Untied 0 vs 4 Barca-Law-Na Borussia Forsyth 1 vs 5 Crayola
Fixtures - 27/2/13
Division One Medics 1sts vs Barca-Law-Na Dyslexic Untied vs Crayola Borussia Forsyth vs Henderson
5: McCrory (Hurricanes), Jones
Division Two The Hurricanes 1 vs 2 Lokomotiv Aftermath FC 1 vs 0 Ecosoccer Castle Leazes 3 vs 3 Boca Seniors
Division Two Close House 1 2.00pm Boca Seniors vs Ecosoccer Longbenton 3G 8.00pm Aftermath FC vs Roman Villa Longbenton Grass 1 2.00pm Castle Leazes vs Lokomotiv
2: Grosvenor (Scorgasms),, 13: Armour (Toonich) Rowe (Brown)
Division Three Newcastle Dynamos P vs P Multiple Scoregasms Bio Neverlosen 0 vs 5 Politic Thistle FC Jesmondino FC 4 vs 0 Brown Magic FC Division Three Redhall 5 2.00pm Jesmondino vs Bio Never Close House 2 2.00pm Dynamos vs Politic Thistle Longbenton 3G 3.45pm Newhist vs Brown Magic
Top Goalscorers
Longbenton Grass 3 2.00pm Longbenton Grass 2 2.00pm Close House 3 2.00pm
8: Prichard (Thundercats) 6: O’Callaghan (Toonich) 5: Page (Toonich), Harley, Ejaz (All Thundercats), Hammil (Trigger Happy)
Division Four Geomatics 0 vs 9 Trigger Happy Thundercats 4 vs 2 Sub-Standard Liege Bayern Toonich 5 vs 3 The Establishment Division Four Crystal Phallus vs Bayern Toonich Trigger Happy vs Sub-Standard Liege Thundercats vs The Establishment
Close House 2.00pm Close House 5 2.00pm Redhall 4 2.00pm
40.sportintramural
Monday 25 February 2013
The Courier
Wilson worldie sinks
Wednesday Division 2 Aftermath
1
Wilson 31
Secret Intra Mural Footballer: #9 El Clasico I must confess that I rarely watch European football. My attention on a Saturday is largely glued to the odd Premier League match-up and highlights of the week’s action at Close House. Yet there is one game that transcends my, and indeed many others’ ignorance: El Clasico. Other than the Champions League Final, the derby between the two greats of Spanish football - Barcelona and Real Madrid – is the most followed match in club football. While Intra Mural football at Newcastle University does not yet attract similar-size audiences there are a number of simmering clashes which have threatened to boil over in recent years. As we know, location is often the greatest factor behind the creation of an intense footballing rivalry. Given the close approximation of our Intra Mural teams from one another (the home ground of some clubs can be found literally yards away from each other at Close House), it is little wonder that nearly every match is played with the same passion on display at the Camp Nou or Satiago Bernabeu. The rivalry between Real Madrid and Barcelona goes back to 1902 with the first matches between the two sides being in the King’s Cup. The animosity furthered under Franco, who tried to wipe out the Catalan language and culture. The intensity of El Clasico is driven by more than just historical division; as arguably the two biggest clubs in the world, their meeting can sometimes decide the outcome of the league title or cup competition. This is no different to the Intra Mural league, where the battle for supremacy between the Medics and Barca-Law-Na has intensified in recent years as a consequence of their success. Matches between the two contain more drama than a YouTube montage of fabled defender Pepe. The competitive nature of the league has also stoked fierce rivalries between those sides battling to avoid the drop; matches between Crayola, Dyslexic Untied and NUSSC are notorious for their importance and recent matches are sure to grace television sets for decades to come thanks to a series of horror tackles and controversial lack of sportsmanship. But perhaps the greatest rivalries of all are those found within a department. The knowledge that one might have to endure a week’s worth of lectures cowering from less-than-gentle ribbing is enough to motivate any human being. That is why the greatest Intra Mural rivalry at Newcastle University has to be that between the Medics 1sts and 2nds., and it could be this rivalry which decides the Division 1 championship. Despite a flurry of transfer activity between the two, there is a less-thanhealthy respect for one another come match day. Statistics from their recent encounters show that the percentage of tackles resulting in a yellow card can be likened to the percentage of horse meat found in a Tesco Burger. Ouch.
Ecosoccer
0
By Ralph Blackburn Sports Editor
Jones Dennis
Jacobs
Homer
Smith
Wheeler
Weltart
Warren
Bond
Humberstone
Golzari
A Jones Clayburn
Finelli
Wilson Dickens
Lund Brown
O Jones
Jordan
Basham
Eckles
Earlier in the season, this game was billed as a promotion decider, however with Castle Leazes shocking Aftermath the previous week, Ecosoccer found themselves 6 points clear of the mathematicians going into the tie. Eco captain, Tom Warren, said in the pre game press conference that a win would all but assure his side occupying one of the two promotion places to Division 1, however Louis Wilson’s sublime free kick gave all three points to Aftermath and saw them move to within touching distance of Ecosoccer and the Hurricanes. In what should be billed as the ‘KMPG’ derby, given the two teams share sponsors, began just as one would expect with challenges flying in, a high intensity, and both sides struggling to string passes together. With Rob Stacey injured, it was up to Chris Humberstone and Tom Bond to take up the striking mantle for Ecosoccer and Humberstone thought he’d scored in the opening minute. Neat interplay between Bond and centre midfielder Warren saw the ball slipped through to Humberstone who finished cooly only to see the goal ruled out by a dubious offside flag. Aftermath, set up in a 4-3-3 formation to use their pacy forwards Golzari and Jones on the counter, began pressing well and most of the play began bobbling around the Ecosoccer half. Despite the conditions being an improvement on last weeks Arctic hell, the pitch wasn’t particularly flat and Ecosoccer, who were trying to pass the pall around were struggling, with the ball bobbling up off the surface regularly. Balls into the box from crosses and corners looked most likely to break the deadlock, and Eco came close again when a Humberstone corner was flicked on at the front post by right back Jon Dennis, only for Dan Jacobs to fail to turn the ball into the net. Bond, who got two goals last week after returning from injury, was looking threatening on the break and after going up two gears to speed past the Aftermath defence the keeper made a good save to keep out the best chance of the
Ecosoccer Striker Tom Bond in action Photography: Ralph Blackburn
“It was a moment of quality that the tie had so far been lacking and Wilson wheeled away in glee knowing that it would likely settle the game” game so far. Despite this, the game was still scrappy enough to give even Tony Pulis a wet dream. A player Pulis would have liked on the Eco side was left winger Will Finelli who was constantly cutting back
onto his right foot and putting threatening balls into the box. Twice Bond and Humberstone nearly got on the end of them in what would have been a certain goal. The Aftermath defence looked very
solid, particularly under the high ball, and their first chance of the match came when their two most threatening attackers, Golzari and Jones linked on the break. A flick from Golzari found Jones, only for the shot to be straight at keeper Christopher Jones. Ecosoccer began to impose themselves on the game, and were the only side looking to play on the deck. Aftermath were constantly kicking long, hoping for a lucky break for Golzari and Jones, however Eco centre backs Homer and Smith were coping with the long balls well. The deadlock was broken by a magnificent goal from previously anonymous forward Wilson. After a clumsy challenge by Jacobs just outside the box on Golzari, Wilson stepped up and with his right foot curled the ball perfectly out of ‘keeper Jones’ reach into the net. It was a moment of quality that the tie had so far been lacking and Wilson wheeled away in glee knowing that it would likely settle the game. Ecosoccer, the only unbeaten team
The Courier
intramuralsport.41
Monday 25 February 2013
Ecosoccer Crayola pencil in
Borussia for drop Wednesday Division 1 Crayola
5
Eaton, Womersley
Borussia Forsyth
1
Carson
By Tom Womersley at Longbenton
O’Brien MacManus
Clarke
Whiter
Smith Simpson
Kemp
Carson
Blofield
Peterson
Womesley
McAvoy
Eaton Grace
Turner (c) Wood
Strong
Priestley
Royle Hetherington
Burns Coles
Borussia Forsyth face the inevitable drop to Wednesday 2nd Division having been dispatched 5-1 at the hands of relegation threatened Crayola. This match had been penciled in as a
relegation ‘six-pointer’ from the beginning of the season. The outcome may prove to be the final nail in the Borussia coffin, as they seem destined to sink to the next tier of Intra Mural football. Crayola, whose previous win came in the corresponding fixture earlier on in the season, were well organised and took their chances to earn their third victory of the campaign, easing their relegation fears in the process. The Crayola side started the match passing the ball around with confidence and composure. From the early stages of the game it was clear that Borussia would have to match the Crayola midfield’s work rate if they were to establish a foothold in the game. The break through came as no surprise as Grace and Womersley linked well on the right leading to Eaton curling the ball past the stranded Borussia keeper. As Crayola pushed for a second, Borussia countered and scored a deserved goal, with Kemp putting through Carson for a cool finish past the Crayola ‘keeper Coles. Borussia could have gone ahead inside of 15 minutes as Peterson’s rightfooted strike clipped the crossbar. Crayola soon regained their authority on the game as Womersley beat the offside trap and side footed the ball first time past the opposition keeper. After a frantic opening 20 minutes, the match started to find its rhythm with Crayola enjoying the lion’s share of possession but both sides creating chances. Tackles from the two teams were firm but fair for all, except George Grace, whose somewhat flamboyant behavior was greeted with some less than enthusiastic comments from the Borussia midfield. At half time, with the score at 2-1 the game was in the balance.
With both sides needing a win to keep their chances of survival intact it was understandable that the game opened up in the second half. The much envied centreback partnership of the two Bens, Burns and Royles, stood firm in a sea of typical Intra Mural uncertainty. Ben Burns choosing more often than not to use his shoulder rather than his head personified the confidence with which Crayola were playing their football. Simon Hetherington, clearly having studied Philip Lahm against Arsenal the previous evening, started to play with a flair and audacity to match his German counterpart. A marauding run from the right back position followed by an inch perfect pass to Eaton culminated in Crayola’s third as Eaton skillfully poked the ball past the oncoming keeper. With Borussia having to push forward, more gaps started to appear in the Forsyth defence with which Crayola took advantage of in the final ten minutes. The ever-impressive Theo Strong seemingly walked the ball from the halfway line to the edge of the area, where he gave the ball to an in-form Eaton whose powerful shot proved too much for the Borussia keeper who could only parry the ball into the net, Eaton claiming his first Crayola hat trick in the process. The game was wrapped up as Womersley was put through on goal yet again by Strong; the Borussia keeper charged down the initial shot but Womersley was the first to react and slid the ball into an empty net to end the rout. There had been murmurs around the Crayola dressing room that the strikers had not been taking their chances in previous games. Five goals between the two front men should settle the debate as Crayola look for a top four finish.
Seconds advance to semis Men’s Rugby Union Newcastle 2nds
42
Northumbria 3rds 11
in all of Intra Mural up until this point looked stunned, and the for the rest of the first half Aftermath’s physical approach had Ecosoccer pegged back, even if they did not create any clear-cut chances. After half time Ecosoccer began to show why they had been unbeaten for so long, really stepping up the pressure. Joey Jesmond’s introduction to midfield brought a calm head, and he quickly began to get his foot on the ball and spread it out to the wings, where Ecosoccer looked most threatening. A Jesmond ball into the box was nearly turned in by left back James Wheeler arriving late, however his header just slipped wide of the post. Ecosoccer began knocking more balls into the box, with Aftermath conceding many free kicks. However, despite a Warren effort from 40 yards just being tipped onto the bar, the two Aftermath centre backs Jordan and Jones largely held strong. As the game reached the final ten min-
utes Ecosoccer began to look panicky, with Humberstone and Bond snatching at shots that dribbled timidly towards goal. In Aftermath’s only real chance of the half, Jones missed an open net from 40 yards, when substitute goalkeeper Fred Miles had come out to clear the ball. At this point the game was starting to get a bit bad tempered and Adam Jones was lucky not to receive at least a yellow card for a Lee Cattermolesque challenge that left Warren crumpled in a heap. Ecosoccer could not pull a goal back in the final few minutes. Whilst Aftermath move to within three points of Ecosoccer, the Blues will be grateful to learn the Hurricanes also dropped points against Lokomotiv, leaving the Eco still on top of the pile due to their superior goal difference. With the Hurricanes having games against both the teams on show today rescheduled from later in the season, one feels it will be these two games which will decide the Division 2 title.
By Patrick Castleden at Heaton Sports Ground On Wednesday, the men’s rugby 2nd XV advanced into the semi-finals of the cup with a comfortable 41-11 victory over the Northumbria 3rd XV. In the dry and mild conditions at the Medicals Ground at Heaton, the Newcastle team started strongly with early dominance over their opponents. Soon after though, the home side’s backs sliced through the Northumbria defence with Brad Wade continuing his great scoring form with another try. Newcastle kept up their great start and piled on the pressure. Soon after the opening try, Alex Potts broke the line with a strong run and went half of the length of the pitch to score the second try of the game in the corner which went unconverted, leaving the score at 10-0. Northumbria replied strongly with a penalty soon after the restart leaving the score at 10-3. Penalties were the down-
fall of the home team as they gave away another attempt on goal which fortunately for Newcastle was missed. In what was an evenly matched game, Newcastle scored against the run of play due to a mistake by the Northumbria fullback. Newcastle put a kick through and put in a good chase as the ball was rolling along the floor; the Northumbria fullback went to kick it but missed due to the bounce of the ball. This left an opportunity for Andrew McCoy, who picked the ball up and dotted it down for Newcastle’s third try. It was converted, leaving the score at 17-3. Yet again, Newcastle couldn’t keep control of the penalty count which punished them. Not long before halftime, Newcastle had a man put in the sin bin for ten minutes after more penalties at the breakdown. The penalty was converted for another three points for the away team. Before the half time interval, Newcastle launched one last attack. From a lineout within the Northumbria twenty-two Newcastle closed in on the line. Some slick hands from prop, Bertie Marks put Tom Whitton away in the corner, almost certainly taking the home side out of sight but the difficult conversion was missed. At the half time break, with the score at 22-6, Newcastle had what seemed like an unassailable lead. With a scrappy start to the second half, neither team could put together
a significant amount of phases to get a stranglehold on the game. Mistakes were common and much of the game was played in the middle of the pitch, with neither team able to gain a territorial advantage. Newcastle began to ring the changes and lost a lot of their impetus. Eventually, Newcastle managed to get more points up on the board with a try finished off by Patrick Castleden who also converted. Northumbria replied soon after though through an opportunist, interception try putting their first five-pointer up on the board. George Cooper went over not long before the end of the game in a good finish after running a strong line. The game was rounded off with a try for Harry Rix after a strong driving maul from the forwards, and the game finished with the score at 42-11. There were many strong performances on the day, notably Mark Agnew for his barnstorming runs, Rob McGowen for his control of the game and the impact made by Piers Goodwill from off the bench with several turnovers and big carries. Newcastle 2nd XV have been in sublime form this season and will be confident of winning the cup. They have a way to go though as they have to win their semi-final first. With ruthless performances like this it is no surprise that they have enjoyed success in the league and the cup this year.
42.sportbucs
Monday 25 February 2013
The Courier
Poly thrash sorry Thirds Men’s Football Newcastle 3rds
1
Northumbria 4ths
5
By Joey Barton at Longbenton
Rawson
ArmshawBowen
Southgate
Holden
Niescierowicz Wheeler
Spencer Hussain
Ellis
Prince
Randalls
Fraser
Babos
Myers
Davidson
Garside
Shields
Callaghan
Fernandez
Ballie
Hughes
Nixon
Newcastle 3rd team fell to a crushing 5-1 defeat at the hands of local rivals Northumbria 4th team at Cochrane Park on Wednesday afternoon. A catastrophic ten minute spell either side of half time, in which the Poly scored 4 quick-fire goals, ultimately proved to be the difference between the two sides in a game which was even for long periods. It was the clinical finishing of Northumbria which secured the emphatic nature of the victory and perhaps gave an unfair representation of the match as a whole. Northumbria made the better start but gave no signs of the superb finishing they would display later on in the encounter, when Andy Davidson split the Royals’ defence with his precise pass but James Ellis’ powerful effort was straight at Newcastle goalkeeper Scott Rawson. Just moments later Davidson showed skill and industry to create a chance for himself out of nothing, and having easily beaten James Armshaw-Bowen he will have been disappointed to shoot
Offsides
tamely at Rawson from a tight angle. Newcastle had started slowly and should really have been punished when, still inside the first quarter of an hour, Poly created their third clear cut chance of the game. The Royals did not deal with a long ball from visiting goalkeeper Johnny Nixon and having allowed the ball to bounce dangerously the defence was powerless to prevent Ellis squaring to Henry Myers, seemingly for a classic FIFA style ‘sweaty’ goal. Yet Myers shot straight at Rawson, who did well to half stop the ball, allowing an aware Connor Southgate time to sprint back and clear off the line. Having struggled to get out of the blocks, Newcastle dramatically improved as the first half went on pegging Poly back through a succession of corners. Midway through the half the Royals forced their first real chance of the game as Ben Wheeler, Newcastle’s most positive player on show, was able to use his precise dribbling skills to lead a counter attack and having beaten Northumbria right back Taylor Hughes for the first time of many on the day, he squared the ball to Joe Babos who really should have hit the target from just inside the box. Both teams looked a threat down their left hand sides with Wheeler and Ellis the most impressive players of the first half and therefore it was unsurprising just before the break when Ellis coolly
“Scenes of Northumbria jubilation returned to Cochrane Park 12 minutes from time” slotted the ball past Nixon, to break the deadlock, with some assistance from the far post. However the post was not the only thing assisting Ellis as the Poly attack had begun when the referee inadvertently intercepted a cross-field Newcastle pass, deflecting the ball into the path of Davidson who expertly played the ball over the Royals’ defence for Ellis. Unfortunately for Newcastle the second half began exactly as the first half had ended with a Northumbria goal, Rick Ballie this time the man on the score sheet after he had played a neat one-two with the superb Ellis. Worse was to come for the Royals just 5 minutes after the break when North-
Fouls t
1 Newcastle
umbria’s rampant spell continued as they moved into a 3-0 lead. On this occasion Ellis ran strongly down the wing, reached the by-line and pulled the ball back to Davidson who got the goal his first half performance had deserved. It appeared that Newcastle had put this dreadful spell of play behind them when they finally forced Nixon into his first save of the game, thanks to Michael Spencer’s low free kick. However this was not the case as on 53 minutes Northumbria added their fourth goal in ten minutes of play on the pitch with a brilliant strike from Ellis from the corner of the box catching Rawson by surprise and leaving the Royals’ keeper with no chance. Players and spectators alike seemed stunned as to how the match had ended as a contest so abruptly, following the tense, tight nature of the first half. Newcastle finally managed to restore some kind of calm to proceedings and could have pulled a goal back when enterprising work by Alex Niescierowicz down the right wing led to him delivering an excellent cross which Chris Fraser nodded just inches wide of a motionless Nixon’s post. However, scenes of Northumbria jubilation returned to Cochrane Park 12 minutes from time when they added a fifth through Myers. Newcastle had committed bodies forward in search of a goal that would spark a comeback on the scale of that
8 Conceded
Newcastle
12 Conceded
Northumbria
of the Magpies against Arsenal a couple of seasons ago and therefore were susceptible to being caught on the break, as they were by a powerful run from Fraser Shields and although Davidson couldn’t secure himself a brace, Myers was on hand to turn the rebound into the unguarded goal. With 7 minutes remaining the Royals showed some fighting spirit to score a candidate for most pointless consolation of the season. The goal itself would actually have been fondly remembered if the home side had not already trailed their crosscity rivals 5-0 as good work by the tricky winger Wheeler led to him picking out Spencer whose sweetly timed volley flew past Nixon in the Poly goal. The consolation was certainly deserved for the Royals, but will do little to lift spirits as a 5-1 defeat to anyone, let alone Northumbria, will be hard to take, particularly on the back of the third team’s excellent win last week over Newcastle’s own second team. The win for Northumbria lifts them above the Royals in the Northern 4B table in what is now a frantic battle to avoid the wooden spoon. Next up the Royals face the Northumbria 3rds, and then the 4ths again the week after, in a string of must win derbies for the 3rds. Man of the Match: James Ellis
Banfield putts Men’s Golf Newcastle
3 1/2
Sunderland
2 1/2
By Richard Nichols in Newcastle It all started on a dreary Wednesday morning, when the Newcastle University golf team met at Matfen Hall Country Club. For on this day the Newcastle golfers were playing in the semifinals of the Northern Conference Cup against Sunderland. The Newcastle team currently sit on the top of the league table with Sunderland directly below, so they knew that it would be a tough battle; however, the boys were up to the task winning 3½ to 2½. Aaron Darragh teed off first for Newcastle, and struggled from the very start. So much so that he shanked a ball straight right on the second hole, one of the worst shots seen all season. After seven holes Aaron found himself 2 down and looking at a humiliating defeat. However, something clicked after an up and down on the 8th and Darragh ended up finishing the front nine all square. From this point forth the match turned rather one sided, with Darragh knocking a 4 iron into a foot on the par 5 13th for an eagle that helped him win all but one of the remaining holes for a commanding 5&3 victory.
Richard Nichols pegged it up second against a player that has been undefeated for the last three years. Almost a David Vs Goliath match (for the undefeated Sunderland player), and from the very first hole Richard was in control of the match. The former golf professional took an early lead and kept the pressure on for the whole of the front nine finishing three up after the turn. From here it was just a cruise in the park for young Richard, coasting in and winning 4&3 before returning to the bar for a drink with Aaron. Tom Conroy was third to step on the tee box, and had a tough crowd to follow. The four handicapper showed why he was playing in the first team today. After not playing for a few weeks due to other commitments (like doing a proper degree) he was scared that he would be a little rusty on the golf course, but this did not show through. Conroy often found himself swinging in the rough, but managed to get his balls in the hole and put on a dazzling display to defeat his opponent 5&4, the biggest victory of the day. Nick Wallis the only left hander in the team, had one of the closest matches of the day. Early on in the round Wallis went down to his much bigger hitting opponent. Information on this match is limited, however, it was a hard fought battle from the off. Wallis’ opponent had a strong start and leapt to an early lead. With 8 holes left, Wallis was 3 down, and fought back to being 2 down with 2 holes left to play. From here Nick won the 17th with a fantastically struck shot on the par three 17th over water which won him
The Courier
bucssport.43
Monday 25 February 2013
Knights beat Liverpool to keep title hopes alive Women’s Basketball Newcastle 1sts
62
Liverpool 1sts
53
By Rosie Wowk in Liverpool
Rich Nichols in action Photography: NUGC
Toon into final the hole. This left him needing a win on the 18th to secure the half, and after two fantastic shots found himself with a 10 foot downhill right to left putt for the win. Unfortunately Nick was unable to convert, but this is not anything new to Nick after his most recent efforts at CCTV. Up on the tee next was the only fresher on the team for the cup match, Ollie Aspinal. Standing at an impressive 7 foot 1 inch tall, the giant towered over his opponent making him feel very insecure.
maintained until the 15th hole where Banfield managed to stick his shot in the water hazard leaving himself one down after pulling it back to all square. The pressure was on to get the half – and the team win. On the seventeenth hole, Banfield hit a high shot straight towards the heart of the green. His opponent hit his ball into the water hazard leaving the match all square going down the 18th hole. Banfield split the fairway, but his opponent out drove him by 100 yards - now the pressure was really on. How-
“The Sunderland player had a short 4 foot putt for the match... the pressure was too much”
From the very first hole Aspinal showed his opponent the advantage of long levers by hitting the ball a country mile. However, having all this power was a disadvantage for Aspinal, when it goes wrong it can go very wrong. Oliver put in a good effort, but unfortunately lost his match 3&2 leaving the score teetering on edge at 3-2 with the last match to finish. Ed Banfield was last on the tee box, which is right where he needed to be. Often in matches the best players are kept till last – this was not the case today. Banfield faced a very tough opponent, which left him frustrated after finding himself 4 down after the first 4 holes. With the front nine complete, Banfield managed to pull it back to 3 down with a few solid few holes. This form was
ever Ed managed to control his nerves and hit a high wedge within 8 foot of the pin, but his opponent managed to put his ball to 4 foot leaving a huge pressure putt for the Newcastle side. Ed hit his putt which came to rest right on the edge of the hole, meaning that the Sunderland player had a short 4 foot putt for the match. The putt was hit on the low side of the hole and carried on moving further away missing by a good foot right of the hole, the pressure was too much. This left Banfield’s match all square after 18 and the team score was 3 & ½ to 2 & ½ meaning that Newcastle University have a trip to the finals of the cup where they will meet Leeds Met or Liverpool in a couple of weeks.
Deducted points, shock wins and technical fouls galore have all contributed to what promises to be a grandstand finish to the Division One basketball season. Bradford, UCLAN and your beloved Newcastle team are all battling it out for top position of the table, relying heavily not only on their own games, but the outcomes of their rivals. UCLAN struggled to cope with the pressure last Wednesday, as Newcastle arrived with a fully stocked bench and the determination to win their final away game. This enabled the Knights to gain a 9-point lead in the final quarter, increasing their chances of claiming the heavily sought after crown. As per usual, Queen Duleckytė dominated the start of the game by sinking her signature three pointer, setting the standard for the rest of the match. The Queen then got herself a cheeky assist on the wing, setting up Beyonce wannabe, Corinne Vaughan, as she darted through the defence for a welltimed jump shot. Literally head and shoulders above the rest, team giraffes, Tasslem von Streng and Olivia Bowles, dominated the key on offence. Von Streng, posted up high while her partner in crime, Bowels, secured a sneaky position in a gap in the defence for an uncontested bank shot. The dynamic duo proceeded to lock down more points, as an inside pass allowed Von Streng to drive to the basket with a fooling dump-off pass to the
American under the ring. A calm and collected performance from the away team enabled them to race in front with the score at the end of the quarter standing at 20-14 in favour of the away side. Long serving Knights player, Emily Jackson, set the tone for an enthralling second quarter, as she made a leaping dive to save the ball from going off court, pummelling it back into the grasp of Von Streng. Von Streng then proceeded to zip the ball back up the court for a neat lay-up. Soon after, perpetual daydreamer Leonie Smith managed to switch on just in time to make an important interception, launching the ball into a fast break that was finished by Vaughan. The third quarter saw UCLAN chasing down the Knights, taking advantage of the allegedly impartial referees to foul at every given opportunity.
Jackson. Having been slapped across the face by a UCLAN troll with no reaction called by the ref, she channelled her irritation by drop-kicking the ball in the direction of the simpleminded official. Jackson was awarded a subsequent technical foul in front of her sobbing parents, who had travelled hundreds of miles to see her play. In spite of this setback, nothing could dampen the Knights spirits as they battled through to the end. They soon pulled the contest back in their favour, with scores coming from across the board. This demonstrated the scope of talented players Newcastle had, compared to the two-player team of UCLAN. As such Newcastle used the hotly contested encounter’s final minutes to edge into the lead, winning their final away of the season with a well-deserved score of 62-53.
“ Jackson was awarded a technical foul in front of her sobbing parents who had travelled hundred of miles to see her play ” Even as UCLAN continued to cut the deficit, the Knights kept on fighting for the win. Precise passes were shot around the three-point line, forcing the home team’s defence to shift over, leaving Kellogs scoffer, Jen Monney, open on the wing for a jumper. Fresher, Danielė Stukaitė, had her eye on the prize as she face-guarded UCLAN’s dominant number 9, not allowing her to add to their tally of points. However, the quarter ended with the teams level pegging at 44-44. The frustration of the shocking referees finally took its toll on Newcastle in the final quarter. Team giants were being fouled continually under the basket without being given the chance to prove themselves on the free-throw line. It all got a bit much for veteran, Action
The final round of games sees UCLAN travel to bottom of the table Cheshire. Meanwhile NUWBC first team take on Manchester at home, in an emotional final match of the season as the team prepares to say goodbye to 7 of their players. Player of the Match: Olivia Bowles
BUCS Northern 1A 1
Team
Pld
W
Pts
L
F
A
Bradford 1st
10
8
23
0
9
3
2
UCLAN 1st
9
7
21
1
12
4
3
Newcastle 1st
9
7
21
1
10
3
4
Manchester 1st
8
3
9
1
1
2
5
Leeds 1st
8
1
3
1
1
4
6
MMU Cheshire 1st
8
0
0
1
1
8
Royals claim narrow win over Liverpool Women’s Hockey Newcastle 1sts
5
Liverpool 1sts
4
By Vicki Monk in Newcastle After some recent unlucky losses for the women’s first team, they were undoubtedly desperate to return to winning ways. An early goal from Liverpool kicked the home side into action. Soon balls were transferring nicely across the back four as Newcastle put the early setback behind them, growing in confidence pushing up the field. This spell of pressure eventually paid dividends, when big dog fresh Ailish Hendry stepped up for a clean sweep into the bottom left hand corner.
However, Liverpool weren’t giving up the fight easily, as a game of end-to-end action soon commenced. Following a scrappy piece of defending in Newcastle’s D, a controversial flick was awarded. Despite an impressive dive by star keeper Rachel Wilson, Liverpool’s forward wasn’t about to miss. The half-time whistle blew with both sides level pegging at three goals apiece, thanks to the enthusiastic Fresher. After a motivating pep talk from El Capitano Olivia O’Malley, the home side really work up those jelly legs up and got their game faces on, as Liverpool began to slow. Game on. With some solid tackles at the back by Irish silk sisters Jess Kidd and Suzanne Hill Liverpool struggled for possession in their attacking D. A textbook banana run by super speedy Charlotte Howatson led to a short corner in Newcastle’s favour. Cool, calm and collected pensioner, Erika Coakley, stepped up to the mark and put all that short corner training to
good use, as a straight strike met by a sneaky deflection from the wee mouse Rachel Fackey saw the Blues take the lead. Determined to keep the lead and do Bruce proud, Newcastle turned up the heat by way of keeping possession and skilling the opposition from all angles. A solid tackle by newbie Katie W-G led to another attack from Newcastle. Another two passes followed this before Maya ‘Reggae’ Thrasher dribbled the ball into the D. A reverse stick shot from the pensioner resulted in yet another goal from the freshers, as Kirsty hog Walker claimed the fifth. Soon after a well-timed break from a speedy Liverpool attacker took Newcastle defence by surprise, but it was inevitably a fruitless comeback attempt. A double team effort from captain and vice even kept Milly Powers calm and composed for the final few minutes, as the Royal Blues saw out the final few minutes to secure a vital win. Player of the Match: Rachel Fackey
Sport
www.thecourieronline.co.uk Monday 25 February 2013 Issue 1266 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
STAN CALVERT BEGINS: 2-0
A Newcastle lineman prepares to hike the ball Photography: Michael Oakes
Raiders triumph in Stan Calvert clash Stan Calvert Cup 2013
AMERICAN FOOTBALL Newcastle 1sts
56
Northumbria 1sts
14
By Ryan Weeks in Gateshead Newcastle University got their 2013 Stan Calvert campaign off to a winning start, with a comfortable win against Northumbria University in American
Football. Newcastle Raiders proved that their early-season troubles are well and truly behind them with a solid win. Having now put together three consecutive victories, the Raiders wins to losses ratio stands at a positive 4:3 for the first time all season. Their resurgence can be attributed to an offensive unit which has been performing with supreme efficiency of late. Meanwhile their watertight defence has shut teams out all year long. That offensive magic was on show last Sunday against the Poly, as the Raiders’ offence scored every time they were on the field for the entire first half. The scoring began with a 60-yard scamper down the left sideline from rookie George Howlett. The points then started to pile up, as Ben Cross contributed his first touch-
down of what would be a hat-trick on the day. Soon after, maverick Emirhan Cincik, in spite of severe illness, wove his way for two mesmeric first-half scores; showing marvelous fleetness of foot as
Newcastle’s defence. However, the Mustangs remained powerless to stop the Raiders’ unrelenting double-wing offence. This offensive dominance was encapsulated by a 65yard touchdown run by Cross, in which
“The win was a fitting send off for team captain Jim Harvey. This would be the last game in what has been a glittering career for the versatile journeyman” a scary complement to his normally attritional running style. Newcastle went in at the half without a single point conceded. Northumbria begin to show signs of life in the second half, managing to score an early touchdown of their own during a rare lacklustre showing from
full-back Jon Vince cleared the path by blocking a Mustang defender effectively all the way into the end-zone. The less said about his subsequent celebration, the better. Northumbria eventually added a second touchdown, but their questions were quickly answered with scores from
Michael Stone and Cross once again. The final meaningful act of the game was a 1-yard touchdown plunge from fan-favourite Andrew Skelton. It was his first touchdown for the Raiders in some half a decade of service on the offensive line, and was thoroughly deserved. Victory in the Stan Calvert was secured, and it was a fitting way to send off team captain Jim Harvey. This would be the last home game in what has been a glittering career for the journeyman linebacker/safety/runningback/tackle. Harvey took home game MVP honours, while Alexander McPeake was defensive MVP. Iain Andrew Smith-Gillespie took offensive MVP, and rookie Steven Crass won special teams MVP.
INSIDE: THE COURIER CHARTS THE RISE AND FALL OF OSCAR PISTORIUS - p. 42