Courier 1333

www.thecourieronline.co.uk Monday 11 July 2016 Issue 1333 Free

The Independent Voice Of Newcastle Students

Est 1948

Graduation class of 2016 commemorative edition

2

News

Monday 11 July 2015

The Courier

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“Changes in geography and occupation are tiny details next to how your uni years will linger in your psyche” Victoria Armstrong Editor 2015/16 Hello and welcome to the final edition of The Courier for this academic year.

As if that does not make it special enough in its own right, this is also the graduation edition: an edition that hopes to touch upon some of the highest and more interesting points from your last year in Newcastle.

I am glad that you have chosen to pick up this paper as it has been a near and dear part of my life since I first signed up to The Courier’s mailing list during the societies fair at my own Freshers’ Week, four seemingly infinite years ago. It has been the inarguable highpoint of my University times and the backbone of my degree and sabbatical year. Given that most students are a member of some society, sports club or volunteering project, I like to think that the majority of you reading this have a similar sort of passion that you’ve discovered or nurtured in the course of your degree. After all, we are well beyond the point where someone could plausibly comment that your time at Newcastle University is exclusively about your degree.

It is thus unsurprising that so many

fantastic and impressive things have been achieved this year. I have had the most genuine pleasure in watching students’ passion this year, whether it be for helping in Freshers’ Week, raising money with RAG, achieving sporting excellence (I’m particularly envious of this as someone unfortunately lacking in motor skills co-ordination), having fun in societies, giving back to the community, engaging in politics, campaigning for minority rights, starting new companies, trying to protect the environment, so on and so forth.

This has truly been the year of student activism and interest achieving results (I apologise for the grandiose phrasing).

Because of the students, the University has committed to divesting sizeable sums from the fossil fuel industry, steps have been taken to give greater help to sexual abuse victims, awareness of mental health issues has been raised, the first Black History Month was held, and a thriving debate around membership of the National Union of Students occurred, ultimately resulting in a decision that NUSU would disaffiliate, following a referendum.

Around here I run the true risk of sounding condescending, but it really does show that when you have

motivated and hard-working people aiming for something, they can have such a large and meaningful impact. I hope that this same energy continues to be channelled into making the world a better place, long after we finish at Newcastle University.

On a separate and closing note, I hope you have all had an indescribably amazing time at Newcastle University and that your graduation day continues on that theme. It seems a little unreal that everything is about to change as everyone divides off to conquer the globe in their own way. Fortunately great friends are still great friends, regardless of geography.

I fear that this may devolve into gibberish should I continue for much longer, so I say a huge congratulations and encouraging you to vocalise your fondness for all your friends who have defined the last few years so well.

In terms of an appropriate closing statement, friends have made various suggestions, generally involving famous and eloquent writings or poetry, or excerpts from speeches by an unfairly inspirational and successful person. None felt quite right however, so instead this will make a nod to pop culture and finish with: ‘valar dohaeris’.

Congratulations again.

“wherever you find yourself in the world, Newcastle will always hold a special place in your heart” Jade Holroyd Editor 2016/17

With the end nigh, it’s time for many of us to bid a final farewell to our dearly beloved Newcastle. Graduation is here and as much as it pains me to say, there is absolutely nothing we can do about it.

Amidst the stress of exams and final deadlines, I bet you thought this day would never come around, right? I know I certainly didn’t. Whether you like it or loathe it today marks the end of your time as a student, but as I’m sure you’ll agree what better place to have spent your student years than Newcastle?

At some point whilst you’ve been at Newcastle, I’m sure many of you will have engaged in the classic ‘my uni is

better than yours’ debate. Over my time here I’ve developed an unconquerable argument in defence of Newcastle and although I should most probably leave my ability to do so behind, let us quietly reside in the fact that Newcastle will always reign supreme.

After spending three years in this beautiful city, I can’t quite imagine a life without Newcastle in it. Fortunately there is very little need for me to do so just quite yet, as I prepare to embark on my year as Editor of the Courier.

Admittedly, I am both thrilled and somewhat nervous to follow in the footsteps of my older, wiser, and most definitely more more adept predecessor, Vic. Nonetheless, I am also filled with an overwhelming sense of pride and I am very much excited to see what the year holds. This is especially true knowing

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

The Courier is a weekly newspaper produced by students, for students. It’s never too late to get involved in the paper, whether you’re a writer, illustrator or photographer. Email editor. union@ncl.ac.uk for more information.

that I will be working alongside what is set to be another great sabbatical team.

Wherever you find yourself in the world, Newcastle will always hold a special place in your heart. Regardless of the length of time you’ve spent here, I’m sure you’ve got a ton of memories and if you are very lucky, a couple of lifelong friends who will be there to the keep memories alive for years to come.

As Oscar Wilde once said, “Life is too short to be taken seriously,” so don’t be afraid to sneak in a drink (or two) before your ceremony if you’re in need of a bit of Dutch courage to get you through the day! All jokes aside, I’d like to congratulate each and every one of you for completing your degree and wish you the very best of luck for the future.

Editor Victoria Armstrong Deputy Editor Mark Sleightholm News Editors Antonia Velikova, Peter Georgiev, Sophie Norris, Sinead Corkett-Beirne and Jack Oliver Parker Comment Editors Jack Dempsey, Hanson Jones and Daniel Robertson Culture Editors Ellie McLaren and Laura Staniforth Lifestyle Editors Lauren Exell, Ruth Loeffler, Katie Ackerley, Fiona Callow and Jack Oliver Parker Fashion Editors Sara Macauley, Ellen Dixon and Liz Rosling Beauty Editors Lucy Cochrane, Ellen Walker and Flo Davies Arts Editors Holly Suttle, Jade Holroyd and Emily Watton Film Editors Rhian Hunter, Simon Ramshaw and Emma Allsopp TV Editors Helen Daly, Hannah Bunting and Reece Hanson Music Editors Jamie Shepherd, Dominique Daly and Connor McDonnell Science Editors Iqra Choudhry, Louise Bingham and Anna Jastrzembska Gaming Editors Ollie Burton, James McCoull and Michael Hicks Sports Editors Calum Wilson, Alex Hendley and Lewis Bedford

Image: Peter Clarke

Image: Sarah Cossom

Image: Andrew Curtis 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 comment pieces are those of the individual writing, and not of The Courier, the Students’ Union or Newcastle University.

The Courier

Monday 11 July 2015

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University commits to fossil fuels divestment

Newcastle University has answered the demands of a two-year-long campaign and will divest from fossil fuels within five years.

By Mark Sleightholm

Newcastle University has agreed to divest its £60 million endowment fund from coal and tar sands companies, joining the 22 other UK universities that have already committed to divestment. The University plans to remove all its investments from the fossil fuel industry over the next five years.

University has not reinvested its money in the renewable sector, and that its decision to invest in “progressive companies that are working towards low carbon solutions” is a vague commitment.

The student campaign began in September 2014, and after meeting with campaigners in June 2015 the University agreed to set up a Carbon Advisory Group to look into the possibility of

“As students we can be incredibly proud that our University is making the most progressive divestment commitment of any UK university” University Council made the decision at a meeting on Monday. Mark I’Anson, chair of Council, said: “Newcastle University is committed to furthering environmental sustainability and we have a strong track-record in this regard.”

He explained that divestment will “reduce the University’s exposure to investments linked to explicit environmental damage.”

The University’s decision comes after a two year campaign by students, supported by the Students’ Union.

The campaign included a Divestment Week, a fossil fuel wedding and a demonstration at Tynemouth Beach where over 70 campaigners stuck their heads in the sand to reflect the lack of action on fighting climate change.

A petition calling for Newcastle University to divest has attracted over 2,200 signatures.

Rob Noyes, organiser of Fossil Free Newcastle, said: “Our University has always been at the forefront of fuelling social change, most notably awarding Martin Luther King Jr. an honorary degree during his lifetime. As a thought leader in the North East, it is Newcastle’s civic duty to stand by its research and send a strong message to decisionmakers that we have to act on climate change now.”

Noyes pointed out, however, that the Editorial Newcastle University has become the first university in the North East to commit to divestment, and joins a growing movement away from the fossil fuel industry that causes so much destruction to our planet.

The University has long prided itself on its focus on sustainability, and has consistently scored highly in People and Planet’s green university league tables. Investment in the fossil fuel industry was a major black mark on the University’s record, not to mention unsustainable, financially as well as environmentally.

This decision is a victory for environmentalism, and a victory for the student movement. For two years Newcastle students have fought for divestment, with the campaign recently being named “campaign of the year” at NUSU’s Community Impact Awards.

What makes Newcastle’s divestment so remarkable is that it came through cooperation and discussion. This is in stark contrast to most other UK universities, where students had their demands turned down by University management, and only won divestment following occupations and threats of direct action.

Fossil Free Newcastle has benefited enormously from the support of the Students’ Union; again, this is a

divesting. The Group concluded in April 2016 that Newcastle University should divest, and I’Anson commented: “We took the concerns raised by our student body very seriously and I am grateful to the Carbon Advisory Group for its considered approach to this complex issue.”

The Fossil Free campaign received support from the Students’ Union and its president, Dom Fearon, who was part of the Carbon Advisory Group.

Following the University’s decision to divest he said: “Climate change is one of the key issues facing us globally and last year was the hottest in recorded history.

“As students we can be incredibly proud that our university is making the most progressive divestment commitment of any UK university and contributing to a more sustainable future.

“Hopefully this will inspire other universities and organisations to divest from companies profiting from unethical practices.”

Newcastle’s decision came just days after Southampton University committed to removing its investments away from fossil fuels, and follows similar moves from 21 other UK universities, along with many other institutions and individuals across the globe, with $3.4 trillion having now been divested from fossil fuels worldwide. very different story to many other universities. Dom Fearon, as president of NUSU, has worked closely with both campaigners and the University towards divestment, and the Unionbacked Divestment Week in October 2015 is something that would not have been possible at many other universities.

The campaign is not over yet, though.

This week’s statement is a major step forward, but words must be followed by actions. Edinburgh University was one of the first in the UK to state its intention to divest, and yet students there re-occupied university buildings earlier this year in protest at the lack of actual divestment.

That said, at Edinburgh, as with elsewhere, the University’s statement came after a student occupation; at Newcastle it came after almost a year of careful consideration by the Carbon Advisory Group and after two years of peaceful but determined campaigning by students.

There is always more that can be done to help the environment, and there are also arguments to be made for divesting from other areas, such as the arms trade. But Newcastle’s decision should be celebrated as a success for the environment, for student activism and for the relationship between University, Union and students.

Fossil Free campaigners outside the Students’ Union during Divestment Week Image: David Jones

Fossil Free campaigners stuck their heads in the sand on Valentine’s Day 2016 to reflect the lack of action on climate change.

Image: Mark Sleightholm

Fossil Free campaigners at Monument on Valentine’s Day 2015.

Valentine’s Day has often been used as a day for environmental protests, with people urged to show their love for the planet.

Image: Jack Marley

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Monday 11 July 2016

The Courier

NUSU votes to disaffiliate from the National Union of Students

By Victoria Armstrong Editor

Following last week’s cross-campus referendum, Newcastle University Students’ Union will begin the process of disaffiliating with the National Union of Students (NUS).

The referendum lasted from Monday 9th of May till Thursday 12th and saw 1475 students vote, with 989 (67%) of votes cast in favour of leaving the NUS and 486 (33%) voting to stay affiliated.

Student Unions are required to give the NUS six month notice and so NUSU will remain a member of the NUS until

the end of the calendar year.

This vote was the result of a petition started by Newcastle University student Matt Wilson-Boddy who was also one of NUSU’s delegates at the NUS National Conference in April. The petition asked that the referendum held every three years on NUS affiliation be

We’re leaving

brought forward to this academic year and reached the requisite 300 signatures in under 21 hours. This is one way of triggering NUSU to hold a referendum.

Speaking to The Courier, WilsonBoddy, who also led the ‘No to NUS’ campaign during referendum week commented: “I’m incredibly proud of the way the our team campaigned and the huge amount of work they put in. We ran a good, honest campaign full of passionate people in the face of opposition from the better-funded NUS leadership team and won.”

“I’m pleased with the result, and look forward to seeing how our own union grows in the wake of disaffiliation. It is a shame, however, that the media has spun our victory to be about the election of a new president, whom we made no reference to in any of our materials, instead of the unrepresentative and ineffective nature of the NUS, which has continuously proven itself incapable of reform.”

Some of the key issues cited by the ‘No’ campaign included the rejection of a ‘One Member, One Vote’ motion at National Conference, a motion on ‘Safe Social Elections’ which sought to forcibly suspend usage of the anonymous social media app ‘YikYak’ during campus elections, which the ‘No’ campaign stated demonstrated the NUS’s disengagement and lack of familiarity with the needs and desires of the average student.

Meanwhile, the ‘Yes’ campaign focused on the NUS’s history of achievements made possible by the NUS speaking for students nationally, for instance their 1992 campaign which led to all students being exempted from council tax and their successful campaign to remove the age cap on postgraduate study loans, alongside the work that NUS does for liberation groups.

The financial cost/benefit of NUS membership was also heavily debated by the two campaigns, with the ‘No’ campaign stating that NUSU’s annual affiliation fee of approximately £52,000 was not getting good value for money, whilst the ‘Yes’ campaign argued to the contrary, also noting the benefits of the NUS Extra card that approximately 2000 Newcastle University students purchase every year.

Rob Noyes, leader of the Newcastle ‘Yes to NUS’ campaign, said: “The decision, celebrated by some and voted on by few, will impact many. What will replace the support for liberation campaigns? How can Newcastle possibly hope to address national issues from inside the bubble of our own university? Leaving the NUS leaves people leading liberation campaigns vulnerable and unsupported.”

Newcastle is just one of the campuses to have held or be intending to hold a referendum on NUS membership.

Increased dissatisfaction has been seen from SUs nation-wide over a variety of reasons, typically including accusations of lacking democracy, divisiveness, and that the NUS leadership are out of touch. Referendums have already been held at Lincoln University and

the University of Exeter, with the former opting to disaffiliate and the latter opting to remain. Referendums are upcoming at the University of Hull, Royal Holloway University, Oxford University, Cambridge University and Loughborough University, amongst others. A petition has also recently been started at Northumbria University, seeking for the Northumbria SU to hold a referendum on their NUS membership.

Speaking to The Courier, the President of the NUS, Megan Dunn, commented: “We’re disappointed Newcastle University Students’ Union has decided to leave the national student movement and disaffiliate from NUS. We understand there were issues raised by students and we could not answer them.

“NUS has a 94-year history of winning for students and that has positively impacted students from Newcastle in many ways. We have already promised and will deliver change in NUS and hope one day soon NUSU will rejoin us.

“Plans to reform our membership model are currently being put in place and we already looking to the long term future of NUS, as we work on a new democratic structure and develop the strategy that will carry us through to our 100th anniversary in 2022 A comment by NUSU President Dominic Fearon, regarding the result was published on NUSU’s website, and stated: “It is clear that our students feel that the NUS no longer represents their views, does not prioritise correctly, and is not effective at achieving change. The current discontent amongst students nationally can be measured in the number of unions considering holding referenda on their membership.

We hope that the NUS will acknowledge their shortcomings and will work to become the national union that students deserve and can identify with.”

“The warning signs were there last year when the President of NUSU along with 12 other Presidents signed an open letter calling for reform in NUS; this fell on deaf ears. It is not clear at this stage whether all signatories of the letter will be holding similar affiliation referenda.

We feel at this point in time that all students should be given a chance to have their voices heard.”

“I personally believe through moving to a ‘one member, one vote’ system for elections the NUS can make big improvements in these areas and students may become more engaged and represented.”

“Newcastle University recently ranked in the Top 10 for student satisfaction in the Times Higher Survey and were voted “Students’ Union of the year” and “University of the Year”

by Educate North. 86% of Newcastle students believe that NUSU campaigns effectively on their behalf; this clearly does not translate nationally with only 33% of students wanting to remain affiliated to NUS.”

“The unrepresentative and ineffective nature of the NUS, which has continually proven itself incapable of reform”

The Courier

news.5

Monday 11 July 2015

Rewarding success at the Pride of Newcastle Awards

By Jade Holroyd

On June 8th, Newcastle University hosted its second Pride of Newcastle Awards at the Newcastle Civic Centre.

Formerly titled the NCL+ awards, this event celebrated the exceptional achievements of societies and individual students across the academic year.

Sixty-four students and societies were shortlisted from 187 nominations sent in by students and staff, across twelve categories linking to the University’s societal challenge themes.

The winners were: Matthew Bowker for Community Spirit, Chinese Students & Scholars Association (CSSA) for Contribution to Arts & Culture, Robert Noyes for Environmental Champion, Jesslyn Alverina for Global Outlook, English Conversation group for Social

Inclusion & Diversity, Tay Jia Chyi for Contribution to Sport & Health, Ravneet Kaur for Entrepreneur of the Year, Emily Gilmour for Enterprising Spirit, Monica Parker for Outstanding

university life, and gaining their second titles of the evening, were Community Spirit victor, Bowker, and winner of Environmental Champion, Noyes.

When asked how it felt to have won

“When I found out that I was nominated I knew I wouldn’t win but the three course meal – great, ... but then I won and it was just a massive amount of shock.”

Contribution to Academic Experience, NUMed Student Association for Outstanding Contribution to Societies and Jamie Shepard for Outstanding Contribution to Student Media.

The recipients of the event’s most notable award, the Vice-Chancellor’s Award for exceptional contribution to

the Vice-Chancellor’s Award, Bowker replied, ‘Just ridiculous! I was surprised to have won my category but this is just a cut above and it is amazing and I’m really grateful.” Noyes also commented on gaining the award, “It feels slightly surprising given that quite a lot of what I do is campaigning against policy. But

yes, possibly a good sign of student and staff partnership at Newcastle in particular.”

A member of the English Conversation Group, speaking on the group’s behalf said, that the category of Social Inclusion & Diversity “was not something we expected to win an award for, it’s just something that’s enjoyable and rewarding for us to do, so to be recognised for it, especially at the minute when there are so many people who need to kind of help that we are giving – it’s quite nice to have that recognised.”

Jamie Shepard, recipient of the Konica Minolta Award for Outstanding Contribution to Student Media, stated his favourite thing about winning this award was “the surprised, the complete and absolute surprise of this whole night.” When asked how receiving the

award, Shepard continued “I’m just going to get used to winning things without even knowing about winning things, this was the biggest shock of my life. When I found out that I was nominated I knew I wouldn’t win but the three course meal – great, and if I know there’s free Sauvignon Blanc…I’m there, so it was all about that, but then I won and it was just a massive amount of shock.”

The evening also included an inspiring speech from Simon Campbell, CEO of The Sandpit, a business builder for startups focused on B2B marketing technology Over the past 15 years, Campbell has set up and run 6 businesses across 5 sectors based in Spain and the UK.

2013, and came runners-up in 2015.

The paper had a tabloid feel until a substantial redesign in 2008, under the editorship of Sam Parker. The Courier was frequently at odds with the Students’ Union and the University, and on several occasions editors were sacked or forced to step down.

The paper has expanded significantly since the early 2000s, with many new sections, such as Fashion, TV and Science, being added to the paper, most recently Gaming in 2014.

The archive offers an insight into not just the history of the newspaper, but the history of the Students’ Union, the University and the city of Newcastle itself. In many cases parallels can be seen between the stories in the archives and contemporary events: Newcastle also faced calls to leave the NUS in 1981, for example, and violence in Mens Bar (and calls to rename it) have been recurring themes throughout The Courier’s history.

Vice-Chancellor Blast from the past: Courier Chris Brinks to archive to be launched online retire at end of 2016

By Mark Sleightholm

By Antonia Velikova News Editor In an email circulated in late 2015, Professor Chris Brink, Vice-Chancellor of the University, announced that he will be retiring on 31 December 2016.

Professor Brink, who will be turning 65 next year, has been Vice-Chancellor of the University since 2007.

“Underpinning all our work at Newcastle has been a philosophy of excellence, but excellence with a purpose, and I am looking forward to seeing this come through in the initiatives we have underway for 2016,” Professor Brink said in his statement. “I recommend to you again the two key questions about our academic work which have guided our vision of a world-class civic university over the past few years: ‘What are we good at?’, and ‘What are we good for?’”

After gaining his PhD at Cambridge, Professor Brink has held numerous academic posts in universities all over the world. He has served on the Boards of the QAA and the Equality Challenge Unit, Board of Universities UK and the Leadership, Governance and Management Strategic Advisory Committee of HEFCE. He has also delivered addresses at various Higher Education conferences around the world.

“Chris Brink has pioneered huge change, not only in the University, but also in the city,” said Mark I’Anson, Newcastle’s governing Chair. “The University’s partnership with Newcastle City Council to develop Science Central from a former derelict site to an exemplar of urban sciences and digital

technology, creating jobs, new business and academic excellence, is a very visible example of his vision.”

For the next year, Professor Brink has promised to “continue to progress the University’s key initiatives to improve further the student experience here in Newcastle. These include the ongoing refurbishment of the Armstrong Building, the redevelopment of Richardson Road accommodation block and extension to the Sports Centre and Science Central where work on the new Urban Sciences Building is set to begin next month.”

During 2016 Professor Brink has and will continue to be focussed on overseeing important developments at Newcastle’s international campuses.

These include the first year of the University’s new London campus, building the research activity of its Singapore operation and its medical school in Malaysia and finalising Newcastle’s partnership with Xiamen University in China.

A Professor of Mathematics, Chris Brink, who is originally from South Africa, joined Newcastle from Stellenbosch University in the Western Cape. As its Rector and Vice-Chancellor he was the head of a revolutionary project that set teaching quality, diversity and research for public good as its main goal He also initiated, with the city’s Mayor, a town-andgown collaboration called ‘Reinventing Stellenbosch’ aimed at overcoming the divisions of the apartheid era.

It is expected that Professor Brinks’s successor will be named in coming weeks.

“Chris Brink has pioneered huge change, not only in the University, but also in the city”

Every issue from The Courier’s 68-year history will soon be made available online, following the complete digitisation of the archive.

The Courier launched in 1948, making it one of the oldest surviving student newspapers in the country.

Since 2015 the Special Collections and Archive team at the Robinson Library have been digitising the archive with help from Woodhorn Museum and Northumberland Archives. Not only is every page from almost every issue available to browse online, the archive will be fully searchable.

The archive was officially launched as part of the Convocation and Alumni weekend, on Saturday 11 June in the Herschel Building.

Ian Johnson, Head of Special Collections and Archives, said: “At the launch guests can hear some fascinating insights from this collaborative project.

They will then have the opportunity to explore these fascinating archives themselves.”

Originally known as King’s Courier, the paper was launched by Stuart Shaw and Allan Marsh as an eight-page paper covering news, sports and arts in what was then known as King’s College, part of the University of Durham.

Many former editors and contributors to The Courier have gone on to successful careers in the media. Stuart Prebble and Dianne Nelmes, both editors of the paper in the early 1970s, later worked for Granada Television, while Simon Bird (Editor 1993-94) and David Coverdale (Editor 2009-10) both now report on football in the North East for national newspapers.

Tim Farron, current leader of the Liberal Democrats, was President of the Union from 1990-91, and appears in The Courier, both as a writer and as the subject of news articles.

The Courier has won best publication at the Guardian Student Media Awards on three occasions, in 1994, 2012 and

6.news

Monday 11 July 2016

The Courier

Newcastle proves #ThisGirlCan

By Maria-Magdalena Manolova ‘Newcastle Girls Can’, which took place between 2 and 5 May, is the Newcastle

University events week response to the national ‘This Girl Can’ campaign whose aim is to encourage women to get more active and take part in various

sporting events.

Some of the events aimed at promoting body positivity and challenging the ‘male preserve’ sport

stereotype included Pole Dancing Taster Session, Strength and Conditioning, Fitness Class, Fencing. There was also a discussion on the Politics of Beauty.

Safiya Robinson, Racial Equality Officer at NUSU and organiser of the events, said: ‘Newcastle Girls Can is a body positive campaign to encourage more women to get involved in campus sport. We were inspired by the national ‘This Girl Can’ campaign and wanted to see how we could bring that to the university setting.

‘Year after year women report feeling underconfident when using the sports facilities, and we wanted to provide a safe space to build that confidence and try something new without added external pressures.

‘Women’s bodies are constantly scrutinised whether they are too big, too small or too muscular, and #thisgirlcan encourages women of all abilities to get involved and get active!

According to Robinson, the response from the week has been fantastic, with calls to make this an annual event and for regular women-only sessions to be introduced at the Sports Centre.

‘I think that this has been an effective way to challenge unequal gender representation in sport but it obviously can’t work by itself. More investment in Women’s Sport is needed, as well as concrete attempts to challenge the

lad culture that pervades some aspects of campus sport. It will be great to see how a female AU Officer will impact women’s participation in campus sport next year!’

The Strength and Conditioning Session took place at Newcastle University Sports Centre on 3 May. Sheri, a personal fitness trainer and group exercise tutor who led the class, explained: ‘We did some body weight exercises, stepping up and down, jumping on boxes, press-ups, sit-ups, and then I also took them into the main gym, and I showed them how to use the cardio equipment, and then we went upstairs in the weights area, and I showed them how to use the weights.

‘It is a quite maledominated area and a lot of girls feel quite intimidated.

However, she further argued that this trend is changing: ‘If you go to classes, you’ll see that it’s 95% girls, and there’s more girls starting going to the gym. There are lots of girls in the cardio area, and slowly they’re starting to go upstairs, and you’ll see them lifting quite heavy weights, which is nice to see.’

‘It’s really important for girls to try and do weight training, because it’s really good for you bone density, and prevent you from getting osteoporosis in later life.’

“Women’s bodies are constantly scrutinised whether they are too big, too small or too muscular”

‘Newcastle Girls Can‘ took place at the Sports Centre Image: Maria-Magdalena Manolova

The Courier

news.7

Monday 11 July 2016

Postcard auction raises £7000

Image: Holly Wheeler

By Sinead Corkett-Beirne News Editor The annual fine art postcard auction returned to Newcastle University on Friday 4th December 2015, generating a substantial amount of money for the department. The event was held inside the Hatton Gallery and it was organised by final year undergraduate Fine Art students to raise money for their end of year degree show.

The silent and live auctions were accessible to both students and members of the public as they placed bids on material produced by professional artists and students at Newcastle University.

The live auction, in particular, attracted a lot of interest as Sir Quentin Blake, whose illustrations feature in books written by Roald Dahl, donated an original signed drawing from the series Nos Compagnons that sold for £575. Blake received a knighthood for services to illustration in 2013 and he also donated an unsigned copy of the book that sold for £28.

According to Niamh O’Driscoll, a fourth year Fine Art student, “A lot of preparation has gone into organising the event. We encourage first, second, third, and fourth year students to produce work that might appear in the silent or live auction. Some art lecturers have even contributed work.” For instance Joe Sallis, a Woodwork Technician at Newcastle University, made a thumb piano that sold for £135. “Sallis’ work is fantastic – he can make practically anything out of wood”, O’Driscoll continued.

“The money that we earn from our auction goes towards paying for our degree show which includes hiring out the venue, the cost of providing drinks and food, a trip to London, and advertising,” said Dale Huntley, a final year Fine Art student who helped to organise the event. “We aim to make thousands of pounds per year. We’re especially excited about this year as there are some big names in the art industry such as Quentin Blake, Maggi Jones and Maggi Hambling”, he continued.

Olivia Turner, one of the key organisers of the event and fourth year student, was praised for her hard work and described by professional auctioneer John Bullock Anderson as a ‘rising star’.

Many students artwork was sold at the live auction, including Turner’s, which

attracted many keen art collectors who competed against one another in securing the winning bid.

The most expensive piece of artwork to have been sold was entitled ‘Night Sea Storm’ by Maggi Hambling, who has received a CBE for her services to painting as her work features in major collections such as in the National Gallery, Yale Centre for British Art, and Tate London. The piece made using ink and acrylic on paper cost £620.

The silent auction constituted of people writing their highest bid along with their contact details on a blank sheet of paper beneath each postcard created by students. There was a fixed starting price of 50p for each postcard however many sold for a considerable amount more.

Attendees were able to browse the artwork at a drinks reception prior to placing their bids in the live auction. In order to try sell the artwork for as much as possible, online bids and telephone bids were accepted. Amongst the artwork, a piece entitled ‘Aurora Borealis’ produced by Ornulf Opdahl sold for £360 as two bidders battled it out to secure the stone lithograph.

“We contacted many artists to try and persuade them to donate some of their work but I am quite taken aback by the response”, O’Driscoll said. Many local artists submitted pieces of work, including that of former Fine Art graduate Ben Applegarth who studied at Newcastle University. His piece named ‘Big Spring Canyon Overlook’ sold for £160 after receiving much interest. Similarly, Professor in Contemporary Sculpture at Newcastle University, Wolfgang Weileder, donated a lambda print that sold for £150. His work focuses heavily on the deconstruction of architecture and public spaces and performance and transience. Chris Jones, a Professor of Fine Art Practice at Newcastle University donated a photographic print. Jones has previously received awards from Arts Council England and the Daiwa Foundation for his work, which has been held in exhibitions in Australia, Germany, Japan, Korea and the United Kingdom.

Artwork on display at the silent auction Image: Sinead Corkett-Beirne

An original Quentin Blake illustration Image:: Sinead Corkett-Beirne

The Courier

news.9

Monday 11 July 2015

SU holds second annual conference for Inspiring Women

By Sima Nicholl On Saturday 5th of March for a second time NUSU became a scene for Inspiring Women Conference, this year’s theme formulated around the concept of ’Global Women’.

The idea of holding the event on campus belongs to NUSU’s previous Welfare and Equality Officer, Olivia Jeffery, inspired by NUS Women in Leadership conference.

Following on from last year’s success, the initiative has been actively supported by Kay Hattam, Campaigns and Democracy Support Worker at the Students’ Union, and current sabbatical officers’ team with Hannah Goring, Activities Officer, coordinating the event throughout the day.

Through two keynote speeches, a panellist discussion, seven workshops and three all-day creative sessions, the conference invited all selfdefining women at Newcastle University to discuss and celebrate the significant impact women make on the economic, cultural and social well being of their communities around the world.

“More than 60% of the world’s university graduates are women.

Women undertake over 50% of organisational management roles and are responsible for 70% of household budget management. Yet across the world they are still underrepresented in the most senior roles”, said Jacqui Henderson CBE, Honorary Conference Patron and Lifetime Member of NUSU, in her foreword.

Penni Blythe marked the beginning of the conference with a talk on her discoveries through Women of Wit, Wisdom and Wonder, sharing the stories of incredible women from across the globe who have fought for human rights, their families and even own lives, and whose voices and wisdom might otherwise have never been heard.

Finishing her speech, Penni addressed the audience with a question: “Think about who you will inspire – and how?”

The second keynote speech of the day was delivered by Charlie Webster, TV presenter and women’s rights campaigner, through her talk paying a particluar attention to the problem

of sexual abuse. Citing Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s statement “The best protection a woman can have is courage“, Charlie urged women in the audience to find their courage: “Change never happens if it’s not challenged, so let’s take responsibility and change the world“.

The panel discussion, which this year consisted of Tina Simbo (BAM! Sistahood), Abi Kelly (Head of Newcastle University’s Corporate Affairs Directorate), Jo Rockingham (Founding member of the Women’s Equality Party), Charlotte Mitchell (Founder of Charlotte’s Butchery) and Prof Candy Rowe (Chair of NU Women, Director of Diversity in FMS), focused on the leading roles of women within organizations and challenges women-leaders have to go through in their careers on a daily basis.

“Leader is someone who accepts and empathizes to everyone, and women are tend to be particularly good at it, reading situation and people naturally“, commented Abi Kelly in response to the question on what makes someone an effective leader.

Winthin one of the workshops, conferense also featured an inspirational talk from Muzoon al-Mellehan, who fled with her parents and three younger siblings from Syria in 2013, and in December 2015 was named one of the BBC’s Top 100 Women for her campaign efforts to keep Syrian girls in the camp’s school, rather than being married off.

Taking place across the Students’ Union throughout the day, some of the sessions were aimed at addressing especially problematic women’s experiences, such as body image, menstruation and sexual violence, another celebrated the cultural, political and social heritage of BAME women in the North East, the others looked into what exactly makes women inspiring, successful and globally valued. “I myself learned so many new things!“, told to The Courier Erica, part of the coordinating team.

“The conference was amazing, and it is a great space for women and pro gender equality to get to meet new people and new ideas“, said Cristina, 2nd year Chemistry student and conference attendee.

“More than 60% of the world’s university graduates are women yet they are underrepresented in the most senior roles”

The Inspiring Womens Conference focused on the theme of global women Image: Louisa Hattam

Image: Louisa Hattam

S.H.A.G. Week reaches its climax

By Emily Keliher S.H.A.G. Week hit Newcastle University in October , a five-day long event aimed at increasing awareness of both mental and physical sexual health.

From Monday 26 to Friday 30 October, a number of talks and workshops were held across campus, providing advice and guidance on sexual health.

Luke Allison, Welfare and Equality Officer, said: “Whilst we look at the physical side to sexual health, like last year, we are also focusing greatly on the mental aspect.

“We’re trying to open up the topic of sexuality, discussing orientation and expression, and how comfortable people are with it”.

Events included a BDSM talk and workshop on Tuesday in the Students’ Union, which aimed to break down

familiar terms and inform people on how to apply the Safe, Sane, Consensual code of ethics to sex.

A women-only Anne Summers party was also held in the NUSU Venue Level 2 at 7pm, with a 15% discount on all orders placed on the night.

Allison additionally sported a giant S.H.A.G. Week inflatable penis costume around campus, with people who took a picture with him given the chance to win a prize.

The STI testing and Sexual Health Drop In Centre was open all week from 11am to 4pm in the NUSU Red Cube.

Students who took chlamydia tests had the chance to win free headphones and cinema tickets for Empire Cinema in The Gate. The club or society with the highest percentage of completed tests will win a prize of £250.

The events during the week aimed to emulate the ethos of Sexpression, a national student organization that

“Accessibility to sexual health services should always be a priority for the Union”

Education Officer Matt Price and Welfare Officer Luke Allison.

The inflatable penis has been walking around campus all week with information materials.

Image: Victoria Armstrong

empowers young people to make decisions about sex and relationships.

The organization held two talks; a ‘Beyond the Birds and the Bees’ discussion on Wednesday 28th and an ‘I heart Consent’ talk held on Friday 30th, co-hosted by Lucy-Neely Morgan, Vice-President of FemSoc and Gender Equality Officer for the Union.

Morgan said: “Promoting sexual health and increasing accessibility to sexual health services should always be a priority for the Union.

“S.H.A.G. Week should focus on raising awareness of existing systems and access to contraception already available on campus.”

Sexpression also hosted a national conference in the Newcastle Medical School the weekend before S.H.A.G. where people could hear from influential speakers within the sexual health community about subjects such as living with HIV, as well as meeting others passionate about sex and relationship education.

For more information on the work of Sexpression and to find out how to get involved, visit sexpression.org.uk.

The Courier

news.11

Monday 11 July 2016

Union provides drug testing kits LGBT+ Awareness Week

By Mark Sleightholm Deputy Editor

Newcastle University Students’ Union has become the first in the country to offer students easily available drug testing kits. Students will now be able to buy kits for £3 from the Student Advice Centre.

The testing kits include chemicals that change colour when different drugs are added, which can be compared to a colour chart that comes with the kit.

This lets drug users know exactly what substances are in their drugs, allowing them to make an informed decision.

Each £3 pack contains a test for ecstasy and one for ketamine, but both test for other substances as well, with clear instructions provided to explain this.

They are designed to be used together, to test for adulterants that drug users would not expect to find in their drugs.

The kits were introduced as part of a campaign by Students for Sensible Drug Policy called “Test Your Drugs,

Don’t Test Yourself ”. As well as raising awareness of the risks of taking illegal drugs, the campaign aims to highlight the dangers of the adulterants often found in recreational drugs. Holly Robinson, President of SSDP, explained that these adulterants “can often be more dangerous than the illegal drug which was intended to be consumed”.

Robinson also pointed out: “Although confusing, these are testing kits for testing the drugs people might take themselves, not drug testing of people!”

SSDP managed to source the kits for less than half their retail price, after explaining to the supplier, EZ Test Kits, what they were planning to do with them. The kits available in the Student Advice Centre are therefore not only more easily available, but also much

cheaper, than other drug testing kits.

SSDP hope to make the kits free in the future, and Robinson stated: “We want drug testing to become socially acceptable and a normal part of the lives of students who choose to use drugs. Harm reduction should be as accessible for illegal drugs as it is for legal drugs.”

Last year SSDP successfully campaigned for the University to adjust its zero tolerance policy to drugs in University accommodation. The kits include a reminder of the new policy, as well as first aid advice and other safety information.

Earlier this year the society provided testing kits during their first Drugs Awareness Week. The kits will now be available all the time in the Student Advice Centre, and SSDP will also set up regular stalls outside the Union for students to discuss the kits, and safer drug use.

Robinson explained that SSDP’s aim is “to be a platform for anybody who wants to talk about anything drug-related in a non-biased, approachable way.”

Luke Allison, NUSU’s Welfare and Equality Officer, said: “I am very glad that we have taken on this initiative at Newcastle.

“The safest way to take drugs is not to take drugs but if we acknowledge that students still do, we need to look after these students’ well-being just like any other and promote harm reduction.

Testing your drugs is a key part of this.”

Official government figures state that one in ten young people aged 16-24 have taken an illicit substance in the last month.

“The kits allow drug users know exactly what substances are in their drugs”

combats stigma and challenges stereotypes

By Sinead Corkett-Beirne News Editor Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Awareness week commenced on 15 February 2016 as various events organised by Newcastle University’s Student Union in conjunction with the LGBT Society took place throughout the week.

There was a range of discussions that focused on the different aspects of the LGBT community, including talks on trans-health, bisexuality, mental health, queer women in the 21st Century, and LGBT people with faith. The Albert Kennedy Trust, which is a charity that provides support to young LGBT homeless people under the age of twenty-five, also featured in a separate discussion. A colour festival was organised for 19th February after the LGBT society recorded a promotional video for the event at Exhibition Park.

During the course of the week, an LGBT Awareness tent was set up outside the student union for three consecutive days. An action day prompting the university to change ‘unnecessarily’ gendered toilets to a more gender-

neutral sign occurred on 18th February, whereby a prize was awarded to an individual who documented the most gendered toilets along with their location.

Dan Robertson, PR and Communications Officer for the LGBT+ society said: “I think that the week was important because it helped to raise awareness of issues that weren’t commonly asociated with being LGBT+, such as mental health repurcussions.

Third-year Physiology student, Iqra Choudhry said: “During LGBT+ awareness week I read an article online that reaffirmed my belief in the importance of these events.

“The article perpetuated lots of negative stereotypes associated with bisexuality and went so far as to suggest that bisexuality isn’t real.”

Several of the events during the LGBT+ awareness week focused on challenging such stereotypes, such as Josh Hally-Milne’s talk about stereotypes of ‘camp’ gay men and internalised homophobia.

One of the events was a QuestionTime panel which featured representatives from the sub-communities under the LGBT umbrella.

“The week helped to raise awareness of issues that weren’t commonly associated with being LGBT+”

Sports clubs unite against homophobia

By Mark Sleightholm Deputy Editor

Newcastle’s latest student campaign kicked off with the official launch of Come Out And Play, a campaign tackling homophobia, biphobia and transphobia in sports.

Set up by five third-year Geography students, the campaign aims to make Newcastle’s Athletic Union more inclusive by promoting equality within sport.

The launch event saw presidents and members of many of the University’s sports clubs wearing campaign t-shirts and gathering outside the Students’ Union alongside AU Officer Angus Taylor.

The campaign was initially envisaged as part of a project for their Geography degrees, but James Shorthouse, Calum Wilson, Emily Wassell, Sophie Entress and Flora Gilbert decided to take it one step further and launch their campaign for real. Shorthouse came up with the initial idea after seeing the media attention that Premier League footballers got when they announced that they were gay.

With support from Luke Allison, NUSU’s Welfare and Equality Officer, Angus Taylor, AU Officer, and the LGBT Society. Wilson explained: “With Luke’s financial backing we were able to print some very colourful t-shirts, which we hope to see being worn all over campus by the AU members that came along to the shoot. The whole process from brainstorming in our seminar room to actually putting the campaign into action has been very fast but in the short time we’ve been campaigning we’ve had

so much support and positive feedback, it’s really helped the campaign to develop. The turnout on the day of the photoshoot was far greater than we’d hoped and anticipated and we were all really proud and thrilled to see so many AU members coming down to support from a number of different clubs.”

Over 40 students attended the photoshoot, wearing Come Out And Play t-shirts in the red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple colours of the LGBT+ flag. The campaign organisers have also set up a Twitter account to keep followers updated on the campaign’s progress.

Wilson pointed out: “Despite our catchy name, we wanted to make clear that we are not forcibly encouraging anyone to ‘come out’ or express their sexual orientation.

Rather, we set out with the aim of promoting safe sporting environments where anyone can express their sexual orientation, should they wish to do so.”

The campaign builds on the work of last year’s rainbow shoelaces campaign, where the Athletic Union participated in Stonewall’s nation-wide campaign tackling homophobia in sport. Wilson explained why Come Out And Play tried a different tactic: “We wanted to create an opportunity to get AU clubs together in one space to show everyone that sport at Newcastle is united in tackling homophobia, transphobia and biphobia.”

The photoshoot formed part of NUSU’s LGBT+ week, a programme of events designed to raise awareness and prompt discussion of various issues surrounding sexuality and gender.

“We were proud and thrilled to see so many AU members coming down to show support”

Over 40 AU members gathered outside the SU to show support Image: Mark Sleightholm

The Courier

2015/2016

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Monday 11 July 2016

The Courier

R.A.G. Week raises £7000 e c n a d n r a b e Th

Last week, Raising and Giving (R.A.G.) Week came to campus in a blur of bad fancy dress and hilarious events all in the name of charity. Lifestyle editor Lauren Exell gives us all the details

Each January, just after exams have finished, RAG Week comes around. This year the organisers, Ellie Higgs and Lauren Williamson, decided to opt for Tusk (a charity protecting wildlife throughout Africa), 353 (which aims to help members of the military community), the Great North air ambulance, Centre Point (for young homeless people) and Age UK Gateshead as their chosen charities to raise money for. The week is filled with various daytime and evening events such as a Pub Quiz, Take Me Out, Man Vs Food, a Talent Show and many more.

It’s a great way to blow off some steam post-exam season, and

“‘It was a great week and raised nearly £1000 per charity”

the infamous RAG crew - dressed in a bad fancy dress which gets gradually dirtier throughout the week - are there to attend and help out at all the events in order to raise as much money as possible. RAG crew also helped out throughout the days by taking old people shopping around the Metrocentre with Age UK, building crates for Stu Brew and attending a bucket collection around Sunderland’s Stadium of Light. It was a great week and raised nearly £1000 per charity. There will also be future RAG events outside of RAG week, such as the Fashion Show (10th March) and the RAG Masquerade Ball (19th February) which will help make the total even higher.

Photos: TCTV

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Venue, the bottom floor of the Student’s Union was covered in fairy lights and country decor for an evening filled with fun.

“‘Members of the dance society came down to teach the clutzty participants how to do it properly”

One corner of the room had a table for beer pong, while a ‘saloon’ cardboard cut out to stick your head through proved very popular. Members of the dance society came down to teach the slightly clutzy participants how to do it properly.

Man vs Food

How long does it take to wolf down an 18 inch burrito from Zapatistas? Harry Young gives us the low down of the various challenges, from eating ‘the hottest thing ever eaten’ to munching a Creme Egg using only your mouth

he return of RAG week meant that the annual ‘Man vs Food’ competition was back on campus.

Starting with burrito challenges provided by Zapatista, these were held outside the union for passers by to come and spectate and fourteen lucky (or unlucky) contestants took on the challenge. The first burrito challenge was who could eat a huge burrito quickest, with the winner, Jamil Al-Ajooz, munching down his burrito in an impressive 10 minutes leaving his competitors with bad indigestion and no victory. Following on from the giant burrito challenge came the spicy burrito challenge, where Zapatista had really outdone themselves and invented a whole new level of spiciness. Whilst the winner found the challenge a breeze, Scouts RAG Crew member James Rowan had a whole different story.

“The winner munched down his 18” burrito in an impressive 10 minutes leaving his competitors with bad indigestion and no victory”

He wasn’t even a contestant, yet James thought he’d still give the burrito a try, which resulted in him running to find the nearest hedge in fear of the dreaded burrito making another appearance. Nick Downing and Harvey Brown from the Firemen RAG Crew said it was ‘the hottest thing they’ve ever eaten’, but it still wouldn’t stop them going for the hot and spicy salsa next time they visited the Mexican food outlet. With the chaotic scenes caused by the spicy burritos, along with the milk running out and tears streaming down contestants (and other fools), it was time to move onto the other Man vs

Food events downstairs in venue. First up was the cracker challenge, where contestants had to eat seven dry crackers as fast as possible, on stage in front of a crowd of anticipated onlookers. With the six contestants sat down, whilst some had prepared for the event by lubing up their mouths with water, amateur cracker eaters struggled after eating just one cracker, leaving the winner to storm to victory with ease. With the dry cracker challenge over and done with, RAG Crew volunteered to take part in the donut challenge.

“There were chaotic scenes caused by the spicy burritos... tears were streaming down contestants who took a bite”

With contestants forbidden from eating their donut using their hands, it was going to be a messy display for all involved. Donuts were licked, bitten and tossed on stage, with one contestant on their hands and knees eating the donut off the stage floor in a bid for the champion title. With a swift movement (and a large mouth), Robot RAG Crew member Ross Easton stormed to victory with his technique of finishing off each donut in two bites.

With the donut challenge over fairly quickly, we moved onto the final round of Man vs Food: The Creme Egg Challenge. Contenders were challenged with unwrapping and eating a creme egg using only their mouths. Whilst the size of creme eggs isn’t a problem, the foil wrapping is a barrier to overcome. James Prowse, also from the scouts RAG Crew, was the winner after successfully opening and eating his creme egg first. James said “The months of feverish training paid off, I didn’t crack under pressure and performed egg-cellently. I can now die fulfilled”.

The Courier

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Monday 11 July 2016

Take me out!

Let the raising see the giving! Remember Paddy McGuinness’ ITV show Take Me Out? Newcastle Uni’s RAG has its very own version, and here are some of the lucky couples that managed to bag themselves a date Harry Young,2rd year Maths and Economics, picked up Lucy Dodman, 4th year Chemical Engineering after she showed off her flexibility by performing the splits on stage So Harry, did you know Lucy before she got on stage?

Yes, we met during Freshers’ crew, and she was dressed as Elsa from Frozen. That’s when my attraction from her first came about, I’ve got a thing for princesses.

Why did you leave your light on for Lucy?

She’s not my usual type, but I fancied going for a blonde for a change.

So you didn’t actually really fancy her then?

No not really, but I was partial to her Leeds accent.

Were you turned on when you saw her talent was the splits?

Yeah, I like my girls nice and flexible.

Do you think it will last?

I hope it will last, we’ve not been for our date yet but I’m definitely up for giving it a go.

Would you shag her?

Yeah, she’s fit, and she’s got massive tits.

Lucy, what caught your eye about Harry?

I’ve met him before so I know he’s really good fun.

You had two lights on at the end of the show, what was wrong with his competition, Liam?

Well, for starters Liam is seeing one of my friends.

Liam also made a deal with Maeve that he’d keep his light on for her but then she sacked him off for Hugh. Soz Liam.

Wow, that is awkward. Well, now you’ve picked Harry, do you think it will last?

I dunno, he’s fun but there’s a three and a half age gap. Don’t wanna seem like too much of a cougar.

Host Emil interviewing some of the female panellists Maeve Hanna,3rd year Law, managed to make Hugh Vermont, 3rd year Geography fall for her Irish charms after showing off some sexy balloon animal making

RAG committee member Hayley Allen with her new date Harry Dyson

Maeve, was Hugh your love at first light?

No my love at first light was Liam Day, because he’s my best pal.

Why did you pick balloon animal making as your talent?

I wanted all the boys to know I’m good with my hands, but regretted my choice once I heard all the other girl contestants had talents such as belly dancing and the splits.

All of the boys left their light on, what made you turn off everyone else and pick Hugh?

He said he would give me a prod and it’s been a while. Also he’s best friends with my friend George

Snape so I figured he must be a gem.

Will it last?

Who can say, if not hopefully a new friendship forged.

What happened on the night out after you picked him?

Good question, neither of us really remember. We downed trebles, kissed a lot and according to onlookers he passed out outside Sinners. We woke up in the same bed in the morning, I was naked but he was fully clothed, so obviously nothing happened.

I was very confused.

The talent show

Deputy editor Mark Sleightholm reviews the various acts that hit the stage for one night only

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uesday night saw the RAG Variety Show take over Venue, hosted by Emil Franchi, who took a break from the big time to return to his RAG roots.

The night began with a performance by the Newcastle South Asian Society, and then Jordan Scudder, dressed as a pig (naturally), tried his hand at stand up. Both proved popular with the crowd, and set the tone for a diverse and entertaining evening.

Keeping with a comedy theme, this was followed by improvisation by Newcastle University’s Comedy Society. Various society members took part in several improvisation games, including a kind of miming Chinese-whispers and some human puppetry.

There were lots of innuendos, and the delight of the audience says something about Newcastle students. But one innuendo-based activity was undermined by their attempts to imagine a situation in Ann Summers. You can’t really make innuendos about the stuff you find in Ann Summers, it’s already pretty dirty. Or so I’m told.

After a short interval the A Cappella Society came on stage to sing, a cappella. They performed a medley, a mash-up and finished with a performance of “Counting Stars”, so there was something for everyone.

Still to come...

The RAG and 20 Minute Society present The Masquerade Ball on the 19th February, with all money raised going to Cardiomyopathy UK. Tickets can be bought from the Santander staff in the students’ union or bought online and collected from Santander.

Comedian George Zach

The RAG Fashion Show will take place on the 10th March.

It’s always a top night with some fabulous clothes on show and models to match.

Next up was Irish dancing, which drove the crowd wild. Every dance seemed even more spectacular than the last, and by the time the (apparently only) male dancer came on the audience was besotted with Irish dancing.

This Celtic celebration was followed by some Continental comedy from the “Greek Geordie” George Zach, whose sharp jokes went down a storm, setting him in good stead for his upcoming tour of Australia.

George’s gags gave way to Tom Merson’s music, with a guitar solo that went on for an eternity but was popular with the crowd. And then as a finale Emil and Hannah Goring, NUSU’s Activities Officer, tried their hands at a lip sync battle, where Emil became Beyonce (“Crazy in Love” vintage) and Hannah became Miley Cyrus (a chronology of Miley’s many phases). No act could possibly surpass this, so this marked the end of the Variety Show.

The Courier

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Monday 11 July 2016

Review: Blackfriars

Incoming Deputy Editor Oliver Burton drops in for dinner at the charming restaurant serving modern British classics and situated in a former monastery.

W

e enter Blackfriars and are seated immediately at a small table by the door, with an unrestricted view of the space in all its oak-panelled splendour yet intimate enough to fuel exchange of banter of whatever quality you see fit. I was surprised by the location – the 13th century friary itself is juxtaposed between The Gate and Westgate Road, becoming noticeably much quieter than its surroundings.

Artisanal bread is and butter hastily brought by a smiling waitress, and our alcoholic pursuits of choice ordered: a delightful Grigio I sincerely regret not getting the name of, although perhaps had I done you would find me chasing down my cornflakes with it so it probably is for the best.

I am a simple man with simple tastes, and as such am inspired to try simple dishes for the evening – the tomato & basil soup to start, to be followed by the North Sea fish and chips with tomato sauce and mushy peas. After all, the basics have to be right before venturing into undue complexity, although I’m not entirely sure I would accept that from someone who will happily consume own-brand beans from a saucepan.

“I am a simple man with simple tastes... Blackfriars do remarkably well with classic and straightforward dishes” The soup was as you would expect, nicely tangy with a dash of herb oil giving a slight spicy edge, adding character to a dish that can otherwise come across as bland in lesser venues. I enjoyed it sufficiently that I didn’t even do the characteristic ‘look around to see if anyone is judging me for dipping bread in my soup’ routine. Social conditioning is a joy, isn’t it. No later than we set our bowls down they were promptly whisked away and our places prepared for course two.

Again, Blackfriars do remarkably well with classic and straightforward dishes – my fish is sumptuous and flaky, the batter a deliciously savoury affair, while the chunky-profiled chips are crispy to the point of perfection (dare I say it, even better than Wetherspoons?). You can tell their quality from retention of the skins and even browning, and I even notice another patron glance longingly at them from afar, although by this point I have developed a motherly protectiveness of my solanaceous delights and reflexively resume consumption. Periodic attention from the waiting staff was extremely professional and they genuinely felt on hand to assist rather than badgering or intrusive – top marks in this regard.

As delectable as the main had been, my heart sank as we approached desserts – I was craving a particular combination, that of masterfully paired fruit and chocolate, and was not expecting a restaurant with divine inspirations to offer such sinful delights. Yet there it was – like a candle in the darkness of my unsated sweet tooth, a chocolate brownie complemented by a cherry sorbet and served with poached cherries.

The soft fluffy texture of the cake contrasted beautifully with the icy smoothness of the sorbet, with the cherries themselves perfectly ripe. Many restaurants tend to let their main dishes carry the day and relegate the dessert to an afterthought, but Blackfriars commits no such crime. To be honest I’d happily come back again for the sole purpose of reviewing the puddings. Blackfriars? Please?

Friars Street, Newcastle, NE1 4XN

Review: The Great British Cupcakery

T

ired of sticky floors, acidic trebles and clubs that are fragranced with the lingering smell of sick? Then get yourself down to The Great British Cupcakery for a spot of afternoon tea, a white washed haven of sugar and spice and all things very, very nice.

Nestled amongst the winding banks of the River Tyne lies this hidden cake lovers paradise. Situated on 15 Queen Street, The Great British Cupcakery is home to (arguably) the best cakes in Newcastle, tempting even the most committed calorie counters into a heaven of chocolate filled goodness. Brimming with scones, sandwiches, cakes and its now toon- famous mighty milkshakes, the parlour is perfect for those with a sharp sweet tooth and the ideal setting for a catch up with the girls for a Valencia- filtered #lunchdate or somewhere to wind down during exam period over a quick bite to eat.

I’ve done Quay Ingredient. I’ve exhausted Olive and Bean. Semester one had seen me practically live in Quilliam’s. So after hearing raving reviews from many of my friends and course mates alike, I decided to take the plunge and was interested to see whether this den of baked goodness did in fact truly live up to the hype.

Arriving on a Saturday at the peak of midday, the cosy and quaint setting was a welcoming sight from the cold harsh wind. Decorated with fairy lights, pink gingham buntings and Victorianesque cake stands, the parlour is perfect for Bake off fans and all round food enthusiasts who, tired of commercialised Starbucks and Costas, are wanting to try something just that little bit different.

Reasonably priced with enough choice to satisfy even the pickiest of taste buds, I settled on ordering the smoked salmon and cream cheese sandwich before feasting my eyes on the milkshake menu.

Overwhelmed with choice, I was tempted by the salted caramel flavour but instead played it safe and stuck to what I knew best; cookies and cream.

First arrived my sandwich. Generous in portion siz e, it was accompanied by crisps and garnished with a side portion of salad. As a hearty eater, I was very much satisfied by this and looked forward in anticipation to the remainder of my meal.

Was I disappointed as I took my first sip of this pint of milk and chocolate loveliness? The answer is a resounding no. Filled to the brim with whipped cream and laced with milk and white chocolate, this mother of all milkshakes is topped off with two warm and gooey chocolate cookies and vanilla ice cream. Heaven in a cup. Literally.

The only downside to my Cupcakery experience is that we had to wait around 25 minutes for a seat, something that can prove testing when surrounded by appetising display cakes and the saliva-inducing smell of freshly baked goods.

However this slight grievance melted away as we sipped our milkshakes overlooking our view of the Tyne bridge and can be easily avoided by visiting on a quieter day other than a Saturday.

So alas, join the bandwagon and visit The Great British Cupcakery- your waistline might regret it, but I promise you won’t.

Talia Alise Gillen

15 Queen Street, Quayside, Newcastle, NE1 3UG

The Courier

sport.19

Monday 11 July 2015

Poly pockets cup for third time

Newcastle 67.25 - 73.75 Northumbria

By Calum Wilson Sports Editor Having comprehensively regained the Stan Calvert Memorial Cup last year, Northumbria’s 73.75-67.25 victory in this year’s varsity competition means the Poly have, for the first time in their history, lifted the cup three times in a row.

The victory is the latest chapter in a story of Northumbrian sporting dominance over their city rivals. Newcastle’s wait to re-claim the trophy goes on, but the Uni will be heartened to have closed the gap between the two Universities from 34 points in 2015, to just 6.5 in 2016.

The main week’s events began with Northumbria establishing a head start in the competition by managing a comprehensive 5-0 thrashing of Uni’s Women’s Football 1sts. It was a week to forget for the Uni female footballers whose 2nd team were also beaten 5-0 on Super Sunday.

Tuesday saw Northumbria stretch their early lead with a win in the Men’s Volleyball 1’s. The Poly wrapped up the points with a 3-0 straight sets victory over the Uni. The reigning champions

comfortably secured the three sets (2513; 25-7; 25-13).

Newcastle closed the gap on Northumbria on Wednesday with a clean sweep of victories. Despite both posing relatively low batting scores, the Newcastle Uni Cricket Club’s 1st and 2nd team bowled their opponents out quickly to take the points. Elsewhere, Newcastle’s Boat Club continued their good form in the rowing.

The Equestrian competition took place over two days, with Dressage being held on the Wednesday and Show jumping on the Thursday. Newcastle showed their dominance on horses, winning by a hugely impressive 112.5 points.

By Thursday night there was very little to separate the two Universities, after Newcastle battled hard in the pool to win two out of the three Waterpolo matches. The highlight of which was a 10-9 win for Uni’s Men’s 1st team, who survived a last minute surge by Poly to take the points, narrowly.

Saturday saw Northumbria regain a clear advantage and mount the pressure on their rivals going into the final day. Defeats for Skiing, Snowboarding, Gaelic Football and Men’s 3’s Basketball saw the Poly’s lead stand at 32-18 at the

start of Super Sunday.

The day’s earliest kick off, the Women’s 2nd Basketball, got Newcastle off to a poor start with Northumbria running away as 50-8 victors. On the adjacent court, a bloodied and battered Men’s 2’s were also beaten, 61-80. Better news emerged from Northumbria’s Sport Central, where the Badminton girls’ 2nd team had beaten the Poly 6-2.

Midday successes from Newcastle’s Women’s 2’s in Squash and Hockey saw the overall gap closed to 36-20, but the underdogs were still left with plenty to do. Back at Newcastle’s Sports Centre there was more good news as the Netball 4’s clung on to secure a narrow 2624 triumph.

As more lunchtime results flew in, the competition reached boiling point.

At around 3pm, only three points separated the two teams and both were now going gung-ho to try and get across the line in pole position.

Newcastle were then dealt a huge blow as the Men’s fencers lost unexpectedly 103-134, the first time that the Newcastle Blades have ever lost a varsity match. To add to the woe, the Women’s 1st Hockey suffered late heartbreak, losing 2-3 to their Poly counterparts at Longbenton.

Over at Coach Lane the Men’s footy 2’s battled bravely but were undone by two goals from Ayoze Perez’s brother in a 1-3 defeat, despite being cheered on by their 1st team colleagues who looked calm and collected ahead of their trip to Gateshead International Stadium for the finale.

The Men’s Hockey Club endured a mixed afternoon at Coach Lane. The 2’s laboured to a 3-1 win against a Poly outfit who compete three tiers below in BUCS. Then, the 1’s threw away a lead to draw 1-1 with a side also a league below themselves.

With the afternoon’s matches drawing to a close, supporters from both Uni’s made the short Metro journey down to Gateshead Stadium for the finale. This year the honour fell on Men’s Football, who were locked in battle last year in an enthralling 2-2 draw.

This time around underdogs Newcastle went one better and came away 1-0 winners, to the delight of the gathered Uni supporters. Olly Walker’s perfectly placed finish coming midway through the second half, after neither side managed to create much in the first.

The surprise victory marked the end of what was a valiant effort from Newcastle in the competition as a whole.

Poly want a cracker? Poly the Parrot was one happy mascot Image: NUstudents

Eager to dampen the footy lads’ celebrations, the stadium tannoy quickly announced that Northumbria had won the overall Cup. The Uni fans remained standing to proudly applaud the heroic footballers off the field.

Reflecting on his team’s brave efforts, AU Officer Angus Taylor expressed his pride. “Absolutely gutted to lose the competition by only 6.5 points but at the same time I’m immensely proud of all Team Newcastle athletes and clubs who competed in the event.”

Taylor believes that Newcastle performed admirably to close the gap to Northumbria so quickly. “Considering the margin of defeat was 34 points last years I feel we have made incredible strides forward this year and were thoroughly competitive against a fantastic sporting University in Northumbria.”

The narrow defeat has certainly restored a sense of pride in Newcastle’s sports teams and all but buries the ghosts of last year’s haunting competition. With that in mind, Stan Calvert 2017 looks set to be another cracker and Newcastle will be hopeful of going one better and reclaim their crown.

20.sport

Monday 11 July 2016 The Courier

We won the battle, STAN CALVERT FINALE 2016 MEN’S FOOTBALL Newcastle 1st

1

Northumbria 1st

0

By James Sproston at Gateshead Stadium For the last time in this year’s Stan Calvert Cup, Newcastle and Northumbria clashed as they looked to finish the competition in style. This year the curtain closer was the beautiful game, and it was Newcastle that took the spoils.

Newcastle’s players would have been filled with confidence having read last week’s preview of the game in the Courier. This fixture rarely takes into account league position and an upset is never off the table. So much so that the underdogs often become favourites just

because they’re the underdogs. That’s what Newcastle were ultimately able to capitalise on.

Both teams brought a raucous set of travelling supporters with them from north of the Tyne, providing an electric atmosphere that the majority of Gateshead could feel.

Newcastle kicked off, with Tom Espin rolling the ball to Olly Walker to get the game underway. Needless to say it wasn’t long before the adrenaline was pumping.

Peter Mairs, playing in the right-back position for Newcastle, was the first to get stuck in, before an equally meaty challenge from Northumbria’s Ross Mckeown brought about the first free kick of the match.

Espin took the free-kick, picking out Alex Ames in the middle. Unfortunately the forward couldn’t get the right contact, sending his header just wide.

Ames was then involved again, playing a neat one-two with Scott Huntley before sending the ball onto Walker on the left-hand-side. The striker took on a defender with a lovely pirouette, but attempting a second was slightly too cheeky.

From the following attack, a dodgy Northumbria clearance spurred the Newcastle crowd into action, with “feed the Poly” and “stand up if you know your dad” ringing out around Gateshead stadium.

However the first Northumbria chance of the match came just moments later when a Luke Hannant cross

Shortly after, Newcastle keeper Stefan Holden was called into action when he had to save Tumilty’s header. The keeper attempted to quickly set Allan Owen free at the other end of the pitch, but Alex Newton in the Northumbria goal did a good job of sweeping up.

At the second time of asking, Holden picked out Ames on the right. Having

ilty started the attack, moving the ball along to Mckeown. The ball then went to Green and Baldelli before finding itself back at the feet of Mckeown. The captain subsequently released Hannant, whose attempted one-two with Storey would’ve put him clean through, but Storey’s backheel was intercepted and cleared.

“A dodgy Northumbrian clearance spurred the Newcastle crowd into action, with ‘feed the poly’ and ‘stand up if you know your dad’ ringing out around Gateshead stadium” was met by Sam Read, but the defender could only put it wide. Recently elected NUSU president Jack Taylor then floored Nick Green, who’s foot was a little too high for the referee’s liking anyway.

The game continued to be very physical, besides Hannant’s little swan dive in the corner, as Huntley gave Marco Baldelli a friendly shove, and Ames stopped former Sheffield Wednesday man Matty Tumilty in his tracks as he tried to bring the ball out from the back.

held up the ball, the Newcastle No.11 looked to pick out a blue shirt in the box but his attempted low cross was cleared well.

In the other box, Northumbria striker Louis Storey had a good sight of goal but miskicked, allowing Declan Stockle to start a Newcastle counter attack. His ball gave Owen the freedom to stretch his legs but his final ball was lacking.

From the resultant turnover of possession, Northumbria constructed the best move of the game so far. Tum-

Northumbria looked to capitalise on this momentum minutes later as Green put a tasty looking ball in to the Newcastle box. Tumilty’s miskick sent the ball out to Hannant on the left-hand side, whose pinpoint cross found Baldelli on the far side, yet the midfielder couldn’t trouble Holden in the Newcastle goal.

In response, Newcastle fashioned a chance of their own. A lovely passing move sent the ball to Owen via Espin and Walker, and the forward’s shot was

On the attack: goalscorer Olly Walker swings in a dangerous corner Image: Jack Cryer

The story of the Stan Calvert week

Monday 29 Feb Holders Northumbria take an early lead in the varsity competition with a 5-0 drubbing in Women’s Football 1’s. Initial hopes of Newcastle producing a shock re-claiming of the trophy are wounded.

Tuesday 1 March The Volleyball Men’s 1sts go down 0-3 in straight sets (25-13; 25-7; 25-13) as Northumbria continue the defence of their title well. Meanwhile, Rory the Lion stepped us his preparation for the battle ahead featuring in a Rocky Balboa inspired promo.

We

We lo to h comp

but we lost the war.

Club captain Tom Espin runs up to deliver a free kick into the Poly box Image: Jake Jeffries-Jackson deflected wide. However Walker’s corner wasn’t good enough to reach a Newcastle player.

Up until this point the game was scrappy, with the best of the entertainment coming from the ‘Untouchable; stewards that enforced prohibition in the stands.

Balls between the strikers, Allen Owen and Olly Walker, didn’t come off, and a poor Nick Harrison ball

went straight to the feet of Mckeown.

The Northumbria defender fed George Dibb-Fuller for a one-on-one but the winger couldn’t beat Holden.

In similar fashion, Newcastle created their best chance of the match; a Mairs throw reaching Walker, whose shot went across goal and wide of Newton’s right-hand post.

Tactically it had become apparent that Newcastle had wanted their three

central midfielders to sit deep to protect the back-four. However this had isolated the men up top, proving that the team were missing James ‘Orlando’ Golby. The man who usually plays in the ‘hole’, linking up defence and attack.

Nevertheless, the shots kept coming in at both end, with Owen and Walker for Newcastle and Robbie Spence for Northumbria having shots blocked at each end of the pitch. However these shots were vastly outnumbered by fouls, as Walker, Stockle, Tumilty and Owen were all penalised for unfair challenges.

An enforced injury break then ensued as a late challenge by Spence on Stockle left the midfielder on the ground for a while.

Due to that stoppage there were a hefty four minutes added on,

ing mark on Stockle, and with firstchoice central midfielder Joe Watson not included today, Tom Woodier got a run-out to ensure the team remained defensively tight.

An ongoing drama throughout the game was the situation with the balls.

Although there were a number knocking about with stewards, the balls were regularly being kicked into touch and not retrieved. Next year there should definitely be an investment into ball boys.

Nonetheless Newcastle gained momentum at the start of the second half.

Owen, Walker and Taylor all had opportunities to set up goals, however they didn’t have to wait long for the deadlock to be broken.

A world class touch from Ames gave him ample time to pick out the onrushing Allan “The Black Mamba” Owen.

The striker then played a dainty onetwo before finding Olly Walker on the edge of the box. The No.10 created some space by cutting in onto his right, before

blocked, as were the follow up efforts from Redford and substitute Kane White. Two misplaced passes from Espin and Woodier personified the Newcastle midfield’s afternoon, however their defence remained resolute. A double block from Mairs demonstrated this, as did Espin’s shepherding after a lovely little Northumbria move.

As the game drew to a close, Northumbria seemed to run out of ideas. Substitute right-back Jake Armitage kept pumping left-footed crosses aimlessly into the Newcastle box to no avail, and Newcastle could’ve sealed the win on the counter if not for Walker’s deteriorating pace.

Nevertheless, Newcastle managed to hold out for the five minutes of stoppage time and take the win. It shows that it is hard work and commitment that win games, rather that so-called ‘talent’. It may be more competitive to get into the Northumbria team but that didn’t show on Sunday. In the end it was a welldeserved win for a team that fancied it

“There’s no better feeling than getting one over your local rivals, especially going into the game as underdogs... the heart and desire shown by our boys

‘Feed the poly’: the Newcastle crowd were in fine voice in Gateshead Image: Jake Jeffries-Jackson

ednesday 2 March

ove Wednesdays! Having generously allowed Northumbria have a head start, Newcastle announce themselves into the petition completing a quadruple of posh victories in Men’s 1’s and 2’s Indoor Cricket, Rowing and Dressage.

with both team having the opportunity to score. First a lovely Walker corner was left uncovered, whilst a Baldelli cross was headed back into the mixer by Ryan Redford, but nothing came of it.

A cagey, scrappy affair in the first half, most of the spectators hoped they were going to see less routeone in the second, but many fans left after the half-time athletics entertainment had concluded.

Perhaps because there was no alcohol allowed in the stadium.

Clearly the challenge had left its last-

unleashing a shot with pinpoint accuracy into Newton’s right-hand post. Walker may not be quick but he’s the best finisher I’ve seen in university football.

From the restart Northumbria piled on the pressure. Tumilty wasted a free kick after Espin was booked for a cynical trip of Hannant, Storey blazed over a one-on-one, and Dibb-Fuller was stopped in his tracks by a fantastic tackle by Huntley in the right-back position.

Injury breaks for Huntley and Owen followed, with the latter still perhaps feeling the worst of his injuries from Fight Night a short while ago. Jake Salisbury came on to replace the speed merchant, but Huntley decided to continue.

From here on in it was a matter of preserving the lead for Newcastle.

Holden got booked for becoming a ball boy on several occasions, but was actually needed when a turn and shot from Dibb-Fuller required an instinctive save from the No.56.

Another Tumilty free kick was

more on the day.

Speaking after the game to The Courier, Newcastle’s Club President beamed with pride for his team. “There’s no better feeling than getting one over your local rivals, especially going into the game as massive underdogs. They had much more of the ball but the heart and desire shown by our boys was first class.”

Taylor added, “we knew if we could keep it tight at the back our flair players had it in them to do something special which is exactly what happened with the goal as a combination of moments of magic from Ames, Owen and Walker resulted in an incredibly well worked goal.”

Despite their heroic victory in the finale, Taylor expressed his disappointment at not winning the overall competition. “It’s a shame we couldn’t wrestle the trophy back off Northumbria but we’re pleased to have contributed in the manner we did.”

Thursday 3 March

Saturday 5 March

Newcastle’s Equestrian team complete the double over the poly with victory in the Show Jumping. Elsewhere, Northumbria dominate in the Futsal but Uni do well in the pool, winning Men’s and Women’s 1’s Waterpolo.

On a not so Super Saturday, Northumbria extend their lead with wins in Skiing and Snowboarding, Gaelic Football and Men’s 3’s Basketball. Northumbria lead 3218 going into the final day’s sports.

22.sport

Monday 11 July 2016

The Courier

Rulers of the river

Newcastle 4-2 Durham

By Mark Sleightholm Deputy Editor Newcastle retained the Boat Race title in style on an overcast Saturday afternoon.

Durham won both of the novice races, but Newcastle won each of the four senior races to claim the title outright for the first time since 2009. Last year’s contest was drawn, meaning Newcastle retained the trophy by default, but this year saw them reassert their dominance on the water.

In previous years the Boat Race consisted of four races, which often resulted in ties to the overall score, so this year an alumni race was proposed as well. However, both teams failed to find enough willing ex-members to race on their behalf, and so the alumni race had to be dropped. In its place the men’s and women’s second teams from Durham and Newcastle raced against each other instead. This took the total number of races to six.

Having won by a margin of over 200 points at last week’s BUCS Regatta, Newcastle went into the 2016 Boat Race of the North the clear favourites.

Durham, who last won the race in 2008, came seventh in the BUCS Regatta.

Each race took place over the 1500m from the Redheugh Bridge to the Millennium Bridge, with the Swing Bridge marking the start of the final straight and a key turning point in every race. The crowd, while not as large as last year, braved the Tyneside wind to watch the races.

The novice women were the first to take to the water. Setting off at a brisk pace from the Redheugh Bridge,

Durham pulled ahead early on, and were a full boat length in front of their Tyneside rivals by the crucial Swing Bridge stage. Durham, with palatinate (or, to the non-Durham students amongst us, purple) oars, on the Gateshead side of the river, gained further distance in the final metres and reached the finishing line comfortably ahead of Newcastle. 1-0 to Durham.

Next up was the men’s novice

time the boats had passed underneath the curved bridge, Newcastle were ahead, leading to some confusion as to which side had actually won.

The finish line is vaguely described as “the Millennium Bridge”, but apparently a more precise definition is the ends of the Bridge, so the side nearest the Tyne Bridge. This made Durham the winners and gave them a 2-0 lead over Newcastle at the end of the novice round.

second team reaching the finish line a full boat and three quarters ahead of Durham. By this point a significant crowd had gathered along the Quayside, and the Millennium Bridge was full with a line of spectators cheering on the boats.

With the overall score now at 2-2, it was time for the first teams to race.

The women went first, with Newcastle racing once again on the Gateshead

“Having won by a margin of over 200 points at last week’s BUCS Regatta, Newcastle went into the 2016 Boat Race of the North the clear favourites” race. To keep things fair and account for the slight bend in the river, the teams switched sides for this race, with Newcastle now rowing on the Gateshead side of the Tyne. The bend makes this a slightly longer route, and so the team starting on this side starts a little closer to the finish line, and the teams switch sides to eliminate any other disadvantages.

Both teams started slowly, although Durham were able to open up an early lead. By the mid-way point Newcastle, whose oars were adorned with blue stars, had pulled it back, and the two teams were almost level by the Metro Bridge.

By the High Level Bridge, Durham were once again slightly ahead, and there was clear water between the two teams by the Swing Bridge. In the final straight Newcastle were able to close the gap once more, and had almost caught up by the time the teams reached the Millennium Bridge. Durham crossed the finish line a quarter of a boat length ahead and so won the race, but by the

However, this score was not relayed to the teams until some time after the race had finished, giving an exciting air of uncertainty to the proceedings.

Durham’s novices may have been good, but the overall title was still to play for.

At this point the main Boat Race of the North took a brief interlude. Teams from the Tyne Rowing Club and Tyne United Rowing Club, two local rowing clubs not outside of the University, raced against each other.

Once this was completed the overall race could resume. For the first time second teams from each university took part, with Newcastle’s women taking an early lead in the new race.

By the all-important Swing Bridge, Newcastle were three boat lengths ahead, and had extended this to four boat lengths by the Tyne Bridge. By the time the boats pulled up to the crowd on the Millennium Bridge Newcastle were five and a half boat lengths in front.

Newcastle’s first victory was swiftly followed by a second, with the men’s

side. The race was tight from the start, with the neither team able to pull ahead before the Swing Bridge. Here, as each team went through a different arch of the bridge, Newcastle were able to surprise their rivals and came out the other side half a boat length ahead.

This small advantage gave the Newcastle women a confidence boost, and they started to pull away from Durham. With the crowd vigorously cheering them on they raced towards the Millennium Bridge, with the gap between the two boats growing all the time. As the boats reached the Bridge there was four lengths between them, giving the victory to the Newcastle women.

With three wins under their belt, Newcastle were now the outright winners, but there was still one final race to go. As with the women’s race Durham were on the Newcastle side, with Newcastle’s men racing alongside Gateshead.

Newcastle were slightly ahead for much of the race, but it was after the

Tyne for champagne: Newcastle Uni Boat Club celebrate their victory Image: Hanson Jones Tyne Bridge that they started to show their strength. From a lead of one boat length they started to pull ever further ahead. The Durham rowers looked visibly exhausted as they struggled to keep up, but their efforts were too little, too late, and Newcastle rowed comfortably to the finish line, two full lengths ahead of Durham.

The Durham men had the ignominy of having to row back up the Tyne to get out of their boat, only to traipse back up to the Millennium Bridge on foot for the winners’ presentations.

Each winning team was given a bottle of champagne, with Newcastle crowned the overall winners, and Durham facing yet another trip back home as the losers.

Barnaby Stroud-Turp, President of Newcastle University Boat Club, said after the race: “I think it was a great result, I’m pleased so many people came down to watch us today.” He continued: “We had a great weekend last week [at the BUCS regatta] so hopefully we can keep that up next year.”

Since 2005 NUBC has been overseen

by Italian coach Angelo Savarino. He pointed out that Newcastle put in a strong performance despite poor conditions, and added: “It doesn’t really matter who wins or loses, it’s about the effort everyone’s put in, all the training… with exams coming up as well.”

Durham dominated the Boat Race of the North until 2009, when Newcastle won for the first time. The race did not take place from 2011-14 because Durham refused to take part, but returned last year, where Newcastle retained the trophy after winning two of the four races.

The Courier

sport.23

Monday 11 July 2016

Uni’s Rugby women outsmart Cambridge to win vase trophy Women’s Rugby Newcastle

24

Leeds

7

By Rosie Neal in Sheffield

The vase was a new competition created for the teams finishing outside of the top 4 of the premiership, and the final followed a thrilling 15 - 0 away vs Cambridge and took place in Sheffield on “Big BUCS Wednesday”, alongside many other fixtures and finals. We were playing old rivals Leeds who we had played twice in the premiership and were at a stalemate (1 win each) and so this game decided not only who would go home with the vase but also who would go home knowing they were definitively the better team.

NWR were in great spirits before the game, relaxed and confident after their dominant away win against Cambridge.

Despite opting to start against a strong wind, the Newcastle girls took first blood with some very collected play: a few impressive carries from forwards gave the backs a good overlap, which winger Charlie Woodman made the most of. She scored the try and scrum half Rosie Neal converted.

Confidence was high and NWR’s dominance continued. They pinned Leeds back in their 22m goal area and would not let up. Nearly letting their excitement get the better of them, there were a few loose balls but they managed to get the ball back and kept their composure. A number of forward balls led to a goal line scramble, with either Number 8 Tash or fly half and captain Shauna Buckley touching down. Clearly it wasn’t a clean try but it was a try none the less.

Leeds woke up after 30 minutes and put some pressure on Newcastle.

Luckily, a well worked “escape plan” paid off better than could be expected for the Nubiles. A box kick from Neal was chased by Woodman and the poor

Leeds fullback opted to tapping it over her head on the touch line - keeping it in. This bounced perfectly for longlegged Woodman who cantered under the posts. It was an easy conversion for Neal.

The second half brought more pressure from Leeds who managed to score a try - despite getting a player sinbinned for punching our little VC Olly Critchley - and hold Newcastle off for the majority. But not entirely. In fact, in the dying minutes, NWR played some smart rugby in Leeds’ 22m zone. Drawing them one way and then the other, finally, captain Shauna spotted some space on the blindside and called for the ball.

Rather than catching it she threw it over her head in a blind Stuart Hogg-esque manner and found hooker Elle Bloor on the wing who finished the move off nicely. The conversion was too difficult for the teams ageing kicker who is approaching retirement.

The game ended on that high note for the Nubiles with a score of 24-7 and a lovely piece of silverware for the Newcastle cabinet.

The Ultimate prize: Frisbee girls win Northern Uni regional finals Ultimate

By Katie Ackerley Last weekend saw 27 teams descend on Leeds for the Northern University Women’s Indoor Ultimate Championships, a tournament that is not only very time consuming to type, but also selects to best teams of the North to progress to BUCS Nationals early in the New Year.

For the first time in history, Newcastle fielded three teams comprising of 23 players, which provided an added challenge as a captain before games even began. However, despite a lot of moaning (mainly from me), everyone was up and out of bed for 6am on the Saturday morning ready to take on the best the North has to offer.

None of us knew what to expect from

-matic qualification for Nationals. It was a tight first half and we all had visions of a sudden death game, which would have been our 3rd this season, as a club, against Durham. However, after a minor swearing outbreak from myself, we got our heads down and gritted it out to take the game, and the top spot, 6-3.

That evening, we journeyed down to Manchester to spend the night in our vice-captain’s mansion which has a seemly endless supply of mattresses. 8 family size lasagnes were stuffed in the oven as we all congratulated ourselves for the day’s victories. The second team had won two games and the third team had improved and gelled so much as a team throughout the course of the day, so everyone was celebrating. The early morning had taken its toll though as everyone was heading off to bed around 10pm.

“We journeyed down to Manchester to spend the night in our vice-captain’s mansion” the other teams. Because of the nature of the sport, the turnover of players can be high; meaning the teams at the top can constantly change. All we knew was that our first team had a shot at the final and we were going to do all we could to get there.

Saturday morning started us off easily with two 13-0 wins over Leeds and Sheffield’s second teams which boosted confidence, however, the third game against York 1sts had us scared. It was already half way through the first day and we hadn’t faced a first team yet, never mind one that could match our skills and speed. We were worried that York, who had already played a tough match against Durham 1sts, would bring an intensity that we hadn’t had to deal with yet. Our worries were misguided. We comfortably beat them 12-4, completely shutting down their messy offence.

After facing yet another 2nd team, we moved on to Durham 1sts. The local rivalry would decide who would win the group and therefore who would progress to the semi-finals and get auto-

Certain of our qualification, the firsts only had a semi and a final to focus on all day. A three way tie in another pool had left last year’s national champions, Loughborough, stuck in the 5 to 16 triple elimination bracket, leaving newcomers University of Central Lancashire and Leicester, along with our long-time rivals, Leeds, with us in the

top group.

The seeding left Leeds and us in the same semi final, a game which many had predicted to be the final. A long warm up, some icy drills in the street, and a heart-felt team talk prepared us to do something that none of us had ever done before; beat Leeds. We started strong, taking a 2-0 lead, however they quickly pulled it back and we traded blows until the last few minutes. We came out of the incredibly tense game 6-5 up and with every bit of our energy drained. We’d done it, we’d finally beaten Leeds and the best part was the disgusted look on their moody captain’s face as the final buzzer went.

We watched our seconds become the highest placed second team in the region, beating a first team on the way, but with an hour to wait before the final but we weren’t feeling the pressure.

We’d put so much into the Leeds game that a final against Leicester, who had looked unpolished at best, throughout the day, felt like a bit of anti-climax.

Trying to stay focused, we approached the game like it was any other and slot in 3 slick points before they even had a chance. That’s when the complacency struck. Drops and throwaways on our part allowed them to even the score with only a few minutes left. However, we used our wealth of experience playing together to outclass them to take the regional title.

Jumping for joy: the 1sts celebrate their regional dominance Image: Dianne Marquez Lopez

By Alex Hendley Sports Editor

Je suis Charlie Hendo: Super Sunday my way

By Alex Hendley Sports Editor At 3:49am, while compiling reports and trying to polish off what is essentially eight pages of ‘how we lost Stan Calvert’, it’s important for a sports editor to unwind. After hearing the Poly cheers from over my shoulder in Gateshead, and knowing that the following night will be spent not in bed, but in the blistering heat of the Courier office, miles (1.7 by Google Maps) from home, a man has to find something to keep him going. For me, it’s the little things in life, such as Twitter fishing with overly smug Northumbria students, remembering my favourite moments from this year’s finale and pondering on what ‘could have been’ at this year’s Stan Calvert. As 4am approaches, it’s time to share those thoughts.

When I woke up this morning, Stan Calvert’s Super Sunday, there was only one thing on my mind. I DID buy my Mam something for Mother’s Day didn’t I? Then, having checked the unimaginative Marks and Spencer’s gift set, another thing struck me: we couldn’t really win Stan Calvert... could we?

Having been battered like a fish at Whitley Bay in 2015, few thought that Newcastle could overthrow, or even come close, to the ‘mighty’ Poly (do they like being called that? I’m not sue they can decide), who seem to improve year on year. However, while following the results on Twitter, one thing became apparent. It genuinely was a possibility. Us, Newcastle University, who read books not go to the gym, who dine at Jamie’s Italian not eat4less, could actually beat the Northumbrian superpower to the trophy.

There had been small signs, such as the Indoor Cricket double in midweek, the Equestrian triumph and the Water Polo splashathon on Thursday that suggested that this year we would put up a fight. Filled with hope, pride, and nowhere near enough reality, I boarded the Northern Rail service at Carlisle back to Newcastle, where I was worryingly informed over tannoy that any left-behind-belongings would be ‘taken and destroyed’ by station staff. There’s no peace any more.

Arriving in Newcastle it was still achievable, we’d pushed them within a few points of the lead that they had

Rock-a-bye Burnley: Hendo has earned his rest Image: Calum Wilson

opened up against us on Saturday and more and more positive results flew in via the twitterverse.

Then it all started to unravel. Poly picked up points where they weren’t expected to, and thumped us where they already had an advantage - yet, going into the football finale, victory was still within our grasp. With swimming, athletics and various other results yet to waft their way into our ears, a lot was riding on the footy lads to put in a performance that would make the diabolical cold worthwhile.

Now, I feel it is time to digress. Anyone who followed the Courier Sport’s Twitter feed will know that I had quite the experience with a pie at half time in the football. With frozen fingers from live tweeting what was a largely uneventful first half, I ventured into the concourse in search of a good northern pie.

What I found, can only be described as the worst queue I have ever seen formed in the British Isles. Maybe in the Poly end but not from you, Newcastle students. Up your game. I’m not the tallest of fellows and trying to barge my way towards the hallowed meat-filledpastry was uncomfortable to say the least, not to mention the fact it caused me to miss the athletics, which I was supposed to be live tweeting. I also left my Fanta Lemon behind. Unforgivable.

Fast forward 45 minutes and the games up, we’ve won the final. Celebrations galore, hip hip hooray let’s do it all again next year. But something left me wanting at this year’s final. Where was Rory the Lion? Where was left shark (joke courtesy of James Sproston)? Poly the Parrot is too much of an unbearable sod to go unchallenged. Also, where were our cheerleaders? Please come back next year. the lack of some Uni dancers forced us all to endure something you’d see pre-match at a Penrith Town game.

Shoutout, however, must go to the athletics troup, whose performance was blinding, unfairly perhaps overshadowed by the game of football.

And so, finally, I’ve come to the end of my ponderings. We’ve hit 4:25am and I’d just like to say well done to all the Uni competitors who pushed the Poly all the way this year, and a message to next year’s editors: don’t stay up this late. I’ve gone mad.

“You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition.

You can’t get there by bus, only by hard work and risk and by not quite knowing what you’re doing, but what you’ll discover will be wonderful.

What you’ll discover will be yourself.”

- Alan Alda

Image: Mark Thomas