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Film Does the long awaited Queen biopic live up to the life of its frontman? Page 29
Fashion Your Fashion Editors bring you their handbag season staples Page 18
The independent voice of Newcastle students
From Canada’s legalisation of cannabis on the night of 18th October to the ongoing international medicinal marijuana debate, drug policy is recurringly in the public eye. British government officials are being increasingly lobbied to address the drugs dilemma by interested parties representing both ends of the debate’s spectrum. Recent statements from the National Union of Students (NUS) show that such discussions are now being increas-
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Student Council
Gender recognition
A recap of the motions at this years first council, and whether they were sucessful News, page 6
Our writers comment on the potential impacts of reforming the Gender Recognition Act Comment, page 9
Anyone for Monopoly?
Bonfire Night
Benja Townsend discusses some of the nations favourites in the run up to the festive season Lifestyle, page 15
Find out where all the biggest and best displays are in our Guy Fawkes themed feature Feature, page 22
A year in Hong Kong
Netflix Pick and Mix
Review: Luigis Mansion
BUCS begins
Georgie Morgan talks all things oriental in an article about her year abroad Travel, page 21
Al Ridley reflects on whether the new 3DS version stands up against originals Gaming, page 32
TV’s weekly random review column returns for another spontaneous series analysis TV, page 30
Newcastle’s football 2’s claim their first win of the season against York Sports, page 37
Arts Sarah Pascoe’s LadsLadsLads: ‘empowering, refreshing, relatable’ Page 31
Do drug-testing kits have a future on our campus? Grace Dean News Editor
Ed Farmer Inquest: NUSU President tells The Courier what action will be taken in light of initiation tragedy p.3
Monday 5 November 2018 Issue 1376 Free
“Prevention is always better than trying to treat the consequences... as a Union we are here to support students, and I believe that includes allowing them to make their own choices”
Jack Green, Welfare & Equality Officer, NUSU
ingly held at universities across the country, resulting in a sharp rise in the number of students’ unions actively considering the introduction of accessible drug-testing kits on campus. Eva Crossan Jory, NUS Vice-President for Welfare, explained in discussion with The Independent that “more and more unions are asking about drug-testing kits”, which she cites as being caused by a change in attitude towards drug policy. Ms Crossan Jory identified that the focus is increasingly on harm reduction and education, with the matter now being taken “more seriously” by many students’ unions. Many have pointed towards Hampshire’s Munity festival this summer as evidence of the necessity of such services following two festival-goers dying and thirteen others being taken to hospital due to drugrelated caused. This attitudinal shift is something that has been echoed within Newcastle University Students’ Union (NUSU); when asked about its drug policy, Welfare and Equality Officer Jack Green commended the “large strides” made by the University in recent years. Mr Green illustrated this by referencing the Accommodation Team’s movement away from a traditional zero tolerance policy to a more open and impartial environment in which it “educate[s] students and support[s] them instead”. As part of their stance towards drugs and focus on harm reduction, many students’ unions, including Manchester and Sussex,
already offer drug-testing kits which allow students to establish their toxicity prior to use. The rise in demand of such kits has led NUS to seriously consider the feasibility of sending them to students’ unions in bulk in a move which Ms Crossan Jory describes as making the kits “cheaper and more accessible”. Currently the only NUSU-facilitated way for students to access drug-testing kits is through the society Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP). The NUSU-based chapter of the transnational non-profit education organisation is committed to “reducing the harm caused by drugs to the user and to society”. In conversation with the Courier, SSDP President Ashleigh McLean described an integral part of meeting this aim as being encompassed in the society’s efforts to “provide low-cost drug-testing kits to those who need them”. At the society’s fortnightly discussion nights, members are able to purchase kits from committee members, which the society buys from a wholesaler so that members can purchase kits at the lowest possible price to make them accessible to as many students as possible. SSDP has however got ambitious plans for the future; Ms McLean described how the society hopes to hold a weekly stall in the students’ union where they can sell kits to students. Mr Green of NUSU explained how a similar scheme was trialled several years ago, in which the kits were distributed alongside factual information in the students’ union building for a voluntary donation; the voluntary nature of this, however, led to the scheme’s collapse. Despite an NUS survey in April revealing that 56% of university students nationally have tried drugs at least once, some universities continue to oppose a reversal of their zero tolerance policy. This includes the University of Buckingham, whose Vice-Chancellor Sir Anthony Seldon attracted widespread media attention in April of this year with the announcement of his reactionary policy. In a movement criticised by many as extreme and even “infantilising” students, he endeavoured to create the UK’s first drug-free campus by requesting students to sign a contract agreeing to refrain from substance abuse on campus, arguing that by ignoring the issue, other higher education officials were simply “colluding in the mass consumption” of illegal substances. When asked about the popularity of punitive zero tolerance policies at universities, Ms McLean of SSDP suggested that “drug policy is controversial and highly debated because the stakes are high; a mistake can be devastating”. She however explained the conflicting nature of drug policy at many higher education institutions, describing how “some places say that they are opposed to distributing drug-testing kits through fear that it might normalise drug taking, yet alcohol is a very dangerous drug, as is nicotine, and sold by lots of places, and alcohol is even promoted and advertised”.
Rob Noon, LGBT+ Officer at NUS, was similarly critical of the prevalence of zero tolerance policies, stating that “With [NUS] research showing so many students use drugs to deal with poor mental health and stress, it is highly unlikely that punishing them heavily and attempting to create a ‘drug free university’ is going to deal with these issues. In fact, it is likely to exacerbate them.” Despite emphasising the importance of harm reduction, Green concluded that “prevention is always better than trying to treat the consequences”. Ultimately, however, he stressed that “as a Union we are here to support students, and I believe that includes allowing them to make their own choices if provided with the factual information that they need to do so”. For students who are interested in increasing drug education across campus, SSDP is holding a series of fortnightly meetings called “Say Know Discussions: [Drug Name]”. These sessions consist of members meeting in a relaxed and friendly environment to openly discuss the particular drug in question, covering topics including the chemistry, variations and reactions of the drug, the law, the history of the drug, and any personal experiences. Ms McLean describes the talks as being “non-judgmental and hopefully very informative”. The society is additionally hosting a laughter yoga session on December 5th as part of their efforts to “promote possible mind-altering activities without using any
Despite an NUS survey in April revealing that 56% of university students nationally have tried drugs at least once, some universities continue to oppose a reversal of their zero tolerance policy.
drugs”. Further information about this topic can be found on many websites, including tripsit. me, erowid.org, drugsand.me, talktofrank. com and release.org.uk. The SSDP Newcastle chapter can be reached by searching for them on Facebook or contacting them through the NUSU website. Within the University, support is available through both the students’ union by contacting the Student Advice Centre, and through King’s Gate by contacting the Student Health & Wellbeing Service. Continued on page 4 with a case study on Sheffield University and an investigation of Fenham’s rehabilitation libraries.
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thecourier The Courier is a weekly newspaper produced by students, for students. It’s never too late to get involved in the paper, whether you’re a writer, illustrator or photographer. Just visit thecourieronline.co.uk/about for more information. Editor Louise Hall Deputy Editor Isabel Sykes Copy Editor Laura Staniforth News Editors Grace Dean, Molly Greeves, Sidney Pinsett and Steven Ross Comment Editors Jamie Cameron, Caitlin Disken and Alexandra Sadler Life & Style Editor Sophie Henderson Lifestyle Editors Phoebe Fielder, Holly Margerrison, and Ella Williams Fashion Editors Poppy Couling Joe Hood and Miranda Stoner Beauty Editors Laura Buckle, Susanne Norris and Nimra Rafique Travel Editors Jenny Franken and Bianca Ionci Culture Editors Alex Moore and Carys Rose Thomas Feature Editor Ally Wilson Arts Editors Rosie Mccrum, Julia McGhee Russell and Scarlett Rowland Music Editors Charlotte Boulton, Rory Ellis and Jess Taylor-Weisser TV Editors Jacob Clarke, Tom Cooney and Chloe Mullins Film Editors JImmy Athey, Helena Buchanan and Joe Holloran Gaming Editors George Boatfield, Kelly South and Matthew Neville Sports Editors Sydney Isaacs, Rebecca Johnson and Harry Parsons Online Editors Rory Cameron, Jodie Duddy, Amanda Goh, Thomas Hardwick, Max Hobbs Orestis Katsoulis and Chris Wilkinson The Courier NUSU King’s Walk Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 8QB Tel: 0191 239 3940 The Courier is printed by: Trinity Mirror Printing, Barton Road, Riverside Park Industrial Estate, Middlesbrough, TS2 1UT Established in 1948, the Courier is the fully independent student newspaper of the Students’ Union at Newcastle University. The Courier is published weekly during term time, and is free of charge. The design, text, photographs and graphics are copyright of the Courier and its individual contributors. No parts of this newspaper may be reproduced without the prior permission of the Editor. Any views expressed in this newspaper’s opinion pieces are those of the individual writing, and not of the Courier, the Students’ Union or Newcastle University.
NSR show of the week: Stone and Jordan Thursdays 11pm Ben Jordan Stone and Jordan is a late night hiphop show run by Tom Stone and Ben Jordan every Thursday at 11pm on NSR. This is the show full of banter and bangers, essentially; the kind of show you stick on whilst you’re pre-ing for Skint Thursdays or any other event you got going on that night. The hosts have a few features throughout the show such as “Kanye Believe It?”, two lies one truth game surrounding the one and only Ye, in the two weeks the show has been live Tom and Ben have already touched on how Kanye was once framed for stealing printers by the police, mental stuff. Themed weeks/features are a big part of this show too, for Halloween this year the first hour of the two hour special had bangers such as “Ghost Town” (Kanye West) and “Dead and Gone”
(T.I., Justin Timberlake), so expect to hear some hiphop Christmas songs when that comes around, I have a feeling it’s going to be “A GHETTO CHRISTMAS CAROL” (XXXTentacion) on repeat. Although the banter and features are next level, the music is the highlight with this show, playing music from every subgenre of hip-hop and constantly mixing the OGs with the YGs, playing the likes of Pusha T, Joey Bada$$, XXXTentacion, 2Pac and so many more artists every week. Have a listen if you need a decent playlist for pres or you just want to listen to some good music, have a laugh and crack a cold one open with the boys.
STU BREW beer of the week: Textbook (2nd edition) £3 per bottle
Tom Nesfield Last Thursday marked International Stout Day which made a glass of Vanilla Milk Stout a no brainer. This is one of our personal favourites. It combines lactose and Madagascan vanilla pods to create a silky smooth vanilla milk stout that satisfies your sweet tooth. From the first sip you can taste the creamy chocolate and coffee flavours which become more prominent throughout drinking. We have recently launched Vanilla Milk Stout in can alongside our IPA, Extended
Student Spotlight Stu Brew celebrates its fourth birthday Isabel Sykes Deputy Editor On Friday 9 November the Stu Brew society is celebrating their 4th Birthday with a ‘Birthday Brewery Bash’ from 5pm until 11pm. The event celebrates 4 years since the society did their first commerical brew. Fast food company The Sghetti Monster will be serving food at the party, which will take place in Merz Court on Newcastle campus. Stu Brew hold the title of being Europe’s first student-led micro-brewery and have won a number of awards for their work since the society was founded in 2013. The president of the Stu Brew society, Tom Nesfield, told the Courier what can be expected from their birthday bash this week: “A brewery bash is basically an event where we serve beer at the brewery, open up the brewery for tours, have a food vendor (this one we’ve got Sghetti Monster) and have music playing (usually get NSR to DJ). “The event is free to attend and is open to members and members of the public - we usually get over 100 people at the brewery bashes. Members get a discounted food and drink deal. “Since we did that first brew 4 years ago, we’ve done roughly 150 more brews. We also this year tripled the capacity from the original equipment we did the first brew 4 years ago on.” Students interested in attending Stu Brew’s birthday bash should head to Merz Court on Friday. Anybody wanting to get more involved in the society can find more information on Stu Brew’s Facebook page or the NUSU website.
Overdraught and we are very happy with the result. Want to try some too? Why not grab a can from Luther’s, Beer Box, Centrale or Spot White! This week Stu Brew also celebrates its fourth birthday, being four years since the society made their first ever commercial brew. Check out the Student Spotlight below to find out how you can get involved in the celebrations.
Monday 5 November 2018
Whats on near you:
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Societies: 12pm-2pm: Go Volunteer drop-in session. Location: Kate Aide room, NUSU. Travel: 1pm-1:30pm and 1:30pm-2pm: GIAG Top of the Monument Tour. Location: Meet at Grey’s Monument. Societies: 3pm-4:30pm: Making Change. Session for Student Reps. Location: History Room, NUSU. Travel: 3pm-3:30pm and 3:30pm-4pm: GIAG Top of the Monument Tour. Location: Meet at Grey’s Monument. Film: 4:45pm-7pm: GIAG Film Maker’s Workshop. Location: Meet outside NUSU front entrance. Travel: 5:30pm-7pm: GIAG German beginner’s language class. Location: Language Resource Centre, Old Library Building. Lifestyle: 6:45pm-9:30pm: GIAG tea-tasting at Quilliam Brothers’ Teahouse. Location: Meet outside NUSU front entrance. Arts: 7pm-10:30pm: GIAG Kinky Boots theatre show. Location: Meet outside NUSU front enrance.
Volunteering opportunity: 12pm-2pm: Making ‘Wiggly Bags’ for children with Hickmen lines. Location: INTO building. Sport: 5:45pm-8pm: GIAG Irish Dance. Location: History Room, NUSU. Societies: 6pm-7pm: Psychology Inflataspace Social. Location: Meet outside NUSU front entrance. Societies: 9pm-3am: PhilSoc welcome back bar crawl. Location: Luther’s, NUSU.
Sport: 5:15pm-7:15pm: GIAG Golf. Location: Meet outside NUSU front entrance. Bonfire Night: 6pm-9pm: Bonfire Night at The Cumberland Arms. Location: James Place street.
Friday Sport: 4:45pm-7pm: GIAG Thai Boxing. Location: Multipurpose Room A, Newcastle University Sports Centre. Societies: 5pm-11pm: Stu Brew’s Birthday Brewery Bash. Location: Merz Court. Music: 7pm-11pm: Lewis Capaldi headline tour. Location: Venue, NUSU.
Volunteering opportunity: 12pm-2pm: Post Pals, ‘Brightening the lives of sick children’. Location: INTO building. Sport: 12pm-2pm: GIAG Table Tennis. Location: Venue, NUSU.
Saturday Travel: 9:30am-6pm: GIAG Beamish visit. Location: Meet outside NUSU front entrance. Sport: 10:45am-1pm: GIAG Dance taster. Location: Venue, NUSU. Sport: 3pm-4pm: GIAG Cheerleading taster session. Location: Multipurpose Room A, Sports Centre. Sport: 3pm-6pm: NUFC vs Bournmouth match. Location: St James’s Park.
Sunday
Sport: 10am-12pm: GIAG Snowboard lesson. Location: Meet outside Hatton Gallery. Sport: 11:30am-12:30pm: GIAG Swimming lesson. Location: Royal Grammar School, Jesmond. Sport: 5pm-6pm: GIAG Badminton. Location: Eldon Leisure.
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Monday 5 November 2018
@TheCourier_News courier.news@ncl.ac.uk thecourieronline.co.uk/news News Editors Grace Dean, Molly Greeves, Sidney Pinsent, Steven Ross Online Editor Jodie Duddy
Ed Farmer Inquest: Raff Marioni speaks to the Courier Louise Hall Editor Raff Marioni, President of Newcastle University Students Union attended the Ed Farmer inquest last week, where it was ruled the Newcastle University student died due to the toxic effects of alcohol while attending an initiation event with the Agricultural Society, after which Marioni gave a statement to press on behalf of the Union. Louise Hall, Editor of the Courier, who also attended the inquest, spoke to Raff in more detail about some of the issues surrounding Ed’s death and what this tragic event means for Newcastle students and Newcastle University Students Union alike. So Raff, you attended the inquest for two of the four days last week, how was your experience of the inquest itself? There was two aspects of my experience. As a 21 year old who was, and is still, a student it was a very difficult thing to listen to because you’re hearing about someone who was
only one year younger than you at the time and how they died through binge drinking. While in this case it’s obvious that the Agrics drunk an extortionate amount, many of us go out as students and drink so it was really harrowing to hear first-hand from the witnesses what actually went on. And not in the sense that there was shocking things like pig’s heads involved, but hearing the story of how a young man the same age of us goes to university and in one night is led to his death. As a 21 year old that is not something that was easy to listen to. And then in terms of as the President of the Students Union it was tough because, you know, we obviously like to think we do everything we can, but it’s a harsh reminder that there’s always something more that we can do, and that as an organisation the Students Union should be doing the upmost to care for its students. So from my president standpoint it was very much, provoking in the sense that it made me really want to make positive change and stop this from ever happening again.
Ed’s family giving their own statement at the Inquest on the 25th of November Image: Louise Hall
After the inquest you gave a Statement to the Media and the General Public, but what do you think students of Newcastle University can take away from this statement?
“The case of Ed Farmer really brought to light that even though initiations are banned more needs to happen on both sides, from the Union and among the students”
Raff Marioni, President of Newcastle University Students Union
To students I would address that you’re not the public who may not completely understand the concept of initiations, drinking culture and dressing up culture. You understand that these things may actually happen. But we want to do everything we can to make sure that you are safe, and can take care of your friends, act responsibly and drink responsibly, while having fun. The case of Ed Farmer really brought to light that even though initiations are banned more needs to happen on both sides, from the Union and among the students to actually tackle this culture to ensure that this doesn’t happen again. What next steps will the Union be taking to help combat this issue? I mean it’s about getting across in society and club training that if initiations take place they will have big consequences. Whether that’s on the one hand disciplinary or on the other hand the more important thing which is they will pose a risk to your safety. So there
are plans for next year for the CCTV to be used in officer training to really hammer home that message. Also raising awareness to make sure that committee members are aware of the responsibility they are signing up for during training, that when they sign those training documents they actually read them and take into consideration the risks of socials. We can also implement the new knowledge we’ve gained from this inquest in our own training. One of the big things that was discussed during the inquest was how Ed’s snoring was an indicator of respiratory depression, and most of the witnesses didn’t recognise this as a warning sign of Ed’s deterioration. So I think as a union we will take this on board to make sure we fill these gaps in knowledge at our training. In light of the inquest it became obvious that students are aware these events are banned, but still do them, so we would like to hold some kind of amnesty initiation forum. Something that was said in the inquest by Ms Ballard was how can deal with a problem if you don’t know the extent of the problem. So reflecting on this we just want to know from students why they still do initiations, what does it mean to you as a club, what happens on these initiations, without them facing any repercussions, so that we can actually get a picture the frequency and content of these events. So then we can start to put in place measures that will actually increase safety. We don’t want to limit fun or opportunities but actually ensure that these people aren’t being coerced or demeaned when they’re trying to make friends, and that everyone involved is safe. That’s something I’d really encourage clubs and societies to engage with, and students as a whole. In the Coroner’s report it was stated that this was not just an issue confined to Newcastle, it’s a nationwide problem that we’re facing at Universities, do you agree with this? And if so how should we be working together
to tackle this nationwide. I do think this is a national issue. I think the level of drinking and the activities that were undertaken on the night of Ed’s death happen elsewhere, one hundred percent. This is a problem that is part of a culture that transcends into university, in the way that many of the witnesses described it as a ‘tradition.’ For us it’s about students knowing the risks and the ramifications. It’s definitely a national problem but I think its very important that Newcastle Uni, in light of Ed’s death, should be taking a lead on it. This happened to one of our students and in memory of him we have a duty to be leading a campaign that not only effects out students at Newcastle, but also has a national impact.
“I do think this is a national issue. I think it is important that Newcastle should be taking a lead on it”
Raff Marioni
So to finish, what do you think Newcastle University students should be taking away in light of this tragedy, to make sure that Ed’s death was not in vain? Ed farmer was one of our students, the same as any other, at the same university in the same city trying to leave with a good degree and get a good job, and that opportunity for him was cut short tragically. It could have been anyone. And to stop this from being anyone ever again we need to remember that this was one of our own students who passed away so needlessly, and realise how this happened, so that we can keep Ed in our memory at Newcastle and at least have this awful event help be a catalyst for real change surrounding the issue of binge drinking and initiations.
Staff recieve training for disclosures of sexual violence Aimee Seddon
Last week, training sessions were held for staff at Newcastle University to better equip them with dealing with disclosures of sexual violence from students. The sessions were led by external specialist training advisers, invited by the University.
70% of female students and 26% of male students experienced sexual violence
Staff received expert advice, guidance and training regarding how to react to revelations by students who had been the victim of sexual violence. In 2016, the Changing the Culture report was published by a Universities UK Taskforce, examining violence against women, in the form of harassment and hate crime. Along with the report, the Task Force released a set of guidelines offering advice to universities on handling alleged student misconduct which may also constitute a criminal offence, with specific recommendations relating to sexual misconduct. The sessions come as part of the ongoing work of Changing the Culture, which New-
castle University established in response to the report and its recommendations. The project works in partnership with both staff and students to tackle sexual violence and hate crime on campus. ITV News released shocking statistics his March which showed that 70% of female students and 26% of male students experienced sexual violence. Moreover, Newcastle University was shown to be in the top 15 universities for instances of rape, sexual assault and harassment on campus with over 20 instances reported over the last five years. The University of East Anglia topped the list with 135 such instances reported. The fact that most instances of rape and sexual assault go unrepoerted make these statistics even more alarming. A survey conducted by Newcastle University in 2016 also found that only 8% of students who experienced sexual violence reported it to the relevant authorities. The introduction of more training for university staff is aimed at increasing the proportion of people who report sexual violence by providing them with a safe and capable environment to do so. Charlotte Boulton, Marginalised Genders Officer and Secretary for It Happens Here, said, “Disclosure training for staff is a brilliant step forward, and we hope to see the training rolled out to all student-facing roles within the university and the SU. “I’ve spoken to one of my lecturers about it who thinks they’re a great idea and it’s really
encouraging to hear staff being keen about this training and recognising the need for it. It’s vital that staff are prepared for disclosures and that students know they can go to a lec-
“It’s vital that staff are prepared for disclosures and that students know they can go to a lecturer they trust who will be able to help them appropriately”
Charlotte Boulton, Margianlised Genders Officer
turer they trust who will be able to help them appropriately.” Newcastle students who wish to disclose instances of sexual harassment or violence can do so online via It Happens Here on the NUSU website. There is also a dedicated Campus Police Officer, PC Mick Miller, who offers drop-in surgeries twice a week. He is available Tuesdays 12-2 at the Students Advice Centre in the SU, and Thursdays 12-2 at Kingsgate.
Charlotte Boulton: Marginalised Genders Officer at NUSU Image: NUSU
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Sheffield University criticised over drug policy Grace Dean News Editor In September, Sheffield University attracted widespread criticism and media attention following controversial drug advice being given on the Student Union’s website. The Students’ Union of the Russell Group university provided detailed information to its students including instructions on how to ingest Class A drugs including MDMA, which is more commonly known by its street name “Molly”. The website additionally provided information on how students can stay safe by taking drugs in a responsible manner, such as by not mixing substances, keeping hydrated, and being mindful of the quantities of substances ingested, even including a recommended MDMA dosage size for adults of an average build. Most of the public outcry, however, was focussed on the use of the phrase “never inject alone”, referencing the intake of heroin and other injected drugs. In most press coverage, however, this phrase has been quoted out of context; far from encouraging drug users to recruit their friends, the students’ union wanted to promote students staying in the company of trusted friends while under the influence of illegal substances. The University has since faced criticism
that these guidelines normalise and even advocate drug culture on campus, despite the University declaring that it has a zero tolerance approach to drug use. This includes students from the University expressing their concern over the guidance, arguing that the purpose of the SU should be to defer students away from any kind of drug abuse. The Students’ Union declares that they are “committed to drug harm reduction”, however this is sending students conflicting advice with the University’s overall zero tolerance policy. Information provided on the Students’ Union website states that they “understand some students may try drugs during their time at university. Whilst we don’t condone this, we want to ensure that if you do choose to take drugs, you are as informed as possible.” Fighting against the public backlash to the policy, Katharine Swindells, Welfare Officer at Sheffield University Student’s Union, wrote a response in the Metro in which she maintained that “this isn’t the Students’ Union normalising drug-taking; this is us taking precautions to reduce risk”. She further mentioned the commendation that the Students’ Union has received from students over its campaigns to increase drug awareness and education. Katharine furthered argued that, “as a responsible students’ union, our role is about
more than just telling student not to take drugs. It’s also about education and harm reduction…Health protection is not promoting use.” In response to the media attention attracted
by the Student’s Union’s policy, a University of Sheffield spokesperson defended the University’s stance, saying that “The University and its Students’ Union do not condone substance misuse in any shape or form. The University
works closely with South Yorkshire Police, Sheffield Hallam University and other partners in Sheffield to proactively share safety messages around the risks of drug and alcohol use and have a range of safety measures in
Sheffield University’s Students’ Union has been issuing advice on how to prepare MDMA Image: Creative Commons
Fenham Library to provide drug and alcohol rehabilitation services despite local concerns
Molly Greeves News Editor
develop rehabilitation hubs. Newcastle City Council are using this funding to create “a
In August of this year, Newcastle City Council began to develop the Fenham Library into a rehabilitation centre for people with drug and alcohol addictions. The work was due to be finished around the end of October, nevertheless, many residents are still expressing their disapproval of the scheme. The Fenham Library was built in 1938 and is located just up the road from St Mary’s College, a hall of residence for first-years Newcastle University. National Funding of £338,000 was secured by Public Health England in to
Newcastle City Council have ensured that the centre will not be a “magnet for drug users”
process of change through which individuals improve their health and wellness, live a
self-directed life, and strive to reach their full potential.” The development includes private consultation pods, a gym and a new café as well as a counselling service. It has been stressed that it will not include services such as prescription distribution or a needle exchange. Since the scheme was announced, many residents have reacted with fear and concern, arguing that the facility should not be located where there are “so many children and families around”. Additionally, people have expressed worries that the addition will be bad for business, and that people will be in the neighbourhood will be “drinking
outside” and “using drugs”. Councellor Kim McGuiness have responded stressing the importance of the centre and arguing that the fears are based on the “misconceptions” many people have of people who struggle with addiction. Despite this, a petition to stop the development has obtained nearly two-thousand signatures and Newcastle Central Labour MP Chi Onwurah has been asked to put an end to the developments. While Newcastle City Council have ensured her that the centre will not be “a magnet for drug users”, she also agrees with residents that they should have been consulted after receiving all the infor-
mation. Newcastle University student Ashleigh Mclean, President of the Students for Sensible Drug Policy society, believes that the council are taking a step in the right direction. “It is great news that the council are putting re-
“We need to stop believing that people in recovery are dangerous. The danger would be isolating a vulnerable group of people from healthcare”
Jack Green, NUSU Welfare and Equality
Many Fenham residents believe that the library is the wrong location for the centre Image: Flickr
sources forward for people in recovery from drug and alcohol addiction. It is very important that people going through this journey are supported, and the (centre) in Fenham Library can really help to do this. “Addicts come from all walks of life and addiction can happen to anyone. The fear that some Fenham residences are expressing is understandable (as) the media portrayed any addict as a villain, but they are normal people who have a right to good health as much as the next person.” It could certainly be argued that the party culture at university, in Newcastle especially, makes these services all the more necessary. NUSU’s Welfare and Equality Officer Jack Green is of this opinion, believing that the existence of rehabilitation centres in Newcastle are important for students. In response to the outcry by Fenham residents, he said: “We need to stop believing that people in recovery are dangerous. The danger would be isolating a vulnerable group of people from essential healthcare. “Many students don’t own cars, so having local provisions is a lot more practical for students who may need to use the service.”
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£1m research project into German secret police
Grace Dean News Editor
Newcastle University is leading a new £988k research project which offers an unusual insight into life in East Germany. The project, funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), is exploring life in the German Democratic
Paradoxically, the project explores what East German citizens knew about the secret police
Republic (GDR) from a new perspective by looking at the extent to which citizens there actually knew about the Stasi, the secret police. This differs from most current academic discourse on the matter which focuses on the agency’s knowledge about citizens and their methods of information gathering. Following Germany’s defeat in 1945, the country was geographically divided between the four Allied forces: the Soviet Union, Great Britain, France, and the United States, the occupied zones of the latter three uniting to become the Federal Republic of Germany. The North-East area occupied by the Soviet Union included Leipzig, Dresden, Rostock and parts of Berlin and was made into the GDR socialist state with a centralised planned economy
throughout the Cold War before the collapse of the Berlin Wall and thus the GDR in 1989. The population is described as having lived in fear of the official state security service, the Stasi, whose employees in 1989 totalled more than 90,000. It has been regarded as one of the most effective and extensive intelligence and secret police agencies which primarily spied on the East German population through an immense network of informers to overcome any opposition expressed by the public. The project is being led by Dr Anselma Gallinat, Senior Lecturer in Sociology at Newcastle University, who is working alongside a large team interested in memory studies including Dr Joanne Sayner, Senior Lecturer in Cultural and Heritage Studies at Newcastle University, and Prof Sara Jones from the University of Birmingham. The project is also being run in cooperation with the Federal Agency for Civic Education in Bonn and a local branch of the Federal Agency for Stasi-files in Magdeburg. Through this inter-university and inter-disciplinary approach, the subject can be analysed from different perspectives with varying theoretical approaches; Dr Sayner has expertise in antifascism in the GDR while Prof Jones has extensive knowledge of literary studies. Furthermore, Dr Gallinat has a biographical link as she grew up in the GDR; she has research expertise regarding sociocultural changes, identities and narratives in eastern Germany following the fall of the GDR. The multi-faceted project will utilise a large range of sources including archives, Stasi files, personal records and also primary research through a series of semi-structured and oral history interviews which began with Dr Gallinat interviewing her father and will expand
to include the network of contacts this interview provided her with. These interviews will pose the usual challenges faced by researchers exploring people’s life stories – some former GDR citizens may be unwilling to discuss their lives during the regime whilst others may be less supportive due to the private nature of the experiences being discussed. Describing the project, Dr Gallinat described how, “We want to find out what the people who lived in East Germany knew about the Stasi, how they found out this information, how they shared it and how they used it during their everyday lives. Since Germany was reunified in 1990, the story that is told of life in East Germany is one of a dictatorship which operated through oppression and fear. But life for the people who lived there was much more complex but often also quite different from than that. “ The project will analyse how information was shared within social networks, including the workplace and religious settings; the role of the Church in the collapse of the GDR in 1989 is something that Dr Gallinat’s father, who provided the impetus for this project, believes to be particularly underestimated. Current discourse in Germany is heavily one-sided and emphasises the dictatorial nature of the GDR, which has led to criticism of the citizens. Project lead Dr Gallinat identifies a main aim of the project as countering these stereotypes about GDR citizens through collecting new knowledge, including the belief that they “lack civic skill because of their upbringing. But these people had to use creativity, imagination and courage to navigate life in the regime. We hope our research will highlight this side of the story.”
Project leaders want to explore how East Germans lived before the fall of the Berlin Wall Image: US Department of Defense
Newcastle rated best city to work in Caitlin Disken Comment Editor A recent study has named Newcastle the best city to work in within the UK. Sixty-six UK cities were ranked by Startups, an online resource provider for those looking to set up their own business, based on six factors: transport links, number of co-working
Newcastle was highly ranked for both its nightlife and its low travel costs
spaces, the cost of a monthly travel pass, the number of coffee shops, the number of bars and the number of supermarkets. Newcastle’s vibrant nightlife, an aspect of the city already enjoyed by students and young professionals, as well as the low cost of travel were both areas the city scored highly in. The study found that the average monthly travel pass in Newcastle cost £50, a price deemed good quality compared to the average monthly pass for Durham costing £70. London came in at sixth place in the study, despite it being the most popular place for graduates to move to in 2014. Startups noted that people are increasingly enjoying the benefits of living and working in the north. Lucy Wayment from Startups said: “Though London is still a popular choice for those seeking to further their career, the cost of living there cannot compete with northern cities like Manchester and Newcastle.” Wayment also notes that a good work-life balance is a key factor in judging which cities are best to work in. “We spend most of the week in the cities we work in and having a good commute, so nice working spaces and plenty of eateries to socialise in can make a huge difference to your general happiness.” Newcastle’s abundance of restaurants and city-centre shopping, as well as the convenience of the Metro, have all contributed to the
city topping the list. Many Newcastle University graduates recognise the appeal of the Newcastle, choosing to stay and work in the city. Michael O’Neill, English Literature and Creative Writing graduate, notes the social appeal of working in the city centre, saying: “There’s unreal team morale, a good atmosphere, the social aspects are spot on, and it’s generally quite a brilliant atmosphere to work around.” These opinions were echoed by English Literature and History graduate Tilly Parry, who described Newcastle as offering “a great balance of social and working opportunities. “I’m temping at the moment and it’s given me a huge range of work experience, decent wages alongside easy and cheap travel. Being able to find a Greggs for every lunch break is
“I’m temping at the moment and it’s given me a huge range of work experience, decent wages alongside easy and cheap travel. Being able to find a Greggs for every lunch break is also amazing.”
Tilly Parry, English & History graduate
also amazing.” Other graduates have noted the presence of good companies in the city as incentives to stay. Sam Arthur, who graduated in Electrical Engineering, stated that he enjoyed working for a company that he liked. The study will be welcomed by Newcastle University students hoping to stay in the city after graduation. In 2014, Newcastle was the fifth-most popular destination for university graduates, with 1.6% of all university graduates moving to the city six months after graduation.
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Monday 5 November 2018
Student recap: First Student Council of the year
Charlotte Boulton Music Editor The first Student Council on Thursday 11th October kicked off the year with new Chair of Council, Adam Warner, having to work through 8 motions. The first council of the year began with elections for the 8 Open Places available, a reoccurring voting place for each monthly council, and various elections for NUSU committees. Council opened with Education Officer Jonny Hall’s motion to alter the way abstentions were counted in the online voting system. The Ombea voting system has used ‘Abstain’ as a separate voting choice on the interface, alongside ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ votes. This caused ‘Abstain’ votes to effectively count as a ‘No’ vote when the votes were counted, which has led to some motions being unable to pass due to the ‘Abstain’ votes being counted as disagreement. The motion passed and was put into place immediately. Abstentions will still be noted and counted, but not calculated into the final vote. This motion aims to make the choice to abstain more significant and to stop confusion occurring with how abstentions are counted. The ‘Equal Opportunity Societies’ motion was put forward by Grace Algar, Faith and Belief Officer. They spoke about their beliefs that faith societies should not be able to discriminate in their appointment practices due to protected characteristics, and that all interested students should have equal opportunity to join committees and official positions within all societies. The motion passed
and will now mandate all NUSU societies to practice non-discriminatory election and appointment processes and ensure any instances of this can be investigated thoroughly. The most contentious motion came from the It Happens Here Society, with Treasurer Chris Murray proposing the motion to place the society back onto the Changing the Culture project workstream for Education and Prevention. The society had previously sat on the workstream, focusing on sexual violence on campus, before they were removed in September. There was passionate debate, with Fae Horsley, Grace Algar speaking for the motion. Welfare and Equality Officer, Jack Green, spoke against the motion twice and Activities Officer, Sophie McDermott, spoke against it once. The motion failed, at 49% ‘Yes’ to 51% ‘No’. The final motion of the evening was Jonny Hall’s second proposal: to mandate NUSU to call on legislative bans for ‘essay mill’ companies. The motion believes that essay mill companies prey on vulnerable students for profit, by providing essay-writing services that could result in disciplinary actions for students if caught, and that NUSU should publicly support a ban on these websites. This motion passed successfully. Council ended with a speech from the sole candidate for the Student Parents, Carers and Guardians Officer position, Emily Dudley Manson. Her successful appointment the next day leaves the part-time officer team full and was a fitting end to an interesting and tense council meeting.
Last years first student council meeting in the Students Union Image: NUSU
Taco Bell to open soon in city centre despite fear of crime
Northumberia Police had concerns that a Taco Bell would increase crime rates Image: Wikimedia Commons
Yoana Cholteeva Tex-Mex chain, Taco Bell, is soon to open its first restaurant in Newcastle. Despite concerns of increasing crime in the high street, the fast food restaurant won the battle to open doors on Grainger street and operate until midnight. The closing time of Newcastle’s Taco Bell became a matter of debate, as the Northumbria Police opposed the restaurant staying open until 1:30am arguing that it could increase drunken behaviour in the city centre. As a result of this opposition, the chain agreed to change its closing time from 1:30am to midnight just a few hours before Newcastle City Council’s final decision. Nothumbria Police expressed their main concern that extended working hours of the chain might cause anti-social behaviour and
late-night noise on Grainger street and even “morph into a takeaway” later than 11pm. Despite that, lawyer Chris Grunert, repre-
Northumbria Police opposed the restaurant staying open until 1:30am arguing that it could increase drunken behaviour in the city centre
senting Taco Bell, ensured that the restaurant will not operate as a late-night takeaway and presented evidence that similar Taco Bell in Leeds gains 70% of its revenue from custom-
ers dining in, instead of night deliveries. Grunert claimed that Bigg Market’s area is already “vibrant” and Taco Bell wouldn’t cause additional hustle, especially as the restaurant will have a restricted alcohol sale. There will be just one type of beer available: Sol, as well as ‘Twisted Freeze’, a slush with a shot of alcohol. No alcohol will be offered as a takeaway and there will be only one drink served per meal. Councillors agreed with Taco Bell’s application to operate as a restaurant rather than a takeaway and issued a premises license. Weighing in on the debate, Yasmin Hailes, journalism student at Newcastle University shared: “There’s been a lot of discussion about the closing times of the restaurant. I think this is ridiculous, as it is a fast food chain after all, and who doesn’t love a takeaway after a night out? Drunk people will be around whether the restaurant closes early or late.”
Let’s Talk About Sex Baby: Fem Soc raises awareness Carys Rose Thomas Culture Editor
Newcastle University’s Feminist Society collaborated with Sexpression Newcastle to host ‘Let’s Talk About Sex Baby’ on 24 October. The event coincided with the university’s S.H.A.G. Week, which promotes sexual health awareness on campus. The campaign also promotes safe sex by giving out free contraception and running free STI screenings, at which there was a £200 prize for the society or sports club that got the most members tested. Short talks were given by Becky Tuck, FemSoc’s president, and Sexpression’s president Hollie Roe and member Jess Herbert. These talks touched upon subjects such as STIs, contraceptives and people’s understanding of their own bodies and sexual organs. The event was open to all genders and sexualities and touched upon how to keep sex safe in both homosexual and heterosexual relationships. Each talk was followed by a period of open-floor discussion, in which people were invited to share their sexual knowledge and experiences or sit and listen to others. This open forum framework allowed members of the session to be as active or as passive as they wished to be. As well as the discursive element of the session, there were practical and interactive elements of the session. Sexpression brought ex-
amples of forms of female contraceptive that are now rarely used, such as female condoms and diaphragms. They also brought ‘drunk goggles’ for people to try on, which visually distort one’s depth perception when worn. Hollie Roe gave a demonstration of how to correctly put a condom on. “You’d be surprised how many people still don’t know how to do it at this age”, she said. Becky Tuck, FemSoc president, felt the even was needed in order to highlight how bad sex education is in schools. “Not only is it incredibly heteronormative, the conversation ends
“The conversation ends after “boys get boners and girls get periods””
Becky Tuck, President of Newcastle University’s Feminist Society
after “boys get boners and girls get periods”; there is no education about female sexual pleasure.” She goes on to explain how the event was organised to encourage people to “come together to talk about sex without shame, and to give students the tools to have great sex that is emotionally and physically healthy, with a belief that sexual and reproductive health is absolutely essential to feminist empowerment for all.”
The event was run by Fem Soc to answer the questions that many sex education programs leave out Image: Flickr
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news
Monday 5 November 2018
Do universities have a real NUSU launches problem with free speech? “Bridging the Gap” for new students
Cayla Viner discusses the NUS ‘no platform’ policy and comments on free speech at universities after increased cancellation of controversial events Universities across the UK are struggling over the topic of free speech in their lectures, books and overall courses. Since 2010 there have been several complaints by students about the appropriateness of course content as well as guest speakers. Although these complaints do exist and have been addressed, with cancellations of potentially controversial topics and beliefs, the number of complaints in comparison to the number of students attending these sessions is minimal. However, in 2016, nearly two thirds of university students believed that the National Union of Students was right to have a ‘no platform’ policy. No platforming is the practice of banning certain groups from taking part in a debate if their views are considered to be offensive or unacceptable. This approach means that people or groups who have, in the past, expressed racist or fascist views, are banned from having a platform to speak on student union premises. This practice was introduced in the 1970s and has become one of the most debated topics in relation to the accessibility of free speech. Amongst universities, a number of events were cancelled due to controversial content; the University of Liverpool cancelled a 2012 mayoral debate as it was due to include BNP representative, and the University of Westminster cancelled an event with controversial Islamic cleric, Haitham al-Haddad. The whole concept of free speech is meant to raise debate and questions amongst different groups which makes the university restrictions on certain people and parties almost detrimental to students who may never be exposed to extreme views. Smita Jamda, a Higher Education lawyer said ‘the ideal situation is you would see the event going ahead and the protests too.’ Unfortunately, due to
the fear of protests occurring at controversial speaker events, the speakers have been cancelled instead. This is therefore restricting free speech and is perhaps making universities exclude too many radical groups. On the other hand, is not unreasonable to prevent certain people from speaking, not because of the potential protests, but because universities have legal obligations to uphold which conflicts their duty to promote free speech. If free speech is completely open for all, it would possibly allow homophobic or anti-Semitic behaviour which may cause unnecessary offence to fellow students. The chief executive of UK universities found that ‘tens of thousands of speaking events are put on every year across the country, the majority pass without incident.’
Amber Marwick
become commonplace.” Furthermore, at a Sober Socials and FilmSoc collaboration screening on Halloween, room booking failures persisted. The screening in the Barbara Strang Teaching Centre was interrupted because the booking had not been made known to the caretaker beforehand. This created a health and safety risk as relevant safety officers were not aware which rooms students were using at which time. Activities Officer Sophie McDermott said, “The number and size of our societies has grown in recent years and unfortunately it
In a 2018 article, Sir Michael Barbes who chairs the new regulator in Higher Education said ‘our universities are places where free speech should always be promoted… even if that makes people feel uncomfortable.’ It is important to get a well-rounded education while at university and this may mean encountering viewpoints and beliefs that may be unfavourable, how a spokesperson on the Human Rights committee recently commented ‘education and learning depend on dialogue and debate.’ It therefore seems that the free speech debate is still in question for UK universities as there will always be people who are against certain content in courses due to personal beliefs, but does this really mean that universities should restrict different group’s rights for their voice to be heard?
Cardiff University tried to no platform Germaine Greer Image: Wikipedia
Carl Smith Valdez
The Newcastle University Student Union launches the “Bridging the Gap” campaign this October. “Bridging the Gap” aims to assist new stu-
“Every single student needs equal opportunity to fully transition into University life.”
dents with their transition to University. The campaign provides a succinct document covering the key differences when students leave school or sixth-form college and arrive at university. The information is divided into eight categories -learning, teaching, living, assessment, referencing, support, sport, and hobbies and interests. Jonny Hall, the Student Union Education Officer at Newcastle University and the cofounder of the campaign sees this as an opportunity to openly assist students. He said: “Students are bombarded with information when they arrive. Having a concise piece of information on what is different is crucial in proactively supporting students.” “There might be information that is obvious to some people, but we know that we have a very diverse student population here at Newcastle University. Given that we have seen a positive increase in the number of students from a widening participation background come to Newcastle, we need to be ensuring that every single student has the equal opportunity and capability to fully transition into
University life.” New international students at Newcastle University are concerned with settling in University. Gabriela Wieckowska, a first-year student studying Film Practices said: “One of the major differences from school life to university life is the independence and responsibility that comes with it. It is stressful when you have just graduated from high school and have to start living on your own.” “I think that practical advice on managing your personal life, the household and university life would be a great thing, as well as emotional support. Sometimes, we just want to talk about how hard it is when we have no idea what we are doing.” ‘Bridging the Gap’ is a development of “What’s the Difference”, which was started by Christopher Duddy, the Education Officer in 2016-2017. “Bridging the Gap” updates the previous information and adds a new section for ‘Sports and Societies’. Over the summer, “Bridging the Gap” worked with Tony Chapman-Wilson, the Newcastle University Peer Mentoring Coordinator to distribute the information to all Peer Mentors. This will support their training and build a better understanding of new students. Whereas school mostly consists of studying in the classroom, university provides learning from lectures, seminars, work placements, and laboratory sessions. Referencing is a key aspect of studying in university, with different school departments having their specific formats. Students are marked in percentages, with over 70% being the “First Class” mark. University also gives students the opportunity to meet other students from across the world. Newcastle University offers over 200 societies for a wide range of hobbies and interests.
Room booking system failure causes confusion for societies A lack of free rooms throughout the university is causing issues for student-led societies across the NUSU, who have been facing disruptions to their planned meetings and activities. The refurb of the Claremont and Dayish buildings has resulted in teaching being relocated to rooms across campus, much to the frustration of society committees who are struggling to find meeting spaces. Although unavoidable, the refurb situation reveals wider issues regarding teaching and recreational space throughout the university, and how this is affecting the quality of the student experience. A £60 million project spanning Claremont Bridge, Claremont Tower and the Dayish building, the refurb is intended to fix ongoing maintenance problems and increase efficiency, bringing the three disjointed spaces together into one coherent building. However, the temporary room relocations have led to society meetings being cancelled, as teaching is given obvious room priority. Although there have been some cases where one society has had their booking superseded by another society without being given any notice. Co-President of Newcastle University Film Society, Devon Young stated that “Film Society were having so much trouble with the room booking system that we ended up contacting them directly, and still the next week, after being told that we’d have the room from now on, it was double booked with another society. We ended up just having to use an empty lecture theatre – one that we’d tried to book before and been denied. FilmSoc have been holding weekly screenings for the past three years, but this is the first time that last minute room changes have
“Film Society were having so much trouble with the room booking system that we ended up contacting them directly, and still the next week after being told that we’d have the room from now on, it was double booked by another society”
Devon Youn, Film Society Co-President
does mean we are tight on space while the refurb goes on,” “The NUSU and the University are working hard to make sure that the societies are impacted as little as possible, and I myself am working to make sure that there is space
available when needed.” But despite the best efforts of the union, society committees have been running into additional problems, reporting to the school office in some cases that the bookings made were overruled without their knowledge. Questions are naturally being raised about the organisation of event relocations, however McDermott was quick to point out that measures are being taken to avoid further disruption - “I will be putting out a feedback form towards the end of Semester One to gain an understanding of how our societies are being impacted and what can be put in place for Semester Two.” Lack of space is not a new issue to the university, or specific to society-related troubles. The feedback page of the Philip Robinson Library – the largest study space on campus for students, often vital to dissertation and essay writing – is inundated with complaints of space, busyness and noise. “Why are there no postgraduate study spaces available apart from the tiny room in the Robbo?” reads one comment. “Every time we go to try and find space there’s always places taken up with no one there... there is nowhere near enough space dedicated to postgraduate study in the university as a whole.” Another reads, “Yesterday I got to the Robinson library at 9am and couldn’t find a single seat.” With the amount of student housing in the city increasing each year, as well as the near completion of the huge ‘student village’ near campus, the recent disruptions could be seen as a final warning call for the university to make sure enough facilities are provided for the growing student population. And as the Claremont-Dayish project is not due to be completed until 2021 - longer than most current BA students are enrolled - it seems an effective solution is needed imminently.
The failure meant booking rooms and lecture theatres became difficult and confusing Image: Jodie Duddy
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editor.union@ncl.ac.uk Student Voice Editor: Isabel Sykes
Monday 5 November 2018
student voice
Mission nutrition: AU campaign to fuel athletes on campus Isabel Sykes Deputy Editor
From Monday 5 to Friday 9 November, NUSU is launching Mission: Nutrition week. Run by NUSU’s Athletic Union officer Maggie Elstob, Mission: Nutrition is a campaign to help students who play sport to eat well. The campaign is part of Elstob’s aims for the year, detailed on the NUSU website. She said she wants to increase “availability of breakfast food in the Sports Centre”, and Mission: Nutrition week will certainly deliver on this by having free breakfast food on offer for students at New-
“As students, trying to fit exercise in is difficult when you have a full timetable, extracurriculars and a social life to fit in, and often it is good refuelling that falls by the wayside especially on a tight budget”
Maggie Elstob , Athletic Union Officer at Newcastle University StudentUnion
castle University Sports Centre throughout the week. This is part of the week’s aim to educate students who exercise regularly about prepping well for exercise by eating the right food and making sure they re-fuel properly afterwards. Elstob told the Courier: Mission: Nutrition is a campaign aimed at students who exercise or play sport on educating them about refuelling properly after physical activity. As students, trying to fit exercise in is difficult when you have a full timetable, extracurriculars and a social life to fit in, and often it is good refuelling that falls by the wayside especially on a tight budget. Mission: Nutrition will see me providing free break-
fast food in the Sports Centre 8-10am each day except Wednesday when it will be provided from the Students’ Union. Not only this but GoVolunteer have packed up some ready-made Soup in a Bag, there will be a talk on sports nutrition at 12pm on Monday, and a cooking demonstration across lunchtime on Tuesday. I look forward to seeing you there! On Monday 5 at 12pm there will also be a nutrition talk from Aurora Kitchen. A company dedicated to providing
This initiative helps to educate students on how to cook healthy food for themselves at home, as a more economical and often healthier alternative than buying pre-made food
“feel good healthy food”, Aurora Kitchen have a restaurant in Newcastle city centre as well as an online meal prep service. They will be delivering a talk for any interested students in the Planning Room of the Students’ Union on Monday. Throughout the week the Athletic Union officer will also be offering ‘soup in a bag’ to students who come to her desk on the Activities Floor in the Students’ Union during the week. Available while stocks last, these bags contain all the ingredients for making a pot of soup, as well as a basic recipe to follow. This initiative helps to educate students on how to cook healthy food for themselves at home, as a more economical and often healthier alternative than just buying pre-made food from the shops. This is just a taster of the activities going on this week for the Mission: Nutrition campaign. Students are encouraged to check out the NUSU website, keep up to date on Facebook, and be on the look out on campus for other exciting opportunities to get involved with as part of this week’s initiative.
Elstob wanted to build on her predecessors Food for Fuel campagin as a launchpad for breakfast campus foods Image: James Sproston
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the courier
Monday 5 November 2018
@CourierComment courier.comment@ncl.ac.uk thecourieronline.co.uk/comment Comment Editors Jamie Cameron, Caitlin Disken & Alexandra Sadler Online Editor Rory Cameron
Ryanair flies from racism row After a video emerged of a man racially abusing a passenger on a Ryanair flight, should Ryanair have corporate responsibility? Toby Bryant
anair incident that circle on social media and make brief news headlines, especially on airplanes. Ryanair, with its low prices and low comfort, lends itself perfectly to brew-
“R
yanair, you choose not to comment further. You could say to us, ‘this is what we understood, we apologise for what went on’, but you choose not to speak.” Those are the words that Eammon Holmes used when addressing the camera in a rare heated moment on ITV’s This Morning. Delsie Gayle, the 77-year-old former carer, was on the couch to talk about her encounter with racism. The racist passenger, David Mesher, has now released a public video in which he states, “I’m not a racist person by any means and it’s just a fit of temper at the time, I think”.
Mesher should have been moved, with a charge to follow
This is the same man who addressed the elderly lady, who struggles with sever arthritis, as an “ugly black bastard”. He is, clearly, a racist. That is that. But the situation risks being brushed under the carpet, as Holmes rightly pointed out, the persecution of a Brit by an Irish company for an incident in Spain couldn’t be less likely to be followed through on. Now, with the ‘apology’ video from Mesher, it gives the
Ryanair lends itself perfectly to brewing such angry outbursts
ing such angry outbursts that show the worst in people. When Eammon Holmes condemned Ryanair on This Morning, he could not have been more right. The company’s passivity and washing the problem off their hands
Sesha Subramanian does nothing but underline the fact that this man is not going to receive repercussions for what he has done. Ryanair had the chance with a public audience and current affair issue, to really make a mark and show it cared for customers. It was a chance missed and until a big company makes a proper example of reprimanding people like David Mesher, the problem will not go away. as the RyanAir racism incident dealt with right? It was not. Now, let’s lengthen the short, curt answer. On a RyanAir flight scheduled for take-off on the 19th of October from Barcelona to London Stansted Airport, a man – David Mesher – was filmed (by a co-passenger David Lawrence) using foul mouthed language and racially abusing an elderly black
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and landed in the United Kingdom. Since then, a few events of note have occurred in relation to this. Mesher came out recently in an interview with Good Morning Britain and said that he was not a racist, attributed his outburst to a “fit of temper” and apologised to both Delsie and Carol for the distress that the incident had caused them. Predictably, the Gayles refused to accept the apology, saying that “he wouldn’t be saying words like that if he wasn’t racist.” RyanAir too, released a statement one week after the incident, saying that they “immediately reported this video, and the racist abuse, to the Essex Police in Stansted Airport at 9am on Sunday 21 October… These prompt actions disprove the false claims that Ryanair did not respond ‘quickly’ or ‘appropriately’ to this video. To allow the Police investigation to occur, Ryanair declined to comment to media despite the considerable and inaccurate media commentary.” The whole affair is an embarrassment to the airline.
People are responsible for their words and actions... a ‘fit of temper’ included
That in the immediate aftermath of the incident the cabin crew decided to change the seats of the victim instead of throwing out the offender is in itself a travesty. They then followed up one bad move with another, using the excuse of a police investigation to explain their delay in releasing a statement. Now it is un-
for a lot of people for a variety of reasons. The airlines have a moral and an ethical duty towards their passengers to make their journey pleasant. For the amount of money
Such racist behaviour - in public or in private cannot be tolerated
that air travel costs, even with low cost airlines such as RyanAir, it is only reasonable to expect good treatment in return. It would be like paying good money for a hotel room and finding out that the shower doesn’t work and the door doesn’t lock. A passenger like Mr. Mesher should, by pretty much any moral code in civilised society, be thrown out of the plane and prosecuted for racial abuse. Such an experience when publicised to such a degree is not only going to hit the airline commercially but also its reputation and make people question the integrity and character of the people running the airline. Mr. Mesher, despite his apology, remains a publicly vilified figure – and rightly so. People are responsible for their words and their actions. He might call it a fit of temper but it is an ill-fitting explanation for what turned out to be a racist rant against an elderly woman of another community. As an adult of medically sane mind, there is no way he was not aware of his actions or their consequences. Such behaviour – in public or in private – can-
Image: Wikimedia Commons
impression that the situation has drawn to a close. It really hasn’t and centres on the fact that actions must have consequences. His racist outburst has had few implications. In fact, Mesher was granted his racist wish and Gayle was moved from his row. However, it does not take an idiot to realise that it is Mesher who should have been moved, in fact, ejected from the plane, with a charge to follow. There are countless situations such as this recent Ry-
passenger, 77year old Delsie Gayle, apparently angered over something to do with seating arrangements. When Carol Gale, daughter of Delsie tried to intervene, she got embroiled in a “disgusting exchange of racial slurs” according to Mr. Lawrence. Eventually, RyanAir crew members decided to change the seat of Delsie Gayle instead of throwing Mesher out and the flight took off
derstandable to not be able to speak in detail about an incident under investigation but it is beyond comprehension how, when there is clear video evidence of a passenger racially abusing another, an airline can remain silent. At the very least, the action of the passenger could have easily been condemned by the airline whilst maintaining that they could not divulge too many other details as the case was under investigation. Travelling from one place to another is an arduous affair
not be tolerated and he should have been ejected from the flight. An incident like this and the subsequent mishandling of a volatile situation shows that despite the tremendous progress that has been made in human rights over the many years, there is still some way to go. Racism is not something that can be cured overnight – it’s a problem that has its roots in centuries of history and it will take time before we are anywhere close to solving it. Yet, incidents like these, instead of proving the point that it is going to be a long drawn out battle, must instead be turned into examples of how to deal with uncivilised people in today’s society. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case here and we can only hope that it doesn’t repeat itself in the future in some shape or form.
A culture of bullying: should John Ber-go?
Following alleged bullying in the Commons, Mohi Choudhury discusses whether John Bercow should resign as house speaker
T
he House of Commons Commission recently stated it was adopting all the main recommendations made by Dame Laura Cox’s report. This means historic allegations can now be investigated. Previous plans to reform would only have covered new allegations of bad behaviour. This is a small step in the right direction because it makes it less likely for previous accusations to be swept under the carpet and instead promotes a potential critique of potential past misdeeds which continue to tar politics. The report highly suggested that senior staff, including John Bercow, the current Speaker of the House of Commons, should step aside so a new culture which rejects bullying emerges. In addition to this, multiple people
have come forward and accused Mr Bercow of bullying. One of the alleged victims currently suffers from PTSD because of this.
Question Time shows politicians at their worst: bullying, name-calling
Should a man who has presided over a culture of bullying and harassment for almost a decade be able to retain his job? Should he be hosting a Representation and Inclusion Committee? As of writing, these are still only allegations against the
chair, all of which, have been resolutely denied. An immediate investigation into the matter would be prudent as it would illustrate the shift in culture that the report’s conclusion wants to rightly push. But if the speaker were to be ousted from Parliament because of these alleged charges and the culture he oversees, surely, we cannot stop with just him? Refer to the constant heckling and schoolchildren antics during the weekly Prime Minister Question Time which shows politicians at their worst; bullying, name-calling, shouting, hucksterism and elitism. It is patent to see why a noxious form of slime permeates throughout the building, onsidering this form of behaviour is available to the public. to witness. Is it any surprise that these people commit contemptible misdeeds
behind closed doors? He oversees this bullying culture, so perhaps he has been subsumed by the culture. Maybe he promoted it? Who knows? Sadly, ousting a huge portion of parliament is an impractical solution, though, but consistency is a good place to start. If Bercow were to continue heading his committee, it should be under strict supervision by an impartial overseer—at least during the likely and deserved investigation. Why hasn’t the investigation started yet? I know why. It’s unnecessarily verbose bureaucracy, which quite frankly, should be extirpated when the situation calls for it. Considering the allegations of bullying within Parliament, it calls for it now.
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comment
Monday 5 November 2018
Real Gender Recognition Our writers assess the impact that reforming the Gender Recognition Act will potentially have
Charlotte Boulton
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et’s start with a quick rundown of what the Gender Recognition Act is. It allows trans people (people who do not identify with the gender assigned to them at birth) to have their actual gender legally recognised by the government and institutions such as universities and banks, by providing an official Gender Recognition Certificate. However, it is currently an incredibly difficult process to go through, leaving many trans people unable to take the next step to having their identity legally recognised everywhere. The act, as it stands, requires medical evidence of living in your ‘acquired gender’ for at least two years, invasive mental health assessments, a medical diagnosis of gender dysphoria the high price of £140. It is a time-consuming, complex, dehumanising and costly experience that requires trans people to repeatedly prove their gender to government officials who they will never even meet. The process can even be blocked by a spouse who doesn’t want you to change your gender and the whole autonomy of a trans person’s gender identity is left in the hands of clinicians without any visible care for their mental wellbeing. This needs to change, and the barriers to identification need to be removed. The Gender Recognition Act consultation has recently closed, which allowed trans people, organisations, allies and the general public to have their say on planned reforms to the act. The government recognise that the process is currently inaccessible and do genuinely seem interested in making improvements. From a government that has been questionable in their treatment and provisions for trans people, it’s a promising step forward.
I believe that if a trans person tells you they are trans, that is enough
The consultation survey allowed people to share their opinions on what the process should require, with varying options as to whether you thought medical evidence should be necessary or if the word of a trans person is enough. Personally, I believe that if a trans person tells you they are trans, that is enough. Nobody would go through the time, effort and emotional labour of applying for a GRC if they didn’t have the need and desire to live authentically in their true gender. However, many of the gatekeeping provisions within the act exist to question trans people’s legitimacy; this is absolutely wrong. Be an ally to your trans friends and believe them. I hope the reform leads to a much more accessible, cheaper, less intrusive process that allows trans people to be legally recognised as who they are.
The present law is dehumanizing and demeaning
The current path to changing gender at a legal level is descibed as ‘overly intrusive, humiliating and administratively burdensome’ by those who had the misfortune to have to go through the process. In a country in which half of transgender teenagers are being driven to suicide, it is crucial for this act to be amended now. The current system is flawed, but two features are particularly appalling. The first one is the need for a payment of £140. This is not only too expensive for many people, but the very need for a payment is disheartening: it feeds into the view of gender being a choice, rather than a part of a person’s identity. The price frames this process like a service for which the government deserves retribution: this is a dangerous precedent when talking about human rights issues. The second one is the need for a diagnostic psychiatric report justifying the change of gender. This is even worse. It perpetuates the sociImage: Trams actvists “Marsha P. Johnson, etal belief that transgenJoseph Ratanski and Sylvia Rivera in 1973” by der people have an Gary LeGault. Sourced from Wikipedia illness that needs to be cured. That is simply inaccurate. The government should do whatever is in their power to facilitate the experience of transition, and the present law is not only incomplete, but also dehumanizing and demeaning. n 2004, lawmakers finally recognized the existA privilege is given, but a right is owed. Legally changing ence of transgender people with the Gender Rec- gender identity is a right, but is currently being treated as a ognition Act. To many, this might seem satisfac- privilege. The need of a medical report and paying of a fee tory enough. However, only 4,910 people have legally are indications of the underlying prejudice that is being changed their gender since then. This is a sign that it’s perpetrated with the current law. It is this type of outdated time to stop patting ourselves on the back for any little law that ends up legitimizing discrimination the kind of improvement on what are essentially human rights vi- discrimination that causes nearly half of young transgenolations: we should instead focus on how to humanize der people to attempt suicide. this process by making it accessible to all, because right now the GRA lacks basic human decency. Mermaid Trans Support Hotline: 0344 334 0550
Elisabetta Pulcini
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Autonation: Robotic Job Thieves? Not just taxi drivers: automation could replace many professions. Edward Ingram investigates
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fter announcing that it plans to roll out a network of driverless cars in London by 2021, Addison Lee has become the latest firm to embrace automation with open arms. The firm joins the ranks of Uber, Ford, General Motors and Mercedes Benz, who are all developing driverless technology. Whilst the benefits of cities running on driverless cars are indeed tantalizing as less congestion, cheaper fares and cleaner air are all benefits, we should be wary of what this represents. Automation is increasingly penetrating our lives more and more each year, and as technology advances, traditional jobs are left redundant on the garbage heap. Take supermarkets and their
self-service check out tills: incredibly convenient, but in reality, each stall represents someone’s, now redundant, job. And it doesn’t end at the supermarket either. Even the professional service sector, where many of us will be hoping to head to after graduating, makes use of automation to screen job applications, analyse employee performance and handle customer support using chat bots. In fact, PwC has estimated that roughly 30% of jobs in the UK will be put at risk by automation in the next 12 years. Other studies predict just as gloomy outcomes, with an Oxford study estimating that 47% of the US jobs are at high risk of atomisation. Whilst the McKinsey Institute estimating that 800 million worldwide will be at risk by 2030. The government must therefore take the initiative and
Photoshopped from images sourced at: Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station, and Wikimedia Commons
commit themselves to preparing future generations with skills and knowledge that will still be relevant in 12-or 30 -years’ time. Yet, it must also pledge to continuously retrain adults and equip them with new and relevant skills which will prepare them for a new and secure career, safe from the threat of automation.
The government must prepare future generations with skills
Failure to do so could see us repeating the mistakes of history. Mistakes which caused the devastation of communities and livelihoods, following the Thatcher government’s failure to support and re-train the communities which were so unfairly ravaged and left behind by deindustrialisation. Former Prime Minister John Major recently expressed regret at his government’s failure to do more to rehabilitate these communities, citing it as a primary factor which has contributed to the rise of radical and populist politics that we see too much of today. Like the Agricultural and Industrial ones before it, the automation revolution has the prospect of bringing untold wealth and comfort to millions of people. But only if we remain vigilant and prepared for the new automated future.
SOAPBOX
WHERE’S THE MONEY?
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Jamie Cameron
ewcastle Univeristy Students’ Union does a lot of good, but it’s got two things holding it back. Lack of student engagement is one, but I want to talk about the lack of dosh. Now this isn’t the fault of the Union, it only has so much income and so many things it can cut back on, none of which it probably should cut back on. However, I can’t help but notice the University is positively loaded. During last years strikes it didn’t pay our teachers as they tried to avoid cuts of 40-70% to their pensions. The uni has large funds in fossil fuels and BAE Weapons Systems. There doesn’t seem to be a shortage of money for refurbishing buildings or constructing new campuses, or for quick;ly increasing executive pay. The university needs to give more money to the student union that exists by and for students. With a record on student welfare like Newcastle University’s, with one of the worst mental health provisions amongst UK universities, our union could do a much better job.
ROAST OF THE WEEK PHILIP GREEN, NOT TO ENVY
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Stanley Gilead
lleged tax dodger and sweatshop owner Sir Philip Green was named in parliament as the subject ofa Daily Telegraph investigation into abuse after an injunction had stopped the newspaper naming the businessman. The Topshop owner is alleged to have used his considerable wealth and power to hide harassment and abuse of staff for years, with many allegedly paid off and made to sign Non Discloure Agreements. The investigation was dubbed as a ‘#metoo’ moment, relating to the movement aimed at bringing abusers previously shielded by their wealth and power to justice. Typical then when faced with the allegations Green’s first response was to use his wealth to hide them, spending half a million pounds on the lawsuit. Lord Hain’s use of parliamentary privilege will hopefully remind the wealthy that they can no longer use their status to shield themselves from the consequences of their repugnant actions.
TOAST OF THE WEEK ENGLISH BREAKFASTTEA
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Caitlin Disken
t takes a lot of people to make a university work. From the Vice-Chancellor to lecturers, groundskeepers, accommodation staff, and cleaners, everybody contributes to keeping campus running smoothly. But there’s one group of people overlooked - the volunteers who run the Percy building’s SELLL café. If you know me, you’ll know I like tea. My idea of a nightmare is a day devoid of any caffeine. I wander through campus, in a haze, feeling a headache coming on. Then, through the mist of a caffeine-less brain, I remember that little haven nestled just inside the Percy building. In today’s world of £3 coffees at Starbucks and Costa, the SELLL café is a refuge, a sanctuary of hot beverages and cheap snacks. You can get a coffee or hot chocolate for just a quid - about a third of a price of what you’d pay in a chain. Tea is even better! At just 50p it is one of the biggest bargains of the twenty-first century. So this is a toast to those wonderful students who run this wonderful café. Thank you. Keep doing what you do. You are the best.
the courier
Monday 5 November 2018
life&style
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@CourierLifestyle c2.lifestyle@ncl.ac.uk thecourieronline.co.uk/lifestyle Life & Style Editor Sophie Henderson Lifestyle Editors Phoebe Fielder, Holly Margerrison, Ella Williams Online Editor Amanda Goh
Blind date meets Finlay Grove Molly Winton
Where did you go? We started off in Spy Bar and then went to 97 and Social, then we went to this really cute bar in town near Billy Bootleggers. It was a secret bar that I’d never seen before! Then... We went to Soho. So, it went from a few classy drinks to a mad night out? Yeah, we had four trebs each... We had to end with a boogie. What were your first impressions? He was dressed smart casual. He was pretty confident. I’d actually walked past him at first because he was outside and I didn’t know it was him. I went in and ordered a drink, panicking, and was messaging my friends. He walked in and looked kind of lost so I was like, ‘oh, it must be him’. Any weird moments or favourite parts? No, he was really good at filling any awkward silences which was good. Dancing in Soho was good because I was whacking out the moves. He was a terrible dancer but it was funny. He’s really tall and I’m quite small, so I started the night in heels but I changed into trainers before Soho. Fun facts about him? You know how your nose has a bone at the end? Well, he doesn’t have that. He’s got a really squashy nose. He grabbed my finger and went like [that] on his nose. What was the overall vibe then? I think we’re quite similar personality wise. He said he’d be i n contact. If he was a seasonal latte, what would he be? Gingerbread or pumpkin spice? Probably the spicey one! “He’s got a Any dating advice for millenials? really I’m probably the worst at this, but putting yourself out there usually pays off.
squashy nose”
Psychology student Finlay meets with English Lit student Molly. We find out how they got on. . .
“He’s really tall and I’m quite small, so I started the night in heels but I changed into trainers before Soho”
How did you find the date? Was really good fun would the time flew by Did you have any first impressions? Easy to get to along with Did you have any trouble finding her? Yeah I had no idea what she was wearing but we found each other at the bar Did you have any interesting conversation? Yeah, it was all interesting! We shared some funny stories oh right... what kind of stories? Just daft stuff we did growing up, that sort of thing. If she was an alcoholic beverage what would she be? Ginger beer... alcoholic ginger beer Can you describe her in three words? Can’t handle trebles And how did you end the night? It ended with us both passing out fully clothed in bed. To be perfectly honest, I couldn’t handle the trebs either! Hahah sounds ... successful? Finally, do you think you’ll meet again? I don’t see why not
Are you unlucky in love? Email us at c2.lifestyle@ncl.ac.uk
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life & style lifestyle
Monday 5 November 2018
Humans of Newcastle A global warning: your student
the unique experiences of a passing student
guide to not killing the earth
Seshadhri Subramanian gives us his story, describing what Rosie Mccrum on how to be kind to our fragile home-globe n light of recent terrifying climate change related spective, this is the amount of water it was like to leave India and study in a brand new country revelations, you might be asking yourself if there the average person drinks in two
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The self-checkout at Sainsbury’s was my first real experience of a practical difficulty. I haven’t seen one of those in India!
oving to a new city to study can be an amazing yet nerve-wracking experience. But moving to a new country? That is another level entirely. Having done both of these things, I feel qualified to speak about what it’s like. I am an Indian who came to do his post-graduation here at Newcastle. I spent most of my previous twenty-three years of existence in India. This was not, like I implied earlier, the first time I was leaving home. I did my undergraduate studies away from my home city. It was difficult at first but I adjusted fairly quickly, mostly because of the new friends that I made there but also because no matter what, I was still in India. Moving to the UK was different. There is no question that I was excited when I got the offer from Newcastle. But as the days went on, the prospect of changing country hit me. I always knew this at the back of my mind but I was becoming aware of the fact that this was not going to be like moving to a city six hours away from home. Life here actually turned out to be a lot easier than I thought. I will admit, it was not easy the first one or two days but things got a lot smoother once the initial jitters were out of the way. I think part of it was that I met other people just like me – who’d moved here from their own country – which made me realise that whatever nonsense I was going through, they were also going through it themselves. And even most British students have been incredibly welcoming and understanding. I’ve noticed a few things that are wildly different from university in India. There’s the usual stuff like roads being cleaner, the weather being cooler
and so on. But there are also other smaller difference I’ve picked up. For instance, the Students’ Union is a big deal. In India, I was part of a Students’ Committee during my undergraduate days but we barely had any power. Seeing an SU that is powerful, independent and that has a big red brick building of its own? That was amazing to me. Beyond just studying, the scale of the university is beyond what I could have imagined. Then there’s the city beyond the university. I’ve not been out much into the city, mostly because I am more the sit-in-my-room-andwatch-a-rerun-ofFriends-type person, but the few times that I did go out, the nightlife here was very different from that of India. I’m not saying one was better than the other but it was nice to experience the coming back at 3am sloshed as all hell. I did find a part of town that had a very South Asian vibe to it and I like going there every now and then when I’m missing home. There are other things that I do sometimes struggle with. The self-checkout at Sainsbury’s was my first real experience of a practical difficulty. I haven’t seen one of those in India! It bewildered me for so long that I eventually I just gave up on it and went to bill it manually. Of course, I did figure it out after a few tries the next visit and now use it like a seasoned self-check out veteran. I‘ve struggled a little bit with the Geordie accent too, despite me having listened to millions of interviews on television with Newcastle United players. All in all, living in England has been a blast the last few weeks and hopefully it’ll continue to be that way for the remainder of my time here. Image: Seshadhri Subramanian
Sober October in the tipsiest toon
A rum-ridden and wine-free month, as told by Amelia Xanthe
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onths of sobriety have been all the rage recently, with more and more people concerned about their health. Large charities like Macmillan Cancer Support promote this idea with campaigns like “Go Sober for October” which encourages people to go sober for 31 days to raise money. The idea of being sober at university for a whole month seemed impossible to me. However, a few weeks into term and a too many awful hangovers later, the idea of a booze-free October didn’t seem too bad. I gave it my best shot... There were mixed reactions to my new endeavour, including many questions from friends asking me
‘why?’ and telling me it wouldn’t last. I had a few events during this month, which would inevitably involve drinking, including birthdays, house parties and Oktoberfest. But the doubts from a few of my peer group and the support of close friends fulled me on my mission. I managed to avoid happy hour at my friend’s 21st birthday. I enjoyed a night out to the Holy Hobo on just a Diet Coke. I went to house parties where I tried to make sense of drunken conversations. I hosted a dinner party where I was the only one not drinking. And I soberly wore a Dirndl to Oktoberfest. This experience opened my eyes to how embedded alcohol is in our university culture. I have felt the pressure to
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is anything you can do to help slow the inevitable destruction of our planet. If you’re not asking yourself
the livestock industry is responsible for 14.5% of greenhouse gas emissions
that question, have a think about the future with all its painful, global-warming related disasters and get asking. Every year there is a day when our consumption of the Earth’s resources is greater than the production of them. In 2000, ‘Earth Overshoot Day’ occurred in October. This year it took place on August 1st. As it stands, we are currently using 1.7 Earths to get the resources we ‘need’ (according to overshootday.org) and, worse still, the world’s superpowers (including the UK) are using double the amount of resources they produce. This behaviour is obviously not sustainable, so why not make sure you’re minimising your impact as much as you can and read the following guide on how to reduce your carbon footprint as a student. 1. Fashion Forget fresh creps and wavey garmz™and start thinking about the environmental cost of the things you buy. Between 1960-2000, the Aral Sea lost around 70% of its volume due to the diversion of its water to be used in the desert for cotton growing. Cotton is one of the most common natural fibres in clothing, accounting for around 33% of all textiles, but it requires 2,700 litres of water to make one t-shirt. For per-
Image: lickr
@TheCourierLifestyle @thecourierlifestyle drink and go on endless amounts of nights out, while knowing it is affecting my physical and mental wellbeing. I was intrigued by how this would affect my overall health, and can say it has had an undoubtedly positive effect. With Alcohol being a depressant, it can contribute to anxiety, depression and stress. I am prone to hangover blues, which means one evening of fun can result in a miserable following day. But throughout my sober month I found I was a lot happier and more productive with my uni work. I also saw improvements in my training for Cross Country. I
Image: pixabay
and half years. Polyester production isn’t any better, releasing around 706 billion kilograms of greenhouse gases in 2015. So next time you find yourself hesitating outside Primarni, save your bank account and the planet and take yourself to Oxfam. 2. Food So you can’t live without bacon, and halloumi is important to you, but just remember you can’t enjoy those things when the planet is destroyed and you are dead. You don’t have to go vegan overnight. Just having a couple of meat and/or dairy-free meals a week will have an impact. After all, the livestock industry is responsible for 14.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions, the same amount as the whole transport sector combined. 3. Packaging Plastic and packaging manufacturing have a huge impact on global emissions. Buy a recycling bin for your flat/housemates to share; recycling is definitely cooler than killing the planet. And instead of pissing money down the drain, bring a reusable bag with you when you do your shopping. Nothing feels as good as knowing you haven’t spent 5p damaging the planet. You don’t have to bring a flask to pres but reuse any plastic bottles you have instead of buying a new one every time you go out. 4. Small things Even turning the lights off when you leave a room and not leaving the bathroom tap running while you brush your teeth is better than nothing. Try and spend less time in the shower too. Instead of Google, use ecosia.com, a carbon-neutral search engine which plants trees when you search for something (over 50m trees have been planted by Ecosia users so far) and trees are what we need right now. If you’re interested in calculating your carbon footprint go to footprint.wwf.org.uk and see how much you’re fucking up the planet!
was able to keep motivated and train more, instead of missing sessions due to a hangovers and lack of sleep. My personal running times improved, giving me a sense of achievement for this month of sobriety. Another massive bonus is that I saved a lot of money. After dinners out my friends made the effort to not include me in the drinks bill and I wasn’t tempted to waste my money on the trebles deal at soho. My bank account has thanked me for this, but I’m sure to be rewarding myself with a trip to Topshop as soon as the 1st of November hits. At the beginning of this journey I couldn’t wait for it to be over. Now I’m almost sad it’s coming to an end! It has taught me is that it’s okay not to drink and I do have the power to say no to those around me. It made me realise you can still enjoy a night out or a social occasion without drinking, and the long-term effects are great.
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lifestyle life & style
Monday 5 November 2018
Roll again! Are board games back on the rise? Cooking with Get cuppas at the ready and plan a house night in - Benja Townsend discusses the Xmas-staple Hope Coke
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raft beers, organic kale chips, beards, fake glasses and now boardgames; have they been appropriated by the hipster movement? Yes, they have. Exploding Kittens and Cards Against Humanity have risen alongside boardgames in popularity. But these mediocre card games are only good for passing time at sixth-form and can’t compete with recent boardgames. From experience I can confidently say that there are those who spend their Saturday nights fighting through a dungeon rather than a crowded club. This isn’t to say that alcohol and friends are side-lined, Friday night pres now start earlier so a quick game of Ticket to Ride can be finished beforehand. This form of socialising has long been common
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Dad practice, so its far from a new trend. So boardgames are not just a hipster thing. Could it be that these new games are better? I’m going to say yes just so I can waffle on about my favourite games. Settlers of Catan, first produced in 1996 (before
The idea of collecting sheep and attempting to build the longest road may sound ridiculous, but it is addictive
I was born!) has regularly brought out expansions to keep itself in everyone’s mind. It combines randomness, strategy, simplicity with a small amount of fucking over your friends. Reminiscent of Sid Meier’s Civilisation games on PC, of which the latest instalment costs £49.99, Catan is significantly cheaper, and in my opinion the more sociable option. The idea of collecting sheep and attempting to build the longest road may sound ridiculous, but it is surprisingly addictive. H o w e v e r, it isn’t to e ver yone’s taste. In a similar way to the wellknown P a n demic, Zombicide is a
game which encourages teamwork to achieve the goal of beating the apocalypse. These ‘win or lose’ types of games encourage teamwork while also allowing everyone to have a bit of fun. They’re great if you need a more peaceful night or have someone new to initiate into the exclusive club of board-gamers. The question remains: is there a rising number of people playing boardgames, or it is just now socially acceptable to admit it to the world? Surprisingly I came to this realisation in a pub (believe it or not, boardgamesand pints are not mutually exclusive). While sitting out on a terrace in central Newcastle a woman was telling her mate that she had been playing D&D (Dungeons and Dragons to the uncultured) for seven years. D&D’s versatility is what makes it so fantastic; if you want to dress up and roleplay to the extreme you can, but if you just want a calm night of story-telling, that’s an option. Why this woman took seven years to tell her friend I don’t know. But it confirms that there has not been a boardgame revival, rather that spending your evenings huddled around a coffee table has now become socially acceptable.
Image: lickr
Getting catty about catsuits
After the controversy surrounding Serena Williams’ latest tennis outfit, Becca Johnson pushes for women’s freedom in their clothing choices
t’s incredibly frustrating to see women’s choices of clothing being commented on, and it isn’t just limited to the “office” world but has also crept into the sporting world. Serena Williams f o u n d herself in bother at the French Open during the summer due to her choice of outfit. The tennis star donned a black catsuit with a red waistband for her game against Kristyna Pliskova, w h i c h she subsequently went on to win. However, there was little attention paid to Williams’ vic-
tory, instead there was a focus on her outfit. The French Tennis Federation President, Bernard Giudicelli made a statement after the match saying the tournament next year would see the introduction of a new dress code. Thus meaning that Williams’ catsuit will not be seen at the French Open for the foreseeable future
the catsuit was specially designed to help with her blood circulation whilst playing to avoid blood clots There’s absolutely no denying that what Williams was wearing was a statement piece, anyone rocking up to any event wearing that catsuit is bound to turn their head, but it wasn’t a completely outlandish outfit. Let’s be real, who really gives a toss about what she’s wearing? At the end of the day as a spectator of the sport, you’re more bothered about watching the match then about the opponent’s choice of clothing. Furthermore, the reason Williams wore the catsuit was due to health reasons. Williams gave birth to her first child in September 2017 but there were complications with the birth, of which she has been left with issues concerning blood clots. The catsuit was specially designed to help with her blood circulation whilst playing to avoid blood clots. The controversy surrounding Serena Williams is just one example of an obsession surrounding what women wear and how they pull it off. Take our Prime Minister for instance, love her or hate her Theresa May has been on the receiving end of some criticism surrounding her outfit
choices. A quick Google search supports this point, type in “Theresa May clothes” and you’re met with a range of headlines slating her outfit choices. Some popular newspapers ran articles about Mrs May’s wardrobe and what she’s worn. Most surprisingly for me, Mumsnet didn’t hold back on their comments with one user saying Mrs May looked “ridiculous” in the red dress she wore to meet President Trump. Additionally, the Prime Minister faced backlash over the £995 pair of leather trousers she wore for a newspaper interview last year. Fellow Tory Nicky Morgan openly criticised Mrs May’s choice of trousers concerning cost. These examples just indicate the sexism that women in positions of authority face. Nobody would make a comment about the expense of a suit worn by a male politician. In fact, former Chancellor Ken Loach described it as “tedious” for newspapers to feature stories about female politicians clothing choices- and that’s just it. Go back to the question posed earlier in the article - who really gives a toss? I’m far more concerned about Mrs May’s Brexit strategy (if there even is one) rather than what she’s got on. For there to be actual newspaper articles published with opinions on what a female politician or sport star is wearing is absurd to me. In the examples stated above, neither Serena Williams or Theresa May wore something completely outlandish and inappropriate, yet a lot of media attention was dedicated to their outfits. Although it sounds sexist, the same wouldn’t happen to men at all. Have you seen any articles about the suits David Cameron wore during his time as Prime Minister? I bet you didn’t. Get off the lass’s backs and let them wear whatever they want.
Autumn Chilli
The evenings are turning darker, the weather’s getting colder, and I’m craving hearty, comforting dishes that deliver maximum flavour with minimum fuss. This chilli is exactly the sort of thing I want to eat this time of year, with lots of nourishing veg and plenty of spices to warm me up. The sweetness of the squash and peppers goes beautifully with the earthiness of the kidney beans and beetroot, which also lends the chilli an amazing deep red colour. So hunker down indoors and whip this up for an easy weeknight dinner, or go full Mexican fiesta with nachos, dips and all the toppings your heart desires. Serves 2-3
Ingredients: 1/2 a small butternut squash (roughly 500g weight) 1 medium/ large beetroot 1 red or yellow pepper 2 tbsps olive oil 1 red onion 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes 1 x 400g tin red kidney beans in water 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp smoked paprika 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp chilli powder (or more if you’re hardcore) a handful of fresh coriander salt and pepper, to taste Optional, to serve: Rice and/ or tortillas, sour cream, grated cheese, avocado/ guacamole, lime wedges, chilli flakes Directions: Start by preheating the oven to 220 degrees C. Peel and deseed the butternut squash, then cut the flesh into roughly 2cm chunks. Halve and deseed the pepper, and cut the stringy top and bottom off the beetroot, then chop those into 2cm chunks too. Transfer the prepared squash, pepper and beetroot to a large baking tray, toss with a tablespoon of olive oil and spread in an even layer, then sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Place the baking tray in the oven and roast for 20-25 minutes, or until all the veg is tender and just beginning to brown in places. Meanwhile, place a large saucepan over a medium high heat and add a tablespoon of olive oil. Peel, halve and finely chop the onion and add it to the saucepan, then cook, stirring frequently, for 6-8 minutes, or until the onion is soft and translucent and just beginning to brown in places. Add in the tinned tomatoes then and then refill the tin halfway with water and add that in too. Drain and rinse the kidney beans and add in to the saucepan, along with the cumin, paprika, cinnamon, chilli powder and a generous sprinkle of salt and pepper. Stir until well combined, then bring the mixture to a simmer and let it bubble away, stirring occasionally, for five minutes. Once the roasted vegetables are ready, remove from the oven and add them into the saucepan, then stir until evenly combined. If the mixture seems too thick add a little more water to loosen it, then simmer for 5 minutes further. When it’s ready, everything should be nicely saucy and the chilli will have taken on a rich ruby colour. Taste for seasoning and add a little more salt and pepper, if needed. Finally, roughly chop the coriander and scatter it over the chilli. And you’re ready to serve! Eat hot, rolled into tortillas or spooned over rice, and with any of your favourite toppings; I love it ladled over brown rice, with lashings of sour cream and cheese, homemade guacamole and a generous squeeze of lime.
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life & style beauty
coutier.beauty@ncl.ac.uk Beauty Editors Susanne Norris, Nimra Rafique Laura Buckle Online Editor Molly Taylor
the courier
Monday 5 November 2018
Surrealism: transforming faces Makeup can be more than just your simple everyday routine; Ioanna Chytiri takes a look at the world of makeup illusions
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akeup is fun. Makeup makes you feel confident. Makeup can transform you. Makeup is magic. Literally! There is no denial, that with makeup we can create whatever we set our mind to, from simple beauty routines to unbelievable, unrealistic transformations. But what about makeup
illusions? Makeup artists all around the world use their imagination to create the perfect optical illusions, driving their audience crazy. Such work is so amazing that it makes you question whether it is fake or photoshopped. When really it’s just creativity. Makeup, after all, is just another form of art, it’s art for your face, and
here are some people who have mastered this art. One of the most famous makeup artist in optical illusion is Mirjana Kika Milosevic, a Serbian girl, who started posting on her social media all her crazy and surreal transformations two years ago. She can turn herself into whatever she wants. From creepy dolls and animated characters, to being invisible and headless. Her art work will make you think that the picture is
you will try to figure out how she did it, but you will never understand completely
Image:@mimles
fake, you will try to see if there is a mistake, you will try to figure out how she did it, but you will never understand completely. And that is the magic. Although, you can see her step-by-step tutorials on her YouTube channel, there is a part of you that enjoys the optical illusion as it is, just like when you watch a magic show. Even though you suspect the magician is in fact just playing a mind trick on you, you are instantly dawn in and in awe at his abilities. I think that is a huge part and beauty of such illusions, it is because you do not know how it is done that makes it so fascinating. Milosevic’s social media and platforms have many followers and each and every one of her creations will leave you speechless. Many creative makeup artists followed Milosevic’s example and are now Insta famous because of their
Mindful beauty
work, taking optical illusions to the next level. Mimi’s Choi (or Mimles on Instagram) is the creator behind all those painted hands you see everywhere. You may have seen some delicious sushi rolls on your feed. Take a look, again. It’s her hands. She has a great talent for making her makeup looks appear 3-D, as if they are popping out of her face. But the most viral and famous creations of hers are the ones with the ‘’many faces’’, or ‘’many eyes’’. She loves creating optical illusions using her face and, basically, creating many versions of her face…on her own face. She has created looks that include multiple versions of her lips, so it looks like she has 3 lips on her face and they look so realistic, even I had to do a double take to make sure my eyes weren’t deceiving me. You can find her “many faces” inside many beauty magazines, indicating that she has already earned a great reputation as a highly talented makeup artists. She has collaborated with big names in the beauty society and she travels the world to organize beauty workshops, teaching the optical illusion technique to young makeup artists. She has also created her own palette with 12 unique shades, in collaboration with Mehron Makeup called ‘Mimi Choi Illusion Palette’. Contrary to what you may believe, these looks can be easily re-created. Primark do a great selection of cheap but quality makeup to get you started. Have you ever tried anything this crazy? Why not take inspiration from these makeup artists and attempt to step beyond the boundaries, you might surprise yourself. Makeup is art, so try to experiment and see if you too can create an illusion with makeup.
Beauty is too often associated with aesthetics, so Ellie Irving is here to explain the art of mindfulness and how it can relate to your own
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t’s interesting that recently empowerment has been linked to aesthetics – to the perfect contoured face and the ideal body. From Kim Kardashian ‘breaking the internet’ with her full-frontal nude photos for Paper Magazine to Emily Ratajkowski’s lingerie clad Instagram posts, an idealised version of the body is continuously linked with empowerment and self-worth. But what about other forms of empowerment? What about those individuals who don’t identify with the heteronormative images portrayed in the media every day? Throughout my teenage years, I believed that my selfworth was linked to my appearance; that if I didn’t look ‘beautiful’ and like the airbrushed, altered images I saw in magazines, I wasn’t good enough. So, after years of attempting to live up to societies construction of perfection I finally realised that true beauty and empowerment can be found by accepting yourself and acknowledging that how someone else regards you should not change how you see yourself – that your self-worth can be found from your inner beauty and not what’s on the outside. Mindfulness has been growing in popularity recently. It is a significant element of Buddhist tradition and the concept is related to meditation techniques. Mindfulness incorporates self-compassion and the appreciation of everything around us in the here and now – it teaches us to find our inner calm by being fully present, aware of what we’re doing and where we are without being caught up in worries of the past or the future. We all possess the ability to be mindful, but it can become more readily available to us if practiced daily. While I’m no mindfulness guru, I’ve found that taking a walk each day and valuing all the natural beauty around me has really helped me respect myself and my place in the world. Taking a moment to slow down and catch your breath can really help to focus your thoughts in a positive way, which may be useful if you are struggling in any way with your mental health. University, assignments, meeting new people and moving away from home can be a lot to take so if we
can have respect for ourselves and see that every person deserves to be valued this will go a long way in helping us to adjust and cope with the stresses of everyday life. Another positive technique I have used to improve my self-confidence and self-worth is taking yoga classes. Originating in ancient India, yoga incorporates physical, mental and spiritual practices and disciplines. If you are looking for a class to join, the NUSU yoga society meets on Thursdays from 6-7.30pm, for the beginners’ class at the Jesmond United Reformed Church. Their classes help to promote mental wellbeing and self-affirmation while improving stamina, endurance and flexibility.
the individual that you are and not your external appearance. We all deserve compassion, and most importantly self compassion.
my self-worth was linked to my appearance; that if I didn’t look ‘beautiful’ and like the airbrushed, altered images I saw in magazines, I wasn’t good
Another great way of focusing on your inner strength and beauty is by pursuing your hobbies and things that you enjoy. While university is about studying and furthering your knowledge in your chosen subject, it is also just as important to develop your skills and interests in other avenues. So, whether that’s baking, salsa, fellwalking or political activism, find what makes you happy and follow it, and I’ve got a feeling it will help you feel strong, independent and beautiful. University is a great place to get involved in what you love as it is a very inclusive environment with societies and clubs for everyone no matter what your age, gender, sexual orientation, race or religion. So, go full-glam or just-rolled-out-of-bed chic, but just be aware that what makes you beautiful is
Image: @womenshealthuk
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beauty life & style
Monday 5 November 2018
Kim's latest kontroversy Sophie Hindhaugh looks at Kim K's naked advertising campaigns - should we be offended?
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imberly Noel Kardashian West has revealed a new addition to her makeup empire: The Flashing Lights Collection. Only a month earlier she revealed the launch of her Classic Blossom Collection, which was well received, due to its neutral and pink tones, a staple of KKW’s style and easily marketable due to its wearability. This new collection however, reminds me of some of her older makeup products - specifically the Ultralight Beams. It seems almost futuristic, with its holographic
I’ll always admire her tenacity and Machiavellian like attitude to acquiring that dough
packaging and prismatic, jewel tones. Kim and Kanye are always trying their hardest to look like they’re from the year 3000 (with questionable success) and she has clearly decided to incorporate this into her makeup. This has proved a success, as holographic tones have been an ongoing trend that we’re not getting tired of. The marketing of her new collection, photographed by David LaChapelle, and uploaded to Instagram (of course), has been met with heavy criticism and backlash (as per usual). Kim Kardashian has one of the most interesting comment sections on Instagram, with people from different backgrounds, sex and race all banding together to attack this woman for transgressing what they deem acceptable for a woman. They go as far as to comment on her ability as a mother - who apparently is a separate entity from human - a paragon of female modesty and fidelity. But, don’t worry, this standard is only expected of women. Kim’s husband can apparently attend the Pornhub Awards and sing ‘I’m a sick fuck, I like a quick fuck’ with zero animosity from the public. It is insane. The amount
of people who crowd on her Instagram, typing out their recycled insults with the same passion they were typing them out five years ago, towards a woman they don’t know, and who has little to no effect on their lives. Yes, her advertising for her makeup collection has her naked - or thereabouts - in most of the shots. So, what? Who cares? Why do you care? It’s a human body. It’s not even that - it’s an image of a human body. It’s not like we are getting an explicit close-up of her vagina. Although, if anyone could sell eye shadow through doing that, I’m sure it would be Kimmy, and I would be doubly impressed. Kim is a business woman to the core. ‘The devil works hard but Kris Jenner works harder’ viral meme misses out only that Miss Kimberly Kardashian is right behind her momma, walking in her business savvy footsteps. She knows exactly what she’s doing when she’s courting controversy - she’s making dolla, and a lot of it. What are those angry little trolls gaining when typing out those selfrighteous insults? Nothing but high blood pressure and some misplaced righteousness. The most annoying comments are the one that say she’s a mother. Does being a mother mean its time to don a Nuns habit? Nudity has been at the forefront of art for millennia. The Greeks were sculpting titties purely for the sake of it. Kim Kardashian isn’t doing anything new - she’s just new in that she’s utilising her assets and laughing all the way to the bank more successfully than most women before her. The only people her nudity annoys are the people who would idolize The Odyssey’s Penelope. Besides, Kim Kardashian’s makeup campaign isn’t just an excuse to flash what her momma gave her, but takes inspiration from one of the most famous Renaissance painters, Titian (Venus and her Mirror, 1555), as well as the religious iconography of St Francis of Assisi. Clearly, Kim Kardashian’s ‘haterz’ are as ignorant of art history (or don’t follow @TabloidArtHistory on Twitter) as they are of the fact that they give her invaluable publicity, every time, by being so enraged at each post. She realises nothing sells better than sex (and controversy) and she exploits that. And, who can blame her? While Kim is not unproblematic, I’ll always admire her tenacity and Machiavellian like attitude to acquiring that dough.
Image:@tabloidarthistory
She’s transgressive, which is why she’s one of the most influential women in the world and a ‘pop culture phenomenon, in the words of Vogue. Her new collection and the staggering attention it has received (despite her being in the game since the noughties), shows that Kim is a marketing mogul. Who knows, I might even be persuaded to buy one of her funky eye shadows this time.
Moss making her 'marc' Poppy Couling discusses Marc Jacobs' latest muse: Lila Moss, the iconic Kate Moss' daughter
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was absolutely thrilled to learn that Lila Moss, daughter of iconic Kate, was the face of a new line of Marc Jacobs beauty products, I jumped at the chance to visit the only concession in London. Nestled amongst beauty’s biggest names in Harvey Nichols, Marc Jacob’s counter was plastered with Lila’s beautiful face, painted professionally with the new eye palette and lipsticks. Within seconds I was met with a friendly make up artist who was only too thrilled to learn I was planning a write up, and insisted on informing me a bit more about Marc’s ethos and thought behind every product. She told me proudly that he checks every single item before it goes through production, and ensures everything shuts with a satisfying ‘click’ to ensure a certain level of confidence and attitude is encouraged when using his makeup. This is carried through to the smallest details of the lipsticks, that are designed with a magnetic lid to ensure this sensory experience. The thought behind every piece is to produce glamorous makeup to wear with high fashion for the everyday female, promising all colours in the eye palettes to have empowering and pigmented colours that helps flexibility within styling. These palettes are all shaped like the rear- view mirror of retro car, hoping to mimic the oblong to ensure when applying the shadows, you only see both eyes. On the back of the palette, the names of all colours are listed, but when read one after another, the names all form a sentence or short poem. For example, the names of the Scandalust palette read Hot Pants, At The Office, Cause A Fuss, That’s Why, They Call Her, Little Miss, Scandalous, and another one of his Eye- Conic Multi- Finish Eye Shadow Palette that reads Take A Memo, Next Season, We’ll See, Pleather Python, Making A Scene, Enviously, Everywhere. Lila Moss’ new range, Leopard Frost, reads Hey There, You Slay, On The Runway, Serving Up, Eleganza, Extravaganza, For Your Life, which are all taken from iconic lines from drag star queen Ru Paul. This palette in particular is made of greys, teal blues, bronzes and a warm plum shade, consisting of the iconic textures of the Marc Jacobs shadows named
the Dew Drops Coconut Gel Highlighter to achieve a bright and textured base, before painting on a penny size amount of Shameless Youthful- Look 24H Foundation (inspired my Marc’s own tattoo that reads SHAMELESS
Marc spent much time designing in homage to his close friend Kate Moss, whom he met
Image:@marcjacobs
‘lame,’ ‘velvet’ and ‘satin,’ but missing the last texture that normally features in all palettes known as ‘silk.’ Within every palette, Marc designs them to be all neutral shades suitable for the versatility of a day and night look once the boldest shade is removed, rendering the strongest colour as the main feature of each selection. The lipsticks in the Leopard Frost are all beautiful nudes for all skin shades, and they can be applied smoothly. It is worth noting that these lipsticks are not matte and all consist of a cream-like texture, as Marc Jacobs believes the most beautiful runway looks are fresh and dewy. The best way to achieve a perfect face with these new products is to first spray a clean face with the Re (cover) Perfecting Coconut Setting Mist, before mixing the Under (cover) Perfecting Coconut Face Primer with
Big-up beauty brand lovin'
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ivea is a name that every household knows and is a very popular brand here in the UK. You can go to any supermarket, pharmacy or drugstore knowing there will be a whole assortment of Nivea products to choose from, ranging from moisturiser to sunscreen to lip care. The best thing about Nivea is the fact it is a very inclusive brand. It has both men and women’s product, with shaving foam and after-shaving balm for men, and anti-perspirant and moisturising face wipes for women. Their products are mainly unisex, from body moisturising lotion, sun creams, lip balms, face creams and showering products. Then there are some products aimed purely at men or at women such as their shaving collection, toners and cleansers like Micellar Water, but a lot of their packaging isn’t exclusively aimed at just women, it is designed for both sexes. I’ve personally used Nivea for a long time. I remember going to the skincare aisle in Tesco and I would always pick up the big 200ml tub of Nivea Soft Moisturising Cream and Nivea Daily Essentials face cleansers, ever since then I’ve always stayed with the same product and whenever I run out I always go and pick up another tub/bottle. It isn’t the only moisturiser and face cleanser I use; however, I always have a tub of the Soft Moisturising Cream in my skincare draw. For me Nivea’s moisturiser doesn’t leave that greasy feeling and doesn’t feel too rich and thick on my skin, so for an everyday moisturiser it is my personal favourite. I’ve stayed loyal to Nivea for both moisturiser and face cleansers, but being a university student using her student loan I tend to go for other brands for deodorant, lip balms and micellar water only because I gravitate to whatever is cheaper in the supermarket or Superdrug. Nivea is also a brand that has such an extensive range of products that individuals who have very sensitive skin and are allergic to a lot of skincare and beauty ingredients can use their products. For example, the Nivea Sun Protect and Sensitive Sun Cream is great for those who are allergic to the ingredients in other sun creams and need something else that will suit their skin. My mum is extremely allergic to the long list of ingredients that are in most face cleansers, moisturisers and sun creams, but she can actually use Nivea’s Daily Essentials Face Scrub and the Sun Protect and Sensitive Sun Cream range, and it won’t cause her skin to flare up, compared to brands like Simple which causes her skin to react quite viciously. This just shows that the products Nivea claim to be for those with sensitive skin aren’t filled full of chemicals that a lot of people’s skin reacts to. Nivea isn’t just a brand for individual men and women, but more of a family brand. A brand that everyone has grown up with in their household and continues to buy in adulthood. A lot of families buy their sun creams, large tubs of moisturisers and shower range because of how delicate the products are for young skin, especially their sensitive range. As a child I always remember my parents putting on Nivea’s Sun Kids Protect & Moisturise Waterproof Sun Cream when we were on holiday, and so that was the one sun cream I remember always using every time we were abroad. I’ve gone from my parents using Nivea Kids products while I was growing up to having Nivea’s other popular products as my go to skincare as an adult. It really is a brand I have always loved and will continue using. Amy Harris
on his chest) with a brush. Set this look with he Coconut Setting once more, a beautiful product that contains five different concentrates of natural coconut, that Marc believes alongside a litre of water a day, provides the most radiant complexion. Although this seems like a layered and laboured base, Marc truly styles his models with a little of a lot in order to achieve the cleanest and most natural look, accompanied with a brush of O!Mega Glaze All-Over Foil Luminizer on both cheek bones. Leopard Frost is a beautiful collection, and something Marc spent much time designing in homage to his close friend Kate Moss, whom he met when they were both just sixteen. To get to know any of these products better, follow @gilbert_soliz who works closely with Marc to put together products and styles, with close friends featuring on his feed, such as Lady Gaga, who is massively inspired by him. The collection is only available until the 27th of December, so go grab your palette and lipstick now! And if you aren’t swayed by any of these products, splash out on the Remedy Concealer Pen to brighten up those post- Halloween party eyes, as with its ice- cold metal application tip and high dosage of caffeine within the product, it really is a life- saver! Image:@nivea_uk
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life & style fashion
c2.fashion@ncl.ac.uk Fashion Editors Miranda Stoner, Poppy Couling, Joe Hood Online Editor Molly Taylor
Monday 5 November 2018
Handy handbag hints Reduce, Reuse, Restyle
Fashion editor Miranda guides us through the journey into The fashion editors bring you this season’s best arm candy the back of your closet to save last month’s impulse buys
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t’s mid-term and the euphoria of the student loan has begun to fade. Your purse is lined with receipts for all the things you’ve bought to get yourself through the ever-heightening tower of work as deadlines that seemed ages away creep closer. You no longer have the money to spare for a shopping trip, but your September wardrobe is beginning to look a little bit stale. No doubt though, there are a few things that have lurked at the back of the cupboard unworn since you hung them up last month. Here are a few tips for putting these cast-offs to good use whilst simultaneously spicing up your winter outfits.
Bold colours and patterns
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Instagram @moschino
1. ZARA; £29,99, 2. Kurt Geiger; £149, 3. Accessorize; £30, 4. River Island; £34. 5. Fjallraven Kanken; £90 hether you use it to carry around your more unique shapes are the way to go. Think Anna Sui emergency make-up kit or just the bare dolls house bags and Moschino McDonadls’s chip boxes. neccessities, handbags are more than an The high street also offers a range of more outrageous extension of your pocket. They can also make or break bags. asos’s fluffy orange tote bags are a cute option and an outfit. Therefore, attention to colour, size and shape at the higher end of the price scale is Kurt Geiger’s current is essential in order to find the perfect match to your rainbow collection. look for every occasion. The other saving grace of any bag collection is of course The safest option to go for is a wide square shape in a the backpack. A personal shell of storage and warmth, plain colour and there is no shortage of these on the the backpack can take the pressure of personal bits and high street. Zara and River Island supply a wide range of bobs as well as notepads and pencil cases, and even a wonderfully wearable choices. This season there is a lot laptop. Perfect for a long session at the Robbo, the trusty of autumnal orange and chestnut browns, but black is backpack, if chosen correctly, can additionally squeeze in ovbviously a classic choice. If you fancy something with a an economical packed lunch to ensure you are equipped bit more personality then metal studs or embellishments for a whole day of academic fun. We would point you will make your bag stand out from the crowds. towards the campus- iconic Fjallraven Kanken that boasts For a more daring statement then bright patterns and water repellent durability and a wide range of colours.
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If the reason you’ve been putting off wearing it is because the colour is too bright, or just too far from what you might normally wear, then try adding it to an otherwise black and white look. Bright colours look great when contrasted against a monotone background. Being bold never goes out of fashion so don’t shy away from incorporating bright colours into your wardrobe staples. The same applies to patterns- if you keep the rest of your clothing choices plain then pattern creates a sophisticated edge. Whereas too many or clashing colours and patterns run the risk of overpowering each other and missing the mark, a small eye-catching splash can add flare.
You bought the wrong size Whether you went a size too small or misjudged just how oversize ‘oversize’ was, this doesn’t mean you will never be able to wear it. In terms of items that are too big, never underestimate the power of a belt to cinch in those yards of extra material. For long t-shirts and jumpers tighten a wide buckled belt, then pair with tights or leggings and a messy top-knot. Skirts and trousers can suit a narrower belt with a tucked in t-shirt or cropped jumper. On the other end of the spectrum, if you bought something that turned out to be a bit more cropped or a bit more skin-tight than you has anticipated then incorporate it as the first step of your winter layering. Follow with a loose shirt or jumper.
You thought it was ‘on trend’
We’re all guilty of doing this. My wardrobe is full of things that seemed like a good idea because I’d seen someone on Instagram wearing it with effortless style, but somehow I never managed to pull it off the same way. More often than not, this style intruder can be toned down with the right pair of shoes and a few of your staple pieces. Tartan trousers are one such example. In the changing room the cut and the fit of them looked perfect but the wide leg just didn’t match my usual trainers or my penchant for baggy jumpers. By switching to chunky trainers and wearing a crop top and a jacket, both in black, this toned down the incongruency of this garment with the rest of my wardrobe.
If it’s still beyond saving If the item you bought simply doesn’t fit or will just never be worn, then consider selling it on eBay or Depop or giving it away to charity. It could become someone else’s new staple or favourite outfit addition. Moreover, if you’re looking for low cost, sustainable ways to carry on shopping then these are great platforms and places to browse for your own mid-season wardrobe updates. Charity shops are very selective in what they put on the shelves so garments are normally in good condition. They also often underestimate the RRP of the garment and don’t recognise brands when pricing, so you can pick up some great bargains. On the other hand Depop and eBay are perfect options for when you’re on the hunt for something specific as all the items are labelled and categorised. This means that you can find exactly what you are looking for and compare prices easily. An even cheaper way to freshen up your wardrobe is by swapping with your friends. If you are lucky enough to have a friend the same size as you, in the same fashion flunk then collect all your items into a disgard pile and compare. Your autumn updates could be closer than you think! Image: Instagram: @fashionistaa01
Why j’adore Dior even more Nimra Rafique tells us why we can’t miss the forthcoming Christian Dior exhibition at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum
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he fashion house Dior is definitely on the list of being one the most prestigious luxury designer brands in the industry. With its list of clients from the royal family to A-list celebrities, the house has built a high reputation for itself. It was founded by Christian Dior in 1947 and has grown very much
The exhibition will be more than just a normal display, but a whole visual and spectacular experience.
over the past 70 years. In celebration of the designer’s greatest achievements, the fashion house’s history and evolution will be displayed at the Dior exhibition, Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams, at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum from February 2019. The exhibition will look back at the brands success and accomplishments, as it showcases 500 objects including makeup, photography, illustrations, accessories and some of their exquisite haute couture pieces. The Sainsbury Gallery of the V&A will be completely transformed into a wonderful spectacle, which will tell the story that formed the French fashion house into a global name. The V&A’s curator Oriole Cullen and set designer Nathalie Crinière will help bring the Dior exhibition to life, organised by the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris, by creating a new image in the gallery space at one of
London’s leading museums, ensuring it fits with Dior’s aesthetic and look. The exhibition will also highlight Dior’s link to Britain, a place the designer grew a fond fascination for. Cullen tells Vogue “It was a very formative moment, and something he really associates with freedom and falling in love. From the grandeur of the great houses and gardens and Britishdesigned ocean liners to the food he ate, which, most found less than appealing in the ‘50s, the culture became an endless pool of inspiration for him.” Christian Dior evidently had a great admiration for Britain, which makes the exhibition being held in London even more special, as the location itself tells us a lot about the designer’s personal story and adds further sentiment. One of the key pieces on display at the exhibition will be the ensemble that was made for Princess Margaret to wear for her 21st birthday, again showing the designer’s connection to Britain, and his significant success having designed a dress for a royal. Other objects on display include illustrations and sketches by Christian Dior himself, of designs such as one “for model Londres, Autumn-Winter 1950 Haute Couture collection”. As well as photographs such as a one of Christian Dior with Princess Margaret as she is “entitling him to Honorary Life Membership of the British Red Cross”. Even though this is a fashion exhibition, there will be something for everyone to enjoy, whether it be makeup, photography, art or even history. This will be one of the biggest fashion exhibitions the V&A has hosted since Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty in 2015. The exhibition will be more than just a normal display, but a whole visual and spectacular experience. It will be as if you are stepping into a different world away from reality, stepping back in time, watching Dior’s story unfold before your very eyes.
The Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams exhibition is set to take place from 2nd February – 14th July 2019 in the V&A’s Sainsbury Gallery. The tickets are on sale now to purchase, so if you are a fan of fashion, art, photography, beauty, and want to take a look into the world of Dior, purchase a ticket and discover its journey.
Instagram: @ vamuseum
Instagram: @dior
Instagram: @vamuseum
the courier
19
fashion life & style
Monday 5 November 2018
Fashioning a new man’s world
Fashion editor Joe Hood discusses why breaking the fixed gender stereotypes within the clothing industry is coming into fashion
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o men get a fast pass to fashion success, or is it more a case of female body-shaming. After years of men being seen as ‘feminine’ for taking an interest in the fashion industry, we’re finally in a place where it is normalised, but now there is the fear men are taking over.
Men and women equally bring their own artistic touches
It is no surprise that the first thing to pop into many of our minds when we think of fashion is women, it doesn’t mean your sexist it’s just the way the industry has been framed for decades. However, this has been changing and now men aren’t criticised as much for taking care of their complexion and being fashion-conscious. But of course, with every step forward in equality, we always take two steps back. Some women are feeling threatened by men in the industry and angry that they are now taking the arguably female dominant career, and making it a man’s world. I
personally take both sides of this accusation, as men’s fashion is on the rise and brand’s creative directors are primarily men, but what is wrong with that! With that being said, some of the most successful designers in the world are female, take Stella McCartney and Alexander Wang for instance, two very influential and powerful females. Lauren Sherman wrote an article on the blog ‘Man Repeller’ where she addressed the issue, asking “Could it be that fashion is just another boys club?” This isn’t the case, it’s much more of a wider issue to do with representations of women in the business world rather than the fashion world. I am in no way agreeing with the stereotypes in fashion, women mainly making up the models and men being the designers and business leaders. I agree this is something that needs to be changed, however for the male models it is hard for them to break into an industry where Sherman says, “men can succeed […] in those roles, women are properly represented.” What Sherman is trying to say is that men can have a successful career as a model, but the female gender has been stereotyped so much so that there are only a handful of very influential male models. Due to the fact we still live in such a naïve and closed-
Wear whatever the hell you want to Emily Rose Jackson exorcises the slut shaming demons in the closet and declares her right to dress as she wants
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omen never really get a break when it comes to wardrobe choices, do we?! All year we are inundated with people telling us how to dress, so much so that we don’t even get a break on Halloween. Halloween serves a lifelong source of fun; from gorging on sweets and being hyperactive nightmares as kids, to filling up on Vodka
‘Halloween is the one night a year when a girl can dress like a total slut and no other girls can say anything about it” – Cady Heron, Mean Girls 2004.
and permanently damaging our eyesight with freaky contacts as adults. One sure thing that changes about Halloween as you get older is the increasing levels of judgement around anything you choose to clothe yourself in, yep anything. Traditionally the debate is split into two camps, the “Halloween is for scary costumes, why dress sexy?!” slutshaming camp, and those gals who do a supermarket sweep of Ann Summers every October 31st. The latter of which no one should have a problem with. Note the time stamp above, I
Image: Instagram: @meangirls
know it’s trying to explicitly get a point across but even calling a girl a slut already makes a negative judgement, even with the accompanying statement about no girls commenting on your attire. Wearing lingerie out the house is a personal choice, if it offends you then that’s your problem. Personally, I’ve never gone full ‘sexy’ for Halloween. The sauciest levels I’ve ever reached is attempting Ginger Spice back in first year, although I must say that my eBay union jack sequin dress was far from Geri’s ensemble. I looked more like a mess in a ginger tatty wig and a flag adorned potato sack. But again, it’s Halloween, it’s a bit of fun so who cares? A lot of people apparently! At the end of the day, dressing yourself is a choice; whether that be something on the sexy scale or a more conservative choice. Your actions account to people’s perceptions of you, certainly not your clothing choices, if that was the case people would still be looking back at 2002-2004 me and marking me off as an Avril Lavigne impersonator (I wish). Let’s also assess the fact that costumes on offer for women and the way they are marketed differ largely from those designed for men. As an observer, I would say that 95% of the women’s Halloween costumes in my local fancy dress shop are shorter, tighter and more provocative than their male counterpart. For example the ‘lumberjack outfit’ for men it’s just a checked shirt with jeans, a hard hat and a fake hammer. The women’s version is a cleavage spilling cropped plaid top with tiny denim shorts and thigh high PVC boots; not so practical for cutting down trees and certainly of the sexy calibre. If these are the only affordable costumes on offer, what do you expect but a rise in appearance of them? Because we certainly aren’t going back to chucking a bed sheet over our heads and shouting BOO. Halloween is fun, embrace your fantasy whatever that may be, whether you step into town dressed as a naughty nurse or as Kermit the Frog, just enjoy yourself! Feel sexy on your own terms, and dress however the hell you want.
minded society, where all genders are fighting to be fluid and accepted, it is difficult for us all to not fall into these cliché stereotypes both in and out of the workplace. Fashion is ever-changing and there’s always going to be this tension, but the originality and expressive work that goes into creating a thriving collection is based upon equality, men and women equally bring their own artistic touches. This is one of those issues that cannot be solved overnight, but fashion is never going to become equal if we play the sexist card every time a new successful male or female designer rules the fashion world. Instead of looking at who is leading the industry, look at how it can express an individual’s identity and give them a space to be their true self.
Image: Instagram @luckybsmith
Licence to chill: Sunday slob wear at its finest
Why Fashion Editor Poppy Couling is giving the green light to all things over-sized, soft and snuggly this Autumn/Winter
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hock horror, the Beast From The East is back, and the Toon’s temperatures have plummeted. Gone are any judgements should you decide to warm up some soup and be in bed by ten, or order a guiltfree Uber home after a 5pm lecture when outside is entirely dark and you can see your own breath. Put the rosé on stand-by, and russle up some mulled wine, pop those flip- flops deep into the depths of the redundant summer wardrobe, fall in love again with your warm leather pistol boots, and embrace the winter air. Finally, I can disclose exactly how far you can take your
Tracksuit bottoms ... are permitted into our wardrobes, no questions asked
‘Sunday Slob’ without looking a complete mess. Starting with our feet, we can push aside our trendy ankle socks, and replace them with some long thick ones that can tuck underneath your trackies or jeans. This is a trend that has already penetrated campus, so already deemed acceptable, but seems appropriate now more than ever. Similarly, embrace the chunky trainer to keep those toes nice and cosy, although I must veto UGGs before they are even introduced into the debate, for no other reason other than their suede is beyond impractical in the blistering, north east. Alternatively, some sturdy Timberlands will also do the trick. Tracksuit bottoms have been given a very bad name in fashion as they tend to dress a look down just that little bit too much. Fear not! Jesmond is trawling with the staple grey, baggy bottoms that can be found everywhere from Gap to Primark to Fila, so they’re permitted into our wardrobes, no questions asked. Flares have also become a permanent resident in the student wardrobe, so a smooth velvet pair from Topshop is a relaxed, street smart option, or even some Hollsiter yoga pants that are stretchy and remarkably soft. If neither of these options are tickling your fancy, go straight to the Zara ‘joggers’ section , and find yourselves some sleek basic cotton trousers in autumnal shades such as khaki, grey with a white side- stripe and even some flowing drawstring trousers in a lovely warm red. Essentially, if all else fails, slide into some LuLu Lemon sports leggings and be both comfy and very on trend with athleisure. Now for those snuggly jumpers! I would highly encourage any vintage sweatshirt (think Ralph Lauren and Adidas), as you manage to remain
perfectly warm and stylish. Any highstreet chunky knit would also provide you with a barrier from the cold and an acceptably relaxed look, or an oversized t-shirt layered over a large long- sleeve to double up and keep it trendy. Finally, do not neglect your head, as it is where around 45% of your body heat is lost. For another casual daytime attire, toss aside your coat, and don a warm bobble hat or cap to save your hair from the pesky eastern winds. Head to Accessorize for 10% off student discount, and a fabulous selection of winter- warming accessories. ‘To Slob’ is acceptable. It is appealing. It is necessary. Do not fear the danger of dressing down, but embrace it with style and finesse. Do it mindfully, do it proudly, and more importantly, do it with an elasticated waist to still fit in that yummy Sunday roast.
Image: Unsplash
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travel life & style
courier.travel@ncl.ac.uk
Monday 5 November 2018 Travel Editors Jenny Franken, Bianca Ionci Online Editor Amanda Goh
It's Bonfire Night! Events in November Rebecca Doneghan's explosive UK-wide recommendations
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famous nursery rhyme that we all know and recognise, "Remember, remember the fifth of November…” A true highlight of autumn; bonfire night. A night of light and excitement, colours and crowds; firework displays galore! If you’re hoping to attend a fantastic, fiery display this year, here are some recommendations for events around the country. If you’ll be at home or are willing to make the journey, be sure to consider these… About an hour’s train ride from London, Lewes, East Sussex, is a picturesque, peaceful town that comes to life every November 5th with its incredible annual celebration of not just Guy Fawkes, but the ‘17 Lewes Martyrs’. This town’s vivid celebrations are the last of their kind in the UK, giving it the title of “Bonfire Capital of the World” and it’s clear why! Numerous processions led by the ‘Bonfire Societies’ pass through the town from approximately 5pm and throughout the evening, including seventeen burning crosses representing the martyrs, as well as five different bonfire and firework displays around the town. Tickets must be purchased online ahead of the event, but it sounds like an event you’ll never forget! Additionally, Crystal Palace Park in London will be holding a large firework display, also on Monday 5th November, with the addition of a miniature railway, life-size dinosaur sculptures, and other attractions. A children’s display will take place at 7pm, perfect if you’re taking younger siblings or family members, with the main event at 8:30pm. Tickets also need to be purchased online for this event.
Not to worry, there are free events taking place out there too! If you’re thinking of heading further north, Glasgow is holding a free firework event on November 5th too, right in the city centre at Glasgow Green, Greendyke Street. With the money you’ll save on tickets, you can treat yourself at the food and drink stalls that will be there, as well as various merchandise vendors – perfect! My final suggestion is not just local and free, but will be taking place on Sunday 11th November in case you can’t make it on the traditional day. South Shields seafront hosts a stunning firework display every year, with two shows to make sure you don’t miss out! A beautiful location with lots of hot drinks and sweet treats available, this local firework display offers a great alternative for those staying in Newcastle this bonfire season.
Instagram @keishi.jp
Picture-perfect autumnal scenery
Shwetha Vasan discusses global must-visit spots in Autumn
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utumn is my favourite time of the year. A relief from the scorching sun, I love the pleasant weather and beautiful colours around. These days, I go for a walk in the evenings and enjoy the beautiful sunset. The lustrous sky, trees and everything around sync together in perfect harmony. I find the sound of the rustling leaves to be very satisfying.
It shines as bright as gold, while the Chinar trees on the banks turn into shades of mauve, red, and yellow
Fall is also the perfect time to travel around. Somehow, despite the winter’s cold being on the horizon, there is this very happy vibe about this season. I have a list of must visit places that are sure to enchant you, even if it isn’t your favourite time of year. Kashmir, India: Located in the northern part of India, Kashmir is known as paradise on earth. This city will leave you spellbound. The colours of the Dal Lake change every season. During autumn, it shines as bright as gold while the chinar trees on the banks turn into shades of mauve, red and yellow. Gradually, the trees start shedding their leaves and they cover the surface of the water like a carpet. It is calm and picturesque. Mount Fuji, Japan: Japan’s Mount Fuji, about 100
Instagram @killarneylodge
kilometers southwest of Tokyo, is an active volcano surrounded by five Fuji lakes. It is quite popular for sightseeing and trekking. During fall, the trees around turn from green to beautiful amber and golden shades. The mountain stands out in contrast to the mauvish envelope. By November, a snow cap starts developing over the mountain and this view is as attractive as it can be. Moselle Valley, Germany: This is one of the most beautiful river valleys in Germany. River Moselle flows through Trier & Koblenz, and a myriad of castles lead to romantic villages lining the banks of the river. Autumn immerses this landscape in extraordinary light. The Cochem Castle is a must visit place - with a spectacular view, it will make you appreciate nature’s beauty. Mountain biking and wine festivals make this valley all the more interesting. Bridge of Orchy, Scotland: Bridge of Orchy is a small, mostly undiscovered village about 100 miles from Edinburgh. But these days, several tourists are in awe of this beautiful and quaint little place. River Orchy is popular for canoeing and white-water rafting. Beinn Dorain and Beinn an Dothaidh are simple treks that can be done with one’s family. The river has a pinkish undertone with green, red and yellow tints. The splendid view atop makes the climbing worthwhile. Ontario, Canada: Moving on to Canada - Algonquin Provincial Park, Niagara Parkway, Bruce Trail, the list of places in Ontario is endless. You will lose yourself in their natural splendor. Mother Nature is in her seasonal finery here as she showcases her fall collection.
This month's unmissable events, curated by Emily Matthews
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or some, November can be considered one of the most enjoyable and exciting months of the year. After the excitement of Halloween has worn off, there are many things to look forward to in the upcoming months. The trees start to lose their leaves, the nights are darker and foggier, and the temperature is dropping, but that doesn’t stop all the fun that is to be had in November. Here is a list of all the events in the UK that are worth travelling to this autumn. To begin with, it seems that Christmas comes earlier every year. If you are one of those people who like to delve in and begin the festivities early, then this event is perfect for you. Opened from the 25th October to 6th January 2019, London’s very own Natural History Museum hosts again its remarkable Christmassy ice rink. Based just outside of the museum against the backdrop of the Waterhouse building, visitors experience one of the best seasonal activities in the beautiful city of London. It’s surrounded by the glorious autumnal trees, a fantastic array of fairy lights and an impressive Christmas tree. Tickets start at just £15.95 for adults and £10.45 for children- so don’t miss out on a experience that you won’t forget. Finally, in one of the UK’s most astounding botanical gardens: the Christmas at Kew event begins this year on the 22nd November. Experience the truly magical makeover of the gardens as they transform into a winter wonderland, offering guests a special illumination show to light up every building and encapsulate the beauty of
Ibstagram @alpersesli
the gardens. Not only are visitors treated to a full illumination show but also a chance to meet Father Christmas and the elves in his miraculous grotto, meaning the event is perfect for all ages. Adults can explore the festive stalls and shops with beverages on hand such as mulled wine – the perfect seasonal drink. Adult ticket prices start at £18.50 with concession prices at just £12. Book tickets now for THE Christmas light experience in the UK.
Hong Kong: All Access Georgie Morgan dishes the deets on her unique year abroad
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ong Kong, the city that never stands still, is the definition of East meets West. With its complex politics, this small Special Administrative Region of China, made up of 267 islands speckled across the South China Sea, is a wonder to behold full of culture, amazing food and breathtaking scenery. When you first arrive, you may be daunted by the prospect of finding your way around, but with super cheap, easy to navigate public transport, it isn’t as challenging as
Traditional duck pancakes that will change how you feel about your local Chinese takeaway
you once thought. There are two main areas: Kowloon, which is attached to mainland China and is more traditional Chinese, and Hong Kong Island, which is more Western. Start your day off early by visiting one of the many temples that are dotted around the city. You could take the cable car up to the Tian Tan Buddha (AKA Big Buddha) on Lantau Island, which is the biggest sitting Buddha in the world, and then take a leisurely stroll around the Po Lin Monastery. You could then head to Sha Tin to the 10,000 Buddhas after visiting the Chi Lin Nunnery which is an inner-city oasis of beauty and calm with Japanese inspired gardens. This can work up quite the appetite, and Hong Kong’s food scene is definitely a highlight. From Hello Kitty themed Dim Sum, snakeskin soup and traditional duck pancakes that will change how you feel about your local Chinese takeaway, to a hotter than hot mutton Vindaloo, beautiful beef rendang and tasty tacos – Hong Kong has every cuisine imaginable and is able to satisfy any food lovers cravings, no matter the time of day! For a spot of lunch head over to DimDimSum for some of the best Dim Sum. Afterwards, head to Ladies Market to pick up some souvenirs. Next, head on down Nathan Road to Tsim Sha Tsui. Why not get a new made-to-measure suit or dress in one of the tailors who can have a turnaround as quick as 48 hours. After doing some shopping in one of the many malls, don’t forget to pick up one of Hong Kong’s famous egg waffles. The best is at Mammy Pancake; while eating you can meander down to Victoria Harbour and have a rest marvelling at the stunning skyline of Hong Kong Island, arguably one of the best cityscapes in the world. Watch the traditional Chinese vessels, known as junks, softly sailing by with their iconic red sails. Hop on the Star Ferry to take you across to the Island. Once off the Star Ferry,
head across to hipster Shueng Wan known for its street art, stopping off at the Man Mo Temple where you can take some refuge escaping the hustle and bustle of the city and watch the incense dance above your head. After, head up one of the many hills to do some shopping and regenerate with a coffee or juice at PMQ - formerly Police Married Quarters - now home to numerous quirky shops and cafes. From here, take the bus up to the Peak for sunset. Most guidebooks recommend you take the tram, but unless you want to queue for over four hours, the bus is a lot quick and cheaper. Once you reach the top, you can admire the modern metropolis from above, watching the lights twinkling below. Head down to Soho where you can grab great happy hour deals - a saving grace once you realise how expensive the city is! Varga is one of my favourites: a quirky little bar which does the creamiest and most reasonably priced Espresso Martinis. You can grab a bite to eat in Soho, and then go out in the main nightlife district, Lan Kwai Fong (LFK). You will notice that there is more of a party in the streets than in clubs, as those conscious of their wallets
will buy their drinks in a 7/11 and Unsplash @bormot consume on the street, creating a carnival/street party like atmosphere. Rooftop bars, speakeasies and hidden bars are another essential part of the Hong Kong nightlife scene and if you can find them, you’ll surely have a great night. In Wan Chi you have Ophelia’s, Wooloomooloo and Djiboutii, Mrs Pound in Sheung Wan and Ping Pong 129 in Sai Ying Pun. If you fancy a spot of live jazz music, you could head back over to Kowloon and make your way to Ned Kelly’s, an Australian pub that often has guest musicians visiting and can end up quite rowdy!
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Monday 5 November 2018
Feature Editor Ally Wilson
Stay sparkly and safe on Bonfire Night
Sesha Subramanian talks the science behind the sparklers, background of the bangs, and how to stay safe when we use them
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emember, remember the fifth of November! Sorry for such a cliched beginning but Bonfire night is coming up in the United Kingdom on the fifth of November. For anybody who does not know what the bonfire night is all about it began with the arrest of Guy Fawkes on the 5th of November 1605. Fawkes was a contributer to the Gunpowder Plot and in honour of King James I having survived the attempt on his life, people lit bonfires around London. A few months later, the introduction of the Observance of 5th November Act made the celebration official. That tradition has continued till today and fireworks have still been the mainstay of celebration as far as this day goes. Fireworks have come a long way since Guy Fawkes and his failed assassination attempt. Today, they mark many major occasion and they’re a permanent fixture in almost any celebration – be it something as universal as New
Year’s or something as local as a city celebrating a Super Bowl win.
1605
the year Guy Fawkes’ assasination attempt on King James I failed, and he was executed.
needed for the transfer of heat energy and helps in creating an explosion when ignited. The fuel, meanwhile provides the heat for the explosion, while the oxidising agent provides the oxygen for the reaction – more in quantity
Fireworks have come a long way since Guy Fawkes and his failewwwwwwwd assassination
Fireworks were first discovered way back in ancient China with the invention of gunpowder. Legend has it that a cook accidentally created the first firework by igniting a mixture he concocted using three basic ingredients found in kitchens (at least back then): sulphur, honey, and saltpetre, otherwise known as potassium nitrate. Like most combustion reactants, fireworks need a very strong oxidizing agent and a source of fuel. The oxidising agent is
than the reaction would get from the atmosphere. An aerial firework basically has four different parts – the container, the stars (the ingredients necessary for creat- ing the effects we see), the bursting charge, and the fuse which gives the time delay to the bursting charge s o that it explodes at the right time. When the bursting charge ignites, it causes the entire shell to explode. The explosion from the shell ignites the stars, which then begin to exude bright sparks and flames. Depending on the chemical inside characteristic colours are visible when an explosion takes place. To reduce the rate of the burning reaction produced by the fuel-oxidizer system, chemists use big grains of chemicals (typically the size of a grain of sand) and don’t blend together the ingredients of the black powder thoroughly. Together these steps delay the explosion and help produce various patterns in the sky. Image: Pixabay
The Orange Island Firework Show The best firework show in the world? Look no further than Xin Li’s account of China’s world famous displays.
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t is not a special experience to watch a firework display,but if you have ever watched this one,remember to hold your breath and don’t forget to move your steps.I’m talking about the best firework display in my life that I’ve ever been to——The Orange Island Firework Show. This one of the most spectacular and largest firework shows and is held on the Orange Island in Changsha,China. As a tourism city and hometown of Chairman Mao Zedong, Changsha has attracted millions of tourists from different cities and countries every year, being especially famous for its long history and the Orange Island Firework Show. On the night of the first firework display on August 28th 2010, more than 100,000 citizens and tourists from both sides of the Xiangjiang
Firework displays are one of Changsha’s main tourist attractions, with resplendent displays of different themes performed
River watched, among which about 4,500 tourists who made a special trip from other cities by bus to watch it. Don’t worry about missing one, because you can watch
a wonderful firework show on the riverside of Xiangjiang River every Saturday and national festivals run from May 1st to October 31st each year. It starts at the appointed time of 8:30 pm and will last for around 20 minutes on the evening. At that time, every metro stations and main roads will be blocked and vehicles won’t be allowed to pass by in order to protect audiences’ safety. It’s a really important event for the citizens. Firework displays are one of Changsha’s main tourist attractions, with resplendent displays of different themes performed, including historical figures, tourism scenery, natural wonder, world civilizations, economic development, celebrations of various festivals and so on. I had spent my four years of my undergraduate life in this city and I am particularly fond of one of the firework show that had the theme of ‘blossom age’ and aimed to encourage young people to pass on the spirit of craftsmanship and innovation. Every time my family or friends came to Changsha visit me, I surely recommended them the Orange Island Firework Show. These breathtaking and miraculous scenes would definitely be imprinted on their minds forever. Some people may question if it is safe and eco-friendly to hold a firework display for such a long time and make it into a weekly activity. With the development of fireworks industry, traditional fireworks have been improved from the root, forming a new type of non-toxic, pollution-free and tailor-free fireworks. After being burned, the new fireworks only produce carbon dioxide, nitric oxide, nitrogen, water vapor and other gases, not particulate matter. It’s such good news that we can enjoy the amazing firework show as well as keeping an environmentalprotection consciousness. Some little helpful tips:
A Bonfire
It’s that time of year again- grab a sparkler, have a smokey stink in your hair for the res it’s Bonfire
· Ta k e Changs h a metro line 2 to Xiangjiang middle road station and walk south to the vicinity of Dufu Jiangge. ·Get there early, otherwise you will be drowned by the huge crowds and fail to find a prime viewi n g spot. ·The banks along the Xiangjiang River and the top of Yuelu Mountains are expected to provide the best views of the firework display. ·Bring your cameras and mobile phones, look for the best angle and enjoy your shooting and catching.
Image: Wikimedia Commons
Everything said and done though, it is essentially dealing with fire and as is the case whenever we deal with fire, there are things we could do to keep ourselves safe. First of all, when choosing fireworks, keep the area that you’ll be using in mind and pick accordingly. Build the bonfire away from your home, away from any sheds and fences and make sure your pets or any sleeping animals are not nearby. Take care when lighting the fire – it’s always better to light it with a firelighter than with paraffin or petrol. And after the display, clean up! Unlit fireworks can especially lead to nasty accidents the next few days. Finally, as enjoyable as bonfire night might be, it’s also important not to overdo it – mainly for the sake of the environment. It can very much impact the quality of air around the loca area and according to The National Society for Clean Air, carbon monoxide, dioxins and particles are released into the atmosphere by bonfires, adding to background air pollution. It can also have an effect on those with lung conditions and affect them adversely. So with all this in mind, have a good time with your friends and family with a happy, safe and an environmentally sound bonfire day!
edia C ,& Wikim y a b a ix Flickr, P Images:
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Monday 5 November 2018
Displays happening near you
Fancy a local bonfire night out? A local fireworks display? Ellie Irving has got you covered.
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or all you festive fiends out there, put down your pumpkin carving kit and hold off on adding ‘Last Christmas’ to your music playlist because Guy Fawkes is in town! It’s that time of year again – bonfire night – a time for fireworks, wrapping up warm in the biggest scarf you own and overindulging in treacle toffee. It all began in 1605 with ‘The Gunpowder Plot’ and a man – Guy Fawkes – arrested while guarding the explosives placed beneath the House of Lords. But the plot failed and so an annual public holiday was created to give thanks for King James I. To this day, on the night of the 5th November, all across the UK revellers and rapscallions alike light bonfires and fireworks in celebration, all chanting the same infamous words: “remember, remember! The fifth of November, the gunpowder treason and plot”. Toffee apples, pumpkin spiced lattes and sparklers are all common traditions of the season, and don’t forget to make your own Guy to burn on the bonfire! If you didn’t catch any of the fireworks over the weekend, here’s a rundown of all the things going on in the Newcastle area on the evening of the 5th November so you don’t miss out on any of the cracking events! In Benton, Novos rugby football club w i l l be hosting a
magnificent firework and bonfire spectacular in aid of The Chronicle Sunshine Fund charity, which provides support and equipment to children with disabilities in the North East. Blue Flames sports centre will also host their annual Fireworks Fun Night, with fairground rides, bouncy castles and Disney characters to keep children entertained. Festive stalls, hot food and a tuck shop will cater for the adults.
A time for fireworks, wrapping up warm in the biggest scarf you own and overindulging in treacle toffee
If you’re looking for an event in Gosforth, the firework display at Westfield School is open to all, and there will even be a bonfire complete with Guy Fawkes
himself. If you’re willing to venture further afield, a bonfire and firework display at The Pavilion, Peterlee prom-
44.3
the amount of metres high the tallest bonfire on record was, in Slovenia in 2007
ises new ‘low noise’ fireworks this year. Or, why not take the train to Durham to see the Durham city fireworks taking place at the Constabulary Police Headquarters in Aykley Heads. If fireworks aren’t your thing, take a trip to the Quayside to watch the performance of Clear White Light at the Live Theatre. Written by Paul Sirett and directed by Joe Douglas, the live production is a contemporary retelling of a classic gothic story – inspired by Edgar Allan Poe’s, The Fall of the House of Usher. Set in an allmale psychiatric unit, it features the songs of Alan Hull of Lindisfarne – Tyneside folk rock band. Running until the 10th November, tickets cost £10 for concessions. So, grab your bobble hat and mittens and join in with the festivities tonight, they are sure to make a bang. And, if you don’t feel like venturing out in the dismal winter weather grab yourself a toffee apple and head to your up-
r, don your thickest coat and prepare to st of the week despite multiple washese night!
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few years ago, my family and I were having our annual firework party. The garden furniture was arranged, we’d all had plenty of my dad’s incredibly yummy pumpkin soup and there was a thrill of excitement coming from the kids as the first flashes of red and green spread themselves across the sky. It was a glorious evening. Until, that is, we heard a disturbingly loud voice shouting very explicitly about our house and more importantly, our fireworks. “CHILDREN ARE DYING IN AFRICA,” the voice boomed. “WHY ARE YOU WASTING MONEY ON POINTLESS FIREWORK DISPLAYS.” I mean, it killed the pleasant, cosy vibe we were enjoying, and made us all feel very awkward. In reality, we’d spent very little on the fireworks and were actually spending more time enjoying each other’s company on what was a very clear, moonlit evening, so the attack was a bit unfounded. Also, just as we’d spent our money on fireworks, he’d spent his on a megaphone! But still, I was gobsmacked by the severity of it and the
ns Commo
Fireworks: friends or foes?
After a run in with an angry neighbour, Ally Wilson explores the ethics of fireworks and whether they’re worth the damage they cause...
effort our neighbour had gone to in order to shame our firework expenditure. However, it wasn’t totally unfounded. As Brits, we spend about £40 million on fireworks every year, which is an astronomical amount, but nothing on what is spent in America and China. When you consider any big public event- sporting finals, music festivals, weddings, birthday parties, new years’ eve and of course bonfire night, the amount of fireworks we must
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anna get the part as hot as the fire? Short of inspiration? Here’s some bonfire-related bangers to get the campfire vibes a’ flowin... ‘Bonfire Hearts’ James Blunt Got to be done really hasn’t it? The clue is in the name. This track was really waited for with bated breath, after Blunt’s second album was a bit of a flop and we weren’t disappointed. A quintessential campfire song. Great opener. ‘Fire’ Kasabian With a gradual crescendo, this is a classic sixth form party anthem with the kind of riff that you end up singing on repeat for the next twelve days until eventually one of your friends has enough of it and throws something at you. ‘Fireside’ Arctic Monkeys Probably the worst song on the AM album but still decent, the steady drum beat and strong strumming of the guitar is a good background sound to the cracking of the fire and gentle nattering of your guests. ‘Set Fire to the Rain’ Adele Not the most upbeat song but certainly a good one to sing along to. I sincerely hope it isn’t raining at your bonfire but should it do so, this is good number to get angry about it to. ‘Burn’ Ellie Goulding I very much don’t like this song. However, it is apporpriately named and is kind of nostalgic in its own sixthform-common-room-playlist kind of way. Again, a good background number.
Image: Flickr
Bonanza
Poppin’ Playlist
get through is unthinkable. And their effect on the environment is subsequently, quite intense. The firework doesn’t end in the sky, it sends debris flying across the local area. Studies have shown that firework debris in lakes and rivers has percolated into the water and damaged valuable habitats for marine life. In addition, the sound of fireworks has an adverse effect on animals (any pet owner will know that) and those with anxiety. And as my dear neighbour screamed at us, surely there’s something more valuable to society we could be spending our time and money on? After the grilling, we all sat uncomfortably for a while before finishing off our miniature display, and continuing our evening as normal, as thousands of people will across the world tonight, myself included, but with a slight tingle of guilt lingering until we went to bed. So while you’re watching the colours and hearing the bangs, spare a thought for my angry neighbour, who’s probably still on my street, getting his megaphone ready.
‘Burning Love’ Elvis Presley A good old-fashioned bit of rhythm and blues with this one. Not quite a get-up-and-boogie tune, but a good gateway into the bops to come. With just the right tempo to get the foot tapping but also still reasonably chilled, with of course the sultry tones of the King’s velvety voice, you’re in for a treat with this one. ‘Firestarter’ The Prodigy If only to please the drum ‘n’ bass junkies you’ve invited, play this one. Everyone recognises it and it’s a good one to sing for whoever actually did start the fire. Nice lil’ appreciation for the months of collecting the source material and undertaking the risky task of negotiating petrol andsome kind of lighting mechanism safely. Bravo. ‘Fire Burning’ Sean Kingston From the very first line this song will have everyone up doing whatever year 11 bop and strange American-Jamaican fused accent you do to every Sean Kingston song. A school disco anthem, and worthy to be turned up a few notches too. ‘Disco Inferno’ The Trammps A classic 70s number here for all the older generations at your gathering. Although actually, it’s still a banger so I would expect the young’uns to enjoy it too. Although the vocal is a bit screechy in places, it’s got a great bassline and a chorus everybody knows the words to. ‘Relight My Fire’ Take That & LuLu Depending on how the previous track goes down there will be some deliberation over whether to play this version or the orginial Dan Hartman version of this song. However I think we can all agree that TakeThat’s offering is far superior, back when Robbie and Gary were still friends and LuLu was known for more than just being bad on Strictly. ‘Firework’ Katy Perry It’s uplifting, it’s happy and it’s impossible to sing not drunk. What’s not to like? Also features as a good accompaniment to said fireworks, as a background to all the “Ooh”s and “Ahh”s.
Image: Pixabay
‘Embers’ Just Jack This is what will be left at the end of the night. For quite a depressingly-named song, it’s actually quite upbeat. A happy way to end what has hopefully been a happy time.
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culture music
c2.music@ncl.ac.uk Music Editors Charlotte Boulton, Rory Ellis, Jess Taylor Weisser Online Editor Max Hobbs
Shaun Ryder: “I grew up with rock and roll, that whole scene...and I wanted that!”
Liam Austen has a chat with Shaun Ryder in anticipation for his Black Grape gig at Newcastle Riverside on November 23rd
S
haun, it’s an honour to chat with you, and thank you for taking the time. What can people expect to see on the 23rd November at Riverside when you take the stage with Black Grape? Well, actually, you know, it’s probably better now than is was back in the day. We’ve got a great band, and me and Kermit are both right on the ball now you know; totally compus mente. That’s amazing to hear, so would you say that over time it’s been polished? Well it definitely is, cause back in the day we were more concerned with when we were getting to the party, you know, it was all about sex, drugs and rock and roll. But now it’s just about rock and roll, the sex and drugs have just disappeared! And to be honest, we both enjoy it more than ever. And what kind of setlist should we expect? Well if it was up to me I’d go out and do the full new album. That’s the main difference between the [Happy] Mondays and Black Grape, we haven’t got any new material with the Mondays. We’re just doing the whole Greatest Hits thing, that is great, and that’s better than ever. The reason we ended up doing the new Black Grape album was that, we should’ve really been doing a new Mondays album, but we couldn’t get it together, so, me and Kermit just went, we bobbed in and did that album in four weeks. Wrote it, recorded it, produced it, in four weeks. That’s great man, it sounds like you’re really enjoying yourselves. It almost seems as though during that period of the 80’s and 90’s, a lot of the great music being made by bands like The Happy Mondays was overshadowed by the partying and hedonism you’re all famous for. Would you agree? Well you know what, the thing about what we did with the press, was that we totally played it for the press. I mean, if you’re looking at all those bands from back then, then think about the only people you’re doing interviews with now – it’s just us. So, whatever we did back in the day, we did it right, it leads on to television and everything else, we totally played it! When we started, sort of, happening, music and bands got really boring. I grew up with proper rock and roll, you know, The [Rolling] Stones, The Kinks, The Who, the [Sex] Pistols, that whole scene. And I wanted that, we all really wanted that! But you know, by the early 80’s, it was like a never-ending episode of Top Of The Pops from 1976 or something, it was really boring! But what we did was we played that rock and roll again, and anywhere that goes, the press goes, you know?
Wrote it, recorded it, produced it, in four weeks.
What was your relationship with press at this time? Well it was different before us, it got to the 80’s, where if you got caught smoking a joint, you could lose your record company! To us it was all just bollocks, and what we did was we just invited the press in to come and watch what we were doing, and what we were doing was just smoking weed, popping E’s and just doing a bit of whatever. But whatever we did, we just let them see it, cause it was just rock and roll. So, you can say that the partying overshadowed it all, but the press that we got from that! Well, put it this way, we’re still around now. Perhaps overshadow is the wrong way to put it, but partying has always been a huge element of rock and roll, and unfortunately a lot of those guys have fallen by the wayside, whereas you lot are still going strong, and that’s really impressive, you’re back, and like you say, better than ever! Well what it is, you know, once I got into my forties, I really didn’t wanna be living like I was when I was 18 and 19, it’s why I ended up going and doing [I’m A Celebrity, Get me Out Of Here!]. I went and did the jungle in 2010, because, one, I had a greatest hits album to promote, and the record company wanted me to go in. I’d refused all that stuff before, I’d said “no, we don’t do that, because we’re artists”- sorta shit. But then you look at what’s happening in America - you’ve got big names doing reality television! It just hadn’t really been accepted here yet. What was it that made you sway to taking a more public approach to your life then, with I’m A celeb, etc.? Well, I’m here, I’m 48 years old; the moody man in black who just stands there and everyone goes ‘oooh’ - nobody had ever really got to know me. So I went on that show, and approaching 50 years old, my whole career changed. It becomes more ‘entertainment’, than just rock n roll, not just music. It’s almost like going back to the old Bruce [Forsyth] and Sammy [Davis. Jr.] days, you know, go and
do a bit of singing, a bit of dancing, a bit of acting, and then go and do some music as well, and at that age, approaching 50, it was the right time to do it! Definitely! and I feel like both The Happy Mondays and Black Grape, focused a lot on that [entertainment] element, on the stage presence, and giving off the vibe that the tunes were trying to create. You’re right, and there wasn’t much TV around then, there’s shedloads now! I can go out every fucking day now, and do one of those sort of things you see on BBC 4 or Channel 5, music documentaries and that, every day of the week I could go and do one of them. I do enjoy them and I do like watching them but I don’t wanna be plastered all over every fucking one. Turn the telly on nowadays, and I’m on every other channel, you’ve gotta get the balance right.
MØ Forever Neverland
K
aren Marie Ørsted, known professionally as MØ, is a Danish electropop songstress. She’s best known for her appearances on a string of high profile collabs including 2015 smash hit ‘Lean On’ with DJ Snake and Major Lazer as well as 2016 track ‘Cold Water’ once again with Major Lazer as well as Justin Bieber. 4 years on from her highly-rated debut ‘No Mythologies to Follow’ comes sophomore release ‘Forever Neverland’, its title and lyricism paying homage to Peter Pan and her own quest for eternal youth (with some sweet hooks thrown in for good measure). MØ’s scandi synthy style manages to combine nostalgic lyrics with her more futuristic instrumentals. With this album MØ’s songwriting has progressed to a more poetic style with her romantic reflections belted out over voltaic beats, radio-friendly in its catchy blend. This weaving of the old and new is best manifested in ‘Forever Neverland’s stand out track ‘It’s So Over’ ft. Charli
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Monday 5 November 2018
handle is even @momomoyouth! This woman is truly committed to preserving adolescence. In comparison to her debut album, during the course of Forever Neverland she begins to fight a losing battle in her quest. Maturity is in some cases unavoidable as she navigates heartbreak amongst other experiences, although she strives wherever possible to keep the juvenile fun alive ‘stealing liquor, making plans’ in summer-soaked track ‘Sun in our eyes’. Yet, despite being full of hooks and easy-listening tunes, the album lacks the raw honesty and outstanding charm ‘No Mythologies’ possessed. A larger number of tracks from ‘Forever Neverland’ are single-worthy, and consistency is clear when you play the whole album through but I would certainly struggle to call it her best work yet. Nonetheless, ‘Forever Neverland’ has some pulsing and tremendously beautiful moments; unquestionably worth a listen whether you’re familiar with MØ’s work or not. Emily Rose Jackson
Top tracks 1. ‘If It’s Over’
This track is a futuristic fun number and features my favourite trailblazer Charli XCX, music video please gals.
‘Forever Neverland has some pulsing and tremendously beautiful moments
Image: Pomona PR
XCX. XCX’s auto tuned bubblegum pop infused vocals satisfy our sweet tooth whilst serving her signature cyberlike edge that compliments MØ’s synth heavy style. This album is overflowing with impressive collaborations, though this does cause MØ’s solo songs to get a little lost in the track list, failing to leave the lasting impression we were longing for her to make after the vast success she has had. Nevertheless, MØ’s hugely distinctive and raspy voice undoubtedly makes the album soar. No matter who is featuring, it’s her delivery of emotions that truly captures your attention. MØ’s fight against adulthood and strong grip onto her youth is something most of us can relate to *jealous sigh as freshers’ scurry past*, and it’s an ideology she has communicated throughout her musical career, her Instagram
2. ‘Blur’
An unexpected homage to Pixies classic ‘Where Is My Mind?’, this synthy song verges into the country and indie rock genres for a delightful twist.
3. ‘Sun in Our Eyes’
Image: Kim Metso
MØ and Diplo go together like a wink and a smile; they’ve delivered once again with this mellow track that’s dripping in midsummer magic.
Musicians and politics: the only kind of parti Our writers round off this term’s feature series about musicians’ lives beyond the music by O n Tuesday July 17th, 2018, I witnessed something I had never seen at a concert. The gig in question was Pearl Jam’s rescheduled second show in London. The previous weekend had seen the much-anticipated UK visit of Donald Trump and the band called Trump out in a big way, commenting on a banner in the street- “God save the Queen from the fascist tangerine”- and a gigantic “Baby Trump” balloon outside the arena. This was the first time I had ever seen a band make a political statement with my own eyes; despite the fact that artists commenting on politics has undoubtedly become more popular since Trump took office in January 2017. But should musicians be sharing their political views? I’m going to try to be as unbiased as possible and present a couple of arguments. First of all we have musicians who want to make a public statement in the media. Personally, this is not my preferred way of making a statement, but it is the one that many artists have come to adopt. Returning to Pearl Jam, the Seattle band produced a highly controversial poster for their Washington DC gig this year which depicted a dead Donald Trump lying in front of a burning White House. I’m going to contradict myself here and say that I actually quite liked this stab at the establishment. The use of a poster was far subtler than a direct quote in an interview and arguably produced more of a reaction, with the Republicans criticising the poster. Nonetheless, some artists are far more brash in their views. A good example of this is Morrissey, the former Smiths frontman said that the “sorrow of the IRA bombing in Brighton was that Thatcher escaped unscathed” and while I love the Smiths as much as anyone else, this is not a good look. Similarly, John Legend took his distaste for Trump to social media, replying to a tweet from Trump Jr and calling out Kanye West for his support of the President. West met with Trump recently and has himself hinted at a run for the oval office. On the other hand, musicians who want to make political statements through their music have my utmost respect. While I’m not going to claim to be well versed in the field of politics, anyone who can make a statement through their art de-
serves at least some credit. Now I’m not suggesting that every politically charged song is going to be a masterpiece. Nonetheless, the “protest song” genre has produced some relatable classics. Green Day’s ‘American Idiot’ was originally written as a response to George W Bush and the war in Iraq and has since seen a resurgence in popularity as the US is once again divided. Simi-
Images: Wikimedia, Thatcher Hullerman Cook, Robert Stevens, Justin Higuchi, Robert Stevens
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Monday 5 November 2018
Unknown Mortal Orchestra IC-01 Hanoi
Neneh Cherry Broken Politics
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eneh Cherry is a Swedish singer-songwriter, rapper, and DJ. She was a quite popular pop star in the 1980s. Most have heard her as a guest vocal in “Kids With Guns” – the legendary Gorillaz song. Broken Politics is her fifth album and her second produced by Four Tet. He has been called the best in the game and has worked with artists like Aphex Twin, Radiohead, Ellie Goulding, and Lana Del Rey. This Cherry record is definitely ‘quieter and more reflective’ than its predecessor, Blank Project. It can be classified as ‘Trip hop’, although as always Cherry plays with various genres. Whereas the main theme of the record is obvious: her reflection on the current political climate. Lyrically, Neneh delivers a passionate response to the turmoil. She brilliantly expresses fear and sorrow in her songs. She realizes the inescapable reality - our politics have always been like this. The vocals are a bit slow, however meditative and calming. On the Four Tet part, instrumentally this album is quite experimental. Electro-acoustic, fractured beats are accompanied by harp and tendril-like melodies, chimes, and samples of various ringing objects – all of it forms the background for Cherry, instead of traditional or trendy beat. Despite that only 3 songs really caught my attention. ‘Kong’, which is my favourite, but only because Del Naja from Massive Attack collaborated on it, therefore his style made it through. ‘Shot Gun Shack’ is a jam, the beat makes your head bob, also the lyrics are quite catchy, as they stand out the most on this one. The instrumentation on the last track: ‘Soldier’ reminded me of early Florence and the Machine. It’s the most beautiful sounding one and the lyrics are quite touching. Additionally, there are 2 interludes: the third track ‘Poem Daddy’, which includes harp melody, some wind and city noises, maybe also walking among fallen leaves which make the words almost indistinct. I much preferred the second one: ‘Cheap Breakfast Special’ which is quite similar but doesn’t include any lyrics, but only parts of conversations and noises of a restaurant. I think that just the idea for it is brilliant. Apart from them, there is nothing that makes Broken Politics really stand out in the wave of broken-hearted artists expressing their pain over politics. This outburst is calmer than the others and this is its strongest virtue. The record overall is only ‘OK’, not extraordinary. JagodaWaszkowiak
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nknown Mortal Orchestra’s latest release, IC-01 Hanoi, begins with a startling immediacy; the first track (‘Hanoi 1’) launches the listener into a wall of sound. The bricks include solid drum fills and virtuoso electric guitar, creating a heavy, gritty hybrid of krautrock, metal and contemporary jazz. The first track ends as abruptly as it starts, with the hypnotic second track ‘Hanoi 2’ takes over, transforming the chaos of ‘Hanoi 1’ into a distant memory, to be revisited later via playful flashbacks.
begins with a startling immediacy ... Hanoi 1 launches the listener into a wall of sound
The influences of the Vietnamese city Hanoi, where the album was recorded at Phu Ha Studios, become more apparent as the album progresses, with layers of meditative percussion accompanying a ‘melody’ consisting of long, warped, ambient breaths, which offers a contemporary spin on traditional Vietnamese folk music, and creates a soundscape that is evocative of the sounds and bustle of the crowded city.
Image: Iñaki Espejo-Saavedra
ties musicians appear to hate?
y sharing their thoughts on artists voicing their political beliefs The Machine’s biggest hit, ‘Killing In The Name’, was actually a protest towards a police brutality case in LA, 1991. U2’s ‘Sunday Bloody Sunday’, a protest against the British Army was released 11 years after the event with Bono claiming that the song was “not a rebel song” but more of a “humanitarian plea”. While I’ve tried my best to remain unbiased so far, I prefer artists to share their political views through their music, which is much more powerful than quotes in the media. Interview style quotes have the potential to be far too crass, meanwhile “protest songs” are remembered forever. Though it has to be said that some artists are less keen on politics, with Liam Gallagher much preferring that musicians stick to music and remain “as they were”- pun intended. Dominic Lee
W
hen people argue that musicians should just “stick to what they know” and stay out of politics, I don’t understand it. Putting yourself in the public eye gives you a valuable platform and ability to craft songs about your own experiences, which often draw from social and political context. Silencing the vital voices of musicians who have the power to influence and inform the public is a ridiculous notion. The suggestion that musicians are only there for entertainment and that their own thoughts and experiences shouldn’t matter outside of a Top 10 hit is an outdated idea. In a world of activism available at our fingertips through social media, why shouldn’t musicians get involved? There is a damned if you do, damned if
you don’t approach for many artists’ decision to delve into politics. Taylor Swift kept quiet about her political views for years, leading some people to wonder whether she was a secret Republican. When she recently spoke on Instagram to urge people to vote in the US midterm elections - for a Democratic candidate, no less! - it had a real impact on voting registrations in her home state of Tennessee. Vote.org registered over 2,000 new voters in the 36 hours after Swift’s post. Engaging people in democracy is vital, and Swift is able to reach the crucial youth demographic very easily - that is not something to be discounted. Wolf Alice, a popular British band, have been incredibly politically active throughout their career. The band supported Jeremy Corbyn during the 2017 General Election, endorsing him and appearing at various Labour rallies and Labour Live. Their public political affiliation only makes me like them more (admittedly probably due to my own political biases and love of the band) and I think it’s really important to see upcoming artists standing up for what they believe in. Ellie Rowsell, Wolf Alice’s singer, has previously said that she feels a responsibility to support politicians she believes in; although they keep politics out of their songs, they’re vocal in all the other ways that it matters. You can learn a lot from a person’s politics and musicians aren’t exempt from this. Kanye West’s recent questionable comments suggesting that slaves had a choice to leave their oppressive imprisonment have given us all an insight into his politics...that and the awful MAGA hat he insists on wearing. We shouldn’t give public figures a free pass from saying horrible, dangerous things just because they’re ‘entertainers’. I’m not saying I dislike West’s views just because he supports Trump (although yes that absolutely is a factor). Instead, he should recognise the alienation he is causing for his fans and the very real consequences of Trump’s policies. In the concerning political climate of 2018, everyone should make their voices heard and stand up for what they’re passionate about. After all, musicians have damn loud voices so let’s hear them. Charlotte Boulton
@CourierMusic thecourieronline.co.uk/music
music culture
These tracks are the result of live sessions, with Jacob Portrait, and Nielson’s brother Kody, alongside Nielson’s father Chris on flugelhorn, saxophone and keyboards and local musician Minh Nguyen on Sáo Trúc, Đàn Môi and Vietnamese Percussion. That the band is predominantly made up of family members is perhaps a reason for the seamless communication between musicians in the album, where the saxophone waxes lyrical alongside warped keyboards and disjointed rhythms. The instrumental conversation is simultaneously rapid and meandering, resulting in an enticing yet unsettling
looks like jazz, smells like rock but tastes like nothing you’ve ever experienced before tapestry of unexpected and familiar sounds. The band references Miles Davis’ On The Corner as the album’s “closest antecedent”, and the parallels between the two are apparent in the distinct playfulness and experimentation that both works partake in. In an interview on Discogs Blog, Nielson describes Davis’ album as sounding “aggressive, creative, exotic, toxic, damaged” and many of these adjectives also encapsulate IC-01 Hanoi in its frantic rhythms, harmonic exploration and experimentation with cultural influences. There is the sense of a sonic beast being unleashed in Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s album, which contrasts jerky rhythms, abstract yawns and fuzzy grumbling with sensual, slow wandering and reverberating soul (such as ‘Hanoi 6’). Towards the end of ‘Hanoi 6’ the jazz beast gets temporarily slaughtered before taking a deep breath, literally (someone breathes at the end of the track), and making a comeback in the final track, ‘Hanoi 7’. The album ends with an echo, the beast retreating into the wilderness from which it came. In this latest release, Unknown Mortal Orchestra transcends genre in surprising ways. The result is an avant-garde style concoction that looks like jazz, smells like rock but tastes like nothing you’ve ever experienced before. IC-01 Hanoi will be released on October 26th via Jagjaguwar and the band will be touring the UK and Ireland in November this year. Rosie McCrum
Editors’ October Tracks Charlotte’s picks:
RUSSO - ‘Bad Things’: Ever since reviewing this band on a whim after a press request, I’ve been loving their EP House with a Pool and this song is a highlight. There’s just something about the beat and the indie summery sound that reminds me of the warmer days of months gone by. Her vocals are vibrant and fun with a badass edge that shines through in the lyrics imploring “I wanna do bad things with you”. Described by my friend (as I lamented by inability to write music well) as ‘Tame Impala meets Stevie Nicks with an electro twist’, hopefully that’s enough to encourage you to give it a listen.
Taylor’s picks
Roísín Murphy - ‘World’s Crazy’: House producer Maurice Fulton provided the sparse arrangement here, making a sensual companion for Murphy’s husky, effortless vocal melody. The chorus is pure disco pop with syncopated bass, echoing claps and stylish guitar grooves. Street Sects - ‘269 Soulmates’: The opener from their new album, the song starts off with ambient samples before giving over to the hellish crunch of a synth lead. From there, it’s unrelenting electric noise: discordant guitars, jittering drum machines, and a jagged two-note synth bassline. Put Ashline’s post-punky vocals on top and you’ve got yourself catharsis in song form.
Max’s picks:
There definitely seems to have been a creepy thread running through my listening this October. Thom Yorke’s ‘Suspirium’, with nothing but its ear-worm piano hook and falsetto vocals, is enough to make the skin crawl. Conversely, Julia Holter’s ‘Words I Heard’ is a gorgeous and richly orchestrated track that strikes the balance between pop song and symphony.
Random Review The Winter Hill Transmission Self-Titled
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his week’s random review came from a randomly selected local band. The Winter Hill Transmission are a Newcastle-based band, as The Courier Music team want to promote the work of local, independent artists. I approached this album with a mixture of intrigue and trepidation. All I knew was the name of the band, The Winter Hill Transmission, and that their debut album was self-titled. The band’s name instantly made me assume they would employ an alternative style, yet ultimately I was left in the dark about their genre.Part of me, however, did worry that their name was a misnomer, and that, upon playing the first track, I would be met with heavy metal or techno. I used to think that I was open to new music. But, as I flicker of panic ran through me, I realised that I needed to be more open-minded. Before even pressing play on the album, I notice how much I judge music based on its title. The song titles ‘How Could We Ever Know’ and ‘April Snow’ made me warm immediately to the album. They framed the album as being poetic without being pretentious, although I knew that I would be bitterly disappointed if this wasn’t the case.
The song titles... framed the album as being poetic without being pretentious
As the first song, ‘Jupiter’, kicked in, I was met with a feeling of apprehension. Released just three days after Arctic Monkeys’ Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino, the opening of ‘Jupiter’ immediately seemed to be in the same spacedout, lounge-rock style as AM’s latest offering. This is a style that I’m still struggling to warm to. Yet, slowly, as the song progressed, it grew on me. The sparse vocals of the track’s opening were complemented by fast-paced guitar, which faded in and out of the track with varying intensity. Then, despite the song beginning slowly, the end came suddenly, cleverly coinciding with the word ‘stop’. Though I’d struggle to place ‘Jupiter’ as an opening track, its blend of isolated vocals and gradually heightened instrumentals left me excited to hear the rest of the album. The album’s jewel comes with the second song, ‘Satellite’, in which you realise that band member Ben Holland’s lyrics are what really sets the band’s music apart. The track’s poignant lyrics are paired with music that plays with pace and intensity to create an evocative song of longing, sadness and hope. Finishing the song the way it began, the track dissolves into ‘Final Bow’, another song that slowly builds up before fading into a dreamy, otherworldly outro. Threaded throughout the album is nostalgia, both in the lyrics and nineties-influenced style some of the tracks have. ‘Matador’, the closing piece, plays on this feeling. It is a slow-paced track largely composed of instrumentals, finally fading into static as the album ends. Overall, the album is a strong debut from a remarkable band. It is the perfect late-night driving music – passionate without being pretentious, cinematic without being dramatic, and, above all, evocative without losing its sense of subtlety. Caitlin Disken
Rory’s picks:
Icarus - ‘Echoes’: In his steady release of tracks across 2018 , Icarus came out with another beauty this month. Less gimmicky than recent club hits like ‘King Kong’ and ‘Flowers’ and closer to the hypnotic, silky style of his earlier work. Definitely worth a play at pres. Robyn - ‘Ever Again’: In the brief album there are three brialliant singles, of those singles ‘Ever Again’ is a standout. The single boasts a pared down version of Robyn’s delightful style that is still recognizable after all this time.
Image: YouTube
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culture TV
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c2.tv@ncl.ac.uk TV Editors: Jacob Clarke, Tom Cooney, Chloe Mullins Online Editor: Max Hobbs
Monday 5 November 2018
Superheroes: Flying into the future? Lucy Lillystone explores the changing state of comic-book adaptations for the small screen I s the era of superhero shows coming to an end? For the past few years, superhero TV shows have dominated our screens such as Agents of Shield, DC’s Arrow, The Flash and Supergirl – they are never ending. Even Netflix decided to get on the bandwagon with The Punisher and Daredevil. However, despite this, there are some shows that just haven’t lasted. For example, whilst the new season of Daredevil premiered last month, Marvel’s Iron Fist got the boot (thank god, no offence but Iron Fist sucked). And only a week later, we got the confirmation that Luke Cage will not be returning to Harlem. This one got me as the previous season ended on a note that could potentially create new and exciting storylines. Ultimately though, the future of superhero TV shows is looking grim. The trend here is that both these shows belonged to Netflix. Does this mean that Netflix is moving away from the mainstream of superheroes and turning to a different genre of shows in the future? Who knows but I definitely hope it’s not in the direction of Insatiable because let’s be real, Luke Cage was so much better than that. With the recent cancellation, actor Mike Colter has come forward expressing his regret that he will not be bringing this powerful man back to our screens, quoting the show with a picture of his new born child: “Forward Always, Always Forward.” So, is this cancellation a good thing? Are we finally outgrowing the concept of a man in a cape saving the world? Personally, I think it’s a blessing in disguise. With Marvel and DC constantly bringing out films every year, on top of that TV shows are sometimes unnecessary - it’s just the same plot and the same ideas. There’s no need for so many. But, despite these cancellations, the CW has plans for more. With the potential introduction of Batwoman,
Reviews
Killing Eve
Available on BBC iPlayer now
Credit: YouTube
I
t’s dark, engaging, and witty. Originally a novella by Luke Jennings adapted for the screen by Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Killing Eve brings us a refreshing twist on the traditional spy-murder drama. It uses a well-loved plot of cat and mouse, this time between an MI5 agent and a Russian assassin. It subverts all expectations that come to mind with shows of this genre which ultimately increases its richness. Roles that we see commonly occupied by men are played by women. The plot is effortlessly carried by our two main characters, agent Eve Polastri (Sandra Oh) and assassin Villanelle (Jodie Comer). Eve has a fascination for female killers and gets too close for comfort. Their chemistry is electric and falls somewhere between deep hate and possible lovers. Their obsession with one another goes beneath the surface to the point that the story could not function without it. Comer’s portrayal of Villanelle is terrifying, strangely amusing and beautiful all in one. Waller-Bridge writes these characters realistically, showing neither of them in a perfect light. With the striking visuals and inclusion of many different locations including Paris and Russia, it feels as if you are taken on this unreal adventure that does not even end when the last credits roll. The ups and downs are realistic but invigorating with unexpected twists throughout. There was some discussion whether a season two was necessary but once you experience the final episode, you will agree that we have not seen enough of this story. Killing Eve is absolutely worth the hype it has received. In only eight episodes, it is overflowing with action, violence and emotion. It is very easy to binge and once you start, you will not want to press pause. Amy Brown
there are rumours that there is going to be a subsequent series that revolves around this character. For me, this is exciting because Batwoman is bad-ass but does this mean other shows will be cancelled to make room for it? Hopefully it’s Arrow (sorry, but you’re well past your sell by date). So, while we have cancellations, it seems that these are to make room for future shows that have plans of airing. And I get it… there aren’t enough days in a week for everything or enough hours in the day. So, what is the future of superhero shows? If it is cancellation for a different genre,
please make it something worth watching otherwise fans are going to be extremely upset. Alternatively, if they are cancelled to make room for MORE superhero shows, how about we take a new approach and stop re-using the same conventions and make something original for once. Is that too much to ask? If you’re a fan of superhero shows, tune in on literally any night of the week and there is no doubt there will be one airing.
TV's Top 3 YouTubers
Sophie Hicks presents her list of the top three YouTubers making videos today
3. Safiya Nygaard
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Credit: YouTube
think a great YouTuber is Safiya Nygaard. Even if you haven’t seen one of her videos, you have probably seen other people’s videos inspired by her content. She quickly gained subscribers after leaving Buzzfeed and making her own channel. Nygaard does a lot of different videos, but her most popular seem to be bizarre videos, such as ‘Melting Every Lipstick from Sephora Together’. A lot of her content is beauty and fashion related, in particular dressing from a different decade for a week or trying questionable fashion items. No matter what the videos may be about, they are all extremely entertaining.
2. Simplynailogical Credit: YouTube
The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina
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Available on Netflix now
espite lacking a certain talking cat, The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina debuted this week leaving me more than impressed with Kiernan Shipka’s portrayal of the Teenage Witch that captured our childhood imaginations. Additionally, Ambrose – Sabrina’s cousin under house arrest – is her one true confidant and oozes style and subtle evil. This just wouldn’t be the same without her fakesounding English accent, which I was surprised to find out is actor Chance Perdomo’s genuine voice. Unfortunately, it seemed to me that Sabrina’s other family members didn’t have the spark that they should’ve had. Hilda and Zelda could have been cast so much better and I felt no allegiance with them as the episodes went on. They had no chemistry with one another and seemed such overlooked parts. What compensated for this though was the supportive friendship group in Sabrina’s high-school. It was a successful portrayal of intelligent and thoughtful female characters, whilst championing diversity and inclusivity for their school environment. However, I did find myself questioning some of the script and whether these elements were included to tick the box of ‘trendy’ feminism, rather than promote genuine feminist beliefs. The reboot has exaggerated the darker subject matter of witchcraft so that it fits better into a teen-horror genre, and it works perfectly. I really liked the cinematography, which despite the darker vibe was bright and almost pop art-y, inevitably similar to Riverdale – the same producers being behind both series. This colour scheme seems to reference the Archie comic that originally gave us Sabrina Spellman; there is also a nod to her cartoon in the title sequence. Something that I found interesting was that the show doesn’t shy away from referencing genuine satanic cult symbols, such as the inverted cross, the pentagram and Baphomet (a goat-headed demon). The inclusion of these enabled a sense of realism in their recognisability and made the
darker witchcraft practises seem spookier and more unnerving.
It was a successful portrayal of intelligent and thoughtful female characters
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Credit: YouTube
hilst Simplynailogical became internet famous by doing the “100+ Coats of Nail Polish” videos, starting the trend of 100 layer challenges, I would argue that this was not her weirdest video. It’s become a running joke on her channel that she barely does nail tutorials anymore because her videos have just become weirder and weirder. What once started off as nail tutorials became a channel filled with painting a car with nail polish, testing 20 banana life hacks and becoming a “human sock” for a day… and honestly, they’re all hilarious.
1. Ashens
The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina is a far cry from the classic late-90s sitcom that we all loved, but I’m pleased that Sabrina has been given a new lease of life for the Riverdale era. If Salem the cat did speak as he did in the original, I would only complain that Nick Bakay didn’t continue to voice him, which does defeat the object of a reboot. Anyway, this show is decidedly more serious, so perhaps it would seem ridiculous to have a talking cat alongside its move into the creepier teen-horror market filled with the likes of American Horror Story. Jodie Duddy
A Credit: YouTube
Credit: YouTube
nother channel that is slightly smaller compared to these huge channels is Stuart Ashen, also known as “ashens”. You may look at his channel and be very confused by the content, but just trust me and watch. I think he’s probably most known for trying disgusting food, ranging from tasting a whole chicken in a can to 180-year-old olives. Whilst these videos are great, he also does Poundland videos where he reviews the junk that they seasonally sell, and even does videos about old gaming consoles and reviews subscription boxes. It’s a mismatch of content but all of it is truly entertaining.
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Monday 5 November 2018
Kelly South slams the new Netflix adaptation for its constant predicatability and lack of scares
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ast weekend I watched the first three episodes of The Haunting of Hill House, inspired by the iconic Shirley Jackson novel. This series focuses on newly invented characters, hideous new monsters, and the legacy left by childhood trauma. The focus of each episode is divided between the young Crain family residing in America's “most famous haunted house” and their lives decades later as they’re all struggling to cope with the horrors that they witnessed as children.
Credit: monkeywing (Flickr)
ooking back on TV shows from your youth can be a time fuelled by nostalgia or cringe, and sometimes even a tragic combination of both. For me, that show is Glee. Even if you didn’t watch it, it was everywhere in its prime years of 2009 to 2012. So, what makes it such a guilty pleasure? When I started to watch Glee, I was 12 years old and in that fun period of questioning who the hell I was and where I fit in. For me, Glee was something that made me feel like I belonged somewhere – even though it was just on a screen. It tackled issues I was just starting to consider myself as I became more socially aware: teen pregnancy; religion; value judgements on weight; race and sexuality. The sexualities portrayed in Glee were so formative in my negotiations of my own sexuality, realising around the age of 13 or 14 that I was bisexual. That was definitely aided by characters like Kurt, and then Brittany and Santana as the show progressed. Even now, I recall nostalgic memories of being excited over Kurt and Blaine (Klaine, for those who also spent their tragic youth on Tumblr) having their first kiss and singing together, or the hope for Brittany and Santana to just get together already! At the time, this kind of representation felt ground-breaking and important and I found it hard to pick faults with the storylines as I was so overwhelmed with excitement and its relatability.
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TV culture
The not-so horrifying Haunting of Hill House
TV Time Travel
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@CourierTV thecourieronline.co.uk/TV
The average amount of money that it cost to make each episode of Glee.
Alas, that was a long time ago now. Times have changed and Glee has become dated already. Thinking about it now, I realise that the representation of bisexuality was incredibly flawed in the show; Kurt, a gay man, is frustrated when his boyfriend Blaine kisses a female friend at a party and suggests that “bisexual is a term that gay guys use in high school when they want to hold hands with girls and feel like a normal person for a change”. Yikes. This claim is never opposed or addressed again, leaving this damaging stereotype out in the open for all to believe. Glee messed up time and time again with its problematic tendencies. Tokenistic treatment of minority ethnic characters (the silent underdeveloped Asian dancer Mike is a perfect example), transphobic jokes, false sexual assault accusation plotlines, stereotypical stock characters that promote damaging assumptions… the list goes on.
Credit: YouTube It’s sad to look back on a show that you truly once centred your life and activities around and realise that it was nowhere near as progressive as you thought it had been. I tried re-watching the first series a couple of years ago but it just wasn’t the same. I’ve learned too much about good onscreen representation and too much about how Glee got it so wrong to ever feel the same unabashed joy that I once did. Glee will always have a place in my heart for introducing me to so much and providing a sense of belonging… but damn, it really is a hot mess. Charlotte Boulton
Credit: YouTube
Netflix are undeniably aiming to appeal to people who prefer a binge-watch in the comfort of their flat, compared to horror fans with the funds for cinema outings this October.
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The number of previous adaptations of Shirley Jackson's 1959 novel, both simply titled The Haunting. The first in 1963, the other in 1999.
At the helm of …Hill House is creator/director/writer Mike Flanagan who impressed critics with Hush but received underwhelming reviews for Oculus, a paranormal thriller starring Doctor Who’s Karen Gillan. Ouija: Origin of Evil received a similar reaction with film critic Katie Rife summing up as “Conjuring lite”. Despite previous criticism, the ten episode season has received heaps of praise on social media for its atmosphere, acting, and one particularly frightening apparition called 'The BentNecked Lady’. However, Emily L. Stephens who recapped each episode for The A.V. Club was infinitely more critical of the series, and tremendously more accurate, when she highlighted how tragically predictable the first third of …Hill House was. If you're even remotely familiar with horror tropes and are able to anticipate the most obvious jump scares, it's a
Is The Big Bang burning out?
Harry Parsons explores the end of one of TV's biggest sitcoms
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n 2007, Gordon Brown became Prime Minister, we hadn’t yet experienced the financial crash, Gnarls Barkley won a Grammy, and Britney Spears shaved her head. It was also the year that The Big Bang Theory first made its way onto our television screens. It has been consistent ever since, but with CBS calling the next season its last, it’s probably all about 5 years too late. The series was revered, adored by fans across both sides of the pond. It became a staple of tea-time viewing in the UK on E4 and pulled in colossal audiences on CBS. It even outperformed series creator Chuck Lorre’s other hit comedy Two & a Half Men, which had been the sitcom the network had learned to rely on. It was popular for a number of reasons: it was original, funny, clever, and didn’t feel airbrushed like so many other sitcoms. By series four, the comedy – featuring dysfunctional scientists – had gone well beyond its initial premise. Additional female characters were added to male-dominant cast and the series for the first time became about multiple, slightly abnormal relationships: ditching the initial premise of one man trying to get a girl who he was never going to get. The attempt to make the series work by season five was obvious but it began to get lost.
Leonard went from being the guy who could never get a girl to becoming the guy no girl could resist. He inevitably fell in love and married the one person we never thought he could actually marry. Which, of course, is a totally original US sitcom idea… unless you’ve watched that little sitcom from the 90s about some friends in New York who loved that coffee shop.
The attempt to make the series work by season five was obvious but it began to get lost It gets more complicated when you look at the main protagonist (or antagonist). The character of Sheldon Cooper has a bit of a rollercoaster of character development. As the seasons progress, he becomes a considerably more socially inept man who seems to care very little for those around him and has no sexual interests. That is until he is forced to change in the more recent series by a set of scriptwriters who seemed to think that the only way to make a character grow is to make them fall in love. The tertiary characters in latter season become a welcome addition, with Mayim Bialik playing Amy, a stand-out from the cast who provides a unique and much-needed female perspective. However, from season seven onwards, they themselves became airbrushed. Howard’s mother’s home went from a dated Californian home to an IKEA-filled house while Sheldon lost his quirks and became more and more standardised. The airbrushing only adds to the disappointment of the series being within touching distance of hitting on some huge social issues – but it never happens. Lastly, there's Young Sheldon. It’s a spin-off about the titular character’s younger days and landed with a charming, funnier edge. With the decision to end the series, the showrunners clearly have in mind that the legacy of any good show is reliant on not going on for one season too many. It’s just a shame that they missed that memo. Credit: YouTube
frustrating watch. The scenes are well-acted, and the child actors are especially impressive as their terror is utterly convincing, but the fact I didn't flinch during moments that were intended to be petrifying is fairly damning. Another flaw was how unlikable the Crain family could be: while the flashbacks to life at Hill House showcased how sympathetic and adorable the five children were (the family consists of twins Nellie and Luke, middle daughter Theo, and oldest siblings Shirley and Steven), many of their adult counterparts are abrasive, callous, and infuriating.
If you're even remotely familiar with horror tropes... it's a frustrating watch The youngest Crain son struggles with drug addiction as a result of his mother's violent death and his own disturbing experiences at Hill House, yet his three older siblings are so cruelly dismissive towards him, even offering him cash to buy drugs in exchange for leaving them alone. Netflix’s The Haunting of Hill House doesn’t quite deliver, in terms of scares or entertainment, but luckily there are dozens of alternate choices on the streaming service.
Netflix: Pick ‘n’ Mix Vaishali Ramesh watches The Shannara Chronicles for the very first time Credit: CMetalCore (Wikimedia)
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he Shannara Chronicles first premiered in the USA on MTV in 2016. Filled with fantastical elvish creatures and a world of its own. The series is loosely based on the trilogy The Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks. The ten episode season follows Amberle, an elvish princess and Wil, the last descendant of the ancient Shannarans. The two journey out to save the ancient Ellcrys tree from destruction leading to an outbreak of monsters from the forbidden lands. On their path to victory, they meet a whole bunch of Elves who aid them in their mission. Wars are fought, monsters defeated and lives sacrificed for the greater good. Overall, a typical utopian series. The scenes are right out of Lord of the Rings with ancient kingdoms and elven kings. Large mountains loom in the background and the entire story is based around an ancient tree, much like Avatar. The first episode opens with Amberle opting to be the first girl to run in the Gauntlet - a customary race to decide the protectors of the Ellcry very much like The Hunger Games. Now these comparisons may seem a bit too much, but this portrayal seems very much adapted from a million other shows. Nothing seems to stand out as being original. The storyline too, although adapted, does not seem any different to dystopian novels where the hero saves the planet from destruction. It’s a bit too cliché for me. The main lead, Poppy Drayton, does not have a spectacular performance. The saving grace of the entire show is Austin Butler of Disney Channel fame. The two are said to have a romantic storyline but no sparks seem to fly throughout the entirety of the season. Most of the side characters are strong but do not stand out in terms of their presence on screen. Overall, I would recommend this series if you have not watched any other dystopian or fantasy sagas, or even if you are ready for an extremely complicated storyline with a badly presented back story. The main things I recommend this show for are the eye catching costumes and the settings.
/thecouriertv @Courier_TV
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culture film Animation Station
Image: YouTube
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ne of the first anime films I ever watched was Howl’s Moving Castle, it is full to the brim with excellent characters, gorgeous music, a really good plot that will definitely make you laugh and cry. Sophie Hatter, who is our heroine is cursed by a Witch to turn into a ninety-year-old woman. As a young lady trapped in an old woman’s body she embarks on an adventure and encounters the wizard Howl. Howl who is also under a mysterious curse and his companions, a young boy and grouchy fire daemon accept Sophie into their weird and wonderful little family. The group deal with war, witches, curses, Howl’s never-ending vanity and cowardly behaviour and many other misadventures and crisis.
The anime shows strong anti-war messages
The mix of magic and 20th century technology was a choice made by Hayao Miyazaki's wanted to make a statement on his oppositon to the United States' invasion of Iraq in 2003. The anime shows strong anti-war messages, Miyazaki stated that he "had a great deal of rage about [the Iraq war]," knowing this film would probably be badly received in the US he went forward with it anyway. It also explores the theme of old age, depicting age positively as something which grants the protagonist freedom. The film contains feminist elements as well, and carries messages about the value of compassion.
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Howl's Moving Castle's score out of ten on IMDb, making it the fourth highest Ghibli film
What I also truly love about this particular animation is that it is taken from one of my favourite British writers Diana Waynne Jones, so if you did not get your fill of the story there are a series of books including Castle in the air and The Wayward House which contain the same characters from Howl’s moving Castle amongst new ones. Although the book conveys very different messages to the film such as gender and class challenges, the messages of love, the importance of living your life and destruction of war are still there. If you still need a reason to watch this film Hayao Miyazaki in 2013 said the film was his favourite creation, explaining "I wanted to convey the message that life is worth living, and I don't think that's changed." Phoebe Fielder
c2.film@ncl.ac.uk Film Editors: Helena Buchanan, Jimmy Athey, Joe Holloran
Playing it gay: LGBT in film
Kelly South and Billy Lamond discuss whether straight actors should portray LGBT+ roles
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es. Actors should be chosen on the merits of their performance not their sexuality or gender identity. If a casting director watches two auditions they should be asking which of the two performances best matched their vision of the character they’re casting, not researching the actors’ personal lives. It’s an actor’s job to pretend to be someone they’re not, Kathy Bates didn’t have to be an obsessive kidnapper to play Annie Wilkes, Matthew Maconohay didn’t have to be suffering from AIDS to play Ron Woodroof and the cast of trainspotting weren’t all addicted to heroin. I understand the argument that LGBTQ+ actors would be able to empathise more with the struggles of characters adhering to their respecting identities, but this should only matter in so far as that empathy enhances their performance on stage. If an actor can portray a character they can’t empathise with better than an actor that can, the first actor should be given the role. After all, Neil Patrick Harris’s sexuality didn’t at all diminish his ability to play a successful “ladies man” in How I Met Your Mother. If we make the argument that only someone from an LGBTQ+ background can play an LGBTQ+ character because they can never truly understand what it means to hold a particular sexuality or gender identity, then we stray dangerously close to arguing that straight writers shouldn’t be allowed to write
LGBTQ+ characters because they would be unable to properly represent them. I want to see a more representative film industry with both more LGBTQ+ characters and more LGBTQ+ actors, but I don’t think restricting straight actors from playing LGBTQ+ roles is necessary to achieve that, it merely diminishes the pool of actors to choose between for a role. Billy Lamond
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The industry clings onto heteronormative standards
t is a truth universally acknowledged that decades ago in Hollywood coming out as gay, bisexual and/ or trans was basically a death knell for your career (regardless of if you were a promising rising star or an established household name). The film industry clung tight to heteronormative standards and strict moral codes that meant LGBT actors were tasked with the painful necessity of hiding their identity if they wanted to keep working. The Hays Code, a series of guidelines concerning what was appropriate to depict in
Image: YouTube
films, was introduced in the early 1930s and stifled LGBT inclusion for several generations. During the 1980s, tens of thousands of young gay men and women perished from AIDs, and the LGBT community mourned a generation lost, needlessly and amongst excruciating indifference from the general population and their governments. When straight actors receive enormous pay checks and even awards for experiences they could scarcely imagine, it's not difficult to see why it's a problem that these opportunities are denied to actors with real lived experience of these stories, from trauma to romance. LGBT actors deserve to be prioritized for these roles, as they're all too frequently shut out of playing straight characters if they're perceived as ‘too butch’, ‘too camp’, ‘or a myriad of other hints that their sexuality or gender disqualifies them from roles’. When cisgender men, like Jared Leto, Matt Bomer, and Eddie Redmayne, portray trans women it reinforces the transphobic belief that men in dresses, makeup, and heels are equivalent to trans women. This misconception directly contributes to violence against trans women, and there are talented trans actresses available for these roles, casting directors simply need to call them, there's no excuse. Straight actors have occasionally managed to portray LGB characters well, that's undeniable, Chloë Grace Moretz impressed audiences and critics alike in the recent indie drama The Miseducation of Cameron Post. It's notable that Cameron Post director Desirée Akhavan spoke about how the actress approached her, expressing interest in the role, and due to budget constraints they had been unable to find an alternate actress. In instances where an LGBT film is starring straight actors, it's crucial to look for the presence and influence of LGBT people behind the screen: Cameron Post was adapted from a novel by lesbian author Emily M. Danforth, and directed by an openly bisexual woman. We need more opportunities for LGBT actors, but also more LGBT writers, editors, directors, producers, and film critics who are invested in diverse stories. Kelly South
Tom and Jerry rise from the dead Al Ridley discusses whether Hollywood should allow dead TV shows to simply rest in peace
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ollywood has always fancied itself a necromancer. A new franchise presents risk, unknowns, months of panel-testing, character design, demographic analysis and cultivation of brand recognition, millions of dollars that could equally lead to Minions-level dynamite or Gosnell’s Scooby-Doolevel embarrassment. It’s no surprise, therefore, that directors seeking to plumb the thick economic vein of children’s media often find themselves skulking through the crypts of old franchises, looking for dusty nostalgia, rich ad potential a n d proven market
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/NewcastleCourierFilm @Courier_Film
the courier
Monday 5th November 2018
Image: Flickr/momokacma
appeal to raise old works as CGI abominations. Tom and Jerry has become one of those zombies. Concepted and brought to technicolour in 1940 by those cultural workhorses at Hanna-Barbera, these murderous mammals are so well-loved and so appealing studios have unfailingly conspired to resurrect them, bringing them back in endless one-off shorts, direct-to-TV movies and tie-ins. Tim Story, director of such gems as Fantastic Four and Ride Along 2 is the next in a series of professionals trying to breathe life into a tired property, with a new live-action/animation hybrid Tom and Jerry movie being filmed under his watchful eye next year. It’s telling that almost all of the media and discussion about the film is less about what the film will be and more about what it won’t. Warner Bros were quick to reassure fans that the animation half of the Roger Rabbitesque film/animation hybrid would be done traditionally, storyboarded as Hanna-Barbera once did “to help develop each individual’s a r c ” . Additionally, the titular duo will have no
voice acting, focusing on physical comedy and body language to communicate: a move that’s less a nostalgic homage and more an attempt to “improve international appeal” and sidestep the absolute slaughter the 1992 Tom and Jerry: The Movie got for voicing them. Every word breathed about this project seethes of safety, of clean paychecks, of a project that’s guaranteed to make its money back simply through brand recognition and which doesn’t need to take a single risk. This, combined with the fact that Warner Bros’ new Warner Animation Group is cutting its teeth on a series of old franchises – Space Jam 2, a new Scooby-Doo, Wile E. Coyote vs. ACME – speaks volumes about the artistic direction of the Group: stagnancy, at least for now while
Every word breathed about this project seethes of safety of a project that’s guaranteed to make its money back
it fills its coffers. You will find almost nothing of objective worth in any of these films, just glut, pretty colours and a group of talented people who deserve to work on better projects. There’s no intrinsic problem with re-using an old franchise, especially when the creation of a recognisable mascot is so difficult. There is a place for a little nostalgia now and then, and children are notoriously fickle. But if you’re unwilling to take risks, if you treat it less as homage and more as an investment, then it’s very rare that a resurrection of a franchise actually leads to anything individual or unique: a glossy coat of paint surrounding a rotten heart, a shambling property that can only retrace its steps.
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Monday 5th November 2018
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Hey-Oh! Hey-Oh-Oh-Oh! Bohemien Rhapsody (15)
Amy Brown reviews the long delayed bio-pic of one of rock n' rolls greatest ever showmen
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here was no doubt that I had to see this film as soon as it was released. Queen have always been near and dear to me and it met my expectations perfectly. Bohemian Rhapsody brings us the much anticipated biopic of musical legend Freddie Mercury and the band Queen, showing their rise to the impeccable status that they still hold today. Overflowing with nostalgia, it moves chronologically through Freddie’s life and includes just the right amount of detail and focus on each area of his life. There are some parts that could have been explored further to make it feel more like an overall biopic, but it still touches upon most of the important events he experienced throughout his life.
Rami Malak Malak is best known for staring in the hit US TV series Mr. Robot, & The Night At The Museum franchise (2006-2014).
Image: Wikicommons
In true Freddie Mercury style, Rami Malek absolutely steals the show. He became Freddie and radiated his strong andflamboyantenergy.Hisperformancecarriedthewhole film and was a pleasant surprise, since the role of Freddie was originally given to Sacha Baron Cohen and hopes were high for his portrayal. But Malek as Freddie was the
Dogman (15)
winning part of this film for me. Malek is joined by the other bandmates, Roger (Ben Hardy), Brian (Gwilym Lee) and John (Joseph Mazzello). They work together to create the unique dynamic of Queen, with witty and memorable lines throughout. As one would expect, the soundtrack is perfect, full of their classic hits, and a particular focus on the song that the film was named after which is arguably their best song. Every person knows a Queen song, even if it’s just one or two so there is something for everyone in this film. Whether you’re a Freddie Mercury or Queen fan or not, it is a fascinating story to watch. It deals with serious themes in a realistic way, not ignoring the hardships that Freddie Mercury endured throughout his life. It gave us an insight to his
personal relationships, including his family. His sexuality is realistically developed through the feature which was a positive, as some critics theorized that this would be brushed over. It was shown as important to Freddie’s journey and it was beautiful to witness this on screen.
As one would expect, the soundtrack is perfect
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Mandy (18)
Hunter Killer (15)
Image: YouTube
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I finished this film with many tears shed and it may have flaws according to some, but seeing Freddie’s story artistically portrayed was a vision. As a musician and a person he pushed limits and challenged stereotypes, paving the way for many musicians and artists that followed him. It is a lengthy feature so be prepared for that, but it did not feel too dragged out. Critics have had mixed opinions on Bohemian Rhapsody since its release but you must just see it for yourself. It is the kind of film that has a different effect on each person that watches it. It is a touching, heartbreaking and inspiring story and will not only leave you thinking about it for days, but also with many songs stuck in your head.
film culture Actor Appreciation
Shia LaBeouf
Image: Wikimedia
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ollywood is said to be obsessed with big personalities and few come more intriguing than Shia LaBeouf. From poverty to childhood stardom, motivational memes and that paper bag LaBeouf has been involved in controversies bizarre enough to be labelled good bad and ugly on their own. Whilst many of his roles are more cringe-worthy than captivating, enigmatic LaBeouf has brought energy to a series of roles that win equal fame and infamy. John Hillcoat’s Lawless (2012) is a gritty violent masterpiece which sees the bootlegging Bondurant brothers pitted against corrupt officials and ruthless gangsters. LaBeouf puts in a surprisingly stellar performance as Jack, brother to Forrest (Tom Hardy) and Howard (Jason Clarke), standing his own in a celebrated cast. Hotheaded Jack gives some memorable moments, speeding alone into a shootout only to be hit by the second bullet. The candid conversation between brothers, in which a wounded Jack is urged to control his fear, proves memorably that LaBeuof can put in a multidimensional performance.
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atteo Garrone’s Dogman offers strong performances and beautiful cinematography. However, the character development leaves much to be desired, with a lack of attention to details that will leave the audience confused and frustrated. Marcello starts out as an incredibly empathic man who doesn’t quite fit the violent situations he finds himself in: that’s how the audience comes to know him. However, towards the end of the movie, Marcello’s actions stop making sense: while we are told of a supposed transformation in his character, we are never shown the extent of it until the final sequence. Now, this change could have worked, had the movie ‘planted seeds’ of it from the beginning. But the audience doesn’t get to see that transformation, and what could have been an interesting journey becomes a mere observation of the two opposite ends on a spectrum of madness: on one side a lovable pushover; on the other a homicidal maniac. It almost feels like we are not watching the same character by the end: because of that, the connection between the audience and the protagonist is lost, and we are left wondering what happened to that man. And maybe that was the point the filmmaker was trying to make: we can all snap back to our primal self. Yet the movie doesn’t earn that. Marcello becomes a completely different person by the end, and while the Marcello Fonte’s brilliant performance might have worked in a more surrealist setting, the grounded tone simply does not match the unlikely behaviours. The audience finds themselves lost in the transformation, to the point that the ending feels like it belongs to a completely different movie. Nonetheless, this movie has a lot to offer. Above all, the strong performances of Marcello Fonte and Edoardo Pesce, save this movie, by breathing life into these character even when the screenplay falls short. In addition, starting with the title of the film itself, the movie is full of provocative metaphors that are sure to spark some interesting debates about macho culture, particularly in Italy.
ased on the successful 2012 novel Firing Point, Hunter Killer by Avenged director Donovan Marsh stars the eminent talents of the – now Oscar winning – Gary Oldman and Gerard Butler. The pair must team up to rescue the Russian President Zakarin from a rouge Russian general. Failure in this task means only one thing, the beginning of WWIII. Hunter Killer feels like a film out of place. Drawing so much from the past as inspiration it fails to feel relevant. There have been plenty of Navy based action/thrillers over the years - Crimson Tide, The Hunt For Red October etc - and nearly all have utilized the space of the submarine to portray a sense of claustrophobic tension better than Hunter Killer. By placing the story on land you lose not only the needed aesthetic but the stakes feel lessened. Oldman’s performance as Admiral Donnegan is serviceable but not one for the show reel. It is a rare example of him seeming to overact to provide a grandiosity not given by the overall plot. Think of his cameo on Friends and you get the idea. Butler, on the other hand, does what he does in every film he is in these days which is not much more then look ‘kind of’ angry. Of all the performances in the film, the one that is both the most convincing yet saddening is that given by the late Michael Nyqvist (Millennium Series) as a Russian sub commander Andropov.
Elisabetta Pulcini
Joe Holloran
A failed mish-mash of old Bond plots
The little action featured in this supposedly action film is poorly choreographed and so dull cinematographically it doesn’t raise the heart rate or live in the memory. Marsh feels out-of-his-depth throughout, with a lack of defined style or tone. Ultimately, Hunter Killer is a failed mish-mash of old Bond plots and 80’s Cold War nationalism with nothing new to say. Although it is based on a novel, it feels more like the screenwriters have spent too long playing Call of Duty and wanting to be Tom Clancy that they fail to provide anything new.
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f I had to describe this film in one word it would be incredible. The hype for Nick Cage’s critically acclaimed indie film has been spreading throughout the country, and it certainly lived up to it. A huge thrill ride of masterful cinematography and weird characters, Mandy really takes you by surprise. Although half the people who accompanied me to the cinema came out in fits of rage shouting “the worst movie I have ever seen”, I can safely say it may not be everyone’s taste. The story is of a married couple (Nicolas Cage and Andrea Riseborough) who live alone in the forest, and then their lives take a disastrous turn when a cult stumble across them. A basic plot of revenge, as Nick Cage goes on a destructive path to end the cult. The pace of the film is slow to begin, with longing scenes of beautiful scenery and atmospheric tension, but the pace increases tenfold.
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The number of feature films starring Nicholas Cage.
Nick Cage’s performance is powerful, with the film almost definitely written to fit his acting typecast, and it is perfect. But the reason I utterly loved the film is the way its presented; with a throwback to 70s and 80s scifi (with the film being set in 1983) and a hellish theme throughout, the movie is a feast for the eyes. The score is by a heavy synthesised Johann Johansson, fitting perfectly with a mix of thick colour palettes in every scene creates a hellish, drug fuelled look that correlates perfectly with the wacky action scenes later in the film. The film doesn’t take itself seriously, and that’s the beauty of it. An incredibly experimental, well pieced together movie that brings you out your comfort zone while looking exceptional. I want this to be Nick Cage’s come back, and I hope he does more films as crazy as his smile.
Jimmy Athey
Image: YouTube
Whilst at the least the Transformers franchise entertained fans, film lovers with a good word to say about the Indiana Jones reboot are few and far between. The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull has been rejected by fans as unnecessary and downright ridiculous. The dynamics between Indy (Harrison Ford) and son Mutt (Shia LaBeouf) are comically awkward, almost as unbelievable as the aliens. One IMDb reviewer branded the entire movie a ‘complete cowpat’, need I say any more? Ugly may not be the first adjective to come to mind when describing American Honey, a British indie film that captivated critics. LaBeouf stars as Jake who is joined on the road by Star (Sasha Lane) a hapless young woman who yearns for escape. Travelling amongst other outcasts, selling magazines and having wild parties, we see jealousy drive the pair to recklessness. Whilst Jake’s charm is lost on some, the ugliest thing about American Honey is the contrived portrayal of the American dream, perhaps the one thing not given away by the trailer. Katy Murray
Image: YouTube
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culture arts
c2.arts@ncl.ac.uk Arts Editors Scarlett Rowland, Julia McGee-Russell, Rosie McCrum Online Editor Scarlett Rowland
the courier
Monday 5 November 2018
Opera or Oper-nah?
Unexpected delight, or painful flop? Opera virgins Theo Turvill and Sidney Pinsent give us their impressions of proffessional opera performances : The Merry Widow and Tosca
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ny kind of singing based entertainment normally makes me cringe, and upon reading the title The Merry Widow, I couldn’t but help laugh out of sheer despair. I feared my life long hatred for all things musical would only be intensified, my only recourse being the interval between the first and second act, bringing the entire performance to a comfortable two hours of what would hopefully be theatrical rigour.
Very accessible and homely, it sparked within me an urge to explore this genre
Visions of High School Musical or awkward trips to the theatre in my younger years seem to have given me an automatic psychological revulsion to the genre. However, when the opportunity arose, I felt an inclination to give it a chance, hoping that the nuances once lost on me would slide into place, revealing a new world, unexplored. On arrival to the
Theatre Royal I was ushered in by the kindly door man and collected my tickets before being shown to my seat. Missing my opportunity to grab a life-line in the form of a strong G and T, the lights dimmed and the curtains began to rise. The opening number was somewhat forgettable, although I do remember some interesting arm movements and the jolly up-beat tempo. Set in Paris, a ball is taking place in the Pontevedrian embassy. A wealthy widow arrives amongst the spinning gowns and pleated pantaloons. Eligible bachelors crowd the young and spritely widow though there is only one good fit: Count Danilo Danilovich, though the lovable rouge couldn’t seem to care less. The tale is a light-hearted classic including themes such as infidelity, love triangles and all the mischief and mayhem that comes with hidden and secretive passions; wrapped up in a somewhat less classic love story. While thankfully I did enjoy The Merry Widow, I felt it‘s light hearted nature resulted in my attention drifting a few times, only to come back feeling as though I hadn’t really missed much. Most of the songs -while perfectly pleasant and fun didn’t often add much in the way of spectacle or story progression. As a whole, The Merry Widow is a great starting point for anyone looking to dip their toe into the operatic scene. Very accessible and homely, it has sparked within in me an urge to explore this genre that I have so neglected, though with some trepidation. Theo Turvill
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he interior feels a little like stepping into a memory of a Newcastle that once was. Lush red carpets with sleek wood that looks newly polished and refurbished, wide stairs and a feeling of warmth without the stuffiness. Bodies, well covered in dark clothes move slowly, holding lagers from the continent and overpriced red wine. This is the Theatre Royal on Grey Street, the fanciest building in Newcastle, where no student is meant to tread.
Our generation have Eldon Square and The Gate, huge bastions of cash and metal where we go to eat spiced chicken and watch blockbusters in chairs made on the other side of the world. But tonight there is Opera. Opera for the rich and well cultured, I thought. Yet the experience was extraordinary and accessible, a window to an art form wasted on the snobby but made for everyone. The story of Tosca follows painter Mario Cavaradossi as he hides his prisoner friend Cesare Angelotti from the evil Baron Scarpia. Scarpia and his agents connect Mario Cavaradossi with the prisoner and torture him to extract a confession. Baron Scarpia then blackmails Mario’s wife Tosca, saying he will only free Mario if she sleeps with him. When the play first opened in 1900 it was considered ‘not a good subject for opera’ as the story was filled with adultery, murder and political themes that are critical of those highest up in society. Indeed, director Edward Dick saw this as an opportunity to bring Tosca to a modern setting, basing Baron Scarpia on Trump, who ends up being more of a pantomime villain than anything with politi-
This experience showed that opera is spectacular, epic, ludicrous, and rich
cal bite. Actually, the entire opera is a bit of a pantomime. It’s not trying to tell you anything profound or lead you through a story that’s riveting and original. But here is the beauty of it: Opera is pure emotion, not drama. It’s the crashing of two voices in harmony that reach beyond the theatre walls and through your heart. It’s the sway of the orchestra and pizazz of the set. It’s spectacular, epic, ludicrous and rich. An experience that would have left me floating up for the heavens if my hand wasn’t clasped to the arm rest the entire time. Sidney Pinsent
Images: Opera North
Art attack: decorating on a budget From posters to postcards, Sophia Kypriotis gathers all of her art-y expertise to tells us the best ways to find decorative art on a budget to help improve your art hoe aesthetic
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can bet the decoration of every student room you’ve ever been into consists of a few crucial aspects: a wall covered in printed out photos of family and friends, fairy lights and a ripped Pulp Fiction poster. While there isn’t anything wrong with these features, there are some different and slightly cooler alternatives available for the aesthetically conscious student.
Images: publicdomainimages
For the majority of us, our student budget doesn’t facilitate popping into the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition and putting a red sticker on whatever we fancy, but there are certainty some affordable alternatives that will bring just as much flare and aesthetic pleasure.
Student poster sales are often held at the Union and offer a large array of poster shapes and sizes
Postcards are an easy way to create your own mini gallery in your bedroom and a reminder of your gallery trips and holidays. You can pick them up for often pennies and are a fresh way to get across your personality in your most likely dated and grey student accommodation. You can coordinate them according to the colour most prominent or mix and match them in a way you think is complimentary; arranging them is a matter of trial and error. Posters are an easy and cost-effective way to cover up the chipped paint and brighten up a dingy room. Desenio offers some more on trend artwork at a reasonable price, while AllPosters.com is your run of the mill poster website and cheap as chips with a wide range. Student poster sales are often held at the Student Union and offer a large array of
artwork, film posters and prints in all shapes and sizes. Go grab an A0 The Starry Night and plaster it across your wall so it reminds you that while student life may be hard at times, you won’t be sad enough to cut off your ear to win back a friend like Van Gough did. Being handed a copy of Counterfire the other day, I was struck by the strong political headlines and in fact ripped the front page out and stuck it up. While this may seem very John Lennon and Yoko Ono, it certainty creates a statement and makes clear any pro-Brexit or far right visitors are not welcome. If you find a flyer’s typeface or layout appealing, stick it on your wall. Affordable art for students is entirely what you make of it.
Images: Tyne Theatre & Opera House
Poem Box
Every Drop
The heavens open and drop, drop. And they keep going and going, until they are everywhere. There are so many raindrops all landing at once so that you cannot distinguish the individual ones. This is when rain, once again, brings a comparison to life. Because you will never truly see every drop and you never will much like you’ll never see every person.
Liv Blackham
@TheCourierArts Images: wikimediacommons
@thecourierarts
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arts culture
Monday 5 November 2018
Sara Pascoe: LadsLadsLads
CultureEditor CarysRoseThomas reviewscomedianSaraPascoe’slatestshow‘LadsLadsLads’, centred around the ups and downs of breaking up, held in the Tyne Theatre & Opera House
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have a bit of a bee in my bonnet about stand-up comedy. Don’t get me wrong – I love a laugh as much as the next person. But there’s a difference between clever, outlandish comedic storytelling and being controversial for controversy’s sake. It’s similar to the dislike I feel towards Katie Hopkins or Piers Morgan, people I feel like care so much more about being recognised that what they’re recognised for. Sara Pascoe, I believe, has truly mastered the art of stand-up comedy. She manages to be outrageously funny without offending a whole host of people before she even
Pascoe’s sex positivity and celebration of independent women was incredibly empowering
gets to the punch-line. On a hungover post-Halloween Thursday evening, my pal and I made our way down to the Tyne Theatre & Opera House (a hidden gem of the toon) to see Sara Pascoe’s LadsLadsLads. We somehow wrangled our way into one of the theatre boxes. For those of you who have never had the pleasure of sitting in a box, I implore you to do it if ever given the chance. We had our own personal toilet which, when you’re as hungover as I was, is quite a necessary precautionary measure. With our top-notch
seats secured and theatre snacks in hand, we sat down to enjoy the show. The name LadsLadsLads was a reference to Pascoe’s recent break-up, after which she said she wanted to follow her streak of 8 boyfriends in 10 years (“How did I fit them all in you ask? Overlap”) with a year of celibacy, part of a larger quest to learn to love herself by herself. We’ve all had a bit of a shit break-up at some point, and Pascoe’s show was brilliantly relatable. It spoke to post-break-up feelings a lot of us have had. Of wanting to better yourself, then realising such task is harder than you bargained for. Pascoe did bits about everything from incest to pornography, she managed to make some sincerely valuable points about self-love and independence without her show feeling like some sort or philosophical self-help lecture, but I did get something like that out of it. As I was sat there splitting my sides over a bit about the weird world of blowjobs, I thought to myself ‘hang on, she has got a point here’. She managed to do some pretty outlandish bits which some people would deem ‘too rude’ like impersonating a penis going in and out of a vagina, looking at a photo of a dead animal carcass every time it went in. But everything she did had a point. This time, for instance, she was doing a bit about boyfriends and veganism. The show was a feminist masterpiece. Pascoe’s sex positivity and celebration of independent women was incredibly empowering. The buzz from the audience was tangible. Right off the bat, Pascoe emphasised the informality of the show. ‘Go on your phone if you like’ she said, encouraging people to also go get a pint or pop to the loo if they ever wanted to. She remarked multiple times on
her dislike of ‘art’ and ‘culture’, claiming it takes itself too seriously. Her show dismantled the stuffy serious atmosphere expected at a lot of events that take place in theatres. Espe-
It spoke to post-break-up feelings a lot of us have had
cially, in ones as decadent as the Opera House. This definitely played to her benefit over the course of the show, as some of the funniest moments came from her interaction with the audience and the complete willingness to respond. Although there was a bizarre heckle roughly 20 seconds away from the end of the show, at which point someone shouted ‘Dolores’. No context, no reference to anything else that had happened in the show, just ‘Dolores’. Although obscure, it provided us all with quite a few laughs. I’ve been a fan of Pascoe for a few years now. She’s always a refreshing face on TV comedy panel shows and her book Animal: The Autobiography of the Female Body is a work of art. It is rare that I go to comedy shows with much knowledge of the comedian that I am seeing beforehand, so having a chance to see Pascoe was pretty special. If you get the chance to see LadsLadsLads, take it. It’s a great and honest piece of comedy which celebrates the virtues of break-ups and gives you an insight into the unique mind of Sara Pascoe.
Do we love ‘Age of Love’? Olivia Blackham reviews Heather Phillipson’s unique ‘Age of Love’ at The BALTIC Gateshead
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hen you walk into a large room full of darkness and the sound of cawing Kittiwakes, there is understandably an initial fear of what you are about to find. Heather Phillipson has created what has been described as ‘a dynamic mindscape of video, sculpture and sound’ where the only human presence is through agricultural equipment. I know exactly what you're thinking, I have to be exaggerating, right? You must be filled with curiosity as to what the rest of this exhibit was, what it all meant and what on earth was going through Phillipson's head. Don’t worry, I’ll fill you in. Fast track through the darkness to a line of screens showing recordings of Kittiwake birds nesting in the BALTIC, bringing a personal touch to the Phillipson’s alternate reality. Upon reaching this, I keep going despite my mild terror of what was to come. I reach the end of the room and turn the corner. What I saw is almost too shocking to describe.
walked into. A world where it’s entirely normal to have a giant cat with bright green eyes constantly watching you. The heavy emphasis on animals suggests the original nature of love (the purpose of procreation), which has since been romanticized. Phillipson continues to condemn humans within the rest of her exhibition, particularly in the anthem to grass and rotating fake foot. Exiting was very much like entering, except this
Exiting was much like entering, except this time I lost feeling in my ears and there was a creepy cat
The room was filled with lights pulsating to the 90s tune of ‘The Age of Love’, which was seeping out of a repurposed grain silo, echoing its manmade nature to the world. The flooring changed from normal paving to crunchy gravel. Strange, I know. Yet when you think about it, the change in flooring is reminiscent of the changed world I had
Images: Instagram, @balticgateshead
time I lost feeling in my ears and there was a creepy cat staring at me. As I returned to light and the real world, I sat to think about what I had witnessed. Some unnerving things, some disturbing things and some painful things. Yet, Phillipson demonstrates a world without humans in it, possibly a world before us. This speaks to our current environmental state, scaring us into working harder to change the world from what she presented it to be. In that way, I can support the crazy.
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culture gaming
Stress-busting games
The Courier Gaming's coolest cucumbers share the best ways to kill the panic monster
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Audiosurf Jess Taylor Weisser
love high-intensity, high-coordination games – and sometimes I need a game that'll help me to switch off from other games. My usual go-to is Audiosurf. This rhythm game takes your music files and turns them into playable levels – in other words, it's an interactive music visualiser, perfect for when you want to listen to something nice and do something with your hands. After choosing a vehicle, each with a unique, difficultto-master play mechanic, you'll steer it down an abstract highway, swapping lanes to collect matching colour blocks in time with the music.
800+
Definitely NOT the number of hours Jess has put into Audiosurf. That would just be absurd... Right?
It sounds monotonous - surely nothing to spend eight hundred hours playing, right? (I say, squinting at my Steam library.) But as my music library has grown over the past nine years, the appeal of Audiosurf has grown too. Its pleasantly minimalist visuals and strangely complex combo scoring system has meant the novelty has never worn off – it remains my anytime game, and it'll probably rob me of many more hours of productivity to come.
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courier.gaming@ncl.ac.uk Gaming Editors George Boatfield, Matthew Neville & Kelly South
Review: Luigi’s Mansion 3DS Resident ghost hunter Al Ridley finds out if it's worth returning to this GameCube classic
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t was as inevitable as death, really. After the success of 2013’s Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon demonstrated that the 3DS was more than capable of innovating on and supporting the ghost-busting shenanigans of the Luigi’s Mansion series, we all knew there was going to be a port of the Gamecube original using a similar system - and, as you might expect, it’s still a damn good game.
The mansion is filled with tricks secrets and rare ghosts: handsome rewards for inquisitive investigators...
In Luigi’s Mansion, you play as everyone’s favourite green-clad thanatophobe as he busts his way through an eerie stately home that he won in a contest. As he explores the mansion to find his vanished brother, Luigi finds gainful employment tracking down famous spectres and sealing them in paintings with help from his employer Professor Elvin Gadd, ghost scientist and erstwhile researcher of the mysterious mansion. Armed with a torch and vacuum, you’ll explore trying to piece together Mario’s whereabouts and the secrets of this wretched real estate.
It’s a very short game; ignoring all the optional ghosts and gunning for the final boss will only take you three hours or so, but the mansion is filled with tricks, secrets and rare ghosts with handsome rewards for inquisitive investigators. Luigi’s Mansion has always been a game where the more effort you put into your exploration, the more enjoyable your playthrough is. This re-release adds achievements, the ability to fight already defeated Portrait Ghosts in a kind of boss rush mode, and multiplayer, with Luigi teaming up with his weird paradox slime clone Gooigi to make harder bosses a snap. You’re also capable of choosing the type of flashlight you want to use, either the traditional flash-and-dash bulb or Dark Moon’s charging timebased Strobulb. The Hidden Mansion is also back, but completionists expecting some more Luigibased challenge are going to be disappointed because there’s no real advancement on the Gamecube version.
Teaming up Luigi with his weird paradox slime clone Gooigi makes harder bosses much easier
Luigi’s Mansion is a solid port that I enjoyed all the way through. Yet it’s really quite unimaginative, one that cries out for some direct innovation. Perhaps they’re saving their design skills for the third game in the series, rumoured to come out in 2019.
Euro Truck Simulator 2 Gerry Hart
uro Truck Simulator 2 is an odd title insofar as it was clearly designed for a specific niche that really, REALLY loves trucks yet has attained a kind of cult popularity beyond its intended audience. This might seem baffling at first, as the closest the game comes to a plot is trying to start up your own trucking company. The draw of Euro Truck Simulator 2 lies in its core gameplay. Much of the game consists of driving packages to and from city to city (including Newcastle, replete with a low-res depiction of The Sage and the Millennium Bridge). Whilst it might initially come across as cumbersome or monotonous, there is something rhythmic and absorbing about the driving that has captivated more than a few players. With a decent podcast or audiobook, it makes for a truly cathartic experience. If you're sick of saving the world and just want the simplicity of delivering household appliances to a warehouse in Grimsby, give this one a go.
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Monday 5th November 2018
Nuclear Throne Al Ridley
lambeer’s Nuclear Throne is a roguelike topdown shooter set in a shattered world of bandits, ravens and interdimensional cops. From the very beginning, you know you face insurmountable odds: your health is low, enemies are plentiful and the road is punishingly long and filled with roiling plasma. Death is inevitable. Victory is almost impossible.
It’s artless, heartless, bloodless, peerless carnage
Image: IGDB
Image: IGDB
Dota 2 to show loot box odds PC Developers Will this make for a fairer system? James Troughton weighs in
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or years there has been contention amongst the gaming community regarding microtransactions and loot boxes. In April, Belgium even declared loot boxes a form of gambling. However, Valve’s Counter Strike: Global Offensive is perhaps the most controversial of these systems as it spawned a gambling chain online - something which was easily accessible to young, vulnerable people. Dota 2, another Valve game and a free-to-play MOBA, is a goliath in the industry, rivalling the likes of League of Legends. The team working on Dota 2 have just updated their loot box system, allowing players to view their escalating odds so that they can see the chance of getting the extremely rare items. Escalating odds refers to the process by which a player's odds get better each time they purchase a loot box, until eventually they are guaranteed one of these items (although this could cost well over £100, which raises the question of whether it is even worth it). The reason that Valve is allowing players to see these odds is not because of a threatening letter from the government - the reason why they altered it in the Netherlands, but instead because of a glitch where the odds would never be guaranteed, despite players spending small fortunes on the game. One question remains, however: will loot boxes continue to appear in gaming? Overwatch, Rainbow Six
Siege, Counter Strike, League of Legends, and many, many more titles feature these digital microtransactions that fail to guarantee a high-quality drop. They operate like slot machines, but very few of these titles allow for players to turn their in-game cosmetics or unlockables into real money.
Many more titles feature these digital microtransactions that fail to guarantee a highquality drop
Star Wars Battlefront II is the most recent example of loot boxes going terribly wrong for public-relations. Gamers were truly angered by their existence being more than an optional feature as they were integrated into the progression system of the game. Despite this, the debate as to whether they constitute gambling continues, both in the press and amongst regulators.
But the gunplay is so purely, viscerally satisfying that you won’t care how many mortal coils you shuffle off. Every gun fires with a chunky, screen-shaking thump that’s immediate, tactile, and satisfying as hell. Shotguns ricochet violently, lasers make pure, clarion screeches, and explosions rip the very battlefield asunder. The corpses of your fallen enemies absorb your weapon’s momentum, too, becoming glorified, fleshy husk-bullets. It’s artless, heartless, bloodless, peerless carnage. There’s a place for slow and relaxing games if you’re stressed, but you have to admit, sometimes, you just wanna watch something die. Image: YouTube
criticise Steam
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Alex Darbyshire holds GabeN to account
t’s easy to upload a game to Steam. However, the algorithm in place that determines what is featured, and therefore supported by Valve, is not as easy to navigate. And so, many developers struggle. Most developers show animosity particularly for the review system Steam has had in place for the last five years. According to sources within the industry, this system has a recommendation threshold of 70%, after which a dev’s game receives either a ‘positive’ reception, wrapped in a comely blue marker, or a ‘mixed’ score, with a much more unbecoming brown marker. This remarkable threshold is the problem for developers, who are afraid of revealing to gamers that they have “much more power than they think”. Developers have also been critical of the lack of support tools, as most users simply use the review system itself as a technical support forum as Steam offers no ticketing service. This further frustrates developers, Image: Wikimedia Commons who would be more than happy to support their players. In addition, removing negative reviews is said to be a tiresome process, even to developers, and they want Valve to take greater measures in supporting developers regarding the culling of troll and ‘support’ reviews. Furthermore, while Steam may be the biggest platform on PC by far, developers feel mistreated on Steam compared to the Microsoft Sony stores (both of which take 30% of profit), who provide industry connections and healthy support systems. It appears that Steam on the other hand, are happy to go on allowing larger games to flourish, while also profiting from the many failing, unhelped, smaller indie titles.
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Monday 5th November 2018
Sean Bean joins cast of Hitman 2
@Courier_Gaming thecourieronline.co.uk/gaming
gaming culture
Pages to pixels
Memory Card: PlayStation Vita
Haaris Qureshi shares intel Unlike Sony, we don't charge on a soon-to-be dead Bean For this week's Blank Slot, Alex Darbyshire delves into the £40 for our memory cards. itman 2 will bring back its ‘Elusive Target’ varied history of stories moving across media to our screens Matthew Neville gets to have game mode, this time giving you a limited time ames that are based on novels are surprisingly In this vein, perhaps the most impressive example of to kill none other than Sean Bean - the Man of prevalent in popular culture; it seems the more this category of game is The Witcher franchise. Owing to this one himself for free Many Deaths.
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‘Elusive Target’ is a game mode introduced in the previous instalment of the game, where for a limited time frame, you’re able to hunt down and kill a target. Unlike the normal game mode, the player has one shot to find and eliminate the target. Whereas normal levels allow you to easily track your targets by activating ‘instinct mode’ and highlighting the character’s location, in ‘Elusive Target’, one relies on a description of the target and roughly where they will be. However, in Hitman 2 the first target is based on and voiced by the distinctive Sean Bean, identifiable by his rough facial features and strong Yorkshire accent.
Should you fail in your mission, that’s it. No retries
The Hitman team have taken full advantage of Bean’s infamy for fictional deaths, with the reveal video for his level, appropriately called 'The Undying', featuring Sean Bean in character as Mark Faba (his famous role in 1995’s GoldenEye), telling a therapist of all the times he’s tricked his enemies into thinking he was dead, before summarily executing said therapist and challenging a watching Agent 47. In an interview with The Verge, Bean explained that in Hitman “it could be anything. The players can kill me any way they want.” Players will be able to attempt to kill Sean Bean shortly after Hitman 2’s release for around a fortnight – but should you fail in your mission, that’s it. No retries. And based on the result of an online vote, you have the option of an exclusive new weapon to kill him with, such as a pair of earphones to garrotte him with. Hitman 2 releases in-store and digitally on 13 November.
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deliberate medium of prose marries well with gaming. The results of this are some of the most creative designs and worlds ever conceived in the gaming industry. But how well do these novels reflect the tone of their source material? Early examples of novel adaptations such as Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde for the NES were not exactly pinnacles of game design - the gameplay featured slow, unresponsive controls and a nebulous goal for the player being the greatest offenders here. As for tone, despite the primitive graphical fidelity of the game, in terms of colour and contrast it does surprisingly well to replicate the gothic horror of Stevenson’s classic, while mechanically supporting this with an ‘anger metre’, with the player switching between Jekyll and Hyde.
The Witcher 3 is perhaps one of the best adaptations from page to screen
While many games lift inspiration directly from the plot of a novel, others will absorb the themes and tone of their source material while creating new stories in the same universe. Take the Metro franchise, for example. The first game in the series, Metro 2033, is a fairly faithful rendition, as we enter the immersive world of the adaptation. Metro: Last Light, however, diverges starkly from the second novel in the series by Dmitry Glukhovsky, Metro 2034, with completely different plot and character beats. While this second game is a tad weaker in terms of story, the world it creates is one of my personal favourites in terms of atmosphere and linear game design.
the authorial genius of Polish writer Andrzej Sapkowski, The Witcher game series takes place in a new continuity after the finale of the novel saga. The first two games are hit and miss in terms of gameplay and tone, however, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, is perhaps one of the most impressive adaptations from page to screen. This experience really needs to be played and read. Any new player should preface a playthrough of The Witcher 3 with a reading of at least Blood of Elves. The way each teaches the player about Geralt’s character is exquisite and entirely unique in my experience. This magnum opus of fantasy storytelling has to be experienced to be believed.
Image: IGDB
Battlefront II gets new DLC
Will Grievous make a fine addition to your collection? James Troughton coughs up the details
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en Walke, community manager for DICE’s Battlefront II, nicknamed October ‘the month of Grievous’ on his Twitter account. This proved to be a controversial term as they only started promoting and discussing the character during the final couple of weeks of the month. However, Walke did reveal some fantastic news in a community transmission on Reddit, stating that they have gotten all the voice actors from the animated Clone Wars TV series back for the four characters (Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, General Grievous and Count Dooku) being added to Battlefront II.
All the voice actors from the animated Clone Wars TV series will reprise their roles
Matthew Wood, the actor providing the voice for General Grievous, noted the inclusion of iconic lines such as “Your lightsabers will make a fine addition to my collection” and “this calls for a celebration!”. The playable villain will also be receiving four victory poses which are shown at the end of a match when displaying the top players. General Grievous will have two appearances. His default is ‘Jedi Hunter’ and the purchasable skin is called ‘Battle Damaged’ and will cost 20,000 credits or 500 crystals. Grievous himself will cost 35,000 credits to unlock and will not be available for purchase with crystals due to the drama that surrounded the launch of Battlefront II in which players claimed that the game was pay-to-win, as heroes and villains could be bought with real money via the purchase of crystals. Grievous’ announcement was accompanied by a screenshot of the character in which he can be seen on Geonosis, the new map coming in November. Here he
fights alongside the droid army, who appear redder in colour to camouflage themselves on the Mars-like planet. With this screenshot came the release date for both the new map and Obi-Wan Kenobi, which is 28 November.
It sounds as if Grievous will be just as lethal as his criminally underused cinematic counterpart
Finally, in the community transmission, Walke detailed General Grievous’ abilities which are as follows: Thrust Surge (General Grievous will “focus on a target in front of him” and rush to them “while doing a stab motion with all 4 of his lightsabers”); Claw Rush (he will go “down on all 6 limbs” and rush forward, “damaging and pushing away any enemies in his path”); Unrelenting Advance (he will spin “two lightsabers over his head” and “advance on his enemies,” blocking “any frontal attacks”). All in all, it sounds as if Grievous’ playable rendition will be just as lethal as his criminally underused cinematic counterpart. Players are able to find out just how lethal he really is, as the general was added to the game on 30 October.
Image: YouTube
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n October Sony announced that it was ceasing production of its premium handheld console, the PlayStation Vita. This is a sad fate considering the potential that the underappreciated and misunderstood system once held. Announced in 2011 and simply referred to as the ‘Next Generation Portable’, online chatter was rife with rumours about the system’s power and features. What we finally got was a little powerhouse of a machine, which enabled developers to go whole hog with games of a similar fidelity to home console releases. This is in fact the single most misunderstood factor surrounding the Vita, as many assumed its sole purpose was to imitate larger home console games, which became less and less true as the Vita matured and grew. At first, Sony Bend’s Uncharted: Golden Abyss proved a close match for Naughty Dog’s blockbuster franchise, and the now defunct Guerrilla Cambridge’s Killzone: Mercenary actually outdid the efforts of its PS3 big brothers in a lot of ways. However, later on in the console’s life was where things got interesting. After Sony lessened its support, bigger releases were something of a rarity. In lew of this, more niche titles made by smaller studios were able to fill the gap and release some real darlings that the unique Vita facilitated beautifully. Rogue Legacy, Don’t Starve, Spelunky and others breathed new life into the struggling platform.
Many inaccurately assumed the Vita's sole purpose was to imitate home console games
But what would come to define the Vita’s colourful library of games were the consistently brilliant JRPGs which, for my money, made the system one of the best handhelds ever released. Dragon’s Crown, Odin Sphere: Leifthraser, and Muramasa Rebirth all take advantage of the system's beefy graphical capabilities as well as succeeding in making sprawling, deep experiences accessible on the go with few concessions made. This cemented the Vita as a must-own amongst fans of the genre. Which brings us neatly onto the system's magnum opus, Persona 4 Golden. More than just a remake of its 2008 PS2 counterpart, this reimagining makes several key improvements to the game's mechanics and presentation. Additional narrative arcs, more opportunities for exploration and a heap of new content make this an enticing package for any self-respecting JRPG fan. Thus, despite being released relatively early in the console's life cycle, Atlus’ marvellous game will be the reason why many hold fond memories of the Vita. So, if you're in the market for a device to occupy your empty commutes with experiences that live up to the expectations of gaming on a home console, the PlayStation Vita provides a more portable and compact alternative to the wildly popular Nintendo Switch. But what really makes the system special is its expansive library of quality games, and if you're a fan of JRPGs in particular, why don't you already have one? Sony may have underutilised this feature-packed little gem of a system, but that's no excuse for anyone to overlook it's impressive résumé.
Images: Wikimedia Commons & IGDB
puzzles 35
the courier
Monday 29 October 2018
Puzzles Supreme Overlord Messy Elliot Puzzle Matriarch Rihanna Puzzles Editor Insignificant Sudoku Absent, still Hangover Acute Level of Hysteria Surprisingly Moderate
Find that Rihanna: find our Matriarch in the messy, messy mess
Hi fans, I know I’m only the Matriarch (whatever, always under-appreciated...) but I guess I have to apologise for the lost crossword clues last week... Who the fuck knows what happened... I mean I’m actually in Cannes and it’s 2017 so Idk why I’m being held resposible, we should really get on that editor...
CROSSWORD
Clue Suede Blues
Last Week’s Solutions
1
Across
3 Food particles, do not get them in my bed (6) 6 Always filthy, heats food (9) 10 Supposed to stick things, dirty when sticky (3, 4, 3) 13 Glamorous fruit (9) 15 The best ice-cream (8) 16 Post-fire, messy drawing material (8) 17 Whirlpool 18 Air moving (4) 19 Life is in a perpetual state of 13 (8)
(Bonus points [as if there’s a system, but by all means keep count]
if you can name the gig)
2 3 4
5
6
7 8
9
10
11
12 14
Down
1 You’ll never get it back (7) 2 Avocado dip (9) 3 Theory (5) 4 Tricolcour Ice-Cream (10) 5 More like WHERE (10) 7 Posh salad dressing (11) 9 Your house is a (6) 11 Neither runner now French (5, 5) 12 More would help (7) 15 Swirling mass (6) 20 You think this will solve your problems (4)
15
16
17 18 19
20
Picture Quiz Beetlejuice, Rear Window, Jaws
Crossword Across
Down
5 Muertos
1 Zombie
8 Poison
2 Spell
11 Mouse
3 Timewarp
12 Bat
4 Hells Bells
13 Sleepy Hollow
6 Shake senora
18 Spooky
7 Crippling Debt
19 Horrors
10 Adams
20 Frankenstein
15 Jack
21 Ghost Busters
16 Yorick
22 Apples
17 Ellm Street
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36
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Monday 5 November 2018
Do super-celtic go balistic or is scotti
Jack Smillie and Rory Ewart mull over Celtic’s domination in the Scottish Premiership and
Jack Smillie
For far too long now, Celtic have benefited enormously from a lack of genuine competition; that plus opportune exter-
It would be unwise to rule out Gerrard’s Rangers at this early stage
nal factors have led to a recent period of domination. This domination will not last and Celtic can absolutely expect their hegemony to be broken this season. Scottish football economics is a peculiar topic. Celtic, Scotland’s biggest club, still suffer from a hampered income stream and generate less income than any English Premier League club. A combination of both TV money and attendances decreasing as well as taxation mismanagement caused both Rangers and Hearts to enter administration. During these clubs’ dark days, Celtic were able to enjoy an unrivalled run of seven consecutive league wins, including two domestic trebles. Celtic now run
the risk of stagnation and complacency. Whilst Rangers are, historically, the world’s most successful football club, let’s assume that Hearts pose the biggest threat this season. Although, it would be unwise to rule out Gerrard’s Rangers at this early stage. Indeed, Hearts currently have a slender league advantage over The Bhoys, as well as a psychological advantage, following a 1-0 home victory for the Tynecastle side back in August. Hearts’ newfound clinical edge has quickly made them a formidable rival to the men in green and white. Whilst Hearts’ opening performances have been an exciting combination of dynamism and panache, Celtic have all too often appeared lacklustre and unconvincing. Nonetheless, Celtic’s goalless draw with St Mirren in September sat particularly uncomfortably with their supporters. After another disappointing performance, this time against RB Leipzig, Sky Sports’ Andy Walker argued that some players “didn’t look up to it” and “showed absolutely nothing”. If Celtic aren’t continuously performing near their best, then there will be worrying times ahead for a club which has almost become accustomed to winning. Yes, it is still early days. But the loyalty of Hearts’ fans, the adeptness of the coaching staff and the quality of the squad is too impressive to go unrewarded for much longer.
Can the fortress of Celtic Park be pillaged this season? Image: Flickr: ebotunes
“He lived and breathed Leicester”
Sesha Subramanian and Rory Ewart pay tribute to late Leicester City owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha
Rory Ewart
The events of last Saturday will be remembered as one of the darkest evenings in Leicester City’s history. The death of club owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, his colleagues Kaveporn Punpare, Nusara Suknamai, pilots Izabela Roza Lechowicz and Eric Swaffer is a tragedy that has shaken not only the world of football but the world as a whole. Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha bought Leicester City in 2010, immediately wiping the £100 million debt the club was in. The Foxes, at the time, had settled to life in the Championship, having been newly promoted from League 1 the season before. Nobody would have predicted a Premier League title would be sitting in their trophy cabinet just six years later. The side won promotion back to the Premier League in 2014, after a ten-year absence away from the top tier. A shaky first season back followed, but a strong end of season run-in saw Leicester escape the drop.
A fairytale season which culminated with Leicester being crowned as the most unlikely Premier League Winners
Everyone knows what followed, a fairy tale season which culminated with Leicester being crowned as the most unlikely Premier League winners in the modern era. What many may not realise though is that Srivaddhanaprabha’s investment prior to this made it all possible. The names Kante, Mahrez and Vardy will echo around fans of Leicester for years to come, these players would not have been at the club in the first place without the investment from Srivaddhanaprabha. The results on the pitch were spectacular, but the work off it by the club owner was just
as remarkable, and a poignant reminder that he was a man who looked out for the community of Leicester, not just the running of a football club. £1 million was donated to Leicester University’s medical department, a further £2 million was given to aid the construction of a children’s hospital in the city. Closer to home, Srivaddhanaprabha celebrated his 60 birthday earlier in the year by away 60 season tickets to dedicated fans. He would serve free hot food out regularly for fans, travel to away games would more often than not be subsidised. Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, I believe it is fair to say, changed not only Leicester Football Club but also the city of Leicester for the better. Grieving of his death will continue as investigators piece together how such an accident could ever happen. One thing though that is set in stone is that this was a man that gave so much, and his legacy will last eternally for the people of Leicester.
Sesha Subramanian A Man Bigger Than The Club Oftentimes, we hear a saying in football that goes “Nobody is bigger than the club.” In most cases, it holds true. But there are certain moments in the sporting world when rules don’t apply. Last weekend, when the helicopter carrying Leicester City owner crashed just outside King Power Stadium, was one such moment. Leicester City owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha was not a football fan when he bought the club back in 2010. He was more into horses and polo. But since that moment he became more synonymous with the club with each passing day. As news of his death spread through the community both within and outside Leicester, his achievements came to the fore and with it there was a realisation of how big a personality he was at the club and in the city. His most famous success story will always be that of Leicester winning the Premier League title in 2016 – an improbable run given the riches of the clubs they were com-
peting against, including their nearest challengers that year, Tottenham Hotspur. However, his true success lies in the bonds he built with the players and staff at his club, and the people of his city. Unlike most chairmen of football clubs around the globe, he took a keen interest in all his players and their personal lives. He endeared himself to many of them with his attitude and it is testament nature that people like Kasper
Schmeichel would pen a long tribute to him on social media or that Riyad Mahrez (who is not even at the club today) would look to the heavens when he scored a goal. He was a man who had worked hard to get to where he is and rewarded hard work equally. Nineteen of his first team players who won the Premier League were gifte d
with £105,000 BMW i8 cars as a token of appreciation. Outside of football, he made generous philanthropic contributions, amounting to millions of pounds to Leicester’s hospitals and charities. He celebrated his 60th birthday this year and marked it by giving away 60 free season tickets to dedicated fans and throwing a party for young hospital patients at Leicester Royal Infirmary, whom he is also believed to have donated £1m to - that on top of another £1m donation to Leicester University’s medical department and a £2m injection towards a new children’s hospital. He even made efforts to make the city feel like a part of the club. Supporters were treated to free breakfasts, food, scarves, clappers, flags, free away travel and even free beer. he did anything he could to help enhance their experience. Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha’s most triumphant moment as the owner of Leicester may have come and gone in 2016 but his legacy will live on – not just at Leicester City Football Club but everywhere in Leicester and beyond.
Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha has been hailed across the fottballing world Image: Youtube
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Monday 5 November 2018
ish football attrocious?
d debate whether this has to naturally come to an end
Rory Ewart Celtic have been nothing short of dominant in recent seasons. Back-to-back trebles and an unbeaten run of 69 games, the longest from a professional British club ever. Celtic are the hegemonic club in Scottish football currently, with their nearest rivals Rangers still a couple of years away from being back to their best.
RORY EWART A “Scottish” 2nd year student who’s Deputy Station Manager of Newcastle Student Radio and the co-host of Friday’s breakfast show
If football was a game of poker, Celtic in 2012 were handed a royal flush. It was then that inner-city rivals Rangers officially became liquidated. It was from there that they effectively had to start again, losing their best players who they could no longer afford to keep and being thrown all the way down to the then named Scottish Third Division (now called League Two). This led Celtic to title domination. Today they are sitting on seven league titles on the bounce, with little to no real threat occurring in these years. But Rangers are now back and look to be forming a new identity that many would say isn’t far away from the pre-2012 days. Steven Gerrard is manager, and with that has
come high profile arrivals, including English Premier League veterans Scott Arfield, Graham Dorrans and Kyle Lafferty. This, in addition with talented youngsters like Jon Flanagan and Ryan Kent, has meant that fans of the Gers are hungry for success soon. This, in my opinion, is coming too soon. Rangers signed 15 players in the summer, not even Real Madrid could compete for glory with so many new faces in their first season. wCeltic, on the other hand, had a disappointing summer for signings but can boast a squad full of league winners, Rangers, by contrast, only have two players in their squad who have won the Scottish Premier League. Celtic are used to winning, they expect nothing less, for many clubs in Scotland just being in and around the Hoops is good
This led Celtic to title domination. Today they are sitting on seven league titles on the bounce, with little to no threat in recent years
enough for them. Rangers are realistically the only club with the financial power and squad to compete with them; but that comes with time, especially when you are a side with a manager in his maiden season of coaching at senior level, and a squad which was largely bought in the summer market.
Two bolts from the blue for Newcastle 2s MEN’S FOOTBALL
Newcastle 2nds York 1sts
3 1
Tom Hardwick at Longbenton
Newcastle football 2’s claimed their first BUCS win of the season with a 3-1 win over York 1’s. Despite the scoreline suggesting otherwise it was a closely fought encounter, with Newcastle’s victory coming courtesy of two moments of magic from Regan Cooper and Joel Chapman. Neither side seemed able to establish a foothold early in the game, with the best chance of the opening exchanges falling to York’s Kitching. He managed to wriggle away from his marker and fashion an opening, but the resulting effort was wayward. Both teams were cancelling each other out with resolute defending but neither could muster a meaningful attack, and Newcastle’s coach was becoming increasingly frustrated in his remonstrations. This seemed to act as an immediate catalyst for action, with Cooper receiving the ball some 30 yards from the goal and, with nothing on, deciding to shoot. His speculative effort cannoned off of the underside of the crossbar and into the net, illuminating what had up until this point been a somewhat dull encounter.
His specualtive effort cannoned off the underside of the crossbar and into the net; illuminating a somewhat dull encounter
Newcastle began to increase the tempo of their passing and pressing after earning their 1-0 lead, with Josh Hammett in particular doing well to win the ball back, hold it up whilst his teammates created space and drive the team forward. Tom Clifton was another good performer in this half, fulfilling his defensive duties whilst finding time and space to bomb down the left-hand side of the pitch
and put York under pressure with smart passing. However, clear-cut chances remained at a premium, and other than a minor scare when a York free kick was met unconvincingly by Eseigbe, the rest of the first half passed without incident. The second half mirrored the first by starting in a rather laboured fashion. Hammett again worked hard to retain possession and allow Newcastle to exploit the width of the pitch, but both teams were struggling to create real chances. Another parallel with the first half was drawn when Chapman set out to score a similarly super effort to that of Cooper. After well-worked passing from
85
The minute in which York scored their only goal of the match
Hammett and Jonathon Bennett gave Chapman time and space just outside the box, he opted to curl in a superb strike that again rattled the crossbar before crossing the line and doubling Newcastle’s lead. These two equally impressive goals seemed to deflate York, and this began to show as Bennett was afforded acres of room to drive at York fullback Mhangami, who could hardly deal with the incisive running of his opponent. Bennett continued to try and fashion chances, but it seemed that Newcastle were largely content to rest on their laurels. Five minutes away from full time York gave themselves a modicum of hope, reducing the deficit to 2-1 with a drilled effort beyond Alexander Zantis and into the bottom left corner. Zantis was unlucky to concede given his composed display, but any Newcastle nerves were allayed almost instantly, with Aki finishing smartly beyond Grace in the York goal to take the score to 3-1. York failed to muster a resurgence, and despite the game being tight and scrappy for large periods, it was two moments of astounding quality from Newcastle that saw them claim the three points. This win will hopefully spark an upturn in league form, and will give them even greater confidence for their cup tie against Manchester Metropolitan 3’s.
Men look at a ball in the air with the intent to kick it when it lands Image: Tom Hardwick
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sport
Monday 5 November 2018
On your marks, get set-DOUGH! Dominic Lee and Rebecca Johnson assess the impact of money in sport
Two goals more than enough for hockey win MEN’S HOCKEY
Newcastle 1sts Sheffield 1sts
2 0
Ben Cowlard at Norton Playing Fields The early hours of Wednesday morning saw a foggy-eyed but eager band of warriors embark on a crusade to Sheffield, with the hope to come away with the three points and a moderately sized bucket of opposition tears.
Seb McTaggart had the reactions of a cheetah after a double espresso
The game started hard and fast, the brand new Sheffield turf played like a trampoline allowing for exciting hockey from start to finish. As the game crept into the end of the second half, the benefit of family- night bonding the previous Wednesday began to show. An outstanding piece of link-up play between Wortley and Cochrane led to former medic/ wannabe investor Ben Stainer slotting the first and putting Newcastle one up to silence the home crowd.
Wembley has hosted NFL for eleven years Image: Christopher Griffin
Dominic Lee When people say money isn’t everything they’re right, money can’t buy happiness in life. However, money can certainly buy success in sporting arena. Although the NFL has a salary cap which largely restricts richer teams from dominating in the sport, it is arguably the most financially motivated of all major sports leagues off the field. With the NFL returning to London for the 11th straight year, the game has undoubtedly grown in popularity on British shores and is close to achieving its goal of establishing a London franchise by 2021.
The NFL is arguably the most financially motivated of all major league sports leagues
Of course, the London games are not without their financial motivation, while the sport has grown in popularity this will have certainly translated into more dollars for the league who made over $13 billion in 2017. With five international games played in 2017 and four in 2018 it is plain to see how money rules the game off the field. This is ever the more evident when we consider the relocation of games which has become a major feature of American sport and the NFL in particular in the last couple of years. In total ten NFL franchises have relocated at some point during their history. However, the recent relocations of the St Louis Rams and San Diego Chargers to Los Angeles and the Oakland Raiders committing their longterm future to Vegas were largely motivated by financial gains. It has been a long time coming for LA to get an NFL team, with both the Rams and the Raiders leaving America’s
second largest city in 1994, there are now three cities who will have lost their team. Whether money is ruining the league is an altogether different question. While all three cities in question will miss their team, these relocated teams actually all ranked low in the attendance statistics. In their last season in St Louis the Rams ranked dead last in attendance, the Chargers ranked second to last in their final season in San Diego and the Raiders have the second worst attendance so far this season.
10
The total of NFL franchises that have relocated at some point in their history
Although money certainly is a big issue in NFL, it can be argued that money in the NFL works far differently than in European football, where the richest clubs take home the silverware at the end of the season. In the NFL the small market underdogs frequently make the Super Bowl, with the Carolina Panthers recently getting to the big show in 2016. Nonetheless, while profit is a huge driver for the international series, with the New Tottenham Stadium- which may never be built at this rate- being purpose built to host NFL games. In my opinion the international series has been a great addition to UK sport with more and more people each year signing up for tickets. The effect has also been felt in Mexico which hosted one game in 2017 and will host the Kansas City Chiefs and the Los Angeles Rams, who are two potential Super Bowl contenders, in November. Meanwhile the last of the three Wembley Games for this year will pit the reigning champions the Philadelphia Eagles against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Rebecca Johnson Sports Editor Mark the date in your calendars, 27th January 2019, because that’s the day that football goes mad. This is the day in La Liga that (although yet to be officially confirmed) Girona play their home game against the mighty Barcelona at the Hard Rock Stadium- which is in Miami in the United States of America. I’m no geographer but Girona is definitely not in the USA. So why are they playing there? As with everything in football especially it all rattles down to one thing- money. Just think about all the branding and advertising that the big bosses at the top will benefit from. In fact the global communications officer for La Liga, Joris Evers said “we are building our global brand...moving forwards and changing from being a football regulator into an entertainment provider.” This just indicates how football’s priorities are changing from appealing to a local population to appealing to a global audience. While it’s certainly a positive that “smaller” clubs are getting a chance to put themselves in the global spotlight, but you can’t help but think that these stunts are one massive marketing ploy. In my opinion, this particular fixture being chosen is quite a deliberate picking. Of course Barcelona are one of the biggest and well-known sporting clubs in the world, but the rise of Girona in recent years is particularly interesting.
To say Girona have had a Manchester City style glow-up would be accurate
To put it bluntly Girona have been injected with a hell of a lot of money. Up until 2008 the Catalan club were a solid third and
fourth division club, with 1997-1999 seeing them sink as far as the fifth division. Since 2008 they’ve sat in the second tier of Spanish football, and up until about 2014 they were a comfortable mid to low table club in this league. However, after this they were suddenly in the top four spots in the league vying for promotion to La Liga, which they eventually achieved in the 2016-17 season. Since then they’ve been a mid-table club in La Liga.
Football’s priorities are changing from appealing to locals
To say Girona have had a Manchester City style glow-up would be accurate, because actually Manchester City’s parent company, City Football Group purchased a 44.3% share in Girona in August 2017. The City and Girona affiliation doesn’t end there though as this 44.3% share is exactly the same as the other shareholders, Girona Football group who are owned by Pere Guardiola, who is Pep Guardiola’s brother. The cynic in me can’t help but feel like this fixture is a tactic for Girona to try and establish itself as a relatively well known club on the global stage. Football has become a marketing stunt of who can advertise the most and get a load of money from their advertising. You can’t help but feel for those loyal Girona fans who have supported their fans through thick and thin. Initially regarding this fixture, there was huge backlash from the Spanish Players’ Union and the Spanish FA. La Liga responded to this by offering to reimburse Girona fans, whether that be by free flight to Miami or discount from their season ticket. At the start of last month it was announced that the players would make the final decision as to where this fixture will be played. However, it’s looking increasingly likely that this Spanish fixture will be played in Miami.
143
The number of miles between “Fortress Longbenton” and Sheffield’s ground
The second half began as the first ended, with Newcastle dominating important parts of play but defending frequently with composure and balance. Notable performances from the back came from the president himself- Tim Finnerty- who was saving shots with parts of his body he didn’t even know he had; and Seb McTaggart, a defensive maestro with the reactions of a cheetah after a double espresso. Once again club grandads Cochrane and Stainer showed the benefit of playing side by side for four years as Stainer picked a massive aerial slung by Cochrane and wobbled around the keeper for a 2-0 lead. Thank God Cochrane failed first year otherwise they may never have built such a connection.
Hockey President Tim Finnerty was saving shots with parts of his body he didn’t even know he had
The final minutes were played out with maturity and professionalism by the conquering Newcastle side creating one last chance for captain Will Dodd-Moore who selflessly let it fly past the far post in order to preserve Stainer’s occupation of the limelight. The final whistle blew and Newcastle secured the three points. BUCS Hockey Northern 1A League
Pld
W
D
L
1 Durham 2nds
3
2
1
0
5
7
2 Newcastle 1sts
3
2
0
1
3
6
3 Manchester 1sts
2
1
1
0
5
4
4 Liv’ John Moores 1sts
2
1
1
0
4
4
5 Sheffield 1sts
3
0
1
2
-4
1
GD Pts
fr R
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sport
Monday 5 November 2018
Bouncingly brilliant basketball bonanza
Man bows before the presence of the almighty basket Image: Christopher Griffin
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Newcastle 3rds 80 York St John 1sts 68
Christopher Griffin at Sports Centre Newcastle Men’s Basketball 3rds secured their first league win of the Northern 4B campaign with a fairly comfortable 80-68 victory over York St John 1sts, although they had to survive a 4th quarter fightback by the visitors to get there. The 3rds came into this fixture off the back of a fantastic 68-55 win over higher division Teesside 1sts in the Conference Cup last week and were hoping to continue the momentum into the league. York St John meanwhile were looking to use this fixture to bounce back after a heavy defeat to Sheffield 2nds in first game of the league. Straight out of the blocks Newcastle and raced into a 5 point lead. In the first two minutes of the 1st quarter, Buckley and Ji getting put their names on the scoresheet with two pointers and an Ojinnaka free throw ensured a good start for the hosts. York weren’t going to roll over though and came back quickly. Matthew Baguley impressed with two bas-
kets and two free throws within the next minute, putting York in the lead. After a frenetic opening couple of minutes Newcastle took control of the game. Some ruthless attacking play and converting several free throw opportunities allowed them to build up a sizeable lead throughout the rest of the first half. Ash Gunput kept his composure and showed some great consistency by getting 4 points from the foul line. This helped build up a 24-10 lead by the buzzer, although a nice 3-pointer by York’s Jonathan Wetherley towards the end of the quarter reduced the deficit for the visitors.
Wilson opened the scoring in the second quarter for Newcastle
Wilson opened the scoring in the second quarter for Newcastle whose pace was similar to that in the first quarter, but the home side found their lead being reduced as York started finding their feet. The visitors became more disciplined, giving away fewer free throws compared to the previous period. W1 v Loughborough 1sts 101-135 W2 v Leeds 1sts 89-135 W3 v Durham 5ths 134-116
BUCS RESULTS
BADMINTON
M1 v Leeds 2nds M2 v York 2nds W1 v Loughborough 1sts W2 v Leeds 2nds
BASKETBALL
M2 v Teeside 1sts M3 v York St John 1sts W2 v Hull 1sts
FENCING
8-0 8-0 5-3 5-3 86-40 80-68 50-51
M1 v Newcastle 2nds 133-89 M2 v Newcastle 1sts 89-133 M3 v Durham 3rds 61-135 M4 v York 2nds York Walkover
FOOTBALL
M1 v Liverpool JMU 1sts M2 v York 1sts M3 v Sunderland 4ths W1 v Durham 2nds W2 v York St John 1sts
2-2 3-1 6-0 3-1 1-1
GOLF
Mix1 v Leeds Beckett 2nds 5-0 Mix2 v York 1sts 2.5-3.5
HOCKEY
M1 v Sheffield 1sts M2 v Durham 4ths M3 v Hull 1sts M4 v Sunderland 1sts W1 v Liverpool JMU 1sts W2 v Leeds Beckett 2nds W3 v Sheffield Hallam 2nds W4 v Leeds 7ths
2-0 1-1 1-1 9-0 4-0 4-3 0-0 31-0
Baguley showed his skill again in the opening minutes, accurately throwing a 3-pointer with three minutes of the quarter gone to bring the score to 29-19. The hosts 10 point lead remained for the
10
The number of points Newcastle had in their lead at the end of the first quarter
rest of the quarter, with the shooting efforts of Newcastle’s Ji and Warn being matched by York’s Ryan Weir and James Benson, but thanks to a two-pointer from Buckley with 5 seconds remaining, Newcastle entered the half time break with a deserved 42-30 lead. After allowing York back into the game Newcastle needed to build up their lead to neutralize York’s threat in the closing stages of the match. They succeeded in this in the 3rd quarter, showing the attacking prowess that was visible in the first portion of the match. Meredith scored first in the second half for Newcastle and although York nullified this with one of their own very soon after, it set the tone for what was to come. Within the first 4 minutes of the quarter
LACROSSE
M1 v Northumbria 1sts M2 v Hull 2nds W1 v Durham 3rds W2 v Durham 4ths W3 v York 3rds
NETBALL
W1 v Edge Hill 1sts W2 v Sheffield 1sts W3 v Hull 1sts W4 v Durham 3rds
23-0 1-5 11-4 21-9 26-0 65-32 35-73 26-26 16-60
M1 v Nottingham 1sts 41-19 M2 v Durham 4ths 29-10 M3 v Manchester Met 1sts 0-41 M4 v York St John 1sts 25-34 W2 v Teeside 1sts 22-0 M1 v Nottingham 1sts M2 v Sheffield 1sts
York had a mountain to climb in the final quarter if they wanted to get anything out of the match
York had a mountain to climb in the final quarter if they wanted to get anything out of the match and despite an opening 3-pointer from Wetherley and three free throws going the visitors way, Newcastle seemed like they had enough about them to see the match
M2 v Manchester Met 1sts 5-0 M4 v Hull 2nds Ncl Walkover W1 v Durham 1sts 4-0 W2 v Durham 3rds 3-1
TABLE TENNIS
41-19 20-26
TENNIS
M1 v Leeds Beckett 4ths M2 v Leeds Beckett 6ths W1 v Nottingham 1sts
ULTIMATE
M1 v Manchester 1sts
VOLLEYBALL
M1 v Liverpool 1sts W1 v Northumbria 1sts W2 v Sheffield 2nds
WATERPOLO
M2 v Sheffield Hallam 1sts
out comfortably. However, an inspired three minutes by Baguley, who managed to score 9 points for himself, and some sterling work by the entire York team managed to bring the score to 76-68 with 2:18 left on the clock. Having seen their lead cut by more than half in the space of a few minutes and the game seemingly be put in danger, Newcastle sensibly called a timeout to try and turn things around. After a quick team talk by captain Zac McNeill, the hosts switched to a more methodical style, retaining possession well and running out the shot clock. This worked well as York were restricted in their scoring opportunities and resorted to going for long 3-pointers out of frustration, resulting in them not scoring again. This, along with two well worked baskets by Ojinnaka and Stacpoole, meant when the buzzer sounded Newcastle had kickstarted their league campaign with a win. The 3rds next BUCS match is away at Salford 1sts in the Northern Conference Cup next Wednesday, a tough test against a team going well two levels higher. However, the performance today and from last week can give them confidence in getting a scalp and continuing their cup run.
OVERALL BUCS POSITION
SQUASH
M1 v Durham 1sts
RUGBY UNION
RUGBY LEAGUE
the hosts had managed to extend their lead by 8 points. Gunnput and Buckley added to their tally and Meredith delivered a fantastic long range shot to give the hosts their first 3-pointer of the match. Credit must also go to Newcastle’s strong defence, with the turnovers from Xie at the back allowing the hosts to be ahead by an impressive 21 points midway through the 3rd quarter. York reined Newcastle in for the rest of the quarter and managed to maintain the gap, with the score at the buzzer 67-46 to the hosts.
12-5 10-2 6-6 0-12 15-2 3-0 `15-2 2-3 2-46
Pos
University
Pts
8
Birmingham
1407
9
Cardiff
1337
10
Newcastle ■
1259
11
Nottingham Trent
1123
SURF FORECAST
Tynemouth Longsands
Shreddas gonna be board this week because right now perfect waves are little more than a pipe dream. With surf peaking at 3ft towards the end of the week, however, these conditions are looking swell for beginners who are reaching breaking point with uni work and wanna heat up their game in the white water.
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sport the courier
Monday 5 November 2018 Issue 1376 Free @Courier_Sport courier.sport@ncl.ac.uk thecourieronline.co.uk/sport Sport Editors Rebecca Johnson, Harry Parsons, Sydney Isaacs Online Editor Tom Hardwick
Dowle sprints to Victory as Newcastle shine Shona Haston at Gosforth Park The first taste of the winter weather didn’t put off the cross-country team as 24 members, armed with their brand new, and much appreciated, club tent, braved the sleet and wind for the latest race in the North East Harrier League series on Saturday 27th October at Gosforth Park. The weather, although not ideal, made for proper cross-country conditions and, with the tent erected and face paint on, the 10 men and 14 ladies from NUAXC were in high spirits.
24
The number of cross country team members who braved the sleet and wind
The Harrier League is raced in packs based on previous performances, with everyone starting off in the slow pack, then the top 10%, or top 20% for the under 20 women, gaining promotion into a faster pack. The medium pack sets off 2.5 minutes behind and those who have found themselves in the fast pack have to wait 5 minutes after the first lot of runners to set off. First to race were the under 20 women, who ran a 3-mile loop. All 6 of the club’s runners in this race were new to the league, so started off in the slow pack. Olivia Dowle and Erin Gallagher, both freshers to the club, ran great races to finish 1st and 2nd respectively. Also showing impressive performances were Anna Keeble, who finished 16th, Emily Oakshott in 18th, Julia Smith in 28th and Katie Hall in 37th out of a strong field of 38 runners. Everyone’s individual efforts paid off with a win for the team and Olivia and Erin both moving up to the medium back for the next race.
Athlete tackles the wilds of Gosforth. No one got lost in the taking of this photo Image: Shona Haston
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All 6 of the clubs runn-ers in the race were new to the league
Next up to race were the senior women, running a 4-mile course made up of 2 laps. First to set off were Gougy Sneddon, Aoife Smith, Amelia Xanthe Salmon and Nicole
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Cripps. 2.5 minutes later Charis Taylor and Rebecca Charlton followed, having already earned promotion to the medium pack from earlier performances in the season. After another long 2.5 minutes wait, Shona Haston and Clara Pettitt set off chasing the field from the fast pack. First to cross the line from the club was Charis Taylor, who finished 7th (3rd from the medium pack), followed by Gougy Sneddon in 19th and Aoife Smith in 41st, with all three of them now gaining promotion to the fast or medium packs. Next to finish was Shona Haston in 68th (5th from the fast pack), then Rebecca Charlton in 105th (32nd from the medium pack), Clara Pettit in 151st (20th from the fast pack), Amelia Xanthe Salmon in 219th and Nicole Cripps in 226th out of 460 runners. For the third race in a row, the senior women’s team managed to win their division. Lastly it was the turn of the men to race, with another lap on their route meaning they had to run 6 miles. Most of the club’s runners started off in the slow pack, with Bradley Wilsher setting off 2.5 minutes after with the medium pack.
Freshers Olivia Dowle and Erin Gallagher ran great races to finish 1st and 2nd respectively
The men all put in good performances, with Callum Hanson finishing 2nd, even after just missing the start of the race, closely followed by David Warnes in 9th, Sam Hansen 15th, Marc Esgleyes Cadanet 50th, James Whitmore 61st, Dominic Head 86th, Bradley Wilshere 110th (30th finisher from the medium pack), Sean Haycock 150th, Alex Peck 353rd and Edison Fallon 583rd out of a field of 623 runners. Callum, David, Sam, Marc and James all ran their way to a promotion into the medium pack, helping the men’s team to win their division too. A big turnout from the club made for a great day of racing and as well as all 3 of the club’s teams topping their divisions, it was also the first race of the season which every member has managed to finish, and in which no one got lost, so triumphs all round! Next up in the cross-country team’s calendar is Edinburgh University’s Braids Hill race in 2 weeks’ time, where they’ll be hoping to continue their recent string of successes.
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