Issue 1456

Newcastle Apartheid Off Campus encampment crosses ten day mark

to media representatives who spoke of the “insane” support from the local community and businesses.

As first reported by The Courier on Wednesday May 1, the Newcastle University encampment opposite the Northern Stage passed the ten-day mark on Friday May 10.

The student-led group, under the moniker Newcastle Apartheid Off Campus, are standing in solidarity with Gaza through a series of demands towards the University.

The encampment follows months of protesting and campaigning from students after disappointment with the University’s transparency around their relationships with defence and security companies.

Visiting the camp, The Courier spoke

They stressed the difference between “hearing and feeling overwhelming support” through the amount of donations received.

Schedules are posted each morning of daily activities in the encampment, with recent ones including board games, movie screenings and teach-outs.

Those in the camp told The Courier they find it a “productive way of channelling emotions” with recent activities like Palestinian poetry.

As reported by The Courier on February 19 and on March 13, the movement has remained impassioned through protests on campus.

Covered in a live blog by The Courier, this Wednesday May 8 saw an escalation in the encampment, stemming from allegations of cancelled and rescheduled

meetings with the Vice Chancellor (VC) Chris Day.

The day’s protest ran from lunchtime through to the evening, forming a barrier around all King’s Gate entrances and exits making it difficult to enter or leave the building.

King’s Gate hosts staff and student services. In a statement to The Courier the university said:

“We are aware that some students were unable to access their student health and wellbeing appointments as a result of the protesters’ actions.

“We acted promptly to contact students to move services online, but sadly some students did miss appointments as a result of the disruption.

We are contacting students to re-book any missed appointments.” Continued on Page 3

Graduating students voice anxiety over jobs market

The Courier investigates the current student sentiment towards graduation.

In recent years, graduation appears to be a relief for most students; however, it has become increasingly scary due to job prospects.

The Courier undertook a survey from current Newcastle University students –who are graduating this summer – and alumni. 53.8% of Newcastle University students, in said survey, say that they are applying solely for graduate (‘grad’) schemes. Another 30.8% said that it depends on what they come across online; if it’s a grad scheme that looks attractive then they will, if it’s an entry level job with the same qualifications

they wouldn’t pass the opportunity up.

But what does this mean?

Firstly, graduation – why is it a relief?

Within the same survey, many students stated they simply are “ready for the next chapter” in their lives. One student even said they are “eager to leave” and to “start building foundations of a career”, which in the current job climate appears to be a common sentiment among graduates. Rather than furthering their education, even if they wish to, students are wanting to get their foot in the front door for job opportunities.

Graduation itself is typically an exciting time for students, with a lot using the word “bittersweet”.

The ceremony, though boring to many, is overshadowed by the memories, the pictures with friends and family by the Newcastle University arches and the fact that your university chapter is ending.

Whilst, as previously mentioned, many of the students are excited about what’s going to come in their future, it doesn’t mean to say they aren’t sad. One student noted that they’re “proud to have

finished but sad to end this chapter”, which is a short summary that explains a lot of the reoccurring emotions in this survey.

Other reoccurring emotions in this survey are seen on a 1-5 sliding scale, with 1 being the lowest. 38.5% of students felt negatively about the climate of the job market and placed themselves on the 1 – 0% were at the top end of the scale.

This is a surprising statistic as 100% of survey participants are either in a job, or are applying, rather than staying in education (to do a Masters, or PhD, for instance).

As it stands the job market within the UK appears threatening for students entering the world of work. It has become highly competitive with entrylevel jobs, often no longer meaning that you can go in with transferable skills; often you have to walk in with years of experience.

As entry-level jobs are becoming

Katie Siddall - Puzzles Sub-Editor

Sam Norman - Head of Current Affairs

Credit: Chris Thompson on Flickr

Image Credit: Arthur Ferridge

A final goodbye from me...

Woooooohoooo!!!

We made it! Somehow, some way, we made it to the end of the academic year (soz to the postgrads and PHD peeps ahhh!!).

Whilst I only have a short time remaining in post, I am so proud to be leaving Student Media with the amazing community and legacy we have created this year. At our annual Media Awards on the 3rd May, we celebrated so many of our wonderful members for their amazing work. It was so beautiful to see everybody coming together to uplift each other. Did I cry? Yes! Yes I did. I am so incredibly grateful for my team and all the hard work our

contributors have given this year. With NUSU's refurbishment, new NSR equipment and a brand new SMO (big up our gyal Lucy Bower), it's set to be a great year next year. Lucy has been an asset to the team over the last few years, and I can safely say that you're gonna be in good hands.

She's actually been co-editor-in-chief for this Issue! It's been wonderful to have her help, and hopefully sending an issue off will be less scary come September.

Because it's our last issue and we've covered some incredibly serious topics this year, we decided to have some fun and publish a silly pullout: The C**tier. It's the same as your regular Courier, but has a wee bit more personality to it. Student journalism is an incredible

Inside 13th May 2024

Current Affairs | Opinion

Trump's Top Tribulations

Love him or hae him, the orange menace has had his interesting moments. Follow along as our sub-editors rank his best and worst | Page 9

Life & Style | Lifestyle

A Murder Mystery on the Dancefloor

Newcastle's very own dance club puts on a charity fundraiser for FACT cancer support. With a themed interactive murder mystery, read on to find out thrilling details| Page 12

Life & Style | Travel

Post-exams summer plans

Our writers take you through their plans to travel around after the exam season finishes, kick back and find your new destination spot | Page 16

Culture | Film

Celebrating Godzilla: Five Essential Films

With it being 70 years since the creation of everyone's favourite rampaging radioactive reptile, let's take a look back at five of his best appearances| Page 25

Sports| Features

View from the AU: Athletic Union Officer

Kimiko Cheng signs off

Check out the backpage to see what she says about a year in sport | Page 36

Want to get involved?

community of passionate people, and we take great pride in reporting on these important topics or events across campus. Giving voices to those who may not have had them before and keeping everyone informed - wether that's through a live blog or print editions. Sometimes, though, we gotta balance it out with a bit of fun.

We hope you feel the love that's been put on these pages, as many of us say farewell and move on to bigger things.

Enjoy Issue 1456 - a last hurrah from the Editorial Team 23/24!

Hi everyone! My name is Gabbi, and I have the absolute pleasure of being your Student media Officer and Editor-In-Chief this year. Over the summer, I’ve been working hard behind the scenes alongside the Editorial team and NUSU to bring you this Freshers’ issue. Not only will you find loads of incredible articles written by our fantastic sub-editors, you’ll also find a one-stop guide to Freshers’ week, including an introduction to the Freshers’ week assistants who have put together an amazing programme of daytime activities for you all.

Freshers’ week is a time to get to know more

Gabbi

What's up slayers? It's your two favourite deppies, Rachael and Ross or Ross and Rachael if you ask good ol' Daisy H. We'd like to give a final goodbye to student media here at Newcastle, it's been an absolute privilege to work on this paper, read everyone's amazing articles and see all the incredible work that goes into it. We're leaving

forever which is absolutely devastating but we will forever cherish and remember the amazing people, adventures, and experiences that we owe to the Courier. Student Media has been a fundamental part of our young adult lives and will forever reside deeply in our loving hearts. Lots of Love - Rachael and Ross xoxo

THE COURIER SECTIONS

Editor

Gabbi de Boer mediaofficer.union@newcastle.ac.uk

Social Media

Heads of Social Media: Paige Rutter and Jess Bradbury

P.E.Rutter1@ncl.ac.uk / J.L.Bradbury2@ncl.ac.uk

Current Affairs

Senior editor: Sam Norman S.Norman3@ncl.ac.uk

News

Amana Khan

Izabela Kirschnerova

Tommy Atkinson

Rhys James

Jude Ventress

Campus

Comment

Libby Griffiths

Grace Boyle

Mia Dale

Opinion

Adelaide Dodson

Rosie Brennan

Margaux Martinez

Science

Elisabeth Gores

Matthew Barratt

Sport

Senior editor: Arthur Ferridge A.Ferridge2@ncl.ac.uk

Mitchell Hall

Castor Chan

Sophie McMillan

Dan Balliston

Adam Tibke

Deputy Editors

Rachael McCreanor and Ross Bennett

R.Mccreanor2@ncl.ac.uk / R.Bennett3@ncl.ac.uk

Website

Head of Online: Anthony Welsh

A.J.Welsh2@ncl.ac.uk

Life & Style

Senior editors: Daisy Harrison

D.M.Harrison3@ncl.ac.uk

Samantha Seidu

B.S.Seidu2@ncl.ac.uk

Relationships

Adriana Newbury

Charlotte Burley-Hnat

Blind date and Agony Aunt:

Charlotte Lee

Lifestyle

Zahra Hanif

Jay Barber

Marina Snyder

Fashion &

Beauty

Lana Free

Ivy French

Travel

Ollie Withers

Avika Sharma

Food & Drink

Roseanna Leconte

Anna Nix

Culture

Senior editors: Imogen Smillie

I.C.Smillie1@ncl.ac.uk

Lucy Bower

L.A.Bower2@ncl.ac.uk

Music

Poppy Bedford

Madeha Ali

TV

Ella Townson

Jenica Davis

Film

Jess McKeown

Olivia Carter

Ned Carter-Owen

Gaming

Adam Lovegrove

James Kellett

Arts

Sarah Tunstall

Laura Kasongo

Puzzles

Katie Siddall

K.E.Siddall1@ncl.ac.uk

Image Credit: (Couple of Besties) Chris Bishop, (Pasta) Publicdomainpictures.net

University investigating potential of "externally co-ordinated" protest

in their Instagram statement when Day has not been present in scheduled meetings, they have refused to carry out the meetings.

In a statement posted on Instagram the evening of May 8, Newcastle Apartheid Off Campus addressed an “unsatisfying” resolve to meetings that have taken place.

They have continuously sought a meeting with VC Chris Day but detailed

The group spoke to The Courier of a short-term goal to attain a meeting with any Pro Vice Chancellor – no longer necessarily Chris Day.

They added they are “prioritising constructive discourse with a PVC” now rather than specifically meeting with the VC.

In their statement to The Courier, the University has said “the Vice

Chancellor was not scheduled to meet with protestors on Tuesday.”

The University’s statement echoed a similar message to the statement sent out in the student weekly newsletter expressing “attempts at constructive dialogue were not taken in the spirit intended and the protest escalated.

“We have seen evidence that this escalation has been externally coordinated, and we are working with security and police to ensure the safety and security of our campus.”

"They added they are using their own 'knowledge and skills' and find the claim 'insulting to say'."

Following the claim of external involvement, the encampment has stated the “University doesn’t appear to trust students can pull off this.”

They added they are using their own “knowledge and skills” and find the claim “insulting to say”.

On their Instagram, the group outlined their demands to the University:

Disclosure: for the University to “disclose all investments collaborations and partnerships with BDS target companies and defence/security sector firms” regardless of the directness of the relationship.

Divestment: the group are demanding “divestment and cessation of all academic, industrial, teaching or recruitment relationships” with named defence/security sector firms.

Protection: they are calling for the protection of students and staff who are standing in solidarity with Palestine, with this including the “abolishing of the IHRA definition of anti-Semitism”.

Pledge: “Newcastle University must pledge to cut all relations with Israeli universities.”

Call: They demand the university “must address the genocide in Gaza and call for an immediate, unconditional,

and permanent ceasefire in Gaza.”

Commitment: Their final demand states the university “must make a commitment to forge links with Universities in Palestine”.

Their intention to change the current guidance around anti-semitism from the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance has caused reaction from other within the student body.

A prior motion had been attempted to be proposed through the Student Union Council on March 14 but did not pass through the steering committee following legal advice sought.

Eliana, President of the Newcastle University Jewish Society, has expressed “major concern” around the demand, claiming it goes “against the explicit wish of Jewish students and their representatives.”

She added: “anti-semitism must be defined by Jewish students and their elected voice.”

Eliana stated communication has taken place between the organisers of the camp and herself, which “seem peaceful.

“While students have the right to protest, much of the rhetoric at these protests has been extremely intimidating for Jewish students who only want to go to class.”

This follows her claim that “antisemitism on campus has risen to unprecedented levels since October 7.”

Her statement addressed worldwide media, specifically the actions in American universities, having increased students’ “anxious” feelings and indicated a high concern towards “rhetoric at rallies.”

She made the claim: “one speaker praised the Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea and promoted isolating the "Zionist state".”

In regard to University and Union support, Eliana criticised a lack of support to “reduce the risks of radicalisations” but expressed gratitude towards “regular meetings” and “wellbeing support”.

“The University has a responsibility

to protect free speech, but procedures to protect minorities from hate speech leave a lot to desire.”

The Courier has received a statement from Jewish students within the encampment, who informed: “we strongly disagree with any claims that these are not spaces for Jews or are no safe for Jews.”

They added: “we have found ourselves isolated from various Jewish spaces, but have found community and a spiritual home within this movement”.

Regarding the altering of the IHRA definition of anti-semitism, they stated: “it’s conflation between Zionism and Judaism does not protect all Jewish students, and unfairly targets proPalestinian activism on campus”.

"Newcastle University Student's Union issued a statement from Sabbatical Officers on May 9."

Newcastle University Students’ Union (NUSU) issued a statement from Sabbatical Officers on May 9, where they affirmed active “support for every student’s right to protest peacefully including those participating in the Newcastle Student Solidarity Encampment.

“We support the students in their call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza following the motion passed in Student Council, and we continue to lobby the University to arrange a meeting between Chris Day and the students to listen to their concerns.”

With the last week of teaching for undergraduates finishing Friday 10 May, attention turns towards graduation and a question of the encampment’s presence.

The Courier was informed they will continue to work towards their demands and whilst “the encampment might not be here; the movement will be”.

Students' turmoil ahead of graduation

(15.4%), or alternatively both (30.8%) gave reasonings behind their decisions.

A couple of students have not found graduate schemes, or ones they are interested in, in areas they want to enter such as: publishing, journalism and “archiving and museum related jobs”.

As entry-level jobs are becoming increasingly more difficult to obtain, graduate schemes emerge as more promising for graduated, or graduating, university students.

This may be a factor as to why, the previously mentioned, 53.8% of survey participants said they were looking for graduate schemes.

"53.8% of survey participants said they were looking for graduate schemes."

Those who are exploring either job openings, not graduate schemes

Some students are looking more towards internships whilst others have attained full-time jobs in hospitality and retail to gain money, to be able to afford moving to locations that offer better opportunities.

"70% of successful applicants studied at Russell Group Universities."

Obviously, it is not all cupcakes and rainbows in the graduate scheme industry either. A study “carried out jointly by a recruitment technology company and an employer branding company” (pre-Covid, in 2019) analysed 3.8 million graduate scheme

applications and found that 50% of applications are rejected in the screening process but that 70% of successful applicants studied at Russell Group universities.

These statistics are utterly terrifying, especially for students who have spent their time studying but are being asked for real-world experience beyond a part-time job. In many reports, unfortunately not statistical, it is assumed that these numbers have risen and that the current job climate will increasingly become difficult to penetrate. Universities UK predicted, back in 2023, that 88% of new jobs in 2035 will be at a graduate level with 1.9 million STEM professionals needed to sustain the job market.

With more students wanting to enter the job market, this seems promising for those graduating in the 2030s. For those students who have already graduated, or are about to; however, there is a lot of uncertainty – maybe even excitement – ahead.

Continued from front page

Continued from front page

Sam Norman - Head of Current Affairs

Katie Siddall - Puzzles Sub-Editor

Image Credit: @sj_rudolphi on Instagram

Kim McGuinness wins first ever North East Mayoral election

Sam Norman - Head of Current Affairs

Kim McGuinness elected first ever North East Mayor - what does this mean for the region's future?

May 2 hosted the 2024 North East mayoral elections, let's break it down and figure out what just happened in an election has shaped North East politics for the foreseeable future.

The election held historic significance following the North East Mayoral Combined Authority (NEMCA) set to replace the North of Tyne Mayoral Combined Authority.

The appointment of the Mayor follows a historic devolution which will see the creation of NEMCA covering County Durham, Gateshead, Newcastle, North Tyneside, Northumberland, South Tyneside and Sunderland.

Northumbria Police and Crime

Commissioner Kim McGuinness took the win for the Labour Party, achieving 41.3% of the vote.

An opinion poll prior to the election ran by More in Common suggested McGuinness and Independent Candidate Jamie Driscoll were neck and neck ahead of voting.

Driscoll, current North of Tyne Mayor, was crucial in the introduction of NEMCA, but was banned from contending to be the Labour nominee for the new Mayorship.

The decision came during the 'purge' of Corbynite Labour members, after Driscoll made an appearance with film director Ken Loach who was ousted from the party in 2021.

"McGuinness has pledged to make the North East a 'real home of opportunity'."

The North of Tyne Mayor fell short with 28.2% of the vote, and Conservative candidate Guy Renner-Thompson came third with 11.7%.

Turnout of the election was only 31%.

Following her win, McGuinness has

pledged to make the North East a "real home of opportunity".

"Though Driscoll's campaign was not a total success, a clear message has been amplified for Independent Candidates."

Though Driscoll's campaign was not a total success, a clear message has been amplified that Independent candidates can be formidable opponents, even without the backing of a major party.

Via X, Driscoll addressed the loss stating his 126,652 votes show a "huge appetite for pragmatic transformative policies that reduce inequality and treat people with respect. We are building a movement and we're staying right there."

Meanwhile McGuinness thanked the people of the North East for their "trust" and promised to "finally begin taking power from Westminster" and handing it to the people.

Low Traffic Neighbourhood scrapped in Heaton igniting strong reaction

It's been a week since the Low Traffic Neighborhood initiative (LTN) was scrapped from the Heaton area of Newcastle. Initially intended to run for an 18-month trial, the decision of the premature LTN removal, announced by council officials, has ignited heated debates among residents.

The LTN, which used bollards to limit vehicle access to certain residential streets, had been implemented as a trial since October 2022. However, concerns about increased traffic on main roads prompted officials to abandon the initiative.

The City Council stated, "A major concern was the discovery of over 700 vehicles per day using the back lanes on Heaton Park Road. This poses significant road safety risks, as these lanes are not designed or equipped to handle such high volumes of through traffic."

“This marks the third LTN removal in the city, following Fenham and Jesmond areas.”

This marks the third LTN removal in the city, following similar actions taken this year in Fenham and Jesmond areas, raising questions about the effectiveness of low-traffic neighborhoods.

It has been two months since the streets reopened in the Jesmond area of

Newcastle. Initially, more than 23,000 residents responded to the consultation, with up to 77% voting for removal. However, it remains uncertain whether this decision has had the intended impact.

One of the main criticisms of LTNs is their potential to displace traffic from one area to another, a situation evident in Jesmond. Even though the closure of streets such as Manor House Road, Buston Terrace, and Akenside Terrace, etc. reduced traffic there, high congestion was observed at Jesmond Road crossroad.

“Opinions are divided about whether the reopening has truly helped.”

Data monitoring revealed that certain residents encountered traffic jams, leading to "extended journey times." Additionally, local businesses reported that it had adversely "affected their trade," stated City Council. Consequently, these streets were reopened on February 5th, highlighting the authorities' recognition of the need to address traffic flow challenges. However, opinions are divided about whether the reopening has truly helped, raising questions about whether a similar scenario might unfold in Heaton as well.

"Finally, I am able to pick people up within a few minutes“ Uber driver Kamal (36) is constating his positive feedback, while driver Amir (47) shared he's always stuck in traffic jams when

driving home from work. He added: “closing the streets would never solve anything, the problem is how many cars are here in general.”

“Some citizens of Newcastle see the LTNs as a 'waste of money.”

Local resident Andrew (32) voices his dissatisfaction, stating that the removal had "zero effect on the main road." Despite noticing a slight increase in traffic on his street, he says: "When I cycle through the main road, it's as busy as before."

Andrea (26) one of the residents of the reopened street, said: "To be honest, I don't understand the fuss about whether it's closed or not. They removed the barriers from my street, and nothing has changed.“ She advises the council to rather "install more pedestrian crossings“ to ensure safety amidst the traffic.

Some citizens of Newcastle living in different parts of the city see the LTNs as a "waste of money“ remarks one of them and adds: "They closed the streets due to complaints, and now they've reopened them due to more complaints."

Whether the LTN removal improves traffic in the streets of Heaton will become evident in the coming weeks. While challenges persist and opinions vary, there's a collective hope for the best possible outcomes for both Heaton and Jesmond's futures.

Karolina Jamkova

Image Credit: Kim McGuinness for Mayor. Via Facebook

Eldon Square redevelopment plans

Charlotte Burley-Hnat - Relationships Sub-Editor

A £65 million transformation of Eldon Square is expected to start immediately.

Lewcastle City Council planners have given the go-ahead for a £65 million redevelopment at Newcastle’s Eldon Square shopping centre.

The redevelopment will bring new leisure and dining facilities to the city centre, with work expected to start immediately. The transformation is designed by Newcastle City Council to attract tourists, re-purpose unused space, create over 500 jobs, and generate an additional £16 million per year for the city’s economy.

“These redevelopment plans come after Eldon Square saw the closure of many businesses following the Covid-19 pandemic.”

The first stage of the redevelopment, initially unveiled at the end of last year, would transform the top floor of the

former Debenhams unit, which has been vacant since 2021.

The plans include an outdoor roof terrace, a microbrewery, a theatre, and a live music venue, turning it into a hub for food, drink, art, culture, and entertainment. Part of the plans includes removing a section of the roof and replacing it with a retractable structure. An additional mezzanine roof terrace will allow guests to enjoy open-air dining.

Additionally, Eldon Square’s Next store is planned to relocate to part of the former Debenhams unit.

“This is designed to attract tourists, re-purpose unused space, create jobs, and generate £16 million for the economy.”

The second stage of the renovation project would include the redevelopment of the vacant Eldon Square

Leisure Centre site, with plans to create a family leisure and entertainment attraction that covers more than 120,000 square feet.

This would include installing a mini golf course, batting nets, bowling, virtual reality games, and an indoor electric go-karting circuit.

Councillors voted unanimously to approve the redevelopment proposals

on 12 April.

Eldon Square also announced the arrival of beauty brand Sephora’s fourth UK store, set to open in Autumn 2024.

These redevelopment plans come after Eldon Square saw the closure of many businesses following the COVID-19 pandemic, with over 200,000 square

The Hancock Museum and Hatton Gallery receive over £300,000 funding

Sophie Jarvis

Research England donates over £300,000 to The Hancock Museum and Hatton Gallery.

The Hancock Museum and Hatton Gallery have received over £300,000 in funding to support their research work.

Donated by Research England, an organisation who engage with higher education providers to support research and knowledge exchange activities, have awarded a staggering £30,000 to the Hatton Gallery and £235,000 to the Hancock Museum over the next five years.

Both situated on the Newcastle University campus, the respective sites are significantly integral to the University and their engagement with culture and teaching, each being home to world-class collections and installations for any visitors to see completely free of charge.

The Hancock Museum, originally named the New Museum of Natural History at the time of its opening in 1884, was renamed following the death of ornithologist and taxidermist John Hancock in 1890, who had donated collections of British birds to the museum and secured funds for its continuation.

A partnership between the Natural History Society of Northumbria, Tyne & Wear Archives & Museum, and the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne, the museum presents the largest and most diverse Natural Sciences collection in a nonnational institution in Europe, as well as archaeological findings from the Hadrian’s Wall. With the museum also including a Library of Historical Archives and an Environmental Records Centre for the North East, the site is integral to the research of natural history and ancient civilisations, providing cornerstone research into world cultures.

"The Hatton Gallery enjoys an equal importance in art and cultural life with it being founded in

1925."

The Hatton Gallery enjoys an equal importance in art and cultural life, with it being founded in 1925 by the late Professor Richard George Hatton, who was the Head of the Fine Art Department at Newcastle University.

The gallery exhibits over 3,000 works from artists between the 14th-20th century alongside extensive archive material, including Kurt Schwitter’s Merz Barn Wall (1965) and other compositions from cornerstone artists such as Francis Bacon, Palma Giovane, and Prunella Clough. The gallery has a

significant history within the timeline of exhibition-making and immersive installations, offering modern and contemporary art exhibitions as well as annual shows exhibiting the work of Newcastle Fine Art students.

The funding for the essential sites will enable the continuation of leading edge research, both of which engage with audiences both on regional and global scales, and the continuation of supporting integral cultural venues

Kirschnerova, Rhys James,

in the North East to share leading research findings with thousands of visitors across the coming years.

Image: Dinosaur in Hanock Museum

Source: Flickr

feet of units in the shopping centre currently standing empty.

Image Credit: Enjoy Newcastle

Sub-Editors: Grace Boyle, Libby Griffiths and Mia Dale

Dissertation Diaries: a final reflection on the writing and submission process

Tilly Aistrop

A final reflection on the writing and submission process.

Soul-sucking, stressful, depressing. Is what comes to mind when someone brings up my dissertation. Even writing the word now, makes my skin crawl. And I haven’t even handed mine in yet…

In the beginning I was optimistic about the dissertation. I’m doing a creative option; I get to write something personal to me and I have the freedom to have as much fun with it as I like! So, I get to the stage of coming up with my ideas, and I'm getting excited and inspired.

Then it gets to the writing part. Ten thousand words. Each word acting like that one two-faced friend that always ends up at the same parties as you, who does everything they can to sneakily insult and embarrass you. But you do it. You put pen to paper and create something mediocre and readable. It’s a win!

But this is where things take a dark turn… You’ve written a pretty decent chunk and you’re starting to feel confident in yourself. So, you book a meeting with you dissertation supervisor, get them to have a look and give some advice. For a minute you think you’re on Ru Paul’s Drag race and Ru has just said “The library is now open” because of the onslaught of catty insults to your work. After being read to filth for twenty minutes straight you’ll be ushered swiftly out- when you can run to the nearest toilets and cry.

"Have some tissues handy before you go to meet your dissertation supervisor."

For anyone in their first or second years reading this, make a mental note: have some tissues handy before you go to meet your dissertation supervisor, and have a friend waiting in the pub for you after the meeting’s over. After being made to feel like a complete failure and losing all motivation, you’re back to square one. So, you use the feedback they’ve given you- which ends up being useful in

Don't panic! It's all part of the process

Marketa Schulzova

Sometimes stress isn't all that negative, you can use it for something positive!

May is here and with that, so is exam period: the time when exams take over campus and assignments deadlines loom. Even if we try to avoid stress and adopt a calm mindset, it is much easier said than done. But what if stress can provide something good as well?

Stress is a natural part of a situation when we feel there is some sort of challenge. It doesn't need to be university-related only - a sports match or simple talk with someone can make us stressed and lead to high levels of cortisol.

So why do we only think of the bad outcomes? Your exams don't need to be stress free if you can turn this stress into something positive.

Studies say that even if the majority of students experience at least one stressful situation during exams,

a way to keep the mind calm and focused. The key is to accept the situation as a challenge and convince yourself that the exam is not a threat, but an opportunity. Don't avoid the feelings of "knots in your stomach," and instead consider it as a part of the body's reaction to the challenge.

If we are stressed, we react negatively, including anxiety, panic attacks or depression. At that point, it can be hard to recover and refocus.

So, try to take good care of yourself, eat well, and get some exercise to keep the stress in check, together with a focus on strong time management and a break from social media.

Research suggests that we should imagine the exam period as a running race. If we prepare our mind for the goal (assessment submission), and we are stressed in the right way stress can become a force for good. Our brain reacts well to challenges it faces: it wants to win.

To win is to achieve a dream mark, to finish the year or your course. If you remember the goal and the fact it is 'just a test,' you are more than ready to go through this exam period with stress as a natural and positive part of you.

spite of its aggressive delivery- and you get back to it.

You find yourself at a stale mate: you don’t want to write, but the deadline still looms.

Time to step things up. So far, you’ve written a hundred words over two months and called it a win. But now you have three weeks until the deadline, and nine-thousandnine-hundred words to write. “You got this!” You and your friends lie to yourselves, so you don’t all drop out and go on the piss.

Finally. You’ve done it. You have a first draft! Well done you, we all seriously questioned whether you could do it!

Now it’s time to re-read, edit, get your friends to read it, begrudgingly meet with your tutor again. Editing: so painful, annoying and time-wasting that it reminds me of my ex. But once you’re done with it you feel sweet relief, you feel free again. And now that your mates have read your work too, and they’ve told you that you’re not a stupid knob after all, you feel a lot better about things. So, you click submit. And now, you wait.

The world is warming: What can NCL do?

Scarlet Davies

With small changes, we can make bigger differences.

It’s no secret that climate change is a massively detrimental factor in today’s society. But what can we, as students, do to help?

In 2023, the record sea surface temperatures and sea level rose. Carbon dioxide levels were 50 % higher than the pre-industrial era, trapping heat in the atmosphere. Although the UK government spent £1.40 billion in 2022/23, CPI estimates we'll (worldwide) need to invest $266 trillion between now and 2050 to ‘limit and adapt to climate change’. Currently, countries are not doing enough in order to ensure that we reach this goal.

By 2050, OECD estimates that global greenhouse gases will increase by 50% without new policies. This dramatic increase in statistics calls for global action, but yet it isn’t receiving press in first-world countries who can afford to make the changes.

Of course, students at university can't solve climate change completely- but there are ways that Newcastle Uni can help with tackling climate change on a smaller scale. One of the most noticeable problems is the amount of paper the university prints everyday. Sheets of paper (that are also on slideshows) are given out to students, or unused, and then thrown away into the nearest bin. The amount of paper that is being

wasted is unnecessary, and there are very few (or no) recycling bins in many buildings around campus. Another alternative to this problem would be using recycled paper, which helps to minimise the number of trees cut down and reduces greenhouse gas emissions.

Food wastage is also commonplace and should be more recognised at universities. A study has found that younger people are more likely to be creating the majority of the waste than older generations. It is our responsibility to budget, and use the food that we buy before its expiry date. Giving other flatmates food that you know you won’t eat or sharing meals is a cost-effective way to make food.

“It can sometimes seem pointless to even try. But we need to remember that the earth isn't replaceable."

Similarly, another massive waste commonly found in student housing is electricity or water waste. Turning off lights and making sure that the tap in the kitchen isn’t left on significantly reduces your carbon footprint.

Climate change has been on the news for so long that it can sometimes seem pointless to even try. But we need to remember that the earth isn’t replaceable: we should all be paying more attention to how we treat it.

Chirag Kumar -Postgraduate

Officer

t was April 2023; I was trying to find an industry project for my master’s Dissertation.

Postgrad Reflection I

There are usually 3 types of Dissertation project. 1) Self proposed 2) With University or External 3) Industry proposed. For me, I wanted experience in the energy industry therefore it was vital that I get an industry project. After speaking to 3 companies, interviewing at 2 and finally being approved for 1 with a professor proposed project as a backup. I was ready to tackle dissertation which was worth 1/3rd of all credits for my course. Remember industry takes a while to get back to you. So play the long game earlier on. What I was supposed to do in April: Set objectives, finalise the waterfall project path. Write the initial proposal worth 30% of the credits and have regular catchups with industry.

"Be efficient and start forecasting what you might need."

What ended up happening: I knew the end outcome; therefore, it was significantly easier to goal set and work hard to get the proposal complete and a total of 1 catchup with industry supervisor. Rushed everything in the smallest amount of time possible and got everything in.

The methodology and planning report is the planning and design work for a building that you will build soon. Just because you are making the designs does not mean that you can’t order the materials and workers beforehand. Be efficient and start forecasting what you might need and start stocking up on those materials so that you don’t get overwhelmed by the task that lays ahead.

"This is the final stretch, don’t burn bridges, show enthusiasm that you want help."

What would have been better: If you are working with your professor or with industry, push them for more meetings. Use everything in your capacity. Phone calls, teams messages, texts. Shy bens get nowt! To be completely honest - this is the final stretch, don’t burn bridges, show enthusiasm that you want help and appeal to their ego that they are more knowledgeable about things and that usually works.

What is March-April for? Find a project, get the methodology and planning submitted and have constant contact with your supervisor and lastly don’t leave anything to the last minute.

Image Source: Unsplash_Jeremy Bishop

Image: Source: Jason Strull, unsplash

Image: Source: Sinousxl, Pixabay

Celebrating Success Awards 2024: How it feels to be shortlisted

Sophie Jarvis

It is award season and now its time to celebrate!

Newcastle University’s annual Celebrating Success Awards season is just around the corner, with the Media Awards ceremony being held on the 3rd May 2024– the Student Union will give flowers to nominees in over 15 categories for their endeavours across NUTV, NSR, and The Courier within the past academic year, and it blew my mind that from over 300 nominations, I was shortlisted.

During my gap year, I travelled abroad to volunteer in an unconventional way; I recounted my experience for the travel section of The Courier in an article titled ‘I spent 2 months living with an Italian family I’d never met’, the article itself being the second one I’d ever written for the newspaper. I was extremely proud of my piece and continue to love sharing the experience that I had, but it was only until my partner suggested submitting the article to be nominated for a Media Award that I discovered what the

Celebrating Success season was. Purely from lack of research, I assumed that the Celebrating Success awards were like a scary, Toon version of the Academy Awards, minus Envelope-gates and actors slapping each other: only rightful officers could vote your place into a category. Seeing the past images of people in nice dresses and suits sitting at tables before a stage had made me assume that nominees could only be senior members of the media committees, I was unaware of the accessibility for freshers like me. I filled out an application nominating my article for The Courier Life and Style Article of the Year, and even had some friends fill out the form too.

As a frequent victim of imposter syndrome and still new to the journalism world after changing my career path in 2022, being shortlisted for the award was extremely validating. I doubted my nomination, primarily due to The Courier brimming with such exceptional writers and knowing what my application would be contending with, so was genuinely surprised when I received my email headlined with ‘Congratulations!’

confirming my place.

Being shortlisted gave me a surge of confidence; not only in my writing and my degree, but in my abilities to engage with an audience and share my opinions.

Not only were the fellow shortlists in my category all fabulous articles, each detailing important features on topics such as PCOS and neurodivergence, but each nominee across the board are all outstanding contributors to Newcastle’s media landscape, and so seeing my name amongst the community made me feel a part of something special.

I’m really excited for the awards, regardless of the outcomes– I am excited to celebrate all of the hard work that is tirelessly poured into keeping NSR, NUTV, and The Courier such wonderful badges of what the uni has to offer, and can’t wait to to see the reactions of everyone awarded for their achievements. I still have no idea what I am wearing though… there are only so many hours I can spend scrolling through Vinted.

A review of my year: the highs and lows

Jack Evans - Head Of Specialist Programming

Falling in and out of love with university.

On September 18, 2021. I left home for university for the first time, not expecting the three years of tomfoolery that I would accidentally bestow on myself.

In all seriousness, university has certainly taught me that stepping out your comfort zone is one of the best things you can do. I arrived that day as a pretty shy person, I haven't got any siblings and I come from a small town (big love to Rotherham). So the prospect of living in a big city was pretty

one-time the other Jack rolled his ankle outside GDT). And I met some other great friends who I lived with last year, so on the friend front, a job well done.

Back to the city, it was so fun having it right on the doorstep. Tynemouth, Whitley Bay, Jesmond Dene, The Cut, what more could a man want (a second Cut). No longer was I confined to Rotherham and its zero attractions; every day felt like something new.

I probably should talk about the uni itself now, saddled myself with the financial burden of debt a bit too much to omit it. Journalism’s not bad, is it? (I appreciate very few of you can answer this, so just take my word, that's pretty much the point of journalism anyway).

Also, who knew how much fun running a society could be? Certainly not me, but it brought me group of friends and a great bit of LinkedIn fodder.

Jokes aside, we’ve done a decent job, at least I think so

Student Media as well, got to mention it as it is the reason you’re reading this. If you’re on the fence, do it, it’s so worth it, the community is

Oh yeah, I met my girlfriend at university as well (somehow), another pretty worthwhile reason for So overall, Newcastle’s pretty good,

IT pains me to say this, but equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in its current application, particularly in the work I have engaged with for the past year, does not work.

This is unfortunate as I have not always held this view. Initially, stepping into the role of Ethnic Diversity Officer was an exciting challenge to tackle issues faced by the ethnically diverse or global majority community.

Much of the problem lies in the understanding of the issue.

The cornerstone of EDI is that a person’s identity is group-fostered. Simply put, one’s primary identity is best characterised by their gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation or minority status, and specifically through the prism of disadvantage.

While there are other dimensions, these remain the key pillars of the EDI narrative. In this scheme the individual becomes a mere thumbnail of the group they represent. The complexity of the individual is ignored because according to EDI, group-identity is everything. This was exemplified in conversations I had with senior university staff on decolonisation. I do not think anything tangible has been done by the University on “decolonising the curriculum”, apart from using it as a buzzword.

I also argued that it is a term steeped heavily in its origins on historical treatment towards the Black community, which heavily alienates other ethnicities. This harks back towards the lack of understanding on who exactly EDI represents.

Inequality can affect student populations across a range of demographics. While most institutions collect monitoring data on the protected characteristics of their students, there are often gaps in this information for

A Bittersweet End: Goodbye and

Thank you from 3 sleep-deprived subeditors.

As you hold this, the final paper of The Courier, it draws this academic year to a bittersweet end. From all the stories we have shared this year, thank you to all our writers for contributing to Campus Comment.

NUSU's student media is an incredble community to be a part of and it has been a privilege to work alongside the other sub-editors and heads this year.

Many hours have been spent in the office hunched over our computers, reading articles, designing spreads and figuring out how to use photoshop- but the hard work has paid off! It has been an incredble year to be sub-editors - both Libby and Mia were shortlisted for subeditor of the year at the Media Awards, but even better ... Campus Comment

see you soon

WON Section of The Year! We couldn't be prouder of our section and our incredible writers that make it happen (And your very proud Head of Current Affairs who LOVES you guys).

We have had so much fun meeting all our writers every SMA and have the opportunity to talk about the news and personal experiences of students on campus. We are very grateful to all our contributors as without you we would not have been able to pursue any of the opportunities we have had this year.

Though this printed issue may be the last and we say goodbye to many of our friends, we look forward to what the future will bring.

Grace, Libby and Mia xx

Why 'EDI' isn't working

certain groups.

More frustratingly, data protection on such information prevents access to the student populations that we wish to effect change on, likening many of our interventions to casting a net in a massive school of fish hoping to just catch a single breed.

That is why, in my opinion, EDI initiatives are losing their popularity. Students, ethnically diverse or global majority, are no longer able to resonate with neither the blanket descriptions nor actions.

EDI initiatives that offer a fixed model of discrimination, based on a model of “white” power and dominance, are unable to engage with shifting globalisation.

This is where the university community, which is international in nature, is able to bring about a change.

The West is not the epicentre of all the world’s racisms and anti-racisms, and

we need to learn from and listen to many voices.

That is why during my term as a Liberation Officer, I have been focused on highlighting the different communities on campus. I oversaw three international cultural booths held in the NUSU building and actively promoted the BAME Community Fund. I also commend Alex (Activities Officer) for the incredible initiative that is the Festival of Culture, which celebrates Hanukkah, Spring Festival, Ramadan, Holi and Cinco de Mayo. I am honoured to have helped organise some of them, and believe it is the right step in fostering intercultural understanding on campus.

EDI needs to come from a place of understanding and integration, as well as in touch with the community it wishes to impact.

Image: Source giorgio-trovato, unsplash

Image:

Source : Mia Dale

Jonathan Lee - Ethnic Diversity Officer

Image: Source: Unsplash, Amy Elting

Campus Comment Sub-Editors

Markusspiske, Pixabay

Sub-Editors:

Adelaide Dodson, Rosie Brennan and Margaux Martinez

Opinion

Recognizing the aftermath of a post-COVID world

Adelaide Dodson - Opinion sub editor

Social anxiety, supposed sick note culture, the NHS - the implications of the postCOVID world.

You must ask yourself, when you see politicians ploughing forward, cutting the NHS budget, attempting to eliminate the doctor’s ability to give sick notes and ignoring any impact covid had in any sense whether they even remember the disaster happening at all.

“...government haven't acknoweledged this impact as far as I'm concerned.”

I for one cannot forget the blatant ignorance the Tory Party chose to display when ‘Party Gate’ unfolded. We watched as Bo Jo tried to plaster his government - ever fragmenting away from public opinion - together with empty platitudes and apologies that meant nothing when they’d so blatantly

ignored the rules, they’d instituted in the first place.

“During the pandemic anxiety, depression and substance use disorder rose exponentially.”

Since government officials were ignoring the impacts of Covid when we were in the depths of it, blissfully and intentionally ignorant of the impact catching the virus would have on themselves, their families, and the innocent people around them I’m not surprised they’re ignoring real concerns a post-pandemic society.

During the pandemic access to healthcare was nearly impossible to get, beds were filled with the sick and the dying and all healthcare workers took a brave, important step into the fires of Covid and worked their best to save lives at every opportunity. We clapped these people on the streets but now… now junior doctors and nurses strike because they get paid less money per hour than a barista at Pret a Manger. We were promised new hospitals and healthcare workers but instead have received budget cuts and increasing threats of privatisation.

Then, of course, there’s the complete ignorance to how people where mentally affected by the pandemic. During the pandemic anxiety, depression

and substance use disorder rose exponentially. Though these feelings now may be less widely felt there are still people who suffer from the long-term mental health impact Covid instilled and I think the social anxiety instilled in society is something that will be present for a very long time.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his government haven’t acknowledged this impact at all as far as I’m concerned. They want people to go back to work in busy offices, get out of the house and support the economy but there are many people out there who’s anxiety about leaving the house has become an ordeal they have to deal with. After two years stuck inside, some of us completely isolated from other people, it is no surprise that a long-term nervousness surrounding leaving the house for anything, but the essentials has risen.

Rishi Sunak has also recently announced plans to trial stripping GPs of their power to sign people off work, he attacked what he called the UK’s “sick note culture” in a speech he recently gave about welfare (I’m not sure if he’s ever cared about Britain’s welfare). He wants sick notes to be difficult to obtain for the average person which to me is insane. I, as a person who lives, studies and will (one day soon) pay taxes in the country think this plan is as insane as it is inane.

Doctors’ ability to sign people off work is crucial, especially for those with mental health problems. People need

urgent help sometimes and that comes, often, in the form of a break from work to recover whether this is in a mental or physical capacity.

"This new policy just proves how blissfully ignorant our current Prime Minister is to the state of his own country."

In a Guardian article a GP gave a statement saying that it is likely suicide will rise because if people aren’t being allowed time to heal and get themselves to a place where they can function and

are instead told to ‘get on with it' they will be forced to take even longer breaks from work to recover from what they’re putting themselves through.

This new policy, to me, just proves how blissfully ignorant our current prime minister is to the state of his own country. Covid affected everyone, in a hundred different ways and if we can’t acknowledge that and craft policies that work around that then there is nothing we can do to stop the spiral of negative mental health, lack of funding and many other things that began with Covid.

Living in a country where your personal politics are at odds with national politics

Rosie Brennan - Opinion Sub-Editor

How to deal with the emotional turmoil of your values contrasting your country's.

My relationship to my British nationality can be rather complicated at times, and much of this complication has arisen from issues with both current and historical British politics.

As a country built on colonialism, much of the history of Britain is not something I am proud to acknowledge.

The fact that this country has quite literally stolen cultures, languages and pride from millions around the globe is a very strange, complicated and difficult thing to comprehend, particularly due to the fact that colonialism is often not included in the school history curriculum.

"The word 'colonialism' was barely ever mentioned in school, right up until GCSE history."

At least in my own personal experience, we were taught about 'British pride and excellence'- the

bravery of fighting troops in WW1 and the iconic rulings of the English Kings and Queens, but never the part Britain played in the slave trade or the Irish famine. The word 'colonialism' was barely ever mentioned in school, right up until GCSE history.

What's more, education on racism in school nearly always emphasised the American civil rights movementproviding the illusion to 9 year-old British children hearing the word 'racism' for the first time, that it 1)only existed in America and 2)that the Civil Rights Movement completely solved all issues with racism to this day. As ridiculous as this sounds, it has been the experience for so many of us.

This miseducation of students in Britain certainly has a part to play in the ignorance of xenophobic discourse that is still present in British politics to this day. Groups like the English Defence League, who aim to 'keep England English' are birthed simply out of ignorance.

"The miseducation of students in Britain certainly has a part to play in the ignorance of xenophobic discourse."

To want to keep Britain, a country literally built on the culture and language of loads of other countries, 'British', makes absolutely no sense. Even the English language has an indefinite amount of influences from all over the globe, so aiming to prevent

all immigration and multicultural influence in order to 'preserve' whatever 'Britishness' is, is an impossible task.

"It is clear through the actions of the Conservative government, that this ignorance is still alive."

It is still clear through the actions of the Conservative government and those that support it, that this ignorance is still alive and well to this day.

Even the particular language choices made by our government, like 'Stop The Boats', manage to dehumanise and villianise immigrants to the point where they are positioned as a threat to 'our' country.

'Stop The Boats' almost makes you forget that these boats are filled with

actual human beings, with thoughts, feelings, friends and family just like everybody else. By deliberately choosing to leave human life out of the conversation, the Tory party have managed to ignore the compassion all humans deserve, instead making immigrants sound like they are deliberately coming to Britain to 'destroy' what 'we' have built.

Image: wikimediacommons_ Department for levelling up, Housing and Communities_

Image Credit: Pexels

Sub-Editors:

The duality of Earth Day: making a difference or a pat on the back?

Karolína Janíková

A discussion on the intentions behind Earth Day.

To be honest, I don't know too many people in my circle who really get hyped about Earth Day. Does that make them irresponsible, clueless, or just not bothered?

Interestingly, though, a lot of them are doing their fair bit to fight the climate crisis every day.

Anything that nudges people towards being more responsible and considerate is crucial, and Earth Day definitely falls into that category.

"Anything that nudges people towards being more responsible and considerate is crucial."

But here's where it gets tricky: when something genuinely good becomes mainstream, people start doing things just to appear cool on social media.

What is much worse is when businesses start to use it for marketing or when political parties build their campaigns on false promises to win over some votes.

"Some may see it as just a symbolic gesture, for some it is just a good marketing opportunity."

For over fifty years now, Earth Day has been celebrated on April 22nd, raising awareness about environmental issues and trying to inspire positive change. The aim is to encourage people to participate in various activities that promote environmental awareness and sustainable life - planting trees, picking up litter, saving energy and water, supporting environmental organizations, advocating for policy changes, and educating others about environmental issues.

Well, that all sounds lovely, right?

However, there might be several reasons why ecologically active people might not celebrate this day at all:

1. Some see it as just a symbolic gesture and prefer to focus on real actions or advocacy all year round.

2. Some might feel that Earth Day has been co-opted by corporations or governments as a way to simply greenwash their public image without actually doing something.

3. Many of them may believe that one day of environmental action isn't nearly enough. They believe that for true progress, we need to commit to real, long-term, systematic change to make a difference beyond just one day of awareness.

But here is the thing: this international day can still be a great chance to get more people involved in environmental issues and inspire collective action. It's a wake-up call that we've all got a role to play in taking care of our planet - not just for one day, but every day. Some may see it as just a symbolic gesture, for some, it's actually just a good marketing opportunity.

But hopefully, for the majority, it's the needed encouragement to adopt sustainable practices. So, yes, it's more than just a pat on the back; it's a call to action.

Trump's Top Tribulations

Opinion Sub-Editors

Love him or hate him, the orange menace has had his interesting moments.

Is the UK and EU a struggling situationship or heading towards their final breakup?

Margaux Martinez - Opinion Sub-Editor

From the perspective of an EU student, what does a future relationship between the EU and the UK look like?

Recently, another bad news arose from the consequences of Brexit with Rishi Sunak refusing the youth mobility plan proposed by the EU for a better coordination between the two areas. Are we surprised?

Not really, but most definitely still disappointed. The scheme would have allowed young British people to work, study and live in the EU without requiring a Visa, almost as if the haunting 2016 referendum had never happened. However, for the UK, it was outside of their red lines and thus, impossible to accept.

“With the ....messes this county has been going through, Brexit is not high on the list of people's concerns."

With the next general elections due to happen before January 2025, it seems highly unlikely that any compromise will be reached on anything with the Conservatives at the head of the country. But, would a Labour government

change everything? I am not too sure. In the scope of the Brexit breakup, the EU was most definitely the winner. Undoubtedly, the bloc suffered economic impacts, but they are seen to be marginal compared to the situation in the UK. On their side, the British have now heightened tensions between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, renewed calls for Scottish independence as well as an amount of economic damage that is almost impossible to be solved rapidly through trade deals. Overall, they are a bit of a mess.

Unfortunately, with the cost of living crisis, the housing crisis and other mess this country has been going through in the past few years, Brexit is not high on

people’s list of concerns. Although Keir Starmer put rejoining the EU back on the table should he be elected, it is not likely to happen right away.

"Maybe, we can even dream of a close friendship in the near future, exes can stay friends right?"

Besides, the EU will not take them back without putting down terms and conditions of this new relationship. When joining in 1973 after two failed attempts, the UK had a lot of opt-outs from EU policies such as not adhering

to the Euro or not following some immigration rules. Being a rather influential country, they were allowed to do so. Now that they are out, it is extremely unlikely that, should they rejoin the EU, they would benefit from the same preferential treatment.

Although the EU has left open the possibility of future foreign and security cooperation deals, they will not let themselves be walked over by the UK.

As an EU student studying in the UK, I can only hope that they have a future that involves reaching compromises. And maybe, we can even dream of a close friendship in the near future, exes can stay friends right?

1. Injecting disinfectant???

In April 2020, our favourite American wotsit suggested treating COVID-19 by injecting disinfectant into people's bodies. At the time, he was one of the most powerful men in the world. There's no words Donald, no words.

2. "If Ivanka weren't my daughter, I'd perhaps be dating her"

This was said about his own daughter. His DAUGHTER.

3. Losing a twitter war with a teenager

Trying to put down a child because you didn't win Person of the Year? That's pretty low, even for Trump.

Losing the argument because she refused to be petty is even worse for him. His enormous ego must have taken a toll Hopefully.

"Imagine a room full of important people laughing at you when you say you're the best in the world."

4. When an assembly full of world leaders laughed at him.

Second-hand embarassment right there like never before. Imagine a room full of important people laughing at you when you say you're the best in the world. Embarrasing Donald.

5. Trump announcing Nigel Farage is one of the most "powerful men in Europe".

I suppose we should be thankful Nigel Ferage was the only European politician stupid enough to travel across the ocean to support Trump at one of his rallys.

Still you have to wonder if Trump is even really aware who Farage is when he's inviting him as a "noncontrovercial" politician to comend him.

6. Trump: buying Iceland would essentially be a "real estate deal"

First of all, who in their right minds thinks they can BUY A COUNTRY.

This episode of the insanity that was Trump's time in the political limelight was one of the most entertaining.

I suppose it shows being rich isn't everything, it certainly doesn't give you enough brains to realise purchasing an entire country is a complete impossibility.

Image: Pixabay, OpenClipart-

Image: Flickr, MTSOfan

Image: Pixabay, TheDigitalArtist

Sub-Editors: Matthew Barratt and Elisabeth Gores

Why is video game addiction on the rise?

Jessica Mckeown - Film Sub-Editor

Gradually rising cases of video game addiction have been likened to heroin dependency.

Having been long disputed over whether video game addiction is a real disorder, the World Health Organisation (WHO) formally recognised "gaming disorder" in the 11th edition of the International Classification of Diseases in 2018. Following this, the NHS opened it's first National Centre for Gaming Disorders in October 2019 and had received around 745 referrals by March 2023. What is the nature of a video game addiction, how does it develop, and how can it be treated?

What is a 'video game addiction'?

The ICD-11 characterises a gaming disorder by a "pattern of persistent or recurrent gaming behaviour [...] which may be online (i.e. over the internet) or offline" and manifests by: impaired control over gaming - e.g. over frequency, intensity and duration; increasing priority given

to gaming to the extent that gaming is prioritised over daily activities and other aspects of life; continuation or escalation of gaming despite negative consequences.

Whilst WHO refer to it as a disorder, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM5) in America refers to it as an addiction. The DSM-5 defines it as "the steady and repetitive use of the Internet to play games frequently with different gamers, which leads to clinically significant distress and psychological changes as demonstrated by five or more criteria in a year".

“Gaming

disorders can be caused

by underlying mental health conditons such as ADHD, anxiety or depression.”

Gaming addiction/disorder fall under the spectrum of internet addiction which also includes addiction to online shopping, gambling, and social networks.

How can video game addictions develop? The average gamer is estimated to spend six hours gaming a week. Addicted gamers can play up to fourteen hours a day, sometimes more. The ICD-11 says that in order for a diagnosis to be assigned, that

behaviours should be evident over a period of at least twelve months.

Lorrine Marer, a behavioural specialist, explains that "Gaming is like heroin. Once you are hooked, it's hard to get unhooked." No matter the type of addiction, it all comes down to the shortterm highs that the addictive substance or behaviour gives you. The short-term highs stem from the dopamine release that gamers get when playing, perhaps winning at Battle Royale type of games, and will continue to seek these shortterm dopamine hits.

Gaming disorders can be caused by underlying mental health disorders such as ADHD, anxiety or depression when computer games are used to cope with symptoms. Other causes can stem from boredom, desire for escapism and social isolation, the latter of which contributed to an uptake in excessive gaming behaviours during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Beyond symptoms of spending excessive amounts of time gaming and neglecting daily life activities, gaming addiction can also result in deteriorating health such as poor and unhealthy diet, hearing or eyesight problems, sleep deprivation, insufficient physical activity, depression and aggressive behaviour.

How can video game addictions be treated? The NHS National Centre for Gaming Disorders state that their focus is on "gaining more control over your gaming so it does not take over

Researchers accidentally discover that bees can survive underwater

Matthew Barratt - Science Sub-Editor

81% of the bees survived underwater sumbersion for several days.

After an oversight left the bumblebees exposed to water in their containers, researchers were shocked to see that they had survived these conditions for many days, and undertook further research into the potential of bumblebee preservation against flooding conditions.

The study was co-authored and led by Dr. Nigel E. Raine and Dr. Sabrina Rondeau, both of the University of Guelph in Canada.

“The results showcased the ability for bumblebees to exhibit remarkable selfpreservation...”

Researchers decided to take further tests, and used 17 Queens as controls who were kept refrigerated in their containers without undergoing the submersion tests. For the other 126 bees, 20ml of cool tap water was administered to their tubes. These bees were either pushed under the water or left to float atop the surface. This was done to mimic and replicate specific flooding scenarios which

would push the Queens into a position of immediate adaptability. For example, allowing the bees to float on the water mimicked that of high groundwater levels enabled by heavy rainfall or snow melt.

"This resiliance to flooding has been attributed to the discontinuous gas exchange of the bees."

Following this period of submersion, the bees were removed from the tubes of water and were placed within new tubes. The bees who were chosen to be a part of the control group were also given the same luxury. Their survival was tracked for up to eight weeks after the submersion tests. 81% of the bees submerged survived, and 88% of the control group survived.

The results showcased the ability for bumblebees to exhibit remarkable self-preservation when exposed to environmental factors that prove lethal.

This resilience to flooding has been potentially attributed to the discontinuous gas exchange of the bees, who will keep their spiracles (openings in the endoskeleton

other areas of your life and feels more balanced". The NHS offers treatment for affected individuals and their parent(s) or family, though workshops for the latter have been suspended due to high referrals.

Individuals are offered a two-phase therapy beginning with an introductory group where patients learn about how gaming can become addictive followed by group or individual Cognitive

Behavioural Therapy (CBT). CBT is a talking therapy that helps you change negative thought patterns and is used to help with a variety of mental health conditions such as sleep problems, panic disorder, some eating disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Astronomy Exhibit at Great North Museum

for respiration) closed to prevent exposure to water. In addition to this, trapped air bubbles created by this process may have enabled the survival chances of the bees during the tests.

Dr. Raine, the co-author of the study alongside Dr Rondeau, noted in an interview with CNN that this process was akin to that of “energy-saver mode”.

While this experiment documented the short-term implications of exposure flooding in bumblebee species, the study notes that prolonged flooding is detrimental to insect ecosystems and

From March 30th to September 1st, you will be able to visit the Great North Museum for the 'Immersive Space Investigators' exhibition, an exciting interactive journey through the history of science in the North-East.

This exhibition celebrates the rich history of contributions from the Northeast to the field of Astronomy.

From pioneering astronomers like William Herschel to telescope manufactures like Thomas Grubb, the region has played a pivotal role in understanding the cosmos. Visitors will embark on a journey through the past present and future of scientific exploration, with a focus on the NorthEast's enduring legacy and international impact.

The Immersive Space Investigations exhibition focuses on experiencing science from a new perspective. Visitors can step into the shoes of a scientist and experiment with lasers and engage in many activities to explore the real-world implications of scientific

theories. Whether you are a professional astronomer or simply curious, there is something for everyone to learn and enjoy.

At the heart of the exhibition is its commitment to inclusivity. Studies show that 70% of disabled people do not consider themselves autonomous in a museum. In fact, 6 in 10 people would visit museums more frequently if accessibility features were more available and considered. Many museums and exhibitions often overlook the needs of individuals with disabilities, the Immersive Space Investigators exhibition strives to change this to ensure everyone feels enabled to engage fully with the exhibition. This is done through tactile models of telescopes, interactive displays and many other accessibility features.

For those planning their visit, the exhibition's website offers an accessibility guide including what to expect, detailed maps of the exhibition space and information about the museum. With labelled photos and comprehensive list of resources visitors can feel confident knowing that their needs will be met and what to expect.

Image: Source: WikimediaCommonsrebcenter-moscow.ru

Image: Source WikimediaCommonsZeynelCebeci_03

Vibha Gaddi

Your relationship with feminism at university

Keira Gratton

The complexities of feminism at university...

For many British schoolchildren, the first time the word ‘feminism’ was used was in the classroom. Whether you heard it from your liberated English teacher or a sombre History professor, it was a term explained clinically as being in support of intersectional women’s rights. And for many young girls that concept is immediately interesting. With a lot of academia being pale, stale and male, women discussing social issues is exciting. However, the dreamy façade was likely quickly shattered by a distressed boy putting his hand up to helpfully tell you that feminist issues are self-centred and dramatic. You quickly feel a little confused about why he doesn’t also find a women’s movement endearing, and why he seems to know so much more about it than you.

Over time, you start to recognise the word a little more in conversation. Hissed in the back of form, spat on school buses. Groups of six boys jump from behind a bench just to try and argue with you about abortion rights in the middle of your breaktime pizza slice. You remember the first time you heard the girl next to you turn to those same boys and tell them that no, she’s not a feminist. The word starts to appear online as well. People on X start using it to talk about influencers, abortion, porn stars. Every single person seems to understand it differently. The online feminist

community seems to be at war with itself rather than its rivals.

And whilst the term gets more and more common in this area of your social life, with an immigrant parent, the silence on this topic is defeating. It’s not something you can really learn about at home, unlike these teen boys who seem to have discussed it to death with their fathers.

Dabbling in feminist literatures and video essays, you make your way here, to university. You know you’re a feminist, you even know the names of some of the types - intersectional, radical, conservative. The word is a lot more commonplace now, spoken on by lecturers and friends to rooms of nodding heads rather than giggles. It feels more comfortable to think about feminism and your relationship with it now. Which ideas from the movement resonate with you, which causes concern you.

Even if home or online spaces still feel a little hostile, hopefully pieces like this encourage you to feel comfortable talking about women’s issues with your friends. Or using feminist thinking when you see a weird TikTok trend or another Nara Smith video. At the end of the day, it’s just a label! There’s no such thing as being the perfect feminist, and it’s ok to want to wear bows even if the coquette movement is infantilising. As long as you feel like you’re being inclusive and fair, you’re probably being a good

The politics of friend holidays: can they make or break a friendship group?

With summer swiftly approaching, it's a good idea to prepare for the dynamics of your upcoming friends holiday...

When you include 5 girls, each with different personalities on a trip together you know there are group politics bound to occur. That's exactly what happened when I went on a trip with my four best friends to Goa, India.

Holidays with friends are usually the most awaited getaways of the year. But between those sun-kissed beaches, or hilly mountains, lie the reality of these friend groups. Traveling has the potential to strengthen or break a friend group. Mainly, it all comes down to each person's idea of fun. Some crave the adrenaline rush while some want a peaceful getaway instead. These clashes started arising throughout my trip as well. Two of my friends wanted to para-

sail at the beach while the three of us just wanted to sit and watch the waves clash against the seashore. Conflict began and before you know it so did the drama. We were resisting the urge to even talk to each other at a point!

But that's when we realised that these small trips are planned once in a blue moon. We decided to each have a day filled with activities planned by every member. So, one day was kept for adventure sports, while the other was meant for chugging beers. You see, life is all about balance.

“These are the kinds of trips that require compromise and a whole lot of honest communication.”

All in all, these are the kinds of trips that require compromise and a whole lot of honest communication. If each member sits with a stubborn mindset, the days of the holiday just go in the blink of an eye, and before you know it, it's time to pack your bags and leave. Planning the trip and finances are key factors that can cause arguments as well. It's best to talk about each point beforehand and not create chaos amongst your gang.

Although my best friends and I fought for a solid amount of time, the trip turned out just fine by the end of it. The truth is we've each got a variety of interests and dislikes. But we have to think to ourselves if these differences are worth fighting over when you're there to enjoy yourselves for a few days. So go ahead and plan that trip, and even if you do end up fighting over silly things it'll be a memory to laugh on in a few years anyway!

Relationships

Balancing relationships with assignment season

Rosie McKenna

In the midst of assignment season, how can you manage maintaining healthy relationships with doing well in your exams?

Assignment season can be a hectic period to say the least. With looming deadlines, late night library sessions and maximising your caffeine intake, it can be challenging to factor time in for your relationship – whether this is with your partner, friends or family! Here are some top tips to help you with this.

1. Be realistic. You can’t fit it all in over the next few weeks, so you need to realistically prioritise what is most important with the time you have left. Can you really concentrate when studying with your partner or friend? You may find it difficult to not see your favourite person every day of the week, but the dedication to your studies could be the difference between a 2.1 and a 2.2 in that final!

2. Plan in advance. This season does not mean you lock yourself away completely. Spending time with your partner or friends can alleviate the pressure, but do this in moderation. Therefore, plan

your social time in advance. In the past, I have blocked out 4 hours of a Friday or Saturday night for social time so I can be fully present for date night or a group trip to the movies!

3. Remember to take care of yourself, too. Unfortunately, when assignment season comes around, mundane tasks still need to get done! The food shop, cleaning the flat and so on. Why not reward yourself with a ‘little treat’ once the chores are done? Don’t forget to allocate sufficient time to relax so you can recharge. Take a long bath or shower, get outside for a walk, have a pamper evening, listen to music, and remember to sleep by creating a regular schedule!

4. Be honest in your communication. Do not let others make you feel bad for prioritising yourself and your studies. The best thing you can do is be open about how much time you can commit to the relationship (which is why step 1 is so important!). The right person will understand and support you; the wrong person will guilt trip you into thinking you’re being selfish – so watch out! Ultimately, this is a shortterm sacrifice for a longterm gain. It is possible to maintain and balance your relationships with assignment season, so try not to worry too much!  If things do feel overwhelming and you’re struggling, contact the NUSU Support and Advice Hub.

My relationship with coming out

Reflecting on the daunting process of coming out...

Coming to the realisation that I was queer took me a while to do. Even with the majority of my family and friends having a loving response, coming out was a long and scary process at the age of seventeen.

One of the hardest parts of coming out is telling your family and thinking they will see you differently and not approve. Thinking they won’t love you for not being able to carry out traditional family values, thinking it’s just a phase and all the other worries that come with it.

When I came out to my parents, I cried and so did they – not in a disapproving way, but in a grateful, thank you for telling me, sorry you felt you couldn’t, way. My grandparents, however, did not have the best reaction, which I chalked up to generational values. Initially, they laughed and did not believe I had a girlfriend but after introducing her to the family and educating them, they are supportive and happy for me.

This did change my relationship with coming out, yet I believe that if someone truly loves you, they will not risk losing you and will wholly accept you as you are, even if it takes some time. It is not your personal responsibility, but rather choice, to educate someone on the matter of queer love and acceptance if you feel comfortable enough to do so.

Now, I believe that coming out is the biggest feeling of relief, despite mixed reactions as it has helped me to find myself and unlearn the heteronormative ideals that I believed and grew up with. I am happy with who I am and I believe the more you come out to people the more comfortable you become in your own skin.

I realise that my relationship with coming out will be different to other people. It can be so daunting and feel as though there is no support. If you are struggling to come out or need support in any way, LGBTNSG (@lgbtnorthernsocialgroup) is an incredible organisation that hosts community events and offers support to LGBTQIA+ members in numerous ways across the North.

“I

still get scared to come out to new people.”

There are people who will love you and accept you so take your time, set boundaries and know that you are not obligated to share this information with anyone you don’t want to. I still get scared to come out to new people even if it’s something as small as mentioning my girlfriend and worrying about people’s reactions. No matter how many times I come out there will always be a small part of me that still worries. Sometimes I do have a cynical relationship with coming out. It feels like a never ending process with people I meet when it shouldn’t have to be: the assumption that someone is going to be straight unless they say so can get tiring.

Yet, coming out has undoubtedly gotten easier for me and I’m happy to say that the people I have chosen to share my life with have been accepting. I’m glad that in today’s society it is much easier to be more open with sexuality.

Rutuja Kulkarni

Emma Stephenson

Image credit: Unsplash, Delia Giandeini

Image credit: Pixabay, Voyzan

Image credit: Pixabay, Hermann

Image credit: Unsplash, Lindsey LaMonta

Sub-Editors: Jay Barber, Zahra Hanif and Marina Snyder

What is a ‘girls’ girl’?

Ruby Tiplady

One of our writer's divulges into what it means to be a "girls' girl".

When it comes to social media, every personality trait is prescribed an identity; a way to tell the world, in two words, who you are. Following TikTok’s Barbiemania, ‘girl maths,’ and coquette bows, one of the newest subgenres of person is the ‘girls’ girl.’ Who is she? Should we all strive to be one? In the cultural moment of Taylor Swift, Derry Girls, and Megan Thee Stallion’s 'Hot Girl Summer', girlhood is coming into focus, uplifting femininity rather than hiding it in an attempt to escape its constraints. At uni, where you’re thrust into new social situations with new people, there is a desire to be seen as approachable and ‘nice’. Simultaneously, you’re on nights out, hitting milestones, tumbling

through relationships, and having experiences you’ve never had before. It is only natural to desire and develop close friendships, and these are people you become fiercely protective of. But the girls’ girl is fiercely protective of not just her friends, but of strangers, and even of girls she doesn’t get on with; she’s a feminist, she’s honest, and she rejects jealousy wholeheartedly. Late at night, she’d make sure you got home safely, she’d tell you if she saw your boyfriend with someone else, and she uplifts her friendships with girls no matter what.

"It is only natural to desire and

develop close friendships,

and these are people you become fiercely protective of."

"Perhaps a communityfocused identity like the ‘girl’s girl’ will call for women to stick together."

The ‘girls’ girl’ was born of hyperfeminine trends; some find it reductive to use ‘girl’ as a prefix for daily activities - think ‘maths, dinner, walk,’ - with some trends (like Amoruso’s ‘girlboss’) becoming synonymous with the stereotypes they aimed to dispel. But identifying as a ‘girl’s girl’ is also a reaction to the seemingly hopeless world we live in, as women face spiking, debates about abortion rights, and Ozempic; perhaps a communityfocused identity like the ‘girl’s girl’ will call for women to stick together and protect one another... perhaps it will help the world feel a little more united.

A murder mystery on the dancefloor

Finlay Worrallo

A review of NU Dance Club's fundraiser for FACT Cancer Support.

The atmosphere in the Venue was electric tonight as the audience assembled for the Interactive Murder Mystery, as presented by the NU Dance Club as a fundraiser for FACT Cancer Support. The atmosphere was somewhere between masquerade ball and 1920s speakeasy, as a sharply dressed crowd in silk cravats, backless dresses and Venetian masks settled at tables decorated with scattered petals, under sultry red lighting.

The evening began with the murder mystery play itself. The show was centred around the brash and slippery businessman Harry Wink and his outrageous attempt to fake his own death in a boating accident for the insurance bailout. Colourful characters piled on top of each other around him – Harry’s duplicitous wife and her resentful sister, his suspicious landlady, his featherbrained new girlfriend, and a sleazy wannabe Rubens for good measure. The

How to: build a sustainable routine

Kirsty Dow

How to incorporate habits that last!

It’s tempting during exam season to let your routine fall by the wayside in the wake of more important things needing to be done. As the assessment period rolls around yet again, here are a few easy ways to keep yourself on track.

I’m not saying you have to implement a strict routine by any means - some people just don’t work that way - but by having some consistency throughout your days you’re more likely to feel in control this exam season.

Set wake-up times

Not waking up at the time you meant to can completely mess up the rest of your day, having a knock on effect on what you can achieve. Although waking up early would be a bonus, simply setting a time to wake-up at and sticking to it so you don’t suddenly lose an hour you were counting on, will keep you feeling organised.

Eating regularly

Eating at regular times will keep yourself fuelled and active. Maybe make a plan for what you’re going to cook/eat during a busy week of deadlines to remove the stress of having to think about it. Also, stock up on your favourite snacks and keep them close by, so that if you

feel you can’t tear yourself away from your screen to get some food, there’s already some within arms reach.

Sleep!

Don’t let yourself get stuck in the rut of revenge scrolling and chatting with housemates, staying up half the night in order to get back the time of fun and escape that you sacrificed for work. All this will do is set you back the next day. Feeling physically tired is never going to help with those last minute checks on your diss! Instead, try to factor in times to have fun so that you don’t feel cheated by the time bedtime rolls around.

'Third Culture Kids' lifestyle: Where do we belong?

audience took careful notes on who seemed most likely to commit the promised murder of the night – but when the body finally hit the floor, to audible gasps, it seemed like everyone had a reason for wanting it there!

After a quick interval, the characters stepped off the stage to do the rounds of the tables, and audience members had the opportunity to cross-examine the suspects, grilling them for flaws in their cover stories and possible new motives. This was the chance for the actors to let loose with the increasingly depraved depths of their backstories, and none of them disappointed!

Finally, after each table of hopeful detectives had smoked their candy cigarettes and submitted their reports, the cast reassembled on stage, and director Maxime Levasseur stepped out to finally announce who did it, and how, and why. The winning table was crowned in triumph, having guessed the motives and execution of the crime in spectacular detail –although another prize was given to the most creative explanation devised for the murder, a truly inspired story involving the ghost of a wronged dog exacting revenge with poisoned chocolate!

All in all, tonight’s Interactive Murder Mystery was a riveting evening for a wonderful cause, and would not have been possible without the

Marina Snyder - Lifestyle Sub-Editor

Where is home for a TCK?

Third Culture Kids’ is a fairly recent term coined to describe a new generation who find themselves rootless, often raised in a culture that varies from their parents and their nationality. TCKs are known for often being exposed to a combination of several cultures during their formative or developmental years, and this can affect them as an individual.

According to research, there are both positives and negatives to being a TCK. For one thing, they grow to have an expansive worldview, making them more open and accepting of different ways of life. Additionally, they are more likely to handle change well and be more independent.

That said, being a TCK does not come without its challenges; it’s a lonely life to lead and can often cause difficulties with identity and feelings of belonging.

Moving around and being exposed to so many different cultures has been a wonderful experience. I have seen and experienced so much and have travelled to so many places, and for that, I will always be grateful. With that said, I often find it difficult to find a place that I ‘belong’ to. In countries such as the UK, where people have such strong ties to their country and many cultural references that I am so behind on (If one more person is shocked that I did not know what a Colin the caterpillar cake was) it can, at times, feel quite isolating.

"Where is the sphere of belonging for someone who doesn’t belong anywhere?"

I’m as much of a TCK as they come. My mother is Belgian. My step-father is South African, I was born in Portugal but have lived in Oman, Dubai, Singapore, Holland and the UK. Even within England, I have moved from Cumbria to Yorkshire to the North East. In my twenty years, I have lived in, roughly, 12 different houses. Basically – don't ask me where “home” is because I would have no clue what to say.

"It’s a lonely life to lead and can often cause difficulties with identity and feelings of belonging."

When you come to university, they tell you –don't worry, you will find “your people”. If you’re Italian and you’re missing home, you can join Italian society. If you’re French and don’t quite get the British references, you can teach others about your music and style of cooking. But where is the sphere of belonging for someone who doesn’t belong anywhere? This is where these feelings of being 'lost' truly emerge. Having no concrete place to ground myself in, no solid ‘home’ to claim and no country that I identify with, is not always easy. My passport may be Belgian, but if I met someone from Belgium? We most likely wouldn’t have much in common because I don’t know anything about the culture or way of life there.

Being a TCK, It's comforting to know that there are people out there who have been through similar experiences and have these shared feelings. Together, we create our own uncertain 'rootless' community. Therefore, I may never know what to say when someone asks me where I'm from, but at the end of the day, I would not swap my unique way of life for anything else.

Image credit: Pixabay @Lavnatalia

Image credit: Pixabay @Relentless @geralt @OpenClipart-Vectors @METALMANIA @TheDigitalArtist@JJuni@Sally-Kay

credit: Finlay Worrallo

Image credit: Unsplash @laurachouette

When accents speak louder than words

Jay Barber - Lifestyle Sub-Editor

When I was in primary school, a teacher told my class that we would have to soften our accents if we ever wanted to find a job. Regardless of her intention, our teacher passed along a harmful message to a group of young kids: no matter what we achieve, our accents will always hold us back.

That wasn’t the first time I’d heard that my accent was inherently “wrong”, and it wouldn’t be the last. I’m from Teesside and have a pointedly Northern accent, though the strength of it was only really pointed out to me when I moved to university. Having studied linguistics, I could go on about the qualities that make my accent distinct from others but, put simply: I drop almost all my T’s, add syllables wherever I can, and say things like geggs and maftin

My time at Newcastle University has, luckily, come with only mild teasing about my accent. For a university in the North East, you’d be surprised how many people still find it fascinating to hear voices like mine. A fun fact about me, though, is that I spent a semester at Edinburgh University prior to coming here. My eventual dropping-out was the result of several reasons, but I’d be lying if I said accent discrimination wasn’t one of them.

Studying linguistics at a top university, you’d expect students and staff to be aware of and accepting towards a variety of accents. That

wasn’t my reality. In one seminar, we were tasked with ‘translating’ the Newcastle dialect. Tyneside English was treated as some sort of linguistic anomaly and mocked by students and staff alike. The cherry on top came when a Southern classmate of mine refused to believe me when I told him that bairn meant child, until another student pointed out the similarities between bairn and the Swedish barn, also meaning child.

The seminar incident was one of many, but it sticks in my mind the most. I can’t help but wonder if it was my accent – my own use of the word bairn, inherited from my Geordie nana – that led the other student to be so willing to discredit my answers.

Accent discrimination is a problem faced by many across the UK, especially within higher education. Students from areas with a strong working-class history often face the most vitriol. Take Brummies and Scousers for example, who are mocked relentlessly compared to those with a more “acceptable” Southern accent. It goes without saying that this discrimination is even more prominent for those who speak English as a second language, where linguistic prejudice combines with prejudice based on nationality of ethnicity.

Accent bias has real world consequences that need to be addressed. It’s harmless fun to compare the word for bread rolls (or baps, buns, cobs – you get the idea), but it should never be the case that interviewers care more about the way my voice sounds than the words I’m saying.

Lifestyle

It's farewell from Lifestyle

Closing words from the Lifestyle team...

Zahra Hanif

Welcome to the last issue of the academic year! Where to even begin? It’s been an amazing year for Lifestyle, as I’ve once again been blessed with the opportunity to showcase your stunning submissions in our lovely bi-weekly print. It has been such a privilege that I will forever be grateful for as I move on to God knows where (if you’re reading this give me a job). My favourite thing about Lifestyle is just how much it encompasses, from silly rants to serious history. And every single title that we've offered out has been done complete justice, I've loved reading all your takes as I've procrastinated doing my actual uni work. Thank you to all the writers who've kept our section stacked, we appreciate your time and effort endlessly. Live love lifestyle forever, lots of love. happy reading, and please go and do my crossword on the Puzzles page thank you (I made it to procastinate my dissertation and it is my pride and joy xx).

Marina Snyder

It’s been an absolute privilege getting to be Lifestyle sub-editor this year and getting to read so many fun, silly, smart and wonderful articles! Looking forward to next year and for what’s to come, but pages 14 and 15 will always have a special place in my heart. I particularly love the diversity of lifestyle, there’s not many sections in the newspaper that I know of where one day you are reading 400 words about nepo babies and rants about Nara Smith, and the next day you’re

editing articles about loneliness, drinking cultures and importance of female friendships. Lifestyle... you will be missed. InDesign margining...you will not.

Live, love, Lifestyle.

Jay Barber I’m not quite sure how this is the final issue of the year – it feels like it was only last week that I was battling with Photoshop and InDesign for the first time. Joining the Lifestyle sub-ed team has been a fantastic addition to my final year at university (like Zahra said, please give me a job if you’re reading this), and my favourite part of the role has been reading all your articles. Thank you for sharing these little snippets of yourself with us, hearted rant. And to you, lovely readers, thank you time with us! I hope you’ve some joy in these pages

Let's get our knickers in a twist!

- TV Sub-Editor

An interview with the student raising awareness of 'pant poverty'.

Letsgetourknickersinatwist is a femaleled charitable organization, set up by Durham University student Serena Chamberlain, that raises money toward knickers for vulnerable women. I had the chance to talk with Serena about her work and how students across the country can get involved. What inspired you to create Letsgetourknickersinatwist?

“I have always been interested in female empowerment...I’m not going to lie; my school wasn’t very progressive... it was very traditional and they wanted everyone to go down the same path. They didn’t like that I’d call something out if I thought it was wrong.”

“My mum is also such a superwoman, always volunteering and supporting women’s refuges. I’ve definitely been brought up in an empowering environment. There’s a women’s refuge about half an hour away from me. I started volunteering there at 15. They let me sit in on kind of everything. They let me sit and listen. I was so young, but they were so honest about how this is the real world. I heard some really horrible, horrible stories, but again this is the reality of what’s happening. You hear the statistics about domestic abuse and you always think that this stuff is only happening on the other side of the world, but it’s not. I live in a really lovely area in the countryside where everyone thinks everything is perfect, but stuff is happening only twenty minutes away from where you live. People are so blinded to it.”

Serena went on to discuss how the women she met at refuges were always asking for knickers. The refuges were consistently running low on underwear. Serena’s mum then decided to do a fundraising event because of

the desperation for knickers. Serena believes that the demand for underwear is such a big issue simply because it’s a lot easier for people to donate things like old hoodies, but getting people to spend money on new items is difficult. Some don’t have the spare money and many also don’t know that ‘pant poverty’ is such a huge problem in this country. Therefore, part of what Serena’s organization seeks to do is raise awareness. Serena would help her mum at these events, which they referred to as ‘pants parties’, within their community. When Serena then went to university to study Anthropology and Sociology, she found herself with a lot of spare time and so in the summer of her first year, she considered running her own campaigns to raise money for knickers. The organization started off as a donation drive until Serena thought of the catchy name Letsgetourknickersinatwist. Once she came up

attendees wear pretty underwear and bring along new pants to donate, or they pay money toward new pants for vulnerable women.

Serena: “The reaction from everyone was just so amazing and generous right from the beginning. In the initial GoFundMe we raised a grand or something. I kind of just kept it gong on Instagram with the weekly bum counts. It became really fun to go and pick up all the pants with all the girls.”

What is ‘pant poverty’?

“I think I have kind of made the term myself aha. I just describe it as the fact that over 500 million girls and women around the world don’t have access to any underwear. That’s let alone people who only have one or two pairs. I read an article recently about refugees which broke my heart and it said that 60% of female refugees don’t have access to underwear. It’s horrific. We’re

they were a little girl. Knickers are for health and hygiene, but there’s also an empowerment aspect. There are quite a few charities which focus on period poverty, which is amazing, but we mainly focus on underwear because there are other charities that focus on that. You can’t utilise period products effectively if you don’t have underwear.”

Where do you see the organization being in a year’s time?

“Part of me doesn’t really know. I thought it was going to stay stagnant, but it hasn’t and hopefully the more people we can get sharing our story (like Heather Bowling) the more it will grow. We currently don’t have charity status, we’re a charity campaign...it’s an incredibly long process. I’m really hoping that next year that’ll be sorted. I’d love to get more involved with the women that the pants go to, which is sometimes hard with confidentiality. There is unfortunately a sense of shame that some women feel when asking for underwear and so it sometimes works better for them to keep their privacy. I’m also desperate to get pants out to Gaza and other places experiencing humanitarian crises. The need in Gaza is dire, but I’m not really sure how to get pants out there at the moment considering how supplies are being blocked. Seeing all of the aid workers that have been killed just shows how difficult it is to get aid through, but that’s what I’d really love to do. We currently help at a Durham Refugees kids club. We donate to them. I’d like to continue doing things like that, widening our impact.”

Serena doesn’t have a team, although she does have friends helping her to educate people and emailing influencers to collaborate with. In order to grow this campaign even further, she needs the help of fellow students. You can apply to be an ambassador/ rep (which should involve about 4 hours a week of your time), or simply throw a ‘pants party’ in your area and donate to the GoFundMe. You can find templates and other resources online, just take a look at @letsgetourknickersinatwist on Instagram and TikTok, or go to their website https:// letsgetourknickersinatwist.co.uk/

Ella Townson

Image credit: Serena Chamberlain

Your dilemma of the week

Charlotte Lee - Blind date & Agony Aunt Co Ordinator

Flatmate getting on your nerves? Want some advice on how to handle uni life? Our Agony Aunt is here to help!

Dear Agony Aunt,

I’m feeling pretty guilty while being away at uni. I genuinely enjoy my studies and have met some great friends here, but whenever I talk with family or see updates from friends back home, I can’t help but feel like I’m missing out. They sometimes hint that they wish I was around more, and it makes me wonder if I’m neglecting them. I’m caught between fully embracing my uni life and keeping my connections strong back home. I worry that if I get too caught up here, I might lose touch with everyone back home. But then, focusing too much on home makes me feel like I’m not making the most of uni. I just don't know how can I manage this without feeling pulled in two directions?

From: A Reader

Dear Reader,

It’s completely okay to feel like this, I think people massively underestimate how torn you become between uni and home, especially if home is far away and you still have strong friends and family. But you’re allowed to live your new life and you’re allowed to do it guilt free. It is incredibly difficult to like you need to please everyone and attend everything constantly. Nonetheless, my advice is to set up a weekly schedule or little meeting with your friends and family from home to have a catch up, or have a little gossip. By having a set time each week to catch up you can reassure yourself that you're putting time aside for them; as well as reassuring them that you're still present in their lives.

Similary, you could also invite your home friends up to uni to come to stay - I know it seems a bit daunting to mix your home and uni life but a night out in Market Shaker is definitely the best ice breaker you can possibly have.

I can promise you now it'll get easier, even if it feels stressful right now but remember it is YOUR life and no one else can tell you how to live it.

Dear Agony Aunt,

My housemates support two different football teams, they’re not direct rivals but they’re playing against each other on the last match of the season, while one team is in a title race. Obviously, they both want their team to win, but for one it could be the end of their league winning streak. We are planning to watch it together as we always do, and they are both very passionate about their teams and it could end in tears. How do I support them both at the same time? What do I do when one team loses and the other wins?

From: A Reader

Dear Reader,

Good luck - god gives his hardest battles to his strongest soldiers. But in all seriousness it is not the most pleasurable of activities having to sit through 90 minutes of a football not knowing who you actually want to win. However, at the end of day, it is their problem; I can understand that football is their passion and it will be important to them but the world will keep turning no matter who wins or loses. It’s already brilliant that you show up and support your friend's interests; I’m sure it means the world to them that you’re willing to even watch with them, no matter who wins or loses.

From: Your Agony Aunt

Well, my lovely readers, my time with you has come to an end. It has been an absolute pleasure to solve all of your dilemmas, as well as trying to find you the loves of your lives. Until next time xoxo your gossip girl.

Image credit: Pixabay

Fashion & Beauty

Trash or treasure: the low waisted silhouette returns

Trinity Eadie

After years of being labelled as a fashion moment to be forgotten, the silhouette has come back better than ever.

The era of low-rise jeans, tramp stamps and sparkly belly button rings has long been left behind us, but the comeback of low-waisted silhouettes might be opening the door for similar 2000s-style fashion to slip back into the mainstream.

Love it or hate it, there’s no denying that low-rise is back in full force - but with waistlines dropping on everything from jeans to joggers, it’s hard to tell whether the trend is back for the long run or if it’s due to meet the same fate as its 2000s counterpart.

"The comeback of low-waisted silhouettes might be opening the door for similar 2000s-style fashion to skip back into the mainstream."

The return of low-waisted fashion is certainly stirring up one thing – nostalgia. When looking back at the Y2K origins of the silhouette, it’s easy

to see why the style is riddled with controversies. Despite this, the contemporary take on low-rise may be the key to the style’s redemption, giving the divisive look a much-needed second chance.

With social media feeds flourishing with lowslung layered maxi skirts and flirty hip-hugging miniskirts, it's clear that the low-waisted silhouette isn’t just returning for jeans. Drop-waisted dresses and ultra-low leggings are only further pushing the era of high-waisted styles out.

"The resurgence of low-rise silhouettes has captivated catwalks and street fashion alike."

The resurgence of low-rise silhouettes has captivated catwalks and street fashion alike, making it impossible to overlook in today’s mainstream fashion landscape. The versatility of the contemporary twist on the trend, spanning from everyday wear to evening ensembles, is only further cementing it as a trend to not be ignored. So, does the low-waisted silhouette deserve to reclaim its spotlight in mainstream fashion today? Absolutely yes – one of the most notable features of the low-rise comeback is the contemporary trend’s nod to body inclusivity.

Considering the silhouette’s controversial history, it’s refreshing to see catwalk trends showing it off on different types of bodies, firmly disregarding

the rigid beauty standards the trend was known for in the 2000s. Overruling the style’s divisive past, the low-waisted trend today is being used to challenge outdated norms and celebrate the beauty of individuality.

After years of being labelled as a fashion moment to be forgotten, the silhouette has come back better than ever, marking a remarkable evolution from the era of toxic beauty standards and Paris Hilton's iconic diamond-encrusted low-rise jeans.

What to wear to the Eras tour

Outfit inspiration based on Taylor Swift's albums across the years

After waiting over a year to see Taylor Swift perform live, Swifties now have another big decision to make: their outfit. Planning the perfect outfit for the Eras Tour could take up to months because, after all, having a good outfit is almost as crucial as exchanging friendship bracelets or taking pictures in the venue.

Her show is divided into segments representing her album eras, and fans have taken inspiration from that to create their outfits. If you’re a hopeless romantic who loves

Speak Now or are in your together the perfect guide on what to wear!

Her debut era is for country fans. Who wouldn't want to sing 'Our Song' in a white, flowy dress with cowboy boots?

Fearless

We all know that Fearless of her best eras, and what better way to represent that than by wearing a sparkly yellow dress and beaded boots to dance to some of her OG songs like 'Love Story' or 'You Belong with Me'.

Speak Now

Speak Now is for ballgown fans. A flowy purple dress would be the perfect combination for singing 'Enchanted' while imagining yourself dancing like a Disney character in a ballroom.

Red

The Red era is for those who love autumn or enjoy

romanticising their life while reading a book or having a cup of hot chocolate. Whether you recreate her iconic '22' looks with the hat or put on a dress with a red scarf, it must be combined with the iconic cherry red lip.

1989

1989 is an era of change. If you don’t want your outfit to run out of style, a sparkly two-piece set with bright colours is your best option. But if you’re more of a dress fan, why don’t you throw on some cowboy boots with a bright blue dress? Don’t forget to combine it with some sparkly eyeshadow or even rhinestones!

Reputation

If you’re in your Reputation era, you’re not messing around. The aesthetic combines dark clothes with snakes and gold details, so if you’re looking for something a

ME DO' warning sign, this is your perfect choice.

"Only a few weeks left, so assemble the perfect outfit."

Reputation is for the ones who are fierce, but what about Lover? If you’re in your Lover era, you probably have a bubblegum personality and can’t miss the opportunity to dress up in an entirely pink outfit. Or even if you think you can be an “alpha type”, why don’t you dress up in a suit to recreate Taylor’s outfit during 'The Man' performance? But of course, try to add some pink accessories, because why not?

Folklore and Evermore have practically the same aesthetic, so drop the rhinestones and search for flowy, cottage-core dresses, which you can style with a cardigan.

Midnights

Midnights is probably one of her best-styled eras. You have so many options: if you want to give off vibes of 'Vigilante Shit', a sparkly dark blue dress is the correct option, but if you want to feel 'Bejeweled', a rhinestone top combined with some black shorts and with sparkly boots

Only a few weeks are left, so hurry up and assemble the perfect outfit! And don’t forget to make friendship bracelets; they can help you get to know many

Fashion in 13 Going on 30

Adam Lovegrove - Gaming Sub-Editor

20 years later, and Jenna

Rink's wardrobe is still iconic, here's why...

The early 2000s were a revolutionary time for fashion, from the rise of Y2K at the start of the millennium, to the revival of old styles via vintage clothing, to the ever growing influence of hip-hop and pop artists on the industry. Gary Winick’s rom-com 13 Going On 30 captured the style of this era perfectly, as well as influencing the world of fashion for years to come.

The wardrobe of Jennifer Garner’s character, Jenna Rink, serves as a time capsule for fashion trends of the 2000s, covering so many styles that defined the fashion of the time, most notably the iconic multicoloured dress she wears to the party that perfectly embodies Y2K energy of the era. So much of the film’s success in it’s fashion department is owed to costume designer Susie DeSanto, who meticulously crafted Garner’s wardrobe for the film, aiming to impress through every outfit with designer brands, jewellery and hairstyles to any given scene.

"The wardrobe of Jennifer Garner's character, Jenna Rink, serves as a time capsule for fashion trends of the 2000s."

I think what makes the film’s message so powerful to this day is the way it resonates with the timeless teenage desire to be past your awkward growing-up phase, hoping everything will be alright when you're finally an adult. 13 Going On 30 tells the story of this struggle through Jenna’s hopes of being “thirty, flirty and thriving,” suddenly waking up as a thirty year old fashion editor. But despite having everything she wished for, she discovers she won’t be truly happy without her family and the boy she loves, waking back up as a child and and choosing to live her true dream life, not one surrounded by material things.

"13 going on 30 tells the story of this struggle through Jenna's hopes of being "thirty, flirty, and thriving."

13 Going On 30 remains as iconic as ever, acting both as a cautionary tale for teenagers as well as a relatable rom-com to adults who have felt the same way as Jenna before. It’s influence on the fashion industry is near unparalleled by other films, with people replicating Jenna’s outfits for Halloween costumes and selling headdresses on sites like Etsy, remaining in style a whole 20 years after it’s release.

Noella Fernandez Perez

Lover

Image Credit: Simona Todorova Unsplash

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Why Lisbon should be your top European destination this summer

Looking for somewhere in Europe to spend the summer? Maybe Lisbon is the city for you.

Yes, I may be biased - I was lucky enough to live in Lisbon as part of my year abroad this last academic year, in which time I well and truly fell for the Portuguese capital. Putting personal bias aside, Lisbon has a warm infectious energy that would be rude not to share and is practically begging to be enjoyed this summer.

Neighbouring Spain and the Portuguese Algarve have been the British tourists’ chosen destination for many years, but Lisbon is becoming increasingly more popular and spoken about online as an up and coming location. You know the yellow trams, the seven (massive) hills and the buttery custard delights Pasteis de Nata that the city offers up to tourists every year, but there is so much more to be discovered below the surface. Portugal was under an ‘Estado Novo’ dictatorship for over 40 years, and 40 years ago this year the city was witness to the ‘Carnation Revolution’ which put the end to the possession of Portuguese colonies across Africa. The Portuguese history is a complicated one, tainted with saudade (a longing or melancholy feeling characteristic of Portuguese temperament) which is now reflected in the city’s intricately tiled buildings and monuments, its cobbled streets, right up to the food and the many pints of Super Bock served up in the capital every day.  With increasing tourist numbers in the last few

years, the city is buzzing with tourists all year round, but remains relatively cheap throughout the season. There are many hostels scattered across the centre, but for a more authentic, and cheaper experience areas like Alameda, Anjos and Intendente a little further out are ideal. The city caters for every budget, but it's notably cheap to get around with an easy to navigate metro system which ferries people directly from the airport to the centre and an abundance of e-scooters meaning that central stays aren't essential.

"These viewpoints, perfect for sunset spotting, are around every corner and without a doubt the best way to take in the city."

The city is colourful and very rarely spoiled by the rain and the wind despite its Atlantic coast location, with famous waves fit for any surfing fanatics at beaches located less than half an hour out of the centre. With up to 250 days of sun annually, it's ideal for those who prefer to terrace or quiosque hop. Quiosque culture is big no matter the season and whether it's during the day or into the evening, locals and tourists alike spill onto the streets to enjoy a drink and indulge in some Portuguese confectionary. Lisbon may not be the first city that comes to mind when you think of food, although the freshness of Portuguese cuisine, its proximity to the coast and a nation of passionate

Post-exams summer plans

Multiple Writers

Our writers take you through their plans to travel around after exam season finishes.

As I have been dreaming about long sandy beaches, crystal clear water and the bright scorching sun for some time, you can be sure I will be packing my bags as soon as I turn in the last of my assessments. In fact, I am going on a sneaky city getaway to Milan in a few days – by the time you are reading this, I will have already come back, hopefully with a bit of a tan and some great food in my stomach. And if the dates of this city break are sounding a bit too close to the exam season to you, then you are completely right, I should be stuck behind a computer screen writing out my thousands+ words essays, but how could I have said no to a few-day trip to Italy instead?

All that said, I am currently struggling to type up as many of the words for these (lovely) essays as possible. All the while planning even more traveling, this time after the exam season. My friend and I are in the midst of finalising travel plans for our Greek adventure. Mamma Mia inspired, with a glass of wine in Greece guaranteed, and currently itching to finally pack the bags. The plan is clear: visit Athens, two Greek islands, swim in the sea and get sunburnt (in my case as I am somewhat of an expert in this department).

We are first planning to spend two nights in Athens, this is a must have if like me you have been a history girlie all your life. When we started planning this, I turned to my friend and said: ‘Whatever we do, we have to

visit at least one historical museum’ – because what better place than the city which has (in various forms) stood for thousands of years? Acropolis, Parthenon, and the Plaka neighbourhood are of course also on the list.

"This was always going to make it onto our list."

Right after Athens, we are taking the ferry onto our first island, Naxos. Known for its lovely beaches, beautiful villages and its potential for some fun outdoors activities, this was always going to make it onto our list. Some of our nonnegotiables that we have to partake in, are a nice bike ride or a hike in the nature here, as that was one of the things most recommended, and then of course spending the majority of our time by the sea. Oh, and my friend’s must-do, jumping off a cliff. (For my mum reading this, it shall be a cliff in a safe area, trialled by many others before us, to avoid any unfortunate injuries befalling us).

After Naxos, we are running away (by another ferry) to its neighbouring island, Paros. This island is mostly recommended for its lively villages and beautiful Greek-authentic neighbourhoods. Whilst Naxos is consisting of more beaches and outdoorsy activities, Paros is

To celebrate handing in all my final essays, I’m going on holiday to Puerto Rico de Gran Canaria with my boyfriend at the end of May. We booked through Easy Jet package holidays which had a sale on with £100 off when you spend over £800 so worked out £351 per person. This holiday is intended to be a week of pure relaxation after my final year. I’m already dreaming of relaxing on the beach with a drink in one hand and a book in the other whilst the boyfriend digs holes in the sand.

"I am

determined to make the most of it."

At the start of June, I will be going on the 20 Minute Mystery Holiday with 20 Minute Society. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the society, the society is based on spontaneity with a text giving you twenty minutes to get to Luther's for a surprise social (if you want to learn more, read my society spotlight here). The annual mystery holiday is at it says on the tin – a week away at a mystery location. Yes, you do get more than twenty minutes notice for the holiday. I went on last year’s holiday which was Prague, Czech Republic and had an absolute blast so I’m really looking forward to this one.  To round off the summer, I’m spending a week traveling around Ireland with my boyfriend and his family. I also hope to fit in interrailing with my sister and visit some more European cities. Last long summer before entering the workforce so I am determined to make the most of it.

foodies are the perfect recipe for a memorable plate or ten. The nation was built on cod and it can be found everywhere. Tinned fish emporiums or conserveiras have been feeding Lisboetas for generations, but a bifana (pork) sandwich lathered in mustard with a bottle of Super Bock on the river can’t be beaten. And of course who could forget Belém has to be visited for its pasteis too.  Miradouros are what Lisbon specialises in and a trip to Lisbon simply wouldn’t be complete without them. These viewpoints, perfect for sunset spotting, are round every corner and without a doubt the best way to take in the city. Santa Luzia and Portas do Sol atop the winding streets of Alfama are some of the most popular, but suffer from the swarms of cruise day-trippers that frequent the port hill top. Graça, and particularly the Cafe de Garagem, capture the views of the city framed by Lisbon’s answer to the Golden Gate Bridge - O Ponte 25 de Abril. It would be almost impossible to capture Lisbon’s essence only in words. A city full of life for the living and seizing everything that is thrown its way. It may not have had the easiest of pasts and continues to confront its own issues, but I can assure you there is a grand selection of corners to be discovered, and you will not be disappointed. I guess the only answer is to book a flight and see the magic for itself; you can tell me I’m not so biased after all! Hit some of the top spots at LXFactory, Carcavelos Beach, Santos and the Time Out Market, and the Feira de Ladra flea market (just to name a few...).

Nature Walks

Rosie McKenna

Craving nature? Visit these recommended nature spots.

Whether you’re a regular nature-goer, diving into a new hobby or simply want to go on a scenic walk, here are some favourites to explore this season! Ilkey Moor.

A personal favourite, life on Ilkley Moor dates to the Early Bronze Age, approximately 1800BC. Rising in popularity in the Victorian era, Charles Darwin visited the town during in 1859. The Moors are famous for their Cow and Calf rocks (also known as Hangingstone Rocks) with wondrous stories from local legends on their history.

Crook Hall Gardens

Originally built in the 13th century, this garden is a Grade 1 listed medieval hall, with views looking over Durham city and cathedral. With a vast history, this National Trust site also has a maze, a secret garden and a second-hand bookshop so you can relax in nature with a book!

Betws-Y-Coed Bridges (and Fairy Glen!) If you’re after a leisurely walk rather than climbing Snowdonia (which I still recommend!) then Betws-Y-Coed Bridges is perfect for you! A magical spot within this walk is Fairy Glen; this is a prime spot for the history of folklore. This is a must-see spot to break from the hustle and bustle of city life, so bring a picnic and indulge in the best nature has to offer.

Catbells

A moderate walk spanning approximately 3.5 miles, Catbells is a stunning fell in the Lake District. The views at the top provide a panoramic view of the Lake District!

Ellen Pinch

From Milan to Greece

Image credit: Pixabay, Steffen Zimmermann

European Escapades

Anna Nix - Food and Drink Sub-Editor

Jessica McKeown -Film Sub-Editor

13/05/24

A goodbye from The Courier team Issue 1

THE C**TIER

There's a poem in here somewhere (Maybe even two)

R.I.P Castle Leazes (you're not gone yet but you will be)

The UK's top travel destinations (prepare to be WOWED!)

student media just a bunch of neeks who spend their time in the office and are allergic to the sun?" and arguably, yeah, we probably are a bit. You're probably also thinking, "aren't student media those people who lurk in the shadows and live stream all the stuff that happens in the SU?" and again yeah you're right tbf. But we're also just a really lovely and talented bunch who happen to also like spending a weird amount of time together. Jokes aside though, we genuinely have loved the last year. We're so proud of all we've achieved and want to show you how much fun we've all had. It's been a rollercoaster of a year, and honestly, we've slayed if I do say so myself. If you couldn't tell, WE LOVE JOURNALISM. So much so that many of us use it as a weird form of escapism from our studies.

As most of us have useless degrees like media, history and english literature, doing this enables us to form some type of skill outside of consuming copious amounts of caffeine and literally just reading stuff. We're also writing stuff now, and editing, and producing, which is pretty wicked if you ask me. Hopefully, spending time holed up in a room with only each other and an inflatable lobster for company has helped us become more well-rounded and employable.

In case you'd like to know more

about us (I'm sure you don't) I've provided a handy diagram to the right. We're simple beings really. All we need is a sausage roll or Frankie and Tony's sandwich, as well as a coffee, and we're good to go. We also would never be seen without our merch and we definitely all own Dr Martens, which probably says a lot. Anyway, enjoy the read!

Your average member of The Courier Editorial Team:

WARNING: if you control our funding, have a fear of real comedy, or aren't chronically online, don't read this. it's literal brain rot i'm afraid.

THE C**TIER

The Armstrong Staircase: not for the weak

Charlotte Burley-Hnat - Relationships Sub-Editor

In an unprecedented move to blend mundane activities with extreme sports, the Armstrong Building spiral stairs have been officially declared as the latest adrenalinepumping destination for thrill seekers. What was once a routine journey to your Tuesday seminar can now become a vertigoinducing ascent akin to scaling Everest. Here is a comprehensive guide to conquering this perilous path to the third floor… if you dare.

Gear up for success

Just like any extreme sport, having the right gear can make or break your climb. Experts now suggest that climbing shoes with extra grip are much more important than your bog-standard Mountain Warehouse hiking boots when tackling these stairs. The Armstrong spiral staircase has a reputation for attracting underprepared students; there have even been reports of people climbing it in heels.

Fitness

Climbing the Armstrong spiral staircase requires a high level of fitness. The 90-degree incline and vertigo from accidentally looking down, mixed with a nasty hangover, will more often than not lead to a serious case of dizziness and nausea.

Training like a pro

Endurance is key when beginning the ascent of the Armstrong Building spiral staircase. Each step brings you closer to exhaustion, with sweat beads forming on your forehead, your tote bag falling off your shoulder, and no end in sight. It’s important to be prepared when tackling these treacherous stairs as if you’ve

already begun your ascent, it would surely be too embarrassing to then walk to the lift on floor two and get the lift to floor three.

As the Armstrong Building spiral staircase gains cult status in the world of extreme sports, one thing is certain: this climb is not for the weak. But with this guide, and a bit of luck, you might just make it to your 9 am. Just don’t forget to stretch before attempting the descent, or, you know, take the lift like the rest of us.

Written by Laura Kasongo Arts Sub-Editor

Can we go to Spoons

Oh my god, I hate InDesign

Ur a Photoshop queen!

Ross and Rachel aren’t from friends

It’s funny that they have the same names though

Everyone luvs the

Arts

Read it and weep babes x

Big Fat British Destination Bonanza

Daisy Harrison - Head of Life & Style

If you’re looking to explore some of England’s most beautiful and lively areas, be sure to check out these must-visit travel destinations. Full of traditional English culture, these places will be top of your bucket list.

Shields Road, Byker

Instead of visiting Alnwick Castle or Bamburgh Beach on your next trip to the North East, you simply must go to beautiful Byker. Located just a few minutes’ walk away from the popular Ouseburn Valley, Shields Road is an underrated gem. Full of independent businesses, shops, and eateries, it would be a shame to miss out on visiting. It is booming with Northern culture! Name one other road that has a Morrisons at one end and an Asda superstore at the other end…

Hyde Park, Leeds

Not to be confused with Hyde Park in London, Hyde Park in Leeds is far superior. Many of the student population flock there due to the stunning scenery, gorgeous houses, and immense atmosphere. To fully soak up the vibrance of Hyde Park, it is recommended that you take a walk through the streets. Just make sure you don’t step on any of the precious local wildlife – rats!

Croydon, Greater London

As England’s capital city, a lot of people are keen to visit London: Buckingham Palace, Covent Garden, Oxford Street, The Tower of London, etc. But these tourist attractions are overhyped and overcrowded. If you’re looking to add a little bit of excitement to your trip, then look no further than Croydon. Dubbed as one of the ‘most dangerous places to live’, you’re sure to be kept on your toes during your visit!

Rotherham, South Yorkshire

Finally, no visit to England would be complete without exploring Rotherham. The market town is quintessentially British, yet lots of people make the mistake of bypassing

it when they are visiting South Yorkshire. Make sure to check out the wonders of Rotherham, whether that’s people-watching some of the charismatic locals, exploring the areas of Canklow and Moorgate, or having a pint in The Cutler’s Arms. Rotherham really is your oyster.

Happy Travels!

In Memoriam: Castle Leazes

Zahra Hanif - Lifestyle Sub-Editor

Where do I even begin?

The first time I cast eyes upon Castle Leazes was in my first year, as I gazed longingly out of my Park View window toward the grey buildings that sat opposite. Grey in colour, but never grey in spirit - even when it's turned into ashes and spread as fertiliser with the cow shit, there'll be a golden glow to its fragments. A magnetic pull tugged at my bones, wearing me down until I gave in and lead myself across the field and into Leazes for the first time. As soon as I walked through the gate, I felt weightless. It was pitch dark, yet I was seeing colours I'd never seen before. There are a hundred and seventy thousand words in the English language, but not one of them can encapsulate the beauty that lies within the walls of that place. I was mesmerised.

Of course I couldn't stay, I had to return to my own accommodation. I could try, I could download Tinder and put my distance down to 1km in

hopes of finding a lover who'd let me stay. But truthfully, the only inches I wanted were Leazes' square inches. So, every night, I'd gaze out of my window towards the fountain of endless beauty, the promised land, the righteous seventh wonder of the world, cursing myself for not placing it on my accommodation choices. How foolish I was. What a life I'd missed out on. Luck found me by my third year, as I saw an opening for a job at Leazes, which I immediately applied for. And so, for two nights a week, my fantasy was fulfilled. I wouldn't let them pay me. I had everything I wanted in the hours that they scheduled me in for, so why would I need cash? I wasn't a sell- out. As soon as I re-entered the place, I felt as light as a feather. It might have been the cigarette smoke but to me it felt like magic.

If those walls could talk they would sing. Oh, what a place. Even with insufficient heating, it had a way of making you feel warm inside. Rest in peace, Castle Leazes. I'll remember you whenever I step in cow shit. Always on my Linkedin - I mean in my heart.

Getting from the SU to USB in the most efficient manner

George Brownless - NSR Head of Tech

Being a Computer Science student, alongside my roles in Student Media, means trips between the Student’s Union and the Helix Campus are a very regular occurrence for me. I’ve got the pace to do the trip quite quickly now, but others I know within Student Media seem surprised when I turn up and say “oh yeah, I was just at Urban Sciences”. Today I’m here to prove that it really isn’t that bad, so to prove it, I stepped out from the SU, and turned right, away from Urban Sciences.

This might seem counterintuitive, surely the obvious choice is to walk in the direction of St James Park, which stands just a street away from the Urban Sciences Building, our goal. But are there better ways to go, I think there is. I continued round to walk away from the arches, down towards King’s Gate, and across, making my way to Haymarket Metro Station, before continuing straight past. Northumberland Street is the first big roadblock on this journey, due to the heavy foot traffic, and those not understanding the gravity of the situation, the marathon pace I needed to be setting to make it to Urban Sciences on time. From Northumberland Street we turn to Monument, and continue the sightseeing tour as I walk past the Theatre Royal, and down to the very bottom of Newcastle, Quayside. I’ve personally walked and cycled down Dean Street many times, but as long as your pace is controlled, you shouldn’t have

any problems at all, as tripping or crashing down here can be quite catastrophic. With the Tyne Bridge in sight, I continue beneath it, along the river up to the Millenium Bridge. Crossing over, through the various people trying to take pictures on the bridge, again, clearly not thinking about the intrepid sporting endeavour passing behind them.

Now officially in Gateshead, it was time to make a swift exit, though not wanting to retrace my steps, I continued along the footpath until I reached the Swing Bridge, crossing back to return to Quayside, both the actual Quayside and Spoons. With 35 minutes on the clock at this point, I knew I needed to up the pace. Unfortunately for me up next was my nemesis, Forth Banks. Forth Banks is a steep gradient street connecting the lowest part of Quayside, all the way up to the roads behind the Centre for Life.

A place I know well from various cycling endeavours, an absolute killer halfway through a number of my regular rides. But soon it too was summitted and joined the rest of the tarmac I had smashed in on the way to our goal.

The Centre for Life gave the most perilous moment of the trip, literally. An almost tumble on some stairs that would have rendered the entire experience pointless. After catching myself though, I quickly continued onwards to one final long straight, to mirror Northumberland Street at the beginning of this journey, St James Boulevard. Plenty of lovely trees to look at as I reflected on this journey, before turning up Wellington Street and having the Urban Sciences Building hove into view. Final time? 54 minutes. And that is how you can very simply arrive at the USB within an hour of leaving the Student’s Union.

Written by Katie Siddall Puzzles Master

These verses are an attempt to satirically discuss Gabbi's role as Student Media Officer. The idea, themes and concepts are taken from Leigh Hunt's 1814 satirical poem 'The Feast of the Poets', which discusses Romantic poets and whether they are worthy of sitting at a table with Greek God Apollo.

Apollo sits quietly to decipher her being, He dreams: Is she worthy of this ban-quet?

As newspaper editor, she runs around mad; Her name - as we know her - is Gabbi de Boer.

With every paper she appears really glad, It's a secret to no-one that we all want an encore.

Yet as newspaper editor, she is no Butpoet,recently she printed 'Sometimes'.

This delightful little lyric is her own, and she claims it; Apollo says she don't need to "bless herself out".

Writing, editing, she's done it all, Now she's the mother of 23/24 Student Media babies, Guiding each one with care through their writing phases. She welcomes everyone as Apollo should welcome her to his hall.

Zahra's Zcrumptious Znack

sure you have a

Sub-Editors: Anna Nix and Roseanna

Food and Drink

Countries to visit for the cuisine

After reading the cuisine these countries have to offer, you have to add them to your list!

Summer is fast approaching which can mean one thing - summer vacation. As many of us will plan to go on holiday, the question to ask is: Where to go? What do I want to see and do there?

And at that moment the idea of food comes to my mind. Because sure, we don't travel for the food only, but honestly, treating yourself to the amazing cuisine will put a cherry on top of the vacation and won't hurt anybody, am I right?

Italy, Italy and once more.... Italy! I know, this country can be overrated in many aspects but certainly not because of food. Pasta, pizza, desserts, gelato - all that and more, for which Italy is so famous. I don't think there is any other country whose cuisine has charmed everyone in the world, and is eaten by millions of locals and tourists. Tomato, basil, mozzarella, olive oil - so little and yet so much to make one happy. The taste of freshly made pasta is something I could never get tired of, which is the reason I am putting it in first spot.

India: The land of spices, rich colours, the smell of kari, and the sacred family recipes of how to make the most from the local resources. I have already tried some of the town centre Indian restaurants, but as many have told me, nothing compares to the joy of tasting the original fresh meals with family in India. I can't wait for the day I will be able to try it myself.

Spain Craving some paella or sangría? The mix of seafood, vegetables, wine and sun. Spanish cuisine can excite anyone with their light dishes and long

periods of lunches and dinners. The cuisine itself is simple, yet so rich and creative. The way that eating small tapas can last you the whole evening, and there is everything to offer - meat, potatoes, cake, and a lot of red wine. Spain might not live for the food, but they certainly know how to enjoy it - and you will too.

Morocco The traditional cuisine in Morocco seems a bit overlooked for absolutely no reason! For those who might only know couscous and kefta, you may miss out on the delicious combination of chicken, lamb, lentils and rich spices. All together it sounds like a wonderful experience of smell and taste in an exotic country, so sign me up, I am on my way.

How to romanticize cooking for yourself

If you need some advice on how to find joy and meaning whilst cooking for yourself.

When you connect TikTok with Greek Philosophy, you can stumble upon something pretty cool or perhaps even a bit crazy. And where does it all lead? Having fun while cooking? Maybe, and that's exactly what this article aims to explore!

Have you ever come across videos with headlines or captions like "Romanticising my life by..."? You probably have. Intentionally or not, it all starts with Greek philosophy and the beauty of idealism! Don't get bored; this is not a history lesson, I promise. But it’s actually kinda crazy how TikTok trends just appear and what they're made of. Even more interesting is what they can actually bring to our lives.

Romanticising your life, in any aspect, unveils the beauty of deepening the connection with yourself and the world around you by simply existing and being fully aware of it. No, it's

not about being romantic or expressing love to someone at all.

Romanticising involves imbuing ordinary moments or activities with meaning and joy by viewing them through a romantic lens. It's a mindset shift that changes how you perceive things. I like to call it "Living my little life" – paying attention to and finding joy in the seemingly mundane aspects of our lives. And yes, we can apply it even while cooking!

So, how can we bring the aura of romance to the kitchen? Let me share some tips with you.

TIPS AND TRICKS

1. Set the Mood: Create a cozy atmosphere in your kitchen. Light candles, play your favourite music - imagine cooking like you're in a movie, perhaps an Italian Dinner Party or with some French accordion music in the background. And don't underestimate the power of a clean workspace to help you feel better.

2. Get Comfortable: Whether it's your favourite pyjamas or a cute dress and heels, put on whatever makes you feel best and let's start cooking. Feeling confident elevates the entire cooking process, making it feel more special.

3. Go Fresh and Local: Buying seasonal and local produce helps you tune into the natural rhythms of the seasons. Plus, you'll enjoy the freshest and most flavorful ingredients while supporting your

local community and businesses.

4. Engage Your Senses: Focus on sight, smell, touch, taste, and sound. Appreciate the vibrant colours of your ingredients, the aromatic spices, the satisfying sizzle of food in the pan, and the mouth-watering flavours of your dishes.

“Romanticising your life, in any aspect, unveils the beauty of deepening the connection with yourself and the world around you."

5. Cook with Love: Approach each step of the cooking process with care and mindfulness, knowing that you're nourishing yourself and others with your culinary creations.

6. Experiment and Explore: Don't be afraid to get creative and try new recipes, flavours, and techniques. Let your imagination run wild in the kitchen; it's an opportunity for self-expression and exploration.

7. Share the Experience: Cooking together with loved ones can deepen bonds and create lasting memories. Invite them to join you in the kitchen

or share your culinary creations with friends and family.

8. Embrace Imperfection: Remember that cooking doesn't have to be perfect to be enjoyable. Embrace mistakes and imperfections as part of the learning process, and celebrate the uniqueness of each dish you create.

9. Take Time for Presentation: Plate your dishes thoughtfully, using your favourite bowls and getting creative with arranging ingredients and designing the food on your plate.

10. Savour Every Bite: Take your time to enjoy each bite of your meal, paying attention to the flavours, textures, and sensations and be fully present in the moment of eating.

IT’S ABOUT KINDNESS

Romanticising your life and kitchen experience is also about showing kindness and appreciation to yourself. Finding joy in the act of cooking and appreciating your effort. With a change in your mindset, cooking becomes not just a task but a loving and fulfilling act of selfcare.

Remember, it's about the little things. It's about living in the moment and cherishing it fully – mindfully. So, go ahead and put on that fabulous outfit or treat yourself to a little pampering before stepping into the kitchen –you deserve it!

Picnic season: tips and tricks

With summer on the horizon, now is the perfect time to take in the fresh air with a picnic.

Spring has officially sprung... the grass is greener, the lambs are baaing, and the sun is finally shining, even in Newcastle (albeit unpredictably). With brighter days ahead and summer on the horizon, now is the perfect time to enjoy the outdoors and take in the fresh air with a picnic. Here are some top tips and things to think about when planning one!

Location, location, location...

Choosing where to do your picnic might take a bit more thought than just walking down the street and finding the nearest field. Public parks are a good shout, but not the quietest or most private. Beware of uninvited guests too; though adorable, having tail-wagging furballs snatch your sandwiches perhaps isn’t the most ideal

scenario!

Scenery is always a bonus – why not set up by the beach, or in a quiet spot by a river? Newcastle has many beautiful greenspaces to offer on a quick metro journey, it just takes some exploring to find the perfect place, and that’s part of the fun! Think about what best suits the vibe you are aiming for, or the theme if you have one. My last picnic was pink themed, so I did it under a blossom tree which cemented the atmosphere.

Activities?

Food, drink and good conversation are the heart and soul of a picnic, sure, but doesn’t mean you have to stop there. Why not paint wine glasses or turn a blank canvas into a masterpiece while you nibble? Or bring a ball or a frisbee and reminisce summer PE lessons at school to let off some steam?

An activity is a great way to amplify your picnic and enjoy each other’s company.

Don’t forget your blanket!

Okay, this one might seem like common sense... something to sit on is an essential especially with the unpredictable spring weather. There is a lot of flash picnic blankets out there that are wipeable, waterproof, you name it - however, a standard

blanket or even a duvet cover will easily do the job if you’re a one-time picnic planner and don’t fancy the investment. The sun might be out but doesn’t mean the grass will be fully dry. Don’t want a soggy bottom to ruin your day, eh?

Beside the seaside, in a park, under a tree in the middle of nowhere, with lots of friends or just a small group... picnics are a great way to destress and make the most of spring. Happy picnicking!

Evie Bateson

Marketa Schulzova

Karolína Janíková

Image credit: Pixabay, AIles

Image credit: Pixabay, Mia_Tortilla, Schmidsi Flickr, adam1hamidi, Bagini

Single Review: 'Espresso'

Dan Finch

She’s the pop girl on everyone’s lips right now, fresh from recruiting Swifties on the Eras Tour and more recently gracing the Coachella main stage. And at this new career high, Sabrina Carpenter shows no signs of settling. With her latest release 'Espresso', the five-foot songstress has called dibs on song of the summer, leaving no more possibility of being overlooked. It's catchy. It’s fun. Its lyrics are just the right amount of unserious without seeming lazy. A sexy and sun-drenched music video, directed by the brilliant Dave Meyers, ticks the final box. There is no questioning why the track has immediately won over TikTok. And if like me, you have found yourself singing “I’m working laaate, ‘cause I’m a singer” in the most obnoxious voice wherever in the day possible, rest assured you are not alone. Throughout the song, Carpenter remains unapologetically conceited which makes for a playful take on the single’s theme of infatuation. Think Mariah Carey’s 'Obsessed', only more tongue-in-cheek. Whilst the single fails to deliver anything strikingly new in terms of its sound, it undeniably aligns with Carpenter’s existing catalogue. Since 2014, the former Disney star has been turning out a consistent discography of pop earworms. I would argue it is about time one truly takes off as 'Espresso' is promising too. Who else is off for a refill?

Song of the issue playlist

Poppy Bedford - Music Sub-Editor

You may have seen over the course of this year that the paper has highlighted certain songs as 'songs of the issue', here's the comprehensive list and why we chose them:

'The Dead Come Walking' by Roe Kapara

This song is fun and demonstrates Kapara's signature style which, for him as an upcoming artist, we thought people would like to hear about. 'Firework' by Katy Perry

This song is a classic banger.

'Can't catch me now' by Olivia Rodrigo

Did I ever see the new hunger games? Does it matter because the sound track was so good and certainly deserved to be mentioned.

'Murder on the Dance Floor' by Sophie Ellis-Bextor Again, another banger that was making the rounds that needed to be recognised for the fact we couldn't stop singing it; it's worth checking out the Royal Otis version as well.

'Obsessed' by Luna Day

Review - 'Older' by Lizzy McAlpine

One of our writer's looks at Lizzie McAlpine's new album...

Musical quality of the album aside, there are questions to be asked of Lizzy McAlpine’s promotional strategy for her third album, Older. The title track was designated as lead single and pushed via a performance on Jimmy Fallon’s Tonight Show but was a distinctly unexciting piano ballad. What’s more, follow up single 'Like It Tends To Do' was even sleepier, McAlpine’s mumbled singing becoming almost inaudible in places. At the time, McAlpine talked about wanting to show “the rawest and most honest version of me,” and it was easy to conclude that a mellow, introspective record was in store. A certain Taylor Swift hogging the airwaves a few weeks after Older’s release can’t have helped streaming numbers either.

The good news is that Older is far from boring. The first surprise of many comes in the deft drum fill that opens 'All Falls Down', a charming, woodwind-filled pop track with a pivot towards rock in the final third that mimics last album’s firearm, except this time the switch is executed

with much more skilful nuance. Then there’s the cinematic finish to 'I Guess', which recalls the Gen Z melodrama epitomised by Phoebe Bridgers’ classic 'Scott Street', although McAlpine’s plodding groove doesn’t get the waterworks flowing quite like Bridgers does.

“Creepy

waltz in which McAlpine gives way to a haunting muffled piano solo.”

Surprise showpiece moments aside, Older also works as a thoughtful meditation on a relationship where the love has simply run out. “What if it was all my fault?” McAlpine ponders with a stunning melodic flourish in 'Drunk, 'Running', an exquisitely pained ballad that flowers into extended orchestral outro. There’s more of that complicated feeling of guilt to be traced in 'You Forced Me To', a daring and vaguely creepy waltz in which McAlpine gives way haunting muffled piano solo. The biggest emotional sucker punch is reserved for 'March', which sees her powerfully reflect on her father’s passing (“So far away, and then it hits you / Like it was yesterday”). In the end, it’s the singles that turn out to be

Older’s weakest moments. Any listeners not put off by those teasers or not distracted by Ms. Swift

will find a mature,

Interview: Georgina Gale

Adam Tibke

- Sports Sub-Editor

Student singer-songwriter discusses her new EP Did You Run?

For most students the stress of university life is more than enough to deal with, Georgina Gale is not most students. Alongside nights out and 9ams, the second year Media student also pursues a fledgling career in music, with her debut EP, Did You Run? releasing on 10 May.

Hailing from Cumbria, Georgina didn’t come from an especially musical family, however, she was always surrounded by music, from being played music in the car to her dad taking her to local gigs. She also had great teachers who fostered her passion. When she was young, her Grampa attempted to teach her piano, a pursuit that didn’t last too long as she “wasn’t too motivated to practice as he couldn’t tell her off.” Guitar was clearly the favoured instrument, as it was something she “just picked up.”

“I’ve always enjoyed writing stories,” says Georgina, “when I got to the age where things actually started happening to me” it proved the perfect

opportunity to combine musicianship and storytelling to express things Georgina “just needed to get off [her] chest.” “It’s just a part of me, I have to do music now.”

Drawing inspiration from a wide range of influences, the alt-pop sound of Holly Humberstone is something Georgina looks to the most, alongside Manchester band Pale Waves, who she first discovered at Leeds Festival. Being around live music at a formative age played a massive part in Georgina’s musical development: the Cumbria folk scene in particular left a lasting impression. Her influences can be heard in the first single off her EP, 'Yellow Line', which was released on 5 April. A uniquely piano-driven song, 'Yellow Line' was the oldest song Georgina wrote from the EP, being released almost two years after she first composed it. “I love the concept,” says Georgina, “it reflected what I was going through at the time.”

She wanted people to hear it first as it was a song that “a lot of people can relate to […] the idea of crossing a yellow line, everybody leaves.” Symbolic of change, “train stations are a big theme of the EP,” as Georgina reflects on “moving away [and how] relationships shift and change.”

“Playing with other people gives me the biggest buzz”, she says, "we're taking it gig by gig, but it's such a good feeling."

Working with Tony was “really different to what I’d done before,” says Georgina, but “working with other people is my main motivation for music.” She enjoys bouncing off other people’s energy and ideas: something she’s now bringing to her live shows by performing with a band. “Playing with other people gives me the biggest buzz,” she says, “we’re taking it gig by gig, but it’s such a good feeling when it works.”

However, in between writing and gigging, it can be hard to find time for university work, especially when her “main way of getting money at uni is through gigs.” Although the last couple of weeks have proved particularly challenging as deadlines loom, Georgina has still managed to make the best out of a difficult situation: “there’re a few songs I’m writing at the minute that talk about trying not to get too burnt out with juggling everything.”

The struggle of balancing music and university extends to her housing situation as well, as just the other night, Georgina was “just going for it a bit more, [singing] a bit louder, until [she] heard banging on the ceiling.”

Despite the balancing act, Georgina’s university experience so far has been an overwhelmingly positive one, she claims it’s “brought the adventurous side of me out.” She loves her course – her “plan B” – and has settled in well with a “really lovely group of girlfriends.”

A song that is reminiscent of Kate Bush, the 80s vibe and Lisa Frankenstein. It couldn't be more perfect.

'Vielleicht Vielleicht' by AnnenMayKantereit

This is such a lovely song that you don't need to know the German to understand. It's simple and fun and perfect for the turn of spring.

This weeks song of the issue: 'Pink Pony Club' by Chappell Roan.

Continuing her exploration into youth and change, Georgina is most excited to share '4 in the Afternoon', the closing track of her EP. Upbeat and “a lot more light-hearted,” than some of her other songs, it was the culmination of her working relationship with her producer, Tony Brown: it captured the right mix of her own style and his style, something they’d both become accustomed to over the long process of writing and recording the EP.

The idea of change bled through into the studio as well, as Georgina was confronted with a different approach to songwriting. Normally she would “start with the title” and “just sit in a dark corner of [her] room and write,” but when it came to working with Tony, “he had already got the instrumental stuff, and then I’d write lyrics with him,” she says, joking “it was like therapy.”

The helping hand might’ve proved useful, as she admitted, “I find it really hard to write with the intention of writing,” instead preferring to allow a song to come together naturally, in its own time.

“The friendships I’ve made through uni have influenced my music,” says Georgina, “it’s really special,” that they support her and come to her gigs.

Offering some words of wisdom, Georgina implores anyone interested in pursuing music alongside university to take advantage of their local music scene. “Go to open mics and speak to people, network,” she says, “you’ll meet some really amazing people who’ll give you really good advice.” “Don’t be afraid to speak to people.”

Looking ahead, Georgina is currently writing her second EP: “the songs are maybe a little bit more mature,” she says. She’s excited to write with her band, but she’s also considering stripping things back to “just guitar and singing,” again. Furthermore, Georgina’s playing ‘A Stone’s Throw’ festival on 25 May in North Shields, a great opportunity to see local bands and musicians from across the North East. But mainly, Georgina’s looking forward to finishing her exams and going home to see her dog, Poppy.

Georgina Gale’s EP Did You Run? is out on 10 May.

Bertie Kirkwood

ImageCredit: IMDb

ImageCredit: Brian McCartney and Sapien Records

Fallout: A morbid look into a future frozen in time

Imogen Smillie

- Head of Culture

Possible spoilers ahead…

As we all know, I am not a gamer!

The closest I have gotten to playing video games is as player 2 mouse droid following my brother round on Lego Star Wars, collecting coins. So, when it came to watching Amazon Prime’s TV adaptation of Fallout, the only knowledge I had was of fallout shelters, and a blonde man in a blue jumpsuit, giving us a thumbs up!

Well, it is safe to say that this story is worth much more than that… much more!

Along the way, we see three different stories, that are intertwined in a world set 200 years in the future, after the apocalypse. We have Lucy, a vault-dweller, living happily with her whole family in Vault 32, unaware of the dangers she has been brought up in. When surface-dwellers raid their home, she goes beyond the vault to save her dad. Now we meet the surfacedwellers. Maximus is part of the Brotherhood, a sort of religious, technological army/cult. Sent on a mission as a squire, he also begins to learn more of the surface horrors. Finally, we have ghouls. Our main ‘friend’, aptly known as The Ghoul, also becomes part of this adventure

(eventually helping Lucy and Maximus). We learn along the way that ghouls are those who were on the surface 200 years previously when the atomic bomb was dropped, therefore causing the apocalypse, and allowing them to live forever. The Ghoul is on a mission to find his wife, who used to work for a fallout shelter company. Without wanting to give too much away, the least I can say is that this show is not only the best game adaptation to date, but also possibly the best TV show of the year! Filled with action, heartbreak, incredible sets, and mind-bending storylines, you become addicted from the very first second.

The themes of the show explore the dystopian genre, questioning the realities of war and the need to ‘save the world’. It also, not so subtly, explores the nature of hierarchies and power struggles within society, focussing on the overwhelming power of wealth, capitalism, and the patriarchy. So, despite having never played any of the Fallout series games, this show has changed the way we can adapt video games and still represent their deeper themes. As a warning to more sensitive watchers (such as myself), the show, I imagine much like the game, can get quite gruesome. From cannibalism, to severed heads and my favourite quote, “I’m simply going to harvest your organs”, this show is not for the faint hearted. So, get that student discount on your Amazon Prime account, and go watch this unmissable limited series. It is has been set up nicely for a second season, and you’ll want to be all caught up!

The Completely Made Up Adventures of Dick Turpin Review

Apple TV isn't my usual choice when it comes to TV shows and content, but I make an exception for Noel Fielding. Dick Turpin is an excellent comedy series, with the important historical bits in-tact, while running wild with stories that would definitely be believable if you were told them in the 1700's.

The cast has been expertly chosen. A personal favourite is Mark Heap as Turpin's dad, a butcher. I die of laughter whenever he turns up on screen. Part of this is definitely because I love his portrayal of Jim in Friday Night Dinner, but as ever he brings so much to the role. Particularly by trying to sell off his meat in almost every conversation possible. The whole show gives the spotlight to several British comedians and actors. Tamsin Greig coming in to the villain role and pulling it off excellently.

The main Essex Gang (Marc Wootton, Ellie Heat and Duayne Boachie), bounce off each other very well, particularly when they attempt to work out what to do when Turpin is out of the picture, which happens quite regularly throughout the show.

I also enjoy the continuity between the episodes. While you can definitely get away with watching episodes out of order, there is information passed between episodes,

particularly 1 and 3, and 5 and 6. It allows for the relationships between the characters to get shown off fully and effectively develop throughout the series. The villains are also well thought out in that regard, with the Syndicate, an overarching crime organisation providing the threat across most episodes, but with other incidents, involving Greg Davies and Jessica Hynes standing out away from the main syndicate plot. I must point out Connor Swindells, who plays off the arrogant, charming Tommy Silversides superbly, adding to the most enjoyable arc of the series in the final 2 episodes.

"My only personal gripe with the series is it just feels too short, and has left me wanting more, in a good way."

My only personal gripe with the series is it just feels too short, and has left me wanting more, in a good way. I'm sure the team behind it have got far more ideas than the initial 6 episodes, and the potential for more was definitely teased at the end of Episode 6. The Syndicate definitely has more plans and there is definitely more space to grow the characters in. Jonathon Wilde (Hugh Bonneville) ended the series by vowing revenge, and I'd love to see Wilde and Turpin duke it out again, across more episodes.

The Best of Fantasy TV

Kirsty Dow

Fantasy TV shows are one of the most watched genre of television, but with so many to choose from, and so many being carbon copies of each other, which ones are worth the watch?

Merlin

This BBC show aired when most of us were still in primary school, and anyone who knew me back then will know how obsessed I was!

This series is a retelling of the Arthurian legends which follows the adventures of Merlin as a young warlock in the court of Camelot, serving Prince Arthur. The young men are tied together by a long-foretold prophecy and Merlin spends his days helping his friend to achieve this future. There’s only one problem: the use of magic is outlawed in Camelot on pain of death, and Merlin is one of the most powerful sorcerers in the land. Will he always manage to save Arthur’s life whilst wrestling with this enormous secret?

Game of Thrones

You might think everyone has seen of Thrones

Adapted from the books by George R R Martin the HBO series is not for the faint of heart (but I think the world is aware of this). Set in the land of Westeros, nine high-born families fight it out for their place on the Iron Throne, deposing any and all who stand in their ways.  It’s no secret that the last few series were met with mixed reviews, but after being such a long running, well loved show, it was never

going to please everyone, so don’t let this put you off!  And when you’ve finished, the second series of The House of the Dragon (its prequel counterpart focusing on House Targaryen), will be ready and waiting.

His Dark Materials

Based on Philip Pullman's trilogy of the same name, this BBC series is more of a fantasy sci-fi and perhaps my favourite on this list. This story focuses on the character of Lyra, a young girl who lives in Jordan College in a world parallel to our own. Here, human souls manifest as animal ‘daemon’ companions who walk alongside us and when her life is thrown off course, Lyra crosses between worlds. In search of the truth about her own world, and herself, this series is both interesting, entertaining, menacing and clever.

Once Upon a Time

This American series follows all of your favourite fairytale characters reworked into ‘real life’ and living in the seaside town of Storybrooke. Banished here after the Snow White’s Evil Queen curses them with the aid of Rumplestiltskin, all the characters forget who they really are. Their memories can only be returned to them by the longlost daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming, a young woman who has lived a ‘normal’ life, called Emma. The premise may seem far-fetched but the way all of the fairy tale character’s lives are intertwined is very clever. Though there are some rogue characters, like Season Four's introduction of Frozen’s Anna and Elsa, it’s well worth a watch.

TV shows that need to make a comeback

Cory Gouley

Which series are sincerely missed on our screens?

The X Factor

This show gave us some of the best moments in television history, Ant & Seb’s mysterious girl audition, Sharon Osbourne Vs. Dannii Minogue (and everyone else) and Dawn the Jockey. The final years of its run were not as successful with forgettable winners, C List Judges and unnecessary format changes and was finally put to rest in 2019 but if it was brought back in its original form it could still be a ratings smash. Ps. Simon Cowell please don’t recruit Paula Abdul, Nicole Scherzinger or Louis Walsh as Judges again let them also rest in peace.

Top of the Pops

Where is the live music on TV now a days, that’s what I want to know. For 42 years this cheesy, robotic pop pioneering programme dominated the weekly schedules and I want it back and not just on Christmas (no offence Fearne Cotton). Just imagine Doja Cat, Dua Lipa and Sam Fender performing live on the BBC every Thursday night being introduced by Rylan and AJ Oududu, it would be gold dust! Although side not for BBC producers if they are reading this, please no Ex Love Island as presenters, many thanks.

Nighty Night

Hiya Cath! This cult classic was and still is one of the most daring, outrageous and hilarious comedy’s to ever be written. This masterpiece by the Queen of Black comedy Julia Davis aired

for just two seasons between 2004 and 2005, so really was taken from us far too soon. Although Davis has gone on to produce the painfully underrated series’ Hunderby and Sally4Ever, this remains the Jewel in her Crown and should absolutely make a comeback.

The X Files

Starting off a cult classic in 1993, this show became embedded in international pop culture. Now despite the fact that during the last two feature film reboots I was tempted to paint a room just so I could watch it dry instead, I still want to see this show make a comeback. I could see Amazon Prime or Apple TV snapping this up if it was ever pitched. Also, life is pretty dull without Gillian Anderson, Crazed Conspiracy Theorists and FBI Agents if you ask me.

Shameless (UK)

Many of you may be surprised that WallerBridge’s Fleabag isn’t on this list now I loved Fleabag as much as the next person, it was cringe, shameful and at times heartwarming but Shameless did all that first. I don’t want the US Version back but the UK version I absolutely would love to see rebooted. From Tina Malone and Maxine Peake to James McAvoy, this show had a top cast and top storylines. Raw, authentic and compulsive

George Brownless - NSR Head of Tech

Image: Source: IMDb

Image: Source: IMDb Image: Source: IMDb Image: Source: IMDb

Sub-Editors: Jessica McKeown, Olivia Carter and Ned Carter-Owen

Alex Paine

An easy to miss gem of a romantic drama. See what our writer has to say about this new flick.

Admit it - whether you hate the Star Wars sequel trilogy or love it, we all feel sorry for Daisy Ridley. The endless media storm that has surrounded those films ever since the release of Rian Johnson’s controversial middle chapter, The Last Jedi, has led to negativity and abuse being hurled at everyone involved in their production.

Say what you will about how inconsistent the trilogy was, but one of the consistent bright spots was Daisy Ridley as Rey, who always gave a great and emotionally well-rounded performance even when the scripts were letting her down.

With Sometimes I Think About Dying, she has scaled back as far as you can go. Even for a smaller romantic drama, this is really understated, and Ridley proves that she has immense versatility with her acting chops. Her lead character here, a dejected office worker called Fran, is a woman of very few words and even when she does speak, it’s only when the character absolutely has to.

Of course, you can probably tell from the title that Sometimes I Think About Dying explores themes of mental health and suicidal thoughts. Fran has no social life outside of when she has to interact with her office colleagues, and the film very cleverly uses

the awkward and cringey everyday conversations that take place in a workplace environment to show Fran’s alienation from the world and people around her.

“The film is also a lot more romantic than I was anticipating.”

The film tackles these themes expertly. It’d be easy for films like this to beat the audience over the head with Fran’s depression and her unwillingness to engage in society, but the minimal dialogue given to Ridley, and the dreamy cinematography which presents us with a lot of dark and striking imagery, already does this without needing an overlywritten speech about Fran’s woes. The film is also a lot more romantic than I was anticipating. I deliberately went into this film blind but I was expecting a moody and introspective look at mental health, one that wouldn’t necessarily be comfort viewing. However, as we get into the film it becomes a subdued but still very powerful love story between Fran and a new employee called Robert, with some simple but really pretty scenes of them bonding. The contrast between the mundanity of these scenes with the morbid fantastical imagery in Fran’s dreams makes for a romance plot that feels richer and more powerful,

Sometimes I Think About Dying: A low-key but hard-hitting romance You Know It’s No Good: Back to Black film review

Sophie

Jarvis

One of our writers takes a look at Sam Taylor-Johnson's biopic Back to Black, leaving audience's to cry no, no, no...

Amy Winehouse has joined the cast of celebrities memorialised by biopics following the release of Sam Taylor-Johnson’s musical drama Back to Black – but unfortunately, the chronicling of the iconic musician’s twenties was a losing game.

From the get-go of the biopic being greenlit, the anticipation from film buffs and Winehouse fans alike was washed with hesitance, with distaste over profiting from a young woman’s struggles that were already exploited by the press, the biopic’s release arriving not even 13 years after her death, and the production’s involvement with Mitch Winehouse, Amy’s dad, who hasn’t always had an integral past with preserving his daughter’s legacy. Finally being released in UK cinemas on the 12th April, the film expectedly received mixed reviews from critics, scoring a 45% on Rotten Tomatoes and 6.7/10 on IMDb– and unfortunately, it was a no, no, no from me.

Despite feeling as though my attitude towards the film being tainted by audience discourse and a thousand teary-eyed rewatches of Asif Kapadia’s Oscar-winning Amy (2015) rendering me disinterested in any other Amy Winehouse film, I tried my best to enter the cinema with fresh perspective and judge the film for what it truly was, but the filmmaking and the writing was poor from the very beginning. Marisa Abela’s and Jack O’Connell’s performances

and an exploration of depression that never resorts to being preachy. It’s not a perfect film. It can feel a little short for what it’s trying to accomplish, and I wish there was a longer end coda to wrap things up in a more satisfying way. However, Sometimes I Think About Dying is still a brilliant low-key drama that offers a really unique look at its subject matter, and I highly

Finished uni? What should we

Amala Parry

were each strong with Abela especially effectively capturing Winehouse’s iconic contralto vocals, and not to mention there was a scene in the film where I had a tear, but overall the 2 hour drama felt passionless and audacious.

"Skimming over the troubles she faced in tandem with her music production made for a film lacking the complexities of her."

The script is bracketed by Amy’s declaration of wanting to be remembered for being her, and with the film merely scratching the surface of the agony that she faced within her too-short career and personal life, it reads as though the film is attempting to portray her beyond her struggles– which seems fair, except it’s well-intentioned execution consequentially portrays a dishonest story. Winehouse’s cause of death is belittled to be her not having children, and the depictions of her father and Blake Fielder-Civil painted them to be all-loving voices of reason.

It’s not that I think a biopic about Amy Winehouse should only concentrate on the suffering she faced in her short life– to be honest, I was worried that the biopic would only focus on this– but skimming over the troubles she faced in

tandem with her music production made for a film lacking the complexities of her character and story. In retrospect, the scenes were forgettable and lacked research; the set didn’t reflect the 2000s landscapes but instead just felt like desolate mosaics of 2000s-style memorabilia, and the costume designs were too informed by 2020s styles and shapes. Despite her strong performance, Abela’s portrayal of Winehouse seemed too caricature rather than familiar, restricting me from being able to settle into the film and believe her character, and the conversations between characters left no room for interpretation with conversations being static, stunting the film’s depth.

Amy Winehouse’s genre-bending music and witty character continues to fulfil a legacy of a complex and truly unique musician plagued by pain in her personal life, and releasing a biopic that seemed to be indecisive of whether it wanted to focus on her music or her troubles brought about a film that severely lacked potential and didn’t do her story justice.

watch?

Finally free of your academic shackles? Consider this writer's suggested films to reward your hard work with!

After your final exam paper is finished or the last assignment is submitted, you could celebrate by watching one of these iconic feel-good classics. Get comfy and bring out the snacks, you've earned it!

1) Grease (1978)- This timeless classic, set in an American high school in the late 1950s, is the perfect film for an end-of-year celebration. Grease follows the senior year of two groups of high school students, the Pink Ladies and the T-Birds as they navigate their way through their final year. Packed full of drama, romance, 50s culture and iconic musical numbers, it has everything you could possibly want in a feel-good film. Nothing captures the feeling of freedom after that last exam or assignment like Grease's closing number 'We Go Together' (let's not mention how confused we all were when we first saw Danny and Sandy flying off in their car at the end).

2) Ladybird (2017)- Cemented as a modern classic, Greta Gerwig's solo-directional debut Ladybird is a stunning coming-of-age tale. This film perfectly conveys the mixed feelings of being a young adult, having to balance a new-found sense of independence and ambition with the unstable relationships in our lives. I believe it's a great film for an end-of-year reflection, demonstrating a raw and unfiltered reality of coming of age interweaved with moments of comedy and laughter.

3) Dead Poets Society (1989)- Including one of the best performances from one of my alltime favourite actors, Robin Williams, Dead Poets Society is another classic coming-of-age film. Despite its sad, reflective undertones and heartbreaking moments, the moral of this film is to not waste a single day and to "live deep and suck the marrow out of life." A great film to watch to motivate you if you're stuck in a rut while working through your assignments or for a film night with your friends to celebrate the end of exams!

4) Before Sunrise (1995)- Another stunning film (and another starring the talented Ethan Hawke), is the 1995 romance Before Sunrise Following the blossoming relationship between an American man and a French University student when they randomly meet on a train journey and subsequently explore Vienna together. Before Sunrise is a beautiful and authentic love story that will inspire you to take more risks and embrace the unexpected and spontaneous nature of life, which is perfect for soothing any post-exam/assignment uncertainty.

5) Stand By Me (1986)- Finally, the last film on my list is the 1986 film adaptation of Stephen King's short story The Body. This heartwarming film celebrates the importance and complexity of childhood friendships. It follows the lives of four pre-teen boys as they go on a dangerous journey to find a dead body on the outskirts of their hometown. Despite not relating to university life one bit, I believe the reflective nature of this film makes it a crucial watch for every young adult. Unwind and settle in to watch this 80s classic as a treat after long weeks of stress and hard work...

Image: Source: IMDb

Image: Source: IMDb

Travel in Cinema

To travel or not to travel? That is the question. Although the life of student is not always as free as it seems, the opportunity to travel can be found once or twice during the semester for sure. For those of you who are thinking of travelling but not quite keen to start right now - or just there is no time, it's the exam period for God's sake! - I present you a set of movies that might inspire you to travel a little bit more or show you the destinations you never thought you would dream of.

Into the Wild (2007) / Wild (2014): The number one spot and already there is a clash. The movies which ultimately raise up your dedication to travel, to experience the unknown, to get lost and gain the adventure of your life; those words I would use to describe these two similar-in-the-plot movies. Both of them follows a track of a person who ditched the manners of social pleasant life to hike with a backpack in the nature. It might not sound like a comedy but believe me - the inspiration to travel and how far is the outcome I can guarantee to you.

Vicky Christina Barcelona (2008): The enthusiasts of Spanish culture, listen! If I can tell, this movie made me think about travel to Barcelona in the first place. The adventures of two young women and the locals in one of Spain's most vibrant city and surroundings serves as a perfect inspiration. All the spots the film shows, all the food they eat, and the atmosphere itself are the invitation for you to pack the luggage, sit in the café and order una sangría, por favor.

Eat Pray Love (2010): A story of an unhappy

woman and her way of dealing with the recent events make her decide to travel the world. And when I say the world, what I mean is Italy, India and Indonesia. First, hearing those locations in that order, I thought what a perfect list to travel through. The story itself is not about the locations only, but the actions of daily life through the Italian cuisine, Indian temples and yoga or exotic beaches at Bali inspire to check the fly tickets in the minute the film is over.

Before Sunrise (1995): The notorious movie trilogy kicks of first in the Austrian capital, Vienna. For those who have never travelled by train through Austria, let me tell you one thing: you will probably never find anything as relaxing as that. The movie itself shows two strangers meeting in the city for only 24 hours before the next train departs. It doesn't sound like much time to spend, but the story proves you otherwise. The camera maps nicely all the places to see once you have the chance to visit this beautiful place, and left you with a bucket list to visit the famous cake and coffee shops on the main streets. P.S. There are two more movies with these main characters, in case you would like to watch them more.

Honorable mentions: movies that are quite alright, but their story doesn't need to fit exactly to everyone's taste. For those who would like to visit Asia, Japan specifically, Lost In Translation (2003) is perfect, and embraces the love for capital, Tokyo, in a new measure. A Good Year (2006) tells you about the beauty of French Provance area and give you the idea to move there immediately. And at the end, The Bucket List (2008) - quite different from the others in genre but I promise, nothing probably inspires you more to not waste time for travelling as this one. Happy adventures everyone!

A Goodbye from Film!

As our time as film sub-editors comes to a close, we would like to thank our writers for their dedication this year. Stay groovy! Editing for The Courier’s film section has been nothing short of amazing. Thank you to all the fantastic writers who became part of this brilliant journalist culture. Thank you too to my amazing co-editors - Jess and Liv, I couldn’t have done it without you guys! There have been so many incredible releases this uni year, but if I had to pick a favourite, it would have to be Iron Claw - that movie has still got me in a choke hold! There were so many tremendous articles this year that I could pick several as my favourites. Gun to my head, Jodie Steer’s article on book to movie adaptations not only had some great points, but made me chuckle! How can I pick a favourite memory when there’s so many that come to mind!? It was so exciting to be part of and cover the Old Oak premier at Tyneside, but I also just loved every SMA where I could talk with everyone about what I love - films! So once again thank you to everyone and keep watching movies! - Ned

I’ve had the privilege of working alongside Jess and Ned this past year, producing great spreads each week!!! It would not have been possible without our little team and I’m so grateful to have been a part of it. There have been some brilliant releases this year and there are too many films to choose from but I’d say Poor Things has been a stand out for me, providing a consistent yet eclectic aesthetic that I don’t think we’ve seen in a while. My favourite article this year I think has to be Bryony Gordon’s beautiful review of Perfect Days - I thought it was brilliantly thought-provoking, providing me with something that was so lovely to be able to edit! Once again, thank you and I can’t wait to see what next year’s film sub-editors bring to the table! - Olivia

Celebrating Godzilla: Five Essential Films

George Neal

2024 marks the 70th anniversary of the Godzilla franchise and what a colourful and endlessly changing ride it has been. Since its darker inception in 1954, various directors, suit actors and effects designers have brought their own unique talents to give the giant Japanese lizard a fresh spin in the constantly-evolving world of cinema. With the release of Godzilla Minus-One and The New Empire marking a new step forward, I thought I would spread the love of the radioactive monster by recommending five films from the franchise for any newcomers looking to give the series a try. Every era has its own style, tones, and vibrant monsters to offer. Some venture into apocalyptic stories of humans trying to survive the living metaphor of nuclear warfare, others completely diverge into the campiest, most slapstick monster movies one could imagine. With this, it is vital that you give whichever era looks most appealing to you a shot. After all, there is so much potential to give a film as long as there’s a figurehead Godzilla roaming about.

Godzilla (1954)

Having been film sub-editor for two years now, this truly feels like the end of an era for me. This year has had its highs and lows for me, lows mainly being the stresses of third year, but The Courier has consistently put a smile on my face. This year I've had two absolutely brilliant co-sub-editors in Ned and Liv and I'm so proud of this section and the fabulous spreads we put out this year. There's a few quick thank yous from me and I promise I won't be too soppy. Quickfire thank yous to Ned and Liv, our writers, our brilliant Heads of Culture Imogen and Lucy, our wider Culture family and to our editor-in-chief Gabbi. You've all been great and I can't wait to see what people get up to. Now if you know me you will not be surprised at all that my favourite movie release this academic year has been Dune 2, which I reviewed back in March. There are so many amazing articles that I loved helping edit this year but I've narrowed it down to two favourites - Anuska Banerjee's "A reel through the Toon's iconic films" and James Kellett's "The Zone of Interest: A sensory chiller". My favourite Courier memory this year is celebrating it turning the 1st of December after Fight Night in the office with James blasting the Christmas tunes at midnight. I wish everyone all the best and please add me on Letterboxd (I need film recommendations) @ jessrmckeown - Jess

The first and almost universally hailed as the best. Godzilla (or Gojira as was the original Japanese title) took cinemas by storm by bringing one of the most haunting and technologically impressive experiences fifties cinema had to offer. With Ishiro Honda behind the wheel, who would go on direct various following Godzilla films, the original was a dreary reflection of the trauma Japan suffered from the atomic bombs dropped less than a decade before. With the classic blackand-white giving a much more ominous feel, scenes where Godzilla emerges from the seas and where he breaks through power cables while being fired upon feel much more intense and akin to the horror genre than the more light-hearted Showa instalments. This is only further shown with the film’s focus on family devastation, hospital scenes with the dying, and desperate attempts from our main cast to create a weapon capable of ending the nightmare.

The characterisation of our main characters (most notably the scientist Dr Serizawa) is also some of the strongest the series has to offer, as they struggle whether or not to use something capable of ending Godzilla but which may be used for even greater destruction by humanity in the future.

The legendary suit actor Harou Nakajima would also brave the Godzilla suit for the first time, which would prove to be a famously difficult job.

With the suit weighing in at 100 kilos and with Nakajima being unable to see and constantly surrounded by pyrotechnic work, how he pulled off this movie and made it a cult classic is an achievement for the ages.

Invasion of Astro-Monster

Now onto a more light-hearted note, of Astro-Monster is probably the best monsterheavy entrée of the Showa era. With Godzilla now being portrayed as a protector of earth, this film also features the similarly heroic Rodan, as well as the evil threeheaded dragon King Ghidorah. While the three had similarly clashed in the previous film Three-Headed Monster has a more refined plot and better action. Two astronauts encounter a humanoid alien race who appear to welcome humanity, promising them the cure for cancer in exchange for Godzilla and Rodan.

After our human characters discover these visitors may have

ulterior motives for seizing Earth’s monsters, a spy-style thriller ensues as the aliens’ invasion commences. Invasion of Astro Monster is a much more sci-fi-leaning adventure, fitting in with the then-current interests of the franchise’s effectsmaster Eiji Tsuburaya. Tsuburaya had grown more fascinated by sci-fi and alien-invasion plots in the sixties, leading to his creation of his own sci-fi TV drama Ultraman a year later. This film is essentially the stylistic precursor, having Godzilla in space for the first time as well as balancing our traditional kaiju action with deceiving alien characters and some intense personal drama of our humans. This entrée is also responsible for Godzilla’s infamous celebratory jig after his first battle with Ghidorah, where our lovable lizard excitedly hops around in the air and makes it quite astounding he was a horrific sign of destruction a decade prior.

Terror

of Mechagodzilla (1975)

Another monster-clashing display, Terror of Mechagodzilla has a plot of corrupt science and disguised invaders. With a mad scientist using the seahorse-like Titanosaurus as his tool to annihilate mankind, a race of sinister aliens called the Simeon team with him to bring their Mechagodzilla invention back to life and conquer the planet together. In a similar vein to Astro-Monster, our protagonists must go on an infiltration mission to end the invasion and assist Godzilla in defeating the giants. However, personal conflicts and egos get in the way, leading to a series of explosive scenes and drama. While this film is technically a sequel to the previous year’s Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla, it is quite hilarious for how little it acknowledges its predecessor. So many characters are unable to recognise anything that occurred in the previous film it practically stands as its own story. A good story too, at that, as Terror of Mechagodzilla dons the spy thriller plot again while creatively dabbling in a bit of Frankenstein with our antagonists. Tsuburaya’s practical effects remain superb and the personalities of Mechagodzilla and Titanosaurus remain entertaining and amusing

Marketa Schulzova

Jessica McKeown, Olivia Carter and Ned Carter-Owen - Film Sub-Editors

Sub-Editors: James Kellett and Adam Lovegrove

James Kellett - Gaming Sub-Editor

Our Sub-Editor reminisces on Radiator Springs and Courier memories..

As a proclaimed ‘Disnerd’ the ability to transcend into the Disney Universe by controlling an iconic character is a feature I have always admired. Cars was my first experience with this wonderous immersion; however, I would also like to think this was the game that propelled me to where I am today, but more on that later… Cars the video game was set after the events of the film, following Lightning McQueen competing in the new racing season as he looks to win his first Piston Cup. With McQueen as the primary playable character, you control the racing superstar during his quest for glory, whilst also training around the recently reinvigorated Radiator Springs.

“It added an immersion that only enhanced my love for my favourite pixar film.”

An enjoyable factor of this game was the variation of races. Ranging from atypical 20 car Piston Cup races to checkpoint based Monster Truck modded madness, there was never a dull moment when hitting the road, regardless of asphalt or dirt.

The defining aspect of Cars was the free roaming element. Cruising around iconic locations sprinkled some Disney magic into this gaming experience, it added an immersion that only enhanced my love for my favourite Pixar film. Cars was the first video game I truly got my teeth into, and I would argue it was the cause of gaming becoming an integral part of my life.

Unusual for ‘child themed’ video games, the soundtrack for Cars was exceptional. The general soundtrack only included eight songs, but each song truly captured the essence of Cars.

“Cars

was the game that first made me appreciate the power of music within gaming.”

The songs would soar through the decades, nostalgic 50s tunes and bold noughties anthems accompanied me as I explored one of my favourite

within video games. Soundtracks on the surface are arguably secondary features, they don’t impact in game mechanics, they have no effect on servers, but we all know they are at the core of all in game experiences.

GTA V, Fallout 4, Mafia III are some of my favourite games with their soundtracks being a primary reason for this, they offer a narrative element that only immerses you more into their exhilarating maps, and I believe Cars was the game that first made me appreciate the power of music within gaming.

It was this game that ignited my love for soundtracks

Another gaming first I experienced with was… Rage. Admittedly a negative first, I distinctly recall a Piston Cup race at ‘Palm Mile Speedway’ that simply plagued my gaming ability. The game required you to finish in the top three to progress to the next Piston Cup race and in prime Arsenal Arsene Wenger fashion, with attempt after attempt, I would consistently find myself only managing to grasp fourth place. This in turn would rather frustrate me and it would also be the first of many gaming tantrums. I would eventually go onto complete all Piston Cup races, but the memories of rage vividly remain.

The reason I wanted to write about Cars is the central role it has played in my life. I played this game on a PlayStation 2 that was gifted to my dad, he was never an avid gamer so he thought it’d be

wise to pass it on to me, little did he know 18 years on I’d become a gamer nerd to the extent in which I would be writing about it on a constant basis!

As this will be my last article, I would like to extend my gratitude to a few people who have cultivated my gaming persona.

First thanks will always go out to my dad, the man who set me on my gaming path, from schooling me on FIFA 08 to disapprovals of my shouting on FIFA 15, you have always supported me no matter what and I could safely say I would not have enjoyed my time with The Courier without your help. My second shout out is for Adam Lovegrove, the man who completes the gaming section. Your help as a fellow Gaming sub-editor has been second to none and I wish you only the best going forward.

Thirdly I want to thank Jess McKeown, the mountains of gaming discussions we have had have been a joy, and we have introduced some marvellous games to each other, long may it continue!

Finally, my flat mates, Harry, Ed and Joe, reigniting my love for the Nintendo Wii has been thrilling, witnessing record breaking Mario Kart races and ‘Tiger Woodsesque’ shots on Wii Sport has always brought a smile to my face.

All that’s left from me is to say, in times of stress or in times of need, there is no harm to look to gaming, it will truly help you be freed.

Memory Card: Cars (2006) LittleBigPlanet Servers Close

Amy Mescus

The official LittleBigPlanet account recently took to social media to release an important statement regarding the LBP servers...

On 19 April 2024, a message was uploaded to the social media platform X, from the official LBP account, explaining that the LittleBigPlanet 3 servers for PS4 will be kept offline indefinitely. The announcement further clarified that "all online services including access to other players' creations for LittleBigPlanet 3 are no longer available."

The statement understandably evoked a lot of devastation and upset amongst those who still actively played the game, as well as others who simply grew up with the franchise. The outcry from fans was primarily due to the fact that LittleBigPlanet 3 online servers have been

efforts that they contributed to the game through developing their own levels, is now unretrievable and quite simply lost in the void of the LBP franchise.

“The

hurt further comes from the people's hard work and efforts that they contributed to the

game.”

The closing of the LittleBigPlanet 3 servers unfortunately concludes the online services of the LBP series completely; LittleBigPlanet 1's servers closed in May of 2021, with LittleBigPlanet 2's servers shortly following in September of the same year.

Although our favourite, customisable protagonist, Sackboy, lives on in the spin-off game, Sackboy: A Big Adventure, there were mixed opinions towards the game, and arguments that it is not as successful as the original LittleBigPlanet that people know and love, despite winning multiple awards in recent years. Whilst Sackboy: A Big Adventure is an objectively good game, it lacks the nostalgic feel of

Source: WikimediaCommons

grown so attached to. LittleBigPlanet, developed by the company Media Molecule, is a collection of games released between the late 2000s and early 2010s. The series consisted of story-led, puzzle-platform gameplay, as well as the ability for players to curate their own levels to publish for others to enjoy.

Growing up in this period of time, LittleBigPlanet allowed for people to have creative freedom, and the ability to design, quite literally, anything you could imagine. From countless cosmetic choices to obscure objects, the game included a variety of different tools for players to make their LBP experience enjoyable and personal to them. To say players took advantage of this opportunity would be an understatement, as, to-date, there are an excess of ten-million user-generated levels.

“These games were nothing short of masterpieces as gamers pushed the realms of

These games were nothing short of masterpieces as gamers pushed the realms of inventiveness, producing levels that ranged from cinematic horror games, to parkour landscapes, to intense fighting games, or just scenic pieces to allow for relaxation and to take fun pictures with friends. LBP is still widely loved across the globe with our beloved Sackboy recently being voted

“Growing up in this period of time, LittleBigPlanet allowed for people to have creative freedom.”

the 5th most iconic video game character of all time.

Fans, myself included, wish to see a LittleBigPlanet 4 in the future, in order to relive fond memories and witness

Source: Youtube: @Throneful

Source: Flickr, @rafaeldrrm

Source: Flickr, @christian zimmermann

Sub-Editors: James Kellett and Adam

The Power of Persona's Music

George Brownless - NSR Head of Tech

Let us start the game!

CONTENT WARNING: References to trauma and suicide. Story spoilers for Persona 5 Royal and Persona 5 Strikers.

Personally, I pay much more attention to music in video games than many others. It’s part of what ties the whole experience together. When done well, it can not only add intensity to some of the toughest moments games can produce, but also provide that much needed break, or a moment of calm to the player. Persona is one of those game series that time and time again absolutely nail the soundtrack, with Persona 5 Royal (P5R) and Persona 5 Strikers (P5S) being my personal favourites.

While both games do their best to show their lighter side when it’s needed, both games are able to acknowledge the mood turns, particularly when both games get particularly dark. Persona games are generally not above just dropping the deaths of characters onto the player. 'Alleycat' is a song that appears across both P5R and P5S, and represents the feeling of sadness, you always get the idea that something upsetting is about to happen, most clearly shown in P5R, as Sojiro explains Futaba’s past and the suicide of her mother. 'Alleycat' while sad, does always feel like there is a happier side to it, a hope that things are going to get better. That hope is probably best encapsulated by 'Sunset Bridge', a track that is played upon clearing the

games Palace’s (P5R) or Jails (P5S) and also whenever the player maxes out the confidant ranks with their friends, marking the conclusion to these arcs mostly filled with conflict, but also a large amount of self-discovery, and that aforementioned hope. I have to highlight Zenkichi in P5S for this one. After clearing the Jail where his own daughter is the boss, we see Zenkichi sat by her bed, comforting her, and promising that the man that killed her mother is going to get caught.

“Persona has a way of getting the exact emotional response from the player whenever they need it.”

Persona has a way of getting the exact emotional response from the player whenever they need it, but this is without even going into the battle music. P5R follows a traditional RPG style of fights, with your party and the enemies you fight launching moves in turn, whereas P5S uses the Warriors beat ‘em up style of gameplay, where everyone is fighting all at once. To compensate for this, P5R uses a much more jazzy, and slightly slower style of music for its fights, in stark contrast to the rock tunes ever present in P5S. Each game does have its own songs, but it also shares 'Last Surprise', 'Blooming Villian', 'Keeper of Lust', and 'Rivers in the Desert' across both games, each track getting the styling of the two games. All of these are worth listening to in their own right, but I want to draw attention to 'Last Surprise' in particular. Some of the battle themes, including 'Last Surprise' have vocals by Lyn, a Japanese singer, managing to sing

Diary of a Small Business Owner: Papa's Freezeria

Sam Norman - Head of Current Affairs

Local Freezeria owner

Sam Norman provides us with some tips and tricks on making it big in the industry...

Papa's Freezeria raised me. It taught me a wealth of skills from staying calm under pressure, customer service, time management to how to garnish with the BEST whipped cream.

From a young age, I have played as Alberto, one of the two options for the workers in the freezeria. The game was originally released on August 5 2011 and there are multiple platforms to play on - special shoutout to Cool Maths Games.

You can unlock a plethora of mixables and syrups, my personal favourite combination being marshmallows and chocolate syrup. There are some rogue options in there, if you have yum n m's and mint you may need a welfare check.

The whipped cream is undoubtedly the hardest part of the game. How are you meant to balance it so evenly? The sauce and cream end up all over the counter, EVERY SINGLE TIME. But, alas, these are the struggles of a small business owner.

A special mention to the sauce toppings though; nothing is better than sprinkling peanuts on your whipped cream. Now, the most important part of my work with

the songs in English, despite not speaking the language. And it has to be said, she nails them. Particularly when you’ve heard the tracks before in P5R, when you hear the guitar or drums start in P5S you know exactly what’s coming. The first time P5S‘ version of 'Last Surprise' started playing, my smile just grew and grew, it did not disappoint. Overall though, P5S is home to two of my alltime favourite video game songs. 'Daredevil' and 'Counter Strike'. Both come with lyrics again from Lyn, and both come at some of the most intense moments of the game. 'Daredevil', plays when you’re carrying out the final infiltration to get access to the boss fight, and it contains probably my favourite guitar solo of all time, you’ll know it when it hits if you give it a listen, its that good. Timing an All-Out Attack to Lyn’s battlecry in the song is also up there with one of my favourite moments across the series. 'Counter Strike' is one of the endgame boss themes. Energetic, determined and provides the backing track to possibly the coldest video game moment of all time, watching the villain walk from the wreckage of his flaming mech. Persona can be a very difficult game series to get into. The games are very long, and mentally they can take a lot out of you, they pull absolutely no punches with the story. However, the music is a constant throughout, helping you to process the emotions,

Mission Complete for Adam and James!

Lovegrove and James Kellett - Gaming Sub-Editors

Papa's Freezeria... the customers. I've made lifelong friends with some of my customers, special mentions to Lisa and Utah who you unlock early in the game, but are solid allies throughout. Utah, I will always make sure your large cup strawberries with pink lemonade syrup, on regular blend, with whipped cream, sugarplum topping, wildberry derps and three cherries is always IMPECCABLE.

Now, there is one of the customers who must be addressed... the almighty Gremmie. When Gremmie comes in for his nutty butter cups large cup, you know it's over and your tip isn't good. Gremmie is one of the closers, who appears at the end of the day and uses a different grading system than regular customers. So despite being unbearable and wanting to sabotage their drink, the review matters all that more.

Is it wrong to say Freezeria raised me?

Maybe. But the skills I have learnt in a small business still translate to my everyday life. I would not be the man I am today without the hustle I put in that freezeria.

Now... can someone explain to me what the freezeria actually sells?

It's time for us to move on to the next level...

The clock hand approaches midnight on our time as Gaming sub-editors, and it's been an absolute blast ever since we dropped in eight months ago. It must be said we entered this role as beginners, but we can safely say we leave with invaluable 'XPerience'.

We understood bringing back the Gaming section would be no easy task, but this was a challenge the both of us were eager to face head on.

Gaming has always thrived on working as a community, and we would both like to thank each and every one of you for your input this year. Whether you have written, read or simply even pitched an idea, Gaming would not have been the same without you! However we know for a fact Gaming would not be what it is without these MVP's!

Our Editor-in-Chief, Gabbi de Boer has been a true squad leader this year. The decision to bring back Gaming was truly a masterstroke and we are both indebted to the opprtunities you have given us. Secondly, our Heads of Culture, Imogen Smillie and Lucy Bower.

Starting this role not knowing how to Photoshop a basic image, thse two remarkable people have offered constant support and advice to help us fulfil our potential. You have shown patience and sympathy during our rants at InDesign and for this we cannot thank you

Lastly, for our largest contributor of the year, The Bullet Bill of the Gaming section, George Brownless, your articles have been Your passion for Gaming is second to none, and your expertise and ideas have only benefited this

We sincerely hope you continue this passion, and continue to put smiles on the faces of readers and gamers

It's time for us to move onto the next step for us now, with James heading off to News Associates following his final year. We will pass the controller onto whichever lucky players take the helm of this wonderful section. We're not saying it's Game Over, it's simply time for an update! So for the last time, thanks to all of you who helped make Gaming so special this year. It's been a pleasure writing and editing articles for you all, and we hope that you've all enjoyed this year as much as we

Source: IMDB

Adam

Sub-Editors: Sarah Tunstall and Laura Kasongo

And it's a goodbye from us...

Sarah Tunstall, Laura Kasongo - Arts Sub-Editors

'Art is the means to live through the making of a thing'.

For this final issue, we wanted to share with you all how much we have enjoyed being your Arts subeditors this year and what creative expression means to us.

Sarah

Hello lovely arts writers and readers! It’s the end of another academic year and for me and Laura, end of an era at university. There’s a lot I would like to say in this little corner of the page, so I’ll try to keep it short. It’s the end of my second year being arts subeditor and, once again, I have loved every minute of it. I have always loved the arts.

“The only object I had for this role was putting arts up front and centre, where she deserves to be.”

Having a creative input has quite literally saved me a lot from exterior pressures and I love sharing this headspace with people alike.

The only object I had for this role was putting arts up front and centre, where she deserves to be. With all of you and Laura, we have! Speaking of Laura. I don’t even know where to start. I’ve never felt more confident in this role until Laura came along. They are so light and encouraging for the Editorial team that having the chance to work alongside them all year has been an honour. I know my third year would not have been as gorgeous as it was if Laura wasn’t by my side. I am also happy to have someone that hates InDesign as much as me! I will miss being a sub-editor for the Arts, but I have loved every second of it. This team, Laura, and all of you will be things I talk about for years.

Laura

It took a while for me to admit and commit to being a writer, let alone a poet. I always had this belief that the only way I could help people was by being a doctor or a lawyer; that my notebook scribbles or notes app entries were just something for me. When I won runner-up for our poem box last year, as a fledgling Courier writer, I felt recognised. I had long-since given up on a traditional profession already by studying Creative Writing at university, but being seen by Sarah and the rest of the paper opened my eyes to what student media can offer to the Arts community. I’ll never forget when I found out I was going to be an Arts sub-editor alongside them this year and they texted ‘We’re going to make people care about the Arts again’. I’d like to think we’ve done just that. Our writers have been super enthusiastic and we’ve kept you updated on North-East happenings in every issue.

The Arts is so many things to me: it’s literature, it’s painting, it’s sculpture, it’s dance, it’s theatre,

it’s spoken word. But most importantly – it’s expression. The Arts help people in more ways than I could have ever imagined and I’m honoured to have shared this space with Sarah to spread the word.

All together now

Victor Shklovsky said that ‘Art is the means to live through the making of a thing’ and we couldn’t agree more. We hope to have inspired you all get involved in the vibrant Arts scene we have in Tyne and Wear or at least to give it the love it deserves. Thank you!

Fine Art Degree Showcase 2024:

Sculpting

the future of self-expression this summer!

Phoebe Clark

The next David Hockney may be amongst us...

As the end of the academic year is in sight, excitement and tension builds within the art school in anticipation of the final year student’s degree show, the major event in the life of an art student. It's a culmination of the experimentation, playfulness, and interrogation of their individual art practices through four years of study and is shown to the public in not one, but two exhibitions for the graduating class of 2024.

Previewing on the 24th May, the exhibition in Newcastle expands into every crevice of the King Edward VII building, occupying studio and gallery space alike in a grand celebration of the time spent in the Fine Art building.

The second takes place in The Truman Brewery in London, a space in the heart of Brick Lane, with a preview on the 20th of June. This is an opportunity for them to introduce their artwork and their voices to a new audience.

“A culmination of the experimentation, playfulness and interrogation of their individual art practices.”

The work in the exhibition is as unique as the artists themselves, as the show traverses a diverse range of styles, mediums, and concepts. From painting, printmaking, and sculpture to installation and video art; their talent and innovation are on

full display. As students who faced the challenges of the pandemic and ongoing global issues of the climate, conflicts, and injustice, the degree show reflects the impact of our current atmosphere. Themes of loss, nostalgia, and displaced emotions can be traced through some pieces. Artists such as Melanie Colby, Aida Verala Berga, and Annie Weatherly grapple with the outside world by examining their inner experiences.

“Students who faced the challenges of the pandemic and ongoing global issues.”

Others such as Joseph Brady, Kub Bradley, and Manako Maddison investigate the relationship that we have with nature; how our interactions are shaped by the urban landscape, our bodies, and how we satisfy ourselves. In a world obsessed with identity politics and the female body, Maddie Fox, Meghan Nolan, and Phoebe Scott explore the subtleties of the feminine experience. The complexities of intimacy, queerness, and self-esteem are intricately explored through the female body, a site of such debate, imbuing the artwork with an embodied nuance. The degree show is a chance to celebrate the processes, ideas, and artistic practices that the students have refined while at art school, and the work certainly doesn’t disappoint!

“From cardinal red bunnies in a cage to a colossal fly big enough to make a giant scream.”

From cardinal red bunnies in a cage to a colossal fly big enough to make a giant scream and ghostly wax headstones, this exhibition is a must-see event

of the year. On the cusp of leaving the framework of university, this show is an exciting opportunity to see the artists of the future ‘before they got big’ as they firmly cement themselves as formidable forces to be reckoned with, ahead of entering the art world.

Image Credit: Newcastle University Fine Art, Katherine Hunter, Annie Weatherly, Joe Brady, Phoebe Scott, Melanie Colbey

Image: Source @thecourieronline on Instagram

The

What's gannin' on...

13-16 MAY.

13 - 'An Officer and a Gentleman' starts @ Theatre Royal Imogen's Bday ! 14 - Yellow Lines poetry @ The Ticket Office Poetry in the North @ Estate Tea Co. History of Studio Ghibli @ The Grove 16 - The Incarcerations: Alpha Shah in conversation with Preti Taneja @ Culture Lab

'When You Were Me': Curious Arts' latest Queer heritage project

Anew heritage project for LGBTQIA+ 18–25-year-olds, ‘When You Were Me’, aims to bring together different generations of LGBTQIA+ people based in Newcastle. In creating a digital mural and map of the LGBTQIA+ community’s culture, Curious Arts encourages those involved in the project to reflect on the city’s LGBTQIA+ history through film, art, theatre, and music, and envision a future where LGBTQIA+ heritage is celebrated.

‘When You Were Me’ launches on 25th May at Newcastle Theatre Royal, 5:30-7:30 pm, and runs until July.

This exciting project takes place in multiple venues and locations across the city centre, with several opportunities to get involved. Meet artists and historians, and partake in creative workshops, all whilst learning about and celebrating Newcastle’s LGBTQIA+ history.

The first event for ‘When You Were Me’ takes place on Saturday 4 May, with a walking, mapping, and talking tour from 3:30-6:30 pm. Beginning at the Great North Museum: Hancock, journey through Newcastle City Centre with ‘When You Were Me’ and uncover the city centre’s LGBTQIA+ heritage. The tour finishes at the Magic Hat Café, with an opportunity to share food and stories. Taking part is free, with tickets/sign-up available on Eventbrite. To find out more information, email

“Curious Arts is a charity that works to promote and develop LGBTQIA+ art, artists and communities across the NE.”

izaak@curiousarts.org.uk

Curious Arts is a charity that works to promote and develop LGBTQIA+ arts, artists, and communities across the Northeast. Since they became a registered charity in 2022, Curious Arts has quickly grown in scale. The charity’s initiatives aim to champion North-eastern LGBTQIA+ culture, increasing opportunities for the community as both artists and audiences. Through bespoke projects, Curious Arts advocates for the Queer arts sector and promotes the visibility of the North East’s LGBTQIA+ Culture.

'When You Were Me’ is funded by Historic England’s History in the Making grant programme. The programme was launched to encourage young people to “engage with and celebrate their local heritage”.

This Curious Arts project is also supported by Theatre Royal, Lit and Phil, One Strawberry Lane, and Discovery Museum.

Additionally, Curious Arts raises funds and promotes the Queer arts sector through their online shop, where they sell postcard prints, posters, and stickers, that are predominantly designed by

members of the LGBTQIA+ community based in Newcastle.

If you would like to support Curious Arts, you can donate or purchase a membership through their Instagram page (@curious_arts) or their website: https://curiousarts.org.uk Sub-Editors:

17-18 MAY.

THE LATE SHOWS:

17 - 'YEOWCH!' @ Cobalt Studios

19-24 MAY.

Credit:Jacqui Jobson

source: Curious Arts

Credit: Pixabay

Issue 1455 Answers

Crossword

Down

1. Text abbrievation, often followed by a thumbs up (2)

2. A kind of fungi that’s usually black or green, referred to lovingly as my fifth flatmate (5)

4. Sunday, day of (4)

5. Blue hair, yellow coat, buttons for eyes (8)

6. The ten digits you have that can wiggle (4)

8. Breathable fabric, often see-through (4)

9. John Krasinki and Emily Blunt star in a movie about a place that’s _____ (5)

11. Abbreviation for the chief of this paper (3)

13. Abbrievation for a charitable organisation, not affiliated with any government (3)

14. Dungarees, yellow shirt, and goggles (6)

16. Nutrient source, can be served runny or firm (4)

18. “Arthur” character, redeemed bully (5)

19. Subject of speleology studies in the singular form (4)

21. Julie Andrews names this female animal (3)

By Zahra Hanif, LifeStyle sub-editor

8. 1760 yards is a (4)

9. An abbreviation – either it’s time for questions or you look

(2) 10. The Glasshouse’s former name (4)

12. A __________ accent deems

the speaker less intelligent than if they were to stay silent, according to a study (10)

15. It has a river, a bar, and a tunnel, all local to Newcastle (4)

17. Evil, unattractive spirits common in folklore (6)

20. Antromorphic bear with a criminal history (10)

22. Your personal opposition (5)

Connections

Instructions

By Sam Norman, Head of Current Affairs

Match combinations of four words to create connections based on

- Medium salad bar (Morrisons) - Pineapple - Strawberry Volvic

Smoothie

CATEGORIES:

Use this space to guess the

What can Mackems expect from Paul Heckingbottom?

Dylan Seymour

The ex-Sheffield United manager has been heavily linked with the Black Cats managerial role in recent weeks.

With ex-QPR and Rangers manager Mick Beale’s awful tenure as Sunderland manager coming to an end after just 12 games, one question has been on the mind of every fan at the Stadium of Light: “Who’s next?”

One of the names linked to the job is that of Paul Heckingbottom, a name familiar to my fellow Sheffield United fans, with the 46-year-old having guided the blades to the Premier League last season. So, allow me to lend any Mackems reading some wisdom about the man who may well take the reins next season.

Youth Development

Having worked as under-23s manager at Sheffield United before taking the top job after Slavisa Jovanović’s sacking, Paul Heckingbottom is no stranger to working with youngsters. Notable youth players handed their debuts under ‘Hecky’ include Iliman Ndiaye, who later moved to Marseille for a reported €18 million and Oliver Arblaster, who recently captained Sheffield United at Old Trafford aged just 20. As a Sheffield United fan myself, I can personally say that Ndiaye is the best I have ever seen don the red and white, whereas Oliver Arblaster is making a late push for

United’s player of the season, despite having spent half of it on loan at Port Vale.

Sunderland’s squad is one of the youngest in the Championship, with Jobe Bellingham and Chris Rigg making regular appearances at just 18 and 16 respectively. Therefore, I am confident that Paul Heckingbottom is one of the best managers in the country to take advantage of the goldmine of young talent on Wearside.

Tactical Setup

Paul Heckingbottom scrapped Jovanović’s back four as soon as he became Sheffield United’s manager in the winter of 2021, setting up in a more familiar 3-5-2 formation for the majority of his games in charge at Bramall Lane. This approach made full use of the creative quality of defenders such as Anel Ahmedhodzic, with 40 goal contributions across all competitions coming from the United backline in 2022/23.

Perhaps the best goal to analyse Hecky’s way of playing actually came against Sunderland at Bramall Lane, with defender assisting defender from open play as the aforementioned Ahmedhodzic squared the ball to leftback Max Lowe to put United 2-0 up on the night.

Among the many admittedly terrible

4 of which coming in a 5-2 thrashing of Burnley at Bramall Lane. Sunderland are a side that have dropped too many points because of set-piece weakness, for example in the 1-0 away loss to Huddersfield, so Heckingbottom may well improve this shortcoming. Hecky is a hardworking man, espousing his identity in his first training session as Sheffield United manager: “if we lose the f*****g ball we win it back”. He demands effort from his players, and no identity could match the spirit of Wearside better.

Ill-fated spells at Hibs and Leeds may stifle any excitement around Heckingbottom. Indeed, his Sheffield United side this season was painful to watch at times. However, I am confident that Hecky is the right man for the Sunderland job. Having played for the likes of Darlington, Gateshead and even Sunderland themselves, Hecky knows the North-East well, and his tactical setup may fill many of the gaps that look to have cost the black cats a shot at the Playoffs this season.

When it comes to taking over after failed managers and leading a team to greatness, this is not his first rodeo. Slavisa Jovanović’s Sheffield United was one of the worst sides I have watched since the days of Nigel Adkins, and one man turned that around to lead us to Promotion: Paul Heckingbottom.

Gateshead F.C. blocked from National League promotion playoffs after Gateshead Council refuse stadium security

Oscar Jenkins

Gateshead Football Club will not be permitted to partake in the National League play-offs after finishing 6th in the league this season, 6 points inside the playoff positions. The English Football

The Heed which included 22 wins, celebrations were short-lived after the EFL announced that the club would be barred from competing in upcoming National League play-off matches. The decision was made by the ruling body on the basis that Gateshead F.C. were unable to secure a 10-year lease for their ground, the International Stadium.

In order to be a member of the EFL a club must have a “10-year security of

stability across England’s top-four leagues. Due to disputes amongst the council, the Tynesiders were unable to meet the security of tenure requirement and therefore, their application to join the EFL was denied. This was appealed by the club and has since been denied again by an independent arbitrator.

Gateshead were fixtured to play Solihull Moors in eliminator on April 23rd. This has now been cancelled

“The EFL described the situation as 'avoiadable' and 'highly disappointing.'"

Reactions to the EFL’s decision have been vocal in opposition. Gateshead fans staged a protest outside of the

fan and host of The Heed Army podcast said when interviewed by ITV that he feels as if the EFL have told Gateshead F.C., “this is your glass ceiling – you can’t go any further forward”.

The EFL have described the situation as “avoidable” and “highly disappointing”.

Gateshead fans are now left without the prospect of any more

Sub-Editors: Mitchell Hall, Castor Chan, Dan Balliston, Sophie McMillan and Adam Tibke

Image credit: Flickr (dkodigital)

Image credit: Flickr (Diego Sideburns)

Athletics champs to win cash

Adam Lovegrove - Gaming Sub-Editor

In a shock move, World Athletics have announced that they will be awarding a prize sum of $50,000 to gold medalist athletes at the Olympic Games this year, dividing a $2.4m prize pot amongst 48 events. This will make athletics the first-ever Olympic category with prize money for competitors.

It’s a move that draws attention to the fact that in the 128 years the Olympic Games have been held, not once have the athletes who make the events so entertaining been rewarded for their efforts by the organisation. The decision has undoubtedly ruffled the feathers of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), with President Thomas Bach distancing himself from the decision. Numerous other governing bodies chimed in, such as the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations, who claim it “undermines the values of Olympism.”

To me, the concept that athletes should compete out of pure passion for their sport without any financial incentive is a nearobsolete one, particularly with an increasing number of competitors receiving sponsorship deals and endorsments. We’ve also seen athletes receive financial rewards from their national sporting bodies at the Olympics, with the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee offering monetary wards worth tens of thousands to all gold, silver, and bronze medalists at games. And a number of Asian countries including Singapore, Taiwan, and Hong Kong see heavy government involvement in these, with increasing incentives of close to $750,000 in value.

Backlash has been seen from other sports, too, with the president of the International Gymnastics Federation Morinari Watanabe stating that they will not be offering cash incentives to gymnasts at any point. Five-time rowing gold medalist Sir Steve Redgrave has also expressed his disapproval, suggesting that the money instead be used “to be helping more of the grassroots of their own sports” or for less elite sports like rowing that can’t afford to offer these same rewards.

What we can hope for, however, is that the World Athletics’ move can spearhead a campaign to provide these same opportunities to other Olympic sports through alternative funds, whether that be through the IOC or support from the more popular sports as Steve Redgrave suggested. Either way, this decision is one that rightfully acknowledges that athletes are what make the Olympics truly special, and their value should be recognised as such. The hunt for gold and glory remains their main motivation, but a little extra cash in their pockets seems more than fair in my eyes.

Disco Inferno: Dance Club exec on preparing for the final show of the year

Dan Finch

What better way to show off why you are the Athletic Union's 2023-34 Club of the Year?

As the academic year nears its end, Newcastle University Dance Club members are gearing up for their annual showcase taking place on Friday 10th and Saturday 11th May. 240 dancers will be taking to the Northern Stage Theatre over the weekend to display their weekly rehearsal efforts in the show, this year titled Disco Inferno.

Consisting of 40 dances in total, spectators can expect to see all the styles Dance Club offers: jazz, ballet, tap, contemporary, musical theatre, and street. The show will also include routines taken up and down the country as part of this year's competition season, in which the club brought home an impressive 25 trophies.

Show Coordinator, Heather Woodhouse, and Club President, Gabrielle Joyce, filled me in on all things Disco Inferno, the work that has gone into each routine, and most importantly, why tickets are impossible to miss.

What can people expect from Disco Inferno?

H: Disco Inferno is jam-packed with a huge range of incredible dances. From ballet to musical theatre, you can be

expect to be entertained all evening!

Who choreographs the dances in the show?

G: All of our dances are choreographed by us, the students! We are a 100% studentrun club which means all our teachers, choreographers and members are at the university.

Can you describe your role as Show Coordinator?

H: My role has involved absolutely everything surrounding the show: theme, art, promo, rehearsals, running order - the list feels endless at the moment but I know it's going to be so worth it on show weekend.

How long has the show been in the works?

G: The show has been in the works for a year now as we planned it and booked the venue last summer! However, classes and choreography started after the Christmas break. As for promotion and

planning, these have been in the works constantly.

How have rehearsals been going?

H: Rehearsals have been going smoothly so far. All the dances are finished so we've been working on cleanliness and performance so we are almost stage-ready!

What atmosphere are you hoping for on the weekend?

G: We are hoping for a lively and supportive crowd. We hope everyone’s friends, family, and housemates have a great evening cheering on their friends and loving the disco vibes!

What dances are you personally most excited to see?

H: I teach musical theatre, so I'm very excited to see how that turns out - it best look good. Outside of that, I'm looking forward to seeing

intermediate tap and jazz, as well as advanced tap show dances at our dress run as they all have super fun songs. Another reason to come watch!

“The show will consist of over 40 dances, including street and jazz.”

What else has Dance Club been up to this year?

G: The club has been up to lots of things. We have recently been awarded ‘Club of the Year’ by the university’s Athletics Union. We also raised over £2700 for charity, organised and hosted our own competition here on campus, and hosted weekly classes and fundraising events all year round. Our biggest fundraising event was definitely our Strictly Come Dancing spin-off, ‘Newcastle Come Dancing’.

Why should people buy their tickets?

H: Come see Disco Inferno, it is something different to do with your Friday night after a long day at the library. Spoons again? I don't think so. You'll see award-winning dances that have placed first across the country whilst having the best time.

G: People should buy their tickets to come and see how great we are and what Newcastle Dance Club is all about. Whether you are an interested dancer or just wanting a good night, come and give our show a watch!

Something old, something new, nothing borrowed, and Ferrari turns blue?

George Brownless - NSR Head of Tech

Any bets on what colour the team will try to incorporate next?

Ferrari have announced a title sponsoring partnership with tech giant HP (Hewlett Packard), worth up to potentially 66% of the yearly budget cap imposed on the teams in the sport. From the Miami Grand Prix onwards, they will be known as Scuderia Ferrari HP, not just Scuderia Ferrari. It is the first time since 2021, when they were sponsored by Mission Winnow.

HP currently have a presence on the grid already through Mercedes, but that is with Hewlett Packard Enterprises, whereas Ferrari has partnered closely with the consumer side of the business. That has already led to some blue being revealed to be added to the driver race suits and the car. However, it just doesn’t look good. There is too much of a contrast in colours, and while the need to give your title sponsor a prominent space on the car is important, there are ways it could have been done more tastefully. As was seen with the green added for Mission Winnow back in 2021, which

still didn’t blend in well, Ferrari haven’t learned how to put such a strikingly different colour onto their car.

“While giving your title sponsor prominent space is important, there are ways it could have been done more tastefully.”

However at Miami, the team in red is set for far much more blue, as they look to the past once more to remember the Ferrari cars of 1964. Back then, teams raced in colours according to the countries, such as the British teams using green, or Italian teams,

homologate GT cars for racing, after supposedly Ferrari had tried to get away with having not enough cars built by cleverly moving around the factory. When the ACI didn't back Ferrari up, Enzo handed in his competitors license and proclaimed they'd never race in red again. Instead, for the remaining races of 1964 in the US, Ferrari raced under NART (North American Racing Team), and so competed in the blue and white colours that the USA cars used.

For the 2024 Miami Grand Prix, the team teased a return to the blue and white of old, with full blue race suits and merchandise to match. Unfortunately though, their livery leaves much to be desired. The race suits definitely gave fans the idea that they might go full blue for one race, but what we got instead is blue highlights,

“Their logo over the engine cover and airbox fails to blend in to the rest of the Ferrari red adorning the car.”

with HP. Their logo takes prominent place over the engine cover and airbox at the rear of the car, but again, fails to blend in to the rest of the Ferrari red adorning the car. Hopefully, Ferrari eventually realise that the red and the blue clash too heavily, and move to a white logo for HP, to match those of others on the car.

Image credit: Wikimedia Commons (Lukas Raich)

Image credit: Pexels (Anna Tarazevich)

Athletic Union celebrates a successful year in style at annual awards night

Arthur Ferridge - Head of Sport

Another year of Newcastle University sport has come to an end, capped by the customary celebrations of the annual AU Ball, held this year at the Fed. Attended by 700 student athletes and administrators, the event celebrates Team Newcastle’s achievements both on and off the pitch over wine and a three course meal.

Spirits were high as AU Officer Kimiko Cheng took the stage to commence the awards. In her opening address, she told the crowd that “I want to thank all 65 clubs for your hard work this year, it has been a pleasure getting to know you and seeing you flourish. I’m so proud of what you have achieved this year.”

She stated that the year had featured too many highlights to list but emphasized her pride at the creation of three new clubs, a seventh-place finish in BUCS standings, and a decisive Varsity victory, before handing the microphone to AU Officer-Elect Alex Duggan to present the evening’s awards.

The first award was ‘Administrator of the Year,’ awarded to Natalia Ochodzka, Volleyball Club’s treasurer. She made an impression in the 2023/24 season by organizing the club’s Give It a Go sessions, while organizing team travel, kit, and charity events, and even helping to create a new men’s development squad, rewrite club policies with a focus on inclusivity, and, play volleyball.

Second on the bill was ‘Contribution to Sports Coverage and Promotion,’ won by Maria Pace, TikTok admin

for Women’s Rugby. The award brief calls for ‘a student who aims to widen participation, engagement, and pride in Team Newcastle,’ and Pace has done exactly that, garnering 1125 followers, 37,300 likes, and hundreds of thousands of views on the team's TikTok, creating a bond not just between NUWRFC players, but also with their opponents.

‘Contribution to Inclusivity’ was contested by just two clubs, Caving Club and Pole & Aerial Club, with the latter winning, in the words of Welfare Officer Lucy Leeds, for “[demonstrating] an unwavering commitment to breaking down barriers and creating opportunities for individuals of all

backgrounds, abilities, and identities.”

Also cited were the club’s quiet classes, sober socials, welfare-focused events, and a markedly supportive committee.

“I think [Pole] is often overlooked, but we try to make such a positive impact on sport,” said Secretary Lydia Bond. Dance Club picked up its first award of the evening in the ‘Individual Contribution to University Sport’ category, awarded to president Gabby Joyce, who has coached two competition teams in 2023/24, an “absolutely unheard of” feat. Joyce also achieved the gold ‘Earn Your Stripes’ award, the highest level of inclusivity training available to Newcastle athletes.

As an advanced dancer, accomplished coach, and meticulous organizer, Joyce has overseen an incredibly successful year with Dance Club.

‘Club Coach of the Year’ was awarded to Swimming Club’s Lucy Clifford, who has revolutionized Club fortunes in her time as women’s captain, a role she achieved in just her second year on the team. Under her leadership, training attendance, competition performance, and team morale have been revolutionized, as evidenced by a dominant Varsity showing.

Royals go pro: Fearn commits to Doncaster while

Tiffen resigns with Falcons following injury hiatus

Ollie Withers - Travel Sub-Editor

Newcastle University

Rugby Football Club are set to share their Director of Rugby Darren Fearn, who has made the transition to Doncaster Knights in the RFU Championship. Doncaster, who sit at 5th in the second division of English rugby, have appointed Fearn as their new forwards coach following the surprise exit of Doncaster director Steve Boden, a decision which has “sent shockwaves” through the Championship. Lions legend Sir Ian McGeechan has taken over the vacancy left by Boden, and in a bid to revitalise the Knight’s pack, has appointed Fearne to replace the gap Boden’s absence created 35-year-old Fearn played top-flight rugby at prop forward for seven years, with stints at Newcastle, Saracens and Sale. Having started his coaching career at Northumbria, he made the jump from poly to posh in October 2019. Newcastle have gone from strength to strength under his guidance, with the Men’s 1st XV making it to the final playoffs for the Super BUCS League earlier this month where they lost out to a strong Swansea side. The women’s team has also thrived, now being able to field three competitive

and strong starting fifteens. Fearn also heads up the England Students setup, with no word of whether this will continue alongside his Doncaster duties.

While Fearn will remain as Newcastle's Director of Rugby, he looks forward to what he can add at Doncaster. Citing his Yorkshire roots, he said in the Knights' announcement, "It’s a great opportunity, the people involved, their rugby philosophy and what they’re about as a crew is exciting. As a coach who is aspirational and constantly wants to get better this

Newcastle Falcons back-rower and Newcastle University alumnus Marcus Tiffen has signed a 2-year contract extension with the option of a third additional season.

Having impressed in his nine first team appearances, scoring two tries, the local club have seen fit to reward him with

University aged 17 to read maths, having finished his A-Levels a year early, he joined the Falcons Senior academy in the summer of 2021 and after featuring in the Falcons’ game against England Under-20s in the spring, helping Newcastle to a 43-22 victory.

Having started at Newcastle

In a statement released alongside the contract announcement, Head of Academy James Ponton said: “We’re really pleased to have signed up another local lad who has come through our academy, pushing him towards our senior squad. He’s with us full time now, but it’s been a great effort for him finishing his maths degree while playing professional rugby.”

Capable of playing at 6 or 7 in the back row, Tiffen unfortunately suffered an ankle injury which required surgery that has sidelined him for most of the current Premiership season, but the extension is a message of commitment from the club that they have plans for him to be a regular starter. Ponton continued, " Tiff brings a great attitude and a super skill set. He works hard... and I’m looking forward to seeing him really push on now."

Speaking about the injury and his hopes for this contract, Tiffen commented, "I injured my ankle in November and had surgery so it hasn’t been the year I would have wanted, but I’m back for this week and available for selection. The long-term goal is to try and make a name for myself and be part of that senior 23 week in, week out, but I know we’ve got great competition here and those things have to be earned."

this will be the

we put together before

on to

Our numbers are up on the subs board, full time is fast approaching.

As we prepare to hang up our metaphorical boots, we the editors wanted to reminisce on the year just gone. With your help we have told some great stories, from uni football's historic FA Vase campaign to rugby players turning professional, not to mention Varsity. We want to say thank you to all the writers who contributed for us this year. So, with that, it is goodbye from Arthur Ferridge, Mitchell Hall, Castor

Sophie

and

Sub-Editors: Mitchell Hall, Castor Chan, Dan Balliston, Sophie McMillan and Adam Tibke

Chan,

McMillan, Adam Tibke,

Dan Balliston.

Image credit: Chris Bishop

Image credit: Chris Lishman

Image credit: Doncaster Knights

Monday 13th May 2024

Wildcats end season on a high note with pair of national wins

It was a succesful trip to Sheffield for Newcastle University Ice Hockey, who won in multiple categories.

It was victory on ice again for Newcastle University as the Ice Hockey A team brought home silverware in the BUIHA Non-Checking Division 1 National Championships. This was the University’s second national championship win in consecutive weeks after the B team’s triumph in Sheffield last Sunday.

The A team’s Silver Tier win caps off the end to a turbulent season for the Wildcats. The season commenced with a promising start after they routed Glasgow 22-2 in November, however after a double varsity loss against the Northumbria Kings, mixed mid-season results saw Newcastle finishing just above the relegation zone with a strong push at the tail end of the campaign.

Whilst their league position was improved after another team’s points deduction, expectations for the BUIHA’s prestigious end of season tournament were scuppered by some high-profile absences. Not only would the A team miss their starting keeper, but the league’s top scorer Ethan Willett would also be unavailable for the biggest weekend of the team’s year.

Even without their talismanic goalscorer, the Wildcats went into the weekend optimistic. A faltering start against the University of East Anglia and Manchester saw the team needing a huge result against the Sheffield Bears. The resulting 3-0 victory inspired the team to a late group stage revival which saw both Oxford and Birmingham fall in their wake. The Willett-sized hole in the team was filled by centre James Milne, who not only bagged himself a hattrick in the Birmingham game but would end the tournament as top scorer.

The Wildcats finished 4th in their group, qualifying them for the Silver Tier knock-outs. Whilst this dashed any chances of a North East grudge match (with Northumbria’s team qualifying for the Gold Tier), it meant Newcastle would face the on-form Southampton Spitfires in the Semi-Finals. A hardfought contest could not be decided in regulation and a shoot-out was required.

In the Wildcats’ direst hour, up-stepped rookie goalie Hugo Taylor (who only began playing ice hockey less than a year ago). His penalty heroics booked

a place for Newcastle in the Silver Tier final against Cambridge University.

After that nerve-wracking shootout showdown, the Wildcats showed a dominant display in the final. Goals from James McDonald and Rosie Dawes were added to by the team’s captain Sebastian Broman, who danced around the Cambridge Huskies to score and seal the victory for the team.

The A team’s victory cements this year as an historic one for Newcastle University ice hockey. As previously mentioned, a Bronze Tier win for the Wildcats B Team during the Non-Checking Tier 2 National Championships was secured by impressive performances from Charlie Tang and George Stewart in particular.

“I’ve made friends for life playing hockey at Newcastle University, it was amazing to end on such a high.”

However, whilst the victory celebrations continue, many of the Wildcats players who earned these wins are leaving at the end of the season. One such stalwart is A Team Centre Haydn Richards, who reflects ‘this was my last Nationals with the team, and it was one of the best weekends of my life. I’ve made friends for life playing ice hockey at Newcastle University and it was amazing to end it on such a high’.

It has been a great year, but it did not get off to a good start with CHANGES (Challenging Hazing and Negative Group Events in Sport) training getting cancelled. It’s undeniable that there is a toxic culture within clubs, it’s hung in the air the whole time I’ve been at university.

Outdated practices like “initiations” discourages people from participating in more “traditional” sports, not only does it reflect badly on the clubs but it limits the success of the club and the sport. Peer pressured events aren’t the only thing hindering the improvement and inclusion of sports but the fear of challenging these ideals weighs heavy on us. It’s hard to be the person who speaks out. If you have any suggestions on how we tackle this culture please email me at au.union@newcastle.ac.uk

There’s never going to be a tranquil time, kit supply was an ongoing issue the whole year and we’re not perfect so you’d hope things keep changing. I felt like a hog on a spit roast over the fire of 2023/24.

I learned a lot in the role and kept many secrets, I think BUCS is a greedy organisation taking advantage of their monopoly in the industry. A handful of smaller institutions are already disillusioned and hopefully one day sports really is more affordable to all. At the time of writing this we are 7th in the BUCS table, we are a fantastic institution for sport but what sets the top 5 apart from us all is money. Despite that university is the best time to get involved with a sport as it’s much more affordable than local clubs with the ongoing support from the Students’ Union and Sports Services.

I’ve been really fortunate to watch or participate in the activities of 23 clubs out of our 65 clubs, I tried Korfball and found it so fun. I tried frisbee and couldn’t resist not going back.

One regret I have is not creating more awards to celebrate the commitment from students, it was touching to see how much the shortlists for all our Celebrating Success Awards appreciated the recognition for their hard work. As time goes on we continue to grow, we had three new clubs this year! Pickleball, Padel Tennis and Judo. Cricket was back with a newly formed womens team and mens third team who are doing well in the season so far. Tennis club ran a successful development tournament and delivered a session with Womens Social Sport Society, a quality display of collaboration we like to see at NUSU. Despite all the downers our clubs really have achieved remarkable things this year, passion and teamwork will get us through these times.

View from the AU

Kimiko Cheng - Athletic Union Officer

Sub-Editors: Mitchell Hall, Castor Chan, Dan Balliston, Sophie McMillan and Adam Tibke

Nathan Dove

Images: Instagram @ncl_wildcats

Image credit: Chris Lishman

Image credit: Pexels (Anna Tarazevich)

Image credit: Flickr (dkodigital)