The Courier - 1428

Issue 1428 Monday 23rd May 2022

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Canny Queer Collective

A page of Cage!

Enraptured by his latest work, our Film section celebrate Nicolas Cage Film | page 20

Molly Taylor speaks to these North-East changemakers

BBC Comedy Festival

Lifestyle | page 12

Arts | page 25

With famous faces on campus last week, Emily Kelso recaps the hijinks

The Gate to remain closed for at least four weeks George Bell - Film sub-editor

O

n Thursday 5 May, Newcastle leisure complex, The Gate, unexpectedly closed due to apparent “safety concerns”. More than a week later, the building remains closed.

The Gate was evacuated on the evening of the 5th, in which both customers and staff were forced to leave the building.

Complaints have been voiced by those who were in the middle of meals, cinema screenings or had reservations; all of which had to be cancelled.

Currently, it is not possible to enter The Gate, with several of the doors having closure notices visible.

Crown Estates, The Gate’s owners, announced the reasoning behind closing the building was to “carry out further testing of internal mechanisms that prevent the spread of fire”. They have not revealed any more details.

Both Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Services and The Health and Safety Executive have not been contacted, with the latter stating “it had no involvement with the incident”.

Newcastle City Council was informed of the health and safety issue but pointed out that the situation was something Crown Estates would have to contact fire and rescue services themselves about.

A spokesperson for Crown Estates said that: “the health and safety of all those involved in and around our building is our utmost priority” and that they “recognise the impact this closure will have on businesses and visitors of The Gate, and apologies for the disruption” Numerous businesses are situated within The Gate and with its sudden closure, have also been made to close their doors.

16 screen cinema Cineworld announce on social media: “We hope to announce a reopening date soon and in the meantime thank you for your patience and understanding and apologise

for any inconvenience caused by the closure”.Cineworld also stated that they had cancelled all affected screenings for Thursday and any tickets booked would be refunded. Furthermore, those with Annual Cineworld Unlimited Memberships that used the cinema in The Gate have received at least some form of compensation, be it either credit to their account or additional free weeks of membership.

Aspers Casino Newcastle said: “We are looking forward to when we can reopen and welcome back our guests”.

A spokesperson for Pizza Hut said: “Due to potential health and safety concerns as The Gate Complex, we’re temporarily closing our restaurant while investigations take place” and “In the meantime, we ask customers to enjoy a meal at our closest Hut at Gateshead Metro Centre or Gateshead Metro Retail Park to continue enjoying their favourite pizzas” Crown Estates has stated that they are “working to re-open as soon as it is safe and practical to do so”.

On 16th May, The Gate provided an additional update, stating that to ensure the “safety of all who visit and work (there)” they would be carrying out “an upgrade to some of the fire systems and measures” in order to ensure they “operate at the highest safety standard”.

While these upgrades are being carried out, The Gate states that it will “remain closed for at least 4 weeks” meaning alternatives will need to be found for the time being.

Cineworld followed up their initial email to affirm this information and offer its annual unlimited members an additional four weeks of membership on top of the two weeks already given. Monthly unlimited members have received a £15.99 credit to their accounts on top of a previously gifted £7.99.

Since the sudden closure of The Gate, Crown Estates has been reiterating that other establishments like The Mayfair, The Hustle and The Lofts remain open as usual as alternatives to visit rather than the leisure complex.

Interested in art & design?

Students interested in working on illustration, photography and more could have their work featured in our upcoming magazine!

Register interest here!

Images: Geograph, George Bell

Inside 23rd May 2022 Current Affairs | Campus Comment The best toilet on campus Wee shit you not, we have found the best toilet on campus. Peter Lennon is flushed with excitement as he explains Page 7

Current Affairs | Comment Why my visa is holding me back Sub-editor Castor Chan explains the difficulties of being an international student. Page 9

Life & Style | Relationships Feel it to heal it Ruby Butler argues that there is no time limit on getting over a breakup, and that healing takes as long as it needs Page 10

Life & Style | Fashion & Beauty Questionnably Y2K In a blast from the past, Fashion & Beauty subeditor Lizzie Yockney takes a critical look at the fashion of the 2000s Page 11

Culture | Music The superiority of the Shrek soundtrack Lucy Bower gives a love letter of appreciation to the iconic music behind everyone's favourite green ogre Page 17

Culture | TV Walker Scobell cast in Percy Jackson Casting choices behind the upcoming Disney+ Percy Jackson show have finally been revealed.

Pages 19

Culture | Gaming Video Games killed the Radio Station Student Media argues what the best in-game radio station is! Page 23

I wonder what email chain this pillar is included in...

- George Bell, Courier Jester and Film sub-editor

A note from the Editor

W

elcome back to The Courier!

After another busy week of assignments and exams, I hope you are doing well.

First off, a big thank you to everyone who attended the Media Awards last Friday, helping to create such a wonderful atmosphere to celebrate the achievements throughout Student Media this year. It was so nice to see the reception the winners and runners-up had to their time on stage.

With the hopeful easing of academic pressures, there’s a very exciting extracurricular project in the works -

The Courier’s upcoming magazine! This will contain a variety of longer-form content that’s presented differently from our usual newspaper style. If you’d like to be involved in making this, there are two possible routes for you.

This first option is for the artists, designers and photographers out there!

This week’s front cover holds a QR code that will let you express your interest in contributing graphics, illustrations & photos to the magazine - a great chance to be featured in high-quality print!

Secondly, we will be holding our final Student Media Afternoon of the academic year this Wednesday 25th May at 1:30pm in the History Room. Here, we will be

distributing a smaller number of articles than usual, but they’ll all have longer word counts - 500-1000 words for most pieces. So, if you’ve been itching to write a big ‘un this year, now’s your chance!

Just to touch on the Media Awards once more, thank you to everyone who shared so many comments with me about their positive experiences this year and everything that they’ve enjoyed. It was so welcome to see, and perfectly capped off what is almost the end of my year in this role.

Thanks for reading, and hope to see you for our final SMA of the year!

George, Student Media Officer

THE COURIER

SECTIONS Editor

George Boatfield -- mediaofficer.union@newcastle.ac.uk

Current Affairs

Senior editor: Elizabeth Meade -- e.a.meade1@newcastle.ac.uk

News

-- courier.news@ncl.ac.uk Ruby Story-Dartford Alexander James Becca Alexander Renzo Szkwarok Daniel Wales

Campus Comment

-- courier.comment@ncl.ac.uk Kayleigh Fraser Tiyanna Mistry Amana Khan

Comment

-- courier.comment@ncl.ac.uk Humphrey Jordan Emily Kelso

Science

-- c2.science@ncl.ac.uk Erika Armanino Jon Deery

Sport

Deputy Editor

Muslim Taseer -- m.taseer1@newcastle.ac.uk

Life & Style

Senior editor: Meg Howe --m.j.howe1@ncl.ac.uk

Relationships & Blind Date

Annabel Hogg Gabbi de Boer Imogen Mole

Lifestyle

-- c2.lifestyle@ncl.ac.uk Leanna Thomson Faye Navesey Molly Taylor

Fashion & Beauty

-- c2.fashion@ncl.ac.uk Imogen Clarke Lizzie Yockney Sophia Ayub

Travel

-- courier.travel@ncl.ac.uk Lenka Minarovicova Alice Holmes

Food & Drink

Marcel Shamshoum Scarlett Welch

Senior Editor: Peter Bath -- p.l.bath@ncl.ac.uk -- courier.sport@ncl.ac.uk Lucy Rimmer Mitchell Hall Katie Siddall Castor Chan Ethan Todd

Social Media

Head of Social Media: Sarah Lahiri -- s.a.n.lahiri1@newcastle.ac.uk Meagan Screen

Culture

Senior editors: Maud Webster --m.webster4@ncl.ac.uk Hattie Metcalfe -- h.metcalfe1@ncl.ac.uk

Music

-- c2.music@ncl.ac.uk Rowan Christina Driver Oren Brown Lucy Bower

TV

-- c2.TV@ncl.ac.uk Rachael McCreanor Rebecca Sykes Carly Horne

Film

-- c2.film@ncl.ac.uk Jess Bradbury Autumn Keil George Bell

Gaming

-- courier.gaming@ncl.ac.uk Michael Duckworth Joseph Caddick Haaris Qureshi Peter Lennon

Arts

-- c2.arts@ncl.ac.uk Ruby Taylor Maja Mazur Tom Wrath

Puzzles

Joseph Caddick

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Monday 23rd May 2022

Sub-editors: Becca Alexander, Renzo Szkwarok, Ruby Story-Dartford, Alexander James & Daniel Wales

News

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Local Elections 2022: Labour storms the North East Kayleigh Fraser -Campus Comment sub-editor

The Courier rounds up recent election results and what this means for the local area

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eats were up for grabs on the 5th May as 2022's Local Elections took place. Tens of seats were up for election, as the region voted on the councillors they wanted to represent them.

Newcastle, North Tyneside, South Tyneside, Gateshead and Sunderland took to the polls this May to elect councillors for their ward. Responsible in representing their ward on the wider council body, local councillors lead campaigns, communicate council decisions and represent local organisations.

Serving on the wider board, councils decide and dictate things like transport, bin collections, libraries, fire, public safety and education. Local elections take place at last every four years, held at different times depending on area, with candidates from all parties standing for election.

In Newcastle's 26 wards, Labour kept their control on all but one ward, as Ouseburn turned to the Liberal Democrats. In the more student led areas of the city like Wingrove and North and South Jesmond, Labour kept control again.

Despite these wins, the electoral turnout was low. In Wingrove, the poll was of a small 33.3% of the ward. This seemed to be the case for most of the other wards, too, as the highest rate of engagement was an admirable 53% in Gosforth ward.

Overall, the Newcastle results were as follows:

Labour: 51 seats Liberal Democrat: 21 seats Other: 6 seats

Whilst the result was largely expected in Newcastle (a long standing Labour council), the contest in Sunderland was highly anticipated. Under the leadership of Graeme Miller, Sunderland City Council has been under fire for many years for not regenerating the city.

Dubbed 'a city in stagnation and decline' by a film on BBC's Politics North, Sunderland's city centre has suffered from a lack of development.

This was, until, the council invested in a multi million pound City Hall building upon the old Vaux Brewery site.

However, after over twenty years of public mistrust and misconception, there were concerns that Labour councillors would not be able to win the trust of voters.

On a mission for votes, Conservative and Liberal Democrat candidates canvassed Sunderland in an attempt to create no overall control of the council.

For them, they had no confidence in Miller's leadership - urging voters to try something new.

In the fought area of Fulwell, Liberal Democrats edged out the Conservative party with 2,193 to 1,254 votes. Similarly, in Doxford, Liberal Democrats won again with 1,511 votes.

Overall, with a total of 75 seats, the Sunderland results were as follows: Labour: 41 seats Conservative: 18 seats Liberal Democrat: 14 seats In the rest of the country, Boris Johnson's Conservatives lost critical seats. In Worthing, Labour took control of the council that has never been in their power since its conception.

Even more critically, the City of Westminster fell into Labour's hands.

Gaining 12 seats, Labour now have 31 councillors in the city. Losing 19

Image: Twitter (@BBCRichardMoss)

councillors, their loss in Westminster is a bleak picture of their public opinion.

Before elections began, Boris Johnson and other Cabinet Members were under fire for alleged partying in lockdown.

Dubbed 'Partygate' by The Mirror, the Met Police have been investigating allegations for the last few months.

Leading up to the election, political journalists and commentators were eager to see how Conservatives would fare in the polls. Factoring in public opinion, there were fears many would turn their back on Boris Johnson.

Speaking to Channel 4 News the day

after the elections, Johnson stated "This has been a tough night for Conservatives in some parts of the country, and in some parts of the country we're actually moving forward."

Continuing, he said "It's interesting, there's a mixed term of results."

On the other hand, Labour leader Sir Kier Starmer was jubilant as he spoke to constituents of Barnet, which overwhelmingly backed Labour, taking away 16 seats from the Conservatives.

Speaking to campaigners, the leader said "We've sent a message to the Prime Minister. Britain deserves better."

Image: Gov.uk

However, the country is still very much divided. Whilst Labour and the Liberal Democrats made gains, data analysis from Sky News shows that in some areas the Conservatives did make gains. In Birmingham and the Midlands, for example, they control Solihull, Rugby and Cherwell councils.

For the future, its unknown wether the Conservatives can make a come back after the pandemic and party gate allegations. With a general election years away, local elections are, for the moment, the most powerful insight into the British electorate.

Sub-editors: Becca Alexander, Renzo Szkwarok, Ruby Story-Dartford, Alexander James & Daniel Wales

4

Monday 23rd May 2022

News

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Section 60 powers extended: increased use of stop and search now allowed Renzo Szkwarok -News sub-editor

The Home Office has announced that restrictions on stop and search powers have been lifted in efforts to “limit violent crime”.

T Image: Wikimedia Commons

hese powers give officers the right to search individuals without reasonable suspicion in areas where police expect serious violence may take place.

Recent rule changes affect the time limit that a Section 60 can be put in place for. This limit previously stood at 39 hours, but now stands at 48 hours.

The rank of officer able to deploy stop and search powers has also been changed. Previously, this was limited to senior officers, now inspectors can conduct searches.

Limitations on searches used to state searches could only take place when officers believe serious violence “will” occur. This has now been changed to believing that serious violence “may” occur.

Concerns have already been raised over these changes, as these powers disproportionately target black and other ethnic minority communities.

Black people were seven times more

likely to be stopped and searched than white people, and Asian people are two and half times more likely, according to statistics from the year up to March 1.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has decried the use of these powers, calling for an overhaul to address the racial bias these powers have. In a recent report the body stated that use of stop and search resulted in “trauma”, and that the unnecessary use of handcuffs during searches needed to be reviewed.

Priti Patel has stated that limits have been lifted to “drive down” knife crime by allowing officers to find more weapons. However, according to the governments own statistics, between April 2019 and March 2020 only 241 people were found to be carrying weapons out of 563,837 searches conducted – a success rate of 0.4%.

The draconian measures will lead to unnecessary conflict between police and communities Critics have argued that these figures prove the lack of credibility stop and search powers have. A spokesperson from Stand Up to Racism told The Guardian these are “draconian” measures that would lead to “unnecessary conflict”.

Limits were permanently lifted in the same week that “Operation Sceptre” came in to force nationally. This is a week-long plan to tackle knife crime in which officers will be given access to stun guns, Patel told the Police Federation.

1 in 3 people believe government will achieve crime reduction targets

Leaked results from polling revealed public faith in the government to reduce crime is at a low. Despite extending police powers and promises to tackle crime, only 1 in 3 people believed the government could achieve these goals.

Government plans fail to acknowledge the impact that over a decade of Tory austerity has had on community support infrastructure and truly effective crime reduction techniques.

Civil rights campaigners have argued that these powers have, and will, drive division between police and the marginalised communities they disproportionately oppress.

Ministers urge Office for Students to introduce new powers to tackle sexual violence on campus Alexander James -News sub-editor

The Office for students should hold Universitys to account through sanctions, say public officials

U Image: flickr

niversities are facing major criticism for instances where they are alleged to have not followed the Office for Students recommendations on how to prevent and respond to sexual misconduct.

Last April the Office for Students set out a list of recommendations aimed at helping universities to prevent and respond to sexual harassment and misconduct on campus and asked universities to review their current policies.

The Independent cited a number of recent heinous examples of sexual assault and harassment on university campuses in which universities appear to neglect their duty of care, despite numerous calls from regulators and critics for universities not to neglect grievous cases reported to them.

To give statistical support to the testimonials of students and

demonstrate the depth of the problem, a survey conducted by the campaign Revolt Sexual Assault found that out of 4,500 students from 153 different institutions, 62% had experienced sexual violence at UK universities.

Recent heinous examples of sexual harrassment where universities neglect their duty of care The consultation also found that only 1 in 10 of these students reported their experience to the university and police, reflecting the level of distrust in institutions to effectively tackle the crime. This reflects findings obtained

by The Courier in Feburary that showed only 22 students had reported incidents of sexual misconduct to the university over a period of four years, from 2017 to 2021. Furthermore, less than 5 people where permanently excluded from the University as a result of these reports. Anecdotally, based on stories and experiences of most students at university, it is easy to see how this figure is a gross misrepresentation of the depth of the problem on student campuses.

These included removing barriers to

reporting incidents and strengthening processes for reporting incidents, and ensuring that the governing bodies had “adequate and effective” approaches to tackling investigations. This was in light of over 80 British universities, including Newcastle, being named on the Everyones Invited website, where students anonymously report incidents of sexual harassment abuse, assault and misogyny.

In March, the Secretary of Education Nadhim Zahawi and Michelle Donelan, the minister for universities, both high profile Conservative politicians, wrote to the regulator (OFS) requesting that implementation of these recommendations should be a condition of registration for universities. This would ensure the regulator would have powers to penalise universities which fall short of policy guidelines and fail victims of sexual harassment and assault. The sanctionable offences involve a range of penalties with repeated breaches potentially resulting in the loss of university status.

In light of the continued inadequacies on University campuses, the ball is firmly in court of the regulator to step up and act at the level of policy reform.

THE

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Monday 23rd May 2022

Sub-editors: Erika Armanino & Jon Deery

Science

5

"Fifth force of nature"? Don't believe the hypercharge Josh Watson - NSR Deputy Station Manager

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o many people's surprise, physics is a topic of constant fluctuation. While a large amount of the lessons you had in school were focused on the work of people from over a hundred years ago, changes and additions to the field are being made today. Throughout this long history of scientific improvement, there have been just as many - if not more - theories and papers that time has proven wrong. Far from a railway track, the scientific study takes twists and turns every step along the way. So is the recent finding into a 5th force of nature part of the path to the future, or yet another dead end?

A quick recap before moving on: 4 fundamental forces describe every interaction in nature, from astrophysics to molecular biology - and all of the real-life stuff in between. Gravity is by far the most famous of the gang, due to working on the same scale as humans. Electromagnetism may sound like a combination of two different aspects of high school physics; however, they are interconnected.

Working on the range of atomic interactions, this force appears in our everyday life in most of the modern engineering and has a lot of confusing maths. The last two, the strong and weak nuclear forces, are much more complicated and have no example to point to in everyday life. They are explained, in a hand-wavy way, as forces that keep atoms - or, rather, the particles within them - together. Lucky for this explanation, gravity is the main

component to this supposed 5th force HYPERCHARGE! Most recently suggested by Purdue University in Hungary, hypercharge is believed to oppose gravity in certain situations. This finding resulted from reinterpreting the results of a 20thcentury experiment into the principle of equivalence, the part of physics that connects the mass of an object with how much gravitational force it creates leading to everything, even you, having a small gravitational pull. This 5th force would not refute this principle, however.

What the research might point to is a connection between the deviation from the result you would expect from this principle when the number of neutrons and protons in the atoms being measured increases.

Now - this hypercharge seems to stop

atoms from collapsing on themselves at high masses. However, this issue has already been sorted with the existence of the weak atomic force - that fulfils this very purpose. We know this is not the same force however as the results indicate the effective range of this hypercharge is approximately 200m - much less than regular gravity but much more than the other forces. It's at this point the cracks in these findings start to come through. First, this was not a direct study into the phenomena which are currently underway in the USA with currently little evidence of this force being confirmed.

So what do I think of this possible ‘’paradigm-shifting discovery’’? Most likely another strange turn in the path to better physics. It is far from the first time a 5th force has been suggested. ‘’Quintessence’’ was an amazingly named force that was proposed in 2000 that lead nowhere and there was yet another possible

hypercharge in the 1980s also serving as an anti-gravity on a large scale. So I would say the chances of this being a legitimate finding are currently small, but given how many papers fail when tested further (you would be surprised how many) that's not surprising.

Also - as the original press report points out, this force's existence is far from paradigm-shifting. The existence of this force already fits within our understanding of the atom - falling in line with the standard model to some extent. The press release and scientific paper make it clear that this is far from a physics revolution. So: why wasn't I asking, when this paper hit the headlines, if I had wasted the last three years of my education as a result of this? Because the slow and twisty path of physics is not as exciting a headline, and general scientific knowledge, or even knowledge of how science works, is limited.

Image: Free SVG

st 1 in sustainability; why not The Wildlife Trust: driving nature's recovery 1st to endorse climate action?

Isabel Lamb

On the brink of a sixth 'mass extinction' event, nature needs a chance to revive

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ublished in 2019, the State of Nature report showed a 41% decline in the abundance of UK species since the 1970s. Agriculture intensification negatively impacts the breeding productivity of farmland birds, i n c r e a s e d urbanisation drives habitat loss of heathland reptiles, air and water pollution alters the soil composition of wildflower meadows affecting biodiversity, and the introduction of invasive species carrying novel pathogens threatens seabirds.

UK based charity The Wildlife Trust has stated that 30% of UK land and seas need to be protected if nature’s recovery is to be seen by 2030. This 2030 milestone is based on the targets set by the UN Convention on Biological

Diversity, an international agreement to protect biodiversity.

To achieve “30 by 30”, The Wildlife trusts will introduce a new strategy that positions people and communities as the primary driving force behind nature’s recovery. The goals of the strategy are: 1) To push nature into recovery by reintroducing key species and restoring habitats back to their natural state with the aim to reenergise ecosystems.

2) To connect people with nature, by engaging with people in their local communities the trust hopes to inspire 1 in 4 people to act in support of nature.

3) To use nature to tackle global issues, by restoring habitats to a scale where they can help humanity through carbon storage and flood prevention, and by using nature to support people’s health and wellbeing.

The Northumberland Wildlife Trust is contributing to nature’s recovery by continuing to run its peatlands project. Running for the past 50 years, the project aims to restore land near Kielder forest following the drainage of, peat extraction from, and forestation of 58 peat bogs. By obstructing artificial drains and removing tree plantations, the area has begun to regress back into its natural state, with wildlife, including rare wading birds, returning to the area.

Image: Wikimedia Commons, Pixabay

Kate Benson

Can a university call itself sustainable if it doesn't support its own students in climate activism?

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group of climate activists from Extinction Rebellion are asking Newcastle University to step up and support them in their fight against the climate crisis. Extinction Rebellion is a movement which uses non-violent direct action and civil disobedience to make their demands - which this year centres around ending the use of fossil fuels.

The academic literature has said it - you just have to look at the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report to see that climate scientists urge us to end fossil fuel investments and transition urgently.

The International Energy Agency’s ‘net zero by 2050 roadmap’ stated "the Roadmap sets out more than 400 milestones to guide the global journey to net zero by 2050. These include, from today, no investment in new fossil fuel supply projects".

Newcastle University is an academic institution - one of many carrying out research on climate science.

The university prides itself on its sustainability, has local scientists who are experts in the climate field, and run courses including those within the School of Natural and Environmental Sciences. They know the truth - and now they need to speak up. Sustainable development is good, but it's not enough.

Governments are not

only delaying climate action, they are actively subsidizing fossil fuel companies. This has led to people stepping up around the world to take action. This includes scientists and academics, who are following in the footsteps of Indigenous people across the world, who protect 80% of biodiversity and have been raising the alarm on the climate crisis for so long.

Alex, a Newcastle University PhD student researching green hydrogen production from biogas, says "I always thought that science was the way out of the climate crisis. Then I heard that the government spends £236 million every single week subsidising the fossil fuel industry and are holding back 600 wind farms that could be built. Any scientific achievement we can make is meaningless if the government is not willing to implement it.

We are in an emergency.

People are dying all over the world from increasingly f r e q u e n t hurricanes, wildfires, floods, droughts, and desertification.

We have the power to drastically cut our emissions through insulation, renewables, and subsidised public transport.

"Why on earth are we not doing it?

There should be no need for me to sit for forty hours on a dirty oil pipe fifteen metres above the ground to get this message across to our government. Yet, sadly, this is the only way. Students have always been at the forefront of activism movements such as this and it would be such a relief if we knew that the university supported us and weren't going to kick us out for trying to save our collective

future. You are currently ranked the most sustainable university in the UK. It's time to prove you deserve it. Put Newcastle University on the world map and become the first ever university in the world to publicly support climate activism.

Do you really need to be hesitating about this?"

The truly dangerous radicals are the countries that are increasing the production of fossil fuels It was Extinction Rebellion's first rebellion in 2019 that caused the spiral of cities, institutions and countries declaring a climate emergency, including Newcastle University. This has shown that civil disobedience works. An emergency requires urgent action, and it is clear that the sustainable actions currently taking place are not enough to deal with this emergency. The UN secretary general Antonio Guterres said “Climate activists are sometimes depicted as dangerous radicals. But, the truly dangerous radicals are the countries that are increasing the production of fossil fuels”.

Newcastle University, will you step up and support people protesting for a liveable future? Or will you stay on the side of the governments and corporations that are delaying climate action and causing destruction of people and planet?

Image: Wikimedia Commons, Jon Deery

Sub-editors: Kayleigh Fraser, Tiyanna Mistry & Amana Khan

6

Monday 23rd May 2022

Campus Comment

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How we really feel about strikes Amana Khan -Campus Comment sub-editor

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tudents were recently made aware of another strike that would be taking place from Monday the 23rd of May, and this strike will include a marking boycott.

Though, for most people there are not any more teaching hours for them to participate in, this has not stopped anxiety within students regarding their assessments and how marking of their assessments will be affected.

The University have told us that we should continue attending scheduled exams and continue submitting any assessments during this period and have told us that they will be pursuing a 'no detriment' policy to allow students to continue to their next stage or graduate, which includes a temporary calculation of an average for the year to give the Board of Examiners a temporary mark because of the marking boycott.

However, is this fair on students? I would argue that it is not.

Students are paying nine thousand pounds for their education, meanwhile a huge chunk of this semester has been occupied by strikes, affecting our learning, motivation, confidence,

ability to communicate with our lecturers and seminar leaders and now the marking of our assessments are going to be affected. I completely understand why lecturers are striking and their motivations for these strikes, however we as students, and our university education, are being sacrificed, which I do not think is fair on us, especially after already having lost a lot of our university experience and education as a result of COVID-19.

I personally cannot blame my lecturers and seminar leaders

Personally, these strikes have been detrimental to my education and many other people from degree have felt the

same as we have gone weeks without any teaching on topics that interest us and/or ones that we want to talk about in our assessments. This has not only been demotivating but also ridden us with anxiety because, as a second-year student, our assessments are crucial to our final degree grade and not being able to have lectures and seminars has seriously affected our understanding over certain topics.

Although, as I have stated above I completely understand as to why these strikes are taking place and, I personally, cannot blame my lecturers and seminar leaders, however the University higherups and the University itself, and the Vice Chancellor for not acknowledging why these strikes are happening and the lack of appreciation for lecturers, therefore it is up to the University to help lecturers and acknowledge their demands and why they are striking, in order to help us students.

Image: Credit : Freepix

Kayleigh Fraser -Campus Comment sub-editor

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eing a third year, far too much of our university experience has revolved around strikes. Does any third year remember a time of university where absolutely everything was normal? Yeah... me neither.

I don't think it's overselling it to say that our time here has been very interesting. Whether it was strikes in November 2019, COVID-19 in March 2020, online learning from September 2020 or intermittent strikes in the 2021-2022 academic year, we've been on the longest and most traumatising rollercoaster ride.

Now, as we reach the final stretch of our degree, (arguably the most important stretch) and we are faced with the worst strike action we've ever experienced. Now, our graduations are on the line.

After the most insane three years all we've hoped for is one normal day.

Our graduation.

One day where nothing else matters and we can end our time at Newcastle on

a high. But now, even that is giving us anxiety.

Looking back, it's often tough to think of my university experience as 'the best years of my life'. Don't get me wrong, there have been extreme highs, especially this year, but looking at it overall we just haven't got what we've paid for.

I feel so sad about it when I think about it long enough. I remember crying in my dad's office before Zoom seminars at how disconnected I felt. I remember face timing my friends to watch movies virtually as we weren't allowed to meet up. All of that and more whilst trying to be a diligent student.

With the marking boycott, part of me feels like I've lost all empathy towards the strikes. I understand it. I really, really do. I want change to come about yet feel like this marking boycott is the cherry on top of a rotten three years in higher education.

Seriously, haven't we been through enough? I can't help but feel selfish towards my own graduation rather than supporting these strikes. I don't think it reflects badly on me as a person either because there simply has to be a point where we say that enough is enough.

So, go ahead, do a marking boycott. I seriously hope it works because I can't do a Master's with constant striking.

Always remember, though, it's the students you'll make an enemy out of.

University: is there another way?

Josh Watson - NSR Deputy Station Manager

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ver the last three years of university - I have often asked myself whether university really was for me. I have always been someone who enjoys the practical end of physics. But after my course had a lack of laboratory work in the second year, I was let down. Since then it's been all complex numbers and even more complex algebra. But at the end of all this - what job I am getting out of this? What skills do I have? Is there any better way to get them?

In the Guardian last week you can find a running conversation on the unfair average young people that go to university have over their peers.

With 53% of the population going to university, nearly £30,000 is

spent on them by the government (Not on the student, all the unpaid student loans and interest that have to go somewhere). Meanwhile, the rest of the population has to make do on next to nothing - leading straight to a pathway of low-paid jobs. With this, there is support for moving from the nowsurpassed 50% target to the 70% of the student-age population at university by 2040. However, I think this is tackling

University has limited opportunities to prepare for a working environment

the issue the wrong way around.

University has limited opportunities to prepare for a working environment.

In the sciences, there is a path laid out for every undergraduate straight to a research position - and little else on the side. I have often been told that ‘with a physics degree you can do anything from finance to media’ however the course is nothing like this.

Instead, we should be encouraging growth in the hybrid or full apprenticeships, where practical skills are taught alongside research-based ones. To keep it in my ball court, one of the leading centres of research in the UK (the National Physics Laboratory), has no more than a handful of integrated degree apprenticeships. While these spaces are more expensive to run the traditional academia - they pay for themselves. There isn't a single research scientist that would say no to a pair

Image: Credit : Pixabay

of competent hands to speed things along.

And then there is the area I am moving into - having recently gone through the application and interview process for the range of behind-the-scenes media positions, many of which still have an academic component to them.

With rare expectations, these courses are level 3 and 4 apprenticeships, the equivalent of studying the first year of a degree. From there this course has simple paths way to high production positions, technical officers and many more high position jobs in respected companies. Think of the degree you are studying, how much of your time is wasted on theoretical nonsense?

Those wanting to go into journalism find they get much more experience in Student Media than on their course how much more would they get working at a newspaper for half their week?

While many engineers at university do spend their time in a practical way - what if the projects that they developed their skills on were not just buried away after three years but part of larger teams? All of these would create students better suited to the job market - allowing them to have some of those 5 years of experience every "entry-level" job seems to want.

So, is university the best choice? For some, yes! Many people don't have this sense of direction I talk about there when they turn 18, many want to leave as many doors open to them as possible.

These are fair points - but I know just as many that knew at the end of the sixth form that they wanted the practical experience to make a decision on what to do next, and that is something universities will always lack.

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Monday 23rd May 2022

Sub-editors: Kayleigh Fraser, Tiyanna Mistry & Amana Khan

7 Campus Comment Honour on you, dishonour on our students: why honorary degrees are a betrayal

Emily Kelso - Comment sub-editor

Honorary degrees have always been a contentious topic

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onorary degrees are awards given to individuals, primarily celebrities or individuals who have made significant contributions to a particular field, by a university they did not attend or complete any coursework for. Such degrees are typically doctorates, which as any doctoral student will know demands hard work (and many all-nighters) to achieve. Is it fair of universities to pass these out? I argue honorary degrees have outlived their usefulness.

founder William Barton Rogers having likened giving out honorary degrees as "literary almsgiving".

Newcastle University have given out honorary degrees in the past. Anyone who follows the university on social media are regularly made aware of how Newcastle was the only British university to give Martin Luther King Jr. in his lifetime an honorary degree.

There is no doubt Dr King deserved his honorary doctorate in civil law given his many contributions during the Civil Rights

Movement, but do the other celebrities who have been given similar accolades deserve them?

Some honorary degrees make sense, like King Jr's. For some, their accolade is debatable. The cast and crew of Doctor Who were given honorary doctorates

by Sheffield Hallam. Is filming one series of D o c tor

Who what it takes to get a doctorate these days?

The ridiculousness does not end there.

One such Muppet to have been given an honorary degree is Kermit the Frog. I wish I was kidding. Kermit was awarded an honorary doctorate in Amphibious Letters by Southhampton College (then part of Long Island University but now part of Stony Brook University).

How does Kermit, a puppet, qualify for such an accolade? Given that the beneficiary

Surely honorary degrees have now outlived their original purpose?

Honorary degrees are nothing new.

They were first awarded back in the Middle Ages, the first on record being Lionel Woodville in the 1470s. Most universities around the globe regulardly hand out these awards, but notably some universities spurn such practices like MIT and Stanford. MIT chose to award degrees on merit only, with its

of this award is a puppet and not a person, the award could be seen as a PR stunt. Ultimately this situation may be amusing to those outside of academic circles but it is no laughing matter to students.

Honorary degrees, in and of themselves, are now a political tool and weapon It does not help that honorary degrees, in and of themselves, are now a political tool and weapon. Margaret Thatcher was famously snubbed when Oxford University chose not to award her an honorary degree after holding a vote on the matter. In doing so, Thatcher is the only Prime Minister educated at Oxford since 1945 to have not been awarded an honorary doctorate, which can directly be traced to her decision to cut education funding.

Surely honorary degrees have now outlived their original purpose?

Sometimes, an honorary degree recipient deserves the accolade. Rarely, that is the case. But most individuals do not, and for me it undermines the value of a degree for the students who worked hard to obtain it. It sends out the following message for me: get famous and we'll give you one free of charge.

Now that is an insult.

Image: Newcastle University

The Students' Union men's toilets: the best toilet on campus Peter Lennon - Gaming sub-editor

W

hen Alex Walker published his heartfelt tribute to the Newcastle University Students’ Union campus building in February, I was inspired – nay, destined – to pay my gratitude to the heart of such a monument.

There are many toilets across campus, each with their own charming quirks. They come in all sizes and fit all occasions. From the unisex cavern toilet of the Percy Building to the sprawling plains of the men’s toilet in Venue, I am constantly reminded of how privileged I am to have such natural beauty right at my doorstep. But there is one toilet that stands head and shoulders above the rest.

On the first floor of the Newcastle University Students’ Union building, there lies a trove. An astounding – perhaps even miraculous – trove of such bounty. The men’s toilet on this floor is one of a kind. It is no realm devoid of life. It breathes, it’s him.

Unborn, he has named himself. His

name echoes along the white-tiled walls and whispers in the ears of all who seem him.

As you step in, you will immediately be met with his loving warmth, casting out the shivers of a cool day; the malignant intents of the North wind are not welcome in his domain. For it is his domain, and we are his guests. All who seek him will find refuge. All who seek refuge will

find him.

Though all of his cubicles are created equal, some are created more equal than others. The furthest from the entrance has a special place in my heart. It's navy door contrasts transcendentally with

the pale blue frame of the toilet and the off-white walls. The frosted window floods the cubicle with light, its sill providing a gentle resting spot for your bag. He has predicted your needs and worked accordingly.

The modern, chrome toilet brings you to the future, while the chipped paint of the window frame brings the cosy and rustic nature of the past.

T i m e

and space have collided and in the collision he found peace.

Then you will wash your hands in its chrome sinks; the delicate fall of water caressing your skin. The Dyson BladeTM hand drier then leaves them as if they had never been caught in the rain.

An astounding - perhaps even miraculous - trove of such bounty

Only he could have imagined such a place of serenity. His vision is of undeniable perfection.

And he will always be there for you, waiting on the first floor of Newcastle University Students' Union building. All you have to do is come.

Image: Pixabay

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COURIER

Monday 23rd May 2022

Sub-editors: Emily Kelso & Humphrey Jordan

Comment

9

Troubles of an international student: Why my visa is holding me back Castor Chan - Sports Sub-Editor

An insight is given into the world of an international student and student visas

W

hen I came overseas for my university degree, I was hoping that my new, potentially permanent, place of residence would offer me opportunities that would have been unreachable back in Hong Kong. A student visa was my way in, a £380 way in, to a new range of experiences. My subject choices - media and classics - themselves would be considered out of the norm at home, and coming here, I found so many people that were passionate about the same things as I was.

Having found my comfort zone,

I started looking at things I could do here. The first and closest thing was student media, which I’ve clearly fallen in love with, judging by how it's going. But as we approached the end of second year, more and more focus went into working towards the future.

I very quickly realised that I was nowhere near on equal footing with my peers, and this was not because of a lack of progress. My visa was stopping me from being selfemployed. While I have no plans on owning a business as of yet, this simple restriction meant that I couldn’t freelance for any publications.

I’ve attended a decent amount of media talks, and more often than not, the speakers have referenced freelancing.

Whether it was a recommendation to make use of our student experiences, a way to take advantage of connections, or an account of their own career path, freelancing popped up in some way, however briefly. On my Tier 4 visa, there are many more things that I cannot do. I am legally not allowed to be employed as a musician, artist or sportsperson. And if I were to be employed, I am capped at 20 hours per week during term time.

The quota does not apply during the holidays, but it is still something that I have to be wary of when taking any part-time work or internships.

My visa was stopping me from being selfemployed

My subject choices would be considered out of the norm at home Image: Public Domain Vectors and freesvg

While it is the ability to country - and deal again in

certainly frustrating to see my peers have incredible opportunities and connections. Don’t get me wrong I’m genuinely thrilled for them, but it is the fact that I cannot change my situation (lest I risk being evicted) that makes me jealous of their freedom. Tempting as it may be to send off an email and take my chances, I’ll just have to wait a little longer for my plans til this visa runs out.

It is frustrating to see my peers have incredible opportunities but I cannot

a decent trade-off for get education in this I’ll happily accept this hindsight - it is most

Keir Starmer and On vanishing land: the Durham drinks heritage or futurity C C Lee

What is the Durham Drinks outrage and will Keir Starmer resign?

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he Durham Police have issued an investigation into the Labour Leader's, Sir Keir Starmer, alleged Durham Drinks party. The investigation will question whether any COVID-19 laws were broken. So, what does this mean for Starmer?

In the run up to Hartlepool byelection, on the 6th May 2021, Starmer was photographed holding a bottle whilst colleagues were distanced around the room. The photograph was taken in the office of City of Durham MP Mary Foy. Starmer justified the photos, stating that a take away was ordered as you couldn’t eat in at a restaurant during this time. He also said that people would go into the kitchen and different times in order to collect the food.

Starmer has announced he would resign if found guilty The COVID-19 rules at the time of the photograph fall into the Step 2 category of quarantine rules, which were placed into effect on 30th April 2021. This meant that social gatherings indoors with people outside of your household/ support bubble were banned. Whilst there was an exemption for people at work, however the guidance strictly banned social gatherings. The police's and the public are now questioning whether the food and drink seen in the

photograph was necessary for work the rules and use “work" as the cover. purposes.

If the police finds him not guilty, In February, this year, the then I don’t think it will be a Durham Police had said that surprise to anyone if he remains they didn’t suspect anyone the Labour Party Leader. If he had broken the rules. This is guilty then, he should resign conclusion is being rehis position. Although it would evaluated in light of the new have been more favourable evidence, however. for Johnson to have resigned Starmer has announced that following Party Gate, I think he would resign if the police people will still be satisfied that found him guilty, which I think one leader followed through with the public would certainly their public promise. welcome.

The Labour party seem confident of Starmer's innocence though, with a source claiming there is documentary evidence of Starmer working until 1am on the night in question.

If Starmer is proven to have broken the rules, I am sure the public would welcome the resignation given their collective frustration over "Party Gate".

Whilst, Starmer didn’t create the laws himself, it is still unfair that people in positions of power believe Image: Wikimedia Commons that they can break

Ross Bennett

In light of Jamestown threatened by rising water levels, the value of heritage on a warming planet is considered

J

amestown, the site where the English first permanently settled in the United States, is currently at risk of being submerged by rising water levels caused by climate change and has now been classed as an endangered space.

There are calls for the US government to allocate funding to the protection and renewal of the area, in order to protect the so-called heritage space.

However, should those funds be used to protect the past – or make a better future?

One side of the argument posits that these sites are worth protecting; they hold priceless unique details about our past, where we come from, what our ancestors did. The knowledge and histories they hold are incomparable to that of museums, living and breathing in these spaces allows us the closest opportunity we’ll likely get to travelling through time. Education-wise, they can’t be beat.

However, the other half of the argument puts more weight on things other than education and experience. Proponents of this train of thought believe that these funds should be invested in more endeavours beneficial to the current generation; vital industries such as agriculture and farming are sorely lacking in growth. In America, areas of education and civic government are

so severely underfunded it’s a wonder that they even run at all. And let’s not forget the reason Jamestown is in need of these funds: climate change.

Surely, the money needed to protect Jamestown would do more good on a global scale if it was put to work in the fight against rising sea levels and increasing pollution. It seems much more pertinent to help prevent residential areas from being submerged or destroyed by global warming than to simply hold onto whatever sites are still around.

There are ongoing issues that plague the current generation that need funding to eradicate. And there are areas of society that are falling apart and are in desperate need of financial support. Can we really spend this money on relics and monuments from the past?

After all, what’s the point in preserving our past if we might not have a future?

Image: Wikimedia Commons

Sub-editors: Gabbi de Boer, Annabel Hogg & Imogen Mole

10

Monday 23rd May 2022

Relationships

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Feel it to My virginity is not a trophy heal it Anonymous

Ruby Butler

Healing has no time limits, especially when it comes to break-ups

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ime heals everything has never been truer than when it comes to breakups.

Then why do we panic and feel the pressure to move on so quickly?

Whether you were the dumper, dumpee or had an amicable split, breakups are extremely painful. Yet society has conditioned us to trivialize this pain through their ‘expert’ advice. Whilst you are essentially mourning the loss of your best friend; the person you confided everything in; the person you were most vulnerable with and the person you shared your life with, you are advised by society to “get under someone to get over someone”. These highly insightful words of wisdom not only make light of the hurt you are feeling but also counsel you to ignore your emotions and make asking for help after a breakup feel excessive. This advice not only makes sex seem like the purpose of a relationship but also tells us to place an emphasis on sex during our healing process. Sex is not a cure for pain, time is.

It is completely natural to analyse every event in detail that led up to the breakup and agonize over questions such as What went wrong? Am I not desirable enough? What if I hadn’t said that? All of which only adds to the feelings of hurt and can lead to self-blame and a loss of confidence. So it’s important to take your time and not put pressure on yourself to start seeing other people or swiping on Tinder. Often we can feel as though we must move on quicker than our exes, but just know that there is no race nor is there any shame in taking a step back from the dating scene and focusing on yourself for a while. Remember, a rulebook for moving on post-breakup does not exist, so take as much time as you need to process your emotions and nurture yourself.

Losing someone you love can feel like losing a part of yourself and your identity. The little things (that everyone knows are really the big things) such as the daily messages, chilling in front of the TV together and going to the shops together are things you may have to do by yourself now. Not only are you grieving the person you have lost, but also the life you had with them. Whilst you are processing your emotions, you may also be experiencing physical changes like a loss in appetite and sleep, both of which are extremely common for people post-breakup. These big changes take time to come to terms with, so don’t rush yourself while you learn to adapt without your ex.

So be kind to yourself and make time for selfcare, even if that’s popping to Tesco's and grabbing a tub of Ben and Jerry’s to accompany you in front of the TV for hours. Try to view this as a positive time where you rediscover yourself and your interests and start investing in things that make you feel strong, independent, and empowered. Take all the time in the world that you need and only move on when you feel comfortable and ready to do so.

Image: Pixabay (obpia30)

University can feel like a race to lose your virginity, and the prize is for a man

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etting through university without entering a relationship is hard. Seeing friends around you finding it so easy is hard.

But, the hardest thing is having men try and do you a 'favour' by taking your virginity.

When I came to university I thought I'd meet the love of my life. I've always been an idealist at heart when it comes to romance, so I let myself create a fantasy of a dream love.

Entering university in my first year was interesting. I'd barely had a relationship (if you count my so called year 11 boyfriend) and I had no clue what I was doing. From day 1, I knew hook-up culture was a huge thing. In our induction bag, we were given a pack of three extra safe durex condoms. Clearly, university life was a push for me to have sex and lose my virginity.

Of course, the main way to do said thing is to go out to a club. And for first year me, there was no way in hell I'd set foot in there. The idea of stumbling home with someone to have a short 10 minutes and do the walk of shame is just not for me. Fair do's for people who want that, but it's just not for me.

I did try and get out there. My old flatmate and I would download Tinder and swipe for hours. Setting up dates, my flatmate seemed to find it so easy. She'd meet someone and go out for coffee like it was nothing.

The idea of a date scared me though. I couldn't do it that easy. It made me feel sick, nervous, and so self conscious because I had no idea what I was doing. It felt like I was a step behind everyone else.

Like they can just go out on dates and have sex with someone. For me, it felt impossible.

Then of course, lockdown happened. And a pandemic really wasn't the perfect time for me to get into a relationship. I gave up, and then my mind started to run away with me. I started to think more about what I wanted, who I wanted, and what it all meant. That was my sexuality crisis, and I'm still not sure I'm at the other end, even now.

This year was when I really started to push myself out there. I went on my first ever date of all time, but something was just wrong. I couldn't imagine being near him in any way possible. Of course, we had the conversation about my lack of experience and he said he didn't mind. Still, I just couldn't take it any further and the thought of it repulsed me.

Anyway. I've rambled on far too long. Let's get to the point. In the last year, I've had three men offer to take my virginity. Not in the 'I'll give you money' kind of way, but the 'I can help you out' way. Since when did it become a man's responsibility to 'help' me on something I don't need to be helped on?

It makes me laugh (because if I don't laugh I'll cry), because it just makes me feel like such an object.

My virginity is a trophy for them. Something they can collect, and they can walk away feeling good about themselves like they've just given a fiver at a charity bake sale.

If anything, all it's done is make me feel even worse about relationships. All around me are happy people, happy couples who love each other.

Not knowing what that is like makes me feel like I'm living in black and white and they are in colour.

Like I'll never know love and I'm doomed to live a life being alone.

I wish I could lie and say that it doesn't bother me

but it does. Nobody should feel defined by their sexual relationships, but when people offer to have sex with you like it's something off their own back it starts to feel really annoying and sickening. What's the point?

I just want something to happen naturally and experience something meaningful because someone likes me for me. Right now, it all just feels so hopeless. I can go on empty dates and enter talking stages with people who will only see me as an object if we get close enough, and I can swipe right on dating apps whilst having my guard up the entire time.

I'm trying to stay positive, I truly am. I sit and hope that something beautiful is around the corner for me that I'd never have expected. Until then, I suppose men will still see it as an objective to 'help me out'.

Newsflash, men, I don't need your charity. Keep it to yourself.

Image: Pixabay (Shutterbug75) & Pixabay (bru-nO)

Diffusing a lovebomber Imogen Smillie

Lovebombing can be deadly but silent; here's how to spot it

A

relatively new term, what is lovebombing? And how to spot the warning signs of this dangerous act?

At quite a stressful and emotionally draining moment in my life, I was introduced to the term ‘love-bombing’. Never having heard of it, I did a quick Google search. The Google definition says: “the action or practice of lavishing someone with attention or affection, especially in order to influence or manipulate them”. Well, unfortunately, things were seeming a little too close to home. Sending the definition to a close friend, who confirmed my worst fears, a deeper dive on the internet was clearly needed – and what I found was really quite scary…

The words that flashed up on the screen included ‘narcissists’, ‘abusers’, and ‘con-artists’. A lovebomber emotionally abuses their partner into a supposed deep love connection, and fast. A form of psychological manipulation, both the love-bomber and the recipient are more than likely unaware of the damage being caused. Aware of their actions or not, the love-bomber will show excessive amounts of affection and attention aiming to make the recipient feel dependent on them. The recipient, in return, feels a boost of dopamine and endorphins from feeling special, valuable, needed, worthy, and overall loved. So in the beginning, everything seems, well… perfect! The ‘honeymoon phase’ if you will. When in fact, the relationship is being built on crumbling foundations - very dangerous and will inevitably break.

It is hard to see the signs, due to the happiness the recipient feels by being showered in love, attention, and even gifts! But once the red flags rear their head, hopefully, they can safely remove themselves from the situation. Things to look out

for include them constantly checking in. Looking out for you and wondering how your doing is sweet, but constantly needing to know where you are and who you’re with is overprotective and manipulative.

They may even say the three words, “I love you” very early on in the relationship, roping you into a strong commitment too soon, perhaps making you feel the need to reciprocate their actions. All this is highly manipulative and detrimental to your mental health – in short, it’s a form of emotional abuse.

If you feel your partner is a lovebomber, the best thing you can do is talk to them. Tell them how you’re feeling. And if they are still showing the signs, it is not your responsibility to change their behaviour, just safely remove yourself from the situation. Seek support from others outside of the relationship and cut all ties with the lovebomber. From personal experience, it will feel extreme, as they have shown you all this love and attention (from all to nothing, instantly), but for your safety and mental well-being, it is for the best. Unfortunately, remember that you are not alone in feeling this way, and most of all, do not blame yourself for their actions. This is how they have manipulated you. Believe in yourself, trust your gut, and keep talking!

Image: Pixabay (aliceabc0)

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Monday 23rd May 2022

Sub-editors: Sophia Ayub, Imogen Clarke & Lizzie Yockney

Fashion & Beauty

11

Eid Outfits: A Look Book Ammarah Aslam Zahrah Aslam Sophia Ayub - Fashion & Beauty Sub-Editor

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n the second of May, Muslims all around the world concluded observing fasts during the holy month of Ramadan, which involved observing fasts daily from sunrise to sunset, whilst engaging in prayers and charitable activities.

This led to the celebration of Eid al-Fitr, a wildly embraced and celebrated festivity. In order to honour this celebration, embraced by many students, I thought it would be an incredible opportunity to showcase not only my cultural attire, but also the cultural attire adorned by other students on this hugely significant day.

Sophia Ayub (Studying English Literature): The outfit I chose is a traditional dress, referred to as a lengha, which is currently being modelled on another occasion at my brother walima, (a gathering post religious wedding festivities) which I repurposed for the Eid celebration.

A terrible habit which I, and I am sure many are guilty of, is constantly seeking out new outfits to wear on Eid A terrible habit which I, and I am sure many are guilty of, is constantly seeking out new outfits to wear on Eid. This therefore results in an accumulation of all these incredibly regal, artistic pieces in my wardrobe, which only see the light of day once. During the coronavirus pandemic, I was forced to search the archives of cultural wear, so me and my family could still embrace a wholesome, yet isolated Eid. This reignited my appreciation for the gorgeous pieces I already owned, and therefore encouraged me to approach celebratory cultural attire in a more sustainable manner.

Zahrah Aslam (Studying Maths and Accounting): My outfit (most commonly known as a Lehenga) is inspired by regal, authentic fashion derived from Pakistani/Indian culture; this one in particular is hand crafted using embroidered fabric imported from Dubai, paired with jewellery worn for adornment. I am wearing a 3-piece set consisting of a necklace, jhumki’s & a tikka.

Wearing clothing/jewellery such as this on Eid displays the celebration cherished amongst all Muslims & allows us to embrace our background whilst living in a western society. Eid is a familial, religious festival that we hold in high regard where we portray our appreciation through our modest clothing, ethnic food, charitable donations & prayer.

Ammahrah Aslam (Studying Marketing & Management): Eid, for Muslims worldwide allows the celebration of the end of the month-long fasting period of Ramadan. After Eid prayer (salat) is completed, Muslims celebrate Eid day by embracing their culture to the fullest, typically eating Asian cuisine with family and loved ones and wearing Asian and Arabic formalwear.

Here, I am wearing a traditional handmade Asian dress known natively as a lehenga.

This piece was handmade by my aunty.

From me handpicking the intricately embroidered fabric, she made my vision come to life. My childhood fantasy was to embody my favourite Disney princess, Jasmine.

Growing up like many other Asian girls, I felt like her character was one of the first and few relatable representations of Asian beauty within media, overwhelmed by images of the idealised Western standard of beauty. When I first put this dress on, I had never felt so regal and beautiful in my life. The labour of love that my Aunty dedicated to making this piece truly symbolises why I love my culture. This garment truly symbolises the unity of family and beauty that is celebrated within my culture upon Eid al Fitr.

Image: Ammarah Aslam

Summer skin & make-up Hannah Ross

With summer fast approaching, let's look at some make-up inspiration and tips to protect your skin in the sun

S

ummertime is when nature is thriving and the sun is shining, and I always like to match that energy with my makeup and skincare!

To replicate these summery vibes, I always like to keep my make up as natural, but as glowy as possible.

As the weather will hopefully be a bit warmer, try keeping foundation as light as possible and make sure you have SPF, if using it. This is especially if you have freckles, as it is the best time of year to show them off, so don’t you dare cover them up! I like to use a Body Shop sun protection face spray if I'm not using foundation, as it's not as greasy as standard sun cream, but it provides good protection! After that, I like to add a small amount of concealer where needed, followed by a little blush to make me look alive! If you are going for the more natural vibe, I would follow this with a touch of mascara and a nude lip.

However, for someone who enjoys a lot of expression through their makeup, summer is the time for bright and bold!

Use that coloured liner you usually shy away from. Use those bright reds and yellows, or even

Image: Pixabay @chiplanay

If you are going for the more natural vibe, I would follow this with a touch of mascara and a nude lip go the whole way and put a rainbow on there!

Whatever you choose, just remember nature is thriving and you should too!

Image: Zahrah Aslam

Image: Sophia Ayub

Questionably Y2K Lizzie Yockney - Fashion & Beauty Sub-Editor

T

hanks to the trend cycle, Y2K fashion has been circulating on social media and has filtered into fast fashion collections for a while now.

Baby tees, low-rise jeans, Juicy tracksuits, butterfly crop tops, loose-fitting tailoring, snakeskin, lace-up ties, crochet detail, body chains, baguette bags – you name it.

Arguably, these iconic trends from the noughties have been reinvented to fit the modern wardrobe. Whilst I do love these more fashionable reincarnations of Y2K trends, I can’t help but have a soft spot for the cheesier and trashier (respectively) Y2K outfits that I think these newer reinventions are trying to forget.

Though I wouldn’t personally choose to recreate (some of) these outfits, I still think that they are iconic, as they hold a special place in my heart. Probably because I grew up in the noughties, this era of pop culture and fashion is incredibly nostalgic for me.

As well as this, the 2000s/2010s were marked by a lot of questionable fashion choices for me, and apparently for a lot of celebrities as well. It is quite funny to think back to some of these interesting noughties’ pieces, as me and my flatemates did recently, rattling off all the things we used to wear, which included thick patterned alice bands, three-quarter leggings in various neon colours, knock-off Uggs and tunic dresses that would be worn with said leggings

underneath. These were all often paired with a side pony (high, low, smack-bang in the middle of your head) and a giant flower clip.

Lip-smackers, Claire’s eyeshadow palettes and High School Musical/Camp Rock accessories.

Simultaneously iconic and terrible.

The outfit that I immediately think about from this era is Ashley Tisdale’s double t-shirt/golden glittery skirt/bootcut jeans combination that she wore for the Ice Princess premier in 2005.

Ranked as one of the worst outfits from the 2000s by Harper’s Bazaar, this outfit begs with question as to why it exists. I love it. An anomaly for me, as it is an outfit that I would love to recreate, is Britney’s iconic ‘Dump Him’ t-shirt that she paired with flared low-rise sweats, a brown fluffy-collared jacket, paperboy hat and a Starbucks.

Other honourable mentions include any outfit worn by Paris and Nicole in The Simple Life, Lizzie McGuire-era Hilary Duff, and the Halloween costumes in A Cinderella story.

Although I’m definitely not advocating for these trends to be brought back and they definitely do deserve the roasting that they get, I still think that they are truly iconic. Where’s Ashley Tisdale’s Met Gala invitation?

Image: Instagram @koalarts_

Sub-editors: Molly Taylor & Leanna Thomson

12

Monday 23rd May 2022

Lifestyle

North East charities to support!

Katy Dodsworth

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here are so many great local charities to support, either through donations, volunteering or taking part in fundraising activities. If you need some ideas, here is a non-exhaustive list of some good ones.

The People’s Kitchen provides hot meals and other essentials like toiletries and clothes, as well as a friendly ear, to those in need in Newcastle. Volunteering roles include preparing food, working on an allotment and other administrative roles.

Children’s Cancer North supports children with cancer and their families from across the region. As well as helping children to cope with treatment, the charity also funds research into childhood cancer. They have lots of ideas for improving support further, including providing more toys and better wifi in the children’s wards, as well as giving parents support packs.

Ouseburn Farm is a working farm nestled in the Ouseburn Valley that provides work placements for adults with learning disabilities. It is free to visit and you can support the farm in a variety of ways, including buying products in the farm shop, sponsoring an animal or volunteering.

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Canny Queer Collective Molly Taylor - Lifestyle sub-editor

The Canny Queer Collective are a group that aim to create fun, friendly, and safe spaces for Queer people in the North East.

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his week I talked to the founding members of the Canny Queer Collective, a Newcastle-based group set up in January 2022, with an aim to create a safe and friendly space for Queer people across the North East. They organise casual events, meet-ups, and also share activism posts on social media such as Transition Fundraisers and local Queer-led charities.

The founder, Ella, set up team applications at the beginning of this year and created a group to help advertise on social media, organise events, and run the collective. Since setting up their Instagram in January, they already have over 1,000 followers, which shows a distinct gap in the market for safe Queer spaces in Newcastle. I sat down with Ella, Izah, and Eva for a casual coffee in Journey, a Queer-led café bar in the city centre. They were friendly and inviting, and really excited to discuss their collective and the direction they are hoping to take in the future.

We began by discussing the meetups that they have arranged in the past, and others that they are hoping to organise in the coming months. We all agreed that the venues and events in Newcastle that are supposedly catered toward an LGBTQIA+ audience are often saturated with people who do not identify as members of the community.

They already have over 1,000 followers, which shows a distinct gap in the market for safe Queer spaces in Newcastle.

Ella stated in the meeting that “it’s important that we organise events that cater to everyone”.

For Ella, Izah and Eva, as well as the collective’s two other admins, Isla and Ollie, an important part of the collective was the inclusion of sober events that don’t always centre around nightlife. Getting feedback from attendees at their previous meetups such as their Cafe Quiz event was helpful

and showed the abundance of support they have from the Newcastle community.

A large part of the collective is centred around creating a community in Newcastle, and in doing so, they hope to create a space where Queer people can meet other like-minded individuals and attend events with others that they might not go to alone.

Izah reinforced this point and also stated that they and the members of their team will be stationed at events and will enter with people who are not comfortable going alone. They emphasised this for their event in March, which was a visit to the Baltic to see the Phyllis Christopher exhibition. Since then, they have organised lots of other friendly events such as visiting the Tynemouth market.

Meeting the people behind this collective was really eye-opening and showed their commitment to creating safe spaces for North-East-based Queer individuals. Follow their Instagram, @ cannyqueercollective for any updates on events, and advice on how you can get involved! Their next event is a coffee afternoon in Northern Stage on 10th June.

Image: Instagram (@ouseburnfarmnewcastle)

Rape Crisis Tyneside and Northumberland provide support for women and girls that have experienced sexual violence. They also have several campaigns to raise awareness of sexual violence and make Newcastle a safer city.

Mental Health Concern provides a large range of mental health services to people across the North-East. There are a wide range of volunteering opportunities, including befrienders, activities helpers, drivers and administrative supporters.

Bubble Foundation UK is based in the Great North Children’s Hospital in the RVI and helps children born without a fully functioning immune system, for whom an infection like the common cold could be fatal. The charity is raising money both to help the 1 in 58 000 children born with an immunodeficiency and to fund research.

Image: Instagram (_ellawillis)

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Monday 23rd May 2022

Sub-editors: Molly Taylor & Leanna Thomson

Lifestyle

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All bodies Minimalist vs MAXIMALIST Lifestyle are beach bodies!

Jenica Davis

Should we be minimising or maximising our way of life?

Lizzie Yockney - Fashion & Beauty sub-editor

Tik Tok influencers are helping midsize girls feel included.

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recurring struggle for me is feeling confident in my own skin. Without going into too much detail, I am currently having a bit of a body-confidence crisis. I think that the uni lifestyle, health issues and maybe even the rumoured second puberty hitting all at once have contributed to me feeling less confident with my body. As well, with summer looming, the dread of wearing a bikini in public and wearing the summery clothes that I want to are stuck in the back of my mind.

Though I do try to look after myself by eating (relatively) well and exercising (quite) regularly, I know that a large portion of my crisis also stems from my lack of internal confidence, not just physical factors. In the past and still, now, I have the tendency to compare myself to others, especially when it comes to my body, picking at things that are ‘wrong’ with me. This definitely comes from a place of insecurity, but recently I have realised that accepting my body the way that it is has been made easier by seeing other people who look like me on social media.

I’ve come to describe myself as ‘midsize’, and seeing others who are also midsize online has been really validating. Ever since I got TikTok last year, the algorithm has nicely and terrifyingly directed me to creators who look like me and have similar insecurities. Creators like @mary_skinner, @whore4cashmere, @abihasbigjugs, @ selflovebug, @kira_paige, @sarasthots and @sixtine (to name a few), have really helped me to turn my insecurities on their head and has made me realise that I can wear whatever I want without losing weight or c h ang i ng

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he motto “less is more'' sums up the minimalist approach towards life.

Whilst it’s become a sort of umbrella term nowadays, minimalism is a concept characterised by order, simplicity, and harmony. It advocates the appreciation of the little things and the freeing process of cutting out things that don’t serve value or purpose in your life.

So, why should we consider removing our excess?

From an environmental perspective, perhaps minimalism is the way forward in this current climate. With culture shifts and ever-changing

Obviously, this is not a consistent thing, as confidence takes a bit of work, but I’m getting there.

And I hope that this summer I will be wearing my bikini and summery outfits with more confidence, living my best life.

Image: Tiktok @mary_skinner

Does a maximalist lifestyle lead to hoarding?

Not necessarily. Maximalism concerns itself with living life to the fullest and making the most of the space that you’re given. How are you meant to do all that from a backpack? Moreover, in a world full of socio-economic inequalities, it’s a privilege to be able to choose a “less is more” lifestyle when there are those who already have less than most people.

However, it can be argued that minimalism is not about reducing your life to neutral walls and mindful décor, but it’s a mindset.

The way we live contributes to our mental health and wellbeing. Outside of living spaces, there’s an emotional depth to the concept of removing things in your life that don’t add happiness; it’s about focusing on what matters most. Subsequently, this will bring serenity and calmness into your life: an emotional liberation.

Is there a happy medium?

In this day and age, I believe it’s okay to be a blend of both a minimalist and maximalist. But applying the minimalist philosophy to more aspects of your life undoubtedly has its surplus of benefits – for you and your future. Embrace the art of simplicity.

Images: Pixabay (@AdelinaZw)

Images: Instagram @mariekondo

What's in my everyday bag Carly Horne - TV sub-editor

One of our writers empties the contents of her everyday bag onto our page.

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love a big bag and alternate between my Cambridge Satchel Co. Music Bag or my Ted Baker Sukicon Icon Bag. I try to use British businesses where possible, but overall, I’m a big fan of bags which complement a business casual/chic style. my body.

The y’ve helped me realise that I don’t take up too much space.

trends, materialism and overconsumption have become increasingly major polluters, stripping the Earth of its natural resources and collapsing its ecosystems. According to NAPO, 80% of the items people keep are never used, and we throw out over 2 billion tons of household waste globally per year, according to The World Bank. Therefore, reducing your everyday life down to the essentials is considerably key to going down a more sustainable path.

Here’s what I keep in my bag:

1) PERFUME I always feel more confident when I’m using a pretty perfume, and at the moment Chanel’s ‘Coco’ is my favourite. An Eau de Parfum, you have to use very little to make a big impact and the 50ml is such an excellent size for any bag.

2) AIRPODS Other brands are available, but Apple’s original wireless headphones are a must for me. Not only do they link up with the rest of my Apple products, but they allow me to ignore people I don’t want to talk to and listen to my music of choice: what more can you ask for?

3) MEDICATION Carrying medication can be an absolute pain, but I get sad, and my organs stop working without it.

Needs must, I guess.

4) LIPSTICK Honestly, you haven’t lived until you’ve found the perfect red lipstick. I either carry YSL’s Rouge Pur Couture ‘Red Dominance’ or Dolce and Gabbana’s The Only One ‘#DGAmore’.

5) LAPTOP I have a 13” MacBook Pro and carry this everywhere with me. I love my MacBook - It’s really the best laptop to get creative with.

5)SANITARY PRODUCTS Having ovaries sucks. Know what sucks more? Mother nature calling and getting caught off guard.

5) CARDHOLDER When you do a lot of travelling, you appreciate that a large purse isn’t always the most convenient way to carry around cards and ID. There’s always a little space for cash, and sometimes a few slots for cards if you leave the purse at home and carry a cardholder.

Image: Instagram

Sub-editors: Alice Holmes & Lenka Minarovicova

Monday 23rd May 2022

Travel

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24 hours in Kuala Lumpur Jonathan Lee

For this instalment of our 24 hours in a city series, we're introduced to the Malaysian capital

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h my hometown of Kuala Lumpur, a city which is best described as where old meets new. Driven by cultural diversity, relatively low costs and wide gastronomic and shopping variety, Malaysia’s capital used to host 8.9 million tourists each year (well, pre-Covid times). If you ever do happen to travel to the other side of the globe, or perhaps have a full day

stopover, it is my hope that this guide would be of service to you.

To start your day, why not join the locals for breakfast? Mamak stalls can be found all across Kuala Lumpur and all of them are relatively cheap.

Mamaks are people of Tamil Muslim descent, hence their food fuses the best of both cultures.

My usual go-to would be roti canai which is an Indian flatbread usually served with curry, but if you fancy something heavier then Malaysia’s national dish, nasi lemak (rice cooked in coconut milk) would be your best bet.

Don’t forget to add a cup of kopi tarik to witness an entertaining performance of your coffee strained between two cups.

Image: Source: Jonathan Lee

While the sun is high up in the sky, which to be fair is rather common in Malaysia, head to the Independence Square to get some photos against a lush green field and the colonial-style buildings of Sultan Abdul Samad Building. Nearby there is the Central Market where you can pick out souvenirs and window shop the many local products that the marketplace offers. It is worth pointing out here that many key attractions, for example the two mentioned here, are connected by an underground railway system, so getting around in the city is hardly a hassle.

Enjoy the sweeping views of the bustling city as lights of the nearby skyscapers light up the evening sky

In the vicinity is Kwai Chai Hong or ‘Little Demon lane’. This back alley, along with the rows of heritage buildings on both sides, has been beautifully restored and now features gorgeous street art depicting life in Chinatown in the 1960’s, making it the perfect spot for your next Instagram post. If you are into cultural attractions, the Guan Di Temple and Sri Maha Mariamman Temple are nearby, the former being a Buddhist place of worship and the latter for Hindus. The rich history of both temples are evident in its architecture and interior, allowing you to immerse in the spirituality of both faiths.

No trip to Kuala Lumpur would be complete without a visit to the iconic Petronas Twin Towers (fun fact, they were once the world’s tallest buildings). The best time to visit would be in the evening when you would get to see the towers light

up and stick around until the 8pm KLCC Lake Symphony Water Fountain Show. Here’s a local tip: a bridge opposite the pond in the adjacent KLCC park offers the best photographs!

To cap the day off, treat yourself to a drink at the Heli Lounge Bar, which is my personal favourite rooftop bar. A helipad in the day, the place transforms itself into a bar when the sun sets. Enjoy the sweeping views of the bustling city as lights of the nearby skyscrapers light up the evening sky, all the while sipping a martini - now that’s a perfect conclusion to a day trip.

Image: Source: Jonathan Lee

Marvellous museums and where to find them George Bell - Film sub-editor

Museum fanatic but unsure where to visit next? Well we have the answer with these must-visit museums!

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s a Computing student, the outside world is a place I’ve only heard legends about. But as the academic year finally draws to a close, I thought I might finally give it a try. And one of the best ways to get out and explore are museums! But which to go look at?

After looking around, I’ve found some of the most interesting museums within the UK

which I may not have visited myself, but certainly look like a memorable experience for everyone…

Containing over 7,000 objects spanning over 1,000 years of fan artistry, this museum is located within two Georgian period townhouses

Derwent Pencil Museum Located in the birthplace of the world’s first lead pencil in 1564, the market town of Keswick in the Lake District, the Derwent Pencil Museum, looks to be an exhilarating day out for all the

Image: Source Photo by Matteo Maretto on Unsplash

family. Okay maybe not, but it does certainly look interesting. Visitors enter the museum through a replica graphite mine which served as a source for the pencil industry over three centuries ago. Paying homage to the invention of the pencil, the museum offers a plethora of opportunities to look at the world's largest example of a pencil, art workshops (for kids and adults) and history lessons galore.

They also have a gift shop full of drawing materials to take home.

I wonder if they sell any pens…

House of Marbles If you finally recovered from the trauma of the infamous marble episode of Squid Game, this museum might just be the one for you. Located in Bovey Tracey, Devon, the House of marbles is a beautifully eclectic mix of pottery, glass and marbles as well as vintage games. Get the opportunity to view hypnotising marble runs, the fascinating process required to make these famous little glass balls (just don’t swallow any). And for those of you who have spent your entire lives yearning to see a fish marble worth £800, it is your lucky day…

The Fan Museum I won’t lie, I’m a huge fan of this museum. Located in Greenwich, London and open since 1991, this is the only museum in the UK devoted exclusively to the history, culture and craft of the fan. Containing over 7,000 objects spanning over 1,000 years of fan artistry, this museum is located within two Georgian period townhouses. This is the perfect place for avid fan fans. Usually curating three fan-themed exhibitions a year through themes like classical history, fashion and ethnography, there will always be reasons to come back to this

delightful place.

Let’s just hope it doesn’t completely blow.

The Museum of Childhood Do you like toys? No, not that kind, get your mind out of the gutter. Classic toys from your, or your parents' childhood. If so, The Museum of Childhood in Edinburgh looks to be a great place to visit. With the intentions of evoking memories of days gone, hordes of memorabilia, antique toys and games, the museum poses a wonderful journey. There are tours of rare toys from different periods and the museum has five large galleries filled to the brim with dolls, toy vehicles, figurines, game consoles and much more.

As I leave my computer behind and step into the sunlight for the first time in years, I now know at least four places I need to go and visit.

Do you?

Image: Source: Facebook: Pictures From Everywhere

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Monday 23rd May 2022

Sub-editors: Scarlett Welch & Marcel Shamshoum

Food & Drink

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Recipe of How to combat the food waste crisis the UK's critical the week: foodAddressing waste problem - and how we can help Fifteens Daisy Harrison

Peter Lennon - Gaming sub-editor

Enjoy this popular Northern Irish sweet treat!

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traybake from Northern Ireland and the rest of Ulster, fifteens are a stable in afternoon confectionary.

With a name as charming as it is honest, this sweet treat encapsulates the spirit of province!

Ingredients: 15 Marshmallows 15 glacé cherries 15 digestive biscuits 200ml condensed milk 100g desiccated coconut Method: 1. Blend the digestive biscuits in a food processor or crumble in a bag with a rolling pin.

2. Cut the marshmallows and cherries into quarters 3. Place the biscuits, marshmallows, cherries, and coconut into a mixing bowl 4. Pour in the condensed milk and bring the mixture together. If the mixture is still dry, add a wee bit more milk.

5. Lay out a large piece of cling film and empty the mixture onto it.

6. Shape the mixture into a large sausage/log shape, then roll the cling film up.

7. Twist the sides of the cling film to keep it tight and place in the fridge.

8. Leave to set in the fridge for 10 hours 9. Cut the log into fifteen slices and serve!

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very year, one third of the food produced in the world gets lost or wasted. The UK produces an estimated 14 million tonnes of food waste each year, which is the highest amount in Europe. In 2015, UK households threw away £13.5 billion worth of edible foods – on average £540 per household.

It is clear to see that food waste is a major problem worldwide, and these statistics are only made even more staggering upon considering the living crisis and food poverty, in which it has been found that more than 2 million adults in the UK cannot afford to eat every day. We urgently need to tackle the problem of food waste and raise awareness of the irreversible damage it inflicts upon people’s personal health and the planet.

Food waste impacts the planet in a multitude of harmful ways, including through the production of greenhouse gases, such as methane.

When food is thrown away, it is taken to landfills, where it begins to decompose and release methane gas. It has been found that methane is the primary contributor to the formation of groundlevel ozone, a pollutant which causes 1 million

premature deaths every year. Furthermore, methane has more than 80% times the warming power of carbon dioxide, which means that by cutting gas emissions, through reducing the amount of food waste going to landfill, we will have the opportunity to slow the rate of global warming.

Although, according to the EPA’s 2018 report, 36% of food waste is sent to landfills. So, what happens to the other 64%? Food waste happens long before it reaches the supermarket shelves, as it was found that the second biggest distribution of food waste is animal feed (21%), and UK farms account for 5 million tonnes of wasted food every year. This is largely to do with food supply chains, as farmers are concerned that they will lose their contracts with suppliers if they fail to produce an order, which causes an overproduction of crops and food. It is crucial that

supermarkets begin to address these supply issues, and instead reward their farmers for sustainable practices.

What can we do to help?

Don’t buy food you won’t use – before going food shopping, you should try planning what you are going to eat over the week. By meal planning, you will be less likely to buy food you won’t eat, which means less food going to waste.

Get friendly with your freezer – there’s not many foods that don’t freeze well, so before you throw something away, consider putting it in the freezer to preserve it for another day – even if it’s just half a loaf of bread – anything can help.

Leftovers – if you have leftovers, don’t throw them away. They are a great time (and money) saving way to enjoy your meal again the next day.

If you don’t fancy having the same meal the next day, why not freeze your leftovers instead? You’re bound to thank yourself for it in the future!

Food waste apps – I’m sure we’ve all heard of food waste apps such as TooGoodToGo and Olio by now. They allow you to collect food at a discounted (or free) price, so that it gets eaten instead of wasted. Not only do these apps tackle food waste, but they are also fun – as the food you receive is usually a surprise.

Through education and addressing the problem of food waste, we can create a culture of sustainability.

Image: Wikimedia Commons

The impacts of the Ukraine crisis on food production Scarlett Welch - Food & Drink sub-editor

How war in Ukraine is taking its toll on the global food market

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e’ve all seen the devastation happening in Ukraine currently, and the effects of this crisis on Ukrainian citizens are unimaginable. There have also been huge global impacts, some noticeable here in the UK, such as fuel shortages and price increases across all sectors. One area in which we can really see the global effects is food production.

Ukraine produces a huge amount of the world’s wheat, the sixth-largest exporter in 2021. This year, their wheat production is estimated to be reduced by at least 35%, which will have a huge knock-on effect on the global food market. The ramifications are already being felt - in March global wheat prices went up by 20%.

The effects of this crisis on citizens are unimaginable On top of this, Ukraine and Russia are both huge exporters of fertiliser, making it difficult for farmers in other countries to access the product and once again driving up prices. Ukraine is attempting to prevent exports of many items, in order to preserve their supplies. This is also being exacerbated by Russia preventing other exports from occurring from Ukraine’s borders.

Another huge issue is the shortage of sunflower oil. Ukraine and Russia combined produce 62%

of the world’s sunflower oil and after the invasion, the price of this oil went up by 60%. There have been huge shortages of the product. Not only have shoppers not been able to get their hands on it, producers of items such as crisps and chips are facing huge shortages and in some cases are having to adapt recipes. In turn, this has ramped up the demand for alternative oil, causing more shortages and price increases. As with any crisis, this has also led to panic buying which has only made shortages in supermarkets worse.

The impacts of these shortages are being felt far more severely elsewhere As worrying as this crisis is in the UK, the impacts of these shortages are being felt far more severely elsewhere. Over 40% of wheat and corn from Ukraine goes to Africa and the Middle East, meaning that shortages are more extreme in these areas. Many of the countries affected are already struggling with issues of hunger and poverty, and now there is less to go around. Prices are also increasing for buyers, meaning that millions of the world’s poorest people are now facing even more of a struggle when it comes to buying food.

The farmers in several African countries are also struggling as a result of increases in the prices of fuel and fertiliser. This means that not only are less imports coming into this part of the world, but it is also becoming harder to produce food nationally.

It is evident that the war in Ukraine is having a huge global impact, ranging across many sectors.

Though it seems this crisis has only just begun, the toll it has already taken on food production serves as a warning of the widespread devastation that the conflict is causing.

Image: Pixabay

Wednesday 25 May 2022 Outside Luthers' Bar, 11am - 3pm Join us out on Luthers' Terrace, where there will be food (incl. curry chips & nibbles), Pimms & other non-alcoholic drinks, as well as music!

There's Still time to complete the Mental Health Survey How does your academic experience impact your mental health and how you want this to change. Scan the QR Code to complete the Survey and you could be in with the chance to win £100 for your wellbeing!

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Monday 23rd May 2022

The superiority of the Shrek sound track

From All Star to Changes... what makes it so good?

Lucy Bower - Music sub-editor

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ilm and music are two elements that are in a happy co-dependent relationship together. However, sometimes there are disruptions to the relationship.

Have you ever watched a film that does not live up to its soundtrack? Sometimes, the soundtrack of a film is its only redeeming quality.

This is very much the case for Shrek. We’re talking ‘I’m a Believer’, ‘All Star’, and ‘Hallelujah’ as just three of the iconic songs that plunge this film out of the dark.

Realistically, the plot of Shrek follows a green ogre in his mission to save his own isolated home.

Without the soundtrack, I don’t believe it would be as good as it is. Imagine the same film but to jazz music. It just wouldn’t work.

Shrek was the first popular animated feature that decided to choose contemporary popular music as opposed to its own songs. This just heightens the fun and playful feeling throughout it. It's safe to say that Dreamworks knew exactly what they were doing when breaking the boundaries for animation conventions.

It is the timing of each tune. Whether that’s comedic gold or gut-wrenching heartbreak, there is always an appropriate song to comment on the action happening on-screen.

The soundtrack of Shrek was a clever tool used by the filmmakers to lure people in to watch the film. Who knows whether it would have the same success had they decided not to include ‘All Star’ in the opening scene.

Sub-editors: Oren Brown, Lucy Bower & Rowan Christina Driver

Music

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The forgotten (& fantastic) Pokémon Albums Joseph Caddick - Gaming sub-editor

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he Pokémon series is the most profitable media franchise of all time, with merchandise branching in all sorts of directions; toys, TV shows, obviously games, and even food, this franchise has done almost anything you can think of. Yet one thing that’s often not talked about is the music.

In addition to the soundtracks from the games, a number of Pokémon albums have been released over the years, with many of these coming from the late ‘90s and early 2000s.

These albums are absolutely a time capsule of that era.

These albums are absolutely a time capsule of that era A monumental event in the sears was the release of the ambitiously titled Pokémon: The First Movie. An album eventually released, containing all of the songs from the film and Pikachu’s Vacation, the short film that aired before the main event. Where things get weird is that there are a bunch of songs not from the film or the Pikachu’s Vacation that are included in this soundtrack, and the artists behind these songs were huge at the time.

NSYNC, Christina Aguilera, Emma Bunton (with backing vocals from Mel C), Billie Piper and B*Witched all made songs for this

soundtrack, and to be honest, they’re all really good songs. And it doesn’t end here. Britney Spears also makes an appearance in 'Soda Pop', which has a radically different sound to any song of hers that I’ve ever heard before. My favourite of these songs would be Billie Piper’s ‘Makin' My Way (Any Way That I Can)’, but that’s not the only bop in this soundtrack at all. ‘Don’t Say You Love Me’ is a banger too, as are most of the other songs.

By the time the second movie, Pokémon the Movie 2000 rolled around, PokéMania had largely calmed down at this point, and as such there were still a couple of big names, but less so than its predecessor. Weird Al’s ‘Polkamon’ is a highlight from this album, in which The B-52’s also appear. My favourite song here is the cover of one of the anime’s opening songs though, Pokémon World.

When you get to the third movie, the celebrity guest stars have gone, but there are some fantastic tracks nonetheless. ‘You and Me and Pokémon’ is my favourite from this album, but the Latin-influenced ‘Pikachu (I Choose You)’ is another solid bop. Some of these songs were even used in the Pokémon Broadway play Pokémon LIVE! (yes, that’s a real thing), giving you two great versions of these fantastic songs to choose from.

The anime itself also has a bunch of exclusive songs that have been released on a few albums over the years. ‘Double Trouble’ is one of the best Pokémon songs outright because it focuses on the comic relief villains, Team Rocket, the best characters in the series.

‘What Kind of Pokémon Are You?’, ‘Together Forever’ and ‘Viridian City’ are classics, and the original ‘PokéRap’ is beyond iconic. It’s my secret shame that I know all the words to it.

‘Pokémon (Dance Mix)’ is a favourite of mine too because it brings back memories of me watching Pokémon videos on VHS when I was a kid.

Despite often being downplayed as a franchise for kids, the Pokémon series has produced some fantastic cheesy pop songs, and I wish this was something more people knew about. Although it’s not got the album treatment y e t , ‘Advanced Battle’ is still the best of Pokémon song, and that’s a hill I’m willing to Pokémon battle on.

Image: PixaBay

Live Review: The Midnight Kayleigh Fraser reviews The Midnight in Glasgow.

Kayleigh Fraser - Campus Comment sub-editor

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ollowing up from my article introducing The Midnight, I made the 300 mile round trip to watch my favourite band. It was absolutely worth it.

LA duo Tyler Lyle and Tim McEwan graced Glasgow's SWG3 warehouse on the 9th May for their second last stop on their UK and Europe tour.

The band, which was established in 2012, came to the UK hot on the heels of their latest single release 'Change your heart or die'.

The venue was ambient and spacey. Set in the edgy SWG3 warehouse, high ceilings combined

with soft pink and blue lighting made the venue the ultimate Midnight haven.

Opening the band was GOOSE, a Belgian rock group who filled the room with energy. Being a huge fan of The Midnight, I know their vibe inside out. Compared to their last UK/Europe tour, opened by Violet Days, GOOSE was an odd choice.

As a lead up to The Midnight they seemed too far off the vibe and wasn't really my taste. Regardless, I appreciated their enthusiasm and they were truly happy to be on tour.

After that, the band made their appearance just after nine o'clock. Opening with Neon Medusa from the 2021 Horror Show EP, they chose an absolute firework of a song to start the show. One thing I love about The Midnight is their use of the guitar and saxophone. This meant the guitar solo in Neon Medusa gave me goosebumps.

The rest of the setlist was expertly chosen, showing off the band at the best. From the 2016 Album Endless Summer to 2020's Monsters, the

show felt like their greatest hits of all time rather than just performing a set of songs they'd recently released.

Their shows are an ethereal experience Going between more toned down songs like Lost Boy and The Years, The Midnight sent the crowd wild with fan favourites Vampires and Jason.

Vampires, being my favourite song of all time, was absolutely my highlight. I've said to friends and family after the show that I didn't realise how many more layers Vampires as a song could have. On the saxophone, Justin Klunk took tracks (particularly Vampires), up to levels I couldn't even imagine.

This is what the band does extremely well. Songs of theirs are transformed to new levels when you hear them live. It's not the same thing you could easily listen to on Spotify; their shows are an

ethereal experience.

Also fronting the band alongside vocalist Tyler Lyle was musician Lelia Broussard. Although she was mainly on guitar, Lelia often added vocals to some of the setlist. Taking the lead on fan favourite 'Jason', I really enjoyed Lelia's performance and hope to see her again on tour with The Midnight again in the future.

Overall, the night was a fantastic success. Closing on their most popular song 'Sunset', the band held the audience in the palm of their hand. Whilst some members of the charts have dabbled in 80's synth wave, The Midnight never fail to prove they are at the top of the game.

I'm hoping that this year fans recieve a new album from the band. And, god willing, the announcement of a 2023 European tour. Till next time, The Midnight.

5*'s out of 5.

Image: Kayleigh Fraser

Collingwood

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Monday 23rd May 2022

Sub-editors: Carly Horne, Rachael McCreanor & Rebecca Sykes

TV

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Walker Scobell to star in Disney+'s Percy Jackson Leah Jeffries and Aryan Simhadri are set to join Scobell in the upcoming Disney+ adaptation of the best-selling series.

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he time has finally arrived for the cast announcement for the highly anticipated Disney+ adaptation of the Percy Jackson series. Following the adventures of Percy Jackson and his friends in a contemporary world with a mythological twist, the upcoming show is an exciting development for fans of the middlegrade series.

After, what was for many, the disappointment of the previous film adaptations (Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief and Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters), there is a lot of pressure on Disney + to make sure their series doesn’t face the same fate.

With the 2010 and 2013 Fox adaptations being referred to by Rick Riordan, the author of the book series, himself as the ‘Movies That Shall Not Be Watched’, it would be fair to predict that the Disney show will be taking a different approach to portray the much-beloved children’s book series.

So, who will we see depict the heroic trio?

The first cast-member to be announced was, of course, the title character Percy Jackson himself.

On his website, Rick Riordan revealed Walker Scobell, recent breakout on the Netflix film The Adam Project and, most importantly, Percy Jackson super-fan, as the 12-year-old demigod.

Completing the line-up of the main cast, Disney has confirmed the actors whp will bring Annabeth and Grover to our screens. Aryan Simhadri, star of Cheaper by the Dozen and Disney Channel’s series Spin, has been cast as Grover Underwood, the pipe-playing, tin-can-loving satyr. Meanwhile, Rel and Empire’s Leah Jeffries has been cast as ‘Wise Girl’ Annabeth Chase.

Much of the reaction to the casting announcement reflected the fans’ excitement at the developments being made in the creation of the series. But, disappointingly, the news was also met by racist backlash specifically at the appointing of Leah Jeffries as Annabeth. The author of the series, Rick Riordan was quick to condemn the horrific abuse directed at Jeffries, stating: “we should be able to agree that bullying and harassing a child online is inexcusably wrong. As strong as Leah is, as much as we have discussed the potential for this kind of reaction and the intense pressure this role will bring, the negative comments she has received online are out of line. They need

to stop. Now”. Riordan continued to denounce the bullying as explicitly racist and prejudiced, and evoked the core message of the original books, that “difference is strength. There is power in plurality.

The things that distinguish us from one another are often our marks of individual greatness”.

As Riordan states, anyone abiding by the lessons of the Percy Jackson books will view this cast announcement with excitement and

anticipation. Filming for the show is expected to begin this summer, with its release expected sometime in 2023. It’s safe to say that the hopes of millions of young people around the world are high as they anticipate the Disney series which will bring their beloved childhood stories to life.

Image: IMDb

Leah Knights

Battle of the TV duos: which is the most iconic?

W Imogen Smillie

hen posed with this question, the panic set in. As an avid TV watcher, having to choose just one duo that stands out above the rest is one of the hardest decisions I’ve had to make (clearly got a lot going on in my life!). There are so many to choose from!

Starting with the somewhat obvious FRIENDS duos – Chandler and Joey, Joey and Phoebe, Monica and Ross, and any other combination you can think of. Or maybe from the Brooklyn 99 gang: the bromance between Jake Peralta and

Charles Boyle, or the unlikely friendship between Gina Linetti and Captain Ray Holt. From my alltime favourite show, ‘Modern Family’, we have Jay Pritchett and his precious little princess, Stella the dog – not one many would have thought of, but a definite iconic friendship.

But one duo that proves there is no contest is Jim Halpert and Dwight Schrute from The Office, US. Yes, in the beginning they aren’t technically friends, with all the hilarious pranks that Jim pulls on Dwight in the workplace.

But through very entertaining and heart-warming means, they become the closest of friends.

Image: IMDb

Image: IMDb

Portraying mental health in our TV superheroes Ross Bennett

We look to ourselves in TV and look to be inspired by our heroes.

What's more real than

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ecently, Marvel’s newest hero – Oscar Isaac’s Moon Knight – has leapt onto our screens in his own Disney+ streaming show. But what separates this character from the practical pantheon of colourfully costumed dogooders possessed by Marvel?

Well, this one deals with a much more different threat than evil aliens or secret organizations…Moon Knight’s biggest enemy is his own mental illness.

The protagonist of this new series is Marc Spector… and Steven Grant. Both are Moon Knight. You see, Marc Spector suffers with dissociative identity disorder (DID) which means that he himself has the dilemma of possessing more than one personality: the other being Steven Grant. Whilst this does offer mystery and

even unexpected humour in certain situations to the viewer, there is a greater sadness present in the show.

Marc’s disorder is comedically yet beautifully handled, with Isaac’s depiction of DID being praised by critics and psychologists alike.

The series touches on a range of mental health related issues from traumatic abuse to discussions of suicide. Often hard and heart-breaking to watch at times, Isaac’s performance is a tour-de-force display of acting prowess.

Whilst this foray into the realworld problems of mental health seem to initially be something new for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Iron Man 3 (2013) touched on Tony Stark's (Robert Downey Jr) PTSD and WandaVision (2021) delved into Wanda's (Elizabeth Olsen) debilitating grief and mental health. Though, previous instances of superhero television have been delving into the mental health side of superheroism for years.

Image: IMDb Marvel’s Daredevil (2015-18), which was

jointly produced with Netflix, followed the blind hero Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) as he battled the crime ridden streets of Hell’s Kitchen. Yet, his own inner battle with depression was one of the more fascinating elements of the series, with Season 3 especially delving into his disturbed psyche. Matt’s own guilt and self-hatred resulting from his rigid Catholic faith and perceived failings are incredibly tragic to watch on screen.

Another example being Marvel’s Punisher (201719), which, again was produced with Netflix. The Punisher focuses on a former marine who was a witness to the brutal murder of his family and wages a bloody one-man war on crime. This show expertly detailed the effects of PTSD and grief on one man and gave what could have been a Charles Bronson Death Wish rip off some astounding depth.

But what is the appeal of a superhero dealing with mental health? Surely, these characters are meant to be infallible titans of justice that are uncompromising in their fight for a better tomorrow… aren’t they?

It was the Marvel maestro himself, Stan Lee, who suggested that the best kind of hero is the one with real world problems – somebody relatable. And it’s hard to

get more real world than the diseases of the mind.

After all, with an estimated 1 in 10 people suffering from a mental disorder, these problems are all too relatable.

But aren’t these for children? What possible benefit is there to giving a character like Moon Knight DID, or Daredevil depression? Well, to put it simple, these characters are meant to inspire. To uplift. And to most people, it’s much more heroic to see someone fight their own mental illness than a giant alien warlord or a horde of robots.

After all, if Daredevil struggles with depression then it shows the world that even our bravest can struggle. And if Daredevil can fight his way through mental health issues…then you can too.

Image: IMDb

Sub-editors: George Bell, Jess Bradbury & Autumn Keil

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Monday 23rd May 2022

Film

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COURIER

THE NIC PAGE: The Best Films of Nicolas Cage Some of our writers give their opinion on what really is the best film ever from the best actor ever, Nicolas Cage. Do you agree?

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icolas Cage. A titan of cinema. An icon of the big screen. There is no role this man cannot excel at.

From his over-the-top time in The Wicker Man to the more subdued Pig, Cage has films that appeal to everyone, which makes it so hard to pick a favourite.

With a fanbase that verges on becoming a cult at times, it is important to look at all of his filmography before coming to that all important

decision. Is it his Oscar-winning role in Leaving Las Vagas, cult classics like Con Air and Face/Off or his more underated gems(?) like Mandy and Willy's Wonderland?

Making such a decision isn't an easy one, but to celebrate the fantastic Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, some of our writers have stepped up to the challenge.

Do you agree with their picks?

Credit: IMDb

NATIONAL TREASURE Emily Kelso - Comment Sub-editor

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e all know Nicolas Cage is a national treasure. Which film made him one?

It's got to be National Treasure folks. Who else can steal the Declaration of Independence with such charisma and grace? I think we'd all let him steal it.

Cage stars as a historian on the trail of a legendary treasure, with only a family legend as guidance. After years of dead-ends and a ruined

reputation, Cage is finally on the right track. But so is someone else...

Historically speaking, it is a load of nonsense.

A treasure hidden by the Founding Fathers, Knights Templar and Freemasons. They're just buzzwords to get audiences into cinemas and to get permission to film in iconic places in America.

In spite of the fanciful premise and predictable storyline, I can't help but adore the film. It has a warmth to it, and it is so outrageous at times it's hysterical. I enjoy National Treasure just as much as I do its older sibling The Da Vinci Code, which for me is down to the role played by Cage.

Credit: IMDb

THE SORCERER'S APPRENTICE Hannah Ross

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icolas Cage brings his unique energy to every role he plays, but in The Sorcerer's Apprentice he really comes out on top.

Not only does he have the benefit of being in a fantastic film, but he also looks fantastic, and no one can tell me otherwise! Balthazar Blake's luxurious hair steals the spotlight in this film full of magic, comedy and quite frankly, a great storyline.

Balthazar must train Merlin's (his old teacher) successor but in the modern day. It is the perfect manifesting ground for Nicholas Cage's irritated and dramatic energy.

Credit: IMDb

I honestly do not think this film will ever properly age in the same way that people's love for Nick Cage will never age. It is such a wholesome film with some very humorous villains and ends with everybody happy.

The release of The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent has prompted me to rewatch some of Cage's best works as well as finding some new ones (thank you to TikTok for showing me those ones)! That being said, none will ever quite hit the spot in the same way as The Sorcerer's Apprentice because that hair is just far too fabulous!

RAISING ARIZONA Muslim Taseer - Deputy Editor

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cion of the Coppola acting dynasty, Nicolas Cage has had a long, storied acting career.

He's appeared in countless films over his almost 40 years of acting. Can you imagine doing something for 40 straight years?

It's not exactly like he's selective about his work either, but he's still managed to develop a standout brand.

His best role however, in my humble opinion, remains Joel and Ethan Coen's 1987 Comedy Raising Arizona. Arguably his break-out role,

Raising Arizona follows two schmucks, a former police officer and a neer-do-well (Cage) who really want a child yet cannot conceive naturally. They decide to do the logical thing and attempt to steal a new born baby from a local furniture magnate who has just had quintuplets. Who needs that many babies anyway, right? Hijinks ensue after a tough, scary biker is brought in to bring the baby back.

All in all, Raising Arizona is a heart warming, fun, at times poignant narrative on parenthood and the pursuit of happiness. It's quirky, enjoyable, and doesn't take itself too seriously.

It's worth a watch, especially if you like Cage roles where he's... well, less 'Cage'!

Credit: IMDb

GHOST RIDER Mitchell Hall - Sports Sub-editor

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Credit: IMDb

he best Nic Cage performance?

Impossible to definitively say.

From iconic quotes like “Not the bees!” to fantastic snubs like his performance in Pig, Cage has given us his all time after time again. Whilst perhaps not his most celebrated performance, I will always personally have a soft spot for 2007’s Ghost Rider.

I’m not claiming it to be his best or most wacky film, with the recent Colour out of space, Mandy and Mom and Dad providing more of the trademark Cage craziness. No, the beauty of Ghost Rider comes from the silly premise of the flaming skull possessing, bike riding, justice seeking titular character itself, which Cage merely brings to life with a hint of his signature style.

Ghost Rider has some brilliant ingredients in its

crazy cocktail. The silly visual of the rider driving up a building really encapsulates the tone of the film.

The Ghost Rider and Nic Cage do not give a f**k.

The Rider faces villains who all present themselves as the toughest enemies imaginable, only for an un-phased flaming skull man to dispatch of them nonchalantly in imaginative ways. It seems like his power is above the rest of the characters as he drives through them, sometimes literally. It plays comedically and is a really fun watch. Admittedly some of the non-flame skulled maniac storylines (cough cough the painful romance story) don’t really land… but COME ON there’s a scene where a flaming bike and a supernatural flaming horse carry a cowboy and Nick Cage across a desert at night, leaving a flaming trail behind them. How could you not love that?!

OK so my love for this film may be due to the fact I had it on DVD as a child and have seen it easily more than a dozen times.

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Monday 23rd May 2022

Sub-editors: George Bell, Jess Bradbury & Autumn Keil

Film

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A Night of Knowing Nothing - A Yearning for Revolutionary Vision Garvit Hora

Can a film succeed with harsh barriers between personal and politcal?

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Night of Knowing Nothing follows a collection of letters from L., a film student amidst energetic socialist protests, addressed to her estranged lover of a different caste.

Payal Kapadia has an impeccable sense of tonal rhythm, understanding how to use silences, cacophonous chants and intimate letter-readings, to juxtapose, establish a flow, or to highlight similarities between two sectors of life. In these moments of great contrast, the sound design seems intuitively notable.

A holistic narrative about Indian early adulthood Kapadia directs a holistic narrative about Indian early adulthood. We hear letters of yearning and passion married with visuals of police brutality at protests demanding creative freedom. The near-perpetual monochrome implies a history and cyclicality to the grand questions and contemporary injustices the film grapples with. The film’s content successfully attempts to transgress the crude black-and-

white dichotomies the state and media create throughout these protests. While there is a viscera within the students’ protests, Kapadia, again, transgresses sup er f icia lit ies and plasticity with a student speaking about the importance of intent, among the arrests and lives lost.

This call for simplicity is used as yet another form of oppression against the working class, “lower” caste students. The film does not hold back on criticisms of the media.

Expressing the rage and tragedies it benefits from to make a daylong, forgettable spectacle, while each story brings with it collateral

affects.

The title plays an integral role in understanding the film’s construct. The love letters are delivered with a natural doubt, often getting in the way of knowledge – about L.’s estranged lover’s condition, or love itself. And the humanity and criticism L. grants, especially to the female police officers, plants a sonder, making viewers revaluate how aware they are about their political climate and what they fight for. This idea of being in the dark is a nother point the monochrome accentuates.

Oftentimes I find films struggle to make a fair and engaging balance of the personal

Credit: IMDb

and the political when the two are made so explicitly distinct. I also tend to be hesitant of films drawing such harsh separation between the two, but A Night of Knowing Nothing meshes these two fields symbiotically. Not only does Kapadia find a balance but a thrilling and emotionally potent way of converging these two worlds. At first, the introduction of a political sphere seems abrupt, but once contextualised and blended with the flow of the film, Kapadia and the students she includes, make arguments and moments worth witnessing.

An exploration of young love, socio-political unrest and existential dualities imposed on everyday lives A Night of Knowing Nothing is a stellar exploration of young love, socio-political unrest and moral and existential dualities imposed on our everyday lives. The documentary inquires about what it means to be human under a “theocratic” state that labels you a ‘citizen’, and what this labelling entails. The collaged footage is dispersed fashionably, and considering this level of fine-tuning within such a small crew, this film is nothing short of incredible.

Multiverse of Meh-ness Multiverse of Magnificence Kayleigh Fraser - Campus Comment Sub-editor

Did Sam Raimi conquer with the best multiverse film...

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ay 2022 marked the long awaited release of Marvel Studio's Dr Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. But was it as mad as audiences expected to be? My answer: no.

Benedict Cumberbatch made his return as Dr Stephen Strange this month in the much anticipated sequel to 2016's Dr Strange. Starring alongside him was Elizabeth Olsen as the Scarlet Witch, a new fan favourite following 2021's phenomenal series Wandavision.

One main problem I had with the film was the characterisation of Elizabeth Olsen's Scarlet Witch. Following the success of Wandavision last year, the character became a fast fan favourite.

Loved for her unlucky fateful love of the Vision and her sweet yet terrifying nature, fans were ecstatic to watch Wanda on the big screen.

Yet, I felt like the character I came to love in Wandavision was s o m e h o w dismantled.

Whilst I understand Olsen w a s

portraying Wanda under the influence of the 'dark hold', there was just something missing. She was too terrifying, too rash, too manic. I wanted to see more breaks in her emotion throughout the film rather than at the climax with that god awful we want ice cream song (sorry Billy and Tommy).

Also, do I even need to ask where Paul Bettany's Vision was? At the end of the series we see a copy of the character fly off into the unknown.

Alongside this, Marvel wants us to believe that in every multiverse Wanda is a single mother? I'm not buying it.

I also think some parts of the film suffered from bad writing. Some of the phrases said by characters just seemed a little... off. Jokes like the 'illumiwhatty' were too on the nose. I wanted more effort, more complex jokes and better humour.

My next question, of course, is where are the TVA from Loki? Surely, they would not enjoy Strange's journey through the Multiverse as it opens far too many variants and variations.

Despite my issues, the movie did contain some fantastic scenes. One that immediately springs to mind is the fight scene between the two Dr Strange's utilising notes from sheet music. Straying away from the conventional Marvel fight scenes, I was blown away by the creativity of the writing and execution. I remember watching it on the big screen thinking how brilliant of a concept it was, and how I had never seen anything like it before.

I also must mention the illuminati, as it was really cool to see the X-Men universe as well as the Fantastic Four be introduced to audiences... for about five minutes. Why introduce something so mind blowing and shocking to then ruin it less than ten minutes later? I suppose the conclusion we should take from this is what it could mean.

Who replaces the illuminati now? At least we know it now exists.

So, was it truly the multiverse of 'madness'? I don't think so. Was it still a great film from Marvel?

Yes. Coming hot off the heels of No Way Home, it was always going to be a very hard act to follow.

In the end, I'd watch it again, and I'm excited to see what adventure Strange will go on next.

Credit: IMDb

George Bell - Film Sub-editor

...or did Daniels succeed as the mutiverse underdogs?

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his film is everything I wanted from Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and then some. A perfect blend of visuals, humour and heart, Everything Everywhere All At Once is easily one of, if not the, best films of the year.

Following Michelle Yeoh’s Evelyn on a cross dimensional acid trip, this bewildered and unlikely hero must save the multiverse from a reality warping threat while also surviving the weird assortment of things all the worlds have to throw at her.

I refuse to try and explain this film in part because I don’t want to spoil anything about it, but also because putting it into words would never do it justice. If you are already interested in seeing this film, stop reading and see it now - as blind as you possibly can.

Directed by the wonderfully weird minds behind Swiss Army Man, Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (Daniels), Everything Everywhere All At Once does so much right, but what it does perfectly is shining every possible light it has on the superb talent of Michelle Yeoh, who absolutely fucking rules throughout.

Funny, relatable and flawed, Evelyn (and all her variants) are perfect conduates for Yeoh to flex her acting muscles, and boy does she flex them. The supporting cast is equally fantastic, providing an all together perfect environment for everything that happens.

Stephanie Hsu delivers an excellent performance as Evelyn’s daughter Joy giving a well mixed combination of emotion, wit, and malice. A highlight for many, especially fans of Goonies and

Temple of Doom, is the triumphant acting return of Ke Huy Quan who plays Evelyn’s husband Waymond. Quan delivers some of the strongest emotional punches of the films as well as the biggest laughs, all alongside a consistent cheshire grin.

The multiversal concept and ambitious story behind this film exceeded not only because of the amazing talent on display, but because of the amazing visuals and costumes. The big issue for me with Multiverse of Madness was that there was not enough of that madness and much too few multiverses, but here that is delivered in full force. We get to see a myriad of universes and possibilities, each of which are as imaginative and clever as the last, never letting you get bored for a second. Seeing all these worlds being blended so perfectly together is a testament to the editing done which combined with the beautiful cinematography and wonderfully distinct array of outfits makes for a stupidly good looking film. My only complaint may be that the flickering between universes at times detracted from the stronger emotional beats that I would have liked to focus solely on.

Everything Everywhere All At Once is everything you want from a film, you should watch it everywhere you can and when you do, you’ll be seeing some great cinema hit you all at once.

Credit: IMDb

Print: Peter Lennon, Haaris Qureshi | Online: Joseph Caddick and Michael Duckworth

Gaming

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Monday 23rd May 2022

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Ghostwire: Tokyo review Mass Effect; Or, how I learne Michael Duckworth - Gaming sub-editor

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ethesda studios has published their latest action-adventure open world experience.

This time you are let loose on the abandoned streets of Shibuya, tasked with fending off malicious spirits and Yokai while saving the innocent souls of the raptured public.

All the while a mysterious masked figure known only as Hannya calls out to the souls of Tokyo, coaxing them to release themselves from the limitations of the body and to join his unholy crusade on mortality - or something like that.

The main body of the game consists of wandering Tokyo at night. The map is incredibly expansive and accurately recreates both the built-up business sectors, as well as the quainter residential neighbourhoods, to create a remarkably lifelike virtual Tokyo. The dark silent streets, looming fog and lurking creatures are all immensely successful in creating a haunting atmosphere, tapping into basic human fears of isolation and darkness.

The combat is smooth and well-designed, being based on Kuji-Kiri and martial arts, the

protagonist mostly uses their hands to fight which forces you to get up close and personal to some terrifying ghouls. However, it is rather one-note - there are three main elemental attacks, a bow and arrow used for stealth and a handful of item-based attacks. Yet all these elements lack depth. A wider spell pool or a combo system would elevate the combat to make the action elements as exciting as the adventure elements, or as thrilling as the horror elements.

Despite a slow start, the story really picks up pace as you continue to explore the city; the characters are tightly written and the group dynamic between the heroes becomes more endearing as time goes on. The villains lack diversity, but each spirit is expertly designed with some element of Japanese culture or folklore integrated into their design.

Similarly, many of the side quests feature popular urban legends and social fears come to life. A subway station you can only arrive at if you are riding alone, a hidden staircase that leads to the abandoned basement of a shopping mall, that kind of thing.

While not a perfect game by any means, the gameplay loop of hunting down souls and fighting off ghosts is satisfying and addictive, and the concrete jungle of Tokyo makes for a fun playground to run, climb, and glide around in on your mission to save the city.

Image: Bethesda

Image: Electronic Arts

Goodbye FIFA: The best editions of EA's football simulation 3. FIFA 17

Tom Wrath - Arts sub-editor

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ith the untimely demise of the Sports genre's arguably greatest franchise, and the announcement from EA that they will depart from the FIFA series to develop new ideas, we take a nostalgic trip down footballing memory lane to consider the greatest editions of FIFA… 5. FIFA 11 A cover featuring Wayne Rooney at the height of baldness and South American great Kaka, FIFA 11 presents the greatest example of the series’ exceptional cross console compatibility; with a first release for the PS3/XBOX 360 generation, and last release for the DS. From the boardroom level immersion of a revamped Career mode to the zippy, exciting introduction of Street Football, EA produced an immaculately balanced game that remained true to the unscripted drama of football.

4. FIFA 12 The FIFA series are renowned for their independently curated soundtracks, and FIFA 12 sneaks into this ranking on its music alone. Whilst the overall gameplay experience was consistent with its predecessors, and barely an update in 2011, who could deny that the likes of Foster the People, Chase and Status, Portugal the Man, and Rock Mafia were an incredible aural accompaniment to team management and loading screens. To be seriously impressed check the FIFA 12 Spotify playlist, and marvel at EA's remarkable knack for discovering new talent.

Potential is the word for this one. With a charismatic presentation and cinematic scope, EA’s inception of an NBA2K style story mode offered much excitement, as the player controlled rising starlet Alex Hunter through the trials and tribulations of a career in the Premier League. It’s a shame to look back at what might have been had EA committed to fully developing the Hunter dynasty in later editions, but it nevertheless provided a welcome change to re-energise the ailing franchise.

2. FIFA 14 Another visionary edition, EA introduced the Ignite Engine to diversify gameplay and offer a human quality to AI, from realistic movement, enhanced realism in crowds, and responsive tactics. For the first time, the modal experiences of Ultimate Team, Career Mode and Pro Clubs combined with the richest and most authentic Gameplay to provide a detailed experience that shaped nearly every subsequent edition.

1. FIFA 10 Saving the best until last, FIFA 10 remains my personal favourite in the franchise. With polished, fast-flowing gameplay, and an addictively stimulating Career Mode, there is SO much to love about this edition. However, its crowning glory was the introduction of the game-changing Ultimate Team mode to a generation of online consoles that suddenly made FIFA a social activity. Whether it was trading cards with a mate, facing off with a stranger using my MagpiesFC squad (a shameless reference to my beloved Notts County), or hoping and praying that Emmanuel Emmenike would pop out during a pack opening, FIFA 10 was the epitome of high quality, enjoyable online gameplay before corporate greed wrecked the mode.

Image: Electronic Arts

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Monday 23rd May 2022

Print: Peter Lennon, Haaris Qureshi | Online: Joseph Caddick, Michael Duckworth

Gaming

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ed to stop worrying and love the game breaking bug Mitchell Hall - Sports sub-editor

Have you been involved in a game breaking glitch that wasn't your fault? You may be entitled to compensation

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rawling through the PlayStation store’s deals and offers list, desperately looking for a new experience to fight back the boredom as I often do, I came across an offer I could not refuse. The Mass Effect Legendary Edition, the trilogy remastered, for around £13.

Hijinks ensue… unfortunately.

Jump back to young me, pestering my parents for the right to play games rated far older than I am, like all my cool friends at the time. The compromise? Mass Effect, the original, rated only 12, low enough for my parents to take the risk. The game was a revelation for young me, and the grotesque transformation of the husks alone probably influenced my love for modern horror. This enjoyment lasted for about 5 hours before little me got lost on the Citadel and gave up attempting to navigate the games unforgiving UI. It is based on this experience that I bought the trilogy, knowing I came across the original at the wrong time, but that the core of the game was good.

And, upon re pl ay i ng , it was. I could

utilise the interesting squad selection system, with each of your two chosen teammates having individual loadouts and abilities at your disposal.

It gives each encounter a range of approaches, and therefore a variety that compensates for at times plain environment design. The storytelling is reliably engaging and your ability to align yourself with certain characters is still some of the best usage of the "choose your response" mechanic even compared to all the games since its 2007 release.

Obviously, certain aspects such as facial animations have been far surpassed by modern technology, and the sound design lacks a certain atmosphere during combat. But for the most part I was caught off guard by how well the game had aged. I didn’t feel like I was playing a 15-year-old game. Until technical issues began to rear their head.

I soon found myself on the receiving end of a crushing glitch Enemies’ bodies clipping through surfaces, AI occasionally acting up before snapping back to functionality; these are annoying but manageable.

However, I soon found myself on the receiving end of a crushing glitch that would have set me back hours and hours. It really succeeded in sucking my enjoyment from the playthrough.

Going into the laboratories of Noveria, I noticed one of my companions had vanished; "annoying but manageable", I thought as I continued to battle through the complex. Puzzles, trains, legions of the bug-like Rachni enemies, and even a significant boss battle and story moment, the labs provided a sprawling if somewhat repetitive level, which after a few hours was beaten.

With the labs cleared and enemies defeated, the objective changes to take the train back out of the complex, which would teleport me to the end of level screen and a job well-done. Except, confusingly, the game spat me out at the other end of the line, where I had previously fought through

on my travels.

I tried going back to the labs a few times, I restarted from my most recent save a few minutes earlier, spawning my lost squad member back from the abyss, but still nothing. I looked online and, after sifting through discourses regarding 3 other huge glitches from the same level, I found that my situation was hopeless beyond going back to my most recent save before the level and going from there.

I am not used to older Role-playing Games, I often play First Person Shooters or more recent horror, both packed with frequent autosaves with manual saving taking a back seat. To restart in Mass Effect would set me far, far back, and I didn’t have the energy to claw my way back to where I was - at least not until I have waited long enough for the experience to feel fresh again, like waiting to forget in order to re-watch a movie. It stopped all the momentum, yanked me from my immersion in the story, and essentially destroyed my experience with the game.

It is truly a shame to let a good experience fall to such an occurence It is truly a shame to let a good experience fall to such an occurrence, and I would still recommend to anyone who hasn’t played Mass Effect to give it a go and brave the risks (just with frequent manual saving just in case) to reach the unique core lost under the years of visual glossing and polish we’ve come to expect. I have cut my losses and started with the sequel in the collection, which so far promises a similarly varied experience, though the threat of a glitch will loom throughout.

Video Games Killed the Radio Station - Best of in-game radio!

Fallout: New Vegas

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Joseph Caddick - Gaming and puzzles sub-editor

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s a big fan of music from the '80s, the Grand Theft Auto: Vice City soundtrack is perfect for me. Of the many great stations this game has to offer, Flash FM remains my favourite. Featuring 'Out of Touch', 'Run to You', and 'Your Love', a very large selection of these tracks have been in my playlist for years. In fact, I'd go as far as to say listening to this radio station as I watched my brother drive through Vice City has had a huge effect on my music taste.

If you thought this soundtrack couldn't improve for Vice City Stories, you were wrong.

It adds the incredible 'Easy Lover' by Phil Collins and Philip Bailey, one of my favourite songs of all time. Other exceptional tracks like 'Come Back and Stay', 'Together in Electric Dreams', 'The Warrior' and 'Love Is a Battlefield' have also made their way into may playlist, so it's always a joy when they come on the radio.

The Grand Theft Auto series has fantastic radio stations in general, I just think Flash FM shines above the crowd.

Josh Watson - NSR Deputy Station Manager

T

here is nothing better than dusting off the Mojave sand from the old pip-boy and tuning into the radio in Fallout: New Vegas. With the wide range of 40’s and 50’s classics that the modern Fallout series is known for using to guide you around the wasteland of a world once like our own. What makes Radio New Vegas - the main station in the Mojave - stand out from that of the commonwealth and capital wasteland is the cow-

boy feel - perfectly fitting the wild western tones of the game. From the slow jazz swing of 'Blue Moon' to the heartbreaking slow riff of 'Johnny Guitar' - a song that sums up the Couriers' roaming persona more than anything else, every song on the New Vegas Radio hits home.

And even when the songs start to get repetitive the rustic voice of Mr New Vegas breaks through it all with witty one-liners, well written and clever dialogue. He really captures the feel of a true radio presenter - always feeling like a good friend as you roam the wasteland with a robot dog, killing Roman cosplayers. Just writing this and thinking about the music has made me want to reinstall the game and play it again, my Johnny!

Marvel’s Spider-Man Peter Lennon - Gaming Sub-editor

B

y 2018, classic radio as we know it had sort of died down – at least in regards to representation in contemporary media. The podcast and vlog had taken its place, with many independently and professionally produced shows giving their hot political takes.

And there are no takes hotter not spicier than that of J. Jonah Jameson’s Just the Facts with J. Jonah Jameson.

In Marvel’s Spider-Man (2018), you can zip from building to building with your web-slingers with Peter Parker listening to new episodes of his favourite critic. The episodes are hilarious, tweaking J. Jonah Jameson to fit the Alex Jones-Information Wars mould. Between his interactions with call-in guests and his running commentary on your actions throughout the story, J. Jonah Jameson quickly cements his place as one of the all time greats in in-game broadcasts.

Images: Rockstar Games, Obsidian

Sub-editors: Tom Wrath, Maja Mazur & Ruby Taylor

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Monday 23rd May 2022

Arts

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COURIER

Hometown Art: A stage for Lionel Stanhope in South-East London Mary Chude

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ixth form, while an overall disappointing experience, is coming up trumps today. Going to show there are positives to take from any situation, here are two aspects of sixth form which I really enjoyed: 1) my college being in walking distance, and 2) What I’d see on my way.

On this route, I’d pass under a railway bridge where there’d be a massive, blue monopoly style sign, stating Brockley in all caps. I loved seeing it on my way, and further loved that this corner of South-East London was fortunate to be graced with beautiful artwork.

I’ve since come to find this piece is implicated in a borough-wide theme, these monopolyinspired murals adorning railway bridges in the likes of nearby Nunhead and Catford, to name a few. Who is responsible, I hear you ask?

None other than Banksy! Well, the not quite – it’s Brockley-based mural artist Lionel Stanhope – the Brockley Banksy, if you will.

Beyond bridges, Stanhope’s stencils streets with local figures, paying homages to the likes of Brockley-born footballer Ian Wright and Tokyo 2020 Olympian Alex Yee, whose commemoration entailed altering the Brockley bridge sign with his gold medal success.

Also deserving of a medal, Stanhope awards one to NHS workers in his wonderful recreation of a George Cross, tailored to the times with a rainbow ribbon. He echoes this sentiment further in depicting the NHS as best placed on a bed of blue, its ‘S’ aptly replaced with that of Superman’s.

These are just a few examples of his work as covid commentary – he’s even extended to adapt paintings of the past to fit times of the present, placing PPE in reforming the works of Caravaggio and van Eyck.

In endeavouring to beautify my local area, Stanhope helps remind me of why art is important. Not only is it great to look at, but I feel like it reflects the local ethos of the area, which my community can take great pride in, too. That’s why I’m happy to say the South-East London is a stage for Stanhope.

Review: NUTS DramaFest 2022 Peter Bath - Head of Sport Muslim Taseer - Deputy Editor

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ewcastle University Theatre Society's annual DramaFest returned last Sunday after a three-year COVID induced absence. Four short plays, each written by Newcastle students and performed

by NUTS members made for a varied but always entertaining evening in Venue.

Cache 2099 For the first performance of the night, Venue was transformed into a dystopian game show set, complete with signs dictating the proper reactions to the audience. In the year 2099, manic host, Colin Hozt (Tom Gill), shows contestant Henry Charm (Frankie Bonnaddio) through memories of his relationship, and asks him to guess the correct ending. The fun premise gives way to deeper themes, exploring memory and authenticity as Charm is forced into an existential crisis. Although the second half of the play lost some of the tightness of the first, with Hozt monologuing on issues including, but not limited to, Elon Musk's Mars expedition and rap career, his daddy issues, and God (who was cancelled in 2066), it is propelled by the force of Tom Gill's performance.

Like a dark-timeline Bradley Walsh, with game-show host charisma breaking into full blown mania, Gill is in contrast to the humanity and vulnerability of Bonnaddio's opposite performance. Comic turns from Looney (Jonathan Snelling) and Cheesy (Morven Renfrew) punctuate the philosophical debating with laugh-out-loud moments in

spoof dystopian adverts, with lines like "everyone deserves to be euthanized from the comfort of their own home". The acting is solid, the writing thoughtful, and although it drags at points, Cache 2099 stood out as the most interesting play of the night.

Bloody Hysterics The second play of the evening was a hardhitting feminist piece by Yasmine Bridge. As the title suggests, the play explores misogyny in its various forms, from the street, to the office, to the nightclub.

Scenes break into powerful monologues, giving direct testimony of abuse and harassment. All the while the women are loomed over by a trio of creepy blokes standing uncomfortably close, conveying a real sense of danger and claustrophobia. The use of testimony is extremely powerful, forcing the viewer to confront how Society as a whole treats women, or stands by passively in the face of what it knows to be wrong.

The play benefits from its abridged running time compared to the other productions of the night, managing to be much denser, which does wonders for its affect.

As Brechtian, direct, political theatre, Bloody Hysterics pulls no punches.

Bang!

In a pretty drastic shift of tone, Tim Daft's airport security comedy went for pure laughs. With the writer/ director/actor making a case for nominative determinism in the best possible way, no joke was too silly as plastic snakes were flung, women gave birth to bowling balls

and many, many double entendres enjoyed.

A simple premise, in which two airport security workers learn of a bomb on a flight and have to interview passengers in search of it, allowed for a variety of characters, with interviews acting almost as standalone sketches. The two interviewers, highly strung Virgil (Sairre Sukphol) and his childish younger colleague Kenny (Tim Daft), form the core of the play with classic comedy duo chemistry and timing as jokes zing back and forth. The play does confuse itself at points, veering t o o

deep into repeated slapstick, but it does not fail to entertain!

Gags may have been hit and miss, but through sheer quantity and enthusiasm enough hit to keep the laughs coming. A mock citizenship test with questions like "What's Britain's national dish?" "Harry Styles" is one highlight, with more big laughs coming at a suave pilot removing one pair of aviator shades to reveal another pair beneath. A finale involving a woman named Shania Twain, a drunk pilot and lots of shouting summed up the general tone: basically pantomime but everyone loves a panto.

The Horses Mouth Charlie Prothero and The Courier's own Jon Deery aim for more ambitious laughs with their new play. A new employee (Martha Stewart) at an 'aromatic' (dead rats under the heating) Darlington pub meets a variety of odd regulars.

Said odd regulars all get a chance to exhibit their quirks in the running time of this slice-oflife piece, and while they're compelling, they do come off as slightly Flander-ized at points., but the stellar cast plays it exceptionally well.

The play's musical moments are the highlight.

Carol (Fionnuala Bradbury), apparently the pub's only sane customer, provides beautiful songs with guitar accompaniment.

In contrast, a man named Van Gogh (Ben Stoddart), dressed up like Chet Hanks minus an ear, delivers some questionable bars with admirable energy. 'DJ' (Luke Nightingale) performs deadpan, monotone Queen karaoke, and Stewart's character closes with a rousing 'My Way'. The play leaves you with your heart reasonably warmed, and makes one think of the special place the pub holds as an English cultural institution.

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Monday 23rd May 2022

Sub-editors: Tom Wrath, Maja Mazur & Ruby Taylor

Shakespearian flash-mobs surprise at Late Shows in the Biscuit Factory

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Daisy Harrison fter a two year wait, The Late Shows returned to Ouseburn, Newcastle, and Gateshead on Friday 13th and Saturday 14th of May this year. Here’s my experience of The Late Shows at the Biscuit Factory…

What are the Late Shows?

The Late Shows began in 2007, and are a free, late-night culture crawl taking place across Newcastle and Gateshead. Over 40 museums, galleries, studio collectives, and heritage venues open late to host one-off events, such as workshops, behind-the-scenes tours, performances, and parties. The main objective of the shows is to encourage people to visit a cultural venue they may not have visited before.

What is the Biscuit Factory?

The Late Shows is sponsored by The Biscuit Factory, which is an independent art gallery, located in Ouseburn. It gets its name as it was formerly a Victorian biscuit manufacturing

warehouse, however it underwent refurbishment, and became a venue which; strives to provide a platform for local and national artists; support emergent makers; showcase established artist; and add to the cultural landscape of the region. It was therefore the perfect place to attend my first Late Show!

My experience: There was a nice atmosphere upon arrival to The Biscuit Factory, as we were welcomed at the door, and given a programme displaying information about the weekend’s events. We first headed into a project designed by spatial thinker Helena Seget, which aimed to make urban venues friendlier on your brain.

The room was filled with comfy seats, and the sound of water, which was pretty calming. After this, we wandered around the gallery, which is set over two floors, and is able to display the work of 250 artists at any time. Although the most notable experience whilst being in the gallery was ‘flash-mob Shakespeare’, in which actors from The People’s Theatre burst into short performances. As an English Literature student, I found this to be very entertaining, and

got particularly excited when I recognised the monologues the actors were performing.

Once we had revelled in enough Shakespeare and had toured the fabulous artwork exhibited throughout the building, we went to find the silent disco. Upon arriving at the silent disco, I was intrigued to find that the playlist was thematically curated by Forum Books and was in advertisement of North-East based author Jessica Andrews’ second novel, Milk Teeth, which is due to be published in July this year. This was particularly pleasing for me, as I had recently read Andrews’ debut novel, Saltwater.

Overall, my experience at The Late Shows was enjoyable and I would recommend anyone to explore The Biscuit Factory, or the culture that is on offer around Newcastle and Gateshead more generally!

Arts

25

In the tapestry

by CC Lee

Your silhouette against the sky, On a cold February night.

Giggles echoing in the darkness, Ricocheting of the land - cascading into nothingness.

Just you and I, as we wonder the path orienting ourselves to the world.

In the night, the cold braces the flesh but I couldn't care less - because not only are you next to me, But I can see your silhouette painted in the tapestry, aligning with the stars.

And finally; with you next to me, I feel free

Emily Kelso - Head of Campus Comment

BBC Comedy Festival took place at Northern Stage. We look at some highlights

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he BBC Comedy Festival kicked off at Northern Stage this week, hosting several panels. Household names graced the stage such as Greg Davies, Romesh Ranganathan, Ben Wilibond and Mathew Baynton. The BBC made tickets freely available, which is a reflection of their desire to invest in regional comedy and to appeal to new talent with their 'Regional Partnership Scheme'. Even though comedy is not in my future, I was curious to attend and see what these comedy heavyweights I managed to get a ticket to two sessions, both of which made me laugh my socks off and also made me look at British comedy in a new way.

The Greg Davies panel consisted of an hour long part-interview with Ash Atalla and part-Q and A with the audience. This panel was hilarious from the get-go as Ash questioned Davies on his missing kidney and rumours Davies had tanned himself before (apparently not). Davies gave a run down of his career, speaking with brutal honesty on his teaching career, how he started as a teacher and "woke up 13 years later." There were some benefits to his time in teaching though, as Davies accepted it gave him the confidence he needed to put himself out there as a performer. As to the creative process, he admitted he preferred having control over the writing and producing of a comedy show, although he sometimes struggled with the stress that came with it. All in all, it proved to be a humbling insight into a literal and figurative giant of comedy.

Events like these are a sign that, in the future, the comedy scene will be more diverse.

The Ghosts Masterclass was a similar dive into the careers of Horrible Histories alumni Ben Wi l i b on d a n d

Mathew Baynton as well as their Ghosts co-star Kiell Smith-Bynoe, who used his YouTube career to break into comedy. Again, there was hilarity from the start with Smith-Bynoe immediately questioned on whether he'd made Wotsits and noodles for a meal once at university. Serious inquiries into how Baynton's career progressed resulted in an unbelieable retelling of how Baynton, for a sketch at the Edinburgh Fringe, wore a very tight costume and had to perform with his private parts on nearpublic view. The panel had few serious moments (as a comedy festival should be), with a question regarding the tonal differences between the American and British version of Ghosts ending with the remark that the American cast of Ghosts was more attractive than the British cast. The audience launched into hysterics, Baynton mimicked walking off stage and it took a good minute to get back on track. Their recollections of Horrible Histories and Ghosts were a precious thing to witness for someone who has loved their work since they first appeared on my TV as a kid.

He started as a teacher and "woke up 13 years later" Whilst I am sure a comedy career is not for me, to have an insight into the process was fascinating and appreciated. Events like these are a sign that, in the future, the comedy scene will be more diverse.

Maybe one day, the Americans who gorge themselves on British comedy will finally realise there is more to Britain than London (although they may not understand the accent...).

Image credit: Flickr

Davies' kidney and Baynton's testicle: highlights from the BBC Comedy Festival

Sub-editor: Joseph Caddick

Monday 23rd May 2022

Puzzles

26 Across

1. Vietnamese capital city. (5) 2. Small guitar-like instrument. (7) 7. Device that emits heat. (8) 8. Built the Biblical ark. (4) 9. ___ Earhart, First woman to fly solo across the Atlantic. (7) 10. Ridiculous. (6) 11. Score of 40 all in tennis. (5) 14. Art supplies company. (7) 17. Rice dish originally from Valencia.

(6) 18. Large e-commerce company. (6) 21. American burger restaurant chain founded in Wahsington. (3,5) 22. River in Northern England. (4) 23. Henri ___, French artist. (7) 24. Animal that Kuzco was transformed into in The Emperor’s New Groove. (5)

Down

1. Oldest American university. (7) 2. Slight push. (5) 3. 1971 John Lennon song. (7) 4. Thick noodles popular in Japanese cuisine. (4) 5. ___ Lohan, star of Mean Girls. (7) 6. Spiky Australian mammal. (7) 10. Bombing attacks like the Blitz.

(3,5) 12. Remove. (5) 13. Multiple large titans. (7) 15. Lion star sign. (3) 16. Hot curry with a dark red sauce.

(6) 19. Monochrome striped mammal. (5) 20. Person who is stealthy and trained in martial arts. (5) 21. ___ Allen, voice of Buzz Lightyear.

(3)

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Crossword

Codeword:

Wordsearch - Stars

Last Issue's Answers

Codeword: Hexagonal

Aquarius Cancer Cygnus Hydra Ophiuchus Sagittarius Vela

Aquila Capricorn Draco Leo Orion Scorpio Virgo

Aries Cassiopeia Gemini Libra Pisces Taurus

Word Wheel: Combative

WIN A PRIZE!

Upload your puzzle solutions to Instagram and tag @thecourieronline to enter the prize draw!

Monday 23rd May

COURIER

Sub-editor: Joseph Caddick

Puzzles

Nonogram

1

1

3 3 1

1 1 1 1

6

2 1 4 2 2 1 1

1 1 2 1 4 9 1

2 1 7 1 2 6 5 1 1 3 7 1 3 2 4 2 2 1

1 4

4 2 9

3 1 3 3

3 3 1 3

7 1 3 1 1

4 2 3 1

3 2 3 1

2 2 3 2 2

1 1 2 1 2 1

1 2 3 1 1 1

6 9 11 2 3 2 1 1 1 1

4 2 2 2

Colour in the cells in the grid according to the numbers on the sides of the grid to reveal a picture. The individual numbers in each row/column are separated by spaces of 1 or more squares.

2 5 1

2 3 1

2 1 1

4

Word Wheel Difficulty: Hard

1

2 4

4 2 3 4 3 6 1 2 6 4 1 2 2 2 1 5 5 1 1 20

1 5

1 4 4

27

Instructions

Sudoku 23 May 2022

THE

Create as many words as you can of 3 letters or more from the wheel. Each letter can only be used once and you must use the one in the middle of the wheel. Try to find the 9 letter word that uses all the letters.

Goal: 25 words

Notes

Your life.

Your student home.

Voted by students as Best Student Halls Provider 2021.

Just a short walk from the university and city centre, Roman House offers student living that’s perfect for your new adventure.

Roman House, Newcastle Where you belong.

Book your new room now for September! thisisfresh.com

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Monday 23rd May 2022

Sub-editors: Castor Chan, Katie Siddall, Ethan Todd, Lucy Rimmer & Mitchell Hall

Sport

29

The latest on the battle for promotion into the Premier League: Championship play-off semi-finals Mitchell Hall - Sports sub-editor

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n Monday 16th and Tuesday 17th May, the play-offs for four Championship teams took place to earn a spot in the final at Wembley: Huddersfield Town, Luton Town, Sheffield United, and Nottingham Forest battled it out over two legs.

The battle between Huddersfield and Luton Town was a fierce if not particularly fruitful one for both sides, with the tie ending in an aggregate score of just 2-1 in favour of Huddersfield. The first leg opened with an instant helping of controversy as, just a few seconds in, a Huddersfield player was nudged in the back inside the box and went down, hoping and perhaps deserving a penalty. This wouldn’t dishearten the side though as Sinani made a blistering run past Luton’s defence and drilled the ball home precisely into the bottom corner of the near post.

Luton Town would reply with a beautiful set piece Luton Town would reply with a beautiful set piece and a finish from Bradley at close range that gave the keeper no chance, the goal standing despite a hint of offside from when the ball was originally swung into

the box. Despite having all the luck was nothing the goalkeeper could do as regarding refereeing decisions up to this Rhodes got across his man and dived point, Luton found themselves harshly towards the ball, a great display of denied a penalty after Jerome was tenacity earning the result. Luton could cynically dragged down by his arm in not find a way back in and it was at the box. Huddersfield fans were relieved the hands of this goal that they would to get away with that one, and had fall out of contention for promotion. another heart in your mouth moment Huddersfield march on, set to play as Sinani put in a truly exquisite ball Nottingham Forest in the play-off final. over the back line, perfectly not the path of his onrushing teammate, who could only glance it straight at Luton keeper Image: Twitter (@premierleague) Matt Ingram.

All was square as the teams went into the second leg All was square as the teams went into the second leg at Huddersfield’s John Smith stadium.

This game would be the story of two heroic goalkeepers, with both Ingram and Huddersfield’s Nicholls producing some stellar stops between the sticks.

H u d d e r s f i e l d ’s Rhodes saw his weaving run past multiple defenders denied an end result by Ingram, but would not fail upon the second time of asking, dispatching an awkward cross into the box across goal and into the bottom corner. There

Image: Twitter (@BarnsleyFC)

Katie Siddall - Sports sub-editor

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fter finishing 4th in the Championship, Forest went into the play-offs full of hope. With three goals in the first leg, Forest's hope continued as they contributed to two of these goals at Bramall Lane.

The ball came from Surridge to find number 11, Zickernagel; however, United keeper Wes Foderingham blocked the ball.

Hope came again as the ball fell to Jack Colback's feet for him to get the ball in the net before Foderingham could get his hand for the save.

Another stunner came in the 71st minute as John Egan (Blades captain) lost possession in his own half, allowing Joe Lolley to run into the box and slip the ball to Brennan Johnson. Johnson scored a terrific goal taking the score to 0-2 on the Blades' turf.

Moments before the final whistle blew, Sander Berge put the ball across the line to restore United's hopes and dreams. The goal through replay appears to show Robinson getting a final touch but to everyone's dismay, the 91st minute saw Berge (not Robinson!) play a beautiful ball.

In a parallel game, Forest was now the team losing at home as United pulled the score to 3-3 (on aggregate), taking the match into extra time and penalties.

This wasn't the original story as Johnson played the ball past Foderingham in the 19th minute to give Forest a heavy lead. Going into the second half, Berge brought hope one more time as he assisted GibbsWhite two minutes after kick off.

It was down to the Blades to get one more goal to go to extra time and down the Forest to park the bus if they were not determined to score another for safety. Fleck was then the one to save Sheffield's dreams as he was able to get past Forest keeper Samba during the 75th. This took Sheffield United level with Nottingham Forest.

With no goals in the remaining 15 minutes, injury time and extra time the match went to penalties. The first two taken by United did not find the net as Samba saved some beautiful saves. On the fourth penalty, it was down to Lolley to take Forest through to the play-off final.

Smashing it over the bar, Forest had to wait for the outcome of GibbWhite's penalty. This penalty took an incredible save from Samba, who has been praised by player Steve Cook: "we've got Samba to thank tonight."

"We've got Samba to thank tonight"

After winning 3-2 on penalties, Forest fans stormed the pitch in celebration. Though this was meant to be of celebration, one fan assaulted Sheffield United forward Billy Sharp whilst footage has emerged of striker Oli McBurnie apparently kicking a fan.

Carlos Alcaraz : tennis' teenage 'new superstar' who beat Djokovic and Nadal Jess Bradbury - Film sub-editor

The Spaniard has been making both waves and history on the tennis scene this season - and he's still on the rise

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t just 19 years old, the Spanish tennis player Carlos Alcaraz has taken the game by storm just five months into this year's season. Currently sitting out of the Italian Open due to a sprained ankle, the rest of the tour is surely taking a breather after the player dominated the games he has played recently.

Alcaraz, whose style of play has been compared to Rafael Nadal’s, has only grown in his level as he’s worked his way through many competitions. By November 2021, he had made his debut as the youngest player in the top 35 after defeating world No.7 Matteo Berrettini at the Erste Bank Open - marking his second win over a player ranked in the top 10. His success has skyrocketed since then, being seeded for the first time at a Grand Slam in the Australian Open as he reached the third round before losing to Matteo Berrettini. This has not hindered the young player, however,

with the New York Times stating that he was “one of the most exciting nextgeneration talents in sports”.

Alcaraz, whose style of play has been compared to Nadal’s, has only grown in his level Since then, Alcaraz rose to seed No. 14th at the Miami Open, beating players like Marin Čilić and Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets before eventually winning his first Masters 1000 title. At the Barcelona Open, Alcarez once again beat Tsitsipas in the quarter-finals to enter the top 10 for the first time on April 25th. Notably, he is the 20th teen to achieve this overall since rankings were established in 1973 and the youngest since Nadal competed in the same

event - coincidentally on the same date too.

A day after his 19th birthday at the Mutua Madrid Open, he defeated 5-time Madrid champion Nadal in the quarter-finals to become the first teenager to beat him on clay. This also marked the end of Nadal’s 25-match win streak against h is

Image: Twitter (@alcarazcarlos03)

fellow Spanish players. The following day, Alcaraz went on to beat world No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the semifinals breaking another record as the youngest player to win a match against a world No. 1 since Nadal against Roger Federer in the 2004 Miami Open. These two wins for the young star also meant he was the first man ever to beat Djokovic and Nadal back-to-back on clay, becoming the youngest men’s finalist in the history of the Madrid Open.

The youngest men’s finalist in the history of the Madrid Open

Not only has the player impressed the crowds watching him play, but his fellow tennis stars are also more than happy to deliver praise out loud for him.

In his Madrid Open runner-up speech, Sascha Zverev called him “the best player in the world, even though you’re still five years old”, whilst Tsitsipas said, “he inspires me a lot. I really want to be like him. I look up to him”.

Alcaraz’s variety in his gameplay, his changing of pace, height, and spin, surely sets him up to be a real threat to other players at Roland Garros. He’s currently the second favourite to win the competition and if his previous play is anything to consider, then the chance of him winning the trophy is very high indeed.

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Monday 23rd May 2022

Sub-editors: Castor Chan, Katie Siddall, Ethan Todd, Lucy Rimmer & Mitchell Hall

Sport 31 Stroke of brilliance: How F1 changed my life Stokes breaks record

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Leo McManus-Andrea

ew Test Captain Ben Stokes has made his name and shown his worth in the County Championship as he makes a record amount of runs!

The Durham cricketer was playing Worcestershire when he took a hundred runs in 64-balls and played 17 sixes.

This match marks Stokes's first appearance for Durham in the new season and no better way than to be welcomed back by 161 runs in only 88 balls.

Before lunch on day two, Stokes had already hit a 64-ball hundred, impressing every spectator. Left-arm spinner Josh Baker was caught off guard as five of his bowls allowed Stokes to take five sixes, adding to his sixes tally.

After lunch, Stokes opened with plenty more sixes and for a short while held equal with Andrew Symonds's

16 sixes. These incredible sixes also brought Stokes's run tally up to an unstoppable 150.

Eventually Stokes gained that vital final bat to break the record of sixes within the County Championship!

This was done in less than 200 innings, which adds to how impressive Stokes's batting was on the second day of the match.

Though Stokes had everyone's eyes upon him, we cannot forget about the final innings of the game. Stokes may have taken a record home, but Worcestershire attempted to take the game which ended in a draw: Durham: 580/6 dec & 170/1 dec Worcestershire: 309 & 262/3 (100)

Stokes overtakes Andrew Symonds's record of 16 sixes, which he hit in 1995 Image: Twitter (@PakPassion)

Castor Chan - Sports sub-editor

Why a single sport pushed me onto the path of sports media

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s of writing, I’m finishing up my second year in Newcastle studying media and classics an unconventional combination, I’m aware. But two years ago I had no idea where my education and career path were going at all. Formula 1 showed me what I wanted to do.

In high school, my peers around me seemed so sure of themselves, trying to be doctors, politicians, or academics, and they knew where they wanted to be. I never excelled at one particular subject, perhaps except geography (I did quite enjoy the volcano units). Although I did consider continuing it or going onto something like urban planning in university, it wasn’t a sharp desire and more along the lines of ‘I’d be decent at this’.

Then when it came time to actually apply to universities, I moved on to entertaining the idea of a classics degree. For my UCAS choices, I chose a full classics degree for all five of my uni slots. Fun fact, none of the five were Newcastle either. I also decided to apply to universities in the United States, where I would do a four-year, undecided degree where my major was to be selected towards the end of second year.

Despite the chaotic year that all of my fellow 2020 graduates will understand, my grades came back good enough to get me into all

bar one of my choices. But by then, I had fallen out of love with the idea of intensively studying something I simply loved to read in my spare time. To keep it short, my mother and I ended up having a month-long fight over whether I was to go to St Andrews, my firm choice, or Ithaca College all the way in upstate New York. I was adamant about keeping my degree choices open, my parents recognised the value in the name of a good university. It was a stalemate that my stubborn self wouldn’t let me lose.

It was a stalemate my stubborn self wouldn’t let me lose.

A little before that, I’d started watching the F1 during lockdown - yes, I was one of the DTS people. I loved it so much, I started running my own blog online. I’ve always liked sports, having both played and watched from a young age. Ice hockey was another sport that I was interested in at the time, but it was the fast cars going round in circles that fascinated me and impassioned me

enough to start writing.

Soon after, I realised that media could be a genuine opportunity for me, and that was my reason to push for the States. Eventually, we came to a compromise: I would revoke my offers to go into Clearing, and I would look for a university that offered me media or a combination of media and classics. That is when I found Newcastle’s Combined Honours programme, one that I’ve massively enjoyed the benefits of.

I also got to try out student media, something that I didn’t dabble in during high school.

Here in Newcastle, I fell in love with the city, my extracurriculars, and the people here and it is astounding to think that I would have none of this if I hadn’t started following F1. I owe my time here to my parents who supported me through what was probably a horrifically stressful period of their daughter being indecisive, my friends that have welcomed me to a brand new country, but also perhaps a little bit of me for finally finding my future.

Image: Twitter (@IvoXd16)

F1 calendar aims across the pond while cutting fan favorites Arthur Ferridge

How the world's most famous single-seater championship is trying to go global - but at a price

Many fans began to wonder whether we even wanted to watch this many races.

Barcelona, routinely produce lackluster racing, a fact which is made all the more frustrating when you consider the plethora of incredible circuits around the world which are repeatedly snubbed by the FIA.

[They] produce lackluster racing, which is frustrating seeing incredible circuits snubbed Tuscany’s Mugello Circuit, home to MotoGP and DTM racing, made a brief Formula 1 cameo in 2020, standing in for races cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The tracks’ long series of flowing corners, esses, and chicanes produced constant wheelto-wheel racing, leaving many fans confused as to why it did not return for 2021.

Countless circuits fit this bill, getting mysteriously dropped from the championship after having been considered fan favorites for years.

Malaysia’s Sepang International Circuit featured between 1999 and 2017, hosting iconic moments such as Red Bull’s “Multi-21” controversy and Michael Schumacher’s return to the

sport after breaking his leg in 1999, but was ultimately dropped with little explanation offered.

Unfortunately, as with most elements of motorsport, a circuit’s inclusion often comes down to money and FIA requirements. Ahead of its reintroduction in 2021, Circuit Zandvoort spent an estimated £15.2 million on upgrading their facilities to suit modern Formula 1 cars.

This is the reason that iconic German circuits, Hockenheimring and Nürburgring, have also disappeared from the sport, as local governing bodies are not prepared to cover the astronomical cost of hosting a race, which can be as much as £38 million. In addition, F1's Concorde Agreement has stipulated a maximum of 24 races per season, at least until 2025.

As the FIA continue to add new races t hroug hout the US and Image: Wikimedia Commons - Skip and Sepang

the Middle East, it seems increasingly unlikely that these fan favorites will ever return to the sport. Liberty Media seem to prefer purpose-built tracks in exotic and marketable locations such as Miami and Las Vegas, which begs the question: is the spirit of racing itself not entertainment enough?

Image: Twitter (@pramudingo) - Hungaroring

Image: OpenClipArt - Monaco

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he F1 calendar has been steadily expanding since its launch in 1950. The 2022 season is set to feature a record 23 races, nearly four times as many as F1’s inaugural championship (6).

This daunting calendar has sparked fierce debate in the Formula 1 community. While drivers and teams complained about the amount of travel and months away from home, many fans began to wonder whether we even wanted to watch this many races.

Many circuits have signed multiyear contracts with Liberty Media to retain their place in the top flight of motorsport. Bahrain recently signed the longest current contract in F1, retaining the opening race until 2036. Close behind is Saudi Arabia, which will scrap the brand-new street circuit in Jeddah for a new circuit in Qiddiya, which will feature through 2031.

These contracts are not without controversy. There is near-constant conversation surrounding the state of the Formula 1 calendar, about which tracks should be added and which should be dropped.

Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina Circuit is often brought up. Since its F1 debut in 2009, it has produced some of the most uninteresting season finales in the history of the sport. Its long technical sections make racing and overtaking difficult, leading to long, dull races. This was proven in 2021 as Lewis Hamilton pulled out an eleven-second lead before Nicholas Latifi spun out and Michael Masi took it upon himself to inject some drama.

The same can be said for Hungaroring, which contains many of the same issues as Yas Marina. Much of the track is barely wide enough to permit sideby-side racing and features hardly any overtaking opportunities.

These tracks, alongside other F1 mainstays such as Monaco and

Sub-editors: Castor Chan, Katie Siddall, Ethan Todd, Lucy Rimmer & Mitchell Hall

Monday 23rd May 2022

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Sport Great escapes: who will manage to avoid relegation at the bottom of the table?

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Josh Watson - NSR Deputy Station Manager

The relegation battle is primed to go down to the wire on the final day

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ell here we are - by the time this article is in print the final matches of the 21/22 Premier League will be over. As of now however, one thing is certain - Watford and my beloved Norwich City will be returning to the championship next season, most likely to return the season after next and continue the high low cycle. But before all that - let's try and work out who will be the third team leaving the top 20 this year: Leeds, Everton or Burnley?

Currently in that 18th spot, Leeds have had a rough season of 18 losses and by far the worst goal difference of the contenders for relegation. However, there is hope they can make up the points, with matches against Brighton and Brentford in the upcoming games.

When they came up against Brighton earlier this year the sides managed an uneventful nil-nil draw, leaving it up in the air on where it might go this time.

Brentford may be more of the same, as it was another draw to them last time a captivating 2-2. Leeds will likely need more than two points to stay safe - so they will need to do something special to stay in the hunt.

Up a spot to 17th, tied for points with Leeds, is Burnley. With the least won games out of the three contenders,

they're going to have to rely on more than their 13 draws to keep them up this season. Things don't get any better when looking at the matches to come. Game one is against Tottenham Hotspur, who currently sit pretty at 5th in the table. However, Burnley were able to take the reverse fixture in February with a surprising 1-nil win at home.

They may not get as lucky this time, with Spurs requiring two wins to have a good chance of breaking into the top 4 - they are unlikely to field a second team for this one.

Alongside the fact it is an away game the odds seem to be against Burnley - but you can't rule them out.

Aston Villa is up next which doesn't look anywhere near as good with a 3 - 1 loss less than a month ago, think we can safely rule any points from that match out. They then round out the year against Newcastle, which they might have some hope for.

Two points clear of the others and with three games to go, Everton look almost safe to make it through this season.

Sexist and racist jokes featured during after dinner speeches caused two tables to walk out

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he Scottish Football Writers' held a dinner the other night, Sunday 8th May 2022. During the after-dinner speeches, sexist and racists jokes cropped up and filled the room with laughter - yet two tables walked out as the jokes made were offensive and damaging to people present.

Whilst nothing has been said concerning who made the joke and what the joke detailed, BBC and Sky Sports reporter Eilidh Barber took to Twitter to display her how she had "never felt so unwelcome in the Industry." Eilidh and her table walked out when the comments were made and were followed by another table, despite the laughter coming from the rest of the room.

Gabriella Bennet, Co-Chair of the organisation Women in Journalism Scotland said in a tweet that she was in the room when "sexists and racists jokes were made by a key speaker." When speaking to BBC

Radio Scotland she explained that her table followed Eilidh's table, leaving five minutes in to a twenty minute speech.

She's also commented that by setting this precedent in the speeches, then this alters the way in which women are treated and spoken to in the work environment.

More work needs to be done to make the work environment suitable for all KickItOut and Women In Sport were notified of the sexist and racist comments made and are conducting an investigation into the details of what happened. They've issued a joint statement saying that it is unacceptable that people have come forward to say

Two points clear of the others with three games to go, Everton look almost safe their last meeting in the FA cup ending 4 - 1 to Everton. This might be what they need to stay up - a win here will secure them the place thanks to the Leeds vs Burnley match. And they might need to get it there as the remaining matches are against Crystal Palace and Arsenal, who have their own fight to stay in the top 4 to deal with.

While a draw might cut it, Everton will be hoping to secure all three points in their next game, otherwise it may not be them that decide who is doing back down.

Leeds looks most likely to be headed back down to the championship this season however, both the other teams have formidable opponents in their path. If Leeds can bring their A-game to these last two weeks then Burnley may be at higher risk. By the time you read this in print, the results will be known. And maybe I am right - but the beautiful thing about football is we just don't know.

'Sexist' speech causes walkout at Scottish Football Writers Association CC Lee

However, with the most losses out of the three and a lower goal difference than Burnley - best not to count the chickens before they hatch. The first of the three against Brentford,

they don't feel appreciated or safe in their workplace. They've also acknowledged how much more work needs to be done in order to make the work environment suitable for all. They have also noted their support for the people affected by the comments and will offer support in any way.

The Scottish Football Writer's Association issued a disappointing apology, stating they "apologise to anyone offended or upset by the material from one of our afterdinner speakers." The twitter account posted that they stand in solidarity with those who call out the sexist and racist behaviour in the industry. Personally, the response from the Scottish Football Writer's Association is adequate enough, and more should have been done to prevent this from happening in the first place.

Image: Twitter (@EilidhBarbour)

EA to stop using FIFA branding Mary Chude

Electronic Arts will no longer publish football games under the FIFA title

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his past week, the series known as EA Sports FIFA announced that its time was up - it would be tied to FIFA no longer.

Spanning nearly thirty years of representation through the global governing body of the beautiful game, EA, from 2023, will now progress with EA SPORTS FC serving as its branding.

This new era has come about after negotiations between EA and FIFA broke down due to disputes. These were reportedly held over the license fee: FIFA wanted to double its annual taking of $150 million as well as the expansion of the FIFA name, with the footballing body wanting to extend its presence into the wider digital sphere.

My childhood was defined in part by playing FIFA with my brothers, so perhaps my stance on this should be tinged with at least a little grief. Really, from here on out, any indication of mourning has most certainly been done away with.

That's because the truth is, the only real change to the series will be the

branding, this fact being of no surprise those to familiar with the series. It is truly a pipe dream to believe the loss of the FIFA license will result in EA taking more effort into improving the game.

It would make sense too. However, the fact of the matter is, after 30 years, EA has established its football game as the premier title in its market.

The truth is, the only real change to the series will be the branding The effects of this are very much felt by the poor, unfortunate consumers who submit themselves to an awful product, year in and year out. That's because, every year, nothing changes.

EA's cash cow game mode, the virtual trading card simulation known as Ultimate Team, keeps people leashed to the game, draining their pockets in that very instance.

It's fair to say EA care about that mode alone. The other modes, in providing no monetary return, are simply ignored. Worse yet, the gameplay, that which sustains this whole enterprise, is complete and utter dross, to put it respectfully.

To football fans everywhere, save your money.

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Monday 23rd May 2022

Sub-editors: Castor Chan, Katie Siddall, Ethan Todd, Lucy Rimmer & Mitchell Hall

Jake Daniels comes out in a historic step forward Katie Siddall - Sports sub-editor

Making history: footballer Jake Daniels joins the LGBTQ+ community

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aniels, a 17-year old Blackpool midfielder has made history as the only openly gay professional male footballer in the

UK. Since writing an article on the LGBTQ+ community within football, in February 2021, two professional male footballers have come out to join the LGBTQ+ community.

The first of these was Australian national Josh Cavallo, who came out in late 2021. Cavallo gave an interview to Sky Sports revealing that it was “phenomenal” to get a weight off of his chest as he was living a “double life”.

The most recent of these players is 17-year-old Blackpool midfielder Jake Daniels. This means that Cavallo is no longer the only currently active male gay footballer. With this, Daniels becomes the UK’s first active footballer to come out as gay, whilst under the public eye, in 30 years. Many have stepped forward to support the young Championship player as this is a huge moment within English football.

Manchester City forward, Jack Grealish, told Sky News: “I think it’s absolutely brilliant and a massive step forward.”

Speaking to Sky Image: Sports, Daniels Flickr explained that he wants people to know the real him.

Similar to Cavallo he does not

want to keep lying to himself, especially now that he has accepted himself.

In the past Daniels said he has had girlfirends to show that he ‘belongs’ on a football pitch along with the other straight footballers, as he was told that he would grow out of this ‘phase’.

Throughout his footballing career he thought there was a need to hide his sexuality. He considered “waiting til [he] had retired to come out” but this would be “such a long time of lying.”

Personally, the news gave me hope and joy. Why, as a female in the football community? Simple, because it shows that no one is alone. You can be male, female, non-binary, gay or straight.

There are any football fans who are a part of the LGBTQ+ community, including myself, and they look up to these public figures. Having football as a straight, male sport is no longer the true representation - it is about inclusivity.

Anyone can be a football fan!

When having found out this news, a close friend reached out to me with the following texts: “I’m just so so so so happy. Can’t describe to you. As a gay man that has loved football all my life incredible news! This representation is so important going forward.”

There are no words in this article that can be put together that are equal or even close to those of my friend. You can see how important this representation is for gay men in the football world.

Another beuatifully said supportive message was from award-winning actor Sir Ian McKellen, who co-founded the Stonewall chairty, who has called Daniels a “hero” continuing that “[a]t 17, Jake Daniels represents a generation that rejects old-fashioned homophobia in football and elsewhere: those who haven’t yet grown up as he has. He sets an example.”

Stonewall have also written on Twitter to show their support: “We are proud that Jake has felt able to share his truth with the world.” followed by their partners Kick It Out, who hope to kick homophobia out of football: “It shouldn’t have to be brave but it is.”

McKellen, as part of his Stonewall Foundation, participates in the Rainbow Laces (#RainbowLaces) campaign. The aim of this campaign is to gain acceptance of anyone’s sexuality and/or gender within football. Cavallo and Daniels have both shown that football is moving in the right direction as this time last year there were no almost no openly gay, male pro footballers in the world.

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View from the AU

Adventures in rowing: boats, beaches and buzz Fergus Mainland - Athletic Union Officer

The AU Officer (and former Boat Club President) on life in rowing and how to popularise the sport

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way from the Students’ Union, I’m still heavily involved with the Boat Club in a coaching capacity. I’m also travelling up and down the country after getting into commentary at BUCS Regatta in 2019. Turns out there is a silver lining to glandular fever…

Recently, commentary duties took me up to East Sands in St Andrews for the inaugural Saints Coastal Regatta. The event was showcasing the new Beach Sprints format which World Rowing and FISA hope will help engage a new audience and help rowing appeal to the masses. The Le Mans style start on the beach before sunning to the sea and leaping into boats before a 250m slalom and then a sprint return is a more dynamic and exciting version of rowing than the 2000m course seen on TV, particularly when Poseidon starts to churn up the sea.

Beach sprints are a very good leveller. It gives plucky under dogs an opportunity to compete against those who have raced against World Champions and those who have been to the Olympic Games. It is highly likely that this will feature in the 2028 LA Olympic Games and for good reason. The beach setting is perfect for DJs, BBQs and some cracking summer vibes - Beach Sprints would fit right in at Tynemouth and King Edward’s Bay.

I love rowing, it’s been one of the best parts of my life for over 10 years.

However, it’s a sport that shies away from its commercial potential and the opportunities that could be out there. Cricket has benefited hugely from The Hundred, Formula 1 has seen its engagement go into 6th gear

Rowing is a sport that shies away from its commercial potential in America after Netflix released Drive To Survive. So when will someone in the rowing world seize the day?

The indoor rowing world is making the most of this opportunity, capitalising on the growth of CrossFit, Hydrow’s indoor rowing machines are making waves so it’s time for water rowing to take the next step and Beach Sprints could be the answer to their problems and keep rowing firmly cemented as one of the pillars of the Olympic Games and competitive sport.

Image: Instagram (@newcastlerowing)

Image: Twitter (@BlackpoolFC)

Image: Anton Zelenov via WIkimedia

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