thecourier thecourieronline.co.uk
Fashion Find out who’s on the best dressed list this week Page 23
Monday 15 October 2018 Issue 1373 Free
Gaming Kickstarter project honours queer gaming history Page 32
TV Black Mirror turns real life in upcoming interactive season on Netflix Page 24
Student frustration over new GDPR regulations The independent voice of Newcastle students
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potential members played. This affected the ability we had to prepare for rehearsals.” In response to these claims, Sophie stated: “To address the issues of the ‘tech’ side not living up to it….well, it didn’t. And I think it is a fair assessment from clubs and societies that MSL was not the easiest to use, nor did it provide the best method of sign ups.” The Activities Officer also said that clubs and societies could have taken details such as names and player positions if they had asked to do so. “I tried to make this clear”, she said. Some clubs have claimed that problems with the new system led to depleted membership numbers. Izzy Reid stated that this was the case for Tennis: “The GDPR rules resulted in our sign-up numbers declining significantly. Between the men and women there were about 30 sign ups this year, which is dramatically lower than in previous years.” Sophie responded to such claims by stating: “All in all, I don’t think clubs and societies will see a massive decrease in numbers signing
and organisation of sign-ups and trials during Freshers’ Week. Rather than taking student information at the fair, societies were told to create a mailing list through the NUSU website. Prospective members would then be required to log in using their details, visit the society or club page they were interested in, and click the sign-up link to be added to the mailing list. An email sent out by NUSU’s Activities Officer Sophie McDermott on 19 September told societies: “no laptops with excel sheets, no paper copies, no disclaimers, these will be confiscated if they are seen.” Changes were motivated by the new General Data Protection Regulation, introduced on May 25 2018 to protect the personal information of EU citizens and give them more control over how their data is used by organisations. According to the International Commissioner’s Office, “Individuals have the
right to be informed about the collection and use of their personal data.” The online guide for organisations needing to collect personal data states: “You must provide individuals with information including: your purposes for processing their personal data, your retention periods for that personal data, and who it will be shared with.” “You must provide privacy information to individuals at the time you collect their personal data from them.” In previous years, stalls had sign-up sheets where individuals could write down their university email address to register interest in a club or society. Sophie McDermott told the Courier the reasoning behind this system: “While we could have had clubs and societies with email sign ups on the table, we were very conscious that it was a very open and busy space and if left, or picked up by the wrong person, it could leave our students vulnerable.” “We decided as a stance that we would say no sign ups on the table, it had to be done through the MSL system on the website. This would primarily address concerns over keeping our students’ details safe, but more importantly it would mean students who couldn’t come to the fair could have as much opportunity to sign up as anyone who did make it down.” Some students felt that the new rules were not properly communicated. The President of Newcastle University Gymnastics Club said: “I didn’t know we had to create a signup list online, so we ended up making one a couple of days into Freshers’ Week.” Others expressed dissatisfaction with the online sign-up system itself, claiming that it complicated the process of registering new members. Izzy Reid, President of the Tennis Club, told the Courier: “The system was inaccessible to freshers who didn’t know their log in details, and it made our job trickier as we couldn’t take information like ratings which allow us to gauge the standard of the players.” Brad Werritt, Men’s Captain for Gymnastics, stated: “It was harder for us to get directly in touch with anyone who may have been interested in signing up, especially if they didn’t understand how to sign up for the mailing list via the NUSU website.” Difficulties with the new system were not confined to sports clubs. Sam Murray, Secretary for Newcastle University Wind Band, said: “We were unable to record the email addresses or what type of musical instrument
Peoples Vote Rally
Music and mental health
Blind date returns
Travel mishaps
Appreciating black athletes
Molly Greeves interviews a variety of participants at the Sunderland rally demanding a vote on the Brexit deal News, page 6-7
First of a feature series of articles surrounding the complexities of mental health and fame Music, page 24
Find out what happened between two students looking for love as one of the Couriers most popular sections returns Lifestyle, page 13
Dalene Low tells the Travel Section what happens when holidays don’t always go to plan Travel, page 21
As part of Black History Month, Rebecca Johnson celebrates some noteable black stars of sport Sport, page 38-39
Isabel Sykes Deputy Editor Students have claimed that implementation of new GDPR regulations at this year’s Clubs and Societies Fair caused problems with signups and trials. Following the introduction of GDPR rules, students hosting stalls at the Clubs and Societies Fair (Sunday 23 to Tuesday 25 September) were told that they were not allowed to directly collect personal information from prospective members visiting their stalls. Students have claimed that this caused difficulties with the registration of new members
The GDPR rules resulted in our signup numbers declining significantly. There were about 30 sign ups this year, which is dramatically lower than in previous years
Izzy Reid President of the Tennis Club
Inside today >>>
We were very conscious that it was a very open and busy space and if left, or picked up by the wrong person, it could leave our students vulnerable
Sophie McDermott Activities Officer at NUSU
up.” “While there may be evidence of this, the Union will do everything it can to ensure that the society or club does not take the impact. I have to extend my thanks to all the clubs and societies for being patient and for getting on with things in an exemplary way.” While Sophie defends her decision to make the change to the online system, she concedes that “there were significant teething issues” and is gathering feedback from clubs and societies to make improvements for next year. “I will hopefully better equip our clubs and societies next year so that they do not feel any impact and have sign ups the way they want.”
Stan Calvert on hold: End of an era or inevitable decision? p.38 Image: Newcastle University
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the courier
thecourier The Courier is a weekly newspaper produced by students, for students. It’s never too late to get involved in the paper, whether you’re a writer, illustrator or photographer. Just visit thecourieronline.co.uk/about for more information. Editor Louise Hall Deputy Editor Isabel Sykes Copy Editor Laura Staniforth News Editors Grace Dean, Molly Greeves, Sidney Pinsett and Steven Ross Comment Editors Jamie Cameron, Caitlin Disken and Alexandra Sadler Life & Style Editor Sophie Henderson Lifestyle Editors Phoebe Fielder, Holly Margerison, and Ella Williams Fashion Editors Poppy Couling Joe Hood and Miranda Stoner Beauty Editors Laura Buckle, Susanne Norris and Nimra Rafique Travel Editors Jenny Franken and Bianca Ionci Culture Editors Alex Moore and Carys Rose Thomas Feature Editor Ally Wilson Arts Editors Rosie Mccrum, Julia McGhee Russell and Scarlett Rowland Music Editors Charlotte Boulton, Rory Ellis and Jess Taylor-Weisser TV Editors Jacob Clarke, Tom Cooney and Chloe Mullins Film Editors JImmy Athey, Helena Buchanan and Joe Holloran Gaming Editors George Boatfield, Kelly South and Matthew Neville Sports Editors Sydney Isaacs, Rebecca Johnson and Harry Parsons Online Editors Rory Cameron, Jodie Duddy, Amanda Goh, Thomas Hardwick, Max Hobbs Orestis Katsoulis and Chris Wilkinson The Courier NUSU King’s Walk Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 8QB Tel: 0191 239 3940 The Courier is printed by: Trinity Mirror Printing, Barton Road, Riverside Park Industrial Estate, Middlesbrough, TS2 1UT Established in 1948, the Courier is the fully independent student newspaper of the Students’ Union at Newcastle University. The Courier is published weekly during term time, and is free of charge. The design, text, photographs and graphics are copyright of the Courier and its individual contributors. No parts of this newspaper may be reproduced without the prior permission of the Editor. Any views expressed in this newspaper’s opinion pieces are those of the individual writing, and not of the Courier, the Students’ Union or Newcastle University.
NSR show of the week: NSR Breakfast show 9am-11am weekdays Rory Ewart Deputy Station Manager Tune in each weekday morning from
The breakfast shows this year will be the number one way to kick-start your university day
nine till eleven to showcase the latest flagship shows from NSR. NSR Break-
fast will be co-presented each day by different members of the station, from station man- ager Harry Parsons on a Friday, to Ollie Thomas and Liv Green, hosts of hit show G&T. Light-hearted banter and feel good music assured, the breakfast shows this year will be the number one way to kick-start your university day and will showcase the biggest and best things happening on NSR, student media more widely and around campus. And if not for anything else, we heard Rory Ewart is doing a day also, and he’s meant to be alright on air. NSR breakfast streams weekdays from
STU BREW beer of the week: Lab Session £3 per pint Louise Hall Editor As a realtive Stu Brew amateur and writer of this weeks beer of the week I only found it fitting to reccomend what I like to think of as the old faithful. Very popular with us here in the Courier office on an evening the Lab Session pint offers a classic pint of lager with a more fullbodied twist. Described as a pale ale that is low on bitterness and high on aroma with summery vibes, the Lab Session makes for a perfect light afternoon drink. While unlike some of the limited edition beers that Stu Brew experts often more
Student Spotlight Black History Month Chris Wilkinson Racial Equality Officer Black History Month is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the achievements and actions of those Black figures who came before us, and to construct a cultural monument recognising the work they did in creating a more equal society. Here at NUSU, we’re celebrating Black History Month in three ways: through History, Culture, and Activism, all of which will hopefully touch upon the past, present and future of the Black community. Join us with our amazing guest speakers to look at the issues borne by the community in the past, and how the community as we know it today was formed out of the difficulties of yesterday. Join us at our Cultural Panel discussions to look at issues which affect the community in the present, and how Music, Art, Literature, and other dimensions of the blossoming Arts world can address these. Lastly, join us for our nationally advertised conference with Stand Up to Racism, where we will look at how the Black community, along with many others in the UK, can work together for a more equal future. Black History Month is a time for everyone to learn something new, and NUSU looks forward to seeing you all here.
eloquently describe in this weekly column , the Lab Session can be found regularly on draft behind the bar a t Luthers, where you can hopefully make the most of your student discount. Hopefully in the upcoming weeks this column will be filled by someone more equiped to discuss the intimacies of brewed beverages, for this week you can think of this as a note from a fan to one of the more classic Stu Brew staples. I hope i’ve inspired you to give STU BREW a taste in the upcoming months.
Monday 15 October 2018
Whats on near you:
Monday
Societies: 1pm-5pm: Afro-Caribbean Society Drop-in. Location: The Venue, NUSU. Societies: 5:30pm-7:30pm: Give it a Go, Board Games. Location: Planning Room, NUS. Sport: 6.15pm: NUSU GoodGym Mash Up. Location: Meet at Hotel Indigo.
Wednesday
Societies: 11am-3pm: Letter-writing with Post Pals: “Brightening the lives of sick children”. Location: Newcastle University Business School. Sport: 12pm-2pm: Give it a Go, Ice Hockey: Learn to Skate. Location: meet outside NUSU building Sport: 1:45pm-3:30pm: Give it a Go, Rounders. Location: Meet outside front entrance of NUSU. Arts: 1pm-3pm: Give it a Go, Money Box Decorating. Location: The Lounge, 1st floor NUSU. Music: 7pm-11pm: Bad Touch live. Location: Venue, NUSU.
Friday Lifestyle: 3.30pm-6pm: Give it a Go, Cocktail Making Masterclass at Revolution. Location: Meet outside front entrance of NUSU.
Saturday
Societies: 9am-5pm: Tree-planting with Living Woods NorthEast. Location: Meet outside NUSU. Sport: 3pm-5:45pm: NUFC v Brighton and Hove Albion. Location: St James Park. Meet outside front entrance of NUSU for Give it a Go.
Tuesday
Societies: 5pm-8pm: Go Volunteer, A Second Life Welcome Meeting. Location: Kate Aide Room, NUSU Societies: 5:30-7:30pm: Panel Discussion for Black History Month. Location: World Headquarters. Lifestyle: 6pm-7pm: Catpawcino Cat Cafe, half-price entry for members.
Thursday
Lifestyle: 4:30pm-6:30pm: Give it a Go, High Tea at Delicious Decadence. Location: Meet outside front entrance of NUSU. Societies: 6:30pm-9pm: Stand Up to Racism Event. Location: Lindisfarne Room, Hadrian Building. Arts: 7.15pm-10pm: Give it a Go, stage premier of The Lovely Bones. Location: Meet outside front entrance of NUSU.
Sunday Sport: 10am-11:30am: Give it a Go, Tennis. Location: Meet outside front entrance of NUSU. Sport: 11:30am-2:30pm: Give it a Go, Surfing. Location: Tynemouth Beach. Meet at NUSU front entrance. Sport: 12:45pm-3pm: Give it a Go, Karate. Location: Newcastle University Sports Centre. Sport: 3:45pm-6pm: Korfball taster session. Location: Sports Hall, Newcastle University Sports Centre. Societies: 9:30am: Newcastle University Christian Union, Church Searh. Location: The Junction Pub.
news
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the courier
Monday 15 October 2018
@TheCourier_News courier.news@ncl.ac.uk thecourieronline.co.uk/news News Editors Grace Dean,Molly Greeves ,Sidney Pinsent, Steven Ross Online Editor Jodie Duddy
Newcastle University publishes midleading statistics
Steven Ross News Editor It has been reported that Newcastle University, among others across the UK, has made misleading claims to students about their position in the global rankings of higher education.
Newcastle University advertised that it was in the top 1% of the QS World University Rankings. But it actually ranked in top 15 per cent of institutions
The Independent has reported on an investigation which uncovered that Newcastle University has reported unverifiable information about its position in the top universities in the world. Newcastle University advertised that it was in the top 1% of the QS World University Rankings. But it came 141st in the current table making it in the top 15 per cent of ranked institutions. The university has removed the original claim where they used figures from 2015 rankings. However, the 2018 prospectus shows the University was still claiming it was a top 1 per cent ranked university at the time
but was only 161st, using figures from 2016. This claim in both the Newcastle University and Newcastle University London 2018 prospectus’ remains on their website. Charles Heymann, a higher education communications adviser said last year that, many universities are able to state that ‘they are in the top 10 for something’. This does not mean however, that the university is an allround world leading institution. Newcastle University was not alone in making inflated claims as Aston University, the University of Aberdeen, Edinburgh’s HeriotWatt University, the University of the West of Scotland and Ulster University all suggested that they were world leading universities. This investigation came only 10 months after the Advertising Standards Authority told six other universities (Newcastle not included) to remove misleading marketing claims that were not supported by ‘good evidence’. The Guardian reported on a decrease in school leavers applying to higher education. Last year, it was estimated that between 2015 and 2020 the number of 18 year olds applying to university would drop by 75,000. This may have been a factor in some universities publishing misleading information with the intention of attracting more students, although a relationship between a drop in applicants and the publication of misleading data has not been proven. With application rates continuing to fall, unless kept in check by the advertising watchdog, erroneous statistics could continue to be seen on university websites across the country. The Courier contacted the University Press Office for a Response. A Newcastle
University spokesperson said that: ‘Following the ASA ruling last year, we reviewed all use of comparative claims and enforced our internal approach to the use of rankings and accolades. Regrettably, the statement in question relates to one pdf from 2015 which was left on our website in error during an ongoing revamp. We do not use this claim any longer.’ The University has stated that the information should have been removed following the ASA crackdown on misleading claims in November 2017. Rather than suggesting that
Regrettably, the statement in question relates to one pdf from 2015 which was left on our website. We do not use this claim any longer
A Newcastle University Spokesperson
Newcastle University is a top 1% University, it is now content to safely claim, ‘we are in the top 150 universities worldwide according to the latest QS World University Rankings 2019’. An increased use of nuance by places of higher education would hopefully give future students a clearer picture of each institutions level of global excellence.
NUSU launches houmous and pita bar Caitlin Disken Comment Editor
A new vegan café has opened on the top floor of the Students’ Union. Humpit, a hummus and pita bar which has branches in Leeds, York and Sheffield, opened its doors at the start of Freshers’ Week. The company, which won the Virgin food start-up award in 2015, was approached by Newcastle University to offer students a healthier option in their SU.
The company, which won the Virgin food startup award in 2015, was approached by Newcastle University to offer students a healthier option in their SU.
“It was a great opportunity,” says Humpit coowner and founder, Jonathan Phillips. “Students are making healthier choices, they’re drinking less, trying to eat more healthily. More and more students are becoming vegan and veggie, and obviously all of our food is vegan.” The café offers large portions of houmous bowls, houmous and falafel-filled pitas, and salads, all priced at £4.50. They also serve fresh lemonade and Humpit iced tea. “We’re finding it really good at the moment,” says Philips. “The food quality and the price is great. We’re hoping it will gain even more popularity in the coming weeks.”
The Arches Image: Chris Thomson
Calls for new Visas for international students Cayla Viner
International Student Visas have sparked a great deal of debate in the North East since the post study option was abolished in 2012.
In the back of my mind it will always be a worry as to where I will end up when I come out of my four year course
First Year International student at Newcastle University
Humpits staple dish: the houmous bowl Image: Caitlin Disken
Currently, students who have come from outside of the EU are only given 4 months after their education to secure a Tier 2 graduate job, which translates as needing an employer sponsorship and a minimum salary of £20,800. This can be extremely difficult to achieve as supported by BBC Politics Live that said, ‘40% of citizens fall below this threshold.’ Therefore, some improved plans have been brought to light which could massively impact the work opportunities of international students, as well as making a difference to the economy and environment of the North East. In the latest proposals, the suggestion is that universities could sponsor graduates in finding work experience in the UK. This would be over the course of 2 years, allowing a more reasonable time frame for international students, who have invested and chosen to study in the UK. Due to the current laws, the number of visas transferred after education has had a drastic 87% drop following the 2012
changes. A recent poll was carried out with 4301 British adults asking whether international students should be able to stay in the UK. Although only a small sample, 72% supported a change where overseas students could have one or more years of work experience. As well as the recent poll, Newcastle University Vice Chancellor, Chris Day commented, ‘International Students are an integral part of cultural, academic, and social make up of Newcastle.’ Furthermore, Northumbria University chancellor Andrew Wathey said ‘it will boost economic growth and skills in the area and help build links across the world.’ The consent from both university chancellors suggests an improvement to post study visas should be a key consideration for the future, especially in changing the economy and business culture in the North East area. After speaking to an international first year, I discovered her opinions on the matter: ‘I weighed up the advantages of studying in the US compared to the UK and was more impressed with their education system – to have personal tutors that can support me through my degree is a huge benefit, however in the back of my mind it will always be a worry as to where I will end up when I come out of my four year course.’ Despite this opinion, the US has had an increased intake of 40% of internationals per annum compared to the UK which has increased by only 3%. Students who have chosen to study in the UK should not be given the added pressure of finding a sponsor, while also completing their further education It may be that if an improvement isn’t made to the International Visa laws, overseas students will potentially be put off from coming to study here at all. With Brexit looming, the country should be doing its upmost to welcome global talent and keep strong connections with students and businesses from overseas.
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news Influental journalists host investigative conference
Monday 15 October 2018
Grace Dean News Editor
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innovative training sessions led by expert journalists were offered to delegates
On 29th September, Newcastle University held a one-day investigative journalism conference hosted by the Centre for Investigative Journalism (CIJ) and Newcastle University’s Civic Journalism Lab. The event was a landmark for CIJ as it was their first conference to be held outside of London, and featured speeches and training sessions by experienced journalists. Juliet Ferguson, Access to Tools Programme Manager and conference organiser, said of the event: “We have long dreamed about taking the summer conference outside London and delighted that we’ve finally been able to do so. The response from both speakers and delegates has been exceptionally positive and we are happy that we chose Newcastle as a venue.” Amelia Gentleman, instigator of investigation into the Windrush Scandal, was the conference’s keynote speaker. The acclaimed Guardian journalist, who has various accolades to her name including specialist writer of the year at the 2017 Press Awards and the Orwell Prize, was in conversation with former BBC Today reporter Zubeida Malik for half an hour before inviting delegates to pose questions.
During this she discussed her involvement in exposing the Windrush Scandal, in which the Home Office attempted to deport dozens of Commonwealth citizens from Caribbean countries who arrived in the UK between 1948 and 1971 and were long-term UK residents. Gentleman also advised delegates, many of whom were professional journalists or journalism students, on how to find leads for cases such as this and how to continue motivating yourself to research despite finding obstacles. Incoming UK Investigations Editor for Buzzfeed News Alex Campbell additionally delivered a speech during which he discussed
Guardian journalist Amelia Gentleman was the keynote speaker Image: CIJ
Body found confirmed to be missing fresher Joe Molander
A search for Worcester student Tom Jones ended in tragedy on Tuesday 2nd October when West Mercia police confirmed that the body recovered from the River Severn the Friday before was his. Jones, 18, had been missing since the early hours of 19th Septem-
According to a friend of Jones ,the teen was “behaving normally and didn’t seem intoxicated at all” just hours before his disappearance
ber after a night out during Worcester University’s Freshers’ Week. According to Jones’s childhood friend Harley Hetherington, the teen was “behaving normally and didn’t seem intoxicated at all” just hours before his disappearance, and had texted his parents when he was two minutes away from home. Thought to have taken a walk on a footpath atop flood defences on the way there, the police have labelled his death “unexplained”, pending a post-mortem examination. In connection with the disappearance, two arrests were made on suspicion of murder, though both suspects were eventually released without charge. Jones was last seen on Sabrina Bridge, however his father Ian is concerned that “vital clues” about his son’s death were missed, owing to the closest CCTV camera not working; a Worcester City Council spokesperson referred to “technical issues or routine maintenance”. “The Sabrina Bridge camera has been out of action for 12 months. We regret that it was not working on the night that Thomas Jones
went missing.” A petition calling for CCTV to be installed on the River Severn has subsequently amassed nearly 18,000 signatures. After his disappearance, hundreds of people united to form a search party, while in the digital sphere, a Facebook group was created which currently has 23,000 members, and is now raising funds for a memorial through a JustGiving page. The thoughts, prayers and well-wishes accompanying each donation make for tough reading. Phrases that are all too familiar to those who have known death - like “angel”, “deeply saddened” and “always remembered” - are continuously echoed by acquaintances who have endured a tremendous loss, and who have the impossible task of trying to articulate its magnitude. Specially trained officers have been assigned to support Jones’s family, with the West Mercia Police Superintendent Damian Pettit thanking the public for their efforts in locating his body, praising the “overwhelm-
his career progression from writing for a local newspaper in Indianapolis to exposing suspicious Russian-linked deaths in the UK and the US as part of the Buzzfeed Investigates team. He also explained the mixed public re-
“Investigative journalism...is so vital for healthy local democracy in cities and regions like ours.”
Ian Wylie, Civic Journalism Lab
action to Buzzfeed’s new emphasis on investigative journalism and discussed how online news providers can measure their impact. Alongside the two speeches, which were delivered in the Boiler House, delegates were invited to participate in three training sessions delivered by experienced journalists. Jonathon Stoneman, former BBC World Service Head of Training, delivered a session on Open Data during which he explained how data sets can be accessed and then analysed to produce news stories. A session on Access to Tools, in which delegates learned how to access information on the internet through advanced search techniques, was delivered by Laura Garcia, Lecturer in Television and Multimedia Journalism at the University of Kent. Freedom of Information (FOI) Act specialist and CIJ Research Fellow Sid Ryan led a class on how to utilise the FOI Act to advance
research and investigations. Discussing the success of the event, session leader Laura Garcia said, “I am incredibly passionate about technology and how we can use it to enhance our journalism. “Instinct and due diligence will never be replaced by online tools, but we can definitely use them to dig around in more clever ways. “I was overjoyed to have an audience mixed with students, practicing journos [journalists], other academics, and people who are just interested in how we do our work. It was an absolute pleasure and joy to teach. “Newcastle was lovely, even if a bit too cold for my taste. I’m from Mexico, so Newcastle
in September is not even remotely close to being my natural habitat and I am in awe of the locals’ ability to walk around in what I would class as summer wear. Made me feel a bit inadequate walking down the streets in my coat”. Describing the importance of the Conference, Ian Wylie, Director of Newcastle University’s Civic Journalism Lab, said: “This event is part of our efforts to connect professional, community and student journalists and inspire and equip them for the sort of investigative journalism which is so vital for healthy local democracy in cities and regions like ours.” The Civic Journalism Lab and its accompanying podcast was established by Newcastle
“Instinct and due diligence will never be replaced by online tools, but we can definitely use them to dig around in more clever ways..”
Laura Garcia, CIJ Conference session leader
Speaker Alex Campbell will become UK Investigations Editor for Buzzfeed News Image: CIJ
University in October 2017. The Lab has hosted monthly events which include discussion sessions and workshops. More information about its work can be found by signing up to its newsletter.
Newcastle University advance in global rankings
Olivia Blackham
Since opening its doors in 1963, Newcastle University has not only welcomed a variety of innovative and intelligent academics, students and research projects but also countless awards, high rankings and prestigious
“Investigative journalism...is so vital for healthy local democracy in cities and regions like ours.”
Ian Wylie, Civic Journalism Lab
commendations. From being a founding member of the Russell Group to being awarded a Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) Gold, the University has continuously received both national and international acclaim, and now it can boast an increase from 175th to joint 171st in The Times Higher
Education (THE) World University Rankings 2018-2019. Arguably, Newcastle has had a bumpy road in its performance in the THE Rankings, with a dramatic drop from 152st in 2011 down to 201-225th in 2015, but over the last four years it has started to claw its way back up. This year has seen a climb of four places up from its 2017 ranking at 175th. The announcement of Newcastle University’s position in the Rankings on 26th September was met with delight by the University, Professor Chris Day, President and Vice Chancellor of Newcastle University, reacted to the news, saying “We are proud that our internationally excellent research and teaching across all of our three faculties continue to be ranked so highly in this influential ranking.” Professor Chris Day described the Rankings as being a sign of the success of his ‘fiveyear £500m programme of investment’. The announcement was made amid suggestions that the University is aiming for more outstanding awards this year including University of the Year. This prospective investment would add to the University’s already impressive portfolio of recent developments and expansions; it has added 400 more
members of academic staff to its faculties, new state-of-the-art accommodation, a Sport and Exercise Science degree programme and a School of Pharmacy which opened in 2017. Professor Chris Day described his pride that the “internationally excellent research and teaching across all...three faculties continue to be ranked.” Newcastle University continues to climb the ladder of success whilst valuing its students and their educations. Unsurprisingly, they continue to rate highly for student satisfaction with a score of 4.01/5.00, which is even higher among international students. These statistics exemplify the open nature of the university which not only welcomes and educates students but also provides them with an environment which stimulates both learning and personal development through the opportunities offered by the Students’ Union. For all these reasons and more, Newcastle University is seeing an increase in its global reputation and prestige and is set to achieve the further international commendation that many believe it deserves. The University must wait until 2019 to see whether its steady increase in the THE Rankings is sustained.
According to a friend of Jones ,the teen was “behaving normally and didn’t seem intoxicated at all” just hours before his disappearance
ing…sense of community”. A candlelit vigil was also held in his honour. The shocking discovery had led to nationwide debate over the safety of students during freshers’ week. If you’d like to do something to help Jones’s loved ones by donating to the memorial mentioned above; the JustGiving page can be found by looking up “We’re raising £10,000 to create a memorial for Jonah and remember him forever x”.
Newcastle University scores highly for student satisfaction Image: Picryl
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news
Monday 15 October 2018
Park View opens amid noise complaints Carl Smith Valdez
Newcastle University has just opened Park View Student Village for first year undergraduate students. The £75 million accommodation consists of 1,261 single en-suite
“Instinct and due diligence will never be replaced by online tools, but we can
bedrooms and 16 single studios within six residential buildings. Park View Student Village is intended to replace the 1970s buildings in Richardson Road. Each flat has their own kitchen, equipped with a licence provided flatscreen TV and Wi-Fi. The facilities include an on-site laundrette and an indoor bicycle storage. Park View Student Village also has a multi-use common room for socialising, gaming and studying. However, their have already been reports of students struggling to cope with noise from contruction works nearby. Joe Chapman, a first year History student said: “I’ve got a low contact hour degree which means I’m in here a lot. If I want to do work in my room, it is kind of impossible. “Sometimes, I wish to
open my windows for fresh air, but I cannot deal with the noise.” The construction work is designed to become a new Sports Centre at Newcastle University for academic space and recreational sport. It is due for completion by summer of 2019. One of the residents, Rachel Martin, an international student, believes that Park View meets her expected standards from the official university website. Martin said: “I knew Park View would be modern due to it being new. I wasn’t sure about how good the landlords here are because back home some could be rather sneaky. When I saw the pictures of what you get for here, I felt like it was worth the money. The features are all fairly accurate to the website.” Martin considers the services at the reception to be “extremely helpful” in times where they have had minor problems. “When we first moved in, the door alarm was going off even when the fire door was shut. But whenever we have an issue, we go down and talk to the maintenance team by the desk, and they’ve got someone to fix it for you on the same day.” Discussing the affordability of Park View, Martin adds: “It’s about a two-minute walk to where I take most of my lectures. I would rather pay a bit more than having to worry walking in rain or snow.” Park View Student Village is 0.9 kilometres away from Newcastle University and is a short walk to the Newcastle city centre. Safety
is taken seriously with entry-phone systems, CCTV and Estates Security Officers patrolling around the accommodation. According to Paul Bandeen, the Director of Accommodation Services in Newcastle University:
“Park View not only offers modern, high quality facilities and amenities, but a supportive and welcoming environment for new students.” For a single en-suite room, the weekly rent
rate is £134.33. While for a single studio room, the weekly rent rate is £166.25. All the utility bills are included in the rent. The contract is a fixed term period of 40 weeks and will accommodate the academic year.
Louise Hall Image: NUSU
NUSU interviews: Editor of the Courier Chloe Mullins
Tell us about yourself and a fun fact. I have one that I always whip out with this. My name’s Louise, I’m the editor of the newspaper, The Courier. A fun fact about myself is that I was involved with newspapers from the day I was born. I was on the front page of the local newspaper as I was born on the bathroom floor in twenty minutes and my dad
“Instinct and due diligence will never be replaced by online tools, but we can definitely use them to dig around in more clever ways..”
Laura Garcia, CIJ Conference session leader
had to deliver me on the phone to the ambulance service and then the local newspaper decided to plaster my dad’s cringey nineties moustache across the front page. From that to here I guess has always left me an inherent intrigue with press.
Louise Hall Image: NUSU
Why do you think people should get involved with student media? I think we have such great opporties at Newcastle in student media. We are one of the only universities in the country (I think there’s three) where a member of staff runs their university newspaper. We’ve been here seventy years and we have forty pages weekly, there’s so many things you can get involved with whether you want to be a journalist and try editing or writing or if you want to try filming, or being on the radio. Whether you want to review your favourite album or you want some free tickets to the cinema or you don’t agree with something that is happening and you want to change the way people think, we’re a great space to
explore those different incentives.We’re also independent from the university which I think is really important and distinguishes us from some other student newspapers, we can say what we want without being censored. We also have a lot of fun, we have socials, hang out in the office all of the time, it’s a great way to express yourself and find friends.-
What advice do you have for anyone who is nervous or hesitant to get involved? I would say that you need no experience to come along and write for our newspaper. Sometimes people tend to be put off in that they think they need to have written for other things. It’s so important that we are a space for all Newcastle students, no matter their experience or skill in journalism. As long as you’re willing to except feedback and come along and learn, anyone can write for our paper. I would encourage them to maybe look from the outside in, so start by joining the Facebook groups or coming along to a writer’s meeting and you don’t have to take an article if you’re nervous. Or come along to our writer’s workshops before you write something and then as and when you feel confident and more prepared to take an article or write about something else. Then we should be able to provide that support so that you don’t feel alienated from doing bigger and better projects every time round and then hopefully, you can apply for a sub-ed at the end of the year, who knows? What changes have you implemented or do you want to implement within The Courier? I’m implementing a large online team which we haven’t had before. I think it’s going to be kind of trial and error, it’s not something we’ve had before so it might not be the most effective process there has ever been but I think it’s important to lay that foundation for people to start building on. We’ve also redistributed some of our budget to make some more investment into online this year. I also said that I’d like to make the paper more inclusive by offering things such as big socials for writers and all branches of student media rather than just small socials for sub-editors and by offering writer’s workshops. I also said that I’d include more interactive features in the paper and so I reinstated the feature editor to work on the feature pages as two separate pages every week rather than dealing them out to sections as extra work so
that we can have collaborative efforts. One of our first features this week has been BTOC (best toilets on campus) to make it a little bit more fun and interactive for students. What inspired you to run as editor and do you have any tips for aspiring editors? I guess that editor as a role is a little bit different to the other sabbatical roles because the newspaper becomes quite a bit like a family. Anyone can run for it; we’ve had people from outside the newspaper run for it before but I’d done two years as a news editor. I love the newspaper, I love the people who are in it, I knew all of the people who were staying on, it kind of made sense to me to go for increasing my responsibility as the editor of the paper. I saw all of the work James [previous editor] had done and thought it was going in a great direction and I thought I might as well throw my hat in the ring As for tips for other editors, I would just encourage them to get involved in the paper in any way they can by writing articles or maybe trying out for a sub-ed position. When I started I would never have imagined that I’d be in this position because I thought it was such a steep slope to get from where I was as a writer to being the editor. Just kind of take it step by step and see if it’s something you enjoy. What do you think are the attributes of a good writer? I’d say it’s a willingness to learn, coming into it with no preconceptions. I think also a willingness to be confident in yourself. You have to be putting yourself out there for things like interviews that you may not have done before, you have to have that innate curiousness and veracity to want to go and put yourself out there. I think that’s quite important. Is there anything else you would like to add? No, I would just say that if you’re looking to get involved that our meetings are now on Wednesday 1:30pm to 2:30pm in the Planning Room on the first floor of the Students Union and that they are a drop in session so you can just come, take an article and leave. You can register your interest for the writer’s workshops by joining the Facebook group ‘The Courier Writers Workshops 2018/2019’. I hope in my year as editor, I can do the role justice, and you can hold me to account throughout.
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the courier
news
Monday 15 October 2018
Vice-Chancellor unveils vision for the future
Gayatri Gopalakrishnan The new month promised to be a new beginning for Newcastle University, with the unveiling of a futuristic and promising new vision. On 1st October, Professor Chris Day, the Vice-Chancellor and President of Newcastle University, announced the vision which was shaped by staff, students, alumni and external partners, incorporating the university’s heritage of innovation. The vision for the future stays true to the university’s core values of excellence, creativity and impact whilst enhancing its globally recognised strengths in Ageing and Health, Energy, Data, Cities, and Culture and Creative Arts. In line with the university’s commitment towards cutting-edge research and development which is aimed towards eradicating significant problems
Shaped by staff, students, alumni and external partners, incorporating the university’s heretige
facing the world, four core strategies have been outlined in achieving the vision for the future. These are; Education for Life, Research for Discovery and Impact, Engagement and Place, and Global. Education for life is a co-creation of outstanding learning experiences that, not only challenge students to achieve their full potential but are also inclusive enough to empower students to be creative, innovative and global.
Research for discovery and impact involves working to further improve the core competencies of the university, by launching projects, such as the £30m InTEGReL, which is the UK’s first fullyintegrated energy systems research, development and demonstration site, being developed alongside Northern Gas Networks and Northern Powergrid as an incubator for businesses to test technology.
The vision for the future stays true to the university’s core values of excellence, creativity and impact
Engagement and place involves projects that work towards bettering the community, such as bringing together a consortium whilst work commences on the new National Innovation Centre for Ageing, and launching the City of Dreams initiative, a new ten-year programme of cultural engagement with young people around Newcastle and Gateshead. The university also recognises the need to reach out and be fully international, whilst maintaining local connections, which is what the Global strategy aims to incorporate. The first steps taken in this direction involved the launch of Newcastle Research and Innovation Institute in Singapore (NewRIIS). The announcement was further followed by events across the university’s campuses in London, Malaysia, and Singapore. Booklets providing a more detailed discussion of the vision are distributed around campus and are free to pick up.
March for Sunderland: North East Gayatri Gopalakrishnan
Chris Day Image: Newcastle Unviersity
On the 8th of October, residents of the North East gathered in Sunderland to march for the right to vote in the final Brexit deal. The event was organised by North East for Europe (NE4E), a group of people from various political parties who are concerned about the effect Brexit will have on the North East of England. Despite Theresa May ruling out a second referendum on the 3rd of October, both British and EU citizens around the country are demanding another chance to decide on the UK’s fate in what is being called a “People’s Vote”. Carlton West, a member of the Liberal Democrats and a speaker at the event, said: “Many people have changed their minds and realised the real implications of leaving the EU. Our government failed us by not giving us the tools to make an objective decision.” During her keynote speech at the Conservative Party’s annual conference, May claimed that Britain was unafraid to leave the EU with
no deal, even though it could produce “a bad outcome for the UK”. In disagreement with this sentiment, NE4E are encouraging people who do fear Brexit to exercise their “demo-
NE4E are encouraging people who do fear Brexit to exercise their “democratic right” and “patriotic duty” to campaign for strong links with the EU
cratic right” and “patriotic duty” to campaign for strong links with the EU. The marchers who flocked to Mowbray Park on a Saturday afternoon were passionate about their cause, chanting “this is what democracy looks like” and holding up signs with slogans such as “do they know (or care)
what’s best for the North East”? A concern for the state of the North East economy was prevalent among the protestors. NE4E founder Louise Brown said: “The North East is set to be the hardest hit by Brexit… impact reports released have clearly stated this. Nissan have said they need to stay in the Single Market to operate so if this does not happen many jobs will be lost as it is a major employer in the area.” However, not everyone at the event agreed that Brexit would be bad for the North East; there was also a significant turn out from proBrexit counter-protesters, who shouted that “we already had our vote” during the march and even “shame on you” and “liar” during some of the speeches. Two men had to be removed from the crowd for shouting abuse while Lucy Dixon, a Sunderland teenager, was speaking. “I felt shocked that all of those people were shouting… I’m just happy that I didn’t go off stage because that would just tell them that they won with their pointless shouting and I didn’t want it to be like that. “After I walked off stage, young people came up to me and said how good my speech
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news
Monday 15 October 2018
Newcastle MP weighs in on brexit deal debate Gayatri Gopalakrishnan
Over the last two years, conversations about Brexit have left many people confused and concerned, particularly North East residents, students and EU citizens living in the UK. As these concerns are relevant to many Newcastle University students, I spoke to Catherine McKinnel, Labour MP of Newcastle and advocate of the People’s Vote, to find out how we
We don’t know what the long-term future is for the significant amount of EU research funding allocated to UK universities
People protesting at the March for Sunderland Image: @j_boisseau on Twitter
fights for People’s Vote was. They understood where I was coming from and that’s the reason why I did it. It’s good that people were interested in what I
Veterans for Europe representative Steve Gavin believes that it is still important for young people to make their voices heard.
was talking about.” Despite incidents like this making protests nerve-wracking, Veterans for Europe representative Steve Gavin believes that it is still important for young people to make their voices heard. “It is vital that young people show the strength of their feelings,” he said.
“Young people across the UK weren’t allowed to vote on their future in Europe… it’s simply not fair. As the Tory backbencher Rees-Mogg has said: it will take fifty years of hardship (before Brexit settles). This work will fall to young people.” In spite of this, students at the March for Sunderland were few and far between. The students that did attend expressed concern for aspects of student life that could be compromised by Brexit, including the ERASMUS scheme. Louise Brown argues that there is still time for young people to make a difference. “Register to vote and if you are not around during the time of an election, make sure you set up a postal vote instead. In the event of a general election being called early, this could make all the difference. Likewise, if a People’s Vote is indeed called, it is imperative that young people get their voice heard this time as (Brexit) will affect them the most.”
will really be affected in the event of a hard or no deal Brexit. How do you beleive that a hard/no deal Brexit will affect students? The Government have made some shortterm commitments to protect students and universities – but it’s not clear what this outcome would mean in the medium and longterm, for example for EU nationals who want to study in the UK – or for UK students who want to take up opportunities their predecessors have been able to benefit from, such as studying or working in an EU member state as part of their course. We also don’t know what the long-term future is for the significant amount of EU research funding allocated to UK universities, or indeed how Brexit will affect the ability of the thousands of UK-based university researchers to continue to collaborate with colleagues across the EU. And of course students are not immune to the wider impacts of a hard / no deal Brexit, in terms of what this could mean for our economy, future job prospects and the funding that would be available to spend on public services. How will the North East be affected by a hard or a no deal Brexit? The Government’s own analysis shows that the North East’s economy will be hardest hit by any form of Brexit – but the worst impact of all will be from a no deal scenario. We are the only region to consistently export more than we import, and over 60% of the North East’s exports currently go to the EU,
meaning that we have a higher proportion of ex- going to the EU than any other part of the country. We also have a huge number of firms – particularly those involved in advanced manufacturing, such as Nissan – who rely heavily on the ability to easily import parts from across the EU on a ‘just in time’ basis. Putting barriers and red tape in the way of all of this – in addition to new costs – will have an enormous impact on the region’s productivity and ability to remain competitive. This is just one example of how a hard or no deal Brexit would affect the North East, with potentially very serious consequences for the many thousands of good, skilled jobs across the region which rely on our current easy access to, and frictionless trade with, EU markets. Even more concerning is the complete failure by Government to set out how they intend to mitigate the impact of any of this for our region. How do you feel about May’s claim that the rights of EU citizens will be protected in the event of a no deal Brexit? I know there has been a huge amount of uncertainty over the last two years for EU citizens living in the UK – and that is certainly reflected in the messages I receive from constituents, and when I visit almost any organisation in Newcastle where EU citizens work. This entire process has been extremely unset-
I know there has been a huge amount of uncertainty over the last two years for EU citizens living in the UK – and that is certainly reflected in the messages I receive from constituents,
tling and distressing time for so many people across the country, and it’s frankly unacceptable that they should have been treated by our Government in this way. People rightly want absolute certainty about their ability to continue to live in this country, to work here, to study here – or do business – and, given everything that’s happened since the referendum, it’s not surprising they do not feel reassured by the Prime Minister’s promises.
Our Future, Our Choice: Femi Oluwole Gayatri Gopalakrishnan Among the speakers at the March for Sunderland,, one point was emphasised: young people will be the most affected by Brexit, so
Well, a no-deal Brexit is absolutely gobsmacking it’s crazy.
we need to make our voices heard. I spoke to Femi Oluwole, spokesperson for Our Future Our Choice, about the ways that we can do that. I wanted to ask you: how do you feel about the lack of students here today? I think it’s disappointing, but I mean, quite simply, the Brexit debate has been so clouded that young people don’t have anything to latch onto. It is quite simple: Brexit creates barriers between us and our biggest trading partners, which makes the UK a less attractive place to
create jobs, and young people need jobs. We also need stuff to be cheap, and again, if we create barriers between us and our biggest trading partners (the ones that are right on our doorstep), it’s gonna make things more expensive. Young people need two things: we need jobs, and for stuff to be cheap. So quite simply, Brexit goes directly against our needs. Other than marches and protests, what are some of the best ways you think young people can get politicians to listen to us? Make sure you tweet at your MPs and make Facebook posts… record videos! Explain how you feel- if politicians see that their future voters are gonna be really pissed if Brexit actually happens, their going to be scared. How do you believe that a no-deal Brexit will affect students, particularly international students? Well, a no-deal Brexit is absolutely gobsmacking it’s crazy. It means that the 1.4 million British people that are living across the other side of the channel could lose their right to live there. We need options, there are reasons that ERASMUS is so great, because it means that after university you’ve got that experience of living in another country, it means
that you’ve got options… people are stripping (us) of the right to live, work and love in any country across Europe. It is our birth right as British citizens to see those countries. My best year at university- of my life- was my ERASMUS year. Because it was a language course, it was ninety percent women, so it was the most romantically complicated year of my entire life. It was amazing. I personally couldn’t vote during Brexit (because I was only sixteen), which is the same for a lot of students in my year. Do you think that sixteen-year-olds should have had the right to vote for whether we stayed in the EU or not? Sixteen-year-olds are currently allowed to work, which means they’re allowed to contribute to this economy. Yet, the economy is being trashed by a decision that they weren’t allowed to be part of. It’s fundamentally What are your thoughts on the fact that Theresa May said Britain was “unafraid” to leave the EU? I think she needs to ask us first before she tells us what we are willing to accept.
the courier
editor.union@ncl.ac.uk Student Voice Editor: Isabel Sykes
Monday 15 October 2018
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student voice
2089: A future with no secrets?
Alex Moore talks to Miles M. Hudson about 2089, his new novel set in a future where privacy is merely a thing of the past
H
i Miles, could you tell us a bit about your role at the university? I’m the physics PGCE tutor in the education department, so I teach the trainee science teachers how to teach physics. Physics is quite different from creative writing. How did you get into writing? I’ve spent a good few years writing physics textbooks for schools, but I really wanted to move into something more creative. Explaining the same physics concepts again and again… it is starting to get a little bit dull.
‘The surveillance is not the tool of some oppressive regime, it’s an everday part of life’
In a previous conversation you mentioned the NCLA – the Newcastle Centre for the Literary Arts. Did they have an impact on your writing? Yeah. In the early stages of writing this book I had the background concept for the novel, but my previous publishing experience was in non-fiction. Whilst I think I’m a great writer, I wanted to practise and hone the craft, so I did a course with them. It was really good fun, more than anything else, but it was useful to this particular book. 2089 is published by Unbound publishers. Could you just tell us your experience of using Unbound in relation to your previous novel, which was selfpublished? My physics textbooks are traditionally published. When I wanted to move into creative writing, I originally wrote a detective story but I couldn’t get any publishers interested in that. Self-publishing is becoming popular and straight forward, so I published it that way. I found that I could sell the book if I made a lot of effort, but I wanted to spend my time on writing. When it came to 2089 I thought this ought to go with a proper publisher. But I had the classic debut author struggle, with rejection letter after rejection letter. In the end I finished with Unbound. They are a proper publisher, if you like, but their business model is different in that you
crowdfund the expenditure to pay for the editing, cover design, that kind of business. I happened to submit it when one of their editors was looking for dystopian fiction, which is kind of the theme of 2089. It did then have to go through that whole crowdfunding phase, which realistically is almost more difficult than selling your own book, because you haven’t even got the actual book to hand over but you want the money upfront. You mentioned your work as a piece of dystopian fiction. Would you really class it as a dystopia? Yes and No. It’s a surveillance society, post-apocalyptic future thing. But I’ve very deliberately aimed it to be positivist. The surveillance is not the tool of some oppressive regime, it’s a sort of everyday part of life. One of the main themes I’m trying to get the reader to think about is whether it is actually a dystopia or in fact a utopia. So you’re quite right, you could argue that’s it’s just a jaunt through the countryside in the future. It seems at times like it’s almost more of a communal, albeit authoritarian, utopia, rather than a dystopia. Quite unlike the most famous dystopia, 1984, which your title begs a comparison to. Was that a conscious choice? It’s definitely a nod to 1984. One of the fundamental points of 2089 is that everything you see and hear is surveyed – you are monitored and everything is published publically online. That’s the difference. Rather than Big Brother watching you, it’s everyone watching you. So while there are similarities, there are also differences. The working title was actually 2084. To be honest, I was never keen on that because I didn’t want the comparisons to be made so directly, but there is an element of comparison there. I guess it’s almost tipping my hat to George Orwell. Could you talk about the background to your imagined world? It’s set in a village near Gloucester. In my thinking about the history leading up to 2089 I organised – that’s the wrong word, I didn’t organise a global meltdown in society – but the history of my story includes just that. What sparked it was an expansive Panama Papers type exposé. People nowadays know that the wealthy and powerful are cementing their positions and that inequality is becoming greater. In my story the idea was that people were so incensed it sparked a sort of Arab Spring all over
the world. That led to about a decade of war, famine and pestilence, so the population is reduced to about one percent of the population today. Do you think this is a more realistic future, perhaps with more relevance to the present day? I guess I did try to write a story where I could see each logical step as a genuinely possible future. I didn’t imagine a future at random, I carefully plotted out that sequence of events. During the course of the writing and publication, political events have almost overtaken me. Politics now is so crazy you can imagine anything happening! To a certain extent, the truth is stranger than fiction, as they always say. There is a fantastic sentence about surveillance in 2089: “Scientists have proven that the audiopt feeds were a more accurate record than the visual and auditory perceptions than the actual person involved.” I wondered, in our time of increasing augmented and altered reality, and even the rise of Deepfakes, how relevant do you think this could be to today’s society? That particular line actually came out of an idea about police witnesses and how notoriously unreliable and inaccurate they are, and how the memory plays tricks on us even when we are absolutely convinced of something. If everything you see and hear is recorded, then clearly there can be no argument against that. Now one thing that I didn’t explore is
the concept of Deepfake material and whether you might find somebody hacking your recordings. So you’ve given me an idea of what might happen in the sequel maybe. But yeah that was where that came from, the idea that we are much more fallible than we would like to believe. Is there the possibility of a sequel? I’ve got quite an interesting plot idea which takes the audiopt surveillance system to a different level.I’ll probably have to sell a more copies of 2089 first to convince the publishers, I’ve definitely got a good idea for one. Where can I buy a copy of 2089? The Blackwell’s store on campus has stock, or both paperbacks and e-books are available on Amazon. Is it slightly ironic that your book is being sold on Amazon, a company known to collect information about their customers? M) Obviously, of course, if you were wandering around your house thinking out loud, ‘Oh that sounds like quite a good book, I ought to get myself a copy of 2089,’ then Alexa will probably have already have put it on your shopping list. Maybe surveillance isn’t so bad for you after all? Utopia or Dystopia? That’s what we are trying to work out!
comment
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the courier
Monday 15 October 2018
@CourierComment courier.comment@ncl.ac.uk thecourieronline.co.uk/comment Comment Editors Jamie Cameron, Caitlin Disken & Alexandra Sadler Online Editor Rory Cameron
Any hope on the Kava-nope?
In the aftermath of Brett Kavanaugh’s appointment as a Supreme Court Justice, our writers discuss the impact of his confirmation
Emily Hawksley
H
ow many of you are familiar with the #MeToo movement? You’ve probably heard the phrase circulating around social media. You may have even used it. For those of you who may not be so familiar with it, this movement spread virally in October 2017, and continues to do so today. The movement demonstrated the widespread prevalence of sexual assault and harassment in the workplace. It followed the Harvey Weinstein scandal and people were encouraged to use the #MeToo and speak out about their experiences of sexual abuse and harassment. Since October 2017 many people have taken to social media to share their stories, including many high profile celebrities such as Gwyneth Paltrow and Jennifer Lawrence.
By coming forward, Ford has helped others to reveal their stories
The latest individual to speak out in this new #MeToo era has been Dr Christine Blasey Ford. In late September, Ford shared her story about the man who sexually assaulted her, whom she identified as Brett Kavanaugh, Donald Trump’s second Supreme Court nominee. This admission has sparked one of the most high profile cases of sexual assault in the #MeToo era, with many people backing Ford following her emotional testimony. Ford’s admission has dramatically altered the current Supreme Court run as many have turned their backs on Kavanaugh in disgust. #MeToo has had such a profound impact on all aspects of society and has been named as one of the largest feminist movements in recent years. The original purpose was to empower women through empathy, especially young and vulnerable women. The hashtag has also been used to reveal the extent of problems with sexual assault and harassment by showing how many people have experienced these events. I think it is safe to say that this movement has fulfilled its purpose. Everyday more and more people come forward to share their stories and make their voices heard. More people coming forward means more people sharing their experiences, so giving hope to those who have suffered. By coming forward and sharing her story, Ford has helped others to reveal their stories. Thanks to
the vast amount of media coverage this admission has garnered, the supporters of the #MeToo movement are once again shedding light on these unspeakable crimes which plague society.
Alexandra Sadler
B
rett Kavanaugh has been confirmed to the Supreme Court despite, or perhaps in spite of, the allegations against him. Senator Lindsey Graham stated, even before Dr Christine Blasey Ford had testified, ‘I’ll listen to the lady, but we’re going to bring this to a close. Here’s what I want to tell you: In the very near future, Judge Kavanaugh will be on the United States Supreme Court.’ This suggests that the Republicans were determined to confirm Kavanaugh, no matter what was revealed during the testimony. Dr Ford insisted upon confidentiality initially as, in her own words, ‘Why suffer through the annihilation if it’s not going to matter?’ Is it really surprising that she wanted to keep her allegations confidential when senators were so determined to push through their President’s pick for the Supreme Court, regardless of any accusations brought forward?
Her courage has been met with harassment, disbelief and threats
In a recent interview, Melania Trump stated that sexual assault survivors ‘need to have really hard evidence’ before making accusations. I understand that you cannot just accuse people of things, but sexual assault most often does not leave ‘really hard evidence’.’ Does this mean then, that by Melania Trump’s standards, evidence of assault should be photographic before it is legitimate? People also seem to forget that a testimony made under oath is classed as evidence. Making an allegation is one thing, but testifying under oath and facing consequences for perjury is another. False accusations comprise of roughly 2 to 10% of accusations, and whilst false accusations can ruin lives and are nothing to scoff at, it does not discount the fact that for some the immediate response to allegations of sexual
assault are not sympathy or a willingness to listen, but disbelief. ‘Maybe you read the situation wrong, maybe you lead them on, maybe you were wearing the wrong thing, maybe
openly mocks Dr Ford at one of his rallies? It’s true that Kavanaugh’s hearings were not a criminal trial, and senators were not required to judge whether the allegations were proved beyond reasonable doubt. However, the hearings were somewhat of a job interview, to see if he would be a good fit for the court, and Kavanaugh’s behaviour during the hearings was not necessarily indicative of this. There was a noticeable difference beyou were tween the testimony of Dr Ford and Brett drinking, Kavanaugh’s opening statement. A maybe you’re lying?’ judge must be impartial, and In any other circumhis comments stance, involving about the left any other crime, acand the Democrats, in the cusers are met with context of a confirmation hearing to a listening ear, not the Supreme Court, leave doubt about with doubt. his temperament and ability to be According to a impartial. 2012 report by the B y Ministry of Justice, bravely Home Office, and sharing her Office for National stor y, Dr Statistics, only Ford has around 15% helped of those others deal who experiwith their ence sexual own exviolence report periences, it to the police. There but sexual are a multitude of reasons as to why assault survisurvivors don’t come forward, and every invors should dividual reacts differently, as is only human. not have Dr Ford put her career and reputation on to conthe line, and her courage has been met with tinucontinuous harassment, disbelief and death ously I m atheir ges: threats. In contrast, the man concerned has bare been granted arguably one of the most powscars and trauerful positions in the United States, that of ma over and over to prove a Supreme Court Justice. So when you ask that they are telling the truth. #MeToo might have given why women don’t come forward, consider a boost and higher profile to the conversation around this case. Why would you risk your career sexual assault, but the way that society views it is still far and your life to come forward when it from changed. Saying I Believe Women does not mean doesn’t make the slightest bit of difference much when you approach most allegations with sceptito powerful men? What does it say about cism. Innocent until proven guilty is a key tenet of a fair the way society views sexual judicial process, but until the stories and assault when the testimonies of survivors are seriPresident of the ously considered, we can only United States progress so far. Images Flickr, Wikipedia, The Guardian on YouTube
Natural disaster, human responsibility
In the light of the Indonesian tsunami, our writers assess the duty of developed countries such as the UK to provide foreign aid Sean Simpson
B
ritain is very good at providing foreign aid. In fact, the amount Britain spends on foreign aid is the equivalent to 0.7% of its gross national income per year. In other words, for every hundred pounds made in the UK, seventy pence goes towards foreign aid. It is unsurprising, then, that the British Government sent a plane filled with practical aid such as shelter kits to Indonesia following the recent tsunami and ensuing humanitarian crisis there. We can also take pride in the fact that we have repeatedly lead international efforts in disaster containment and recovery. Given the fantastic results of this proud tradition, it seems odd that when the government proposes cuts, the immediate response of many is to point at the foreign aid budget in outrage, and ask why the money isn’t being spent at home. Watching BBC question time, it is not rare for this question to be met with a round of applause before the debate has even begun, usually asked by a disgruntled looking old man. “British money for British people” is a phrase commonly bandied about, usually accompanied by the claim that we should do nothing to help Syrian refugees or the
plight of Yemeni civilians under fire from Saudi Arabia while there are so many homeless veterans on our streets. In fact, earlier this year the Daily Mail published a list of other things we could spend foreign aid money on, a list which included things as ridiculous as a year without TV licenses.
It is simply abhorrent to treat foreign aid as low priority
It is simply abhorrent to treat foreign aid as a low priority in our national budget. There is no objection to sending aid to such a tangible emergency as the Indonesian tsunami, so why is it that as soon as we aren’t shocked by images of death and destruction that many would be quite happy to stop providing food aid to communities in impoverished countries, where hunger claims 21,000 lives every single day? Britain has many issues to deal with, but next time we consider whether we should cut foreign aid in favour of ‘Britain first’ there is a simple question that needs to be answered: is someone less worthy of help because they were born on a different piece of land to us?
Vaishali Ramesh
T
he Indonesian Tsunami that struck in early October is still creating ripples with its immense amount of destruction and the loss of life. 1700 people are dead and many more unable to be rescued. Searchers are unable to rescue many due to them being trapped under huge pieces of rubble. At Hotel Roa Roa, screams for help were heard for days until all fell silent. Only six guests were confirmed to have survived the earthquake. This isn’t the first natural disaster that Indonesia has faced. Earthquakes are a common occurrence with one almost every two years. They are no stranger to the dangers posed and how unstable their infrastructure is. But with disaster management strategies expensive, the archipelago is at a major disadvantage compared to other countries. However, Indonesia is not the only developing nation to face these problems. Countries like India, Myanmar and Haiti face many natural disasters, from earthquakes to hurricanes. When a tsunami stuck South Asia on Boxing Day 2004, there was a massive loss of life in many countries, from Sri Lanka to Thailand.
The main reason for developing countries facing such heavy losses after a natural disaster are mainly its economic status where there are not enough funds allotted for such disasters and thereby not enough aid provided. where It also points out the social injustices in every nation’s system where the rich become richer and the poor, poorer. Developed countries like the USA are more prepared for natural disasters. They have convenient alarm systems in place, evacuation routes and in some cases even a panic room for long term stay. These simple methods could go a long way in helping developing countries better their infrastructure and be prepared for disasters that strike them so often.In my opinion, richer countries should provide training and financial aid before and after disasters. Helping to rebuild infrastructure could go a long way in aiding the country’s economic expansion.
Richer countries should provide financial aid
But the question I will leave you with here is this, do you think your country is doing enough for disaster management? Do you believe you are prepared for when a crisis hits?
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comment
Monday 15 October 2018
Take a chance on May Following the annual party conferences, our writers ask, is politics relevant for young people? Edward Ingram
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pportunity. That was the slogan of this year’s Conservative Party conference. The Prime Minister, her allies, and opponents all made a point of outlining the bright future that awaits us after we leave the European Union this March. Yet, as we all know too well, the future for our generation looks bleaker by the day. One could be forgiven for hoping that this party season a ray of hope could glimmer from the major party conferences. To her credit, May gave a decent speech which struck an opportunistic tone. However, once you cut through all the rhetoric and hyperbole, all that is left is a party obsessed by Brexit and a government overwhelmed by it. Throughout her premiership, May has sought to tackle the “burning injustices” which plague society. However, this has been side lined in favour of delivering a satisfactory Brexit, as well as dealing with the electoral fallout of losing her majority. Instead of seeing exciting new policy ideas and pitches we simply saw auditions from Party grandees to replace May. This ranged from the vacuous Johnson to the frankly bizarre comparison of the EU to Soviet Russia from Jeremy Hunt. Anyone hoping to find anything better at the Labour Conference is in for further disappointment. Following Jeremy Corbyn’s dismal response to the Jewish commu-
Once you cut through all the rhetoric and hyperbole, all that is left is a party obsessed by Brexit.
nity’s legitimate concerns, it was deeply depressing to see him essentially get away with it and emerge in a stronger position. Furthermore, Corbyn’s previous mantra of representing the members seems to have disappeared. He has repeatedly resisted and ignored the 86% of the party’s membership calling for a second referendum on the final Brexit deal, with Remain as on option on the ballet. It is now widely accepted that instead of listening to his voters and his members, Corbyn will simply play Brexit in any way he can, be it No deal, Bad deal or no Brexit at all. So long as it gets him to No10. In her speech the Prime Minister spoke of the nasty and polarising nature of British politics today. I fear that the longer this continues the more young people will stop
paying attention, stop participating, and stop voting all together. This will lead to politicians gaining a mandate to disregard young people altogether. We must not let that happen.
Jack Hunter-Wallace
T
he party conferences of Labour and the Conservatives took place from 23rd September to 3rd October, and both events consisted of the usual antics. With the Brexit looning on everyone’s mind, it seemed that our Prime Minister thought it best to ‘meme’ herself by dancing to ABBA’s Dancing Queen, before being just as vague as ever. The Tory conference was a combination of warring factions and the same empty promises that arise every year. Labour’s conference also took place, with Jeremy Corbyn setting out a radical manifesto. However, since being elected leader in 2016, it seems that he is making up more and more policies as he goes along. This leaves the shadow chancellor, John McDonnell, desperately trying to find funding. However, considering May managed to pay the DUP £1 billion, the magic money tree could be out there still. But, one thing was clear from both parties: the future of this country was on their minds. In her closing speech, the PM claimed, ‘’there are better days ahead’’, signalling an end to austerity after ten long years. Personally, I can’t remember a time when the words ‘budget cuts’ weren’t smattered over the news. So even the very thought of more money for our public services and councils coming from the Conservatives gave me a speck of hope for the future, which is something I thought I’d never say in my life. Labour also set out its vision of the future. The focus upon climate change and worker’s rights gave me some hope that not only us, but future generations as well, will be able to enjoy this planet. It addressed the anxieties that I, as a student, have. The idea that there could be more work, more housing and more opportunity for students after graduation shows there could be a light at the end of the tunnel. However, could this just be a list of empty promises that politicians make? I’ve used hope a lot. At the moment, I have none. However, once Brexit and
its consequences are dealt with, there could be a glimmer
As parties look to the future, it signifies a key shift in politics. It signifies that for once, politicians are looking to the next
of hope. As parties look to the future, it signifies a key shift in politics. It signifies that for once, politicians are looking to the next generation: us.
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Amazon has sent a clear message to its workers: ‘we don’t care about you’
With wage raises high above the rate of inflation Amazon reaped the reward of good publicity. It’s too good to be true. What came out next shouldn’t shock you: Amazon have quietly told its workers that they will no longer be entitled to incentive pay bonuses or shared ownership of company stock, in all likelihood leading to a real terms pay cut. In doing so, Amazon has yet again sent a clear message to its workers; ‘we don’t care about you’. Amazon is no stranger to Machiavellian public rela-
T
Stanley Gilyead
heresa May was applauded at her party conference for pointing out that there are homosexuals and children of immigrants leading the party. Putting aside the patronising nature of this charade of inclusivity, May cannot be allowed to excuse her government’s record on equality with a few minority appointments. “If your grandparents came to this country as part of the Windrush generation you could be the next Mayor of London,” May boasted of Shaun Bailey. However, they could also have been deported and are 63 times more likely to have been wrongfully ejected than potentially elected. A Conservative MP spent time in care, she said, yet 94% of those who do don’t attend university, and her home secretary being the child of an immigrant doesn’t excuse ministers describing immigrants as “post-boxes” and “swarms”. Try helping minorities before taking plaudits Mrs May.
A POLITICAL CLIMATE
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Jamie Cameron
ou may have heard, we’re killing the planet. If we don’t do something now we face catastrophic levels of destruction to our air, water, food, and ecosystem. To ignore this is to be a bystander to ecocide, famine, and death, but I reserve most of my loathing for the powerful few who think they have enough money not to care. There are billionaires who plan to last out the climate apocalypse in bunkers, or on trips to Mars, or by uploading themselves into a computer. Servants of the capitalist class like Trump toe a new line - climate change is real but it’s too late. It’s too late for them. To tolerate the untold misery they are willing to cause. We need to sweep away these enemies of our planet, and forge a new economic system that puts life over profit.
TOAST OF THE WEEK Images Flickr, Nick Grabowski on Flickr, Wikimedia Commons
Sean Simpson questions whether Amazon’s recent pay-rise for workers will be enough tions. It has been repeatedly revealed that workers at Amazon are coerced into using language that paints the corporation in a positive light; warehouses become ‘fulfillment centres’, managers become ‘associates’. Some workers have described working for Amazon as “like working in a prison”, which might any day be changed by management to a more fitting description, like ‘a secure and efficiently managed work environment’. In much the same vein, to Amazon upper-management a pay cut is now a pay rise. Every time the public or its own workforce pleads for Amazon to act with any decency, the higherups remind us that the name of the game is profit, and the workers are mere instruments labelled ‘associates’. J e f f Bezos, the owner of Amazon, is the richest person in modern history. It Images: Steve Jurvetson on Flickr, should raise Wikimedia Commons, Pixabay eyebrows
THERESA’S TALL TALES
ROAST OF THE WEEK
Amazon: toilets, toil and trouble his week, Amazon gave us a clue as to the real source of its shareholders’ dividends. Following criticism over its notoriously bad working conditions, for example, when the union GMB announced that 90% of its members working for Amazon reported they were working in “constant pain”, the corporation’s PR army leaped into action and painted a convincing picture of a kinder, gentler Amazon, one which would turn a new corner by raising its minimum wage generously by around 36% in the US and 18-28% in the UK.
SOAPBOX
over where his staggering personal net worth of $161.7 billion USD really comes from, given that it is equal to the GDP of a small country.
Amazon is no stranger to Machiavellian public relations
While most of those who jump to his defence may claim he earned such a fortune through his own hard work, let’s be realistic here. He probably does not work thirty four million times harder than his average employee, who currently earns around $47,000 in the US. The fact that 600 hundred ambulance calls have been made to Amazon warehouses in the UK over the past three years or the reports of Amazon workers urinating in bottles due to insufficient toilet breaks should not leave much to the imagination. No doubt, Amazon will respond to the impending fresh criticism with its usual bright eyes and bushy tail before slipping its mask back off and telling its workers to shut up and get on with it. After all, if they don’t like it, they know
MEDICAL MIRACLE
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Jack Coles
here’s a saying amongst immunologists; that in over a hundred years of research, the only medicinal breakthrough we’ve come up with ourselves is vaccination. As of this month, however, we can now add “immune checkpoint inhibitors” to that list; the Nobel Prize has announced J.P. Allison and T. Honjo as winners for the Physiology/Medicine prize. Professor Honjo is credited with some of the earliest work identifying the mechanisms behind a protein called PD-1, which is now used as a target by many anti-cancer drugs currently undergoing medical trials. He has also worked on the “class-switching” mechanisms of some white blood cells (which explains why people with certain genetic disorders fall ill). He is also credited with the discovery of AID, a key enzyme in that mechanism that has prompted real progression in immunology as a field. Without his work, we would be much further behind on treating the sorts of immune deficiencies that lead to the “baby in a bubble” situation.
the courier
Monday 14 May 2018
life&style
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@CourierLifestyle c2.lifestyle@ncl.ac.uk thecourieronline.co.uk/lifestyle Life & Style Editor Sophie Henderson Lifestyle Editors Phoebe Fielder, Holly Margerrison, Ella Williams Online Editor Amanda Goh
Blind date
Are you unlucky in love? Email us at c2.lifestyle@ncl.ac.uk
Tony Cottiss meets Rhianna Stenson 20-year-old English Literature student Tony meets French and Media student Rhianna. We find out how they got on...
So, where did you go for your date?
We went to The Mile Castle pub.
Was she dressed to impress?
If I’m honest, I would say she was dressed more casually than dressed to impress. She looked nice, though!
What was your first impression?
Well, I didn’t really have an initial impression of her. I was just glad that I didn’t get stood up on a blind date, so I was pleased to see her. Sounds like you had a nice talk, then. Would you describe it as a flowing conversation?
Yeah it was okay. We just started talking to each other a bit about ourselves and were generally chatting about lots of different things for the evening. Like, if I bumped into her on a night out or elsewhere I’d probably say hi! I don’t think we’ll arrange to meet again though.
Can you describe her in three words? She seemed nice.
How did you find the date?
It was alright, I had a nice evening and enjoyed meeting someone new but knew it wouldn’t go anywhere.
Oh right? What made you realise that straight away? Even though I wasn’t sure, I kept telling myself to keep with it as you never know but I realised we didn’t really have enough in common! What was your first impression on him?
It was good, I was really worried about it as I didn’t know what and who to expect at all but he seemed nice so that put me at ease a little bit. Where did you go?
Well, I hate choosing places even with my friends and family so I asked if he had any suggestions and he suggested we go for a pint. I thought that was perfect: something nice and chilled. Then he said Mile Castle and, to be fair, it wasn’t until we started walking I realised it was a Spoons and I didn’t want to be rude and say no, so we went but it wouldn’t of been one of my first choices of places to go on a date. Hahaha, fair enough. Would you meet again, maybe as friends? Truthfully, probably not. It’s nothing personal, I just don’t think it’s necessary.
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life & style lifestyle Cooking with Hope Coke
Courgette fritters
These also happen to be vegan and gluten free and can cater to people with a whole range of dietary requirements – though I’d double the ingredients if you’re feeding more than a couple.These fritters will bring a little taste of Mediterranean sunshine to this gloomy time of year… Makes about 6 cakes (serves 1-2) Ingredients: 4 heaped tbsp gram (chickpea) flour 1/2 tsp ground cumin 1/4 tsp paprika 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg 1/2 tsp dried oregano 1/4 tsp salt big pinch ground black pepper 4 tbsp water 1 medium courgette (about 150-200g weight) 2 spring onions a big handful fresh dill a few sprigs fresh mint zest of 1 lemon 1-2 tbsp olive oil, to fry
Monday 15 October 2018
Is that a tit on your tote bag?
Scarlett Rowland tells us about the misguided feminism of today’s highstreet tit-tat
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n a world where female nipples get censored and reported on social media, it was edgy and subversive to wear boobs and nipples out and about. It is unsurprising, therefore, that corporations have not taken long to catch on to this trend. In recent years, the avocado shirts have subsdied and melon merch has made it’s way on to the high street in a big way. Tee shirts, bedspreads, mugs - they’re everywhere. And they look pretty cute! Who doesn’t want to own things covered in linedrawn boobs? But is it okay? Nothing makes me happier than the normalising of people’s bodies; however, part of me wonders whether I, alongside o t h e r women, should feel like we are being taken advantage of by corporations. We all know sex sells, but this rise of boob merch is not just based on seedy consumers - it’s also being driven by pop-feminism. Right next to the boob tees, you can find the feminist slogans, promisng “lady
I don’t want my body, or the fight for equality, to become a fad
love” and “GRL PWR” on a line of size six mannequins. These slogans ere once all the rage, but their novelty has since faded away and brands can no longer make money. They seem to forget that maybe feminism isn’t just a periodic issue. I don’t want my body, or the fight for equality, to become a fad. I don’t want breast patterns to be the new unicorn, cacti, or mermaid pattern. And of course, to make these items sellable, companies use perfect boobs. If wearing tit-tat was meant to be freeing for women, only having perfect patterns may not be the right way to go about it. If we’re going to accept boobs, we should accept them all. Appreciating the female form is finally something which is becoming more and more acceptable. However, after all of this talk, if you think you need some boobs in your life, there’s a happy solution. Support artists who create work that is representative, and whose work revolves around the idea of supporting women. So here are some lovely artists who represent all chests to satiate your needs.
Support artists who create work that is representative, and work that revolves around supporting women
The Prawn Shop is a business run by a young artist, with messages about consent, body image, sexism, feminism, and equality. And phone cases have just been added to the
line if you want to up your cool case game. If you’re a fellow plant lover, Emma from “Pot Yer Tits Away Luv” is definitely for you. She creates handmade pots with boobs of all sizes, shapes, with moles, stretch marks - and even creates personalised ones if you fancy! A personal favourite of mine is Frances Cannon. Her art is focused on self-care and body image, and her drawings include normalisation of body hair, menstruation, and stretch marks. And if her work wasn’t enough, she has an adorable dog called Whippy who makes an appearance in most of her Instagram stories.
Ultimately, I’m happy that a natural part of the female body is being celebrated in such a non-sexual way. But if boobs are going to be the next ‘thing’, we should be damanding better representation. Image: Ella Williams
Directions: Start by combining the gram flour, cumin, paprika, nutmeg, oregano, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Add in the water and whisk together with the dry ingredients until you have a smooth, thick batter. Set aside. Coarsely grate the courgette and finely chop the spring onions, dill and mint. You can add more or less of the herbs according to personal taste, but I like a lot of dill and about half the amount of mint. Finely grate the zest of one lemon and add into the bowl of batter along with the courgette, spring onion and herbs and stir until everything is evenly combined. The courgette releases a lot of water so if the mixture is looking very runny then add a little more gram flour; you want a spoonable consistency rather than a mixture that’s swimming in liquid. Heat a large frying pan over a medium heat on the hob and add a tablespoon of olive oil. Once the oil is hot, scoop heaped tablespoons of batter into the pan and use the back of a spoon to press the mixture into disks. You want them about 1/2 a centimetre thick so that they’re sturdy enough to hold together, but thin enough to cook all the way through without burning on the outside. I recommend cooking them in batches of about three at a time so as not to overcrowd the pan and allow enough room to turn them. After about three to four minutes you should notice small air bubbles start to appear on the surface of the fritters, at which point use a spatula to flip them over. Continue to cook on the other side, flipping and repeating until the fritters are golden brown and lightly crisp on both sides. If you’re working in batches you can keep the cooked fritters warm on a baking sheet in a low oven while you finish cooking the rest, adding a little more oil to the pan between batches if needed. Once all the fritters are cooked, transfer to a plate or serving platter and you’re ready to eat! Any leftovers can stored in an airtight container and will keep for a couple of days in the fridge. They can be reheated in a low oven until warmed through to have hot, or are great repurposed into a pita or sandwich filling for an easy packed lunch the next day.
How to adult in a student house
As our Lifestyle editors Holly Margerrison and Phoebe Fielder head into their final year, they share their experiences of trying to “adult” at university
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one are the days of Mum cooking you a hearty meal, ironing that really awkward pair of trousers and ensuring not a speck of dust settles on the mantelpiece. No, University means adulting. This entails piecing together that Henry Hoover, snapping on those rubber gloves and figuring out how the hell you’re supposed to use a toilet scrubber. But with this responsibility comes a string of funny anecdotes.
It is not cool to mess with the freezer drawer...
The freezer drawer is a no go zone - it is your drawer, your food, your place of respect. If anyone touches it then they have breached the housemate code! In my first year, I lived with two lovely, unnamed boys, and one night as I lay in bed attempting to recover from the madness that is freshers week, I hear slamming of doors and music. As I enter into my kitchen, it is littered with empty bottles and there are boys everywhere opening and closing the oven, microwave and drawers, along with anything you can possibly classify as a door and slamming them to the beat. Rolling my eyes and thinking nothing of it, I take my hungover butt back to bed. Fast-forward to the next evening. It is dinner time, I open my freezer drawers. It is filled with a mystery yellow liquid. At first, I think the worst - they’ve had a pee in my draw. But wait! Amongst the frozen liquid is an empty bottle of Jägermeister. So, I spend the rest of my evening hacking at a frozen block of jaeger to access some peas. In hindsight it was bloody funny, but at the same time, it is not cool to mess with the freezer draw. ‘Adulting’ in a student house also means making mature decisions. When our stingy landlord refused to provide the basic fundamentals, my housemates and I found our-
selves having to compromise on what we really needed in our eightman house. Bin or super cute IKEA throw? Kitchen table or TV? Sweeping brush or niche Frida Khalo print? (The last was a no brainer, the living room needed a strongheaded woman looking down on us). We were content with our decisions until we decided to have a cosy night in watching Harry Potter. Popcorn at the ready, all eight of our fluridden bodies crowded round a tiny laptop screen. Within minutes, numerous issues had arisen. ‘The light’s shining on the screen’, or ‘I can’t hear it’, then ‘the speaker’s bass is making Potter’s voice sound like he’s going through puberty’. We’d had an error of judgement: the TV would have been an investment. That’s not to say student halls didn’t have their dramas. In first year, I dropped my key down the 1cm crack of the lift and heard it clink its way down eleven floors of student accommodation. Ironically, as I look up, my eyes are met with an unsympathetic face. The maintenance man, who hovers above me, offers me no reassurance: ‘you’ve got no luck, pet. I can’t get down there’. I was only going to collect my laundry – it’s as though my feeble attempts at adulting were pitted against me! In this inbetween phase of living away from home but not feeling like we’re ready for adulthood, can our status as students excuse our millennial mishaps?
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lifestyle life & style
Monday 15 October 2018
Flat out or flat white? Gems of Jesmond
For those new to student suburbia, Caitlin Rawlings gives us some of her best spots
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hether you’re in need of a boiling brew on the way to your 9 a.m. or a mojito after a manic Monday, Jesmond is set to cater to your every drinkable desire. Both in and around the infamous Osbourne road are some of Newcastle’s best coffee-houses and cocktail bars and these are some of Jesmond’s hidden gems:
1. Cake Stories Coffee House and Cakery
This quaint and quirky bakery located at 12 Brentwood Avenue is a family run business at the heart of Jesmond offering an array of sweet treats and caffeinated cuppas. The vintage venue is the perfect location to grab a maple latte and a slice of red velvet cake and finally get started on that autumn reading list. Cake Stories is open from 9am until 9:30pm throughout the week, therefore providing
the perfect cosy revision spot whether you’re an early riser or a night owl.
2. 1901 Caffe Bistro
Alternatively, if you’re looking for the perfect place for a vegan brunch or gluten free snack to accompany your afternoon tea then this is the coffee shop for you. This eclectic café is located on St George’s Terrace and offers the perfect place for a chai latte or a pot of bluebird tea. Caffe 1901 welcomes everyone including furry friends and students and often distributes discount vouchers via the Jesmond Methodist church.
3. Jam Jar
Right at the heart of Jesmond set at 88 Osborne road is the cocktail hot spot with its own neon jam jar overlooking the bar. This eccentric venue offers a happy hour on Mondays and Wednesdays between 6pm10pm for 2-4-1 cocktails. The infamous twists on classic cocktails such as the Pornjar Martini and the offer of unlimited prosecco for 2 hours in the morning during a bottomless brunch make Jam Jar the perfect place for a stiff drink whatever the time of day.
Rant of the week
Idol worship is one of those things that can quickly border on the detestable if it’s not regulated. Take Beyonce: the talented, glamorous, and multi-award-winning musician who attracts a ginormous fanbase and, dare I say, is an idol to many people. Her vocal range and skill are incontestable, but her claims of being a bastion of the feminist movement, equality, and women rights are something that should be viewed with a level of suspicion. Recall when it was highly suggested that female sweatshop workers working under abhorrent conditions for Beyonce’s brand, Ivy Park, were paid less than one British pounds per hour? But you may argue that, say, in Sri Lanka, this is a respectable wage. I’d also be quick to remind you that this bee buzzes about being a champion of women’s rights across the globe and constantly preaches and partakes in so-called activism. But if so many businesses benefit from outsourcing and slave labour from foreign lands, why single out Beyonce? When all those so-called businesses constantly preach equality and an end to the patriarchal system but then resort to hypocritical practices for the sake of commercial gain, those questions may merit some honey.
4. 97 & Social
Image: Johnathan McIntosh
Just a couple of doors down at 97 Osborne road is the vibrant Cocktail and Gastro bar providing the best named cocktails in Jesmond such as Tea Thyme, Elderflower Power and Nettle Negroni. All day Monday, Thursday and Sunday there are 2-4-1 cocktails which provides the perfect excuse for a catch up with your course mates over a sophisticated cocktail. Whether you’re a coffee lover or a cocktail enthusiast Jesmond is the idyllic location to work and play at any time of day.
Mohi Choudhury
Image: Phoebe Fielder
The love affair between students and gardens Many of us have moved into houses, and Lou Siday is here to help us organise the dreariest of outdoor spaces
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tudents are not famous for having green thumbs. In fact, you could say that they are infamous for the opposite. If you walk down a street in Jesmond, you can easily tell which is student accommodation and which is not. Overgrown grass and discarded beer bottles are staple student horticulture - an eyesore yet somewhat charming to
Image: Flickr
certain postgrads who yearn for student life once more. However, this is not always the case, as more students are getting into gardening. Perhaps this is down to the growing realisation of the ecological state of the world, or perhaps because many students think that owning
a plant is the next step towards maturity. Whatever the reason, here we are, trowels in hand, ready to save student gardens! So, I have decided, un-knowledgeable and
Overgrown grass and discarded beer bottles are staple student horticulture
I attempt to grow tomatoes every year from seeds and plant pots from the pound shop. I use old soil from my snail’s tank, but if you don’t have a pet snail you can always take some from your neighbour. Soil is free anyway, right? And after a few days of sunshine and water, green seedlings will emerge! This will make you feel accomplished. Show them off to your housemates and send photos to your mum! After a few weeks, it’s time to take them out and put them into bigger pots. While some people throw away the small and frail seedlings, I
have a heart and so I end up with rows and rows of tomato plants. After a month of sunlight and water, your tomato plants will be looking good. If their stems are growing tall, it is a good idea to vgo to find some branches and tie them onto the plants to keep them well supported. Finally, don’t forget to stick with project ‘tomato-plant’! A few months on, it’s easy to slack on watering and keeping them healthy which really is a shame. I am yet to eat a tomato I have grown myself, but who knows, maybe next spring...
probably misinformed, to give you a few pointers. In my third year, my housemate’s mum kindly planted flowers and shrubs in the garden patch at the start of the year. These were easy to maintain; we did nothing except weed them occasionally. They looked pretty all year and were hardy to the Northern weather. These plants included calendula, lavender, fuchsia and heather. Of course, if you have no garden patch then plants in pots are great to beautify a yard. This also means that when you move out in the summer, your beloved plants can come too. House plants are always a good idea... as long as nobody uses them as an ashtray. In first year, my friend went to Ikea and came back to halls (on the bus) with a massive
House plants are always a good idea, as long as no one uses them as an ash tray...
areca palm she had named Crystal. Crystal was with us until third year, when my friend decided to plant her in the shrubbery on the side of a road in Greater Manchester because apparently it was ‘time for Crystal to be free’. I hope she is doing well. So, I advise going to Ikea and getting your own Crystal. Cacti are a no. They seem like a good idea, but they always die. Let’s not forget the plants that can be grown from seeds!
Image: Guardening by Louis on Osbourne Avenue Photograph by Ella Williams
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life & style beauty
coutier.beauty@ncl.ac.uk Beauty Editors Susanne Norris, Nimra Rafique Laura Buckle Online Editor Molly Taylor
the courier
Monday 15 October 2018
Aldi vs Pixi: glow up or copy cat? Ellie Irving takes a look at Aldi's newest range of cosmetics, and whether or not their dupe products are worth investing in
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ldi is known for its bargain special buys and high-end beauty dupes; last year, their take on the famous Jo Malone lime, basil and mandarin scented candle (£47) met rave reviews and, at just £3.99, shoppers saved just over £43.
Image: @oh_simplething
Yet this year, Aldi has stimulated another buzz on social media by announcing the release of their Healthy Glow Toner, a product with striking similarities to cult beauty
favourite Pixie’s Glow Tonic. With almost identical packaging, both products contain 5% glycolic acid, aloe vera and ginseng. Yet while the iconic Pixie Glow Tonic retails at £18, Aldi’s own version comes in at just £3.99. At first glance, the main similarity is glycolic acid but what does this actually mean? Glycolic acid is a great exfoliating agent that encourages skin-cell turnover and is praised for its use in anti-aging and anti-blemish products so don’t be afraid of the word “acid”. Personally, glycolic acid didn’t work for me and my sensitive skin and my bottle of Pixie Glow Tonic now resides in my boyfriend’s bathroom cupboard. Instead I gave salicylic acid a try; it’s a gentle enough exfoliant to use every day and can be found in both high-street and high-end skin and hair care products. Alongside the Pixie “knock-off”, the budget supermarket has also announced the release of a detoxifying and brightening pink clay mask with a retail price of £5.99. With a hard-to-miss resemblance to the iconic Sand&Sky Brilliant Skin Purifying Pink Clay Mask (£39.90), Aldi’s product retails at £33.91 less. Both products include the skin cleansing ingredient Kaolin and both come with an application brush. But, despite price and packaging, if you really want good skin care you must turn to the ingredient list. Look for nourishing, gentle ingredients that won’t irritate or strip your skin of its natural oils. I always try to get cruelty free and recyclable packaging too! While Pixie’s alcohol-free Glow Tonic formula is certified cruelty free and suitable for vegans and vegetarians, Aldi’s Healthy Glow Toner does not make this same claim. Yet, both products do contain the key ingredients of 5% glycolic acid, aloe vera and ginseng – both also contain parfum/ fragrance which can irritate skin. Despite the price, I would still choose Pixie’s product over the Aldi alternative as it contains a higher potency of skin loving ingredients, such as witch hazel leaf extract and horse chestnut seed extract. And, while Aldi’s Lacura
range may cause you to debate the ethical implications of high-end product dupes – namely, how far can (and should) a company go when launching a product with similar packaging and ingredients to other brands – there’s no denying that their price range provides accessibility to those of us who want good value for money (and to hang on to the last remnant of our rapidly dwindling student loan).
How far can (and should) a company go when launching a product with similar packaging and ingredients to other brands?
Finally, we must ask ourselves: do we simply buy for branding and company reputation, or do we buy a product because its worthy of good reviews and its ingredients? Most importantly, treat yourself and your skin with respect: in my opinion, the best skin care you can buy is plenty of water, healthy food and a good night’s sleep! But it’s OK to treat yourself to good skin care once in a while. So, if you are a sucker for luxury like me maybe stay loyal to your high-end loves, but if you’re looking to bag a bargain and reap the benefits of glycolic acid at the same time why not drop into your nearest Aldi and give their Lacura range a try? That way, if it doesn’t work for you, at least you’ll only be £3.99 out of pocket.
Influencers input Keep up with Kylie What exactly is a beuaty influencer and how do they impact the industry? Emily Cartwright explores this growing trend
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ver the past few years, the beauty realm of YouTube has sky rocketed. The ‘influencer’ has become a mogul. With that said, growing beauty companies have recognised this and used it to their advantage. Thus, the likes of MAC Cosmetics, Becca, Morphe and even drugstore brands like Maybelline have teamed up with influencers and celebrities to boost sales and their brand. One of the most famous influencer collaborations we can draw upon is the Jaclyn Hill x Morphe palette. It was hyped up for three years before it was released, by Jaclyn herself who made her followers aware that she
It's time to share Newcastle's variety of independent and affordable stores
was working on a palette. The hype was insane. Fans of Jacyln and Morphe couldn’t believe their luck, albeit they did have to wait years for the product. Although Jaclyn didn’t explicitly reveal the brand, her more dedicated fans suspected that it was with Morphe as Jaclyn was such a big admirer of the brand and had worked with the owner, Linda Tawil, in the past. So, the long-awaited palette suffered delay, after delay, after delay, after delay. Excuses were made by Morphe and Jaclyn to her followers online and people were getting impatient. The launch date was finally announced as 21st June 2017 and priced at $38. Famed for their fair prices (the average palette costs around £20), this amount didn’t quite add up. Morphe was supposed to be a cheap, good quality brand, and those were the reasons why Jaclyn loved it. Since this release, Morphe has rebranded and all of their products seem to have increased in price. But almost doubling the price of a palette because it has Jacyln Hill’s name on it and pretty packaging? Unsurprisingly, people weren’t impressed. In my opinion this was an exploitation of Jaclyn’s huge fanbase as everyone knew it was going to be hell to get your hands on. All this said, the palette obviously sold out immediately, and has since been
restocked hundreds of times. The collaboration has even expanded to an ‘ultimate vault’ of Jaclyn’s favourites. And the same thing happened this summer; delay, after delay, after delay, after delay. Leaving it till just six days before the supposed released date (June 26th 2018), Morphe announced that fans would have to wait longer for the products. From the announcement of the delay, it took Morphe an entire month to tell fans when they could buy the palettes. Quite frankly, this is unacceptable from a big, now rebranded, company and is unfair for those excited to buy from them. It wouldn’t surprise me if Morphe and Jaclyn did another collaboration with multiple delays. It seems they’re making a tradition of it. Personally, I think this collaboration is an absolute disaster and exploits Jaclyn’s fans. Though not all influencer collaborations are like this, I see them as environments that can manipulate fans and cause trouble in the beauty community.
Image: @jaclynhill
Image: @pixibeauty
Clarissa O'Neill looks at Kylie Jenner's latest collaboration with best friend Jordyn Woods and discusses the products
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f you follow the glamourous life of Kylie Jenner, then you will know that she has finally launched another make up collection in collaboration with her much loved best friend Jordyn Woods. They have both been teasing fans for a while now with the possibility of this collaboration and fans have waited long enough. Jordyn and Kylie’s friendship has been growing stronger and stronger for many years, which is why the anticipation for this collection was inevitable. Especially considering all of Kylie’s previous collaborations with family members such as Kim and Khloe Kardashian, demonstrating that her collabs come from love and admiration for her closest friends and family. This collection was supposedly meant to launch on Jordyn’s 21st birthday on the 23rd of September, however they decided to adjust the launch date so they could celebrate Jordy’s special day stress-free. So instead they changed the date to the 21st allowing them to give this launch the attention it deserved. What is great about this collection is that she created a ‘Kylie X Jordyn Bundle’ which includes one eyeshadow palette, one lipstick, powdered highlighter palette and two different types of gloss, which Kylie has mentioned is her favourite product within this bundle deal. However, if you did not want to dive deep into your purse you can treat yourself just by buying one of the products individually. The eyeshadow palette has a mix of colours but they are all within the same tones, which allows for the perfect eyeshadow look to be created. The palette includes both matte and glitter shades, so is perfect whether you want a natural day time look or full glam. The highlighters are very pigmented, and despite there only being four shades, it still allows for versatility whether you prefer a golden shimmer to an icy gleam, there will be a shade for you. All products have selected and personal names specifically chosen by both Kylie and Jordyn to differentiate each product. These names supposedly sum up their relationship and how they feel about one another. One name which the fans are going to love is ‘Peru’ chosen for a warm orangey brown eyeshadow, which links to an episode in ‘The Life of Kylie’ where Kylie and Jordyn had their commitment ceremony, which Kylie refers to as the day they got “married”.
This is just one example of the strong bond Kylie and Jordyn share and how this collection is a tribute to their friendship as it recognises the significance of the love and appreciation they have for each other. With Jordyn’s birthday being the first day of Autumn, or Fall as it’s called in the states, they wanted to include autumnal colours within the eyeshadows, highlighters and all lip products. Through the use of the brown shades and cool tones throughout the collection, the products are applicable to a variety of skin tones and is perfect for the new season. The products were not the only things made with precision and sentiment, Kylie chose to create very aesthetically pleasing packaging by using a rose gold theme, which is also a reflection of Jordyn’s style. British illustrator Hayden Williams created the artwork for the packaging, staying true to his signature doll like style. As always - this collection can be purchased on Kylie’s official website - but as expected much of the collection is rapidly selling out. So if you want a chance at getting any products from this amazing new instalment frequently check the website and stay updated on the Kylie Cosmetics official Instagram page.
Image: @kyliecosmetics
the courier
17
beauty life & style
Monday 15 October 2018
Jeffree Star: has he gone too far?
Should the power players of the beauty world get a free pass to say whatever they want, no matter the consequences? Sophie Hindhaugh investigates comments made by Jeffree Star
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f you’re a fan of makeup - or just occasionally peruse the beauty section of YouTube - you’re bound to have come across the familiar face of Jeffree Star, Internet celebrity and millionaire. Star was recently the subject of fellow YouTuber Shane Dawson’s YouTube documentary ‘The Secret Life of Jeffree Star’. This seems to have dragged the infamous makeup mogul into a more benevolent light. It paints him as a person who deserves sympathy. And it’s worked, as shown by the thousands of viral tweets in support of him that followed the documentary. I can see why. He’s entertaining and he seems to have had a tough life, which is always relatable to the masses. Also, he’s undeniably talented. His wealth is insane (he once cut up a Chanel bag for a video), and people seem to enjoy the voyeuristic displays of wealth shown in his videos. They also enjoy his products, which I’ve heard are excellent. But, I won’t buy one.
10.8
the number of followers, in millions, that Jeffree Star has on this Youtube channel
Jeffree Star has a long history of making racist comments, and I don’t understand why the beauty community keeps giving him passes for it. A tough life is not a license for racism or misogyny. As early as 2006 Jeffree Star has been recorded spouting racial and misogynistic abuse, from calling a black woman a ‘stupid ape’, repeated use of the N word and ‘joking’ with a woman about using battery acid to ‘lighten her skin one’. He has made classist and stereotypical ‘jokes’ such as ‘I win by having diamond rims, and you win by being a poor Mexican’. He’s also called multiple women sluts and other misogynistic words, as well as the abominable C-word. Is anyone’s past spotless? No. But, it takes a certain type of person to feel comfortable attacking people in the way
Jeffree Star does. I believe in personal growth, but I also believe in there being consequences for your actions, and Jeffree Star has received very little backlash for his. As recently as two weeks ago he was exposed as saying to his ex-hairdresser ‘Are you done posting that gorilla?’ in reference to successful Youtuber Jackie Aina. This series of text messages, dated in the year of 2017, show Jeffree hasn’t changed that much, despite his apologies in the
we like the way they blend eyeshadow. I hope moving forward, we can do better and focus on making room for those with responsible voices and positive platforms.”
Jeffree Star has a long history of making racist comments, and I don’t understand why the beauty community keeps giving him passes for it
years before those texts. BeautyBay and countless other popular makeup sites still feature Jeffree Star’s products, often on their homepages. And does a person who continuously makes racist and misogynistic remarks deserve this coverage and success? Personally, I don’t think so. I think there are so many make up brands and options today that it is very easy to shop ethically. You’ll have people who won’t shop with MAC because they test on animals in China, but are quite happy to spend a paycheck on Jeffree Star cosmetics. Marginalized groups deserve that same integrity and more. I hope that Jeffree Star heals from whatever issues are causing him to be so hateful, but with racist remarks being made as recently as 2017, I don’t understand why we are still supporting his brand. In the words of Jackie Aina ‘“Let’s stop making exceptions for people just because
Hidden gems in the toon Image: @jeffreestar
Are you new to Newcastle? Maddy Yates shares her favourite places to find beauty bargains
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hen it comes to makeup shopping, we are all familiar with the usual boots and superdrug to get our make up from. But if you’re new to Newcastle, why not start with somewhere a little different? It is so easy to get stuck shopping through the same beauty brands and spending way too much of your student loan on that Estee Lauder, MAC or Charlotte Tilbury foundation. Although we love our high-end brands, it's time to share Newcastle’s variety of independent and affordable stores that have great quality makeup for cheaper prices - just what we, students, are looking for. Lush - Located in Eldon Square: Although Lush sells a
Image: @lushnewcastle
lot of bath bombs and soap, Lush also have a large beauty collection which includes their ‘Amazon Primer’, the ‘Pipit Glow Stick’ highlighter, ‘Eyes Right’ mascara and the ‘Slap Stick’ solid foundation; all priced under £20. As
well as affordable products, Lush fights against animal testing, raises money for charities, animal shelters and refugee support and are environmentally friendly with the production of their products. So, if you want to feel better about yourself when splashing out on some new blusher, be ethical about it and get yourself to Lush. It smells pretty good in there too. Inglot Cosmetics - Located in Eldon Square: One of the newest additions to the beauty department in Eldon Square is Inglot and this one’s for the colour lovers. Inglot never fails to produce the most fluorescent eye shadow pallets and vibrant lip colours on the market. The prices don’t compare to some high street bargains but most products stay under £20 and are very high in quality. It’s cheaper than chanel anyway. Kiko - Located in Eldon Square: Similarly to Inglot, Kiko is another Eldon Square beauty store that has opened more recently but unlike Inglot, Kiko provides a large variety of products from as little as £4. Both Kiko and Inglot are great alternatives to regular brands with high prices such as ‘MAC’ or ‘Bobbi Brown’ but they are located directly opposite each other so we’ll leave you to decide which you prefer. Xtras - Located in Eldon Square: Xtras is definitely a hidden gem for beauty products. From the outside, this shop may look like your standard fancy dress store, with some crazy wigs and hair extensions, but you can actually find multiple makeup items starting from just £1. One
It's time to share Newcastle's variety of independent and affordable stores
favourite from here is the technic colour fix concealer which is perfect for daily wear and will only set you back by £2.25. Even if this product isn’t the best quality around, it will certainly be the most cost effective. Ellen’s cosmetics - Located in Eldon Square: Similarly to Xtras, Ellen’s cosmetics is definitely a store that will keep you out of your overdraft. If you’re watching your spends,
Big-up beauty brand lovin'
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hen it comes to beauty products there is only one brand that I swear by. Maybelline New York. You’ve heard of it, you’ve tried it, you’ve loved it and for centuries has been one of the best brands in drugstores, in more than 120 countries. The products are quite affordable, the packaging is super cute and the color range is absolutely incredible. From lipstick to foundations, from eyeshadows to lip balms every girl can find the shade that fits her needs. In 1913 a chemist named Thomas Williams took action and helped his sister Maybel Williams to enhance her natural beauty. By adding carbon dust to petroleum jelly Williams was able to darken Maybel’s lashes and brows even more than before. As a result, this sparked an intrigue in Williams who, in 1915, founded what would become one of the most successful global beauty brands, Maybelline, named after his sister. Today, Maybelline, has inspired many girls and women to enhance their natural beauty and be creative with makeup. As well as this, the brand has made a global impact, through being sponsored by huge events such as New York Fashion Week where they shared tips, tricks and tutorials for runway-inspired makeup looks and trends. As a beauty blogger, I was lucky enough to work with Maybelline New York in Greece and get to know the products first-hand. Let’s start with the must-have concealers. “Instant Anti Age Eraser concealer” deserves to be at the top of the list. It’s the number one choice with many of the beauty gurus out there and everyone is going crazy about it. The product comes in 12 unique shades, it’s the perfect dark circle eraser and treatment, making the under-eye area appear radiant and bright. The micro-corrector applicator makes the product come out smoothly and it is super gentle to the skin. Lipstick lovers out there I got your back. The “Super Stay Matte Ink Liquid Lipstick” is your new ally in beauty revolution. Up to 16 hours, whatever you eat, you drink, everything you do, the lipstick will be on your lips completely fresh and untouched. 10 super shades, reds, nudes and dark berry colours. The unique arrow applicator is amazing for a precise application. Try it once, you’ll love it forever. When it comes to flawless skin, Maybelline is the master. It has sheer, medium, and full coverage foundations for dry, combination, normal or oily skin. Longwear, hydrating, dewy and matte foundation formulas to help you create a perfect canvas from breakfast to bedtime. If you need a mattifying foundation, the best choices are: “Fit Me, Matte and Poreless” (2018 GLAMOUR Beauty awards), “Dream Matte Mouse” and “Dream Velvet”. All products are dermatologist tested, allergy tested and noncomedogenic. The awarded “Fit Me Matte and Poreless” has 40 unique shades, each one of them promises to embrace your skin perfectly. We can certainly say, that Maybelline is the brow boss and the ultimate game changer in brow beauty. Maybelline Brow Studio collection is here for you to play, fill, sculpt or shape your eyebrows as you like, with a range of eyebrow gel, eyebrow powder, eyebrow pencils, eyebrow filler, and more. The “Tattoo Studio Waterproof Eyebrow Gel” is an award winner in the category “Best of Makeup”. This waterproof eyebrow product creates fuller-looking brows that last for days, it’s smudge proof and does not transfer. There are many more Maybelline products for you to discover and play with, to try out and fall in love with. What are you waiting for? Make it happen! Ioanna Chytiri
Image: @ellencosmetics
you can find brands like w7 and Technic Colour which are a great replacement for high-street favourites like Rimmel and Maybelline. Primark - Located on Northumberland Street: Many associate primark with cheap clothes and bad quality. But don’t be fooled by the beauty range of bargains on the first floor. That £2 tanning mitt will last you at least 2 months and those £1 eyelashes could fool anyone. Primark’s cosmetics are perfect for your student budget. Swap your £15 concealer to a £2 version or buy some funky false nails for a quid instead of spending your weekly budget on a full acrylic set. When you’re in Primark, you can live a Kardashian lifestyle on a student wage. Image: @maybelline
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life & style fashion
c2.fashion@ncl.ac.uk Fashion Editors Miranda Stoner, Poppy Couling, Joe Hood Online Editor Molly Taylor
the courier
Monday 15 October 2018
Top Ralph Lauren: The legend of the R Shops
Helena Hussey celebrates at 50 years of Ralph Lauren following his NYFW anniversary show
Naomi Odia gives us a tour of her favourite places to shop in Newcastle
Instagram: @xubolong0424
END. CLOTHING
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ND. Clothing; you probably haven’t missed this compact store for international, urban streetwear brands. With over 60 brands, this globally sourced menswear store is at the heart of Newcastle city centre, located in Grainger Street. Who says we females can’t wear menswear? Most streetwear brands are highly aimed at both male and female, with data showing females are dominantly creating the sales for this store. With an online portal for the Newcastle based, endclothing.com features future facing clothing from bold, edgy urban brands like Alpha Industries, Kenzo, Champion and Stussy, as well as a populous microsite for sneaker launches.
alph Lauren wants his brand to be a part of life - he wants the clothes he makes to add colour to a grey day; add spice to an otherwise bland trip. For him the clothes he designs are there to help you enjoy “the fullness of the life around you”, and this particular spark was shown in abundance at his 50th anniversary show during New York Fashion Week. No stone was left unturned – from the clothes and the FROW, and from the location to after- party, resulting in a thoroughly heart-warming, and American night. The show was more than a greatest hits collection; it represented all the that brand aims to achieve- not clothes that dart in and out of style, but ones that can remain in your wardrobe forever. There were staples that made the brand what it is today – plaid, leather, hardware, to name just some moments. Not only was it Ralph Lauren, but there was also a Polo section, which really exhibited the breath of the fashion on offer at the house. It seemed like Ralph in its most saturated form; an elixir of emotion, dedication and pure Americana. Among the clothes on offer there was the perfect pinstriped suit, tailored to fit like a glove, all American sportswear and a show stopping patchwork finale dress worn by fledgling supermodel Gigi Hadid. Her casting, in itself, shows so much of what Ralph Lauren has had a command of, over the last fifty years – quintessentially wholesome all-American beauty. But it wasn’t just Gigi who was eye catching on the runway, as there was also a host of toddlers strutting their stuff for the first time. Another key aspect of this show, and of the brand’s ethos is diversity; whether that be skin colour or age, Ralph Lauren has always seen itself as inclusive – it’s for the everyman and woman, as well as those in high fashion. It was this line of thought that Oprah Winfrey
Lauren has always drawn such an assorted crew of people because this is not a brand that has ever tried to be a trendchaser
called on in her toast at the dinner after, saying that when she first started, before she was THE Oprah her “idea of celebrating success wasn’t to go out and get a fancy car or jewelry. It was a closet full of Ralph Lauren towels . . . they represented a sense of comfort, luxury, aspiration.” The FROW was yet another reminder of Ralph Lauren’s prowess; it was dappled with a varied cast of people; from the coolest millennials (Chance the Rapper, Blake Lively), to a great stalwart of American fashion designers (Donna Karen and Calvin Klein). There were even politicians of the past and possibly the future with Hilary Clinton and Kanye West also in attendance. Lauren has always drawn such an assorted crew of people because this is not a brand that has ever tried to be a trend-chaser; it knows it place in the market and has delivered time and time again for its customer. It has never felt like they have been chasing cool because they have never been caught up in trying to get the latest hot, young designer to take charge; unlike so many other American fashion houses. All of this comes to prove that whether its for Rachel in “friends” or Anna Wintour herself the charm of Ralph
Instagram: @ralphlauren
Lauren seems not to have wavered over the last fifty years. Of course, there have been wobbles, much like any brand (we’re looking at you Hedi Slimane and Celine) but it just comes to show that pure, aspirational Americanism doesn’t really ever go out of fashion; even when the country itself seems to be.
This week’s best dressed Fashion Editors Poppy Couling and Miranda Stoner give us two stylish celebs on their radar
CRUISE What if we were actually going on the runway? Cruise is recognised as one of the UK’s leading luxury retailers with a prestige status for its iconic international designer collections and stylish streetwear, featuring brands such as Gucci, Moncler, Balenciaga, Valentino, Polo Ralph Lauren and Vivienne Westwood. If you love fashion and adore your designer labels, this is certainly the store for you. It is very accessible as it is located in Newcastle Premium, situated near the renowned Laing Arts Gallery.
FLIP VINTAGE
Flip Vintage is Newcastle’s oldest established vintage store, which has been importing genuine American clothing since 1978 and have built a strong identity and reputation in the North East. It stocks a large selection of clothing and brands including my favourite label Levi. Who doesn’t love American vintage clothing? From vintage American football jerseys to the classic Hawaiian shirt. As it is in the student central, Flip Vintage offers a 10% discount for students on all purchases, you can’t argue with that? Why settle for high street knock-offs and fake ‘retro’ outfits when you can own the original for a lot less!
THE YESTERDAY SOCIETY
You might say a competitor, but we say the more the merrier. The Yesterday Society Vintage Boutique is another great option for your vintage shopping spree. It is located in the heart Newcastle’s city centre, namely Newcastle’s iconic Grainger Market - here you can find your heart’s desire for everything from clothing to food. The store is an ‘Aladdin’s cave packed to the rafters with vintage and retro clothing and accessories for men and women’, with discounts for students included.
Image: Instagram: @dualipa
Image: Instagram: @sergedenimes
Male: Oliver Proudlock
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hilst not a massive reality series fan girl, when it comes to a man that dresses rather impeccably, Oliver Proudlock immediately springs to mind. A fellow Newcastle student, he has gone on to create his own line of clean- cut and wearable clothing that goes by the name of Serge DeNimes (after a brief stint on Made in Chelsea, but we aren’t here to judge). Although limited in stock, including a rather bold denim jacket (think Joseph’s technicolored dreamcoat married with some distressed patchwork fabrics) and neon coloured hoodies and t-shirts, the line is trendy and affordable. The collection is evidently born from his own personal style that ranges from ostensibly flamboyant to remarkably classy, proving that the man really can pull anything off. Just scroll through his instagram and, amongst the cheeky topless snaps in enviably beautiful locations, he promotes these pieces along with his jewellery collection consisting of bright stones and masculine engravings. The dentally blessed star regularly pairs white or black jeans (stay with me here) and a groovy silk shirt, and it just WORKS.
Insert personal anecdote - I served Mr Proudlock at Wimbledon tennis this summer as he sat alongside Loyle Carner where he was donning an entirely white suit. Before you jump to conclusions, please rest assured no one was more ready to march up to him and question this fashion faux- pas more than myself. But after being briefly reminded I was staff and didn’t actually know him, I decided to serve him instead to get a closer look at what could only have looked like a couture car crash. But low and behold, the man looked ace. Teamed with flawless Louboutin trainers and his own beautiful jewellery, the outfit beautifully projected his individuality and unquestionable style. Needless to say, the man can throw an outfit together better than we can on a good day, and he deserves serious recognition for this. Here’s to hoping we graduate and end up looking this good too.
Female: Dua Lipa
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ot only is she the voice of reason in relationship advice, Queen of Pop Dua Lipa is also an on- and off-stage fashion icon. She is artfully unpredictable, styling herself in vintage baby pink satin sweatpants and a polka crop top one day and a CHANEL suit and choker the next.
Her outfit choices are especially interesting because she doesn’t let one singular style define her. She can dress (sometimes simultaneously) cute, sophisticated and sexy and is not tied down to one look or even colour palette. She was recently photographed in a mustard negligée and oversized grey shirt paired with black heeled leather boots. On anyone else this might have looked farcical but Dua Lipa pulled it off just as well as when she wore the more generic black ruffled skirt and top combination at her last performance in San Diego. Whilst her more outrageous combinations are most definitely eye catching, she also has a back catalogue of very wearable looks. She is no stranger to a pair of jeans and trainers for example. These can be dressed up with anything from a velvet corset to flame adorned platforms or just casually partnered with a cropped black polo neck and a wide brimmed hat. Whilst her style diversity has been criticized as being borrowed from previous pop icons, there seems something refreshing and empowering about her ability to dress outside of the box. She sums this up perfectly in her own words when she says ‘Everyone is allowed to wear whatever the f*c* they want, and it’s so important that they do.’
the courier
19
fashion life & style
Monday 15 October 2018
A step in the wrong direction
Following the rise of the high-fashion shoe-sock, Phoebe Eyles is here to share her thoughts on its truly marmite design
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he fashion industry is one of the most diverse and dynamic creative industries to exist. In footwear alone, we have been graced with a variety of weird and wonderful creations from Perspex heels to denim over-the-knee boots. The latest footwear trend is no exception. Sock shoes, most famously seen as the Balenciaga speed, are making their way into high street stores, with the likes of Zara recreating the controversial shoe. The shoe typically has a thick white sole and a stretchy black fabric covering the foot and cutting off at the ankle. There is no denying that the shoe is unconventional, but could it follow in the footsteps (no pun intended) of the sock boot and make its way into mainstream fashion? The Balenciaga speed trainer was first released in November 2016 and one year later Vogue dubbed them as ‘The Shoe of 2017’. At first glance they are not exactly stylish. You could even say they look like wetsuit shoes, and why would anyone want to wear them on a daily basis? However, with celebrities such as Gigi Hadid and Kylie Jenner wearing them, there must some appeal to the unusual trainer. The ‘ugly trainer trend’ has become somewhat of a phenomena in recent years, with shoes such as the Balenciaga Triple S and the Gucci Flashtrek trainers becoming must-have items, despite their
There is no denying that the shoe is unconventional, but could it follow in the footsteps ... of the sock boot and make its way into mainstream fashion?
somewhat garish appearance. These styles of trainers have become easily accessible with knock offs seen in high street stores. Like the sock trainers, none of these shoes are aesthetically pleasing but they certainly make a larger fashion statement than wearing more simple designs. The ‘ugly trainers’ are the shoes everyone has an opinion on, it makes sense that celebrities would want to be seen wearing them. We have seen and accepted the sock boot trend, perhaps we should accept its more casual alternative, the sock shoe. With a pair in Zara costing £50, they could be the next pair of shoes for your wardrobe.
Instagram: @fionajhappy
Despite celebrities loving the sock shoe, are we really going to be seeing them across campus this year? Sure, they make a statement and your fashion conscious friend might explain the ‘artistic value’ in the ugly trainers, but these shoes are definitely a brave choice to wear for every day. The ugly trainer trend might have gone a step too far with the sock shoe as it is one of the most outlandish items of footwear on the market. Celebrities are wearing the trainer with black skinny jeans to elongate the leg, with gym wear for running errands and with culottes for a relaxed yet put together look. However, none of these looks are ground-breaking; all of the styles mentioned could be worn with a pair of Vans or Air Max’s and still look put together. I am not sure we really need the sock shoe for our everyday collection, the fashion industry might have pushed the boundaries too far for me with these shoes. Whilst the sock shoe has been a hit with celebrities, it is a daring style that might be too far for an everyday look on campus. I have no doubt there will be some students rocking knock off versions of the Balenciaga speed trainers, but I think I will stick with my trusty Stan Smiths for this semester.
Conventional fashion shows are dead Weird and wonderful animals? Fashion editor Joe Hood discusses the fantastic quirks of one of this year’s weirdest show
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t is perceived as ‘boring’ and outdated nowadays to simply watch a runway show purely for the clothes. Designers must now display their works in unique and unusual ways in order to catch the eye(s) of fashion moguls. By ‘unique’ and ‘unusual’ I don’t mean havinodels carry their severed heads tucked comfortably under their arms, as if it were a small tea-cup Chihuahua. Thank god no one has ever done…oh wait someone did. Does anyone remember Gucci’s Fall/Winter 2018 runway show? No, well let me try to explain how they (Gucci?) executed such a disturbing stunt, and successfully changed up the fashion game.
But it didn’t stop there, along with detached body parts, Michele also thought it necessary to cast a baby dragon to feature in the show
Gucci’s designer Alessandro Michele revealed his F/ W18 collection during Milan fashion week in a way no one could have predicted. He had two of his models carry their own heads as an accessory. Now we must give props to whoever made the heads for the creepy likeness to their ‘owners’, and how realistic they looked. It certainly stirred up a storm in the industry, with some people finding it sick and disturbing, whilst others were strangely attracted to it. But it didn’t stop there, along with detached body parts, Michele also thought it necessary to cast a baby dragon to feature in the show too. All you Game of Thrones fans will be sad to know that the dragon wasn’t real, but what is real is that Gucci is revolutionising fashion and will only continue to push boundaries. By pushing boundaries, I’m not saying the next show should feature conjoined bodies or even worse, Donald Trump nude. Let us now jump to the opposite end of the ‘normal’ spectrum, as I think it is justifiable to say that we can rule out severed heads ever being ‘normal’ on the runway. Chanel’s designer Karl Lagerfeld unveiled his Spring 2019 collection at Paris fashion week only a few weeks ago, but this was no ordinary show, which with it being Chanel we would expect nothing less.
The audience were swept away to a tropical beach scene, with crystal blue water good enough to skinny dip in. Not that one would do such a thing in the presence of the great Lagerfeld himself. The ridiculously attractive and fit models strutted along the beach, as if it were a less ‘cringy’ episode of Baywatch, minus the unnecessary slow motion running of Pamela Anderson. This stunt was a huge deal for not only Chanel, but for other designers too. They are still all competing for individuality in their clothing, but now they must express the theme of the collection, and the mood they are trying to bestow through expression and experience. If this hasn’t made you shock or gasp whilst reading then I have failed my job as a writer, and you will next see me being rolled down Gucci’s runway as a luggage accessory. On a more serious note, if that is even possible after talking about severed heads, baby dragons and Pamela Anderson. Runway shows are changing for the better and the days of watching models walk up and down a static platform are over. Next up I am sure will be Louis Vuitton strapping their models to a rope and flying them across New York City, like a scene from Harry Styles’ ‘Sign of the Times’ music video, minus the creepy Michael Myers looking mask.
Instagram: @zephyrmoi
Autumn, here we come Ellie James helps us prepare our wardrobe in the face of oncoming autumnal weather
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Image: Instagram @kettysfashionshop (Leaf)Instagram: @fabio.maria1
t’s getting to that time of year when we start swapping denim jackets for fluffy coats, slipping our feet into shiny boots rather than those overworn sparkly flip-flops, and spending the last of our summer savings on packs of tights from Primark’s shelves – if you’re lucky enough to ever find some in the size and denier you need. (If not, last year’s bobbly ones from the back of the drawer will have to suffice). Autumn doesn’t have to be a reminder that summer has ended if you dress up right. So here’s some styles that’ll impress the barista when you pick up your first pumpkin spice latte of the season… Just because you’ve started seeing your breath in the ever colder air doesn’t mean you have to say goodbye to your favourite skirts and day dresses. Think corduroy, knitted materials and the OG denim skirt to keep in that extra warmth. Tights become your new best friend letting you savour the last of the warm weather before winter sets in. If you’re anything like me and can’t bring yourself to shut the skirts and dresses away for another 7 months then this is the way forward, I promise. Not a fan of tights?
Then trousers might just be the next best thing. It can be strange going from bare legs to skinny jeans after a long hot summer, so swap ‘em out for the baggier and better trousers that scream,‘I’ve got my life together,’ on a whole other level. As much as you love your denim jacket, it’s time to try on something else before strutting out in style – and what bigger sign is there that it’s about to get chilly than a fashionable coat? Perhaps the biggest 2018 seasonal trend is the teddy coat. They’re as great as they sound (and every bit as cuddly). These woolly numbers are perfect for the cold weather creeping in and still look great over any outfit with every colour of autumn available. So don’t worry about matching it with anything specific, whatever suits you and your wardrobe will suit that brown, mustard, black or beige teddy coat. Instagram blogger or not, you’ll definitely look like one walking down the high street or stood at a bonfire minus the worry of getting cold – especially if you’ve ventured from down south to Newcastle yet to gain that Northern skin, try replicating it with a fluffy coat.
Footwear that will keep your toes warm is something that cannot be forgotten when the leaves start falling and you’ve shoved your flip-flops to the back of the wardrobe. And who doesn’t love a good pair of boots? The selection is ENDLESS. Try NewLook’s entire ground floor and you’ll find yourself basically wading through every type of boot you can imagine. Either cropped or heeled, you can’t go wrong with a good pair of boots to kick at the leaves in. Pair with fluffy socks to keep the heat in whilst also accessorising subtly in the warmest way possible. Don’t get cold feet about this less loved season. If you’re going to splash out your student loan on anything that’s not essential to survive, let it be on autumn outfit essentials this year.
@CourierFashion
graduate recruitment and placements fair Monday 22, Tuesday 23 and Wednesday 24 October 2018, Newcastle Civic Centre, 10.30am - 3.30pm Meet local and national employers offering 9-12 month placement opportunities and graduate vacancies. Day 1 - Business, Management and Finance Day 2 - Engineering, Science and Technology Day 3 - Law www.ncl.ac.uk/careers/events #NCLRecruitmentFair18
CAREERS SERVICE www.ncl.ac.uk/careers
the courier
Monday 15 October 2018
courier.travel@ncl.ac.uk Fashion Editors Jenny Franken, Bianca Ionci Online Editor Amanda Goh
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travel life & style
Escape the city in Tynemouth
Insider Rebecca Doneghan tells us what to explore in the North East’s favourite coastal town
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ewcastle is an exciting place to live and study in and so to all the Freshers, do look forward to becoming an honorary Geordie over the next few years. While it is exciting, there will also be days when all you want to do is to relax, escape and explore. If you are new to the area, why not visit a neighbouring town by the sea, loved by those from all over the country? It’s the perfect
There are other shopping havens to hit like ‘Raspberry Bizarre’ selling unique gems you won’t find anywhere else. ‘Green Ginger Shopping Arcade’ is located in an old church, where you’ll find a range of shops, including a traditional sweet shop. I won’t lie, I never leave Tynemouth without my cola cubes! If I’ve managed to convince you to take a trip to Tynemouth and are now wondering how to get there,
never fear! The easiest way to travel is by metro. Go to Monument metro station in the city centre, buy an ABC zone day ticket for £5.10, and then head to Platform Three. In just 30 minutes, you’ll arrive at the bottom of Tynemouth’s picturesque main street with the historical Priory at the top, where the beautiful coastline begins and fun awaits!
Voted as the ‘Best Seaside Destination’ by Rough Guides in 2016
place for fresh sea air when you’re desperate for freedom from the library! It is safe to say that almost every student in Newcastle has visited the stunning coastal town of Tynemouth. Voted as the ‘Best Seaside Destination’ by Rough Guides in 2016, spend an afternoon here and you’ll certainly understand why! There are three different beaches to choose from. A walk along any of these and a cosy coffee at Riley’s Fish Shack in the prime spot of King Edward’s Bay is a sure cure any hangover. There is also a great range of cafes and bars to choose from; ‘Dil & the Bear’ is a popular brunch hotspot, also known for its range of cakes and bakes, ‘Ora’ is perfect for drinks in a more laid back setting, and the infamous ‘Surfcafe’ right on the beach has a cool vibe to it with its countless live music events. If shopping is more your chosen activity, Tynemouth Market takes place every Saturday and Sunday in the town’s vintage metro station, so you need not worry about finding it; it is literally at the doorstep of the station! Food, music, and art are a few of the things you’ll find there.
Travel IG of the week
Travel Editor Jenny Franken presents this week’s wanderlustInstagram
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hen you’re sitting in the library with a stack of books in front of you - is there a better way of procrastinating than dreaming yourself away to your last summer vacation? Our new weekly column will help you with that presenting the most inspiring Travel- Instagram accounts for when the Wanderlust hits you. My personal favourite Travel Instagram account is Lauren Bullen’s “gypsea_lust”. The Australian travels the world together with her sister and her boyfriend (doyoutravel). One day you see her in front of skyscrapers in New York, the next day she has breakfast in Kenya with 2 giraffes keeping her company. In a really aesthetically pleasing way she captures landscapes, national food, recommends hotels etc. All her pictures look so unreal that you find it hard to believe that there is such beauty outside the library walls but it inspires to prove yourself wrong, finish that degree and make enough money to discover new destinations yourself.
Instagram @neel.go
Our fave international food spots
Dominic Howard discusses some of the best international eateries in and around Newcastle
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Instagram @bi.bibika
ell, summer’s over, and you’re either back in Newcastle or here for the first time ever. The loan has just dragged you out of your overdraft, and it’s time to have a little splurge, regardless of whether it may be against your better judgment. Whilst it’s important to set yourself a budget for the year, you’ve got to afford yourself the occasional (or frequent…) treat Whilst it’s far from a major issue, it is annoying to pay for food and it turning out to be bad, especially considering our tight budgets. With that in mind, here are some of the best spots for affordable and excellent international food, whether you want to have a sit-down meal or eat it on the move. We’ll start with Quayside’s Sunday food market, where street food from all four corners of the world converge. With £5-7 in your pocket, you’ll be able to grab street food from places including Indonesia, Thailand, Poland, South
Korea and Japan. I’d recommend the Japanese chicken katsu curry, which, despite looking small, is subversively filling owing to the bed of sticky rice it’s served on, and for only a fiver, you really can’t go wrong. Other highly appealing street food includes Pad Thai, Indian wraps (both with vegetarian options available), Indonesian beef curry, Polish sausage and Korean barbecue. As for a sit-down meal, Zaap Thai (which incidentally stands opposite the exceptional Asian food store HiYou if you fancy cooking it yourself) stands head and shoulders above its other chain-restaurant counterparts. The offers they do make it relatively cheap– you’ll pay around £9 for a main course and leave full. Make sure to look out for their Monday and Tuesday offers, where you can get a meal and drink for £10. If you can’t decide on where to go, give Za Za Bazaar a try. Located in the Gate, it draws upon Indian, Thai, Chinese, Italian and loads more different international
Travel surprises: thailand style
During her recent travels to Thailand, Dalene Low encountered quite a few unexpected issues
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s a keen traveller, Thailand would always be on your list of places you really want to visit or where you want to go again. Though my Singaporean peers have visited the country on every other long weekend, I made my first trip to Bangkok, Thailand just this year. Bangkok is a mere two-hour plane ride from Singapore, so it presented a pretty ideal for a short getaway trip to unwind. I had a lot of misconceptions about the country before, but all of that changed after this trip: Not knowing the language The only phrases I can utter in Thai is “Sawatdee-ka” (‘Hello’ for girls) and “Khop Khun-ka” (‘Thank you’ for girls). But don’t worry, I learnt that you don’t need to know a single Thai word and still survive there as a tourist. There are clear signages in English and your trusty Google Maps to guide you around. Bangkok is a city filled with tourists, so the friendly locals are well-adapted to converse in English if you ever need assistance!
Safety concerns Considering it’s just me and another female friend on the trip, we were clearly easy preys to scams, theft and danger imaginable on a foreign land. While there is no hard foolproof methods to avoid inevitable danger, the best precaution is to always be aware of your surroundings, since the night markets and shopping malls are usually crowded. But otherwise, as long as you don’t dress to the nines or embellish yourself with expensive goods, you are pretty much on the safe side. Getting the runs easily Thailand is well-known for their street food but if you have a weak stomach, you might be susceptible to food poisoning, especially if you aren’t careful. On the other hand, Thai street food are usually freshly prepared upon ordering. Though the Thais aren’t the most conservative when it comes to using plastic, at least you know your Mango Sticky Rice is safely tucked away from dust
particles. If Thailand was never on your travel list, maybe you should reconsider! Cheap thrills like getting on a Tuk-Tuk or walking through the bustling indie night markets will leave you wanting for more.
Instagram @gypsea_lust Unsplash @ploywanasiri
the courier
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feature
Monday 15 October 2018 Feature Editor Ally Wilson
THE BTOC
Armstrong 1 ground floor ladies
The people have spoken and it is now the time to annou lets on Campus- does Armstrong have the most beautifu Or does the SU act as home to the most chic
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he best loo on campus? This coveted title is well deserved by those blessing the ground floor of the Armstrong Building; they’re simple, stylish, and even clean! There is nothing showy about these toilets, their monochrome and grey colour scheme can only be described as chic and the wall of mirrors ensures that you’re always looking your best for those wonderful 9ams. Furthermore, on a trip to the Armstrong loos you’ll be pleased to actually find soap in the soap dispensers and even toilet paper in the holders; what else could you possibly ask for? The most unfortunate feature of any loo has to be the roller towel dispensers that taint the Student Union’s restroom offerings and require far too much effort. Thankfully, any visitors to the Armstrong Building are relieved of such inconvenience with simple but effective hand dryers. To summarise, a good loo must be three simple things: clean, well-stocked, and unoffensive to look at. The Armstrong loos meet, and perhaps even surpass, these essential requirements and are therefore, without a doubt, the best loos on Newcastle University Campus. A cheeky detour to these luxurious lavatories is highly recommended. Emma McLaren
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estled in a quiet corridor on the ground floor of the Armstrong building, so discrete you could easily walk past and miss it, is undoubtedly the best toilet on campus. The impeccable cleanliness of the bathroom’s modern interior sits in perfect contrast to the historic setting of that majestic building to create the perfect ambience for relieving one’s bladder or enjoying a moment of well-earned respite from a particularly taxing seminar. The toilet paper is always plentiful, the taps at optimum pressure and temperature, and the hand-dryers efficient. On occasion, the music students can just be heard practicing in the neighbouring room, adding an element of sophistication to the occasion. On rare days you may encounter another individual, a possible threat to your private sanctuary. Be assured however that they are most likely a kindred spirit, a veteran who is also privy to the charms of this place, and not a boisterous fresher seeking to disrupt your quiet repose. Now that you are also made aware of this esteemed haven, I must urge you to treat it only with the utmost respect. BToC judges, fellow nominators, friends, there really is no contest as to which toilet on campus deserves this prestigious accolade. Isabel Sykes
BTOC 2018
Central ladies’ 2 NUSU T his seat of luxury is practically a hidden gem. Found in the Student Central, it is almost always empty. You have to go down a set of steps to reach the tiny basement floor where these toilets reside, giving it the sense of being a hidden away place of privacy. The facilities are very generous, especially for such a quiet space, with eight toilets and eight sinks; you’ll never have to stoop to queuing for the toilet here. The cubicles themselves are always very clean, and I personally recommend going for one underneath a spotlight, as there is nothing worse than a dark toilet of course. Thank heavens for the hand dryer too. It isn’t one of those that permits just a wisp of air, but a full force of hot air that dries you quickly, so you can rush off to your beloved seminar. But most importantly of all, these toilets have mirrors galore; the main space has eight full length mirrors in which you can do a full outfit check/ photoshoot/whatever tickles your fancy. Along the corridor of cubicles there is even a huge landscape mirror above a sort of makeup counter, so you can top up your face whilst you’re at it. All in all, it’s quiet, it’s big, it’s clean and it’s like a funhouse of mirrors. What more could you ask for?
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Percy ground floor ladies’
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he Percy building ground floor female toilet is the shooting star of all university toilets. Magical, mystical, but very hard to get a look at. It wastes no time with this cubicle nonsense, on Percy ground floor it’s just one toilet in the whole room. It provides a space for deep contemplation, a time-out from the hustle and bustle of the overcrowded English building and, of course, an accessible spot for doing your business. I am unashamed to say that I spend an unusual amount of time in this toilet compared to most – perhaps I have some comrades in this love of the Percy ground floor toilet. Perhaps there is a whole band of us spending 15 minutes at a time sat there at 10am, pondering about how done with uni we already are for the day. Perhaps it is I and my band of merry loo men who are the exact reason that this toilet is, frustratingly, always occupied. Carys Rose Thomas
BT 20
Images: Pixabay, Fli
the courier
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feature
Monday 15 October 2018
C AWARDS
unce the winners of our BTOC Awards The Best Toiul bogs? Does Merz host the most luxurious lavvies? c of shitters? Here, we find out the results.
TOC 018
ickr, Wikimedia Commons,
OC BT
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Bedson first floor ladies N
ot so much the best loos on campus, but most certainly the most nostalgic are the ground floor toilets of the Bedson Building. THE BEDSON BUILDING?! I hear you cry. What? The grotty old science-block monstrosity which stinks of strange chemicals and has the same shitty doors and crumbling plaster board that can be found in most typical ageing comprehensive school buildings? Well yes. Judge it if you will, but the outdated, old fashioned, probably germ-ridden loos are always empty, always clean (well as clean as they can be when surrounded by rooms filled with elusive and funky-smelling substances), but most of all they are filled with the glorious memories of high school loos, complete with wet loo roll stuck to the ceiling and the oh-so-distinctive whiff of cigarette smoke unsuccessfully masked by Lynx Africa. Perhaps not the most luxurious of lavatories, but certainly the best of bogs. Ally Wilson
ABog of Contention...
Students Union first floor mens’ W
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hilst I feel my personal exploration of the University’s range of toilets may not be as extensive as others (kudos to a strong bladder) there is one which has a special place in my heart. The toilets on the first floor of the Students Union, just outside The Courier office stand head and shoulders above any other urinating hotspots on campus. Whether it be a quick toilet trip before last year’s laying up deadlines, a visit to see the destruction that Banter Claus had caused during The Courier Christmas Social or a rush to get there and return in the three and a half minutes of a Charli XCX song from the NSR studio, these toilets never disappoint. What’s more, last year a photo of the University’s beloved James Sproston adorned the wall by the door. Whatever the mood of the toilet trip, seeing The Courier God working his stuff in his sabbatical headshots was a guaranteed mood-lifter. I will miss a lot of things from Newcastle University whilst on my Year Abroad. However, none more so than the Students Union 1st floor toilets. Take care of them for me. Toby Bryant
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o you’ve heard about the very best bogs on campus, now let’s see to the worst. These abominations are found right at the heart of our university, in none other than the SU itself. Enter from the side door, go up the stairs, and these monstrosities are immediately on your left. I can’t speak for the ladies’ (which I’ve heard are actually rather nice), but the men’s need some serious work. The toilets themselves are a horrible metal, whilst the cubicles rarely close properly. To be fair, the locks were recently fixed and bins have been added to the cubicles - which would be a nice idea, if they weren’t so unnecessarily large. No matter where you put it, there is no escape from touching one with an unrobed leg. Gross… God forbid you have to go for a number two. The feeble flushes fail miserably after a few sheets of paper. And that’s if you’re lucky enough to get to that stage with no mishaps. The dispensers, which surely have been designed by an absolute sadist, are impractical affairs which only allow you one square at a time and have a horrendous habit of ripping off with the next sheet still inside. The only positive for this loo is that the paper is of a respectable size and ply. If you are in the SU and need a poo, go to the top floor: the non-binary toilets are lovely. Alex Moore
6I? The mystery bathroom ?
n a well known spot in the heart of Newcastle’s Campus lies a toilet unlike any other. Down an outdated series of corridors lies a hidden secret of a toilet. I couldn’t possibly reveal the location of these toilets as they’re almost always empty and in a prime location. I certainly don’t want that to change. They’re gender neutral, individually roomed, cleaned regularly, located in the sort of place that you might need to be in for many many hours and spacious. It posesses the, as a student, invaluable gem of double, I repreat, DOUBLE ply toilet roll (I know) so it’s ideal for those especially hefty visits. Its one downfall is that there is no window, so there can be no people-watching or fresh air during your visit, however there is a fan, which offwers both cool air and an easy way to destroy the evidence of said hefty visit. If you can get used to the dark brown 80’s tiles and generally outdated decor, then you’ll be ready for this hidden gem of a toilet. But I hope you never are, because it’s MINE. Harry Parsons
BTOC 2018
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culture music Meet the Editors
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Rory Ellis
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ey all, I’m Charlotte, one of your fresh new Music editors! Alongside this, you will probably see me getting involved with studentunion societies and campaigns. Sometimes I even do work for my media degree. I am a self-proclaimed terrible music writer, so rest assured your lovely words will always sound better than any I can string together. I don’t know how to describe music other than ‘groovy’, ‘funky’ or ‘nice’, but I try anyway! Musically, I’m really into indie tunes with a healthy smattering of queer pop and cheesy bangers to stop me turning into an indie queen wannabe. The ‘Random Review’ column this term is my sweet baby; I think it’s really cool to try and review something without any preconceptions about how you’d rate it based on what you already think of the artist! Give that a go and discover something new and unusual - come on, get out of that comfort zone for a change! Charlotte Boulton
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’m Max, your online music editor. I live for all things music, and even play music myself, albeit in the loosest possible sense. Please let me know if you have any new ideas for the online section as we’re looking to expand this year! My listening habits have always tilted towards psychedelic rock and blues but I’m usually open to absolutely anything as long as it’s exciting and creative. Online offers a great opportunity to those with original ideas or articles that are time sensitive. This year should be really exciting for online as more features and ideas are announced, so don’t be shy and get involved! Max Hobbs
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i there, my name is Taylor and I am one of your print editors for this year! I’m a third-year English literature student and my hobbies include bullet journalling, obliterating my student loan at Quilliam Brothers, and screaming. I can also occasionally be found reading a book. As a music writer, I know there’s so much for me still to learn and listen to. My tastes can be described in two words as ‘hot mess’. I love progressive rock/metal, 90s electronic (big beat and trip hop are my loves) and a lot of vaguely edgy music. I’m super passionate about improving our album reviews and including more independent music, increasing opportunities for writers to get critique and feedback on their work, and widening collaboration with NSR and NUTV. I hope to meet you all very soon!
Monday 15 October 2018
Musicians and mental health
Molly Greeves kicks off our feature series on musicians dealing with difficulties in the spotlight
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y name is Rory. I’m a third year English Literature and Creative writing student. I’m excited to be spend my time failing to come to terms to with the newspaper’s editing programme to publish your articles. I’m glad to be to be working alongside Taylor and Charlotte not only for their intimidating efficiency but because of our mutual desire to incorporate as large a diversity of music as possible. My intention is to include more album and gig reviews that reflect the growing amount of interest in House and techno within the student body.
the courier
c2.music@ncl.ac.uk TV Editors Charlotte Boulton, Rory Ellis, Jess Taylor Weisser Online Editor Max Hobbs
erely a couple of decades ago, honest and vulnerable conversations about even mild mental health issues were few and far between. Now, even your bubbliest pop stars are joining the discussion, with varying levels of success; some of music’s biggest names such as Demi Lovato, Ariana Grande, and Adele have shared their experiences with depression and anxiety in their lyrics, in interviews or on social media. But is the increase in vulnerability helping or harming the community of people with mental illnesses? Whilst an exposure to the internet may lead you to think of mental health issues as “millennial problems”, Mind (a mental health charity in England and Wales) state that the number of people dealing with these issues has not increased in recent years. Arguably, the reason that the topic of mental health is cropping up more is because people are becoming more comfortable discussing their issues, which can only be a good thing, right? Surely it’s time for the “shut up and get on with it” approach to be shown the door. One thing that can be said about the mental health conversation is that it has dramatically improved in recent years, and this is reflected in the way that both the general public and the press reacts when a musician shows signs of struggling. Throughout the noughties, tabloids made a huge amount of money belittling Amy Winehouse every week, exploiting the struggle shown both in her personal life and her music in order to tear her down. The situation with Britney Spears in 2007 was similar; while there are still people out there who would want to ridicule a young musician for publicly shaving her head (Katy Perry, I’m looking at you), it’s hard to imagine the coverage behind Spears’ “breakdown” being as brutal and unsympathetic if it was to happen today. However, while things have certainly improved, and the openness of today’s pop stars has helped this, we still have a long way to go in terms of how we talk about mental health in mainstream media. Don’t get me wrong, it’s hugely helpful for Ariana Grande to share her struggles with
anxiety or for Gary Barlow to talk about depression discussing these problems in the mainstream can help remove the stigma around these issues and encourage others to reach out, and writing lyrics people can connect with can often carry them through hard times. But the way celebrities talk about mental health often simplifies problems that are potentially life threatening. For many, overcoming poor mental health is going to take more than a song about how we all have bad days, or encouraging words from a singer who says they know how you feel. While relating to each other can help, it’s time for wealthy and powerful people (like musicians in the mainstream) to discuss how more people can get access to counselling, how to raise money for charities like Mind, how to make
politicians actually listen so people with mental illnesses can get what they need. We also desperately need to broaden the conversation, and acknowledge other health conditions than just anxiety and depression. Demi Lovato, for example, has been outspoken about her struggles with addiction, bulimia and bipolar disorder, educating people on problems that are still frequently misunderstood. It’s great that anxiety and depression are being discussed, but we need to stop claiming to care about mental health if we’re going to normalise some disorders whilst still giving the side-eye to people with drug addictions or schizophrenia. And while the burden of solving the mental health crisis shouldn’t necessarily fall on musicians, if they care as much as they appear to, they should be using their platforms to create some serious change.
Images (LTR): YouTube; Wikimedia Commons; kokalola @ Flickr (CC BY 2.0)
Festival retrospective: where did you go this summer?
Our writers reflect on the weird and wonderful festivals they attended over the summer
RockWerchter
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ock Werchter in Belgium always has incredible line-ups, and 2018 was no exception. The travel ran smoothly and the staff spoke great English. There was a plethora of food, bars, and chill-out areas. The toilets were so clean and even had flushes! The amazing token system for food and drink meant that you needn’t carry cash, and The Hive campsite is incredible. It has its own after-hours club, a breakfast bakery, and a bar with TVs. We were expecting some cultural differences but what we discovered really changed our week. People didn’t sing or dance. In fact, for every act we went to see, people stood in silence with their arms folded. For iconic bands like The Killers and Arctic Monkeys they tutted at our singing and wore ear plugs. It’s safe to say there were no mosh pits in sight. Luckily for us, this meant we could get so much closer to people like Noel Gallagher than we ever would in the UK which was unbelievable. In the end, we decided to ignore everyone else and had a sick time regardless. Werchter made me realise that the festival can be great, but it’s down to the people to make it amazing. I’d give the festival 5 stars, but the crowd 1.
UNTOLD
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omania isn’t known as a music festival destination, but UNTOLD is largely one of the reasons why that’s changing. Cluj-Napoca, positioned roughly halfway between Bucharest and Budapest, welcomed the fourth edition of the electronic festival at the beginning of August. For four days and four nights, the city was fuelled with pumping EDM, trance, techno, drum and bass, electro house, dubstep and more. On August 2nd, the main stage was graced by EDMpop duo The Chainsmokers, Diplo, and house favourites Oliver Heldens and Afrojack. At smaller stages, Nina Kraviz, one of the few female performers, and Australian drum and bass band Pendulum put on explosive DJ sets. On the following two days, the main stage received Jason Derulo, Kygo, Tiësto, Don Diablo, KSHMR, The Prodigy, Alesso, and Steve Aoki (with his ever-popular caking of front-row fans). Sunday, August 5th, was undoubtedly the biggest night, with most in attendance awaiting Armin van Buuren’s return. His 2017 set lasted 5.5 hours, and festival-goers, myself included, wondered whether he would outdo his own record. The Dutch trance legend performed non-stop for seven hours, and thus concluded UNTOLD’s fourth chapter in the most spectacular of ways.
Katie Garwood
Bianca Ionici
Small World Spring Festival
“I
’m off down to Kent to dance my tits off in a field” is what I told my friends in Newcastle shortly before heading to Small World, and this describes my experience pretty accurately. Strictly limited to two thousand people, this is an intimate gig which lasts for five days – Thursday to Monday over the May bank holiday weekend – and is packed with the most gloriously bizarre music and people I’ve ever met.
I’m off down to Kent to dance my tits off
It has a strong environmentalist ethos, with all the electricity being generated on site by renewable means, and it truly feels like a community – a really mad community, but a community nonetheless. The music is incredibly wide ranging, with amazing bands and artists playing every genre from reggae to blues rock and folk to drum and bass. One of the real gems on site is a delightful library van, with a wide array of books (including for children and a shady lounge of bean bags under a canopy outside. Small World is intense, insane and, most importantly, unique. I left feeling exhausted but also revived. Tits have been danced well and truly off. Rae Farren
Jess Taylor Weisser
Image: Antonio Zugaldia @ Flickr (CC BY 2.0)
Image: Merlijn Hoek @ Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
Image: Rae Farren
the courier
25
Monday 15 October 2018
You Me At Six
VI
@CourierMusic thecourieronline.co.uk/music
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ou Me At Six have come to the end of a slightly rocky road. It started with last year’s controversial record Night People, where mixed reviews and legal disputes very nearly brought an end to the indie band. Such difficulties might have finished off others, but instead of backing down, the Surrey fivepiece locked themselves away to start afresh. They can hopefully finally relax now with the release of their sixth album - the imaginatively named VI. They sought to reinvent their sound, and boy have they pulled it off. Easily spanning the indie rock genre, VI is a celebration of sounds and influences from across the board. Their mentality is summed up by no-one better than vocalist Josh Franceschi himself: “‘Back Again’ is quite a departure for us sonically. We took some risks... It’s a song, lyrically, about recovery, but not from vices. From feeling lost within yourself.” This summery track is also their latest single. They really channelled Justin Timberlake on this one, if ‘Can’t Stop The Feeling’ was a tad more downbeat. ‘Miracle in the Mourning’ has come just in time for October: its darker rock theme makes it feel ideal for the autumnal weather. It might just be a personal preference for heavier music, but this definitely is the top song on the album for me. Not content with sticking to their usual soft rock vibes, YMAS seem to dabble in some RnB sounds on this record. There’s a nod, accidental or deliberate, to Diana Ross in ‘Danger’. Meanwhile, ‘Losing You’ sprinkles some soul echoey drum beats into the indie track, to slow things right down for the album closer. You Me At Six look like they’re back on track after a bit of a shocker. VI showcases the full catalogue of the band, from indie pop right the way to pure rock. And it couldn’t come at a better time too: VI has whipped up quite the hype just to coincide with the ten year anniversary of their breakthrough album Take Off Your Colours. 2018 is a fantastic year to be a You Me At Six fan, and this album cycle has barely even begun.
They sought to reinvent their sound, and boy have they pulled it off
Loz Doyle
Image: Kayla Underwood @ Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0)
The Stars, The Oceans & The Moon Echo & The Bunnymen
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t’s 2014, and a more youthful and naïve me would be sitting at home trying to pass the time by pretentiously searching the top 100 cult films on IMDB. I’d eventually come across Donnie Darko, and whilst I’d sit after the credits not having the slightest clue of what plot I was supposed to be following, I did know that the movie had an immense soundtrack: notably, the opening track ‘The Killing Moon’, which set up the disenfranchised notion of fate and will with moody perfection. Fast forward to now and Echo & The Bunnymen have released a compilation of not remastered, but ‘transformed’ hits. The Scouse duo divulge into a selfish amalgamation of tone changes, tempo reductions and “strings and things” with The Stars, The Oceans & The Moon. The problem with transforming their classics begins with the first song ‘Bring on the Dancing Horses’, which is pretty much a cover of the original produced in better quality. It misses out on that raw nostalgic charm that an 80s song is recorded with, and the Bowie-esque vocals a young McCulloch would parrot, instead swapping them with a more mature, nicotine-weathered sound that you’d expect from the 59-year-old. Two new compositions have been added, and ‘The Somnambulist’ fits in perfectly with any of their older tracks, proving the pair can still write songs like they used to. The second track, ‘How Far?’, is a victim of configuration suicide, being placed between two of the band’s biggest hits, ‘The Cutter’ (whose psychedelic guitar opening overshadows it entirely) and ‘The Killing Moon’. The only reason you would find yourself listening to this ego-driven song is if you forgot to hit next on Spotify. ‘The Killing Moon’ has been reimagined from a psychedelic anthem of fate and will into an even more sombre and ghostly, piano-led apparition, giving new life to this classic. The album serves as a good intro into the post psychedelic-punk roster, whether you’re already into bands like The Psychedelic Furs or just like rocking about with tucked-in Joy Division T-shirts. It should be said, though: listen to the originals straight after you listen to the new versions, as there’s nothing that quite compares, no matter how good of a job McCulloch thinks he’s done. Callum Hall
music culture
Tha Carter V Lil Wayne
Reduxer Alt-J
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think it is fair to say that alt-J has earned an iconic status by now. For many, they are still the defining sound for experimental rock, despite turning 11 years old this year. This was quite surprising to me because they still sound so fresh. Even after all these years An Awesome Wave is still talked about. In their third album RELAXER the band changed their sound a bit and got a mixed response from fans. Their newest edition is REDUXER – a compilation of remixes of all of the RELAXER songs. I must admit, I had high expectations when approaching this new alt-J release. There is only one decent remix album in my mind: Bastards, which remixes tracks from Bjork’s Biophilia. Therefore, I was hoping that the trio would provide us with equally interesting experimentation with various music genres, with some excellent features and an exciting results. Unfortunately, we didn’t get that at all. REDUXER got off to a strong start with ‘3WW (feat. Little Simz)’, where the rap actually fits the original melody and the added beat works really well. I really like the change of the feel; however, the acoustic guitar feels out of place. I would like the track a lot more if the vocals stayed the same throughout the whole song. The same goes for the next one: ‘In Cold Blood’. Pusha T did a great job and it’s probably the most discernible feature of them all. The distorted alt-J vocals are very interesting, but I don’t like the back and forth between original vocal to remix. Additionally, after a while, the hook starts to feel a bit repetitive. Only ‘Adeline’ stands out as my favourite song from both albums; I really enjoyed the trap take on it. However, it incorporates mostly the overused trends we hear everywhere from Post Malone to “Soundcloud rappers”. It works as its own song, but not an original one. In the end, we finally get some diversity with an international take on the first two tracks with French and German vocals. To sum up, most of the songs on REDUXER have one of two issues. Either they have a nice new version of a melody but are quite boring overall, or the experimentation feels forced. Either too little or too much going on. The album lacks balance, just like the original. Images: NUJO
Jagoda Waszkowiak
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fter three years of ongoing legal battles between Lil Wayne and his former record label co-owner Birdman about the release of the fifth instalment in Wayne’s Tha Carter series, the album has finally arrived, shifting 400,000 copies in the first week. And Wayne doesn’t disappoint. This album proves a return to form for Wayne; across the hour-and-a-half run time he demonstrates a versatility through his flow and delivery which makes every verse compelling. The album opens with a voicemail from Wayne’s mother which sets the tone for an increasingly emotional album. This is followed by the cut ‘Don’t Cry’ which features recently deceased rapper XXXtentacion, but Wayne utilises him in a unique way as XXX sings the hook which haunts the song, and compliments Wayne’s darker opening bars. In a similar fashion, Nicki Minaj’s feature on ‘Dark Side of the Moon’ sees her harmonise with Wayne; instead of her trademark harsh flow her singing provides something different and beautiful on the track. The features throughout are well used, as they compliment Wayne, without ever overshadowing him on his own project but creating that variety throughout the length of the album.
400,000
Golden Oldies Max Hobbs on Led Zeppelin I
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icture the scene: the year is 1969 – fashion is ambiguous at best, The Beatles are about to break up and culture seems to be on the cusp of something new. The ‘summer of love’ is in the past. Cue a dingy, smoke-filled rehearsal studio beneath a record shop in London where a young Jimmy Page, formerly of The Yardbirds, is pushing the boundaries of what people thought rock’n’roll could be. Alongside band mates John Bonham, Jon-Paul Jones and Robert Plant, the sound that would define the 1970s was already coming into being.
Pushing the boundaries of what people thought rock’n’roll could be
Led Zeppelin I exploded onto the scene shortly after, hitting the charts at number six and ten in the UK and US respectively. It was groundbreaking, making previous takes on the blues-rock genre feel comparatively bland. The record bursts out the gate with ‘Good Times, Bad Times’. Page’s pounding power chords set the tone as Bonham’s dynamic shuffles add a refreshing air of complexity. The combination of classic blues with the louder instrumentation of the era (not to mention the unleashed sexuality) put Led Zeppelin’s debut on a new plane. Perhaps the best example of this is the second track, ‘Babe I’m Gonna Leave You’; gentle acoustic guitar and Plant’s emotion-filled vocals are all of a sudden usurped by anthemic drums and a guitar riff that could ignite any modern arena. This is not to say that the band have abandoned therootsy twelve-bar stylings that they were raised on, as exhibited by the harmonica-laden ‘You Shook Me’. Even here though, the vibe is distinctly heavier and more unique, as though British rock’n’roll, far from simply parroting America, had truly come of age.
The vibe is distinctly heavier and more unique
The iconic ‘Communication Breakdown’ and ‘How Many More Times’ don’t even appear until the very end of the album, showing a refusal by Zeppelin to let up. The latter and final track clocks in at over eight minutes long, twisting and turning through different bluesy passages that feel almost improvised before closing on one of the heaviest riffs of the entire record. Zeppelin’s first album is a revolution: a creative masterpiece that intricately marries the atmosphere of the late 60s, powerful equipment and really hard drugs. The result is a storm, and one that’s well worth your time.
Albums sold in the first week of its release
Yet Wayne comes into his own on the cut ‘Mona Lisa’: the cinematic production paves the way for Wayne to tell a brutal yet vivid story of a scam he used to run with his gang. Through the five minute cut there are no hooks or chorus, but Wayne captivates through his story telling. Kendrick Lamar features on the track - a throwback to Good Kid era Kendrick with a faster, more aggressive flow, which despite his best efforts pales in comparison to Wayne’s verses. Tha Carter V continues an impressive run of form in Tha Carter series which sees Wayne return as one of the greats in the hip hop industry. Rohan Katargamwala
Image: Flickr
/TheCourierMusic @Courier_Music
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culture TV Netflix: Pick ‘n’ Mix
c2.tv@ncl.ac.uk TV Editors Jacob Clarke, Tom Cooney, Chloe Mullins Online Editor Max Hobbs
‘Have you tried turning it off and on again?’ James Nash watches The IT Crowd for the very first time
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es, shamefully, I had never seen the cult classic before this week. I would nod and laugh along when the conversation about our favourite TV comedies would inevitably drift to The IT Crowd, fully accepting the world’s conclusion that it was brilliant without watching a single episode. If you are in the minority and have never seen the show, I can assure you of its brilliance (having binged the first season in an afternoon). It might be odd to suggest that the show’s greatest success is its relatability, considering the sheer amount of farce it employs. In Moss, Roy and Jen, we’re presented with three arguably archetypal characters – the socially inept nerd, the desperate womaniser, and the shoe-obsessed career woman – who all face the daily struggles of work, relationships, and yes, IT. Whilst our team appear to fit certain boxes, their intrinsically human response to the challenges that life throws at them ultimately endeared them to me. From the first scene, where Jen lies on her CV and is therefore hired for a job she is completely underqualified for, I knew this show would be the relatable comedy I was looking for. Come on, we’ve all said we’re good with computers on our CV, haven’t we?
A classic British sit-com - a genre rarely seen on screens these days Much of this charm is down to the performances of our three leads. Richard Ayoade, Chris O’Dowd and Katherine Parkinson have all flourished in recent years, giving us both comedic and dramatic roles that have defined them as true British (and Irish) talents. This talent is just as evident here, at the start of their respective careers, bringing humour and warmth right off the bat. The chemistry between the three is palpable, and despite the hilarious sight gags and physical comedy the show is known for, it’s our rag-tag team that kept me hooked. The IT Crowd can happily cement itself as a classic British sit-com – a genre rarely seen on screens these days. In an era of wry, political satire and edgy comedy-dramas, it was pleasant to spend an afternoon enjoying some gentle light relief. The show is a much needed distraction from the horrors of 2018 (save for a ‘Made in Britain’ running gag in Episode 2 that served as an unintentional forewarning for Brexit). In fact, the only socially relevant issue present is the technological revolution. Despite first airing over a decade ago, the human race’s struggle with technology is still as relevant as ever. So, if like Jen and I, you’ve lied on your CV and you don’t know squat about computers, check out The IT Crowd. You won’t get any advice, but at least you’ll feel at home. All four series and the double length finale of The IT Crowd are currently available on Netflix UK.
Credit: YouTube
the courier
Monday 15 October 2018
There ain’t no aliens in Sheffield Kelly South discusses Jodie Whittaker’s first outing in a brand new era of BBC’s Doctor Who
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ailed by the BBC as the most diverse series yet, Doctor Who is back on our screens this autumn - for the first time in its 55-year history with an actress in the titular role. Doctor Who has featured dozens of women over the years: usually as the Doctor’s companions, typically beautiful young women who ranged in characterisation from damsels in distress to ferociously determined doctors.
94%
The percentage inrease of bow tie sales at Topman in the month after Matt Smith declared “bowties are cool”
In recent years, the Doctor’s cunning arch nemesis The Master has been re-conceived as Missy. Missy was played by Michelle Gomez, and this character paved the way for Jodie Whittaker’s casting. Jodie Whittaker has proven sci-fi credentials from cult film Attack the Block, won critical acclaim appearing in drama Broadchurch, and even appeared in Charlie Brooker’s Black Mirror. The Yorkshire native has embraced her role with excitement and aplomb. In addition to a new Doctor, audiences are eager to assess the newly appointed showrunner after Steven Moffat’s departure: Chris Chibnall has spoken about the importance of the BBC show employing a diverse writer’s team, which it has notoriously failed to do in the past - over the next few months we will be watching the first Doctor Who episodes penned by people of colour. Doctor Who has fared reasonably better with onscreen diversity, especially during Russell T Davies’ tenure as showrunner and his inclusion of LGBT characters. Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor puzzles her new companions (though this iteration prefers to call them her friends), as is tradition for the inventive, compassionate, protective alien with two pulses. When Bradley Walsh’s character cries “Why is she chasing after another alien?!” you can’t
Who’s The Witcher?
help but smile. The episode puts Sheffield in the spotlight, with beautifully reinvented visuals reinforcing reports that Chris Chibnall wants Doctor Who to compete with Netflix Original series. Opening with a scene focusing on a teenager vlogging, the episode effortlessly nails the atmosphere of modern sci-fi ranging from a mysterious train journey to menacing alien designs reminiscent of Star Trek and Stranger Things. It also introduces viewers to a delightful cast of new characters, including Bradley Walsh as the grateful Graham O’Brien, Tosin Cole as the determined Ryan Sinclair, and Mandip Gill as the outspoken, capable Yasmin Khan. Each actor tasked with the role of the Doctor has added their own idiosyncrasies - for Matt Smith’s Doctor it was a fondness for fish fingers and custard - and, understand-
ably, their own particular approach to this peculiar hero. Jodie Whittaker’s version calls herself “just a traveller”, unfailingly confident that she will figure out a plan just in time to save lives, and stresses the importance of obeying rules - even if the game itself is twisted. This Doctor finds her new outfit in a Sheffield charity shop, quite a contrast from her predecessors who borrowed from hospitals or browsed the grand wardrobe inside the TARDIS. This premiere episode embraces Doctor Who’s core ethos - that each and every human life is important, a message more crucial than ever in our current political climate. Full of surprisingly emotionally affective performances and a storyline straightforward enough for new viewers and old fans, this might just indicate the start of one of the best seasons of this British institution yet.
Credit: YouTube
Choose-your-own dystopia
Jacob Clarke on the show’s Culture editor Alex Moore explores Charlie Brooker’s latest innovation for the forthcoming season of Black Mirror recent casting controversy
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he long awaited television adaptation of The Witcher series of books by Andrzej Sapkowski (and critically acclaimed video game franchise) has had some controversial casting rumours and confirmations of late. The actor playing our emotionless, sign wielding witcher Geralt, has been confirmed as Superman actor Henry Caville. This casting choice has been met with mixed responses. Whilst Caville’s acting prowess has never been doubted, his role as Hollywood’s handsome strongman very much conflicts with the rugged, harsh physical and mental state Geralt encompasses. This problem can be easily fixed, depending on the makeup budget of the streaming service that will air the show, hopefully aging and roughening Caville’s look tenfold. The other, very much debated, casting choice was that of Ciri, Geralt’s adopted daughter. In the games and the novels Ciri is presented as paleskinned with Daenerys Targaryen style silver hair. However, reports on the casting call for a character matching Ciri’s description suggested that they were looking for a young BAME female. Many came out against this, suggesting that Ciri’s heritage in the show should match the novel’s adherence to Polish folklore and their native tradition. However, others suggested that calls for Ciri to be white were bigoted and racist. Recent confirmation had been made about the casting of both Ciri and the Sorceress Yennefer, with newcomers Freya Allan and Anya Chalotra being cast respectively. This suggests that the casting call for the BAME actress will be an original character for the TV show. This story does however still highlight the varying opinions on race and casting within TV.
he fifth season of Charlie Brooker’s Black Mirror will feature an interactive episode. The ‘chooseyour-own-adventure’ style will allow viewers to shape the events and the ending of the story, depending on their decisions at key moments in the show. Since Black Mirror moved to Netflix in 2016, the platform has enabled the use of new innovative technological opportunities which would have been too impractical to carry out on live TV. This interactive episode will be the first time the service has attempted this format in the adult TV market. However, Netflix has already experimented with the ‘choose-your-own-adventure’ format with Puss in Book, a children’s animation where the viewer guides Puss (of Shrek fame) through a series of scenarios of their choosing. Whilst the decider in Puss is only ever tasked with choosing between two outcomes, the thought-provoking nature of the show could allow for far more complex decisions.
Credit: YouTube
Credit: YouTube
Brooker has apparently toyed with the idea before, during the production of season three’s video game inspired episode ‘Playtest’, but the idea was ultimately scrapped. On that note, a question springs to mind: is there a place for interactive television?
This standalone story sets up a precedent for others to follow in the future In Recent years there has been a huge rise in games where the player’s choices have a real impact on the narrative. Huge hits such as The Witcher and The Walking Dead have proved extremely popular (despite Telltale’s recent closure). The latter of these, based on the long-running TV show, relies on an episodic format, where choices made early on can affect the later instalments. Black Mirror appears to be trying to bridge this gap and bring interactivity to a wider, non-gaming community. Although this episode of Black Mirror will be a standalone story, it sets up an interesting precedent for others to follow in the future. Perhaps viewers could eventually control an entire series, creating a far more unique experience for each individual as they observed their choices play out. Netflix, with its convenient (for the lazy amongst us) or dangerous (for those still awake at 5am after an unexpected binge) ability to automatically load the next episode would be an ideal format for this, enabling it to load a different variant according to the viewers choices. Admittedly, this may be more impractical for producers of the show, but it would certainly imbue the show with an unprecedented level of replayability as fans explore alternative outcomes. The shorter length of the television episodes may also encourage even more viewers to re-watch, as it would be far less time consuming than replaying an entire 100+ hour RPG. The fifth season is rumoured to begin in December. Whichever way the episode eventually plays out, it will certainly be a television event to remember and likely the most watched Black Mirror to date.
the courier
27
Monday 15 October 2018
@CourierTV thecourieronline.co.uk/TV
Reviews
Bake Off
Insatiable
Tuesday nights at 8pm on Channel 4
Credit: YouTube
I
t’s that time of the year when every Tuesday, the entirety of the UK unites to watch The Great British Bake Off. If you’re unaware of what The Great British Bake Off is, it’s a competition where twelve bakers are put under pressure by Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith (formally Mary Berry) to follow a theme of cooking each week, ranging from cake to bread. Each week a star baker is chosen, and one baker will leave the competition. But what has this season brought to the show? Warning: spoilers ahead!
160
The number of hours home economists have to spend washing everything by hand
We’ve had some new themes this year, such as spice week and vegan week. I love how the show is always evolving with their themes to allow for the representation of a range of cultures, opening our eyes to food we’ve perhaps never heard of before. We’ve had some amazing creations this year too! The one that stands out for me was Kim-Joy’s incredible spiced biscuit chandelier with intricately decorated snowflake biscuits, which rightfully won her Star baker for that week. However, we’ve also had a fair share of failures. In contrast Terry’s was extremely messy, almost like a children’s craft project, which was also baked unevenly and flavourless. During cake week Luke made a raspberry and white chocolate cake; its raspberries were falling off due to the heat, collapsing the cake entirely. If the awful appearance of the cake wasn’t enough, Hollywood then described it as being ‘tough as old boots’. On pastry week Dan pretty much messed everything up, with his fish pie being the icing on the cake to send him home, being completely raw and frankly looking horrific. Although there are many fan favourites this year, I think everyone has got a soft spot for Rahul. Whilst he is consistent in his excellent baking, he is also consistent in looking absolutely terrified whilst being judged. This has sparked recent controversy amongst Twitter users who feel that he is ‘faking modesty’. Personally, I would also be frightened if Paul Hollywood was critiquing my food whilst half of the nation watches. Sophie Hicks
Preview
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Making A Murderer: Netflix, October 19
eason one of the 2015 hit Netflix docuseries Making a Murderer reached a climax that left viewers still hungry for more, as it brought to light the extraordinary story of Steven Avery. Incarcerated for a rape he did not commit, Avery served 18 years in prison before being proven innocent. When 25-year-old Teresa Halbach was then brutally raped and murdered, Steven Avery was accused and imprisoned once more, along with his nephew Brendan Dassey, who was convicted as an accomplice to the murder. What makes the show so compelling is that the tragic story playing out is unbelievably, yet entirely, true. A story far stranger than fiction, for a man to be imprisoned for a crime he didn’t commit not just once but twice seems entirely beyond comprehension. Season two premiers on October 19 and is set to attract a huge audience following the wildly popular first season. It was rife with controversy, potentially uncovered a (heavily implied) corrupt legal system and delighted lovers of true crime. But, the show has been criticised for its seemingly biased presentation of the case. Throughout, the notion that it was not Avery and Dassey who committed the murder is implicit. Consequently, it has stirred in viewers an overwhelming desire to see them both as free men. Consisting of trial foot-
The Good Place
Available on Netflix now
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Credit: YouTube
etflix’s Insatiable is the worst TV series I’ve ever watched. When given the opportunity to write a negative review of Insatiable, I couldn’t resist. After watching The Kissing Booth, I really didn’t think Netflix could create anything as infuriatingly bad, but I guess I was wrong. Insatiable is on a whole other level of trash. Literally, it belongs in the bin. The series follows high school girl Patty who gets bullied due to being overweight and instead of overcoming these bullies and embracing her beauty, she loses her weight as a result of having her jaw wired shut. I know, ridiculous. She then decides to get revenge by competing in beauty pageants and ultimately suggests that being overweight is unacceptable. So, where do we start in terms of its offensive storyline? Firstly, there’s the fact that this series is romanticising being skinny and fat-shaming from episode one. I would have thought that with the emergence of fashion brands like ASOS employing plus sized models a TV series would be beyond targeting those above a size 0. But I guess not. Then there’s the subtle but extremely noticeable homophobia, racism, misogyny, jokes about rape and paedophilia. Must I go on? From start to finish this series covers topics that make my skin crawl.
Insatiable is a gross creation of everything that is wrong with society And of course, there’s perhaps the idea that Netflix is showing all of these topics to bring them to light which if done in the correct way, then fair play. But it’s not. Insatiable is a gross creation of everything that is wrong with society and should NOT have been renewed for a second series. To defend this show, you must be out of your mind.
Available on Netflix now
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Credit: YouTube
he Good Place is one of the best series on Netflix. The show, which has recently debuted its third series, focuses on Eleanor Shellstrop who wakes up in the afterlife which she soon discovers is called ‘The Good Place’. Eleanor dies after getting ran over by a rogue row of trolleys outside of a supermarket whilst she’s buying some Margarita Mix. The Good Place doesn’t fit into the idea of the afterlife that Eleanor has dreamt of which suggests that she doesn’t belong there. My favourite character is Janet who is a programmed guide. Those of you who are familiar with Alexa will see the similarity between Janet and Alexa. A lot of you who own an Alexa will understand how easy it is to grab ‘her’ attention, my Alexa goes crazy whenever the advert before ...Bake Off comes on. Season two features a cameo from Maya Rudolph who is hilarious on Saturday Night Live and so I was thrilled to see her on The Good Place.
The humour is quite intellectual and educational, with a strong focus on ethics The series is created by Michael Schur who also made the hit series Brooklyn Nine-Nine. The humour is quite intellectual and educational, with a strong focus on ethics dominating the plot lines. Kristen Bell’s character seems like a bad person at first, but I’ve grown to love her. What makes The Good Place even more great, or dangerous, is that the episodes are only about twenty minutes long which means it is so easy to binge watch! The episodes often end on cliff-hangers which makes the urge to watch another hard to resist. The Good Place has acclimated its viewers to expect clever tricks. The amount of twists and turns makes it a quality watch and so it’s worth stealing your friends’ Netflix log in for.
Lucy Ann Lillystone
Carey Boyle
age and various interviews with those involved, it’s been argued that the show’s creators chose to feed us evidence that supports the pair’s innocence, thereby casting Avery as a victim. Conversely, controversial rumours have been surfacing ever since the finale of season one. These include Avery’s exfiancé branding him a ‘monster’, dubious phone calls to Halbach from Avery and even inappropriate touching alledged by his own nephew Brendan Dassey. It remains to be seen if this will be discussed in season two. Both men were found guilty in the season one finale and remain in prison. As such, will there be enough suspense, twists and new evidence to sustain ten more episodes? We can expect to see coverage of the huge public outcry in support of the pair, and everything that’s made the news three years on: Dassey had his conviction overturned
spurring news he was to be released, only to then have it reinstated. Avery has been refused requests for a new trial but his new lawyers say they will not stop filing appeals until he’s free. The prosecutor for the case Ken Kratz has since resigned after his involvement in a sex scandal, but Kratz claims the show left out crucial damning evidence, such as Avery divulging to his cellmate plans to build a ‘torture chamber’ for women when released - a claim I think is unlikely to be broadcast. It will be interesting to see if season two offers a more balanced view of the case. Will those championing the pair’s release finally get the ending they’re waiting for? Possibly, or there may be no end in sight at all. Most crucially, we may never know if the real victim of this story (Teresa Halbach) will finally receive justice. Bethany O’Neill
TV culture The Apprentice
Wednesday nights at 9pm on BBC One
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Credit: YouTube
he Apprentice returned to BBC One on Wednesday evening for the 14th series where sixteen candidates will battle it out over twelve weeks for the chance to win a £250,000 investment with Lord Sugar. Week one saw the popular nine-item task set in Malta. Each team (boys vs. girls) had to identify nine items on a list and purchase them for as little cost as possible. The show started off in the typical fashion, with each team selecting a project manager. As always, no one wants to go first and be sent home in the humiliation during the first week. On the boy’s team, Kayode Damali, 26, was more than happy to take on the role in his ‘winning’ speech about being “one team, one family”. Over on the girl’s team, Jackie Fast nominated Jasmine Kundra for the position too quickly causing her to appear suspicious of game-playing. The boys took to speed on identifying the items calling local tourist boards to ask for some identification whilst the girls argued and time-wasted about who was doing what. Eventually, sub-team leader Sian took half of the girls to the local markets whilst PM Jasmine headed to the island of Gozo. Business big shot Alan Sugar is no and doesn’t hand them the answers on a plate, instead he asks for some of the most obscure items like a piece of diving equipment which the boys thought the name ‘octopus’ meant the sea animal. After a long and grueling day in Malta both teams headed back to the airport for the board meeting. Each team collected seven out of the nine items but it seemed almost likely that the girls would be fined for turning up late to the airport. The boys spent 120 euros on purchases but with the wrong item (the octopus) and only two out of six bottles of wine, they had a totally cost of €764.68. The girls were also penalised for buying two of the same products which has never been seen in this challenge before. The total fine was for €738.48 and the overall expense came to €929.48. With the aim of the game being to spend the least amount of money, the boys came out on top and were treated to a Maltese feast curtesy of top chef David Darmanin.
The show wouldn’t be what it is without the overconfident and frankly unbearable contestants Every year they decide to elect some rather quirky characters for the show. Whilst being allegedly business savvy, the show really wouldn’t be what it is without the overconfident and frankly unbearable contestants. Week one’s Project manager, Kayode, who after winning this weeks task said that he was more than 100% confident in himself and that he was now “more Hungary than Budapest”. On the losing team it was Sarah Byrne who ultimately headed out the door for after a__dmitting to being disruptive. Lord Sugar described that her impatient and argumentative attitude wasn’t fit for this partnership. Byrne claimed to be northern and working-class and in arguments with Jasmine commenting “oh I’m so sorry I’m not middle class and I’m not posh” which I’m sure isn’t the outlook Alan Sugar, self-made billionaire, would have wanted to hear being from a working-class family himself. Now only 15 candidates remain and the search for Lord Sugar’s next business partner continues… Charlotte Cooper
Credit: YouTube
/thecouriertv @Courier_TV
28
the courier
culture film c2.film@ncl.ac.uk Film Editors Helena Buchanan, Jimmy Athey, Joe Holloran
Golden Oldies
Image: YouTube
Nagini and Asians in Hollywood
Elisabetta Pulcini discusses the latest controversy in JK Rowling’s new Fantastic Beast movie
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Withnail & I (1987)
first watched this film when I was far too young. My older brother, now filmmaker, had an impeccable taste in film from day dot. He would put on these classic masterpieces and re-watch them until their witty quotes and quips were engrained into his mind like all the songs in ‘Hercules’ were into mine. Needless to say, living with him meant a lot of the films I watched as a child went miles over my head. I didn’t fully understand Withnail & I when I first watched it. I don’t think I even noticed the swearing, the poverty, the ‘of its time’ but now incredibly questionable homophobia of Marwood (Paul McGann) towards Monty (Richard Griffiths). But I did get that it was funny. The ludicrous eccentricity of Richard E Grant’s character (Withnail) comes through at any age, with a character that managed to capture my attention aged 10 for the film’s full 107 minutes. It was only last year that I picked the film up again and re-watched it as a now grown (-ish) person. All the subtle complicated politics of Marwood and WIthnail’s relationship now made sense. As did the irony in a character with such expensive taste but such little money, which rang all too true with my perceptions of bougie Newcastle students (myself included).
It is something special to feel a film has grown up with you It’s something special to feel a film has grown up with you, developing a more complicated plot and meaning as you grow to understand such narratives. When I watch the film now, I feel some strange connection between my life and theirs. As though I am living out a diluted, slightly more wholesome version of Withal and I. I am an aspiring artist of sorts who drinks too much (although I have never resorted to lighter fluid) and can’t bring myself to believe in my ability to succeed in my current society. I feel similarly on the brink of the next stretch of my life, just as both characters are. And at the end of this 3rd year of uni, I too shall pack my bags, get a sensible haircut, trade my dungarees for a proper shirt and head out into the “real world”. Either that, or you’ll catch me in Heaton Park reciting Hamlet in the rain, sipping my Champaign. Chin chin, to either of those outcomes. Carys Rose Thomas
Monday 15 October 2018
ll too familiar controversy has met the release of the final trailer for Fantastic Beasts: Crimes of Grindelwald. An important revelation sparked fan’s outrage: Korean actress Claudia Kim will be playing a Maledictus, a cursed wizard that unwillingly transforms into Nagini, Voldemort’s snake from the Harry Potter movies. Relegating this character to being the tragic backstory of an evil snake would not necessarily be a problem, if Kim wasn’t one of only two BAME actors in the whole movie. This casting choice hits a sore spot in Hollywood’s lack of inclusiveness, and once again showcases the lack of sensibility in this production: the movie fails to make up for the lack of diversity, by being completely devoid of inclusiveness.
in the first one, race is at the forefront of the characters identity, but it is explored in an interesting and sensible way, due to the movie’s meaningful message about race and cultural identity; in the
This casting choice hits a sore spot in Hollywood’s lack of inclusiveness
second movie, the protagonist is a normal girl with a flashed out personality, and her race is never does not drive her actions. In comparison to these two movies, Rowling’s clumsy attempts to diversity simply appear tone-deaf and outdated.
Fans have accused Rowling of wanting to appear progressive without actually taking risks The nature of the character itself, who has been under heavy scrutiny by fans, raises issues when taking in consideration the history of representation of Asians in Hollywood. The stereotypes that come to mind vary from Image: YouTube the overtly racist and offensive Mr. Yunioshi in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, to the more common archetypes used to portray Asian women: either that of the whiz tech rebel; or the much more common exotic and submissive object of desire. Claudia Kim’s character fits the second stereotype with alarming accuracy: she is silenced every time she transforms into a snake. She is victimized by her illness. But worst of all, she is almost not completely human, as her identity and her conscience disappear when turning into a snake. This is not the first time this production has encountered a controversy like this. Both the casting of Johnny Depp and the decision to not make Dumbledore openly gay have drawn harsh criticism by fans, who accused Rowling of wanting to appear progressive without actually having to take any of the risks. In fact, while the casting of a BAME actor might have been enough years ago, today audiences demand and deserve more. After getting a glimpse of what true inclusion of Asians can be like, fans are not willing to accept the only Asian woman in the movie being dehumanized and made into the pet of a Nazi.
The symbolism of the snake has also drawn criticism, as some connect it back to the ‘dragon lady’ stereotype. Although Rowling has tried to justify this by pointing to the East Asian origins of the mythological creature which inspired her, the demands of the audience are changing from mere diversity to meaningful inclusion. Two 2018 movies in particular are at the forefront of the inclusion of Asian actors, Crazy Rich Asians and To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before. While both these movies are diverse in the wider context of Hollywood, their importance stems from their inclusion, which is Image: YouTube presented in different ways:
Rocketman biopic: failure to launch? Pheobe Simpson investigates the history of biopics to prepare for upcoming Rocketman
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ocketman (dir. Dexter Fletcher), set for release in 2019, promises to be everything one would expect from an Elton John biopic: part fantasy, part musical, with more extravagant costumes than you could shake a sparkly stick at. Starring Taron Egerton (Kingsman, Eddie the Eagle), who looks the part as a convincing Elton (complete with his trademark hairline), the film seems set to be next year’s matinée saviour, satiating the public’s appetite for Mamma Mia!-esque feel-good fluff. The one problem? Egerton doesn’t seem like he can sing that much like Sir Elton, and one wonders how much it would have cost to have him mime over the original vocals. Perhaps with the glitzy outfits and special effects, they hoped the audience wouldn’t notice... Cinema is littered with cinematic biopics, some sensational, some not so much. One of the most positive features comes from master of the surreal David Lynch. Lynch blesses The Elephant Man with avant-garde directing, whilst Freddie Francis’ black and white, deliberately antiquated cinematography beautifully evokes Victorian London. The Elephant Man draws the audience
in with an initialy disorientating, disturbing (Lynchian) dream sequence, and from there we are transported into the sometimes nightmarish, sometimes headily romantic world of John Merrick, the Elephant Man himself. As well as being visually spectacular, the film sensitively juxtaposes the trauma of Merrick’s ill-treatment with his intelligent and sweet-natured worldview, bringing the importance of friendship and kindness to the fore.
One wonders how much it would have cost to have him mime over the original vocals On the other hand, The Doors, directed by Oliver Stone, admittedly had a lot of potential. Firstly, Val Kilmer uncannily resembles Jim Morrison, and with an excellent cast (notably Kyle MacLachlan as Ray Manzarek) and cinematography faithful to the Sixties, the film seems like
it will be a worthwhile watch. Unfortunately the film is let down by flaccid character representations, especially that of Morrison himself. Apparently people close to Morrison were extremely unhappy with how he is presented in the film, and it is easy to see why. Mr Mojo Risin’ is shown to be pretentious, selfcentred, and a terrible boyfriend. The audience spends most of the film pitying poor Pam Courson/Morrison, Morrison’s life partner, while she is consistently brought face-to-face with his infidelity and his lack of remorse for it. It is therefore hard to feel sympathy for Morrison when his recklessness and addictions catch up with him, and the audience struggle to separate themselves from the dislikeable character onscreen to remember Jim as a human being to feel pity. Nonetheless, dry eyes are few during Morrison’s death scene, but perhaps this more due to sadness at the loss of him as a person - as a musical and poetic genius - rather than the loss of him as presented in the film. On the whole, it is a semi-interesting watch for a true Doors (or Kyle MacLachlan) fan, but with a run time of over two hours, it’s arguably not worth the effort.
Image: Instagram, @marionxpaul-
/NewcastleCourierFilm @Courier_Film Image: YouTube
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the courier
film culture
Monday 15 October 2018
Venom : Is it a poison or a cure?
Joe Holloran reviews the most recent film from the world of the villianous symbiote.
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any fans, myself included, of the Marvel Cinematic Universe went into the screening of Venom with cautious
optimism. Okay, Venom is technically part of the Sony Marvel Universe, but that detail seemed to me to not matter much. After all Tom Hardy is the lead, and as anyone who has seen his turns in Dark Knight Rises (on the other side of the comic divide), The Revenant or the brilliant Dunkirk knows is one of Britain’s finest actors. Director Ruben Fleischer’s record is more spotted. He followed up the excellent Zombieland with the lacklustre 30 Minutes or Less and Gangster Squad. Still, the MCU has, thus far, proven itself to be the king of cinematic superhero antics, able to bring out the best elements of their central characters. In Eddie Brock/ Venom that pool of material is deep. I was set to enjoy two hours of action-packed comedic web (slime) swinging. I am truly sorry to say I was disappointed. Before the knives come out I should first clarify something. Tom Hardy is the best thing about this movie. His performance as Brock is actually quite good but is let down by an awful script containing cringy dialogue that you would never hear coming from his comic-book self. Similarly, Riz Armed who takes on the villainous role of Carlton Drake also does an OK job but lacks any real threat. Perhaps it is because of his other roles but there is something about the nature of Ahmed that doesn’t
scream villain. As such his impact as the films main antagonist is limited until the films third act where the film does redeem itself. The dynamic between Brock and his ex-fiancé Anna Weying (Michelle Williams) is paper thin and lacking the kind of affectionate quirkiness you get from the comics. Williams is but one of the many secondary characters underused in the film. It is admittedly difficult to make a stand-alone film work without the wider ensemble. Last years Logan being an exception. Watching the film, I couldn’t help but wish that Brock had a more balanced counter point to help him resist the infection. In other words, he/we needed some Spider-Man. Tom Holland would have been the perfect onscreen dynamic with Hardy and an opportunity feels missed. The film is too...messy. Too brash, noisy and disorganised. We as the audience should have been rooting for someone or anticipating some big clash. Instead all we got was a sort of badly planned out indoor rollercoaster. Full of bright lights, flashes and special effects splurges, the film untimely leaves one feeling unsatisfied. The film is fine for what it is, and it doesn’t totally fail the character like the awful Spider-Man 3 (2007) did. Overall, it is passable but frustrating because it could have been much better with a more refined story. Four quick final points going forward. Change director. Bring in Marvel Netflix writers. Keep Hardy as Brock, and use your best asset – Spider-Man.
The Miseducation Of Cameron Post (15)
A Star Is Born (15)
Image: YouTube
Johnny English Strikes Again (PG)
Image: YouTube
Image: YouTube
Image: YouTube
ohnny English is one of my favourite film series; a broad, on the nose spy comedy where the obvious goal is to parody the most famous spy of them all, James Bond. I loved the first two films and I couldn’t wait for this iteration, but I was very underwhelmed. Johnny English Strikes Again looked very promising on the trailers; it was filled with many gags we come to expect from a Rowan Atkinson film, involving him attacking a barista with loafs of bread, or getting a cocktail umbrella stuck up his nose, but as with many comedy films these days watching the trailer means you’ve seen all the funniest jokes. Don’t get me wrong, I love Rowan Atkinsons style, he is a genius of the craft of physical comedy and the success of the Mr Bean character around the world is proof of that, and in many ways this film gives us belly laughs of crude in-your-face comedy that we have come to love from the Johnny English franchise. Johnny English Strikes Again has a very similar plot to the original; he is the only spy MI7 can send in the field, and he must save England from a foreign threat. The differences from the original is what makes the newest film such a disappointment; the start is way too rushed as we get right in to the action within the first ten minutes, without explaining what happened before the events of the film or even what happened at the very start. If you are a newcomer to the series, you would certainly be lost. The main villain of the film is its weakest point; a stereotypical American who is obviously supposed to be Mark Zuckerberg, who has a phone which can literally do anything, the character feels lazily written and not even an attempt of making him seem relatable or sympathetic, and with no real goal to his evil deeds (and poorly acted by a lacklustre Jake Lacy). Overall, the film has enough gags to make it enjoyable to some, but for the true fans like myself, it leaves a sour taste as the potential was utterly wasted.
he Miseducation of Cameron Post brings us a realistic teen film, subverting expectations and providing important representation of the LGBT community, highlighting the struggles many go through via Christian ‘conversion’ therapies. Cameron Post (portrayed by Chloe Grace Moretz) is sent to ‘God’s Promise’, a camp that specialises in the treatment of young people with ‘SSA’ (samesex attraction). The seriousness of the subject is lightened through the connections tmade between protagonist Cameron Post and the other teenagers. There is a heartwarming sense of solidarity between the characters. Director Desiree Akhavan injects the film with witty and amusing lines that we are all acquainted with in films of this genre, but not to such an extent that the main message of the story is missed anywhere. The characters are as realistic as it gets. There are no over the top unattainable representations of teenagers which is an all too common theme in teen movies. It shows a younger audience that it is okay to not know who you are. Nothing is glamorized and it keeps this film feeling realistic, which for me was why it was so emotional. Along with the essential representation of LGBT and people of colour, there is also discussion of gender identity and expression which is dealt with very well. Despite the film being set in 1993, these ideas are more important than ever. Chloe Grace Moretz gives a subdued yet powerful performance as Cameron Post, giving this character depth. It can be difficult to read exactly what she is thinking and I think her silences speak louder than words. I was also charmed by the supporting actors Jane (Sasha Lane) and Adam (Forrest Goodluck). Sasha Lane gives a meaningful performance as Jane which is complemented by Forrest Goodluck’s quick-witted portrayal of Adam. This film deals with the depths of religion in regards to the LGBT community and leaves you feeling emotionally challenged.
ady Gaga plays Ally, a young women working in the restaurant service with huge unrecognised potential as a singer, whilst Cooper plays Jackson Maine, a famous musician grappling with addiction; they meet and form a musical partnership, meaning that the film becomes almost like a live concert, with the audience transported to the arena’s in which we see Jackson and Ally sing songs that the pair co-wrote together in real life. The film is a refreshingly truthful rendition of addiction; Cooper is seen living a rock lifestyle infused with cocaine and alcohol, but for the first half of the film it only serves as a backbone to the relationship he has with Ally; this feels like a purposeful decision to show what realistically can happen with addiction, love blinding those involved and because of this sometimes only serving to nurture the process. When addiction is so often glamorised and used as tragedy porn in films, Cooper explores it incredibly touchingly; there is a point when Maine embarrasses Ally in a way that feels irreparably awful, and her avowal that it ‘is not his fault, it’s an addiction’ in such point-blank terms, is stunning. Really what makes it a hit is the beautiful soundtrack, standing as a testament to why artists should be given the space to move between medium; Coopers voice is like that of a talented musician but also, of a talented actor, expressing a story in his performances. Aesthetically, their relationship is enthralling; whilst we are constantly watching the electric exchanges between Gaga and Cooper in close, intimate shots that serve to testify to their truly incredible chemistry The film is a successful remake of the 1937 adaptation directed by William Welman, and successful remakes seem to be becoming less rare at the moment, with, with the Blade runner also not tanking; as for Annie 2, it’s best left unsaid.
Jimmy Athey
Amy Brown
Leila Levy Gale
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T
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The Rock
Nicholas Cage
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Image: DevianArt
hile most of Nicholas Cage’s films are ridiculous enough to fall into the ugly category The Rock is one film where Cage doesn’t become a parody of himself. Paradoxically, despite both being directed by Michael bay and starring Nicholas cage, the film still holds a ‘fresh’ ratin Rotten Tomatoes. Cage plays Dr Stanley Goodspeed, an FBI agent tasked to stop a group of renegade U.S. marines led by Brigadier General Frank Hummel (Ed Harris), who have taken eighty tourists hostage on Alcatraz where they are threatening to bomb San-Francisco with stolen missiles. Cage puts in an uncharacteristically subtle performance and holds his own in some solid action set pieces alongside British agent John Patrick Mason (Sean Connery) to produce a film which, while dripping in typical 90’s action melodrama, remains entertaining and tense throughout.
The film contains more awful Bee CGI than it does actual suspense Unfortunately, the same can’t be said of The Wicker Man a horror film containing more awful Bee CGI than it does actual suspense. Cage’s character, policeman Edward Malus, is called to a remote, technology free society by his estranged ex-fiancé to help find her missing daughter, but their lack of chemistry undermines any emotional weight behind the film’s predictable plot. Cage’s performance almost saves the film as he avoids the clunky, wooden acting of the remaining characters and the audience finds their experience mirrored in Malus’ growing confusion and frustration, appearing more fed up than terrified by the islanders’ strange behaviour. There’s something Cathartic about the way he attacks the smug detachment of the other characters and his eventual implosion is (probably unintentionally) highly entertaining, but this isn’t enough to salvage this unbearably bad film. Luckily, the same quality Nicholas Cage dramatics can be found in a Face Off, a film so insane that despite being more enjoyable than The Rock it still puts the ugly in the good the bad and the ugly. Combining all of the body swapping brilliance of Freaky Friday with hilariously over the top John Woo action scenes, this film is so unbelievably stupid that I can’t help but love it. The premise of terrorist Castor Troy (Cage), hijacking agent Sean Carter’s (John Travolta) face after an undercover operation gone wrong leads to comedic gold as the two actors try to capture each other’s distinctive mannerisms throughout the film, capitalising on the goofiness of the plot. Face-off is an exercise in self-awareness that truly warrants a watch. Billy Lamond
Image: YouTube
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culture arts
c2.tv@ncl.ac.uk Arts Editors Scarlett Rowland, Julia Russell, Rosie McCrum Online Editor Chris Wilkinson
the courier
Monday 15 October 2018
Shaking up Shakespeare Sophia Kypriotis comments on the feminist adaptations of Shakespeare’s works : Othello, Macbeth, and the Henry VI trilogy
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Images: Wikimedia Commons, Flickr
What’s On: The Lovely Bones @ Northern Stage, Oct 9-20 Stage adaptation by award-winning playwright, Bryony Lavery of the bestselling novel The Lovely Bones.
Babble Gum - Spooked! Open Mic Night @ Cumberland Arms B&B, 16 Oct 7-10pm
A cornucopia of spoken word, music and comedy. Including special guests Kate Garrett ‘the poetry equivalent of Horrible Histories for adults’, Esther Redhouse White - a comedian who’s ‘natural habitat is dark, damp spaces’, and Mark of Sapien Trance ‘A dubstep/electronica rock.’
Back to Basics with Rowan McCabe - Poetry Workshop @ Alphabetti Theatre, Oct 20
Free poetry workshop with Newcastle’s own, performance poet Rowan McCabe. A chance to learn from the world’s first Door-to-Door Poet.
Glenn Brown: Fantasy Landscapes, Portraits and Beasts @ Laing Art Gallery, until Oct 21
New works by the artist shown alongside his own rehang of the Laing’s collection.
@TheCourierArts @thecourierarts
ome of Shakespeare’s greatest plays are named after men: Othello, Macbeth, Henry VI, yet as we all know well, behind each great man stands a great woman. Jeanie O’Hare and Jude Christian have pulled back the curtain that conceals these women and respectively put them at the forefront of their new productions: Queen Margaret and OthelloMacbeth. We are all familiar with the tragic heroines of Shakespeare: Ophelia in Hamlet, Desdemona in Othello and Cordelia in King Lear. These characters are all intelligent, resilient, and loyal women, just as Queen Margaret is (who appears in Henry VI, parts I, II and III). Queen Margaret is a character paid little attention to and this ongoing disinterest in identifying her is ungrounded, as Jeanie O’Hare reveals “Shakespeare wrote more lines for her than he did for King Lear”. O’Hare has compounded the lines that Shakespeare spread across four plays into one new production, composed of around half of Shakespeare’s words and the other half her own in the final script. O’Hare puts Queen Margaret in frequent conversation with Joan of Arc through this blending of language. Indeed, Joan of Arc does serve as a reminder of the tensions between France, Queen Margaret’s birthplace, and England, where marriage has made her a sovereign. It
could be argued that this lessens her character’s centrality and weight but what is certain is that
The actor’s skill is asked to be focused upon, rather than their gender, allowing women to be heard
Queen Margaret is revealed to be highly politically charged and a fierce warrior in the Wars of the Roses. In a similar light and act of compression, OthelloMacbeth abstracts both plays in the title to only scenes where woman are present, with the intention that the audience will “see the story through the eyes of Desdemona, who has so little information about why what’s happening to her is happening to her, and why this man she was completely in love with has suddenly turned on her for, as far as she can see, no apparent reason.” Christian goes onto comment that she sees a strong link between the three witches in Macbeth and the central female characters of Desdemona, Emilia, and Bianca in Othello. She further conveys this link through keeping the witches on stage throughout the whole performance. In Christian’s production, Othello almost serves as a prelude to Macbeth, which provides the characters with knowledge that then affects their behaviour in Macbeth. As a consequence, the audience is forced to consider whether the politics surrounding women in Shakespeare’s time still holds a place in our current society. This is most notably
proposed when the trio of Desdemona, Emilia, and Bianca transform into the witches of Macbeth, offering them a fate other than death, such as in the case of Desdemona and Emilia or silencing, seen through Bianca speaks up against Iago in the fifth act and is not seen again. These productions are more than a Shakespeare play with female actors; they examine the agency and legitimacy we, as an audience, grant these female characters. The actor’s skill is asked to be focused on, rather than their gender, while at the same time allowing the previously subordinate women to be in the spotlight and heard. O’Hare and Christian hold up a mirror to our own internalised gender bias, referring back to comments Shakespeare made through the spirited and charged Viola (Twelfth Night), Portia (The Mer-
Jeanie O’Hare and Jude Christian hold up a mirror to our own internalised gender bias
chant of Venice), and Rosalind (As you Like It) only being listen to seriously and sincerely when they are disguised as men. The female perspective offered in the performance of these plays asks us to consider what it means to watch and relive these plays throughout the years, and if change in our own political and social climate can help us unlock doors to these female characters that previously we left locked.
Celebrating National Poetry Day
Katie Garwood reviews Poetry Book Society’s recent metro takeover for National Poetry Day
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n light of National Poetry day on October 4th, the Poetry Book Society hosted a wonderful metro takeover across the entire Nexus network in both the city centre and the wider area. From school children to established writers, diverse poets of all ages performed live in various metro locations. In an effort to brighten up mundane Thursday commutes and fulfil the Poetry Book Society founder T S Elliot’s aim to ‘propagate the art of poetry’, performers hit the stage from 1:00-5:30pm with poems surrounding the theme of ‘change’. Armed with only a microphone and sheets of paper, the poets performed for free to anyone who happened to pass by, bringing poetry to people and places it may never have reached before. The choice to perform and collaborate on the Nexus system was a perfect one, as whilst people were waiting for their bus or train, they could enjoy free art. Speaking on the matter, Huw Lewis the Customer Services Director for Nexus commented that ‘Metro is part of everyday life in our region, and National Poetry Day is a reminder great poetry can be too.’
formers. The art was certainly well received by the public as onlookers happily took the postcards and stopped to listen and film the performances. Even the metro staff got involved! Alongside the physical takeover, the day saw a collaboration from the NPD Metro Poet in Residence Jen Campbell who took to the screen as she ran the Tyne and Wear Metro’s Instagram and Twitter (@My_Metro). As she commuted, she live-
tweeted poems that she had written on her journey, posted snaps of the event and even left free copies of poetry books with hand-written notes around the city for whichever lucky people discovered them. It is so important to spread art, and seeing poets share their passion with others was inspiring. An all-round engaging and culturally rich event, which we hope to see continued in the future.
Onlookers happily took the postcards and stopped to listen and film the performances
This amazing entertainment was also educational, as volunteers handed out goodies such as ‘poetry for a change’ stickers in addition to 10,000 free and exclusive postcards of Lemn Sissay’s poem Anthem of the North. Not only did the postcard possibly introduce people to poetry for the first time, but it also contained links, hashtags, and logos for any who might want to discover more about the Poetry Book Society and the other organisations involved. Despite the often-hectic nature of transport stations, the poets and volunteers created great energy throughout the day, taking it in turns on the microphone and cheering on their fellow per-
Images: @poetrybooksociety
the courier
31
Monday 15 October 2018
Which art degree are you?
Take this super scientific quiz carefully created for you by the Courier’s Arts editors to find out! Your wardrobe is...
50% couture, 50% charity shop
Do you have paint in mysterious
You’re always trying to
No
places?
how do you respond?
Images: Wikimedia Commons, Flickr
Try out that new coffee shop
the sun?
relationship problems,
Convinced that you actually understand Shakespeare? Don’t worry we all know you are making it all up as you go along.
Model for you
How often do you see
Your friend is having
THEATRE
get your friends to...
“Sending good vibes”
Yes
“They did what?!?!”
50% black, 50% angst
Through glass counts, right?
FINE ART
Was the book better than the film?
Only when I need it for good lighting.
There was a book?
FILM
Yeah, duh.
CREATIVE WRITING
Image: Flickr
Images: Wikimedia Commons, Pixabay
Probably the least useful degree out of them all. Well at least you had a good time, beating the heck outta’ that brush.
Oh so Pulp Fiction is your favourite film? And you think you can seperate the director from his work? How did we know...
You can always be found suffering with writers block, coffee in hand. Be prepared to be in this state for the rest of your adult life.
Craft and Flea Market
Liv Blackham discusses her experience of the recent Craft and Flea Market at the Civic Centre
E
ager for some bargains, I was itching upon arrival. Until I was faced with the £2 entry fee. Initially, I was annoyed, upon reflection, that fee pays for the room for the stalls for the people full of enough hope that they take a risk and start their own businesses doing what they love and to pay just £2 to enable that is very easy. From then, it could only get better. Keeping this thought as I took in the room, half crowded with people and tables full of unique items, I followed the flow of colorful people.
There were several tables full of enough knitwear to dress quadruplets
Now, I’m not a huge vintage fan but I can say there were many steals there that day. Some personal favorites
included a vintage typewriter, classic cameras and many books which I personally divulged in. Thankfully, there was more to the market than vintage stalls. There were several tables full of enough knitwear to dress quadruplets. Now, I don’t know about you, but I hadn’t heard about the knitting trend. However, I could get on board with hanging knitted plant holders because they looked pretty cool to be truthful. Another comeback (one I knew about this time) is vintage jewelry, particularly of the 70s variation, most likely inspired by the stupendous outfits of Lily James in the film release, Mamma Mia 2: Here We Go Again. Yet, the only downside to vintage is the cost that comes with it. Some would hap- Images: Yesterdays-Paper
arts culture
An Ernest Review Axolotl Laughs BEN TRAVIS
Axolotl Laughs hosts a room at Ernest, in which comedy virgins can test the water that they are about to dive into. The night was hosted by James Wilkinson and Rosie McMahon. Wilkinson seemed to take the lead role, undoubtedly due to his stronger comedic ability. He held a strong presence on stage, keeping the audience gripped by his quirks, stories and theories.
Free entry, a cool atmosphere, and one of a kind in Newcastle
His material was strongly self-depricating, questioning things like his decision to go into comedy. He made the point that comedians usually tend to waffle and improvise on stage, and that he was going to try it. His set was experimental. The trough of the night was Rosie McMahon’s slot. McMahon’s performance felt uncomfortable. Throughout her set, she followed her cues by reading from her hand, held tight body language, and repeatedly began punchlines by saying ‘literally’ or ‘technically’, in an attempt to make the joke funnier. The peak of the night was Joby Mageean. This local comedian’s charismatic presence accompanied his witty humour. Mageean will go far with his impeccable timing; he has mastered the skill of telling entertaining narratives whilst covertly inserting one-liners. Its surprising he isn’t a bigger name in the comedy scene.
Fact Attack ! Although axolotls are colloquially referred to as walking fish, they are actually amphibians. They also have the ability to regenerate organs and apendages.
As the night continued, I realised that it was predominantly a place for these comedians to practice and attempt new gags. The room was barely half full due to its lack of promotion. Perhaps this was deliberate. Maybe these comedians need this space to separate their strong funnies from their weak ones. I wonder if this evemt will grow anymore than it already has; however, Axolotl Laughs has potential. Free entry, a cool atmosphere, and one of a kind in Newcastle. Images: James Wilkinson, Pixabay
PhotoBox
SUNBATHING CAT JULIA MCGEE-RUSSELL
pily pay £12 for red 70s style hoops, I’m not on that list. Strangely enough though, I’m 100% on the bandwagon to pay £1 for cool modern postcards that speak to the souls of young adult twitter users. In particular, the triumph of a postcard (which I, obviously, bought) that quoted ‘humble, with just a hint of Kanye’. I’d go back purely for them.
There wasn’t a way for anyone to come away and say they wanted more
The cool, modern marble theme of Type & Cast only highlighted the bright, fun patterns on socks belonging to one particular stall. With those bad boys, your feet are always happy. All in all, the market captured more than just crafts and fleas. It hit so many marks that there wasn’t a way for anyone to come away and say they wanted something more.
This sunbathing cat is one of the many stray cats that live in Parque Kennedy in Lima, Peru. I spent a sunshine-filled afternoon there during my gap year, running after all the snoozy felines and taking dozens of pictures. Don’t be fooled - not all of them were as pleased about it as these two seem to be!
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culture gaming
courier.gaming@ncl.ac.uk Gaming Editors George Boatfield, Matthew Neville & Kelly South
the courier
Monday 15th October 2018
German museum exhibit launch fue O
Image: Rainbow Arcade
Kelly South takes a look at the Kickstarter project that’s pair
n 18 September a Berlin museum launched a month-long Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for the production and international shipment of 1,000 copies of Rainbow Arcade: Queer Gaming History 1985-2018. This will be a companion book to an exhibit hosted at the Schwules Museum, Berlin, which is the oldest and largest LGBT related museum in the world. The exhibition will run for 6 months, from 13 December 2018 to 13 May 2019. This proposed catalogue has been described as “the first comprehensive introduction to queer gaming history”, a topic often overlooked by the mainstream gaming press. The Schwules Museum describes Rainbow Arcade as “an appraisal and a contribution to our ongoing conversations on diversity, representation, discrimination and politics in popular culture”. The museum exhibit, which is the world’s first on the history of queer video games, will include playable titles, concept drawings, fan-made mods
and documents pertaining to online gaming communities. The Rainbow Arcade catalogue will provide information on these, as well as containing additional essays by and interviews with various game developers, artists and researchers. As an added incentive, readers can’t find this content anywhere else.
The exhibitiom will run from 13 December 2018 to 13 May 2019.
Like most Kickstarter campaigns there are tiers of rewards: these range from digital copies of the catalogue itself to free museum tickets, copies of the crowdfunded board game Constentacle, and private group tours with the curators. Curators include museum staff and Dr Adrienne Shaw from
Review: Marvel’s Spider-Man
Can Insomniac Games swing in to save Spidey from his sad streak of gaming mediocrity? Matthew Neville suits up to find out
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uch like the daily life of everyone’s favourite quick-witted wall-crawler, Marvel’s Spider-Man is a game that seeks to maintain a tricky balancing act. While Peter Parker struggles to balance relationships and work between kicking naughty men in the face and zipping through New York City at dizzying speed, Insomniac’s latest outing is chock-full of variety. What’s most spectacular is that it succeeds in almost all of these endeavours. First things first, the web-swinging is simply sublime. Satisfying both visually and mechanically, what Insomniac has achieved with its traversal system is what fans have been waiting for, finally surpassing the standard set by Treyarch’s SpiderMan 2 in 2004. Both the physics-based swinging and parkour systems feel great to control, but most importantly they retain a sense of weightiness that’s easily lost when you’re controlling a grown man pirouetting through the air in red and blue tights. This is all thanks to some truly meticulous animation combined with tight and responsive controls.
Another aspect of the game which benefits from this crisp fluidity is combat, which gives Rocksteady’s Batman: Arkham series a good run for its money. While there are notable similarities to the Caped Crusader’s own combat system, the differences come from Spidey’s greater agility. While Batman is essentially a human tank, SpiderMan instead bounces from enemy to enemy like a spandex-donning pinball of justice. Adding ariel strikes and web gadgets to the mix results in a combat system that left me with a big fat smile on my face after every fight.
The web-slinging is simply sublime
Unfortunately, this is more than I can say for the game’s boss encounters, which occasionally provide a unique challenge but often devolve into webbing up your foe and smacking them around until they fall down.
However, the game’s biggest shortcoming is its over-reliance on a very archetypal open-world structure. While some activities, such as chasing pigeons through the air above New York’s bustling streets, prove to compliment the game’s traversal mechanics perfectly, you’ll also be completing a checklist of generic open world tasks. Radio towers? We got ‘em. Combat and stealth challenges? Check. Navigation through a series of floating targets? Present and correct. Also falling rather flat are the sections of the game in which you aren’t playing as Spider-Man but instead as one of his two playable pals. Basic stealth gameplay is used to add a bit of variety, but its simplistic design makes it a slog to play through. But, despite these minor detractors, it is undeniable that Insomniac has more than delivered on its promise in giving us the definitive Spider-Man experience. Slick traversal and combat
systems, a gripping and unexpectedly impactful narrative, and gorgeous visuals form a complete package which I can’t recommend highly enough to both fans and newcomers to the world of the webhead. Image: Matthew Neville
Sony supports cross-platform play Switch Online finally arrives
James Troughton takes a look at this pro-consumer move
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layStation has been surrounded by controversy as of late due to their stance on cross-platform multiplayer, particularly with Fortnite, the freeto-play Battle Royale behemoth. In June, John Smedley, the ex-boss of the company behind H1Z1, provided a reason as to why PlayStation was hesitant to consider cross-play, saying that “the stated reason internally for this was money.” However, because of the backlash from players, they have issued “a major policy change for [Sony Interactive Entertainment] SIE” and are preparing“to support this change” starting with a Fortnite beta which will allow for cross-platform
Image: Epic Games
interaction. Psyonix, the developer of Rocket League, is one of the many studios that have been pushing for cross-play. Their Vice President of Publishing, Jeremy Dunham, tweeted a response to the news of PlayStation’s policy change. In the tweet, he discussed how “it’s a great step forward” but said that they “don’t have any updates” and that they “recommend reaching out to Sony for comment”, not to them. Epic, the company behind Fortnite, has also updated their players as they are designing a workaround for those with multiple accounts for specific platforms.
Epic Games are designing a workaround for those with multiple accounts for specific platforms
In the past, PlayStation has blocked cross-play between the PS4 and their primary rival, the Xbox One. With their stance changing on Fortnite, it signals that the future for cross-play is far brighter. This opens a huge barrier between platforms as it will allow friends to play together and still enjoy their preferred console.
George Boatfield looks at Nintendo’s first subscription plan
O
ver a year after the initially planned rollout of the Nintendo Switch Online (NSO) alongside Splatoon 2, the subscription service finally launched on 18th September 2018. This introduces extra features to Switch users for a monthly fee, while also placing previously free features behind a paywall. With this decision comes significant backlash from Switch owners. The initial breakdown of the service was delivered via one of Nintendo’s signature ‘Direct’ broadcasts on September 13. In terms of pricing, the cheapest options include £17.99 for a 12-month individual membership or £31.49 for a 12-month family (8 people). Nintendo highlighted the five core features of the service: online play; access to the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) library; cloud backup; a smartphone app; and what they vaguely described as ‘special offers’. But what do these features actually include? The NES library allows users to play classic games on Switch,
Image: Nintendo
though not all of them have aged particularly well. This brings local and online multiplayer support, a first for NES. Currently twenty games are offered, including the likes of Super Mario Bros. 3, but Nintendo says that the library will continue to grow. As for the cloud backup of saved data, initial reports manufactured fears that this would be deleted as soon as a subscription lapses, but this has since been clarified as a six month limit.
Some games do not support cloud backup
Controversially, some games do not support cloud backup (Nintendo’s reason is to prevent hacking of games). Futhermore, frustratingly, the smartphone app is still the only way to do voice chat via your friends list. The ‘special offers’ are disappointingly limited to access to new NES-styled Joy-Con controllers and a download code for a cosmetic item in Splatoon 2. This has received significant backlash from the core Switch fanbase, with plenty labelling it as poor value for money. This is not just down to the fact that users must now pay for an online service that was previously free (and which many players criticise as lacking compared to the competition,), but also the meagre offering of the service’s main source of content - the NES retro games library.
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Monday 15th October 2018
@Courier_Gaming thecourieronline.co.uk/gaming
gaming culture
els LGBT Rainbow Arcade project
ring up with the Schwules Museum to honour queer gaming history Temple University, Pennsylvania - the founder of the LGBTQ Video Game Archive. Dr Adrienne Shaw said “Most historical games exhibits focus on the major milestones of the mainstream games industry, this will be the first time queer games history will be front and center. The digital nature of this medium and fan communities means that a lot of recent history has either been lost or is hard to find. Web domains close down and over time software is no longer compatible with new hardware.” In recent years the representation of marginalised people in media, politics and everyday life has been heavily discussed and increasingly debated. The games industry is unfortunately notorious for its hostile attitude towards women, LGBT individuals, and people of colour. Thankfully there are a growing number of companies, developers, artists, critics, and archivists dedicated to highlighting the crucial role these groups have had in the industry since its inception. LGBT creators have had to fight
oppression perpetuated by fans and colleagues, this is not solely historical but still sadly occuring today.
The games industry is unfortunately notorious for its hostile attitude towards women, LGBT individuals, and people of colour.
Gaming communities can be rife with toxic masculinity, unconscious bias and outright bigotry: it’s not uncommon to see homophobic slurs, rape jokes, and transphobic terms casually used in online gaming chats. The Schwules Museum
exhibit intends to challenge this behaviour and encourage an open dialogue on how all gamers can feel welcome, safe and respected in the community. From the decision to allow same-sex partnerships in The Sims franchise to indie hit Gone Home focusing on a lesbian romance, it is critical to not overlook the importance of LGBT representation in games. Personally, the presence of queer relationships in media quietly reassured me that my sexuality wasn’t unnatural or immoral - such self-acceptance is a revolutionary act in a heteronormative world. Including LGBT characters and narratives in video games, and indeed all forms of media, normalises their lives and relationships in a society which is still rife with homophobia and transphobia. It’s tremendously exciting that Naughty Dog’s The Last Of Us Part II focuses on a young lesbian character, as LGBT people have been relatively ignored by AAA games. Museum exhibits that cover these aspects of entertainment help to ensure that the importance
of such work is recognised appropriately. You can find out more about the Rainbow Arcade catalogue Kickstarter at http://kck.st/2NKCdoT and follow the LGBTQ Game Archive at https://www. facebook.com/lgbtqgamearchive/
Image: Rainbow Arcade
I know what you played this summer...
Your brand new team of Gaming editors discuss what they’ve been playing while rying to avoid the scorching summer sun
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George Boatfield
ey folks, it’s George here. I’m one of the new editors of the Courier Gaming section for 2018/19. On the surface, the games I played over the summer don’t seem particularly relevant to gaming right now. Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker is a spin-off from a dead console, Enter the Gungeon and The Flame in the Flood are two-year-old indie gems and, depending on who you ask, Fortnite died back in April. And yet, that’s what I’ve been playing. Why? It’s all down to the Nintendo Switch. While this console has plenty of fresh content directly from eager developers, it’s also the perfect place for giving old releases a second wind. It’s hybrid, portable nature also fits with my schedule, ready to use wherever I am (as long as I remember it) and regardless of how much time I have free. It’s not all about the Switch though - PS4 has the freshly
released Marvel’s Spider-Man and Red Dead: Redemption 2 is quickly approaching. I’m hearing great things about them both, and all I need now is the time to play them.
Matthew Neville
A
Which I’ll get. Eventually... s a lover of all things JRPG, my gaming summer mainly consisted of experiences designed to immerse the player in weird and wonderful settings for hundreds of hours. Kicking off with Level-5’s Ni No Kuni 2: Revenant Kingdom, in which I spent half of my in-game hours exploring, fighting and experiencing a rich narrative, and the other half simply gawking at the game’s magnificent visuals and getting lost in the beautiful, orchestral score. Further rounding out my summer line-up were the clunky but ultimately enjoyable Vampyr, and
the exceptional Monster Hunter: World. On top of this was another few dozen hours spent with Atlus’ Persona 5, one of my favourite games of all time. This is all thanks to some brilliant writing, engaging turn-based combat, and a presentation so slick and cool I still feel unworthy just being in the same room as this genre-defining masterpiece.
hometown, her affable parents, and the complicated friendship dynamics every student wishes they left behind for good. Mae has trouble readjusting to this smaller, quieter life, relearning an instrument in Guitar Hero style
Kelly South
D
uring dreary nights this summer, when many of my friends were away from Newcastle and I was over encumbered with revision material, I escaped into Infinite Fall’s Night in the Woods. Released in February 2017, this underappreciated indie title resonated with my homesick self. Night in the Woods focuses on the misadventures of Mae, a college dropout who returns to her dilapidated
Game over for Telltale
Night in the Woods: this underappreiciated indie title resonated with my homesick self
mini-games and exploring a town that has slowly become quite unfamiliar to her. Throughout the long summer days I lazed around for hours swiping through mobile strategy game Reigns: Her Majesty, a shockingly addictive sequel to Devolver Digital’s 2016 release, and rediscovered the breathtaking designs in Monument Valley (another mobile game).
Jack Coles returns to report on the abrupt ending of Telltale and the projects that remain in limbo
I
t’s always sad when a studio goes down. Telltale Games – best known for The Wolf Among Us and their take on The Walking Dead – abruptly closed this September with no prior warning. According to inside sources, Telltale Games upper management had been noticeably tense on the run-up to the closure and there were rumours floating around that employees should brace for a second round of layoffs (many employees were made redundant the previous November). On 21 September, a company-wide meeting was scheduled in the early morning where it was announced that Telltale had “run out of money” and that employees were being sent home within the hour.
Employee morale was low... the crunch culture there had escalated to consistent 18-hour work days.
From the approximate number of 250 developers working there, only 25 were not sent home that day. This “skeleton crew” was spared in order to finish off the second episode of the latest season of The Walking Dead,
with further losses within that team last week. Those who were not on this team were fired without severance pay and only enough health insurance to last 9 days.
25
The number of developers who remained to finish The Walking Dead, out of an original 250
Although the closure may seem sudden, it’s not entirely unexpected when you look at the company’s history. Financially it seemed to be in trouble, as it has had to pay large sums of money in order to access the intellectual property upon which it based its games. Sales of its new releases on Steam have also been dwindling, potentially because of Telltale’s constant refusal to diversify its gameplay mechanics or update the engine used. Employee morale was low since it fired a quarter of its staff in November last year and the crunch culture there had escalated to consistent 18-hour work days. The Verge reported in March on Telltale’s toxic work environment. The day before Telltale shut its doors, CEO Pete Hawley had hoped to secure a contract from either AMC (proprietors of The Walking Dead), Smilegate (a South Korean mobile game development company),
or Lionsgate (the filmmakers behind The Hunger Games). While management had expected at least one of these to bite, none of these companies went ahead, leaving Telltale without enough income to support its existence. While the closure left most employees without a plan B, many other studios such as Firaxis and CD Projekt Red offered places at their respective companies for the abruptly unemployed developers - which was likely small comfort. There have been multiple suggestions that this event may be a catalyst for a Union of game developers to form in the United States. Telltale will forever be known for its sudden closure, overshadowing their reputation of producing some of the best stories and writing found in games to date, and serving as a reminder that you shouldn’t put all your eggs in one basket; no matter how unique the basket is.
Image: Telltale Games
See if you can guess (catch) the common idiom (phrase) shown in this picture combo?
Difficulty: HARD
Puzzles Dictator As yet unknown Assistant Puzzles Dictator Another upstart Puzzles Editor Helena Buchanan Puzzles Captain Carys Thomas
SUDOKU
Monday 15 October 2018
Courier Catchphrase
puzzles 35
the courier
1
4
9
2 5 3
9 3 8 5
7 2 5 6
2
1
Name That Cephalopod
BLUE SUEDE CLUES Across
2 Hold me down (6) 6 The distant horizon(3) 7 Measure your head to find your... (7) 11 From the sky to the sea (8) 12 An enemy (7) 14 A greeting (4) 15 Make fun of the pig (7) 16 95% water, having a wobble (9) 17 GMT (9, 4, 4) 19 A very deep basin (7) 21 Say wow at (anag) (8) 22 This board weighs 1000 kg... (8) 23 An instrument to measure latitude (7) 24 Another greeting (4)
Down
1 Not a girl but a (4) 3 A steady flow, right now (7) 4 Full of holes but holding water (6) 5 A sea song (6) 8 Say it again Sam (6) 9 Debris after shipwreck(7) 10 A collection of islands (11) 13 Coleridge told you not to kill me (9) 18 A shortcrust treat is valued (6) 20 A useless i phone feature (7)
CROSSWORD
8 5
6
4 2 7 9 3 1
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sport
Monday 15 October 2018
The best and worst sporting debuts To mark our first issue our sports writers reflect upon some of the most memorable debuts the sporting world has to offer
Alastair Cook
Arguably one of the greats to play the game, Alastair Cook recently finished his test cricket career on a high, scoring 71 in his first innings and 147 in the second innings against India. However, Cookie was always going to end on a high after an extraordinary debut for England. Before his extraordinary debut in senior test cricket, Cook was the U19 England team captain and a bright spark in youth cricket. His senior debut for England came when he was 21 after being called up for the tour of India. Cookie’s debut just indicates how special a player he was destined to be, and ultimately became. In his first ever innings of senior test cricket, Cook hit an impressive 60 before being bowled out. His second innings was even more extraordinary, as he smashed a gigantic 104 not out. This made Cook the sixteenth Englishman to score a ton on their test debut. In addition to Cook’s fantastic debut,
what’s even more brilliant is how he finished the game- he is the fifth batsman to ever score 100 on both his test debut and farewell matches. It’s fair to say that Cookie’s remarkable debut was just the beginning of a fantastic test cricket career.
Rebecca Johnson
Eric ‘The Eel’ Moussambani
For most Olympic athletes; years of training, hyped up expectation and the pressure of the world watching you bring the typical ‘pre-match’ nerves to a whole new level. For Eric Moussambani, however, he had the small problem of competing in the 100m freestyle, having never swum in an Olympic swimming pool before. As remarkable as this may sound, it is unsurprising given the contexts of Moussambani’s homeland of Equatorial Guinea, . Situated on the west coast
of Africa, the majority of residents there live in poverty, with infant mortality sitting at a grim 20% currently. Therefore, competitive swimming is of limited relevance, but this did not deter plucky Eric. On the morning of 19 September 2000 in Sydney Australia, Moussambani arrived at the aquatics centre with no coach or swimming trunks, thankfully these were eventually supplied. Originally, there were two other athletes competing in the same race, however, this was quickly dashed as both were disqualified with false starts, leaving Eric all of sudden to race on his own. Eric went on to complete the race in a farcical one minute 52 seconds. To put that into context, the next slowest time was over 50 seconds faster than Eric’s swim. Result aside; Eric became an instant hit with the Australian fans, receiving a standing ovation as he completed his final length in a national record time. As debuts go, Moussambani’s is up there with some of worst. Looking at the bigger picture though, his legacy lives on to this day. Since competing, ‘the eel’ has been promoting swimming in his home country. Thanks to his efforts, Equatorial Guinea now boasts two 50m swimming pools, something that simply didn’t exist beforehand. Eric himself now coaches the national swimming team.
Rory Ewart
Jonathan Woodgate
Alastair Cook Image: Wikimedia Commons
Jonathan Woodgate endured a somewhat unfortunate career, with his considerable promise being curtailed by constant battles with injury. His debut for Real Madrid, which should have been a chance to announce himself at one of the biggest football teams in the world, was instead a horror show that encapsulated the misfortune that plagued his career. Woodgate moved to Madrid from Newcastle for a fee of £13.4 million, but his injury issues meant that he had
The pool where “The Eel” made his splash Image: Wikimedia Commons to wait over a year to make his debut. When the chance came to prove that the wait for his debut had been worthwhile, Woodgate instead succeeded in scoring an own goal before the end of the first half. He attempted to head away a shot from Joesba Exteberria, but his header only diverted the ball beyond the helpless Iker Casillas. His misery was compounded when, having received a yellow card in the first half, Woodgate was judged to have unfairly used his arm to block Exteberria. Despite the incredulous protests of his teammates, Woodgate was given his second yellow card, capping what had been a humiliating first game for his new club. Woodgate was unable to improve his standing after this game, and he was soon deemed surplus to requirements before being sold to Middlesbrough. Ultimately, it was this disastrous debut that remains the defining moment of his brief spell in Spain, with an own goal and a red card in sixty-six minutes exemplifying just how luckless Woodgate was throughout his injury-ridden career.
Sergio Aguero
Tom Hardwick
In terms of starting how you mean to go on, you need look no further than Sergio Aguero’s competitive debut for Manchester City. Aguero joined up with the squad just
10 days before City opened their Premier League campaign against Swansea; however concerns for match fitness, as well as strong competition for a place in the starting line-up meant Sergio got his first glimpse of English football from the bench of the Etihad. After a stale, goalless first half, the home crowd was itching to see their record signing make his first appearance for the club. At the 60th minute, moments after Edin Dzeko put the Blues ahead, Kun made his bow; and it didn’t take long for him to make his mark. Having spent just 8 minutes on the pitch, Sergio wasted no time scoring with a simple tap in at the back post from a Micah Richards cross. Fans were barely back in their seats before he was at it again, this time flicking the ball over the onrushing Swansea keeper before cutting it back for David Silva to finish. Aguero capped a perfect debut performance by firing in a 25-yard screamer, wrapping up the game in stunning fashion. Aguero went on to score 30 goals for city that season, the last of them being THAT goal against QPR, sealing City’s first top flight title win in 44 years, instantly securing his club legend status among the Man City faithful and announcing himself as one of the most prolific strikers the league has ever seen. Cue you sign Phil Jones, we sign Kun Aguero chant. Joshua Gregory
ECB unveils plans for new cricket competition
Sports Editor Rebecca Johnson and writer Stanley Gilyead weigh up the ECB’ proposals for shorter ‘T10’ forms of cricket Stanley Gilyead
The ECB are considering introducing 10 over cricket, with fans labelling it “the final nail in the coffin for world cricket”. This form of T10 cricket sees the traditionally slow, flowing game reduced to a measly 120 balls, destroying aspects of it that have remained popular for half a millennium. Rules honed over centuries to provide an even battle of wits between batter and bowler have been ripped up, with shortened boundaries and lengthy power plays leading journalist Saj Sadiq to declare the format “heavily in favour of the batsman”. T10 sees the intricate art of batting reduced to “see it, hit it” according to batsman Rille Rossouw, with England opener Alex Hales admitting he will simply “close his eyes and swing”. T20 has already damaged test cricket, with England legend Geoffrey Boycott saying “the technique of batting is poor because, from an early age, counties are teaching batsmen Twenty20 shots” resulting in frequent batting collapses and shortened games. The introduction of T10 can only hasten this decline with England T20 captain Eoin
Morgan admitting that T10 will “impact the other forms of the game”. The time needed to introduce the proposed new format into an already hectic schedule means that the likely result is the vital proving ground of county cricket losing importance and being played less often.
The ECB should take heed of the story of a horse designed by a committee. The slowly evolving and enduringly popular stallion of Test cricket shouldn’t be compromised by the unnecessary creation of the camel-like T10.
England’s test match cricketers after an Ashes game Image: Flickr
Rebecca Johnson Sports Editor
The ECB announced earlier this year a controversial shake-up to Twenty20 cricket. The alterations for this new format of T20 cricket include eight city based teams playing one hundred balls of cricket, this includes fifteen “traditional” six ball overs and a final ten ball over. This is twenty balls shorter than the pre-existing T20 game. Given that there was outcry over the consideration of a T10 league being introduced in England, these latest proposals have faced a massive amount of criticism. But is this just a case of people making a mountain out of a molehill? Breaking it down, the changes proposed aren’t really too bad. Let’s be honest, cricket isn’t a hugely popular sport in England anymore- considering it used to be our national sport. By introducing a new format of T20, it gets more people excited about cricket. The aim of these proposals by the ECB was to encourage more families to get involved watching cricket, hence why there is a massive emphasis on having the competition televised. Look at the excitement surrounding big
T20 competitions across the world, like the IPL in India and the Big Bash in Australia, this is the ECB’s aim to appeal to a bigger audience. Although the pre-existing T20 Blast in England is fantastic to watch, it doesn’t quite have the same mass appeal and following compared to that of India and Australia.
By introducing a new format of T20, it gets more people excited about cricket
If the ECB had introduced something along the lines of a T10 format then that would hold reasonable grounds for argument as ten overs is far too short for a game of cricket. In my opinion, this new competition is the foundation of getting more people interested in cricket and ultimately helping to develop the game. Additionally, this new competition doesn’t aim to replace the immensely popular twenty over T20 Blast- which will still remain unchanged.
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sport
Monday 15 October 2018
The changes in women’s football Women’s football is becoming increasingly popular in the UK recently, Sesha Subramanian outlines just how much the game has changed In July 2017, England forward Toni Duggan made headlines when she completed a transfer from Manchester City to FC Barcelona becoming the first English person to play for the Catalan club since Gary Lineker. Later that summer, she and the rest of her international teammates propelled the Lionesses to a semi-final finish at the Women’s Euros, unfortunately losing out to eventual winners and hosts, the Netherlands. Duggan’s case is reflective of a larger change in the perception of women’s football across not just England but the world. Whilst there is still some way to go for women’s football, the ball has been set rolling and it doesn’t look like it will stop any time soon. The women’s game was not professionalised for a long time but various countries and clubs have recognised the issue and are now moving to bring the game on par with the men’s game – a fact recognised by many players themselves. When American forward Alex Morgan signed for Olympique Lyonnais she said, “They are committed to growing women’s soccer and provide … first-class facilities and an unparalleled training environment on par with the men’s team.” Closer to home, the FA’s Women’s Super League is running for the first time in its history with 11 fully professional teams. Although the decision triggered mixed reactions from the teams but it is undeniably a step in the right direction. Adding to this is the establishment is the creation and investment in a women’s team by Manchester United – one of the world’s most successful teams in the men’s game. Both the quality and the quantity of the investment by the Red Devils attracted lot of attention with several England internationals among the new arrivals. Regarding the development of the women’s game, chairman of the FA
Greg Clarke said “For the vast majority of the last 150 years, the focus has been almost exclusively on the men’s game. But times, societies and attitudes move on and we have been too slow to react.” The women’s game has come by leaps and bounds over the last few years in England – a fact reflected in two successive semi-final appearances at major tournaments. The establishment of St. George’s Park (similar to Clairefontaine in France) as a training base for all England teams – including the women – has helped the development. Licenced, professional coaches across the senior competitions as well as a new professionalism of the women’s game has added to the protocol for success. The path forward now requires more involvement from the community and from the county FAs, schools and other entities on a grassroot level to provide a constant pipeline of talented players coming through the system – who can then one day play for England. Women’s football in England and the world still has a long way to go. The next stage for the women’s game would involve investment and returns. With more and more corporate involvement within the game, it is perhaps reasonable to expect that the sport will grow at all levels – from recreational to professional. Establishing a sustainable pyramid of progression from childhood to adulthood is imperative in furthering the sport. Participation of the public cannot however, just be restricted to playing, refereeing or coaching the game. Interest in the profession game from the general public must also increase- and there are encouraging signs. The 2017 Women’s Champions League final between Lyon and PSG was watched by more than 20,000 spectators at the Millenium Stadium in Cardiff while Manchester United’s 2-0 loss to Reading recently saw
over 5,000 people in attendance. The 2015 Women’s World Cup – particularly the final between USA and Japan – in Canada broke previous viewership records for that tournament. All this investment must lead to a tangible end point – results on the pitch. The success of the 1999 US Women’s National Team in the World Cup and the two good tournaments in 2015 and 2017 from the English national team helped grow the game in these nations. It is a vicious cycle of investment and success with each relying on the other to a large degree to grow the game of football among a section of population that has, for far too long, been neglected by the authorities that be. Women’s football has long been a bystander to the men’s game – neglected and even unfairly treated, but times are changing for the good and so is the beautiful game.
Jack Smillie thinks through over Newcastle’s ownership complications
This September marked one decade since Kevin Keegan resigned from Newcastle United following a power struggle with bolshie club directors. Ten years and three failed attempts to sell the club later and the ownership of ‘the beat of Newcastle’ is still shrouded in uncertainty. Rumours regarding Newcastle’s ownership may be gathering venom but now is not the time for a shock to the system. Mike Ashley may be a severely unpopular owner - audibly, just visit Strawberry Lane on a Saturday afternoon if you desire proof - and, despite being a newcomer to the City of Newcastle, I can understand why. This poses the question, can Newcastle’s season be saved? Perspective, I feel, is incredibly important here. Yes, Newcastle currently reside in the
relegation zone, but the season is still young. At this point last year, the three relegated teams were sitting in 10th, 13th and 18th. Crystal Palace had failed to even register a single goal but still finished 11th come May. Undeniably, Newcastle have suffered a difficult start. The Magpies have already faced four of last season’s top six, with their fifth, Manchester United, being their next away fixture. Before October ends, Newcastle must face fellow relegation candidates Southampton and Brighton & Hove Albion, in what could be pivotal games for the Tyneside club. Lose these, and the mountain could start to look slightly more insurmountable. For all the opprobrium, Mike Ashley has a strict spending policy which effectively holds the club back. As long as Newcastle remain
The changing face of women’s football has many benefits, as illustrated before. However, not all clubs have reaped the rewards of the growing prestige of women’s football in
Not all clubs have reaped the rewards
England, especially not local club Sunderland Ladies. Following on from the FA’s reforms over the summer, the lasses team had their application for a licence to play in the higher leagues rejected due to the financial requirements not being met. Bearing in mind that the lasses secured a very respectable seventh place position in the top flight table last season they are now playing third division football as a
consequence- although they’ve played in the two top flights for four years. The new rules for women’s football just show how financial requirements can hit “poorer” clubs like Sunderland. Sunderland Ladies are arguably one of the fundamental pillars of the development of women’s football in recent years. The academy have produced the biggest names in women’s football, such as Steph Houghton and Jill Scott. In addition to this, six of the 23-woman squad from England’s last major tournament have been nurtured by Sunderland’s academy and brought up through the ranks. It’s a positive that women’s football is starting to encompass the same professionalism as the men’s game, but the fact that women’s teams with a rich history like Sunderland are suffering is something that the FA must take into account.
England Ladies preparing for their game. Images: Wikimedia Commons
Any hope for Newcastle? St James’ Park Under the Lights Images: Wikipedia Commons
However Rebecca Johnson looks at one club who haven’t benefitted from FA’s changes...
in England’s top division and Sports Direct continues to receive great levels of exposure, Ashley seems happy. Whilst a popular figure of blame amongst the fans and supporters, Ashley remains instrumental in saving Newcastle’s season. Premier League survival could depend on how far he’s willing to open his wallet in January. Keeping Rafael Benitez at the helm is going to be imperative to rescuing Newcastle’s season. Surely sacking Benitez is not an apt solution; he isn’t the problem. Plus, who else could be better? Aston Villa recently made this myopic mistake; Newcastle should take note. Albeit frustrated, Benitez is a world class manager. Newcastle are fortunate to have the Spaniard in charge, whose CV spans the likes of Real Madrid, Liverpool and Napoli. Watch this space, however, as Benitez isn’t happy, last week’s team meal turned into a farce, and the fans have launched the supportive #IfRafaGoesWeGo hashtag, in a bid to keep him at the club. Any speculation surrounding the ownership of a football club understandingly increases uncertainty and instability. Regardless, Newcastle have plenty of time to turn their season around and, hedging my bets here, should survive the drop. Ashley has promised the club an all expenses covered holiday should they stay up - could this be enough motivation? Unless, of course, they don’t want to go on holiday with him.
Cochrane shines as Mens Hockey triumph
MEN’S HOCKEY
Ben Cowlard at Longbenton
Newcastle 1sts Lancaster 1sts
6 1
After a strong month of preseason and a healthy intake of freshers, the first BUCS game of the year was met with anticipation, excitement and the appropriate level of romantic infatuation from the spectator bench. From the starting whistle Newcastle showed their quality, moving the ball around swifter and smoother than a tin of syrup on a fighter jet. A well executed short corner routine led to Northern Irish international Patric Cochrane to draw first blood and put Newcastle a goal ahead within 10 minutes. Lancaster showed brief moments of dangerous play but were all safely seen off by a back line rivalling the security of Fort Knox. Hungry for more of the spotlight, Cochrane picked up the ball on the opposition 25 yard line, stalked into the top of the D and buried a demoralisingly quick reverse-stick past the keeper’s ear and into the roof of the net. Towards the end of the second half, a quick counter-attack from Lancaster saw the visitors win a short corner which they converted creating the illusion of a close game making the score
2-1. However it didn’t take long for 5th year dentist and official club-grandad Andy Wortley to shatter that illusion with a very uncharacteristic goal sending Newcastle into half time with a 3-1 lead. The second half saw the same composed Newcastle side dominate
Newcastle moved the ball swifter and smoother than a tin of syrup on a fighter jet
possession and Cochrane sink another past Lancaster with a well placed short corner. With his hat-trick finally completed, Cochrane seemed much more open to passing the ball and linked up with Fresher James Burwell to claim his BUCS debut goal. As the game drew to a close the benefit of those preseason fitness sessions began to show and finally, with the opposition blowing harder than hurricane Katrina, team first-aider Ben Stainer was able to dial the scoreline up to a 6-1 victory for Newcastle. Fortress Longbenton remains unconquered.
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sport Cross country team Black History Month: The most proli Sports editors Rebecca Johnson and Tom Hardwick consider a selection of the f dominate at Durridge Monday 15 October 2018
Cross Country
Clara Petit
Running around a hilly field on a rainy Sunday afternoon doesn’t appeal to everyone. In fact, for many it would seem actually quite unappealing. However the members of Newcastle University’s Cross Country teams aren’t everyone, and on Sunday 7th October this is exactly what 7 members travelled to Druridge Bay, Northumberland, to do. After travelling by car (the lucky ones) or a 2 hour bus journey (the truly dedicated), the 3 men and 4 ladies from NUAXC found themselves huddled in the open rain surrounded by other teams’ tents and silently asking each other what on earth they were doing there. After a few minutes they were adopted by XC Captain Sean Haycock’s home club and ushered out of the rain and into their safe haven (a tent). Things were looking up. At 1pm it was the ladies’ race, and all 4 members made it to the start line on time. Harrier League races are run in packs based on previous race performances, with everyone starting their first race in the first pack (rather unencouragingly called the ‘slow pack’), with the chance to move up a pack if a runner finishes in the top 10%. First up in this pack was Charis Taylor and Louise Mills, managing to push their way to the front ahead of over 200 other runners. 2 minutes and 40 seconds later (this time in the Medium pack) they were followed by Shona Haston and Clara Pettitt, who had been promoted to this pack after strong performances the previous week. All four ran their socks off and the team won their Division. Special mentions for all members of the team: Charis who came in 2nd place overall, Louise who was 8th finisher from the Slow pack and 11th finisher overall, Shona who was 3rd finisher from the Medium pack and 10th overall and Clara who was 5th finisher from the Medium pack and 21st overall out
Jesse Owens
of a field of 358 women. Counting the actual time of the race (i.e. without the two minute delay) Shona moves up to 5th place in the overall Individual rankings, with Clara Pettitt not far behind in 7th, Louise in 21st and Charis in 64th (since Charis did not compete in the last Harrier league). All four ladies moved up to the next start pack meaning that Shona and Clara will now be starting the next race in the Fast pack. Charis and Louise will be starting in the Medium pack. Safe to say that the previous doubts about attendance had vanished, and they were even glimpses of smiles! Next up was the men’s race and more success. Starting in the first pack was Sam Hansen, shortly followed 2 minutes later by Callum Hanson in the Medium pack. There was strong running by both Sam and Callum, with regular smiles from Sam (even after Clara telling him he was ‘nearly there’ after only 3.5km of his 9km race complete). Even with a 2 minute deficit Callum finished in 4th place overall, and he gave his all in a brilliant sprint off to the finish line finishing only 1 second behind the runner in 3rd place. Callum also won the Medium pack race, and he too will be promoted into the Fast pack for the next race. Sam finished in 79th place overall, which out of a field 564 men is very respectable indeed. Although he did not compete in the race, a massive thank you to Sean for his constant cheering and optimism- it was definitely appreciated. A great day out and great running by everyone, and all members remembered why, despite the rain and the hills, they really do love cross country. Those who had got the bus even managed to blag a lift back to Newcastle, so all’s well that ends well! The team will be competing in Durham this weekend, followed by another Harrier League race the following weekend, and will be looking to continue their success in preparation for BUCS Championships in February 2019.
When it comes to athletes who have used their ability to fight against racism, there are perhaps none as important as Jesse Owens. He was a tremendous athlete, managing to break an astounding 3 world records and equal another in a mere 45 minutes. Whilst at Ohio State University, Owens was able to set new records in the long jump, 220-yard dash and 220-yard low hurdles, as well as equalling the record for the 100-yard dash. This unprecedented feat of sporting prowess, which eclipses the achievements of so many, was still not to be the crowning moment of his career. That came during the 1936 Berlin Olympics, a games that was being used by Adolf Hitler as a propaganda vehicle to emphasise the supposed physical superiority of his Aryan master race. In one day, Jesse Owens managed to blow all of these bigoted ideas out of the water, winning 4 gold medals in the 100 and 200 meters, the 4x100 meters relay and the long jump. Owens stole the show at the Berlin Olympics, proving quite conclusively that the idea that white people are inherently more talented at any sport (or indeed anything) than black people is absurd. Owens was not presented with a medal by Hitler, but nor was he the recipient of any recognition by the White House, despite the incredible achievements he had completed whilst competing under the United States flag. Owens was able to prove to racist America and Nazi Germany that white superiority is nonsense, and in taking on two overwhelmingly racist societies at opposite ends of the Atlantic and coming out with a swarm of world records and gold medals, Owens cemented himself as one of the most significant black athletes of all time.
Muhammad Ali
Undeniably one of the greatest sporting legends of all time, Muhammad Ali is globally known for his antics inside the boxing ring, and outside too.
Ali was enlisted to fight in Vietnam
The Newcastle Cross Country runners enjoyed their trip down to Druridge Bay Image: Clara Petit
Regarding his professional boxing career, Ali had 61 fights, of these fights 56 were wins and only five were losses. Furthermore, out of these 56 wins, 37 were won by knockout. These statistics rightfully place Ali as one of the best sportsmen of the last century. Although his boxing career was superb, Ali’s life outside the boxing ring was colourful. He competed and won gold in the 1960 Rome Olympics. A famous story stated that after this Olympics, Ali was refused service in a white’s only diner back in America and threw his gold medal into a river. Although disputed that Ali threw his medal into the river and regarded as untrue, this type of story just scratches the surface of the incidents he encountered being a black athlete. One major incident Ali encountered was being drafted to fight for the US military in the Vietnam War in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He refused to enlist into the army saying that he “had no quarrel with the Vietcong”. Due to his refusal to enlist into the army, he was arrested and had his boxing licence suspended. This stand of defiance to the authorities in America, especially during a time of intense racism, inspired a lot of young black men and women across America to stand up for
Muhammad Ali, one of the greatest athletes of all time Image: Flickr
Fell running and ori club run away with
Emma Peters covers the club’s impressive weekend wi On Sunday 7th October, the Newcastle University Fell Running and Orienteering Club (NUFOC) attended their first event of the new year in Jesmond Dene. There were 3 freshers and 3 returning members at the event, which was run by local club ‘Newcastle and Tyneside Orienteers’ (NATO). There was a mixture of courses on offer, ranging from a white course for children, to an orange course that was ideal for the freshers, and also a scored course that gives competitors 45 or 60 minutes to collect as many control points as they can in
the allotted time. All of NUFOC’s new members (Bozhidar Georgiev, Jack Filan and Kathryn Bell), as well as returning
60
minutes of running over rough terrain si the longer of the two categories
member James Clark completed the orange course. This was a 2.9km course, and after a slightly shaky start, all members got round the course and found
Newcastle’s fell runners and orienteerers Image: Emma Peters
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sport
Monday 15 October 2018
ific black sporting stars
finest black athletes to compete in the sporting world
Walter Tull
Serena Williams
In his short 29 years of life, Tull achieved far more for than most can ever hope to, and in doing so was able to highlight that race has no bearing on what one can accomplish. Tull lost both parents before the age of 10, and in spite of being sent to an orphanage he still overcame this adversity, becoming the first mixed-heritage person to practice dentistry in the UK. He was also a sporting trailblazer, signing for Tottenham Hotspur in 1909 after winning the FA Amateur Cup with Clapton FC. He was one of only 3 other black players to have played in the top flight of English football, and although his stay in the top flight was limited to around 20 games, he was one of the few setting a precedent for black men to play at the highest level. After his time at Tottenham he made 111 appearances for Northampton Town, an amount that surely would have ended up being higher but for
Serena Williams is someone who has dealt with a barrage of insults and accusations across her successful career. Whether it be racist remarks, gender based prejudice or the general lack of respect that she is sometimes afforded, she still maintains an impressive desire to win and prove her detractors wrong. Williams has won twenty-three singles Grand Slams, as well as another fourteen doubles Grand Slams with her sister Venus, two mixed doubles finals and four Olympic gold medals. For anyone to achieve such a consistent level of success across a career that started in 1995 and is still going strong today is exceptional, especially given the difficulties she has faced.
111
apperances at Northampton throughout Tull’s career
the breakout of the First World War. Tull was the first Northampton player to enlist, proving his bravery was not limited to being one of the first mixed-heritage men to achieve success in two different fields. He was noted for his bravery, and added to the list of his achievements when he became one of the first mixed-heritage infantry officers. Tull was tragically shot down at Pasde-Calais, but his life was embodied by a sense of courage in the face of adversity, with Tull emphasising that determination was able to open up far more doors than his race would have closed in the early 1900s.
Williams has won 23 singles Grands Slams
One only has to scroll through Twitter to see Williams referred to in horrendously racist and sexist terms, and this sexism often extends to those within tennis. She was criticised by some for her angry outburst following accusations of coaching in the 2018 US Open Final, but one can understand how her frustrations have boiled over. She was banned from wearing a catsuit at the French Open due to issues over ‘decorum’, and having been treated as such throughout her career, it is perhaps more impressive that she has so rarely expressed her anger. Whether the manner in which she expressed it was right or wrong, Williams is highly successful and unafraid to stand up for herself when it is necessary, and it is these characteristics coupled together that make her one of the most dominant and culturally important athletes to be competing today.
ith a mix of old and new faces
every single control. Results were very impressive, with James Clark coming 1st overall in a time of 34.22, 2nd for Jack Filan in 35.53, 3rd for Bozhidar Georgiev in 37.21 and 4th for Kathryn Bell in 39.05. There were 7 competitors in the orange category so a clean sweep for NUFOC was very impressive. Mark Kostadinov and Emma Peters both opted for the scored event, which had control points spread throughout Jesmond Dene, Armstrong Park and Heaton Park. Mark entered the 45 minute category and was out for 50.06, returning with 520 points (and unfortunately a twisted ankle). Emma entered the 60 minute open category and was out for 58.21 and collected 600 points. This placed Emma 5th out of the 11 women on the 60 minute course. There has been a slight mix up with Mark’s result, so at the time of writing he was listed under results for the 60 minute course, despite having entered the 45 minute course. NUFOC will hopefully be building on the successes from this competition at their next event in North Tyneside on 27th October. Both new and prospective members are very welcome to join training sessions and future events. They can contact club president Elen Norris.
Sports Editor Harry Parsons sumarises repsonses to this weeks news
NUSU
Newcastle University Students Union issued a statement on Friday morning. They emphasised extensive discussions had been taken place and noted that over the past 3 years there has been “much discussion on potential changes” to the format of the competition. NUSU said a 36% reduction in fixtures in “recent years” and the exclusion of sports like cycling, fencing and rowing had all been cut in recent years. They referred to building a “constructive dialogue” with Northumbria to explore ways to “take the varsity forward”.
Raff Marioni NUSU president Raff Marioni, who competed in Stan Calvert in 2016, told Courier Sport that it was becoming “increasingly difficult” to organise the competition. He suggested that the reason for the halting of the cup was “Northumbria’s restructuring” of BUCS funding. In light of this meaning even less sports would be on offered this year, “Newcastle’s student’s appetite to compete has disappeared” he told us and that Stan Calvert has always been an “exciting atmospheric weekend of Sport” and that that had since been lost. He concluded by making it clear that the diluting of the competition, as he called it, and unfair on Newcastle students to “keep trying to salvage it” and “keep playing ball with Northumbria”.
Northumbria Sport
Northumbria Sport’s statement was released last Wednesday and made it firmly clear they want to see the competition go ahead. While not specifying details as to why Newcastle had decided not to go ahead with the competition the statement concluded by requesting both sides “explore other potential opportunities within the sporting calendar”.
Northumbria SU President
Northumbria Student Union president, Simon Noble, issued a separate statement where he firmly placed blame on the “relationship between Northumbria and Newcastle” calling for both parties to “get round the table” to “resolve whatever differences there are”. He emphasised that the competition wasn’t about “who wins or loses”, a sentiment that was shared by many on social media.
Newcastle Korfball Club Newcastle University Korfball Club, who played their first ever Stan Calvert fixture in 2018, told us they were disappointed the varsity wouldn’t be going ahead. “We’re pretty gutted to be honest. As one of the smaller clubs at the university, varsity is something that makes us feel part of Team Newcastle a lot more. The fact we won last year in the first ever one makes it all the more disappointing that we won’t get a chance to do it again this year. It was a great opportunity to showcase the club and the biggest audience we attracted all year.” They also told us they’ve already spoken to Northumbria’s Korfball club to begin organising their own unofficial ‘varsity’ game.
BADMINTON
M1 v Hull 1sts M2 v Hull 2nds W1 v Sheffield Hallam 1sts W2 v Hull 1sts
BASKETBALL
M1 v Loughborough 1sts M2 v York 1sts W2 v York 1sts
5-3 7-1 8-0 8-0 89-94 59-52 61-38
FENCING
ienteering Stan Calvert: The Reaction success With everybody appearing to issue their own statement on Newcastle University’s decision to halt their participation in Stan Calvert, we’ve bought together a full mix of thoughts so you don’t have to trawl through it all.
BUCS RESULTS
Newcastle Water Polo Captain
Adam Courtley is the Mens 1st team Captain for Water Polo at Newcastle. He expressed frustration at the halting of the competition. “From the perspective of both a Newcastle University student, and as a ‘performance sport’ first team captain, the decision to abandon the Stan Calvert competition comes as quite a disappointing blow. The competitive nature of the event serves as an excellent way of optimising performance within the team, but perhaps more importantly, the promotion and ethic of the spectacle has proven to increase participation levels throughout the club. The promise of a Northumbria vs Newcastle matchup, irrelevant of league standings, is undoubtedly a pull factor when recruiting fresher’s; to call a halt to the event is somewhat disheartening and unjust for tradition. It of course must be accepted that there is no Team Newcastle club that doesn’t enjoy smashing the Poly.” Northumbria men’s team beat Newcastle 22-11 in 2018’s competition.
M1 v Durham 2nds M2 v Sheffield 1st M3 v York 1sts M4 v Hull 2nds W1 v Edinburgh 1s M3 v York 1sts M4 v Hull 2nds
91-135 37-135 48-135 107-135 37-135 48-135 107-135
FOOTBALL
M1 v Manchester 1sts M2 v Northumbria 2nds M3 v York St John 9ths W1 v Lancaster 1sts W2 v Sunderland 1sts
GOLF
Mix1 v Shef Hallam 1sts
HOCKEY
M1 v York 1sts W1 v Leeds 1sts W2 v Sheffield Hallam 1sts
NETBALL
15-1 25-4 18-5
W1 v Liverpool 1sts W2 v Leeds 2nds
37-25 31-44
M1 v Leeds Beckett 1sts M2 v Leeds Trinity 1sts
10-60 54-10
RUGBY LEAGUE
RUGBY UNION
M1 v Loughborough 2nds M2 v Hull 1sts M3 v Liverpool 1sts M4 v Huddersfield 1sts M5 v Leeds Beckett 5s W1 v Loughborough 1sts
SQUASH
M2 v Leeds 1sts M3 v York 1sts M4 v Leeds Beckett 3rds W1 v Leeds 1sts W2 v Leeds 2nds W3 v Durham 4s
TABLE TENNIS
Pos
University
7
Bristol
1094
8
Birmingham
1092
M1 v York 1sts M2 v Sheffield Hallam 1sts W1 v Stratclyde 1sts W2 v Leeds 1sts
9
Newcastle ■
1046
10
Cardiff
11
Leeds Beckett
827.5
6-1 4-0 0-3 1-0 4 -2 2-1 27-0
LACROSSE
M1 v Lancaster 1sts M2 v Leeds 2nds
999
2.5-3.5
M1 v Lancaster 1sts M2 v Sheffield Hallam 3rds M4 v York 2nds W1 v Durham 3rds W2 v Sheffield 2nds W3 v Sheffield 3rds W4 v Leeds 8
OVERALL BUCS POSITION Pts
5-3 1-1 4-0 0-0 2-3
TENNIS
VOLLEYBALL
M1 v Leeds 1sts W1 v Sheffield Hallam 2nds W2 v Teeside 1sts
24-15 57-13 0-72 28-19 10-0 7-60 2-3 1-2 3-0 4-0 4-0 0-4
13-4 15-2 10-2 4-8 2-10 0-12
3-2 0-3 3-0
sport the courier
Monday 15th October 2018 Issue 1373 Free @Courier_Sport courier.sport@ncl.ac.uk thecourieronline.co.uk/sport Sport Editors Rebecca Johnson, Harry Parsons, Sydney Isaacs Online Editor Tom Hardwick
Newcastle withdraw from Stan Calvert
Athletes stand in front of two arches Image: NUSU
Harry Parsons & Tom Hardwick Sports Editors
24
Years after the tournaments inception, Newcastle has made the decision to withdraw
For the first time in a quarter of a century Newcastle University has withdrawn from the Stan Calvert Memorial Cup, the annual varsity that takes place between the university and Northumbria. The annual event, in which Northumbria have triumphed for five consecutive years, had been the highlight of the university sporting calendar since its inception in 1994, with over 45 events in the 2018 competition providing opportunities for sports teams to establish dominance over their inter-city rivals. One of the main problems that had developed between Newcastle and Northumbria was that regarding the level of teams that
would compete in Stan Calvert. Maggie Elstob, NUSU Athletic Union officer 2018/19, stated that Northumbria had made a new proposal “to enter their participation teams into the mix.” She stated that Northumbria
One of the main problems that had developed between Newcastle and Northumbria was that regarding the level of teams that would compete in Stan Calvert.
had changed their focus from “elite-centred sport to participation sport, and though they still have BUCS teams these have been mas-
Inside Sport today >>>
CROSS COUNTRY
Newcastle take a trip down Druridge Bay Page 38
sively reduced from what they have been in the past.” Newcastle University has 86 BUCS teams this year whereas Northumbria has just 45, “this divide in terms of the level of competition is rather problematic. Given how many hours of training and organisation go into preparing for Stan Calvert, this proposal would “completely change the structure of the competition” Elstob continued. The suggestion that participation sport teams, like inter-mural sides, could compete against BUCS teams would change the current arrangement between both universties for the competition where, in order to compete in Stan Calvert, you would have to be a registered BUCS team. This move from Northumbria was unpopular with the many teams representing Newcastle University, with Elstob stating “in terms of our clubs, I haven’t really had any resistance. We did it in consultation with them...we said we’re not going further forward with it until our clubs say they want it, we gave them opportunities for feedback and we didn’t get a lot of resistance from our stu-
dents”. During the 2018 edition of Stan Calvert, Northumbria pulled several teams out of their fixtures, leading to a 36% decrease in Stan Calvert games between 2017 and 2018,
‘In terms of our clubs I haven’t really had any resistance. We did it in consultation with them we said we’re not going further forward with it until our clubs say they want it’
Maggie Elstob, NUSU Atheltics Union Officer
as well as frustrating those teams left unable to fulfil their fixtures. Stan Calvert fixtures traditionally took place
over the course of a singular week or weekend, however in recent years this has been less logistically possible. This year 4 weeks separated the first and last fixtures with no agreed upon ‘final’ match as was the case in the 2016 competition where the football teams played at Gateshead International Stadium. Elstob stated that the organisation of a main event “has been one of the problems, and one of the things that I fed back to Northumbria. You want it ideally within the week of competition, and in the past that hasn’t fit in with our season. I think because of the decreasing enthusiasm for the event, it’s harder to get more clubs on board and get them to put Stan Calvert to the forefront.” Two separate statements from Team Northumbria and Northumbria’s Student Union president, Simon Noble, urged both sides to get back round the table to hash out a deal. However with the stance Newcastle University has taken this seems unlikely to be successful for 2019, at least. A roudup of the reaction to the story is on page 39.
BLACK HISTORY MONTH Looking back at some of the most prolific black athletes Pages 38-39