Living for the weekend: The Saturdays are here Culture, page 31
Issue 1197 Monday 2 November 2009 www.thecourieronline.co.uk
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Lecturer in court after child sex allegations ton, prosecuting, told Newcastle Crown Court: “The allegations is he travelled as a sex tourist to Jersey on several occasions. “The analysis of his computer, we say, shows his interest in girls of that age has not changed since 2005 when he was in contact with the 13year-old. “We say as late as February this year there were indecent images of children on his computer so his interest has not waned.â€? Jackson had been a senior lecturer at Newcastle University since 2002 and was in charge of a laboratory investigating the activity of cancer cells. 2YHU WKH ODVW Ă€ YH \HDUV KH KDV FRQ tributed to national research on cell communication, looking at leukemia and prostate cancer cells. Jackson himself was not present at Newcastle Crown Court last week but was represented by his legal team. -XGJH (VPRQG )DXONV DGMRXUQHG for a further hearing which will take place on Wednesday this week, with Jackson remaining on bail. A press statement from Newcastle University read: “Dr Trevor R Jackson was employed by Newcastle University as a senior lecturer for seven years. “The University was informed by the police of the criminal investigation and has been assisting them with their enquiries. Dr Jackson is no longer employed by the University.â€?
Gladiator ready? Newcastle graduate Zoe Williams on her life as Amazon Culture, page 36
Waterstone’s scandal
Ex-PM for EU Presidency?
Counting the calories
Simply Supreme
Thirds in cup shock
The Courier has learnt that the British bookstore chain have been unfairly increasing the price of academic books News, page 4-5
Should Tony Blair become European Union President? Laura Heads and Ross Dent argue for and against Comment, page 13
50% of all girls diet according to a recent poll. Lauren Girling tries it out for herself to see what all the fuss is about Life & Style, page 14
Culture Chat speaks to singer Mary Wilson, a founding member of the female Motown group, The Supremes Culture, page 24
Newcastle men’s football third team produced the result of the day in the %8&6 &XS EHDWLQJ 'XUKDP ¿ UVWV Sport, page 44
David Coverdale Editor A former biomedicine lecturer at Newcastle University has been accused of having sex with a 13-yearold girl. The Journal newspaper reported that Trevor Jackson, 46, is accused RI PDNLQJ Ă€ YH VHSDUDWH MRXUQH\V WR Jersey to have sex with an underage girl he had allegedly contacted over the internet. Jackson, of Lyndhurst Avenue, Jesmond, was arrested when police investigated the trips, allegedly made between 2005 and 2006. He was charged with a number of counts of sexual activity with a child following grooming and released on bail. The former University employee has since been further charged with offences of possessing indecent images of children after his computer was seized during the inquiry and later “interrogatedâ€? by IT experts. Jackson’s case has been adjourned for a further hearing this week Prosecutors say that the pair had sex sessions together in hotels every time he visited the island and had full intercourse on two occasions. The Journal newspaper reported that at a hearing to discuss the future progress of the case, Robin Pat-
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2
Monday 2 November 2009 THE COURIER
Too much for textbooks?
The Union Society, King’s Walk, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8QB. Tel: 0191 239 3940
News Je ne parle pas le francais
> News, page 5 News Editors: Simon Murphy and Jessica Tully - courier.news@ncl.ac.uk
Report claims that modern language degrees are being ‘dumbed down’ Page 6
C. HIGGINSON
Life & Style New York, New York! Travel takes in the sights of the Big Apple Page 19
Culture Newcastle gets creative New ten day festival starts this month in Newcastle - Wunderbar! Page 21
Sport Brum triumph Women’s lacrosse team humiliated by Birmingham at Cochrane Park Page 41
Historic buildings boost morale Charlie Oven
Meetings Timetable: Monday Sport - 11am, Function Suite News - 12pm, Function Suite Comment - 12pm, Function Suite Photos - 1pm, Function Suite Tuesday Life & Style - 12pm, Committee Room A Wednesday Film - 12.30pm, Committee Room A Music - 1pm, Committee Room A Thursday TV & Radio - 11.30am, Committee Room A Arts - 12pm, Committee Room A Editorial Team: ‡ (GLWRU 'DYLG &RYHUGDOH ‡ 'HSXW\ (GLWRU )UDQ ,QIDQWH ‡ 1HZV (GLWRUV -HVVLFD 7XOO\ DQG 6LPRQ Murphy ‡ &RPPHQW (GLWRUV &DUROLQH $UJ\URSXOR Palmer and Nicholas Fidler ‡ /LIH 6W\OH (GLWRUV /DULVD %URZQ $OH[ Felton and Ashley Fryer ‡ &XOWXUH (GLWRU $OLFH 9LQFHQW ‡ $UWV (GLWRU 6WHSKDQLH )HUUDR ‡ )LOP (GLWRU )UDQFHV .URRQ ‡ 0XVLF (GLWRUV 0DUN &RUFRUDQ /HWWLFH DQG Chris Mandle ‡ 79 5DGLR (GLWRU $LPHH 3KLOLSVRQ ‡ 3X]]OHV (GLWRUV 6X]L 0RRUH DQG 1HG Walker ‡ 6SRUWV (GLWRUV 3DXO &KULVWLDQ -DPLH *DYLQ DQG 7RP -DPHV ‡ 'HVLJQ (GLWRU 9LFWRULD %HOO ‡ &XOWXUH 2QOLQH (GLWRUV *RUGRQ %UXFH DQG -HVVLFD 0RQVRQ ‡ 3URRI (GLWRUV 5XWK $OVDQFDN &ODLUH Childs, Kath Harmer, Lucy Houlden, Anna Kenolty, Charlotte Loftus, Emma Peasgood and Claire Russell
The Courier is printed by: Harmsworth Printing Limited, Northcliffe House, Meadow Road, Derby, DE1 2DW. Tel: 01332 253013. Established in 1948, The Courier is the fully independent Student Newspaper of the Union Society at the University of Newcastle-UponTyne. 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 Union Society or the University of Newcastleupon-Tyne.
A recent study by Newcastle University’s Centre for Urban and Regional Development found that an KLVWRULF HQYLURQPHQW KDV D VLJQLÀ cant and positive relationship to a person’s sense of place. The research was part of Heritage Counts 2009, the annual report on the state of the historic environment. 7KH *RYHUQPHQW UHFHQWO\ DF knowledged the impact that the design and condition of places had on crime levels, social wellbeing and regeneration.
However, traditionally there had been no solid evidence of a relationship between living in an area with historic features, and how content people felt in living in a certain place. This suggests the research conducted by the University was unprecedented in nature. As a city, Newcastle is famed for its historic architectural beauty. *UH\ 6WUHHW ZLWK LWV À QH *HRUJLDQ architecture, was listed as one of the best streets in the UK in a 2002 BBC poll. ,Q FRQQHFWLRQ ZLWK WKH VWXG\ LW would follow that those living in Newcastle arguably lead a happy
OLIH *HRUJH .QHDOH D VHFRQG \HDU Architecture student, told The Courier: “The city has some great traditional buildings, but there’s also a subtle balance between the old and WKH QHZ , FRXOGQ¡W LPDJLQH VWXG\ ing anywhere else!â€? ,Q NHHSLQJ ZLWK WKH SRVLWLYH UH sponse, Charlie Roe, a second year Politics and History student, stated: “The historic feel of the city made an immediate impression on me.â€? The outcome of the research arguably helps shed light on the high levels of student satisfaction at Newcastle University. Commenting to The Journal, Professor Mike Coombes of Newcastle
8QLYHUVLW\ DIÀ UPHG ´7KH UHVHDUFK gives robust evidence of social benHÀ WV IRVWHUHG E\ WKH KLVWRULF EXLOW HQ vironment.� 7KLV LV VXSSRUWHG E\ À JXUHV WKDW VKRZ 6HSWHPEHU¡V +HULWDJH 2SHQ Days in Tyne and Wear attracted a record 59 000 visits to 207 buildings. 7KH À JXUHV FOHDUO\ LOOXVWUDWH HQWKX siasm for heritage in the North East. Nevertheless questions remain with regards to safeguarding historic sites with heritage funding for the region in 2008 – 2009 being 35% down on the previous year, as revealed by the Heritage Counts report.
University launches Students hit by postal strike pioneering web course Harriet King Newcastle University, along with North East Fraud Forum, Microsoft DQG WKH 1RUWKHUQ *ULG KDYH LQWUR duced a pioneering new programme which will help parents keep their children safe on the internet. The programme is to be taught in schools, learning centres and other organisations throughout the UK. The aim of the course is to teach parents how to help children use the internet safely, preventing them from becoming victims of cybercrime such as internet grooming and cyber-bullying. ,W DOVR SURPRWHV VDIH XVH RI VRFLDO networking sites such as Facebook. Many parents, while anxious about their children’s internet use, are unaware of the differences in the way in which adults and young people use the web. The protection techniques include a ‘Checkstick’ - a stick that can download a trace of every website that a child has used, a guide that informs parents about social networking and a time out setting, which prevents a child from using the internet late at night without a
parent’s knowledge. As a result of discussions headed up by Newcastle University’s Phil Butler, a former detective chief inspector with Northumbria police, it became clear that not only did parents fear the danger that the internet poses, but they also had a sense of helplessness. Parents felt unable to protect their children about the dangers of the internet, as they lacked the technical know-how and felt unable to constantly supervise children. 2QH DLP RI WKH SURMHFW KDV WKHUH fore been to empower parents, allowing them to help children use the internet safely. Phil Butler, Director of External Relations at the Centre for Cyber Crime and Computer Security at Newcastle University said: “We are delighted with the response by the public so far. “Parents recognise that there is a knowledge gap between their children and themselves in the way that each uses the internet. We hope that the training will serve as a means of closing that gap and help make families in the region that much safer.� For more information on the course go to www.hadrianproject.com.
Katy Covell
With the second rolling postal strike in two weeks, and any hope of the Communication Workers’ Union (CWU) and Royal Mail reaching an agreement fast fading, it is clear WKDW LW LV QRW MXVW EXVLQHVVHV ZKR ZLOO continue to suffer as the postal service remains crippled by the negotiation deadlock. Students who have ordered books and other learning material online are also experiencing delays. Whilst some companies use alternative distributors like UPS, popular student resources websites VXFK DV $PD]RQ DQG :DWHUVWRQH¡V normally use Royal Mail, who are currently estimating the backlog of items undistributed, caused by the À UVW VWULNH DW WKLUW\ PLOOLRQ The CWU, however, claims the number is actually closer to sixtyÀ YH PLOOLRQ Despite taking on thousands of substitute workers to sort the backlog, many customers have still not received items expected weeks ago. Newcastle Law student Tarren Smarr thought she had left plenty of time when she ordered her course ERRN IURP $PD]RQ D ZHHN EHIRUH lectures began.
2YHU D PRQWK ODWHU KHU SDUFHO VWLOO hasn’t arrived. She told The Courier: ´,W¡V IUXVWUDWLQJ EHFDXVH ,¡YH RU dered and paid for the book but it still hasn’t arrived. ´,¡YH EHHQ IRUFHG WR FRPSHWH ZLWK the thirty other students on my course to get hold of the one copy available from the University library.� $IWHU VSHDNLQJ WR DQ $PD]RQ DG visor, Smarr was informed that her book is caught in the backlog at the VRUWLQJ RIÀ FH EXW ZKHQ The Courier spoke to a Royal Mail Customer Services Advisor on Tuesday, they claimed that the build up had been cleared and any orders still not received should be reported to the seller, and any extra payments referred back to Royal Mail. At a time when students are alUHDG\ IHHOLQJ À QDQFLDO SUHVVXUH GXH to delays on loan and grant payments, issues with the delivery of, often expensive, course books and learning resources are only adding to the strain. Whilst strike action continues, sellers recommend spending slightly more money and opting for tracker DQG IDVW GHOLYHU\ RSWLRQV 5R\DO Mail Special Delivery still maintains a next day guarantee.
THE COURIER Monday 2 November 2009
3
NEWS
7KDW¡V DOO IRONV WKH À QDO FXUWDLQ IRU -HVPRQG 3LFWXUH +RXVH Frances Kroon Film Editor Fifteen years after Jesmond Picture House was closed to the public, the old building next to West Jesmond metro was last week demolished following a motion approved by the council back in June. The old building is set to be reSODFHG ZLWK D IRXU VWRUH\ RIÀ FH block, containing shops and a restaurant underneath. Dozens of onlookers watched last week as diggers and machines began the process of reducing the building to rubble. The Picture House will be replaced by D IRXU VWRUH\ RI¿ FH block.
,W ZDV Ă€ UVW RSHQHG WR WKH SXEOLF RQ the 2nd of May, 1921 with a screening of At the Mercy of Tiberius. Better known for screening the ‘high brow’ end of cinema, the cinema initially proved a success with the predominantly middle class residents of West Jesmond, swiftly becoming a core feature of the community. However, since its closure in 1993,
Alice Vincent Commentary , DOZD\V WKLQN LW IXQQ\ KRZ OLWWOH HYHQWV FDQ DGG XS WR VRPHWKLQJ XOWLPDWHO\ UHPDUNDEOH /DVW ZHHN , JRW WKH PHWUR EDFN IURP 6RXWK *RVIRUWK WR DUULYH DW :HVW -HVPRQG PHWUR VWDWLRQ LQ D PDQQHU ,¡G QRW SUHYLRXVO\ H[SH ULHQFHG LQ P\ WZR \HDU UHVLGHQF\ KHUH +DG , QRW , ZRXOGQ¡W KDYH QR WLFHG WKH EXLOGLQJV VFDIIROGLQJ DQG KXE RI DFWLYLW\ DURXQG WKH LFRQLF GLVXVHG -HVPRQG 3LFWXUH +RXVH 6XFK DFWLYLW\ SUREDEO\ GRHVQ¡W VRXQG VR UHPDUNDEOH %XW DV D UHOXFWDQW -HVPRQGLWH WKH -HVPRQG 3LFWXUH +RXVH KDV EHHQ VRPHWKLQJ ,¡YH DOZD\V WDNHQ SOHDVXUH LQ ZDONLQJ SDVW ORRNLQJ DW RU MXVW NQRZLQJ LW ZDV WKHUH 1HYHU D KXJH IDQ RI 2VERUQH 5RDG ,¡YH DOZD\V IHOW 1HZFDVWOH¡V FXOWXUDO DFWLYLW\ DYRLGHG -HVPRQG IRU WKH PRUH GLYHUVH VXEXUEV RI +HDWRQ )HQKDP DQG *RVIRUWK $OWKRXJK , DSSUHFLDWH LWV FRQYHQ LHQFH IRU PH -HVPRQG KDV DOZD\V EHHQ WKH KRPH RI VDIH EXW VPXJ FRQYHQWLRQ DQG RYHUSULFHG KRXVHV WKH PRVW TXLUN\ FUHDWLYLW\ RR]LQJ IURP FUDIW VKRS /H%HDGR RU WKH EDNH \RXU RZQ UDQJH LQ 6WHZDUW &R $ JOLPPHU RI FUHDWLYH DVSLUDWLRQ WKHUHIRUH H[LVWHG LQ WKH IDGHG EHDXW\ RI -HVPRQG 3LFWXUH +RXVH¡V DUW GHFR YHQHHU :KDW LW RQFH VWRRG IRU WKH UHDVRQ IRU LWV GLVUHSDLU DQG ZKDW LW PD\ UHSUHVHQW DJDLQ %HLQJ RULJLQDOO\ RSHQHG LQ GHVLJQHG E\ ORFDO DUFKLWHFWXUDO À UP :KLWH DQG 6WHSKHQVRQ DQG *HRUGLH DUWLVW *HUDOG 'RUPDQ -HVPRQG 3LFWXUH +RXVH UHDOO\ ZDV D PDUN RI WKH *ROGHQ $JH RI &LQ HPD KLWWLQJ WKH 1RUWK (DVW %XLOW WR DFFRPPRGDWH DQ LP SUHVVLYH YLHZHUV WKH 3LFWXUH +RXVH VXUYLYHG WKH ZDU DQG
C. ARGYROPULO-PALMER
the curved building has fallen into disrepair; its white exterior easily overlooked against the happy hour hustle of the Lonsdale pub next to it. The actual decision to close the cinema, though a shame, was hardly surprising. With huge cinema complexes springing up everywhere, it was inevitable that it was the opening of a Warner Brothers nearby that Ă€ QDOO\ Ă€ QLVKHG WKH 3LFWXUH +RXVH off. Despite this, some independent cinemas have thrived in the past decade. The Tyneside Cinema has used its independent status to its advantage, with screenings of ‘cult classics’ and ‘golden oldies’ proving a hit. Unfortunately, the Picture House was not able to utilize its status, authenticity and charm in the same way. The old-fashioned interior, complete with balcony and stalls, retained the nostalgia of former years, and even the sight of the exterior gave a passer by a feeling of what it would be like going to the ψ LFNV¡ LQ WKH ¡V 'XH WR QHJOHFW KRZHYHU LQ LWV Ă€ QDO years it appeared like broken memorabilia from a past generation. It is expected that the cinema will EH FRPSOHWHO\ Ă DWWHQHG E\ WKH HQG of the week.
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² UHJDUGOHVV RI KRZ WHPSRUDU\ WKDW WXUI PD\ EH +RZHYHU WKH IDFW WKDW ´-HVPRQG 3L]]D ([SUHVV¾ SRSV XS DV D VXJ JHVWLRQ RQ *RRJOH VHDUFK ZKHQ \RX W\SH LQ 3LFWXUH +RXVH LV D VDG GHPRQVWUDWLRQ RI LWV UHTXLUHPHQW LQ WKH DUHD WRGD\ ,QVWHDG RI DQ LQWHUHVWLQJ UHVWDX UDQW FRIIHH VKRS PDUNHWSODFH QLJKW FOXE EDU JDOOHU\ RU HYHQ D FLQHPD WKLV EHDXWLIXO EXLOGLQJ LV EHLQJ UD]HG WR WKH JURXQG IRU VRPH QR GRXEW VXSHU VKLQ\ VXSHU VRXOOHVV RIÀ FHV , GDUH VD\ WKDW OLWWOH QRWLFH RI WKHP ZLOO EH WDNHQ LQ WKH PLQG RI PRVW VWXGHQWV DV RI WKH 3LFWXUH +RXVH +RZHYHU LQ P\ PLQG RQH UHVLGLQJ LPDJH ZLOO UHPDLQ RI P\ -HVPRQG WKDW EODFN DQG ZKLWH VLJQ RQ WKH JUH\LQJ EULFNZRUN DORQJVLGH DQ DWPRVSKHULF FORXGHG VN\ ZKLFK , DOZD\V DGPLUHG DV , ZDONHG DORQJ WKH EULGJH RYHU WKH PHWUR RQH RI WKH YHU\ IHZ WKLQJV DERXW -HVPRQG , ZDV SURXG WR OLYH QHDU
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4
Monday 2 November 2009 THE COURIER
NEWS
Waterstone’s employee price hike on academic ! $ ZRUNHU DW RQH RI %ULWDLQ¡V ELJJHVW ERRNVWRUHV KDV WROG KRZ KLV employers have deliberately raised the cost of books in order to cash in on the lucrative student market, reports Christabel Dickson A Waterstone’s employee has acFXVHG WKH UHWDLOHU RI LQà DWLQJ SULFHV RQ D ZLGH UDQJH RI DFDGHPLF WH[WERRNV IRUFLQJ VWXGHQWV WR ´IRRW WKH bill.� The former Newcastle University student, who wishes to remain anonymous, contacted The Courier WR YHQW KLV DQJHU DW WKH SULFH LQFUHDVHV KH ZLWQHVVHG ZKLOH ZRUNLQJ at one of the bookseller’s North East branches. 6\PSDWKLVLQJ ZLWK VWXGHQWV KH told The Courier ´0\ UHDFWLRQ ZKHQ I found out about the price increases ZDV D PL[ RI DQJHU DQG GLVEHOLHI ,W ZDVQ¡W WRR ORQJ DJR ZKHQ , ZDV D VWXGHQW DQG , DP VWLOO FDUU\LQJ WKH debt. ´, IHOW VWXGHQWV GHVHUYHG WR NQRZ ZKDW :DWHUVWRQH¡V ZDV GRLQJ ZLWK WH[WERRN SULFHV ¾ 2Q DYHUDJH RQH RU WZR SRXQGV KDV been added to the recommended retail price of a selection of academic WH[WERRNV LQ VWRUH If a student were to purchase the WH[WERRN œ6RFLRORJ\¡ E\ $QWKRQ\ Giddens on the Waterstone’s webVLWH LW ZRXOG EH PDUNHG DV D œVWXG\ DQG VDYH¡ WH[W E\ ZKLFK \RX FDQ purchase the book with an online discount for £24.69. On their website Waterstone’s
KDYH FRPSDUHG WKLV VDYLQJ WR WKH œOLVW SULFH ¡ ZKLFK LV WKH FRUUHFW UHFommended retail price set by the publisher, stated as £25.99 in order WR KLJKOLJKW WKHLU GLVFRXQW However, if a student were to SXUFKDVH WKH WH[WERRN GLUHFW IURP the Waterstone’s store situated on %ODFNHWW 6WUHHW LQ 1HZFDVWOH œ6RFLRORJ\¡ LV SULFHG DW … RQH SRXQG PRUH H[SHQVLYH WKDQ WKH SXEOLVKHU¡V SULFH 7KHUHIRUH E\ VWDWLQJ WKH œOLVW price’ on their website, Waterstone’s have effectively made their illicit price increases easy to identify. &LWLQJ HFRQRPLFV DV WKH SULPDU\ reason behind the increased prices WKH LQIRUPDQW H[SODLQHG ´2Q SRSXODU WLWOHV VXFK DV +DUU\ Potter and Dan Brown, Waterstone’s ZLOO GLVFRXQW KHDYLO\ WKXV ORVLQJ PDUJLQ RU SURÀWV 7KH LGHD LV \RX JDLQ HQRXJK PDUNHW VKDUH WR PDNH XS IRU WKH ORVW PDUJLQ ´2IWHQ WKLV GRHV QRW KDSSHQ DQG the company does not make as PXFK PRQH\ DV H[SHFWHG 6WXGHQWV DUH IRRWLQJ WKH ELOO IRU WKLV GULYH IRU PDUNHW VKDUH RQ SRSXODU JHQHUDO books, or more accurately the failure WR KLW PDUNHW VKDUH WDUJHWV ¾ +H FRQWLQXHG ´:DWHUVWRQH¡V KDYH also recently developed a central ZDUHKRXVH FDOOHG œWKH +XE¡
´6WRUHV FDQ QR ORQJHU RUGHU GLUHFW from publishers. The warehouse is a disaster and customer orders and DFFRXQW VDOHV DUH WDNLQJ ZHHNV WR arrive. This has resulted in account FXVWRPHUV WDNLQJ WKHLU EXVLQHVV elsewhere and poor customer service. This has hit sales. Waterstone’s DUH ORRNLQJ WR FODZ EDFN SURÀW ¾ 6WXGHQWV UHDFWHG ZLWK RXWUDJH ZKHQ LQIRUPHG RI WKH SULFLQJ VFDP 7KLUG \HDU (QJOLVK /LWHUDWXUH VWXGHQW 0DULD +HQHJKDQ VDLG ´, DP appalled that Waterstone’s have EHHQ GHOLEHUDWHO\ ULSSLQJ RII VWXdents, especially when they have EHHQ SXUSRVHO\ WDUJHWLQJ WKH VSHFLÀF ERRNV WKH\ NQRZ VWXGHQWV DUH required to buy for their courses, and which, for the majority, are very H[SHQVLYH DQ\ZD\ ´$V DQ (QJOLVK /LWHUDWXUH VWXGHQW , have to buy numerous books which can amount to a hundred pounds a WHUP DQG LW GRHVQ¡W KHOS WR ÀQG RXW WKDW :DWHUVWRQH¡V DUH MXVW DGGLQJ WR that cost.� Helen Rennie, a third year ComELQHG 6WXGLHV VWXGHQW DGGHG ´,¡YH ERXJKW ORWV RI WH[WERRNV IURP :Dterstone’s in the past as I’ve always EHOLHYHG WKHP WR PDNH JRRG GLVcounts for students, but I certainly won’t anymore. ´)LQGLQJ RXW WKDW :DWHUVWRQH¡V KDYH EHHQ SXUSRVHO\ FKHDWLQJ VWXdents in order to pay for their own mistakes is just unbelievable.� A Waterstone’s spokesman commented to The Courier ´/LNH PRVW UHWDLOHUV :DWHUVWRQH¡V UHJXODUO\ UHYLHZV LWV SULFHV ZLWK D ODUJH number of products discounted or on promotion at any one time. ´3ULFHV GR SHULRGLFDOO\ FKDQJH DFURVV RXU UDQJH DQG ZH DOZD\V pay attention to how customers reVSRQG WR WKLV ZLWKLQ WKH FRQWH[W RI our wider promotional activities.�
Inside today >>>
Modern language courses on the slide News, page 6
Blair for EU President? Comment, page 13
Caroline Argyropulo-Palmer Commentary I was brought up checking the price per kg of supermarket items to try and work out which size option was the cheapest and if the offers were really worth it. It wasn’t because my family particularly needed to save 3p on a bag of pasta; it was my Dad’s belief that the best deal might need a bit more hunting for. As such, I now use my inadequate maths to add the cost of
What a rip off: Waterstone’s pricing policy has been subject to criticism from one of their own staff
postage on to various Amazon sellers, scour Blackwells, and Waterstone’s, to get the best deal on books I need for my course. This is an option available to everyone; there might not be a price comparison website for WH[WERRNV EXW LW¡V QRW WRR GLIÀFXOW to shop around and thus avoid being ripped off by this underhand pricing. That said, it is underhand. And Waterstone’s deliberate targeting of students to try and recover losses caused by their own mistakes is appalling given the highly publi-
cised amount of debt the average university graduate faces. Buying these books isn’t a choice; we need them to complete our degrees. The library cannot supply 50 copies of every set text (the average size of an English Literature module), and when a book is particularly useful or you might want to annotate it, buying really is the only option. Whilst online shopping often yields cheaper options, if you’ve left it too late, legitimately because the reading list was released late or out of laziness, delivery times
THE COURIER Monday 2 November 2009
5
NEWS
reveals books
Student seriously ill after fall Jessica Tully News Editor $ 1HZFDVWOH 8QLYHUVLW\ VWXGHQW LV FULWLFDOO\ LOO LQ KRVSLWDO DIWHU VXIIHULQJ VHYHUH KHDG LQMXULHV GXULQJ D VSRUWV VRFLDO ODVW :HGQHVGD\ QLJKW 7KH VHFRQG \HDU VWXGHQW ZKRVH IDPLO\ ZLVK KLP WR UHPDLQ DQRQ\PRXV ZDV RXW ZLWK IHOORZ $JULFXOWXUH VWXGHQWV ZKHQ WKH LQFLGHQW KDSSHQHG PDQ\ RI ZKLFK ZHUH PHPEHUV RI WKH $JULFV ,QWUD 0XUDO UXJE\ VLGH ZKR ZHUH RXW IROORZLQJ D PDWFK HDUOLHU WKDW GD\ $IWHU EHLQJ UHIXVHG HQWU\ LQWR SRSXODU VWXGHQW QLJKWFOXE /HJHQGV WKH VWXGHQW VXIIHUHG D VHULRXV IDOO QHDU
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GHQWV H[SUHVVHG WKHLU FRQFHUQV RQ D )DFHERRN JURXS GHGLFDWHG WR WKH VWXGHQW ZKR DW WKH WLPH ZDV LQ D FRPDWRVH VWDWH 7KLV IROORZV D VLPLODU LQFLGHQW DV UHSRUWHG LQ The Courier ZKLFK KDSSHQHG DW 7LJHU 7LJHU WZR ZHHNV DJR 3DUDPHGLFV ZHUH FDOOHG WR WKH FOXE DIWHU D \RXQJ PDOH IHOO IURP D ÀUVW à RRU EDOFRQ\ &RQFHUQ FRQWLQXHV WR EH UDLVHG ZLWKLQ WKH 8QLYHUVLW\ DERXW WKH VDIHW\ LVVXHV SUHVHQWHG E\ WKH GULQNLQJ FXOWXUH RQ :HGQHVGD\ QLJKWV DQG WKH LQFUHDVLQJO\ XQFRQWUROODEOH DQWLFV ZKLFK DULVH IURP WKHVH HYHQWV
Team spirit just wouldn’t be the same without socials Jamie Gavin Commentary Whilst I appreciate no one should feel intimidated when entering a sports club, I feel that socials are an integral and vital part of any club’s make up. Anyone involved in a sports team will tell you Wednesdays are the best days and nights – of their week. It’s not just about turning up at Cochrane Park on a Wednesday afternoon, or going down to 6KHIÀHOG WR SOD\ LW¡V DERXW WKH journey back, meeting up in the Union, and going out as a team, as well as meeting other Team Newcastle clubs. And yes, drinking is a part of it, but it’s not essential, and it doesn’t
have to be stupid amounts. We’ve had people that don’t drink come out, dancing away in Sinners and enjoying our socials as much as those who choose to drink. Call it a ‘drinking culture’ if you like; I call it team spirit, team bonding. We graft hard on a Wednesday afternoon for the University, we play hard on a Wednesday night. It brings everyone together. Lifelong friends are made. When , Ă€UVW VWHSSHG LQ WR WKH Ă€UVW IRRWball social - our ‘welcoming night’ LI \RX ZLOO ² , NQHZ IRXU RU Ă€YH RI my team mates. A week later I had Ă€IW\ QHZ IULHQGV DQ\ RI ZKLFK , felt I knew pretty well - four of which I live with now. Wednesday nights reveal character, and it helps on the pitch
too. Win, lose or draw, you go out, discuss the game, take the piss out of each other and next week you know each other that little bit better, and trust each other that little bit more. Sometimes it goes too far. People can’t train or play because they get injured after being too far gone. That’s ludicrous. Nights out should be a celebration, a commiseration, but they should never result in anyone getting hurt. People should look after each other off the pitch as they do on it. And that goes for Wednesday nights too. Team spirit in any team just wouldn’t be the same without the socials, and as long as the rowdy Wednesdays don’t become ridicuORXV ORQJ PD\ WKH\ FRQWLQXH
Play hard, drink hard, deal with the consequences later Lois Locker Commentary The AU is likely to come under ÀUH DIWHU WZR VHULRXV DFFLGHQWV have taken place on the Wednesday sports night out. Questions will be raised as to why both incidents took place on this particular night. The issue with Wednesday nights out is the sheer number of people involved in teams drinking competitively. Each club is trying to outdo the others to achieve the biggest collective memory loss, have the least amount of possessions by the end of the night and have the biggest number of people arrested.
Even those people who aren’t involved in any sports team at all are drawn into the night, making it busier and messier than any other night of the week. In the last couple of years the national media has often highlighted the stories of sports club initiation ceremonies. These stories have emerged after a student at Exeter University died from a heavy night of drinking in a golf club initiation ceremony. Since then, initiation ceremoQLHV KDYH EHHQ RIÀFLDOO\ EDQQHG However, although no sports club openly uses the term initiation WR 8QLYHUVLW\ RIÀFLDOV LQLWLDWLRQ ceremonies in all but name are certainly taking place: serious drinking tasks are set which fresh-
ers and old-timers alike will be expected to take part in. In many ways the national media has missed the point: by focusing solely on initiation ceremonies they have not noticed the week by week heavy drinking which takes place every Wednesday at every university across the country. However, despite the attempts to draw attention to the issue of sports club drinking, it is unlikely that any changes will occur in the near future. At most universities, the sports night out is renowned as one of the biggest nights out; it’s part of the culture of university sport: play hard, drink harder and deal with the consequences later.
Newcastle University botanist’s research to be resurrected for new pollution survey members, prompting anger amongst Newcastle University students
might not get it to you when you need it. This is especially true since the postal strike furore began. Waiting in for books also isn’t particularly convenient at the best of times, especially if you have left it until after lectures have begun, and even more so when there is QR FKDQFH D ODUJHU WH[WERRN ZLOO ÀW through the letter box. Sometimes buying the book from a shop and getting hold of it that day is simply the best option. And walking across town to check if Blackwells or Waterstone’s is
H. HAYES
cheaper is much harder than a few Google searches on your computer. You want to be able to buy a book knowing that it is reasonably priced, and that whilst it might not be as cheap as you could have got it, that the extra few pounds simply pays for convenience and speed. Not that you have unwittingly been paying well over the odds of normally buying a book from a retailer, and all because students are the easiest target to foot the shop’s bad management bill.
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ZLWK OLFKHQ JXLGHV DQG ZRUNERRNV IRU UHFRUGLQJ SODQWV DQG PRVVHV 6SHDNLQJ WR 1HZFDVWOH %LRORJ\ VWXGHQWV WKHUH ZDV D VHQVH RI SULGH WKDW RQH RI RXU RZQ ERWDQLVWV ZDV EHLQJ UHFRJQLVHG &KDUORWWH +LUVW VHFRQG \HDU %LRORJ\ VWXGHQW WROG The Courier ´$V OLFKHQV DUH VXFK JRRG LQGLFDWRUV RI DLU SROOXWLRQ OHYHOV FRPELQHG ZLWK WKH IDFW WKDW WKHUH LV QR FRVW RU HIIRUW LQ WKHLU VHW XS WKHLU SRWHQWLDO DV QDWXUDO LQGLFDWRUV VKRXOG GHÀQLWHO\ EH WDNHQ DGYDQWDJH RI ,W¡V IDQWDVWLF WR VHH WKDW 'U *LOEHUW¡V ZRUN LV EHLQJ FRQWLQXHG ¾ $Q\ERG\ ZLVKLQJ WR JHW LQYROYHG LQ WKH SURJUDPPH RU ZDQWLQJ IXUWKHU LQIRUPDWLRQ VKRXOG HPDLO .DW\ %DUQDUG DW katy.barnard@ncl.ac.uk
6
Monday 2 November 2009 THE COURIER
NEWS
National
Dumb and dumber: language courses slipping in standards? Olivia-Marie Viveiros UK Universities have been accused of “dumbing downâ€? language degrees in the hope of attracting new students, according to a new report. Michael Worton, the Vice-Provost of University College London, was ordered to carry out the report by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), after several departments had to close due to lack of funding for research, and a fall in interest from students. The report shows student numbers KDYH GHFUHDVHG E\ LQ WKH ODVW Ă€YH years and a third of departments have closed in the last seven years. The government have been accused of neglecting language degrees by focusing their funding on science, technology and engineering. Universities have also been accused of “betrayingâ€? the discipline by replacing pure language courses with “cultural studiesâ€? and translating texts that students are supposed to interpret. Worton believed the decrease in numbers was a result of the government ending compulsory language modules at GCSE level. He told The Guardian: “The greatest source of current anxiety is the lack of funding which is forcing many departments to cut back.â€? The number of UK students taking language degrees decreased from 3.3 % to 2.9% between 2003 and 2008. The most affected area in the UK was England, after numbers dropped from 3.2% to 2.7%. The number of full time language students dropped by 5%, compared with an 11% increase in students attending university. Numbers would have dropped even further, had it not been for an increase in European students ap-
plying to study languages in the UK, as well as Italian, Spanish and Mandarin increasing in popularity.
More students are also now taking languages as a subsidiary to their main degree.
Mandelson calls for increased vigilance of university standards Caroline Argyropulo-Palmer Comment Editor As the rise of tuition fees seems increasingly inevitable, Lord Mandelson is hoping that teaching standards will rise with them. The business secretary wants to toughen up the monitoring of universities as debate continues as to how much more students should pay for higher education. Although the fees review will not be released until after the general election, there is a consensus that the current cap of £3,225 will be lifted, with vice chancellors arguing for fees of up to £7,000 a year. Mandelson’s plans include increasing the number of inspections carried out by the universities watchdog, the Quality Assurance Agency (QAQ). This comes after claims that uniYHUVLWLHV KDYH EHHQ LQà DWLQJ JUDGHV and that the divide between the value of degrees from different universities is widening. Lord Mandelson’s plans could see degree awarding powers removed from some institutions. As well as increasing the watchdog’s power, Mandelson has also
urged students to demand more from their universities and adopt the attitude of “consumersâ€?. He told The Guardian: “As students who go into higher education pay more, they will expect more and are entitled to receive more in terms, not just of the quality of courses, but the whole experience they receive during their time in the higher education system. “If there is a degree of passivity, then I hope that without enjoining our student population to take to the barricades, I hope they will be more picky, demanding and choosy as consumers of the higher education experience.â€? The issue of passivity was taken up by Newcastle lecturer Professor Peter Reynolds, who told The Courier: “Although I loathe the increasLQJ FRPPRGLĂ€FDWLRQ RI HGXFDWLRQ , agree that students need to be more demanding of their lecturers, and that lecturers too should continue to make their own demands in return. “This has nothing to do with the level of fees, it is about the collaborative nature of higher education. Lecturers are a valuable resource, but they need to be used if students want a return on their investment. “For example, my colleagues held
two hour feedback sessions last week, where students could come and discuss their performance in the last semester. In two hours I saw four students out of a possible 90. “As you know, in common with other Schools in the Faculty, we operate a personal tutor system and KDYH UHJXODU RIĂ€FH KRXUV ZKHQ WXtees (or anyone) can drop in without an appointment. Apart from the beginning of the academic year, my RIĂ€FH KRXUV DUH UDUHO\ GLVWXUEHG E\ the presence of any students.â€? There does seem to be an increase in student response however, as at Newcastle University, the level of participation in the National Student Survey rose this year, with an increased response on 65%, beating the sector average of 62% for the Ă€UVW WLPH
Inside today >>>
Nick Kershaw slams the British drinking culture Comment, page 11
Worton said universities had to be honest about the way they were WHDFKLQJ ODQJXDJHV DQG UHĂ HFW RQ
the range of degrees they offer. “It’s time to stop complaining and recognise that universities must take possession of their agenda. The danger is that it becomes a purely undergraduate disciplineâ€? he told The Guardian. At Newcastle University, the report has spread opinion. Samuel Anaya Guzman, lecturer in Spanish, told The Courier: “It’s easy to generalise, but this “dumbing downâ€? is certainly not the case at Newcastle. We get keen students from all over the country wanting WR GR ODQJXDJHV DQG ZH GHĂ€QLWHO\ don’t compromise on standards. “They have to work hard to get good results. Our courses are challenging and exciting, and we always have very positive feedback consistently from students. He continued: “It’s a very generalised statement, which isn’t fair. It undermines people’s hard work, such as the Modern Languages staff at Newcastle University who were disappointed by accusations.â€? James Brown, forth year German and Politics student commented: “I have always found language modules at Newcastle very thorough. It’s easy to brand languages as “dumbed-downâ€? when talking about cultural modules, but these are often the most interesting.â€? However, Fran Infante, forth year Spanish and English Literature Combined Honours student told The Courier: “I personally think cultural modules are a waste of time, but it’s not much of a problem for me as I’m also studying English Literature. “If I was coming to university to study straight languages I wouldn’t be pleased at having to study Latin American Cinema or equally pointOHVV PRGXOHV WR Ă€OO XS FUHGLWV Âľ
League table plan for universities Dan Robinson The achievements of university courses could be assessed by new measures in an extensive government-funded cost-cutting programme, which would see an overhaul of the current rating system. Performance should be based on the number of students who drop out, earnings of graduates, employment rate, overall student satisfaction, and inspection results, according to a review by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKces). Each course would be ranked in league tables similar to those used for schools and hospitals, while institutions would also be encouraged to consider their social responsibilities. Recruitment of “risky� students, and the shaping of courses to offer more relevance to local employers, would lead to higher performance results for colleges as part of the proposals. Chris Humphries, chief executive of UKces, told The Guardian: “Employers have a real problem getting people with the right skills, and our system is pretty unresponsive and massively complex. You could slim the process right down, save money and improve courses.� He stated that while the proposals
would initially be applied to further education, he hoped it would be extended to higher education in the future. Colleges would also follow universities in establishing capped fees for training courses, with students and employers required to share the costs between them. The move would allow the government to force poorly rated courses to improve or close.. Hundreds of millions of pounds could be saved in the scheme, as the new system would put consumer pressure on courses and reduce the need for the huge planning bureaucracy behind the system. The UKces review was ordered over a year ago and will be highly LQĂ XHQWLDO LQ D IRUWKFRPLQJ UHYDPS of the skills system to improve training provision, as Britain seeks to recover from the recession by retraining people. However, the plans are likely to attract controversy, due to the apparent failure of the league table system in schools and hospitals. Sally Hunt, general secretary of the University and Colleges Union, told The Guardian: “The league table culture has been a disaster in schools and hospitals. If applied to universities it will lead to a narrowing of the curriculum and an impediment to innovationâ€?.
THE COURIER Monday 2 November 2009
7
National
University accused of racial discrimination Jack Torrance A student of the University of Aberdeen has accused staff of racial discrimination. The 35 year-old female from Bangalore, India, has lodged a complaint with the university along with the Indian high commission in London. Allegations include Indian students being deliberately given the lowest marks in the class, and ra-
cial comments being made between staff. She also claimed that Indian students were given inaccurate information in order to hamper their progress. A spokesperson for the university FRQĂ€UPHG WKH\ KDYH UHFHLYHG D FRPplaint of racial discrimination, and said: “The University of Aberdeen is committed to the equal treatment of all persons regardless of their race, origin or colour.â€?
Prison for Kenyan student in Bristol Bristol student Felista Peters was just days away from graduating when she was arrested for being in the UK on false pretences, a court heard. Kenyan-born Peters had used a IDNH ELUWK FHUWLĂ€FDWH DQG SDVVSRUW WR forge herself a lifestyle based on lies, ZKLFK FXOPLQDWHG LQ WKH 1+6 IXQGing her to the tune of ÂŁ34,800 for a three-year radiology course at the
8QLYHUVLW\ RI WKH :HVW RI (QJODQG in Bristol. 3HWHUV SOHDGHG JXLOW\ WR SRVsessing false identity documents with intent; obtaining a money transfer by deception; obtaining services by deception and two charges of using a false instrument with intent. She has been sentenced to 19 months in prison.
Mature student graduates despite rent arrears 0DULD /DYHOOH D \HDU ROG PDWXUH student previously denied the right to graduate has won her case in an out of court settlement. She was in debt to the University RI :LQFKHVWHU DIWHU UHIXVLQJ WR SD\ rent on accommodation which she considered to be inappropriate. :KLOVW LQ GHEW WR KHU XQLYHUVLW\ she would have been barred from JUDGXDWLRQ +RZHYHU GXH WR KHU
settlement, Ms Lavelle will now JUDGDWH ZLWK D LQ KHU SHUIRUPLQJ arts degree. A spokesperson from the universiW\ VDLG ´:H KDYH UHDFKHG DQ DJUHHment in order to save costs, and the university has not made any admission of liable with respect to it’s right to bar students from graduating while in debt.�
Muslim refused entry to Burnley college Shawana Bilqes, an 18-year-old student from Burnley had been barred from enrolling at college there, after refusing to remove her Burqa. The college defended their decision, saying that face to face contact was vital for the teaching process.
They also suggested that it was important for all faces to be visible for safety reasons. Miss Bilqes defended herself, saying: “It is my choice to wear the veil. I tried to compromise but they wouldn’t.�
Drama student cleared of sleepwalk rape
Student costume blaze causes severe burns
1LFN :DONHU KDV EHHQ FOHDUHG RI raping a woman during a sleepover in student accommodation in Finsbury Park last year. :DONHU D IRUPHU VWXGHQW RI WKH Royal College of Dramatic Arts told police interviewers: “I can’t remem-
A student studying at the University of Leeds has been admitted to 3LQGHUĂ€HOGV +RVSLWDO LQ :DNHĂ€HOG IROORZLQJ DQ DWWDFN LQ WKH +HDGLQJley Taps pub in Leeds. The 19 year-old student, who was wearing a sheep costume made of cotton wool, was drinking with two
ber physically doing it. I was not drunk and if I did do it, it was in my sleep.� It took the jury of Snaresbrook Court, East London, where the victim was tried, only an hour to acquit him of charges.
other students who also suffered PLQRU EXUQV DV D UHVXOW RI WKH ÀUH :HVW <RUNVKLUH 3ROLFH DUUHVWHG WZR men from Portsmouth in connection with the incident. One of the suspects was released without charge whilst the other was bailed pending further enquiry.
NEWS
New campus set for Darlington Claire Childs A proposal for a new Teesside University campus at Darlington has been approved. 7KH QHZ Â… P Ă€YH VWRUH\ EXLOGing will house 1,000 students and will offer teaching, catering and administration facilities, as well as business conference rooms. Initially, Sport England and the Association of North-East Councils were concerned about the location of the building site, which will be based next to Darlington College’s football pitches. It was feared that these pitches would be lost during the redeYHORSPHQW +RZHYHU VXEMHFW WR contracts, plans have now been made for the pitches to be relocated to Blackwell Meadows. It is hoped that the new campus will give a boost to the local area’s economy, as well as providing employment opportunities. The new campus was approved shortly after Teesside University was named ‘University of the <HDU¡ LQ The Times +LJKHU (GXFDtion awards. The University is also currently running a television advert campaign to promote the establishment. A key question is whether the new campus at Darlington will provide competition for Newcastle University. Second year English Literature & Language student Faye Telfer told The Courier: “I don’t think that Teesside will be that much of a threat to Newcastle, as our University is a very well-established centre for education.â€?
There’s a reason we only hired 5% of applicants last year. It takes nothing less than total dedication to handle the complexity and sheer scope of an organisation that looks after 60 million people from their very ďŹ rst breath. Combine this with the 1.3 million staff it takes to provide the service, and you can see why management roles really don’t come much bigger than this. After gaining further professional qualiďŹ cations on placements across England, you’ll get the chance to wield real inuence within one of the most innovative and forward thinking organisations in the world. To ďŹ nd out when we’ll be visiting your campus, or to discover more about our Graduate Management Training Scheme, just visit our website at www.nhsgraduates.co.uk
www.nhsgraduates.co.uk
8
Monday 2 November 2009 THE COURIER
NEWS
Editorial
Editorial Editor: David Coverdale - editor.union@ncl.ac.uk
Union Society showcases services S. OAKES
This Friday, Newcastle University Students’ Union celebrates the best of what it has to offer, with a packed day of activities, competitions, food, drink and even a world record attempt. The aim of Union Day is to showcase the services that the Union provides for students and to raise awareness in those students who see the Union as little more than a place to spend time in between lectures. From 11am, the Union Society tent will be open all day for information about all of the services on offer, as well as Big Brother style diary room sessions where you can make your voice heard and give feedback on what you think about your Students’ Union. If you want feeding then there will be a hog roast outside and you will also be able to buy toffee apples to KHOS FHOHEUDWH %RQĂ€UH 1LJKW ZLWK Newcastle Student Radio providing the music on the lawn. Inside the building, the Union brings to you the ‘Wall of Debt’ for all the information you need about the government’s proposal on lifting the cap on tuition fees and NUS’ town takeover later this month. There will be a Guitar Hero Championship in Mens Bar from 12pm, while Union Day will also coincide ZLWK WKH RIĂ€FLDO ODXQFK RI WKH 8Qion’s legendary dance night Arcane, with tickets going on sale for December’s end of term blowout, now in its 16th year. One of the biggest events of the day will be the world record attempt held by Give it a Go in the Basement at 1pm, for the largest number of people participating in a game of Musical Bumps. If you’ve always wanted your name in the Guinness Book of World Records just come along to the Basement on the day and join in. Then, the Athletics Union presents you with Dodgeball, back by popular demand after a successful debut at last year’s Union Day. Replicating WKH KLW Ă€OP RI WKH VDPH QDPH WKH
Vacancies www.careers.ncl.ac.uk/vacancies The Careers Service provides information DQG DGYLFH RQ GHYHORSLQJ \RXU VNLOOV ¿QGLQJ a part-time job, work experience, supporting business start-up and (when the time comes) exploring graduate opportunities. For more details about these and other vacancies, including details of how to apply, visit their website at www.ncl.ac.uk/careers. Vacancies brought to you by the Careers Service: Job Title: Outbound Customer Sales Advisor - Call Centre Employer: Barclays PLC Business: Corporate, retail & international banking Closing date: 20/11/2009 Salary: £16,000 pro rata + commission + EHQH¿WV Basic job description: As a Customer Sales Advisor, your job is to gain an insight into the person’s life on the other end of the phone, VR \RX FDQ RIIHU WKHP WKH SHUIHFW ¿QDQFLDO products to suit their needs. And how will you offer the right service to the right person? By using your solid sales background to call current Barclays customers, review their current banking needs, and identify the additional products and services that will help them betWHU KDQGOH WKHLU ¿QDQFHV 3DUW 7LPH VKLIW SDWterns are: Mon - Thurs 17:00 - 20:00 and all
COUNCIL COMMITTEES Below is a list of available positions on a whole range of essential committees. To get a place on any of these just come along to Union Council this Thursday 5th November at 5.15pm, which will be held in the Function Suite in the Union. If you can’t make Union Council then SOHDVH HPDLO (GXFDWLRQ 2IÀFHU (PPD Budge at education.union@ncl.ac.uk saying which position you are interested in. ‡ 0HGLD ([HFXWLYH ‡ 'LYHUVLW\ ([HFXWLYH ‡ &RPPXQLW\ ([HFXWLYH ‡ :HOIDUH DQG &LWL]HQVKLS ([HFXWLYH ‡ 6WHHULQJ &RPPLWWHH ‡ (OHFWLRQV &RPPLWWHH ‡ 2IÀFHU 3HUIRUPDQFH 5HYLHZ %RG\ ‡ )LQDQFH &RPPLWWHH ‡ 6FUXWLQ\ &RPPLWWHH ‡ 2SHQ SODFHV RQ 8QLRQ &RXQFLO There are also positions on the following University Committees: ‡ /LEUDU\ $GYLVRU\ *URXS ‡ 1RUWKXPEULDQ 8QLYHUVLWLHV 0LOLWDU\ Education Committee ‡ %ODFNERDUG 6WHHULQJ JURXS ‡ 4XDOLW\ DQG 6WDQGDUGV 6XE &RPmittee ,I \RX ZDQW WR ÀQG RXW DERXW DQ\ RI these positions and what they involve then please email Yoshiko Stokoe at GHPRFUDF\UHSRIÀFHU XQLRQ#QFO DF XN or Emma Budge at education.union@ncl.
Dodgeball event will kick off in the Basement at 5pm. If you fancy getting involved you need to register your team by 4th November and pay the £10 entry fee as there are limited places available. Fancy dress is encouraged – the more lycra the better! The Union bars are getting involved in the action with Xbox competitions and drinks offers (including £1 pints, bottles of VK and J2O) throughout the afternoon. There will also be a pub quiz in Mens Bar from 5pm, which is
Saturdays 9:00 - 15:30. Person requirements: If you have a strong background in sales - and we’re open-minded about both the industry and the sales role you’ve worked in - this is your chance to experience much more than just another call FHQWUH MRE $V ORQJ DV \RXœUH UHVLOLHQW ¿UHG XS by a challenge and can make sure our customers get the best from Barclays, we’ll make sure you enjoy a brighter future in a better place to work. We’ll judge you on your ability and nothing else. Location: Sunderland, Doxford Park. Job Title: Bar and Waiting Staff Employer: &RQ¿GHQW &KRLFH Business: Recruitment Agency Closing date: 20/12/2009 Salary: NMW Basic job description: A local recruitment agency is looking for experienced Bar and Waiting Staff to work over the Christmas period. The days and hours of this post are ÀH[LEOH WR VXLW Person requirements: You must have previous bar or catering experience. Location: Newcastle upon Tyne Job Title: Sales Assistant (Maternity Cover) Employer: Jane Norman Limited Business: Fashion Retailers Closing date: 31/10/2009 Salary: NMW (depending on age) Basic job description: The Jane Norman store in Eldon Square is currently looking for a Sales Assistant to work on a temporary nine month contract to cover maternity leave. Duties include, among others: serving customers, dealing with customer enquiries, providing a high level of customer service, keeping
brought to you by RAG (Raise and Give), the Union’s charity week which takes place in February. Give it a Go are showing various ÀOPV GXULQJ WKH GD\ DQG WKHUH ZLOO be opportunities to try out some of the activities that some of the Union’s many societies get up to, such DV D ÀOP VKRZLQJ ZLWK WKH ,QGRQHsian Society in Committee Room A at 11am. SHAG (Sexual Health And Guidance) also returns to the Union as Welfare and Campaigns (WAC) encourage students to take a free
the store tidy, replenishing stock, and cash handling. You will be required to work a minimum of 15 hours per week, however you PXVW EH ÀH[LEOH ZLWK \RXU WLPH Person requirements: Experience is not essential as full training will be provided. You must have an interest in fashion, have a con¿GHQW DQG HQWKXVLDVWLF DSSURDFK WR \RXU ZRUN and be good with dealing with members of the public. Location: Eldon Square Shopping Centre, Newcastle Upon Tyne Job Title: Temporary Canvas Stretcher Employer: Transform Your Images Business: Photo product specialists Closing date: 30/11/2009 Salary: £6 per hour Basic job description: Transform Your Images is a company that enables customers to choose and design their own original art work. The Eldon Square store is currently looking to take on a temporary Canvas Stretcher to work during the busy Christmas period. Duties will include: canvas stretching, putting frames together, quality control and customer VHUYLFH 7KH KRXUV RI WKLV SRVW DUH ÀH[LEOH and will be discussed at interview. Person requirements: Experience is not essential however sales experience is preIHUUHG <RX PXVW KDYH DQ LQWHUHVW LQ WKH ¿HOG ideally with the aim of a career in the industry. You MUST be available to work over the Christmas vacation period. Location: Eldon Square Shopping Centre, Newcastle Upon Tyne
chlamydia test and numerous condom fairies will be circulating in the crowds, handing out little square packets to promote the importance
of sexual health and safe sex. It’s never too late to get involved in your Students’ Union and Union Day is the perfect chance to see the huge amount of activities you can join so come along to support and promote.
10
Monday 2 November 2009 THE COURIER
Blair is back > The Debate, page 13 Comment Editors: Caroline Argyropulo-Palmer and Nicholas Fidler - courier.comment@ncl.ac.uk
We’ve got your number Lois Locker Do you fancy becoming known as a ‘domestic extremist’? Don’t worry, you don’t have to have a criminal record; you simply have to have your photo documented by the police at an open protest event. The police can then label you as a potential troublemaker, despite the fact that you have never committed any sort of crime. A recent investigation by The Guardian has discovered that the police are using what are known as ‘spotter cards’ to identify people who may cause disorder at demonstrations and protests. Each spotter card has a large number of passport sized photos labelled with letters. Unbeknownst to the activists involved, secret intelligence has been used to build up a database of disorder, causing SURWHVWHUV WR EHFRPH LGHQWLĂ€ DEOH LQ a crowd. The police can then use this intelligence to track protesters across the country. Any different type of protest movement can be tracked; from extreme right wing parties such as the English Defence League to environmental extremists like Climate Camp and Plane Stupid campaigns. The act of gathering data of this sort is quite a concerning issue. It points to a belief that the police have the right to use any sort of information available to them in order to prevent crime. In the case of the spotter cards, it enables the police to categorise people as ‘domestic extremists’, turning them into suspects for a crime that has not yet been committed. The use of this language shows an
DEXVH RI WKH SROLFH¡V DELOLW\ WR LQĂ X ence society; the word extremist has terrorist connotations and certainly insinuates a level of activism beyond chaining yourself to a gate. A quick browse of the police guidelines for public protests and trade disputes illustrates their attitude to demonstrations by placing a huge emphasis on ‘physical security’. This is perhaps unsurprising, as the police are there to protect the public and preserve law and order; after all, protest wouldn’t be protest unless there was some objection to it.
Simultaneously we want the police to have the right to clamp down on criminals and yet be able to preserve our civil liberties In fact, there is public support for the police to have all the powers necessary to protect society. More and more now, the police are expected to intervene in all aspects of daily life, including dealing with problems such as anti-social behaviour- an issue traditionally left to parents, teachers and the local community. There are often cries from opposition parties, the media and the public for the police to have more power. Clearly they are thinking of more handcuffs on wrists for wrongdoers, but the greatest power at the police’s disposal is its intelligence. The building up of a database of ‘domestic extremists’ is just one
example of the police using their power to stop crime. The massive amount of CCTV now installed and the DNA database are further examples of the ways police use intelligence to prevent and detect crime. Yet there is a huge aversion to all of these measures; they are often branded as an invasion of privacy with message boards scattered with Orwellian references to Big Brother. Therein lies the massive contradiction; we want the police out of our private lives, without our details logged and statistically analysed,
but we still want to see crimes stopped that can only be prevented through intelligence. So can we really ask the police to live up to this inconsistency? Simultaneously we want the police to have the right to clamp down on criminals and yet still be able to preserve our civil liberties! In a fair and open society I think we should be able to ask as much. Everyone in the UK has a right to privacy and free speech, but there are also expectations that society should be mostly free from crime. It
should be possible for the police to act proportionately to a situation. Informed discretion and common sense should be used to establish when it is fair and necessary to gather data about possible offenders. In the case of the police spotter cards, not everyone ever stopped by the police at a protest is likely to cause violence or create massive public disorder. As a state organisation, the police should be able to exert power but not abuse it.
Womb transplants should bring hope, not fear Tarren Smarr Is it possible that science may be going one step too far? Scientists from the United Kingdom claim that the ZRUOG PD\ VHH LWV À UVW VXFFHVVIXO womb transplant within the next two years. It was only a year ago that Dr. Sherman Silber, based in the United 6WDWHV FDUULHG RXW WKH À UVW RYDU\ transplant that lead to the birth of a EDE\ JLUO 7KH VFLHQWLÀ F FRPPXQLW\ sees the most logical next step as a complete womb transplant. A womb transplant would allow for a woman to carry her own child. Conception would be performed through IVF and delivery would be a caesarean section as the transplanted womb may be unable to endure natural birth. Though it seems as though science is making miraculous discoveries every day, womb transplantation isn’t a completely new idea. Back in 2003, the Americans said it would only take them three years to complete a full womb transplant that would result in a successful full
term pregnancy. Six years later, the Americans still haven’t been successful. America is not the only country that has accompanied Britain on this research. Saudi Arabia tried to imSOHPHQW WKH À UVW VXFFHVVIXO ZRPE transplant in 2000. It even lasted 100 days before the host body rejected the womb. Should womb transplants fall unGHU WKH SKUDVH œLI DW À UVW \RX GRQ¡W succeed, try again?’ Claims against womb transplants often reference surrogacy. If a
woman is unable to have a child of her own, why not use a surrogate? Unfortunately, in some countries surrogacy is illegal. In other countries, regardless if the birth parents chose their surrogate, the woman who actually gives birth to the child is recorded as the parent. This could cause many legal issues for the couple who used the surrogate because it allows for the parHQW OLVWHG RQ WKH ELUWK FHUWLÀ FDWH WR SRWHQWLDOO\ À JKW IRU FXVWRG\ RI WKHLU child later on. Whilst on the topic of surrogates, their use carries many downsides, including lifestyle. It is almost impossible to control every lifestyle factor of the surrogate. They may put themselves and the baby in compromising situations, including alcohol and drug consumption. On another note, some researchers claim that the surgery involved is a risk. Surgery in the abdominal region is believed to pose a higher risk than other surgeries due to the complicated nature of that area. All surgery poses a risk to the individual because no one, not even surgeons, can be 100% sure how the
body will react to the procedure. Obviously, the host will know and understand the risks before such an operation. On the other hand, there are many SRWHQWLDO EHQHÀ WV WR ZRPE WUDQV plantation. Think of all the women ZKR À JKW FHUYLFDO FDQFHU GXULQJ their early 20s- many of whom have not yet had the chance to have children. Womb transplantation would allow an alternative to surrogacy and adoption. Just think of all the women who were born without a womb or had theirs removed due to a medical emergency. The option to have a womb transplant would enable these women to carry their own children. Individuals who opposed womb transplants believe there is cause for concern for the baby itself while it is developing in the womb. Main arguments centre on immunosuppressant drugs that are used to prevent the rejection of transplanted organs. There have been several studies of female patients who have had transplants taking immunosuppressant drugs during their pregnancy.
The results of the studies have not shown any negative or adverse affects. In all, womb transplants pose PDQ\ EHQHÀ WV LQFOXGLQJ WKH VLPSOH idea of hope. The idea alone provides women with the hope of being able to carry their own child. It’s the hope of possibility that has led to between 40-50 UK women being screened for the future procedure. Two years’ time may be a bit optimistic, but maybe we need a little optimism in the world. In reality, womb transplantation is a heavy topic to discuss. Like everything, there are positives and negatives to the argument, and of course ethical considerations. But, if you needed a heart transplant, would anyone stop you? The medical community performs transplants every day; enriching the lives of the people who are somehow saved by them. Why should we deny a woman a means of improving her quality of life and potentially the lives of those around her? I say thumbs up to womb transplantation.
THE COURIER Monday 2 November 2009
11
COMMENT
0RUDOV DQ\RQH" James Stubbs Columnist
$ VWUDZSHGR RI À QH ZLQH Nick Kershaw
This is not a sandwich. 1R LW¡V QRW 1RW UHDOO\ <HV LW¡V WZR SLHFHV RI EUHDG ZLWK D tasty vegetable and/or meat À OOLQJ EXW LW¡V QRW D VDQGZLFK sandwich. As I look into the mirror contemplating the correct wording for my lunch I am reminded of a similarly bizarre conversation that was watched the world over a few weeks ago when Whoopi Goldberg appeared on an American talk show, claiming that the director Roman 3RODQVNL¡V FRQIHVVHG VH[ ZLWK D drugged and drunk 13 year old JLUO ZDVQ¡W œUDSH UDSH¡ Hmmm, it must just have been a little bit of rape then. Whatever :KRRSL¡V YLHZ RQ ZKDW GRHV RU GRHVQ¡W FRQVWLWXWH D IXOO DPRXQW RI œUDSH¡ LQ WKLV FDVH JLYLQJ D very young girl Quaaludes and champagne and then sodomisLQJ KHU WKHUH LV GHÀ QLWHO\ VRPH RQH LQ WKH ZURQJ KHUH DQG LW¡V not the girl. This is an example of a fairly clear-cut instance of the R word, even if various acclaimed actors and directors insist that, EHFDXVH RI 3RODQVNL¡V DELOLWLHV behind a camera, he is not accountable for his actions. ,W¡V REYLRXV %XW IDU IURP WKH highs and lows of Hollywood, in the life of a humble student, things are not always so black and white, especially when the ingestion of alcohol and tranquilisers, by both sexes, is in full swing. ,¡P QRW WDONLQJ DERXW VRPHRQH spiking a drink and then pouncLQJ RQ LWV XQZLWWLQJ GULQNHU WKDW¡V UDSH There are times, however, when the line is blurred. I know of a guy who, after having kissed a girl he knew in a club one night, went home with his friends thinking nothing more of it. Later, after she sent him a text saying to come over, he did just that, and they ended up in bed. Her housemate, hearing the two together, arrived on the scene, reminding her that she had a boyfriend- at this point unknown by the now frustrated, but apologetic, young man. He went home. And a few days later, heard from friends that the girl had told her housemate he had taken advantage of KHU HYHQ WKRXJK VKH KDG LQYLW ed him over at 3am, hardly, in his mind, for tea and biscuits. He went over, but made no attempts to make her do anything against her will. 7KH\ ZHUH ERWK SUHWW\ GUXQN after all that was how they had come to be in this situation in WKH À UVW SODFH LW¡V QRW DQ XQFRP mon situation among students, but regardless, rather than admit the truth, she made a quick decision to lie and save face in front of her friend, thinking little of the harm it might cause. 7KLV FUHDWHV SUREOHPV DV FDVHV like this will always undermine real occurrences that go untold all the time, and I in no way mean to do that. So when do fun drunken fumblings turn into something much more sinister? 7KDW¡V HDV\ WR DQVZHU VLQFH as sure as a sandwich is a sandwich, rape is rape. You just have to watch out for the Polanskis and those who cry wolf.
The Master Distiller at Vladivar Vodka describes the taste of their drink as “breathtaking coolness with the subtle nuances of spearmint which lingers long in the PRXWK Âľ $UH WKHVH WKH Ă DYRXUV ZH delighted in last time we took a shot of this popular vodka? Firstly, we probably did not specify which brand of vodka we desired. Then, I expect, most of us either knocked it back as quickly as is humanly possible, or else we blended LW ZLWK VRPH VWURQJ Ă DYRXUHG PL[HU – most likely some cheap variant of Red Bull. Yet, producing our favourite drinks is a long, detailed and incredibly precise process designed to draw RXW VXEWOH Ă DYRXUV WR EH VDYRXUHG and enjoyed by the drinker. Alcohol has become a substance consumed only for the effect it gives us rather than something to take pleasure in drinking. How many more lives will be lost before we decide to change the way we drink? Britain stands as a lighthouse warning all other countries away from the vicious and unforgiving rocks of extreme alcohol consumption. I am not one to praise the French without good reason but I am in such admiration for the way they love every sip of wine. Wine is a brilliant example of a drink that has the most engrossing RI Ă DYRXUV HDFK PRXWKIXO FDQ EH
enjoyed and different varieties of grape can be chosen to complement any meal. The French have got their attitudes to alcohol just right. The Ă DYRXU HYHQ WKH VPHOO RI D GULQN can be enjoyed without having to devour dangerous quantities.
The British brought tea, cricket and Shakespeare to the world and yet all we seem capable of exporting today is how to strawpedo I went on a fantastic college trip to Brussels where we had a lot of fun as we drank our way around various bars, knocking back huge quantities of tequila, lemon and salt. The result of our careless drinking was, predictably, rather messy. This was in stark contrast to the UHVW RI WKH FLW\ 6LOHQFH À OOHG WKH streets of Brussels at 2am, except for the loud and obnoxious shouting of 25 British students. Is this really how British people want to be seen? Drunken louts who cannot stop themselves from urinating and vomiting their way around a beautiful city! Last year, I escorted a friend to hospital after one too many drinks had rendered him little more than a dribbling mess. Through the long night waiting to be seen by the docWRU , REVHUYHG D ZDLWLQJ URRP À OOHG
largely with bloodied and broken people, struggling to comprehend where they were or why they should have found themselves there. The amount of injuries caused by excessive and unrelenting drinking is extraordinary. The same can be said of the arrests that are made each week in citLHV DFURVV WKH FRXQWU\ GXH WR Ă€ JKWV that would never have started had the culprits been sober. Perhaps the most painful side-effects of the binge culture are the destructions of friendships due to things said or done whilst inebriated. The line between having a drink to be sociable and potentially destroying our own lives is thinner than we wish to admit. My father has always told me that “if you cannot taste what you are drinking, it is time to stop drinking it.â€? I may only be 21 but I have come to fully agree with this maxim. Heavy drinking is common across the whole spectrum of social groups, but university sports teams really take drinking to an extreme. There is a huge pressure to get incredibly drunk and you are told it is all in aid of team bonding. The team that GULQNV WRJHWKHU ZLQV WRJHWKHU ,¡P not sure Fabio Capello would agree with that idea. Drinking has crossed over from being a form of entertainment to being a cultural necessity for meeting people: sports teams insist we all do an initiation before we can be fully DFFHSWHG DV D PHPEHU RI WKHLU FOXE
birthdays have become an astonishingly repetitive routine of drinking JDPHV IROORZHG E\ D QLJKW LQ D FOXE visit a friend and they will insist on taking you for a night out. Spend a few minutes looking at Facebook and it is clear that every picture is of yet another person, in yet another bar pulling a silly face or D œVH[\¡ SRXW DW WKH FDPHUD ,V WKLV DOO we, the British, do for pleasure? We brought tea, cricket and Shakespeare to the world, not to mention D IHZ À QH DOHV ² DQG \HW DOO ZH VHHP capable of exporting today is how to œVWUDZSHGR¡ The worrying thing about this cultural transition is that all of us know LW¡V D EDG WKLQJ ZH NQRZ ZH VKRXOG slow down our drinking, yet we still continue to sprint towards the hedonistic, character-altering joy of alcohol. I recently spent time with students in Dublin whose alcohol consumption was restricted by prohibitive costs. A higher tax on drink would not only force a change in our attitudes but it would also help to cover the astronomical policing and healthcare costs that our alcohol imbued society burdens the treasury with. Perhaps raising the price of vodka might just be the encouragement we all need to learn to appreciate the ZRUN RI 9ODGLYDU¡V ORQJ VXIIHULQJ Master Distiller.
%RQXVHV DUH EDFN LQ WRZQ Oliver Savory 7KH HFRQRP\ LVQ¡W GRLQJ WKDW ZHOO DW WKH PRPHQW 8QOHVV \RX¡YH OLWHUDOO\ been locked in a cellar in Austria, WKDW À UVW VHQWHQFH ZRQ¡W KDYH FRPH as much of a shock. As the more media savvy of you may have noticed, last week it was revealed that ZH¡UH FXUUHQWO\ LQ WKH ORQJHVW %ULWLVK recession since records began. As you probably remember, we À UVW UHDOLVHG WKHUH ZDV WURXEOH around this time two years ago. The collapse of Northern Rock brought our fair city into the headlines for all the wrong reasons. A year later, four more UK banks had been at least part nationalised. While I ZRQ¡W JR LQWR WKH VSHFLÀ F UHDVRQV IRU WKH œFUHGLW FUXQFK¡ LW¡V IDLU WR VD\ WKLV ZDV D FULVLV FDXVHG E\ WKH À QDQ cial industry. It almost seemed that some good would come out of the recession though. There was talk from across the political spectrum, across the world, of the need for greater reguODWLRQ RI WKH À QDQFLDO LQGXVWU\ 7KH obscene bonuses given out by the City were slated across the press.
The general consensus was that by WKH HQG RI LW WKH À QDQFLDO ZRUOG would be vastly different. A new Bretton Woods. %XW KHUH ZH DUH D \HDU RQ DJDLQ WKH UHFHVVLRQ LV VWLOO ZLWK XV DQG LW¡V the usual suspects who are suffering most from the bankers indiscreWLRQV 5DWKHU WKDQ WKH œPLGGOH FODVV¡ UHFHVVLRQ ZH ZHUH ZDUQHG RI LW¡V the working class who are hit yet again. But the biggest losers in this recession are young people. Statistically, the under 24s have EHHQ KLW VLJQLÀ FDQWO\ PRUH E\ MRE losses than any other demographic. There are almost one million 16-24 \HDU ROGV ZKR FDQ¡W À QG ZRUN WKDW¡V 1 in 5. Last year there were 10 applicants for every graduate job on offer. So ZKHQ \RX¡UH VLWWLQJ LQ \RXU QH[W OHF WXUH ORRN DURXQG DVVXPLQJ WKHUH¡V around 100 people in there, only 10 of them will get a job that requires you to have a degree. This is after we were told that top-up fees were only fair because graduates would earn so much more than regular folk. This is on the backdrop of rising student debt. Both main political
parties are pretty set on the idea of a university fee increase. If the Conservatives get into power next \HDU OHW¡V IDFH LW WKH\ SUREDEO\ ZLOO fees will almost certainly increase to around ÂŁ7,000 a year. So what are the government doing to help the next generation of taxpayers who are going to be payLQJ IRU WKH FXUUHQW JHQHUDWLRQ¡V PLV takes? Ed Balls, the current Schools Secretary, outlined the other week his plan to make a ÂŁ2 billion cut in the education budget. Thanks Ed! +H GRHVQ¡W PHQWLRQ WKH IDFW WKDW ZH need to make these cuts because we pumped obscene amounts of money into the banking industry only to see it pissed away on bonuses. In my opinion, the fact that Goldman Sachs has gone back to paying huge bonuses to its top echelons stinks of EDG WDVWH DV WKHLU FRXQWU\¡V XQHP ployment rate continues to rise. 7KH\ GRQ¡W VHHP WR VHH WKH SURE OHP WKRXJK /RUG *ULIĂ€ WKV YLFH chancellor of Goldman Sachs, told us last week that we must: “tolerate inequality as a way to better prosperity for all.â€? Call me naĂŻve, and ,¡OO KDSSLO\ DGPLW WKDW ,¡P QR HFRQR mist, but how exactly does strug-
JOLQJ WR À QG D MRE PDNH PH EHWWHU off? This comment shows just how out RI WRXFK WKRVH DW WKH WRS DUH ,W¡V no secret that inequality is at an alltime high. To cling to this far-right ideology at such a time is absurd. <RX GRQ¡W QHHG WR EH D 0DU[LVW WR see that there is something wrong with a system that lets a small minority of people lose a lot of money DQG WKHQ LW¡V WKH YDVW PDMRULW\ ZKR end up paying through their taxes or their job. 0\ DUJXPHQW LVQ¡W WKDW ZH KDYH to completely get rid of the bankLQJ V\VWHP DOWKRXJK VRPH VHULRXV UHIRUPV ZRXOGQ¡W JR DPLVV EXW , would like the government to acNQRZOHGJH WKDW LW¡V WKRVH ZKR KDYH the least to do with the whole mess who need help. Instead our generation, and the next, are going to end up paying through our teeth to combat the debt this current generation racked up. ,W¡V DERXW WLPH WKH *RYHUQPHQW stopped rewarding the people who caused the crisis, and guaranteeLQJ WKHLU MRE VHFXULW\ , GRQ¡W WKLQN LW¡V XQIDLU WR VD\ RXU *RYHUQPHQW should be helping us as well.
12
Monday 2 November 2009 THE COURIER
COMMENT
RESPONSE
In defence of socialism James Sanderson
On the mike: James O’Sullivan debates in favour of lifting the tuition fee cap at last month’s Union debate
Student free for all? Simon Childs In early October there was a debate in Newcastle University’s Students’ Union building about the future of funding for higher education. 7KHUH ZHUH WKUHH RSWLRQV WKH Ă€UVW being the removal of the cap on topup fees. Those who advocate this free market in education believe that unless students start paying more, British universities will lose competitiveness with world class institutions such as Harvard and Yale, where students pay tens of thousands of dollars per year for the privilege of studying there. The second option was the NUS ‘blueprint’, under which students would pay a percentage of their earnings after they graduate towards a public fund for universities. 7KH Ă€QDO RSWLRQ DQG WKH RQH ZKLFK I, and to my astonishment only two other people voted for, was higher education free at the point of use, funded by taxation. Newcastle students voted overwhelmingly for the NUS blueprint option. The premise that the NUS blueprint and free market options are based on is that our economy is simply unable to support higher education. It is a premise that I cannot accept. The fact is that there are hundreds if not thousands of different demands on government money; from things which are vital to the fabric of our society, to things which are clearly undeserving of taxpayers’ money. Our economy could easily afford to provide free chocolate on the NHS. This is a genuine Monster Raving Looney Party manifesto proposal.
The reason that it is not government policy is that as a society we do not think this would be a sensible use of our resources, but it would actually be relatively cheap compared to other areas of a government’s spending such as defence or transport. The reason we continue to fund these massively expensive areas is that we feel that they are worth the money. My point is that the issue is not what we can afford but, within limits, what we choose to afford. What a government spends money on is decided partly by the ideology of the party in government and partly by public opinion expressed at the ballot box. The other factor is lobby groups, from Greenpeace to the Confederation of British Industry, which seek WR LQà XHQFH JRYHUQPHQW WKURXJK D variety of means. The principal job of the NUS is to act as the lobby group of students, ÀJKWLQJ IRU RXU LQWHUHVWV DQG H[WROling the virtues of higher education. Therefore if the NUS lies down and buys the line of the Government, the Tories, and worryingly it now seems the Lib Dems; that we cannot afford free university education; it becomes true because even the principal lobbying body which purports to represent students does not think we are worth the money. The reason people no longer believe university education is worth providing free to students supported by taxation is because education is now seen only as a tool with which to help Britain compete in the global economy. The notion of education as a good in itself which civilises our society and enriches our culture has been
lost. This has led to the arbitrary government target that 50% of school leavers should go on to study at university; because our future economy will be knowledge-based. This in turn has led to over a billion pounds being spent trying to stop people from dropping out of university, because realistically, considerably less than 50% of the population actually want to go to university. This lack of joined-up thinking means that the situation we have is this- the Government is condemning students who want to study to thousands of pounds of debt while at the same time spending huge quantities of money trying to keep people in university who don’t even want to be there. Suddenly prescription chocolate on the NHS doesn’t seem like such a bad idea. Students weren’t happy in 1997 when tuition fees were introduced, so it was unthinkable that top-up fees could follow, right? :KR WKRXJKW ZKHQ WKH\ Ă€UVW Ă€OOHG LQ WKHLU 8&$6 IRUP WKDW VRPH university chancellors would be SXVKLQJ IRU DQ $PHULFDQ VW\OH IUHH market in higher education where students could leave education with not tens, but hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of debt? The NUS needs to shape the debate on its own terms, rather than accepting the ‘reasonable’ terms of debate set by politicians and chancellors. Otherwise, the boundaries of what is reasonable and what we can or cannot afford will keep on changing, shifting further and further away from the interests of students.
What the major political parties say... /DERXU
Conservatives
/LEHUDO 'HPRFUDWV
‡ 7KH FDS RQ WXLWLRQ IHHV LV VHW to be reviewed by the Government this summer; deciding whether it should be raised, scrapped or remain as it is.
‡ 6LPLODUO\ WR 0DQGHOVRQ WKH Conservative website asserts that : “We recognise that higher fees have brought EHQHÂżWV WR XQLYHUVLWLHV EXW we need to ensure that they are providing a better student experience in return.â€?
‡ 7KH /LEHUDO 'HPRFUDWV KDYH SOHGJHG WR VFUDS IHHV IRU ¿UVW +LJKHU (GXFDWLRQ TXDOL¿FDtions if they come to power.
‡ /RUG 0DQGHOVRQ UHFHQWO\ said that students should be more demanding of their universities, causing some to see a fees rise as imminent. 6RXUFH 7KH 7HOHJUDSK
‡ 7KH\ DOVR SOHGJH WR ³2IIHU a fairer deal for part-time and mature students. Source: conservatives.com
‡ ³%ULJKW \RXQJ SHRSOH DUH potentially being put off going to university by the thought of being saddled with £10k in tuition fee debt.� Source: www.libdems.org.uk
Spurred on by James Winters’ “Capitalist Manifesto� in last week’s Courier, I felt compelled to write a response to his article. I won’t lie, I consider myself to be a socialist but I’d like to respond in as objective a way as possible on the basis that his entire piece was uninformed and remnant of something you’d read in some of the less reputable papers. In his analysis of socialism, James completely overlooked the internationalist outlook of many socialists and by doing so fails to understand one of Marx’s key concepts of international unity. His analysis of how great life is under an international capitalist system only seems to take into account the lives we live here in the West. What about the 923 million people that the UN says are starving and the 36 million people who die from hunger every year? I’m sure these people would love to sit around eating McDonald’s, listening to their iPods or travelling on board a Boeing plane. The problem is though, not only do these people not have the choice to do any of these things, but their economies are being undermined by an economic system that is by its very nature imperialistic, exploitative and is above the laws of the international community. Shell for example is robbing Nigeria of its natural resources and leaving the local people with nothing other than empty pockets and an ecological disaster wherever it operates. It is common knowledge that this is happening so why haven’t Shell being brought to justice?
You need to look outside the box and start comparing how we live relative to the rest of the world Just because I’m not staring premature death in the face as the reVXOW RI XQFRQWUROOHG JDV à DULQJ LQ Jesmond, it doesn’t mean that capitalism is great. You need to look outside the box and start comparing how we live relative to the rest of the world, not just the rest of the UK or the West. The next big issue I have with James’ assessment regards being able to make a lot of money if you want to. This is ridiculous. I don’t know where you come from or from what sort of background but I would like to see you try to sell the notion of hard work being the answer to the problems of the estimated 12.7 million people in the UK who live in relative poverty. It’s also no coincidence that the most physically demanding jobs happen to be the lowest paid and there are a lot of people out there that work a damn sight harder than you or I will ever work in our lifetimes just to put food in their mouths. You and I are both lucky enough to be at a good university where hard work will hopefully pay off. But what about the people who aren’t in our position? Not every school gives its students the chances that they deserve and a lot of people do not have the luxury of being able to attend the best schools. Even then, those who work hard may not be able to attend the universities of their choice, if at all, despite bursaries, grants and the student loan because of their family’s
ÀQDQFLDO VLWXDWLRQ Yes, we do have a decision to work hard or not, but if we choose to work hard, that choice will never guarDQWHH XV PDVVLYH ÀQDQFLDO UHWXUQV and on that basis his argument is à DZHG I’d also like to draw James’s attention to the fact that there are people who work 18-hour days in conditions remnant to the 1850’s. These people work in places called sweatshops. There might be very few of these in the UK but I can assure you that they exist throughout most of the developing world. The people that work in them are often faced with no alternative employment and as a result they are exploited and denied a decent wage, reasonable hours, unionising rights and safe conditions. I agree we’d be hard pushed to ÀQG SHRSOH LQ WKH 8. ZRUNLQJ LQ these conditions on a large scale but that’s beside the point. You don’t need to look far to see it, and it doesn’t take a genius to see that cheap and dispensable labour and the abuses that go with it fuel the capitalist system. Doesn’t sound so great to me. $QRWKHU ELJ JULSH WKDW , KDYH LV that in no way can tax be considered theft. Part of me doesn’t even want to warrant this statement with a response, but if it wasn’t for taxes most of this country would not have received an education: primary; secondary; further or higher. Large swathes of the population would be denied health care. Elderly people would not be entitled to a basic state pension or winter fuel allowance. The list goes on. It’s easy to resent tax and it does go on things that are questionable (Trident anyone?) but for someone who is berating others for their lack of humanity for wearing Che Guevara t-shirts, I’d suggest he thinks about the basic things that taxation entitles those at the bottom to and how not having taxation would harm those people. Finally, as he was interested to know how many people have died as a result of Marx’s ideas I’ll attempt to tell you. It’s estimated that between 56-62 million people died in the USSR, around 100,000 people have died under Castro in Cuba and an estimated 29 million perished under Mao. None of this is forgivable or can be MXVWLÀHG DQG DOO , ZRXOG VD\ LV WKDW RQH ZRXOG EH KDUG SUHVVHG WR ÀQG any self-respecting socialist who would be willing to do so. $OVR WR ORRN DW WKLV LQ SXUHO\ QXmerical terms it’s not hard to see that the current capitalist hegemony is putting more people at risk of death and harm in the Third World and developing countries than any of the communist or socialist nations have done. That doesn’t absolve the atrocities that took place in the Siberian guODJV EXW \RX KDYH WR SXW WKHVH ÀJures into the bigger picture. I am a socialist and I don’t want to relocate to North Korea anytime soon, believe me, and neither do I want to live in a cave. I want everyone to have the same opportunities as me but not at the expense of the hundreds of millions of people who live in abject poverty. :H DOO KDYH WR PDNH VDFULÀFHV DQG it is our duty to make them because we can afford to. We’ve had capitalism and we’ve all got blood on our hands because of it; let’s move on to something fairer and maybe one day we can be forgiven for our own atrocities.
THE COURIER Monday 2 November 2009
13
COMMENT
Blair for EU President? YES Laura Heads To many the mere phrase, ‘Tony Blair as European President’ is one of fear and apprehension; but really when more attention is paid, it becomes clear to see that this is not the case at all. In fact Tony Blair is up for a much smaller role than the media has led us to believe. Although it can be argued that Tony Blair will have a majorly inĂ XHQWLDO UROH LQ UHDOLW\ WKLV LVQ¡W WKH case; he will be president of the European Council, only one part of the EU body; the advisory part. It was set up to dictate the general political strategy of the European Union, and it is this which Tony Blair has been put in the frame to run. In general its meetings are held much less frequently than the other PRUH LQĂ XHQWLDO DQG GHPRFUDWLF institutions such as the Parliament, meeting around every six months, with the aim of only increasing that to every three or four.
It’s easy to see why Blair should win hands down If we are to believe what the media has told us about his job role, then advising Europe on its political standing is of vast importance; and WKHUH LV QR EHWWHU SHUVRQ WR ÀOO WKLV role than Tony Blair. Despite being known as a Eurosceptic, this can actually be seen as a good thing; his views will help to ground the European Union and
stop them from jumping into decisions with both feet. Not only that, but his history of disagreement with Europe (think Iraq) is also, surprisingly, a good thing; it will lead to longer debates and as a result an all round better decision. This has got to be better for the EU, and ultimately the UK, as being brutally realistic, decisions based on what the French and other countries that are part of mainland Europe ZDQW ZLOO QRW EHQHĂ€W WKH 8. LQ DQ\way Let’s consider the alternate options; Jean-Claude Juncker, Prime Minister of Luxembourg, and Jan Peter Balkenende, Prime Minister of the Netherlands, are two Prime Ministers renowned for being ‘yes men’; quiet and completely non-confronWDWLRQDO GHĂ€QLWHO\ QRW VRPHWKLQJ , want in a President of the EU. The President of Ireland, Mary McAleese, the last person who has been suggested, is, despite her title, someone who has no experience of running a country; she is effectively the equivalent of the British monarchy. Faced with the choice of someone who knows what they’re doing or someone who doesn’t, I know who I would pick. Pitted against these it is easy to see why Tony Blair should win hands down. His charisma and strength as a leader are something any leader of Europe needs. Ultimately, it can be argued it boils down to the fact that people know who Tony Blair is; ask any ordinary American to tell you who JeanClaude Juncker is and it is almost guaranteed that they wouldn’t be able to answer you. Ask them who Tony Blair is, and unless they’ve been living under a rock for the last ten years they’re going to know.
NO Ross Dent To a startling degree, the race for EU President is turning into a race between Tony Blair... and everyone else. This is surprising and disappointing to Europhiles, who are aghast at the thought of anyone from Britain landing the job; given that as a country we shun the single currency, refuse to join the borderless 6FKHQJHQ DUHD DQG Ă€JKW WR NHHS RXU special rebate from the EU budget. This unwillingness to compromise precludes deeper integration which the Lisbon Treaty tries to achieve, and from which the job of President is created. Indeed, rather than move European integration forward, the former UK prime minister set a series of so-called red lines during the Lisbon negotiations, with the intent of blocking any progress on social issues and tax harmonisation, as well as common defence and foreign policy. Across much of Europe, moreover, Mr Blair is remembered for splitting the EU with his uncritical support for the Iraq war and for George Bush. At home, feelings are often expressed in stronger terms, with some believing he took us into the Iraq War on the basis of a lie about Saddam Hussein’s weapons of mass destruction and in violation of international law. Blair is admittedly an accomplished politician. Unfortunately, he is an expert politician in the sense that ‘politician’ is a synonym for ‘cheat’. One of his biggest lies as
Letters to the Editor Increasing numbers need more housing Dear Editor, Over the last ten years there has been an increase of 12,000 in the number of full time university students in the city, but a very much smaller increase in the amount of purpose built student accommodation. The consequence of this is that exorbitant rents are now being charged for rooms in shared student houses, whilst second and third year students do not have the possibility of staying in purpose built accommodation. The City Council policy on student housing seeks to address these problems by encouraging the construction of between 5000 and 6000 new bed spaces for students. These will all have en-suite units. By increasing the supply of bed spaces in this way, rents will fall to WKH EHQHĂ€W RI WKRVH OLYLQJ LQ VKDUHG houses and second and third year students will regain the possibility of staying in purpose built accommodation. Of course the landlords are strongly opposed to the construction of QHZ EHG VSDFHV VLQFH WKHLU SURĂ€WV will fall. There is no plan to remove students from Jesmond, and indeed the City Council does not have the legal power to determine where students or any other adults should live. This is simply a scare story put out by the landlords.
Finally the new accommodation cannot be described as ghettos. There are numerous different sites across the City centre which stuGHQWV ZLOO ÀQG DWWUDFWLYH All the new bed spaces which have been completed so far (700 since the policy was agreed, with 1000 under construction ) have been greatly oversubscribed. RON ARMSTRONG Councillor for North Jesmond
(most of which failed to make much sense) he has the right to say it, and we should be grateful that we live in a society where every political party has the opportunity to have their say, allowing voters to make up their own minds - the absolute cornerstone of our democracy. ALEX ELWICK
BNP coverage “missed the point�
‘The Capitalist Manifesto’ ignored crucial aspects of socialism
Dear Editor,
Dear Editor,
Whilst I understand the tight deadlines between the broadcasting of the BNP edition of Question Time and the publication of your own paper; I feel that The Courier writers’ comments on the programme last week somewhat missed the point. Your writers argued for and against WKH SUHVHQFH RI 1LFN *ULIÀQ RQ WKH panel using interesting and valid arguments concerning the way Britain is viewed abroad and the resulting detrimental effect the programme may have had on the BNP. However, both neglected to mention the absolutely critical issue, that, as much as we dislike it, Nick *ULIÀQ KDV H[DFWO\ WKH VDPH ULJKW DV you and me, and that is the right of free speech. Regardless of what he was saying
I am writing in to comment on James Winters’ article; ‘The capitalist manifesto’. I was taken aback by the ferocity of the article; it makes Nic Fidler’s usual pro-capitalist articles look tame. I never knew there were people so zealously capitalist in the country; it was as if I was reading the rant of an ultra right, American, Republican loon. Nowhere in his article were there comments about all the life saving changes socialism has brought to this country. Dr Stephen Hawking recently said he would be dead if it were not for the NHS (a product of a socialist Labour government). Mr Winters says that tax is theft. I wonder how he thinks a state can run without tax. Never mind the provision of evil socialist ideas “comparable to the Nazis�, to
a politician was to promise the British public in the election manifesto of 2005 a referendum on the Constitutional Treaty. Naturally, after regaining power this was reneged upon. The main argument proffered by the yes campaign is that the position requires a political heavyweight who is fairly well known. 6LQFH OHDYLQJ RIÀFH %ODLU KDV achieved remarkably little in his much feted appointment as MiddleEast peace envoy, casting doubt over his claim to possess political gravitas, and showing little ability DW UHVROYLQJ GLSORPDWLF FRQà LFWV D ZRUU\LQJ VNLOOV GHÀFLHQF\ IRU D PDQ who would unite 27 countries. Further, while Blair’s possession of Hollywood star power is indisputable, it is not clear that national leaders would welcome this; Merkel and Sarkozy are hardly likely to enjoy being overshadowed by this proven Euro-sceptic. Were Blair to be given the Presidency it is hard to see how Europe ZRXOG EHQHÀW 7KH %ULWLVK HOHFWRUate’s opinion of Europe is alarmingly low at the minute. If this loathed man were to be undemocratically foisted on us as 3UHVLGHQW LW LV QRW GLIÀFXOW WR VHH how debate about our continued membership would reopen. 7KLV EULQJV PH ÀQDOO\ WR P\ PRVW important and perhaps simplest point; we got sick of Blair and his empty promises and political spin after ten years and mostly rejoiced LQ KLV OHDYLQJ RIÀFH Do we really want to see him in a position of power again, obtaining airtime on the news to serve up another hollow sound bite (along with that somewhat inane grin of his)? The European Union has a population of almost half a billion; surely there exists within it a better candidate for the job than Blair?
quote Winters, such as: universal healthcare; education and old age pensions. Without tax we couldn’t afford an army, judiciary, police force or even a government. Even Mr Winters could not argue that you could buy justice, peace and security from the free market. RALPH PARLOUR Dear Editor, After reading James Winters’ article, it is hard to know what to think. Disbelief springs to mind. I’ll start off my article with some honesty, unlike the commentator of the misguided article printed last week. ,¡P D ÀUP EHOLHYHU LQ D PRUH VRcial democratic society. I don’t like capitalism. I think it is unfair; it promotes inequality and ignorance, and is simply morally wrong. However, unlike the commentator, I am willing to compromise. I accept that capitalism is the economic system that creates the most wealth. If given the chance, you can make a lot of money out of capitalism. However, far too often, capitalism refuses the chance that people so desperately need. Social democracy, in my opinion, gives people that chance. Back to the article. I have no problem with a commentator who prefers capitalism to social democracy or socialism. It’s a valid argument, one I disagree with, but more than valid all the same. However, the writer refuses to acknowledge that modern socialism is not just Che Guevara, Marx or the USSR. I don’t agree with the misguided
‡ 7KH SHWLWLRQ DJDLQVW %ODLUœV QRPLQDWLRQ IRU (8 3UHVLGHQW KWWS VWRSEODLU HX KDG VLJQDWXUHV DV RI 7KXUVGD\ ‡ ³:H QHHG VRPHRQH ZKR ZKHQ KH RU VKH ODQGV LQ %HLMLQJ RU :DVKLQJWRQ RU 0RVFRZ WKH WUDI¿F GRHV QHHG WR VWRS WKH WDONV GR QHHG WR EHJLQ DW D YHU\ YHU\ KLJK OHYHO ´ 'DYLG 0LOLEDQG )RUHLJQ 6HFUHWDU\ LQ VXSSRUW RI %ODLU WR WKH %%& ‡ , ZRXOG SUHIHU VRPH RQH ZKR WRRN PRUH RI D FKDLUPDQVKLS RI WKH XQLRQ UDWKHU WKDQ DQ DOO VLQJLQJ DOO GDQFLQJ DOO DFWLQJ SUHVLGHQW ZKLFK , NQRZ %ODLU ZRXOG EH ´ 'DYLG &DPHURQ DW D SUHVV FRQIHUHQFH RQ 7XHVGD\ ‡ 7KH 3UHVLGHQWœV WHUP LV WZR DQG D KDOI \HDUV UHQHZDEOH
‡ 7KH 3UHVLGHQW LV VXSSRVHG WR EH D ³UHFRJQLVDEOH IDFH RI (XURSH ´ Sources: The Independent and The Guardian
rants on Northumberland Street either; because they’re an extremist view. For the rest of us who dislike capitalism, we have more moderate ideas at heart. Without social democratic intervention, where would capitalism be right now? Failed banks and millions without the savings and earnings they’d worked so hard to keep over the years. The writer appears to appropriately forget that the ones who suffer under a free market economy are the ones who need social democracy the most. I doubt he has been in a position to witness such suffering, but I’d like to see him imagine it. It’s a wish I doubt will be granted however; capitalism has obviously served him well, though how much of it is his own hard work is open to debate. I fear his ancestors may have been the true victors. I repeat that the writer’s views on capitalism are fair. However, to compare it to such strong and ancient socialist ideals show signs of weakness in support of the free market. No one, bar the occasional speaker on Northumberland Street, genuinely believes that a return to Marxism is the right way to go, so please don’t suggest that all of us who believe in equality and fairness are attached to the same branch. CRAIG JOHNSON
Emails in response to articles should be sent to the Editor at editor.union@ncl.ac.uk
14
Monday 2 November 2009 THE COURIER
Do men want to be like Hef? > Sex & Relationships, page 18 Life & Style Editors: Larisa Brown, Alex Felton and Ashley Fryer - courier.life@ncl.ac.uk
Health & Beauty Lauren Girling
Watching the waistline Lauren Girling Whether they admit it or not, everyone has some form of insecurity even if it’s something as trivial as a birthmark or love-handles. However, more often than not, especially amongst girls and women, the insecurity lies with issues related to weight. According to a poll taken for Radio 1’s “The Surgery,â€? 50% of girls say they are on a diet. Startled by this, I jumped at the chance to go on a diet for a week to see how much weight I could lose and to see for myself why there is such an appeal in the need to be constantly counting calories. I am an open critic of crash diets as they don’t always prove healthy or effective in the long-run. However, this doesn’t mean that I haven’t tried every trick in the book. When I was 14, I had serious weight issues. I wasn’t afraid to admit my obesity. With lots of hard hours at the gym and healthy eating, by the time I was 15, I was two stone lighter and feeling a ORW PRUH FRQĂ€GHQW QRZ DW D KDSS\ VL]H 12/14. When it was suggested for me to try Weight Watchers for a week, it was almost like returning to an old friend. In previous attempts, I hadn’t managed to feel positive about the 24 points allowed per day, giving in after a couple of days because I was craving some chocolate, but this time I had this article as motivation. For those not well-versed on the gospel according to Weight Watchers, it is not designed so that its followers stop eating but instead there is a points system applied to all food to ensure healthier food habits. Some foods such as green salad don’t have any points, so they are unlimited. Dieters often forget that alcohol and drinks contribute to your points count each day. ,I WKH GLHWHU H[FHHGV SRLQWV SHU day, there is no guarantee for sustained weight loss. $V WKLV ZDV RQO\ D ZHHN¡V H[SHULPHQW and I was intrigued as to whether there ZRXOG EH JUHDWHU UHVXOWV WKDQ P\ Ă€UVW DWtempt, I decided to cut out alcohol, pasta and bread.
Before doing this, I would strongly advise anyone to consult their doctor if considering any diet. I am pleased to say that throughout the week, I managed to have the willpower to stick to the healthy choices available to me. It was all made a lot easier by the support of my friends, and particularly P\ à DWPDWH .DWLH ZKR LV D KHDOWK IUHDN $W ÀUVW LW VHHPHG TXLWH VLPSOH DV , VDPpled all the Weight Watchers branded meals on offer, but as a vegetarian they were few and far between. By the end of the week I had to be more creative, but this often resulted in just eating the contents of the salad drawer in the fridge – a whole lettuce doesn’t have any points in surely? I promised myself that I would stick to the mineral water for a week but I hit a bit of a brick wall with that one when my best friend from home came up for the weekend, and I did something that every weight watcher does from time to time. I thought it was perfectly acceptable to save all my points up so that I could have a few vodka and cranberries when she came up. Don’t try this! The points system doesn’t work so you can binge one day and fast the other. By the end of the week, I found someWKLQJ XQH[SHFWHG , EHFDPH REVHVVHG with counting calories and adding up my points for the day. But that wasn’t the only side effect as I was irritable and emotional - I just wantHG WR ÀQLVK LW DQG VHH VRPH UHVXOWV )RUtunately the week came to an end and surprisingly I did see a difference, with my clothes being slightly bigger. After a long hard week of calories, crying and cuddles , I reached the end of P\ H[SHULPHQW $V PRVW VFLHQWLVWV GR DW WKLV VWDJH , FRQFOXGHG IURP P\ ÀQGLQJV that diets are not at all simple but in fact DQ H[SORUDWLRQ RI WKH FRPSOH[LWLHV RI WKH individual’s willpower. I wouldn’t recommend a crash diet to anyone but would say that Weight Watchers is perfect to supplement a permanent lifestyle adjustment. But whatever you do, research the best RSWLRQ IRU \RX ÀUVW , LQWHQG WR HQMR\ the fruits of my labour in Eldon Square where I’ll be losing a few pounds from my overdraft, not just my thighs!
How to... spot a liar Rachel Hill For those big long story lies like someone describing what ‘really happened’ on last night’s date, listen for long pauses when they’re trying to make something XS DQG LI \RX VXVSHFW WKH\¡UH WHOOLQJ Ă€EV ask them to repeat the story again or ask lots of complicated questions. They’re bound to contradict themselves somewhere. If you do pick them up on it , feel free to announce they’re a big fat liar and watch them try and squirm their way out.
1. If you get a spot before a big night out, just slap on some Sudocrem! This cream isn’t just for nappy rash; it is championed by the likes of Cheryl Cole and is a brilliant bargain buy.
1. They’re nervous and shiftily avoiding eye contact. 2. Nervously twiddling their thumbs when you’re talking to them. 3. Tripping over their words. If they’re male, complimenting your new mullet RU WHOOLQJ \RX DQ H[FXVH WKDW LQYROYHV UDFRRQV PHDQV WKH\¡UH PRVW GHÀQLWHO\ lying. 4. For the more subtle cases it’s actually not looking into your eyes you need to watch out for, as that’s an old tell tale
2. We all know the feeling when your last pair of 80 deniers starts to get a ladder. To prevent a crisis situation, just paint some clear nail varnish over it and the surrounding area. 3. Clear nail varnish is also brilliant for painting around the inside of any cheap jewellery as it prevents any unsightly green PDUNV HPHUJLQJ RQ \RXU ÀQJHU 4. Don’t have enough room in that clutch bag for a blusher and lippy? Simple, for the price of a student day rider, you can have the sweet-smelling pink Vaseline that is a great lip balm and a subtle cheek tint too! 5. If you have problems with uneven fake tan, apply small amounts of Vaseline to areas such as the knees and elbows to ensure a more even application. 6. Use a cotton bud and glue sparingly for neater, simpler eyelash application. 7. Use Velcro rollers and dry shampoo to help achieve a more voluminous look rather than stiff hairspray. 8. Apply perfume to wrists and close to visible veins and hair – this is where the smell of the perfume will last the longest. 9. Use toothpaste with bicarbonate of soda in for a whiter smile – this also doubles up as a EULOOLDQW TXLFN À[ VSRW FUHDP 10. Want to have a more natural glow? 0L[ RQH SDUW IRXQGDWLRQ ZLWK one part of your usual moisturiser.
sign everyone already knows so liars-inthe-know will try to avoid it and end up staring you out. 5. They’ll also be hiding their hands behind their backs or in their pockets to hide all the twitching going on from having to think on the spot. Little white lies, however, are much harder to detect. The voice goes a bit squeakier when they’re trying to fake it. But then again if they are just innocent ÀEV \RX FDQ¡W UHDOO\ EH DOO WKDW ERWKHUHG WR VLW H[DPLQLQJ WKHLU ERG\ ODQJXDJH LQ case they didn’t really remember you wanted a diet coke. With white lies, they’re probably lying for your own good.
We asked you... What is your favourite bikini wax? BOYS
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THE COURIER Monday 2 November 2009
15
Fashion
Fashion show in aid of the Robbie Anderson Cancer Trust Linekers Bar, 7pm Tuesday 3 November >>>
View Askew
Fashion
Kathy Jackman Columnist
Campus Style Ruth Kilgour Addy Pope
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4th year, Business Management Hoodie, ÂŁ10, H&M
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Jacket, ÂŁ150, Barbour Skirt, ÂŁ30, Topshop
> Man Cleavage - Boys don’t take style tips from Simon Cowell
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> John Joh and Edward – The Irish Iri twins on the X Factor Facto quite literally make you y despair at the human race h
High street designers: from Paris to Primark Alex Felton Life & Style Editor Designers in the recession have been forced to de-value their labels and seek out partnerships with large high street chains to increase sales and enlarge their SURÀ W PDUJLQV Although fashion has remained an art form and the majority of designers start out with the best intentions, capitalism and the allure of big business has seeped into an industry that thrives on reputation. This week ex- Central St.Martin’s graduate Joe Casely-Hayford has signed a
deal with a high street chain that is the À UVW FROODERUDWLRQ IRU PHQ IRU WKH -RKQ Lewis partnership. Casely-Hayford forged his reputation in London in the late 1990’s and along with Ozwald Boateng was one of the À UVW OHDGLQJ EODFN /RQGRQ EDVHG GH signers. This collaboration will focus on the store’s spring/summer 2010 range but has attracted criticism within the indusWU\ IRU DQRWKHU GHVLJQHU À QDOO\ ERZLQJ to the pressures of the high-street. %\ GHVLJQLQJ EHVSRNH RXWÀ WV IRU KLJK SURÀ OH FOLHQWV OLNH 8 DQG 7KH &ODVK Casely-Hayford made a reputation for being an edgy designer and this part-
LIFE & STYLE
nership angered cynics at Paris Fashion Week earlier this month. Several interviews with the designer have furiously denied that he was motivated by greed and tighter margins but he has instead highlighted that menswear is rapidly becoming more recognized within the fashion world. The need for high-end designs is waning and partnerships between designers and large stores are becoming more commonplace. It isn’t a new phenomenon with high SURÀ OH GHVLJQHUV OHQGLQJ WKHLU QDPHV WR the mass market. Both Diane Von Furstenberg and Donna Karan suffered huge losses towards
the end of the 70’s and early 80’s when both their respective labels had overstretched themselves and the quality of the products reduced dramatically. However, both designers recovered, took stock of their brands and re-assessed their market focus. With the release of Jimmy Choo’s bespoke autumn/winter line in H&M on November 14th, increasing amounts of high-end designers are entering the mainstream. Although it brings these labels into our own everyday price ranges, how long will it take before we see Alexander McQueen in Argos or Paul Smith for Primark?
Vampires have been gracing our cinema and TV screens for years, but it seems to me that they’ve been growing in popularity more and more as of late. Case in point, American import True Blood is currently storming the nation on Channel 4. It follows good hearted, telepathic waitress Sookie Stackhouse as she falls in love with the dapper gentleman Bill, who also happens to be a vampire. Does this sound familiar to you? This brings me to the big question of this week’s column: Why are there so many vampires on my television, and why are they so damn beautiful? 1RZ ,¡P WKH À UVW WR DGPLW WKDW , love the old bloodsuckers, I really do. Theirs is a fascinating mythology, and Dracula is one of my favourite novels. I’m just wondering exactly when they got so pretty‌not to mention so bloody angsty. I suppose you could say that it’s the fault of the Buffy generation. It’s not, because the vampires in that show were mostly nasty bits of work. No, the responsibility lies with a woman named Stephanie Meyer. It’s a pretty safe bet that you know who she is, and it’s thanks to the downright obscene success of her so called Twilight Saga that producers and directors have been given the green light to churn out what seems like 50 PLOOLRQ QHZ YDPSLUH FHQWULF À OPV and TV series. A lot of these appear to be recycling Meyer’s formula, namely a forbidden love between an impossibly sexy vampire man and a naïve, sweet natured human girl. Hey, why not chuck in a werewolf to get yourself the unholy love triangle that has pre-teen girls swooning all over the globe? That won’t get tiring at all. I guess I’m being old fashioned, but I always thought vampires were mean to be these primal, vicious creatures of darkness, not disturbingly EHDXWLIXO à RSS\ KDLUHG URPDQWLFV that tempt you over to the dark side. Does anybody remember the good old days when vampires were for all intents and purposes physically undesirable? Take Nosferatu; his paper white VNLQ ORQJ À QJHUV DQG SHQHWUDWLQJ eyes made for an utterly repellent character. He represented a fear of the unknown, living a damned existence of absolutely no appeal. Sure, he’s immortal, but at what cost? Think about it; would you honestly choose to live forever if you knew you’d have to feast on human blood under the cover of darkness for the rest of eternity? That’s a pretty big downside to me. The tragedy of the vampire is that they’re dead but must continue living. They’re also a hell of a lot more fun when they’re unpleasant and wicked. The chaste allure of Edward Cullen doesn’t disguise that fact. Fangs but no fangs, I like them with bite. Well trust me, this is a far cry from Twilight’s chaste allure. Bill’s a very sexy man, sure, but at least there’s an air of menace and danger about him. He’s not some bland and pious hero like Edward Cullen.
16
Monday 2 November 2009 THE COURIER
LIFE & STYLE
Sex & Relationships
Sex & Relationships Confessions of.... a long term girlfriend
Aimee Philipson
What men really want Oliver Wood Living and spending time around girls, you often take the role of relationship advisor. They ask the questions: why hasn’t he texted me back? What does this Facebook message mean? How many kisses should I send back? I’m going to give you the brutal truth of what men really want. The truth is men are not as simple as they make out; when it comes to relationships, we are just as complex as the fairer sex. True, we have clearer goals and know what we want out of a girl, though we may dodge telling the truth. If it is something purely casual, we may not want to admit this to the girl – but if a guy doesn’t want to commit and his texts are lagging, he’s probably just after some Friday night fun time after a night out.
In this case don’t give into him, don’t say, “come back to mine if you wantâ€?, especially if you haven’t even been out that night because in his head this means home run. Even if you just want to cuddle, the guy will also probably show all his mates these texts and you may get an unfortunate nickname. If you want a guy for more than something casual, test the water, let him do some ground work. If he doesn’t let you know that you’re the one for him, then he’s probably only after your Primarni knickers and he’s not going to be your Don Juan. When on a night out and a strapping rugby player comes sauntering up, gives you a wink and says: “Hey babes, you look stunning, may I buy you a drink?â€?, he is obviously keen. However, you’re under the drink spell, you’re interacting one on one and now you feel obliged to talk to him as he has spent all of ÂŁ1 on
a VK for you. Now pay attention: look where this conversation is going, is it going back to his heart-shaped water bed or leading to a meal at Francesca’s? It is clear that this scrum half only wants one thing but you have given him the chance to redeem himself and possibly take you out on that dream date. When it comes to texting don’t play games, boys don’t understand the game if you don’t lay out the rules. We know girls read far too much into texts so if a boy doesn’t text you back immediately and you have to wait two hours, he’s probably playing football. Don’t do the silly thing and wait two hours after he’s text back to serve some cold and spiteful retribution; it’s only going to bore the beast. When it comes to kisses don’t switch number half way through from xx to x, it will confuse the boy and he may think he has said something wrong. Also, don’t play the game
where you switch from xx to x just to see if he will copy; let’s just keep it to a nice simple x until you know him better. Let us presume that Henry our scrum half has got his act together and has taken you to Francesca’s. Wait! His intention still may be crystal clear; two meals and a bottle of house white is still cheaper than a weekend in Amsterdam so let’s not get ahead of ourselves. All good men should pay for this date, but it doesn’t do any harm for the girl to offer to pay half, even if you have no intention to. If he accepts this offer then he’s probably saving for a fun time in Thailand that summer and you should get rid. Boys will appreciate your offer and are a lot more likely to take you out again, though it’s probably going to be a cinema date‌ and something with Megan Fox in it.
Our urban myth: the Vatican’s porn collection Bethany Rogers For a few hundred years, a rumour has circulated that the world’s largest collection of pornography is housed in a secret chamber beneath the Vatican library. Among the two million scholarly books and manuscripts are Henry VIII’s letters to Anne Boleyn and drawings by Michelangelo; this ancient rumour has it that there’s a secret stash of porn includLQJ YROXPHV FRQÀVFDWHG IURP DFURVV WKH Roman Empire, rude renaissance paintLQJV GLUW\ PDJD]LQHV EOXH ÀOPV DQG John Dillinger’s pickled phallus. To be honest, I think it’s hard to imag-
ine browsing the wonders of the earliest copy of Virgil and then stumbling across ZOO magazine. A more scholarly version of the myth suggests the library has Ă€OH FRSLHV RI ERRNV WKDW DSSHDUHG XQder the ‘obscene’ section of the Index of Prohibited Books, and includes work by Victor Hugo, Emile Zola and Raphael. There’s something a little smug about the idea that the Vatican, one of the great crusaders against porn, has the world’s largest collection beneath its scholarly and ecclesiastical library. The myth also suggests that the collection has strictly restricted access, available only to the priests and so cannot be disproved. However, during WWII the Vatican
expected Rome to be badly bombed and as a precaution arranged to have all its FROOHFWLRQV PLFURÀOPHG Recently, researchers from the Kinsey Institute for Sex, Gender and ReproducWLRQ VWXGLHG WKH PLFURÀOPV RI ZKDW ZDV deemed to be the erotic collection. They reported that, other than a few mildly erotic art pieces, the mythical vast collection of pornography was virtually nonexistent and that the collection contained only a few mildly erotic volumes and artwork dating up to the renaissance period, but certainly no evidence of modHUQ ÀOPV PDJD]LQHV DQG SLFNOHG SDUWV Despite this, many have suggested that the Vatican wouldn’t be daft enough to
ÀOP WKH SRUQ FROOHFWLRQ DQG WKH P\WK continues to circulate - one scholar even claims to have had a tour of the secret library and declared that although many of the illustrated volumes have disappeared, there’s still a substantial amount of porn stashed away in a hidden chamber. Whatever the truth, the Vatican certainly doesn’t have the world’s largest collection of pornography. The largest collection since the 90s, ZKLFK FRQVLVWV RI ÀOPV DQG 100,000 videos, is in fact held by the Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Sexuality in San Francisco.
I met a guy a few years ago at a music festival. He was a mutual friend of a friend of a friend, and he asked me how long I’d been with my then boyfriend. I replied that I’d been with him for six months, to which he gasped ‘Bloody hell, I get bored after two weeks’. 0\ Ă€UVW WKRXJKW ZDV Âś:RZ ZKDW DQ asshole’ and as the weekend drew on, P\ Ă€UVW LPSUHVVLRQ ZDV FHPHQWHG DV he streaked naked across the campsite for 20p, ogled every pink welly-wearer within a two mile radius and regaled our party with story after story of girls, nights out and one of his friends who happened to be a stripper. However, it seems I just couldn’t resist his streaking, asshole antics because this week marked three years since we got together. I have no idea why he decided to break his two week rule or why I DJUHHG WR JR RXW ZLWK KLP LQ WKH Ă€UVW place, but I’m so glad I did. I don’t want to list all the great things about relationships because I know you would be pulling sick faces over the paper, but I have to defend all longterm lovers out there who were cruelly ripped apart by the ‘relationship cynic’ in this column a few issues ago. In my opinion, getting into a relationship shouldn’t be like a prison sentence. I don’t have any less independence, I still go out with my girlfriends, I Ă LUW OLNH WKH EHVW RI ÂśHP DQG , VWLOO JHW WR put my pyjamas on and watch episode after episode of The Wire on the sofa ZLWK P\ ER\IULHQG ZKLOH VWXIĂ€QJ P\ face with pizza. We both have our own interests and completely different jobs but that’s what keeps it exciting and fun. He understands when I have to work all day before a deadline and I (try to) understand when he has to complete Gears of War on the Xbox before he can come over. I guess you could say a lot of it is about compromise. If you suddenly Ă€QG WKDW \RX FDQ¡W ZHDU ZKDW \RX want, eat what you want, watch what you want or see your friends when you want then you’re in the wrong relationship. However, if he politely asks you to stop stealing the cheese off his pizza while he’s eating it, then maybe you should indulge his wishes. And of course, there’s the sex. One night stands may be exciting but it’s likely that the only thing you’ll get from it is a slight itching in the crotch. When it comes to sexy time with your long termer, they know what you want, when you want it, oh, and did I mention it’s on tap? The real beauty of a long term relationship is the fact that you know each other so well – the things that make them smile and especially the things that annoy them to breaking point. Who else knows that you can’t watch WKH Ă€OP Âś( 7 ¡ GXH WR D EDG FKLOGKRRG experience or that you are secretly scared of false teeth or that you have a fantasy about Sir Alan Sugar? There are few people who know such intimate details about your life., or have met your family (crazy or sane) or who’s endured torturous things (like Grey’s Anatomy) just because they love you and just wanted to see you. So there you go. I know relationships are hard work and require a bit of effort now and again, but the only thing that could tear me away from mine is if Sir Alan found himself searching for a new (bedroom) Apprentice.
THE COURIER Monday 2 November 2009
17
Sex & Relationships
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7KHUH¡V QR QHHG WR OLH ,I LW¡V LPSRUWDQW WDON WR KLP DERXW LW 7KH RQO\ ZD\ to maintain a healthy relationship is through constant communication. ,I \RX KDYH DQ\ IHDUV GRXEWV RU QDJJLQJ ZRUULHV WDON WKHP RYHU ZLWK KLP He’ll appreciate you all the more for it, DQG \RX¡OO KDYH RSHQHG XS D GLDORJXH that will continue for as long as this relationship will last. Every relationship has a point where WKH À]]OH À]]HV RXW DQG WKDW¡V ZKHQ LW WDNHV WKH PRVW DPRXQW RI ZRUN WR UHLJQLWH WKH VSDUN
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Fran Swan & Kath Little Columnists
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Taboo or not taboo? Siobhan Baranian
LIFE & STYLE
consequence of an age-gap? It’s the same for anything, there will always be that unfortunate number who bring the rest GRZQ WKURXJK WKHLU DFWLRQV %XW ZKDW DERXW WKRVH ZKR DUH ZLWK someone because their feelings are genuLQH UHJDUGOHVV RI DJH UDFH DQG JHQGHU" &DWKHULQH =HWD -RQHV VHHPLQJO\ GRHVQ¡W have an issue with the fact that her husEDQG 0LFKDHO 'RXJODV LV \HDUV ROGHU In fact, after nine years of blissful happiness they are one of the strongest couples LQ +ROO\ZRRG DQG DV DQ 2VFDU ZLQQLQJ DFWUHVV LW¡V KLJKO\ XQOLNHO\ WKDW &DWKHUine is with Michael for the money. 7KH VDPH JRHV IRU $VKWRQ .XWFKHU DQG 'HPL 0RRUH $OWKRXJK ,¡P VXUH WKHUH ZHUH ORWV RI JLUOV ZKR KRSHG WKH\ ZRXOGQ¡W ODVW WKDW LW ZRXOG MXVW EH D phase, their relationship only became stronger. $W WKH HQG RI WKH GD\ LW VKRXOGQ¡W PDWWHU LI SHRSOH MXGJH \RXU UHODWLRQVKLS DV long as you are in it for the right reasons. ,W¡V WKH ROG FOLFKp \RX FDQ¡W KHOS ZKR you fall for.
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18
Monday 2 November 2009 THE COURIER
LIFE & STYLE
Going Out
The Penny Pincher
Going Out
Rowan Taylor Columnist
BCM: Being Casually Molested
Lesson Three: Eating out
P. DIXON
Eating out is surprisingly common for such a supposedly poor part of the population. Going for a meal and saving money may seem contradictory, but there are several tips that can save you some pennies.
Larisa Brown Life & Style Editor Imagine this: $ \RXQJ ODG\ LV JRLQJ IRU D VWUROO LQ /HD]HV SDUN RQ D TXLHW 6XQGD\ DIWHUQRRQ happily chomping on her homemade KDP VDQGZLFKHV DQG KHU IUHVK FKXQNV of diced pineapple, when a bearded, redeyed, overweight and rather intoxicated PDQ VSRWV KHU IURP DFURVV WKH ODNH Not only does this handsome stranger decide they are a match made in heaven, but also that his burning desire to have KHU PXVW EH IXOÀOOHG LPPHGLDWHO\ $V ,I KH GLGQ¡W WKLQN KLV OHHULQJ JHVWXUHV were quite enough to get the ball rolling, he grabs her ass, fumbles her left breast, and then proceeds with what could be WHUPHG D FKHHN\ PRXWK UDSH 7KH ODG\ GHVSLWH KHU KRUURU DW WKH XQÀQLVKHG SLQHDSSOH VFDWWHUHG RQ WKH à RRU VPLOHV DQG FDVXDOO\ FDUULHV RQ KHU afternoon meander. What has just been described here is an act of molestation. Whilst many of you UHDGLQJ WKLV PD\ EH IDLUO\ VKRFNHG E\ the unperturbed reaction from the lady in question, many of you too will have at some point reacted in much the same ZD\ 7KH RQO\ GLIIHUHQFH EHLQJ D IHZ VKRWV RI DOFRKRO DQG D GDUN GLQJ\ QLJKWclub for the perfect setting. Why is it that what is deemed sexual assault during the day is, at night, considered a suitable code of practice? 7DNH IRU H[DPSOH 0DJDOXI WKH KRPH WR PDVV SURWHLQ VKDNH IXHOOHG WHHQDJH ER\V ORRNLQJ IRU ERWK ODVK DQG JDVK the terminology of the latter judged appropriate due to the distinct disregard for any other prerequisite of the female IRUP %&0 SODQHW GDQFH RQH RI WKH ZRUOGV¡ œWRS¡ FOXEV QRW RQO\ LQYLWHG ZLOOing females to come up on stage and WDNH RII WKHLU NQLFNHUV ZKLOVW DWWHPSWLQJ VWDU MXPSV IRU WKH ODGV RQ WKH GDQFH à RRU EXW DOVR WROG WKH SDUWLFLSDQWV WKDW during the foam party acts of fellatio ZHUH (;75(0(/< HQFRXUDJHG You can imagine the carnage once the IRDP HMDFXODWHG , IRU H[DPSOH D NHHQ advocate for peaceful resolution, ended up punching three guys in the same DUHD WKH\ VHW RXW WR SOHDVH ,I \RX ZHUHQ¡W quite so assertive however, it was most
Lunch ‡ 7KH 8QLRQ¡V %LVWUR E\ WKH /OR\GV 76% FDVK PDFKLQH LV D JRRG EHW IRU LWV hearty portions and charming ‘eat all \RXU JUHHQV¡ FDQWHHQ VW\OH )XOO SODWHV of comfort food are around ÂŁ3, with free water available. ‡ %RRWV¡ Â… PHDO GHDO LV ZHOO HVWDEOLVKHG DQG LW¡V HVSHFLDOO\ JRRG YDOXH if you aim for the most expensive item in each category, whether you wanted it or not. ‡ %ULQJ EDFN QRVWDOJLF PHPRULHV RI VFKRRO SDFNHG OXQFKHV E\ PDNLQJ DQG WDNLQJ OXQFK ZKHQ \RX¡YH JRW D day in uni. %X\LQJ OXQFK LV H[SHQVLYH DQG ZKLOH ,¡P QRW WU\LQJ WR NLOO \RXU VRFLDO life, just be aware how regularly this is happening. You could easily be VSHQGLQJ Â… D ZHHN Dinner
OLNHO\ WKDW WKH RGG DVV JUDEELQJ ZRXOG D few minutes later, change to forced head bobbing. When you thought going out for FRXOGQ¡W JHW PXFK ZRUVH \RX ZHUH PLVWDNHQ œ&DUQDJH¡ WKH WHUP IRU WKH SRSXlar national student bar crawl, proved to be a worse ordeal. What was supposed to be an innocent night out dressed in my pyjamas and carrying my childhood teddy bear, ended up being a night spent in a police station whilst my friend chundered down a police car door outside. 7KH QLJKW ZHQW DV IROORZV , ZDV KDSSLO\ GDQFLQJ P\ KHDUW RXW WR œ6DWXUGD\ 1LJKW¡ E\ :KLJÀHOG ZKHQ D ODUJH JURXS of lads started dancing around me. 2EOLYLRXV WR P\ VXUURXQGLQJV , SURceeded to act out the dance moves to the song, whilst the lads, as lads do, started a
Restaurant Review Avanti, Jesmond Larisa Brown Life & Style Editor 2QH UHVWDXUDQW QRW WR EH IRUJRWWHQ DERXW amongst the plethora of Italian restaurants that are scattered around Jesmond LV %UHQWZRRG $YHQXH¡V $YDQWL 1HDWO\ WXFNHG DZD\ RII WKH EXV\ 2Vborne road, this quiet yet perfectly popular restaurant is a favourite amongst local residents. 7KH GHOLFDWH GpFRU RXWVLGH WKH UHVWDXrant is just a simple taste of the atmosphere that you are to expect once inside WKH KHDUW RI WKH PDLQ GLQLQJ DUHD %HDXtifully decorated with paintings such as WKH 0RQD /LVD DQG ,WDOLDQ WKHPHG GHVLJQV \RX FDQ¡W JHW PXFK PRUH DXWKHQWLF WKDQ $YDQWL Whilst not all of us have the luxury of experiencing the romantic atmosphere as it is intended, the dim candlelight and softly playing music is enough to
PDNH DQ\ JURXS RI IULHQGV IHHO WKH YLEH of love. 7KH +DSS\ +RXU PHQX LV FHUWDLQO\ an attraction for young students, ranging from £4.90 for any pizza or pasta to D WKUHH FRXUVH PHDO ZLWK FKLFNHQ GLVKHV for just £8.90. Whilst we happened to sample a personal favourite of mine- the potato wedges with salsa and garlic mayonnaise dip - if one wanted to be slightly more extravagant, pate on toasted bread is another delightful option. 2QH PXVW EH ZDUQHG WKDW DIWHU D SODWHful of potato wedges you may be feeling DGHTXDWHO\ VDWLVÀHG DQG WKHUHIRUH LW PD\ EH ZLVH WR RSW IRU D VOLJKWO\ OHVV ÀOOLQJ meal for the main course. None of the main dishes disappoint ZKHWKHU \RX FKRRVH WKH 6SDJKHWWL &UHPROLQR RU WKH 0DUFR 3ROR SL]]D 7KH PRUH WKDQ DPSOH SRUWLRQV PHDQ that whatever your appetite, it is hard WR ZDON RXW RI WKH UHVWDXUDQW IHHOLQJ OHVV than happy. ,I \RX GLGQ¡W WKLQN LW FRXOG JHW DQ\ EHWter, whilst waiting for your dessert, you are duly attended to by very handsome ZDLWHUV DQG ZDLWUHVVHV HDJHU WR VXSSO\
FKDQW 7KHQ EHIRUH , NQHZ LW LQ WKLV YHU\ ZHOO OLW DQG RSHQ à RRU VSDFH RQH RI WKH lads pulled my pyjama shorts down to WKH à RRU In case you are wondering, yes, I did KDYH XQGHUZHDU RQ 8QIRUWXQDWHO\ KRZHYHU , KDGQ¡W DQWLFLSDWHG KDYLQJ P\ shorts stripped off me in such a manner, and so was wearing the tinniest thong I WKLQN , KDYH HYHU ERXJKW 6R WKHUH , ZDV VWRRG KROGLQJ P\ WHGG\ bear, with my pigtails in and my ass out. 2I FRXUVH WKH ODGV VXUURXQGLQJ PH found this hilarious, and as I proceeded WR SXOO P\ VKRUWV EDFN XS , VLPXOWDQHously burst into tears. 0HHWLQJ WKH ERXQFHUV DW WKH HQWUDQFH I hysterically cried to them whilst they VWURNHG P\ KDLU :KLOVW WKH\ ZHUH DF-
FRPPRGDWLQJ WR P\ GUXQNHQ EODEEHULQJ , WKLQN WKH\ WRR OLNH P\ IHPDOH companions, found the whole situation hysterically funny. 2QH SHUVRQ ZKR GLGQ¡W ÀQG LW IXQQ\ was my dad. Hence, the police station. Whilst the experience was adequately KXPLOLDWLQJ QRZ ZKHQ , WKLQN DERXW WKH situation all I can do is laugh. However, imagine if someone pulled \RXU VNLUW GRZQ ZKLOVW \RX ZHUH VKRSSLQJ LQ 7HVFR RU D ER\ LQ WKH OLEUDU\ WULHG to force you to perform fellatio on him ZKLOVW DW D FRPSXWHU GHVN $OO RI WKHVH VXJJHVWLRQV VHHP ULGLFXORXV GRQ¡W WKH\ KRZHYHU KRZ GLIIHUHQW are they really from what happened to me?!
\RX ZLWK DV PXFK GULQN DV LV GHVLUHG Not a course to miss out on, the chocoODWH IXGJH FDNH LV RQH RI $YDQWL¡V ZRQders. Richly decorated with chocolate VDXFH DQG FUHDP WKH FDNH OHDYHV OLWWOH
WR EH GHVLUHG 7KLV OLJKW \HW VFUXPSWLRXV dessert is a perfect way to end a perfect evening. 7KLV IDPLO\ UXQ EXVLQHVV KDV JRW HYHU\thing just about right. L. BROWN
‡ 0DQ\ UHVWDXUDQWV ZLOO RIIHU DQ HDUO\ FKHDSHU PHQX WR KHOS PDNH XS IRU WKH HDUO\ ODFN RI DWPRVSKHUH 2Vborne Road, the epicentre of Happy +RXU NQRZV KRZ WR GR WKLV ZHOO ‡ 0DQ\ UHVWDXUDQW FKDLQV KDYH HPDLO QHZVOHWWHUV 2QFH WKH\ KDYH gathered your details on their website, they will periodically push out exclusive offers. 4XD\VLGH UHVWDXUDQW 6OXJ DQG /HWtuce, for example, welcome you with a voucher for £5 off a food bill over £10. 5HYROXWLRQ¡V ZHEVLWH RIIHUV IRU RQ WKHLU IRRG DQG GULQN JRRGLHV 0DUWLQ /HZLV¡ 0RQH\VDYLQJH[SHUW FRP NHHSV DQ XS WR GDWH FROOHFWLRQ RI the best restaurant vouchers. 2Q WKHUH DW WKH PRPHQW LV RII DW /D 7DVFD DQG IRU DW 6WUDGD 7KDW¡V DVVXPLQJ \RX¡UH QRW WKH W\SH WR JHW embarrassed presenting a voucher to the waiter. ,I \RX DUH WKDW W\SH GRQ¡W HYHQ WKLQN DERXW RUGHULQJ WDS ZDWHU OLNH the rest of us. ‡ $ UHDOLVWLF DOWHUQDWLYH WR JRLQJ out for a meal is inviting friends over for dinner. It gives the same sense of occasion, with the added pleasure/ horror of hosting guests. With any OXFN \RXU IULHQGV ZLOO ODWHU UHSD\ WKH favour.
Deals of the Week 1. Free loaf of Hovis Soft White: hovisbakery.co.uk $SSDUHQWO\ D ORDG RI SHRSOH YRWHG WKLV %ULWDLQ¡V VRIWHVW ZKLWH EUHDG , ZDV QHYHU DVNHG EXW LI SDUW RI WKH SURPRWLRQ LV IUHH EUHDG ZRUWK DERXW … WKHQ ÀQH <RX JHW WKH IUHH EUHDG RII the website. Not literally of course, \RX PXVW FOLFN DQG SULQW D YRXFKHU 2. Editors - In This Light And On This Evening: £4.99 @ bangcd.com ,W¡V DOZD\V D ELW XQQHUYLQJ ZKHQ a brand new album is discounted so much; however this album was UHYLHZHG LQ 7KH &RXULHU WZR ZHHNV DJR DQG ZDV JLYHQ 6XUHO\ DW half usual price that rating would be doubled: 14/10.
THE COURIER Monday 2 November 2009
19
Travel
LIFE & STYLE
NEW YO RK
Taking a bite out of the Big Apple Kathryn Hicks We drove into New York with a continuous view of the skyline- the trademark of so many ‘Friends’ episodes which I have always been so obsessed with. The city is a ‘love it’ or ‘hate it’ kind of place and fortunately for me, I loved it. , ZDV Ă€ OOHG ZLWK HQHUJ\ DQG H[FLWHPHQW DV ZH GURYH DORQJ XQDEOH WR EHOLHYH WKDW what I saw was real. It was more like beLQJ RQ D JLDQW Ă€ OP VHW 7KH UHG EULFN EXLOGLQJV ZKLFK IDFHG WKH KRWHO ZLWK WKHLU ROG IDVKLRQHG H[WHUQDO Ă€ UH HVFDSHV UHPLQGHG PH RI Âś:HVW 6LGH 6WRU\¡ DQG , ZRQGHUHG LI , ORRNHG RXW ORQJ HQRXJK LI WKH -HWV DQG WKH 6KDUNV ZRXOG FRPH RXW FOLFNLQJ WKHLU Ă€ QJHUV LQ UK\WKP WR WKH 1HZ <RUN WUDIĂ€ F SDVVLQJ
quickly on the street below. 7KH WDONLQJ SRLQW RI 1HZ <RUN LV RI FRXUVH 7LPHV 6TXDUH 7KH SOHWKRUD RI DG YHUWV DQG JLDQW VFUHHQV OLJKWV XS 7KH %LJ $SSOH OLNH D &KULVWPDV 7UHH $WWUDFWLQJ 26 million people a year, it doesn’t have VRPHWKLQJ WR RIIHU HYHU\RQH EXW LI \RX JR \RX NQRZ ZKDW WR H[SHFW 7KH EULJKW OLJKWV EXVWOLQJ WUDIÀ F VWHDP JUDWHV UXVKLQJ SHRSOH WKH HQHUJ\ ZKLFK À OOV WKLV RQH VWUHHW LV DPD]LQJ \RX FDQ IHHO LW inside of you as you take a walk into the heart of the novelty shops, forced to look XS WR H[SHULHQFH WKH WUXH YDVWQHVV RI WKLV unique scene. , WKRXJKW WKHQ WKDW 7LPHV 6TXDUH FRPHV WR OLIH DW QLJKW DQG LW FHUWDLQO\ GLG WKH QLJKW ZH ZHQW WR VHH D VKRZ RQ SUHV WLJLRXV %URDGZD\ That was after I had started my day
ZLWK D 6WDUEXFNV ÂśFRLIIHH¡ DQG KDG SDLG D YLVLW WR WKH 1%& VKRS ZKLFK ZDV MDP SDFNHG ZLWK HQRXJK Âś)ULHQGV¡ Âś6FUXEV¡ and ‘Will and Grace’ merchandise to NHHS PH EURZVLQJ IRU KRXUV 7KH )HUULV ZKHHO LQVLGH WKH IRXU Ă RRUV RI Âś7R\V 5 8V¡ ZDV MXVW RQH RI WKH QRY HOW\ LWHPV DORQJ ZLWK WKH QHRQ VLJQ IRU the Police Department situated on the pedestrianised area where you can hire RXW GHFN FKDLUV WR MXVW ZDWFK $PRQJ WKH 0 0 DQG +HUVKH\ VWRUHV WKHUH DUH HQRXJK WDFN\ VRXYHQLUV WR NHHS \RX EXV\ DV \RX PXQFK RQ D JLDQW SUHW ]HO FRVWLQJ RQO\ IURP D NLQGO\ VWUHHW vender, of which there are many. Fifth Avenue provides an aura of calm DZD\ IURP WKH QRLVH DQG UXVKLQJ RI PDLQVWUHDP 0DQKDWWDQ ZLWK LWV KLJKHU class shops and the opportunity to have
D SKRWR RXWVLGH 7LIIDQ\ &R The serenity it offers cannot be missed JLYHQ LWV VWDUN FRQWUDVW WR WKH IUDQWLF WKHD WUH YLOODJH ,Q D VLPLODU ZD\ WKH DFUHV RI &HQWUDO 3DUN RIIHU D SHDFHIXO UHIXJH IRU WKRVH ZLVKLQJ WR JHW DZD\ IURP 1HZ York in its stereotype and the opportuQLW\ WR JHW D KRUVH GUDZQ FDUULDJH ULGH DURXQG LV FRQVWDQWO\ EHLQJ DGYHUWLVHG 7R EH KRQHVW HYHU\WKLQJ \RX WKLQN 1HZ <RUN ZLOO EH LW LV $Q\ À OP \RX¡YH seen set there, any photos you’ve seen of LW WKH\¡UH ULJKW Its widely publicised nature means HYHU\RQH ZKR JRHV ORYHV LW EHFDXVH \RX JHW PRUH WKDQ \RX FRXOG HYHU WKLQN RI LW¡V QRW MXVW VLJKWVHHLQJ LW¡V D VWDWH RI mind.
Issy Retberg %HIRUH OHDYLQJ IRU RXU \HDU DEURDG WKH HQWLUH \HDU RI ODQJXDJH VWXGHQWV ZDV JLYHQ D OHFWXUH RQ FXOWXUH VKRFN in an attempt to prepare us for the GLIIHUHQFHV ZH FRXOG H[SHFW LQ RXU respective countries. ,¡P VSHQGLQJ P\ HQWLUH \HDU LQ France and have been on holiday there more times than I can count, so , VSHQW WKLV SDUWLFXODU OHFWXUH SOD\LQJ QRXJKWV DQG FURVVHV ZLWK P\VHOI 0DVVLYH HUURU ,W WXUQV RXW WKDW HYHQ MXVW KRSSLQJ DFURVV WKH FKDQQHO FDQ EULQJ XS D ZKROH PHVV RI GLIIHU ences. Number one: adaptors This is potentially the most pointless difference between European countries and meant that despite KDYLQJ EURXJKW IRXU GLIIHUHQW DGDS WRUV ZLWK PH , VSHQW Ă€ YH GD\V ZLWK LQH[SOLFDEO\ EDG KDLU EHFDXVH QRQH of them worked. Even the ones that you buy actually in the country DUHQ¡W JXDUDQWHHG WR ZRUN Number two: paperwork <RX QHHG WR Ă€ OO LQ D IRUP WR JR WR the toilet in France which makes an\WKLQJ VOLJKWO\ PRUH FRPSOH[ D WLPH FRQVXPLQJ DFWLYLW\ 7DNH VHWWLQJ XS D EDQN DFFRXQW IRU H[DPSOH IRXU WULSV and seven different documents later I think I have one. At least that’s what WKH IROORZLQJ WZHOYH OHWWHUV IURP WKH SRVW RIĂ€ FH VHHP WR EH VD\LQJ Number three: driving It’s a well known fact that people GULYH RQ WKH ULJKW VLGH RI WKH URDG LQ )UDQFH EXW GHVSLWH NQRZLQJ WKLV the number of times I’ve nearly died ZKHQ FURVVLQJ WKH URDG LV QHDULQJ GRXEOH Ă€ JXUHV Number four: dating +HUH WKH SUHIHUUHG PHWKRG RI FRXUWLQJ IRU WKH PDMRULW\ VHHPV WR EH WRXFKLQJ \RX LQDSSURSULDWHO\ RQ WKH PHWUR RU IROORZLQJ \RX , PDGH WKH PLVWDNH RI JLYLQJ P\ number to a man I met who seemed nice and perfectly normal. :LWKLQ WKH QH[W KRXUV ,¡G UH FHLYHG Ă€ YH WH[W PHVVDJHV DOO VD\LQJ ‘call me please’. Err, no.
Photo of the Week Oliver Maunsell- 3rd year Medicine ³, WRRN WKLV RQ D URDG WULS WKLV VXPPHU ,œP GULYLQJ GRZQ WKH 3DFL¿ F &RDVW +LJKZD\ LQ &DOLIRUQLD´ 6HQG \RXU WUDYHO SLFWXUHV WR courier.life@ncl.ac.uk DQG \RX FRXOG ZLQ … ZRUWK RI SKRWR SULQWV DV ZHOO DV \RXU SKRWR SULQWHG DQG IUDPHG
7KDQNIXOO\ WKRXJK WKH SRVLWLYH GLIIHUHQFHV PDVVLYHO\ RXWZHLJK WKH QHJDWLYHV /LNH WKH IDFW WKDW LW¡V DF ceptable to have pastry for breakfast here. Also, despite the perhaps commonly perceived stereotype, the people here are ridiculously nice and KHOSIXO DQG WKH QLFH JX\V DUH KHDUW EUHDNLQJO\ URPDQWLF 2K \HDK DQG EHLQJ DEOH WR WHOO HYH U\RQH , OLYH LQ 3DULV LV SUHWW\ JRRG too.
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Interview with The 6XSUHPHVÂś 0DU\ :LOVRQ Culture, page 24
THE COURIER Monday 2 November 2009
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Interviews with Little Boots and The Saturdays > Music, page 30-31 Culture Editor: Alice Vincent - courier.culture@ncl.ac.uk
It’s Wunderbar! New ten day culture festival launches in Newcastle this week
Hair raising: let an army of children from Walkergate Primary School cut your hair at the Wunderbar Festival in Newcastle this weekend
Olivia Mason At some point in all our lives we’ve all wanted to smash up old metal, haven’t we? Or had our hair cut by children? Or at least had a bath in Fenham and tea and cake in Jesmond? Well this November, Wunderbar Festival is giving you the chance to do all this and quite a bit more. 7KLV LV :XQGHUEDU¡V À UVW \HDU DQG ZLOO GHÀ QLWHO\ FDXVH D VWRUP $ IHVWL YDO RI FRQWHPSRUDU\ SHUIRUPDQFHV visual art, and general extraordinary happenings taking place in the WHQ GD\V IURP WK WR WK 1RYHP ber. A dynamic programme means VRPHWKLQJ MXVW D ZHH ELW GLIIHUHQW and guaranteed to be worth a visit. :LWK PRVW RI WKH HYHQWV IUHH DQG ZLWKLQ HDV\ UHDFK RI WKH FLW\ FHQWUH there is no excuse to miss out. On the 7th and 8th stroll down to Eldon Square where a dining table will be set out, inviting you to VLW GRZQ DQG FKDW ZKLOH RIIHULQJ D VPDOO JLIW For the more brave amongst you, on the same weekend book an appointment at Saks Hair and have \RXU KDLU FXW E\ D EXQFK RI NHHQ
nine-year-olds, only too happy to VKRZ RII WKHLU VNLOOV , VKRXOG LPDJ ine! A house warming party in an old GHUHOLFW VLWH LQ %\NHU ZLOO GHÀ QLWHO\ be a good way to while away a SatXUGD\ 2U LI GLVFRYHULQJ QHZ SDUWV RI WKH FLW\ VRXQGV JRRG WKHQ ERRN D VORW WR WDNH D PLQXWH PHGLD WRXU HQFRPSDVVLQJ WKH FHQWUH RI 1HZFDV tle, allowing you to discover the unVHHQ DQG XQKHDUG RI VXEVWUXFWXUHV RI WKH FLW\ ZLWK WKH KHOS RI VRPH sound and video. 3DUW ZLWK VRPH RI \RXU FDVK DQG you will not be disappointed! Wunderbar continues to shine with its WRXUV RI SHRSOH¡V KRPHV )RU D IHZ quid you can have a nosey around twelve unique homes in Newcastle whose owners have particular interests. What a great way to meet people and do something a bit exciting. You can have a bath in a house in Fenham or take part in a dinner IRRG À JKW 6SHQG … RQ WKH WK 1RYHPEHU and you can smash up all the rubbish that Scrap Club has collected IURP 1HZFDVWOH¡V VWUHHWV RYHU WKH week. They provide the hard hats, the scrap and the tools, and all you
need is the strength and desire to destroy old rubbish! 7KHUH DUH DOVR HQRXJK À OP VFUHHQ LQJV OLYH SHUIRUPDQFHV WKHDWUH DQG arts to intrigue, well, anyone. 7KH EHVW SDUW LV ,¡YH RQO\ WRXFKHG WKH WLS RI WKH LFHEHUJ :XQGHUEDU Festival has so many exciting and GLYHUVH WKLQJV WR RIIHU LW ZRXOG EH IUDQNO\ PDGQHVV QRW WR KDYH D ORRN 7R À QG RXW PRUH ORJ RQWR www. wunderbarfestival.co.uk RU IRU WKH OHVV technologically adept, pick up a JXLGH IURP YDULRXV SODFHV LQ WKH FLW\ and on campus. The Best Of Wunderbar Throughout: Shakespearean Public Announcements - listen out in a public place near you; From Here On Out at The Hub WK 1RYHPEHU 'LQQHU :LWK $PHULFD SP DW 'DQFH &LW\ WK +RXVHZDUPLQJ SP 6W /DZUHQFH 6TXDUH %\NHU 6FUDS &OXE SP +DQJHU ZLWK DIWHU SDUW\ DW 6WDU Shadow
:XQGHUEDU Âż OP SURÂż OH Joe Skrebels ,I \RX¡UH FUDYLQJ D PRUH Ă€ OPLF experience than, say, getting your hair cut by a nine-year-old, there’s SOHQW\ WR FKRRVH IURP St. Paul’s Church in Jarrow will EH VKRZLQJ /LQGD 0RQWDQR¡V 0LWFKHOO¡V 'HDWK D FLQHPDWLF DFW RI PRXUQLQJ E\ WKH DUWLVW WR KHU dead husband; whilst at the lightHU HQG RI WKLQJV WKH EULOOLDQW 6WDU 6KDGRZ FLQHPD ZLOO EH VFUHHQ LQJ .LVV 0H .DWH ´WKH JUHDWHVW RI DOO JUHDW 0*0 PXVLFDOV Âľ 7KH IHVWLYDO¡V PDLQ DUHD 7KH Hub, will be playing host to Film %HH¡V OLYH Ă€ OP TXLFN HGLW DFWLY ity, where you can watch and FKDQJH YLGHRV RI WKH GD\¡V HYHQWV and Jamie Allen’s ‘From Here On 2XW¡ LV D YLGHR DQG VRXQG WRXU RI Newcastle which gives you X-ray vision through buildings in the city.
)RU WKH JURZQ XSV 0HP 0RULVVRQ¡V Âś3KRWRĂ€ W¡ EOHQGV OLYH SHUIRUPDQFH DQG GRFXPHQWDU\ DW WKH 6WDU 6KDGRZ WR ÂśH[SDQG RQ human memory and personal hisWRU\ WR UHĂ HFW RQ D ZLGHU XQLYHU sal human experience’, whilst the more young at heart might enjoy Âś%LJ /L]DUG¡V %LJ ,GHD¡ ZKHUH you can appear on TV with Big /L]DUG KLPVHOI LQ Âś%LJ /L]DUG¡V %LJ )XQ 7LPH 0HVVDJH 6KRZ¡ LQ the ‘Fun Bus’ (draw your own conclusions), parked daily by the 0RQXPHQW :LWK DOO RI WKLV MXVW UHSUHVHQW LQJ D VPDOO SRUWLRQ RI ZKDW WKH Wunderbar Festival has lined up DOO RYHU WKH FLW\ \RX¡G EH D IRRO not to check out the website. See what might be happening QHDU \RX RYHU WKH QH[W IRUWQLJKW by visiting www.wunderbarfestival. co.uk.
Photos
Photos by Christa Chen
Every Wednesday at the Union Rush Hour 5pm-6pm
GET YOUR KIT OFF
CULTURE
22
Photos
THE COURIER Monday 2 November 2009
Photos
23
CULTURE
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Monday 2 November 2009 THE COURIER
CULTURE
3am Girls
with Mary Wilson > Jake Winter chats to The Supremes’ Motown great at the launch of her exhibition at The Shipley Art Gallery Mary Wilson is one of those musicians you didn’t know you knew. If I was to mention Diana Ross & The Supremes, would that ring some bells? While the Beatles were the Kings of the 60s music scene, The Supremes were the Queens of the Era. They strove for 18 years to deliver their Love Child to the world’s eager ears. They sang at the head of the Motown emergence, a label that surfed the likes of Jackson 5 and Marvyn Gaye to popularity in the ethnically divisive times of 1960s America. Wandering around her new exhibition in Gateshead I asked her about The Supreme Dream. What will you remember most about Newcastle? It rains, the people are lovely. The Supremes came here in 1965 and the crowd were up dancing in the aisles- totally into the music, this city’s wonderful. You’ve just opened an exhibition. Have you got a message that you wanted to communicate through the collection? The whole of the exhibit is based on the fashion; and the fashion is basically pretty much just the backdrop for the overall story of the rise of the Supremes and Motown from poverty to fame. It shows America in the 1960s and how the change in the social environment for ethnic groups made
dreams come true. Did you feel any pressure being LQ D JURXS EHLQJ D Ă€ JXUH KHDG RI the whole movement for racial and sexual equality in the 60s? Obviously the period helped us become extremely popular because of how we started, as I said poverty, and women were not really promiQHQW Ă€ JXUHV LQ WKH ZRUOG LW ZDV really a man’s world, even though today it’s equal, we’re not really ‘equal’ to men, but still we have positions. Women have become ‘huge’ politiFDO Ă€ JXUHV LQ WKH ZRUOG RZQHUV RI their own companies, they’ve really made a tremendous leap to equality. I think in those days The Supremes contributed to that because we were three women, we weren’t one woman becoming popular, we were three, we were a concentration of women’s movement, and I think that’s one of the things The Supremes contributed to, we helped women move forward. Is there one song The Supremes sang that sums up the dream you were involved in? Our early songs were ‘bubblegum music’– Baby Love. They were Boy meets Girl; falls in love; then heartbreak. But in the late sixties music started speaking about what was going on, OLNH 5HĂ HFWLRQV WKDW ZDV D PRUH cerebral lyric. With Love Child we were becoming socially relevant in terms of our lyrics. As the times change, the social climate changed so the lyrics DQG PXVLF IROORZHG 5HĂ HFWLRQV KDG that more technical side tetetetetete doooowa. These were changing as the times changed. A lot of the bands in the sixties, like the Beatles, started off with very simple messages, then over the
decade really developed a deeper meaning to their music. Then in the seventies it just seemed to stop. It went from being more of a lyrical and musical style to craziness. In the 70s and 80s people were just totally freaked out. Drugs came into the picture, psychedelic type things, WKH PXVLF ZDV DOVR UHĂ HFWLQJ WKDW PXVLF DOZD\V UHĂ HFWV WKH WLPHV What’s the hardest thing you’ve learnt? It didn’t have much to do with the music. In learning about other people, the way they can control your life, you learn about yourself. First life’s always about you, then you see other things that aren’t about you, and that teaches you more. Do you still get recognised walking down the street? When people ‘really know’ The Supremes, they know it’s Mary Wilson. Although it’s not like it used to be - I take off all the make-up, I dress casually. People do tend to look at me as if they know me, maybe as if I work at the grocery store down the street. I am very happy I can walk out unnoticed unlike Michael Jackson. I can have a life. If I ever want to get noticed all I have to do is put on my make-up and a fancy dress and immediately people know I gotta be a Supreme. What music’s playing in your car at the moment? JAZZ! Nat King Cole. He has his own style, he was someone who inspired many people, I grew up with that song [Nature Boy]. I didn’t know what the meaning of that song was [“The greatest thing you’ll ever learn is just to love and be loved in returnâ€?], but you knew it meant something deep. When I grew up, I found out what it really meant.
“People know I’ve gotta be a Supreme� - Mary Wilson shows off her moves at the new Motown exhibition at The Shipley Art Gallery
Is that the same with the songs of The Supremes, do you hear them now and interpret them in a completely different way? (YHU\ QLJKW WKDW , VLQJ WKHP , Ă€ QG something more that I understand. , NHHS JRLQJ EDFN WR 5HĂ HFWLRQV ´5HĂ HFWLRQV RI WKH ZD\ ZH XVHG WR beâ€? doesn’t mean anything without something to look back on. Do you listen to much modern music? When I get into a car, if it’s on one of those stations with ‘Now’ music on, I immediately turn it off. I don’t like listening to it. I grew up with rock and roll and that’s what I like to listen to. Music is not as musical anymore. As long as it’s musical I can enjoy it. If you could interview anyone you wanted who would you choose? I would like to interview Aretha Franklin. I know her voice, and I’m in love with that. What’s the hardest thing you’ve learnt? Make sure you have a passion for what you want to do. If you work hard and you’re not happy about the work, you’re not a happy person. You have to enjoy it. I love performing; when I get up on stage I just have a ball. You may be tired, but you’re happily tired.
The Story of The Supremes from the Mary Wilson Collection is on at The Shipley Art Gallery, Gateshead, now until January. Go to www.twmuseums.org.uk/ shipley for more details.
Megan Sclater & Maudie Oppenheim Columnists This week we decided to rendezvous in the new ‘Game On’ night at Tiger Tiger. Typically, our Wednesdays revolve around the wonder that is Basement and Legends. Since the move from Blu Bambu at the beginning of term however, this new night for Tiger has been receiving so much hype our typical haunts have been feeling a little empty. We intended to meet up before entering the maze that is Tiger, but as so often is the case things don’t always go according to plan. Here we have two very differing accounts of the same night, with fervent texting and seeking each other out a common theme. Megan: Well my night started off with the scuba diving social, the theme of which was Rubik’s cube, although I didn’t participate. Not my cup of tea. I followed the group to the North 7HUUDFH 3DFLĂ€ F ZKHUH , ZLWQHVVHG an oompa lumpa pull down his trousers allowing everyone to see far more than they bargained for), Basement and then on to Bar 42 before EDLOLQJ WR 6LQQHUV WR Ă€ QG 0DXGVWHU Naturally we had our timings ZURQJ VR , GLGQ¡W Ă€ QG KHU EXW bumped into others so all was well. Continued with the trebles, which were not having their regular effect as I was feeling oddly sober, but still managed to dance along to B*witched with the best of them. Eventually we decided to move on to Tiger and with my ‘game on’ pass was looking forward to my free entry, alas nobody informed me you go in through the hell that is Sam Jacks to get this free entry. Anyway, eventually got in Tiger VREHU DV D MXGJH , GR QRW UHFRP mend this) and bumped into loads of friendly faces and managed to have a good boogie even without the buzz that alcohol brings. The night ended for me when some random tool decided to pin me to a wall hoping for a kiss, when he was refused he proceeded to tickle me senseless, and while my friends dragged me away he came once more only to lift me up and spin me round before he got the message. Interesting, to say the least! Maudie: Now perhaps my night took a different turn because unlike Megan I had the aforementioned alcohol buzz. On entering I pretty much lost everyone I went out with and struggled WR Ă€ QG WKRVH WKDW , ZDV WH[WLQJ DPD] ingly though this was not a concern. Instead, I spent a lot of time barrelling about and jumping on those IULHQGV , GLG Ă€ QG 3HUKDSV LW ZDV Ă XNH WKDW VR PDQ\ IDPLOLDU IDFHV ZHUH Ă RDWLQJ DURXQG but either way I like it! My most exciting moment though was seeing a friend from school who ZDV XS IRU WKH QLJKW Ă€ YH \HDUV RQ and still I recognised his face amongst the crowd. , ZDV VR H[FLWHG , Ă DWWHQHG KLP LQ P\ H[FLWHPHQW D PHDQ IHDW JLYHQ KH plays professional rugby-and that I’m 5’2â€?!) Now Tiger is not the kind of night, in terms of music and maze like venue, that I usually enjoy, but on this night the people and the buzz meant it was so much fun. It’s not something I would do every week for fear of getting very bored, but I may be returning next time attached to my Megan so as not to lose each other for once!
THE COURIER Monday 2 November 2009
25
CULTURE
'R ZH UHDOO\ QHHG D &LW\ RI &XOWXUH" Polly Randall :KDW LV FXOWXUH" 7KDW LV DOZD\V RQH RI WKRVH LQFUHGLEO\ LUULWDWLQJ TXHVWLRQV D ZRUG ZKLFK LV ÀOOHG ZLWK VR much inherent meaning but is still VR GLIÀFXOW WR SLQ GRZQ LQWR DQ H[DFW FRQFHSW $QG PRUH WKDQ WKDW ZKDW VRUW RI IXQFWLRQ LV LW VXSSRVHG WR KDYH LQ VRFLHW\" :LWK 'XUKDP UXQQLQJ IRU &LW\ RI &XOWXUH LQ GRHV WKLV DXWRPDWLFDOO\ PHDQ LW LV D FLW\ ÀOOHG ZLWK FXOWXUH" Or can you cynically see the conFHSW RI FXOWXUH FLWLHV DV D PDUNHWLQJ WRRO WR SURPRWH DQ DUHD DQG EHQHÀW IURP WRXULVW UHYHQXH" /LYHUSRRO ZLQQLQJ (XURSHDQ &DSLWDO RI &XOWXUH LQ KDV REYLRXVO\ KDG D PDMRU LPSDFW 1RW RQO\ GLG LW KHOS WR WUDQVIRUP WKH LQWHUQDWLRQDO LPDJH RI WKH FLW\ EXW LW DOVR ZRUNHG DV D FDWDO\VW IRU LQYHVWPHQW HIIHFWLQJ PDQ\ XUEDQ areas which had been previously XQGHU GHYHORSHG %RWK RI WKHVH DVSHFWV DUH SRVLWLYH FRQVHTXHQFHV RI WKH FXOWXUDO PRYHment in both social and economic WHUPV ² LW SURYLGHV MREV HQFRXUDJHV D VHQVH RI FRPPXQLW\ DQG DFKLHYHPHQW EXW PRUH WKDQ WKDW LW DOORZV people greater access to a wider VSHFWUXP RI DFWLYLWLHV DQG ERWK ORFDO and international events which they may have previously been ignorant RI
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5HPHPEHU UHPHPEHU Eleanor Wilson What better way to spend 5th November than wrapped up in your ZRROOHQV DURXQG D URDULQJ ÀUH URDVWLQJ PDUVKPDOORZV VSDUNOHU LQ hand (wearing gloves and standLQJ QHDU D KDQG\ EXFNHW RI ZDWHU RI FRXUVH ZLWK ORWV RI ÀUHZRUNV OLJKWLQJ WKH VN\" $W KRPH ERQÀUH QLJKW LV DOZD\V an event so there’s no reason why LW VKRXOG EH DQ\ GLIIHUHQW DW 8QL 6R JUDE \RXU PDWHV JHW GRZQ WR D ORFDO SDUN·V GLVSOD\ DQG KDYH D JUHDW night! +HUH·V D URXQG XS RI D IHZ RI WKH places to go and celebrate in and around Newcastle and Durham this year: 'XUKDP %RQÀUH 1LJKW :KHUH $\NOH\ +HDGV
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26
Monday 2 November 2009 THE COURIER
CULTURE
Arts
Arts Arts Editor: Stephanie Ferrao - courier.culture-arts@ncl.ac.uk
Insane in the Brain Ciara Littler Insane in the Brain is a dance-theatre spectacular that adds a truly modern twist to Ken Kesey’s classic novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Swedish dance company Bounce delivers an hour and a half of exciting and dynamic entertainment here on campus at the Northern Stage. A heavy dose of contemporary hip-hop is injected into the production which creates a powerful and energetic display of storytelling. The background story is true to the novel; based on struggling psychiatric patients trying to cope with life in a hospital. But in this show, the break-dancing becomes a way of expressing desire for freedom, highlighting the rebellion against the dictatorial rule of Nurse Ratched who just so happens to be a ballet fan! ,QYHQWLYH VHW GHVLJQ DQG TXLFN À UH FKRUHRJUDSK\ DUH VXSSRUWHG E\ À OP and multimedia sequences, creating a fast-paced, funny and moving performance. With a soundtrack that includes Missy Elliot, Dizzee Rascal, Gotan Project, David Holmes and Cypress Hill the contemporary feel of the show is sure to excite all members of the audience. Known for overlooking conventional boundaries of dance-theatre, the company have been enjoying rave reviews and success all over
the country, and this is a great time to catch their show before they continue on their UK wide tour. Bounce have been a hit on YouTube performing a tribute to Michael Jackson and, whether you like it or not, the success of dance troupes on Britain’s Got Talent last year indicate that this is one show not to be missed. Unlike other re-workings of novels, Insane in the Brain shows how a great classic story can be reinvented in such a fresh and inspiring way. It makes for an interesting take on the serious ideas approached in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest with break dancing being the way out both physically and emotionally - of a torturous and controlling regime. The dancers pop, lock, crump and break their way through scenarios À OOHG ZLWK KLJK RFWDQH GDQFH 7KH story, though reworked, retains a sad yet liberating representation of struggling with mental-illness. It is an important and serious topic that is approached in a fantastically technical and motivating way. The show is interactive and fun, yet doesn’t take away from the exploration of the story. Insane in the Brain may initially be more appealing to those interested in dance, but it promises to be a wonderful show for anyone who enjoys a bit of performance. If you fancy something to spark some energy back into those long,
On the bounce: the Bounce Dance Company perform in Insane in the Brain
dark nights, Insane in the Brain is a truly riveting way to add some light to the fast approaching winter months. ,W¡V GHÀ QLWHO\ ZRUWK WU\LQJ VRPH
0LQLĂ X[ DW alt.gallery
1RUWKHUQ 6WDJH VR LW¡V GHÀ QLWHO\ worth grabbing some tickets now, to avoid unnecessary disappointment. Insane in the Brain is at Northern Stage on 13th-14th November 2009
Hit the Ground running Polly Randall
Joe Barton An exhibition that explores the interaction between music and sculpWXUH LQ V¡ DUW LV WR Ă€ QG LWV SHUIHFW home at Newcastle’s alt.gallery this November. Hayley Williams’s exhibition, 0LQLĂ X[ LV D FROOHFWLRQ RI RYHU plasticine versions of objects referenced in Fluxus musical scores. The Fluxus movement was an international network of painters, composers and sculptors, all committed to challenging preconceptions about what could constitute as ‘art’. Music played a central role amongst Fluxus artists and two of their most IDPRXV QDPHV ²-RKQ &DJH DQG <RNR Ono - both produced musical scores that encouraged their audiences to make their own music out of everyday objects. After deciding that it would be impossible to render life size versions of the thousands of objects listed in the Fluxus musical scores, Hayley Newman opted to make smaller, plasticine versions. On display at the alt.gallery will be miniature versions of the more conventional musical instruments ²RUFKHVWUDV DQG WURPERQHV DV ZHOO some less conventional ones, like elephants and wolves! 6RPH RI WKH REMHFWV ²VXFK DV NH\ holes and ceilings are hard to imagine made out of plasticine, so the exhibition promises dozens of raised eyebrows (as well as tiny plasticine eyebrows, as it happens). By providing the lists of instruments alongside the sculptures,
thing new; Bounce’s success so far helps to promote dance as another fantastic art-form to be enjoyed in Newcastle. Insane in the Brain is only showing for two nights at the
Newman hopes that the plasticine À JXUHV ZLOO UHà HFW WKH LPDJLQDWLRQ of visitors as they read the humorous and radical Fluxus scores, encouraging them to make their own new compositions out of what is laid out in front of them. Hayley Newman has performed and exhibited widely during her career and has had solo shows at venues such as Matt’s Gallery, London, and the Centre d’Art Contemporain, Geneva, as well as a group exhibition at the Tate Modern, London. ,Q 0LQLà X[ ZDV GHEXWHG DW the South London gallery, but this LV WKH À UVW LQVWDQFH RI WKH H[KLELWLRQ being toured elsewhere in the country. Alt.gallery is one of Newcastle’s hidden artistic gems, having pre-
viously played host to exhibitions by Daniel Johnston and Vicki Bennett, promoting work that intersects visual art, music and sound, priding itself on being one of the only galleries in the country that focuses on this unique area of the arts. Beneath the gallery is its better known sister store, alt.vinyl record shop, meaning that inspired visitors can build on their avant-garde music collections if they wish to do so. The gallery is located on Thornton 6WUHHW D PHUH À YH PLQXWH ZDON IURP Central Station, so art fans have no excuse for not experiencing this funny and imaginative exhibition. 0LQLà X[ UXQV IURP 1RYHPEHU WR January, and the gallery is open Monday to Saturday, 11.00am to 6.00pm.
Every year, the press make a dash up North to cover the annual run that truly puts Newcastle on the map - the Great North Run. In celebration of this, the Bupa Great North Run Cultural Program has returned in its 5th year with an exhibition at the on-campus Hatton Gallery called Hit the Ground. Using numerous and diverse forms of media, the exhibition demonstrates how art and sport can be combined to celebrate the spirit and atmosphere of the Great North Run, as well as exploring ideas about what being an athlete entails and the runners’ relationship with Newcastle as a city. Works currently on display include the successful piece by Vicki Bennett entitled Parade which incorporates vintage footage from the last 28 years of the run in order to create montage-esque images of the vast crowds which line the length of the route. Anyone who took part in the run IRU WKH À UVW WLPH WKLV \HDU ZRXOG EH particularly interested in Dry Run a new piece created by NAME and Atau Tanaka based upon the experiences of 10 runners completing the UDFH IRU WKH À UVW WLPH The high-tech interactive piece shows both the physical and emotional strain that the event has on its competitors; giving the onlooker the opportunity to consider the huge challenge that running a race incurs. The Streets Do Flow by Amy FeQHFN DQG /DXUD 0DQVÀ HOG DOVR provides an individual perspective on the race through their series of
advertisement-style pictures which use graphic prints and an installation to show how people relate to their training routes and routines. Faster, Higher is a wider reaching piece using footage from the Olympics displayed on 5 different screens to develop ideas not only of the commitment of athletes at international sporting events but also the strain which surrounds such events. The range of forms used helps to create an interesting and varied exhibition which should be of interest to anyone who ran in or was a supporter of the race. It shows running ‘as a physical and mental experience, as a struggle and as an inspiration, as fun and as a regime.’ As sport rarely featured in depth in a multimedia art exhibition, it’s GHĂ€ QLWHO\ ZRUWK WDNLQJ D ORRN ² WKH show closes in a few weeks, so get your running shoes on and race on down! Hit the Ground is on at the Hatton Gallery until Sunday 15th November
Inside today >>>
Reviews of Fantastic Mr. Fox and Saw VI Culture, page 29
Interviews with Little Boots, Frankmusik and The Saturdays Culture, page 30-31
THE COURIER Monday 2 November 2009
27
Arts
Flagrant Wisdom
CULTURE
Make and Mend it! Stephanie Ferrao Arts Editor
Katherine Bishop Flagrant Wisdom will shock, amaze and immerse you. A guaranteed journey of thrills, this two hour spectacle follows the outrageously talented members of the world-renowned Shanghai Circus. The acrobats are connoisseurs of contortion, their bodies twist and entwine as they transform ordinary domestic vessels with daring feats of skill. This visual spectacle is staged at the National Glass Centre in Sunderland. The performance is combines the 1300-year history of glass making in the North East with the 2000-year history of Chinese acrobatics. Western and eastern traditions merge harmoniously as the acrobatics gracefully transform glass objects using their bodily contortions. If two hours of acrobatics is not your thing, the glass production studio is publicly accessible to have a glimpse at the complex and the mesmerising art of glass-making. Consisting of a series of vignettes staged within the National Glass Centre’s building. Seeing the series of acrobatics within this unique riverside location is captivating and exudes mystery and magic. 9LVLWRUV ZLOO ÀQG WKHPVHOYHV LPmersed in an event where they can enjoy moments of great wonder and delight. Both the glass makers and acrobatics put on an astonishing performance, as their talent resonates throughout the building. Flagrant Wisdom is a work-inprogress from Lost in Music, a new intercultural cross art collaboration led by artist Rose English.
A. MUIR
Rose English, Trading Places: Flagrant Wisdom in association with Dance City
The performance works in collaboration with Trading Places, a series RI VLWH VSHFLĂ€F GDQFH FRPPLVVLRQV developed by local artists working with regional organisations and communities. The glass objects are made by artists from the National Glass Centre
and students from the University of Sunderland. The event is part of the upcoming Wunderbar Festival. The festival boasts ten days of intrigue and wonder, with an eclectic mix of extraordinary happenings and performances. All events take place in the North
East, and most events are free. Flagrant Wisdom costs nothing, and is the perfect treat for cultured students on a budget. Performances take place between the 21st and 22nd November.
Blending the make-do-and-mend attitude of post-war Britain with the thoroughly modern ethos of recycling, Newcastle’s independHQWO\ UXQ FUDIW DUW DQG à HD PDUket, Make and Mend is back in town to offer bargain-savvy students the opportunity to cash-in on a less conventional shopping experience. The brainchild of an interior designer and an illustrator, the market was initially formed as a platform for artists to showcase their work and aimed at promoting local new creative talent. Due to its recent overwhelming success, the market has expandHG DQG EHFRPH D PRQWKO\ À[WXUH in Newcastle, while retaining its creative roots, with stalls selling a wide range of art, vintage fashion, homemade foods, books and music. The organisers of the market are encouraging students with an interest in art and design to hire a stall and sell to the public! Not only is it a great opportunity to put your selling skills to the test, but a great way to meet local people who are really passionate about art and all things creative. Money generated from stall hire is donated to the Star and Shadow Cinema in the Ouseburn Valley – a venue built and run entirely by volunteers. It’s a fantastic opportunity to do some early Christmas shopping for presents that are affordable, ethical and a bit different. The next market event will be on Sunday 8th November 11am-4pm at the Star and Shadow Cinema.
Celebrity autobiographies What’s the point?
What’s the harm? Gemma Farina The human condition necessitates that we are (though we don’t like to admit it) pretty darn nosey at the best of times. I’d love to be highbrow and declare all celeb-focal literature utter trash. On principle, I hate magazines like OK! and Heat, but it doesn’t mean I don’t read them. The lucrative racket of celebrity autobiographies are just the same in that they are total guilty pleasure reads. People nationwide read celebrity autobiographies because they see their faces everywhere, hear so much about them and want to know the real story. If people are going to buy them, surely we can’t blame them or their publishers for milking the proverbial cash cow and consequently topping the bestsellers list! I put my prejudices to the test: last Christmas everyone seemed to be talking about Russell Brand’s ‘My Booky Wook’, to the extent that my entire extended family seemed to have a copy. After feigning total surprise whilst unwrapping it on Christmas day, I held back from immediately knocking it, and decided to try it and see if this bloke who looks-like-a-pirate-and-people-seem-to-fancy-forsome-bizarre-reason was worth the hype he’s cashing in on. It was hilarious – written by him
rather than for him, Brand’s autobiRJUDSK\ ZDV Ă€OOHG ZLWK WKH YLYDFLW\ he shows when he’s on TV or doing stand-up. I think this is why the autobiographies written by comedians unendingly appear in bestseller lists – they clearly have a way with words already and on paper they can be just as witty. Yet, at the same time, Brand’s down-to-earthness brought with it some serious bits, dealing with his acute struggle with substance addiction. This opened my eyes to an issue which prior to reading, I had very little knowledge about; the open and honest approach is a key selling point of this type of book, which truly makes people feel more sympathetic towards the oft distorted view of glamorous celebrity lives. 7KH Ă€UVW RI .DWLH 3ULFH¡V WKUHH DXWRbiographies Being Jordan currently holds the record for the most copies of an autobiography sold in a week. I’d never read it, but who cares if someone else wants to? Like the X-Factor contestants, celeb autobiographies are only as successful as the punters who support them, so for better or worse, isn’t WKLV DQ DFFXUDWH UHĂ HFWLRQ RI RXU OLWerary taste? Nestled among Amazon’s top 20 bestsellers sits comedian Frankie Boyle’s autobiography entitled ‘My Shit Life So Far’.
Marianne Spence
Boyle begins his book with “I’ve always read them thinking ‘I don’t want to know where Steve Tyler grew up, just tell me how many groupies he f**ked!’� Crude as he is, the comedian manages to summarise my own view on celebrity autobiographies: if the author isn’t taking the whole thing too seriously, writes it themselves and makes me laugh out loud, I’m all for them.
This week saw the infamous Katie Price and her myriad of overly eager fans descend upon the Newcastle’s Waterstones for yet another afternoon session of book signing accompanying the release of what seems like the umpteenth volume of her life story. As you can probably tell, I remain unenthusiastic over her many publications which include among others “Being Jordanâ€?. From my experience, celebrity autobiographies are from cover to cover, full of the same typically mundane and state-the-obvious drivel which seems to have has become the staple reading diet of the British public. Generally my dislike for the celebrity autobiography is due to the unfortunate fact that more often than not, they aren’t actually autobiographies in the truest sense of the word. Traditionalist I may be but really, a celebrity’s autobiography should be (as is suggested by the title), actually written by them - not by some anonymous ghost writer, sworn to secrecy, and more than likely underpaid for the privilege of writing an entire book about the life of the latest desperate star, whilst they VWUXJJOH WR FOLQJ WR WKH Ă€QDO VHFRQGV RI WKHLU Ă€IWHHQ PLQXWHV RI IDPH
What makes this so frustrating is that, despite this commonplace practice of hiring other people to write their life story and then branding it as their work, celebrities still feel comfortable in attaching a title to the cover which predictably will make use of the highly original phrase ‘My Story’. Not only does this illustrate the phenomenal level of their own arURJDQFH EXW DOVR GHĂ€QHV WKH VHvere lack of creativity of the writing within. Despite this, I do admit that good autobiographies do exist, though they are few and far between. Of course, theses select few aren’t generally deemed “celebrityâ€? autobiographies as they are generally ZULWWHQ E\ SXEOLF Ă€JXUHV ZKR KDYH made a genuine and considerable contribution towards other people’s lives. Consider the inspirational and fascinating life of Nelson Mandela – an autobiography written by himself in A Long Walk to Freedom. It’s somewhat unsurprising that so many celebrity autobiographies are published – the stars (and Z-listers) get to lend their opinions to the page, and publishing houses cash in on the pennies of the public. But ultimately, it’s terrible that books of all things should play upon people’s genuine desire to know more about these celebrities.
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Monday 2 November 2009 THE COURIER
CULTURE
Film
Film )LOP (GLWRU )UDQFHV .URRQ FRXULHU FXOWXUH Âż OP#QFO DF XN
Lost in translation > Camila Tessler tells us why some of the magic is lost, when our favourite children’s ERRNV DUH DGDSWHG LQWR À OP
Into the Wild (2007)
There’s a certain magic in reading a book as a kid. There’s something about worlds that you can only get WR LI \RX Ă€ QG D JROGHQ WLFNHW RU FUDZO into the apple-wood wardrobe that have all kinds of things you can’t see in real life. People and places that are completely and totally real in a book that can only be seen inside your head – until, that is, someone projects them onto the big screen, and suddenly there are images to base the world of the book on. This week, Fantastic Mr. Fox comes out in cinemas, followed by Where the Wild Things Are and at Christmas time, there are a whole slew of children’s books that are bridging the gap between page and screen in various incarnations ranging from real life to 3D animation. Whole worlds that have been imagined by children the whole world over suddenly become huge, larger than life, and because of that they carry a lot of importance. Part of their appeal is almost exclusively reserved for adults; how many people are eager to see Fantastic Mr. Fox because Wes Anderson directed it, or because George Clooney is providing the main character’s voice? There’s a lot of doubt from this end on the answer to those questions. But while the casting or the directing may go over the head of the average prepubescent viewer, one thing will certainly stick around, and that’s the dazzle of the visuals. Any movie in the past ten years WKDW ZDV VSHFLĂ€ FDOO\ ZURXJKW RXW of children’s literature will certainly feature the graphics, the animation and the sets. All anybody has to do is think back to this year’s adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s book Coraline to rememEHU WKH WHUULĂ€ F ' ZRUN WKDW ZDV done to bring it to “life.â€?
Into The Wild is more than a road movie. It is the grand tradition of the journey movie it takes you on a physical and psychological exploration, off the beaten track, into the wilderness of deepest Alaska and back again, not just literally but emotionally. Having just graduated but never wanting to conform, Christopher McCaddless (Emile Hirsch, Lords Of Dogtown) abandons his privileged lifestyle, cuts up his credit cards, destroys his ID and prepares for his great adventure North. Along the way, he works on a wheat farm in South Dakota, undertakes the rapids of the Colorado River, camps under the stars with a loving hippy couple and visits Slab City where he meets Tracy (Kristen Stewart of Twilight fame). He lodges with a retired leather worker in Palm Strings before his Ă€ QDO YR\DJH WR HQGXUH WKH YDVW Alaskan desert, far removed from the urbanised world. Here he sets up camp in his beloved ‘Magic Bus’ and endeavours WR JHW EDFN WR QDWXUH WR Ă€ QG KLPVHOI
Johnny Depp Michelle C. Alister Birthday: 9th June 1963 (Age, 46) Birthplace: Owensboro, Kentucky Biggest Films: Sweeney Todd, Pirates of the Caribbean, Charlie and the chocolate factory, Sleepy Hollow, Edward Scissorhands, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Most Recent Award: Golden Globe Best Actor for Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. You might not know: He plays slide guitar on the Oasis track Fade In-Out on the album Be Here Now (1997). The maverick of the silver screen, Mr. Depp, known for his unconvenWLRQDO EL]DUUH Ă€ OP UROHV FKLVHOOHG cheekbones and the appellation of “world’s sexiest maleâ€? several times over, is the real reason many of us
The more fantastic the world, WKH KDUGHU WKH À OPPDNHUV ZRUN to render it up on screen. Take The Chronicles of Narnia; the recent WalGHQ 0HGLD DGDSWDWLRQ À OPHG RQ location in New Zealand, has some of the most impressive makeup and &* ZRUN GRQH RQ DQ\ UHFHQW À OP LQFOXGLQJ À OPV WKDW DUH PRUH JHDUHG towards adults. WETA Workshop, the props and sets workshop that is utilized for these movies (and the upcoming adaptation of The Hobbit), clearly put a lot of detail oriented thought into the creation of the authentic magical world. But how necessary is this meticulous crafting? Fantastic Mr. Fox uses some extremely detailed stopmotion work, but that doesn’t mean that it necessarily translates from imagination to page unless you happen to be Wes Anderson. Would animation be better? Or does that reinforce the idea of children’s movies needing to be almost strictly done with cartoons, particularly if they involve anthropomorphosis? There’s no doubt that there’s some experimentation going on, but whether experimentation belongs in transforming iconic childhood images into movies is a question that should be asked by anyone who’s SURGXFLQJ WKHVH À OPV It would be ideal to say that every single interpretation of a book works equally well on screen. But anyone watching movie adaptations of children’s books can attest that while there has been a growing improvement over the years, there are still some things that are inherently ill-crafted about these movies. Maybe it’s the tendency of directors to focus on the visuals, which are so strongly rooted in the imaginations of everyone involved on the project, instead of on the script,
bearing two X chromosomes went to see Pirates of the Caribbean - no other man pulls of eyeliner in quite the same way! Son of a waitress and a civil engineer, John Christopher Depp II descends from German, Cherokee and Irish ancestry. Upon receiving a guitar on his 12th birthday, Depp found music to be KLV À UVW ORYH DQG SXUVXHG D FDUHHU as a rock musician, enjoying modest success before Nicholas Cage recommended he give acting a shot. Since premiering as an actor as OfÀ FHU +DQVRQ LQ WKH WHOHYLVLRQ VKRZ 21 Jump Street in 1987, Depp has never been short of work since, swiftly PDNLQJ KLV WUDQVLWLRQ WR À OPV LQ Nightmare on Elm street. Depp’s on screen charm is largely down to his non-conformist choice of characters. This Depp tradition was launched with the titular role of Edward Scissorhands, which also began a creative marriage with Tim Burton. The director’s macabre, quirky icons leading to such enigmatic and peculiar individuals as Sleepy Hollow’s Ichabod Crane, Willy Wonka, Sweeney Todd, the voice of Victor Van Dort in the animated Corpse
Jennie Mitchell
which is, of course, where the seed RI WKH HQWLUH À OPV FRPH IURP There is almost no way to translate a mythical world or a magical place in a uniform and completely fair way, even if it’s done to the last detail, without a focus on the words which inspired that world to begin with. This said, there is no doubt that what is coming out with regards to re-mediation of children’s books is far better, in terms of production values, than what came out previously. These visual treats certainly appeal to a much broader audience. And we would hope they will add to the nostalgia factor of books that were almost universally beloved, whilst never actually living up to them. Where the Wild Things Are, for example is almost sure to guarantee ELJ UHWXUQV LQ WKH ER[ RIÀ FH But we can but hope that the scripts and screenplay convey the magic of the book to the silver screen.
Bride, and the greatly anticipated Mad Hatter in Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland, due to be released 2010. Most recently starring alongside Jude Law and Colin Farrell in The Imaginarium of Dr Parsarssus , all three actors donated their salaries to Heath Ledger’s daughter Matilda DIWHU /HGJHU GLHG GXULQJ À OPLQJ Throughout his career, Depp’s various relationships have also been of particular interest to the public. Depp married his band’s make -up artist, aged 20, and has since dated Winona Ryder and Kate Moss before À QDOO\ VHWWOLQJ GRZQ ZLWK PRWKHU RI his son Jack and daughter Lily-Rose, French singer and actress Vanessa Paradis, since 1998, (sob). Although yet to be bestowed with the honour of an academy award for Best Actor, Depp has been nominated 3 times for his roles in Finding Neverland, Sweeney Todd and the role he will perhaps be most remembered for Captain Jack Sparrow – savvy!?
Le Donk and Scor-Zay-Zee Rachael White I’m not a fan of the so called “mocNXPHQWDU\Âľ JHQUH RI 7KH 2IĂ€ FH LON , Ă€ QG LW MXVW D ELW WRR FULQJH ZRUWK\ and ultimately (here’s where I offend the Gervais army) not funny. However, I was pleasantly surprised with this latest offering by 6KDQH 0HDGRZV ZKLFK ZDV Ă€ OPHG LQ RQO\ Ă€ YH GD\V RQ D PHDJUH EXGJ et of ÂŁ48,000. 7KH PHDQGHULQJ LPSURYLVHG Ă€ OP follows Le Donk (Paddy Considine), a washed up roadie for the Arctic Monkeys, on a mission to promote his rotund rap act Scor-Zay-Zee. Le Donk has led an interesting life which has resulted in the sum total of: nothing. He is pretty much a little boy in a
and to call each thing by its rightful name; to make the breathtaking surroundings a world of his own. Free and but alone, he undergoes his biggest journey and an exhilarating process of self discovery. Yet as things begin to go wrong for the intrepid explorer, he becomes trapped and his strength deteriorates, poisoned by the very land that he adores. Consequently, he soon realises what it is that’s most important in life; not the adventure or where you end up but the experiences and the people you share them with along the way. %DVHG RQ WKH QRQ À FWLRQDO ERRN by Jon Krakaur, director Sean Penn skillfully explores how the protagonist wrestles between man and nature, self and society, addressing the abundant confusions and contradictions of life in a very powerful and touching way. Each episodic relationship McCaddless encounters, shows his relentless spirit and enthusiasm but also demonstrates that being alone is nothing; it’s our time together and those we love who matter most. At times daunting but constantly WRXFKLQJ WKH À OP FDSWLYDWHV \RX with every watch. The raw intimate soundtrack (mostly written and performed by Eddie Vedder), also really contributing to the viewers connection with the central character, leaving you contemplative, inspired and amazed.
man’s world, epitomised by his reaction to his ex-girlfriend’s (Olivia Colman) unplanned pregnancy. Let’s just say it involves getting her drunk and taking her on The Big One - and they say romance is dead. 8OWLPDWHO\ WKH VWDU RI WKH À OP LV Scorz, whose placid response to the ramblings of Le Donk add humour to the occasionally slow pace of the À OP Notable highlights include a brief cameo by the Arctic Monkeys themselves, and the interaction beWZHHQ /H 'RQN DQG WKH À OP FUHZ as Le Donk tries to highjack Scorz’s chance of fame. If one was to compare Le Donk and Scor-Zay-Zee to Meadows’ past À OPV VXFK DV Somerstown and This Is England it would be fair to be a little disappointed at the occasional unHYHQQHVV WR WKH TXDOLW\ RI WKH À OP However, as an experiment, it really is a tribute to the innovative naWXUH RI LQGHSHQGHQW %ULWLVK À OP $OO LQ DOO WKH À OP LV DQ HQMR\DEOH jaunt around the backstage area of WKH IDPH JDPH DQG GHÀ QLWHO\ D UHF ommended watch.
THE COURIER Monday 2 November 2009
29
Film
CULTURE
Reviews Fantastic Mr. Fox Director - Wes Anderson Cast - George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Bill Murray Run time - 87 mins Anyone unfamiliar with Roald 'DKO¡V FODVVLF Fantastic Mr. Fox VKRXOG VHHN RXW WKH KLJKO\ HQMR\ DEOH FKLOGUHQ¡V QRYHO DV LW LV WKH SHU IHFW EOHQG RI FKDUP DGYHQWXUH DQG FRRO :HV $QGHUVRQ¡V NHHQO\ DZDLWHG adaptation of the text, on the other KDQG IDOOV VKRUW RI WKH PDUN E\ D ORQJ ZD\ /LNH PDQ\ RI KLV RWKHU ÀOPV $Q GHUVRQ DWWHPSWV WR LQà LFW DQ LQGLH WRXFK XSRQ WKH VWRU\ WR DOORZ LW EH as easily engaging for adults as it is ZLWK NLGV +RZHYHU WKH UHVXOW HQGV XS DFKLHYLQJ WKH RSSRVLWH The humour is neither smart enough for adults to understand nor VODSVWLFN HQRXJK IRU NLGV WR HQMR\
,QVWHDG WKH DXGLHQFH LV SUHVHQWHG ZLWK DQ $SDWRZ HVTXH ERPEDUG PHQW RI FRPHG\ WKDW VLPSO\ GRHVQ¡W VXLW WKH QDUUDWLYH :KLOH WKH DQLPDWLRQ PD\ QRW EH UHYROXWLRQDU\ LW GRHV ZRUN ZHOO ZLWK $QGHUVRQ¡V V\PPHWULFDO YLVLRQ RI VWRU\WHOOLQJ DQG PDQ\ FORVH XSV UHYHDO MXVW KRZ LQWULFDWHO\ WKH DQL PDWRUV KDYH GHVLJQHG WKHVH IXUU\ FKDUDFWHUV RQ VFUHHQ 'HVSLWH DQ DOO VWDU FDVW WKH YRFDO SHUIRUPDQFHV GRQ¡W PHDVXUH XS HL WKHU *HRUJH &ORRQH\ PDNHV D KDOI KHDUWHG DWWHPSW DW WKH WLWOH FKDUDFWHU ZLWK DQ DOUHDG\ XQGHU FRRNHG VFULSW DQG WKH UHVW RI WKH FDVW VLPSO\ GRQ¡W KDYH HQRXJK VXEVWDQFH WR ZRUN ZLWK 8QOLNH 3L[DUœV UHFHQW FRQWULEXWLRQV WR FLQHPD WKH ÀOP IDLOV WR HPRWLRQ DOO\ FRQQHFW ZLWK DQ\ RI WKH FKDUDF WHUV RQ VKRZ PDNLQJ LW GLIÀFXOW WR FDUH DERXW ZKDW KDSSHQV WR WKHP Anderson also fails to bring out the TXLUNLQHVV RI WKH XOWUD VOLFN 0U )R[ WKDW 5RDOG 'DKO FDSWXUHG VR ZHOO LQ KLV ERRN
The more intriguing and amusing FKDUDFWHUV LQ WKH ÀOP 5DW YRLFHG E\ :LOOLDP 'HIRH EHLQJ DW WKH WRS RI WKH OLVW DUH DOVR WKH RQHV ZKR KDYH WKH OHDVW VFUHHQ WLPH GHVSLWH KDYLQJ WKH PRVW LPSDFW RQ WKH PLQXWHV 6R LI \RX UHDOO\ ZDQW D 0U )R[
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Couples Retreat Dir: Peter Billingsley Cast: Vince Vaughn, Jason Bateman, Kristin Davis, Kristen Bell Runtime: 113min For all you Vaughn fans out there, here’s another helping from the mind of the man who’s entertained XV LQ Ă LFNV VXFK DV Swingers and Wedding Crashers. 7KLV WLPH URXQG WKH IRUPXODLF FRPHG\ VHW XS VHHV D FRXSOH SOD\HG by Jason Bateman and Kristen Bell) FRQYLQFLQJ WKHLU IULHQGV WR MRLQ WKHP on a “Couples’ Retreatâ€? that has WKHP HQJDJLQJ LQ DFWLYLWLHV VXFK DV VZLPPLQJ ZLWK VKDUNV DQG VLPLODU O\ RGG SDVWLPHV VDQFWLRQHG E\ WKH HFFHQWULF UHVRUW RZQHU 0DUFHO -HDQ 5HQR LQ WKH QDPH RI UHDZDNHQLQJ ORYH 7KH RQO\ SUREOHP LV KRZHYHU WKDW PRVW RI WKH FRXSOHV DUH PRUH interested in partying and mess LQJ DURXQG WKDQ DFWXDOO\ WDNLQJ WKH UHWUHDW VHULRXVO\ DQG HYHQWXDOO\ JUDYLWDWH WR D QHDUE\ SDUW\ UHVRUW IRU
Saw VI Dir: Kevin Greutert Cast: Tobin Bell, Costas Mandylor, Peter Outerbridge Runtime: 90 minutes ,¡OO EH KRQHVW ,Q WKH EHJLQQLQJ Saw EOHZ PH DZD\ $Q LQJHQLRXV QHZ FRQFHSW ZDV ERUQ ZKHQ IDFHG ZLWK GHDWK MXVW KRZ KDUG ZRXOG \RX Ă€JKW IRU VXU YLYDO" Saw 2 ZDV HTXDOO\ ODFHG ZLWK PLQG EORZLQJ WZLVWV +RZHYHU WKH QRYHOW\ KDYLQJ ZRUQ RII VRPHZKHUH GRZQ WKH OLQH Ă€OPV ODWHU QRWKLQJ QHZ LV EURXJKW WR WKH VWDJH 7KRXJK KDYLQJ GLHG LQ D SUHYLRXV LQVWDOPHQW -LJVDZ¡V %HOO PXUGHU RXV OHJDF\ RI WHDFKLQJ WKH MDGHG WR DSSUHFLDWH OLIH LV FDUULHG RQ IURP EH\RQG WKH JUDYH E\ 'HWHFWLYH +RII PDQ 0DQG\ORU DQG WKH )%, LV UDS LGO\ FORVLQJ LQ RQ KLP 2SHQLQJ PXFK WKH VDPH DV LWV SUHGHFHVVRUV WZR XQNQRZQ YLFWLPV FRPH WR LQ DQ DEDQGRQHG LQGXVWULDO EXLOGLQJ ORFNHG LQ HYHU WLJKWHQLQJ PHWDO KHDG EUDFHV The initial angst ridden ‘game’ VHHV WKHP EDWWOH LW RXW LQ D UDFH WR VDFULĂ€FLDOO\ KDFN RII PRUH RI WKHLU RZQ Ă HVK WKDQ WKH RWKHU LQ D ELG IRU IUHHGRP -XVW ZKR ZLOO WLS WKH VFDOHV WR DYRLG FHUWDLQ GHDWK"
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The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard Director: Neal Brennan Cast: Jeremy Piven, Ving Rhames, James Brolin, David Koechner, Kathryn Hahn, Will Ferrell Running Time: 89 mins Let me begin with a simple, yet KRSHIXOO\ HIIHFWLYH VWDWHPHQW GRQ¡W ZDWFK WKLV PRYLH :LWK DQ\ OXFN WKH IDFW WKDW RQ LWV RSHQLQJ GD\ WKLV ÀOP ZDV RQO\ VKRZQ LQ WKH VPDOOHVW VFUHHQ RI (P pire to two people, will mean that it won’t be showing any more by the WLPH WKLV UHYLHZ FRPHV RXW 7KH ÀOP IROORZV WKH H[SORLWV RI 'RQ ´7KH *RRGV¾ 5HDG\ -HUHP\ 3LYHQ DQG KLV WHDP RI PHUFHQDU\ FDU VDOHV PHQ DV WKH\ WU\ WR VDYH D VKRZURRP IURP JRLQJ EDQNUXSW DQG IUDQNO\ WKHUH¡V QRWKLQJ PRUH WR LW WKDQ WKDW The plot is simply a set up for a VHULHV RI ´MRNHV¾ WKDW DOPRVW DOO IDOO FRPSOHWHO\ à DW RU ZRUVH ,¡P FHUWDLQO\ QRW DJDLQVW EDG WDVWH EXW WKH NH\ WR DOO RIIHQVLYH MRNHV LV LURQ\ DQG 7KH *RRGV QHYHU PDQ DJHV WR XQGHUVWDQG WKLV $V VXFK VFHQHV VXFK DV DQ $VLDQ PDQ EHLQJ DWWDFNHG EHFDXVH KH¡V DS SDUHQWO\ UHVSRQVLEOH IRU 3HDUO +DU
ERXU MXVW PDQDJH WR OHDYH D VRXU WDVWH %XW UHDOO\ WKH PRVW RIIHQVLYH WKLQJ DERXW WKLV ÀOP LV WKDW LW WULHV WR PDNH \RX ODXJK DW WKLV DQG WKHQ KDYH D PRUDO PHVVDJH DV D FRQFOX VLRQ ZKLFK PDNHV \RX IHHO OLNH \RX PLJKW KDYH PLVVHG VRPH JUHDW KLG den meaning when really the whole WKLQJ LV MXVW D PLVWDNH ,W¡V D FRPSOHWH PHVV IURP EHJLQ QLQJ WR HQG DQG ZLWK WKH H[FHSWLRQ RI :LOO )HUUHOO LQ D EULHI FDPHR DS SHDUDQFH QRW D VLQJOH DFWRU LQ WKLV ÀOP FRPHV DZD\ IURP LW ORRNLQJ JRRG But really it’s the writing that lets WKH ZKROH DIIDLU GRZQ WKLV FRXOG KDYH EHHQ DQRWKHU Talladega Nights or Step Brothers, funny but not spe FLDO EXW ZKDW¡V EHHQ PDGH LV FRQ IXVHG DQG DOPRVW XQZDWFKDEOH The Goods LV WKH PRVW LGLRWLF LOO FRQFHLYHG DQG IUDQNO\ ZRUWKOHVV ÀOP ,¡YH KDG WKH GLVSOHDVXUH RI VHH LQJ IRU D ORQJ WLPH
Joe Skrebels
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Monday 2 November 2009 THE COURIER
CULTURE
Music
Music Music Editors: Mark Corcoran-Lettice and Chris Mandle - courier.culture-music@ncl.ac.uk
Pop Special with Little Boots Chris Scott Ahead of her sell-out show at Sunderland University, Miss Victoria Hesketh chats to The Courier about stage invasions, tour essentials and what she would study at university... Are you looking forward to the gig tonight? Yeah, I really am, especially as it’s an American-themed venue which makes it a bit different. I really like the shark head that’s on display too, I might try and steal that star as well later. Who do you have supporting? Ellie Golding, who is really great, and Eric Hassle, who is a Swedish electronic rock artist - yeah, they’re ERWK UHDOO\ UHDOO\ JRRG 'HÀ QLWHO\ ones to look out for - they’re both going to be great.
that, so that can be a bit scary. But RWKHU WKDQ WKDW LW¡V QRUPDOO\ À QH
my label ‘Maria and the Diamonds’. She’s new and really good too.
,W¡V EHHQ D ORQJ VXPPHU IRU \RX how have the festivals gone this year?
If you could see any artist, dead or alive, who would it be?
Yeah, they went really well - by the end we were totally on it you know, really having it nailed and got a great reception everywhere. We did here, Europe, Japan and it was just brilliant. :HUH WKHUH DQ\ GLIÀ FXOWLHV PDNLQJ \RXU GHEXW DOEXP œ+DQGV¡" No, not really, I mean, we had nothing to compare it to so we just got on with it. You know, we did a lot of the early writing, and then later on did half the album in London, half in Los Angeles. It felt good to be working with the people I was comfortable with. I mean, by the end, you just want it done. But it ZDV GHÀ QLWHO\ GRDEOH
I would have quite liked to see Madonna, but like in her heyday, not now - around the time ‘Vogue’ came out. I was out for my birthday last night - it was a bit messy. What has your maddest moment on tour been? Well Happy Birthday for yesterday! I’ve been really boring on this tour, but in Australia we had a lot of heavy nights. Actually we had a hilarious moment at Bestival this year; for a joke, we tried to get on stage to watch Kraftwerk, but Kraftwerk weren’t allowing anyone on stage and we had to be escorted by security because we were so wasted, we couldn’t walk in a straight line! Any tips for a hangover cure?
How has the start of the tour been then? $W À UVW LW ZDV D OLWWOH ELW KLW DQG PLVV because we tried to make a lot of changes, but then last night went really well, so hopefully it will be a case of getting better and better each time. ,V WKLV \RXU À UVW ELJ WRXU \RX¡YH done by yourself? ,W¡V GHÀ QLWHO\ WKH À UVW ELJ RQH VR ZH play a much longer set and play bigger venues and have a bit more freedom. The tour’s about two weeks altogether. What have been some of the highlights and nervous points from the tour so far?
So any lessons you learned from the debut, if you were to make a second album? I don’t know, maybe it’s better to work with less people than more, you get a better relationship with them and stuff. And I think you should go with your gut instinct a lot. ,V D ELW VRRQ WR FRQÀ UP D VHFRQG album? Well, nothing’s planned yet; I’m not sure if I want to make one, or if anyone wants me to, erm so yeah, we’ll VHH ,¡OO GHÀ QLWHO\ WKLQN DERXW LW :KDW DUH \RXU LQà XHQFHV"
Well, I guess our set is very, very technical and we keep adding new things and being experimental. With all the equipment being used I do get quite an edge and one thing can just trigger me and I’ll just be nervous for the rest of the show about
A lot of 70s disco like Kylie and early 80s electro pop like Human League and Gary Numan. I’m a big Kate Bush fan too. Just good song writers, a lot of electronic stuff from the early 70s to the late 80s. I’m really into Ellie’s stuff, who’s on the tour with us, as well as another girl on
'HÀ QLWHO\ EHDQV RQ WRDVW DQG EHIRUH you go to bed remember: a pint of water and two paracetamols, then have the same thing when you wake up in the morning. :KR¡V WKH QLFHVW FHOHEULW\ \RX¡YH met? Probably Annie Lennox, she’s really lovely - very, very nice. If you were at University now, what would you be studying? I’d really like to do have done English Literature. I did Cultural Studies, but I’d love an English degree. The keyboard player’s mum is an English lecturer and I’m getting the reading list from her, I want to do the reading without having to do the essays! 6R DIWHU D ORQJ WRXU ZKDW¡V WKH À UVW home cooked meal you will have? Cooked? Well, I won’t, I’ll get my
with Frankmusik Chris Mandle Music Editor What music are you listening to at the moment? I love this band right now - they’re in the States, called Computer Club. 7KH\¡UH WKLV HOHFWURQLF RXWÀ W UHDOO\ good. I’m also listening to a band called Le Castle Vania. I’ve also just got my hands on The Warped 20 boxset, and I love listening to that at the moment.
Everything I listen to is eclectic, random, totally unrelated to what Pop is doing right now. But I’ve never been that relevant to Pop music, really. I think it’s really important to have the biggest range of stuff ever on your iPod - if you have the same music as everyone else on it, then it’s just boring, isn’t it? So tell us about the KitKat battle of the bands thing? The general vibe is that you can be any kind of act; a solo artist, singer,
you could be in a band, but the main WKLQJ LV À QGLQJ WKH EHVW QHZ WDOHQW out there. I am on the judging panel and the prize is £3,000, and I will be remixing the winning act’s song. How do you get involved? You can get involved by contacting battleofthebands@frankpr.it, and through Twitter and Facebook. The idea is that there are events at six different universities, such as Hull and Newcastle. The thing about it is, it’s a lot more transparent - far less con-
boyfriend to cook it! I’m really into soup at the minute, so probably a nice hot soup. Finally, are there any must haves for your dressing room? Loads, we’ve just been having champagne which is quite nice, make up remover is a must, erm, socks, seem to lose loads on tour, innocent smoothies, Vitamins because you get really run down and light-
trived than these X Factor phone-in jobbies. It’s being judged by the people in the room, and I like that. That’s what drew me to it, it’s a very realistic and honest event. :KDW GR \RX WKLQN TXDOLÀ HV \RX WR judge other acts, as an artist whose only really emerged this year? Well the thing is, I think I’m in an exceptional position to help them out. I used to be a student myself, and I’ve just come out of one year in the record industry as a new artist. I have a lot of current, relevant experience of how the music industry works, instead of these people who have been involved for ages who probably haven’t got their ears tuned in properly.
ers, because the other members lose theirs. We also have a weird thing at the moment, like an ongoing joke when you’re on tour you start speaking a different language and have ORDGV RI œLQ¡ MRNHV WKDW RQO\ \RX À QG funny. One of ours is that we always have a picture of double animals, so two of the same animal in a picture on the wall of the dressing room, so today we have two birds. Yesterday we had two moles! Just something fun for the tour really.
What kind of acts would you like to win? I don’t have a favourite; I want to see something exciting, that’s entertaining, but it doesn’t need to be the most held-together or strongest performance. I want to see elements that make me happy. I’m not an A&R man, I’m a creative person myself. This isn’t about bank notes, it’s about what’s creative and interesting. Frankmusik will be judging the KitKat Battle of the Bands at the Union on Tuesday 2nd November. Email battleofthebands@frankpr.it for a chance to take part
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with The Saturdays Stephanie Ferrao Arts Editor With their new album Wordshaker out now, The Courier managed to wrangle a few words with Mollie from The Saturdays about touring with Girls Aloud and the making of their new record. 5HDG RQ WR Ă€QG RXW PRUH What are you guys up to at the moPHQW" We’re really busy at the moment promoting the new album ‘Wordshaker’ because that’s come out recently, then we’ll be having our next single out before Christmas I think, so it’s all go, it’s non-stop really. We’ve been doing signings all over the place! So you guys toured with Girls Aloud last year, what was it like being a part of the Tangled Up WRXU" Oh God, it was amazing! We’re all really inspired by them, and watching them on stage really motivated us to be the best that we could be and made us work hard. It seems like so long ago now - it was only a year ago but since then we’ve had our own tour and the second album. Everything’s going so fast! Did you get to hang around with *LUOV $ORXG D ORW" Yeah we did! They invited us out whenever they had a party or anything like that so we always went out to those. We always saw them in catering as well, but obviously because it was their tour, they had more rehearsals and sound-checks for things so we didn’t get to see them all the time, but every time we did see them they were lovely. I hear Cheryl managed to sort out you out with tickets to see Britney OLYH" Yeah, it was so sweet of her. It was the week Britney was performed on last year’s X Factor, and with her as a judge on the show, she got Rochelle and I tickets to go and watch her. I was really grateful for that because I love Britney, she’s like my idol! Speaking of X Factor, as a member of a girl band what did you think about Cheryl and Dannii’s remarks about Kandy Rain’s promiscuous RXWĂ€WV" I think to be honest, I’d take the
side of the female judges. Whether Kandy Rain were strippers or pole dancers, whatever they were in the SDVW WKDW¡V ÀQH LW¡V XS WR WKHP EXW if they’re trying to shake off that image and start afresh, coming out practically naked is not the best way of going about it. It’s always hard for girl bands to come out, especially on a programme like the X Factor, and I think they needed to prove that they could actually sing and that way people would have more respect for them. That’s probably why people voted more for Miss Frank. People look at them and they seem more credible, rather than Kandy Rain who seemed to get through by wearing WLQ\ RXWÀWV
How did the recording go on for \RXU QHZ DOEXP"
venue as Frank Sinatra and Michael -DFNVRQ"
It was amazing! It was so exciting for us because it was our second album and we’ve all improved so much as singers. We got to go to LA to record there as well – we were so excited about that, we felt really showbiz going over there. Obviously we recorded in London as well, and some of the tracks got produced in Norway - it was just really cool! We always love recording albums; it’s one of the funnest (sic) things. It wasn’t as rushed as the ÀUVW DOEXP VR ZH FRXOG WDNH WLPH to pick tracks, and we got to write some songs for this one too.
Yeah, it was really quite a fancy studio and we’d heard that all these famous people had recorded there. As we were sat outside, Randy Jackson the American Idol judge walked past us! It was just so LA.
So you got to record in the same
If you weren’t performing with the Saturdays, what would you be doLQJ" If I wasn’t in the Saturdays, I’d still be trying to be in a girl band! If I wasn’t able to be a singer, I’d love to work in a record company or something. I worked at Warner Bros in their marketing department for nine
months, and I really enjoyed that. On a completely different note, I really love animals, and I’d really love to go to Florida and work with dolphins, make sure they’re kept in safe conditions and everything! Bit random, but it’s something I’d love to do. What do you guys get up to in beWZHHQ VKRZV" :KHQ \RX JHW WKH ÀYH RI XV WRJHWKer, there’s non-stop chatter about all sorts of things; what happened on X Factor, moving in with boyfriends, fashion, typical girly things! I can’t think of anything particularly gossipy at the moment though, sorry!
British pop in 2009: smash hit or top à RS" Mark Corcoran-Lettice Music Editor So, 2009 – the year the Brits reclaimed pop, right? Certainly, there’s been no shortage of new successes and big chart hitters deriving from these isles, and mainstream chart pop is arguably as diverse as it’s ever been - at what other time could a pioneer of a hip-hop sub-genre go on to achieve number one singles and national adoration in the way Dizzee Rascal has managed. Not a bad situation to be in, perhaps. But not exactly a perfect one either. Certainly, I hope I’m not the
only one slightly concerned about the way ‘female’ seems to have emerged as a viable genre over the last year. It’s a hugely patronising backward step, and it does raise the question of exactly what ‘male’ consists of (although one does have the sinking feeling that it probably involved The Enemy‌). It’s notable also that as big as La Roux or Florence & The Machine may be over here, there’s no British star comparable to a Lady Gaga. A lack of international reknown never hurt Robbie Williams, but it’s still a shame that us Brits are left lagging once again on the world pop stage.
2009’s not been a bad year for pop, but ask yourself this - can you think of any British pop track as inescapeable and as gloriously catchy as ‘American Boy’ was last year? Feel free to disagree, but it may be a little too early to start the backslapping just yet.
‘Female’ seems to have emerged as a viable genre over the last year... it’s a backwards step
Chris Mandle Music Editor Ah, pop music – guilty pleasure, social deterrent, girlfriend repellent. When The Courier was formed this year, we, your section editors, hit the streets of Newcastle to bond over sugary drinks and vomitsoaked streets. It was needless to say it that it worked far better than the team building exercises and the numerous powerpoint presentations earlier that day. Fondly I recall unfamiliar eyes locked onto me as I danced ridiculously to the best in Tiger Tiger’s pop repertoire; those who I was
introduced to as ‘Music Editor’ frowned in disbelief. Why was I not sulking in the corner, lager in hand and waxing lyrical about the gemstones of underground acts? Because pop music, like the fruit pastilles you sneak from your coat pocket, is a guilty, sugary little pleasure to indulge in. Turn your nose all you want and tell me you have better tastes in music if it keeps you on your high horse, but there should be no shame in enjoying popular music, With our country producing the likes of La Roux, Florence, Little Boots, Frankmusik, Mr Hudson, VV Brown and Chipmunk, why deny yourself the pleasure?
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Monday 2 November 2009 THE COURIER
Music G. BRUCE
Live Reviews The Dead Weather O2 Academy, October 21st
Everything Everything
When The Dead Weather took to the stage, the crowd went wild, even before they started playing. This was down to the bands lineup; Jack White (White Stripes), Alison Mosshart (The Kills), Dean Fertita (Queens of the Stone Age) and Jack Lawrence (The Raconteurs). With such a talented and experienced line-up, expectations were high. They didn’t disappoint! Playing from their album Horehound as well as a couple of new songs, hinting at a possible new album, the songs ranged from slow, moody tracks such as ’60 Feet Tall’ to fast, thrashing songs like ‘Treat Me Like Your Mother’. The show didn’t lack atmosphere, with Mosshart doing a great job of engaging with the crowd, and White’s presence was enough to make the crowd erupt into cheers. All the songs were executed perfectly, with times where the band didn’t even pause to breathe between songs. As the band members swapped instruments between songs, we were reminded of the class of performers we were watching. Looking effortless, the band played through the set list without putting a foot wrong, and a well-received HQFRUH Ă€ QLVKHG WKH QLJKW ZLWK WKH crowd hungry for more.
)LQGR *DVN DUH Ă€ UVW WR WDNH WR WKH stage at The Other Rooms. The unassuming Glaswegian foursome, who look like they’ve stumbled out of the library via the local charity shop, surprise the audience as lead singer Gerald Black’s soaring falsetto combines with the bands ethereal but note-perfect noise. All classically-trained musicians, they frequently swap instruments and display a level of skill that generates a quiet admiration amongst the small but attentive audience. Everything Everything are that rare kind of band; one that manage WR Ă€ OO PLQXWH VRQJV ZLWK D EH wildering array of ideas and sounds without sounding contrived or gratuitous. Third song and debut single ‘Suffragette Suffragette’ combines beautiful Beach Boys harmonies with a heavy QOTSA style rock-out. A totally different band could be onstage as they perform heavenly VFL Ă€ EDOODG Âś1$6$ ,V 2Q <RXU Side’. Penultimate song and new single ‘My KZ UR BF’ exhibits all they are best at; a genre-defying beauty with a killer chorus and thoroughly danceable to. Quirky, complex, but with great tunes to boot, Everything Everything provided a great evening’s entertainment.
Chris Scott
The Other Rooms, October 22nd
Joe Cooper
Devildriver O2 Academy, October 24th The night got off to a great start with 0DOHĂ€ FH ZKR WRUH XS WKH VWDJH ZLWK some brilliant British thrash. Just as the pits got into full swing, Trigger The Bloodshed took the stage... and they weren’t too impressive. In fact, it appeared that the death metal-core (what?) group and screamo band Suicide Silence were having a competition for Shriekiest Vocalist Ever...nice. Thankfully, Polish black/death metallers Behemoth (yes, they’re both) got things back on track with their brilliantly brutal, epic sound. Lead singer Nurgle was a true showman, who riled the crowd up good and ready for the main act California metallers Devildriver. Now Behemoth were a hard act to beat, but boy, did Devildriver beat it. Whatever eardrums we had left after Behemoth, they were well and WUXO\ FUXVKHG E\ 'H] )DIDUD DQG KLV boys - hell, my ears are still ringing now. Opening with the rousing ‘End Of The Line’, they performed excellent tracks like ‘Clouds Over California’ and ‘These Fighting Words’, playing an extremely tight and beautifully heavy set. $ EULOOLDQW ZD\ WR VSHQG Ă€ YH KRXUV then - and well worth the money! Lauren Matthews
Seen and Scene B>E>A>K Mark Corcoran-Lettice Music Editor SQWARK! One of the North East’s most treasured acts, B>E>A>K are a unique proposition. Clad in bird masks and colourcoordinated uniforms, this Sunderland-based super group (while their exact membership is a secret, members of Field Music, This Ain’t 9HJDV DQG 5D]PDWD] /RUU\ ([FLWH ment are known to have joined the nest) are avian-rock gods, swooping down from above to bless us with their manic post-rock moves. On paper, this can sound worry-
ingly pretentious, but in practice it’s all about getting you on your feet. Instrumental guitar rock may not sound like the most obvious choice in good time music, but that’s because it’s rarely done with such humour or such immediacy. For the reader at home, their \ MySpace (http://www.myspace. com/beaktastic), will give you a taste, but it’s live where B>E>A>K anthems like ‘Stairway To Hendon’ and Missy Elliot semi-tribute ‘Get Ya Beak On’ really come into their own. Having played several highSURĂ€ OH VORWV UHFHQWO\ LQFOXGLQJ D main stage appearance at the inaugural Split Festival, their next performance is at the Cluny 2 on Saturday 7th November as part of a local band showcase (also featuring the previously featured Brilliant Mind). You’d be a fool to miss it‌there ain’t no party like a B>E>A>K party!
Steel Wheels
Passion Pit Northumbria Stage 2, October 22nd From total obscurity to international renown; it’s probably fair to say that this year’s been something of a whirlwind for the lads of Passion Pit. It’d certainly explain the visible delight of the band when they appear on stage for this late-year victory lap tour. Courteously thanking support acts Max Tundra and openers du jour The Joy Formidable (even if they were both off by the curiously cruel hour of nine in the evening) and the packed crowd, frontman Michael Angelakos certainly seemed content with his position. Not that they were to have it entirely their own way, mind. Stage 2’s almost complete lack of acous-
tics (think the gym at your school, only worse) took some of the shine off their sparkling synth sounds and rendered the drums a muddy mess, and an unfortunate technical malfunction forced the band off-stage for ten minutes halfway through, VSRLOLQJ WKH Ă RZ Despite these setbacks though, Passion Pit rose to the occasion, skillIXOO\ WUDQVIHUULQJ WKH Ă€ ]]\ HQHUJ\ RI debut album Manners to the stage, with inevitable closers ‘Sleepyhead’ and ‘The Reeling’ drawing the FURZG LQWR D IUHQ]\ -XVW SLFN D EHW ter venue next time round, please? Mark Corcoran-Lettice Music Editor
Joe Skrebels Turn left off of the top of Northumberland Street, past Sgt. Peppers bar, all the while ignoring the smell of the bins surrounding you, and you might just stumble on the everdelightful Steel Wheels. A pantheon of goods, musical and otherwise, it’s chock-full of signed band photos, a mix of cheap and rare vinyl, and promo releases being sold in questionably legal fashion. There aren’t many feelings akin to the one you get after buying Bowie’s Earthling, a copy of Fight Club and a DVD of Leprechaun in the Hood IRU WKH SULQFHO\ VXP RI D À YHU EXW Steel Wheels offers you feelings like that every time you go in. Conveniently close to the university campus (making it ideal for between-lecture browsing), seeming to change its entire stock every week and, most important of all for the student shopper, cheap, this little place is everything you could want from an independent record store, and you’ve got it right under your nose.
Online >>>
Exclusive gig photos www.thecourieronline.co.uk
Singles & Downloads Alice Vincent Culture Editor Gordon Bruce Culture Online Editor Another week, and another round of exclusive content for you all over at www.thecourieronline.co.uk. Pick of the litter this week is an exclusive session we’ve recorded with the hotly-tipped, up and coming indie rockers Copy Haho, who supported Los Campesinos at the Union last Tuesday, joining the sessions we’ve already recorded with Sic Alps and The Twilight Sad over on our website. As well as this, we’ve also got additional photos from the Passion Pit concert and photos of The Dead Weather, an interview with Everything Everything (whose recent appearance at The Other Rooms was given a glowing review just above), and a review of the ever-exciteable Dananananaykroyd, who gave The Cluny a taste of their infamous live show two weeks ago. Well, what are you still reading this for? Get yourself online now!
Kicking off with beaus of the mo, The Dead Weather. Their latest offering, the peculiarly-titled ‘I Cut Like A Buffalo’, punches through November’s chill with VFX]]\ RUJDQ ULIIV D SOHDVLQJO\ old skool guitar chord refrain and seriously catchy bovine-related chorus - clearly a must-have on all good indie bar jukeboxes. Passion Pit’s ‘Little Secrets’ - as cute and naughty as the name suggests, it literally takes me “higher and higher and higher� with Michael Angelakos’s everwonderful choral squeals. And Bam! Just when I thought I’d never get off that aural ceiling of joy, Biffy Clyro bring ‘The Captain’. With brass addition, a pacey, uplifting and near Sunday School-esque melody, it’s practically a sing-a-long. Those apparently now grownup Arctic Monkeys have created a pensieve, nay, slushy ballad of lost love. I think. As ever, Turner’s lyricism lifts ‘Cornerstone’, but my god, where’s the tune?
THE COURIER Monday 2 November 2009
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Record Reviews Kraftwerk - 12345678: The Catalogue [Part 1] LV UHÀQHG LQWR WKH HOHFWURQLF PXVLF we know today. As for the remasters themselves, the pin-sharp production is somewhat grating - if it were possible to make Kraftwerk sound even less human, these mixes have somehow achieved it - and occasionally makes some of the more repetitive, droning tracks unlistenable. If you already own the albums there is nothing new on offer beyond the cleaner production, and ÀUVW WLPH OLVWHQHUV PD\ GR EHWWHU with a second-hand copy of the original CDs. That said, thirty years on there’s still little that manages to touch either the inventive new sounds or purity of song-writing at the heart of Kraftwerk’s work. Who needs acoustic instruments anyway?
Considering the recent trend of 80sLQĂ XHQFHG ´HOHFWURÂľ PXVLF /D 5RX[ Hot Chip and robotic auto-tune - it has never been a better time to rediscover Kraftwerk, the pioneering electronic band who popularised the idea of entirely synth-based music and practically invented electronic music as we know it today. The key eight Kraftwerk albums - Autobahn, Radio-Activity, TransEurope Express, The Man Machine, Computer World, Electric Cafe, The Mix and Tour de France - are here collected into one box set, digitally remastered and given (entirely suSHUĂ XRXV QHZ FRYHUV There are no b-sides, no rare tracks and no live sets either, and a cynic might wonder if a complete collecWLRQ LQFOXGLQJ WKH EDQG¡V Ă€UVW WKUHH (often overlooked) records is on its way. This week, we’ll cover half of the set, spanning 1974 through to 1978. 7KH Ă€UVW RI WKH UHPDVWHUHG SDFNDJH is the band’s breakthrough album Autobahn (“motorwayâ€? in German), which consists of an epic 22minute track attempting to recreate the experience of a long road trip, followed by four purely instrumental tracks that even manage to incor-
porate some acoustic instruments. Though the album as a whole is a tough listen, it still sounds almost as bizarre and revolutionary as it probably did back in 1974. A year later, the band released Radio-Activity, another concept album exploring the twin themes of radio and, er, radioactivity. A far more accessible album, Radio-Activity sees Kraftwerk turn their hands to crafting full pop songs, as well as continuing to experiment with the new sounds available to them, though the album is made somewhat schizophrenic by the band’s contrasting directions. This disparity is tackled in the third album of the set, Trans-Europe Express, which succeeds in melding catchy songs with ambient, minimalist soundscapes and is arguably .UDIWZHUN¡V GHĂ€QLQJ PRPHQW By far the best album of the bunch, WKRXJK LV VFLHQFH Ă€FWLRQ LQĂ XHQFHG The Man Machine. While somewhat dated by its subject matter - singing “we are the robotsâ€? through a vocoder may have sounded futuristic back in 1978, but today it’s merely cliche - these are focused, energetic tracks where the raw potential of synthesisers hinted at in Autobahn
Atlas Sound Logos
Mando Diao Give Me Fire!
Johnny Foreigner
Shy and awkward, Deerhunter’s Bradford Cox is an intriguing character. Luckily for us, Logos, the second offering from Cox’s solo guise Atlas Sound, is just as intriguing. 8SRQ Ă€UVW OLVWHQ /RJRV LV PXFK poppier than Cox’s previous outing. ‘Walkabout,’ a twinkling collaboration with Animal Collective’s dream-pop genius Panda Bear, is by far the catchiest track on the album, laden with Beach Boys style harmonies and an addictive hook. Yet Cox never strays too far from the experimentalism he seems so comfortable with. ‘Walkabout’ aside, the lines between each song are blurred, meaning few stand out - yet this is the very beauty of the record. The majesty of Logos is in the feeling it creates, swathing the listener in its ethereal soundscapes, inviting you into Cox’s own introverted world. There’s almost something eerie about each song and Cox’s languid and ghostlike vocals, especially on opener ‘The Light That Failed’, only add to this disorientating effect. Even the musically sunny ‘Sheila’ holds a sense of fragile yearning with lyrics such as “no one wants to die aloneâ€?. Logos is without a doubt one of the most hauntingly beautiful albums you will hear this year.
The Swedish rockers are back in force with this stomping release, capturing all of the energy that has marked their previous albums and offering up a fresh, even more rhythmical take on their well-honed style. From the blistering intro of the Beatles-esque ‘Blue Lining White Trenchcoat’, into the catchy ‘Dance With Somebody’, and graduating into the soaring pop-rock of ‘Gloria’, the listener is treated to a true tourde-force right from the start. Not content with merely a strong beginning, however, Mando Diao prove their versatility with touches of everything from 70s kraut-rock to country twanging to lounge crooning, and that’s just on ‘High Heels’. There’s strong hints of The Clash (and not just on the vocals), as well as quiet, atonal introspection that wouldn’t be amiss on an early The Cure release, not to mention the striking originality that they bring to what could have, with a lazier band, been a very formulaic release. With such belting numbers and YHU\ OLWWOH Ă€OOHU RQ WKH DOEXP *LYH Me Fire is ‘running through the streets of a raining city at night’ music if ever there was any.
8/10 Linsey Teggert
9/10 Elliot Bentley The second part of 12345678:The Catalogue will be featured in next week’s The Courier
Ben Frost By The Throat
The Mountain Goats
‘And it starts like this‌’ With Alexei Berrow’s piercing vocals on ‘Choose Yr Side and Shut Up!’, Johnny Foreigner are back, still all soaring riffs, crashing drums and catchy noise pop anthems. Berrow’s vocals still bounce off bassist Kelly Southern’s yelps and shouts, like a kid who’s had too much pick ‘n’ mix and is then let on a bouncy castle. Singles ‘Criminal’ and ‘Feels Like Summer’ are live anthems in the waiting, laden with a healthy level of feedback and catchy choruses. While the beautiful vocals on ‘Illchoosemysideandshutup, Alright’ (see what they’ve done there) show a more mature side of the band, generally the Birmingham three-piece stay with what they do best, delivering their trademark sounds with style. The pinnacle of the album comes towards the close - ‘Every Cloakroom Ever’ twice builds up and crescendos incredibly in the space of just over two minutes, whilst the start-stop pace of epic closer ‘The Coast Was Always Clear’ brings the album to a rushing climax. Some may see this as a childish sugar rush, but dig deeper and there is majestic musical talent, brilliant lyrics and wonderfully crafted pop songs.
By The Throat, a jaw dropping encounter of musical contrast, can only be described as a listen not for the faint hearted. This colossal contort of everything from Classical Minimalism to Punk 5RFN DQG 0HWDO GHĂ€HV JHQUH FODVVLĂ€FDWLRQ URXVLQJ \HW VLPXOWDQHously maddening its audience. It is this quality that makes the album (produced by Icelandic label Bedroom Community) the ‘Oblivion’ of melodic structure, rising to soaring heights of mechanical chaos, then a heart-stopping plummet into devastating electronic and guitar-based remoteness. The aesthetic sounding whirs of killer whales in “Through the Roof of Your Mouthâ€? really should be cringe-worthy, yet instead accomplish a certain sincerity, evoking a sense of cinematic drama throughout the piece, both subtle and poignant. The album, while off the wall and too bizarre for most, really does deserve a patient and intelligent listen, but if you’re after a sing in your hair brush or a pre-lash session-starter, such a feat of composed creativity probably isn’t the ticket. Ben Frost, dubbed ‘the most visceral show’ of Barcelona’s Sonar Festival 2009, will certainly be sampled left, right and centre, and deservedly so.
For atheist and believer alike, The Bible has always been one of the great story-telling sources. Rarely though has an artistic debt to it been as evident as on the latest offering from literary indie-folk legends The Mountain Goats, on which each of the record’s twelve tracks is named after a Biblical verse. Those of you fearing forty minutes of unpleasant preaching can relax though. Band leader John Darnielle has described it as ‘twelve songs the Bible taught me’, and the intimidating-looking references are there to offer backdrop and context to Darnielle’s latest tales of the crooked, the love-sick and the doomed. Sonically, it’s a more strippeddown affair than previous outing Heretic Pride. With the exception of the amped-up ‘Psalms 40:2’, it’s a slower and more intimate record, with a greater reliance on Darnielle’s tentative piano playing than ever before, and even indie rock arranger-in-chief Owen Pallett offering fairly muted contributions. But this just lets Darnielle’s astonishing lyrics shine even brighter, with the solo guitar and voice centrepiece ‘Matthew 25:21’’s absorbing account of familial bereavement DOUHDG\ VWDQGLQJ DPRQJVW KLV Ă€QHVW works. Once again, they’re the best band you’ve never heard.
7/10
8/10
7/10
Romain Chenet
Tom Richards
Tara Frost
Grace and the Bigger Picture
The Life of the World to Come
9/10 Mark Corcoran-Lettice Music Editor
34
Monday 2 November 2009 THE COURIER
CULTURE
TV & Radio
TV & Radio TV & Radio Editor: Aimee Philipson - courier.culture-tv@ncl.ac.uk
TV Highlights The Family C4, 5pm Wed 4th Nov
History of Christianity
BBC3, 9pm Thursdays
Gladiators Sky1, 7am Sundays
Russell Howard’s Good News BBC3, 10.30pm Thurs
COURTESY OF BBC3
COURTESY OF CHANNEL 4
COURTESY OF BBC3
What’s happening this week in the land where anything is possible... Aimee Philipson TV & Radio Editor
Coronation Street
Word of Tony’s heart attack spreads through the street and the factory girls gossip, unaware of his fate. Roy is in turmoil as he tells Hayley about Tony’s shocking confession. Hayley puts it down to the drugs Tony was on but Roy’s not so sure.
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Eastenders
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THE COURIER Monday 2 November 2009
35
TV & Radio
CULTURE
Family Guy series 8 on DVD Marianne Spence For those of you who have never actually witnessed the comical genius that is Family Guy, it’s got to be said that you are missing out. $IWHU VSHQGLQJ D ODUJH SRUWLRQ RI my days in halls last year being subjected to watching series after series of the show repeatedly, and still not managing to get even a little bit tired of it, I feel pretty certain in my ability to tell all you lovely readers just why this show is so amazing. Firstly, it’s a cartoon, and let’s be honest with ourselves - we all love a good cartoon! Secondly, Family Guy boasts some of the best and most original charDFWHUV RQ 79 QDPHO\ 3HWHU *ULIÀQ
the overweight father and loveable idiot who ends up in some of the most random and hilarious situations. The show also stars his lovely wife Lois and their three children; Chris, Meg, and Stewie the mutant baby, who speaks with a cut glass English accent, not dissimilar from a Bond villain, and who has inexplicable homicidal tendencies towards his mother. There’s also their talking dog, Brian, who, as a rule, has more sense that anyone else and who is a little bit in love with Lois, and of course not forgetting the Evil Monkey that lives in Chris’ closet! Family Guy’s true mastery comes in its ability to mock anyone and anything, its crude, childish and sur-
COMPETITION If you would like a chance to win a copy of the Family Guy Series 8 boxset which is released today and contains unedited episodes, just answer the following question: In which U.S. state do the family live? Email your answers to courier.culture-tv@ncl.ac.uk by Friday 6th November real humour, as well as its many incredibly random moments that stop you in your tracks and genuinely
make you laugh out loud. )URP WKH JLDQW .RRO $LG 0DQ that interrupts scenes by bursting through walls and screaming “Oh yeah!â€? for no apparent reason, to 3HWHU *ULIĂ€Q¡V HSLF EDWWOHV ZLWK KLV
man-sized chicken nemesis, I ask you - what more could you possibly want in a great comedy show?!
Tuning In at the weekend Desert Island Discs BBC Radio 4, Sundays 11.15am
Going Out with Alan Carr
Running since 1946, Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs is undoubtedly of a certain vintage. That vintage, luckily, consists of an interview which lasts longer than a Ă HHWLQJ Ă€YH PLQXWHV DQG LVQ¡W VROHly designed to promote a single or plug a series. Inviting her ‘castaways’ to choose eight records to take with them if stranded on a desert island, Kirsty Young (possibly the most soothing voice in radio) explores the lives of her guests and uncovers the sigQLĂ€FDQFH EHKLQG WKHLU PXVLFDO VHlections. Don’t expect a run-down of current hits when you tune in , but rather a patchwork soundtrack spanning music from all manner of eras, genres and cultures. While previous guests have includHG WKH OLNHV RI 'DYLG 0LWFKHOO $Qnie Lennox and Whoopie Goldberg, less familiar but no less fascinating names are occasionally on the bill, from scientists to opera singers. In hearing their stories, and, of course, planning your own desert island mix-tape, this makes for perfect lie-in listening.
During the summer, I was positively forced to listen to this show whilst in the car with the mother, but before I could moan and change to Radio 6, something else came unexpectedly out of my mouth. Laughter. $ODQ &DUU¡V 6DWXUGD\ HYHQLQJ VORW is primarily about laughter. With KLV WUDGHPDUN WRQHV $ODQ DQG FR host Emma Forbes play feel-good hits to get everyone geared up for a Saturday night on the tiles. Playing the likes of Diana Ross, Prince and BeyoncĂŠ, it’s all about the fun. Listeners contribute greatly to the show, calling in and asking for advice on what to wear in regular feature ‘Wardrobe Disaster’, and requesting songs to get them in the party mood. I’m not going to lie, Going Out ZLWK $ODQ &DUU LV DLPHG DW PLGGOH aged women, but give it a chance! The light-hearted nature of the show can help take your mind off WKLQJV DQG $ODQ¡V ZDUPWK WRZDUGV his listeners always puts a smile on my face. $QG WKHUH¡V QRW D -XVWLQ /HH &ROlins in sight- surely a good thing?!
Fiona Hart
Helen Atkinson
JK and Joel’s Saturday Night Thing
Elaine Paige on Sunday
Metro Radio, Saturdays 6pm
BBC Radio 2, Sundays, 1pm BBC Radio 1, Sundays 4pm
,I OLNH PH \RX ORYHG -. DQG -RHO on the Radio 1 chart show, you’ll be pleased to hear that they now have their own show on our local Metro Radio. Having worked together since they were sixteen years old, the radio’s RZQ $QW DQG 'HF SURYLGH HQGOHVV fun in their four hour time slot, with my personal highlight being their ‘90s @ 9’, where they played four anthems from the nineties. In their show, they managed to strike a perfect balance between new songs, our favourite oldies and banter between the presenters. $OWKRXJK LW LV RQ DW DQ XQIRUWXQDWH time on a Saturday night, this radio show provides some great tunes to get ready to and could prove to be the soundtrack to your Saturday Night Thing.
“Putting the cool back into musicalsâ€?. Please don’t be put off by this painful tagline; Elaine Paige on Sunday is an energetic, emotional, hilarious two hours of show tunes and movie music every Sunday afternoon. If you’re loving Wicked, can’t stop watching Phantom or know all the words to Disney songs, then this show was made for you. 2Q Ă€UVW OLVWHQLQJ WKH FKDWWHU LQ EHtween songs is irritating – you just want to hear the next tune! But as you get used to it (or listen on iPlayer and skip the talking parts) Elaine is a friendly voice on a boring afternoon. $V ZHOO DV PXVLF IURP %URDGZD\ the West End and Hollywood, there are brilliant competitions, listener shout-outs and Malcolm’s Big One ² \RX¡OO KDYH WR WXQH LQ WR Ă€QG RXW what that is...
Ayse Djahit
BBC Radio 2, Saturdays 6pm
Aimee Philipson
Jo Whiley
BBC Radio 1, Saturdays 1pm In her new slot at the weekend, Mrs Whiley takes us on a pre-emptive for a classic Saturday night. /LVWHQLQJ WKLV 6DWXUGD\ -R FRQĂ€UPV VRPHWKLQJ ZKLFK ,¡G ORQJ suspected was true; Florence and the Machine are a brilliantly fresh amalgamation of synth pop, 90s dance-soul and art rock. During their live performance, Florence belts out ‘You Got the Love’ as if it was her last ever appearance on the airwaves. Of the current crop of young ladies riding the indie-songstress wave, she’s got under our skin the most. There are also some brilliant live recordings from the recent BBC Electric Proms. How could one not want to hear a recently revived RobELH :LOOLDPV GHOLYHU Âś$QJHOV¡ WR DQ intimate audience? In between is the usual mix of chart blunders and strange tracks, such as ‘Possibility’ - a spookily hopeful song by Lykke Li, from the Twilight Ă€OPV :HOO ZRUWK D OLVWHQ It was a perfect warm-up to a night in with Cheryl and the X Factor. Nile Amos
Chart Show with Reggie Yates It’s pretty self explanatory- children’s TV presenter turned ‘SuperVWDU '-¡ 5HJJLH <DWHV FRXQWV GRZQ the UK’s top 40 selling singles every week. The format of the Chart Show has hardly changed at all over the years - the top singles are counted down in reverse order with the number one single being played at the end of the show. $OEXP VDOHV DUH DOVR FRXQWHG down, and Live Lounge highlights from the last week are interspersed with the normal chart. Reggie is a good presenter - a cheeky chappie who younger teenagers (and several of my friends) adore. His style of presenting is fun and cheerful, an attribute that every Chart Show presenter should have. Helen Atkinson
Jonathan Ross BBC Radio 2, Saturdays 10am There are a lot of things wrong with -RQDWKDQ 5RVV KH RSHQV KLV PRXWK words fall out and stain his shoes; his fortunes make oil executives in Dubai and Dallas feel shabby; his hair needs a stylist etc, etc. But I’ve been catching his Saturday morning radio show on and off IRU WKH SDVW ÀYH \HDUV DQG LW KDV QR place on the above list. Suave as a suede tuxedo, kept on his toes by the famous folk behind cult stuff and mildly bewildered guest contestants, this is Ross on form, leapfrogging along with the help of his much-abused producer DQG TXL]PDVWHU $QG\ It even comes with the simplest of joy in life - thoroughly irritated newsreaders. Keep a sharp ear and you’ll know what I mean. Musically, it’s no shambles either. Expect the unexpected. That little underground indie band you thought no-one else knew about? He knows. It’s not cult radio, but on a Saturday morning, nursing a hangover and pretending to do essays, Mr. Ross might just be your new best friend. Graeme Pawlett
Saturday Night with Alice Planet Rock Radio, Saturdays 9pm, Mondays 6.30pm $OLFH &RRSHU \HV WKDW¡V WKH DFWXDO 70s shock rock legend, invites you to revel in his favourite tracks, listen to interviews with his rock star friends and be entertained by rock and roll tales and freaky facts every Saturday night. The weekend show follows on from his weekday breakfast slot, bringing you all the best bits of the week and more tunes and tales from the Cooper legend. Get your speakers smoking with classics from the likes of Led Zeppelin, Ozzy Osbourne, Bruce DickinVRQ 7KH 3L[LHV DQG 0XVH $QG ,¡P sure there’ll also be a few thrown in from Cooper himself. If you thought the king of seventies rock was past it or that the time of electric chairs, slimy boa constrictors and eyeliner was over, then tune in this Saturday and join the rock ‘n’ roll love-in. Aimee Philipson
> Saturday mornings have never been the same without SM:TV Live Helen Atkinson SM:TV Live was (without a doubt) the greatest Saturday morning TV show of my childhood. Here’s why. Every Saturday morning, I would switch the TV on at 9:25am just in time to see the title credits roll. I would then stay glued to the television set until half past WZHOYH DIWHU &' 8. Ă€QLVKHG $V a kid with a very short attention span, this was an achievement in itself. The show aired from 19982003, however the ‘golden years’ of SM:TV were between 1998 DQG ZKHQ $QW 'HF DQG Cat Deeley were presenting the VKRZ ZKHQ $QW DQG 'HF OHIW the show in late 2001, they were replaced by Brian Dowling and Stephen Mulhern, possibly the most annoying presenter of all time). The show comprised of various sketches and music videos interspersed with television programmes such as PokĂŠmon (anyone remember the PokĂŠrap?) and Sabrina the Teenage Witch. My favourite sketch was Chums, a spoof on Friends, with Dec’s weekly catchphrase Âś0H DQG &DW DORQH LQ WKH Ă DWÂŤ, think I’m going to kiss her’. It was crap, but hilarious. Perfect. SM:TV was special because it appealed to adults and kids DOLNH 0\ GDG XVHG WR Ă€QG LW MXVW DV IXQQ\ DV , GLG GXH WR $QW\ and Decky the Garden Goblins who had a love for dizzy water (alcohol) and a hatred of students. $QW 'HF DQG &DW ZHUH JUHDW because they knew how to have a laugh and didn’t take themselves too seriously. They would happily dress up like idiots in the name of entertainment (Cat the Dog being just one example of this). Other highlights of the show were Wonkey Donkey (“It’s JRWWD UK\PH Âľ &KDOOHQJH $QW and Eat My Goal, showcasing $QW DQG 'HF¡V IRRWEDOO VNLOOV RU lack of them. Bring it back please!
36
CULTURE
Monday 2 November 2009 THE COURIER
TV & Radio
with Amazon > TV & Radio Editor Aimee Philipson tracked down a 21st century Gladiator Amazon, a.k.a. Zoe Williams, you were once a student at Newcastle University; what attracted you to come here? It was the city itself and the university. I came up with my mum to look around and the people were just so friendly. We ended up staying overnight which wasn’t the plan and went out in Bigg Market and on the boat - with my mum! We just had a great time and the people were so lovely. While you were a student here, you got involved in the women’s rugby team. How did that come about? I’d always played sport of all different types since I was at school - netball, hockey, athletics - but I’d never played rugby before. Then I was out one Wednesday night and I saw a big bunch of girls all dressed up as Lara Croft downing pints of lager and wondered who they were. I got chatting to the rugby captain and she said “we’re the rugby girls.� I asked if I could go out with them next week and she said only if I went to training! I didn’t think I’d like rugby but I went to training and I’ve loved it ever since! So I was attracted to it by its social side! Yeah, sport is a great way to make friends and Wednesday nights are legendary I’ve heard... The rugby girls are just such a great bunch of girls, they really know how to have a good time and they all look after each other. So after graduating as a doctor,
what made you apply to be on Gladiators?
but my actual favourite in training was Hang Tough.
Well, the new series came back on TV and since I’d loved Gladiators growing up, I recorded it on Sky Plus straight away and watched every episode. One of my rugby friends suggested that I should apply to be a contestant on the show because I’d be good at it, so I thought I’d have a go. I applied to be a contender and it was after the audition they asked me if I wanted to attend the Gladiator auditions the following week. When I heard I’d got through I was so excited!
What is your least favourite event?
Did you get to choose your Gladiator name? When we did our drama training for the show, we all had to pick a temporary name for the practices and I called myself Amazon for the day. When I found out I was called Amazon for the show too, I thought it was because I’d picked it, but I found out later that it was pure coincidence! Do all the Gladiators get on well or are there some rivalries? We spend so much time together ZKHQ ZH¡UH ÀOPLQJ DV ZH ÀOP WKH show over ten weeks. Because we all stay in the same hotel, train together, eat together, and get nervous together before events, we’ve ended up practically like brothers and sisters. We all get on really well and there’s a really nice atmosphere backstage.
The one the Gladiators hate the most, but people love watching, is Hit and Run, because all we do is throw balls. But I’ve got a 100% record on that, everytime I’ve played I’ve always knocked them off. But it’s a bit boring. Would you do a third series? If there was a third series I would GHÀQLWHO\ EH LQYROYHG EXW DW WKH moment there’s a bit of a handover because I think Channel Five is taking over Gladiators so there is going WR EH TXLWH D ELJ JDS EHIRUH ZH ÀOP again.
“I saw a bunch of girls dressed up as Lara Croft downing pints of lager and wondered who they were� There is going to be a movie made from the American Gladiators. If the UK were going to do something similar would you be up for it? Absolutely! Three of the female Gladiators from the original series were actually in the Gladiator movie - the Russell Crowe one. They’re in the scene where everyone’s in the arena and some women are driving the horse and chariots – that’s them!
What is your favourite Gladiators event?
How did you become Sky’s Green Gladiator?
My favourite event is Hang Tough but I never actually got to do it in the show because my Gladiator SHUVRQD GRHVQ¡W ÀW ZLWK WKDW HYHQW So my favourite event in the show is Power Ball because of my rugby,
It’s something I’m passionate about and something I’ve got more passionate about with the role. I’ve always been reasonably green myself but I stepped it up to be a Green Ambassador. They picked me out to do the role - that might be another reason why they called me Amazon. I learnt a lot! Any green student tips? The majority of things that save energy, save money. Think carefully about turning things off, switching everything off at the plug before you go to bed – which can be hard when you’ve had a few pints! Then of course things like recycling. I noticed the university has all the recycling bins around so try to recycle! How do you balance being a Doctor and a Gladiator? I’ve had to take some time off work because I wouldn’t have been able WR JHW WKH WHQ ZHHNV RII IRU ÀOPLQJ So what have you been doing to keep yourself busy when you’re QRW ÀOPLQJ" I’ve had a year off now and in the meantime I’ve set up two little projects. 7KH ÀUVW RQH LV D ÀWQHVV company called Naturally Fit which I set up with Newcastle Falcons rugby player Spencer Davey. We run classes through the week and we aim to be the middle ground between having an expensive perVRQDO WUDLQHU DQG JRLQJ WR ÀWQHVV classes at the gym. Most of the training is based on boxing but we’ve also got access to the Newcastle Falcons gym so we can use all the great facilities the Falcons get.
+RZ GR \RX NHHS ÀW DQG KHDOWK\" 0\ ÀWQHVV UHJLPH LV UXJE\ WUDLQing twice a week and playing at the weekends. I also go to the gym to do cardiovascular training but at the PRPHQW P\ ÀWQHVV WUDLQLQJ LV WUDLQing people at Naturally Fit classes! You also go into schools to do ÀWQHVV ZRUNVKRSV :KDW¡V WKDW about? Well, it’s been quoted that up to 70% of girls have lost interest in sport by the age of sixteen so I’m doing one KRXU ÀWQHVV ZRUNVKRSV LQ VFKRROV WR teach girls the important of exercise, not just for physiological reasons but for psychological and social reasons as well. Catch Amazon in the second series of Gladiators every Sunday morning or catch-up for free on SkyPlayer on the internet if you are a Sky customer. Naturally Fit runs every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday for people of all abilities who want to get ÀW DQG KDYH D JUHDW WLPH &KHFN RXW WKH student offer to the right for your taster session!
STUDENT OFFER Naturally Fit are offering all readers of The Courier a taster session for just £5 All you have to do is bring this page/voucher to one of the following classes: ‡ 0RQGD\ SP )DW %XUQLQJ Circuits at Jesmond United Reformed Church ‡ :HGQHVGD\ SP &DUGLR Fitness at Leazes Park ‡ )ULGD\ SP %R[LQJ &OXE DW Jesmond United Reformed Church ‡ 6DWXUGD\ %R[LQJ &OXE 7%& DW Jesmond Dene For further information and bookings contact Naturally Fit RQ RU DW QDWXUDOO\ ÀW#KRWPDLO FRP All sessions are £8 for NUS cardholders and are run by UK Gladiator Zoe Williams and Newcastle Falcons rugby player Spencer Davey
THE COURIER Monday 2 November 2009
37
Puzzles Editors: Suzi Moore and Ned Walker - courier.puzzles@ncl.ac.uk
CROSSWORD
Fill in the blank squares with help from the clues provided. The answers will be given in next week’s edition. 7KH À UVW SHUVRQ WR FRPH WR The Courier RIÀ FH ZLWK D FRPSOHWHG &URVVZRUG ZLQV D IUHH EHHU DQG EXUJHU DW 7KH +DQFRFN
ODD ONE OUT
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1. Africa’s tallest mountain (11) :HDWKHU FRQGLWLRQ WKDW PDNHV LW GLIÀ FXOW WR see (3) 8. Limb used for doing press-ups (3) 9. Of aristocratic blood; Admirable qualities (5) 11. Time of year that Jesus was resurrected (6) 12. Swallow up (6) 14. (Young bird) emerge from egg; small opening (5) 17. Not short (4) 19. Someone who prepares food for an event (7) 20. Paradise (4) 21. ------ M.E, US Television show starring Jack Klugman (6) 22. Not on (3) 23. Overview; evaluate (6) 24. Christian name of ‘The Apprentice’ tycoon (4) 3LOH RI FORWKHV WKDW QHHG WR EH Á DWWHQHG after they have been washed (colloquial) (7) 27. Extinct bird (4) 30. Linger on a thought; Stay in one place (5) 32. Use of humour that criticises someone or something (6) )LJXUH LQ *UHHN 0\WKRORJ\ ZKR Á HZ WRR close to the sun (6) 34. US heavyweight boxing champion Mike -----(5) 36. Involuntary movement of muscles often relating to the face (3) 37. Egg of hair louse (3) 38. Clever (11)
6HFRQG À QJHU RQ \RXU KDQG (5) 3. An electrically charged particle (3) 4. Male name that is attached to being distinctly average (3) 5. Playing 18 holes of golf; Circular (5) 7. Teachings of Christ; type of choir (6) 8. Found funny (6) 10. English idiom meaning being susceptible to dropping things (13) 11. Movements within our planet’s crust causes these natural disasters (11) 13. Cartoon programme with Fred and Wilma (11) 15. Type of plastic that can be used for decorating nails (7) 16. Plan; organise (7) 18. Type of material often used for making summer clothes (5) 20. Became less forceful; ----- off (5) 25. Location of the North Pole (6) 28. Travel faster than something chasing you (6) 29. Pipe that carries water away (5) 31. Fruit of an oak tree (5) 34. Knot together; neck accessory (3) 35. Incessantly ask someone to complete a task (3)
Solution to last week’s Crossword
Solution to last week’s Sudoku
Who’s looking a bit sheepish?
PICTURE PHRASE PUZZLE WORD TRAIL
7KH REMHFWLYH LV WR À OO WKH JULG VR WKDW HDFK FRO umn, each row and each of the nine 3×3 boxes contains the digits from 1 to 9 only one time each. For the completed puzzle check next week’s edition of The Courier
Track the names of football teams through the grid. You should use all of the letters in the grid but only once
ANSWERS Odd one out: The sheep in the middle row, second one in from the right has no left ear. Picture Phrase Puzzle: Slumdog Millionaire, Titanic, Shakespeare In Love, No Country For Men.Theme - Best Picture Oscar Winners. Word Trail: Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool, Fulham, Aston Villa, Sunderland
SUDOKU
Use the pictures to come up with a phrase, thing, place or name. 7U\ WR À QG WKH FRPPRQ WKHPH
38
Monday 2 November 2009 THE COURIER
Newcastle progress after narrow cup win > Sport, page 42 Sports Editors: Paul Christian, Jamie Gavin and Tom James - courier.sport@ncl.ac.uk
Emerging from the shadows > Sports Editor Paul Christian reports on the rise of Gateshead FC in the wake of the club’s decision to turn professional Newcastle United and Middlesbrough were relegated last year. Sunderland gasped a sheepish sigh of relief. Hartlepool United hung on by a point, while Darlington had to settle for mid-table mediocrity. The verdict was the plight of professional North East football; terrace talk of money-less clubs, senseless owners, clueless managers and useless players. Less, nevertheless, can be more. A trip to the south banks of the Tyne to watch Gateshead FC will hammer that home: a club where plight historically rolls in the mud like a scatty pig. Not now. Hope has been brewing at the International Stadium in recent years. Back to back promotions have seen Gateshead wrestle their way from the modest depths of the Unibond Premier to the modest heights of the Blue Square Premier. Under the stewardship of manager Ian Bogie and local owner Graham Wood, Gateshead FC are one step away from a return to the Football League. And half a season away from full-time professionalism. The club announced two weeks ago that the 2010/11 season will be WKHLU À UVW SURIHVVLRQDOO\ :RRG D Gateshead fan all his life, seems to have the desire, as well as the money, to regain league status - a title stripped of the club 50 years ago. A self-made millionaire in the boiler industry, Wood gets it right when it comes to fan culture. He’s in touch with supporters, appointed an assiduous manager, and makes the match-going experience accessible. His ambitious push for a new stadium will secure his legacy if successful. An expensive ticket is £12 at Gateshead. A student ticket £7. A pie and D SLQW LV OHVV WKDQ D À YHU 7KH H[FLWH ment of seeing the Gallowgate sway LW PRVW GHÀ QLWHO\ LVQ¡W %XW IRU WKH footballing man and his dog it bequeaths an affordable sense of belonging. Today is FA Cup day. The Tynesiders are on the verge of making WKH À UVW URXQG SURSHU IRU RQO\ WKH second time this decade. Standing in their way is a bullish Southport side, looking for retribution after falling to Gateshead in the play-offs last year. Cup runs infuse scattered waves
of nostalgia for football fans. Tales of grandeur written, witnessed or watched are etched in the fabric of every club. For the Heed Army, 1953 proves seminal. Called Gateshead AFC at the time, Redheugh Stadium (now the Pitz 5-a-side centre) played host to the FLW\¡V Ă€ QHVW KRXU ZKHQ WKH\ GLV posed of Liverpool 1-0 in the 3rd round. Then, following away victories at Plymouth and Hull, a crowd of almost 18,000 reigned on RedKHXJK IRU WKH TXDUWHU Ă€ QDO DJDLQVW Bolton. The Heed lost 1-0. As I walk down a deserted carriageway toward the current 11,750 all-seater stadium, Redheugh seems but an unattainable myth. A rusty haven before my time. The rain’s still here, only spelt differently. A lorry whips past, drenching me so I don’t forget. I meet Media Manager Jeff Bowran at the ground. Full of anecdotes and astute knowledge, Jeff has watched the club for 41 years, 26 of which have been spent reporting. “The club has had a tumultuous history to say the least. Promotions, relegations, reformations; almost going bust. But we’re still here. And, as it is now is probably the best it’s ever been to be honest.â€? He’s not wrong. Peering into Gateshead’s chequered past, one word prevails: resilience. Originating in
South Shields, the club shipped west and joined the Football League as Gateshead AFC in 1930. After 30 years voyaging in and out of the Football league, they were controversially expelled in 1960. “I was only 14 at the time. Our playing record wasn’t particularly bad in the league so it was a bit harsh. I think the motives were geographical. Peterborough United took our place,â€? recalls Jeff. The Heed struggled for the next 20 years, ceasing to exist in 1973, again in 1974 following a short stint DV *DWHVKHDG 7RZQ DQG Ă€ QDOO\ LQ 1977. But resilience reared its head. “People rallied round after the club folded in 77-78 and we managed to knock a team together. We survived that season, and it’s just been a rollercoaster since then.â€? 25 years circling the periphery of League football almost ended in disaster when the club nearly went under a fourth time in 2000. They survived, and have since found stability in the partnership of ex- Sunderland Vice Chairman Wood, and ex-Newcastle player Bogie. %RJLH¡V LQĂ XHQFH KDV EHHQ YLWDO Once touted as the new ‘Gazza’, the man from Walker has adjusted well to management. “He’s a no nonsense, dour manager,â€? says Jeff. “Teams will always play in the mould of their manager, and he was
a good, attacking footballer.â€? (Nonbelievers see YouTube – Ian Bogie v Stoke). Still, the Tynesiders have yet to Ă€ QG IRUP LQ WKH OHDJXH WKLV \HDU -HII is wary of relegation. “We’ve got to stay in this league. We have to. It would be disaster if we went down. Going professional will hopefully help us to attract more players and strengthen the squad.â€? The game kicks off. Jeff wears the look of cynicism like a seasoned pro. “I think it’ll be a draw. They’re a strong side, Southport.â€? Convalescence does little to repress the past. The Sandgrounders are a division below Gateshead. But they’re tough, and grab the game by the scruff of the neck with ugly, effective football. It’s the white shirts of Gateshead who take the lead though. Against WKH UXQ RI SOD\ PLGĂ€ HOGHU 3KLO Turnbull powers the ball home from 20 yards. The 400 strong crowd are on their feet. Half time arrives and a rainbow arcs over the stadium. Its splendour silences the patter; it’s almost reminiscent of Wembley. One player chins another on the way off the pitch to send us crashing back to the wholesome grit of lower league football. Both are sent off. Gateshead wrap up a 3-0 victory in the second half with a superb goal
from the indefatigable Baxter and a second from Turnbull. A great victory for the team; a better result for the club. The players can now look IRUZDUG WR WKHLU Ă€ UVW MDXQW WKURXJK the FA Cup since 2001, and the prospect of a big draw. Jeff typically underplays the performance. “It just didn’t feel like a cup game today.â€? There’s a glint in his eye however. A glint that nods to the sublimity of the cup; the knowledge of being in that hat. I walk away from the stadium, glancing at the cover of the match programme. “Gateshead: Fit for a city,â€? it says, the angel spreading her vast wings across the crest. It’s simple, unpretentious even. But less, nevertheless, can be more. Gateshead FC drew League One side %UHQWIRUG DW KRPH LQ WKH Ă€ UVW URXQG RI the FA Cup. The tie will be played at Gateshead International Stadium on Sunday 8th November at 1.00pm. Student entry (with ID) for the Brentford game and all Blue Square Premier games is just ÂŁ7 and the International Stadium is within walking distance of Gateshead Stadium metro station. The Schooner Inn on the banks of the Tyne is just a few hundred yards away from the International stadium, and there are bars and servaries at the ground.
Close House Country Club to host annual University Golf tournament The annual Student Golf Championship will take place at Close House on Sunday the 22nd November. This competition is open to all Newcastle University students including those who haven’t signed up to the Sports Centre. The format of the tournament is straightforward stroke play around 18
holes with the winner being the person scratching the lowest score at the end. Tee-off times will be between 10.30 and 11.30. To register, students must complete a registration form and pay an entry fee at the Sports Centre reception. The fee is ÂŁ10 for members of the Sports Centre and ÂŁ15 for non-members.
Prizes will be on offer for the lowest gross, the top three net scores as well as two longest drive and closest to the pin challenges. Free transport will be provided by the University to Close House Country Club, leaving from the front of the Union on the morning of the tournament. Anyone who would prefer to drive
ZLOO À QG GLUHFWLRQV WR WKH FRXUVH RQ WKH University Sports website. Proper Golf attire must be worn whilst on the course, that is to say a collared shirt, trousers and Golf shoes. Anyone not adhering to the dress code won’t be allowed to participate (this isn’t Happy Gilmore unfortunately). Those interested should sign them-
selves up as soon as possible for what should be an enjoyable day out. If you would like to know more about the competition, don’t hesitate to contact Denis Murphy either by email: denis. murphy@ncl.ac.uk or telephone: 0191 222 5349.
THE COURIER Monday 2 November 2009
39
SPORT
Golf team get LQ WKH VZLQJ RI WKLQJV Golf Round-up Chris Taylor
Newcastle 1sts UCLan 1sts
Honours even: there was nothing between the two sides in a closely contested battle
H. NEUENDORF
Leeds met with equal force Men’s Rugby League
Newcastle 1sts Leeds Met 2nds
20 20
Kevin Davey at Cochrane Park Rugby League giants New Zealand and Australia were recently left deadlocked on 20 points after a spectacular opening to the Gillette Four Nations. In a slightly more attritional affair SRL Northern Premier heavyweights Newcastle and Leeds Met shared the spoils with an identical score-line last Wednesday. The crowds were out in force to ZDWFK 185/¡V À UVW KRPH RXWLQJ and numbers were bolstered when WKH QG WHDP¡V À [WXUH ZDV FDQ celled. The fans were in a joyous, H[SHFWDQW PRRG DQG UHQGLWLRQV RI classic NURL songs echoed round the Owl’s Nest as the teams entered
the fray. 7KH À UVW À YH PLQXWHV VDZ DQ HYHQ ly matched but penalty-laden contest. Leeds Met, notorious for producing well-drilled, highly athletic sides, started at a pace well above ZKDW WKH 5R\DOV KDYH H[SHULHQFHG so far this season. As Newcastle adapted to the increased tempo, Leeds began to GRPLQDWH WKH HDUO\ H[FKDQJHV DQG ZHUH À UVW RQ WKH VFRUHERDUG DIWHU D succession of quick play-the-balls allowed their winger to cross the whitewash untouched. It didn’t take long for Newcastle to respond when wide-man Kevin Davey capitalised on some effective running from Sam Boyd and Miles Hudson. Rob Seagraves converted IURP WKH à DQN But disaster struck when the livewire hooker also known as the Preston Poodle sustained a matchHQGLQJ DUP LQMXU\ LQ WKH QH[W VHW 7KH VXEVHTXHQW UHVKXIà LQJ VDZ crowd favourite Ste Moorcroft
move to scrum half and Falklands veteran Rishi Sumra deputising for Seagraves at Dummy Half. 185/¡V DWWDFNLQJ Ă RZ ZDV VRPH what destabilised by the changes but strong defence led by captain Michael Ward ensured the contest remained tight with both teams scoring once more before the interval. The opening period of the second half was dominated by Leeds who attacked ferociously and quickly scored 2 tries. NURL continued to Ă€ QG GLIĂ€ FXOW\ LQ SXWWLQJ WRJHWKHU some cohesive attacking play, and the lack of communication across the park seemed to limit them. Thus Newcastle had to rely on individual brilliance to stay in contention and no contributions were more valuable than that of props Joe ‘Deadlift’ Robinson and Daniel Caparros-Midwood. The hefty pair seemed to be on a two-man destruction mission with Midwood barn-storming in attack and strong defending from the gin-
ger haired Robinson. With a quarter to go Newcastle À QDOO\ EHJDQ WR DVVDLO WKH /HHGV score line with Liam Mcgee’s deft passing leading to a try from Ward after some well-timed angular runQLQJ $Q H[KDXVWHG ORRNLQJ -DPHV Phillips then completed his brace and levelled the contest after racing \DUGV DIWHU VRPH À QH ZRUN IURP debutant Michael Bean. 7KH FORVLQJ PLQXWHV ZHUH H[WUHPH ly tense and NURL nearly snatched victory with a last-ditch drop-goal attempt sailing wide of the upright. 7KH À QDO ZKLVWOH ZDV PHW E\ DQ HH rie silence despite NURL taking a SRLQW IURP D /HHGV 0HW À [WXUH IRU WKH À UVW WLPH LQ PDQ\ \HDUV Newcastle’s disappointed reaction was testament to NURL’s increasing endeavour for high standards and victory. This unusually drab attacking performance will certainly need WR EH LPSURYHG XSRQ IRU QH[W ZHHN¡V blockbuster with UCLan.
5R\DOV À QG %8&6 URDG WR VXFFHVV WRR VWHHS Men’s Cycling Andrew Green The 1st BUCS Cycling Championship event of the 09-10 season got underway over the weekend of Saturday 24th with the individual time trial climbing event, which saw Newcastle cyclists along with 28 other universities battle it out over the mile long gradient which incorporated 300m worth of accent. Held in the scenic surroundings of the Peak District, Derbyshire, 153 competitors raced the course from Calver, Nr Baslow, ascending to Curbar Gap; and were treated to typical autumnal weather as proceedings got underway to plenty of wind and lashing rain. The Royals team of 8, faced with
strong competition from the likes of Durham, Cambridge and Loughborough, while Southampton and their rider Tim Wallis, attempted to defend their respective teams and men’s individual titles from last year. Captain Jon Bean knew the challenge that faced his team as he commented “We literally have a steep climb ahead of us.â€? As the rain continued to fall, Patrick Ramsey (off 14th) lead the Royals onto the climb, and set the standard for everyone to follow as he gave his all, completing the course in 7min 56sec. Following this, Martin Attwood put in a sterling climb recording a time of 7min 05sec and became WKH Ă€ UVW RI 1HZFDVWOH¡V VFRULQJ ULG HUV WR FURVV WKH Ă€ QLVKLQJ OLQH But it wasn’t until the weather cleared half way through the event DQG WKH Ă€ UVW UD\V RI VXQ EXUVW
through the clouds that the times which were going to contest for the top three places started to appear as Adam Pinder from Lancaster, the eventual men’s individual winner, recorded a stunning ride of 5min 17sec, which even defending champion Tim Wallis found hard to chalOHQJH DV KH À QLVKHG QLQWK LQ PLQ 05sec. At this point also along with the weather, the atmosphere also upped a level and even took on a true continental alpine twist as a supporter, improvising with a pair of bike forks imitated a superb Swiss cow bell and willed on riders as they turned WKHLU À QDO EHQG Newcastle’s riders continued to attack the steeply inclined course, with rides from Abhishek Reekhaye DQG À UVW WLPH WHDP ULGHUV 7KRPDV Preece, Nathan Thomas and Andrew
Green. However it was team captain Jon Bean and Thomas Timothy who brought the team home with scoring rides, respectfully completing the course in 6min 46sec and 7min 17sec. Despite a good day’s riding from all competitors, the Royals team effort wasn’t enough to secure the team and medal position, which went to 1st Durham, 2nd Cambridge DQG UG /HHGV ZLWK WKH 5R\DOV À QDOO\ À QLVKLQJ WK RXW RI VFRULQJ teams. Final Team Positions / Times (mins): (41)Jonathan Bean: 06:46, (63)Martin Attwood: 07:05, (77)Thomas Timothy: 07:17, (108)Patrick Ramsey: 07:56, (124)Nathan Thomas: 08:30, (129) Thomas Preece: 09:10, (140)Abhishek Reekhaye: 09:20.
4 2
This week saw the 1sts take on a very strong UCLAN side at Matfen Hall. Newcastle opened with the strong front pair of Captain Mackay and Taylor, fresh off the back of comfortDEOH ZLQV LQ WKHLU À UVW WZR JDPHV All games were nip and tuck through to the halfway point. Again, Mackay set the pace, with a blistering 5&4 victory, whilst at the back Andy Gribben was handed the same punishment, comfortably beaten early on. Taylor was plugging away at his opponent, playing good golf, but at 2 down through 14, he could not À JKW EDFN HYHQWXDOO\ ORVLQJ After defeat last week, new boy Ethan Smith came back with a great 4&3 win, with Lee Fuller gaining yet another victory this season by the same score. 7KH À QDO UHVXOW ZDV GHFLGHG E\ Fraser Allan, who rolled in a testing 7 footer on the last to win his match XS DQG WKH À QDO VFRUH WR 7HDP 1HZFDVWOH D WHUULÀ F YLFWRU\ IRU WKH Royals, which leaves them comfortably ahead at the top of the table. Having won the BUCS trophy last season, the pressure is on this year’s squad to deliver similar, if not better results, with the year’s aim to achieve promotion into the northern conference’s premier league.
Newcastle 2nds Leeds Met 2nds
3 3
The second team opened the season away to York at world renowned Fulford GC last week with a convincing 4-2 win. This week saw WKHP WDNH RQ DQ H[SHULHQFHG /HHGV Met team. Great Wins for Old boys Stevenson (4&3) and Downham (3&2) and new boy Peter Sym (2&1) showed that WKH\ FDQQRW EH H[FOXGHG IURP VW team selection, with all three players coming in under par. Unfortunately, defeats for Wilkinson, Mcavoy and Darragh meant the points were shared at three a piece to leave Newcastle second in Northern Conference division two. 1H[W ZHHN VHHV WKH VWV IDFH D tough game at 2nd place Leeds Met, with the team trying to build up as big a lead as possible at the top of Northern Conference 1
40
Monday 2 November 2009 THE COURIER
SPORT
Fairies edge Close House thriller Intra Mural Rugby Union
Engines Southern Fairies
20 27
Colin Henrys at Close House $ JULSSLQJ HQFRXQWHU DW &ORVH +RXVH saw a much-improved Engines side QDUURZO\ HGJHG RXW E\ 6RXWKHUQ )DLULHV LQ D JDPH WKDW FRXOG HDVLO\ KDYH EHHQ ZRQ E\ HLWKHU VLGH Engines approached the match KDYLQJ VFRUHG MXVW VHYHQ SRLQWV LQ WKHLU ÀUVW WKUHH PDWFKHV EXW WKH IRUP ERRN ZDV FDVXDOO\ WKURZQ aside as a high-intensity performDQFH IURP ERWK VLGHV SURGXFHG SRVVLEO\ WKH JDPH RI WKH VHDVRQ VR IDU 7KH ÀUVW ELJ FKDQFH IHOO WR )DLULHV DV 'DYH 6PLWK VKRW MXVW ZLGH RI WKH SRVWV IURP D GXELRXV SHQDOW\ ,W ZDV (QJLQHV ZKR EURNH WKH GHDGORFN though as Matt Heappey intercept-
ed a poor pass and ran unchallenged IRU D WU\ XQGHU WKH SRVWV ZKLFK ZDV FRQYHUWHG E\ %LUG )DLULHV UHVSRQGHG ZHOO WR JRLQJ EHKLQG DQG D PLVWDNH E\ (QJLQHV OHG WR WKHLU ÀUVW WU\ 7KH EDFN OLQH ZDV VORZ WR UHDFW WR D ORQJ FOHDUDQFH UHVXOWLQJ LQ D GDQJHURXV OLQH RXW 7KH resultant attack was rounded off E\ %HQ %XUURZV DIWHU D JRRG SDVVing move covering the width of the pitch. 6PLWK PLVVHG WKH FRQYHUVLRQ EXW quickly made amends with a fanWDVWLF UXQ WKDW FDUYHG (QJLQHV DSDUW EHIRUH KH IRXQG -DPHV $OOHQ ZKR VFRUHG WKH )DLULHV VHFRQG WU\ 7KLV time Smith converted to give them a 12-7 lead which they held until halftime. 7KH )DLULHV VWDUWHG WKH VHFRQG KDOI DV VWURQJO\ DV WKH\ KDG ÀQLVKHG WKH ÀUVW 6PLWK VOLFHG DQ HDUO\ SHQDOW\ wide and a team-mate knocked on when agonisingly close to the tryOLQH 7KHLU WKLUG WU\ ZDV LQHYLWD-
EOH DQG DUULYHG FRXUWHV\ RI D JRRG EUHDN IURP WKH KDOI ZD\ OLQH $OOHQ took full advantage securing his second try of the match. (QJLQHV UHIXVHG WR JLYH LQ WKRXJK ÀQGLQJ D UHQHZHG HQHUJ\ DQG WKH\ ZHUH VRRQ EDFN WR ZLWKLQ D VFRUH RI their opposition. $ KXJH PDXO KHDYHG WKHP WRZDUGV the try-line and the pressure resultHG LQ D GHVHUYHG WU\ DV 6DP &ODUNH GHVSLWH œEHLQJ VPDVKHG ZKHQ KH VFRUHG¡ ZHQW RYHU IRU D WU\ ZKLFK %LUG FRQYHUWHG Engines were left fuming however DIWHU WKHLU FRPHEDFN ZDV KDPSHUHG E\ DQ LQH[SOLFDEOH GHFLVLRQ IURP WKH UHIHUHH +H HOHFWHG WR VLQ ELQ DQ (QJLQH EDFN IRU D KLJK WDFNOH GHVSLWH KLP EHLQJ D JRRG IRRW VKRUWHU WKDQ the player he was alleged to have IRXOHG (YHQ WKH WRXFK MXGJH GLVDgreed. 7KH QXPEHUV ZHUH VRRQ HYHQHG up though as he produced a second \HOORZ FDUG LQ DV PDQ\ PLQXWHV WKLV
Flying high: Southern Fairies come out on top in an entertaining game at Close House
WLPH IRU D VSHDU WDFNOH %LUG PDGH QR mistake from the long range penalty WR SXOO (QJLQHV OHYHO EXW WKH SDUity in score didn’t last long. Charlie 6DLQ /H\ %HUU\ VFRUHG D OHIW IRRWHG SHQDOW\ WR PDNH LW WR )DLULHV Engines pressed desperately for anRWKHU OHYHOOHU EXW %LUG PLVVHG D YHU\ ORQJ SHQDOW\ DQG )DLULHV WRRN IXOO DGYDQWDJH SXWWLQJ WKH JDPH FUXHOO\ EH\RQG GRXEW DV 2OOLH :DFH\ VFRUHG a late try which was converted. %LUG VFRUHG D SHQDOW\ ZLWK WKH ODVW NLFN RI WKH JDPH EXW LW ZDV LQ YDLQ DV D ÀQH PDWFK ÀQLVKHG Engines had plenty of positives WR WDNH GHVSLWH GHIHDW WKHLU FDSWDLQ FRUUHFWO\ ODEHOOHG LW WKH ´EHVW JDPH we’ve played all season�. 6RXWKHUQ )DLULHV PHDQZKLOH ZLOO KDYH EHHQ GHOLJKWHG WR KDYH ZRQ ZKDW 6PLWK GHVFULEHG DV DQ œHSLF¡ PDWFK DQ RSLQLRQ QR GRXEW PLUrored in the minds of all who witnessed this fantastic display.
C. HENRYS
Elementary for Watson as Crayola win Intra Mural Football Division Two
Real Mechanical Crayola
2 3
Graham Matthews at Redhall $IWHU ORVLQJ WKHLU ÀUVW WZR JDPHV Crayola needed a win over Real Mechanical to get their season up and UXQQLQJ DQG WKH\ PDQDJHG MXVW WKDW with a tight 3-2 victory. :LWK WKH WHDPV FRORXU FODVKHG Mechanical were given the multiFRORXUHG ELEV WR ZHDU 7KH 0HFKDQLFV NLFNHG RII )UDQN )RWVR VKRRWLQJ straight away as a signal of attackLQJ LQWHQW EXW WKH &UD\ROD NHHSHU VDYHG FRPIRUWDEO\
$ IHZ KDOI FKDQFHV IRU ERWK VLGHV HPHUJHG LQFOXGLQJ D GHà HFWHG )RWVR shot that required a low save from &UD\ROD¡V NHHSHU &UD\ROD KLW EDFN ZLWK D VWULNH IURP 7URZHU ,W ZDV KHOG E\ 0HFKDQLFDO¡V 3DXO %XJHMD Crayola then came close to openLQJ WKH VFRULQJ ZKHQ D FURVV IURP :DWVRQ RQ WKH OHIW à DQN ZDV PHW E\ +DOOVWURP RQO\ IRU LW WR EH FOHDUHG RII WKH OLQH DPRQJVW WKH VFUDPEOH RI defenders. Minutes later and Crayola were DKHDG 7URZHU ZRQ D IUHH NLFN WKDW 5DGKDNULVKQDQ VZXQJ LQWR WKH EDFN post for Watson to get low and head LQ 7KH NHHSHU VRPHKRZ HQGHG XS RQ WKH à RRU UDLVLQJ VXVSLFLRQV RI D IRXO EXW WKHUH ZDV QR ZKLVWOH %RWK VLGHV FRQWLQXHG WR SRXU IRUZDUG :DWVRQ KDYLQJ DQ DWWHPSW HQG XS LQ D QHDUE\ WUHH DQG 2UULQ
IRU 0HFKDQLFDO VKRRWLQJ KLJK DQG wide. 7HQ PLQXWHV LQWR WKH VHFRQG KDOI DQG &UD\ROD ZHUH XS WKLV WLPH Watson crossing for Hallstrom to KHDG GRZQ SDVW WKH Ă DLOLQJ NHHSHU Mechanical responded with a few ORQJ VKRWV PRVW JRLQJ KLJK DQG wide to the annoyance of a few spectators. Crayola hit a third moments later. 7URZHU VKRW ORZ EXW %XJHMD PDQDJHG WR NQRFN LW DZD\ RQO\ IRU :DWVRQ WR SRXQFH DJDLQ VPDFNLQJ it in against the underside of the FURVVEDU DQG JLYLQJ &UD\ROD D FRPIRUWDEOH OHDG ZLWK PLQXWHV OHIW 7KDW VRRQ FKDQJHG 0HFKDQLFDO EURXJKW RQ WKH VXEVWLWXWH 3KLO /HVlie and two minutes later they were awarded a penalty. Leslie calmly slotted to the left of the keeper and a
SRWHQWLDO FRPHEDFN ZDV RQ 7HQ PLQXWHV IURP IXOO WLPH DQG 0HFKDQLFDO SXOOHG DQRWKHU EDFN IURP D IUHH NLFN WKLV WLPH %URZQ crossed it in for Carey to tap in from close range. 7KH ODVW WHQ PLQXWHV ZHUH QHUY\ for Crayola. Leslie scuffed a good FKDQFH IURP VL[ \DUGV RXW DQG D few opportunities were missed from FRUQHUV EXW &UD\ROD KHOG RQ IRU D deserved win. 7KH &UD\ROD FDSWDLQ -DPHV &DUQHJLH %URZQ ZDV FOHDUO\ SOHDVHG ZLWK WKH ZLQ DQG SHUIRUPDQFH ´,W ZDV DQ DZHVRPH ÀUVW PLQXWHV EXW ZH did make it hard for ourselves near WKH HQG ZKLFK ZH GLG D ORW ODVW VHDson too. Hopefully we can move up WKH WDEOH QRZ DQG SXVK IRU SURPRtion�.
Hurricanes feel the force of Dyslexic Intra Mural Football Division One
Hurricanes Dyslexic Untied
1 3
Dan Robinson at Close House Dyslexic maintained their 100% record on Wednesday with a 3-1 victory in a tightly-fought contest at Close House. 3OD\LQJ RQ D GLIĂ€FXOW QDUURZ VXUIDFH '\VOH[LF RQFH DJDLQ WXUQHG WR the 4-5-1 formation they adopted effectively last week against LokomoWLY ZLWK $GULDQ %HOO UHYHOOLQJ LQ WKH role of lone striker. +RZHYHU LW ZDV 7KH +XUULFDQHV ZKR VWDUWHG RII VWURQJHU WDNLQJ WKH JDPH WR '\VOH[LF IURP WKH RII EXW failing to create many chances other than a testing cross from the left ZLQJ ZKLFK FDPH EDFN RII WKH SRVW to the visitors’ relief. $JDLQVW WKH UXQ RI SOD\ LW ZDV 8QWLHG ZKR EURNH WKH GHDGORFN DIWHU Ă€IWHHQ PLQXWHV $QG\ 1LFKROVRQ FDXVHG KDYRF down the left with his pace and ZDV WULSSHG LQ WKH ER[ 8S VWHSSHG %HOO WR VPDVK WKH UHVXOWLQJ SHQDOW\ home. 7KLV DGGHG D VHQVH RI XUJHQF\ WR '\VOH[LF¡V JDPH DQG IRU WKH QH[W ten minutes they piled pressure on 7KH +XUULFDQHV /DXUHQFH -DFNVRQ DQG 6DO 0RKDPPHG ERWK FDPH FORVH with curling efforts. 7KH OHIW IRRW RI VHULDO FDU VWDOOHU 0RKDPPHG FDXVHG PRUH SUREOHPV IRU +XUULFDQHV EXW FRXOGQ¡W Ă€QG JRDO QXPEHU WZR 7KLV VHHPHG WR LQVSLUH +XUULFDQHV EDFN LQWR DFWLRQ DV WKH\ XSSHG WKH WHPSR LQ VHDUFK RI DQ HTXDOLVHU 7KH VWULNH IRUFH RI 0LFN *LEELH DQG $DUon Ritchie looked dangerous when LQ SRVVHVVLRQ EXW IRXQG FKDQFHV scarce with little service and a resoOXWH '\VOH[LF EDFN IRXU 0XFK OLNH WKH RSHQLQJ SHULRG it was Hurricanes who came out VKDUSHVW IRU WKH VHFRQG KDOI ZLWK 5LWFKLH GHQLHG E\ D PDJQLĂ€FHQW ODVW GLWFK -RKQQ\ :LQGOH FKDOOHQJH when through on goal. 7KH JDPH¡V FUXFLDO VHFRQG JRDO Ă€QDOO\ FDPH RQ WKH KRXU PDUN DQG LW IHOO WR '\VOH[LF $ FURVV IDFH EDOO IRXQG LWV ZD\ WR -DFNVRQ ZKR VFUDPEOHG LW SDVW WKH NHHSHU 8QLWHG ZDVWHG QR WLPH ORRNLQJ IRU D WKLUG ZLWK JRDOVFRUHU -DFNVRQ FRPLQJ FORVH DJDLQ RQO\ IRU D WUHmendous save from the Hurricanes NHHSHU WR NHHS KLP DW ED\ $W WKLV SRLQW PDQ\ WHDPV ZRXOG have rolled over and allowed DysOH[LF WR UXQ ULRW EXW +XUULFDQHV UHfused to accept defeat and their efforts were soon rewarded. 5LWFKLH ODWFKHG RQWR D EDOO WKURXJK WKH PLGGOH DQG ZLWK ERWK WKH PLGĂ€HOG DQG GHIHQFH DVOHHS URXQGHG WKH NHHSHU EHIRUH VORWWLQJ LW LQWR WKH HPSW\ QHW ,W VHW XS D QHUY\ Ă€QDO twenty minutes. +RZHYHU '\VOH[LF KDYH EHHQ LQ WKLV SRVLWLRQ EHIRUH DQG UHJDLQHG IRFXV WR VWDQG XS Ă€UPO\ WR DQ LQWHQVH period of pressure from the home side. .HHSHU -RVK &UDZIRUG ZDV RQ KLV toes to snuff out anything that fell in WKH ER[ 7KH +XUULFDQHV ZHUH Ă€QDOO\ SXW WR WKH VZRUG WHQ PLQXWHV IURP WLPH ZLWK $GDP )RUVWHU WLPLQJ KLV UXQ SHUIHFWO\ WR PHHW D ULJKW ZLQJ -DFNVRQ FURVV DQG WXUQ LW LQ IRU KLV Ă€UVW Dyslexic goal. 0DQDJHU $GDP &RQFKLH ZDV SOHDVHG ZLWK WKH UHVXOW UHPDUNing: “It was a good win in yet anRWKHU KDUG IRXJKW FRQWHVW 7KH SLWFK ZDVQ¡W LGHDO EXW ZH VWXFN DW LW DQG WKHUH ZDV JRRG HIIRUW IURP ERWK teamsâ€?
THE COURIER Monday 2 November 20099
41
SPORT
Royals humbled Women’s Lacrosse
Newcastle 1sts Birmingham 1sts
1 19
Lucy Handley at Cochrane Park This one-sided game played at Cochrane Park on Wednesday did not GR 1HZFDVWOH¡V ÀUVW WHDP MXVWLFH ZLWK WKH ÀQDO VFRUH HQGLQJ DW WR Birmingham. 7KH SOD\HUV SXW XS D JRRG GHIHQFH DJDLQVW WKH VHHPLQJ XQVWRSSDEOH %LUPLQJKDP WHDP EXW ZHUH XOWLPDWHO\ IDU RII RYHUFRPLQJ WKHLU strength and skill. The opposition began the game as WKH\ PHDQW WR JR RQ VFRULQJ PXOWLSOH JRDOV LQ WKH RSHQLQJ PLQXWHV Despite this early lead on the VFRUHERDUG 1HZFDVWOH¡V GHIHQFH worked well together with some good tackling from ZoÍ Abbott and /XFLH 5\GHU &HOLQH +LJWRQ KDG D WRXJK JDPH with the ball being almost conVWDQWO\ ÀUHG LQ KHU GLUHFWLRQ EXW VKH PDGH SOHQW\ RI VDYHV DQG VWRSSHG WKH VFRUH JDS EHLQJ VLJQLÀFDQWO\ wider. Birmingham’s goal scoring did not VORZ GRZQ DV WKH SOD\HUV JUHZ WLUHG their three central players were carU\LQJ RXW VHW PRYHV DQG ZHUH DEOH to get past the Newcastle players almost with ease. $ WHQ PLQXWH GHOD\ LQ SOD\ DOORZHG WKH KRPH WHDP WR GLVFXVV WDFWLFV RI KRZ WR JHW DURXQG WKH %LUmingham centres that had the ball JOXHG WR WKHLU VWLFNV &DSWDLQ /XFLH 5\GHU VSRNH WR WKH team to inspire them that the game ZDV QRW RYHU \HW 7KLV OLIWHG PRUDO DQG WKH 5R\DOV VHHPHG WR EH VWURQJ-
HU LQ GHIHQFH RQ WKHLU UHWXUQ After a free throw to Birmingham IURP WKH HGJH RI WKH IDQ ZKLFK ZDV VDYHG E\ &HOLQH $QQLH &ROYLQ KDG WZR JUHDW UXQV XS WKH ÀHOG WRZDUG WKH XQXVHG 1HZFDVWOH DWWDFNLQJ goal. These attempts led to a well-deVHUYHG JRDO IRU 1HZFDVWOH VFRUHG E\ 6DUDK /OR\G VFRULQJ IURP KHU OHIW VLGH 8QIRUWXQDWHO\ WKH FHOHEUDtions for this goal didn’t last long as Birmingham scored again the PLQXWH ODWHU The second half began with a VSULJKWO\ DWWDFN IURP &ROYLQ SDVVLQJ to no. 3 who went for a shot on goal EXW ZDV XQDEOH WR UHDFK WKH WDUJHW 7KLV ZDV IROORZHG E\ D VFXIà H RYHU WKH EDOO LQ WKH 5R\DOV GHIHQVLYH DUHD Higton’s goal throw was intercepted near the restraining line by the Birmingham attack. There was a race back to the goal DQG &HOLQH ZDV MXVW DEOH WR UHWXUQ WR her safety zone thanks to great deIHQGLQJ E\ 5\GHU 7KH SOD\ LQ WKH VHFRQG ZDV PXFK LPSURYHG WR WKDW LQ WKH ÀUVW WKH DZD\ VLGH RQO\ VFRULQJ JRDOV RI WKHLU (PLO\ *LEVRQ DQG 2OLYLD 6KDUS OLIWHG WKH ORZ PRUDOH E\ VKRZLQJ FRQWLQXRXV GHWHUPLQDWLRQ DQG GHGLcation to tackling right to the end. 1HZFDVWOH KDG RQH ÀQDO FKDQFH DW D VHFRQG JRDO PLQXWHV EHIRUH WKH game came to a close. The Birmingham goalie was drawn RXW RI WKH JRDO WR PDNH D WDFNOH WKH ball was switched to Hodge who was central in the fan facing an open goal. It was not Newcastle’s day WKRXJK DQG XQIRUWXQDWHO\ WKLV RSSRUWXQLW\ ZDV PLVVHG This was not a black Wednesday IRU DOO 1HZFDVWOH /DFURVVH WKH QGV EHDWLQJ 'XUKDP UGV
Pressure piles on Barca Intra Mural Football Division One
Castle Leazes Barca-Law-Na
3 2
Rob Logan at Longbenton Castle Leazes recorded their second YLFWRU\ RI WKH VHDVRQ RQ :HGQHVGD\ FRXUWHV\ RI DQ HDUO\ VHFRQG KDOI VXUJH ZKLFK OHIW %DUFD /DZ 1D VWLOO VHDUFKLQJ IRU WKHLU ÀUVW ZLQ RI WKH campaign. Barca did not resemble a team on a losing-streak in the early stages of the game. Far from it in fact. They dominated possession and looked FRQÀGHQW RQ WKH EDOO DFURVV WKH pitch. 7KH HDUO\ SUHVVXUH RQ /HD]HV¡ GHIHQFH SDLG RII PLQXWHV LQ ZKHQ D FRUQHU WKH SURGXFW RI D ZHOO ZRUNHG %DUFD DWWDFN ZDV PHW E\ D SRZHUIXO KHDGHU IURP ULJKW EDFN $GDP &RQGOLIIH JLYLQJ WKH WHDP D ZHOO GHVHUYHG OHDG 7KH QH[W WHQ PLQXWHV SURYHG SLYRWDO %DUFD FRQWLQXHG WR FUHDWH FKDQFHV WKURXJK QHDW SDVVLQJ ZRUN EXW WRR PDQ\ ZHUH VFXSSHUHG LQ IURQW RI goal and they failed to extend their lead. ,W WRRN RQO\ RQH FRXQWHU DWWDFN WR SXQLVK %DUFD ZKHQ -DFN œ&URXFK\¡ 0HOORU ZKR KDG EHHQ D WKRUQ LQ %DUFD¡V GHIHQFH WKURXJKRXW WKH ÀUVW KDOI FDSLWDOLVHG RQ D ORRVH EDOO EDFN WR WKH NHHSHU RQO\ WR EH EURXJKW down in the penalty area. He conYHUWHG IURP WKH VSRW WR PDNH LW DOO VTXDUH The goal did not deter Barca and WKH\ FRQWLQXHG WR SXVK IRU D VHFRQG EHIRUH KDOI WLPH +RZHYHU WKH Leazes defence remained strong and
WKHUH ZDV D JURZLQJ VHQVH RI FRQÀGHQFH WKURXJKRXW WKH WHDP 7KH JDPH ZDV WXUQHG RQ LWV KHDG MXVW PLQXWHV LQ WR WKH VHFRQG KDOI ZKHQ /HD]HV VFRUHG D TXLFN ÀUH GRXEOH 7KH ÀUVW LQYROYHG DQ HOHPHQW RI OXFN EXW HTXDO GHGLFDWLRQ as a Barca defender attempted to clear the ball only for it to ricochet against the challenging striker and UHERXQG LQWR WKH QHW The second goal was a lot more LPSUHVVLYH DV 0DWW (OOHPV GURYH his shot across goal from the right à DQN OHDYLQJ WKH NHHSHU KHOSOHVV DQG %DUFD VWXQQHG 7KH WZR HDUO\ JRDOV RSHQHG XS WKH game and forced Barca to play more attacking football. Darren Harbison came close after a loose ball fell to KLP RQ WKH HGJH RI WKH SHQDOW\ DUHD only to see his shot whistle past the far post. +DUELVRQ ZDV WKHQ LQYROYHG LQ %DUFD¡V VHFRQG JRDO DV KH PDGH D QRWDEOH UXQ GRZQ WKH OHIW à DQN EHIRUH SXOOLQJ EDFN KLV FURVV WR WKH HGJH RI WKH ER[ ZKLFK ZDV PHW DQG FRQYHUWHG E\ VXEVWLWXWH 2ZHQ *LOO allowing Barca back in to the game. Leazes had the chance to extend WKHLU OHDG DQG SXW WKH JDPH EH\RQG %DUFD WHQ PLQXWHV IURP WLPH ZKHQ -RVHSK $UWKXU KLW D FXUOLQJ VKRW EXW ZDV GHQLHG E\ DQ DFUREDWLF VDYH from the keeper. 7KH VOXJJLVK UHIHUHH ZKR EDUHO\ EURNH LQ WR D VWUROO WKURXJKRXW WKH HQWLUH JDPH VWUXJJOHG WR NHHS XS ZLWK WKH WHPSR LQ WKH ÀQDO PLQXWHV when penalty claims came from the %DUFD SOD\HUV 1RQHWKHOHVV %DUFD /DZ 1D ZDV XQDEOH WR JUDE WKH HTXDOLVHU JLYLQJ &DVWOH /HD]HV D YLWDO ZLQ WR EXLOG XSRQ
Cochrane rout: Newcastle could not contain a strong Birmingham side
Agrics shown no Mercer Intra Mural Rugby Union
Agrics 1sts Medics
6 15
Dominic Pollard at Close House %RWK VLGHV HQWHUHG WKH PDWFK XQEHDWen and it was the medics who were DEOH WR PDLQWDLQ WKHLU ZLQQLQJ UXQ ZLWK DQ LPSUHVVLYH SHUIRUPDQFH WR RYHUFRPH WKH $JULFV VW WHDP %RWK VLGHV ORRNHG KLJKO\ IRFXVHG as the match approached and this ZDV UHà HFWHG LQ WKH LQWHQVH DQG KLJK SDFHG QDWXUH WKDW WKH JDPH WRRN RQ from the start. It was the Medics that made the EHWWHU VWDUW DQG ZHUH HYHQWXDOO\ DEOH WR PDNH WKHLU SUHVVXUH WHOO &DSWDLQ DQG VFUXP KDOI -DFN 0HUFHU WRRN WKH EDOO RXW RI WKH VFUXP MXVW ÀYH PHWUHV RXW DQG PDGH D GDVK IRU the line to score in the corner. MerFHU ZDV XQDEOH WR FRQYHUW KLV RZQ WU\ KRZHYHU PLVVLQJ D GLIÀFXOW NLFN IURP WKH WRXFKOLQH 7KH $JULFV VWUXJJOHG WR IRUFH WKHLU DXWKRULW\ RQ WKH JDPH GXH WR FRQsistent handling errors. This was highlighted as Andrew Whiteford PDGH D IXOO OHQJWK RI WKH SLWFK breakaway taking the ball deep into WKH 0HGLFV \HW ZKHQ WKH WU\ OLQH EHFNRQHG RQ WKH QH[W SKDVH RI SOD\ WKH $JULFV RQFH DJDLQ IXPEOHG WKH EDOO DQG VTXDQGHUHG WKH FKDQFH 7KH $JULFV ZHUH DEOH WR SXW SRLQWV on the board after an extraordinary drop goal attempt by Adam Smith from the half-way line sailed between the posts making it 5-3. Soon after the Medics had good territory and were awarded a penalW\ MXVW PHWUHV DZD\ IURP WKH $JULFV
WU\ OLQH DQG -DFN 0HUFHU FDXJKW WKH $JULFV QDSSLQJ ZLWK D TXLFN WDS DQG KH WKHQ VFDPSHUHG RYHU IRU KLV DQG the Medics’ second try of the game. And this time he made no mistake in adding on the extra two points with the last kick of the half making LW DW WKH EUHDN 7KH $JULFV ORRNHG WR KDYH FKDQJHG WKHLU IRUWXQHV DW WKH UHVWDUW DV WKH\ TXLFNO\ DGGHG WKUHH SRLQWV ZKHQ 7LP 6OLQJHU FRQYHUWHG D SHQDOW\ WR EULQJ WKHP ZLWKLQ D FRQYHUWHG WU\ RI WKH 0HGLFV DW 7KLV SRVLWLYH VWDUW ZDV XQGRQH DV the Agrics relapsed into the poor KDELWV WKDW KDG SODJXHG WKHLU Ă€UVW KDOI SHUIRUPDQFH 7KH\ JDYH DZD\ a penalty in front of the posts that -DFN 0HUFHU WRRN DGYDQWDJH RI FRQYHUWLQJ WR PDNH LW 7KHVH ZHUH WR EH WKH Ă€QDO SRLQWV RI WKH JDPH WKH PDMRULW\ RI WKH VHFond half was scoreless as the Medics JULQGHG RXW D WRXJK ZLQ RYHU D GLVappointing Agrics side. 7KH $JULFV IUXVWUDWLRQ DW WKHLU SHUIRUPDQFH ZDV FOHDU WR VHH ERWK GXUing and after the game. The penalWLHV WKH\ JDYH DZD\ FRXSOHG ZLWK WKHLU FRXQWOHVV NQRFN RQV JUHDWO\ FRQWULEXWLQJ WR WKHLU GRZQIDOO 7KLV VKRXOG QRW KRZHYHU WDNH DZD\ IURP DQ DOO URXQG LPSUHVVLYH 0HGLFV GLVSOD\ &DSWDLQ -DFN 0HUFHU highlighted the performance of “the IRUZDUGV PL[HG ZLWK VOLFN LQWHUSOD\ with the backsâ€? as being the key to WKHLU VXFFHVV LQ WKLV KLJKO\ SK\VLFDO HQFRXQWHU It was the captain himself that was WKH VWDQG RXW JDPH DV KH VFRUHG DOO of his team’s points in an accomplished team performance.
M. MISKINIS
BUCS RESULTS Badminton: Men’s 1sts 2 – 6 Birmingham 1sts, Men’s 2nds 0 – 8 Hull 1sts; Women’s 1sts 6 – 2 Bangor 1sts Basketball: Men’s 1sts 55 – 51 Manchester Met 1sts, Men’s 2nds 37 – 84 Sunderland 1sts, Men’s 3rds 66 – 44 Sunderland 2nds Fencing: Men’s 1sts 106 – 127 Lancaster 1sts; Women’s 1sts 89 – Edinburgh 1sts Football: Men’s 1sts 1 – 0 Leeds Met UGV 0HQœV QGV ¹ 6KHI¿HOG WKV Men’s 3rds 3 – 2 Durham 1sts Golf: 1sts 4 – 2 Central Lancashire 2nds, 2nds 3 – 3 Leeds Met 2nds Hockey: Men’s 1sts 2 – 1 Liverpool VWV 0HQœV QGV ¹ 6KHI¿HOG Hallam 2nds, Men’s 3rds 4 – 1 Leeds Met 3rds, Men’s 4ths 3 – 4 Hull 1sts; Women’s 1sts 3 – 2 Leeds 1sts, :RPHQœV QGV ¹ 6KHI¿HOG WKV Women’s 3rds 6 – 1 Sunderland 1sts, Women’s 4ths 1 – 3 Northumbria 3rds Lacrosse: Men’s 1sts 7 – 6 Leeds 1sts; Women’s 1sts 1 – 19 Birmingham 1sts, Women’s 2nds 12 – 5 Durham 3rds Netball: 1sts 23 – 50 Leeds Met 1sts, 2nds 26 – 35 Durham 2nds, 3rds 79 – 2 York St John 5ths, 4ths 54 – 8 York St John 4ths. Rugby Union: Men’s 2nds 5 – 29 Birmingham 1sts, Men’s 3rds 32 – 5 Hull QGV :RPHQœV VWV ¹ 6KHI¿HOG Hallam 1sts Rugby League: Men’s 1sts 20 – 20 Leeds Met 2nds Squash: Men’s 1sts 3 – 2 Durham 1sts, 0HQœV UGV ¹ +XGGHUV¿HOG VWV :RPHQœV VWV ¹ 6KHI¿HOG VWV Women’s 2nds 0 – 4 Manchester 1sts Table Tennis: Men’s 1sts 10 – 0 Sunderland 1sts, Women’s 1sts 8 – 2 Manchester 1sts.
42
Monday 2 November 2009 THE COURIER
SPORT
Coyle springs to secure cup win Men’s Football
Newcastle 1sts Leeds Met 3rds
1 0
Jamie Gavin Sports Editor at Cochrane Park Newcastle captain George Coyle’s 65th minute winner was enough to propel the Royals into the next round of the BUCS cup at the expense of Leeds Met. In a game which should have been a more clear-cut victory for the home side, Coyle’s superb goal capped a great all-round performance from the skipper and his side. Missed chances were again a running theme of the match, and whilst the hosts were able to carve many openings, their touch in front of goal eluded them at times, and this PHDQW D QHUY\ ÀQDO WHQ PLQXWHV LQ which Leeds Met could well have extended the tie into extra time. But Coyle – fast becoming Newcastle’s talisman – was simply magQLÀFHQW +H ZDV D FRQVWDQW WKRUQ LQ the side of the visitors, never too far from the action. On the ball he sprayed passes left and right, and off it, his tough tackling, tenacity and drive shone through on a grey day at Cochrane Park. 7KLV ZDV SHUVRQLÀHG LQ KLV JRDO which began when he received the ball just to the right of the centre circle. After beating his man he delivered the ball with the outside of his boot all of 40 yards into the patch of winger Ben Burt on the left. %XUW VWROH GRZQ WKH à DQN LQ GULYing fashion, before looking up and delivering an inch-perfect cross onto
the Royals’ captains’ head. Coyle had continued his run round the back of the defence, and barely needed to jump as he met the ball to send a powerful, perfectly placed header into the roof of the net from ten yards. +LV FHOHEUDWLRQ VDLG LW DOO D SDVVLRQDWH Ă€VW SXPS EHIRUH EHLQJ KLV mobbed by his team-mates, sending Newcastle’s faithless into raptures close by. The goal had been a long time coming. The Royals dominated the Ă€UVW KDOI DQG ZHUH XQOXFN\ QRW WR EH ahead before the break. Winger Will Deledicq was back LQ Ă€UVW WHDP DFWLRQ DQG KH H[FHOOHG LQ KLV UROH RQ WKH ULJKW +LV WULFNHU\ was a persistent threat for the Royals and he created the best of Newcastle’s chances in the opening period. +H FXW LQVLGH IURP WKH ULJKW MXVW after the 20 minute mark, before beating two men and slipping the ball into the path of striker James Swainston. Swainston out-foxed his marker with a diagonal run before unleashing a crushing drive that was cruelly GHĂ HFWHG RQ WR WKH FURVVEDU Fellow striker Ed Tizzard also came FORVH RQ WZR Ă€UVW KDOI RFFDVLRQV $ free-header from a cross from the right was directed straight at the ‘keeper and – right on half time - a Coyle corner fell at his feet, but he blazed over from close range. But Tizard was not to be put off, and he remained at the heart of the play as the Royals continued to threaten in the second half, where they once again seized the initiative. A sweeping move after the break saw Tizard feed Swainston, who turned and played the ball into the SDWK RI VXEVWLWXWH 0DUWLQ +LOO RQ WKH
right. +LV Ă€UVW WLPH FURVV ZDV PHW E\ the advancing Swainston, but he was foiled this time by the ‘keeper, who made a superb stop from pointblank range. Then it came. Coyle’s magic moment that proved to be the difference between the sides. And even after the goal they were dominant. While Leeds searched for an equaliser, the home side were able to expose them at the back. Tizard was guilty of missing a oneon-one after the 70 minute mark, when the Leeds Met ‘keeper pulled RII D Ă€QH VWRS DIWHU 6ZDLQVWRQ KDG put him in the clear. And from the resulting corner, substitute Adam Gamble had a glorious chance to extend Newcastle’s lead, only to send his shot straight at the keeper from eight yards. An impressive Leeds Met side nearly made them pay, and although Newcastle prevented them from playing for the majority of the game, the away side will rue two golden opportunities they had to level the game in the closing stages. On 79 minutes a Leeds Met striker evaded two challenges in the box, and he stole a yard before – with only ‘keeper Andy Kilshaw to beat – sending his shot on to the under side of the crossbar. Newcastle’s hearts momentarily stopped before the ball was cleared after what was quite simply a letoff. And in stoppage time the same striker found himself in the clear after a desperate long ball forward ZDV Ă LFNHG RQ E\ KLV VWULNH SDUWQHU But as he attempted to round the keeper, a brave Kilshaw dived at his feet, and he gathered the ball – much to the Royals relief. Captain Coyle: the Royals skipper was inspirational in Wednesday’s cup clash at Cochrane Park
Yarrow solo strike earns Royals hard fought win over Liverpool Men’s Hockey
Newcastle 1sts Liverpool 1sts
2 1
Charley Wright at Longbenton A surprisingly humid day at the Stan Calvert Memorial Pitch, Longbenton, saw a strong Newcastle side overcome a Liverpool team who showed some resilience in taking the Royals to the wire. Newcastle controlled the game IURP WKH Ă€UVW ZKLVWOH NHHSLQJ WKH EDOO ZHOO DQG Ă€QGLQJ EOXH VWLFNV ZLWK their passes. Up front the forwards pressed well, forcing the away side into many silly mistakes. +RZHYHU D ODSVH LQ FRQFHQWUDWLRQ IURP WKH PLGĂ€HOG XQLW DQG FHQWUH backs provided a Liverpool forward with an opportunity to take on ‘keeper Ed Cracknell one-on-one. Unfortunately for the away side, their forward forgot to take the ball with him, allowing Matthew McErlane to clear to safety. Knowing these lapses of concentration have cost them in the past,
the Royals got their heads down in DQ DWWHPSW WR Ă€QG WKH RSHQHU The chance came 20 minutes into WKH KDOI ZKHQ D Ă RZLQJ RQH WZR passing move between John Colville and Charley Wright down the right ZLQJ VDZ &ROYLOOH Ă€QG D IRRW LQ WKH ‘D’ for a Penalty corner. The well-drilled routine was performed to perfection, with the ball moving right before being slapped E\ *HRUJH +HDWRQ 5HQVKDZ EDFN across goal to Patrick Ost, who touched it safely in at the back post. 7KH 5R\DOV FRQWLQXHG WR Ă€QG VSDFH down the right wing for the rest of WKH Ă€UVW SHULRG EXW RQFH DJDLQ D ODFN RI FOLQLFDO Ă€QLVKLQJ OHIW WKHP going into the break only one goal to the good. $IWHU WKH Ă€YH PLQXWH UHVW ERWK teams looked ready to resume battle, with Newcastle knowing that a one goal margin was not good enough against a much weaker opposition. Frustratingly for the Royals, their passing game had fallen to pieces VLQFH WKH Ă€UVW KDOI DQG WKLV SURYLGed Liverpool with a lot of the ball early in the second period. But for the strong defensive partnership of
McErlane and Colville, the away side could have nicked an equaliser. +RZHYHU WKH FHQWUH EDFNV FRXOG only do so much and when a rash and unnecessary challenge from Ollie Fraser in his own 23 metre area brought about a Liverpool penalty corner the defence were beaten with an overload, Liverpool making it one goal each. But for the second week in a row, the Newcastle side showed encouraging resistance, attacking the away side’s goal with chance after chance. The forwards could do everything but put the ball in the back of the QHW PDNLQJ JRRG UXQV DQG ÀQGLQJ solid passes but getting no results. Then up stepped John Yarrow IURP ULJKW PLGÀHOG WR VKRZ WKH forwards how it’s done, producing a burst of pace to beat his marker before placing his shot perfectly into the bottom left hand corner, making it 2-1 to the home side. The score remained the same for the last ten minutes, and the result signals a much needed win ahead RI WKLV ZHHN¡V À[WXUH DJDLQVW /HHGV Met.
Newcastle run riot as Hallam hammered Women’s Rugby
6KHIÀHOG +DOODP VWV 0 Newcastle 1sts 25 Fran Infante at Abbeydale Park Newcastle made a decisive start to their BUCS season with a hard IRXJKW WULXPSK RYHU ULYDOV 6KHIÀHOG +DOODP The Royals dominated possession from the kick off, camping out on the opposition’s 22 for the majorLW\ RI WKH ÀUVW KDOI XQWLO SHUVLVWHQW pressure from the forwards put elite athlete Araba Chintoh over the line to start Newcastle’s steady roll towards victory. After a succession of strong scrums E\ 1HZFDVWOH +DOODP ZDV RQFH DJDLQ EDFN IRRWHG ZKHQ à DQNHU 6Rphie Rogers picked the ball up out of a ruck and, with the support of vice captain Ellie Robinson, stormed 40 yards down the pitch to score her ÀUVW WU\ RI WKH VHDVRQ Newcastle’s strong pack continued to prove themselves too much for WKHLU LQH[SHULHQFHG +DOODP FRXQ-
terparts. The combination of strong hooking and superb cover tackles from freshers Georgina “Welbeckâ€? 0DQJDQ DQG 6RSKLH ´+RQJ .RQJÂľ Raine provided the team plenty more opportunities to score. These opportunities proved too good to be squandered by Chintoh, as she snatched the ball single handed from the back of the scrum to mark up her second try in forty minutes, right in the centre of the posts. The second half effort proved to be just as resolute, with a triumphant try from Fran Infante following a FHQWUH VZLWFK IURP FDSWDLQ +DQnah Bassirat that put her team mate crashing through the defence. 9LFWRU\ ZDV VHDOHG ZLWK WKH Ă€UVW and only fresher try of the match. Winger Sophie Bale took the ball at pace from an improvised back line of second rows and props to propel herself across the line to the elation of her team. With one win under their belt, the stage has been set for this year to be the one in which the women’s rugby club can achieve the much yearned for promotion that has eluded them in previous years.
THE COURIER Monday 2 November 2009
43
SPORT
Thirds crush York but top two teams defeated Netball Round-up Kathryn Jones Netball correspondant With the second, third and fourth WHDP LQ FXS DFWLRQ DQG WKH ÀUVWV away at Premiership title contenders Leeds Met, it was an important week for Newcastle’s netball club. And although the 1sts and 2nds suffered at the hands of strong opposition, the 2nds and 3rds cruised through to the next round of the BUCS Cup.
Leeds Met 1sts Newcastle 1sts
M. MISKINIS
Tutu brace keeps Newcastle top after narrow victory over Leeds Women’s Hockey
Newcastle 1sts Leeds 1sts
3 2
Katherine Bannon at Longbenton Newcastle retained their undefeated run in the BUCS league this Wednesday with a superb 3-2 victory at Longbenton, over Leeds University, one of their strongest opponents so far. A promising warm up gave NewFDVWOH WKH FRQĂ€GHQFH WKH\ QHHGHG WR start the game at a good pace. However, this did not deter the Leeds side who had a run of good attacking play, but were held at bay by impenetrable defending from the home side. Though the Royals did have spells of strong movement going forward, Leeds were rewarded for their efIRUWV ZLWK DQ XQVWRSSDEOH GHĂ HFWLRQ 15 minutes in. Newcastle, however, were not disKHDUWHQHG DQG FRQĂ€GHQW SOD\ IURP Grace Carter up the right wing allowed Amy Askew to clear several
defenders before putting Newcastle back in the game with an effortless shot from a low angle. Both teams fought hard to keep the score-line level for half-time, though by now the home team had sussed their structure and they regained the majority of the possession. Two goals from Tutu Osifodunrin and one from Amy Askew saw the 5R\DOV FRQWLQXH WKHLU ÂżQH early season form
After a few words from ‘Playa Central’ at the break Newcastle continued to stay on form, and despite distractions from an overenthusiastic away coach they soon gained a penalty corner which was not converted. Continued hard work and solid defending set-up a well picked, 50 yard pass by captain Sophie Avent, which gave Tutu Osifodunrin acres of time and space to slip the ball past
the Leeds keeper. Despite Leeds not having much possession of the ball, they gained a lucky break and scored a questionable goal from the top of the D. Recently Newcastle have failed to push on for the victory, but they held tight and played the simple hockey well, and began to distribute the ball wider across the pitch, something which was lacking in previous games. This allowed spaces to open up and thanks to great lead runs from the forwards, Tutu again capitalised on a one on one with the keeper. Half court press was called in an attempt to retain the lead and run down the clock, but the away team managed to gain a short corner minutes from full time. However, the well drilled corner was expertly saved by Katie Leitch, DQG KHU FRQĂ€GHQFH ERRVWLQJ PDVN on the line. This win now means Newcastle retain their top of the league position, putting the team in good stead ahead of their game with Liverpool next week.
50 23
After last weeks tough one goal deIHDW DW WKH 3RO\ WKH ÀUVWV NQHZ WKDW they were in for another gruelling hour of netball as they travelled down the A1 to face opponents Leeds Met. The girls arrived and each player was determined to put up a good ÀJKW DJDLQVW DQRWKHU RI WKH 3UHPLHUship’s top contenders. With a depleted squad, Fiona Brunt of the seconds stepped up to WUDYHO ZLWK WKH ÀUVWV DV D VXEVWLWXWH and Harriet Needham played out of position at wing defence. This didn’t phase her and she became an integral part of the brilliant defending trio, who persevered throughout the game, succeeding to reduce the number of goals scored by the giant’s that were the Met each quarter. In the most physical game by far, 1HZFDVWOH¡V VXSHULRU ÀWQHVV DOORZHG them to carry on battling. Captain Roanne Minshull kept her head against a physical GK, while nifty goal attack Kathryn Hurrell did well to stand her ground, getting boshed by all. Player of the match, Katie Coates, gave back whatever she got, offering and driving for every ball, feeding many accurate balls into the shooting circle. Despite their drive and determination, the girls lost 50-23. After the initial disappointment, the girls realised what a positive experience it had been and came away from the game really itching to face Met again with a home crowd behind them.
Durham 2nds Newcastle 2nds
35 26
After an excellent start in the league this year, the netball seconds had drawn a stinker in the cup. Sitting a league above the Newcastle girls, and with home advanWDJH 'XUKDP ZHUH WR EH WRXJK ÀUVW round opponents, but the Royals were up for it. Having played, and beaten, this very team in pre-season, the girls had an idea of what they were up against, or so they thought. However, Durham exploded out IURP WKH YHU\ ÀUVW ZKLVWOH REYLously eager to avenge the defeat in the friendly and prove themselves as the superior team. This seemed to throw the away team and Newcastle got off to a very shaky start. Dropped balls, wayward passing, where was the stunning netball of the previous week? After a shocking start, each quarter saw an improvement. More communication, more accurate passing and the only thing that seemed to be missing was a belief that this game
could be pulled back. $ VXEVWLWXWLRQ LQ WKH ÀQDO TXDUWHU saw GS Ellie Hatt move out of her comfort zone to wing defence, and /DXUD :LOVRQ ÀOO KHU VKRHV It was a rare appearance at an away match for Miss Hatt but with half-term here she was able to play with her team rather than her students, and do herself proud. 7KH ÀQDO TXDUWHU ZDV E\ IDU WKH best quarter and the Newcastle girls pulled it back to less than goals in it, Laura Wilson putting on a wonderful display, earning herself player of the match in just one quarter. With umpiring that was worthy of a school match and dirty, physical defence, the girls came away frustrated and losing 26-35, and they are now left to focus on the league.
Newcastle 3rds York St. John 5ths
79 2
Unlike the tough draw of the seconds, the thirds had drawn a home JDPH DJDLQVW <RUN 6W -RKQ¡V ÀIWK WHDP ² WKHLU ÀUVW WHDP EHLQJ D GLYLsion below the thirds. With this in mind, the Newcastle girls had no idea what to expect. Their opposition arrived in misPDWFKHG RXWÀWV DQG ZHUH GLUHFWHG to the changing rooms to get into kit. They were already ready. This laid out a picture for the rest of the match. A lack of kit, a lack of FRQÀGHQFH D ODFN RI VKRRWHUV DQG evidently a lack of netball skill. 7KH 1HZFDVWOH JLUOV à HZ DZD\ ZLWK WKH JDPH ZLWKLQ WKH ÀUVW TXDUter, each quarter the lead growing and growing. Great shooting, notably from Miranda Applegate, and centre court play saw the girls score more than a goal a minute and the defence become very bored. Rebecca Meldrum at centre was given player of the match but all of the girls played well, as keeping motivation in a game that was basically a walk in the park was very GLIÀFXOW 7KH ÀQDO VFRUH ZDV ² ZLWK WKH only disappointment being the goals they conceded. They will now look to the next round where they will hope for more of a game.
Newcastle 4ths York St. John 4ths
54 8
The fourth team also drew an easy ÀUVW URXQG JDPH SOD\LQJ WKH <RUN St.John fourth team. But, as the day drew nearer the squad got more and more depleted through illness and injury and, as the game was upon them, the IRXUWKV KDG RQO\ SOD\HUV IRU WKH whole game. This meant no substitutions. Little did they know that this wouldn’t be a problem. Like their ÀIWK WHDP <RUN 6W -RKQ IRXUWKV were easily crushed by the Newcastle girls who got off to a great start, leading at half time by 28 goals to 3. The girls all played well, especially player of the match Anna Rosenberg, but tiredness was evident towards the end of the game. Not to worry, the girls were still able to score 14 goals to St.John’s 2 LQ WKH ÀQDO TXDUWHU EULQJLQJ WKHP out on top with a score of 54-8. Good work girls, round two here we come.
THE COURIER Monday 2 November 2009
44
Breakaway try seals thrilling draw for NURL > Sport, page 39 Sports Editors: Paul Christian, Jamie Gavin and Tom James - courier.sport@ncl.ac.uk
Taylor made strike sends Newcastle to famous cup triumph Men’s Football
Newcastle 3rds Durham 1sts
3 2
Tom James Sports Editor at Cochrane Park Newcastle’s third team celebrated ZLOGO\ DIWHU SXOOLQJ RII D PDJQLÀ cent shock victory to dump Durham À UVWV RXW RI WKH %8&6 &XS $ GHIHQVLYH PL[ XS LQ WKH À QDO À YH minutes allowed substitute Jamie Taylor to calmly convert the ball past the Durham keeper and sent a very impressive Newcastle into the VHFRQG URXQG RI WKH FXS The Royals almost threw it away KRZHYHU DV WKH\ OHW D WZR JRDO FXVK LRQ FROODSVH ZLWKLQ D GLVDVWURXV À YH minute period of the second half, only to be gifted the win as Taylor latched on to a shocking back pass IURP WKH 'XUKDP FHQWUH EDFN Despite Newcastle looking the stronger of the two sides, Durham almost took the lead as they forged themselves an opening when their striker swivelled on the edge of the box and drilled the ball towards the bottom corner, only for Matt Thorpe WR SXOO RII DQ RXWVWDQGLQJ À QJHUWLS VDYH Newcastle then took the lead on the half hour mark, as left winger %HQ &RVWHOOR OHIW KLV PDQ FKDVLQJ shadows before hanging up a cross WR WKH EDFN SRVW ZKHUH 7RP 6PLWK met the ball strongly and headed the 5R\DOV LQ IURQW $ FRPSHWLWLYH À UVW KDOI VDZ VRPH IXOO EORRGHG FKDOOHQJHV LQ PLGÀ HOG where captain Matt Gouland was OHDGLQJ E\ H[DPSOH The most impressive challenge of WKH KDOI VDZ OHIW EDFN &RQQRU 3DUÀ WW tackle the Durham striker in the area DV KH ORRNHG FHUWDLQ WR VFRUH 6PLWK WKHQ DOPRVW GRXEOHG KLV side’s lead, after good work from 6LPRQ 0XUSK\ LQ WKH FRUQHU VDZ
him deliver the ball into the box, but 6PLWK¡V VKRW PLVVHG WKH WDUJHW The Royals went into half time in the lead and an upset was on the FDUGV However, Durham came out the stronger of the teams in the second half and had a corner well cleared before Okonkwo dived in and PLVVHG KLV WDFNOH DOORZLQJ WKH 'XU KDP VWULNHU WR VKRRW EXW IRUWXQDWH ly for the home side, the shot was off WDUJHW :LWK MXVW RYHU KDOI DQ KRXU UH maining, Newcastle doubled their OHDG DQG 6PLWK JUDEEHG KLV VHFRQG RI WKH GD\ Winger Tom Smith bagged a brace in the third team’s superb 3-2 win over Durham
Good work down the left through 3DUÀ WW DQG &DVWLOOR DOORZHG WKH 5R\ DOV WR ZLQ D FRUQHU ZKLFK 3DUÀ WW WRRN ZLWK KLV FXOWXUHG OHIW ERRW 7KH EDOO IHOO WR 6PLWK RQFH DJDLQ DW WKH IDU SRVW DQG KH À QLVKHG WKLV time with a shot into the far corner, OHDYLQJ WKHLU KLJKHU OHDJXH RSSR nents with it all to do and the Royals RQ WKH YHUJH RI D JLDQW NLOOLQJ Newcastle then had chances to put WKH JDPH WR EHG )LUVWO\ WKH WDOHQWHG James Ripley beat his man for pace and pulled back for Murphy who WRRN D WRXFK EHIRUH VKRRWLQJ DOORZ ing the Durham defence to block his VKRW Murphy then had another chance as Okonkwo surged out of defence from a Durham corner and Murphy WR KLV OHIW +RZHYHU WKH IRUZDUG À UHG VWUDLJKW LQWR WKH NHHSHU¡V DUPV IURP WKH HGJH RI WKH ER[ It looked like the Royals were going to be made to pay for their missed opportunities, as two goals LQ À YH PLQXWHV URFNHG WKH WKLUGV 7KHLU OHDG ZDV KDOYHG IURP D FRU
ner as a Durham player rose well to FRQYHUW IURP VL[ \DUGV And the comeback was complete minutes later as sub ‘keeper Weston Murau could only palm a shot into the path of the Durham striker, who WDSSHG LQ Newcastle were now hanging on and were perhaps fortunate not to go behind as Durham had the ball in the back of the net again only for the referee to rule the goal out for a IRXO RQ 0XUDX After this let off, Newcastle were WKHQ JLYHQ DQ HDUO\ &KULVWPDV present by the Durham defence as a WDPH EDFN SDVV VDZ WKH ÂśNHHSHU KHVL tate, allowing Taylor to ghost in and FDOPO\ Ă€ QLVK VHQGLQJ WKH ZDWFKLQJ masses into a state of euphoria and HYRNLQJ PHPRULHV RI +HUHIRUG EHDW LQJ 1HZFDVWOH LQ WKH )$ &XS The Royals held on for the win which maintains their unbeaten VWDUW WR WKH VHDVRQ DV ZHOO DV VHFXU LQJ D SODFH LQ WKH VHFRQG URXQG Matt Gouland was ecstatic at the Ă€ QDO ZKLVWOH ´7KLV LV VXFK D ELJ UH VXOW IRU XV :H ZHUHQ¡W SKDVHG WR EH SOD\LQJ 'XUKDP¡V Ă€ UVW VWULQJ ZH just got on with it and played our IRRWEDOO ´, WKRXJKW WKH Ă€ UVW KDOI ZH GH VHUYHG WR EH LQ IURQW 6HFRQG KDOI ZH got the early goal and then sat back D OLWWOH DQG WKDW HYHQWXDOO\ FRVW XV but to get the winner at the end was VXSHUE ´7RP 6PLWK GLGQ¡W VWRS UXQQLQJ the whole game and he took his JRDOV ZHOO >$UWKXU@ 2NRQNZR ZDV so important for us at the back too; time and time again he shut them RXW ´7KH FKDUDFWHU RI WKH VTXDG UHDOO\ showed through – our attitude has been fantastic all season and we’ve ZRQ HYHU\ JDPH VR IDU ´:H¡YH ORVW SOD\HUV ZKR¡YH PRYHG XS WR KLJKHU VTXDGV EXW ZH¡UH VWLOO going into every game believing we FDQ JHW WKH ZLQ Âľ Letting Rip: James Ripley surges forward in Newcastle’s cup game with Durham
H. NEUENDORF