Election victory tastes sweet for jubilant F Word News, page 8

Issue 1200 Monday 23 November 2009 www.thecourieronline.co.uk

FREE

Fighting fees: students gather at Parliament protest

News, page 4 NUS

Inside today >>> Pyjama Day Newcastle students dress in pyjamas to raise money for Anthony Nolan cancer charity News, page 3

US over the UK? More and more students are choosing to cross the Atlantic and VWXG\LQ86FROOHJHVQHZ¿JXUHV have revealed News, page 6

The immorality of illegality Does the example of Belle de Jour show that prostitution needs to be legalised in order to protect the woman involved Comment, page 11

40 years of The Sun Do the tabloids throw ethics out the window for the sake of sales? Comment, page 12

Winter travel 7RURQWRDW&KULVWPDVDQGWRS¿YH ski resorts in a double page winter travel special Life & Style, page 20-21

Durham delight for resurgent Royals

Call girl uncovered as ex-University employee Nile Amos The identity of one of the most infamous bloggers who wrote anonymously about her experiences in prostitution has revealed herself as a former Newcastle University scientist. The mystery surrounding the true identity of Belle de Jour, author of the book-turned television series Secret Diary of a Call Girl, was revealed last week after Dr. Brooke Magnanti sold her story to national newspapers. Magnanti, who worked as a £300an-hour prostitute between 2003 and 2004, used the income she made from her two-hour sessions with a variety of clients to fund her PhD

studies. The diaries she kept of her encounters became a bestselling book and eventually a controversial television series on ITV starring Billie Piper as the high earning ‘Belle’. Dr. Magnanti, having earned enough money to pay off debts, relocated to Newcastle in 2006. She worked at Newcastle University as a biostatistician at the Institute of Health and Society, and contributed to the Advancing Research in Chronic Disease Epidemiology programme, keeping her previous lifestyle a secret to all of her colleagues. As recently as 2007 she was presented with an award from Newcastle University for her work on the

aetiology of thyroid cancer. She left Newcastle in February this year and currently works at the University of Bristol. Originally from America, Dr. Magnanti’s memoirs have been criticised for what some see as her glamorization of the seedy and often dangerous sex industry. In an interview with The Sunday Times, Magnanti said: “I don’t want this massive secret over me anymore. “It’s changing the way I behave around people, the way I conduct my life.” Brooke Magnanti was born in Florida, and gained an interest in blogging throughout her university years in America. She later went on

to get her PhD in computer visualisation, annotation and data basing of human skeletal remains from 6KHIÀHOG8QLYHUVLW\ With massive debts she moved to London and began her work as an agency escort in 2003. Having deposited large sums of money and having been offered a job in academia, she then began her role at Newcastle. A spokesperson for Newcastle University told The Courier: “Dr. Magnanti worked at the University from 2006 to February 2009 when she went to Bristol. “She already had her PhD before she arrived here. The University will not comment on the private lives of former members of staff.”

0HQ¶VUXJE\¿UVWVVHFXUHWKHLU ¿UVWYLFWRU\RYHU1RUWK(DVWULYDOV for six years with 13-10 away win Sport, page 40

X Factor Chat Rachel Adedeji is the latest former X Factor contestant to speak exclusively to The Courier Culture, page 34

2

Monday 23 November 2009 THE COURIER

Student launches own footwear company

The Union Society, King’s Walk, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8QB. Tel: 0191 239 3940

Comment Long live the Queen Should the Queen’s Speech have taken place this year? Page 12

Life & Style Baby it’s cold outside Winter travel special Page 20-21

Culture Fascinating! Music interviews Danish pop sensation Alphabeat Page 29

Sport The referee’s... alright actually Students pass referee course Page 37

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-HVVLFD7XOO\DQG6LPRQ Murphy ‡&RPPHQW(GLWRUV&DUROLQH$UJ\URSXOR Palmer and Nicholas Fidler ‡/LIH 6W\OH(GLWRUV/DULVD%URZQ$OH[ Felton and Ashley Fryer ‡&XOWXUH(GLWRU$OLFH9LQFHQW ‡$UWV(GLWRU6WHSKDQLH)HUUDR ‡)LOP(GLWRU)UDQFHV.URRQ ‡0XVLF(GLWRUV0DUN&RUFRUDQ/HWWLFHDQG Chris Mandle ‡79 5DGLR(GLWRU$LPHH3KLOLSVRQ ‡3X]]OHV(GLWRUV6X]L0RRUHDQG1HG Walker ‡6SRUWV(GLWRUV3DXO&KULVWLDQ-DPLH*DYLQ DQG7RP-DPHV ‡'HVLJQ(GLWRU9LFWRULD%HOO ‡&XOWXUH2QOLQH(GLWRUV*RUGRQ%UXFHDQG -HVVLFD0RQVRQ ‡3URRI(GLWRUV5XWK$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.

News Editors: Simon Murphy and Jessica Tully - courier.news@ncl.ac.uk

> News, page 6

The future is yours: Bolivian Ambassador lays down challenge at climate change lecture T. DELAMERE

Christabel Dickson Newcastle University had the privilege of welcoming the Bolivian AmEDVVDGRU +( 0DULD %HDWUL] 6RXYL ron-Crespo as the guest of honour DWDOHFWXUHRQœ&OLPDWH-XVWLFH¡KHOG last Monday in the University’s Hershel building. The talk, which was also attended by the Lord and Lady Mayor of Newcastle City Council, was presented to highlight the effects of climate change and the climate debt to the global south. 2SHQ WR VWXGHQWV DQG WKH SXE lic alike, the lecture featured brief VSHHFKHV IURP 0DULD %HDWUL] 6RX viron-Crespo, Md Shamsuddoha of Equity Bangladesh, and Nick 'HDUGHQ 'LUHFWRU RI WKH -XELOHH Debt Campaign UK. Some of the key effects of climate change on countries such as Bolivia and Bangladesh, outlined at the lecWXUHLQFOXGHGURXJKWVDQGà RRGLQJ which have resulted in the damage of cattle and crops, and the loss of lives and homes across the developing world. This destruction has been intenVLÀHG E\ WKH IDFW WKDW GHYHORSLQJ countries are unable to repair the damage caused, due to their severe poverty and excessive debt, and with no prospect of ever being able to repay their debts, they face a vicious circle.

Guest of honour: Newcastle University welcomed the Bolivian Ambassador at a climate change talk

The speakers encouraged listeners WR VXSSRUW WKH -XELOHH 'HEW &DP paign, a UK movement calling for these debts to be cancelled. They also hope to achieve a fair global MXVWLFH DJUHHPHQW ZKHQ WKH * Ambassadors meet at the UN cli-

Newcastle University professor joins panel promoting breakfast Olivia-Marie Viveiros An internationally renowned nutriWLRQLVWKDVMRLQHGDQHZ8.SDQHORI experts which provides information about understanding the important role of breakfast. Professor Chris Seal, Co. Director of Newcastle University’s Food and Human Nutrition, along with four RWKHU H[SHUWV LQFOXGLQJ *079¡V Dr. Chris Steel, will play a key role in emphasising how breakfast can boost long-term health. Although health professionals are aware of the dangers of not having breakfast, it is most common in Europe to miss this meal. Breakfast is skipped in Britain over 30% of the time, which is 113 EUHDNIDVWVD\HDU,WLVPRVWIUHTXHQW among young people, with nearly KDOI RI WHHQDJHUV PLVVLQJ WKH Ă€UVW meal of the day. The Breakfast Panel was funded by the Association of Cereal Food Manufacturers, which brings together doctors, dieticians, academics and researchers to inform and educate people in how breakfast can help lose weight, reduce heart disease and cancer as well as boosting intelligence. Professor Seal said the role of the panel was to act as advocates of `the breakfast’. He explained: “We believe that eat-

ing breakfast should be a key part of eating a healthy diet – breakfasts are used to fuel the body after the overnight fast and help sustain energy and nutrient requirements during WKHPRUQLQJ,QFKLOGUHQEUHDNIDVW consumption has been associated with better concentration and performance in tests. “ He continued: “Studies show that men and women who eat breakfast tend to work faster, make fewer mistakes in logic tests and have better memory recall than those who skipped breakfast – perfect reasons why students should eat breakfast. 2YHUDOO SHRSOH ZKR VNLS EUHDN fast tend to have a less healthy diet; breakfast-skippers are also more likely to be overweight as they tend to snack on unhealthy foods during the day. “So what makes a good breakfast? Whole grain breakfast cereals with semi-skimmed milk or low fat natuUDO\RJKXUWVRPHIUXLWMXLFHRUIUHVK fruit would be a good start. Eggs and wholemeal toast will give you a protein and starch-rich breakfast to add variety. There’s nothing wrong with a ‘full English’ – but try to grill the bacon and sausages to reduce the fat you eat and don’t have it every day, and remember to balance a heavy breakfast with a lighter lunch so that you spread out your energy intake through the day.�

mate negotiations in Copenhagen in December. The Debt Campaign is a cause particularly close to the hearts of Newcastle students, as Newcastle 8QLYHUVLW\LVWKHĂ€UVWDQGRQO\XQL YHUVLW\LQWKHZRUOGWRRIĂ€FLDOO\HQ

dorse the Debt Campaign. Stressing the importance for students to pay attention and get involved in the Climate Change issue, Souviron-Crespo, Bolivian AmbasVDGRU VDLG ´, WKLQN LW LV LPSRUWDQW because you will inherit this world, DQGWKHZD\LWLVJRLQJLVZURQJ6R, think you should be involved in order to preserve what is yours. This generation owes this to you and you should claim your rights. The future is yours.� 1LFN 'HDUGHQ -XELOHH 'HEW &DP paign Director, continued: “We are OLYLQJLQDQDJHRIMXVWXQSUHFHGHQW ed inequality - incredible poverty next door to incredible wealth and OX[XU\ ,I DQ\ERG\ LV LQWHUHVWHG LQ HFRQRPLFMXVWLFHFOLPDWHFKDQJHKDV to be an issue you should be interested in. “Climate change could make things so much worse, so much more unequal, so much more imSRYHULVKHG,WFRXOGEHDQRSSRUWX nity to really say what have we been doing all this time and take the opportunity to make the kind of radical transforming changes that will put things right.� For more information, including details of how to send a postcard to the government showing your support for a fair global deal at the Copenhagen summit, please visit: ZZZMXELOHHGHEWFDPSDLJQRUJXN or www.wdm.org.uk/climatedebt.

University warns students against payday loan sharks Joshua Shrimpton Dean Students being targeted by so-called payday loan companies in the wake of the current loan crisis should avoid the lenders, Newcastle University has warned. The ‘microloans’ can be applied for by text message and credited to a bank account within minutes, often without the applicant having to undergo a credit check. 2QH PDMRU SURYLGHU 7RRWKIDLU\ Finance, offer a loan of ÂŁ300 with a UHSD\PHQWDPRXQWRIÂ…DIWHUMXVW four weeks, with a typical APR of 7406%. Penalties for missing repayments can be substantial. Emma Hope of the Student Wellbeing Service at Newcastle University, told The Courier: “Students should avoid taking out one of these loans. The interest rates which are charged by these lenders are astronomical, and students who think that taking out one of these loans will be a quick Ă€[ WR WKHLU IXQGLQJ GHOD\V VKRXOG think twice.â€? Payday loan companies have traditionally provided short-term credit to applicants against their next pay cheque, upon receipt of very basic proof of income. Such lenders have been banned in some US states. Many loan providers have now turned to sophisticated advertising methods such as Facebook in their targeting of students. Anyone following such a link will be directed to the company’s website where an easy application process and persuasive marketing techniques are used

to encourage potential customers. QuickQuid’s website says: “There’s a big problem with our education system in the U.K. and it has nothing to do with your student loan. All that work on your studies and you pay them for the privilege. Whose idea was that? Meanwhile, your student loan doesn’t cover essential purchases, much less unexpected expenses.â€? -LOO/LQFROQ6HQLRU$GYLVHUIRU)L nance at the Student Advice Centre, urged students to be cautious: ´,IDQ\VWXGHQWZDVWKLQNLQJDERXW using this type of service, the SAC would advise them to make sure that they fully understood the level of payment that these companies would take off them, the interest rate if this applies to the transaction and any other tie-ins that the company would make the student adhere to.â€? The loan crisis continues amid anger at last week’s news that staff at the Student Loans Company received almost ÂŁ2m in bonuses whilst tens of thousands are still without ORDQV DQG JUDQWV ,W LV WKRXJKW WKDW three-quarters of universities have provided hardship grants to students following the delays. Any student who is experiencing a delay in their loan can contact Student Wellbeing for advice and DVVLVWDQFH DW VWXGHQWĂ€QVXSS#QFO ac.uk. Those wishing to discuss any debt-related issues can do so in conĂ€GHQFH E\ FRQWDFWLQJ WKH 6WXGHQW $GYLFH &HQWUH DW DFUHFHSWLRQ#QFO ac.uk.

THE COURIER Monday 23 November 2009

3

NEWS A. BARKER

PJ time: students dressed up in their pyjamas last Monday in aid of Newcastle Marrow, a branch of The Anthony Nolan Trust

Students don their PJs for cancer charity Danya Bazaraa Leukaemia could affect anybody. The disease is fatal if not treated. Treatment may involve bone marrow transfusion. This is why the student branch of the Anthony Nolan Trust, Newcastle Marrow, is desperately trying to fundraise and increase awareness of the charity. On Monday November 16, Marrow held a fundraising and publicity day where medics, dentists and bio-meds dressed up in their pyjamas, and paid ÂŁ1 each to enter a UDIĂ H7KHUHZDVDOVRDFDNHVDOHLQ order to raise money for the charity, as it costs ÂŁ125 to put someone onto the register. The Anthony Nolan Trust was founded over thirty years ago, and since then has saved the lives of over 5,800 children and adults. It was set up by Shirley Nolan, in memory of her son who was diagnosed with an extremely rare Wiskott Aldrich Syndrome. The only cure was a bone marrow transplant, but at the time in 1971, there was no bone marrow register, so no compatible donor was found and Anthony died in 1979. The reality is, only 30% of people needing bone marrow will have a match in their family. This charity gives people somewhere to turn to. Marrow, the student branch, is calling out to all students, because they are in the healthiest and prime time for the donation of bone marrow. Also, at such a young age, it means that you can be on the regis-

ter for a long time. There are two techniques that can be used for donating bone marrow. The procedure that has become more common involves a course of hormone injections. These are designed to send the blood stem cells from the bone marrow into the bloodstream. This is followed by removing blood from a vein in one arm, the stem cells are separated from the remainder of the blood by passing through an ‘apheresis machine’, before the blood is returned to the donor through the other arm. This procedure is an out-patient procedure ODVWLQJDERXWIRXURUĂ€YHKRXUVDQG although donors may experience DFKHV DQG Ă X V\PSWRPV ZLWKLQ  hours of donating, there are no long term effects. The second method involves bone marrow being taken directly from the pelvis bones using a needle and syringe under general anaesthetic. This, however, is only done if there is not a positive response to the horPRQHVLQWKHĂ€UVWPHWKRG Marrow is encouraging students to come along to the clinic day on Wednesday November 25 between 1 and 5pm in the Function Suite of the Union, where more information will be available. For more information, visit www. anthonynolan.org.uk or join the Facebook group ‘Marrow Newcastle’. Remember, you could help to save lives.

Newcastle next stop for Newcastle lecturer forced to The Courier NUS Town Takeover day pay damages and costs after wins justice Simon Childs Newcastle students are to have the chance to make their feelings known on the future of funding for higher education, as the National Union of Students stages ‘Newcastle Takeover’ this Tuesday. This is one of several ‘Town Takeovers’ which are being put on across the country as part of the NUS ‘Funding our Future’ campaign, which aims to combat rising IHHVDQGĂ€JKWDJDLQVWWKHPRXQWLQJ hardship that students face. The government’s review on topup fees is about to take place, with talk of the cap being raised to ÂŁ7,000 a year. Students are already crippled with debt from the loans they take out to pay for their degree, so this would OXPS VWXGHQWV ZLWK HYHQ PRUH Ă€ nancial problems. Any discussion of implementing a fairer national bursary scheme to support those from genuinely low income backgrounds has been totally absent. Newcastle University Student 6XSSRUW 2IĂ€FHU 3HWH 0HUFHU FRP mented: “For so many, top-up fees is a broken system, under which, should these changes come into effect, we will see students racking up an average debt of ÂŁ35,000.â€? 2Q1RYHPEHUDQGVWXGHQWV will be given the chance to write their thoughts on a ‘wall of debt’

which is to be the centre piece of a ψ DVKPRE¡DW0RQXPHQWDWSP on Tuesday. 7KHĂ DVKPREGHPRQVWUDWLRQZLOO include performances from Newcastle University’s dance society and cheerleading team and speeches from members of both universities’ Union Societies. Students who want WRMRLQWKHĂ DVKPREDUHHQFRXUDJHG to wear red to highlight the fact that tuition fees leave so many students ‘in the red’. As part of the demonstration, a rendition of Abba’s ‘Money, MonH\ 0RQH\¡ ZLOO EH VXQJ DQG Ă \HUV handed out to members of the public to grab people’s attention and communicate exactly why everyone should be making a song and dance about the fees debate. Lyrics will be held up on boards for those who don’t know the words. Between 7pm and 9pm on the same day, students will have the opportunity to voice their opinions at a public debate in Newcastle Civic Centre which will include a panel of LQĂ XHQWLDOVSHDNHUV Mercer encouraged all students to attend the day’s events and added: “This is a really good opportunity to engage with the biggest issue currently facing the student population. So be there or be square. Or just be in stupid amounts of debt, take your pick.â€?

libelling in online blog Jessica Tully News Editor

A Newcastle University lecturer has apologised in court after he was sued for libel by academic publishLQJ FRPSDQ\ (GZLQ 0HOOHQ 3UHVV Limited. 7KRP %URRNV D OHFWXUHU LQ 3ROL tics, apologised at the High Court in London last week and agreed to pay the publishers and its editor-inchief, Dr. Herbert Richardson, ‘’an appropriate sum by way of damages and costs’’ after he libelled the publishers in his online blog. Brooks was sued for comments made in two articles written by him and published on his blog, The Brooks Blog. (GZLQ0HOOHQ3UHVV¡VVROLFLWRU6L mon Gallant, told The Northern Echo: ‘’The claimants also sued the defendant over several postings made by third parties on the blog that had been prompted by the two articles written by the defendant. ‘’The various articles and postings contained a number of grievous allegations about the claimants and their business operations. ‘’The defendant now accepts that there was no truth in any of those allegations and that the criticisms he made of the claimants and their EXVLQHVVZHUHXQMXVWLĂ€HG¡¡

Gallant also read out a statement on behalf of Dr. Brooks, who was unable to be in court last week. Dr. Brooks said: ‘’Having had the true facts brought to my attention I DFFHSWWKDWWKH(GZLQ0HOOHQ3UHVV is highly regarded amongst the academic and university communities in the United Kingdom and the United States of America. ‘’It has published the works of more than 5,000 authors, many of ZKRP DUH OHDGHUV LQ WKHLU Ă€HOGV RI scholarly research. Thom Brooks offered his “sincere apologiesâ€? to Edwin Mellen Press Limited ‘’Contrary to allegations that I had previously made, I accept without reservation that Mellen does not charge authors anything to have their works published. ‘’Mellen’s books are well reviewed in scholarly journals. They are acquired by research libraries around the world, including Oxford, CamEULGJH+DUYDUG3DULVDQG%HUOLQ¡¡ He added that he offered his ‘’sincere apologies’’ to the claimants. (GZLQ 0HOOHQ 3UHVV /LPLWHG GH clined to comment.

Fran Infante Deputy Editor Last week The Courier revealed that students who were employed by WKH 8QLYHUVLW\ DIĂ€OLDWHG FRPSDQ\ INTO, were being denied their wagHVDVDUHVXOWRIRIĂ€FHLQHSWLWXGHDQG confusion. This week INTO have personally apologised for the distress they caused to the students involved and promised that they will be paid for all the hours that they were originally denied. The student who reported the issue to The Courier, Vildan Aydin, was also assured that in future she ZRXOG EH SDLG WKH  KRXUV PLQL mum a week, which she had been originally offered in the interview for the job. The problems began in September when the three Senior Residents, who are all postgraduate students, moved into Castle Leazes. They had been hired to provide practical and pastoral help to this year’s Freshers with whom they shared the residence in Spital Tongues. Speaking to The Courier, Aydin said: “I will stay on at INTO now that everything is cleared up and I KDYHEHHQDVVXUHGWKDW,ZRQ¡WĂ€QG myself in a position where I am unable to pay rent due to not enough hours. I’m happy with INTO and their eventual response.â€?

4

Monday 23 November 2009 THE COURIER

NEWS NUS

University fees protest descends on Parliament Alexander Torpey On Monday November 9, Lord Mandelson announced the launch of the independent review of higher HGXFDWLRQDQGVWXGHQWĂ€QDQFH The review – supported by the Labour and Conservative parties – will consider whether tuition fees currently set at ÂŁ3225 per year should rise to ÂŁ7000 for students in higher education institutions in England DQG :DOHV 7KH UHYLHZ ZLOO QRW EH published until after the next genHUDOHOHFWLRQ Within 48 hours of the announcement a rally of over 150 student leaders had descended upon Westminster to demand that MPs “come FOHDQ RQ IHHVÂľ 6R IDU /DERXU DQG Conservative MPs have remained silent on the issue and have been accused by students of covering up proposals to raise tuition fees in an attempt to preserve their election FDPSDLJQV The student leaders have promised to name and shame the MPs that refuse to sign their pledge which opSRVHVULVHVLQWXLWLRQIHHV7KLVPRYH will put pressure on MPs to clearly VWDWH WKHLU SRVLWLRQ 186 SUHVLGHQW :HV 6WUHHWLQJ EHOLHYHV SROLWLFLDQV “will be hit where it hurts – at the EDOORW ER[Âľ 7KH PHVVDJH IURP WKH 186 LV FOHDU ´YRWH IRU XV RU ZH ZRQ¡WYRWHIRUWKHPÂľ ,Q :HV 6WUHHWLQJ¡V YLHZ ´03V VKRXOG EH WHUULĂ€HG RI WKH VWXGHQW YRWH LQ WKH QH[W HOHFWLRQÂľ ,Q D OHWter to The Guardian WKH 186 SUHVLdent described the review as being GHVLJQHGWR´VWLWFKXSVWXGHQWVÂľRQ the basis that it is chaired by busiQHVVDQGXQLYHUVLW\OHDGHUV The review will be chaired by Lord Browne, the former chairman of BP; this was welcomed by the CBI (ConIHGHUDWLRQ RI %ULWLVK ,QGXVWU\  7KH CBI published a report two months ago in which vice-chancellors believed that maximum fees of ÂŁ5,000 would not deter students from apSO\LQJ $Q186VXUYH\RIPRUHWKDQ people suggested that only 12% of the population are in favour of

Caroline Argyropulo-Palmer Commentary The launching of the tuition fees review is simply another step in a heated and long running debate. The most passionate arguments have come from students, unsurprisingly as those on the other side KDYHMREVDQGKDGDVLJQLĂ€FDQWO\ cheaper, if not free, university education. Although ministers claim that current students are not those who will be affected, we can sympathise most strongly with the future higher education participants who will. Many also have younger siblings, or further into a future, in which the employment market

SROLWLFLDQV UDLVLQJ IHHV 7KLV LV XQsurprising given that students that began university this autumn will be graduating with debts in excess RIÂ… The majority think the review should focus on establishing an DOWHUQDWLYH WR IHHV 7KH Ă€JXUHV IRU medicine students leaving university are even more startling as they are graduating with debts estimated between ÂŁ37,000 and ÂŁ67,000 for WKRVHVWXG\LQJLQ/RQGRQ There are strong concerns that a rise in fees would price students from lower socio-economic backgrounds out of the higher education PDUNHW,QGHHGMXVWRQHLQPHGLcal students come from low income EDFNJURXQGV 6WUHHWLQJDGGHG´,WLVQRWMXVWWKH poorest families that have these concerns, it’s what Gordon Brown called the ‘squeezed middle in BritDLQ¡WKDWZLOOVXIIHUÂľ 1HZFDVWOH 8QLRQ 6RFLHW\ 3UHVLdent, Andriana Georgiou believes that “at best, higher tuition fees would set up a two-tier system differentiating between those who can afford to buy an ‘elite’ education DQGWKRVHZKRFDQQRWÂľ The Higher Education Minister, 'DYLG/DPP\FRPPHQWHG´WKHUHview should look at student support and bursaries, not just the contribuWLRQRIVWXGHQWVÂľ&XUUHQWO\RI students are in receipt of some form RI JUDQW +H DOVR DWWDFKHG LPSRUtance to the contributions of employers, tax payers and the univerVLWLHVWKHPVHOYHV+HFRQFHGHGWKDW WKLVLVDGLIĂ€FXOWDUHDRISROLF\ 0U /DPP\ DUJXHG WKDW DQ\ ELJ changes imposed by the review will UHTXLUHOHJLVODWLRQ+HDVVHUWHGWKDW the review therefore cannot affect current students and is unlikely to affect those currently in the sixth form as legislation takes time to FRPHLQWRHIIHFW The role of the review is to analyse the problems facing higher education and their implications for stuGHQW Ă€QDQFLQJ 7KH 'LUHFWRU *HQeral of the Russell Group, Wendy 3LDWWVDLG´2XUOHDGLQJLQVWLWXWLRQV looks decidedly grim, will have children whose fees they might have to foot. If tuition fees rise it will, inevitably, shut university off as a route to some people. Those from lower income houses will suffer, but there will also be, as Gordon Brown points out, problems for other sections of society. The rich will still be able to afford education, doing nothing to alleviate the disproportionate amount of private school pupils at university. Grants will still be available for those with the least Ă€QDQFLDOVXSSRUW,W¡VWKRVHLQWKH middle who will miss out; a huge portion of the people currently entering higher education. I am not eligible for a grant, but

On the dotted line: former Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy signs the NUS’s pledge against a rise in university tuition fees at Parliament

cannot continue to be internationDOO\FRPSHWLWLYHSURYLGHDĂ€UVWUDWH teaching experience and offer generous support to our disadvantaged students without increased fundLQJÂľ :HV 6WUHHWLQJ KDV GLVPLVVHG claims from the universities that they are having a funding crisis referring to the claims as “an absolute MRNHÂľ+HVRXJKWWRTXDOLI\KLVVWDWH-

ment by referring to the number of new buildings that have sprung up DFURVVFDPSXVHV Andriana Georgiou travelled down to Westminster and met two of Newcastle’s MPs on what proved to be a very successful day for NewFDVWOH First she met Jim Cousins, Labour 03IRU1HZFDVWOH8SRQ7\QH&HQtral, who she described as “very

VXSSRUWLYH¾ +H KDG YRWHG DJDLQVW the introduction of top up fees in DQGVLJQHGWKHSOHGJH 6KHWKHQPHW1LFN%URZQ/DERXU MP for Newcastle East and Wallsend DQG&KLHI:KLSRIWKH/DERXU3DUW\ 6KH VDLG ´+H ZDV DOVR YHU\ VXSportive of students and promised to JR DZD\ DQG UHDG 186¡V SURSRVDO on tuition fees and meet up with us DJDLQEDFNLQ1HZFDVWOH¾

nor do I have a trust fund that has been acquiring enough interest to pay off even the debt I face. If fees were to go up by the amount proposed it would be much harder for me, and if, as I suspect it will, this RSHQVWKHĂ RRGJDWHVWRHYHUPRUH LQFUHDVHVDIXWXUHPHPLJKWĂ€QG it so much harder that university started to become a very questionable option. I appreciate that British universities feel they need to compete with richer institutions overseas, but what has to be accepted is that if they are saying they need more money to do this that means something at the moment is below standard. Therefore, if fees increase you would expect to see a change.

What would this mean? More hours for those, like myself, on minimum contact hours courses? A better library? Better lecturers? I ZDVQ¡WDZDUHWKDWDFDGHPLFVUHDOO\ went into it for the money or that ZHZHUHVXIIHULQJIURPRXUÀQHVW PLQGVUXQQLQJDZD\WRÀQGEHWWHU pay abroad. If tuition fees rise it will become harder for British universities to compete, not easier. What people get at the moment is a world class education at a price which is affordable and faceable for, almost, all. If fees rise whilst the memory of lower fees lingers and the presumably planned improvements take time to settle in, people will choose to go elsewhere, if they choose to go at all.

The students who protested demanded that MPs “come clean.â€? One of the most frightening and daunting things about the fees GHEDWHLVWKDWZHGRQ¡WNQRZDQG IXWXUHVWXGHQWVGRQ¡WNQRZZKDW LVJRLQJRQ7KH\GRQ¡WNQRZZKR wants what and who is on their side. MPs seem to forget that students are part of the electorate, and the Obama campaign showed just how powerful that voice can be. The students who are hit by these rises are also voters. If fees do have to rise, and cost for most things does, at least include us. Hear what we have to say, tell us ZKDW¡VJRLQJRQEHFDXVHDOthough a clichĂŠ – we are the future.

THE COURIER Monday 23 November 2009

5

NEWS

Students choosing US over UK J. WHITTAKER

Nile Amos US colleges are seeing a record number of British students choosing to study across the Atlantic. According to a leading educational commission, which monitors educational activity between the two countries, the “Obama effectâ€? has had an impact on making the US a popular choice despite its economic implications. The US-UK Fulbright Commission also highlighted how improvements in the US visa application service, along with the reversal of the much cited “Bush-effectâ€? has taken the number of British students across the pond up 4% to 8,701. In general, global polls have suggested an upturn in opinion for the US. This, believes the Fulbright Commission, is having an effect on parents and students in noting the SRWHQWLDOEHQHĂ€WVRIDQLQWHUQDWLRQDO education. In turn, US colleges such as Yale that have typically been forthright with their admission of US-only students, are adopting methods to attempt to attract the growing numbers of foreign applicant hopefuls. However, attending University in the States is well known for being an expensive venture, with tuition fees being anything up to $30,000 per year, and basic food and accommodation packages costing $4,000. Lucy Jackman, a third year student at University of California, San Di-

ego, who went to school in Sussex, told The Courier why she was particularly keen to study in the US: “‘I chose to study in America because it’s an amazing chance to live in Cal-

ifornia while I’m young. I’m about half an hour away from the Mexican ERUGHUDQGĂ€YHPLQXWHVDZD\IURP the beach. “I’m living in the International

House on campus and have in effect made friends with people from all over the world; relationships which I hope will be kept. ´$V IRU WKH ZRUN LW GHÀQLWHO\ LV

a lower standard to what I’m used to back in England, mainly because you’re actually asked to write your HVVD\VLQĂ€UVWSHUVRQIRUPDQ\FODVV es which I’m still getting used to. “But that’s not to say it isn’t difĂ€FXOW  WKH ZRUN ORDG LV LPPHQVH Money is an issue. “The way the University works if you live on campus is by making you pay $2,000 for meal points, which seems a ridiculous amount for the year, but the extortionate prices for food means that you spend it really quickly.â€? 'HVSLWH WKHVH Ă€JXUHV VXJJHVWLQJ a record, the number of Britons in the US is minute in comparison to other nationalities. On top of this, the number of American students in Britain is around four times as high, up 2% on last year to 33,353. Dr Thom Brooks, Reader in Legal and Political Philosophy at Newcastle, originally hails from the USA, and told The Courier: “While it is good to see an apparent ‘Obama effect’ it remains the case that UK students continue to represent a very small percentage of international students studying in the US overall. “I suspect that the economic climate has been a factor in people continuing their education: we continue to attract plenty of international students – including from the US – here, too.â€?

6

Monday 23 November 2009 THE COURIER

NEWS

Universities could introduce Oxbridgestyle entrance exams as A-Level results soar Katy Covell 5HFRUG QXPEHUV RI VWXGHQWV JDLQing at least three grade As at A-level have prompted the Government to announce a major review of university admissions. Oxford and Cambridge currently employ entrance examinations and aptitude tests across a range of subjects as a means of differentiating between applicants. However, a vast increase in the number of prospective candidates required to sit these independent assessments, due to the introduction of tests to a wider selection of subjects, has heightened national worry RYHUWKHLPSOLFDWLRQVRIJUDGHLQĂ Dtion at A-levels. Last year, just over one in four Alevel marks was an A grade. Growing concerns over the viability of using A-levels as a discriminatory factor has already caused some universities to reconsider the use of entrance examinations in their application processes. Imperial College London is to beFRPH WKH Ă€UVW %ULWLVK XQLYHUVLW\ WR use an institute-wide entrance exam since Oxbridge dropped its entrance tests back in 1995. The exam will be a mandatory requirement for all students wishing to study at Imperial bar those applying for medical degrees, which already require candidates to sit the %0$7 6LU5LFKDUG6\NHVUHFWRURI,PSHrial College explained: “We can’t rely on A-levels anymore. EveryHarriet King Commentary The entrance exams sat by Oxford and Cambridge applicants are actually nothing new. They are a revival of a system that went on for years, when Oxbridge applicants stayed an extra winter term at school in exam preparation then took a shortened gap year un-

body who applies has got three or four As. They [A-levels] are not very XVHIXO 7KH ,QWHUQDWLRQDO %DFFDODXreate is useful but again this is just a benchmark.â€? This comment comes after much debate during the past few years RYHUZKHWKHUWKH,QWHUQDWLRQDO%DFcalaureate is preferable to A-levels as a means of assessing academic ability. If current concerns are to be believed the row may prove irrelevant, with awards from both educational SURJUDPPHV EHFRPLQJ LQVXIĂ€FLHQW as academic markers that, on their own, will not enable students to gain university offers. 6LU5LFKDUGZDVNHHQWRVWUHVKRZever, that even with the possible national instigation of individual university entrance examinations, A-levels would not become worthless as they would stand as evidence that students had studied their chosen subjects in depth. Although no other university has announced any plans to install institute-wide entrance exams, Cambridge has this year abandoned use of the nationally recognised LNAT law examination and introduced its own assessment to differentiate between candidates. An advisor from the Newcastle 8QLYHUVLW\ $GPLVVLRQV 2IĂ€FH FRPmented that: “The University has no plans to use any entrance exams other than the UK cap assessments already required for certain courses, and it is unlikely that this will change.â€? til the time came for them to go to university. The re-introduction of an exam WDNHQ LQ \RXU Ă€QDO \HDU DW VFKRRO often at the time of interview is a logical step to help differentiate between students. In fact, it is probably fairer. An applicant who dominates on paper in terms of grades and extra curricular activities may fail to do well in an aptitude test, such as the

LMAT, the HAT or the BMAT. An important thing to remember about these tests, which more and more medical and law departments are asking for, is that they are aptitude tests, not tests of knowledge. They are about going beyond the A-level syllabus, which does dominate sixth-form, and seeing how the candidate can think, see links and patterns and their ability to grasp new concepts that they are

Newcastle student launches successful footwear business Bethany Sissons A Newcastle University student is taking a break from studying Marketing Management in order to concentrate on expanding his business, MES Footwork. The company, who make trainers designed personally by their customers, took off when student Matt Scott entered the ‘If We Can, You Can’ challenge through The Northern Echo. After winning, Matt was able to re-launch his website where customers design their dream pair of trainers to be manufactured into reality. MES Footwork declares that they are committed to creating unique, stylish trainers. You design them yourself so they can put, according to their website, “your lifeâ€? onto a pair of trainers. Now the online trainer business is soaring to new heights after landing LWV Ă€UVW KLJK VWUHHW GHDO ZLWK )HQwick’s in Newcastle. They have also recently launched new gift vouchers so you can make MES Footwork a perfect present. Mr Scott has only been in business for two years but has hopes

for high sales over the upcoming Christmas period. The 21-year-old said: “It’s a big move for us getting

X-Factor worthy: Joe McElderry is the latest star to be seen in MES Footwork trainers

into Fenwick’s, so sales from there, combined with the launch of the gift vouchers, will be central to whether we hit the targets over Christmas.� The unique trainers are proving extremely popular with celebrities; rock star Dave Stewart and footballer Djibril Cisse have been seen wearing them. The latest celebrity to be seen sporting the trainers is ;)DFWRUÀQDOLVW-RH0F(OGHUU\IURP South Shields. The X-Factor hopeful appears to be showing his support for his roots, as the trainers are made in South Shields. Currently the uppers are made in Matt Scott’s North Eastern factory and the remainder of the trainer is made in Northampton. However, Mr Scott hopes to raise £70,000 to purchase new equipment in order to produce the entire trainer in South 6KLHOGV0(6)RRWZRUNH[SHFWVÀYH new jobs to be created at the factory to add to the current team of two employees. If you’re interested in purchasing a pair of individual trainers from MES Footwork check out www. mesfootwork.com or visit Fenwick’s on Northumberland Street.

not being taught in a classroom. They are designed to help with the interview process, both to cut down those selected for interview and to push forward those who have not got the best public exam scores. This provides the less privileged a fairer entrance process as it gives talent a chance to show itself. Why then do people have an issue with aptitude testing at elite universities? To get into Oxbridge at

an undergraduate level you have to really want it. If you really want it, taking an aptitude test should not be a problem. The very nature of Oxbridge is that they take the very best, but with more and more applicants HYHU\\HDUWKH\KDYHWRĂ€QGGLIIHUent ways of selection. The examination process is just one of them.

Students still without loans Elliot Bentley It has emerged that almost ÂŁ2 million have been paid out to the bosses of the Student Loans Company, despite 120,000 students still waiting on their loans and grants. According to the latest statistics from the Student Loans Company, although 723,000 students have received the money they are entitled to, 119,000 are still waiting on maintenance and tuition fee loans, forcing some to drop out of university altogether. Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats have discovered that a total of ÂŁ1,893,500 in bonuses has been handed out to staff over the last year. Three bosses received ÂŁ21,000 HDFK  HQRXJK WR SD\ WZHQW\Ă€YH students’ tuition fees. Greg Stone, Liberal Democrat parliamentary spokesman for Newcastle, has spoken out against the “completely unacceptableâ€? bonuses given out to staff. He said: “It is difĂ€FXOWWRHVFDSHWKHYLHZWKDW5DOSK 6H\PRXU-DFNVRQ &KLHI ([HFXWLYH of the SLC should resign over this Ă€DVFR ,QVWHDG /DERXU DUH SD\LQJ him a bonusâ€?. The government announced last week an independent inquiry into the large delays in the delivery of student loans, which is to be pub-

lished before Christmas. The Student Loans Company claims in their latest press release that the number processed is “normal for this time of yearâ€?, and that all students who applied before mid-August have received their full payment. However, The Courier begs to differ; just asking a handful of students still waiting on their loan will tell a different story. 3KLO 5LFKDUGVRQ D Ă€UVW\HDU %LROogy student, is still waiting for his loan despite having applied over six months ago. “I originally applied back in May but they told me I had to reapply in August, which I did,â€? he told The Courier. “I rang them up last week just to check when it was coming and they told me I had to reapply again because they didn’t have any of my documents!â€? +HLVQRWDORQH-DFN:RRGVZKR LVLQKLVĂ€UVW\HDURI&ODVVLFDO6WXGies, applied back in April, but has for the last two months been “maxing out my overdraft and borrowing money off my parentsâ€? as well as getting a job in order to support himself. “I’m living off the bare minimum at the moment, and it’s just not good enough. I just don’t know what to do.â€?

THE COURIER Monday 23 November 2009

7

National

Jobless graduate tally hits 100,000 mark James Brown The number of recent graduates without a job hit the 100,000 mark IRU WKH ÀUVW WLPH WKLV ZHHN DV WHQV of thousands from the class of 2009 joined those searching for jobs in the current tough economic climate. Overall graduate unemployment rose from 5.5% last year to 6.5% this \HDU WKLV FRPSDUHV ZLWK  ÀYH

years ago and 12% a decade ago. As more and more students search for graduate positions, private and public sector employers are recruiting fewer graduates and requesting higher standards. This week Sainsbury’s joined the ranks of employers who now request a 2:1 degree or higher to join their graduate programme.

&KLFKHVWHUVWXGHQWVHOOVÀUVWNLVV A Fine Art student at Chichester has set up a website to auction off her œÀUVW¡NLVVIRUD\HDU Amanda Dezilva self-imposed a moratorium on kissing for a year in an experimental art project to see if she could create a commodity from nothing.

Emma Thompson in BNP controversy The Oscar-winning actress Emma Thompson last week caused some controversy at Exeter University by claiming that “the BNP would love it hereâ€?. Her comments come after her adopted Rwandan-born son Tindyebwa suffered racially motivated ´XQSOHDVDQWÂľH[SHULHQFHVLQKLVĂ€UVW year. The claims were rejected by university leaders in a letter to The

Guardian, and also by Exeter’s MP. He said: “Emma Thompson is a great actress but her comments about Exeter, racism and the BNP are both untrue and insulting. The BNP is virtually non-existent in Exeter and polled dismally here in the last local elections. Any incidence of racism is one too many, but Exeter comes top or near top in every survey of places for friendliness and quality of life.�

Of kissing she said: “Slow, warm, sensuous kisses that melt the core. I have missed [them] so, so much. I am initially attracted to eyes, but in the very same instant I desire the sensation of my mouth upon that person’s to seal the feeling.� Go to digital-kiss.com to bid.

Portsmouth student can’t eat her greens A Portsmouth student, who suffers from a fear of vegetables known as lachanophobia, has spoken out about her condition. Vicki Larrieux, 22, told The Daily Telegraph she had always had an irrational fear of vegetables as a child. She said: “As the fear continued into adult life, I started to think it might not just be a dislike for vegetables

but an actual phobia. Every time I would see vegetables, not just on my plate but anywhere, I would get feelings of panic, start sweating and my heart rate would shoot up.� She survives on a diet of meat, potatoes, cereals and the occasional apple.

Oxford Conservatives back in the fold Students at Oxford University have joined the national student arm of the Conservative Party despite getting into trouble for the telling of racist jokes at a drunken hustings event. Oxford University Conservatives Association was banned from using the University’s name after national press attention. Ben Lyons, co-chair of Oxford University Labour Club commented:

“OUCA 2.0 are the same people who got elected at racist hustings. They are the same people who spoke in debates on re-conquering the empire. And they are the same people who are still not allowed at Freshers Fair. This exposes the sham of David Cameron’s ‘progressive Conservative Party’ as it goes out of its way to support a bigoted Bullingdon-lite.�

Causing controversy: Actress Emma Thompson tells Exeter University “the BNP would ORYHLWKHUH´DIWHUKHUDGRSWHGVRQDOOHJHGO\VXIIHUHGUDFLDOGLVFULPLQDWLRQLQKLVÂżUVW\HDU

Students need more As for university Universities are upping their A-Level requirements for students starting in 2010. The move is in response to a surge in demand for higher education this year, as a result of the recession and the government encouraging more

people to go into higher education. A-level students also face more competition: applications are up 12% and places at Russell Group universities, including Newcastle, through clearing were limited or non-existent this year.

NEWS

Students to promote ÂżUHVDIHW\RQFDPSXV Charlie Oven 5HFHQW Ă€UH VWDWLVWLFV UHOHDVHG IURP the local government reveal that the number of people aged 17 to 24 NLOOHGLQKRXVHĂ€UHVLQ(QJODQGLQcreased by 14% from 2006 to 2007. ,Q OLJKW RI WKHVH Ă€JXUHV WKH )LUH Kills Campaign has been established in an attempt to warn students about the dangers of incidents LQYROYLQJĂ€UHV To spread the message of the campaign effectively, the government has planned to fund students, who, in their role as ambassadors will SURPRWH Ă€UH VDIHW\ WR IHOORZ VWXdents. Moving away from your family KRPH IRU WKH Ă€UVW WLPH LV SHUKDSV seen by some as embodying the youthful ideal of escapism. Nevertheless, the Fire Kills Campaign stresses that when you live in your own accommodation, you need to know what to do in the event of a Ă€UH DQG WKDW LQFOXGHV KRZ WR JHW out, described by the campaign as “the greatest escape of all.â€? Speaking to the Fire Kills Campaign, Ben Whittaker the NUS’ Vice President for Welfare commented that: “it’s as important as ever that VWXGHQWVDUHPLQGIXORIĂ€UHVDIHW\LQ their accommodation – and if safety standards aren’t adequate, it is vital that students address this by complaining to their landlord.â€? Survey results from Fire Kills reveal that 43% believe that they could survive for more than two minutes LQ D VPRNH Ă€OOHG URRP ZKLOH  believe that they would be alerted WR D Ă€UH E\ WKH VPHOO RI WKH VPRNH for more than two minutes. With this in mind, the Fire Kills Campaign stresses the importance of a working smoke alarm tested on a weekly basis.

8

Monday 23 November 2009 THE COURIER

NEWS

Elections Editor: David Coverdale - editor.union@ncl.ac.uk

F Word cook up elections success PHOTOS: E. BENTLEY & F. INFANTE

David Coverdale Editor 7KH ) :RUG ZHUH WKH KLJK SURĂ€OH ZLQQHUV LQ ODVW ZHHN¡V 8QLRQ HOHFWLRQVWDNLQJWKHKRWO\FRQWHVWHGSRVLWLRQRI)UHVKHUV¡:HHN2UJDQLVHUV for 2010. 7KHWHDPRI0DWW-RQHV%REE\5LFKDUGVRQ1LFROH7KRPDVDQG$EELH :DLQUHFHLYHGDWRWDORIYRWHVWR EHDW RII FRPSHWLWLRQ IURP 5HIUHVK DQG1HRQZKRUHFHLYHGDQG YRWHVUHVSHFWLYHO\ ,Q WKH XQRSSRVHG SDUWWLPH RIĂ€FHU SRVLWLRQV $GH\HPL $GHQL\L ZDVQDPHGDV,QWHUQDWLRQDO2IĂ€FHU 'HERUDK6PLWKEHFDPH6WXGHQW3DUHQWVDQG&DUHUV2IĂ€FHUZKLOVW'DYLG*UD\ZDVHOHFWHGRQWRWKHUROHRI 6WXGHQWVZLWK'LVDELOLWLHV2IĂ€FHU 7KH UHVXOWV LQ WKH 8QLRQ ODVW 7KXUVGD\EURXJKWDQHPRWLRQDOHQG WR D KDUG IRXJKW ZHHN ZKLFK VDZ WKHPXOWLFRORXUHGFDPSDLJQWHDPV WDNH WR WKH VWUHHWV WR VXSSRUW WKHLU FDQGLGDWHVRIFKRLFH 6SHDNLQJLPPHGLDWHO\DIWHUWKHUHVXOWVZHUHDQQRXQFHG7KH):RUG WROGThe Courier´,WIHHOVDEVROXWHO\ EULOOLDQWWRKDYHZRQ,W¡VDPDVVLYH DFKLHYHPHQWDJDLQVWWZRYHU\FRPSHWLWLYHWHDPV ´:HFRXOGQ¡WKDYHGRQHLWZLWKRXW RXU DPD]LQJ FDPSDLJQ WHDP DQG ZH¡G OLNH WR UHDOO\ WKDQN HYHU\RQH ZKRWRRNWKHWLPHWRYRWH ´7KHZHHNZDVUHDOO\VWUHVVIXOEXW JRRG IXQ ,W ZDV DQ DPD]LQJ H[SHULHQFH DQG WKLV UHVXOW PDNHV LW DOO ZRUWKZKLOH 7KH):RUG¡VPDQLIHVWRSURPLVHG WR ÂśEULQJ 1HZFDVWOH WR WKH IUHVKHUV¡ E\ JHWWLQJ WKH FLW\¡V VWXGHQW QLJKWV WR VKRZFDVH WKHLU HYHQWV RXWVLGH WKH8QLRQDVZHOODVD5LR&DUQLYDO VW\OHĂ€QDOQLJKW 7KH\DGGHG´:HFDQ¡WZDLWWRVWDUW ZRUNRQRUJDQLVLQJ)UHVKHUV¡:HHN :H¡UHORRNLQJIRUZDUGWRPDNLQJD FKDQJH DQG FDUU\LQJ WKURXJK ZLWK RXUQHZLGHDVÂľ ,Q WRWDO  YRWHV ZHUH FDVW LQ ZKDW ZDV DQRWKHU VXFFHVVIXO WXUQRXWIRUWKH8QLRQHOHFWLRQV )8//5(68/76 )UHVKHUV¡:HHN2UJDQLVHUV 1HRQ5HIUHVK 7KH):RUG ,QWHUQDWLRQDO2IĂ€FHU$GHQL\L $GH\HPL521 6WXGHQW3DUHQWV &DUHUV2IĂ€FHU 'HERUDK6PLWK521 6WXGHQWVZLWK'LVDELOLWLHV2IĂ€FHU 'DYLG*UD\521

Vacancies www.ncl.ac.uk/careers/vacsonline The Careers Service provides information DQG DGYLFH RQ GHYHORSLQJ \RXU VNLOOV ÂżQGLQJ 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: Retail Assistant

Employer: DejĂ Vu Business: Dress Agency Closing date: 27/11/2009 Salary: NMW (depending on age) Basic job description: DejĂ  Vu, based in Jesmond, are a dress agency who sell new and nearly new clothes, shoes, handbags, and jewellery at affordable prices. There is currently a vacancy for a Retail Assistant on a permanent contract to start at the end of November or the beginning of December. The duties of the post include: selling, merchandising, serving customers, cleaning, receiving and pricing deliveries, and researching the items. The hours of work are either Mondays or Saturdays 10am - 5pm. Person requirements: Full training will be provided; however you must have a good fashion sense, good customer care skills and good people skills. You must be reliable and be available to work in Newcastle all year round. Location: Jesmond, Newcastle upon Tyne.

Job Title: Chinese Workshop Teachers Employer: Dragons in Europe Business: Education Closing date: 30/11/2009 Salary: £10 per hour Basic job description: Dragons in Europe Limited currently have over 40 Chinese teachers that are teaching in schools nationwide. $OO RXU WHDFKHUV VSHDN (QJOLVK ÀXHQWO\ DQG have all been (Enhanced) CRB checked before going into the schools. They are polite, presentable, engaging and come with excellent references. We are currently looking for fun, outgoing part-time staff to help teach in Newcastle based primary and nursery schools starting in -DQXDU\ 7KH KRXUV IRU WKLV SRVW DUH ÀH[LEOH but you will be required to work a minimum of three hours per week. Person requirements: The ideal candidate would have a car and/or a CRB. You do not need to speak Chinese but you must be reli-

able and have energy working with children Location: Newcastle upon Tyne Job Title: Student Interviewers Employer: High Fliers Research Ltd Business: Graduate/Student Market Research Company Closing date: 25/01/2010 Salary: ÂŁ6 - 10 per hour Basic job description: High Fliers are currently working on a project for The Times and need to recruit student interviewers to help collect the information. The project is based RQ ÂżQDO \HDU VWXGHQWV DW WKH XQLYHUVLW\ DQG interviewers will be asked to complete 25 interviews over a 7 day period. Each interview takes between 15-20 minutes. The interviews will be carried out between Monday 8th February and Monday 15th February 2010. So if you know you will be busy with work at this WLPHFRQVLGHUZKHWKHU\RXFDQUHDOO\ÂżWLQWKH interviews. You will be paid ÂŁ6-10 per hour

and will receive a bonus of ÂŁ25 for reaching your target. Additionally, this job will look fantastic on your C.V. Person requirements: You must be organised, able to spare 2/3 hours per day for the interviewing period (7 days) and be responsible for reaching your target. The ideal candiGDWHV ZLOO EH ÂżQDO \HDU VWXGHQWV RU VWXGHQWV ZKR NQRZ RU DUH FRPIRUWDEOH DW ÂżQGLQJ DW OHDVW  ÂżQDOLVWV ZKR WKH\ FDQ LQWHUYLHZ IRU the project. They are looking for a diverse range of students, both to interview and act as interviewers in order to give a fair representation of students at the university. Location: Newcastle Upon Tyne

THE COURIER Monday 23 November 2009

9

Time for a check up of health policies Comment Editors: Caroline Argyropulo-Palmer and Nicholas Fidler - courier.comment@ncl.ac.uk

> Focus, page 11

N. FIDLER

Monopoly: divide and conquer

The needle in the social haystack

Tarren Smarr

Annie Harrison-Dunn

Do not pass go, do not collect £200. We love to hear these words affect another player while involved in the exciting game of Monopoly. The game, introduced by Parker Brothers, has been around since 1935 and is one of the most commercially-successful board games in the world. The history of Monopoly can be traced back to the early 1900s when a Quaker in the United States used the game to explain the negative consequences of land monopolies. As such, games, like Monopoly, are often used to reinforce societal norms. Adolescents learn fundamental concepts that will help them to become functioning adults. Character development ideals like being a good loser/ winner, sharing, negotiation, and even resource management can be learned through playing monopoly. Just in time for Christmas this year, Hasbro has introduced their newest spin on the ever popular game: Monopoly City. But one look at the game leaves people wondering: what values does this new version instil in our future generations? Monopoly City follows similar rules and concepts to the original. Roll the dice, buy the land, and watch your city grow, as well as the potential fortune that comes with it. This new metropolitan spin allows players to be the developer and build the property of their dreams. 'RHVQ¡W VHHP VR EDG DW ÀUVW Then you realize that other players, known as rival developers, can ruin your work by placing a sewage plant next to your dream property causing the value to drop. It is interesting that we have gone

In a time when claims of self-interest, disrespect and apathy are common assertions about contemporary society, Danny Cameron could be heralded as something of a beacon for true altruism and conscientiousness. No, he didn’t save anybody’s life or make any kind of political stand, but instead set up a Facebook group. On October 17th the 33 year old Aussie set up the group ‘Needle in a Haystack,’ starting with a modest 60 members. The group’s premise was a simple act of kindness. Whilst on holiday in the Greek isles, Cameron found a fellow holidaymaker’s camera. Seeing that it was full of holiday memories, he set about getting the camera back to its owner. After initial and unfruitful attempts at wandering around the main town of Mykonos he returned home where he set up the group in WKH KRSH RI Ă€QGLQJ DW OHDVW VRPH one who recognised the people in the photos. This snowballed to an unbelievable 235, 000 members and on November 3rd, just 17 days after the group’s launch, the French owners were recognised and the camera was returned. This could be heralded as a great triumph of (roughly) the 6 degrees of separation, a theory that asserts that there are just six people/’links’ between ourselves and any other person in the world. I however feel that this story is testimony to a different kind of link, a common ground if you like. The fact that 235,000 people should take an interest in helping a complete stranger is proof of, I think, an innate kindness that no

Just a game: in the new Monopoly, players can ruin opponent’s properties by building sewage plants

from a society that teaches children WR NQRZ WKH LPSRUWDQFH RI Ă€VFDO responsibility (after all, you don’t want to end up bankrupt) and negotiation, to one where children win the game by ruining another player’s “property.â€? There are many unforeseen circumstances that could result from the playing of Monopoly City. Should we be reinforcing to our youth the idea that in order to get ahead, you must destroy someone else? Imagine the potential for destruction for an avid Monopoly Cityplaying adolescent. We already have enough problems dealing with acts of vandalism in our cities as is, why reinforce the technique? Taking a step away from the negative consequences this game could have on the potential of youth be-

haviour, think about how one destroys another player during the game; sewage plants. Society is taking drastic measures to ensure that we are becoming a more eco-friendly world. With debate on greenhouse gasses and each of us leaving a carbon footprint, people are on edge about how their actions can affect the future of the earth. So playing a game where you have the ability to create potential environmental harm is also sending mixed signals to youth who are playing the game. We put pressure on video game creators and pop stars for the signals that they are sending youth, but I think we underestimate the value that simple board games have on development.

mere social change can take away. With this in mind, surely this case also shows the unfathomable capacity for good within the online community. Cameron commented on this in his press release saying: “if the whole online community could be optimistic, full of hope and good will, then the possibilities for our capabilities know no bounds.â€? I certainly share this opinion and believe it could also be applied more generally to the mass media. Optimism and good will breeds optimism and good will, and in a time when recent headlines revolve around political hatred, the economic crisis and environmental catastrophe it’s fair to say we could all do with a little optimism. A call that 6 music presenter Jon Richardson has taken to heart. The Sunday morning show includes The Happy Hour where, the show’s website claims: “it’s all about the good things in life, full of reasons to be cheerful and stories of ‘good deeds.’â€? Russell Howard too showcases his optimism with his Thursday night VKRZ Âś*RRG 1HZV¡ ZKLFK Ă€QLVKHV with a weekly upbeat news story. I’m not trying to suggest that being nice to each other is anything new, or indeed that negative events should not be reported. But instead I would simply like to consider whether these shows and individuals indicate a new trend in the great mass media. Are we, after years of reading about celebrity squabbles and watching hateful arguments on Big Brother, sick of ‘Bad News’? Next time someone asks you: “what do you want, the good news or the bad?â€? Answer with a resounding “Good.â€?

The hidden cost of Primark value Craig Johnson Primark has just announced a massive 20% jump in sales for the year WR6HSWHPEHUZLWKSURÀWVXSWR £252m. Whilst higher-end clothing retailers such as Marks and Spencers and Debenhams have seen their profits diminish, Primark continues to soldier on, sales buoyed by those who don’t want to spend too much on clothing in an economic downturn. Yet there is a downside to this seemingly fairytale story. A large proportion of the workers who make the garments we see sold in Primark live in Bangladesh. This is probably no surprise to you. It is also probably no surprise to you that these workers do not get paid a reasonable living wage. However, the depth of their suffering is probably unbeknown to most of you. I simply ask two questions: why do we not know the true facts of exploited foreign labour?

And why do we ignore it so often? 7KH DFFHSWHG GHÀQLWLRQ RI D OLY ing wage is one that enables workers and their families to meet their needs for nutritious food, water, shelter, clothing, education, healthcare and transport as well as providing for a discretionary income. Through research conducted with the International Labour Rights Foundation, the facts become evidently clear; workers in Bangladesh do not get paid anywhere near enough. Karmojibi Nari, a working women’s solidarity group, took a selection of the main items that Bangladeshi workers consume daily, LQFOXGLQJULFHPLONà RXUÀVKDQG vegetables.  ,Q 0D\  WKLV EDVNHW FRVW DQ individual worker 52.50 Bangladeshi taka (Tk). This was multiplied by three (two adults, two children). A family basket therefore costs Tk157.50. This equals around $2.30. It is estimated that workers in Bang-

ladesh get paid $1 a day. %XW LI ZH UHWXUQ WR WKH GHÀQLWLRQ RIDOLYLQJZDJHZHÀQGWKDWIRRG is just one of a number of criteria WKDWFRQVWLWXWHVLWVGHÀQLWLRQ However, this is not just about money. Sweatshop workers in Bangladeshi factories are often forced to work 60 hours a week in sweltering, dirty conditions which have a huge impact both mentally and physically on a person’s health. The combination of this and statistics on wage lead us to the conclusion that workers who provide clothing for chains such as Primark are both substantially underpaid and increasingly overworked. War on Want, a charity focusing particularly on the exploitation of foreign workers in relation to British companies, has published two widely respected reports on such matters, readily available on the web, linking sweatshop workers directly to the high street stores they supply.

In the past this link has been difÀFXOW WR SURYH EXW JDUPHQW ZRUN HUVWKH\LQWHUYLHZHGFRQÀUPHGWKDW they were sewing for Primark. Primark threw up their hands in horror and denied any responsibility. But they know full well what goes on in these factories. When they demand lower prices from factory owners there is only one variable they can cut - labour costs. When squeezed by the buyers, owners will slash those expenses in any way they can. The sequel report, Fashion Victims II, investigated the same factories and found that, far from standards rising, the workers’ plight had ZRUVHQHG DPLG KLJK LQà DWLRQ DQG increasing fuel costs. People rely on the jobs, but they desperately need to be paid a living wage. Now I don’t claim to want clothing retailers such as Primark to take their business elsewhere. Bangladesh needs these contracts, of that there is no doubt. But if Primark can

UHSRUWVXFKKXJHSURĂ€WVLQDQHFR nomic downturn, then they surely need to face up to the results of their actions. Primark no longer denies the terrible conditions in which many Bangladeshis live, because they can no longer seriously do so. Instead they go on to argue that they receive too much criticism when other companies do the same. This may be a valid point, but the truth remains that Primark is admitting exploitation and with such YDVWSURĂ€WVQRZLVWKHWLPHWRDFW Ten years of fashion chiefs policing themselves via voluntary codes and self-regulation have catastrophically failed. If governments around the world are so keen to reduce global poverty, then now is the time to enforce companies to provide accepted living wages around the world. Only then can Primark post news RI SURĂ€WV ZLWKRXW WKH WUDLO RI JXLOW that will inevitably follow.

10

Monday 23 November 2009 THE COURIER

COMMENT

Focus: health Are we Drink up - 40p per unit supposed won’t make a difference

to eat more or less? Annabel Robertson A new draft report made by the SciHQWLĂ€F$GYLVRU\&RPPLWWHHRQ1Xtrition (SACN) has stated that it is now safe for adults to consume up to an extra 16% of our daily recommended allowance. This is about four hundred calories, which, for those of you who aren’t DYLG FDORULHFRXQWHUV \RX¡OO Ă€QG LQ an average sized cheeseburger, two cans of lager, three slices of toast and butter or a portion of chips. It seems safe to assume that most people sit down to eat and are (blissfully) unaware of exactly how many calories are on their plate. And even if they are aware, that wouldn’t stop them wanting to eat it. So when we’re told we can have an extra four hundred calories a day, should that really make a difference to us? Apparently it should, especially if it means we can eat a cheeseburger a day, as well as our standard three meals, without putting on weight. The current guideline advises a daily intake of no more than 2000 calories for women, and 2500 for men, and was developed by doctors and nutritionists in 1991.The research used in this new report re-assessed how much energy is required for the average day, based on the re-evaluation of how much activity is done. The results showed that the guideline from 1991 may be too low. The draft proposals will go out for a two week consultation before guidelines DQGUHFRPPHQGDWLRQVDUHRIĂ€FLDOO\ changed, as they do raise a few obvious questions. As we’re all aware, obesity is on the increase in Britain, to the point where it has even been described as an ‘epidemic’. Between 1993 and 2006, the percentage of obese people over the age of sixteen has increased from 15% to 24%, and if things continue in this direction, one-third of adults will be obese by 2012. Ministers are now considering re-labelling the packaging of food, drawing more attention to the calorie content. By doing this, they’re putting more emphasis on the importance of calorie counting, and staying within the suggested number. This begs the question, why would the Committee even release this information, let alone make it the ofĂ€FLDO JXLGHOLQH ZKHQ SHRSOH DUH more overweight than ever in the UK? There is the concern of sending out the wrong message to people who are already overweight. Tam Fry, of the National Obesity Forum, told The Times “this is not a green light to eat yourself sillyâ€?, and the Committee, which includes doctors and some of the leading nutritionists in Britain, have said that it is by no means safe for all adults to eat that much more each day – and there lies the catch. The Committee stipulates that increasing exercise by about an hour a day is necessary if you increase your calorie consumption. So basically, you have to exercise more if you eat more. Which, to be honest, we could have all worked out for ourselves.

Danny Kielty The Scottish Government’s renewed attempts to bring in tough measures on alcohol have once again highlighted the pitfalls of trying to mix taxation with temperance. The radical new reforms will include: minimum prices per unit of alcohol (40p); a ban on discount ‘buy-one-get-one-free’ deals; restricting the display and marketing RI DOFRKROLF SURGXFWV WR VSHFLĂ€F DUeas in off-sales premises, as well as ‘social responsibility’ fees for some retailers. This would mean that the ÂŁ7 24pack of lager and cheap supermarket ‘own brand’ vodka so many of

The taxation fails to realise that an increase in price isn’t going to stop the average town moor drunkard from getting his daily cache of White Lightning us students cherish would become a thing of the past in Scotland. You may be thinking: ‘that’s a problem for the Scots, we’re in Newcastle’ - think again. Finland have already imposed higher prices on alcohol and the French only this week called the heads of the bar and cafĂŠ industries to Paris in order to work out tougher measures on alcohol. Surely it won’t be long before our own government follow suit. But are the Scottish proposals just? Or does higher alcohol taxation fail to grasp the complex relationship different sections of society have with the substance? None of us can seriously deny that alcohol is a problem to many in society. In Scotland at least, many argue WKDWKLJKHUWD[DWLRQLVMXVWLĂ€HG5H-

FHQW ÀJXUHV VWDWHG WKDW 6FRWODQG has to deal with 1500 drink related deaths every year, and the death rate from liver cirrhosis now higher than the EU average. ,¡OOEHWKHÀUVWWRVD\WKDW,FULQJHRQ a night out when I have to witness some tanked-up idiot who doesn’t know their limits being hoisted into the back of an ambulance. It’s a clichÊ, but just think of the amount of more serious emergencies A&E nurses, ambulance crews and SROLFHRIÀFHUVFRXOGEHDWWHQGLQJWR if our tanked-up idiot had realised that those last three jager-bombs probably weren’t the best idea. So, surely a clamp down on cheap alcohol and higher taxation would make this kind of drunken scene a thing of the past? Realistically, I think not. The problem with trying to crack down on cheap alcohol, restrict marketing and remove discount GHDOVLVWKDWLWLVXQIDLUà DZHGDQG unworkable. It would reduce the amount us students could afford to buy, but would it really stop any of us from getting drunk? No. Another problem is that a blanket increase in taxation is basically some half-hearted and stealthy attempt at 19th century-style temperance. The taxation fails to realise that an increase in price isn’t going to stop the average town moor drunkard from getting his daily cache of White Lightning, so why should it stop the average hardworking student from enjoying a good night out? In my opinion, if people receive proper education from an early age, ZH FDQ DOO DYRLG WKDW KRUULÀF ULGH in the back of the ambulance and as well as ever getting to the stage where we are propping up a park bench for the rest of our lives. Penalizing a population underestimates the drinking habits of the majority, and fails to solve the problems of the minority.

Butchered by the cosmetic surgeon’s knife Katie Bayles We’ve all done it. Sitting around the TV with friends or poring over a magazine, how many of us have commented that “she’s had surgery� or “I wonder how much she paid to look like that?�

Many of these surgeries are quickly gaining reputations as ‘chop shops’ and the NHS is being left to pick up the pieces Plastic surgery used to be the prerogative of the celebrity, a way of keeping age from catching up in order to ensure they remain in the public eye. And yet in recent years the number of people like you and me having unnecessary surgery has soared. Despite the recession, people are choosing to scrimp and save in order to afford breast implants, eyelid

lifts and botox. What’s even more worrying is that this ever-growing industry is one that isn’t being regulated, relying on marketing and two-for-one offers to draw in the customers. It’s not just for the girls either, with increased media attention towards unsightly traits such as ‘man-boobs’ ensuring that more and more of their customers are male. New products are appearing on the market all the time, and unknown to those desperate to try them out, many are untested. Cosmetic surgeries have been under increasing criticism from the media, who have accused them of using high pressure techniques in order to try to sell their products. Rather than a proper consultation with a doctor, customers have been subject to little more than highly persuasive sales pitches, boasting of unrealistic ‘scarless’ treatments. To a rational reader this is a ludicrous claim, realising that these highly invasive procedures are fairly likely to leave some traces upon your skin. However, the people who

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are self-conscious and vulnerable, and to them this sounds like the perfect offer. Also on the rise are surgery holiGD\VZKHUHFXVWRPHUVĂ RFNWRFOLQics abroad for cheaper surgery. The prospect of returning from sunny climes with a tan and a new nose is one that is becoming increasingly popular, but comes with huge risks. Many of these surgeries are quickly gaining reputations as ‘chop shops’ and the NHS is being left to pick up the pieces when surgery does inevitably go wrong. Our health service is then forced to use time and resources on what should be used for much worthier reconstructive surgery. The cosmetics industry is one that preys on the vulnerable, on a society that are being taught to think that there is such a thing as the ‘perfect body.’ These people cannot be blamed for such a mindset though; the celebrity-obsessed culture that we

have grown up in seems to ensure that we all have some complex or another. It’s everywhere, from magazines to TV to models pouting down at us in the huge posters that adorn 7RSVKRS¡V ZLQGRZ %RG\ FRQĂ€dence is at an all time low, and is an issue that we are all aware of but don’t really seem to know what to do about. A tiny proportion of the media seems to want to address this, the most notable examples being the Dove campaign for real beauty, and programmes such as ‘How To Look Good Naked’, both of which celebrate the ‘real’ woman. But since most of us don’t have an Auntie Gok to turn to and with most of the media still buying into this idea of perfection, it hardly seems surprising that more and more of us are considering turning to cosmetic surgery in order to make us feel better about ourselves.

THE COURIER Monday 23 November 2009

11

COMMENT

M. CASIMIR

Protect not judge Jack Stevenson It is known as the world’s oldest profession; yet prostitution continues to stir mixed feelings around the globe. If British society was classed as puddings, prostitutes would be stacked with the arctic rolls at the back of the supermarket freezer. Long associated with poverty and hard drug use, it is not unusual to hear of prostitutes dying at tragically young ages on the news. Indeed, the job can be dangerous; there was that case just a few years ago of a man murdering several sex workers in Ipswich, not to mention Jack the Ripper. The fact that brothels and solicitLQJLVLOOHJDOLQWKH8.UHà HFWVKRZ we view prostitution as a nation; as an under the counter, sleazy, turn– your–nose–up-to kind of activity. No self respecting person here would ever contemplate it.

seen oddly there just as in Britain. Moreover, it has been suggested that up to 15% of American men have paid for sex at some point in their lives, meaning that the liberalisation of the sex trade there wouldn’t MXVWœEHQHÀW¡WKHIHZLQVRPHSODFHV as many would probably suspect. There are almost certainly many guys, and girls, out there whose only reason for not using a prostitute is that it is criminal. There are many moral arguments against completely liberating the sex trade, and perhaps for completely criminalising it. Religiously, prostitution will always have its strong opponents, as it has done throughout the ages. Many who aren’t religious would also oppose it, citing self-respect, self-control and the ideals of monogamy as grounded and just reasons against it. But in this liberal age many hold the view that nearly everything

Glamourising prostitution is nothing new: Toulouse - Lautrec, Reine de Joie (1892)

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Enter Dr Brooke Magnanti; a successful British, thirty-four year old medical research scientist, working at Bristol University. Well respected by her peers, she is continuing her research at the moment and will perhaps later pursue a literary caUHHU6L[\HDUVDJRVKHZDVMXVWĂ€Q ishing her PhD, oh, and working as a call girl... “What? How does that one work?â€? I hear you gasp. Well, Magnanti has very recently revealed herself publicly to be the author of the popular Belle de Jour blog. It details her life from 2003 until today, working as a call girl (called Belle) with all that that entails. Brooke chose to become a prostitute to raise the money to complete her PhD, and has since stated, somewhat controversially, that she enjoyed it. This occurrence, of a successful, ambitious, intelligent woman granting sex for cash, certainly throws a spanner into the works of our established stereotype. So will Britain ever come around to the idea of legalising and even advertising a ‘safe’ and ‘managed’ prostitution system, where brothels can stand beside simple massage parlours? Perhaps, given Belle’s story, it should. They do it everywhere else it seems; it’s legal in Germany, and in Amsterdam it has been estimated that one in thirty women works as a prostitute. That’s not to say that prostitutes are seen in a better light in somewhere like the Netherlands; to choose to be a prostitute would be

should be allowed, and if it happens to be dangerous or risky, or precariously close to being labelled immoral, just get the government to regulate it. Simple. Obviously, the idea of allowing nearly everything means that some things certainly should not be allowed. Things like murder, assault and, herein lies the stump on the road to a cathouse on every corner; rape. A 2003 study of 854 working prostitutes uncovers the reality of prostitution for some women. It found that over 70% of the women had been physically assaulted whilst working as prostitutes, and 60% had been raped. Of this 60%, more than half had been raped repeatedly. Many of the women who face these ordeals go on to develop post traumatic stress disorders which ruin their lives. )URP WKHVH KRUULÀF ÀJXUHV LW DS pears that Belle is a special case. It seems she was lucky. Or perhaps it was the fact that she worked for a well managed agency that makes her different. The men she serviced also happened to pay £300 per hour. Belle is clearly very different to the 854 women in the study. It is the experiences of these women which justify the negative connotations we attach to prostitution, and these women who need our help, not our intolerance and ignorance. Prostitution is not the problem; the lack of protection for those who enter into it is.

Morals, anyone? James Stubbs Columnist

I’ve not done it, but I know people who would, have and do. Paying for sex is a subject hushed under the carpet in our nice little island kingdom, but I like to think that more often than you’d guess it’s not entirely dismissed by us as an easy way to get laid. As with any good debate to have in the pub it tends to split opinion, with some shying away behind their drinks while others, perhaps riding on the back of some Dutch courage or just through unabashed VHOIFRQĂ€GHQFHUHYHDOWKDWWKH\ would, have, or do. And why not? If you can bypass that initial pang of discomfort from years of being told that something is wrong, then the idea is a simple one; pay money and in return you get a service, hopefully with a smile, but never mind if not – chances are in that position you can go without. There is a huge assumption that in order to have sex you must be in some kind of relationship, however unloving it may be. Well, is this cash exchange not a kind of relationship? All non-girlfriends I’ve slept with I at least know the names of, even if I’ve not seen them again. I mean, we’re friends on Facebook, but with some of them that friendship is as empty as the initial physical act was of emotion. That’s what it is – a physical act. Like an exciting fairground ride, you give someone (hopefully smelling nicer and with a few more teeth) some money, and get your fun on. As a teenager one of my favourite lyrics from The Bloodhound Gang went: “I want my next chick anorexic/ The winner is the thinner/ Won’t have to take her skinny ass out to a fancy dinner.â€? Poor taste aside, it highlights the simple truth that we all in a way pay to have sex at some point through the act of courtship. I’m not saying that buying a girl a pizza is going to get her into bed, but the lengthy process of dating eases us into desire. If we already know what we want why not just pay the money sans meal for two? Of course, it’s never so simple and there’s a darker side to prostitution than just sex. According to The Independent: “there are around 80,000 people working as prostitutes in the UK. Up to 70 per cent were coerced into prostitution as young people and 90 per cent of these have Class A drug habits.â€? Ouch. Perhaps we should be selective in where we source our sex workers? But just as every man who uses them isn’t a perverse creep with a penchant for stabbing (I know of good looking, normal young members of society who have paid for sex – they were just horny and lazy), not all prostitutes are junkie messes who leave their babies in bins. It pays the rent. Is paying for sex wrong? Sometimes. It’s up to you.

12

Monday 23 November 2009 THE COURIER

COMMENT

Should the Queen’s Speech have gone ahead with only seven months to the election? YES James Brown 1LFN &OHJJ ODVW ZHHN FODLPHG LQ DQ DUWLFOH IRU The Independent WKDW WKLV \HDU·V 4XHHQ·V 6SHHFK WKH DQ QXDORIÀFLDORSHQLQJRI3DUOLDPHQW VKRXOGEHFDQFHOOHG ,W ZDV D À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·V 6SHHFK SDVVHG EHIRUH WKH HOHFWLRQRI0D\ &OHJJ DOVR SUHVXPHV WKDW /DERXU ZLOOORVHWKHXSFRPLQJHOHFWLRQDQG QRWEHDEOHWRFRQWLQXHZLWKWKHOHJ LVODWLRQ SURSRVHG OHDYLQJ WKH QH[W FRKRUWRI03VWRGHDOZLWKLW 7KDWROGDGDJH´DZHHNLVDORQJ WLPHLQSROLWLFVµUHPDLQVWUXHDORW FDQ FKDQJH LQ VHYHQ PRQWKV DQG &OHJJVKRXOGQRWZULWHRIIWKHJRY HUQPHQWMXVW\HW 7KH SRLQW RI WKH VWDWH RSHQLQJ RI 3DUOLDPHQW DQG DOO WKH SRPS FHU HPRQ\ DQG UHJDOLD WKDW JR ZLWK LW LV WR EHJLQ D QHZ VHVVLRQ RI 3DUOLD PHQW LW KDV DOZD\V EHHQ VR DQG LW

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FHLYHG D UDWKHU ÀHUFH EDFNODVK WR WKHLU XQSOHDVDQW DFWLRQV 3ULQWLQJ 0U %URZQ·V SRRUO\ZULWWHQ OHWWHU LV RQHWKLQJVXUUHSWLWLRXVO\UHFRUGLQJ KLVDSRORJHWLFSKRQHFDOOLVTXLWHDQ RWKHU 2QHFDQRQO\KRSHWKDWWKLVVHQGV DFOHDUPHVVDJHWKHPHGLD·VSRZHU WRLQÁXHQFHFDQEHKHOGLQFKHFNE\ WKH IDLUPLQGHG DQG MXVW QDWXUH RI WKHFROOHFWLYH%ULWLVKSXEOLF A. KAWALEK

THE COURIER Monday 23 November 2009

13

COMMENT

Letters to the Editor The Government were right to let NXEC fail Sir, I was quite disappointed with the piece that Nicholas Fidler produced on National Express (A tragedy of the Commons). National Express East Coast was allowed to go to the wall because it failed to maintain its premium payments.

National Express made the decision to hand back the franchise, not the Government. They could have quite easily supported the franchise (by cross-subsidising it from the other parts of the group) if it wasn’t for a poor investment they made in the Spanish transport sector. The reason the Government bailed out the bankers is that they are our bankers and had a lot of our money. By subsidising the National Express East Coast contract, we would have been subsidising the Spanish trans-

port network and probably lining the pockets of the Cosmen family (based in Spain). The railways are estimated to be absorbing ÂŁ5 billion per annum in subsidy. How much more can we MXVWLĂ€DEO\ SXW LQ GXULQJ D UHFHVsion? National Express East Coast was a disaster for the East Coast route. Apart from free WiFi and some of the cheap tickets, the service delivered on board has plummeted since they took over from GNER. When you are paying ÂŁ200 for a ticket, the customer service is what matters and the failure to deliver that has thwarted some of the

growth. This is the same company remember that introduced £5 seat reservation charges on top of very KLJKUDLOIDUHVRQHRIWKHÀUVWWKLQJV that the unaccountable state monopoly will be removing). The Government should have cruFLÀHG 1DWLRQDO ([SUHVV (DVW &RDVW because they failed to maintain their premium payments. $V/RUG$GRQLV6HFUHWDU\RI6WDWH for Transport) quite rightly said, �It is simply unacceptable to reap the EHQHÀWVRIFRQWUDFWVZKHQWLPHVDUH good, only to walk away from them when times become more challenging.� Many of the other rail operating

JURXSVDUHPDNLQJVLJQLÀFDQWORVVHV as well and are not handing back their franchises because they didn’t over-stretch themselves like National Express did with their Spanish acquisition. The market is doing nothing for the railways. There is no market. It LVDJORULÀHG3XEOLF3ULYDWH3DUWQHUship, where the Government makes decisions on the timetables, rolling stock and whether you are going to get a cup of tea on the 17:03. PETER DIXON

If it’s not cost-effective it won’t work Katy Covell In any other social sphere, working to promote an idea or movement before then advocating infrastructures that oppose its development would not only appear extremely stupid, but also completely hypocritical. It would however seem that this doesn’t apply to politics, or at least not where the environment is concerned. The Government is constantly backing environmental awareness programs and campaigns, but what is it actually doing to support them and ensure their success? Sure, there’s an awful lot of talk DQGSURPLVHEXWLW¡VSUHWW\GLIÀFXOW WR ÀQG HYLGHQFH RI DQ\WKLQJ DFWXally getting done. Just last week Barack Obama acknowledged that time had run out

to ensure a legally binding climate deal at the Copenhagen summit in December. Instead, as David Adams wrote in The Guardian: “Postponing many contentious decisions on emissions targets [...], leaders will instead try to reach a political agreement in Copenhagen that sends a strong message of intent.� Intent does not promise action, and this is why it is not international summit agreements that will kickstart our attempts in slowing climate change. There can be no doubt that they will play an important part in continuing to support environmental efforts but, to coin a phrase, charity starts at home. The website for the UK government awareness campaign, ‘Act on CO2’, gives advice on everything

from insulating your house to growing your own fruit and veg, but perhaps the most interesting read is the page entitled: ‘What Government is doing’ (insert you own witty oneliner here).

There is another factor WKDWZLOODOZD\VLQĂ XHQFH the severity of my laziness: money One of the emboldened ‘aims’ is: “Encouraging people to use low carbon travel: Part of the Government’s solution is to make public transport an accessible, attractive, low carbon and easy-to-use option for individuals and businesses by providing VXEVWDQWLDOĂ€QDQFLDOVXSSRUWIRUWKH rail and bus sectors.â€?

Yes, we can switch off the lights when we leave a room and turn the tap off when brushing our teeth, but it makes a relatively small difference in comparison to if we all took the train instead of driving or taking VKRUWKDXOà LJKWV Now, I am a student and will readily admit to suffering from bouts of laziness and revelling when offered a cosy car journey, but there is anRWKHU IDFWRU WKDW ZLOO DOZD\V LQà Xence the severity of my laziness: money. A car is expensive so I ride a bike. No, I can’t offer a (comfortable) lift or air conditioning but it’s cheaper and, what’s more, better for the environment. Everybody knows that trains are IDU PRUH FDUERQ HIÀFLHQW WKDQ FDUV and planes, and often just as comfy and hassle-free, but when it’s cheap-

HUWRĂ \IURP1HZFDVWOHWR/RQGRQ than it is to get the train, climate change fears go out the window. Whilst all of Britain’s main parties have agreed to the building of a European-style fast network, some existing train fares are expected to rise by up to a whopping 15% in the New Year. The Government’s inability to lower public transport fares – call it refusal or ignorance - completely undercuts the environmentally driven motives behind the plans laid out in the ‘Act on CO2’ campaign. Global emissions targets will only EHPHWLIWKHFXUUHQWGRPHVWLFĂ€QDQcial arrangements that are obstructing progress are altered. Estimated Ă€JXUHV DUH DOO ZHOO DQG JRRG EXW results are immeasurably better.

THE COURIER Monday 23 November 2009

15

Walking on someone else’s crutches Life & Style Editors: Larisa Brown, Alex Felton and Ashley Fryer - courier.life@ncl.ac.uk

> Health and Beauty, Page 16

The Penny Pincher

Restaurant Reviews The Forth Hotel, Pink Lane Joshua Shrimpton Dean After-work crowds can often be blamed for rendering a bar devoid of any atmosphere. The suits sip a Bud or two and chat drolly to the skirts who share a bottle of Chardonnay. Everyone stands and nobody can get to the bar.

Settle Down CafÊ, Thornton St. Alice Vincent There’s a little-known part of Newcastle out the back of China Town. Alongside impressive views of city walls, contemporary culture and a few niche shops lies the Settle Down CafÊ. Situated down on Thornton Street, it’s come from good origins – originally the second half of the most highly rated record shop in the city, Alt. Vinyl, Settle Down has provided a lovely little sandwich-provid-

Behind this bar though, the Forth’s fridges are full. You can have organic ‘cyder’ or any number of unpronounceable lagers. There are those strawberry beers wrapped in paper that the suits like to order when they are feeling cultured and want to impress. Any of these can be served in an elaborate glass with opulent gold writing.  %XW WKHUH LV GHĂ€QLWHO\ PRUH DWPRVSKHUHKHUHWKDQ\RXPLJKWĂ€QG in some of the Blackberry-drenched Grey Street bars. The moderately rustic theme continues into the dining areas with the ing sibling to this part of Grainger Town. Settle Down by name, settle down by nature. It’s hugely calming – a nice hybrid of city folk picking up anti-Pret sarnies, hippy mums with cute kids munching olives, and people getting a bit of me-time on the provided apple mac computers. It’s not big, but it’s certainly clever, and the tunes on offer are as perfect as you’d expect from a place still annexed to Alt. Vinyl. The menu changes constantly, and once the handmade paninis and ciabattas are gone, they’re gone. Also made fresh daily are the salads – I opted for broccoli and sesame seed, although there was a scrumptious looking cous cous on offer too.

exposed brickwork and mismatched furniture, complemented by subdued and warm lighting. A kind of downbeat samba allows for a mellow yet energetic environment. People are huddled around tables, talking, laughing and listening. The menu is uncomplicated and typical of any gastropub. I opted for the spinach and lentil burger and was too inquisitive to resist the chips with ‘Bloody Mary’ ketchup. Rosemary roasted roots also sounded too good to miss. The burger was fresh and obviously homemade, but there’s no excuse for good food being let down by bad bread.

The roasted roots turned out to be a delightful mix of turnips, parsnips and carrots. As expected, the Bloody Mary ketchup was pleasantly intense on the tongue and livened up the perfectly cooked chips nicely. Prices are upwards of £7 for a main, with sides and desserts costing around £4. With a glass of wine and a pint costing £6.50, the Forth may be on the pricey side for students, but it’s more than worth the trip. Just come in early to avoid those suits.

Four quid will provide you with both a sandwich – the choices included smoked ham and cheese, goat’s cheese and caramelised onion, and spicy pepper and houmous – and a choice of salads. Each salad is freshly prepared on site and given out over the counter with a smile and a wave by the really friendly staff. If you’re on a budget, then homemade soup is £1.90 and fair trade and organic tea (a pot of) from £1.50. That’s way before the cake selection. As you’d expect from freshly produced, organic ingredients, the food is gorgeous. But Settle Down’s merits stem way past that – I sat happily reading for an hour before meeting my chum

without buying anything, utterly XQGLVWXUEHGDQGDIWHUZH¡GÀQLVKHG our lunch there was no feeling of being rushed out – something rare to ÀQG DQG WUXO\ WR EH FKHULVKHG LQ somewhere so small. And it’s in this that Settle Down really succeeds – atmosphere; something essential for all successful cafÊs. It may be tucked away, but Settle Down’s well worth hunting out. After all, once you’re there, chances are you’re going to be well settled in for a while as it seemed nigh on impossible to leave this haven.

and we were enlisted to help with the pint challenge in Bar 42. Things begin to get a little hazy from this point onwards, but we do remember the unappreciated amount of extra blusher we seemed to acquire thanks to smudged and sweaty face paint disasters. A few trebles later, and we headed to Mushroom. However, the journey there wasn’t easy because the team insisted on playing bizarre games which inYROYHGOD\LQJRQWKHà RRURUSUHVVing oneself against the wall; alarmed at what our fate would be if we failed to join in, we reluctantly followed, totally bewildered. Jules checked his itinerary and we VDZ WKH ÀQDO GHVWLQDWLRQ ZDV %OX Bambu; however, the night’s antics did not end there. Further make-up checks for us and

even more drink for the boys, and then we all headed to Tiger Tiger, where the night was in full swing. Arrogantly expecting discounted entry along with the lads (“We’re with the football team, don’t you NQRZ"Âľ  ZH ZHUH PRUWLĂ€HG WR EH FKDUJHGIXOOSULFHDQGOHIWĂ€VKLQJIRU pound coins in our clutch bags. Nevertheless, we had a fabulous time and, true to most messy nights, it ended with Emma’s head hovering over the toilet seat for quite some time. Lessons were learnt indeed; we cannot keep up with the male pace in general, let alone the hardcore football lot! Congratulations to Team America, the champions of the night’s challenge! We hope to be invited along again sometime. Please, boys?

Girls go Loko on football night out Emma Lowde & Tess Pollard Two shivering girls, fake tan stained and wearing too much eyeliner, rocked up at the reputable Brandling and to their horror were greeted by a huge crowd of semi-naked footballers from Intra Mural team Lokomotiv FC. Faced with the challenge of what it’s like to be a lad, we were pretty apprehensive judging by the tales of infamous socials of the past. Let’s just say we’re not exactly heavyweight – we shared a shot, for goodness’ sake! We certainly felt out of place amidst the pint-gulping lads, who were disguised as differHQWĂ DJVWKHLUERGLHVPHVVLO\SDLQWed from head to toe. Team-mate Daniel was even sporting some green tights, which he was adamant were not a Primark bargain. The night was set to take place in the form of a competition as the team were split into groups representing different continents. After a rushed drinking game of ‘God Save the Queen’ and the strange appearance of dog biscuits, ZH ZHUH WROG WKDW 3DFLĂ€F EDU ZDV the next stop on the crawl. After hitting Blueline on speed-dial, Jules, the ‘social secretary,’ told us that the

banter-fuelled walk was not to be missed. We tottered along in our killer heels, freezing cold, and dragging ‘the rapist’ in tow by a dog lead (no questions asked). Essays and reading were far from our minds so it was an utter shock when smartcards were whipped out and the grubby looking boys gatecrashed the library! We were relieved to get out of the cold but have never felt so overdressed in all our lives. $EVROXWH QLJKWPDUH 3DFLĂ€F ZDV short-lived and we were left very confused when we returned from our rather long toilet break (makeXS FKHFN  WR Ă€QG WKH ER\V FRYHUHG in gift bows. We spilled onto Northumberland Street and the boys had a quick tugof-war game, which we excitedly mistook for limbo. On the way to Bar 42, we were chased by an intoxicated Northumbrian student, smeared in lipstick; he and his friends continued to chant about how posh we were, whilst our lads shouted back, “Polly is a girl’s name!â€? The friendly rivalry continues... Toilet piping seemed to magic itself out of Jules’s bottomless pockets

Rowan Taylor Columnist

Lesson 7: Banks The bank will keep your student loan safe, in a locked underground vault somewhere. Actually, probably not, but at the very least your bank will look after a number on a screen. All banks are not created equal, however, and the faint whiff of student is enough to have them salivating with joy. It’s not too late to apply for a student account or switch your existing one. NatWest’s free railcard offer has been pulled for this year, but all the others are still out there. Other money gurus advise students to ignore the freebies on offer and plump for the account with the largest overdraft. I don’t necessarily agree, because many freebies are genuinely valuable, and access to more money can often promote reckless spending. However, banks are clever machines and know that most people will stick with the same bank after graduation. Prove them wrong, and don’t let a freebie buy you for life. Abbey has now set up shop in the Union where the cloak room used to be, and they want your business. Their student account gives you £50 free cash and a £2,000 interest-free overdraft. Those likely to have serious money issues should look at Halifax, who offer an interestfree overdraft of up to £3,000 VWUDLJKWIURPWKHÀUVW\HDU 7KHÀQDQFLDOO\GLVFLSOLQHGFDQ apply for the largest interestfree overdraft possible and stash the surplus in a high-interest savings account. I’ve done the sums and, amazingly, this can earn £105 a year. Bear in mind that interestfree money does not mean free money; you will always need to pay it back, and be sure to avoid unnecessary bank charges by paying bills on time and staying within your overdraft limit. Online banking is no longer exclusively for the risk-taking minority. Banks are increasingly forcing us online with paperless email statements. Online banking lets you check the health of your account all day and night, so no need to change out of your dressing gown, just stay sitting at your desk. When you’re setting up your WiFi network, and giving it a witty or offensive name, make sure you protect it with a password to block those prying eyes. Finally, as to the issue of multiple student accounts, all I’ll say is that I’ve got three of them... Next week Lesson 8: Accommodation

16

LIFE & STYLE

Monday 23 November 2009 THE COURIER

Health & Beauty

Health & Beauty

Finding your Achilles’ heel Aimee Philipson 1. If you are a fellow hair dyer, you will know the perils of dying skin as well as hair. To avoid the tell-tale brown/red smudged forehead, apply Vaseline all around the hairline before you put the dye anywhere near your face. 2. Forget expensive nail varnish. A wise manicurist once told me that the only quality varnish you need is the base coat, the colour and top coat can be as cheap as you like! 3. Washing your hair with baby shampoo might make you broody but it will also make your hair incredibly soft. (same applies for baby oil). 4. Always, always, always use moisturiser and/or foundation which includes SPF – your skin will thank you for it in thirty years. 5. Invest in a lipgloss/blusher combo which can be used to quickly refresh your face after the gym or a hard day at uni. It’s cheaper, it’s small and it’s fast. Stephanie Ferrao It is said that you need to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes before you understand their situation; for me it was a case of hopping. Having played for the University’s Badminton team for the past two years, regular training sessions were nothing unusual for me. However, two weeks earlier and 11 points into a game of singles, I jumped for a shot and felt a sickeningly audible snap in my achilles. Unable to stand-up, I was carried off the court and assured that with VRPH LFH DQG LEXSURIHQ ,¡G EH ÀQH in a couple of days. Convinced that it was only a sprain, I attempted to hop around P\KRXVHLQDVLOO\à DWIRRWHGIDVKion until my slightly more sensible housemate suggested that I visit the NHS Walk-In Clinic. In no time at all I was carted off to Newcastle General Hospital where I ÀQDOO\OHDUQHGWKHIXOOH[WHQWRIP\ injury: a ruptured achilles tendon, my leg in a cast for 9 weeks and worst of all, no badminton for six months. Having never had any real injuries

before, the shock of my movement being compromised was immediate. Facing two long months of relying on crutches, it really was an eyeopening moment of comprehension as to what life is like with a permanent physical disability. A fortnight into my new way of living, and hopping around the house on crutches, climbing the stairs on my arse and showering with a plastic bag on my leg have gradually become second nature. The bigger issue is getting back to normality outside of the house. My involvement with several clubs and societies means that I need to be in the Union on a fairly regular basis, DQG,ZDVVKRFNHGWRÀQGKRZGLIÀFXOW LW LV WR JHW WR FHUWDLQ SDUWV RI WKHEXLOGLQJWKH&RXULHURIÀFHLWVHOI is impossible to get to without tackling stairs on either side! To be fair though, all of the University’s academic buildings are very accessible, and the recent building works on the Quad have vastly improved the mobility for those on crutches or in wheelchairs. One integral part of my university life that has taken a backseat has of course been going out at night.

My injury preceded my 21st birthday celebrations by a week, so I decided to curtail my original plans of going out and getting mashed, and instead threw a house party...and got mashed there instead. House parties and casual drinks DW WKH SXE DUH ÀQH EXW DIWHU VHYeral embarrassing and painful slips on wet leaves and other pedestrian obstacles, I’m not ready to take on WKH VOLSSHU\ à RRUV RI 7LJHU 7LJHU Wednesday just yet. Kudos though, to my fellow sportsinjured players who have soldiered on out on the Toon, even if they are body-guarded by friends. We all know what it’s like to be pushed and shoved a bit or have drink spilled on us, but I’m not sure if I could cope with skidding across WKH GDQFH à RRU DIWHU VRPH GUXQN goon trips over my crutches! The logistical issues of crutches are obvious – it’s not as if you can tackle the VK-strewn stairs in Blu Bambu or even attempt to slide past drunk people on the Sam Jacks steps. With this in mind, I did a bit of personal research into disabled access for some of Newcastle’s larger clubs: after emailing around,

I discovered that while many of them do have lifts available, it can still be impossible to get to the bar or smoking areas. One incident close to where I live at home made local news when a disabled student was denied access to a nightclub after staff claimed that her crutches could be used as weapons. As a compromise, security staff told the girl, who suffers from a bone disease, that she could enter if she forfeited her crutches. Claiming that it was a blatant breach of disability rights legislation, the inFLGHQWNQRFNHGKHUFRQÀGHQFHVXEstantially. +HU SOLJKW KLJKOLJKWV WKH GLIÀFXOties of young disabled people who want nothing else than to join in and enjoy the social activities of their peers. With a substantial amount of time still to go, I’m gradually becoming better friends with my crutches and my new way of life. ,W¡V GLIÀFXOW EXW ZLWK VR PDQ\ people going through the same, if not worse, problems every day, I certainly won’t be forgetting the experience when I’m walking again.

How to... get perfect glowing skin, despite the winter cold Frances Kroon It’s a sad, but true fact that along ZLWK VQRZ EDOO ÀJKWV DQG ORJ ÀUHV winter brings with it a vicious assault on your skin: I for one have terrible eczema during the winter months. However, vanity winning over, it is the visage with which I am most concerned: and during these cold months, without regular moisturisHU,RIWHQIHDULWPD\LQIDFWà DNHRII

leaving me with severe dandruff of the face and resembling some form of leper. Dream! Aside from my twice a day moisture routine, there is however one other ritual I swear by. This particular golden nugget of info I in fact learned from serial ‘poo sniffer’ Gillian McKeith. But don’t let that put you off, it’s cheap and it works! But what is it, I hear you cry! Honey! Golden, sticky and really good

on toast, honey is the way forward. Basics, you slather it on your face and neck, leave it on for about ten minutes, then rinse it off. Do this whenever you feel a bad case of ‘skanky skin’ coming on, or as and when you like. In manner of a L’Oreal advert – here’s the science: the proteins contained in honey help to replenish the skin, and the antiseptic qualities help prevent blemishes, not to mention it’s a hundred percent all natu-

ral ingredients, courtesy of the bees of 2009. R.I.P. At two quid a jar, it beats many of those snazzy overpriced face packs, plus if you accidentally get any in your mouth, (happens to the best of us) it ain’t a problem as it’s ruddy gorgeous, yummy honey. Unfortunately all the hydrocortisone in the world won’t get rid of my scabby eczema arms, but at least my face is all a-glow with honey goodness.

6. Tea tree oil can protect open cuts and sores but it’s also a great spot remedy. Dilute a couple of drops in water and apply to spot with a cotton bud. It will FDOPWKHLQà DPPDWLRQDQGFOHDU any infection. 7. After you’ve been to the gym, a cold shower might be the last thing you want but it’s the perfect aftershock for your skin after hours of sweating(!). It tones and brightens and is a great adrenaline rush. 8. Look brighter-eyed by using a white eyeliner to dab a few dots in the corners of your eye sockets by your nose. It will reduce the look of redness and make you appear more wide awake – perfect for nine am lectures. 9. To get super soft hands and feet, apply a thick layer of moisturising lotion and immediately put on socks and gloves – this works best as you’re getting into bed. Also you might want to keep a pair of gloves and a pair of socks separate especially to use for this as it can get messy. 10.Last but by no means least, one of the best ways to look slimmer and to become more FRQÀGHQWLVWRJRDQGJHWDEUD ÀWWLQJ ² \RX ZLOO QHYHU UHJUHW wearing the right size bra!

Inside today >>>

Brand new puzzles Puzzles, page 35

THE COURIER Monday 23 November 2009

17

Fashion

LIFE & STYLE

View Askew

Fashion

Kathy Jackman Columnist

Campus Style Larisa Brown & Alex Felton Life & Style Editors

Claudio Carvalho

Electrical Engineering Beanie, ÂŁ30, www.emporioarmani.com Jumper, ÂŁ20, Marks and Spencer Jeans, ÂŁ30, Zara

Michael Anigbo Electrical Engineering

Beanie, ÂŁ5.99, Sports Direct T-shirt, ÂŁ9.99, Next Jeans, ÂŁ14, T J Hughes

Saad Aqeel

Electrical Engineering Jeans, ÂŁ5, Primark

Email courier. life@ncl.ac.uk to nominate your friend for next week’s Campus Style

Shoes, ÂŁ10, Primark Shirt, ÂŁ8, H & M Jumper, ÂŁ15, Primark Beanie, ÂŁ10, Market, Pakistan Bracelet, ÂŁ40, Bench

It’s what’s underneath that matters Alice Vincent Underwear. Technically, it’s only you, and lucky lovers, and potenWLDOO\ XQIRUWXQDWH Ă DWPDWHV ZKR see it. So why does it need to be so pretty? Precisely because it’s only your nearest and dearest, and, importantly, you, that get to see it. Underwear is the garment equivalent of Usher’s preferred female, “a lady on the street, but a freak in the bedâ€?. You can be wearing the prime picks of a librarian’s wardrobe, but underneath anything could be going on. Underwear is the easiest, most glamorous and most self-indulgent way of tapping into your sex life – whether it’s happening or not. The most common misconception of underwear is that it’s for the love of your life. Big No. Blokes invariably care far more what’s in your pants than what they’re made of. I’ve been caught in a very rare Bridget Jones moment and the dif-

ference in time-before-removal between cotton gruns and Agent Provocateur raw silk efforts is null and void. Men just don’t care. )XUWKHUPRUH WKH\¡G EH KRUULÀHG if they really knew how much that Myla set really cost. No no, pretty pants are for girl-appreciation only. As a result, there’s a hell of a lot of it on the market. Some girls will spend small fortunes on hideously impractical but absolutely gorgeous shoes, others on back-breaking handbags, and the latter category? The ladies with a smalls addiction, and my loan is majorly suffering as a result. The luxurious fabrics, the beautiful prints, the attention to detail in the trimmings and the fact that so much effort is put into something so small‌underwear, it’s the ultimate luxury and my biggest vice. The fact that an average Agent Provocateur two piece set will set you back upwards of £120, throw in the suspender belt and you’re looking at

RYHU … ² LW¡V WRWDOO\ MXVWLÀDEOH LQ my book. It’s more than the material garment, it’s that AP have got the entire shopping experience nailed, DQG VDWLVÀHG FXVWRPHUV LQYDULDEO\ leave with post-coital tingling, even when it’s only their purses that have been penetrated. Stepping into an Agent Provocateur store is like entering another world, one where they play Kate Bush and everything’s covered in pink and black silk. Changing rooms are boudoirs, with pink robes hooked up on the wall, and for a couple of hours you can indulge in living out your alter ego. :KHWKHU\RXJRIRUWKHSUHWW\à Rral efforts or the kinkier demi, or even just underwire cage options, Agent Provocateur has something for every gal to release her inner goddess. Underwear is also not exempt from following the latest trends. Granted, it may only be a nod – although

the Gaga-esque leather bustiers are number one on my Chrimbo list ² EXW \RX¡OO ÀQG D ELW RI D FDWZDON amongst the best designers. What’s been hugely noticeable of late is the move towards retro styling, with high waisted knickers and longline bras. What Katie Did is the queen of vintage-inspired lingerie, and well-made old school glamour gives the ultimate ladylike kick. If you’ve got no curves, giant pants and a six-inch long, front fastening bra will make them. If you’ve got them, then that garb sure knows how to show them off.  ,I \RX¡UH VWLOO EX\LQJ à HVKFROoured cardboard mesh all-function, QRà DLU EUDV DQG VLWWLQJ DURXQG LQ knickers that give you four buttocks instead of two, then darling, just one look at M&S’s Christmas ad will be enough to convince you you’re doing it all wrong – and once you’ve seen the light, there’s no going back.

On Tuesday the 20th of April, 1999, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold went to their school and proceeded to injure 21 and kill 12 of their fellow students and one teacher before committing suicide. This was later to be known as the Columbine High School Massacre. No one truly knows what compelled these two young men to carry out such an atrocity, but the blame eventually got pinned on the boys’ GHSUHVVLYHQDWXUHDQGWKHLQà XHQFH RI YLROHQFH LQ PXVLF ÀOP and video games. Now, I’m willing to concede that the level of gratuitous violence in our media has been steadily escalating over the years. Movies like the Saw franchise are getting churned out month after month and there always seems to be a new Grand Theft Auto game hitting the shelves. They glorify cruelty and violence, it’s true, but are they really to blame for the awful things people do? Can we honestly say that listening to the works of Marilyn Manson, one of the PXVLFLDQV VSHFLÀFDOO\ WDUJHWHG in the Columbine case, will drive you to slaughter innocent people? There are a lot of reasons as to why we behave the way we do: the way our parents raise us, the areas we grow up in, the friends we keep. I have seen my fair share of blood and gore, and I’ve played a violent game or two, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to take a knife and stab someone. For me, that sort of stuff is cathartic; a good way to get out my stress and aggression. For someone else it could easily be an incentive, an excuse for someone emotionally or psychologically ready to take it to the next level. 7DNH WKH KRUULÀF PXUGHU RI Jamie Bulger in 1993, a toddler who was abducted and tortured to death beside a disused railway bridge. The two boys convicted, Jon Venables and Robert Thompson, were only ten years old; yet it was later revealed that instead of attending school they would sneak back home to watch Video Nasties. Isn’t it a parent’s responsibility to protect their children from excessive violence until they’re mature enough to handle it? Morality is a very loose concept; everyone has a different idea of what’s right and what’s wrong, but in our society murder is very much a black mark on its moral compass. Yet it happens nearly every day, all over the world. There has got to be a more developed answer to why this keeps on happening; we can’t simply say that the responsibility lies with the copy of Hostel in the killer’s DVD collection.

18

Monday 23 November 2009 THE COURIER

LIFE & STYLE

Sex & Relationships

Sex & Relationships

Ask SeĂąora Rosa

SeĂąora Rosa is back from replacing Brucey on Strictly to lend an ear to all your kinky desires. Email or write her a poem at courier.life@ncl.ac.uk SeĂąora,

SeĂąora,

SeĂąora,

SeĂąora,

My girlfriend and I have been dating for several months, and I really like her. I want to broach the subject of anal sex. She is quite a conservative girl and I’m not sure how she will take it. She has talked about bondage before, but I’m not sure if she was joking, and I don’t want to bring it up in case she thinks I’m weird. What do you suggest I do?

I’ve been really unlucky this year and ended up living with a really promiscuous girl. She literally brings home a different guy every night, and as she is in the room next door I can hear practically everything. She is really loud, and surprisingly, so are the guys she brings back! I feel really weird about the whole thing, and sometimes I just want to cry! What shall I do?

,¡PLQDUHDOO\GLIÀFXOWVLWXDWLRQEH cause we are starting to decide who to live with next year, and I really don’t want to live with my friend Sarah. She is extremely annoying and so hard to live with, but because she is part of my friendship group, and we are supposed to be best friends, I don’t know how to tell her. What would you do?

:K\RKZK\GRDOOER\VKDYHVXFK DQREVHVVLRQZLWKDQDO"" ,I\RXZHUHUHDG\IRUWKLVNLQGRI VWHS WKHQ \RX ZRXOG EH FRPIRUWD EOHHQRXJKZLWKHDFKRWKHUWREULQJ LWXS:K\GRQ¡W\RXZDLWXQWLO\RX NQRZHDFKRWKHUDOLWWOHEHWWHUDQG \RXFDQEHWWHUDVVHVVKRZVKH¡GUH VSRQGWRWKLVNLQGRISURSRVDO" After all, anal is quite different IURP ERQGDJH ² ZKHQ \RX VD\ VKH WDONHGDERXWLWSUHYLRXVO\\RXUJLUO friend probably just had innocent LGHDVRIà LPV\KDQGFXIIVDQGIXUU\ FRFNSRXFKHV,GRQ¡WWKLQNLWZDVD PDVVLYHKLQWWKDWVKH¡GUDWKHUOLNHWR be bent over some time soon.

There are a couple of options. Number one: you use this as an excuse to truly embrace being young, free and crazy and bring home as many guys in retaliation! Go on, slut it up and challenge her! The beauty of this is that you’ll be KDYLQJ WRR PXFK IXQ DQG PDNLQJ WRRPXFKQRLVHWRHYHQWKLQNDERXW RUKHDUZKDW¡VJRLQJRQQH[WGRRU +RZHYHU WKLV FRXOG SURYH UDWKHU tiring, even for the most experiHQFHG RI VOXWV VR 1XPEHU WZR Say something! She probably has abVROXWHO\QRLGHDKRZORXGVKH¡VEH LQJDVLQWKDWNLQGRIVLWXDWLRQ\RXU mind is usually on other things‌

I’m living with my girlfriend at the PRPHQW :H JRW WRJHWKHU LQ ÀUVW year and I thought it would be a good idea for us to live with each other in second year. Unfortunately though, I can’t stand her. I just want to go out and have fun but she is having none of it. The only thing is, if I split up with her, we will not only have to live together for the next few months, but share the same bed. Is there a solution?

7KLV VRXQGV OLNH D TXHVWLRQ IURP Mizz magazine, the magazine aimed at pre-pubescent teens! Who says that you’re supposed to be best friends? You’re at university QRZ\RX¡UHPDWXUHHQRXJKWRPDNH \RXU RZQ GHFLVLRQV DQG QRW IROORZ \RXU à RFN LQWR ZKDWHYHU VRFLDO FLU cles they dictate you should be in! If \RXGRQ¡WSDUWLFXODUO\OLNHWKLVJLUO WKHQZK\DUH\RXIULHQGVZLWKKHU" Not only is this friendship unfair on you, as it forces you into situations such as this, but it’s really unfair on her. 1RZ SXW \RXU \R\RV SRJV DQG 3RNpPRQFDUGVEDFNLQ\RXUVDWFKHOWLH \RXUVKRHODFHVDQGJURZXS

+RZ FRXOG \RX SRVVLEO\ QRW KDYH UHDOLVHGKRZPXFK\RXGLVOLNHGKHU last year? $ KXJH SDUW RI PH ZDQWV WR WHOO you simply to grin and bear it, for getting yourself into this situation. +RZHYHU DOO , FDQ VXJJHVW LV WR ÀUVWO\ WU\ DQG VHH LI WKHUH LV DQ\ SRVVLEOH ZD\ WR UHNLQGOH WKLV UR mance – there must have been something special that brought you WZR WRJHWKHU LQ WKH ÀUVW SODFH DQG \RXPXVWKDYHOLNHGHDFKRWKHUDORW to decide to live together.

Taboo or not taboo? Sarah Taylor 3rd year English Literature Email courier.life@ncl.ac.uk to nominate your friend L. BROWN

Danya Bazaraa Being young should be all about experimentation. It should be about ÀQGLQJ RXW ZKDW LW LV \RX ZDQW LQ OLIHDQGZKRLWLV\RXZDQWLQ\RXU life. Normally I’d say: act your age and enjoy life- you shouldn’t rush into long-term decisions such as engagement. It’s easy to get caught up in WKHURPDQFHZLWKRXWDFWXDOO\WKLQN ing carefully if engagement is the right thing for you. 7KLQN DERXW ZKDW WKLQJV ZLOO EH OLNHDIWHUWKHœKRQH\PRRQSHULRG¡LV over. When you’re young your character is still developing. The person \RXDUHLQWKHÀUVW\HDURIXQLYHUVLW\ is often not the same person that you become by the end of your degree. (YHU\RQHJURZVDQGOHDUQVIURPWKH H[SHULHQFH ZKLOVW EHLQJ LQà XHQFHG E\WKHSHRSOHPHWDORQJWKHZD\ :KDWZLOOKDSSHQZKHQ\RXEHJLQ to realise each other’s faults and an-

noying habits? The divorce rates in this country DUHHVFDODWLQJDQGTXLWHIUDQNO\WKH statistics really don’t need to be addHGWR$VDVWXGHQWWKHÀUVWSULRULW\ should be sorting out your career; WKDW¡VZKDWZH¡UHKHUHIRUDIWHUDOO But, if you’ve thought about all these things and you’re still determined to get engaged then maybe LWVKRZVWKDWVRPHFRXSOHVDUHMXVW meant to be together. Some of your SDUHQWV ZHUH SUREDEO\ FKLOGKRRG VZHHWKHDUWVDQGDUHVWLOOWRJHWKHU 3HUKDSV LI \RX NQRZ ZKDW \RX ZDQWDUHSRVLWLYHLWIHHOVULJKWDQG \RXZDQWWRVSHQGWKHUHVWRI\RXU OLIH ZLWK VRPHRQH WKHQ \RX VKRXOG just go for it?! 7KH WKLQJ LV DOWKRXJK ZH VKRXOG EH ZDU\ DERXW VXFK D VHULRXV FRP PLWPHQW ZH VKRXOGQ¡W ZDVWH WLPH WLPHLVSUHFLRXV/LIHLVVKRUWPDNH the most out of it and grab onto those you care about.

Confessions of... a heartbreaker Pamela Mardle “It’s better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at allâ€?. 7KLVORYHVLFNIHOODREYLRXVO\QHY er dated me. 2NVR,¡PQRWH[DFWO\SURXGRI LW,GRQ¡WJRDURXQGZLWKDSODF DUGRQP\QHFNVWDWLQJKRZPDQ\ hearts I’ve claimed and crushed, bragging that I’ve driven men to ZDQGHUWKHPRRUVIRUHWHUQLW\LQ the name of love. But I’ve had it done it to me and ,¡YH GRQH LW LQ WXUQ ZKDW FRPHV around goes around babe. I recall one lad turning up at P\ KRXVH IRU RXU Ă€UVW RIĂ€FLDO GDWHLHKHZDVDFWXDOO\JRLQJWR VKRZ PH VRPHZKHUH RWKHU WKDQ his bedroom). +H ZDV LQ KLV EHVW MHDQV DQG UHHNHG RI DIWHUVKDYH EUDQGLVK ing a single red rose in his hand. /LWWOHGLGKHNQRZ,¡GDOUHDG\GH FLGHG,ZDVGRQHZLWKKLP Feigning gratitude at his cliFKpG JHVWXUH , TXLFNO\ VKRYHG WKHZLOWLQJĂ RZHULQDGLUW\SLQW JODVV NQRZLQJ IXOO ZHOO LW¡G EH RXWZLWKWKHELQVWRPRUURZ I can be a sensitive soul, honHVWO\ EXW ZKHQ D JX\ WKURZV D VWURS OLNH D SUHVFKRRO EUDW \HV ,¡P WDONLQJ VWRPSLQJ IHHW KXIIV of injustice, the lot) after I tell him LW¡VQRWZRUNLQJRXW²FRGHIRU,¡G rather resign myself to a life as *RUGRQ%URZQ¡VPLVWUHVVWKDQEH WDNHQRXWE\\RXDJDLQ,WHQGWR become a bit unsympathetic. A besotted long-distance ex felt the need to tell me he thought I ZDVWKHRQHWKHĂ€UVWWLPHKHFDPH to visit. 7KLV RYHUZKHOPLQJ GHFODUDWLRQ ZDVDFFRPSDQLHGE\DQHYHQLQJ of crying into my chest and lessthan-convincing “ahhâ€?s and “mmâ€?s on my part. Rule 1 boys: do not give the JDPH DZD\ 7+$7 IDVW /HW¡V just say this guy spent the next 18 months in tears (I gave him a chance; see I’m not that bad). When it came to ending this UDWKHU FULQJH ZRUWK\ VRLUHH WKH Ă RRGVZRXOG127VWRS ,NLQGDIHOWEDGEXW DOO,FRXOG IRFXVRQZDVWKHVQRWEXEEOHWKDW had formed on his lip – “no reDOO\ D JRRGE\H NLVV ZRXOG MXVW PDNH LW WKDW PXFK KDUGHUÂľ 6HH ya. Oh, and another thing: you have WRXQGHUVWDQGWKDWLIDJLUONQRZV VKH FDQ JHW ZKDW VKH ZDQWV DQG JHW DZD\ ZLWK ZKDW VKH ZDQWV she’s going to do it. 6RLI\RXGRQ¡WOLNH\RXUSLHFH Ă LUWLQJVWD\LQJ RXW DOO KRXUV generally being a less-than-ideal girlfriend, say something. ,I\RXDFWOLNHDZDONRYHUJLYLQJ us the cold shoulder but eventuDOO\JLYLQJLQZHZLOOZDONRYHU you, guaranteed. ,I \RX GRQ¡W VD\ DQ\WKLQJ ZH eternally retain the excuse that ´, GLGQ¡W NQRZ LW PDGH \RX IHHO WKDWZD\ÂľDQGFDUU\RQZLWKRXU KHDUWEUHDNLQJ EHKDYLRXU UHJDUG less. 5HDGLQJ EDFN RQ WKLV , UHDOLVH WKDW , KDYH D ELW RI D FUXHO WUDFN record, but all I’m saying is guys, SOHDVHJURZDSDLU

THE COURIER Monday 23 November 2009

19

Sex & Relationships

LIFE & STYLE

L. BROWN

Sex and the Univer-sity Vanessa Costello Columnist

6H[XDOIDQWDVLHVGRWKHVHPHQLQXQLIRUPÀRDW\RXUERDW"

Is three really a crowd? Katherine Bannon Sexual fantasies are like Bertie Bott’s HYHU\ÁDYRXUEHDQV 7KH\ UDQJH IURP ÀUP SXEOLF IDvourites to those so outrageous it’s H[FHHGLQJO\HYLGHQWWKH\ZHUHRQO\ FRQMXUHG WR UHSXOVH DQG VKRXOG UHPDLQZKDWWKH\DUHDIDQWDV\ 'HWDLQHG LQ WKH SODVWLF FRQWDLQHU DQG VFUHHQHG IURP WKH SXEOLF H\H XQWLOWKH\FDQEHSURSHUO\GLVSRVHG RIOLNHRWKHUUHMHFWHGIRRGVWXII6XFK DVWKHGHEULVIURPWKHERWWRPRIWKH FHUHDOSDFNHWDQGFRIIHH5HYHOV  ,Q WKH PL[ WKHUH·V VRPH SUHWW\ VWDQGDUG RQHV XS IRU JUDEV VKDUHG E\ WKH SRSXODWLRQ LQ WKH VDPH ZD\ \RXFDQDOVRÀQGWKHPLQDSDFNRI ZLQHJXPVRUIUXLWSDVWLOOHV 7KH\ DUH \RXU VWUDZEHUULHV DQG OHPRQVEODFNFXUUDQWV DQGRUDQJHV 'RPLQDWLRQ VXEPLVVLRQ UROHSOD\V DQGWKUHHVRPHV ,Q VH[ WKH SRZHU FDUG LV DQ H[FHSWLRQDOO\ EDWWHUHG $FH RI 6SDGHV ZKRVH FRORXU ZLOO QHYHU IDGH GHVSLWHKRZRIWHQLW·VSXWLQWRSOD\RU KRZURXJKWKHJDPHPLJKWEHFRPH 6RPH ZRPHQ ORQJ WR EH WLHG WR EHGSRVWVWRKDYHWKHLUKDLUJUDEEHG

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20

Monday 23 November 2009 THE COURIER

LIFE & STYLE

Travel

Travel

Some Like It Hoth Liam Healy & Roger Cartwright When we were given the opportunity to visit Lapland by the The ScienWLĂ&#x20AC;F&RXQFLOIRU5HFRUGLQJDQG2E serving Tribal Uittupaeae Methods, we were more than a little excited. We too heard the usual spiel about GRLQJUHVHDUFKDEURDGIRUDGHJUHH and decided to explore the opportunities available. /DVW &KULVWPDV RXU $UFWLF H[SH GLWLRQ EHJDQ DV ZH Ă HZ WR ,YDOR ORFDWHG LQ WKH EDUUHQ ZDVWHODQG RI Finnish tundra. 2XU JDSLQJ MDZV ZLWQHVVHG WKH horror that our eyes could not; they didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have Toblerone. $IWHURXULQLWLDOGLVDSSRLQWHGKDG DEDWHGZHZHUHJUHHWHGE\D&RXQ FLO5HSUHVHQWDWLYH7KLVPDQZRXOG become our mentor, our spiritual guide, and our protector. +LVQDPHZDV2ODI 6WDQGLQJ  IRRW SURXG DV KLV VLO KRXHWWH EDVNHG LQ WKH JORU\ RI WKH HWHUQDO )LQQLVK VXQVKLQH 2ODI EH KHOG XV HYDOXDWHG XV DQG WKHQ Ă&#x20AC; nally shook our hands. Later he would reveal that in those IHZPRPHQWVKHNQHZZKHWKHUZH would live or die in Finland. Monty Python once suggested )LQODQG ZDV IXOO RI 3RQ\ WUHNNLQJ camping and televisions. We saw QRQHRIWKLV:HVDZVQRZ /RWVRIVQRZKDUGVRIWFOHPHQW E\WKHHQGRIWKLVWULSZHFROODWHGD OLVW RI  DIIHFWLRQDWH VRPH QRW VR VXFKDVWKHÂś) .0(7+$76&2/' VQRZ¡ QDPHVIRUVQRZ 2XUWULSZDVWREHVSHQWFROOHFWLQJ GDWDDW2ODI¡V6QRZ/DELQWKH1RUWK

2VWURERWKQLD UHJLRQ RQ WKH DQFLHQW DUWRI8LWWXSDHDHDWULEDOPHWKRGRI UHLQGHHUVNLQQLQJ$VWZRHGXFDWHG and sophisticated white, lowerupper-middle class Britons; this appeared to be rather barbaric and vulgar; however, we always heeded Motherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s advice to try something new. So we got stuck in. $ W\SLFDO GD\ FRQVLVWHG RI ULVLQJ DW GDZQ RU WKH QHDUHVW \RX¡G FDOO GDZQ LI WKH VXQ HYHU DFWXDOO\ VHW LQ IDFW ZH RIWHQ VXVSHFWHG ZH¡G only actually been asleep around 45 PLQXWHV EHIRUH ZH ZHUH ZRNHQ E\ 2ODI DQG WROG LW ZDV ÂśGDZQ¡FRPH WR WKLQN RI LW WKHUH ZHUH QR FORFNV DQG 2ODI KDG VROLWDU\ DFFHVV WR WKH RQO\ WLPHSLHFH%XW , GLJUHVV  DQG ÂśIHDVWLQJ¡ RQ ZKDWHYHU YHJHWDWLRQ DQG RIIDO WKDW ZDV VWUHZQ DURXQG WKHFDPSVLWHDIWHUWKHIHVWLYLW\DQG PDGQHVVRIWKHQLJKWEHIRUH 2ODI ZRXOG WKHQ EDWKH QDNHG LQ DQ LFHSRRO EHIRUH VLQJLQJ WKH WUD GLWLRQDO .XWVX .lVLYDUVLLQ OLWHUDOO\ WUDQVODWHGDVÂś&DOOWR$UPV¡  This cry would be met by the VSLQHFKLOOLQJKROOHURIWKH6FDQGDQ DYLDQ5RKLUULPIRUWKH\FRQVLGHUHG themselves to be thus) as they brandished their machetes and rode out to catch the morning reindeer. We would watch. This process was repeated a remarkable 16 times during our 11 days there. When the men returned, the skinning would begin, songs ZRXOGEHVXQJDQGDKHDUW\Ă DJJRQ RI)LQQLVKPHDGZRXOGEHLPELEHG E\ WKH 5RKLUULPZH ZHUH RIIHUHG none. We were then expected to carry the

FDUFDVVHVIURPRQHVLGHRIWKHFRP SRXQGWRWKHRWKHUIRUQRDSSDUHQW reason while then men drank and laughed. Even more remarkably, this process was repeated a record 19 times! :KLOVW WKH FXUUHQW FOLPDWH RI LQ FUHDVLQJ QXPEHUV RI JUDGXDWHV IRU GHFUHDVLQJ QXPEHUV RI MREV FDQ PDNH WKH LGHD RI VRPH UHVHDUFK DEURDGRQ\RXU&9VHHPDSSHDOLQJ LQUHDOLW\WKHVHDUHWKHODVWIHZ\HDUV \RX ZLOO KDYH HQMR\LQJ \RXUVHOI DW University while the government throws money at you. 'RQ¡WZDVWHWKHPKDXOLQJVNLQOHVV UHLQGHHUDFURVVIUR]HQWXQGUDLQWKH FRPSDQ\RIOHZG)LQQLVKPHQ :H OHIW IHHOLQJ DV %HQGHU GLG Âś, came here with a simple dream: a GUHDP RI NLOOLQJ DOO KXPDQV $QG this is how it must end? Whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the real seven billion ton robot monster KHUH"1RW,1RW,¡

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7RURQWHUULĂ&#x20AC;F Alex Felton Life & Style Editor $V LW VLWV RQ WKH FXVS RI /DNH 2Q WDULR 7RURQWR LV &DQDGD¡V Ă&#x20AC;UVW DQG largest city. $V\RXĂ \LQDFURVVWKHZDWHUDQG in towards the city at night, the EHDPLQJOLJKWVRIWKLVVWXQQLQJPH tropolis twinkle in the distance and the closer that you get, the brighter they become until you realise that you are no longer above the vast H[SDQVHRIZDWHUEHORZEXWLQVWHDG amongst the busy sprawl that you FDQVHHSHHULQJRXWRIWKHZLQGRZ :LQWHULQWKHVHSDUWVLVNQRZQIRU WZR WKLQJV VRFLDOLVLQJ ZLWK IDPLO\ DQG IULHQGV DQG GHVSHUDWHO\ WU\LQJ to stay warm. 7KH WHPSHUDWXUH DW WKLV WLPH RI \HDU IUHTXHQWO\ UHPDLQV EHORZ IUHH]LQJ DQG WKH HQWLUH FLW\ HLWKHU VWD\V LQVLGH RU EL]DUUHO\ HQRXJK goes underground. :LWK DQ H[SDQVLYH QHWZRUN RI underground railways, the metro VHHPV WR EH WKH VDIH KDYHQ DZD\ IURPWKHELWWHUFROGRXWVLGH %DUVUHVWDXUDQWVDQGVKRSVDUHIRU WKHPDMRULW\KRXVHGDZD\LQPDOOV DZD\ IURP WKH KDUVK ZHDWKHU RQ the pavements outside, where mitWHQVDUHDQHFHVVLW\QRWMXVWDIDVKLRQ statement. 7KHFLW\KDVPXFKWRRIIHUWKHZDQ dering tourist, and due to having

IDPLO\ WKHUH , KDYH EHHQ EDFN DQG IRUWK VHYHUDO WLPHV RYHU WKH \HDUV DQG HDFK &KULVWPDV VSHQW LQ &DQD GDUHYHDOVIXUWKHUKLGGHQJHPVWKDW ,GLGQ¡WNQRZH[LVWHG The tourist trail takes into account the usual sights and attractions that appear on any brochure, including WKH GRPLQDWLQJ &1 7RZHU ZKLFK VWDQGV WDOO LPSRVLQJ LWVHOI RQ WKH VN\OLQHDVZHOODVWKH5RJHUV&HQWUH RULJLQDOO\ FDOOHG WKH 6N\'RPH EH IRUH LW JRW FRPSOHWHO\ /ODPEDVWHG  and the other giant skyscrapers that dominate downtown. +RZHYHU SHUKDSV WKH EHVW Ă&#x20AC;QGV DUH DOZD\V KLGGHQ DZD\ IURP WKH XVXDO WRXULVW EHQGV EXW \RX MXVW KDYHWRORRNIRUWKHP Shopping is varied and you can get nigh on anything with a myriad RI VSHFLDOLVW LQGHSHQGHQW VKRSV RQ every corner. 7KH8QLYHUVLW\RI7RURQWRFDPSXV VSUHDGV DFURVV WKH PLGGOH RI WKH FLW\DQGWKLV\RXQJDQGYLEUDQWIHHO VHHSVLQWRWKHHYHU\GD\IHHO 6KRSV OLNH 7KH &RQGRP 6KDFN where every shop assistant has to have personally tested every prodXFWLQWKHVWRUHQRPHDQIHDW,WHOO \RX =LJJ\¡V$W+RPHRQ&ROOHJH 6WUHHWDQGWKHSOHWKRUDRIVPDOORXW lets and stalls in St.Lawrence Market make it a shopping adventure, ZKHUHLI\RXMXVWH[SORUH\RXZRQ¡W HYHUEHWRRIDUIURPVRPHXQHDUWKHG

gem. ,QGHHGLIWKHVPDOOLQWLPDWHVKRS ping experience doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t tickle your IDQF\WKHQWKHUHLVDOZD\VWKHJLJDQ WLF (DWRQ &HQWUH DQG WKH <RUNGDOH 0DOO ZKHUH HYHU\WKLQJ IURP 9HUD Wang wedding dresses to Toronto 5DSWRUV %DVNHWEDOO MHUVH\V DUH DW \RXUĂ&#x20AC;QJHUWLSV For something completely unexSHFWHG KHDG WR WKH LQWHUVHFWLRQ RI 'XQGDV 6WUHHW :HVW DQG 6SDGLQD $YHQXH DQG WKH YDVW &KLQDWRZQ WKDWLVLQWKHDUHD2QHRIWKHODUJHVW &KLQDWRZQVLQ1RUWK$PHULFDRQO\ MXVWEHKLQG6DQ)UDQFLVFRDQG1HZ <RUN 7RURQWR LV D PHOWLQJ SRLQW RI $VLDQ FXOWXUHV ZLWK D PL[WXUH RI &KLQHVH9LHWQDPHVHDQG7KDLFRP munities. $TXLFNKLVWRU\OHVVRQZLOOH[SODLQ LQWKHSRVWZDUSHULRGWKH&DQDGL an government needed to urgently re-populate the cities and kick start industry and business, so they introGXFHG D VWULQJ RI OHQLHQW LPPLJUD WLRQLQFHQWLYHVLQ6RXWK(DVW$VLD This has resulted in Toronto havLQJRQHRIWKHPRVWHFOHFWLFDUHDVIRU HDWLQJRXWLQ&DQDGD 3RSLQIRUDTXLFNELWHLQWRDQ\RI WKHUHVWDXUDQWVWKDWĂ DQNERWKVLGHV RI'XQGDV:HVWDQGVDPSOHDQ\RI

WKHGLVKHVWKDWDUHRQRIIHUPRUHRI WHQWKDQQRWZLWKD1RUWK$PHULFDQ WZLVW7KHVHDUHWKHUHDOH[DPSOHVRI IXVLRQFRRNLQJ When youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re ready to brave the weather and head out at night and JHWWRWKHEXVLQHVVRIJHWWLQJGRZQ then this is a city that certainly doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t disappoint. 'XH WR WKH YDVW QXPEHUV RI VWX dents at the University, all the clubs DUH FUDPPHG IXOO ZLWK UHYHOOHUV DOO LQ WKH &KULVWPDV SDUW\ VSLULW 1RW being able to go out during the day must give the Torontites? TorontHUV"7RURQWRQLDQV7KDW¡OOGR FDELQ IHYHU EHFDXVH ZKHQ WKH\ JR RXW they go big. ,WLVWKHRQO\WLPHWKDW,KDYHEHHQ KDPPHUHG LQ P\ OLIH LQ D FOXE DW three in the morning sandwiched between a porn star whose tits looked like they could have sunk the Titanic and a great dane. The dog not Hamlet. 7RURQWR KDV D ORW WR RIIHU EXW XQ less youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re in the know it sometimes JHWV ORVW RQ XV DV WKH QRYHOW\ RI French-speaking Montreal and the VNL KDYHQ RI 9DQFRXYHU RIWHQ WDNH WKHPDMRULW\RIDWWHQWLRQ 7R HQMR\ &DQDGD DW &KULVWPDV KHDGWR7RURQWRLW¡V7RURQWHUULIF

THE COURIER Monday 23 November 2009

21

Travel

LIFE & STYLE

Winter Special Natalie Hoskin

Top 5 ski resorts Natalie Hoskin A wet, cold, miserable winter on the British Isles, or fresh snow, sun and fun at a winter ski resort? Here are my top 5 places to play at over this Christmas... 1) Whistler, BC Canada. Host of the upcoming 2010 winter Olympics, this resort is guaranteed to be worth a visit. Also with the localsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; four-year snow cycle myth, this year predicts the mountain will get dumps of fresh powder for plenty of blue sky days this season. 2) If N.America is a bit of a trek for a weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s snow, Charmonix, France at the foot of Mt Blanc (4810m) is an adorable authentic alpine town with great piste runs and is adaptable for any holiday budget. 3) Switzerland boasts Saa-Fee. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The Pearl of the Swiss Alpsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; has 48 slopes for all levels of snow sports with an added bonus of a

freestyle park for the more daring of you to kicker and rail around. 4) Mayhofen, Austria, with 147km of pistes and plenty of gorgeous cosy chalets makes a brilliant ski holiday destination. But thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not the only place to stay. Mayhofen also boast the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;White Loungeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; â&#x20AC;&#x201C; an igloo village. So, for something a bit different alongside some excellent skiing and nightlife, Mayhofen is the place to be this winter. 5) Somewhere slightly off the beaten track is, Pochal, Iran. Literally on the edge of their capital city Tehran, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s easy to venture to and could nicely coincide with a city break. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a relatively unheard of spot on the tourist piste map, so Pochal promises plenty of fresh unspoilt powder snow all to yourself. However, unless youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re an Iranian speaker a guide would almost be essential to this trip.

Photo of the Week James Russell - 2nd Year Economics â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sunrise in Meribel during the Ski Season three years ago. Beautiful.â&#x20AC;? Send your travel pictures to courier.life@ncl.ac.uk and you could win ÂŁ10 worth of photo prints as well as your photo printed and framed.

This letter is coming to you from Brazil- land of Samba, Capoeira and Caipirinhas! I´m living and working in a small town called Lençois, in the north-eastern state of Bahia. The town is in the middle of a beautiful national park called Chapada Diamantina, so is the perfect base for treks to explore the many mountains, caves, rivers and waterfalls that make the region so spectacular. The project I´m volunteering with is called the Associação Casa Grande. We help the local kids, lots of whom can´t read or write, but it´s about more than just education. We teach them social skills, inform them about health issues and give them a safe place to spend time and have fun. To learn more, visit www.justgiving.co.uk/casagrandelencois. The preconceptions are right â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Brazilians are indeed the happiest people in the world. It´s probably the continuous sunshine, the copious amounts of cachaça and the music that spills out of every door and window anywhere in town â&#x20AC;&#x201C; whatHYHU WKH FRPELQDWLRQ LW GHĂ&#x20AC;QLWHO\ works for me! The project is run by a British woman called Olivia Taylor, but aside from her, almost no one speak s English here â&#x20AC;&#x201C; amazing for my Portuguese, not so good when you´re knackered and really can´t be bothered to think in another language, and a nightmare should I ever get myself into a tricky situation and need to talk my way outâ&#x20AC;ŚThankfully this hasn´t happened yet! Despite the horror stories you hear about South America, Lençois is a really safe town â&#x20AC;&#x201C; I feel more comfortable on a night out here than in Newcastle after a defeat at St James´ Park, that´s for sure! The people here have been so welcoming and friendly, and after 5 weeks here I´m pretty settled. I was lucky enough to have my 21st birthday here last ZHHN DQG SHRSOH GHĂ&#x20AC;QLWHO\ NQRZ how to celebrate, so I had an amazing time. Here in Brazil they have a really popular sport called capoeira. For the uninitiated, capoeira is a sort of martial arts/dance fusion and its VERY impressive. If you have never seen it, google it; its amazing. One RIWKHJX\VKHUHLVVWDUULQJLQDĂ&#x20AC;OP about a famous capoeirista, called Besouro. He was selected after a lengthy auGLWLRQSURFHVVDQGWKHĂ&#x20AC;OPLVJRLQJ to be released at the end of October, here and in the US. I don´t know if it will make it to England, but if itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s shown at the Tyneside you HAVE to go. In the meantime, there are clips on youtube, just search Besouro: O Filme. So, that´s my life here in Brazil. I have constantly dirty feet from wearing nothing but Havaianas. I´m constantly being accosted by groups of kids in the street who want me to carry them, kiss them or let them play with my hair. I´m forever being stared at by everyone because I´m so bloody pale. But, most importantly, I have a constant smile on my face because I´m in Brazil and life here is gooood! Try it sometime! Give my regards to the Toon, Natalie

22

Monday 23 November 2009 THE COURIER

Call the police Rob da Bank interview > TV & Radio, page 35 Culture Editor: Alice Vincent - courier.culture@ncl.ac.uk

Fenwick window: creepy or Christmassy? A. BARKER

Frances Kroon Film Editor From pigs in blankets to your Gran having one too many Sherrys and dancing round the room to Slade, &KULVWPDVIRUPHLVE\IDUWKHEHVW WLPHRI\HDU And though I may try to contain my excitement over the big build up DQGIHLJQPRFNF\QLFLVPDWWKH1R vember decorations, as soon as that Fenwickâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s display hits the window I ORVHDOOFRQWHPSWDQG&KULVWPDVRI Ă&#x20AC;FLDOO\EHJLQV )RU \HDUV QRZ WKH )HQZLFN ZLQ dow has become a tradition in Newcastle; a landmark in the run up to Christmas equaled only by 6WDUEXFN¡VVHDVRQDOFKDQJLQJRIWKH cups to red. $V VRRQ DV LW¡V XS WKHUH¡V D JXDU DQWHHGPRERINLGVWXJJLQJRQWKHLU parents sleeves, and old dears with JUHHQEDJVLQKDQGDOOKXGGOHGRXW side, getting excited about the big day. This year the window tells us the VWRU\ RI WKH &KULVWPDV 1DWLYLW\ Complete with donkeys, lambies, angles, Herod and erm chickens, it is nothing less than â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;caroltastic!â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Not only does this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s window

Mark Cocoran-Lettice Music Editor Once a year, a terror strikes me deep ZLWKLQP\VRXODEXUGHQVRGUHDG IXODQGWRUWXURXV,FDQEDUHO\QDPH it. ([FHSWWKDW,FDQ²LW¡VWKDWVLQNLQJ IHHOLQJ , JHW WKH VWDUW RI HYHU\ 1R vember when the latest â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;seasonalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; DWURFLW\ IURP )HQZLFN LV DQG XQ OHDVKHGXSRQDQXQVXVSHFWLQJSXE lic. Now, this is nothing to do with DQ\GLVOLNHRI&KULVWPDVRQP\SDUW EHIRUH \RX VWDUW XS ZLWK D FKRUXV RI6FURRJH1RGHVSLWHVRPHRIWKH PRUHWDVWHOHVVDFWVRIEDVHFRPPHU cialism that the season has becomes WDLQWHGE\HYHQDQXQEHOLHYHUOLNH P\VHOIĂ&#x20AC;QGVDORWWRHQMR\DERXWLW LW¡VDZD\WRJDWKHUIDPLO\DQGLW¡VD ZRQGHUIXOWKLQJWRORRNIRUZDUGWR DPRQJVWWKHGDUNQHVVRIWKH%ULWLVK winter. %XW DV IRU WKH )HQZLFN ZLQGRZÂŤ XUJK,WVVLQVDUHOHJLRQDQGIDUWRR many to list here. Notable though is WKHVKHHUJURWHVTXHU\RIWKHGHVLJQ RILW :KLOHWKLV\HDUPLJKWEHDUHODWLYH

EULQJEDFNWKHQRVWDOJLDRIP\\RXWK  ZKHQ , SOD\HG DQJHO Âś*DEH¡ DQG stood at the back picking my nose IRUWKHHQWLUHQDWLYLW\ZKLOVWRQHRI the thee wise men, Kelloggâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s crown DVNHZEXUVWLQWRWHDUVDWIRUJHWWLQJ KLVOLQHVEXW,WKLQNLW¡VYHU\DSSUR SULDWHLQDZRUOGRISROLWLFDOFRUUHFW ness gone mad, that the nativity is continued to be celebrated. ,Q QR ZD\ GR , FODLP WR EH D UHOL JLRXVSHUVRQ,QIDFW,¡PQRWDWDOO +RZHYHU WKH VWRU\ RI WKH ELUWK RI Christ, whether youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re religious or not, brings an importance and SRLJQDQF\ DPLGVW WKH  IRU  RQ ZUDSSLQJSDSHUDQG%RRWVJLIWVHWV  on just why we celebrate at this time RI\HDU ,W¡VDERXWIDPLO\IHVWLYLW\DQGWUD GLWLRQ$QGIRUDQ\RQHZKRKDVDVHW routine and tradition at Christmas, whether hitting up the midnight mass, having a cheeky mince pie (or VHYHUDO E\WKHĂ&#x20AC;UHLWLVXQGHQLDEOH that the Fenwick window captures this Christmas spirit, whatever it has in it. So bring on the carols, bring on the Baileyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, bring on Home Alone and PRQRSRO\ DQG WKH ; IDFWRU Ă&#x20AC;QDO ² &KULVWPDVKDVRIĂ&#x20AC;FLDOO\EHJXQ

ly tame nativity scene (as opposed to last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s $&KULVWPDV&DUROthemed 'LFNHQVLDQ ZRUNKRXVH  EHFDXVH nothing makes you want to spend spend spend like child poverty, ULJKW"  WKH FKDUDFWHU GHVLJQ QHYHU IDLOVWRPDNHPHVKXGGHU I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know what sick, deranged PLQGLVUHVSRQVLEOHIRUWKHDHVWKHWLF VLGH RI LW EXW WKH ZDUSHG HPSW\ IDFHV RQ WKH PDQQHTXLQV DUH MXVW WHUULI\LQJ 7KHUH¡VDOVRWKHVRQLFVLGHRILWDV ZHOO  &DOO PH ROG IDVKLRQHG DQG D SDVWLW WKLUG \HDU EXW LQ P\ GD\ windows were to be see through, QRWKHDUGIURP Yet when Fenwick put up their display, each year more obscenely HDUO\WKDQWKHODVW,FDQKHDULWIURP WKHRWKHUHQGRIWKHVWUHHW I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want my every walk WKURXJK WKH FLW\ IRU WKH QH[W WZR PRQWKVWREHVRXQGWUDFNHGE\KRU ULĂ&#x20AC;F V\QWKHWLF UHQGLWLRQV RI SUHYL RXVO\ FKHHULQGXFLQJ &KULVWPDV songs. I do know itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Christmas, but do you have to tell me in such a tacky way?

7KHÂżUVWVLJQRI&KULVWPDV")HQZLFNÂśVVHDVRQVDOGLVSOD\GUDZVDFURZGRQ1RUWKXPEHUODQG6WUHHW

Nick Hornby comes to Newcastle Get that festive feeling Not many people wish to attend extra lectures at university. Indeed, PRVW SHRSOH Ă&#x20AC;QG LW GLIĂ&#x20AC;FXOW WR DW tend those which are compulsory. +RZHYHU IRU DQ\ LQWHOOHFWXDO OLWHU DU\W\SHVWKLVVKRXOGEHRILQWHUHVW 1LFN+RUQE\WKHDXWKRURIAbout a Boy and High Fidelity is to give a talk RQWKHVXEMHFWRI\RXQJDGXOWĂ&#x20AC;FWLRQ and its place in the contemporary literary world. 0RUH WKDQ HYHU FKLOGUHQ¡V Ă&#x20AC;FWLRQ VHHPVWRKDYH WDNHQ D FHQWUDO SRVL tion in both the literary arena as well DVPDVVLYHO\SHUPHDWLQJWKHFXOWXU al mainstream. 7ZLOLJKW DQG +DUU\ 3RWWHU¡V SKH nomenal success have meant that people have begun to view young Ă&#x20AC;FWLRQLQDQHZOLJKW²QRORQJHULVLW a guilty pleasure to take enjoyment LQ ERRNV PHDQW IRU FKLOGUHQ DQG

teenagers. And do these series essentially TXHVWLRQ ZKDW D WH[W IRU \RXQJHU generations is supposed to involve? %RWKKDYHDVWURQJIDQWDV\HOHPHQW WRWKHPVKRZLQJDVKLIWDZD\IURP WKH-DFTXHOLQH:LOVRQVRIFKLOGUHQ¡V OLWHUDWXUH ² VR DUH WHHQDJHUV QRZ ZLVKLQJIRUHVFDSLVPRYHUUHDOLVP" Hornby is sure to question these points, as well as how literature is to FRPSHWH DJDLQVW WKH GRPLQDQFH RI television and cinema. 7KH OHFWXUH ZLOO IRFXV VSHFLĂ&#x20AC;FDOO\ RQ6NHOOLJE\'DYLG$OPRQGDZULW HU IURP WKH ORFDO DUHD ZKRVH LQĂ X ential childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s text won numerous DZDUGV ZKHQ LW ZDV Ă&#x20AC;UVW UHOHDVHG in 1998 and has since been adapted LQWRDSOD\Ă&#x20AC;OPDQGHYHQRSHUD +RUQE\ KLPVHOI KDV ZULWWHQ D YD ULHW\ RI ZRUN RYHU WKH \HDUV IURP

6ODPZULWWHQIRUWHHQDJHUVWRSRSX ODU DGXOW Ă&#x20AC;FWLRQ DQG PHPRLUV DV ZHOODVVFUHHQSOD\VVXFKDV$Q(GX cation, which is currently at cinemas to critical acclaim. 7KHDSSHDUDQFHRIVXFKDSRSXODU DXWKRULVVXUHWRPDNHIRUDQHQJDJ LQJ WDON +DYLQJ VXFK D ZHDOWK RI H[SHULHQFHLQZULWLQJKHFRXOGRIIHU DJUHDWGHDORIDGYLFHWRDQ\VWXGHQW ZKRKDVKRSHVRIIROORZLQJDOLWHU ary path. Not only is he popular with the SXEOLFKHLVDOVRDSSUHFLDWHGE\FULW LFV²DGLIĂ&#x20AC;FXOWEDODQFHWRPDLQWDLQ Being held at 5.30 in the Curtis auditorium, an educational start to DQHYHQLQJFDQPDNHXVDOOIHHOOLNH good students. ´:K\DOOĂ&#x20AC;FWLRQVKRXOGEH\RXQJDGXOW Ă&#x20AC;FWLRQÂľ1RYHPEHUSP&XUWLV $XGLWRULXP+HUVFKHO%XLOGLQJ

The popular annual Winter Ball is IDVW DSSURDFKLQJ DQG ZLWK WLFNHWV selling quickly it promises to be D IDQWDVWLF QLJKW IRU HYHU\RQH DW tending. The theme this year is â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Winter :RQGHUODQG :KLWH 7LH DQG 7L DUD%DOO¡VRDSHUIHFWH[FXVHWRJHW GUHVVHGXSWRFHOHEUDWHWKHIHVWLYH season in style. As always, the HYHQW LV EHLQJ KHOG LQ WKH *UDQG stand Suite at the plush Marriott +RWHO LQ *RVIRUWK ZKLFK DOZD\V SURYHVWREHDPDJQLĂ&#x20AC;FHQWYHQXH The date is Tuesday 1 December so a great chance to celebrate the HQGRIWHUPEHIRUHWKHKDUGZRUN RIUHYLVLRQEHJLQVRYHUWKHKROLGD\ period! (DFKWLFNHWLQFOXGHVDEXFN¡VĂ&#x20AC;]] reception; a delicious three course PHDODERWWOHRIZLQHSHUSHUVRQ

a close up magician wowing you WKURXJKRXW WKH QLJKW JUHDW HQWHU WDLQPHQW IURP RXU YHU\ RZQ -D]] Band and a DJ spinning tunes into the early hours. ,W¡V D JUHDW FKDQFH IRU HYHU\RQH WR JHW WRJHWKHU IRU D VSHFLDO QLJKW IURPFRXUVHPDWHVWRKRXVHPDWHV societies and sport teams. Tickets are ÂŁ37.50 individually RU Â&#x2026; ZKHQ ERXJKW LQ JURXSV RI ten and are available on the Union 6RFLHW\ ZHEVLWH ZZZXQLRQVRFL HW\FRXN RUIURPUHFHSWLRQDWWKH Union. 6RZKHWKHU\RXDUHORRNLQJIRUD QLJKWRIVW\OHDQGLQGXOJHQFHKDYH something to celebrate or just need an excuse to wear that gorgeous new dress, the Winter Ball may be just the answer!

THE COURIER Monday 23 November 2009

23

CULTURE

3am Girls

with $ODQ&OD\WRQ > Sally Priddle discusses 2SHUD1RUWK¡VXQOLNHO\ rising star in their latest Mozart production, Cosi fan Tutte, a show riddled with sex, drama and singing Described as a â&#x20AC;&#x153;real character, young and a football madâ&#x20AC;? kind of guy, Alan Clayton is not quite the stereotypical man who you would expect to see staring as a tenor in a Mozart Opera classic, Cosi fan Tutte. The tale is one of sexual politics in the 18th century, in which two soldiers wage a bet to test their Ă&#x20AC;DQFpHV¡IDLWKIXOQHVV,WLVDIDVFL nating play of seduction and sexual deviance with dark but humorous undercurrents. So Alan, what attracted you to opera over other types of theatre? ,GRQ¡WUHDOO\NQRZ,MXVWNLQGRI IHOOLQWRLWDQGIRXQGLWZDVVRPH WKLQJ,FRXOGGR ,GLGWZRRSHUDVDW8QLDFWXDOO\ staying on a year extra to do them. ,DOVRĂ&#x20AC;QGLWFRROWRUXQDURXQGLQ FRVWXPHVDQGGRZKDWHYHU,ZDQW ,OLNHWRVKRZRIIDQGZHOOWKDW¡V ZKDWDFWLQJUHDOO\LVVKRZLQJRII Is it hard to concentrate on everything you have to do on stage at once, breathing, dancing and all the crazy things you do? A bit but there is a long rehearsal SURFHVVRIOLNHIRXUWRĂ&#x20AC;YHZHHNV VRLW¡VDOPRVWLQ\RXUERQHVE\WKH time you perform. Though things always go wrong; you fall over, forget lines so every VKRZLVGLIIHUHQW%XW,JXHVVLW PHDQVLWGRHVQ¡WPDWWHUDVPXFK when you mess up. Do you ever get self-conscious on stage? Especially in front of such huge audiences. Concerts are worse but with theatre \RXFDQ¡WUHDOO\VHHWKHDXGLHQFH because of all the lights. 7KRXJK,ZRUU\DERXWZKHQ, FRFNXSDQG\RX¡UHOLNH´RK&KULVWÂľ and have to try and stop yourself IURPODXJKLQJ<RXDOVRĂ&#x20AC;QG\RXU mind wondering onto other things OLNH´KDYH,OHIWWKHRYHQRQ"ÂľZKHQ \RXNQRZ\RXVKRXOGEHFRQFHQ trating on the show. %XW,GRQ¡WWKLQN,RUDQ\RQHHOVH can actually be self conscious if you work in the theatre. 'R\RXĂ&#x20AC;QGLWKDUGDWDOOZRUNLQJ with different directors and so many people of different ages? 1RLIDQ\WKLQJ,Ă&#x20AC;QGLWPRUHLQ WHUHVWLQJ\RXOHDUQPRUH,PHDQ, have worked in some really boring MREVOLNHDSHWUROVWDWLRQDQGZKDW gets you through are the people. ,W¡VWKHVDPHZLWKWKLV<RXFDQ work with mates when you are cast together or with a lot of different people, some even from different ODQJXDJHVOLNHZKHQ,ZRUNHGLQ France for three months. ,Ă&#x20AC;QGLWEURDGHQV\RXUKRUL]RQ DQGLW¡VVRGLIIHUHQWWRDMRE Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s true, what would you say about the opera that would appeal to students? As some would prob-

DEO\WKLQNWKDWLW¡VROGIDVKLRQHG 7REHKRQHVW,¡PQRWDQRSHUD ORYHU%XW,ZRXOGUHFRPPHQGWKH music as its stunning. This show (Cosi fan Tutte) is written by Mozart who was such a special person, the kind of person ZKRFRPHVDORQJRQFHLQDJHQHUD tion if not ever. Everywhere you go everyone has heard of Mozart, they are recording his music or making Ă&#x20AC;OPVDERXWKLP7KHPXVLFLV incredible and, in this show, ,WKLQNWKDWLWLVSDUWLFXODUO\ beautiful. The show is also really weird, full of things like cross dressing DQGPHQSOD\LQJZRPHQSOD\ LQJPHQ6RLW¡VUHDOO\LQWHUHVWLQJ and something you can really lose yourself in. $OVR,WKLQNWKHUHLVQRWKLQJPRUH expressive than the human voice DQGQRWKLQJPRUHHPRWLYH,PHDQ it was the popular music of the day. ,W¡VMXVWJHQHUDOO\SRZHUIXOEHDXWL ful and funny. Obviously the show you are in at the moment has a lot of sexual connotations and sexual VFHQHVGR\RXĂ&#x20AC;QGWKDW at all embarrassing for you? ,W¡VQRWWRREDG,PHDQ LW¡VZHLUGNLVVLQJSHR SOHDIWHU\RXKDYHMXVW PHWWKHPDQGLW¡VDELW VWUDQJHVHHLQJP\JLUO friend kissing someone else on stage. Sometimes you end up going back stage DQGVD\LQJ´6RUU\, MXVWKDGJDUOLFEUHDGÂľ LW¡VMXVWDQRWKHUSDUW of it. By the time you perform it you have done it so many times LW¡VPHFKDQLFDO 'R\RXWKLQN&RVLIDQ Tutte can be seen as appropriate today? <HDK*RG\HDK,PHDQLW¡V about people, people being in love and struggling with it, which LQVSLUHVMHDORXV\DQGDQJHULWLVWKH most powerful emotion. ,WKDSSHQVHYHU\GD\WRHYHU\RQH unless they live in a bed pit alone. ,W¡VPDVVLYHO\UHOHYDQWDQGSHU VRQDOWKRXJKVRPHRIWKHFLUFXP stances in it are a bit unbelievable. Now if I can get a bit personal, would you ever bet on your Ă&#x20AC;DQFpH¡VIDLWKIXOQHVV" 6KH¡GNLOOPHLI,GLGLI,ZDVDQ 18th century soldier then yeah SUREDEO\EXW,ZRXOGEHPRUH likely to bet on Liverpool! How have you found that performing in theatre and travelling has changed you? ,PHDQLW¡VUHDOO\ZHLUGÂśFRV,¡P away a lot and constantly have to PDNHQHZIULHQGVEXW,¡YHJRWXVHG to it. My family used to move around a ORWZKHQ,ZDV\RXQJHUVR,Ă&#x20AC;QGLW easy making new friends. ,GRQ¡WFRPHIURPDPXVLFDO family but they are so supportive, ZKLFKPHDQV,KDYHRWKHUWKLQJV DURXQGPH,WKLQNLW¡VEHWWHUWREH ZHOOURXQGHG,PHDQ,ORYHIRRW EDOODQG,VDZ%H\RQFpODVWQLJKW VR,DPSUHWW\PXFKVWLOOPH

%H\RQFp"$ZHVRPHZKDWZRXOG you say are your musical tastes, do you listen to opera? ,GRQ¡WUHDOO\OLVWHQWRDORWRIRSHUD LIDQ\,ZDVEURXJKWXSOLVWHQLQJWR Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie and things like

Bannarama. /LNH,VDLG,ZHQWWRVHH%H\RQFp last night who was amazing and %DWIRU/DVKHVODVWZHHN,OLNHDOO sorts of pop and rock music. ,GRQ¡WUHDOO\OLVWHQWRRUFKHVWUDO PXVLFZKLFK,VXSSRVHLVQ¡WQRUPDO for a person in my line of work. 6RĂ&#x20AC;QDOO\LI\RXFRXOG really sell your show to the people reading this or say one thing about it, what would it be? You should see LWEHFDXVHLWLVVRKHDUW breaking, funny and real. ,WPDNHV(DVW(QGHUVDQG Corrie look like Cbeebies. Just see it.

Megan Sclater & Maudie Oppenheim Columnists 5HFHQWO\DVWKHQLJKWVKDYHOHQJWK ened, our mountains of work have seemed to grow to new heights and our bank balances are looking increasingly dismal. What all this means for the 3am girls is that things are quiet and apart from a night of brilliant live bands at the Head of Steam on Monday we have been seen more LQ WKH OLEUDU\ WKDQ WKH SXE  VDG times indeed. We were weighing up whether or not we could afford to go out on the town this Friday as the budgets are being tightened, but knew we FRXOGQ¡WVSHQG\HWDQRWKHUQLJKWLQ knitting (a brilliant hobby, but not VXLWDEOHIRUD)ULGD\QLJKWZH¡UH not quite middle aged yet) . ,W ZDV D SDUWLFXODUO\ FROG UDLQ\ night in Newcastle, one of the ZRUVWVWRUPVRIWKH\HDUWKHZHDWK erman had predicted. However, we eventually made our minds up, ZHZHUHJRLQJRXWDQGRQFHZH¡YH PDGHRXUPLQGVXSZH¡UHKDUGWR persuade otherwise. We braved the wind and rain to the off licence to stock up on the red wine and once that got polished off we dashed to our waiting taxis and moved on to the Jazz Cafe. :H¡GQHYHUEHHQWRWKH-D]]&DIp before, but had often seen the old man with the woolly hat, red scarf and brilliant beard handing out his Ă LHUVZLWKWKHEHVWRIWKHVWXGHQWV 6RĂ&#x20AC;QDOO\DIWHUD\HDURIVD\LQJZH

The makeshift bar was slightly haphazard, as in if you ordered a pint it came in a tin, but we like that kind of thing

should go we eventually made it. This tiny little place is hidden down near the train station on Pink Lane and looks like nothing from WKH RXWVLGH ,QGHHG \RX FRXOG have easily walked passed it many a time without even noticing. The ÂŁ4 entry fee caused our purse stings to cry out in pain, but the ambiance of the place was worth paying for. The makeshift bar was slightly haphazard, as in if you ordered a pint it came in a tin, but we like that kind of thing. Whatever you GRGRQ¡WDVNIRUZKDWORRNHGOLNH the communal cake as you will be rudely rebuffed. 0RVW LPSRUWDQWO\ WKH MD]] ZDV amazing and made for a brilliant alternative from all the usual Friday night haunts. We felt very cultured which was great, but we still felt the need for some sickly drinks and a sashay DERXWDGDQFHĂ RRUVRPHZKHUH6R it was off to the wonder that is Pop World, which provided us with a healthy dose of cheese to balance out our studious and civilized week. We ended our night in the dump that is Sinners to down our trebles, before stumbling home. 8OWLPDWHO\ZHGHFLGHGWKDWWKH -D]]&DIHLVGHĂ&#x20AC;QLWHO\ZRUWKDQRWK HUYLVLWDQGPD\EHRQHWKDWGRHVQ¡W end up in trebles bars.

24

Monday 23 November 2009 THE COURIER

CULTURE

Arts

Arts Arts Editor: Stephanie Ferrao - courier.culture-arts@ncl.ac.uk

J.HESSLER

Video Games go live Rachel Craig For anyone who has ever played a video game and found themselves humming the accompanying soundtrack, a ticket to see Video Games Live at The Sage is a must. Video games have always been popular but in the last decade they have been at the forefront of the global entertainment industry. The recent launch of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 was described as the â&#x20AC;&#x153;the biggest entertainment launch in historyâ&#x20AC;?, selling $310m worth of copies within twenty four hours, serving to highlight what a huge part of our culture video games are. Celebrating this part of our culture, Video Games Live at The Sage is a concert which promises to be an exciting mix of music and technology. In this day and age, the songs have become as well recognised as the games themselves. Since their inception in the 1970â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, video game soundtracks like the games themselves have developed from simplicity to being more like movies and their soundtracks. In its infancy, the 8-bit video game music inspired music genres such as Nintendocore and Gamewave, bridging the gap between console and soundtrack. With these games comes a wide range of well know and popular soundtracks, ranging from Mario Kart and Sonic the Hedgehogâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s catchy jingles, through to the more powerful tracks from games such as Grand Theft Auto and Assassins Creed. The concert includes music from a wide variety of video games including Mario, Zelda, Halo, Final

Fantasy, World of Warcraft, Metal Gear Solid, Medal of Honour, Civilisation, Tomb Raider, Splinter Cell and Guitar Hero. Added to this is a medley of classic arcade music which includes music from old favourites such as Tetris, Pong and Donkey King. If you still arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t totally sold, the concert also combines exclusive video footage with synchronized lighting, special effects, electronic percussionists and unique interactive segments along with the music. The amazing mix of music, along with all the special effects, means that this is a night which can be enjoyed by everyone, whether you want to get nostalgic and enjoy tunes from childhood games or get excited with the faster and more powerful music from more recent games. The concert is performed by Northern Sinfonia, the Sageâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s inhouse orchestra and one of the most renowned chamber orchestras in Europe. Tommy Tallarico and Jack Wall, industry experts and video game composers, have created the show. The concert will be conducted by Jack while Tommy will perform on guitar and MC throughout. So whether you fancy a trip down memory lane or going to hear an exciting version of a soundtrack from a game youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re playing at the moment there is really no reason not to go.

J.HESSLER

Video Games Live is on Wednesday 25th November at The Sage Gateshead. Tickets are priced at ÂŁ22.50, ÂŁ19.50 or ÂŁ16.50. For more information or to book tickets go to www.thesagegateshead.org or phone 0191 443 4661 Game on: video games come alive at the Sage, Gateshead

Alliterati back in business New exhibition waiting in the wings Sarah Skinner â&#x20AC;&#x153;My imagination is frozen, and you are trapped insideâ&#x20AC;? said Jessica *ULIĂ&#x20AC;WKVLQDSDVWLVVXHRI$OOLWHUDWL Newcastleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s innovative and rejuvenated creative writing magazine. Throw together some of Newcastle Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best writers with some art buffs and voila: out comes a shiny, professional magazine! Alliterati has seen a fair few ups and downs, going in and out of print despite an unwavering amount of talent and enthusiasm from writers and illustrators. But after disappearing off the radar last year, the newly elected committee has already been bombarded with poems, short stories, columns and scripts, promising to make this issue tingle your creative taste-buds more than ever before. There has also been interest beyond the walls of the University, with art gallery Electric Sheep offering a kind donation to the cause. Alliterati isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just for poetry-aholics. You donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to do an English degree to send in your work nor do you have to be a Fine Art student to illustrate, just foster a knack for doodling and sketching! With a wide and diverse range of writers and artists, there is something for everyone to muse over on DTXLHWHYHQLQJZLWKDEUHZRUĂ LFN

through in between lectures. So why Alliterati? Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve all heard the expression â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;two heads are better than oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and as such, Alliterati have combined visual arts with the written word to show that lots of great ideas can combine to create something greater! Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m sure you remember â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;artâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; class in primary school, often involving dried pasta and far too much glitter! But now most of us take â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;artâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; to be another word for â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;creativityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. Some ORYHLWVRPHDUHĂ&#x20AC;OOHGZLWKKRUULI\ ing images of the tweed jacket intellect with a monocle! If you are the latter, let us try and break this stereotype. In the words of Alliterati editor Rachel Maltas â&#x20AC;&#x153;what would creativity be with two many rules?â&#x20AC;? Whatever your style, Alliterati wants to break boundaries and limitations. 7KLV\HDU¡VĂ&#x20AC;UVWLVVXHZLOOEHFRP ing out by the end of term and the content is already exceptional â&#x20AC;&#x201C; but Alliterati are on the hunt for more students to illustrate! Email alliterati@hotmail.co.uk with VXEPLVVLRQV DQG Ă&#x20AC;QG RXW PRUH DW RXU Book and Bake sale on Thursday 26th November from 11.30am outside the Union.

Natalie Crick Combining the grace of ballet and the drama of a drag ball, Dance, a universal performance, comes to the Newcastleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Laing Art Gallery. Dance is a vivid celebration of human emotion intertwined with the interpretation of dance through different mediums. The exhibition amalgamates painting, sculpture, print and photography to offer a diverse depiction of dance through the ages. The work of Edgar Degas, Pablo Picasso and Diane Arbus obsess the walls of the quiet gallery with vivacious imagery of motion; the dancing characters almost waltzing out from each frame into the unsuspecting path of a visitor. Degasâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, A Group of Dancers, stands as the centrepiece for the exhibition. This piece is a striking instance of Degasâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; famed exploration of dancers in the rush of performance, the formalities of rehearsal or, as in â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;A Group of Dancersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, in the momentary idleness of somnolence. :LWKRYHUSDLQWLQJVDIĂ&#x20AC;OLDWHG with movement of ballet, Degas attended formal performances and gained access to activity behind the scenes at the Paris Opera to encapsulate a sense of dreamy candour to his detailing of frilled powder-blues tutus and gilded mirrors.

Arbus, on the other hand, shocks us with her powerful and moving imagery which captures dance on the outskirts of arcadian 1950s and 1960s America. Other work on parade incongruously ranges from Nicolas Poussinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s painting A Dance to the Music of Time, composed in around 1640, to Diane Arbusâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 1970 photographic piece Two Men Dancing at a Drag Ball, NYC, 1970. 7KHEHDXW\RIWKLVFRQĂ LFWEHWZHHQ Poussinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mythical masterpiece and Arbusâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; controversial realism bestows Dance with a unique universal appeal in both form and symbolism. Of the exhibition, Julie Milne, curator of the Laing Art Gallery, says, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Dance has been a rich vein of inspiration for many artists and this new exhibition shows how differently it has been interpreted, evoking feelings from joy and excitement to passion and anger.â&#x20AC;? The exhibition features many outstanding works on loan from the collections of the National Galleries of Scotland which are rarely seen in the North East.â&#x20AC;? For those of us who prefer conWHPSRUDU\ DUW Ă&#x20AC;OP LQVWDOODWLRQV E\ modern artists take a look at the sigQLĂ&#x20AC;FDQFH RI GDQFH DQG WKH HPRWLRQ of physical performance, in relation to culture in todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s society.

Sarah Milesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Drum and Bass conjures memories of the verve and freedom we possess as children and recognises the impression of anxiety we cultivate as adults. Sophie Lisa Beresford plays with our surroundings, in My Culture is Beautiful, as she employs footage of herself swaying to Spanish Makina music within the Laing Art Gallery itself. Here, historical motifs from our folklore are fused with Beresfordâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own intimate perception of culture DQG LWV DFFRPSDQ\LQJ LQĂ XHQFHV IURPWKHĂ&#x20AC;HOGVRIPXVLFIDVKLRQDQG dance. A range of free events are offered for our enjoyment of this event, which included the day of exhilarating live dance performance and demonstration on Saturday 14th November, which was delighted in by many, as real performers mirrored imagery on canvas. If you miss out on Dance at the Laing, the exhibition will travel to Duff House Gallery in Aberdeenshire and the National Gallery of Scotland between February and June 2010. Dance is showing at the Laing Gallery from 17th October 2009. The Laing Art Gallery is open from 10am to 5pm Monday to Saturday and from 2pm to 5pm on Sundays. Admission is free.

THE COURIER Monday 23 November 2009

25

Arts

CULTURE

NUTS show their â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;mindâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; over matter A. BARKER

Jamie Jackson Woman in Mind by Alan Ayckbourn is an unusual choice for a student production as it deals with issues that are arguably most relevant to an older age group. In addition it presents several WHFKQLFDOGLIĂ&#x20AC;FXOWLHVZKLFKPXVWEH solved. All in all it seemed that it would be an immense challenge for Newcastle Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Theatre Society and director Laura Attridge, yet they have created a fantastic production which excels both on stage and off. The play tells the story of Susan who creates an imaginary family to escape her otherwise mundane and unsatisfying existence. However, the lines between imagination and reality begin to blur as 6XVDQ ORVHV FRQWURO RI WKH Ă&#x20AC;FWLRQDO characters causing her to become dangerously unstable. Woman in Mind is primarily comedic; there are times when the play borders on farce, but there is a tragic undercurrent which runs throughout the play and comes to a head in the emotional and disturbLQJĂ&#x20AC;QDOVFHQH Woman in Mind relies heavily on the actor playing Susan; an incredibly challenging role both for the fact that it is emotionally complex but also how much stamina it requires of the actor. Susan is on stage throughout the play and it has a fairly extensive running time meaning great stamina and focus is needed. Played by Danielle Cancelliere, she gives an outstanding performance as she has a natural comic timing yet she also manages to convey

WKHXQTXDQWLĂ&#x20AC;DEOHVHQVHRIWUDJHG\ which lingers in the background for a great deal of the duration. The performance feels nuanced, professional and considered. This is not to say that those around her are not equally emphatic: the entire cast was brilliant, made apparent through the complexity of the play as a performance given its regular shifts between comedy and tragedy. A special mention must go to Beth Wilcockâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s performance as Susanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sister-in-law who, to use an old clichĂŠ, delivered a scene-stealing performance generating the biggest laughs of the night. The play is also staged excellently. Ayckbourn wrote the play to be performed in the round and director Laura Attridge has spoken of the WHFKQLFDO GLIĂ&#x20AC;FXOWLHV RI SHUIRUPLQJ a play in which the audience surround the cast. Despite this, the staging felt inFUHGLEO\QDWXUDODQGLWLVGLIĂ&#x20AC;FXOWWR imagine it being performed in any other way. There is a clarity in the production which ensures we always understand which version of reality Susan is currently in. This is helpful to both the audience and the performers as it means we are really able to enjoy the comedy these actors play so brilliantly. In addition, the fact-paced plot shows off the skilful production of the play â&#x20AC;&#x201C; something that is in no way easy to achieve. All in all, Woman in Mind was a fantastic production which left the audience thoroughly looking forward to the next contribution from this creative team.

Going NUTS: Danielle Cancelliere performing as Susan in Newcastle University Theatre Societyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s production of Alan Ayckbournâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Woman in Mind

Wild West goes North East M.STRAUB

Ayse Djahit After being chosen as Arts capital of Britain last year, Newcastle is very fortunate to have so many cultural outlets in our city. An honour fairly bestowed, we can see how the city nurtures fresh artistic talent. This month a local gallery presents the art of internationally acclaimed artist Matt Straub. Over the next month, the Opus Art gallery proudly presents the striking art of Matt Straub in an exhibition called Badlands. The Opus Art gallery, a hidden gem in Gosforth, is one of the premier contemporary art galleries here in the North East. Displaying the works of prominent artists like Tracy Emin (featuring in another exhibition Revert to Type), Andy Warhol and Damien Hirst as well as new up and coming artists too. If you prefer something a little more edgy, you can check out the Opus Underground - a platform displaying the works of urban artists such as Banksy and Cherri Wood. Born in Cheyenne, Wyoming, Matt Straub presents his works on the American West with a twist. His works sees cowgirls, boys and horses turned into cartoons, similar to the Pop Art age revolutionised by Andy Warhol in the 1960â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. +LV SDLQWLQJV DOVR VKRZ LQĂ XHQFes from other such artists as Zane Grey, Brice Marden and Raymond Kinstler. Matt Straub highlights the affect of war and the sentiments associated with the American West with the use of sunsets, guns, wars

and the rebels of society. Graduating with a B.F.A. from the University of Illinois in 1979, Straub has exhibited at many famous art institutes such as the Lyons Weir Gallery in New York. Straub is well known for combining cartoon scenes of the American west with a vibrant use of colour providing such eye catching displays as those seen in one of his more famous works Kapow VI. The use of such iconic â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;wild westâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

scenes certainly makes for an eye catching and exciting new exhibition. If you fancy tapping into some fun, accessible art, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s worth taking a trip up the metro line to the Opus Gallery. Badlands is being exhibited at the Opus gallery until Monday 7th December 2009

The Permanent Way at the Peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Theatre Laura Armitage Specialising in independent theatrical productions, Heatonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Theatre brings of the heat of the political kitchen to Newcastle with The Permanent Way. A political drama, the play is centred on the British railway since following John Majorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s privatisation of it in the early 90â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. The play is formed from a collecWLRQ RI Ă&#x20AC;UVWKDQG SRZHUIXO LQWHUviews with politicians, civil servants and chief executives, who were intimately involved in the decision making process that led to an increase in the number fatal rail crashes that plagued the decade. 'UDZLQJ XSRQ Ă&#x20AC;UVWKDQG DFFRXQWV of the bereaved and survivors of the crashes, the play creates a more intimate account of the situation and truly brings to life the sequence of events as they have never been seen before. It bleakly, yet movingly, includes the discussions about how â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;our son was referred to as Body No 6.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Understanding the ways in which the disasters have affected their lives is a view we normally are not privy to and the play cleverly illuminates the events in an exciting and innovative way. The cast of 10 adopt over 35 roles during the 2 hour long production, including politicians and ministers, and survivors and bereaved from WKHGLVDVWHUV6RXWKDOO+DWĂ&#x20AC;HOG3RWterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bar and the Ladbroke Disaster. Skilful editing and collation of

these powerful testimonies has allowed for the creation of a truly wonderful play, which is accessible to a range of audiences. The Permanent Way has been hosted at theatres across the country, receiving numerous glowing reviews. The Peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Theatre was established in 1911 and has an excellent reputation as one of the leading amateur theatres in the North East. The Permanent Way is directed by Chris Heckels, who has taught at professional acting classes. Each show they create is directed and acted by the members themselves, and is testament to their collective passion for theatre. Tickets are only ÂŁ7.50 for students, so get yourself down there for an excellent night and a pre-Christmas treat! %RRN WLFNHWV E\ FDOOLQJ WKH ER[ RIĂ&#x20AC;FH on 0191 265 5020 or you can submit a booking via email. Visit the website for more information at www.peoplestheatre.co.uk.

Inside today >>>

La Rouxâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s gig at the Union reviewed Culture, page 30

26

Monday 23 November 2009 THE COURIER

CULTURE

Film

Film )LOP(GLWRU)UDQFHV.URRQFRXULHUFXOWXUHÂżOP#QFODFXN

A sparkly man from Forks told me I smell good > The rise of the vampire: just why The Twilight Saga is such a smash hit Frances Kroon Film Editor For all those â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Twi-hardsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; who have watched Twilight over and over, drooling over Edwardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s glittering pectorals, (swoon) the moment has Ă&#x20AC;QDOO\DUULYHGIRUPRUH With the release of New Moon on the 20th November, the Twilight saga FRQWLQXHVDQGFRPSOHWHZLWK%HOOD Edward, Jake and all the Cullenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, the hype has certainly surpassed anything weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve seen this year. For a couple of months now, my housemate has eagerly been showing me youtube trailers, and shrieking in the manner of a crazy woman at every bus sporting the New Moon poster. Everywhere you go, everyone is talking about Twilight WKH WRSLF RI convo mainly seeming to focus on the return of The Pattinson, and how EXII-DNHKDVJRWDQGRQWKDWQRWHLV it wrong to fancy a 17 year old? The term â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;sagaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; for these movies KDV SURYHQ WR EH HQWLUHO\ Ă&#x20AC;WWLQJ LQ GHVFULELQJZKDWWKHVHĂ&#x20AC;OPVKDYHEH come: a smash hit. And with mobs of screaming girls LQWRZDQGHDFKĂ&#x20AC;OPJXDUDQWHHGWR gross more then the next, Twlilight has undeniably been an incredible DFKLHYHPHQW HVSHFLDOO\ IRU D Ă&#x20AC;OP series born under the glare of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Potter mania.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; However thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s one key difference to the Twilight saga that gives it an entire new set of squealing teenage fans â&#x20AC;&#x201C; sex. And no, Harry giving Cho Chang a snog under the mis-

Lena Headey Ashley Fryer Birthday: 3rd October 1973 Birthplace: Bermuda Biggest Films: 300, St Trinianâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, The Brothers Grimm, Imagine Me & You You Might Not Know: When not acting, she is a keen boxer! Though she is perhaps most recognised from ill-fated TV show The Sarah Connor Chronicles, it was her turn as the heroic Queen Gorgo in 300 that put Lena Headey on the map. While fans and movie geeks (myself included) will point you in the direction of The Remains of the Day, The Jungle Book and The Parole OfĂ&#x20AC;FHU(oh Lena, you were young, we forgive you), it was 300 that really made our generation wake up and take notice of this talented and beautiful English actress.

tletoe does not count as repressed sexual angst. Many, including my housemate, would argue this sex appeal is solely down to the Pattinson factor. And true, despite lashings of plum lippy, and anaemic looking skin, he is unGHQLDEO\DERQDĂ&#x20AC;GH*RG Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s certainly a given that no one is watching to see two hours of Bella, clutching a cactus and whining continuously. In fact, despite the fact Edward is

Born in Bermuda but raised in +XGGHUVĂ&#x20AC;HOG +HDGH\ LV D WUXH English rose. On a more personal note, she is also a vegetarian and she practises yoga, which she discovered while Ă&#x20AC;OPLQJThe Jungle Book in India. Though she has never been back to her birthplace in Bermuda, she splits her time between her homes in London and Los Angeles. In my opinion, her best role to GDWHLVWKDWRI/XFHDOHVELDQĂ RULVW in Imagine Me & You. 2QH RI P\ IDYRXULWH Ă&#x20AC;OPV RI DOO time, Imagine Me & You stars Headey and Piper Perabo (who is incidentally one of her best friends), and tells the story of a young woman getting married (Perabo). Rachel meets Luce at her wedding and gradually realises she is falling in love. The story is hilarious as well as poignant and touching â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a great FKLFN Ă LFN ZLWK D UHDO KHDUW RI gold. And I dare you not to fall in love with Luce yourself â&#x20AC;&#x201C; it is clearly RQHRIWKHĂ&#x20AC;QHVWFRQWHPSRUDU\OHV bian love stories on the market. While her career does not boast Oscars or Golden Globes, Headey has real talent and is wonderful to watch onscreen. I think it is safe to say in this case that the best is yet to come.

absent for most of the book, Pattinson is rumoured to have been writWHQ LQWR WKH Ă&#x20AC;OP PRUH VR ZH FDQ avoid the prospect of this depressing scenario. However it isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just Pattinson that makes this movie, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Edward. And more to the point the fact heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a bloodsucking vamp! A monster, the undead, the cold RQHZKDWHYHU\RXZDQWWRFDOOKLP essentially heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a typically misunderstood bad boy.

The sexual tension between him DQG %HOOD LV WR GLH IRU VKH ZDQWV him, he wants her, but fears he PD\DKHPEUHDN KHU RU ZRUVH eat her. ,QDQXWVKHOOLWFDQEHVDLGWKHĂ&#x20AC;OP is nothing more than a boy and girl wanting to shag the hell out of HDFKRWKHU²DQGĂ&#x20AC;QDOO\FXOPLQDWLQJ when they do. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the appeal of danger that keeps us hanging on, and Edward and his vampire chums represent a

A Cock and Bull Story (2005) Joe Skrebels There are a great deal of books WKDW DUH VDLG WR EH XQĂ&#x20AC;OPDEOH Alan Moore said Watchmen could QHYHUEHPDGHLQWRDZRUWK\Ă&#x20AC;OP and Terry Gilliam is still trying to work out how to make his Don Quixote masterpiece. But of all the books the brilliant Michael Winterbottom could have chosen to adapt, you could have made a serious case for madness when he selected Laurence Sternâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman. The nine-volume, supposedly autobiographical novel doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even show the eponymous Tristramâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s birth until the third part, and this is pretty much par-forthe-course throughout. Essentially, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a book about failing to write a book. A Cock and Bull

FOLTXHHYHU\RQHZDQWVWREHSDUWRI an idea brilliantly explored in Joel Schumacherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s The Lost Boys. We as humans want that thrill, that cheap attraction to the unknown, and when sex is brought in to the mix, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bound to be a winning formula. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s highly questionable as to whether Twilight is even a good movie. There is certainly some debatable screenplay and hammy lines that, whilst inevitably hilare, wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be the thing that sends me running to the cinema this week. This said, with a new director in place for New Moon, one would hope that, like the Potter Ă&#x20AC;OPV WKLV franchise will continue to improve. Possibly most telling about this Ă&#x20AC;OP RU DQ\ Ă&#x20AC;OP¡V VXFFHVV LV KRZ it impacts the entertainment landscape as a whole. Following in the wake of The Lord of the Rings, there was suddenly a plethora of CGI wonderlands, from The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe to The Golden Compass, and in the past year all things monster have VSUXQJXSNew Blood and the Vampireâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Assistant to name a few. It is WKLV LPSDFW WKDW RIĂ&#x20AC;FLDOO\ FDWDSXOWV the Twilight saga IURP D Ă&#x20AC;OP IUDQ chise, to a segment of naughty teenage pop culture. The dramas of teenage life have never seemed so attractive. From masochism, self pity and the dilemma over the boy whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no good for you or the ermâ&#x20AC;Śwerewolf, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all there. ,W ZDV P\ PXP LQ IDFW ZKR Ă&#x20AC;UVW gave me a copy of the Twilight novel, describing it as a pile of teenage shite â&#x20AC;&#x201C; of course she was half right and, of course, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been hooked ever since.

StoryLVDĂ&#x20AC;OPDERXWIDLOLQJWRPDNH D Ă&#x20AC;OP DERXW D ERRN DERXW IDLOLQJ to write a book. And it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get much clearer than that. Steve Coogan plays Tristram, Tristramâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s father and himself, struggling with everything that VXUURXQGV KLP IDWKHUKRRG PDU ULDJH DQG WKH Ă&#x20AC;OP LWVHOI PRVW particularly his shoes and a scene involving being lowered into a giant womb). Alongside him, the cast includes Rob Brydon, Gillian Anderson, Stephen Fry and Dylan Moran, with each one providing a suitably convoluted and hilarious role. :KDW WKH Ă&#x20AC;OP OHDYHV XV ZLWK LV a similar effect to the book â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a series of unconnected scenes from Tristramâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life, each connected by anecdotal and often seemingly irrelevant scenes from the surroundings of the making of the Ă&#x20AC;OP 7KLVFRXOGPDNHWKHZKROHĂ&#x20AC;OP seem completely useless, but in IDFWLWSURYLGHVWKHEHVWĂ&#x20AC;OPLFDF count of the book that could have been made. 1R ÂśQRUPDO¡ VWRU\GULYHQ Ă&#x20AC;OP could have been a true representation of Sternâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s book, and the anarchic, brilliantly funny mess weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re OHIWZLWKLVWKHEHVWZD\WRUHĂ HFW RQHRIWKHPRVWÂśXQĂ&#x20AC;OPDEOH¡SLHF es of writing ever created.

THE COURIER Monday 23 November 2009

27

Film

CULTURE

Reviews Bunny and the Bull Dir: Paul King &DVW(GZDUG+RJJ6LPRQ)DUQDE\ Noel Fielding, Veronica Echegui Run time: 101 mins Paul King, the director of The Mighty Boosh, gives us exactly what youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d H[SHFW IURP KLV Ă&#x20AC;UVW IHDWXUH OHQJWK Ă&#x20AC;OP D %RRVKHVTXH VXUUHDO URPS all taking place in a central London Ă DW However if you think that it would all be light hearted fun and frolics, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d be wrong. 7KRXJKWKHĂ&#x20AC;OP¡VHVVHQWLDOO\DGHlightful and charming comedy, its dark undertones surpass that of the Boosh. As for the plot, Bunny and the Bull is based around both the metaphori-

FDODQGSK\VLFDOMRXUQH\RI6WHSKHQ Turnbull, who is understatedly played by Edward Hogg. 6WHSKHQ LV D UHFOXVH ZKR VSHQGV KLV WLPH LQ KLV /RQGRQ Ă DW UHOLYLQJ his memories of his past trip around Europe with his best friend, Bunny (Farnaby). Along this jaunt they meet a variety of inventive characters such as a dog loving hobo (Julian Barrett) DQGDUHWDUGHGZDQQDEHEXOOĂ&#x20AC;JKWHU (Noel Fielding). As well as the lovely yet superstitious Eloisa (Echegui) who ends up becoming a love interest for them both. $W WKH YHU\ HQG RI WKH Ă&#x20AC;OP KRZHYHU 6WHSKHQ¡V ´MRXUQH\Âľ WDNHV D very clichĂŠd route, which could ruin WKH Ă&#x20AC;OP IRU VRPH YLHZHUV %XW WKH main problem for me, however, was Farnabyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s performance, which fell a little short of good.

This said, the stylistic nature of Kingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s direction is enough to forget about Farnabyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s less than spectacular performance. Not only does he create a real emotional reverence within the viewer for the main characters, but his technique creates an aesthetically pleasLQJ Ă&#x20AC;OP WKDW UHDOO\ VKRZV RII KLV DUWLVWLFĂ DLUWRWKHIXOO 6RLI\RXIDQF\VRPHWKLQJZKLFKLV neither heavy, nor cinematic vomit, WKHQWKLVĂ&#x20AC;OPLVSHUIHFWIRU\RX

Harry Brown

In 1969, he was dashing mob man Charlie Crocker. Now, forty years later, he is the vengeful Harry Brown. Bent on administering his own brand of violent justice, Michael Caine, in his most riveting performance since The Quiet American, sets out against a gang of rotten â&#x20AC;&#x153;hoodiesâ&#x20AC;? who have been plaguing his estate for too long. Barber, in his directorial dĂŠbut, ZHDYHV D Ă&#x20AC;QH WDOH RI YHQJHDQFH

When Harryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best and only friend is purportedly murdered by a group of thugs, he decides to take matters into his own hands, despite his seventy-odd years. %HLQJ D Ă&#x20AC;OP WKDW LV ZHOO WKRXJKW out, it isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t the action thriller one might expect; but that works in its favour. Unlike this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Gran Torino about another vengeful old bloke, Barber takes his time in establishing the titular character. The pace may seem a bit slow at Ă&#x20AC;UVWEXWJLYHQ&DLQH¡VEULOOLDQWSHUformance, I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t imagine it being any other way. Barber goes out of his way to investigate the themes of social and physical futility, via Caine. And while other characters may be far out of the spotlight, namely

rookie investigator Alice Frampton (Mortimer) and thug Noel (played EULOOLDQWO\ EXW EULHĂ \ E\ PXVLFLDQ Plan B), it only seems fair to stay raptly focused on Caine throughout. I feel the need to warn the reader about the gratuitous violence in this Ă&#x20AC;OP 6WDUWLQJ ZLWK DQ RSHQLQJ VHquence of a mother being shot dead by a pair of gangsters on a moped, this basically sets the tone for what is to come. This is not for the faint of heart; while the violence may not be gloULĂ&#x20AC;HG EXW UDWKHU VHHQ WKURXJK WKH OHQVHV RI GLVWXUELQJ Ă&#x20AC;QDOLW\ DQG degradation, it is certainly excruciating. By the end, we are left with the understanding that violent crime is an

called to India where his colleagues have found that the Earthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s core temperature is rapidly rising, signalling the beginning of the end for our planet. Flash forward three years to 2012 and part-time writer, full-time limo driver Jackson Curtis (Cusack) is late to pick his children up from his ex-wife for a camping trip to Yellowstone National Park. Whilst there he meets hippy radio host Charlie Frost (Harrelson) who convinces him the end is nigh. From here on in itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a race against time for Helmsley to save his family (along with his ex-wifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new boyfriend and some comedy Russians) from the worldwide catastrophe. As youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d expect from the director of The Day After Tomorrow the HIIHFWVLQWKLVĂ&#x20AC;OPDUHQRWKLQJVKRUW of stunning. The Yellowstone volcanic eruptions in particular are an

awesome sight to witness on the big screen. However after a while the impact of continual earthquakes and tsunamis wears off and becomes repetitive, and you start to feel the CGI is FDUU\LQJWKHĂ&#x20AC;OPDQGPRUHDWWHQWLRQ to plot would have been greatly appreciated. It seems the plot relies too heavily RQWKHHOHPHQWRIOXFNDVWKHĂ HHLQJ characters always manage to escape, whilst seemingly unperturbed by the fact millions of people are dying around them. It really is hard to care what happens to Helmsley and his family due to the poor acting abilities of Cusack in particular, who seems to play the same character in every one of his Ă&#x20AC;OPV A welcome change to this is Chiwetel Ejiofor, who excels in his role of government scientist.

In fact, his sub-plot is the only inWHUHVWLQJSDUWRIWKHĂ&#x20AC;OPDVKHVWUXJgles with his morals about who to save in the governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Noahâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ark style ships. ,WGHĂ&#x20AC;DQWO\LVQRWWKLUGWLPHOXFN\ for Emmerich, but if you must watch D Ă&#x20AC;OP DERXW WKH HQG RI WKH ZRUOG stick with the far superior The Day After Tomorrow, as 2012 is nothing but a disappointment.

Amelia

rest is history. After two successful ventures across the Atlantic, Amelia sees herself become D UHDO SXEOLF Ă&#x20AC;JXUH DQG WUXH KHUR IRU women all across America during the troublesome years of the Great Depression. Among her many achievements, she forms a charitable organisation, which aims to promote females in aviation. 7KH Ă&#x20AC;OP DOVR GHSLFWV (DUKDUW¡V ODWHU business venture with Gene Vidal (McGregor) in the course of which they change the face of history by founding WKHFRPSDQ\ZLWKWKHĂ&#x20AC;UVWFKDUWHUHGDLUOLQHLQWKH86 ,QWHUPVRISHUIRUPDQFH+LODU\6ZDQN yet again shows her versatility as an actress and really embodies the character of Amelia Earhart. Considering her performance itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no wonder that she holds two Oscars. Gere also steps up to the plate in a com-

Dir: Daniel Barber Cast: Michael Caine, Emily Mortimer, Ben â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Plan Bâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Drew Runtime: 103 mins

2012 Dir: Roland Emmerich Cast: John Cusack, Danny Glover, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Woody Harrelson, Thandie Newton Runtime: 158 mins Not content with already having tried to destroy humanity twice in Independence Day and The Day After Tomorrow, director Roland Emmerich hopes itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s third time lucky with the apocalyptic 2012. Based on the Mayan theory that the earth will only survive so long, and is set for destruction on DecemEHU VW  WKH Ă&#x20AC;OP RIIHUV VRPH insight into what judgment day would actually look like.  7KH Ă&#x20AC;OP EHJLQV DV $PHULFDQ VFLentist Adrian Helmsley (Ejiofor) is

Marian Phillips

Dir: Mira Nair &DVW +LODU\ 6ZDQN 5LFKDUG *HUH Ewan McGregor and Christopher Eccleston Runtime: 111 mins â&#x20AC;&#x153;I wanna be free George, to be a vagabond of the air.â&#x20AC;? These of the words of world record breaking Amelia Earhart, WKHĂ&#x20AC;UVWZRPDQWRFURVVWKH$WODQWLFVROR DQGWKHĂ&#x20AC;UVWWRDWWHPSWWRĂ \DURXQGWKH world. 7KHĂ&#x20AC;OPDGDSWDWLRQRIKHUOLIHWHOOVRI a young girl from the heart of Kansas ZKRVHVROHSDVVLRQLQOLIHLVĂ LJKW When an opportunity arises for a ZRPDQWRĂ \DFURVVWKH$WODQWLF$PHOLD 6ZDQN IHHOVLW¡VDFKDQFHRIDOLIHWLPH and one she cannot miss; and taking Mr. Putnam (Gere) up on his offer, the

ongoing problem, one that Barber VHHNV WR WUHDW ZLWK Ă&#x20AC;UP FRQWHPSW an important message, and one that serves its audience well. Action fans will feel restless by the pacing, but once it gets going, it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t stop. Not for one gory second. 'HĂ&#x20AC;QLWHO\ D PXVW VHH LI \RX¡UH looking for heart-pumping, teethgrinding action with soul.

Jonathan David Lim

Thomas Ward

mendable performance, leaving the plot WKHPDLQGRZQIDOORIWKHĂ&#x20AC;OP 6ORZDWWKHEHVWRIWLPHVLWFHUWDLQO\OHIW a lot to be desired, and I found myself getting bored. $PHOLDLVE\QRPHDQVDEDGĂ&#x20AC;OPEXW that said, you wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be losing out if you gave this one a miss.

Christina Renner

THE COURIER Monday 23 November 2009

29

Music

CULTURE

Music Music Editors: Mark Corcoran-Lettice and Chris Mandle - courier.culture-music@ncl.ac.uk

with Alphabeat Christopher Hay

playing your songs in warzones?

Ahead of their show at the O2 Academy last month, The Courier chatted to Anders and Stine of Alphabeat to discuss their new album, mash-ups with The Ramones and solving all the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s FRQĂ LFWVZLWKGDQFHPXVLF

$QGHUV:HFRXOGEHWKHQHZ%RQR :HVKRXOGZRUNWRJHWKHUZLWK%RQR DQG&KULV0DUWLQDQGGRDELJELJ GDQFHDEOHWUDFN

Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been busy recentlyâ&#x20AC;Śyouâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve released your single â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The Spellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been all over my TV screen doing interviews and promoting it, and now youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got a tour starting. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all a bit hectic isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t it? 6WLQH <HDK ZHOO ZH¡YH EHHQ LQ WKH VWXGLR IRU WKH ODVW HLJKW PRQWKV VR LW¡V OLNH D ZKROH QHZ HUD VWDUWLQJ QRZ ² EHLQJ RXW RI WKH VWXGLR GR LQJLQWHUYLHZVRQ79DQGREYLRXVO\ WKHWRXU,W¡VDOOYHU\H[FLWLQJIRUXV EHFDXVHZH¡YHJRWDQDOEXPWRSUR PRWHWKDWZH¡UHYHU\SURXGRI Your albumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s out in January, so I presume youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be playing a lot of new songs on your tour. Is it tough to play new songs to a crowd that hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t heard them before and that canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t sing along to them? $QGHUV 1RW UHDOO\ , WKLQN LI \RX VD\Âś2.DUH\RXUHDG\WROLVWHQWR WKLVQHZVRQJ¡WKH\¡UHSUHWW\PXFK XSIRULWDOOWKHWLPH$QGRXUDXGL HQFHV DUH DOZD\V KDSS\ DXGLHQFHV DQ\ZD\ 6WLQH%XWREYLRXVO\LW¡VDZD\WRWHVW WKHQHZVRQJVWRVHHKRZSHRSOHUH DFWDQGVRIDULW¡VEHHQUHDOO\JRRG Do you see the aim of your music as being to make people happy and put them in a good mood? 6WLQH>ODXJKV@:HOO\HDKREYLRXVO\ LW¡VEHFRPHDSDUWRILW,W¡VQRWOLNH ZH VDW GRZQ EHIRUH ZH VWDUWHG WKH EDQGDQGVDLGÂś:HZDQQDPDNHSHR SOH KDSS\¡ EXW LW¡V FHUWDLQO\ ZKDW ZHH[SHULHQFHOLYHDQGLWPDNHV\RX ZDQWWRGRLWPRUH Have you ever considered the fact that your music is so happy that maybe you could solve all the ZRUOG¡VFRQĂ LFWVDQGFULVHVE\MXVW

6WLQH :H ZLOO GR RXU EHVW ,¡P QRW VXUHZHFDQVXFFHHGEXWÂŤ Would you say your musical style has changed between your debut album and this new one? 6WLQH:H¡YHFKDQJHGRXULQĂ XHQFHV VOLJKWO\RQWKLVDOEXP:HZURWHWKH ROG VRQJV IRXU RU Ă&#x20AC;YH \HDUV DJR VR REYLRXVO\\RXFKDQJHZKDW\RXOLV WHQWRDQGZKDWFDSWXUHV\RX $QGHUV :H DOO JUHZ XS ZLWK WKH GDQFHPXVLFRIWKHVVRLWVHHPHG REYLRXVWRWDNHWKDWDVDQLQĂ XHQFH RQWKLVDOEXP In the charts at the moment, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pretty much only you and Basshunter from Scandinaviaâ&#x20AC;Śdo you feel like youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re representing Denmark and Scandinavia when you come over to England?

â&#x20AC;&#x153;We should work with Bono and Chris Martin and do a big dance track!â&#x20AC;?

6WLQH ,W¡V DPD]LQJ ,Q WKH GDQFH FKDUWV , WKLQN LW JRW WR QXPEHU RQH DFWXDOO\ DQG LQ 'HQPDUN LW ZDV QXPEHURQHIRUDJHV 'R\RXĂ&#x20AC;QGWKHFURZGVGLIIHUHQWLQ England from in Denmark? 6WLQH,WDOZD\VGHSHQGVRQWKHQLJKW DQGWKHFLW\,GRQ¡WWKLQNQDWLRQDOL W\ZLVHWKHUH¡VPXFKRIDGLIIHUHQFH UHDOO\%XW\RXJX\VDUHPXFKEHWWHU DWJRLQJWRJLJVWKDQZHDUH3HRSOH GRQ¡WUHDOO\JRWRDJLJLIWKH\GRQ¡W DOUHDG\ KDYH WKH DOEXP DQG NQRZ WKHEDQGUHDOO\ZHOO Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve always been associated with the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Wonky Popâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; movement and it was PopJustice who called you â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;the best band in the world everâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;Ś do you ever feel pigeonholed and trapped by your â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;popâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; label? 6WLQH:HOOZHGLGWKHÂś:RQN\3RS¡ WRXU RXUVHOYHV VR ZH¡YH UHDOO\ OD EHOOHGRXUVHOYHVZKLFKZHSUREDEO\ VKRXOGQ¡WKDYH$WOHDVWQRZZHIHHO OLNHZHGRQ¡WKDYHWRFDOOLWÂśLQGLH¡RU ÂśZRQN\SRS¡LW¡VMXVWSRSDQGWKDW¡V SUHWW\DPD]LQJLQLWVHOI:H¡YHWULHG WRPDNHDSRSDOEXPWKLVWLPH URXQG DQG ZH¡UH QRW WU\LQJ WR EH DQ\WKLQJHOVHEXWWKDW Do you ever feel that people look down their noses at you or think less of you because you make â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;popâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; music rather than â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;indieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;?

6WLQH,GRQ¡WNQRZDERXW6FDQGLQD YLDEXWGHĂ&#x20AC;QLWHO\'HQPDUNEHFDXVH SHRSOHDUHSURXGRIXVLQ'HQPDUN WKDWZH¡YHPDGHLWRXWVLGHWKHFRXQ WU\ 1RW PDQ\ EDQGV GR LW DW WKH PRPHQW VR ZH¡UH NLQG RI OLNH WKH 'DQLVKQDWLRQDOIRRWEDOOWHDPWRDQ H[WHQW

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Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the music scene in Denmark like at the moment? Are there any other bands from Denmark that might be coming over soon?

$QGHUV ,I \RX¡YH JRW D JRRG VRQJ \RX¡YHJRWDJRRGVRQJZKHWKHULW¡V URFNRUSRSLWGRHVQ¡WPDWWHU

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Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve noticed on your website thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a mash-up of an Alphabeat track and the Ramones. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m really keen on mash-ups but a lot of people think theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a bit gimmicky, a bit of a novelty. Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s your take on them? $QGHUV :H IRXQG WKDW RQH RQ \RXWXEH7KRVHWZRVRQJVMXVWĂ&#x20AC;WVR ZHOOWRJHWKHU 6WLQH , OLNH WKDW NLQG RI PDVKXS ZKHUHLW¡VUHDOO\VXUSULVLQJDQGQR RQHVHHVLWFRPLQJ

$QGHUV,WKLQNPDVKXSVDUHPRUH IXQQ\ WKDQ DFWXDOO\ JRRG VRQJV RIWHQ <RX NQRZ \RX¡OO KHDU RQH DQGWKLQNÂś7KDW¡VIXQQ\¡EXWLW¡VQRW DPD]LQJ 6WLQH :H KDYHQ¡W GRQH WRR PXFK SURSHUUHPL[LQJ\HWEXWZH¡UHSURE DEO\JRLQJWRGRLWPRUH:H¡YHVRUW RI FRYHUHG 'DIW 3XQN EHIRUH DQG $QGHUVPL[HGD0LND7UDFN Alphabeatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s second album, The Spell, is UHOHDVHGHDUO\

Is the side-project a slight project? Gordon Bruce Culture Online Edtior Side projects have often come under Ă&#x20AC;UH IRU PDQ\ MXVWLĂ&#x20AC;DEOH UHDVRQV -XVW ORRN DW DFWV VXFK DV $QJHOV  $LUZDYHV ZKLFK VDZ %OLQN¡V 7RP 'H/RQJH HPEUDFH 8 DQG WKHJRGDZIXOKLSKRSVLGHSURMHFW RI /LQNLQ 3DUN )RUW 0LQRU 2WKHUV DUHFOHDUO\DQH[FXVHWRJRXQGHUD ULGLFXORXV PRQLNHU DQ\RQH KHDUG 0DU\OLQ0DQVRQ¡V*RRQ0RRQ"  )XUWKHUPRUH VRPH DUH D PHUH SOR\ WR VFUDSH VRPH PRQH\ IURP WKH HPEHUV RI D RQFHORYHG EDQG 3HUKDSV UHF\FOLQJ WKH VDPH JDUDJH URFNIRUPDWWKURXJKGLIIHUHQWEDQG PHPEHUV LV -DFN :KLWH¡V RQO\ ZD\ WRFORDNKLVGU\LQJFUHDWLYLW\

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Without the success of their original band, where would they be? 7DNH 7KH 6WURNHV DV RXU H[DP SOH ,I WKH\ ZHUHQ¡W VR EXV\ ZLWK WKHLUPLOOLRQDQGRQHGLIIHUHQWVLGH SURMHFWVZHPLJKWQRWKDYHKDGWR ZDLWWKUHH\HDUVDQGFRXQWLQJ IRU WKHLUQH[WDOEXP $IWHU VXFK D ORQJ WLPH RQ XQRI

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30

CULTURE

Monday 23 November 2009 THE COURIER

Music

K. COVELL

Live Reviews A Place To Bury Strangers, Jukebox November 13th

VV Brown O2 Academy 2, November 11th

For the touring rock band, the club gig is normally an occupational hazard, with a disinterested audience and a shrunken set amongst the obstacles they face. Brooklyn shoegaze titans A Place To Bury Strangers thrive in darkness, however, and for them a midnight set is perfect. Opening with a blazing rendition of Exploding Head opener â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;It Is Nothingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, the trademarks that got the blogs so dizzy with excitement â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the pounding, distorted percussion, the throbbing post-punk bass lines and, of course, Oliver Ackermannâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mind-warping, overdriven-to-oblivion guitar lines - were all present. Mixing up old favourites such as frenzied calling-card â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;To Fix The Gash In Your Headâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; with newer material like recent single â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;In Your Heartâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and the deathly rockabilly of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Deadbeatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, the band build up steam until an unexpected, glorious rendition of Sonic Youthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Death Valley 69â&#x20AC;&#x2122; rackets the sound up further. Amid blaring strobe lights, scenes of guitar destruction and the loudest feedback this side of a My Bloody Valentine concert, the closing duo of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;I Lived My Life To Stand In The Shadow Of My Heartâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Oceanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Ă&#x20AC;QGVWKHPKLWWLQJDUHPDUNDEOHHDU breaking groove. Consider Newcastleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s clubbers to be well and truly converted.

The O2 Academy was buzzing with excitement prior to VV Brownâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s appearance on stage, with an excited crowd made up with quite a mix of age groups. VVâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s set comprised of songs from her newest album, but with a few surprises thrown in. VV performed DĂ DZOHVVUHQGLWLRQRIÂś6RPHZKHUH Over The Rainbowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; that sent shivers down spines, and then followed straight after with Coldplayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Viva La Vidaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. If that wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t enough on the surprise front, VV made the NewcasWOH DXGLHQFH WKH Ă&#x20AC;UVW RQHV WR KHDU a preview of one of her new songs, which went down very well, with a nod to a possible new album on the horizon. Only a couple of very minor techQLFDOGLIĂ&#x20AC;FXOWLHVRFFXUUHGEXWZHUH unnoticeable and VV really bonded with the crowd, making it feel like a very intimate gig. Mass hand clapping, singing along and a very ERXQF\Ă RRUGXHWRWKHHQWLUHDXGL ence jumping up and down were all the signs of a very entertained crowd. From the moment VV took to the stage wearing an elaborate masquerade mask to the well chosen encore â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Shark In The Waterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, VV ticked all the boxes to produce a great performance.

Mark Corcoran-Lettice Music Editor

Christopher Scott

La Roux Newcastle University Union Basement, November 15th Amid a barrage of lights and smoke emerges Ellie Jackson complete with co-writer Ben Langmaid and backing band: 2009â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s biggest eighties-revival chart-toppers, La Roux, have swung into Newcastle University. With critical acclaim seeming to seep from every sparkle on her MDFNHW WKH Ă&#x20AC;QWRSSHG IURQW ZRPDQ breaks into â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Tigerlilyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; followed by â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Quicksandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. La Rouxâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s set-list has been cunningly set up to include singles at regular intervals, keeping the crowd on their toes between album tracks. All the tracks played tonight are undeniably very well written and, on this occasion, very well performed pop songs, but letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s be honest, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not what a lot of people are here for. As the set draws to a close, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;In For The Killâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and an encore rendition of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Bulletproofâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; send the crowd home happy. La Roux, came, saw and conquered the Studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Union tonight. With the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Gold Tourâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; on the horizon next year, however, La Rouxâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sparkle of 2009 may start to glisten a little less in 2010. Tom Richards

To see what gigs are coming up at the Union visit: www.unionsociety.co.uk/events

Seen and Scene Nathalie Stern Mark Corcoran-Lettice Music Editor Newcastleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s music scene is full of fascinating characters and unique voices, but thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s very few as singular and distinct as Nathalie Stern. While the solo loop-pedal auteur can sometime be prone to self-indulgence and vanishing up their behind with frightening speed, Nathalie Sternâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s subtle songwriting and minimal arrangements keep everything URRWHGĂ&#x20AC;UPO\LQWKHJURXQG Not, that is to say, that her work is without ambition; with her songs ranging from Doctor Who-themed

waltzes to reimaginings of old Swedish folk standards, she layers and reverses her guitar and voice until it merges into an etheral, orchestral sound. +DYLQJ UHFHQWO\ Ă&#x20AC;QLVKHG KHU Ă&#x20AC;UVW album, sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s holding an album launch party at the Tyneside Cinema bar on the 16th January. However, before then sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s supporting Field Music at The Cluny on 27th 1RYHPEHURQWKHĂ&#x20AC;UVWQLJKWRIWKHLU mini-residency, and embarking on a tour of Germany in December. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also live tracks and video clips available at her MySpace (http://www.myspace.com/nathaliestern) for those of you who want to hear why magazines like NARC and The Crack have been raving about her - and maybe get in there before the rest of the world discovers her superb songwriting. P. CHRISTOPHER

The End Joe Barton Nothing eases the Christmas periodâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s relentless tide of commercialism quite like a blast of Rage Against the Machine, as I recently rediscovered. Whilst tracks like â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Killing in the Nameâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Know Your Enemyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; are TXDVLLQGLH GLVFR Ă RRU Ă&#x20AC;OOHUV P\ favourite Rage number is a lesserknown ditty called â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;No Shelterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. Released on the soundtrack to the JDUJDQWXDQ  Ă RS Godzilla, the track encapsulates all that is grand about the LA four piece; knock-off /HG =HSSHOLQ ULIIV OHIWĂ&#x20AC;HOG JXLWDU solos and bombastic MCing, but what makes it even better is the fact that itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Rage at their most paradoxical, or hypocritical, depending on how seriously youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re willing to take them. Both the songâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lyrics and music video are bursting with agit-prop imagery, which veers from the inVSLUHGÂś&KDLQHGWRWKHĂ DJWKH\JRW you searching for/The line between entertainment and warâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;) to the plain silly (â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Fourth Reich culture: Americanaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;), even daring to satirise the very movie that their song was recorded for (Ooooh, what badasses!). That the song is both a funkadelic explosion of angst, and a fairly patronising insult to the average listenerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s political intelligence may make â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;No Shelterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; off-putting for some, but, personally, it just makes it all the more audacious.

Chris Mandle Music Editor

Gordon Bruce Culture Online Editor

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nothing short of patronising when Appleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ironic â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Geniusâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; function essentially tells me what to buy. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You bought Groove Armada. You might like 50 Centâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new albumâ&#x20AC;?. I highly doubt that. Music is far more rewarding when found by oneself; thus, it is oddly comforting whenever I walk to The End bar. Past the Academy, past Digital; walking along in the evening you watch people siphon off to the popular hotspots in town and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s only then that you get close to the End, and you learn quite how it got its name; cars whoosh by straight onto the A6082, taking them out the city. Sitting comfortably on the urban crust of Newcastle, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s one of the most intimate music venues the city has to offer, playing host to the best local and upcoming bands. In the last year Wild Beasts, The Answering Machine and Casio Kids have all played, and theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve certainly had a good 2009. The drinks are always cheap and thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s only a few obnoxiouslydressed goons mincing around inside. The trick with venues such as the End is not to scan its website trying to excavate a familiar name or catch onto a trend. Head there any night; go tomorrow, go next week, go in April if you like, and just see whose playing. It wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be The End of the world.

Hello there once again, all you fans of The Courier! As always, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got a plethora of exciting new writing and sounds for you to check out on the website. First of all, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got Romain Chenetâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s review of Sopranossoundtrackers Alabama 3â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s recent performance at the O2 Academy, as well as a transcript of the brief chat he managed to wrangle with the band just before the concert. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve also got a special report from Heather Whitmore on a recent homeground performance in Manchester by one of the counWU\¡V PRVW LQĂ XHQWLDO RULJLQDO and remarkable bands, The Fall. With their latest album Our Future Your Clutter out early next year, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re as a potent a force as theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve ever been. Christopher Scott, meanwhile, gives us a front-row report from the recent Frankmuzik Battle of the Bands at the Union, which saw Purple Shards win a place at WKHĂ&#x20AC;QDOLQ/RQGRQ If that wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t enough, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve also got Mark Corcoran-Lettice reviewing the recent performance by Kompakt stars The Field at The Other Rooms, and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll soon be featuring a session with the Mercury Prize-nominated modern jazz greats Led Bib online. Phew! Not a bad week, eh?

THE COURIER Monday 23 November 2009

31

Music

Record Reviews

Singles & Downloads Joe Skrebels

Stereophonics Keep Calm and Carry On After their hit and miss 2007 album, Pull The Pin, I sceptically stuck the new album in the CD player and hoped for the best. After hearing opening song, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Alrightâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, with its gnarling rock nâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; roll rhythm and characteristically heavy bass, I thought I was in for a bit of the old magic from the Welsh rock sheepsters. Unfortunately, what follows the SURPLVHRIWKHĂ&#x20AC;UVWWUDFNOHDYHVPH thinking that the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Phonics chose to call the album Keep Calm and Carry On, as some kind of apologetic mope to the plodding stodge which followed. No sooner do I get to the second track â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Innocentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, than I am â&#x20AC;&#x201C; ahem - â&#x20AC;&#x153;treatedâ&#x20AC;? to a mixture of cheesy â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;ba-ba ba-ba da-da-di-daâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and unimaginative chord progressions that reminded me of the backing music to a 70s adult movie a friend ermâ&#x20AC;Ś told me about. Whether intended or not, the album titleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nostalgic use of a Second World War propaganda SRVWHULURQLFDOO\UHĂ HFWVWKHIDFWWKDW the Stereophonics give nothing here but beige regurgitations of former glories. For example, in â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Beerbottleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, the lyrics â&#x20AC;&#x153;Walk on/ My son/ Walk on/â&#x20AC;?

CULTURE

The two big-hitters out this week come in the form of Jamie T and Florence & The Machine, with â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The Manâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Machineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve Got The Loveâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; respectively. Jamie Tâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s airy, downbeat urban sing-along is probably his most anthemic yet, sounding like a sequel to the brilliant â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Sheilaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, ZKLOVW )ORUHQFH¡V Ă&#x20AC;IWK VLQJOH seems to be milking the album a little, but when itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s as uplifting as this, who really cares? Bristol based-four piece Fighting Fictionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s debut EP, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;A Lesser Of Two Evilsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; is a mish-mash of The Libertines and pop-punk, but just ends up sounding like a crap version of The Clash. 1RUWK /RQGRQ Ă&#x20AC;YHSLHFH 7KH 5LĂ H 9ROXQWHHU¡V GHEXW VLQJOH â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;End Seasonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; is a gloomy affair, recorded where Joy Division made Closer. Flecked with reverb-soaked guitar strums, falsetto and bassy drums, this is real S.A.D. music to watch the winter go by to. Silverclub, toast of the In The City: Unsigned festival, are the Ă&#x20AC;UVW VLJQLQJ WR )DFWRU\ )RXQGD tion Recordings, half-charity, half-record company. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve dedicated their self-titled EP, chock-full of catchy electro beats and deep, breathy vocals, to the great Tony Wilson, and what better reason is there to dance than

makes me think that lead singer Kelly Jones now draws song writing inspiration from the football louts on Match of the Day. Credit where itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s due, Ewan McGregor and Charlie Boorman will be delighted by the fact that they now have a whole host of new backing tracks to accompany their next motorbike trip to the ends of the earth, but Kellyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rasping voice cannot cover up the fact that this is a band standing still. The blatant similarity between the guitar riffs on â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Live Nâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Loveâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and Pull The Pin song â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;My Friendsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t escape my radar, nor will it escape the disappointed ears of their faithful fans. By the time I reach last song â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Show Me Howâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m hoping that it is going to instruct me how to build an ear-sized landmine to save me from the pain of any more. Though I may sound harsh, I sincerely mean this when I say that the most impressive thing about this album was the magnetic clasp that held the album case together. Handy that.

2/10 Daniel Kielty

Pull Tiger Tail Paws

Snow Patrol Up To Now

Paul Curreri California

Moby Wait For Me

Groovenik

Poor old Pull Tiger Tail. Formed in 2006 and hyped incessantly, Pull Tiger Tail released some acclaimed singles, recorded an album, got dropped by their label and were legally not allowed to release said album by said label. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a story to chill the bones of any aspiring indie musician. But now, two years later, and after PXFK Ă&#x20AC;JKWLQJ E\ WKH EDQG 3DZV KDVĂ&#x20AC;QDOO\EHHQUHOHDVHG,W¡VDQDFW of catharsis from a band who just wanted to get their work out and call it a day. The really sad thing is that itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a very good album. The sound is a little dated, given that it was mostly written during the indie boom that spawned The Maccabees and Klaxons, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s packed full of insanely catchy songs. Debut single â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Animatorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; is as joyously engaging as it ever was, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Lightningâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; is a perfect indie-pop anthem and â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Lokiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dark musings on WKHĂ&#x20AC;FNOHQDWXUHRIWKHPXVLFLQGXV try sound oddly, horribly prophetic now. The music is brilliant, but Pawsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; real triumph is that it was released by three guys who were just proud of what theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d made and fought and won to let people hear it. For that if nothing else, they deserve our attention.

Whether you love them, loathe them, or simply donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t care, you must be able to hum a Snow Patrol song. After reaching about as much success as would be deemed possible, the next logical step is of course - the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;best ofâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; album. Up To Now is Snow Patrolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s two disc, thirty song â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;best ofâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, containing a mixture of old songs and a snatch of new material, as well as some covers and acoustic numbers. 6QRZ3DWUROGHĂ&#x20AC;QLWHO\NQRZZKHUH their strengths lie, with plenty of teary numbers included and two acoustic versions of Run and Chasing Cars. Up To Now contains, in their own words, their â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;best loved songsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; from WKHLU Ă&#x20AC;IWHHQ\HDU FDUHHU DQG HYHQ has some material from The Reindeer Section, a sideproject/supergroup involving musicians from all over Scotland, as well as a cover of Beyonceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Crazy in Loveâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. New songs are being included on Up To Now, such as new single â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Just Say Yesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. Most dedicated fans will already own most of the material included in this album, which is always the problem with a greatest KLWV DOEXP EXW WKLV LV GHĂ&#x20AC;QLWHO\ DQ album to buy if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve ever wanted to hear a little bit more Snow Patrol.

(YHQ DIWHU Ă&#x20AC;YH DOEXPV WKH ÂśJ\SV\ gutter cowboyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; of Virginia hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t quite managed to push his folksy rock to the forefront of popular music. His latest release â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Californiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; is a heartfelt, true-to-life effort that reĂ HFWVWKHTXLHWKXPEOHQDWXUHRIWKH musician himself. Although it probably wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t reach the Top Ten, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a pretty nice listen. Think poetic lyrics combined with inventive melodies, creating a sound that hints towards folk, blues DQGFRXQWU\LQĂ XHQFHV$QGLWJRHV without saying that Curreri grew up listening to Bob Dylan. 7KH SRVLWLRQLQJ RI WKH VNLOIXO Ă&#x20AC;Q ger-picking of title track â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Californiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, following single â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Tight Pack Me Sugarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; with its melodic piano, exhibits Curreriâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s clever and mature approach to album-making. Despite sustaining a major throat injury last year, Curreriâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s voice on this album is a combination of roughness and brightness, providing the perfect means to convey his musical poetry. This album has a gentle, easy-likeSunday-morning feel to it. If you fancy listening to something a little GLIIHUHQW WKLV LV D Ă&#x20AC;QH H[DPSOH RI effortless folk rock. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not exactly outstanding, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s certainly not bad at all.

Supposedly inspired by a speech given by David Lynch about creativity, Mobyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ninth record sees him take a step away from his more commercially records like Play and instead immerse himself in the creation of majestic sound-scapes. The record almost possesses a hypnotic quality in its blending of looping beats with recorded speeches such as on â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Untitledâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, whereas â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Pale Horsesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; is reminiscent of early Portishead in its yearning vocals, which build to an almost gospel quality perfectly juxtaposing the repetitive minimalism of the track. At sixteen songs, a more unskilled DUWLVWPD\Ă&#x20AC;QGLWHDV\WRORVHKLVGL rection by the end of the record, but here Moby utilises his talent to build a record of thoughtful progression, multiple layers working together to develop a tender melancholic record. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;One Time We Livedâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; is, however, a low point of predictable synth patterns, showing how this is not an experiment into the more abstract aspects of technological development, but rather a record that wishes to involve the listener in the beauty that can be evoked through simplicity. Despite a sense of safety of some tracks though, Wait For Me never comes off as boring.

I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know anything of Groovenik before being handed this, and I must admit to being apprehensive of their self-proclaimed â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Mission to create a new Northern Funk Soundâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. +RZHYHU OLVWHQLQJ WR WKH Ă&#x20AC;UVW track was a huge surprise; â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Grifterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; is such an upbeat outburst of jazzy funk that I challenge any listener not to at least tap their foot along. Throughout, Groovenik comes across as a modern twist to the original funk and soul sounds of the seventies, and each song is sharp and has something individual about it. Perhaps this is something to do with the guest artists that worked alongside the band bringing different ideas to the table, such as rapper Drop Dead Fred, who brings a hiphop edge to â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Face the Worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Yellaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. The creative nature of Choose Your Frame is highlighted in the last three tracks, which consist of remixes of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;No More Tearsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. The Kid in the Computer Dub Remix is the most intense with its dark drum and bass sounds, while Tim Shaw provides a soulful and relaxed version. With this record, a new Northern funk sound has been born, and I highly recommend you give it a listen.

8/10

7/10

6/10

8/10

8/10

Joe Skrebels

Olivia Mason

Gemma Farina

Polly Randall

Henry Jones

Choose Your Frame

32

Monday 23 November 2009 THE COURIER

CULTURE

TV & Radio

TV & Radio TV & Radio Editor: Aimee Philipson - courier.culture-tv@ncl.ac.uk

TV Highlights Paradox Gavin and Stacey BBC1, 9pm, Tuesday 24th BBC1, 9pm, Thursday November 26th November COURTESY OF BBC

COURTESY OF BBC

Cast Offs C4, 23.05pm, Tuesday 24th November

The Gadget Show Five, 8pm Mondays

COURTESY OF CHANNEL 4

COURTESY OF FIVE

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s happening this week in the land where anything is possible... Aimee Philipson TV & Radio Editor

Coronation Street

Carla pretends she doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know anything when Maria tells her that Tony confessed to Liamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s murder. Meanwhile, Sally is confused by the garage ERRNV DV WKH\ VKRZ SURĂ&#x20AC;WV DUH down and feature all manner of assorted expense claims.

Eastenders

In what appears to be a combination of 24-style drama and ideas of future crime-solving like Minority Report, Detective Inspector Rebecca Flint (Tamzin Outhwaite) and astrophysicist Dr Christian King (Emun Elliott) are drawn together by images sent from space of a major incident that appears not to have happened yet. The images are fragmented and so they have to work together to solve the clues and prevent the incident before time runs out. The programme is an interesting concept and looks at the question of whether it is right (or in fact possible) to change the future if, somehow, you are given knowledge of it. 7KH DFWLRQ ZLOO SOD\ RXW RYHU Ă&#x20AC;YH episodes, so there should be plenty of time for twists, turns and dilemmas. The BBC promise drama and WKH\ XVXDOO\ GHOLYHU VR GHĂ&#x20AC;QLWHO\ keep an eye out for this coming onto your screens!

The wait is nearly over as one of our favourite sitcoms returns to our screens this month. Critically acclaimed Gavin and Stacey is back for its third series and promises to be even better than the previous two. The Christmas special kept us gripped as we saw Nessa accept a marriage proposal from Dave Coaches, Smithy trying to bond to with his new baby son and Neil and Gavin accept a new job in Barry. Now after an eleven month absence from our TV screens, we return to Barry and Essex to rejoin the Shipman and West clan as they adjust to life after a Christmas of bombshells. Nice to have you back Gavlar. Ayse Djahit

Eleanor Wilson

Marge gets her kit off Gemma Farina If you watch â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The Simpsonsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll know that Margeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lifestyle seems to consist wholly of cooking, cleaning and chasing around after the kids. Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s usually there in the background - the glue holding the slightly dysfunctional Simpson family together. Now, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Playboy cover girlâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; can be added to Margeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s list of (very occasional) departures from her day to day housewife tasks. After hints in August from Hugh Hefner via Twitter, Marge Simpson will join the likes of Marilyn Monroe in featuring on the cover of the famous glamour mag. Playboy bigwigs believe that the pictures of Marge, including the cover shoot of her behind a bunny chair and wearing nothing but her infamous blue beehive, will enlarge its readership after circulation dropped considerably in recent months. However, opinion on the November issue, which coincides with the 20th anniversary of the Simpsons, is

decidedly divided. The Playboy Empire anticipates WKDW WKHLU Ă&#x20AC;UVW FRYHU IHDWXULQJ DQ animated character will attract the younger male. With an average reader age of 35, it is hoped that Marge will appeal to those in their 20s, who have grown up watching the cult series. But some critics have argued that using a cartoon character â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;to hawk pornographyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; is harmful, wrong and will attract the attention of children. To me, it all seems pretty harmless. We are assured that the photos wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t involve anything except â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;implied nudityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and the three-page centrefold also includes an interview with Marge herself. This all seems to indicate what Scott Flanders, CEO of Playboy Enterprises, has described as an â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;obviously somewhat tongue-in-cheekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; approach to the whole thing. All Marge needs to worry about is feminist daughter Lisaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s reaction. Homer, on the other hand, apparently shot the photos himself!

Channel 4 is renowned for producing television programmes that often cause offense and their latest show â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Cast Offsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; looks like it could be their latest cringe. But this programme has a big difference as the six characters, who are stranded on a desert island and have very little supplies to live on, are played by disabled actors. This allows the script writers more freedom to litter it with dark comedy and also to challenge preconceptions about disabilities. The camera follows their struggle with island life - from learning to build their own homes to falling in love. Each episode focuses on a characterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life story up to the moment they are left stranded. 7KHĂ&#x20AC;UVWHSLVRGHIRFXVHVRQ'DQ who is described as sweet and easily mocked, and has been in a wheelchair for six months. This programme has the potential to be interesting, highly offensive and full of dark comedy. I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t wait!

There's no doubt that we are living in an increasingly technological society. With the progress made in the development of mp3 players, mobile phones and computer game consoles, someone has got to help keep us on our toes. That's where 'The Gadget Show' comes in. Allow hosts Suzi Perry and Jason Bradbury to treat your geekier side to reviews and previews of the latest high-tech toys. If that doesn't catch your fancy, then be entertained with weekly challenges, contests by way of the Wall of Fame, and check out the Top 5 gadgets in a given category. Usually, one review, one preview, and one Top 5 is shown per week. You might even learn a good thing or two during the challenges. If you haven't yet seen 'The Gadget Show' - currently gearing down its twelfth series - fear not. Episodes can be viewed online at GHPDQGĂ&#x20AC;YHWY RU RQ 7KH *DGJHW 6KRZ RIĂ&#x20AC;FLDO<RX7XEHFKDQQHO

Clementine Manning

Jonathan Lim

After raising Samâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bail, the MitchHOOVDUHOHIWLQDGLUHĂ&#x20AC;QDQFLDOVLWXD tion. Peggy witters on about how none of it would have happened if Grant was still around whereas Phil tries a more practical solution. But is the Mitchell dynasty beyond saving? Meanwhile, Jordan confronts the council as he tries to honour his motherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s memory.

Hollyoaks

Mercedes is worried about her routine HIV check-up and panics when the hospital calls to arrange a follow-up appointment for the QH[WGD\6KHVWUXJJOHVWRFRQĂ&#x20AC;GHLQ 0DODFK\DQGLQVWHDGĂ&#x20AC;QGVFRPIRUW in the arms of dashing policeman Calvin.

Emmerdale

Charity is at it again as she steals the keys and access card to the storage unit where Cainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s money is. But as Cain discovers her plan, will he catch her with the dosh or will her conscience kick in before he reaches her? Across the village, Paddy comes KRPH WR Ă&#x20AC;QG $DURQ DQG +ROO\ cleaning up the mess after their house partyâ&#x20AC;Ś

Neighbours

Lyn and Rebeccaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s feud threatens to spiral out of control when Lyn takes over Haroldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s store and immediately sets about attempting to undercut Charlieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. Steph begs her mother to stop her dirty tricks but as Lynâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ă&#x20AC;QDQFLDO WURXEOHV VWDUW WR HVFD late, she doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know where to turn.

Home and Away

Robertson arrives at the school to question Xavier and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not long before the teenager gives in and admits to faking Charlieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s DOLEL (OVHZKHUH /LDP Ă&#x20AC;QGV D new muse and his writerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s block is lifted. He publicly serenades Nicole which leads to rumours about their relationship and a very angry Aden.

THE COURIER Monday 23 November 2009

33

TV & Radio

CULTURE

with 5RE

Da Bank Aimee Philipson TV & Radio Editor Not busy enough DJing weekly on BBC Radio 1, running a record label and organising the annual music fest Bestival, Rob Da Bank, a.k.a Rob Gorham, has teamed up with the Smirnoff Bursary Scheme to encourage budding club night promoters to create their own unique night and win up to ÂŁ5000. Find out more at www.facebook.com/ SmirnoffGB The Courier caught up with him to talk about his inspiration, his festival habits and of course, his favourite new bands... :KDWĂ&#x20AC;UVWLQVSLUHG\RXWRJHWLQWR the music business? A general rabid love of all music IURPVKRHJD]HWRHDUO\UDYH,GHĂ&#x20AC;nitely wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t bothered about getting into the business, just getting free records and meeting my DJ heroes. :KHUH GLG \RXU SVHXGRQ\P Âś5RE Da Bankâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; come from? Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a bit daft isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t it? I started DJing and didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have a name so a mate just said call yourself Rob The Bank and that changed slowly to da Bank. <RXU 6DWXUGD\ VKRZ RQ 5DGLR promotes new and unsigned bands ZDVLW\RXULGHDIRUWKHVKRZWREH DERXWWKDWDQGGR\RXJHWWRKDQG pick the music and the guests? Well thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a part of what I do. It is unsigned, newly signed and even old artists that have been around for years; itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a healthy mixture. But yes Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m very passionate about new unsigned music and helping people to get their music out there.

> Use your body and your brain if you want to win the game

:KR¡YHEHHQ\RXUIDYRXULWHJXHVWV on the show? Well, I interviewed Wayne Coyne from the Flaming Lips yesterday and gave him some mince pies and had a hilarious chat about tomatoes, so every dayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s different. Bobby Gillespie was also rock star cool.

Chris Mandle

:KHQ GLG \RX Ă&#x20AC;UVW WKLQN DERXW VHWWLQJXS6XQGD\%HVW*RUKDP¡V PXVLFFRPSDQ\ DQGZK\" There were hardly any small indie labels putting out compilations and electronic down-tempo music so I just saw a gap and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been sailing close to the wind ever since! Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s never been about how many records we can sell or how much money we can make, just good old fashioned love of music. How did the idea for Bestival come about? Our little Sunday night Sunday Best had been getting bigger and better and we just felt we could give it a crack. We found a site on the Isle of Wight and six months later we were opening the gates! It all happened very quickly and we got thrown in the deep end but somehow itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s worked out! 'R \RX JR WR %HVWLYDO HYHU\ \HDU" 'R \RX OLNH WR SHUIRUP WKHUH RU just camp out like the rest of the crowds? Of course! We run the festival from booking the toilets and food stalls to picking all the acts and the fancy dress theme. Sometimes we stay onsite but usually we try and get a bit of shut-eye offsite for a few hours.

+RZGLG\RXJHWLQYROYHGZLWKWKH 6PLUQRII&UHDWLYH*UDQWV6FKHPH" My manager suggested it was a good one to look at and once I found out all the brilliant ideas that were being hatched around the country I jumped in! Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s so refreshing to see that there are some very inventive promoters out there still. ,VLWVRPHWKLQJ\RXZLVK\RXFRXOG KDYH DSSOLHG IRU ZKHQ \RX Ă&#x20AC;UVW started out? Not necessarily, as I loved the real struggle of having to do everything ourselves, but I know loads of proPRWHUVZKRZRXOGKDYHEHQHĂ&#x20AC;WWHG Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a real shame in life for money to be the one thing holding people back from being creative and making something of their lives. :KDWZHUHWKHĂ&#x20AC;UVWFOXEQLJKWV\RX organised like?

Very low key, but fun. We had the Ă&#x20AC;UVW 9-V LQ /RQGRQ GRLQJ EULOOLDQW visuals, board games, games of giant Twister, fancy dress, cabaret, Punch and Judy shows...very visual, very psychedelic. $Q\ WLSV IRU EXGGLQJ SURPRWHUV ZKRPLJKWEHWKLQNLQJRIDSSO\LQJ IRUWKHEXUVDU\WKLV\HDU" Come up with a fresh angle really, either musically or thematically. It doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to be off the wall or daft, it could have a slight twist from an already tried formula. $QG Ă&#x20AC;QDOO\ DUH WKHUH DQ\ EDQGV \RXWKLQNZHQHHGWREHZDWFKLQJ RXWIRUWKLV\HDU" Too many! Chew Lips, Movits, Little Death, Charli xcx, Ellie Goulding, The Correspondents, Cound of Rum, Music go Music...too many to mention!

Tuning In to sport shows 7KH'DQQ\%DNHU6KRZ Sat, 9-11am, BBC 5Live Only students with an interest in sports bordering on problematic will be up at 9am for Danny Bakerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s show. His sideways glance at the sporting world is, however, something worth catching. Guests include Mock the Weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Andy Parsons, who reveals his allegiance for Torquay United and Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason who sounds as out of place talking about football as Iggy Pop would be sitting on the bench for Chelsea. Although heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a wider, poorer version of Jonathan Ross, Baker should be commended for his tongue-in-cheek view on some of the darker issues that dog modern football. With the fate of many classic football grounds seeming gloomy, he offers listeners the chance to vote to save their pitch in the event of a football meltdown. Interestingly, not a single top 20 clubâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fans bothered to vote. A sign of the times? Danny Baker certainly thinks so. Nile Amos

7KH-HUHP\.\OH 6XQGD\6SRUWV6KRZ Sun, 12-3pm, talksport.net I admit it- Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not the greatest JerHP\.\OHIDQ2Q79,Ă&#x20AC;QGKLPDELW of an idiot, quite frankly, so I was curious to know whether he would be any better on talkSPORT. To my surprise, Kyleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been presenting this show for about a year now, discussing the major sports stories of the week. If you like opinionated sports talk, then I suggest you tune in - sports stars and newspaper columnists call in offering their views on important issues in the sporting world. A word of warning though - be prepared for numerous adverts and Kyleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s annoying assertiveness. I tried to like this show, I really did, but in the hour and a half that I listened to the Sunday Sports Show, Jeremy and his companion Chris Davies insulted women, the French, England, Diego Maradona (â&#x20AC;&#x153;a cheating drug takerâ&#x20AC;?) and Shaun â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Wrongâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Philips. Jeremy Kyleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s opinionated style of presenting may suit some, but quite frankly this show did little to change my opinion of this conceited man. Helen Atkinson

Sports Express Fri, 9.30-10pm, BBC 5Live

5RFNœQ¡5ROO)RRWEDOO Sat, 3pm, Absolute Radio

Former Radio 1 DJ Colin Murray and former Soccer A.M. anchor Tim Lovejoy presents thirty minutes of sports news and views every Friday evening, promising to take an â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;irreverentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; look at the sporting world. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not going to lie - the focus is primarily on football. Lovejoy even confessed to not understanding rugby union in an episode I listened to last week. Murray does a great job as presenter, (probably because heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s worked in radio for years) while Lovejoy struggles to make valid contributions, constantly singing Chelseaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s praises (NOT a good move, Tim). If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve not got much time and want to know whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going on in the world of sport, this could be the show for you. However, the lack of chemistry between the two may well make you switch off before the full time whistle. Sports Express kicks off every Friday 9:30-10pm, BBC Radio 5 live.

Saturday afternoons are perIHFWO\Ă&#x20AC;OOHGZLWKÂś5RFNDQG5ROO Footballâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; presented by Russ Williams. What more can a person want, whether you are driving, cooking, or simply sitting at home, this sports programme will bring you fantastic quality music and all the football results from across the country. Russ Williams is a very funny and entertaining radio presenter; he has previously presented the breakfast show for nearly Ă&#x20AC;YH\HDUVVRKHLVYHU\VNLOOHGDW pleasing the listeners with classic songs and interesting anecdotes. If football and music are two of your favourite things, I highly recommend spending your Saturday afternoons from 3pm tuned into Absolute Radio.

Helen Atkinson

Clementine Manning

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Use your body and your brain if you want to win the gameâ&#x20AC;? - those were the morals I was raised on. In 2009, an era of CGI, 3D glasses and iPlayer, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nice to think back to simpler, brighter times. Fun House was THE after-school indulgence in a golden era of TV, ZLWK Ă RSS\IULQJHG 3DW 6KDUSH JXLGLQJ NLGV DFURVV JXQJHĂ&#x20AC;OOHG pools, crazy ball pools and racing through the studio in mediocre gokarts collecting tokens. Who didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t envy those lucky kids, getting to hang out in what can only be described as the squishiest, noisiest, happiest house (read: TV studio) on the planet, winning great prizes such as mountain bikes, secret spywatches and awesome backpacks? And of course, who could forget the sidekicks Melanie and Martina - one in yellow, the other in red, throwing their pom-poms around with such aplomb every boy in BritDLQZDVWUDQVĂ&#x20AC;[HG I never quite understood what the girls did, other than jump for joy, look identical and invade my dreams at a young age. The show was a simple quizmeets-assault course style show. Kids got points, they got covered in gunge, and Pat Sharpe wore baggy, wool-plaid shirts. At the end, the kids raced around in go-karts collecting tokens before they went in the biggest part of the house collecting prizes. Simpler times indeed. If you want to see more of Pat Sharpeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s antics, he performs routines at over a thousand Freshersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Weeks a year.

165/LYHRQD 7XHVGD\DIWHUQRRQ Christian Allen NSR Station Manager Wasting time between lectures this Tuesday? There are plenty of shows at NSR that will please your ears as you read up on your blackboard slides and essay notes. From 3-4pm itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Things the Grandchildren Should Knowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. But far from being a guide for future family tree members, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a chance for us to hear some great music, both old and new. This weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s playlist included classics from Morrissey, Lightning Seeds and Paul Weller, alongside recent tracks from Arctic Monkeys and trusty old 50 Cent. Following this is â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Happy Hourâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, keeping you entertained with dazzling wit and an assortment of random news from around the world. Taking you into the evening is Mark Levine with longstanding show â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Yester me, Yester you, Yesterdays hitsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. Get ready to relive all those Top of the Pops performances whilst staying up to date with the latest entertainment news as well as the ever popular Love Levine section, solving all of your love problems since 2006. Then youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re in for a treat with â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Recipe for Successâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. This cookery programme takes you through a recipe every week, interspersing instructions with anecdotes. Why not follow along making your own tea!

34

Monday 23 November 2009 THE COURIER

CULTURE

TV & Radio

TV & Radio TV & Radio Editor: Aimee Philipson - courier.culture-tv@ncl.ac.uk

with Rachel Adedeji Tom Delamere X Factor Correspondent

7KLVZHHN,PHWZLWK;)DFWRUĂ&#x20AC;QDOLVW 5DFKHO$GHGHMLDIWHUKHUSHUIRUPDQFHDW 3RZHUKRXVH7KHEXEEO\\HDUROGUH Ă HFWHGRQKHUUHODWLRQVKLSZLWKWKHYRW LQJSXEOLFH[SUHVVHGKHUORYHIRU/RXLV DQG UHYHDOHG D FXQQLQJ SDLU RI IRRG WKLHYHVLQWKH;)DFWRU+RXVH So what have you been up to since the X Factor? Well, since the X Factor Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been gigging all over, performing in Glasgow, in Leeds, in Harrogate. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s great fun and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not over, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more to come! I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be any more overjoyed, honestly it is great just singing everywhere... ...just getting out on stage? Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m saying, yeah! Taking it in! Being a very talented singer and performer, why do you think that the public failed to engage with you in terms of votes? You know what? I ask myself that question. Maybe people just didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to vote. I mean honestly, if I was a viewer I wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t vote because itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a waste of credit on the phone! Maybe people just enjoyed watching and didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to vote. Maybe people just didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t connect with me as a person, just didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know who I was! Maybe the next question will answer it. There has been a lot of GHEDWH RYHU WKH GHĂ&#x20AC;QLWLRQ RI WDO ent surrounding this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s show. What do you think the X Factor is?

I think the X Factor is a person who believes in themselves as an artist and who just loves to perform. And is an all rounder and knows how to be versatile. Would you buy a record by John and Edward? (Emphatically) Yes! I would. Did you get on with them in the house?

Joseph McElderry! And Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not just saying that because Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m in Newcastle, I say it wherever I go! But Joseph has to win because me and Joe are like best friends - straight away we clicked like that. We even have our own little hand shake. I just miss him so much. We are going to live together, we actually are! Brilliant! Where? Newcastle? Maybe, maybe.

Yes I did apart from one time they actually stole my cereal! You know the big boxes and you get a certain percentage free? Well they actually just took it! It was on Rachelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s shelf and I thought why is it gone? I was XSVHW ZLWK WKHP MXVW IRU Ă&#x20AC;YH PLQ utes but they apologised. I love John and Edward, they are so lovely. I would buy an album from them; I would love to listen to them.

Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll come round for tea - weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll bring some cereal!

Do you think Simon Cowell has lost his bottle now heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s put the decision to deadlock four times now?

AD-ED-EJI! (in voiceover voice)

No, leave Simon! He actually hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t done anything wrong. What put her (Lucie) in the bottom two? What put me in the bottom two? It was the public vote. If he had just chosen Lucie then all the Jedward fans would say why would he do that because he clearly hates John and Edward, you know what I mean? Yes, fair argument. Now, what are your plans for the future? Keep singing! Keep on singing! Any great opportunity that comes my way, just take it on. I think I know the answer to this already because Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve heard you a few times tonight! Who do you think has the best chance of winning and who do you want to win?

...and soya milk! Do you like the way that the X Factor voiceover man said your name? Do you know what - he said it better than my actual family and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s my family name!

(Laughing) Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s good! Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what builds up the adrenaline, especially when I go on to sing my survival song, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d be back stage crying, then Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll hear my name and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be like â&#x20AC;&#x153;Yep! Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s it, thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s me! He called my name!â&#x20AC;? Yeah I loved it when he says my name, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s incredible.

$QGĂ&#x20AC;QDOO\ :KDW¡V \RXU IDYRXULWH Ă DYRXU RI crisps? Salt and Vinegar! If you could have a super power, what would it be? Erm..Laser beams... through my nipples! That would be cool, can you imagine it? Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d be like â&#x20AC;&#x153;bzzzzzzâ&#x20AC;?...

I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t, no! Moving on...if you could be an animal, what would you be? Straight away kangaroo came to my head. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d have a little (gestures to pouch) to put your things in. Yes, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d be quite handy. Where would you like to be taken on a Ă&#x20AC;UVWGDWH" First date, Dubai. No, no maybe not Ă&#x20AC;UVW GDWH ,¡P MXVW WKLQNLQJ DKHDG like marriage and kids. Maybe just to Burger King, no KFC! Then to the cinema to watch -HQQLIHU¡V%RG\. I love that movie and Megan Fox. And then after Megan Fox, KFC again.

OK, so itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s two bargain buckets and a cinema ticket! Other than your mentor, who was your favourite Judge? Louis Walsh! I love Louis! I used to see him in rehearsals and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d be worried like â&#x20AC;&#x153;Louis what if I go to the bottom two?â&#x20AC;? Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d say â&#x20AC;&#x153;If you do Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll just save you!â&#x20AC;? I love Louis, heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just so lovely! Well thank you very much and thanks for a great performance. Thank you, that was a lovely interview! 5DFKHOLVVLQJLQJRQWKH;)DFWRUFKDU LW\VLQJOHZKLFKLVRXWQRZ

TV series boxsets to put on your Christmas lists Battlestar Galactica 30 Rock The Complete Series, ÂŁ59.97 Season One, ÂŁ6.98

Smallville Season Eight, ÂŁ29.98

Seinfeld Series One and Two, ÂŁ8.18

It is easy to dismiss %DWWOHVWDU*DODF tica as a Star Trek wannabe yet after WKHĂ&#x20AC;UVWHSLVRGHLWZLOOEHFOHDUWKDW youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re in darker and more complex territory than anything the Trek has to offer, and arguably one of the best SLHFHVRIVFLĂ&#x20AC;HYHU Set in aftermath of a nuclear holocaust of the human race, %DWWOHVWDU charts the journey of mankindâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s last UHPDLQLQJ VXUYLYRUV WR Ă&#x20AC;QG D QHZ SODQHWWRVHWWOHRQDVWKH\Ă HHIURP their Cylon enemies (man-made robots). While the initial premise of the series is the war between man and machine, the essence of the show (that puts %DWWOHVWDU in a league of its own) is its examination of humanity when it is pushed to the brink of extinction. The performances from its exceptionally good-looking cast are nothing short of perfect, and will keep you watching until the showâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s IRXUWKDQGVDGO\Ă&#x20AC;QDOVHULHV

Smallville is the perfect Christmas cracker for fans of action-packed, URPDQFHĂ&#x20AC;OOHG FRPHGLF VFLĂ&#x20AC; EH cause believe me, this show has got it all. This season sees Clark get one step closer to his Superman destiny but as yet his alter ego is known as the â&#x20AC;&#x153;red-blue blurâ&#x20AC;? which leaves nothing to the imagination. The major development of the season involves our hero taking a position at the Daily Planet newspaper with none other than Lois Lane. The departure of Lana Lang from the show was a blow for many fans, however for the plot to progress it was a necessary cut so Clark could realise his true feelings for Lois. The key to the success of Smallville is the showâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ability to grow and stay fresh which is evident in its progression from a quirky teen drama into DFUHGLEOHVFLĂ&#x20AC;VKRZ So get this one down on your list and hit express delivery from the North pole to get it for Dec 25th.

Many of you probably missed SeinIHOG WKH Ă&#x20AC;UVW WLPH URXQG LQVWHDG growing up on a diet of )ULHQGV and other such sitcoms. Well let me tell you something - without 6HLQIHOG you wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have any of the sitcoms that are around today. Initially I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like this show much, it seemed too clean, too wholesome, but the more I watched the more I fell in love. The show follows stand-up comic Jerry Seinfeld, his neighbour Kramer and his two friends George And Elaine in their daily lives in New York. This show was dubbed â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;the show about nothingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and that is truly the best way to describe it; one episode follows the gang waiting for a table in a restaurant. On paper this show is not the most exciting, but in reality is not only very accessible, but also very clever and very funny. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s true, the original really is the best.

,PUDQ-DYHG

-DPLH6KHUZRRG

-DPHV)DLUĂ&#x20AC;HOG

Multiple Emmy award-winning Tina Fey, formerly of 6DWXUGD\1LJKW /LYH, writes and stars in this hilarious comedy series about the backstage JRLQJVRQRIDĂ&#x20AC;FWLRQDOVNHWFKVKRZ FDOOHGÂś7*6¡Ă&#x20AC;OPHGLQWKH1%&VWX dios in Rockefeller Plaza. Fey stars as Liz Lemon, head writer of TGS, with Alec Baldwin as her boss Jack Donaghy, the head of East Coast Television and Microwave Oven Programming. The mixture of smart script and general slapstick humour makes 30 Rock totally unmissable. Fey and Baldwin have both won awards for their performances in 30 Rock and deservedly so. Jack McBrayer as Kenneth is also fantastic and provides so many of the shows amazing one- liners. 30 Rock is totally under hyped; the box set is well worth buying to enjoy this comedy gem over and over. /DXUD,QJKDP

THE COURIER Monday 23 November 2009

35

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 weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s edition. 7KHĂ&#x20AC;UVWSHUVRQWRFRPHWRThe CourierRIĂ&#x20AC;FHZLWKDFRPSOHWHG&URVVZRUGZLQVDIUHHEHHUDQGEXUJHUDW7KH+DQFRFN

ACROSS

DOWN

1. Scottish dish (6) 5. Peregrine -----; Newcastle Rugby teams mascot (6) 7. Cocktail made with gin and vermouth (7) 8. Friend (colloquial) (3) 9. Solve the riddle: You have this when you are sitting down, but it disappears when you stand up (3) 10. e.g. Mushrooms (5) 13. Small person (5) 16. Punctuation indicating a pause (5) 18. Warner Brotherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s animated duck (5) 19. Feeling upset and resentful (5) 20. One more (7) 22. Evil brother of Mufasa in â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The Lion Kingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; (4) 23. Global technological company (4) 24. Having a good effect on your body or mind (11) 6RPHRQHZKRLVFRQVLGHUHGWRKDYHLQĂ&#x20AC;QLWHZLV dom (4) 26. As well as (4) 27. Get rid of; put an end to (7) 31. You make toast with this; 1970s pop/rock band (5) 32. Alcoholic drink made from fermenting apples (5) 33. Lined up to hit a target (5) 34. Yellow citrus fruit (5) 36. Shell-less gastropods (5) 39. Noise that a sheep makes (3) 40. Trophy; piece of crockery (3) 41. Bright green precious stone (7) 42. Vital element that allows us to breathe (6) 43. Type of 5 down that swims upriver to breed (6)

2. Sport that is practised on a driving range (4) 3. Smoke and fog creates this effect (4) 4. Try (7) 5. Creature that lives in water (4) 6. Having a low temperature (4) 11. Unlucky (11) 12. Small picture representing a programme on a computer (4) 13. Look after (4) $QDFWLYLW\WKDWPRGLĂ&#x20AC;HVWKHYLVXDOVKDSHRIDQ area of land (11) 15. A safe place (9) 17. Someone who tries to play practical jokes on people (9) 20. Public events occur here (5) 21.Pretend to vomit (5) 28. e.g. runner, broad, baked etc. (4) 29. Frank -------, footballer who plays for Chelsea (7) 30. Froth that is made from soapy water (4) 34. Unwilling to do work or use any physical effort (4) 35.The major tennis tournament in the USA; allow access (4) 37. A group of boys or young men (4) /D\HURIGLUWWKDWĂ RDWV on top of a liquid; worthless people (colloquial) (4)

PICTURE PHRASE PUZZLE Use the pictures to come up with a phrase, thing, place or name. 7U\WRĂ&#x20AC;QGWKHFRPPRQWKHPH

ODD ONE OUT

Solution to last weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Crossword

:KLFKĂ DPLQJRLVQRWGDQFLQJWRWKHVDPHĂ DPHQFR"

SUDOKU

Solution to last weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sudoku

MATHS MAGICIAN Brush up on your maths skills by completing these sums as fast as possible without using a calculator. Normal rules of maths apply.

One brain cell

ANSWERS

Three brain cells

7KHREMHFWLYHLVWRĂ&#x20AC;OOWKHJULGVRWKDWHDFKFRO umn, each row and each of the nine 3Ă&#x2014;3 boxes contains the digits from 1 to 9 only one time each. For the completed puzzle check next weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s edition of The Courier

Odd one out: In the bottom row, the second one from the right has one less feather on its wing. Maths Magician: One =13, Two =9, Three =6 Picture Phrase Puzzle: -Shuttlecock, Racing Car, Football Boots, Bobsled. Theme - Sporting equipment

Two brain cells

THE COURIER Monday 23 November 2009

37

Garnett breeze past Hurricanes > Sport, page 39 Sports Editors: Paul Christian, Jamie Gavin and Tom James - courier.sport@ncl.ac.uk

McLaren on the Button Christian Cotter Comment Two of the biggest names in Formula One joined forces last week, creating the most anticipated duo on the tracks in recent times. Jenson Buttonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s switch from Brawn to McLaren has seen a new all British F1 duo, but it remains to be seen who will emerge victorious. The move will see Button team up with fellow Brit and predecessor to the World Championship, Lewis Hamilton. The switch will certainly come as a shock to many associated with Formula 1, not least because Button himself had said how happy and committed he was at Brawn â&#x20AC;&#x201C; just last month. However, the motives for such a switch are obvious. Button will not only be driving a much more advanced and indeed expensive car; he will also double his current salary. While Button is undoubtedly not merely in the sport for the money â&#x20AC;&#x201C; as was evident when he took a pay cut last winter to help secure his Brawn teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s future â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the offer of a mammoth ÂŁ6m-a-year from McLaren will surely have been a prominent factor in his decision. But Button himself insists his decision is based on the â&#x20AC;&#x153;challengeâ&#x20AC;?, and admittedly, he has a big one ahead. While his status as World Champion is secured, there are still many critics of Button who claim that he is not as complete as a driver

as McLaren. The main concern on the lips of McLaren fans, though, is the potential ego clash between the two drivers, who have both been world champions and both regarded as %ULWDLQ¡VĂ&#x20AC;QHVW)RUPXODGULYHUV For now, at least, Button has only words of praise for his new teammate, insisting that â&#x20AC;&#x153;Lewis is a wonderfully gifted driver who has earned the respect of every Formula 1 driver â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m sure thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s plenty that we can learn from each otherâ&#x20AC;?. Returning the praise, Hamilton retorted â&#x20AC;&#x153;itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fantastic news that Jenson has decided to join McLaren â&#x20AC;&#x201C; we get on very well together and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m sure weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll quickly establish a great working relationshipâ&#x20AC;?. The McLaren team has been built for and around Lewis Hamilton, though, and it remains to be seen if Button will be able to adapt to the way McLarenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hamilton-centric cars have been constructed. Hamilton will also want to retain his position of prominence in the McLaren team, with whom he has been with for three years. Ultimately, the new McLaren team is now made up of two men who want to be, and will indeed strive to be, number one. And with the McLaren car practically built around Hamilton, the question needs to be asked whether or not the car will be designed to suit Buttons smoother style of driving. Further to this, will Button be given the same equipment and opportunities?

These questions will indeed be answered in the early stages of the season, and such questions will surely not distract avid fans in their excitement of the prospect of what lies ahead. Legendary F1 driver Sir Jackie Stewart believes that Button is making a mistake in joining the eighttimes constructors and twelve-times drivers champions. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a totally different culture in McLaren which [Button] might struggle withâ&#x20AC;?, the three-time champion revealed. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It

ZLOO EH GLIĂ&#x20AC;FXOW IRU KLP WR WDNH RQ Lewis Hamilton â&#x20AC;&#x201C; itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s like walking into the lionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s den.â&#x20AC;? Adding an extra dimension to next seasons Championship â&#x20AC;&#x201C; not that we needed it â&#x20AC;&#x201C; is the fact that the two Brits are likely to come up against an all-German partnership, in the form of the Brawn-turned-Mercedes team of Nico Rosberg and Nick Heidfeld. This Britain vs. Germany tussle adds a lot of spice to procedures, and certainly provides the perfect backdrop to the more internal battle

of the Brits. With Button and Hamilton driving the same car next year, we can be sure of one thing â&#x20AC;&#x201C; one driver will emerge, undisputedly, as the best. 6RDIWHUDVWURQJĂ&#x20AC;QLVKODVWVHDVRQ 0F/DUHQZLOOKRSHWRFRPHRXWĂ&#x20AC;U ing on all cylinders next year, with their two British Bulldogs battling it out between themselves, in what promises to be one of the most pulsating F1 chronicles we have seen for a long time.

Why England will win the World Cup Ed Langford Comment 6RZLWKTXDOLĂ&#x20AC;FDWLRQRYHUDQG(QJ land safely secured of their place in South Africa next summer, the question hanging over Fabio Capelloâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s men is: are they good enough to return as champions? In short, yes. The bookies currentO\KDYH(QJODQGDVWKLUGIDYRXULWHV EHKLQG (XURSHDQ FKDPSLRQV 6SDLQ DQGĂ&#x20AC;YHWLPHVZLQQHUV%UD]LO But I believe that the 2010 squad ZLOO EH WKH Ă&#x20AC;UVW (QJOLVK VLGH WR OLIW the world cup since â&#x20AC;&#x2122;66 and give Baddiel and Skinner a chance for that money-spinning comeback. This isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t a biased stance. As someone who continually struggles to feel passionate about the national side compared to club football, I feel detached enough to allow my head to rule heart and make appropriate judgment about the factors that will lead us to success. 7KH Ă&#x20AC;UVW LV XQGRXEWHGO\ )DELR Capello. Since his appointment in late 2007, Capello has not only installed a winning brand of football in the side, but a winning mentality and a competitive environment. Would Capello have picked Theo Walcott for the 2006 World Cup or handed Scott Carson his full debut against Croatia? A playerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s reputation or desire to play for his country is no longer

enough. They must prove themselves in order to receive Capelloâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s approval. Beckhamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s second loan spell in Milan this winter and the invitation RI DOO SOD\HUV XVHG LQ TXDOLĂ&#x20AC;FDWLRQ to the Belarus game, from Michael Owen to David Wheater, is a testament to this. %XW(QJODQGKDYHWRGRWKHLUWDON ing on the pitch. Without question they have a world-class backbone to their side and will look to Wayne Rooney for inspiration. The Manchester United forwardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s IRUP DQG Ă&#x20AC;WQHVV LV FUXFLDO WR (QJ landâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s chances, and the hopes of the nation will undoubtedly rest on his shoulders. A Rooney-less side lacks that creative spark and will be incapable of challenging the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best. It is no FRLQFLGHQFHWKDW(QJODQG¡VSDVWWZR failures at major championships have come when Rooney has not EHHQRQWKHĂ&#x20AC;HOG $QRWKHU FRQWULEXWRU WR (QJODQG¡V potential success is the South African climate. In South African winters (MayJuly) average temperatures hover around the 20-degree mark. The South African tourist board even GHVFULEHVWKHĂ&#x20AC;QHVWRIWKHZHDWKHUDW this time to â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;rival the best of a British summerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. (QJODQGZLOOFRPSHWHDWWKH:RUOG Cup feeling at ease with the climate

and not alienated or disadvantaged to the South Americans and even WKH6RXWKHUQ(XURSHDQV Take the example of the last-16 game against Denmark in 2002. A huge downpour before the evening kick-off saw the temperature and KXPLGLW\ GURS DQG (QJODQG FDPH RXW Ă&#x20AC;ULQJ DQG SXW WKUHH SDVW 7KR PDV6RUHQVHQLQVLGHWKHĂ&#x20AC;UVWKDOI There is no doubt that Beckham and the boys will have their work FXW RXW QH[W VXPPHU 7KH %UD]LO ians, the Spanish and the Germans, amongst others, will arrive in South Africa with their own ideas about lifting the 14 inch trophy and certainly will be hell-bent in doing so. <HW (QJODQG PXVW Ă&#x20AC;UVW FRQFHUQ themselves with their own plans EHIRUHVL]LQJXSWKHRSSRVLWLRQ7KH next few months will give us an indication as to who will be the lucky 23 making the plane in June. With an ageing section of key players, mostly all falling just either side of the 30 mark; Gerrard, Lampard, Ferdinand and co will know that this could not only be the last chance IRUWKHÂśJROGHQDJH¡RI(QJOLVKIRRW EDOO WR IXOĂ&#x20AC;O LWV SRWHQWLDO EXW DOVR their best. If everything comes together for D IXOO\ Ă&#x20AC;W IXOO\ SUHSDUHG (QJODQG squad, then it could well be the end of 44 years of hurt.

38

Monday 23 November 2009 THE COURIER

SPORT S. OAKES

Royals hang on to record famous win Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Rugby Union

Durham 1sts Newcastle 1sts

10 13

Tom Rainey at Durham City Rugby Club A resurgent Newcastle put their dismal recent run against Durham to an end last Wednesday as they left the Durham City Rugby Club with all WKUHHSRLQWVDIWHUDĂ&#x20AC;QHZLQ The Royals made the short trip to their local rivals in high spirits following some great performances in recent weeks and with a general feeling amongst the squad and coaches that they are edging closer and closer to the complete performance that the team is undoubtedly FDSDEOHRI These positive feelings were bolstered by the fact that Durhamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s season has not been as successful DV1HZFDVWOH¡VWKLV\HDU7KHUHZDV

D FRQĂ&#x20AC;GHQW DQG GHWHUPLQHG DLU RQ the coach trip to the home teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ground, despite one statistic weighing heavily on every players mind, that Newcastle had not beaten Durham at this level for six years home RUDZD\ With games across the North East cancelled due to the appalling weather conditions, it was commendable that Durham were able to provide DSLWFKLQUHODWLYHO\JRRGFRQGLWLRQ But it was clear from the warm-up onwards that the wet, heavy surface of the really quite small pitch was only going to provide for one sort of game, and the eventual winners would have to be prepared to scrap RXWDQDUURZZLQ 7KH Ă&#x20AC;UVW KDOI RI WKH PDWFK ZDV predictably turgid, with both teams trading blows of continued pressure in the others twenty-two but QHLWKHUDEOHWREUHDNWKHGHDGORFN,W was only after ten minutes of being camped within touching distance of the Durham line that Newcastle

were rewarded with three-points, courtesy of Adam Armstrongâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ERRW However, immediately following this, Durhamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s kicker was gifted a chance to level things after naĂŻve indiscipline in the Newcastle defence, EXW WKH FKDQFH ZDV PLVVHG )LYH minutes later an almost carbon-copy of this chance was again carelessly JLYHQ WR 'XUKDP WKHLU Ă \KDOI KLWWLQJWKHSRVWRQWKLVRFFDVLRQ The remainder of the half passed without incident and the teams went into the break with only three SRLQWVVHSDUDWLQJWKHP The opening exchanges of the second half were in complete contrast WRWKHVORZSDFHRIWKHĂ&#x20AC;UVW)ROORZing a insightful half-time team talk E\FRDFKHV)UDVHU.HQQHG\DQG7RP Wilkinson and the always calming LQĂ XHQFH RI VWDQGLQ &DSWDLQ +DUrison Pickervance, the Newcastle back-line was given the freedom to really â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;have a goâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; at the lacklustre 'XUKDPWKUHHTXDUWHUV This tactic brought immediate reward as the Newcastle centres and back three made the most of quick ball from half backs Tom Berg and Ed Yarnton, consistently carving through their opposition, making more and more ground with each attack and marching Durham back WKHOHQJWKRIWKHSLWFK The sudden increase in tempo and intensity by the visitors proved too

much for the home side to repel and pressure was duly converted into SRLQWV$IWHUDQXPEHURIVOLFNSKDVes from the Newcastle forwards in the loose, Yarnton delivered a quick ball out to Armstrong who was joining the attack at speed from full back before breaching the Durham GHIHQFH Armstrong then dummied to the winger before delivering a deft inside ball to centre Tom Rainey, who capped the great play by Newcastle by sliding under the cover defence WRĂ&#x20AC;QLVK$UPVWURQJWKHQFRQYHUWHG WKLV WU\ WDNLQJ WKH VFRUH WR  LQ 1HZFDVWOH¡VIDYRXU Soon after this, on Newcastleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s next visit to Durhamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s half, a speculative piece of play by back row Sam Shires saw the fresher chip over the oncoming defenders before being lateKLWLQWKHMDZ$VDUHVXOW1HZFDVWOH were awarded a penalty where the chip landed, allowing Armstrong to FRQYHUWWDNLQJWKHVFRUHWR This however, was far from game over as a resurgent Durham team, spurred on by their home crowd, responded with a period of extended SUHVVXUHRIWKHLURZQ Newcastle were able to absorb early waves of attack by the home team, who had really stepped their game up in an attempt to get someWKLQJIURPWKHJDPH Durham eventually capitalised on their pressure, gaining a penalty for

offside and converting with ease to bring them within ten points of the YLVLWRUV Then with only minutes remaining, a passage of kicking for territory by both sides created an opportunity for Durham as a poor kick by the Newcastle number eight was duly picked off by the home teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s back three who mounted a swift counter attack down the blindside wing, combining some noteworthy RIĂ RDGV DQG DQJOHV WR VFRUH LQ WKH FRUQHUDQGFRQYHUW 7KHVFRUHZDVQRZDQG1HZcastle knew they only had to withstand one more phase of play and the long-anticipated victory over WKHLUROGHVWULYDOVZRXOGEHWKHLUV Durham did however put up a Ă&#x20AC;JKW DQG GLVSOD\HG TXLWH EULOOLDQW ball retention, going side to side in their own twenty-two probing for that weakness in the Newcastle line that might bring them an unlikely FRPHEDFNYLFWRU\ However, the spirited visitors were determined not to let this hapSHQDQGURXVHGDYDOLDQWĂ&#x20AC;QDOHIIRUW eventually forcing a handling error from their worthy opponents, bringLQJ RQ WKH Ă&#x20AC;QDO ZKLVWOH D YLFWRU\ that few of the Newcastle team will forget in a hurry and signalling the further development and success of a team that is going from strength to VWUHQJWK

Becoming the man in the middle > Sports Editor Tom James spent the weekend learning how to become a football referee $FRXSOHRIZHHNHQGVDJR,FURVVHG RYHU WR WKH GDUN VLGH 7KH VHWWLQJ was a miserable November morning at Longbenton, the course was to learn how to be a football refHUHH 2YHU WKH QH[W WZR GD\V WKH )$ referee instructors answer to MoreFDPEHDQG:LVHWRRNĂ&#x20AC;IWHHQRIXV hand picked from the cream of intra mural football, through everything we needed to know to become the most unpopular part of a football PDWFK At times educational and often controversial, the course turned us into whistle blowing, card yielding RIĂ&#x20AC;FLDQDGRV LQ WKH PRXOG RI 6WHYH &DWFKSROH Saturday morning started with a bang as the revelation that you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t score an own goal from your own

free kick sent shockwaves through WKH OLNHV RI (VGRQ .LOYLQJWRQ DQG &RQFKLH:KLOHWKLVLQIRUPDWLRQZDV still sinking in we headed down to WKH*DQGOHDUQWDOOWKHLQVDQGRXWV of being a linesman and the basics of UHIHUHHLQJ The course was designed to teach us all the key elements of what it takes to be successful as the man LQ WKH PLGGOH 7KLV LQYROYHG EHLQJ prepared for the most unlikely of circumstances and the correct proFHGXUHVWRGHDOZLWKWKHP After learning all of the signals a referee needs and receiving our very own whistle and cards, we were taught how to manage players when booking them and taking control of heated situations was DOVRGLVFXVVHG7RHQFRXUDJHSUDFWLcal learning, everyone took turns at playing the referee as different sceQDULRVZHUHDFWHGRXW As well as this, the instructors advised us on the manner the referee should conduct themselves and the relationship they should have with WKHSOD\HUVLQRUGHUWREHUHVSHFWHG

Everyone came back the next day DQG LW ZDV EDFN RXW RQWR WKH * WR go through how to start a game correctly, throw ins, corner kicks and SHQDOWLHV ,W ZDV WKHQ EDFN WR WKH training room to go through the off side rule and direct and indirect free NLFNV After two intense days we were then ready to take the exam which involved a theory paper and a SUDFWLFDO DVVHVVPHQW 7KH WKHRU\ was multiple choice and tested our knowledge of what a referee should do in certain situations, whereas the practical side made sure we knew all of the correct procedures when WDNLQJFKDUJHRIDPDWFK Everyone passed the course and now have to take charge of six eleven a side games at which point they will automatically jump to level sevHQRQWKHUHIHUHHLQJODGGHU The thought of taking charge of 22 footballers is slightly daunting, but after the course everyone will be SUHSDUHGWRGRDSURIHVVLRQDOMRE

THE COURIER Monday 23 November 2009

39

SPORT

Garnett back on top after routine victory Intra Mural Football Division One

Garnett Hurricanes

2 0

Paul Christian Sports Editor Garnett returned to the top of the table after a dull encounter with the Hurricanes on the Longbenton 3G. It was the only Intra Mural game of the day as the leagues succumbed to the wet weather. And it was one to forget. A goal in each half from the champions was enough to clinch victory, setting up a mouth watering tie against second placed Dyslexic next week. Hurricanes however will have their work cut out to stay in the top Ă LJKW 7KH\¡YH \HW WR UHFRUG D ZLQ DQGVLWURFNERWWRPRIWKHWDEOH7R quote D-Ream, things can only get better. )URP VWDUW WR Ă&#x20AC;QLVK LW ZDV D GLVjointed game. Misplaced passes, breakdowns in communication and a lack of quality plagued both WHDPV,¡PVWUXJJOLQJWRUHPHPEHUD FOHDUFXWFKDQFHVR,¡OOPDNHRQHXS Esdon pranced through the Hurricane defence before unleashing a

VKRWWKDWKLWERWKSRVWVWZLFH7KHQ KHZRNHXSDQGĂ XIIHGDEDFNSDVV in typical fashion. 7KH KDOI¡V GHĂ&#x20AC;QLQJ PRPHQW FDPH Ă&#x20AC;YH PLQXWHV IURP WKH HQG )DLUPLFKDHO Ă&#x20AC;QGLQJ KLPVHOI LQ PRUH space than at the DW stadium on a Saturday afternoon at 3pm, decided WRVKRRW$QGZKDWDGHFLVLRQ7KH ball left his foot like a rocket and nestled in the bottom corner. Fairmichael made a strange noise of celebration and Garnett breathed a sigh of relief. Half-time, one nil. 7KH VHFRQG KDOI ZDV DV PLVHUDEOH as this match report. Hurricanes toyed with the idea of a comeback, even dared to hit a shot. But it just ZDVQ¡W KDSSHQLQJ 1RW HYHQ WKHLU :HOVK ZL]DUG LQ PLGĂ&#x20AC;HOG ZKRVH QDPH,GRQ¡WNQRZFRXOGZDYHKLV magic wand on the game. ,GRXEWKH¡VDZL]DUGRUKDVDZDQG +H¡V GHĂ&#x20AC;QLWHO\ :HOVK WKRXJK $QG KH ZDV +XUULFDQH¡V EHVW SOD\HU RQ the day. Garnett resolved to play a bit, looking to kill off the game with DVHFRQGJRDO7KH\GLGMXVWWKDW minutes into the second half. Kilvington, the postman who only rings once, but always delivers, spanked a gorgeous ball into the box which was met by the head of Morrant. It was a shining light in a

J. CARLISLE

Royals progress halted by relentless Leeds Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Rugby Union

Leeds 1sts Newcastle 1sts

35 5

Ellie Robinson

dim game and secured victory for the green and black. 7KH JDPH SHWHUHG LQWR REVFXULW\ like our friend D-Ream and, as darkQHVV IHOO WKH Ă RRGOLJKWV FDPH RQ Beautifully lit, the 3G is a glowing symbol of how far Intra Mural has FRPH 7RGD\¡V PDWFK ZDV DQ XQĂ&#x20AC;Wting occasion though, one destined for the gloom of Close House. %XW WKDW¡V IRRWEDOO ZKDWHYHU WKDW PHDQV ,W¡V QRW DOZD\V SUHWW\ DQG often cruel. Just ask Ireland (country, not the player). Garnett happily took the three points to reclaim top spot, and at the risk of repeating myself, set up a mouth watering tie with Dyslexic next week.

After struggling with squad numEHUVGXHWRLQMXU\DQGDEVHQFHD strong squad travelled away to face Leeds in a game which would prove to be the toughest of the season so far. 7KHMRXUQH\GRZQZDVIUHTXHQWHG ZLWKUXPRXUVRIĂ RRGHGSLWFKHVDQG FDQFHOOHGĂ&#x20AC;[WXUHVEXWWKHJLUOVZHUH SOHDVHGWRĂ&#x20AC;QGWKHLUMRXUQH\KDGQRW been wasted, and the match would JRDKHDGGHVSLWHWKHIWRIVWDQGLQJ water on the pitch). 7KH FRQGLWLRQV GLFWDWHG HDUO\ WKDW the forwards would play a big part, and led by forward of the match Sophie Rogers they made good ground and kept the ball safe. 8QIRUWXQDWHO\ ZKHQ WKH RSSRVLtion gained possession they exploited all gaps in the defence, sending through several strong runners to score a succession of trys. At the break, an injury to outgoing second row Sarah Bannon took us down to 14 players. Still yet to score, and facing the opposition a man

GRZQ 1HZFDVWOH NHSW PRUDOH KLJK and went out to meet Leeds determined to level the score. Some fantastic cover tackling by Fran Infante at full back kept us in the game, and we made steady SURJUHVV WRZDUGV WKH WU\ OLQH  7KH one man overlap took its toll though, and Leeds were able to ship the ball wide, allowing their winger to run the length to put the ball between the posts. Having spent far too long in the RSSRVLWLRQ¡V  WR JR KRPH HPSW\ KDQGHG H\HV ZHUH Ă&#x20AC;UPO\ Ă&#x20AC;[HG RQ the try line from the restart. Some penetrating crash balls from Helen 0DUWLQ DW  JDYH XV YDOXDEOH ground, which was further capitalised on by strong forward runs from the likes of Grace Holmes. Finally, the hard work was rewarded when what seemed like the entire team drove Emma Dawson across the line for a hard-earned try. 7KHJULWDQGGHWHUPLQDWLRQVKRZQ by the whole team, in what was undeniably a hard fought game, is testimony to the strong and positive captaincy of Hannah Bassirat. With this attitude, promotion to the premiership is still a very real goal for 1:5WKLV\HDU

Knights maintain solid start with win over Sunderland Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Basketball

Newcastle 1sts Sunderland 1sts

71 53

Katie Boyd 1HZFDVWOH8QLYHUVLW\ZRPHQ¡VEDVNHWEDOOĂ&#x20AC;UVWWHDPWRRNRQORFDOULYDOV Sunderland last Wednesday in their IRXUWK JDPH RI WKH QHZ %8&6 VHDson and came out on top winning  7KH WHDP KDYH QRZ ZRQ WKUHH games already this season, following victories over York St. John and 6KHIĂ&#x20AC;HOG8QLYHUVLW\ 6XQGHUODQGVWDUWHGWKHĂ&#x20AC;[WXUHXQSURIHVVLRQDOO\ Ă&#x20AC;QDOO\ DUULYLQJ DW 1HZFDVWOH 8QLYHUVLW\ VSRUWV FHQWUH IRUW\Ă&#x20AC;YH PLQXWHV ODWH IRU WLSRII 7KH GLVFUHWLRQ RI WKH 1HZFDVWOH coaching staff enabled the game to continue. 7KH Ă&#x20AC;UVW TXDUWHU ZDV IXOO RI HQergy with both teams scoring off fast breaks and strong defensive rebounds. 7KH 1HZFDVWOH RIIHQVH ZRUNHG well with good ball rotation and FRPPXQLFDWLRQ 7KH Ă&#x20AC;UVW TXDUWHU HQGHGZLWKSRLQWVDSLHFH 7KHSDFHRIWKHJDPHSLFNHGXSLQ the second quarter with both teams pushing the ball up and down the FRXUW 7KH 1HZFDVWOH -HQQLIHUV OHG the team through the second quarter with three baskets each and tough defensive play from Lau. Half time came and went before anyone noticed. With the score sitWLQJ DW  WR 1HZFDVWOH LW UHDOO\ could have gone either way. 7KH WKLUG TXDUWHU ZDV HYHQWIXO with Captain Estefania Dura hitting 13 points in the period and holding 6XQGHUODQG WR  SRLQWV 6XQGHUland clocked up several fouls and

were quickly on team fouls for the quarter. By the fourth quarter, both teams were hungry for victory and after a EODWDQW GHIHQVLYH IRXO RQ 1HZFDVWOH¡V &DUROLQH 'LVLOYHVWUR 6XQGHUODQG¡V$QWRQLROLUHFHLYHGDWHFKQLFDO foul for her unsportsman-like reacWLRQWRWKHUHIHUHH¡VFDOORQWRSRIWKH standard personal foul. 7KH6XQGHUODQGFRDFKVHHPHGHDger to get his stats on the score sheet, and in the fourth quarter his abuse towards the referee secured him a technical foul, sending Caroline to WKHOLQHIRU1HZFDVWOH With four free throws to come most players would have struggled, especially with the childish noises coming from the Sunderland supporters, but Disilvestro remained composed and put away her shots. ,Q WKH Ă&#x20AC;QDO PLQXWHV RI WKH JDPH 1HZFDVWOH VKRQH WKURXJK DV WKH dominant team with impressive shooting from all on court. In the fourth quarter, Sunderland were held to 4 points with three of their players exiting the game early ZLWKĂ&#x20AC;YHIRXOV 7RSVFRUHUVIRUWKHJDPHZHUH-HQ Lau and Captain Este both scoring  SRLQWV FORVHO\ IROORZHG E\ -HQ Monney and Caroline Disilvestro with 10 each. 7KHQH[WKRPHJDPHIRUWKHWHDP LV DJDLQVW <RUN RQ :HGQHVGD\ QG December with 6pm tip - all support welcome.

Inside today >>>

Football seconds and thirds seal cup victories Sport, page 40

40

Monday 23 November 2009 THE COURIER

SPORT J. WEEDEN

Hat-trick hero Musonda Ă&#x20AC;UHV5R\DOV into next round Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Football

6KHIĂ&#x20AC;HOGVWV Newcastle 2nds

1 4

Tom Milnes The University second string produced a sensational display to dump D PXFKIDQFLHG 6KHIĂ&#x20AC;HOG Ă&#x20AC;UVW WHDP out of the BUCS cup on a dramatic, rain-soaked day in South Yorkshire. Tanzanian-born forward Chris Musonda was the hero of the hour for the Royals, scoring a clinical hattrick with follicly challenged, selfproclaimed man of the match Ryan Leach also netting, in a result that has sent shockwaves throughout the whole BUCS hierarchy.  $IWHU HDVLO\ GHIHDWLQJ 6KHIĂ&#x20AC;HOG fourths in the previous round, a sterner test was expected against a 6KHIĂ&#x20AC;HOGĂ&#x20AC;UVWWHDPWKDWKDGD record in BUCS this year, including D  ZLQ RYHU RXU YHU\ RZQ Ă&#x20AC;UVW team. Newcastle, on the other hand, went into the game on the back of a disappointing result against DurKDPĂ&#x20AC;UVWVODVWZHHNGUDZLQJLQ a game where they led three times. It summed up the season so far for the seconds as, despite playing a IUHHĂ RZLQJDWWUDFWLYHEUDQGRIIRRWEDOO ODFHG ZLWK FUHDWLYLW\ DQG Ă DLU defensive errors and an inability to see out games has seen them pick up just four points from a possible 12 in the league so far. The odds, therefore, were heavily stacked against the Royals, and were lengthened further when inspirational skipper Tom Milnes had to withdraw from proceedings, struck down by a mystery illness at the eleventh hour. However, perhaps a little ironically, Newcastle went on to produce

their best display of the season and get a result which underlines why cup football is so magical. The game started at a scintillating pace, both sides going hell for leather in search of an opener, with Newcastle perhaps having the better of the opening exchanges withRXW IRUFLQJ WKH 6KHIĂ&#x20AC;HOG ÂśNHHSHU WR make a save. Meanwhile, at the other end, any attacking endeavour by the hosts was met by brick-wall like resistance from centre-backs Sam Newton and Rob Mackenzie. Newcastle didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t appear fazed by the massive reputation of their opponents and soon got into their stride, playing the fast-paced football that coach and Geordie footballing mogul Mark Woodhall has been instilling in his players. And after 20 minutes it was the underdogs that went in front via a set-piece. From a left-sided corner, Leach delivered an inviting cross towards the front post and springheeled Musonda rose highest to nod the Royals into a deserved lead, to WKHKRUURURIWKH6KHIĂ&#x20AC;HOGVXSSRUWers. Newcastleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s second goal swiftly IROORZHG WKH Ă&#x20AC;UVW *UHDW RQH DQG two touch football down the leftKDQG VLGH LQYROYLQJ &RQRU 3DUĂ&#x20AC;WW and Joel English led to Musonda getting on the ball on the left-hand VLGHRIWKH6KHIĂ&#x20AC;HOGSHQDOW\DUHD The goalscorer turned provider, squaring the ball to proud Yorkshireman Leach who managed to create a couple of yards of space away from his marker with a deft drop of the shoulder before curling the ball into the bottom right corner RIWKHJRDO,WZDVDĂ&#x20AC;QLVKZRUWK\RI WKHĂ&#x20AC;QHEXLOGXSSOD\WKDWOHGWRWKH chance. After going two up the Royals could easily have tried to sit on their

lead and see out the game but that was never on the cards. Newcastle continued to bombard the home goal, with Elliott Connolly and Dave Meechan providing the launch pad for each attack in the centre of the park. But it was star man Musonda who grabbed the third, stealing the ball off a bumbling centre-back before EHQGLQJDFRROĂ&#x20AC;QLVKURXQGWKHGHspairing outstretched hand of the KHOSOHVV 6KHIĂ&#x20AC;HOG VKRWVWRSSHU 7KH goal was exactly what Newcastle deserved for all their endeavour EXWLWDOVRNLFNVWDUWHG6KHIĂ&#x20AC;HOGLQWR life. As the game was approaching the

KDOIZD\ SRLQW 6KHIĂ&#x20AC;HOG IRXQG D route back into the contest thanks to a Paul Macaulay error. The Scouse â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;keeper dropped the ball from a corner he really should have dealt with, 3DUĂ&#x20AC;WW WKHQ PLVFXHG KLV FOHDUDQFH and the ball broke free in the box beIRUHLWZDVULĂ HGLQWRWKHURRIRIWKH QHWE\D6KHIĂ&#x20AC;HOGPLGĂ&#x20AC;HOGHU,WZDV a disappointing end to a pulsating Ă&#x20AC;UVWKDOIIRU1HZFDVWOH The Royals knew they would be in for a tough second half with ShefĂ&#x20AC;HOG¡V EDFN DJDLQVW WKH ZDOO EXW they were resolute in defence and Macaulay made up for his earlier error, saving well twice from a ShefĂ&#x20AC;HOGVWULNHU

After 80 minutes the game was put to bed with Musonda completing his hat-trick, rounding the goalkeeper and blasting home at the end of a swift Newcastle counter-attack. The goal sparked jubilant scenes and more followed as the referee EOHZWKHĂ&#x20AC;QDOZKLVWOHVKRUWO\DIWHUwards. Musondaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s third was the perfect end to a near-perfect performance from the seconds who can be extremely proud of their performance. 0LGĂ&#x20AC;HOGPDJLFLDQ0LNH3HDFHODWHU described the result as â&#x20AC;&#x153;an early Chrismusonda present.â&#x20AC;?

+XOOVXQNE\7KRUSHGRVDYHLQFXSWKULOOHU Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Football

Hull 2nds Newcastle 3rds

4 4

AET, Newcastle won 5-4 on penalties

Matt Gouland Newcastle thirds are making a habit out of BUCS cup drama. Hull seconds played host to a rollercoaster afternoon which had plenty of goals and a nail-biting penalty shootout which saw the Royals secure a place in the third round. A positive start for Hull saw the Royals under pressure from the outset. The home side were aerially dominant, forcing the Royals to concede. A whipped corner found a Hull forwardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s head who steered the ball past Ben Castillo at the back post. Newcastle battled their way back into the game with some physical challenges but the travellers struggled to break down the strong Hull defence and went in 1-0 down at the

break. The Royals started brightly in the second period. Promising passages RISOD\Ă&#x20AC;QDOO\EHJDQWRFUHDWHURRP for Newcastle. Ritson, who replaced the injured Gouland at half-time, linked up well with the front two of Ripley and Taylor and caused the Hull fullback problems. It was down the right-hand side where the Royals got their break. A drilled cross from Ripley left a Hull defender red-faced as he headed the ball past his own â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;keeper to draw the sides level. A tactical substitution gave Habeeb Aloa a chance to impress in front of goal. It didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t take long for his opportunity. Some fancy footwork around the box gave three Royals a chance to score but it was Aloa who majestically drilled past the stranded Hull goalkeeper to edge the visitors into the lead. A third goal came swiftly after. Another superb ball from Ripley found the feet of Murphy who took a touch before smashing the ball into

the roof of the net. With a cushioned lead, Newcastle seemed to have the victory in their grasp. $QRZĂ&#x20AC;YHPDQ+XOOPLGĂ&#x20AC;HOGEHgan to take the game to the away team, employing a direct attacking tactic. Baker and Okonkwo battled tirelessly at the back against an onslaught of Hull pressure. Like a carbon copy of the previous round against Durham, Newcastle fought to maintain the lead, but a goal seemed imminent. The inevitable happened. The now rampant Hull found themselves passing the ball freely in the Royalsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Ă&#x20AC;QDOWKLUG$QHDWRQHWZREHWZHHQ two home side players left a midĂ&#x20AC;HOGHU LQ DFUHV RI VSDFH WR GULOO WKH ball in to the bottom corner. Newcastle couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t help but feel a sense of dĂŠjĂ vu. The equaliser happened in an instant. A nothing cross magically landed at Hullâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s number nine on the six yard line out who obliged by smashing it through the legs of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;keeper Matt Thorpe. A bitter taste

of disappointment showed on the Royalsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; faces who let slip a glorious lead and now headed into extra time on the back foot. Extra time and Hull pressed for a winner. They eventually found themselves with a corner on the left. The ever-present aerial threat stung the away side once again as the ball Ă RDWHG DFURVV DQG WKH VL[ IRRW VL[ Hull defender nodded home. The pain was obvious on the faces of the Royals who came to realise the end of the road was only minutes away. With seconds remaining, Okonkwo, now playing up top, had an answer. The ex-medic striker pounced on to a long ball to round the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;keeper and slot in. Euphoria followed as the away team had silenced the home fans in a moment of madness. A penalty shootout was to decide the tie. Tom Smith, Simon Murphy and Ben Castillo all stepped up to calmly match the Hull penalties. Thorpe then gave Newcastle an opportuni-

ty. The fourth Hull candidate drilled his ball to the right of Thorpe who swooped down to push the ball past the post. Okonkwo matched his team mates and left Ritson to step up, knowing a goal would put his team into the third round. Silence fell. Ritson eyed up the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;keeper. With ultimate cool, he smashed the ball into the top right of the goal and sent Hull crashing out. Pandemonium ensued as Newcastle erupted in ecstasy. Ritson commented: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d never been so nervous before. I could barely feel my legs. All I was thinking about was Goulandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s face if I scored. When I scored I got swamped by players and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s when I realised I was part of Newcastle University Football Team.â&#x20AC;? A gutsy performance from the Royals leaves a Hull side feeling robbed of a third round place. Newcastleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s never-say-die attitude paid off again in game that will not be forgotten for a long time.

THE COURIER Monday 23 November 2009

41

SPORT M. CASIMIR

Spotlight on... Gymnastics Tarren Smarr

Fencers make their point Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Fencing

Newcastle 1sts Bangor 1sts

135 64

James Kinnear Fencing Correspondent After having already travelled down to the deepest darkest cor QHURI1RUWK:DOHVWREHDW%DQJRU 1HZFDVWOHPHQ¡VIHQFHUVZHUHUHDG\ WROD\RXWWKHODZLQWKH7RRQ 7KH PDWFK EHJXQ ZLWK )RLO DQG it was obvious from the beginning

that the long journey and a lack of players meant that the travelling VLGHZHUHDWDGLVDGYDQWDJH :LOO(GPXQGV¡VWDQGRXWSHUIRUP ance terrorised Bangor with ag gression and ferocity usually only reserved for outside Blu Bambu on D6DWXUGD\QLJKWUHVXOWLQJLQDQLQ FUHGLEOHLQGLYLGXDO 7KHUHIRUH )RLO ZDV FRPIRUWDEO\ SXQFKHGRXWZLWKDVFRUHRIWR 1HZFDVWOH ZLWK H[FHOOHQW SHUIRUP ances also coming from Rob Walker DQG6PLOH\'DYH 6DEUH ZDV XS QH[W DQG WKH  esque domination did not cease;

3DWULFN 1DYHLQ¡V OLJKWQLQJ EODGH work and nimble footwork resulted in what many simply referred to as ´PDJLFÂľ Bangor did manage to claw a QXPEHU RI SRLQWV EDFN KRZHYHU LW ZDVLQYDLQDV6DEUHĂ&#x20AC;QLVKHG WR1HZFDVWOH (SHHZDVXSODVWLQZKLFK1HZFDV tle only needed to score nine points LQRUGHUWRZLQWKHPDWFKRXWULJKW 7KDW ZDV EXW D VPDOO WDVN IRU 'DQ LHO´1DY\Âľ*UDQWDQGFRWKDWOHGWR some excellent bouts composing of solid attacks and smooth distance ZRUN

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We all dream of it; hearing our name called as we step up on WKDW Ă&#x20AC;UVW SODFH SRGLXP 7KH RIĂ&#x20AC;FLDO SODFHV WKDW JROG PHGDO around your neck and the world comes to silence as the national anthem is played in honour of \RX 7KLVZHHN,GLGQ¡WGUHDPLW, DWWHPSWHGWROLYHLWDV,DWWHQGHG practice on Wednesday with the 8QLYHUVLW\*\PQDVWLFV&OXE ,I\RXKDYHHYHUWKRXJKWDERXW SDUWLFLSDWLQJLQJ\PQDVWLFVWKH 8QLYHUVLW\FOXEWHDPLVIRU\RX ,W¡V IDVWSDFHG DQG KLJK Ă \LQJ ZLWK Ă LSV DQG WZLVWV JDORUH But only if you want it to be that ZD\ 6HULRXVO\ \RX GRQ¡W KDYH WR EHDVXSHUWDOHQWHGJ\PQDVWWR JR DQG JLYH LW D WU\  7KH FOXE offers a place for all who want to try gymnastics and have ath letes that range from absolute EHJLQQHUWRWKHDGYDQFHG 7KHFOXERIIHUVDWKOHWHVWKHRS portunity to train and compete RQ D ZLGH UDQJH RI DSSDUDWXV A female gymnast is able to WUDLQ RQ WKH Ă RRU EHDP XQ HYHQ EDUV DQG YDXOW  $QG IRU WKHODGV\RXFDQWUDLQRQĂ RRU SRPPHOKRUVHVWLOOULQJVYDXOW SDUDOOHOEDUVDQGKLJKEDU 7KH WHDP SUDFWLFHV DW %HQ Ă&#x20AC;HOG 6SRUWV &ROOHJH DQG WUXVW PHZKHQ,VD\WKHIDFLOLWLHVDUH DPD]LQJ $Q\WKLQJ WKDW \RX might think you need in order to enhance your gymnastic abil LW\LVDYDLODEOHIRUXVH 7KLV LQFOXGHV D VSULQJ Ă RRU tumble track (a long trampo OLQH DVSULQJURGĂ RRUDQGRI FRXUVHWKHELJIRDPSLW Not only does the club offer participants the opportunity to WUDLQ DW WKLV JUHDW IDFLOLW\ DWK letes also have access to highly WUDLQHGDQGTXDOLĂ&#x20AC;HGFRDFKHV $PDQGD .HDWLQJ WKH KHDG FRDFK IRU WKH FOXE WHDP KDV years of experience and is cur rently training some of the up and coming Newcastle gym QDVWV 6RZKDWZDVP\WUDLQLQJOLNH" +RQHVWO\QRWWRREDG'RQ¡WJHW PH ZURQJ WKHVH DWKOHWHV ZRUN hard and my muscles were sore WKH QH[W GD\ EXW LW IHHOV JRRG WRNQRZWKDW,JDYHP\ERG\D PXFKQHHGHGZRUNRXW , ZDV DEOH WR WDNH SDUW LQ D team warm up that allowed me to remember my basics such as DIRUZDUGUROODQGDFDUWZKHHO )URPWKHUHWKHWHDPEUHDNVXS LQWRDELOLW\JURXSV 7KRVH ZKR DUH VWLOO OHDUQLQJ the basics are able to train in an intimidation free environment ZLWK D TXDOLĂ&#x20AC;HG FRDFK WR WHDFK SURSHU IXQGDPHQWDO WHFKQLTXH while the more advanced are DEOHWRJRIXOOVWHDPDKHDG Still a bit shy about coming out WRJLYHLWDJR"'RQ¡WEH7KLV is one of the friendliest groups RI DWKOHWHV , KDYH PHW KHUH DW 1HZFDVWOH  ,I \RX DUH ORRNLQJ IRUDFUREDWLFIXQ\RXZRQ¡WEH VRUU\ For further information con WDFW WKH SUHVLGHQW DW -HQQLIHU 6WDQJHU#QFODFXN

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Ski club triumph at BUDS in Edinburgh Sport, page 42

42

Monday 23 November 2009 THE COURIER

SPORT

Hall stars as Newcastleâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;s ski champs retain crown James Russell An all Team Newcastle podium in the Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ski Slalom at Hillend, Edinburgh saw the Ski and Snowboard Club (NUSSC) successfully defend their title as British Universities Dryslope Champions (BUDS) 2009/10. After an early start last Friday, NUSSC, AU Club of the Year 08/09, and its loyal cheerleading squad made the trip up to Edinburgh for the weekend with the pressure on to recreate the results of previous years. The weekend known as BUDS sees Universities from throughout the UK compete in skiing and snowboarding, in racing and freestyle competitions, with the BUCS Dryslope title up for grabs. It is one of only two events in the year where the skiers and snowboarders compete for BUCS points, the other being on snow during the Easter holiday. This year saw record levels of entrants, with over 600 people taking part across the weekend with almost double that coming to support their clubs. Despite the cold morning, it didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t take long for the team to open their BUCS account for the year. First up were the snowboarders in the Giant Slalom, the only event that carries BUCS points in snowboarding. All of the Newcastle team impressed, with notable runs coming from fresher Rachel Turner and Eddie Robb. After a long wait for the results to be announced, it was great news for NUSSC. Ivy Taylor, ex British team snowboarder, took gold in the ladies, with Snowboard Captain and Elite Athlete Pete Tupper taking silver in the menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. Ivy, who won by over a second, said â&#x20AC;&#x153;I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d done that ZHOO , QHDUO\ IHOO RQ WKH Ă&#x20AC;QLVK OLQH so to win was brilliant.â&#x20AC;? With the boarders starting the day in winning fashion, attention shifted to the Ski Slalom. First up were the ladies. With great depth in the squad,

Newcastle had sisters Hannah and Heidi Parker in the top 15, who progressed to the second run. First year +DQQDKLPSURYHGRQKHUĂ&#x20AC;UVWWLPH to come 6th overall, showing great promise for the future. The men were up next, and it didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t start well. Treasurer Joel Badger and experienced racer Chris Thompson ERWKVNLHGRXWRIDGLIĂ&#x20AC;FXOWFRXUVH although Dom Younger, Tom Timothy and a select few others held their QHUYHWRĂ&#x20AC;QLVKZHOO $IWHU WKH Ă&#x20AC;UVW UXQ 1HZFDVWOH KDG brothers Matt and Pete Bruton in WKLUG DQG Ă&#x20AC;IWK ZLWK 5DFH &DSWDLQ Benn Hall down in seventh. Hall, ex European Dryslope Champion, said â&#x20AC;&#x153;Newcastle have dominated University snowsports recently. Every time we compete, people expect results, so it was tough going up for the second run.â&#x20AC;? With an expectant crowd at the bottom and the dark setting in, it was time for the Brunton bothers and Hall - all England Team skiers and Elite Athletes - to dig deep. +DOO ZDV WKH Ă&#x20AC;UVW RI WKHP GRZQ in what was to be a nerve wrackLQJDQGH[FLWLQJĂ&#x20AC;QLVKNQRZLQJKH had to risk it all to stand a chance of overcoming his BUDS demons. He threw everything at it and held it together, with the Scot on the Tannoy announcing he was in proviVLRQDOĂ&#x20AC;UVW With only four other skiers left, the Bruton brothers showed great class in their composed runs, thriving on the pressure to bring home the Team Newcastle 1-2-3, with Hall claiming the gold. &XHWHDPSLOHRQLQWKHĂ&#x20AC;QLVKHQ closure and the outbreak of 40 Geordies. Day two started equally early, with course inspection from 9am. Saturday is traditionally Giant Slalom day for the skiers, and Slopestyle and Big Air for the boarders and freestyle skiers. Ben Sheppard was unlucky to miss RXW RQ WKH IUHHVW\OH VNLLQJ Ă&#x20AC;QDOV LQ both events, and Ivy Taylor once again provided a good performDQFHĂ&#x20AC;QLVKLQJWKLUGLQWKHUGLQWKH boarder-cross.

Ski and easy: Hannah Parker was part of the team that saw Newcastle retain the BUDS Championship

The ski Giant Slalom ran on Saturday afternoon with the girls braving the wind and rain to produce a high standard of competition, with Ellie Dalton of Nottingham taking the gold. The menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s race was even more entertaining than Fridayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Slalom. With only one run, the Newcastle boys pushed hard to repeat the previous dayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s results. BUDS 2007 Champion, Alister Hirst pushed too hard, dramatically crashing out, as did Pete Bruton. Newcastleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hopes of victory were left in the hands of just two more skiers and when Matt Bruton unfortunately fell out of his bindings in the start gate, it was left to hero of the weekend Benn Hall to produce the goods. Hall, of course, did not disappoint, VWRUPLQJLQWRĂ&#x20AC;UVWSODFHDQGFODLP ing the double title of British Universities Slalom and Giant Slalom Champion 2009/10.

After the long days of hard work at the slope, Team Newcastle headed to the legendary prize giving ball, KHOG DW 0XUUD\Ă&#x20AC;HOG 6WDGLXP WKLV year. All of the deserving winners were given their medals at the presentation, which also saw Newcastle crowned BUCS Dryslope Champions again. It was then a nervous wait to see if the team had taken the overall BUDS prize. This carries extra BUCS points and incorporates non-BUCS events such as Slopestyle. Newcastle were announced winners, topping off a fantastic weekend. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Having taken six out of 18 medDOV ZH ZHUH FRQĂ&#x20AC;GHQW WKDW ZH KDG the BUCS title wrapped up,â&#x20AC;? said NUSSC President James Russel. â&#x20AC;&#x153;To win the wider BUDS competition fantastic.â&#x20AC;? Performance Sport Manager, Fraser Kennedy, praised the club, saying â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s results like this that ensure top skiers will want to come here

and study, keeping us ahead of the rest.â&#x20AC;? Colin Blackburn, Director of Sport, was equally delighted with the result. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Results like this are one of the reasons why Fraser and I get up in the morning. The ski and snowboard club can be used as an exemplar AU club. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Not only have they produced some fantastic results in BUSC in the last 4-5 years, but their support of social skiing and the running of their club is outstanding. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The commercial operations and procedures the club have put in place have ensured that the club is built on very solid sustainable foundations.â&#x20AC;? Professor Charles Harvey, the Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Pro Vice Chancellor with responsibility for sport, hailed Newcastleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dominance as â&#x20AC;&#x153;really heartening indeed,â&#x20AC;? thanking all the athletes and coaches for their hard work.

Stan Calvert 2010 will be bigger and better than ever before Vicky Tyas $82IÂżFHU DXXQLRQ#QFODFXN

Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re half way through the term QRZDQGWKH%8&6Ă&#x20AC;[WXUHVDUH well underway. There have been some brilliant results and we are currently lying in ninth place. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not just our Wednesday afternoon sports that have been out representing Team Newcastle; the ski and snowboard, swimming, athletics and sailing teams have all

been competing in BUCS events over the last term. The ski and snowboard club had some brilliant results at the BUDS championships in Edinburgh. In the menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s slalom event the team cleaned up, winning gold, silver and bronze - a great team effort. The date for Stan Calvert has EHHQĂ&#x20AC;QDOLVHGDWODVWDQGIRUWKH Ă&#x20AC;UVWWLPHHYHULWZLOOEHKHOGRQD weekend. Sunday 28th February will see Team Newcastle take on the Poly across 21 different sports, with athletics making its Stan Calvert debut. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m sure that the event will be

even bigger and better than in previous years and hopefully we can get loads of Uni supporters down to Gateshead to watch all of the events throughout the day. As well as the classic cheerleading show and the showpiece menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s UXJE\Ă&#x20AC;[WXUHWKLV\HDUZLOODOVR feature the inaugural 100m race at half time. ,¡PUHDOO\H[FLWHGDERXWWKHHYHQW DVDZKROHDQGĂ&#x20AC;QJHUVFURVVHG we can take the title for a record breaking three years in a row. If you have any ideas for t shirt banter/slogans, get in touch on au.union@ncl.ac.uk

2IIWKHĂ&#x20AC;HOGWKHUHKDYHEHHQ plenty of events happening within the AU. The legendary dodgeball returned this term as part of Union Day with 11 teams taking part. Boca Seniors stormed to victory in a contest where emotions and WHQVLRQVZHUHUXQQLQJH[WUHPHO\ high. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be back after Christmas to defend their title - look out for WKHLQIRUPDWLRQDERXWWKHQH[W event. The Right to Play team were also fundraising at the event by selling an array of homemade treats, organising games and face painting.

The second fundraising event of the year organised by the Newcastle team is the AU calendar; the team are still looking for clubs to take part in the pictures. If you or your club are interested contact $OH[RQDUDOGKRXVH#QFODFXNWR get involved. The calendar will be hitting the shelves of the union shop in mid December and will make a perfect Christmas gift, make sure you grab a copy before they all go. Good luck to everyone with WKHUHVWRIWKHWHUP¡VĂ&#x20AC;[WXUHVDQG events.

THE COURIER Monday 23 November 2009

43

SPORT

In-form Royals edge Leeds to stay above Poly Kathryn Jones Netball Correspondent It was a mixed week for the netball FOXE $V WKH Ă&#x20AC;UVWV FRQWLQXHG WKHLU impressive run with a narrow win at Leeds, the thirds and fourths went RXWRIWKH%8&6&XS  9LFWRU\ IRU WKH Ă&#x20AC;UVWV VHHV WKHP maintain third place in the BUCS Premiership, and they remain three points ahead of fourth-placed 1RUWKXPEULD The thirds lost out to Leeds Met fourths, and the fourths went down Ă&#x20AC;JKWLQJ DJDLQVW D VWURQJ 1RUWKXPEULDVHFRQGVVLGH

Leeds 1sts Newcastle 1sts

33 34

Newcastle secured a last-gasp victory at Leeds as a tight game ended in GUDPDWLFIDVKLRQ7KH5R\DOVWXUQHG over a Leeds centre before scoring the vital winning goal to keep their LPSUHVVLYHVHDVRQJRLQJ They travelled to Leeds - who they beat convincingly in their last meeting â&#x20AC;&#x201C; with high hopes of another YLFWRU\ %XW LW ZDV QDLOELWLQJ VWXII throughout and a very close game WKDW ZDVQ¡W GHFLGHG XQWLO WKH Ă&#x20AC;QDO IHZPLQXWHV Leeds came out ready to avenge

the previous defeat and Newcastle found themselves down by three VKRUWO\LQWRWKHĂ&#x20AC;UVWTXDUWHU,WZDV clear this was going to be no walk LQWKHSDUN &RPHWKHHQGRIWKHTXDUWHU1HZcastle had steadied themselves and VHWWOHG WKH VFRUH DW  EXW /HHGV were prepared to dig deep and this showed, as at half time the scores ZHUHOHYHO In the attack, Katie Coates and Roanne Minshull were being marked so tightly they hardly had room to breathe but they persevered DQGNHSWWKHLUFRRO With Kathryn Hurrell and Corinne Kinvig coming on at half time Newcastle hoped fresh legs would help WKHP SXOO DZD\ 1R VXFK OXFN WKH WKLUGDQGIRXUWKTXDUWHUVUHPDLQHG JRDOIRUJRDO Both teams fought hard and made some stunning interceptions, notably Rachel Saville at wing defence who got player of the match for her KLJKĂ \LQJHIIRUWV With the game so close the Newcastle girls got a well earned breather when the Leeds goal attack tried to take on Rochelle Quigley, failed to make an impression other than in the ground and had to go off inMXUHG It was left down to the wire when Newcastle dug deep and turned

RYHUD/HHGVFHQWUH It was 34-33 with a minute to go, and all they had to do was keep posVHVVLRQ Then it came, the eagerly awaited Ă&#x20AC;QDOZKLVWOH7KH\KDGGRQHLWZLWK gritted teeth and steely determination it was another win for the girls LQWKH%8&63UHPLHUVKLS

Leeds Met 4ths Newcastle 3rds

46 25

Having annihilated their last cup opponents the thirds were keen to take on the Met, who were a couple RI%8&6GLYLVLRQVEHORZWKHP However, during the match it seemed clear that these players were worthy of a division much higher WKDQWLHUVL[ Were they the players registered to WKDWWHDP":HZLOOQHYHUNQRZ Leeds Met got off to a good start and Newcastle were on the back foot ULJKWIURPWKHVWDUW,QHDFKTXDUWHU the girls took a while to get into it, but as they got their heads back into WKHJDPHWKHUHZHUHVRPHĂ&#x20AC;QHGLVSOD\VRIQHWEDOORQVKRZ 7KH EDOO ZRXOG Ă RZ QLFHO\ GRZQ court, ending in some beautiful movements from the shooters and QXPHURXV JRDOV *RDO DWWDFN 6R-

phie Haslam showcased some great awareness of space and along with some great teamwork and shooting ZLWK*6,VREHO5RELQVRQ ,Q WKH Ă&#x20AC;UVW KDOI WKH 1HZFDVWOH GHfensive circle was lacking in height, so in a tactical move goal shooter Miranda Applegate was moved to JRDONHHSHUWRDGGKHLJKW Miranda worked well out of position and her and Sarah Bruce managed to get numerous tips and interFHSWLRQV Leeds were zone marking which PDGH LW YHU\ GLIĂ&#x20AC;FXOW IRU 1HZFDVWOH WR Ă&#x20AC;QG VSDFH WR UXQ LQWR DQG this caused them a lot of problems WKURXJKRXWWKHZKROHJDPH Depsite their best efforts, notably Sabrina Kristianson who worked for every pass and defended really well, and some brilliant interceptions from Gemma Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Driscoll and player of the match Rebecca Meldrum, the girls couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t catch the /HHGV0HWJLUOV 7KH JDPH HQGHG  DQG WKH thirds are out of the cup, but they can take many a positive away from DWRXJKJDPH

Northumbria 2nds Newcastle 4ths

51 38

stinker in the second round of the FXSIDFLQJWKH3RO\VHFRQGWHDP Despite the underdog status the fourths were up for the win and DWWDFNHG WKH JDPH (YHQ ZLWK WKLV upbeat attitude the Newcastle girls didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get off to a very good start, being 8 goals down at the end of the Ă&#x20AC;UVWTXDUWHU $IWHUDIRFXVVHGTXDUWHUWLPHWDON the girls came out in the second on Ă&#x20AC;UH )LJKWLQJ IRU HYHU\ EDOO &ODLUH Jackson and Katie Marron defending the circle brilliantly and Victoria McMurray was always on hand to VXSSRUWDWZLQJGHIHQFH This brilliant defensive effort and some great attacking work from player of the match Rachel Berry led WRWKHVHFRQGTXDUWHUEHLQJGUDZQ Despite this the girls were still eight JRDOV GRZQ DQG IURP WKLV TXDUWHU onwards that goal difference grew DOLWWOHHDFKTXDUWHUZKLFKEURXJKW WKHĂ&#x20AC;QDOUHVXOWWR An awesome effort from the Newcastle team that shows great promLVHIRUWKLVVHDVRQ¡V6WDQ&DOYHUW Unfortunately though, this result means that the netball club now have no-one left in the cup competiWLRQ$OOSUHVVXUHQRZOLHVRQOHDJXH SRVLWLRQV

Newcastle fourths had drawn a

Running the show Oliver Wood Last weekend the cross-country WHDPFRPSHWHGLQWKHLUĂ&#x20AC;UVWUDFHRI WKHVHDVRQ7KHWHDPZDVVWURQJ DQG FRQVLVWHG RI PDLQO\ Ă&#x20AC;UVW \HDUV The Braids hill race is by far the hardest race on the calendar, consisting of one mammoth of hill and water that can be up to 2ft deep in VRPHSODFHV &RQVLGHULQJ LW ZDV WKH Ă&#x20AC;UVW UDFH that many had ever taken part in, Team Newcastle faired spectacularly ZHOOĂ&#x20AC;QLVKLQJUHVSHFWDEO\DPRQJVW DVWURQJĂ&#x20AC;HOGWKDWFRQVLVWHGRIVRPH RIWKHWRS*%DWKOHWHV 7KH PHQ¡V WHDP FDPH WK RXW RI WHDPVZLWK/HH$JHUFRPLQJVW overall in a race that had 223 runQHUVDQGWKHTXLFNHVWĂ&#x20AC;UVW\HDUZDV Chris Gill who came a very respectDEOHWK In the ladiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; race the team did exFHSWLRQDOO\ ZHOO Ă&#x20AC;QLVKLQJ VHYHQWK RXWRIWHDPVDQG.HOO\+HZLWVRQ ZDV Ă&#x20AC;UVW IRU WKH 8QLYHUVLW\ Ă&#x20AC;QLVKLQJUGRXWRI6KHZDVDOVRWKH

TXLFNHVWĂ&#x20AC;UVW\HDU The traditional Scottish Ceilidh social is always hosted by Edinburgh University and is the reason why many of the universities head up for WKHZHHNHQG7KLV\HDUZDVQRGLIferent than any other and the team were able to pick up a few moves IURPWKH+DULHVEXQFK The main event of the weekend which was the real reason why everybody came up to Edinburgh - was WKH8QLYHUVLW\ERDWUDFH7HDP1HZcastle smashed their way through the heats and unfortunately were IUDFWLRQDOO\ EHDWHQ LQ WKH Ă&#x20AC;QDO E\ some middle aged men from Leeds 8QLYHUVLW\ It was a great start to the season for many of the team who will be competing in the BUCS event that will take place in Stirling this FebUXDU\ 7KH WHDP KDV ULVHQ IURP WKH ashes of the year past, consisting of only six regular members, and looks forward to beating the Poly in cross FRXQWU\¡V Ă&#x20AC;UVW WLPH HQWUDQFH LQ WKH 6WDQ&DOYHUW&XS

8SDQGUXQQLQJ$QHZORRNFURVVFRXQWU\VTXDGDFKLHYHGDUHVSHFWDEOHÂżQLVKLQ(GLQEXUJK

Royals recent run ended by four-goal Manchester Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hockey

Manchester 1sts Newcastle 1sts

4 1

Charley Wright at the Armitage Sports Centre After a three and a half hour journey and a day in Manchester wasted, it was the home side who came out on top in a physical contest at the ArPLWDJH6SRUWV&HQWUH)DOORZĂ&#x20AC;HOG 7KH VFRUH OLQH Ă DWWHUHG WKH KRVWV who were kept on the edge by the Newcastle side throughout the secRQGKDOI )URP WKH Ă&#x20AC;UVW ZKLVWOH WKH KRPH side looked to dominate, with their forwards keeping a high line and defence pushing up towards the half ZD\OLQH7KH1HZFDVWOHVLGHORRNHG MDGHG ZLWK PDQ\ Ă&#x20AC;UVW WRXFKHV Ă \ing metres off sticks on the newly

ODLGSLWFK $IWHUWHQPLQXWHVDPLVWDNHĂ&#x20AC;QDOO\ proved costly when the hosts were awarded a penalty corner for a poor FKDOOHQJH 0DQFKHVWHU FRQYHUWHG LW professionally to take them into the OHDG 7KH DZD\ VLGH FRXOGQ¡W Ă&#x20AC;QG DQ\ answer to Manchesterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s high press and wide, expansive play, with every attack from Newcastle ending with nothing for the travelling WHDP With ten minutes of the half to go the home side made it two when a long corner was ineffectively closed down, allowing a pair of forwards to play a one-two before rounding â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;keeper Ed Cracknell and slotting WKHEDOOLQRIIWKHSRVW Going two down seemed to wake up the Royals who started to play ZLWK PRUH FRQĂ&#x20AC;GHQFH LQ DWWDFN SOD\LQJ VRPH FUHDWLYH KRFNH\ $Jgravatingly the half time whistle

came at the wrong time for the away side, giving Manchester a chance to UHJURXSIRUWKHVHFRQGKDOI The second half brought about a completely different game with Newcastle dominating from the VWDUW RI WKH SHULRG 7KH IRXQGDWLRQ of a strong defence including man of the match John Colville and full back Jack Williamson seemed to provide the rest of the team with the FRQĂ&#x20AC;GHQFH WR SOD\ WKH KRFNH\ WKH\ DUHFDSDEOHRI After 20 minutes of dominance WKHSUHVVXUHĂ&#x20AC;QDOO\SDLGRIIIRUWKH 5R\DOV$ZLGHEDOOIRXQG:LOOLDPson unmarked in the Manchester 23 metre area, who showed some competent skill to beat a defender before playing a beautifully judged ball to FDSWDLQ,DQ5RVVLWHU Rossiter turned his man before slotting the ball into the net on his UHYHUVHVWLFN The goal gave the away side fur-

ther impetus to push on for at least WKH GUDZ LQ WKH Ă&#x20AC;QDO  PLQXWHV The Newcastle defence found themselves transferring the ball around WKH EDFN Ă&#x20AC;YH PHWUHV RXWVLGH WKH Manchester â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, telling off the presVXUHWKH5R\DOVZHUHH[HUWLQJ +RZHYHUZLWKĂ&#x20AC;YHPLQXWHVWRJR and Newcastle pushing for a point, the Manchester side took their chance to hit the away team on the EUHDNWZLFHLQWZRPLQXWHV 7KHKRPHVLGHPDGHLWWKURXJK a counter down the right ending up ZLWK D GHIW GHĂ HFWLRQ SDVW &UDFNnell, before taking their chance in a three-on-three to score their fourth, demolishing any hopes the Royals KDGRIDFRPHEDFN A disappointing result after a SURPLVLQJVHFRQGKDOISHUIRUPDQFH The Royals will be looking to get one over on their rivals Durham on :HGQHVGD\

BUCS RESULTS Badminton0HQÂśVQGVÂą6KHIÂżHOG 2nds; Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 1sts 4 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 4 Leeds Met 2nds Basketball: Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 1sts 55 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 60 Manchester 1sts, Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 3rds 65 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 59 Leeds 2nds Fencing: Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 1sts 135 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 64 Bangor 1sts. Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 1sts 111 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 130 Manchester 1sts Football0HQÂśVQGVÂą6KHIÂżHOGVWV Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 3rds 4 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 4 Hull 2nds ( aet Newcastle won 5-4 penalties) Hockey: Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 1sts 1 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 4 Manchester 1sts, Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2nds 3 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 4 York St. John 1sts, Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 3rds 3 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 4 Teeside 1sts; Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 1sts 2 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 1 Durham 2nds, Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2nds 0 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2 Leeds 2nds, Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 3rds 4 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 3 Leeds Met 3rds Lacrosse: Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 1sts 10 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 9 Manchester 1sts Netball: 1sts 34 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 33 Leeds 1sts, 3rds 25 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 46 Leeds Met 4ths, 4ths 38 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 51 Northumbria 2nds. Rugby Union: Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 1sts 13 - 10 Durham 1sts, Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 3rds 12 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 7 Leeds 3rds; Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 1sts 5 v 34 Leeds 1sts. Squash0HQÂśVUGVÂą6KHIÂżHOGUGV Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 1sts 12 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 1 Newcastle 2nds Table Tennis: Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 1sts 0 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 16 Warwick 1sts Tennis: Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 1sts 6 - 5 Leeds 2nds, Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2nds 10 - 0 Sunderland 2nds; Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 1sts 6 - 4 Leeds Met 2nds, Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2nds 10 - 0 Sunderland 1sts Volleyball: Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 1sts 3 - 0 York St. Johnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 1sts; Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 1sts 0 - 3 Leeds Met 2nds

44

Monday 23 November 2009 THE COURIER

Royals down Durham to end derby day blues > Sport, page 38 Sports Editors: Paul Christian, Jamie Gavin and Tom James - courier.sport@ncl.ac.uk

Stan Calvert VHWIRUĂ&#x20AC;UVW ever Sunday showdown Jamie Gavin Sports Editor The biggest event of Team Newcastleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sporting calendar is set to take SODFHRQD6XQGD\IRUWKHĂ&#x20AC;UVWWLPH in its history. After a decision made last week, Newcastle and Northumbria will battle it out for the coveted Stan Calvert Cup on 28 February 2010, with the spectacle changing from its traditional Wednesday slot. The event formerly took place in late December, where there was the opportunity due to a free week in the BUSA schedule, but with many of Newcastleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s teams in action in BUCS knockouts, there was QR ORQJHU D Ă&#x20AC;[WXUHOHVV :HGQHVGD\ available. This initially caused the move to )HEUXDU\ EXW ZLWK %8&6 Ă&#x20AC;[WXUHV still set to take place throughout the month, the event will be forced to make the Sunday switch. Team Newcastle will look to make history of their own, with an opportunity to win their tenth Stan Calvert and retain the trophy for a third consecutive year - a feat that has never been achieved. $QG WKH\ ZLOO JR LQWR QH[W \HDU¡V competition with high hopes, after last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s resounding 61-51 triumph. â&#x20AC;&#x153;To be honest it was quite an HDV\ GHFLVLRQ WR PDNHÂľ H[SODLQHG Performance Sport Director Fraser Kennedy. â&#x20AC;&#x153;With the introduction of the %8&6&RQIHUHQFH&XSWKHĂ&#x20AC;[WXUHV are so heavy that thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just no other alternative.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ideally it would be on a Wednesday, but having it on a Sunday will have no detrimental effect on the competition at all. We wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have the staggered effect that weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve had

in recent years - plus we can bring some events forward because thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no worry about lectures, so the day could start as early as ten oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;clock. â&#x20AC;&#x153;After Easter is a no-go for a number of reasons - everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been away for four weeks, and thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s WKHTXHVWLRQRIH[DPV2QWKHRWKHU hand, having it earlier would mean running the risk of bad weather, as well as the lack of preparation after the Christmas break.â&#x20AC;? Athletics and cross country will EH SDUW RI 6WDQ &DOYHUW IRU WKH Ă&#x20AC;UVW WLPH7UDFNDQGĂ&#x20AC;HOGZLOOWDNHSODFH over the course of the afternoon at Gateshead Stadium, with the cross country event set for a circuit on Town Moor. 3HUKDSV WKH PRVW H[FLWLQJ GHYHO RSPHQWZLOOVHHWKHPHWUHVĂ&#x20AC;QDO taking place just before, or at half time of the showpiece rugby union event on Sunday evening. With the rugby league and many other events also taking place in Gateshead, there will be more action than ever on offer at the International Stadium. $8 2IĂ&#x20AC;FHU 9LFN\ 7\DV ZDV SRVL tive about the switch from weekday WR ZHHNHQG DQG VKH LV DOUHDG\ H[ cited about the Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s prospects for a 2010 victory. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s obviously quite a big change from previous years but I honestly believe itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going to help the event get bigger and better and attract more spectators to the full programme of events, as well as the main rugby match. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Now the date has been set Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m reDOO\ H[FLWHG DERXW VWDUWLQJ WR SODQ everything - I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t wait for the actual event itself. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Stan Calvert is the highlight of the sporting calendar in Newcastle, DQGĂ&#x20AC;QJHUVFURVVHGLW¡OOEHDUHFRUG breaking third victory in a row.â&#x20AC;?

Simply the best: Benn Hall (left) and Matt Bruton celebrate their success as NUSSC clean up at the BUDS Championships in Edinburgh last week

Medal Hall: double gold medallist celebrates after ski success Sport, page 42