ISSUE 236 // MAY 2015
IMPACTNOTTINGHAM.COM
“I CONSIDER DROPPING OUT ALMOST WEEKLY” INVESTIGATING MENTAL HEALTH AT UON ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: STUDENT BURGLARIES | UON NURSES IN TANZANIA | NOTTINGHAM FOOD ROYALTY WHO TO SEE AT DOT TO DOT | AMERICAN SPORTS SCHOLARSHIPS
WELCOME
EDITORIAL The year is now coming to a close, and for third years it’s time to face the real world; armed with the nine grand per year debt that we’ve been avoiding for the last three years. With this rise in fees meaning that pressure to focus on your degree is higher than ever, it is a testament to the entire editorial team that Impact has continued to thrive, and if I had the space I would thank everyone individually for their incredible work. The backbone to the magazine this year has been the incredible senior editors I have worked with: Sam, Belinda and Lily. Without the hard work and vision of these three, Impact would be nothing in comparison to how it is today. I would also like to thank Pollyanna and Charlotte, who have revolutionised our social media accounts and PR stunts. At the recent Student Publication Awards, we picked up the award for best magazine design. This is all due to our design editor Harry, who has consistently created the best spreads Impact has published yet. The magazine’s success is also in debt to our fantastic images team, who have also spent this year setting up the ever-growing Humans of Nottingham Facebook page. With the end of this year comes a new chapter for Impact, as next year’s editorial team will be elected at the start of May. For those of us leaving, let’s just hope that being part of one of the best student publications in the country counts for something in the rigorously competitive outside world. Also, let’s hope I never run for a government position and have someone trawl through my old editorials, House of Cards style.
SARAH DEAR EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
INSIDE ON THE COVER
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“I CONSIDER DROPPING OUT ALMOST WEEKLY”
Investigating mental health problems faced by UoN students
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“THEY WOULD HAVE SEEN ME SLEEP WHEN THEY BURGLED US” Stories of students burglaries in Lenton
16 COMMENT
THE BIAS OF THE BBC
Is the BBC as impartial as it claims to be?
23 TRAVEL
ON PLACEMENT IN TANZANIA We spoke to a UoN nursing student who spent five weeks in a Tanzania clinic
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26 SCIENCE
BEYOND #THEDRESS
GAMING
REGION LOCKING
Will Steam stop purchases made in other countries?
What really causes optical illusions?
28 FOOD
FILM
THE BRAT PACK
Tick these places off our edible bucketlist
MUSIC
Incorporating denim into your spring/summer wardrobe
42 EXPOSURE
SHOWCASING UON’S TALENT
Sharing our favourite images from student photographers
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STILL PISSED AT YOKO?
Why are women blamed for iconic band breakups?
STYLE
DENIM: FOUR WAYS TO WEAR
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The 80’s stars on the prowl for parties, women, and a good time
LITTLE BLACK BOOK: NOTTINGHAM ROYALTY
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ARTS
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LET ME TAKE A SELF… PORTRAIT Is the sefie an art form?
SPORT
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WHEN SPORT MEETS CINEMA Impact’s favourite sports movies
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“I CONSIDER DROPPING OUT ALMOST WEEKLY” INVESTIGATING THE MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES FACED BY UON STUDENTS “There are often days where I get dressed and then simply sit on my bed staring into space for three or four hours thinking about killing myself, rather than going to lectures”. These are the words of Henry*, a UoN student who is currently suffering from depression and anxiety. Sadly, similar situations are not uncommon amongst students. A recent Impact survey of 285 students found that 80.4% considered themselves to have dealt with mental health issues. University is often a chaotic time for most; dealing with moving to a new place without any recognisable faces and having to manage time between academic work, a social life and extracurricular activities can often take its toll. For many this change in environment can prove to be difficult to adapt to, as it did for Holly*. “I came to university a year ago. On the first night I had a mild panic attack and found myself getting anxious about nights out and going to lectures. They were all in new places so they were unfamiliar, which worried me. Since that year the anxiety side of my condition has subsided but the depression side comes in waves. Some days if I’m stressed about work, or even on days when I can't think of anything to be down or stressed about, I struggle to motivate myself to do anything, which includes university work”, she tells Impact.
“IN THOSE THREE WEEKS I PROBABLY ONLY ATE THREE SLICES OF BREAD, AND MY WEIGHT DROPPED FROM 145LB TO 110LB” Like Holly, many other students also suffer from anxiety. With 68.1% of students surveyed stating that they have anxiety, it is the most common mental health illness among UoN students, followed by depression, which 57.5% have dealt with. From speaking to students it was apparent that many suffer from a combination of the two. Henry tells Impact: “depression usually comes in waves. When it does occur, it makes simple things like paying attention in a lecture extremely difficult. It's like a fog around your brain where all you can really think about is negative things”. Tony* also has a similar story: “I'm currently suffering from clinical depression and have been for the past eighteen months. In the next few months, I am scheduled to meet with a consultant to determine whether it is in fact clinical depression or bipolar disorder”. “The way it affected me definitely changed my university experience, especially in first year. I'd find myself unable to make the most out
of my time, especially when it came to societies and pretty much anything outside of my timetabled lectures. It would always be a case of locking myself away in my room with my thoughts, and struggling to pluck up the courage to get outside and have that full 'university' experience which everyone comes here for. I regret not getting involved more, but anyone with a mental illness will understand how difficult that is”, he reveals. For Daniella*, depression affects her life greatly every day. She tells Impact: “depression means that I struggle to get up each day, constantly feel anxious and overwhelmed by even the smallest thing, and have become completely indifferent to success, which I used to so actively strive for”. Another UoN student, Andrew*, tells Impact that he had been diagnosed with three coinciding disorders since coming to University: Cyclothymia – a form of bipolar disorder that triggers mood disturbances including depression and hyperactivity, panic disorder – which causes episodic panic attacks, and generalised anxiety disorder which results in a consistent underlying level of anxiety that is restrictive to day to day functioning. Andrew shares how his mental condition has seriously restricted his life at university. “There have been periods where I couldn’t face the thought of going to lectures or seminars”, he says. “In first year I had a particularly bad depressive episode. I went to bed at the start of the Christmas break and didn’t really leave it for the next three weeks. I stopped leaving my room except to use the toilet, I stopped talking to everyone; I didn’t even come downstairs on Christmas day. In those three weeks I probably only ate three slices of bread, and my weight dropped from 145lb to 110lb”. He continues: “I became scared to leave my room. I remember one night I felt so trapped that I tried to go outside for a walk, I waited until everyone else was asleep and came downstairs and started walking down my driveway. Before I got to the end of the driveway my chest started pounding, I got overwhelmingly scared and I fell to the floor and started crying. I felt trapped, like I physically couldn’t leave. I went back inside, back to bed – I felt like I was dying. I thought I was dying. Looking back on it now, it was the worst I’ve ever been and I’m glad it happened during the holiday and not during term time”. 43.9% of students surveyed said they had been diagnosed with a mental health condition, but with just over half of students having sought advice from a doctor about their mental health, it does raise concerns about how many students’ illnesses are left undiagnosed, especially considering that 80.4% of students have been concerned about their mental health. 5
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For one student it was the stigma that surrounds mental illness that prevented them from seeking medical help. “I don't want to be professionally diagnosed and have the label and negative connotations of being 'mentally ill' follow me around for the rest of my life”, one remarks.
“I DON'T WANT TO BE PROFESSIONALLY DIAGNOSED AND HAVE THE LABEL AND NEGATIVE CONNOTATIONS OF BEING 'MENTALLY ILL' FOLLOW ME AROUND FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE” Perhaps one of the most alarming results from Impact’s survey was the amount of students that have suffered with thoughts of suicide. 30.5% admitted to having had such feelings. One student tells Impact: “I was sectioned following a suicide attempt. I have seen multiple psychiatrists and psychologists subsequently. I don't personally believe in mental illness. I cannot stand the current rigidity in mental health services, in which everything has to go down the medical/biological route in order to be considered valid”. A large part of university life is the focus on academic work, but for students suffering with mental health illnesses this fundamental aspect of life on campus is often affected. Tony tells Impact: “depression itself obviously took a big chunk of motivation and passion I once felt for the course away without any warning. Therefore, I'd regularly struggle with deadlines, revision and attendance, which obviously only adds to the stress”. For Taylor*, it is the pressure of exam time that worsens her condition. “In periods of stress such as exams I do sometimes find it hard to control my anxiety as ‘demons of the past’ return and this can occasionally escalate into a panic attack”. She is not alone, as 54% of students told Impact that they had missed lectures due to mental health issues. For some students, academic pressure, coupled with a mental health illness, can become too much, leading to the extremity of leaving university entirely. “I consider dropping out almost weekly”, Henry tells Impact. Daniella* reveals a similar experience: “I have, over the past few months, had times where I have seriously considered dropping out. I know, full well, that university is the best place for me as it gives me 6
time to explore my passion for Psychology, and sets me on the path for my future career. However, it is hard to be at university and deal with mental health issues, particularly when you feel somewhat isolated”. “The lack of a social space and lounge in my halls has meant that I have spent far too much time on my own, in my bedroom, overthinking and getting lower and lower. Dropping out seemed like the best option - however, I have learnt not to look for permanent solutions to temporary problems - leaving university would put my life on hold, and may prevent me from achieving all that I hope to in life. I am only temporarily depressed, so I should deal with the depression before making any life changing decisions, which I am currently not in the right frame of mind to make”, she adds. Tony is one student who has had to take a break from university: “I suspended my studies in November 2014. I spent a bit of time working full time in Nottingham and now I'm back home in South Wales working here until I go back into second year in September. It was definitely the right thing to do. I'm actually really looking forward to coming back and this time, hopefully, getting it right”.
“DEPRESSION IS LIKE A ‘FOG’ AROUND YOUR BRAIN WHERE ALL YOU CAN REALLY THINK ABOUT IS NEGATIVE THINGS” For the majority of students, socialising is a huge part of university life. With the pressure to join societies, go on various nights out and participate as much as possible, mental illness often exacerbates the stress felt by many to make the most of their university experience. For Andrew “facing others when anxious or depressed is a very daunting experience – meaning I often skipped dinner all together. As a result it’s hard to remain ‘part of the group’, and you can feel yourself becoming more distanced from people, which often worsens how you feel”. These feelings of intensified isolation were common amongst the students Impact spoke to. “Depression has definitely influenced my social life... thinking about it makes me feel guilty as I feel that my friends and family have to deal with a relationship where one end of it is not always present”, UoN student Harriet* explains. It is severe tiredness – a common side effect of mental illness – that has compromised the social life of Daniella. “I can rarely muster the energy to get up and go out, and when I do all I can think about is going home”. A close network of friends is essential to the well being of anyone, let alone those suffering from depression and anxiety.
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Fortunately for Daniella, she has this in place: “I have a few very good friends, and a supportive partner and parents who remind me that it is ok to not want to go out, but who also push me to try”.
“I SENT AN EMAIL DURING A WEEK WHERE I WAS FEELING VERY LOW AND HAD SUICIDAL THOUGHTS AND I WAS RESPONDED TO WITH AN AUTOMATED RESPONSE THAT THEY WERE BUSY” Tony shares his experiences on nights out, where he divulged that he would become more ‘sensation seeking’. “It was binge-territory every time. I guess I just wanted to feel something”, he said. However, Tony’s desire to participate and be present can often be crippled by thoughts of anxiety, as Tony himself explains: “[my mental illness] really damaged my ability to actually talk to new people, which is what university is all about, so it took a bit of a blow. I’ve definitely been on the up over the last six months, but I still only talk to a handful of people about it”. In what The Guardian cites as “a university crisis”, mental health support has become increasingly strained under pressure from government expectations and considerable cuts to funding. Included is a (now postponed) cut to the Disabled Students Allowance, a grant awarded to those who suffer from physical and mental health conditions, as well as learning difficulties. The University of Nottingham has a counselling service open to staff as well as students. Tony told Impact that the counsellor he saw was “absolutely amazing”. However, the counselling service is suffering from “extreme pressure at the moment and waiting times are quite high. This is through no fault of their own, of course, but it has meant that I've started seeing my counsellor on a private basis instead. Tony has recently been made aware of is the Positive Minds support group. Positive Minds is a weekly support group, run by trained facilitators, available at the university that aims to offer a safe space for students that are struggling to cope with the demands of university life. “I definitely think people should be made aware of that a lot more so, it might even relieve a bit of the pressure from the counselling service, who knows”, Tony shares. However, Daniella feels that more needs to be done to promote and advertise the services the university has, especially due to the strain of the services. She tells Impact that only once directed by the doctor was
she aware of the counselling service, “I was not sure who to consult at first. These services, I understand, are in great demand, but need to be developed so that everyone knows what to do when they need some help - it took an emotional breakdown for me to admit that I needed help and then it has taken weeks to get it”. There are, however, students who feel let down by the services provided. Experiencing severe distress, Henry tells Impact: “while I was aware support for depression with methods like counselling were available, I wasn't aware how hard it would be to actually access it. I sent an email during a week where I was feeling very low and had suicidal thoughts and I was responded to with an automated response that they were too busy”. There exists other support measures within the university. For Rosie*, it was the brilliant support of one faculty member within Humanities that encouraged her to remain a student at the university, “without Harriett*, I would have left and possibly never come back. Harriett has continually shown care and consideration when I’ve been at my lowest, and put provisions in place for me to have a network of support within Academic and Disability support, both of which I was unaware of in my first year”. There is no doubt that university is a challenging period in one’s life and for those who suffer from mental health illnesses this can make it even more so of a difficult time but it is important to remember that support is available if you do have concerns about your mental health. “It takes me more time than most to settle down properly, and starting university was very daunting”, Andrew adds. “Thankfully I started to feel more comfortable at university and now it serves as one of the stabilities in my life that keeps me focused and feeling healthy”.
*NAMES HAVE BEEN CHANGED TO PROTECT IDENTITIES SURVEY CONDUCTED MARCH 2015, 285 RESPONSES WORDS BY NATASHA GREGSON AND ASHLEA DUNNE IMAGES BY FAUSTO GERNONE & BEKI HOOPER 7
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“I THOUGHT I WAS FREAKING OUT BECAUSE I WAS HOME ALONE, BUT AS I WENT TO BED MY LOCKED DOOR HANDLE WAS TRIED...”
According to a Freedom of Information request submitted by Impact to Nottinghamshire Police, the number of burglaries has declined year on year between 2012 and 2014 in the Lenton Triangle, bounded by Derby, Faraday and Ilkeston Roads. In 2012, 128 burglaries took place, which went down to 106 in 2013 and had almost halved to 66 by 2014. Following this, Impact spoke to students at the University of Nottingham (UoN) to find out how safe students really feel living in Lenton as well as their experiences regarding breakins, stolen goods and the aftermath. Grace*, a second year Law student, described how over £1000 worth of goods was stolen from her house in Lenton; a bike had also been taken a week before. “We were all asleep when the burglary took place. It only came to my attention that we had been burgled when I went to the sofa to pick up my laptop which I had left there after a late night work session. I noticed it was gone and in a state of panic I woke up my other housemate who also left her laptop downstairs and it too was gone”. It later emerged that their front door and a window had been left unlocked.
“THEY WOULD HAVE SEEN ME SLEEP WHEN THEY BURGLED US” Politics second year, Jasmine*, has been unfortunate enough to be burgled twice this academic year. Seven laptops, jewellery, and a Kindle were taken the first time her house on Derby Road was broken into. It took place between 12-2am when “a child climbed through a window from a flat roof at the top of the house [and] let in more people. I had an exam the next day and thought I was just freaking out because [I was] home alone, but just as I went to bed my locked door handle was tried and then I heard someone sprint off out the back”, she explained. The second time Jasmine’s house was burgled was after they hosted a house party. She told Impact that “newly installed CCTV showed a man climb up the side of the house [over a wall and] force open a tiny window. He tried my friends door upstairs then ran downstairs when he realised someone was in. He stole three laptops and a designer Mulberry handbag and then went through our French windows in the kitchen”.
IMPACT INVESTIGATES STUDENT BURGLARIES IN LENTON 8
Abby*, a second year Neuroscience student living in Friars Court, revealed her frustration when she was unable to claim back her stolen laptop, camera, charm bracelet and £400 cash
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MAGAZINE on her insurance. This was due to the fact that the burglary occurred after one “housemate came home drunk and left the front door open so [the burglar] literally just walked in”. Similarly, Martha*’s PlayStation 4 was stolen due to doors being left open in her house on Albert Grove, also preventing a successful insurance claim: “[I was] annoyed at our lax attitude to security”. However, not all burglaries are the result of student carelessness. Sarah*, a third year politics student, told Impact about a burglary that took place in Lenton whereby the burglar had chipped away at the wooden side of the door in order to be able to push back the latch of the door. “The thumbturn bottom lock was not locked so they were able to force themselves in. They stole my housemate's £1200 bike and left their own bike outside our house”, she explained. Following the incident, Sarah* no longer felt safe in her own home. “[I was] annoyed at the landlord for not providing us with a more secure door, the front door also had a large completely clear window so anyone walking past could see directly into the house.
“HE IS NOW SERVING HIS TIME IN PRISON” “[The] house opposite had a bike stolen in the same week. We also got rocks thrown through our window, it was scary and unpleasant. Also, people have had their cars smashed in behind our new house”, she adds. Dave*, a second year International Relations student, was present during a burglary at his friend Tamara’s* house on Lenton Boulevard. “At around 9pm, my friend went to get her laptop from her room when she was confronted and pushed back by a shadowy figure. In a state of shock she came charging back into the dining room and screamed ’I’ve just been burgled’. Her boyfriend and I chased a man whom we thought was the thief for about half a mile, only to be told later that this man didn't fit her description. The whole experience happened so quickly. It’s easy to get quite complacent with house safety in Lenton but burglars are ready to strike at any moment. Lock your doors people!” Another UoN student, Grace*, also found herself present in the house the night that she was burgled. “There is no doubt that whoever burgled us would have seen me sleep as my bed was directly in front of my door. It makes me sick to think that an intruder has violated my personal space in such an intimate manner, as they would have seen me sleep
when they burgled us. It made me feel really uncomfortable that someone had been in my space”. All but one respondent reported being satisfied with the the response of the police. Grace explained standard procedure: “an officer came to take our statements. She was followed by a forensic expert who swiped the surfaces and windows for any prints. Because I wasn't thinking straight after I realised I had been burgled, I had actually touched a lot of the surfaces that the burglar had potentially touched. We were really lucky that he managed to get a full set of prints on the window”.
“THEY STOLE MY HOUSEMATE'S £1200 BIKE AND LEFT THEIR OWN BIKE OUTSIDE OUR HOUSE” “The police were able to identify the intruder because he was a repeat offender. He is now serving his time in prison. The police were really helpful and they kept us in the loop throughout the entire process. One of their officers even came to write our statements for us, allowing us to represent our feelings about the incident in court when the intruder was on trial”, she adds. In contrast, Jasmine* was not satisfied with the police’s response. “We tracked the laptops on Find My iPhone and the police ‘got confused’ between two of them and went to the wrong address at the wrong time. One had booked into the Apple Store in Leicester to unlock the computer and the police failed to get there”. Grace believes that “there needs to be a better support system for people who have been burgled”. She commented: “I live in The Park, one of the 'nicer areas' in Lenton and to think that many of my friends who also live in this area have been burgled is ridiculous. Our estate agents and landlord contacted us about the burglary but again in true blasé fashion did nothing substantial about the incident”. When questioned about the safety of student accommodation in Lenton, Inspector Wilson, Police Inspector at Canning Circus Police Station told Impact: “crime as a whole has fallen very significantly in Nottingham since a peak in the mid 2000’s. CCTV has been installed, students have been doing much more to prevent incidents by locking doors
when they are in their houses and closing windows when they are out of their rooms”. In 2013 Operation Graduate was launched to build on previous successful operations. It is a partnership operation including Nottinghamshire Police, the University of Nottingham, Nottingham Trent University and Nottingham City Council. A range of tactics and crime reduction methods are employed throughout the year including: high visibility intensive patrols in high density student areas; social media updates, banners, leaflets and engagement events to raise awareness on crime prevention techniques; student ambassadors, and the purchase and distribution of window alarms, property marking kits, computer tracking software and locks to the student community. Since the implementation of Operation Graduate, there has been a reduction of 40.8% of burglary incidents in the high density student areas in the 2013/4 academic year compared to 2012/3. Inspector Wilson also confirmed to Impact that: “crimes in the student areas are continuing to be low during the current academic year”.
“OUR LANDLORD CONTACTED US ABOUT THE BURGLARY BUT IN TRUE BLASÉ FASHION DID NOTHING SUBSTANTIAL ABOUT IT” Therefore, while there is a need for continued vigilance among the student community, it is clear that the police are attempting improve the security of student housing in Nottingham and new initiatives have been implemented to ensure the further crack down on crime.
*NAMES HAVE BEEN CHANGED TO PROTECT IDENTITIES WORDS BY YASEMIN CRAGGS MERSINOGLU RESEARCH BY NATALIA DEANE IMAGE BY JONNY KARLING 9
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SOBER STUDENTS IMPACT MEETS UON’S TEETOTAL STUDENTS IT IS A WELL-KNOWN STEREOTYPE THAT STUDENTS LIKE TO DRINK. A LOT. THE IDEA OF STUDENTS CLUBBING ALL THE TIME AND TURNING UP TO LECTURES HUNGOVER IS PROBABLY TRUE FOR A LARGE AMOUNT OF NOTTINGHAM STUDENTS. THIS DOES NOT APPLY TO EVERYONE THOUGH AND, AS IMPACT HAS DISCOVERED, THE DRINKING CULTURE CAN BE ALIENATING FOR SOME.
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Perhaps unsurprisingly, the majority of students Impact surveyed do drink alcohol. Yet there is still a large – perhaps surprisingly large for some - amount of non-drinkers at the university. 24.5% of students asked would identify themselves as teetotal; they do not drink alcohol at all.
“MY EXPERIENCE OF UNIVERSITY HAS DEFINITELY BEEN AFFECTED BY BEING TEETOTAL” Several others claimed that they only drink occasionally, or in small quantities. With reasons ranging from health problems to simply disliking the taste, it seems that many students do not participate in the stereotypical university drinking scene. For some, this can be detrimental to their student experience. For others, like Beth Rowland, being teetotal has had some negative effects but ultimately it does not stand in the way of having a good time. Beth, a second year English and History student, has “always been teetotal”. She explains, “it was never a question of stopping drinking, I basically just never started drinking. There are a few reasons. Firstly, I'm a Christian and while there are no rules against drinking, Paul teaches that we should live out our whole lives for God - so getting completely wasted was never an option for me”. Yet she still has a thriving social life, simply choosing instead to have “quiet nights out at a bar, a pub, or [going] to a friend’s”. Like Beth, several other students choose not to drink for religious reasons, yet they are all agreed that you do not need to drink alcohol to fully embrace the university culture. One insists that nights out are “still fun” when you are sober. A student who is not teetotal but does not drink heavily claimed that you can have nights out that are “just as good” when completely sober, with the added advantage that you are “more wise”. It is undeniable, however, that the university’s social scene revolves heavily around clubbing events. Beth claims that her “experience of university has definitely been affected by being teetotal”, adding that people have attempted to pressurise her to drink in the past: “putting that kind of pressure on someone [to drink] is disgusting”. 73.8% of students surveyed by Impact believe that there is pressure to drink at university. It is not hard to see why this is such a popular opinion; a quick browse through the various student Facebook groups shows that they are almost completely filled with the selling of tickets for club events and details of drinks promotions at said events. This may seem like the only option sometimes for students who wish to do other social activities. Beth is one of the students who feels this way: “it seems to me that the only acceptable social life for a student involves getting completely wasted [on nights out] once a week”.
“PUTTING THAT KIND OF PRESSURE ON SOMEONE [TO DRINK] IS DISGUSTING” This is not helped by the fact that events that don’t involve drinking are not publicised as heavily as those that do, which can leave freshers in particular feeling ostracised if they don’t drink. Lydia Eccleston, a first year English Language & Literature student, claims she felt “really isolated and pressured to drink” when she first started university. Beth also says that she was “very nervous about coming to university” as
she knew that Freshers’ Week would be orientated around drinking. One reason for this may be that non-drinking members of a group are often left feeling that they are “only there to hold coats, drive back or just to generally look after the people drinking”, as one student reveals to Impact. This feeling of alienation is something that nobody wants when they first move to university; Freshers’ Week should be a time of making friends, not feeling left out because everyone else has had a lot to drink.
“IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THE ONLY ACCEPTABLE SOCIAL LIFE FOR A STUDENT INVOLVES GETTING COMPLETELY WASTED [ON NIGHTS OUT] ONCE A WEEK” Yet, as Beth suggests, “realistically, university culture is always going to be associated with drinking. Finally old enough to drink legally and away from our parents for the first time, of course students are going to want to experiment”. Rather than discouraging people from drinking, non-drinking events should be promoted more, particularly during Freshers’ Week, when teetotal students may feel particularly isolated and pressurised. Just because some students do not enjoy clubbing, does not mean that they do not want to go out and socialise. One student who responded to Impact’s recent survey claimed that “alcohol plays no part in my night out and I like it that way”. With a relatively large percentage (31.3%) of students surveyed feeling like they need to drink to fully embrace the university culture, there seems to be a certain misconception that students have to drink alcohol and go clubbing in order to have a social life. This is simply not the case; whether students are teetotal or not, there are plenty of opportunities to socialise outside of clubs.
“73.8% OF STUDENTS ASKED BY IMPACT BELIEVE THAT THERE IS PRESSURE TO DRINK AT UNIVERSITY” Though it is true that a lot of students enjoy an alcoholic beverage or two, and the popularity of Crisis or Ocean is not going to decline any time soon, for some students drinking is simply not an attractive option. Sadly, many teetotal students feel pressure from fellow students to drink. Some also feel isolated to some extent, particularly when they are new to the university. Whether it is for religious, healthrelated or other personal reasons, a large proportion of Nottingham’s students have made the decision to be teetotal. Rather than a lack of a social life, instead this simply causes them to attend different kinds of social events. Not drinking is certainly not something anybody should be marginalised because of.
*SURVEY CONDUCTED IN MARCH 2015 ON 67 STUDENTS WORDS BY RACHEL HARRISON IMAGE BY JONNY KARLING 11
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“COMING BACK TO THE UK TO PERFORM IS LIKE TAKING OFF MY BRA AFTER A LONG DAY” GINA YASHERE TALKS TO IMPACT ABOUT BEING A BLACK WOMAN IN COMEDY, TRAINING AS AN ENGINEER AND ENDING UP IN A BROTHEL
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BEFORE COMEDY YOU STUDIED TO BE AN ELEVATOR ENGINEER, WHAT GOT YOU INTO ENGINEERING?
YOU'RE NEW TOUR IS CALLED 'LAUGH RIOT', DO YOU THINK YOU COULD LAUGH YOUR WAY INTO A REVOLUTION?
It sounded interesting. I wanted to know how things worked. When I was doing my A-levels, someone came round to the school and encouraged more girls to get into engineering. That’s basically how I ended up studying it. I used to build and fix elevators.
Definitely. I see myself as an entertainer. I’m not trying to educate, I’m not trying to force people to think a certain way, but if you have an opinion then the best way to get it across is with laughter. If you give someone a pill coated in sugar they’re more likely to take it.
HAVE YOU EVER BEEN STUCK IN AN ELEVATOR AND WANTED TO WHIP OUT THE TOOL BOX AND GIVE IT A QUICK FIX?
IN YOUR SHOW YOU MENTION HOW YOU ENDED UP IN BROTHEL IN SINGAPORE, WHAT’S THE STORY BEHIND THAT?
Hah! I haven’t actually but I was scared of them. I didn’t want to get in them, especially by myself. That was another reason why I went for that job. If I know how they work then I won’t be so scared of them. It worked!
WHAT LED YOU TO COMEDY? Well people always told me I was funny. I didn’t know that it was a career option and that you could do it for a living. Later on I discovered it and I thought ‘let me try and see how that goes’.
HAS COMEDY ALWAYS BEEN A PASSION OF YOURS? It was never a passion of mine. I was just naturally an entertainer. It took me a long time to realise I could actually do it as a living.
HOW NERVE-RACKING WAS IT MAKING YOUR COMEDY DEBUT AT THE EDINBURGH FESTIVAL? It wasn’t really, but only because I didn’t know how important it was. I was just doing it for a bit of fun at the time, so it didn’t really mean anything to me. I thought ‘this is fun’. I’d never been to Scotland and I got to go there for a month and mess around.
IT SEEMS LIKE YOU’RE VERY COMFORTABLE ON STAGE…
Yeah in the show I’m talking about all things that have happened in the last year and a half. I went to Singapore and heard about this place. It’s a shopping mall during the day but in the evening it becomes this massive brothel. I thought, ‘I need to check this place out’. I had to go see it for myself and I did.
HAVE YOU EVER FELT THAT YOU’VE BEEN HELD BACK BECAUSE YOU WERE BLACK OR A WOMAN? Not when I first started out but definitely in television yeah. You look at comedy in TV, how many black comedians and how many black female comedians do you see? None really. It’s a very white male middle-class world for the most part.
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO ANY WOMAN OR MINORITY WHO WANTS TO GET INTO COMEDY BUT FEELS TOO MUCH OF AN OUTSIDER? Well you’re always going to be on the outside but you’ve got to do it because you love doing it and not worry about what people think of it. My motto has always been ‘fuck it’. Just go for it.
LET’S GET PERSONAL...
Exactly. I’ve had real jobs so this for me is a bit of a laugh, and I can’t believe I still get paid for it. When I first started out I was more nervous, as you never know how you’re going to be perceived. But now I’m not nervous at all.
WHAT'S THE FIRST THING YOU DO WHEN YOU WAKE UP IN THE MORNING?
ANYONE WHO YOU’VE MET WHO HAS LEFT YOU STAR STRUCK?
WHAT'S YOUR NUMBER ONE PET HATE?
Not really. I’ve met a load of famous comedians - I’ve worked with Chris Rock and Louis C. K. - to me they’re just my peers.
ON MOCK THE WEEK YOU'RE KNOWN FOR YOUR OBSERVATIONAL HUMOUR, HAS YOUR MOUTH EVER GOT YOU INTO TROUBLE? I’ve been told I’m very abrupt. So yeah, I’ve always had an opinion and I’ve never been that scared to share it. That’s probably why I make a good comedian. I have been known to voice my opinions - not necessarily always where it’s wanted.
YOU'VE ALSO APPEARED ON THE TONIGHT SHOW. WOULD YOU EVER BE TEMPTED TO ABANDON THE UK FOR THE US? I like them both. That’s the joy of my job - I can go wherever I like. I enjoy performing in the UK because obviously that’s my home country and I talk how I want. Coming back to the UK to perform is like taking off my bra after a long day. I can just relax - I don’t have to think about saying ‘sidewalk’ instead of ‘pavement’ or ‘trunk’ instead of ‘boot’. I also like performing to different audiences around the world. It keeps me on my toes.
Check my Instagram and Facebook. That’s sad but it’s true. First thing I do when I open my eyes is reach over for my phone.
People who pick their nose.
IF YOU COULD BE ANY ANIMAL WHAT WOULD IT BE? Something that flies, probably a bird. Not an insect.
IF YOU COULD HAVE ANY SUPERPOWER WHAT WOULD IT BE? There’s two - either be invisibility or mind reading.
NAME ONE WORD THAT YOU WOULD USE TO DESCRIBE YOURSELF. Impatient.
IF YOU COULD RULE THE WORLD FOR ONE DAY, WHAT WOULD BE THE FIRST THING YOU’D CHANGE? I would change race inequality.
WORDS BY CHARLOTTE MCINTYRE IMAGE BY DAVID BURGOYNE 13
FEATURES
STUDENTS IN LOVE IMPACT ASKED YOU ABOUT YOUR LOVE LIFE HERE ARE THE RESULTS…
6% OF YOU HAVE CHEATED ON A PARTNER, WITH ONLY HALF OF THOSE COMING CLEAN
57% OF STUDENTS ARE CURRENTLY IN A RELATIONSHIP 78% OF YOU HAVE BEEN IN A RELATIONSHIP AT SOME POINT WHILST AT UNI
59% OF STUDENTS SAY THEY WOULD NOT BE OPEN TO THE IDEA OF ENGAGEMENT OR MARRIAGE WHILST STUDYING AT UNI
OVER ONE FIFTH OF YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO HAS BEEN MARRIED WHILST THEY WERE AT UNI
16% OF STUDENTS HAVE BEEN IN AN OPEN RELATIONSHIP
46% OF STUDENTS KNOW SOMEONE WHO HAS GOT ENGAGED WHILST AT UNI INFOGRAPHIC SURVEY RESPONSES- 97, OCTOBER 2014 RESULTS COMPILED BY NATASHA GREGSON GRAPHICS BY HARRY DINSDALE
14
LIVING IN...
Nottingham
RALEIGH PARK Derwent Way, Off Faraday Road, Nottingham NG7 2EG
Rents fro
m
ÂŁ94
PER W
EEK
KEY FACILITIES Free 35mb WiFi All bills included with no hidden extras Easy transport links across Nottingham
Walking distance to Jubilee Campus 24 hour and on-site management team Free cycle storage
Social events calendar Outdoor social space Fortnightly cleaning of kitchen and lounge areas
Communal area with Sky TV Single and 3/4 beds
On-site laundry facilities Secure on-site parking (T&C apply)
Quiet study rooms
Get in touch
For all student enquiries call: 0115 855 9008 Find us at: www.derwentstudents.com/raleigh. Email us: raleighpark@derwentstudents.com
COMMENT
DOES THE BBC PROVIDE US WITH THE NEWS WE NEED? IMPACT COLUMNISTS DEBATE THE FUNCTION AND ROLE OF THE BBC AS A PUBLIC BROADCASTER. IS “AUNTIE” A STOIC AND OLD-FASHIONED INSTITUTION, OR DOES SHE SYMBOLISE ONE OF THE FEW REMAINING PROVIDERS OF IMPARTIAL AND CRITICAL ANALYSIS?
YES
The BBC is victim to a host of repetitive criticisms: that it’s too London-centric, that it doesn’t publish enough “hard news”, or that they show signs of a leftwing political bias. These critiques are unfair. One of the greatest issues facing public broadcasters is that the public expects top-of-the-line reporting but is largely unwilling to pay for it. In 2010, the BBC negotiated a six-year license fee settlement with the government that would see no fee increases for this duration. This means the BBC has had to find a way to continue reporting important news stories without increasing spending. Governments typically lack sympathy for public broadcasters because they’re the ones holding politicians accountable, and as such extra money is unlikely to come pouring in. The BBC’s determination to report on in-depth politics signifies what makes public broadcasters so important. They can focus on vital news stories, and use their notoriety to get the story out to the world but we have to be willing to pay for it. We need news sources that are still digging for the deeper stories, so that we do not become a world ignorant of what is going on beyond our country’s borders, and we can find that in the BBC. Amidst the stories of Top Gear and Sam Smith, the BBC is providing unparalleled political content and possesses the tools we need to hold the government to account. Being critical of a government does not translate to them being anti-Conservative; it only means that they are taking the time to analyse politics instead of simply regurgitating press releases. It should be noted that the BBC is not above criticism itself, with wellfounded accusations of bias in its reporting. However, the importance of the BBC lies in its potential for greater integrity. It is publically funded. You are a shareholder. So if you don’t like what you’re seeing, it’s up to you to demand better from your public broadcaster. WORDS BY SAMANTHA THOMPSON 16
NO
Kenny Everett first gave her the nickname “Auntie” back in the 50’s, and since then the BBC has seldom failed to live up to her maternal moniker. She’s struggling to rein in irksome Uncle Clarkson, and she’s forgotten where she left her most valuable asset – impartiality. This accusation of leftwing bias, especially regarding immigration, is nothing new: The Daily Mail was a predictable trailblazer. But the allegation of “cultural Marxism” is only half the story: according to The Guardian’s Owen Jones, alongside lending the majority Party the most airtime, Conservative MPs are, in fact, greatly favoured as interviewees. During Labour’s last term in office, Red MP BBC News appearances outnumbered their opposition’s by 2:1, whereas since 2010 the Conservatives have been punching above their weight at 4:1. Ideally, the BBC would be a third pillar of our democracy, using taxpayers' money to address popular concern and give fair representation to all parties. On a parliamentary leash, however, it is impotent. In other politically volatile areas the BBC has been found to have plenty of bias as openDemocracy published a report in 2012 questioning coverage of the recent NHS reforms. It revealed that Auntie seldom reports on privatisation, and forgot to mention the bill passing in Parliament. Adding to this emerging rightist picture, business representatives appeared on the news 19 times, more commonly than trade unionists during 2012. Is the right necessarily bad? No. But should we trust the BBC? Also no. It is in the BBC’s Royal Charter to report sensitive and controversial matters with due impartiality, and given her position of authority and influence in British society, her shortcomings affect us all. It is now our prerogative as citizens to read a bit deeper, and find out if Auntie really does know best. WORDS BY WILLIAM FLESHER IMAGE BY ‘BATCHELOR’ VIA WIKIPEDIA
IMPACT
MAGAZINE
YOU TELL IMPACT WHAT YOU REALLY THINK ABOUT DRUGS AND THE LAW IN THE UK...
ANALYSIS FROM 2014 SUGGESTS TRENDS OF RISING DRUG USAGE IN THE UK, WITH A STEADY DECLINE IN ADDICTION (THE GUARDIAN 2014). MEANWHILE THE LIBERAL DEMOCRATS HAVE DECLARED IN THEIR MANIFESTO THAT THE LIBERALISATION OF DRUGS POLICY IS A MOUNTING PRIORITY. IMPACT EXPLORES STUDENTS’ ATTITUDES TO THE LEGAL, ETHICAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH CONSEQUENCES ASSOCIATED WITH DRUG USE AND POLICY CHANGE. The problem with any potential drug liberalisation policy is drawing the line between those drugs which will remain illegal, and those which will not. There is something unimaginable about making heroin legal. Yet, if cannabis users are freed from prohibition, there will inevitably be debates about how harder drugs can also become better regulated and taxed if legalised. The difference is that cannabis does not need legal regulation to make it safe; ecstasy, cocaine and ketamine do. The classification of a “harmless” drug compared to a “harmful” drug is subjective and understudied. No, all drugs should not be legalised, because many drugs are dangerously addictive. And yes, some drugs should be liberalised, because they have both physical and mental health benefits. The problem with legalisation policy is that it suggests all or nothing. Rachel Lewis There are many varying assumptions that you might make about someone who assumes the label ‘druggy.’ Party animal; hedonist; bit of a waster. Whatever your opinion, celebratory, impartial or disapproving, drug use is a socially accepted norm and you probably wouldn’t damn these people as morally disgusting or ethically unsound. However, in Colombia, the cocaine trade is funding the 50 year long civil war between the left wing, Marxist guerrillas and the right-wing paramilitaries. On average, 70 innocent lives are lost a day, as a result of this ongoing feud. That’s 28,000 people a year. Civilians are brutally massacred on the, consistently inaccurate, premise that they have been aiding one or other of the opposing groups. Farmers are blown up by bombs buried in the ground, guarding the cocaine factories, housed deep in the jungle. Peasants living alongside the river Atrato are caught in the crossfire of this major cocaine trading route. Experts believe that all efforts to support the Colombian military and bring an end to this war are entirely futile if the western demand for cocaine does not diminish. Colombia provides 80% of British cocaine as reported by the BBC (2008).
In a move surprising to nobody, the scythe of the War on Drugs may soon strike another blow to the ailing doctor-patient relationship. The UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs (UNCND) is considering whether to classify ketamine so that even anaesthetists and surgeons will have trouble accessing it. This is without doubt a dangerous step too far. Special K is an incredibly useful anaesthetic, especially in the resource poor healthcare settings: cheap, effective, and available in places where other anaesthetics are banned (for similar unjust reasons) and most importantly – the only anaesthetic which doesn’t cause potentially deadly respiratory depression. Not to mention its potential uses in treating depression, PTSD and chronic pain. Placing ketamine within these measures has been condemned by doctors’ groups, and would only add to the senseless moralisation of substances with real medical benefit, including MDMA and cannabis. Let’s hope the UK representatives can “Just Say Neigh” to the suffering of patients, rather than continuing this witch hunt. William Flesher By keeping drugs illegal, the government allows criminals a dangerous and lucrative monopoly. All of the profit from an industry that the ONS estimates to be worth £4.4bn goes straight, untaxed, to criminals, and often very serious ones. In the case of the small-time dealer just making some extra money this is pretty arguable, but what about the gangs who profit? And abroad, what about the producers and traffickers? This is a global issue, and there has to be an effort not just domestically but also overseas. Any opportunity to reduce the criminal monopoly must be taken. Take Afghanistan, for example. Roughly 90% of the world’s opium crop is grown in Afghanistan, largely in areas under Taliban influence. In 2002, the US/UK invaders ousted the Taliban from power, but there was no effort to bring the production into legitimate hands. The ‘hands-off’ policy is gifting billions to terrorists. Calum Rutter
So, next time you’re getting readaaay to, like, totally, blow mummy and daddy’s monaaayyy on getting fucked up at on nights out - just remember that your line has just cost someone in Colombia their life. I hope you’re okay with that. Maddie Waktare
IMAGE BY MAYU AMANO 17
COMMENT
TIME TO GET SAVVY ABOUT WELL-BEING AT UNIVERSITY
HAVE YOU GOT ENOUGH “MENTAL CAPITAL”? “To be honest, I’m not sure what it means…”: the students Impact asked were reluctant to even venture a definition, let alone identify themselves as being well. However, well being is defined by Oxford Dictionaries as “the state of being comfortable, healthy, or happy”. These three adjectives are not mutually exclusive, but are, in reality, rarely achieved in synchrony. The New Economics Foundation, the UK’s leading think tank promoting social, economic and environmental justice, has sought to perform research understanding the science of “subjective well-being”. They describe the spectrum of academic debate seeking to understand and pinpoint the intricacies of well-being. However, broadly there is consensus that well-being is dynamic and involves an interaction between circumstances, activities and psychological resources, otherwise known as “mental capital”.
“ARE BRITISH INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION ACTUALLY CONDUCIVE, OR REALLY CAUSTIC, TO STUDENTS’ WELLBEING?” It all sounds rather far removed doesn’t it? But, let us consider “mental capital” as a commodity in Lenton, Beeston, or University Park campus instead. It could include a gym membership at Jubilee campus, (reliable) friends or offering your time towards anything, other than your own self-indulgent student existence; as suggested by five simple evidence-based steps made by the NHS to improve mental wellbeing. These recommendations are: get active; connect with others; keep learning; be aware of yourself and the world; give to others. One would hope that higher education should (positively) maintain the pursuit of learning in its participants, but the remainder of these recommendations may be more challenging for students to achieve. It is interesting to consider how many students engage in generous, community conscious behaviours given the bubble that perpetuates higher education in Britain. In fact, are British institutions of higher education actually conducive, or really caustic, to students’ well-being?
18
One attempt by the University of Nottingham to evoke a sense of collective well-being relies on the annual “University Mental Health and Wellbeing Day”. The theme for which was ‘random acts of kindness’ this year, accompanied by the helpful #UoNKindness. Some may find it somewhat saddening that a university mandated, hashtagged event must be created to encourage kindness and consideration amongst a community that shares such a crucial common denominator. Indeed, Carlisle, Henderson and Hanlon, social scientists, described how wellbeing may be regarded as a ‘collateral casualty’ of economic, social and cultural trends that have been observed in recent years. The researchers even declared that Western society and culture are now dominated by materialistic and individualistic values, which have been accompanied by a decline of the “spiritual, moral and ethical aspects of life”. However, it has not always been this way. In Health Promoting Universities, Concept, Experience and Framework for Action (1998), John Ashton described how “the idea of a health-promoting university is not really novel” as universities were originally grounded in ecclesiastical traditions, concerned with the development of “the whole and spiritual person”, and as such academic years were “synchronised with nature through the agricultural cycle”. Ansari and Stock (2010) even found that there is sufficient evidence to support a conceptual framework that appreciates the reciprocal relationship between health, health behaviour and educational achievement. It is, therefore, imperative that we do not lose this sense of community and compassion from higher education. We need to acknowledge that universities are core institutions that affect and encompass many people. As such, they have an overwhelming potential to improve the well-being and health of the populations that occupy and interact with them; it is time this potential is utilised.
WORDS BY LOUISA CHENCINER IMAGE BY ELENI PHILIPPOU
IMPACT
MAGAZINE
ACCEPTING AUTISM THE ROLE OF NEURODIVERSITY IN COMBATING STIGMA
STIGMATISATION OF THOSE WITH MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES IS ON THE DECLINE. BUT WHAT OF THOSE WHO DON’T WANT THEIR “ISSUES” TO BE CONSIDERED ISSUES AT ALL? The nuances of mental illness are becoming increasingly understood, particularly those of conditions like depression, from which 8-12% of the UK’s population suffer in any one year (ONS, 2001). The result of this has been a reduction in the stigma suffered by those with mental health issues, with the organisation Time to Change reporting a 20% reduction in levels of reported discrimination since 2007. Slowly, awareness of the complications surrounding debilitating illnesses like depression and anxiety is increasing. Perhaps less well-known is the idea of Neurodiversity, a civil rights movement aiming to reduce the stigma surrounding certain, very different, conditions. It encapsulates the idea that “disorders” such as autism, ADHD and dyslexia are, in fact, part of the range of neurological diversity. As such, the traits associated with these conditions are not disadvantages, but differences, which allow those endowed with them to interact with the world in a wholly distinctive way. Part of the thinking underlying this concept can be traced back to disagreements in the practice of psychiatry itself. It is generally agreed in the psychiatric practice that a “mental illness” is a deviation from the norm which, in order to be classed as an illness, must cause an individual suffering, or reduced functioning in society. However, a dichotomy exists between the medical, or categorical, approach, and the continuum approach to defining a mental disorder. The former defines “cutoff” points from what is considered normal personality variation. Using this method, which is identical to that used for physical illnesses, mental disorders can be defined using stable and objective criteria.
A 2009 study published by the journal Dyslexia found that students with neuro-atypical traits could be split into two groups according to their self-view: the first held a medical view of their conditions, i.e. that they were disorders to be cured. The second held the neurodiversity view. It was the first group that was reported to have lower self-esteem and confidence, despite both groups experiencing similar levels of stigmatisation from their peers.
“THE TRAITS ASSOCIATED WITH THESE CONDITIONS ARE NOT DISADVANTAGES, BUT DIFFERENCES” Considering that part of the very definition of a mental disorder is that it engenders suffering, perhaps the problem lies not with those who have the personality traits associated with these conditions, but with a society that refuses to accept them. Embracing neurodiversity, argue campaigners, is a means of overcoming this. However, the neurodiversity campaign is, in some respects, myopic. Most worrying is its implicit exclusion of the 25% of autistic people who are nonverbal, and the 54% with an IQ below 85 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2010). For these low-functioning autistic people, it’s somewhat harder to argue away their autism as a quirky personality trait. A dichotomy therefore emerges between those whose autism does not impair them, who do deserve to be treated as any other member of society… and those who don’t.
Conversely, the continuum approach is of the idea that diagnosing a mental disorder is a matter of value judgements. Specifically, whether a person is considered functional, or “normal”, varies according to cultural and social norms. This is perhaps most evident in society’s acceptance of those who have undergone certain types of religious experiences, which, according to medical definitions, bear resemblance to aspects of schizophrenia.
The familiar need then emerges to truly understand the varied treatment needs, and, crucially, treatment desires of those within this vast umbrella. For society to obtain this understanding would have huge benefits for the stigmatisation, self-esteem, and subsequent suffering of people with various neuro-atypical traits. However, these gains can also come from the psychiatry profession itself, in its ongoing movement away from treating these traits as something to be magicked away.
So, argue neurodiversity campaigners, the classification of autism as a “disorder” is nothing more than a result of it falling outside of what is considered socially and culturally acceptable. Pathologising personality variations in this way can be especially harmful when it can increase stigmatisation, and even self-stigmatisation, of those with these variations.
WORDS BY PRIYA THETHI IMAGE BY ‘BYRONV2’ FLICKR 19
SECTION
ROMANIA IS SITUATED IN THE SOUTH-EASTERN PART OF CENTRAL EUROPE. ITS CAPITAL CITY, BUCHAREST, IS A CHARMING METROPOLIS ADORNED WITH INCREDIBLE ARCHITECTURE AND HISTORY, WHICH, PRIOR TO THE COMMUNIST ERA, HELPED THE CITY RISE TO BECOME THE ‘PARIS OF THE EAST’. TODAY, THE CITY’S RENOVATION TO ITS FORMER GLORY ACTS AS A METAPHOR FOR THE WHOLE COUNTRY, AS THE NATION SLOWLY REBUILDS ITSELF BACK TO WHAT IT ONCE WAS, IN WAKE OF AN EXCRUCIATING PAST. Romania has seen an eclectic mix of empires, from the Ottoman to the Roman and the Austro-Hungarian. And with each one, the country took hits that have proved difficult to forget. Yet perhaps the most harrowing memory for Romania, remains the period of communist rule which dominated the nation from 1947 to 1989.
“UNDER COMMUNISM, LIFE FOR MANY ROMANIANS WAS A BITTER STRUGGLE” Under communism, life for ordinary Romanians was a bitter struggle. Tens of thousands of people were killed, gas and heating was regularly turned off and citizens would queue for hours just to obtain basic foods such as eggs or bananas – they had to fight everyday just to put something on the table. However, since the 1990’s the country has become somewhat of a rising star, alongside the likes of Poland and the Czech Republic, and the nation has been cited as an example for its neighbouring Balkan nations, enhanced by its admission into the European Union in 2007. Despite still being rated the second poorest country in the EU after Bulgaria between 2012 and 2014, Romania’s economic growth rates were very positive due to a great reduction in the budget deficit, thanks to the government working under Prime Minister Victor Ponta. In January 2014, the EU released a monitoring report suggesting an abundance of positive steps that were being taken by Romania and its government, and praised how many institutions had survived under the difficult circumstances. Despite its relative prosperity, Romania has not yet reached its economic potential, and this has been blamed on the country's past, which still firmly anchors it down. Radical reforms are desperately needed and the political system is not clear enough there is no obvious ideology. Significant improvements are also essential for the ecological future of the nation. After decades of industrial development, the country has gathered a worrying collection of environmental issues, in the form 20
IMPACT
MAGAZINE destinations like Sinaia. Meanwhile, rural tourism is also growing in places such as Northern Moldavia. Despite this, crime rates need to be reduced if more tourists are to feel secure in the country; criminality is still an issue in the Eastern European nation, with widespread fraud and corruption. Although, with entry into the EU, the country has been forced to grow more transparent.
“THERE STILL EXISTS MUCH SOCIAL STIGMA AROUND THE ROMANY POPULATION”
of contaminated water supplies, air pollution and a greater need to conserve biodiversity. Thus, there exists a pressing need for Romania to clean up its water supply, reduce its emissions and manage the nation's natural resources more sustainably. More worryingly, there exist some areas that still haven’t recovered ecologically from the plight of communism. For example, the village of Geamana, in the Carpathian mountains, which was once beautiful and scenic, is now awash with copper waste and infiltrated by cyanide from a close by copper mining pit. The village’s once pleasant greeny-blue waters, are now covered in a thick orange coating, and not only has this devastated Geamana, but it holds the potential for destruction on a wider scale if the toxic sludge enters rivers and travels to other areas across the country. Thankfully, measures are being put in place to prevent ecological disaster throughout the country. In early 2015, the Romanian government worked with the international conservation group WWF to ensure that environmental protection, especially for animals, was included in its most recent transportation master plan. The plan takes great regard for protected areas and endangered species, despite the mainly economic motivation behind infrastructure development, and also considers climate change with aims such as a reduction in deforestation and maintenance of fragile wetlands. Romania is also now a member of the WWF’s ‘Green Heart of Europe’ initiative, which aims to conserve forests, wilderness, rivers, wetlands and large carnivores.
“ROMANIA IS ALSO NOW A MEMBER OF THE WWF’S GREEN HEART OF EUROPE INITIATIVE” Considering the country still boasts rich areas of habitat and an abundance of rare species, these steps could see the nation’s environmental status significantly enhanced in the coming years. Romania's tourism levels are also promising, despite still being low compared to other European countries. Tourists have begun to flock to Mamaia and similar Black Sea resorts, as well as popular skiing
In the education sector, there exists a high rate of school dropouts and low university enrolment amongst Romania’s younger generations, which can be partly attributed to poor performance in the Baccalaureate. However, steps are being taken to combat this, with new projects offering public high school grants and support for extracurricular activities, as well as systematic interventions to enhance the quality of secondary education. The World Bank has also begun to help the Romanian Government in its bid to improve education and skill levels, with funding, policy advice and strategies to reduce early school leavers and to enhance tertiary education. For the people of Romania, there still exists much social stigma around the Romany population. Romanians often draw a distinction between themselves and the Roma, and this has resulted in the latter being cited as Europe's most marginalised ethnic minority. There are about 10 million Roma people across Europe and many Roma villages have become even more impoverished since the fall of communist rule. This even extends to a wider scale, whereby the Romany are discriminated against by other Romanians in nations they have migrated to, such as Canada. In January 2014, the UK eased its immigration controls and allowed Romanians to seek work in Britain. This was thought to have breathed hope into the Romanian population, offering new economic opportunities abroad. Yet despite national concern in the UK, many Romanians planned to work in the UK only for a few years and then return home after they had become more economically stable. At the same time as this ease of restrictions in the UK, other nations such as Sweden and Denmark also lifted their controls, and this has resulted in a steady flow of Romanians moving to other European nations, where the pay appears to be better for them than it would be in the UK. With this, it appears that the mass exodus that the UK had expected, never really happened at all. Over its lifetime, Romania has seen invasions by the Turks, the Russians and the Austro-Hungarians. Its cities have witnessed bloodshed and its people have been scarred. Yet, wading through these beatings, the nation has become strong, brave and aspirational. Romania is in no way complete. Its political system needs more clarity, its streets need more safety and its people need more guidance. But despite the cracks, Romania has a resilient soul, and has a determination to, one day, be on a par with its successful European neighbours.
WORDS BY CAITLIN KELLY IMAGES BY ‘FUSION-OF-HORIZONS’ VIA FLICKR 21
TRAVEL
FOR HER FIRST SUMMER AFTER STARTING UNIVERSITY, NOTTINGHAM STUDENT LEAH MACLEAN TOOK PART IN CAMP AMERICA. FROM BEING A VIDEOGRAPHER, TO LOOKING AFTER KIDS, TAKING PART IN SPORTS DAYS AND MEETING NEW FRIENDS, LEAH TELLS IMPACT TRAVEL ABOUT HER SUMMER AT CAMP DANBEE, MASSACHUSETTS: WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO DO CAMP AMERICA?
Four years before I applied, my sister went to Camp America and when she came back she showed me all the photos and told me about this amazing summer she’d had in America, the kids she had worked with and the friendships she had made.
“TAKE A TRAVEL DIARY - I'M SO HAPPY I WROTE IN ONE EVERYDAY” WHAT DID YOU HAVE TO DO IN THE APPLICATION PROCESS?
First you fill out an online application. There are two main roles that you can apply for: Advanced Skills Counsellors - where applicants have a specialised skill set and act as instructors in that specific area, or a General Camp Counsellor. Then you make a video of yourself so they can see what your personality is like, and after that you pick an interviewer. If your CV passes the first round you have an hour interview, and after this they help you fill out applications for visas and submit a report enabling you to get offers. There is another option to find the best camp for you, which entails attending an open fair. There are four fairs - two in London, one in Scotland and one in Manchester. At the fairs, there are 200 camp directors, and tables set up detailing the various camps. The queue is crazy so you have to get there early, otherwise all the available jobs will go. You take your application with you and talk to them about it - I got three offers on that day. Then they send you all the details, you pay the necessary fees and they put you on a flight with other people doing Camp America.
WHAT WAS YOUR ROLE AND WHAT DUTIES DID YOU HAVE WHILST YOU WERE THERE?
You are in charge of a bunk of eight kids. We were responsible for them for the whole summer; we got them up in the morning, took them to meals - they become your children for the whole eight weeks. On 22
top of that, during the day, when the kids go to their activities, you lead your classes in whatever you are doing, in your special skill. I was the videographer – I would spend my entire day filming, editing and uploading clips for parents onto the online newspaper, so that the parents could log in and look at it. I created a video yearbook of the whole summer for the kids to take home.
WHAT WAS YOUR FAVOURITE PART OF THE TRIP AND WHY? That is so hard! On Mondays, it was sports day. In every camp they had colour wars, or Olympic events, and the whole camp got divided into teams. You would try to win points and they are added up over the whole summer. We ditched the typical schedule of the day and participated in crazy games. In the evening, we always had takeaway pizza, and a party. When the kids went to bed, we had a staff meeting, which gave an outline of what we were doing, but also offered a chance for awards to be given out, and for the staff to have a break.
WHAT CHALLENGES DID YOU FACE WHILST OUT IN AMERICA?
You do get homesick, and I’m definitely not someone who has experienced that before, but it really hit me out there, mainly because you are working really long days - it’s 7am until 11pm. But really it’s a 24-hour job – if one kid gets ill or homesick then you have to be there for them. It’s tiring at times but then the next day comes and you are wrapped up in the activities of camp and having fun!
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO OTHER STUDENTS CONSIDERING CAMP AMERICA?
Do your research, you really want to find a camp that is right for you and can be a 'home away from home'. Also, take home comforts and if your camp is on a lake, take mosquito repellent - I didn't even think about it and I got eaten alive! Take colourful dressing up things too because in every camp you will have to dress up at some point! Lastly, take a travel diary - I'm so happy I wrote in one everyday; it was an outlet for challenging times, and now I love to re-read it and remember those memories! WORDS BY CAITLIN KELLY IMAGE BY LEAH MACLEAN
IMPACT
MAGAZINE
ON PLACEMENT IN
TANZANIA EACH YEAR, UON NURSING STUDENTS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO UNDERTAKE SOME OF THEIR TRAINING ABROAD. FOR KAT YEARLEY, THIS MEANT EMBARKING ON A FIVE-WEEK PLACEMENT AT THE OLORIEN COMMUNITY CLINIC IN ARUSHA, TANZANIA. IMPACT TRAVEL SPOKE TO KAT ABOUT HER EXPERIENCE, COMPARING THE CLINIC TO THE QMC AND LEARNING MORE ABOUT THE TRAVELLING SHE DID WHILE SHE WAS THERE.
undertaken and for their prescriptions. For many people, the cost of the day also included travel; people would come for miles to be seen by Dr. Byemba, the clinic’s director. I encountered children who tested positive for malaria being sent home without potentially lifesaving medication, as their mothers couldn’t afford to pay for both this and the dalla-dalla (public transport) home. When I asked to pay for a child’s prescription equating to less than £2, the doctors in the clinic refused, explaining that when this happened previously the clinic became overrun by families expecting free prescriptions, which the clinic simply could not prescribe. I struggled with this, but as a visitor to the clinic, didn’t feel I could go against my doctor’s advice.
WAS TANZANIA HOW YOU EXPECTED IT TO BE?
“I ENCOUNTERED CHILDREN WHO TESTED POSITIVE FOR MALARIA BEING SENT HOME WITHOUT POTENTIALLY LIFESAVING MEDICATION”
Before I arrived in Tanzania I had never been anywhere in Africa; the country and city I entered was much more developed than expected. Although not affluent (poverty was ever evident when walking around the city), I soon felt at home with the friendly, happy locals and in my small, poorly stocked but well-run clinic.
DID YOU TRAVEL AROUND TANZANIA?
Tanzania is the largest of the East African countries and one of the poorest in the world. This combination of factors creates many socioeconomic issues, especially in terms of healthcare. I anticipated Tanzania being a steep learning curve in terms of patient priorities and care; somewhere completely alien to the nursing training I had received so far in Britain.
WHAT WAS THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WORKING IN OLORIEN CLINIC AND THE QMC? Aside from the language – as my Swahili extended to that which I’d learned from the Lion King – the biggest difference was the outlook of the patients. Despite patients having to pay for their treatment on delivery and waiting times often taking the entire day, the patients were happy, grateful and respectful of all staff. Despite lacking their language, patients were welcoming and trusting of me as a volunteer and I never once saw a clinician questioned or reprimanded by a patient. As any nurse in the QMC will know, this can differ wildly from the UK!
WHAT WAS THE MOST DIFFICULT THING ABOUT YOUR PLACEMENT?
Whilst the clinic I was working in was subsidised by an American charity, patients still had to pay to see the doctor, for all tests
I went on some amazing trips, including a four-day safari, a weekend trip to Zanzibar and many visits to Arusha and the surrounding area. Whilst the safari and Zanzibar were incredible, the most adventurous trip was to the Chemka hot spring, a 40-minute bus ride from Arusha. I found myself crammed into a tuk tuk, setting off across what appeared to be a blank plane. After driving for over half an hour over dusty, dry land, the tuk tuk driver admitted he was lost. After further circling, going over a very questionable bridge, and getting out to push the tuk tuk through mud, we finally drove towards green trees. Our destination was an oasis; luscious trees and clear water in the middle of wasteland. The spring was beautiful and warm enough to swim in, an entire day was spent drinking cider and learning to jump in with style with the locals.
WORDS BY KAT YEARLEY IMAGE BY ROMAN BOED VIA FLICKR 23
TRAVEL
DISCOVERING
ANTARCTICA Of all the continents on this planet, Antarctica is probably the one we know the least about and which few of us have visited. A vast, wondrous wilderness that is unique in so many ways, it is the only continent without an indigenous population and arguably the most pristine place on Earth. Since the famous voyages of Shackleton and Scott, humans have been travelling to Antarctica for various purposes. Scientists, conservationists, tourists and fisherman all have an interest in this awe-inspiring continent, but who really owns it, and who should be allowed the incredible chance of discovering its beauty?
“THE CONTINENT IS QUOTED AS HOLDING THE ANSWERS TO MANY OF THE UNIVERSE’S GREATEST QUESTIONS” Legally speaking, Antarctica is not owned by anyone, but instead is governed under the Antarctic Treaty, signed by 46 states. The Treaty sets out agreements between the states: nuclear explosions are prohibited, no weapons are to be used, no sovereign territories are to be claimed and there must be no conflict. There is also an agreement on the prohibition of mining in Antarctica and guidelines as to how the future of Antarctica should best be approached, protecting this fragile environment. Rules are also set out for fisheries and scientific research; it is a rare example of states planning for a sustainable future and working together. Just recently, France, China and Australia came together to pull off a rescue operation saving a group of scientists stuck in the ice, and in November 2014 China and Australia signed an agreement to commit to strengthening ties between their projects in Antarctica. With an international agreement in place aiming to promote peace, science and environmental management, it could be assumed that no conflicts ever occur over activity in Antarctica. For the most part this 24
is true, there have been no real disputes since the Treaty, although arguably this is because there have been no real contentious issues to discuss. In 2041 the agreement between countries on the banning of mineral extraction will cease, opening up the potential for international disputes. As the Treaty allows for scientific research, scientists have explored the vast continent profusely, with 4000 scientists living in Antarctica in the summer months and 1000 staying all year round. Antarctica is somewhat of a scientists’ paradise, the vast landscape allows for exploration in areas including geology, biology, meteorology, magnetism and oceanography. 60 research stations are located on the continent and allow for an array of experiments to be conducted. For the scientific world, presence in Antarctica is imperative; the continent is quoted as holding the answers to many of the universe’s greatest questions. Important and groundbreaking discoveries are in abundance - and scientists use only use 2% of the continent, allowing for sustainable exploration.
“AN EXCITING DISCOVERY OF A BLUEBLOODED OCTOPUS, ADAPTED TO SURVIVE SUB-ZERO TEMPERATURES” As well as investigating more obvious issues such as the rate of increase in climate change and ice melting levels, scientists are able to explore exciting areas and make fascinating discoveries. As the continent is so ancient and untouched, it holds evidence for geologists to discover how ancient continents disassembled, as well as facilitating the study of how levels of carbon dioxide in ice have fluctuated over the last thousand years. Any meteorites that have ever landed in Antarctica have been left untouched and are able to be explored, whilst NASA uses Antarctica to study the conditions astronauts would have to go through if they were to land on Mars. The dry air enables astrono-
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mers to have the perfect viewing platform into space, allowing them to learn more about the evolution of the universe. Recent discoveries by scientists from New Zealand have found that the waters around two Antarctic research stations contain active ingredients found in soaps, fragrances, sunscreens and lotions, showing us their lasting effect on our environment. Recently scientists have been able to research the ecosystems of the blue whale, collecting oceanographic and atmospheric data and working out why the endangered species are located in particular hotspots. There has also been an exciting discovery of a blue-blooded octopus, adapted to survive sub-zero temperatures.
“LIFE ON THE RESEARCH STATIONS CAN BE DANGEROUS TOO” For most, these discoveries are fascinating and highly valuable for the future of our planet. However some believe that scientists have too much freedom over the continent. With the 4000 scientists that live on the continent during the summer months come many more support staff, all bringing waste and inevitable disturbances to the environment. Some studies have even shown that the research stations can affect the magnetic fields in the area. Life on the research stations can be dangerous too: just recently a seriously ill man had to be evacuated from a base, an icebreaker negotiating harsh conditions to rescue him. Tourism is also growing in Antarctica, with more people seeking to experience this once in a lifetime opportunity. A visit to the Antarctic offers the chance to see whales, penguins and seals whilst taking in the incredible terrain. Tourism is strictly controlled; tourists must arrive by ship and are banned from staying on shore. There are regulations as to what tourists can and cannot do: they are not allowed to eat, smoke or take photographs when on land and their access to the is limited to only 0.5% of the continent. Trips are expensive and lengthy, attracting only a select few to visit.
Tension comes from scientists, worried that tourists will disrupt their bases, yet on the other hand tourism allows for people around the world to be educated in one of the fundamental landmasses on earth, creating a group of people that will take an interest in its preservation as well as providing income to further scientific exploration. There are even some critics who suggest that tourists should be given more access to Antarctica, as scientists are allowed to do far more than the tourists by interacting with the land, staying in accommodation on shore and having access by plane. However it is arguable that this kind of access to a relatively untouched continent should be limited and scientists are the group of people doing something more worthwhile. Fisheries also have an interest in the Antarctic, carrying out an activity that once again is highly regulated through international agreements. There are some concerns that certain penguin species are becoming threatened with extinction, spurring ideas for a marine reserve to protect fish and enable penguins to feed easily, disrupting the fisheries’ businesses. Antarctica is a fascinating continent, with places such as Deception Island, an active volcano with extreme conditions where the sea can boil at 100 degrees celsius in places and be below freezing in others. It has to be respected, and for the most part it is an incredible example of countries coming together and striving to preserve a pristine paradise.
WORDS BY JOANNA HILL IMAGE BY TERENCE KONG 25
SCIENCE
WHAT CAUSES AN OPTICAL ILLUSION? IN MARCH THE INTERNET WAS TAKEN OVER BY A DEBATE CAUSED BY THE NOW INFAMOUS BLUE AND BLACK DRESS. WHILE SOME SAW THE DRESS AS BLUE, OTHERS COULD NOT UNDERSTAND HOW THEY DIDN’T SEE WHITE AND GOLD. THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF AN OPTICAL ILLUSION WHERE THE VISUAL IMAGE DIFFERS FROM OBJECTIVE REALITY. BUT WHAT CAUSES US ALL TO SEE DIFFERENT IMAGES?
An optical illusion occurs when the information taken in by the eye is then processed by the brain and produces an image which does not fit the physical measurement of the stimulus. It is thought that our visual system adapts and evolves by a process called neural learning which leads to the quick and efficient interpretation of a 3D stimulus but can also lead to optical illusions. There are different types of optical illusions: literal, cognitive and physiological. Literal optical illusions are those that differ from the objects that create them. They are often seen in artwork. They are caused by interactions of different objects. The eye finds a way to fill in details that do not exist in order to produce a new image, as the brain only chooses specific objects to focus on.
“THE EYE FINDS A WAY TO FILL IN DETAILS THAT DO NOT EXIST IN ORDER TO PRODUCE A NEW IMAGE” Cognitive illusions occur due to unconscious interference, which means you assume how the image should appear. There are several types of different cognitive illusions including ambiguous, distorting illusions and fiction illusions. The most common example of an ambiguous illusion is the Necker cube, which is a box that changes angles and direction when the viewer changes their direction of vision. This type of illusion is due to the eye’s ability to make 2D objects appear 3D and switch between alternative interpretations. Physiological illusions are caused by excessive stimulation such as movement, colour, position or brightness. These are a common form of illusion you might have seen where you stare at an image for a certain amount of time until it produces an afterimage which you can still see even when you close your eyes. This is caused by overstimulation of bright light and the contrast between the two images that you can see. 26
Depending on the colour of the background the image is seen on it can change the perception of the colour So why did we all see the dress differently, leading to a debate that took over the Internet? In this case it was a colour illusion where the colours surrounding the dress trick the eye into interpreting the colour as something different. It was revealed that the brain automatically processes the colour before it can be consciously perceived. This means that as you go about your daily life it is possible to see a white vase as white, regardless of whether it is shining in a blue incandescent light and would theoretically reflect a different colour. The eye processes the colour due to a concept known as ‘colour constancy’. Colour constancy occurs because the brain is able to discount the other colours in the rest of the picture that is being seen. As well as this, the brain makes use of any other empirical knowledge that it may have obtained and utilises this to make sense of the scene. For example, if a white vase is under a yellow lamp, it would make sense for it to reflect a yellow tint. This is called as ‘top down processing’. The problem that arises with the photo of the dress is that there are not many visual cues to indicate where the source of the light is coming from - resulting in different people interpreting different colours. This means that for some people, the colour constancy in their brain is calibrated to see blue and black, whilst for others it is white and gold. So those that saw the dress as blue and black, arguably have a better colour constancy. However, those that saw the picture correctly should not be too smug! After all you could argue, colour is only a series of wavelengths that are manipulated by the brain in order for us to make sense of our surroundings.
WORDS BY JESSICA HEWITT-DEAN & BELINDA TOOR
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ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE HUMANITIES GREATEST OR FINAL ACHIEVEMENT? The use of euphemism inevitably means that the consequences of technological or social changes will not benefit the majority of the population. The latest Silicon Valley buzzword is ‘disintermediated’, which implies the outsourcing of human vocations to automisation, computerisation and Artificial Intelligence (A.I.). A study undertaken at Oxford warned that up to 47% of jobs in the UK and US could be at risk due to the rate and potential of computerisation. The selfinflicted redundancy that is taking place is just a single example of why we should be mistrusting of uncontrolled approaches to relentless scientific advances.
“LITERATURE AND ART IS LITTERED WITH AN ARRAY OF WARNINGS AND REVIEWS OF THE ONCOMING COMPUTERISED REVOLUTION” Defined as ‘the theory and development of computer systems able to perform tasks normally requiring human intelligence’, A.I. was envisaged in Greek mythology in the bronze robot of Hephaestus and Talos of Crete. It was Turing’s work on the theory of computation that brought this vision to reality. Whilst thus far providing us with automated car production, predictive text and more accurate financial trading, potential for the future includes self-driven cars, robotic surgeons and self aware home security agents. The benefits of these applications are obvious but they come with drawbacks. Machines already see, listen, hear and recognise objects better than humans and it is likely that machines will become better at understanding human needs and desires too. If this is combined with sentience then there is no doubt that this will likely cause severe coexistence issues and potentially conflict (though likely of a less predictable nature than that described in The Terminator franchise). Fortunately, they are not fully autonomous. Yet. Two interconnected aspects are driving development faster than is sensible. Firstly, Moore’s law by definition insists that processing power is going to increase and secondly competition in the free market
requires ever efficient turnover of goods and services to maintain profit margins. The necessity of progress in our society has already manifested the apocalyptic predictions due to our lack of dealing with climate change. Many large scale corporations still fund climate change denial lobbies and institutions, which have obstructed any meaningful policy towards fossil fuel limitations or investment in carbon-neutral technologies. Whilst still a few decades away, it is likely that in a similar way, conflicts of accelerating business interests with a more measured, understanding approach to A.I. will be problematic. Recently, a number of influential science and technology profiles have spoken out in concern to the rate of change in computer technology, including Stephen Hawking and Elon Musk. Bill Gates took to Reddit to affirm his anxiety: “I am in the camp that is concerned about super intelligence. I agree with Elon Musk and some others on this and don’t understand why some people are not concerned”. If some of our finest minds and exponents of automation are heeding us to reign in uncontrolled growth then their opinions should at the very least create the core considerations when determining how to develop this technology for the benefit of humanity. Literature and art is littered with an array of warnings and reviews of the oncoming computerised revolution, including famously 2001: A Space Odyssey, in which HAL, the onboard computer system takes over control of the ship to prevent his shut down by the human crew. Pamela McCorduck, a serial author on this topic argues that the fascination of this subject in the arts throughout history is an example of an ancient urge, as she describes it, to ‘forge the gods’. If this indeed is our intention then we should be wary of summoning the wrath of the omnipotent too.
WORDS BY STEPHEN KENNY IMAGES BY ‘CLOCKREADY’ VIA WIKIMEDIA 27
WHETHER YOU’RE A FIRST YEAR YET TO DISCOVER YOUR UNIVERSITY CITY OR AN OUT-GOING GRADUATE, DISCOVER NOTTINGHAM’S ‘MUSTEATS’ WITH OUR EDIBLE BUCKET LIST
FOOD
IBÉRICO WORLD TAPAS
THE SHIRE HALL, HIGH PAVEMENT, NOTTINGHAM, NG1 1HN MONDAY - FRIDAY: 12:00 - 14:00, 17:30 - 22:00 SATURDAY: 12:00 - 14:00, 18:00 - 22:00 | BOOK: 01159 410 410
IBÉRICO
Ibérico World Tapas is the Nottingham address for little plates with big flavours. The extensive menu presents tapas favourites, such as juicy gambas a la plancha and tripled-cooked patatas bravas, alongside dishes of a more international flavour, baked Cornish mussels or inside-chicken wings, for example. Boards spilling with cheeses and charcuterie are a voyage of discovery for fans and first-timers alike. Tapas lends itself to socialising and Ibérico’s softly-lit rustic furnishings create an extra-special atmosphere for celebrations of every variety. Gather a group and sample the genius of Ibérico at lunchtime; enjoy a starter, 2 tapas and dessert for £12.95 during the week. Lauren Wilson
THEA CAFFEA
NOTTINGHAM ROYALTY
LITTLE BLACK BOOK
ENFIELD CHAMBERS, LOW PAVEMENT, NOTTINGHAM
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MONDAY - FRIDAY: 10:00 - 17:30 | SATURDAY: 10:00 - 18:00 SUNDAY: 11:00 - 16:00 | BOOK: 0115 941 2110
THEA CAFFEA
Thea Caffea is rumoured to be the best place in Nottingham for a spot of afternoon tea. Tucked away on a back street right next to Jamie’s Italian, this gem serves an extensive selection of specialist herbal and floral teas, that are visually and gastronomically stimulating. The High Tea selection is highly recommended, offering finger sandwiches, scones and miniature cupcakes to be enjoyed in a wonderfully decadent and very English environment, even the waitresses are dressed to impress in traditional costume. Thea Caffea is a must for anyone looking to add a touch of class to their afternoon pick-me-up. Isabel Jury
YE OLDE TRIP TO JERUSALEM 1 BREWHOUSE YARD, NOTTINGHAM, NG1 6AD
SUNDAY - FRIDAY: 11:00 - 23:00 | SATURDAY: 11:00 - 24:00
HARRY POPE / FLICKR
Established in 1189AD, Ye Olde Trip To Jerusalem claims to be Britain’s oldest inn, a landmark stop for a spot of sightseeing and a hearty English dish. Discover the chilling tales behind the ‘cursed galleon’ which has caused various mysterious deaths, the antique chair which increases the chances of pregnancy and the haunted cellars. It’s hungry work! Luckily, Ye Olde Trip also offer an array of mighty meals for under £10, including fish and chips and steak and ale pie. Grab a sandwich, side and a drink for £7.95 during the week. At walking distance from Lenton, drop in for both a bite and an insight into a wealth of history. Heather Corser
ALLEY CAFÉ BAR
1A CANNON COURT, NOTTINGHAM, NG1 6JE MONDAY - TUESDAY: 11:00 - 21:00 WEDNESDAY - SATURDAY: 11:00 - LATE SUNDAY: 12:00 - 17:00 | BOOK: 01159 551 013
ALLEY BAR CAFÉ
Hidden just off Angel Row, Alley Café Bar is an aladdin’s cave for vegetarians and vegans. The menu is bejewelled with globally-inspired dishes perfect for any time of day; from hearty breakfasts to salads, pizza to burritos. Why not try a burger made from hemp, tempeh or falafel? Or sample the vegan cakes, ice creams and fair trade coffee on offer. The relaxing vibes and fresh playlist go perfectly with the innovative and organic cocktail, beer and wine menu and make this European-style café-bar a haven – with no meat in sight! Emily Howard
RAPID RECIPES
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MAGAZINE
FIRE UP THE BBQ!
EMILY MORGAN
GARLIC AND FETA PASTA
ADD SOME COLOUR TO YOUR (PAPER) PLATE garlic mayonnaise/ pesto pine nuts pumpkin seeds EMILY MORGAN
FIERY BEEF AND CHORIZO BURGERS
HOW MUCH MEAT CAN YOU MANAGE? TRY THIS FOR SIZE 500g of minced beef 150g chorizo, finely chopped 1 tsp paprika 1 chopped clove of garlic ½ red onion, finely chopped Red chilli to taste (optional)
feta cheese fusilli pasta (1kg depending on how many eating)
1. Cook pasta in salted boiling water until soft, drain pasta and place in a bowl. 2. Mix in desired amount garlic mayonnaise/ pesto until all is covered lightly. 3. Add a handful or two of pine nuts and pumpkin seeds and place cut cubes of feta cheese on top. Lydia Eccleston
1. Combine all ingredients and season. 2. Shape into patties and refrigerate for 10 minutes. 3. ‘Get them all up on your grill’. Isabel Jury
EMILY MORGAN
COOKIE S’MORES
SATISFY YOUR SWEET-TOOTH WITH THESE MOREISH S’MORES 125g soft butter 1 beaten egg 200g plain flour 1 tablespoon cocoa 18 pink and white marshmallows EMILY MORGAN
SPICED LENTIL AND BEAN BURGERS
WHO SAYS BARBIES AREN’T FOR VEGGIES? TRY THESE MOROCCAN-INSPIRED BURGERS WITH TZATZIKI OR COLESLAW, WEDGES OR A TOASTED COB 400g canned lentils (any type) 1 clove garlic 400g canned kidney beans handful fresh coriander
1 small onion 1 red chilli 2 tsp. cumin
1. Finely chop the onions, garlic and chilli and gently fry them with the cumin until soft. 2. Add the kidney beans, salt and pepper; and mash to a paste. 3. Add the lentils and fresh coriander and mash slightly. 4. Form patties (if the mixture is too wet, add a shake of flour) – and let these cool. 5. Barbecue for approximately 4 minutes per side! Emily Howard
180g golden caster sugar 120g Nutella 1 teaspoon of baking powder 150g chocolate chips
1. Grease a baking tray and prepare the BBQ so there are low flames. 2. Mix together the butter and the sugar until white and fluffy and gradually mix in the beaten egg, Nutella and half the chocolate chips. 3. Sift in the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder. Mix until dough is formed. 4. Divide the cookie dough into 12 cookie shapes and place onto the tray. 5. Place a cake tin upside down on the BBQ, and put the baking tray on top - this will help the hot air circulate around the cookies and bake them evenly. 6. Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown. 7. Remove from the heat and transfer half the cookies to cool. 8. With the other half, place three marshmallows on top of each cookie and place back onto the BBQ. Once marshmallow begins to melt, add the rest of the chocolate chips. 9. When the marshmallow and chocolate has melted, swirl with a knife and place the cooled cookies on top to complete the sandwich. 10. Serve warm. Remi Gianquitto 29
FOOD
FROM THE BARS TO YOUR BACKYARD INSPIRED BY THE COCKTAIL MENUS OF NOTTINGHAM, HERE’S HOW TO CONCOCT A PREMIUM PRE-DRINKS FOR THOSE SUMMER CELEBRATIONS
BASIC SUGAR SYRUP
HERE’S A SIMPLE RECIPE FOR THE MIXOLOGIST’S ESSENTIAL SIMPLY 100ML OF WATER AND 200G OF SUGAR 1. 2. 3.
Bring water to the boil. Add the sugar in slowly, stir until dissolved. Take off the boil and store for later use.
You can also use brown sugar or honey, and make a variety of different flavours by adding additional ingredients, such as cranberries. Add a small amount of vodka to make the syrup last longer Isabel Jury
ZINGY WATERMELON AND PASSION FRUIT MOCKTAIL
ARE YOU TONIGHT’S DESIGNATED DRIVER? POUR YOURSELF A DRINK BLITZ UNTIL SMOOTH:
1/2 a passion fruit 2/3 a watermelon (deseeded) 3 teaspoons of sugar 200g ice cubes ½ lemon 500ml sparkling water And serve with fresh mint leaves, more ice and lemon slices. Remi Gianquitto
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“EVERYONE GRAB A STRAW!”
RUB BAR AND SMOKEHOUSE’S QUAINT AND QUIRKY ‘RUB-A-DUB-TUB’ IS SETTING SAIL FOR YOUR KITCHEN
CARIBBEAN BRAIN-FREEZER
A MIND-NUMBING TWIST ON BAD JUJU’S ‘RUM BONGO’ IN A BLENDER, WHIZ:
BLEND:
50ml white rum 25ml Malibu 25ml fresh lime juice ½ cup fresh mango 1tsp sugar (optional) ¾ cup ice (gradually)
Decorate with glace cherry kebab sticks
Transfer to a bowl and freeze for an hour. Pour into glasses and serve pronto!
50ml Amaretto 250ml chilled cranberry juice 250ml lime juice Chilled lemonade Splash of grenadine
Heather Corser
Lauren Wilson
MIDSUMMER MARVEL
THE VANILLA WHISPER
IF YOU CANNOT RESIST THE BOILER MAKER’S ‘99 PROBLEMS PUT A FLAKE IN ONE’, PUNS AND ALL, YOU WILL LOVE OUR COPYCAT CREATION SHAKE UP:
50ml vanilla vodka (or 50ml plain vodka with half tsp vanilla essence) 1 ounce white chocolate liqueur 2 ounces cream
IF YOU’RE TAKEN WITH BUNK’S ‘ENGLISH GARDEN,’ TRY IT’S EQUALLY ELEGANT SISTER SHAKE UP:
50ml Gin 50ml fresh lemon juice 25ml elderflower cordial 1 heaped tsp raspberry jam Ice cubes Strain over a glass of ice. Add a fresh raspberry and mint as finishing touches!
Garnish with white chocolate shavings Heather Corser
Lauren Wilson
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STYLE
ONLINE SHOPPING
A RETAIL REVOLUTION IMPACT STYLE EXPLORES THE UNDENIABLE INFLUENCE THAT THE DIGITAL AGE HAS HAD ON CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR, AND HOW ONLINE CATALOGUES AND SOCIAL MEDIA ARE MAKING THE INTERNET A MORE ATTRACTIVE WAY TO SHOP THAN THE TRADITIONAL IN-STORE EXPERIENCE. Until recent years, shopping entailed physically entering a shop and trying on the actual clothes. Whilst most shopping is still done on the high-street, the emergence of exclusively online brands, such as ASOS and Missguided, have transformed consumer behaviour completely. Thanks to the ever efficient Internet, buyers no longer have to travel miles to purchase clothes. Consumers can enjoy a swift online shopping experience with minimal effort. This new trend comes with a few perks for both consumers and companies. For lazy or busy buyers, online shopping offers a less timeconsuming experience while also allowing them the freedom to stay on top of the latest fashion. In 2013, ASOS, an exclusively online retailer, reached 8.2 million visitors to their website per month and extended delivery to 234 countries, including China, Qatar and Australia. This truly global fashion retailer, coupled with a powerful online presence, sets the paradigm of the future of fashion retail. But for high-street brands such as H&M and Topshop, how does the Internet really shape the shopping experience of their customers? Have you ever checked the feedback section for an item on the Topshop website before going to the shop in town? According to research from ContactLab and Hybris, the majority of in-store shoppers tend to search online to get information about certain products beforehand, including product options, in-store availability, pricing 32
etc. Online information plays an important role in encouraging buyers to purchase. For fashion brands, this means ensuring a consistency between online information and their physical stores in this omnichannel communication. 2015 is the digital era where millennials are glued to their smartphones. Merely recreating the shopping experience does not satisfy the need of a digitised retailing trend in the fashion industry. A brand’s online personality is just as important as anything else for maximising exposure and increasing sales. By cleverly utilising social media platforms, brands are able to create a deeper connection with their buyers. ASOS, Topshop, Urban Outfitters and many more fashion brands bombard their Instagram followers every day with exclusive behind-the-scene shots, promotional discounts, new products or inspirational quotes. A digitised means of communication is crucial in rapport-building and creating meaningful dialogue among online shoppers.
“2015 IS THE DIGITAL ERA WHERE MILLENNIALS ARE GLUED TO THEIR SMARTPHONES” Of course, communication is a two way street. When brands take advantages of social media to reach out to its fans, the relationship is reciprocated, and the creative use of hashtags can build a connected community among followers. Particularly impressive are American Apparel’s ‘#AASelfie’ and Forever 21’s ‘#F21xMe’ which have accumulated over 70,000 and 191,000 Instagram posts respectively. These brands share a characteristic of reposting customers’ photos, which in return encourages more online interaction. In this smartphone-central generation, consumers yearn for more up-to-date
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information and intimate communication with companies, making it vital for the fashion industry to adapt to the customers’ digital lifestyle in order to stay on top of the game. In 2015, brands need to have a strong omni-channel focus with online content that is optimised for their customers’ devices - web, tablet or smartphone.
“AS FASHION BECOMES MORE ACCESSIBLE TO A LARGER AUDIENCE, MORE AND MORE CONSUMERS SEEK AFTER UNIQUE DESIGN” Fast-fashion retailers, such as Forever 21 and Zara, often have to suffer from expensive rent for their global expansion. Taking Forever 21 as an example, the company paid $1.4 millions dollars per month for rent in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong in 2013, topping London’s Bond Street as the world’s 2nd most expensive retailing spot. However, this location was where the ‘Occupy Hong Kong’ movement took place in early 2014 and sales were damaged as a result. High-end brands, such as Coach and Tiffany & Co., also suffered during the protest. But of course, small emerging businesses are relieved from having to pay skyrocketing rent like fashion wholesalers. The Internet has given them a great leap forward. As fashion becomes more accessible to a larger audience, more and more consumers seek unique designs. As more people are preaching the idea that fashion is used to express individuality, wholesalers simply cannot suffice their needs. More buyers start to stray away from mainstream retailers and choose to spend their money in charity shops or on independent labels. For small and new businesses, to be featured in magazines or another form of publication is equally essential, but maintaining a high online
visibility is increasingly important because a strong digital presence will maximise exposure on many search engines. Social media therefore acts as an economical form of advertising. Mobile apps such as ASOS Marketplace and Depop allow young designers to bring their labels online without having to pay for expensive overheads. With the upsurge of fashion bloggers on social media, many independent labels have borrowed the online fame of such bloggers to help advertise their brands. Many independent labels benefit from this exposure, such as Never Fully Dressed and House of Sunny. House of Sunny has successfully expanded to big retailers such as Topshop and ASOS Marketplace. No one knows for certain where fashion retailing will be heading in the next decade or two given the capricious nature of the industry. Yet, as far as 2015 is concerned, it cannot be denied that fashion retail needs to adapt to the digital lifestyle of the consumer. Even luxury brands and retailers, such as Louis Vuitton and Harvey Nichols, are getting on board. Brands can no longer classify their shoppers as exclusively online or in-store buyers. Most of them are a mixture of both, with perhaps a greater tendency towards the former. Therefore, it is vital to create a well-rounded shopping experience. In order for a connected experience to be successful, brands, regardless of scale, should adopt a strong omni-channel focus.
WORDS BY MALENA WONG IMAGE BY SHINICHI HIGASHI VIA FLICKR 33
DYNAMIC DENIM
DENIM IS KEY FOR THIS SEASON, SO IMPACT STYLE BRINGS YOU FOUR WAYS TO INCORPORATE THE TREND INTO YOUR SPRING/SUMMER WARDROBE
STYLE
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RIPPED DENIM
LUCY SCURRAH
JEANS: TOPSHOP, £42 TEE: ZARA, £18 SHOES: ZARA, £50
Lucky for me, lived-in ripped denim has been all the rage once again this year – and thank goodness for that. By teaming up a classic, chic pair of sling-back peep toes and a simple black tee, these laidback ‘mom’ jeans have been given a smarter finish. To take this outfit from day to night I would add some dark lipstick, but this look is pretty versatile. You could even go down the grunge route and swap in a pair of biker boots or a leather bomber jacket. Lucy Scurrah
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DENIM DUNGAREE DRESS I love the playful vibe denim brings to this outfit! The dungaree dress is ideal for summer and can be dressed either up or down depending on the occasion. For this look, I opted for a white turtleneck top which contrasts nicely with the light washed denim. Denim dungarees are definitely a must-have for the upcoming festival season as well! Chanel Jonsson
CHANEL JONSSON
TURTLENECK TOP: ASOS, £18 DRESS: URBAN OUTFITTERS, £45 BOOTS: DR MARTENS, £100 35
STYLE
DENIM-ON-DENIM I love denim on denim but it has to be done right. The colour of both of these pieces is why they work so well together: never go for double denim when they are in the same shade. The flowing skirts adds femininity to the outfit and it is really flattering too. Though the clothes themselves are relatively simple in their cut and style, the black boots make a statement I love to make a statement with the shoes I wear! Jo Grimwood
JO GRIMWOOD
SHIRT: KILO SHOP PARIS, €15 SKIRT: ZARA, £30 BOOTS: ZARA, £26 36
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DARK DENIM I’m in love with anything that has a sport-luxe vibe. The wide-leg style of the denim jeans make it the perfect casual wear for uni, whilst the tailored duster adds an instant spark of sophistication to the outfit. Trade the trainers for heels to vamp it up for a nighttime cocktail date. Spring/Summer is all about versatility, and this outfit is the perfect example. Malena Wong
MALENA WONG
JEANS: ASOS, £40 TOP: AMERICAN APPAREL, £22 JACKET: TOPSHOP, £40 TRAINERS: NIKE, £80 37
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WORKING IN FASHION AND THE MEDIA
INTERNSHIP INSIGHTS
AS EXAM AND DEADLINE SEASON COMMENCES, DAYDREAMS OF A SUMMER FREE FROM COMMITMENTS AND FULL OF SUNSHINE FILLS THE MIND OF MANY A STUDENT. WHILE WE ALL DEFINITELY NEED A WELL-DESERVED BREAK FROM UNIVERSITY AND PLENTY OF REST AND RELAXATION, THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS ARE ALSO A PRIME TIME TO GET SOME OF THAT THING THAT STRIKES FEAR INTO MANY OF US, BUT, IMPORTANTLY, EXCITEMENT INTO ANY POTENTIAL EMPLOYER: WORK EXPERIENCE. IMPACT STYLE HAS INTERVIEWED THREE UON STUDENTS WHO HAVE HAD INTERNSHIPS IN VARIOUS COMPANIES AND PUBLICATIONS WITHIN THE WORLD OF FASHION AND MEDIA, PROVIDING AN INSIGHT INTO LIFE AND THE WORKING ENVIRONMENT IN SOME OF THE MOST NOTORIOUSLY COMPETITIVE AND FAST-PACED INDUSTRIES.
POLLYANNA WARD: DIGITAL MARKETING INTERN AT RIVER ISLAND’S HEAD OFFICE IN LONDON HOW DID YOU GET YOUR INTERNSHIP AND WHAT WAS THE PROCESS LIKE?
In the lead up to last summer, River Island (RI) advertised a Digital Marketing Intern role, and I was put forward for it by my mum, who works for RI. I had a telephone interview to prove that I had experience in using social networks, along with references. My process was easier than it would be for most because I skipped the main applications and went straight to head office, but it just shows that you still need to have the key skills to be successful.
WHAT DID YOUR POSITION INVOLVE?
The first month was spent learning about the types of content that RI produce across their social media platforms, conducting research into social media best practices by competitor brands, and getting involved in meetings and day-to-day admin. During my final two months, I was responsible for posting content on their Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest accounts. I also wrote articles for their blog, created marketing reports for their global agencies, contributed to meetings with ideas based on my research, and learnt to use a variety of social media marketing tools. 38
WHAT WAS THE WORKING ENVIRONMENT LIKE?
Fast. Ideas could be floated at the 9:30am meeting and within 30 minutes were being put into action with graphics being designed and Facebook posts being mocked up. Everyone was right on top of the industry news too, people would send emails around the office of new updates to Twitter, or of the latest controversy at a fashion show. It was amazing to be part of a team that was both brand-focused and marketing savvy.
ANY ADVICE OR TIPS?
Know the brand inside out. I had never written fashion articles or social media content, but I knew RI and was able to channel their brand ethos through all my work. By knowing the brand you are working for, it helps you get the most out of your internship because they are more willing to help you progress and grow if you show dedication and passion. Finally, always take notes.
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TARA BELL: FASHION AND FEATURES WRITER AT VIVA & PR INTERN AT COPIA HOW DID YOU GET YOUR INTERNSHIP AND WHAT WAS THE PROCESS LIKE?
As I grew up in Dubai, I spent the last two summers staying with my family and working there. My first internship was at VIVA, a women’s lifestyle magazine that is one of the most popular in the region. I managed to find the editor’s contact details online, so I sent over my CV and cover letter to her and luckily she was keen to have me on! The following year I did a six-week internship at a communications and luxury lifestyle management company called Copia. A friend of mine works at a PR agency in Dubai and recommended several similar places to contact; I did a series of follow-up emails and interviews with agencies until I decided which one I would go for.
WHAT DID YOUR POSITION INVOLVE?
As a fashion and features writer at VIVA my articles required time and effort, however, the lengthier research and writing process was something that really enjoyed. I was also invited to events such as product and restaurant launches which I subsequently had to review. Getting Armani’s new perfume, an endless supply of beauty products and free meals were definitely all highlights! As a PR Intern at Copia, I did everything from writing blog posts to press releases and conducting research for clients that included restaurants, clubs, jewellery and handbag designers. In both internships I was given tremendous responsibilities which is something I’m incredibly grateful for; I definitely wasn’t there to simply make people coffee!
WHAT WAS THE WORKING ENVIRONMENT LIKE?
At all of my internships I was working in an entirely female-dominated environment: though I was lucky enough to be working alongside people I genuinely liked, there were times when things got a little bit bitchy. At VIVA I often left the office to attend events, which was ideal for breaking up the working day and having a change of scenery. At Copia I was pretty much sitting at the same desk from 9am-6pm which felt quite stifling and claustrophobic.
ANY ADVICE OR TIPS?
It is very rare that companies will approach you: you’re the one who has to get in touch. Be polite but don’t forget to persevere: these people lead busy lives and your email can often get lost in sea of others - if it is somewhere you really want to work, don’t give up if they don’t reply the first time. When you’re at the office, make sure you are always enthusiastic and be a ‘yes’ person. If someone asks you to do something, make sure you do it and do it with a smile on your face! Remember, it is always a good idea to establish connections with people, both personally and professionally, as you never know when they will come in handy in the future.
ANONYMOUS: INTERN AT ELLE HOW DID YOU GET YOUR INTERNSHIP AND WHAT WAS THE PROCESS LIKE?
It was a very out of the blue experience for me! I had applied at the beginning of summer to various Hearst magazine publications and they all came back as negative, telling me that I had left it far too last minute to pursue a summer internship. But then two weeks later I received an email from someone who worked at ELLE (she had also studied the same degree as me at the University of Nottingham). They asked to see a few examples of my published articles to make sure they liked my writing style, and thankfully they loved it. There was no formal interview, and was arranged very speedily.
WHAT DID YOUR POSITION INVOLVE?
I was an intern working with the editorial team, so rather than the stereotypical idea of being shoved in a closet steaming dresses all day, I actually had a very hands on experience and managed to publish several articles with ELLE. From conception to execution, I was solely responsible for running a weekly feature called Something for the Weekend, which promoted cultural events in London for ELLE’s target audience. It involved a lot of networking and contact building, often many people running events would contact me asking to be included on the feature.
WHAT WAS THE WORKING ENVIRONMENT LIKE?
If you thought The Devil Wears Prada or Ugly Betty was an overdramatised representation of the industry, you are dead wrong. As soon as you’re identified as ‘the new intern’ that’s it, it’s now completely up to you to earn your stripes. For the first week I had to run around collecting lunch orders for the whole office, meaning often I only had chance to eat my own lunch at 3 o’clock most days. I’ve always considered myself a very polite and apologetic person, but working in this environment forces you to toughen up. On a few occasions I had to speak up for myself with some quite intimidating and bitchy older women, but I slyly think they like seeing a little bit of sass in the new interns, as I definitely noticed an improvement in the way I was treated afterwards.
ANY ADVICE OR TIPS?
With fashion specifically, you need to really want it. Your hunger for the job shows in your passion, and that is something an employer can never really ignore. As a lot of the job in the early days is trivial tasks that are albeit slightly disheartening, the logic is that if you want to be in the industry as desperately as you make out, you’ll roll with the lows and stick them out, knowing eventually it will be your time to show off your talent. I know it sounds so cheesy, but most importantly stay true to yourself and do not change for anyone. Everyone has something new and fresh to offer to the table that is valuable, especially in an industry as fast paced and constantly adapting as the fashion industry.
WORDS BY TARA BELL IMAGES BY ABBEY HENDRICKSON AND LEIGH JAY TEMPLE VIA FLICKR 39
Dress: AQ/AQ, £136 Shoes: Calvin Klein, £80
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Siyaa
Playsuit: Topshop, £42
Ellie
Dress: Princess Polly, £38
Miles
Dress: Missguided, £20
STYLED AND DIRECTED BY SHOPE DELANO AND TARA BELL | ASSISTED BY RAPHAELA RING AND IKE DENLOYE MODELLED BY JO ADIB, MILES FROSSARD URBANO, ELLIE CROCKER AND SIYAA MUNJAL MAKEUP BY CATHERINE CASTELO CRUZ | PHOTOGRAPHED BY ALEXANDRA FARZARD 41
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PRODUCT RECOMMENDATIONS FACE: Sleek Blush in Rose Gold, £5. Bourjois Bronzing Powder, £8. Topshop highlighter in Horizon, £10. Eyes: Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Half Baked, £14. Benefit They’re Real Mascara, £20. LIPS: Maybelline Colour Sensational Vivids in Hot Plum, £7. STYLED AND DIRECTED BY SHOPE DELANO AND TARA BELL | PHOTOGRAPHED BY SHOPE DELANO MODELLED BY BECKY BYRNE | MAKEUP BY IZZIE WONG 42
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LIVE MUSIC, WARM WEATHER AND GOOD COMPANY ARE JUST A FEW OF OUR TOP REASONS WHY FESTIVALS ARE A MUST. WHY NOT ATTEND IT IN STYLE? HERE ARE IMPACT STYLE’S FASHION FESTIVAL ESSENTIALS
NASTY GAL, £27
TOPSHOP, £65 TOPSHOP, £48
ASOS, £38 ASOS, £25
NASTY GAL, £27
TOPSHOP, £34
PRODUCTS SELECTED BY CHANEL JONSSON, LUCY SCURRAH AND SHOPE DELANO 43
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GAMING
THE RISE AND FALL OF THE BRITISH GAMING INDUSTRY Recently, the British gaming industry has not been as glorious as we have seen it in the past, even if we do have one of the biggest awards shows in the industry – the BAFTA Games Awards. However, in the 80’s and 90’s, the industry was full of big names, big titles and had many big successes. Games such as Elite, Populus and Rollercoaster Tycoon are just some, to name a few, of the successes of this era. The rise of bedroom programmers in the 80’s is one of Britain’s great successes. One programmer on their own could design entire games for sale, and because of the low cost of production and sales, virtually anyone could create games. Many of the great developers of the 80’s and 90’s came from this stock of developers, such as Chris Sawyer, who is mostly famous for Rollercoaster Tycoon. However, this reliance on bedroom programmers led to a decline later on; as the costs for developing games dramatically increased, bedroom programmers had to invest in software if they wanted to develop for the consoles, sometimes costing thousands of pounds. Less people could design games on their own so they had to get formal training and join a large company. These large companies were mostly based in the US and Japan so many of the great developers during the early 00’s were drawn away from Britain. There are a few notable exceptions such as Jagex (famous for Runescape) and Lionhead (famous for Black and White) but realistically, if a person wanted a job in the industry, they had to go to America. In a similar vein, many British development companies were bought by American multinationals. The company that developed the original Grand Theft Auto, DMA Design, was bought by Take Two Interactive. The Dundee studio where DMA Design worked was shut down and, although there are still some developers based in Edinburgh, much of the development has since been moved to New York where Take Two is based. It isn’t all doom and gloom however: one of the most critically and commercially successful games ever, GTA V, was developed mostly in Scotland under the moniker Rockstar North. 48
However, the failure of the industry wasn’t completely down to the American multinationals. Many of the problems British developers faced were due to overselling themselves and their games, leading to large-scale disappointment when the finished product came out. Peter Molyneux is a great example of this overselling. He claimed one of his games, Fable, could recreate large towns and had characters that were insanely intelligent, but this was nonsense as no console could realistically do this without the game being non-functional. No doubt it was still a good game, but because he somewhat overhyped it, Fable was critically panned for not living up to expectations.
“THE GOVERNMENT IS INCREASING ITS FUNDING FOR SMALLER DEVELOPERS EVERY NEW YEAR” However, despite all this talk of decline and despair, these problems are starting to become less important. Indie development in recent years has started a new rise similar to the bedroom programmers thirty years before. Indie developers can make games at little expense and put them on Steam or even crowdfund in order to pay for development. The government is increasing its funding for smaller developers every new year, and this year it pledged £8 million to the UK’s video gaming industry. The best news of all: people have finally stopped believing Peter Molyneux’s tall tales, which can only be a good thing. In summary, the British gaming industry is still not what it used to be and though the larger developers are still owned by massive multinationals, there is hope. Only time will tell if Britain can once again get to the forefront of game development. WORDS BY TIM SPENCER IMAGE BY DAVE ALLEN VIA FLICKR
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REGION LOCKING AND DIGITAL PURCHASES It was only last December that Valve enabled region locking. Nintendo has famously used region locking in the past for its home consoles and it still uses it today. The Xbox One and the PS4 eschew region locking altogether, meaning you can play an Xbox game purchased in Japan on an Xbox purchased in the UK. As of December, you cannot redeem a Steam game purchased in Russia on an account based in Europe. This was in response to the collapsing Ruble and it was introduced to prevent gamers from buying games on the Russian Steam Store where they are much cheaper and then selling them to European and American gamers for a profit. Prior to this, trading games between Russia and the rest of the world was a common practice and you could get games much cheaper than the Steam Store price by doing trades with Russian gamers. This also means that if you move from Russia to anywhere else in the world, you will have to repurchase all of your Steam games again.
“AS OF YET, RUSSIA IS THE ONLY REGION THAT IS LOCKED” There was a lot of scamming involved with this Russian grey market and many people were cheated out of their money, so perhaps in this way it is understandable that Valve should introduce region locking. As of yet, Russia is the only region that is locked and so gamers in Europe and the rest of the world are not really affected by this issue. It does have worrying implications however; it is no secret that games purchased in Europe are more expensive than games purchased in America or the UK. Often, the prices are not converted and so a game that might cost $40 in the US can cost €40 in the European market. This is even true in the UK, and often a game will cost more in pound sterling than it will in US dollars. If you have friends abroad, you can get around this by having them gift you the game instead. You can also get
around certain other restrictions this way. Hotline Miami 2 is banned in Australia for graphic content, but if you are an Australian gamer on Steam, you can always get someone else to purchase it for you, bypassing the restriction. Valve has so far opted not to lock other regions, and as of yet there is no indication that they will be locking anywhere else. However, this still sets a worrying precedent for the future as they could lock other regions just as easily as they locked Russia. For many people, using Steam is a matter of convenience. All of your games in one place, with no physical discs required. However, ultimately when you sign up to services such as Steam, you sign away many of your consumer rights. When you own a game on a disc, you own the physical disc, when you purchase games on steam, you are purchasing a 'subscription' and you have to agree to Steam's terms of service in order to access that subscription. Does this mean you should stop using Steam? No. The platform is extremely convenient, and the Steam Sales are great for students who might not have enough money to buy games otherwise. This isn't a problem that is unique to the gaming industry: other industries such as the music industry and the movie industry have been engaging in these practices for much longer. You should, however, be careful about what you are willing to sign away.
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MOVIE MUSINGS
MOVIE MUSINGS ACROSS THE FOLLOWING SIX PAGES, OUR WRITERS DISCUSS A SELECTION OF SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENTS FROM THROUGHOUT THE HISTORY OF CINEMA, DESCRIBING THE VARIOUS IMPACTS THEY HAD UPON THEIR TIME.
The rise of the blockbuster and its high-impact style of storytelling came to a natural conclusion in 1995, when four young Danish directors founded the Dogme 95 Collective. The most prominent of these was the highly controversial part-provocateur, partpornographer Lars von Trier. The group operated within the confines of a list of ten rules termed ‘the vows of chastity’, which laid out a system of filmmaking that aimed to return the cinematic art to its core values of acting, cinematography and storytelling, whose clear waters had been muddied by post-production trickery and special effects bombast. It was a noble pursuit, and indeed in a year where the head-scratching Batman Forever and Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls made the box office top five it is clear that the art of cinema had gone somewhat astray. The films it produced were confrontational yet thoughtful, and in tone did indeed return to the cinematic heydays they aimed to emulate. The first film produced under the vow was the critically acclaimed Festen (1998), a drama set at the birthday party of a 60 year old man shot, in accordance with the law of chastity, with naturalistic performances and minimalist direction. Tellingly it was a much more visceral and emotionally grounded film than was produced in the mainstream.
“THE FILMS PRODUCED WERE CONFRONTATIONAL YET THOUGHTFUL” Trier’s own The Idiots (1998) was the second Dogme film and was also critically lauded, and ground-breaking for its complete reliance on digital cameras, but introduced a common and unwritten rule of the movement: controversy. The sex in the film was unsimulated; hardly a surprise since von Trier’s company Zentropa also makes adult movies, but it caused much uproar amongst the critical elite. Perhaps more dubious was the film’s central premise; the titular ‘idiots’ being a group of friends who behaved as if they were disabled in public. At the film’s Cannes premiere film critic Mark Kermode shouted “Il est merde!” (and was promptly ejected for his troubles). 50
The contention was that, in search of a return to cinematic values, the films were losing sight of moral ones; without CGI monsters to grab the eye of the audience the Dogme movement attracted attention by other means, often sex. A look through their filmography does see a tiring over-reliance on the subject, be it molestation in Festen or the plot of the travesty Fuckland (2000), which sees the Argentinian lead try to win back the Falklands by impregnating its female population. What difference do production values make when the films are so poor? This was the question asked by the viewing audience and Dogme had no answer, ending in 2005 when its figurehead Lars von Trier disassociated from the movement.
“IN SEARCH OF A RETURN TO CINEMATIC VALUES THE FILMS WERE LOSING SIGHT OF MORAL ONES” The lasting influence of Dogme 95 then may not be the 37 films made in its name but the filmmakers who heard their (sometimes desperate) cry for change and answered. While blockbusters may be more ubiquitous and often more shameless than ever, the work of directors like Richard Linklater – of Boyhood (2014) and the Before Trilogy (19952013) fame – certainly reflect the ten aspired values, as does the work of the French Dardenne brothers whose Two Days One Night was one of 2014’s best, and seems to suggest that those four Dogme founders were onto something after all. It certainly turned out a lot better than Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014).
WORDS BY LIAM INSCOE JONES IMAGE BY TOM WATCHORN
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THE
ACADEMY AWARDS THE SELF-AGGRANDISING CEREMONY
“HELLO AND WELCOME TO THE 87TH ACADEMY AWARDS, LIVE FROM LOS ANGELES...” (TRANSLATION: “LET’S PARTY AND CELEBRATE HOLLYWOOD... IN HOLLYWOOD!”) On February 22nd, the 87th Academy Awards ceremony was held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles. No surprise here. Hollywood is the home of the entertainment industry, so where better to celebrate it? The first ceremony took place in 1929, only two years after the establishment of the Academy itself. But to whom exactly are we referring?
“FIRST, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE ACADEMY…” (TRANSLATION: “I WOULD LIKE TO THANK MY PEERS AND BUDDIES!”) The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) is a professional honorary organisation whose mission is to promote the image and the development of the film industry. It functions on a membership basis, one which is invitation only from the Board of Governors. Academy membership is divided into branches, representing the various jobs within the industry. Hence why there were only five branches in 1929 whereas today there is the considerably larger group of seventeen of which the actors’ remains the largest. Basically, award-winning actors thank those actors who voted for them.
“AND THE OSCAR GOES TO…” (TRANSLATION: “AND THE MIRROR GOES TO…”) It is a fact: Hollywood loves itself. No wonder films about Hollywood are particularly successful at the Oscars. 2015 has been no exception. The Best Picture Winner Birdman tells the story of a washed-up actor who is struggling to recover his family, his career and himself in the days leading up to the opening of his Broadway play. At the 2015 Independent Spirit Awards, Birdman (2014) star Michael Keaton wittily thanked “Narcissus” who “doesn't get enough of a shout out”, before adding that the “mirror thing is just genius”. Birdman follows the long line of Best Picture Oscar winners that can be seen as a reflection of the industry or sometimes the Academy itself, from recent The Artist (2011) and Argo (2012) to Shakespeare in Love (1998) and All About Eve (1950).
“OH MY GOD, I HONESTLY DIDN’T EXPECT IT...” (TRANSLATION: “WELL... STATISTICALLY, I WAS THE FAVOURITE, BUT STILL!”) The Oscars ceremony itself is both very popular and fiercely criticised. One of the main critiques - which is particularly foregrounded in today’s increasingly multicultural society - is the fact that the stereotypically celebrated drama winner profile is always a white male. The Los Angeles Times recently published that Oscar voters are ‘nearly 94 percent Caucasian and 77 percent male’ while ‘Blacks are about 2 percent of the academy, and Latinos are less than 2 percent’. This highlights a current and distinct lack of representation among women and minority groups. Equally, there are criticisms regarding the award categories, with many critics highlighting the evident plea filmmakers make to achieve success and associations with Best Picture. This phenomenon is referred to as the ‘Oscar bait’: a bunch of good dramas released just before the Oscar season. However, this is not new. Nowadays, dramas are in fashion, but different kinds of films were praised in the last century. If we take a look at the lists of nominees in previous years, it appears that the AMPAS tends to reward a certain type of film at a certain time, such as war-themed films in the early 1940’s or musicals in the early 60’s. Therefore, by favoring certain types of film over critically acclaimed ones that depict real life issues, the Academy is accused of being a poor representative of the audience’s honest opinion, caring only of their own and that of their peers in the industry. Despite the self-important issue of value the Academy appropriates onto itself, the Oscars have earned a rightful place in history by being the oldest entertainment awards ceremony and becoming, according to film critic Andrew Sarris, “the most closely scrutinised and most widely watched entertainment event on global television”.
WORDS BY IMANE LAMIME IMAGE BY DAVIDLOHR BUESO VIA FLICKR 51
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MOVIE MUSINGS
THE GOLDEN AGE OF THE HOLLYWOOD STUDIO SYSTEM government to break up the two halves of the studio, production and distribution, in hopes that a domino effect would follow and put his weaker studio on more equal footing with the other Big Five. At roughly the same time, the first antitrust case involving Paramount was being heard. Hughes’ actions seriously undermined Paramount’s arguments and, in the end, they lost the case and the studios entered into consent decrees, willing agreements to change their ways within a certain amount of time. Block booking was given limits, and the idea of pre-selling a film by collecting money up front for a film not yet in production or not yet seen by the exhibitor was completely eliminated.
Often when looking at Hollywood, the term The Big Five (or Big Six) will crop up. Disney, during the Golden Age (1920’s-60’s), was an independent production company and an important player but not yet the powerhouse that would make it one of the modern Big Six studios. It was Warner Bros., Fox, Paramount, MGM, and the now redundant RKO which held a stranglehold over the entire process of filmmaking. From production to distribution through studio-owned cinemas every step of the process happened in-house. By the middle of the Golden Age, the top studios controlled roughly 95% of the market. As remarked in The Aviator (2004), “nobody but nobody makes a film outside of a studio!”
“AS REMARKED IN THE AVIATOR, ‘NOBODY BUT NOBODY MAKES A FILM OUTSIDE OF A STUDIO!’” It’s from this system that the concept of the “B-movie” emerged, with studio-owned cinemas having about five films showing 52
at a time via a system of block booking. One popular “A”-movie would be the main draw, with the rest being the lower quality B-movies. Specific cinemas were either owned outright by a studio or worked in such close partnership with one that they would only show movies made by said studio. These films were usually premiered in a roadshow fashion, opening in one city at a time and staying in cinemas for several months at a time, as opposed to the few weeks modern films are available for. Cinemas weren’t the only things controlled by the studios entirely. Stars who were under contract to studios often had their entire social lives - as well as many aspects of their personal lives - scheduled under the management of their studio. Most of these performance contracts lasted seven years, and gave no choice as to which roles an actor would play. It was The Aviator himself who ultimately ushered in the end of the studio system, as it was known. Howard Hughes bought the controlling interest in RKO in 1938 and entered into an agreement with the US
“THIS DECREE ALONGSIDE THE RISE OF TELEVISION IN THE 1950’S AND 1960’S TRULY LED TO THE END OF THE GOLDEN AGE FOR THE BIG FIVE” In 1948 the case was retried, this time with the US Supreme Court after the consent decrees were not fulfilled. The court held that the way distribution was handled was in violation of antitrust legislation. As part of the Paramount Decree, as the decision is often known, major studios were required to divest themselves of their cinema chains breaking the decadeslong stranglehold. This Decree alongside the rise of television in the 1950’s and 1960’s truly led to the end of the Golden Age for the Big Five. However, due to the expense of producing a high quality feature, most movies today are still made by Columbia, 20th Century Fox, Warner Bros., Paramount, Universal or Disney – the modern Big 6.
WORDS BY A. F. DEAN
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INDIEWOOD THE NEW HOLLYWOOD?
Once upon a time, independent films were just that – films produced outside of the studio structure that emphasised the development of characters and thought-provoking stories. However, following the boom in demand for VHS in the 80’s and the substantial box office successes of particular indie films over the subsequent decade (sex, lies and videotape (1989), Pulp Fiction (1994) and Fight Club (1999)), major studios were quick to jump on the indie wagon. By the early 2000’s, ancillary arms specialising in the production and distribution of "independents", such as Fox Searchlight (21st Century Fox), Mandate Pictures (Lionsgate) and Paramount Vantage (Viacom), were founded.
purely Indiewood films. Although it is not always the case that low to mid budget films are able to compete against the Hollywood giants, the “cult” and “classic” statuses that arise and persist from Indiewood fandom is testimony to the protracted life span such films can have, thus advocating the need for their existence. In regards to the scale of financial returns and prestige, appealing to the niche indie audiences for studios is like taking candy from a giant. Numerously-nominated Boyhood (2014) and The Imitation Game (2014) earned revenues far exceeding not only their budgets (over tenfold), but the performance of the top three blockbusters in the 2014 worldwide box office.
Though the birth of Indiewood somewhat contradicted the original notion of "independent films", co-productions between traditionally independent production companies, individual filmmakers, and the indie studio subsidiaries have become increasingly popular, resulting in a growth in low to mid budget films.
“WILL THIS LEAD TO THE GRADUAL REPLACEMENT OF HOLLYWOOD BLOCKBUSTERS WITH INDIEWOOD FILMS? PROBABLY NOT”
As much as some indie loyalists may want to deny the very idea or need for Hollywood studios to intervene in their territory, Indiewood has its benefits. With the advantage of greater global marketing and distribution opportunities, films such as Lost In Translation (2003), are able to reach wider audiences and profit in foreign markets. Indiewood also offers audiences a chance to see and experience alternative story worlds in cinemas – mainstream and arthouse – an escape from the SFX-packed, explosion-guaranteed Hollywood blockbuster, particularly the recent overdose of perpetual superhero franchises.
“AS MUCH AS INDIE LOYALISTS MAY WANT TO DENY THE IDEA, INDIEWOOD HAS ITS BENEFITS” Nonetheless, these very films, such as Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014) and The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014), remain the highest grossing films in the global box office. Box office revenues are not the most reliable figures, yet alternative indicators, such as industry awards, reveal a similar story. Beside 2015, it has been several years since all nominees for Best Picture for the Academy Awards were
Will this lead to the gradual replacement of Hollywood blockbusters with Indiewood films? Probably not. An attempt to truly compare Indiewood features to blockbusters is redundant overall because ultimately it's like comparing a fridge to a freezer - despite one being more powerful and more expensive to operate than the other, they each function perfectly well on their own, and even better together, plus it's useful to have both in your kitchen. The guaranteed profitability of films like The Hunger Games contribute, in part, to the ability for studios to finance further films, including Indiewoods. Likewise, the disregard for action-packed, fantasy-filled blockbusters creates demand for a range of alternative films, a demand which independent filmmakers and Indiewood studios can attempt to satisfy. If recent events are an indication of anything, it is that the quality and appreciation for Indiewood is very much alive and it is a branch of Hollywood that is by no means going to be chopped down anytime soon. WORDS BY MADZ ABBASI IMAGE BY ZNICHKA PRODUCTION VIA FLICKR 53
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MOVIE MUSINGS
MONSTER MOVIES THE POLITICS OF THE CREATURE FEATURE With the Second World War and its after effects dominating the previous decade, the 1950’s saw a huge increase in the production of science fiction and horror films. In particular, this decade has become known for the vast amount of monster movies released. The cause of this influx may well have been twofold. With the popularity of television increasing dramatically, film studios had to fight to retain audiences. Monster movies were popular and drew in the most profits. More importantly however, these horror/sci-fi pictures were also able to effectively reflect the fears of contemporary society.
“THIS FEAR OF ‘OUTSIDERS HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT’ FED PERFECTLY INTO THE MONSTER MOVIES OF THE DAY” With the mid-40’s seeing the first nuclear weapon tests and the Cold War conflict dominating public psyche in the 50’s, it is perhaps unsurprising that film directors looked at the fears these events were causing as inspiration. Films such as The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953), Them! (1954) and Godzilla (1954) all imagine the effects nuclear tests may have had, featuring horrific mutant super-sized creatures causing widespread destruction and death in New York, LA and Tokyo respectively. With Godzilla being made in Japan, it is also evident that these fears of the potential effects of nuclear testing were not just of concern in Western civilisation, but in fact on a much more global scale. The ever-present threat of nuclear war and the destruction such a war would entail can also be seen throughout the decade in ‘alien invasion’ flicks such as The War of the Worlds (1953) and The Day the Earth Stood 54
Still (1951). These may attribute the destruction to extra-terrestrial causes, but still examine destruction on a scale never experienced before, even in the world wars. It is significant that the reason the Earth is marked for destruction in The Day the Earth Stood Still is the development of nuclear weapons and extra-terrestrial concern for our weapons capabilities. The idea of otherness is also examined throughout the 50’s, with the Cold War generating fears of traitors. Between 1950 and 1956, hundreds of people were imprisoned and thousands lost their jobs due to accusations that they were communist Soviet agents. No one was entirely safe from suspicion, creating widespread paranoia. This fear of ‘outsiders hiding in plain sight’ fed perfectly into the monster movies of the day. Numerous sci-fi films featured subtler forms of invasion, perhaps most famous among them Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956). This film has been linked strongly to McCarthyism, detailing aliens replacing humans with ‘pod people’ duplicates, generating mass hysteria, a similar effect to that which McCarthyism was having throughout America. Many of the monster movies from this period are considered classics and have been the subjects of remakes (2005’s War of the Worlds, 2008’s The Day the Earth Stood Still and 2014’s Godzilla). However, though these remakes met with some success, they were powered the financial drive of modern Hollywood rather than the historical tensions they were conceived under, making them a lot less effective to audiences. WORDS BY HENRY STANLEY IMAGE BY ‘DAVIDD’ VIA FLICKR
IMPACT
MAGAZINE
THEDON’T BRAT PACK YOU FORGET ABOUT THEM Thinking of teen movies today, we consider grown up Disney stars, vampires in love, and of course kids killing one another in games of hunger. During the 80’s however, it was a whole different story. Before we get into these wonderful movies, let’s have a look at the face of them, the group of young thespians, the “band of famous young stars on the prowl for parties, women, and a good time”: still the standing description David Blum gave when he coined the term ‘Brat Pack’ in New York magazine in 1985.
"DIRECTORS HAD A RELIABLE FANBASE THAT WOULD WATCH THE MOVIE, RATHER THAN RISK CASTING NEWCOMERS" Blum’s Brat Pack nickname emerged to describe the group who often appeared together in coming-of-age movies during the decade, sticking together in what he called “the ensemble spirit”, resulting in the movies (and the actors) being categorised as one, as if they were the only kids willing to participate in the school plays. The movies tackled teen-orientated storylines, with John Hughes very famously helming quite a few of them – The Breakfast Club (1985), Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986), Sixteen Candles (1984) etc. While these may be the more obvious picks of the category, it also includes the lesser-known movies (yet equally popular among fans) like St. Elmo’s Fire (1985) and Less Than Zero (1987). To briefly mention the recognisable names in this Brat Pack, there is: Jon Cryer (Two and a Half Men), Rob Lowe (Parks and Recreation), Matthew Broderick (Inspector Gadget) and perhaps the most successful of all, Robert Downey Jr. and Tom Cruise. Of the female members, the biggest standouts of the Brat Pack filmography are Ally Sheedy and Molly Ringwald. While they were the more favourable when it came to these movies the one who went on to garner more success in the future may be Demi Moore who went on to act in award critically acclaimed movies like A Few Good Men (1992).
With the knowledge that these were faces audiences were happy with, directors had a reliable fan-base that would watch the movie, rather than risk casting newcomers. The downfall was that, while there was success for the select few, there were also some left behind which caused difficulties for the actors themselves. While Tom Cruise managed to breakout from the Pack and go onto star in Risky Business (1983), on the other side of the spectrum we have Andrew McCarthy who, despite having the leading role in Pretty in Pink (1986), did not manage to achieve a high level of success. Many Brat Pack members despised the label for its negative connotations of spoiled, young celebrities unable to break out of the associations and expectations that came with Blum’s arguably harsh critique. It had a detrimental effect on many careers following the peak of the Pack in the 1980’s, as the trademark prohibited a venture into ‘serious’ roles for many of them, though the term was revived in the twenty-first century to be seen as a positive troupe of memorable actors from classic films. Nowadays when we see actors work with the same people repeatedly, it’s because they have signed on to do a teen-oriented franchise (The Hunger Games, Divergent) and perhaps not the variety of storylines that the ‘Brat Pack’ tackled. While this genre of movies hasn't been approached in 30 years, it doesn't mean that they did not have a significant influence in contemporary Hollywood and TV. St Elmo’s Fire revolved around a prime location (St Elmo’s bar) which is something that many sitcoms (Friends, How I Met Your Mother) have incorporated into their structure as well as numerous recreations of the classic cult scenes.
WORDS BY PRERANA SRUNGARAM IMAGE BY AUGUST ALLEN VIA FLICKR 55
FILM & TV
ON CONTEMPORARY CRITICISM "EVERYONE'S A CRITIC" IS AN IDIOM ENTERTAINMENT CRITICS THEMSELVES AND THEIR READERS HAVE ENJOYED THROWING AROUND MORE AND MORE IN REACTION TO THE MODERN LANDSCAPE OF JOURNALISTIC FILM AND TELEVISION CRITICISM. TODAY, JUST ABOUT ANYONE IS ABLE TO ARTICULATE AND ACCESS REVIEWS, AND WITH THIS, OUR FILM & TV EDITORS TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT SOME OF THE QUALITIES OF CONTEMPORARY CRITICISM.
THE POSITIVE
Elitist writing styles have often shrouded the real value of the readerwriter relationship, which at its core is just a form of connecting and conversing with other people. Since you began reading, you and I have been engaged in a dialogue, and when a reviewer critiques the latest episode of that unmissable series, or challenges the technical success of the latest theatrical release, they are really just having a conversation with their readers about their experiences of culture.
Journalistic film and television criticism has transitioned from an almost exclusively print-based practice rehearsed by a select few self-important players, to a level playing field where everyone has the chance to participate. Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel were an exception to this former phase, hosting numerous casual television review programmes from 1975 and sharing their communal writing styles with their readers. With thanks to the rise of the information age, fans of screen entertainment today are able to emulate the success of Siskel and Ebert, with websites such as IMDb, Metacritic and YouTube offering a platform for users to review and share their feelings and opinions on what they've just been watching via their keyboards or alternative multimedia exhibitions. This contemporary landscape of criticism epitomises the popular concept of the global village: the instantaneous movement of electronic information to evoke feelings of community and closeness with the rest of the world. As social mediums, film and television are complementary forms to the community engagement undertaken by TV and movie fans as they find and converse with others with mutual interests when reading or reviewing online, something often unattainable from the outernet. Film scholars such as David Bordwell have contemplated ideas of "film criticism [being] dead" due to quantity displacing quality, and like-dislike criterion of judgment as a consequence of the Internet age. However, to dismiss the accessible, participatory and positive community experiences of contemporary criticism, absent from traditional reviewing styles and platforms, would be to ignore the very core of what criticism is all about: entering into conversations with others, regardless of the validity of one's critique.
WORDS BY BHARAT SAMRA 56
THE PROBLEM
Probably the most significant problem with any artistic criticism today is the insidious recurrence of the rating system. 5 stars. 3 out of 5. 60%. 735.6 carrots out of 984.2. What does it matter, why does it persist?
"PUT SIMPLY, RATINGS ARE INFERNAL MACHINATIONS, THE SCOURGE OF CRITICISM" The common response is “well it’s the bit people read”. Well how disappointing is that? Yes, it’s a shorthand consumer guide, and it would be folly to pretend I haven’t in the past considered them. But when someone has taken the time to fully consider what they have experienced and then articulated a new way to read the work, to force a quantitative marking onto this subjective response to art is utter nonsense. Why not rate news articles? It’s equally ludicrous in practice. What do they even mean? Everyone writing has a different system, and every reader a different understanding of said system, so the best anyone can do is become familiar with writers you agree or disagree with and position yourself in relation to them. But that can be done sans ratings. Every way you look at it, the rating is superfluous. Put simply, ratings are infernal machinations, the scourge of criticism. They work to undo everything else the critic does, while they remain pandered to by virtually every paper, magazine and website of note. While Pitchfork takes things to extremes – what the fuck is the difference between a 7.5 and 7.6 rated album? – film criticism is no better. Two years of financing, filming, editing and distribution reduced to a number between one and five (or ten, to really capture those nuances). Considering the effort required complete a film, and the passion and scrutiny those writing responses are bringing to the finished artwork, to slap an arbitrary rating onto the end is not simply lazy, it’s just disrespectful.
WORDS BY TOM WATCHORN IMAGE BY ‘DSASSO’ VIA FLICKR
IMPACT
MAGAZINE Our Yearbook Editor hasn’t properly organised our tribute to some of television’s most noble graduates. We’re asking you to help us fix this issue by matching up our graduates’ yearbook photos with their respective bios, by assigning each photo (lettered) with its correct character bio (numbered), and seeing if they fit with our answers below.
D
F
B
E
G
C 1
ALMA MATER: Manchester Medlock University COURSE: English Literature QUOTE: “It’s only a B, like I give a shit”
2
ALMA MATER: Bovine University FAVOURITE TEACHER: Super Nintendo Chalmers QUOTE: “Me fail English? That’s unpossible”
3
ALMA MATER: Columbia University COURSE: Dinosaurs QUOTE: “Geology rocks!”
4
ALMA MATER: Cornell University SOCIETIES: A capella troupe - ‘Here Comes Treble’ QUOTE: “I wish there was a way to know you’re in the good old days, before you’ve actually left them”
5
ALMA MATER: William McKinley High School SOCIETIES: Former Mathlete QUOTE: “We’re all unhappy. That’s the thing about life”
6
ALMA MATER: J. P. Wynne High School COURSE: Chemistry QUOTE: “Yeah science!”
7
ALMA MATER: Greendale Community College COURSE: Business QUOTE: “Oh, that’s nice!”
ANSWERS: 1D, Violet “Vod" Nordstrom, Fresh Meat | 2B, Ralph Wiggum, The Simpsons | 3E, Ross Geller, Friends | 4F, Andrew Bernard, The Office 5G, Lindsay Weir, Freaks and Geeks | 6A, Jesse Pinkman, Breaking Bad | 7C, Shirley Bennett, Community
A
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MUSIC
ARE ALBUM LISTS ANY USE? TRYING TO SIFT THROUGH THE MASSES AT YOUR FINGERTIPS CAN BE A HARD TASK, AND TURNING TO A MAGAZINE’S ALBUM LIST HAS BECOME A COMMON METHOD OF NAVIGATION. BUT ARE THEY STEERING YOU TOWARDS THE CRÈME DE LA CRÈME OF THE MUSIC WORLD OR MISGUIDING YOU WITH JOURNALISTS’ UNFOUNDED OPINIONS?
YES At the time of writing this piece the iTunes store boasts holding over 43 million songs. Spotify claims to have over 30 million; in 2013 (when the service had roughly 20 million songs) there were nearly 4 million that had never been played on the service. Just to put this into perspective, if we were to run with an estimated average length of 3 minutes per song it would take you approximately 171.23 years, without stopping, to listen to every song on Spotify. That’s more than two average lifespans, and that’s before you’ve even heard any Taylor Swift. If that isn’t a disappointing fact for any audiophiles out there, I don’t know what is.
“THAT’S MORE THAN TWO AVERAGE LIFESPANS, AND THAT’S BEFORE YOU’VE EVEN HEARD ANY TAYLOR SWIFT” You will never hear even half of the songs available on a service that is missing so much more music. Of course some of it will be rubbish and you’ll be glad you don’t have to hear it. On the other hand, there will be millions of incredible songs you will never get to hear. Some of which from a band that might have been your favourite if you had heard of them. We have created a culture that has vastly outgrown our capabilities of consumption. Given this, it is a huge risk to ignore any offers to help you sift through this mountain of melodies. Yes they are subjective, they always will be. Unfortunately, subjectivity is unavoidable as humans. I’m not suggesting the NME are a gospel that should control the soundtrack to your life. What I am suggesting is that finding a list that has already discovered some great music, if only as a starting point, can only be a good thing.
WORDS BY LIAM FLEMING 58
NO Album lists are determined simply by the preference of the writers contributing to them and, in most cases, reflect their music taste with very little consistency. In NME’s recent “The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time” list, the best selling album in the world, Michael Jackson’s Thriller, is placed 131st. 131st. A landmark album that spawned seven singles which all reached the top 10 of the US billboard charts with two at number 1, featured one of the world’s most influential music videos, and won 8 Grammys including album of the year. Yet according to NME, it is not deemed to be one of even the 100 best albums of all time. When the current NME writers were asked for their top 10 choices, one writer chose five National albums with four of them in the top four spots. I’m not denying that The National are a good band, but it’s a slightly skewed list - to say the least. The Arctic Monkey’s latest album AM came in at 449 despite only being released for six weeks before the list was compiled. Is 50 days really enough time to assess whether an album is one of the greatest ever releases?
“IT IS VERY RARE TO FIND ANY ALBUMS THAT GET HIGH PRAISE FROM EVERY MAGAZINE” Continuity is also something that is pretty difficult to find when looking across publications. Wilco’s Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, one of only 11 albums to receive a perfect 10 from Pitchfork magazine, is ranked 458th by NME, 109 places below Alt-J’s debut album which was given 4.8 by Pitchfork. Who therefore are we to trust? NME or Pitchfork? Perhaps follow the novel idea of listening to the album yourself and making your own decision. Everybody has contrasting opinions and it is very rare to find any albums that get high praise from every magazine.
WORDS BY MAX MILLER IMAGE BY WILL FOLSOM VIA FLICKR
IMPACT
MAGAZINE
STILL PISSED AT YOKO? WHY ARE WOMEN BLAMED FOR THE BREAKUPS OF ICONIC BANDS? It appears to be a prerequisite to claiming Beatles fandom that you simply must hate Yoko Ono as much as you love the band. John Lennon’s most famous wife acts as an extremely useful scapegoat for those wishing to blame someone for The Beatles’ break up. Yoko’s notoriety persists today and the myth of her destructive influence is as tangible in the British psyche as it was in 1969, despite Lennon’s past assertions to the contrary. A plethora of reasons for the band’s break up can be offered up. George’s affair with Ringo’s wife. John’s desire for a new musical direction at odds with Paul’s wishes. Ringo’s growing feelings of resentment at being ostracised and sidelined by the rest of the band. This is but a taste of the explanations offered by experts and those who knew the band personally.
“JOHN LENNON’S MOST FAMOUS WIFE ACTS AS AN EXTREMELY USEFUL SCAPEGOAT FOR THOSE WISHING TO BLAME SOMEONE FOR THE BEATLES’ BREAK UP” The chauvinism and misogyny of The Beatles themselves, particularly at the beginning of their career, cannot be denied. They consistently cheated on their wives, wrote songs quite plainly objectifying women (admittedly hardly controversial in the Sixties) and John has even publicly admitted to being “a hitter” in some of his past relationships. Yoko, a feminist in an age in which those seeking equal rights were even more vilified in society and receiving far less popular support than they are today, appeared to contradict everything people thought about women. She posed in photographs naked but in a manner that did not portray her sexually. She did not put up with John’s philandering as the other Beatles’ spouses did. She wanted to have an artistic career of her own that was separate to her husband’s and certainly did not put his career ahead of her own. The reverence that the band holds in British culture obscures their faults and highlights the external influences to their split. Most people would agree that The Beatles were heading towards their end before
Lennon and Ono had even met. Therefore, the misogyny experienced by Yoko needs to firstly be acknowledged and then confronted by those who assume this woman was single-handedly responsible for the break-up of a band already riddled with dissatisfaction and discontent.
"THE CHAUVINISM AND MISOGYNY OF THE BEATLES THEMSELVES CANNOT BE DENIED" Hotly contesting with Yoko Ono for the crowning title of “the most hated woman in music”, it has taken twenty years of “Yoko-bashing” for the hatchet to be finally buried between Courtney Love and the surviving members of Nirvana, Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic. But as he moves further into the realms of rock ‘n’ roll legend, and with an intimate documentary of his life due to be released this year, the legacy of Kurt Cobain’s prolific career and shocking suicide continues to stain Courtney Love’s reputation. But why is this? Disregarding the more ungrounded conspiracists who would suggest that Love had a direct involvement in Cobain’s suicide, it is widely held that their tumultuous relationship had an adverse effect on his mental health, provoking a downward spiral which culminated in his joining the 27 Club. However, even in taking a cursory glance over Cobain’s artistic back catalogue and personal life, it doesn’t take a qualified psychologist to deduce that the man was suffering, regardless of Love’s influence. In his untimely death, we see again the vilification of the woman closest to an iconic artist. There is no parallel for women whose lives have taken a similar trajectory to Cobain’s – the partners of artists such as Janis Joplin and Amy Winehouse have not come to be plagued with associations of blame and corruption. It would be nothing short of narcissism to suggest that, as a fan of Cobain’s work, you could have some intimate knowledge of their relationship. Courtney Love’s individual contributions to music, art and charity work deserve now to be recognised in their own right. WORDS BY LIV CLARK AND JAMES NOBLE IMAGE BY NATIONAAL ARCHIEF VIA WIKIMEDIA 59
MUSIC
DOT TO DOT
DOT TO DOT IS A FESTIVAL THAT CELEBRATES NEW MUSIC. ITS VARIED LINE UP UNITES ARTISTS FROM A SPECTRUM OF GENRES; THE COMMON DENOMINATOR IS SIMPLY THAT THEY’RE WILDLY TALENTED. 2015 MARKS THE FESTIVAL’S 10TH BIRTHDAY, FALLING ON THE BANK HOLIDAY WEEKEND IN THE MIDST OF SUMMER EXAMS - MAKING A GREAT EXCUSE TO REPLACE THE PEN IN YOUR HAND WITH A COLD BEER. IF YOU’RE HAVING TROUBLE SIFTING THROUGH THE LINE-UP, HERE’S SOME ARTISTS YOU’D BE A FOOL TO MISS.
HINDS Breaking through with their catchy hit ‘Bamboo’ last year, the excitement surrounding Hinds has only continued to grow. Combining old school lo-fi with the sounds of modern pop music sets them up as a band easy to fall for. With a media swarm surrounding them and a debut album currently in the pipeline, catch the girls while they’re still playing small venues. 60
FAT WHITE FAMILY If there was one band that defined live performances in 2014 it was Fat White Family. Accounts of their gigs - some myths, most true - made them one of the most notorious live acts in Britain. Now the band enter a new phase in their career, having reached a level of fame few could have anticipated, and it’s clear that Fat Whites have come a long way since the days when they entered gigs on donkeys. Their recent NME Tour show in Nottingham proved that Lias’ showmanship remains as intense as ever, but the gig was more of a performance than a freak show. Perhaps having graduated from shock tactics to theatrics, they’ve changed their style, but undoubtedly remain The Fat White Family.
IMPACT
MAGAZINE
CYMBALS EAT GUITARS
PIXEL FIX
Treading what has now become a familiar path among punk bands, Cymbals Eat Guitars stir elements of Americana and 90’s slacker rock into their raw and aggressive sound. LOSE, the band’s third studio album, was released last year to critical acclaim; relying just as much on guitar distortion as it did on harmonicas and pianos. Playing Nottingham as part of the first leg of their European tour, it’s a great chance to catch the guys whilst they’re this side of the Atlantic.
HONEYBLOOD
APRIL TOWERS
The four piece’s latest EP ‘Running Thin’ has given us great confidence in recommending this band. The four chilling tracks make a pleasurable listening experience and should be even better live. Their combination of electro-pop instrumentals and indie vocals create a brilliant hybrid genre. It may be easy to pick out Pixel Fix’s music influences as there are a lot of familiar stylistics. However, the meticulous song structure separates this sound from any other. Each electronic sample has a perfectly selected place in any given track, creating a beautiful overall sound.
Noisy guitars and stereotypical Glaswegian attitude should make Honeyblood one of the most terrifying acts in Britain right now. Yet the duo manage to keep their music inoffensive, with their excellent harmonies and their stripped back sound they almost qualify as pop. Their eponymous debut was packed with plenty of tracks with simplistic singalong choruses and lots of decent contenders for any ‘Indie Disco’. Do not be put off by a bit of noise, Honeyblood make for a great watch, whether out of curiosity or just to drunkenly jump around the room and pretend to know the words.
One of Nottingham University’s most recent musical exports, April Towers bring their infectious synthpop to Dot to Dot for another year. With the success of their single ‘Arcadia’ as well as plugging from Zane Lowe, not to mention launching their own brand of beer, April Towers are becoming increasingly hard to ignore. Their heavily 80’s influenced sound, coming from the likes of Depeche Mode and New Order, leaves them as an act appealing to both the hype chasers and those seeking something more retrogressive.
MENACE BEACH
THE WYTCHES Imagine psychedelic rock, all the swirling guitars and connotations of peace and love. Now, add a more sinister, menacing tone and some unusual warbling vocals by frontman Kristian Bell. That is the odd, glorious sound of The Wytches. The lyrics are erratic, the structure is a shambles and at time songs begin to sound like fuzzy noise. It works. It’s great, even. You can guarantee their live set will radiate energy. So, why not head to the front barrier and get lost in the band’s heavy drums and screeching guitars.
Despite sharing members and having toured with fellow Leeds noiserockers Hookworms, Menace Beach are an altogether different kettle of 90s revival fish. At times, Liza Violet’s sweet-as-sugar vocals border on the brink of bubblegum grunge, but debut album ‘Ratworld’ remains loud, riff-heavy and very relevant. With an ever-rotating lineup, come and hear them make some catchy noise at Dot To Dot.
LAURA DOGGETT Doggett has received plenty of TV attention appearing on Later… with Jools Holland, The Andrew Marr Show and a recent Broadchurch advert. Her empowered, clear cut vocals create an immediate sense of drama, perfectly suited for Saturday night viewing. The dramatic tension in her voice is also present in her live performances. Her piano ballads complete with minimalistic reverb and poetic lyrics create an eerie, uneasy atmosphere. It is something that must be experienced live.
LITTLE MAY
This Australian trio create beautiful folk ballads perfect for a summers day in Nottingham’s fair city. Their debut EP is laced with Deep South guitar plucks, infectious hooks and ethereal harmonies. The five tracks have similarities to the sounds of The Staves or Haim, however, their lyrics are darker with a more solemn message. Don’t let their angelic harmonies fool you into thinking they are another sickly sweet folk band. Their intricate guitar picking and heavy bass gives their sound a greater depth. Catch them before they head back to the other side of the planet. WORDS BY IAN FILLINGHAM AND DAISY FOSTER IMAGES BY ‘MAN ALIVE!’ VIA FLICKR 61
MUSIC
THE HIP-HOP RENAISSANCE
After the shameful rise of Macklemore and Iggy Azalea in the mainstream American hip-hop scene, things weren’t looking great for hip-hop. Yet in the last few months the genre seems to be turning around. Hip-hop heavyweights including J. Cole, Kendrick Lamar and Drake have all dropped albums which, to many on social media, have been dubbed classics. Meanwhile the underground scene continues to flourish with creativity. J. Cole’s Forest Hills Drive brought a hopeful end to 2014, combining real rap with a great message. Where as previously you would have had artists banging on about money and hoes, J. Cole brought an essence of reality to the game, rejecting the materialism that it had brought to him, and inserting a political message against the institutionalised racism that plagues America. Kendrick Lamar took this one step further with his Harper Lee inspired To Pimp a Butterfly. He repeatedly refers to the evils of the industry as ‘Lucy’ (presumably short for Lucifer). The album circles his efforts to break free of her, while again attempting to combat the social issues in the United States. Drake is one of the most commercially successful artists in the world, and his latest album showed it. Although its quality has been the subject of much debate, it was important for the scene in that it veered away from the ego boosting topics that much of hip hop has been about; Drake focused on the paranoia and loneliness that being at the top had given him. The diversity of the topics has also been accompanied by a change in sound. The choices in samples and production have brought a breath of fresh air to the game and hip-hop is greater for it. As the mainstream diversifies, underground hip-hop does what it always has; portray the individual, whilst representing the people directly. Kanye West stood on stage at the BRIT’s with a dozen UK hip-hop stars; and few breeds of hip-hop are more representative than grime. Dizzee Rascal may now rap alongside Robbie Williams, but new music videos by Skepta and JME see them on the streets, amongst their kinfolk; talking about what they stand for, and nothing else. However, the current undisputed kings of underground hip-hop remain to be America’s Run the Jewels. A monstrous duo made up of 62
Killer Mike and super-producer El-P, mixing old school lyricism and sprightly beats, their two self-titled records have become modern classics.
“UNDERGROUND HIP-HOP DOES WHAT IT ALWAYS HAS; PORTRAY THE INDIVIDUAL, WHILST REPRESENTING THE PEOPLE DIRECTLY” On the side there’s the trap scene, led by the ASAP mob, making music that is gleefully ignorant, but body-shakingly fun. Groups like Hellfyre Club (featuring Milo and Open Mike Eagle) rap about CNN, Kindles and their demons with a wit and humour reminiscent of stand-up comedy. Almost their polar opposite, Death Grips are still making hip-hop like no other; MC Ride screaming not spitting, revelling not in the glory of gang culture but in the worst aspects of human nature, propelling guttural power-electronics and mixing in techno and prog-rock along the way. Some say Kanye mimicked them on Yeezus, but the truth is; Death Grips’ monsters make his look like puppies. These artists take hip-hop’s funk and boom-bap roots and stretch and contort it, while those like Joey Bada$$ and Your Old Droog stay true to its origins. Recent years have been good to hip-hop, but 2015 is looking even brighter: the genre is becoming more politicised, diversified and sonically malleable than ever - and it's every move is enthralling.
WORDS BY SHAUN BREWSTER AND LIAM INSCOE-JONES IMAGE BY MERLIJN HOEK VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
ARTS
SELF HELP BOOKS
DO THEY REALLY HELP? EVEN IF YOU HAVEN’T READ JOHN GRAY’S BEST-SELLER MEN ARE FROM MARS, WOMEN ARE FROM VENUS, IT’S LIKELY YOU STILL RECOGNISE THE CLICHÉ IDEAS WHICH HAVE ALLOWED THE UNACCREDITED PHD RELATIONSHIP COUNSELLOR TO SELL MORE THAN 50 MILLION COPIES WORLDWIDE. TUCKED AWAY ON A SHELF IN THE LIVING ROOM OR HIDING IN A CARDBOARD BOX IN THE ATTIC, IT IS UNSURPRISING IF THE BOOK HAS AT SOME POINT CROSSED THE THRESHOLD OF YOUR HOME AND IS NOW GATHERING DUST IN A FORGOTTEN CORNER. AFTER ALL, ISN’T THIS THE FATE OF MOST SELF-HELP BOOKS THAT YOU BUY IMPULSIVELY WHILST KILLING TIME IN A BOOKSHOP? I have always seen them as a fad; feeding vulnerable people pseudoscientific information in the hope of convincing them the book has some kind of credible foundation. Looking at the statistics, however, this viewpoint could be considered a touch too cynical. There must be something to a book that manages to sell in the millions and maintain its position on the bestseller list for 121 weeks… Richard Carlson’s Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff has been published in 135 countries, and Louise Hay’s You Can Heal Your Life has sold 40 million copies in 30 languages. These figures indisputably indicate that self-help literature has a universal group of loyal followers, willing to invest their time and money in the hope of finding the answers to their questions. It is certainly cheaper and more immediate than making an appointment with a therapist. Several people even consider these self-help books as their modern day Bible - as though the psychologist or tired corporate lawyer/ journalist turned self-help guru is speaking directly to them. Yet, how can advice be tailored to that person’s specific situation if the book is being marketed and sold to the masses? The ‘guidance’ in these books is found in generalisations, sweeping statements and stereotypes. For instance, Gray suggests when a man retreats to his ‘cave’, women should try reading a book, getting a massage or going shopping. Not 64
only is this advice patronising, it fails to recognise that if a man and a woman have an argument, treating yourself to a massage may not be the best solution. Books such as Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat Pray Love encourage women to radically upend their lives if they are experiencing dissatisfaction, in exchange for seeking peace in India and sampling the food of Italy. It all sounds pretty idyllic, but not only is it promoting a denial of issues at home, it is completely unfeasible. This form of privileged literature, or ‘priv-lit’, is not attainable for most. There are financial constraints on our ability to cut ties, let alone considering the emotional fallout that comes with leaving behind your family and friends. This kind of literature is more a work of fiction than self-help.
“SEVERAL PEOPLE EVEN CONSIDER THESE SELF-HELP BOOKS AS THEIR MODERN DAY BIBLE” How much we all set out with good intentions, dragging yourself out of bed on a Sunday morning to go to the gym, and clearing your desk of all unnecessary items, ultimately our attempts at living up to the unachievable expectations of these healthy-living books are futile. After all, we are only human. There is no time in my day to meditate by a lake or write a list of ’10 things I love about myself’. The tasks are self-indulgent. If we spent a little more time living, and a little less time worrying about how we should be living then maybe the money on those self-help books could be better spent elsewhere. In the words of my housemate, ‘just buy a cookbook instead’.
WORDS BY OLIVIA ROOK IMAGE BY ALEX FARZAD
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MY WEEK AS A KNOWLEDGE NINJA THE OPENING OF THE BOOK HOW TO BE A KNOWLEDGE NINJA BY GRAHAM ALLCOTT SUMS UP A FRESHER'S EXPECTATIONS OF UNIVERSITY ALMOST PERFECTLY. POST-ITS, HIGHLIGHTERS AND NOTEPADS ARE BOUGHT IN ABUNDANCE WITH GREAT EXPECTATIONS FOR THEIR USAGE. YET, WITHIN A MONTH, POST-IT NOTES ONLY REMIND US TO SKYPE VARIOUS FAMILY MEMBERS AND HIGHLIGHTERS HAVE BEEN USED UP ON MOTIVATIONAL POSTERS THAT JUST DON’T WORK. DESPITE HEARING FROM YOUR PARENTS AND TUTORS THAT YOU'RE AT UNI TO WORK; LIFE GETS IN THE WAY. MY WEEK FOLLOWING THE ADVICE FROM ALLCOTT WAS AN ATTEMPT TO TURN THIS AROUND.
DAY 1
I’m advised to create a 'To-Do' list as part of balancing and juggling daily life. Mine includes required reading, seminar tasks, coursework, flute practice, shopping for a friend's birthday, and other articles I need to write for Impact(!). Sounds simple. Everything there in one place. And, let’s face it, we all get a warm fuzzy feeling inside when we cross something off a list.
DAY 2
Think realistically about the crossover between studying and socialising. After getting in at 4am on Saturday after Ocean, you’re not going to have a productive day. I’m advised to write that Saturday off in advance to avoid all feelings of guilt. So I’ll assign extra time to work during the week to avoid beating myself up too much at the weekend (bye bye Netflix).
DAY 3
Admittedly, today wasn’t a productive start. Sleep was chosen over an early-rise-early-work strategy. I’m advised to get into the zone by de-cluttering my desk. So it’s goodbye to the nail varnish remover, various chargers and other items. The next time I wake up and see my clean desk it should inspire me to get my knowledge ninja on (fingers crossed).
DAY 5
Today I got the ‘FOMO’ feeling for the first time. The ‘Fear Of Missing Out’ can absolutely ruin someone’s week. With multiple groups of friends all planning to go out each night, which one do you say no to?! The prospect of refusal can be terrifying and due to ‘FOMO’ some people simply can’t say no. Then the deadlines are tomorrow and your head feels like a thousand tiny people are stamping mental boots into it.
DAY 6
Achieve stealth and stay calm. Apparently I should remove myself from social situations, technology and work (from time to time of course). Allcott wrote the book in Sri Lanka. The closest I think I can get to that is taking my books into the middle of The Downs to feign an exotic escape. That’s not exactly ideal.
DAY 7
On my final day I’m advised about dragging myself out of bed in the morning. Generally I make it down for halls breakfast. But there’s normally a 20-minute gap between alarm clock and legs moving. Apparently that’s 20 minutes wasted when I could have been doing something productive, like work. Therefore I should put the alarm clock in another room. Quite difficult in halls though.
DAY 4
"Perfectionism is a disease because it tells us to hold onto whatever we're doing until it's perfect, and that until something is perfect, it's unfinished". So there’s no point holding on to something, tweaking it in the hope it will suddenly achieve perfection. If we had nothing else to do with our time, no other assignments or friends to see, apparently perfection would be possible. But that’s never going to happen. For me, this means finally submitting my Linguistics Laboratory Write-Up from mid-November. Holding onto it until the May deadline is really not going to make a difference.
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IMPACT ARTS SPEAKS TO EVE MAKIS IN THE LIGHT OF HER BOOK, THE SPICE BOX LETTERS
CAN YOU GIVE US A BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE BOOK?
The book is about a young woman’s exploration of her Armenian heritage through the written memories of her late grandmother. Katerina inherits a spice box when her grandmother, Mariam, dies – it contains letters and a diary written in Armenian. With the help of a translator, Katerina discovers that Mariam’s childhood was shattered by the Armenian tragedy of 1915, that she was exiled from her home in Eastern Turkey, separated from her family and witnessed the death of her beloved brother Gabriel - or so she believed.
HOW HAVE YOUR EXPERIENCES IN CYPRUS AND ENGLAND INFORMED YOUR WRITING?
I was born and grew up in England but Cyprus was a constant presence in my life. My parents left the island in the 1960’s and I have lived there for seven years on and off. Political and social troubles were discussed at home and stories were told about relatives who fought alongside the British in WWII, who rebelled against colonialism in the 1950’s and resisted the Turkish invasion in 1974. I didn’t know at the time that Cyprus would feature so prominently in my writing. It’s an endless source of inspiration.
HOW DID YOU RESEARCH FOR THE BOOK?
My research began on the Internet and for a while I lost myself trawling through survivor stories. Whenever I visited Cyprus I carried out interviews with Armenian contacts. One told me how his father was separated from his brother in the most traumatic of circumstances and this story formed the backbone of my plot. Another talked about a grandfather who worked on the asbestos mines in the Troodos Mountains and this led me to explore the mining community. My own grandfather worked on the mines as a young man, sleeping on the rock face during the week and returning home at the weekends. 66
I also read books on Armenian cuisine, folk tales, history and politics, artists’ biographies, and eyewitness statements written by people who worked in the region at the time. I believe in the importance of primary research so I’m not just churning out information taken from the Internet.
“I WAS ADVISED BY MY AGENT TO DITCH THE BOOK BUT I COULDN’T LET IT GO SO WE PARTED WAYS” ARE YOUR CHARACTERS AND THEIR TRAJECTORY ALREADY ESTABLISHED IN YOUR MIND BEFORE YOU WRITE OR DO THEY DEVELOP WITH THE PLOT?
For a long time my characters were remote and aloof. I couldn’t pin them down the way I wanted to. Two years into the writing process I had my breakthrough - one of my characters finally came to life and then the others seem to follow. My favourite character, Gabriel Arakelian, is based on someone I interviewed and I thoroughly enjoyed writing his part in the novel. Gabriel is the heart of the book, a victim of the genocide but also flawed, a curmudgeon with a wry wit, a stickler for tradition, a flawed hero.
WAS IT DIFFICULT WRITING ABOUT SUCH EMOTIONALLY CHARGED THEMES?
Yes, extremely difficult and I cried a lot. Worst of all were the pictures of starving people tramping through the wilderness and one picture will always be etched in my mind: a mother and child, naked and emaciated, begging for food.
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I drew on my family history when it came to writing about loss. My father’s brother went missing in 1974 when Cyprus was invaded and we didn’t find out he had been killed until last summer. When a loved one goes missing it is cruel and unremitting. In the novel Gabriel lives in hope of a family reunion and in the same way, for forty years, my father believed his brother might still be alive.
one of my main characters, culled a hundred pages, changed names, settings, rewrote the beginning at least 50 times. I was advised by my agent at the time to ditch the book but I couldn’t let it go so we parted ways. Luckily another agent, Diana Beaumont, took me on and her patience and support helped through all the rewrites until I had finished.
“IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND MY CHARACTERS, I HAD TO DELVE INTO THEIR PAST AND THAT’S HOW I DISCOVERED A MUCH BIGGER STORY”
YOUR THIRD NOVEL LAND OF THE GOLDEN APPLE IS SET TO BE ADAPTED FOR THE SCREEN LATER THIS YEAR. WHAT IS THE ROLE OF THE AUTHOR DURING THIS PROCESS?
WAS PART OF THE AIM OF YOUR BOOK TO MAKE PEOPLE AWARE OF SOMETHING SO IMPORTANT THAT HAS HAD LITTLE COVERAGE UNTIL NOW?
I felt this history was underrepresented in mainstream literature and I’m not sure why. I get a sense that Armenians don’t like talking about the past. They’re a proud race and don’t want to be reminded of the indignities they suffered. I think the younger generation who grew up on horrific family stories (and should be writing about their history) just want to move on not be defined by what happened 100 years ago.
WHAT WAS THE WRITING PROCESS FOR THIS BOOK LIKE?
Its evolution was unplanned and contrary to all the rules of writing I teach in my fiction class. I had written three novels about Cyprus and felt it was time to branch out. I started a novel set in the Ukraine but seventy pages in I lost my way and decided to put the book aside.
“I DREW ON MY FAMILY HISTORY WHEN IT CAME TO WRITING ABOUT LOSS”
I wrote the initial screenplay based on my book that was optioned by a producer in Cyprus and submitted to the Ministry of Culture for funding. We were awarded funding to make a low budget feature film and then the real work on the script began. We had to make many changes and decide on the film’s identity – was it art house or a festival film? Should it be in English or Greek? A professional screenwriter and I co-wrote a new script, with the same characters but different storyline. When the writing was done the director and producer took over. They update me on developments, send me pictures of actors and locations and occasionally I get taken out for lunch but I don’t have a real role now.
YOU’RE A CREATIVE WRITING TUTOR HERE AT NOTTINGHAM. DO YOU FIND TEACHING A REWARDING PROCESS? Extremely rewarding. I spent ten years glued to my desk and teaching forced me back out into the world. I love interacting with the students and the tutors, especially playing a small role in helping to build the confidence of aspiring writers.
DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR STUDENTS WHO WANT TO GET THEIR OWN WORK PUBLISHED? Write a book you believe in and spend an age polishing that book before you even think about publication.
Returning my focus to Cyprus, I sketched out a loose plot for another story and decided to make my characters Armenian, an opportunity to explore one of the minority communities on the island. I had an end in mind but the rest was fluid. In order to understand my characters, I had to delve into their past and that’s how I discovered a much bigger story: the Armenian tragedy of 1915. I tried out different perspectives, different narrators, killed off
INTERVIEWED BY AMY WILCOCKSON AND TAMSIN PARNELL
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ARTS
IS THE SELFIE AN ART FORM? IMPACT ARTS INVESTIGATES WHETHER THE SELFIE CAN REALLY BE CONSIDERED IN THE ARTISTIC WORLD
We have all been there. At some point in each of our lives, whether it has been abroad, at the peak of pre-drinks or in the sticky toilets of Ocean, the notorious call of the selfie has beckoned. Images of prenight out pouts, ‘look at me I’m off to the gym’ snaps and above head angles fill our social media feeds at a constant rate. In our world of smartphone supremacy, the #selfie has fast become our most popular form of self-image. With the term even now earning a place in the Oxford English Dictionary, it cannot be denied that the selfie is now an ingrained part of modern day culture. Yet whilst it may have come to define itself as a symbol of photo culture, can it be considered art?
filtered creations, the selfie is usually an instant (and mostly mindless) process, utilised to communicate yourself to your mass audience. Many high profile celebrities view apps such as Instagram as a form of personal PR, a way to control and edit their image while giving the impression of intimacy - not exactly embodying the spirit of Picasso in their snaps. Rather, it is a way of building an identity and usually one that is false. That gorgeous holiday tan? Filter. Those protruding model-like cheekbones? Camera angle. More narcissistic than artistic, it seems that the selfie is symbol of a self-obsessed society, one that is about as far away from art you can possibly get.
When you consider the typical selfies shared with us from day to day, it is true that ‘art’ isn’t the first thing that springs to mind. From your sister’s blurry awkward pre-teen posing, to Kim Kardashian’s carefully
“THE GENRE OF SELF-PORTRAITURE IS ONE THAT HAS BEEN IN EXISTENCE SINCE THE EARLY RENAISSANCE” Or is it? The genre of self-portraiture is one that has been in existence since the early Renaissance. Photography has been a widely accepted form of art since the late nineteenth century, possibly even earlier. Therefore does that mean the selfie, a digital merger of photography and the self-portrait, can fall under the same category? A seemingly strange concept, but this is an idea that several people have eagerly pounced upon. Kyle Chayka and Marina Galperina, curators for Moving Image, a contemporary visual art fair, are examples of this belief in the selfie, as they presented the 2013 National #Selfie Portrait Gallery in London. They claimed to have explored ‘the range of performativity, personality, authenticity, and expression inherent in the #selfie form’ through this collaborative installation art piece, suggesting that the selfie may not be as mindless as originally thought. Art or not, the selfie has taken the Internet world by storm and now has a whole range of cultural purposes and meanings. It has never been easier to create an image; a process that once took time and skill has been reduced down to a 30 second impulse and has become a regular part of the way we communicate. Can your double chinned Snapchats be considered art? The answer is probably no. But if, like the ones displayed in the National #Selfie Portrait Gallery, a selfie has thought, meaning and artistic intent behind it, then maybe, just maybe, it has a shot. The definition of ‘art’ is cloudy at best and impossible at worst, nowadays there is no end to the potential of contemporary art. So prepare your selfie sticks – they could be part of the next artistic revolution.
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THE CURRENT EDUCATION SYSTEM COULD BE HAVING A DEVASTATING EFFECT ON CREATIVITY ACCORDING TO A STUDY BY DR. TOMAS CHAMORRO-PREMUZIC. IMPACT ARTS INVESTIGATES WHETHER THIS IS REALLY THE CASE.
results are measurable against others. Dr Rachel Scudamore, Teaching and Learning Directorate of the University, provides us with words of encouragement, “what is assessed, and how, gives strong messages about the knowledge, understanding and skills that are important in the discipline”.
Clusters of shredded tracing paper, discarded designs and coloured pens litter Mia’s floor. Outside, the bitter March weather prevents students from leaving the warmth of their beds, even though they know they really should be revising.
“MODULES THAT ARE ASSESSED BY 100% EXAMINATION ENCOURAGE STUDENTS TO SIMPLY TRANSCRIBE PRE-LEARNED ANSWERS AND DISCUSS CONVENTIONAL THEMES IN THEIR RESPONSES”
But not Mia Fewing. As a 19-year-old Architecture student from Mursley in Milton Keynes, examinations are not a part of her course. Her final overall mark is based on 100% coursework. For Mia, who experienced pressure on the brain due to the massive stress of her 2014 A-Level examinations, this is a huge advantage: “exams would only have caused me further unnecessary strain”. Architecture involves a significant amount of research, analysis, writing, drawing and refining, as do other creative courses, particularly those of the Arts. It seems relatively clear that students undertaking such courses would also benefit from more time to consider their ideas and formulate nuanced coursework. Instead of this, the current assessment system encourages the regurgitation of knowledge under fast-paced exam conditions. It has been scientifically recognised since 2006 that pressurised and stressful environments crush creativity. Dr. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Professor of Business Psychology at University College London and a visiting Professor at Columbia University, has carried out a study testing assessment methods’ efficacy. The methods included: written exams, continuous assessment (such as essays) and dissertation. It is based on Sternberg and Lubart’s principle, written in 1996 in the American Psychologist journal, which says that if you wanted to select the best novelist, artist, entrepreneur or even Chief Executive Officer, you should select on the basis of creativity above all else. However, “there are few institutions that select on that basis”, writes Dr. Chamorro-Premuzic. His study has revealed that “students tend to prefer assessment form[s] that emphasise interaction with others and the generation of creative, rather than reproductive, work”. The University of Nottingham reassures students by claiming that examinations act as an “engine” that drives student learning. This suggests teachers can only be assured a student has learned if their
Nevertheless, Dr. Chamorro-Premuzic insists that the choice of assessment methods in higher education settings may foster conventional, rather than creative, thinking. Indeed, this still remains the case at Nottingham. Modules that are assessed by 100% examination, such as Victorian and Fin de Siècle Literature, encourage students to simply transcribe pre-learned answers and discuss conventional themes in their responses. It seems then, that Dr. Chamorro-Premuzic’s holds some truth at Nottingham; exams are stifling our creativity. As a Russell Group university at the top of the tables for research and innovation, encouraging the production of Nottingham Arts students who simply reiterate old ideas and clone previous theories is far from desirable. Current assessment methods seem more intent on replicating a certain “archetypal” student, and crushing our creativity. Back in London, Dr. Chamorro-Premuzic concludes that ‘a combination of both conscientiousness and creativity is most beneficial for academic performance’; but the emphasis on imitation over innovation is a great concern. As a potential solution to this problem, universities could employ a system of continuous assessment. Where students write essays during untimed conditions throughout the year, allowing them to expand upon moments of creativity. WORDS BY VICKY LORRIMAN IMAGE BY ‘PETE’ VIA FLICKR 69
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DOES ART NEED A FACE? STREET ART, ANONYMOUS ART, GRAFFITI. CALL IT WHAT YOU WILL, THE QUESTION OF WHETHER ART ON PUBLIC PROPERTY SHOULD REMAIN IN THE PUBLIC SPHERE OR THE ANONYMITY BE LIFTED IS AN ON-GOING DEBATE. DO WE NEED TO REMOVE ANONYMITY FROM SUCH ART?
YES: GIVING ART A FACE WILL REMOVE THE TABOOS ASSOCIATED WITH IT I was always taught in school that graffiti was taboo. The general idea was that people did it but if they got caught they’d be in trouble for vandalising public property. It wasn’t studied in art class and was always viewed from a negative perspective - although it might look good, strictly speaking, it shouldn’t be done. Whilst it’s true that contemporary views of street art are changing thanks to artists such as Banksy, there is still an element of ambiguity about the form’s taboo nature. This is enhanced by the fact many artists are anonymous or painting under pseudonyms. Surely giving street art a face would take away that element of taboo and give other budding artists the chance to get their work seen? Currently, the mystery surrounding Banksy’s identity leaves people perpetually trying to work out if a new piece of street art they’ve found is a ‘true Banksy piece’ or not. If we knew who each street artist was, the general public would be more likely to stop and contemplate the art for its message and aesthetics - rather than just to decipher whether or not it was painted by the mysterious Banksy. This transparency would also lead to more opportunities for people who wanted to get their voices heard through street art. So long as the artist’s identity is shrouded in mystery, street art is always going to be perceived as somewhat taboo, viewed initially with the sole purpose of determining who has produced it. Take away the ambiguity, and people can start to appreciate the art for its own merits.
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Further, the very nature of anonymous art means people who want to sell it on can easily appropriate it. Unprotected against those who want to reproduce it to make money, anonymous art belittles its own merits, and their work loses some of its social and political impact when reproduced for lucrative means. Street art is not created for the purpose of being sold; it is created to show people what is wrong with the world. Allowing it to flourish in a form that someone else can easily profit from diminishes what makes it unique in the first place.
“SO LONG AS THE ARTIST’S IDENTITY IS SHROUDED IN MYSTERY, STREET ART IS ALWAYS GOING TO BE PERCEIVED AS SOMEWHAT TABOO” Banksy’s latest piece, a cat painted on the crumbling remains of a bombed building in Gaza, is a good example of street art’s aims at work. The message I think is clear; whilst we’re uploading pictures of beloved pets to Instagram, there are people elsewhere who can’t even access cement to rebuild their homes. It is indisputably emotive. But, unfortunately, by working under a pseudonym, art like this may continue to be seen as taboo in the future. For that reason, art really does need a face.
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NO: ART SHOULD RETAIN ITS ANONYMITY Understandably, anonymous art in the form of street paintings can have negative implications because of its association with graffiti, but in my opinion there is a difference. A minimal difference, yes, but looking at different versions I think anyone would be able to tell the difference between childish graffiti and a work of art. Graffiti is used predominantly to tag gang names whilst street art is used to deliver a message. They say a picture tells a thousand words, and that is the cliché that street artists adhere to. The social and political message embedded in every line and colour is a powerful medium and should not be deteriorated by being called graffiti.
“BY REMAINING ANONYMOUS, ARTISTS HAVE THE FREEDOM TO DICTATE THE MESSAGE OF THEIR ART WITHOUT FEAR OF BEING PUBLICLY SLAMMED OR FACING HARSH CONSEQUENCES”
would be towards the artist’s talent and past achievements, not their current creation. While some people may definitely disagree with the artist’s work, it would remain an opinion. The praise would be given to the artist for having the guts to be outlandish and opinionated. Public anonymous art cannot be contained either. The ambiguity of its origins heightens the publicity to attract larger audiences. The news of it spreads rapidly. With technology and social networking at a high, it only takes one person to see it for the rest of the world to see it. Finally, and I think most importantly, for these artists it isn’t about commercial success. If they paint intricate details onto a wall instead of a canvas, they can’t sell it because it isn’t their property. This is a choice. They choose to have it out there as a public message instead of as a moneymaker. Banksy, the UK’s most well-known street artist, who specialises in social commentary, does not sell photographs or reproductions of his street art. Instead, his income comes from other projects. Additionally, because of his success in society, certain works of Banksy’s are ‘protected’ and therefore cannot be removed. However, despite his legacy, he and many others have had their art destroyed because it is on public property. Having their message asserted and alive through history is far more important than commercialism.
To me, the sole reason street artists remain anonymous or work under a pseudonym is out of fear of public reaction. Art can be controversial, upsetting a lot of people whilst equally empowering others. If the art is condemning government forces, artists could be punished for being too boldly outspoken. By remaining anonymous, artists have the freedom to dictate the message of their art without fear of being publicly slammed or facing harsh consequences. At the end of the day, art is an expression of opinion or emotion.
I don’t think art needs a face. It’s powerful enough without one.
Further, if the artist remains anonymous then it’s the art that is appreciated, not the artist. If the artist were named then the reaction
WORDS BY TAMSIN PARNELL & JESSICA MILLOTT IMAGES BY CHRIS DEVERS & STEW DEAN VIA FLICKR 71
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DOES THE CHARACTER DIE WITH THE AUTHOR? EVER BEEN ENRAGED WHEN YOUR FAVOURITE CHARACTER HAS POPPED UP IN MODERN ADAPTATION BY ANOTHER AUTHOR? DOES YOUR BLOOD BOIL WHEN THEY CONTINUE BEYOND THE ORIGINAL STORY SET OUT FOR THEM? OR DO NEW ADAPTATIONS, PREQUELS AND SEQUELS GIVE REFRESHING PERSPECTIVES ON BELOVED CHARACTERS THAT OTHERWISE WOULD HAVE BEEN LAID TO REST? IMPACT ARTS DISCUSSES THIS CONTENTIOUS ISSUE.
WIDE SARGASSO SEA
MONOGRAM MURDERS
Wandering defeated and desolate on the moors having discovered a terrible secret in the attic of her master’s home, the protagonist of this novel needs no introduction. Jane Eyre is a text that continually appears on literature courses having made its way into the literary canon. How, then, can a text written more than a hundred years later compete with Charlotte Brontë’s landmark work? Drawing upon the history of the infamous wife of Rochester, the reader is immediately at a disadvantage if they are not already familiar with Brontë’s novel, despite Rhys attempting to distance herself from the original narrative. Although Wide Sargasso Sea attempts to fill in some important missing information, one reviewer commented: “this book has left me a little baffled with many questions continuing to go around my head”. It poses a new series of unsettling questions, the most confusing being, which Rochester do we trust? The tortured, damaged man created in Brontë’s narrative? Or the gold-digging, loveless brute produced by Rhys? Wide Sargasso Sea undermines Brontë’s beautifully crafted story of love and redemption and, as a romantic who has cherished Jane Eyre since the age of sixteen, I cannot reconcile myself to this new perspective.
One would be hard pressed to find a fan of crime fiction who was unfamiliar with the work of the estimable Agatha Christie, her sales being now well into the billions worldwide. However, it is unarguable that the most loved and well-known creation is the moustached Belgian detective Hercule Poirot, about whom she wrote 34 novels. Therefore, Sophie Hannah had big shoes to fill in writing her own Poirot story, published last year and enigmatically titled The Monogram Murders, in which three people turn up dead at London hotel, a gold cufflink placed into each of their mouths. It is evident that a great deal of study into Poirot’s character was conducted prior to writing The Monogram Murders, as his eccentricities and mannerisms are captured perfectly. What Hannah has not managed to recreate is Christie’s pure and clear style of writing, tending to stretch minor details into full paragraphs and using more words than necessary in her descriptions. Nonetheless, she succeeds in crafting an intriguing mystery and bringing to life again the character of Hercule Poirot. Though no substitute for the genuine article, The Monogram Murders is a lovely tribute to a great authoress and a beloved character.
Olivia Rook
Harriet Davis
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PRIDE AND PREJUDICE VARIATIONS Novels known as Pride & Prejudice Variations are popular online, with 500 currently available through Amazon. It is impossible to read all of these variations in a short space of time, but from the few I did manage to read I drew one conclusion: the authors have wasted their time. Despite these ‘novels’ receiving some good reviews, they are outnumbered by the negative responses, which mostly condemn characterisation or target an author’s terrible grammar. Let’s face it; trying to mimic Jane Austen’s style and characters is near impossible, particularly for an amateur author. Each reader interprets a character differently, and so your adaptation will not match the original interpretation of another’s, automatically obscuring your presentation of the character in their eyes by giving them completely different personalities. Enhancing Elizabeth’s frankness, Georgiana’s shyness or Caroline’s hostility does not make any writer capable of delivering anything other than a warped alternative of Austen’s original characters. Any attempt to mimic the work of Jane Austen will automatically result in failure, and therefore anyone planning on doing this should write an original story based on the novel’s customs instead. By all means use the novel for guidance and inspiration, but variations of well-known classics just do not work. Jessica Millott
YOUNG BOND Charlie Higson's creation of a younger Bond than Fleming's original suggests a rebirth of the character - the making of a modern Bond. Fleming's Bond dies with him, but is resurrected by Higson to reveal the untold tale of his youth. Young Bond grows up in the society in which we live, with access to gadgets, girls and, of course, Eton College. James Bond's early life has always been a bit of a grey area in both the films and the books, and Higson plays on this. We know that Bond was orphaned, and from this simple fact, Higson is able to internalise the secret service in Bond's life from the start. Because let's face it, even modern day parents would NOT allow us to get involved in MI5 as teenagers! Bond sequels from authors such as Sebastian Faulks do not work so well, as Fleming's Bond of the 50s is a very difficult character to continue with. Higson's prequel, exploring an area of the unknown Bond, however – well that most definitely works. Isla McLachlan
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SPORTS EDITORIAL The Premier League is reaching its denouement and it is looking increasingly likely that Chelsea will wrap up the League title, as they have been favourites to do so for some time. The Blues’ dip in form over autumn even managed to win over plenty of neutrals. Yet, they have been the team with the fewest flaws this season and look like deserving champions. More absorbing, though, appears to be the race for the Champions League. Arsenal and Manchester United are the frontrunners ahead of Liverpool, but with several fixtures between the top five over April, a lot could change. At the bottom, Leicester and QPR appear to be cast adrift which leaves Burnley, Sunderland, Aston Villa and Hull City scrapping to finish no lower than 17th.
“THE GREEN AND GOLD OF UON LOOK TO SECURE A FOURTH CONSECUTIVE VARSITY SERIES TITLE FROM APRIL 27TH” The Championship might be the place to go for an exciting title race, with six teams having legitimate claims. Despite their recent resurgence under Dougie Freedman, the playoffs look a bridge too far for Forest this season. Rugby’s Six Nations produced a thrilling finale, with an incredible 221 points being scored on one remarkable Saturday. England’s 55 against France still wasn’t enough to achieve the necessary 27-point winning margin, which meant that Ireland retained the title. England’s Cricket World Cup came to an abrupt end in the group stages, while at the time of writing the golfing world looks ahead to the 74
year’s first major, The Masters. Rory McIlroy could complete a career grand slam at the age of 25. But regardless of whether he does, the dazzling colours of Augusta are always a joy to behold, if only through a television screen. Closer to home, April 27th marks the start of the local sporting rivalry that is the Varsity Series between the University of Nottingham (UoN) and Nottingham Trent University (NTU). The green and gold of UoN look to secure a fourth consecutive Series title when the action tips off with basketball in the Capital FM Arena on the first Monday. The same venue will host the sold-out Varsity ice hockey, one of the most exciting events of a Nottingham student’s sporting calendar, on April 29th. Though the UoN men’s football team has been banned from participating in this year’s Series following a breach of the Students’ Union’s Code of Conduct, the men’s football fixture will still go ahead. Players from the Intra-Mural Sports (IMS) leagues have been selected instead to represent the University against NTU at Notts County’s Meadow Lane stadium on May 1st. 2015’s condensed Varsity programme also sees the official introduction of dodgeball, futsal, volleyball and table tennis. A full rundown of fixtures is available on the Sport section of impactmagazine.com. Follow @ImpactVarsity15 on Twitter for live updates and like Impact Varsity 2015 on Facebook, using #UoNVarsity to have your say. Tickets are available at nottsvarsity.co.uk and proceeds go towards this year’s chosen charity Cerebral Palsy Sport, which is the leading national disability sports organisation supporting people with cerebral palsy to achieve their sporting potential. WORDS BY JOHN MASTRINI AND DAN ZEQIRI IMAGE BY NICO ENDERS
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GENERATION VX
INTRODUCING THE LACROSSE-CUM-DODGEBALL SUPERSPORT VX, A NEW COMBAT SPORT THAT FUSES LACROSSE WITH DODGEBALL, IS BEING ROLLED OUT IN SPORTS HALLS AROUND THE WORLD. IMPACT TALK TO UON STUDENT AND VX COACH JAMES FOSTER. HOW EXACTLY IS VX PLAYED?
The main version is called V10. This is played by two teams (five players on court per team with five possible subs) in a sports hall with five balls in play. The aim of the game is to hit anyone on the other team with one of the five balls in play using a VstiX - this is a 76cm-long stick with a plastic scoop at each end that players use to launch the ball at anyone on the opposing team. A hit, classed as anywhere on the body apart from the head and neck, scores one point and a catch scores two. There are no specific player roles and the whole court is used, so there are no boundaries or areas. When a player is hit, he or she must raise their hand and look at the referee who has a tally count for each team. The referee will then signal the player to play on and they are back in the game. The other main version played is called V2, which is played one-on-one in a squash court with all the same rules applying.
DO YOU KNOW WHERE THE CONCEPT ORIGINATES FROM?
The sport originates from York about nine years ago. I don’t know the exact details, but a client of some sort of company approached one of the inventors-to-be and asked for a product to be designed. There was a misunderstanding and VX - or Rock-it-Ball, as it was known at the time - was born.
HOW DEMANDING A SPORT IS IT PHYSICALLY?
The sport is the most intense sport I have ever come across because it is combative and you have to be paying attention to your surroundings 100% of the time to avoid being hit. Also, when a game really gets going there is no stopping until the end of the quarter, which is between four and 10 minutes long. This means that you build your stamina very quickly and learn to push to the last second.
DO YOU COMPETE IN ANY COMPETITIONS OR TOURNAMENTS?
I’m part of the V10 England squad so I have the opportunity to play at international level, but apart from that there are local and national level leagues and competitions for players of all abilities. The leagues
in V2 are especially accessible for new clubs and players because it is a one man show and there is no need to have a full team. However, there are of course competitions for V10, which cater for teams of all abilities too.
DOES THE SPORT HAVE A BURGEONING SOCIAL SIDE YET?
The sport is very social, like all team sports, because there is the chance to have some real fun with people you may not know too well. It’s a great way to make new friends. As well as being intense and very tiring, I have never played any other sport which can be so fun to play. It is in the nature of the sport to have a laugh and some fun with friends, even with a much more serious side in competitions.
“YOU HAVE TO BE PAYING ATTENTION TO YOUR SURROUNDINGS 100% OF THE TIME TO AVOID BEING HIT” WHAT KINDS OF MEMBERSHIP OR EQUIPMENT COSTS ARE INVOLVED?
Club membership is necessary if a player wants to go into competition. At the moment it stands at around £25 and, for the sport’s growing society at UoN, a small joining fee will be necessary in addition to membership for the sports facilities. But all equipment will be provided!
HOW SHOULD A STUDENT INTERESTED IN PLAYING GO ABOUT GETTING INVOLVED?
Any student interested in playing VX should either look out for the VX stall at September’s Freshers’ Fair, as we are in the process of making it one of the university’s officially recognised sports. Alternatively students can email me (james@vxengland.org) and I will keep them updated about any opportunities to get involved. I am even happy to go down to a squash court with anyone interested and show them how to play some V2!
WORDS BY DAN ZEQIRI IMAGES BY VX INTERNATIONAL 75
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SPORTS ON THE SILVER SCREEN FROM COOL RUNNINGS TO COACH CARTER, CINEMA HAS DELVED INTO THE WORLD OF SPORT WITH MUCH SUCCESS. IMPACT REVIEWS THE BEST SPORTING FILMS AROUND.
COOL RUNNINGS (1993) When four sprinters have their Olympic hopes shattered, Irving Blitzer (John Candy) is tasked with re-igniting their dreams by creating the first Jamaican bobsled team. First impressions of Jon Turteltaub’s Cool Runnings, inspired by the true story of Jamaica’s 1988 Winter Olympics entry, are of a slapstick comedy, filled with cheap laughs and over-thetop physical humour. This, however, is more. It puts an unorthodox yet charming twist on the classic underdog story. It blends silliness with uplifting sentiment. Audiences relate to this film mainly because the film does not relate to the audience. Few who watch are Jamaican. Fewer still are devotees of bobsleigh. All, though, find themselves willing the unlikely heroes on. Their success comes not in medals, but in sheer will and dignity in the face of scorn. If it weren’t based on real events, it would seem rather far-fetched. Reality, though, is cleverly maintained by the use of real Olympic footage. Sprinkled through the film are some great lines, from the early experiences of cold weather (“I’m not smoking, I’m breathing...”) to one that sums up the spirit of this feel-good film: “do the words ‘give up’ mean anything to you?” “Not a thing!”. NICK LAWRENCE
ROCKY (1976) The ultimate underdog story, Rocky captivated its audience by thrusting an older boxer, whose career hadn't quite kicked off, into the spotlight of a championship match. The clash between Rocky (Sylvester Stallone) and Clubber Lang couldn't have been done better. It is an epic battle, arguably one of the best sporting scenes ever in a movie. Although the boxing scenes are great, it is the little things that make the film stand out. Where the film really shines is in its human element: near the beginning, there is a scene where Rocky is wandering around his neighborhood running different errands. We learn that he is a complex character who can be simultaneously strong and insecure, but also carries a certain likeability. Another iconic scene involves him ice skating with Adrian on their first date, with those 76
awkward moments everyone can relate to. It stands out for how real it feels as you watch them fall in love over the course of the movie. A sports film at its core, Rocky not only brings the audience in but also tells an amazing story. BEN HARRISON
THE MIGHTY DUCKS (1992) In the early 90’s, it was no surprise that Disney would be the producers of this particular heart-warming epic. The storyline requires little explanation as it strikes at the heart of every classic American sporting movie ever made, which may have been forgivable (and less laughable) if it was the first of its kind. It wasn’t. The Bad News Bears, Wildcats and Hoosiers had all already trekked down this particular beaten track. The film starred Emilio Estevez (son of Martin Sheen and brother to the infamous Charlie Sheen) as Gordon Bombay whose failure in junior ice hockey had manifested itself in a particularly bitter mean streak as a lawyer in adulthood. After receiving community service, his mission is to turn a band of lovable misfits from District 5 into local champions. The story comes full circle when Bombay comes face-to-face with his former coach who lost faith in him after missing an all-important penalty. The rest can be derived from this basic summary. Though falling squarely into the All-American sports parody, the film does have a sweet nature, and a hilarious scene involving the team’s most prodigious player who can only hit an effective shot one in five times. STEPHEN KENNY
THE DAMNED UNITED (2009) Based on the book of the same name by David Peace, The Damned United charts the tumultuous 44-day stint of Brian Clough (Martin Sheen) as manager of Leeds United. The film documents Clough’s reign in comparison to his previous managerial role at Derby County, where Clough and his long-serving assistant Peter Taylor (Timothy
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Spall) guided the team from the bottom of the Second Division to the top of the First. The film provides an interesting insight into elements of football off the pitch - particularly the volatile relationship with Derby chairman Sam Longson (Jim Broadbent) that ultimately led to Clough’s departure. It is within the realms of his bitter rivalry with Don Revie, the previous manager who took Leeds to the top of English football, that the film hits its stride. It offers us an insight into the mind of one of the football’s most enigmatic characters in history. Sheen’s performance is gripping, allowing even those unfamiliar with the manager to feel immersed within and attached to the increasingly dire situation he finds himself in. Controversial, outspoken and often witty, the film pays a fitting homage to Clough himself. CONNOR HIGGS
MONEYBALL (2011) If someone tells you that ‘baseball is just a game’, show them Moneyball. In this masterpiece of a true story, Billy Beane (Brad Pitt) revolutionises the sport as general manager of the moneyless Oakland Athletics in such a way that fellow experts start calling everything into question. Formerly an unsuccessful player himself, Beane and his avant-garde methods of sabermetrics surprised many, including fans and his own players. But they turned out to be the beginning of an era as traditional ways of analysing players’ performances appeared archaic. Throughout the film we feel Beane’s A’s team as part of ourselves. Inexplicably, we become their biggest fan, pleased when they win and sad when they lose. It is especially powerful seeing the A’s up against the Yankees, the sport’s richest and most powerful franchise. Similarly, we sympathise with Beane and all his pain, suffering and frustration through the screen. Pitt's outstanding performance is key to the film's success, while Jonah Hill and Philip Seymour Hoffman offer similarly wonderful characterisations. Famous sports films like Rocky or Million Dollar Baby may be silverscreen jewels, but not all are true stories. That is what makes this one so inspiring. GUILLERMO GURIDI ÁLVAREZ
COACH CARTER (2005) Coach Carter follows the development of Richmond High School basketball team under their new coach Ken Carter (Samuel L. Jackson). The movie that first graced our screens in 2005 is based on the story from 1999 where Carter attracted national attention after dropping his players due to deficiencies in their academic work. This may seem like a standard sporting movie, but this inspirational piece follows the progression of a group of kids in a tough neighbourhood who develop into men. The team’s success after Carter’s introduction was unrivalled, producing the feel-good factor all movies desire. The story trails their peaks and troughs, detailing incidents that were common in workingclass suburbs in 1990’s California. With the occasional motivational lesson, this narrative shows the importance of unison and that hard work pays off. But it is the climactic scene that helps differentiate between Coach Carter and all other sports movies. The surprising ending depicts what actually happened at Richmond High in 1999 and subverts all traditions that are paired with sports movies. SAM VAUX
IMAGE BY DALE MASTIN VIA FLICKR 77
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AMERICAN INFLUX THE IMPACT OF STARS AND STRIPES SCHOLARSHIP STUDENTS
IN THIS ACADEMIC YEAR, THE UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM (UON) HAS 10 AMERICAN ATHLETES ON BRITISH UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES SPORT (BUCS) TEAMS. THESE ATHLETES HAVE ALL BEEN RECRUITED AS MASTERS STUDENTS TO HELP DEVELOP THE STANDARD OF SIX UON TEAMS: MEN’S LACROSSE, LADIES’ LACROSSE, MEN’S BASKETBALL, LADIES’ BASKETBALL, LADIES’ FOOTBALL AND AMERICAN FOOTBALL. THIS NUMBER IS SET TO INCREASE NEXT YEAR. WITH THE POSITIVE IMPACT OF THESE STUDENTS LEADING NOTTINGHAM TO GREATER SUCCESS IN THE BUCS LEAGUE TABLES, MORE ATHLETES ARE BEING RECRUITED FROM OVERSEAS TO HELP THE UNIVERSITY PROGRESS. BUT WHAT EFFECT DOES THIS HAVE ON BOTH PARTIES? 78
Phil Wood, one of the Club Development Coordinators at UoN and the man in charge of overseas recruitment, has nothing but praise for the impact of the American athletes. When talking about their influence, he states that they bring a “greater level of professionalism” to the sports, as well as acting like “role models”. Attendance of Men’s Lacrosse fixtures has gone up significantly due to the presence of three American athletes. Their dedication to the sport is unrivalled. In America, they eat, sleep and breathe their sport, ensuring a high level of commitment that they have successfully tried to impart onto our own teams in the UK. The success of UoN Men's Lacrosse is of particular note. With the presence of three superstar American players, they demolished nearly every team in the Northern Premiership, beaten only by Durham, and very nearly caused the upset of the season in the BUCS Championship Final when they narrowly lost to Durham 11-8. Although Men's Lacrosse was a successful team last year, it is clear to see that the American triple threat made all the difference when competing at such a high level. Josh Dodd, Men’s Lacrosse President, said of the American players: "having them there in training and games really shows us what level we should be aspiring to”.
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To show just how big the influence of even just one brilliant player can be, take the example of UoN Women’s Basketball. In 2013-14, the 1st Team faced many losses and, at the end of their season, were relegated to the second tier. Yet this season the impact of one standout American player, Danielle Fiacco, revolutionised the team. They now have the biggest points margin of any BUCS sport in history: in 10 games the difference is 763, a figure unheard of in the majority of leagues. Topping the league convincingly, they have guaranteed themselves promotion back into Tier 1 for next season, but they have done the double too – last month they also won the Conference Cup final against the University of East Anglia 66-39. Their scores in the league frequently reached above 100, culminating in a total points tally of 963 points scored. Daniella is the sole American on the team and it is clear to see the massive impact she has had. Not only has her individual performance helped the team make huge strides, but the whole team has played better around her.
“AMERICAN ATHLETES BRING A ‘GREATER LEVEL OF PROFESSIONALISM’ TO THE SPORTS” In contrast, it is harder to measure the success of a single overseas player in American football. The large size of the team makes the impact of one player harder to see. There are 40 members on the squad roster, with 11 on the pitch at once during the game, so the skillset of one standout athlete cannot be shown to make as much of an impact as it has in a smaller team. Currently ranked third in their mixed league, UoN American Football’s scores have not been as consistent as those of their Women’s Basketball counterparts. However, it is not all about what Americans can offer our sports teams, it is also about what the BUCS system can offer them. There are huge incentives for student athletes to come to the UK. In the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA, the American version of BUCS), athletes only hold eligibility for four years, which means they can only play at college level for that long, no matter how many years spent studying. For American students so committed to their sport, the chance to compete alongside a Masters degree or a PhD is unheard of, but it is something that UK institutions offer in abundance. Wider travel incentives also spur Americans on to make the move across the pond. Once here, they can travel much more cheaply around Europe than if they went straight from the States. In comparison, travelling or studying abroad is out of the question for sporty students at American universities, as players are expected to train even in their off-seasons. Furthermore, any Masters course in America takes two years, whereas in the UK it can be completed in one year, which altogether works out much cheaper for international students. Some could argue the fact that having more American players means less room for home-grown talent. In most of the sports where American athletes have been recruited, however, this is not the case. For example, Ladies’ and Men’s Lacrosse have three BUCS teams, leaving plenty of space for British players to make an impact, which very much complies with the University’s ‘Sport for All’ policy. The worry with a few teams is that it will end up being a similar situation as Durham. There, the majority of the Men’s 1st Lacrosse Team are all
recruited Americans, meaning they have been unbeaten for three years because no team can compete with athletes of that level. Having three American athletes on a team, as our own Men’s Lacrosse team does, is a lot different to having 10. It allows them to have a positive impact while developing the homegrown talent. Another worry could be the division in teams that American athletes could cause. But this worry is completely unjustified. They are heavily outnumbered by homegrown players and integrate fully with the teams, while contributing greatly to the social life off the pitch too. In a similar manner to professional football, where the wealth of teams such as Chelsea or Manchester City determines the level of players they can buy (and hence the standard of their team), it could be argued that the University is effectively ‘buying wins’. However, UoN cannot compete financially with the likes of Durham, who have the means for recruiting dozens of overseas athletes. Therefore it is less for the financial benefit and more for the priceless experience that athletes decide to come. It is a chance to explore Europe, learn and play at a reputable university.
“IN AMERICA, THEY EAT, SLEEP AND BREATHE THEIR SPORT, ENSURING A HIGH LEVEL OF COMMITMENT THAT THEY HAVE SUCCESSFULLY IMPARTED ONTO OUR UK TEAMS” American scholars have had nothing but a positive impact on the standard of sport here at Nottingham, something which is reflected not only in the BUCS league tables and cup results, but also in the mentality of the UoN teams. It is clear that the worries people may have about the American influx are unwarranted. Having athletes that are as committed as these 10 at UoN can only have a promising effect, something that the University should endeavour to continue.
WORDS BY GEORGIE LACK IMAGES BY ‘YTOYODA’ AND ‘PDMSPORTS’ VIA WIKIMEDIA 79
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WHAT'S AT YOUR UNI?
UON KORFBALL IMPACT CAUGHT UP WITH LIZZIE MCCLOUD, FIRST TEAM CAPTAIN OF UON KORFBALL, TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT A DUTCH SPORT TAKING THE UK BY STORM… FOR THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW, WHAT IS KORFBALL?
Korfball is a mix between netball and basketball. The court is split into two sides: one attack, and one defence, with two girls and two boys in either side. Everyone attacks, and everyone defends. It is one of the few sports that boys and girls play together on the same team. It’s great for university and adds a whole new dynamic to socials and trainings, which you wouldn’t find in any other sport.
DO YOU HAVE ANY TERMINOLOGY UNIQUE TO YOUR SPORT?
The terminology in korfball is simple and easy to grasp, but it is very different to most sports. For example, as a defender, if your opponent goes into the post as a ‘collect’ (rebounder), you shout ‘tight’ so the rest of your team know not to let a shot be put up!
DO YOU NEED ANY PRIOR EXPERIENCE TO GET INVOLVED? No experience is needed. We love having people come along at any level. The great part about our club and having four teams is that you can play competitively or just for fun. Hardly anyone has heard of korfball before, let alone experienced it!
DO YOU COMPETE IN ANY LEAGUES, TOURNAMENTS OR COMPETITIONS?
We compete in both leagues and tournaments, including British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) and local korfball leagues. This allows us to play against university teams as well as league teams. 80
HOW SUCCESSFUL HAVE YOU BEEN AS A CLUB?
As a club we have been hugely successful this year with each team accomplishing great things. Our first team finished fourth in the country at the BUCS Nationals, in addition to winning our local league and gaining promotion for next year. Our second and third teams have been our most successful ever. Our third team finished fourth in their competition, while our second team won the National Trophy in March. For the past six years we’ve finished in the top four at the Nationals. Not only do we have great individual teams, we are a great club as a whole.
“OUR SECOND TEAM WON THE NATIONAL TROPHY IN MARCH” WHAT IS THE SOCIAL SIDE OF YOUR CLUB LIKE? WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR FAVOURITE SOCIAL THIS YEAR?
Our social side is definitely one of the best in Nottingham – another highlight of having boys and girls in one club. My favourite social this year has been one that was themed ‘what do you want to be when you grow up?’ We never slack on fancy dress so it’s always great fun!
HOW CAN UON STUDENTS GET INVOLVED?
You can join the club on the SU website. Or, if you’re stuck or want to give it a taster session, just send a message to our Facebook page and one of our lovely committee will be ready to help you. The only cost is the membership fee (which was £20 this year), and then gym membership in order to play in the sports hall. Nothing after the initial start-up cost though. WORDS BY MEGAN LEYDON IMAGE BY ANDREAS BILLMAN
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YOUR CHANCES OF BUMPING INTO ONE OF THE WORLD’S TOP TENNIS PLAYERS ALONG DERBY ROAD THIS SUMMER HAVE JUST GOTTEN HIGHER. IN JUNE 2015, NOTTINGHAM WILL HOST OFFICIAL WTA AND ATP EVENTS AS PART OF AN EXTENDED GRASS-COURT SEASON. FOR US HERE AT UON, THE BEST PART IS THAT ALL OF THE ACTION WILL TAKE PLACE ON OUR DOORSTEP, A STONE’S THROW AWAY FROM UNIVERSITY PARK CAMPUS. WHAT’S ON OFFER?
Past the Trent Building and across the lake, the likes of British number one Heather Watson and world number 12 Feliciano Lopez will grace the grass at the Nottingham Tennis Centre. The women’s tournament will be between 6-14 June and the men’s between 20-27 June as players aim to find their feet on the surface in time for Wimbledon on 29 June. From just £5, students can grab tickets online to secure a seat in the stands. With exams done and a (hopefully) sunny Nottingham at your mercy, there won’t be many experiences better than a spot of summer tennis for you to enjoy so nearby. Until then, though, the Tennis Centre has much on offer. Eight indoor and 19 outdoor courts (four of which are floodlit) add to the manicured lawns, so there is plenty of space to practice and play whatever the
weather. There is also plenty of time to play: the complex is open from 9am to 10pm on most days, but bear in mind the 6pm closing time on Saturdays. Other facilities include a 60-station gym with a spin studio and steam room, as well as a café-cum-clubhouse overlooking the grounds, offering free Wi-Fi and a decent selection of hot and cold refreshments.
“THERE WON’T BE MANY EXPERIENCES BETTER THAN A SPOT OF SUMMER TENNIS FOR YOU TO ENJOY SO NEARBY” A range of classes and activities cater for different tastes: Cardio Tennis, the tennis equivalent of Zumba, is on offer for £6 per hour three times a week. Early Birds can catch Breakfast Tennis indoors at a reduced rate on certain weekdays, while Adult Social Nights provide an opportunity to meet new people and mix with players of a similar standard. Wheelchair tennis drills are also held on Sundays.
COST
Open to the public, courts are mostly available on a pay-and-play basis. An hour of outdoor tennis would set you back £10 and an indoor session before 6pm costs £15 (£20 per hour afterwards). With immaculate international-size acrylic surfaces, it is worth the visit if only to improve on the experience of courts on campus. Each is fully fenced off from adjacent courts outside, and dividing nets inside mean you don’t have to go far to collect any wayward balls.
TRAVEL
The expansion of the city’s tramline (no pun intended) past the Tennis Centre looks unlikely to be complete in time for this summer, though it is just a short walk away from campus. Those with a bicycle in Nottingham can use a cycle path that extends past University Park’s South Entrance and along University Boulevard, where the NTC is found. Bike racks are available too while personal items can be stored in lockers inside. Drivers too have lots of parking space at their disposal. So whether you want to develop your game in a professional environment, catch up with friends over tea and tennis or watch the world’s best this summer, the Nottingham Tennis Centre will serve up a treat.
WORDS BY JOHN MASTRINI IMAGE BY AMY RAINBOW 81
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