R ! A E E U Y S F O R IS D E N P E M BU
NEWS CALL ON STUDENTS TO HELP NEPAL EARTHQUAKE EFFORT
B RU N E L U N I V E R S I T Y ’ S S T U D E N T N E W S PA P E R
MEDICAL CENTRE SHOCKERS!
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FEATURES THE AFGHAN WOMEN’S GROUP IN HAYES
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CULTURE
ACTION BRONSON REVIEW
STUDENT SURVEY REVEALS CATALOGUE OF ERRORS Oliver Ronaldson Molly Lempriere Kirsty Capes Kat Clementine
opening times as ‘poor’. The Medical Centre, which is located adjacent to the Howell building, has 11420 registered patients, around 9200 of which are students. While The Union of Brunel Students has the practice received only a “dozen to promised to work to improve the on- fifteen complaints” in 2014, a survey campus Medical Centre after a recent conducted by the Union has revealed survey revealed dissatisfaction with widespread discontent with the doctor availability, walk-in service service provided. times and quality of service. One student told Opening times for “Around a quarter rated Le Nurb that a the practice are member the services provided 3 “rude” called ‘poor’ and of staff called out of 5, and over 26% her an “idiot” to staff labeled as ‘rude’ by students rated the opening times as colleagues when who took part in a she tried to cancel ‘poor’.” survey conducted a physiotherapy by the Union of appointment over Brunel Students. the phone. Out of 196 respondents, around a She said: “I do not believe staffshould quarter rated the services provided be discussing patients’ cases in 3 out of 5, and over 26% rated the such a flippant manner, and (the
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staff member’s) behaviour was unacceptable for NHS staff.” Le Nurb understands that in this case, the member of staff was disciplined and the student received a written apology.
The student said: “I was horrified that someone suffering from psychosis, with a long history of mental health and self-harm, was left to rot for months on sleeping pills.” The Practice Management team has A n o t h e r refused to comment student stated “One student told Le Nurb on any individual that he was cases put to them by refused a that a “rude” member of Le Nurb, citing patient prescription to staff called her an “idiot” confidentiality rules. anti-psychotic Representatives did to colleagues.“ medication note that University after being told practices do not that it was against the Medical Centre’s prescribe certain types of psychosis policy to prescribe psychosis drugs medication as they could be sold without a referral from a doctor. on campus to other students and abused or used for concentration The student claims he was instead enhancement. prescribed sleeping pills and after multiple attempts to get the The Union survey also showed medication failed he resorted to students wanted a more accessible trading his sleeping pills for the drugs he needed online. Continued on page 3...
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SPORT NETBALL WIN CLUB OF THE YEAR AT SPORTS FED
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WELCOME TO ISSUE 8: APRIL / MAY 2015
This Month... 04
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YOUR NEWS STUDENT WINS LGBT FLAG BATTLE WITH BRUNEL ACCOMMODATION
HOW TO SPEND YOUR SUMMER OUR WRITERS LET YOU KNOW WHAT THEY DID WITH THEIR SUMMER ;AST YEAR
FEATURES 16
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CULTURAL APPROPRIATION AND RECLAIMING THE BINDI
CULTURE ACTION BRONSON REVIEW
Submissions
The Team
Simply put, if you’re a current Brunel student, you can write for Le Nurb. There are a few things to bear in mind:
Editor
Deputy Editors
YOUR ARTICLE - Your article should be saved as a Word document (.doc or .docx). - Its filename should contain your name, student number, and a suggested headline. - We don’t accept PDF, Works (.wps), OpenOffice (.odt), Pages (.pages) or other formats. - Publisher files (.pub) are particularly horrific, beastly things. Please don’t send any, ever. - It may sound obvious, but please run a spellcheck before you submit your article!
YOUR IMAGES
SPORT HOCKEY SECOND TEAM BREAK BAD STREAK OF LOSSES
Contributors Le Nurb would like to thank the following people for contributing an article to this months issue.
News
Culture
Adam White Emma Jeremy Hannah Jones Jasmin Nahar Jasmine Brathwaite Joanna Smith Kirsty Capes Lauren Shiel Mehdi Punjwani Panny Antoniou Shakoofeh Shah Verity Anne Jones Victoria Sanusi
Izzy Khatkar Adam White David Bennett Ellie Wiltshire Federica de Caria Kris Miles Lena Mistry Martha Salhotra Matthias Asiedu-Yeboa Panny Antoniou Rebecca Chambers Symran Jaj Hon Jiun Wong
Features
Sport
Pauline Kingston Julie Valeur Emma Jeremy Allenn Peppitt Victor Girbig Kirsty Capes Martha Salhotra Kerry Dixon David Bennett Dheeraj Viswanath Erica Wilson Eddie Leggatt Alexander Tyson Becky Collins
Adam Varvel Adam White Alex Baker Emilia Jackson Johanna Puustinen Jonny Girling Jordan Clarke KC Swain Kirstie Woolhouse Laura Eke Mark Cryer Mehdi Punjwani Michael Darlow Olivia McCarthy Panny Antoniou Shelly Spooner Danielle Tysall-Blay
Kirsty Capes
- If you like, you can suggest specific images for your article, or take your own photograph and include it with your submission. They’ll need to be separate .jpg or .png files. - Don’t embed your images into the article document - this compresses them too much for use on the page. - Any image filenames and image credits (who the photographer is) should be listed at the end of your article. - Images you submit must not be copyrighted by another individual or organisation. - Please don’t just nick pictures off Google Image Search (we can’t use them 99% of the time!) please use Flickr Creative Commons instead.
YOUR CONTACTS
Enquiries, advertising & complaints: Becky - media.chair@brunel.ac.uk Design queries and feedback: Jo - dt11jeg@my.brunel.ac.uk News articles: Shakoofeh - en12sss@my.brunel.ac.uk In-depth articles on a given topic: Emma -en11ejj@my.brunel.ac.uk Reviews and culture articles: Victoria - victoriasanusi@ymail.com Everything sport-related Panny - 1204476@my.brunel.ac.uk
Ryan O’Donovan and Kat Clementine
Chief Designer
Jo Emma Gregory-Brough
Online Editor Eddie Leggatt
Deputy Online Editor Oliver Ronaldson
NEWS
Section Editor Shakoofeh Shah
Chief Sub-Editor Arthe Kandeepan
Sub-Editor
Elisabeth Mahase
Online Editor Molly Lempriere
FEATURES
Section Editor Emma Jeremy
Chief Sub-Editor Aidan Milan
Sub Editor Erica Wilson
Online Editor Teresa Francis
CULTURE
Section Editor Victoria Sanusi
Chief Sub-Editor Hon Jiun Wong
Sub-Editor
Jasmine Brathwaite
Online Editor Jasmin Nahar
SPORT
Section Editor Panny Antoniou
Chief Sub-Editor Ellie Woolcott
Advertising
Online Editor
Le Nurb is distributed eight times a year, across campus, to a network of 15,000 students.
DESIGNERS
We offer great rates to advertisers, plus discounts for on-campus clubs, societies and organisations. Find out more at brunelstudents.com/lenurb or via the Editor. To book an advertising slot for 2015-2016 call Bonnie Crate on 01895 267215.
Mehdi Punjwani
Kirsty Capes Elisabeth Mahase Jim Wong
PHOTOGRAPHY Chris Rathore Ben Lunato-Doyen
ILLUSTRATION Rowan Frewin
ONLINE
Stefan Knap Ellis Davies Sophie Bredbere All articles and pictures © their respective authors unless otherwise indicated. Views expressed are those of the writers and do not reflect the official position of UBS or Brunel University. All comments and complaints about content in Le Nurb should be addressed to the Editor in the first instance: editor@lenurb.com. Complaints will only be entertained where it can be proven that an article or graphic is: factually inaccurate; breaches the Press Complaints Commission’s Editors’ Code of Practice; breaches the National Union of Journalists’ Code of Conduct; breaks the law; or encourages readers to break the law. No complaint that fails to satisfy at least one of these criteria will be upheld. Published by: Union of Brunel Students, Kingston Lane, Uxbridge, UB8 3PH. Printed by: Harmsworth Printing Derby, Northcliffe House, Meadow Road, Derby, DE1 2BH.
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NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
Editor’s Letter Kirsty Capes Editor 2014/15
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Continued from page 1... appointments system. Some students voiced concerns about difficulty booking appointments when they have a long-term condition such as diabetes, joint problems and skin conditions. Generally, a student with a long-term condition at a walk-in appointment should be told by a doctor to book an appointment at reception.
felt that the two hour walk in period between the Medical Centre and was “not long enough” and that it was Brunel students. Campaigns Chair “difficult” to make an appointment. Yohanna Sallberg is leading the campaign. She told Le Nurb: The Medical Centre employ three GPs daily, with four available to see “The survey has provided us with patients on Mondays, the busiest day an invaluable range of opinions and of the week for the practice. suggestions that will be essential in how we move The practice “The practice also offers forward. also offers a physiotherapy for two “The next step Practice Manager, Bill Darvill, said that p h y s i o t h e r a p y days a week and nurse is focus groups if a student cannot come to a walk-in for two days a appointment they should be “offered week and nurse with students to appointments.” an appointment the following week as appointments. discuss issues and a last resort. explore possible The Medical Centre is a leasehold solutions as well as further meetings Mr Darvill said: “The current system is tenant of the University, meaning with the Medical Centre and the that because we operate the walk-in that it serves both students of the University to see how we can build a system, we are able to offer booked University and members of the local stronger relationship and further our appointments to non-students and Hillingdon community, and is not a communication. those students who can’t attend service affiliated with or provided by walk-in generally within forty eight the University. “The aspiration is to end up with a hours. The more we move away campaign focusing on information, from the walk-in surgery the longer Founded in 1982, the Centre communication and understanding the waiting time would be for an amalgamated two smaller local with the ultimate goal to make sure appointment. The walk-in service is a practices, one of which was stationed that every student registered with the very responsive same day service for within a local doctor’s home. Medical Centre is happy with the care students to access if they are unwell. provided.” The alternative to the walk-in would Around 5800 non-student be a seven to ten appointments are The Medical Centre complaints day wait to see a “Some students voiced made per annum, procedure states that: “Any patient doctor.” covering a range who is dissatisfied with advice given or concerns about difficulty of health issues treatments or services received whilst In medical booking appointments for the elderly, registered at Brunel Medical Centre is emergencies and chronically ill and invited to contact the Practice Manager when they have a long- babies. urgent cases, a either by telephone (01895 266441), patient can be letter or email detailing their issues term condition such as guaranteed to The Medical Centre and/or complaint.” Practice Manager diabetes, joint problems be seen within has conducted a Bill Darvill says, “We are committed and skin conditions. “ 48 hours and number of internal to working with the Students Union last year, 98% of surveys asking for to improve communications and patients who wanted to see a doctor patient feedback, with contradictory manage expectations.” were seen within 48 hours. results to the Union’s own survey and reports given to Le Nurb. The walk in service, which is The NHS encourages all GP practices “essentially for students”, is conducted to hand out a feedback form asking daily from 11.30 to 1.15. Patients are patients whether they would guaranteed to see a doctor on the recommend the practice to friends day if they turn up at walk in times. In and family, and for the Brunel Medical 2014, 13500 students were seen at Centre’s responses have been, on the the Brunel Medical Centre using this whole, positive. service. The Union’s Medical Centre Survey Comments from the Union’s survey is part of an ongoing campaign to revealed that a number of students improve services and communication
Dear reader, I thought I would take this opportunity to say hello and introduce myself as the next Editor-in-Chief for Le Nurb 2015/16. Over the last year I have been involved with Le Nurb and it’s many great ventures, from fresher’s week to the elections and our triumph at varsity. It has been an amazing time and something I’m so glad to have been a part of. Looking to this next year I see it being both challenging and rewarding. Student media is constantly evolving and the incredible work that has been done by the editors and contributors has only made it better. As ever there is still more to be done to ensure that Le Nurb can do it’s best by you, the students, to bring you accurate and interesting stories about what is happening on campus and further afield. This will be my main goal:
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Editor’s Letter Elisabeth Mahase Editor 2015/16
continuing the work of our current Editor-in-Chief and helping Le Nurb grow. Speaking of the current editor, I would like to say a huge thank you to Kirsty Capes for doing an amazing job with Le Nurb and in her position as Media Chair. I wish you the best of luck in your post-Brunel life - not that you are going to need it! Lastly, I would just like to wish you a happy summer and say goodbye to all you final years - congratulations in advance on your graduation! Elisabeth Xx
04 NEWS
NEWS
PHOTO CREDIT: CHRIS RATHORE
“CONTROVERSY AND/OR POLITICAL TENSION”: STUDENT WINS LGBT FLAG BATTLE AFTER RESIDENCE OFFICIAL DEMANDS REMOVAL Kirsty Capes
The Brunel Accommodation website outlines rules for tenants living in any of the on-campus Brunel A Brunel student living in the Isambard accommodation complexes, including complex has won a tense battle with how a resident can and cannot Brunel’s accommodation services decorate their bedroom. The website after they emailed has regulations “The third year student her demanding on where posters, that she remove photographs received an email from an LGBT Pride and pictures can a Brunel Commercial flag from her halls be affixed, and employee in March asking rules that forbid accommodation window. that she remove the flag, ” “spray snow” on windows. There The third year are no regulations student received an email from a on flags displayed in windows. Brunel Commercial employee in March asking that she remove the The student contested the Residence flag, stating that “we don’t allow flags Officer’s request, citing the regulations in the window due to this causing and commenting that “it is my controversy and/or political tension”. understanding that the University
is now fully supportive of the LGBT Community and encourages events [and] posters in the University.” After the student challenged the initial instruction to remove her LGBT Pride flag, the accommodation employee claimed in a second email that “I was not aware of what the flag symbolised.” The employee’s email concluded: “we must ensure that all flags irrespective of what they symbolise are removed. All students who I emailed received the same email with the same wording.” After further resistance from the student, the employee conceded, saying: “We have had many situations in the past where flags have indeed
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caused many disputes between disadvantaged through direct or students which is why we have always indirect discrimination on the grounds asked to have them removed. We [of] sexuality [...] or political belief.” are not aware of all flags and the countries or any Brunel University’s other meaning Equality and “The accommodation they have and it D i v e r s i t y employee claimed in a is not intended to s t a t e m e n t second email that ‘I was offend anyone. reads: “It is the “We have had not aware of what the flag U n i v e r s i t y ’ s much discussion intention to symbolised.’” over the displaying support the of flags and have development of now decided that the flags can now a culture where all may live, study remain, there is no specific regulation and work without encountering which forbids flags.” prejudice or discrimination because of their gender, race, disability, sexual The Union of Brunel Students orientation, religion, belief or age.” implements an active equal opportunities and diversity policy, which states that the Union seeks to “prevent any members from being
NEWS
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PENCIL CRAYON POETRY: NEW WEBSITE FOR BRUNEL STUDENTS Verity Anne Jones
We’ll have two competitions running alongside each other at all times, so there’s plenty of opportunity for you to write, submit and be published.
You can do multiple submissions, if If you have any questions not you feel particularly inspired by the answered on the website feel free to prompts (or you are just a go-get- get in touch on twitter or facebook. ‘em kind of poet). You can submit Find us at: up to three poems per prompt each time. For more information about w w w . p e n c i l c r a y o n p o e t r y. c o m submitting visit our website www. pencilcrayonpoetry.com or follow/ To find out more: like/tweet us on our twitter and w w w. f a c e b o o k . “If you have any questions c o m / facebook pages!
Are you a Creative Writing student? Or a student who enjoys Our first two competitions are; writing creatively? Or a student who Conversations at Bedtime hates writing creatively, except for an - In the Attic odd affinity for poetry that you don’t really know where it came from, but All you have to do is write a poem it’s definitely there in whatever “We’ll have two in your heart? form, style, tone, Or are you just structure you competitions running nosey? responding alongside each other at all want, in at least a very times, so there’s plenty of tenuous way to Then Pencil Crayon Poetry is opportunity for you to write, the prompts, for you! – A poetry and submit. Not submit and be published.” website devoted to quench your to exhibiting the burning passion work of Brunel students, run by Brunel for poetry in the slightest but no odes Students and alumni. please!
not answered on the website
The closing date for these feel free to get in touch on twitter or facebook. “ competitions is May 20th – but don’t worry, if you miss this one, or you don’t fancy either of p e n c i l c r a y o n p o e t r y these prompts there will be two new prompts for you once this one has www.twitter.com/pencilpoetry @ closed. pencilpoetry
TRANSITION WEEK Transitioning? •
•
Attend departmental events to help you progress smoothly to your next level of study or understand dissertation requirements. Attend careers events to help you explore options for graduate jobs and placements and network with alumni.
Graduating? •
You can receive free careers advice for up to two years after graduation
•
You can continue to search for graduate jobs on the PCC’s jobs board
•
You can see careers staff over the summer- the PCC does stay open.
School of Professional Development Placement and Careers Centre 1st floor, Bannerman Centre careers@brunel.ac.uk 01895 266840
18th - 22nd
May 2015
*Programme of events Monday 18th May 10am-11am Career planning for Level 1 students 1pm-4pm National Graduate Recruitment Fair with CV drop-in 4:15pm-6:15pm Alumni career stories
Tuesday 19th May
9am-5pm Venture Programme pitching day
Thursday 21 May
9am-5pm Graduate Entrepreneurs Scheme pitching day
*These events are open to students from all degree disciplines. For the full schedule, inclusive of department events: www.brunel.ac.uk/pcc PLEASE RECYCLE
06 NEWS
BRUNEL STUDENT WINS TOP DESIGN PRIZE WITH SMINT
BRUNEL BUDDIES APPLICATIONS NOW OPEN Jasmin Nahar Brunel students can now apply to be a Brunel Buddy next academic year and help support a new student during their transition into university. Applications opened on April 20 and are due to close on May 13, but this is subject to change depending on the volume of applications. James Shanahan, Volunteers Assistant at Brunel, outlined some of the qualities a Brunel Buddy should have: “One thing that a Brunel buddy needs to be is reliable. It’s that sense of being proactive and independent and reaching out to your new student.
The next thing is to be a good communicator. They really have to make sure that they’re able to put their point across well. Also, be considerate and caring”. Applicants for the scheme can select a morning or afternoon slot for a training day on May 18th, and successful applicants need to ensure that they are free on Fresher’s Week so that they can meet their student. There’s also a Brunel Buddy social on September 22, for buddies and students to meet each other. In addition to the free training, Buddies will be given free coffee voucher, a Brunel Buddies hoody, and will gain volunteering hours.
The role of being a Brunel Buddy to a student lasts for four weeks, though James added that some new students feel they no longer need help after two weeks or so, but that in other instances a Buddy may want to occasionally check how their student is doing even after the four weeks are over. And on why students should consider applying, James said: “Because we were all in that situation once in our lives. At some point, we were new to something, whether it was university or school. Everyone can relate in one way or another, even if the Brunel buddy and the new student have nothing in common they’ll both be able to talk to each other about their first day at uni”.
BRUNEL CLIMBS INTO TOP 25 UNDER 50 Mehdi Punjwani Brunel University has ascended into the top twenty-five universities in the world under the age of fifty, according to The Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings. The university, which will celebrate its fiftieth birthday in 2016, came in 25th place, climbing four places from last years’ finish with a score of 47.8. This also places Brunel third amongst universities in the United Kingdom. This is the latest in a series of achievements awarded to Brunel, following the university climbing into the top 250 universities in the world last October, as well as the English and Creative Writing Department coming 6th in its field in the UK. Our very own Graphics Design student Inji HA is one of three winners chosen by UK’s leading sugar-free mint brand Smint, following its nationwide ‘Design our Cover’ competition.
competition:
“We challenged young creative minds to use our packaging as a blank canvas and the results have been inspirational. These stylish limited edition covers feature a 3-D effect It gave design students and artists that will bring the winners designs to a chance to create a ‘Fresh to life and we are proud to be supporting Impress’ limited edition cover for its these talented individuals in helping promotional packaging. We will see to drive their future design ambitions.” her artwork on Winner Inji Ha “We challenged young Smint Mint packs adds, across the UK from creative minds to use our this month. packaging as a blank canvas “As a graphic design student I’m and the results have been always doodling The nationwide search was and imagining inspirational.” launched through products with Smint’s Facebook page www. bold and eye-catching imagery, so facebook.com/SmintUK to discover I jumped at the chance to enter this the three winning covers. Inij’s ice competition. I was over the moon queen character design was a clear when I heard I was one of the three favourite with the judges. The limited winners, it’s the perfect way to get my edition designs will hit leading retailers artwork in the public eye and I am so throughout May. grateful to Smint for the opportunity. I can’t wait to see my design on the Smint product manager Shankar Iyer shelves.” discussed the motivations behind this
Professor Julia Buckingham, Vice Chancellor and President of Brunel University London, said: “As we mark our 50th birthday next year, it’s the perfect time to reflect on just how far we’ve come in such a short time. “Brunel is a young university, but an ambitious and dynamic one too. These rankings show that we are increasingly well-placed to take on our older competitors.” These words echo her sentiments from last year; “This latest ranking clearly demonstrates that we’re heading in the right direction - and it’s just reward for the immense efforts we’ve all made in the past few years.” Editor of the THE rankings Phil Baty said: “Those who make the list have managed to make a big global impact in competition with established, traditional institutions which have often had many centuries to accumulate wealth and reputation. “Brunel has done particularly well
to break into the top 25 this year, based on its impressive international outlook, and strong research citations score.” The indicators used by The Top 100 Under 50 ranking match those of the THE World University Rankings. These are grouped into categories entitled teaching, research, citations, industry income and international outlook. However, due to the list’s focus on universities under 50, the indicators are realigned to reflect the particular characteristics of these institutions, thereby giving less credence to subjective indicators of academic reputation. A full explanation of the Top 100 Under 50 methodology and scoring system can be found at www.thewur. com.
ROMANIAN TEAM ADOPTABOT CHALLENGE SUCCESS Interestingly, despite popular perceptions of Romania, they are one of the most technologically advanced countries in the world. A team composed of Romanian Romania has amongst the fastest students from Nicolae Balcescu internet connections of any country High School have beaten all UK- with download speeds at 60 mbps. based teams in a coding challenge. This is significantly faster than the The competition is known as the United Kingdom which only has a Adoptabot Challenge and this year download speed of 30.7 mbps. There was the second time it took place. is, additionally a rich history of coding in Romania with many pioneering Competing over Skype, their task was computer scientists such as Andrei to come up with an Alexandrescu who imaginative idea “Competing over Skype, their was a pioneer which uses some task was to come up with an in policy-based or all of a Finch imaginative idea which uses design and Grigore Robot’s functions. Moisil who is A Finch robot is some or all of a Finch Robot’s regarded as the functions.” a tool which is father of Romanian used in Computer computer science. Science education to teach students how to program in 12 different Every team in the competition was programming languages. supported by undergraduate mentors
Panny Antoniou
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from Brunel’s computer science department. The winning teams’ idea was a “ghost detector” which involved using the Finch’s lights and temperature sensors to search dark rooms for “ghostly” heat signatures which it then attacks. Dean of the College of Engineering, Design and Physical Sciences, Professor David Gilbert is quoted as saying “Adoptabot is a fantastic way to get the children involved in teamwork, concept design and problem solving. We were really pleased that the children showed creativity and confidence in their presentations.” Thank you to all the Brunel Students and staff who helped make this a success and congratulations to all who took part in the competition - both in the UK and abroad.
NEWS
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THE WOLF OF VINE STREET: EX BRUNEL STUDENT FACES £5MILLION EXTRADITION Shakoofeh Shah
the trading deals he made, authorities said. The outcome of the ‘flash crash’ in 2010 resulted in a $1 trillion loss in the financial market in the US, affecting companies worldwide.
Ex Brunel University student, Navinder Singh Sarao, 36, from Hounslow has been fighting extradition charges set at £5 million. The Justice Department added that The self employed, independent Mr. Sarao’s dealings led to a ‘book trader has been charged by the imbalance’ that potentially resulted US Justice in huge losses D e p a r t m e n t “Mr. Sarao has been accused leading to the with wire fraud, ‘flash crash.’ of ‘spoofing’ markets by commodities Sarao traded stock using automated software” fraud and market figures since May manipulation over 2008 for CME a period of several years. Group. The head of the CFTC said on Wednesday that it took nearly five Sarao’s manipulation of the stock years to charge Sarao because of the market figures contributed to the ‘size and complexity of U.S. financial downfall of the Wall Street ‘flash markets.’ crash’ five years ago. Sarao was arrested at his parents’ Mr. Sarao has been accused of home in Hounslow and has been ‘spoofing’ markets by using automated found with £5 million in a personal software enabling trading account, “Sarao was arrested at his which £4.7 million him to generate large sell orders parents’ home in Hounslow of the earnings are that pushed down to have come and has been found with £5 said stock prices. Once from a loan he making these million in a personal trading obtained. He has orders, Sarao also been linked account.” cancelled the with numerous trades and bought betting accounts contracts for much lower prices. He and his full extradition hearing will has benefitted from accumulating take place on 18th and 19th August over $40 million (£27 million) profit on 2015.
PHOTO CREDIT: GUARDIAN
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08 UNION NEWS
UNION NEWS
PHOTO CREDIT: TAKETHATPHOTO
UNION TO INVESTIGATE LIVING WAGE FOR STUDENT STAFF Adam White On Thursday 26th March 2015 a motion to investigate the implementation of a living wage by the student union was passed at Student Assembly. The motion; proposed by Adam White, UBS Bar Staff Supervisor, and seconded by Kirsty Capes; Media Association Chair, mandates the President and Vice President Community Welfare to investigate the implementation of a living wage within the student union, the possibility of unsociable hours pay, and to lobby the university to also
implement a living wage thus making all student opportunities fair with respect to pay campus wide.
members of the student assembly are able to express a vote.
In the case of the living wage motion; Adam White “Throughout the Spring spoke for the motion, with no Elections several of the choosing to candidates chose to express one speak against it, their support for the living but was unable to wage, which was appreciated participate in the vote.
The Student Assembly is the main decision making body with the union. It is where the elected officers, chairs and re p re s e nt at i ve s by student staff backing the meet, create motion.“ and oversee our Currently student guiding policies. staff employed by It also holds our officers and chairs the union work on three pay grades; to account as well as having an AG1 (£6.51), AG2 (£6.63), AG3 (£7.56) involvement in union campaigns and and AG4 (£8.14) with roughly 70development. All students are able 80% of student staff being paid to attend this event but only elected the AG1 rate and a small minority of
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supervisors on the AG3 and AG4 rates.
wage to be implemented.
Meanwhile; currently, the London Living Wage is £9.15/hr. Compared to other student opportunities across campus this is one of the lowest rates of pay; and with the union limiting staff hours to only 20 per week it is tough for student staff to earn what they need to survive and afford to study.
Throughout the Spring Elections several of the candidates chose to express their support for the living wage, which was appreciated by student staff backing the motion.
Recent union endeavors this year such as the lets cook scheme and the changes brought in by the referendum, involving the creation of a new full time and new part time officer position costing the union around £30,000 a year, would suggest that there is room in the budget for a living
Some of them have since begun working on the investigation into the motions implementation alongside the current President and VPCW. All those interested look forward to the much-anticipated results at the next Student Assembly or Union General Meeting.
UNION NEWS
STUDENT STAFF RECRUITMENT Adam White The Union of Brunel Students is currently looking for new members for the Student Staff Bar, Entertainments (Ents) and Reception team. Successful applicants will be able to begin training immediately with those taking up roles within the locos/ academy bars. Successful applicants will be expected to work the end of year Big Brunel Blowout event on the 22nd May.
Roles are for both regular and supervisor positions. Applicants will be expected to attend an interview with one of the venue managers; Phil Brownhill, Debbie Hunter and Entertainments Coordinator Adam Philpot. The positions available are: Student Activities Receptionist - run the day-to-day business of the reception dealing with student activities related queries and matters. Those taking up roles in Ents; will, under the Entertainments
ARC NEWS MAY 2015 STUDENT FINANCE ENGLAND APPLICATIONS - 2015/16 ACADEMIC YEAR Are you a Continuing full-time student? If so, you can now re-apply to Student Finance England (SFE) for your student funding. To ensure that your student finance is in place for the new academic year you are advised to submit your application as soon as possible. For a range of helpful tools and guidance visit the dedicated student finance zone at: www.thestudentroom. co.uk/studentfinance MOVING OUT OR IN SHORTLY? See the Arc website for their ‘Moving In Top Tips’ and ‘ARC Moving Out Top Tips’ to ease all your concerns.
nutrition, exercise and sleep. There is no need to go Olympic scale- just take it up a notch; · Drink plenty of water, and leave so called energy drinks alone. The caffeine crash is not worth it and will wipe you out. Dehydration equivalent to 1% of your body weight (so 800 g {less than a litre} for an 80 kg male for example) affects performance by 10% and this includes brain activity. · Break up your revision sessions by a walk and get some fresh air; this oxygenates the brain and improves blood-flow. · Have a nap; we understand the temptation (or panic!) to pull an all-nighter but at least have regular naps. Study after study showed that napping boosts brain-power. Sleep of around 45-60 minutes could improve learning and memory by fivefold! (the Journal of Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, March 2015)
EXAMS ARE COMING- PLEASE LOOK AFTER YOURSELF
Late is late. Period.
Your mind and memory are precious and need to be looked after. We often take care of our bodies but we forget that we can also improve our cognitive performance by hydration,
Please don’t arrive late to your exams as if you do you won’t be allowed to sit them. You should arrive at the venue at least 20 minutes before the published start time and wait
Coordinator, work to ensure the smooth running of student union events such as those held in Academy on a weekly basis; Gamma and Global for example, as well as Pub Quiz and Open Mic Night. The largest number of open roles available are within the Locos and Academy bars; here both regular and supervisor roles available. Successful applicants will join the Brunel Bar Staff Team working to ensure the smooth running of the bars on a daily basis and during Academy nights.
outside until instructed to enter. There is no leeway, no flexibility, no excuses. Candidates arriving after the published start time will be treated in the same way as a “no show”, and a mark of zero will be recorded for the examination. Check out the “What happens if I am late?” guide on the Examinations webpage Exam adjustments for students with additional needs Students with additional requirements must have reported to the Disability and Dyslexia Service (DDS) by 13th of March 2015 to ensure there is time for assessment, and for DDS to provide a support profile allowing schools to make the consequent arrangements. DDS however will continue to request exam adjustments right up to and including the exam period so you must contact them at brunel.ac.uk/ disability/ as soon as possible if you think you may need that help and discuss it with a DDS adviser. Do NOT even try You must NOT have your mobile phone, wearable technology, notes or other such items on your person in the exam room (you will have opportunity to put these items in a bag under your desk or on a side in the room, as directed by the Invigilator.) Do not
Contracts are zero hours; which enables for a large amount of ease in flexibility when it comes to working. If needed, staff are able to ask for time off to focus on academic or other commitments; similarly being able to work more when time allows. Swapping or getting someone to cover a shift is relatively simple. The entire student staff team has a thriving social scene also outside of work having run regularly monthly socials throughout this year; most notably hitting Superbowl Night and going to Thorpe Park for the day. If you’re interested in getting a part time job for the coming year get online and apply to join one of the write on your hands or try to take your mobile to the toilet. The chances of being discovered are very high- the Invigilators know all the tricks. And the consequences are harsh- disciplinary action is the last thing you’d want to experience! Coming and Going Once the examination starts, there are strict rules about leaving the room, for example to visit the toilet. During the first hour and last 30 minutes of an examination, any candidate with an exceptional requirement to leave the venue will be asked to wait. At other times, you will be accompanied to and from the toilet by the Invigilator. Read the boring stuff Take a few minutes to familiarise yourself with the examinations webpage- it could save you a lot of stress later. Check what your department says about things you can or you cannot take into the examinations room with you (such as permitted books, calculator, etc). Check and re-check the venue, the time and the journey options.
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best “clubs” on campus! Applications are available at: www. brunelstudents.com/whoweare/ studentstaff.
TUTORING@ BRUNEL Lauren Shiel It seems that 2015 has flown by, and now we’re already entering the exam and assessment period. We hope you’re spending lots of time outside revising in the sunshine while it lasts! We are all too aware though that once the exam panic sets in, it can reach breaking point. But we are here to help you. For this reason, we have created the Tutoring@Brunel policy initiative to make sure you are fully supported and prepared for the ups and downs of university life. Each of you should have a personal tutor throughout your time at university; a member of academic staff that you feel comfortable talking to and asking for advice. Your tutor will be keen to support you and give you guidance over the next month. They are here to help you and it’s completely confidential, so don’t hesitate in telling them about any of your worries. You never know, they might be able to offer a solution and if they cannot they will know who can! Don’t let little worries turn into big problems; see your tutor, they can help. If you’re not sure who your personal tutor is or if you have any questions about the policy, please see your course or programme handbook or visit your course reception.
GOOD LUCK! WE HOPE YOU KNOW ALL THE ANSWERS!
LET’S HELP NEPAL! Mehdi Punjwani On Saturday the 25th of April, a devastating earthquake struck Nepal. So far, the death toll has surpassed 6,000, with many still unaccounted for. The latest report confirmed 6,260 deaths, with around 14,000 injured and thousands missing.
PHOTO CREDIT: KIRSTY CAPES
at helping the rural areas of Nepal such as Gurkha and Lamjung, as most of the other organisations and charities have already been supporting the capital city Kathmandu.” The link can be found here: www. gofundme.com/sxhs5c4
Students and staff at Brunel University are helping to gather support for Nepal, and the university’s Nepalese Society has set up a Go Fund Me page to collect money for those affected by the natural disaster.
In addition to this, two academics from Brunel’s Health Economics Research Group, Subhash Pokhrel and Jeshika Singh, have set up a Just Giving site. The intention is for you to donate £3 and send the link to three (or more) friends to do the same, allowing the aid for Nepal to grow exponentially, and donations have been coming in from all over the world.
The society will also be collecting food and medicine donations on campus. Sajan Gurung from the Nepalese Society said: “We have been looking
Subhash said: “What’s happened in Nepal has been devastating and, while our own families over there have been fortunate, there are many who have
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suffered great loss. The earthquake has crippled the country and every help counts.” Jeshika added: “While thinking about where to send donations the first thought that came to mind was those who have become homeless, especially in rural areas where a typical village house is made of mud and wood. Rescuers are struggling to reach there so the actual loss is still unknown.” The link can be found here: www. tinyurl.com/pq378lk
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UNION NEWS
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STUDENT LED TEACHING AWARDS WINNERS Emma Jeremy The Student Led Teaching Awards are an annual celebration of exceptional teaching, hosted by the Brunel Student’s Union. Students can nominate lecturers, administrators and student-teachers for a number of different awards, the winners were announced at an awards evening on the 21st April. Winners made short speeches and were all honoured and touched by the recognition they had received, but the overarching theme of the evening was one of student-teacher support, with many winners commenting that it was the students, in fact, that deserved thanks. The academics stated that inspiration goes both ways in a teaching environment, and thanked their ‘exceptional’ students for motivating them.
The winners in full Exceptional Module Award – Ashley Brown for Socio-Cultural Contexts “Ashley Brown made an already interesting module the best that I have had during my entire time on the course.”
Innovative Teaching Award – Emmanouil Karteris
Outstanding Admin and Support Award – Emma Sigsworth
“Emmanouil is an amazing lecturer, with clear module slides, always prepared for his lectures.”
“Since I registered as a full time student I or my friends never faced any problems as Emma is there for us.”
Postgraduate Who Teaches Award – Michael Scott “Michael always takes a pro-active approach to check the progress of the students in his classes and builds a good rapport with his students.”
Personal Tutoring Award – Mauro Costantini “Mauro goes above and beyond.”
Feedback of the Year Award – Wayne Holloway-Smith “Wayne always gives personalised feedback on writing which has obviously been carefully thought through.”
Postgraduate’s Choice Award – Frazer Lee “Frazer has a unique way of making his lectures funny which means they are extremely engaging and entertaining.”
Inspirational Teaching Award – Christopher Parris “Dr Parris is one of the most enthusiastic lecturers that I have ever experienced. His passion for the subject is contagious.”
PHOTO CREDIT: UBS NIGHTLIFE
FIRST SOCMED AWARDS GO OUT WITH A BANG
Supervisor of the Year Award – Jill Collis
Hannah Jones
“Dr Collis is student orientated and is always looking to improve the student experience here at Brunel.”
On Saturday the 28th March, the first ever Societies and Media Awards evening took place.A Societies awards evening has been a long time coming, and when there was interest to host a media awards evening too, it seemed like natural fit to celebrate both of these activities together. Upon entering the venue, the live band Nuclear Banker performed for the guests as well as being presented with a photo reel on the main screen. The evening began with an introduction speech from both Societies Guild chair, Ali Milani and Media chair, Kirsty Capes; followed by a hot buffet. The presentation of the awards began; the societies guild chair, the media chair, members of the societies guild committee, the media association committee, the Vice President Student Activities, Hannah Jones and President, Martin Zaranyika presented the awards. The first awards and winners announced were: Academic Society of the Year - History; Le Nurb Article of the Year - Hillingdon Council: Let Us Vote!” by Adam Feneley; Political, Campaigning, and Causes Society of the Year – LINKS; Radio Show of the Year – The Gentleman; Faith, Belief, and World View Society of the Year – Islamic Society; Video Brunel Video of the Year – Freshers’ Fayre; Cultural Society of the Year – Deaf Society;
PHOTO CREDIT: MARCUS STEIN
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Le Nurb Journalist of the Year - Arthe Kandeepan. To break the evening up, the comedy society prepared a performance for attendees which had mixed reviews but was hilarious all the same! After the performance, more awards were announced: General Society of the Year – Circus; Radio Brunel Individual Broadcast of the Year - UBS Officers’ Question Time; Most Charitable Society of the Year - Photography & Volunteer Society of the Year – Islamic; Video Brunel Editor of Year – Karishma Chavda; Best New Society of the Year – Marrow; Le Nurb Editor of the Year - Victoria Sanusi; Committee of the Year – Comedy; Radio Brunel Committee Member of the Year – Ellis Davies; Society Person of the Year – Joshua Connelly and Video Brunel Videographer of the Year – Alice Morris. Before the final two awards were announced, the Musical Theatre society sang ‘Seasons of Love from the musical Rent.’ To finish the evening off, the final awards and winners declared were Society of the Year – Photography and Student Media Person of the Year – Victoria Sanusi. After months of planning and deciding on a venue, food, entertainment and the winners – the event was a great success and we look forward to making this an annual event to continue into the future.
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STANDING COMMITTEES AND LIBERATION OFFICERS ELECTED IN UNION BY-ELECTIONS Kirsty Capes Brunel students have elected their standing committees and liberation officers in the Union’s April byelections. Representatives were elected into a number of roles after a week of campaigning and voting which concluded with the announcement of the results on Friday 24 April. In total, 386 votes were cast in the election. The Raise and Give (RAG) Committee consists of six elected members, which will next year be chaired by Yasmin Simsek. Alexander Tyson, Ashlee Moyo, Amika Gandhi, Hannah
Sigston, Toni Doncaster and Zara Canfield were elected. The Societies Guild Committee elected representatives were Katie Dixon-Warren, Steph Maclean, Tara Edwards, Mohammed Khan and Robert Parritt. Next year the Committee will be chaired by Ben Martin, who was elected in the Spring Elections. The Sports Federation Committee elected representatives were Cam Barrows, Charlotte Lewis, Molly Rai, Rebecca Wilby, Toni Doncaster, Zara Canfield, Christopher Meadway and Tre Mitford. The Committee will be chaired next year by Ti ‘Oti’ Ojuyah. Positions new for this year’s by-
BRUNEL JOINS CROWDFUNDING SITE HUBBUB Panny Antoniou Brunel University have launched a new cooperation with Hubbub, a crowdfunding website. Crowdfunding is the raising of an investment through a large amount of people who all give small amounts to help the creators of a new idea get capital. This is often on the internet on specialised crowdfunding websites and can sometimes include viral marketing videos to draw the attention of potential backers. In addition, people who donate are often given a free gift to thank them for their generosity. Hubbub aims to make crowdfunding more accessible for educational establishments and charities and has signed a number of partnerships with other universities as well as Brunel There are a number of previous examples of successful crowdfunding and crowdfunders are able to raise more than they ask for as long as the project remains online. One previous
example of successful crowdfunding is computer game Star Citizen which raised over £52m, when the only asked for $500,000; making it the largest crowdfunding project to date. In addition, Rainbow Pencils raised £42,000 on crowdfunding website Kickstarter and is the brainchild of Brunel alumnus Duncan Shotton, showing that it is possible for students to succeed and do well at crowdfunding. In addition to Hubbub providing a platform for students to pitch their ideas, Brunel University London also provides free publicity and promotion for any ideas. They have offered to share all submissions on their website as well as with their 13,000 Twitter followers and 45,000 Facebook fans. This provides students with a great opportunity to get funding for any projects without having to sell their ideas to a large company, thus giving them more control over their concept.
elections were the Liberation Officers, who will make up the Equality and Diversity Committee and who will represent liberation and minority groups at important Union and University meetings as part of the Union’s governance restructure. Wangu Mureithi was elected as BME Students’ Officer and Ryan Raghoo was elected as the Disability and Dyslexia Representative Officer. After a tight race between six different women, Christina Franklin was elected the Union’s new Women’s Officer. Student Media elections also took place, and the student body elected current News Section sub-editor Elisabeth Mahase as the new Editor in
Chief of Le Nurb. Elisabeth has been working on Le Nurb for the past year as a News sub-editor and hopes to improve the newspaper’s visibility on campus. She said: “I’m so excited for the next year. Le Nurb is getting better every issue and I look forward to continuing the amazing work of this year’s team” Alice Morris was re-elected as Video Brunel’s Executive Director after holding the position for a year. One of Alice’s key manifesto points was to encourage engagement between Video Brunel and the wider student body by communicating better with volunteers, clubs and societies. She said: “I am incredibly overwhelmed with all the support and confidence
the students of Brunel have given me, I can’t wait to continue my work at video Brunel! Watch this space!” Also elected onto the Media Association Committee, which will be chaired next year by incumbent Media Association Chair Becky Collins, were Lizzie Blake (secretary) and Adam White (web officer). The positions of Media Treasurer, Media Union Liaison, Societies Guild Committee Member and LGBT+ Liberation Officer had no candidates in this election, and therefore the posts we re-open for nominations in the October by-elections.
LABOUR PROMISES CHANGES TO PRIVATE RENTING Jasmine Brathwaite Labour promise major reforms to the private renting sector if elected on May 7th Labour hope these changes will end the exploitation of many students and families who are forced to pay lettings agents fees before they can rent a property. Chris Summers, Labour candidate for Uxbridge and South Ruislip says: “One of the main improvements for students that a Labour government would introduce is reforms to the private rented sector. “Labour will make it illegal for lettings agents to charge any fees to tenants. Any money the lettings agents will get must come from the landlords. “Labour will also make other changes which will benefit tenants. Personally I would like to see them go further and introduce rent controls.” The Party also hope to introduce long term fixed tenancies with a rent cap to give families and students stability. However, not everyone agrees this is a good idea. Conservative mayor Boris Johnson told the BBC he believed rent controls would be a “disastrous policy.” Brunel student Ikran Dahir said : “Living off campus has been a nightmare for me. Landlords don’t want to give students the chance to even get a tenancy, and if they do then lettings agents want you to pay extortionate fees for no reason. It’s not fair and I hope all Party’s can take this on board.”
PHOTO CREDIT: BEN LUNATO-DOYEN
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PHOTO CREDIT: GLOUCESTER CITIZEN
UNION NEWS
INTERVIEW: MIKE COX (LIBERAL DEMOCRATS) Shakoofeh Shah
In an exclusive interview with Liberal Democrats running candidate for the 2015 May elections, Mike Cox spoke to Le Nurb about the party’s aims and policies to win the votes of the people. Mike Cox answered a series of questions about all the issues and challenges that the party are willing to tackle. What are the main aims and policies of the Liberal Democrats in the May general election? The Lib Dems have 2 key themes in its 2015 election manifesto namely building a stronger economy and creating a fairer society: To build a stronger economy - we must set the foundations for growth by ensuring a revival of manufacturing, investing in infrastructure, reforming our banking sector and playing an active part in the global economy: We must build a modern sustainable economy by investing in Green jobs, building new homes and upskilling our economy: we must also work harder to help those people struggling to make ends meet through a fairer tax system, more childcare assistance and better paid work. To create a fairer society - we must ensure every individual realises their potential by giving children a fair start, improving schools and standards and providing pathways to further and higher education: we must create a country fit to live in by improving healthcare, reforming pensions, create safe communities and preserve our cultural heritage.
What changes will the party make to ensure that the voice of youth in this constituency are heard and to ensure that the younger generation of Uxbridge and South Ruislip are encouraged to vote? The Lib Dems have long believed that young people should be encouraged to vote from a young age. It is a long standing commitment to reduce the voting age to 16. Personally I have for a long time devoted my spare time to the interests of young people whether through being a School governor, Uxbridge College governor or trustee of youth sport charities. It is vitally important that the younger generation get actively involved otherwise there will increasingly be a growing inequality between the generations What will the party do differently to its opposing party’s? The Liberal Democrats exist to build and safeguard a fair, free and open society, in which we seek to balance the fundamental values of liberty, equality and community and in which no one shall be enslaved by poverty, ignorance or conformity. We are not beholden to any paymasters like big business or the Trade Unions. Members of the party create its policies through a completely open and transparent process. This means that as a party we will consult rather than dictate, we will listen rather than lecture and we will compromise rather than impose. How will the party appeal to the ethnic minority in this constituency? One of the most important policy areas for the ethnic minority community is that of education. The Liberal Democrats have long been supporters of greater investment in the country’s education system through improved standards,
providing support and funding (such as the pupil premium) to those communities in most need.
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PHOTO CREDIT: LIBDEMS
Will the party consider or try to help solve the financial crisis that many students are suffering from i.e debt from borrowing loans, high rent payments to landlords? The debt from student loans are only repayable once you start earning over £25,000 and are written off in any case after 30 years if they cannot be repaid. The current system is in effect a “graduate Tax” which has been capped. Far more progressive than that which was recommended by the Brown commission set up under Labour which the Conservatives would have enacted wholesale. This system has seen a big increase in student numbers from disadvantaged backgrounds. The high rents paid to landlords are however a different and more pressing problem. Our solution to this would be to simply build many more homes. There has been a chronic underinvestment in house building by all parties over the last 30 years and this needs to be reversed What will the party promise to the people of Uxbridge and South Ruislip in this general election is order to gain the public’s vote? I have set out above the Liberal Democrats key themes in its 2015 manifesto. My personal promise is that because I live amongst the people of Uxbridge and Ruislip (and have done for nearly 30 plus years) I will always be there for you, I will always listen to your concerns, I will always tackle the problems that matter to you and I will always fight on your side over the issues that matter What challenges does the party face that they are working towards to overcome? The Party’s major challenge is the same as it has always been which is being able to get its message out to as many people as possible. Historically this has been very hard having none of the newspaper media moguls on your side. The advent of the internet has lessened this but it is still a major hurdle.
MIKE COX: LIB DEMS WANT A FAIR VOTING SYSTEM Victoria Sanusi Mike Cox says ‘the Liberal Democrats have long campaigned for a fair voting system.’ The Liberal Democrats candidate for Uxbridge and South Ruislip says “the closure of the Brunel polling station is undoubtedly a cynical ploy by the local council to make it more difficult for younger people to vote.” He adds that the change in the voter registration methods whilst on the
face of it seems sensible has done significantly disenfranchised younger people.
register to vote in the library until the 20th April.
Despite the In October, rejection, the “In October, Hillingdon Hillingdon council Unions held council rejected the proposal a rejected the petitioned, by the Union of Brunel proposal by the which gained Union of Brunel supporters students to have a polling 575 students to have a i n c l u d i n g station on campus. “ polling station on Prospective campus. parliamentary candidate, Graham Lee. The removal was due to low electoral registration amongst students. Voting The Green Party candidate said counts, CEO & Founder, Kerri Prince “it is important to increase voter was encouraging Brunel students to engagement, not put extra obstacles
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in the way of students voting.” Jasmine Brathwaite, a Journalism student at Brunel said: “it’s so unfair that there are no polling stations of campus. Its exam season, I don’t really have time to go to find the nearby polling station in Uxbridge.” Nivine Arafa, a Journalism student at Brunel added: “I’m not very good with directions so I don’t see myself searching for a polling box in Uxbridge town. I reckon they have lost loads of voter by not putting a polling station on campus.”
Cox said the Liberal Democrats were the first party to propose reducing the voting age to 16. He says “As Liberal Democrats we are committed to ensuring young people stand up and be heard. For example I am aware of a recent competition to try and get more young people to register.” Find out more about the Liberal Democrats competition: http://www. libdems.org.uk/new-competitionlaunched-to-encourage-students-toregister-to-vote
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FEATURES
THE GIRL WITH THE INVISIBLE ILLNESS opened amazing new doors!”
Pauline Kingston As Lottie sits down for our interview, she seems very different from what I had imagined. She looks nothing less than the picture of health, but that is only what my eyes can see. Charlotte, also known as Lottie, suffers from Hypermobility EDS (Ehlers– Danlos Syndrome), a rare genetic condition that causes the joints of her body to be loose and unstable, which can cause dislocations. “I love animals!” she says while playing with her cat, “They can cheer you up when you feel low. Is that the crazy animal lady side of me coming through?” she laughs, breaking the ice between us. I start by asking general questions about her illness. “EDS has changed my life dramatically. Nothing is the same. It has ruined many dreams, but
At only sixteen, Lottie was diagnosed with joint hypermobility. Though she reveals it was a relief to finally have a diagnosis, “It was hell not knowing what was going on with my body. A diagnosis gave me a sense of direction. When you are diagnosed you feel so alone, but then you join communities and get to know so many people that have it.” she says. All her life, Lottie has suffered with constant pain. She tells me what it’s like living with EDS. “My life is so
“Do not judge people because there isn’t something visibly wrong. A lot of chronic conditions are invisible to the naked eye.” different from most people my age. I need help around the house doing most things. I use a wheelchair all the time and my joints can dislocate whenever, making every moment highly unpredictable. I am unable to
work or go out alone and I have to plan everything ahead. I can’t pop to my local shop when I run out of milk. I have to wait until someone is with me.” When asked how EDS affected the people around her, she replies with disappointment, “Some friends walked away. It was very difficult for my family to understand my needs. They tried to get me to do a lot of stuff I wasn’t capable of doing, assuming it was for the best. It just made me feel worse.” She is quick to add, however, how supportive and encouraging they have been despite this, keeping her spirits high and making her feel like anything is still possible. As Lottie continues describing her life to me I realise that, to my surprise, Lottie has managed to come to terms with her situation. “I am a firm believer that you are only given what you are strong enough to deal with. I am one of the very few that has been unfortunate enough to have EDS, however I am strong enough to handle it.” she says.
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I suddenly realise that Lottie is just like any normal 21-year-old girl. She just wants to enjoy her life. She is very mature, free-spirited and kind - she wishes to help people with similar problems. Through social
“Knowing that even when I feel at my worst I can still make others smile is the best feeling in the world!” media, Lottie has been trying to raise awareness about her condition, as well as campaigning against bullying. “My condition is invisible, so to the naked eye no-one would know what is wrong with me. I have been victim to verbal abuse for walking differently and being in a wheelchair when I am out,” she says bitterly. “Bullying is disgusting! And it can kill, literally! I know people who have taken their own life because of bullying.” Later, I ask her about what her dreams and aspirations are. She says that she wants a normal life with her family and her long term goal is to get
married and, if possible, have a child. “My boyfriend has sacrificed so much for me and he always makes me feel like I am the most beautiful girl in the world,” she says smiling. As for her plans for the future, she wants to launch her own charity and continue raising awareness for EDS. As we finish our interview, I think about how admirable Lottie is to have overcome her difficulties. Talking to her has really made me reflect on my own life and appreciate all the things I have. Before I go, I ask Lottie for one piece of advice. “Never be afraid to be the person you really want to be.” she says, “The only person who can make you 100% happy is yourself. Always believe in yourself and don’t allow the thoughts of others to control your actions.” If you wish to learn more about Lottie or get in touch with her to help raise awareness, go to her website at www. edslottie.com or search ‘edslottie’ on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
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STUDENT NEWSPAPERS, STUDENT UNIONS AND THE CREEPING CULTURE OF CONTROL Kirsty Capes As the outgoing editor for Brunel’s student newspaper Le Nurb, I’ve seen two years of development and growth within the student media community at my University. Here, our fat cat executives are painted as villains, cutting bursaries and services, and getting bankrolled by the students’ money. Our Vice Chancellor recently signed a letter supporting £9k tuition fees. But somehow, the biggest conflicts and obstacles do not come from the University when it comes to censorship, but from within our very own students’ unions; the ones who will insist that they are here to represent students. Student journalism across the country is changing very rapidly, and a lethal concoction of censorship, austerity and apathy is helping these changes flourish.
When I started writing for my student newspaper I expected to be publishing difficult and critical revelations about the senior management in the top tiers of the University’s infrastructure. What I didn’t expect was the continued and systematic censorship forced upon myself and my fellow reporters by our own Students’ Union. A Students’ Union is there to represent its students. On the whole, Brunel’s Union does a very good job at this; they listen to students and implement their feedback and concerns where they can. They are constantly looking for new ways to make students’ lives at Brunel better. What seems to be the case not only at Brunel but at universities up and down the UK is that while Unions represent the ‘lay-student’ very well, they do not consider those working on their campus newspapers to be in the same category of ‘student’ as everyone else.
Unions see student journalists as both a nuisance or threat; and a free staff member who can leave their studies and their job at the drop of a hat to promote whatever initiative they see fit. This mentality is allowed to go ahead because students’ unions are being run by corporate executives
“How is it okay that I, as a student representing my peers, cannot hold my Union to account for their behaviour?” who puppet their sabbatical officers and impose crippling restrictions on anyone who attempts to speak out against their behaviour. More worryingly, students’ unions will go to extraneous lengths to protect the reputation and assets of themselves and their affiliated University. A narrative of censorship is a common
experience amongst student reporters at universities. Contributors are often genuinely afraid of writing anything that might be seen to criticise their Union for fear of repercussions. After speaking to other Union-funded newspapers across the UK, I have come to realise that there is a creeping culture of control in terms of how Unions interact with their student media.
Unions are more than happy to utilise their publication to advertise their club nights, their discount schemes, or other Union initiatives. But as soon as something unsavoury crawls out of the woodwork regarding the Union and how it operates, communication paths are shut down and journalists are left in the dark or feeling such pressure not to write a story that they choose to stay silent. The actions of Unions toward student media is a combination of tactical censorship and fear mongering so
that they can keep the student press in their back pocket. How is it okay that I, as a student representing my peers, cannot hold my Union to account for their behaviour? Student media is, and always has been, a platform for students to voice the issues that matter to them. We cannot accurately represent our students if we suffer from constant fear of being gagged by the Union for the sake of reputation. Relationships are based upon a huge power imbalance and a dependency, and Unions use it to bully and silence their student newspapers. As an institution with a duty of care and advocacy to its members, this behaviour is absolutely not acceptable. Student reporters feel that they cannot report upon the stories that are the most important and vital to their readers. It has to stop.
BRUNEL MARROW Kerry Dixon At the Society and Media awards last month, the ‘Best New Society of the Year’ award went to Brunel Marrow! But Wait a minute? Who are they?
military style obstacle race, in order to raise important funds (by the way our amazing runners raised over £1500!). This academic year an amazing 165 Brunelians joined the register through our events but we want to make that number even higher!
Who are Brunel Marrow?
Isn’t donating bone marrow painful?
No, we’re not a society for people who can’t get enough of the dark green vegetable. We’re actually interested in a different kind of marrow, the stuff you find in your bones because for some, that marrow can be the difference between life and death.
This is a very common myth! You’ll be under general anaesthetic so there won’t be any pain during the procedure, though afterwards, you’ll probably feel a bit tired and bruised, and you might We are also always “We are a student run have to take a eager to gain few days rest. To branch of Anthony Nolan, a new volunteers. be a match for charity that saves the lives R u n n i n g someone you of people with blood cancers recruitment and and other blood disorders fundraising events need to have the every day.” same tissue type is a lot of work (HLA type) so it’s and volunteers very hard to find a match. are crucial in ensuring they happen. Our volunteers help in everything The first place to start searching is from planning the events, to ordering within the family and 30% of people supplies and even counselling people needing a transplant do get one from who want to join the register. a relative. However, that means a massive 70% rely on a stranger to If you would like to get involved in save their life. the society next year, please contact us on social media or email brunel@ At the moment the current odds for ukmarrow.org. being a match for someone is 1 in 1200 but because Marrow groups Marrow groups now exist in over 40 focus on recruiting young, fit donors it UK universities, as well as 7 more means that 1 in 100 people signed up internationally. So why not spread the by Marrow actually go on to donate. word and help ensure that everyone Unfortunately, at the moment who needs a lifesaving transplant can Anthony Nolan can’t find matches for get one! everyone who needs one, and that’s why it’s so important we sign more people onto the register.
We are a student run branch of Anthony Nolan, a charity that saves the lives of people with blood cancers and other blood disorders every day. Anthony Nolan match incredible donors willing to donate their blood stem cells or bone marrow to people with blood cancer and blood disorders who desperately need lifesaving transplants. What do Brunel Marrow do? Our aim is to sign people, like you, onto the Anthony Nolan register. Why? Because, young people make the best donors! You’re healthy, active and can stay on the register until you’re 60!
PHOTO CREDIT: UNION OF BRUNEL STUDENTS
Not only that, but we also fundraise for Anthony Nolan. Adding people to the register is expensive. It costs around £100 to add just one person so that’s why you may have seen us running around campus dressed as superheroes for Anthony Nolan’s ‘Hero Day’ or spotted pictures of us struggling through mud when we completed ‘The Major Series’, a 12km
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Sounds great! How can I help? You just have to be 16-30, weigh over 7st 12lbs (50kg) and be in good
health to become a lifesaver! If you’re interested in joining the register we will be back on campus in September running recruitment events. Keep an eye on our Facebook (facebook.com/brunelmarrow) or Twitter (@BrunelMarrow) accounts to find out when our next event is. If you can’t wait until then you can also order a kit online which allows you to join the register from home - you can visit anthonynolan.org to find out more about this process.
16 FEATURES
#RECLAIMTHEBINDI: A BACKLASH AGAINST CULTURAL APPROPRIATION Martha Salhotra Both the married and unmarried Hindu woman is often the first figure attached to the wearing of a bindi, a term which in Sanskrit means ‘round’ or ‘drop’. The bindi decorates the forehead between the eyes and has religious connotations. It is also a symbol of beauty, femininity, sexuality and even fertility, and some additionally believe it to foster a mystical meaning, representing a third eye that awakens the inner sight. However, the bindi is not exclusive to
“There are certain cultural and religious boundaries that shouldn’t be crossed under the pretences of selfexpression” Hindu women, and is firmly rooted in South Asian culture overall, taking on a variety of meanings. For the last 7 months, ‘Reclaim the Bindi’ has been campaigning through Tumblr and Twitter to fight cultural appropriation and scrutinize a growing number of non-South Asian females wearing the bindi as a fashion statement or a ‘festival look’, often without consideration of its widespread cultural and religious meanings. In erasing the bindi’s context, its cultural appropriation means that while a fashion season changes and the bindi appears ‘in trend’ during one season, by the next,
it could be considered less ‘trendy’ and ‘stylish’. “Since day one, my aim with this campaign has been to educate and empower”, says the anonymous face behind the ‘Reclaim the Bindi’ campaign. “There’s no single end goal, per se, but to bring awareness to the struggles of South Asians, provide a platform for us to speak, and to curate safe spaces for Desis to go to while fighting these fights”. Indeed, while fashion seasons change with the ebb and flow of things, cultural seasons usually tend not to. The ‘Reclaim the Bindi’ campaign is therefore a revolt against the likes of celebrities like Iggy Azalea, Vanessa Hudgens and Kylie Jenner, all of whom have more recently worn the bindi in music videos or shared pictures wearing it through social media. As music festival Coachella approached last year - and even this year - an increasing amount of articles and YouTube videos promoted wearing the bindi. ‘Reclaim the Bindi’ raises the pivotal issue of more dominant groups wearing the bindi in an undeniably problematic, offensive and hypocritical way, and particularly since many South Asian females have faced ostracism from the same dominant groups for wearing the bindi as part of their cultural traditions, which stretch back thousands of years. The campaign highlights how the bindi is now becoming more acceptable,
beautiful and normalised as nonSouth Asian celebrities are pictured wearing it or endorse it through their music videos and social media, which subsequently spurs others to do the same. Talking about the movement, the anonymous campaigner behind it says she is reclaiming the bindi because of “the number of times I rubbed off my kumkum after leaving the temple because I didn’t want to be ostracized. The way I tried to hide my pattu langas under my coat as a little kid because I didn’t want to be seen as different. The absurd amount of racial micro-aggressions I was forced to face as a Desi growing up in America. On me, my culture was a reason to be harassed, but why is it so amazing on someone else?” But what about claims that now, people in South Asian countries are also adopting Western cultural habits on a greater level? It is incredibly easy to visit contemporary India, for example, and see that a lot of the youth want to adopt Western cultural behaviours and implement these within their own social reality, especially as they are exposed to more choice. While it is frustrating for many second generation South Asian females in particular to see the bindi, a cultural tradition they have felt ashamed of in the West, being reinstated and upheld as something ‘fashionable’ or ‘exotic’, the @reclaimthebindi Twitter
PHOTO CREDIT: DIBESH THAKURI
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account often retweets claims that “brown girls do it better”. While the cause is definitely empowering and an important one, it can be unnerving to see a backlash that for some, may border on confrontational and threatening rather than ‘educational’. As such, while it is refreshing to see these South Asian women uniting, taking numerous pictures of themselves wearing a bindi and sharing it across social media, does it potentially create and perpetuate a further divide between “us” and “them”? The campaigner firmly disagrees: “I’ve tried to, since the start, keep a polite tone and positive outlook no matter the responses I get. Tone policing, unfortunately, is something you often see when PoC try to speak up about their struggles... unless we making it pleasing to privileged ears, we are brushed off as angry and bitter... there are certain cultural and religious boundaries that shouldn’t be crossed under the pretences of self-expression... when talking about Desis wearing ‘Western clothing’, we must take into consideration forced assimilation, colonialism, etc. South Asians (and all PoC, for that matter) have been fighting a never-ending battle against white supremacy, and being forced to wear clothes that Western society deems acceptable has been a part of our oppression. We don’t wear these things for fun, we wear them for survival. Because of this, we cannot compare me wearing a pair of jeans to a white girl wearing a bindi to feel ‘boho’ or ‘hipster’. The racial power dynamics at play aren’t the same... by telling white people to not use cultural and religious symbols that don’t belong to them, we are by no means being prejudiced or discriminatory, either. How are we marginalizing anyone by informing them to not take something out of context they shouldn’t be using anyway?”
While it is questionable whether ‘force’ plays into it, it must be factored in that it is a minority of females who wear the bindi and who are not South Asian, and that even within this minority, the intent may not be to superimpose their white privilege on another culture or trivialise the meaning behind the bindi. And what of those South Asian females who wear the bindi without any religious intent, and merely as a fashion accessory that compliments the rest of their outfit? Should we not be scapegoating them too? It is also hard to dismiss that many contemporary South Asian countries are also shifting their view of the bindi as it occupies again, a more stylish premise. In the UK itself, the bindi began emerging in mainstream culture in 1990s as Asian and dance culture meshed together, and soon after came the release of No Doubt’s single ‘Just a Girl’, showing Gwen Stefani wearing one in the video. Even so, the ‘Reclaim the Bindi’ campaign taps into a relevant issue that demonstrates how the bindi should not be decontextualized. As #reclaimthebindi continues to gain momentum and continues to trend on Twitter and Tumblr, the campaign proves it is the mouthpiece for a larger problem that has been avoided for too long. It is most fitting to end with a quote by Jarune Uwujaren, whose writing the campaigner swears by: “so as free as people should be to wear whatever hair and clothing they enjoy, using someone else’s cultural symbols to satisfy a personal need for selfexpression is an exercise in privilege”.
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20 FEATURES 22 FEATURES
PHOTO CREDIT: RESOLUTESUPPORTMEDIA
A CHANCE FOR A BETTER LIFE: THE AFGHAN WOMEN’S GROUP, HAYES Julie Valeur Offering a chance for integration and education to Afghan women living in Hayes was what Khalida Obeid gambled on when setting up the Afghan Women’s Group. To this day it proves to be a success. Every Wednesday afternoon, between 15 and 20 Afghan women attend the group with their young children to take part in various courses. These range from English courses, to parenting or confidence building and mostly aim to improve their quality of life and integration into the community. Khalida Obeid, coordinator and interpreter for the Afghan Women’s Group said, “the purpose is empowering Afghan women, and helping them to integrate the community, build their confidence and self-esteem and come out of isolation and depression and settle down to this country.” It all started in 2004 along the HOPE (Health Opportunities Promotion & Education) Project designed to
help Asylum seekers and Refugees of Hillingdon. At that stage, the group intended to support Afghan women seeking asylum, but Ms Obeid was very committed to bring improvements to their lives. Concerning her engagement, she said, “I know their pain, I know their culture and I know what is really going on in the Afghan community and the society because I am one of them.” It quickly became the Afghan Women’s Group: open to all Afghan Women in
“The second purpose of the group is to tell them they have rights and what they are entitled to”. the area and hoping to make a change to their lives. With this in mind, learning English is one of their first steps towards a better life. Khalida Obeid explained that in Afghanistan, her home country, women were rarely allowed access to education and as a result a lot of them are illiterate even in Dari and Pashto, Afghanistan’s native languages.
Learning English benefits them greatly: it leads to a better integration into the community, and means that they become more independent.
with her children. It’s just simple things like that, which we take for granted because when we grow up that’s what our parents do with us.”
Najiba, who moved to London in 2011 said, “I learn English because I want to be able to do everything by myself. I want to be an independent woman and not always depend on my husband.”
Another main feature of the group is to empower these women and build their self-esteem. Ms. Goodall explained, “The second purpose of the group is to tell them they have rights and what they are entitled to”.
However, English is only one course among a great variety offered by the group. A parenting course was introduced after one of the mothers discovered her 15 year-old son was involved in a gang. Sarah Goodall, who has been working at the group’s “crèche” (nursery) for 3 years, explained “The purpose of the group is firstly to demonstrate how to interact with their children, to help them to tackle routine, things like sleep, dummy, sweet, foods that aren’t right for them, things that are.
Most of them were unable to have a complete education, while others could not pursue one at all. The language barrier and the lack of education make it a struggle for the women to attend college or get a degree. The group aims to give them confidence while developing their need to seek knowledge. Ms. Obeid said, “I have so many cases of women that went to college or that can now drive. Also for example, we saw a lady who was so passive last week and this week she was so assertive”.
“There are a lot of new things they learn here and a lot of things that they didn’t know. For example, one parent didn’t know she had to read books
Ms. Obeid tries her best to ensure that the women can get involved in the community. For that purpose, she invites professionals. The group
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have already welcomed a police representative, and a social worker. They also got to experience life in their new country by travelling to the London Zoo and Hyde Park. However, we must not forget that the group does not only benefit the women; their children also get a lot from it. Ms. Obeid explained, “the kids spend all their time with their mum and they don’t know how to be separated from them, so with the group they learn how to be even if their mum isn’t there.” The group also enables the women to help their children with school work. Najiba explained, “The group helps me so after, I am able to help my daughter with homework and school”. The Afghan Women’s Group provides a great service for these women, empowering them to reach their potential in an situation which, without the group, would likely have made it impossible. The full names of some sources could not be given for security reasons.
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RESEARCHERS IN SCHOOLS Ross Neilson Working at the Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission, I was shocked to see the extent of which the background of a child affects their educational outcomes. In London, just 3% of children who took GCSEs in 2008/09 and were eligible for free school meals progressed to Russell Group universities in 2011/12. Universities such as Brunel offer many huge opportunities to students, opening doors for future careers, higher incomes and also providing a well-rounded life experience. However recent research by the LSE and Manchester University showed that there has been a small but noticeable decline in results amongst those who come from the most deprived backgrounds. The attainment gap is widening and this needs to stop. That is why I am now working for Researchers in Schools, a programme that aims to tackle educational inequalities head on by giving state school pupils the same opportunity offered by many schools in the private sector: the chance to learn from graduates with a PhD in their chosen subject. Researchers in Schools is the world’s only teacher training course that requires applicants to have a PhD in their subject and that leads to Qualified Teacher Status. This is a great career choice for post-graduates who want to pass on the knowledge and passion they have for their subject whilst maintaining an academic profile and continuing to pursue their research. We want pupils in London to benefit from the cutting edge expertise of Brunel post-grads and we are able to offer salaries of up to £40,000, not including contributions from leading businesses, including Nationwide, Goldman Sachs, Shell and Northern Gas Networks, who understand the importance of increasing subject specialist knowledge in our non-
selective state schools. I’ve seen first-hand how Researchers in Schools can make a real difference to the lives of young people when we conducted our pilot in London over the last year. From over 200 applications, we took on 20 post-grads, all with excellent communications and interpersonal skills. They are already making an impact in their schools, often working closely with their corporate sponsors. I was lucky enough to see Dr Richard Branch who, after a spell at Harvard, is teaching at a school down the road from his old secondary school. I joined him on a trip to GlaxoSmithKline with his class to tour the facilities and meet Formula One driver Jenson Button at a training unit. I saw the excitement on the faces of his pupils, who would have normally struggled to understand the opportunities engineering has to offer had Richard not expanded their horizons. Likewise, Dr Clara Souza Silva is conducting research into exoplanets and hopes to find a potentially habitable Earth 2.0. She also acts as an education co-ordinator for Twinkle, a UK-led and gender-balanced space mission all whilst teaching at Isleworth and Syon School for Boys.
PHOTO CREDIT: YANN BEAUSON
REVOLUTION? Anonymous
Researchers in Schools is a win-win offer. Pupils benefit from inspiring, world class teachers whilst PhD graduates get a unique opportunity to take their interests further and inspire the next generation of engineers, scientists and business leaders.. Brunel students have a role to play here and I hope that you will join us in helping tackle educational underachievement whilst enjoying all the other benefits we have to offer.
Like so many people at university, I’m being told that now is when life really starts. But one thing at the back of my mind has been bothering me - I am not sure what is happening out in the world. Since I started university, so much has happened in the world of politics and media. Groups that are often silenced or ignored are beginning to speak out. There seems to be an increased culture of anger and unrest, and it’s as if the powers that be have no time to talk to the population, face to face. Perhaps it’s always been like this, and I’ve only just begun to notice, but I can’t help feel that the tide may be changing.
To find out more and apply online visit www.researchersinschools.org – the closing date for this year is 4 May 2015. Please contact us if you have any questions.
“His constant use of the word ‘revolution’ seems to suggest I am part of some kind of change, but am I?”
Ross
Neilson,
Managing
Director,
People in the UK will be voting on the 7th of May and it will be the first time I have been able to vote. Though I fully intend to vote - knowing, as a woman, how important it is to exercise my right to democracy - I have heard many different opinions on this matter. Some argue that young people shouldn’t vote, while others argue that we shouldn’t waste this privilege. It seems that this election has caused a sort of uprising. Recently, I’ve started watching The Trews, presented by Russell Brand. I haven’t taken much notice of him until now. He claims to tell the truth about what the politicians do, how governments work and seems to expose an unknown world to us. Everything he says seemed to make sense, perhaps because of the simple(ish) language he uses. But then it occurred to me that Russell Brand is no different to the politicians who are begging for my vote. He is trying to sell me an ideology which, upon further inspection,
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seems unrealistic and far reached. His constant use of the word ‘revolution’ seems to suggest I am part of some kind of change, but am I? I still wake up in the morning feeling the same, I got to university where I pay an arm and a leg for a small bottle of water, and I still buy overpriced coffee and sit in the same library, staring at all the blank faces of people who are probably losing their minds too. He makes me feel like I’m out there, doing something, fighting the good fight - but I’m not. I then started following Sweets Way Resists, a campaign trying to stop the social cleansing in the housing estates of Annington Homes and Barnet Council. I’d never felt so attached to a cause. Recently, they staged a protest by having a mass sleepover to stop the council from kicking them out of their home. I thought about going, supporting their campaign, joining these people and doing my part, but then I realised my deadlines, the job applications that needed finishing, my pile of laundry, and stayed home instead. To be honest, I’ve never felt so awful. I could have made a mark, been part of a change in the social order, but I couldn’t because I had lectures the next day and meetings to attend. People might say: ‘well it was only one night. Why didn’t you go? You were
“She said that she had seen this happen time and time again ‘just look at Thatcher’ she said, ‘everyone thought there was going to be a change’.” just being lazy’. That might have been why, but it just felt like such big deal to me.
For some, being part of a protest isn’t controversial, but when I thought about how my parents and my friends might have reacted if I had participated, I realised there was more to me not protesting than just ‘laziness’. I’d never spoken out about politics. It would have been a huge thing for me to suddenly take part in a protest. I recently ask my housemate, my best friend from home and my mum whether they thought we were in a ‘revolution’. My best friend said ‘yes, of course we are, just look at Ferguson!’ I asked her why she wasn’t out there protesting. ‘Why don’t you go out of your door and start the change?’ She didn’t understand what I meant. Then I asked my housemate, though she wasn’t sure. She said that she had worked too hard and risked too much to get to university, she couldn’t be part of any revolution because ‘it never really works’. Then I asked my mum, she said no. She said that she had seen this happen time and time again, ‘just look at Thatcher,’ she said, ‘everyone thought there was going to be a change’. Admittedly, even after all of this, I do believe there is going be change. People are fed up, and they are finally realising that the Top Dogs get scared if the little guys start to yell. But will I be part of this change? Will any of us be part of this change? After all this soul searching and questioning, where did I end up? Well, more confused than when I started, if I’m being honest. I don’t think there will ever be a time where I will be able to see things in clarity. But I aim to one-day stand up for the rights of others. One day, I do hope that I will get over that fear holding me back and put my voice with the others who stand in protest.
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EATING ON A BUDGET Emma Jeremy One of the hardest things I found when coming to university was sharing a kitchen. I LOVE cooking, and that’s hard to do when your Mill Hall kitchen surfaces are covered in broken eggs and raw squid innards all the time (true story). Money has been tight for me the whole way through my time at Brunel, as it is for most, but it’s been particularly difficult during my MA. Getting by without a student loan was a massive adjustment, and preparing for life post-university by trying to put money away almost completely diminished my food budget. I’ve put together 5 tips that I’ve learnt this year about eating healthily on a low budget – hopefully someone will find them useful!
cook them so many different ways. You can also add them to noodles or rice to help bulk up your dinner. For an easy meal, you can chuck quickto-cook veg, like mushrooms, spring onions and sliced courgette, into a pan, and once they’re cooked, pour two whisked eggs over the top to make an omelette. You can also just keep stirring the eggs for a sort of scrambled egg/vegetable combo that I don’t think has a name but is quite yummy actually. 2. Stir fry (no sauce required)
1. Eggs are king
The fruit and vegetable market at the student union on Tuesdays is brilliant when you’re on a budget. You can get a basket full for less than £10, which is amazing value compared to most supermarkets. You can grab an assortment of veg on the cheap and get a good few meals out of it by stir frying.
Eggs are just the best thing in the world (unless you’re allergic, obviously). They’re full of protein, and you can
Make sure you get the pan nice and hot, then fry a little oil with some ground ginger and garlic (you can
get ‘lazy’ pots of both from most supermarkets which, though a little pricey, will last you forever). You can either pre-cook your veg, then stir fry it (just make sure you cool it by rinsing with cold water first or it’ll go mushy!) or simply chuck it in raw. Add a little soy sauce and more garlic/ ginger if you wish and you’ll have a flavourful, healthy and super cheap dinner. Serve on its own or with rice or noodles. 3. Tomato sauces (from scratch) Bought pasta sauces are convenient but expensive, and if you love pasta like I do then you can spend a massive amount on jars of sauce that you could make yourself in a greater quantity for half the price. With a tomato sauce, the biggest issue you’ll probably encounter is bitterness, which bought sauces barely ever have. I make a really easy tomato and basil sauce with tinned tomatoes, garlic (the ‘lazy’ kind I mentioned earlier), fresh basil (from the Tuesday market), red onions, mushrooms, black pepper
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and salt. To counteract the bitterness of the tinned tomatoes, you can add honey or brown sugar to taste. If pasta isn’t your thing, you can have it with gnocchi, bread or just with chicken or fish. 4. Chickpeas!!! If eggs are king, chickpeas are…like… president or something. They’re as cheap (if not cheaper) than carbs like pasta and rice and so much better for you. You can eat them cold or hot, and you don’t even need to cook them if you buy them tinned. They’re just… great. I love curries, so often use chickpeas as a cheaper alternative to meat. It’s worth investing in some dried spices and curry powders, and you can pretty much just add them and see which combinations you like the taste of. When I make chickpea curry, I fry onions and garlic in a little oil, then once the onions are cooked I add
cumin, turmeric, chilli and coriander (all powders) before adding one chopped tomato. Add about a quarter cup of water and stir into what should hopefully now look like a sauce, and add the chickpeas. Stir it altogether and mash a few of them up, then cover and leave to simmer for about 5 minutes. You can serve with rice or bread, but I usually just eat it on its own, since the chickpeas bulk up the sauce so much. It also tastes good cold, so you can use any leftovers for lunch the next day. 5. Pancakes – for afters One of the easiest (and most diverse) desserts are pancakes. Flour is the only thing you might not have and need to buy, but a small bag of flour will last for ages as long as it’s properly sealed. Then all you need is eggs, milk and oil. You can find the batter recipe online, but if you want to simplify it further, you can buy big bags of powder mix from most supermarkets. Most only require one egg and water to make the batter, so even simpler. You can have your pancakes with just lemon and sugar and they’re super yummy, but you can also get creative and add all sorts of fruits and sauces.
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24 FEATURES
ELECTIONS, SPIN AND REAL CHANGE: PLEASE DON’T CALL THIS APATHY David Bennett
PHOTO CREDIT: SIMON CUNNINGHAM
THE WORLD DEBT
Victor Girbig
97% of the money in the world is debt. While this will surprise some, it makes sense when we understand what kind of economic system we live in. Looking at the history of our economy, we can also understand how we have ended up in such a system where creating money has never been more legal or easy.
For a long time, the gold standard was the system used to regulate global currency, which means that countries agreed to fix the prices of their domestic currencies in terms of a specified amount of gold. This type of economic system began thousands year ago back in Asia Minor. But, as society evolved throughout history, and especially after World War I, many countries abandoned it. We can say that gold standard secured the currency of a country. For example, if you went to a bank with a $20 note they would give you a $20 gold coin which is more stable than a paper note because it was tangible and its value was then secured. However the gold standard limited the money printing, and in 1971 the former US president Richard Nixon announced that it will no longer covert dollars to gold at a fixed value, therefore totally abandoning the gold standard. That was when the fiat money system
was introduced. The word ‘fiat’ comes from Latin and means “Let it be done”. With nothing attached to the currency, you start printing more and more money that is only backed by the central bank’s and policy maker’s words. We can compare fiat money to tokens in an amusement park. You can only use those tokens in the park and therefore they only hold value within the park.
The 17th century French writer, historian, and philosopher Voltaire once said, “All paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value, zero” which sums up the main problem with fiat money. It is not protected against inflation because it is not backed by any tangible commodity, so when you have money which loses purchasing power you need more of it, thus you end up needing to borrow; and that is the whole problem. Developed countries use debt to refinance already existing debts. To give you an example, Japan, which is most indebted country in the world, has a global debt ratio of 247.0% (2014). That means their debt is almost two and a half times the amount of their ground domestic product. The UK is 6th in the world with a ratio of 98.8% (2014). Even though the fiat money has been heavily criticised, we are still using it. But how long can it continue to support our economy?
WHAT ARE THE ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES OF THE PARTY MANIFESTOS? Dheeraj Viswanath Party manifestos are always interesting. The ‘pledges’ and ‘promises’ they set out are usually just wishes and hopes to try and attract voters. Despite that, the ordinary voter often doesn’t think about the economic consequences that their policies have. Let’s start with the Labour party. One pledge that they have made is to raise the minimum wages to more than £8 by October 2019. The minimum wage has been gradually increasing
from £5.05 (2005) to £6.50 today, but Labour still argue that they can get minimum wage closer to the ‘living’ wage. On the other hand, increasing the minimum wage harms businesses, especially small businesses. Imagine a small business with marginal profits dealing with wage increases. It could wind up harming the economy, as businesses in these situations could potentially be liquidised. On the topic of minimum wage, the Conservatives is pledging that all people who work 30 hours per week on minimum wage won’t pay income
Every five years, the people of Britain are treated to a spectacle of such awe-inspiring behaviour that arguably rivals any of nature’s great events. Picture, if you will, the great Wildebeest migration across the Maasai Mara or the great salmon runs of Alaska; as undeniably wondrous as these natural occurrences are, their magnitude pales in comparison to the all-consuming tidal wave of nonsense that is the UK general election. On Sunday 12th April, Chancellor George Osborne said on The Andrew Marr Show, “If you [the voter] think you can sit this election out, or vote for a protest party, then you will let Ed Miliband and the Scottish Nationalists in [to government].” Clearly this offensive and patronising statement – which manages to belittle enlightened voters, outside parties and the opposition in one fell swoop – was surely a result of a desperate man in full campaign-mode who is on edge after a gruelling interview. On the other hand, we should perhaps sympathise with Osborne instead of taking offence, for he is less like an actual person and more like a salmon swimming the wrong way up an Alaskan stream; determined to make everyone believe he is going in the right direction. 18 times, Osborne answered Marr’s simple question of “where is the £8 billion pledged for the NHS coming from?” with the vague, robotic statement “we have a balanced plan”. This statement is merely a remix of the past favourite, “we have a long-term economic plan”, and usually alongside “we are the party for hard working families.” Of course, the term “hard working tax. This works out similarly to the raising of the minimum wage. If you were currently to earn, for example, over £10,600 on the minimum wage, you probably will be paying 20% income tax.
families” refers to all the families who have been totally done over by Tory austerity, because apparently “we’re all in this together”. In words attributed to the Nazi Propaganda Minister, Joseph Goebbels, but more likely a spin on the words of Adolf Hitler in Mein Kampf: “if you repeat a lie often enough, people will believe it, and you will even come to believe it yourself.” When George Osborne claims that the Tories are a “party for hard working families”, who is he trying to kid? Himself, or the hundreds of thousands of families forced to use food banks over this last government? Or perhaps the families who work ridiculously hard and still can’t afford food and electricity in the same week? This is the way of an election: it is not about giving people a choice, but about doing everything you can to make people agree with you, including misleading them. Not only is this undemocratic, it is also immoral. Yet, still, great swathes of people, like the migrating Wildebeests of the Maasai Mara, follow the same old route. Unlike the Wildebeest, however, the destination is not green pastures, but the same arid landscape they were trying to get away from. So what is the solution to counteracting this thinly veiled manipulation? In line with the perpetuation of perceived ‘change’, many would say the answer is Ed Miliband and the Labour Party. This is a man who has, in my opinion, spent the entirety of his time as party leader trying, and failing, to convince the public that he is an actual human. After finally showing some humanoid qualities against Paxman in the recent leaders’ ‘debate’, the media cast him as a heroic saviour.
ability to appear human or not, but on the policies they stand for. In this election, Labour’s party line has been heavily focused on fixing the deficit and bringing the amount of national debt down. To use this as bait for voters, I think, is particularly hilarious when considering it is the political system which creates national debt and it is only real-life, actual people who face the consequences of national debts. This is just the tip of the iceberg of nonsense that fills the media during election time and the Wildebeest refuse to seek alternatives. But what would real change look like? How would an alternative to the current system come about? It isn’t going to be by voting for a party to do the same thing as the previous, that is for certain. This, however, does not stop politicians and prominent public figures making a big hoo-ha about young people not voting. Phrases like “Not voting is lazy” or “young people are apathetic about politics” have been thrown about recently, backed by ideas that the ‘selfie generation’ are too busy taking photos of themselves to engage with politics. To a certain extent this may be true, but is it lazy to take no interest in the words of people who have caused all of this country’s problems? As far as I’m concerned, political engagement can also come in the form of being anti-politics. An alternative view to the aforementioned political apathy may be that it is lazy to vote for someone to make decisions for you, and that abiding by the rules of a unrepresentative system is lazy. Maybe it is also lazy to not do everything in your power to change the system into one where people vote on all policies and all major decisions, taking control of everything that affects their lives, creating the only true form of democracy. The ‘selfie generation’ has the power to do this, and if we truly want change, this may be a route worth looking into.
However, clearly a politician should not be chosen to lead based on their
the Liberal Democrats have made it clear that they absolutely want to stay in the EU. In recent years, the topic of staying in Europe has been a prominent issue in society, and UKIP have been the ‘flagship’ party for independence from Europe. With the conservatives you will Many arguments have been be paying no tax if you’re on the raised, and it’s mostly been about minimum wage, but won’t see an immigration, however, people tend overall rise in your earnings as you to forget about the economic side would with Labour. to the argument. So with this in One argument for “On the other hand, mind, what’s so staying in Europe increasing the minimum different between is free trade, which wage harms businesses, the policies? especially small businesses.” means reduced Other parties are trading barriers planning to raise on imports and the personal allowance to £12,500 by exports between European countries, 2020, with no rise in VAT or national which will in turn reduce costs and insurance rates, and to cut working- indirectly increase investment from age social security spending by £12 foreign multinational companies. billion. These companies, such as Nissan, have built factories in England, which With parties like the Conservatives benefits the local economy and Britain pledging to give a Europe In/Out as a whole. The no-trade barriers referendum, UKIP want to leave the benefit Nissan and tariffs increase EU straightaway, while Labour and their productive efficiency. This is
just one example of how numerous companies benefit from the UK being in the EU. But on the other hand, membership in the EU is extremely costly, amounting to about £12 billion in net contributions. This money could be used in other sectors in the economy, such as the NHS or Defense. In addition to that, there’s an argument that an increase in migration places strains on public services, which can potentially increase government expenditure. These are only a couple of examples but there’s a lot more. With party manifestos, they often seem all well and good on the surface but when thinking about the economic consequences, it’s a whole new story.
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PHOTO CREDIT: MD SAAD ANDALIB
GRADUATION SPECIAL: JULY 1980 Allen Peppitt It had all happened so bloody fast. One moment he was a final year student sweating on his exams. Each day had a purpose; one subject revised in the morning, lunch, sleep, read the paper. Subject revised in the afternoon. A small percentage of time allotted for TV, and then to the bar in the evening. Life was almost easy, automatic. It had a very convenient, transient structure and very soon he had acquaintances who addressed him as a ‘graduand’. He felt no different, yet clearly he was a type apart from other students, and he would soon be forced to fend for himself.
Allen Peppitt’s ‘The Concept Dogs’ follows an undergraduate at Brunel in the late 1970s. His book is now available on Kindle. Read an extract from Allen’s novel...
Just as being a graduand became acceptable to him, just as he began to understand the responsibilities that were attached to the role, i.e. ceaseless drinking, eating, and retching (and not necessarily in that order), he was again changed. His graduand memories mainly focuses around being so aggressively determined to enjoy himself that he only succeeded in drinking himself stupid the afternoon his exams ended. In the bar, he saw double and picked up the wrong girl. It was all so messy, and not as good as it should have been. He felt as though he had worked for his exams, and his only reward had been an awful hangover. But graduands were very slow learners and he felt compelled to carry out this pathetic pastime night after night until, by happy coincidence, he ran out of overdraft and his system recoiled in horror at the prospect of another drink. But, before that could happen, he was changing again; like a caterpillar in
some ugly stage of pupation, he was becoming a graduate. Great, huh? Except that the process of becoming a graduate seemed to involve turning from a butterfly into a maggot that writhed in poop. He had just read Joe Heller and the symbolism played on his mind. Catch 2:2. Should he work his nuts off and get a 2:2, or should he doss about and get a 2:2? Like Major Major, mediocrity had been thrust upon him. He had been out when the grade fairies called by. He could see it now, sat in the sports barn, looking like a penguin with an LP balanced on his head, waiting to pick up a piece of paper to which many rational people attached so much importance. Maybe, he thought, I can appeal against this travesty of justice and ask for it to be reduced to a third... deferred, disposed of. He felt no sense of success, but people on the outside wanted to congratulate him. Write his degree in tablets of stone, or at least engrave it on a pewter tankard. But he felt that somebody had come along and graduated him and he never asked for this. Whereas being a graduand had only been a passing problem, a void to be filled with sex, drugs, alcohol and rock and roll. He surmised that graduate life would be something else: company cars, mistresses, expenses accounts, selling out. Could this be any kind of life for somebody who had all of Bob Dylan’s albums, even the ones that nobody listened to? No. Clearly his system craved to doss around. Four years of academic training had brought him to that. What of the last few days? He thought
of Woodsy, who, throughout lectures and exams, never quite understood the need to get out of bed. A casualty in his second year, having banked away enough sleeping hours to last a lifetime, his bedside motto was, ‘Sleep never disappoints’. Maybe there was another Woodsy asleep in the same room in Sash Hall. Maybe there were several all in the same room. There had been a bar party. The Yard of Ale. The Boat Race. People threw up. Others played pool. And, at the death, a man with three fingers threw them out. But, since then, a sadness in the air; every day there seemed to be one less person in the bar. Perhaps one day, even the three-fingered man would leave. Each moment, there was one less character from his undergraduate memories. They were just names in an address book; and one day, he understood, he wouldn’t know who they were. And they wouldn’t remember who he was. And then, perhaps, he wouldn’t remember who he was. Again he worried about his sanity. Sanity was a very elusive concept. He wondered what might drive him over the edge. And what of the girl of his dreams, reduced by a typo to the girl of his dreaks. He couldn’t remember if she was one person, or several or... somebody was elbowing him in the ribs. It was time to wake up and collect his degree. Was this maturity? He strode up to the stage, the caped evader. Four years and they never taught you to sign on.
WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH YOUR SUMMER?
The summer break is a weird time of limbo. You’re free of university work, but fully aware that reading lists, new challenges and the next year is just around the corner. If you’ve graduated, the summer is even stranger. That time between handing in your dissertation, finishing your exams and graduating, leaves you with one foot at Brunel and one…somewhere else. Whatever your situation, it’s a great time to make use of. Though the temptation is there to Netflix and sleep-away the days, the possibilities are (almost) endless. We turned to some of our regular contributors to ask what they are up to this summer, or how they’ve made use of it in the past.
As someone who hated French at GCSE, it feels pretty weird for me to now talk about my new hobby: learning languages! I know it doesn’t sound like the kind of thing you’d do for fun, but hear me out. I visited
Erica | Learning a language
friends in Copenhagen, Denmark last summer and loved how the language sounded. So after I came home I decided to start learning Danish. I used online resources, like DuoLingo and Memrise, and saw results almost immediately. I even started to branch out to Spanish and French (which I never thought I’d voluntarily revisit). If you’re at Brunel next year, I would highly recommend taking one of the courses offered by the university’s International Pathways & Language Centre. They offer a wide range of languages for different skill levels so you can pick which one fits you best. Having just completed my Beginners Japanese course, I can guarantee you won’t regret it. It’s a great way to meet new people, bolster your CV and add some diversity to your university studies. Keep an eye out for instructions on how to apply over the summer - places fill very fast. I understand not everyone would get enjoyment out of this so I wouldn’t recommend it to everyone. But if you have an interest, whether it be in linguistics, other cultures or foreign media it’s a great thing to get into!
Last summer I spent a month travelling downwards through the eastern side of Europe on my own - going from Estonia to Greece with seven more countries in between (including war-torn Ukraine). It was such a fantastic experience seeing so many different places, experiencing different cultures and meeting wonderful people that this year I’m planning to go even further afield. My planned destination this time is Uganda, described as “the pearl of Africa”, where I hope to make it as an action-movie star. Wakaliwood, in Kampala, is a small studio which makes incredibly low-budget films such as Who Killed Captain Alex and Tebaatusasula. Recently they held a Kickstarter where they asked for just $160 to make a film and ended up raising over $13,000! My plan is to just turn up on their doorstep and ask to be in something - should be able to impress them with the acting skills I picked up from the Brunel Arts Centre productions this year!
Alexander | Travelling alone
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This summer, I’m going to drive a motorcycle across the Alps into Italy, along the northern Italian coast, into Croatia and along, quite simply, the most beautiful coast road to be crafted by man. Riding a
Eddie | Travelling Europe
motorcycle across Europe is something I’ve wanted to do since I was fourteen years old, tearing across dirt roads on an entirely illegal 50cc bike, brought from a mate for ninety euros and a packet of M&M’s. The way that I’ve managed to keep my sanity through dissertation, coursework and the stress that defines the third year of university, is thinking about winding my way through Austrian forests, climbing snaking, winding tarmac towards Italy. Whenever staring at my word count made my eyes bleed, I’d sit back in the disgustingly busy library and think about my itinerary. Day One: The killer; a seven hundred mile trip from London to Munich. Day Two: The Alps! Driving out of southern Germany, I leave the Autobahn and follow wiggly roads through Austrian forests, a staggering Alpine climb, and then the drop down from 2500 metres into Northern Italy. Stop for pizza and a pitcher of vino. Day Three: Croatia, meander my way along a coast road, find somewhere to stay the night, and meet up with my friends at Split airport, for ten days of life in a villa.
In June 2012 I had my first acting job! Kind of. I was paid in being constantly in awe. Alongside two other students, I treaded the boards of Ludlow Festival’s annual Shakespeare performance. Set in Ludlow Castle’s grounds, Much Ado About Nothing became my first professional and rainy, outdoor acting experience. As an unpaid extra, I gained student experience being part of the professional company, directed by Charlie Walker-Wise, who directed Twelfth Night the year before. After years of being in am-drams and admiring shows in the West End, Aberystwyth Arts Centre, and the very Castle grounds in which I found myself working, I gained all of the excitement and backstage know-how of theatre. The show ran for two weeks, and for the two months beforehand I juggled auditions, rehearsals and commutes to London with A/S Level revision and exams. Despite the hard work, high energy required, and the amount of times butterflies flew around my stomach, the whole rehearsal period and show run was amazing, and offered an invaluable insight into ‘Theatre World!’ It was undoubtedly one of the most rewarding experiences I have done and I couldn’t have put my 2012 summer
to better use. If you, you reading this, have the opportunity to get involved with something you love this
Becky summer | Acting in a professional – jump at it! production
I spent my last summer saving up for my Masters degree. I’d known since my second year that it was something I’d wanted to do, so I’d put a little bit of money away every month while studying for my BA to
Emma | Working & saving
help pay for it. After I graduated, I got a job working in banking to help make the last £2000 I needed to cover the rest of the course, and to give myself something to live off before I started working again at university. Being a creative writing student, banking was obviously completely out of my comfort zone, but I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. It taught me to think outside the box in terms of my future career plans, and meant I didn’t have to take out a loan to pay for the course or any living expenses. It wasn’t the most glamorous way to spend my summer, but it was a great decision and it really took the pressure of during the first few months of the MA (which were super intense!) It was the most useful way I could have spent my time away from Brunel, and I learnt a lot more than I thought I would.
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PHOTO CREDIT: BE-STREET
MUSIC: ACTION BRONSON Kris Miles If ever New York has had a representative for what it truly means to be the city known as ‘the melting pot’ then Action Bronson, and subsequently his new album ‘Mr Wonderful’ are precisely that. Born in Queens, New York, real name: Arian Arslani seems to have potted around this earth turning gradually more insane in the very best of ways, before a slip in his kitchen/temple brought him a broken leg and a superhero backstory for the legend of Action Bronson. And my, what a myth he has become: Footage of on stage fan body slams, Bronson leaving the stage for various reasons including making a trip to the porta-loo (without missing a single bar), and his well-received YouTube series ‘F**k That’s Delicious’ have
cemented him on a path to stardom that ‘Mr Wonderful’ hopes to further. Previous mixtapes and EPs by Action Bronson such as Rare Chandeliers and SAAB stories have been enjoyed because of their down to earth bare bones NYC vibe coupled with the colourful and amazingly quotable lines that Bronson is famed for, so Mr Wonderful is a bit of a shock to the system on a first listen, as it contains all of these things, but in a much more conceptual way. The album starts out with ‘Brand new Car’ which, whilst containing quintessential bearded quotables and a hook with Bronson singing oh so jolly about his new purchase, runs on a beat that is a little jarring because of just how happy go lucky it is. The album continues with Bronsons hilariously annoying best pal Big Body Bes talking that talk on the arse end of ‘The Rising’ before two rap standouts are dropped. ‘Terry’ is a lullaby high
record with Bronson proclaiming that ‘there’s no hit records on the demo’ before fading out conceptually to a voice in the background asking ‘what are we waiting for’ into ‘Actin’ Crazy’, a brilliant high point where Bronson sees that ‘opportunity be knocking’ and takes a firm grip of his destiny, rapping out his ambitions to a beat that sounds like a pink Floyd VHS tape rewound and recorded. Falconry is next, and is perhaps the clearest example of what fans were expecting to hear on a Bronson debut, but after that it all goes very left.
A very long interlude and three songs ensue which, as the Queens native has explained in various interviews, are meant to be a mini three song musical to take the listener to a different place and they certainly do that. City boy isn’t East Coast rap, it’s Billy Joel soundscapes mixed with the Ginger mane of a Saloon going Sheriff. A light in the addict is a beautifully extended
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musical track that leads into Action Bronson thinking about how people would react if he died in various weird ways. It frequently crosses between jovial and curiously dark sounds and this is found throughout the album, with Baby Blue, a standout record featuring Chance the Rapper, the evidence that this jovial formula can create genius moments.
The album almost chokes on its own strangeness near the end with Only in America, a strange rock driven YouTuber anthem with Action on his A game lyrically, but his F game when picking the beat. Eventually, Galactic Love is spat out of the coughs and the same mother that he called a lucky Sl** near the start of the album, he now features as his hook, with them having a conversation between verses that ends up with Bronson asking his mother how her knee is, a moment that could only come from a 270 pound Ginger ball of Albanian
madness such as himself.
‘The passage’ ends this psychedelic trip into Easy Rider with a religious man entering stage and telling everyone to sit down for the words of god. Easy Rider is hands down the standout, and this long intro into it makes it even more monumental, like Bronsons version of the full length of stairway to heaven, Turkish guitar sounds flow repeatedly as Bronson lives out fantasies of making guitars, women and motorbikes scream. Bronsons debut is jarring, and it’s more conceptual than it is back to basics rap like many wanted it to be, but when listened to as something to play the entire way through, rather than pick the tracks that bump the most, then the album truly does take flight, and after this realisation, it’s easy to start believing in the legend of Mr Wonderful.
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MUSIC: GEORGE EZRA Izzy Khatkar For ages I pondered what to listen to when I finally stumbled across George Ezra in the UK Top 40. I had been meaning to listen to his album ‘Wanted on Voyage’ and had been pestered for even longer by my housemate to do so. So I finally decided to listen to this album and I’m so glad I did; this album was one of the best sounds that has ever reached my ears. His voice is without doubt one of the most captivating and compelling that I have ever come across. For many, the first song they came across was probably Budapest (Track 2 on the album) this was released June 2014. It soon became everyone’s summer
anthem and Ezra’s deep voice mixes so well with the light cheerful tone of the song it’s hard not to love. However I think, like many people, I was expecting him to be a one hit wonder but he was soon to release 4 more hit songs. Surprisingly, none of the songs on his album got to number one. Though he has not had many number ones, this album is not lacking in amazing musical quality. Other than the singles such as ‘Budapest’, ‘Listen to the Man’, ‘Cassy O’ etc this album is full of great possible singles. The two songs that stuck out for me were ‘Leaving it up to You’ and ‘Barcelona’. These are two slow songs but they have a lot of emotion.
Hear The Rain’ and ‘Its Just My Skin’ which are mellow and powerful. Then there are songs like ‘Song 6’ (ironically not the sixth song on the album) and ‘Drawing Board’, which have the summery, playful aspect that the previous songs encompass. What George Ezra has achieved is a hybrid of folk and blues music which now slowly is becoming popular in mainstream music. I have no doubt that he continue making such great music, however I do wonder if he will be as famous as he is now when releasing another album. 5/5
He has a very versatile voice and this album really takes advantage of that, there are dark songs like ‘Did you
MUSIC: KENDRICK LAMAR Panny Antoniou Ever since the lead single from the album “I” was released on September 23rd 2014, rap fans have been eagerly awaiting Lamar’s third studio album. Widely regarded as one of the best young rappers, Kendrick’s third album was hotly anticipated by rap aficionados. People know to expect fiery, passionate vocals from Lamar who has made a name for himself by releasing well throughout out ‘concept albums’ which all have a common theme. His first album Section.80 which was released in in 2011 was about the lives of two imaginary characters called Tammy and Keisha, and his second album which was released in 2012 Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City discusses Lamar’s experiences as a teenager growing up in Compton – a deprived city in California where many West Coast rappers originate from. To Pimp a Butterfly was eventually released in its entirety on March 15 and was well received by critics. There is a strong Jazz influence throughout the album which focusses on the daily apartheid which African Americans face every day in the United States – a country which has more black people in prison than in college and where black people are disproportionately likely to be stopped by police. It is Kendrick Lamar’s best album. To Pimp a Butterfly is an instant classic and by far the best rap album released this year. A dark masterpiece equivalent to Picasso’s Guernica or The Scream by Edward Munch it is a revelation which changes the game in rap.
To name a ‘favourite’ song from the album would be doing a disservice to the other tracks. The best song for me changes every day in what is a phenomenal album. The first two singles released in the album discuss race heavily. The first single released from the album “I” is an upbeat track which talks about Kendrick’s perspective of the world. This positivity contrasts with much of the rest of the album which is darker in tone. Indeed, second single “The Blacker the Berry” is a mirror opposite to “I”, tackling themes of hypocrisy, racism and black self-hatred in society. The juxtaposition of themes in the two songs complement each other and exemplify the conflict of identities which many black people in America face. Another excellent song from the album is Hood Politics which compares the main political parties to gangs, discussing the ‘DemoCrips’ and ‘ReBloodlicans’ fighting over territory, arguing that political parties are simply gangs on a bigger scale. King Kunta is another incredible track, which contrasts the idea of a king with a rebellious slave Kunta Kinte whose story was the subject of a book and television series called “Roots: the Saga of an American Family”. The song discusses Lamar’s rise from a deprived child growing up in Compton to one of the leading lights in the rap world with confident lyrics such as “Now I run the game, got the whole world talkin’, King Kunta”. This shows Lamar’s confidence in his abilities and place in the world of rap.
MUSIC: THE CRIBS Izzy Khatkar The Cribs are a strangely illusive band, started in 2000 by The Jarman Twins and their younger brother. The band never really got much reorganization however it seems that everyone at some point heard of them. It could be fact that they have long associated with The Libertines, both bands gaining notoriety in the 2000s. However much cant be said about this recent album. Though I am not familiar with their music I have been a long fan of indie music like most people. For any who wants classic indie music then this album is for you! Without doubt The
PHOTO CREDIT: ROLLING STONE
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Cribs are definitely trying to hark back to those days. This indie-rock band definitely now how to write some good songs, for example there soon to be single ‘Burning for No One’ is an amazing song. However I feel like I’ve heard this before, their sound is nothing unique to me. Maybe it is because I have never really listened to their music much. Of course their guitar riffs on ‘Different Angels’ is pretty beautiful but for me that is the only song that actually sticks out. Lyrical they seemed to have always been phenomenal and have apparently inspired generation of musicians. For me they seemed to be stuck in the past with their unimpressive guitar riffs and base. 2/10
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SOUTHERN SOUL FESTIVAL Hon Jiun Wong Montenegro’s favourite festival returns for a third year with even bigger acts to take the stage, cementing its growing reputation as the best underground soul festival in Europe. Acts this year include passionate and soulful singer-songwriter Jarrod Lawson and Ontario-based trio BadBadNotGood. Southern Soul Festival in Montenegro is all about immersing visitors in both the intimate music of the day and the
summer paradise of the country. The festival features a wide range of hip and underground names representing a broad selection of musical styles including soul, jazz, funk, house and disco. With two stages at the Dolcinium Kite Club on Copacabana beach, this fourday music holiday comes complete with the soundtrack of your life. Copacabana Beach is part of Velika Plaza, arguably the most beautiful, unique and longest sandy beach on the Mediterranean coast.
sun-drenched beach festival of the year. So far the line-up includes Dj Spinna, Fatima and the Eglo Band, Matthew Halsall Quintet, Jamie 3:26, Kito Jempere, Dom Servini with more to be announced. Attendees who want a break from the music can explore the many activities Southern Soul Festival has to offer: kite surfing, yoga, football, volleyball, etc. More information can be found here: www.southernsoulfestival.com
With standard tickets only at £69 and early bird tickets at £55, this is hands down the most affordable, inclusive
PHOTO CREDIT: THERANSOMNOTE
MUSIC: MODEST MOUSE Matthias AsieduYeboa
Alternative/indie rock legends Modest Mouse have released their first album in 8 years. This is a band that has been around for nearly 20 years, and they had Johnny Marr of the Smiths fame as a member on the previous album, so imagine the pressure for a fantastic follow-up. As a first time Modest Mouse listener who expected to be blown away by their perceived musicianship given their indie status, I am glad to say I was not disappointed. Let’s get the bad stuff out of the way: the first song, the title track is a bit too downbeat a start. It has some lovely violins and chimes and some soft unobtrusive vocals atop a simple drumbeat, but the problem with it is that the song leaves you hoping like the upcoming songs won’t have the same slow, constantly dreary vibe. And your hopes will not be dashed. The next track ‘Lampshades on Fire’ bursts through with a groovy, jaunty and even funky vibe. To borrow the words of vocalist and lyricist Isaac Brock: ‘This is what I call a party now’. And not just any old party: a damn good, rocky folk and funk flavoured party with tasty guitar textures, a party that you never want to end. It’s a good thing it does end though; otherwise you’d never get to the exotically flavoured, immediately acerbic-lyric’d ‘Shit In Your Cut’. As for the lyrics, they appear to be concerned with a character that feels like he’s better off alone, conveyed by Brock’s vocals, which are more pained here than in the fun of ‘Lampshades’ or the dreariness of the title track. This song has great character, and you feel it through the wintry attitude and tone of the lyrics: ‘Hey, please won’t you just come on in / Won’t you please just go away’. By this point, not only are you in no doubt that Modest Mouse know how to make colourful songs (the guitars call R.E.M. to mind,
PHOTO CREDIT: allmusic.com
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if only just); you also know that Isaac Brock is an incredibly poetic lyricist who knows how to shape his words as well as his voices to create pieces of art that are like film vignettes as well as songs. The Daft-Punk-esque dance-punk of the next track ‘Pistol’ is another highlight: the lyrics appear to parody banal mafioso rap in a way that recalls The Lonely Island. This song is so, so entertaining, but without being didactic or condescending. It’s just some good fun. The fun goes on: ‘Ansel’ continues the masterful, cerebral storytelling. ‘Coyotes’ does too with a switched-up indie folk vibe. ‘Sugar Boats’ directly recalls vaudeville music and even hint at a Jack White influence. I would recommend ‘The Ground Walks…’, whose intensity, danceability and impeccable structure cause you to question whether this is just a rock band or something bigger and better; the stadium-rock imitating ‘Wicked Campaign’ which has the cleverest use of guitars on the album with some lovely, gentle wobbles and stutters; and the closer ‘Of Course We Know’, the slowest but most atmospheric and lyrically interesting song on the album (opener: ‘The streets are just blankets and we sleep on their silky corpse’). When a piano and some of the loveliest vocals close the album, you’ll be sorry it ever finished. All that’s left to say is that if you want an intensely consistent, 100% serious, immediately and obviously profound rock album, then this might not be the one for you. As for me I’m convinced by its fun experimentation and surprisingly overarching pop appeal that I would want to hear it again and again. 4.5/5 stars
CULTURE Rebecca Chambers Rebecca Ferguson has been described as one of the most ‘credible’ singers to come out of reality TV alongside Leona Lewis. After impressing the judges with a powerful rendition of ‘change is gonna come’, she came second in the talent show in the 2010 series. This is her third album, her previous albums are Heaven and Freedom, both of which I would highly recommend. She is part of a rare breed of female singers who have beautifully soulful voices but yet are successful in the mainstream without losing touch of their original sound. This new offering from Rebecca Ferguson is no different. Lady Sings the Blues is a cover album of the jazz legend, Billie Holiday. The songs have been predominately taken from the album of the same name. Although Rebecca Ferguson lacks the soulful depth in her voice which made Billie Holiday a household name, this album is a more than valiant effort and does justice to the legend. This album was preceded with the lead single ‘get happy’ which, whilst it is an excellent song, it does not do the full album justice. The highlights from the album for me are ‘I’ll never smile again’ and ‘my man’. Overall, this is an excellent effort and is a refreshing change from the usual over sexualised bubblegum pop which has dominated this generations music landscape.
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MUSIC: REBECCA FERGUSON
PHOTO CREDIT: ALFITUDE
MUSIC: EMINEM
Panny Antoniou When this album was announced the excitement amongst rap fans was palpable; what would Eminem offer next? After the Marshall Mathers LP 2 (MMLP2) heralded a return for his Slim Shady persona, most rap fans were left licking their lips and asking for more. However, it was not another solo album which Eminem was releasing but a compilation album in the mould of Kanye’s Cruel Summer, with D12, Slaughterhouse and Yelawolf as featured artists. This was regarded by many music experts as a risky move as Slaughterhouse and Yelawolf had only recently been signed to Eminem’s label, meaning that their music was less well-known than previous artists signed onto Shady Records –Curtis Jackson springs to mind. Eminem did not disappoint. His lyricism and wordplay were excellent, but there was one problem. You got the idea that the anger in his voice was no longer genuine as he mellowed with age – barring “Vegas” where he dissed Iggy Azalea – but that felt more like a throwback to the past than any real venom from the 42 year old rapper. His verse in “Detroit vs. Everybody” was also not one of his best with him being outshone by fellow Detroit rapper Big Sean. Despite this, Eminem remains one of the best rappers in the game. His Shady Records label mates were also generally of a high standard. Yelawolf in particular impressed with his distinctive Southern drawl
PHOTO CREDIT: VIBE103
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in his new song “Down” which was one of the best songs on the album. In addition, Slaughterhouse’s “Y’all Ready Know” was also excellent. All the verses were good but KXNG CROOKED especially impressed with his final verse which bent syllables in order to fit them into the rhyme pattern. Luis Resto, Eminem and Mr. Porter all also showed themselves too, adept at producing as some of the instrumentals in the album were excellent as stand-alone pieces, emphasising the time and effort which has been put into this project. Of the best features on the album is surely the Big Sean collaboration whose verse in the posse cut “Detroit vs. Everybody” contained many complex rhyme patterns showcasing his technical ability. Another excellent artist on the track was female rapper, Dej Loaf whose chorus for the song was both haunting and technically brilliant. Skylar Grey’s range in “Twisted” was excellent and she takes the prize for second best singing on the album after the outstanding Dej Loaf. Overall it was a good album with many great tracks. Despite this, you can’t help but feel that the standard of anything released by Eminem is so high that – arguably – should have expected slightly more from the album. It pales in comparison to some of Eminem’s earlier albums but that is to be expected as the bar was set so high with his earlier albums being widely regarded as amongst the greatest rap albums of all time. So, overall a good album from some of the most lyrically adept rappers in the game. 4/5
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FILM: KURT COBAIN Martha Salhotra For fans, this is as good as it gets. ‘Montage of Heck’ provides a much too intense picture of Kurt’s soaring creativity and ultimate helplessness. The documentary begins with home footage of his childhood, a beautiful glimpse into the young Kurt’s world. Morgen goes on to implement fantastic graphics and animations rendering the pained Kurt’s days of rejection from his family, reflecting on his days of song writing, recording mixtapes and playing guitar while attempting to push Nirvana forward. There is a constant focus on Kurt’s sensitivity, his softness, along with the dread and rage he experienced when feeling shame or humiliation, a burden he potentially carried up till
the point of his death. Nirvana’s success is given exposure, but the focus is on Kurt and his experience of both growing and derailing alongside it. A particularly crucial moment shows his mother, Wendy, informing Morgen that she told Kurt to “buckle up”, and indeed, Morgen makes a point of returning back to Nirvana’s 1992 Reading Festival set and the video of a crowd stretching back as far as the eye can see, a crowd that appear more like worshippers, hanging on to Kurt’s every words, clambering on top of one another to catch a glimpse of him and laughing and applauding his antics on stage. Nirvana’s popularity was stratospheric as they transformed from playing in murky room with an audience of two to subsequently performing for audiences worldwide.
The documentary is a surprising work of art that uses often disturbing visuals that attempt to decipher and depict Kurt’s mind-set, and all the while an unsettling question hangs over us: did Kurt’s most glorious invention, Nirvana, become his worst nightmare? As the band’s success grows we follow Kurt’s detachment from the media as he begrudgingly advertised TV channels and appeared frequently disinterested - he sighs, yawns and even feigns sleeping in front of a journalist. Kurt’s voice-over later reveals “sometimes I feel like they (the media) want me to die”, and his intimate journal entries reflect a fragile and increasingly fragmented individual. Inherent in almost everything is a scathing critique of
PHOTO CREDIT: ROLLINGSTONE
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the vicious, bestial media and its intrusion into the most personal and intimate spaces of his overexposed public life. However, the inclusion of home videos shows the blissful family life of Kurt, wife Courtney Love and new-born baby Frances Bean, and these are the moments in which Kurt appears happiest. Courtney, who has received much hatred and is the centre of conspiracy theories surrounding Kurt’s death, is funny, wild and much too obviously in love with Kurt. It is a more intriguing portrayal of their relationship and of the woman many believe had a huge hand in propelling his tragic end. Morgen also focuses on the drug use that plagued Kurt, showing the struggle of realising that heroin had become deeply ingrained into his life. There is carefully selected footage
which focuses on Kurt’s face, showing his often piercingly dazed, tired eyes and a face that masked a lot more conflict than it was willing to express. The documentary carefully proceeds to strip this mask away to reveal a megastar who became the voice of a “disaffected youth” without quite asking for it, who was fetishized, and repelled it to such a huge extent that he could not escape it. While he got what he wanted - the success of Nirvana - Kurt is shown to have wanted only the feeling of playing live, the comforts associated with success and most importantly, a normal life. It is almost a sigh of relief after such a whirlwind that the documentary ends abruptly and decides against dwelling too much over Kurt’s painful death. 5/5,
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PHOTO CREDIT: QZ
TV: INDIA’S DAUGHTER Symran Jaj The World’s daughter as I would name her; but more commonly known as India’s daughter has shocked the world with her brutal death aired in the documentary India’s Daughter on March 8th to coincide with International Women’s Day. Produced by Leslee Udwin, the documentary unveils the devastating story behind the brutal gang rape and death of Jyoti, a 23-year-old medical student at the back of a moving private bus in Delhi. The tragedy which occurred in December 2012 caused an outrage in India leading to riots and protests, demanding for changes in the accepted attitudes and treatment towards women. Jyoti went to the cinema to watch Life of Pi on December 16th with her male friend. After they got on the bus to return home she was raped and her male companion was beaten before they were both thrown off the bus. Jyoti underwent several operations but unfortunately later passed away on December 29th. India’s Daughter was aired nationally to reveal Jyoti’s case but also to
raise awareness of rape, assault and mistreatment of women globally. However attention was drawn back to India as they banned the documentary from airing in India. More shockingly, the Indian television station NDTV broadcasted a blank screen for the allotted time that the documentary was meant to be shown on television. Arguably the actions of the Indian government could be seen to be limiting the rights of their people and the voices of those who were outraged by the traumatic event. In an email discussed on Fox News, the government expressed concerns about people breaching the “law and order” of their country if it was to be aired in India, the same way civil unrest in 2012 led to unprecedented numbers of women and men taking to the streets of India in protest. But what is to say that by removing the document people’s access to gaining knowledge about the events will be limited? Fears of civil unrest seem irrational since it takes an extreme case like Jyoti’s brutal rape for individuals and countries to take action; and it takes such extreme actions to generate any radical implementation from members who are in power. Banning a documentary in the 21st Century seems almost ignorant since there are multiple means of finding something out and action is being
made globally regardless of its ban in India. The documentary was simply rocking the boat of a cause which has been fought against for years – gender equality. The act of violence was shocking for many but the comments made by the defence lawyer A. P. Singh and one of the convicted rapists, Mukesh Singh, caused uproar because of the blatant disregard for women. A. P. Singh stated in the documentary how “in our culture, there’s no place for a woman” but if a female in his family participated in any form of premartial activity he would take them to the farmhouse and in front of her family “put petrol on her and set her alight”. Mukesh held a similar disregard for women, believing “a girl is far more responsible for rape than a boy… a decent girl won’t roam around at nine o’clock at night”. We must take a moment to note how some cultures allow men to have multiple wives or even affairs but the woman is contained to the domestic sphere of their homes; we must question where these double standard formed and as to whether changing an engrained cultural ideology which confines women to menial roles with voices like the defence lawyer shunning those women to the corner, one begins to question how change
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must be implemented. Of course it is worth noting that such views reflect the extreme side of cultural gender inequality in India and other countries, however it is indicative of how the subject of rape is handled in many countries around the world where personal and culturalised views conflict and begin to affect legal justice unfairly. Faced with a national uproar, India pushed the case forward and sentenced 4 of the accused men to death whilst one of the rapists committed suicide in his cell. To the disappointment of many, the 17-yearold juvenile accused of committing the rape has been sentenced to just three years in prison. Whilst he is only 17 years of age, is it not fair to state that if he is old enough to commit the crime then he is old enough to pay the right price? It is important for viewers of the documentary to note that it was not a direct attack on India, however their actions against raising awareness do perhaps show a less united front on the matter and tarnish their image as part of the global community. Udwin states in the Fox News interview the members of the country “are more interested in hiding their shame than saving their women”. Nonetheless at least 6 other countries went with the
motion of the broadcast by airing India’s Daughter to show their support with countries joining hands across the world to address the issue of the treatment of women. The joining of hands globally is a fundamental step for change as women face oppressive patriarchal ideologies in multiple forms such as inequality with wages, how they are expected to dress and gender stereotypes even in the most influential countries (like yours truly). NCRB data stated that there has been an increase in reported rapes in India from 24,923 in 2012 to 33,707 in 2013, resulting in 93 women being raped every day in India (India Times). Additionally 85,000 women are raped on average in England Wales every year (Rape Crisis, 2013). Documentaries like Udwin’s raise awareness of such statistics and help create change. Education in sexual consent and gender equality requires emphasising in communities to help the long-lasting battle of equal treatment of women. In the 21st Century where we are surrounded by resources, severe cases like brutal rapes shouldn’t have to happen to initiate the drive for change.
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PHOTO CREDIT: FANPOP
FILM: FURIOUS 7 Adam White In 2013, Paul Walker, who we know as Brian O’Connor - ex-LAPD and later FBI agent, turned fugitive street racer in the Fast & Furious franchise - died in a tragic car accident. It was clear among fans that such a tragedy would have to be addressed in the final film. We’ve come a long way since O’Connor started eating tuna sandwiches at the Toretto (Vin Diesel) café. Within the series itself, there have been various injuries to the characters including two on screen deaths, only to later appear again in further installments: such as Leti (Michelle Rodriguez). Paul’s death showed the world that these stars were mortal like everyone else when away from camera. He passed away halfway through filming the final film in the story and his two brothers, Caleb and Cody, were
called upon to help finish it, with the help of some impressive but subtle computer graphics. Overall, as a commemoration to Paul, all those involved in the film can rest assure that they have done him justice.
Furious 7 see O’Connor tempt death on multiple occasions. At one point, he runs the full length of the side of a bus that’s falling off a cliff, after the team had parachuted in their cars out the back of a military transport aircraft. Meanwhile, Toretto is busy in a muscle car face-off with the bad guy of this film, Deckard Shaw, the brother of Owen Shaw who was dispatched in the previous film. Jason Statham in this role brings a new rejuvenated dynamic to the franchise. This constant edge-of-your-seat dicing with death is one of the factors that make the film so good. One bad point, however, is that it’s rather long, coming in 2 and ¼ hours. The F&F films have always done well
at showcasing the impressive street cultures found around the world. We’ve had Los Angeles, London, Rio, and in this film, James Wan, the new director, takes us to Abu Dhabi. The reason behind this new scenery is to find a computer chip belonging to hacker, Ramsay, played by Nathalie Emmanuel from Games of Thrones. Whilst scripted, the real reason is obviously to show the impressive array of expensive supercars that Abu Dhabi has to offer before seeing the hero joyriders drive them furiously through sand and surprisingly through three different buildings. The ‘Family’ – as the actors in the franchise notoriously like to refer to themselves – has continued to grow as the story has progressed. Along with Statham and Emmanuel, we also see Kurt Russell, Rhonda Rousey and Tony Jaa making an appearance. Unfortunately, one of the more popular characters, Agent Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) doesn’t really play
a big role. He’s sidelined to a hospital bed for the majority of the film, but he makes the most of the time he’s on screen. In fact, one of the final sequences of the film sees Hobbs taking Deckard to his prison cell and uttering a line, in essence tipping the hat to the notion that the old racial hierarchy’s are being overturned. As a film in the franchise, it comes in as being possibly the strongest and is definitely top three, only behind the first and fifth films. The film closes with an emotional tribute to Paul: the family, all back together on a beach, watching as O’Connor, his wife Mia (Jordana Brewster) and their son play by the sea. Toretto leaves driving off before pulling up at an intersection. To the audience’s heartfelt surprise, we see O’Connor pull up beside him in what looks like a white Mitsubishi Eclipse: the first clip we ever saw him drive in the first film.
“Hey! You thought you could leave without saying goodbye?!” he says to Toretto. The two then share a brotherly moment before driving off into the sunset, each taking a different direction at a fork in the road. There follows a montage of Paul’s best scenes and a hard-hitting line delivered by Vin and music: “See you again” by Wiz Khalifa (ft. Charlie Puth). At the final fade, the words “For Paul” grace the screen leaving many, unexpectedly, shedding a tear. Whilst providing a fitting tribute to Paul, we must also acknowledge the other life extinguished in the accident: Roger Rodas. A close friend of Paul’s, Rodas was a racing driver and owned his own car customization business. He too, left behind loving family and friends and should be remembered just as much after losing his life in that accident.
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FILM: STAR WARS REBOOT TRAILER Adam White On the 16th April 2015, the world was treated to the second trailer in the lead up to the release of the new film in the star wars franchise; rejuvenated by its new owner, Disney, Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The new trailer was revealed at a massive Star Wars celebration event in California, USA, but the two minute long trailer has since broken internet records with it being seen a whopping 88 million times in the first 24 hours of it being on the line. The build up to this film has been massive and this trailer only fuels that excitement among Star Wars fans and the wider population of Sci-Fi movie lovers! Other movie franchises themselves; albeit also owned by Disney, have also shown such excitement, with all the second wave marvel movies containing Star Wars “Easter Eggs”…at least for the one’s which have been released so far…we’re yet to see Ant Man later this year upon its release. The trailer begins with a roughly 15 second long opening shot; a distant landscape shot, with a small land speeder in the distance travelling from left to right across the sands of the films new, Tatooine-like-desertplanet; called Jakku. Tatooine, for those that don’t remember was the
original home of Anakin Skywalker, before he was recruited into Jedi training, by Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn, before of course many years later turning to the darkside of the force, becoming known as Darth Vader; Tatooine becoming the home of his “unknown to him” son, Luke. In the background as the speeder passes by we see the wreckage of an Imperial Star Destroyer sticking out of the baron landscape; the overall scene leading to a sense of wonder as to how this first scene fits into the plot. It is then, after this first scene, as the screen goes black that we first hear the words spoken over the trailer by Luke Skywalker. That first slowrevealing of the ruined Star Destroyer – the camera moving slowly to marvel in the shear size of it as it would seem to dwarf the world around it – coupled with Luke Skywalker’s voice clearly echoes the original opening shot from the first film directed by George Lucas, in which we saw the same type of spacecraft grown into view from above, as if it is actually passing over your own head. Yeah! JJ Abrams, the films new director, knows what he’s doing! That ship was one of the biggest things you’ve ever seen when you were a kid and in this single shot at the beginning of the trailer you can really feel that same energy! The Mark Hamill voice over the trailer continues as we begin to see glimpses
PHOTO CREDIT: GEEKSOUT of the rest of the Skywalker family line. We see the charred remains of Darth Vaders helmet. Luke’s metal hand is seen resting on the head of R2Ds’s domed head. Luke says; “The Force is strong in my family…My father has it, I have it, my sister has it. You have that power too.” It is unclear who he is talking to here but one concept is that it could be Rey, played by the new British actress Daisy Ridley, who is believed to be the daughter of Princess Leia and maybe also a Jedi in training herself. There is some suggestion here as to another part of the plot. Rey may be in exile, and the mission that has been given by Princess Leia to Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac), is to bring her home. What is still not clear despite this new trailer is whether the third of the films new lead characters; Finn (John Boyega) is an Imperial Stormtrooper or could simply be one of the good guys
in disguise. If any of you remember the first trailer for this movie, it began with him jumping into shot on the surface of “Jakku” looking very much in a state of panic. In this new trailer however, we see him, still in Stormtrooper uniform, but instead of sand, he is on a Star Destroyer. Perhaps he is a rogue TIE fighter pilot; the one that we saw strafing a squadron of others in some kind of Imperial hold or bay. Another point to note here is how slick the new Stormtrooper uniforms look; albeit they probably still can’t take a bullet ha!
Ford and Peter Mayhew, here back in business as our beloved hero’s Han Solo and Chewbacca, standing aboard the Millennium Falcon. “Chewie… we’re home” the aged looking space smuggler says with that trademark Harrison Ford lop sided smile! Well… I think I can certainly reply to that statement in saying; Yes! Yes you are! I literally can not wait for this film to come out and I think its gonna be a really painful year waiting till December for its release! Everyone! Embrace your inner-nerd and get riled up for this film!
Further action shots follow including some awesome fighter chases through the remains of that crashed Star Destroyer; much like that legendary Death Star trench run scene in the original movies, add more fuel to the fire. However; possibly the best part of the trailer is the shot of Harrison
THEATRE: TELESCOPE Federica de Caria If you find yourself sitting down on a white cube in an ex-dairy in Battersea and all around is a dark space where crows caw, with figures in boiler suits zipping through, then yes, you are in a theatre. This is because the play written by Elchin and directed by Matthew Gould is an immersive one. As the audience you have the preferential perspective of the public, who sees everything and hears everything. But at the same time, you’re part of the play. You magically become one of the light purgatory souls, who from up above can metaphorically see the humans down below through the telescope. You can observe from the other dimension the small creatures, who have talking behind someone’s back as a favourite hobby. Who am I talking about? Humans. But let’s start from the beginning. The second edition of the Buta Festival brings the English-Language world premiere of ‘Telescope’ to London, from February 25th to March 7th. The immersive play was written by the Azerbaijani deputy Prime Minister Elchin. It’s almost like if Cameron was able to write a masterpiece. Elchin’s favourite topics are human dilemmas, which is why his stories are universal. ‘Stories’ is perfectly correct, because Elchin didn’t wake up one morning
thinking of writing up a couple of lines and magically found ‘Telescope’ on paper; he is the author of over 100 books translated into more than 20 languages. ‘Telescope’ is the story of a man who suddenly dies and finds himself in a sort of gigantic waiting room, which has been hosting since trillions of souls queuing since Creation, waiting for the judge that will send them up to heaven or down to hell. Basically he finds himself in Purgatory. From there, the souls can kill their time in restaurants that serve the famous ‘food for the soul’ and have crows cawing as soundtrack. Doesn’t it sound appealing? Well, apparently there is a third option to kill your time up there, which is watching the earth through a telescope. But no one is doing it. Why? Our main man is going to discover that at his own expense. Now let’s go back inside. Everything starts with an opening scene worthy of Grey’s Anatomy or ER, with a group of screaming and running human beings pushing a gurney. On the gurney, our main man in a coma. The noisy group is composed by the doctor, the nurse and the family. I guarantee that the sound of the family in despair could potentially be classified as sincere as saying that crows cawing make a symphony. A few seconds after, our man find himself walking on clouds with figures scootering around in white boiler suits. Here he meets his ex-wife, who apparently is charming enough to
make him think about cheating on his reprehensible wife-on-earth after few light and creamy words. We could give him that, after all what he sees through the telescope is probably what no one would like to be aware of. But that’s Earth, populated by silly men and women. We, as humans, have a lot of quite bad behaviour from Elchin’s point of view. I’m not implying he is wrong though. There are long, but witty metaphysical dialogues in the play, mainly between our main character and his ex wife. They discuss the work of the angels up there, the creatures in boiler suits and about what an inconsistent soul can or cannot do. But our man progressing with the story exchanges the curiosity of being in there with the anger for what he sees through the telescope, so he does something he shouldn’t do. He turns the lenses upside down, so no one can suffer watching down anymore. The angels do not appreciate his rebellion and they make a decision. Oh no, wait, there is a little surprise. They don’t make a decision. You human, yes, you, sitting down on your white cube. You have in your hand two pieces of paper with the numbers 1 and 2 written down. What is going to be of our protagonist is in your hands. Back to earth among the falsities with time to do better during what can be left of his life, or queuing eternally as a soul for the final judge? Ok, it’s time. Raise your hands.
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PHOTO CREDIT: LONDONIST
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BOOK: THE ACCIDENT SEASON Lena Mistry First of all, let me tell you why you should purchase this book as soon as it comes to shops this July: it’s the most bone-chilling, nail-biting, heart-tearing young adult novel I have ever read that has a juicy mix of love, friendship and horror. Told in an entirely beautiful voice, The Accident Season is a book that will leave you thinking about it even after you’ve finished it. The main protagonist’s, Cara, family are not as normal you would think. Her whole family are affected by what they call the ‘Accident Season’: a whole month of continuous headbanging, bone-breaking, fleshbruising terror that haunts the family even after it’s over. Since the death of her father in an accident season many years ago, Cara’s mother is constantly reminded of the effects of that terrible October. The memory tears through the whole family, creating a constant fear between each member. However, there is one thing that crops up later in the novel that suggests The Accident Season is now what it seems to be at all. Cara’s older sister, Alice, is the teller of that even more horrifying tale.
to bring out the deepest revelations between characters. Through these secrets, we see what’s really between the lines of The Accident Season. I particularly liked the idea of Elsie being found in all of Cara’s photographs. From the beginning, this is what gripped me. The mysterious essence of the novel began here, and later took us further into more twists and turns. The locations described in the novel are so beautiful and magical that you are immediately thrown into another world. While I was reading, I felt as if I was there and as if I was Cara herself. The most complicated characters I found were Alice and her boyfriend Nick. These two characters are great examples of good character development and writing. Despite being Doyle’s first published novel, the whole plot, characters, location and narrative are top-notch. This book will not fail to amaze you at the most appropriate times, and will drag you in for an eerie and romantic ride. I’ve rate this four states as it’s an easy to read yet complicated plot, and I’ll definitely continue to look out for this author in the future.
The Accident Season is a very testing young adult novel. It deals with themes of complicated romances between the circle of main characters: fear, fading memories and friendship. The constant symbol of secrets is effectively used throughout the novel
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38 SUMMER FESTIVAL LINEUP
SUMMER FESTIVALS IZZY KHATKAR
YNOT 2015
Reading & Leeds
When: 31st July – 2nd August 2015 Where: Pikehall, Derbyshire, DE4 2PH, UK Headliners: Snoop Dogg, Primal Scream, Basement Jaxx Tickets: Weekend Camping, Day Tickets, Early Entry, Car Parking Price: £89.00 - £99.00 weekend, £14.00 Early Entry Info: Set in the awesome Derbyshire countryside, inbetween farmer’s fields, and local forests and the nearby small but picturesque town of Matlock, YNOT Festival is an awesome little find. Previously voted the best festival for toilet’s, the best grass roots festival, and the best small festival by the UK Festival Awards, YNOT will this year be celebrating its 10th anniversary. As with any weekender festival; there are weekend camping tickets as well as the option of early entry. Festivalgoers can also opt for “Glamping”; the glamorous up-market form of camping, but this is cheating and you will be hated by everyone else lets face it. Previous years have seen awesome acts like The Wombats, Frank Turner, Dizzee Rascal, and the Mystery Jets, and 2015 will be no different. Alongside the headliners Snoop, Primal Scream and Basement Jaxx we will also see some crackin’ acts on the various stages including; Reverend & The Makers, Young Guns, Rae Morris, and Pulled Apart By Horses. We Are The Ocean, Fearless Vampire Killers and Beans On Toast help complete an awesome 4-day (with early entry) lineup! If you feel the need to get of site for a bit the local town of Matlock is awesome; especially for grabbing a proper meal or going for a number two. The festival food is of course awesome as ever with Pie Minister being a particular highlight! Overall considering the relatively cheapness of the tickets, this festival is not only an awesome deal but it is a crackin’ weekend away with friends in the lovely British Summer!
When: 28-30 August 2015 Where: Reading and Leeds Headliners: Metallica, Mumford and Sons and The Libertines Tickets: Individual tickets for each day available, inc weekend camping tickets Price: £66.50- £213.00 Every year Reading and Leeds festival bring the best in music to these great locations, and this year is no different! The years at both festivals Mumford and Sons, Metallica and The Libertines will be headlining on alternate days. Recently Mumford and Sons released a new track called ‘Believe’ and fans were indeed shocked at what they heard. It seems the band themselves are taking another route so it will be interesting to see what they provide this year. Lets also hope that this year the electrics will last on during the band performance. At last years event headliners Paramore suffered an electrics failure 15 minutes into their set. But hopefully this year’s festivals wont suffer a similar fate. In addition there will be a warm welcome to Indie Rockers The Libertines who are also going to headline T in the Park. Furthermore there various other stages hosting music such as NME/ BBC Radio 1 stage, which will play host to Deadmau5, Limp Bizkit, Reberl Sound and may others. But one of stages that always causes a lot of excitement is the BBC Radio 1xtra stage who will play show the likes of ASAP Ferg, Azelia Banks and the amazing Ms Dynamite.
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BEST OF BRITISH British Summer Time
When: Weekend 1: Thursday 18th, Saturday 20th, Sunday 21st June 2015 Weekend 2: 26TH AND 27TH June 2015 Where: Hyde Park Headliners: The Strokes, Blur, The Who, Kylie and Taylor Swift (sold out) Tickets: General admission, Priority admission etc Prices: £69.50- £199.50
The years event marks the return of two musician giants, The Strokes and Blur are finally making a return to festival circuit and without doubt their returns have sparked a lot of excitement. There are even rumours that The Strokes will be returning with a new album soon after this festival. However more than anything it seems that Blur has caused a lot of excitement amongst fans and this gig will hopefully bring back the good old days. However this event offers more in way of various entertainment stalls and events taking place during the day. Throughout the day visitors can on various attractions such as fun fairs and a special attraction that allow you get high up to see the whole event. There is even a weekend dedicated to fun fair, entertainment and food stalls, allowing for loads of business to come together. It should be noted that all the tickets for Taylor Swifts set has been sold so it might be worth looking at other ticket selling websites.
When: Saturday 30th May 2015 Where: Camden, London, UK
Camden Rocks
Headliners: Secret headliner TBA; Skindred, New Model Army, Funeral for a Friend Tickets: General admission, General admission incl. afterparty Price: £33.90 – £45.20 Camden Rocks is an awesome little festival in the heart of Camden, which has been described as “the most rock and roll one dayer of the year”. It is essentially one ticket, one day, and takes place in over 20 venues along the Camden strip. Visitors to the festival can soak up the sun and breathe in the wonders of the Camden market and high street but the main attraction is of course the over 200 bands which are performing throughout the day in the various venues including The Worlds End Pub, Electric Ballroom, and The Underworld. Make sure to also stop by Brewdog for some awesome ale’s where you’ll find an more intimate set up in the basement with some banging acts! Along with the headliners there are plenty of other awesome acts, which you can go and see. Some of these include; The Twang, Dinasour Pile-Up, Ducking Punches, and Rob Lynch. Camden Rocks is certainly an awesome day out; with a afterparty in one of the various clubs on offer if you so wish to continue the party late into the night. For the amount of acts you can see, the great location in London, and the relatively low cost, it is an absolutely banging bargain!
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40 SPORT PHOTO CREDIT: BRUNEL ATHLETICS
SPORT BUCS OUTDOOR PREVIEW Adam Varvel With BUCS outdoors looming, many of the Brunel Athletes will be turning their attention to PB’s and finals for the biggest outdoor competition of the year. Last year Brunel came 6th, narrowly missing out on a top 5 finish. The women’s team finished 4th whilst the men finished in 13th position. After a successful indoor campaign by winning varsity for the 3rd year in a row and holding our own cross country campaign, Brunel aims to go one better this term by looking to test athletics heavy weights such as Cardiff Met and Birmingham. The Brunel Athletics Chairman Adam Varvel had this to reflect on the season
so far and where they can finish this season. “Our indoor performance, despite having a few key members missing, was a great success. We increased the point tally from last year so this can only be encouraging looking forward to Bedford on the 02/05/15, I will be expecting a top 5 finish from both male and female teams at least.” Based on indoor form there could well be a repeat of the 400m dominance that lead to David Hall breaking the previous championship performance at Sheffield in a time of 46.91. If he can replicate that time outdoors then he should have no problem completing an indoor and outdoor double. David Hall is of course a multi event athlete so this is what he had to say about his plan for BUCS outdoors: “I’m using BUCS as preparation for
my first decathlon of the year in May. It will be a good chance to see how a few events are progressing and it will give me and my coach a chance to evaluate any final tweaks that need to be made before my first decathlon for 2015. Obviously the aim is to score as many points for Brunel as possible and I’d like to come out and put in some PB performances. Hopefully we’ll get our strong 400m guys out for the relay because I think we could run an exciting time.” Further medal hopefuls come thick and fast with Melissa Courtney fresh off the back of two altitude training camps, who is this year’s female track and field captain after changing from cross country captain last year. This year she had this to say about Brunel’s chances in Bedford: “I’m really excited for not only my chances but the team as a whole, we have a very
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strong women’s team which I hope will bring back lots of medals. I’m personally really looking forward to making my debut in the 5000m on track and can’t wait to see how I fair in comparison to my normal distance of 1500m. I will be fresh of the plane from Font Romeu so hoping the altitude training I will be doing in April will show great improvements.” Jo Rowland also aims to add to her ever lengthening medal count in a variety of Track & Field events. Jo is a heptathlete by trade and so often competes in individual events. Indoors she claimed yet another medal in the Long Jump (silver) and Shot Put (silver). Prior to the competition Jo Rowland had this to say about her final BUCS competition and what events she plans to compete in: “I am really looking forward to BUCS outdoors this year as it is my final year
and I am looking to score big points for the university. I am planning on competing in the javelin, shot, long jump, 100mH and both relays where I am needed over the 3 days of competition. It has been an honor to represent Brunel over the many years and I hope to end on a high and bring some medals back to London.” Sprinting is often a strong point for Brunel athletics and medal prospects include Clieo Stephenson in the 100m/200m, who came 5th last time out and fellow sports scholar Shanice Harrison (100m/200m). In the men’s, other chances of medals lie with Enrico Tawaih who came 6th twelve months ago and Marvin Papoola (100m/200m).
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BRUNEL RUGBY LEAGUE SHOW HEART IN PLAY-OFF DEFEAT
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RUGBY LEAGUE’S SEASON IN REVIEW
PHOTO CREDIT: CHRIS RATHORE
KC Swain Rugby League Brunel 14 - 36 Swansea Brunel Rugby League lost by 36-14 to Swansea RL in a hard fought game on Wednesday 15th April. The game was the first tie in a three-way play-off between Brunel, Swansea and Oxford Universities, with the winner gaining a place in the BUCS Premier South division.
points down, however, due to a fine interception in his own half by George Geddes. Geddes sprinted clear to touch down a 50m try, which Smith converted with aplomb. After getting some much needed water on-board, Brunel started the second half much like they did the first. The tie was now a real gladiatorial battle, with both teams trading big hits and their share of individual mistakes. Swansea struck first, though, extending their lead and piling pressure on Brunel.
But the Big Dogs hit back with 10 The sun was beating down on the minutes played in the second period, cemetery pitch, and both teams as Jake Yellop received a long pass felt the effects immediately as before stepping inside the Swansea dehydration and fatigue quickly set in, right-winger to score. leading to injuries “The Big Dogs pushed as early as the 3rd Unfortunately it minute. back hard over the next 10 wasn’t to be for the from West minutes, holding Swansea in boys Swansea made the London, though, as first line break five their own half for most of the just like in the first minutes in, and half Brunel began early stages.” sprinted through to get sloppy. for an uncontested try, only to drop the ball over the line. Swansea took full advantage and put every point they could past Brunel, The Big Dogs pushed back hard over finishing the game strongly with the next 10 minutes, holding Swansea 22-point lead and a huge advantage in their own half for most of the early in the play-off battle. stages. The result leaves Brunel needing And the pressure eventually paid off; Oxford to beat Swansea, before a With the Welsh team pinned back deciding match between Oxford and on their own try line, Ibrahim Kabia Brunel at the end of April. If Brunel chipped through to Howard Smith were to win that game (giving every who dived over the line to give Brunel team one win a piece), the promotion the lead. place would be settled on points difference. But if BRL’s form in the first 20 minutes was great, their play in the Yellop, who completes his stay as BRL next 20 was equally as bad. chairman this summer, said: “It was a great effort from the boys. We’re With tiredness firmly set in to the disappointed to lose, but it’s not over team, and a number of minor injuries yet. And I’m 100% sure it’s going to be beginning to mount, Swansea took an even better year for the team next the game by the scruff of its neck and year.” took the lead for themselves. It has indeed been a great year for Most of the tries came from Swansea’s Brunel Rugby League, winning the quick spreading of the ball, with South-Eastern League in a transitional Brunel not fast enough to drift wide, year, and now promotion has come letting Swansea burst through on their down to the wire. Come on Brunel! right side. Brunel finished the half just a few
KC Swain It’s been another great year for the Brunel Rugby League team. We regained our South-East championship title, and made huge strides towards growing the stature of the club within the University. The BRL committee knew we had to start the year strong, as a huge amount of players left the University last summer, including a number of key men. We had a strong presence at Fresher’s Week, and recruited well. However, with a number of recruitments being new to Rugby League, or even rugby in general, we expected a transitional year. We had mixed results at the annual pre-season 9’s tournament, winning and losing a number of games across the two teams we put out. But most importantly, we had the opportunity to blood our new recruits in a competitive environment, and it worked a treat. The first league game of the season came at home to the old rival, St. Mary’s (second team). What better way to make a statement of intent than to beat our West London rivals straight out of the gates, and make a statement we did. Whilst the game was tough at times, we stormed out the 46-24 victors. By this time training was in full swing, the new boys had settled in well and everyone was feeling fit and ready to go. New coach James Massara helped the team massively, bringing expert knowledge to the inexperienced players and providing training that benefited both fitness and core skills. The second game of the year was up next and it was just as tough as the first, an away day at Reading. The tie was neck and neck almost the entire way, until around the 65th minute when Brunel captain and star player Malikhi Lloyd-Jones was sent off. But this simply rallied the Big Dogs, and we showed the spirit of future champions to push on and take the game at the death, finishing victorious by 32 points to 24.
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Brunel then brushed aside Essex by 48 points in mid-November, continuing their 100% start to the season. Next we travelled away to the enemy, St. Mary’s, but this tie was much simpler than the last – we went home with a 38-16 victory and had completed the double on our Varsity rivals. The home tie versus Reading in December proved to be no easier than the away game, and it was an intense, physical clash for the entire 80 minutes. But once again it was the Big Dogs coming out on top, winning the game 24-14. That made 5 wins in 5 games for Brunel, and safe to say confidence was sky high. We knew that Cambridge were now our only title rivals, and our full attention turned to them. We came back from the winter break ready to claim our title, but Cambridge themselves had other ideas. We travelled to Cambridgeshire on the 21st January fully focused, but Cambridge had clearly kept their fitness better than us Brunelians over the holidays, and their superior physicality paid off. We suffered our first league loss of the season by 4824, and it was heart-breaking. But you don’t win titles by lying down at every setback, and we knew the league title was still in our own hands – so when Cambridge came to Brunel for the reverse fixture on February 4th, we knew what we had to do. And what a game it turned out to be. We took a narrow lead in the first half, as Ibrahim Kabia assisted 3 huge tries (with another to come later) and proving to be an invaluable playmaker. But the second period started awfully, and two early tries for Cambridge put them in a winning position, and suddenly the whole campaign was falling apart. But we had not lost at home this season, and we were not about to now. Two hard-fought tries inside the final 10 minutes gave Brunel the emotional victory and all but sealed our championship status.
We’d scored 238 points in our 7 games, with a team made mostly of new players, and the league season finished with a walkover of Essex after they failed to field a team. The Big Dogs were champions again! After a few weeks well-deserved rest, the team went back at it to prepare for Varsity and for promotion playoff games. Varsity certainly didn’t go our way, unfortunately, but we’re confident we can put in a strong showing next year. We played Swansea on Wednesday 15th April in the first of our our two play-off games, sadly losing in an extremely tough, but enjoyable battle under the Spring sunshine. We are yet to play the final game of the season, the second play-off versus Oxford, which is sure to be another tight, competitive match-up. So despite a disappointing few weeks, the season as a whole has been extremely fun and very successful. Our strong recruiting and coaching has helped us through what could have been a difficult year, and turned it into one of our best yet. Gaining another strong set of new players in September could be the turning point for Brunel Rugby League to become a real force in the BUCS leagues. So thanks to James Massara and Student Rugby League for all their help throughout the season, to BUS, and to the entire committee (Malikhi Lloyd-Jones, Ibrahim Kabia, Jake Yellop, Kc Swain, Waleed Khalid and Chris Meadway) for all their work this year. Here’s to another title win next time, come on you Big Dogs!
42 SPORT PHOTO CREDIT: ATHLETICS WEEKLY
INTERVIEW: DAVID HALL Panny Antoniou David Hall, an athlete currently studying towards a Physiotherapy BSc at Brunel revealed that his teammates were the main reason for his success He has had a triumphant career in athletics so far, seeing him win Brunel’s Sportsman of the year award at the Sports Federation awards which were held on the 26th of April.. This success has also seen Hall competing in the British University College and Sport (BUCS) Nationals where he placed first in the
three throws. These include a javelin throw, a pole vault and – of course – what some would say is Hall’s best However, Hall argues that whilst his individual event, the 400m. Hall achievements in the 400m were states that his biggest achievement to his most successful individual event take was taking part in the World Junior he measures Championships “Hall has also lauded the his success which were held in according to his facilities at Brunel, saying Eugene, Oregon in achievements in that the world class training the United States. the event which he is most passionate, setup was why he chose to Despite all this the decathlon. As success, Hall has attend our university. ” a decathlete, Hall remained humble, takes part in a asserting that his gruelling ten event competition which teammates were the key reason for combines four runs, three jumps and his impressive performances. 400m breaking a decade old BUCS record.
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“The guys I train with are my inspiration,” he exclaimed, adding “I’m training with my mates who are all good decathletes so we help each other get to the next level.” Hall has also lauded the facilities at Brunel, saying that the world class training setup was why he chose to attend our university. Hall argued that “the setup at Brunel is fantastic, the facilities are really good” demonstrating, once again, the significant investment in sport which the university has undertaken which has made Brunel one of the best sporting universities.
Hall has multiple plans for the future and, although he says the Brazil 2016 Olympics are too close for him to make the cut, he still aims to represent Team GB in upcoming international events. Indeed, one of his major aims is to represent his country in the 2020 Olympics which will be held in Tokyo. In the near term Hall is due to compete in the European Athletics U23 Championships which will be held between the 9th and the 12th of July in Tallinn which is the capital of Estonia.
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CURSE OF THE HOCKEY SECOND TEAM BROKEN Laura Eke Women’s Hockey Brunel 3 - 0 Portsmouth Final match of the season had arrived and last BUCS Wednesday of the year; a sad time for some, as this would be their last.
PHOTO CREDIT: @BRUNELLIFTING
BRUNEL WEIGHTLIFTERS TROUNCE SIMMIES
With limited numbers, we accrued some honorary 2nd team members for the trek down to Portsmouth for what we thought was going to be
Parker, were busy and attempts at goal were being made.
Allen, across to Eke at the top of the D, into Sinclair and GOAL! 2-0 to Brunel!
With a frustrating start of first half, with no goals, the game became instantly aggressive. We were ready for this fight, and we were not leaving Portsmouth with a loss.
From the current score, we could afford to bring the defence up and just attack. There were 10 minutes left and Spooner went on a run up to the attack, across to Allen, over to Eke, shot, no, just wide. Brunel fed many balls into the D from the midfield and a penalty corner was awarded, attempt 1, Eke’s shot off the post and onto an opposing foot, another short corner given. Attempt 2, played out to Sinclair and another foot from the opposition and harsh words thrown from Portsmouth to Hothi and Eke
With solid keeping from Charlotte Bush and a great defensive wall of Shelly Spooner, Anna Scovell, Natasha Matthews and Rachel Thorogood, the ball was constantly in our attacking half. With Portsmouth’s free hit they got it up to their attack, however Scovell was taking no
Panny Antoniou St Mary’s had, however, a chance of still getting the bragging rights for weightlifting due to their home advantage when hosting the British Student Weightlifting Championships. Their athletes failed to capitalise coming third with 197 points, compared to Brunel’s incredibly impressive 222 points which won them the competition.
The London University Series ended on Saturday 21st February with Brunel weightlifters finishing victorious overall and taking the prestigious title. They were competing against lifters from 11 other universities with over 60 athletes taking part. The three part competition was part of an informal “Tobias van Nes was introduction to the Brunel student successful in the men’s sport for amateurs Kristian McPhee organised by the was especially competition, scoring 42 national body for strong in the points across all three legs. ” the sport British competition, Weightlifting and coming first in their Regional Development Officer the men’s 77kg category. There was Rich Kite supporting by officials from further success for Brunel in the men’s the London and South East Region. 85kg category where Lewis Ridett narrowly defeated Imperial College Tobias van Nes was successful in London’s Liem Bui-Le by just 3kg. the men’s competition, scoring 42 Ridett won the 150kg in the clean and points across all three legs. He beat jerk and 118kg in the snatch for a total opposition from Daniel English and of 268kg to Bui-Le’s 265kg. Jamal Isaac-Shah who got second place, scoring 38 points apiece, These Brunel successes were further despite only taking part in two of the helped by Rachael Radman’s victory three legs each. in the women’s 58kg category and Ryan Hambidge’s win in the men’s Natasha Adams cruised to success in 62kg category. Furthmore, Patrick the female event, collecting 56 points Maris another brunel student was over the three legs and taking the also successful in the competition, title of Series Champion. Brunelian taking away the bronze in the men’s Rachael Radman came in close 105kg category. The other Brunel second to Adams with 53 points and students to compete on the day Kimberly Bateman came in third place, were Daniel Chipperfield and Ahsan accumulating 36 Khan in the men’s points from two of “Brunel University won the 77kg category, competition overall and was Jack Bain, Lewis the three events. crowned Top University in Date and Simonas Brunel University Dubietis and Ryan what was described as a won the Thrussell in the c o m p e t i t i o n “surprise win” by enthusiasts 85kg category, overall and was William Morgan of the sport.” crowned Top in the Men’s 94kg University in what category and was described as a “surprise win” Fontane Warde and Patrick Maris in by enthusiasts of the sport. Overall, the men’s 105kg category. the university gained 229 points, absolutely trouncing their second We would like to congratulate all who place opponents Middlesex University took part in both events and wish all who gained just 182 points. University members of the Brunel Weightlifting College London rounded off the team every success in future top three with 155 points. Our rivals competitions. St. Marys were also demolished by Brunel athletes. The four time winners were surprise underperformers, only managing to finish in fourth place, far behind our own team.
PHOTO CREDIT: SARAH EKE a chilled, fun match. We were very wrong! Upon arrival, tension was sensed and we knew it would be feisty. With huge support on the sidelines for Portsmouth it wasn’t going to be pleasant. Brunel did however have the support of Captain Laura Eke’s Mum, fully supportive and vocal on the sidelines – like Mother, like daughter.
prisoners and returned the ball up to Brunel and Barwick scored. The halftime whistle blew and Brunel were 1-0 up, just what we needed going into the second half. With a chilled half time talk for the first time this season, the only thing to say from Eke was to get more goals and get what we deserved.
Brunel had secured their place in the league, unlike Portsmouth who were facing relegation, unless they came out with a miraculous 30-0 win.
“With a frustrating start of first half, with no goals, the game became instantly aggressive. ”
Brunel won the toss and took first push back, attacking straight from the whistle and ensuring that we made our mark from the start. With a solid midfield of Saffron Hothi, Sophie Allen and Laura Eke, long runs, long passes and constant attacking meant that our strikers; Aimee Abbott, Nicole Sinclair, Danielle Barwick and Abbie
Second half underway and Men’s Hockey 2nd team now also on the sidelines, it was clear that Brunel were determined to get these goals, however Portsmouth were not making it easy, increasing the aggression and also the sideline abuse, the game became a war. With a great run from
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and Abbott stepped in and time got stopped. Warnings given to both teams from the umpires and surely this would be 3rd time lucky with the corner. Attempt 3, up to Eke, across to Sinclair, shot and Barwick got the bunt in, her 2nd goal of the match and Brunel had won 3-0. A very proud feeling for Captain, Eke, as this was the first time in 4 years that the 2nd team were not relegated, mission accomplished! What a great season, fantastic work from every member of the team and a huge thank you to Jeff Moores, the coach.
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FORMER BRUNEL ATHLETE DANIELLE BLAIZE STORMS AHEAD IN SOUTH LEAGUE
PHOTO CREDIT: DAVE COLLIER
Mehdi Punjwan Twenty-seven year old former Brunel student Dominique Blaize made a positive start in the Southern Athletics League Division Three South West campaign, competing alongside Chris Dack for Kingston & Polytechnic Harriers. Blaize and Dack delivered the performances of the day for their respective sexes, with Dack throwing 15.87 metres to win the men’s shotput, and Blaize throwing 11.65 to win the women’s. Blaize also won the women’s hammer event, as well as claiming points in three others. Since graduating from Brunel University, Blaize had competed in various athletics competitions. She finished second in the 2008 BUCS Indoor High Jump, jumping 1.8m and eventually winning the silver medal in the overall indoor athletics competition.
“Since graduating from Brunel University, Blaize had competed in various athletics competitions.” Her best performance in the 100m was a time of 11.87 seconds, set in 2010, the same year in which she set her personal best for the 200m, in 24.05 seconds. Blaize’s best in the 400m was 68.2 seconds. Recently, however, she finished first in the 200m and the women’s high jump at Twickenham for the Sweatshop Southern Athletics League Division. The former Brunel student looks set to make further progression in the field of indoor athletics, hoping to work hard and earn more success, adding hers to the long list of successful athletics alumni of Brunel University.
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YEAR IN REVIEW Snow Club Adam White
2014/15 has been an awesome year for Brunel Snow Club. Work on plans for the year really began back in May 2014 when we had our first committee handover meeting with the outgoing guys and girls. We were able to hit the ground running with respect to all aspects of the club; in particular the planning for this years Winter Tour, which Harry White, our Trip Organizer had already been busy working on. This forward momentum didn’t end there, with the club making an excellent start to the academic year in fresher’s week. The club had a brilliant Fresher’s Fayre with many current and incoming students showing great interest in all the clubs activities and the trip. The following week saw the club hold its first social; the Fresher’s Pub Ski where we hit several local bevvie holes before frequenting The Academy on campus for that Friday’s Mega-Global. The momentum didn’t stop there, with the rest of the first term of this year going as great as those first weeks. We saw a good amount of people taking up lessons in both skiing and snowboarding; which we ran at the indoor snow slopes in Hemel Hempstead. These were run every other week and also saw some of our existing members or those with some previous exposure to the snow coming along for some recreational fun! This year we have really aimed to try and improve the clubs social scene and just generally become more visible on campus; which has been achieved to great success! We held an American themed social where we went to Gamma at The Academy for some beer pong and consumption gammas and then heading to Liquid. We also took part in the annual Brunel bonfire and fireworks night. On the evening we ran a stool in the student union tent selling Hot Chocolate for RAG and also aided in the running of a snowboard simulator; much like a bucking bronco ride…through both of which we were able to raise a hefty chunk of money for RAG! This also gave us a final opportunity to promote the annual winter tour with the deadline the following week. In the closing weeks of the term we had our final trips to Hemel for the final round of lessons and sessions and we also had both our pre-trip social; an awesome opportunity to meet and greet those also going on the trip, and our annual Christmas dinner at The Malt Shovel! Both excellent evenings! Of course the main event of the
year for us as the club was the aforementioned Brunel Snow Club Annual Winter Tour 2014! We didn’t quite break last year’s numbers for people on the trip but we had a good healthy amount of 96. We left at around 5pm on the final Friday of term 1 and headed to Dover to catch our ferry. Just short of 18 hours later we pulled into Tignes, in the French Alps for an awesome week of fun on the slopes and partying in the awesome local nightlife scene. Some excellent nights out were had with a different theme every night including Scuba Keith, Rubik’s, Dress Your Age, Anything But Clothes (ABC), Christmas, and Trip T-Shirt Night. Two of the best nights were the Funicular party; a party at the top of the mountain in a mountain chalet restaurant turned nightclub and bar; and the pool party where Brunel and UWE snow clubs partied hard in the pool with accompanying DJ, music, slides, and whirlpool!
This was an awesome day for those involved with Jack Cole, AJ Smith, Ed Morris and Brendan Cogan all doing well in the Ski Slalom. Harry White, Charlotte Colman and Adam White were also able to impress in the Ski and Snowboard Slopestyle. Unfortunately; none were able to qualify for the finals in their respective disciplines but it was an overall good result considering it was the first experience of competitive snow sports for all of the team. Overall so far the year of 2014/15 has been fantastic for BSC! But…it doesn’t end there! As I write this we are in the process of selling tickets for the one and only and original Brunel Snow Club presents Brunel’s Annual End of Year Boat Party. To be held on Tuesday 19th May, this is going to be a fantastic night of partying on…you guessed it….a boat! Following this, we will then be meeting up with the design and engineering boat partygoers to hit the afterparty club; Piccadilly Institute. Tickets cost £15, and this includes
Netball Emilia Jackson
After three years with Brunel Ultimate, I can safely say this has been, in my opinion, the best year for the club. From the first indoor tournament of the year at Skunks, we knew that we were going to have a good mix of social members and those that were technically already very good.
It has been yet another fantastic year for Brunel Netball, with the club enjoying continuing success of all our teams, a special mention must go to the second team who landed themselves a BUCS silver medal after a hotly contested final of the conference cup against Surrey 1sts.
After some very good results and a bit of a telling off for our social team for being “too hostile” our preparation for indoor regionals was well underway. Indoor regionals was a personal highlight for myself, captaining the second team to an 11th place finish and improving our seed.
This season BUNC enjoyed a series of firsts: a new coaching set up which has enabled us to go from strength to strength; the social team dominated their new league and currently on track to be promoted; we also worked closely with England Netball to set up a new role at Brunel: the University Netball Officer (UNO) which further increased the number girls participating in netball at Brunel.
The first team again came agonisingly close to qualifying for nationals and the third team did fantastic to improve their seed despite having no substitutes over the weekend. Mixed regionals signalled the end of the competitive indoor tournaments for Brunel Ultimate and a 6th placed finish was a great achievement for the club as we have been pushing for a mixed team for a number of years.
Of course the main attraction of the trip were the slopes which albeit not being the best at first improved throughout the week through continuous snowfall and resulted in the last few days being awesome! Many took up the opportunity to hit the slopes further afield in Val d’Isere as well as hit the snow parks for some freestyle shenanigans! The second term saw the club continue the efforts made in the first with more socials throughout. There was a trip reunion; another pub-crawl before hitting the club, as well as an 80’s social. We also, for the first time in 3 years entered a team into the competition; BUiSC, the indoor university snow sports championships; specifically the southern heats at Milton Keynes.
Ultimate Alex Baker
entry to the club after. It is a much anticipated event and tickets will sell out fast so if you’re looking to join us make sure to get your ticket quick! Term 2 of this year also saw the new committee get elected for the forthcoming academic year! Congratulations to Adam White (President), Benjamin Howland (Secretary), Ed Morris (Treasurer), Alice Courteney-Harris (Media & Social), Jack Cole (Trip Organizer) and Matt Townley (Club Captain). It certainly looks to be another fantastic year for the club with initial planning for events and the all-important Winter Tour looking good! We are certainly looking forward to continuing with the success that we have seen the club go through this year for the rest of term and into next year! We hope that as many of you as possible can join us in this adventure! Don’t forget you can keep up with the club and all that we do via our social media feeds: Like us on Facebook: https:// w w w . f a c e b o o k . c o m / BrunelSnowClubOfficial Join our Facebook group: https:// w w w.fa ce b o o k . co m /g ro u p s / brunelsnowclubofficial And follow us on twitter: @ BrunelSnowClub
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After a bit of a break outdoor regionals was soon upon us. The team claimed a 9th place finish, winning nine matches and losing two, in less than favourable weather conditions for ultimate Frisbee. Rounding off our year was perhaps one of the biggest moments for the club, our first ever varsity appearance. After a convincing win against St. Marys earlier in the year, we went into this fixture confident but still wary of complacency. A convincing 14-3 win was swiftly followed by champagne, flares and for some a pretty hazy morning…
The Brunel netball sisterhood really shined through this year, with all seven teams really integrating and supporting each other, both on and off court. Together, we raised money for both our club and charities close to our hearts, through event such as the legendary Pink night, mixed tournaments and Fireworks night stall to name but a few. We are looking forward to continuing to grow next year, aiming to welcome another large intake of freshers into the club and even more opportunities for our members to become qualified coaches and umpires. We also have some exciting new ventures planned to build on our reputation both on campus and within the wider area to ensure the 2015-16 season is our best yet!
SPORT Basketball Michael Darlow
Jiu Jitsu Johanna Puustinen Brunel Jiu Jitsu’s year has exceeded even our wildest expectations. We had a rough year last year, having lost several instructors in quick succession, but we were determined to make up for it this time around. And boy, did we. Our attendance has been through the roof even through the exam period, to the point where we can’t fit on the mats the university provides anymore. We have instructors who love and support us in everything we do, and a new committee that cannot wait to get to work. We train hard - in March, we brought back our first national gold medal in years.
When our brilliant media chair Kirsty Capes told me she wanted an article describing my favourite bits of my final year at Brunel in 250 words, I thought it was going to be a difficult task as it is, from explaining this issue I have now wasted another 56 and made this a whole lot harder. I was trying to work out where I would start and the beginning made sense to me, my first highlight would be my first game as the Brunel Basketball 1st team captain, we were playing against London South Bank in front of a massive crowd and I knew we had to play well in order to reach our goal of playing in the BUCS final 8’s. I did
not play well on a personal level but it was great to play again after a long summer and win against our rivals starting the season on a high! My second favourite moment was reaching the BUCS final 8’s, this is a tournament held at the University of East London and the top 8 teams in the country compete to decide who will win the title. Brunel were without a doubt the underdogs and we did finish 8th but the manner in which we competed against teams far superior to us made me very proud to captain those group of players and represent Brunel University. My last and without a doubt favourite memory of this year is Varsity, I really thought we were going to have the same outcome as last year during
Football Jordan Clarke Over the past 10 years, BUAFC have had one man to thank for the fact that they’ve been able to function properly, and one man that has been through the highs and lows and stuck with the club throughout. But as with everything, the time has come and Neil Cumming, club head coach, decided to part with the club as he continues his venture across the pond. Everyone at the club, both past and present, is massively grateful of what Neil has done and we collectively wish him the best in the future. With Ali Simmons, former BUAFC player taking over and the talent shown in the first varsity win in 21 fixtures, the club has a lot to be excited about going forward. However, they do say goodbye to some big names and great service men for the club. Special mentions go to Jordan Clarke, Josh Trett, Craig Burnett, Chris McConnell Wegahta Mohammed and Elliot Whiteside for the outstanding commitment to the club. Best wishes to new chairman Sean O’Rourke and his new committee and long may BUAFC’s reign as a juice club continue!
The performance from our cheerleaders gave all of us a burst of energy and made me give one of the cringiest speeches ever spoken in the Sports Centre. But it seemed to work, we were scoring and Simmies just couldn’t. The crowd were amazing and pulled us out of the mess we had got ourselves in to. Every point was cheered and the whole game will be something I never forget, to finish the game playing with four of your best mates put the icing on top of the cake! And most importantly we won back Varsity!
Hockey Shelly Spooner
We have also been actively trying to spread our good luck and energy throughout the university. This year we have actively taken part in every event offered to us, and have worked tirelessly to make life better for other martial arts clubs at Brunel through grassroots action, like making sure our training spaces are taken better care of by university staff. We already have huge plans for next year, some of which we can’t disclose just yet. We will work on maintaining a larger campus presence and gaining more influence in university sports, and we’re not afraid to dream big. If rugby and basketball can attain borderline institutional status at Brunel, why couldn’t jiu jitsu?
our basketball game. The odds were against us being 15 down at the half, I knew we needed to win to give Brunel a chance of retaining that illustrious shield.
Athletics Mark Cryer Brunel University is arguably the best place to be in the UK as a combined eventer. With the combined events group containing over 8 GB internationals across different age groups, the above statement is hard to argue with. With the BUCS Outdoor Decathlon Championships being just around the corner, each Brunel athlete will be looking to feature highly amongst the top finishers. The 2015 U23 GB team consisted of Mark Cryer, Thomas Howlett and David Hall who are all current Brunel Undergraduates. Two other undergraduates, Alex Wort and Matthew Lee, were both very close to making the team also. Therefore, the BUCS Outdoor Championships is a very likely occasion to feature all five athletes in the top five finishers. Each athlete also competed well at the BUCS indoor championships with David Hall taking the 400m title in a championship best performance. All four other athletes made the finals with Thomas Howlett and Matthew Lee finishing 4th in their own events. The group also contains alumni and Commonwealth Games bronze medalist Ashley Bryant who contributes to the successful environment. Being part of one of the best University athletics teams in the UK has also contributed to the high performance demonstrated by these Brunel students. Overall, Brunel is definitely the place to be for athletics and decathlon.
Cheerleading Emma Taylor & Danielle Tysall-Blay Brunel Blizzards had a great start to the year with a huge number of new talented individuals joining the team. However, having over 60% this year’s team being freshers that had never done cheerleading before meant there was a lot of work to do. Throughout the year, we have been faced with a number of difficulties, from injuries, dropouts and even a stunting ban for a few weeks, that had a big impact on the teams progress. Nevertheless, the high level of commitment and dedication of both teams ensured our success. Both pom and coed squad placed within the top 3 at national competitions, improving further on our results from last season. We also performed at varsity our most difficult routine to date, which we think you’ll agree was far more creative and exciting to watch than St Marys! Our success of course would not have been achieved without our talented athletes and dedicated captains/cochairmans Danielle Tysall-Blay and Sophie Doyle, who have been the driving force behind the teams. Next year, we will continue to improve on performance and technique, recruiting even more freshers, with the aim to bring home the all important first place trophies from competitions.
PLEASE RECYCLE
This year has been a fantastic year for Brunel Hockey, due to high participation in events ran by the union. We have participated in Green Week, Be Brunel, Community Action Week, involvement in the spring elections and have raised £425 in the colourdash that was organised on campus. Being involved in union events has really got the club and our faces known around campus, showing we are a friendly and committed club. Our volunteering has increased significantly, with some members attending the volunteer awards dinner- our first year ever! Our performance hasn’t been as great as previous years due to having at least a third of the club graduating last year. However, this year is the first year in 4 years that our Women’s 2’s haven’t been relegated- so some positives to take from the year. Next year, most teams are in suitable leagues and should be able to stay in their leagues or even better, gain promotion! Even though it is the end of the year, we still have so much to look forward to. The 15th May sees the beginning of our annual Alumni Weekend which is looking to be bigger and better than ever! Now we have a strong alumni base which has grown over the years, with the majority coming back to play in a tournament organised by our current committee. In addition to this, we have our end of season dinner on 17th May, which is the first dinner that has been a mixed event. Also, we will be supporting the Snow Club’s annual boat party as a club, as we do every year. The end of this year sees Brunel Hockey closer than ever, with integration between the men and women better than it has been previously, through working closely together to ensure that we have a successful club. My hopes for next year is to increase membership levels and to make sure that players lost are replaced so that performance can be better. Also, I would like to see Brunel Hockey continuing to get involved in union events and to maintain the level of volunteering that has been achieved this year. As Chair of the club, I have been very proud to run the club this year and to see the commitment of all of the members and to see that their hard work has paid off to make a very successful year for the club.
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Sailing Olivia McCarthy This year has seen Brunel Sailing Club go from strength to strength. We kicked off the year with four free taster sessions and our annual Pub Sail through Uxbridge, ending up at our Wednesday night local, Liquid. RYA Level 1 and 2 courses saw that our new sailors got to grips with the sailing basics before progressing on to our race training. December culminated in six of our new sailors attending Cardiff’s team racing event which whilst no trophies were won for Brunel a lot of fun was had. February is always the highlight of Brunel Sailing Club’s calendar as we hosted our own team racing event. The weekend was kicked off with a social at the Academy, which included a welcome party with live music from this year’s Battle of the Band winners. With 12 teams attending the weekend’s sailing there were plenty of chased and exciting starts, and nail biting. The weather remained relatively cold but clear and fairly constant wind wise, which lead us to a very tight grouping at the top of the leader board at the end of Saturdays racing with Portsmouth and then Reading 1 and Reading 2 occupying the first 3 places. Saturday night began with a buffet dinner in Uxbridge before we headed into London for a Brunel Sailing classic Bus Pub Crawl. Splitting into teams we aimed to see as much of the inside of the capitals pubs as was possible. Some teams took this as an opportunity to view some of London’s many landmarks aboard several Boris Bikes. Afterwards we all headed towards our final destination for the evening, Zoobar located by Leicester square Unfortunately strong winds prevented any competing on Sunday, leaving the leader board as it stood with Portsmouth taking the top prize alongside Both Reading teams 1 and 2 taking second and third places. However, the year is not over! With the soaring temperatures, a breath of fresh air on a boat is a popular choice during revision. The summer will see us host our first Club Cup to finally end the argument of who is the best sailor, an action packed F.A.C.E. week and a week’s yachting holiday in Croatia in June. It not too late if you want to start sailing, for more information check out our website: brunelsailing.com .
THIS MONTH... ATHLETICS
B RU N E L U N I V E R S I T Y ’ S S T U D E N T N E W S PA P E R
LOOKING AHEAD TO THE BUCS OUTDOOR S
NETBALL WIN TOP AWARD AT SPORTS FED 40
YEARS IN REVIEW BRUNEL’S CLUBS REFLECT ON THEIR BEST BITS OF 2014-15
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DAVID HALL
PANNY ANTONIOU INTERVIEWS THE BRUNEL ATHLETE PHOTO CREDIT: ADAM WHITE
Hannah Jones Another year, another Sports Federation Ball! On April 24th, nearly 300 students attended our annual Ball at the Thistle Hotel. Organised by the events team, our Sports Federation Chair, Michael Darlow and the sports federation committee, the night was a huge success!
colours were awarded to those who had performed at a regional level, equivalent or maintained a high ranking in their chosen sport. The highest level of achievement was Full colours and was awarded to individuals who achieved Exceptional Performance. This year we had 60 nominees who received club colours, 28 for half colours and 26 for full colours.
After a delightful main course, the More students than ever attended evening saw awards presented by the event which members of the “More students than ever Sports Federation lead to a huge profit that saw attended the event which Committee, our everyone receiving campaigns chair, lead to a huge profit that a complimentary Yohanna and our saw everyone receiving a incoming drink upon arrival! RAG After a wonderful complimentary drink upon Chair, Yasmin. opening speech The awards and arrival!” by our Sports winners were: Federation chair, Shoebox Appeal the first awards to be announced winner Rugby Union; RAG Club of were Club colours, Half colours the Year winner Hockey; Volunteering and Full colours. Presented by the Club of the Year winner Hockey; Most Sports Federation Chair and the Vice Improved Club of the Year winner President Student Activities, Hannah Fencing; Membership Engagement Jones, club colours was awarded to Club of the Year winner Hockey; individuals who had made significant Club Person of the Year – Malikhi contributions during their time as Llyod-Jones from Rugby League and members. This included their role Kandis Nelson from Netball – both as a member of the committee, or have been exceptional and invaluable contributions despite NOT being members to their clubs this year, the a member of the committee. Half committee couldn’t decide between
the two so we awarded them both! Before deserts, Team of the Year was announced as Futsal Men’s 1st Team. They have had an incredible season and on Wednesday 29th April they will be playing in the BUCS Championship final against Brighton and we wish them the best of luck! After the final course, we moved onto the ‘big’ awards of the evening. Fresher of the Year was awarded to an individual who has shown potential and enthusiasm on an operational and/or performance level and has stood out in front of their peers. The winner this year was James King from Judo! Sportswoman and Sportsman were awarded to those recognised with the highest level of individual achievement. The Committee took into account what level these people had achieved and also their contribution to the club. Sportswomen for 2014/15 was Georgia Lees from Netball, she is currently the 1st team captain at Brunel, competes for Surrey Storm in the Superleague and is an exceptional player. Sportsman for 2014/15 was awarded to David Hall from Athletics, David set a new 400m record at BUCS and is our best decathlete at Brunel! Before the biggest award of the
evening was announced, Michael gave his final speech thanking a number of individuals, including the events team, our communications team, the VPSA for her support throughout the year and those individuals who voted in the elections! Club of the Year, a highly prestigious title was awarded to the club that has provided the best service to its members and the Students Union as a whole. This can include social, recreational and competitive activities. The committee took into consideration the capability of a club to achieve a high standard in all areas when deciding the winner. The winner for 2014/15 was NETBALL! All winners were deserving of their awards. The Sports Federation Committee decided on winners based on nominations submitted as well as the committee requesting more information where required to ensure that an informed decision had been made. Yet again another superb night finishing up in global! This event is the highlight for most sporting individuals and teams and we look forward to more next year!
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HOCKEY
CURE IS BROKEN FOR SECOND TEAM
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