The Courier 1205

Page 1

Newcastle student Becky Jones explains KRZ VKH RYHUFDPH KHU À JKW ZLWK DQRUH[LD Life & Style, page 14-15

THE

C OU R IE R THE INDEPENDENT VOICE OF NEWCASTLE STUDENTS

EST 1948

Issue 1205 Monday 15 February 2010 www.thecourieronline.co.uk

FREE

&RXQFLO FKLHI œ:H¡UH QRW DJDLQVW VWXGHQWV¡

Changing grades Newcastle University embroiled in controversy following allegations of changing entrance requirements for new students News, page 4

Privatisation of universities Following in the footsteps of private schools, will private universities be next? News, page 5

8QGHU Ă€ UH 6KLSOH\ GHIHQGV FRXQFLO¡V FRQWURYHUVLDO KRXVLQJ VWUDWHJ\ Simon Murphy News Editor The leader of the council has hit out at claims suggesting the council has an anti-student agenda. John Shipley, who heads the Liberal Democrat city council in Newcastle, denied the council’s housing strategy was trying to force students out of residential areas into purposebuilt student accommodation. The strategy calls for an increase of between 5,000 and 6,000 purposebuilt bed spaces, citing that growth in student numbers over the last ten years has not been met by an increase in the availability of purposebuilt student accommodation. Shipley said: “The council is not enforcing anything at all – there are a number of students who seem to think that.

Fat tax Does Air France’s latest air tax discriminate against larger customers or is it a realistic consideration in today’s society? Comment, page 9

Hot or Not Direct from the red carpets of Hollywood: a look ahead to the top celebrity trends for the coming award season Life & Style, page 16-17

Six of the best Teesside are humbled 6-0 as the Royals run riot at Cochrane Park Sport, page 42

“I think that the problem has been exaggerated - there is a tendency not to listen what other people are saying.�

Rivals crushed Newcastle’s rugby team warm up for Stan Calvert in the best possible fashion with a convincing win over Northumbria Sport, page 44

John Shipley City council leader

“We’re simply saying students should be allowed to choose. The whole approach of the council is to say, we believe in student choice. “We believe that students want to live in purpose-built accommodation, built to a modern standard, which are warm, with IT facilities, with good quality accommodation, en suite facilities and with a lot of friends and colleagues around them and they should be able to do that.â€? Shipley’s remarks come despite a 2008 student satisfaction survey at Newcastle University which revealed that 75% of students did not want to live in halls of residence W\SH DFFRPPRGDWLRQ DIWHU WKHLU Ă€ UVW year. +RZHYHU Ă€ JXUHV SXEOLVKHG E\ Newcastle University have shown a disparity between supply and dePDQG IRU Ă€ UVW \HDU DFFRPPRGDWLRQ as 10% of students who applied to halls of residence were rejected this year – a point Shipley was keen to note. He said: “A lot more people might have applied if they thought they had a chance of getting somewhere.â€? In response to Shipley’s comments,

Inside today >>>

0DNLQJ EHGV 1HZFDVWOH 8QLYHUVLW\ÂśV &DVWOH &RXUW LV WKH Âż UVW RI D QXPEHU RI QHZ EXLOGLQJV SODQQHG WR KHOS PHHW WKH GHPDQG IRU Âż UVW \HDU DFFRPPRGDWLRQ 6KLSOH\ EHOLHYHV WKH ODFN RI Âż UVW \HDU KRXVLQJ LQ WKH FLW\ PD\ KDYH SXW VWXGHQWV RII DSSO\LQJ IRU WKH 8QLYHUVLW\

the University’s Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Engagement, Paul Younger, wanted to stress that the University was looking at ways of resolving the issue. Younger said: “It has been a challenge to keep up with the proportional increase in demand for purpose-built accommodation as student numbers have surged over the last decade. “I’d say we’ve actually done well to only have to disappoint 10% of applicants for such accommodation.

“We recently opened a new wing at Castle Leazes, and are receiving UDYH UHYLHZV IURP LWV Ă€ UVW UHVLGHQWV ´:H DUH FRQĂ€ GHQW WKDW WKH UHPDLQ ing shortfall for this type of accommodation will be made good by new buildings already scheduled for construction by 2012, and a few others currently in the planning stages. “However, we see no signs that the remaining two-thirds of our students will suddenly begin to want to live in halls-type accommodation.â€? Shipley admitted there had been tension in residential areas of the

city, such as Jesmond, where students had clashed with local residents over late night noise issues. He said: “I think that the problem has been exaggerated and it’s partly because there is a tendency not to listen what other people are saying. “There are problems in some parts of the city with pressures caused by late night noise. “The fact is that some streets have very, very large numbers of houses in multiple occupation which had previously been family houses.� Continued on page 4

Miike Snow $KHDG RI WKHLU Âż UVW JLJ LQ Newcastle, the Swedish band discuss their favourite songs with Music Editor Chris Mandle. Culture, page 30

2

Monday 15 February 2010 THE COURIER

Disabled students still waiting for loans

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

Comment Bittersweet Should Kraft have been allowed to take over Cadbury? Fran Infante and James Brown argue for and against Page 9

Life & Style

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

> Page 5

Medical School forced to review policy after ‘embarrassing’ case of plagiarism exposed

Fashion goes to the Oscars Catwalk special on what the celebs will be wearing Page 16-17

Culture Bringing the music home TV & Radio preview the 2010 BRIT awards ceremony taking place in London’s Earls Court Arena Page 33

Sport You gotta have faith The editor of Newcastle United fanzine true faith talks to The Courier Page 37

Meetings Timetable: Monday Sport - 11am, Committee Room A News - 12pm, Committee Room C Comment - 12pm, Committee Room C Photos - 2pm, Committee Room B Tuesday Life & Style - 12pm, Committee Room A Wednesday Film - 12pm, Committee Room A Music - 1pm, Committee Room B Thursday Arts - 12pm, Committee Room A Editorial Team: ‡ (GLWRU 'DYLG &RYHUGDOH ‡ 'HSXW\ (GLWRU )UDQ ,QIDQWH ‡ 1HZV (GLWRUV -HVVLFD 7XOO\ DQG 6LPRQ Murphy ‡ &RPPHQW (GLWRUV &DUROLQH $UJ\URSXOR Palmer and Nicholas Fidler ‡ /LIH 6W\OH (GLWRUV /DULVD %URZQ $OH[ Felton and Ashley Fryer ‡ &XOWXUH (GLWRU $OLFH 9LQFHQW ‡ $UWV (GLWRU 6WHSKDQLH )HUUDR ‡ )LOP (GLWRU )UDQFHV .URRQ ‡ 0XVLF (GLWRUV 0DUN &RUFRUDQ /HWWLFH DQG Chris Mandle ‡ 79 5DGLR (GLWRU $LPHH 3KLOLSVRQ ‡ 3X]]OHV (GLWRUV 6X]L 0RRUH DQG 1HG Walker ‡ 6SRUWV (GLWRUV 3DXO &KULVWLDQ -DPLH *DYLQ DQG 7RP -DPHV ‡ 'HVLJQ (GLWRU 9LFWRULD %HOO ‡ 2QOLQH (GLWRUV *RUGRQ %UXFH -HVVLFD Monson and Laura Walker ‡ 3URRI (GLWRUV 5XWK $OVDQFDN &ODLUH Childs, Kath Harmer, Lucy Houlden, Anna Kenolty, Charlotte Loftus, Emma Peasgood and Claire Russell

The Courier is printed by: Harmsworth Printing Limited, Northcliffe House, Meadow Road, Derby, DE1 2DW. Tel: 01332 253013. Established in 1948, The Courier is the fully independent Student Newspaper of the Union Society at the University of Newcastle-UponTyne. The Courier is published weekly during term time, and is free of charge. The design, text, photographs and graphics are copyright of The Courier and its individual contributors. No parts of this newspaper may be reproduced without the prior permission of the Editor. Any views expressed in this newspaper’s opinion pieces are those of the individual writing, and not of The Courier, the Union Society or the University of Newcastleupon-Tyne.

Bethany Sissons Newcastle University has updated its plagiarism policy after evidence of plagiarism was found in the work of senior researchers at Newcastle University last year. The faculty of Medical Sciences was embarrassingly exposed for committing plagiarism after copied material was used in an article. The article made the global headlines when it was published last -XO\ EXW DV D UHVXOW RI WKH SODJLDULVP case, it has now been withdrawn. The plagiarised paper addressed the creation of sperm from human embryonic stem cells. A total of thirteen authors were involved in the paper but it listed Karim Nayernia, who is Professor of Stem Cell Biology at Newcastle, as the corresponding author. However, the overall blame for the plagiarism was appropriated

WR WKH DUWLFOH¡V Ă€ UVW DXWKRU -DH +R Lee, who had left the University. Tim Cawston, the faculty’s Dean of Research, said that “the buck stops with the principal investigatorâ€?. Now, due to the humiliating case, Newcastle University has announced that it has written to principal researchers within the school of Medical Sciences to remind them that their work “must be original and care must be taken in checking drafts of papers written by earliercareer researchersâ€?. The University’s policy on plagiarism has been reinforced and the fact that papers must be carefully checked has been stressed. Furthermore, Newcastle University has promised to examine the supervision of research associates due to this plagiarism case and to take more care particularly when checking the work of inexperienced researchers. The University also

claims that it will discount the use of plagiarism detection software, opting instead to go back to basic principles in order to improve and strengthen good academic practice. Newcastle plans to use more “native English-speaking staff� to support junior colleagues and for appropriate supervision of postdoctoral staff. There will be the “previewing of draft papers� so that plagiarism mistakes can be avoided in the future. There will also be a larger focus on avoiding plagiarism during internal training programmes. The University is aware that this plagiarism case has damaged its reputation. Minutes from a meeting held amongst the faculty’s research strategy committee declared that the scandal has caused “adverse publicity�. Tim Cawston spoke on behalf of the faculty, insisting that two mis-

takes had been made in the plagiarism case. )LUVWO\ WKH SRVWGRFWRUDO IHOORZ -DH Ho Lee, had inappropriately copied a large piece of text and the principal investigator, namely Professor Karim Nayernia, had not checked the work. He also added that although WKH EODPH OLHV PDLQO\ ZLWK WKH Ă€ UVW author, there were “gradations of seriousnessâ€? and that Professor Nayernia had been “spoken toâ€?. Plagiarism is a serious matter and is important to the standard of academic work. Students are penalised for plagiarism and when senior researchers are discovered to have committed plagiarism, the case appears unprofessional and embarrassing. The researchers have failed to set a good example to students and the case is another reminder of how carefully papers should be checked in order to avoid plagiarism.

Rules enforced to prevent student visa misuse Olivia-Marie Viveiros Strict rules have been enforced to stop people abusing the student visa system. 7KH +RPH 6HFUHWDU\ $ODQ -RKQVRQ said 30% of migrants were on student visas; some of whom were on short courses rather than actual degrees. The new policy also requires students to speak English near to *&6( OHYHO UDWKHU WKDQ WKH FXUUHQW beginner level. The new set of regulations was brought out a week after student YLVD DSSOLFDWLRQV IURP 1HSDO ,QGLD and Bangladesh were suspended due to a rise in illegitimate cases. The student visa systems were reviewed in November last year after 240,000 visas were issued in 2008/9. The Tories said the system had been the “biggest hole in border conWUROÂľ 7KH +RPH 2IĂ€ FH KDV VWLOO QRW FRQĂ€ UPHG UHSRUWV WKDW WKH FKDQJHV may cut student visas by tens of

thousands. Last year a new system was introduced which required students wishing to enter the UK to obtain 40 points under its criteria. 7KH *RYHUQPHQW IDFHG FULWLFLVP after claims that the visa system allowed suspected terrorists and illegal immigrants into the country too easily. There were also concerns over the amount of people staying even after their visa had expired. The Liberal Democrat shadow for the Home Secretary told the BBC: “The biggest hole in the student visa system is caused by the Tory and Labour abolition of exit checks.� 7KH +RPH 6HFUHWDU\ $ODQ -RKQVRQ has denied claims that the system had previously been slack. “By 2011 we will have the most sophisticated system in the world to check people not just coming into the country but to check they have left as well,� he said.

“We have to be careful we are not damaging a major part of the UK economy between ÂŁ5billion and ÂŁ8billion,â€? he added. He also said that the UK remains open for foreigners to study in the UK as long as they are legitimate students. ,PPLJUDWLRQ 0LQLVWHU 3KLO :RRODV told the BBC’s Politics show that 200 counterfeit colleges have been shut down. There have been further proposals put forward to prevent people from cheating the system. Students taking courses below degree level will only be allowed to work 10 hours a week, a cut from the current 20 hours. Those who are on courses which last under six months will not be allowed to bring dependants into the country and dependants of students taking courses under degree level will not be allowed to work. The Conservative party has pro-

posed that overseas students should pay a cash deposit which they would lose if they did not leave the country ZKHQ WKHLU FRXUVH Ă€ QLVKHG Mark Pritchard, the Conservative backbencher, has further proposed universities should withhold degree FHUWLĂ€ FDWHV XQWLO YLVD VWXGHQWV KDYH returned to their home countries. Peter Mercer, Newcastle UniverVLW\¡V 6WXGHQW 6XSSRUW 2IĂ€ FHU WROG The Courier: “This will inevitably reVXOW LQ D FRQĂ LFW RI LQWHUHVW ´2Q WKH RQH KDQG XQLYHUVLWLHV VXFK as Newcastle are looking to expand international students; in the face of Ă€ QDQFLDO FXWV LQ WKH +( VHFWRU KRZ ever, the points based system will surely prevent many students from coming over. ´,W¡V DOVR LPSRUWDQW LQWHUQDWLRQDO students are not discriminated against within the universities. There is also the issue that some existing foreign students may have to leave involuntarily,â€? he said.

THE COURIER Monday 15 February 2010

3

News

New e-book service set for Robinson Elliot Bentley

Into the wild: University’s Wilderness Society tackles freezing mud, lakes and barbed wire to complete the Tough Guy competition and raise money for charity

Students take on ‘Tough Guy’ Danya Bazarra & Rachel Evans Following months of strict training, 19 hardy members of Newcastle Wilderness Medicine Society travelled south last month to voluntarily get cold, wet and muddy for charity. ,FH Ă€OOHG GLWFKHV EDUEHG ZLUH HOHFWULF VKRFNV DQG ZDWHU Ă€OOHG WXQnels are just some of the obstacles involved in ‘Tough Guy’, an endur-

ance race and obstacle course drawing almost 5,000 brave competitors to Staffordshire every year. The aim of the Wilderness Medicine Society is to learn about prehospital medical care, and how to safely enjoy the great outdoors. It’s an excuse for students to travel and explore the British wilderness, develop their navigational skills and experience acute medical care

situations hands-on. It wasn’t a race in any normal sense; the welcome pack warned of hypothermia, dehydration, torn à HVK DQG DGYLVHG OLIH LQVXUDQFH The course involved miles of running up and down hills, sliding under, over and through obstacles before climbing 40-foot wooden frames and thinking fast about the descent, having to decide between

Members show off their medals after completing the assault course dubbed the ‘world’s hardest endurance test’

swinging on perilous ropes over the frozen lake, or walking the plank and jumping straight into it. :KLOVW HYHU\RQH ZDV WU\LQJ WR Ă€Qish as quickly as possible, the team spirit on the day was infectious, and competitors shared their energy and excitement, giving leg-ups or shouting encouragement. Unfortunately, 600 people did not Ă€QLVK GXH WR WKH LPPHQVH GLIĂ€FXOW\ involved with doing exercise in such cold and wet conditions. Dehydration and numbness led to participants sustaining injuries unaware. Newcastle’s legendary team, however, broke into small groups, supporting one another through this mentally and physically demanding course, and all completed the eight mile track in less than three hours. Alistair Dodsworth told The Courier: “It was absolutely freezing!â€? Rachel Lawson commented: “It was only three days after that I managed WR IHHO P\ Ă€QJHUV DJDLQ Âľ ‘Tough Guy’ has been running for over twenty years and was originally set up to raise money for retired horses. This year’s event was named ‘The Year of the Original Hero’ in memory of Harry Patch, the sadly now deceased WW1 veteran. So far, over ÂŁ1,500 has been raised for two charities - these being ‘Papyrus’ (accessed through www.papyrus.org) and the ‘Antony Nolan Trust’ (www.antonynolan.org). These charities are very personal to the members of society, as they deal with illnesses and issues that impact on the lives of many of the team members. The society urges all students to donate to these organisations via www.justgiving.com/wildernessmedics or www.justgiving.com/ wildmedics.

Ever made an arduous journey through wind and rain to fetch that FUXFLDO WH[WERRN RQO\ WR Ă€QG WKDW every copy has been taken out? Students will be pleased to know that Newcastle University’s library has launched a new e-book service accessible from anywhere in the world, at any time. The collection, 120,000 books large, is the biggest of any university in the country, and includes many textbooks not available in the physical collection. Wayne Connolly, the University Librarian, told The Courier: “With this new service we have greatly increased the range of books, and they are all available for reading online and downloading 24/7.â€? As well as being available to read in an internet browser, the library is to loan out state-of-the-art Sony e-book readers in the near future to allow students even more ways to access the e-book collection. The website, accessible via usual login details, is very straightforward and easy to use, with a comprehensive search option able to search within the books themselves. E-books can be viewed both as images or PDFs, allowing up to 5% of each book to be copied-and-pasted and up to 20% to be printed out. Some expensive books are unavailable, but can be requested for purchase by the library. Furthermore, any books “rentedâ€? by the library for students to read often will be purchased for good.

Inside today >>>

Netball 1sts into BUCS Championship quarters Sport, page 40 Mr Connolly described it as “turning the system on its headâ€?: whereas usually all textbooks purchased by the library are recommended by academics, this new system allows students to have direct input into the library’s purchasing decisions DQG LQ HIIHFW GHĂ€QH LWV IXWXUH FDWDlogue. However, despite the large collection of e-books, this is no replacement for the 950,000 paper books in the Robinson Libary. A quick search by The Courier revealed that ‘Life: The Science of Biology’, which is a key textbook for Ă€UVW \HDU %LRORJ\ DQG Âś$QDO\VLQJ Sentences: An Introduction to EngOLVK 6\QWD[¡ D NH\ WH[WERRN IRU Ă€UVW year Linguistics and English Language students, are both absent. An initial investment of ÂŁ70,000 has been spent on the project, but funding for further books depends entirely on its level of use by students. ,W LV WKH Ă€UVW RI PDQ\ LPSURYHments to Robinson Library, with an extra 70 computers to be installed around the building by the next term and refurbishment of the basement computer clusters. The lack of central heating, meanwhile, which has garnered many complaints, was described by Mr Connolly as “a nuisanceâ€?, and the library staff have been “aware of issuesâ€? for the last 18 months, but stressed that heating the 25-yearold building was far easier said than done. The e-book service can be accessed at http://www.ncl.eblib.com/ EBLWeb now.

4

Monday 15 February 2010 THE COURIER

News Continued from the front page )LJXUHV VKRZ WKDW EHWZHHQ 0DUFK DQG )HEUXDU\ WKHUH ZHUH QRLVH UHODWHG FRPSODLQWV LQ -HV PRQG DQG +HDWRQ 6KLSOH\ VDLG ´7KH FRPSODLQWV WKDW FRPH WKURXJK WR RXU ODWH QLJKW KRW OLQH DUH FRQFHQWUDWHG LQ SODFHV OLNH -HVPRQG DQG +HDWRQ VR LW·V FRVWLQJ XV TXLWH D ELW RI PRQH\ WR UHVSRQG WR WKRVH DQG UHDOO\ DOO ZH·UH DVNLQJ LV WKDW WKHUH VKRXOG EH GXH FRQVLGHUD WLRQ IRU QHLJKERXUV ´,I SHRSOH DUH KDYLQJ D SDUW\ WKHQ WKHUH VKRXOG EH VRPH DWWHQWLRQ WR WKH LPSDFW WKDW LW LV KDYLQJ RQ QHLJK ERXUV µ 3DXO <RXQJHU GHIHQGHG WKH 8QL YHUVLW\·V UROH LQ DGGUHVVLQJ QRLVH FRPSODLQWV +H VDLG ´7KH 8QLYHU VLW\ KDV ZRUNHG YHU\ IUXLWIXOO\ ZLWK WKH FLW\ FRXQFLO DQG WKH SROLFH RYHU WKH ODVW IHZ \HDUV WR DGGUHVV FRP SODLQWV DERXW QRLVH DQG XQUXO\ EH KDYLRXU ´1RW DOO RI WKH FRPSODLQWV WXUQ RXW WR EH DERXW VWXGHQWV WKRXJK \RXQJ SURIHVVLRQDOV DUH DOVR FDSD EOH RI PLVEHKDYLQJ µ <RXQJHU EODPHG WKH LQÁ X[ RI EDUV RQ 2VERUQH 5RDG LQ -HVPRQG IRU PXFK RI WKH QRLVH FRPSODLQWV +H VDLG ´:KHQ WKH FRXQFLO JUDQW HG SODQQLQJ SHUPLVVLRQ IRU WKHVH EDUV WKH\ PXVW KDYH FRQVLGHUHG WKH OLNHO\ LQFUHDVH LQ VWUHHW QRLVH ODWH DW QLJKW EXW À JXUHG LW ZDV FRXQWHU EDODQFHG E\ RWKHU EHQHÀ WV ´7KDW·V KRZ GHPRFUDF\ ZRUNV EXW ZH FDQ·W OD\ DOO WKH EODPH IRU WKH HQVXLQJ QRLVH VROHO\ RQ VWXGHQWV µ 6KLSOH\ FRQFHGHG WKDW WKH ODWH QLJKW QRLVH SUREOHPV DUH ´SUREDEO\ IXHOOHG E\ DOFRKROµ +H DGGHG ´$OFRKRO LV D JHQHUDO VRFLHWDO SUREOHP ² , WKLQN WKDW·V MXVW JHQHUDOO\ UHFRJQLVHG ,W·V QRW MXVW WR GR ZLWK VWXGHQWV DW DOO , GRQ·W VHH

DOFRKRO FRQVXPSWLRQ DV D VSHFLÀ F VWXGHQW LVVXH µ 3DP 5DQVRQ RI )HUQ $YHQXH -HV PRQG EODPHV DOFRKRO IRU ODWH QLJKW QRLVH 6KH VDLG ´,W·V D PDWWHU RI EDODQFH -HVPRQG LV ORVLQJ ZKDW LW ZDV ,W·V GUXQNHQ VWXGHQWV WKDW DUH WKH SURE OHP ,I \RX OLYH LQ -HVPRQG ZKHQ WKH XQLYHUVLW\ VWXGHQWV JR KRPH \RX FDQ UHDOO\ WHOO WKH GLIIHUHQFH ´%XW , GRQ·W EODPH WKH VWXGHQWV ² LW·V WKH ODQGORUGV· IDXOW 7KH ODQG ORUGV DUH GRLQJ DZD\ ZLWK ORFDO SHR SOH 0RUWJDJHV WR UHQW IRU ODQGORUGV DUH SDUW RI WKH SUREOHP ´7KH\·UH PXVFOLQJ RXW ORFDO SHRSOH ZKR DUH WU\LQJ WR JHW RQWR WKH SURS HUW\ ODGGHU µ 6KLSOH\ ZHOFRPHG WKH FUHDWLRQ RI D VWXGHQW IRUXP WR GLVFXVV WKH SURE OHPV LQ UHVLGHQWLDO DUHDV GXEELQJ WKHP ´UHDOO\ KHOSIXOµ 7KH FRXQFLO KDV WLJKWHQHG UHJXOD WLRQV RQ FRQYHUWLQJ KRXVHV WR PXOWL SOH RFFXSDQF\ LQ DQ DWWHPSW WR TXHOO WKH JURZLQJ VWXGHQW QXPEHUV LQ UHVLGHQWLDO DUHDV 1HZFDVWOH 8QLYHUVLW\·V &RPPX QLW\ 2IÀ FHU 'DYLG +LFNOLQJ VDLG ´,W LV QR VHFUHW WKDW VRPH FRXQFLO ORUV ZRXOG UDWKHU VHH WKH EDFN RI VWXGHQWV LQ WKHLU DUHDV DQG WKLV RQO\ IXHOV WKH YLHZ WKDW WKH FRXQFLO ZDQWV WR ¶FKXFN DOO VWXGHQWV RXW RI -HVPRQG· DQG WKH OLNH ´7KH FUHDWLRQ RI XS WR EHG VSDFHV LQ VHOI FRQWDLQHG EORFNV VXJ JHVWV WKDW WKH FRXQFLO DUH JLYLQJ VWX GHQWV D QRW VR VXEWOH QXGJH WRZDUGV ZKHUH LW ZRXOG OLNH WR VHH WKHP OLYH µ 7KH FRXQFLO IRUHFDVWV D GH FOLQH RYHU WKH QH[W WHQ \HDUV LQ WKH QXPEHU RI \HDU ROGV FRPLQJ WR XQLYHUVLW\ EXW 6KLSOH\ LQVLVWV 1HZ FDVWOH LV ZHOO SODFHG WR VXUYLYH WKH GHFOLQH

Newcastle accused of unjustly raising entry requirements Mary-Beth Frater 1HZFDVWOH KDV EHHQ QDPHG DV RQH RI D QXPEHU RI OHDGLQJ XQLYHUVLWLHV DFFXVHG RI XQMXVWO\ UDLVLQJ $ OHYHO HQWU\ UHTXLUHPHQWV EHFDXVH RI DQ LQFUHDVH LQ DSSOLFDQWV DQG FXWV LQ JRYHUQPHQW VSHQGLQJ 6FKRROV DFURVV WKH FRXQWU\ KDYH SURWHVWHG DV SXSLOV FRXOG EH OHIW ZLWKRXW D SODFH DIWHU KDYLQJ EHHQ MXGJHG E\ WRXJKHU FULWHULD WKDQ WKDW VHW DW WKH WLPH RI WKHLU DSSOLFDWLRQ 1HYHUWKHOHVV WKH VXUJLQJ QXPEHU RI DSSOLFDWLRQV KDV VHHPLQJO\ PDGH WKH WDVN RI FKRRVLQJ ZKLFK FDQGL GDWHV WR PDNH RIIHUV WR PRUH GLIÀ FXOW WKDQ HYHU EHIRUH 1DWLRQDO À JXUHV WR EH UHOHDVHG ODW HU WKLV ZHHN DUH H[SHFWHG WR VKRZ D UHFRUG EUHDNLQJ LQFUHDVH LQ DSSOLFDWLRQV FRPSDUHG WR ODVW \HDU DV PRUH SHRSOH RSW IRU XQLYHUVLW\ LQ WKH IDFH RI WKH UHFHVVLRQ 1HZFDVWOH 8QLYHUVLW\ LV QR H[FHS WLRQ )LJXUHV VKRZ D LQFUHDVH LQ DSSOLFDWLRQV WR VWXG\ &KHPLVWU\ DQG D LQFUHDVH IRU WKRVH RSW LQJ IRU %LRORJ\ ZKLOVW WKH QXPEHU RI DSSOLFDQWV IRU =RRORJ\ KDV YHU\

QHDUO\ GRXEOHG IURP ODVW \HDU &XWV WR JRYHUQPHQW VSHQGLQJ RI PLOOLRQ DORQJ ZLWK IHDUV WKDW IXUWKHU FXWV FRXOG IROORZ LQ QH[W PRQWK·V EXGJHW KDV OHIW XQLYHUVL WLHV NHHQ QRW WR EUHDFK JRYHUQPHQW TXRWDV RQ VWXGHQW QXPEHUV /RUG 0DQGHOVRQ KDV ZDUQHG WKH\ IDFH À QHV RI IRU HYHU\ H[WUD SODFH DZDUGHG 6FKRROV ZHUH WROG E\ RIÀ FLDOV DW WKH 63$ DQ XPEUHOOD RUJDQLVDWLRQ VHW XS LQ E\ 8. 8QLYHUVLWLHV WKDW DGPLVVLRQV WXWRUV KDG UHOXF WDQWO\ FKDQJHG WKHLU FULWHULD GXH WR WKH FXWV DQG KLJK YROXPHV RI DSSOL FDQWV 7R FRSH ZLWK FXWV WR VSHQGLQJ XQLYHUVLWLHV DUH VODVKLQJ VWDII QXP EHUV DOOHJHGO\ UHGXFLQJ SODFHV IRU %ULWLVK XQGHUJUDGXDWHV DQG WDNLQJ RQ PRUH IXOO IHH SD\LQJ RYHUVHDV VWXGHQWV 'U 5REHUW 'LFNLQVRQ DGPLVVLRQV WXWRU IRU 1HZFDVWOH /DZ 6FKRRO WROG The Courier WKDW ZKLOH WKHUH KDV EHHQ ´QR FKDQJH WR WKH HQWU\ FULWHULD WKHUH KDV EHHQ D VLJQLÀ FDQW LQFUHDVH LQ WKH QXPEHUV RI PDWXUH DQG (8 VWXGHQWVµ DSSO\LQJ IRU /DZ FRXUVHV :LWK VXFK DQ LQFUHDVH LW VHHPV LQHYLWDEOH WKDW HTXDO FRQVLGHUD WLRQ DPRQJVW DSSOLFDQWV ZLOO OHDYH IHZHU SODFHV XS IRU JUDEV E\ %ULWLVK VFKRRO OHDYHUV 2YHUVHDV VWXGHQWV GR QRW IDOO ZLWKLQ WKH JRYHUQPHQW TXRWD DQG VR WR VXJJHVW WKDW XQLYHUVLWLHV DUH

IDYRXULQJ VWXGHQWV RXWVLGH RI WKH (8 LV PHUHO\ D ´UHG KHUULQJµ IRU FRQWURYHUV\ ,Q UHVSRQVH WR UHFHQW UHSRUWV D 1HZFDVWOH 8QLYHUVLW\ VSRNHVPDQ LVVXHG D VWDWHPHQW WR UHLWHUDWH WKDW ´WKH PRVW XS WR GDWH LQIRUPDWLRQ LV DYDLODEOH RQ WKH 8QLYHUVLW\ ZHEVLWH DOORZLQJ DOO SURVSHFWLYH VWXGHQWV WR DVFHUWDLQ HQWUDQFH UHTXLUHPHQWV EH IRUH DSSO\LQJµ 7KH RQO\ FKDQJH FDQ EH DWWULEXWHG WR 3KLORVRSKLFDO 6WXGLHV ZKHUH HQ WUDQFH UHTXLUHPHQWV FKDQJHG IURP %%% WR $%% VLQFH WKH SULQWLQJ RI WKH SURVSHFWXV WKH RQOLQH SURVSHFWXV KDV EHHQ FKDQJHG WR UH Á HFW WKLV ,W ZDV PDGH FOHDU E\ WKH VSRNHVPDQ WKDW VXFK FKDQJHV DUH ´LQ QR ZD\ UHODWHG WR WKH FXUUHQW VLWXDWLRQ UHJDUGLQJ IXQGLQJµ DV FODLPHG (YLGHQFH DSSHDUV WR UHÁ HFW WKH YLHZV RI PDQ\ DGPLVVLRQV WXWRUV 'U $QGUHZ 3LNH DGPLVVLRQV WXWRU IRU &KHPLVWU\ WROG XV KH ´FRXOG QRW VHH ZK\ WKLV VKRXOG KDSSHQµ DW 1HZFDVWOH 8QLYHUVLW\ 6WXGHQWV KDYH WR GR ZHOO WR JDLQ D SODFH DQG ZKLOH PDQ\ RIIHUV DUH PDGH QRW DOO DSSOLFDQWV ZLOO PHHW WKHLU RIIHU RU FKRRVH 1HZFDVWOH DW DOO 7KH HIIHFWV RI WKH UHFHVVLRQ DUH FRXQWHUDFWLYH GULYLQJ PRUH SHRSOH LQWR D KLJKHU HGXFDWLRQ V\VWHP ZLWK IHZHU SODFHV WR RIIHU ,W UHPDLQV WR EH VHHQ ZKDW WKH IXOO HIIHFWV RI FXWV LQ VSHQGLQJ ZLOO KDYH RQ %ULWLVK XQLYHUVLWLHV

Disability grants delayed Joshua Shrimpton Dean (YHU\ À UVW \HDU 1HZFDVWOH 8QL YHUVLW\ VWXGHQW ZKR DSSOLHG IRU D JRYHUQPHQW GLVDELOLW\ VXSSRUW JUDQW KDV H[SHULHQFHG D GHOD\ LQ UHFHLYLQJ WKHLU SD\PHQW The Courier KDV OHDUQW 7KH GLVFORVXUH FRPHV DIWHU À J XUHV REWDLQHG E\ WKH &RQVHUYD WLYHV VKRZ WKDW WKH 6WXGHQW /RDQV &RPSDQ\ 6/& DUH \HW WR PDNH 'LVDEOHG 6WXGHQWV· $OORZDQFH '6$ SD\PHQWV WR DOPRVW VWXGHQWV DFURVV (QJODQG 7KH DOORZDQFH ZRUWK XS WR SHU \HDU LV GHVLJQHG WR KHOS VWXGHQWV SD\ IRU VSHFLDOLVW HTXLSPHQW DQG VXSSRUW GXULQJ WKHLU WLPH DW XQLYHUVLW\ $Q\WKLQJ IURP %UDLOOH SDSHU WR WKH VHUYLFHV RI D QRQ PHGLFDO KHOSHU DUH FRY HUHG E\ WKH JUDQW 6KDGRZ 8QLYHUVLWLHV DQG 6NLOOV 6HFUHWDU\ 'DYLG :LOOHWWV EUDQGHG WKH ODWHVW À DVFR LQYROYLQJ WKH 6/& DV ´WUXO\ VKRFNLQJµ $QQ 0XVN RI 1HZFDVWOH 8QLYHU VLW\·V 6WXGHQW :HOOEHLQJ 6HUYLFH WROG The Courier KRZ XQLYHUVLWLHV DUH RQFH DJDLQ EHLQJ IRUFHG WR DF FRPPRGDWH IRU IDLOXUHV ZLWKLQ WKH 6/& ´:H KDYH QRWLFHG D GHOD\ LQ VWXGHQWV· DSSOLFDWLRQV EHLQJ SURF HVVHG IRU '6$ +RZHYHU WKH 6WX GHQW :HOOEHLQJ 6HUYLFH KDV EXIIHW HG WKLV GHOD\ WR HQVXUH WKDW QRQH RI WKH VWXGHQWV ZKR KDYH UHJLVWHUHG ZLWK WKH 6HUYLFH DUH ZLWKRXW WKH DSSURSULDWH VXSSRUW ´7KH VXSSRUW ZH VXSSO\ LV D

PL[WXUH RI À QDQFLDO ZKLFK ZLOO EH UH FODLPHG DQG OLDLVRQ ZLWK WKH VFKRRO WR SURYLGH H[WUD VXSSRUW ZKHUH WKH\ FDQ µ VDLG 0XVN ,Q D VWDWHPHQW WKH 6/& UHYHDOHG WKHLU GHSHQGHQFH RQ XQLYHUVLWLHV WR SURYLGH HPHUJHQF\ VXSSRUW LQ WKH ZDNH RI WKH GHOD\V ´7KHUH DUH ORQJ VWDQGLQJ DU UDQJHPHQWV ZKLFK HQVXUH WKDW XQLYHUVLWLHV DQG FROOHJHV DUH DEOH WR VXSSRUW VWXGHQWV LI WKHLU DSSOL FDWLRQ IRU '6$ ZDV PDGH ODWH RU WKHUH KDV EHHQ D GHOD\ LQ SURFHVV LQJ WKHLU DSSOLFDWLRQ µ 3URVSHFWLYH À UVW \HDU VWXGHQWV ZKR DUH \HW WR EHJLQ WKH SURFHVV RI DSSO\LQJ IRU À QDQFH IRU HQ WU\ ZLOO EH IXUWKHU GDXQWHG E\ WKLV ODWHVW HSLVRGH LQ D FDWDORJXH RI OHW GRZQV E\ WKH 6/& ,&7 GLUHFWRU :DOODFH *UD\ DQG FXVWRPHU VHUYLFHV GLUHFWRU 0DUWLQ +HUEHUW OHIW WKH FRPSDQ\ LQ 'H FHPEHU IROORZLQJ D GDPQLQJ UH SRUW LQWR ¶FRQVSLFXRXV IDLOXUHV· DV VHQLRU PDQDJHUV DGPLWWHG LW PD\ EH WZR \HDUV EHIRUH WKH V\VWHP LV UXQQLQJ FRUUHFWO\ $V GLVDELOLW\ VXSSRUW JURXSV DFURVV WKH FRXQWU\ VSRNH RI WKH DS SDUHQW VLGHOLQLQJ RI SHRSOH ZKR DUH PRVW DW QHHG WKH 6/& YRZHG WR LPSURYH WKH SURFHGXUH E\ ZKLFK '6$ JUDQWV DUH DGPLQLVWHUHG ´:H DUH FXUUHQWO\ UHYLHZLQJ WKH SURFHVV DQG SURFHGXUHV IRU WDUJHW HG VWXGHQWV LQ FRQVXOWDWLRQ ZLWK UHOHYDQW RUJDQLVDWLRQV DQG VSHFLDO LQWHUHVW JURXSV DQG ZH ZLOO DOVR EH LPSURYLQJ WKH WUDLQLQJ RI VSHFLDO LVW DGYLVRUV µ

THE COURIER Monday 15 February 2010

5

News

$ KLJKHU HGXFDWLRQ HOLWH LQGHSHQGHQW schools plan new private-run university J. WHITTAKER

James Brown Headteachers of some of the most elite private schools in the country DUH LQ WKH Ă€UVW VWDJHV RI HVWDEOLVKLQJ a new, privately-run university in Kent. 0RGHOOHG RQ $PHULFDQ ÂśOLEHUDO DUWV¡ FROOHJHV ZKLFK IRFXV RQ VPDOOHU JURXS WHDFKLQJ DQG QRW RQ UHVHDUFK WKH XQLYHUVLW\ FRXOG FKDUJH XS WR ÂŁ10,000 a year in fees. Terrence Kealey, Vice-Chancellor of the UK’s only private university, %XFNLQJKDP DQG KLV FROOHDJXHV DW the Headmasters’ and Headmistresses’ Conference (HMC – the RUJDQLVDWLRQ UHSUHVHQWLQJ OHDGLQJ SULYDWH VFKRROV KDYH GUDZQ XS plans that could see the unused site RI :\H &ROOHJH LQ .HQW FXUUHQWO\ RZQHG E\ ,PSHULDO &ROOHJH /RQGRQ as the campus of the new university. 7KH XQLYHUVLW\ LV EHLQJ HQYLVLRQHG E\ KHDGWHDFKHUV ZKR VD\ WKDW WKH KLJKHU HGXFDWLRQ VHFWRU PXVW UHspond to demand from parents for VPDOOHU WHDFKLQJ JURXSV HVSHFLDOO\ LQ WKH DUWV VRPHWKLQJ $PHULFDQ OLEHUDO DUWV FROOHJHV KDYH EHHQ EHWWHU DW GRLQJ DQG FKDUJLQJ IRU IRU decades. Newcastle headteachers and acaGHPLFV KDYH EHHQ YRFDO LQ WKH GLVFXVVLRQ VXUURXQGLQJ WKH FUHDWLRQ RI D SRVVLEOH QHZ XQLYHUVLW\ Bernard Trafford, headteacher of the Royal Grammar School in Jesmond and former chairman of the HMC, told The Times ODVW ZHHN ´, GRQ¡W WKLQN \RX¡OO Ă€QG PDQ\ SDUHQWV ZKR DUH KDSS\ WKDW DW DJH WKHLU FKLOGUHQ JR WR XQLYHUVLW\ DQG JHW IRXU KRXUV RI WHDFKLQJ D ZHHN “When they paid school fees they JRW D ORW PRUH , FDQ VHH DQ DZIXO ORW of independent school pupils would see this as an attractive alternative. ,W ZRXOG EH DOO DERXW GHSHQGDEOH TXDOLW\ DQG KLJK DFFRXQWDELOLW\ WR WKH SHRSOH SD\LQJ WKH IHHV Âľ Newcastle University’s Professor of Education James Tooley, renowned for his research on low-cost SULYDWH HGXFDWLRQ LQ ,QGLD KDV EHHQ ´FORVHO\ LQYROYHGÂľ ZLWK WKH SODQV and told The Times: “The idea is that the independent sector should not EH GHSHQGHQW RQ WKH ZKLPV RI *RYHUQPHQW GLFWDWLQJ ZKR LV DQG LV QRW OHW LQWR XQLYHUVLW\ Âľ The plans may prove controversial: some have already called them indicative of the commercialisation RI KLJKHU HGXFDWLRQ LQ WKH ZDNH RI KLJKHU IHHV WKH 186 LV QRW LQ IDvour. However, the Shadow Minister for +LJKHU (GXFDWLRQ 'DYLG :LOOHWWV ZHOFRPHG WKH SRVVLEOH HVWDEOLVKPHQW VLJQDOOLQJ WKDW D IXWXUH &RQVHUYDWLYH JRYHUQPHQW PLJKW VXS-

port the plan. “A more diverse university sector, ZLWK D UDQJH RI RUJDQLVDWLRQV GHOLYHULQJ KLJKHU HGXFDWLRQ LV QR EDG WKLQJ Âľ VDLG :LOOHWWV ´$V ORQJ DV WKH\ UHDFK WKH UHTXLUHG VWDQGDUG LW ZRXOG EH WKH PRVW EOLQNHUHG LGHRORJ\ WR VWDQG LQ

WKH ZD\ MXVW EHFDXVH WKH\ ZHUH SULYDWHO\ UXQ Âľ 7KH QHZ XQLYHUVLW\ FRXOG EH QDPHG IRU (GZDUG 7KULQJ WKH PDQ ZKR HVWDEOLVKHG WKH +0& DW KLV RZQ KRXVH E\ LQYLWLQJ RWKHU KHDGPDVters of private schools to his home DQG VXJJHVWLQJ DQ DQQXDO PHHWLQJ

7KULQJ ZDV KHDGPDVWHU DW 8SSLQJKDP 7KH QHZ XQLYHUVLW\ ZRXOG EHJLQ DW WKH FDPSXV RI %XFNLQJKDP 8QLYHUVLW\ EHIRUH PRYLQJ WR LWV RZQ campus, and would offer arts, sciHQFH DQG PHGLFDO GHJUHHV WR VWXGHQWV IURP WKH 8. DQG DEURDG

(VWLPDWHV VXJJHVW DW OHDVW Â… PLOOLRQ ZRXOG EH QHHGHG WR HVWDEOLVK WKH LQVWLWXWLRQ LQ WKH Ă€UVW LQVWDQFH and that it would seek endowments in order that it could operate a ÂśQHHGV EOLQG¡ DGPLVVLRQ SURFHVV UHJDUGOHVV RI SDUHQWDO LQFRPH ZLWKLQ \HDUV

Private schools treat pupils like clients, so will private universities Katherine Bannon Commentary :LWK WKH FKDQFH RI Ă€QDQFLDO JDLQ FRPHV WKH HQKDQFHPHQW RI UHVXOWV /LNH SULYDWH VFKRROV SULYDWH XQLYHUVLWLHV ZRXOG WUHDW SXSLOV OLNH FOLHQWV ,W¡V QRW D FDVH RI FUDPPLQJ LQ DV PDQ\ VWXGHQWV DV SRVVLEOH EXW D IRFXV RQ WKH OHYHO RI FRPPLWPHQW DQG LQWHQVLW\ RI OHDUQLQJ RQ RIIHU -HQV 9UDD -HQVHQ D 'DQH ZKR FKDLUV WKH +LJKHU (GXFDWLRQ DQG 5HVHDUFK 6WDQGLQJ &RPPLWWHH

RI (GXFDWLRQ ,QWHUQDWLRQDO LV DGDPDQW WKHUH LV QR SURĂ€W WR EH JDLQHG IURP WKH SULYDWLVDWLRQ RI XQLYHUVLWLHV H[FHSW IRU WKRVH ZKR JHQHUDWH WKHP “The purpose of a private compaQ\ LV QRW SURYLGLQJ KLJK TXDOLW\ LQGHSHQGHQW FULWLFDO XQGHUVWDQGLQJ RI VRFLHW\ RU QDWXUDO VFLHQFHV EXW WR PDNH PRQH\ IRU LWV RZQHUV ZKHWKHU LW SURGXFHV NQRZOHGJH RU UXEEHU ERRWV Âľ KH VD\V 0RUH WKDQ VWXGHQWV IDFH EHLQJ WXUQHG DZD\ IURP GHJUHH FRXUVHV LQ WKH DXWXPQ EHFDXVH DSSOLFDWLRQV KDYH LQFUHDVHG ZKLOH

WKH QXPEHU RI SODFHV KDV IDOOHQ 6R LW FRPHV DV QR VXUSULVH WKDW EULJKW LGHDV DUH EHLQJ VRXJKW DPRQJVW WKH HYHU PXUNLHU GHEULV RI VWDWH HGXFDWLRQ ,W LV D FKDQFH WR PDNH GUDVWLF LPSURYHPHQWV WR WKH VWDQGDUG RI WHDFKLQJ DYDLODEOH IRFXVVLQJ RQ WXWRU SXSLO UHODWLRQV UDWKHU WKDQ UHVHDUFK ,I \RX FRQVLGHU WKDW VRPH FRXUVHV RIIHU RQO\ IRXU KRXUV RI WHDFKLQJ SHU ZHHN DQG VHW \RX EDFN RYHU Â… DQ\ZD\ LW¡V D FDVH RI JHWWLQJ \RXU PRQH\¡V ZRUWK LI \RX PXOWLSO\ WKDW Ă€JXUH E\ WKUHH

EXW KDYH WKH VL]H RI WKH ZLQGRZ LQWR D WKUHH ÀJXUH VDODU\ LQFUHDVHG WHQIROG 7KDW LV LI \RX KDYH WKH PRQH\ WR SD\ IRU LW 2QFH DJDLQ LW LV DQRWKHU H[DPSOH RI KRZ HTXDOLW\ LQ HGXFDWLRQDO RSSRUWXQLWLHV LV EHFRPLQJ PRUH DQG PRUH GLVWRUWHG WR FRUUHVSRQG ZLWK ZHDOWK UDWKHU WKDQ QDWXUDO ZLW DQG LQWHOOLJHQFH ,W ZLOO MXVW HVFDODWH WKH HOLWH ZLWKLQ RXU QDWLRQ PRYLQJ WKHP IURP EXEEOH ZUDSSHG FLUFOH WR EXEEOH ZUDSSHG FLUFOH XQWLO HYHU\ WRS MRE LQ WKH FRXQWU\ LV ÀOOHG E\

WKH SULYDWHO\ VFKRROHG WR SULYDWH XQLYHUVLW\ HG 7KH GLDPRQGV LQ WKH URXJK ZLOO UHPDLQ LQ WKH URXJK ,W LV DQRWKHU LVVXH WKDW QHHGV WR EH DGGUHVVHG KHUH ² WKDW XQLYHUVLW\ LVQ¡W IRU HYHU\RQH 7KH JRYHUQPHQW VKRXOG VWRS WU\LQJ WR Ă€QG D SODFH IRU HYHU\ HLJKWHHQ \HDU ROG LQ WKH QDWLRQ DQG LQVWHDG SXW PRUH HPSKDVLV RQ YRFDWLRQDO FRXUVHV OLNH HQJLQHHULQJ DQG SOXPELQJ <RX VKRXOG EH H[SHFWHG WR FRPSHWH IRU KLJKHU HGXFDWLRQ QRW SUHVXPH \RX GHVHUYH LW

6

Monday 15 February 2010 THE COURIER

News

Silenced: Durham multiculturalism debate scrapped over security fears D. RAWCLIFFE

Simon Murphy News Editor Durham Union Society has been forced to scrap their controversial multiculturalism debate after security fears. Unite Against Fascism had condemned the decision to allow two elected BNP members, Andrew Brons and Chris Beverley, to debate against two Conservative representatives. 1DWLRQDO 8QLRQ RI 6WXGHQWV RIĂ€FHUV had also criticised the debate, which was set to be held on Friday 12 February, and a protest had been organised by North East student members of Unite Against Fascism. The National Union of Students had planned to send busloads of students to Durham to protest, including many students from Newcastle University. Durham Union Society President Anna Birley had originally told The Courier WKDW VKH ZDV FRQĂ€GHQW WKDW Durham University’s security team and the local police “could ensure that the evening runs smoothly and safelyâ€?. However, after Durham Union Society and Durham Students’ Union received a letter co-authored by 1DWLRQDO 8QLRQ RI 6WXGHQWV RIĂ€Fers Bellavia Ribeiro-Addy and Daf Adley which warned of “colossal demonstrationsâ€? if the debate went ahead, they decided to cancel proceedings. The letter also cautioned: “If any students are hurt in and around this event, responsibility will lie with you.â€? %LUOH\ VDLG ´, DP FRQĂ€GHQW WKH debate would have been intelligent and responsible and an opportunity for our membership to expose and challenge any offensive views. “I am disappointed that the focus has been moved away from a debate about multiculturalism to a planned confrontation outside of the chamber.

Having their say: students protested against the National Union of Students President Wes Streeting as he visited Durham campus

“I respect the right of groups to protest peacefully, but when a minority of both fascist and anti-fascist groups use peaceful protests and a controversial debate as a pretext for threatening behaviour, we must prioritise the safety of students attending the debate. “I’m particularly concerned that the National Union of Students, ZKLFK RXU 8QLRQ KDV QR DIĂ€OLDWLRQ with, had planned to go out of their way to bring coaches of students to Durham, putting both their students and our members between rival groups of impassioned demonstrators.â€? A Facebook group has been set up entitled ‘Durham University Students for Freedom of Speech’,

criticising the National Union of Students for their role in protesting the debate. Last Tuesday, over 300 students took to Durham campus to protest as National Union of Students President Wes Streeting visited to talk at Durham’s debating chamber. He apologised for the letter sent by KLV RIĂ€FHUV GHVFULELQJ LW DV ´XWWHUO\ ridiculous and unacceptableâ€?. Alongside the two BNP representatives, Friday’s debate had been due to feature Kulveer Ranger, an advisor to Boris Johnson, and Conservative MP Edward Leigh. Unite Against Fascism campaigner and Newcastle student, Jonny Pickering, was set to travel to Durham to protest the debate and was delight-

University funding cuts threaten academics’ job security nationwide Charlie Oven )XQGLQJ FRQà LFWV DUH H[SHFWHG WR erupt in campuses across the UK. Cost-cutting measures, which particularly affect the job security of academics, have arisen after a decade of higher education expansion. The Guardian reports that 42% of 18 to 30 year olds now attend university. There have been record numbers of applications this year as jobs dry up. This suggests that the government’s cost-cutting measures have been far from timely. According to the Higher Education Policy Institute, the ratio of students to lecturers is expected to deteriorate from 18:1 to 19:1 as a result of the cuts. Professors and lecturers at Leeds University, a member of the elite Russell Group, have been driven into impassioned union meetings this week, with the threat of compulsory redundancies looming over lecture halls and research laboratories. The dispute at Leeds University has paid particular attention to biological sciences, where the University and College Union (UCU) allege

that 48 professors are being reduced to 40 posts. The vice chancellor of the University, Professor Michael Arthur, wrote a letter to his staff insisting compulsory redundancies were “a very last resortâ€?. At Kings College London the UCU alleges staff are effectively being required to reapply for their own positions, including the UK’s only chair of palaeography – the specialised discipline of deciphering texts. Cumbria and Wolverhampton are shelving whole campuses to save money. One in every seven of Cumbria’s academics are set to go – 200 out of 1,400. 5HĂ HFWLQJ RQ WKH ZLGHVSUHDG FXWV Wendy Piatt, the director general of the Russell Group, told the Guardian: “Anything deeper than the cuts already announced will take us into a very bleak future indeed where the UK’s world class higher education system would be greatly under threat.â€? Despite the national character of IXQGLQJ FXWV 8QLYHUVLWLHV DUH Ă€QGing solutions. According to The Guardian, Professor Steve Smith of Exeter University, the President of

Universities UK which represents all vice – chancellors, said the level of cuts would be absorbable. Professor Christopher Snowden, vice – chancellor of Surrey University, said uniYHUVLWLHV KDG EHHQ PDNLQJ HIĂ€FLHQF\ savings for the past twenty years. Newcastle University plans to make up for the cuts by increasing its number of overseas students, some of whom pay ÂŁ13, 765 a year. There is the inevitable fear that VLJQLĂ€FDQW UHGXQGDQFLHV DIIHFWLQJ academics and course closures will be at the expense of a decline in the overall standards of higher education. Speaking to The Guardian, Professor Christopher Snowden claimed: “The cuts will make higher education less competitive.â€? The question remains whether the widespread cost reduction measures are compatible with the government’s drive to widen access to higher education. The Times reported that applications have increased by a record 23%. NevertheOHVV XQLYHUVLWLHV IDFH KHDY\ Ă€QHV of ÂŁ3,700 per student if they breach caps on their numbers.

ed at the news of the cancellation. He said: “When a fascist organisation like the BNP is given a platform to debate, they’re not going to be truthful in that debate because they cannot openly state what their goals are – namely for an all-white Britain, the destruction of working class communities and organisations, and ultimately fascist dictatorship. “You only have to look as far as John Tyndall, who founded the BNP, whose stated aim was to create a Nazi dictatorship in Britain. “They try to gain a veneer of respectability by being given a platform to debate alongside mainstream politicians while hiding behind a cloak of patriotism. “We don’t say the BNP should be

banned, we only argue that they shouldn’t be invited to speak on a platform by places like Durham Union Society.â€? The secretary of Unite Against Fascism, Weyman Bennett, said: “This is a victory for the people who were prepared to mobilise, organise and demonstrate against the Nazi BNP. “It shows that when the anti-fascist majority gets active, the BNP can be defeated. “The BNP is desperate to build a student wing and to start organising on campus - but we are not prepared to let that happen. “We welcome the decision by the University to take the welfare of its ethnic minority students seriously. The BNP is dedicated is the elimination of all ethnic minorities from this country. “You cannot have a reasonable debate with such people. The physical presence of black, Asian and Jewish people in this country is not negotiable.â€? Newcastle city council leader John Shipley described the right to free speech as “paramountâ€?, insisting, “nobody has the right to deny somebody else’s freedom of speechâ€?. He said: “If you believe in democracy and you believe in freedom of speech, you have to keep to that as WKH Ă€UVW SULQFLSOH DQG \RX KDYH WKHQ to win the argument. “But that’s not to say there is open access to as much air time as the BNP would like or any other party – you have to have rules. “Politicians, if they want to be elected, really do have to win the argument and convince the electors that they’re winning the argument by addressing the issues that people think are important. “The vast majority of people who vote the BNP are not racist; they’re just worried about their homes, their jobs, their mortgages and the future.â€?

Yorkshire student suspended after using Nazi language in Conservative newsletter Rosie Libell David Bolt, a music student from +XGGHUVĂ€HOG 8QLYHUVLW\ KDV EHHQ suspended from his post as chairman of the West Yorkshire Conservative Future after using a Nazi term in a newsletter. Mr Bolt, 20, compared the young Conservatives to the Sonderkommando. The term refers to workers in concentration camps during the Holocaust who were forced to dispose of the corpses. In last month’s edition of the Conservative Future newsletter, Mr Bolt wrote: “We will form a CF Sonderkommando to blitz any areas which prospective parliamentary candidates particularly wish to target, whether that be through canvassing, literature drops or visible, high-impact campaigning.â€? His father, Martyn Bolt, who is the deputy Conservative leader on Kirklees council, claimed that his son had overheard the term being used in a pub by two ex-Army ofĂ€FHUV DQG KDG QRW XQGHUVWRRG WKH

historical meaning. He described his son’s actions as “youthful stupidityâ€? and said “I’ve had a word with him telling him to always check background facts before making a statementâ€?. Councillor Bolt also said that his son “bitterly regretsâ€? using the term but points out that it is apparently “still used in Austria and Germany to mean special forcesâ€?. David Bolt was immediately suspended from the Tory party once leaders found out he used the term, after only being appointed late last year. The Leeds North East Labour MP, Fabian Hamilton, who is Jewish, described the term as being “deeply offensiveâ€?. A spokesman at the University of +XGGHUVĂ€HOG VDLG WKDW WKHUH ZHUH no plans to take action. This is not WKH Ă€UVW WLPH IRU VWXGHQWV IURP WKLV university to be involved in a Nazi row, when only last month there was controversy over the Facebook group describing a Hitler drinking JDPH VHW XS E\ WZR +XGGHUVĂ€HOG students.

THE COURIER Monday 15 February 2010

7

News New Zealander sells virginity to stranger Samantha Hockney A poor university student in New Zealand who offered her virginity on an auction site has accepted a ÂŁ20,000 offer to sleep with a stranger.

The 19-year-old, who has not been named or pictured, said she posted the advert to help pay for her university fees. The girl, from Northland, in New Zealand’s north island, is only known by her username Unigirl.

Student Loan Company job cuts anger students Student leaders have reacted angrily to news that the Student Loans Company (SLC) is to cut up to 150 MREV DW LWV RIĂ€FHV LQ *ODVJRZ DQG Darlington. SLC have said the job cuts follow the completion of work to move loan and grant applications

online. The SLC, which employs almost 2,000 staff across four sites, struggled to complete payments of loans and grants to new students last year, resulting in some students waiting up to three months for any payment. More than 100,000 stu-

Student in court after stabbing boyfriend

Cardiff failed medics start work in hospitals

\HDU ROG .DWKHULQH 0F*UDWK stabbed her boyfriend through the heart in a drunken argument hours after learning that she’d failed to get the exam results that would enable her to go to university. .DWKHULQH 0F*UDWK GHQLHV

Four medical students graduated and began practising as doctors despite failing an exam, it emerged last week. Cardiff University said it has made changes to its exam procedures and brought in new staff after the four students were all told they has SDVVHG WKHLU ÀQDOV ODVW VXPPHU

murdering 22-year-old Alyn Thomas at her home in Brackla, Bridgend. She told emergency operators in the minutes after the attack that she was acting in self defence because Mr Thomas suddenly attacked her.

Student punches lecturer on night out A student has been ordered to pay ÂŁ200 compensation after he punched his lecturer on a night out. William Allen, 23, a music business student at James Watt College in *UHHQRFN DWWDFNHG OHFWXUHU 5RGULFN McKenna, 49, after an argument on a course social. It is claimed Mr McKenna had

told the student he could stay at his home after the night out, but later changed his mind. The pair started arguing before Allen punched Mr McKenna and the SROLFH ZHUH FDOOHG *ODVJRZ 6KHULII Court was told the student could pay the compensation at ÂŁ20 per month.

They had since started working in hospitals around the country before the mistake was uncovered. Following an investigation, the university’s School of Medicine said it was introducing a series of ‘robust measures’ to improve the way student assessment data was managed. Two new posts have been created

dents were forced to depend on XQLYHUVLW\ KDUGVKLS IXQGV IRU ÀQDQFLDO VXSSRUW WKURXJKRXW WKH ÀUVW VHmester. The SLC denies the job cuts will have any impact on their ability to get applications processed and funds paid on time.

to oversee the new procedures, responsible for analysing assessment data and ensuring exams and results are fair. A new director of medical education has also recently been appointed. The four students were suspended from duty and are now UHSHDWLQJ WKHLU ÀQDO \HDU

18-year-old found with gun at London University An 18-year-old student caught in possession of a handgun and ammunition has been arrested at Kingston College, London. Tests showed the weapon was a converted Baikal pistol capable of ÀULQJ EXOOHWV $ ODWHU VHDUFK RI WKH

unnamed student’s home found a silencer and a small quantity of cannabis. He was arrested on suspicion of SRVVHVVLRQ RI D ÀUHDUP ZLWK LQWHQW to endanger life and also possession with intent to supply cannabis.

Detective Chief Inspector Peter Beyer of the Central Task Force said: “This was a targeted and discreet operation which minimised disruption for the college and helped remove another gun from the streets of London.�

8

Monday 15 February 2010 THE COURIER

News

Santander to give ÂŁ250,000 ‘community chest’ Caroline Argyropulo-Palmer Santander are celebrating the rebranding of Abbey and Bradford & Bingley with a charity donation from each branch, and the Union branch is giving students the chance to decide who theirs will go to. As part of the bank’s ‘Community Chest’ campaign, the Students’ Union were given the opportunity to choose three local charities: SCAN (Student Community Action Newcastle), which works with students in and around the University; Wizz Kids, a Gateshead charity supporting children with special needs; and Tyneside Cyrenians which supports WKH KRPHOHVV SHRSOH ZLWK Ă€ QDQFLDO GLIĂ€ FXOWLHV The winner of the ÂŁ250,000 donation will be decided on by students and staff, with votes cast by going to the branch on the lower ground Ă RRU LQ WKH 1HZFDVWOH 6WXGHQWV¡ 8Q

ion building. The campaign closes on February 26. SCAN is a charity particularly close to home as it is the Union Society’s charity, providing volunteering projects to the local community. These include mentoring, gardening, volunteering with the elderly, and volunteering with the homeless. SCAN Project Worker Philip Hay was delighted to see his charity nominated for the campaign. +H VDLG ´,Q WKH GLIĂ€ FXOW Ă€ QDQFLDO climate it’s really encouraging to see a bank giving something back to the local community. I think allowing students to vote for the charity they think deserves to win is a great way of getting them involved and is very much in keeping with the democratic ethos of the Union Society.â€? “Whilst the other two charities both do admirable work, I would encourage students to vote for

SCAN as we are at the heart of your Union Society and strive to provide a great service to all Newcastle University Students. “If we were to win we would use the money to support a new art project we have, where a group of student volunteers are designing and painting several murals for the Tyneside Toy Museum, a regular attraction for North East children.� Manager of the Newcastle University branch Zoe Cooper told The Courier: “I think that this as an excellent opportunity to be working with the charities that the Students’ Union support and that Santander is giving something back to local causes. “I am really excited to see which charity wins and meeting new students in the branch and show them which other services that we can provided, as we are the only bank on campus�

Vacancies www.ncl.ac.uk/careers/vacsonline The Careers Service provides information and advice on developLQJ \RXU VNLOOV ¿ QGLQJ D SDUW WLPH MRE work experience, supporting business start-up and (when the time comes) exploring graduate opportunities. For more details about these and other vacancies, including details of how to apply, visit their website at www.ncl.ac.uk/careers. Vacancies brought to you by the Careers Service... Job Title: Receptionist Employer: Connect Physical Health Business: Physiotherapy Provider Salary: £6.07 per hour Basic job description: The key responsibilities of the role are as follows: answering the telephone and making appointments on a computerLVHG GLDU\ V\VWHP ¿ OLQJ DQG UHWULHYLQJ patient records; general administrative duties and cash reconciliation. You will be required to work 7 hours per week, Thursday Evening 4.458.15pm and Saturday morning 8.4512.15pm. Person requirements: Applicants must have a smart appearance and pleasant telephone manner. Previous reception/admin experience is essential although training will be given. There will also be a requirement for some extra availability to cover holidays etc. Location: Low Fell, Gateshead Job Title: Personal Assistant - LF/ DP/001/10 Employer: Disability North Business: Charitable training info & advice on all disability issues Salary: £8.00 per hour gross Basic job description: Working with an energetic, autistic man in the Kingston Park area of Newcastle, the position is to assist him to engage in social activities of his choosing. The young man is looking to attend university in the next academic year and is interested in music, cricket, football and computer games and would prefer to employ someone who has similar interests. Person requirements: The successIXO DSSOLFDQW ZLOO QHHG WR EH À H[LEOH about the days and times that they work and may need to be available to accompany to medical/health appointments. It is possible that there may

be additional hours of work available some weeks and it would be preferDEOH LI DSSOLFDQWV KDG VRPH À H[LELOLW\ around the number of hours they can work. Location: Kingston Park, Newcastle upon Tyne Job Title: Receptionist/Administrator Employer: MYA Cosmetic Surgery Business: Cosmetic Surgery Provider Salary: £6 per hour Basic job description: Key responsibilities include: meeting and greeting all guests to the clinic, ensuring they are well looked after; liaising with patient coordinators and surgeons to ensure that each day goes as planned; opening, sorting and categorizing all incoming information to the clinic; processing all outgoing communication in the form of emails, letters, voice messages or other forms of communication; using computer systems to schedule appointments, meetings and any other events for the Patient Coordinators and Surgeons; OLDLVLQJ ZLWK +HDG 2I¿ FH GXSOLFDWLQJ ¿ OLQJ UHFRUGLQJ DQG ORJJLQJ GDWD DQ swering phones, providing information and processing messages; supervising any support staff; maintaining the clinic environment and ensuring that the place is tidy and that all is in working order. Location: Quayside, Newcastle upon Tyne Job Title: Health Care Assistant Employer: Primary Care Recruitment Business: Health Care Salary: £7.06 per hour and upwards Basic job description: Duties will include working in a hospital setting doing all aspects of personal care. :H KDYH À H[LEOH KRXUV RYHU GD\V nights and days available. Person requirements: Candidates must have previous experience in a hospital setting and have experience of completing basic patient observations. Candidates will be required to meet the cost of an Enhanced CRB. Location: Newcastle, Gateshead, North Tyneside

&DUHIXO ZLWK ÂľFRXFK VXUÂż QJÂś Santander Branch Manager Zoe Cooper and Personal Banking Advisor Paul Shotton with their ‘polling station’ in the Students’ Union

Newcastle universities to host Spring Jobs Fair Dozens of employers are set to showcase their businesses in Newcastle next Monday at a Spring Jobs Fair that will be jointly hosted by Newcastle and Northumbria. Following on from the success of the Autumn Fair last October which attracted in excess of 2,000 students from both universities, both local and national companies will be recruiting students to work for their companies over the summer vacation and on an ongoing basis. Students will have the opportunity WR À QG SDUW WLPH VXPPHU ZRUN DQG volunteering opportunities locally in Newcastle or apply for work elsewhere in the UK or abroad. The event will take place in the Kings Road Centre, between 12 and 3pm, offering students the chance to get meet potential employers in an informal environment. The fair is open to all students of all disciplines and stages. More information on the companies attending and vacancies on offer can be found on the Careers Service website at www.ncl.ac.uk/ careers

Companies attending on the day include the following: ‡ %81$& ‡ &DPS /HDGHUV ‡ &DUH 0DQDJHPHQW 6HUYLFHV ‡ &DUH 8. ‡ &DUHZDWFK ‡ 'HPHQWLD &DUH 3DUWQHUVKLS ‡ (5,& 1RUWK (DVW ‡ (85,(6 ‡ ([SORUH /HDUQLQJ ‡ ,QWHUSUHWLQJ 7UDQVODWLRQ /LQH ‡ -% 6NLOOFDUH /WG ‡ .,'6 'LUHFW 6KRUW %UHDNV ‡ 7KH /DERXU 3DUW\ ‡ /HDUQLQJ 'LVDELOLWLHV Federation ‡ 0DFPLOODQ &DQFHU 6XSSRUW ‡ 0DGYHQWXUHU ‡ 0DULWLPH 5HVHUYHV ‡ 1DWLRQDO 7UXVW ‡ 1HZFDVWOH &LW\ &RXQFLO ‡ 1HZFDVWOH 8QLYHUVLW\ &DUHHUV Service CDU ‡ 1HZFDVWOH 8QLYHUVLW\ &DUHHUV Service ‡ 1RUWKXPEULD 8QLYHUVLW\ Careers ‡ 3DUNGHDQ +ROLGD\V

‡ 3LFNIRUGV 5HPRYDO DQG 6WRUDJH ‡ 31( *URXS ‡ 3ULPDU\ &DUH 5HFUXLWPHQW /WG ‡ 5($' ,QWHUQDWLRQDO ‡ 5LYHU (VFDSHV ‡ 5R\DO /RJLVWLF &RUSV 1DWLRQDO Territorial Army ‡ 6DQWDQGHU DQG 15* ‡ 6&$1 ‡ 663 $LU ‡ 6W 2VZDOG¡V +RVSLFH ‡ 752 ‡ 8QLRQ 6RFLHW\ ‡ :HVW (QG %HIULHQGHUV ‡ <XPP\ -REV

Rebecca Curtis 6$& ,QIRUPDWLRQ 2IÂż FHU As an independent advice service run by the Union Society, SAC aims to provide top class information and advice to pre-entry, current, and former students of Newcastle University. If you have a problem and need some information or impartial advice, why not pop along to RXU RIĂ€ FH RQ WKH Ă€ UVW Ă RRU RI the Students’ Union and have a FRQĂ€ GHQWLDO FKDW ZLWK RQH RI RXU experienced advisers in a friendly setting? We provide expert advice on a wide range of issues, including Ă€ QDQFH VWXGHQW ORDQV DQG GHEW accommodation, academic and employment. It has recently come to the SAC’s attention that a small number of students throughout the UK are partaking in the latest online fad known as ‘couch VXUĂ€ QJ¡ The trade-off between allowing a stranger to kip on your sofa for a free ‘couch’ potentially anywhere around the world may seem like a great idea, but it can be highly dangerous. By inviting an unknown indi-

vidual into your home, you not only risk your personal safety and the security of your possesVLRQV EXW WKDW RI \RXU Ă DWPDWHV Students should be aware that if they are staying in university accommodation, depending upon the individual conditions of the hall of residence, they may not be allowed to have guests at all. Visitors are only permitted to stay in Henderson and Castle Leazes Halls, and not in any of the self-catered residences. Even then, this is subject to strict terms and conditions, which are available at hall receptions. The university provides special accommodation for guests; the booking form for which is accessible through the university accommodation webpages. So before you surf, consider the consequences!

www.unionsociety.co.uk/sac www.facebook.com/newcastleunionsac

THE COURIER Monday 15 February 2010

9

When the Saints went marching in: Superbowl Sunday Comment Editors: Caroline Argyropulo-Palmer and Nicholas Fidler - courier.comment@ncl.ac.uk

> Comment Page 12

Should Kraft have been allowed to purchase Cadbury? Yes Fran Infante

The purchase of Cadbury has lead to it being described as a ‘victim’, with American giants Kraft as the bullying aggressor, but such an image fails to account for the realities of the business world. Job cuts are an unfortunate and almost inevitable element of a merger, but it appears that despite their complaints, Cadbury’s workers are getting a fairly good deal by Kraft offering to buy each of their shares for 840p.

The reality is that this is a business deal I don’t think it’s cold hearted to say I don’t feel even a little bit sorry of the hard-done-by employee featured in The Times who, despite owning 20,000 shares in Cadbury, said he felt ‘disgusted’ by the takeover. Stop whining, I’d take it. And so I imagine would the millions of other newly unemployed, who’ve lost their work in job cuts in the last year without what amounts to ÂŁ168,000 pay-off. ‘But it’s a British institution’, I hear you cry, but is it really? Countless British companies are bought and sold each year, without so much as a snivel from the public conscience, so why on earth is everyone so sentimentally attached to chocolate? P&O, O2 and even the iconic

Tetley have been sold to foreign investors over the last decade. Has anyone been boycotting the Yorkshire tea company on the suspicion that it no longer tastes the same? I don’t think so. Even if it is admitted that, for whatever bizarre reason, the value of the British identity is founded on our favourite chocolate, does it really matter that the owners are now American? The workers are still British, the factories are still in England, so when is the English public going to do away with their tiresome and intrinsic suspicion of ‘the foreigner’ and just get on with it? Given that the Italian in charge of our national football team has recently proved himself to be so inĂ€ QLWHO\ PRUH VXLWDEOH IRU D SRVLWLRQ of responsibility than his philandering English captain, what is this egotism that insists that no-one else can do a better or even as good a job as the British? We need to look past the media spun nostalgia of an idyllic factory village inhabited by happy workers and overlooked by a benevolent :LOO\ :RQND OLNH Ă€ JXUH :H QHHG to stop romanticising it and see Cadbury for what it actually is: a real, international, multi-billion pound enterprise. Another thing that appears to have been entirely IRUJRWWHQ LQ WKH Ă€ W RI QDWLRQDO RXW rage at the takeover is that modern day Cadbury was itself formed of SUHYLRXV PHUJHUV LQ DQG Ă€ IW\ years later in 1969. Taking this into account, it does seem rather strange and even naive to suppose that Cadbury would remain eternally immune to what is a normal process of industry. In the end, whether you want to FDOO LW D PXWXDOO\ EHQHĂ€ FLDO PHUJHU or a hostile American ambitiondriven takeover, the reality is that this is a business deal: this is what businesses do.

No James Brown

As any Brummie will tell you, Cadbury is an institution, an icon, and one we can all be proud of. Quaker John Cadbury established his factory in Birmingham and his sons moved it to Brum’s leafy new suburb Bourneville in 1879 and then set about building a utopian village for his thousands of workers. High wages for the times, company pensions and medical facilities were matched outside the factory by a swimming pool, football, hockey and cricket pitches, schools and meeting houses, bowling greens, Ă€ VKLQJ ODNHV DQG SDUNV DOO SDLG IRU by Cadbury’s benevolence, all free to use for Cadbury’s employees and their families. Sure, there was no drinking (Quakers can be a bit funny about that) but the air was sweet with the smell of chocolate and even today, the Joseph Rowntree Trust (established by another Victorian confectionary philanthropist with Quaker convictions) calls Bourneville “one of the nicest places to live in Britainâ€?. If unemployment hits the Cadbury workforce, it won’t be a nice place much longer, and what’s more, we will have lost a national treasure. The American plastic cheese giant Kraft represents everything Cadbury and philanthropic British industry doesn’t; they aren’t keen on Fairtrade, for a start. Their takeover is a victory for the KLJK ULVN Ă€ QDQFLHUV ZKR VWDUWHG WKH

recession and still refuse to pay for its consequences; Kraft is heavily indebted and has taken out further loans to buy Cadbury. $ VROLGO\ SURĂ€ WDEOH %ULWLVK FRP pany will now be owned by a risky, indebted conglomerate seeking to cut its costs and pay its debts; sacking workers dedicated to the Cadbury’s tradition by shipping jobs to Eastern Europe is the shameless solution for Kraft. Four hundred workers at the Somerdale factory in Keynsham were told last week they would lose their jobs, production is moving to Poland, despite promises by Kraft in their takeover bid not to close the plant; workers called it a “cynical ployâ€?. Expect more ‘cost-cutting’ i.e. life ruining, from Kraft soon. Cadbury has entered the history of our country and the hearts of the British people (we all have a favourite Cadbury treat); as a boy at Repton, Roald Dahl sampled new Cadbury inventions for the company, later Bourneville provided the inspiration for Dahl’s brilliant Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. A visit to Cadbury World is a childhood memory I shall never forget and can highly recommend (go before Kraft closes it to save money). Perhaps my waxing lyrical about Cadbury’s smacks of nostalgia, perhaps companies cannot afford morals in the post-recession age where money talks and companies must be cut-throat competitive. Is the Kraft deal the only way to keep Cadbury alive? Nonsense, good old Cadbury’s has seen and survived a few more recessions than young Kraft. Furthermore, &DGEXU\ ZDV D SURĂ€ W PDNLQJ company before and during the recession (comfort eating went up during the crunch, so no surprises Cadbury was a big seller). This takeover is a bargain for Kraft, treason for Cadbury’s employees and disgrace for the nation.

Suck it in: Air France’s controversial fat tax is fast approaching Katy Covell

Before I write on what is really rather a sensitive subject, I should Ă€ UVW OLNH WR VWDWH WKDW , DP QRW D Fatist. Nor am I a carbohydrate kicking, alcohol spurning, seven sessions-a-week gym bunny. I like my food. In fact I get pretty grumpy if I don’t get enough, and I nearly always eat seconds. That said, I’d rather not have to spend a ORQJ KDXO Ă LJKW EDODQFHG RQ RQH DVV cheek as I’m forced to share my seat ZLWK D ODUJHU WKDQ OLIH Ă€ JXUH 'RQ¡W JHW PH ZURQJ ZKHQ Ă LFN ing through a glossy magazine I genuinely prefer the sight of Beth Ditto in a sparkly all-in-one to the barrage of images showing the likes of barely cloth-clad, teeny-tiny Kate Moss and Sienna Miller. Despite this, I was unsure how to react to the news that Air France KDG DQQRXQFHG WKDW RQ Ă LJKWV IURP April 1st onwards they would be charging those customers requiring

a seat per cheek for both the seats that they occupy. , KDYH WR DGPLW WKDW P\ Ă€ UVW UHDF tion was to laugh; partly because I felt terribly uncomfortable and British about the whole thing, and partly because it just sounds ridiculous. But, if I’m honest, whether it’s GXH WR P\ VKRFNLQJ ODFN RI Ă H[LELO ity or my valuing of personal space, I know who I’d rather have to climb over to make it from the window seat to the loo. Air France are not however, the Ă€ UVW DLUOLQH WR EURDFK WKH LGHD /DVW year, United Airlines decided to start charging obese passengers for a second seat, after receiving more than 700 complaints from passengers who had had uncomfortable Ă LJKWV GXH WR D SOXV VL]HG QHLJK bour encroaching on their seat. Ryanair have also found themselves embroiled in the debate after they announced last spring that they would be introducing a ‘fat tax’ to their catalogue of revenueincreasing schemes. Ryanair Spokesman Stephen McNamara attempted to assuage claims of discrimination, saying “In all cases we’ve limits at very high levels so that a ‘fat tax’ will only apply to those really large passen-

gers who invade the space of the passengers sitting beside them.� Whilst conversely, Canada’s domestic airlines have been forced to comply with a Federal Transport Agency Rule that enforces a oneperson, one-fare policy, that means obese passengers are given an extra seat for free. The decision came after a new OHJDO GHÀ QLWLRQ VWDWHG WKDW DQ REHVH person may be considered disabled LI XQDEOH WR À W LQ DQ DHURSODQH VHDW deeming the charging of those passengers for an extra seat an act of discrimination. Perhaps the only way to solve all questions of discrimination, would be to introduce a total weight allowance that has to cover both the passenger and their luggage. This way, every one of us , from the

shapely through to the twiglets, would be required to have a weigh in. This might prevent the impression of attacks being aimed only at particular passenger groups due to their appearance. Each passenger’s body weight could then be subtracted from the total allowance, OHDYLQJ WKH UHPDLQLQJ À JXUH DV WKH maximum luggage allowance for that individual. Now this all sounds quite feasible until you consider the fact that the heavier the person, the less luggage they will be allowed. And since a heavier person’s clothing uses more material, logically it weighs more‌ so basically, those larger ladies and gents amongst us, would have to be content with taking just a pair of pants and perhaps a t-shirt, whilst Kate Moss and co swan onto the plane with the entirety of their size zero wardrobes stowed below. No, it just wouldn’t work. But even if it did, the whole exercise would be completely irrelevant because we are not really talking about weight, but space. Of course the two are inextricably linked, but it’s important to register that heavy doesn’t necessarily mean big; a 20 VWRQH ERG\ EXLOGHU FDQ VWLOO À W LQ D single seat.

As statistics go, the most recent Ă€ JXUHV VKRZ WKDW WZR LQ Ă€ YH DGXOWV in the UK are overweight, and a IXUWKHU RQH LQ Ă€ YH DUH FDWHJRULVHG as obese. Yet, I’m not sure I’ve ever been on a plane where there’s been a more WKDQ DYHUDJHO\ SRUWO\ Ă€ JXUH WU\LQJ WR Ă€ W WKHLU EDFNVLGH EHWZHHQ RQH armrest and the next. To be fair, many of the airlines involved have acknowledged this; Monique Matze, a spokeswoman for Air France explained, “The FKDUJH ZLOO RQO\ DSSO\ RQ Ă LJKWV that are fully booked. They will get WKHLU PRQH\ EDFN RQ Ă LJKWV ZKHUH spaces are available.â€? Matza also stated that even when a payment is required for two seats, customers will only be charged 75 per cent of the cost of the second seat. United airlines only require obese passengers to purchase a second seat or pay for an upgrade to more spacious cabin seats in business and Ă€ UVW FODVV LI WKHUH DUH QR H[WUD VHDWV available. The way I see it, airlines have always charged in terms of space and not weight. Therefore, should you require excess space, it’s only reasonable to expect to have to pay more.

10

Monday 15 February 2010 THE COURIER

Comment B. CARLING

Why voting speaks louder than words Laura Heads

Ok, I’m going to admit this now - I hate armchair politicians. That is namely those people of the general public who sit at home and moan about everything politics but are unwilling to do anything about it, especially vote, because “my vote won’t do anything.� Well, students of Newcastle, I have news for you; yes it will, and I actually mean that. I’m sure everyone must have seen, or at least be aware of, the “I don’t do politics� adverts that aired on the BBC before the last general election (stick men, black and white, sat in a pub? YouTube them). They made quite a good point of highlighting the fact that without casting your vote you have no leg to stand on when complaining about local services, the country and other such things. As students we’re pretty good at moaning about all things university based, money based, and student life in general based - and we’re pretty good at going straight to the ‘source’ - the Government - for someone to blame. Well I’m promising you now, unless you vote, that advert will come back and haunt you, honest.

Just by doing a little research, namely locating and clicking on the ‘About My Vote’ website, it is HDV\ WR Ă€ QG RXW KRZ to register to vote, transfer where you vote and where the local polling stations are, so there really is no room for excuses It’s pretty exciting to think that as students living in Newcastle, if enough of us turned out to vote, we could have big control over the election in our constituency during the up and coming general election. We could control who could win, who we want to represent our views, who we want to be our voice, and if you think big enough, this could ultimately have quite a big say in the outcome of the general election. There is much argument over the fact that as students we’re not intelligent enough to work out the voting system, how to register or how to cast our vote; quite frankly LW¡V QRW WKDW GLIĂ€ FXOW I admit that possibly the idea of registering is a little daunting when we are unaware of how to do it, but the vast majority of us should have already been registered - at the very least, our proactive parents should have put us on the electoral register when we turned 18. University halls of residence also do quite a good job at register-

ing the new students who pass through every academic year, just please don’t forget to change your address over when you move out of halls. Choosing where to vote is another important issue. At the most recent local and European elections in the summer of 2009 I could have chosen to vote both in Newcastle and in my home town (voting twice is, of course, illegal!). I chose to vote in Newcastle because this is where it effects me the most. If I’ll be living here for three, maybe four, years of my life, I want to know that my views are being taken into consideration. Just by doing a little research, namely locating and clicking on the ‘About My Vote’ website, it is HDV\ WR Ă€ QG RXW KRZ WR UHJLVWHU WR vote, transfer where you vote and where the local polling stations are, so there really is no room for excuses. Even Wes Streeting, the President of the NUS, is keen for us students to vote. He’s highlighted twenty areas where students can have an LQĂ XHQWLDO VD\ DQG LV ODXQFKLQJ D campaign to get the MPs in those “student battlegroundâ€? areas to state their views on tuition fees and issues close to students’ hearts. If he’s gone to all this trouble to get MPs to state their opinions on something there has long been a veil of secrecy around, surely it would just be insulting for us not to vote? Over 90% of us (okay I concede, this is 90% of the twelve randomers I accosted in the Robinson and my three housemates who have the pleasure of living with me) want to change our Government at this general election, and of my XQ OXFN\ Ă€ IWHHQ RQO\ ZRXOG actually vote to do something about it. This is simply not good enough; student voting has swayed elections before and there is nothing to say that it won’t do it again. These so called “student battlegroundsâ€? are in big city areas; by turning out in our thousands to vote, swaying the voting in these parts could really turn any election. So in potentially one of the most FOLFKp ZD\V , FRXOG WKLQN WR Ă€ QLVK this, students of Newcastle unite - our country, or more accurately, the future of our country, needs you!

(OHFWLRQ IDFWV DQG ¿ JXUHV ‡ 7KH WXUQRXW LQ WKH JHQHUDO HOHFWLRQ ZDV WKH ORZHVW LQ \HDUV ‡ YRWHV ZHUH FDVW LQ WKH JHQHUDO HOHFWLRQ ‡ ,W LV HVWLPDWHG WKDW RI WKRVH YRWHV ZHUH FDVW E\ \HDU ROGV RI WKH YRWH ‡ RI WKH 8. SRSXODWLRQ YRWHG LQ WKH ODVW HOHFWLRQ ‡ 1RUWKHUQ ,UHODQG KDG WKH KLJKHVW WXUQRXW LQ WKH 8. ZLWK ‡ 7KH WXUQRXW IRU WKH FRQVWLWXHQF\ RI 1HZFDVWOH &HQWUDO ZDV ZLWK D WRWDO RI ‡ 7KH ODVW $PHULFDQ SUHVLGHQWLDO HOHFWLRQ VDZ WKH VHFRQG ODUJHVW HYHU \RXQJ YRWHU WXUQRXW ZLWK FKRRVLQJ 2EDPD 6RXUFHV EEF FR XN LZD RUJ XN WKHWDUWDQ RUJ XNSROLWLFDO LQIR

7KH FRQQHFWLRQ EHWZHHQ 1HZFDVWOH 8QLWHG DQG 6SRUWV 'LUHFW UHĂ€ HFWV QHJDWLYHO\ DV WKH FRPSDQ\ KDV EHHQ VKRZQ WR EH XQHWKLFDO

Bringing the name into disrepute Charlie Oven

Drama has not been in short supply at Newcastle United in recent times. With the club now in the second tier of English football, the Geordie faithful have certainly witnessed better days. To compound matters, the club’s unpopular owner Mike Ashley has done the unthinkable by incorporating the name of the much beloved stadium to that of his sports retailing company, Sports Direct. Typically, a name is a means in which to foster identity and raise LGHDV RI DIÀ OLDWLRQ 7R KDYH D brand name attached to St. James’ Park clearly shows a partnership or association. With a club that takes its reputation seriously, it is only understandable that any Newcastle fan would desire their stadium’s tie to Ashley’s sport brand to be clean and positive. Nevertheless, a recent investigation by the BBC’s Inside Out North East and Cumbria programme has come to question the ethical trading standards of Sports Direct. Claims of trade exploitation in the Far East will arguably further dampen Ashley’s status amongst the Toon Army. In 2007, Sports Direct was valued at 2.5 billion pounds on the stock market, making it one of the most successful businesses in the UK. However, it is the means in which the company has generated VXFK LPSUHVVLYH À JXUHV ZKLFK KDV particularly been subject to moral analysis. The investigation by the BBC claims Sports Direct is placing orders through agents to cloth-

ing factories across Asia and in particular the Far East. The textile industry in the Far East has traditionally been shrouded in notoriety for sub-standard work surroundings and minimum wages, which by Western standards would be deemed farcical. Take these conditions and you get the ideal platform for trade exploitation at the hands of corporate Western companies greedily seekLQJ WR PD[LPLVH SURÀ WV WKURXJK minimal input costs. The BBC investigation claimed to have discovered factories in Laos, which were producing brands such as Lonsdale, which Ashley owns and stocks at Sports Direct. Unsatisfactory is too mild a word when describing the country’s record on human rights. To give one example, the minimum weekly wage in Laos is the same as the hourly rate in the UK, at just under six pounds. If the BBC’s discovery of Sports Direct having clothing suppliers in Laos is held to be true, then the outcome is clear and simple; it is making money off the back of the world’s worst paid. In Sports Direct’s defence, the company’s website claims that it has a code of ethics that it requires every supplier to adhere to. According to the company, the code provides for fair treatment of workers and their wages, non-use of child labour, as well as safe and healthy systems of work. One can take the perspective that Sports Direct is offering a system of checks where ethical practice is at the very least acknowledged. Nevertheless, one must still ask how effectively Sports Direct enforces this code of ethics. Perhaps critics are too quick to vilify Mike Ashley’s company while ignoring the broader realities of how Western retailing companies operate in their aims of generDWLQJ VXEVWDQWLDO SURÀ WV

With a wide and popular market for sporting goods and clothing, the sports retailing industry can be seen as a competitive and cut throat world.

With a club that takes its reputation seriously, it is only understandable that any fan would desire their stadium’s tie to Ashley’s sport brand to be clean and positive With this in mind, if Ashley were to divert his attention to suppliers elsewhere in the world where proGXFWLRQ FRVWV ZHUH JUHDWHU SURĂ€ WV would be less and inevitably Sports Direct would fall behind its competitors. Overall, questioning the trading practice of Sports Direct does not resolve the problem of trade exploitation; it is an issue sustained by several retailing bodies, not just one. Essentially, one can argue that Sports Direct is not an exception EXW D QRUP ZKLFK GHĂ€ QHV WKH WUDGL tional way in which retailing comSDQLHV DLP WR PD[LPLVH SURĂ€ WV For the football fan, altering the name of the stadium has sentimental implications on a localised level. However, the claims of trading malpractice by Sports Direct symbolise far-reaching consequences that transcend the boundaries of sport. If anything, it only adds fuel to WKH Ă€ UH UHJDUGLQJ $VKOH\¡V VWDWXV amongst many Newcastle United fans as a pantomime villain amidst a turbulent time in the club’s life.

THE COURIER Monday 15 February 2010

11

Comment

The bigger, the better: time to embrace your moobs

Danny Kielty

If you asked most of us blokes ZKDW ZRXOG EH WKH Ă€ UVW WKLQJ ZH¡G do if we were transformed into a woman for a day, the likely answer would 99.99% of the time involve some form of fondling around the chest area in front of a mirror or RWKHU UHĂ HFWLYH VXUIDFH , P\VHOI RI course, would never participate in such depraved practices‌honest. How ironic then, that recent Ă€ JXUHV UHYHDO WKDW PDOH EUHDVW

reduction operations have been the fastest growing part of the cosmetic surgery industry for the second year in a row. An 80% increase in such operations - from 323 in 2008 to 581 in 2009 - shows a sharp increase in the amount of men suckling at the teat of the aesthetic surgery industry, so commonly associated with women. Plastic surgeon Rajiv Grover commented that “Gynaecomastiaâ€?- or “man-boobsâ€? to give them their affectionate name – had become a more conscious worry due to many guys ‘feeling the pressure from men’s magazines.’ If any of you out there have ever KDG D Ă LFN WKURXJK PDJD]LQHV VXFK as Men’s Health for example, you will be familiar with the numerous

pictures of the contoured poser with liberal helpings of coconut lube and steroid-fuelled ego. Let us not forget that some of the GHĂ€ QLQJ Ă€ JXUHV RI %ULWLVK +LVWRU\ SRVVHVVHG D Ă€ QH SDLU RI ´PRREV Âľ Just before making his infamous UDGLR SOHGJH WR ´Ă€ JKW WKHP RQ the beachesâ€?, Churchill probably re-adjusted his bangers before GHĂ€ DQWO\ SLFNLQJ XS WKH UHFHLYHU or at least gave them a little rub for good luck. After spending years of buildLQJ XS D Ă€ QH SDLU RI QRUNV RQ D diet of game and rhenish, I very much doubt that Henry VIII was concerned with the prominence of his “side-boobâ€? upon marrying his sixth wife. Yes, it seems that the modern me-

dia myth of the ‘perfect’ body has diluted society’s sense of perspective. Nigel Mercer, president of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (Baaps) – sometimes this stuff writes itself - said that ‘we often say to men to look at their lifestyles before thinking about the scalpel.’ Now, this does seem a more sensible option than my allusions to invading Northern France or marrying six women, but it is clear that with the example of increasing male plastic surgery, modern concepts of the aesthetics of beauty and new surgical procedures show QR VLJQ RI Ă DJJLQJ Should we simply embrace the trend, along with the technology? If men and women feel so uncom-

fortable with themselves that they feel surgery is the only option, then far be it from me to object to something that might give them WKDW GHFLVLYH ERRVW RI FRQĂ€ GHQFH But on the other hand, I feel that modern society is reaching a particularly sad state of affairs in allowing a cultivation of aesthetic paranoia, where men and women are being subversively goaded into an obsession with minor ‘imperfections’ that most people neither notice, nor care about. +RZ WHUULEOH LW ZRXOG EH LQ Ă€ IW\ years’ time, if the size of a man or woman’s bra size formed just an important part of somebody’s judgement of them as their character or intelligence. Now, I’m off to go and loosen this bra a little‌

Speaked and shamed: we need to up our language game Katherine Bannon

The ability to speak another language is like the ability to play a musical instrument. We all want to be able to do it, we all (although admittedly this does depend on whether we’re talking saxophone or cello) hold a sense of awe for those that can. But unless it has been imposed upon us during an age in which to question would never be a question, speaking French is shrouded in the same innate coolness the twentieth century rock/indie revival now presents by the drums and electric guitar; it is simply too much effort. Why can the English only speak English? And, even then, why do ZH À QG LW VR GLIÀ FXOW WR GR WKDW properly? The height of the average Eng-

lishman’s contact with a foreign language is to stumble somewhere between a bar and a karaoke machine in Malaga and request ‘dos cer-ve-thas por fa-vor’ from the barman, who, despite his Mediterranean complexion, is probably from somewhere just north of Manchester. Regardless of the proposition made in 2007 that by 2010 it would be an obligatory part of the national curriculum for children from the age of seven to fourteen to study a modern foreign language, Britain is still clumsily stumbling years behind its European and international counterparts in this vital strand of education. Primarily, it has yet to be reinstated as a compulsory subject to be studied at GCSE level. However, if this was re-established would it truly make much of a difference? A GCSE is a GCSE; an exam that needs to be passed in order to grant you access through WKH QH[W UXEEHU Ă DSSHG FXUWDLQ in the conveyor belt of modern education. The knowledge of the electro-

magnetic spectrum spirals out of the ear and away with the breeze if you have no intention of pursuLQJ LW DIWHU WKDW Ă€ QDO H[DP DV GRHV photosynthesis, everything except Curley’s ‘glove fulla Vaseline’ and the Periodic Table. Who uses trigonometry in the real world anyway? , ZDV Ă€ UVW LQWURGXFHG WR 6SDQ LVK LQ P\ Ă€ UVW \HDU DW VHFRQGDU\ school, and was fed two or three times a week in hourly portions until GCSE. Through choice, although predominately motivated through the opportunity to spend a week reinfree in a foreign country (which regards underage drinking laws more casually than John Terry does his marriage vows), I then went the whole Pan’s Labyrinth stuffed hog of an A-Level. That tallies up at seven years; more than a third of my life. Hence, another year down the line it was inevitable that my slightly smug attempt at ‘I can speak a little bit of Spanish’ was immediately corrected by my colleague from Madrid. The study of a foreign language

needs to lead to more than just ticking a few boxes at the age of sixteen. It needs to be integrated at an early age so it becomes not just a second language but a second nature.

Unless it has been imposed upon us during an age in which to question would never be a question, it is simply too much effort The Government have commented on how different pupils require different levels of learning because some simply just don’t have the intellectual aptitude for another language; yet if it is introduced early enough it becomes inherent rather than contrived. Otherwise we’ll all just be stuck on the same level of playing ‘Three Blind Mice’ on a recorder.

,Q UHDOLW\ KRZ GLIĂ€ FXOW LV LW WR juxtapose a bit of ‘parlez-vous François’ and one plus one equals two? Teacher training? It’s not about grammatical structures and verb endings, but the feel for words in an alien tongue. +HOO WKH\¡UH Ă€ YH +RZ PXFK would it cost to buy a few selfhelp disks? The owner of the gift shop I was allocated for my work placement in Galicia had a son who could speak better English than I could Spanish, and this is in a part of the country that doesn’t have a McDonald’s on every corner. I’d help him learn colours and food while trying to ask him about his school day. The look he used to give me when I’d struggle to recognize a word or construct a sentence was a mixture of impatience and pity beyond a level of patronization that you’d expect from a six-year old. It is that look which epitomizes this nation’s relationship with foreign languages today. We shouldn’t just be disappointed, we should feel humiliated.

12

Monday 15 February 2010 THE COURIER

Comment

Tell me sweet little lies James Stubbs Columnist

On Monday I watched an interesting programme on the BBC called Tower Block of Commons, in which a few MPs had to pack up their things and go and ‘slum it’ in, you guessed it, tower blocks on estates in some of the poorer parts of the country, living off the dole for a week. Nothing new there; it’s a tried and tested formula that can be applied to any number of shows where there’s a clear divide between the incomes of the people who are shown. One of the MPs snuck in a cheeky ÂŁ50 note (later saying it was for the kids, but we’ll ignore that), another condemned a mother’s weekly cigarette spendage while overlooking his own spending of tax payers’ cash for his own ends, while the other upped and left to go for a dinner party off-estate. Essentially, everyone they were garrisoned with got pissed off about being lied to. One woman observed that to be a good politician you had to be a good liar. In order to be a good student do you also have to be a good liar? Perhaps. Many students will leave university with a few more grandparents, aunties, uncles, cousins and dogs (and subsequent fake funerals/birthdays under their belts) than they initially had. I’ve adopted the whitewash ‘I had to go to a “family eventâ€? ’ for when I miss anything, which, to be fair to myself, isn’t that much these days. Other excuses that I often recommend to nervous truants are old chestnuts such as ‘I have diarrhoea’ or ‘please forgive my absence but I have a chronic case of haemorrhoids that requires me to sit on a rubber ring and watch TV all day.’ Not so sweet but better than lying about the death of a close relative, and chances are the boldness of your horrible reason will quell any further questions about missing work. And then how to lie to contemporaries: ‘sorry I can’t make it to dinner I’m going to that house party’, or ‘sorry I can’t make it to that house party, I’m having dinner’, when really you’re doing nothing but sitting on a rubber ring watching TV all day. These are white lies to get you out of having to get out and about, but no matter how innocent, you’ll usually end up offending someone. There are also the semi-compulsive liars who will make little additions or subtractions to anecdotes and facts to make them slightly more entertaining or less/ more incriminating. 7KHVH , Ă€ QG IDVFLQDWLQJ DQG LI like a bowl of nice chips you take them with a good pinch of salt and a grin, you’ll have a good time; listening carefully to the various nuances from the last time they were told. Any MPs amongst you should probably now declare and give back the ÂŁ60,000 you’ve taken from UK taxpayers before an enquiry or something starts, or just use some of said handy excuses. Any friends reading please take note that these were merely examples as I, of course, never lie.

Superbowl 44 saw the New Orleans Saints triumph over the Indianapolis Colts. The Superbowl is a national institution in the US and is watched around the world by millions

Superbowl XLIV: touch-down New Orleans Tarren Smarr

Oh the Super Bowl; what a glorious event. Yes, I understand the Brits; you don’t understand what all the fuss is about. It’s just football right? Wrong! Football isn’t just a sport, and the Super Bowl isn’t just another game. Where I come from, football isn’t a way of life; its religion. Saturdays are reserved for two things; little league and college football. If your kid isn’t playing in a little league football game, you DUH DW KRPH ZLWK \RXU IRDP À QJHU jersey, hat, and any possible memorabilia supporting your favourite university football teams from sun

up to sun down. And guess what? On Sunday you do it all over again for the professional teams. University aged students literally pick which school to attend based upon their football team. I want to give kudos to those of you who took a chance and attempted to watch the Super Bowl. Football is a hard game to understand, especially when you didn’t grow up playing or watching the sport. I am especially proud of the Newcastle University American Football Team who actually threw a legitimate Super Bowl party. You made this American’s night! Here is the gist. This Super Bowl was epic. Only 4 years ago, New Orleans was demolished by Hurricane Katrina. Almost 2,000 people died between the actual hurricane and the à RRGLQJ WKDW RFFXUUHG DV D UHVXOW

Thousands more were displaced, stranded and needed help. Though thousands of Americans answered the call for help, many couldn’t even get to the city to offer aid and assistance because of the wreckage. The Saints stadium, the Superdome, became the home to over 26,000 people after the disaster. Even some of the players came back to help out the beloved city that they played for during their time of need. To put it in perspective, imagine tomorrow that you woke up and Newcastle had been hit with some natural disaster that left the city in absolute shambles. Those who were able to make it out of their homes would be placed in St. James’ Park; imagine half of the city taking refuge in the stadium because there is no other place for them to go and help can’t come quick enough.

Now imagine, that four years later, with the city still trying to rebuild (not just buildings and homes, but rebuilding lives), the Magpies won the World Cup. This is essentially what happened on Super Bowl Sunday 2010. I can honestly say that this is one Super Bowl where almost everyone I know supported one team; the Saints. That team has come back from the grave. And it did so with the support of not only its own city, but most of America behind it. Yes, I know you may not understand American football. But as humans, we understand determination, strength, courage, passion, and perseverance. We understand it because no matter where you are from, which sport you like, or which team you support, you love those players for what they represent. And you are proud to be their fan.

The age of innocence? Why a 7-year-old in a Rio Carnival is going too far Daniel Rawcliffe

´, VKRXOG KDYH ZRUQ FRPĂ€ HU shoesâ€? – this is often a thought which runs through the heads of anyone who has ever danced. Dancing, just in case you were stupid or something, is one of the best things in the known universe. Even those who can’t dance (yeah right) enjoy it; when is your favourite time to dance? In your bedroom? On a table? Up against a pole? Up against someone you may want to have sex with? In the carnival? Julia Lira apparently likes to dance in the Viradouro Carnival;

good for her, right? Wrong. Lira is planning to lead the Samba School procession, dancing in front of thousands of spectators as well as the world’s media for a gruelling 80 minutes in the blistering heat of Rio Di Janeiro. She’ll be accompanied by her mum and dad too: because she is seven years old. Not seventy, not seventeen; seven. She must be a really good dancer to secure such a privileged position; the role of drum queen is usually given to young women in their early to mid twenties. Lira is apparently better than any of them so why not let the kid dance? She might get a little tired or muddle up a few of the steps or get lusted after by a passing paedophile or something. Lira’s youth is clearly causing more problems than initially an-

ticipated; child protection agencies across the globe are fretting that a girl placed amidst the centre of a dance with a strong sexual focus is nothing but fodder for a paedophile’s wank bank. Her parents, Monica and Marco are insistent that this is nonsense (nonce-sense?) and for a person to regard their seven year old daughter as a sex object is “sick�. Well done. That is true. Yet have a care mum and dad! Reality is reality and paedophilia is the new black; everyone is at it. Apparently. Carlos Nicodemos, Council director for the Defence of Children and Adolescents has continually pointed out the innate sexual nature present in the role of the drum queen and deemed it inappropriate for a child of Lira’s age. He has no problem with children being involved in carnival or with Lira’s

samba; just the fact that someone might watch and regard her sexy. The human imagination is a vast and capable piece of technology; if a paedophile wants to think about children in a provocative way, they don’t require Julia Lira leading a carnival to do it. People are said to live vicariously through their children and Lira’s participation in carnival as drum queen is likely to be a product of a desire to generate publicity and pushy parenting. Now that they have the publicity they will have to wait until a judge rules in favour of permitting their daughter to dance. The world (paedophiles and nonpaedophiles alike) will be watching. Lira, when asked why she wants to samba as the drum queen replied “I love to dance�. Good for you kid, just make sure you’re wearing comfy shoes.

THE COURIER Monday 15 February 2010

13

How to exercise your mind and body Life & Style Editors: Larisa Brown, Alex Felton and Ashley Fryer - courier.life@ncl.ac.uk

> Health & Beauty, page 19

travel photo of the week

letters from abroad Sarah Starbuck discusses what life is like studying abroad in Germany

Katharine Jennings 2nd year English Literature Photo of ‘Mystical Lake Atitlan’ Send your travel pictures to courier.life@ncl.ac.uk and you could win £10 worth of photo prints as well as your photo printed and framed.

Thailand: a tricky tourist destination? Kathryn Hicks digs deeper than the glossy veneer of Thailand and undercovers quite a different story Type ‘Thailand’ into any generic search engine and you are sure to À QG SKRWRJUDSKV RI FU\VWDO FOHDU waters, sandy white beaches and tanned tourists drinking cocktails, served to them by a hunky Thai man. But if we take a deeper look under this glossy veneer, what do we reDOO\ À QG" ,V WKLV SRSXODU UHVRUW DOO LW seems? The news seems to say not. Taking time to do my research, I GLGQ·W KDYH WR ORRN IDU EHIRUH À QG ing a plethora of examples of murders, robberies and muggings in two of the most popular resorts. On the east coast of Thailand, Pattaya runs parallel to the city centre and is the main destination for bathers and loungers. Separated by Pratumnak Hill, the area of Jomtien Beach is a luxury residential area and would seem idyllic for those

wishing to spend more. So why then are the two areas which attract the majority of the 14.5 million visitors the two which carry with them the most devastating reviews? 6RPH VXJJHVW WKH ZHVWHUQ LQÁ X ence on Thailand comes with increasing prices for the locals, and it is a violation of their identity. Even if this is the case however, is it really a motive for such heinous crimes as a man being murdered in his hotel room, after being tied up and having a plastic bag over his head? This is only one case among many - a teenager being shot in his hotel room, a man being stabbed to death, a glass being smashed in a tourist’s face, a foreigner’s arms nearly being severed, and drive-by shootings and beatings. A taxi driver actually confessed to the murder of a tourist, and a motorcycle shooting took place only 100m from a Police station; so with this no-fear mentality we are forced to look to the authorities and raise the question of their status. The answer seems to be that Thai people stick together. A clear case of GBH against a Japanese tourist, when the attacker actually admit-

ted that he injured the man to ‘stop his annoying behaviour’, was essentially ignored by police -the attacker was released without charge, even before the victim was let go. Does this not seem then, that the police forces have little interest in stopping violence against tourists? These acts of brutality are not the only problems that tourists face in the popular destination; thefts have been reported from safety deposit ER[HV LQVLGH KRWHOV DQG ZKHQ D À UH occurred at the Hive Five Hotel, WKLHYHV ZHUH WKH À UVW RQ WKH VFHQH taking advantage. So with these cases, along with the much publicised drug culture and drink spiking, why do people continue to go? The cost of staying in Thailand can be next to nothing and with its widespread connotations of R&R it seems like the perfect destination. With the basic human mentality of ‘it won’t be me’, people will carry on going; and I’m not trying to discourDJH WKHP , PD\ HYHQ À QG P\VHOI there one day - but I am giving out a warning and just saying, know the facts and be careful: don’t have your holiday ruined.

As a Modern Languages student I have to spend my 3rd year in Hamburg in Germany for nine months. I decided I wanted to teach English on my year abroad and so was assigned to a school in North Hamburg and I am having the time of my life! I want to teach German in a primary school after I graduate and really appreciate the teaching experience I am gaining here. I teach many classes ranging from 10-17 year olds and I never tire of hearing “Hallo Sarah!” or “Hallo Frau Starbuck!” around the school grounds. I remember sitting in countless meetings which were designed to prepare us Modern Language students for our year abroad, but in all honesty, try as our wonderful Modern Languages staff might, nothing could really have prepared me for the incredible experiences I have had since I arrived in Germany! A few gems include the stunning Christmas Markets; the ‘Dom’ (a massive fun fair which comes to town three times a year) and not a few nights ago I was skating around with a group of fellow English Teaching Assistants on an empty, frozen, moonlit Alster - the central lake in Hamburg.

My only negative experience since leaving the UK was not having a permanent place to live for a month RU VR , PRYHG À YH WLPHV LQ WKH space of six weeks between rented URRPV LQ VKDUHG Á DWV Looking back, it was great ‘life experience’ meeting so many people, and plenty of practice for my German language skills… but that’s not to say that at the time it didn’t take its toll on me and my rather worried IDPLO\ EDFN KRPH LQ 6KHIÀ HOG But enough of the negativity. I’m sorry to say, my fellow Toondwelling students, that I have found somewhere that has a night life which easily beats Newcastle. Pre-drinking rituals start at 9pm, we head to the Reeperbahn (Hamburg’s central party region and Red Light District) for 1-2am, and we party our socks off drinking cheap German beers until 5-6am (clubs and bars here don’t close until 7am – hardcore!) We then head to the Fischmarkt on the harbour, which consists of an array of stands selling fruit and veg, GHOLFLRXV À VK EXUJHUV DQG FKLSV :H often make it home at 8am. Say what you want about the Germans…they DO know how to party! It’s not all about the partying though. Hamburg is a truly exciting and cultural city with the second largest port in Europe attracting many tourists all year round. Beautiful buildings and expansive parks can be found all over this hanseatic city state; I do feel it is another place I can call home.

14

Monday 15 February 2010 THE COURIER

Life & Style

Life

life

3DLQIXOO\ WKLQ D VWXGHQW¡V struggle with anorexia Becky Jones speaks to The Courier about being diagnosed with anorexia, and her continued battle with eating disorders

I

n recent years, there has been a surge of reporting about eating disorders in the media, with celebrities and politicians speaking out and campaigns against the rise of Pro-Ana and Pro-Mia websites. However, seeing eating disorders in the news headlines makes it easy to distance yourself from the reality that we are amongst those at highest risk of developing these disorders. It is estimated that 1 in 100 young women has an eating disorder and 10% of all cases of eating disorders affect men. With

WKRVH ÀJXUHV LQ PLQG WKH EXUGHQ of eating disorders on the student body is clear. , ZDV LQ P\ ÀUVW \HDU DW 8QLYHUVLW\ when I was diagnosed with Anorexia Nervosa, although there had been concerns for a while. I worried what people would think and was scared of what would happen if I sought professional help. I tried to hide my illness and by the time I realised I was no longer in control, anorexia had an intractable grip over me. Four years ago to the day, I had been in hospital for a month with

life-threatening anorexia. This is an extract from my diary written durLQJ WKDW Ă€UVW PRQWK ‘I’ve felt so low all day today, it’s JHWWLQJ ZRUVH , GRQ¡W Ă€QG DQ\WKLQJ is getting easier. It is a constant battle in my head with anorexia overpowering mostly. I am so miserable and just want to go home. I think I should just lie down and resign myself to eating everything to get out of here quicker but anorexia is always there trying to make me leave something on my plate and keep moving all the time. ‘Even at night it keeps going in

my head. At all my meals I have to leave something, I got really upset at lunch over a piece of fat on the ham and at dinner I couldn’t eat the last spoonful - the nurse even tried to hold it to my mouth. I feel so out of control, like I have gone mad. It’s horribly exhausting. Anorexia won today, and I left the fat and last spoonful.....’ Six months later and I was starting to make some headway in reFRYHU\ ‘I have had the best weekend for longer than I can remember. I really feel happy and back in control of my life. I had a gingerbread man in town and it just went on from there. It is so much less stressful not knowing the calories in everything and eating what I enjoy rather than things that are safe. I still feel guilty for ½ hr afterwards but then it passes and I feel such a VHQVH RI DFKLHYHPHQW , Ă€QDOO\ IHHO like myself again. This should be a normal weekend; eating a toastie shouldn’t be an achievement. I accept that being thin never made me happy, it’s so nice to feel like me again....’

I got really upset at lunch over a piece of fat on the ham and at dinner I couldn’t eat the last spoonful - the nurse even tried to hold it to my mouth I am now in my 3rd year back at 8QLYHUVLW\ , VWLOO EDWWOH ZLWK P\ eating disorder and some of the damage done cannot be repaired. But I am happy (most of the time) and I am doing what I love. I wish I had not been embarrassed about having an eating disorder and that I had felt able to ask for help before everything spiralled out of control. I have met so many beautiful, intelligent, lovely people whose lives are dictated by these illnesses. Suffering from an eating disorder isn’t a sign of failure or weakness, they can affect anybody and nobody is beyond help. The week beginning the 22nd of February is Eating Disorder Awareness Week, organised by the charity B-eat. EDAW aims to raise the proÀOH RI HDWLQJ GLVRUGHUV DQG SURPRWH treatment services and recovery. I want to dispel some myths about HDWLQJ GLVRUGHUV 1. You can tell if someone has an eating disorder by looking at them – actually people suffering from eating disorders may not be under or overweight and look no different from anyone else but this doesn’t mean they are not still at risk of the damage caused by eating disorder behaviours. 2. Eating disorders are a phase – They are not a phase or attention seeking. They are a serious mental

Left: Jodie Kidd in the heyday of ‘heroin

illness with dangerous psychological and physical consequences 3. They are illnesses of teenage girls – eating disorders can affect people of any age, gender, culture or background. 4. They just need to eat more McDonalds – despite the appearance of eating disorders being all about food, this is not the case. Sufferers use their behaviour toward food to FRSH ZLWK GLIÀFXOW IHHOLQJV 5HFRYery is a complex process involving psychological treatments as well as restoring physical health. 5. Eating disorders are about Anorexia and Bulimia – eating disorders include Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa but also Binge Eating Disorder, Compulsive Overeating Disorder as well as EDNOS (Eating Disorder Not 2WKHUZLVH 6SHFLÀHG In fact it is not uncommon for people to switch between disor-

THE COURIER Monday 15 February 2010

15

Life

Life & Style

The Penny Pincher Lesson 12: Music Rowan Taylor Columnist

chic’. Despite strongly denying that she was anorexic, Jodie weighed just 105lbs on a 6’2 frame. Right: Newcastle student Becky Jones who was a sufferer of anorexia herself

ders. People with eating disorders often also suffer from other mental health issues such as OCD, anxiety and depression.

People with eating disorders often also suffer from other mental health issues If eating disorders can affect anybody, what causes them? There unfortunately doesn’t seem to be a simple answer. They are caused by a combination of many factors. These may include low self esteem, UHODWLRQVKLS GLIÀFXOWLHV VWUHVVHV DW work, school or university or other VLJQLÀFDQW OLIH HYHQWV People often describe feeling that their eating disorder is the only way they can stay in control of their life,

but eventually it is the eating disorder controlling their life. You may be surprised that I haven’t included the fashion industry, magazine images or Pro-Ana/Mia websites as causes. Although I am sure that these can play an important role in perpetuating an eating disorder, a lot more people would develop eating disorders if they were major causative factors. However, a principal common feature in people with eating disorders LV ORZ VHOI HVWHHP ,W LVQ¡W GLIĂ€FXOW WR imagine how being surrounded by air-brushed, unachievable images of ‘perfect’ bodies encourages low self esteem and the false belief that ‘I’ll be happier if I am thinner’. , NQRZ , IRXQG LW WHUULEO\ GLIĂ€FXOW to gain weight when I was seeing Size 0 Models in every magazine I read. In fact, one study of 900 young women between 18 and 24 reported

that 75% were unhappy with their weight and 20% dieted all or most of the time. The consequences of eating disorders can be devastating, but people can and do recover with the right support and access to treatment services. Students with eating disorders face VRPH DGGHG GLIÀFXOWLHV <RX DUH away from family who may notice changes in eating behaviours, there are the stresses of coursework and exams, insecurities about making new friends, having to prepare your own meals and having to move to a new GP and treatment services. All this can lead to eating disorders takLQJ D ÀUPHU JULS DQG PDNHV UHFRYHU\ PRUH GLIÀFXOW So, what should you do if you think your friend or indeed you are suffering from an eating disorder? It may seem like your friend doesn’t want to be around you any-

more, but still try to include them in things. Encourage them to talk to you, listen and try not to criticise or give advice. Let them know you are there for them and offer to help them get support. If you feel you might have an eating disorder, there is lots of support to help you feel better about yourVHOI DQG UHFRYHU $ JRRG ÀUVW SRUW of call is your GP; they can help you access specialist professionals. The Emotional Health and Mental Wellbeing services can offer valuaEOH FRQÀGHQWLDO VXSSRUW WKURXJK WKH Student Wellbeing Service. The most important point to remember is that you can recover and you don’t have to go through it alone. The B-eat website gives detailed information on the pathway to recovery and more information on help and support for friends and family. Eating disorders will be beaten.

If you want music without the physical bulk of transporting CDs, it’s got to be MP3s. These days, legal MP3s do not have the restricWLYH FRS\ SURWHFWLRQ RI WKH ÀUVW generation. You are now able to copy to different computers, to a CD for the car, and even to share with others. With 7 out of 10 MP3 players now bearing the Apple logo, there are many listeners who assume iTunes is their only download choice. In fact, all of the main providers use the universal MP3 format, which is compatible with all iPods. Typically they will be automatically added to your iTunes library. Alternative download services are Amazon, Play, 7digital, HMV, we7 and Tesco. All these are worth a glance from time to time; 7digital for example have new release albums from Yeasayer and Massive Attack for £5 at the moment. If only to piss off the consumer, no single shop is the cheapest for everything. A new service from Martin Lewis, Tunechecker.co.uk, compares the whole market in one go. Free Downloads I’m taking about legal free downloads. Last.fm, Amazon MP3 and 7digital are quite happy to provide several full-length songs to download. Unsigned, up-and-coming, even Top 40 – all types of songs are found here. CDs One point rarely made in the CD vs. MP3 battle is that CDs can be VROG RQ 7U\ à RJJLQJ D ÀOH RQ \RXU computer on eBay. CDs can be had for the same price as the MP3 album, on Bangcd.com, where most CD albums are £6.99 delivered. Gigs Tickets for bigger gigs for the O2 Academy and the Metro Radio Arena, when bought online, add various charges like booking fees and delivery, even when the virtual ticket is delivered via email. A £10 ticket ends up costing over £15. Avoid all of this by paying in cash GLUHFW ZLWK WKH ER[ RIÀFH ZKHUH all tickets can be had for their face value, like it was meant to be. The $FDGHP\ ER[ RIÀFH LV RSHQ SP Monday-Saturday, and the Metro $UHQD ER[ RIÀFH LV RSHQ IURP DP until 5pm Monday-Friday and until 3:30pm on Saturdays. Sign up for ticket alerts from your favourite venues so you don’t miss out. Next week Lesson 13: Loyalty cards.

Deals of the Week: 1. 12 month subscription to Marie Claire plus free makeup: ÂŁ12 @ Magazines Direct (tinyurl.com/ yk9vfbz) Pay ÂŁ1 an issue instead of ÂŁ3.50, and get a free makeup gift IURP %HQHĂ€W ZRUWK Â… 2. Guinness Book of Records 2010: ÂŁ2 @ Asda 3. Funny/ jokey T-shirts: ÂŁ2 free delivery @ The Hut (tinyurl.com/ yfq5sth) If you’re after T shirts with slogans such as ‘I facebooked your mum’ or ‘I fart – what’s your super power?’ then head online to The Hut.

16

Monday 15 February 2010 THE COURIER

Life & Style Fashion

fashion Fashionable friends: the celebrity muse From Gaga to Gabbana, Lucy Alexander looks at the relationship between celebrity and designer

I

t’s that time of year again. Whilst we Newcastle students are brushing off those exam blues and dreaming of those summer, the Hollywood elite are manically taking part in the media frenzy and fashion politics that is awards season. There’s no denying that nominations for the Academy Awards and the winners of Golden Globes and Grammys have recently dominated WKH JRVVLS FROXPQV EXW ÀOP EXII RU not, a true fashionista will be more concerned over which celebrities will emerge triumphant on the red carpet. We have seen close professional relationships between muses and designers since fashion began, ranging from the classic style of Amanda Harlech to both Karl Lagerfeld and John Galliano, to the eclectic androgynies of Agyness Deyn with Henry Holland. And of course models and designers often become friends (see Kate Moss and Stella McCartney, pictured on the right). Such friendships can even lead to collaborations and indeed the birth of new celebrity fashion lines. These collaborations can only be PXWXDOO\ EHQHÀFLDO WR ERWK SDUWLHV as the designers are able to showcase their latest collection on a living clothes horse with a high level of media attention, and the celebrities are given free clothes. Simple. A well publicised example of this interaction in Hollywood would between Chanel and the young starlet Emma Watson. Watson was famously given endOHVV &KDQHO RXWÀWV WR ZHDU DW KHU public appearances promoting

‘Harry Potter’, enabling the worldclass designer to show his clothes on a young up-coming talent. In turn, the world saw Watson as a woman with style and sophisticaWLRQ IRU WKH Ă€UVW WLPH D IDU FU\ IURP the frizzy hair and Hogwarts scarves which we were previously used to. However, it is in awards season that these relationships step up a gear; with upcoming designers and celebrities eager to make their impression on the fashion world, and established veterans under pressure to hold their reputations of elegance and detailed perfection. For the Oscars for example (the crème de la crème of award ceremonies, don’t you know), everyone from the nominees and presenters through to the B-List celebrities in the nosebleed seats of the Kodak Theatre, are aware of the demands of dressing to impress. The process which a female celebrity goes through to choose a dress for the Oscars for example, would put military operations to shame with their detailing and extraordinary organizational requirements. Top couture designers are aware of the inexhaustible publicity garnered by their celebrity clientele at award ceremonies, and so try and choose a dress which will be attention grabbing, therefore more likely to make headlines. For example, who can forget Lady Gaga’s custom-made galactic lavender Armani PrivĂŠ dress for the recent Grammys? This idea of free worldwide publicity for the designer is further compounded and facilitated by the invention of Twitter, with which Lady Gaga was able to thank “Mr. Armani for making [her] beautiful fashionâ€? from the red carpet. The nature of this latest internet phenomenon, being primarily utilised by celebrities, means that it can be used to quickly publicise working relationships. When searching for an example of a designer’s epic success at an award

Oscars Edition

what’s hot

Elie Saab

Nudes and pastels If they didn’t already seem like the buzz words for this season, now the A-listers are taking note of this catwalk trend. These feminine shades are a sophisticated alternative to black and compliment any cut of dress.

ceremony, one needs to look no further than THAT daringly backless, Ă€JXUH KXJJLQJ *X\ /DURFKH GUHVV worn by Hilary Swank to the 77th Academy Awards in 2005. The magnitude of publicity gathered by Swank receiving her Best Actress gong in such a head-turning gown was hugely advantageous to Laroche’s career, and in turn Swank received a metaphorical place in the Oscar’s Hall of Fame. But these crazy fashion politics don’t just apply to red carpet gowns: jewellery, bag and shoe designers cash in on the frenzy as well. After all, rings and bracelets gain maximum exposure for category winners posing for endless photos with their new little gold friends. Due to this trend, designers are becoming more famous in their own right. This, coupled with our current celebrity culture whereby people are famous for no immediately obvious talent (Lauren Conrad, anyone?), encourages a blurring of the industry boundaries with frequent and whimsical career changes. As a result, more and more celebrities (Gwen Stefani, Justin Timberlake, and Sarah Jessica Parker to name a few) are turning their hand to designing. It is therefore no surprise that celebrities are beginning to dress other celebrities, for example when Courtney Cox recently donned a Victoria Beckham strapless gown to the 2010 Golden Globes. To conclude, there is clearly an often complex and fragile relationship between the designer and the wearer: right from the ephemeral collaboration to the generationspanning muse. One thing which can be certain however is that the cut-throat and “dog-eat-dogâ€? industry of Hollywood and the music business also transcends into fashion, rendering it much more important than simply “looking goodâ€?. I think I’ll stick with my Newcastle hoodie and jeans for now.

It all started in 2002 with Halle Berry’s dress at the Oscars, now the likes of Fergie are championing the Lebanese designer. I think we can expect many more acceptance speeches in his gowns!

what’s not Flesh overkill

It has long been my mantra that one should have either a plunging neckline or legs on display, never both. This is why Mariah Carey’s HervÊ Leger dress was a little bit too much. Put it away, love.

Fairytale dresses

Vintage

Dame Helen Mirren in a black vintage Armani number, Julia Roberts in black vintage YSL... it seems in order to look elegant and chic on the red carpet, the stars opt for a classic design from a powerhouse designer in black to keep it understated.

Sandra Bullock wore a gorgeous purple dress to the Golden Globes and Drew Barrymore donned an Atelier Versace number but one couldn’t help but wonder – was the fantasy dress this year looking like a bit of a meringue and straying into the realms of tacky?

Drowning LQ UXIĂ HV

Great in moderation, but being swamped in fabric isn’t always a good look. Sorry Chloe Sevigny.

Lauren Girling

THE COURIER Monday 15 February 2010

17

Fashion Life & Style

Mad Men’s Christina Hendricks wearing Christian Siriano at the Golden Globes last month

Sandra Bullock wearing a Bottega Venetta gown to the Golden Globes

Emma Watson wearing Chanel earlier this year

Courteney Cox wearing a Victoria Beckham gown at this year’s Golden Globes

Hilary Swank in that Guy Laroche dress at the Oscars in 2005

Lady Gaga in an Armani creation at the Grammys last month

18

Monday 15 February 2010 THE COURIER

Life & Style

Sex & Relationships

sex & relationships Sex and the Univer-sity

blind date

Vanessa Costello Columnist

Rachel Glencross & Chris Marris

Email courier. life@ncl.ac.uk if you would like to go on your very own Blind Date

She said:

It’s a new year and a new season of Sex and the City to scrutinise. After disregarding some rather weak topics for discussion, I Ă€ QDOO\ IRXQG D TXHVWLRQ WKDW , ZDV DEOH WR DQVZHU ,V LW EHWWHU WR ÂśIDNH LW¡ WKDQ EH DORQH" %XW ZKDW H[DFWO\ GRHV &DUULH PHDQ ZKHQ VKH VD\V ÂśIDNLQJ LW¡" &RQWUDU\ WR WKH LQLWLDO GHĂ€ QLWLRQ of ‘faking it’ that seems to pop XS LQ PRVW SHRSOH¡V PLQG , ZDV SOHDVHG WR Ă€ QG &DUULH XVLQJ LW DV VRPH VRUW RI XPEUHOOD WHUP encompassing pretty much every meaning of the word you can think of. , VLJKHG D KXJH VLJK RI UHOLHI WKH SXUSRVH RI WKLV FROXPQ LV QRW to name and shame boyfriends, one night stands or ex’s who KDYH SHUKDSV IDLOHG WR PHHW WKH PDUN 6R GR SHRSOH IDNH WKLQJV MXVW WR DYRLG EHLQJ VLQJOH HYHQ IDNH HQWLUH UHODWLRQVKLSV" ,W VHHPV VR VDG WR PH WKDW SHRSOH ZRXOG FRPSURPLVH WKHLU SHUVRQ DOLW\ RU LQWHUHVWV MXVW WR QRW EH DORQH %XW KH\ LW KDSSHQV DQG this I know for a fact. I have seen friends get with JX\V ZKR WKH\ DUH FOHDUO\ QHYHU going to be happy with, but it passes the time and soon enough WLPH GRHV SDVV WKH IDFDGH ODJV DQG EUHDN XSV KDSSHQ &DUULH DQG FR VHHP WR IDNH LW DOO WKH WLPH ZLWK WKHLU RQH HSLVRGH UH ODWLRQVKLSV XQGHQLDEO\ WHHPLQJ with desperation. As they point out, they are no spring chickens and I don’t GRXEW WKDW EHLQJ ROGHU DQG VLQ JOH LV IDU PRUH GDXQWLQJ 6R ZK\ DUH ZH OLNH WKLV DW RXU DJH" :K\ GR VRPH JLUOV IHHO WKDW KDYLQJ D PDQ LV WKH RQO\ ZD\ WR YDOLGDWH WKHLU H[LVWHQFH" &KHHV\ DQG FRPPHUFLDO HYHQWV VXFK DV 9DOHQWLQH ¡V 'D\ DUH SHUKDSV QRW WR EODPH IRU WKLV EXW FHUWDLQO\ GR QRW KHOS PDWWHUV :KHUH LV WKH GD\ WKDW FHOHEUDWHV EHLQJ VLQJOH" %HLQJ LQ D UHODWLRQ VKLS LV QRW WKH EH DOO DQG HQG DOO VR ZK\ LV LW WKH RQO\ WKLQJ marked as something to shout DERXW" , NQRZ SOHQW\ RI VLQJOH JLUOV FRQVWDQWO\ RQ WKH ORRNRXW IRU D ER\IULHQG DQG LW VHHPV VR VDG , DOVR NQRZ JLUOV ZKR HPEUDFH WKH VLQJOH OLIH IXOO\ DQG HQMR\ EH LQJ WKHPVHOYHV DQG GRLQJ ZKDW they want to do. The answer WR &DUULH¡V Âś,V EHLQJ VLQJOH WKH HTXLYDOHQW RI EHLQJ D OHSHU"¡ LV D Ă€ UP QR $OO ,¡P VD\LQJ LV WKDW GHV SHUDWHO\ MXPSLQJ IURP RQH ER\IULHQG WR WKH QH[W ZLOO QHYHU make anyone happy and at this DJH DQG DOWKRXJK LW VRXQGV PDMRUO\ FOLFKp ZH QHHG WLPH WR GLVFRYHU ZKR ZH UHDOO\ DUH I’m not in any way saying that EHLQJ LQ D UHODWLRQVKLS LV D EDG thing , but one where you’re not FRPSOHWHO\ KDSS\ LV ,W¡V SRLQW OHVV DQG XQIXOĂ€ OOLQJ 7KHUH¡V RQO\ VR PXFK \RX VKRXOG FRPSURPLVH LQ D UHODWLRQ ship and if it gets to the point of ‘faking it’ in any way shape or IRUP \RX VKRXOG PRVW GHĂ€ QLWHO\ UH FRQVLGHU 1R RQH ZDQWV WR EH NQRZQ DV FR GHSHQGHQW VR JHW RXW WKHUH DQG EH \RXUVHOI

After a random conversation with P\ Ă DWPDWH +HOHQ ZH GHFLGHG that it was about time that I went RQ P\ YHU\ Ă€ UVW GDWH :KDW FRXOG SRVVLEO\ EH EHWWHU WKDQ JRLQJ RQ D EOLQG GDWH I went into it with no expectations, DOWKRXJK IHHOLQJ YHU\ H[FLWHG DW WKH SURVSHFW WKDW KH FRXOG EH ZHOO JRU JHRXV ,Q IDFW ZKR NQRZV KH FRXOG even turn out to be ‘Mr Right’. After a few texts from my mystery man, Chris, we arranged to meet in the Opera Piano bar in the Gate. , Ă€ JXUHG WKDW D IHZ GULQNV EHIRUH KDQG ZRXOG HDVH DQ\ DZNZDUGQHVV RU SHUKDSV PDNH KLP ORRN EHWWHU ,W GLG +H JUHHWHG PH ZLWK D ZDUP VPLOH D NLVV RQ WKH FKHHN DQG PDGH PH IHHO PXFK PRUH DW HDVH , ZDV UHOLHYHG LQ WKH NQRZOHGJH WKDW KH ZDVQ¡W D FRPSOHWH ZHLUGR %HLQJ D WRWDO JHQWOHPDQ KH RI IHUHG DQG GLG SD\ IRU P\ GULQNV DOO night. The bar was, in my opinion, a JRRG SODFH IRU D EOLQG GDWH DV LW ZDV FKLOOHG DQG UHOD[HG 7KH PLGGOH DJHG GUXQNHQ SHRSOH VXUURXQGLQJ XV DOORZHG IRU D JHQWOH GLVWUDFWLRQ IURP VOLJKWO\ GZLQGOLQJ conversation. +RZHYHU DW RQH VWDJH , GLG EHFRPH VOLJKWO\ HPEDUUDVVHG E\ the uninvited appearance of a very giddy friend of mine (that’s you (PLOLH DW WKH DJH RI , WKRXJKW , ZDV D ELW WRR ROG IRU D FKDSHURQH :H ZHQW RQ WR &LW\ 9DXOWV DQG DOWKRXJK WKH FRQYHUVDWLRQ GLG VHHP WR Ă RZ KH WROG VRPH YHU\ LQWHUHVW LQJ VWRULHV DERXW KLV WUDYHOV ZKLOVW LQ WKH DUP\ WKHUH ZDVQ¡W PXFK HOVH WKDW ZH KDG LQ FRPPRQ DSDUW from the fact that we had both been VHW XS RQ D EOLQG GDWH A charming and fun guy, but just QRW WKH JX\ IRU PH 1R OLNH\ QR OLJKW\ ,¡P DIUDLG

%ULOOLDQWO\ WKLV PHDQW WRZQ ZDV EXV\ ZLWK GUXQNHQ IRRWEDOO IDQV ² KRZ FRXOG URPDQFH IDLO WR EORVVRP" ,Q D VWURNH RI JHQLXV UHPLQLV FHQW RI D Âś'HDU 'HLUGUH¡ OHWWHU ZH GHFLGHG WKDW , ZRXOG UHFRJQL]H KHU at our meeting by the fact that she ZRXOG ZHDU D Ă RZHU LQ KHU KDLU /LNH VR PDQ\ WKLQJV LQ OLIH Ă RZ HUV KDYH EHHQ DQDO\VHG GRZQ WR WKH PRVW ULGLFXORXV GHWDLO DQG \RXU FKRLFH RI EORRP LV VXSSRVHG WR UHĂ HFW \RXU PRRG , ZDLWHG LQVLGH 7KH *DWH D FODVV\ WRXFK , WKRXJKW HDJHUO\ DQWLFL SDWLQJ KHU DUULYDO DQG SRQGHULQJ ZKHWKHU VKH ZRXOG EH VSRUWLQJ D ZKLWH FDUQDWLRQ LQQRFHQFH RU SHU KDSV D JOR[LQLD ORYH DW Ă€ UVW VLJKW Instead she arrived with a rather UHVSOHQGHQW KRXVHOHHN LQ KHU KDLU D Ă RZHU WKDW UHSUHVHQWV GRPHVWLF industry. :H GHFLGHG WR JR WR 2SHUD 3LDQR EDU KDYH D IHZ GULQNV DQG OLVWHQ WR VRPH OLYH PXVLF :H FKDWWHG IRU D

ZKLOH JHWWLQJ WKH VPDOO WDON RYHU ZLWK EXW OHW¡V EH KRQHVW QR RQH OLNHV VPDOO WDON After engaging in a few more ‘interesting’ conversations and a brief interruption from her friend FKHFNLQJ XS RQ KHU SUREDEO\ PDNLQJ VXUH , ZDVQ¡W D UDSLVW WKH chat began to dry up. A change of venue was needed. :H VZLWFKHG WR VRPHZKHUH ZKHUH WKH PXVLF LV PXFK ORXGHU DQG WKH drinks are much, much stronger DQG IUHH" EXW WKLV ZDV DOO WRR PXFK DQG VKH OHIW VRRQ DIWHUZDUGV I gave her a kiss goodnight (no WRQJXH DV VKH KHDGHG KRPH EXW GHFLGHG WR VWD\ DQG UHĂ HFW RQ WKH occasion. :RXOG , FRQVLGHU DQRWKHU EOLQG GDWH" 3RVVLEO\ 'R , WUXVW YHJHWDU LDQV" 'HĂ€ QLWHO\ QRW QRW HDWLQJ PHDW LV RQH WKLQJ EXW O\LQJ WR PH LV another! :LOO , VHH KHU DJDLQ" 0RVW SURE DEO\ QRW

SeĂąora,

SeĂąora,

SeĂąora,

I was just wondering what your thoughts are on library etiquette. There is an absolute babe who sits near me in the Robinson more often than not and we exchange glances and the odd smile now and then. Is it kosher to go up and say hi or is it a bit too mental?

My boyfriend has decided to spice things up between the sheets and I am not too happy about it if I’m honest. I’ve been with him for about a year and a half, so we are pretty close and the boat has never been rocked before. Recently when we’re exercising our love muscles, he insists on going from behind and then when he is on the cusp, he has started letting out little barks, like a labrador. Think you can see my problem.

Over the last few parties, we have all been going big since getting EDFN LQWR WKH Ă RZ RI XQLYHUVLW\ , have a recurring problem. Simply put, I keep on hooking up with one of my good friends and we manage to brush it aside as jokes, but I actually really like him. How do I tell him without it seeming like banter and potentially making it really awkward between us?

He said: Being friends with a vegetarian is DOZD\V D JDPEOH WKH VPHOO WKH ODFN RI VRFLDO DELOLW\ DQG WKH REYLRXV GUDZEDFNV DW EDUEHTXHV DUH DOO downsides. One hopes, however, that over the FRXUVH RI D IULHQGVKLS WKH\ ZLOO HYHQWXDOO\ FRPH JRRG :KHQ P\ WRNHQ YHJJLH IULHQG asked me whether I was interested LQ D EOLQG GDWH DQG DVVXUHG PH WKDW DOO WKH ZRPHQ ZHUH KRW , WKRXJKW my time had come. , KDG WR DJUHH UHDOO\ ² P\ IUHH WLPH PRVWO\ FRQVLVWHG RI SOD\LQJ in the ‘Europa League’ on Pro (YR DQG ZKLOVW WKLV ZRXOG DOPRVW FHUWDLQO\ LPSUHVV :D\QH %ULGJHV¡ PLVVXV LW LV DFWXDOO\ DSSDUHQWO\ ÂśTXLWH VDG¡ :H DUUDQJHG WKH GDWH XQNQRZ LQJO\ SLFNLQJ D QLJKW ZKHQ 6W -DPHV 3DUN KRVWHG \HW DQRWKHU XQLQVSLU LQJ JDPH RI IRRWEDOO

ask seĂąora rosa

Seùora Rosa is back from perfecting all the Kama Sutra positions in good stead for her new autobiography, to answer all your woes and worries. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to catch her on email at courier. life@ncl.ac.uk

, GRQ¡W NQRZ ZKR WKHVH IRROV DUH ZKR EHOLHYH WKH\¡UH JRLQJ WR WKH OLEUDU\ WR ZRUN ² ZH DOO NQRZ WKDW LW¡V MXVW RQH KXJH VRFLDO HYHQW $V ORQJ DV \RX¡UH FODVSLQJ D VFDU\ ORRNLQJ ERRN WKH OLEUDU\ DOORZV \RX WR OHJLWLPDWHO\ SHUY RQ ZKR HYHU \RX ZDQW E\ VLPSO\ SDVVLQJ LW RII DV D GUHDP\ JD]H LQWR VSDFH +RZHYHU WKH GLIĂ€ FXOW\ RI OLEUDU\ HWLTXHWWH LV WKH QHHG IRU DEVROXWH VXEWOHW\ <RX FDQ QHYHU DSSHDU WR EH DQ\ WKLQJ RWKHU WKDQ D UDYLQJ LQWHOOHF WXDO 6D\LQJ KHOOR ZRXOG EH VXLFLGH :K\ QRW HDVH \RXUVHOI LQ E\ DVNLQJ WR KDYH D TXLFN JR ZLWK KHU UXEEHU" 0D\EH DGPLUH WKH OHQJWK RI KHU UXOHU 2U WU\ DVNLQJ IRU D TXLFN VXFN RQ KHU ZDWHU ERWWOH ,¡P VXUH VKH¡OO get the message.

+PPP WR EH KRQHVW ORYH , WKLQN \RX VKRXOG WDNH WKLV DV D VLJQ LI KH¡V KDYLQJ WR VWRRS WR WKHVH OHYHOV to inject some excitement into your KRUL]RQWDO KRNH\ SRNH\ WKHQ \RX¡UH going to have to up your game! *LYH KLP D EUHDN DV KH¡V FOHDUO\ just trying to think outside the box. 0D\EH KH¡V KLQWLQJ DW DQ DQLPDO WKHPHG IRUP RI UROH SOD\" $ SDUWLFXODU IDYH RI 6HQRU -RVH¡V DQG PLQH LV IDUP\DUG DQLPDOV VR ZK\ QRW WU\ WKLV" :KHQ \RX¡UH RQ WKH FXVS DGRSW D JHQWOH FOXFNLQJ QRLVH ZKLOVW KH FDQ VLPXOWDQHRXVO\ PRR LQWR \RXU HDU 2RRK ,¡P JHW WLQJ WLQJOHV MXVW WKLQNLQJ DERXW LW

:HOO WKH NH\ LV WR GLVFRYHU ZKHWKHU RU QRW KH OLNHV \RX EDFN RWKHUZLVH , GRQ¡W UHDOO\ VHH DQ\ SRLQW LQ EDULQJ \RXU VRXO WR KLP DQG GDPDJLQJ your friendship. One method to discover this ZRXOG EH WR KRRN XS ZLWK VRPHRQH HOVH ULJKW LQ IURQW RI KLP ZK\ QRW make it one of his good friends for GUDPDWLF HIIHFW" ,I WKLV SURYRNHV DQ\ IRUP RI QHJD tive reaction from him then ahaaa!! +H PXVW EH MHDORXV DQG VR PD\ YHU\ OLNHO\ KDUERXU IHHOLQJV IRU \RX WRR +RZHYHU LI KH GRHV QRW UHDFW LQ DQ\ ZD\ RU ZRUVH FRPSOHPHQWV you on your choice of man and hands you a condom, you may be screwed.

THE COURIER Monday 15 February 2010

19

Health & Beauty

Life & Style

health & beauty View Askew Gigging It Kathy Jackman Columnist

+LWWLQJ DOO WKH VSRWV Ă H[LELOLW\ DW LWV EHVW Katherine Bishop & Verity Cunningham get stuck into yoga positions like the ‘Downward Facing Dog’

Y

oga: an ancient style of meditation designed to soothe the stresses of student life. Apparently. An Eastern tradition, one aims to attain peace of mind, and cure chronic pain. With breathing and stretching as the favoured activities, yoga uses multiple poses, breathing exercises, relaxation techniques and meditation to create a balance between the body and the mind. “Yoga is the only form of physical activity that provides complete exercise to the body, because it massages all the internal organs and glands�, an enthusiastic website claims. Call us cynical, but this is doubtful – we just assumed it was a mon-

ey-making fad lapped up by bored housewives, celebs and the over sixties. Silly us. Our past experiences of yoga were more stressful than stress-free. Being stuck in a stuffy classroom that smells like hot sick, wearing pairs of borrowed sweat pants and dirty t-shirts is not that relaxing... and is it me, or is it your feet that smell terrible, Kat? $GGHG WR WKLV RXU FRPELQHG Ă H[Lbility was that of a 150 year old man. We were mentally prepared for an hour of bodily torture. Strangely, the hour was enjoyable, though incredibly taxing. Barely able to reach our ankles, the ‘Big Toe’ pose requires you to hook your Ă€QJHUV XQGHU \RXU IHHW Practically immobilised after trying to hold this for a minute (a considerable length of time when you haven’t exercised since secondary school), we moved on to fry some IDWWHU Ă€VK As we passed the simple stretching H[HUFLVHV ZH IRXQG RXUVHOYHV Ă H[Lbly challenged. Worse was to come. The instructor contorted himself

Aftershaves

product placement There’s nothing more attractive than a man who makes an effort to smell just that extra bit sexier. Choosing the right aftershave is like choosing the right pick up line, if you mess it up, you’re never going to bag the bird. We asked girls what they thought. Poppy Gardner

1

into a shape that reminded us of a SUD\LQJ Ă DPLQJR DSSDUHQWO\ WKLV is the ‘Tree’ pose. We suppressed our giggles long enough to force our legs into position, and collapsed in a KHDS RQ WKH Ă RRU /HJV DNLPER ZH UHDOLVHG WKDW ZH KDG QHLWKHU Ă H[LELOity nor balance! Even though we were completely inept, we battled on like troopers, relaxing more each minute. This was greatly helped by the over-enthusiastic gentleman just in front of us. Wearing tights and a leotard, this hottie had a booty to die for. Still, no matter how physically attractive, men are no longer desirable when they can wrap their legs around their necks. After half an hour, we felt slightly PRUH Ă H[LEOH DQG PDWXUH HQRXJK WR concentrate on reaching the deeper states of relaxation. Unfortunately, the instructor Ă LSSHG RQWR KLV VWRPDFK DQG VWXFN his backside in the air. The ever popular ‘Downward Facing Dog’ had us in silent stitches, reminding us far too much of a meth-

2

3

Joop!JumpElectric Heat. ÂŁ25.49 They say: This provocative elixir will intrigue you with its composition Our testers said: “Fresh and everydayâ€?, “a manly feel but sweet scent.â€? Popular with the female testers

Our testers said: “Horrible�, “smells like chlorine�, “unpleasantly musky�. Very unpopular, especially with the girls

Paco Rabanne XS. Approx ÂŁ21.00 They say: XS by Paco Rabanne is a woody Ă RUDO PXVN IUDJUDQFH for men Our testers said: “Sharp and citrusyâ€?, “spicyâ€?, “more appropriate for the eveningâ€?

5 CKone. approx ÂŁ22.00

Hugo Energise raw eau de toilette. Approx ÂŁ21.00 They say: a woody aromatic fragrance for men

od to clear the bowels. Despite the giggling and the physiFDO GLIĂ€FXOWLHV ZH GLG Ă€QG RXUselves calmed, though maybe for the wrong reasons. Considering yoga is supposed to be the oldest physical discipline in existence, medical studies have suggested that practising poses regularly can bring make a positive difference to anybody. Indeed, as a pair of insomniacs, we found ourselves positively dead to the world that night. As a pastime, yoga is entertaining and challenging. From our experience, we’re still unsure whether yoga is calming to body and mind. We may not have found our inner calm, but there were noticeable differences to our bodies – namely the aching the next day. Even so, while we may try a couple of ‘Sun Salutations’ or ‘Cobras’ on those sleepless nights, we think we’ll stick to pole dancing for our physical outlet. For future ‘Give it a Go’ events please email adc.union@ncl.ac.uk or visit www.unionsociety.co.uk/giag

4

Ralph Lauren Polo black. ÂŁ23.00 They say: 3ROR %ODFN E\ 5DOSK /DXren is a woody aromatic fragrance for men Our testers said: “Simple but niceâ€?, “manlyâ€?, “smells like boy but in a good wayâ€?, “light and summeryâ€?

They say: CK One by Calvin Klein is a citrus aromatic fragrance for women and men Our testers said: ´/LJKW and sexyâ€?, “good that it’s unisex as has a versatile scentâ€?, “zesty without being too sharpâ€?

7KH ELJ GD\ LV Ă€QDOO\ KHUH /DGLHV and Gentlemen, it’s Stein Time. Are you ready to rock? Then let’s go. I’ll skip all the build up for the sake of my word count; I swear, 500 words just isn’t enough for something quite as epic as this. Curses. Anyway, here goes. It’s 9pm, and the show is about to begin. I’m standing (or should that be squashed? Yeah, let’s say squashed) in the second row of a packed standing area, waiting for the lights to go down and for what I like to call the ‘Epic Thrash’ to commence. The tension is palpable, the air tingling with suspense and excitement. To be honest, there’s nothing quite like it. Suddenly, we’re plunged into darkness. The screams are deafening, everyone around me is bellowing as hard as they can and I am too, so much so that my throat is already starting to ache. There are three raised structures on the stage, with walls at the end of them. Two of these walls are smashed down, hammers breaking through the plaster to reveal our guitarist, bassist, keyboardist and drummer. The third wall, which lies in the middle of the stage, is opened by a welder. Seriously, the door is cut open with a welder and then kicked down to reveal the vocalist. He walks down onto the stage and JULQV WHHWK OLWHUDOO\ Ă DVKLQJ WKDQNV to a bulb-like device in his mouth. What follows is easily one of the most insanely brilliant spectacles that I have ever seen in my short life. I’ve got to say, for a group of guys in their mid to late forties, Rammstein sure as hell know how to put on a show. Also, they seem to have a borderline dangerous REVHVVLRQ ZLWK Ă€UH Fire is all over the place tonight; VKRRWLQJ IURP Ă DPHWKURZHUV RXW of the ceiling, up from the stage, everywhere. During the encore the vocalist even dons a pair of angel ZLQJV WKDW VKRRW Ă DPHV IURP WKH tips. I’m amazed that I still have P\ H\HEURZ :KHQ LW¡V QRW Ă€UH LW¡V Ă€UHZRUNV :KHQ LW¡V QRW Ă€UHZRUNV LW¡V lasers. And when it’s not lasers, it’s confetti. The end of the show sees Till, the vocalist, straddle a pink coloured cannon (deliberately Freudian) and zip back and forth DFURVV WKH VWDJH FRYHULQJ WKH Ă€UVW few rows in foam. That’s not all though; the band sounds, for want of a better word, phenomenal. The sound is pitchperfect, loud enough for everyone to hear but not so loud as to leave your ears permanently damaged. It’s the sort of performance worth forking out 40 odd quid for. By the end it feels as though all of the energy has been sucked from my legs and my brain has been melted. I’m covered in sweat and foam, make up smeared over my face in a manner most unbecoming but I honestly couldn’t care less. My world has been thoroughly rocked, and I’d do it again in a heartbeat.

20

Monday 15 February 2010 THE COURIER

Life & Style ncl+

ncl+ Get more out of university: get into ncl+

I

t’s a chilly September day as you trudge your way onto campus, soon to be greeted by two cheery people clad in Careers Service t-shirts and bearing a gift – a blue clicky pen. You accept the freebie, slip it in your pocket and head to your lecture. If, since then, you ever took notice of that clicky pen, you’ll see that it’s stamped with the ncl+ logo – someWKLQJ \RX·OO DOVR ÀQG EUDQGLVKLQJ other promotional material across campus. But what does ncl+ stand for? And what difference can it make to you and your time here in Newcastle? In a nutshell, ncl+ brings together various groups across the University which all offer you the chance to widen your experiences and develop your personal skills to boot, helping to make your CV read like an employer’s dream. As you’re probably aware, a degree is no longer enough when it comes to landing a job after graduation – you need to offer something more, and ncl+ is one of the ways you can do it.

A degree is no longer enough... you need to offer something more, and ncl+ is one of the ways you can do it Maybe you’re training as a sports coach volunteer? Acting as a student ambassador? How about learning a new language? There are lots of ways to get involved, both on and off-campus!

Sociology student, Christian Allen is the station manager of Newcastle Student Radio (NSR). Discussing WKH EHQHÀWV RI WDNLQJ SDUW LQ DQ H[tra-curricular activity, he says: “It’s a great thing to have on your CV. A lot of people who do get involved in the station want to go into media so it develops skills in that area considerably. “It can also be useful when looking for internships –a lot of our members have managed to gain experience at commercial stations and I was lucky enough to work at the BBC over Christmas.” If, like Christian, you’re involved in an activity operated through the Union Society, Sports Centre, Careers Service, Open Access Centre or even the Marketing and Communication Directorate – chances are, you’re doing something that falls under the ncl+ umbrella. And if your free-time isn’t bristling with hobbies or voluntary work, then don’t fear - it’s not too late to get started. For ideas, check out the ncl+ website at: www.ncl.ac.uk/ nclplus

Newcastle University graduate Jodie Symington receiving her Outstanding Personal Achievement Award at last year’s ncl+ awards after raising £100,000 for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust. Symington is pictured below with Dr Stephen Cronin (paediatric cosultant), Barry Wilkinson (trainer) and Guy Fleming-Jones during the Tenzing-Hilary Marathon

Need help with a project? If you’ve got an idea for a social, community or cultural project, but need some help to get it off the ground, the ncl+ Foundation could be the solution. The ncl+ Foundation offers access to expertise, support and even funding to help turn your ideas into reality. You can apply for up to 50 percent of your total project costs, up to a maximum of £500. And remember, as ncl+ is all about adding to your degree - your project must be extra-curricular. Rupert Stevens, a PhD student in Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering (EECE) applied to the ncl+ Foundation for support with his school’s Postgraduate Conference. “Every year, the School hosts a postgraduate conference where all its researchers get the chance to showcase their work,” explains Rupert. “One person has been responsible for the event, but this year, the students took ownership of the event, organising it, making it very professional and bringing further clarity to what it’s actually trying to achieve.” He continues: “We gained a lot of support from the ncl+ Foundation. They gave us examples of sponsorship agreements and ideas of the price we could ask for, and the committee also talked about Societies that could get involved. “The support we received was more important than the funding. Don’t get carried away with the

money side of things – you need to keep your eye on what you want to achieve!” Fine Art student, Annette Morris also applied to the ncl+ Foundation. Annette, who is a member of West Rainton Green Group, was looking into recruiting younger members onto its nest boxes project, which involved building nest boxes for birds, mice and hedgehogs and then installing cameras inside the boxes to observe the animals’ behaviour all year round. She says: “Without the funding from ncl+, the project would not have happened. We are a small local community group run on a shoestring by volunteers and would not have been able to consider such an ambitious project.” And to top off the project’s success – Annette also picked up an award at the ncl+ awards ceremony. “It was really posh!” she comments. “The organisers made it feel like a really special occasion.” ,QWHUHVWHG LQ ÀQGLQJ RXW PRUH about the ncl+ Foundation? Log on to www.ncl.ac.uk/nclplus/foundation for more details. If you’re now thinking that it’s about time you got involved in a ncl+ activity, but you’re still a little unsure, take Christian’s advice: “Don’t think twice about it! Obviously if you’re joining a big group or society it takes a couple of weeks to get used to everything and feel part of it, but if it’s something you really want to do then it can be as important as your degree!”

Your time to shine at the ncl+ Student Achievement Awards competition 2009 saw the launch of the ncl+ Student Achievement Awards competition, and the glittering awards ceremony returns again this year- an opportunity not to be missed if you want recognition for your efforts in an extra-curricular activity. There are 10 award categories, with 20 cash prizes up for grabs. The winners will each scoop £300, with the runners-up all set to walk away with £100. Two hundred shortlisted students, invited guests and VIPs will attend the awards ceremony at the Great North Museum in April, which is set to be compèred by Emma Budge, (GXFDWLRQ 2IÀFHU LQ WKH 8QLRQ 6RFLety and Vicky Tyas, Athletics Union 2IÀFHU From sport and environmental

impact to media, community spirit, culture and the arts - the award categories offer something for everyone. Last year, Jodie Symington, who graduated in the summer with a degree in Applied Biology, won the Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Outstanding Personal Achievement. The prize recognised her efforts in raising over £100,000 in aid of the Cystic Fibrosis Trust. Jodie completed a ten day trek to the Mount Everest base camp to get to the start line for the Tenzing-Hilary Marathon, which she completed on 31st May2008. She also power-walked back down to Namche Bazar. The challenge was no easy feat – especially considering that Jodie herself has cystic

ÀEURVLV Jodie has two personal highlights from the awards evening: “Firstly, ÀQGLQJ RXW WKDW WKH FDWHJRU\ , ZRQ had been created because my efforts had stood out so much,” she recounts. “Secondly, being able to give a speech about what I’d done and why I’d done it helped to raise awareness >RI F\VWLF ÀEURVLV@ ,W ZDV DOVR D JRRG opportunity to network with fellow students.” The ncl+ Student Achievement Awards 2010 competition is now open. You have until 12 noon on 19th March to enter yourself or nominate someone for an award. For more details, and to enter, log onto www.ncl.ac.uk/nclplus/ awards.

THE COURIER Monday 15 February 2010

21

Interview with Swedish upand-comers Miike Snow Culture Editor: Alice Vincent - courier.culture@ncl.ac.uk

> Music, page 30

Is the art world truly multicultural? This month sees three prominent post-colonial exhibitions launch across the country. Joe Skrebels investigates the role these works will play in our cultural sphere and asks, will anyone actually take notice? 6RPHWKLQJ LV KDSSHQLQJ LQ PXOWL cultural Britain. )RU \HDUV QRZ ERRNV UHĂ HFWLQJ RQ WKH SRVW FRORQLDO ZRUOG KDYH EHHQ ZLQQLQJ DZDUGV DQG FULWLFDO DFFODLP OHIW ULJKW DQG FHQWUH ² SHRSOH ORYH WR UHDG DERXW ZKDW KDSSHQHG DIWHU ,PSHULDOLVP EHFDXVH RQFH ZH OHIW QR RQH SDLG DQ\ UHDO DWWHQWLRQ DQ\ more. :KHWKHU LW¡V PLGGOH FODVV JXLOW RU PRUELG IDVFLQDWLRQ DOO WKRVH SURE OHPV WKDW ZHUH FDXVHG E\ WKH (PSLUH VHHP WR EH ODSSHG XS E\ WKH ODWWH GULQNLQJ GHHS WKLQNLQJ ERRN FOXE FRPPXQLW\ DQG VWRULHV OLNH The Inheritance of Loss White Teeth and The God of Small Things DUH SUDLVHG HQG OHVVO\ IRU WKHLU XQĂ LQFKLQJ YLHZV RI ZKDW KDV KDSSHQHG VLQFH WKH 8QLRQ -DFN ZDV WDNHQ GRZQ +RZHYHU ZKLOVW HYHU\RQH OLNHV WR KHDU ZKDW¡V KDSSHQHG LW VHHPV DV WKRXJK QR RQH ZDQWV WR VHH LW IRU WKHPVHOYHV ² SRVW FRORQLDO DUW KDV QRW EHHQ DQ\ZKHUH QHDU DV SHUYD sive. 1RZ KRZHYHU WKHUH¡V D SRVLWLYH JOXW RI DUW IURP PXOWLFXOWXUDO EDFN JURXQGV ZLWK PDMRU H[KLELWLRQV SRSSLQJ XS DOO RYHU WKH SODFH 7KH 7DWH /LYHUSRRO LV KRVWLQJ $IUR 0RGHUQ -RXUQH\V 7KURXJK 7KH %ODFN $WODQWLF D VRPEUH ERG\ RI ZRUN UHĂ HFWLQJ RQ /LYHUSRRO¡V KLV WRU\ DV D VODYH SRUW DQG KRZ WKH $WODQWLF VKDSHG FRORQLDO FXOWXUH ZKLOVW WKH 6DDWFKL *DOOHU\ LQ /RQ GRQ GLVSOD\V WKH DOWRJHWKHU DQJULHU 7KH (PSLUH 6WULNHV %DFN H[KLELWLRQ FRPSOHWH ZLWK WHFKQLFRORXU SRUWUDLWV RI VXLFLGH ERPEHUV DQG .DVKPLU VKDSHG EORRGVWDLQV RQ WKH IDFHV RI ,QGLDQ DQG 3DNLVWDQL SRUWUDLWV &KULV 2Ă€ OL RQH RI WKH IHZ ZLGHO\ UHFRJQLVHG SRVW FRORQLDO DUWLVWV LQ

WKLV FRXQWU\ FRLQFLGHQWDOO\ DOVR KDV D QHZ H[KLELWLRQ DW WKH 7DWH %ULWDLQ PL[LQJ ELEOLFDO LPDJHV ZLWK WKH LGH DOV RI JDQJVWD UDS DORQJVLGH SLHFHV DWWHPSWLQJ WR FRS\ SUHKLVWRULF $IUL FDQ SRLQWLOOLVP )LQDOO\ LW VHHPV DV WKRXJK WKH DUW ZRUOG KDV FDXJKW XS DQG LV UHDOO\ WU\LQJ WR DUWLFXODWH WKH SUREOHPV DQG HIIHFWV RI WKH SRVW FRORQLDO ZRUOG LQ a far more visual way.

All those problems that were caused by the Empire seem to be lapped up by the latte-drinking, deepthinking book club community 7KH ZRUU\LQJ TXHVWLRQ LV WKDW DI WHU VR PDQ\ \HDUV RI OLWHUDU\ SRVW FRORQLDOLVP ZLOO WKRVH SHRSOH ZKR JXVKHG RYHU =DGLH 6PLWK DQG .LUDQ 'HVDL ZDQW WR H[SRVH WKHPVHOYHV WR PRUH RI WKH VDPH DOEHLW LQ D GLIIHU ent form? , FDQ RQO\ KRSH WKH\ ZLOO SRVW FRORQLDO H[SUHVVLRQ LV LQFUHGLEO\ LP SRUWDQW D SRWHQW UHPLQGHU RI ZKDW ,PSHULDOLVP QRW RQO\ FDXVHV EXW OHDYHV EHKLQG ,W FDQ EH PRYLQJ IXQQ\ RU KHDUW ZUHQFKLQJO\ VDG DQG RXU FRQWHP SRUDU\ SRVW FRORQLDO DUWLVWV QHHG WR FRQWLQXH WR DUWLFXODWH WKHLU IHHOLQJV DQG UHPLQLVFHQFHV LQ RUGHU WR KHOS XV NQRZ ZKDW WKH (PSLUH PLQGVHW FDQ GR WR D FRXQWU\ DQG LWV SHRSOH 6R \HV VRPHWKLQJ LV KDSSHQLQJ LQ PXOWLFXOWXUDO %ULWDLQ EXW ZKHWKHU SHRSOH ZLOO WDNH QRWLFH LV DQRWKHU matter entirely.

The Hills hits the UK in new TV venture Elliot Bentley Channel 4 have revealed a new VKRZ WRXWHG WR À OO WKH JDS LQ LWV VFKHGXOH RQFH À OOHG E\ UDWLQJV JUDEEHU Big Brother. 7KH VKRZ ZLOO IROORZ WHQ UHVL GHQWV RI 1RWWLQJ +LOO WKH KRPH RI 'DYLG &DPHURQ LQ :HVW /RQGRQ around their everyday lives for HLJKW ZHHNV DQG ZLOO EH WLWOHG UDWKHU LPDJLQDWLYHO\ Notting Hill. Notting Hill KDV EHHQ GHVFULEHG E\ SURGXFHUV DV D FURVV EHWZHHQ D GRFXPHQWDU\ DQG D VRDS ZLWK HDFK HSLVRGH VKRZQ LQ WKH ZHHN LW LV À OPHG WR HQVXUH FRQYHUVDWLRQV VWD\ WRSLFDO 6XFK GRFX VRDSV KDYH SURYHG SRSXODU LQ WKH 86 SDUWLFXODUO\ The Hills DQG LWV 1HZ <RUN VSLQ RII

The City ZKLFK GRFXPHQW WKH OLYHV RI JODPRURXV WHHQDJHUV 7KH SURMHFW ZLOO KDYH PXFK LQ common with Big Brother with UHJDUGV WR WKH VXUYHLOODQFH RI LWV ÂśVWDUV¡¡ HYHU\GD\ OLYHV EXW removes the closed environment of the house. 1RWWLQJ +LOO ZDV SLFNHG E\ WKH SURGXFHUV EHFDXVH RI LWV ´LQWHU national fame and cultural and HFRQRPLF GLYHUVLW\Âľ DOWKRXJK some have criticised this choice DV IXUWKHU SURRI RI WKH PHGLD¡V /RQGRQ FHQWULF QDWXUH ,W FDQ SUREDEO\ EH SUHVXPHG WKDW LW ZDV DOVR FKRVHQ EHFDXVH RI WKH ZHOO NQRZQ Ă€ OP DOVR NQRZQ as Notting Hill VWDUULQJ -XOLD 5RE HUWV DQG +XJK *UDQW Notting Hill ZLOO EH EURDGFDVW sometime later this year.

Âľ%ORVVRP Âś E\ &KULV 2Âż OL LQ KLV ODWHVW H[KLELWLRQ :LOO KLV FRQWURYHUVLDO SLHFHV RQ 6WHSKHQ /DZUHQFH PDNH DQ LPSDFW"

The unreal and unending life of reality TV Mark Corcoran-Lettice Commentary Just when the end seemed in sight, it’s starting all over again. January’s series of Celebrity Big Brother on Channel 4, originally the last celebrity and penultimate incarnation overall of the franchise in Britain, received surprisingly ecVWDWLF UHYLHZV DQG YLHZLQJ Ă€ JXUHV far exceeding the last few series. For all the talk over the last year or two in the broadsheets of the imminent demise of the reality show, it’s a genre that’s still as strong as ever. Even this \HDU WKHUH¡V EHHQ D Ă XUU\ RI QHZ reality commissions: hell, even Danni Minogue has her own starring show now, joining the (ahem) illustrious ranks of Katie Price, Kerry Katona and Jodie Marsh, whose series Totally Jodie Marsh boasted the delightful, and

GHĂ€ QLWHO\ QRW DW DOO PLVRJ\QLVWLF advertising slogan “Who’ll take her up the aisle?â€? So how has reality television, despite all the brickbats, kept going so long? I’ve got a few theories for you. As much as the genre gets criticised for tasteless voyeurism (a criticism that I myself agree with wholeheartedly), reality television feeds a desire for personal information that runs throughout today’s culture. Facebook, to use one prominent example, has made personal intrusion commonplace. With one quick search and a few clicks of WKH PRXVH LW¡V SRVVLEOH WR Ă€ QG RXW where someone lives, who their friends are, what their interests are, what they’ve been up to recently, places or events they may be going to, all their pictures- it’s all there. Faced with this onslaught of information online, it’s no wonder that viewers have come

to expect and demand the same level of intimate knowledge from the rest of the media that they consume. There’s also the fact that reality television has become increasingly un-real. Most supposed ‘reality’ television consists of celebritybearpits-come-game-shows like the aforementioned Celebrity Big Brother or I’m A Celebrity, or semiscripted pseudo-documentaries whose main role seems to be to promote that breed of celebrity who thrive without displaying any discernable talent. Now that the reality show is almost as carefully contrived and planned as any drama or comedy and freed from the potential of not having enough incident to excite the audience of rubberneckers, it’s become the cockroach of televisual genres. Even a nuclear war would just mean they’d have to rebuild the Big Brother house.

THE COURIER Monday 15 February 2010

,W¡V WLPH WR 5DLVH DQG *LYH DV PXFK DV you can. 'HVFHQGLQJ GRZQ RQ 1HZFDVWOH LV 5$* ZHHN RQH RI WKH EHVW ZD\V WR JHW LQYROYHG ZLWK IXQGUDLVLQJ DQG FKDULW\ ZRUN ZKLOH DOVR KDYLQJ DQ XQIRUJHWWDEOH VHYHQ GD\V .LFNLQJ RII RQ 6DWXUGD\ DQG UXQQLQJ WKURXJK XQWLO 7KXUVGD\ 5$* :HHN organised by third year students Sarah )HDUQV DQG +ROO\ +DUGDNHU SURPLVHV DQ DUUD\ RI HYHQWV LQ 1HZFDVWOH WR KHOS UDLVH PRQH\ IRU Ă€YH FKDULWLHV ZKLFK DUH VHOHFWHG E\ WKH 5$* :HHN RUJDQLVHUV 7KLV \HDU WKH FKDULWLHV DUH 6&$1 6WXGHQW &RPPXQLW\ $FWLRQ 1HZFDVWOH 7\QHVLGH &\UHQLDQV %UHDNWKURXJK %UHDVW &DQFHU :KL]] .LG] DQG 7KH Terrance Higgins Trust. 6&$1 LQYROYHV YROXQWHHUV IURP 1HZFDVWOH 8QLYHUVLW\ KHOSLQJ RXW RQ FRPPXQLW\ DFWLYLWLHV VXFK DV PHQWRULQJ DQG FXOWXUDO SURMHFWV ZKLOH 7\QHVLGH &\UHQLDQV DQRWKHU ORFDO FKDULW\ SURYLGHV DLG DQG UHKDELOLWDWLRQ WR WKH homeless. In addition to supporting some of 1HZFDVWOH¡V ORFDO FKDULWLHV 5$* :HHN LV DOVR GRQDWLQJ IXQGV WR %UHDNWKURXJK %UHDVW &DQFHU WKH 8.¡V ODUJHVW FKDULW\ FRPPLWHG WR Ă€JKWLQJ EUHDVW FDQFHU 5$* :HHN VXSSRUWV :KL]] .LG] D children’s charity helping disabled peoSOH WKURXJKRXW WKH 8. E\ SURYLGLQJ PRELOLW\ DLGV WR FKLOGUHQ LQ QHHG DQG 5$* DUH DOVR GRQDWLQJ IXQGV UDLVHG WR 7KH 7HUUDQFH +LJJLQV 7UXVW RQH RI WKH Ă€UVW FKDULWLHV WR EH VHW XS LQ UHVSRQVH WR the HIV epidemic. 'XULQJ WKH ZHHN WKH 5$* FUHZ ZLOO be out on the streets of Newcastle with GRQDWLRQ ER[HV DQG D QXPEHU RI HYHQWV that run through the week will allow all VWXGHQWV WR JHW LQYROYHG LQ WKH DFWLRQ Saturday night is the beginning of 5$* DQG ZKDW EHWWHU ZD\ WR NLFN VWDUW WKH ZHHN WKDQ ZLWK D KDXQWLQJ 5RFN\ +RUURU 3DUW\ DW /OR\GV 1R 7KH 0LOH &DVWOH IRUPHUO\ 7KH 6SRUWV &DIp 6XVSHQGHUV FRUVHWV JDULVK PDNH XS DQG 7UDQV\OYDQLDQ WHUURU LV RQ WKH FDUGV ZLWK HQWU\ FRVWLQJ MXVW Â… DQG *ODP5RFN WXQHV EHLQJ EHOWHG RXW DOO night. ,I \RX KDYH DQ\ FORWKHV \RX GRQ¡W ZHDU FRPH DORQJ WR WKH 5$* 6ZDS 6KRS DW 0U /\QFKHV RQ 6XQGD\ )HEUXDU\ WR SDVV RQ VRPH RI \RXU XQORYHG glad-rags - you might be able to come DZD\ ZLWK D EUDQG QHZ RXWĂ€W

Saturday 20 - Thursday 25

RAG Week

Chris Mandle

$ WLFNHW LV MXVW Â… DQG FDQ EH SXUFKDVHG EHWZHHQ SP RQ 7KXUVday or Friday this week from outside the Union. You can bring up to six items of clothLQJ VKRHV RU DFFHVVRULHV DQG WKH 5$* team will assign each item you bring D YDOXH RI RU :KDWHYHU WKH WRWDO YDOXH RI \RXU LWHPV WKDW¡V WKH DPRXQW \RX FDQ VSHQG DW WKH 5$* VZDS VKRS 6ZDSSLQJ EHJLQV DW SP DQG ZLOO JR RQ XQWLO SP 7KHUH ZLOO EH D UDIĂ H RQ WKH GD\ WRR ZLWK SUL]HV VXFK DV D PHDO IRU DW 1DQGRV OXQFK IRU IRXU DW 3UHW $ 0DQJHU cinema tickets and a huge treat from Marble Slab. $OVR FRPLQJ WR WKH 8QLRQ GXULQJ 5$* :HHN LV WKH -DLO %DLO QRPLQDWH friends (or enemies) to be put in the 5$* MDLO DQG VHH LI DQ\RQH ZLOO SD\ EDLO ,W¡V Â… EDLO IRU HYHU\ Ă€YH PLQXWHV LQ WKH MDLO EXW LI \RX¡G OLNH WR VWHHU FOHDU RI D GD\ EHKLQG EDUV RU \RX ZDQW WR WKURZ D 5$* PHPEHU LQ WKH VODPPHU LW DOO FRPHV DW D SULFH /RRN RXW IRU 'DQFH RIIV FRPHG\ QLJKWV DQG HYHQ D 5$* 5HJJDH GD\ RI FKLOOHG PXVLF DW WKH Union. )XQGUDLVLQJ LV H[KDXVWLQJ VR WKH 5$* WHDP KDYH SUHSDUHG D Ă€QDO EORZRXW night to celebrate a week of tireless goodwill. Thursday night is home to the Silent 'LV *ORZ WKH Ă€QDOH RI 5$* :HHN goes out with a (silent) bang at Tiger 7LJHU RQH RI WKH ELJJHVW YHQXHV ULJKW LQ the centre of town. 8SRQ DUULYDO Â… JHWV \RX D VHW RI wireless headphones that will transmit PXVLF IURP WRS '-¡V ULJKW WR \RXU HDUV 7KHUH¡V WZR FKDQQHOV RI PXVLF WRR VZLWFKLQJ IURP 5Q% WR (OHFWUR 3RS WR &KHHVH VR LI \RX GRQÂśW OLNH ZKDWÂśV EHLQJ WUDQVPLWWHG VZLWFK RYHU WR VRPHWKLQJ PRUH VXLWLQJ 7LJHU7LJHU¡V WRS Ă RRU LV ERRNHG RXW HVSHFLDOO\ IRU 5$* :HHN DV ZHOO DV VPDOOHU URRPV IRU HYHU\RQH WR FKLOO RXW DQG FKDW ZLWK WKHLU KHDGSKRQHV RII and keep an eye out for drinks deals all night. )DFHSDLQW JORZVWLFNV DQG UDYH WKHPH clothes are aplenty on what is set to be WKH ELJJHVW Ă€QDOH LQ 5$* KLVWRU\ 7LFNHWV DUH DYDLODEOH DOO ZHHN DW WKH 8QLRQ with special discounts for groups of four. Money raised from the tickets will go to the Terrance Higgins Trust. .HHS DQ H\H RXW IRU WKH SXUSOH FODGGHG 5$* FUHZ WKURXJKRXW WKH ZHHN who will be more than happy to assist \RX $QG UHPHPEHU LW¡V DOO IRU FKDULW\

ITV1, 20.00 Full preview, page 32 The Cluny, 20.00, ÂŁ6 adv

Hot Club De Paris, B>E>A>K

music

The Star and Shadow Cinema is VKRZLQJ D ÀOP WKDW IROORZV /LQN :UD\ RQ KLV LQIDPRXV WRXU This great guitarist pioneered an RYHUGULYHQ GLVWRUWHG JXLWDU VRXQG KHOSLQJ WR SDYH WKH ZD\ IRU WKH VRXQGV RI SXQN DQG KHDY\ URFN DQG is a major player in the industry. +LV PXVLF LQVSLUHG DUWLVWV IURP 3HWH 7RZQVHQG WR %ULDQ 6HW]HU $ PXVW VHH IRU PXVLF DQG ÀOP ORYHUV DOLNH

Star and Shadow Cinema, 19:30,

The Rumble Man: LINK WRAY (1997)

7RQLJKW¡V VKRZLQJ LV 7XUNLVK PRYLH My Father and My Son

David Shaw Lecture Theatre, 6pm, ÂŁ1

Mediterranean Film Festival: My Father and My Son

film

The Bridge Hotel, 20.00, ÂŁ5

The Laughing Penguin Comedy Night

arts

wednesday

Grainger Street by Catherine Higginson. “I took this photo a few years ago while sitting by the Monument one afternoon in early spring. The light was incredibly LQWHQVH DQG , GHFLGHG WR WDNH D SLFWXUH ZLWK P\ ROG Ă€OP FDPHUD , OLNH WKH ZD\ WKH SHRSOH DUH KDYLQJ WKHLU KDLU EORZQ DERXW and putting their hoods up; it shows the typical windy weather conditions we’re used to in Newcastle.â€? +DYH \RX JRW D SLFWXUH WKDW HSLWRPLVHV 1HZFDVWOH IRU \RX" The Courier wants to see it. Send your photos to editor.union@ QFO DF XN 7KH EHVW SKRWR RI WKH \HDU ZLOO EH FKRVHQ WR EH WKH IURQW FRYHU RI WKH $OWHUQDWLYH 3URVSHFWXV

my newcastle

$ FKDQFH WR FDWFK VRPH RI WKH 1RUWK East’s best folk musicians and singers in one of the best pubs in the city.

The Cumberland Arms, 20.00, ÂŁ3

The Brit Awards 2010

tv

music

Elevator Folk Present...

&ODVVLF :RUOG :DU ,, ÀOP IURP -HDQ 3LHUUH 0HOYLOOH DERXW D JURXS RI )UHQFK 5HVLVWDQFH ÀJKWHUV LQ 1D]L occupied France.

Tyneside Cinema, 19:30, ÂŁ3-4

Army of Shadows (L’armÊe Des Ombre)

,I \RX ORYH :HVWHUQV DQG &OLQW (DVWZRRG \RX DEVROXWHO\ PXVW VHH WKLV Ă€OP 7KH Ă€UVW LQ WKH 0DQ :LWKRXW D 1DPH WULORJ\ WKLV UHPDNH RI .XURVDZD¡V <RMLPER SDYHG WKH ZD\ IRU FLQHPD YLROHQFH QRW WR PHQWLRQ (DVWZRRG¡V FDUHHU $ WUXH EORFNEXVWHU

Star and Shadow Cinema, 19:30, ÂŁ3-4

A Fistful of Dollars

film

BALTIC, 18.30, free, booking essential

Jordan Baseman: Artist Talk

arts

tuesday

The Mediterranean Countries SociHW\¡V WZR ZHHN Ă€OP IHVWLYDO EHJLQV ZLWK D VKRZLQJ RI 3RUWXJHVH Ă€OP 20,13. Embark on a journey through WKH 1HZ 2OG :RUOG DQG H[SHULHQFH VRPH RI WKH Ă€QHVW Ă€OPV WKH 0HGLWHUranean has to offer.

David Shaw Lecture Theatre, 18.00, ÂŁ1

Mediterranean Film Festival: 20,13

,W¡V $OLHQ :KDW PRUH FRXOG \RX DVN IRU" :HOO KRZ DERXW WKH 5LGOH\ 6FRWW H[WUD VSHFLDO H[WUD VSRRN\ FXW" 'RQ¡W IRUJHW \RXU 186 FDUG IRU Â… RQ &RURQD %HFNV +HLQHNHQ RU &RFD Cola.

Tyneside Cinema, 20.40, ÂŁ3.50

Alien: The Director’s Cut

film

Theatre Royal, 19.30, from ÂŁ8.50

Pride and Prejudice

arts

monday

the guide: 15 february to 21 february

highlighted

Culture

22

ITV, 21.00 Full preview, page 32

What Katie Did Next

tv

Venue, 19.30, ÂŁ12.50, ÂŁtbc

Red Stripe Music Awards 2010

The Other Rooms, 19.30, ÂŁ12.50, sold out

Marina and The Diamonds

Yesteryear’s grindie upstarts come to our Union to promote their new DOEXP 7DNLQJ LQ JDPH ER\V QHRQ OLJKWV ELQJH GULQNLQJ DQG KLS KRS DV SDUWV RI WKHLU VW\OH LW¡OO EH DQ HFOHFWLF HYHQLQJ WKDW¡V IRU VXUH

Newcastle University Bassment, 19.30, ÂŁ12.50 adv

Hadouken!

$UH \RX UHDG\ IRU WKH à RRU" 7KH biggest geeks in music are back with D QHZ DOEXP DQG VWLOO KDYHQ¡W VROG RXW WKH 2 7KLV LV WKH SHUIHFW FKDQFH to see one of the most brilliant and downright weird bands this counWU\¡V SURGXFHG IRU TXLWH D ZKLOH VR JHW \RXU WLFNHWV TXLFN WKH\ ZLOO JR

02 Academy, 20.30 - 23.30, ÂŁ17.50 adv

Hot Chip

music

Oddball dramedy about the pairing of Michael Jackson and Marilyn 0RQURH :HOO WKHLU LPSHUVRQDWRUV at least.

Tyneside Cinema, 21.00, ÂŁ6-7

Mister Lonely,

film

+RW &KLS PHPEHU MRLQV ORFDO '- UR\DOW\ 7LP 6KDZ ,QHUWLD )XWXUHERRJLH *HRII /HRSDUG 'DGD /DVW :DOW] DQG WKH 0XGORYH %R\V WR NHHS WKH GDQFLQJ JRLQJ RYHU DQG RYHU DQG RYHU

Cosmic Ballroom, 22.00, ÂŁ5

Hot Chip DJ Set - Gig AfterParty - Featuring Al Doyle

clubbing

7KH \RXQJHVW FRPLF HYHU WR ZLQ WKH 3HUULHU DZDUG IRU KLV (GLQEXUJK )ULQJH GHEXW LQ 6HDQ +XJKHV LV EDFN ZLWK D EUDQG QHZ VKRZ bursting at the seams with the darkly EULOOLDQW VHOI GHSUHFDWLQJ EDUEHG with that has kept him at the top of KLV JDPH HYHU VLQFH

Northern Stage, 19.30, ÂŁ15

Sean Hughes

BBC1, 20.00 Full preview, page 32

Eastenders Live

tv

7KH ODWHVW IURP /RUG RI WKH 5LQJV GLUHFWRU 3HWHU -DFNVRQ JHWV SDUWLFXODU attention. Sure to be a rich fantasy experience with a dark side.

Tyneside Cinema, 20.00, ÂŁ6-7

The Lovely Bones (release)

0XVLFLDQ %LOO\ %UDJJ FRPHV WR WKH 7\QHVLGH WR LQWURGXFH %UHDNLQJ 5RFNV D SRZHUIXO GRFXPHQWDU\ RQ UHKDELOLWDWLRQ DQG IUHHGRP -DLO *XLWDU 'RRUV %UDJJ¡V SHUVRQDO LQLWLDWLYH to bring music to the inmates of EngODQG¡V SULVRQ V\VWHP LV GRFXPHQWHG LQ WKLV Ă€OP E\ $ODQ 0LOHV $ PXVW VHH IRU PXVLF IDQV Ă€OP EXIIV and law students alike.

Tyneside Cinema, 21.30, ÂŁ9-11

Billy Bragg and ‘Breaking Rocks’

film

Digital, 23.00, ÂŁ10 adv

Godskitchen: Richard Durand, Robert Van Gelderen

&ODVVLF +ROO\ZRRG 6W\OH %XUOHVTXH 5HFUHDWLQJ WKH JODPRXU RI WKH V this night is awash with sophisticated JHQWOHPHQ ZRQGHUIXO ZRPHQ DQG plenty of dancing. Free martinis and cigarette girls make this place the coolest on the Tyne.

CafÊ de L’Arte at Pasha, Quayside, 20.00, £6.50

Sin-A-Go-Go

clubbing

Three outstanding poets present a OLYH OLWHUDWXUH HYHQW ZKLFK LV PRUH RI a performance then a reading. The VKRZ SURYLGHV DQ HQWHUWDLQLQJ DQG WKRXJKW SURYRNLQJ HYHQLQJ IRU DOO ZKR DUH DVNLQJ WKH TXHVWLRQV :KHUH DUH \RX" $QG ZKHUH DUH \RX JRLQJ"

Stage 2 Northern Stage, 19.00, ÂŁ4-6

Jaybird presents You Are Here – Colette Bryce, Daljit Nagra & Jo Shapcott

The perfect opportunity for budding writers. Informal drop in session with screen writer Ian Fenton will lead the sessions for writers of all DELOLWLHV DQG LQWHUHVWV IURP SRHWU\ WR prose to script.

Tyneside Cinema, 16.00 - 18.00, free, but booking is essential

Writer’s Club

arts

friday

5$* :HHN NLFNV RII ZLWK D QLJKW RI 7UDQV\OYDQLDQ IXQ DW WKH ROG /OR\G¡V 1R QHDU &HQWUDO 6WDWLRQ IRUPHUO\ Sports Cafe).

Lloyd’s No.1 The Mile Castle, 20.00, £3 See highlighted

RAG Week: Rocky Horror Party

union

02 Academy, 18.30, ÂŁ17.50 adv

Nazareth

02 Academy 2, 19.30, sold out

Owl City

music

*ODVJRZ¡V Ă€QHVW JHQUH EHQGLQJ '- brings his indie remixes to Newcastle’s newest club.

theCut, 23.00, ÂŁtbc

Dragnet Present: Optimo

Saturday nights rarely come cheaper WKDQ WKLV 7ZR à RRUV RI ÀGJHW KRXVH GXE VWHS PLQLPDO DQG RWKHU OXdicrously titled dance genres in a ZRQGHUIXOO\ LQWLPDWH YHQXH

Kings Manor, 20.00, free

Trash-ed

This church hall is rapidly making a name for itself amongst the Ouseburn set. 1RW \RXU DYHUDJH LQGLH QLJKW 3RSNOXEE SURYLGHV 6ZHGLVK Classic and Contemporary inGLHSRS & DQG JLUOV JURXSV with a crowd to match.

Retreat@St. Dominics, 20.00, ÂŁ3.50

Popklubb

clubbing

)RU WKRVH LQWHUHVWHG LQ Ă€OP PDNLQJ LWV ZRUWK WKH HDUO\ VWDUW WR KDYH D FKDW DERXW WKH MR\V RI VPDOO IRUPDW Ă€OP The Star and Shadow is showcasLQJ D ÂśEHVW RI SURJUDPPH¡ D WDON DQG KRSHIXOO\ VRPH Ă€OPPDNLQJ EHIRUH D Ă€OP VKRZLQJ RQ 6XQGD\

Star and Shadow Cinema, 19.30, ÂŁtbc

Cambridge Super8 festival on tour

film

saturday

Hyena Club, 20.00, ÂŁ3

RAG Week: Comedy Night

Mr Lynch, 14.30, ÂŁ5

RAG Week: Swap Shop

union

5RFNDELOO\ ZLWK D VHQVH RI KXPRXU right on the banks of the Tyne.

The Tyne Bar, 14.30, free

The Heavenly Thrillbillies

7KH VL[ GD\ 8QLYHUVLW\ EDVHG IHVWLYDO ODXQFKHG RQ 7XHVGD\ culminates. International guests include composHU 'DYLG /DQJ 86 JXLWDULVW &KULVWRSK -DJJLQ 6ZLW]HUODQG DQG IURP 6ZHGHQ FRPSRVHU .HQW 2ORIIVRQ guitarist Stefan Ostersjo and multiĂ DXWLVW 7HUMH 7KLZDQJ )RU PRUH LQIRUPDWLRQ FRQWDFW RU HPDLO DJXVWLQ IHUQDQGH]#QFO DF XN

King’s Hall, Armstong Building, The Sage Gateshead and other venues, free-£7

New Newcastle Music: A Mini-Festival

+HDY\ PHWDO¡V ELJJHVW PHQWDOLVWV UHWXUQ WR WKH 8. IRU D VKRUW WRXU taking in our fair city on their way. If you like to hear huge riffs and VWRULHV DERXW TXDGULSOHJLFV WUDYHOOLQJ EDFN LQ WLPH WR &]DULVW 5XVVLD DQG \RX KDYHQ¡W KHDUG WKLV EDQG FRQVLGHU this our gift to you.

02 Academy, 19.00, ÂŁ16.00 adv

Mastodon

music

For those for whom the TV show just wasn’t enough. Starring celebrities from the current series; EastEnders VWDU 5LFN\ *URYHV DQG %%& %UHDNIDVW¡V &KULV +ROOLQV SOXV $OL %DVWLDQ 1DWDOLH &DVVLG\ DQG =RH /XFNHU *HW the fake tan out.

Metro Radio Arena, 6.30, from ÂŁ35

Strictly Come Dancing Live

arts

sunday

Listings by Jonathan Lim, Ciara Littler, Alice Vincent and Joe Skrebels - send your listings to courier.culture@ncl.ac.uk

thursday arts

23

Culture

24

Monday 15 February 2010 THE COURIER

Culture Arts

arts dance

stage

Dancing up a storm

It’s not just NUTS, it’s insane!

Ciara Littler on the Cuban dance company which is captivating the nation’s audiences The North East is in for a tantalizing treat this month, with hot Cuban dance troupe Danza Contemporånea de Cuba (DCC) premiering their trailblazing UK tour at the Theatre Royal. Newcastle is lucky enough to play host to the leading dance company from the hottest new destination for contemporary performing arts; Cuba is currently producing some world class performance dancers, and with the DCC about to celebrate their 50th anniversary, this exciting group is set to make major waves on our shores. DCC consists of a company of 21 extraordinary and passionate dancers who fuse the heat of their country with eclectic contemporary dance in Afro-Caribbean and Spanish styles. The distinctive Cuban style combined with impressive technical moves promises a breathtaking performance that is both unique and exciting; no wonder they have attracted collaboration from some of the best choreographers in the world - Rafael Bonchela who choreographed Kylie’s Showgirl tour is a huge fan. Dance is the new big thing in the UK at the moment, but it has been a big part of Cuban life since it was introduced in the 16th Century by WKH ÀUVW :HVW $IULFDQ VODYHV This has evolved into the exciting contemporary mix we see today. DCC was founded in 1959, and blends modern American theatre,

Afro-Caribbean dance and classical European ballet to produce some of the most innovative performance around. We are lucky enough to have this wonderful opportunity to see some great modern dance thanks to the Theatre Royal’s ‘Seconds Out’ project. Launched in 2008 the project was forged as part of the Britain’s 2012 Cultural Olympiad, acting to build on a longstanding relationship between the North East and Cuba. By linking sport with dance and drama ‘Seconds Out’ creates opportunities for ground-breaking and diverse collaborations that are not to be missed. The DCC promises to live up to expectations; with over 70 works in its active repertoire the troupe has already toured throughout the Americas, Europe, Asia and Africa. It comes to the UK with Latino passion, heat and grace, and has captivated audiences worldwide. Whether you are an avid dance fan, or are beginning to wonder what all the fuss is about with all the new dance shows on TV, this is a sensual, mystical, emotional and jaw-dropping show that is really not to be missed. For all those interested in a bit of culture, this is a rare but perfect opportunity to see what wonders the world of dance has to offer. The passionate and visually stunning show is sure to bring some spice to the winter nights, and its well worth the time and money for D IHZ KRXUV WR VHH VRPH Ă€UH LJQLWHG in the North East arts scene. Danza ContemporĂĄnea de Cuba is at the Theatre Royal in Newcastle from 23-24th February 2010.

Rosie Tallant checks out the society’s take on Ken Kesey’s novel

Canned heat: Danza ContemporĂĄnea de Cuba take to the stage

comedy

stage

Stage hosts comedy gold

You’ll never walk alone

Romain Chenet is more than a little excited for the arrival of Sean Hughes Great news on the comedy front this week, as one of the UK’s most consistently popular and hilarious stand-up comedians is coming to town for one (very special) night only at Northern Stage, right across the street from our very own Students’ Union. I’m of course referring to the brilliant Sean Hughes, well known for his TV appearances on shows such as Never Mind the Buzzcocks, The Last Detective, and his very own programme, Sean’s Show. Starting his career way back in the late 1980s, Sean Hughes has seen his popularity rise steadily ever since winning the Perrier award at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 1990, after his brilliant debut performance there. Since then he’s successfully diverVLÀHG LQWR SUHVHQWLQJ DFWLQJ DQG authoring novels as well as prose and poetry, but has now returned to the stand-up circuit with what promises to be a brand-new and cutting-edge show entitled What I Meant To Say Was‌

Hughes’ style, having often been compared to that of the deceased comedy legend Bill Hicks (who was a close friend of Hughes), is still as bitingly dark and acerbic as ever, with his insights promising to provoke not only hearty laughs but also SRLJQDQW UHĂ HFWLRQV RQ OLIH¡V OLWWOH oddities. Having grown up in Dublin, Hughes offers an interesting take on British-Irish relations, cultural idiosyncrasies, and the little differences that makes our lives a bit less mundane. No fan of mainstream media and culture, he has often criticised the concept of celebrity and tired of stand-up comedy a decade ago. However, having reinvigorated his style and content with several sell-out UK comedy tours, Hughes is back in full force and ready to address contemporary life’s issues not only with a strong repertoire of material, but with an interest in exploring spontaneous observations and witticisms that reinforce the greatness of his work. Truly a show not to be missed, What I Meant To Say Was‌ is likely to go down as one of the highlights of this year’s UK comedy scene. Sean Hughes performs at the Northern Stage on Thursday 18th February at 7.30pm.

Football and theatre might seem unlikely bedfellows, but if you share a passion for both then the Live Theatre on Quayside has just the show for you. Beating Berlusconi! tells the true story of 29 year-old Scouser, cobbler and devoted Liverpool fan Mark Radley, as he travels to Istanbul to watch Liverpool play AC Milan LQ WKH &KDPSLRQV /HDJXH ÀQDO RI 2005. Mark Radley has spent his entire life supporting his beloved Reds, and bears all the scars that come with it. So when Mark got the chance to travel to watch the newest chapter in his club’s history, he grabbed it with both hands; despite threats from his wife, not to mention his bank manager. Through a bizarre twist of fate, he ended up in the executive box of the Attaturk stadium, next to Silvio Berlusconi, AC Milan owner and Italian Prime Minister. After celebrating a little too fervently as the famous equalising goals went in, Silvio went from congenial host to aggressive fan and Mark was removed from the room and placed in Liverpool’s VIP area, where he celebrated with the Liverpool legends he idolised. After a critically-acclaimed spell on Merseyside, including playing at

$QÀHOG LWVHOI WKH SURGXFWLRQ WUDYHOV north to reach a whole new audience. Actor Paul Duckworth acts as raconteur, telling the story by playing Mark and forty other characters, including Ian Rush and Silvio himself during the course of the show. As Duckworth acts, video footage is projected on-stage, lending the performance a documentary feel and supporting what’s being talked about. This is a story of friendship, fun, and ultimately the complete adoration that only a true football fan can experience. Duckworth portrays the highs and lows that come with that adoration with a madcap performance, careering across the stage as he plays several characters in seconds and displaying all the excitement that Mark must have done as he went through his incredible evening. If you’re a football fan, a theatre DÀFLRQDGR RU \RX MXVW OLNH D UHally good story, Beating Berlusconi! promises a night of laughs and entertainment that won’t be matched (no pun intended). Beating Berlusconi! is on at the Live Theatre on 23rd February Joe Skrebels

As the semester draws on, the second batch of this year’s plays from Newcastle University’s highly successful and enigmatic theatre society are beginning to emerge. Amongst these is One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, a powerful, frank and darkly comical account of mental institutions and the human mind. The NUTS interpretation boasts an exuberant student cast with Adam Donaldson as the brazen trickster Randle P. McMurphy and Beth Wilcock as the oppressive Nurse Ratched. Not to mention the NUTSacclaimed Daniel Olsson in the role of Dale Harding and the remainder of the lively cast who are reportedly ψ \LQJ WKURXJK UHKHDUVDOV¡ Adapted from Ken Kesey’s 1962 novel of the same name, the play depicts one man’s struggle against the LQVWLWXWLRQDO SURFHVV DV KH Ă€JKWV IRU his individuality and freedom. Directors Ben Schwarz and Rachael White describe the portrayal of the play’s themes as ‘visceral and hardhitting’, also commenting on the intensity and depth of the characters, which include the timid, stuttering Billy Bibbit and the apparently deaf and dumb “Chiefâ€? Bromden. The play follows the experiences of Randle P. McMurphy, a happygo-lucky rebel who has been transferred from a prison work farm but Ă€QGV LQVWLWXWLRQDOLVHG OLIH WR EH PRUH demanding than he had planned. In the mental hospital every man is under the merciless rule of Nurse Ratched, an iron-willed dragon of a woman who relentlessly documents their every move. $W Ă€UVW LW DSSHDUV WKDW QR RQH RWKHU than McMurphy dares to defy her. %XW WKURXJK Ă€VKLQJ WULSV FDUG games and an alcohol-fuelled encounter with two prostitutes, the men begin to question the boundaries between sanity and madness, take control of their lives and join the rebellion. Despite their new-found independence, McMurphy’s underestimation of the tyrannical nurse leaves the men vulnerable to her retaliations and she does not hesitate to exercise her authoritarian powers. Ultimately, his resolution to upset the system and break her nerves sparks a battle between the men and the institution that will leave their minds, values and lives irrevocably changed. With a fantastic cast, an irresistible story and ‘possibly the most ambitious set NUTS has ever seen’, this adaptation is set to be unmissable. Appealing to the sense of rebellion, individuality and freedom that is inside all of us, this exploration of what insanity really means gives a brutally honest insight into the human mind and those living an institutionalised life. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest at the Culture Lab from 24th-26th February. Tickets are ÂŁ6 and available from outside the Union from the 15-19th February

THE COURIER Monday 15 February 2010

25

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

art J.E. ATWOOD

Women in Prison

Jane Bown

Side Gallery, Quayside until 13 March

I rarely fail to be impressed by the Side Gallery’s ever-changing exhibitions. Therefore, the excitement I’d been building before going to Jane Evelyn Atwood’s latest contribution, Women in Prison set me up for a fall. The fact that I left the Side with a whole lot more on my mind, gently haunted but ultimately touched by the photographs on show, is a true mark of Atwood’s skills in documentary. Women in Prison – the phrase conjures many an assumption. Hard, butch, females; that atrocious earlyNoughties ITV series Bad Girls and Burglar Bill’s girlfriend. Whilst avoiding all of these, Atwood plays on our preconceptions by simultaneously portraying them alongside the vast difference they have from the reality of prison life. Atwood describes her documentary as motivated by an attempt to voice women’s suffering inside, battling against powers that refused her entry and ultimately exposing the injustice of treatment these women VXIIHUHG DORQJVLGH WKH GLIĂ€ FXOW\ RI gaining such exposure. As Atwood says, ‘for each woman seen in these pictures, there were hundreds more who declined to be photographed.’ This is probably why these women are portrayed in many different lights; animalistic, vulnerable, dehumanised, but ultimately incredibly brave, and as large a victim of the prison lifestyle as the impact of their own crimes. What really comes through the exhibits is the woman behind the pris-

Hammer Horror

Opus Gallery, Gosforth until 21 February Horror Cinema has always generated its fair share of controversy, but no studio can lay claim to over 70 years of gore, glamour and heritage as pertinently as Hammer Horror. 6LQFH LWV À UVW À OP UHOHDVH LQ the studio has had a huge impact on cinema, producing notable stars DQG VHPLQDO À OPV WKDW KDYH SUR pelled it to cult status. Descending upon Newcastle this month, the exhibition at Opus gallery delivers an interesting insight into the many facets of the muchloved British brand. The exhibition itself is impressive, presenting both public and personal views of the studio and displaying a large variety of rare posters, stills and pre-production shots from public and private collections worldwide. The iconic posters, which are all available to buy, capture the movie monsters in an awe-inspiring light; Dracula, mummies and werewolves all make an appearance. Parallel to the posters are a showcase of personal photos showing Hammer’s own Dracula, Christopher Lee, engaging in tomfoolery on set and other personal items such as letters, photos and surreal

University Gallery, Northumbria University until 19 February

Cellblock belles: Women in Prison at the Side Gallery oner status. The photo, of Corrine Hellis, who died in prison after staff ambivalence about an asthma attack, shows a woman beautiful in death, smothered by the weeping body of her husband. Love, or at least, lust, exists in the caught embraces between prisoners birthday parties, which show the heart of Hammer, previously unseen behind the gore and creature effects. Also showcased is an eclectic mix of their female stars, whose overt VH[XDO RYHUWRQHV KRUULĂ€ HG WKH FHQ sors for decades. Joanna Lumley, Dr No’s Julie Eyre and Raquel Welch along with others add an air of eroticism and magic to the exhibition, with pubOLFLW\ VKRWV DQG Ă€ OP VWLOOV SUHVHQW ing them as an antithesis of the clichĂŠd ‘woman in peril’, as strong, glamorous females at the zenith of their careers. Artist Brillith’s work also compliments the exhibition, with humorous outtakes on the cuddly side of Hammer Horror, innovatively merging knitted wool with iconic PDFDEUH LPDJHV WKDW DUH GHĂ€ QLWHO\ not for children. I expected the exhibition to be akin to a tacky ghost ride, with neon lights and stock sound bites of evil laughs emerging from hidden speakers. However, the exhibition is very informative to those not familiar with Hammer Horror, while an extensive selection of reproduction posters, books and merchandise for sale will leave fans salivating. As a fun, intriguing exploration RI +DPPHU¡V KHULWDJH LW¡V GHĂ€ QLWHO\ worth a visit; but as one Hammer WDJOLQH Ă€ WWLQJO\ VXJJHVWV Âś'RQ¡W Dare Enter Alone’. Chris Binding

and their lovers - brusque, but honest, emotion shown in large hands clasped together, or round waists. The aerial shot depicting a card game in the yard, the laughter shown amongst the women smoking in the toilets after an evening meal, a washing scene which could almost have been a photographic

Floaters

Dickinson Dees Room, Northern Stage until 20 February As much a fan of toilet humour as the next man, I still found the idea of viewing ten paintings under the title Floaters, a slightly unnerving prospect. Luckily my fears proved unfounded once I arrived at the Dickinson Dees room at the Northern Stage. The dubiously titled Floaters is an exhibition devoted to the latest of artist Michael Davies’s work. Having studied Fine Art at Sunderland in 1989, he has gone on to exhibit his work in Byker, North Shields and around the country. For his latest exhibition Davies has transformed a series of old, seemingly innocuous photographs of moments from everyday life into oil paintings, creating ‘wry meditations on desire and morality’. It is only the paintings that are RQ VKRZ KHUH DQG ZKLOVW DW Ă€ UVW they seem to depict the everyday and mundane, the viewer becomes gradually absorbed as they try to imagine the image from which the painting came. Through their transformation, these initial snap-shot moments

Degas. All attempt to remove the women from the institution, normalize them, create them into people we can sympathise, with despite knowing their incriminating pasts. Alice Vincent

are freed of their original context and the paintings become much more ambiguous. The viewer must come up with their own ideas about what is going on to make sense of the images. The results can be eerie as with Park Path, and strangely disheartening as with Floating Away; or playful and uplifting as with Imogen and Lola and Chris & Donna. Visitors may also recognise the area depicted in The Path to Hotspur as part of Heaton. In a wider sense, we are forced to think about the differences between the mediums of photography and painting and what they are able to communicate. Ignoring the colloquial meaning of the word, Floaters are actually those shadow-like shapes that can often appear in your vision. These ‘entopic phenomena’ actually exist within the eye and can become more prominent depending on how and where we are looking. The similarity between the ideas that perception may be altered either by tiny blobs on the eyes surface or by the way an image is presented (a photograph or painting) is an interesting one. A visit to this small but stimulating exhibition is a thought-provoking one and, as it’s just opposite the Union, it is certainly worth a look. Joe Cooper

After attending this exhibition I felt guiltily ignorant for numerous reasons; the main factor being that with my supposed appreciation of photography, I had somehow been unaware that this collection was on display. Jane Bown has over the past six decades created a portfolio of work that captures the images of every JUHDW DQG JRRG SXEOLF À JXUH \RX can imagine; from Mick Jagger to Truman Capote; The Queen to Vivienne Westwood. Many of the pictures in this exhibition were photos that I recognised, that most people would, without realising who the personality behind the camera was. Bown herself has become one RI WKH VHPLQDO À JXUHV RI SRVW ZDU British photography; working for The Observer, she has been granted such intimate access to the lives of often very reclusive individuals. This is apparent in much of the work exhibited here; the relationship between the subject and the camera is unforgiving in its honesty, the public facade that can be attached to many of these famous À JXUHV VHHPV DOPRVW WR VOLS DZD\ as Bown uncovers and puts on display the interior of their character. Among the high points of the exhibition is Samuel Beckett, the famous playwright whose hardworn face is depicted as emerging hauntingly from a blackened alley. This is characteristic of Bown’s ability to hone in on the precise details she wants to create as the focus of her work, almost always in black and white, capturing the perfect moment with a precision that cannot be taught. In her portrait of Bjork, even though the singer is childishly covering her face with her hands, the camera still manages to capture a playful insight into her personality. Whilst the familiarity of these faces is undoubted, an interesting aspect to this collection was the use of images from commissioned shoots that hadn’t been turned into WKH SXEOLVKHG À QDO LPDJH WKHVH unknown pictures highlighted the depth of Bown’s back catalogue as well as the subjectivity of art in a commercial environment. This exhibition as well as the accompanying book Exposures mark D GHÀ QLWLYH DSSUHFLDWLRQ RI KHU work, and canonise her as one of the most important portrait photographers of a generation. With this in mind, my ignorance that this was on show accentuates my cultural blindness; but when looking round the exhibition I couldn’t help but notice the lack of other students there even though the gallery was on campus. The Northumbria Gallery was also somewhere I had never ventured to before, and after visiting once I am unsure why; with the quality of this photographic exhibition I have certainly been enticed to return and see what else they have to offer in the coming months. Polly Randall

26

Monday 15 February 2010 THE COURIER

Culture Arts

arts books

Comic book cynicism Jonathan David Lim on his love for comics and how they fell victim to commercialism Let's start this off by confessing that I love comic books. I can't get enough of 'em. And if you were to WDON WR PH ORQJ HQRXJK \RX G À QG that I am the biggest Batman geek you've ever met. My fandom is on the brink of obsession. I've got so much Bat-junk, LW V FRPLQJ RXW RI P\ HDUV I'm fond of other superheroes too: Green Arrow, The Punisher, Judge Dredd. It's impossible to enter the world of comics and not be suddenly bombarded with all the men and women in their brightly coloured spandex tights and nylon capes. But there are more to comics than just superheroes. In the pre-Superman era of 1930’s comics, crime and mystery comics were huge. And even after Big Blue came swooping down like a bird, there were still plenty of horror, Western, VFLHQFH À FWLRQ DQG HYHQ URPDQFH comics to choose from. Of course, that all changed when Fredric Wertham (a German-American psychiatrist and general schmuck) penned the book 6HGXFWLRQ RI WKH ,QQRFHQW in 1954, citing comic book violence as the main destrucWLYH LQà XHQFH XSRQ $PHULFD V youth. Thus, the Comics Code Authority was established, and all that survived were the men in tights. Thankfully, comics have been making something of a comeback with the advent of 'graphic novels,' which is a succinct way of describing really long comic book. The graphic novel, at its core, is a more literary comic. Instead of depicting huge, epic

battles between the likes of Superman and Magog, the graphic novel focuses on the human condition and human struggle. Take, for example, Craig Thompson's masterpiece %ODQNHWV. A memoir in comic book form, it tells the story of Craig's formative years, sharing a bed with his brother and living under the roof of his strict Christian parents. While it may be found a clichĂŠ subject by most, the way Thompson deftly illustrates his narrative is something that simply cannot be missed. If you already know about %ODQNHWV, then there's a good chance you're part of the comic book “sceneâ€?. But if not, the reason you've never KHDUG RI LW LV GXH WR WKH ODFN RI D Ă€ OP adaptation. Ouch. Comic books are forever getting the big screen treatment. Just last year, the Alan Moore comic :DWFK men was brought to the silver screen for thousands of mindless moviegoers. Not only were the characters effectively mutilated, but it seemed that no matter what Waterstones did to push the comic, hardly anyone bothered to pay attention. There's not much use in trying to save the comic book industry. Labelling longer, more complex titles as graphic novels has helped somewhat, but unless more non$ODQ 0RRUH Ă€ OPV DUH PDGH FRPLF books are doomed to blink into obscurity. Still, I would be remiss not to try. Please do yourself a favour and check out 0DXV by Art Spiegelman, and The Sandman by Neil Gaiman. You'll be glad you did.

The South Shields Poltergeist 0LNH +DOORZHOO DQG 'DUUHQ 5LWVRQ Personally, I found the The South 6KLHOGV 3ROWHUJHLVW to be as unconvincing as it was longwinded; a read that verged on painful at times. The book tells the story of local paranormal investigators Mike Hallowell and Darren Ritson who become interested in unusual activity taking place at 42 Lockstreet. The supposed ‘haunted’ dwellings are occupied by couple Marc and Marianne who sought out the investigators with claims that they had experienced moving furniture, strange messages and noises within their household. I’m no sceptic and even when beginning my read of this blatantly obscure novel I was still ready to be persuaded. I don’t think I stand alone in saying that recent realist cinema hits such as Paranormal $FWLYLW\ succeeded in scaring the absolute hell out of me. Flicks such as The Fourth Kind caused me to rush home to scour the internet for proof that the supposedly ‘real’ clips really were really just highly convincing. However, in this instance, an attempt at a real-life horror story proved to have quite the opposite effect. When reading the novel, I quickly realised that the authors simply do not allow themselves to be taken seriously. The statement on the front FRYHU Âś2QH IDPLO\¡V Ă€ JKW DJDLQVW an invisible intruder’ instantaneously makes the novel seem like a parody. The peculiar use of the third person narrator characterises WKH QRYHO DV D EL]DUUH ZRUN RI Ă€ F tion rather than a documented case

study. The content is written in an overly casual and disjointed manner; one minute the reader is provided with a sweeping statement about paranormal activity which may be quickly followed by an acute description of what the investigators had for breakfast or how one of them spent an evening eating falafel with his wife. This random combination of information appears in chapters entitled ‘Full English’ and ‘The Nature of the Beast’ – which I think just about says it all. Marianne’s husband Marc openly admits as having staged one of the supposed ‘paranormal’ acts. Marianne also confesses that the strange happenings only began after Marc moved in with her. ,I \RX DVN PH DOO Ă€ QJHUV SRLQW WR the obvious at this point and I am a little unsure as to why the authors even included this information if their aim was to convince their readers of the reality of the paranormal activity that supposedly took place at 42 Lockstreet. After the ‘Marc revelations’ it really was all downhill for me, and as the authors continued to force unfounded facts into the narrative in an attempt to convince the reader I was left quite literally cringing. As the investigation develops (and the reader continues to drift in and out of the personal lives of Mike and Darren) it is revealed that Marc and Marianne are haunted by a ghost called Sammy as well as an unnamed poltergeist; the researchers believe the two spirits to be battling against each other.

However, the evidence that supports this consists of odd messages left on their three year old son’s white board (the handwriting of which, coincidently, matched Marc’s exactly) as well as misplaced credit cards and lottery tickets which are found ‘hovering’ at the top of the stair case. Their son Robert’s stuffed rabbit was also found with a ‘box cutter blade in hand’ seemingly attacking another toy. Although Mike and Darren found ‘something dark and symbolic about this act’ – I’m sorry but I just had to laugh. It’s not just the strange structure and content of the novel that lets it down but also the bizarre use of language. The authors discuss Mike’s ‘inner instinct’ and the poltergeists motivations for wanting to establish itself as ‘top dog’ – comic phrases like this once again abolish any seriousness left within the surreal piece of literature. If you want an anecdote that is characterised by such comedy that it will actually soothe any fears instilled by a UHFHQW KRUURU VWRU\ RU D Ă€ OP RU \RX just want a bit of a laugh) I would recommend this book. If the authors were aiming for a credible depiction they unfortunately failed. I have been more WHUULĂ€ HG E\ FKLOGKRRG JKRVW VWRULHV than I was by this book. The storyline, writing style and structure left me feeling wholly incredulous and a little amused – which I assume was not the response the authors were aiming for. Fiona McCutcheon

the debate <RXWK À FWLRQ VKRXOG XQLYHUVLW\ VWXGHQWV VWLOO EH UHDGLQJ LW" Rachel Flint

Mark Corcoran-Lettice

While I am not one of those crazed people who queued up all night for a Harry Potter book, or who covered their room with Edward Cullen posters; but I do have a dedicated shelf on my student bookcase for my complete Twilight and Potter collection. I’m a postgraduate student, and as such, I spend hours in the library wading through academic tomes, which can be mind numbingly boring. So isn’t it nice to pick up a book that’s easy on the eye both inside and outside? To go to the bookcase, and pick out amongst the dusty old texts, a book which has a colourful cover, and which promises an entertaining and utterly engrossing read; one where you don’t have to take notes, DQG WKHUH GHĂ€ QLWHO\ ZRQ¡W EH DQ HV say to deal with afterwards. Yes, I’m talking about young DGXOW Ă€ FWLRQ They may be written for a younger audience, but they have relationships, such as that between Edward and Bella in Twilight, which are very adult. We can identify with these characters, and we want them to succeed in every challenge and endeavour they face; I mean who wasn’t will-

Think of the literature of the 19th century, and what comes to mind? Charles Dickens, almost certainly: perhaps Oscar Wilde, George Eliot, the Bronte sisters‌you get the picture. The 20th? A bit of George Orwell here, some Salman Rushdie there, some Virginia Woolf or Iris Murdoch – across the globe, there’s such a plethora of superb writing from this period that you could ignore all of the above authors and still have a formidable list. But two decades into the 21st century, and what do we have? J.K. Rowling and Stephenie Meyer. I have no desire to look as though I’m striding around on a high horse –it’s a Shetland pony at best – but the monopoly that two series of books, written (lest we forget) primarily for young teenagers have on our culture strikes me as more than a little sinister. The cult of Harry Potter is one that I have a few problems with. A good storyteller perhaps, but J.K. Rowling’s prose style has always left a hell of a lot to be GHVLUHG DQG WKH LQFUHDVLQJO\ à DEE\ À QDO YROXPHV RI WKH VHULHV EHFDPH almost impenetrable to anyone who couldn’t roll off the rules for quidditch in an instant as one would the directions to their nearest bus stop

(DV\ UHDGLQJ VKRXOG \RXWK Âż FWLRQ EH OHIW WR WKH NLGV"

ing Harry to win the quidditch matches, overthrow Voldemort, and save the entire wizarding world? The stories transport you to a place where your imagination can run free, and there is just you, the words and nothing else. They also offer a glorious departure from the pressures of life;

from stressful essays and annoying housemates. , VWLOO ORYH \RXQJ DGXOW À FWLRQ DQG each time I re-read it, something new and magical surprises me which I hadn’t noticed before. So to the literature snobs, give it a WU\ À UVW WKHQ FDVW \RXU MXGJHPHQW and then to your horror, you might MXVW À QG \RX OLNH WKHP

or newsagents. The celebration of mediocrity’s always a gloomy thing, and frankly, things don’t get more mediocre than Harry Potter. Twilight, on the other hand, genuinely unsettles me with the scale of its success. While Rowling’s writing may not be the stuff of literary legend, Meyer’s prose seems almost LOOLWHUDWH DW WLPHV ² WKH XQĂ€ QLVKHG novel Midnight Sun, widely available across the internet, reads like an especially mundane piece of GCSE coursework, not the work of a world-famous writer. Even more disturbing for me though is the right wing, fundamentalist ideology underpinning the Twilight series. Meyer, a committed Mormon, has written into her works a doctrine of sexism (if you don’t believe me, revisit the portrayal of Bella Swan as an indecisive, powerless heroine, obsessed with Edward &XOOHQ ZKLOH WKH IUDQNO\ KRUULĂ€ F Breaking Dawn reads as nothing less than abstinence porn, warning of the dire consequences of women losing their virginity. That kids are reading these books – that’s faintly disastrous. But when adults pick them up as well, they contribute to a cultural hegemony of perpetual puberty. Between you and me, I can’t think of much worse.

28

Monday 15 February 2010 THE COURIER

Culture Film

film comment

star profile

You wouldn’t steal a handbag Adam Williams on why piracy may technically be a crime but not necessarily a EDG WKLQJ IRU WKH Ă€OP industry With the recent announcement that UK cinema admissions for 2009 were at a seven year high, it raises the question of whether piracy is really killing the industry. Last year, much to the dismay of WKH Ă€OP LQGXVWU\ VXPPHU EORFNbuster X-Men Origins: Wolverine was leaked online over three weeks before its cinematic release. It was downloaded an estimated 4.5 million times before it even made it to the big screen and its studio, Fox, bemoaned the damage LW ZRXOG GR WR WKH Ă€OP¡V SURĂ€WV However, it failed to impact the ER[ RIĂ€FH WDNLQJV ZLWK Wolverine making more money than the original X-Men Ă€OP GLG LQ Comparisons can be drawn with the music industry. Just a few years ago they faced similar issues but have successfully created easy ways for fans to download music legally. 7KH Ă€OP LQGXVWU\ VWLOO KDV D ORQJ way to go to reach this point, at present it costs around seven SRXQGV WR GRZQORDG DQ ROGHU Ă€OP from iTunes, much more than a DVD would cost, despite it having none of the costs that are involved with producing and selling a physical product. There is also a whole host of restrictions placed on video downloaded from iTunes, for instance \RX DUH XQDEOH WR FRS\ WKH Ă€OHV WR more than one computer. If DVD’s were only able to play on a single DVD player it would be seen as farcical, yet that’s conVLGHUHG Ă€QH LQ WKH ZRUOG RI OHJDO downloads. There’s also the fact that if your hard drive breaks you will have to purchase everything again and HYHQ WKHQ WKHUH DUH D VLJQLĂ€FDQW amount of library titles still not available from any legal source. Back to the original point, it sends D PL[HG PHVVDJH WR Ă€OP IDQV ZKHQ

on one hand you are bombarded with warnings about piracy killing ÀOP \HW WKH QH[W ZHHN WKH VDPH companies are boasting about record cinema admissions. It’s now a regular occurrence when visiting the cinema to be greeted with warnings about how damaging illegal downloading is,

however this just serves to alienate the remaining audience. When people have paid good money to visit the cinema the last thing they want is to be lectured about piracy. The same occurs at home with DVD’s now having unskippable adverts warning against piracy. Cinemas boast about how they

films to see before I die Thomas Ward on Tyneside’s screening of one of the best war ÀOPV HYHU The Great (VFDSH When Lawrence Burn became the 200,000th customer of Newcastle’s Tyneside Cinema he was given WKH RSSRUWXQLW\ WR YLHZ DQ\ ÀOP he wanted on the big screen. Mr. Burn didn’t disappoint and chose SRVVLEO\ WKH JUHDWHVW ZDU ÀOP WR have ever been made: The Great (VFDSH Based on the novelization of Paul Brickhill’s actual experience as a wartime POW and the subse-

quent escape attempt from Stalag Luft III, 7KH *UHDW (VFDSH is the very GHĂ€QLWLRQ RI D SDWULRWLVP VWLUULQJ classic. Stalag Luft III was a new high security prison set up to hold ‘the best escape artists in Germany’, whose ‘duty it was to try to escape’ and distract as many German soldiers as possible away from the front-line in doing so. Richard Attenborough heads the cast as Squadron Leader Roger Bartlett, the man in charge of organising the digging of the very British escape tunnels, ‘Tom’, ‘Dick’ and ‘Harry’. Through an ingenious mix of forgery, scrounging and misdirection WKH 32:V Ă€QDOO\ PDQDJH WR PDNH a run for freedom.

7KH Ă€OP GLG QRW GR VR ZHOO RQ LWV initial release but slowly built up a following, prompting critics to UH DVVHV WKH Ă€OP¡V ZRUWK Not only did its place as a clasVLF Ă€OP EHFRPH FHPHQWHG LW DOVR secured the infallibly cool Steve McQueen’s place as a Hollywood legend. Surely there isn’t a single person who hasn’t spent a Christmas afternoon humming that theme tune after watching Steve McQueen’s death-defying motorcycle jump, EXW LI \RX IDQF\ ZDWFKLQJ WKH Ă€OP again in all its big-screen glory, then head down to the Tyneside Cinema on Friday February 26th at 1.45pm and join Mr. Burn for his special viewing.

now have night vision technology to monitor screenings yet they seem unwilling to make the cinema a better experience for the general public. Everybody has had a movie ruined by kids throwing sweets or WDONLQJ WKURXJK WKH Ă€OP RU DYRLGV the pictures altogether due to the sheer extortionate price of popcorn. Yet despite the fact this discourages SHRSOH IURP VHHLQJ Ă€OPV QRWKLQJ LV done to change it. Another problem is the gap EHWZHHQ D Ă€OP¡V UHOHDVH GDWHV LQ different countries. While this has thankfully reduced in recent years there are still some notable example of fans being forced to wait. Last year Disney-Pixar’s Up was UHOHDVHG LQ WKH 8. QHDUO\ Ă€YH months after its American release. With good quality illegal copies on the internet within days of the US debut why should British cinema goers be penalised just because of where they live? Looking at the music industry, a recent IFPI study found that those who illegally download music were actually more likely to go and buy music legally afterwards than those who did not download. 7KLV DGGV XS ZLWK Ă€JXUHV UHOHDVHG regarding movie piracy; last year WKH WZR PRVW SLUDWHG Ă€OPV ZHUH Star Trek and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen yet they had a comELQHG ER[ RIĂ€FH RI RYHU D ELOOLRQ dollars. In the same way home video was supposedly going to kill cinema in the early eighties, this seems like another gross overexaggeration IURP WKH Ă€OP LQGXVWU\ $OUHDG\ Ă€JXUHV UHOHDVHG E\ WKH Motion Picture Association of America have been proved as being IDOVLĂ€HG ZLWK VRPH Ă€JXUHV EHLQJ exaggerated by three hundred percent. 7KH Ă€OP FRPSDQLHV VKRXOG WDNH a look at their contemporaries in the music industry who have been DEOH WR FRQYHUW D VLJQLĂ€FDQW QXPEHU of illegal downloaders by making their product easier to access. While they still have numerous issues to resolve, at least they’ve made a start in the right direction, VRPHWKLQJ WKH Ă€OP VWXGLRV QHHG WR do as soon as possible.

Jonathan David Lim on director Akira Kurosawa If you’ve ever been to the top Ă RRU RI +09 DQG KDG D VNLP through the World Cinema section, you might have noticed a few groupings of DVDs are categorised by name. You may never have heard any of these names before in your life, though you might be surprised at how well-acquainted \RX DUH ZLWK WKHLU Ă€OPV One of these names is that of acclaimed director Akira Kurosawa, often considered to be one RI WKH JUHDWHVW Ă€OP GLUHFWRUV RI all time. This is quite a claim, to be sure, but it’s not without merit. KuroVDZD¡V Ă€OPV KDYH EHHQ WKH EDVLV for a number of adaptations, many of which you may have seen without realising it. His seminal masterpiece, Seven Samurai--about a small farming village beset by raiders whose only hope lies with seven brave warriors--went on to directly inspire 7KH 0DJQLĂ€FHQW 6HYHQ, ÂĄThree Amigos!, and even A Bug’s Life. Kurosawa also established the modern cop drama with Stray Dog, made an impression on George Lucas with Hidden Fortress, and successfully adapted Shakespeare’s 0DFEHWK with Throne of Blood and King Lear with Ran. <RMLPER was remade as A Fistful of Dollars WKH Ă€UVW LQ D VHULHV RI Ă€OPV WKDW ZRXOG HQG ZLWK The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, and Clint Eastwood has gone on record singing Kurosawa’s praises. 7KH H[WHQW RI KLV LQĂ XHQFH HYHQ JRHV EH\RQG Ă€OP DV SV\FKROogy students may have heard of the Rashomon Effect, in which witnesses of the same event will give vastly different accounts, EDVHG RQ WKH Ă€OP Rashomon. This has also seen its share of adaptations, from The Outrage to Vantage Point. 8SRQ VHHLQJ KLV Ă€OPV \RX¡OO understand why he has been lauded by the likes of Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, Francis Ford Coppola, and John Woo. Do yourself a big favour and check out Kurosawa for yourself. You won’t be disappointed.

THE COURIER Monday 15 February 2010

29

Film Culture Film Editor: Frances Kroon - courier.culture-film@ncl.ac.uk

reviews Invictus 'LUHFWRU &OLQW (DVWZRRG &DVW 0DWW 'DPRQ 0RUJDQ )UHHPDQ 5XQWLPH 0LQXWHV

As opposed to generic sporting À OPV Invictus SOD\V PRUH DV DQ HPRWLRQDO GUDPD ZLWK D SROLWLFDO EDFNJURXQG 7KH VWRU\ IRFXVHV RQ 1HOVRQ 0DQ GHOD DQG KLV HIIRUWV WR XQLWH D QDWLRQ WKURXJK VSRUW ZLWK WKH UXPEOLQJV RI DSDUWKHLG DQG UDFLDO KDWUHG VWLOO YHU\ PXFK DSSDUHQW &OLQW (DVWZRRG LV WKH DVVXUHG KDQG EHKLQG WKH SORW DQG WKLV HQVXUHV WKDW WKH QDUUDWLYH UXPEOHV

DORQJ ZLWK D PHWKRGLFDO SDFH WKDW HQDEOHV KLP WR FDSWXUH WKH WUXH HVVHQFH RI D FRXQWU\ GLYLGHG E\ FRORXU (DVWZRRG·V XQIXVV\ XQGHUVWDWHG WHFKQLTXH PHDQV WKRXJK KH VXF FHVVIXOO\ H[SUHVVHV WKH GUDPD RI WKH VWRU\ KH GRHVQ·W ¶RYHU DZH· LW $QG DV D UHVXOW WKLV LV D À OP WKDW GRHVQ·W ODSVH LQWR PHORGUDPD RU IHHO WKH QHHG WR KDPPHU KRPH LWV PHVVDJH $W LWV KHDUW WKHUH DUH ZRQGHUIXOO\ DVVXUHG SHUIRUPDQFHV IURP 0DWW 'DPRQ DV )UDQFRLV 3LHQDDU DQG 0RUJDQ )UHHPDQ DV WKH VKUHZG LQVLJKWIXO 1HOVRQ 0DQGHOD 6R ZKHQ WKH 5XJE\ :RUOG &XS )LQDO FRPHV DORQJ WKH SDVVLRQ RI LW DOO LV WUXO\ LUUHVLVWLEOH DQG \RX À QG \RXUVHOI XQDSRORJHWLFDOO\ URRWLQJ IRU WKH KRPH WHDP <RX·YH EHHQ PDQLSXODWHG RI FRXUVH EXW LW·V D PHDVXUH RI &OLQW (DVWZRRG·V VNLOO LQ WHOOLQJ WKLV IDVFLQDWLQJ VWRU\

6RPH FOHYHU VHTXHQFHV RI UDZ IRRWDJH DORQJ ZLWK )UHHPDQ·V XQ FDQQ\ UHVHPEODQFH WR 0DQGHOD DOO FXOPLQDWH LQ D IXOO\ EHOLHYDEOH VWRU\ XQIROGLQJ 0RPHQWV RI PHWDSKRULFDO JHQLXV IURP (DVWZRRG DQG WKH FRQVWDQW FRQWUDVW RI EODFN DQG ZKLWH 6RXWK $IULFDQ ULYDOU\ HQDEOH FKDUDFWHU GH YHORSPHQW WR EH VXVWDLQHG DQG \HW DW WKH VDPH WLPH QRW RYHUVKDGRZ WKH QDUUDWLYH EHLQJ WROG 7KH FOLPD[ RI WKH PRYLH VHHV WKH VR FDOOHG 6SULQJERN QR KRSHUV FRPH XS DJDLQVW WKH PLJKW\ $OO %ODFNV DQG WHVWDPHQW WR WKH À OP·V JHQXLQH TXDOLWLHV HQDEOHV HYHQ WKH PRVW SUXGHQW UXJE\ EDVKHUV WR JHW FDXJKW XS LQ WKH GUDPDWLF À QDOH $ PXVW VHH EORFNEXVWHU GRQ·W EH SXW RII E\ WKLQNLQJ LW·V D À OP DERXW UXJE\ $OWKRXJK IRFXVLQJ RQ D QDWLRQ·V UXJE\ WHDP WKH QDUUDWLYH YHHUV DZD\ IURP GHOYLQJ GHHSO\ LQWR WKH

Precious

:KDW ZLWK WKH HYHU LQFUHDVLQJ IDVFLQDWLRQ LQ SRSXODU OLWHUDWXUH IRU ZKDW , OLNH WR FDOO ¶PLVHU\ VWRULHV· Precious: Based on the novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire KDG WKH SRWHQWLDO WR EH \HW DQRWKHU VXSSRVHGO\ HQMR\DEOH PRU ELGO\ FXULRXV À OP EXW PDQDJHG WR VXUSDVV WKLV FRQVLGHUDEO\ ,QVWHDG Precious LV DQ DUWIXO FUHD WLRQ LQFUHGLEO\ VKRFNLQJ EXW QRW

VHOI LQGXOJHQW WRXFKLQJ ZLWKRXW EHLQJ VFKPDOW]\ DQG WUXWKIXOO\ SRUWUD\V D SDLQIXO SLFWXUH RI KRZ OLIH LQ +DUOHP FDQ EH *DERXUH\ 6LGLEH·V PRYLH GHEXW VHHV KHU FKDUDFWHU 3UHFLRXV DQ LOOLWHUDWH SUHJQDQW DQG PRUELGO\ REHVH \HDU ROG PRYH RXW RI KHU DEXVLYH KRPH DQG LQWR HGXFDWLRQ :H IROORZ KHU DV VKH WULHV WR XQ GHUWDNH D QRUPDO OLIH YLD KHU YLROHQW PRWKHU·V GHPDQGV ² FLJDUHWWHV JDPEOLQJ DQG DSSHDVLQJ VWDWH ZHO IDUH LQWR À QDQFLDO DLG ² LQ WKH PHDQ VWUHHWV RI +DUOHP 7KH PRPHQWV RI FRPLF OHYLW\ KHUH DGG QHHGHG GDUN FRPHG\ ZLWKRXW PRQH\ IRU IRRG 3UHFLRXV WULFNV WKH VWDII RI D IULHG FKLFNHQ MRLQW LQWR OHWWLQJ KHU VWHDO D EXFNHW RI LW IRU EUHDNIDVW $IWHU KHDULQJ KHU PHQWLRQ VKH·V ¶ZDWFKLQJ KHU À JXUH· ZDWFKLQJ RXU KHURLQH UXQ ZDGGOLQJ GRZQ WKH VWUHHW VWXIÀ QJ JUHDV\ FKLFNHQ LQ KHU

PRXWK LV EUXWDOO\ IXQQ\ 7KLV DOVR EHFRPHV DSSDUHQW WKURXJK 3UHFLRXV·V LPDJLQDWLYH HVFDSHV IURP WKH VH[XDO DQG SK\VL FDO DEXVH RI KHU UHDOLW\ ² KHU GHVLUHV WR EH ZKLWH WKLQ RU VRPHWLPHV MXVW DFFHSWHG DQG ORYHG ,QLWLDOO\ TXLHW DQG GRZG\ DPRQJVW KHU PRUH VWUHHW VDYY\ FODVVPDWHV ZDWFKLQJ 3UHFLRXV GHYHORS VPDUWV ERWK LQWHOOHFWXDO DQG DWWLWXGLQDO LV RQH RI WKH JUHDWHVW MR\V RI WKH À OP 7KHUH DUH KRZHYHU D FRXSOH RI DVSHFWV WKDW ODFN WKH H[SODQDWLRQ SUHVXPDEO\ RIIHUHG LQ WKH ERRN :K\ WKH JUDQGPRWKHU ZKR UDLVHV 3UHFLRXV·V À UVW GRZQ V\QGURPH VXIIHULQJ FKLOG GRHVQ·W LQWHUYHQH LQ KHU KRUULÀ F KRPH OLIH ² VRPHWKLQJ WKDW VXSSRUWLYH WHDFKHU 0LVV 5DLQ DOVR TXHVWLRQV $OVR KRZ KHU VHFRQG ERUQ DOVR IDWKHUHG E\ 3UHFLRXV·V RZQ IDWKHU·V DEXVH PDQDJHV WR EH VR KHDOWK\

DQG LQWHOOLJHQW JLYHQ KLV JHQH SRRO 7KH ODVW UHYHODWLRQ ² WKDW DORQJ ZLWK WZR FKLOGUHQ KHU IDWKHU DOVR JDYH KHU +,9 ² FRXOG KDYH EHHQ GHDOW ZLWK JUHDWHU VLJQLÀ FDQFH +RZHYHU SHUKDSV WKHVH DUH MXVW VPDOOHU DVSHFWV RI D VLWXDWLRQ WKDW LV WKDQNIXOO\ WKRURXJKO\ DOLHQ WR PRVW YLHZHUV :KLOVW WKHVH VXEMHFWV DUH FRPSOL FDWHGO\ SRUWUD\HG KRZHYHU WKH FRQIURQWDWLRQ EHWZHHQ 3UHFLRXV DQG KHU PRWKHU 0DU\ 0R·1LTXH SXWV IRUZDUG DQ DGPLUDEOH SHU IRUPDQFH JXLGHG E\ D QHDU XQUHF RJQLVDEOH 0DULDK &DUH\ DV VRFLDO ZRUNHU 0UV :HLVV LV DV PRYLQJ DV LW LV VKRFNLQJ LQGHHG UHSUHVHQWDWLYH RI WKH À OP DV D ZKROH

0LFKDHO · \RX PLJKW VD\ ¶VKDPH RQ \RX IRU FRQIRUPLQJ WR \RXU RZQ W\SHFDVWLQJ · +RZHYHU LI \RX VDLG WKDW \RX ZRXOG EH ZURQJ Youth in Revolt is QRW D À OP WR EH GLVPLVVHG VLPSO\ EHFDXVH RI SUHFRQFHSWLRQV \RX PD\ KDYH 0LFKDHO &HUD LV QRW VLPSO\ W\SH FDVW RXW RI FRQYHQLHQFH EXW UDWKHU EHFDXVH KH LV YHU\ JRRG DW SRUWUD\ LQJ WKLV SDUWLFXODU NLQG RI FKDUDFWHU ² PRUH H[FLWLQJO\ WKLV À OP DOVR VHHV &HUD VLGH VWHSSLQJ KLV WUDGHPDUN FKDUDFWHU TXLWH VLJQLÀ FDQWO\ 7KH SORW FRQVLVWV RI SUHYLRXVO\ PHQWLRQHG ER\ PHHWV JLUO VFHQDULR FRPSOLFDWHG E\ 1LFN 7ZLVS &HUD GHFLGLQJ WKDW LQ RUGHU WR ZLQ WKH

JLUO KH QHHGV WR FUHDWH D EDG ER\ DOWHU HJR ,QVWHDG RI VLPSO\ EHFRPLQJ WKLV EDG ER\ LGHDO DV \RX PLJKW H[SHFW 7ZLVS XQGHUJRHV VRPH VRUW RI VFKL]RSKUHQLF SHUVRQDOLW\ VSOLW +H DOZD\V DSSHDUV DV 1LFN 7ZLVS WR RWKHUV EXW VRPHWLPHV EHFRPHV KLV DOWHU HJR LQ KLV RZQ KHDG ZKHQ KH VXUUHQGHUV WR LWV SRZHU 7KH WKLQJ WKDW VHWV WKLV À OP DSDUW IURP RWKHU WHHQ FRPHGLHV ZKLFK LQ D ZD\ LV &HUD·V WUDGHPDUN LV LQWHOOLJHQFH QR PRUH DUH WKH GD\V RI American Pie ZKHQ D VHULHV RI QRE MRNHV JOXHG WRJHWKHU ZLWK DQ RYHUDUFKLQJ WKHPH RI IULHQGVKLS FRQVWLWXWHG VLGH VSOLWWLQJ KLODULW\ 1RZDGD\V WHHQ FRPHGLHV DUH

PDGH IURP DZNZDUG UHDOLVP DQG GHHS VHDWHG LURQ\ 7KH HFFHQ WULFLWLHV RI 7ZLVS·V FKDUDFWHU DUH LQ WKHPVHOYHV YHU\ IXQQ\ ² WKH YHU\ IDFW WKDW KLV LGHD RI WKH XOWLPDWH EDG DVV LV VRPHZKHUH EHWZHHQ -DPHV 'HDQ DQG D FRORQLDO )UHQFK 'DQG\ QDPHG )UDQFRLV 'LOOLQJHU IRU H[DPSOH LV WKH NLQG RI VXEWOH KXPRXU ZKLFK KDV WDNHQ WKH SODFH RI VWLFNLQJ SHQLVHV LQ SLHV &HUD·V SHUIRUPDQFH DV \RX PLJKW H[SHFW LV SUHWW\ VROLG DV 1LFN 7ZLVS DQG QRW PXFK VKRUW RI EULO OLDQW DV )UDQFRLV 'LOOLQJHU ² KHDU LQJ WKH ZRUGV ¶,·P JRLQJ WR ZHDU \RX OLNH WKH FURZQ \RX DUH· FRPH RXW RI KLV PRXWK ZDV D SDUWLFXODU KLJKOLJKW

7KH UHVW RI WKH FDVW ZHUH SHUKDSV D OLWWOH XQGHUXVHG PRVW QRWLFHDEO\ LQ WKH FDVH RI 6WHYH %XVFHPL ZKR ZDV JLYHQ IUDQNO\ IDU WRR OLWWOH WR GR ZLWK KLV SURGLJLRXV WDOHQWV <RX PD\ KDYH QRWLFHG WKDW , KDYHQ·W PHQWLRQHG &HUD·V FR VWDU 3RUWLD 'RXEOHGD\ \HW 7KLV LV EH FDXVH ,·YH EHHQ LQ ORYH ZLWK HYHU\ LQGLH SRVWHU JLUO VLQFH -XQR VR , IHHO VKH PD\ KDUP P\ REMHFWLYLW\ LQ WKLV UHYLHZ /HW·V MXVW VD\ VKH·V YHU\ JRRG

DGDSWDWLRQ RI WKH FKLOGUHQ·V IDLU\ WDOH The Frog Princess, ZLWK D WZLVW 7LDQD 5RVH OLYHV LQ DQ LPSRY HULVKHG DUHD LQ 1HZ 2UOHDQV ZLWK ERWK KHU SDUHQWV -DPHV +RZDUG DQ DVSLULQJ FRRN DQG (XGRUD :LQ IUH\ WKH WRZQ·V EHVW VHDPVWUHVV :KLOVW RQ D MRE PDNLQJ D GUHVV IRU &KDUORWWH &RG\ WKH GDXJK WHU RI WKH WRZQ·V ELJJHVW DQG EHVW HQWUHSUHQHXU (XGRUD WDNHV 7LDQD ZLWK KHU DQG WHOOV WKH WZR OLWWOH JLUOV WKH VWRU\ RI D SULQFHVV ZKR NLVVHG D IURJ WKDW WKHQ WXUQHG LQWR D KDQG VRPH \RXQJ SULQFH <HDUV SDVV DQG 7LDQD LV WU\LQJ WR PDNH HQGV PHHW ZRUNLQJ WZR MREV LQ RUGHU WR IXOÀ OO ERWK KHU DQG KHU IDWKHU·V ZKR E\ WKLV WLPH KDV SDVVHG DZD\ GUHDP RI RSHQLQJ D UHVWDXUDQW LQ WKH -D]] TXDUWHU

+RZHYHU WKLQJV DOO VWDUW WR FKDQJH DV RQH QLJKW ZKHQ ZLVKLQJ XSRQ D VWDU ZKLFK IURP FKLOGKRRG VKH EHOLHYHG ZRXOG PDNH KHU GUHDP FRPH WUXH VKH HQFRXQWHUV D IURJ RQ KHU ZLQGRZ VLOO 6KH MRNLQJO\ WHOOV KLP ´/HW PH JXHVV \RX ZDQW PH WR NLVV \RX ULJKW"µ DQG WR KHU VXUSULVH KH DQVZHUV ´:HOO \HV WKDW ZRXOG EH QLFH µ $IWHU WU\LQJ WR FRQYLQFH KHU WR NLVV KLP E\ WHOOLQJ KHU LI VKH GRHV KH ZLOO WXUQ EDFN LQWR D SULQFH DQG FRQVHTXHQWO\ KHOS 7LDQD EX\ KHU UHVWDXUDQW VKH JLYHV LQ KRZHYHU WKH VWRU\ GRHVQ·W TXLWH JR DV ZHOO DV VKH DQWLFLSDWHG DV VKH WRR WXUQV LQWR D IURJ 7KH\ HQG XS LQ WKH WKLFN RI WKH %D\RX WKH À OP·V HTXLYDOHQW WR WKH MXQJOH XSRQ ZKLFK WKH\ VHHN WKH

KHOS RI DOOLJDWRU /RXLV /HRQ :RR OH\ WR WDNH WKHP WR 0DPD 2GLH -HQLIHU /HZLV ZKR GRHV PDJLF LQ RUGHU WR WUDQVIRUP WKHP EDFN , KDYH EHHQ ZDLWLQJ IRU DERXW WZR \HDUV IRU WKLV À OP WR FRPH RXW DQG , FDQ VD\ LW ZDV QRW LQ YDLQ , WKRU RXJKO\ HQMR\HG HYHU\ PLQXWH RI LW ,W ZDV IXQQ\ VDG DQG KDG DOO WKRVH DZZ PRPHQWV WKDW ZH ORYH 'LVQH\ PRYLHV IRU , WKLQN WKLV LV JRLQJ WR EH RQH WR EH WUHDVXUHG DV , DP VXUH LW ZLOO EH RQ RI WKH ODVW IHZ JRRG 'LVQH\ PRYLHV WKDW ZLOO EH UHOHDVHG LQ '

'LUHFWRU /HH 'DQLHOV &DVW *DERXUH\ 6LGLEH 0R·1LTXH 3DXOD 3DWWRQ 0DULDK &DUH\ 5XQWLPH 0LQXWHV

Youth in Revolt 'LUHFWRU 0LJXHO $UWHWD &DVW 0LFKDHO &HUD SRUWLD 'RXEOHGD\ -HDQ 6PDUW 6WHYH %XVFHPL 5XQWLPH PLQV

7KH LGHD VHHPV KDUGO\ UHYROXWLRQ DU\ WKHVH GD\V DZNZDUG JHHN\ ER\ PHHWV SUHWW\ EXW LQGLH JLUO DQG DWWHPSWV ZLWK LQFUHDVLQJ VXF FHVV WR KRRN XS ZLWK VDLG JLUO ¶2K

The Princess and the Frog 'LUHFWRU 5RQ &OHPHQWV MRKQ 0XVNHU &DVW $QLND 1RQL 5RVH 7HU UHQFH +RZDUG 2SUDK :LQIUH\ 5XQWLPH PLQV

'LVQH\·V À UVW À OP ZLWK D EODFN SULQFHVV DQG D UHWXUQ WR WKH FODVVLF ' DQLPDWLRQ WKDW ZH DOO JUHZ XS ORYLQJ KDV FHUWDLQO\ EHHQ D ORQJ WLPH FRPLQJ $QG WKLV PRYLH LV DQ

VSRUW DQG XVHV LW PHUHO\ DV D EHQFK PDUN IURP ZKLFK WKH GUDPD DQG UDFLDO XQHDVH FDQ XQIROG James Parker

Christina Renner

Alice Vincent

Ben Schwarz

30

Monday 15 February 2010 THE COURIER

Culture Music

Exclusive blogs and content>>>thecourieronline.co.uk/music

music interview

The cult logic of Miike Snow Chris Mandle asks the Swede’s frontman Andrew Wyatt about sold-out crowds, soundtracking advertisements and that name Miike Snow are a complacent bunch, and this is where a major assumption is proved wrong. For when I speak to the band ahead of their Newcastle gig, I’m speaking to a member of one of the most interesting bands to emerge from 2009 – single singer-songwriter this is not. Asking the band why they chose the name Miike Snow (and why Miike has two i’s in it) is pointless. A question asked once-too-often, posing it to the band merely results in a long, drawn out sigh. Whereas Biffy Clyro often make up tall tales WR GHĂ€ QH WKHLU QDPH 0LLNH 6QRZ do no such thing. “It’s just a nameâ€?, Andrew murmurs.

“It’s like any family. Sometimes little Jimmy is making you happy and little Lester is being a pain in the ass. And then sometimes the other one is an angel� The band consist of Andrew Wyatt from New York and Swedish duo Christian Karlsson and Pontus Winnberg; Karlsson and Winnberg previously worked under the moniker ‘Bloodshy and Avant’ and penned tracks for Kylie Minogue, Kelis and even wrote Toxic for Britney Spears. They blend soothing soul-food with choppy percussive beats: Burial envelopes beauty in grim drips as Andrew sings ‘Don’t forget/to cry at your own burial’, while Silvia’s six-minutes of progressive strangeand-lovely broods over powerful keys. “What is my favourite song on the album?� Andrew says, echoing

Miike Snow

Digital, 5 February

Miike Snow, the latest in a long line of Swedish exports, walk on stage to waves of synthesizers forming an exquisite wall of noise, and line up against the back wall. The music, the lights, and the mildly discomforting masks they wear all serve to build a thick atmosphere. The band take to their places, and the synths transform into Cult Logic. If Miike Snow had come on-stage without all this smoke and mirrors they would be almost laughable: A hairy lead singer who, in the words of a friend, looked like ‘an evil Jesus’, two skinheads hunched over a mixing desk waving their

my question exactly. “You know, I don’t really have a favourite. It switches constantly. To use an analogy, it’s like any family. “Sometimes little Jimmy is making you happy and little Lester is being a pain in the ass. And then sometimes the other one is a little angel. Right now I’m having a love affair with [our song] Cult Logic because we’ve been doing it live and it’s sounding great.â€? It’s certainly an unusual favourite for Wyatt: while Miike Snow have been riding the airwaves with their irresistible upbeat pop (Animal, Black and Blue), Cult Logic is one of their most bizarre tracks. With Amazonian cries meeting space-station shudders, it’s a clash of the peaceful, serene and pure with the beastly, ferocious and ugly. Andrew tells me that part of his current infatuation with the song is the depth to it; it is far less structured, almost liberating. What about Animal, the song that garnered so much attention for the EDQG LQ WKH Ă€ UVW SODFH" ´,W¡V D YHU\ in-your-face pop songâ€? says Andrew, sounding somewhat bored. “And we needed that to help us get heard. But some journalist wrote a piece on us way back, and they described us as something like, A-ha meets Animal Collective?â€?A quick EURZVH RQ :LNLSHGLD FRQĂ€ UPV WKLV “But I’m sitting there thinking ‘hang on, what does that even mean?’ Like people also group us in with Passion Pit, which is cool, but...â€? I ask Andrew what he makes of direct comparisons. Sure, he who likes Miike Snow will probably like Passion Pit, but it’s clear from Andrew’s response that it isn’t the right way forward. “I think [comparisons are] irrel-

arms in the air, and a bassist and drummer who made little contribution to the overall sound. However, Digital’s fantastic sound system, combined with the light show, make up for the band’s bizarre stage presence. Live, they are very much an electronica band - the mellower intros of Animal and Sylvia are replaced by synths that destroy the original crescendos (particularly in the latter song). Elsewhere though, the band succeeded, making the audience sing along to some of the weirder lyrics of the album (the less said about A Horse Is Not A Home, the better). By combining solid song-writing with fantastic production, Miike Snow are certainly a solid act - but they still need to bring more to the table if they’re going to really hit the big time. Elliot Bentley

evant really. It’s not productive. I can imagine for someone whose business it is to curate or categorise music, or someone whose job it is to describe music to other people [it FDQ EH MXVWLĂ€ HG@ “I can see us being compared to Passion Pit more so than a band such as Great White, or Poison.â€? Miike Snow have not burst onto the commercial music scene: both Animal and Silvia have had a tepid response from Radio 1, with Animal only making it to #98 on the singles chart. But Black and Blue has been used by Sony on their Christmas 2009 adverts. “Here’s what I say to that,â€? Andrew tells me. “It doesn’t matter what happens to music after you make it. If you think its good, let it be as big as possible, I don’t care. Ultimately, that stuff just washes out – how popular it was, how pop-

ular it wasn’t, you know. “Robert Wyatt (founding member of Soft Machine and solo artist) didn’t sell any albums, but that hasn’t prevented him from being a legend. “A lot of things that were really huge, we look back on and you kinda gulp. And I don’t know what category Miike Snow will fall into. But I think it’s a good record, so there.â€? Positive reviews of the album have left the band wondering about a follow up. Andrew admits that there is “a lot of pressureâ€? about a follow-up to their debut. However he says: “I always respond well to pressure. A certain kind of pressure can be good for my creative output. “But we had no pressure on the Ă€ UVW UHFRUG H[FHSW IRU DQ\ SUHVVXUH we put on ourselves. Back then, no-

body knew us. We did it for us.â€? Kicking off the year (nay, decade) with a huge tour is exhausting from any band. But Miike Snow have the rest of the year fully planned. “We have the tour over here, and then we’re going to be back in the states doing some shows, we have three sold-out shows in New York later in the year, that’s going to be great. A sold out crowd is a good crowd, right? “We’re doing some shows in Sweden, then obviously there’s the festival circuit. I can’t wait to play some of the festivals in the UK; our sound really works well on big open stages. The bigger the space, the harder Miike Snow have to ZRUN WR Ă€ OO WKDW VSDFH Âľ Miike Snow’s new single Sylvia, and their debut album ‘Miike Snow’ are both available now.

THE COURIER Monday 15 February 2010

31

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

the debate 7KH *UHDW %ULWLVK IHVWLYDO VZLQGOH" Gemma Farina Every year, as the cold weather persists and Christmas cheer becomes a distant dream, the time comes to look into the crystal ball that is nme.com/festivals, and dream of donning the wellies, wondering which festival to spend the last few pennies of my student loan attending this summer. And that’s just the problem. Is it really worth forking out hundreds of pounds to be disappointed by a line-up? Cast your mind back a few years to the outcry at Glastonbury’s decision to book Jay-Z as a headliner. Many of those who had

bought early-bird tickets were, shall we say, less than impressed with the decision. But it’s impossible to deny that we all love a bit of gossip – and who, realistically, has a bad time because the headliners weren’t what the rumours might have told them? Isn’t there a lot more to music festivals than the headliners? Hands up, I’d never have paid to see Jay-Z in an arena. But the positive outcome of his performance made 2008 a pretty memorable year for Eavis and co. Perhaps it’s up to us to trust the organisers’ judgements, and be more open minded about seeing fresh acts on the festival stage.

gigs These New Puritans

-XNHER[ 7KH 2WKHU 5RRPV )HEUXDU\ <XS WKDW¡V WKH IXOO Ă€ YH VWDUV \RX¡UH looking at up there. If you’re surprised to see them up there though, then you’re probably almost as surprised as I am to give them. As superb as their new record +LGGHQ might be (and in this editor’s opinion, it’s set to go down DV WKLV GHFDGH¡V Ă€ UVW PDVWHUSLHFH when your music requires a cast of over thirty separate contributors, getting a four-piece band to promote it seems a thankless, quixotic task. If you’re These New Puritans though, the answer is obvious: focus your attention on the pounding drums (with two drum kits on the stage as well as a volley of sampled beats, the title of their debut %HDW 3\UDPLG reads increasingly like the EDQG¡V PDQLIHVWR KDXQWLQJ NH\V and beleaguered vocals, with additional post-punk guitar shrapnel and samples where seems appropriate. Opening with the eight-minute, T.S. Eliot-esque dystopian orchestral rave epic :H :DQW :DU,

The Sunshine Underground

2 1HZFDVWOH $FDGHP\ )HEUXDU\ After practically disappearing from the face of the Earth after their À UVW DOEXP LQ 7KH 6XQVKLQH Underground are now on the comeback trail with an extensive UK tour and new album this month. Clearly, enough of their old cult following remembered the anthems to make for a packed and lively Academy 2. The Leeds based band really creates a vibrant, atmospheric environment when they perform live, and this was no exception. Singer Wellington’s vocals are

unassuming frontman Jack Barnett leads the band through some of the most ingeniously experimental rock music this island’s ever produced. The synth choirs and tribal scraping of $WWDFN 0XVLF, the classical overtures of 'UXP &RXUWV :KHUH &RUDOV /LH, the apocalyptic shoegaze of :KLWH &KRUGV through to the violent rave of older tracks like 6ZRUGV RI 7UXWK: even with only two albums to their name, These New Puritans already have a startling and impressive back-catalogue to draw upon. In this relatively stripped down setting, the ingenuity of Barnett’s song-writing shone through, while the band as a whole revealed themselves to be a phenomenal force. Even tracks like the bass guitardriven (OYLV, a song which was once used as evidence to lump the band in with nu-rave rubbish like Shitdisco, gain an added ferocity and darkness live, with synthesiser refrains and the ferocious percussion supplied by George Barnett making it every bit as monstrous as their more recent output. After their constantly daring hourlong set, the return to nightclub ladrock drudgery just reinforced how conservative ‘alternative’ music’s become – and just how far ahead of the pack These New Puritans really are. Mark Corcoran-Lettice 0XVLF (GLWRU

piercing and echoing, and their riffs have always given the audience an irresistible urge to dance. The classics, particularly &RPPHUFLDO %UHDNGRZQ, still sounded great. The new material was relatively unknown but sounded promising and was received with much interest, certainly inspiring this writer amongst others to check out the album. The slower $Q\ 0LQXWH 1RZ and the more characteristically lively 6SHOO ,W 2XW stood out as real highlights of the set. The supporting singer-songwriter Cosmo Jarvis unquestionably possesses creativity and wit, but the nineteen year-old needs a few more years to mature performance-wise, and lyrically he’s perhaps not quite as clever as some profess. His closer 7KH *D\ 3LUDWHV, howHYHU GHÀ QLWHO\ GHVHUYHV D PHQWLRQ for raising a smile. Mark Campbell

Stuart Edwards One hundred and seventy seven thousand – a large number in most contexts, you’d agree. In this case, it’s the number of tickets sold to eager potential festival goers for Glastonbury Festival within twelve hours. Not only were no acts at this point in early October even FRQÀ UPHG ZH KDG QR VXEVWDQWLDO rumours. That’s one in every threehundred people in the entire UK, splashing out over £185 based on promise alone for the world’s biggest festival’s fortieth anniversary. This seems excessive compared

to the previous two years in which the allocation failed to sell out for months, and thousands more were left disappointed. It’s somewhat representational of the momentous hype and trends surrounding the festival season, for better or worse. With such a mass of people

If festival organisers won’t give us time to plan our summer, then we’ll do it ourselves clamouring for tickets based on reputation and experience alone,

those with more musically related LQWHQWLRQV RWKHU WKDQ VHHNLQJ Ă€ YH days of teen freedom, must rely on sites such as eFestivals for an insight into the lineup’s shape. Taking Reading/Leeds as an example, we know there’s a very strong probability of Green Day, blink-182 and My Chemical Romance making appearances this summer, two months before the ticket scramble. If festival organisers won’t give us time to plan our summer, then we’ll do it ourselves. /RRN IRU WKH Ă€ UVW SDUW RI RXU IHVWLYDO VHDVRQ SUHYLHZ LQ QH[W ZHHN¡V HGLWLRQ RI 7KH &RXULHU

32

Monday 15 February 2010 THE COURIER

Culture Music

For more exclusive reviews and content >>> thecourieronline.co.uk/music

music singles

albums OK Go Of the Blue Colour Of The Sky I apologise for making a sweeping statement so early into my time with this record, but for a band desperately seeking respect and acclaim, naming the opening track WTF? isn’t winning this foolhardy critic over. The coherency of the title is somewhat suspect too, but that could be for artistic purposes, right? Casting initial cynicisms aside in favour of an open mind, it’s GLIÀ FXOW WR XQGHUVWDQG TXLWH ZKDW direction OK Go are trying to take with the tricky third LP, and the hangover effect of online parody. The band is clearly seeking longevity after initial success with their initial pop oriented front, but the harsh reality is the band is somewhat out of their depth with this concept. As a result, the sound of this is a front which never feels comfortable, as their ideas are executed with a lack of raw talent – much like seeing The Horrors perform tracks from their latest album live. Whilst there are enjoyable moments in the more conventional

tracks such as Last Leaf, the mesh of ideas have developed into what can only be described as an insecure, watered down M83. The vocals remain consistently functional yet uninspired – the lack of diversity and passion though, fail to distinguish each song from the next; this combined with an ever present slow tempo expose the frailties of the core instrumentals. ‘Blue Colour’ is far from a poor album, yet its poor execution means LW IUHHO\ UXQV KHDG Ă€ UVW LQWR DQ early nomination of ‘most soulless release of the year’ award. It’s perhaps unfair to dismiss it with such haste as for casual fans of power pop and electronic guitar based music, there are a handful of highs to be found, even if the general consensus is a lack of simple charm and hooks. From an analytical perspective however, ‘Of the Blue Colour of the Sky’ is little more than a throwaway distraction in a predictable drought. Stuart Edwards

Kasabian - Vlad The Impaler 2Q WKH Ă€ UVW OLVWHQ , ZDVQ¡W JUDEEHG in the way I expected. However, once the volume gets turned up a transformation takes place, and the intricate manoeuvres taking place in the background become audible. When the riffs kick in and the sneering vocals start, it’s an audio assault that doesn’t stop. Benjaim Jackson Broken Bells - The High Road The High Road by Broken Bells is the debut single from a new band featuring Danger Mouse and James Mercer from The Shins, which makes for an interesting combination. It results in an upbeat style that’s relaxing with a happy feel, and although it won’t be to everyone’s taste, LW LV GHĂ€ QLWHO\ ZRUWK D OLVWHQ Sally Priddle Animal Kingdom - Two by Two Dubbed the best alternative act of 2009 by iTunes and likened to early Radiohead, hopes are high for Animal Kingdom, however their latest release Two by Two fails to hit the mark. A weak VOLFH RI )RUG 0RQGHR LQGLH Ă€ OH next to The Script, and stay with listening to early Radiohead. Tom Richards

Jon Allen Dead Man’s Suit

The Tenebrous Liar Jacknifed & Slaughtered

Various Artists fabriclive 50

The Album Leaf A Chorus of Storytellers

Field Music Field Music (Measure)

There was a time when one man and his acoustic guitar could take on the entire musical industry, a time where musical greats threw about two albums a year just for the fun of it and a generation that reshaped what music could be. Whilst the concept of classic song writing comes across as outdated, Allen’s debut record feels appropriately testimonial to a golden generation, ‘Dead Man’s Suit’ is a record from our time. The opening self-titled song introduces a delicate but masculine voice, complementing a simple chord progression – a format which holds true for the entire record, but one which allows for such diversity. There’s something admirable about a young classic song writer on an independent label doing things the hard way, and this working ethic is portrayed both lyrically and in his conventional yet luring voice. Allen’s career has the potential to help modern music rediscover its URRWV RU WR TXLHWO\ EHFRPH D ZRUN ing class cult-hero: the demand for such a record being, of course, the decisive factor. For the time being though, what we have is an independent British IRON VLQJHU ZLWK D WUXH VHQVH RI Ă DLU Embrace it. Stuart Edwards

The Tenebrous Liar’s lynchpin is Steve Gullick, music photographer turned rock doomsayer. Judging by ‘Jackknifed & Slaughtered’, Steve is not a happy man. This is about as downbeat as music can get, refusing any moment of release from the black tones, distorted, crunching guitar and sluggish pace that characterises almost every song on the album. Mixing grunge sensibilities with the melodic basslines of Joy Divison and layering thick, brooding Nick Cave vocals over it, it all makes for a rather unpleasant listen, but in an almost entirely brilliant way. Cut Down Your Love sounds like Nirvana at their most destructive, while Nothing To Say and slowed by the effects of alcoholism. The title track acts as centrepiece for the album, staying snail paced DQG GLVWXUELQJO\ TXLHW IRU WZR minutes before blooming into an HFKRLQJ ORXG TXLHW URFN VRQJ reminiscent of Pixies at their most thunderous. Occasionally the tempo drops for ORQJ HQRXJK WKDW LW JHWV GLIĂ€ FXOW WR IROORZ DQG WKH Ă€ UVW KDOI LV EHW ter than the second, but this is an album for dark nights and darker thoughts – it doesn’t want to do what you want it to anyway.

‘Autonomic’ was born out of a strong desire to inject some vitality into the increasingly stagnant drum & bass scene, and succeeds beautifully. This lengthy and superb mix of artists as such as ASC and Skream alongside numerous cuts by DBridge and Instra:Mental themselves highlights the minimalist and thoughtful side of drum & bass so often overlooked in the clubgeared genre. Rather than consisting of longoverplayed tracks churned out by SURGXFHUV LQ VHDUFK RI TXLFN GDQFH Ă RRU UHSXWDWLRQ $XWRQRPLF LQVWHDG is more of a piece of art mixed digitally than a standard selection of club bangers. There’s no attention paid to anthems here, with the focus instead being on giving the limelight to thirty-one different tracks and showcasing the interesting styles and interplay of a variety of lesserknown producers. The result is brilliant, although there are a few moments on the mix that might surprise listeners and that don’t gel with traditional perceptions of what drum & bass mixes should sound like. But if you can get over the stereotypical understandings of the genre so heavily favoured in mass media, you’ll really appreciate this little gem. Romain Chenet

‘A Chorus of Storytellers’ marks ten years of The Album Leaf, and presents another manifestation of the distinctive sound that has deYHORSHG RYHU WKHLU ODVW Ă€ YH VWXGLR albums. Birgir Birgisson of Sigur Ros mixed the album: appropriate given the similarities in creating the wistful, synthesised ambience shared E\ ERWK RXWĂ€ WV The album works well as a complete piece, songs run into each other in a subtle and clever way, and makes for a perfect singular listen. However, this suite-like approach PDNHV IRU D ERULQJ Ă€ UVW IHZ WUDFNV RI EXLOG XS Ă€ OOHG ZLWK VRRWKLQJ synthesizers punctuated with drum beat do not maintain listening interest. Things do pick up though, and We Are Almost There is an uplifting break away from the mellow easy listening and is a genuinely good song. Many of the others would serve well as atmospheric music on D Ă€ OP RU 79 VRXQGWUDFN While the border-line between the ambient background music likely to EH IRXQG LQ D TXLUN\ FUDIW VKRS DQG a music purists soothing getaway is a permeable one, The Album Leaf get away with it.

As far as hiatuses go, Field Music’s has been pretty lively: having put the band on hold after the release of 2007’s ‘Tones of Town’, the band’s masterminds the Brewis brothers released two fantastic solo albums in 2008 - David’s rockedup ‘School Of Language’ and 3HWHU¡V EDURTXH SRS FODVVLF Âś7KH Week That Was’ . But now they’re back together, and their new effort ‘Field Music (Measure)’ is by some distance their most ambitious to date. Flittering from ‘70s styled hardrock nuggets like Clear Water to the crazed funk of Let’s Write a Book, the folk-pop of Them That Do Nothing to the dramatic, orchestral title-track Measure, it’s an album of intimidating scope. Thankfully, despite its formidable twenty-track length, the Brewis brothers have kept their gift for the immediate hit intact: the stunning, stripped-down Effortlessly in particular stands out as one of their Ă€ QHVW ZRUNV WR GDWH Admittedly, at times Field Music’s ambition gets the better of them, with the album’s ambient nine-minute closing piece It’s About Time ending the album with a whimper rather than a bang. For most of its duration though, ‘Field Music (Measure)’ is a superb UHWXUQ IRU 6XQGHUODQG¡V Ă€ QHVW

Henry Jones

Mark Corcoran-Lettice Music Editor

Joe Skrebels

THE COURIER Monday 15 February 2010

33

TV & Radio Culture

tv & radio

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

soaps

tv highlights The Brit Awards

Coronation Street

Mon, Thurs, Fri on ITV1 Audrey and Nick have become very suspicious about Joe’s behaviour and Gail can’t take it anymore so she confesses to them all about his debts. Later in the week, it’s Tina’s birthday and David tries desperately to convince her Joe is alive. Meanwhile, Dev and Sunita are trying hard to keep up their pretence of happy families but Dev oversteps the mark when talk turns to children. Will they be caught out ZKHQ WKH DXQWV ÀQG RXW DERXW WKHLU sleeping arrangements?

8pm Tuesday, ITV1 Yes, it’s that time of year again - love them or loath them, the Brits are back. This year’s spectacle promises to be bigger than ever as the awards go into their 30th year. So sit back, relax and enjoy the spectacle as host Peter Kay leads us through the best of British pop. Naturally, some of last year’s biggest stars will be performing including Cheryl Cole, Kasabian, and Lady GaGa. However Florence (without her machine) and Dizzee Rascal may well just steal the show with their mash up You Got the Dirtee Love. Sounds interesting, doesn’t it? Two additional awards will be given out as part of the 30th anniversary celebrations - the ‘Brit’s

Album of 30 Years’ (I’m predicting an Oasis or Coldplay win) and the ‘Brit’s Hits 30’ where the most memorable Brit performance of the last 30 years will be announced. I reckon the Spice Girls (and THAT dress worn by Geri Halliwell) are a dead cert for the gong. The show will culminate in a short set from this year’s ‘Outstanding Contributor’ - mum’s favourite Robbie Williams. So hopefully there will be excitement, controversy and scandal as some of the nation’s favourite stars come together, drink copious amounts of alcohol and let their distinctly average personalities clash. Whatever your opinion, the Brits will be the talk of the Toon (for a couple of days, at least). Here’s to the next 30 - let the fun commence.

Bubble

My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding 9pm Tues, BBC3

Pick of the week

10pm Friday, BBC2

Eastenders

Helen Atkinson

Coach Trip

Eastenders LIVE

4.55pm Monday, C4

8pm Friday, BBC1

Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri on BBC1 This week’s Eastenders is full of shocks as Bianca receives a surprise visitor, Shirley has a makeover and someone is making sure Janine is in for a very nasty surprise. Meanwhile, Bradley’s Uncle Jack promises to keep his nephew out of trouble as the police start their DNA screening process. Elsewhere, The Vic is turned into a Las Vegas style casino for Ricky’s stag do, but is the groom having last minute doubts? Don’t miss Friday’s live HSLVRGH WR ÀQG RXW ZKR NLOOHG Archie!

Hollyoaks

Weekdays at 6.30pm on C4 Darren tries to convince Josh that there’s something going on between India and Rhys after he sees them chatting together. Josh becomes suspicious but little does he know that the pair are actually talking about how much India likes him! Unfortunately, Josh confronts his brother after a few too many SLQWV DQG DV WKH ÀJKW WXUQV SK\VLcal, there is an unlucky victim.

Emmerdale David Mitchell hosts a new topical news quiz where three famous faces are deprived of internet access, television and contact with outside world for four days. On their departure they’re asked questions about the news they’ve missed while being locked in the bubble. The guests are a mixture of comedians and intelligent thinkers with Frank Skinner, Reginald D Hunter and Victoria Coren set to appear on WKH ÀUVW VKRZ WKLV )ULGD\ Other famous faces like Germaine Greer, Clive Anderson and Marcus Brigstocke will feature over the course of the series. From the people who brought you Have I Got News For You and Room 101, The Bubble is already a hit in several other countries. Each show will see the celebrities given a series of news reports and newspaper articles and they must identify the true stories from the fakes.

I chose to write about this programme because I found the title hilarious, however, the aim of the programme is to unravel the misunderstood world of the traveller, so I’m hoping that my opinions will change after watching it! The documentary will look at how modern meets traditional, using weddings as an example because they demonstrate this juxtaposition perfectly. Girls compete to have the biggest, most fabulous dress, trying to look sexy and seductive when they walk down the aisle, often mimicking the gaudier elements of celebrity culture. However, there’s also a lot of conservative tradition around their weddings, with girls marrying very young and children out of wedlock and divorce are unheard of. Gaining access into this hidden world is unusual and should prove to be interesting viewing!

It may seem like I’m scraping the barrel but it turns out the beginning of February is very slow for watchable television. However, I think Coach Trip has a strange appeal. ,W¡V WKH Ă€UVW RI D QHZ VHULHV RI WKH ‘light-hearted documentary’ which throws together 14 tourists of various ages, tastes and intelligence levels, packs them onto a coach and takes them on an unusual tour of Europe - starting with Portsmouth. As you can imagine the tourists are just as disappointed with Day One’s location as you were to read about it, but as cheeky coach driver Brendan Sheerin is on hand to show the tourists a good time, who knows what could happen. If you’ve never experienced Coach Trip before, you can catch the last three series on 4OD now but preSDUH \RXUVHOI IRU Ă€JKWLQJ UDQWLQJ and bad tan lines.

Eastenders is the best soap that has ever been created. For the past WZHQW\ ÀYH \HDUV LW KDV ERXJKW XV an unbelievable amount of storylines, ranging from who killed Dirty Den to Ian Beale having sex with Janine Butcher. Now it’s going LIVE. 7ZHQW\ ÀYH \HDUV DJR WKH ÀUVW HSLsode of Eastenders began with the death of Reg Cox and so it’s only ÀWWLQJ WKDW WKH PXUGHUHU RI $UFKLH Mitchell is revealed in this live episode. The wedding reception of Ricky and Bianca is also part of the live episode, which for any Eastenders fan is a fantastic moment to see this pair reunited again. Whether you are a fan of the soap or not this is a must-see. Partly due to the test of the actors skills and their ability to act live but mainly due to the fact that Eastenders never fails to produce fantastic twists to their tales.

Adam Williams

Eleanor Wilson

Aimee Philipson TV & Radio Editor

Clementine Manning

Iconic couple set to return to Albert Square It has been announced that actors Jessie Wallace and Shane Richie are set to return to Britain’s most popular soap opera this autumn to reprise the iconic couple, Kat and $OĂ€H 0RRQ Best known for wearing tiny skirts, revealing tops and over-thetop make-up, Kat and ‘loveable

URJXH¡ $OĂ€H 0RRQ ZHUH last seen in Eastenders on Christmas Day 2005 when they left Walford for a new life in America. Since leaving the show, Jessie Wallace has had a few TV parts, namely in wildlife drama Wild at Heart and she’s brought out a Ă€WQHVV '9' WR VKRZ RII KHU QHZ

body. Richie has also had a number of TV parts since his departure from Eastenders including teen drama Skins and a movie role in forthcoming Prisoners of the Sun. Tune in this Autumn to welcome back the fesity couple. Aimee Philipson TV & Radio Editor

Weekdays, 7pm Paddy’s discoveries make John feel anxious but he maintains that the toxins couldn’t have come from his farm as that particular chemical is banned. Adam, however, begins to worry that he may have had something to do with the damage and heads to the barn he cleared a few weeks ago to see if he is to blame. Shadrach returns to the village but pretends not to know anything about the house.

Neighbours

1.45pm and 5.30pm on Five Lou abducts Harry from his foster home but the police warn him that he risks being charged with kidnapping if he doesn’t hand him over. But Lou refuses to give in. What will it take to get him to come to his senses? Lou’s not the only Ramsaystreet-rebel this week as Karl tries to stop Susan seeing Dan due to the effect it is having on her health.

Home and Away

Weekdays at 2.15pm/6pm on Five Aden and Nicole are both worrying that their relationship is moving too fast for the other one but every time WKH\ WU\ WR GLVFXVV LW $GHQ¡V Ă DWmate Liam appears and interrupts the proceedings. Liam, though, has a growing love interest of his own. Elsewhere, Alf is becoming very hard to live with after the shock of the race riots but Miles doesn’t hold back in telling him to move somewhere else if he isn’t going to cheer up.

34

Monday 15 February 2010 THE COURIER

Culture TV & Radio

tv & radio The TV sets on the British Empire Joe Mellor Columnist

6DWXUGD\ ZDV D WUXO\ KRUULĂ€ F H[SH rience for me. I crawled into bed at around 5am, fully clothed, after a night of debauchery; and two hours later I was up to go to my dull and melancholy part-time job. I struggled through the day and returned home in time to watch the last episode of Empire of the Seas: How the Navy Forged the Modern World (BBC 2, 6.15pm). I know I was missing So you Think you can Dance? RQ %%& EXW VDFULĂ€ FHV have to be made. Dan Snow, the presenter of Empire of the Seas, literally beams throughout the show. There he is port side of an 18th century frigate - beaming. There he is climbing the rigging - beaming. There he is sailing his skiff - beaming. There he is with the deck hand... Describing another naval victory against all the odds, he nimbly skirts around the issue of slavery and the fact we forced China to trade opium to become a nation deep in addiction. Dan shrugs it all off - we were great, we won every battle and we had the biggest cannons. I was getting more patriotic by the minute. Xenophobia was helping to alleviate my hangover. But I was crushed when I was reminded of Churchill’s quote: ‘the only traditions of the navy are rum, sodomy and the lash’. This gave me a vivid Ă DVKEDFN RI WKH SUHYLRXV QLJKW¡V H[SORLWV EXW QRW LQ DQ\ SDUWLFXODU order. The show ended at the start of World War I. The navy was pretty much obsolete and the British Empire haemorrhaged colonies until we were left with the angry section of Ireland, The Falklands and Scotland. It’s like selling everything in your house but the dish cloths and a mop. I’m joking; I quite like the Falkland Islands. I was left numb at the decline of our once proud sea-faring nation, KRSLQJ WKDW WKH QH[W SURJUDPPH The Virtual Revolution (BBC 2, 7.15 pm), might restore my national pride. It fast-forwarded past the world wars and the Cold War to ask - who runs the world now in the digital age? Are there any %ULWLVK EXFFDQHHUV VXUĂ€ QJ WKH KLJK seas of the internet? Aside from teenage music pirates, no. The world is controlled by bespectacled geeks sending viruses to each other and swapping porn. This will never do. The combination of my hangover and dinted national pride enraged me. I went searching for what is left of our once great British Empire. Are we good at anything? It turns out we are. Over 50% of the global format TV shows are British inventions. No matter what time of day, a nation is sitting down to some truly innovative British TV: the Weakest Link in Greece, Pop Idol in New Zealand, and India’s Got Talent in Mumbai. It really puts it in perspective; WKH Ă€ UVW WLPH ZH UXOHG WKH ZDYHV we brought slavery and disease. Now we rule the airwaves, we’ve created a Piers Morgan in every country. The modern world really is an awful place. Pass the rum, bring the lash and be gentle with me.

catch-up tv Life Catch-up on DVD now

Life. As you’ve never seen it before. I’ll bloody say so. David Attenborough’s latest blockbuster-budget nature documentary series follows in the giant footsteps left behind by The Blue Planet, Nature’s Great Events and Planet Earth. For the disaffected viewer sick of the ever heightening mountain of low-brow reality trash on TV these days, it’s like an audio-visual promLVHG ODQG DQG D À QH H[DPSOH RI what your TV licence goes toward. Life covers all sorts of sentient affairs and goings on, traversing the world in the process, which moves it away from the more geological slant that characterised Planet Earth. Attenborough’s eloquent narration of some truly staggering À OPLQJ LV ERWK LQIRUPLQJ DQG

comment

punches through a whole tree trunk to shoplift the honey. Amazingly, the camera crew managed to place a tiny camera in the tree before the bear tore through it and caught the whole affair spectacularly. A further gem is provided through the ‘Life on location’ segment appended to every show. The often military like discipline DQG GHGLFDWLRQ RI WKH YDULRXV Ă€ OPV crews is powerfully conveyed as WKH\ JR WR H[WUHPH OHQJWKV IRU sometimes only seconds of footage. All in all, life is truly unmissable. Buy it now on DVD at www.amazon. co.uk for ÂŁ24.98 or at most high street media stores. Nicholas Fidler

what I listen to ...when I get up during the week

Mrs Cole in the classroom I’m sure we’ve all dreamed of swapping some of our frumpy middle-aged lecturers for newer, more popular models. But who would we choose from the world of television? A recent survey asking schoolchildren who they would pick as their ideal teacher has been revealed in The Guardian, and the results are pretty interesting. Who came out top? Yes, it’s the Geordie gem, footballer’s wife, ‘because she’s worth it’ Cheryl Cole. Don’t get me wrong, I actually quite like Cheryl, but why has she been chosen as the ideal teacher? I guess she’d be a perfect candidate for Drama - the constant sobbing on the X Factor would stand her in good stead I’m sure. As for Maths, English and Science, I’m not convinced, given that Cole recently admitted ‘I didn’t even know what carbohydrates were’ before joining Girls Aloud. Let’s move on to the runners up in the survey, some of whom are a little more suited to the title. David Tennant and Miley Cyrus were runners- up - the slightly hot but slightly not ‘Doctor’ is pretty logical, but Miley Cyrus?! The constant ‘Oh my God, that is, like, so awesome!’ would be enough to make me skive VFKRRO LQGHĂ€ QLWHO\ All of this leads me to imagine my dream set of teachers/lecturers. Stephen Fry can be headteacher, bumbling around the corridors and

entertaining. The ten part series covers a breathtaking range of creatures, encompassing all forms of aquatic, land and air based animals. One particularly powerful moment was footage of a giant octopus laying and tending to her eggs. So dedicated to these was she that once laid, she would not leave their side for a single moment, not even to eat. Eventually she died from starvaWLRQ DQG SURYLGHG WKH À QDO JLIW RI D meal (herself) to her young as they were hatching. Of the 250 laid, only 2 would survive. The funniest moment showed a brown bear cub try and fail to steal honey from a bee hive. However, a moment later his mother rocks up and physically

making everyone smile with his witticisms (slightly ironic, I realise, given his chronic depression). I’d quite happily accept Fernando Torres for Spanish and Thierry Henry for French, but would they succeed in teaching the ever confusing ‘subjunctive mood’ appropriately? I think not. Top of my list would be Gordon Ramsey for Food Technology, (although he would probably end up in detention for inappropriate language before most of the kids), Charlie Brooker for politics and Suzy Dent of Countdown fame for English. JosĂŠ Mourinho would manage the football team and if she’s lucky, I might just let Cheryl teach (inserts awful Girls Aloud pun) ‘Biology’‌

Semester Two is a drag. Mainly because I’ve got three 9am starts per week. (I realise this may make me seem whiney but I’m an Arts VWXGHQW ZKDW HOVH GR \RX H[SHFW"

Part of me is annoyed at the weekly prospect of 9am Thursday mornings after the joy that is Toon on a Wednesday night, but I like to look on the bright side of life. At least I can listen to my favourite breakfast show, Shaun Keaveny on 6Music. Lancashire lad Keaveney and his team promise ‘a rib tickling satirical romp through the day’s news’, and this is certainly the case. They also promise to play ‘the perfect morning soundtrack’. Two out of two. Keaveney plays clasVLFV IURP WKH OLNHV RI +HQGUL[ 7KH Smiths and Super Furry Animals through to contemporary anthems

from Vampire Weekend, Hot Chip and Mumford and Sons - perfect for HDWLQJ \RXU FRUQĂ DNHV WR My loyalty to the BBC when it comes to radio is perhaps a little inVXODU KRZHYHU , DP D Ă€ UP EHOLHYHU that the Beeb do its best. Keaveny’s irreverent humour makes me smile every morning. It’s always annoying when the same songs keep getting airtime on the radio, so if like me you like a bit more variety, give this show a listen. The random ‘I’d forgotten how good this song was’ moments will make your day. You may not want to rise at 7am every morning, but why not tune in when you’re getting ready for your 9 or 10am starts? Helen Atkinson

...when I get up at the weekend cates his show each day to a group of people such as ‘anyone who is actively ignoring a warning light’, ‘anyone who is going somewhere special tonight’ or ‘ anyone who got something slightly wrong at the weekend’. His little anecdotes are believeable, actually funny and relevant, and often the music (and dedicaWLRQV UHĂ HFW KLV FKDWWHU So if you missed out on the week’s news, need a Springsteen moment or you just love the ginger DJ, catch up with the Breakfast shows at BBC iPlayer at the weekend.

Helen Atkinson

During the week I don’t listen to the radio in the mornings because I’m worried about waking up my housemates (I know, considerate aren’t I?) so on Saturday mornings I love to catch up with Chris Evans Breakfast on BBC R2. The joy of BBC iPlayer is that you can fast forward all the crap songs, the news and adverts, and sometimes Chris’ voice; but there is always something that makes me chuckle and the sheer amount of Bruce Springsteen is enough to keep me smiling all day. A very welcome escape from the old-man innuendo of his predecessor Terry Wogan, Chris Evans dedi-

Science on Trial

The Brits

Weekend Wogan

9pm Thursday, BBC R4

4pm Tuesday, R1/R2

11am Sunday, BBC R2

Sarah Millican’s Support Group

Simon Singh, internationally respected mathematician, scientist and author of Fermat’s Last Theorem H[SORUHV ZKDW KDSSHQV ZKHQ WKH SXUVXLW RI DQVZHUV LQ VFLHQWLÀ F UHVHDUFK FRQà LFWV ZLWK (QJOLVK ODZ He discusses how lawyers, journalists and scientists are campaigning for a change to the UK libel laws to protect free speech, so that VFLHQWLÀ F GHEDWHUV FDQ DYRLG WURXEOH with the law.

Scott Mills broadcasts live backstage ahead of the 2010 Brit Awards at Earls Court, meeting celebs and chatting about the night’s festivities. Meanwhile effervescent Slade musician Noddy Holder, gets all the behind-the-scenes gossip. Interviews with musicians and celebrities alike will be broadcast throughout Mark Radcliffe and Stuart Maconie’s show on Radio 2.

Sir Terry Wogan returns to BBC Radio 2 with his new show on Sunday mornings. Weekend Wogan will broadcast live from the Radio Theatre at the BBC’s Broadcasting House in central London in front of a live audience. Terry’s new show will include both live and recorded music, star guest singers and presenters, celebrity interviews and contributions from Terry’s allimportant people, the listeners.

Aimee Philipson

radio highlights 11pm Thursday, BBC R4 Award-winning comedian Sarah Millican plays a modern-day agony DXQW LQ KHU Ă€ UVW HYHU UDGLR VHULHV Together with the help of her ‘Support Group’, Sarah will be tackling the nation’s problems head-on, including a middle-class widow who calls out a plumber and decides she’d like more than just her pipes Ă€ [LQJ EXW GRHVQ¡W NQRZ KRZ WR approach him.

THE COURIER Monday 15 February 2010

35

Puzzles Culture

puzzles crossword

Puzzles Editors: Ned Walker and Suzi Moore - courier.puzzles@ncl.ac.uk

7KH ÀUVW SHUVRQ WR FRPH WR The Courier RIÀFH ZLWK D FRPSOHWHG Crossword wins a free beer and burger at The Hancock.

ACROSS

DOWN

1. Light up; clarify (10) 5. In a state of slumber (6) 8. Fine, misty rain (7) 9. A paved surface used by planes to move between the airport terminal and the runway (4,5) 11. Part of a city that is associated with gangs (6) 13. Time at which something begins (5) 15. Fictional character who said: ‘Please sir, I want some more’ (6) 16. Relating to the heart (7) 17. Gregory, Alexander and John held this ecclesiastical post (4) 19. Group of three musicians (4) 20. Priest or minister (9) 22. Noble gas which has an atomic number of 10 (4) 23. “---- Free”, story of Elsa(4) 24. Eerie, mysterious (7) 25. Ask for help (6) 29. Big -----; contemporary symbol of New York (5) 31. Mammal related to a llama (6) 33. Hard working (9) +DSS\ VDWLVÀHG

35. One of the four natural divisions of the year (6) 36. Sherlock Holme’s famous quote contains this word (10)

1. Sixth colour of the rainbow (6) 2. Hang around (6) 3. Eskimos and Pingu live in one of these(5) 4. Shop catering for the plus sized (5) 5. Upper class (11) 6. Arriving after a stated time (4) 7. A small, dried berry from which a popular seasoning is derived (10) *HQUH RI QRYHOV DQG ÀOPV

12. Part of the Army comprising nonprofessional soldiers (abbr; historical) (1,1) 14. Use to excess (6) 16. In maths, the process of getting the answer (11) 17. Spiky tropical fruits (10) 18. Punctual; to assist an actor (6) 21. At some distance over there (6) 26. Abbreviation for a small metric measure of liquid (2) 27. ------ obscura (6) 28. Fat enriched dough used in pies (6) 30. Temporary stop (5) 31. In a higher place (5) 32. Destruction (4)

picture phrase puzzle

Answers to last week’s Crossword

wordtrail

Use the pictures to come up with a phrase, thing, place RU QDPH 7U\ WR ÀQG WKH FRPPRQ WKHPH.

Track the names of Boys names through the grid. You should use all of the letters in the grid but only once.

weird words What is the true meaning of this word?

BOMBINATE 1. Literally buzz; hum 2. To bomb a dessert 3. To run faster than your competitor

cryptogram Unscramble this famous phrase by using your knowledge about the structure of words to decide which number represents which letter. (Not all of the letters of the alphabet are used)

sudoku

ned’s number cruncher

answers

Keep you brain in shape by trying to complete these sums as fast as you can without using a calulator.

Solution to last week’s Sudoku

EASY

7

x5

-7

÷4

+18 x3

-5

÷10 =

MEDIUM

7

+9

x6 +16

4/7 of Square 50% of Cube root this this this

=

HARD

7

Cube this

+17

75% Halve of this it

+4

Square root

x3.5 =

7KH REMHFWLYH LV WR ÀOO WKH JULG VR WKDW HDFK column, each row and each of the nine 3×3 boxes contains the numbers 1-9 one time each. For the completed puzzle check the next edition of The Courier.

Picture Phrase Puzzle: Bewitched, Stepbrothers, Anchorman, Starsky & Hutch. Common theme - Will Ferrell movies. Cryptogram: Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter. (Mark Twain) Weird Words: 1 - Literally buzz; hum. Ned’s Number Cruncher: Easy - 7, Medium - 64, HArd - 42. Wordtrail: William, Edward, Alexander, Thomas, David, James, Paul, Stephen.

&

36

Monday 15 February 2010 THE COURIER

Stan Calvert countdown Hurricanes feel The number of attempted the Loko-motion streakers at Gateshead

Sports Editors: Paul Christian, Gavin Tom James courier.sport@ncl.ac.uk Sports Paul Christian, JamieJamie Gavin Tomand James - courier.sport@ncl.ac.uk SportsEditors: Editors: Paul Christian, Jamieand Gavin and Tom James -- courier.sport@ncl.ac.uk

13

> Intra Mural Football, page 40-41 Stadium last year

days to go

Is this the team of the decade? Charles Scott ORRNV EDFN RQ KLV EHVW ;, IURP WKH QRXJKWLHV ZLWK WKH QRWDEOH RPLVVLRQ RI &ULVWLDQR 5RQDOGR Iker Casillas Nationality: Spanish Position: Keeper

the life of his brother brought an DEUXSW HQG WR /LOLDQ¡V FDUHHU LQ 2008, the most capped French international of all time will forever be remembered and admired.

Carles Puyol &DVLOODV KDV RQO\ HYHU H[SHULHQFHG one loss of form, and it cost him a place in Real Madrid’s 2001 &KDPSLRQV /HDJXH )LQDO VWDUW ing 11. Since then he has been the XQGLVSXWHG À UVW FKRLFH JRDONHHSHU for both Madrid and Spain. People may argue that Gigi Buffon should be between the sticks in any WHDP RI WKH SDVW GHFDGH EXW &DVLO las gets my pick on the grounds that he has been consistently brilliant playing in a team that has lacked consistency everywhere else on the pitch, especially in defence.

Lilian Thuram Nationality: French Position: Right back

7KXUDP FDUYHG KLV QDPH LQWR French footballing history after ZLQQLQJ WKH :RUOG &XS LQ +H carried this form into the ‘noughties’, and was part of the same French team that went on to win Euro 2000. After a move to BarceloQD 7KXUDP H[FHOOHG DJDLQ LQ ZKDW was a fantastic side, and although a rare heart condition that claimed

Nationality: Spanish Position: Centre back

Born and raised in the heart of &DWDORQLD 3X\RO NQHZ IURP DQ early age that Barcelona was his team. No other club came close. &DUOHV PDGH KLV GHEXW LQ DQG has gone on to make 468 appearances for Barca, along with 80 appearances for Spain. Made club captain in 2004, Puyol is a natural born leader and his ‘never say die’ attitude has set him apart from his peers in a number of crucial games.

Paulo Maldini Nationality: Italian Position: Centre back

If truth be told, Paolo could quite easily feature in team of the decade for the past three decades. Over a career that lasted 25 seasons, Maldini won an astonishing seven 6HULH $ WLWOHV DQG À YH &KDPSLRQV

/HDJXH WLWOHV DOO IRU $ & 0LODQ DQG represented Italy on 126 occasions. +LV OR\DOW\ WR 0LODQ GHVSLWH LQWHU est from other clubs, has received SUDLVH IURP PDMRU À JXUHV WKURXJK RXW WKH JDPH +LV DELOLW\ WR SHUIRUP at the highest level for such a length of time is unlikely to ever be matched.

Ashley Cole Nationality: English Position: Left back

for his moment of madness in WKH :RUOG &XS )LQDO EXW LW should also be remembered that without Zidane’s superb individual GLVSOD\V OHDGLQJ XS WR WKH À QDO they wouldn’t have even been there LQ WKH À UVW SODFH +H LV WKH VFRUHU RI DUJXDEO\ WKH EHVW &KDPSLRQV /HDJXH )LQDO JRDO HYHU DQG KLV ability with the ball at his feet was a joy to behold.

Lionel Messi Nationality: Argentinian

When he’s not swerving his car off the road in disgust at a mere £55k a week contract offer, Ashley &ROH LV DFWXDOO\ YHU\ YHU\ JRRG DW IRRWEDOO 7KH SDVW GHFDGH KDV VHHQ a severe shortage in world class OHIW EDFNV DQG &ROH DORQH VWDQGV RXW DPRQJVW WKH FURZG +LJKOLJKWV include a fantastic job of marking &ULVWLDQR 5RQDOGR LQ (XUR ZKLOH KLV PRYH WR &KHOVHD LQ has undoubtedly helped his career blossom.

Claude Makelele Nationality: French Position: Makelele role

3RVLWLRQ 5LJKW PLGÀ HOG :KHQ /LRQHO 0HVVL and his family moved to Barcelona when he was only 13 years old, such was the club’s belief that he would go on to become a star. In the past VL[ VHDVRQV 0HVVL KDV PRUH WKDQ repaid their faith in him with a series of mesmerising performances LQ ERWK /D /LJD DQG WKH &KDPSLRQV /HDJXH $OUHDG\ UHFRJQLVHG DV RQH of the most gifted players ever, many believe if he can replicate his club form at international level he will go on to be known as the greatest player of all time.

Kaka 5HDO 0DGULG VROG &ODXGH 0DNHOHOH WR &KHOVHD LQ GHVSLWH SOD\ ers within the club pleading with the manager and directors to keep him. Makelele was ushered out the GRRU WR &KHOVHD ZKR ZHOFRPHG him with open arms. At Stamford %ULGJH 0DNHOHOH ZDV WKH PLGĂ€ HOG anchor, his work ethic and discipline set the tempo for the rest of the team and his role marked a whole new era for footballing tactics from the grass-roots right up to professional level.

Nationality: Brazilian Position: Attacking PLGĂ€ HOG

Zizou will forever be remembered

Aged 18, Kaka suffered a potentially paralysis-inducing spinal fracture after falling into an empty swimming pool. Doctors said he might never walk again, let alone play football. Remarkably he made D IXOO UHFRYHU\ 7KDQN *RG he did. Blessed with an air of such elegance and VXSHULRULW\ LW LV GLIĂ€ FXOW to not enjoy watching him SOD\ +H FDQ VKRRW SDVV tackle and will run and run and run - Kaka is undoubtedly not only one of the most gifted but also most successful players of his generation.

Continued from back page Armstrong’s reliability with the boot persisted, and after another successful conversion, Newcastle found themselves in total control of the game. With over 30 minutes remaining, the Royals’ commanding eleven point lead never seemed in doubt, leaving the visitors frustrated. Such frustration boiled over on the hour mark, after the Royals continued to dominate proceedings. After a number of well-worked forward phases by the hosts, the Poly lock was rightly shown a yellow card by the referee for stamping, being forced to take ten min-

XWHV¡ UHĂ HFWLRQ WLPH LQ WKH ELQ Newcastle failed to make their oneman advantage count in the subsequent ten minutes, however, and as a result, a Northumbria try only ten minutes from time ensured a tense Ă€ QDOH IRU DOO DW &RFKUDQH 3DUN After cleanly catching a line-out, WKH 3RO\ Ă DQNHU ZDV IRUFHG RYHU the try-line after a devastating rolling maul by his forward pack, narrowing the host’s lead to only four points. Such Poly hope was temporary however, with the Royals wrapping up the match only minutes later with a fourth try. After great work from the New-

Zinedine Zidane Nationality: French Position: Central PLGĂ€ HOG

Ronaldinho Nationality: Brazilian 3RVLWLRQ /HIW PLGÀ HOG One of the only Barcelona players ever to be given a standing ovation by Real Madrid fans at the Bernabeu, at his peak Ronaldinho was VLPSO\ XQVWRSSDEOH +LV DELOLW\ WR glide effortlessly past players with the ball seemingly glued to his feet wowed fans across the globe, as did his endless repertoire of outrageous VHW SLHFHV 7KH RQO\ SOD\HU WR HYHU win back to back World Player of WKH <HDU DZDUGV ORRNV WR EH À QDOO\ UHGLVFRYHULQJ KLV IRUP DW $ & Milan, and lovers of the beautiful game will pray this continues as the :RUOG &XS DSSURDFKHV LQ -XQH

Thierry Henry Nationality: French Position: Striker

+HQU\ LQ KLV SULPH ZDV WKH PRVW feared striker in Europe. Arsene Wenger worked wonders when he bought the rangy winger from -XYHQWXV IRU MXVW RYHU Â… P LQ and within two years transformed him into a goalscoring machine. Single-handedly dragging Arsenal WR WKH &KDPSLRQV /HDJXH )LQDO LQ 2005 was his greatest individual achievement, but it is his team performances and response to critics whilst at Barcelona that has impressed those outside England.

Think you can do better? Well The Courier wants to hear from you. Email courier.sport@ncl.ac.uk with your own team of the decade. The best (and worst) teams will get printed next week

FDVWOH IRUZDUG SDFN à DQNHU 7RP Drummond stole the ball at the break-down, allowing the Royals’ replacement winger to score in the corner. Armstrong superbly converted from the touchline, and had time to rub salt in the Poly wounds by À ULQJ RYHU D IXUWKHU SHQDOW\ LQ WKH dying seconds, sending his side to a memorable 31-17 victory. As the Royals celebrated after the game, all of their attentions now must turn to the Gateshead International Stadium on February 28, and they will hope for a repeat performDQFH WKDW ZRXOG À UH 1HZFDVWOH 8QL YHUVLW\ WR 6WDQ &DOYHUW YLFWRU\

THE COURIER Monday 15 February 2010

37

Sport

United fans keeping the faith Sports Editor Paul Christian talks to the man behind ‘true faith’ - the alternative fanzine on all things NUFC We arranged to meet at The Forth, a bar students lie they’ve been in before upon entrance. They then lie about their knowledge of New York’s Art-Garage-Post-Punk-ProgRock revival once they’ve indulged in a strawberry-brewed beverage inside. Not this cat. I go all the time and think the artwork on Vampire Weekend’s new album cover is shabby. I went last week to speak to the editor of true faith – the superb NUFC fanzine. Only Michael Martin wasn’t in The Forth. He was in its truer, noisier neighbour, Rafferty’s. And he was kind enough to fetch my cultured backside from the door, VDYLQJ PH WKH EDOO DFKH RI Ă€ QGLQJ D hairless football fan I’d never met before in a bar on a match-day. Sharply dressed in casual clobber with not a hint of black and white outside of his veins, Michael Martin was what I expected. He talks like he writes; concise, honest, genuinely IXQQ\ , FDXJKW XS ZLWK KLP WR Ă€ QG out the truth behind true faith. Readers will be aware of the fanzine’s well-grounded, alternative views on NUFC fan culture. The editorials in particular are a joy to scan, evoking an inherent fondness for a football club in the age of hyperrealists with HD box sets and 3D glasses. Coined from the eponymous New Order hit, true faith ZDV Ă€ UVW VROG outside St. James’ Park over ten years ago for one pound. “It was a home game against Wimbledon in 1999,â€? recalls Michael. “Kenny Dalglish had been sacked a year earlier, and replaced with Ruud Gullit. We drew 3-3 that day after being 2-0 and 3-1 ahead. Typical. A week later Gullit dropped Shearer against Sunderland. He’s another one.â€? Despite true faith‘s post-dated arrival on the fanzine circuit following the initial boom of the 1980s, Michael was no stranger to its ilk. He was a reader and contributor to longstanding NUFC fanzine The Mag and cites it as a determining factor in the creation of tf. “I am and always have been a fan of The Mag. tf wouldn’t exist without it and Mark Jensen (editor of The Mag) has had a big input in our publication. I never aimed to rival it, but rather add weight to fan culture in Newcastle.â€? He’s certainly done that. At 64 pages, true faith’s QR FKXUFK OHDĂ HW Each month a team of 30-plus writers spill their match-going thoughts past and present. From Ashley-infested dreams to Phil Brown’s diaries, you sometimes wonder what goes on in their head. But the writing’s authentic, the design smart

Black and white town: started in 1999 and still going, true faith is on sale outside the ground and in any good newsagents

and the rewards modest. “Nobody gets paid. It was a decision of mine from the start to be QRQ SURĂ€ WDEOH :H¡UH RUGLQDU\ punters airing honestly held views on Newcastle United.â€? Martin offers various platforms for run-of-themill mags to have their say, including a website and Facebook group. Nothing beats the feel of fresh print though.

“It’s like vinyl; the difference between having a record collection and an iPod. It’s down to the design really. Without Glenn Ashcroft (designer) we’d still be black and white, four pages long and my hair would have fallen out well before I watched Nikos Dabizas.� Watching NUFC home and away, Martin’s found life in the second tier refreshing. “Don’t get me wrong.

The standard’s shite. Shite. But the season’s not been as terrible as I thought it would be. We’ve been to wholesome grounds where big crowds have turned out to watch United. I haven’t missed my trip to the DW stadium. There’s only two or three clubs in the country bigger than NUFC.� Any highlights? “The Ipswich game. Like many, I admired Roy

Keane on the pitch. Off it, he’s a tit. But our performance that day was pleasing more than anything else. I understand that it’s not 1993. The buzz around the city isn’t here like it was with KK. Football in general is quite bland. But United must go up this year regardless. And I think we will. “The development of the Newcastle United supporters Trust (NUST) KDV NHSW WKH Ă DPH RI WKH FOXE DOLYH The news we could potentially raise ÂŁ50 million in pledges is astonishing. The organisation’s been slick and, as a founder member, to see such a UHDFWLRQ KDV LQVSLUHG FRQĂ€ GHQFH IRU realistic action.â€? Armchair fans all over the country will attest to NUFC’s die-hard support. The formidable Toon ArmyŠ. I ask Michael to dispel a myth. “The term ‘toon army’ was funny for about ten minutes in 1992. It was a bit of daft carry on with a few soldier hats before a game. The club copyrighted the term. Sky Sports pounced on it. The rest is history. “I don’t want to seem po-faced. I’m not saying football fans should listen to Joy Division and read fanzines. There are knackers at every club, mostly young lads just enjoying themselves. Good, because it’s part of it and I’ve been there. But the Toon ArmyŠ has become a device for lazy journalists to send their cameras up while the know-nowts at home have a laugh at the expense of our city and club.â€? Michael has been standing on various bits of St. James’ Park since the 70s. To him, the running of the club has always been dysfunctional and now is no different. “It could be worse. Many feared a plight a-la Leeds but there’s been a reality check. Still, Ashley’s decision-making is appalling, LLambias is brittle and we’ve got the same wage bill as Sunderland.â€? You could talk to Michael Martin and his pals for an age. Hear him call Michael Owen a ****. Laugh as he labels Sunderland Albania-onWear. Watch him buzz off a chat about an increase in young local writers (“Gone are the days when giving students a backhander was a sportâ€?). But the truth behind true faith lies in the pages. It’s crisp, pure, and far too good to be reviewed by a Forth-drinking liar like me. Michael moves onto the match, at which point he’s possibly missed WKH Ă€ UVW WZR JRDOV RI D URXW DQG is contemplating taking up student backhanders again. I’m left looking despondently at John Terry on a Sky Sports News screen. Football’s dying. But true faith keeps on keepin’ on.

Superbowl XLIV: the perfect Hollywood script Dominic Pollard Only in American sports can such scripts be written as was witnessed late on Sunday night. Super Bowl XLIV lived up to the all the hype and expectations as the New Orleans 6DLQWV FRPSOHWHG WKH À QDO FKDSWHU LQ their fairytale story with a 31-17 victory over the Indianapolis Colts. The game had been set up perfectly. It saw the two sides who dominated their respective conferences come head to head. The match-up of the Quarterbacks Drew Brees and Peyton Manning, the two stand-out regular season

performers, was enough alone to whet the appetite of the followers of American Football. It ultimately proved to be the perfect match for the neutral, an exciting game and the dream result. There were very few impartial viewers who were not cheering on the Saints in this game and the underdogs duly delivered. As an event it provides a great spectacle even for those who are not avid NFL fans. It was, as ever, allout, no expense spared, unashamedly over-the-top entertainment. The game had the distinct feel of a Hollywood plot throughout. The

odds-on favourites from Indianapolis took control of the early stages WDNLQJ D OHDG LQ WKH Ă€ UVW TXDU ter. The next three quarters however were then dominated by New Orleans in a brilliant comeback. Drew Brees led the offence as successfully as he had done all season in a controlled and measured display. This was matched by a superb effort by the defence. They limited Peyton Manning, a future Hall-of Famer, to only one touchdown, while an interception that was returned for a touchdown by Saints corner Tracy Porter was WKH Ă€ QDO QDLO LQ WKH &ROWV¡ FRIĂ€ Q

Saints head coach Sean Peyton was tactically spot-on throughout the game. This included making two EUDYH GHFLVLRQV À UVWO\ WKH RQVLGH kick to start the second half and to go for a two-point conversion after their second touchdown. Both playcalls proved to be successful. Since the terrible and devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina back in 2005, the city of New Orleans has had little to smile about. The Saints had been in exile from their home stadium and the franchise’s future in the sport was under serious doubt. Five years later and the Saints are taking the Vince Lom-

bardi trophy back to Louisiana. The fairytale story got the ending most of the world wanted. Brees was rightly named the Super Bowl MVP after an almost faultless perIRUPDQFH EXW DV UHà HFWHG LQ 6HDQ Peyton’s post-match interview, the victory was more the result of an outstanding team effort. With an emotional back-story, unGHUGRJ À JKW EDFN DQG D FDPHR IURP The Who, the Saints’ Super Bowl victory had it all. It is therefore not GLIÀ FXOW WR XQGHUVWDQG ZK\ WKLV YLF tory has already being hailed as one of the most popular in Super Bowl history.

38

Monday 15 February 2010 THE COURIER

Sport E. ROBINSON

Shooting club right on target Tom James Sports Editor You might not know it but Newcastle University now has its very own Clay Target Shooting Club. 5DWLÀ HG E\ WKH $ 8 LQ 'HFHPEHU WKH FOXE ZDV VWDUWHG XS E\ WK \HDU 'HQWLVWU\ VWXGHQW /XNH +XWFKLQ VRQ DQG LW KDV HQMR\HG D KHDOWK\ UH VSRQVH IURP VWXGHQWV DOUHDG\ ERDVW LQJ WKLUW\ HLJKW VLJQHG XS PHPEHUV &OXE 3UHVLGHQW +XWFKLQVRQ VDLG that starting the club has “been well ZRUWK WKH HIIRUW DQG LW·V JRQH UHDOO\ ZHOO VR IDU 7KH GHPDQG IRU D WDUJHW shooting club was high at our UniYHUVLW\ DQG WKH IDFW ZH·YH JRW VR PDQ\ SHRSOH VLJQHG XS ZLWKLQ WZR PRQWKV VKRZV LW·V DOUHDG\ EHHQ D success.” %HLQJ D QHZ FOXE /XNH LQYLWHG PH DORQJ IRU DQ DIWHUQRRQ·V VKRRWLQJ DW 6WHYH 6PLWK·V VKRRWLQJ FHQWUH +DY LQJ QHYHU VKRW DQ\WKLQJ PRUH SRZ HUIXO WKDQ D ZDWHU SLVWRO P\ LPDJH RI VKRRWLQJ ZDV RI WZHHG SLSHV Á DW FDSV DQG PRUH WZHHG EXW RQ DUULYDO , IRXQG WKDW WKLV ZDV D FRPSOHWH PLVFRQFHSWLRQ “Target shooting is accessible to HYHU\RQHµ VDLG +XWFKLQVRQ DQG WKLV SURYHG WR EH WKH FDVH 7KH FOXE KDV ERWK PDOH DQG IHPDOH PHPEHUV DQG WKH FOXE KDV LWV RZQ HTXLSPHQW ZKLFK \RX FDQ XVH )RU WZHQW\ À YH FDUWULGJHV LW·V ZKLFK VHHPHG

SUHWW\ UHDVRQDEOH 7KH FORVHVW ,·G FRPH WR D VKRWJXQ EHIRUH ODVW :HGQHVGD\ ZDV ZDWFK LQJ 2PDU LQ ¶7KH :LUH· EXW /XNH DQG WKH RWKHU PRUH H[SHULHQFHG VKRRWHUV ZHUH KDSS\ WR VKRZ PH WKH URSHV 7KH JXQV ZHUH QRWKLQJ OLNH WKH RQHV IDW 7RPP\ EX\V IURP 1LFN WKH *UHHN LQ ¶/RFN 6WRFN· EXW ZHUH DFWXDOO\ LPSUHVVLYH SLHFHV RI HTXLSPHQW $IWHU D FUDVK FRXUVH LQ KRZ WR À UH D VKRWJXQ , ZDV UHDG\ WR JR , VKRXW HG ¶SXOO · DQG DV D GLVF FDPH WRZDUGV PH , VKRW DW LW DQG LW VRPHKRZ KLW ,Q DQ LQVWDQW P\ IHDU RI WZHQW\ À YH PLVVHG VKRWV ZDV REOLWHUDWHG DORQJ with the clay. From ten shots I hit IRXU WDUJHWV DQG , H[DOWHG LQ P\ PH GLRFULW\ :H WKHQ FKDQJHG WR D PRUH FKDO OHQJLQJ DUHD RI WKH UDQJH ZKHUH WKH WDUJHWV FRPH IURP GLIIHUHQW DQ JOHV , PDQDJHG WR KLW VL[ IURP WHQ DQG WKHQ WZR IURP P\ À QDO À YH $ JUDQG WRWDO RI WZHOYH IURP WZHQW\ À YH VHHPHG DOULJKW , WKHQ ZDWFKHG /XNH VKRZ PH KRZ LW VKRXOG EH GRQH DQG DQ\ WKRXJKWV RI /RQGRQ VRRQ YDQLVKHG $V D EHJLQQHU , ZRXOG KLJKO\ UHF RPPHQG KDYLQJ D JR ,W·V D JRRG ZD\ WR VSHQG DQ DIWHUQRRQ DQG LI \RX·YH JRW D GHFHQW H\H \RX PLJKW well be a natural. )RU WKH PRUH H[SHULHQFHG VKRRW

&OD\ GD\V 3UHVLGHQW /XNH +XWFKLQVRQ IDU OHIW ZDV SDUW RI WKH WHDP ZKLFK ¿ QLVKHG WK LQ WKH FOXE¶V ¿ UVW FRPSHWLWLRQ

ers there is the chance to get onto the shooting team which currently FRQVLVWV RI WZR PHQ·V WHDPV DQG D VLQJOH ODG\ (OOLH +DUULVRQ ZKR KDV RQO\ EHHQ VKRRWLQJ IRU D \HDU

7KH FOXE KDV 5RU\ *LEVRQ RQH RI WKH 8QLYHUVLW\·V (OLWH $WKOHWHV LQ WKHLU WHDP VR ZKHWKHU \RX DUH D FRPSOHWH EHJLQQHU RU DQ H[SHUL HQFHG VKRRWHU WKHUH LV D SODFH IRU everyone within the club. 7KH FOXE KDYH DOUHDG\ HQWHUHG D FRPSHWLWLRQ ZKLFK VDZ WKHP WUDYHO WR $EHU\VWZ\WK DW WKH VWDUW RI )HEUX DU\ 7KH\ PDQDJHG WR FRPH WK RXW RI HLJKWHHQ WHDPV KLWWLQJ VHYHQW\ À YH IURP RQH KXQGUHG WDUJHWV LQ WKH À QDO URXQG 7KLV ZHHNHQG WKH WHDP WUDYHO WR 7HOIRUG IRU WKH %8&6 1DWLRQDOV DW WKH 0LGODQGV VKRRWLQJ JURXQG ZKHUH WKH\ ZLOO KRSH WR KHOS 7HDP 1HZ

FDVWOH VHFXUH DQRWKHU WRS WHQ %8&6 À QLVK E\ VHFXULQJ YLWDO SRLQWV 3UDFWLFH WDNHV SODFH HYHU\ 7KXUV GD\ DQG 6XQGD\ DIWHUQRRQ DW 6WHYH 6PLWK·V ZKLFK LV ORFDWHG QHDU 'LQ nington. ,W·V DERXW D À IWHHQ PLQXWH GULYH EXW LI \RX GRQ·W KDYH \RXU RZQ WUDQVSRUW WKHUH DUH SOHQW\ RI SHRSOH ZKR GULYH VR \RX·UH OLNHO\ WR EH DEOH WR JHW D OLIW ,I \RX ZDQW WR À QG RXW PRUH DERXW WKH FOXE RU DUH LQWHUHVWHG LQ WU\LQJ WDUJHW VKRRWLQJ \RX FDQ FRQWDFW FOXE SUHVLGHQW /XNH +XWFKLQVRQ DW O Z KXWFKLQVRQ# QFO DF XN

Fencers progress to semis after strong performance Men’s Fencing

Leeds Met 1sts Newcastle 2nds

86 135

James Kinnear 1HZFDVWOH QGV GRPLQDWHG /HHGV 0HW VWV WR VHW XS D VHPL À QDO WLH with York in two weeks time. +DYLQJ GUDZQ /HHGV 0HW LQ WKH QH[W URXQG RI WKH &RQIHUHQFH &XS 1HZFDVWOH 0HQV QGV ZHUH XQGHU VWDQGDEO\ WHQVH DERXW WDNLQJ RQ D XQLYHUVLW\ ZLWK VXFK D KLJK UHSX WDWLRQ IRU VSRUW +RZHYHU ZLWK D VWHHO\ UHVHUYH 1HZFDVWOH 0HQ·V QGV WUDYHOOHG GRZQ EULJKW DQG HDU O\ WR /HHGV LQ RUGHU WR GHWHUPLQH WKH Quarter Final result. 7KH WHDP DUULYHG ZLWK RQO\ D VKRUW DPRXQW RI WLPH WR ZDUP XS GXH WR DQ H[WHQGHG ULGH DURXQG WKH YDUL RXV FDU SDUNV RI /HHGV 0HW DQG WKH KRUUHQGRXV QDYLJDWLRQDO DELOLWLHV RI 7HGG\ 0F$OHHU 7KH ZHDSRQ RUGHU ZDV GHFLGHG DQG 6DEUH ZDV WR EH SOD\HG À UVW 3DXO 0F*HQLW\ RSHQHG WKH SURFHHG LQJV ZLWK D VWURQJ SHUIRUPDQFH WKDW KLQWHG DW JRRG WKLQJV WR FRPH 5RE :DONHU IXUWKHU DGGHG WR WKH VFRUH ZKLOH 3LUDWH &KULV SXOOHG RXW D JHP RI D PDWFK WKDW VDZ KLP KDPPHU DQ RSSRQHQW 8OWLPDWHO\ 6DEUH ZDV ZRQ E\ 1HZFDVWOH )RLO ZDV WKH QH[W ZHDSRQ DQG RQH WKDW ZDV KRWO\ FRQWHVWHG E\ ERWK

VLGHV 5RE :DONHU JDYH D PDVWHU FODVV LQ VSHHG WLPLQJ DQG SUHFLVLRQ ZLWK D QXPEHU RI ERXWV WKDW SXQGLWV GHVFULEHG DV PRUH VXFFHVVIXO WKDQ -RKQ 7HUU\ DW ZLIH VZDSSLQJ ,DLQ 0RVV ZHLJKHG LQ ZLWK D QXPEHU RI LPSUHVVLYH ERXWV WKDW FRPELQHG DJ LOH PRYHPHQW DQG GHDGO\ DFFXUDF\ ZKLOH DOVR DW WKH VDPH WLPH LQIRUP LQJ WKH WHDP RI SURSHU WRZHO VDIHW\ DQG XVDJH )LQDOO\ 7HGG\ 0F$OHHU·V )RLO VNLOOV ZHUH PRUH VXFFHVVIXO WKDQ KLV LQDELOLW\ WR UHDG VLJQV DQG )RLO ZDV ZRQ WR 1HZFDVWOH 7KH À QDO ZHDSRQ ZDV (SHH DQG WKH RSHQLQJ UHVXOW RI WR 5RE :DONHU ZDV D LQGLFDWRU RI WKH HQWLUH URXQG ZLWK 1HZFDVWOH GRPLQDWLQJ WKURXJKRXW 7HGG\ 0F$OHHU PDGH VKRUW ZRUN RI VRPH VXEVWDQGDUG /HHGV 0HW IHQFLQJ E\ H[SORLWLQJ WKHLU ZHDN ZULVWV DQG ODQGLQJ D QXPEHU RI LPSUHVVLYH Á LFN KLWV ZKLOH -DPHV .LQQHDU URXQGHG XS WKH GD\·V ZRUN E\ FRQFUHWLQJ KLV WHDP PDWHV· RXW VWDQGLQJ SHUIRUPDQFHV 7KHUHIRUH (SHH ZDV À QLVKHG ZLWK D KXJH VFRUH RI DQG WKH HQ WLUH PDWFK ZDV À QLVKHG WR WR Newcastle. 0DQ RI WKH 0DWFK JRHV MRLQWO\ WR 5RE :DONHU DQG &KULV 'XWWRQ IRU VWDQGRXW SHUIRUPDQFHV &RQJUDWX ODWLRQV DOVR JRHV WR 0HQ·V )HQFLQJ VWV ZKR DUH WKURXJK WR WKH ODVW VL[ WHHQ RI WKHLU &XS GXH WR D ZDONRYHU RYHU 6KHIÀ HOG

THE COURIER Monday 15 February 2010

39

Sport

Knights shine against Cambridge J. WHITLAND

Men’s Basketball

Newcastle 1sts Cambridge 1sts

Badminton sides bow out Stephanie Ferrao

89 62

Dominic Pollard at the Sports Centre 7KH 1HZFDVWOH .QLJKWV EDVNHWEDOO WHDP FRPIRUWDEO\ GHIHDWHG WKHLU &DPEULGJH DGYHUVDULHV LQ WKH %8&6 NQRFNRXW FRPSHWLWLRQ WR SURFHHG LQWR WKH ÀQDO 7KH WHDP ZHUH LQ FRQWURO WKURXJKRXW DQG GHVSLWH QHYHU UHDFKLQJ WRS JHDU JDYH DQ LPSUHVVLYH DOO URXQG GLVSOD\ 7KH &DPEULGJH WHDP FRQVLVWHG RI RQO\ VL[ SOD\HUV EXW WKH DZD\ WHDP PDWFKHG WKH .QLJKWV LQ WKH HDUO\ H[FKDQJHV 1HZFDVWOH FRDFK 'DYH (OGHUNLQ GLG QRW KHVLWDWH WR WDNH D WLPHRXW LQ WKH ÀUVW IHZ PLQXWHV DQG KLV ZRUGV SURYRNHG D SRVLWLYH UH VSRQVH IURP KLV SOD\HUV +H VWUHVVHG WKDW WKH WHDP QHHGHG WR LQFUHDVH WKHLU IRFXV ZKLOH WU\ LQJ WR HUDGLFDWH QHHGOHVV SHQDOWLHV DQG PLVWDNHV 7KH .QLJKWV SXW KLV ZRUGV LQWR SUDFWLFH DQG VRRQ JDLQHG WKH XSSHU KDQG LQ WKH PDWFK &DQD GLDQ $GDP :LOVRQ ZDV D VWDQG RXW SOD\HU IRU WKH VLGH IURP WKH VWDUW VFRULQJ VHYHQ RI WKH WHDP·V ÀUVW WKLU WHHQ SRLQWV 1HZFDVWOH KHOG D OHDG DW WKH HQG RI WKH ÀUVW TXDUWHU DQG WKH VFRUH OLQH ZDV LQ QR ZD\ ÁDWWHU LQJ 7KH VHFRQG TXDUWHU FRQWLQXHG LQ PXFK WKH VDPH YHLQ ZLWK WKH .QLJKWV GRPLQDWLQJ EXW VWLOO XQDEOH WR H[WHQG WKHLU OHDG RYHU D EDWWOLQJ &DPEULGJH WHDP 7KH .QLJKWV·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ÀUVW TXDUWHU DIWHU VRPH SRRU PLVWDNHV +H UHWXUQHG LQ WKH ÀQDO WZR TXDUWHUV WR ZUHDN KDYRF RQ WKH &DPEULGJH GHIHQFH E\ XVLQJ JUHDW EDOO VNLOOV WR FXW WR EDVNHW FRQ YHUWLQJ DOPRVW SHUIHFWO\ IURP WKH IRXO OLQH DQG NQRFNLQJ GRZQ WKUHH SRLQWHUV LQ WUDQVLWLRQ LQ WKH IRXUWK TXDUWHU &DPEULGJH ZHUH XQDEOH WR SXW XS PXFK UHVLVWDQFH RWKHU WKDQ WKURXJK WKH VKDUS VKRRWLQJ SHUIRUPDQFH RI $ODQ $UDOED\HY ZKR VLQJOH KDQG HGO\ NHSW KLV VLGH LQ WRXFK ZLWK D VX SHUE H[DPSOH RI PHGLXP DQG ORQJ UDQJH VKRRWLQJ +LV HIIRUW ZDV QRW WR EH UHZDUGHG WKRXJK DV WKH .QLJKWV

Decent days and Knights: Newcastle Men’s Basketball 1st team secured their passage into the last 16 of the BUCS Championship with a comfortable 89-62 victory over Cambridge last Wednesday.

RXW FODVVHG &DPEULGJH IRU WKH HQ WLUHW\ RI WKH JDPH 1HZFDVWOH FUXLVHG WKURXJK WKH VHF RQG KDOI DQG ORRNHG PRUH FRQYLQF LQJ DV WKH JDPH SURJUHVVHG 7KH\ XOWLPDWHO\ UDQ RXW FRPIRUWDEOH YLFWRUV ZLWK )UDQFR WRS VFRULQJ ZLWK DQ LPSUHVVLYH WZHQW\ IRXU SRLQWV 6SHDNLQJ DIWHU WKH JDPH &RDFK (OGHUNLQ ZDV YHU\ KDSS\ ZLWK WKH WHDP·V ´UHDOO\ VWURQJ ODVW TXDUWHUµ DQG SUDLVHG WKHLU ´VWURQJ GHIHQFH DQG JRRG UXQQLQJ JDPH µ 6XFK ZDV WKH OHYHO RI HDVH ZLWK ZKLFK WKH 1HZFDVWOH .QLJKWV GLVPLVVHG &DP EULGJH WKH VLGH PXVW VXUHO\ EH FRQ ÀGHQW RI SURJUHVVLQJ IXUWKHU LQ WKH NQRFN RXW FRPSHWLWLRQ

Lord’s dream over for cricketers despite Poly scalp Richard Stanyon 1HZFDVWOH 0HQ·V D VLGH WHDP ZHUH NQRFNHG RXW RI WKH %8&6 ,QGRRU &ULFNHW &KDPSLRQVKLSV RQ D GLVDS SRLQWLQJ GD\ DW +HDGLQJOH\ 'UDZQ DJDLQVW 0DQFKHVWHU DQG 1RUWKXPEULD 1HZFDVWOH ZHUH ID YRXULWHV WR JR WKURXJK WR WKH ÀQDOV DW /RUG·V IRU WKH VHFRQG FRQVHFXWLYH \HDU +RZHYHU DOO GLG QRW JR WR SODQ DV DLGHG E\ VRPH SRRU XPSLULQJ

1HZFDVWOH ZHUH WRUQ DSDUW E\ 0DQ FKHVWHU·V ERZOLQJ DWWDFN VWUXJJOLQJ WR MXVW DOO RXW LQVLGH RYHUV &RQÀGHQW RI VDYLQJ D UHVXOW 1HZ FDVWOH VHW DERXW GHIHQGLQJ WKHLU ORZ VFRUH EXW GHVSLWH DQ H[FHOOHQW ERZOLQJ DQG ÀHOGLQJ GLVSOD\ WKH\ FRXOGQ·W DSSO\ HQRXJK SUHVVXUH DQG 0DQFKHVWHU LQFKHG RYHU WKH OLQH LQ WKH WK RYHU ,Q WKHLU VHFRQG JDPH 1HZFDVWOH UHWXUQHG WR WKHLU XVXDO IUHH VFRULQJ VHOYHV VPDVKLQJ DJDLQVW 1RUWK

XPEULD $VKZLQ .DSRRU OHG IURP WKH IURQW ÀULQJ DQ LPSUHVVLYH ZKLOVW FDSWDLQ 7RP 8OO\RWW DQG -RH $XVWLQ SOD\HG VLJQLÀFDQW VXSSRUWLQJ UROHV 1HZFDVWOH·V ERZOHUV GLG QRW DOORZ 1RUWKXPEULD DQ\ PRPHQWXP WDN LQJ ZLFNHWV DW UHJXODU LQWHUYDOV DQG ERZOLQJ 1RUWKXPEULD RXW WR HDUQ D UXQ ZLQ ,W ZDV WKH VSLQ FRPELQDWLRQ RI 5RXVVDN 8OO\RW DQG $XVWLQ WKDW GLG WKH GDPDJH DQG VHQW

D VWURQJ PHVVDJH DKHDG RI WKH 6WDQ &DOYHUW DW WKH HQG RI WKH PRQWK +RZHYHU WKLV ZLQ ZDV QRW HQRXJK DV 0DQFKHVWHU HDVHG WR D FRPIRUW DEOH YLFWRU\ DJDLQVW 1RUWKXPEULD DQG SURJUHVVHG WR WKH ÀQDO VWDJHV RI WKH FRPSHWLWLRQ 1HZFDVWOH·V DWWHQWLRQ ZLOO QRZ WXUQ WR WKH 6WDQ &DOYHUW 7URSK\ ZKHUH WKH\ ZLOO EH KRSLQJ IRU WKUHH ZLQV DJDLQVW WKH 3RO\ EHIRUH WKH RXW GRRU VHDVRQ FRPPHQFHV

Both the men’s and women’s ÀUVW WHDPV WDVWHG GHIHDW LQ WKH %8&6 &KDPSLRQVKLS ODVW ZHHN 7KH 0HQ·V VW WHDP WUDYHOOHG GRZQ VRXWK WR SOD\ %UXQHO IRU D SODFH LQ WKH QH[W URXQG RI WKH %8&6 NQRFN RXWV 0HQ·V GRXEOHV SDLU $GDP /RGJH DQG $GDP $WWDKHUL ZHUH WKH ÀUVW RQ FRXUW DQG WKH ÀUVW DQG RQO\ SRLQW VFRUHUV RI WKH WHDP ZLWK D FRQYLQFLQJ ZLQ RYHU %UXQHO·V VHFRQG GRXEOHV SDLU 1HZFDVWOH·V VHFRQG SDLU &KULV +DUULVRQ DQG -DPHV 5REVRQ SOD\HG ZHOO WKURXJKRXW WKH ÀUVW HQG EXW WKH\ ZHQW GRZQ LQ DQ GHIHDW LQ WKH VHFRQG HQG DJDLQVW %UXQHO·V ÀUVW SDLU $GLW\D .DOH DQG 'DQ 3XWWLFN·V VLQJOHV JDPHV HQGHG LQ D VLPLODU IDVKLRQ HQGLQJ LQ D VRXQG GHIHDW NQRFNLQJ WKH WHDP RXW RI WKH %8&6 &KDPSLRQVKLSV )ROORZLQJ D ZHOO GHVHUYHG WZR \HDU VSHOO LQ WKH 3UHPLHU OHDJXH WKH 0HQ·V VW WHDP DUH VRRQ WR IDFH WKH UHOHJDWLRQ SOD\ RIIV ZKLFK WKUHDWHQ WR LPSLQJH XSRQ WKH FOXE·V FRQVLVWHQW FRQWULEXWLRQ WR WKH 8QLYHUVLW\·V VWRUH RI %8&6 SRLQWV 7KH 0HQ·V QGV FXUUHQWO\ VLW LQ IRXUWK SODFH LQ WKH % 1RUWKHUQ 'LYLVLRQ MXVW EHORZ GLYLVLRQ VWDOZDUWV /HHGV 0HW QGV 'XU KDP VWV DQG 1RUWKXPEULD VWV $IWHU ODVW ZHHN·V ZKLWH ZDVKLQJ RI ORFDO ULYDOV 6XQGHU ODQG 1HZFDVWOH·V QGV DUH SUH SDUHG WR WDNH RQ WKHLU ORFDO ULYDOV LQ WKLV ZHHN·V %8&6 /HDJXH % FODVK )RU WKH FOXE·V :RPHQ·V VW WHDP ODVW ZHHN·V DZD\ PDWFK DJDLQVW &DPEULGJH 8QLYHUVLW\ SURYHG WR EH VRPHWKLQJ RI D PL[HG EDJ 7KHUH ZDV VXFFHVV DSOHQW\ LQ WKH GRXEOHV DV ERWK RI 1HZFDVWOH·V SDLUV ZRQ DOO RI WKHLU JDPHV )LUVW SDLU .DWKOHHQ 7XUQHU DQG /DXUD :DOVK SOD\HG DJJUHVVLYH O\ WDNLQJ DQG ZLQV DJDLQVW WKH ÀUVW SDLU DORQJVLGH DQ HTXDOO\ FRQYLQFLQJ WULXPSK RYHU WKH VHFRQG SDLU $V ZLWK WKH 0HQ·V VWV VLQJOHV SOD\HUV $OLVRQ &UDLQH DQG /DXUD 3DUQHOO WRRN D EDWWHULQJ RQ FRXUW DQG RQ WKLV RFFDVLRQ WKH YLVLWRUV ZHUH RXW FODVVHG LQ WKH GLVFL SOLQH DV &DPEULGJH ÁLSSHG WKH VFRUHV URXQG WR +RZHYHU DQ H[FHOOHQW SHUIRUP DQFH IURP 1HZFDVWOH·V VHFRQG SDLU .LUVWLQ 0LOOHU DQG /XF\ 'L[RQ SXOOHG EDFN WKH SRLQWV ZLWK DQG GHIHDWV RI &DPEULGJH·V ÀUVW SDLU DQG D WURXQFLQJ RI WKH VHFRQG SDLU 7KLV ODWH VXFFHVV VHWWOHG WKH VFRUHV DW EXW DV LW ZDV D &KDPSLRQVKLS PDWFK 1HZFDV WOH ZHUH XQIRUWXQDWHO\ NQRFNHG RXW RI WKH FRPSHWLWLRQ RQ SRLQWV GLIIHUHQFH )ROORZLQJ WKH PDWFK :RPHQ·V VWV FDSWDLQ .DWKOHHQ 7XUQHU FRPPHQWHG ´,W ZDV DOZD\V JRLQJ WR EH D WRXJK RQH EXW HYH U\RQH SOD\HG ZHOO WRGD\ :H FDQ QRZ WXUQ RXU IXOO DWWHQWLRQ WR WKH SOD\ RIIV IRU SURPRWLRQ DQG ZH·UH IHHOLQJ SUHWW\ FRQÀGHQW DERXW LW µ 6LWWLQJ DW WKH WRS RI WKH $ 1RUWKHUQ 'LYLVLRQ WKH :RPHQ·V VWV KDYH QHYHU ORRNHG VR FRQÀGHQW EXW WKH QH[W FRXSOH RI ZHHNV ZLOO EH FUXFLDO IRU WKH WHDP DV WKH\ ZLOO SOD\ /HHGV 8QLYHUVLW\ IRU WKH RSSRUWXQLW\ WR EH SURPRWHG WR WKH 3UHPLHU /HDJXH ² D ÀUVW IRU WKH :RPHQ·V WHDP·V KLVWRU\

40

Monday 15 February 2010 THE COURIER

Sport

Mechanical break down as Gashletico cruise to win

J. WHITLAND

Netball

Newcastle 1sts Exeter 1sts

53 46

Kathryn Jones at the Sports Centre

Intra Mural Football Division Two

Gashletico Real Mechanical

Coates inspires win over Exeter

4 2

Graham Matthews at Longbenton Gashletico avenged a Real Mechanical team that beat them 3-2 last October in a fairly onesided game. $ EUDFH IURP PLGĂ€HOG HQJLQH Dave O’Neil, a tap in from Julius Lorenzen and the opener IURP 'DQLHO %HGIRUG PHDQW Gashletico took all three points which keeps them at the top of Division Two. Gashletico kicked off and immediately there were complaints from both sides about WKH EDOO EHLQJ Ă DW $ IUHVKO\ pumped up ball was soon produced before any real chances had been created and the game continued. In the sixth minute Gashletico took the lead thanks to a calm %HGIRUG Ă€QLVK 7KH EDOO ZDV IHG WKURXJK IURP PLGĂ€HOG DQG LQWR WKH SDWK RI %HGIRUG ZKR VORWWHG past the opposition’s ‘keeper. Gashletico searched for a quick second after this early boost and nearly had it when Dave O’Neil’s in-swinging cross from WKH ULJKW ZLQJ ZDV PHW E\ %HGford, however this time he volleyed over. Mechanical had their moments. A smooth passing move seemed destined to end in a PDJQLĂ€FHQW JRDO RQO\ IRU WKH Ă€QDO VKRW WR VDLO SDVW WKH SRVW However the leaders continued to press and were rewarded in the 23rd minute when a cross was met on the bounce by O’Neil and directed into the right hand corner past MechanLFDOV¡ Ă DLOLQJ NHHSHU Moments later Gashletico were in cruise control thanks to some quick thinking from O’Neil. An attempted Mechanical clearance fell to O’Neil half way into the opposition’s half. Noticing the ‘keeper off his line, O’Neil perfected a cheeky lob which had the ‘keeper scrambling. 3-0 before half time. Real Mechanical had a mammoth task on their hands and FDPH RXW Ă€ULQJ This kicked Gashletico back into gear and they were close to burying the game when striker Julius Lorenzen had a host of FKDQFHV Ă€UVW VKRRWLQJ RYHU DQG then inches wide. Still, Mechanical were unlucky on two occasions not to EH EDFN LQ WKH JDPH 7KH Ă€UVW came when a feeble shot rolled past the Gashletico keeper before bouncing off the post. The second came when they were awarded a penalty. Phil Morton stepped up but it was saved brilliantly by Ross Woodside. The rebound fell amongst a scramble of players EHIRUH GHĂ HFWLQJ EDFN WR 0RUton who tapped in only for the referee to rule him offside. The goal didn’t stand and Mechanical cursed their luck. Things got worse for Mechanical when Gashletico caught them on the counter. After nearly going out for a goal kick the ball was played back to Lorenzen who tapped in from close range making it three wins in a row for Gashletico.

Newcastle continued their outstanding season with an impressive 53-46 victory over Exeter. The result sees WKHP WKURXJK WR WKH TXDUWHU ÀQDOV after a high paced, high pressure game at the University Sports Centre. +DYLQJ ÀQLVKHG WKHLU %8&6 matches two weeks ago Newcastle ÀUVWV ZHUH ZHOO UHVWHG IRU WKH PDWFK with fresh memories from last season, when the two teams met in the same leg of the cup and Newcastle edged a victory by one goal. Right from the off it was an end to end, fast paced game. Exeter intercepted a Newcastle centre and pulled a few goals ahead. The tension had begun. Newcastle regained their composure and pulled it back with good pressure in defence, forcing Exeter to make some errors. The girls were really testing each other with some ambitious passes DQG FRPH WKH HQG RI WKH ÀUVW TXDUWHU the scores were a tantalisingly close 12-11 to the home side. The second quarter got underway and was just as competitive and nerve-racking. Harriet Needham was making herself a nuisance to the opposition, tipping and intercepting numerous balls, giving Newcastle many opportunities to pull away. Despite this the girls lacked discipline and some tight Exeter defence resulted in some wild passes that not even the tallest, fastest players could have caught. When the Newcastle girls managed to keep calm there was some fantastic play and accurate shooting from Roanne Minshull and Kathryn Hurrell. At the other end Exeter’s shooters were on the ball, giving little opportunity for the Newcastle defence to pounce on missed shots. %\ WKH HQG RI WKH VHFRQG TXDUWHU Newcastle had managed to maintain their one goal lead. A focussed half time team talk and some position changes had Newcastle set to dominate the second half of the game. The third quarter proved no less

&RDWHV RI DUPV .DWLH &RDWHV ZDV LQ ÂżQH IRUP DV 1HZFDVWOH EHDW ([HWHU WR VHW XS D WRXJK TXDUWHU ÂżQDO WLH DZD\ DW %UXQHO

tense than the previous two, with Newcastle showing their brilliance and then Exeter replying with just as much skill and determination. Newcastle were driving towards the ball and helping each other out more this quarter, and Kathryn Hurrell was running the edge of the circle, causing the Exeter defence no end of grief. With great interceptions from Rochelle Quigley as goal keeper and some nice feeds from player of the match, Katie Coates, the home side

were able to pull ahead by the end of the quarter, extending their lead to 36-33. Newcastle further exerted themselves as the superior of the two WHDPV DW WKH VWDUW RI WKH ÀQDO TXDUWHU pulling 12 goals ahead. Exeter were far from down and out though, and showed grit and determination to close the lead down. Rachel Saville and Rochelle Quigley prevented the Exeter girls getting too close with some incredible interceptions.

With just seconds to go Newcastle heaped on the pressure, and Rochelle Quigley made a stunning interception to allow one more Newcastle goal. This extended the home side’s lead WR VHYHQ JRDOV DW IXOO WLPH D ÀQH UHsult which will see the Royals brimPLQJ ZLWK FRQÀGHQFH DKHDG RI WKHLU TXDUWHU ÀQDO FODVK ZLWK %UXQHO QH[W week. And Newcastle will travel to London with high hopes that this could well be their year.

More hockey heartbreak for Royals Men’s Hockey

Newcastle 1sts Loughborough 2nds

0 1

Charley Wright at Longbenton After relegation from Northern Conference 1A Newcastle were looking to cause a huge upset in the Trophy at the Stan Calvert Memorial pitch, taking on the country’s most prestigious university for sport at one of its strongest disciplines. %XW HDUO\ LQWR WKH ÀUVW KDOI LW ZDV clear that the teams were going to be evenly matched. Although Loughborough maintained possession for PXFK RI WKH ÀUVW WHQ PLQXWHV 1HZcastle never looked in danger of conceding, a testament to a strong defence. :LWK WKH ÀUVW WHQ PLQXWHV JRQH the Royals settled into the pace of the game. With darting runs from captain Ian Rossiter and sublime skill from Ollie Fraser the home side looked highly threatening, soon winning a penalty corner through Fraser’s industrious hassling on the

front line of defence. 0LNH 6HGFROH FRXOG RQO\ Ă€QG WKH ÂśNHHSHU¡V SDGV ZLWK KLV GUDJ Ă LFN attempt but it was not long before he was given a second opportunity from the top of the ‘D’. Aggravatingly for Sedcole and Newcastle, the penalty corner injection was erratic, forcing him wide with his strike coming to nothing. The fans were hoping for Newcastle to show a sharpness in front of goal which has been severely lacking in this season’s campaign, with chances coming to Fraser and midĂ€HOG VXSUHPH 5ROOR /HZLV EXW HQGing without a result. Soon Lewis tested the away defence, running dangerously into the ‘D’ and winning a penalty corner, but once again the chance went begging, a Fraser strike this time not troubling the ‘keeper. After holding strong for 30 minutes, Newcastle became lax in defence, allowing Loughborough their Ă€UVW FKDQFH VKRUWO\ IROORZHG E\ D controversial penalty stroke decision. With the Royals in disbelief it was up to Ed Cracknell in goal to keep

the score at 0-0. With impressive agility Cracknell reached the stroke low to his left, desperately in search of a rare clean sheet. The half time whistle came soon after this moment of inspiration from Cracknell, with Newcastle on the back foot. It was clear to all that the team who started the second period stronger would be in a great position going LQ WR WKH Ă€QDO ZKLVWOH ZLWK ERWK GHIHQFHV KROGLQJ Ă€UP It was the travelling side who showed more urgency and impetus after the break, moving the home defence around with consummate skill and tireless running. 6XGGHQO\ D TXLFN Ă€UH UHYHUVH VWLFN strike from a Loughborough forward slammed against the bar with Cracknell rooted to the spot. Instead of serving as a wake-up call, the close shave drew Newcastle further into their increasingly nervous shell. Loughborough, seizing the opportunity to take advantage in the tie, worked a hard ball through a crowd RI SOD\HUV LQ WKH Âś'¡ Ă€ULQJ D GHĂ HFtion from a forward into the back of

the net to take the lead. Now with nothing to lose Newcastle started to play the hockey they are capable of, frustrating the away side with their control of the ball. However, the plague of the Royal’s season continued to blight them at the most crucial of times, exemSOLĂ€HG E\ D RQH RQ RQH FKDQFH IRU Rossiter going begging for a more FOLQLFDO Ă€QLVK Still, the home side did not falter in their efforts, continuing to attack with belief that they could overcome WKHLU FXUVH :LWK Ă€YH PLQXWHV UHmaining, a pin-point pass from man of the match Charley Wright found forward Hector Hall. On the by-line, with solely the ‘keeper to beat and Rossiter comPLWWHG WR WKH GHĂ HFWLRQ DWWHPSW +DOO FRXOG DJRQLVLQJO\ RQO\ Ă€QG WKH outstretched padding of the Loughborough ‘keeper. 7KH Ă€QDO ZKLVWOH FDPH ZLWK 1HZcastle on a promising attack, signifyLQJ WKH HQG RI WKHLU %8&6 FDPSDLJQ for the 2009-10 season. The side were OHIW WR UHĂ HFW RQ ZKDW FRXOG KDYH been and must now look forward to bouncing back next year.

42

Monday 15 February 2010 THE COURIER

Sport J. WEEDEN

Savitt stars as rampant Royals turn the screw Men’s Football

Newcastle 1sts Teesside 1sts

6 0

Jamie Gavin Sports Editor at Cochrane Park Newcastle produced the best display of their BUCS campaign to put six past Teesside at Cochrane Park. Fresher Ed Savitt grabbed a hattrick for the hosts, and he will deservedly take the plaudits after a PDJQLĂ€FHQW GLVSOD\ LQ ZKLFK KLV personal tally could have been even greater. He led the line superbly, and used his physical strength and height to be a constant thorn in the side of the visitors, who quite simply could not deal with the centre-forward. But it was the all-round team performance which will be the most pleasing factor for the Royals, who – particularly during the second period – played some mesmerising IRRWEDOO RQ D GDPS DQG GLIĂ€FXOW VXUface. They emerged with a two goal advantage from what was a relatively HYHQ Ă€UVW KDOI WKDQNV WR D UDUH JRDO for centre back Andrew Hartley, and 6DYLWW¡V Ă€UVW MXVW EHIRUH WKH LQWHUYDO However the hosts took a while to get into their stride, and a sluggish start dealt Teesside two ample opportunities to open the scoring inside ten minutes. 7KH Ă€UVW FDPH DIWHU D GHIHQVLYH error allowed a Teesside striker to burst through the centre. And he looked to have controlled his right foot shot well, but ‘keeper Matt Thorpe was equal to it, and the IUHVKHU SXOOHG RII D Ă€QH VDYH WR VDYH his side’s blushes early on. 7KH 5R\DOV HQMR\HG D VHFRQG OHW RII VRRQ DIWHU ZKHQ PLGĂ€HOGHU 0LNH Forrest looked to have brought

down a Teesside winger inside the box. But the referee instead opted to give an indirect free-kick to Teesside for obstruction, dismissing the away side’s cries for a penalty. The resulting set piece was charged down bullishly by Newcastle, and the home side took advantage of their early luck to take the lead moments later. A free-kick from the half way line was pumped forward, and Savitt Ă LFNHG RQ LQ WR WKH SDWK RI $QGUHZ Hartley, who was able to score his Ă€UVW HYHU JRDO IRU WKH FOXE ZKHQ D last ditch tackle came in, causing the ball to cannon off the centre-half and into the back of the net. But despite taking the lead the Royals still lacked an element of sharpness, and they failed to maintain possession in the scrappy period that ensued after the opener. And Teesside were unlucky not to be on level terms when a centre forward was allowed to cross from the by-line to his strike partner, who looked certain to score from close range, but for a block off the line from Hartley to complete his eventful opening half hour. From the resulting corner NewcasWOH EURNH DQG D FURVV Ă€HOG WKURXJK ball from Tom Milnes put winger Martin Hill in the clear, but the away keeper produced a superb save to deny him one-on-one. However his efforts were ultimately in vein as the home side doubled their lead on 40 minutes. Luke Hammett looked assured at right back WKURXJKRXW WKH JDPH DQG LW ZDV Ă€WWLQJ WKDW KLV FURVV OHG WR 6DYLWW¡V Ă€UVW and the Royals’ second. He overlapped Hill down the ULJKW DQG VZXQJ LQ WKH EDOO WR Ă€QG a composed Savitt, who let the ball run across him before swivelling to dispatch a thumping half volley into the top corner from 15 yards.

Savitt on song: Ed Savitt’s hat-trick helped Newcastle on their way to a resounding 6-0 victory over Teesside at Cochrane Park

It was in the second period though where the home side’s dominance told. Hill produced a fantastic 45 minute display down the right, and he gave the Teesside left back a torrid time, turning him inside-out on numerous occasions. It was one of his bursts down the Ă DQN WKDW OHG WR 1HZFDVWOH¡V WKLUG ZLWK WKH Ă HHW IRRWHG +LOO EHDWLQJ KLV man before a pin-point cross was met by Milnes, who poked home from close range. If Hill’s trickery and pace wasn’t enough already for the visitors, the Royals threw on the classy Will Deledicq, who in 30 minutes showed an array of skill and neat touches to take the game well beyond the away side. It wasn’t long before he was on the VFRUH VKHHW ZKHQ D GHIW Ă€QLVK IURP

the edge of the area looped over the helpless Teesside ‘keeper to make it 4-0. And a neat one-two with Hill almost led to what would have been DQ RXWVWDQGLQJ Ă€IWK JRDO EXW DV +LOO FURVVHG WR 6DYLWW WKH VWULNHU Ă€UHG straight at the ‘keeper from close range. The fresher soon made amends, when winger Mike Peace – excelling RQ WKH RWKHU Ă DQN ² FURVVHG WR Ă€QG him at the back post, and Savitt controlled well before placing the ball XQGHU WKH ÂśNHHSHU WR PDNH LW Ă€YH Not content with this, the Royals FRQWLQXHG WR SUHVV DQG D GHĂ HFWHG shot from Hill struck the bar, agonizingly denying him a richly deserved goal to cap an exhilarating second half performance. Still hungry for more, Newcastle added a sixth when Deldicq’s cross

was met with a glancing header from Mike Forrest, who was able to pick out the unmarked Savitt at the far post, and he made no mistake, taking a touch before completing his KDW WULFN ZLWK D OHIW IRRW ÀQLVK IURP close range. The result gives Newcastle vital breathing space in BUCS league 2B, and will ensure their efforts will now be focussed on chasing the top WZR VLGHV <RUN DQG 6KHIÀHOG IRU WKH remainder of the season. The leading pair faced each other last week and shared the spoils, leaving Newcastle eight points behind second-placed York, with a game in hand. The Royals will travel to unbeaten OHDJXH OHDGHUV 6KHIÀHOG WKLV ZHHN where they will no doubt look to build on what was a pulsating performance.

+XGGHUVÀHOG FUXVK 1HZFDVWOH SURPRWLRQ KRSHV Men’s Football

+XGGHUVĂ€HOG VWV Newcastle 3rds

4 1

Joe Baker +XGGHUVÀHOG DOO EXW HQGHG 1HZFDVtle’s hopes of promotion with a 4-1 win in a game that the Royals could not afford to lose. $IWHU D ZLQ LQ WKH KRPH À[WXUH WKH 5R\DOV ZHQW WR +XGGHUVÀHOG with high expectations of gaining a YLWDO WKUHH SRLQWV LQ RUGHU WR ÀUPO\ establish their position as title contenders. 1HZFDVWOH NQHZ WKDW +XGGHUVÀHOG were a strong and physical team and would bite and grind away until they found a breakthrough, and it was imperative that the Royals got

off to a good start. +RZHYHU IRU WKH Ă€UVW KDOI 1HZFDVWOH GLGQ¡W FRPH RXW Ă \LQJ DQG looked sluggish and lethargic. Their passing wasn’t sharp, they weren’t winning the 50/50 balls and they looked vulnerable from the off. The slow start proved costly and +XGGHUVĂ€HOG SRXQFHG RQ 1HZFDVWOH¡V ZHDNQHVVHV DQG ZLWKLQ WKH Ă€UVW twenty minutes of the game scored three goals leaving the Royals with an uphill battle. Newcastle were failing to do the EDVLFV ULJKW DQG WKH Ă€UVW WZR JRDOV they conceded came from set plays. 7KH Ă€UVW ZDV D JHQXLQH PLVWDNH E\ the Newcastle keeper as he came to catch the high ball and slightly misMXGJHG WKH VSHHG DQG YHORFLW\ LW ZDV travelling at, and the ball ended up Ă \LQJ RYHU KLV KHDG LQWR WKH EDFN RI

the net. The second goal was inexcusable. It was a basic case of not marking tight enough at a corner and the +XGGHUVÀHOG PLGÀHOGHU KDG D VLPSOH MRE RI QRGGLQJ LQ DQ XQFRQWHVWHG header. The Royals needed to react brightly and salvage a goal in order for the game not to run away from then. However after conceding two HDUO\ JRDOV FRQÀGHQFH ZDV DW D ORZ and when a call for offside wasn’t JLYHQ WKH +XGGHUVÀHOG DWWDFNHU UDQ through and neatly slotted the ball to his team mate who tapped it home. The game looked almost over. Newcastle managed to go into half time without conceding another goal but had barely tested the HudGHUVÀHOG JRDONHHSHU DQG LW ZDV FOHDU a change in tactics was needed.

Newcastle needed to take the game WR +XGGHUVÀHOG DQG WKH FKDQJHV seemed to work a treat, as in the second half Newcastle looked like a FRPSOHWHO\ GLIIHUHQW RXWÀW They passed the ball with speed and accuracy, they contested headers and were coming out on top in the 50/50 challenges. The hard work paid off, as early in the second half a ball was slipped through from the right to Matt Gouland who decided to take a shot on ÀUVW WLPH DQG EHDXWLIXOO\ VWUXFN D left foot screamer, from well outside the box, straight into the back of the net. At 3-1, and a good thirty minutes remaining, there was a newfound sense of belief as a heroic comeback was certainly on the cards. Unfortunately on this occasion the Royals

ZHUH MXVW GHDOW WKH ZURQJ KDQG Baker came close on two occasions, once hitting the bar and moments later he saw a header whistle deVSDLULQJO\ MXVW RYHU )XUWKHU FKDQFHV were created and Ripley and Smith came close to scoring and a clear cut penalty was waved away to Murphy’s astonishment. However the best chance of the game fell to Houlton. The ball landed at his feet a mere 8 yards out but he somehow managed to completeO\ à XII KLV VKRW DQG WKH EDOO DOPRVW went out for a throw in. Newcastle continued to battle hard and were by far the better team in the second half, but the breakthrough never quite came and HudGHUVÀHOG VHFXUHG WKH YLFWRU\ LQ WKH dying minutes with a long range free kick.

THE COURIER Monday 15 February 2010

43

Sport

Gravestock stars as Politique deal Real blow to Leazes’ title hopes

Dyslexic down Lokomotiv after late penalty drama

J. WEEDEN

Intra Mural Football Division One

Intra Mural Football Division One

Castle Leazes Real Politique

1 2

Dyslexic Lokomotiv

3 2

Colin Henrys at Cochrane Park

Dan Robinson at Close House

Real Politique had to withhold a strong second-half comeback by Castle Leazes, to edge a tight match 2-1 at Cochrane Park. 3ROLWLTXH ZHUH JUDWHIXO IRU Ă€UVW KDOI goals from Matt Marchington and captain Jack Gravestock, as Adam Fearn’s long-range strike proved in vain for Leazes. The Politicians took the lead within twenty seconds of Leazes’ NLFN RII D ORQJ EDOO RYHU WKH GHIHQFH was brought down by Marchington, ZKR Ă€QLVKHG SDVW WKH RQUXVKLQJ goalkeeper to subject The Yellows to the worst possible start. With the slope in their favour, Politique dominated the opening exchanges. Gravestock was unable to hit the target from close-range, and a deep cross to Marchington was headed wide at the back post. In response, Leazes rarely troubled the opposition defence. A tame shot by David McMillan was their only notable effort on goal. Politique managed to double their lead shortly before half-time, albeit in rather fortunate circumstances. Haphazard Leazes’ defending saw the ball break to Gravestock unmarked in the area. The chance looked to be over as he only managed a tame shot, but as the Politique captain let out a cry of disappointment, the goalkeeper managed to dive over the ball, allowing it to squirm over the line to the amusement of Gravestock’s team-mates. Leazes responded well though, and came out for the second-half looking like a much better side despite nearly conceding another just seconds after the half kicked off. Their left-back was dispossessed on the edge of the box and could only ZDWFK DV 3ROLWLTXH¡V VKRW Ă DVKHG wide. The slope was clearly going to play more in Leazes’ favour this half, and they looked to exploit the aerial dominance of ‘Crouchy’ Mellor with some direct football. It was a goalkeeping error that led to their goal though. A poor goal-kick went straight to Fearn, just inside the Politique half, and he struck the ball perfectly from \DUGV WR Ă€QG WKH EDFN RI WKH QHW

Dyslexic scored a fortuitous win on Wednesday, as they put Lokomotiv to the sword courtesy of two late penalties. The 3-2 victory put an end to their recent losing streak to get their season back on track, but it could have been what has become a familiar scenario as they trailed with just ten minutes to go. There was almost a goal within seconds as immediate pressure from the Loko forwards on the opposition defence saw them pick up a loose EDOO 7KH VWULNHU PD\ KDYH Ă€UHG LW over the crossbar, but it signalled a statement of intent. However, it was Dyslexic who RSHQHG WKH VFRULQJ DIWHU MXVW Ă€YH minutes, as Sal Mohammed made a rare venture into the opposition box WR Ă LFN RQ $GDP &RQFKLH¡V FRUQHU beyond the ‘keeper at the near post. During the next 20 minutes, both sides created a number of chances, with Dyslexic missing the opportunity to put the game to bed as Andy Matthews was twice denied by goal line clearances. Loko also found luck hard to come by in front of goal, as Sam Topach lifted the ball over the ‘keeper, only WR Ă€QG LW ERXQFH DJRQLVLQJO\ RII WKH post. Josh Crawford was to thank for saving Dyslexic on the second occasion, as he came off his line quickly to smother the ball from the feet of WKH /RNR PLGĂ€HOGHU DIWHU KH ZDV sent through by Steve Mclovin. Dyslexic’s most notable chance came on the hour mark when some neat play by Shevill and Matthews ended in the latter centring the ball for Chris Wortley. He struggled to PHHW WKH GHOLYHU\ ZLWK D Ă€UP FRQnection and saw his effort go wide of the post to spare Loko’s blushes and bare his own. As the half grew longer, Loko pressed harder, and eventually snatched an equaliser. An unlucky bounce off the back of a Dyslexic player following a clearance was pounced on by Mclovin. Crawford could only parry the striker’s shot back into his path, and he made no mistake in slotting home. Loko took heart from this, and then the lead, with Mclovin again WKH VFRUHU DV KH GHĂ€HG KLV VPDOO VWDWure to rise above the Dyslexic players, after a defensive frenzy to head past the ‘keeper. This prompted Dyslexic to change to a more attack-minded 3-5-2 formation, and the raise in tempo paid off in the closing stages, although thanks would go to the whistle of the referee as he awarded two penalties. 7KH Ă€UVW RQH DSSHDUHG GXELRXV with little contact seemingly made on Conchie as he burst through enemy lines. However, there was no doubt about the second one as Laurence Jackson was clearly felled in the area. On both occasions, Dani Shevill stepped up to side foot into either corner to condemn Loko to an undeserved defeat. The good spirit of the match was slightly tainted at the end, as a horror tackle on Jackson saw the Loko defender issued a red card to leave his side to see out the game with ten men.

Edged out: goals from Matt Marchington and Jack Gravestock were enough for Real Politique to secure victory over Castle Leazes

and give Leazes a way back into the match. From then on, Leazes dominated proceedings. Left-winger Matt Ellams had several chances from longrange but failed to hit the target once, while some resolute defending denied Fearn a second after two shots from the edge of the area were charged down. Leazes were camped in the Politique half but, as the game’s conclusion drew nearer, they began to get desperate allowing Politique to

launch a couple of dangerous counter-attacks. Marchington beat the ‘keeper from one quick break, only for the shot WR Ă DVK QDUURZO\ ZLGH DQG *UDYHstock had a half-chance saved. Still, Leazes continued to bombard the Politique area, and in the dying seconds they almost snatched a point. A good through-ball found Mellor in space behind the defence but he prodded the ball low and straight into the goalkeeper’s grateful arms.

Referee Steve Catchpole blew the ÀQDO ZKLVWOH MXVW PRPHQWV ODWHU leaving Leazes to wonder what might have been. It was a far from accomplished disSOD\ E\ 3ROLWLTXH EXW WKHLU ÀUVW KDOI performance led by their impressive captain, Gravestock, certainly merited the three points. For Leazes meanwhile, their defeat leaves them clinging desperately to WKHLU VOLP KRSHV RI ÀQLVKLQJ WRS RI the league.

Dramatic Dixon brace punishes Barca Intra Mural Football Division One

Garnett Barca-Law-Na

2 1

Paul Christian Sports Editor at Close House A nip and tuck victory for Garnett over Barca-Law-Na proved old habits die hard. It’s now three years since the Lawmen recorded a win over the current champions, and they won’t come much closer than this. A Steve Dixon double did the damage in the closing stages of the game, after Barca had led for most of the second half. The result drags last year’s title contenders into a YHU\ UHDO UHOHJDWLRQ ÀJKW VRPHWKLQJ

the current players will relish based on this performance. Garnett have their backs up. 7KH\¡UH QRW LQ IXOO Ă RZ EXW VWLOO winning games - the clichĂŠd sign of champions. Yet when push comes to shove, the work ethic is there to endorse the quality - the true sign of champions. Five minutes into the game and 'L[RQ KDG KLV Ă€UVW FKDQFH $ ORYHO\ through ball by Craig was ill-received by the striker and Barca recovered well. Harbinson managed to stay on the SLWFK ORQJHU WKDQ Ă€YH PLQXWHV IRU the Lawmen, using his sharp football brain to sound effect instead of KLV Ă€VWV EXW IHZ FKDQFHV ZHUH FRQjured. The pitch was heavy making every

direction seem uphill and, as the hail began to pelt, pained expressions pondered ‘why am I here?’ Nevertheless both teams got on with it, KDSS\ WR KDYH D PDWFK IRU WKH Ă€UVW time in a year. The second half was eclipsed by the peerless Dixon, however Barca warranted more from the game. $Q DOO ,ULVK FHQWUDO PLGĂ€HOG FRQtrolled the pace at times, frustrated only by a lack of bite up front. At the other end Kilvington, fresh from the postal picket lines, launched some typically dangerous balls into the box from the left. Dhand likewise from the right. Still no luck. Then Barca struck. Harbinson feigned a shot electing to loft a delicate chip pass to Murray. It was a JRRG Ă€QLVK EXW WKH SDVV ZDV GH-

licious. Think Cantona to Irwin against Spurs. Garnett responded with Patel breaking from right back. He struck ORZ DFURVV WKH ER[ WKH NHHSHU KHOG well. Moran was next, missing from six yards and Garnett faced defeat for only the second time this year. The Lawmen have no luck though. 'L[RQ¡V Ă€UVW ZDV D VWULNHU¡V JRDO his second a masterclass. He leaped above a static Barca defence to level the scores before sprinting free with a minute to spare and delicately dinking the ball over the helpless keeper. $ JRDO Ă€W WR ZLQ WKH JDPH GHVSLWH the fact Barca clearly deserved a draw. As clubs in the country’s top tier turn to dust, Intra Mural still gleams on high.

44

Monday 15 February 2010 THE COURIER

Tom James goes clay target shooting > Page 38 Sports Editors: Paul Christian, Jamie Jamie Gavin and Tomand James - courier.sport@ncl.ac.uk Sports Editors: Paul Christian, Gavin Tom James - courier.sport@ncl.ac.uk

Royals win Calvert dress rehearsal Newcastle move up to third in BUCS table after memorable home win over rivals J. WEEDEN

Men’s Rugby Union

Newcastle 1sts Northumbria 1sts

31 17

Jonathan Taylor at Cochrane Park A spirited performance from the Royals last Wednesday gave Newcastle the temporary bragging rights over their arch-rivals, and more importantly the psychological edge ahead of the crucial and eagerly awaited Stan Calvert showdown on Sunday February 28. On a bitterly cold afternoon at Cochrane Park, it was the Royals who turned up the heat ahead of the Stan Calvert face-off between Newcastle and Northumbria, comfortably winning the clash 31-17. The falling snow prior to kick-off looked ominous, with the prospect RI D Ă XHQW JDPH XQGHU WKUHDW IURP the weather. However, to the credit of both teams, the game was far from played in a negative manner, and proved to be an outstanding display of counter-attacking rugby. $IWHU D KHFWLF VWDUW WR WKH JDPH Ă€ UVW blood was drawn by the Poly. After indiscipline at the break-down, the 5R\DOV FRQFHGHG WKH Ă€ UVW SRLQWV RI the match, courtesy of the visiting Ă \ KDOI¡V ERRW This, however, proved a minor setback for the rampant hosts, who VFRUHG WKH Ă€ UVW WU\ RI WKH PDWFK LQ dazzling fashion moments later. $IWHU D JUHDW EUHDN IURP Ă \ KDOI (G Yarnton, his precise grubber kick split the Northumbria defence, alORZLQJ Ă DQNHU 7RP 'UXPPRQG to run after and touch down with ease. The try was then converted by leftZLQJHU $GDP $UPVWURQJ Ă€ ULQJ WKH Royals into an early 7-3 lead. The following ten minutes proved disjointed, with the referee awarding an array of penalties to both sides. The scoreboard remained unVFDWKHG KRZHYHU ZLWK Ă€ UVW $UP VWURQJ DQG WKHQ WKH 3RO\ Ă \ KDOI hitting the upright from long-range penalties. With 30 minutes on the clock, it was the turn of the visitors to play quick, expansive rugby, with a number of impressive back-line moves narrowly thwarted by the committed

Crunch time: Harry Peck lines up his opposite number during Newcastle’s impressive 31-17 win over Northumbria. The two teams meet again at Gateshead in 13 days time

Royal defence. First full-back Gavin Hadley, and then captain Harrison Pickervance repelled the Poly onslaught with last-gasp tackling inside their own 22. Newcastle consistently struggled to slow the ball down, and conFHGHG WKHLU À UVW WU\ RI WKH DIWHUQRRQ À YH PLQXWHV EHIRUH WKH EUHDN $I

ter stealing the ball from the ruck, (G <DUQWRQ¡V FOHDUDQFH NLFN ZDV FKDUJHG GRZQ E\ WKH 3RO\ Ă DQNHU who gratefully went on to touch down effortlessly +RZHYHU WKH Ă€ UVW KDOI UROOHU FRDVW er persisted only minutes later, with 5R\DOV¡ ORFN 6KDXQ (QJOLVK VFRULQJ a superb solo try. After receiving the EDOO RXWVLGH RI WKH (QJOLVK EULO

liantly dissected the Poly defence, showing impressive pace to touch down under the posts. $UPVWURQJ¡V UHVXOWLQJ FRQYHUVLRQ gave Newcastle a deserved 14-10 lead at half-time, in a game that was proving more unpredictable than -RKQ 7HUU\¡V ORYH OLIH The second half began in a perfect fashion for the hosts, scoring their

third try of the match within only À YH PLQXWHV RI WKH UHVWDUW After a great backline move from Tom Rainey and the industrious Yarnton, the Royals outside centre found himself in acres of space, expertly beating the Poly full-back to record another impressive score for the hosts. Continued on page 36

Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.