Redbrick - 22nd November 2013

Redbrick

22nd - 28th November 2013

Est. 1936

Students Occupy Senate Chamber

Charlotte Wilson

Feminism: It's Hard Out Here Comment // page 8

Redbrick Reflects: Lily Allen's Renaissance Music // page 16

Vol. 78. Issue 1438. www.redbrick.me

Adam Rowe

Online News Editor

@adamrowe93

Students who are part of Defend Education, an educational activist group, went into occupation of the Aston Webb Senate Chambers on Wednesday evening.

According to social media, the group remained in occupation as of Thursday morning, saying that they were 'still going strong'.

The group Defend Education have made a list of demands focusing on equal pay, improvements for student and staff democracy and also have personally demanded that the Vice-Chancellor 'David Eastwood and the University of Birmingham should publicly take back their position that fees should be increased'.

Defend Education have issued a formal statement on their website, saying 'The Senate was, historically, the place in which the academic community came together to discuss and decide the direction of the University.

'Today, this has evolved into a box to be ticked, a bureaucratic procedure of approval which carries little weight, in which very little can be debated or contested, and in which the few academics and even fewer students are routinely ignored and powerless.

'We have chosen this site to occupy as it is symbolic of the way in which University management has steadily decreased the democratic power and representation of both students, staff and academics, and we feel this needs to change.

'Defend Education believe that staff and students should have more power in every level of university decision making.

Currently a small class of senior managers benefit disproportionately from the fees and work of staff and students. They have total unaccountable power to harm our interests within the university and lobby against our interests outside it.

'We are fighting this campaign to try and put pressure on the university to directly accept the following demands; but also because we wish to start a debate and dialogue among students and workers at the University about the kind of institution we want it to be and how we can bring this about.'

In a comment to Redbrick, the University stated that 'Universities are places of free speech and we respect the rights of students to protest peacefully and within the law. Our priority is the safety and well being of our students, staff and the wider community and we are concerned where any protest poses a potential hazard to protesters or bystanders, or causes unwarranted disruptions to study or work, or damage to property. We are particularly concerned that the actions of this small number of students is diverting safety and security resources and potentially diminishing the safety of our 28,000 other students.'

Tom Wragg (VPDR) spoke to Redbrick saying that he thought that the students were in occupation because they felt that the university was in suport of the corportisation of universities and the selling off of the loan book.

I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here Television // page 18

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22nd - 28th November 2013

News Tweet of the Week

Anita Anand @tweeter_anita

Society Spotlight

Live & Unsigned Music SOC Live & Unsigned Music Society (LUMsoc) provides the student areas of the University with live music. LUMsoc promote live and unsigned acts as well as informing members of the best new music, particularly from the local area. LUMsoc welcomes anyone in a band, or anyone who loves going to gigs or who enjoys a chilled night out. There are gigs organised once a month both at the Vale and in Selly Oak, showcasing a variety of unsigned acts from around the Birmingham area talents.

To contact LUMsoc - email livemusic@guild.bham.ac.uk, tweet @LUMSOCBrum or facebook Live & Unsigned Music Society.

Online in Redbrick News

Redbrick on the Week News Reporter Samhia Sharif looks at the biggest international, national and local stories of the past week, including the aftermath of typhoon Haiyan, contraversy over states elected to the UN Human Rights Council, University staff strike and a needle stabbing suspect released in Birmingham

Yes 70% Photo of the Week: 'Lost in the moment' Michael Jevon

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3

VPDR Wragg discusses Fossil Free campaign launch At the beginning of the month, the Fossil Free campaign was launced at UoB, with the aim of urging universities to divest from fossil fuels by 2020.

Organised by 350.org and People & Planet Society, the Fossil Free event saw speeches by American activist Bill McKibben, as well as UoB student Alice Swift and VPDR Tom Wragg.

Deborah Hermanns spoke to Wragg to find out more about the campaign and why he feels it is important.

What is the idea behind the Fossil Free campaign?

The idea came out of scientific evidence from the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Carbon Tracker Initiative (based at the London School of Economics).

Additional finance and investments work by PwC, HSBC, McKinsey and various others on the speed by which we need to deal with what I will suggest is somewhat of a crisis, has highlighted this issue within the finance sector.

This also brings about the potential of creating equitable social and economic change to the way our energy systems work.

The size of current conventional fossil fuel reserves (that are economically and technologically feasible to extract) is around three times bigger than the global carbon budget to 2050.

The global carbon budget is defined (roughly) as the amount of carbon dioxide, and other greenhouse gases, that can be emitted into the atmosphere between two time boundaries. The IPCC defined a global carbon budget for the first time this Autumn in the first part of the Fifth Assessment Report. The Carbon Tracker Initiative released a report called 'Unburnable carbon 2013: Wasted capital and stranded assets'.

In this, the group detail how there is a 'carbon bubble' that is set to burst. With the fossil fuel reserves already too large for the carbon budget, these assets are stranded and not able to be extracted and burned. Indeed, carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology will only increase the amount of fossil fuels that can be extracted, by around 10% to 2050.

What are you trying to achieve with the Fossil Free campaign on an international and also, a local level?

The Fossil Free campaign recognises that there is a high amount of money held in the investments of higher education institutions, including long term investments and pensions (held in the University Superannuation Scheme, for example). UK universities are currently investing up to 62.2 billion pounds in pensions and long-term investments. Of which 5 billion is invested in the Fossil Free industry, which equates to over a 1000 pounds per student. The Fossil Free campaign aims to get institutions to recognise the risk that a carbon bubble poses, and to divest from companies and investments which are exposed to this risk before the bubble bursts. This divestment also gives an opportunity for investment in low carbon companies, and maybe even co-operatives and community-focused investments which impact positively on local economies in the long term, whilst delivering a return in the short term. Investing in tobacco and arms companies is now seen as an inappropriate and unethical choice for institutions.

However, investment in fossil fuels is something which is still seen as being OK, due to this very real investment risk. The University

of Birmingham holds £89m worth of ‘longterm investments’ in commodities, hedgefunds, cash, convertibles, bonds, equities and other forms. Some of these investments are exposed to the carbon bubble – even if the risk is spread using small investments in individual companies and schemes.

There is the opportunity of the creation of a million climate jobs, and the UK is very well placed for taking advantage of renewable energy. But the government is backing fracking and unconventional fossil fuels instead, which perpetuates the same problems and brings us closer to climate change.

If the university wants to be seen as a leader in sustainable development then it needs to divest from fossil fuels and invest in our future, because students are the ones who will have to deal with the problems caused by the previous generation.

In short, we are asking the University of Birmingham to divest from fossil fuels by 2020, which gives them enough time to find alternatives, and we are asking students to sign a petition in support of this.

What are students in Birmingham planning for the campaign in the upcoming future?

So in the past we held the Fossil Free event in the Great Hall and 400 people attended it, including academics, students and senior staff. At the event I gave a letter with our demands and the “Knowledge and Power” report to the Assistant Director of Finance, and the Fossil Free campaign group will be proposing priority areas to be divested from to the Finance team.

There is also a Fossil Free campaign group who are meeting every Wednesday at 3pm and from there we will be planning future action.

Finally, there is an online petition at http://campaigns.gofossilfree.org/petitions/ fossil-free-uob which all students are asked to sign. The Fossil Free campaign group and People and Planet Society are also planning 'Go Green Week' for February at the moment, where there will be a lot of events surrounding climate change and this campaign in particular. There will also be an event about employability and low carbon and ethical sectors.

How successful do you imagine the campaign is going to be, again on both an international and local level?

The campaign started in the U.S. last year and has been called the fastsest investing campaign the world has ever seen by Oxford researchers. Nationally there are 35 campaigns in the campaign, which are added to over 300 in the U.S. The City of Seattle has divested from it and Cambridge University Students union has voted unanimously to encourage the Cambridge University to divest over 3 billion pounds.

In the past, divestment campaigns, i.e.

During the apartheid in South Africa and in

Meurig Gallagher the tobacco industry, have been a vital part of removing unethical industries and proposing alternatives. The campaign in the U.S. has already achieved significant wins, such as the University of Seattle and several colleges pledging to divest from fossil fuels. In the UK there are now 35 campuses supporting, as well as environmental activists, but also various faith groups involved with the campaign.

For example, the Quakers have already pledged to divest, with the campaign only a month old. Researchers at Oxford University have named it the fastest growing divestment campaign the world has ever seen.

In Birmingham, a lot of students and academics have shown their interest, and

there are already various student groups who have pledged to be fossil free societies, i.e. the Anglican society and Green students.

Hopefully, many more people will sign the petition and join the campaign.

The university have also engaged with this and recognized the carbon bubble as a legitimate problem, and therefore we are hopeful that they will cooperate with us within this campaign. Nonetheless, a lot of research on our campus and the jobs and opportunities offered seen as most prestigious, still give fossil fuel companies their license to operate. There is still a lot to do. Now that climate science is clear, we need to act on the facts and find solutions.

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22nd - 28th November 2013

News Education

Universities see national average drop in language courses Duncan Kenyon News Reporter

@DuncanKenyon1

The last 10 years has seen a significant drop in language courses. Compared to 105 universities offering language courses in the year 2000, only 62 universities did so in the academic year 2013/14.

Russell group universities, such as the University of Birmingham, may be becoming the only universities to teach languages

"an increase in employability awareness would stop this downward trend and encourage more people to take languages" according to Katrin Kohl, professor of German at Jesus College, Oxford and director of the Oxford German Network. But high grade requirements for these courses make it so only the very best linguists can pursue language degrees.

Around the country, 50% less places are

offering German degrees, 43% for French and 22% for Spanish. At Birmingham, 231 places were accepted on language courses in 2004 compared to 160 in 2012. The drop in applicants has however been much lower, with roughly 1,200 applications for single honours language courses in 2004, compared to roughly 1,150 in 2012.

Although many blame this on the scraping of a compulsory language GCSE in 2004, University of Birmingham’s language department points out that there wasn’t a fall in A level language courses until 2011/12.

But this isn’t down to a lack of interest in studying languages as the number of MOMD language courses being taken by students at the University of Birmingham have increased by 30% since last year. This allows students to reach GCSE standard or conversational standard within a year or A-level standard within 2 years. Therefore language take up is seeing a less dramatic fall than figures suggest.

In a statement to Redbrick, the university stated that an increase in employability awareness would stop this downward trend and encourage more people to take languages at A level and degree level. They also added that ‘the underlying issue is that the pipeline of students coming through prepared to do a language with appropriate GCSEs and A-levels is reducing.’

Millie Guy

VPE condemns possible privatisation of student loans Amid government plans to sel off student loans to private companies by 2015, Hattie Craig, the Vice President (Education) at the Guild of Students spoke to Redbrick about their worries that the policy would hit students and graduates the hardest.

‘The plans display a worrying kind of financial short-termism. Selling off student loans ties the government into subsidising private profit. The cost of this will be shifted to graduates and the taxpayer.

I’ve heard awful stories about the cost of student debt in the United States, where privatised student loans are commonplace.’

The VPE was also unconvinced by Business Secretary Vince Cable’s pledge that interest rates on student loans would not rise and that the proposals would not affect current students.

‘Vince Cable’s pledge doesn’t guarantee anything. Governments can’t legislate once they’re in the hands of private firms.

The pledge doesn’t mean much in the light of the Lib Dems’ past promises to students, either.’

Craig was not sure as to whether or

when the government would introduce these proposals, but did express hopes that the University of Birmingham would make a stand on behalf of its students.

‘I would love for the university to speak up for its students. I would really urge for the Vice-Chancellor to speak against [the sale of the student loanbook]; in light of his announcement of his support for uncapped fees, it often it seems hard to believe that he has students’ best interests at heart.’

She also spoke about the Guild’s plans to hold a meeting next week to coordinate the campaign against the decision. ‘The whole point of the open meeting is to allow students to decide what action to take.

I don’t want to dictate to students how they should campaign but rather facilitate and support their campaigning.’

Beth Clarke

Deborah Hermanns and Luke Sewell explain how the government policy is possible and what it could mean for students

936,000 students in England decided to take out a student loan to pay for their tuition fees this year.

Some did in the knowledge that they would pay it back at low interest rates and benefit from the advantages of a student loan, beating any loan offers made by banks. Most of the 936,000 students however, were not aware that the contract they signed with the government could be subject to change in the future.

The terms and conditions of the student loan state that ‘you must agree to repay your loan in line with the regulations that apply at the time the repayments are due and as they are amended.

The regulations may be replaced by later regulations.’ According to this clause, it was possible for the government to change the conditions of any student loan, even retrospectively. Until now that was just a theoretical threat but since June 2013, it has become a reality.

Shortly after this year’s A-Level exam results were released, Danny Alexander, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, announced the planned privatisation of the student loan book in a speech to Parliament, saying: ‘We will take action to sell off £15 billion worth of public assets by 2020 £10billion of that money will come from corporate and financial assets like the student loan book.’

The sale of the loan book could go two ways: the government must either change the conditions for students or offer a ‘sweetener’ for investors buying the loans, guaranteeing them a profit. In

order to persuade private firms to buy the loans, they are guaranteed a given level of annual profit, called a synthetic hedge.

The government can take this financial risk safe in the knowledge that they can change the terms of student loans at any given point; without consent, without consultation and without a parliamentary vote. If the synthetic hedge ceases to profit the government, they can shift the long-term cost onto the shoulders of students and graduates.

Not everyone is convinced that the government’s plans make financial sense.

Martin Wolf, of the Financial Times, has gone as far as to call the proposal ‘economically illiterate’.

His biggest concern is that selling off student loans will not be sustainable in the medium to long term. Governments benefit from a far lower cost of borrowing than private firms, and as such would lose money in the long-term if they sold off the student loan-book.

However, if the government gets student loans off the public books before 2015, the public deficit will look substantially healthier by the time of the general election.

Currently, 18 MPs have signed a statement condemning the government’s proposal as a ‘grave error’.

The National Campaign against Fees and Cuts are also organising action to fight the privatisation of student loans, ‘with the aim of building action nationally in early 2014’.

22nd - 28th November 2013

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University Fundraising

The Guild of Students effort towards the Philippines disaster appeal

Beth Clarke News Editor

@beth__clarke

The Guild of Students societies and individual volunteers, including Carnival Rag, Oxfam Outreach, Planet and People, and some RA’s have pulled together in order to fundraise for the Philippines appeal through Disaster Emergency Committee (DEC).

"This is our opportunity to help those suffering in the Philippines instead of having that extra coffee at lunch, and chuck a couple pounds in our bucket"

Guild Marketing

Around campus Carnival Rag have organised a bucking shaking voluntary system where any students can take a bucket around campus for a few hours to collect money. These are available to rent out at Student Development in the Guild. They also constructing stands at the Hub and on campus with information on the worldwide

appeal and more opportunities to donate, both by cash or card.

An online platform has also been set up for students to donate through if they cannot get to campus.

Joe Alderman, President of Carnival Rag, spoke to Redbrick on the appeal, ‘this is one of the worst disasters to hit modern times 10,000 dead in one city alone. The news articles will die down, but hundreds of thouseands of people are still suffering and are in need of aid for months to come.

‘It is always heart-warming to know that UoB students want to come out to aid the international community. This is our opportunity to help those suffering in the Philippines - instead of having that extra coffee at lunch, come and chuck a couple of quid in our bucket.’

The Vice President of Activities and Development Molly Wright also commented, ‘after such devastation, it is inspiring to see students and student groups coming together to help contribute to the world wide aid effort to support the philippines through what has been a tragic time and will be a difficult foreseeable future. Anything the Guild and UoB can contribute will hopefully help in some way. If any students would like to be involved then I would encourage them to get in touch with student development and all contributions are appreciated.’

SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE RESIDENTS’ ASSOCIATIONS SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE THE GOVERNMENT IS SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SELLING OUR STUDENT LOANS. SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE COULD UP PAYING A LOT SALE SALE SALE YOU SALE SALEEND SALE SALE MORE, SALEFOR SALE SALE SALE LONGER THAN YOU EVER EXPECTED. SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE MONDAY 25TH NOVEMBER AT 10AM

E L A S R O F

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STUDENT LOAN

ELECTIONS

VOTING OPENS

VOTING CLOSES: FRIDAY 29TH NOVEMBER AT 4PM

You can vote in your Hall of Residence election by logging onto the Guild of Students’ website or your my.bham portal. The following residences are now open to vote in; Aitken Wing Elgar Court Jarratt Hall (including Metchley Hall) Liberty Court Liberty Gardens (including Liberty Close)

WHAT’S HAPPENING TO OUR STUDENT LOANS?

1.

Mason Maple Bank Pritchatt’s Park Shackleton Tennis Courts Victoria Hall 2.

To view the candidates standing in your Hall election please visit guildofstudents.com/elections

The government has revealed that it plans to sell our student loans to private investors by 2015. However, the government’s own estimates suggest that 40% will not pay back their debt in full, but some research suggests So why would a private investor want to buy our loans if it’s so unlikely they’ll get a decent return?

They won’t want to buy them if this is all they’ll be getting. This is why a sale to private investors means that our loan repayment terms could change. Student activism at the time of the fee vote meant concessions were granted in terms of more favourable loan conditions: you

pay back 9% of income over £21,000, interest rates are the Bank of England base rate +1%, so 1.5% right now, and we stop paying back after 30 years. However, none of these change them without a vote in Parliament.

3.

Right now the government have said they will not put the cost on students and will instead use government money to ensure private investors get a return on the loans. Not only was this branded ‘economically illiterate” by the Financial Times, but it shouldn’t be taken as any assurance that our conditions won’t change. If a government in the future wants to stop using government money they can, and will, transfer the cost to students and graduates by changing the terms of our loans.

Join the campaign to stop this. Open meeting 27th November, 6pm, Guild Council Chamber, Guild of Students.

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News Birmingham

Birmingham Children's Services given Government warning Evie Ryan

News Reporter

Last week the Department of Education announced that they will force a takeover of Birmingham’s failing Children’s Services department, unless there is significant improvement when Ofsted visit later this month.

The department, run by the City Council, has been rated as ‘inadequate’ by inspection body OFSTED every year since 2009.

A spokesman for the Department of Education announced that if Ofsted could not identify improvement in the coming weeks then serious action would have to be

taken.

The head of the department Peter Hay was appointed in July as an interim until the end of the year, after a previous report from OFSTED signalled significant changes needed to be implemented.

Speaking about the challenges his department faces, Mr Hay adds: ‘The immediate position is unsafe for children and needs immediate action We need to get a department which responds to the concerns of staff and those responsible for children’.

The department has been heavily criticised in a series of reviews into child deaths including Khrya Ishaq and Keanu Williams.

One of the most prolific of these was brought up again in headlines last month following the release of a report into how

Children’s Services, amongst other agencies, missed warning signs and events which led the death of 2 year old Keanu Williams in 2011.

It found that social workers, doctors, nursery staff and police officers missed many opportunities to step in and put an end to the abuse the toddler suffered at the hands of Rebecca Shuttleworth, 27.

In a response to a report into the death of Keanu Williams, Ofsted’s Chief Inspector, Sir Michael Wilshaw said that the council efforts on the matter were a ‘national disgrace’.

Mr Hay identified that much of the problem has become due to not having ‘enough social workers to do great social work’, with many vacancies available throughout the

department for qualified and experienced staff.

Speaking on Radio 4’s Today Programme, he added: ‘I've heard people thinking about jobs say that they've been told not to come to Birmingham because it's a blot on their CV. I think that's unacceptable. I think coming to Birmingham should be part of everyone's CV because of the challenges and the professional excitement of working here.’

The news of the warning came just days after Michael Gove, the Education Secretary, announced a new, tougher line on resolving failing child services.

Birmingham City Council has until December to improve on this matter before the Department of Education takes over the running of this City Council Department.

Custard Factory winner at 2014 Urbanism Awards Oliver Norgate News Reporter

@ONorgate

Birmingham's Custard factory has won the Great Place award at the 2014 Urbanism Awards.

The Digbeth site was praised for its ‘catalytic effect on the economic and cultural growth of Birmingham’, seeing off competition from St Nicholas Market, Bristol and Cathedral Square, Peterborough.

The complex was built by Sir Alfred Bird, inventor of instant custard, and was nearly demolished in the 1990s before developer Bennie Gray secured a deal to save the site.

It now composes a vibrant part of Birmingham's creative area; containing various night clubs and popular independent local cafes and shops.

Mr Gray hailed the award, only one of five given by the Academy of Urbanism at the London ceremony, saying ‘We launched the

Custard Factory against a backdrop of post-industrial urban decline, but we recognised the beauty of the buildings.

‘There was always a lot of vitality and potential in the city, but to reignite its culture and economy, it desperately needed somewhere for the people with big ideas to meet, work, collaborate, innovate, shop and generally make things happen.’

Kevin Murray, chairman of The Academy of Urbanism, added: ‘These awards celebrate inspirational and heroic stories of places that are saved, turned around, rediscovered and rejuvenated.

‘Great places don’t just happen, they are planned, shaped and supported by human endeavour which is why, against tough competition, the Custard Factory is this year’s deserving winner in the Great Place category’ The Urbanism Awards are aimed towards promoting and recognising great places in Europe that have positively improved the area's social, economic and physical environment.

Matthew Jenkins

Birmingham to host 2018 World Indoor Athletics Championships Tara Dein

News Reporter The City of Birmingham has been selected as the bi-annual host city for the 2018 World Indoor Athletics Championships.

The news was announced on Sunday by the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF), chaired by President Laime Diack.

The event will take place a year after the 2017 London World Indoor Athletics Championships, meaning Birmingham be the next place many athletes will be seen in action.

The city had applied, but failed, to win the bid for the 2016 games (which is now taking place in Portland, Oregan).

The decision that Birmingham is to host in 2018 is met with delight, pride and excitement.

The news follows a succession of triumphs for Great Britain, as Cardiff is also selected to host the 2016 World Half Marathon Championships, adding to the series of high profile sporting events coming up in the UK. This is a moment of pride for the citizens of Birmingham, who last hosted the World Indoor Championships in 2003.

Vice President of the IAAF, Lord Coe said ‘The IAAF recognized that the Birmingham bid was a winner and the council were delighted that the city was happy to be awarded the world champs in 2018’.

The news also has other financial implications, securing a £20 million boost for the region. The NIA is set to undergo a £40 million extensive refurbishment to see that its facilities are improved in time for the games. The increase in spectators for the games will mean the capacity of the venue will have to be extended to accommodate 8,000 people.

Birmingham City Council are hoping to secure sponsorship to cover the estimated £2.5 million cost of the bid.

The City has also decided to stage a 10km mass participation race, which will coincide with the championships, in the hope that it will promote increased active engagement from the public.

In line with this Ian Ward, the council deputy leader, stated, ‘This will create a fantastic legacy to inspire everyone in the city to get involved in sport an give an estimated economic boost of more than £20 million’.

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7

Comment

Are we really disengaged from politics today?

Derek Campbell discusses the different ways in which voters are now engaged The idea that today people in the UK are somehow disengaged from politics holds an intuitive appeal. Moreover, there is support from anecdotal evidence on the doorstep, on the street and in bars that politics is not worth bothering with. Beyond that, low voter turnout at elections again appears to support the idea that politics has ceased to have relevance for the UK public.

However, to look at political candidates and the votes they garner at elections as the only measure of political engagement surely misses the point. In the UK, as voter turnout increases, this typically means that the value of each vote diminishes. In safe seats, opposition votes to the safe candidate are particularly worthless, whilst in marginal seats a handful of swing votes carry much more value. It would be rational to conclude that opposition turnout in the safest seats would generally be lowest, which in turn suggests that the non-votes and opposition votes and opposition votes combined are still of little value in the safest seats. So an electoral system that weights votes differently, despite the formal expression that each vote is equal, is likely to see a reduction in voter engagement.

But the same electoral system may also have the effect of creating a situation where broadly based parties tend towards the centre ground with as wide an electoral appeal as possible. This may lead to some internal party infighting, but effective party discipline should take care of most of the squabbles most of the time. The result is a narrow choice for voters between nearly indistinguishable parties, all promising to deliver a similar programme. The fact that so much of the electorate shun the ballot box is not such a surprise, but it is perhaps a mistake to conclude that political disengagement is the result.

It is clear that on a particular issue the public can be very motivated, last week’s Children in Need appeal received huge public support. Single issue campaigns proliferate, pressure groups and charities shape debate, influence policy makers and bring concerns into the public sphere. And because they are more focussed than political parties, their messages are undiluted: War on Want tells it like it is; there’s not much doubt what Help for Heroes is about. Mainstream politicians in comparison, are equivocal, fearing that they may alienate one part of the electorate by being supportive of another section.

Furthermore, politics is not simply about elections and governments. Protests, petitions, consumer boycotts, letters to newspa-

"The

public may be less engaged with old style politics because it seemingly fails to deliver on its promises"

pers, meetings and online forums, these are all political expressions. The Occupy Movement (protest against economic and social inequality) and Hacked Off (a response to revelations of phone hacking by the press) are clear indicators that extra-parliamentary politics and more conventional protest are alive and kicking.

The public may be less engaged with old

style politics because it seemingly fails to deliver on its promises - economic crises are a regular feature, irrespective of who is running the show, vested interests appear to do well, even when times are tough for the majority, and the politicians too frequently seem to put their interests ahead of their public duty. What is perhaps more of a surprise is that so many people can be persuaded to turn out twice a decade in order to provide a fig leaf of legitimacy for such a set

up. Also bear in mind that over half the country’s legislators, the House of Lords, don’t even need to bother with any form of accountability.

It is surely the case that the location of political engagement is shifting, becoming more dispersed and less susceptible to capture by dominant groups. The awkward squad are growing, prepared to ask difficult questions and to have their say. They are engaged, just not voting.

Major, not Brand, speaks for the disconnected masses George Reeves Commentator

In the last month, two very different public figures have hit the headlines for criticising the current state of British politics. One of these figures is a former Prime Minister who was raised in Brixton in a working class family, left his local grammar school aged 16 with only three O-Levels, and worked hard in a number of menial jobs before entering politics. The other is a former drug addict and self-confessed sex addict who owns a California mansion, was briefly married to the pop star Katy Perry, and lost his job at the BBC after leaving abusive messages on the answering machine of an elderly actor. The comedian Russell Brand may seem like a more glamorous spokesman for

the disillusioned working classes than the notoriously dull John Major, but does he really offer them a coherent message?

In many respects, John Major was a poor Prime Minister. After all, he is largely remembered for the Dangerous Dogs Act and the Cones Hotline, as well as deeply dividing the Conservative Party over Europe and overseeing the doomed ‘Back to Basics’ campaign which inadvertently exposed the staggering levels of corruption within the Conservative Party and was the single biggest contributor to Tony Blair’s landslide victory in the 1997 general election.

However, regardless of his performance as Prime Minister, there is good reason for the British public to listen to John Major on issues of social mobility, as no other Prime Minister has come from such an undeniably working class background as he did. In a

party historically dominated by aristocrats and the social elites, Major rose through the ranks, and served in three different cabinet positions including Foreign Secretary and Chancellor before becoming Prime Minister

"The comedian Russell Brand may seem ike a more glamorous spokesman for the disillusioned working classes than the notoriously dull John Major" and Leader of the Conservative Party in 1990.

It’s hard to imagine another Brixton lad like Major reaching political prominence in

today’s political climate, and it is here that Major is right and Russell Brand fails to grasp the point. Brand highlights what he perceives to be the inequalities of capitalist culture, but just ends up sounding like the weird kid at school who has read a bit of Marx and therefore believes they are a fully qualified revolutionary. In contrast, Major has pointed out the real reason why voting figures are at an all-time low and public disillusionment with politics is at its peak; it’s not because people are awakening to the intrinsic evils of free market economics, it’s simply that ordinary men and women don’t feel like they are truly represented by their elected representatives. All three main parties are dominated by members of a closed political and intellectual elite, and until this situation changes, more and more people will choose to stay at home on election day.

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Comment

@LilyAllen: LOL at @Scott_Mills playing HOH back to back with Blurred Lines on Radio 1

Feminism: It's Hard Out Here Charlie Moloney Commentator

"Why is it that when you come into the office, no one actually speaks to you?"

Illustration by Josie Byrne

Lily Allen’s comeback music video ‘Hard Out Here’ has received the kind of reviews that anything which dares to call itself feminist can expect: mixed. Allen has tweeted 'the video is meant to be a lighthearted satirical video that deals with the objectification of women within modern pop culture'. The video roasts ‘twerking’ and the notorious Robin Thicke, as Allen sarcastically warns women that if they don’t have a nice bum there will be no-one to tear it in two. The lyrics are focused on empowerment and the way in which men in the music industry objectify women; Allen sings 'don’t need to shake my arse for you cos I’ve got a brain'. It’s the kind of song Allen’s fans might have expected her to return with; in the past she’s spoken out against sexism. After the Daily Mail released an article entitled 'Lily Allen left frustrated as she tries to lose baby weight', she snapped back at the paper on Twitter: 'don’t drag me into your whole hatred of women saga. I’m fucking hot and I’m a size happy'. In ‘Hard Out Here’ Allen has pointedly chosen not to slim down for the camera.

So isn’t this video commendable?

Apparently it’s not. Critics say that Allen degrades and objectifies black women in the same way as the people that she is trying to satirize. Tumblr user BlackinAsia argues the video is 'elevating Lily Allen’s white female body and objectifying and utterly denigrating those of the black female dancers she deliberately surrounds herself with'. Ellie Mae O’Hagan, in a piece that actually defends Allen from criticism, argues that she misses the mark. She says 'Allen attempts to mock the way black women are treated...it’s difficult to see Allen’s anthem as little more than the same old same old.'

Are the dancers in the video actually being objectified? Well, they are clearly in on the joke. The vacant, seductive expressions which dancers in serious pop videos have to don are replaced by knowing, cheeky winks to the audience. The dancers even burst into laughter at the end of the final shot. Clearly

they are supposed to be showing that they think being smothered in alcohol, being spanked, and having cash stuffed down their bras is ridiculous. Critics should listen when Allen says 'if you can’t detect the sarcasm you’ve misunderstood'.

But let’s pretend Allen is objectifying her dancers: is the video racist because there are more black dancers being objectified?

Altogether there are six main dancers; one of them is Asian, four of them are black and the last one is white (also another white dancer with pink hair briefly appears). Does this mean that the video is racist unless each race is represented by an equal portion of the dancers? Racism doesn’t boil down to a question of maths. Allen says that she chose the dancers based on talent, and that the video 'has nothing to do with race at all'. Is it not possible that the most talented dancers happened to be black? Would you have Allen fire a couple of the black dancers and replace them with white women? Clearly this is where political correctness starts to eat its own tail, and hurt the people that it’s supposed to elevate.

It can only be assumed that critics of this video are pretending not to get Allen’s point.

It’s very obvious what she’s trying to do here. The lyrics say that there is a glass ceiling to be broken and that inequality is as much of an issue as it’s ever been. Clearly it's satire: she’s not trying to objectify women if she’s written a song about how she doesn’t like women being objectified. It beats ‘Defined Lines’, the Blurred Lines parody, because it is a professionally made, entertaining music video and Allen is a brilliant singer. If she dumbed it down any more by having, as journalist Musa Okwonga suggested, 'a bunch of twerking middle-aged men' instead of female dancers, then it wouldn’t be taken seriously. As it is, this video could well get into the charts; it would be a nice break from having to watch Katy Perry (who by the way described herself as the slimmer version of Lily Allen and couldn’t even bring herself to say she was a feminist) roaring about how she’s got the eye of the tiger. As Allen puts it: 'it’s like, you’re not English and you don’t write your own songs, shut up!'

Charlotte Wilson.

News News

Haikus

It’s not the cancer Underneath, but its defeat That defines Batkid

POLITICS USA

Susie Dickey.

Davey Cameron Tries to have drug banter Fails miserably

22nd - 28th November 2013

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Bulgarians Shout, No-One Listens Kristine Bagdassarian Commentator

It was last May, after the elections for a new government, that the political situation in Bulgaria began to unravel at its already aged, withering seams. After years of broken promises, lies and disappointments, the indignation and resentment in the poorest country in the EU reached its peak when the newly formed government appointed Deljan Peevski – a man with a dubious reputation - as the head of The State Agency of National Security. The blatant inadequacy of the choice caused an outburst of demonstrations.

For close to three months, people left their houses along with their friends and family, and every evening, regardless of the weather conditions, they marched in a show of protest, insisting on the government’s resignation. For three months, streets were blocked, the parliament was occupied each morning till noon, Bulgarian celebrities spoke in support of the cause and artists announced hunger strikes to get the attention of the politicians.

I was there when a lot of that happened.

I saw parents carrying children on their shoulders, and I saw those children holding

up cheap plastic copies of the national flag in their plump little fingers. I saw high school sweethearts, squeezing their hands as they marched, hooting and screaming their young, rebellious throats raw. I saw a young musician with a drum hung round his neck, setting the pace of our steps as he wielded the beaters, the instrument, the hope, and the music in the crowd’s heart. I saw my dad strolling in front of me, wearing a suit, as if he were walking towards a fancy, business dinner where he had to dress to impress, and I saw my eleven-year-old sister, jumping around with a whistle in her mouth and making as much noise as she possibly could.

I saw the media being accused of disrespect and corruption, reporters being restricted from seeing what was going on near the parliament, people being put down and called vagabonds for standing up against the government. I saw troublemakers being purposefully planted in the demonstration, and police officers taking them out without causing scenes; I saw flags and slogans hung from the balconies of the blocks we passed by; I saw people come out of their shops to cheer with us, and I saw, through the hot summer air that was so palpably filled with aspiration, longing and dreams, that eyes were shut to us. Ears were deaf to our words.

We were being ignored.

Now I’m back in England, and after the summer, for a while, it looked like the situation had calmed down. Roughly three

"Eyes were shut to us.

Ears were deaf to our words. We were being ignored." weeks ago students in the largest university in the country – the Sofia University – occupied an auditorium as a show of protest against the moral sickness in the political spheres. Naturally, the riots flared up again, and as people began finding their way back to the streets, things started to escalate.

You know something needs to change when the students at university raise their heads and roar in outrage. You know you have gone too far. You know the future is bending under the pressure of the injustice, and if something is not done soon, it is going to snap and burst into splinters. Every year, over 25,000 young people leave the country to study abroad – how many do you think

return? Out of the 7 million people leaving Bulgaria, what will remain after a decade following the same tendency? Five centuries under the paw of the Ottoman Empire, the nation preserved its roots. Now, in 50 years, it will be killed.

On the 12th of November the occupation that was first started in room 272 in the Sofia University and then turned into a blockade of the entire university, hit the streets. After hours of protests in the centre of the capital, the demonstrations around the parliament broke out into clashes with the police. Photographs of bloodied faces and interviews told of unnecessary cruelty displayed by the authority in order to push back the protestors. And still there is nothing but silence on the other end.

What is democracy, when it’s the people’s voice that remains unheard? How loudly must the hungry crowds holler, how much pain should they bear, and how much blood needs to be spilt for those on the top to turn their eyes towards what’s happening to the ants at their feet? How much more arrogance and brutality is going to rain on the heads of the few who’re still fighting for their country?

How much more before they only have a piece of land in their hands, and no people to populate it?

Dan Baird.

Josh Holder.

Had a big night out Woke up on the continent Paris is quite nice

Rob Ford bounds around, Knocking a woman to the ground Time to go crackhead

ADVERTISING PARIS

Moby Dickey.

Protein shake advert With 'offensive' wanking joke Banned by ad. watchdog

TORONTO

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Comment

Is it Time to Reclaim the Swastika?

Meg Tapp explores the different historical uses of the 'bastardised' symbol Beginning in the 1960s, a Canadian artist known by the moniker ‘ManWoman’ sought to remind people of the original meaning of the swastika. He wanted to prevent the horrors of the Holocaust from forever tarnishing something which used to mean nothing but good.

ManWoman died in 2012, and to commemorate the first anniversary of his death, the owners of a Danish tattoo shop called ‘Meatshop Tattoo’ vowed to give away swastika tattoos for a day, and urged others to do the same. They intended to make this an annual event to celebrate and continue the work of ManWoman. On November 13th this year, ‘#learntolovetheswastika’ was seen on Facebook and Twitter by many people, who have since begun to wonder: can the original meaning of the swastika be reclaimed?

I have been brought up in a family that has neither suffered direct losses in the Holocaust, nor lamented the bastardisation of a sacred symbol, so perhaps it is hard for me to understand the two opposing sides of this debate. For those cultural groups who were targeted by the Nazi regime, the swastika will probably never mean anything other than hatred, prejudice, and the massacre of millions. The tragedies of the Holocaust are still in living memory for a handful of people scattered across the globe, and for them, the swastika may well still signify the brutality that those communities suffered.

However, various forms of the swastika circulated civilisations for millennia before the Nazi regime, and artefacts bearing the symbol have been discovered worldwide.

Greek coins decorated with the left-facing swastika were found in modern-day Corinth which date to approximately 600BCE. Windows in Ethiopia from the 12th/13th century were constructed with swastikas carved into them. Necklaces adorned with

swastikas from ancient Persian communities were discovered in Iran, dating to some point within the first millennium BCE. The swastika even made its way to England – in 1857, a bronze shield from ca. 300 BCE was discovered in the Thames, embellished with 27 swastikas.

The symbol seems to have been most prevalent in Asia, with early Hindu and Buddhist traditions using the swastika to mean auspiciousness. The term ‘swastika’ comes from the Sanskrit which translates into ‘it is good’. Traditions within Zoroastrianism used the revolving symbol to denote the sun, and the eternal nature of creation – similarly, some Chinese translations dictate the word to mean ‘eternity’. In many early Indian religions, the symbol was used in blessing rituals as early as ca. 2500 BCE. Whilst many cultures would not have used the term ‘swastika’, there are various versions of the symbol that have been used around the world throughout the ancient periods.

"There are various versions of the symbols that have been used around the world" This symbol has – over the vast history of the human race – come to mean so much to so many people, yet the most vicious, recent use of the swastika is the one that most people are familiar with. Many of the religious traditions that used some form of swastika have declined to the point that very few people in the world now practice them, (such as Zoroastrianism), so perhaps as these ancient meanings pass into antiquity, the tenacity of the Nazi swastika is erasing the symbol of peace out of historical memory?

But can we as a society really undo the bastardisation of this symbol? The Holocaust was one of the most horrific episodes of recent human history, the effects of which are still being felt, particularly in Europe.

Many countries have banned the swastika from being displayed in recognition of how it was used by the Nazis, and whilst this may be considered justice by some, others will see it as perpetuating the corrupted use of an ancient sacred symbol. Which attitude is to be supported? Should we, as a worldwide community, embrace the historical meanings of the swastika in its various forms, or should we forever view it as a marker of a human tragedy? There is the argument that the crucifix – a symbol revered in various Christian traditions – was used to cause pain and torture in a more direct way than the

swastika was. Many people across the ages were put to death on a crucifix, but the victims of the Holocaust were not tortured on physical swastikas, and yet the cross is not shied away from as a symbol of oppression and death. Are the two instances comparable, or is there something more insidious about the swastika that demands we respect it as a symbol of damage that cannot be undone?

Because swastika-like shapes mean such different things in various communities, it could well be that no answer will ever be appropriate. Maybe movements like ManWoman’s will be more enthusiastically supported by future generations. The terrors of Nazism are still in living memory, and so perhaps the matter of reclaiming the swastika is, for now, best left for another day.

The Nanny State: Coming to a Town Near You Samiha Sharif

Commentator The government has announced a new initiative where mothers are given vouchers to breastfeed their children. The initiative will be implemented in deprived areas of South Yorkshire and Derbyshire, where only a quarter of mothers are thought to breastfeed.

It is believed that if more mothers breastfeed, it will reduce inequalities in health and reduce childhood asthma and allergies as well as increasing intelligence.

This pilot scheme is part of an initiative by the political elite to aid the common people, thereby improving their substandard lives. The government is also attempting to persuade people to eat five fruit and vegeta-

bles a day and to exclude fast food from schools. Another aspect of the healthy eating plan is the condescending labelling that states a pizza has more calories and requires more exercise than a healthier option. In fact, these various initiatives have not made a great dent in tackling obesity. Instead, we see a year on year increase with more than quarter of the population, in Birmingham, estimated to be obese. Apart from this the UK is thought to have the highest obesity rates in Europe. Hence, there is little proof that the breastfeeding initiative will alter individual behaviour. Also, the government has seemingly not taken into account the drawbacks of such a scheme where nonbreastfeeding mothers will feel penalised and punished. It may even worsen the inci-

dence of postpartum depression in women as they will feel ostracised and unsupported.

People have common sense and understand the relative difference between healthy and unhealthy foods; the same applies for the benefits of breastfeeding. It seems the government believes that, simply because they are elected officials, they can improve the lives of the population. Many of these campaigns target the poorest, treating them as individuals that cannot look after themselves and who need someone who has greater intelligence to establish decisions on their behalf.

The government is constantly introducing new methods to help the wayward people living in the UK. But they are not elected

to act as surrogate parents to perfectly intelligent individuals. Government officials are elected to make decisions to protect the welfare of the people of the country. This is through the provision of healthcare and greater investment for the creation of more jobs, not to undermine the intelligence of the people they represent. The government should be prioritising their attention on escalating energy prices, or investing in the improvement of education; it is to be noted here that research released by Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development found attainment in core subjects English and Maths are amongst the lowest in the world. Maybe the government should be paying more attention to these problems rather than raving about breastfeeding.

YOUR Students’ Union...

YOUR Students’ Union...

WHAT

O T S R E MATT

. . . u o y

O T S R E MATT

!

S U

We understand what’s important by listening to you! Whether at Guild Development and Student Group Forums, at Guild Council, or via the Student Rep System. We also know what matters most to you by the activities you get involved in, how you vote in our elections, and the feedback you give in our annual student survey.

It’s time we showed YOU... We listen!

Wh

rs to at matte

you...

Having the opportunity to have fun whilst at University

Wheelie bins for a clean and tidy Selly Oak

Being able to access Guild and University services online

Matters t

o

US!

We organise an action packed schedule of events each year including Welcome Week, Vale Fireworks, Guild Awards and the Grad Ball

We campaigned for 10 years to secure wheelie bins in Bournbrook, which were introduced earlier this year

We lobbied the University and secured Wi-Fi for all student accommodation at the Vale.

We also launched online student group membership for

guildofstudents.com/whatmatters Want to tell us more? Send us your ideas, suggestions and feedback at guildofstudents.com/feedback

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Film

Focus on: Science Fiction From Avatar to 2001: A Space Odyssey, Edward Conley discusses the triumphs and pitfalls of the cinematic Science Fiction genre

Review: The Counsellor

Details Release date: 15th November 2013 Director: Ridley Scott Cast: Michael Fassbender, Penélope Cruz, Cameron Diaz Running time: 117 minutes

´´´´´ Charley Ross Deputy Editor

Illustration by Hayley Allanson Science fiction is an odd beast of a genre. In coming up with this feature I was truly amazed at how many great films came to mind. I was even more shocked at how few bad ones I can remember. It’s an interesting point that when pressed on an example for something negative, I ended up really having to put my thinking cap on and get deep.

"When coming up with an example of character, I really am spoilt for choice."

Yet remembering the good ones brings back echoes of emotions I felt while engaging with the characters and story. So as a bit of a forward to this article, I am going to get picky about science fiction. Oh and naturally, spoiler alert, what I say might give away the plot twist of some film you may never have heard of, and should probably watch.

So what do I think makes a science fiction film good? I think of them as the immersive lynchpin, a character who bridges the knowledge gap between reality and the fantasy universe they live in. Now, when coming up with an example of the character, I really am spoilt for choice.

There’s Neytiri from Avatar, who’s constantly explaining the lesser understood workings of her home world of Pandora to

the thick-skulled Jake Sully.

And then there is Spock from just about any of the Star Trek films? Then again, Scottie is usually the most quoted with his classic cathphrase: “I’m giving her all she’s got, Captain!” The list of examples is simply too large to reel off, but my point needs clarification. The character exists for when a problem arises within the story that requires intimate knowledge of the universe to solve it.

Without this character, the audience feels lost and disconnected. Nothing serves better to break your immersion than when something happens and you have absolutely no

"Without this character, the audience feels lost and disconnected." idea why. I could only think of one major film that doesn’t contain this kind of character. Jarring I know, but it is Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. The film explains itself through visual metaphor and the occasional self-defining monologue from the Hal 9000 supercomputer. It’s a conceptual work of art, and serves to show that you don’t really need this character. But I still feel a bit lost throughout even coming from a technical background.

"Internal consistency is one of the greatest sins in science fiction films."

So I’ll tin can right into my final point, and put this dead horse out of its misery.

Internal consistency is one of the greatest sins in science fiction films. We feel like the linchpin has explained everything we need to know: things are going well, we’re immersed, this is film ecstasy and then bam!

It’s usually in the form of a plot twist - that then has to be explained - which usually just feels wrong.

Worse, it’s often not explained. For instance, in Looper, which is already pushing the bounds of plausibility anyway, disposing of bodies is shown to be hard work in the future, so we’ll send them back in time to the past to be incinerated so there’s no evidence because that’s far more convenient. Aside from this not making any real sense, I forgive it, because as absurd a premise as it is, the film is nonetheless enjoyable. My point is, why not just kill or at least wound them in the future and send them back? This is never explained, and left me with a sour taste in my mouth throughout, particularly when after a certain bit character is killed in the future. Seeing as all my bad examples have been successful films, it's time to give up the ghost.

Don't miss The Invincible Virgin Horror Film Festival,17:00 at TC's, Thurs 12th December

@charleyross92

A cataclysmic choice leads to dire consequences in Ridley Scott’s The Counsellor, when Michael Fassbender’s unnamed protagonist’s decision to involve himself in drug trafficking finds him in an unescapable world of murder and immorality.

After upsetting the wrong people, the Counsellor attempts to bargain his way out of the dangerous game of drug trafficking, whilst the fate of his beloved fiancée Penelope Cruz lies in the balance.

Wide shots of expensive cars, plush houses and poolside lounges add to the slick construction of novelist Cormac McCarthy’s first screenplay.

Cameron Diaz undoubtedly steals the show with a toe-curlingly sexy, yet disturbing performance as Malkina, wife of Javier Bardem’s Reiner. With no sense of conscience, sympathy or shame, this is Diaz on a level you’ve never seen her before. She gets the audience’s blood running cold with the retort ‘Truth has no temperature’, and running hot with her sexual exploits on the windscreen of a Ferrari.

Scott garners wide-held expectation merely from first glance at the rest of the cast. Brad Pitt’s hat choice alone warrants attention and scrutiny. Throw in the everdelicious villain Javier Bardem and heartthrob Fassbender and a prospective blockbuster is born. However, Scott has departed from the blockbuster film template that is prescriptive of the majority of films today. His prioritisation of McCarthy’s words has split critics, tapping into the unfamiliar yet magical power of language and dialogue in film, negating the popular methods for action thrillers, sometimes at his own expense.

It may not hold the miraculous moral or message of reason at its conclusion, but The Counsellor raises questions about the dangers of love, greed, power and betrayal. Scott succeeds in weaving these dangers together in a chilling, if slightly under-dramatised thriller.

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Film News Hannah Skolnick Critic

Colin Firth is set to play the voice of Paddington bear in an upcoming live action film adaptation of Michael Bond’s books.

This film, which will chronicle the hilarious mishaps of the bear from deepest, darkest Peru, is due to be released next year and also stars Nicole Kidman.

10,000 people lined the streets of San Francisco to help fulfil the wish of five year old Miles Scott, also known as The Batkid.

The Batkid spent his day riding in a batmobile, foiling robbers and the dastardly plans of villains, and saving ‘damsels in distress’.

To cap it all, Obama sent him a video congratulating him on saving Gotham.

Review: Don Jon

Joseph Gordon-Levitt writes, directs and stars in this unconventional rom-com

Details Release date: 15th November 2013 Director: Joseph GordonLevitt Cast: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Scarlett Johansson, Julianne Moore Running time: 90 minutes IMDB rating: 7.2 Rotten Tomatoes rating: 80%

´´´´´ Charlie Moloney Critic

Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s directorial debut is about sex, love, masturbation and not much else. John (Gordon-Levitt) is in a rut, but he’s fine with that. He loves working out, cleaning his apartment, driving his sports car and having meaningless sex with a string of “eight out of ten’s” or above. His passion, however, is internet porn. John is never really satisfied with actual sex; he needs to watch pornography every day to be happy.

When he meets Barbara (Johansson), a glamorous and tough woman, he is smitten at last and decides to give up his bachelor life to be in a relationship. Unfortunately, he can’t quite break the habit, as his laptop still draws him in for secret sessions, which he

has to hide from his girlfriend. It soon becomes clear that porn is creating problems for him, his obsession with the fantasy making it impossible for him to enjoy the real thing.

The film is essentially all character progression, but there’s a whole lot of it. To open with a description of John’s masturbation rituals and end with an emotional monologue is an impressive feat. Even though when we first meet John, he’s everything that’s wrong with men in society, he ultimately wins our hearts with his charm and surprising innocence.

"Gordon-Levitt's directorial debut is about sex, love, masturbation and not much else" The film is funny at times. Much like the recent Filth, the film gets a lot of shocked laughter as the character gets gradually more depraved. A lot of the humour revolves around how excessive John is when it comes to pleasuring himself. But after the first few times we see him browsing the internet the joke becomes a lot less funny. The best comedy moments are John’s regular trips to confession, being the good Catholic that he is.

The main problem with Don Jon is that there isn’t much going on. In terms of storyline all that happens is John tries to solve the puzzle of love and relationships, whilst handicapped by his Neanderthal mind-set and a love of pornography. Too much of the film is clips of porn movies, or footage of John watching porn. The film can be as repetitive, boring and nihilistic as a life of masturbation. Because the central character is so shallow the film doesn’t really get

going until grieving widow Esther (Moore) arrives on the scene and teaches John what sex is all about.

"Maybe it was a mistake to create such a light-hearted film which should seemingly engage with a serious subject" Don Jon imparts a valuable and timeless lesson about healthy relationships, but it doesn’t go much deeper than that proverbial message. The pornography debate is more relevant than ever before in the UK, following David Cameron’s bid to police what we watch online.

Gordon-Levitt doesn’t really engage with the debate about whether we should watch porn, he just uses it as a comedic device. The main character doesn’t come to any conclusions about his relationship with porn, or the way that it makes him view women. Maybe it was a mistake to create such a light-hearted film which should seemingly engage with a serious subject. It seems like the issue is trivialised massively, and John’s addiction doesn’t cause him any real harm, which seems a bit unrealistic.

This film would have done a lot better to have cut out most of the porn scenes, and stuck in more plot development. The material just isn’t clever enough and it suffers massively from failing to say anything meaningful about how porn influences men in society. What Don Jon achieves is that it paints a beautiful portrait of a young man who learns to set aside childish things and be less selfish. The problem is that the endless cycle of sex and porn is the main focus of most of the film's ninety minutes, making for a predictable and repetitive ride.

Robert De Niro has said that he would “like to see where Travis is today”, sparking rumours of a potential sequel to the classic 1976 film, Taxi Driver. Yet, it is likely that nothing will come of this rumour, as director Martin Scorsese and writer Paul Schrader have both previously attempted this project without much success.

The first official picture of J.J. Abrams’ Star Wars: Episode VII has been released, and it’s not of Chewbacca or Han Solo, but the lovable droid, R2D2. However, all you Star Wars aficionados have a long wait, as the film won’t be in cinemas until 18th December 2015.

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redbrick.me/tech

22nd - 28th November 2013

Science & Technology

The GREEN revolution Yvonne Malewski reports back from the RenewableUK Conference 2013.

We have been experiencing a technological revolution, but how long will this last?

Technology has brought us wonderful things, things people never thought possible, but progressing to these new technologies has left behind the old.

Inevitably, the companies that start the innovation are the ones that collapse. The increasing accessibility of technology has allowed people to become selfsustainable. The latest 3D printing technologies, available now on a consumer level, even allows the manufacture of nanoplanes and car parts, taking this revolution to a whole new level.

The self-sustainability is apparent in other sectors too, such as the energy industry. It is easier and cheaper to manufacture solar panels and potentially

parts for wind turbines, meaning communities are able to sustain themselves. Electricity nowadays

"Investing in communities is a way of improving technological advancements" is almost a requirement; if people can harness it themselves they become less dependent on the big six energy giants. However, communities starting off with a vision of self-sustainability end up failing due to lack of funds.

Germany is at the forefront of innovation; the majority of renew-

able sources in Germany are generated by communities rather than by the utility companies.

Investing in communities is a way of improving technological advancements and in the UK this could move us closer to our zero carbon emissions target.

Even as students we can get involved; investing a fiver with bank alternatives such as the Trillion Fund gives returns better than even with the banks, keeping the environment and our pockets happy! If that doesn’t give you any satisfaction, take a look at donating via The Solar Fund. The funding goes into solar panels for people in Africa, making them a cheaper alternative to their currently used kerosene lamps, which are both toxic and costly. It is a great, indirect way of getting

families further from poverty and closer to a better way of life, whilst also doing your bit for the environment. So take part in the revolution now, and do something, even something as simple as choosing locally sourced food, and bring power back to the communities (green power that is!).

Follow us online www.redbrick.me/tech @redbricktech

Know what you're drinking?

Eliot Jan-Smith Writer

Students love a bargain, and the price of alcohol in some shops in student areas often reflect that.

But sometimes, that price may be masking something rather more sinister. Since 2005, HMRC (the tax office) has seized nearly 15 million litres of fake alcohol, and there are indications that production has increased substantially with the economic crisis.

Measures to introduce a minimum price per unit in Scotland could well lead to an increase in bootlegging and illegal manufacture too. With some surveys estimating 1 in 5 have purchased it, and with many fraudsters deliberately targeting students, what should you be on the lookout for?

The most obvious indicator is price. Is ÂŁ2.50 for a bottle of red reasonable? A litre of vodka for a fiver? Think. As the old adage goes, if it looks too good to be true... Buying from a reputable dealer or a chain supermarket offers some protection, as forgers mostly target small corner

shops and off-licences, as does checking for blatant tampering with the bottle. A poorly stuckon label, spelling mistakes or a cap that's been opened and resealed are giveaways. Less obvious ones include fake bar codes and duty stamps. Those of you with smartphones capable of doing so may want to try scanning the barcode when in doubt. The duty stamp is proof of tax payment, and is required for bottles of spirits larger than 35cl. Compare that of a dubious bottle with others, and if absent altogether leave it. Remember though, it is only needed for spirits, not wine or beer. Vodka, the most commonly counterfeited drink, should also be examined for sedimentation or white particles floating in it, which could be signs that tap water was used in its manufacture. If so, avoid it like the plague; fake vodka can be lethal.

Although the majority of fake alcohol is simply smuggled to avoid tax, or cheaper stuff in a nice bottle, the more dangerous kind is distilled illegally, often being adulterated with a number of toxic chemicals. This mostly concerns vodka, and the effects of drinking the wrong stuff can be awful. Fake vodka often is made using industrial alcohols, such as isopropanol, ethylene

glycol or methanol, not ethanol (the 'safe' one). Other chemicals can sometimes find their way in as well, including acetone (nail varnish remover). All of these are toxic, and can lead to kidney failure, liver problems, and even be lethal in larger amounts.

Methanol, however, is particularly nasty; even in small amounts it can lead to permanent blindness, attacking the retinal nerve.

Unscrupulous counterfeiters dilute industrial alcohol with water to about the right strength, then add any old substances to make up bulk, or for taste, including antifreeze, paint stripper, and cleaning fluid, without any thought about the biological effects of their mixture. Even making it is dangerous, with five men killed after one lit a cigarette in an illegal distillery. Clearly, it's not exactly safe, but many of you will probably still think that there's no real danger. The prevalence might have increased in recent years, but it's still pretty rare, isn't it?

Well, yes and no. Most shops and pubs are perfectly safe, and the police seem to be largely on top of things, but even large chains can occasionally get caught out. Only this summer, Gatecrasher Clubs was fined by magistrates in Leeds for selling 'Premium Vodka' which con-

tained, amongst other things, chloroform (added to increase the clarity of the liquid). They were caught with over 650 litres.

It's a problem locally too. In 2011 police raided a bottling plant in the centre of Birmingham, confiscating 2500 litres of 'Arctic Ice' vodka, made using methanol. The ringleader was jailed for a year, and the others involved got off with suspended sentences, despite the dangers of what they were selling. There are reports of criminals diversifying, and increases in fake wine and other spirits, although beer and cider seem largely safe at the moment. Still, keep an eye out, because the consequences of getting caught out can be very serious.

If you think you've seen fake alcohol, make a note of the location and contact Trading Standards or phone the Customs Hotline on 0800 59 5000. If you think you've drunk fake alcohol, seek medical advice immediately.

22nd - 28th November 2013

redbrick.me/tech

Imagine a room full of tech enthusiasts, split into teams, all coding away to program together. The floor is strewn with empty pizza boxes and cans of energy drinks stand loyally next to the sides of the computer screens.

Soumya Perinparajah Science & Tech Editor

@SoumyaPerin

There may be a sleepless night or two, but the end result is a fully functional app and possibly a prize in the form of a MacBook or iPad. Even better, a substantial sum of money could be up for grabs to fund a future project.

This is the concept of a hackathon.

Originating in 1999 in America, hackathons are organised events consisting of a large group of people who come together for usually 24 hours, or maybe several days, with

"The future looks bright for hackathons, and more and more companies may well organise their own to find a collaborative solution to a problem." the aim of developing new applications.

Hackathons have a lot of scope, as the concept could be used in a wide variety of settings with varying purposes. It may be purely for educational or social purposes.

On the other hand, it could be that the app being designed will become available for everyone to use. For example, a technology company could be looking for some new ideas for apps or the local council may be on

15

Hackathons the search for new ways of informing their residents about what is going on in the community. The possibilities really are endless!

They can even take on a commemorative role, as was the case earlier this year when hackathons were held in honour of Aaron Schwartz, a computer programmer and Internet activist, after his death.

The day usually starts with a presentation by the organising body, which informs the attendees of what it is they are trying to create. As everybody mingles, teams are formed based on what skills each person can bring to the table. To name a few, there may be graphic designers, interface designers and project managers in the mix.

Alternatively, if taking place at a university, the teams could be made entirely of undergraduate students, maybe headed by a PhD student. At the end of the event, each team presents their ideas, which are all judged by a panel. The winning team is chosen, and prizes awarded.

It is an exhilarating experience to meet a deadline as part of a team, the members of which probably only met each other several hours prior, and whose collaboration of skills and efforts results in an exciting innovative product. Whilst their success in technology has been established, hackathons are becoming more common in science, for example to aid development of bioinformatics tools. They are extremely productive, and encourage the development of original ideas and thinking outside the box. The future looks bright for hackathons, and more and more companies may well organise their own to find a collaborative solution to a problem.

If you fancy having a go at something similar (but slightly less extreme), you can get involved with the Student Mobile App Competition 2013 that the University is running. Check out more information here: https://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/ it/innovation/Student-Mobile-App-Competition/StudentMobile-App-Competition-2013.aspx

TE A G E L E D NUS S

N O I T C E L E

VOTE FOR WHO YOU WANT TO REPRESENT BIRMINGHAM ON THE NATIONAL STAGE

NUS DELEGATE VOTING OPENS

MONDAY 25TH NOVEMBER AT 10AM VOTING CLOSES: FRIDAY 29TH NOVEMBER AT 4PM

Every year the National Union of Students holds a National Conference which sets policy for the NUS for the year ahead in each of the 5 zones and holds NUS elections. It is also where the budget for the year ahead for NUS is decided through the Annual General Meeting (AGM).

For more information drop into Student Voice on the

guildofstudents.com/elections

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redbrick.me/music

22nd - 28th November 2013

Music

Live Review: Vampire Weekend @ NIA 12th November an evolution for Vampire Weekend, but they’re not afraid to mix old and new.

Material from each album is treated differ-

Matt Moody Music Critic

Vampire Weekend seem to be a perfect example of the catch 22 of live music: their intelligent, refined sound is so suited to venues where the audience is within touching distance that the idea of playing arena shows for £30 a ticket doesn’t seem quite right, but such is the level of success they’ve enjoyed over the past few years that arenas are the only places they can fit everyone in.

Frontman Ezra Koenig is effortlessly charismatic despite keeping between-songs chat to a minimum, and the music itself is so irresistibly happy that it’s impossible not to crack a smile, from the gleeful afropop of their debut to the wistful nostalgia of their latest record.

It took Koenig six years to write the band’s first and only song in a minor key, and the song in question – sample-heavy, mysterious ‘Hudson’ – is left out tonight; they’re crowd-pleasers first and foremost.

Like all great bands, each album marks

"Fan favourites from the first album are given a reverb and volume boost to fill the room" ently to fit the setting, and the result is impressively coherent: fan favourites from the first album are given a reverb and volume boost to fill the room, and sampleheavy new album tracks are beefed up with live drums, while songs from their second album are left mostly alone, with songs like ‘Giving Up The Gun’ the closest they’ve come to writing a stadium anthem on par with U2 and Coldplay.

The band’s attention to detail on record

is even more impressive when translated to live performance. Despite the postponement of earlier dates in Europe that resulted in tonight being the first night of the tour, there’s no sign of nervousness, and Koenig’s vocals are exceptionally impressive, pitch perfect on even the most acrobatic of melody lines.

In fact, the only complaint might’ve been a result of overconfidence, occasionally drummer Chris Tomson forgets the Golden Rule of Drumming (“knowing when not to play is just as important as knowing when to play”), slightly overpowering the more fragile moments of Koenig’s songwriting. It’s a double-edged sword, however; songs like ‘A-Punk’ and closer ‘Walcott’ are breathtaking with an embellished rhythm section.

When Vampire Weekend first got together many wrote them off as just another flavour of the month indie band, but on tonight’s evidence, Ezra and co rounding off a headline show at Wembley Stadium a year or two down the line doesn’t sound quite so ridiculous.

Single Review: Bombay Bicycle Club - Carry Me Marianne Lampon Life & Style Editor

@mariannelampon

After a long wait, Bombay Bicycle Club are back with the single ‘Carry Me’. Known for their incredible diversity over their past three albums, BBC’s new track is no exception and continues the evolution of their sound.

Combining syncopated, percussive rhythms with brilliant vocals from frontman Jack Steadman and guest vocals from Lucy Rose, the many-layered sound is full of energy at the start of the song. About a third of the way through, a hazy guitar comes in with a steady beat continuing the pace,

whilst the lyrics 'you carry me' become almost hypnotic as well as the key vocal element in the track.

"If we'd have just continued as an indie rock band - I don't even think we'd still be going."

The track then flips back into the percussive, mesmerizing rhythm from before, with the cymbals and toms guiding it forwards

until building into an ending that frankly leaves us wanting more.

Unlike some of their previous work, the song is much less guitar-lead, and perhaps sees a turn towards more electronic influences. Plus, fans have noted the influence of Steadman’s solo work in the track – their constant development and experiments always seem to create brilliant music proving the true talent of the band.

Steadman has said to NME that: 'if we’d have just continued as an indie rock band – I don’t even think we’d still be going.', so with a new album announced for 2014, we’re excited to hear their other tracks and will no doubt fall in love with the further development of the band’s music.

Redbrick Reflects: Lily Allen's Renaissance Hannah Skolnick Music Critic

@hannahskolnick

After a three year hiatus, Lily Allen is back, and with something of a bang. Not only is her cover of Keane’s Somewhere Only We Know the backdrop for this year’s heartmelting John Lewis Christmas advert, but her latest single has created quite a storm.

While the advert tells the story of a bear who has never seen Christmas, Allen’s single Hard Out Here seeks to be a feminist calling card criticising the misogyny in popular culture - particularly in the music industry. The two songs, and their respective videos have been described as ‘popopposites’ and are antithetical to each other in most conceivable ways.

Where John Lewis’ saccharine tale shows a harmonious wintery woodland paradise, Allen’s Hard Out Here video tries to expose the artifice of societal pressures on a woman’s physique and has courted much controversy. Citing the ‘bitch philosophy’ as set out in Elizabeth Wurtzel’s Bitch: In Praise of Difficult Women, Allen wishes to reclaim the word; she wants her songs to be ‘about ownership and entitlement’. Her lyrics daringly call for the listener to ‘forget your balls and grow a pair of

tits’ and the video proclaims in giant silver balloons that ‘Lily Allen has a baggy pussy’ – which is a direct allusion to the now infamous Blurred Lines video in which Robin Thicke (using very similar silver balloons) claims to have a ‘big d’. Whilst Allen clearly has a valid point, and whilst it is undoubtedly true that there is ‘inequality’ and that the ‘objectifying’ of women does occur in society, perhaps lyrics including ‘there’s a glass ceiling to break, I heard there’s money to make’ or ‘you’ll find me in the studio, not the kitchen’ are not the best way to go about solving society’s woes.

On top of this, and perhaps most damning, is that Lily Allen manages to simultaneously sing a criticism of one form of societal oppression (misogyny) and perpetuate another form- through the racial undertones in the twerking backing dancers of her video. In this way she perpetuates the objectification of the dancer’s bodies in that they are merely puppets for an entitled white woman to make dance. In response to these claims Allen has said that she only intended for it ‘to be a light hearted satirical video’- yet it is obvious that something can be both light hearted and satirical, and still be racist. All in all, it would seem best for Lily Allen to stick to Christmas telly adverts.

22nd - 28th November 2013

redbrick.me/music

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Tweet of the Week: @arzE: illuminati wants u 2 feel bad abt taking selfies cuz u r taking pride in urself as opposed 2 worshipping the reptillian overlords

Live Review: All Year's Leaving Festival @ Hare & Hounds 16-17th November Redbrick Meets: Dutch Uncles Sam Dix

Music Editor

@what_sam_said

Headlining the first night of All Year's Leaving, Dutch Uncles' singer Duncan Wallis and guitarist Dan Spedding reflect on the current state of live music: "We're not usually on this late. We’re getting used to more earlier shows. Across the country, it’s a bit of a shame. It’s quite soul destroying and disrespectful when there’s a club night on after so it’s great that this is happening. Live music’s going out of fashion anyway, bands have to make more risky choices and audiences have to understand that bands have to make those choices.”

"We recently did a show called Played in Chelsea, a 45 minute gig streamed on 4od.

The money was quite good. If the money wasn’t good we wouldn’t have taken it, let's be honest. It was amazing when we announced it how much it polarised our fan base. Some people were a bit taken aback, but others realised we’ve gotta survive.

Luckily enough it was a great day and a great gig and we’re glad we did it." So is the aim just to survive?

"The death for a band is constantly on their mind. Recently Tribes and Chapel Club have split up, and you think that a lot of money went into those bands, a lot of exposure. And after four years, nothing's come from it. Basically, you have to learn to roll with it and expect nothing except than to have a good time making it. We’ve been playing together for eight years so for us the next album is that opportunity. If I want to say something before 30, now is the time.

You want to be well established in whatever you're doing by age 30 I think."

In one of the more bizarre line ups of recent memory, Dutch Uncles recently supported US emo rockers Paramore on their

European tour.

"Basically, Taylor, was put onto Cadenza, our last album, by a friend of his and found it really interesting. He’s an indie kid at heart. He said that we influenced their new album, in terms of percussion and arrangements, which, on that scale, is quite flattering. They really liked us and asked us to go along and play."

Following that, the band recently supported Everything Everything "We did a great show in Birmingham, probably the best of the tour, and it was encouraging how many people came up to us after and said how much they enjoyed it.

It was just frustrating when people said they’d bought tickets just to see us, because we’d think, just see us on our own tour!"

Duncan jokes at the suggestion that is often said that the band are not as big as they should be: "We're this close to announcing the 'We're Not As Big As You Think' tour!'

It's hard not to sound bitter once you've heard that statement, but I just think: 'Help us, help us become bigger! Tell your friends!'"

An unavoidable attraction to a Dutch Uncles' show is Duncan’s dancing which interjects and complements syncopated rhythms, whenever he is not bound by piano duties.

"The dancing overshadows Twitter a bit at the moment. It started to get a bit out of hand, people were just saying it because they think it's being said. It’s on my mind when i’m performing though. I’m thinking: 'Do they like this? Are they going to like this? I feel I’m a bit sluggish today’.

I forget how fast we play and how fast I actually move. I take it slow, but about three shows into a tour I’ll end up being like the Tasmanian Devil! It shows that you can have entertainment quality as well. I’ve got to make sure I don’t start catering for the dance when recording the next album. I’ll make sure I’m sat down at a piano! " Duelling xylophones of 'Fester' drew a particularly postive responce, but the finale, a syncopated version of Grace Jones's 'Slave To The Rhythm', orginially released for Record Store Day earlier this year, was the main highlight from a great first day.

Sam Dix

Music Editor

@what_sam_said

James Garrington Music Critic

@jtgarrington

Friday In an age of soulless arenas and sterile mobile phone sponsored venues, it is a pleasure that the first 'All Year’s Leaving’ festival, curated by Birmingham promoters, 'This Is Tmrw', is held at the ever reliable Hare and Hounds in King’s Heath. Precision pop was pitched against lo-fi indie as Dutch Uncles and Yuck headlined the two day festival.

Folk outfit ‘Boat To Row’ silenced the crowd with a beautifully twee sound that made you just want to cuddle them forever.

Featuring a violin, viola and accordion they were eternally grateful, seemingly thanking everyone as often as possible and rewarded a patient crowd with an acoustic finale in the middle in the floor. Sheer musicianship made up for any hints of pretension and there was a distinct feeling that they could get away with whatever they wanted with their little cheeky smiles.

Frankie & the Heartstrings left their recently purchased record shop back in Sunderland to play a warmly received set in front of a fairly mute audience. Despite a slight awkwardness following after a cry from drummer Dave Harper of "any requests?" was met with silence, they rattled through their set with their jangly, mithsian style guitar pop, and although the rest of the band looked as though they’d already got one eye on the bar, enigmatic singer Frankie Francis held it together to ensured their contractual requirements were fulfilled.

But the night was always for Dutch Uncles, and their unique amalgamation of varying rhythms and instrumentation was a delight and a masterclass in precision and delivery. Attention was held throughout the entire set, those watching seemingly desperate to keep up with the fast idiosyncrasies of the band’s live performance, of which they have developed at least a cult following for.

There can be no greater example of the focus and effort dedicated to the performance than by just looking at their faces, as every note is hit as if it's the most important note since the last.

Wide Eyed’s ‘shoegazy’ sound opened the night. With each song bleeding into the next it was often difficult to determine whether the band were participating in some form of extended jam or actually playing structured songs. Considering the band’s nonchalant attitude towards their audience it may have actually been the former. However, although at times the guitar tones were perhaps a little too heavily saturated with distortion there were some genuinely uplifting melodic passages, almost reminiscent of Pavement. Vocals seemed almost secondary to the guitar work in their live performance with emphasis being placed on ethereal, reverb drenched leads.

Saturday His Clancyness, helped by Jonathan Clancy’s poppy vocal lines and upbeat song writing style, began to stir up quite a positive reaction from the crowd as steadily people began to migrate closer and closer to the stage. The visible enjoyment of the band was a welcome change and their genuinely

catchy song writing made their performance very enjoyable.

Main support came from local band Distophia. Again another quite significant stylistic change occurred transitioning into the realms of ‘pop-punk’ with frequent use of group vocals. However, the band had quite a progressive element with a few significant time signature changes and tempo shifts, perhaps likening them to Canadian hardcore band ‘Fucked Up’ would be a fitting comparison. The recently reformed local band really didn’t have to work too hard to win the crowd over, as the combination of their fast punk songs and that nearly all of their loyal fans seemed to be present meant that the crowd were more involved with Distophia than any other band that performed that night, despite clearly having some technical difficulties with the monitors and one of the guitar amps.

Headliners, Yuck, took to the stage quietly, only to open with the energetic ‘MiddleSea’. They successfully replicated their recorded sound perfectly here, however, the live performance added some of intensity that was perhaps lacking on the new album Glow and Behold.

The band then slipped into playing songs that are in general quite underwhelming. The live performance of ‘Out Of Time’ and ‘Lose My Breath’ certainly breathed some new life into these songs, however, they might just be too laid back to really incite any form of response from a crowd.

Eventually they got round to playing ‘Get Away’, their biggest single. Fortunately Max Bloom’s vocals were every bit as good as the recently departed Daniel Blumberg’s, and newcomer Ed Hayes’ guitar playing substituted Blumberg’s equally well.

However, aside from Hayes the rest of the band seemed bored at this point, perhaps the song has been overplayed or maybe there is a slight resentment towards it since Blumberg will have had some role in writing the song.

This is difficult to determine, as in a previous interview Bloom gave very little away about how amicable the split was with Blumberg. Their performance of ‘Operation’ was significantly better, possibly because the song was solely written by Bloom.

A highlight of the set was a cover of New Order’s ‘Age of Consent’. The song is almost unrecognisable with the song’s main melody played on guitar as opposed to bass and with Bloom playing all the synth lines with his trademark fuzzy guitar sound. At this point the set really came together and it was clear the band were thoroughly enjoying playing as the crowd were pushing right up against the monitors, becoming a sweaty mass of bodies.

A brief encore came with two final songs, ‘Memorial Fields’ and ‘Georgia’. It’s a shame they chose to omit ‘Somewhere’ as that was possibly the strongest song from the new album, however, it is unsurprising they did as both ‘Somewhere’ and ‘Memorial Fields’ are strikingly similar. Another favourite, ‘Shook Down’, was also left out of the set perhaps to avoid overshadowing the newer material which dominated the set as they look to carve out their future and add some stability to a band that has recently experienced its fair share of uncertainty.

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redbrick.me/television

22nd - 28th November 2013

Television

It's Back...

I'm a Celebrity...

Get Me Out of Here!

The most disgusting celebrity-career-booster in Britain is back. TV Editor Daisy Follett takes us through the opening episode, with a taste of whats to come...

I’m surprised every series by the celebrities who choose to subject themselves to I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here! Self confessed addicts of home comforts seem to be lining up to be thrown into the jungle with nothing more than a hammock and the odd gristly testicle to sustain them.

That said, the celebs are shamelessly hyping up how much they hate nature from the start; Lucy Pargeter claims that “My dogs just have to walk themselves round the garden, because I’m not going outside!”

The first episode began with four of the celebri-

"Rebecca Adlington and Kian Egan are nothing more than chum for the Twitter-sphere trolls" ties, Joey Essex, Alfonso “Carlton on the Fresh Prince” Riberio, Lucy Pargeter and Steve Davis, skydiving onto an island and racing across with nothing but a GPS to guide them, collecting extra team members as they went.

Yellow team was led by arguably the best known celebrity this year, Alfonso Riberio. He’s very loud and irrepressibly American, clearly destined to be quality TV, but then we all knew that already. If he’s savvy he’ll avoid singing the Fresh Prince theme song for as long as possible, as theres no way the public will kick him out before he's led the celebs in a whole camp sing-along. It will happen, and it will go viral. He's joined by Lucy Pargeter who, despite her slapdash approach

to animal welfare, is pretty normal so far...

Red team was led by the two Essex boys, Steve Davis and Joey Essex, a man who can't open his mouth without a witless soundbite falling out.

Mocking Joey Essex is too easy to be fun; within the first fifteen minutes he's already declared "I’m not a very confrontational person, I’ll only confrontate someone if it’s for a good reason”. Noble sentiments indeed. Steve Davis comes across as pretty odd and his pieces to camera are strangely awkward, almost as if he wants people to think he's boring. Sometimes I can’t tell if he’s trying to be funny or not; he says that he’s a bad cook and, therefore, his plan is to make people feel sorry for him because of how helpless he is. Is that a wickedly dry sense of humour or the worst plan since Rosemary Shrager had that bath last year?

Red team beat the others to the first checkpoint, and chose to adopt Olympic Swimmer Rebecca Adlington over ex-Westlife member Kian Egan.

Rebecca and Kian are both lovely and absolutely adorable, far too nice to be anywhere near this program, nothing more than chum to be thrown to the twitter-sphere trolls. In a video clip that is destined to have the audio ripped into mashups for months onwards, Kian Egan declares his plan is simply to “Put it in my mouth, chew and swallow.”If I was a producer I would've told them not to worry about filming and to go and have beautiful blonde babies together.

Red team were also in the lead at the second checkpoint, which gave Joey Essex the tough decision to adopt either Mathew Wright (dubbed The Thinking-Mans Jeremy Kyle by the Telegraph) or Amy Willerton a.k.a Miss Universe. Theres an unwritten rule that reality shows must contain at least one Token Hot Girl, in this case we know it's Amy because her outfit for the pre-release press shots consisted of her pants and some high heels.

Pleasingly however, her pre-jungle interview is amongst the least weedy, she even claims she’s “actually looking forward to not wearing any

makeup!” We’ll see, Amy, we’ll see. At least Joey is honest about missing his beauty products. His last comment before entering the jungle is to share with viewers “What I’m most worried about is doing my hair, it’s really naturally wavy, and if it doesn’t have product it’ll get more wavier”.

In fact Joey and Amy have all the signs that they might forge quite a cosy little friendship, Joey certainly seems to like her, even going so far as to claim "She's a right sort." Blimey.

Needless to say, Yellow team were left with Mathew Wright. Wearing a shirt that even James May would reject, and totting up a total of 3 crying sessions before the end of the episode, Mathew is less than imposing. Clearly the jungle

"Mocking Joey Essex is too easy to be fun" has no time for The Thinking Man. The final checkpoint juxtaposed David Emanuel, Royal fashion designer, with Eastenders Laila Ross. I have high hopes for David to be an absolute star, any man who can declare “Honey, if you want to bitch, I can bitch too” with as much panache as he can deserves their place in TV history. By contrast, Laila's input “I don’t mind eating testicles, penises, as long as it ain’t hard” is more practical, but less inspiring. Red team chose Laila, and made their way to victory, leaving the poor, weird Yellow Team marooned on the Island.

Aw. At the time of writing the favourites are Joey Essex and Amy Willerton, but only time will tell who will make it out of the Jungle unscathed.

Place your bets, people.

22nd - 28th November 2013

redbrick.me/television

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Return of...

The Big Bang Theory The wait is over! TV Editor Joanna Kendall walks us through the first three episodes of the long awaited series 7 of The Big Bang Theory.

It's been a long wait but it's finally back.

The new series of The Big Bang Theory kicked off with a bang (sorry couldn't resist) as the first two episodes have already proved just as successful as previous series.

The end of the last series saw Leonard leaving for the open seas to take part in a research project for Stephen Hawking.

Episode one of the new series opened with Leonard still away leaving Penny and Sheldon at home to entertain themselves.

Sheldon and Penny spend the majority of episode one together, bonding over the absence of Leonard. This increased interaction between this odd couple is charming to watch as they constantly baffle one another.

Perhaps the funniest (and sweetest) moment is when after deciding to share their 'secrets' Penny, after revealing she once appeared topless in terrible horror movie, offends and upsets Sheldon by laughing at his 'secret' dislike of the new YouTube interface.

Elsewhere all the old familiar faces are causing general hilarity as Bernadette and Amy head to a convention where they delight in the ability to engage in 'intellectual' conversation without Penny and enjoy the benefits of free drinks from men. Raj returns a character transformed in his new found ability to talk to women without alcohol however he is still the lonely Raj we all remember as he pines for his ex-girlfriend Lucy who he see's in everything from an oil slick to the crust of a chicken pie.

Episode two sees Leonard returning home early to surprise Penny without let-

ting Sheldon know. Despite their best efforts of keeping it a secret Sheldon becomes suspicious that Penny is cheating on Leonard after he notices the takeaway rubbish has been 'put in the trash' in Penny's apartment.

Upon discovery of the truth Sheldon becomes the old, pouty, childish character we have always known and loved only to be placated

by Leonard's gift of a sailor hat.

The highlight of this episode is the return of the shows other key couple Howard and Raj! After accidentally dosing himself up with oestrogen after applying his mothers 'special' cream Howard becomes overly emotional and insecure as he gets Raj to check his 'boobies'. Watching this pair feel each other up and shimmy to 'test the jiggle' was hilarious however the icing on the cake was the stunned, silent reaction of Bernadette who unwittingly stumbles across this bizarre scene.

Things get shaken up in episode three when sent on a scavenger hunt by Raj (after his failed attempt at organising a murder mystery dinner party) the gang pick names out of a hat to allocate teams separating the normal couples. The result proves quite amusing as Sheldon throws a strop as he is burdened with Penny (who actually proves to be a valuable asset), Bernadette terrorises Leonard with her overly competitive and aggressive nature and Howard and Amy, finding they have never sent any time alone before due to Penny's advice to never get in a car alone with Howard, bond over a shared love of Neil Diamond. The gang are led in a merry chase across the city only to find

(much to the disgust of Penny and Bernadette) that the loveable Raj has planted on all of them the 'golden coin' because 'when they have fun together they are all winners'. Oh Raj! However this doesn't appear to bother Howard and Amy as they close the episode singing Karaoke (obviously to Neil Diamond)

in a local bar! Alll in all the first three episodes have continued the high standards of pervious episodes. If you are a fan of the show then the new series will not disappoint and if you are yet to watch it and need a new series to get into then this is an excellent choice.

Children in Need Shannon Carey Tv Critic

There are very few shows that will gather the whole family around the television on a Friday – but Children In Need Live is one of the rare shows that can do just that. The annual telethon has become an awaited feature in the TV year, and, so far, 2013 has been no different. You need only enter a bank or a store to see some form of CIN merchandise or fundraising method – I even encountered staff in onesies at the train station in the freezing cold on Friday morning. When it comes to November, it seems that Children In Need takes over – and it’s hard not to be excited for the Friday night show, which never fails to please with its jam-packed schedule of comedy sketches, exclusive clips and performances from the most popular artists. Whatever you tune in to see, you cannot ignore CIN – or help feel sorry

for every other channel that attempts to compete with the titanic charity show.

Of course, CIN still faces critics – even being based around a charitable cause cannot save it from that. Over the past years, the show has seen reports of falling figures (2012 saw it reach the lowest viewing figures it h a d

received for six years) and in 2010, Sun

critic Ally Ross even described it as "a desperate night that raised only slightly more than the BBC's annual tax bill and less than last year's event". Harsh.

But say what you want about CIN, whether you happily tune in every year without fail or if you try your very best to avoid it, you can’t deny the good that it does. I challenge anyone to watch the videos of the children and institutions that the charity has helped without repressing a tear or two – and it is the emotional side to the programme that really hammers home why the event is so special.

And even better is that the programme really promotes the generosity of the British public – no matter who you are, it seems the majority of people are willing to donate both their time and money to CIN, even in times of austerity – even at the worst point of the economic downturn, the charity still managed to raise millions. So if you don’t like dancing Eastenders, Catherine Tate sketches or performances by Gary Barlow, then watch Children in Need just to see the good that charities, and the public that support them, can do – there isn’t another show on in the year that will give you that ‘feel-good’ emotion, and if that doesn’t persuade you to support the show then nothing will.

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redbrick.me/lifestyle

22nd - 28th November 2013

Life & Style

Facist Fashion Life&Style writer Pippa Rice discusses whether fashion has gone too far in its ignorant approach to racism.

With the increased emphasis and popularity of the student community aiming to dress "alternatively", one must ask; how far are you willing to go to stand out from the mainstream?

Many of you may remember when our favourite royal, Prince Harry, turned up to a fancy dress party, dressed as a Nazi, possibly the most politically incorrect outfit anyone could ever wear. But this major fashion faux pas inspired companies such as Voyage to use the Nazi insignia, the Swastika, in its 2006 collection. When queried about their questionable choice of symbol, Rocky Mazzilli, owner of the company that was once dubbed 'the most pretentious shop in Britain' answered; 'My interpretation of the swastika is of anarchy, rebellion and non-conformism.

Isn’t that what London’s clubs believe in, too?'

The fascist fashion didn’t stop there. Some of you may be aware of the 2007 Zara scandal which led the high street chain to withdraw a particular style of handbag due to its inclusion of the swastika as part of the design.

But back to the current fashion climate of 2013 and I am sure many of you assume that these taboo symbols of Nazi Germany would not be worn by your everyday person on campus, right? WRONG! Let me introduce you to the Parteiadler - The Nazi Party eagle, and the brand who is daring enough to use the emblem: Boy London.

The brand, seen on the likes of Jessie J and Rihanna, which has con-

cessions stands i n leading UK stores such as Selfridges, has become somewhat of a household name around the streets of Selly Oak, with its range of jumpers, T-shirts, hats and even leggings, all displaying the logo. But do the wearers of Boy London understand the historical legacies which are associated with this replica of a design created

by Adolf Hitler himself? There is no doubt that the company itself

understand the connotations behind their logo, however, I feel many of the students wearing their clothing do not. Yet if these students were to wear their Boy London Jumper in countries such as France, it would be considered an illegal act due to its reference to Nazi Germany.

Is this simply a logo, used as any other iconic symbol in the fashion world would be used? Or is the Parteiadler used as Boy London’s insignia one that should be scrapped from the high street? I will let you decide.

"My interpretation of the swastika is of anarchy, rebllion and noncomformism. Isn't that what London's club believe in, too?"

Rocky Mazzilli

Fifty Shades of Grey The X-Rated Debate

With last years most controvercial novel now becoming a film, Life&Style debates whether the screen-play should be as X-Rated as the book? Or has the growth of sex in films gone too far?

Yes

No Victoria Haworth

Hannah Bussell

Life&Style Editor

Life&Style Writer

Fifty shades of Grey did not become such a world wide phenomenon because of any original unique characters, intriguing back stories or even a slightly interesting plot.

The main characters are simply a more exciting twist on Twilight’s infamous Edward and Bella. The basic girl-meetsboy love story is almost the same except with a 'red room of pain' and a lack of vampires. What had copies flying off the shelves were the increasingly explicit and violent sex scenes between virginal heroine Anastasia Steel, and intimidating billionaire Christian.

I personally disliked the book. The narrative lacks any real substance, Anastasia’s bursts of internal monologue are desperate, and the happy ending too cliché.

Though an 18-rating for the film will undoubtedly loose a large section of the audience, sex scenes will be the only thing that holds a very thin plot together, and make tickets sell.

Actors Jamie Dornan (because nobody

can resist an Irishman) and Dakota Johnson are currently signed up for the racy roles, and with Sam Taylor-Johson directing (pre-

"What had copies flying off the shelves were the increasingly explicit and violent sex scenes between virginal herione Anastsia and billionaire Christian. " vious work: Nowhere Boy), if it is done tastefully, it can potentially be an exciting piece of cinema without breaking the boundaries into porn.

The sex sold the book, and it will be sure to do the same for the film.

I begin this argument with full acknowledgement that my plight will inevitably be rejected by the masses; that there are hundreds of horny women out there, currently counting down the days until Jamie Doran will strip for the nation as the infamous Christian Grey.

The Fifty Shades of Grey novels were a worldwide hit. Women saw them as a secret outlet, a way of exploring sexual freedom without critique or judgement.

No one can deny that gender politics still places clear boundaries between masculine and feminine approaches to sex, especially in regard to pornography and X-rated content. In this respect, for many women Fifty Shades represents sexual emancipation, giving women an accepted outlet for their horny thoughts.

However, as Hannah agrees in her opposing argument, Fifty Shades has an awful plot. There are plenty of dirty books out there that are actually well written, yet E L James presents us with a

strange tale of a naïve student pulled into the world of S&M by a freaky corporate billionaire.

"my plight will inevitably be rejected by the masses" Therefore, is it not true that the only reason the crowds will race to the cinema will be to get a glimpse of this 'social accepted porn’'? I understand that some women need an acceptable sexual outlet, but I for one don’t see the appeal of visiting a cinema to watch as the nation gets off to Jamie Dornan’s dominant antics in unison. Perhaps my argument is less should the Fifty Shades be so X-Rated, than should Fifty Shades be made into a film at all.

22nd - 28th November 2013

redbrick.me/lifestyle

Rush on Relationships Life&Style writer Rosie Arnold asks what is everyone's rush with getting into a relationship?

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Fierce Damien Hirst for Alexander McQueen Amazing collaboration with the revival of the skull print scarf, definitely going straight to the top of my Christmas wish list!

So we all know how nice it is to be in a relationship and be showered in love by our better half. With Christmas coming and nights drawing in, everyone would love to cosy up to someone and watch bad films. But, with a lot of people around me suddenly getting into relationships, it left me wondering, are we rushing into relationships too fast?

A friend returned from summer having decided that yes, that girl he’s been friends with all through university but would 'never go there', are now together. While happy for him, I couldn’t help but worry. Is this because they failed to see that they were in love all along, like in our favourite romcoms, or is it a case of settling? Obviously, I can’t know exactly what they’re thinking but it does seem like a lot of people around are following suit.

Another case for rushing is the pressure of being the only single person in your friendship group. It can be hard to listen to all your friends gushing, or in more cases moaning, about their partner when you’re single.

However rushing into things does not necessarily result in a lifechanging relationship.

My best friend did just that, out of the blue he introduced us to this girl he’d met through a society. She was lovely, and all the things he looked for in a girlfriend- he thought he had struck gold with her! A few weeks down the line though, and he realised it wasn’t working, purely because there was just no connection. This is just one example of how, although someone can look great on paper you need to have that spark, otherwise it is never going to work.

Just because university is nearing an end, or Christmas is coming, does not mean you have to be with someone. Enjoy being single, enjoy not having to fight for the duvet, and most importantly enjoy the fact that your future partner is out there waiting for you.

What to Wear, Where?

Jam House This week Bethany Barley advises us on what to wear to the jazziest night in Brum.

Birmingham’s funky bar The Jam House has seen many successful acts perform there over the years, from the likes of Snow Patrol to Jools Holland. It's jazzy and relaxed atmosphere is the perfect excuse to go for an edgier outfit, and these clothes are sure to make you look and feel great!

The Great Gatsby on DVD What’s not to love with Tiffany jewellery, Prada costumes and Jay-Z on the soundtrack?!

German Market Opening this week with an expected four million visitors over the duration, Christmas has officially arrived!

Victoria’s Secret The Angels are back and busy strutting their stuff across the catwalks again, with Candice Swanepoel wearing the infamous $10 million fantasy bra.

McBusted Tickets sold out within minutes for this super-group reunion tour next year!

Hat Hair Having to decide whether we want our heads to be cold or to just have our hair plastered to them instead.

Isabel Marant on eBay Hours after the collection hit stores, the pieces were snapped up in bulk by eBay traders. Prices soared from £149 to £410 for those much coveted boots.

New Years With another year almost drawing to a close, where is the time going?!

Joey of the jungle Another selection of celebrities are trying to retrieve their careers by eating animal’s genitalia live on TV.

Beckham’s wedding crown auction If you’re not a member of a Royal family, then you should not wear a crown whilst getting married!

By Daisy Holden This velvet skater dress in pewter from Topshop (£38) is perfect to strut your swinging moves at Jam House, and paired with this on trend, statement necklace from New Look at just £7.99, it would be wrong not to! Finish the look with these sturdy, black boots from River Island (£50) that wont tire out your toes before the music stops.

Boys, you can use the excuse of a Jam House night to let out your flamboyant side, so wack out the bold chinos, like this pair from Topman at £24. Jam House still has a strict dress policy, so make sure you grab a pair of smart shoes, like these Kurt Geiger Derby shoes, £45. Finish off the look with a patterened shirt, like this paisley print from Burton, £22.

Finished

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redbrick.me/food

22nd - 28th November 2013

Food

We're Food Gawkers - Are You? Follow Safiyyah on her journey to 'recipe enlightenment'..

SaďŹ yyah Gareebo Food Writer

@AmarLikeHummer

The site's slogan, 'feed your eyes', doesn't quite cut it. As your eyes pop, mouth waters, hands frantically search the kitchen and your mind calculates portion quantities, this becomes a total body experience. Perhaps even bordering on spiritual enlightenment.

No longer did I have to pull out every recipe book on my shelf in order to find recipes,or have to nag that friend (you know the one, they wouldn't share a recipe if your life depended on it...) for things I'd been meaning to try out for ages. I give you the Mecca of recipes, the place you will flock to time and time again, I give you Foodgawker.

I initially came across the website after a crafter friend introduced me to it's partner site, Craftgawker (there are in fact others, should you seek inspiration for Style, Interiors or Weddings) and have since been hooked. Both the website and app allow you to scroll through streams of images, linking to blogs and articles written by people who are much more generous than that friend.

The people behind each blog lovingly share recipes for things you could never have imagined, covering a mass of cultures, tastes and skill levels, all beautifully presented with carefully selected images. Your eyes will be well and truly fed.

The app is currently only available for iOS, but don't be disheartened as the mobile site works very well on other smartphones so it's just as easy to access when you're out and about. I find that searching by ingredient or cuisine is the best way for me to find the recipes that I want, helping me to plan

'Recipes you could never imagine, covering a mass of cultures, tastes and skills.'

ahead for meals based on the ingredients I've got waiting at home. Personally the images are the most important aspect, as they give me a goal when cooking, something to strive towards (even though I sometimes fall very far off the mark) and at the same time allow me to quickly process what looks interesting and what doesn't before I've even clicked to the link. I've had some people tell me that it takes away from traditional ways of sharing recipes between friends, but I'd argue that it simply acts as an extension. Foodgawker has effectively used social media to help people gain more from cooking. The selection process involved before recipes are uploaded ensures that what is put on the site is of high quality, turning the site into the big hardback recipe book of the internet, without costing you a penny.

For those of you with food blogs of your own, I'd highly recommend linking your articles to this site. Read through the faqs and don't be disheartened if your articles don't feature immediately, instead use the site's criteria as a means to improve your photography and writing, as a post on this site will undoubtedly reach thousands of people and allow you to get feedback from a wide audience.

I reckon that as students we're often limited to budget versions instead of true quality, but this is an option where it's possible to access over 290,000 great recipes quickly and freely. If your eyes are ever hungry, this is definitely the place to eat.

Crazy About Cake The Musings of an Addict Millie Walker Food Editor

@millicent_x

Well, my dear readers, it was a success. A marvel of magic and Millie-ness. Real words can't actually describe how my 21st birthday went so I shall make some up...

Incredularissimo Wonkridabla Fabtasticilli The first describes cocktails at the Ritz.

The second sums up the colour and spectacular creativity of Charlie and The Chocolate Factory on stage, and the third and final epitomises the fun Ninja Housemate and I had on Saturday night at our party.

As predicted, my magical mum made our traditional chocolate cake (no recipe sharing I'm afraid) and my sisters decorated it to resemble a pirates-bay of treasures.

Gym-Monkey Friend made a superb cake, Victoria Sponge and an excess of raspberries, which is still being eaten due to it's enormous size!

Desert and Director Housemates went all out with an incredible selection of cupcakes. Victoria Sponge, Red Velvet, Peanut Butter Frosting, Vanilla Frosting and decorations that quite literally blew our minds.

Mini records that had artists names swirled onto them, tiny books with titles etched into them, and hearts and flowers galore.

We were thoroughly spoilt and have spent every waking moment since, eating cake.

As a result of this, I haven't baked this week. There are cakes in the pipeline and a

brand new birthday apron to use, so it won't be long before the whisks are out but for now I shall write about my carrot cake.

'We were throughly spoilt and have spent every waking moment since eating cake' The carrot cake was a new-fangled recipe, a merge between the creations of Nigella and Jamie, and it was part of The Biscuit Monster's Emergency Fresher Pack.

The pack was one of my best ideas so far this year and it contained anything and everything a Fresher might want/can't afford, in their first fortnight away from home. There were fancy dress props, little tubs of UV paint, biscuits, sweets, chewing gum and real alcohol. She had posh toiletries, paracetamol, a pack of cards and breakfast bars as well as chocolate powder and herbal tea. Each item had a label and I made a medical pamphlet of instructions for their use. It was pretty epic.

The idea of giving an entire box of treats came from the growing realisation that, as we get older, our presents get smaller. They are normally much more val-

uable and will last longer (expensive earrings versus large pink plastic dolls house), but there is something special about having lots of items to unwrap and being surrounded by discarded paper. It's how I see my Christmas shopping going this year, shoe boxes of lovely but little gifts that take time to open for ultimate enjoyment. There won't be any cake involved at Christmas, though, thinking as I write, gingerbread shapes might be a sweet idea for tags....

Before I run away with that thought, The Biscuit Monster loves carrot cake.

Especially the one from our local cafe. So I thought I'd have a go. While shopping for ingredients I had a slight wobble in confidence so asked an elderly lady in the baking aisle for advise (she seemed a safe bet) but

she too was shopping for ingredients for her first ever carrot cake and we left the supermarket wishing each other luck...if hers worked as well as mine did, I think she'll have been a very happy baker.

Ingredients - 250g unsalted butter - 250g light brown soft sugar - 175g self-rasing flour - 4 large eggs - 1 orange, zested and juiced - 1 teaspon of baking powder, cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ginger - 250g carrots, peeled and grated.

1. Preheat the oven to 180C and grease a 22cm tin 2. Beat together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.

3. Add the egg yolks one by one, then add the orange zest and juice.

4. Stir in the dry ingredients and mix together well 5. In a seperate bowl, whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff and then fold them gently into the cake. Bake for around 50mins until golden and bouncy to touch.

Lime Icing Mix together 200g cream cheese, 100g of icing sugar and the juice and zest of two limes. Spread generously over the cake once it's cool.

redbrick.me/food

22nd - 28th November 2013

Selly Sausage

To suggest ingredient issues that you want solved, email: food@redbrick.me

Our writers take on Selly Oak's favourtie breakfast bistro It would be hard to find a student that hasn’t heard of it or, better yet, a Birmingham resident. It’s even achieved country-wide acclaim with the Guardian hailing it as one of the top 10 places to have breakfast in the UK. Selly Sausage prides itself on serving quality food at reasonable prices (you will always find Heinz beans on your plate at a good price). Its vast menu means it is a perfect place for breakfast, lunch or a coffee break, and even opens its doors at night for university socials and birthday parties. The student hot-spot is now offering a loyalty card to reward its loyal following

Lynette Dakin:

large American style pancakes were filled with strips of bacon and drizzled with maple syrup. However, I was not defeated by their size. The pancakes were rich but the maple syrup really complemented the bacon and provided the perfect brunch. If I had shut my eyes I would have felt as though I was in an American diner, they truly were a taste of the USA. With the bacon and maple syrup pancakes costing only £3.50 you can’t go wrong with one of the Selly Sausages’ great sweet treats and it will even get you a scan of your loyalty card. I was so impressed that I picked up a loyalty card, which is scanned every time you spend over £3.50 and has great offers, such as a free burger after the eighth scan.

In a world of endless Costas and Starbucks, Selly Sausage is a welcome change. It is independent, with a quirky interior, full of character and friendly staff. It is hailed for its delicious (and very generous) pancakes and breakfasts, so I decided to try something a bit different and had the tuna and cheese croissant. It was delicious and perfect for a lighter lunch or brunch. It arrived warm and with a generous helping of filling. I washed this all down with a green tea. The Selly Sausage has a wide range of drinks, spanning from teas, coffee to their famous smoothies. All of which are good quality and significantly cheaper than you would find in the chain coffee shops.

Helena Dwyer: After not having tried pancakes at Selly Sausage, and having heard how great they are, I thought it was about time to break that trend. I looked for the most unusual and inviting combination and decided to take the plunge and order the bacon and maple syrup pancakes.

As the pancakes were put in front of me I knew I had a big challenge ahead. The two

Selly Sausage is part of any Birmingham students' experience and is, simply, a lovely place to go; from meeting up with a friend for a coffee and pancakes to curing your fab hangover with a breakfast. Their extensive menu has something for everyone and remember, if there’s one place people remember in Selly Oak it’s Selly Sausage.

Charlie Moloney: The Super Breakfast: This monster assortment of sausages, bacon, potatoes, mushrooms, beans, tomatoes, black pudding and toast is a joy to eat. When it arrives, the way that everything is neatly arranged on the plate gives the impression that this meal is Selly Sausage’s pride and joy. At £6.90, it’s the most expensive option on the menu.

Get your money's worth and you can say goodbye to your appetite for a while. The servings are all very generous: you get three sausages, three eggs and three bacon rashers. The sheer amount of meat would make this breakfast almost impossible to finish if it didn’t all taste so good. The bacon was succulent, the eggs came poached and the sausages were juicy where in other restaurants they so often come burnt. Including diced potatoes is a clever alternative to hash browns, which aren't my favourite. Even if you don’t like any of its components, the Super Breakfast is very neatly separated into the different foods; tomatoes and baked beans are usually runny, but here they manage not to spill over into the rest of the meal.

If you like to eat a lot of food then this really is the best thing on the menu. For somebody who likes to get their money’s worth, and give themselves a bit of a challenge, the Super Breakfast is the only way to start your day.

Don't forget that Selly Sausage is having its own birthday this weekend, so no matter what you're up to, spare some time for:

FREE PANCAKES between 4-6pm!

Have a look online to see our review of the Selly Sausage as a party venue.

Britain: Barmy for Baking?

We've finally calmed down after the hype of The Great British Bake Off, but why is it so successful?

Rosie Twells Food Writer

Britain: barmy for baking?

You’ve probably heard of it before. You might even have watched an episode. You’ll certainly have a friend or family member who claims they haven’t missed a minute of it. The elusive article in question is one of the nation’s favourite television programmes.

Spanning four series and judged by the king and queen of true culinary classics, this is, of course, the BAFTA award-winning Great British Bake Off. It’s sometimes difficult to see how one show has accomplished such a successful transformation in baking attitudes up and down the country. The recent final was watched by 9.1 million viewers, all sharing a passion for creating sweet treats and mouth-watering savouries. What exactly is it about this show that has given Britain its

"It's coined the phrase 'soggy bottom'..."

baking mojo back? Here are the top five reasons that go some way to answering that conundrum.

1) Mary Berry has become a national treasure. She’s the sort of person that everyone wants to be their grandma. With her constructive criticism and gentle-natured approach towards the contestants, Mary really is the icing on the cake for this signature show.

2) It has coined the phrase ‘soggy bottom’. Such terminology is bound to produce a series of stifled giggles. Or, if you want to score points amongst your friends and sound like a real foodie, this phrase will show that you know your stuff about the perfect pastry base.

3) You can’t go wrong with baking.

From pies and tarts, biscuits and tray bakes to sweet dough and pastry, there’s plenty of opportunity to let the creative juices flow in the signature dishes. Who wasn’t impressed by a Red Velvet Dalek cake?!

4) Team Berry or Team Hollywood?

Sounds like a simple choice, but one of the toughest decisions for the viewer is deciding which side your bread is buttered when choosing your favourite judge.

5) The hosts are hilarious. Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins are the perfect presenting

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partnership. Always on hand to provide assistance to contestants, armed with their egg-cellent puns, these two ensure that the show does not fall flat as a pancake.

So, it’s clear to see that the Great British Bake Off is a recipe for success. Take two witty and charming judges, mix with a handful of budding bakers, allow to simmer over a high and rather competitive heat for ten weeks and the outcome leaves the viewer wanting another slice and licking their lips. This British classic doesn’t look like going stale any time soon. Roll on the next series!

Ingredient Ideas When you just don't know what to do with your last spoonful of...

Yoghurt

01.

Yoghurt Dressing Handful of sliced white or red cabbage, 1 carrot gratted, 1 spring onion sliced, 1 large spoonful of yoghurt, squirt of lemon juice.

Combine cabbage, carrot and onion in a bowl. Whisk yoghurt and lemon juice. No more than 20 mins before serving add apple to slaw. Add dressing and toss. Serve with handmade burgers.

02.

Chicken and Yogurt Curry 4 chicken thighs, 1/2 onion, 1 crushed garlic clove, 1/2 teaspoon tumeric, garam masala and chilli powder, 2 tablespoons yoghurt, 1/2 tin chopped tomatoes.

Fry onion and garlic for 2 mins.

Add spices and fry for 1 min. Stir in yoghurt and tomatoes. Add chicken. Simmer for 30 mins.

03.

Yoghurt Cake 1 small pot of yoghurt (Use empty yoghurt pot as a measuring tool.) 1 yoghurt pot of sunflower oil, 2 yoghurt pots of caster sugar, 3 eggs, 3 pots of self raising flour.

Put everything but the flour into a bowl. Mix. Add the flour. Pour into a tin. Bake at 190C for 30mins. Serve with yoghurt.

04.

Tzatziki 2tbs greek yoghurt, 1/2 cucumber, 1 crushed garlic clove, 1tsp lemon juice, 1tsp chopped mint.

Peel cucumber, cut in half lengthways and deseed with a teaspoon, coarsley grate. Put cucumber into a sieve suspended over a bowl. Sprinkle over 1/2 tsp salt and mix. Place a plate on the cucmber and drain until water stops (1 hour.)

Remove cucumber then combine all ingredients. Great side dish for meat. Perfect with lamb kebabs!

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redbrick.me/arts

22nd - 28th November 2013

Arts

'Running on Empty' Dance Xchange @The Hippodrome Katherine Keegan and Alice Matthews Arts Editor and Critic

The Birmingham Hippodrome’s DanceXchange series ended this Friday with the intensely intimate ‘Running on Empty’.

The dance duo ‘Probe’ direct, produce and commission their own work, and do it well.

Running on Empty carefully combined dance and spoken word to create an effective and exciting piece.

As the performance flashed in and out of fantasy dream sequences to show the complexity of real human relationships, the central motif of mutual support sought to provide some sort of focus and continuity to such a complicated show.

Although the poetry itself would not have stood up on its own, it became powerful when brought together with so many other artistic elements. The dance itself was engaging to watch: as the duo worked to explore the space around them and the limitations of their bodies, this movement

merged with the music (performed live) and the poetry to create a powerful atmosphere encompassing all elements of romantic love: passion, support, escape and possession.

As the surreal dream sequences took over, the performers allowed themselves to take on strange, uncomfortable movements, acting as if they were jungle animals and mimicking elephants and monkeys with their bodies and voices. The effect was just as uncomfortable for the audience to watch, and there was an overall feeling of unrest and discomfort, questioning the real nature

of relationships in today's society.

But as the show ended, with Antonia Grove singing, the strands of the piece were drawn together in a conclusion that was reminiscent of Jigs used to end Elizabethan theatre and the audience was released from the intense world that Probe had so successfully created.

As the performers seamlessly phased between personalities, between reality and fantasy, they achieved a powerful creative vision, managing to effectively impart strong collective emotions onto the audience.

Interview:

Jenna Clake: Student Poet Diana Murgulet and Olivia Renshaw This week UoB’s creative writing society Writers' Bloc released the latest issue of their compilation book of the best of student prose and poetry, ‘The Journal’.

We interviewed last year’s Online Arts Editor, Jenna Clake, whose two pieces ‘Scenter of the Universe' [sic] and 'Not All Coffees are Created Equal' are featured in The Journal.

Tell us something about yourself: What do you study, what year are you in?

I'm a third year English with Creative Writing student, so the two pieces in The Journal are actually from my dissertation.

I'm writing a collection of prose poems that form a narrative following three couples.

'Scenter of the Universe' and 'Not All Coffees are Created Equal' are voiced by a character called Patrick, and Jenny is his long-term girlfriend.

"I like to engage critically with art and understand why I have or haven't enjoyed something."

Do you have a favourite author or book?

In terms of fiction, Lionel Shriver is my favourite author, and We Need to Talk about Kevin is my favourite novel, for so many reasons. She is incredibly intelligent, astute and eloquent, but completely modest at the

same time. I recently saw her speak at the Birmingham Literature Festival and I left feeling incredibly inspired.

beaten my fear of writing prose and will have written or be in the process of writing a novel.

In terms of poetry, I find it difficult to limit myself to a favourite poet. I tend to have favourite poems, and I could list them for hours. However, I do have one who made me fall in love with poetry: reading Allen Ginsberg's 'Howl' really made me sit up and look at poetry seriously. It is an incredibly powerful poem and its nuances are very complex.

What could you tell us about your writing habits and routines: the discipline behind writing?

"Good poetry makes me want to contribute to a discussion that a poem has started. On the other hand, 'bad' poetry makes me want to write as well, so that I can attempt to do a subject justice!"

With poetry, I don't really set myself a routine (whether that's productive or not, I don't know!). My dissertation is requiring me to work to a sort-of deadline, but I don't really work on a line-count basis; I just tend to write when I'm inspired or have an idea I want to explore. I think that's the beauty of poetry, really; I don't necessarily feel pressure to write because I usually write episodic poems that explore a moment, so there's no need reach a goal, as such.

If I need to feel inspired I generally read poetry. Good poetry makes me want to contribute to a discussion that a poem has started. On the other hand, 'bad' poetry makes me want to write as well, so that I can attempt to do a subject justice!

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Do you see yourself a writer?

How was your experience with Redbrick?

Do you think it had an impact on the way you write/ look at fiction and journalism?

I'm going to study for a MA in Creative Writing and then hopefully study for a PhD so that I can be a lecturer. As a result, I will hopefully be a published writer in ten years!

I'd like to hope that I'll have a couple of collections to my name; I'll also hopefully have

I really enjoyed being Online Arts Editor for Redbrick. I got to experience a lot of different art forms, and I think that it is really important to understand what is going on in the art world generally, so that you can interact with the people that are writing,

performing and creating now.

One of the main things I enjoyed about Redbrick (and still enjoy doing) is reviewing. I like to engage critically with art and understand why I have or haven't enjoyed something. I think this has ultimately made me a better writer: I can write and edit more sensitively now.

Are the two pieces from The Journal written from observation, imagination or personal memory?

"Poems shouldn't be surreal for the sake of it; they need to be surreal for a reason, and they still need to be accessible" I began by writing confessional poetry that was incredibly autobiographical. I am now writing more surreal poetry, so a lot of what I write is written from imagination, I suppose. However, they're always grounded in a little bit of reality: the poems are based in a very slight way to something that I have experienced. I think that it is important with surreal poetry to do that: poems shouldn't be surreal for the sake of it; they need to be surreal for a reason, and they still need to be accessible.

redbrick.me/arts

22nd - 28th November 2013

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Big Comedy in Birmingham With Jarred Christmas at Glee Club last week and Jimmy Carr and Andy Parson at Symphony and Town Hall this week, the big-hitters of comedy are decending on Birmingham

Jimmy Carr’s 'Gagging Order' @ Symphony Hall

Andy Parson's 'I've Got A Shed' @ Town Hall

Chris Starkey

Bethany Barley

Critic Jimmy Carr demonstrated, to a near sell out audience of 2,000 at Symphony Hall recently, just why he is considered one of Britain’s greatest comedians.

Delivering over 2 hours of nonstop stories, gags, sketches, as well as an unparalleled amount of audience participation, Jimmy Carr never seemed to miss a note.

Without the need for a support act, Jimmy opened with a remark looking back on 2012 including its’ highlight; the Olympics and the Queen’s Jubilee as well as the low points; the continuing Jimmy Saville case and Operation Yewtree, and oh of course Mr Carr’s own moment in the spotlight with his tax affairs. In his own words, “At least I wasn’t the worst Jimmy last year”.

The show’s underlying tone was surprisingly basic; sex. The man couldn’t stop talking about it, and invited the audience to share some of their more intimate carnal knowledge in what Jimmy described as a “workshop”. As the great man said himself, the British public are still get a little queasy when discussing the subject, and as such made for an excellent subject to discuss.

Jimmy really shone during the audience participation as he combined his quick wit and banterous nature to turn people’s bedroom experiences into comedy gold.

One of the best laughs actually came from an audience member replying to the question of “worst birthday gift” with “tickets to Jimmy Carr”. Jimmy himself was clearly very amused and could only apologise to the gentleman before putting him down.

His ability to relate to, and then mock, everyone in the audience simultaneously was brilliant. However, twice in his routine, Jimmy resorted to what appeared as timefillers in the form of cartoon sketches with Jimmy providing one-liners as narrations.

As funny as they were, they were basic oneliners that certainly could have been left out, seeing as I cannot remember a single one only 12 hours after the show.

Overall the show is a clear display of why Jimmy Carr is so popular, poking fun at all members of society without discrimination (something maybe the Guild could learn from). Tickets were a moderate £25 but with such a diverse array of gags and puns the show was a made for a rather different (fab and) fresh Saturday evening.

Critic As the lights dimmed and the audience waited with growing anticipation, Andy Parsons’ well-known voice erupted over a microphone into Birmingham’s Town Hall.

Despite being one of the UK’s most popular comedians and a regular face on ‘Mock the Week’, Parsons labelled himself as “too poor” for a support act and continued to introduce himself from backstage before sauntering onto the stage with a cheeky smile. Almost two hours of stage time may have been too much for many acts, but Parsons definitely rose to the challenge.

His infectious grin and satirical humour had the entire audience in stitches for the majority of the performance, as he gave his opinions on the banking crisis, foot massages and Kendal mint cake. Audience members were predominantly middle-aged and over, and although this was sometimes reflected in the material delivered, the quality of the jokes meant this detail was of little importance. His show title “I’ve Got A Shed” focused on his love for the ‘quiet life’, “sitting in [his] garden doing absolutely nothing”, however the fact that even

the young teenagers in the audience could be seen clutching their stomachs suggests how successful his ‘old people’ jokes were. Some of the humour did stray dangerously close to the line, but these jokes were placed appropriately in the routine and thus were accepted by the audience easily. Again, some of Parsons’ material was occasionally met with a brief murmur of appreciation as opposed to large outbursts of laughter, but he was quick to respond and call people on it, making the show far more relaxed.

"Some of the humour did stray dangerously close to the line."

Certainly the finale of “I’ve Got A Shed” was the most impressive, as he tied his material together with the help of party poppers, a unicycle and a deckchair. Wishing for a quiet life Andy Parsons may be, but the energy with which he delivers his performances suggests that the quiet life definitely isn’t for him.

'Zhe' @ The REP Bethany Barley and Ciaran A-Campbell Critics

The word ‘Zhe’ is neither male nor female, but a gender neutral pronoun. It forms the title of the performance “ZHE: [noun] Undefined”, which is a difficult show to define. It's not a play in the conventional sense, but neither is it a two man show (seeing as neither of the participants are technically men). Really, it's more based on storytelling, told between two people with gender 'ambiguity'. Tonderai Munyevu, for example, is a woman trapped in a man's body, who strikes up a friendship (of sorts) with Antonia Coker, a lesbian. Centred on the actual life stories of the two performers the show can be summarised as humbling, funny and extremely intelligent.

"In spite of a subject matter which is clearly very sensitive to the two of them, the narrative is dealt with in a light-hearted and enjoyable manner" The performance was gritty and clever, laced with dark humour, and ultimately produced a great audience reaction. Zhe follows the stories of these two main characters as

they talk the audience through their experiences, both as children growing up in very different, yet at the same time analogous, environments, and later in life with their sexual ambiguity. Coker, having grown up in urban London in the 60s, faces a mixture of suspicion directed towards her sexual orientation, and outright racism based on her colour. Munyevu meanwhile, coming from a reasonably well-off background in Zimbabwe, views his “womanliness” with abstract amusement in early childhood, though finds it difficult later in life. Despite minimal staging, the two actors transported everyone watching from Zimbabwe to London, from care homes to seedy bars, through a clever mix of narrative, dance and song. The use of two scarves as the main props was particularly imaginative, as the subtle shift in position of each scarf acted as a costume change, indicating an entirely new character. This idea was carried throughout the play and provided a refreshingly fast pace, as it meant both actors were onstage throughout and any scene changes were made as fluid as possible.

Some may have found parts of the show inappropriate and uncomfortable, and indeed the script certainly held nothing back, but these parts were often integral to the actors’ stories and thus one can definitely see why they chose to keep them in. In spite of a subject matter which is clearly very sensi-

tive to the two of them, the narrative is dealt with in a light-hearted and enjoyable manner, with both X and Y seeming to thoroughly enjoy portraying the stories of their own lives. For those who were looking for a light-hearted, tame performance, “Zhe” would have been entirely unsuitable. What the show did do, however, was present thought-provoking stories, leaving the audience with a greater understanding of individual identity and the struggles we all go through to define ourselves.

"What the show did was present thought-provoking stories, leaving the audience with a greater understanding of individual struggles of identity we all go through."

It's better to just see the show for oneself.

After all, it's a brave performance reflecting the stories of a diverse, multicultural community. Which, really, is exactly what the Birmingham REP is about.

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redbrick.me/travel

22nd - 28th November 2013

Travel

Spotlight on: Ljubljana, Slovenia Sara Tryon lets us in on why Slovenia's underrated capital is the perfect option for an alternative city break...

Despite bordering some of Europe’s most popular tourist destinations, Slovenia’s innate charm is often overlooked.

Reaching Ljubljana by plane or train is far easier than pronouncing the capital’s name, with flights lasting just over two hours. For interrailers, its close proximity to both Italy and Croatia certainly make it a worthwhile and convenient stop for a couple of days in one of Europe’s most beautiful cities.

The city is small enough that nearly everything is in convenient walking distance along one cobbled street or another, allowing you to save money on public transport and taxis. The weather is generally pleasant throughout the summer months so ambling the streets is an enjoyable way to soak up the quaint and relaxed atmosphere of the city. Be sure to keep an eye out for boundless pairs of shoes that hang precariously from every power line possible, with endless debate surrounding exactly why.

"Ambling the streets is an enjoyable way to soak up the quaint and relaxed atmosphere of the city."

Each summer, Film Under the Stars takes over Ljubljana castle with breathtaking results. It provides the opportunity to scale the city's iconic landmark to watch great films in a

stunning open-air setting. The castle is situated on top of a hill which allows you to take in the beautiful sights of the old town at dusk, and view the twinkling lights of the city

"Lake Bled offers a stunning location to spend a day basking in Slovenia's summer sun." by night as you descend. Tickets are reasonably priced and can normally be purchased on the day from the ticket office at the bottom of the castle, which is situated near the central market in the heart of the city.

No visit to the city is complete without a venture to Lake Bled. Being only an easy and cheap bus or taxi ride away from the capital, it offers a stunning location to spend a day basking in Slovenia’s summer sun. Boats can be hired at an hourly rate so you can row out to the tiny island in the middle of the lake, which is the only natural island in the whole of Slovenia. After mooring up, scale the 99 steps which take you to the top of the island where the fantastic views from the church allow you to see across the lake and surrounding forests. To save money, and to get away from the tourists, avoid paying for the designated swimming areas and take a walk around the lake independently. Footpaths wind their way around it, making it an accessible and beautiful walk.

Keep an eye out for tracks running down to the water’s edge

- these often lead to tiny, secluded spots where you can take a refreshing dip for free, whilst also being liberated from any unwanted company.

By night, the city maintains its quirky reputation with a host of options to meet every need. Several floating bars along the river provide a beautiful setting for an evening drink, and follow the sound of music if you’re in search of a livelier spot. Try Skeleton Bar for 2-for-1 cocktails and an eccentric atmosphere as you crouch through a tiny side door to find a room filled with skeletons protruding from the walls and Adam’s Family-style portraits filling any remaining space. As far as clubbing goes, expect all the classics from between five to fifteen years ago as the rest of Europe

"Whatever you're looking for, the close proximity of everything in the city provides the perfect layout for ambling between bars." tries to catch up with the UK charts. Whatever you’re looking for, the close proximity of everything in the city provides the perfect layout for ambling between bars into the early hours of the morning, which combined with its relaxed atmosphere and beautiful backdrop makes Ljubljana a great destination for an alternative weekend away.

Brum students abroad This week we hear from Lizzie Newbury about her experience studying at the University of Milwaukee in Wisconsin, USA...

My year abroad in Milwaukee is definitely proving to be a far different experience to Birmingham. Having found a way to overcome the 21 drinking age, the bar scene is certainly strange, with people dressing very casually and no dancing. You can imagine the looks on their faces when the English students turn up jumping up and down to the Spice Girls. The main bonus about this situation: bars have some spectacular drinks deals with jager bombs at some venues just $1 (about 60p).

However, there is no ‘Roosters’ to munch on during my walk home. There is merely overpriced pizza. Furthermore, there is no such a thing as fancy dress, so the kind of atmosphere seen at Fab and Sports Night is left greatly desired. A casual pub night is missed, as pubs do not exist.

During the day, life is less eventful than Birmingham. My day is not complete with out a trip on to campus seeing multiple Velcro flip flops and socks, tracksuit bottoms and hoodies (or as they call them here, “sweatpants and sweatshirt”). When walking through campus there is no clock tower

"There is no such thing as fancy dress...the atmosphere seen at Fab is left greatly desired." which I am scared to walk under or large patches of grass filled with people.

However, as a third year I am trading away a dissertation and copious amounts of

work for fourth year classes which a first year Birmingham student could do.

Although there is a lot of work every week rather than 5 essays all at the end of term, the work is easy, even if time consuming.

After being terrified to talk in my first classes and having every single face turn and look at me because of my accent, it has proved a very good way to start a conversation with anyone. Although the language barrier is weird and I am starting to talk in American, the strangest moment yet was when someone didn’t know what I meant when I said “uni”.

Despite the change in nightlife and campus life, this has been an amazing year so far, and to experience an American university is pretty cool. But I know I will appreciate Birmingham when I’m back!

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Day trips within an hour of Brum Ever wondered what’s just beyond the city? Emma McCarthy offers her five best suggestions for getting away, kicking some leaves and blowing out the study cobwebs on the last few remaining autumn days. Whether you’re new to the city or a regular Brummie, fill your boots and sample some of our rich Midlands culture, all less than an hour's train ride away...

Stratford-upon-Avon

Iron Bridge

The birthplace of Shakespeare, Stratford-upon-Avon is on the cusp of the scenic Cotswolds and has many daytime delights to sample. Visit the birthplace of Shakespeare, Shakespeare’s mother’s house and many other historical sites dotted around the local scenery. If history’s not your thing there are plenty of ye-olde thatched taverns, an exotic butterfly farm, a year-round Christmas shop or, my personal favourite, a magic shop containing a bohemian-style café selling pumpkin juice, butter beer and various other Hogwartian beverages. Christmas lights will be going up very soon and the annual charity running of the Santas will take place on 7th December, so it’s definitely a place to get your festive spirit on. For the theatre fans among you, the Shakespeare theatre in the heart of Stratford puts on plays every night of the week. Some cheaper tickets are available for under 25s and students from just £5.

Said to be the centre of the industrial revolution, thistown, named after its giant iron bridge, is set in picturesque landscape over the river Severn. The town itself is traditionally English - it even has its own town crier.

It has an array of museums, including an underground tar mine, and around town there are the usual antique shops and tea rooms, eateries and drinkeries. Iron Bridge Gorge is a UNESCO world heritage site, protected as an area of outstanding natural beauty. If you’re into outdoor pursuits, the gorge makes for excellent hiking with hilly terrain and untouched woodlands. The disused industrial buildings dotted around in the process of being reclaimed by nature give the area an eerie post-apocalyptic feel at times. Hiking trails to make the most of the Iron Bridge experience can be found online.

Time From Birmingham: 1 hour

Time from Birmingham: 41 minutes

Warwick

Gloucester

The Black Country

Check out the scenery, hire a boat and take a scenic cruise down the winding river amongst the autumn willow tree falls. Alternatively, take a tour of the gruesome torture and execution implements and explore the town's bloody past in the dungeons of Warwick Castle. Warwick Castle is more than 1000 years old and the ghost tower of the castle is haunted by a former occupant from the 1600s - ‘Greville’ who was murdered in the castle by his servant. Ghosts have supposedly been caught on camera, and in 2009 workers were sent home due to a ‘haunting scare’. Again, Warwick has its fair share of tea rooms and century-old pubs brimming with midland culture. So if you like tea, torture and cake, the historic sleepy town of Warwick is definitely worth a visit.

Gloucester, home of the official annual cheese rolling festival. Participants roll an 8lb roll of double Gloucester cheese down an extremely steep hill and then attempt to follow it. Unfortunately, the next one is not until next summer. Until then, Gloucester has a Romanesquestyle Cathedral dating back to 1072 which, as you can imagine, contains fascinating art and architecture from across the centuries. The cathedral is actually one of the settings used in the Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets film adaptation. Of course, there is more of the same with traditional Medieval and Tudor buildings and thatched houses, some of which contain drinking and eating establishments.

Home of the original Yam Yam Brummie and working man’s culture, the area gained its name during the industrial revolution when it changed colour due to the pollution from the burning of coal in industry. Dudley Black Country Living museum is kept as a time capsule of 19th century industrial Birmingham. Take a lesson in the school of a 19th century cane-wielding teacher, visit the sweet shop selling questionable hard boiled sweets or just sample industrial life. Many of the numerous Black Country pubs are hundreds of years old and have been restored to their original state so even if you’re not a drinker they’re well worth a visit.

The Black Country boasts the widest range of ales you will find anywhere in the world.

Time from Birmingham: 33 minutes

Time From Birmingham: 14 Minutes

Time from Birmingham: 50 Minutes

The 5...

Backpack essentials Jessica Flanagan Travel Writer

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The Travel Guide

Padlock

Cable Ties

Travel Towel

Currency

Whether it be for hostel recommendations, bus times and destinations, maps of towns, or general advice, be sure to have one in either paper or electronic form.

Your bag will not always be under your watchful eye, and padlocks ensure that, whilst travelling, you're safe in the knowledge that your things are secure within your backpack.

You don't have to be a paranoid traveller to be careful about who is handling your bag during your travels. On top of the padlocks on your bag, use these small plastic ties for double security.

These are usually made out of a shammy material, fold up compact, and are available in most travel outlets. They are perfect if on the road and when hostels fail to provide them.

If you know exactly which countries you'll be visiting on your trip, then there is no harm in carrying a small amount of that currency from the outset.

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redbrick.me/sport

22nd - 28th November 2013

Sport

Brum leave it late to secure dramatic draw

Charlotte Wilson

Birmingham 2nds

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Warwick 1sts

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Constantinos Akrivos Sports reporter

Birmingham women's netball 2nds team faced Warwick 1sts at Munrow Sports Hall last Wednesday and secured the draw in a thriller match.

The hosts made an exceptional start and built a quick 3-1 lead. Using nice, organized plays and with accurate passes they kept the lead until Warwick brought it back to 5-5.

The two teams were very close, basket to basket throughout the first quarter. The visitors however managed to take the lead from the home side and hold it until the end of the

first quarter, with the score 10-8 at the break.

Many lost balls led Warwick to easy baskets even though the hosts remained close in the beginning of the second quarter.

Birmingham had some serious troubles with rebounds as well as with keeping possession of the ball. The visitors pressed full-court right from the start which caused problems for the girls. A three point run brought the home side equal to 16-16, but a great steal gave Birmingham a narrow lead at the end of the quarter.

"The hosts were under heavy pressure all over the court but did not give up" The visitors seemed to have lost their confidence as Birmingham carried the

advantage with a 17-19 lead. Warwick though returned to the game when they equalized and regained the lead once again at 23-20, having scored six consecutive points. The hosts were under heavy pressure all over the court but did not give up and chased Warwick till the end of the third quarter.

It was in the fourth quarter when the game became a real thriller. At the start the away side played hard, scoring consecutive points and mainly taking advantage of Birmingham’s mistakes. Warwick controlled the game to begin with but Birmingham were not done. The home side decreased the difference to two points, making the score 31-29 in the middle of the quarter.

As the match went on, the thriller continued with the host’s fans roaring the team on.

The visitors got a three point lead within the last minutes but Birmingham were to have the last word. In the final minutes a heroic consecutive three points gained them the equalizer they deserved and got a draw.

"They showed passion, skills and most importantly courage against a competitive opponent."

The team now sit third in the Midlands 2A Group.

It was a huge performance for the hosts.

They showed passion, skills and most importantly courage against a competitive opponent. If they minimised the mistakes they could have easily taken all three points, nevertheless, the women's 2nds showed great spirit in coming back to earn a draw.

Next up Birmingham will face the University of Nottingham women's 4ths on the 27th November at the Munrow Sports Centre and will be looking to build upon a positive result this week.

22nd - 28th November 2013

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Whitewash for Warwick in women's hockey Birmingham 3rds

8

Warwick 1sts

0

Ellie Jones

Sports reporter

It was a whitewash on the Bournbrook pitches for Birmingham ladies' hockey 3rds vs Warwick 1sts, with an 8-0 victory. In torrential rain the ladies in blue demonstrated why they are first in their league, Midlands 2A, already notching up 28 goals this season without conceding.

The match started promisingly, with a quick penalty corner for Birmingham, scored by Phoebe Armstrong. Birmingham established a great set piece and at the same time highlighted the weakness in Warwick’s defence. Only seconds later Emily Baines scored her first goal from well worked open play, with the Warwick goalkeeper helpless to stop the storming shot from the edge of the D. The good play continued for Birmingham’s ladies as a second penalty corner was awarded and as before, Brook Huxford struck the ball in for defender Katy Levelle to poke home making the score 3-0 after just three minutes. In open play Warwick looked completely lost, they did not close the ball down well enough and Birmingham found it very comfortable throughout, making good use of the possession they had.

"The ladies in blue demonstrated why they are first in their league" Warwick’s number ten tried half-heartedly to sneak the ball through past Birmingham’s alley line but the home team showed they were also excellent in defense, blocking off the weak passes with ease.

Alice Page and Kerry Inman-Rollin caused a lot of trouble for Warwick down the wings, particularly on the right side which was dominated by Page. It was not long before Birmingham were awarded another penalty corner, and after previous set piece successes for the girls, they got into position with confidence. Another put in by Huxford was played right by Baines and back into the D, onto the end of Armstrong’s stick for a second goal for the number 42. With the score at 4-0, it looked like game over for an already tired Warwick.

Nearing the 20 minute mark Warwick saw their first set of successful passes and an opportunity to break, but again the play was stopped by Lavelle and Birmingham were back on the counter attack.

The host’s centres were controlling the game and growing in confidence, as shown by cross field passes and some quick, darting runs to set the ball up nicely for the attackers. Page had two efforts on goal as the game approached half time, but it was through another short corner that the lead was extended. Making use of the chance to play with the routine, an Armstrong deflection saw the girls go 5-0 up with a 100% success rate from corners.

The second half followed a very similar pattern to the first, except with the hosts looking to attack more through open play

Jack Collins

"The rain was now lashing down into Warwick's faces making it even harder to see the barrage of home attacks" and set pieces. The rain was now lashing down into Warwick’s faces making it even harder to see the barrage of home attacks.

Working the ball down the pitch Hannah

Walker and Armstrong were having fun on the ball, passing across the pitch with no fear of a Warwick interception. Birmingham could be accused of over complicating their corners in the second half, as two good chances went astray.

But with 15 minutes to go, the table toppers came in with three unanswered goals, with Walker and Inman-Rollin getting their names on the score sheet, before Armstrong completed her hat-trick.

The final minutes saw Warwick’s captain try to rally spirits but it was all too late as the

final whistle was blown, with Birmingham handing out an 8-0 thrashing. This was another convincing victory for one of Birmingham’s most successful sports teams who will now dare to dream of promotion, and a spot in the BUCS final.

"This was another convincing victory for one of Birmingham's most successful sports teams"

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redbrick.me/sport

Sport

Ashes Preview

After a two month wait The Ashes are back. Sports editors David Morris and Felix Keith pick out the key players for each side.

Alastair Cook

Kevin Pietersen

Matt Prior

James Anderson

Batting average - 47.85 Top score - 294

Batting average - 48.38 Top score - 227

Batting average - 42.36 Top score - 131*

Bowling average - 30.11 Test wickets - 329

Michael Clarke

Shane Watson

Mitchell Johnson

Ryan Harris

Batting average - 52.08 Top score - 329*

Batting average - 36.12 Bowling average - 31.92

Bowling average - 30.93 Test wickets - 205

Bowling average - 22.26 Test wickets - 71

England’s captain did not perform to his normally very high standards when the two sides met in the summer, but he will be keen to make up for that this time round. Cook is returning to the scene of his greatest personal triumph, after recording a series average of 127.66 the last time he played in Australia, and he will be looking to set the tone for the rest of the batting line up with a similar performance. His opening partnership with new boy Michael Carberry could be an integral part of potential English success.

Australia’s leadership and much of their hopes lie on the shoulders of their captain.

Clarke has grown into his role as the leader of the team, while dealing with a number of squad disputes and problems. His batting when on form remains excellent, and England will remember the glimpse they received of this in the third test of the summer series, where Clarke hit a superb 187.

With Australia heading into the series looking to avoid a fourth consecutive series defeat against England, there will be a lot of pressure on the skipper. Can he deal with it?

Recently hailed by Steve Harmison as England’s best ever player Pietersen comes into this series with hopes of repeating his Ashes heroics of 2005. The first Test in Brisbane will be KP’s 100th Test appearance and he is currently England’s highest run scorer of all time across all three formats. Put simply, if Pietersen performs with the bat, England generally win. He can dominate any bowling attack with his rapid run scoring ability and confident shot selection. Once in, he is capable of contemptuously smashing the ball to all parts of the ground, whilst demoralising and infuriating the opposition players.

The Queensland born all-rounder never seems to be enjoying himself when out on the cricket pitch, yet he can prove to be effective with both the bat and the ball.

Whether he will open the hosts’ batting or come in slightly lower down the order remains to be seen, but as long as he can avoid the customary LBW dismissal that has haunted him throughout much of his career he could be a damaging obstacle to English success. Australia’s highest scorer in the summer series, his threat with the ball could be equally threatening to the visiting team.

Like Cook, Prior did not have the best series with the bat when the two sides last met, however his skill and record with the gloves as wicketkeeper are unquestionable. Prior’s importance was further highlighted off the pitch, when he acted as mediator in bringing Kevin Pietersen back into the international fold. A very calm head, and important cog, Prior is surely the most underrated player in the squad. Having torn a hamstring before the first test in Brisbane, England fans will be hoping the vice-captain is fit and firing.

The left-arm fast bowler will be desperate to put his 2011 failure behind him, a series which saw him receive abuse from the ‘Barmy Army’ that he recently admitted left him needing help from the Australian team psychologist. Johnson has since returned to decent form in the ODI series in India. His bowling can be extremely erratic but can be perhaps the most dangerous in the Australian attack. Much of Australia’s success will depend on the quality of their bowling, and Johnson at his best can be an aggresive leader of the attack.

England’s highest wicket taker across three formats, Anderson is undoubtedly the leader of the bowling attack and will be vital to England’s game plan. Anderson can take wickets in any conditions, regardless of the situation. Over his long career he has mastered conventional swing, seam movement and reverse swing. He is probably the best fast bowler in world cricket, alongside South African Dale Steyn. Anderson will spearhead England’s new ball attack and will hope to get the best of Australia’s top order. Australia know all about Anderson’s threat, having been taken apart many times by his wizardry with the new ball.

The beefy fast bowler has had frequent problems with injury, but when fit and on song he is a very canny operator. His relative inexperience in the test arena is contrasted with his domestic experience that will no doubt serve him well during this home series. Harris is generally economical, probing around off stump with a tight line. He will bowl very few bad balls and therefore is a great option for Clarke to turn to when pressure needs building. Australia fans will be hoping he can stay fit for the whole series.

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redbrick.me/sport

Things to look out for this weekend

Performance of the week

Tweet of the week

1. The Ashes have got underway in Australia, with England looking to win their fourth series in a row. With the sledging already underway, it is sure to be another fascinating series both on and off the pitch.

@ESPNcricinfo '"I can now eat a cheesecake everyday." Sachin Tendulkar reflects on the benefits of being an ex-cricketer.'

2. Carl Froch and George Groves meet this weekend for the IBF and WBA world super-middleweight titles in what is one of the most highly anticipated all British bouts in a long time. Will it be the 'Cobra' or the 'Saint' celebrating after the fight?

Portugal will be at the 2014 World Cup thanks to a single handed masterclass by Cristiano Ronaldo against Sweden. The Real Madrid player netted all four of Portugal's goals, securing them a 4-2 aggregate win. Ronaldo is now odds on to secure the Ballon D'or for the first time in his career, having extended his goal tally for 2013 to 66, more than any side in the Premier League.

3. The Premier League returns after the international break, with the Merseyside derby between Everton and Liverpool as the pick of the matches on show.

The lighter side of sport

Weekend wager

1. A man went the extra mile this week to complete his 1996 Premier League sticker album, after tracking down the six players he still needed. This involved two cross channel trips, but Portsmouth fan Adam Carroll-Smith finally completed the set, before throwing the album into the river Solent.

2. Three England fans will dribble a football across South America before this year's World Cup. Starting in Argentina, they plan to travel 1,996 kilometres and reach Brazil before the competition kicks off.

Online this week

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15/2 With the Ashes having just kicked off this week we are backing Kevin Pietersen to finish the series as top run scorer. Pietersen claims he's in the form of his life and will no doubt revel in the hostile atmosphere down under.

Photo of the week

Sport quiz 1. Who is heavier - Shane Watson or Chris Tremlett?

2. How many defeats has Carl Froch had?

3. How many career hat-tricks has Cristiano Ronaldo scored?

4. In what year did Tony McCoy win his first race?

Autumn Internationals: England came close to another win against New Zealand on the weekend. Ellie Jones reviews a decent England performance.

England Friendlies review Ed Tyler reviews England's two losses to Chile and Germany, the first consecutive defeats at Wembley since 1977.

5. How many sportsmen have won Strictly Come Dancing?

1.Shane Watson 2.Two 3.26 4.1992 5.Three

Tuesday debate: Who would you rather see at the World Cup, Ronaldo or Ibrahomovic? Claire Sackman and Constantinos Akrivos argue each player's case.

The Redbrick Crossword

This week's prize is a voucher for a free drink from Costa, to help you get over the loss of Waterstones Crossword by Tom Hutchinson

Please complete this form before you hand in your completed crossword to the Redbrick office.

Name: Email Address: Phone Number:

Across

1. Birmingham has more miles of these than Venice does (6) 5. See 3 Down 7. Founder of Birmingham. Loves a drink or two (6) 10. Haircut or a painting, sir? (6) 13. The height of coffee, Government and Society (8) 15. Middle Earth location inspired by the University of Birmngham (8) 17. Birmingham is twinned with this German City (9) 18A/6D. Architect who designed the Great Hall (5,4)

Down

2. See 3 Down 3D/2D/5A/16D. "Through eorts to high things" (3,5,2,4) 4. ___ Triangle, can get a bit hot! (5) 6. See 18 Across 7. Where matadors go shopping (8) 8D/11D. Aectionate nickname for the clocktower (3,3) 9. Colloquial term for a Birmingham native (7) 11. See 8 Down 12. Sir Dominic ____. Chocolatey Chancellor of the University of Birmingham (7) 14. Fiercely shielded, found alongside a mermaid (4) 16. See 3 Down

12````~~~~3~~ ~`~~~~~~~~`~4 5`~6~~~7`8``` ~`~`~9~`~`~~` 0`````~`~`~~` ~~~`~`~`~~-~` ~=~~~`~`~~`~~ ~`~~~q``````` ~`~w~`~`~~~~~ ~`~e````r``~~ ~`~`~~~~`~~~~ t````````~~~~ ~`~~~~~~y````

32

redbrick.me/sport

22nd - 28th November 2013

Sport

P28 - 29 The women's hockey 3rds and netball 2nds were involved in a double header against Warwick. See how they got on inside.

Brum power past poor Loughborough

Charlotte Wilson

Birmingham 2nds

6

Loughborough 3rds

1

Billy Proudlock Sports Reporter

The University of Birmingham men’s football 2nds continued their strong start to the season as they strolled past a poor Loughborough 3rds team with a resounding 6-1 win at the Munrow track on a miserable Wednesday afternoon.

Both teams struggled to impose their own style of play on the match in the opening half-hour of the match. In close to freezing temperatures coupled with near horizontal rain, it was clear the match would take some time to warm up. A long ball over the top from Loughborough led to some confusion between the defence and goalkeeper Joe Mack, but the ‘keeper managed to clear safely in the only real noteworthy moment of a dire opening 30 minutes.

Birmingham slowly began to gain a territorial advantage and there was some humour from Birmingham coach Matthew

Rodney who quipped 'We’re spending so much time in their half that we should paying rent!'

The pressure soon told though after some neat link-up play by Alex Sampson and Sam Crompton down the right-hand side led to a corner for Birmingham. The Loughborough goalkeeper Joel Henri-Harr flapped at the whipped delivery and helped it into the path of the oncoming Brum captain Luke Masefield, who scored a header from two yards out into an empty net.

"Birmingham were by far the better team and deserved every goal, but Loughborough will go back home feeling disappointed by their performance" Birmingham looked to be in control heading towards the half-time interval, until a hopeful long ball from Loughborough trickled towards the Birmingham goal.

Centre back Ibrahim Jabbie tried to shield the ball into the area, safe for Mack to pick

up, but the ball slowed down as the Loughborough striker John Staines closed in. Staines nipped the ball round the goalkeeper and passed it into the empty net.

Almost immediately after the restart, the home side regained the advantage following some neat play down the left wing by Adam Rosenbaum who pulled a cross back for Liam Hallam to stroke home sending Birmingham in 2-1 up at half-time.

Brum continued to make life difficult for the opposition forcing Loughborough to rush on the ball. Substitute Benji Weinberger then got the first goal of his hat-trick with a left wing cross which deflected over the ‘keeper’s head to make it 3-1. Two minutes later and it was 4-1 with Sam Crompton scoring after a beautiful through ball from Liam Hallam from deep within his own half.

Weinberger then got his second and third in quick succession, the highlight being a lovely chipped finish for his second over the onrushing goalkeeper after beating the offside trap with a well-timed run following Davis’ through ball. Weinberger could have had more had it not been for a terrific save from a free kick 25 yards out from the away side’s goalkeeper. The key to

Birmingham’s success was their high pressing from the front trio of Hallam, Rosenbaum and Crompton and an instrumental role in central midfield from Ash Narwal who covered ground effortlessly and set the tempo of Birmingham’s play with his precise passing.

"We've had a good start both in the league and cup, I don't see why we can't do the double."

Birmingham were by far the better team and deserved every goal, but Loughborough will go back home feeling disappointed by their performance and how they struggled to get to grips with their opponents’ closing down and how they continued to take too many touches in key areas.

After the game, Masefield told Redbrick 'We’ve had a good start both in the league and cup, I don’t see why we can’t do the double'. Brum will come up against far better sides than this Loughborough side in their pursuit of silverware, but this was a very positive performance, and the three points were well deserved.