Redbrick -24th October 2014

Redbrick

Est. 1936

24th October - 6th November 2014 Vol. 79. Issue 1452. www.redbrick.me

Guild Unveils New Strategic Plan Development of new student representative scheme Plans for a new democratic structures review New staff posts and 'refocus' of existing posts Page 4 George Bearman

UoB Hindu Society hold Diwali Week on Campus News / Page 4

Hindu Society

Vafa Motamedi reviews the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Ally Head explores what to wear for Halloween

Pippa Smith examines the attraction of Las Vegas

Charlotte Spence argues the case for going to the opera

Film / Page 15

Life&Style / Page 19

Travel / Page 21

Culture / Page 27

Tickets: ÂŁ5 from AT THE VALE VILLAGE

Funfair from 7pm Entertainment from 7.30pm Fireworks from 9pm

Doors: 10pm-3am (No entry after 12am)

02 24th October - 6th November 2014

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News Tweet of the Week

Society Spotlight Craft Society We are a small cozy group of crafty people. We aim to teach & encourage a variety of craft skills, now including knitting! We want to help you develop a hobby which you may not feel you have the time or money to keep up with, we also want you to be able to try out new crafts that you might not try otherwise.

Email: craft@guild.bham.ac.uk https://www.facebook.com/groups/uobcraftsociety/

@sellysausage 'Good morning sausage lovers, we now have wifi'

Photo of the Week: 'The Floozie in the Jacuzzi' Peter Saxon

Online in Redbrick News

Redbrick's coverage of the political party conferences See online for Redbrick's full coverage of the political party conferences so far and the impact it will have on university students around the country.

Redbrick Editorial Team Editor James Phillips editor@redbrick.me Deputy Editors Adam Rowe George Bearman deputy@redbrick.me Digital Editor Julia Yan digital@redbrick.me

Comment Editors Charlie Moloney Daniella Bassett James Lentschner Jonathan Simpson Julia Bayer

Music Editors Jack Crowe Ludo Cinelli Matt Moody music@redbrick.me

comment@redbrick.me

Life&Style Editors Amy Wakeham Bethany Barley Elizabeth Green lifestyle@redbrick.me

Sport Editors Alex Kronenberg Aman Harees Tom Dodd sports@redbrick.me

Lead Developer Andrew Spencer Culture Editors developer@redbrick.me Ben Carver Charlotte Spence culture@redbrick.me News Editors Sabrina Dougall Film Editors Tara Dein Hayley Allanson Vanessa Browne Jay Crosbie Vedika Bahl Tom Lofkin news@redbrick.me film@redbrick.me

Travel Editors Hannah Stevens Jessica Flanagan Sara Tryon travel@redbrick.me Television Editors Jaffrina Jahan Shannon Carey tv@redbrick.me

Sci&Tech Editors Emma Houghton Rachel Taylor tech@redbrick.me

Food Editors Rosie Twells Safiyyah Gareeboo Sarah Dickinson food@redbrick.me Photography Editors Cherona Chapman Evie Ford photography@redbrick.me

Senior Editorial Assistant Toria Brook-Hill ea@redbrick.me Editorial Assistants Anna Gunn Amy Hunt Emma Roper Gurnesha Bola Jen Payne Jess Allsopp Rachel Deevey Sophie Preece Stefan Pace

Apologies: We would like to apologise to Sam Harrison, whose article 'NFL in Britain: a special relationship?' was wrongly attributed to 'Sam Hutchinson' in our last issue

Redbrick Guild of Students Edgbaston Park Road Birmingham B15 2TT 0121 251 2462 editor@redbrick.me Redbrick is printed through www.mortonsprint.com 01507 523 456 Paper Advertising Contact Linda Langley in Guild Marketing on 0121 251 2524 Online Advertising Contact James Phillips by email at editor@redbrick.me Designed and typeset by Redbrick Copyright (C) Redbrick 2014 The views expressed in Redbrick do not necessarily reflect those of the editors, the Guild or the publishers. If you find an error of fact in our pages, please write to the Editor. Our policy is to correct mistakes promptly in print and to apologise where appropriate. We reserve the right to edit any article, letter or email submitted for publication.

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24th October - 6th November 2014

03

Students may be breathalysed on entry into Fab James Phillips Editor

@JMPhillips92

Fab, and a number of shops and pubs in Selly Oak may soon start breathalysing patrons before allowing them entry, it has been announced. Door staff will be equipped with police breathalyser kits to test any customer that they believe may be too intoxicated.

Door staff are likely to refuse entry to any customer who measures double the drink-drive limit or more, using kits provided by the police. The plan is expected to help enforce a law which states that pubs and shops should not provide alcohol to anyone deemed too drunk.

Additionally, the West Midlands Police have suggested it can be used as a tool to make customers consider the amount of alcohol they are drinking.

Frankie Greenwell, the Guild of Students Vice President (Welfare), said the scheme is being introduced to 'reduce the number of students who become victims of violent crime whilst being under the influence of alcohol. This is a police initiative designed to lower crime in the local area... we hope that this will mean

that when people leave an event at the Guild they are aware enough of their surroundings to not walk home alone and to return home safely.'

Explaining how the scheme will work, Greenwell said that, for the first few weeks, students will be offered the chance to take a breathalyser test in an attempt for them to see how well they can measure their alcohol intake. Then, 'after the initial 3 week period we will be moving one of the breathalysers, to be used by the door staff managing the queue and we will select people at random (1 in every 100) to blow into it.'

The scheme has already been rolled out in other student areas around the country, including in Loughborough and

"The plan is likely to have a significant impact on student activities and events in the area " Nottingham. Greenwell stated 'this scheme was trialled for an 8 week period in other areas, leading to a 32% reduction in violent crime in the area and a 66%

reduction in drunk and disorderly calls the police received' The plan is likely to have a significant impact on student activities and events in the area, with students and societies participating in bar crawls likely to be turned away en-route.

However, Greenwell states the breathalyser tests 'are not there to ban fun or to stop you from coming in!'

Sergeant Williams told the Birmingham Mail, 'We have seen a pattern between the end of October and December of increases in public place violence linked to alcohol... This has proved to be a very effective tool where it has been used elsewhere in the country in making people think about the amount of alcohol they have consumed.'

Selly Oak police told Redbrick that the scheme will apply to all pubs and bars in the Selly Oak area including the University, and that breathalysing will not be enforced by the police themselves. They said that the plans are a safety measure to ensure students 'aren't too drunk' when entering pubs and bars in the local area.

Defend Education hold protest on 'right to education, housing and protest' James Phillips Editor

@JMPhillips92

Protest action organised by Defend Education took place on campus on Wednesday 22nd October. The protest, which had a lower attendance than previous protests organised by the group, was held to demonstrate support for the abolition of tuition fees, the provision of adequate housing and to protest freely on campus.

The demo was attended by 15 members of the activist group, most of whom are current students.

One speaker at the protest complained about university accommodation, claiming that rent is rising whilst halls were not properly maintained and there are not enough spaces for the yearly intake of new students.

A speech was also given by student and former Vice President (Education) Hattie Craig, who is currently on a suspended disciplinary sentence from the University for her involvement in last year’s direct action and occupation of the Aston Webb.

Last year’s protest action was also spoken about as demonstrators claimed the University ‘silence and ignore dissenting students’ by arranging injunctions and disciplining involved students. The University’s response to the January 2014 protests were criticised by public figures including Ken Loach and Noam Chomsky.

Following a few speeches, the protest did a circuit of campus, stopping outside various buildings including the Guild and the Main Library, where further speeches were made.

Some protesters came equipped with pots and pans, which were used to make noise and attract attention.

One speaker complained of the disruption caused by construction work taking place in the Aitken Wing of student accommodation on the Vale last year.

The group also restated one of their demands to the university: that the price of accommodation should be frozen to prevent any further rises. They argued that some accommodation costs were higher than most students’ maintenance allowance and grant combined for one academic year.

Around three members of security staff were visible at the entrance to the Aston

BEMA host Black History Month Tara Dein News Editor

@taradein

BEMA, the society that exists to promote the interests and well being of black and ethnic minority students around campus, is taking part in Black History Month. This is an event which is taking place all over the UK throughout October.

The events will be taking place all over campus and in Birmingham in a series of celebrations of the contributions of the communities of the Global South throughout history. It is also aiming to highlight the unspoken legacies of resistance of black and ethnic minority people in the UK and worldwide.

Events are including film screenings, guest speakers, music celebrations and panel debates. All events are free, open to everyone and non-alcoholic.

Full details of the event line-up are avalable through their website: bemaonline.wordpress.com

Sabrina Dougall Webb building, at a distance from protesters.

In a statement to Redbrick, the University said that they take concerns about accommodation ’very seriously’. The statement also said that, ‘Every effort has been made to retain budget accommodation. Indeed, a survey in The Independent newspaper found the University of Birmingham offered the

cheapest rent of any top university, at £3,095.56 per year.’ The statement went on to explain that any price rises since 2004 are due to refurbishments.

The statement added: 'Universities are places of free speech and we respect the rights of students and staff to protest peacefully and within the law, as was the case on this occasion.'

Demo planned against tuition fees and education cuts Izma Asad & Taahira Khan News Writers

On the 19th of November, there will be a mass demonstration in London in favour of free education and in opposition to the privatisation of education. Multiple student groups such as the Young Greens and the National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts (NCAFC) have come together under the banner of ‘No Fees, No Cuts, No Debt’.

The planned protest comes after the Trades Union Congress demonstration which took place on Saturday October 18th.

Many health care students also demonstrated with the TUC on the 18th against austerity. This was because many of the students following their courses, will potentially work for the NHS. The focus for the healthcare students demonstrating was against the cutbacks being made to bursary and hardship funds for their courses.

Rachel O’Brien, the Community Action Officer at the Guild of Students and a com-

mittee member of the National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts, is helping to organise the 19th November demonstration.

O’Brien explained that the NCAFC ‘is a national organisation of students and workers working towards free and democratic education.’

The NCAFC believe that tuition fees are economically unviable. O’Brien commented, ‘Fees should be abolished completely.

They serve as a barrier to access, only allowing the most privileged to go to university, and only allowing courses that are viewed as economically profitable to run.

This has the effect of ruining the value of universities for the education they produce, instead turning them into a business run purely for profit.’

O’Brien confirmed the main agenda and long term goals of the demonstration: ‘To put education issues, both in higher and further education on the political agenda.

At the moment it is seen as a closed issue, but we want it to be opened back up to debate and discussion.'

04 24th October - 6th November 2014

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News

Guild launch 'strategic review' based on feedback Lucy Moseley News Writer

@l_moseley

Following its largest research and consultation exercise ever, the Guild of Students has just revealed its strategic plan for the next three years. The plan’s overall aim is to support the students and make sure they get the most out of their time at Birmingham.

The ‘strategic enablers’ that are needed to [facilitate change] are identified in the plan as finance, effective operations, staff and students. The University has agreed to support the project by providing funding while the Guild will be allocating more staff to ensure that these aims are achieved.

The plan, which was drafted in response to student feedback, is split into 5 ‘strategic priorities’. Each one presents the findings from the research carried out, describes the steps that will be taken to implement the ‘priority’, and how they will measure success throughout the three-year scheme. In a

short video on the Guild of Students website, the Sabbatical Officers briefly explained the 5 areas to be focused on.

The plan also outlined an intention to reform the Guild's democratic structures and officer team. Poppy Wilkinson, Guild of Students President, emphasised that 'any model that goes to referendum will be in response to the huge consultation conducted in the last academic year but will not be the same referendum'.

The amount of money the Guild receives from the University has increased this year.

The extra funding be used to deliver a new student representative scheme, a new Volunteering and Employability Service and to support improved communications.

In order to support the strategy, 17 new staff posts will be introduced to the Guild.

However, Wilkinson told Redbrick there would only be an overall increase of 7 members of staff. Wilkinson stated that 'some posts have been refocused', suggesting 10 existing positions have been removed to be replaced with new posts.

Main points of the strategic review: 1. Improving the Academic and Learning Experience: By introducing a student representation scheme, the Guild promises to voice students’ concerns about their course to the University.

2. Representing the Student Voice: Reforming the democratic structure to more effectively represent the student voice to the University.

3. Developing Skills and Increasing Employability: Aiming to have 12,000 students participating in students groups,

8,000 students volunteering and 2,500 students finding part time work through the Guild by 2017.

4. Giving Better Value for Money: Ensuring that the Guild offer a wide range of reasonably priced food by opening new food, drink and trade outlets as well as expanding the Joe’s plus card. They aim to achieve 80% student satisfaction by 2017.

5. Increasing Engagement and Participation: Providing information about voting, ticket sales, events, student groups and how to get involved.

Hindu Society lights up UoB for Diwali Week celebrations Vedika Bahl News Editor

@itsmevedika

The University of Birmingham Hindu Society has just completed their Diwali Week 2014, which took place from the 19th to the 23rd October. Diwali is known as the Festival of Light and coincides with the Hindu New Year. The festival signifies the victory of good over evil, and Hindus decorate their houses with colourful lights, candles, and diya lamps as well as holding huge firework displays to spread light.

Diwali Week commenced on Sunday with a Bollywood movie night on campus. The first ever ‘Diwali on Campus’ lit up the University on Monday evening; ‘Old Joe’ clock tower was sectioned off and transformed into a Diwali bazaar with over 150 attendees from across campus. Fresh masala chai, samosas and onion bhajis were available, as well as traditional henna artists. There were several live performances, including a Bollywood dance by UoB students, and an exclusive salsa workshop courtesy of

student group Dance Club Latino. The Hindu society also provided sparklers and candles for all, to be lit around Old Joe in order to illuminate light around campus.

A special Diwali dinner was held on Tuesday at Deepalis Restaurant in Jewellery Quarter. Members also paid a visit to the local Shri Ram temple in Birmingham on Wednesday to carry out Sewa (selfless service), by assisting at the temple to prepare for Diwali celebrations.

Thursday evening rounded off the week to celebrate actual Diwali day with a visit to the local BAPS Shri Swaminarayan temple for dinner, special Diwali prayers, and a large firework display.

Devan Limbachia, President and second year Medicine student, said, ‘It was the first time we’ve ever held ‘Diwali on Campus’ - it was incredible to see everyone coming together, regardless of faith or background, and just having a great time.’

All proceeds were donated to the society’s two charities: The Divya Sewa Foundation and Acorns Childrens’ Hospice.

Vedika Bahl

University launch initiative for LGBTQ inclusivity among staff Tara Dein News Editor

@taradein

The University of Birmingham has launched a research project, aiming to take place over the next two years, which will produce a guide for colleagues to ensure LGBTQ inclusivity. The project will survey staff and student experiences, through the means of workshops and other interactive methods.

The new project will be focused on the content and delivery of teaching, aim-

ing to improve general guidance for colleagues who wish to incorporate LGBTQ issues into everyday academic teaching.

The findings will be compared with experiences across the international education spectrum, with the research presented at the University’s Teaching and Learning Conference in 2015.

Inclusivity projects and initiatives have previously focused on the social experiences of LGBTQ students. The new launch has come after students reported that interaction during lectures and seminars may prove fundamental to their over-

all higher education experience.

Although The University of Birmingham was voted ‘one of the best

"UoB was voted one of the best universities to be an LQBTQ student" universities to be an LGBTQ student’ by Attitude Magazine, nationally, LGBTQ

students experience higher than average drop-out rates in higher education. The NUS LGBTQ conference this year saw the highest turn-out rate (with 400 delegates), and revealed that 1 in 5 LGBTQ students experience bullying or harassment on campus.

One student, a member of LGBTQ association, told Redbrick, ‘I think its an extremely positive move the university is making. I think it has the potential to make massive amounts of change by bringing it into our everyday education system’.

PRESENTS

AT THE VALE VILLAGE: Funfair from 7pm / Entertainment from 7.30pm Fireworks from 9pm* *All times are approximate and subject to change

THURSDAY 6TH NOVEMBER ONLY AT THE

Tickets: £5 from

, more on the door (no entry after 12am)

Strictly no admission after midnight. Guests must provide ID on request. Usual Guild rules apply to this event. R.O.A.R. E.&O.E Think Safe, Drink Safe - Don’t Binge. Please arrive early to avoid disappointment.

06 24th October - 6th November 2014

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News

Great Birmingham Run sees best turnout yet Tara Dein News Editor

@taradein

half-marathon in the West Midlands. Those who sign up chose to complete the race as a personal challenge or to raise money for

News Writer

"...a hugely successful turn out of 22,000"

Birmingham’s half marathon, which took place on Sunday 19th October, saw a hugely successful turn out of 22,000, attracting competitors from all over the UK. Known as the ‘Great Birmingham Run, the event has been ongoing annually since 2008. England cricketer Ian Bell and Olympic gold star medalist Jodie Stimpson sounded horns to start the race.

The charity run takes into sight some of Birmingham’s most iconic sights, including the Bullring, the Cadbury’s Factory and Edgbaston cricket grounds. It is the biggest

vital charities.

Many students took part or went to watch the event. One third year medical student told Redbrick, ‘It was an extremely exciting event. There was a real sense of community with so many people running together. At some points it was quite emotional, seeing people run for their family and friends. It also made me really proud to live in Birmingham’.

The event saw a light-hearted side, with some runners choosing to wear fancy dress,

Emma Roper

including costumes such as Batman, Kermit the Frog, Bananas in Pyjamas, and the Powerpuff Girls. Bupa Great Birmingham Run tweeted, ‘we are still smiling with the memories from yesterday’.

Birmingham’s very own Jodie Stimpson, GB triathlete and Commonwealth gold medallist, who is often found training alongside the University of Birmingham triathlon club, cheered on the runners from the start. Jodie, running for the Neonatal Unit at Russells Hall in aid of her nephew,

"We are all still smiling with the memories from yesterday" praised the event and her fellow competi-

tors who were ‘running for something close to their hearts or even just to finish - everyone had a goal’. She then went on to complete the race as 13th woman over the line.

Other recognisable faces included Brummie TV presenter Andy Akinwolere and GB’s ultra runner Steve Way. The race is the biggest half marathon in the West Midlands and took participants past local landmarks, such as the Wildlife Conservation Park, Edgbaston Stadium and the Cadbury’s chocolate factory. The final stretch saw runners make their way down Broad Street to the finish line.

Runner Christopher Gray commented, ‘I honestly don’t think I could’ve done so well without the unconditional support and enthusiasm of the crowd’.

The next Great Birmingham Run will take place on Sunday 18th October 2015.

Entry costs £35 and is now open.

Peter Saxon

Birmingham Library misses Sixth Form Applications out on RIBA Award open for UoB School Sophie Dober News Writer

The University of Birmingham library was one of the six buildings shortlisted for the Royal Institute of British Architects awards (RIBA). The RIBA award is famous for being the most respected prize for architecture, identifying buildings that have made

"the Birmingham Library welcomed more than one million visitors in the first three months before Chistmas" the greatest developmental contribution to building design in the past year. Other buildings in the running for the prize included the Shard and the London Aquatics Centre. The Library of Birmingham was the only building to be shortlisted from the second city.

Since opening in September 2013, the Birmingham Library welcomed more than one million visitors in the first three months before Christmas. Dutch company Mecanoo were selected to undertake the design in 2008, with the build completed in 2013.

The library has designated spaces for

young people, leisure and culture including the REP theatre.

On Thursday 16th October it was announced that the Library of Birmingham lost out on first place prize to the Liverpool’s Everyman Theatre, despite topping the Liverpool theatre in public votes. Around 90,000 people completed an online opinion poll on the competition conducted by the BBC. The Birmingham Library won 30% of the public vote, whereas the Everyman Theatre took 10%.

RIBA judges admired the front of the ‘Everyman Theatre’, which is covered with revolving aluminium panels depicting images of people from the city.

Peter Saxon

Alana Forman News Writer

Applications are now open for the University of Birmingham’s new Sixth Form, which is offering A level students an alternative way of learning. Around 200 places are available for current year 11 students in the £23 million purpose built centre.

Offering a broad curriculum of A level options, teamed with an emphasis on essential life skills and character building, the school will have 'a contemporary approach to learning' which it claims will ‘make a significant contribution as part of a rounded education for our young people’.

The school, which will be situated near the university’s Selly Oak campus, is one of the first university-led institutions for 11-18 year olds in the country. With no catchment area for the school, competition for places is likely to be high.

Despite Principal Michael Roden claiming it will not be an elitist school, the Sixth Form requires above average entry grades, asking for an A at GCSE in each subject students wish to take as an A level, as well as an additional 5 GCSEs at grade B or above. No fees will be charged to pupils of the school. Students in the sixth form will be required to study at least 4 AS levels and 3 A levels. Sixth

formers will be able to stay as late as 6pm if they wish to study after the school day has ended.

The school’s unique selling point is undoubtedly its ties with the University of Birmingham as students will have access to some of its resources including guest lecturers, library sources and specialist laboratories. It is thought that students at the university school will not be channelled into university education. A spokesperson from the University confirmed that students at the sixth form will not receive

"The school will have a contemporary approach to learning" preferential consideration should they apply to UoB. Two open evenings will be held later this month at the University’s new Bramall Building to provide prospective students and their parents the opportunity to gain more information about the Sixth Form.

The next stage for the school will be to recruit teaching staff. The school will begin with one cohort in year 7, and one in sixth form. More jobs will be created as pupils move up the year groups.

The school is due to be opened in September 2015.

redbrick.me/comment

24th October - 6th November 2014

07

Comment

Why Britain needs to go federal Satya Mouland Commentator

Spending a year abroad in Germany only confirmed to me what I already suspected: Federal systems work better. It is no wonder that so many (particularly young) people are disillusioned with politics and the turnout is always so low. Politicians in this country speak with so much rhetoric and are more ready to insult the opposing party than actually stand up for the policies they care about.

And the truth of the matter is, whether you're a Tory, Labour or Lib Dem supporter, you're only going to get somewhere in this dog-eatdog world by tearing apart the other side.

And it seems that each party is just as bad as the other.

The roots of these problems lie in our underlying first-past-the-post system. This is a highly undemocratic, contrived and disproportionate political system. It means that the votes of people who live in counties with a smaller number of inhabitants count more.

The MPs which get into Parliament are pre-

"We cannot assume that the Parliment at Westminister has the time and capacity to keep up with the needs of every individual county, no matter how hard it tries" dictable based on the last election as certain parties have certain strong holds. This results on people "tactically voting" such as in Cheltenham where I am from, it would do more good voting for the Lib Dems than Labour to keep the Tories out. This cannot be

right that so many people are forced to go for their second choice.

A federal system would solve all these problems. We are talking about the West Lothian question, but why not decentralise all the powers which do not concern the functioning of Great Britain as a nation to the local councils? This would enable local people to deal with local issues. It would create a better response to the particularities of any one county. People would feel like they are making a real difference in their respective counties, which is what a representative democracy should be about. We cannot assume that the Parliament at Westminster has the time and capacity to keep up with the needs of every individual county, no matter how hard it tries.

The recent calls for a TV debate with not only UKIP, but the Green Party, demonstrate the opening up of the political system to parties other than the big three (or two, as it may be). A huge issue of course, is that the Green Party is perceived to have around four candidates with any tangible chance of getting a seat, so many potential Green Party voters will be disillusioned and vote otherwise (and probably tactically). This issue could be improved by introducing a Federal voting system, whereby (like in Germany at least) you get one vote for the candidate in your county and one for the party. The vote for the party determines the proportion of seats in Parliament, and then the candidates with the highest number of votes in each county fill up the seats. This achieves the best of both worlds and would deter people from voting tactically because they know the candidate that they really would have voted for does not have a chance in the constituency.

How many times do you feel torn between the party that you would normally vote for based on its values, and who you consider to be the best party leader to become a Prime Minister, and a local MP from another party who seems to care more

"How many times do you feel torn between the party that you would normally vote for based on its values, and who you consider to be the best party leader to become a Prime Minister... " about county issues? It could be that you would normally vote for Labour, but the Tory candidate in your area is particular strong and savvy and seems like they will make more of a difference in the local area.

Does this lead one to swing and vote for the Tory because he or she cares more about local issues, or would you still vote to keep the party in who you want to "control" the country. My question is: why should you

have to choose? If, like in a Germany, you could go for a candidate in the "first vote" from a party different to the one you vote for in the "second vote", your views on local and countrywide issues would be better represented.

So what are the historical reasons for sticking to a first-past-the-post system? The clear reason is that we prefer a party majority on the basis that there will be less dispute in Parliament so laws will be passed quicker.

For all the good it did this time round, we got a coalition anyway. Surely this, if nothing else, is a sign that people are disillusioned by party politics and are therefore unsure who to vote for. If parties took the stance of sticking to their core values and appealing to those who they really wish to target rather than making false promises and stretching the truth to appease other groups, then these parties might be able to engage in real debate about real issues in a more representative coalition.

David Iliff

Iraq and the IS: a failure of states?

Francesco Finucci

Commentator For as long as the Islamic State reached the status of threat to the international community, a particular attention has been paid to the very structure of the group, its goals and its astonishing ferocity. The rise of the Islamic State is the last result not of a failed state, but of the overall failure of the States to address violence in Iraq and during comparable crises.

With the end of the devastating regime led by Saddam Hussein, much of the criticism against the intervention of the United States in the country was partially balanced by the rise in the terrorist and insurgency activity. In 2006 Nouri al-Maliki became president of a difficult country, where the partial reduction of fragmentation due to tribal identities had left room for a new sectarian divide. Indeed, as Saddam's leadership encircled himself with members of the Sunni minority, Maliki promoted Shi'ite believers.

More, Sunni people were marginalized, labelled as supporter of the former regime.

This finally led to the 2014 uprising in the Anbar region, one of the first events of the then ISIS. In a desperate appeal, Maliki demanded that people in Fallujah get rid of the jihadists. The government displaying inability to prevent tensions from exploding in violent starting the cycle of violence we now experience as the “IS crisis”.

The case of the Anbar region could be enlarged to the entire territory. Unable to

absorb private militias, Maliki exploited their strength in order to assure law and order. Despite the high interest for the activity led by Islamist groups, democratic protests asking for basic services and civil rights took place as early as 2010. The answer provided by the government has been effectively depicted by Amnesty International: killings, arrests and wounding of protesters among other crimes. Did the government need the Islamic State to start listening?

Consequences of the intervention in Iraq are still far from calculated. The first framework has been provided by scholar Mary Kaldor, in her work “New and Old Wars”.

According to the work, the intervention in a state in the last phase of its life cycle definitely aborted all opportunities for a “natural transition”, disrupting the fragile reformist processes internal to the Sunni and Shi'ite clerics, as well as in the society in general.

Instead, it brought a “spectacle war”, delivering soldiers into a hostile territory, besieged in the few safe areas and supported by inconclusive intelligence. In short, the Bush administration created a nightmarish environment for western soldiers and the local population, while ignoring the quest for change that even so originated from the Iraqi society.

Moreover, the calamitous rise of criminality in the aftermath of the 1996 “oil for food” campaign (the wholesale of the Iraqi petrol in return of food and medicines) was already worsened by the counter-insurgency

strategy imposed by the US on the population, leading to the complete disaffection for the foreign presence in Iraq. This resulted in the detention of a large number of potential insurgents, forced interrogation techniques, and attempts to destroy havens as Fallujah and Sammarra. How could the new regime acquire a minimum standard of legitimacy?

We all failed in achieving three goals: ending the US aggressive policy, addressing terrorism and improving the mutual understanding across cultures. Notwithstanding the huge amount of agreements rejecting the financing of terrorism, the effort has been completely ineffective, and extensive legislation already exists. Instead of cutting the cash-flow, vital for terrorist organisations, we supported a military-led approach, often exploiting the theory of failed states in order to provide terrorism with coordinates to start air strikes. Our hypocrite relationships with dictators is a fundamental element in the growth of fundamentalism. We didn't focus on failing states, states that can still be saved from catastrophe, but instead we supported states led by integralist regimes as Saudi Arabia and Qatar in order to let them arm rebels in Syria and Iraq. Moreover, our most appalling failure became evident when we have been unable to create an international community where all cultures can feel welcomed. The continuous flow of fighters from Europe and the US to Syria and now Iraq is a terrible sign that something went horribly wrong. This is a fact to think about, in the west as well as in the east. It's not a burden

to be exclusively put on the Muslim world.

The Muslim world now faces a dramatic choice, the one of rethinking its identity on the world stage. Islam could be the solution as argued by Dean Obeidallah in response to the anti-ISIS statement by several Muslim clerics. Nevertheless, the huge amount of funding from countries as Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait leaves with not much speech, as do the Muslim western citizens joining the nascent Islamic Caliphate with the spirit of a rebirth in the heaven on earth.

An overall re-discussion of who Muslims are, and what they want to be is more urgent than ever. The Islamic State could destroy a system of cooperation, not only Iraq.

A general conclusion can be consequently drawn. The last twenty years we lived under the umbrella of the post-Cold War euphoria are rapidly deteriorating in something we can't really address. We could argue that 2001 signed the systemic crisis of relationships between Christianity and Islam, as now the Muslim world tries to manage the harsher face of contradictions leading the Middle East politics for many years. This is a failure of political Islam indeed.

Consequently, a new approach, among nations and cultures is needed; a new humanitarian spirit is needed more than ever, where the life, dignity and future of all the inhabitants of the globe matter the same way, and their personal and common histories are shared with the rest of the world. This brutal international system is simply not working anymore.

08

redbrick.me/comment

24th October - 6th November 2014

Comment

TTIP: a threat to UK soverignty Charlie Dart Commentator

If the Tories really care about threats to UK sovereignty and democracy they should be fighting TTIP, not scrapping the European Human Rights Act. At the end of September, Birmingham was host to the Tory Party Conference.

During the conference a number of terrifying plans were outlined to be enforced provided the party’s re-election. They planned to scrap the European Human Rights Act and introduce new powers to restrict the free speech and movement of ‘non-violent extremists’ to compliment the unprecedented, ‘emergency’ civilian surveillance powers pushed through parliament earlier this year.

I found myself in between rage and profound fear as Teresa May explained her ‘extremist’-silencing plans, intended to target those who allegedly pose a ‘threat to the functioning of democracy.’ Cameron also pandered to UKIP supporters and Daily Mail readers, repeatedly emphasising his priority to ‘protect our national sovereignty’ and ‘democracy’ from these alleged threats.

But if UK sovereignty and democracy are what Cameron and his cohort fear, why has he not yet spoken up about the enormous threat posed by TTIP (Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership)?

TTIP is a free trade agreement between Europe and the USA, currently being secretly negotiated. Intended to remove obstacles of trade, it contains a clause which would effectively allow powerful corporations to sue the UK government. This is truly frightening.

If TTIP goes through, the UK parliament might find their grasp over the law slipping and end up in a similar position to Australia’s government, fighting for their sovereign rights to such things as introducing plain tobacco packaging. Similarly, if the government decides to cancel a contract with a

company that hasn’t fulfilled their obligations, they could also be sued. Future governments could find themselves unable to reverse the privatisation currently sweeping the NHS for fear of corporate reprisals through these secretive tribunal courts.

Worse still, the mere threat of these tribunals might affect government policy and lead them to shy away from bills protecting the environment or the welfare of their citizens.

Three totally unaccountable individuals carry out the ‘kangaroo’ courts, in which these disputes are heard, in total secrecy, and with vested interests in the disputing corporations. The decisions of these individuals may not be appealed, and may override the decisions of domestic courts and democratically elected governments.

"the entire negotiation strategy of TTIP is resolutely antidemocratic" These proposals pose a real threat to democracy in the UK. The ability for corporations to hold governments to ransom, and of three private individuals in a tribunal to change government policy, is clearly an assault on democracy.

The entire negotiation strategy of TTIP is resolutely anti-democratic. Freedom of information requests are routinely delayed by up to 18 months and censored. This secrecy is intended to hide the fact that the destruction of important regulations is one of the key aims of the project, and has also been used to hide the fact that the Commission’s aims in the negotiations are effectively set by big corporations.

Before their hand was forced by a freedom of information challenge, the Commission was happy to cover-up the hundreds of private meetings they have had with corporations and business lobbyists to develop their initial negotiating position. Specifics

of these meetings are still not apparent, due to the commission ‘blacking’ or ‘whiting’ out the text. On one document they removed every single word. Whilst the public was kept in the dark, the businesses and lobbyists were privy to this information.

Indeed, the opportunity to affect the negotiations seems to be heavily biased towards business and away from citizens, environmental organisations, trade unions, public services and consumer organisations.

92% of the 560 encounters the Commission had with lobbyists were with those representing businesses in the private sector.

Only 4% were with representatives of the public interest.

There has been a single, short-lived and poorly advertised public consultation, only held by the Commission after months of public pressure. Even then, the website conveniently experienced ‘technical problems’ when the income of responses was particularly high, meaning over 25,000 submissions were lost by the Commission.

Surely, faced with such a threat to UK democracy and sovereignty, David Cameron and the rest of the Tory club must be enraged. Surely he would at least threaten to veto the proposals like he did with the EU proposal to cap bankers’ bonuses?

No. Cameron seems unconcerned with TTIP. He is apparently content not to draw attention to the dodgy deal. In his flagrant disregard for the threats, he even seems to have forgotten to appoint a new minister to handle TTIP, after sacking the previous minister responsible for the deal in the last cabinet reshuffle. Add these factors to Cameron’s peculiar public silence on the matter, and it is apparent that he wants it to happen.

The Tory Party are there to represent the billionaires and business leaders who stand to benefit from this further entrenchment of neoliberal fascism. The same lobbyists who are frequenting the company of the European Commission over TTIP are also frequenting

Raising Awareness: October Illustration by Louise Aust

the offices, parties and fund-raisers of people like David Cameron and Boris Johnson.

They’re whispering the same dirty little words in their ears: ‘deregulation’, ‘privatisation’, ‘tax breaks.’ More power for the privileged few, less for the rest of us. It’s the UK equivalent of the US ‘Iron Triangle’.

Less well documented, but just as real.

The government doesn’t care about sovereignty or democracy, no matter what they say when it’s conference time. They just care about making the super-rich richer.

World Development Movement

redbrick.me/comment

24th October - 6th November 2014

09

Why, as a student, the NUS does not represent me George Reeves Commentator

As a second-year Politics student, I can safely say that my contact with the National Union of Students is minimal, to say the least. I decided against renewing my NUS card over the summer as my first year had taught me, above all else, that my university ID card provides all the same discounts that its union-produced counterpart guarantees, whilst the only reason I ever darken the door of my students' union is to grab a cheap pint.

On a broader scale, I take little interest in union politics, preferring instead to laugh at the consistently dismal voter turnout in the annual elections.

I know that I am not the only one who has this outlook; call me a cynic, but almost all of my friends feel utterly detached from the machinations of our students' union, despite the fact that all the Union Officers seem to take themselves and their positions very seriously indeed. Indeed, I would even go as far as to say that my students' union is deeply unpopular; this is demonstrated by the low voter turnout, and is fueled by the union's web of confusing bureaucracy and politically correct posturing (students wearing sombreros were barred from entering a party last year because their costumes apparently flouted the union's anti-racism poli-

cies) This is the case on a local level - imagine that on a national scale, and you should come close to picturing the utter madness that is the National Union of Students, the body which controls 600 students' unions across Britain. Unsurprisingly the NUS has a history of espousing leftist politics, with several former NUS presidents having gone on to become Labour MPs, including former ministers Jack Straw and Charles Clarke.

There is nothing wrong with this in itself; students broadly tend to identify with the political left, and those of us on the right

"My University ID card provides all the same discounts that its union-produced counterpart guarantees" have to accept that we are in the minority.

However, there can be absolutely no excuse for the increasingly extremist views currently being promulgated by a body which claims to represent students' interests.

The radical, far-left nature of the presentday NUS was on full display for all to see at the union's National Executive Council meeting earlier this month, where a motion to condemn ISIS was struck down due to

fears that it would promote Islamophobia.

The campaign against the motion was spearheaded by Black Students' Officer Malia Bouattia, who claimed that 'condemnation of ISIS appears to have become a justification for war and blatant Islamophobia.'

Such a view is, of course, totally preposterous, and it is indeed very dangerous if organisations such as the NUS are unable to condemn a bloodthirsty terrorist network due to fears that such a stance will be perceived as intolerant. There is nothing intolerant about publicly opposing people who behead journalists, rape innocent women and seek to coerce people into joining a bigoted and draconian theocracy. Indeed, the ideology promoted by ISIS and its affiliates has very little in common with mainstream Islamic thought, and as a result I fail to see how condemnation of ISIS can possibly be confused with a condemnation of Islam.

It would appear that the NUS has a short memory when it comes to the issue of who they can and can't condemn. Although they clearly believe it would be inappropriate to formally repudiate ISIS, rather less restraint and timidity was on display earlier this year when they voted to boycott Israel due to the conflict in Gaza between the Israeli government and Hamas terrorists. There were no fears that such a move might promote antiSemitism, no concerns for the many Jewish students across Britain who the NUS claims

G N I K O O C S ’ O H W ?

T H G I N TO

to represent; this is either a shocking display of double standards, or it represents a disturbing view that certain minority groups matter more than others.

It is not just foreign policy where the NUS believes it has a right to stick its nose in; at the same meeting in which the union refused to condemn ISIS, delegates reiterated their opposition to UKIP and proposed a plan whereby the NUS will email every student in the country on election day next year, urging them not to vote for Nigel Farage's right-wing outfit. Students should surely be free to make up their own mind about who to vote for, whilst the NUS should be ashamed that they find it easier to condemn a legitimate political party than a murderous terrorist group.

On their website, the NUS describe themselves as 'the national voice of students, helping them to campaign, get cheap student discounts and provide advice on living student life to the full.' I fail to understand how debates on foreign affairs, worldwide conflicts or partisan party politics fit into this mission statement, and by focusing on these issues the NUS can no longer claim to represent all students. Instead, it has simply become a crude parody of itself, and if it ever wants to become a credible force once again then it should put an end to such divisive, insensitive and inconsistent political posturing.

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10 24th October - 6th November 2014

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Music

Album Review: Flying Lotus You're Dead!

Carl Jones Music Critic

You’re Dead! is the fifth in a line of hot studio albums from LA production mastermind Flying Lotus (not counting his rap pseudonym Captain Murphy), each past album greater than the last in terms of sonic ground broken. A quick intro to Flying Lotus for the unenlightened: hailing from a family of jazz royalty, the standards and expectations that Steven Ellison (Lotus’ real name) must live up to are terrifying to say the least, with the Coltrane name running strong in his blood.

Originally regarded as a pioneer in the ‘LA Sound’ sub-genre, an underground scene based around a jazzy and energetic variant of hip-hop with of the likes of Gonjasufi, the Gaslamp Killer and Daedalus to be considered contemporaries, Flying Lotus is an artist who has developed a distinct, homogenous style of his own whilst continually evolving from album to album.

Following the release and major commercial and critical success of his third album, Cosmogramma, Flying Lotus’ name became not only a common factor in discussions of hip-hop, but also a revered name due to his staggering ability to produce fresh new sounds and get the best out of musicians. The mere mention that Flying Lotus might be producing a musician’s sound, or the news that he had signed a new act to his own label, Brainfeeder, has the ability to build staggering stratospheric hype around a release. He has yet to let the fans down and this release is no different.

The hype following the release of this album was no different to the past and expectations were high, but the question on the minds of many was 'What sound is he going to explore next?' The two previous releases had a very definitive aesthetic.

Cosmogramma was a hyperactive, exciting and unrelenting experience, rushing from

the first track to the end and never slowing down. The electronic rhythms wreaked hell on expectations following the release as fans were barraged with an array of new sounds and experiences. Then he released Until the Quiet Comes, which defied fan expectations of a similar sound that Lotus saw success on with the previous release. There was a calming, yet calculated and dark presence to the aesthetic that UTQC provided, and the album also saw a thematic exploration, expanding on the purely sound based experiences of the past. With a slower, more ambient twist to it, UTQC explored the abstract themes of dreams and the psychedelic experience, with an underlying sinister sense to it, leaning towards a feeling of ego death and enlightenment.

You’re Dead! returns with more, similar, thematic explorations (death, the afterlife and spirituality, which the title could not be more clear on), however, the sound structure of this album could not be more different than the previous two. The sound finds a

"The sound finds a comfortable ground between energetic dizzyness and more ambient, jazzy stylings" comfortable ground between energetic and highly paced and more ambient, free jazz pieces, and for the effort succeeds greatly. In fact, when planning the album initially, Lotus revealed that the album was originally going to be an entirely free jazz album, with an even lower focus on electronic and hiphop sounds, before the work evolved into what we have today. The final result of the movement is an album that sounds less like previous electronic music or hip-hop than

any of his past releases and far more like the jazz influences that surround his works, such as his late aunt and uncle, Alice and John Coltrane, respectively.

With a greater focus on jazz breakdowns and interludes than his previous albums, this album sits as a modern electronic-jazz amalgamation of sounds, with a slight hip-hop twist. This, combined with the typical standard strong feature list that fans of Flying Lotus have come to expect, featuring heavy hitters with Kendrick Lamar and Snoop Dogg as new featuring artists, also a return of Lotus’ Brainfeeder crew, the return of the bass boss man Thundercat and the sublime singing of Niki Randa. This makes for a combination of sounds and experiences unlike any other that Flying Lotus has presented before, and definitely not one to miss.

Getting more into depth with the album, one particular track that stands out would be the track featuring rap icon Kendrick Lamar, 'Never Catch Me.' Initially released as the promotional track for the album, the sound coming into this was totally unexpected, especially from Kendrick who was well known for being almost exclusive to harder hip-hop sounds. The bouncy, jazzy bass of the track and the high paced stop-again-start again flow of Kendrick with the pure jazz progression of the piano comes completely left field from expectations and creates a soft middle ground between the excitable ADD-addled work of Cosmo, and taking all the jazz cues and ambient sensibilities of UTQC. This forms an idyllic, yet simple, pure and fresh sound which only leaves you wanting to listen again and again. This is not the only highlight of the track however, as the thematic exploration leaves nothing but thoughts and questions to the listener: is death really that bad? The lyrics leaving Kendrick’s mouth are those questioning mortality and fears of the end, the meaning of it all, and whether we should really fear

being ‘gone’ from this world. This, when combined with the masterfully shot, produced and crafted music video presents an idea that death is both something to fear for us mortals, yet is also an escape from the horrifying, mundane or saddening world we live in, developing a vivid image of the

"Never Catch Me, featuring Kendrick Lamar... forms an idyllic, yet simple, pure and fresh sound" afterlife in contrast to living itself. This is only one track of a collection of equally amazing ones, without going into the dark and dank sound of 'Dead Man’s Tetris'. or the deep molasses movement experience that is 'Coronus The Terminator', which feels a boat ride with Charon on the journey to the afterlife.

What this combination of expertly crafted aesthetics produces is not really an album, but an experience. An intense one at that, too. The mixture of powerful thematic elements, emotive jazz explorations and few but masterfully crafted and placed lyrical pieces creates what is at current the strongest release of the year for me.

It defines Flying Lotus not as a musician, but an artist, an accolade of the highest order. His ear for interesting, unique and exciting sounds and his eye for the perfect visual accomplices to his sounds make him somewhat unique to me. I recommend that you listen to this album, not only if you are a fan of hip-hop, jazz or electronic music, but also if you are not. Skipping past this album isn’t just missing a great listen, it is cheating yourself of a unique musical experience unlike any other.

redbrick.me/music

24th October - 6th November 2014

11

Tweet of the Week: @FLYLO: "Happy burfffday momma. We are n some parallel universe eating Cheesecake Factory or some horrible Resturant u liked. You live on. Forever."

Album Review: Gorgon City - Sirens Ella Downing Music Critic

This month house and garage duo Kyle Gibbon and Matt Robson otherwise known as Gorgon City dropped their eagerly anticipated album Sirens. Alongside the likes of Route 94, Jess Glynne and Clean Bandit, Gorgon City are part and parcel of an electronic dance music revival that has snowballed throughout 2013 and 2014. Pioneered by record label Black Butter Records, Gorgon City have successfully brought their unique mix of house, electro and garage into the mainstream chart with 'Ready For Your Love' featuring MNEK, reaching number four in the official chart.

They also produced Jess Glynne’s 'Right Here' which charted at number six.

The album is refreshingly well-executed. It combines a perfect mix of mellow beats that you could chill out to, cider in hand at a festival, with euphoric, progressive piano rhythms. I would say this combination has significantly contributed to their popularity as their tracks are not purely for house music fans; there is something there that will appeal to everyone, hence their chart success. In a recent interview the duo themselves confess that they 'wanted to make an album that you could get ready to and also listen to when you

Album Review: Iceage - Plowing Into The Field of Love Conrad Ducnan Music Critic

The word visceral is often thrown around too readily when talking about bands with a penchant for distortion but when Danish 4 piece Iceage arrived in 2011 with their debut ‘New Brigade’ no other word was more fitting. Over the course of 25 minutes, they rattled through 12 songs of abrasive post-punk that was as confrontational as it was deceptively catchy and on their 2013 follow up ‘You’re Nothing’ the spark still burned bright but it left the question of where they could go next as a band. The answer, in the form of Plowing Into the Field of Love, is to expand outwards with longer songs, a larger range of instruments and most unexpectedly some dabbling in country rock. It’s also, most importantly, a resounding success.

Lead single ‘The Lord’s Favourite’ is a triumph; sounding like Johnny Cash brought up on punk rock and Nick Cave,

and shows a move towards a more mainstream sound without losing any of the band’s intensity and strangeness. Nick Cave is also a reference point throughout the album, tracks like ‘Glass Eyed, Dormant and Veiled’ and ‘Stay’ wouldn’t sound out of place on his 80’s albums while the distorted, wonky blues rock of ‘Abundant Living’ could have been lifted straight from ‘Let Love In’ but nevertheless Iceage aren’t merely recreating their influences.

"Lead single 'The Lord's Favourite is a triumph" What sets them apart is the formidable presence of frontman Elias Bender Rønnenfelt whose slurred vocals and uncompromising lyrical style adds to the tension and drama of his band’s music. His presence is much more upfront this time round and he takes that opportunity wholeheartedly to establish himself as one of the most compelling voices in guitar music

today.

Elsewhere, what makes Plowing Into the Field of Love so exciting is how effectively it shows the growth of the band in the past 3 years, adding moments of beauty and subtlety in between the discord such as on the ballad ‘Against the Moon’ and on album highlight ‘How Many’ where the claustrophobic post-punk of the verse gives way suddenly to a chorus that reaches for the sky, emulating the ‘sense of euphoria’ that Rønnenfelt describes. It’s a moment that’s both surprising and dazzling and its one that couldn’t have come from the band when they first started.

That’s not to say that Plowing Into The Field of Love is perfect, ‘Cimmerian Shade’ fails to produce a melody that is memorable enough to justify its 4 ½ minute length.

Also, short, sharp songs like ‘White Rune’ and ‘Ecstasy’ from their previous albums are slightly missed. However, Iceage are still very young, only averaging an age of around 23, and based on this new album the future is looking very bright.

come back from the party'. Tracks such as '6am' embody this, describing a night’s progression from one, three through to six am. Other tracks such as 'Hard On Me' featuring Maverick Sabre and 'Unmissable' featuring Zac Abel (my personal favourite) have a more emotive tone, the lyrics at the forefront rather than the beats.

"The album combines a perfect mix of mellow beats with euphoric, progressive piano One thing that Sirens definitely doesn’t lack is collaborations; it includes the likes of Katy B and MNEK but also slightly more unlikely figures such as Maverick Sabre and Jennifer Hudson. These collaborations also mean that vocals have not been sacrificed in favour of the music behind them. Clearly Sirens has been sharply produced, there is a lack of the usual album tracks that can often dominate an album. It’s difficult to find a track on Sirens that you can’t get moving to, after listening a few times I found it grew on me enormously. It is definitely one to have a listen to, even if house music isn’t your thing, it may surprise you.

Single Review: Catfish and The Bottlemen Pacifier Giulia Bardelli Music Critic

The Welsh four-man band have already made a name for themselves by completely selling out their UK Autumn tour. Not bad for a band who has decided to take things slow. In the music video for ‘Pacifier’ the band find themselves in a football version of Fight Club as described by video director James Moore.

The indie-rock band’s new single ‘Pacifier’ very much echoes the sounds of The Killers, just with a lot more guitar and drums – without coming across too Rock and Roll. Although the lyrics in the song can very much distract us from the upbeat instrumental thankfully there are moments when we admire the guitar riff. Unlike other indie bands, Van McCann has a very idiosyncratic voice, which you are bound to recognise.

Lead singer McCann is known for writing many of the bands songs and whilst the meaning behind ‘Pacifier’ is a dejected one he makes sure to have a backstory that is somewhat relatable to most of his audience.

The meaning of the song itself? It’s written about a relationship with an ex-girlfriend whose mother died when she was young.

Like most songs nowadays, they’re inspired by abominable moments of the artist’s life.

No surprise there really.

Although to some it sounds all too familiar it still has its unique up beat tempo that if heard live will definitely intoxicate the crowd in the best way possible. This single may not be showcasing their upmost potential when compared to another one of their songs ‘Rango’.

Still, it is evident that they have set out a very stylistic music artist sound and they’re a band to look out for in the near future.

12 24th October - 6th November 2014

redbrick.me/music

Music

Essential Album: Kate Bush - The Kick Inside Rachael Clear Music Critic

It really says a lot about an artist when no one else can cover their songs (successfully at least - The Futureheads did a good job but I'm not including Placebo or Hayley Westenra in this list). After all, plenty of number one hits have been re-mastered - just watch the John Lewis adverts - but somehow I can't see 'Wuthering Heights' being the latest Christmas tearjerker this year, and I hope to God Lily Allen doesn't attempt it.

Like most of Bush's albums, The Kick Inside stays true to telling a tale. So much so that the album presents stories within a story. It starts with 'Moving', a piece dedicated to the artist's mime and dance teacher Lindsay Kemp, and then finishing with 'The Kick Inside' which depicts, in lyrics and music video, the suicide of Lucy Wan who became impregnated by her own brother (an ending that knocks you to the floor after the jubilance of 'Kite').

The album itself is a real living thing, lyrically and melodiously. 'Moving', 'Saxophone Song' and 'Strange Phenomena' carefully and cautiously guide you with delicious soothing tones. 'Kite' then jumps out at you like a cat from a bath (those wild years) and in the middle of the album, Bush explores love and all its forms.

The unrequited and the unattainable, the anger and the passion you can feel as well as the desire and the purity of it all. It's not an insipid album of a hopeless young girl; instead, Bush uses emotion to her advantage, showing only strength to the listener.

'Them Heavy People' is an interesting cross road in the album. It seems that the protagonist, maybe Kate herself, has an

epiphany in realising that she is being controlled and so she strives to be free. 'Room For The Life' addresses this in a way that liberates her, as she enters into the next stage of her life of pregnancy.

The tale is ultimately soured by the last track, no matter how enchantingly melancholic it is. Due to the social taboo of incest, she feels she has to kill herself and the child in order to avoid condemnation from the very people she was standing out against in 'Them Heavy People'. Modestly, Bush appears to create her own story out of those we all know, those we experience ourselves, and the ones we hide away from, but that arouse our curiosity nonetheless.

"Bush explores love in all its forms - the unrequited and the unattainable, the anger and the passion, the purity of it all" It's one hell of an album, exploring so many different themes; we see hints of the artist's personal life and explorations of literature and folk tale. Not forgetting that it is compelling to do all this whilst simultaneously creating her own genre, chart topping hits, provoking lyrics and meanings, perfect harmonies, chilling octaves, spell binding performances and an inspiring revolutionary way of playing with music. No-one had done anything so different in music at the time, and arguably nothing as outlandish, majestic and phenomenal has been recreated to this day.

Redbrick Meets: Childhood Matt Moody Music Editor

@mattmoody17

After a festival-filled summer and a critically acclaimed debut album, Childhood are back at the Hare and Hounds and ready to put some common misconceptions to bed. Is it true they learnt their instruments after forming the band? "No! That's a lie, which one of you said that?" asks frontman Ben Romans-Hopcraft, looking round at his bandmates. "Basically what happened is that [guitarist and founding member Leo Dobsen] had this guitar but he never played it, so I forced him out of hibernation and we started a band".

"He turned up with one of those GCSE music keyboards, the ones where everyone just pressed the 'DJ!' button all the time" Although they met in Nottingham in 2010, Childhood's gestation period has been unusually long. "The band didn't really form properly until later on... we messed around, played some gigs and had fun but it was never like 'this is it, this is our career", says Romans-Hopcraft.

"We used to get people from all over the country and we'd change our lineup for every gig. I remember one time we had a gig at the Bodega in Nottingham and we needed a keyboard player... I was in the

library with this guy I knew and had a vague idea that he played keyboard so I asked him to come along, and he turned up at the gig with one of those GCSE music keyboards, the ones where everyone just pressed the 'DJ!' button all the time... It was pretty dire but we went from there."

Once they graduated and really got stuck in to being a band, it wasn't long before they were labelled the Next Big Thing courtesy of NME. How do they feel about the hype? "It's just flattering really, not much more than that. All those predictions and stuff don't mean anything to me until they've actually happened. We did like having our sound called 'futuristic' though, that was cool!"

When asked about being likened to other bands it's obvious that they get this one a lot, especially particular comparisons to a certain band from Manchester. "We don't even listen to them! I mean, we like them, obviously, but we wouldn't consider them an influence... there's loads of other bands we'd sooner describe as influential" says Dobsen of The Stone Roses (who else?).

"We'd probably say we've been influenced by periods of time in music, rather than specific bands, actually. We were really into the shoegaze scene of the 90s for a while, bands like Ride and Slowdive, mainly for the sound of their guitars I think. Then we got into 70s post-punk, and then a lot of electronic stuff like Air - it's a bit of a mesh of stuff really... but not Stone Roses! If we were in a band aged like 15 or 16 and someone compared us to them we'd probably have been like 'yes! we've achieved our goal!' but really they've not influenced us at all." Maybe it's the fashion

sense that's informing all The Stone Roses comparisons - like lots of bands around at the moment, it's 90s or nothing. RomansHopcraft in particular is easily recognisable with his denim jacket and afro pairing.

As much as we all love the Hare and Hounds, it can only fit so many people - is there a reason why they've not moved onto somewhere a bit bigger like The Institute yet? "When we were here in April, that was our first ever tour, and it was only a few months ago, so we're still quite new to it really. We feel like we need to work our way up gradually. It's easy to start playing bigger and bigger venues without being a good enough live band down to lack of

experience."

"We learnt a lot on that tour but it's behind the scenes stuff that you probably wouldn't notice - stuff like how to mix a vocal, or getting the level of a guitar just right".

So, one piece of advice for new bands?

"Sort your live show out! Make sure you're a good live band, definitely". On tonight's evidence, Childhood have definitely taken their own advice - it's a noticeably fiercer performance than their April show, and their confidence shows. They might be taking it slow and steady for now, but it's only a matter of time until they're too big to return.

redbrick.me/music

24th October - 6th November 2014

13

Redbrick Meets: Kate in the Kettle Jack Crowe Music Editor

Kate Young sits opposite her mum, sipping a coffee near the entrance of The Kitchen Garden Café, Kings Heath. "I started playing when I was nine", she says, "but there’s no defined point when I became a performer". Many of Young’s answers will be similarly elusive. Such reticence would be easy to construe as animosity, but as a picture emerges of the esoteric background of the Scottish fiddle-singer, elusiveness becomes a defining feature. Having grown up in, and embraced the Edinburgh folk scene, she has travelled the globe, absorbing native musical cultures from Sweden to Sri Lanka. Now touring her full debut as a two piece with Swedish-Norwegian Marit Fält, the premise of a chat in a south Birmingham suburb seems awfully routine.

"It's a fitting end to a lovely, if occasionally too pedagogical, evening" The moment of most acute awkwardness comes when I ask, "who aren’t your influences?" Thrust post-beer by the enthusiastic venue promoter into the perils of the interview, I figured this would be an interesting take on a predictable question.

However, it is perhaps testament to the singularity and open mindedness of Young’s musical apprenticeship that the words, not posited without irony, are met with confusion and a touch of disdain. Avoiding NME style tropes is simply not on her radar, in the same way that it would not occur to Liam Gallagher to take a three month trip to Bulgaria for traditional folk singing lessons.

The question having been hurriedly rerighted, Young’s answers range across contemporary folk, from Joanna Newsom to Lau to the Tin Hat Trio (and her own quartet Carthy, Hardy, Farrell and Young). She cites Laura Cortese particularly in relation to her chopping violin technique, something Young demonstrates later in rhythmic, percussive sections. Her love of the instrument stems from the adaptability and freedom it warrants the player, the way "it

can be an accompaniment or another voice".

During the gig, as counter melody after counter melody darts around the stomp of Fält’s virtuoso låtmandola, it is hard to disagree. Indeed, during instrumentals such as ‘Mammoth’, a suite of songs transplanted from folk traditions spanning continents, the playing of both is spellbinding. Young and Fält’s endless scales give the impression of free improvisation, whilst weaving together over ten sublime minutes in which each seems totally aware of the other’s intentions.

Another track, ‘Salmon’, is introduced by a delightful story about the Scandinavian and Scottish tunes that make up its exemplar of folk fusion. Having originally joined the instrumentals for musical reasons,

Single Review: Royal Blood - Ten Tonne Skeleton Anna Gunn Music Critic

In little over 18 months Royal Blood have transcended musical obscurity and secured their place within the realms of critical acclaim. Their breakneck journey skywards produced a confident debut album from a band who understand how to mould their talent into dynamism. Ten Tonne Skeleton is the latest pocket of power to be lifted from the record, a track that showcases why they are not likely to fade back into anonymity.

A pulsating bass line propels Ten Tonne Skeleton, creating an inspired sound that seizes a listener’s attention and refuses to relax its grip. The drumming is unforgiving, helping to fuel the awed disbelief of those who are recurrently impressed that a two piece can exert this amount of vigour.

Ultimately the song runs away, thoroughly absorbed by its own relentless energy.

The brilliance of the track, however, lies in its versatility as the Brighton duo haven’t created a totally unabashed song.

Their subtlety is in itself subtle; within the layered, stirring sound are lyrics that speak of anguish and torment, offering a vulnerability the music does not expose. These two sides converge to form equilibrium, extending the song’s appeal.

"the song runs away, thoroughly absorbed by its own relentless energy" Some may be quick to tar Royal Blood with the abrasive brush, but Ten Tonne Skeleton shows off their nuanced approach to song writing. The band certainly do not do things by halves, and this latest single release demonstrates to us again why they are deserving of the excitement that surrounds them.

Young later found the name of the former’s Swedish/Finnish composer (Taklax, if you were wondering) literally translates as ‘Roof Salmon’, while the latter was sourced from a salmon fishing town. The playing on this number is as magical as its origins, Fält’s Nordic mandolin leaping impossibly around the eerie flow of the violin. The intimate surrounds of the Kitchen Garden’s back bar, and the Sunday night crowd of no more than twenty, contribute exquisitely to the occasion, as if we lucky few are being let in on secrets from far off lands.

Throughout though, while the musicianship leaves the audience in a state of reverie, the constant references to yet another country’s musical heritage begin to wear a little, and the gig wanes a touch too close to a guided tour. It must also be noted that, considering the traditional ground she covers, Young’s own songwriting, easy to lose in the cultural milieu, lacks the same bite and genre bending originality. ‘Green & Gold’ (composed, of course, under a Slovenian fig tree) has a catchy, juddering hook, and beautiful instrumental sections, but the melody, in the chorus especially, fails to live up to the hype of its influences. ‘Fairy Fiddler’ also, while undeniably interesting, recalls equally eclectic acts such as the Incredible String Band, while never quite capturing the same charm.

The performance ends in a sing-a-long of sorts as Kate teaches us the moody, compelling chorus of strongest self-composed track Grow Down. However, the scat-sung fiddle-led refrains that intersperse it dispel any notion of musical compromise, as does the encore of traditional tunes sung exclusively in Bulgarian.

It is a fitting end to a lovely, if occasionally too pedagogical, evening. After bearing witness to the breadth and lineage of her act, the fact that Kate had at the end of our chat offered me a square of Cadbury Dairy Milk Bubbly seemed faintly ridiculous. "Why ‘Kate in the Kettle’?" I asked before parting. She smiles; "I take on board many kinds of music, let it all stew for a bit, and see what comes out." Here are the perfect terms in which to consider Kate Young’s performance: a brilliantly executed exhibition of refined folk music that resists some definition in favour of everything at once.

Album Review: Jaws - Be Slowly Will Haynes Music Critic

@WR_Haynes

If Peace and Swim Deep are the kings of the Birmingham based ‘B-town’ scene, then surely upstarts Jaws are heirs to the throne. As part of the wealth of talent emerging from the Digbeth indie scene in recent years, it’s no wonder that their debut album Be Slowly has been eagerly anticipated. Upon listening it is apparent that, despite the way Jaws emulate a similar 80s/90s revivalist sound akin to other ‘B-town’ bands, the new album shows off a decidedly darker edge.

Be Slowly kicks off with Foals-esque opener ‘Time’, where Jaws demonstrate their funkier side with syncopated basslines and a racy guitar sound. In fact this unconventional combination of groove and gloom proves to be a general theme on the band’s album. Effective yet simple guitar work provides the backbone to this sturdy debut effort from the four-piece, with memorable riffs crafted in the moody ‘Home’ as well as standout ‘Gold’, both unashamedly shimmering in grunge-style chorus effects.

Ice-cold frontman Connor Schofield hits the right mark on ‘Be Slowly’, showcasing great lyrical talent: "Take me, where the gold drips from the sun to my back" is pure ecstasy. His deep melodic baritone waxes and wanes soothingly, echoing Ian Brown, which is no bad thing. In fact, the Madchester/ Baggy vibe courses throughout the whole album and if that isn’t enough for retro indie fans, the band’s excellent latest single and title track sounds like it came straight from The Cure’s back catalogue. When added to a penchant for 90s Seattle grunge, it all makes for an intriguing musical cocktail.

At times,, however, unoriginality becomes a slight issue on Be Slowly, especially on forgettable numbers ‘Cameron’ and ‘Swim’. Uneasily identical album production to Peace’s debut In Love is also apparent. Although Jaws have attempted to distance themselves from the faddish ‘B-town’ label, they will perhaps need to build on a more innovative sound on future projects in order to break free from the pack. Most of the synth work on the album also feels like an unnecessary extra, giving decent tunes like ‘Surround You’ a cheap and clumsy vibe – a massive shame, when the band’s guitar-orientated instincts are so strong.

However, despite a few unimaginative tracks and playing it pretty safe in the production department, the band have for the most part lived up to their billing as Digbeth’s freshest exports. With a promising retrospective sound and an obvious knack for writing a tune, there is much in store for this talented bunch of upstarts. All in all Be Slowly is a solid debut LP from Jaws, proving that the Birmingham music scene still has plenty of bite.

14 24th October - 6th November 2014

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Film

Countdown: November/December

Review: The Judge

Critic Gurnesha Bola discusses the ten biggest films lined up for a November and December release.

Details Release date: 17th October 2014 Director: David Dobkin Cast: Robert Downey Jr, Robert Duvall, Vera Farimnga Running time: 141 minutes IMDB rating: 7.8

i

««««« Adam Francis Critic

Although we all appreciate the festive, family joys of December, November may also have much to offer. Film festivals draw to a close and the hyped-about films make their way to general release. Even more importantly, the end of a cinematic year signals the opening stretch to awards season and contenders begin to dominate box-offices.

Some major titles are already debuting in October (Fury, Serena, and The Judge) but come blizzards or floods, there are still at least 10 reasons to venture to the cinema.

10. Big Eyes (Tim Burton) Starring: Amy Adams, Christoph Waltz, Krysten Ritter. An Oscar nominee and an Oscar winner star in this drama chronicling artist Margaret Keane’s struggles to gain recognition for her phenomenally successful artwork – her biggest obstacle being her own credit-taking husband. This film could be an interesting underdog, sneaking into a prime release slot and helmed by the king of obscurity, this has (big!) potential.

9. Black Sea (Kevin Macdonald) Starring: Jude Law, Scoot McNairy, Ben Mendelsohn. The director of The Last King of Scotland takes on a claustrophobic thriller with some exciting talent. Following a group of men trying their luck at searching for gold at the bottom of the Black Sea, the men face not only logistical difficulties but also the reality of trying to contain a submarine-load of testosterone, greed and neuroticism. Real ‘edge-of-seat’ prospects.

8. Nightcrawler (Dan Gilroy) Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Riz Ahmed, Rene Russo. A 20lbs lighter Gyllenhaal takes on the gruesomely alluring world of freelance crime journalism and looks on top form doing so. If this film is as dark and insidious as promised, not only could it achieve boxoffice success but could launch Dan Gilroy (screen-writer of The Bourne Legacy) onto everyone’s 'exciting director' radar.

7. Exodus: God and Kings (Ridley Scott) Starring: Christian Bale, Joel Edgerton, Ben Kingsley. Inspired by the biblical tale of Moses rising up against Pharaoh Ramses, Bale plays the defiant leader guiding the slaves from a plague-ridden Egypt. A strong cast and a directing master spell good things.

This is shaping up to be a large-scale, bigbudget epic that will take on some serious competition during December.

6. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 (Francis Lawrence) Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Liam Hemsworth, Josh Hutcherson. Following the world-wide success of the first two instalments of the series, Lawrence and co. return in full-on revolutionary mode. There is of course a Part 2 to look forward to, but there is no denying that Part 1 is one of the most eagerly anticipated YA-adaptations of its kind (and we’ve seen a fair few of those!).

5. The Drop (Michaël R. Roskam) Starring: Tom Hardy, James Gandolfini, Noomi Rapace.The late Gandolfini’s last film role sees him fronting a cover for the economic activity of local gangsters but falling victim to a robbery with dangerous repercussions. Throw in the consistently brilliant Tom Hardy and this may be the most exciting onscreen partnership of 2014.

Mixed reviews across the festival board but universal praise for its performances.

4. The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (Peter Jackson) Starring: Everyone. Jackson continues his plan for complete fantasy adventure domination by bringing us his final piece of the Hobbit puzzle. Bilbo and company return to blow us away, as one of the defining cinematic journeys of recent times draws to a close. Deadly forces and total war face this mind-blowing cast, who appear to be aiming for a dramatic exit.

3. Interstellar (Christopher Nolan) Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain. Fans of Nolan and the cultural phenomenon that was the McCona-issance eagerly awaited news on a secretive sci-fi offering uniting the two forces. The wait was long and the secrets well-kept but finally trailers were released and initial glimpses were offered. We should be anticipating something truly cinematic: part powerful drama and part sci-fi visual experience.

2. The Imitation Game (Morten Tyldum) Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode. With one of the best British ensembles of the year, this film has made waves across the festival circuit and audiences are already heralding Oscar success. The film follows the efforts of reallife WWII hero Alan Turing in achieving British code-breaking success, and who was persecuted for homosexuality in later life with devastating consequences.

1. Unbroken (Angelina Jolie) Starring: Jack O’Connell, Domhnall Gleeson, Garrett Hedlund. (I promise I’m not on O’Connell’s PR team!) No-one can ignore the talented Brit as he leads a young and bright cast, playing real-life American war-hero Louis Zamperini – an Olympic athlete who endured years of captivity behind enemy lines. Crafted by Jolie and the Coen brothers, this has the potential to seize awards season if it can deliver on its huge promises.

Conclusion The above picks are the movies that, over the coming weeks, will furiously battle it out for viewers’ interest: new faces, awards hopefuls, big directors and bigger stories.

Crucially, they give us a scintillating taster of what we can expect in January / February 2015.

David Dobkin was always an interesting choice to direct The Judge – after all, a director with slacker comedies such as Wedding Crashers and The Change-Up in his repertoire, he’s hardly an obvious fit for a legal thriller. The film should represent a tonal shift in a director’s career.

Ultimately, the risk outweighs the reward, and the final product somewhat resembles a John Grisham remake of Elizabethtown.

Robert Downey Jr plays charming (or so Dobkin would have us believe) playboy lawyer Hank Palmer, and does so with trademark arrogance and playfulness, which services the comedic element.

The film begins with Hank returning to his hometown in Indiana to attend his mother’s funeral, coming into conflict with the family patriarch; Judge Palmer, played by six-time Oscar nominee Robert Duvall as the fair but overbearing town judge. Hank’s situation is complicated when his father kills a local who he once mistakenly acquitted of a crime.

A lack of emotional tact is the biggest problem in the film. The Judge wants to assert itself as a taut and oh-so-serious legal drama about family and the burden of morality. It’s unfortunate, then, that the film opens with a pee joke and routinely throws in vomit and incest humour to lighten up the proceedings.

Surprisingly, Downey Jr gives a lazy performance. So lazy, that it’s hard to gauge how thin the material is because he does nothing with it at all. It’s never quite clear when exactly bad writing, bad performances or deliberate cynicism is at fault for creating these very toxic and uncharismatic characters.

The Judge is a film marred with questionable creative decisions at every turn, and it’s clear that this is due to Dobkin’s direction. The standout performances in this film given by Duvall and Vera Farmiga exist on their own merit and not by Dobkin’s initiative. Neither comedy nor drama, The Judge is a vacuous work that is too concerned with its own pretension to have fun, yet too childish to address any profound themes.

redbrick.me/film

24th October - 6th November 2014

15

Film: News Stefan Pace Critic

Ghostbusters 3, a long-rumoured third entry in the franchise, finally appears to be in the works; for real this time. Paul Feig (Bridesmaids) tweeted confirmation of his role as director for the upcoming instalment alongside a focus on a cast filled with ‘hilarious women’ while actress Gillian Anderson (The X-Files) expressed a keen interest in starring in the feature.

A Variety article raised hopes for a sequel to Jim Henson’s 1986 cult classic Labyrinth.

Unfortunately, a clarification from the Henson Company, stated that the rumoured project was based on Labyrinth but was not a sequel. The original article quickly spread across social media sites; creating a giant collective sigh of disappointment when those hopes were dashed.

Sorry Labyrinth fans!

Review: Teenage Mutant...

Critic Vafa Motamedi reviews this latest take on the beloved, cartoon classic...

Details Release date: 17th October 2014 Director: Jonathan Liebesman Cast: Megan Fox, Will Arnett, William Fichtner Running time: 101 minutes IMDB rating: 6.4

««««« Vafa Montamedi Critic

Rejoice. After a seven-year absence, the 'Heroes in a Halfshell' have returned to our cinema screens and though few missed them, the good people at Nickelodeon have decided that now is the time to dig up the old reptilian fossils and squeeze them dry for as much money as they’re worth.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is produced by Michael Bay, that plunderer of 80s nostalgia favourites and helmed by his protégé Jonathan Liebesman, auteur behind such classics as Battle: Los Angeles and Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning (you remember that? No?). With credentials like that, you wouldn’t be blamed for entering the cinema with somewhat low expectations and graciously Liebesman and co meet them dead on.

We begin with April O’Neil (Megan Fox), a second-rate news reporter for a New

York TV station, who longs to crack a big story that will kickstart her career as a serious journalist. She begins reporting on a crimewave caused by the dreaded Foot Clan. However, the Clan’s schemes are being undermined at every turn by a mysterious group of vigilantes. Through her ‘intrepid’ reporting skills, O’Neil discovers that these vigilantes are in fact giant, talking, martial-arts-loving turtles. Then some stuff happens then people fight and then it ends.

"The action scenes are mostly serviceable" With a synopsis that ridiculous, one would hope that the film would at least be perversely enjoyable in a 'so bad it’s good' way but it is not to be. The film is so unbelievably dull it defies belief.

It’s a problem that plagues Bay’s own Transformer franchise. The film’s concept is given a gravity and portentousness that it doesn’t deserve. The film-makers, nervous and all too aware of where they’re headed, seek to undermine their own grim-dark seriousness with their own special brand of fratboy humour.

Their rationale, I imagine, is the sake of balance but all this does is create a confused film that has no idea what it wants to be.

That 95% of the jokes in the film are about as funny as a brain haemorrhage does the film no favours either.

The turtles themselves are less 'agile ninjas' and more hulking monstrous gymbros (and just as obnoxious). We, naturally, learn next to nothing about them over the course of the 101 minute running time, the film-makers having decided that time was better spent ogling Megan Fox’s ass.

On which note, can we all bow our heads for the career of Megan Fox? Once on the brink of uber-stardom, she has lived out the

past few years as a Hollywood pariah after absurdly comparing Michael Bay to Hitler.

Now the prodigal daughter has returned home, reduced to playing second fiddle to a bunch of giant turtles. She’s just as wooden as ever, though the film does provide her with ample opportunity to show off her trademark acting technique: Staring Gormlessly At CGI Monsters As They Punch Each Other For An Eternity.

Elsewhere on the acting front, the likes of Whoopi Goldberg, William Finchter and Will Arnett appear to be slumming it for the paycheck and/or the respect of their children. Is there really no-one else in Hollywood willing to offer these people work?

The action scenes are mostly serviceable, on one occasion even dipping into mildly enjoyable territory. However all too often the action falls into Bay’s classic modus operandi: lots of movement on the frame and some extremely awkward editing, causing the audience to lose their place in the action and their place within the narrative. If we can’t see who’s hitting each other and what the effect of that is, then why should we care about the ultimate outcome?

In the interest of charity, the opening scene is nicely designed, harking back to the original comic books, and the main villain is initially quite intimidating. But these small flourishes are insignificant in comparison to the tidal wave of crassness and idiocy that pervades the rest of the movie.

It is a film with no heart, no head and very little in the way of excitement. The kids in the audience seemed to enjoy it immensely though, so good for them.

The TMNT franchise was always, for this reviewer, something to watch if there wasn’t anything else on TV. As a concept, they are a bit silly, but, since they were designed as a parody of a trend of comic books in the 80s, that was partly the point.

Somewhere along the line somebody forgot the joke. Now we’re all paying for it.

2014’s Sci-Fi/Action blockbuster Edge of Tomorrow is finally seeing a home-media release this month. Despite critical success, poor box office performance seems to be the reasoning behind a title change, with the film now being marketed as Live Die Repeat, with the original title as a subtitle.

Will it prove effective at increasing BluRay and DVD sales?

Expecting a sequel to The Lego Movie? Unfortunately, you’re going to have to wait a little longer as Warner Bros have approved a spin-off film dedicated to Lego Batman. The spin-off will see Will Arnett reprising his role as the blocky caped crusader, with the movie also being given priority over a sequel. Lego Batman’s solo outing is slated for a 2017 release.

16 24th October - 6th November 2014

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Television

Homeland: Is There Life After Brody?

TV writer Cora Jones asks how the new run can work after the shock end of the last season.

The Apprentice 2014: Fired or Hired?

Is it time to fire The Apprentice from our TV screens? TV critic Amy Hunt explores the new series of Alan Sugar's entrepreneurial talent show.

The Apprentice returned for its tenth season this Tuesday, and it was immediately clear that not much about Lord Alan Sugar’s entrepreneurial show had changed in its decade long run. Tuesday’s episode opened in the typical, much loved, and much mocked way, with this year’s new group of candidates proclaiming themselves to be the winner of the £250,000 business deal due to their surplus of incredibly impressive qualities, with one contestant, Sanjay SoodSmith, announcing himself to be “not better at business because I’m good looking” but “better at business because I’m better at business”. And so this year’s series begins.

"Tuesday’s episode opened in the typical, much loved, and much mocked way" The show has maintained just about the exact same format all the way throughout its ten year run, clearly keen to maintain the show in the format with which it rose to such popular success. As such, we were then taken to the boardroom, where, in a new, albeit rather boring twist, Sugar brought in four more candidates, bringing the total number of contestants fighting it out to 20, as opposed to the usual 16. This very marginal deviation from the show’s regular format, in an attempt to increase

suspense for the candidates, whose place is threatened every week, somewhat reaffirms a reluctance to alter a show that gained, and has maintained, such success throughout its decade long run. Sugar then began his ever popular, ruthless grilling of the men and women stood before him in the boardroom, sarcastically mocking the rather ambitious statements on their CVs, and often cutting them short before they can justify referring to themselves as “a mix between Ghandi and the Wolf of Wall Street”, perhaps deservedly.

The candidates were then informed of their task that week: to sell a variety of items for the highest profit possible. It is perhaps Lord Sugar’s straightforward approach that most appeals to the candidates, as he then stated plainly that the point of the task was to sell the products for a higher price than they were originally bought for. Sounds simple enough. However, once the candidates were let loose into the market place and onto the streets of London, the chaos that the show has become famous for inevitably ensued. Perhaps the highlight of the task was the fact that the men’s team ran out of time to collect their altered t-shirt’s, practically throwing away the money it took to buy them. This ended up being a fatal mistake, that led to a loss for the boys' team in the boardroom, and cost teammate Chiles Cartwright his place on the show.

Perhaps the most controversial moment of the show’s opening episode was the com-

ment made by the girl’s project manager, Sarah Dales, and her belief that the girls' best chance of winning was to don short skirts and plaster on the make-up, and effectively, tart themselves up in order to garner male attention and sales. In what started as a point for jovial laughter between the girls team soon became a rather tense subject, as Dales later reiterated the need for suggestive clothing in order to beat out the boys team, prompting the other girls to become rather offended with Dales’ clear lack of belief that the girls could not triumph on their sales skills alone.

"The chaos that the show has become famous for inevitably ensued" The Apprentice's return to BBC One contained all the elements the show’s viewers have come to know and love; its hilariously arrogant and shameless contestants, Lord Sugar’s relentless mocking of said contestants, and of course the ever- entertaining tasks. While it may not be a marker for good business skills or techniques, it is undeniably an entertaining show, and the opening episode on Tuesday night marked a promising start to series ten that will hopefully continue throughout the series.

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Back for its fourth series, the political thriller is finally giving us something to watch on a Sunday night. This time however, Nicolas Brody is no longer with us due to his demise at the end of last season, after being sentenced to death for treason. But, with the loss of a central main protagonist, will Homeland be sentenced to death too?

A lot has changed since the first series that captivated us through Carrie Mathison’s elicit and questioning love affair with Brody, a Marine who had been captured by al-Quaeda and set free.

We were continually guessing not only Brody’s motives, but Carrie’s as she broke every rule in the book to find out whether Brody had changed allegiance.

Brody’s death was a challenging step to take, as every narrative so far has been centred on his involvement which makes this new season quite un-predictable.

There is also the absence of Brody’s family, who had previously been given sufficient storylines in regards to how they dealt with Brody’s re-emergence as a father figure, having been missing 8 years.

Arguably one of the best things about Homeland is Carrie, whose passion and determination for her assignments can be seen from the first episode. Our respect for her grows as we watch her battle with bipolar disorder, whilst often out-performing her colleagues.

Homeland joins the continuing number of American dramas to feature a female protagonist in a largely male dominated environment. Whilst Carrie may not be the Director of the Agency, she is frequently calling the shots and successfully bringing characters to justice.

In series 4, the dynamic of the show has changed now that Carrie has a baby.

The second episode explores how she deals with the responsibility of motherhood versus the nature of her work.

Carrie is very emotionally detached from Frannie, and when visiting Brody’s former home she states, ‘with him gone, I can’t remember why I had you’, suggesting her loss of maternal instincts.

A disturbing scene emerges later in the episode when Carrie contemplates drowning the child, before coming to her senses. Frustratingly, Carrie chooses to go back to Islamabad, leaving her sister to unwillingly look after the child, avoiding responsibility. Clearly, Carrie is not in the right state of mind to look after her, but it is disheartening to see her neglect the child.

Homeland is further exploring the darker sides of mentality, from electroconvulsive therapy in series one to being hospitalised in series three, it seems that things aren’t getting any easier for Carrie. Things are also looking bad for Peter Quinn, who is struggling to keep it together after witnessing the loss of one of their colleagues, for which he feels partly responsible.

It will be interesting to see how the writers of Homeland choose to progress in this direction and what characters will become more prevalent in this new series.

You can catch the next episode of Homeland this Sunday 9:00pm on Channel 4 or catch up on 40D.

redbrick.me/television

24th October - 6th November 2014

17

TV Quote of the Week: The Apprentice's Filipe Alviar-Baquero knows what's important: [On being voted a top 100 Colombian] "It was an honour because I was with people like Shakira".

Always Work With Animals

TV critic Olivia Tracey tells us how the BBC drama Our Zoo mispells those pesky old warnings of never working with children or animals.

While nobody could claim that BBC1’s recent dramatisation of the opening of Chester Zoo would be as gripping as some of the best Scandi dramas, it has provided some of the most warming and delightful television of the year. Our Zoo was part of that television renaissance that occurs every September when those pesky sporting events that seem to dominate the main channels over the summer mercifully come to an end and TV can finally celebrate what it does best: great drama, comedy and entertainment.

As one of my friends described it, Our Zoo was “a bit like Downton, only nicer”.

Set in during the inter-war years, it told the mostly unknown story of George Mottershead’s (played by Lee Ingleby, who looks like he’s time travelled from the 1930s) struggle to gain acceptance, in an unconvinced local community, that a zoo would be a good idea. George fought on the battlefields during the First World War

and has come home shell-shocked and suddenly without the all-consuming purpose of fighting for his country: so when he sees an elderly camel at a circus, and a monkey that’s travelled from South America, he decides to buy them and, ultimately, start a zoo.

Of course, the tension is slightly diluted by the fact that we all know that Chester Zoo became a huge success and attracts thousands of visitors today. Writer Matt Charman, however, managed to keep me wondering how on earth the Mottershead family could manage such a daunting task with such staunch opposition from the village, and its hypocritical vicar (Stephen Campbell-Moore) who spent time complimenting Lizzie Mottershead on her organ-playing, whilst simultaneously trying to destroy George’s dream. Lee Ingleby gave a wonderful performance as the zoo’s creator; despite being admirably determined he equally showed George’s

Staged in Chelsea?

temper when things didn’t go his way, leaving his dependable wife (Liz White, who recently starred in New Tricks) to pick up the pieces.

"Our Zoo was part of that television renaissance that occurs every September when those pesky sporting events... mercifully come to an end and TV can finally celebrate what it does best..."

However, for me, the best actors on the show were the animals. I’m probably not the only viewer who wanted a pet monkey

like Mortimer (if only they were allowed in university accommodation!) and the most adorable animal award has to be shared between the penguins and the newborn bear cubs. I also loved Pelly the Pelican who seemed to share the same nononsense attitude as Anne Reid’s longsuffering Lucy Mottershead. Who knew a pelican could have attitude?

Despite the programme being shown at 9 o’clock on a Wednesday night, it would have been perfect family viewing on an early Sunday evening slot, and would have set us up for the long week ahead. As far as I’ve heard, there has been no word of a second series, but while the final episode left us in no doubt as to the zoo’s success I think there are still more stories to tell surrounding the trials and tribulations of the Mottersheads. Our Zoo proves you can work with both children and animals and that you most definitely should.

It's known as "constructed reality", but just how constructed is Made in Chelsea? Writer Ella Talbot investigates the ways the show may be misleading the audience.

Imagine walking down an empty street in one of the world’s busiest cities only to bump into your ex, or your best friend who you happened to have an argument with the night before. Unlikely isn’t it? Well not if you live in the swanky SW3 postcode area.

This autumn, Made in Chelsea is back for its 8th series of extremely awkward silences, ostentatiously extravagant parties and even more incestuous relationships within the young, successful and enviable social circle. Seen by most as the classiest of the trash TV genre –ironic isn’t it? Made in Chelsea has become one of the nation’s favourite reality shows. Last year, MIC won a BAFTA in the ‘best reality and constructed factual’ category, but the question is, just how constructed is the programme?

It must be said that some of the scenes in the show are obviously staged- a setting including two topless body builders and girls on horses doesn’t sound like a standard occasion in anyone’s life, but recent revelations suggest that the show is a lot more scripted than that. After leaving the MIC family, cast members such as Millie Macintosh and Christiane Stinnes (Spenny’s fling from last series) have shed light on the reality of the reality show. According to them, scenarios were set up and they were told what to discuss as well as scenes being filmed multiple times until producers got the exact shots that they wanted- that’s a hell of a lot of Lucy Watson eye-rolling.

On top of this, producers like to play cupid to Chelsea’s elite- unless you’re in a relationship or hooking up with a current

member of the cast, the public will be led to believe that you’re single. In doing this, viewers are given warped images of the members of the show. Most recently, veteran cast member Cheska Hull was presented as a desperate singleton in need of attention from any creature with a pulse.

In reality, the 28 year old, dubbed as the ‘Bridget Jones of Chelsea’, was actually in a long term relationship, which jeopardised her space on the cast list as she was asked to leave the show, deemed as being ‘too boring’.

Other members’ love lives distorted by the programme include Jamie Laing and (Oliver) Proudlock who both have had serious yet undocumented relationships during the filming. If you work on the show, but are not willing to be a promiscuous and

debauched singleton, public knowledge of your off-screen life is strictly prohibited.

The show’s website features a disclaimer stating that ‘scenes are created for your entertainment’, but it seems as though the whole reality of Made in Chelsea is a fictionally composed existence. In fact, the make-believe world of the show is somewhat like the idea of ‘Neverland’- a place for those not ready to grow up. Drinking away their weekends and rarely shown completing a day of work, it would appear that the E4 show is the place for Spencer and his ‘Lost Bois’ to boast their highly fictitious luxurious lives. Possibly not the most true-to-life show out there, MIC is still considered to fit into our generation’s reality genre- I guess at least they all do live in Chelsea?

18 24th October - 6th November 2014

redbrick.me/lifestyle

Life & Style

Is Fashion Above The Law?

Budget Beauty Buys Lydia Hicklin Life&Style Writer

Following recent brushes with the law, Esther Newman questions whether fashion's most talented designers are really above social scrutiny.

Is fashion an art form or a business? This is the question Karl Lagerfeld seemed to pose to the fashion community in March of this year with Chanel’s Autumn/Winter 2014 show. A grand satirical set piece, the Grand Palais was transformed into a supermarket, complete with isles of shelving stacked with hundreds of wittily named products such as ‘Coco Pops’ and ‘Eau de Chanel’ mineral water. Between these, models,

"So what exactly is fashion and where does it fit in society?" wearing various mixes of 80s urban sportswear and Chanel tweed, strutted; some carrying the classic quilted bags, vacuumed packed like meat, and some shopping baskets made of Chanel chains. Whether a comment on the consumerism of the fashion industry or the rise of fast fashion, the underlying message appears clear: according to Karl, fashion is in fact both an art form and a business.

It appears that as a result of this dual personality, the fashion industry is inherently built upon a conflict of ideals; while it

attempts to transgress the norm to create the new and shocking, its fluid nature results in a medium that so clearly reflects the values of the wider society. Essentially, it is struggling to break free of the culture that it caters to and creates for. This throws up questions of how we should treat fashion, and whether, as an industry, it should be regulated. Or whether, as an art form, this regulation constitutes censorship.

This tension between creativity and commercialism has appeared an all the more important aspect of the industry recently, with stories of tax evasion a regular on fashion news pages, such as the recent investigations of Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana of Dolce & Gabbana, and Miuccia Prada, the owner and designer of Prada. Similarly, these tensions have been underlined by reactions to the recent announcement that John Galliano will be joining Maison Martin Margiela as creative director. After Galliano’s self-destruction three years ago, when the designer was prosecuted for making racist and anti-Semitic remarks in a Parisian bar, this was bound to make waves in the fashion community.

Whilst the official announcement dismissed the designer’s past as merely “nonconformist”, the fashion press responded

by nonchalantly debating the choice to marry Galliano’s elaborate style with Margiela’s minimalistic ethos, with little thought to the question of ethics raised by the union.

So what exactly is fashion and where does it fit in society? Should Galliano be allowed a second chance? And should fashion be exempt from this kind of scrutiny due to risk of censorship? As an art form centred on aesthetic value, the question of style is an important one. But also as an industry, an industry that both feeds and is fed by the wider society, this sort of shallow view is unacceptable. Fashion needs to

Infinitize Mascara by Avon - £10 For those who like to wear a daily mascara that looks natural and impressive, this is the one for you! Exclusive to Avon catalogues, and free from animal testing, it is perfect for those who like length but hate clumps.

The wand has a curling shape so that your eyelashes increase in length outwards, and the choice of black or black/brown allows you to pick whichever colour suits your eyes best. It managed to curl my eyelashes, as well as making them incredibly long. A definite must for tired or small eyes!

"Fashion needs to step up and evaluate itself." step up and evaluate itself. It needs to stop sugar coating the ugly or the taboo. Like Lagerfeld, it needs to use its creativity to put these issues under the microscope, and to start these difficult debates. Instead of worrying how Galliano’s “theatrical flair” will conform to the deconstructed simplicity of Margiela, it needs to start questioning if it’s right or wrong.

How To Maximise Your Blog With new blogs created every day, covering everything from fashion to food, writer and blogger Tara Kergon shows us how to stand out from the crowd.

It seems that everyone has a blog these days - whether it’s dedicated to their personal life, all about reviews & tutorials, or based upon travel or style, but beginning to blog can be daunting! How can you get your voice heard through the crowd?

Having recently delved into the world of blogging, I’m here to offer my top tips on getting the most out of your blog!

use social media like Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Lookbook and Chictopia to promote your blog, and keep all these sites regularly maintained as well. For all you style bloggers, don’t be afraid to feel stupid in public and either approach people shamelessly for photos or strike a pose in the best location possible! Go all out, and your pictures will be much better.

1. Choose something that fascinates you.

6. Mention your blog when applying for internships and jobs.

Whether you’re a make-up guru, completely tech-savvy or obsessed with Harry Potter, pick a subject matter of personal interest and don’t be swayed by other people’s opinions! It’s your blog, not anybody else’s.

2. Choose your site carefully.

You’ve selected your topic and are burning to write about it, but where? Tumblr is best for purely image based blogs, while Wordpress offers a more writing-based platform. As a complete HTML novice, I would recommend Blogger for the ease of creation and design.

3. Post as much original content as possible.

Nobody will be interested in seeing the same things repeatedly, but if you’ve got some unusual tips, insider knowledge to create helpful reviews, or your own photos you have a far greater chance of standing out.

4. Post as regularly as possible, and consider the time of day.

At 10am most people are at work, but in the early evening they are surfing social media and are more likely to find your blog.

But unless you’ve got lots of free time or are blogging daily about your life, aiming to post every day is unrealistic – however don’t let it sit untouched for months!

5. Don't be half-hearted!

If you are aiming to get any kind of following, then go for it:

This isn’t just for potential journalists and fashion bloggers; it could extend to tech and travel, or even graphic design. As long as your blog is relevant and appropriate, then why not show potential employers all of your field-specific knowledge and commitment? Although if it’s more of a personal diary, or contains controversial opinions, then it’s probably best left off the CV!

7. Don't let blogging become just another task.

If you treat it like a job, or a piece of homework you won’t be getting the most out of it, and probably won’t keep it up.

Blogging should be fun, social and a bit of a break from real life.

8. Don't expect to be the next internet sensation!

Blogging isn’t about becoming the next Susie Bubble, but about sharing ideas and content. Personally, I find it a great way to write in a non-academic context, keep up my interests in fashion and photography, and remind myself that there is a world outside of university! Good luck guys, and happy blogging!

Want to see what Tara's own blog is like? Check it out at: www.foreveranoverdresser.blogspot.co.uk

redbrick.me/lifestyle

24th October - 6th November 2014

Scary v.s. Slutty: the Halloween Debate

19

Fierce

With Halloween just around the corner, Life&Style writer Ally Head explores the contentious issue of what to wear on All Hallows' Eve. It’s that time of year again; Halloween.

Every year without fail, long held traditions dictate that the vast majority of the population decorate their houses, carve pumpkins and stock up on sweets to entertain the trick or treating masses.

Halloween, or 'All Hallows’ Eve' as it was originally known, is the annual night to mark the celebration of the dead, the spooky and all things mythical.

Originating from both European and Celtic roots, the dressing up tradition has only grown over the centuries with the majority of people adopting comedic and witty costumes. Nonetheless, it’s fair to ask: at what point did it become essential for girls to dress provocatively to fit in on Halloween?

Think about it. Wherever you look come October time, the shops are filling up with all kinds of funny and realistic costumes for men, whereas the girls simply get the 'slutty fill-in-the-blank' option; stereotypically a superhero, nurse, police officer or school girl. Occasionally, a store will whip out a Minnie Mouse or Catwoman costume. Why has this become such a tradition? Why are girls stereotyped to such an extreme on a day of the year which usually revolves around children? As the classic Mean Girls quote dictates: 'In the real world, Halloween is

Hidden Gems

when kids dress up in costumes and beg for candy. In Girl World, Halloween is the one day a year when a girl can dress up like a total slut and no other girls can say anything about it.'

Whilst carrying out research for this article, I couldn’t find a single website that didn’t sell overly revealing, extremely unrealistic outfits all branded as 'Sexy Costumes'. Even sandwich branch Subway has prayed on this mentality this autumn, attempting to make 'costume season' a thing; 'Halloween's coming!

You gotta stay in shape for all the costumes.' It’s a classic example of the media exploiting female insecurities and positioning them to make a profit.

Whatever retailers promote, there will always be the exceptions. As the line goes, there are apparently 'two kinds of girls'; those who are comfortable dressing in next to nothing and those who would rather walk round in some giant orange cardboard semblance of a pumpkin. Despite the heavy media depiction and, arguably, encouragement of women dressing provocatively for Halloween parties, what you dress up as at Halloween is ultimately completely down to you. So be nice, don’t judge, dress as what you want and enjoy the night. It’s only once a year, after all.

Unlikely Fashion Icons

Hebe Hatton

Life&Style Writer The Lost and Found

Despite having lived in Birmingham for over two years, I have to shamefully admit that I don't actually know much of the city centre at all and have done little exploring beyond the bright lights of the Bullring. This limited knowledge seems to suffice for my quick shopping fix, but when it comes to places to eat and drink I am usually clueless.

In an attempt to make the most of my final year in this huge (and underrated in my opinion) city, I came across The Lost and Found. Through the spinning doors of an ancient-looking formal bank lies this hidden gem - a Victorian-inspired bar and restaurant, complete with decadent interiors which make you feel as if you have just walked into an Oscar Wilde novel.

Decorated with enormous house plants, floor to ceiling bookshelves and birdcages hanging from the ceiling, both the setting and the drinks menu are fascinating, taking on the theme of ‘forgotten classics’. I have no idea what was in my drink but it was definitely one of the best cocktails I have ever had - making The Lost and Found well worth a visit

Pinterest What better way to get inspiration than a website that allows you to create pin boards of different categories?

Pinterest is where I go to get inspired whether it’s for fashion outfits, home décor or recipes!

Burgundy Lipstick Autumn has officially arrived and made quite an entrance too! So whilst we wrap up in our warmest autumn coats why not add another statement element to our outfits? There is no doubt that burgundy lipstick has made its way off the runways and onto street style looks.

Kauai by Childish Gambino After having recently released a new EP there is no doubt that this will be one of the most listened to albums of the month. Check it out on Spotify immediately if you haven’t already!

Wedge Sneakers Is there anything more I need to add?

Sure, certain celebrities can pull off Isabel Marant’s infamous wedge sneakers, Miranda Kerr and Kendall Jenner for example. However that doesn’t necessarily mean you can too...

10 Rules For Sleeping Around My friend and I started watching this film simply because we recognised some of the cast and had high expectations for it. Yet we were disappointed by the acting and stopped watching it after 20 minutes.

Ally Head

Life&Style Writer

Come on now, admit it. We all have our own secret crush on someone’s style who we really, truly just shouldn’t. Be it my impartiality to Amanda Bynes’ newfound wig love, or deeply hidden adoration of Lindsay Lohan’s circa-2008 breakdown pop-punk look, I sure as anyone have my weaknesses.

However, the two examples given above barely even compare to the five fashion icons I have chosen as my most unlikely for this week.

I’m not talking 2014, post-styled and primped to the eyeballs for X Factor and whatever other world-famous endorsements they have been sponsored by. No, I’m talking 1996 – the year that the Spice Girls took the world by storm in the famous Union Jack, Leopard print and bedazzling outfits. Pigtails, chokers and crop tops galore, they inspired a nation of teenage girls to be individual, confident and fashion forward. Realistically, their 60s-turned-90s interpretation of “fashion” should have been disastrous on many occasions, but somehow they rocked it. As Alexa Chung says in her book “It”, “the Spice Girls appeared out of nowhere like a tidal wave of positive energy that smashed anything and everything in their way. Upon discovering what they looked like, I was smitten. Five young(ish) women, in bright colours, each with their own identity, screaming “GIRL POWER!”. Truer words have never been spoken. You go girls!Life&Style writer

Benefit 'They’re Real' Mascara I was so excited when I first got this mascara seeing as everyone had been raving about it. However I was slightly disappointed with how clumpy it left my lashes. I also don’t recommend you buy this mascara if you have naturally long lashes.

By Giulia Bardelli

Life&Style Writer

Finished

20 24th October - 6th November 2014

redbrick.me/travel

Travel

An Amazonian Adventure While volunteering abroad is becoming more popular, we hear why Ecuador and Peru are prime locations...

Natasha Naidoo Travel Writer

This summer I jetsetted off to South America to spend two months volunteering and travelling around Ecuador and Peru. Being an avid traveller, I was thrilled at the thought of volunteering deep within the Amazonian jungle, being thrown into a completely unfamiliar place and discovering what it has to offer. When I told friends and family I would be spending the whole summer in South America, their initial reactions were “don’t get mugged!” or “strap your bag to yourself and never let it out of your sight!”, which naturally

"I was thrilled at the thought of volunteering deep within the Amazonian jungle." made me paranoid. After a trip to the Cotswolds I left with a collection of gadgets and handy tools, like a money belt and padlocks. In reality I never even used the padlock, I hardly wore my money belt and nothing of mine got stolen. That’s not to say it’s the safest continent in the world. Petty crime is an issue, as are drugs (just like numerous other places), and you do have to be careful. Having said that, you don’t have to be so alert and suspicious of everyone you meet.

One of the main reasons I went out to Ecuador was to volunteer abroad, something that’s becoming increasingly popular amongst students. When I first researched volunteering abroad I found huge organisations that ask for a lot of money on top of your flights and you’ve got no idea where it all goes; the trips they plan appeared to me more like a glorified holiday. Intervol, a society at the university which is free to join, are really committed to the volunteering side of things- which is why I’d recommend them to anyone who wants go.

My happy group of travellers and I volunteered at an animal refuge called Merazonia whose primary concern is the welfare & rehabilitation of trafficked, abused and injured animals. To achieve this, the organisation relies heavily on

volunteers to help clean and feed the animals three times a day. They are one of the only centres in Ecuador to not have any parasites due to the diligent care they give to the animals.

The work is hard and can be physically draining, but the people that work there are motivated and dedicated to the cause. If working with animals is something of interest to you, I’d definitely recommend contacting Merazonia. They’re an extremely worthwhile organisation who genuinely put the money they get to good use.

Surrounded by greenery and trees galore, I called this place home for about a month. We had no electricity and had to cook and eat by candlelight, which was definitely an experience in itself. Some of the people I met there actually preferred an electricity-free lifestyle; they found it more peaceful living without the constant sound of phones ringing, which I very much admired. Being completely immersed in the jungle life was both challenging yet rewarding. Merazonia had a real sense of community and spirit, nothing was ever done half heartedly and everything was done for the good of the animals.

After leaving Merazonia we travelled around Ecuador venturing to the capital city, Quito, and a few smaller towns: Banos, Mindo, Papallacta, Otavalo and Quilotoa, some of which were very remote. The one that I definitely fell in love with was Mindo, a town which is increasingly becoming a backpacker hotspot but isn’t so laiden with touristy attractions, like Banos. Mindos has a beautiful cloud forest to explore, bird watching tours, butterfly farms, extreme sports and most importantly a chocolate factory! We spent three nights here as there was so much to do and I would definitely recommend it to anyone visiting Ecuador, it’s really underrated. Everything is pretty cheap in these countries too; the hostels we stayed in

While in Peru we visited a number of places; Lima, Arequipa, Cusco, and some more off the beaten track. My personal favourite would have to be Arequipa, a great town with a buzzing night life, good selection of food and some

"The porters on the Inca Trail... are truly superhuman in my eyes. they carry 25kg on theur backs and do it faster than the hiers."

interesting cultural sites, like Juanita the famous ice mummy and beautiful cathedrals. However, the real highlight of Peru would have to be the Inca Trail and Machu Picchu. To me, it’s one of those moments where people say “oh I’d love to do that!” but you never think you actually would; and, whilst I enjoy hiking, you don’t have to be an athlete to complete it. The scenery is unforgettable and the way you’re looked after is really quite amazing. You have guides who give you histories of the archaeological sites along the way and the porters are extremely humble; they definitely are worth a mention here because they are truly superhuman in my eyes. The porters who carry 25kg on their backs (a mixture of your bags, food, tents, supplies and also their own belongings) carry these bags up the Inca trail, and do it faster than any of the hikers. They manage to overtake you, then set up camp for you and cook your food.

We had alpaca, chicken and fish incorporated into our meals, even pancakes for breakfast one morning and I’ll never forget when the chefs made a cake for us, without an oven!

South America is a huge continent so if planning to go, it’s best to remember that you won’t be able to see everything. Enjoy what you’re able to do and don’t tire yourself out trying to visit anything and everything. Learn some Spanish, it makes you feel so much more comfortable and confident too. Try the street and market food- it’s totally averaged about $6-10 per night- which included wifi, breakfast safe, really cheap and so good. Don’t be shy when it comes and our own bathroom. We pretty much ate out most of the to haggling, and even brush up on how to say numbers in time because food there is so cheap, although occasionally Spanish as these will come in handy. And finally, try guinea cooked in at the hostels and also did a lot of shopping. pig. It tastes just like chicken!

"Mindo is increasingly becoming a packpacker hotspot but isnt so laiden in touristy attractions."

The 5...

Essentials for long-haul flights Lydia Hicklin suggests the best companions to make a lengthy flight more bearable...

1

2

3

4

5

Travel Pillow

Sleeping Mask

Blanket or thick jacket

A good book

Portable DVD Player

This will be a God-send when you're trying to get comfortable in your train-like seat. A nice one , inflatable or made of foam, will help you feel comfortable and, if you're lucky, sleepy.

To help you get some sleep on the flight, sleeping masks to block out the light are very good.

Although overnight flights do dim the lights, if you combine the mask with ear buds you won't even notice the crying baby in the next aisle.

People that are travelling to hot countries tend to wear their summer clothes on the flight, but keep in mind that the air conditioning onboard is cranked up high; have something to keep you warm.

As a student, this may sound a bit too much like work, but if you take a gripping novel with you on the flight, and aim to finish it, you’ll be surprised at how fast the time can go when you immerse yourself in the task.

Not all flights have personal televisions, but even if they do, taking your own device means you can choose what films to take with you and you don't have to pay for their ear phones.

redbrick.me/travel

24th October - 6th November 2014

21

Viva Las Vegas!

The infamous city of sin attracts millions of visitors every year, but can it offer more than its reputation of glamour and excess?

Pippa Smith Travel Writer

A city of sin amidst the vast expanse of the Nevada desert, I have to confess that Las Vegas was the kind of place that I was setting myself up not to like. The unapologetic amount of fakery and its reputation for hedonism was enough to persuade my inner snob that this was not going to be the place for me; I envisaged myself as an omniscient by-stander observing this strange, thrill-seeking species of holidaymaker as they shamelessly exercised the most clichéd of vices known to man.

Visiting Vegas at the age of twenty meant that, unfortunately, the majority of these vices were beyond my reach and I was forced to see the city from an unconventionally sober perspective. So, imagine my surprise when I discovered that I actually liked it!

"Las Vegas is really bare-faced consumerism at its finest."

Against all my preconceptions and better judgement, Las Vegas appealed to me in a way that it apparently appeals to thousands of holidaymakers every year. Everything was bigger, better, brighter and more luxurious than I could ever have imagined; staying in a suite on the thirty-fourth floor of the Hilton Hotel and waking up to guaranteed sunshine every morning was definitely a lifestyle adjustment that most of us could get used to. After all, where else in the world could you hope to stay where the Eiffel Tower, Rialto Bridge and pyramids of Giza are but a stone’s throw away from one another?

However, it soon became apparent to me that Vegas could have something for everyone because it is a place which is founded upon virtually nothing; no rich tapestry of history, no abundance of natural resources, simply tertiary consumption at its finest with a tangible history stretching back no more than two hundred years.

In its humble beginnings, Las Vegas formed part of The Old Spanish Trail - a route for traders on their way to LA from New Mexico. Wells from the Colorado River meant that Las Vegas provided something of an oasis for thirsty travellers and relief from the unforgiving desert heat.

Throughout the beginning of the twentieth century, advancements in infrastructure provided a reliable source of water to the city, the peak of which was the building of the Hoover Dam 1931. This was an immense project and not only provided an invaluable source of water for the city of Las Vegas (and areas within the adjoining states of Arizona and California), but additionally attracted something in the region of twenty-thousand migrant workers to the area. As a result, since the nineteen-thirties Vegas has seen both its population and economy boom into the thriving city of fun, falsity and frivolity that we know today.

That being said, my visit to Vegas not only left me in awe

of some of the most iconic, man-made structures in the world but also allowed me to experience some of nature’s handiwork too. Whilst there, I was lucky enough to take a helicopter flight over the Grand Canyon in neighbouring Arizona; this once-in-a-lifetime excursion, whilst admittedly isn’t cheap, is truly unmissable if you’re in the area. It is almost impossible to articulate the breath-taking, natural beauty of this world-renowned landmark and I was struck by how much its pure simplicity and magnificence was the absolute antithesis of neighbouring Las Vegas. Waking up at 5am and taking a sunrise flight to enjoy a champagne breakfast in the Canyon was certainly a surreal moment and one that I will never forget.

Having an aerial view of Las Vegas was definitely impressive, although it was a thought-provoking experience.

On street level Vegas undeniably offers an overwhelming amount of glitz and glamour, with enormous hotels that unashamedly bare the message that nothing in this city is too big, too expensive or too excessive. Yet, from the skies, this adults' playground is but a handful of twinkling lights engulfed by mountains and desert from every angle.

The view is a beautiful yet isolating one; amidst that vast expanse, you begin to realise the Las Vegas is very much alone - something which can’t help but highlight what a superficial existence the city leads. Seeing Vegas from this perspective meant that I couldn’t help but ask myself why the place was there - what was really the point?

Aside from trying so hard to impress and entertain, Las Vegas ultimately had a darker side which it could not hide.

Walking along the Strip from the hotel, you inevitably encounter a variety of people who were homeless and many who were dependent on alcohol or drugs. The sad truth is, many of Vegas’s forgotten population are those who were there just to have a good time like the rest of us; seduced by the slot machines, roulette wheels and free drinks on the casino floor, many people systematically gambled away their life’s savings and then some, only to be left lining the streets to watch other people have fun.

Even when you think you’re winning, there always seems to be a price to pay; our taxi driver told us an anecdote about how he befriended a professional gambler from Manchester, whilst he was in Vegas last year. He won a multimillion dollar prize in a game of poker, only to be taken behind the Mirage Hotel and beaten up by his opponents as a result - our taxi driver picked him up from hospital the next morning.

All things considered, to me, Las Vegas is a fascinating place. On the face of it, it’s everything you would want it to be; I highly doubt that the spectacle that is Vegas would ever cease to surpass anyone’s expectations and the madness is there to be embraced. In Vegas you can do anything you want, it’s ultimate liberation - as long as you can foot the bill.

Las Vegas is really bare-faced consumerism at its finest and, I don’t think it would be over-analytical to suggest that, it could be construed a microcosm of American society as a whole. However, I think it’s only fair to acknowledge that perhaps this city of sin is so aptly named not because there is a darker side to Vegas, but because there is a darker side to us.

World vs. Food Each week, Travel brings you an iconic dish from around the world. Experience the delights of foreign cuisine, without having to dig out your passport...

American Pulled Pork This American classic will give you a taste of the States without the hassle of a long-haul flight. Pulled pork is traditionally barbequed slowly over a number of hours and served with a toasted bun and coleslaw.

Origin: United States of America Main Ingredients: Shoulder of pork, smoked paprika, fresh red chillies, mint, red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper Where best to find in Ireland: Corky's, Memphis, Tennessee Where best to find in the UK: Pitt Cue Co., Soho, London

Birmingham Stay at home and enjoy the UK’s largest market! Brum is twinned with Frankfurt and

22

redbrick.me/food

24th October - 6th November 2014

Food What's New: Wetherspoons Lydia Hicklin Food Writer

We all know and love at least one Wetherspoons for its cheap alcohol and worthwhile pub grub. The company have recently released their new menu for the winter period and there are some good meals for even better prices.

Mamma Miah's Recipe Remake Food writer Farzana Miah tackles a pricey super-wholefood salad and makes her own for a fraction of the cost Farzana Miah Food Writer

New additions to the menu include the philly cheesesteak sandwich, which is ribeye steak on a baguette: really tasty and filling; BBQ hog burger, your choice of beef, chicken or pulled pork stacked on a burger accompanied with cheese and onion rings; smoked salmon, cream cheese and rocket bagels to give brunch a new twist; and eggs royale as a healthy breakfast option.

"There are some good meals for even better prices, including the Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich" For non-meat lovers the sweet potato vegetarian curry is available all day every day as a curry choice and is vegan if ordered without naan bread. There is also an added side dish of half a corn on the cob, a new pasta alfredo, and additions to the side salad such as more lettuce and onion.

Another great thing about Wetherspoons’ menus, as well as the 2 for £12 cocktail pitcher deal, is that they offer a nutritional leaflet (in person or online) that has all caloric values and allergy information. So what are you waiting for? Forget cooking for the night (gladly, I’m sure) and find your closest local Wetherspoons, which we all know won’t be too hard.

@mamamiahfood

This beautiful grilled salmon, orange, green beans and beetroot salad topped with walnuts, pumpkin and sunflower seeds is packed full of wholefood goodness. It was served to me at The White Swan in Edgbaston, Birmingham and cost £14.50. BUT... here's how to make it yourself for less than a third of the price, and still reap all the same health benefits. I can't guarantee that it will taste just as good, but it couldtaste better with the feeling of saving an entire £10!

You will need: 1 salmon fillet: (110g fillet = £2 Tesco) One Tesco salmon fillet provides half the RDA for omega 3 fatty acids, which is shown to have the benefit of better brain functioning!

1 orange or grapefruit: (16p Aldi) Oranges are energy boosting, and also help prevent cancers and kidney disease 100g green beans and mixed leaf salad (£1 Aldi) 100g beetroot: 27p (Tesco 300g for 80p) Beetroot has a history of being an ancient

"Grilled salmon salad with orange, green beans and beetroot, topped with walnuts, pumpkin and sunflower seeds "

aphrodisiac... but now it's commonly used to treat constipation. (Hmm, isn't that lovely!)

50g of sunflower and pumpkin seeds: 44p (Aldi 225g £1.99) Pumpkin seeds are a high source of zinc which is a good booster for mood, sleep and skin. Sunflower seeds are good for calming nerves and muscles as well as preventing migraines.

Instructions: Step 1: Preheat your oven to 200°C/400°F/ gas 6 Step 2: Trim the green beans so just the edible parts remain. (No, don't eat the stalks, please!). Steam the beans for 3/4 minutes and then remove from pan and allow them to drain.

Step 4: Grab a sheet of kitchen foil, just under half a metre long. Place the beans in the centre, and then place the salmon on top of the green beans.

Step 5: Drizzle over the salmon with some olive oil or another oil of your choice, and then squeeze a tablespoon of lemon juice across the top. Sprinkle over with some salt and pepper. Once complete, scrunch up the foil around the fillet to make a parcel so that there are no holes, and then place the wrapped up fillet in the oven. Let it bake for 15-20 minutes depending on how large the fillet is.

Step 6: Meanwhile, peel and slice up your orange/grapefruit (or both for added citrus) and mix all of your salad leaves with the fruit on a medium-large plate.

Step 7: After 15-20 minutes, remove your salmon from the oven (safely) and let it stand for half a minute. Check the salmon has cooked through properly (hopefully) and if it hasn't, stick it back in the oven for 3-4 minutes. If the salmon is ready to eat, don't stop there! Place the fillet on top of the salad bed and top with nuts and seeds.

Adjust seasoning to your desired taste and dig in. Enough waiting around!

Voi-la; a delicious and nutritious meal - suitable for dinner, or you could even make it for the following day's lunch. Be sure to let the salmon cool before placing in the refrigerator, and remember, you just saved some extra money for the weekend!

Enjoy your meal.

Mama Miah

Edible Halloween-Wear Easy methods to make any Halloween outfit look good enough to eat Sarah Dickinson Food Editor

With Halloween fast approaching, most of us will be beginning to plan, if not already begun, this year’s costume for the upcoming celebrations. Some of you simply prefer to buy from a selection of the traditional outfit options from an online retailer such as Amazon, which is great if

"You can use a variety of convenience foods to get creative with your costume" you can find a good deal for the right look.

Bear in mind though it may be cheaper to put together your own creation, particularly if you’re going for an original twist.

Halloween may be about finding the right costume but we can’t forget that food also plays a big role in this annual occasion.

So this year, why not combine food with your Halloween outfit. There are many simple ideas on how to use convenience foods to get creative with your costume.

For example, to make fake blood try combining ketchup, golden syrup and red food colouring or another alternative is to mix golden syrup, cocoa powder, red food colouring and flour. Either way, both create a more realistic version of the popular Halloween retail product.

If this Halloween you want to keep it simple and go as a spider, you can mix together 120ml of water, 100g of sugar, 240g of cornflour and a pinch of salt, then boil this mixture in a pan until the sugar has dissolved and the flour combined. Once this is done, dip a fork into the mixture and drizzle the sugar onto a plate or some baking paper to make thin strands that look similar to wispy cobwebs when clumped together.

Finally, if you want to make a monsterlike slime, mix 250g of cornflour with 150ml of water and add several drops of green food colouring until you get the shade you’d like. Mix this with your hands and you should get a gloop-like consistency which runs when poured but can become putty when handled.

So if you want to try something a bit different for Halloween, you’ll find all of these ideas both effortless and effective, whilst adding that extra spooky touch to your costume.

redbrick.me/food

24th October - 6th November 2014

23

Recipe of the Fortnight: Quick and Easy Toffee Apple Cake Take a look at our recipes on www.redbrick.me/food/recipes

Power. Stamina.

Energy. Motivation.

More for your Money

An energy drink in the form of gum, is this the ultimate combination for the energy-junkie?

A look at a week on meal plan, and top tips on how to make your money go further

Farzana Miah Food Writer

@mamamiahfood

"Making energy easy for everyone so performance-boosts and cognition-enhancement is only a chew away". The gum was developed by a young entrepreneurial sport scientist and athlete, Danny Lowe, in his second year of university.

What is it?

Quite simply, it's chewing gum. However, it's not your standard strawberry Hubba Bubba and it is not suitable for children.

Blockhead is offering a compressed gum with chemicals which are scientifically proven to provide consumers with an intense energy-boost, enhancing both mental and physical energy levels.

Aspartame: One of the ingredients which may be frowned upon is the Aspartame, one of the most commonly used artificial sweeteners in the world today which is subject to much criticism around the world. According to the FSA, Aspartame is approximately 200 times sweeter than sugar, and the recommended daily allowance (RDA) is 40mg per day. Consumers should bear in mind that the RDA of a chemical is an estimate of the amount that can be consumed every day over a lifetime with no appreciable health risk. In other words, moderation means everything when consuming food and drink.

The reality is that even natural sugars in fruit can pose detrimental health risks when consumed in excess, so you must make sure to keep an eye on how much you consume of any chemical.

"It's good for a pick-me up before a workout" The verdict

How does it work?

Well, firstly, it's important to know what exactly you are chewing away. Blockhead consists of the following ingredients: Caffeine: Four pieces of gum provides a high dosage of Caffeine. Caffeine is a natural chemical, a widely used stimulant that provides a number of wonderful advantages to our daily lives. Caffeine improves your metabolism, as I'm sure you're all aware, whilst increasing your level of alertness, concentration and energy. It also helps to reduce anxiety, which could help you reach your potential when completing any task, from lifting heavy weights to concentrating on an exam. Expert nutritionists and fitness instructors around the world recommend consuming caffeine before exercising to help increase your stamina and maximise your performance.

I had one piece of gum before a 20/20 workout (a high-intensity fat burning workout consisting of both cardio and resistance training exercises... i.e. very hard!) and it helped my focus, my stamina and my concentration overall. My performance was good throughout the session, but I'm not sure as to what extent my performance was due to the gum, or the oatmeal and banana I had for breakfast that morning. I thought I would try the gum again before making a judgement, and so I had a piece one morning at the library, substituting my usual cup of coffee. I didn't even think about the gum, but by lunchtime, I realised I had an extremely productive morning and I was fully focused throughout. Personally, I would rate the gum a 8/10, as I feel that it delivers on what its marketing claims, but I'm not a huge fan of chewing gum or the after-taste of this one in particular, so I only use it when I seriously need a pick-me-up before a workout or in the mornings.

Food Writer

Before I started my life at university, I had many preconceptions about what the food served on campus would be like. Chicken nuggets, greasy chips and ominous vats of unknown brown stew came to mind when I tried to picture stereotypical ‘canteen’ food.

Fortunately, these turned out to be misconceptions. For a week of my life I decided to keep a record of everything I bought (and ate!) as part of my meal plan. I prefer to have breakfast at home, so I prepared porridge in my flat each day and for that reason breakfast is not included in how I used my meal plan allowance. However, various breakfast supplies such as milk, bread, cereal, jam, fruit and yoghurt can be purchased on your meal card.

Whether you’re a prospective student curious about catered life on campus or simply someone wishing to escape to chores of cooking for one night a week...take an inside look at where your money goes!

"I had many preconceptions about what campus food would be like...

Fortunately, these turned out to be misconceptions!"

My Week on Meal Plan Monday: Morning: Cup of tea (Costa) £1.75 Lunch: Cream of vegetable soup and bread roll £2.50 Dinner: Fisherman’s Pie served with mixed vegetables and potatoes £4.50 Tuesday: Lunch: Bombay Chicken Rice Salad £3.30 Afternoon: Hot Chocolate (Costa) £3.15 Dinner: Veggie Houmous Wrap (Starbucks) £3.99 Wednesday: Lunch: Parsnip Soup and brown roll £2.20 Dinner: Mushroom Stroganoff with rice, mixed vegetables and chips £4.50 Thursday: Lunch: Protein Salad (Jamaican chicken, beans, lettuce coleslaw, tomato and onion) £3.30 Dinner: Lamb Dopiaza Curry (with rice, potatoes and vegetables) £4.50 Friday: Lunch: Ham, cheese and pickle salad £3.30 Dinner: Out for dinner Saturday: Breakfast: Hot chocolate (The Melt) £1.65 Lunch: Bombay rice salad and a cup of tea £3.30/£1.45 Dinner: Pasta prepared in my flat Sunday: Lunch: Jacket potato with beans and mixed vegetables and a diet coke £1.80/£1.30 Dinner: Food at home (choice not necessity as I still had enough money for food) Extras: Semi-skimmed milk and chocolate milkshake £2.00/£1.30 Total spent: £49.79 Left to spend: £0.21

How does it taste?

The flavours move through the following stages: 1. Strong mint, quite sweet 2. Subtle mint, flavour and sugar has reduced

"It provides an intense energy-boost, enhancing mental and physical ability"

3. All of the flavours have settled down.

Quite nice to chew. Mmm.

Niacin: One piece of Blockhead also provides you with 16mg of Niacin, also known as Vitamin B3 which is usually derived from protein-rich foods such as fish, chicken or turkey. This water-soluble vitamin plays an effective role in maintaining your energy levels and speeding up your metabolism, and provides other benefits too, such as helping to lower levels of bad cholesterol and increase the levels of good, helping to

Who is it for?

prevent chronic diseases. All in all, niacin is good for your heart, and even a slight deficiency in niacin could lead to mental and physical fatigue. The recommended daily intake is 16mg for men and 14mg for women.

Jennifer Cook

4. Awful after-taste about 15 minutes later.

Time to get it out my mouth!

Men and women who need an energy boost, particularly before a highintensity workout. The gum is suitable for vegetarians also.

The gum is not suitable however for children under the age of 16, pregnant women, people who are sensitive to caffeine or those with heart problems.

Where can I buy it?

You can find out more at http://blockheadenergy.com

This is how much comparable meals would cost at Pret A Manger: Mushroom Risotto Soup £3.25 Chef's Chipotle Chicken Salad £4.85 Chunky Guacamole wrap £2.99 Porridge with Honey Topping £2.45

"Plan ahead so you can spend a little extra earlier in the week"

Top Tips to avoid a Meal Plan Meltdown • Plan ahead! If you know that you’re going home at the weekend or if you simply want to eat off campus one evening try to take this into consideration earlier in the week so that you can consciously spend that little extra on your card!

• Try to fill up your own bottle of wateryou’ll be surprised how much you can spend on drinks alone • Watch out for Starbucks/Costa prices!

Whilst most of the food sold at university outlets is reasonably priced, food and drink at other locations may be that much more expensive • Although you can sometimes be left with an awkward amount of money remaining on Sunday, you can always buy additional items such as milk, cereal or even bottles of orange juice to have for breakfast rather than buying a carton from the supermarket

24 24th October - 6th November 2014

redbrick.me/tech

Science & Technology

Ebola:

What do we really have to fear?

In the wake of the recent epidemic of the Ebola virus, two of our writers argue the science and media hype of it all, whether you should be prepared for an outbreak in Selly Oak and what you can do to avoid this horrible illness.

Beth Holland

Sci and Tech Writer

This year there has been a very sudden and rapid increase in the Ebola virus disease, but what is it really? And are we at risk in the UK? So, time for a little history: Ebola first emerged in the mid1970s in Africa. It is believed that Ebola had been living in fruit bats for many years there, and then spread to chimpanzees and other primates due to population buildup. It is thought that humans then contracted the disease from people handling contaminated dead animals. Since it began earlier this year, the most recent outbreak has killed over 2000 people and there are over 7000 known cases according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

And now for the science: Ebola is caused by infection with a virus of the family Filoviridae, genus Ebolavirus. There are five known strands of the Ebola virus disease and four of these are found in animal hosts native to Africa. These are known to cause the disease in humans: Zaire ebolavirus; Sudan ebolavirus; Taï Forest ebolavirus, formerly Côte d’Ivoire ebolavirus; and Bundibugyo ebolavirus. The virus that caused the most recent outbreak was the Zaire ebolavirus strain.

In August 2014, a British nurse working in Sierra Leone contracted Ebola and was taken to a London hospital for treatment.

Some doctors from the USA also contracted the disease and were flown back to the USA. More recently there have been recorded cases of the disease in Spain, but how at risk are we? Professor

"The most recent outbreak has killed over 2000 people and there are over 7000 known cases" David Heymann, chairman of Public Health England (PHE) told

the BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that “there is certainly not a crisis in the UK at this time. The UK has prepared over many, many years to deal with events such as this.” So the answer is not very likely.

However, it has been suggested by experts that as more cases of Ebola arise, it is possible for the disease to become airborne.

Experts have warned that due to the virus spreading at such an unprecedented rate, it is possible for it to mutate. Centre for Disease Control (CDC) director Tom Frieden spoke out about these claims. "The rate of change [with Ebola] is slower than most viruses, and most viruses don't change how

they spread," he said. "That is not to say it's impossible that it could change," he continued. "That would be the worst-case scenario.

We would know that by looking at ... what is happening in Africa.

That is why we have scientists from the CDC on the ground tracking that."

The most common way for a person to contract the disease is if by coming into contact with the blood or other bodily fluids of a person with the disease. Some burial ceremonies in Africa allow people to touch the body of a deceased person in their rituals; the disease lives on in the dead, so this is a prominent source of infection. A person then need only

"Ebola kills 50-90% of the people it infects" populace learning more about the spread of Ebola, it is unlikely to return in such high numbers.

As more and more people infected with Ebola are taken for treatment in countries with the right resources, the possibility of a cure being discovered becomes more likely. Biochemists at the University of Utah believe they can target the five known strains of the virus by identifying specific ‘regions’ that are consistently present and imitating it. Now that it has been replicated, drugs can be developed to target the virus.

This new development may possibly lead to an effective treatment for the Zaire strain.

Unfortunately, this does not mean there will necessarily be a cure for any future outbreaks from different Ebola strains.

of the countries affected, water is scarce and as one academic said, “people don’t think about washing their hands when they don’t have enough water to drink.”

Part of what makes Ebola so

Claudia Efstathiou Sci and Tech Writer

If you have turned on the news recently, you would be forgiven for thinking you had tuned into a disaster film; images of doctors and nurses in containment hazmat suits tending their patients, along with warnings of an Ebola virus epidemic out of control with the prospect of it spreading unhindered across the globe.

But where has this disease come from? Until this year it was relatively unknown by the general public, with only small, isolated outbreaks in the past. In fact, there have been more deaths in this outbreak than all others combined.

The media has picked up on this outbreak partly due to the numbers affected, but also because a number of Western aid and healthcare workers have contracted Ebola despite all their precautions. Is it all hype or should we be afraid?

Ebola was first described in 1976 when the disease appeared in the Democratic Republic of Congo, infecting 318 people and

touch their mouth to be at risk of contracting the disease. As well as this, having unprotected sex with someone who has the disease also puts you at risk. The likelihood of any of this happening in the UK is very slim.

Ebola kills around 50-90% of the people it infects. However, Nigeria has recently been cleared of the disease and with the general

killing 280. It is thought that the virus is a natural pathogen of fruit bats which are hunted for food resource-poor countries, raising the likelihood of the virus moving

"An Ebola death is not pleasant" to humans during the butchering process for bushmeat.

Once in the human host, a severe acute infection can begin and human-to-human spread occurs via direct contact of contaminated bodily fluids.

There is no treatment for Ebola; instead, doctors try to support the patient’s immune system with IV fluids to prevent dehydration. The current outbreak started in December 2013 with the death of a two year-old child in Guinea, yet the world did not take much notice

until relatively recently. Now with Liberia asking for 80,000 body bags, the threat to human life is beginning to be recognised.

An Ebola death is not pleasant; as your body tries to fight the infection, the immune system makes the capillary walls ‘leaky’ to allow more white blood cells

"The current outbreak started in December 2013" through to fight the infection. This leads to hemorrhaging, where blood and fluid breaks into the tissues, causing a build-up of pressure and intense pain, and putting strain on the kidneys as they try to filter the infection out of the blood.

Those that survive will recover within around 3 weeks from the

onset of symptoms; survival rates vary between countries, with around 39% survival currently seen in this outbreak in West Africa.

Ebola is exceptionally scary because it is new and with no licensed antivirals or vaccines, a global pandemic could have devastating consequences for mankind. Realistically, if you were to catch Ebola in a country with a well-developed health care service the survival rates are likely to be far higher. With many hospitals in the UK equipped with isolation wards and disposable equipment the norm, the chances are that with a little support from modern medicine you would be able to fight it off and live to see another day.

So far, basic hygiene - such as handwashing - has been seen to go a long way in limiting the spread of Ebola. Unfortunately in many

"People don't think about washing their hands when they don't have enough water to drink" frightening is not that it can kill you; lots of things can kill you.

The Spanish Influenza killed at least 50 million people in 1918, and flu continues to be one of the biggest killers with around 400,000 deaths a year. But Ebola can lead to an isolated and painful death, cut off from friends and family and far from home.

For now, get a flu jab and wash your hands before eating. Good hygiene practice will go a long way with illnesses that you are more likely to encounter than Ebola.

redbrick.me/tech

24th October - 6th November 2014

25

Women, freeze your eggs!

Emma Houghton

Online Sci and Tech Editor

It is a fact that, as women have ventured further into the academic and working worlds, the average age of motherhood has increased.

But with the knowledge that fertility decreases as a woman ages, many women choose to start a family over developing a career.

Now, companies like Facebook and Apple have come up with a solution to prevent this loss of valuable employees and to potentially attract more women to work for them in the future.

Education is now compulsory until the age of 18 and the majority of both men and women choose to continue their studies at university. This means that most people are not starting work until at least 21. It then takes several years to develop a career to reach an attractive salary and rank within the chosen sector.

The problem with this time scale is that, biologically speaking, women are most fertile

between the ages of 20 and 35. The risk of meiotic errors during egg production, such as aneuploidy (when cells contain extra copies of chromosomes), increases with age.

Aneuploidy is one of the main causes of miscarriage and disorders such as Down’s syndrome (trisomy 21; where the cells contain 3 copies of chromosome 21, instead of 2). Statistics tell us that women over the age of 35 are twice as likely to have children with chromosomal defects.

Female fertility is often thought of as a biological clock, ticking away the time remaining for women to have normal, successful pregnancies. Because of this, many women are choosing to start a family over working for companies such as Facebook and Apple.

To convince women to stay in their employment for longer, Facebook now offers to pay $20,000 (£12,500) for egg-freezing procedures. This gives women more control over when they choose to become pregnant and avoid having to make the tough decision of ‘career or family’. It

would also increase their chances of having healthy children later in life; eggs removed and frozen during years of high fertility would still be of a good quality.

Apple is rumoured to begin offering the same procedures from January of next year. A statement issued by Apple says that they “want to empower women at Apple to do the best work of their lives as they care for loved ones and raise their families.”

There have been both positive and negative responses to this announcement. Some feminists do not agree that offering to freeze women’s eggs is a good idea.

Daisy Sands, a campaigner for women’s equality, believes that the new policies “promote the idea that a woman needs to postpone having children in order to succeed in the workplace”.

However, many professional women are glad to be given the opportunity to focus on their careers without having to worry about infertility problems in later life or missing out on having a family for a career.

Force-Field to keep us dry Amy Thompson Sci and Tech Writer

Everyone hates getting wet on the way to lectures, but now you no longer have to. A new invention, the Air Umbrella, could solve every student’s problem. It is, as its name suggests, an umbrella that does not have a material canopy to keep you dry. Instead it creates a force-field of air which is so strong that it deflects the rain away from area above you, therefore keeping you dry. On a windy day where most conventional umbrellas would turn inside out,

this one doesn't.

Chuan Wang, the inventor of the Air Umbrella, has been working on the idea with academics from both Beijing and Nanjing universities. Wang placed the idea for the Air Umbrella on Kickstarter, in hopes of raising enough money to start developing a prototype. So far the campaign has exceeded its $10,000 target and has received a great amount of attention from the global technology industry.

The umbrella comes in three possible styles with an average battery life of 30 minutes. The umbrella itself will weigh less than two pounds and will consist of a

solid metal pole structure of about 100cm when open and 30 cm when collapsed, with the height of

"Its canopy size can change to fit one or two people" the umbrella easily adjustable to allow for each user. Its canopy size can be changed to fit one or two people and when turning the canopy off, it shakes to remove all water so that you no longer have to carry around a wet umbrella all

day. This makes the Air Umbrella able to cope with everything from a light shower to a torrential downpour.

However, there is a catch. The air force used to push rain away from the person under the umbrella pushes the rain to the edge of the air canopy, drenching any passersby. The other major flaw of the design is its short battery life. The Air Umbrella is capable of working at maximum capacity for 30 minutes, yet many students walk much more than 30 minutes in the day and with the typical British weather, if it rains all day you would most likely have to carry

batteries around - or the university would have to allow students to charge umbrellas on campus, a costly inconvenience.

Despite the Air Umbrella’s obvious downsides, it is currently in its developmental stages so many of these issues will probably have been addressed before it is put on sale to the public. The Air Umbrella seems like a great alternative to the conventional umbrella and its lightweight, simple design could offer the modern world a new way of staying dry in wet weather. The first Air Umbrella is expected to be available as early as Autumn 2015.

It is as hard as Rocket Science An exciting new project has formed, and one of our writers has interviewed the founder to find out more about rockets Will Edmondson Sci and Tech Writer

The countdown has started for a new society that proposes to launch a rocket into the stratosphere by the end of the academic year.

Terry Moorton, founder and director of The Chamberlain Project, has spent his summer sourcing information and collecting the appropriate approvals needed for engine plans. These plans illustrate a “simplicity over efficiency” approach to rocket engine design and may seem quite alarming when compared with the ordinary after-school science projects based on baking soda.

Students from departments across the University have come together this week joining one of the principal divisions of the project; propulsion, structure or avionics in order to get construction started.

The combined effort of these

"The rocket will eject 120kg of propellant in 14 seconds" teams is to build a rocket three meters in length with a payload capable of sending it 30km up into the sky. The rocket will be fuelled

by hydrogen peroxide, more commonly used as bleach by hairdressers, and kerosene. Fire dancers and flame eaters often use kerosene as it burns at low temperatures, under busking-friendly conditions.

The conditions in Chamberlain’s combustion chamber, however, will not be safe for the typical busker. The liquid fuels ignite on contact to produce a proposed pressure inside the rocket that is about three times the pressure of a heavy duty fireman’s hose, ejecting all 120kg of propellant in just under fourteen seconds.

During our interview, Moorton pointed out that when directing such a dangerous project as part of an University society it is easy to be “informal and friendly - but

when you have deadlines and lives on your hands it is important to

"A safe success combining learning with fun" remember that when a decision has to be made.” He was most likely referring most to the legal compromises that come when building such a missile-like object.

He went on to add that “some-

times people will not like my decisions.” He assured me that with the continued support of academics and students, he is determined to make the project a safe success combining learning with fun.

A documentary focusing on the aspirations and relations of key team members of The Chamberlain Project is currently in production.

Construction is set to begin in the second half of this term; Moorton and his team hope to have a testready engine completed before the Christmas break this year.

Check out the latest creature feature online!

www.redbrick.me/tech

26 24th October - 6th November 2014

redbrick.me/culture

Culture

Of Mice and Men Review Of Mice and Men has been adapted many a time. Last week, Culture went to see if the latest production lived up to our expectations...

Andrea Giannini Critic

Of Mice and Men, the American literary classic by John Steinbeck, was published in 1937 and was quickly adapted into an award winning play. Over the years, numerous productions have been staged to tell the story of George and Lennie, two farmhands working hard during the Great Depression to save enough money to buy their own property and live the American Dream. Currently, the Birmingham Repertory Theatre Company and The Touring Consortium are presenting the latest production of the cherished play.

Roxana Silbert, the director of the play, along with

"Regardless of something upbeat going on in the actual performance, there is always a a heavy weight on people's shoulders and lingering under their momentary happiness." designer Liz Ascroft, do an excellent job with the simple but effective set design. The space is made up of a wooden floor with a crack running through it diagonally to represent a stream. This is the prearranged meeting point for main characters Lennie and George, in case anything bad happens.

Throughout the play, all set designs are impressive, especially the massive barley shoot in the second act which stretches from the floor all the way up to the ceiling. An interesting part of the set is the changes and the choreography that go along with them. All of the actors and musicians work together in a choreographed routine to dismantle and put together new sets, including throwing props to each other to the beat of the music playing in the background. The set changes were entertaining to say the least, and the neutral colors of the set were also pleasing to the eye.

The wings are left open for the audience to see off the stage, to where the actors not in the current scene are sitting silently and stoically waiting. At first, I thought it was simply an interesting insight behind the scenes of a play, however as the production went on it seemed that the solemn

faces of the actors portrayed the desperation of people during the Great Depression struggling to find their way and survive. Even off the stage, the actors are still acting, showing that regardless of something upbeat going on in the actual performance, there is always a heavy weight on people’s shoulders and lingering underneath their momentary happiness. Trying and struggling to get by is a major theme of this play, reinforced by allowing the audience to see the seriousness of the actors off the stage, waiting for what comes next and reflecting the underlying attitude of the Great Depression.

Indeed, every aspect of design was incredible, including the lighting done by Simon Bond and sound by Nick Powell.

The lighting seems natural but is also effective at emphasizing the intensity of different situations, especially in the final scene: when George makes the ultimate decision about Lennie, the set immediately goes black.

In addition, the music adds to the American Western feel of the play. Cowbells are used, blending perfectly with the farm setting in which Lennie and George are working. It is also great to see the musicians stand up and walk to the edge of the stage, becoming part of the play and not just staying hidden in the background.

As far as the acting itself is concerned, the southern accents are magnificent. On occasion, the actors do slip out

"...it is easy to see how much George cares for the "simple and not very bright" Lennie." of them slightly, but it is hardly noticeable, and Stephen Kemble does an excellent job in coaching the dialects. All of the performances are fantastic, though it is Benjamin Dilloway, as Lennie, and Michael Legge, as George, who carry the show. Their chemistry together is extremely obvious, and it is easy to see how much George cares for the “simple and not very bright” Lennie. The pair travel together looking for work, and George basically looks after Lennie who cannot really care for himself. Lennie is a gentle giant who means no harm and indeed does no harm unless provoked, but with his mental disability, he needs George to protect and care for him.

It is clear to see how much George cares for Lennie through moments when he is trying to reprimand Lennie

and ends up cracking a smile or slipping from his authoritative tone to comfort him instead. It is an amazing relationship to watch play out on the stage, and Michael Legge does an excellent job in portraying the tough but also caring George.

Alongside Legge, Benjamin Dilloway shines at playing Lennie, and definitely gives the star performance of the show. His portrayal of Lennie is everything you could imag-

"This production of Of Mice and Men is well worth seeing and truly one to remember." ine it to be; even if you have never thought about how Lennie would act, watching Dilloway do it is just perfect.

Dilloway masters the movements and thought processes of someone with autism, and his vocalisation is spot on. This performance is simply unbelievable, and I would see this play again just to watch Dilloway perform as Lennie. Legge and Dilloway work together and complement each other in the best way possible.

The actors’ chemistry and the characters’ love for one another is undeniable, and nowhere is this is made crystal clearer than at the end of the play, when Lennie puts all of his trust in George to make everything better, while George frantically tries to comfort Lennie and make the tough decision to end his life in a painless way out of love. This production of Of Mice and Men is well worth seeing and truly one to remember.

redbrick.me/culture

24th October - 6th November 2014

27

Why the Opera matters What's On: Culture Editor Charlotte Spence lets us know why opera is fantastic Although the opera conjures up images of the upper classes sipping champagne and talking loudly about holidaying on Richard Branson’s superyacht, this couldn’t be further from the truth. For me, a person who couldn’t get further from the upper classes unless I were reincarnated as Oliver Twist, the opera is an escape.

It is an opportunity to dive into a rich and engaging story and to be carried along by rousing and emotional music. Many people are put off by the fact that many operas are sung in a foreign language. And though you may not understand every word they are singing, the emotion and feeling are portrayed through so much more than the words. The whole production, from the set to the acting to the music, create moods and can be quick-changing and hard-hitting.

The Welsh National Opera is famous for producing some of the best operatic performances out there and they have a new initiative to get everyone into opera.

They have specific sections on their website for those new to opera, which helps to bust myths associated with the art. They also now have YouTube videos to introduce you to the themes and plotlines of the opera, as well as some general background information and history.

On top of all of this, the Welsh National Opera have an Under 30s offer which means that for every performance there are 50 tickets available for £5!

To find out more, follow the QR code (right) to the New to Opera webpage.

In Birmingham:

Until 1st November - Solomon and Marion at the Rep Marion has watched her life drain away. Isolated in her home and grieving for her dead son and lost husband, she is struggling to find meaning in a country that has been utterly transformed. But it is the only home she has known.

As the newly reformed South Africa braces itself for the inevitable protests and unrest preceding the 2010 World Cup finals, hope arrives in the form of Solomon (Khayalethu Anthony), the grandson of Marion’s former servant. He says he wants to take care of her, but what is his true motive?

29th October - CBSO Nelsons conducts Strauss and Brahms at the Symphony Hall Battling windmills, flying horses and a very angry herd of sheep... Richard Strauss’s warm-hearted take on the tale of Don Quixote is one of music’s all-time comic masterpieces.

Brahms’s First Symphony is made of sterner stuff, but it still tells an epic story of tragedy and hope, crowned by one of the noblest tunes ever written. Andris Nelsons will give it his all.

1st November 2014, 7.30 pm - Clamber up the Crucifix at Old Joint Stock It begins at the end: midday, 11th November 1918. To the officers, Parker was invisible, hardly more human than the telegraph key he operates. Earlier that day, and privy to certain information, Parker had caused a serious offence.

His sentence is due. Footsteps approach.

Clamber up the Crucifix explores the life of a telegraph key operator in the trenches, and the mind of an ordinary solider caught up in the long waits and terrifying bombardments of life at the Front.

On Campus: 6th November, 5-6.30 pm - Matt Ridley featuring Jason Yarde at the Bramall Music Building The quartet features the award-winning pianist John Turville, the fiercely virtuosic drumming talents of George Hart, and Matt Ridley leading on bass. Performing original compositions alongside special guest saxophonist and globally recognized composer Jason Yarde.

Blood Brothers Review Alice Sheppard

Critic Set in the deepest trenches of Liverpool – broken windows and ‘Everton’ graffiti scrawled all over the crumbling, Coronation Street-style walls – we see a world struck with poverty, but governed by the optimism of its people despite their impoverished situations. Thus we meet Mrs Johnstone, a struggling cleaner and single mother surviving with many mouths to feed. Somehow, this inspiring woman manages to see the rainbow through the rain: her upbeat nature conquers negativity and she swims with her head above the water, not sinking under it. As the fourth Nolan to play this role, Maureen Nolan blew the audience away with both her vocals and her ability to convey both cheerfulness and sorrow so convincingly that you just want to put your arm around her and tell her that it is all going to be okay.

"The bond between the brothers is hysterical and captivating all at once."

The plot follows the separation at birth of t and their story as they discover each other later on in life: Mickey’s loveable Scouseness (Sean Jones) and Eddie’s rib-tickling poshness (Joel Benedict) forces us to love them as characters almost as much as they love each other. For on becoming friends at eight years old, they swear that they shall stand by

one another at all costs; they shall be Blood Brothers. The bond between the brothers portrayed by Jones and Benedict is hysterical and captivating all at once, since despite the immense gulf between their ways of life, the relationship between them is endearing, Unlike the adults that surround them, they value each other because of their personalites and not their social standing.

The story is narrated to the audience by a foreboding gentleman (appearing rather dapper in a suit and tie) who acted as a summariser of scenes and a prophet of things to come, as well as acting as the voice of conscience for the characters. He directly addresses them in order to force them to come face to face with their dilemmas and with their guilt - which, although they try to bury it, will never fade away. He kicks off the musical with a sort of Shakespearian prologue whilst the brothers lay dead upon the stage surrounded by woeful onlookers. The effect of this? The mind is intriguingly propelled to discover the cause of their death, whilst the abrupt nature of the narrator’s speech reminds us of the underlined solemn meaning behind the comedy we are about to witness.

The staging was fairly minimal – a street, a few tables and chairs - but definitely effective; the characters themselves would bring in their own props for quick transitions and manage to keep the world on stage alive without silhouetted prop movers destroying the realism of the piece. In terms of music, the songs flowed effortlessly between speech and song in a very Les Miserables-like way: it recycled the tunes and adapted them for different moods such as an early, hopeful song about how Mrs Johnstone wants to be dancing and ignoring financial woes, to the song about mental disintegration where she claims that the “mind is

14th November, 7.30pm - Thomas Trotter with Birmingham University Students at Elgar Concert Hall, Bramall Building Birmingham City Organist Thomas Trotter, gives the inaugural concert on the newly commissioned Garnier pipe organ. The first half of the concert is an enticing opportunity to hear the organ in all its glory, including a performance of J S Bach’s Concerto for solo organ No. 2, and an arrangement of Vivaldi’s double violin Concerto in A minor, Op. 3, No. 8. dancing”, highlighting the abrasive effect of the times.

Willy Russell, in a style similar to Bertolt Brecht, writes with an aura of social politics in the foreground of all his work. We witness a city in the midst of deprivation and are encouraged to empathise with these characters that history has largely ignored. However whilst the musical’s overall meaning is solemn, it even allows gentle comedy in more

"We witness a city in the midst of deprivation and are encouraged to empathise with these characters" sombre moments, such as when Mrs Johnstone told her children that one of her twins had gone to heaven upon being born, to which her greedy son replies: “has he? Will he have his own bike up there?!”

My only criticism of the musical would be that it was sometimes difficult to hear the lines due to the speed of speech and thickness of the accent, but I suppose that if they were to consciously slow it down, then it would not be staying true to its settings and Russell’s intentions for the characters.

Overall I found the musical to be a moving tale of how a mother’s love will never fade and of the preciousness of childhood friendships; moved by emotional lyrics and relationships between the characters, Blood Brothers will take you on a whirlwind tour of mid-to-late twentieth century Liverpool and open your eyes to a world of people who have thus far remained obscured by larger social crisis.

28 24th October - 6th November 2014

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Sport

Formula One heavyweights prepare for move Sports reporter Morgan Price looks at who's going where in next season's Formula One Morgan Price Sports Reporter

The 2014 Formula 1 season will soon be drawing to a close, as two heavyweights of the sport will soon leave their respective teams. Uncertain times lie ahead however for Sebastian Vettel of Germany and Spaniard Fernando Alonso. Vettel, who has enjoyed great success during recent years,

"Uncertain times lie ahead however for Sebastian Vettel of Germany and the Spaniard Fernando Alonso" racking up four consecutive world driver’s championships with Red Bull, is out of contention for the 2014 title. Whilst Alonso, soon to finish his fifth season with Ferrari, has won eleven races since joining the team in 2010, and has come mightily close to clinching the title on multiple occasions.

Yet, many questions remain.

Former Ferrari president Luca Montezemolo announced that Alonso will be leaving the team at the end of the season, leaving him with two options for 2015.

Either to join his former team McLaren, as

part of their new partnership with Honda, or take a sabbatical year in the hope of a space opening up at Mercedes in 2016. Both are very risky, but Alonso’s loss of faith in Ferrari to provide him with a competitive car leaves him with little choice.

A move to McLaren is looking to be more likely. Alonso’s previous tenure at McLaren was far from harmonious however, as a rookie Lewis Hamilton surprised all with his pace and maturity by matching Alonso’s points tally for the 2007 season, leaving Alonso’s reputation and position within the team damaged. If a return to McLaren for Alonso transpires, it is certain that arrangements will have been made for him to become the team’s number one driver - nothing else will do.

Where does this leave current McLaren drivers Jenson Button and Kevin Magnussen?

Button will soon complete his fifteenth season in F1 and retirement from the sport is looking imminent. Stating that he only wishes to remain in F1 if he has a competitive seat, Abu Dhabi 2014 may well be Jenson’s final race, as it is uncertain whether McLaren’s rekindled partnership with Honda next year will bring anything special.

Rookie Kevin Magnussen has had a fairly average season, often out-qualifying Jenson but failing to convert raw speed into points during the race leaves his position within the team also in doubt.

There is, of course, the option for Alonso

to take a year out in the hope of getting a seat at Mercedes in 2016. With current Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg signed on until 2017, and Lewis Hamilton likely to renew his contract once the title battle has been decided, a space at Mercedes is all but non-existent for Alonso.

As Alonso has lost faith in Ferrari to provide a competitive car for 2015 onwards, Vettel’s strong link to Ferrari may be a basis for questioning his judgement. Although it has not been officially announced, a number of reliable sources within the F1 community have confirmed that Vettel will be replacing Alonso at Ferrari for 2015. Alonso joined them back in 2010 hoping for a consistent race winning car only to be left short handed for many seasons to come. Vettel too is tak-

"The timing of Vettel's departure seems right, however. He has simply been outclassed by his teammate, Daniel Ricciardo" ing many risks in making this move, as there is no reason to believe the 2015 Ferrari will close the large performance gap to

Mercedes. The timing of Vettel’s departure from Red Bull seems right, however. He has

"Alonso's previous tenure at McLaren was far from harmonious" simply been outclassed by his teammate, Daniel Ricciardo, in the new turbo-powered cars. Whether Vettel’s multiple championships were down to the pace of the car beneath him, or whether 2014 regulations do not suit his driving style remains to be seen.

It will be very interesting to see how such greats of the sport will match up against their new teammates in 2015, whoever they may be. A Vettel-Raikkonen partnership is looking probable. Raikkonen also has been outdriven by his teammate Alonso this year for a number of reasons, primarily because he has been unable to set up the car to suit his driving style during the first season of his second stint at Ferrari. Vettel is yet to win over many of his critics, who attribute much of his success to being in the right car at the right time. Although he is ‘looking for a new challenge’, Vettel will take next season as a chance to prove his worth in a mid-field Ferrari, demonstrating just how much he can overcome the car’s deficits.

Associated Press

redbrick.me/sport

24th October - 6th November 2014

29

European Rugby Champions Cup Round-up Sam Harrison looks at the first round of fixtures for the English clubs and what the results mean Sam Harrison

won. Glasgow, the only Scottish team, were victorious but the only Italian team, Treviso, were unable to win.

Following the very first weekend of Rugby’s European Champions Cup, the jury is still out, not only with regard to which team will become the first to lift the brand new trophy, but also which country they will come from.

Of the seven English teams in the competition, three won and four lost. The winners were: Leicester winning 25-18 at home against Irish team Ulster, Harlequins who won 25-9 at home against Castres, and last year’s runners up Saracens, defeating French side Clermont Auvergne 30-23 at home. The losers; Wasps, Northampton, Bath and Sale, lost 25-20, 20-11, 37-10 and 27-26 respectively, with Wasps, Northampton and Bath

"Two of the top four most successful teams in the Heineken Cup (the predecessor to the Champions Cup) come from Ireland"

Sports Reporter

Welsh team Ospreys emerged with the largest point’s difference after the first weekend, outscoring Treviso by a margin of 42 points to 7, and Irish team Munster were the only team to emerge with an elusive away victory.

"Of the seven English teams in the competition, three won and four lost."

"it appears there will be no drop off between years as Irish teams have a history of success in Europe"

each losing away from home.

Of the other countries competing, two of three Irish teams won, three of six French teams won, one of the two Welsh teams

With two thirds of the Irish provinces emerging victorious it appears there will be no drop off between years as Irish teams have a history of success in Europe. Two of

the top four most successful teams in the Heineken Cup (the predecessor to the Champions Cup) come from Ireland, in the form of Leinster and Munster, with three wins with two wins to their names, respectively.

The French, as always, looked solid starting the competition. The reigning European Champions, Toulon, winners of the formerly-known Heineken Cup for the last two years, won at home against the

"The inaugural weekend of the new European competition did not bode well for the English clubs, as more of them lost than won" Scarlets. Perhaps the only surprise of the weekend involving a French team was that Racing Metro were able to beat the Northampton Saints, English champions and the winners of last season’s second tier European tournament - the Amlin Challenge Cup; though whether that was an upset can be disputed.

The inaugural weekend of the new European competition did not bode well for

the English clubs, as more of them lost than won. Last year’s runners up both in Europe

"Based on the first weekend of matchs, it's very difficult to say if any one team or country looks able to pull ahead of the rest" and at home, Saracens, were able to come out on top against French giants Clermont Auvergne. It wasn't an easy victory, but nor was it expected to be. A pattern of English clubs falling just short in Europe is beginning to develop, as the best performer in recent years has been Saracens. However, even they eventually fell to champions Toulon over two consecutive years, both in the semi-finals and then the final.

As for the Scottish, Welsh and Italian teams, they seldom make it out of the pool stage, though it would be nice to see some new faces reach the knockout rounds.

Based on the first weekend of matches, it's very difficult to say if any one team or country looks to be able to pull ahead of the rest, but that's not always a bad sign; competition in Europe makes for a much more entertaining tournament.

Sky Sports

30 24th October - 6th November 2014

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Sport

Men's football 1sts overcome 2nds in all Brum clash Both teams were geared for a feisty opening encounter but it was the 1sts who earned bragging rights over their squad rivals.

George Hopkins watched it all unfold and reported on a game that saw much drama.

George Hopkins Sports Reporter

The University of Birmingham Men’s football 1st team beat their campus rivals, the men’s 2nds, 1-0 with a dominant performance that was not truly reflected in the final score.

The two teams find themselves in the same division, Midlands 1A, after the 1sts narrowly missed out on promotion and the 2nds secured the Midlands 2A division title in the previous season. Coming into the game, both Declan Kirby and Adam

"both Declan Kirby and Adam Rosenbaum... seemed slightly apprehensive about the fixture in a recent interview with Redbrick sport" Rosenbaum, the captains of the 1sts and 2nds respectively, seemed slightly apprehensive about the fixture in a recent interview with Redbrick sport.

The match kicked off on what was a rather dreary Wednesday afternoon. From the outset, both teams showed clear attacking intent and managed to fashion several half chances, with the 2nds having a slight edge. Early on, several players showed signs of nervousness, giving away cheap free kicks and even a foul throw, which is understandable on the opening game of the

"The first ten minutes were a heated affair and set the tone for what was a highly competitive 90 minutes of football" season. The first ten minutes were a heated affair and set the tone for what was a highly competitive 90 minutes of football.

Despite the 2nds bright start, the 1sts quickly moved up a gear which the newly promoted side struggled to deal with. They started to control the ball and create chances. Their best chance of the first half fell to Luke Barrow, who found himself in acres of space in the box but was unable to beat Mike Booker in goal who made a fine save.

Barrow had several other similar chances but Booker continued to frustrate the striker. Throughout the first half, the 1sts continued to create chances as the 1sts combat-

"Despite the 2nds' bright start, the 1sts quickly moved up a gear" ive and experienced midfield suffocated the play of their opponents who resorted to playing long balls which rarely found their intended target. This sustained pressure led to a free kick around the forty minute mark which forced Mike Booker to make another tremendous save.

Men's Football

Birmingham 1sts

1

Birmingham 2nds

0

The second half was very similar to the first with the seconds still struggling to find passes through the well organised midfield of their opponents, and it wasn’t long before the 1sts made them pay for their sloppy play. The goal came not long after half time, when Mike Booker, who up until this point had kept his side in the game, failed to deal with a low cross that came from the right of the box and the ball fell to the grateful Will Richards for an easy tapin.

While this game only contained one

"A comeback did seem on the cards...but despite the 2nds valiant attempts to get back into the game, the first managed to contain them" rather unremarkable goal, the competitive nature of the two sides made it a very entertaining game to watch. In total, the referee dished out six yellow cards, and there were many fouls that, on another day, could have warranted further punishment.

The almost constant crunching tackles made it a red card seem inevitable, and sure enough, just after the midpoint of the second half, Ben Sunderland received his second yellow and reduced the 1sts to ten men.

A comeback did seem on the cards after the dismissal, but despite the 2nds valiant attempts to get back into the game the 1sts

Peter Saxon

"In total, the referee dished out six yellow cards, and there were many fouls that, on another day, could have warranted further punishment" managed to contain them and only allowed them to have one further shot at goal.

In the end the experience of the 1st team was too much for the underdogs, but their coach, Matt Rodney, was pleased with their performance and spoke of his pride.

He praised their work ethic and competitiveness and added that “there are no guys that I’d rather go to battle with”. The Head coach of the 1sts, Rob Williams reflected on the game, saying that while ”only one team was going to win the game...if they [the seconds] are that competitive they will be competitive in the league”. While the future for both teams looks bright, on this occasion David was unable to defeat Goliath despite a valiant effort.

Birmingham 1sts Birmingham 2nds Total shots 13

600+200=

4

redbrick.me/sport

24th October - 6th November 2014

Wednesday's results

Performance of the week

Tweet of the week

Men L - 1sts Rugby v Manchester 1sts 23-29

31

W - 4ths Squash v Oxford Brooks 1sts 3-2 D - 1sts Hockey v Loughborough 1sts 2-2 W - 1sts Football v Birmingham 2nds 1-0 L - 1sts Badminton v Loughborough 1sts 3-5

The University of Birmingham's Windsurfing club earned the best ever result in their club's history by placing 4th at the opening event of the year Aussie Kiss. "Our beginners have started to show some real promise while our intermediate/advanced are competing well.", said the club's press officer.

Pictured are the club captain, Jonny Baines, Tom Taylor and Ross Griffin.

Women W - 1sts Fencing v Newcastle 1sts 131-106 W - 1sts Hockey v Loughborough 1sts 4-0 L - 1sts Lacrosse v Loughborough 1sts 3-6 W - 2nds Netball v Loughborough 3rds 41-39 W - 1sts Basketball v Cambridge 1sts 50-40

Darker side of Sport

Lighter side of Sport

Justin Bieber and Floyd Mayweather are a rather unusual combination of people and most would not place them in each other's company. But, it has recently emerged that the singer is training under the tutelage of the five division world champion.

Photo of the week

The President of the Russian Tennis Federation issued a contrite apology to Serena and Venus Williams, after his 'Williams Brothers' jibe. Serena called the crass comments 'sexist, racist and bullying” and the WTA fined him £15,500.

Competition Time

sports@redbrick.me @redbricksport Redbrick Sport Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and online at www.redbrick.me/sports to keep up to date with all the latest sporting events. If you are interested in writing for Redbrick Sport, please get in touch by emailing sport@redbrick.me

Online: Roy Keane's much awaited autobiography is causing quite a stir in the footballing world and to celebrate its release, Fraser Smith gives a count down of the volatile midfielder's most remarkable moments.

Online: Catch up with all the latest sports results, including last week's Men's Rugby defeat to Bishop Burton and also featuring the all UoB battle between the Men's Hockey 2nds and 3rds, as well as the Men's Football 1sts who faced the 2nds.

PureGym Birmingham are offering a FREE three month membership for four students.

Interested? Go to Redbrick Sport's Twitter page and take part in our caption competition. Use the hashtag #rbsportcaption and send us your wittiest attempts. Deadline 29th Weds.

The Redbrick Crossword

Successfully complete the crossword and you could win a £5 voucher for food at any GO restaurant in University Centre!

Crossword by Thomas Hutchinson

Please send a picture of your completed crossword to crossword@redbrick.me, or fill in this form and hand in your completed crossword to the Redbrick office.

Name: Email Address: Phone Number:

Across

1. Mislead (7) 5. Squalid parts of a city (5) 8. Be put to sleep for an operation (13) 9. Ship name prefix in the Royal Navy (initials) (3) 10. Street lights (9) 12. Mother or father (6) 13. Name for Chinese organised crime organisations (6) 15. Canada's emblem (5,4) 16. The present (3) 18. Well informed (13) 20. A sibling's daughter (5) 21. Site of the '1947' UFO incident (6)

Down

1. Absence of life (5) 2. One who fears confinement (13) 3. Rude and disrespectful behaviour (9) 4. Unearth a body (6) 5. Harden (3) 6. Unable to be supported in future (13) 7. People who enjoy inflicting pain (7) 11. Cleansers e.g. for water (9) 12. Halloween vegetable (7) 14. Robot from 'Futurama' (6) 17. Steering device (5) 19. Untruth (3)

1`2`3`4§5`6`7 `§`§`§`§`§`§` 8```````````` `§`§`§`§§§`§` 9``§0```-```` §§`§`§`§`§`§` =`````§q````` `§`§`§w§`§`§§ e````````§r`t `§`§§§`§`§`§` y```u```````` `§`§`§`§`§`§` i````§o``````

32 24th October - 6th November 2014

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Sport

P 29 - European Rugby Champions Cup round-up

Women's hockey 1sts extend winning run against bitter rivals Tom Dodd reflects on a dominant display by the champion Women's Hockey 1st team as they look to retain their Premier North title.

Tom Dodd

Online Sports Editor

The Birmingham Women’s 1sts Hockey team made it two wins from two games with a comfortable 4-0 victory at home to Loughborough on a clear but chilly evening under the lights on the Bournbrook pitches.

Brum were looking to build on their impressive win away at Nottingham last week by extending their winning run over their most bitter of rivals- a run which included a 5-2 victory in the corresponding

"Brum didn’t let up as the second half got underway and put the game to bed almost immediately." fixture a year ago and a 2-0 triumph in the cup at the end of last season.

A cagey opening came to an end when Brum forced a series of penalty corners, and whilst none of them rewarded the home side with a goal, the warning signs were there for Loughborough, who always seemed vulnerable whenever the hosts charged forward in numbers and a visiting defender had to be on hand to clear off the line when a shot from the edge of the D had Laura Myers in the ‘boro goal beaten.

Women's Hockey

Birmingham 1sts

4

Loughborough 1sts

0

The breakthrough came moments later, when the away team failed to deal with a penalty corner and Olivia Paige swept home from a tight angle. The final scoreline may have looked convincing but it could have been so different had Polly Oakman in the home goal not pulled off a stunning double save to preserve the slender one goal advantage. Living dangerously seemed to spark Phil Gooderham’s team back into life and after seeing out a brief spell of Loughborough possession Katelyn Aitchison was hand at the far post to bundle home the second goal and heap more pressure on an away team that already looked as though they were running out of ideas.

Brum didn’t let up as the second half got underway and put the game to bed almost immediately. Yet another penalty corner caused havoc in the away backline and Olivia Chilton was on hand to help an already goalbound effort on its way into the back of the net. Moments later Oakman was called into action again to ensure UoB kept a clean sheet, this time using her hands to tip

"It is difficult to imagine rugby union without the frankly bizarre squatting stance of Wilkinson's kicking ritual."

Peter Saxon a fierce drive on to the crossbar and the shot stopper had to be sharp again soon afterwards to keep out an effort low to her left.

"Brum were delighted to have stretched their undefeated run over their greatest rivals even further" The home side saved the best until last though, when Lily Owsley strode forward from midfield, beat four Loughborough

Peter Saxon

defenders and slammed home from close range to earn rapturous applause from her teammates and the watching spectators.

Birmingham saw out the final 10 minutes and were naturally delighted at the final whistle to have stretched their undefeated run over their greatest rivals even further.

“4 goals at home and a clean sheet, you really can’t ask for more than that from your team” remarked Gooderham after the game. That seemed to sum it up perfectly.

Over the course of the 70 minutes, UoB were simply better. They’ll look forward to the trip to Durham in a week’s time.