Issue 1498

Redbrick Issue 1498, Vol. 83

Friday 9th November 2018

The Lovely Bones takes to the stage

Slaughterhouse Rulez: a painful experience

Culture 18

Film 23

FREE

Making cocktails on a student budget

Sonia Rykiel’s ‘generous’ new range

Food&Drink 28

Life&Style 33

UoB Remembers:

WWI memorial event held in Aston Webb building

Redbrick

page 7

The Official University of Birmingham Student Newspaper, est. 1936

University Shortlisted for LGBT Diversity Award UoB’s Rainbow Network has been recognised for its work with staff across campus Megan Stanley News Editor

The University of Birmingham Rainbow Network has been nominated for the 2018 European Diversity Awards’ Outstanding Employee Network award.

The Rainbow Network provides a safe space for staff and PhD students who identify as LGBT to meet and develop contacts across the university. Allies and friends of LGBT members are also welcome in The Rainbow Network.

The Network committee recently created a series of LGBT staff profiles covering a range of job roles and departments across the University. According to the network’s website, it aims to improve the working environment for LGBT staff and supports the University’s mission to engage with local communities and promote LGBT equality more widely across campus.

In a press release regarding the EDA short-

list, the Chair of the Rainbow Network Tom Syder said: ‘It is exciting and gratifying that the Rainbow Network have been shortlisted for a European Diversity Award, especially after winning the Stonewall award for West Midlands Network Group of the Year in May. This reflects the hard work put in by colleagues across the University to tackling the challenging issues which perpetuate inequalities for LGBT people.’

Professor Robin Mason, International ProVice-Chancellor and Executive Lead for LGBT Equality at the University, said: ‘The Rainbow Network’s fantastic contribution to LGBT equality in the University has rightly been recognised for the second time this year, and they wholly deserve the recognition of being shortlisted for this prestigious award.’

Although the two groups are not affiliated, Campaigns Officer Elena Poulet, of the University of Birmingham’s LGBTQ Association, said: ‘It’s excellent news that [Rainbow Network] have been shortlisted.’

One student also added: ‘I’ve always felt comfortable to express my sexuality at university, so I’m glad the University’s efforts to make campus LGBT-friendly are being recognised.’

The European Diversity Awards were launched in 2010 and since then have become one of the most prestigious events of its type.

The awards recognise achievement in all areas of race, age, sexual orientation, disability, gender identity, social background and belief.

The 2018 awards will be held on Thursday 29 November at the London Natural History Museum.

INSIDE: Celebrating the Lives of the Women Working and Studying at the University During the First World War

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02

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Friday 9th November 2018

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Letter from the committee...

I am still slightly in awe we have managed to produce another full edition. Before I was on the Redbrick committee I never realised the amount of work that goes into creating what you are holding right now – I will forever be in astonishment of my fellow committee members.

As Social Secretary, my job requires more behind-the-scenes work. I take care of all things social, whether this be organising our ‘Pub and Papers’ gettogether every Friday the paper is printed, posting a picture on Instagram, or managing our Facebook stats.

Our last ‘Pub and Papers’ was a resounding success, and I cannot wait to host it again. Seeing the faces of our section editors, writers and wonderful committee gushing over our beautiful paper is such a proud moment for me.

I love bringing people together, and Redbrick allows me to do what I love most on the daily.

I promise you the social side of Redbrick is growing, slowly but surely, and I can’t wait to host the next few events we have coming up in the next couple of weeks (including a pub quiz and one of the most important social dates in our calendar, the Media Ball).

Back to this edition, I have found the idea of doing this committee letter daunting – having had zero clue what to write about. However, I have realised that we are bringing this issue to you during most peoples’ reading week, so I thought I would discuss how my own reading week is currently going.

Third year is shaping up to be a lot harder than I originally thought and I have been feeling slightly overwhelmed recently.

I find that during the first few weeks of a new term you are always trying to find your groove and, I can’t lie, normally by now I’ve found it – but it’s week six and I am still struggling. I’m welcoming reading week with open arms, as it give me time to reassess my priorities and figure out a schedule that will work better for me moving forward.

University is definitely tough, and I think the students of UoB all need to give ourselves more credit, but I do wish there were more hours in the day. It’s okay not to have it all worked out by now – rarely anyone does, we all just pretend we do.

So I hope you get time this week – regardless of whether or not it is your reading week – to sit down, have a cup of tea and

read our wonderful paper. Then, after that, you can grab your notebook and reassess your life, because that is exactly what I have just done, and believe me it does you wonders.

From the dungeons, etc.

Sorcha Hornett Social Secretary

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COMMENT

TELEVISION

MUSIC

SCI&TECH

Terror Coverage is Hijacking a Generation

Review: The Cry

Redbrick Meets: The Vryll Society

AR: Saving Lives in Natural Disasters

Redbrick Editorial Team Editor-in-Chief Erin Santillo editor@redbrick.me

Deputy Editors Issy Campbell Kat Smith

News Editors Tom Leaman Megan Stanley Liam Taft Sophie Woodley

Film Editors Lucy McCann Todd Waugh Ambridge Josh Woods

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Comment Editors Natalia Carter Emily Chapman Alex Cirant-Taljaard Amelia Hiller

Television Editors Niamh Brennan Morgana Chess Jessica Green

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Travel Editors Laura Botia Evangeline Hunt travel@redbrick.me

Life&Style Editors Yasmine Kennedy Sophie Kesterton Imogen Lancaster Ellie Silcock lifestyle@redbrick.me

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Culture Editors Olivia Boyce Natalie Welch culture@redbrick.me

Gaming Editors Christopher Hall James Law Imogen Mellor Sam Nason gaming@redbrick.me

Music Editors Emily Barker Letty Gardner Harry Hetherington Kieran Read

Food&Drink Editors Emily Calder Lydia Waller

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Sport Editors Isabel Baldwin Jake Bradshaw Elizabeth Conway Jack Simpkin Harry Wilkinson sport@redbrick.me

Editorial Assistants Molly Bailey Alice Cater Romana Essop Charlotte Gill Nicola Maclean Lottricia Millett Owen Milner Laura Mosely Kate Norris Amy Rogers Thea Samantha

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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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UoB Hockey Under Investigation Sophie Woodley News Editor

The University of Birmingham’s hockey team have been banned from Sports Night until Christmas.

This follows a survey initiated by the Guild of Students, which filed a series of complaints against the club.

In an internal memo obtained

by Redbrick, it was found that a ‘number of underlying social issues are present within our club’, such as ‘intimidation, sexual harassment and bullying.’ The University is currently investigating the club in regards to these problems that have arisen.

Redbrick spoke to the Guild’s Sports Officer Simon Price, who said: ‘Upon hearing of incidents from Guild security following the first sports night of term, I worked with the Mental Health and WellBeing Society to produce an initial feedback form to receive responses anonymously in regards to club initiations/welcome drinks.

While it has been upsetting to hear of this behaviour from a minority of clubs, the majority of feedback was positive, with new members feeling welcomed into their club.’

The club’s committee said in the memo, ‘we are wholeheartedly sorry for the previous behaviour of the club.

Moving forward there will be more considerate and supportive behaviour.’

The club has released a set of improvements they will make after signing a Social Policy and Disciplinary Process document. One of these being ‘no member should feel pressurised or intimidated to drink, eat or do anything against their will.’ They have also stated that ‘every member appreciates that a happy and thriving club results from everyone working together.’

Redbrick spoke to a final year

English Literature student about the club, who said: ‘I think it’s a good thing that the actions of the society are being investigated, because it gives a bad name to hockey in general.’

The hockey club is also introducing a ‘hockey specific survey’ where individuals’ views will be heard, and a number of questions answered, as ‘we need to work together to improve the atmosphere of the socials to ensure that every single member of the club feels included, valued and able to speak up.’

A ‘club-wide charity’ is now being introduced, to raise money for the mental health charity Caring Minds, after it was found that the club’s initiations were having detrimental effects on students’ mental health.

From doing so, the club hopes that ‘there will be more considerate and supportive behaviour within the club.’

Earlier this year, Redbrick News investigated initiations and the social side of Birmingham sport. In a survey it was found that 46.6% of students had been dissuaded from joining a sport due to the renowned ritual of ‘welcome drinks’ or initiations.

As part of the investigation, Redbrick conducted a number of interviews with those involved with sport at UoB. It was prevalent that alcohol consumption was a key part of socialising and initiations.

UB Sport also spoke to Redbrick, stating ‘The University of Birmingham has clear policies, support and training in place for student sports clubs that aim to avoid anti-social behaviour during social events. Club Committees are made fully aware by accepting a code of conduct and declaration form stating that pressured environments involving excessive

alcohol consumption and other potentially unsafe or unreasonable behaviour are not tolerated under any circumstance, and will have serious repercussions if they do take place within clubs.

The University of Birmingham strongly believes in the inclusivity of sport, as well as the positive effect it should have on wellbeing, and there is no place for anti-social behaviour in our clubs.’

“We are wholeheartedly sorry for the previous behaviour of the club” The University’s hockey club will be reviewed after Christmas, to assess the extent of its behavioral improvements.

UoB Research Affected by Brexit Rebecca Hall News Writer

In the face of a hard Brexit, which could allegedly cripple UK science, scientists have written letters to Theresa May and Jean-Claude Juncker setting out their concerns.

A letter signed by 29 Nobel prize-winners and six Fields Medal winners says the UK ‘must now strive to ensure that as little harm as possible is done to research.’

One of the signatories is Sir Paul Nurse, the British geneticist who won the Nobel Prize for his groundbreaking work on cancer therapy.

He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: ‘The government doesn’t seem to be putting this at the top of its agenda. I can’t tell you how depressed our young scientists are about the messages coming out of government.’

The concerns centre not just

around funding, but also around the mobility of scientists.

According to the Royal Society, over the period 2007-2013 the UK received €8.8 billion out of a total of €107 billion expenditure on research, development and innovation of EU Member States, associated and third countries. This represents the fourth-largest share in the EU. The letter from the scientists came amid warnings that emergency powers may be needed to ensure patients can still have access to the medication they need if a no-deal Brexit occurs.

The Healthcare Distribution Association said 50% of medicines in a typical wholesaler’s warehouse had been through the EU in some way.

The University of Birmingham’s research and innovation is likely to be affected by Brexit, with the main programme for research from the EU, known as Horizon 2020,

already providing the University with funds and opportunities.

“The government doesn’t seem to be putting this at the top of its agenda”

damage.’

In terms of mobility, it has to be acknowledged that there will be less access in the case of hard Brexit. Catharine Barnard, EU Law professor at the University of Cambridge, said: ‘It promptly cuts off the flow of excellent people who are coming at the moment.’

A hard Brexit has yet to be confirmed, given the current state of the government at this point in negotiations.

Yet, a hard or no-deal Brexit looms ever closer and could have implications on the UK’s sciences, research and innovation for several years to come.

On their relationship with the EU, the University has stated: ‘We have benefited greatly from EU funding for some time and hopefully will continue to do so in whatever guise, but it is timely that we start thinking more creatively and exploring other avenues to either expand on or explore.’

Redbrick spoke to Theo, a second year student at UoB, who said, ‘Brexit just seems to be causing more and more issues. What if we get left behind in science? That could take decades to repair the

UoB Ranked 96th in Global University Ranking Table Megan Stanley News Editor

The University of Birmingham has been ranked 96th in the world in the Top 100 Global Universities according to the U.S News Global University Ranking.

The University is now a top 100 global university, compared to last year when it was placed at 107.

The US News Best Global Universities Ranking measures the quality of academic research and reputation, ranking 1,250 institutions across 75 countries.

This follows 2019 QS World

University Rankings at 79th and The latest rankings represent a joint 116th globally in the significant achievement for all Times Higher Education of our staff and demonWorld University strate the increasing Rankings. recognition of the In response to this global impact and Professor Sir reach of our David Eastwood, research.’

Vice-Chancellor, UoB has a said: ‘The large international place was awarded to University of student body, with Birmingham is 6,500 students UoB out of 1,250 hugely proud of from 150 counits standing as one tries. of the world’s leadIn the UK league ing universities. tables, UoB is ranked Our research creates inno20th. UoB was ranked 14th vative and enduring solutions to in The Times and Sunday Times some of the world’s biggest issues. Good University Guide, 15th in

96th

the Complete University Guide, and 19th in the Guardian University League Table.

Ranked number one in the U.S News Best Global Universities is Harvard University, followed by Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Stanford University.

Redbrick spoke to Alex CirantTaljaard, a final year Politics student, who commented on UoB’s newly acclaimed ranking. He said, ‘The ranking doesn’t matter very much to me, as it doesn’t change the way I feel about the university.

I care more about student satisfaction than research quality.’

Only two UK university were

placed in the top 10. University of Oxford was ranked number five and University of Cambridge placed seventh.

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UoB Collaborates to Restore Birmingham’s Shakespeare Library Florence Jones News Writer

A planned over-£1 million project has been announced to restore Birmingham’s Shakespeare Library.

The library is owned by Birmingham City Council and has been described as one of the first, largest and oldest collections of Shakespeare’s work in the world.

The project hopes to connect the residents of Birmingham with the city’s Shakespearean heritage as well as re-establishing Birmingham as a centre for the research of Shakespeare’s work, as it was in the 19th century.

Alongside the University of

Birmingham, many other associations are working on the project including the Birmingham Commonwealth Association, Culture Central, the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.

The project forms part of a city-wide programme of cultural innovation to be completed for the expected influx of tourists for the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

The collection was originally held in the Shakespeare Memorial Room designed by John Henry Chamberlain in 1882. Chamberlain was the architect responsible for some of Birmingham’s most famous buildings, including the Birmingham School of Art (which is now part of Birmingham City

University’s Institute of Art and Design) and Highbury Hall, commissioned by Joseph Chamberlain,The University of Birmingham’s founder.

The Shakespeare Library collection outgrew JH Chamberlain’s design in 1906 and the room is now situated in the Library of Birmingham. It attracts a number of visitors who come to see its famous Elizabethan style with carvings, marquetry and metalwork.

The University of Birmingham’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sir David Eastwood, has also expressed his excitement for the project. Sir Eastwood said: ‘we are delighted to lead this landmark project since opening

up the Birmingham Shakespeare Memorial Library will make a real contribution to world culture at the same time as restoring an important but forgotten historical association between Birmingham and the Bard.’

An exhibition and festival is due to take place in 2022, to celebrate Birmingham’s innovation

and culture. Organisations such as Culture Central and the Royal Shakespeare Company, as well as other communities across Birmingham, will culminate at the event.

Redbrick reached out to Birmingham City council for a comment on the project but have had no reply.

UoB’s Shakespeare Institute in Stratford. Credit: Mattykey

Sophie Woodley

UoB Remembers the Great War Sophie Woodley News Editor

On Thursday 1st November, the University of Birmingham marked their participation in a community project taking place across Birmingham, aimed at commemorating WW1.

The community project is part of a global network, known as the ‘First World War Centenary Partnership’, which brings cultural and educational organisations together, to help remember WW1.

Imperial War Museums (IWM) leads project, and started the movement in 2014.

Held at the Aston Webb building, the one-off event entailed

readings, a series of music performances, and cultural exhibitions.

The evening was c a l l e d , ‘Remembering the Great War: An Evening of Words and Music’, and was aimed to commemorate the armistice of the Great War. The Great War’s 100th anniversary takes place this November.

Redbrick spoke to a final year Poltics student, who said, ‘I think it’s really great that the University are taking part

in such a large project, to commemorate a hisorically important and renowned event.’

The evening also aimed to focus on the University’s role in the War, as attendees were told to ‘expect an emotive, dynamic and thought provoking evening.’

In 1914, UoB offered itself as a hospital to treat the casualties of the First World War. The Great Hall, and numerous other buildings across campus, provided 800 spaces for patients.

UoB’s Cadbury Research

Centre also displayed a series of photographs, which have never been shown before.

“Expect an emotive and thought provoking evening” The exhibition looked at ‘how the people of Birmingham and beyond dealt with the challenges of war and how they reacted in the face of adversity.’

A series of national and worldwide events are taking place in the commemoration.

In Birmingham, events have been held at Birmingham’s Library, Birmingham Hippodrome, Birmingham Botanical Gardens, and Symphony Hall.

Performances have included the renowned War Horse, a variety of Orchestral performances, and art exhibitions.

Events have been taking place since the beginning of October, and will continue throughout the early weeks of November.

More information about these ocassions can be found on the ‘Voices of War and Peace’ website - www.voicesofwarandpeace.org/ voices-activity/voices-of-thefirst-world-war.

News Analysis: Local NHS Trust Struggle In Targets Sophie Woodley News Editor

The NHS is under constant pressure from their patients and the government, and controversy is widespread on what the NHS are doing to improve their services.

In a recent study, the BBC collated data from April to September 2018, which allows people to check whether their local services are reaching England’s targets.

The BBC’s publication is based on data that is published monthly or quarterly, dependent on the area in the UK. Each local service measures their targets differently, and the BBC have based their figures on ‘individual hospital trust level’.

The data published measures the NHS’ performance on four measures: A&E treatment, cancer care, planned operations and care (such as knee and hip replace-

ments), and access to psychological treatment such as counselling.

In relation to University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Trust, figures show that targets were missed in three of these areas.

In relation to patients being treated and admitted within four hours of arrival at A&E, figures are below England’s average of 88.9%, at a figure of 80.1%.

University Hospitals Birmingham NHS trust was therefore ranked 114 out of 131 trusts.

The target was 95% for England, and just 18 trusts across the UK met their own targets.

This suggests the trust are not alone in meeting tough demands they face.

Redbrick spoke to a final year English Literature and Creative Writing student, who said, ‘It’s not like Birmingham is an anomaly, as it’s a problem across the whole country. It should be government responsibility, not spe-

cifically the Birmingham trust.’

The Birmingham trust similarly did not meet their target in relation to cancer patients receiving treatment within 62 days of urgent referral. The national target was 85%, but was missed, with a figure of 79.5%. England’s average however is 79.4%, which again demonstrates a collective difficulty to meet targets that are being demanded of them.

The last time England achieved their target for cancer patients receiving rapid treatment was in July 2015. The trust’s average here ranks them 77 out of 131, showing an improvement in comparison to A&E waiting times.

The third area which the BBC data examines is patients receiving planned operations and care within 18 weeks of referral, also known as non-emergency treatment. Figures show that University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Trust was ranked 60 out of 126 trusts,

with a figure of 88.6%.

England’s average was 87.2%, missing its target of 92%.

Homerton University, based in East London, was ranked 1st out of 126 trusts, with an average of 96.7%.

The last area which the BBC examined was patients starting mental health therapy within six weeks of referral. Out of all four areas, this is the only section where University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Trust has met, and exceeded, England’s target.

At a figure of 95%, the trust went above and beyond 75%.

Redbrick contacted the University Hospitals Birmingham

NHS Trust about their targets, who said, ‘Waiting time targets are one of a number of measures we consider during our inspections, but we understand that during peak demand delays can happen and patients may need to be in A&E in excess of four hours.’

‘We will always look at how trusts manage risks to safety, experience and dignity for those patients whose transfers out of the department cannot take place sooner. We also look closely at the initial triaging and screening of patients on arrival into the emergency department as it is absolutely right for the sickest patients to be seen first.’

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International Students at UK Universities ‘Flatlines’ Tom Leaman News Editor

According to BBC News, the number of international students studying in the UK is ‘flatlining.’

The report from the MPs and Lords says that the termination of measures such as post-study work visas, has led to international students going to other countries instead.

The United States and Canada are alternative destinations for a student’s year abroad. The report states that ‘our campuses, local economies and global standing are suffering as a result.’

The University of Birmingham has over 6,500 international students from 150 different countries. One change that has been suggested to increase the number of international students studying

in the UK is to ensure that students are not counted in the government’s immigration targets.

Other measures listed include an EU deal allowing students and researchers unrestricted movement, and employment support, for international students in their own countries.

“Our campuses, local economies and global standing are suffering as a result” The All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for International Students has outlined some of the

positives of international students coming to study in the UK. The group’s co-chairmen Paul Blomfield MP and Lord Karan Bilimoria responded to the government’s report by saying that the desire for international students ‘to study in our universities, colleges and schools has made us second only to the US as a destination of choice, bringing billions in export earnings and enormous influence.’

They also added that international students ‘bring vitality and tremendous cultural contributions to our campuses and communities.’ However, they are concerned that a ‘hostile environment’ is being created because of the effects of the wider debate on immigration.

According to Study.EU, the consequences of Brexit on international students are still unclear

while negotiations are ongoing.

They have, however, suggested that for non-EU students, changes will be minimal. If the UK leaves the single market, students from

"If the UK leave the single market, students from EU countries may be affected" EU countries may be affected.

Study.EU say: ‘In a “hard Brexit” scenario, it would be possible that European students would in the future be treated like non-European international students, meaning higher tuition fees.

Likewise, this would mean limit-

ed access and potentially higher fees for British students wishing to study in Europe.’ Students from the EU may also need to apply for a visa to study in the UK. They have also suggested that members of academic staff will be affected by Brexit, particularly if immigration to the UK becomes harder to EU citizens. Study.EU suggests this may reduce the amount of international lecturers and researchers working in the UK. They have also suggested that this may lead to the UK losing, ‘billions of euros in research funding provided via the EU.’ However, they have also said that if the UK remains in the single market, ‘it is likely that European students would continue to be treated the same way as British students. Most importantly, that would mean being charged the lower tuition fees.’

Landlord Guidelines Updated

News Writer Charlotte Gill writes how new landlord guidelines will tackle HMO property bedrooms being too small Charlotte Gill News Writer

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has laid out new guidelines for landlords which came into action on 1st October and largely concern houses in multiple occupation (HMOs).

Students often live in HMO properties, and so these regulations might affect them.

A slight change in definition now means an HMO is a property occupied by five or more people forming two or more separate households, regardless of how many stories the property has.

As HMOs were often not built with the intention of housing such a number of people, the spaces may not be suitable to be occupied by the amount of people they are advertised for. Fire safety can also be compromised.

This change means that up to

160,000 properties will require a HMO license from their local housing authority.

This will allow councils to clamp down upon a larger number of landlords whose tenants live in poor-quality conditions or in overcrowded houses.

“Everyone deserves a decent and safe place to live” To address the the problem of small living spaces, rooms in an HMO must now be of a certain size. For one adult, there must be 6.51 square metres of useable floor space; for two adults this increases to 10.22 square metres.

Any room smaller than 4.64 square metres is not allowed to be

used for as ‘sleeping accommodation’.

Furthermore, in relation to waste disposal, landlords are now expected to provide more bins and storage areas where appropriate and adhere to council refuse schemes in order to tackle problems related to rubbish in rented properties.

Even though landlords have known about these developments since June, there is still likely to be some delay in the implementation of the new regulations. Those landlords found not to adhering to the new policies can be prosecuted by local authorities or receive a civil fine.

The government estimates that the private renting sector represents 20% of all households.

HMOs make up a large part of this sector and are recognised by the government as largely being occupied by students.

Final year English literature student told Redbrick that she had

lived in house where the landlord was making changes in advance of the new regulations: ‘It was annoying at the time because we had to go home during Easter because he had to alter the stairs and hallway. Looking back, it’s good that we had a landlord who made sure the house we had met regulations even if they hadn’t been implemented yet.’

Housing Minister, Heather Wheeler MP, explained that the new guidelines ‘further protect

private renters against bad and overcrowded conditions and poor management practice’ because ‘everyone deserves a decent and safe place to live.’

Further changes expected in 2019 include a selective licensing system whereby people can apply for a landlord license. Councils will be able to reject this request if they deem them to be unsuitable.

This measure would also affect students’ experience of living in private rented accommodation.

Albert Bridge

First Class Degree Controversy Aishwarya Chandran News Writer

The government has recently announced that universities could now be penalised if they award too many top grades.

Over the past decade, the number of students being awarded a first-class degree has increased by 18% since the 1990s.

In the mid-’90s, figures released by the Higher Education Statistics Agency showed that only eight percent of student achieved a first, compared to more

recent figures showing that just over 26% of students in 2017 received a first.

One of the reasons that universities have increased the amount of first-class degrees they give, is the pressure they face to perform well in the league tables.

In an investigation completed

by Reform, it was found that lecturers can feel pressured to mark students’ assignments at higher grades so the university’s reputation is not be tarnished, and so departments will have fewer students who fail.

The BBC further reported that

students are feeling disappointed that the value of a first-class degree has diminished and is less reflective of the work they have put into their studies.

Grade inflation is an issue in other countries such as the US. A study conducted by Princeton University in 2004 investigated the effects of this on students. A system was put into place where each department of the university had a specific policy where only 35% of students could be given an A grade in any assignment.

During this time, students felt that their working environment

felt more competitive, and the university saw a decrease in the number of prospective applicants applying to their institution.

In 2014, they ceased the policy due to the high number of complaints Princeton received from students about the system. It was causing an increased anxiety amongst students, affecting their performance at university.

According to QZ, the policy seemed to have the unwanted effect of lecturers swapping A grades for B grades to ensure the 35% quota was not exceeded.

A second-year UoB student

studying Accounting and Finance spoke to Redbrick, saying ‘I do not agree with grade inflation because universities will be awarding firsts to graduates who may think they are more academically capable than they actually are’.

The Independent has reported that the government plans to introduce Grade Inflation statistics to the Teaching Excellence and Student Outcomes Framework (TEF) rankings in order to try and prevent an ‘excessive number of firsts and 2:1s’.

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West Midlands Receives Budget Boost for Transport

The region will receive £70 million for public transport Megan Stanley News Editor

Chancellor Philip Hammond recently delivered his budget plan, announcing that the West Midlands will receive over £70 million to improve public transport in the region.

The funding will help schemes such as driverless ‘shuttle’ buses that will run between Birmingham New Street Station and the new HS2 station, Curzon Street, which is set to open in 2026.

The Mayor of the West Midlands, Andy Street, has welcomed the decision by Hammond: ‘Our ability to build a strong and resilient economy that can meet the needs of local people and the challenges and opportunities of Brexit.

‘The extra funding for transport infrastructure is especially important and will help us manage the increased congestion and disruption that comes with a growing economy and the construction of major projects like HS2. It will also help us tackle

poor air quality.’

However, Labour MPs are criticising the Chancellor’s decision to not provide a funding increase for the police and education in the West Midlands.

Selly Oak’s Labour MP Steven McCabe criticised the decision to provide £400 million for schools: ‘Birmingham Schools are in crisis. Teachers are telling me that they simply cannot afford textbooks or to replace much needed support staff.’

"The funding will help schemes such as driverless ‘shuttle’ buses" The Chancellor said that details of public funding increases would be revealed next year in the spending review.

Third-year Computer Science student Thomas Williams welcomed the improvement to public trans-

port and the introduction of driverless buses in the city centre. He told Redbrick: ‘Driverless buses are one step closer to fully integrated driverless cars, and driverless cars will kill less people. I think in this case we can maybe handle the short term loss to police funding.’ While the idea of driverless cars being safer is still up for debate, Williams suggested that if they are safer, pressure may be taken off the police.

However, Toni Storie, a finalyear International Relations student, criticised the lack of funding towards police: ‘Surely the money should be going elsewhere? Not only will driverless buses mean less jobs in terms of the drivers but surely money should be spent on the police during a time where students are feeling less safe, especially considering Birmingham has such a large student population?’

Storie continued: ‘Yes, obviously public infrastructure is important, but surely safety is even more so.’

Elsewhere in the budget, Mr Hammond announced an extra £2

billion for mental health.

Professor Karen Newbigging, Senior Lecturer in Healthcare Policy and Management at the University of Birmingham, told The Birmingham Mail: ‘The commitment should lead to comprehensive mental health support being available in every large A&E department. It suggests that mental health, long seen as a neglected area within the NHS, will benefit disproportionately from the annual health funding increase of up to £6bn a year announced by the prime minister in June.’

However, business leaders in Birmingham have said that the West Midlands businesses have benefitted very little from the budget.

Henrietta Brealey, policy and strategic relations director at Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce, said: ‘It is clear from the announcements that there is still work to be done on promoting further devolution to English regions which still lag behind devolved nations and London on funding.’

Plans to Extend Birmingham International Airport Tom Leaman News Editor

Birmingham International Airport (BHX) has announced that £500 million will be invested into its facilities over the next 15 years.

It is hoped that this will increase the airport’s capacity to be able to accommodate up to 18 million passengers annually.

BHX’s website now contains their eight-chapter ‘draft master plan’ which outlines the changes they are hoping to implement by 2033. BHX claim that the selffunded investment will increase its contribution to the local economy by £600 million per year to a total of £2.1 billion and will help increase their employment figure to 34,000.

"The self-funded investment will increase the local economy by £600 million" In their ‘master plan,’ BHX announced their ambitions to increase the number of destinations on offer from the current 150. They also plan to enhance their customer facilities, such as extending the Departures Lounge

and the Security Area and enhance the airport’s safety and security features ‘through the design and operation of new facilities and infrastructure.’

There will also be more selfservice desks in the check-in area, while the bag drop technology is to be upgraded to improve efficiency. A new arrivals section is also going to be introduced.

There is currently no plans in place to introduce a previouslyconsidered second runway to the airport. BHX’s acting managing director Simon Richards said: ‘over the next 15 years, we will expand and significantly improve the airport to maximise our potential as a single runway airport by investing £500 million.’

The plan will follow recently updated government policy on how to make the best use of the UK’s existing runways.

A direct link to HS2 has also been proposed as part of the plans to increase its regional connectivity, while road access is also set to be improved.

The plan’s announcement began a three-month public consultation process which will run until January 31st 2019, when a final version of the ‘master plan’ will be published.

Andy Street, the Mayor of the West Midlands, said: ‘The West Midlands is growing faster than anywhere Jaggery outside London and our region continues to secure

important wins from Government, had served almost 13 million passhowing their growing confisengers in 2017, making it the dence in us to deliver. busiest year in their 78-year I’m delighted to history. This was an increase see bold plans to of 11.5% (1.3 million) expand and from 2016. It is hoped improve that the proposed Birmingham expansion will be Airport, the able to accommodate gateway to a such growth in region growmillion passengers future. ing in sucEvery year during flew through the cess from Arrivals Weekend, airport in every angle.’ the University of BXH is Birmingham provides 2017 currently the free airport collection for UK’s seventh-largstudents from both est airport. In January, Birmingham International and the airport announced that it Heathrow airports.

13

Adrian Pingstone

NEC Unveils Ambitous Masterplan Liam Taft News Editor

The NEC Group and Birmingham City Council have unveiled an ambitious plan to develop the NEC Campus in Solihull.

The Masterplan builds on the success of the Genting Arena through the creation of a 175 hectare campus – with the existing NEC at its heart. The space will combine entertainment, leisure, exhibition, commercial, and residential spaces.

The new campus will involve 315,000 square metres of new floor space for a variety of events.

The construction of the space will also create up to 10,000 new jobs and 2,500 new homes.

NEC operates some of the UK’s most successful live events.

They put on over 600 shows attracting more than 6 million visitors per year. The new NEC Masterplan will build upon this success, creating an international hub for entertainment and leisure.

The NEC will have to wait until 13 November to hear whether Birmingham City Council has approved the plans. However, the initial response has been positive.

Ian Ward, leader of Birmingham City Council, said: ‘I am delighted to launch this Masterplan which sets out a radical vision for the transformation of the NEC campus which will not only see the Midlands International appeal and global position strengthened but also bring huge economic benefits to our local communities.’

Leader of the Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council, Bob Sleigh, welcomed the plans for the NEC Campus to be based in Solihull. He said: ‘These ambitious proposals to continue the diversification of the leisure and entertainment offer are a key component of the UK Central vision to be globally renowned as one of the best connected destinations for business, leisure and living in Europe and a major engine for growth in the UK.’ The Genting Arena will also be changing its name to ‘Resorts World Arena’ from December. It was rebranded as the LG Arena in 2008 then became the Genting Arena in January 2015. Upcoming gigs include Florence + The Machine and Jess Glynne.

NEWS

Friday 9th November 2018

@redbricknews

07

UWE Men’s Officer Withdraws Irram Gheer News Writer

A student at the University of West England (UWE), James Knight, was the sole candidate running for the new Men’s Officer position. However, he has withdrawn following criticism over the role.

Knight faced significant criticism during his campaign, in particular on social media. A Facebook page ‘In Ron We Trust ’was set up in opposition and chastised the role as an ‘undemocratic decision’ as it was voted down by the students’ union last year. The page has also appealed to re-open nominations for the role. A number of NUS (National Union of Students) officers also expressed their objections on twitter.

In a statement, Knight said: ‘Due to the negative reaction to the Men’s Officer position and external harassment that I have received, I have taken the difficult

decision to stand down as a candidate in the by-elections.’

‘When I committed to running for Men's Officer, I was very clear in distancing the role from that of liberation. I have campaigned tirelessly for mental health work and reform for years because I know how challenging this can be. Men’s mental health is a key issue at university and I look forward to continuing my work

around this subject with the students’ union.’

The NUS Women’s Officer, Sarah Lasoye, tweeted: ‘The role of a men’s officer is entirely obsolete and the attempt to implement one stems from a fundamental misunderstanding of liberation and almost always an unearned sense of entitlement.’

‘It is women, trans and gender non-conforming people who bear

Jaggery

the brunt of gender-based oppression.’

Ilyas Nagdee, the NUS Black Students’ Officer, wrote on Twitter that UWE’s Vice President Education had ‘weaponised the tragic student suicides at Bristol and nationally in order to pursue this vile undemocratic shambles of a men’s officer.’

Mr Knight told the BBC that accusations that he ‘hated women’ and utilised the role to ‘further his own agenda’ were false and hurtful. However, he agreed that there was some valid criticism such as the disapproval surrounding the use of the term ‘liberation’ in the description of the position.

He also said, ‘We have a huge problem where young men are not coming forward to talk about their mental health and that's led to a high rate of young men taking their lives.’

The issue of a Men’s Officer role was recently raised at the Guild of Students’ Officer Question Time. A student queried the possibility of having an officer

solely for male issues, such as male mental health, and said that such a position may encourage more people to ask for help.

Shamima Akhtar and Jay Martin, the Guild’s Disabled Student Officers, responded by saying that already existing roles such as Disability, LGBT and Women’s Officers are classified as ‘liberation’ groups. However, they agreed that male mental health was a big issue and that students are able to submit a motion if they feel strongly about it.

Michael, a first-year Political Science student, told Redbrick that while he understands that men are not minorities at UoB and do not face any structural discrimination, representation in the form of a Male Officer may help with other issues.

‘There’s this pressure to be hyper-masculine, to “man up” and not really talk about things that are affecting us. Maybe a Male Officer would reduce the stigma of that.’

Misbehaving Students Watched on CCTV At Aston University Liam Taft News Editor

Aston University is using CCTV footage to identify students who disrupt lectures.

Last week, an email was sent to all students warning that ‘disciplinary action’ will be taken against students who misbehave during their classes.

The email was sent in response to an incident that occurred in the business school, where a student left their seat to confront a professor. A video circulated around the university showing the student walking onto the main stage during the class.

This is thought to be one of a ‘number of instances of students behaving immaturely in lectures,’ according to the email.

A senior member of academic staff warned that these students will be disciplined once they have been identified using CCTV. However, what these ‘disciplinary procedures’ involve is unclear.

They said that it is ‘totally unfair’ to those who want to learn and suggest that intimidating lecturers is ‘terrible’ conduct.

The email pleaded to the students in question to contact university staff before the situation escalates.

One Aston student, who wishes to remain anonymous, told

Redbrick: ‘It’s fair enough that they should be disciplined, but the email does sound a bit threatening. I also think the whole idea that they are spying on us using CCTV is a bit creepy.’

In a statement to Sky News, a spokesperson for Aston University said: ‘We have received complaints that a small group of students have been misbehaving during a small number of lectures in our business school.’

They said that the incidents were ‘immature’ and ‘disruptive.’

The student who confronted the professor is accused of causing ‘outbursts that were irrelevant to the lecture content.’

The culprits have yet to be

John M identified, but the university’s stance on the issue is clear. The email states: ‘This behaviour is totally unacceptable. We work at Aston University because we love teaching and want to do the best

we can for our students [...]

Disciplinary action will be taken against them.’

Redbrick reached out to Aston University for comment but have received no response.

Editor’s Pick

News Editor Tom Leaman reflects on the proposed changes to the £50 note On Thursday 2nd, the Bank of (and as the option of having England announced that England defender nominations will be open Harry Maguire riduntil Friday 14th ing an inflatable December for the unicorn on the British population new note all to nominate a but evapodeceased scientist rated), it to be the face of strikes me the new £50 note. that there is The winning one candicandidate should date who also ‘have shaped stands out Kim Shiflett thought, innovafrom the rest, tion, leadership or especially for values in the UK’ and our generation. should have been known Eight months for being able to ‘inspire on from his sad passpeople, not divide them’. ing, the revamped £50 note With these criteria in mind seems to be the perfect opportu-

nity to honour the life and the scientific contributions of Stephen Hawking.

While I am about as from being a scientist as it is possible to be, even I am aware of how significant his 1988 book A Brief History of Time has become.

However, it is not just his writing that has ensured he is still held in high esteem amongst the scientific community and in general public perception.

Professor Brian Cox said it best on Twitter, tweeting: ‘I’d like to see Stephen Hawking on the £50 note. He made invaluable contributions over half a century to our understanding of cosmology, the early universe and black

holes. He also inspired thousands of scientists + millions of people...through his books and lectures.’

"He made invaluable contributions over half a century" Significantly, Hawking proved to be an inspiration for disabled people. After being diagnosed with motor neurone disease at 22, Hawking was (as model, actor

and deaf activist Nyle DiMarco said), ‘a testament that disability is not “inability” and that people with disabilities can achieve anything they set their minds to.’

While the likes of Alan Turing, Rosalind Franklin and others are certainly worthy of the recognition, Hawking’s defiance and ability through adversity has helped inspire the very generation that will go on to use the new £50 for years to come.

If you want to nominate a deceased scientist to appear on the new £50 note, visit the ‘Think Science for the New £50 Note’ page on the Bank of England website.

08

COMMENT

Friday 9th November 2018

@redbrickcomment

Plastics, Their Disposal, and the Rubbish Alternatives

Photograph from Pixabay.com

Peter Amor explores the issues surrounding alternatives to plastic use Peter Amor Comment Writer

I am quite sure that no one, however large and immovable the rock they live under, can have avoided hearing about plastic in the last year.

With the release of Blue Planet 2 in 2017, the issues surrounding plastic came to the fore, both on the news and in society at large. The concern for wildlife is heartening, but I believe the furore around plastic is misplaced, almost to the point of being dangerous. Let me explain why.

“The concern for wildlife is heartening, but I believe the furore around plastic is misplaced” Plastics, or polymers as they are scientifically known, have a number of properties which make them useful in many applications. They can be formed into a bewildering array of shapes using methods such as injection moulding, can be made relatively cheaply, and generally speaking they do not react chem-

ically with food or drinks, making them useful for packaging. It is therefore no surprise that supermarkets and many food and drink chains choose to use them.

However, following public concerns, the supermarket Iceland vowed in January 2018 to eliminate plastic from its own-brand products, saying it wanted to stop what it called the ‘scourge’ of plastic pollution.

Other supermarkets took similar, though less drastic action.

This includes Morrisons, which has replaced plastic bags with paper ones for fresh fruit and vegetables. These bags have the advantage of being fully biodegradable.

If this is all sounding good, that is because it is supposed to.

No supermarket is going to go against the public opinion when they rely on that public in order to make money, even if they have reservations. Supermarkets are incredibly competitive businesses, and anything they can do to sound better than their competitors, or at least be seen to be keeping up, they will do.

Unfortunately this masks the fact that the alternatives to plastic are far worse for the environment overall. When considering introducing a plastic bag levy in 2005, the Scottish government concluded that paper bags used four times more water in their production than the equivalent plastic bags. Paper bag produc-

tion was also found to be more energy intensive and use far more toxic chemicals. These chemicals contribute to acid rain, which harms water and other ecosystems.

“Surely it would be better to have recyclable glass bottles than ones which would clog up the ocean?

Again, the answer is no” Ironically, they also found that paper bag manufacturing contributed fourteen times more to the eutrophication (a process by which algae growth is increased, choking other life) of water bodies than the manufacture of standard HDPE plastic bags. A 2011 Northern Ireland Assembly briefing came to much the same conclusion, also noting that it would take seven lorries to transport the paper equivalent of one lorry load of plastic bags.

What about drinks bottles though? Surely it would be better to have recyclable glass bottles than ones which would clog up the ocean?

Again, the answer is no.

Glass is denser and thus heavier than most polymers, meaning that it costs more to transport, in terms of both the economy and the environment, and its fragility makes it less than ideal for transporting to rural areas. Quite apart from this, in my humble opinion, broken shards of glass are no more friendly to the environment than discarded plastic bottles.

However, even with the lower environmental impact of production, disposal of plastics remains a problem. I too find the scenes from Blue Planet 2 and other programmes distressing, and indeed, we should be taking notice. I hope it has become obvious that I do not support a ban on single use plastic, as the EU parliament recently voted, but clearly something ought to be done.

I think a sensible first step would be to have a standard recycling system across the country for plastic. It is no secret that different areas have different rules, even down to the bins themselves, which are of numerous different types.

This is mainly because the recycling is controlled at local council level, rather than at central government level, and each council is free to have different rules. Many students live in halls or rented accommodation where the landlord has arranged their own waste disposal through a

private company, further confusing the picture.

For example, while in Selly Oak there are recycling bins with pods for paper and card, where I live in private halls there are entirely separate collection points for paper and card, and glass, plastic and so on. No recycling bins are provided to the individual flats.

“If a standard recycling system was implemented, this would reduce confusion immensely “ On the Vale, there is yet another system – though much more convenient – in which there is just one mixed recycling bag. Remember that all three systems (and there are likely even more) exist within just one city.

If a standard recycling system was implemented, this would reduce confusion (and things being wrongly condemned to landfill when they could be recycled) immensely. If central control could be exercised, as a country we could better establish that our recycling is actually being recycled, or at the very least disposed of responsibly.

COMMENT

Friday 9th November 2018

@redbrickcomment

09

A People’s Vote: Should We Make a Sudden EU-Turn?

Despite a turnout of over half a million people at a march calling for a People’s Vote, Comment Writers Nathan Clarke, Hannah Lay and Jonathan Korn debate whether public input into the Brexit process is a good idea Nathan Clarke Comment Writer

In June 2016, the British public were posed the question: ‘Should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union or leave the European Union?’ However, no one really knew what they were voting for.

A question like this was too simplistic to be the foundation for such a complex decision. The reasons many gave for voting have been ignored, since the referendum made no effort to identify particular areas of concern amongst voters.

weaker pound and economic uncertainty, or a shameful rise in hate crime. This has placed MPs of Leave-voting areas in the precarious position of having to respect the decision made by their constituents, knowing full well it will make them worse-off.

“Why then, if the government has proved so inept [...] is the prospect of a people’s vote on the deal such a "A question like this was too simplistic to be betrayal of democracy?” has delivered for nobody. Not the foundation for such evenBrexit the far-right who have become frusa complex decision” trated with Britain leaving Europe ‘in

The result of this ignorance has been disastrous. The government has been forced to make ill-informed assumptions as to what it is they believe the public had actually voted for. The majority of Leave voters didn’t vote for Britain to leave the single market and customs union. The majority did not vote for a nodeal Brexit, nor did they vote for a

Jonathan Korn Comment Writer

For David Cameron, it was the opportunity to ‘Settle this European question in British politics.’ For Sir Nick Clegg, the idea of carrying on the fight after the referendum was publicly declared childish at the Oxford Union.

A cabal of politicians who backed Remain sought to scare people into voting against Brexit by warning them that the decision was irreversible. What changed? They didn’t get the result they wanted. So now it’s time to try again.

And again presumably, until we get it right.

This push to overturn Brexit culminated in the ‘People’s Vote’ rally, where 700,000 people marched on London to demand an end to Brexit.

Whilst an impressive number for a protest demonstration, it can hardly be held up as a sign of shifting public opinion, bearing in mind that 17 million people voted to leave the European Union (over 20 times more). The campaign for a people’s vote, billed as a call for democracy ‘No matter how you voted’ (although I’m not sure any leavers have lent their support to this campaign) is nothing more than an arrogant attempt to overturn the democratic decision made to leave the EU. A vote on the merits of Brexit has been taken, and has been conclusively decided. A majority voted for Brexit in what was billed as a mammoth, once-ina-generation democratic opportunity. The British people voted out, and it is the job of the government to respect and imple-

name only.’

Why then, if the government has proved so inept at delivering a Brexit that works for everyone, is the prospect of a people’s vote on the deal such a betrayal of democracy?

Voters should have the right to intervene in the negotiation process if they believe the

ment that vote. Even if the polls show that the public have had a change of heart, this is what should happen, as we can’t keep re-running referenda every time the polls show a change of attitude. The question of whether we leave has been resolved for a generation at least.

That is what we were told before, and it remains true now.

The more interesting debate is on the deal itself. If the choice is between whatever deal is agreed and leaving with no deal, it is hard to argue with the Remainers who describe this as a hollow choice. If there are more than two options on the ballot and none win a majority, can the option with a plurality really claim to have a proper mandate?

If we voted for an option that was unacceptable to the EU, where would negotiations go from there? It is hard to see any second referendum question that would prove truly fair or viable.

Most crucially, there is the question of precedent. If the UK government is seen to overturn the decision made by 17 million on the 23rd of June 2016, it will set a very worrying precedent for democracy indeed. So let’s reject talk of a second referendum to stop Brexit and show some respect to the British people.

government is no longer acting in their interests. The nature of the negotiations with Brussels are constantly changing and it is unreasonable for the government not to allow the public to change their own opinions accordingly. This explains the recent significant swing in favour of a people’s vote.

Theresa May’s government hardly inspires confidence, and her departure seems inevitable. A deeply divided Conservative Party does not have the power, unity or mandate to deliver a workable Brexit to the British people.

For this reason, the prospect of a second referendum seems sensible and a People’s Vote on the final deal a necessity.

On a more personal note, I, along with a million and a half other students, were denied the chance to vote in the biggest decision my country has had to make in decades.

A recent NUS poll concluded that 75% of 16-17 year olds would’ve voted if they had been given the chance, and the vast majority would have voted for Remain. The fact that Brexit will not be finalised until 2020 exacerbates this problem and leaves young people unrepresented and with no say on their future job prospects, education and security.

The possibility of a second referen-

On October the 20th, more than half a million people assembled in L o n d o n demanding a people’s vote on the final Brexit deal. The issue of a second vote is attracting widespread debate.

Some argue that it is our democratic right to have a say on the final deal, others argue that a second vote goes against the principle of democracy altogether.

I missed out on being able to cast my vote in the EU Referendum by three months. I would have voted Remain and I do wish the vote had a different outcome. However, if the vote had gone in favour of remaining in the EU, I would’ve expected it to have been upheld. Therefore I respect the result of the referendum and the fact we have to leave.

I think having an EU referendum was a mistake. How many members of the public, myself included, really knew anything about the UK’s position in the EU and what leaving it would actually mean? The public’s lack of knowledge was exacerbated by campaigners on both sides making bold claims which weren’t supported by enough evidence.

For example, the Leave campaign’s pledge that leaving the EU would bring back £350 million for our NHS. The claims were supported by high profile

dum is not a threat to democracy. What is a threat are the flagrant lies which plagued the Leave campaign and forced people into making misguided judgements.

People were promised a future in the single market and a better funded NHS. They have been handed a no deal Brexit and a £39bn divorce bill.

The huge turnout in the recent People’s Vote march conveys an outright rejection of the government’s handling of Brexit.

These were not ‘Remoaners’. They were people with genuine concerns for their futures.

“The huge turnout in the recent People’s Vote march conveys an outright rejection of the government’s handling of Brexit” Protest has always been an indicator of healthy democracy. Why is a march for a people’s vote on Brexit any different? How can giving people a second chance to vote, given their greater knowledge on what their answer actually means, possibly be harmful to democracy?

Hannah Lay Comment Writer

political figures like Boris Johnson, so people were willing to believe them.

Such a decision should have been left to the ‘experts’ that understand the EU and how the UK fits within it.

In light of this I’d argue that a ‘People’s Vote’ is useless. The public shouldn’t be allowed to vote on the final deal as the majority of us don’t understand it enough. Even now, two years after the initial referendum, with almost daily reports on the EU and Brexit, a significant proportion of people will not know any more about the EU than they did when they cast their initial vote. The media is certainly antagonising the situation with daily reports on how badly negotiations are going, however I think that unless the public all have experience of global political negotiation and dealmaking, their opinion on the final deal is not overly useful.

I question the motive of the people’s vote. Are these campaigners trying to get the best deal for the UK or are they trying to block the UK from being able to leave the EU? If the people voted against the government’s deal and it could not provide a suitable alternative, the options would be to remain or face leaving with no deal. I suspect the motive of some of these campaigners is to push the government into deciding to remain because there would be no viable alternative. This would be undemocratic as the majority of those who voted in the EU referendum voted to leave, and as we live in a democracy, this vote must be upheld and respect-

10

COMMENT

Friday 9th November 2018

@redbrickcomment

Alone in the Cold As the temperature drops we must act on our moral and social responsibility to help rough sleepers, argues Alex Cirant-Taljaard Alex Cirant-Taljaard Comment Editor

Now that Halloween has been and gone, and the nights are drawing in, the festive season has begun to slowly creep up on us. This time of year is supposed to be filled with unmitigated joy and happiness. But, while there is much to look forward to at Christmas for most of us, it also comes hand-in-hand with a bitter cold which seems to come earlier and earlier each year. This year in particular the cold felt like it came out of nowhere, like a switch had been flipped that suddenly plunged the UK into incredibly frigid temperatures.

Because of the rapidly plummeting temperatures, this time of year no longer just makes me start to think about Christmas, but also increasingly about the people living rough on the streets, who have to suffer the cold to a significantly higher degree than the rest of us. Since I came to Birmingham in 2016 it has felt like the rough sleeper population has increased year on year, and a look at data from the charity Homeless Link backs this inkling up. Since 2012 the number of rough sleepers in Birmingham has risen from eight to fifty seven. This is an incredibly shameful figure, especially because in 2018 there is no actual reason why anyone should be sleeping on the streets.

“The number of rough sleepers in Birmingham has risen from eight to fifty seven” Often, rough sleeping and homelessness in general can feel like an eternal problem in the UK. For many it is something viewed simply as a fact of life, or even the natural state of being. There will supposedly always be those who will be forced to resort to rough sleeping, and sadly that’s just the way it has to be. It’s easy to understand why as a society we have elected to naturalise the issue of rough sleeping. For one, it means that the feelings of guilt and responsibility many of us feel can be set aside. It is what allows well-meaning and generally good-hearted people to walk past a rough-sleeper as if they don’t exist.

Even more insidious are those who pass the responsibility off to those who are sleeping rough. All this demonstrates is a severe lack of understanding of the complex

issue of homelessness and a frightening lack of compassion for their fellow man. It would be wrong, however, to view the response to rough sleeping as a primarily individual problem.

How we currently react to homelessness is a cultural and social process, which has its roots in the discourse around vagrancy and the undeserving poor in the 1800s and has been replicated over time by successive governments. Even now, with the idea of ‘hard working families’ and ‘shirkers and workers’, the idea that there are certain people whose poverty is their own doing pervades our culture.

In the case of rough sleepers, however, the current discourse is much more subtle in its condemnation. The majority of the public would likely be sympathetic when questioned on their feelings towards rough sleepers, however the issue of drug and alcohol abuse is never far away. Far from being understanding about the very real issue of drug and alcohol consumption with only serves to exacerbate the problems facing rough sleepers, many cite it as being a reason to not give money to the homeless.

I can almost understand being cautious about giving money to rough sleepers, however the perceived characteristics of homeless people portrayed in the media and popular culture means often rough sleepers are ignored altogether.

As I said, this generally makes it easy to swallow the bitter pill of contemporary homelessness, and in many ways an ‘out of sight, out of mind’ policy has been adopted by the British public. Sometimes this can take on a very literal dimension, such as the clearing out of rough sleepers in Windsor so that the upper crust didn’t have to sully their memory of the occasion with the fact that their are people sleeping on the streets in the country with the fifth highest GDP in the world.

It is important to note that this is just as much a

Rough Sleeping Rates in Birmingham (Homeless Link)

matter of policy as it is a cultural phenomenon, as since 1979 we’ve slowly been coerced into not caring about each other by policies which force people to fend for themselves. Few groups have been hurt the most by regressive government policy than rough sleepers, who, in the eyes of the government, are closer to a pest problem than actual human beings.

“How we react to homelessness is a cultural and social process” One period of contemporary politics which exemplifies this are the Blair years, in which the act of begging was criminalised under civic orders. This trend has crossed the party boundary too, as in 2014 the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act gave local authorities even more powers to remove rough sleepers from the streets.

All of these policies are nothing more than window dressing designed to give the appearance of a fairer society.

But now even these policies are not enough to hide the epidemic of homelessness. If we continue to organise our economy and society around the pursuit of profit, it is difficult to see a way for homelessness to ever be eradicated. Despite having the means to build everyone who needs one a home, we’ve collectively decided that shelter is something reserved for those who have ‘earned’ it. I say earned, but as with most things in the UK you’re housing situation rests largely on the family you were born into.

It is easy then to say there is no w a y w e

can possibly end homelessness.

How can I as an individual alter the socio-economic organisation of the UK? The key is in harnessing our collective agency to affect change on a massive level. We have to be actively inciting change on every level, because once you know a problem exists, you have a moral and social responsibility to do something about it.

Maybe what you can do doesn’t seem like a lot, but, collectively, change can be made.

It isn’t just about changing who is in government, but changing the psyche of our nation to steer ourselves away from the damaging rhetoric of individuality and towards a more collaborative, compassionate UK. If we don’t, then you can expect to see those rough sleeping levels continue to rise.

Nobody is going to fix the problem for us, so it’s time we do something about it ourselves.

Photograph by Gary Knight

COMMENT

Friday 9th November 2018

@redbrickcomment

11

A Step in the Right Direction Alex Boscott discusses the effects of the Chancellor’s new budget on young people across the UK Alex Boscott Comment Writer

When Theresa May stated that ‘the end is in sight’ regarding austerity at this year’s Conservative conference in Birmingham, a vast sense of optimism brewed within the public sector that an eight year campaign of cuts and frozen wages could finally be coming to a welcomed end.

It is with these rose-tinted glasses the public sector awaited the Chancellor’s budget announcement on Monday – a change from the regular Wednesday budget statements however, as it would’ve been Halloween, Hammond can be forgiven for this change of schedule.

Numerous handouts were announced by the Chancellor in a budget out-of-character for recent Tory governments. The personal allowance threshold, previously standing at £11,850, will rise to £12,500 in April which will be seen as a much needed relief for those working part-time or in low-paid professions - benefiting those earning the national minimum wage or

working part-time. Young people, in particular, will benefit by earning more before paying the required 20% income tax rate – allowing more money to be allocated for ever rising costs, such as rent in a market which is becoming increasingly more inaccessible. Far too many young people are earning minimum wage due to the allowed age discrimination regarding hourly wage, an injustice that this proposal most certainly helps.

“Numerous handouts were announced by the Chancellor in a budget out-ofcharacter for recent Tory governments” However, Mr Hammond has also provided much needed relief for Britain’s young people in Photograph from Pixabay regards to the current housing crisis preventing some from get-

ting on the property ladder. He announced that the government will be extending stamp duty relief ‘to all first time buyers of shared ownership properties valued up to £500k’ but admitted that, in this regard, the government ‘have more to do.’ This pledge, aimed directly at young voters, builds on the 2017 budget pledge of abolishing stamp duty, a lump-sum tax of a percentage of a property’s worth upon purchase, and extends this relief to shared ownership homes. This relief means that those who own a percentage of their own alongside a housing association will also be exempt from paying this tax – relieving the financial burden on many young people who fall under the £80,000 a year salary bracket.

The chancellor also promised an additional £500m in a bid to correctly fund the Housing Infrastructure Fund to enable the building of 650,000 new homes in the UK. From the standpoint of simple economics, more houses means reduced prices – allowing more first-time buyers into the inflated market. Being a young person in this current economic climate, this move is a positive step forward and one I

embrace. However, there is much more to be done regarding the lack of young first-time buyers.

Not every handout is without controversy, however. Universal Credit, the replacement benefit system introduced by the Tories, has been criticised from all sides of the political world. However, he appeared to stick to the party line when saying that ‘Universal Credit is here to stay, and we are putting in the funding it needs to make it a success.’

“When up to 30% of 14-24 year olds in the UK live in poverty, I believe this commitment is crucial to aiding young people in need” Therefore, it came as no surprise when he announced a £1bn fund over five years to help sustain the controversial system. In

a move that will potentially leave working recipients of Universal Credit £630 better off, work allowances are set to increase by £1000 before benefits start being reduced. When up to 30% of 14-24 year olds in the UK live in poverty, I believe this commitment is crucial to aiding young people in need.

Despite this, the national living wage will only rise for over25s to £8.21, ignoring calls for a more just living wage for young workers. Many young people are unfairly paid for the equal contribution they make to their workplace, I, for one, wholeheartedly believe this wage should be increased to reflect the valuable work of Britain’s young population.

With many on the Labour benches claiming that this budget’s spending increases are more of a hollow gesture, a potential no-deal Brexit could cause the scrapping of this budget’s pledges altogether to make way for an emergency budget. Not all is gloomy, however, as beer, cider and spirit duties will continue to be frozen – a promise that is sadly also dependent on how Britain exits the European Union in March next year.

Poll of the Week: Is It Too Early to Start Celebrating Christmas?

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“Christmas isn’t as special if you celebrate it too early”

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Halloween and Bonfire Night are over. We’re all aware it’s getting colder, but do we really need to bring out the mince pies and carols just yet? This week, we asked students if it’s too early to start celebrating Christmas

“Christmas always goes by too soon so you have to enjoy it while you can” “By the time Christmas actually arrives, the whole hype is over” “Christmas isn’t a period, it’s a day [...] celebrating it three months beforehand is pointless” “Why not be happier earlier? Just give me a hot chocolate and sparkly stuff”

“I’ve been in my reindeer-patterned toast-warm brushed cotton PJ bottoms since it started to get chilly at night”

Natalia Carter Comment Editor

This week, Redbrick Comment asked whether it was too early to whip out the festive jumpers, hot chocolate, and Michael Bublé.

Much to my disappointment, 69.2% of respondents claimed that it was far too early, with many people arguing that we should at least wait until the beginning of December. Whilst some stuck to their guns, claiming that it is ‘never too early’ and that we should feel free to celebrate if it ‘makes you happy and doesn’t harm others,’ this was not the overwhelming opinion. One response argued that ‘Christmas isn’t a period, it’s a day,’ and whilst I agree, I don’t see the harm in adding a sprinkle of festivity to your day if it brightens

your mood. Christmas Day can still be celebrated on 25th December with just as much joy, regardless of whether you embrace the season early or not. Halloween is over. Let the festive season commence.

Take part in our polls: @RedbrickComment Redbrick Comment Contributors

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Life During Wartime: The Bold Women of WWI’s UoB To mark the Centenary of the Armistice of 11 November 1918, Redbrick explores the lives of the nurses, students and staff working on our campus during the Great War Thom Dent

Print & Features Editor

On the second of July 1914, twenty-six days before the outbreak of the First World War, Joseph Chamberlain passed away. What this meant for Britain is fairly well documented, and his legacy preserved mostly in the political career of his son Neville. Closer to home, however, the death of Chamberlain marked the death of the University of Birmingham’s first Chancellor, and of one of its founding fathers.

His importance to the University had already been wellacknowledged – Old Joe, perhaps his most iconic legacy, had been built some six years prior to his passing. As the world passed into the most seismic human event in its history, the University of Birmingham entered a period of uncertainty, with nobody succeeding Chamberlain as Chancellor until after peace had been declared four years later.

deliver beds and mattresses to the University.

The ornate Aston Webb building was transformed into the 1st Southern General Hospital and immediately became the city’s only war hospital, treating wounded servicemen from all across the globe. The first of these men arrived at the start of September, and by New Year’s Eve the hospital would have treated nearly four thousand patients.

Nurses were drafted in from all across the West Midlands, with the majority of nursing staff being recruits from the University’s own medical faculty. In addition to this, members of the Territorial Force Nursing Society and the Women’s Voluntary Aid Detachment were called upon.

Naturally, the arrival of so many more (mostly) female bodies on campus came with a new dilemma, and accommodating these new arrivals led to a huge shift in the way the University was run.

University House (now defunct, but at the time used as accommodation for UoB’s female undergraduates) was repurposed for the sake of housing many of the nursing sisters. 126 medical professionals stayed here during the war, with many doubling up on rooms in order to fit everybody in.

"The majority of nursing staff were recruits from the University’s own medical faculty" One of these new tenants was Eveline Wauchope, a young nurse from County Armagh in Ireland.

The youngest of six children and born to the Master of a Workhouse in 1891, Wauchope was schooled

A still from the photograph album of Eveline Wauchope (front right), taken from the steps of the University House hostel. The other three women are identified (from left to right) as ‘Staff nurse Shaw’, ‘N. Goss’ and ‘N. Rice’.

Image courtesy of the Cadbury Research Library.

in Belfast before emigrating to Birmingham to study and work at its General Hospital in 1912. Two years later, at the age of 23, she would move to Edgbaston to join the staff of the 1st Southern.

The majority of photographs across this spread are taken from Wauchope’s personal photograph album, kept throughout the war and used extensively by the nurse to document her time working on campus. Nowadays this album, alongside an autograph book also kept during the war, is in the possession of Eveline’s family – although electronic copies are held by the University’s Cadbury Research Library, located 100 years later underneath Muirhead Tower.

Professor Muirhead, for whom this tower is named, was one of the few lecturers left on campus during the First World War, with many of the University’s male faculty conscripted into forms of military service. One lecturer, Dr

"As the world passed into the most seismic human event in its history, the University of Birmingham entered a period of uncertainty" In Chamberlain’s absence, the University campus was in part requisitioned by the War Office as a facility for research and medical aid. Britain declared war on Germany on the fourth of August; by the fifth, the Royal Army Medical Corps had begun to

A painting detailing the interior of one of the 1st Southern General Hospital's wards, produced in 1917 by Cecil Price, one of the soldiers under its care. Courtesy of the Cadbury Research Library.

Ottoker Intze, had been recruited into the German forces during a holiday in his homeland in 1914.

Three of his students had been visiting Germany alongside Dr Intze, and all were forced to spend the duration of the war in the Civilian Rhuleben Camp near Berlin.

A depleted male faculty bled into the undergraduate ranks, which were purged of the vast majority of its male members as a result of the war effort. This meant that, even in a time of relative gender bias amongst higher education institutions, the majority of students at UoB during the war were women.

"A depleted male faculty bled into the undergraduate ranks, which were purged of the vast majority of its male members as a result of the war effort" This is clear in the writings of The Mermaid, a precursor student publication to Redbrick which maintained its print run throughout the wartime period. Editions from early 1918, compiled by a majoritively female editorial team, featured scraps from ‘the letters of a war worker,’ one student’s ‘Reminiscences of Germany’ and an article detailing the experiences of a volunteer in the Women’s Land Army, who had helped with agricultural projects in the West Midlands. Its editor-in-chief during this year, an undergraduate named Mary Dorothy Horton (whose poem ‘A College ABC’ has been discovered and reprinted by Redbrick’s

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own Peter Vessey on page 17 of this issue), wrote philosophically in one of her opening letters that ‘everyone has had at least one interesting experience in their life, and most people can tell it on paper if they try.’

Those female students who now comprised most of the University’s student populace were quick to deliver upon the responsibility they now shouldered. Many, as previously documented, entered into volunteer schemes such as the Women’s Land Army, and the then-named Guild of Undergraduates enjoyed four years under the unprecedented stewardship of a majority-female student council.

"Those female students who now comprised most of the University’s populace were quick to deliver upon the responsibility they now shouldered" Despite this, there was debate on a national scale as to whether the education of Britain’s female students should take precedence over their potential for helping the war effort if conscripted into the relevant services. Sir Oliver Lodge, who had taken de facto control of the University in the interim period following Chamberlain’s death, spoke publicly about plans to build a women’s refectory on campus, and provide extra lessons in ancient history for his remaining students during the war.

In reality, the University and Lodge would spend most of its time and resources on chemical research and the development of munitions, with what were then seen as traditionally ‘feminine’ subjects suffering from a loss of funding to accommodate the scientific endeavours taking place on campus.

"During the Great War, 299 of the University of Birmingham’s academics and alumni were killed in action" Eventually, a decision was made that universities would not cease teaching ‘until the absolute necessity for such a step had been established beyond all doubt.’ In a government letter received by Beatrice Orange (Warden of the Women’s Hostel during the period), its sender stated that ‘it should be remembered that women training for the high profession of teaching are in a very real sense equipping themselves for a valuable and expert branch of National Service.’

Female students had been granted the right to remain on campus, but were still making ends meet at a temporary accommodation site while University House was being occupied by the nurses of the 1st. The place in question, a house in Edgbaston named ‘Wyddington’ that had been supplied free of charge to the University, had space for just 32 of the students and staff members that had previously inhabited University House – around a quarter of the room formerly available.

Ms Orange, as Warden of the Women’s Hostel, was responsible both for maintaining this new secondary residence at Wyddington and for arranging the renting arrangement between the University and the War Office for the occupation of University House. A tough and thankless ask, Orange’s papers from the period show her struggles to sustain these arrangements, from miscommunications over rent rates to worries over the fire insurance on both residences. Following the war, the Warden attempted to file a claim for compensation from the War Office for the disruption caused to the University’s accommodation policies – these claims were, however, denied in 1921.

During the Great War, 299 of the University of Birmingham’s academics and alumni were killed in action. Of this number, just four were women. One of these, a graduate named Dr Elizabeth Stephens Impey, had studied at the University a few years before joining the Other Empire Force on 10th December 1915, Dr Elizabeth Stephens Impey (1877-1915), the University of Birmingham’s only female alumnus to die in the line of duty during WWI.

as a medical officer.

Twenty days into her service, while sailing onboard the SS Persia to join the Dufferin Hospital for Women in Lahore, India, she perished as the boat was torpedoed in the Mediterranean. In 1907, while a student at Birmingham, Impey had become the first woman to be elected President of the Guild of Undergraduates.

Little information exists regarding the three other women but their names – Christine M Edmonds, Grace J Poole and Vivian H Symons, which are engraved a century later on the University’s Roll of Honour inside the Aston Webb building.

The hospital remained busy until April 1919, a full five months after peace had been declared.

Four years before this, in June 1915, the 1st Southern General received a private visit from King George V. This was a secretive affair, with no publicity and only a small number of representatives chosen to receive the King.

Amongst these few was Kathleen Grace Lloyd, Matron of the hospital and a highly respected leader amongst the nurses.

Born in the same year as Dr Impey, Lloyd had trained at Birmingham General Hospital (where Eveline Wauchope would study a few years later) from 1904-08, nursing there before

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"We students who have gone on with ordinary work ... have grown older, less narrow in our views, more adaptable, and appreciative of other classes and other countries than our own" moving to Edgbaston for the war effort. Wauchope, like the other nurses, would refer to their superior simply as ‘Matron Lloyd’, a token of the professional esteem in which they held the leader.

For her work at the 1st Southern, Matron Lloyd was presented with two major honours in the years following. The first, and perhaps most prestigious, was the Royal Red Cross, a medal awarded for exceptional services in military nursing that had first been received by Florence Nightingale.

In 1920 Lloyd was also recognised with a Queen Elisabeth Medal courtesy of the Belgian royalty, for her medical care of Belgian victims of the war (a number of refugees from here and from Serbia were granted free study at the University from 1914 onwards, which may account for this). The Matron would go on to become a member of the Women’s Voluntary Services during the Second World War, before her death in 1976.

"The 1st Southern General Hospital treated more than 125,000 cases over four years of war" In the hospital’s magazine, Southern Cross, one nurse described the converted Aston Webb hall as ‘the palace at Sinaia, the King of Roumania’s summer residence in the Carpathian Mountains.’ Perhaps a slightly overwrought interpretation, but by its closure in 1919 this ‘palace’ had been the life of hundreds of staff and thousands of soldiers.

The 1st Southern General Hospital treated more than 125,000 cases over four years of war. At one point canopies had to be erected in University Square to accommodate the surplus beds, and many satellite hospital wards were launched in the surrounding areas of Moseley and Northfield.

Wounded soldiers would attend workshops to mend supplies for both the hospital and the front line. Classes were also given in subjects such as gardening, carpentry and languages, with many drama compa-

Kathleen Grace Lloyd (1877-1976), Matron at the 1st Southern General Hospital. Image courtesy of the Cadbury Research Library.

nies and Birmingham theatres providing free entertainment for the servicemen and nurses. Many, such as Cecil Price, would paint; Nurse Wauchope would walk around the wards with her autograph book allowing soldiers under her care to sketch and write inside its pages. A century later, this book remains as a remarkable artefact of life inside the 1st Southern General.

By the end of 1918 a new academic year had begun, and a devastating war had ended. The edition of The Mermaid published in January 1919 was its first print following the November Armistice, and also came after the delayed installation of the University’s new Chancellor, Lord Robert Cecil (which had coincidentally taken place the day after the Armistice). In speaking of the former, the editorial team described the declaration of peace as an event ‘so great that any comment on it seems impertinent.’

This issue of The Mermaid, however, marked a sombre switch in tone from the rugged war spirit of its previous editions. Many pages in this month’s journal were

Nurse Wauchope (left) with a patient of Ward A2, Private ‘Billie’ Jones.

Image courtesy of the Cadbury Research Library.

taken up by poetry and philosophical essays penned by students at the University, including a musing reportedly written on November 11th 1918 by a writer who merely signed their work as ‘Jaques.’

"By the end of 1918 a new academic year had begun, and a devastating war had ended" The edition from April 1919 opened with an editorial written by that year’s editor-in-chief, Miss Clift. In it, she sums up the effect of the Great War upon the collective psyche of the University’s student populace.

The first paragraph reads as follows: ‘The last four years have left their mark on us all. It is well that they should have done so, for only dead branches do not shed their leaves in autumn gales, and the very swirling of the leaves is a promise of springtime. We students who have gone on with ordinary work, relieved, perhaps, by spells of more or less dull warwork of the unspectacular order, have grown older, less narrow in our views, more adaptable, and appreciative of other classes and other countries than our own.

Sometimes we are accused of hardness, sometimes of frivolity, but our wide interests and tolerant attitude are our chief crime in the eyes of the reactionists. So far, so good.’

This article was made possible through information collected from the Cadbury Research Library and Birmingham City Council. Artefacts and photographs from the period can be found at the Cadbury's on-campus location. For more details on UoB during World War I, a threepart series is available online at redbrick.me/features

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Perspectives On: The United States Midterms

Following a historic round of elections in the US, Redbrick writers share their thoughts on a night in which the tides seemed to turn against President Trump Erin Santillo Editor-in-Chief

The Democrats have won back the House of Representatives for the first time since 2010, the Republicans have cemented their control of the Senate by increasing their majority, and Congress is more diverse than ever before.

The midterms may not elect the president, but they certainly have an effect on the administration and tell us a lot about the current mood in the US. Every four years, the US electorate go to the polls to vote in a new Congress, which splits into the lower chamber, the House, and the upper chamber, the Senate.

This Tuesday, all 435 House seats were being contested, with only 35 of the 100 Senate seats up for election.

"Congress is more diverse than ever before" Donald Trump was not on the ballot paper, but with an approval rating of 40% these elections were widely billed as a test of the electorate’s confidence in the president and his agenda. Democrats will say that, with the control of the House, they can now block Trump’s controversial headline

policies and promote a more liberal agenda for legislation, whilst the Republicans will argue that the midterms are historically biased against the incumbent administration and so walking away with the Senate is a huge win for them.

Either way, the effects of these midterm results on the US will be noticeable. When the changes come in place in two months, the Democrats will have the power to launch an investigation into the private finances of the president, with the possibility for impeachment very much on the table.

However, with control over the Senate, and hence the power to appoint Justices to the Supreme Court, the Republicans and the President won’t lose any sleep just yet.

Mario Tama/Getty Images

Jonathan Korn Redbrick Contributor

The Republicans have kept the Senate. The Democrats have won back the House. As we knew would happen. The USA, no stranger to partisan gridlock, falls into its unwelcome embrace yet again.

President Trump will find it much harder to get legislation through, but even before the midterms he struggled to get the repeal of Obamacare through the Senate. The supposed sea change of last night merely exacerbates

these existing difficulties.

"Trump has done enough to claim a victory of sorts" However, Trump has done enough to claim a victory of sorts, with Republicans holding onto the Senate and even picking up a seat in Indiana. Incumbent governments never do particularly well in the mid-terms, so the President will be relieved more than anything that he avoided a trouncing.

For the Democrats, the ‘Blue Wave’ anticipated did not fully materialise, but gaining the House was a must that was achieved.

Internal Party squabbling should follow, with presumptive speaker Nancy Pelosi not universally loved by Congressional Democrats. For now, they too will be able to claim victory, picking up key seats that will give them hope ahead of the 2020 Presidential election.

In short, the results were expected, ambiguous and uninformative. Why did I bother staying up?

Antonia Miles

Redbrick Contributor

Michael Vadon

The conventional narrative of the US midterms was right: the Democrats have taken control of the House of Representatives while the Republicans are set to strengthen their grip in the Senate, symbolising a massive blow to the polarising President. The Trump administration will face

far more scrutiny and embarrassment, as the House of Representatives will be able to block Trump’s divisive and controversial agenda.

We can also expect the House of Representatives to fight back against two years in the darkness as they are given a lot more oversight. Issues worthy of further investigation include the allegations of corruption made against senior Trump administration officials, Russian interference in Trump’s presidential campaign or delve into Trump’s personal finances by looking at his tax reforms for example.

"We can expect the House of Representatives to fight back against two years in the darkness" Most exciting above all however is that to a President who once boasted of ‘grabbing women by the pussy’, this election cycle, which has been dubbed the ‘Year of the Woman,’ has brought with it many firsts; a record number of female representatives, the youngest woman ever to be elected to Congress (New York’s Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez), the first Muslim women ever elected to Congress, the first Native American women and Colorado’s Jared Polis, the first gay governor in America.

This demonstrates to me that Trump’s divisive sentiment has largely fallen on deaf ears, as the American people have voted in

favour of diersity in the House of Representatives, a new energy which ultimately succeeded in flipping Republican safe hold districts.

Alex Cirant-Taaljard Comment Editor

What this midterm demonstrates yet again is the deeply uneven nature of the United States’ upper chamber. Because every state gets two senators regardless of population, far more power is put in the hands of voters in smaller, rural states. These states, such as North Dakota and Missouri, are the ones that have swung towards Trump.

A Democratic House is certainly a positive step forward, but Trump is still empowered by his control of the Senate and Supreme Court.

In order to make any real change in the US, the Democrat party need to start speaking to those rural areas. Until that happens, it will be difficult for the Democrats to ever make big gains in the Senate. It isn’t enough to simply denounce Trump: a hopeful alternative needs to be put forward by candidates. Beto O’Rourke came close in Texas after delivering a message that progressives could really get behind, and I’m not surprised that his name is coming up in conservations about the 2020 Presidential election.

What is clear is that the Trump train is not slowing down in certain parts of the US, and come 2020 they will almost certainly continue to back him. Whether or not key swing states will continue to swing his way remains to be seen.

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Mind+Solve The Redbrick Crossword 1

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Across 1. Ambassador keen to avoid argument (8) 6. Probable amongst lookalike lyricists (6) 7. Poetic bird (9) 10. Cruella’s favourite coastline (9) 13. Phoenix attempts treason (6) 14. Mum & son called to rearrange (6) 15. Almost a hunchback, but not quite (5) 18. Stiller and Affleck have many to thank for their donations (11) 19. You have nothing to lose but your chains! (5) 20. Confused mothers insist on keeping warm (7)

Down 2. A mad plan involving the moon (6) 3. Going insane inside tiny biological asylum (8) 4. Fifties ruffian defeats Nicholas (7) 5. Scot gets interesting pattern on the sunbed (6) 8. Entirely ordinary rock group (6,3) 9. Female servant sounds like she’s bespoke (8) 11. Male actor prevented from growing (8) 12. Farah grows hair for charity (8) 16. See next week (7) 17. The Shareef don’t like it (6)

Sudoku (Hard)

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‘I still dream of Orgonon / I wake up crying...’

‘Three of a kind. Let’s do this.’

LAST ISSUE’S ANSWERS | Crossword: 1. Werewolves; 2. Escape; 3. Spooks; 4.

Hermione; 5. Dracula; 6. Wicker Man; 7. Monster; 8. Shadow; 9. Igor; 10. Poltergeists; 11. The Shining; 12. Hannibal; 13. The Tab; 14. Banshee; 15. Eerie; 16. Ghost; 17.

Haunts; 18. Nightmare; 19. Skeleton; 20. Pumpkins | First Lines: The Casual Vacancy (J. K. Rowling); ‘The Times They Are A Changin’ (Bob Dylan); La La Land (Damien Chazelle) | Anagrams: 1. Woman In Black; 2. Suspiria; 3. Paranormal Activity; 4. Blair Witch Project; 5. Poltergeist; 6. The Shining; 7. The Exorcist; 8. Silence Of The Lambs; 9. Hereditary; 10. The Hills Have Eyes

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poems and films. All you have to do is tell us which novels, songs, poems or films the lines come from.

‘I remember how, that night, I lay awake in the wagon-lit in a tender, delicious ecstacy of excitement, my burning cheek pressed against the impeccable linen of the pillow and the pounding of my heart mimicking that of the great pistons ceaselessly thrusting the train that bore me through the night...’

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Get in touch with Redbrick Mind&Solve by sending all answers, applications and queries to print@redbrick.me.

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Birmingham Nightline: Everything You Need to Know

In the lead-up to Nightline Awareness Week 2018, Luke Wheeler examines the mission statement of a service close to the hearts of students across the city Luke Wheeler Redbrick Contributor

‘Nightline’ is a name that gets bandied around in conversations, with the University and the Guild both signposting students to it, but the group themselves remain somewhat tucked away and elusive. As part of National Nightline Awareness Week 2018 I have been asked to write about the service, exploring why it is needed, how they offer the service and what they have planned for Awareness Week.

What is Nightline? This is a question the organisation gets asked often at volunteering stands or when they hand out leaflets, but the answer is fairly simple: Nightline is a confidential, nonjudgemental and non-advisory listening and information service run by students for students at UoB, Aston and UCB, with the aim of remaining open every night of term from 6pm until 8am. You can contact Nightline in a variety of ways – over the phone, via instant messenger, email or even face-to-face drop-in, and you can find even more contact information at the bottom of this article.

You can talk to them about anything you want, whether you want to rant about how your day was, ask how to contact your welfare tutor, or talk about something deeper and more existential – that’s all fine by them.

"Nightline is a confidential, nonjudgemental and non-advisory listening and information service run by students for students at UoB, Aston and UCB" But why a night line? Well, in 2013 research from Youthsight showed that 32% of students exhibited distress at night, therefore Nightline seeks to fill the gap left when people are feeling vulnerable but university and public services are closed. What’s more, the same Youthsight research showed that students prefer a peer-to-peer service, which makes sense: talking to a fellow student means they are more likely to appreciate the intricacies and stresses of student life, as well as understanding how your university works. That is why Nightline volunteers complete fourteen hour shifts most nights of term, to be

there for their peers when others might not be.

It’s interesting how powerful a listening ear can be. I know that when my friends talk to me I become a problem solver, I see it as a duty to try and help them find a solution. However, more often than not it is actually harder to just stop and listen, to pay attention to what they are saying and just allow that person to be heard.

For this reason, Nightline focuses on active listening rather than advice giving, as more often than not this is more effective and, given that their volunteers are students giving up their free time, training them in how to give advice is arguably untenable.

"The question of how to approach student mental health and wellbeing has been a source of much controversy at UoB" How people engage with Nightline is an interesting question, and their annual statistics report shed light on some of the inner workings of the service. As a confidential service, Nightline does not record specifics of what people discuss with them, but they do record themes in order to help inform their training as well as to better inform their stakeholders on how the service is used. I have chosen a few statistics (right) that I think highlight some interesting points.

More holistically, the question of how to approach student mental health and wellbeing has been a source of much controversy at UoB, instigated in part by the closure of counselling services at the end of first term last year, as well as the increased use of Facebook pages such as ‘Old Joemance’ and ‘Brumfess’ as platforms for people to discuss their mental health issues. Whilst student mental health and wellbeing is not, nor should it be, Nightline’s responsibility, current circumstances mean that they are seeking to spread knowledge of the service to as many people as possible, especially as they offer an approach independent of the University and the Guild. Nightline want to ensure that people know that they are there for them if they ever need someone to talk to, hence why they have so much planned for National Awareness Week this year.

The service itself has also faced controversy regarding its closure rate over the last month,

for which they have cited ‘lower than usual’ volunteer numbers as the cause. However, Nightline have given assurance that with their recently completed training intake they have gained over 20 new volunteers, and are looking to do just as well in their term 2 intake. Hopefully this means there are fewer closures in the future.

Nightline is a national association that covers over 40 Universities in the UK and Republic of Ireland, and each year the National Association decides a theme that Nightlines across the two countries can build their awareness events around.

This year, Awareness Week runs from the 19th to the 25th of November and its theme is ‘Be Heard.’

Subsequently, Birmingham Nightline has a diverse slate of events in the works – these include, but are not limited to, a debate on the motion that ‘British society allows for the open expression of people’s struggles with mental health;’ a joint event with Aston Student Minds at the Aston University Student Union; an awareness stand at University College Birmingham; a spoken word event ‘Let’s Talk.'

There is also a tag writing activity based on self-care as part of xpLosION, with Digbeth Dining Club themed prizes up for grabs.

This diverse set of events goes to show how keen Nightline are to promote themselves to as diverse a cross section of the student population as possible. An ambitious undertaking, but understandable given that they cover such a large and diverse student population.

stand you. ‘Be Heard’ therefore becomes more than a theme, it becomes something of a mantra – be heard, and you can institute change.

If you want to keep up with Nightline’s Awareness Week Events, make sure to follow their

social media. If you want to know more about the service and find out how to volunteer, go to their website www.bhamnightline.co. uk. If you want to contact the service, their number is on the back of student ID cards and all their contact information is available through the my.bham, Aston SU and UCB Guild portals.

Semester 1 2017/18: Thematic Breakdown of Issues Discussed Family Problems Loneliness

Low Mood / Unhappiness

Stress / Anxiety

Suicidal Thoughts

Academic Stress

Depression Friends / Flatmate Issues Housing

Relationships

Semester 2 2017/18: Thematic Breakdown of Issues Discussed Other Mental Health Loneliness

Academic Stress

Stress / Anxiety

Housing

"Speaking out Low Mood or Unhappiness Suicidal tackles stigma, it Thoughts opens up Friends / conversation and Relationships Flatmate Issues debate, it allows Depression people to empathise with Semester 3 2017/18: Thematic Breakdown your situation and of Issues Discussed Housing better understand Rape / Abuse Academic Stress Depression you" ‘Be Heard’ is an open-ended theme, but it cuts right to the heart of how student attitudes to mental health and wellbeing are changing. More people are willing to speak up and out, whether it’s to tackle the inadequacies of mental health provision, open up about their personal struggles or the discuss the experiences of those close to them.

Speaking out tackles stigma, it opens up conversation and debate, it allows people to empathise with your situation and better under-

Race or Ethnicity

Loneliness

Low Mood or Unhappiness

Relationships

Friends / Flatmate Issues Stress / Anxiety

FEATURES

Friday 9th November 2018

17

www.redbrick.me

Redbrick Revisits: ‘A College ABC’ Peter Vessey turns the clocks back to discover a poem published in The Mermaid, a precursor to Redbrick, detailing life on Birmingham’s campus 100 years ago Peter Vessey

Redbrick Contributor

This little humorous piece appeared in The Mermaid in February 1918. It was just signed by a set of initials: M.D.H. The only student with those initials at that time was a Mary Dorothy Horton who, it appears, was born in Solihull in October 1888 and died in Oxford in 1977. She was a Medical student between 1916 and 1918 but does not appear to have ever qualified.

‘A College ABC’ A’s the Ambitions with which we all start; They’ve generally dwindled before we depart.

B stands for Bournbrook, our lost Paradise – Not that our present abode isn’t nice!

C is the Cercle Français, where we go To air our best French (not of Stratford-atte-Bowe).

D’s the Debating Society, proud Of its speakers (it’s certain their voices are loud!)

E’s Entertainments; there used to be lots, But now they appear like the measles – in spots!

F stands for Founder’s Room – place that’s taboo To hilarious meetings, by will of the few.

G is the Guild: we wish they’d appeal – They would only express what the rest of us feel!

H is the Hostel: I’ll say nought about it – I’ve only one skin and I can’t do without it.

I stands for Inter. – Exam or Debate: The one is a pleasure, the other a Fate!

J’s for June, all too short for those who would cram in a Year’s work before they face the Examiner.

K is for Knighthoods – attained all unsought, too; They fill us with pride (or, rather, they ought to!)

L stands for Lecturers – a hard working crew Who vainly endeavour to teach me and you.

M’s for “Mermaid” – charged with wit like a battery!

(To persuade them to print this, there’s nothing like flattery.)

N is the Notice Board, where you may find Announcements of meeting to suit every mind.

O is the Officers’ Training Corps bold.

Do you know they can even “form fours,” I’ve been told.

P must needs be Professors, so sage and so wise, They loom like the gods before our dazzled eyes.

Q is the Question that some of us hear – That “And what are you doing?” – which fills us with fear.

R’s for Results, the lists that we scan With our hearts in our boots – deny it who can!

S stands for Students and Staff – but I’m blest If what each says of other I even suggest!

T is for Terminals, brain-racking things, When the little you’ve learnt takes the swiftest of wings.

U’s for the Uniform worn by the Corps; It might look quite smart, did it fit a bit more.

V’s for Vacation, much-needed and pleasant; Alas, how far-off us it is at the

This ad space will be seen by over 1000 students across campus.

Make it yours.

Discounted advertising for University of Birmingham societies, only in Redbrick.

Contact marketing@redbrick.me for details.

Our Past History

present.

W’s Work ; the best people do just The least that they can – that’s as much as they must.

X is the thing that, with zeal that’s fanatical, They chase who aspire to degrees Mathematical.

Y’s for the Youth that abounds

in the College, So sure of itself, so profound in its knowledge!

Z is the Zeal we don’t all display In attaining our goal; but we’ll get there some day.

M.D.H.

Lucy Durkin & Hannah Reals

BurnFM Head of Production & Deputy Head of Production @Burn_FM

As the University’s only official radio station, Burn FM provides the soundtrack to many students’ campus experience. In the background of every show – from techno beats to theatre reviews, sports coverage to soul music – is the work of the production team.

The production team is responsible for everything that is not live – from stings (which introduce each show), beds (the music in the background, which you hopefully barely notice), to adverts and sound effects.

Ideally, if we do our jobs well, you will barely notice our work! Our goal is to make our station sound as professional as possible; with the help of the new studio, and our enthusiastic new production team – we hope we’ve done the society proud.

Behind the scenes, we have been carefully considering our station sound: how to create a cohesive identity for the station, while simultaneously catering for the individuality of each show. We have over 60 shows on Burn FM every week, so the production team certainly has its work cut out to create our station sound.

Radio is becoming more visual and we are responsible for uploading video content to our YouTube channel. This mainly consists of behind-the-scenes footage of the station’s inner workings, and coverage of major events such as ValeFest, sports events and our live music events, Burn Live.

Even though the broadcasting year is now

in full swing, we still have plenty more to come this term and after Christmas, so it’s not too late to get involved. The highlight of the year for many of the production team is the Radio Play in semester two, which is produced and edited entirely by our team.

Our focus on station sound this year has led to a big push to create a more unified station identity and we hope you have enjoyed tuning in to hear some of those stings that make Burn sound even better.

We have also just seen the announcement of our first Show of the Month. October’s winners were The Burn Breakfast with Chris and Ella, who have hosted a great show with some awesome ideas. You can catch their show on Wednesday 9am-11am. We also highlighted some of the other great shows that we’re loving. We recommend FOMO (Tuesdays 4pm-6pm), Crime Time (Saturdays 8pm-9pm), Manning Up (Fridays 8pm-9pm) and Chai with Tejas & Ameya (Wednesday 8pm-9pm).

Tune in at burnfm.com

18

CULTURE

Friday 9th November 2018

@redbrickculture

Review: The Lovely Bones

Sheila Burnett

Phoebe Hughes-Broughton reviews The Lovely Bones, ‘a production that will pull at your heartstrings,’ at the Birmingham REP Phoebe HughesBroughton Culture Critic

The Lovely Bones is a text about grief and how it impacts both the dead and the living; a theme so poignant it seems the public consciousness is unable to ever fully let it go, having been revisited three times over two decades.

The novel was released first in 2002, and became an instant bestseller, followed by a widely acclaimed film in 2009. It has now been transformed into a stage show that is currently being performed at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre’s ‘House’ stage, as the fourth part of a fivetheatre tour across the country.

This makes star Charlotte Beaumont the second ever actress to take on the role of protagonist Susie Salmon, having been played

by Saoirse Ronan in the film adaptation, but she plays the character with a confidence matching Ronan’s, one that assures you of her experience both on stage and in front of a camera. She is perhaps most

Feast Media

famous for her role in the ITV drama Broadchurch, which deals with similarly dark material to this production, but in both works she brings a sense of realism to her characters that stops them from ever feeling cliched or exploitative of their subject matter.

"Life isn’t always clean-cut, and this fact is more important to this play than a happy resolution” For a twenty-three year-old, she is also particularly adept at portraying such a young protagonist accurately; Susie is the epitome of a 70s teen, in love with Bowie and her school-hood crush and endlessly making jokes that would feel uncomfortable coming from someone just a few years older in her same position.

Beaumont manages to make Susie so real that you can’t help

but weep at her experience, while also retaining a sense of humour that prevents this play from ever becoming a full Shakespeareanlevel tragedy.

The treatment of the harrowing subject matter is something I was particularly concerned about going into this performance, as both the film and book show you (spoilers!) quite a gruesome murder within the first act, but the staging of the production dealt with this well. The most harrowing scene comes early on in the play, and is experienced only through narration from the protagonist and sound effects of the struggle between Susie and Mr Harvey. The play refuses to ever be gratuitous about the violence it describes, and thus could be a good way to introduce young teens to the themes of death and grief without overwhelming them.

This dark subject matter is also handled well by the minimalistic staging. When you first enter the theatre, there is nothing on stage but a row of corn plants at the back, and just a few simple props are brought on throughout.

This allows the audience mem-

bers to reflect their own experiences onto the production.

Additionally, a particularly notable piece of set was the huge mirror spanning the entire back wall; this helped to greatly expand the perceived stage area, while also helping to visualise the boundary between life and death as it often turned transparent to show a view into Susie’s Heaven, or occasionally other characters that are outside of her viewpoint. For the inspired use of this mirror alone, this play is absolutely worth seeing.

In fact, the only possible critique I could have of this play is that the ending felt somewhat lacklustre. If you’re looking for a crime thriller with a great villain resolution at the end, this is absolutely not it, but although the lack of clear justice disappointed me somewhat, this manages to stay true to the original novel and also

continues the tone of realism crucial throughout the piece. Life isn’t always clean-cut, and this fact is more important to this play than a happy resolution.

“The play refuses to ever be gratuitous about the violence it describes” So, if you want to experience a production that will both pull at your heartstrings and make you laugh out loud at the innocence of youth, I would strongly recommend checking out this production of The Lovely Bones, at The Birmingham Repertory Theatre until November 10th.

Sheila Burnett

CULTURE

Friday 9th November 2018

@redbrickculture

19

Review: The Unreturning Naomi Simpson Culture Critic

As we approach the middle of a gruelling first term of university, it can be all too easy for us students to bury our heads in the sand –or rather, our duvets– of our own worries and lose perspective on the wider world. On Wednesday evening, I had this comfort blanket unceremoniously ripped from my hands by The Unreturning, Anna Jordan’s tempestuous new play at The Old Rep Theatre in Birmingham. Although it seemed to veer somewhat worryingly towards the realm of slam poetry when it began, by the end I was clutching onto my empty glass of shiraz wondering how it was possible to have gone through quite so many emotions between 7:30 and 9pm on a Wednesday night.

It quickly becomes clear that The Unreturning is not a stale, curriculum-approved 90 minutes of historical melodrama. The play centres on the experiences of three men, one a soldier in WW1, another a soldier in 2013 and finally a refugee from war-torn England in 2026 as they navigate the return home. In a beautiful piece of theatrical sleight-of-hand, these three worlds (including a brief detour in Norway) were represented by a shipping container, variously filled with early 20th Century furniture, climbed on top of and spun round to convey the desolation these three men lived

through.

The plot jumps between the three generations and delicately explores what war meant in Britain one hundred years ago compared to the present moment, and ponders exactly what it could mean in the future in the context of a civil war. The WW1 soldier comes home a celebrated victor, to a country ready to rejoice in his success and toast the conquering hero but bearing the scars of PTSD and shell-shock. The soldier in 2013 comes home to a barricade of press outside his front door having been exposed via the internet as a racist brutalised by war. The 2026 refugee returns home to discover nothing more than broken glass and the debris of a life once lived by the sea.

played out against the sound of the sea, at once a refuge and a threat, a promise of escape if home turned out to be less of a safe haven than a continuation of the battleground.

Frantic Assembly, the theatre group to which the actors belong, is famous for its intense use of physicality and the three men were constantly hoisting each other up in a tender

nod to the camaraderie of shared experience and the inherent need for support through trauma, as well as the utter disorientation war had caused in them.

In this centenary year of the end of WW1, nothing feels more fitting than this brutally delicate play. Leave shaken, sombre and convinced that you have just seen the work of a truly promising

playwright flexing her creative muscles with amazing confidence.

The Unreturning will be performed at Theatre Royal Stratford East from the 16th January to the 2nd of February 2019, followed by other venues including the Leicester Curve and Chichester Festival theatres.

Tristram Kenton

“In this centenary year of the end of WW1, nothing feels more fitting than this brutally delicate play” The visual world of the play may have been sparse, but the script and sound design were explosive; evoking the guns of the battlefield as the men screamed to go home, whatever that meant now. United by geography, these three Scarborough men’s lives

Culture Corner Frankie Rhodes Culture Critic

Culture critic Frankie Rhodes discusses three of her culture favourites in the Culture Corner.

Naomi Alderman - The Power All around the world, gradually but universally, women are discovering a hidden power within them. This originates from a special organ situated just above the collarbone called the ‘skein’ which acts as a biological source of electricity, giving the ability to inflict electric shocks, ranging from the level of minor discomfort, to mysterious pleasure, to excruciating pain (and even death). It goes without saying, of course, that this throws a spanner in the works of the general social order. Alderman focuses on the lives of a few characters in particular, with the narrative constantly switching to focus on each one at random.

Such is the style of the novel that the reader finds themselves caught somewhere between science-fiction and feminist activism. In this new reality, women can be the perpetrators of great battles, yet in their next breath, they are the nurturing mothers of children. Alderman's women are violently ruthless, yet profoundly emotive. Whoever decided that women cannot be both?

With such an original idea, imaginative attention to detail and an emphasis on the shared and complex experience of gender, The Power was a big hit for me.

This is not a novel that deems women as superior, it is a novel about society and the general injustices that we all face as a result of regarding one gender as the absolute authority.

Shakespeare and Company Bookshop - Paris Crossing the bridge from the majestic site of Notre Dame, you are met with a literary sanctuary hidden amongst the busy, touristpopulated streets of Paris. It is the 'Shakespeare and Company Bookshop’, attracting tourists from all over the world, as well as dedicated collectors and recently, myself.

The shop is luminous with strings of twinkling lights whilst a large window acts as a transparent portal to the shelves of books inside. Every day, the sign outside is decorated with a new quote and extra shelves line the exterior, displaying hoards of second-hand books available for a handful of euros.

It was founded in 1951 by George Whitman, and since its opening day, the shop has acted as both a mouthpiece and a literal refuge for the scholars of literature. Writers and artists have been invited to stay amongst the books, using makeshift beds, on the worthy conditions that they provide

help at the shop, read exactly one book every day, and complete a short auto-biography of their experiences. Years later, a neverending bank of these accounts exist, documenting the dreamy tales of aspiring writers.

Following his passing in 2011, George Whitman has essentially left behind a safe-haven for creativity; a place that he deemed a 'socialist utopia masquerading as a bookstore.' It is a shop built upon the foundations of dedicated individuals, hoping for a future in the world of Arts. This poignant backstory makes it an essential landmark to any tourist, and indeed to any eager fan of books.

Amadeus - National Theatre Peter Schaffer’s striking play returned to London this year, bringing with it a taste of melodramatic, orchestral Vienna. The production recounts the mental anguish of prestigious composer Salieri, faced with his biggest musical foe, and possibly the greatest natural talent that the world has ever seen; Mozart.

Battling with jealousy, social conscience and the restraints of upperclass etiquette, Salieri must decide whether to let this new young flower bloom, or to remove him like a weed through cunning schemes.

To add to his frustration, it doesn’t help that the esteemed Mozart happens to be the most arrogant, whining and pathetically child-like creature that Salieri has

ever encountered, welcomed among Vienna’s aristocracy simply due to his musical ability.

Adam Gillen expertly captures Mozart’s cringe-worthy personality, which leaves the audience as much repelled by his nature as they are bowled over by his compositions. But the most impressive performance lies with Lucian Msamati, portraying a Salieri who is comic in his exasperation, wicked in his pursuit of power and desperate in his agony.

Each mesmerising scene is ser-

enaded by the Southbank Sinfonia Orchestra, who instantaneously drop their instruments to become a raucous chorus of musical socialites. These flamboyant yet often haunting formations combine with elaborate scenery to build a picturesque illustration of 18th Century Vienna. It was features such as these, combined with the compelling performances of the two leads, that made this production truly sublime to witness.

Marc Brenner

20

MUSIC

Friday 9th November 2018

@redbrickmusic

Spotlight On: Princess Nokia Hannah O’Reilly Music Critic

Destiny Frasqueri, aka Princess Nokia, is hard to sum up in a sentence. The Harlem rapper describes herself as a misfit, ‘not a typical clean-cut young lady, always a bit rough around the edges, always a bit messy.’ She is a self-proclaimed feminist and a tomboy, but similarly unafraid to embrace her femininity, a queer woman and a bruja - and we haven’t even touched on her music yet. Her diversity and unashamed embracing of who she is is what makes Frasqueri so important and relevant, and her cultural impact is undeniable.

Frasqueri’s personal background is complex and harsh; the deaths of her grandmother and mother turned her life upside down at a young age, leading to a damaging period with an abusive foster mother and her eventual escape, aged 16, with ‘three dollars in my pocket and 75% on my cell phone battery,’ she says in the documentary named after her, Destiny. The hardship and loneliness this young girl has faced, however, has made her who she is today, as she has turned to the help of her local communities for inspiration. In particular, the New York underground punk scene, with its freedom and self-expression appealing to a girl trying to find herself in the city. Again, this idea of being a non-conformist comes back, and the principles of the punk rock culture embody this deeply.

Fast forward two years, and Frasqueri was creating under the

moniker Wavy Spice - her first alter ego debuting on SoundCloud with a lo-fi house sound on tracks like ‘Bitch, I’m Posh’, and clever lyricism with ‘Versace Hottie.’

Inevitably, Frasqueri started to attract attention from record labels, but her deep-rooted ideologies stopped that in its tracks: ‘I couldn’t understand why people were glorifying me when I wasn’t that talented; there was no substance or merit in what I was doing,’ she told The Guardian.

Her mentality is invigorating and self aware. Frasqueri is a true creative, here to do what she loves and to get her message out there.

The masculinity and control in the music industry was another factor in pushing Frasqueri away from the offers, and so she turned them down, moved back to New York and started over; Princess Nokia was born.

Nokia was still based on SoundCloud for a while, but soon began to release her singles on Spotify , beginning with the iconic ‘Tomboy’, an ode to her defiant androgyny, a non conformity to old fashioned notions of sex appeal, being able to be messy but sexy at the same time. It’s all part of her image and personality, not having to fit with one way of describing yourself, ‘a New York City project rat’. Her self confidence and self love is inspiring, as is her awareness of the power she has as a woman. It’s rare and hard to find in yourself, but Frasqueri has, and is channeling this in her music.

Creating a safe space for minorities and fighting for the rights of women of colour is her

goal, and she wants girls to be able to enjoy themselves; ‘When I was young, all I wanted was to have a show where young girls could mosh together. I want girls to feel free; I want them to feel like they’re empowered, liberated feminists,’ she told NME. If not for her music, Frasqueri is a frequenter of the

man shouting racial slurs at teenagers, and so she threw soup at the offender. ‘Putting yourself in potential danger is scary ASF, esp as a young woman... But I be damned if I let some drunk bigot call a group of young teenage boys racist names and allow him to get away with it,’ she tweeted. Her

news for her upfront activism attitude to Rough Trade Records and standing the conversaup against opprestion about race sive incidents. At an and gender make it event at Cambridge University, a clear that the rapper is not afraid male audience member mouthed to stand up for herself and for othto her during her performance ers, and is willing to do something ‘show us your tits,’ to which she about the racism and sexism prevproceeded to leave the stage and alent in today’s society. slap him. Whilst riding the sub1992, Princess Nokia’s first way, Frasqueri was witness to a album, is a perfect window into

her life, exploring all the elements that make her Destiny Frasqueri, released in 2017. In ‘Goth Kid’, she explores her difficult upbringing and childhood. ‘You have no clue to how I lived, in foster care, abused as kids... I was sleeping in the cemetery/Kind of cute, a little scary.’ ‘Brick City’ is for her hometown New York, and her style changes throughout the song, from a more masculine to a feminine sound in the bridge, a reflection of her versatility in sound and in life. In ‘Bart Simpson’, she embodies her classic tomboy ideology and weaves in her feminist stance; ‘I really like Marvel because the characters look just like me / And women don’t have roles that make them look too sexually’. 1992 feels real and intimate, and took a long time in the making. Her pride and confidence in her Puerto Rican roots comes out in ‘Brujas’, laden with references to Yoruban culture and a celebration of her ‘bruja’ (Spanish for ‘witch’) ancestors.

Ever the experimenter, Nokia’s latest EP A Girl Cried Red is the genre mash-up of the year, mixing emo and goth with rap and hip hop, a nostalgic project for her as this goth kid sub-culture was very much a part of her younger life.

It’s different and still very personal, and Princess Nokia never fails to always be herself whoever that may be. Her outlook on life is empowering, as is her overcoming of a troubled upbringing, and with her lyrical talent and strength in her beliefs it’s not long before Princess Nokia will be truly taking over the rap scene.

Album Review: Pale Waves- My Mind Makes Noises Andrew Pollard Music Critic

A lot has already been made of Pale Waves’ evident identity crisis, and for good reason. Gothdom doesn’t appear to be merely a passing phase for the band: it’s a lifestyle, mum. Vocalist Heather Baron-Gracie and drummer Ciara Doran look like they mistook The Rolling Stones’ ‘Paint It Black’ for a TED Talk, the result being a seriously committed aesthetic.

Frost-white skin, black everything else; it all holds together perfectly as long as you ignore the two other dudes who must’ve wronged Heather at some point and have thus been relegated to wearing strictly regular-people clothes.

The consistency of this image falters a teensy bit more, though, when you actually hit play on their debut album, My Mind Makes Noises, and are confronted with extremely conventional synth-pop? Eh? Why is this band making this music?

Ignoring aesthetics for a second, the group’s musical stylings make total sense. They’re signed to Dirty Hit; a label known for pushing acts as black and brooding as The Japanese House, Superfood, and The 1975; they

were propelled to popularity in part by playing support on The 1975’s North American tour last year. Their first two singles, ‘There’s a Honey’ and ‘Television Romance’, were produced by Matt Healy and George Daniel from The 1975; and the music video for ‘Television Romance’ was even directed by Matt Healy fro- wait, have I mentioned The 1975 a few too many times already.

“The compositional similarities (to The 1975) are there from the outset” To be fair, it’s reductive to view Pale Waves as simply a byproduct of Healy and co.’s influences, but the compositional similarities are there from the outset, and this does go some way towards explaining why they seem so desperate to carve out such an extravagant image for themselves. Put bluntly, My Mind Makes Noises just isn’t enough to make the band

memorable on its own.

It’s hardly awful. There’s a decent amount of chugging synthbass and sparkly guitar work that sounds solid in isolation, particularly on ‘Noises’ and ‘Television Romance’, which feature genuinely catchy choruses and crisp guitar leads, even if the latter does come off as a slightly more consequential retread of earlier track ‘There’s a Honey’. The instrumental that closes out ‘When Did I Lose It All?’ might sound like the end of an episode of Gossip Girl, but it features nicely layered production and gratuitously dramatic guitar that’s difficult not to smile at. Opener ‘Eighteen’ begins with atmospheric arpeggios that would be a great teaser of things to come if said things weren’t a numb head and a desire to never speak to a young person ever again.

I say that because Pale Waves’ greatest problem is that. One album in and they’re already lyrically and sonically stagnant.

Listening to nearly an hour of what feels like the same clichéd love song, I found that several breaks were necessary simply to avoid getting a headache. Aside from the album closer, there are two types of song to be found here: Baron-Gracie is either bliss-

fully caught up in a whirlwind romance, or tearing herself apart over the end of another. Lines like ‘Is it really me that you want?’, ‘Baby are we gonna make it this time?’ and ‘Won’t you give me one last night?’ make up the bulk of the album’s lyrical offerings; statements vague enough for an anxious teenager to project themselves onto, but so disposable that tracks, especially in the latter half, bleed together even with repeated listens.

“Pale Waves’ greatest problem is that, one album in, they’re already lyrical and sonically stagnant” What notable lyricism there is acts only as a detriment to the record overall. ‘Are you getting off with someone else?’ is rendered with earth-shattering consequence on ‘She,’ while ‘When Did I Lose It All?’ sees Baron-

Gracie at her most laughably noncommittal with ‘I wanna marry you / But not now.’ Lacking any instances of remarkably deft writing, it’s these moments of borderline self-parody that stick out above all else, and Pale Waves risk becoming defined by their greatest faux pas.

The record closes with a slow, pared back, heartfelt track about one of the singer’s family members, as all the best The 1975 albums do. It’s harmless, it’s different, but it’s effectively a bonus track and I won’t be revisiting it.

Honestly, I’d struggle to say the vast majority of songs on here are even bad. Taken individually, it’s all pretty inoffensive stuff.

Perfectly fine. Permissible. Good background noise. The moments when Pale Waves go beyond this level, though, are far too rare to make My Mind Makes Noises gripping or worth returning to. It’s a decent groundwork, and with some development the band could eventually produce a genuine hit -I’d bet a non-substantial amount of money on it- but potential doesn’t make their current output any less of a slog. Neither does the eyeshadow.

MUSIC

Friday 9th November 2018

@redbrickmusic

Redbrick Meets: Tekno Disco Nathan Davies Music Critic

It has now been over 18 months since the first Tekno Disco show, what initially kick-started the project?

All of us at Tekno Disco have a massive passion for underground music and so the idea was always lingering in the back of our minds.

However, the project subconsciously kick-started back in November of 2016, after hosting a 300+ man house party in Manchester called ‘0161 TechnoDisco’ named after the area code and Kink’s Remix. After putting on one of the best house parties of the year (with us DJing) we decided to take things into the club. In February 2018, we launched our debut night at Koh Tao (now known as Cubo) in Fallowfield – we sold the night out and couldn’t have wished for a better start!

Tekno Disco was born from a passion for DJing, collecting rare music and records, but most importantly sharing music to one another. The 70s, 80s and 90s scene spearheaded by the likes of Larry Levan, Frankie Knuckles and Fashion brands such as Fiorucci have and continue to heavily influence our taste in music and parties.

Following its launch, it did not take long before Tekno Disco debuted in Birmingham at Tunnel Club, how did this first venture outside of Manchester come about?

Tunnel Club came about from having a great network of friends

and also a blind sense of confidence after selling out our first two events in Manchester. When we ended up selling 500 tickets at our Birmingham debut with only ourselves and a group of friends DJing, then we knew we had started something special. Tekno Disco isn’t really attached to a particular city, we started in Manchester but our love of music and putting on events is what keeps us travelling across the country, playing to new crowds and gaining attention from students and artists alike.

Having also played at Spotlight, Lab 11, Hare & Hounds, and Monastery since then, could you pick a favourite Birmingham venue?

The best thing about Birmingham compared to most cities is the incredible amount of

venues, not only by numbers but the characteristics that make every one so unique. Hare & Hounds have undoubtedly one of the best intimate spaces in the country, whilst LAB11’s scale and variety filled the gap perfectly after the Rainbow Saga. Another one of our favourites has to be The Monastery, once a church and now a haven for electronic music ranging from Techno, House, DNB, you name it. Our collaboration event with our favourite Birmingham brand Reflect was certainly one to remember.With the addition of The Blackbox, The Mill and all the other amazing venues, Birmingham is one of the hottest spots in the country for small and large scale promoters.

You have already showcased artists such as Mella Dee and O’Flynn, and Shadow City

Adriana Vasile

Live Review: Sons of Kemet Letty Gardner Music Editor

Playing a sold-out show at Hare & Hounds on Friday 26th, four-piece London jazz outfit Sons of Kemet presented a relentless, incredible energy. Shabaka Hutchings, Tom Skinner, Theon Cross, and Eddie Hick fully satisfied an expectant audience, showing why they have been heralded as such an important and exciting collective.

Mercury Prize-nominated band Sons of Kemet sold out their small capacity Hare & Hounds show shortly after their electrifying performance on the awards show.

Their nominated album Your Queen is a Reptile is an ode to famous women of colour, each track being named after an influential black woman. The album is largely sonically-driven, rather than lyrically, and in their live performance the band did away with vocals all together, focusing solely on manipulating the sounds of their four instruments to create an ever-changing one-and-a-half-hour set.

Shabaka Hutchings, who formed the group, dislikes the

‘jazz’ label, citing his influences as wider and less blues-inflected, from drum and bass to hip hop.

The band are heavily associated with the jazz genre, winning Best Jazz Act at the MOBOs in the past, yet their live show draws in so many influences that it’s clear to see that these musicians do not constrict themselves within genre, but rather use it as a base point to build upon.

“These musicians do not constrict themselves within genre” Notable tracks from the show included ‘My Queen is Mamie Phipps Clark’, and ‘My Queen is Albertina Sisulu’, however their live show is a lot less formulaic than an album play-through. They build their tempos and franticness up and up until you think they can’t possibly keep playing, only at this breaking point changing up the tempo even further, bewilder-

ing their audience as to their stamina and their skill. Barely giving the audience or themselves time to breathe, the set was packed full.

Made up solely of one saxophone (Hutchings), one tuba (Cross), and two drumkits (Skinner and Hick), each musician took his time to perform a solo, both letting the other musicians rest and showing his own extensive skill. It was at these points that their musicality was most impressive, especially Cross’ tuba solo which, though simple, was mesmerising. The audience were totally in awe, almost laughing at points as the band teased us with their ceaseless energy. Their music got totally inside you and didn’t let go until the final note, making it an almost isolated experience, nobody discussing the tracks or singing along, only listening. Ending the dazzling raucous show with a slow and slight tenor sax solo over scattered drums, Sons of Kemet’s live show is like no other I’ve been to, and fully explains why this four-piece is becoming one of the most important bands in London’s current jazz scene.

Soundsystem. Going forwards, which artists would you be most keen to feature?

We’ve got some big bookings lined up for the 2018/19 season, however some artists that have always been on our bucket list are Egyptian Lover and Mr G, purely because of their party-starter attitude, and incredible love for music, both when DJing and in their live sets. Another one would have to be Juan Atkins, purely for his contribution to techno, as well as his legendary status. Whilst all our bookings represent the forward-thinking attitude we have as promoters and DJs, the best thing about this job is giving students and upcoming DJs as many playing opportunities as possible – especially if it’s their first ever DJ set! We are always looking to connect with new people and give them the perfect platform to express themselves and have fun.

Our main focus has always been about the party itself - that’s what Tekno Disco is all about. You don’t need a massive booking to throw a good party and that’s the reason why people keep coming back.

Which have been the stand-out shows since the project began?

That’s a tricky question! Every event we’ve put on over the past 18 months has been an amazing experience with our events growing from strength to strength every single time. Our best two highlights have got to be our first ever event in Ibiza, which is still hard to process that it actually happened. Back in the U.K it would have to be the sold out Rooftop Party w/ O’Flynn + Harrison BDP at LAB11 for the finale of the Tekno Disco 2018 Tour. After being on the road for a whole week playing seven consecutive parties across the country, it couldn’t have had more of a perfect ending. The party itself was incredible and we can’t wait to do another one soon!

Tekno Disco has been quickly moving from strength to strength, what drives this ambitious progression and what might we expect to see from you in the future?

We are continuously growing as a brand, promoters and as a DJ collective with new members being added to the team across the country. Every city is a new project and expect to see plenty more parties in Manchester , Birmingham, Liverpool, and Bristol. We’re also in the process of expanding even more so keep your eyes peeled for our next destination! With the brand slowly establishing itself we’re putting more of a focus on our new DJ alias 808 Moët translating from ‘Champagne Drum Machine’.

We’ve been getting an incredible reception for this new sound we’re bringing to Tekno Disco and with hopefully some of our own tunes to be released in the future, who knows what will happen! Our summer goals for 2019 would have to be festivals. It’s the next stage for us as a brand and we want to take this sound to new places across the country and even overseas again.

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Upcoming Events Editors’ picks: Horse Meat Disco, Crazy P and more, LAB11, 16th November Horse Meat Disco are joined by legendary disco outfit Crazy P for this Love International event.

The significance of the event, which also features Shadow City Soundsystem, would seem unworthy of being hosted in the small confines of LAB11.

Alfa Mist, Hare & Hounds, 21st November Alfa Mist’s Hare & Hounds show is sure to be an intimate event showcasing the artist’s hip-hop inflected jazz. His 2017 release Antiphon was a mix of cleverlywrought jazz, and his recent follow-up EP 7th October:Epilogue continues this, promising an interesting show.

Best of the rest: Leon Bridges, O2 Institute, 11th November Ezra Collective, Hare & Hounds, 12th November Tom Misch, O2 Academy, 12th November Yxng Bane, O2 Institute, 14th November The Aces, Hare & Hounds, 14th November Souljam, LAB11, 14th November Kojey Radical, O2 Academy, 15th November Hinds, The Mill, 17th November Billy Ocean, Symphony Hall, 17th November Courtney Barnett, O2 Academy, 19th November Unknown Mortal Orchestra, O2 Institute, 19th November Tropical Soundclash, Hare & Hounds, 23rd November Slaves, O2 Academy, 23rd November Mogwai, The Mill, 23rd November The Japanese House, O2 Institute, 24th November

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FILM

Friday 9th November 2018

@redbrickfilm

Review: Juliet, Naked

Film Critic Kim Garande is charmed by Ethan Hawke in this Nick Hornby adaptation Kim Garande Film Critic

Juliet, Naked actually refers to the title of an album in the movie by fictional 90s rockstar Tucker Crowe (Ethan Hawke), which features ‘stripped back’ versions of songs that were in his bestselling album Juliet. This adaptation of Nick Hornby’s novel, directed

by Jesse Peretz, follows Annie (Rose Byrne) and her immense frustration at constantly being second best to the affections of her boyfriend, Duncan (Chris O’Dowd). Duncan is obsessed with Tucker Crowe, a rock star who was especially popular in the 90s. His passion for Tucker extends to the fan website that he has set up for others around the world who share his love, a love that Annie neither understands nor shares. Fed up, Annie posts a

negative review of Juliet, Naked on Duncan’s website, much to his dismay and she soon gets an email from someone who agrees very strongly with her – Tucker Crowe himself. The pair go on to exchange emails and, after Duncan’s mistake that compromises his relationship with Annie, it is clear to see the direction this story might take.

“Hawke is extremely well suited to his role” Juliet, Naked elicits a variety of relatable feelings such as those that surface when you try to introduce someone to your passion, and are unfortunately met with disinterest. This is perhaps why audiences cannot possibly hate

Universal Pictures

Duncan, but rather draw parallels between him and themselves or other fangirls and boys that they know. What is interesting is how the movie takes something that we are so familiar with (‘fangirl’ culture) and makes us consider all aspects of it; particularly its impact on the fans, the family and the celebrities themselves. There is a scene in the movie where Annie, Duncan and his hero-slashlove-rival Tucker are all having dinner. This scene is reminiscent of the final verse in Eminem’s song ‘Stan’ which depicts the dangers of celebrity obsession that then turn to rage when that love goes unacknowledged by the object of desire. Duncan tells his idol, who is no longer a fan of his own music that, ‘Art isn’t for the artist just like water isn’t for the bloody plumber’, which is particularly memorable and thoughtprovoking. However, it feels as though the opportunity to further explore this idea was missed.

Ethan Hawke is extremely well suited to his role as the washed-up rock star. He is depicted as exceptionally likeable, which is brought about not only by his charismatic demeanour but also his relationship with his youngest son, Jackson (Azhy Robertson). His self-awareness and shame at being an absentee father to four out of five of his children paint him as a man who has clearly made many regrettable mistakes in his lifetime.

Effortlessly suave, the tension

between Hawke and Byrne was incredibly convincing despite the questionable age gap. A notable scene is Tucker and Annie’s awkward first encounter after having spent so much time emailing. It feels organic and authentic and both are extremely aware of it, a small yet poignant moment that many will relate to.

“It is not difficult to choose between Tucker and the pretentious, bumbling Duncan” Rose Byrne is very likeable as Annie, her feelings of frustration and exclusion within her relationship with Duncan invite sympathy for her very early in the movie. At times, however, it seems slightly ridiculous that such a lovely, beautiful woman would have wasted fifteen years with someone like Duncan, who is clearly unappreciative of her. It would be nice to see their relationship in both a positive and negative light: to get a fully rounded picture in order to understand why they were together in the first place.

However, it appears that we are introduced to their unsuitability from the get-go. This lack of

depth in their relationship makes the stakes pretty low which means that it is not difficult to choose between Tucker and the pretentious, bumbling Duncan. Besides Chris O’Dowd’s Irish accent and sweet dopey face, there is not much to like about Duncan.

However, whilst his love for Tucker is nonsensical at times, it works well for comedic purposes and O’Dowd’s performance is admirable.

The ending of Juliet, Naked feels quite abrupt and, though this is frustrating, it seems like the safest bet. The film could easily explore more but clearly does not want to risk overstaying its welcome, which is probably the wisest decision. The ambiguity of the ending, followed by a funny credit scene allows the audience to determine their own conclusions.

VERDICT: Ultimately, Juliet, Naked is a good and enjoyable film, although a deeper dive into the character’s backgrounds, such as the reason for Tucker’s 25-year hiatus, would add more depth to the movie and the relationships between characters, and would enhance the plot. Overall, it is nothing short of fun, sweet and wholesome.

Review: Peterloo

Mike Leigh’s telling of an important moment in British history somewhat misses mark Kat Forbes Film Critic

On 16th August 1819, 600 Hussars attacked a crowd of 60,000 at a peaceful assembly in St Peter’s Square. The assembly were listening to speakers and protesting for greater working class representation in the Houses of Parliament. The attack left 18 people dead and 700 injured. Journalists, who were speaking at the assembly, were arrested and imprisoned by the local yeomanry. This event became known as ‘The Peterloo Massacre’, in an ironic play on words of the Battle of Waterloo that happened a few years before.

The Peterloo Massacre was influential in expanding the suffrage of working class men and led to the founding of newspapers such as The Guardian.

Mike Leigh’s Peterloo, covers the build-up to the massacre with the actual event having about 30 minutes of screen time in the 154-minute film. This build-up mostly consists of following the many different storylines of the men involved in the massacre. From Henry Hunt (Rory Kinnear), to Lord Sidmouth, the Home Secretary (Karl Johnson) and even a couple

of scenes with the Prince Regent (Tim McInnerny), to say the plot of the film is male-dominated is an understatement. The film follows the stories of magistrates, newspaper editors, factory workers – however what it fails most to cover is the stories of women.

This is slightly harsh: the leading female character Nellie (Maxine Peake) has a number of scenes where she struggles to care for her family and discusses the assembly with her husband. Additionally, there is a single scene where women form a league to support male suffrage. But, other than these moments, women play incredibly minor supporting roles throughout the film. Being realistic, the covering of the story of Peterloo would have to be somewhat male-dominated, as the story and the time were male-dominated. However, was it really necessary to make the film that malecentric?

“To say the plot of the film is maledominated is an understatement” Looking at the film as a whole, it was interesting, but also long

Film4 Productions

“Some major story issues ... drag it into the mire”

and slow. I checked the time during the film, thinking it was near the end, and I was only an hour in.

Peterloo could have been made much better if it were just shorter; however, with 154 minutes of mostly conversational scenes, it ends up draining and average. In terms of the acting, there are a lot of strong performances, particularly from Vincent Franklin and David Moorst who managed to push me through. Overall, for a film that covers the story of a massacre, I do not think it captures the horror of the event; instead, it mainly portrays the confusion and fear of the people

and the arrests of the speakers.

Additionally, in the aftermath of the event, one of the scenes shown is of two journalists in the Square, surrounded by the dead, discussing how they can market the massacre as ‘Peterloo’. This comes off as completely unfeeling, and is a strange and unnecessary addition to the film. Peterloo is a film about the power and development of the newspapers in the nineteenth century and much less about the loss of life and the oppression of the working classes.

I feel like Peterloo is a boring and uncaring way to cover the events of 16th August 1819.

VERDICT: Peterloo provides very little to the world of cinema and, with its lengthy runtime, you would think that it would cover this horrific massacre with more detail and compassion. As well as this, I cannot quite get over the film’s lack of female representation. Peterloo is decidedly average; see it if you want to but you won’t miss much if you don’t.

FILM

Friday 9th November 2018

@redbrickfilm

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Review: Slaughterhouse Rulez

Film Critic Matt Taylor laments horror-comedy’s waste of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost Matt Taylor Film Critic

The sub-genre of horror-comedy is a tricky one to navigate. Even more so than either of its parental categories, it is a genre that is full of duds. Granted, there are a few gems here and there – The Cabin in the Woods, Zombieland and What We Do in the Shadows are some of the most memorable in recent years, though Edgar Wright’s Shaun of the Dead remains the best – but it is mostly a bit of a naff genre. It is a difficult style of film to make; the balance between comedy and horror is one that a lot of people struggle to find. Slaughterhouse Rulez is the latest to attempt to break the genre into the mainstream, but I am sad to say that it, too, is pretty naff.

Crispian Mills directs a cast led by Finn Cole as Don Wallace, a teenager sent to a posh boarding school who is left fighting for his life after a nearby fracking opens up a sinkhole that unleashes horrors onto the school grounds. If this sounds like the premise for a fun romp with a few scares, that’s because it is – it is just a shame that Slaughterhouse Rulez is neither funny nor scary.

“Much of the ... humour is strangely and uncomfortably homophobic” This is a film that has flaws aplenty, not least of which is its style of humour. To put things into perspective, the film decides to open with a dead parent joke that is, frankly, horrific. I still cannot fathom what the filmmakers were aiming for with a joke of this sort, but they missed the mark wildly. And it does not really get any better: much of the rest of the humour is strangely and uncomfortably homophobic – perhaps expected for a film set in an all-boys private school,

but that does not make it excusable. I lost count of the number of dick jokes there were, or how many times one was made to be followed by a casually homophobic remark. Slaughterhouse cannot seem to decide what it wants its audience to be; the abundance of lazy sex jokes would seem to suggest it wants to be watched by teenage boys, but its 15 rating from the BBFC cuts out much of this demographic. It is all very confusing.

“Pegg is on usual good sporting form, but his character does almost nothing of consequence” Slaughterhouse is also potentially triggering for no reason whatsoever. There are plenty of references made to a boy’s suicide (which itself happened prior to the film’s events) which fail to add anything to the final product. It seems like an attempt to flesh out another of the characters and to potentially explore the nature of homophobia in teenage boys, but it just does not land. One of the reasons the BBFC gave the film a 15 rating is for its ‘suicide references’ – it is therefore well documented that inclusion of these is dodgy, so you may think that something would be done about it, or it would be active in some way, but it is not. This content is just there, without adding anything, but further alienating the audience (and the potential to appeal to a younger demographic).

The cast can’t do anything to save the proceedings either. The three seasoned actors (Michael Sheen, Simon Pegg, Nick Frost) are all astounding performers – but here they are entirely wasted. Frost in particular is given nothing to do apart from offer our teenage protagonists some drugs – though he does admittedly get the only laugh from me in the entire film. Pegg is on

Sony Pictures

usual good sporting form, but his character does almost nothing of consequence. Sheen is perhaps the best of the bunch – and his character isn’t even given a proper name. The younger cast are fine. Again, it feels as though they are being let down by their one-dimensional characters rather than a lack of acting ability. Hermione Cornfield plays Clemsie, the love interest of Don, but it is as though she is only there to be ogled at. There is of course a scene where she ends up shirtless in the freezingcold woods in the middle of the night and none of the male characters offer her a jacket, even though they all have one. I cannot say I have ever been in this exact situation, but I am positive the right thing to do here, especially if the girl who is at risk of contracting hypothermia is someone I have a hypothetical crush on, is to give her a damn jacket! It is things like this which Sony Pictures

again suggest the teenage boy demographic, but it just makes no sense in this film.

“[The script] is simultaneously uninventive and extremely restricting” I should stress that I lay these faults not with the actors, but with the film’s poor script; it is simultaneously uninventive and extremely restricting, as well as being paper thin. The film has an anti-fracking political message (indeed, it is the nearby fracking that causes the deaths of so many pupils over the course of the film), but it is so lazily explored that it barely even registers. It demonises everyone who supports fracking, painting them as soulless corporates whose only interest is money – the company is literally called ‘TerraFrack’ – while portraying everyone else as normal people. The attempted analysis here is so simplistic, so black and white, that you wish they had just left it alone. It brings nothing new to the table, to the extent that you would be forgiven if you forgot all about it.

“Once we reach the last third ... there is genuinely a bit of fun to be had” Thankfully, Slaughterhouse Rulez, is not one-hundred percent terrible: though the first

hour is an absolute slog, the closing forty minutes are fun enough. The creature design is pretty good, and there is a notably good mix of practical effects and CGI in their rendering. Once we reach the last third we finally get a decent pace going, and there is genuinely a bit of fun to be had. Having said that, however, even some of this does not work. There is a reveal which is played as though it is of the same calibre as that in The Cabin in the Woods, but it isn’t earned; the film isn’t smart or fun enough to deserve something like that, and it is wasted. We also do not care even a little bit about any of the characters – the story’s romantic elements feel like they are just ticking boxes. There are plenty of annoying and inconsistent character moments, and everyone is just so one-note that we are never given a reason to be interested in them. They, like the film itself, are aimless, just kind of there and hoping that they are doing the right things in their efforts to save themselves.

Sadly, they are not; despite what the title would have you believe, Slaughterhouse doesn’t rule – it sucks.

VERDICT: A largely pointless affair which is too insensitive and problematic to be funny, and not scary enough to be a good horror. It offers nothing new in any aspect of its being, and is too simplistic in its worldview to contribute anything to the debate around fracking.

There is perhaps a smidge of fun to be had towards the end, but by that time you’ll likely be wishing it were over already.

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TELEVISION

Friday 9th November 2018

@redbricktv

Review: Inside No. 9 Live

Kat Smith discusses how the BBC show pulled off the biggest TV prank of the year

BBC

Kat Smith Deputy Editor

With four series under its belt, Inside No. 9 had already made its name as an anthology series comparable to the mastery of Black Mirror, with creators Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith being firmly established as connoisseurs of the unexpected.

But following the live Halloween special on Sunday night, the duo shocked even the most seasoned watchers. If you haven’t seen it yet, you must. Stop reading and watch it. With writers,

producers and actors alike failing to miss a single beat, the episode was terrifying, exciting but above all, ridiculously clever.

With vast advertising in the days preceding it, viewers were led to believe that Pemberton and Shearsmith were to perform an episode live, where the set-up felt like we were the audience of a sitcom. I wasn’t entirely convinced by a live episode, assuming it would merely diminish the quality of the filming and acting. I was even worried there’d be the occasional fake laugh coming from an overly-enthusiastic audience member (there wasn’t).

As noted in the promotion for the episode, it all started with a phone being found in a graveyard.

Admittedly this was a suspiciously cliché premise for such ingenious creators and although doubt crossed my mind, I didn’t give it too much thought. The characters felt familiar to the usual personalities found in Inside No. 9 even if the darkness came a little earlier than is normal for a show that seeks to shock. Suggestions of ghosts were interjected but for the most part, the episode felt like it was following a similar vibe to previous episodes of the show. I should have known that I was

being entirely naïve to what was to come.

After cutting to a scene where the duo’s characters meet and speak about the owner of the phone, the sound began cutting out. I was worried it was just my laptop, switching browser and refreshing to see if the sound came back, but there was nothing. A continuity announcement apologised for the ‘technical difficulties’ and after these failed to be resolved, nine minutes in we were offered a re-run of ‘A Quiet Night In’. But this is where things started to get weird. The final shots shown of the episode gave us a glimpse of a terrifying ghost edited into the background, and this is when I started watching the remainder of the episode through split fingers.

Flitting erratically between the ‘rehearsal’ for the live show, ‘behind the scenes’ of the live show itself and old episodes of Most Haunted and other vintage BBC clips, the viewer was enlightened to the many layers of this grand plot. As the episode progressed we learned that Granada Studios, where they were supposedly filming the live special, was built on a Victorian mass grave and reports of hauntings were abundant. Throughout the remainder of the half-hour episode, it was jump scares galore, and I knew something bad was going to happen. Finally, each cast member was ‘killed off’ after super-natural happen-

ings plagued the studio and we were given glimpse upon glimpse of Victorian ghost. It’s safe to say, I wasn’t sleeping well that night.

In a generation of TV where so much is seen on catch-up or on streaming websites, Inside No. 9 Live made spectacular use of the traditional format. When you can’t skip forward to see what happens next when your curiousity gets the better of you, or Google what happens next, there was a definite sense of exhilaration that electrified the story even further. That being said, I’m confident it is still a stunning watch even if you know the twists and the shock-factor is diminished.

It’ll still make you jump out of your seat and spend the next hour scrolling through Twitter for everyone’s insights. The prank was even set up on The One Show, where Pemberton and Shearsmith laughed off questions over their belief in ghosts. It was all very surreal as the show escaped the boundaries of the TV screen with Pemberton not having tweeted since, continuing the games.

Carefully crafted and perfectly executed, there’s no doubt Inside No. 9 pulled off the TV event of the year. Sure, you may have to sleep with one eye open for a few days but it’s a small price to pay for a stunning experience.

More Movement for Top Gear Dan Alcock examines whether the BBC's choice for new Top Gear hosts will fuel the show in the right direction Dan Alcock Television Critic

It’s hard to believe that Top Gear has survived the past few years; it seems to be a property that the BBC just cannot let go of.

In an unexpected move, Freddie Flintoff and Paddy McGuinness are now confirmed to be taking the driving seat from Matt LeBlanc, along with previous presenter Chris Harris. This will be the show’s biggest change since the departure of Clarkson, Hammond and May, an era that the series has since been living in the shadow of. But were these newcomers the right choice? Will they be able to save Top Gear from its falling ratings?

The initial revival of the show following Jeremy Clarkson’s infamous ‘incident’ with a producer was bumpy at first.

Nonetheless, the past few series have allowed Matt LeBlanc, Chris Harris and Rory Reid to recreate the format of the show whilst maintaining its core values. These three began to develop a chemistry that was delightful to watch, and the balance between comedic entertainment and genuine automania had finally returned enough to rival previous hosts’ show The Grand Tour.

LeBlanc’s departure was a massive blow to this working formula, but initially comfort could be found in the fact that Harris and Reid were seemingly remaining and could potentially make the show their own.

However, the BBC were likely concerned that these two were not familiar enough to represent the image of Top Gear. It’s important to remember that Top Gear has a huge worldwide market, being broadcasted to over

200 countries, and the merchandise alone has brought in a lot of revenue for BBC Worldwide.

Therefore, having distinctively recognisable faces to steer the show into the future may help maintain this international audience.

"Having recognisable faces to steer the show may help maintain its international audience"

The strategy does make sense.

Flintoff is known for his versatility, not only from being one of the most famous cricketers of the modern era, but more recently from his foray into media. In

particular, he won the Australian version of I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here, perhaps an attractive accolade to television producers as it shows his popularity for a separate and large national audience. On the other hand, Paddy McGuinness represents the quintessential British bloke. For the UK audience he is popular for being the star of Take Me Out, and his friendly nature could positively translate over to other territories.

However, it is baffling that the decision has been made to fully shake the team dynamic again. Rory Reid was a fantastic host, providing some thoughtful and inspiring features on cars that he expressed raw emotion about. Demoting him to solely present secondary show Extra Gear is an insult to his ability.

Chris Harris is good, but presenting appears to come less natural-

ly to him. It was the friendship and natural wit that seemed to be developing between the two that helped the series recover from the Evans era. One replacement for Matt LeBlanc should have been enough, so introducing two new hosts adds an element of uncertainty.

Opinions on social media have been less than keen. Once again people are claiming that Top Gear is dead for good, although that is exactly what has been said for the past few years and so far, it has not been the case.

Is this the end for Top Gear?

Only time will tell. Hopefully the BBC know what they are doing, and we could be about to see a fresh new lifespan for the popular series. Without LeBlanc and Reid, the future is undetermined, but Flintoff and McGuinness could prove everyone wrong.

TELEVISION

Friday 9th November 2018

@redbricktv

Review: Making a Murderer Niamh Brennan shares her thoughts on whether Part 2 of the truecrime documentary series is as biased as the first Niamh Brennan Television Editor

In the time since I had first watched Making a Murderer I had almost entirely convinced myself that Steven Avery was guilty and that the documentary series had depicted a biased account of the events that had unfolded. Many articles and posts online from those who knew the case prior to the series being released on Netflix discussed integral aspects of the case that writers and directors Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos had ‘forgotten’ to include in the show, so my natural instinct was to assume that the documentary was hiding the truth. Knowing that the case since had largely been tracked by both the news and social media, I was also concerned that I would be bored by facts I already knew.

I had little reason to doubt Making a Murderer, however, as ‘Part 2’ dealt with these issues almost immediately. The first episode was primarily dedicated to the reception that Avery and Brendan Dassey’s cases have received since the first season aired, fully recognising its status as a global phenomenon but hinting that it wasn’t going to be impacted by it. It then swiftly introduced Avery’s new lawyer Kathleen Zellner. An already high-profile lawyer known for her work on false convictions,

Zellner’s involvement somehow reassures the viewer of Avery’s innocence. She is the centre of this season, making her way through every piece of evidence and every theory using professional scientific theorists to discount the prosecutors original case.

Additionally, this season does not focus solely on disproving Avery and Dassey’s guilt, but also recognises that there is also a case that needs to be solved. Teresa Halbach was murdered, and to just focus on the exoneration of those accused of her murder ignores the plight of a family for answers. The second season therefore appears more sensitive to not just two, but all three victims in the case.

Interestingly, the facts I knew about the progress of the case made little difference to my viewing of the second series, mainly due to the processes of bringing new evidence to light and discarding previous evidence.

The viewer becomes involved in the process, being privy to investigations into blood spatter patterns and the different forms of human DNA residue. Even if you become disinterested in the case itself the series is a fountain of knowledge of how a case moves

through the courts after an initial conviction. The series maps out the stages that both Avery and Dassey’s lawyers have to follow to overturn their respective convictions. This is especially remarkable in regards to Brendan Dassey’s well documented (but little understood) near-release from prison in 2016. It is Dassey’s case that is most overtly unjust, and the case I am most keen to see overturned.

It was therefore equally fascinating and frustrating to view the reasons Netflix why this case is still being battled in the court system despite such an overtly false confession and subsequent imprisonment.

One thing that concerns me in respect of Making a Murderer’s popularity is the media frenzy that has followed it. What are the ethics surrounding allowing a case that is being fought to be so globally visible? Although this season has tried its best to cover legal technicalities and to be less biased than the first, viewers will still only see what the directors choose to present to them. Intentionally or not, this may limit the extent to

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Top TV Picks for November

which the case can operate in a completely unbiased fashion, as many will have pre-formed conceptions of the case already. In addition, everyone involved will be aware of the fact they are not just being judged by the federal and judicial systems, but also by millions of viewers of Making a Murderer. The show has already had real life negative consequences for some involved, with prosecutor Ken Kratz receiving threats of violence and death to him and his family after the first season aired. Although the show’s popularity allowed Avery and Dassey the platform to receive better legal help, it is Louis Theroux: Altered difficult to tell whether the States media frenzy will benefit the case in the long term.

BBC I am already seeing cries on 11th November social media for a third season.

Although my reservations about the series have lessened as I watch, I doubt whether the world really needs any more. The cases are now so high profile that any further advances will be available to the public in all kinds of detail months or years before they see it on the small screen.

We no longer need Ricciardi and Demos to spell it out for us. The future of Avery The and Romanoffs Dassey’s cases should now be left to news Amazon Prime reporting until it comes to a final and permanent ending.

12th October

Why Are We So Attracted to Naked Attraction?

Narcos: Mexico Netflix 16th November

Morgana Chess considers whether the daring dating show objectifies its participants or in fact works to educate viewers on sex and gender Morgana Chess Television Editor

Channel 4’s Naked Attraction is British television at its absolute finest. The show’s mantra runs: ‘We like to start where a good date ends... naked’ and it upholds this pledge honourably. The viewer is greeted with an array of vaginas, penises, and everything in-between, within just a few short minutes of screentime.

Much like the brainwave that is Gogglebox, the show is built on a simple premise: one singleton chooses a date from a line-up of six hopefuls, judging them solely by their physical appearance... minus the clothes.

The matchmaking process is divided into phases. Each candidate stands in a glass cubicle with a screen that is raised to reveal more of their naked body with each round. Round one: genitalia. Round two: chest; then face; then voice. What better way to find love? At the end, the choosing contestant also strips off. My personal favourite

moment is the awkward naked hug between the newly-formed couple, before they walk off to their first date together, bare buttocks swinging side-by-side.

"The show has been accused of being tacky, indecent and objectifying" Understandably, the show does not lack controversy, and has been accused of being tacky, indecent and objectifying. Indeed, it does sound a bit like windowshopping as the contestant weighs up the pros and cons of various vulvas, but in this, I would argue, also lies the show’s greatest strength. Naked Attraction presents a true diversity of body types and actually has an educational slant. Presented by Anna Richardson, whose other works include The Sex Education Show,

Naked Attraction provides us with interesting facts and statistics about all things sex, dating and gender-related. The hope is that people are drawn in by what initially sounds like a tacky, gimmicky concept and instead receive a little education. Those who come expecting just Take Me Out with knobs on, leave knowing how a sex change works, or that 82% of women prefer girth to length, for example.

A new series of the show has just begun and the first episode, as can be expected, doesn’t beat around the bush. First up is ladfrom-Leeds Charles, who selects his naked date from a group of six women. The show tells us what we really want to know, reuniting the couple six weeks after the first date so we can see if the relationship has blossomed or who stopped texting who - a couple from a previous series even got engaged.

The episode’s second contestant was Lee, who identifies as a non-binary pansexual and, to use Anna’s phrase, chooses their date from ‘a real smorgasbord’ of

hopefuls. Several of Lee’s options were mid-transitioning and the episode provides a real education, defining the terms ‘cis’, ‘non-binary’ and generally showing the viewing public that not all relationships fit into the same mould.

Naked Attraction is a great one to watch with the flatmates as well. With each round’s bodily reveal, there are communal ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’ as you are met with pubes and boobs galore. In an age of filtered selfies, curated dating profiles and tinder swipes, stripping back to what really lies underneath comes as a refreshing approach to modern dating. Claims that Naked Attraction is degrading and superficial can therefore be countered. After all, a pierced penis speaks volumes about somebody’s personality.

Tune in to Channel 4 on Thursday evenings to get your naked fix, or check out All 4 for the full catch-up.

The Kominsky Method Netflix 16th November

Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Return Netflix 22nd November

GAMING

Friday 9th November 2018

@redbrickgaming

Taking into account that I am not very old, and my short-term memory leaves a lot to be desired, it is the absolute truth that I cannot remember a world without Grand Theft Auto V. And so, it is the case that Rockstar’s flagship property turned a grand old (GTA) five years old in September - and bearing in mind the release of Red Dead Redemption 2, we perhaps find ourselves quickly moving toward a day where its protagonists are no longer the gamer’s husk of choice whenever we feel like enacting some mindless chaos.

The madness began in 2011 with the announcement that GTA V was indeed in full development.

Promising ‘fast cars at your fingertips’, ‘friendly neighbours’, ‘leadership you can trust’ and ‘affordable healthcare’, the game was billed to be a living, breathing world featuring a functioning stock exchange, a possibly racist police force and three playable miscreants who would get up to their own random shenanigans when the player wasn’t making them drive over mountains in a golf buggy.

In this it delivered. Albeit, sort of. The three playable characters were all well realised, deeply emblematic of three major demographics that players of the Grand Theft Auto series will have come to know well. First Michael, the retired-ish bank robber, middle-aged with the stomach to show it, drinking beside his pool.

Next is Franklin, the obligatory GTA grove street cookie-cutter gang-banger (in the vein of CJ from GTA: San Andreas) who dreams to shake the stereotype and go clean for maybe one mission before he falls straight back into the criminal life. And finally Trevor, who can only be best described as... Trevor. Perhaps you could say he represents the ‘Bible belt’ American redneck stereotype.

The three characters felt well balanced with each other in what was by far the best written game of the franchise. However, whilst looking back at the game in itself, we should also consider the undercurrent controversies that plagued it. It is in the characters that we also run into one of the game’s primary controversies: Rockstar once again chose to forego the inclusion of a female protagonist.

The representation of female characters in the game left a sour taste in the mouth for many gamers. As Carolyn Petit asserts in her review of the game for Gamespot: ‘GTA V has little room for women except to portray them as strippers, prostitutes, longsuffering wives... and goofy, newage feminists we’re meant to laugh at.’ Examples include Michael’s serial polygamist wife, and his completely air-headed daughter who has ‘SKANK’ tattooed across her back. In an interview with The Guardian, Rockstar vice-president and head of creativity Dan Houser plainly stated, “The concept of being masculine was so key to this

“It is a shame Rockstar couldn’t have made even one of its three protagonists female” Whilst I had marginal hopes this might be rectified in the upcoming Red Dead Redemption 2, it is the case we will once again step into the shoes of a male lead.

I do not believe Rockstar to be a misogynist company; it is, however, my firm belief that Rockstar lacks the faith that its community (renowned for toxicity) would react positively to a female protagonist.

Returning to GTA V however, it has to be said that the story does compliment the characters well.

Having replayed a majority of the campaign recently (on PS4) the game is still mightily impressive and guiltily pleasurable. My highest moments can most easily be pinpointed to those missions in which the game allows you to dive head first into planning an Edgar Wright-esque bank heist from scratch: choosing a crew with the appropriate skills, deciding whether to go in quietly or blow the bloody doors off and go in guns blazing, all before then being able to play the heist as whichever protagonists weren’t busy walking around in their underwear.

Whilst the majority of the story is fun, meaningless chaos, in its attempts to shock, Grand Theft Auto V went horrifyingly close to the grain in an uncomfortably personal depiction of torture.

In the mission ‘By the Book’, the player takes control of Trevor as he “interrogates” a man, Mr. K, in an attempt to extract information. The player is encouraged to utilise various equipment and torture methods on the restrained man.

For full context, here is everything you need to do to ‘100%’ the l e v e l : electrocute Mr. K, pull out Mr. K’s tooth, hit Mr. K with the wrench, use waterboarding on Mr. K – a l l

Rockstar

without stopping Mr. K’s heart (because presumably that would be too far)! In my opinion, the level was another example of Rockstar hiding their inherent need to shock behind the grim guise of satire. It was completely gratuitous, with nowhere resembling the correct context that would be needed to excuse the depiction as a caricature of the supposed use of torture techniques by the United States of America government. Less satire, more ‘sad’ and ‘dire’, it was a disturbed dampener on what was an overall engaging and fun story.

What use is a fun story however, if you don’t have a great world to set it in? GTA V was by no means the only game to offer this type of ‘heist’ gameplay (releasing around the same time as the critically acclaimed Payday 2). It managed to set itself apart through its setting in the mad world of Los Santos, where chaos was part and parcel of everyday life. When you entered the missions, you weren’t thrown into totally unfamiliar settings, you were heisting from banks you’d driven/flown or cycled past a million times as you tried to escape a 2-star wanted level for looking at a shopkeeper funny.

Rockstar built a truly colossal, bustling world for their player to live in.

And what a world it was! GTA V’s map clocks in at around 49 square miles, larger than Fallout 4 and Zelda: Breath of the Wild, which clock in at 43 and 22 square miles respectively - more impressive is that GTA V was released for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360! As you would expect from a game with a production budget of $137 million, the game truly pushed the last generation of consoles to their very limits, and raised the bar for what gamers expected from next-gen. It is also the combined excitement of the lush and exciting world and the potential of the heist gameplay that laid the groundwork for the

wildly successful GTA V Online.

Players waited with baited breath for the chance to embark on multiplayer heists across the world of Los Santos.

On March 10th, 2015, Heists were added to GTA V Online and after a short period of server troubles, received great critical acclaim. Some of my fondest memories of the game are playing through those heists with highschool friends until their parents turned their internet off.

“Some of my fondest memories of the game are playing those heists with highschool friends” Since its beginning, GTA V Online has received 35 free content updates, unprecedented in a day and age where games are desperately flogging ‘season passes’ and DLC before the game has even arrived in stores. It’s fair to say that it’s a marketing strategy that has paid off pretty well; in April of this year, IGN reported: “Grand Theft Auto V has made more money than any other form of media in history, with over 90 million units sold and $6 billion in revenue.”

When I began this retrospective, I was excited to revisit a game I had so enjoyed just a couple of years ago. Looking back on Grand Theft Auto V’s time at the forefront of the gaming world it is easy to see a game that pushed the boundaries of what we thought was possible for a whole console generation. However, we also see shock, distasteful representations, community sanctioned toxicity and disturbing gameplay. GTA V deserves its accolades, truly, but Rockstar must do more with its platform if the Grand Theft Auto series truly wishes to play the role of satire.

Until then, happy five years, ya glorified money printer.

Nintendo

Gaming Writer @tomallanmartin

story”. Whilst this is understandable in a game that is so satirical of the American lifestyle (in which toxic masculinity is prevalent), it is a shame that Rockstar couldn’t have made even one of its three protagonists female, perhaps attempting to explore that ‘masculinity’ from the side of a female lead.

5 Arwing (Star Fox)

4

Sega

Tom Martin

Crazy Taxi (Crazy Taxi)

Game Freak

Tom Martin examines how history may treat this blockbuster hit

3

Machamp (Pokemon Sun & Moon)

2

Microsoft

GTA V: Five Years On

Redbrick’s Top 5 Vehicles in Games

Warthog (Halo Series)

1

Nintendo

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Yoshi (Super Mario Series)

GAMING

Friday 9th November 2018

@redbrickgaming

Gaming at a Glance Toby Fox

Revealed: DELTARUNE

Gaming Editor @JamesMacLaw

Toby Fox, developer of the extremely popular indie breakthrough UNDERTALE, has released the first chapter of DELTARUNE. On October 30th 2018, the official Twitter account for Undertale began sending out cryptic messages in all caps, telling folks to come back in a day and see what’s in store. Right on schedule, the account began posting more messages, culminating in a link to a webpage called deltarune.com where the game can be downloaded.

Avoiding spoilers is tough here, so I’ll just say: make sure you have a spare few hours for this demo (the term ‘demo’ feels a bit harsh, given DELTARUNE is so polished, lovely, and delightful).

I didn’t want to stop once I’d started, and so many of the references to the original game intrigued me to the extent that in my head I began creating absurd, meaningless theories about what the links are between the two

games and where on earth Toby Fox is going with this iteration.

That’s really all I can say at this point. My laptop is full of DELTARUNE screenshots already.

Both the writing and soundtrack do justice to Fox’s previous work, and I encourage you to check it out before the internet gets its grubby little paws on it and spoils everything. It’s worth every minute, and has me excited and hyped for the next one. This’ll be good.

The soundtrack is even on Bandcamp already, so give it a look once you’re done, it might just quench that desire for more underground shenanigans while we wait. And just to warn you - it might be a fair while before more comes out.

As well as this, subsequent to the demo’s release, Fox posted on Twitter on November 2nd explaining the thought process behind DELTARUNE, putting to bed some fears and worries players had. This game takes place in a different universe to the original. He also said that despite having the story completely written, he’s ‘0%’ done with the final game. He’s going to try to

make a team, because DELTARUNE is not a task anywhere similar to UNDERTALE. The scale is bigger, the battle system is more complicated, he’s burnt out from doing so much unceasing, constant work on his own with help from just one other person, artist Temmie Chang.

“It’s worth every minute, and has me excited and hyped for the next one” Things could change a whole lot with regards to DELTARUNE, including the first chapter from the demo. What we can agree on is that Toby Fox has made something special. His closing statement was that ‘If you played “UNDERTALE,” I don’t think I can make anything that makes you feel “that way” again’. I don’t know if it’s the exact same thing, but DELTARUNE made me feel close to ‘that way’. It elicited those feelings I remember from

years ago, when I first managed to play UNDERTALE for the very first time, completely blind.

Themes of empathy, growth, hope, and loss permeate this short but sweet experience. Somehow, despite spending so little time with the main characters, I have already fallen in love. I’m not sure how the hell one guy and the weird concepts he thinks up can resonate with me so soundly, but I’m glad people like him are making things like this.

I didn’t mean to gush, promise.

Get the demo. See what happens.

Toby Fox

James Law

Review: Flat Heroes Alex Green Gaming Writer @AlexGreen9898

Often a game can be judged on its narrative depth, like Life is Strange. It can be judged on its action mechanics, like Shadow of Mordor or the Batman: Arkham series. However, Flat Heroes is so hard to judge because it’s the definition of minimalism. The most basic of games. And yet, it’s one of my favourite games on the Nintendo Switch. I say that with no exaggeration.

“Mechanics are so tight, with the movement, dashing and bouncing feeling so natural” Flat Heroes is very simple.

You play as a square, jumping off walls, bouncing around boxed levels surviving projectiles and explosions to complete the level.

Developed by Parallel Circles, a Manchester-based studio founded in 2016, the game features hundreds of levels of dashing from arrows, avoiding bombs and escaping zones, as well as a survival mode on various levels of difficulty to record the best

times. All these and a versus mode game’s indie feel, reminding me are available with 4 player local of N+ with its basic but effective co-op and available on both look.

Nintendo Switch and PC. This game utterly shines at I talk about simplicity so much points (ironic given its non-glossy as the best indie games colour scheme) but particularly have always done a lot in two key areas. Firstly, the with little. And in level design and the this case, Parallel variation of enemies, Circles have done from homing arrows to a lot with basic small exploding 2D platforming. enemies and hexagons Firstly, the game spawning tons of mechanics are enemies gives it so tight, with the freshness and prevents movement, the game getting stale dashing and in later levels. This Parallel bouncing feeling so extends to some unique Circles natural.

The boss fights at the end of momentum feels palpable each of the campaign’s 10 in the game, with every jump worlds which challenge the player feeling a sense of realistic travel or players in interesting ways. in such a fast-paced game. This is The game is not too easy and will key to the game’s success as the challenge your quick thinking and fast pace necessitates extremely platforming skills. The other area well-crafted controls. This is the in which Flat Heroes excels is case for both the Switch version local multiplayer. It is riotously and the PC version. However, the fun playing with friends, the PC version does recommend multiple squares adding a sense of controllers, so make sure you have unpredictable chaos and the a few on hand if playing on Steam. occasional accidental obstacle. In The Switch version handles just a sense, the game draws as well with the bonus of very comparisons to Overcooked in its simple controls working well on a multiplayer madness. Those who simple controller like the Switch. have played the multiplayer in The game also is impressive that game know it can be truly graphically, with varying shades frantic, and Flat Heroes doubles of colour complimenting the down on this. It turns the game

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from a fun platformer to a chaotic mess of shapes and jumping that if you get together your friends, you will have a blast with the game. It’s even more crazy in survival mode when the enemies are slightly less predictable and respawning teammates becomes a necessity to score a large time.

However, this of course is a double-edged sword. The game is admittedly less fun playing solo, with that magical sense of companionship lost. It results in a classic issue that may put off consumers in that if no one else is there to play it, what’s the point if that’s what makes it great? This issue is really exemplified in the sense that the game can get a little frustrating alone. In addition, it also must be said that there isn’t much extra content besides the modes that can keep you coming back, although the PC version did get an update with new levels and enemies.

For me, the game feels a tad better on Switch. Obviously, you already have the controllers for the Switch version, but also the Nintendo Switch feels like a home for indie games like this. I can wholeheartedly recommend both versions of the game, largely depending on your preference of system. Flat Heroes has genuinely surprised me with its excellent craftsmanship and unadulterated fun, and I can’t wait to see what Parallel Circles are working on next.

Hearthstone’s newest expansion revealed at Blizzcon The Heartstone team have announced the latest troll-themed expansion for the game. Named Rastakhan’s Rumble, it will feature new cards, special ‘Loa’ minions, and a new keyword: overkill.

The Nintendo Switch port for Civilization 6 will not have online multiplayer 2K Games have confirmed that the Switch version will only support local multiplayer. Four people can connect their systems in the same room and play a game together, but anything more will be impossible. This has led to many fans claiming they won’t be buying the game, as online multiplayer is a significant selling point for the whole Civilization series.

Red Dead Redemption 2 leaks lead to website having to pay £1 million Jason Schreier of Kotaku broke the news that website TrustedReviews were forced to take down an article and apologise to Take-Two Games for leaking information about the game back in February. Information included the fact that the game was playable in first person mode, and that a battle royale mode would be available. TrustedReviews have apologised, and announced they would donate £1 million to charities of Take-Two’s choice.

This has led to concerns in the industry regarding press freedom in the games industry, with sites potentially being fearful of the wrath of publishers. Schreier commented that it is important for journalists to be able to report valuable information to the public, as well as their reporting on Bethesda’s misleading advertising of Fallout 76.

Netflix’s Castlevania series to be brought back for a third season Based on the classic videogame series of the same name, Castlevania has enjoyed significant, widespread success and praise from audiences both within and outside of the gaming community. The announcement of a third season is particularly impressive following the cancellation of huge shows such as Luke Cage being cancelled after two seasons.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate reveals roster additions In last week’s Nintendo Direct, even more fighters were added to the mix. Incineroar, another Pokemon, was added, as well as Street Fighter’s Ken. Controversial was the inclusion of the Piranha Plant, an enemy from the Mario series. Many fans felt that the spot taken by the floral icon would have been better served going to other characters such as Waluigi or Isaac from the Binding of Isaac series.

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FOOD&DRINK

Friday 9th November 2018

@redbrickfood

Recipe Is Meal Plan Bad for You? Emma Stephenson reviews University Catering of the Week Emma Stephenson Food&Drink Writer

Jamie Cheung Food&Drink Writer

As we reach the middle of the term, many students are probably lacking nutrients and vitamins as deadlines loom and we find ourselves reaching for frozen chips or one of the countless takeaway options on the Bristol Road. Here are is a cost effective, nutritious vegan recipe that you can whip up quickly amid your essay stress.

Fridge Raid Curry A life-saver when you have a fridge full of vegetables that need using up. Using whole spices makes it taste much better, but it can still work with ground spices if you do not have the seeds in your cupboard. It does not take long to make and is best served with rice, but can also work with pasta in desperate times!

Ingredients: Any vegetables that need using up – just bear in mind that hard vegetables may need parboiling.

Four garlic cloves A small piece of ginger A fresh chilli or 1 tsp of chilli powder A tin of chopped tomatoes (per two people being served) Salt Sugar 1 tsp cumin seeds 1 tsp black mustard seeds 1 tsp turmeric powder Vegetable oil A handful of fresh coriander (optional) Method: 1) Chop vegetables into bitesize pieces.

2) Finely mince garlic, ginger and chilli.

3) Heat 2-3 tablespoons of vegetable oil in large pan, then add cumin and mustard seeds until spices are toasted.

4) Add minced garlic, ginger and chilli, and fry until golden.

5) Add vegetables and stir through until coated in spices.

6) Fry the vegetables until softening, and add tomatoes.

7) Add a pinch of sugar to balance the tomatoes and salt to taste.

8) Let the curry simmer until the sauce starts to thicken, then roughly chop the coriander and add it just before serving.

Serve as desired.

Flickr

Many freshers opt to join the Meal Plan in conjunction with their accommodation fees. While this makes life easy by eliminating the need to cook, the options available are often unhealthy or generally poor quality, which I believe needs to change.

take-out food, is not without its faults. To name just a few are cold, dry burgers, poor-quality meat, watery pasta and generally stodgy meals. It must be said that Infusion do provide students with what is most probably their only source of vegetables but on the whole often leaves them longing for the days of school dinners.

healthy options and comfort food.

My advice to the Vale residents who are in a coma of Infusion spring rolls and rice, is to navigate Meal Plan to be a positive if only you venture all the

options throughout the week. Try to diversify where you eat in order to make the most of all the places which accept Meal Plan, and order smart to get your veggies even if your fourth consecutive day of chips is tempting.

“The Library Cafe is a true gem”

University of Birmingham

Firstly, we should review the options on the Vale: The Hungry Duck, JC’s, The Melt, and Infusion.

While The Hungry Duck and JC’s serve better quality food, it cannot be denied that copious amounts of wedges or tortilla chips are far from a healthy, balanced diet.

These eateries lend themselves to be visited for perhaps a weekly taco or pie rather than a daily evening meal, leaving the rest of the week to the canteen-style Infusion.

Infusion, whilst having good themed nights and the option of

Trying to use up Meal Plan money at the end of the week on pizza at The Melt can be pot luck.

Waiting times grow to up to an hour, and the quality of pizzas can be inconsistent in terms of cooking and thickness. This being said, The Melt’s breakfasts and sandwiches can be a useful quick bite; although in my experience the staff are often reluctant to make quesadillas.

However, Meal Plan does have many positives. The Library Café is a true gem of campus, with reasonable prices to rival Costa or Starbucks. Likewise, the Food Court’s variety of options suit all with Go Mex, Go Chicken, Go International, Wok Fresh and more.

From interviewing first years on Meal Plan, a large number expressed a preference towards the lunch options on campus than the prospect of an evening meal on the Vale.

On the other hand, the student favourite of Joe’s Bar in the Guild stays open until 8pm with an eclectic menu which even features a section for vegans. Joe’s Bar has friendly staff, quick service, and a menu ranging from salads to fried chicken - providing students with both affordable

The Duck and Scholar

Writer Asha Jani Cocktails on a Food&Drink shares her cheap and cheerful Student Budget recipes to liven up your booze Asha Jani Food&Drink Writer

Being a student can mean your beverages often end up rather cheap and cheerful, especially if you end up drinking multiple times a week. Here are four convenient and cost-friendly cocktails to make when you grow sick of Glen’s vodka and flat Coke.

Moscow Mule An easy and quick cocktail that only requires a splash of vodka, ginger beer and lime juice.

This will be way more refreshing than vodka and squash and even better: it is traditionally served in a mug, perfect for students!

Ingredients: Vodka Ginger Beer Lime Ice Method: 1) Fill a mug (preferably copper) and fill with ice and pour in

your desired amount of vodka.

2) Squeeze in the juice from half a lime and then fill the rest of your mug with ginger beer.

3) Mix it with a spoon, and garnish with an extra lime wedge.

The Greyhound When the sweetness of cheap fizzy orange gets a bit much, switch it up for something with an edge. This is ideal for the predrinks when you have ended up eating the food you intended on saving as leftovers and do not want to drink something that will make you feel more bloated.

Ingredients: Vodka Grapefruit Juice Lime Ice Sugar Method: 1) Sprinkle some sugar on a piece of kitchen roll, and rub a lime wedge around the rim of your glass.

2) Place the glass on the sugar

and twist to create a sugar rim. Fill your glass with ice and vodka, and squeeze in some of your remaining lime wedge.

3) Add in your grapefruit juice and enjoy!

The Gin Rickey A cheaper version of the G&T, and better because cheap soda is definitely more bearable than cheap tonic water. Aldi’s gin has also won awards, so you are getting a decent standard of gin for your money!

Ingredients: Gin Soda Lime (or lime cordial) Ice Method: 1) Fill a tall glass with ice, squeeze in your lime juice and throw them in.

2) Add however much gin you desire, and fill up the rest with soda. If this is too bitter, add some lime cordial which is cheap and great to keep in the cupboards.

Bloody Mary A personal favourite, and a great hangover cure. Hopefully you will have most ingredients to hand which leaves you without too much to buy!

Ingredients: Vodka Salt Pepper Tabasco Worcester Sauce Lemon/Limes Tomato Juice Ice Method: 1) Fill your glass (or jug if you are making enough for the house) with ice.

2) Squeeze in the juice of either lemon or lime.

3) Add a pinch of salt and pepper, and around five or six dashes of Tabasco and Worcester sauce.

4) Fill up the jug with tomato juice, taste, and then add more of all the ingredients according to taste. Hair of the dog, perfect!

FOOD&DRINK

Friday 9th November 2018

@redbrickfood

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Bonfire Night: Two Sparkling Dishes Toby Fenton’s recipes keep things hot in the kitchen this November

Pexels

Toby Fenton Food&Drink Writer

Toby Fenton

Toffee Apples (Serves 8) Toffee Apples are a Bonfire Night classic and should go down well with any group of people...

Ideally, you should get a sugar thermometer for creating these; it will be so much easier with one.

Ingredients: 8 Granny Smith Apples 400g golden caster sugar 1 tsp vinegar (I used white wine vinegar) 4 tbsp golden syrup Method: 1) Place the apples in large bowl and cover with boiling water (you may need to do this in 2 batches). This step removes the waxy coating and helps the caramel to stick. Dry thoroughly

Toby Fenton

with kitchen roll and twist off the stalk. Then push a wooden skewer into the stalk-end of each apple 2) Lay out a sheet of baking parchment (or silicon baking mat like I used), near to your hob and place the apples on it. Add the sugar to a pan with 100ml of water and put over a medium heat. Cook for 5 minutes until the sugar is dissolved and then stir in the vinegar and golden syrup.

Place your sugar thermometer in the pan and boil to 150°C or the ‘hard crack’ stage.

3) When it has reached 150°C, take the pan off the heat, leaving the heat on in case the caramel goes too cold to work with. You will need to work quickly and very carefully dip and twist the apple into the caramel. I found it easier to lean the pan to one side to help get a better coverage.

Allow the excess to drip back into the pan and place on your baking paper to cool and harden. Repeat with the remaining apples. If the temperature drops and the toffee becomes a bit too thick, just put it back on the heat to bring the temperature back up.

4) If you had leftover caramel. you could make a few more, or add flaked almonds to it to make an almond brittle. Pour this mixture out onto a further piece of baking parchment.

5) Store in an airtight container Spiced Pumpkin Soup This soup is a great winter warmer with a great depth of flavour from the spices and the pumpkin. You can use butternut squash instead if you can’t get pumpkin. This is great to make around Halloween as there are so many pumpkins in the shops. This soup can be frozen for up to 2 months.

Ingredients: For the soup: 2 tbsp vegetable oil 2 onions - finely chopped 1kg pumpkin/butternut squash – peeled, deseeded and chopped into chunks 700ml vegetable/chicken

stock 2 tsp ground cumin 2 tsp ground coriander 150ml double cream For the topping: 2 tbsp vegetable oil 4 slices of good crusty bread (I used sourdough) Method: 1) Preheat the oven to 200°C. Place the croutons on a baking tray, drizzle with oil and season, then put into the oven for 45 minutes. 2) Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium-low heat, then add the chopped onion, and gently cook for 5 minutes until softened but not coloured.

3) Add the pumpkin/squash to the pan and cook for a further 8-10 minutes until it begins to turn golden and soften.

5) Add in the stock, season the soup and bring to the boil. Simmer for 10 minutes until the pumpkin/ squash is soft. Stir in the ground cumin & coriander.

5) Add the double cream and bring back to the boil. Then purée the soup using a hand blender.

6) Chop or blitz up the chicken skin in a food processor, until you have fine pieces.

7) Serve soup with the croutons and a drizzle of olive oil.

Review: The Bristol Pear Food&Drink’s Emily Calder reviews one of Selly Oak’s student hotspots Emily Calder Food&Drink Editor

Located on the doorstep of many students living in Selly Oak, The Bristol Pear is a hotspot for anyone looking for an affordable evening with a special feel. Upon entering you are instantly welcomed by a mixture of cheap and cheerful, yet also trendy and high quality. With lighting that could happily feature on anyone’s Instagram, and homely shabbychic décor and furniture, students feel instantly at home upon entering the restaurant. Seating is plentiful, and the provision of plug sockets makes it the perfect place to get work done over a lovely lunch, or to recharge your phone as you share a portion “ of loaded fries with your housemate.

As a lactose-intolerant, I was delighted by the variety of vegan options on the menu – these included an all-day brunch, a jackfruit burger and mac and cheese to name a few. I opted for the vegan grilled cheese with fries and salsa, and can honestly say it was

one of the best vegan meals I have ever eaten. The cheese was excellent quality and was reminiscent of the long gone days when I could eat dairy, and as my friends tucked into their meals I for once did not feel as if I was missing out – an issue for many people with dietary restrictions. Vegans will instantly feel welcome and settled at The Bristol Pear, and with my large portion costing only £6.75 I can guarantee that I will be sampling their other vegan options before the year is through.

One should not assume, however, that the restaurant caters only to vegans; my dining companions had the chicken curry burger (which they confirmed to be delicious), whilst the other tucked into a delicious looking portion of loaded nachos. We struggled to find an item on the menu that did not look appealing; The ” Bristol Pear offers breakfast options all day, alongside a ‘Burger and a Drink Deal’ and a variety of sharing options.

These are all extremely reasonably priced, deals like 25p pancakes on

a Tuesday are a true dream for any student on a budget.

Furthermore, The Bristol Pear is an excellent option for a simple drink with friends. Whilst you may be tempted to tuck into a sharing portion of tater tots, you may be too distracted by the drinks menu to even think about food.

The variety of wines mean that there are options for everyone’s budget – whilst my friends split a

bottle between three of us and this only came to £3 per head, customers can also splash out on prosecco, or even ‘Black Label’ fizz for a special occasion. Students also enjoy the quirky and extremely popular ‘tin can cocktails’, or can treat themselves to pitchers which rival Wetherspoons in both price and quality.

The ‘Tin Can Cocktails’ are frequently on offer. come topped

Vegans will instantly feel welcome and settled at The Bristol Pear

The Bristol Pear

with sweets (or party rings!) and you get a surprising amount for your money, adorned with a cute straw which gives the drink a retro feel. When I went they are £3 each all evening, which was a great way to indulge without worrying about breaking the bank.

“Nab a smoothie, protein smoothie or milkshake for £3 or less, which in my eyes is an absolute steal” For those staying away from alcohol, you can nab a smoothie, protein smoothie or milkshake for £3 or less, which in my eyes is an absolute steal.

All in all, I would recommend The Bristol Pear to anyone, but especially students. Customers get a great experience for the same price as many other pubs in the area, but The Bristol Pear has a special feel to it that makes you feel like you are treating yourself and your friends to something a bit different.

The restaurant is great for any occasions and caters to all, making it an obvious choice for anyone in the area!

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TRAVEL

Friday 9th November 2018

@redbricktravel

Volunteering Abroad: Bali Jessica Makepeace Travel Writer

Volunteering In June this year, I completed a 4-week mental health placement with the organisation SLV.Global in Bali, Indonesia. I found this such an invaluable experience and am now an ambassador for SLV so I can spread the good word and hopefully encourage more people to volunteer abroad!

International work experience can bring you so much – of course there are the practical things, like how great it looks on your CV, but spending some time working or volunteering abroad really can bring you so much more than that. First of all, it challenges your ideas by immersing you in a completely new culture. As a student in the UK, we are taught about Western practices and ideas but there is so much more we can learn from different cultures. I am a third-year Psychology student, and as much as I love studying the subject and exploring different areas of psychology, sometimes within Western culture we do tend to stick to learning solely about Western theory and it can be easy

to quickly adopt the ‘West is best’ attitude. However, after my time in Bali I feel as though I have a wider understanding of mental health in a global setting. It is so refreshing to step out of the classroom and broaden your ideas about psychology as well as learn more about the benefits of holistic and creative practices. As well as this, volunteering in another country with a culture and language so different to your own teaches you cultural sensitivity and non-verbal communication skills – something I believe many people would benefit from!

As well as seeing how psychology is growing in a developing country, it is so important to experience what it is like to work with individuals who have the conditions that you learn about on your course. Particularly in psychology, but I am sure this also applies to other degrees, we learn so much about mental health and the mechanisms behind why an individual may have a mental health condition, but it can be difficult to get your foot in the door and gain hands-on clinical experience. We are all familiar with the never-ending cycle of ‘experience necessary’ when looking for a job, and even with the best grades it

can be challenging to find somewhere who will consider your application without practical experience. Since working with SLV, more doors have already been opened for me, as my experience with vulnerable adults and children within a clinical setting has helped me get a part time job as a support worker for adults with disabilities, something that will help me when applying for a masters and grad jobs. But you do not need to be a psychology student to work with SLV or abroad in general. The other lovely volunteers I met on my placement had a diverse background of knowledge, some from other healthcare professions such as occupational therapy, others from non-healthcare related degrees such as English or humanities. As long as you have a passion for helping others and an open mind, you are already halfway there.

Volunteering abroad can have an extensive list of benefits, both to yourself and the people you will be working with in the country you visit. However, before you apply for your next adventure you should be aware of organisations that promote voluntourism, a practice that often causes more harm than good. I would recommend educating yourself on this issue and look for an organisation whose ethics are in line with yours.

A Month in Bali There is no doubt some beautiful pictures of Bali have popped up on your social media recently – it truly is a picture-perfect tropical island. My trip to Bali was my first time visiting Asia, and I certainly was not disappointed. As well as the amazing sunsets, beaches and nasi goreng, the people of Bali were some of the most welcoming people I have ever met. At first, I was quite taken aback by how friendly the Balinese people are as walking down the street there is always someone shouting ‘Hello! How are you?’.

As a reserved Brit, my first reaction was to awkwardly smile and carry on walking – they must have

wanted to sell me something for sure. However, I quickly realised that this is just the loving culture that they have, and by day three my friend and I were chatting with the locals and learning more about the island and the people.

When I first arrived in Bali, I had arranged to stay in Canggu as it was close to the airport. I would

watch, and the forest itself is like a mini paradise in the middle of a busy city.

If you are looking for an adventure, a sunrise mountain trek is one hundred percent worth the early rise. You will be picked up by a driver in the early hours (usually around 3am) and they will drive you to Mt Batur.

have to say the Canggu was my favourite area of Bali that I stayed in; it is surrounded by rice paddies and has a reputation for surfing – exactly what you picture when you think of the island. It also has a good nightlife, with several restaurants and bars to cater to all. If you do visit Canggu, I would highly recommend spending some time at ‘The Lawn’. It is a beachside restaurant and bar with live music and a lovely atmosphere.

Although a little more expensive than other places in Bali, it still costs a fraction of what you would pay in the UK for that quality of food and drinks.

As I was volunteering with SLV, I was working MondayFriday and had the weekends and evenings off to explore the island.

On the first weekend on placement, my friend and I spent some time in Ubud, seeing the famous monkey forest and bustling markets. As an animal lover it was great to see wild monkeys swinging around you in their natural habitat. They were amusing to

Then, armed with torches and layers of clothes, as it is surprisingly chilly, you trek up the mountain and reach the top just before sunrise. It is such a surreal experience watching the sun come up from such a high point and makes for some incredible Instagram pictures. As well as this, you can choose to then go to a nearby hot springs, where you can relax in front of the beautiful Batur Lake and rest your legs. However, if hiking isn’t your thing, there is so much more to do. From chilling on beaches, super cheap spa days, releasing baby turtles, coffee tasting, yoga retreats, exploring rice fields...the list is endless!

If you do visit Bali, as always try and be as environmentally friendly as you can. The tap water there is not drinkable, but often restaurants and hostels will have large water dispensers, so you can fill up your bottle to try and reduce waste. There are also lots of little things you can do that will make a big difference to keep the beaches clean.

A Beginner's Guide To: Budapest Fern O'Shaughnessy Travel Writer

I visited Budapest (whilst interrailing) for three days and on a budget. We didn’t have the money to do all the fancy things we originally wanted to do – the bar crawls and the nice meals out.

Instead, we were forced to make everything ten times cheaper.

But, thanks to research and some thrifty decisions, we were still able to see everything we wanted to.

Tourist Sites Budapest is perhaps most famous for its tourist sites – the castle, the fisherman’s bastion and the parliament houses. All are stunning, and all are situated on the same river, with the same breath-taking views (I recommend going to the castle at sunset

– you won’t regret it). If you are short for time, a tour is your best option, giving you the most information and allowing you to see the ‘big sites’ of Budapest within one afternoon.

"The Ruin bars are perhaps Budapest's best kept secret; people only tend to know about them if they've been" We took a free walking tour led by a local student – the information for which is easy to find – with leaflets and flyers in most

hostels. The guides also have lots of suggestions for meals out, bars, clubs and other things to do.

However, while these tours are free, you are expected to give a tip. The usual amount is five to ten euros (1600 – 3200 HUF) and definitely worth it.

Thermal Baths Budapest’s thermal baths are an essential part of any trip. They may be overpriced, crowded and simply glorified swimming pools, but they are a fundamental part of Hungarian culture (and every girl’s Instagram). There are plenty to choose from, but the Szechenyi Baths are, according to their own website, ‘the largest and most popular’ baths in Budapest. It is also definitely worth booking in advance and arriving early to grab a decent spot before it becomes filled with tourists. Although, be careful when deciding what ticket

to get as we paid around £20 – roughly £10 more than the normal ticket – for the luxury of having a changing room, which we didn’t need to use.

Having said this, the baths make for a relaxing day out from exploring Budapest’s other attractions.

Ruin Bars The Ruin Bars are perhaps Budapest’s best kept secret; people only tend to know about them if they’ve been. We heard of them through exchanging tips with other travellers, and immediately decided to go. They are a collection of bars across the Jewish Quarter which are a group of abandoned old buildings that were destroyed during World War Two. The bars are filled with random furniture and are decorated with what appears to be anything the managers could find lying

around. The bars are hidden and change places frequently depending on whether neighbours find out or if the building gets bought by developers. A quick google search showed us the closest bar to us – even Ruin Bars are not too secluded to avoid social media.

TRAVEL

Friday 9th November 2018

@redbricktravel

31

Best of Britain: Liverpool Jacky Sy Travel Writer

‘“4-1!” Liverpool stormed away from Cardiff last Saturday, gaining the top of the Premier League.’

This is how most football fans generalise Liverpool. Neither a fan of Liverpool Football Club, nor a football lover? No worries.

Liverpool is also a timeless historical city of Britain.

Most tourists would likely be attracted by the World Museum Liverpool, due to its stunning

architecture. From the planetarium and aquarium to historical museums, the city of Liverpool has much to offer.

"the Cavern Club - birthplace of the Beatles, where they used to play music" However,

Industrial

Revolution is actually the vein of this fast-changing city. The government built the first commercial enclosed wet dock in Liverpool, facilitating the slave trade. The International Slavery Museum displays its history – Liverpool was responsible for nearly 1.5 million slave transportations. Until the end of the nineteenth

Century, around 40% of the world trade was conducted in the Liverpool dock.

It is also the birthplace of the legendary band – the Beatles.

Do not miss the Beatles Story of their rise to fame and ‘Beatlemania.’

‘Come on, come on. Please, please me.’ Take a look at the story of

the Beatles, with a comprehensive introduction by audio guide. If the historical concert is far from satisfactory, you’d better grab a drink and listen to the live bands in the Cavern Club – birthplace of the Beatles, where they used to play music, as well as a chapel where people pay tribute to them.

Besides the historical and musical perspectives, there is still lots to be discovered. With the breath-taking Church of St Dunstan and the sophisticated Metropolitan Cathedral, Liverpool is a city with unique charisma.

forest, is very steep, but the views are phenomenal and the coconut water stall that somehow exists at the top is a welcome reward.

We spent the early part of the afternoon driving up a large stretch of the west coast to reach Hikkaduwa. This picturesque town is known for its white sand beaches and water sports. After such a busy time in Sri Lanka, spending an afternoon lying on the beach under a palm tree was well deserved!

A Month In: Sri Lanka Charlotte Griffin Travel Writer

This summer I was fortunate enough to take part in a 5-week advanced mental health placement in Sri Lanka through SLV.Global. As a psychology student wanting to pursue a clinical career, I had been struggling to find relevant placements in the UK. SLV.Global, however, offer mental health focused placements in India, Bali and Sri Lanka, allowing people to gain invaluable hands on experience while supporting communities that are severely lacking in mental health resources.

The Journey Sri Lanka is a ten and a half hour flight, not the most attractive prospect, even for seasoned travellers. I would recommend booking your flights in advance; if you leave it to the last minute like me (less than a month before departure), it could potentially be the most expensive plane ticket you've ever purchased! SLV. Global sets up a Facebook group for each intake which meant that even before arriving in the airport I had met the group of other volunteers I was going to be flying with.

They had also provided us with instructions of what to do when arriving at Colombo airport. Following their guide, we all cleared immigration without a problem and found the SLV staff waiting for us in the arrivals lounge wearing their signature bright blue t-shirts. The staff then helped us sort out sim cards and change the right amount of cash, before guiding us into a

minibus for our first taste of Sri Lankan driving – to say drivers are flexible with the rules of the road is an understatement!

I finally arrived at my homestay; I was greeted by my peer mentor, shown around my new home and introduced to all my housemates before falling asleep for some well-earned rest.

Week One The first week for any new volunteer involves training. You have talks and introductions, basic Sinhala lessons to help you on projects, and supported sessions at various projects. This week was very intense, but I learned some valuable skills and was ready for the following weeks of placement.

At the end of training week, every new intake is rewarded with a trip to Kitulgala, a town in the lush rainforest Sri Lanka has to offer. The Friday and Saturday nights involve a larger than life buffet and dancing, but the days are filled with team building activities. Think white water rafting, jungle trekking and cliff jumping rather than awkward icebreaker games. It was a great way to bond with the people I would be living, working and travelling with for the next month.

Week Two After the first weekend in the jungle, the remaining weekends are yours to freely explore more of the beautiful country you’re working in. I chose to spend my first free weekend travelling, with a group of other volunteers, 200km East to the small town of Ella in the Uva Province. After two weeks in Colombo, the high elevation and fresher air of Ella was an extremely welcome break.

Kathryn Evans

Kathryn Evans The small town is quaint despite being well stocked with multiple bars and restaurants to cater for the tourists that visit Ella for the views from nearby hiking trails.

There’s also a large number of gift shops, with a great range of handmade presents (too many of which have ended up in my room back home, rather than making it to their intended recipient).

Three hikes I would highly recommend taking from Ella include; the 9 Arches Bridge, Little Adams Peak and Ella Rock. The 9 Arches bridge is a colonial era bridge, spanning a gorge and measuring 300ft long.

It is surrounded by lush, green rolling hills and makes for a very aesthetic photo location. There are multiple trails to reach the bridge and, depending on your chosen path, this can be the easiest of the three hikes. Little Adam’s Peak is named for having the same shape as the much larger Adams peak further west in Nuwara Eliya.

This is the easiest of the three climbs in terms of finding the path however the 1141m elevation is significantly greater than the 9 Arches. That being said, the path is clearly worn and there are steps for the majority of the trail, which takes you through tea plantations and offers stunning views of the surrounding valley. At the top, there is a golden Buddha shrine, colourful prayer flags and a view that makes the burning in your calves very much worth it. Ella Rock, however, is by far the most difficult climb of the three. Not only is it the most difficult path to try and find, but the final section of the trail, through a rubber tree

Week Three After work on Friday we travelled to Uduwalawe National Park in the Ratnapura district. At 5am we were up and out of the hotel, on our way into the National Park with the hope of seeing elephants. We’d been told that the best time to see them was at dawn or dusk so here we were, in an open sided Jeep speeding along in complete darkness. Spoiler: it was worth it. The majesty of seeing wild elephants is an experience I cannot describe but will never forget. Aside from the main attraction, we also saw crocodiles, peacocks, buffalo, monitor lizards and a whole host of birds.

Following our safari, and refuelled by a massive breakfast in our hotel, we took the short drive to the Elephant Transit home; a rehabilitation centre for orphaned or injured elephants to be cared for

Week Four On my final weekend in Sri Lanka, I visited Dambulla, home to the ancient rock fortress and cave temples. The rock fortress is a UNESCO world heritage site; a vertical rock column rising 200m out from the surrounding forest. The top was turned into a palace in the late 5th century and many of the remnants of the structure remain. Reaching the top involves climbing a vast number of stairs but on the journey, there are gardens surrounding the rock, sweeping views of the forest and ancient frescoes painted on the walls. It also invokes a real sense of achievement and is a great

Kathryn Evans before being released into the park.

This was an establishment that we had investigated thoroughly before deciding to visit. The elephants had minimal contact with humans, especially none with visitors, and the aim was to release all of them back into the wild. If you time it right, you can watch one of the daily feeds, and seeing baby elephants proudly tottering round swinging their branches of food was overwhelmingly heartwarming.

opportunity to appreciate the history of this beautiful island.

The Dambulla cave temples are also a world heritage site dating back to the 1st century B.C. The system is comprised of 5 caves including 153 Buddha statues and countless paintings telling the stories of temptation by Mara and the Buddha’s first sermon.

It’s humbling to think about how much work and dedication was put into the production of all the religious icons housed there.

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LIFE&STYLE

Friday 9th November 2018

@redbricklife

KKW Bares All: ‘I Am Allowed to be Sexy’ Life&Style’s Charlotte Gill argues that Kim Kardashian-West should not be shunned for her nudity on Instagram, but rather celebrated as an icon of female empowerment Charlotte Gill Life&Style Writer

Kim Kardashian-West is one of the most recognised names on the planet. She really is more than a person at this stage - rather a concept or a cultural reference point.

Though her association with nudity and sexualisation is nothing new (I assume we are all familiar with her initial rise to prominence), it occasionally blows up all over again and the critical commentary is resumed. This happened recently due to another surge of semi-naked photos on her Instagram. The female body and female sexuality always attract tricky polemics, and Kim K-W is perhaps the perfect embodiment of the conflict we and society face about female empowerment, as everyone wades in with a different take.

I take great umbrage at any criticism involving the word ‘mother.’ When a woman becomes a mother, society seems to have a bout of amnesia which makes it forget she was ever anything other than this, and struggles in many

ways to understand that she can continue to be anything independent of this. As Kim was a sexualised female who felt comfortable sharing her body pre-children, then she may well, and indeed does, feel the same afterwards.

Women are held up to higher moral standards than men; for mothers, this bar is lifted even higher. How can we deduce from a photo of Kim’s semi-naked torso that she is an inadequate parent?

Though we may feel that the Kardashians scream TMI, we cannot know what they are truly like away from the showy sphere of social media and at times when there are no cameras. We receive a carefully honed and filtered snapshot (of which the Kardashian clan are undeniably masters), and really know nothing of how she and Kanye raise their three children.

What’s more, Instagram is a performative space, and for some it is a branding platform. Kim is her brand and her body is certainly part of that: if you say ‘a Kim K bum’, people will absolutely know the type you are refer-

ring to. Looking attractive and being sexy and provocative feed into her image and career, so why do we expect not to see this reflected through her social media? Is it realistic for us to expect her to filter that in order to avoid offending some people’s sensibilities?

“Women are held up to higher moral standards than men; for mothers, this bar is lifted even higher” That said, with a following of any sort - 19 followers or 119 million like Kim - we hold some responsibility. It is blinkered to suggest that in today’s world, we are not influenced by people or that we do not influence others via social media platforms. Though it may not be the case for Kim,

many young girls may feel they To bring it back to Kim and have to show their bodies and the criticism thrown at her, I think look sexy and provocative to be that ultimately we love to take accepted and validated. down successful women, Kim once penned whoever they are and an open letter, as whatever they stand celebs often do, for. For example, in and wrote that 2017, Emma she hopes Watson did a her platform Vanity Fair interc a n view and as part ‘encourage of that she the same posed topless empowerunder a shawl. ment’ in She was castigirls and gated for it, as if women all this undermined Instagram / kimkardashian over the or undid every world as she feminist idea and feels to show her action she had ever body - a nice sentistood for. This shamement but one which ful-naked-woman conmay be well misunderstood struction is sadly not new. after three seconds of looking at Looking back at Kim’s recent her Instagram profile. Kim and Instagram pictures for her KKW co. have created a new set of often beauty line, the images really are unrealistic beauty standards: a quite artful and creative. I like tiny waist, an enormous (but toned them for this but many cannot see and pert, remember) bum, big past her flesh, as the naked female boobs, petite but curvy, little or no body is immediately sexualised body hair and come-here pouty by society. lips. The mind boggles. They would deny this was their aim, but it is the reality nonetheless.

What a day it would be if Kim K-W ever posts a real ‘this is what I woke up like’ photo, or shares truthfully how often she works out, or divulges how many cosmetic procedures and hair and makeup sessions she has to maintain her look. People may not recognise the underlying impact of seeing these pictures on their newsfeed - on the surface level, Kim Kardashian-West’s posts are examples of aesthetically pleasing photography, but in reality they And even if her photos are contribute to shaping ideals. There sexualised - for some are undeniis of course the argument that we ably ‘lads’ mag’ and knowingly can take personal responsibility provocative - this in itself should for what we see online and if we not be a problem. In 2016 when do not like Kim’s message or Kim posted a naked photo (save nakedness, we can click that for some well-placed black good ol’ ‘unfollow’ butbars), Emily Ratajkowski ton. However, I do got on board to supnot think this port her, posting on immediately Twitter that they occurs to many are ‘more than people (particjust [their] bodularly to ies, but that y o u n g , doesn’t mean impressiona[they] have to ble girls). And be shamed for while we do them or [their] have some sexuality.’ control and To those responsibility to who say ‘poor Instagram / kimkardashian filter what we Kanye’ and sugsee, this shifts the gest that Kim’s responsibility entirely Instagram photos are back to us rather than to shameful for him, well, I the public figure with - and I will say: shame on you. Kim’s body is happily say it again - 119 million hers to share or keep to herself. followers.

Instagram is one way she chooses to visually share it and she is entitled to this. Her body is not to be policed by Kanye or anyone else.

Piling (more) guilt and shame onto women - because when people try to shame Kim, they shame our female bodies, too - distracts from issues which could really use our attention. Kim’s open letter finished with what is indisputably a touching and poignant message: ‘I am a mother. I am a wife, a sister, a daughter, an entreVogue preneur and I am allowed to be sexy.’ Amen, Kim, amen.

“Many Many cannot see past her flesh, as the naked female body is immediately sexualised by society”

Instagram / kimkardashian

“I think that ultimately we love to take down successful women, whoever they are and whatever they stand for”

LIFE&STYLE

Friday 9th November 2018

33

@redbricklife

The Acne Positivity Movement: Are Pimples ‘In’?

Andrew Richard / BuzzFeed

Life&Style Writer Elizabeth Winter discusses the perfection of imperfection amidst the rise of the Acne Positivity Movement, which is taking social media by storm Elizabeth Winter Life&Style Writer

Having found its platform on social media, the body positivity movement has sky-rocketed over the past few years as an effort to normalise and appreciate individual differences and ‘imperfections.’ The movement has rejected the social construct of beauty, believing that conventional depictions of attractiveness should be debunked and replaced by an appreciation of individuality. A multitude of skin ‘abnormalities’ such as stretch marks, cellulite and pigmentation have been celebrated through this movement.

However, acne, a condition that around 80% of adolescents and 40% of adults will experience, is still lacking this overarching and much-needed normalisation and acceptance. Despite the condition being so common, media campaigns still refuse to feature models with acne. Even beauty promotions emphasising the importance of diversity will feature an array of models who, despite their physical differences, will still have one thing in common: the same crystal-clear, flawless complexion.

Let us first consider MAC cosmetics’ new advertisement, articulating the message that ‘modern beauty is as individual as

you are.’ Despite using a range of ages, races and sexes, there was not one model with any sign of acne to be displayed in the video.

“Conventional depictions of attractiveness should be debunked and replaced by an appreciation of individuality” With both adolescent and adult acne remaining a prevalent condition, particularly among women, providing this audience with something to relate to would be highly influential in normalising the condition. However, with acne being rejected rather than embraced by the beauty sphere, and with the likes of ‘before’ and ‘after’ pictures, society is hindering the effort towards accepting all skin types as beautiful. Not only are makeup brands’ edited images of flawless skin unrealistic for many people, but they are potentially damaging for individuals that are already vulnerable to

the fear of acne social stigma.

Many people are still uneducated in the sense that they are unaware that most people experience acne due to elements outside of their control. Indeed, puberty and hormonal factors often play a big part when it comes to acne, and some people are simply acneprone, despite their best efforts to avoid it. This lack of knowledge and acceptance exhibited by influential brands and public figures in popular culture is, in part, responsible for the absence of widespread acne acceptance.

Earlier this year, the British Journal of Dermatology released a report stating that there is a 63% increased risk of depression in someone with acne compared to those with clear skin. My question is: if the media is so willing to uplift other forms of skin conditions, why is acne still considered to be some kind of taboo that can’t be put on the big screen?

This insufficient representation in popular culture is what can lead people with acne to feel as though they’re abnormal or don’t deserve mainstream portrayal. With such an emphasis on the importance of physical appearance in modern society, feeling excluded from what is considered attractive is incredibly debilitating, triggering people to isolate themselves.

Recently, however, acne has

started to take centre stage in the body positivity movement, and has even led to the coining of its own term: ‘the acne positivity movement.’ This trending movement owes much to the likes of influencers such as Em Ford, whose prominence quickly followed after her YouTube video ‘YOU LOOK DISGUSTING’ went viral in 2015. The video expresses the Catch 22 of being a woman with acne: judgement prevails whether you are barefaced or are wearing a full face of makeup.

“Most people experience acne due to elements outside of their control” Ford has since used her platform to create a community where people are encouraged to embrace their skin, understanding that it does not define them. Since social media has become such a drastic influence over the past few years, the impact of opening up about insecurities on these platforms is fundamental in giving acne-sufferers someone to identify with.

In fact, influencers have been posting makeup free pictures of themselves to show off their acne, in light of the rising acne positivity movement. Celebrities such as Kendall Jenner have also spoken about acne through social media, as Jenner told her fans to ‘never let that shit stop you!’ in response to images where her acne is visible.

Through the increasing number of beauty representatives offering honesty about their struggles with acne, a broader definition of body confidence will form, and will hopefully encompass every type of skin condition.

Both the body and acne positivity movements are incredible products of modern culture, responsible for the welcoming of a diverse range of people into a broader sphere of media influence. Through the rise of acceptance and normalisation, both via social media and brand campaigns, positivity surrounding conditions such as acne will proliferate. Whether through online platforms or within smaller communities, people should be encouraged to embrace any physical feature they may deem an insecurity as simply a mark of individuality.

And without such individuality, there is no beauty.

Changing the World One Jumper at a Time Zuzanna Edwards explores the influential history of clothing brand Sonia Rykiel and how its inspiring new collection is doing its part for womens charities Zuzanna Edwards Life&Style Writer

A limited edition jumper collection was released in October under the Sonia Rykiel label, celebrating 50 years since its first store opened, with all proceeds going to charity.

Dubbed the ‘Quen of Knits,’ Rykiel’s designs have become a legendary staple piece in wardrobes since 1968.

At a time when only high-end brands would be featured on magazine covers, Rykiel permanently transformed the face of the fashion world when her signature ‘Poor Boy Sweater’ was printed on the cover of French Elle in 1963. The design went against the uncomfortable jumper styles that were popular at the time, and instead designed a practical, yet flattering pullover sweater for the young and trendy women of the 60s.

Famously attracting the attention of actress Audrey Hepburn

(who bought one in each of the 14 colours), the overwhelming success ultimately lead to the first Sonia Rykiel store opening just five years later on the Left Bank, Paris.

With such an empowering message behind her original design, it seems only right that the collection that celebrates Rykiel’s 50 years in fashion should follow suit. Julie de Libran, who has been artistic director of the label since 2014, has asked a group of influential women to create a jumper design each, to contribute to the collection. The participants, including Kristen Scott Thomas, Kazuyo Sejima and Sue-Jin Kang, are successful women from different walks of life: from actresses to activists. Each contributor has also been requested to select a charity that focuses on helping women in need, to which a portion of the project’s profits will be donated.

American illustrator and model, Langley Fox, incorporates Rykiel’s signature vertical stripe into her own design, choosing to donate

these profits to Le Refuge, who provide support to victims of homophobia in France. Another notable example is Liya Kebede’s use of fabric from her ‘ethical fashion’ brand, Lemlem, whose aim is to increase artisan jobs within Africa. Kebede’s chosen charity is thus the Lemlem Foundation, who put women at the heart of this mission. Whilst all the jumpers seem to vary greatly from one another, representing the different personas that designed them, they come together through a unifying message that seeks a better world for women across the globe.

Whilst scandals of human exploitation are not unfamiliar to certain brands, designers such as Maje, Coach and Kate Spade New York (amongst many others) have in recent years launched numerous charitable schemes, demonstrating the positive impact that the fashion industry has the potential to make.

In light of this, it is admirable to see the Sonia Rykiel label leading by example, and donating to chari-

ties that are close to the heart of the brand’s feminist spirit. Just as the Poor Boy Sweater played an essential role as a style landmark through its liberating of women’s fashion, de Libran’s project is working to maintain Rykiel’s legacy of female empowerment.

The limited edition sweaters went on sale in October, and are available in the Sonia Rykiel store in Paris, as well as featuring for a fortnight at 10 Corso Como New York.

Indigital.tv

34

SCI&TECH

Friday 9th November 2018

@redbricktech

Same Sex Success

Pioneering new research has produced mice with two female parents, Sci&Tech Editor Francesca Benson investigates Francesca Benson Sci&Tech Editor

At a glance, rules of reproduction in animals seem to be pretty concrete. A sperm cell meets an egg cell, fertilising it and triggering the process of an embryo forming. However some species bend these rules, such as hammerhead sharks and various species of lizard. These species undergo parthenogenesis, asexual reproduction without the need for fertilisation by a mate. Now, in a landmark achievement, a major change in the usual rules of reproduction has been induced successfully in mice.

In the wild, both sets of gametes (sperm and egg cells) are required in order to produce offspring.This is because each gamete only has half the number of chromosomes and thus amount of genetic material needed for the individual to survive. Another reason is that due to chemical tags on DNA that switch off genes,

certain genes are only active in the gamete of one parent but not the other. This means that both gametes are needed if the offspring is to have a working copy of that gene, this phenomenon is called ‘imprinting’.

Researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences used CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing techniques to delete these tags in embryonic stem cells derived

from the egg cells of mice. This activated the genes that would have usually been inactive in the egg. After this process the stem cell was introduced into the egg cell of another mouse, which resulted in an embryo successfully forming as if both types of gamete had been present. Two hundred and ten embryos were produced via this method, and twenty nine developed into

maxpixel.net

adulthood. The mice produced were healthy, and seven of the allfemale litter subsequently went on to have pups of their own which has positive implications for the quality of their genes.

This discovery is a major stepping stone in the road to same-sex couples being able to have children who are biologically related to both parents. However, this end point is most likely very far away.

There would be great difficulty applying this method to human cells, and it is unclear to what degree of success it would reach.

Another concern is that mice with two male parents were also produced in the study, however only twelve pups were born and all died within two days due to health problems.

Hopefully, advances in this area will continue to be made so we can better understand reproduction and help same-sex couples who aim to have children achieve this goal.

Team Finds ‘Trojan Horse’ Antibiotic Issy Greenwood Sci&Tech Writer

The projections for the future of antimicrobial resistance are stark.

Around seven hundred thousand people die every year as a result of drug resistant infections and this figure is expected to rise to almost ten million by 2050. Public anxiety surrounding this issue has been rising steadily over the years, with many realising that even the most basic of surgeries and therapies could prove fatal in the face of serious infection.

Published in the Lancet Journal of Infectious Diseases, the ‘Trojan Horse Antibiotic’ was inspired by the well renowned Greek myth of the Trojan Horse infiltrating the city of Troy. Otherwise known as Cefiderocol, this antibiotic infiltrates a bacterium via its own iron uptake pathways. Bacteria require iron to function and so sequester this from the host cells they have infected. Cefiderocol therefore

binds to free iron in the patient’s body and uses the bacteria’s own iron transport channels to bypass the membrane and enter the bacterium. Once inside, much like in the Greek myth, the drug destroys the bacterial cell from within, interrupting the synthesis of peptidoglycan which is a key component of the cell wall. Although this method of killing the bacterium is not novel, the entry via iron uptake pathways is extremely new and very promising.

Cefiderocol targets ‘Gramnegative’ bacteria which have two cell membranes. These Gramnegative bacteria are responsible for more than 30% of hospitalacquired infections and thus tackling these drug-resistant strains is of paramount importance. The drug was trialled on three hundred and seventy one patients with complicated urinary tract infections, who were deemed to be at risk of multidrug-resistant Gramnegative infection and the results

were encouraging. Over 73% of patients with these complex infections were deemed to be fully cured as compared to a mere 55% in the control group who were treated with the known antibiotic Imipenem-cilastatin.

There are many mechanisms that may lead to bacteria developing resistance, including increasing the levels of ‘efflux pumps’ that pump out molecules that are toxic to the bacterium, such as antibiotics. Cefiderocol can bypass these mechanisms, regardless of how the bacterium resists antibiotics, due to it utilising the bacteria’s own innate pathways that it must use to survive.

While clinical trials of this drug are ongoing, the prospect of a drug that can bypass resistance mechanisms of bacteria is incredibly reassuring. Therefore, while the projections may seem bleak, discoveries such as these are changing the future of the drugresistance epidemic.

cdc.gov

87.5% of Tonsillectomies Unnecessary University of Birmingham research finds substantial disconnect between those who need the surgery and those who recieve it Will Nunn Sci&Tech Editor

A study published in the British Journal of General Practice from the University of Birmingham’s Institute of Applied Health Research has found that as many as 87.5% of childhood tonsillectomies are unnecessary.

The researchers studied the medical records of 1.6 million children from more than 700 general practices across the UK between 2005 and 2016. Among this group 18,271 children had their tonsils out in that time but of those only 2,144 had actually had

enough sore throats to justify the procedure. This means that 32,500 children nationwide have needless tonsillectomies, costing the NHS £36.9 million.

Currently children only qualify for a tonsillectomy if they meet certain criteria. They must have either had seven sore throats in one year, three in three successive years, or five or more in two successive years. Among those sampled who had undergone the surgery, 12.4% had only five or six sore throats in the year, 44.7% had two to four, and 9.9% had only one. These children had not qualified under current policy.

The study also revealed that

15,764 children had records showing that they should have received treatment, meaning 13,620 children were not treated when they should have been.

This pattern changed little over the 12 years of the study, demonstrating a failure to apply correct procedure over an extended period of time.

Children with fewer sore throats do not gain as much from the procedure, since their sore throats tend to reduce in severity after a time irregardless. However, in children where the criteria are met and a tonsillectomy is performed, their conditions

improved faster in the time following; therefore the surgery is worth carrying out for those who genuinely need it.

The result of these findings ought to prompt action to reevaluate how this treatment is applied. Tonsillectomies are beneficial to patients when performed in the correct cases, but the disparity between those who need the treatment and those who get it needs to be addressed. Doing so would cut down on unnecessary spending in the NHS and free up more time and resources for patients who are truly in need.

Creature Feature: Living on a Lamprey-er Tom Martin Sci&Tech Writer

flickr.com

In 2015, The Guardian reported that, after 200 years, the ‘living fossils’ known as lampreys had returned to British rivers such as Ouse, Trent and Derwent.

Older than dinosaurs themselves, lampreys are a jawless fish with a toothed, funnel-like mouth. They are referred to as ‘nine-eyed eels’ in folklore due to their seven external gill slits, single nostril, and single eye.

There are about 38 known living species of lamprey. The most commonly known are the parasitic carnivorous species which feed by latching on the flesh of other fish with their concentric rows of sharp teeth and boring through scales to suck their blood. Eighteen recorded species of lampreys feed in this way, known as ‘micro-predation.’

Of those eighteen carnivorous species, half hunt exclusively in saltwater environments, migrating to freshwater only to breed.

The other half that do live entirely in freshwater will almost never attack a human unless starved. The vast majority of the pure-freshwater lampreys are non-carnivorous, and instead live off reserves acquired through filter feeding as larvae.

In the Great Lakes of North America, sea lampreys are now considered an invasive species.

They have no natural predators in that environment and target commercially valuable species such as the lake trout. Complicated and expensive systems of lampricides, chemicals which specifically target the species, are being deployed in an effort to control populations to more manageable levels.

In fact, you’re probably more likely to eat a lamprey than you are to be eaten by one! Lampreys have been a dish enjoyed by ancient Romans, through to the medieval aristocracy. Lampreys are still even sold and eaten across Southwestern Europe, as well as parts of Asia and Scandinavia. Before you decide on lampreys for your Christmas dinner, however, know that lamprey mucus is highly toxic. For this reason, King Henry I is said to have died after, against his physicians’ orders, overindulging in the delicacy.

So next time you fancy some waterside walking just remember that these king-killing prehistoric horrors are swimming once again in a river near you.

SCI&TECH

Friday 9th November 2018

@redbricktech

Modern Day Human Evolution Charlotte Begley Sci&Tech Writer

Homo erectus to Neanderthal, Neanderthal to human, evolution is commonly thought to be something that took place in the distant past. However, modern human lifestyles have led to more recent changes in our physiology that most are putting down to modernday evolution.

Of particular interest is the recent evolution of milk digestion in Chile. Approximately 65% of the world’s population are thought to be lactose intolerant, according to the US National Institutes of Health. These individuals cannot digest the sugar lactose, which is

found in dairy products like milk and cheese, due to a deficiency of the enzyme known as lactase. As infants, the majority of people produce lactase in order to break down this sugar as it is present in breast milk. However, with age, many lose the ability to produce the enzyme and become lactose intolerant.

However, some possess a mutation that allows for the production of lactase into adulthood, giving them the ability to continue consuming milk products throughout their lifetime.

This is common in regions of Europe, where an initial mutation in the plains of Hungary is thought to have taken place around 7,500

years ago and been passed on since. Other ‘pockets’ of lactase gene mutations allowing for lactose digestion are noted in regions of South Africa, but these are not particularly widespread and result from a different mutation type.

Further afield, some individuals in Chile are now thought to have developed a differing genetic alteration but with the same result, suggesting an evolutionary process independent of previously identified regions with this trait.

Yet, other recent evolutionary traits have also been noted in this part of the world. Last year, it was reported that those living in the Quebrada Camarones region of Chile’s Atacama Desert had devel-

oped a genetic mutation allowing for the metabolism of arsenic; the highly toxic metalloid is present in the highest quantities known in the Americas here. Therefore, this trait is advantageous for survival in a potentially lethal environment and is of great importance in the preservation of the community.

Whilst an almost sudden ability to digest milk may be seemingly insignificant, these events prompt a wider discussion regarding human evolution in recent years. What other changes in human physiology may we see in our lifetime, and how are our environments playing a role in these processes?

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This Week in Sci&Tech...

On the 1st of November, Google employees walked out of offices worldwide in protest over the company’s handling of sexual harassment claims.

This comes in the wake of allegations o f misconduct made against senior executives at the company.

A new species of dinosaur, thought to have lived 110 million years ago, has been discovered in Argentina. It has been named “Lavocatisaurus agrioensis” and, like the Diplodocus and Brontosaurus, is a member of the herbivorous Sauropods.

pxhere.com

Fake Moon Rising in China Farhana Alam Sci&Tech Writer

Plans to launch an artificial moon to illuminate the city of Chengdu, the capital of China’s Sichuan province, have been proposed by the main contractor for the Chinese Space Programme; a company named Chengdu Aerospace Science and Technology Microelectronics System Research Institute Co. Ltd. According to the company’s chairman, Wu

Chunfeng, the illumination satellite would be eight times brighter than a full moon and would light up an area covering 10–80 kilometres (a fraction of the size of Chengdu, which covers 12,400 square kilometres). He claims that the technology has been tested for several years and is sufficiently advanced for the artificial moon to be launched as early as 2020, with plans for another three in 2022 if the first is successful.

Despite the appealing image of an artificial orb illuminating the night sky, the claims made by the company suggest that the satellite would not appear like this at all. Instead, it would involve mirrors in orbit approximately 500 kilometres above the Earth (760 times closer than the Moon),

Wikimedia Commons

reflecting sunlight back to Earth’s surface. The mirrors would be made from a

reflective coating upon solar sails, the angles of which could be adjusted to focus the reflected rays to a particular spot on Earth.

“Concerns have been raised about the impact that an artificial moon would have on nocturnal organisms” The use of space mirrors is not a novel concept. The original idea came from a French artist; inspired by the Hall of Mirrors in Versailles, he suggested a necklace of mirrors to reflect light to illuminate the streets of Paris. However, his plan never transpired. An attempt at installing space mirrors was made

by Russian scientists in 1993, who sent a 20-metre reflective satellite into space, named Znamya (meaning ‘banner’). It illuminated an area of 5 km on Earth’s surface, moving across Europe like a spotlight, but the satellite was destroyed upon re-entry into the atmosphere. Their second attempt, Znamya 2.5, misfired and was damaged during its launch in 1999. More recently, in 2013, the town square of Rjukan, in Norway, was illuminated by three large mirrors that were controlled and angled using a computer.

Although he revealed no details about the proposed satellite, in an interview with China Daily, Wu Chunfeng justified the idea for an artificial moon by indi-

cating the high cost of electricity for powering street lights at night.

He did not, however, give any indication of the costs involved in the development, launch, and maintenance of the artificial moon.

He also claimed that it could be used to illuminate areas hit by blackouts, e.g. following a natural disaster.

The news has been met by scepticism from the wider scientific community. For a satellite to focus reflected light on such a defined area on Earth, it would need to be in geostationary orbit, which would require it to be 37,000 kilometres above Earth; not the mere 500 kilometres stated by the company. However, increasing the distance of the mirrors would require them to be gigantic if they are to reflect enough light for this purpose.

Furthermore, concerns have been raised about the impact that an artificial moon would have on nocturnal organisms, and on animals such as sea turtles, which use moonlight as a guide. As is the case for many populous cities, Chengdu already suffers from light pollution, which affects the sleep quality of its residents, and adding a satellite that is eight times brighter than the moon would exacerbate this problem.

Exactly how bright the illumination satellite will appear is unclear from the scant information provided by the company. Claims that it would provide a ‘dusk-like’ glow, and be one-fifth of the brightness of a streetlight, appear to directly contradict the original claims made by Wu Chunfeng. It remains to be seen whether these plans will come to fruition, or if they are mere lunacy.

The Kepler spacecraft, after discovering 2,662 planets, has been retired.

On October the 30th, it was announced that the NASA space observatory had run out of fuel after a 9 year long journey of discovery.

The Bank of England has announced the new £50 note will feature a scientist.

The public can offer suggestions on their website, with a shortlist being presented to a committee of experts before being presented to Mark Carney, the bank’s governor, for a final decision.

Medical Cannabis is now legal for use in the UK. After much campaigning for legalisation, the drug can be used when it is proven to be medically effective.

Some of the small number of medical conditions appropriate are epilepsy, nausea from chemotherapy, and MS. Data from more than 40 million births has demonstrated that babies born to older fathers tend to suffer a higher risk of conditions such as seizures, low birth rate and ventilation issues.

Fathers over the age of 45 saw a 14% risk of premature birth in their children, and 28% of babies needed postnatal intensive care with fathers over 50.

Image credits: Wikimedia Commons, flickr.com

SPORT

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Friday 9th November 2018

@redbricksport

Pound For Pound: Autumn’s Say No Top Three Boxers Worldwide to a Andy Brennan takes us through who he thinks are the top three boxers in the world right now Andy Brennan Sport Writer

2018 has been a hectic year for boxing;. We have seen the introduction of the inaugural ‘World Boxing Super Series’ and have been treated to a plethora of world title showdowns. With all that in mind, I have chosen three boxers who I believe have stood out amongst the rest in 2018. They are currently in red-hot form, all coming off famous wins and all hold numerous world title belts. I believe these to currently be the very best pound-for-pound stars in boxing.

3) Saúl ‘Canelo’ Álvarez Middleweight Record: 50-1-2 Canelo Álvarez is probably the biggest boxing star in the world right now, as he has proven he is amongst the very best in the Middleweight division. Havin achieved a famous, if not controversial, win against amateur leg-

end Gennady Golovkin, the Mexican is now looking up to Super Middleweight, challenging Rocky Fielding for the WBA title in December. Many fancy Álvarez to win this bout despite a gigantic size difference, and for good reason. Álvarez boasts incredible defence and hand speed, being touted as a classic ‘counter-puncher’ as he bobs and weaves through his opponents’ shots while ruthlessly exploiting the openings in their own defence. Oh, and his left hook hurts too.

2) Terence Crawford Welterweight Record: 34-0 There does not seem to be anyone as frustrating to fight as Crawford.

Many thought Crawford would struggle from the move up to Welterweight, but having already gained a title belt coupled with his convincing victories against Jeff Horn and José Benavidez Jr, Crawford has proven every doubter very, very wrong.

His victories are owed to his mind-bogglingly quick punching

speed in addition to his impressive ability to switch freely between fighting in the Orthodox and Southpaw stances, allowing Crawford to assault his opponent from all angles.

“Crawford has proven every doubter very, very wrong” Perhaps most perplexingly for his foes, there does not seem to be a single chink in Crawford’s armour, explaining why he is currently undefeated and was the undisputed Junior Welterweight Champion.

1) Vasyl Lomachenko Lightweight Record: 11-1 There is nobody who can so masterfully combine hand speed, timing and footwork like

Ukrinform

Sport Editor

Invented in the Netherlands, korfball is a fast-paced dynamic sport often described as a cross between netball and basketball. Here at the UoB, we are home to some of the most competitive student sides in the country. This week we caught up with their Club President, Charley Lewis, and fundraising secretary, Xander Chevallier, to find out more about the club.

When comparing the sport to netball and basketball, Lewis was keen to identify the similarities.’If you’ve played them before then you’ll get the basics, the way you pass, the way you move,’ before claiming that korfball is ‘100%’ the better sport. ‘It’s way more dynamic, you haven’t just got two people who can shoot, everyone can. In netball you have set positions, whereas in korfball you have attack and defence, and you swap ends every two goals, so attackers become defenders and defenders become attackers, meaning you have to be all-rounded to play.’ Chevallier agreed, highlighting the ‘transferable skills’ as a key feature of the sport that attracts new players.

One key feature that sets this sport apart from the rest is the fact

that each team of eight players must be made up by four men and four women. A clear fan of the rule, Lewis discussed the benefits: ‘The mixed set is really nice. If you’ve got a group of girls playing in a team it’s a completely different dynamic to having it mixed, the same with if you had a group of boys. Everyone’s just themselves and I think it works really well. Boys and girls play differently on court and it works really well because you play to each other’s advantages.’

Chevallier added, ‘it’s something I hope would catch on, it’s definitely one of our big selling points. A lot of social sports have mixed teams, but we are one of the only sports that at the very highest level that still has mixed teams.’

The club, which boasts 100 members this year, are now setting their sights on the league campaigns of their three competi-

that every player at the club attends together.

A note from the Sports Officer: Simon Price Sports Officer

tive teams. They are all aiming to reach the National finals and improve on last year’s fifth-place finish. ‘We should be coming at least fifth this year, if not better and getting a medal,’ explained Lewis. ‘Every year we get at least one gold medal in any tournament that we go to.’

Whilst fielding three competitive teams, the club also offers training to all ability levels, which includes a weekly training session

Training Times: 1sts & 2nds: Wednesday 19:00-20:30 3rds & 4ths: Friday 19:00-20:30 Development Squad: Friday 16:30-17:00 Whole Club: Friday 17:00-18:30 & Sunday 16:30-18:30 If you’d like to find out more, e-mail the club at: birminghamkorfball@googlemail.com, or find them on Twitter @UOBKorfball.

A word from the Sports Editor Jake Bradshaw

Lomachenko can. Lomachenko’s professional record may seem relatively mediocre to the others on this list, but do not be fooled.

Lomachenko is arguably the most decorated amateur boxer of all time, with an unbelievable record of 396-1 and two Olympic gold medals to his name. If that is still unconvincing however, Lomachenko is a three-weight world champion despite having only 12 professional fights. An embarrassment of Guillermo Rigondeaux, who had not lost a boxing match since 2003, as well as his impressive dismantling of fellow three-weight titlist Jorge Linares proves that Lomachenko’s name is one of the most fear-inducing in boxing.

Sports Club of the Fortnight: Korfball Jack Simpkin

Europe Super League

Korfball have been one of the outstanding clubs since the start of term, just missing out on being named sport of the fortnight for the last two editions. Their social media has been great, especially through Instagram, showing their training, BUCS games and socials.

They have also done really well to be awarded alumini impact funding which will help them grow as a club.

This week I’ve been involved in a focus group discussing the Commonwealth Games with the organising committee. While this seems far away now, it is exciting to think that this event will be coming to Birmingham in four years time using our University facilities. This will be a fantastic event where we will be hoping to push opportunities for students to be involved.

Sport Editor

Recently, German media outlet Der Spiegel reported that the idea of creating a European league for the best European teams is secretly being worked on by the clubs who would take part in it. For several years now, this idea has been floated around the world of football. Aside from the fact that we already have two European competitions, the Champions League and the Europa League, there is another reason why this move would prove fatal for the beautiful game.

The suggestion is that the best teams in each of the top European leagues would leave their home leagues and begin playing one another week-in-week-out. While on the face of it this would offer up tantalising match-ups every week, it completely bypasses the whole point of football: the fans.

Without fans, clubs would have no reason to play, and football itself becomes entirely meaningless. Yet, this is what a European Super League would create. Imagine the sheer costs that would have to be expended for fans to support their team in such a league. On top of the already extortionate ticket prices, which would more than likely increase, fans would have to shell out even more cash to get to Italy, Spain, Germany or France every other week. This would completely alienate the true fanbases of clubs, and those of us who do support these ‘top’ clubs may well decide it isn’t all that worth it. It boggles the mind that these clubs would be willing to disgard their supporters in an attempt to make more money, presumably most of which will come from TV rights.

Moreover, it is an insult to the ‘smaller’ clubs in the top European leagues. Instead of promotion guaranteeing the chance to test themselves against the biggest clubs in the country, they would have to content themselves with the clubs that couldn’t make it into this most prestigious of groups.

It should be noted that one of the clubs said to be involved, Bayern Munich, have categorically denied plotting such a move, and the other clubs will likely do the same. Regardless of whether or not this is true, one thing is certain: football cannot survive without its fanbase, and the creation of a European Super League would be a hammer-blow to the support these clubs rely on.

SPORT

Friday 9th November 2018

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@redbricksport

England 12-11 South Africa: Farrell Kicks the Red Rose to Nail-Biting Victory Sport Writer Dan Hague looks back on England’s victory as Eddie Jones’ side bounced back from a disappointing summer Dan Hague Sport Writer

England’s first game of the Quilter Internationals saw them welcome South Africa, who made the 16,000 mile round trip to Twickenham. Approaching this game, the Springboks were confident. England, meanwhile, were staring down the barrel of six losses from seven.

Two years ago, Eddie Jones used the phrase ‘rope-a-dope’ to describe his side’s performance against Australia. A wilful, gritty and determined effort to defend the try line at all costs. On this occasion, with just 22% of the

first-half territory and 33% possession, and not once having breached the South African 22, England certainly looked on the ropes once again. Their first fifteen minutes were dire. They conceded a Pollard penalty and lost Maro Itoje to the sin bin after his third infringement in as many minutes. However, it could have been much worse had Malcolm Marx’s darts found their target.

The sustained pressure was beginning to tell and in the 32nd minute Sbu Nkosi went over in the corner to give the visitors the lead. England were in a dog fight.

An Owen Farrell penalty brought the score to 6-8 in South Africa’s favour at the interval, yet as

seemed to be the way with Eddie Jones’ England of old, they managed to find a way back into the game. A long-range effort from Elliot Daly in the 46th minute saw England lead the Springboks by a point, a remarkable scoreline considering the South African dominance. The game was balanced on a knife edge and a late Pollard penalty saw South Africa regain the lead.

Thankfully for the Twickenham crowd, however, a powerful scrummaging performance won England a penalty, which the dead-eyed Owen Farrell converted. The score was 12-11 and the game finely poised. Fortunately, for Eddie Jones and England,

Sky Sports South Africa spurned an attempt at the drop-goal in the final minutes and a powerful Farrell tackle saw South Africa spill the ball.

England were home. In what was

a see-saw of a game England came out on top. Much to work on for Eddie Jones, but considering the pessimism prior to the game, a good result.

Mastery to Misery: What Explains Real Madrid’s Fall From Grace?

Luke Bosher gives his view on just what is going so wrong at the Bernabéu

Joe.co.uk

Luke Bosher Sport Writer

After an embarrassing 5-1 defeat at the hands of arch-rivals Barcelona last month, Julien Lopetegui was relieved of his

duties as Real Madrid manager after just three months at the helm.

Although they have since won their most recent league game against Valladolid, the problems at the Bernabéu are evident.

The talismanic Cristiano Ronaldo was allowed to leave in

the summer to Champions League rivals Juventus, but Real have been struggling in the league since before his departure. Former manager Zinedine Zidane’s success in the Champions League perhaps masked their deficiencies as a team able to compete over an entire season, as last season they finished 3rd (73pts) in the league, closer to 10th placed Girona (51pts) than 1st placed Barcelona (86pts). The team was set up to treat European games as cup finals and league games as secondary, as Real played effective football to win their third European title in a row. Surprise defeats to Levante and Alavés show that this trend has continued into this campaign.

Real are struggling to find a system that they can build a team around in this post-Cristiano era.

For so long, Real’s 4-3-3 with attacking fullbacks and a ruthless front trio was the deadliest offen-

sive unit in world football.

“Real are struggling to find a system that they can build a team around in this postCristiano era” As Cristiano aged, he took a more central role, but his brilliance allowed the team to still compete. Madrid have struggled to fit their remaining players in a system that works as Gareth Bale, Marco Asensio, and Isco have been shuffled about in combinations that have not clicked.

These star players are struggling for form and Madrid are

now lacking a true Galáctico who can win a game by themselves.

Benzema is not the same goalscorer he once was, Luke Modric has failed to replicate his World Cup form, and Bale looks bereft of ideas. The same players that have been so successful in the Champions League look fatigued and disjointed, and it is imperative that Madrid find a tactic, or a star, and stick with it in order to improve.

Notable Results this Season Madrid 2-4 Atletico (ESC) Ath Bilbao 1-1 Madrid Sevilla 3-0 Madrid CSKA 1-0 Madrid (UCL) Alaves 1-0 Madrid Madrid 1-2 Levante Barcelona 5-1 Madrid

Life after Lopetegui: Our Top 3 Picks to Take the Helm for Los Blancos Jake Davies Sport Writer

Following the sacking of Real Madrid’s head coach Julen Lopetegui after a torrid start in La Liga, the question has once again emerged of who is best suited to ascend to the throne of the European heavyweight. With big names being touted across social media, we’ve sat down and decided upon our top three picks for Real’s new manager. Whoever gets the job, they will have plenty on their hands to turn this disastrous season around.

Antonio Conte Ex-Chelsea manager Antonio Conte seems like an excellent choice for the role. He transformed Chelsea into a well-oiled, coherent unit who amassed 93 points on their way to the title in the 2015/16 season. Indeed, the 49-year-old’s track record with Juventus and Italy suggests that he could handle the pressure that a club the size and stature of Real Madrid demands. Conte’s managerial style may cause Real’s hot seat to elude him though, as his

intense training and treatment of players has reportedly led to Real’s players feeling less than optimistic about his appointment.

current success with the national team shows that he can handle a dressing room full of characters and big-name players.

Roberto Martínez

Mauricio Pochettino

Alternatively, the club could turn to another who has managed previously in the Premier League, in the form of Belgium’s head coach Roberto Martinez. His track record may not be as glittering as Conte’s (Swansea, Wigan and Everton pre-Belgium), but the Spaniard has seen much consistency across his career and his

However, the best choice for the role in my opinion would be current Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino. Young and tested in the Premier League, he has proven himself adept at bringing young talent through the ranks to the first team, with players such as Dele Alli and Harry Winks flourishing under the Argentine’s guidance.

El País With no current star striker to carry the team, Real could do with such development throughout the squad at this crucial point in their illustrious history.

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SPORT

Friday 9th November 2018

@redbricksport

C4 on Track to Deliver 2019 F1 Coverage

Editor-in-Chief Erin Santillo reacts to the news that Channel 4 will continue to show F1 coverage over the 2019 season Erin Santillo Editor-in-Chief

Lewis Hamilton has secured his fifth Formula One World Championship after dominating the second half of the season to draw significantly ahead of his main rival, Sebastian Vettel.

However, despite there being two more races left on this year’s calendar, with Hamilton having already wrapped up the title, eyes have already turned to the 2019 season.

Along with two additional The Independent

British drivers joining Hamilton on the grid – Formula Two’s Lando Norris and George Russell, and an alteration to the regulations allowing for simpler front wings, changes continue off the track too, with the confirmation that Channel 4 will continue their free-to-air coverage of the sport.

In 2019, fans will be able to watch the whole season on C4, with the channel having secured rights to broadcast the British Grand Prix live, along with highlights of the other 20 races on the calendar. Although this is a change from their coverage since their takeover from the BBC in 2016,

which has seen half of the races streamed live, it is a far cry from the much-criticised plan that would have seen an end of terrestrial coverage.

“In 2019, fans will be able to watch the whole season on C4” Before his retirement, former F1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone signed a five-year exclusive coverage

deal with Sky due to start next year. This would have meant that all races until 2025 would only be accessible in the UK behind the satellite broadcaster’s paywall, which this year was £18 a month.

However, after lengthy negotiations, it was recently announced that C4 will work in collaboration with Sky to cover the 2019 season. In exchange, Sky will be able to broadcast selected C4 content on its platforms.

The exact format of the C4 coverage, including whether the programmes will continue to be fronted by Steve Jones and David Coulthard, has not yet been con-

firmed.

Sky will continue to broadcast live coverage of every race via subscription.

Twitter / @LewisHamilton

The Race for 2019: Who’s Best Placed to Challenge Hamilton?

David Garbutt picks his three top title challengers for 2019 David Garbutt Sports Writer

As the tyre-smoke settles on another high-octane Formula 1 season, the question on everyone’s lips is who, if anyone, can challenge the dominance of Hamilton and his Mercedes?

Sebastian Vettel The obvious choice. Vettel has been Hamilton’s closest challenger for the last two seasons, and it would be unwise to think he will

not be there or thereabouts next year.

“Vettel has been Hamilton’s closest challenger” The 2018 season has been one of brief elation and long-term frustration for the German, with many seeing the Championship as being a contrast between Hamilton’s perfection and Vettel’s mistakes. If Vettel wants to dethrone Hamilton, these errors would have to be cut out. With four World Drivers’ Championships to his name, if

anyone can forget this season’s woes to come back even stronger, it is Vettel.

Max Verstappen The thinking man’s choice.

The sheer speed and driving-skill of Verstappen has long been admired throughout the paddock, and it only seems a matter of when, rather than if, he will win the World Championship.

This season has seen some amazing drives by the Dutchman, most notably last time out in Mexico. With a Honda engine in

his Red Bull from next season, Verstappen should have a faster and more reliable car to launch a sustained Championship challenge.

Marcus Ericsson.

He has also achieved some great results in his Sauber this season, most notably finishing 6th at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Charles Leclerc

“Leclerc has shown serious pace in his debut F1 season”

The left-field choice. Ferrari shocked the F1 world when they made the bold decision to drop the ever-reliable Raikkonen in favour of a young prodigy in Leclerc.

However, Leclerc has shown serious pace in his debut F1 season, consistently out-performing his more experienced teammate

It remains to be seen if the step-up to a title-challenging team will be too much too soon for LeClerc, but there is every chance he can take it in his stride and directly challenge Hamilton next season.

Tennis in Trouble: Are the Greats of the Game Making it Boring?

Sport Writer John Rogers discusses whether the dominance of the world’s greatest tennis players is adversely affecting the sport John Rogers Sport Writer

Australian Open – Novak Djokovic; French Open and Wimbledon – Rafael Nadal; US Open – Roger Federer. These three names have not only dominated the world of men’s tennis in 2018, but for a decade. Case in point: these are not the list of title Total Grand Slam Wins Serena Williams - 23 Roger Federer - 20 Rafael Nadal - 16 Novak Djokovoic - 14

winners for this year, but from 2008.

This year the names of the four slam winners are the same, although the order is different, and it speaks to the changing age demographic of the best players in the world. Federer (37), Nadal (32) and Djokovic (31) all won their first slam aged 21 or younger, but since Federer’s first in 2004, the trio hold all but 9 of the last 72. Meanwhile in the women’s game, Serena William’s lockdown on the sport has been almost absolute for the same length of time. To be honest, it’s getting boring.

Tennis needs a fresh injection of talent to break the monotony of the current status-quo, a new set

of rivalries for a new era. The likes of Milos Raonic, Marin Cilic, Gregor Dmitrov and Kei Nishikori have had their chances, so perhaps it is time to look to the newest of generations for the answers.

“Tennis needs a fresh injection of talent to break the monotony of the current status-quo” Alexander Zverev, 21, has bagged nine ATP titles and reached number 3 in the world and already

seems the hottest prospect on the block.

Closer to home, Kyle Edmund is an example of a young player looking to make the jump from good to great; the 23-year-old Briton moved into the world’s top 15 and won his first tour event in 2018. Meanwhile 20-year-old US Open champion Naomi Osaka could be what the women’s game is waiting for.

The legacy of Roger, Rafa and Novak is secure, and they have played the best tennis the sport has ever seen. But what the sport needs from 2019 is for someone to take the initiative and de-throne them, not look to age or ailment for the opportunity. If one of the new generation could make the

leap, it may just save the sport.

Men’s Grand Slam Winners Australian Open: 2017- Roger Federer 2018- Roger Federer French Open: 2017- Rafael Nadal 2018- Rafael Nadal Wimbledon: 2017- Roger Federer 2018- Novak Djokovic US Open Champions: 2017- Rafael Nadal 2018- Novak Djokovic

SPORT

Friday 9th November 2018

@redbricksport

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A Tragic Ending to the Happiest Story: Remembering Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha Sport Writer Kit Shepard commemorates the legacy of one of the Premier League’s most beloved club owners Kit Shepard Sport Writer

There was a time, a little over three years ago, that Leicester City were just another football club. Jamie Vardy was an industrious striker who was fortunate just to have the chance to play in the Premier League. Riyad Mahrez was a skillful winger, but rarely delivered any end product. N’Golo Kante was a midfielder unknown to even Football Manager enthusiasts. Danny Drinkwater was a guy with a funny name. Kasper Schmeichel was simply Peter’s son.

As everyone knows, this all changed during the 2015/16 sea-

son, when Leicester defied odds of 5000/1 to win the Premier League. Their achievements that season transcended sport and stole the hearts of the football world.

And now, the football world is in mourning. Following their home encounter with West Ham last Saturday, Leicester’s Thai owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha’s private helicopter crashed soon after taking off from King Power Stadium, taking the lives of all five people on board, including the man responsible for the ultimate sporting Cinderella story.

We could go on forever about what Srivaddhanaprabha did for Leicester on the pitch, but it is a measure of the man’s generosity that this would not do him justice.

The 60-year-old also made a difference to the local community on a large scale, donating £1 million each to Leicester University and Royal Infirmary. However, smaller acts of kindness were not below Srivaddhanaprabha, as he regularly treated supporters to free food, beer, scarves and travel to away games. He truly could not have been further away from the ignorant, self-interested stereotype of the modern football club owner, a fact reflected by the countless tributes from players and fans alike. Figures like this a part of a rare breed.

If Jamie Vardy, Riyad Mahrez, N’Golo Kante and the rest are heroes, then Khun Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha is the biggest

CNN

hero of them all. Following Leicester’s 1-0 win at Cardiff last weekend, the entire squad flew to

Bangkok to attend Srivaddhanaprabha’s funeral.

American Exodus: Christian Wade Switches Rugby Union for American Football Ben Thomas discusses the allure of the NFL for established Rugby Union players Ben Thomas Sport Writer

Wasps winger and top-3 Premiership try scorer Christian Wade shocked the rugby world as he quit the sport with strong rumours abound that he will attempt to make his mark across the pond via the NFL International Pathway Programme.

His abrupt hanging up of his scrum cap in favour of a helmet and shoulder pads should raise significant questions about the increasingly narrow-minded nature of the sport of rugby, whilst equally highlighting the lucrative

and multi-faceted threat posed by America’s ‘greatest show on turf.’

The fact that a high-profile fringe England international like Wade would sacrifice his longestablished rugby career for a plunge into the relative unknown should cause alarm bells to ring throughout the head offices of the RFU. While northern hemisphere rugby has steadily become fixated with size and bulk or, as one New Zealand paper provocatively described it, obsessed with moulding ‘a tribe of white orcs on steroids,’ the NFL has established itself as the king of diversity and the champion of flamboyance.

“The NFL has established itself as the king of diversity and the champion of flamboyance” Moreover, financially speaking, while the average salary for a Premiership rugby player is £200,000 per annum (rising to around £750,000 for superstars such as Owen Farrell), the average salary of an NFL player is a staggering $2.1 million.

Subsequently, so long as this dis-

parity remains, rugby union must continue to wrestle with the lucrative magnetism of the NFL, as more players assess the worth of putting their bodies, and indeed their futures, on the line for our own entertainment.

Wade himself now faces up to a three-year ‘mountain climb’ in order to get his opportunity in the league as he plays catch up on Americans who have lived and breathed the sport ever since they could say the word ‘touchdown.’

Nevertheless, all things considered, and with his outrageous combination of agility and acceleration in mind, it is no surprise that Wade has chanced his arm and asked himself: Why continue

to chase an egg in Coventry, when you can catch a pigskin in Miami instead?

ruck.co.uk

Pogba’s Penalty: Joke or Genius?

Sport Editor Isabel Baldwin reviews the recent trend of extravagent penalties Isabel Baldwin Sport Editor

Once again Paul Pogba has become the butt of many a joke.

However, this time the Manchester United midfielder is not at the centre of the news for a flamboyant new hairstyle or his ongoing feud with manager José Mourinho, but rather his penalty technique.

Manchester United’s game against Everton played witness to Pogba taking a total of 26 stuttering steps to reach the penalty spot, only to send the ball straight at Everton keeper, Jordan Pickford.

Although the Frenchman did manage to find the back of the net from the rebound, it does beg the question, can this technique actually be taken seriously or is it

simply a laughable attempt to gain attention?

Pogba’s footballing flair has certainly caused a stir this time, leaving Twitter in hysterics. Many have created hilarious comparisons to his penalty, including Usain Bolt’s world record 100m sprint, which was completed quicker than Pogba’s penalty.

“Although at first the idea seems odd, this style has proven to be successful in the past” However, opinion varies more

in the professional footballing world. Despite the tension between the World Cup winner and his Manchester United boss, Mourinho spoke out in defence of Pogba, ‘the thing I like is the desire to take it. I don’t like Mickey Mouses, fragile players who are afraid and go: “I don’t take penalties.” I don’t like that.’

Pogba has become rather renowned for his technique of a drawn-out run up, and although at first the idea seems odd, this style has proven to be successful in the past. All five penalties the midfielder has taken this season have demonstrated the technique, ranging from 8-26 steps, with three successfully scored, one saved and one scored on the rebound. Not a bad success rate for a ‘joke’ of a technique.

Whether you believe the penalty is making a mockery of football or is sporting genius, you must see the truth in United teamEvening Standard

mate Ashley Young’s words when he said, ‘if he wants to take 62 steps and scores the penalty that’s all that matters.’

SPORT

Mick Lort

09.11.2018

Lethal Lions hit Loughborough for Six

Birmingham 43 Loughborough 13

Sport Writers George Garrett & Alec Fleming report on a season-changing week for the Men’s Rugby Union 1st XV as they bounce back emphatically from a difficult start to their season George Garrett Sport Writer

Birmingham’s men’s rugby 1st XV got their first BUCS win of the season with a handsome victory over Loughborough 2nd XV last Wednesday evening, running in six tries and 43 points to Loughborough’s 13.

On a wet evening at the Bournbrook 3G, the Birmingham side were in desperate need of a victory, having blown a lead against Nottingham the previous week, and yet to gain their first win.

From start to finish Birmingham looked up for it, making big tackles and running aggressive lines, putting Loughborough on the back foot from the word go. The men in red did not seem phased by the pouring rain, and they were duly rewarded for their bright start as winger Wheathall broke Loughborough tackles, forcing his way over the line, sending Birmingham on their way.

From this moment on, the home side never looked back, pouncing on any opportunity that Loughborough provided them. That said, Loughborough shot themselves in the foot, gifting two intercepted tries to the Lions, who suddenly found themselves with 21 points on the board after a clinical start to the game.

The home side made the most of Loughborough’s mishaps, and perhaps it was the stroke of luck that they needed to kick-start their season. It certainly seemed so, as the impressive Captain Will OnslowWyld fed winger Jenkinson for try number four, and the bonus point sealed before halftime.

Birmingham outplayed Loughborough in all departments. Dominant at the scrum, canny at the breakdown, and dangerous in attack, Loughborough simply had no answers. As a result, the second half became a procession, as the boisterous Bournbrook crowd enjoyed the expansive

rugby on show. For the first time this season it looked like the Birmingham side were enjoying themselves.

At the final whistle, you could sense the relief from the men in red; a must-win game and they had delivered, putting 43 points on the board. Now the monkey is off the back, Birmingham will gain faith from this comprehensive victory, and will hope to climb the North A table as they enter November with growing confidence.

Alec Fleming Sport Writer

UB Sport

Interview with the Director of Rugby, Tom Drewett Alec Fleming (AF) sat down with Tom Drewett (TD) this week to discuss the current season and his positive visions of the future of the club.

Drewett himself has worked tirelesly in recent years on modelling his club around what he calls the ‘UBRFC Identity’, which forms itself on the five pillars of brotherhood, commitment, challenge, accountability, and sacrifice, which all

come together to build his overall message of respect, a message that is clearly begining to resonate with his squad members.

AF: The 1st XV, whilst they did beat Loughborough, have been struggling this season. Do you know why?

TD: The results haven’t been a true reflection of what’s happened so far. The first game of the season (Durham 2nds) we were 27-12 up at half time and lost 27-29. Second game we lost to Newcastle away but scored four tries and never gave up. Nottingham we drew but should have had a penalty at the end.

AF: Do you believe the university will start seeing significant improvement from the side in the near future?

TD: This is the first year we have created a link with Wasps and we have two academy players in the squad at the moment, hopefully this partnership will continue in the future. I’ve always been proud of the programme we put out here at UoB. We are not yet a destination of choice for rugby, we are a destination of choice for study and then we play some rugby. With good results we can change that.

AF: Women’s rugby has seen rising numbers and recent successes so can we expect to see more resources being put into developing the team?

TD: Women’s rugby is doing very well; from where we were four years ago we have travelled a fantastic journey.

Yes, there’s performance but there’s also great participation. Here at the university they get a lot of support. Could they get more support? Probably, but there are 50 odd other teams, there are limited resources.

AF: Can Birmingham 1sts get promoted this season?

TD: We will push hard.

AF: If you could improve one thing attack or defence which would it be?

TD: Defence.

AF: Can England win the World Cup? TD: Six months ago yes, but now it’s anyone’s game.

We thank Tom for his time and wish the Rugby club all the best for the rest of their season.

Latest Result from this Wednesday: Bishop Burton 0-0 Birmingham

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