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Friday 01.03.13 Volume 62
Issue
RUSU ELECTION RESULTS What’s
Inside? Film
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Beautiful Creatures Mark Kelleher
Emma Jackson
On Friday 1st March, after an intense week of campaigning, the results of the RUSU elections were announced. Mark Kelleher took victory in being announced as RUSU President for 2013/14. He will be joined by Emma Jackson as Education Officer, Josh Cave as Student Engagement Officer, Sophie Davies, who enters her second term as Welfare
Josh Cave
Officer, and Katy Ashford as Community and Development Officer. Alongside the full-time officer positions, the eight part-time student officers were announced as follows. LGBT Officer is Ben Rider, International Students’ Officer is Orhan Arsal, Women’s Officer is Antonia Sales, Environment & Ethics Officer is Bethany Morton, Postgraduate Officer is Danish
Sophie Davies
Muhammad, Disabled Students’ Officer is Eleanor Brady, Mature Students’ Officer is Una Markham and BAME Officer is Cindy Ikie. Finally the two elected positions of Student Trustees went to Emily Kerr and Sam Winslet. Despite a shorter campaign and voting period this year, the elections saw the best ever turnout with a total of 3129 votes cast
Katy Ashford during the week, up on last year’s previous best turnout of 2941. The 3sixty
evening with
took
the
place
three
in
media
streams; RU:ON, Junction 11 and Spark*, working together to help
Launched by the Open University (OU) in December 2012, Futurelearn is an easily accessable online platform which will feature courses from some of the UK’s best universities free of charge. The universities that have signed up to join this education initiative include Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, East Anglia, Exeter, King’s College London, Lancaster, Leeds, Southampton, St Andrews and Warwick; and this month, during his trade mission to India, David Cameron announced that the University of Reading will also be providing free online courses to be part of Futurelearn.
Futurelearn will aim to bring together the leading UK universities Until now, UK universities have only had the option of working with US based platforms to provide open online courses. Now Futurelearn will aim to bring together the leading UK universities to create a com-
bined and coherent offer for students in the UK and internationally.
Can be accessed from all over the world through both computers and mobile devices Futurelearn can be accessed from all over the world through both computers and mobile devices, therefore meeting the growing demand for higher education worldwide. It has the potential to establish the UK as a global leader in online higher education, revolutionising conventional models of education. The first of these courses will be open to students in the second half of 2013. The Prime Minister said: “Britain boasts some of the best universities in the world. This innovative new offer led by The Open University will mean that Indian students can access some of the best teaching and learning online from their home in Mumbai or Delhi. I’m delighted that Futurelearn is expanding to include more British universities and the British Library. I hope it will encourage many more
Indian students to take the next step and study with a UK university.” The University of Reading is known for its research-focused courses, with an international reputation in areas such as food, health, food security, sustainable environments and climate science. Ranked in the top 1% of world universities, it was recently one of 12 UK institutions to be awarded a Regius Professorship by Her Majesty the Queen in recognition of its outstanding quality of teaching and research in weather and climate science.
“This will be an on-line addition to the global reach of many of our other projects” Sir David Bell, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Reading, said: “We are excited by the prospect of harnessing the very latest technology to provide a world-wide audience with opportunities to access high quality research led teaching. “Futurelearn will build on our existing technology enhanced learn-
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stream live coverage and commentary of the event online via twitter
and
RU:ON’s
website.
The University of Reading to provide free, open online courses through Futurelearn Charlotte Spillane
Music
ing activities and will be an on-line addition to the global reach of many of our other projects, including our new campus development in Malaysia. We hope it will also provide a window into the latest thinking of University of Reading academics working in areas of international significance, such as climate science, nutrition and food security.”
“It will also provide a window into the latest thinking of University of Reading academics” Reading students consistently rate the quality of their teaching very highly, with the institution receiving an 88% satisfaction rating in the most recent National Student Survey. The University currently boasts six National Teaching Fellows. Having been an international university since it was founded in 1892, it now has over 5000 international students studying at campuses in Reading, South Africa, and Hong Kong through distance learning programmes.
BRIT Awards Review Health
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New Panic Attack App Travel Italy
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2 News news.spark@reading.ac.uk
Reading scientists keep meat products in the pink Katie Barfoot
What with the current controversy surrounding meat products due to the recent horse meat scandal, it is not surprising that when coming across this meat-related news story I expected another betrayal of the food industry that would have me rushing to the fridge checking labels and binning that 2-for-1 deal on ‘all selected meat’. But what I found was something reassuringly different.
Looks to cut the preservative ‘nitrate’ which has been linked with colon cancer A research project, already underway at the University of Reading’s Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences, aims to cut the preservative ‘nitrate’ (which has been linked with an increased risk of colon cancer) in selected meats, and replace it with phytochemicals – a series of natural compounds derived from plants. At present, nitrates help to preserve the meat products we see and buy in the supermarket such as sausages, bacon and ham. For example, they increase shelf life, improve taste and keep the meat its expected pink colour. Although nitrate is working well to deliver the expectation of the consumer, the increased significant risk of colon cancer that it has been linked to has pushed for deliberation of the processes our meat undergoes. Phytochemicals are consumed daily by the majority of the popu-
lation and are found in foods such as wholegrains, fruit, beans, herbs and vegetables. As well as having the advantage of being a naturally occurring compound - comforting organic and typical consumers alike - the chemicals have also been found to have many beneficial health effects, such as improving gut health and lowering the risk of gut cancers. Phytochemicals would provide the exact same level of preservation as nitrate and show no health concerns at present. Studies observing the long-term health effects will be carried out to confirm this and consumer-behaviour surveys will be conducted to see if this change in production would majorly affect the purchasing of meats by the public.
Securing its place in positively affecting the lives of individuals So, it all seems good for us consumers so far. What can we expect from this new-found project? Dr Kuhnle, leader of the Reading PHYTOME project says: “This is a major project that through its links with food businesses we hope will lead to innovative new food products for consumers in a relatively short period of time.” The University of Reading seems to have come out on top again, founding and securing its place in positively affecting the lives of individuals, internationally. The project hopes to make its work available to the public and have meats that contain phytochemicals on the shelves by 2016.
Friday 1 March 2013 Spark*
Medieval bones excavated beneath Friar Street Daniel Mitchel
Medieval bones have been discovered on Friar Street this week. They were found as work had originally aimed to investigate cracks that had appeared along the road surface. Shocked council workers discovered the remains whilst they were working on repairing the road. Friar Street is a particularly busy road and the main bus route in the town centre. Reading Borough Council Spokesman Oscar Mortali said: “On digging up the road the council’s workers also discovered what appeared to be some old bones underground.”
Remains of sheep, pigs and cows as well as Tudor pottery and roof tiles were discovered “The council called Thames Valley Police to investigate further and they have now confirmed they are satisfied the site is of no further interest to them.” A team of specialist archaeologists were then called in and confirmed that the remains date back to the 12th Century. So far, the team have discovered the remains of sheep, pigs and cows whilst also discovering some Tudor pottery and roof tiles. The archaeologists working on the remains are part of the team based at the Thames Valley Archaeological Service, part of the Institute for Archaeologists based within the University of Reading.
Photograph of Friar Street from www.buszone.co.uk Council workers reported that the cracks that they intendedto repair had been thought to have been caused by a collapsed Victorian clay sewer pipe. Reading Buses, including those to the University, are directing their services around the route which remains shut due to the findings and the recent freezing conditions. Tony Page, Reading’s Lead Councillor for Regeneration, Transport and Planning, said: “Unfortunately a combination of factors out of our control has meant these essential works have had to be extended into the weekend. We thank bus passengers and local business and residents for their continued
patience while the emergency works take place.” More than 100 bones had been buried below the ground and one suggestion is that they may have come from a centuries old butchers’ waste pit. Work will continue when workers have established whether the collapsed pipe can be dug up and the road will reopen as soon as possible. This is an exciting discovery for Reading Council and any students that are interested in archaeology or what happens when discoveries like these are made should visit the Institute for Archaeologists website, www.archaeologists.net.
Wantage Hall volunteering Reading professor wins history book award Simon Truscott
On Saturday 23rd February, several Wantage Hall students helped plant a community orchard at Waterloo Meadows in Reading. The students worked with their JCR and Transition Towns Reading, part of a national movement which aims to create a resilient future, faced as we are with climate change and dwindling world fuel supplies.
This will allow local school groups to learn about where their fruit comes from This academic year has also seen Wantage Hall students litter-picking down by the Kennet waterside, clearing overgrowth in Reading Old Cemetery and also planting trees in Waterloo Meadows. The latest event saw around 30 volunteers plant a total of 50 trees, varying in type between apple and plum. Within a few months, the orchard will provide a totally new space for the
local residents. Formerly a landfill site and later empty grassland, the orchard will allow local school groups to learn about where their fruit comes from, and walkers will be able to experience pathways other than the paved routes of the city.
Helps the university retains a positive image with its neighbours The importance of such events is multi-dimensional. Not only does the new orchard provide a better environment – with practically instant results – but the fact that Wantage Hall students have been so active in the local community means that the university retains a positive image with its neighbours. On an individual level, students involved agree that it has been very healthy to get outdoors, rip away thorns, throw away litter, and physically put something back into the community.
Tessa Deakin
Professor Christopher Duggan from the University of Reading has been awarded Political History Book of the Year 2013 at the Paddy Power and Total Politics Political Book Awards. His book, ‘Fascist Voices: An Intimate History of Mussolini’s Italy’, aims to understand why so many ordinary Italians supported the fascist regime by drawing upon several private diaries, letters and autobiographies written during the reign of Mussolini.
Other shortlisted writers included journalist Andrew Marr Professor Duggan was short-listed in the Political History Book of the Year category against other leading Political writers such as journalist and political commentator, Andrew Marr. Of his achievement Duggan said: “I was delighted but also very surprised to win the award. Books
on modern Italian history don’t normally attract too much attention.” He was presented the award by Lady Antonia Fraser who is head of the school of Literature and Languages at The University of Reading. The Paddy Power and Total Politics Book Awards cover a wide range of subjects within the political sphere, including Political Biography and Political Satire. The overall winner of the Political Book of the Year receives a £10,000 prize. The competition aims to recognise the very best in political writing and publishing. This year’s judging panel was made up of leading political figures such as Ann Widdecombe and Alastair Campbell. Iain Dale, Publisher of Total Politics said: “The calibre of judges and shortlisted authors in this inaugural year has been truly remarkable.” Professor Duggan has been working in the History Department at The University of Reading since 1987 and he has previously written a number of influential books. Duggan is recognised as a world-leading authority on the political, social and cultural history of Modern Italy, and
received a knighthood by the President of the Republic of Italy in 2008.
Recognised as a worldleading authority on the political, social and cultural history of Modern Italy Duggan’s book has received considerable critical acclaim from a variety of sources. History Today called it an: “elegantly written study that is the work of a historian at the height of his powers” whilst the London Review of Books described it as: “a magnificent new book, a path-breaking study that everyone interested in Fascism, or Italy in past and present should read.” Students interested in uncovering the reason behind the passion and support ordinary Italian’s showed the fascist dictator Mussolini, can find a copy of Professor Duggan’s ‘Fascist Voices’ in the University of Reading library, or any major book retailers.
Spark* Friday 1 March 2013
Students bored of letting boards Eddie Kimberley
“One in three students is a victim of burglary each year” according to ‘The Home Insurance Guide’. This is undoubtedly a traumatising experience, particularly for those living away from their families for the first time. Many reasons can be argued as to why student houses are frequently targeted, but the question must be asked; how are student houses distinguished from other properties? The answer lies not in the piles of washing up visible through kitchen windows, but with estate agents’ letting boards, and the blatant showcasing of student homes.
One in three students is a victim of burglary each year To try and solve this longstanding problem, RUSU have decided this year to spearhead a campaign aiming to reduce the number of letting boards on display within the area. They are leading by example with the University’s own agency, a business proving successful despite their lack of letting boards. In addition to increasing students’ safety the project believes that removing the boards will improve the aesthetics of the town and make residents feel more at home in their surroundings. It does seem that companies are fully aware of the problems their boards create, with a representative from Adams Estates
saying that “they try and take boards down within fourteen days”. This cannot be the case for all houses however, as many remain on the market for months.
Blatant showcasing of student homes One student informed me that their house had been “signed for next year but still had two boards outside, one of which arrived after the house was taken off the market” A spokesman for Space stated that there was a “possibility of rotating letting boards that had been in an area for a long time, but not removing them altogether”. It seems that not a lot can be done to eliminate these unpleasant beacons of invitation, but hopefully with the help of your support RUSU can affect some change and improvement in our local community.
University’s own agency, a business proving successful despite their lack of letting boards You can support this campaign by visiting www.rusu.co.uk/news and downloading a template letter to send to your landlord, asking them to remove the sign. For any further queries regarding home safety contact the Student advice offices located in The Hub, within the Student’s Union building.
Semi-finals for Reading business students Tessa Deakin
Four students studying at the University of Reading’s Henley Business School have won a place in the semi-finals of a prestigious national business competition. The team are competing in the Universities Business Challenge. This is an annual competition run for Universities nationally in which contestants are required to simulate a real-life business environment. The competition requires the participants to create a company and act as the board of directors by making realistic decisions that could define their success as a business. They are expected to make strategic judgements on pricing, production and marketing. The team from Henley Business School confirmed their place at the semi-finals by successfully managing a company that concentrated on food manufacturing. Upon their success, Alexander Priest from the team said: “The competition has improved my understanding of financial statements and has allowed me to put into practice skills that I am learning on my course.” Joe Doak, Head of Undergraduate Programme in Henley Business
School said: “They also improve their knowledge of the business world and experience making all the critical business decisions that affect a company’s performance. They do all this within a pressurised environment in which each team member’s contribution is essential.”
each team member’s contribution is essential
news.spark@reading.ac.uk
Let the sausage meet the mash Eddie Kimberley
Last Friday, students crowded around the doors of 3Sixty as the University of Reading played host to their very own ‘Take me out’, courtesy of both RAG and Entourage Project. Expectations were high due to the event’s previous success and Friday evening’s antics did not disappoint, with embarrassing revelations and friendly banter in abundance.
Treated the crowd to a display of their dancing ‘skills’ Many of the girls were heard to express their nerves in the run-up to the show, but as they took their places and began to settle, any feelings of shyness seemed to disappear. Whether this was a result of a friendly and supportive crowd (who were quick to cheer and applaud), the rush of adrenaline or the suspected help of a few drinks during breaks, there was certainly no shortage of confidence. The same too could be said for the boys. Many took to the stage during the entrance music and treated the crowd to a display of their dancing ‘skills’. One particular contestant vying for the girls’ attention had dressed to impress with a tweed blazer and yellow shorts well above the knee. This saw a mixed reaction, with one girl turning her light off exclaiming “he had better legs than I have!”
Picture of the Take Me Out logo from digitalspy.co.uk Most of the contestants came away from the night with some irreparable damage to their egos but having thoroughly enjoyed themselves regardless. Only one of the unfortunate ‘Romeos’ received an initial blackout. He later returned to the stage and managed to redeem himself; winning a press-up competition against one of the girls despite the interventions of other contestants and thereby securing himself a date. The romantic venue was to be Club Tropicana - Vodka Revs (hastily changed from ITVS’s ‘Isle of Fernandos’ due to budget cuts), and footage from each date can be found online. The organisers said that the night’s entertainment was aimed at everyone, and considered to be “something a bit different” and although
drinks still flowed and dancing of a sort featured in the programme, the event was anything but usual.
brain. Professor Warwick conducted an experiment where he had a ‘BrainGate’ surgically implanted into his arm for three months. This ‘BrainGate’ picked up signals in his nervous system, enabling him to control electrical devices such as an electronic wheelchair and a robotic arm. This led to him gaining the nickname ‘Captain Cyborg’. During the programme, he demonstrated how he operated a robotic arm using the ‘BrainGate’. Sensors were placed in the fingertips of the robotic arm. This meant that whilst controlling the arm, the sensors could literally feel how much grip to apply to objects. He even spoke of a time when he controlled the arm all the way from New York when it was situated in Reading. The applications for this are endless, especially for people with disabilities. For instance, you could grant the ability to control a bionic arm using the nervous system, and being able to feel the amount of grip applied. Obviously, this would be very beneficial for people who are missing a limb. One of Professor Warwick’s PHD students, Ian Harrison, also made an appearance in the programme.
In 2009 he had magnets implanted into his fingertips which can detect electromagnetic fields, giving him some sensation in his fingertips. This means when he approaches an object, he can sense where it is through the magnets. He demonstrated this by walking through a warehouse blindfolded, guiding himself around the obstacles. This technology could particularly benefit people who are blind or who are visually impaired, they could guide themselves simply by holding their hand out in front of them.
“Something a bit different” Entourage founder Toby Mullins stated afterwards that he considered the night to be “a great success and an opportunity to give something back to the union.” He added that he believes there is a “bright future ahead” and foresees “both Entourage and the Union working together more frequently in upcoming events”. All proceeds from the evening went towards the charity Childreach International.
Reading professor in BBC documentary on cybernetics Jonathan Billington
Professor Kevin Warwick of The University of Reading recently made an appearance on a BBC Two programme called ‘Beneath the Lab Coat’, discussing his innovative work in the field of cybernetics. The first episode of this educational programme investigates the science behind fashion, cosmetics, space travel and cybernetics.
The team of undergraduates will compete for a place in the grand finals of the competition in March at an event hosted by Proctor & Gamble. They will have to triumph against ten other universities in order to earn their spot in the final round and be in with a chance of winning the overall competition. The University of Reading is committed to continually improving the chance of a successful career for students upon graduating. The annual figures show that this year, the University of Reading has matched its best results for a decade with 92% of graduates describing themselves as in work, doing unpaid or voluntary work or in further study.
News 3
The sensors could literally feel how much grip to apply to objects Professor Warwick is one of the world’s top cybernetic engineers. He has published over three hundred academic papers and has brought in over two million pounds in new research contracts over the last two years. On the programme, he talks about his work in cybernetics and his fascinating research into the field. They discuss the possibility of humans communicating directly with computers via signals from the
Only a matter of time before they are applied to real life situations These amazing advances in technology may currently be in the experimental stage, but it is surely only a matter of time before they are applied to real life situations to benefit the people with a range of disabilities. It is particularly great to see a Professor from the University of Reading at the forefront of these advances.
4 News news.spark@reading.ac.uk
Friday 1 March 2013 Spark*
Chemist award Microsoft visits Whiteknights Jodie Hitch
Professor Howard Colquhoun, from the Department of Chemistry at the University of Reading has been awarded a Macro Group UK medal in recognition for his outstanding scientific achievements in the field of polymer science.
“no doubt that he is a worthy recipient of this honour.” Professor Steven Howdle, Chair of Macro Group, said: “The committee are delighted to award the 2012 Macro Group UK Medal to Professor Colquhoun. His contributions to the development of polymer science in the UK have certainly had a substantial impact, and there is no doubt that he is a worthy recipient of this honour.” The Pure and Applied Macromolecular Chemistry Group, otherwise known as Macro Group UK are dedicated in furthering polymer science in the UK. Macro Group UK has affiliations with both the Royal Society of Chemistry and the Society for Chemistry and Industry. The group aims to represent the contributions made by UK polymer scientists at national and international level. The Macro Group UK medal is awarded annually to a UK-based scientist. Professor Colquhoun has been celebrated for significant and substantial achievements in the world of poly-
mer science and will receive a silver medal later on this year. Professor Colquhoun said: “I am very honoured to receive this award, especially as Macro Group UK represents both industry and academia, and my own research has always been directed not only towards the fundamental aspects of polymer science, but also towards real-life applications.” Polymers are chemical compounds formed by a process known as polymerisation and consist of many large molecules made up of linked repeated units.
tackles problems which are related to science Research focuses on synthesis, advanced characterisation methods, state-of-the-art modelling and applications. Professor Colquhoun, amongst the team at Reading, tackles problems which are related to science, technology and the environment.
Chemistry has a central role in research The Department of Chemistry has been an established learning centre of the University of Reading for more than a century. Chemistry has a central role in research on campus, whilst collaborations have been made with other groups in the UK, EU and overseas.
Hannah Comisini
Microsoft visited Whiteknights campus following the Windows 8 launch. The American software giant Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) was on campus showing off its latest Windows 8 Operating System to students 2 weeks ago. Showcasing a full range of products, the company offered students the chance enter compeitions and raffles to win laptops, smart phones, Xbox’s and tablets; while encouraging them to embrace its totally revamped line-up. With a number of stands located outside Café Mondial’s in the Student Union building, Microsoft attempted to persudae and coerce Reading University students to try out a new way of working, with its touch screen motivated Windows 8 software.
“Most radical overhaul of the operating system for a decade” Released at the end of October last year, Windows 8 marks what experts are calling the most radical overhaul of the operating system for a decade. Featuring a dynamic and futuristic looking interface, Windows 8 has been designed with touch screen devices in mind, while also running on more conventional laptop and desktop PC’s. Speaking to Reading University student, Mike King said: “I really liked the touch screen aspect, but I’m not sure I could write essays
using it”. Recognising the success of Apple Inc. (AAPL) in the mobile market with its iPad, Microsoft has also for the first time in years entered the hardware market with its very own Surface tablet.
Keen to show off the benefits of the new touch based system Following on from a campus visit earlier this year, staff from Microsoft’s European headquarters in Reading have been keen to show off the benefits of the new touch based system. Exhibiting a number of vendor products - including Microsoft’s own surface - students were asked to perform a number of basic tasks to see how much faster they could be accomplished on a touch based device. Having watched a number of students initially struggle to open common applications for email and the internet, the general consensus after a few minutes use was generally positive.
The company feels that this is the future of personal computing Students were then asked to watch a number of tutorial videos on the benefits of the sytem before being told if they had won a prize,
with a number walking away with high value items such as smart phones and Xbox’s. Joe Downey said: “My friend won a smart phone, I couldn’t believe it!”
Too much of a departure from the classic Windows experience While Spark* understands that IT Services have no plans to install Windows 8 on campus computers in the short term, it is currently being tested in a number of faculties across the University by both staff and students alike. Although some students clearly feel that the large bold new user interface is too much of a departure from the classic Windows experience of old, it is clear from discussions with Microsoft that the company feels that this is the future of personal computing. Whether the market agrees and Windows 8 goes on to be the commercial success Microsoft has enjoyed in years past however, remains to be seen.
Spark* weather forecast for the week ahead
Rebecca Emerton
This week will remain cloudy for the most part, with some periods of sunshine likely. There is a possibility of some light showers from Sunday night into Monday, however the next few days will
remain overcast and dull, but for the most part dry. No heavy rain is forecast during the next week, however conditions are likely to become more unsettled as the days progress with a higher chance of showery precipitation.
Temperatures will be chilly but are unlikely to reach below 0oC on Tuesday and Wednesday. There is a risk of frost in some areas, particularly to the North of Reading, and we may see a slight frost in the early hours of the day. Average daytime temperatures will remain
at around 3-4oC for much of this week, as winds are from a northerly direction with the current dominant high pressure system persisting over the UK. Follow @SparkWeather on Twitter for more regular updates, news and photos. Ask weather-related
questions and send your photos of interesting weather and sights around campus! (Note: This is a student project and forecasts are not a product of the Department of Meteorology at the University of Reading).
Spark* Friday 1 March 2013
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6 POLITICAL COMMENT politics.spark@reading.ac.uk
Friday 1st March 2013 Spark*
POLITICAL COMMENT Controversy on campus over News in brief Muslim Society lecture
Who’s sorry this week? Its a bad week to be in public service as apologies and resignations sweep the nation. First off in our highest house of parliament. Former High Court judge Baroness Butler-Slos was forced to apologies to Fathers4Justice, who had not in fact sent her the death threats she twice claimed they had. Next up, councilman Colin Brewer has rightly stepped down after suggesting disabled children should “be put down” because they cost the council so much money! With the Rennard scandal only just underway and the Huhne affair not yet finished, when will those in political life realise they will be scrutinised and forced to account for their mistakes. Its really very simple, if you know you’re in pubilc life, think before you speak. Get it right, and this wont happen!
M.O.D. wasting away Yet more wastage has been reported in the Ministry of Defence as not millions, but billions of pounds have been spent on entirely useless equipment. The ongoing report noted this week that “The MoD purchases, holds and uses more than 710 million items of 900,000 different types, from bullets and missiles to medical supplies, clothing and spare parts for vehicles, ships and aircraft” the it doesnt technically need. However, one might argue it’s entirely understandable that one might need spare uniforms, boots and other vital equipment, especially when we’re engaged at least two wars and a dozen conflicts. Cost cutting is all well and good, and nesseccary in the current economic climate, but penny-pinching when the defence of the realm is at stake? It’s not on.
Loophole big enough for horses to fit through? Lib-Dem sexist scandal ....More meat news? Not that I mind the column space, but this is STILL going on? I digress. The saga continues, but this time thank god its not horse, and in fact the far more disgusting mechanically recovered meat that is allowed through a minute loophole in import regulations into the United Kingdom. As opposed to thoroughly edible horse, this is described not as meat by many countries regulators as less than actual meat and “visually more like liquid ‘slurry’ ”. Fortunately, this has only contaminated the sausage market, and as a man who loves a good butchers can only be good for our local meat-men, but if this can make it through how do we know the horses didnt make it through the same hole? Here’s hoping its only sausage sized!
They say that Labour scandals are financial and Conservatives sexual, and now it seems that the Lib-dems have their own stigma - illegal. That said, it’s hard to find a definition that doesn’t apply these days. Latest in this long line is former Party Chairman Lord Rennard, alleged sexist and harasser who has now had upwards of 20 complaints made against him. More troublesome for the party is how many top officials knew far in advance of the story breaking in the national press! Clegg in particular has lost out from all this, with many commentators noting that his statements changed from he decisive “A show trial of innuendo, half truths and slurs... I have absolutely nothing to hide.” to the submissive “We screwed up as a party.” Yup, you did.
Insert headline here - Or Edit the Whole Thing Political Comment is still on the lookout for writers to fill headlines and get opinions across. You need no background in writing or journalism, what we’re looking for are opinions and ideas. Do you disagree with something we’ve said? Or perhaps want to see your opinion put forward? Or just want to write and beef up the CV. Contact us at:
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Neil Smith
Campus has this week been hot with conversation with regards to the planned visit of two guest speakers to the University as part of Reading University Muslim Society’s ‘Discover Islam’ week. In particular, the scheduled lecture by Abu Usamah At-Thahabi was protested against by many students due to Mr At-Thahabi’s stance towards homosexuality, women and apostasy in Islam. Mr At-Thahabi has previously been recorded commenting that gay men should be thrown off mountains, that women are inferior to men and so forth.
Mr At-Thahabi was invited by RUMS as part of their ‘Discover Islam’ week This news immediately prompted many students to organise a protest against Mr At-Thahabi’s presence on campus. However, opinion was split regarding whether he should not have been allowed onto campus in the first place. Some commented that a ‘hate preacher’
should not be allowed onto University property under any circumstances. Others posited that while his presence should be lawfully protested against, he should be allowed to go ahead and ‘say his peace’ as RUMS had the right to invite who they liked onto campus. In any case, Mr At-Thahabi’s visit was cancelled in a joint statement by RUSU, the University and RUMS with the reasoning that the lecture would risk violence on campus - groups affiliated with the ‘English Defence League’ and similar groups were apparently planning on walking onto campus and protesting against the speaker - EDL members were spotted distributing leaflets on campus near the SportsPark on Thursday. EDL-associated protests have a history of violence and intimidation towards bystanders, especially journalists who have received death threats. Frankly this writer is hacked off with the idea that person x should not be allowed onto campus because of views they have given off-campus. If they are expected to break hate speech laws and such on the premises then obviously that is a reason to deny them entry, but Mr At-Thahabi’s lecture was to be on ‘modesty in Islam’. In the past few weeks Reading has hosted
politicians who have advocated the discarding of the Human Rights Act in the UK (Theresa May) and described the UK’s role in the Iraq war as ‘boosting our respect in the Arab world’ (David Milband). Al-Thahabi is to my mind a nasty piece of work but he hasn’t actually done all that much. The idea that one guest to campus should be permitted to enter while others are rejected without any basis in law (At-Thahabi has no convictions) is one I find alarming.
Weight of popular opinion should never be what decides who gets to say what By all means lawfully protest against someone’s views - that’s your right - but trying to intimidate a students’ society into using a guestlist of your choice is bullying that has no place at a university where our opinions are of equal worth. This writer hopes the University and RUSU have the moral fortitude, for the coming year, to defend the right of students to say and do whatever they like within the law, however popular or unpopular that may be.
Eastleigh voters go to the polls Bernard Woolley
Voting closed at ten o’clock Thursday in Eastleigh, Hampshire as constituents of the former minister and current defendant Chris Huhne take to the polls to elect their new MP. Before we get to who one and why its quite so important, one should mention why this by-election was necessary at all? Chris Huhne, former Lib-Dem MP and Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change and, as of yesterday, worst skipper in parliament (don’t ask!) was forced to resign over charges filed by the Crown Prosecution Service.
The shock came with the runner-up, UKIP took a surprise 28% of the vote Apparently, in order to shelve what would likely have been a small scandal over the loss of his driv-
ing license, Mr Huhne courted disaster by forcing his now exwife Vicky Price into taking the points on her own license. Price, described by Huhne himself as: “a very hard-working and extremely intelligent wife, who manages to earn far more than I do”, has shown her intelligence by first divorcing the man and second by nearly beating her won perjury charge, in the process destroying the reputation of her former husband. However, in the end it failed to change anything in the house overall, with the Liberal Democrats retaining the seat. The shock came with the runner-up, as the United Kingdom Independence Party took a surprise 28% of the vote, knocking the Conservatives into third place. Nigel Farage was quick to jump on the issue during Sundays Andrew Marr show, claiming that it was the issues base of UKIP that was attracting the voters, although admitting that many were “probably used it as a chance to stick two fingers up to the establishment”.
As nice as it is to hear a little colourful language early on a Sunday morning, Farage may have a point. Conservatives are struggling to convince the electorate this is not a huge rejection of their policies, whereas their struggling coalition counterparts are claiming victory, with Tim Farron claiming that it showed the Lib-Dems still had “fortresses”, and that they were preparing well for the next election.
Cameron faces calls to resign and questions why more wasn’t done to win the seat If this keeps up, with Cameron facing some calls to resign and many questioning why more wasn’t done to win the seat, it may be a very different direction the country will take in the next few years. If this keeps up, Cameron may never get his E.U. referendum, UKIP could have us out by then!
Spark* Monday 1st March 2013
politics.spark@reading.ac.uk
EU : are you in or out? Florian marcus
Over centuries the United Kingdom has benefited from its trade connections, its naval power and its genuine understanding of the capitalist system. It always remained one of the capitalist free-trade strongholds in the world and it is obvious that, since its accession into the European Union, its whole ideology and fundamental belief is at stake. There have been huge debates about the UK and its role in the European Union, its role in the Eurozone, its role in Europe in general. Westminster feels very uneasy about giving legislative power to the European Union, especially after the process of decentralisation granting Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland an unprecedented level of autonomy. Since Thatcher, the United Kingdom has hence always asked for a special position in the European Union; let me give you a rough
idea of what this special position looks like.
“taking a general look into British politics it’s clear that antiEuropean sentiment is predominant.” As of now, the UK has ratified neither the financial stability measures ESM and EFSF nor the European Fiscal Compact. After all of this, it is needless to say that the United Kingdom has announced that it will not be part of the planned banking union either. The Britons also refuse to give up their (admittedly a lot prettier) Pound Sterling. Summing up the financial side, The UK is barely in the E.U, in fact its all but out, So let’s look a bit more into the socio-political ‘mind set’ bit. The UK is currently in the process of opting out of the European Area
of Freedom, Security and Justice (AFSJ) and has already abandoned the EU-wide working time directives. The Schengen agreement, one that allows free travel between all member states, has not been signed by the UK either. Taking a general look into British politics and newspapers, it soon becomes clear that an anti-European sentiment is predominant. I am not denying British citizens aren’t incredibly creative; even founding UKIP, a party that stands no chance of winning a general election, but steals the show in the European Parliament due to its EU-sceptical stance. So what is there left to say? The UK is exempt from every meaningful and decisive piece of legislation in the European Union. Many Britons lack the will and the mind set to be a part of a European State that is becoming increasingly centralised. David Cameron has opened the door with his plans for a referendum in 2017 – you’re free to leave, but if you do, leave for good.
Political comment 7
Boobs aren’t news: the fight against Page Three Nathalie lowe
In 2012, Lucy Holmes and her team started a campaign asking editor of The Sun Dominic Mohan to remove the topless models on Page. The petition currently has 83,000 signatures, and may be near to achieving its goal as Rupert Murdoch recently tweeted that he was ‘considering’ changing the page. But why are they targeting Page 3? First of all, it’s really important not to confuse Page 3 with all general glamour modelling. The petition is not against glamour modelling. The petition is against the daily inclusion of a naked woman in an easily accessible and cheap family newspaper amongst fully clothed men.
“The men are footballers, the women are glamour models, in bikinis modelling lingerie ranges” The Sun perpetuates the idea of women being objects to view, whilst men have opinions and jobs. Flicking through The Sun, the men are footballers, columnists and politicians. The women are glamour models, celebrities in bikinis or modelling lingerie ranges or talking about their diets. Boobs aren’t news, yet they have been included every day without fail on Page 3 since 1972. So whilst you’re reading about politics or what’s on television that night, you can also do some casual objectifying. The Sun invites every reader to view women as a commodity, only included because they are thin, young, usually white and most importantly, naked.
When the Higgs Boson was in the news, the ‘News in Briefs’ bubble on Page 3 read ‘Danni says: “I’ve often wondered how quarks and other sub-atomic particles gain mass. So I was relieved to hear of the discovery of a new sub-atomic particle. We can now say with certainty that a form of Higgs boson ‘sticks’ to fundamental particles of matter. That’s one less thing for me to worry about.”’ Get it? The ‘joke’ is that Danni, who is blonde and curvaceous, has opinions on physics! Mohan may be laughing, but women are certainly not.
“inviting readers to view women as a commodity, included only because they are thin, young, white and naked.” The inclusion of a na- ked woman in a newspaper condones public critique of her body, implying that a woman’s worth is dependant on how she looks naked. Page 3 feeds the idea that a woman’s role is to be simply sexually pleasing, and that others have the right to see this. The Sun is everywhere - on trains, at schools, in boardrooms, in waiting rooms, in offices - polluting negative attitudes towards women. Freedom of expression is something we are incredibly lucky to have, especially in the press, and I am not personally opposed to sexual content in the general media. But Page 3 shows that misogyny not only exists in our society, it is tolerated. This is why I, along with many other men and women, are kindly asking Dominic Mohan to please, please, please remove Page 3 from of The Sun. Because boobs aren’t news.
Cen-sory deprivation - student paper censored Laurie BUDDEN
The editors of all papers, including student papers, have to always be vigilant against publishing defamatory content and to avoid being held at contempt of court by publishing material in contravention of an injunction. However, very few student editors expect to be gagged by a court order from their own student union. This was the front page of the Edinburgh University’s student paper earlier this month, as Edinburgh University’s Student Association, went to court and obtained an injunction against the very paper it funds.
“...few student editors expect to be gagged by a court order from their own student union.” This has led to students at Edinburgh University wondering how their Student Union can hypocritically pay lip service to student democracy and freedom of speech whilst going to court to bar the publication of “any material purporting to suggest that the pursuer [EUSA] is an organisation which is poorly governed and whose
management are inexperienced and unaccountable”. It has also been reported that The Student has been ordered to pay EUSA’s legal costs. As one of the roles of a free press is to hold government and institutions to scrutiny, surely this should apply to student papers with respect to both the University and its Student Union. Imagine if this ruling was taken to a national level and national newspapers were forbidden from publishing anything that suggested that the country was ‘poorly governed’ or was run by people who were ‘inexperienced’. I think most people would agree that such a rul-
ing would be completely incompatible with the idea of any form of legitimate democracy!
Imagine if this ruling was taken to a national level (It would also drastically reduce the number of articles written about George Osborne!) It also calls into serious question UESA’s claim that it is a ‘democratic organisation’. Another worry is that, if the university had managed to obtain a
super injunction, the paper would have been in contempt of court for even stating that an injunction had been made. Indeed, we would have no idea if RUSU had obtained such an injunction! Although if these lines have been passed for publication we can assume they have not. In conclusion, we can only worry that University campuses, where freedom of speech once flourished, could now too become places where litigation and censorship is used to further self-interest amongst an elite.
Based on an article from the Huffington Post
Friday 1 March 2013 Spark*
comment.spark@reading.ac.uk
comment
Leaflets on the loose Gabrielle Linnett
Walking across campus this morning, the dawn of the student elections were clear to see. Across buildings, balconies and tree fences hung large banners presenting slogans for campaigning hopefuls wishing to get the attention of students from all walks of university life. Another startling sight was the sheer number of leaflets printed
Well done candidates, you succeeded. But not only did your A-1000 sized sheets blanket the eyes of students, another startling sight was the sheer number of leaflets printed. It was not the re-
decorating of campus which distracted the thoughts of this student; the concerns are of an environmental nature. Reading university prides itself on achieving a gold eco-campus rating, which was awarded on the basis of its campuses being as eco-friendly as possible. However upon viewing the campus covered in paper, the good nature in which the award was won seems to be absent.
up for all to see. But there are clear environmental disadvantages to leading campaigns this way and concerns arise such as: who collects the leaflets that fall onto the floor? And where do they go? Reading university prides itself on achieving a gold ecocampus rating
Our university is a clean environment, thus suggestThe concerns are of an ing the leaflets which become environmental nature rubbish are cleared away (hopefully this is by a person Coating popular areas in pro- instead of the wind blowpaganda is an effective caming them away). My conpaign strategy, the sellotaping cern however is whether the and blu-tacking of flyers holds leaflets and cards handed out the advertising for nominees are recycled. With its gold
award it can be assumed that the university possesses and implements recycling facilities, but do the students who reluctantly take the promoting papers use them? Or do they place the paper and card in ordinary bins, or throw them on the ground, once the information function has been fulfilled? Although this is a constant issue for the university, as reminded by many paperless letters received by residents of halls, and for ‘eco-warriors’, during the election campaigns the problem is clear for all to see alongside the efforts of many wishful students trying to hold your attention long enough for you to vote for them.
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8 COMMENT
Spark* Friday 1 March 2013
comment.spark@reading.ac.uk
A Point of View: Food is Sacred Mark Laynesmith
It goes by all sorts of names: Communion, Mass, Eucharist, the Lord’s Supper. Call it what you want, as a priest, it’s often the highlight of my week. Why? Isn’t it a bit odd so get excited about a bit of bread and wine? Every religion I know of has food at its heart. The Sikh Langar; the breaking of the Ramadan Fast; Pesach... Secular groups like the Slow Food movement are also emerging that value food. Food is a basic necessity. To eat is to survive. But religion and culture build layers of
meaning on top of this. To share food is more than to survive - it is to live. Have a sandwich on your own and you’ll make it through the day. Share a meal with a friend, and you’ll make your day come alive. To take food (say bread and wine); to slow down, notice it, and give thanks for it; and then to share it seems to me one of the simplest and most important things we do. In my faith we even call it ‘holy’. So if one small meal is holy, I’m encouraged to think of every meal as open to divine meaning. It’s because of this that hun-
ger is such a scandal. Failing to share food means not only denying someone basic sustenance, it also means failing to value another human being. That’s way as a priest I’m throwing my weight behind the new IF campaign. This asks a basic question: “if there’s enough food to feed everyone, why are people still hungry?” Look out for events leading up to the G8 leaders meeting in June, or go to enoughfoodif.org A Point of View is a new faith/belief column written by members of the Student Faith Forum
COMMENT 9
Galloway walks out Adam Roberts
What is it about George Galloway that convinces the electorate to consistently vote him back to parliament! A maverick politician, to use the term loosely, he has been elected to three constituencies in his short tenure, once being physically forced to form his own party just to stand in the election, and yet still holds a +10,000 majority in Bradford west! If he hopes to find sanctuary, might i suggest emigration? Left in his destructive wake this week was one particular student debating in the Oxford Union, who having revealed himself as being from Israel, caused Galloway to storm from the hall with the caveat that he doesn’t
“debate with Israelis” and had been “mislead”. He later released a statement suggesting he would “ Just Boycott… until the Apartheid state is defeated”. Now, Galloway is a well known supporter of Palestine and does not recognise Israel, but anyone who is willing to debate ideas deserves the respect of those he is debating, regardless of their personal positions. If Mr Galloway is quite so content to walk away when there is the slightest chance of being proved wrong, or simply if he is unable to stomach being in the same room as an opponent, then I might suggest the House of Commons is not for him! Although, if he hopes to find sanctuary with no opposition, might i suggest emigration? Or back into the big brother house, at least there it was mildly entertaining. This is just rude, plain and simple.
10 DEBATE
Friday 1 March 2013 Spark*
comment.spark@reading.ac.uk
Debate
Do today’s chart musicians make music just for money? Jo Morton
Yes
Given the easier and less expensive access people have to musical instruments and mixing programmes, the world is becoming full to the brim with music artists desperately trying to claw their way in to the music industry. It is one of the most competitive industries in the world. In the mid-nineties, music could only be brought to life by a select few. For instance, in the sixties artists like The Beatles recorded their music on four track reel to reel recorders that were the size of a washing machine and cost hundreds of pounds - the commitment was huge. Nowadays, four track recorders can easily be downloaded as an app for your iphone. With this in mind, it is now more difficult to make money through music because so many people are in the game. It is, therefore, expected that the artists who have miraculously made it in to the charts have made music that satisfies a large quantity of people. To please the masses and to make the money, artists are forced to fit into a particular genre that is, in more cases than not, not what they would prefer to make. For instance, I think this was a realisation that the former Busted member, Charlie Simpson, came to. Charlie quitted a very successful pop band to go and play in the post hard core band, Fightstar: he went to play in a band that are albeit less popular than Busted given their less commercial status but are a genre that Charlie Simpson felt more passionate about. With regret, it does seem to be that those who want to have a career in music are expected to perform a particular genre of music that the public are most interested in. Indeed, the English rapper Dizzee Rascal went from creating underground grime music - a genre that is a more acquired taste, to songs that are extremely pop-y. It seems that the public are more interested in hearing pop melodies about being bonkers and can be easily sung along to in a club environment. With this in mind, it is quite
rational to conclude that given Dizzee Rascal’s sneaky change in genre, he is an example of a musician who is making music just for the money as he has changed his music genre to cater for the masses - the commercial world. In addition, it has got to the point that musicians do not even write their own music. For instance, the former X-factor winner Leona Lewis, who is considered to be quite a talented musician, is only responsible for singing and is not at all part of the writing process for the songs she performs. It is, therefore, difficult to argue that mainstream artists are interested in the creative process of their music as they are not actually part of it - fame and fortune are the only other perks that are left in this otherwise quite horrible and time-consuming career. It is becoming increasingly more difficult to make money from music. Even people who are in the charts struggle to continue making money given the large increase in illegal downloads. Artists are now forced to create a likeable persona as well as their music to get attention from the public. For instance, Justin Beiber makes his money from creating a likeable character that teenage girls want to support: his fans are not just interested in his music, they want to see him on television shows and buy t-shirts with his face on them. In my mind, mainstream music is becoming an art form where the creativity is not practised in the making of the music but in how the music is dispersed and advertised. The music, itself, is artless. Chart music is just made for the money: it is same-y, repetitive and talent-less - why would someone consider making this if their wasn’t an additional perk? However, I don’t think we should blame the musicians - it is business after all. Instead, I think the public who continue to support this industry need to branch out. There is more skilled, intricate and interesting music to treat your ears to than Nicki Minaj.
Amy Thomas
To please the masses and to make the money, artists are forced to fit into a particular genre
It takes hard work, dedication and frequent rejection before artists make enough money for it to be ‘worth it’
There is more skilled, intricate and interesting music to treat your ears to than Nicki Minaj
No
This claim suggests that all those who make music for a living, and who are popular and successful in doing so, are committed to the music industry purely for selfish gain. Mainstream music, albeit not to everyone’s taste, is music created with the aim of appealing to a majority of people. Claiming that all artists behind its creation are in the business with the sole aim of making money is an unjust and narrow-minded argument. The current number one single in the charts is the official Comic Relief single by One Direction, One Way Or Another (Teenage Kicks). One Direction can regularly be found at the top of the charts and are worth an enormous sum of money; why, then, would they release the official Comic Relief single, from which all of the profits are donated to the charity, if their only concern was gaining profit for themselves? With popularity that has earned them an adoring fan base, One Direction certainly do not need the publicity, so where is the motive here? It certainly does not lie in gaining profit. Very few artists take their first step into becoming musicians and find themselves an immediate success in the charts, complete with an instant array of fans and an impressive sum of money to their name. More often than not, it takes hard work, dedication and frequent rejection before they make enough money for it to be ‘worth it’. This level of commitment is borne from a genuine desire to do something: it is very unlikely that someone would endure climbing such a gruelling career ladder simply for financial benefit. Being a chart musician doesn’t just bring fame and fortune. As with any celebrity profile, it also brings the irrepressible force of the press, and the impossibility of retaining any kind of a personal life. This is an enormous sacrifice to make: there are plenty of other professions that reap financial rewards without thrusting their employees into the harsh spotlight of the press and making them an infinite source of gossip. Musicians who make mainstream, popular music and who aim to gain a coveted
chart spot are fully aware of what the lifestyle entails, and accept this as part of the profession that they are devoting themselves to. Being a chart musician, and thereby having a celebrity profile, is arguably a lifestyle choice rather than a means of earning a living. Investing into this lifestyle doesn’t just mean making money: it means having everything you do scrutinized and often criticised, which is an extortionate price to pay for a profession. PSY’s Gangnam Style, which took the charts by storm towards the end of 2012, is a classic example of a hit which had little money-making intent. It was a surprise single which dominated clubs, playlists and dance styles for months, and yet it was exactly that: a surprise. It is not a single which fits the stereotype pop hit which lingers at the top of the charts for a few weeks before steadily slipping: it maintained a high spot for a surprising amount of time. Considering its odd tune and unusual video, PSY surely didn’t expect to be rolling in cash following Gangnam Style’s release. It was a unique, risqué single which just happened to end up being a money-making gem, rather than something that intended to be so. Music is something which is, for many people, an art form. It can be pure escapism, a means of expression, or an entirely separate persona. To say that chart musicians’ intentions are shallow enough to have money as their only concern is to deny that music is anything more than a medium of generating profit to them. Chart musicians are no less committed to their music than any other musicians, and should not be accused of being so. Being a musician is in itself a wonderful and endearing talent, and to choose it as a profession is something which takes an enormous amount of solid, honest dedication. The above claim encourages people to adopt a highly judgemental view on musicians’ intentions. Moreover, it belittles their music, which is dismissive of the determination and devotion which all musicians put into their work, regardless of whether it is chart music or not.
Spark Friday 1 March 2013
*
interview.spark@reading.ac.uk
INTERVIEW 11
interview
A New Volunteering Vision! Do you find it hard to get people involved in charity work? It depends what the work is. This week I have had 20 emails from students wanting to get involved in work with soup kitchens so it seems there is a particular interest in that area. Consequently, I am now forming grand plans in my head about starting a monthly meal for homeless people in Reading possibly with produce from the vegetable garden one day, a long time in the future. So I think it very much depends on what the project is.
Students after a hard day volunteering! Lily Brown
What is your title and what does your job involve? I am the Societies and Volunteering Co-ordinator for the student’s union. I look after about 105 societies, from law to belly dance! I support their day-to-day administration: planning events, trips away, risk assessments and committee training.
750 volunteers are currently signed up to our weekly newsletter. I guess because they are going out to local organisations I work with those organisations as well, that is a great part of my job because it involves getting out of the office and going to local charities and community groups. I meet some really interesting people.
750 volunteers are currently signed up to our weekly newsletter. It has recently been Student Volunteering Week, what has been happening here at Reading?
Student Volunteer Week is a national celebration of the power of student volunteering, universities all across the country have been involved. On Saturday we visited Radstock Primary School to improve various parts of their playing field and we created an eco garden with a pond. We helped them to create the first part of a Remembrance Garden. It was fantastic because on the Saturday we were working with about 10 volunteers and student officers and alongside parents from the school and their children and
some of the teaching staff. A ten year old wasmaking us all cups of tea, I think he had just learnt so he was very enthusiastic! On Sunday we were working in the rain, on a vegetable garden, on campus. In the pouring rain, nine brave student volunteers spent three hours in the garden! We had a Volunteering Fayre on campus with 40 charities attending looking to recruit student volunteers. We had the first birthday of the Community Choir and we had a Speed Dating fundraiser for the Raising and Giving Society. 41 people went, more boys than girls which was a huge surprise to me. It was a massive success - raising £228 for charity!
One off volunteering is very popular because it allows students to sign off on their RED Award and if they really enjoy that one off volunteering then they get hooked. We had students that got involved in the tea party when we did it in the summer and are still involved in it now and this will be the third time we have done it. We will do it again in March because they had such a positive experience. There are certain projects that students get really into but there are a lot more students signed up to the mailing list than actually volunteer.
I had some really positive feedback from the store holders from the Volunteering Fayre that the students they spoke to really wanted to volunteer and really knew what they were looking for and that is really nice to hear.
The only reason we have a homework club is because there was a student, who had experience working in schools and wanted to do more work with children. I had a request from the play cafe in Palmer Park and suddenly it fitted together, but if it hadn’t been for students coming forward that homework club wouldn’t have started.
What kind of rewards can students expect from volunteering? Volunteering itself is massively rewarding, I think lots of students think it might be like doing time!
Volunteering is massively rewarding but it is much more enjoyable if you are on the right project. We have a volunteer of the month; people nominate or we select a student who has really gone a bit above and beyond and they get a certificate, which is displayed here for the month. This year for the first time we are holding a specific volunteering awards ball for community volunteers within RUSU. It is for all volunteers within the university with the Vice- Chancellor presenting an award. Being a volunteer will pay for your training, for example in first aid or child protection training and all of these things you can put on your CV.
It was a massive success - raising £228 for charity! That sounds great! What was the highlight of the week for you personally? I think I would say Saturday, seeing students working with people from the community because that really is what it is all about; getting our neighbours in the local area to have a really positive interaction with the students. Just seeing everyone working alongside one another was fantastic. And also just the interest from students and being really enthusiastic.
have done volunteering before or if there is something linked to your course you would be interested in doing or you have a group of friends that really want to do something then we can work with that and set up a project.
Fun at the Fayre! Many people are interested in volunteering but just don’t know how to get into it, what would you recommend? Sign up to the volunteering mailing list! You can do it by just emailing volunteering@reading. ac.uk, receiving a weekly update of all of the projects that we know about going on locally. Some charities post directly on there as well. You can also pop into [Student Activities] and just have a chat.
We run a drop in service between nine and five Monday to Friday. We can always find something that is appropriate to the individual. We are also quite flexible so if you
Vice-Chancellor presenting an award The university runs the Student Community Awards this recognises students who run projects off their own backs. There is a panel from the local community which decide on who wins and includes a police officer, local charities and personal tutors can put names forward. The winner receives a monetary award of about £100. What is the Volunteering Society, and how is it run? The volunteering society is a bit different from other societies. All of these projects the homework club, the performing arts club, the vegetable garden they are all projects within the volunteering
society. So it is to give the volunteers some sort of belonging so they feel part of a bigger thing. I think when you are a volunteer, especially when there is only one or two of you working on a project it can feel a little bit like you are on your own. The idea of a society was that we can hopefully start having much bigger meetings.They can share experiences and share how to talk to charities and things. Literally, by joining the mailing list they are part of the society, it is free and the idea is that hopefully it will grow, probably more next year, because the projects that have grown up this year have been fantastic.
Volunteering: just do it! Finally, what advice would you give to someone looking to start volunteering? Just do it! People get put off because they think about it too much, you aren’t committing yourself like you are when you get a job. If you rock up and think that really wasn’t for me then it doesn’t matter. You have a whole support network in the student’s union to look after you so if there are any problems we are here.
Lots of students say they don’t have time but there is a whole network of micro volunteering opportunities that you can get involved in. If you give just one hour to the community you will feel really satisfied and from speaking to volunteers that have given a couple of hours I know they felt that they have done a lot. Students give, in this country, 3 million hours a year, to volunteering and they wouldn’t all be doing that if there wasn’t something good and addictive about it so join them and give it a go!
Next week: Are you interested in doing a Masters course? Find out from those who are in the know. Is it for you? Find out here next issue.
12 FILM&TV
Friday 1 March 2013 Spark*
film.spark@reading.ac.uk
film&TV
A Good Day to Die Hard: Should have stayed dead, if you ask me! Directed by: John Moore Starring: Bruce Willis, Jai Courtney & Sebastian Koch Runtime: 97mins Genre: Action Nathan Taylor
They went ahead and took the ‘Die Hard’ out of Die Hard. Again. In case you’ve forgotten, the original Die Hard was amazing because, in a time when every action hero was an infallible supersoldier, John McClane was an off-duty cop just trying to keep his wife alive by making sh*t up as he went along. With that in mind, I present to you the plot of ‘A Good Day to Die Hard’: John McClane, extremely old policeman, teams up with his long-lost CIA Operative son to depose the corrupt president of Russia. Not exactly in keeping with the original theme of the series but that doesn’t necessarily make it a bad film. The qualities that do make it a bad film are the paper-thin plot, the awkward “bonding” scenes
between McClane Senior & Junior and the awful line - “Yippee ki-yay, Mother Russia!” The bonding scenes are the worst. I realise they have to separate the action scenes somehow, but a ten minute car drive where
Bruce Willis talks about his feelings is not a good decision in any film, let alone this one. Furthermore, for a film that eschewed drama and dialogue for guns and explosions, there aren’t a whole lot of action scenes. I can
count four off at a stretch, which averages at about one per twenty five minutes and that is frankly pathetic. The shame of it all is that Good Day does have some great moments in it. The action scenes, for all their scarcity, are really cool and inventive, making good use of John McClane’s combat style of ‘do something clever with the nearest object’. Also, Jack McClane (the son) plays off of his father well and they do have some really funny lines, when they aren’t trying to amp up the drama. One moment that sticks in my mind is about eighty minutes in. Jack and his son are going head to head with a terrorist and his daughter, which culminates in the epic destruction of a Russian attack chopper via McClane Cooperation™. I sit up in my seat, thinking “Finally! It’s all picking up!”, at which point the credits rolled. In the end, Good Day isn’t an awful film and it doesn’t deserve the full strength of the criticism it’s received but, by sticking the Die Hard title on the cover, they’ve drawn comparison to an objectively greater film and highlighted
all of its flaws instead of drawing attention to its good side. A Good Day to Die Hard is the okay-looking girl who’s best friends with a super model. All anyone is ever going to think of her is ‘the ugly one’.
HHH
Beautiful Creatures: A not-so beautiful Twilight rip-off Directed by: Richard Lagravenese Starring: Viola Davies, Emma Thompson, Jeremy Irons, Emmy Rossum Running Time: 124mins Genre: Supernatural Romance
each other – to the point where even mothers and daughters are vilified.
The film felt like watching a Twilight movie
Siobhan Whitebread
Let me say something before I start this review – I don’t like Twilight. I don’t like what it did to perceptions of women, I don’t like what it did to ideas of healthy relationships, and I especially don’t like how it cornered the youngadult market.
just another mildly offensive, production line offering I say this because Beautiful Creatures feels, in most ways, like Twilight. The film felt like watching a Twilight movie, and even the
book that it was based on came in the post-Twilight craze. The supernatural creature concerned in Beautiful Creatures is a witch - Lena (Alice Englert), a beautiful outsider who moves to live with her uncle (Jeremy Irons). But this beautiful outsider has severe problems, and not just her faintly psychotic stalker (Alden Ehrenreich) – on her sixteenth birthday Lena will be claimed by either the light or the dark, and
her cousin (Emmy Rossum) and mother (Emma Thompson) want to win her over to the dark at any cost. Both antagonists are women. This leads me to my first problem with the movie, and the supernatural romance plague in general – every single woman besides the special snowflake heroine is a bitch, and the relationships between them are even worse! I cannot recall a single instance of women liking
Another thing that is problem with the movie is how relationships are portrayed. I described Ethan, the apparent hero of the tale, as a psychotic stalker and… Well, he kind of is. He follows Lena obsessively, he refuses to accept her wishes and he repeatedly forces her to apologize to him when he’s being an absolute jerk (word only used due to restrictions on swearing). In real life, if you act like Ethan, you are likely to get punched in the face repeatedly then given a restraining order. Despite these problems Beautiful Creatures does have a few bright spots. The leads are wooden, but the backing cast are all excellent – Emmy Rossum and Zoey Deutch brighten up the screen every time
they appear and Emma Thompson is, as ever, great . Beautiful Creatures is still deeply flawed, though– sexist, promoting borderline abusive relationships and fitting into the same cookiecutter mould as all supernatural romances. You’ll probably like it if you liked Twilight and/or are a teenager – but if neither of these things apply then it’s just another mildly offensive, production line offering.
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FILM NEWS IN BRIEF - Hunger Games star Jennifer Lawrence took a tumble when she accepted her Best Actress Oscar - looks like the odds weren’t quite in her favour!
Spark* Friday 1 March 2013
film.spark@reading.ac.uk
FILM&TV 13
This is 40: Don’t be lured by the Knocked Up associations The best comedy moments come from the supporting roles of those such as Jason Segel and Chris O’Dowd, and not forgetting the hilarious scene in which Bridesmaids’ Melissa McCarthy appears playing an uptight suburban Mom. These appearances save the film, apart from Megan Fox’s part of the standard sexually promiscuous youth that Debbie envies, with little depth to her character or relation to the plot.
Directed By: Judd Apatow Starring: Paul Rudd, Leslie Mann, Chris O’Dowd Running Time: 134mins Genre: Comedy Kate Holman
Judd Apatow has gained a reputation for being a somewhat ruler of Hollywood comedy over the past few years with the likes of 40-Year Old Virgin, Superbad, and possibly every film appearing Paul Rudd and Jason Segel. His latest romantic comedy is released the day after Valentine’s Day but there is little romantic love to be seen in this average presentation of a married couple’s acceptance of their age and routine-driven life.
Advertised as the dubious ‘sort of sequel’ to Knocked Up, the film is a far cry from the witty comedy of the dysfunctional couple learning how to love each other and accept a pregnancy after a one night stand, and instead allows the supporting characters, Debbie and Pete, to take centre stage. The couple are about to turn the big four zero in the same week and are finding their mundane routine is getting pretty tough, both experiencing career issues and an overwhelming feeling that they haven’t got all they want out of life. Judd Apatow makes this a family affair, starring his wife and two children hinting at humourous half-autobiographical tale and a potential mid-life crisis.
The best comedy
about their fathers and the lack of excitement in their lives.
there is little romantic love to be seen in this This Is 40 is unlikely to attract the same audience that the witty and dynamic script that Knocked Up presented the audience with and is likely to appeal to a slightly older audience. As a student, I can’t say I could relate or find much humour of Debbie’s ongoing anger at Pete’s
cupcake habit or Pete’s taboo use of viagra to help him along in the bedroom. All in all it’s an interesting look at the struggles of marriage and getting older but this surely shows a blip in Apatow’s reign over Hollywood comedies. This truthful look at a middle-aged couple is honest and somewhat uplifting, but the emptiness in the plot stops this from becoming the hit it could have been.
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moments come from the supporting roles... such as Jason Segel and Chris O’Dowd The film is a staggering 134 minutes in length and you leave the cinema wondering, what actually happened? Surely something significant must have happened in more than two hours? Yes, they both learn what is important in their marriage and yes, there are some funny mishaps along the way but overall the plot is weak with little happening apart from a string of half-amusing arguments
Cloud Atlas: Love it or hate it, this is a unique experience Directed By: Andy Wachowski, Lana Wachowski, Tom Tykwer Starring: Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Jim Broadbent Running Time: 172mins Genre: Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Romance Jonathan Edney
The UK has finally received the latest ‘marmite’ film, Cloud Atlas, which polarised the American critics and public in its release
last year. Some find the decision to cast the same actors in multiple roles detracts from the film’s overall themes while others praise the epic scope of this adaptation of David Mitchell’s novel, which followed six different storylines, set from the past to the future and dealing with themes such as love and oppression. Rather than follow Mitchell’s structure and present these stories individually across three hours, the Wachowski (the Matrix trilogy) and Tykwer version decides to interweave them, allowing viewers to make their own connections be-
tween the different strands, often to powerful effect. The film opens with Tom Hanks’s old tribesman musing on the universe in the future before whistling through Ben Whishaw’s Cambridge musician contemplating suicide, Halle Berry’s American journalist travelling, Jim Sturgess’s lawyer writing in his journal while sailing, Jim Broadbent’s publisher typing his thoughts and Doona Bae’s interrogation by an official in the twenty-second century. This establishes the style of the film, for there are many parts where the different stories come together: dialogue from one will be heard over the visuals of another, highlighting connections across the stories. Other parts follow each story for a longer period before moving to the next but by the end, there are palpable links between them. The phrase ‘from the sublime to the ridiculous’ may have been invented for this film, for shortly after the sparks of revolution in futuristic Neo-Seoul are shown, a group of old people are trying to escape an oppressive care home in the present day. Some elements are confusing and/or unintentionally amusing, such as Tom Hanks and Halle Berry’s strange lan-
guage and Hugo Weaving dressed up as the matron of the aforementioned care home. The multi-roling in general is very effective, even if it does create an element of ‘isn’t that…’ while watching the film. Clearly, some actors (namely Hugo Weaving and Hugh Grant) are designated as villains across the story lines and although each actor is just about always recognisable, they carry off their variety of roles convincingly (with the possible exception of Tom Hanks’ angry writer). This is definitely one of last year’s most fascinating and unique
films and its absence from the awards ceremonies and relatively poor return at the box office are a sign that the film is too divisive to be as widely acclaimed as it deserves. However, for those willing to experience it, Cloud Atlas showcases stunning visuals, talented actors taking on a multitude of roles and universal themes that are illustrated as relevant yesterday, today and forever.
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FILM NEWS IN BRIEF - After receiving a mixed response for his gig hosting the Oscars, Seth MacFarlane has tweeted that it is not something he will do again...
14 FILM&TV
Friday 1 March 2013 Spark*
film.spark@reading.ac.uk
FILM&TV
Mama: Guillermo Del master of horror Directed by: Andrés Muschietti Starring: Jessica Chastain, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Running Time: 100mins Genre: Horror
the children are sent to live with their uncle Lucas (Nikolaj CosterWaldau) and his Goth girlfriend Annabel (Jessica Chastain). Wild and emotionally-damaged, the two young girls bring home a spectral figure known as ‘Mama.’
Sian Carrington and Malina
The suspense seems to burn out before the end
Kerai
Mama is the latest horror to come to cinemas and we can safely say it has surpassed our expectations. After watching some of the trailers, we were fairly sceptical about the idea of a brooding, maternal ghost. But we were surprised. The movie had us on the edge of our seats.
It is worth going to see if you like a good horror. From the producer who brought us Pan’s Labyrinth, Del Toro outdoes himself again. Mama is a psychological horror rather than blood and gore. It draws you in from the opening scene - a distressed,
tearful father driving his two young daughters away from the family home. After the car skids off the side of an icy road and they wander into the heart of a wood, the father and his two daughters stumble upon an abandoned cabin. At first I couldn’t help but sigh; another horror movie featuring an eerie, dilapidated house in the middle of a wood. But we agree, it did heighten the feeling of suspense so it worked well. Shortly after entering the cabin, the father is killed by a supernatural force and the children are taken under the wing of a ghost and raised as feral children in total isolation. Rescued a few years later,
We were impressed by the director’s choice to touch upon certain psychological issues like dissociative personality disorder and parental attachments. This was done very well and it created an original and innovative idea that love and humanity can be felt even by something dark and supernatural. Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty) gave an excellent performance as a guitar-playing rock chick. Having had no previous parenting experience, Annabel is forced to take on the primary caregiver role. It is slightly predictable that before the end she is put in touch with her maternal feelings but this was a poignant message and serves the ending well.
We felt the atmosphere and tension in the beginning of the film was excellent. For many of the scenes, we had to hide our faces behind the boxes of popcorn. But we’re not sure quite where it happened and where it went wrong, but the suspense seems to burn out before the end. There was so much build-up to seeing the face of ‘Mama’. The way the children loved and talked about her, you’d expect Casper to fly out the walls. It was quite unrealistic to think that a pair of children could ever be attached to something that resembles a demon with a face scarily similar to Sarah Jessica Parker. But it was cleverly done; the oldest child was short-sighted and the other was young and vulnerable meaning she would attach herself onto anything that would offer her love and care. It had an excellent storyline, despite the far-fetched, disappointing ending. It is worth going to see if you like a good horror.
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You may doubt Ripper Street when you hear of it. I know that I did – “Ripper Street,” I sighed around my mocking pipe, “another story guessing at Jack the Ripper’s origins and ending with either a shrug or a conspiracy theory that’ll leave me laughing for days. That’s exactly what we need clogging up the TV for another night.” Of course, since I’m writing this review, I’m happy to report that I was entirely wrong. Ripper Street is a BBC miniseries set a firm six months after the Jack the Ripper murders. It focuses on H-division, in particular Edmund Reid (Matthew Macfadyen) and his sergeant (Jerome Flynn) and doctor (Adam Rothenberg). Together, with the help of Dick Hobbs (Jonathan Barnwell) and the help/hindrance of a brothel madam (Myanna Buring) and one of her prostitutes (Charlene McKenna) , they fight crime. One of Ripper Street’s main strengths is its choice to not really deal with Jack the Ripper at all. Instead of focusing on overused
Macfadyen is superb, in another actor’s hands Reid could be boring
[it] has already been commissioned for a second series in 2013 For another strength of Ripper Street is, indeed, its rich charac-
ters and the way they’re acted. Macfadyen is superb, in another actor’s hands Reid could be boring – but he actually has both heart and depth. Flynn is also amazing, Bennett Drake (his character) is a rough bruiser, but he turns him into something so much more – he’s charming, he’s sweet, and he has such a compelling backstory that I can guarantee that you’ll want to reach through the screen and hug him. Rothenberg, the third character in the main trio, is yet again brilliant, incredibly funny
10. Gollum in Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit
I may have given The Hobbit a poor review, but nobody can deny that Andy Serkis did some great motion work, for the CGI.
9. E.T. from E.T. the ExtraTerrestrial One of the best aliens in cinematic history. Enough said.
8. Yoda from Star Wars
There are many fantastic nonhuman performances in the Star Wars films, but Yoda stands out. He’s so wise, yet a bit creepy.
7. Dobby from Harry Potter
“Dobby did not mean to kill anyone! Dobby only meant to maim, or seriously injure!” What a legend. The most incredibly moving death scene.
6. Mr Pricklepants from Toy Story 3
5. WALL-E from WALL-E
and an absolute privilege to watch. And the backing characters! Buring is stunning as Long Susan, growing to something spectacular. McKenna is great as Rose, and relatable in a way hard to manage. And as for Barnwell… This guy deserves ranting – he’s adorable, endearingly sensible, and deserves a shining career ahead of him.
plotlines and wild speculation, Ripper Street instead creates its own fascinating cases – and then often uses those cases as mere background ornamentation to explore its characters all the deeper.
Emmeline Walls
The classically trained stuffed hedgehog (voiced by Timothy Dalton) was a firm favourite from the recent instalment.
TV Review: Ripper Street Siobhan Whitebread
The Top 10 Performances of Non-human Characters
Ripper Street has already been commissioned for a second series in 2013 – which means that you have time to watch the entire first series (recently finished on BBC1) and then possibly rewatch it. I certainly recommend it – for Ripper Street is a show that has originality, compelling characters and true heart. And those things are to be treasured. Ripper Street Series 1 will be available on DVD and Blu-ray from 18 March 2013.
He’s cute and romantic and a hapless little hero. Plus he’s a robot. How anyone could not love him is beyond me.
4. Richard Parker from Life of Pi
Richard Parker the tiger was very well-animated and it is rare that you get to understand an animal’s character that well in a film.
3. Dory from Finding Nemo
The funny, forgetful blue fish. Her scenes are more raw and emotional than Nemo’s.
2. Gonzo from A Muppet Christmas Carol
A Muppet had to appear on this list somewhere, and Gonzo is wonderful as a non-human, warm, accessible Charles Dickens.
1. Gromit from Wallace and Gromit
Proof that you don’t need a mouth to express yourself, as long as you have floppy ears and expressive eyebrows.
FILM NEWS IN BRIEF - rumour has it there is going to be a remake of Godzilla, directed by Gareth Edwards starring Breaking Bad’s Bryan Cranston
Spark* Friday 1 March 2013
Dan Rawle and Kate Holman
Charlie Brooker’s Black Mirror updates the formula of cautionary tale for a contemporary audience, exploring and embellishing the tragedy of technology that is raising serious moral questions. The Brookeresque criticism hyperbolises in order to scrutinise in a manner familiar to fans of Screenwipe and Weekly Wipe. Brooker’s tone is inherent in the show, that while licked in black humour, gives an introspective view of our excitement over ever-developing technologies. In the first instalment of the second series, Brooker dives into the discourse surrounding mortality by approaching the subject of life after death through a modernised scope of social networking. Brooker creates almost a sadistic atmosphere for the protagonist Martha, who is left grieving in the untimely death of her partner, tortured by his memory and facing the prospect of facing motherhood alone. Her grievances push her towards a widow-exploiting technology which will re-build deceased personalities from their previous
film.spark@reading.ac.uk
T.V Review: Black Mirror
online communications. Her unsettling dependence on this service grows, until she pays for his pseudo-personality to be downloaded into a life-like android. Eventually her feelings become distorted as she realises the artificiality of the double and begins to feel like she is being haunted by his ghost. Brooker tests our morals as we try to upload our lives online by presenting it to us in a literal metaphor.
The next episode exposes the false morals of reality-entertainment shows that justify their methods by upholding a plastic moral message while concealing their true agenda: the satisfaction of punishment by public embarrassment. The episode has two major functions, paralleling the severity of voyeuristic punishment against a lowered barrier of what we consider exploitative and what we consider entertainment. As abruptly as we are invited to feel
Song for Marion: calendar girls with choirs Directed by: Paul Andrew Williams Starring: Terrence Stamp, Vanessa Redgrave, Gemma Arterton Running Time: 93mins Genre: Comedy, Drama Matthew Crowe
There have many movies with much older casts of late; Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Quartet and Amour, along with the “geriaction” movies Bullet to the Head, The Last Stand and A Good Day to Die Hard. Good. I’m tired of young people’s problems on the screen, let’s have a change of demographic, plus these veteran actors are more than capable of giving great performances (we’ll exclude the latter three films from this rule). And this is certainly true of Song for Marion which in America has been re-titled Unfinished Song, a title terms one step below Return of the King in terms of plot-spoiling titles. Although regardless of this one may guess the plot of Song for Marion in the first five minutes; Grumpy Arthur (Terrence Stamp) looks after his terminally ill wife (Vanessa Redgrave) that is obsessed with her unconventional local choir in the generic English town in which they live. When Marion dies, Arthur joins said choir both as a tribute to her
and also as a way of building a relationship with his estranged son (Christopher Eccleston). Terrence Stamp’s Arthur is an empathetically grouchy individual that gradually shows his more emotive interior, and Vanessa Redgrave finds the contrast between playfulness and fragility wonderfully. When both characters sing their respective songs for real, they convey emotion in a way that could not be replicated in a recording, and can make even the most hardened cynic slightly emotional. These two fantastic performances are slightly let down by little character development for some characters, such as Christopher Eccleston playing the son,
and slight miscasting in the shape of Gemma Arterton, who whilst playing the part of a slightly patronising yet good natured choir mistress well, is too, well, ‘Gemma Arterton’ to be seen as someone who can’t make friends or relationships. Also the script can’t seem to decide whether we are laughing with or at the old choir. Paul Andrew Williams made his name primarily in gritty crime and horror movies (London to Brighton, The Cottage), and whilst the more emotional dramatic moments are done with taste (Marion’s death), and the more flat direction achieves its objective fairly well, there are other moments of forced comedy that decisively concludes that old people rapping is not automatically hilarious, and cause the audience to consider some of the members as slightly pathetic. As typical with most terminal illness/ unexpected death stories (the loss of a character shows another the importance of life; I’m looking at you Nicolas Sparks) the audience knows from the outset how the action will play out. But despite this great performances from the two leads raise Song for Marion’s script and make it a surprisingly enjoyable and moving flick .
sympathy for the main character, Victoria, our perspective changes when we discover the sinister truth to her virtual reality, a perpetual torture that serves as entertainment for the audience who stands by, indignantly watching her suffering. With shows like The Jeremy Kyle Show that ostensibly seem to ‘fix bad people’ while really flaunting their pitfalls for the entertainment of the audience, the demonstration of Victoria’s physical torture acts as a hyperbolised version of the morals of our reality entertainment. How do we justify these exploitative programmes that put misanthropists through a form of emotional torture under the guise of a morally just cause? Why do we accept emotional torture to the extent where it becomes entertainment when we fail to advocate physical torture also? The last episode takes a stab at politics, mocking the artificial personalities in the political system through the use of a popular media puppet ‘Waldo’. This aggressively humorous animated character, controlled by failed comedian Jamie (Daniel Rigby), becomes the centre of a by-election and Jamie becomes in over his head as he
FILM&TV 15
finds himself a candidate running for the election, stating the potential corruption of the government claiming “I’m not dumb or clever enough to be in politics”. When Jamie realises the idiocy of this character becoming a public figure he attempts to destroy his creation, but the conscious reality of its public popularity leads to its eventual world domination, almost becoming a dictator. The idea fits in with the moral falsehoods of political power and how entertainment can distort the reality of people’s decisions and actions, such as the public vote. This ending to the three-part satirical series doesn’t quite do justice to the moral strength of the other episodes, lacking the depth and complexity of moral views of society and the media. Black Mirror’s chilling reflection is vivid in-yer-face. It cultural impact is clear from the responses to it on social media, such as the trending hashtag #weneedwaldo on twitter. Although the execution of the programme is sometimes transparent, its focus is poignant and reflective.
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This fortnight at the RFT... Student Tickets: £4.50 The Reading Film Theatre was established 40 years ago as an independant cinema with a policy to show the best films from around the world. With a mix of mainstream films and independant cinema, as well as foreign-language films, there is something for everyone and all are welcome. Below is a listing of showings for the upcoming fortnight...
Tuesday 5 March (19:15):
The Master (15)
Wednesday 6 March (19:00):
Edukators (15)
Thursday 7 March (20:00):
Prices: Student & Members £5.50 Non-members £7.50 Annual Membership £12.00
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FILM NEWS IN BRIEF - look forward to Disney’s Monsters University, out on the 12th July this year. If you can’t wait that long check out the new characters!
16 MUSIC
music.spark@reading.ac.uk
music REVIEW
Friday 1 March 2013 Spark*
Rachel reports what went down at this years Brit Awards
Rachel pilcher
The Brit Awards have always been met with an air of tension, and a feeling that anything could happened. From Jarvis Cocker’s stage invasion to Samantha Fox and Mick Fleetwood’s disastrous hosting, and the cutting off of Adele’s acceptance speech, there’s hardly been a year when there hasn’t been some sort of Brits’ controversy. However, this seemed to be lacking this year. Yes, James Corden was an excellent host, and yes, there were plenty of drunken celebrities to go round, but this celebration of British talent just didn’t seem to deliver this year.
There were no massive surprises when it came to the winners The problem was not in the performances. The ceremony opened with a expectedly loud and proud performance from Muse, setting the tone for the level of perfor-
The Gossip! Though this year was somewhat tame in comparison to other awards there’s still a few nuggets of news that you might not know… Mumford and Sons Banjo player, Winston Marshall got turned away from the Universal Records after party. Though the band are signed to the label and won the Best British Group category, Marshall was rejected from the bash for not having a physical ticket. Justin Timberlake did not simply stop and relax after his brilliant performance of his new single ‘Mirrors’ at the Brits ceremony itself. Instead, he performed once again at The Forum, dancing and
mances during the ceremony, with a variety of acoustic, pop and a certain American music star.
Taylor ‘legs for miles’ Swift took to the stage in a ferocious get-up... One Direction gave an exclusive, energetic, pinball-inspired performance of their Comic Relief cover of One Way or Another (Teenage Kicks), a cover which has divided the public over the song choice (just take solace that it’s for charity). The Brits even had international superstars take to the stage, starting with Justin Timberlake making a super slick appearance, adding a huge level of class to the evening. Making women all over the UK drool, faint or scream over his performance of new single Mirrors, this was probably a much-needed highlight of the evening for many. Taylor ‘legs for miles’ Swift later took to the stage in an unusually ferocious get-up, perhaps taking playing the guitar to a loving audience. He has also announced that he has planned to collaborate with Mumford and Sons front man, Marcus Mumford in the near future.
Justin Timberlake did not simply stop and relax
inspiration from having ex Harry Styles sat metres away in the audience. The night ended with Female Solo Artist and British Album winner Emeli Sandé, who luckily decided to end with Next to Me, thankfully more upbeat than her Olympics’ appearances. There were no massive surprises when it came to the winners either. There was some confusion over who Ben Howard was from disappointed Olly Murs fans, and of course mixed reactions over acceptance speeches. Aside from this, other winners could have easily be predicted, and were all well-deserved (according to most). There was no protest over winners like that seen a few years ago from Kanye West, and no cutting off of speeches because of time constraints, although mocked by host James Corden and Adele herself. Everything seemed too rehearsed, as if the winners were actually briefed beforehand that they had won.
This celebration of British talent just didn’t seem to deliver It’s not like there wasn’t plenty of opportunity for scuffles or misbehaving, what with Taylor Swift and Harry Styles in the same room, along with more than enough drink to go round. There was Sharon Osbourne’s mention of Harry Style’s manhood and Robbie William’s confused award presentation, yet these moments were overtaken quickly but some table interviews that were seemingly only used to fill time. Perhaps it was the calam80s icon Boy George brought his niece along on the night so that she could meet her idols One Direction, but he wasn’t very happy when bandmember Liam declined to be introduced to her. Taking to twitter later on, he called Liam a ‘wanker’, probably ruining the chance of that Culture Club/One Direction collaboration we’re all dreaming about.
And finally, Robbie Williams has slammed the Brits ceremony this Ben Howard controversially reyear in the release of a new track vealed how the Brit Awards audionline on the 26th February. The ence ‘groaned’ when One Direction X-rated single suggests that the were announced as nominated for ceremony itself was boring and the Best Group category at the after parties were rife with drugs ceremony. The singer himself won and sex. I think it’s safe to say that two awards, but felt that the cerhe may not be asked to perform emony was lacking its fair share of again next year! Rock Bands.
ity of last year’s ‘speech-gate’ that caused producers to be overcareful of what was broadcast which shattered any hopes of an actual talking point for this year’s ceremony.
...the end of the night was met with little impact. Maybe this summed up the night as a whole. As the night carried on, even the free-flowing of alcohol couldn’t provoke outrageous behaviour, although jokes became looser and more adult-friendly, sometimes falling flat to those of us not lucky enough to be there in person. Even the mini-concert we’re used to at the end of the night wasn’t there, as the Outstanding Achievement Award is no longer awarded, meaning the end of the night was met with little impact. Maybe this summed up the night as a whole. If it wasn’t the performances, hosting or actual winners that caused the fall-down of this year’s ceremony, then perhaps it was the lack of a competitive atmosphere and an over-cautious producing approach that denied us the controversy us viewers always look forward to at the Brits. With so much talent in the UK at the moment, it seems a shame that an event that so many across the world will see failed to produce a talking point on the same level as previous years. Music stars, start planning your stage invasions and protests for next year’s ceremony please.
List of Winners British Male Solo Artist – Ben Howard British Female Solo Artist – Emeli Sandé British Breakthrough Act – Ben Howard British Group – Mumford and Sons British Live Act – Coldplay British Single – Adele – Skyfall Mastercard British Album of the Year – Emeli Sandé – Our Version of Events International Male Solo Artist – Frank Ocean International Female Solo Artist – Lana Del Rey International Group – The Black Keys Brits Global Success (For International Sales in 2012) – One Direction British Producer of the Year – Paul Epworth Critics’ Choice Award – Tom Odell Special Recognition Award – War Child
Spark* Friday 1 March 2013
music.spark@reading.ac.uk
OPINION
Jamie milton
In what’s been a steady, bit-by-bit process, Azealia Banks’ astounding rise has simmered out, in a series of odd, unspectacular circumstances. After ditching producers, managers, labels, Miss. Banks turned her steady gaze towards some of the industry’s most prized talent. A public feud with Angel Haze cured our January boredom for a couple of hours, and similar spats with the likes of Kreayshawn & Nicki Minaj come by like roosters declaring the beginning of a new day. All of this isn’t of huge consequence. She can do what she likes, and sure, the odd twitter feud might damage her reputation in the short term, but even a riled up, one-sided war of words with near-untouchables like Beyonce wouldn’t do her any direct harm. It’d probably win her more fans in the long run. All publicity is good publicity, right?
The Twitter List patrick scott
God, Twitter is brilliant. As well as being useful for telling anyone who cares what you had for breakfast or what your cat just dragged into the house, it’s perfect for finding out what your favourite musicians have been getting up to, one hundred a forty characters at a time. Granted, a lot of these musicians will spend all of their social networking interactions telling you to buy their stuff, but amongst all of that there are some who just don’t care and will post literally anything on their twitter feed. Here at Spark*, we’ve compiled a list of some of our favourites...
MUSIC 17
Jamie discusses the controversial artist, Azaelia Banks
The “hype bubble” which emerged from breakthrough single ‘212’ is just about persisting, even without a debut album out. The ‘1991 EP’, an endless stream of off-cut collaborations with Machinedrum and others, plus high-budget videos, have all helped to tide us over until this much-delayed first release finally sees the light of day. She’ll still be playing to crowds in the thousands on this year’s festival circuit. But the prospective release date for ‘Broke With Expensive Taste’ 12th February - has now passed. No ‘In Rainbows’-style rush-release could save this. It’s becoming something of a laughing stock.
People seem to have stopped caring. And that’s not down to delays and public spats. It’s down to mixed messages surrounding the album, combined with Banks’ most
recent ill-advised choice, in covering the gone-viral Baauer hit ‘Harlem Shake’. Covering as in rapping over an existing song. No sample work, no skilled production. It’s bandwagon-jumping in its tamest form. And in yet another Twitter beef with the producer himself, she seemed to go as far as damning the original, saying; “You’re a pussy. You don’t belong in hiphop…You don’t belong in Harlem… you don’t even know what a fucking Harlem Shake even is.” The cover - published without consent - has since been taken down from Soundcloud, while gaining its own video to help maintain the momentum of the furore surround this ‘bust-up’. Granted, Baauer seems to have gone gungho with the copyright notices, ever since his Jeffree single turned into a worldwide dance craze. But it’s an issue that boils down to respect. Clearing samples isn’t common instinct, with Jessie Ware running into trouble over her ‘110%’ track, which used a clip from Big Pun’s 1998 ‘Dream Shatterer’. But
Tyler, The Creator (@fucktyler)- The Odd Future Collective member and mastermind behind Yonkers is a pretty prolific twitter user, but what is immediately apparent about him is that he loves capslock. As in, he REALLY loves capslock- almost every one of his tweets is written in a way that makes it sound like he’s shouting, even though he’s never that angry. There’s also a lot of talk about his fellow Odd Future members- in capslock, no less- as well as constant stream-of-thought musings that very rarely make any sense. Sample Tweet- JASPER IS NOT DOMO HYPETRAK ES STUPID HAHA
Weird Al Yankovic (@alyankovic)- On countless occasions over his almost 30 year career, Weird Al has proved that he’s the undisputed king of the comedy song genre, and he brings the same sort of humour into his twitter feed. Granted, he’s not as prolific at tweeting as our capslock obsessed friend Tyler, but most of what he says ends up being pure gold. Of particular highlight are his uploaded photos, such as his snapshot with a dead hooker (it’s not what you’re thinking). Sample Tweet- ‘Everybody put your hands in the air and wave them like you don’t have a particularly strong opinion about anything.’
She can do what she likes
Azealia’s ‘Harlem Shake’ re-work isn’t even sampling. Baauer knew it. Which is why he claims to have held off on releasing the track, essentially pleading with her to hold off on sharing the ‘collaboration’. Banks, for all her obvious talent and show-stopping flow, has almost made a career out of hopping onto other artists’ work and barely turning her head to offer any credit. A similar issue broke out last year when Azealia rapped over Dutch producer Munchi’s ‘Esta Noche’. She gave her version the same title, and released it on her ‘Fantasea’ mixtape without any evident mention of the original. This is commonplace amongst other musicians. Singing over existing songs on mixtapes isn’t rare, and needn’t be frowned upon. The issue emerged when Banks aimed to release the track on iTunes, alongside a new video. That’s when she ran into trouble. It’s the subsequent money-making bravado that eventually led to offers of compensation, which Munchi duly declined.
She’ll still be playing to crowds in the thousands on this year’s festival circuit We can then look back towards the Lazy Jay beat that began her career. The latter gained the eventual credit, but many a passer-by got hot under the collar for Azealia Banks under the premise that she was something exciting and without parallel. The beat made the song, and Banks has arguably failed to equal ‘212’ ever since. To bait on Banks for using samples would be a gross misunderstanding of hip-hop as a whole, but it’s in her actions to recreate the magic of her breakthrough track that we Patrick Carney (@patrickcarney)A few weeks ago at the Grammy awards, Black Keys frontman Patrick Carney made a comment on how teen idol Justin Bieber did not deserve to win any awards, citing a lack of talent. Justin’s fanbase were not happy, and Carney found himself receiving a lot of twitter hatred from the adorably-named ‘Beliebers’. Whom he promptly began to mock and retweet, much to the entertainment of everyone else. These kinds of reactions from Carney are fairly common however, as he’s the type who’s never afraid to speak his mind about anyone. The result makes his twitter feed worthy of a follow. Sample Tweet- There are too many hilarious retweets/replies
can observe her own shortcomings. Musicians shouldn’t be obliged to rush-release an album just to please the flocks of incoming fans. As much as labels often encourage new artists to give into opportunism and bring out a first work, there’s more to admire in a debut that’s benefited from perfectionism. Azealia’s been around for a good couple of years, with a XL Recordings deal penned - and promptly scrapped - before ‘212’’s emergence. Talk of working with Paul Epworth, Machinedrum and other producers seems to have simmered out. Had she played the cryptic game, keeping her cards close to her chest, perhaps anticipation for the full-length would still be rife. Instead fans and needy journalists feel messed around, to the point where they’re stopped anticipating and they’ve started mocking. See Angel Haze’s timely line in the ‘On The Edge’ track - “I think my album’s more done than yours, and I just started a week ago” - for an insight into what everyone’s really thinking. We shouldn’t dismiss her entirely. Any eventual debut is bound to lean towards sampling rather than this haphazard karaoke craft. And amongst cynics like myself who deemed the ‘Harlem Shake’ cover a crude move, there are plenty who’ve declared it a stroke of genius. In effect I’m begging for Azealia Banks to prove me wrong, to emerge with a record that warrants its wait. ‘212’, and fleeting glimpses thereafter, have proved she’s capable of rising to the challenge. from angry Bieber fans to pick a favourite from, but they’re all worth looking up.
18 MUSIC
music.spark@reading.ac.uk
Friday 1 March 2013 Spark*
SINGLES
Of Monsters and Men King and Lionheart universal/island
richard lewington
The fourth single off their phenomenally successful debut album My Head Is An Animal, King and Lionheart more than lives up to the previous singles. This is a fantastic song, filled with all the intricate melodies and captivating lyrics of other Of Monsters and Men songs. The lyrics in particular evoke an almost mythical feel, as though the song is plucked straight out of a fantasy-film soundtrack. Rarely has such an uplifting and fantastically consistent album come along in recent years. Any
fans of Arcade Fire or Mumford and Sons will love this. This is a band on the road to stardom, and with songs like this one, it’s easy to see why.
Rarely has such an uplifting album come along in years Of Monsters and Men are currently on tour, but unfortunately finding a ticket is an uphill challenge. If you know anyone that has any spare, be very kind to them until they agree to take you with them.
HHHHH
ALBUMS
Eels are clearly at their strongest when rocking out
E Works/Vagrant
patrick scott
The more I think about it, the more Eels frontman Mark Oliver Everett seems a contradiction within himself. He’s lived through a lot of horrifying and depressing situations during his lifetime (his father and sister committed suicide, the latter shortly before his mother died of cancer), but through channelling this through
Example Perfect Replacement
Bruno Mars When I Was Your Man
rca/kemosabe
mercury
atlantic/elektra
siobhan maguire
siobhan maguire
siobhan maguire
There isn’t a huge amount to say about Kesha’s new record. Its very ‘her’. The in you’re your face, very American vocals, the rather crass lyrics and the loud backing track are all common factors to be associated with the artist. The song itself has very little depth with lyrics like “getting’ rowdy”, though I doubt that Kesha created the song for meaningful purposes. I am sure C’Mon will fit perfectly into a club environment, but I am also sure that the song is simply not different enough to make waves. It sounds just like her other releases and really how many of them can you actually remember?
I am not a massive fan of Example, never have been, and this song does not make me like him anymore. It is very typical of the artist being very similar to his previous works and therefore I would imagine that it will prove a hit to some extent. ‘Perfect Replacement’ presents the best of Example’s vocal capacity with the usual loud and quite harsh sound. The backing of the track is typifies the dance genre and will no doubt be played in club after club, getting a crowd moving. However though I would easily dance to the song after a few drinks I can safely say I will not be buying it for pleasurable listening.
It is so nice to hear Bruno Mars producing a ballad once again. ‘When I was your man’ is raw, with simply a piano (which Mars plays) and a voice. Mars really presents the clear vocal range that he has with all sorts of notes being hit throughout the song. The lyrics are sensitive and emotional and really contrast some of his other singles like ‘Locked Out Of Heaven’ and this is not a bad thing as it shows just how versatile Mars is as an artist. Not being a fan of his last few releases, I feel that Mars has renewed himself with ‘When I Was Your Man’ and I can only hope that it does well.
H
H
HHHH
Album number 10 from Eels leads the record reviews this week...
music he’s become a successful, well respected rock star- the sort of life most people would give their right arm for. Of course, most people aren’t in Eels, and Wonderful Glorious is just more proof of why they have this status.
Eels Wonderful,Glorious
Kesha C’Mon
Admittedly, Wonderful Glorious doesn’t really strive out into new directions- opening track ‘Bombs Away’, with it’s me-against-theworld lyrics and strong bassline, is the kind of song Eels have been writing for years- but, crucially, they’ve been writing it well. The album’s predominantly heavy sound, infact, is reminiscent of their 2001’s Souljacker, arguably one of their best albums, and Wonderful Glorious is more evidence that Everett and his backing band are clearly at their strongest when they’re rocking out. Lead single ‘Peach Blossom’ is the biggest proof of this- as with the best Eels tracks, it sounds unremarkable at first but reveals itself as a
masterful, distorted sound collage after a few listens. The only issue with this is that the album’s more subdued moments are often it’s weaker ones, but it’s not always the case- the boxing metaphors in ‘On The Ropes’ pack an emotional punch (sorry), whereas the title track gives off a sense of optimism that despite his usual style Everett has always been able to write well. Admittedly, it’s almost odd hearing him sing lines like ‘My love is beautiful/It’s here for the taking’ after the less optimistic themes of most of his songs, but as an album closer it all seems to make sense. After 10 albums it’s rare for any band to produce something that manages to hold up to their best work, but Wonderful Glorious proves that Eels have still got it. It would be easy to criticise them for not going in any new directions, but that would be overlooking how they got this far in the first place. Everett is still the best at what he’s doing, and once again he’s proved that there’s no reason to change that.
HHHH
Mogwai A Wrench Virile Lore rock action, sub pop
patrick scott
With their general lack of non-distorted vocals and ability to create epic 15 minute sound-scapes, Scottish band Mogwai have always lent themselves pretty well to remixes. A Wrench Virile Lore, infact, is the second remix album of their 17 year career, this time focusing solely on reworkings of tracks from their 2011 album Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will. As well as a fantastic title, Hardcore happened to be the groups strongest record in a while, which leaves a lot of potential for a remix album. The results, however, are a bit hit and miss. To be fair, 10 different DJs doing a remix each, as is the case with Wrench, was always going to be slightly inconsistent, but the main problem with half of the mixes is a lack of original ideas and ambition. Xander Harris’ take on ‘How To Be A Werewolf’, for example, goes for a minimalist techno sound but ends up taking out everything that made the original work and doing little else. The new version of ‘Letters To The Metro’, on
the other hand, sounds like the backing track to a terrible 80s pop song. Despite this, the album does have some mixes that work- the Klad Hest version of ‘Rano Pano’ (given the charming sub-title of ‘Mogwai Is My Dick RMX’) is a 7 minute hard trance-blast and probably the closest we’ll ever get to Mogwai doing rave music. But the real stand-out track is the reworked ‘Mexican Grand Prix’- originally appearing on Hardcore as an effects-driven and fast-paced song, here it has been stripped down to an acoustic guitar and Stuart Braithwaite’s vocals have lost all of their distortion. This does a brilliant job of emphasising the loneliness evoked by the song’s lyrics, and as such it becomes the only remix on the album that’s as good as it’s original source. Overall, A Wrench Virile Lore works as a compliment to Hardcore Will Never Die, but far too often it feels like if the DJs involved had tried a bit harder it would’ve been so much better. It does enough to justify its existence as a point of interest for die-hard Mogwai fans, but everyone else is better off sticking to the original album.
HH
Spark* Friday 1 March 2013
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20 ARTS&BOOKS
Friday 1 March 2013 Spark*
arts.spark@reading.ac.uk
Arts&BOOKS Defying Gravity
Rock’outure – Vivienne Westwood for the English National Ballet Simona Angelini
If British fashion designer Vivienne Westwood isn’t rocking up the catwalk, she’s taking centre stage at the one of the world’s, most prestigious ballet companies - is there anything this woman can’t do? It’s a new era and a new look for the English National Ballet, as Tamara Rojo, the company’s artistic director, calls upon Westwood’s free-spirited and punk-rock designs for the feature costumes of the company’s new advertising campaign for the upcoming year. The images capture a beautiful
see floating around on the walls of London’s underground.
The images capture a beautiful composition of the company’s perfectly poised dancers
According to ‘The Beautiful Meme’, the creative agency supporting the campaign, the images are “…about taking dancers out of tutus and moving away from conventional backstage images to show the intensity and creativity of the dancers… the company’s directive is to respect the tradition of ballet but build on it… to reflect but challenge a perceived view of the art form”, helping to make classical ballet accessible to people outside of the ballet world and relevant to contemporary culture.
Free-spirited and punk-rock designs of the company’s new advertising campaign composition of the company’s perfectly poised dancers, standing against the backdrop of a deserted country manor house in Westwood’s designs, inspired by the history of British costumes. Unusually intense and mystical, the curious images resist the pink tutu and tiara cliché that we normally
The English National Ballet share one inspiring vision, led by Rojo: “to be the most creative and most loved ballet Company in the UK”. As an ambitious company, with bold and confident creative leadership, it is only fitting that their new image must be so as well.
Wicked review
Charlotte Coster
It is safe to say that I have been a fan of Wicked for a long time! Despite the fact that I only saw it a couple of weeks ago, I have owned the soundtrack for around 5-6 years and throughout that whole period, have been listening to it and becoming slightly obsessive over it. Therefore the expectations were running quite high and even I wasn’t sure that it would actually be able to live up to them! But I was wrong – Wicked was everything that I had wished it to be and more besides!! Wicked is always one of those musicals that people tell you that you HAVE to see! And that it is a real showstopper and none of the others can quite live up to it. I can now see what they mean! There is a reason why it is the bestselling musical in the country with sell out shows to over 2000 audience members, 8 times a week! For those of you who have been living under a rock for the past 10 years or so, Wicked is the prequel to the Wizard of Oz, telling the story of Glinda the Good and Elphaba (more commonly known as The Wicked Witch of the West) while they were at university. And you will be surprised to note that they were actually best friends! But not only does it tell the story of those two characters, it also explains how the Tinman lost his heart, why the Scarecrow had
no brain and why the Lion was cowardly. I don’t think I can praise this musical enough. The acting, singing, dancing and special effects are all perfect and it is literally impossible for you to get the tunes out of your head. I found myself mouthing along to every single word, much to my companion’s amusement, but I wasn’t the only one, which only adds to the proof of how popular the musical is. The story seems so realistic in compar-
ison to The Wizard of Oz, with not only gently humorous moments but really poignant ones as well. It includes very human emotions, allowing you to sympathise with the characters in a much deeper way than many other fantastical stories. So much so that by the end, you actually understand why the witch becomes wicked. All in all, you would be crazy to miss this but if you can’t afford to go and see it yet, I wouldn’t worry. This showstopper isn’t going anywhere!
WATCH OUT Wildlife photograph of the week Sarah Allman
This week’s winner of our very own version of the prestigious “Wildlife Photographer of the Year” competition, is second year Zoology student Sarah Allman. She took this young female lion on the Selati Private Game reserve, whilst travelling in 2011 with a Nikon D3100. Runner up was combined English Literature and Language combined student Richard Howse’s Peruvian Condor soaring above Colca Canyon. Please join our Facebook group and send in your work to be in the runnings for our photography competition.
...David Attenborough eat your heart out! So get snapping and send in your pictures to our Facebook page: Spark* Arts and Books.
Spark* Friday 1 March 2013
arts.spark@reading.ac.uk
ARTS&BOOKS 21
Introducing your essay Agony Aunt... Interview with Morag JossThe Royal Literary Fund Fellow Helena Fornells
Q. This is the start of another day as the Royal Literary Fund Fellow at the university. How would you describe a day of work for you, here at the English department? A. The first thing I do when I arrive is check my door, that’s where students write their names down to make an appointment. Then I put on the heater, because the room is so cold, and then I check if any work has been left for me. Thereafter, it just becomes a succession of appointments, seeing different students. They all have an hour each and usually we fill up most of that hour. By the time the student leaves I feel exhausted, but the minute a new face arrives, I get a burst of energy. I get something new: there’s a new personality, there’s a new set of issues with the work, and that gives me all the energy I need. Q. What kind of advice are students most in need of? A. The commonest difficulty, that nearly all students have to some degree, is in structuring an essay: the overall shape of it, how it flows through the arguments that the student is making. The problem actually comes down to the issue of planning the essay beforehand. It becomes a time management issue, because students very often don’t allow themselves time to plan; they sit down to write an essay at the point when they are
almost panicking about it, and they think that planning is a stage they can skip – but they can’t. You can’t write a great essay without planning it first. This comes up again and again, but there are also problems with grammar and punctuation, which I think students didn’t get right early on in their school lives, and then they became too embarrassed to ask anyone. Here they have the opportunity to
get these things fixed, in an informal, relaxed environment. Q. This sounds very useful. Now, may I ask you why you decided to become a fellow in a university? A. Well, I became a writer relatively late, but for the last seventeen years I have been writing fiction for publication, always to a deadline. As soon as my first novel was bought by a publisher, other book deals followed. I’ve always been working to commission, it’s been back-to-back, which gets, monotonous, and also quite solitary. I spend my life sitting in a room by myself making things up, that’s the life of the fiction writer. I began to feel that I needed a change. And the other reason is that, about two years ago, I took up an invitation to do some creative writing teaching and I found it so fulfilling that I thought I would like to do more work related to teaching. I just thought I would enjoy it, and I was right!
A. Oh, it’s the students, no question! Just meeting students, I’m now old enough to call them “young people”. They remind me of what it was like to be a student, and things have not changed so much Life for students is full of the same energy and eagerness, the same anxieties; I sense the same sort of experience.
any advice, it is this: use this time, because you won’t have as much of it again. Your time as a student is your time to be selfish, you only have to worry about yourself and your studies, and about developing your own interests and your mind. It could be a very useful time for someone who knows they want to write, and I would say, above all, read omnivorously; read, read, read. That’s what writers need to do, read everything.
Q. You studied English, you’ve experienced different professions and finally have become a writer. What would you highlight in your career path?
Q. Your role is an interesting one. You have written and published several novels. How do you think students can benefit from the presence of someone with talent for writing who works independently from the university, someone who isn’t a lecturer? A. I think the advantages are subtle but very real. Because I’m a person who’s never going to mark any of their work, people can come to me with their guilty little secrets, with the things they’re stuck on. I give them the best of my advice, but I am not in a position where I am judging anything. Also I think students sometimes
might be reluctant to talk to their lecturers about these little things; not because they think the lecturers wouldn’t be happy to answer their questions, but because they don’t want to bother the lecturer with little issues. That’s where I come in. Q. What are you enjoying most, or what has been the most positive aspect of this experience so far?
under the age of twenty five, starts something and goes on doing it for the rest of their lives. I think there’s far more movement and scope in careers than people realise, and you don’t have to make permanent decisions from the beginning. Moreover, a large part of the point of a degree is to give you a training in how to think, to teach you how to detect good and bad arguments, how to improvise and take decisions. In that sense, a degree, as an intellectual training, is applicable in many spheres. And as far as the actual subject or discipline of your degree, you can go on reading Wordsworth when you come back from work! I’m talking here about people who aren’t on a path towards an academic career. A degree in English is a great training for many professions, it is a training of the intellect. Graduates are much more likely to be good communicators, and communication is a vital part of most professions.
Q. I think the same way it is interesting for you to work with students, it is also interesting for us to have someone in the English department who has a career as a professional writer giving advice on writing techniques. Many students of literature dream of becoming published writers. Having experienced life in the department, how do you think the academic environment can be positive for students who want to write their own creative work? A. I think the greatest gift an undergraduate student has is the time to concentrate on all this reading; the freedom and the space to let their mind take them in whatever direction their interests lie. University is an exploratory time. When I think of the time I wasted as a student... if I have
Q. In one of your previous interviews, you mentioned the fact that some schools do not think of careers for English students beyond teaching. I have met many students who were concerned about having to get a job that didn’t have anything to do with their passion. What would you say to these students? A. That is a big question. I went to a very respectable but perhaps limited school, and this was decades ago. I think things have opened out, and now there are more careers available. When I was leaving school there wasn’t really any such thing as public relations, or all these other careers in the communications industries. My advice would be to not worry, because I don’t know anyone who,
A. I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve done. But I am not a very good role model in this respect: I had no plan. Things happened by accident. My career path is not a path, it’s a kind of zigzag, and I wouldn’t particularly recommend this. I was versatile, so I did a lot of things that I enjoyed and they went well, but I did not have any big plan for myself in any of those areas. When I started to write I felt a light coming on in my head, but it took me a long time to get to that, you know; I didn’t start writing until I was in my forties. But at that point, I thought: “This is it!”. Every career path is different. Mine started almost as an accident. I’ve always been a reader, but for a very long time I had no thought of becoming a writer. I just needed encouragement. Q. I have one little question to ask you, for the readers of Spark. What is the last book you read? A. I’ll give you two answers: The last book I read was The Casual Vacancy, by J. K. Rowling. The book I’m now reading, which I’m finding very interesting, is The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, by Michael Chabon.
Contact Morag on: m.joss@reading.ac.uk
marketing@rusu.co.uk
If you’re not a little bit scared, you’re not paying attention You’re about to enter the scary world of full time employment. And, chances are, you’re not absolutely sure what to expect. Why would you be? Unless you’ve grown up in a boardroom, things like dealing with corporate politics, working directly with big business clients, having to travel at short notice, having to report to someone, knowing when to express your opinion and when to keep schtum are unknown quantities to you right now. Rest assured though, at KPMG we get that, and will give you the training, development and support you need to deal with every aspect of your new working world. We don’t expect you to know it all from day one – just that you’ll want to. And, actually, our graduates tell us working with us isn’t all that different from being at university. We just wear nicer clothes. To find out more go to www.kpmg.co.uk/graduates
Graduate careers in Audit, Tax and Advisory
Friday 1 March 2013 Spark*
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22 ADVERTISEMENT
Spark* Friday 1 March 2013
beauty.spark@reading.ac.uk
BEAUTY 23
BEAUTY Top tips to stay looking Glam on a night out Cicely Groom
1. Invest in a Primer When it comes to tackling your skin, less is definitely more. If a trickle of Sambuca down your chin leaves a visible line through your skin, chances are you’re wearing too much foundation. If you want to stay looking luminous all night long, ditch the polyfiller and instead opt for a hard-working primer such as MAC’s Prep + Prime. At £16.50 it’s a luxury on a student budget however it’ll prevent unsightly streaks and keep you looking flawless until dawn.
2. Vaseline isn’t just great for your lips The Little Blue Tin should be a staple of every woman’s makeup bag. It is the most versatile of beauty products, ensuring not only soft lips but also flawless eyes. Applying a small amount of Vaseline to your eyelids before adding eyeliner or shadow creates a smoother application and a longerlasting finish.
3. Opt for powder over cream In the Jäger-fuelled crowds of a Wednesday Union, temperatures do rise and a once controlled complexion can be replaced by one of sweat-induced shine. One way you can minimise the damage is by choosing a powder blusher rather than one of the creamier alternatives, which may melt and smear off.
4. Lip-liner isn’t just for Kat Slater Years of poorly made-up pouts have seen lip-liner reduced to less smart and more tart. However a quality lip-liner in a subtle shade is essential to maintaining a smudgefree pout, even after completing Carnage’s ‘Kiss 5 Randoms’ challenge.
5. Hairspray your face! Yes, you read that correctly. Hairspray isn’t just the saviour of lack-lustre locks, it is also the perfect way to preserve a made-up face. Spritz a small amount over your face just before you leave - remember to keep your eyes and mouth closed!
I love Electric! Dior Nude BB Crème Elle Turner
After avoiding getting my hair cut for over a year, it came to the point where my hair was so long and heavy that I could barely style it any more. As a very nervous customer, I wanted to know that my locks were in safe hands, and the choice was obvious – it had to be Electric Hair Salon. I visited them last year with the beauty team to have my hair styled and loved the atmosphere and the friendly service so it was top of my list when I came to booking my new do. Upon arrival I was offered tea or coffee before being led off to a basin to have my hair washed and treated to a complimentary head massage and an ‘Electric Treatment’ which left my hair super soft and moisturised. Then I was put into the experienced hands of stylist Ryan, who listened to what I asked for and
gave me expert advice on how to create body and texture with different products before showing me how to use straightener’s for easy, beachy waves.
I recommend Electric for helpful, friendly service and beautiful hair Electric is a favourite amongst the Made In Chelsea girls, so I was worried it would come with the Chelsea price tag but with a whopping £20 off student offer for the first cut or colour and a 25% discount off all future cuts, it’s both celeb and student friendly (YEYYYYYYY!) So if you’re in need of a trim, or fancy trying out a new style, I recommend Electric for helpful, friendly service and beautiful hair.
Sabina Rouse
The hunt for the perfect foundation is every girls top beauty mission. Finding the foundation that gives flawless coverage, just enough of a glow and one that matches your skin tone seamlessly without giving you a Towie-esque orange tinge can be the answer to having impeccable looking skin. Look no further, as Dior Nude BB crème might just be the foundation you’ve been looking for. Although technically not a foundation, but a BB crème, in many ways this suits more skin types as it provides a more natural and light texture, allowing your skin to breathe much more freely than many heavier foundations. Available in three shades, Light, Fair and Medium, there is a
colour to match every skin tone. The cream itself is extremely light, and once on, feels like you’re wearing no make-up at all. Designed to be an all in one BB crème, this cream blends smoothly in to your skin, leaving you with an all-round rosy glow, lightly covering any blemishes and imperfections, such as dark circles and red patches. If you’re looking for a healthy, glowing finish then this is definitely the crème for you. Not entirely matte, it provides the face with a subtle shine, yet, if you did want a more matte finish then gently dusting powder over the top would provide a more matte finish whilst still retaining the original colour. The cream is a perfect base for any blusher, highlighter or bronzer that you might want to put over the top and stays put all day
without having to be re-applied every few hours. At £30 this BB crème can seem a bit pricey, yet once you’ve witnessed what the cream achieves, you’ll have no qualms about splashing out on this make-up must have.
Spring cleaning your skin Elle Turner
With Spring firmly in swing and the weather (hopefully) getting warmer, it’s a good time to Spring Clean your Beauty Regime. As the wind is no longer whipping the moisture out of your face, why not switch to a lighter moisturiser un-
der to maintain hydration without applying a heavy layer. Sticking with lighter applications, why not try swapping your foundation for a lighter BB Cream (as suggested by Sabina above). To prime your skin for its new makeover, it is a good idea to use a light scrub to remove dead cells for smooth, soft skin.
24 FASHION
fashion.spark@reading.ac.uk
Friday 1 March 2013 Spark*
FASHION London Fashion Week Trends of LFW Brooke mccord
February saw one of the most eagerly anticipated events of the year for those in the fashion industry, the prestigious London Fashion Week. For me, LFW usually consists of avidly streaming shows online and reading about the highlights in magazines or via twitter. However this year, much to my excitement, I packed a bag and head to London in order to attend the main event as a blogger for the international showcase for fashion innovation, Fashion Scout. My role included watching shows and blogging about them from both the catwalk and backstage and interviewing various designers, stylists and make-up artists. The Fashion Scout schedule played host to a wealth of ingenious designers, including Pam Hogg, Runway Collective and Belle Sauvage and has previously showcased the discovery of names including Peter Pilotto and David Koma, who are now part of the Fashion Scout Alumni. Here’s a few of my highlights from the Fashion Scout platform and the renowned Somerset House. Created by Central Saint Martin graduate, the Liz Black exhibition, took inspiration from the fantastical fictional world of Lewis Caroll’s Alice in Wonderland; a make-believe realm of both innocence and chaos. The majority of designs showcased in the collection were of monochrome origin, with contrast in the form of red ac-
cents, reminiscent of the Queen of Hearts. Think soft tailoring, with statement shoulders and panels to create detail – the dresses were to die for. Whilst over at Ekaterina Kukhareva, her AW13 collection transported it’s spectators to a fierce world of lavish, high octane,
‘Retro Housewife’ glamour; inspired by the lives of housewives who have become ‘bored of endless coffee mornings and tennis coach fantasies’; instead replacing them with exotic Martini fuelled
glamorous in bed) and vibrant oversized jewel encrusted earrings which perfectly completed the lucid fantasy. If this was not enough, over in Somerset House, the Petter Pilot-
fantasy afternoons and canapés served from Byzantine and Ottoman dishes (this sounds like my idea of fun). The collection showcased a hallucinogenic palette of vivid fuscia, scarlet, violet and emerald green; through the medium of luxe anaglyptia inspired viscose and lana wool, with the most skilful of pattern placement accentuating the female form. The combination of high cut, form fitting erotic leotards, plunging ‘V’ necklines and striking light knit lurex floor length dresses created the most desirable, lust-worthy silhouettes (I have now decided that in
to AW13 collection won me over. Conceptualising architectural structure fused with scientific, digitally driven abstract prints, his collection was showcased in a spirited palette of hues personifying his acclaimed brand aesthetic. The designs demonstrated an eclectic mix of androgynously derived outerwear, embroidered with effluent abstract oriental design, statement shoulder dresses, softened by digital prints and fluted knee length hem lines; with the addition of proclaimed quilted jackets and coats, printed, of course. Whilst androgyny and structure were definitively key to this collection, the pieces remained elegant and quintessentially feminine throughout. Colour was diverse, whilst the models wore fresh-faced radiant make-up with slight contouring, not to detract the focus from the luxuriously hedonistic designs. What’s more he bagged yours truly, Cara Delevigne to walk in his collection – who of course looked divine, if Peter could assure me I would look as good as Cara in his designs, my student loan would be no more. Aside from tradition, this years LFW noted a few firsts - whilst Topshop streamed their catwalk show live online for the world to see, Rhianna made her debut with her collection for River Island. However, for me HighStreet and High-Couture should not be mixed – LFW is a tradition in its own right, I’m all for the forthcoming London High Street Fashion Weekend this April, but until then, Couture meets HighStreet is a very big no-no.
order to be a fully accomplished housewife you must be dressed in Ekaterina). The divine 50’s inspiration did not cease with the clothing; headpieces and jewellery created by Lara Jensen came in the shape of extravagant bejeweled hair rollers (demonstrating how to look
brooke Mccord
Whilst the monochrome trend has been rumoured to be making a come back for 2013, recent events in the fashion hemisphere – in particular London Fashion Week, has confirmed this speculation. So how to transfer this look from red carpets and catwalks to every day chic? Whether you choose to go head to toe in one colour with accent accessories, or colour block like Beyonce, this trend can be worn day or night; and whats more, the high-street has plenty of striking garments on offer to replicate the monochromatic look (at a fraction of the price) – with Topshop an River Island coming in top for this trend with their selection of shirts, dressed and jackets. Head to toe sequin ensembles showcased through outrageously loud pattern and colour combinations, a la Tom Ford. Whilst I am
not suggesting you rock up to the union on a Wednesday night looking like a disco ball; this sequin trend is here to stay. I picked up an amazing sequin playsuit from Motel a little whilst back, along with a white and black sequined bomber jacket from Zara, ticking off two trends at once - which brings me to my third and final transferable catwalk trend – bomber jackets. These beauties have been cropping up in every designer collection this season. So whether you opt for a Tom Ford-esq bold sequined number or a more subtle sports lux orientated version, taking tips from Stella McCartney – the high-street has nailed this trend on the head with ASOS offering bright silk and Zara combining both sequins and sport chic. What are you waiting for, save some pennies, head to the high-street and re-create the catwalk at a fraction of the price – happy shopping.
VB for NYFW
Hannah Wynne
Victoria Beckham’s AW13 collection was met with admiration and applause when it was exhibited at this season’s NYFW. The label is known for its sleek silhouettes and sophisticated designs, and the new line followed this ethos, adding an androgynous feel but sticking to the neutral colour palette of black, navy and maroon. The collection included long tailored coats, elegant tuxedo suits and a modern and edgy interpretation of the LBD which incorporated leather, zips and cut-outs. The models were customised with slim belts and gorgeous oversized handbags to complete the look. The handbags were carried casually under the arms of the models in true Victoria style. Since her label was debuted in 2008 it has moved from strength to strength, and has been worn by the some of the biggest names including Cheryl Cole, Tilda Swinton and Sarah Jessica Parker. Victoria has proved herself to be worlds away from her Spice-girl heritage, taking the fashion industry by storm with her distinctive clothing line and expanding the already prominent Beckham empire. Some of Victoria’s creative flair seems to have rubbed off on David Beckham who has also tried his hand at designing with his bodywear range for H&M. Lucky
for us, David also models his designs and has recently starred in an H&M ad campaign directed by Guy Richie. Beckham has focused the range on fit, comfort and design. The range includes boxer shorts, trunks, t-shirts, vests and
pyjama trousers. With 19 month old Harper already tipped to follow in her mother’s footsteps, and 10 year old Romeo bagging his first Burberry modelling campaign, the Beckham family are becoming a force to be reckoned with in the fashion world.
fashion.spark@reading.ac.uk
Spark* Friday 1 March 2013
FASHION 25
Pugs and kisses J.W. Anderson for Topshop Hannah Stanford
Rummaging through my Vogues from this past year realisation dawned upon me. As I ‘oohed’ and ‘aahed’ enviously at the delicate couture and jewelry pieces we all wish we could afford I noticed a puguliar recurring pattern.
Louis Vuitton started the trend for their AW 2011-2012 collection and ever since the “ugly dog” trend seems to have escalated. But the Louis Haus is not the only designer with Pug-itis. Post Valentino exhibit (a must see for all fellow
fashionistas) it was delighting to discover that amongst fabulous designs and elegance the darling Valentino also shared the same artistic connection - even naming one of his collections after his nine pugs. Let us reiterate. Nine! For any pug fans (like myself) out there I urge that this is socially acceptable and to start your pug brood immediately. Perhaps it is the light color of the fawn Pug, which coincides with any pattern or shade a garment may be. Or is it the contrast of beauty and grace of silk on a tall and dainty silhouette against the frumpiness and stoutness of a Pug. All I know is that to Vogue the Pug represents a luxury and most importantly style - it is the new Birkin. It is the must have in Hollywood. After all, the likes of Jessica Alba and George Clooney have got their hands on one! Trouble is with that £1,000£1,400 price tag both is just as difficult for us high-street hoarders to get our hands on. But the pug-boom on the High street in stores such as David and Goliath, Urban Outfitters and Top Shop means that we too can find Pug Love. Saying that, this season in Ted Baker it is all about the French Bull Dog. All I can say is ladies, cute is out - pugly is in.
Patched jeans Syahirah Syed Jaafar
Lately I’ve been noticing more patched jeans on the catwalk. it got me thinking, is this look a yay or a nay? I’ve noticed a variety of styles and patterns and all of them (two-tone, multi-coloured, mixedpatterned) are trendy in their own way, depending on what you pair it with. At the heart of a pair of patched jeans is the concept that it has been applied with some DIY modification or that the jean was made to have the DIY effect. I started to wonder are patched jeans fabulous? Are they trendy? Would they look good on me? A personal preference is the two-toned patched jean from MiH (www.mih-jeans.com) where the top half is a lighter shade to the bottom half. I’ve spotted it a couple of times and I really like the fun and casual effect it gives off while retaining its simplicity. A way to combine block colours, these two-toned colour jeans are obviously best worn full length to give equal coverage for both colours, with a loose shirt tucked in. Pair it with sneakers, a sling bag and you’ve created a youthful look for a day out to the mall, setting a trend while you’re at it!
Katy Richardson
Famous for his menswear designs, J.W. Anderson has once again launched another womenswear collection for Topshop. Back with a Spring/Summer 2013 line, J.W. Anderson has added more iconic quirky jumpers and new JW accessories. The overall clothing line is very practical and simple, but perfect for mixing and matching. Leisure meets smart with bold subtle pieces that suit Topshop perfectly. Here are my three favourite items from the collection that I think are must-haves in everyone’s Spring/ Summer wardrobe. Pink Leather Loafers (£70.00)Classic loafers will always be in trend, whether they’re a classic black or a subtle pastel pink like these ones. The colour of these shoes screams summer to me, and again could be dressed up or down. JW loafers are also available in black and white.
Silk Taffeta Shorts (£65.00)These high-waisted black silk shorts are great because there are so many ways to wear them. For daywear you can wear these shorts with a casual crop top, t-shirt or jumper. However just by adding some jewellery or perhaps a blouse, these shorts can be completely dressed up. The tie
on these shorts really tucks you in at the waist giving you elegant curves. Bird Sweater (£65.00)- This white jumper with block coloured bird prints on it is a subtle statement piece. Black, blue and red birds are spaciously dotted around the front of the jumper. Such calm yet bold colours allows it to go with anything. There are other JW jumpers available which each has a statement image, such as a Mustang car or love heart. The bird sweater however is the only one that has more than just two colours, yet it seems to be the least striking. The overall collection is very black and white, with subtle hints of the primary colours red and blue. The shaping and style of the clothes and accessories are very classical which allows you to wear them in so many ways. By being simple yet bold, the JW range features a variety of must haves that you will definitely get the most out of.
Administration for Republic Charlotte Coster
When Republic announced that it had gone into administration, I have to say, I was properly shocked. I didn’t expect that at all! Republic is one of the basic highstreet shops that I expected to be completely stable and always there, along with Topshop, H&M and Primark. The reason why I love Republic so much is because of the amount of fashion that it offers at such affordable prices. They get their style ideas straight from the top and the catwalks, redesign it to suit their markets and then offer it to us at very reasonable prices
and this process has made it one of the most popular shops on the highstreet. Clearly not popular enough though. Unlike Topshop, as well as many other shops which have very narrow ranges in terms of their style, it doesn’t just offer the one design either. Republic has always offered a huge variety of clothing from comfy boyfriend jeans and baggy jumpers to figure hugging bodycon skirts to belted flattering dresses. Pretty much anyone can walk into the store and find something that they like and looks good on them. Furthermore, the quality is actually extremely high which is so rare in the highstreet, particu-
larly at the price that Republic have offered for their items. I have had some of their clothes for years, using them on a regular basis and they are still perfectly wearable now. On the other hand, one of the silver linings that the announcement has prompted, is a humungous sale over all their stores throughout the country. There have been massive reductions over all their items up to 50% in some cases, so it is the perfect time to go and grab a bargain while you still can. And fingers crossed it may just be able to hang on and be around with us for a little while longer yet.
The rise of the midi dress
Ellen Bendix-Lewis
I conclude that patched jeans are a yay - adding life to the jeans. However because there is emphasis being placed on the bottom half of your attire, it is best to pair with plain coloured tops, or atleast with minimal pattern. Remember, wearing two articles of clothing with contrasting patterns makes you look overly funky (most of the time). And that’s a nay!
The rise of the midi dress is definitely not new news to any fashion lovers. I’m sure many of us have noticed the traditional mini dress gaining a few inches over the past few months. The midi dress/skirt was a popular trend in the 1940’s, due to its elegant and sophisticated length. Then replaced by the mini skirt in the 1960’s, it seems that the midi is making a massive come back, taking most high street stores by storm. The concept of a mid length dress is not flattering in the slightest, a dress that ends midway down the leg, cuts the body in half making any figure look stumpy by shortening the length of the leg. Or at least in theory. This new mid length trend has been nicely paired with the well
known body con style, making it more flattering for a night out than the traditional mid length swing skirt of the 1940s. Worn with a pair of sky scrapper platforms the awkward length of the dress is largely overlooked, instead elongating the leg with the added height of the heel. The midi dress is also more classy than your average mini-skirt, which means a lot less unwanted bum cheeks, and a lot more sophisticated elegance. However, it seems fashion designers are taking this trend one step further. Celebrities such as Alexa Chung and Daisy Lowe have been spotted wearing mid-length prom dresses. Think Sandy from Grease and you will understand exactly what such dresses look like. As I’m sure you can guess, I’m not the biggest fan of this trend and can’t really see it catching on. Whilst the the style of the
dress is very pretty and feminine, the fullness of the skirt that finishes mid way down the leg, makes any figure look frumpy.
26 HEALTH&FOOD
Friday 1 March 2013 Spark*
health.spark@reading.ac.uk
Food Three easy breakfasts with bananas Emily Glanfield
Bursting with energy from high levels of potassium, these deliciously sweet bananas make the perfect healthy morning treat. These are recipes for a refreshing iced banana smoothie, a delicious banana and peanut butter toast and an incredibly indulgent stack of banana and Nutella pancakes. There is something for everyone, whether you are rushing off to a lecture or whether you waking up in the afternoon and in the need for some culinary TLC. These three seriously easy recipes are quick and cheap and they are sure to set you up for the rest of your day.
Banana Smoothie At approximately only 255 calories per serving, this is very healthy and also very quick so it’s perfect to whip up before that dreaded 9AM lecture. For a thicker smoothie, you can use a scoop of vanilla ice-cream instead of the milk. There are plenty of other flavours
you can try too like cinnamon and even chocolate chips.
Ingredients 1 banana (peeled and sliced) ½ pint of milk a handful of ice 2 tbsp. of honey This really is as simple as putting all the ingredients into a food processer and blending until smooth. Serve in a tall glass with an extra drizzle of honey.
meal) 1 banana (peeled and sliced) 2 tsp. of peanut butter (or more if you want) 1 tsp. of honey Toast your bread to your own preference and as soon as it is done, spread the peanut butter over one side. Then, lay the sliced banana over the top of the peanut
After dinner everyone gets that urge for something sweet, well here is a quick and simple recipe to create a warm chocolate muffin in less than 5 minutes! No mess, no fuss, just ingredients inside a mug. Cheap and easy to make, this desert is perfect for students!
Ingredients 1 egg 2 tablespoons self-raising flour
Banana and Nutella Pancakes This breakfast should be a treat to have once in a while at approximately 580 calories per serving but it’s still mouth-wateringly delicious and perfect for ‘the morning after the night before.’ Despite not being as healthy as the other two
Banana and Peanut Butter Toast The salty and sweet mixture is a really combination and even if you may not like the sound of it, you’ve got to try it - you may be pleasantly surprised. At 311 calories per serving this is still a healthy breakfast and peanuts hold valuable fats that are low in cholesterol and plenty of protein to keep your muscles and bones strong.
Ingredients 1 slice of bread (white or whole-
2 tablespoons sugar 1 tablespoon cocoa powder 1 tablespoon milk 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Optional
¼ teaspoon of vanilla essence (extra flavour!) 1 tablespoon of chocolate chips (extra bliss!)
Method
Grab one medium/large microwave safe mug and put all the
recipes, this is still a real winner for everybody. You can also try chopping chunks of banana into the pancake mixture for another texture.
Ingredients (4 pancakes) 70g of plain flour 170ml milk 1 eggs 2 tsp. vegetable oil (for frying) 1 banana (sliced and peeled) Nutella (however much you want) Icing sugar to serve. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, milk and eggs until completely smooth and there are no lumps. Heat a frying pan to a medium heat with the vegetable oil. Spoon one ladle full into the frying pan and cook for approximately 1 minute on each side until golden. Transfer to a plate. Liberally spread the Nutella on each of the pancakes in a row down the middle and then lay the banana slices on the Nutella. Roll up each pancake and serve with a dusting of icing sugar - delicious!
Muffin... In a mug Katy Richardson
butter. Drizzle honey over the top to serve.
ingredients inside it. Using a fork, give the mixture a stir until smooth - usually for around 20 seconds. Try not to over mix, or you might not end up with the fluffiest of muffins. Place your mug inside the microwave on high power for 2 ½ minutes and watch it rise, making sure to keep an eye on it - you don’t want it to overflow! Take it out and let cool for a minute before digging in. Remember, different microwaves have different power settings, so you may need to experiment with the times for your individual microwave in order to get it just right. The longer the time, the dryer the texture will be of the finished product. Once you’ve perfected this basic chocolate muffin in a mug, you can try all sorts of different flavours. Why not try blueberry, banana, lemon, or raspberry (pictured) - this straightforward recipe allows you to be really creative and experimental. When you fancy a quick treat in the middle of a study session, this recipe will keep you going. Or why not make this delicious treat for a friend or lover: although Valentine’s Day is over, there’s still plenty of time to show your affection in a mug!
Wintery salad Sarah Lienard
4g garlic, minced
Thought salad was only for summer? Think again. This hearty winter salad is the perfect side dish to chicken or fish, or throw in some white beans to make it a complete meal.
Preheat oven to Gas Mark 7. Combine balsamic vinegar, apple cider vinegar, mustard, honey and garlic in a bowl and mix well. Scatter the mushrooms, green beans and spring onion in a roasting dish and pour the marinade over. Stir and pop into the oven for 20-30 minutes, stirring halfway through. Boil the spelt for 20 minutes. Once soft, rinse under cold water. When the vegetables are cooked, take the tray out of the oven and leave to cool. Add the cooked spelt, stir into the marinade, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Ingredients
200g mushrooms, sliced 200g green beans, chopped 20g spring onion, chopped 100g pearled spelt 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar 2 tsp apple cider vinegar 1/8 tsp mustard 1/2 tsp honey
Spark Friday 1 March 2013 *
health.spark@reading.ac.uk
HEALTH&FOOD 27
HEALTH Panic attacks? There’s an app for that Susan Kemp-Wheeler
Although stress is difficult to define, everyone knows what it feels like and there are many reasons why it is particularly prevalent amongst students. Being away from home, concerns about academic performance, pressures associated with romance, worry about finding a job and paying off student loans all add up and for some the load is high enough to trigger panic attacks. Panic attacks involve the body getting ready to run away or fight. It is a response to stress that was appropriate in our evolutionary past when danger came from other animals but, in today’s world, it is anything but helpful. Giving a presentation and sitting exams is hard enough without nausea, lightheadedness and a racing heart. Dr Susan Kemp-Wheeler, Consultant Clinical Psychologist and Lecturer in Clinical Psychology here at Reading, says: “For as long as I can remember I’ve counseled undergraduates who were having panic attacks and I have now written an app that makes this
help more widely available. Panic attacks often occur ‘out of the blue’ and this makes them especially frightening. However, once you understand them you will fear them less and that means that they will happen less often. They are
particularly problematic because the dramatic physical changes associated with fight or flight can be misinterpreted. A racing heart can seem like a heart attack and nausea can make you worry about vomiting. This sets up a vicious circle, whereby ‘fear of fear’ feeds on itself until you are the most frightened that you can be.” “My app, Panic Attacks: 10 Steps to Conquer provides instant help when panic attacks occur but it does much more then this, as it lays out 10 simple steps to get rid of them for good. Help on the iPhone is ideal, as you are likely to have it with you whenever a panic attack occurs and in spare minutes the app can be employed much like a personal therapist with easy-touse tools that are interactive.” Susan says, “It is important to get rid of panic attacks because, if you don’t, they tend to get a life of their own, leading to agoraphobia, which is the avoidance of places and situations where panic attacks occur. For example, you may avoid giving presentations in class and, although this is understandable because it makes you exceptionally
Put down the pills!
Sarah Lienard
It might seem like a quick fix, but popping those nutritional supplements may not be as good for you as you thought - research suggests that we could be wasting money on levels of vitamins that our bodies already get from a varied balanced diet. Food is a much cheaper, not to mention more delicious, way to pack in all the nutrients you need.
Vitamin C This vitamin helps to protect cells, heal wounds quickly and may even shorten the duration of the common cold. You might think that oranges and orange juice are the best ways of getting your daily dose, but peppers, broccoli, kiwis,
strawberries and even jacket potatoes are great sources too. We make most of our vitamin D from a reaction that occurs when sunlight hits our skin, so levels are lower in winter - top up with oily fish (try salmon and sardines), eggs, and fortified spreads and breakfast cereals.
Calcium Need milk? Not necessarily. Although dairy products are good sources of calcium, other sources are green leafy vegetables, soya beans, tofu, nuts, sardines and fortified bread. Your body absorbs it best in small doses rather than all at once, so try to have a source of calcium with each main meal of the day. Lack of vitamin D and
alcohol can prevent absorption.
Iron A lack of iron leads to anaemia. Chow down on meat, especially liver, beans, nuts, dried fruit like apricots, wholegrains and dark leafy greens to get your fix. Tea and coffee can make it hard to absorb iron, so cutting down or being careful not to drink your cuppa with meals can increase your iron levels.
Vitamin B12 This vitamin is key to the function of the brain and nervous system. Deficiency can lead to fatigue, depression, dizziness and increases the chances of dementia. It’s found in fish, meat, poultry, eggs, dairy and fortified cereals. A serving of marmite contains 40% of your recommended daily intake of vitamin B12!
Magnesium This mineral helps to strengthen your muscles and heart, supports the immune system and helps to keep your bones strong. Swap your lettuce for spinach, your white bread, pasta and rice for whole grain versions, and pop beans on your jacket potato or toast to up your magnesium intake.
anxious, this is not good for your student career or work prospects, as many jobs require presentation skills.” Panic Attacks: 10 Steps to Conquer has taken 3 years to develop and is based, in part, on Susan’s
work as a clinical psychologist. Panic attacks have also been a topic she has taught her final year option students. “Three fields of expertise have come together in this app and they were all equally important”, she says. “It was not enough to know about panic attacks from an academic point of view and not enough to know how to treat them in face-to-face settings. An understanding of both theory and therapy was required of course but there also had to be some innovative software design. This was provided by David Hill, who said, “I have really enjoyed working on ‘a therapist in your pocket’ and I am delighted that the app is now available for people who experience panic attacks”. The app is based on cognitivebehaviour therapy, the only therapeutic approach that has good evidence to show that it works. To find out more, type myCBTapps into Youtube and watch ‘Panic Attacks: 10 Steps To Conquer’. The app can also be bought from Itunes for £2.99 - cheap enough to fit into even the strictest student budget, and an investment worth making.
Pizza omelette Sarah Lienard
Fancy a pizza but don’t fancy that post-carb bloat? Try this instead:
Ingredients 2-4 eggs, depending how thick you want the ‘pizza base’ to be ½ red pepper, chopped About 80g mushrooms, sliced A handful of the cheese of your choice, shredded or grated (I used Jarlsberg) 2 tbsp tomato sauce, pre-made or from a jar Mixed Italian dried herbs
Method Heat a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat, spray with oil, and
add the chopped peppers and mushrooms, then cook them until soft. Tip them into a bowl and set aside. Break the eggs into a bowl, add salt and pepper to taste and beat well. Heat the frying pan over a medium-low heat, and pour in the eggs, cooking until the top is just set, then take the pan off the heat. Spread the tomato sauce evenly over the omelette, then layer the vegetables and cheese, finishing with a dusting of mixed Italian herbs and some black pepper. Use this recipe as a ‘base’ (pardon the pun) and add whatever toppings you like, such as pepperoni, ham, olives, or mozzarella... the possibilities are endless!
28 CAREERS editor.spark@reading.ac.uk
Friday 1 March 2013 Spark*
Careers
This week’s advice from the careers department Top 5 reasons… Why you should use the Headstart Programme. The Headstart Programme is a series of events run by the Careers Centre, aimed at providing Reading undergraduates and postgraduates with valuable and varied careers advice. Below are some of the main reasons why you should use the Programme. •To help improve your CV: If you’re thinking about life after university, honing your CV is a great place to start. The Careers Centre runs plenty of CV workshops to meet your needs, whether you’re aiming it at work experience, or you’re a finalist making the next step. •To get tailored career advice on your degree: Loving your subject area, but unsure about what to do
with it? Headstart offers a range of workshops and lectures aimed at all students, from Life Sciences to Arts and Humanities. •To get to know top employers: Whether you’re interested in Teach First or dreaming of entering the business world with Pricewaterhouse Coopers, the Careers Centre works with employers to bring you workshops on a variety of topics from how to write a winning application through to wowing at interview. •To learn about volunteering opportunities: Volunteering is a great way to learn new skills and experience, meet different people, and make valuable use of your spare time. Headstart offers a number of workshops on the RED Award, Reading’s Experience and Devel-
opment programme where you are bound to find a volunteering opportunity to suit your interests. •To work towards your RED award: If you’re already working towards your RED Award, or have been thinking about it, remember that the Headstart Programme offers another incentive: attending most Headstart sessions will count as time spent on your RED Award. Not to mention all the highly valuable information you will get if you attend! If these aren’t reasons enough why not take a look at what’s coming up, and how Headstart can benefit your development. Take a look at what’s on offer at http://www.reading.ac.uk/myjobsonline
Top Job Shop Jobs Job Title: Summer Ball Bar Staff Company: RUSU Location: University of Reading Pay: £8.25ph Closing date: 22 Apr 2013
Closing date: 31-Mar 2013
Job Title: Localisation Work (Xbox games) Company: Adecco Location: Maidenhead Pay: £8.50ph Closing date: 31-Mar 213
Job Title: Sports Coaches Company: Let Me Teach Location: Berkshire Pay: NMW Closing date: 31-Mar 2013
Job Title: Undergraduate Research Opportunities Programme Company: University of Reading Location: University of Reading Pay: £1,200 bursary for 6 weeks Closing date: 22-Mar 2013 Job Title: Bar/Waiting Staff Company: Orwells restaurant Location: Shiplake Pay: NMW Closing date: 29-Mar 2013
Career Events RED Award Weekly Sign Off/Evaluation Sessions •Monday March 4th 1-2pm •Friday March 15th 1-2pm •Wednesday March 20th 2-3pm To attend a session please register on RISIS and book your date and receive further details / location. More dates in the summer term to follow ( please also check RISIS for updates) Headstart sessions Tues 5th March: 1.00-1.50 pm CV Workshop for finalists Carrington Room 101 1.00-1.50 pm International student
employability (by Career Interactive Limited) Palmer room 103 This session will include; 1) How to get a valuable work experience in the UK whilst doing your degree; 2) How to stand out in the recruitment process as an international student; 3) How to secure a job offer from the most prestigious companies in the UK – Dos and Don’ts. Weds 6th March: 1.00-1.50pm Practice psychometric tests with PWC book for location details only Thurs 7th March: 1.00-1.50pm CV workshops for
work experience Carrington Room 101 Tuesday 12th March: 1.00-1.50pm CV Workshop for final years Carrington Room 101 Please book attendance at all sessions on http://www.reading.ac.uk/ myjobsonline If you are unable to attend a session, please cancel your place so that other students can befit from your space and that our speakers aren’t inconvenienced by travelling to Reading to run the session, to find no students have bothered to turn up! Thanks
Job Title: Personal Care Assistant Company: University of Reading Location: University of Reading Pay: £8ph
Job Title: Freelance Writer Company: Takanomi Location: National Pay: NMW and above Closing date: 31-Mar 2013
Job Title: Tutor Company: Emmbrook School Location: Wokingham Pay: £8.51-£9ph Closing date: 04 Apr 2013 Job Title: School Representative Company: Wishbird Location: Berkshire Pay: £10-£24 per visit Closing date: 10 May 2013 Job Title: Mystery Shopper Company: Serve Legal Location: Berkshire Pay: NMW Closing date: 10 Apr 2013 @UniRdg_jobshop: for live job updates www.facebook.com/ UoRJobShop: for live job updates
Spark* Friday 1 March 2013
marketing@rusu.co.uk
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30 SCIENCE&TECHNOLOGY
Friday 1 March 2013 Spark*
scitech.spark@reading.ac.uk
SCIENCE&TECHNOLOGY
Editorial Just how sci-fi is Black Mirror?
Greetings sci-tech readers, This is my first issue as SciTech editor and so far it has been a success. At the moment the vacancy for the second SciTech editor position is still open. If you are interested please email me at the scitech email address and I will give you more information. If there is anything I cannot answer, since I am still a newbie here, I’ll call upon David and Vinay who have very kindly offered their support in starting this new and exciting role. It has been a very rushed week what with the last issue of Spark* being out in week 6, and now with another issue out for this week 7. The biggest challenge so far has been learning to use InDesign on a Mac which has turned out to be O.K. So this weeks installment seems to be sci-fi orientated, with a review on Black Mirror from a sci-fi perspective, and an article about sci-fi as a genre and whether it is too often tied up with the fantasy genre. The technology comes in the form of an article about social media and how its uses can be utilized. This weeks critter, picking up from Vinay in issue 4, is Waldo; don’t worry all will be revealed. Enjoy the read!
Jenna
Want to contribute to Spark* Science & Technology? We’d love to hear from you! Get in touch by emailing: scitech. spark@reading.ac.uk or on Facebook: www.facebook.com/ groups/scitech.spark/
CALUM mcintyre ROGERS
Warning: This review contains spoilers! The second season of Charlie Brooker’s series Black Mirror finished this week. The debut season that was screened last year which featured Zoophilia, human augmentation and talent shows was not, to my mind, very good. I thought it was shallow, unentertaining and pretentious. The series was marketed as ‘dark’ and ‘scathing social satire’ but really did nothing for me, I didn’t think it contributed anything new to public debate that hasn’t been explored before, and explored better without Apple products waved around with irritating prominence. I openly admit to tuning in to the second season of Black Mirror with prejudice - I have liked what Brooker has produced before, like Dead Set, however, so I thought there was hope yet.
The what makes someone human question... The first episode was about a woman who loses her boyfriend in an accident and resorts to an artificial intelligence company’s service of ‘raising the dead’ by letting you have phone conversations with a programme which’s responses are constructed from their social media posts, emails and more. She then goes a step further by having this intelligence transplanted into a vat-grown clone of her boyfriend. At this point the episode gets boring. Examining the ‘what makes someone human’ question really merits more than a forty minute television episode and Brooker has nothing new to say. What I found very irritating is that the plot very closely resembled the 2010 film Clone (starring Eva Green and Matt Smith), in which a woman gives birth to a clone of her dead boyfriend through IVF. This episode was sci-fi, certainly, but it was a mediocre effort that left me comparing its ending to that of Shaun of the Dead. The second episode was a great improvement. A woman called Victoria finds herself in a scenario reminiscent of The Day of the Tiffids; she awakens remembering nothing about herself or her life and upon walking out of the house
Waldo, an animated bear runs as an MP in the season finale of Black Mirror finds that everyone is videoing her using their smartphones (the brands of these phones are refreshingly unidentifiable), nonresponsive to her attempts at contact. She is then attacked by an armed, masked man - fleeing, she encounters two other ‘survivors’ who explain that something has caused nearly the entire population to enter this zombie fied state, apart from a lucky few - among whom are psychopathic ‘hunters’ who use the breakdown of society for their own twisted pleasure.
Sci-fi being used to explore contemporary political issues surrounding criminal justice However, in a genuinely great twist, it is revealed that this whole affair is a sham. Victoria is a convicted child killer - she and her boyfriend tortured a little girl to death in a woods, videoing it. Her punishment is to be mind-wiped at the end of each day at the ‘White Bear Justice Park’, at which visitors can spectate her being pursued, terrified, by the ‘hunters’, who
are just actors. Victoria begs to be killed upon learning about what she had done. It’s a good example of sci-fi being used to explore contemporary political issues, in this case the purpose of justice. I’m sure you’ve heard someone say words to the effect of ‘nothing is bad enough for a (terrorist/paedophile/rapist)’ in conversation before but is what happens to Victoria at White Bear really justice or just sadistic torture for public gratification?
Waldo, an animated bear unintentionally enters politics The final episode was mixed, for me. Waldo, an animated bear on a late-night comedy show voiced by dead-end comedian Jamie Slater (who I think has quite a strong physical resemblance to Brooker himself) unintentionally enters politics by haranguing a local MP on television, then in ‘real life’ on the campaign trail. His producers convince ‘Waldo’ to run as a candidate in the byelection against the Tory he railed against, to popular acclaim with his cynical ‘a plague on both your houses’ attitude towards British politics. In this episode
the debate surrounding politics in the UK is explored quite well - is Waldo’s candidacy the voice for the disillusioned public, or a childish career stunt? Jamie isn’t quite sure himself. Whether this episode is really sci-fi or not, I’m not sure. There is a pretty intriguing section where Jamie is approached by an American from ‘the agency’, who comments that this combination of politics and entertainment could have great potential for changing democratic politics across the globe. Unfortunately the episode was hampered somewhat by a romantic sub-plot which I didn’t think really went anywhere (aside from managing to feature a sex scene). To wrap this article up, I think Black Mirror has improved over its previous outing. However Brooker and his producers need to be more bold and daring in their subject matter for this series to be more than ‘sci-fi for the mainstream’. It’s no ‘Blade Runner’ but you could find worse sci-fi media than this season’s episodes.
Watch this season and the last at: http://www.channel4.com/programmes/black-mirror/4od
scitech.spark@reading.ac.uk
Friday 1 March 2013 Spark*
SCIENCE&TECHNOLOGY 31
By the Power of Twitter
declining purely to the limited functions on the website. The desperate addition of shameless, irrelevant advertisement on Facebook implores users to fall out of love with their News Feed. Furthermore, Facebook has limited connection to the rest of the world; only selected friends can engage in conversation whereas Twitter’s hashtags allow each person’s opinions to be available to a wider audience.
GARETH NICHOLAS
Twitter, the social media giant, boasts the largest growing network in the world. Figures illustrate that at least 21% of the internet population are now active on the social network. This may not seem as large as one would think, however, when put into context the full scale of this figure is revealed. Consider the fact that only 35% of the worlds population have access to the internet. This means that over half of those that use the internet are regular users of Twitter! GlobalWebIndex suggest that this number amounted to around 288million users at the end of 2012.
Real-time advert received over 16,000 retweets Now, is this surge of impersonal communication a good thing? It depends on who’s asking. Businesses have benefited greatly from a new advertising platform on which they can assume large viewing volumes, thus the landscape of digital marketing has revolutionised. The fact that the number of traditional banner advertisements on the internet has declined is no coincidence.
Creating a self brand can result in internet fame
Businesses would much rather use social media platforms to advertise due to the fact that they can alter their marketing schemes daily through each individual tweet! Thus, realtime advertising through social media has been born. Take the Superbowl for example. With the fiasco that occurred with the lights cutting out, came a cascade of witty adverts from business via Twitter. Oreo Cookies seemed to produce the best campaign, suggesting that “you can still dunk in the dark!” This realtime advert received over 16,000 retweets and over 6,000
favourites and considering that the average number of followers a ‘Tweeter’ has (126), the advert was potentially seen by over 2million people in a matter of seconds! Not only is Twitter a tool that business can use for advertisement purposes, it also offers free market research and consumer feedback. Businesses can attempt to create a ‘trend’ such as Samsung’s “#ItWouldBeCoolfPhones..” in order to stimulate thoughts and creations that are directly from the customer. This provides visual information as to where
the company should focus their next product. This hashtag actually helped Samsung to successfully create iPhone’s biggest rival, the Samsung Galaxy S3. Furthermore, trending topics can help businesses to see what is being said about their newly launched product. For example “#Windows8” allowed Microsoft to analyse why it was that their launch of the their new software fell flat. The hashtag model that is most widely associated with Twitter is the very thing that set the network apart from other social websites such as Facebook. Facebook usage is
Why is this information relevant to you, you ask? Well, Twitter is a marketing tool that is not only for large corporations, it can be used effectively by the individual. Creating a self brand can result in internet fame which can be extremely impressive to employers looking for skills such as communication, confidence and self monitoring. More simply, Twitter can advertise your best assets on a day to day basis and as previously aluded to, this is far more revealing than a wooden, paper, old-fashioned resumé. And so, I would advise all Twitter users to grasp the proverbial tail feathers of the social media as digital marketing flies into the forefront of all major economies all over the world.
Losing distinction in SF and Fantasy: Why do black holes get confused with the eye of Sauron? Jenna Grabey
Now, don’t get me wrong. I enjoy a good fantasy novel as much as the next Tolkien or Neil Gaiman fan, but it seems as if the genres of sci-fi and fantasy are being merged together. Fan websites, book shops and review sites more often than not have sci-fi and fantasy packaged up together. ‘Why is this a problem?’ you may ask. It is because the genres of fantasy and sci-fi are becoming lost within one another. Both are distinct fascinating genres which should not be disregarded. After all genre directs readers to particular elements of a text, genre is a way to read, when reading science fiction the reader knows not to be preoccupied with the relationships between characters because the focus is intended to be on the portrayal of society. It is a promise from the author to the reader.
Writers invent a reality to respond to technology and science In sci-fi a novum (‘new thing’) forms the premise of the narrative and creates a previously
unknown conception of the universe, which is explained in terms of science and logic. The ‘Overlords’ in Arthur C. Clarke’s Childhood’s End are beings from another planet whose existence is supported with extrapolation of space science. Novums such as this require a suspension of belief while still holding onto logic and science. So the role of the sci-fi writer is not to mask reality; rather the writer invents a reality to act out their response to technology and science as they see fit. Although, if the reader does not recognise the science that makes the novum plausible, they are more likely to interpret the narrative as fantasy. Elves and Orcs and other such novums, however, cannot be explained with any form of science or logic. When this is the case then the narrative is more likely to belong to fantasy. Therefore the sci-fi world is recognisable via science because this makes the novum based world conceivable. This is sometimes referred to as the cognitive aspect of sci-fi. Do you think this entails that reading scifi is brain exercise? Parallel to the sci-fi and fantasy novum is the aspect of estrangement which is often felt by sci-fi and fantasy readers.
Broken laws of physics Once again in sci-fi this is always based on science in an alternative reality, which the mainstream reader may not be aware of. In fantasy the estrangement comes from entering the new dimension/realm given by the writer where possibilities are infinite without any constraints, whereas the estrangement in sci-fi is constrained by logic. A relevant example is that sci-fi is inherently incompatible with the supernatural mode due to its scientific premise, since there is no way of applying logic to these broken laws of physics. Unlike fantasy literature scifi is a promise to respond to science, technology and society. Therefore it is a prerequisite for the author that there is a market interested in the human condition, its relationship with science and the alternative portrayals that the author has to offer. As long as this remains true the genre of sci-fi will live. Likewise as long as readers are enthralled and captivated with alternative realities that are completely removed from this world then the genre of fantasy will live.
32 GAMING gaming.spark@reading.ac.uk
Friday 1 March 2013 Spark*
GAMING Independently developed games round-up In Patnership with www.ZiiP.co.uk
Calum Mcintyre Rogers
These games are all exclusive to PC.
The shooter: ‘Receiver’ (Wolfire games) Receiver is very unique in core mechanics - most shooters have three means of input regarding the guns - aiming (a joystick or mouse), the fire button and the reload button. Receiver lets you - indeed, forces you - to do nearly every possible thing you can do with a piece manually - for example instead of ‘hitting reload’, one must manually extract a depleted magazine, replace it with a fresh one, chamber a round and manually replenish empty magazines with cartridges. You can even disassemble weapons completely. Suffice to say, it’s a lot more complicated than ‘Call of Duty’, and remembering the sequence of commands you need to load tha gat is very challenging, especially when under attack. Receiver spawns you into a randomly generated map, in which you must recover audio cassettes which unveil a plot. There are a total of 11 cassettes but I don’t anticipate picking them all up any time soon. This is due to Receiver’s punishing ‘final death’ system - death is instant, there is no saving system and the enemies are deadly. The aiming system is ‘free aim’, meaning aiming the guns is a lot tougher - there is no fixed crosshair, instead the iron sights drift around the screen with each twitch of the mouse. Receiver is not a perfect game - it’s surprisingly demanding graphically, resulting in dodgy frame rates even on the lowest performance settings on my laptop (which is capable of running Metro 2033). Additionally I had problems with the movement mechanics such as not being able to get to the top of stairs or jump over small obstacles. It’s still worth a look though and can be bought for $5 US.
The god game: ‘Prison Architect’ alpha version (Introversion Software) In this British ‘Tycoon’-like game, the player assumes the role of a prison architect and governor in charge of the construction and management of a maximumsecurity prison. The aesthetic is charming, which is arguably at odds with the content of the game the tutorial walks you through the
construction of an execution chamber prior to a convicted doublemurder’s electrocution. The game is very ‘free-roam’ in that you get a plot of land and from there it’s up to you to run the place - plumbing, electricity, paving, rubbish disposal, it’s all up to you. You can even add decor to the place, including flowers, trees, lighting and so forth. You need to keep your inmates fed and happy - or else you risk a deadly riots, bankruptcy and your lovingly constructed gaol will crumble to ash before your eyes. Prison Architect is a challenging game, and it’s continually being updated with new patches and features. - the most recent update was on February 21, with the first release in September 2012. Prison Architect will apparently feature racial gang violence, drugs, prisoner psychology and more - it’s already taken over $1 million US in pre-orders, here’s hoping the end product will fulfil this game’s potential. You can pay for the alpha with updates through a Minecraft-esque scheme for $30 US.
The adventure game: Kentucky Route Zero (Cardboard Computer) KRZ is not an easy game to describe - it has the old school feel of a ‘point and click’ adventure game but with the polished finish of a 21st century product. In KZR, you begin as conway, an antique store deliveryman looking to find an address which is apparently only reachable through the ‘Route Zero’ - a mysterious highway. Describing the game’s content will probably do a disservice to it, it’s a very holistic experience that shouldn’t be picked apart and listed in a text document. The characters you encounter - and the character you control - are not easy to understand. It has the feel of a ghost story with sparse dialogue and the nature of the characters difficult to get a handle on. The atmos is rich and mysterious - this title should be commended for its excellent ambient and incidental music, featuring country-style folk and electronic. I haven’t much more else to say, except that I recommend checking this out, probably more than I do the other two games in this article.
KRZ is a game in five acts, with only the first yet available - you can get a ‘season pass’ on Steam for £19, or the same deal for $25 US directly from the kentuckyroutezero.com website.
From the top: screenshots from Receiver, Prison Architect (alpha) and Kentucky Roue Zero Act 1
Spark* Friday 1 March 2013
travel.spark@reading.ac.uk
TRAVEL 33
trAvel Italy: A trip to the Venetian Carnival... The climate in Venice in February resembles that of the Arctic We stayed in a charming hotel, the luxurious Luna Hotel Baglioni. It is a stone throw away from Piazza San Marco and the plethora of designer stores and boutiques Venice has to offer making it the perfect location. However there are hostels if you are on a tighter budget.
Brooke MCCord
Brooke’s tips for surviving the Venetian Carnival Tip 1: Embrace the weird and wonderful by donning a mask to fit in with the locals. Aside from the main event, Venice has a wealth of other treasures on offer. Admire the bizarre mechanics of the city, along with the awe-inspiring architecture. Drink coffee whilst people watching in the bustling Piazza San Marco and visit the back street art galleries filled with contemporary paintings and sculptures. Tip 2: Acquire a map. This is essential in order to navigate around the maze of streets, unless you would rather loose yourself in amongst the crowds. Tip 3: A visit to St Mark’s Basilica is a must, as taking a photograph on the Rialto Bridge (Tourists eat
your heart out). Follow this by a relaxing meander down the waterways (the good thing about visiting in February is that the canals don’t smell half as bad as the summer). Tip 4: If you fancy branching a little further afield take a boat trip to Murano Island. Here you can witness the Venetian merchants producing Murano crystal and glass first hand (be sure to wrap up warm in winter for this one).
Never trust a gondolier with your beloved camera Tip 5: Never trust a gondolier with your camera! Unfortunately we had a fiasco with our camera which involved a gondola, a big splash, and dad almost falling into the Grand Canal (need I say more..) so whilst my original photographs are lost to the Venetian waterways, Spark* Travel came to the rescue with their travelling photos!!
Let’s talk Venice! waterways. Venice is a city once visited and never forgotten. In February 2008 I embarked on a city break to Venice with my family, where we stayed four nights in the height of the worlds most renowned masked extravaganza the Venice Carnival; and ever since then I have been more than desperate to return. The Venetians have been celebrating the Carnevale Venezia since as early as the 15th century, proving that the carnival is not just any festivity, it is a Venetian extravaganza. It began as a rather secret BROOKE MCCORD
The city of artisan showrooms, bohemian-chic fashion, serpentine architecture, murano glass jewellery, masquerade balls, renaissance masterpieces and historic
affair soon grew ten-fold,
Promiscuous parties in private clubs and lavish organised balls
with the carnival spanning over two whole months, for a duration of the 18th century! Now that is the definition of a party. The Festa delle Marie commenced with a parade through the city on the first Friday of the fiasco. The entire period sees the cobbled streets and thriving waterways of Venice filled with ornately gowned Venetians, masked by the most elaborately decorated facades, adorned in the most regal of embellishments. The flamboyant baroque costumes light up the streets with blossoms of colour, and those with the best attire enter a parade in Piazza San Marco during the latter end of the celebration. The Grand Canal hosts a procession for best decorated gondolas and of course, passengers.
Spark* Travel Editor’s hidden gems 3. Florence:
Emma Reeves
Here are my top five gems of Italy...
1. Tuscany:
Explore the traditional Italian countryside, it is well renowned for its wine and food! Hiring a car is the best way to get to the vineyards, isolated villages and historic sites- such as San Gimignano for the many towers unchanged since the middle ages; Monteriggioni to spot the odd film star; and Bagno Vignoni to visit traditional Roman baths. Sienna is a major spot and easily accessible. Be prepared for the long walk through the old town city walls! The Palio bareback horse racing which dates back for centuries takes place here from the 2nd July to the 16th August. It is the perfect atmosphere to bond with the locals. You can visit Pisa for, you guessed it- the leaning tower! You only need one or two days here.
2. Lake Garda:
I stayed in Desenzano, the main port to access the various spots around the lakes: cycle, hike, camp or take a reasonably priced boat ticket to various villages for the unique shops; full of soaps, leather and other gifts. Colourful houses filled with flowers and shutters for siestas mark the waterways. Cafes looking out over the lake are perfect for people watching with a coffee and Italian Bruschetta. Take a train to Verona to see the Famous ‘Romeo and Juliet’ balcony, wander the and visit the well preserved colluseum for some Italian opera.
Culture yourself up in this romantic city. The Piazza della Signoria, viewpoint Piazzale Michelangelo and the Galleria dell’Accademia which houses Michelangelo’s sculpture of David are worth a visit, along with climbing the famous ‘Domeo’. The Ponte Veckeo is the only bridge to not be bombed in the Second World War, with the historical walkway of the Medici family who did not want to walk with ‘peasants’. Explore sights, squares, churches, restaurants and shops that are off the beaten track, and tourist prices.
4. Sorrento:
Visit Amalfi drive where villages and monastries adorn the coastal hills. It is often described as one of the most beautiful routes in Europe. The island of Capri is where you can take a cable car (with a lack of health and safety!) onto the mountain. Be careful to pick a clear day otherwise you will be engulfed in clouds! Sorrento is also the perfect base to visit the famous Pompeii and climb Mount Vesuvius.
5. Lido Di Jesolo:
For the typical Italian beach resort, think miles of well kept beach, brightly coloured umbrellas, water sports and ice cream parlours! It is lovely to relax here but you can also try out plenty of bars and activities. It has good transport links to both Venice (which is a must if visiting Italy as Brooke confirms!) and the smallest independent country of San Marino.
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34 FUN&GAMES
Friday 1 March 2013 Spark*
fun.spark@reading.ac.uk
fun&games Crossword Four Sudoku
Matthew Sapsed
This week’s Sudoku
Last week’s answer...
Answers coming in our next issue!
Cryptogram
Solve the phrase from a famous movie.
Across 1. Hidden discharge lost excellence (6) 4. Pub crawl activity followed by clue set-up which assumes… (8) 8. …drunken organ, perhaps after bump but before the 25th, could recognise… (8) 9. …what motor needs with stroke and incomplete position! (6) 10. “Setter, perhaps prophet misread that it is colder” (5) 11. Impact hit (9) 12. Cockney Russian, say, receives replacement of Peter with Nor man (7) 16. Half a house? (4) 17. Laws about people, for example, require headless star and a pear, say (4) 20. Run note mangled in scientific component (7) 23. Representative blew top with Gran’s line and was dishonourable (9) 25. Theme sounds like job of contestant in dating game show? (5) 26. Staircase tears backwards with man (6) 27. Party journalist did university work, perhaps (8) 28. Incomplete group turned over – was full and highly respected (8) 29. Underneath and within London, a cry of rage (6)
Comics Meanwhile, A Ghost paroma guha
Down 1.
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Scan for our facebook page
Amateur winter sport action with musical deed taking Leveson in dirigible for starters (7) 2. Trustworthy slang reputation organ maybe nearly wasted (8) 3. Tear net in anger? Put on a show! (9) 4. Private investigator’s instrument, say, calls to snoop and putt (7) 5. Student remakes “Lip Up” (5) 6. Bloomer stopped, reversed growth, took action with state of unwashed laundry? (6) 7. Sound of Paul and Art; unlikely in reading? (7) 13. 60% rough, 100% posh plonk grade (3) 14. Neither man reversed… (3) 15. …so Ken ruts badly with summer illness (9) 18. Graduate’s likely position – spoken in the future, perhaps (8) 19. Skill needs punishment taken on ship with everyone at first (7) 21. Guy nearly goes into water doing back crawl with bird (7) 22. Initially, a good example is such that describes enemies of the elderly? (6) 24. Burrower Graham blended into huge beast (5)
editor.spark@reading.ac.uk SOCIETY
Spark* Friday 1 March 2013
SPOTLIGHT 35
Society Spotlight Reading University Cheerleaders Reading university cheerleaders are a group of fun loving, sporty and sociable girls and boys. They train twice a week in the evenings in 360 and London road campus, these are obligatory where the basics of cheerleading are taught. Extra stretching and tumbling practices are held by our tumbling coach Kara Earl at external gyms to push the athletes ability. RUC enter three competitions a year across the country at cheerleading level 3. The choreographers Lucy Strudwick and Hannah Heales choreograph a routine comprised of four main components: stunts, jumps, dance and tumbling. All of these sections are well timed to music and religiously rehearsed. At last weeks British Cheerleading Association Westerns competition our routine earnt a second place score against 7 squads. We wish the competition squad luck for their na-
tionals competition next month in Telford. RUC also enter a pom dance squad at the same competitions giving
even more members a chance to compete on these exciting weekends. Dance have an additional weekly practice coached by Emily Martin and have seen regular successes. These dancers are all of extraordinary ability and are a pleasure to watch their energy and ‘cheer faces’ An equally important aspect of cheer life is regular attendance at Reading Knights American football team both home and away games where they increase spirit throughout. Furthermore they perform a rehearsed half time routine choreographed by Sophie Piller. In addition they have presence at local and university based charity events
such as race for life, RAG Macmillan swima-thon and international women’s day. They aim to be pillars in the community and train hard to dispel any stereotypes of cheerleading. Reading university cheerleaders are a group of fun loving, sporty and sociable girls and boys. As well as training hard, the cheerleaders also play hard with regular socials organised by Georgia Coleman at least every three weeks. They hosted a large Freshers week ‘FRAT’ party with the American Footballers to fundraise and get to know their Freshers, as well as three legged sister-sister bar crawl and socials
wearing cheer skirts and bows to name a few. One member quoted that “cheerleading has been the best sport I could have chosen to start at university with my previous gymnastic abilities. I have made friends who are more like sisters and am physically fitter than ever due to both cardio and weight lifting components of the sport. Guys, I love you all” We would like to thank all other committee members particularly our president Alex Mann and vice Erika-Lee Shaw who have worked so hard this year further enhancing RUC in many aspects. CheerLove
36 FEATURE editor.spark@reading.ac.uk
Friday 1 March 2013 Spark*
FEATURE
CASE launch first ever Engagement and Philanthropy Day A university would mean very little without its students. This year, an international initiative is raising awareness of just how important student involvement is to helping universities prosper. CASE – the Council for Advancement and Support of Education – launched their first ever Student Engagement and Philanthropy (SEP) Day on Thursday 28th February, on which various universities – including Reading - organised events and activities to demonstrate how students are helping their higher education institutions to thrive around the world. The University of Reading is fortunate to have many talented students who are giving their time to advance our organisation in different ways; from volunteering in local schools to fundraising for projects which will make Reading an even better place to live and study. To mark SEP day, we took the opportunity to interview some of these students, and broadcast their experiences here, in Spark*, and on Junction 11 and RU:ON.
The University of Reading is fortunate to have many talented students who are giving their time to advance our organisation in different ways One of our students who is playing a crucial role in the development of the University is Shiny Tighe, a first year Politics and International Relations student. Shiny is one of 100 students who have been working with the Campaigns and Supporter Engagement team to deliver the latest Annual Fund telephone campaign. Throughout the autumn and spring, the team (pictured) has been telephoning Reading graduates to share the latest University news and to invite them to make a donation to the Annual Fund. Speaking of her time working on the campaign, Shiny said: ‘’I really enjoyed speaking to alumni of the University and finding out how much Reading has changed through the years. It was brilliant to hear about the various successful careers our graduates have gone on to do – I got some great careers advice and even some work experience.’’
As a result of our generous graduates and hardworking students like Shiny, over £400,000 has been raised for the Annual Fund. These donations will provide invaluable bursaries and hardship grants to students who would otherwise not be able to continue their studies at University, as well as funding a range of innovative and extra-curricular projects across campus.
The team (pictured) has been telephoning Reading graduates to share the latest University news and to invite them to make a donation to the Annual Fund. University of Reading students also make a great difference to
enhancing the University’s reputation in the local community. Yeqing Cheng (‘Frank’), who is in his final year studying Food Science, is taking part in the University’s Student Tutoring scheme, in which he – along with hundreds of other students signed up to the scheme - is volunteering as a student tutor in a local school. Frank has been teaching Mandarin to the pupils he is working with – an experience he has found immensely rewarding:
“This programme has not only benefitted me, but the local community too” ‘’This programme has not only benefitted me, but the local community too. I’ve been able to bring my own cultural perspective into the local schools and do my part in bridging the cultural gap between
the east and the west.’’ Meanwhile, Rebecca Carter, a first-year Zoology student, is volunteering in the Cole Museum of Zoology, situated on the Whiteknights campus. She volunteers behind the scenes cleaning and cataloguing the specimens as well as giving tours.
These donations will provide invaluable bursaries and hardship grants to students who would otherwise not be able to continue their studies at University Rebecca said: ‘’Before my year started there were no tours in the Cole Museum. I feel proud to be providing the local community with some background insight into what hap-
pens in this part of the University. It’s particularly satisfying when people come up to me afterwards to thank me for an enjoyable tour. It’s always great to know I haven’t bored them with dull facts!’’ There are hundreds of students at Reading who are making an impact on the University, and thousands more who are helping their respective institutions around the world. The first Student Engagement and Philanthropy Day gave us a chance to celebrate this fact, and we look forward to many more to come. To find out more about anything discussed above, please contact the Campaigns and Supporter Engagement Office: alumni@reading. ac.uk Discover more about the CASE Student Engagement and Philanthropy Day on Facebook >> www. facebook.com/caseasap
Spark* Friday 1 February 2013
editor.spark@reading.ac.uk
Letters
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A note from the Communication and Supporter Engagement Officer Laura Garman Communications and Supporter Engagement Officer We asked our graduates… What is your best memory of living and studying at the University of Reading? In January, we were delighted to hear that applications to the University of Reading were up almost 5% on last year, compared to the sector increase of 3.5%. The University of Reading clearly remains a desirable place to live and study for thousands of prospective students around the world. We took this opportunity to ask our graduates what they loved most about living and studying here. Here’s what they had to say… Coralie Bickford-Smith (BA Typography 1998) | Illustrator of the Penguin Classics clothbound books ‘’I loved the campus, especially cycling past the lake on my way to lectures. Couple that with the close proximity to London it was brilliant as it meant easy access to all the museums and art galleries that the capital can offer. But the most important element was that the staff in the Typography & Graphic Communication department were amazingly supportive and available when you needed guidance. If the University of Reading had not given me the opportunity it did then I would not be doing the job I am now. ‘’ Peter Romary (LLB 1992) | Award-winning Lawyer and Partner at QVerity ‘’I graduated over 20 years ago and retain strong links to the University. Reading was, is and will continue to be a great university. I met people from around the globe
and enjoyed experiences you cannot get elsewhere. I am now in the USA - I look back on those days with great happiness. Closeness to London, without having to pay London prices was another huge plus. I would also add, amazing staff who are world renowned experts in their fields...I could go on and on.’’ Caroline Sloan (BA Archaeology 2005) | Author and current Masters student, Archaeology ‘’After serving in the Royal Navy for four years, I decided to go back to University and study a subject that was interesting, stimulating and fascinating - Archaeology. The professors in the Department of Archaeology are so passionate about their subject that it makes learning a pleasure. They are constantly pushing you, inspiring you and astounding you! I met some incredible people and made lasting friendships; not to mention receiving a top rate education. But the best bit was being inspired enough to write a book because of what I learned studying archaeology.’’ Nikki Baimova (MA Organisation Planning and Management in Education 1999) | Director of Programmes in the British Council Azerbaijan ‘’The combination of studying at the University of Reading and living in student accommodation gave me plenty opportunities to meet people from all over the world and be exposed to the enormous variety that life offered.’’ Laura Gilchrist (BSc Meteorology 2002) | Specialist forecaster for the Met Office, BBC Weather Centre ‘’I loved the University’s Whiteknights campus, the green space
was a definite attraction. Many of the halls of residence sat on or around the edge of Whiteknights, making it easy to get around on foot or by bike. The town sits on the River Thames too, and has quick links to London for sampling night life a bit further afield. For me it was also close enough to home, but far enough away to justify living in halls! I had wanted to be a weather forecaster since age 13, and back then had already set my sights on the University of Reading; the Department of Meteorology was the most highlyrated of its kind in the country.’’ John Reynolds (BSc Geological Geophysics with subsidiary mathematic,1977) | Managing Director, Reynolds International Ltd ‘’Quite simply, the lifelong friends and numerous acquaintances I found there... and they weren’t all British. At Whiteknights Hall I met a Czech, Botswanan, Libyan, and Zimbabwean for the first time. The two groups I joined (Countryside Conservers and Nightline) were also well worth my time. I’d recommend that all new students join a group and volunteer for something!’’ Join in the conversations! What is your favourite bit about living and studying at the University of Reading? Share your thoughts on Facebook (search ‘University of Reading Alumni’), Twitter (@UniRdg_Alumni) or via email: alumni@reading.ac.uk This feature is an extract from the latest edition of Connected Online – the email newsletter which is circulated to University of Reading graduates. If you’d like to read the latest edition of Connected Online, visit: www.reading.ac.uk/ alu-ConnectedOnline.aspx
LETTERS 37
P.O. Box 230, Whiteknights, Reading, RG6 6AZ Vol 61. Issue 3
Editorial Staff
Editor:
Sophie Harrison editor.spark@reading.ac.uk
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Calum Rogers and Ellis Wiggins deped.spark@reading.ac.uk
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Correy Faccini news.spark@reading.ac.uk
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Comment Editors:
Harriet Weston & Patrick Gaughran
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Political Comment
Adam Roberts
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Spark* is written, designed & typeset by students at the University of Reading. Printed by Newbury News Limited, Newspaper House, Faraday Road, Newbury, Berkshire. RG14 2DW. Published and funded by Reading University Students’ Union vp.studentactivites@rusu.co.uk. Spark* is completely editorially independent. Complaints should be made to the Editor, in the first instance, and thereafter to RUSU. All complaints should be made in writing. All articles, letters etc. must include a name, address, and contact number/e-mail address. These may be withheld from publication at specific request. Spark* or RUSU can take no responsibility for products or services advertised herein. Spark* reserves the right to reject or edit any submissions. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the Editor. The views expressed in Spark* do not necessarily reflect those of the Editor,
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SPORT 39
Swansea crowned Capital One Cup champions tom newbold
Swansea City won their first League Cup with an emphatic 5-0 victory over lower league Bradford City. A dominant display from the Swans was too much for an opposition plying their trade three leagues below them.
Bradford goalkeeper Matt Duke was then sent off as Swansea piled on the misery. After a juvenile argument between Dyer and eventual penalty taker Jonathan de Guzman, the latter made it 4-0 with a cool strike. De Guzman’s injury time goal then put the icing on the cake for Michael Laudrup and his ever-improving team.
Swansea exerted their superiority at Wembley Nathan Dyer and Michu scored two first half goals as Swansea exerted their superiority at Wembley. Any hopes of a second half comeback were then quickly dashed when Dyer added his personal second and Swansea’s third almost immediately after the break.
rassment for Bradford. Having knocked out three Premier League opposition en route to the final, this was to be was a memorable occasion for the Bantams’ and their enthusiastic fans. For Swansea this was a landmark trophy that marked nearly a decade of constant improvement. From England’s fourth tier, Swansea have undergone a meteoric rise since 2005 which will now see them compete in Europe next season.
For Swansea this was a landmark trophy Bradford were no match for Swansea Despite the 5-0 scoreline, this was anything but an embar-
Michael Laudrup and his side have been rightly lauded for their style of play and footballing approach. Swansea as a football
GB impress at Cycling Champs Tom Newbold
British cyclists once again reigned supreme as they topped the medal table at the World Track CyclingChampionships in Minsk last week. Five golds, two silvers and two bronzes from nineteen events was a credible post-Olympic haul from Britain’s bike riders.
This championships was to build for the future and to blood the new generation London 2012 starlet Laura Trott continued her meteoric rise with a team pursuit gold alongside Dani King and Elinor Barker, and an individual silver in the omnium. Meanwhile another rising star, Becky James, picked up a superb two gold medals and four medals overall, the biggest haul ever by a British athlete. Jason Kenny and
Simon Yates were the other golden riders for Great Britain in a successful five days. There was little expectation at these championships. The competition itself was inevitably mellow coming so soon after an electric Olympic games. Then there was the absence of Great Britain’s two headline names of a golden cycling era; Sir Chris Hoy and Victoria Pendleton.
and the Sprint, two events previously mastered by the now retired Victoria Pendleton. Two other team bronzes capped a great championships for the youngster. Jason Kenny took over Sir Chris Hoy’s mantle with victory in the keirin, and Elinor Barker managed a superb team pursuit gold despite currently studying for her A Levels.
club possess a desirable ownership model and attrative style of play. For the football purist, this Swansea triumph was a triump for British football. Billed as ‘the people’s’ final, Swansea showed just how far they have come in recent years to overpower Bradford. Bradford can celebrate a fantastic, fairytale cup run, and now look to a late season surge which could see them snatch a promotion spot in League 2. Lying in mid-table, their League Cup adventures may yet inspire them to a good last few months of the season. Swansea can now mark years of progress with a tangible achievment. The League Cup has given identity to Swansea’s rise, and may just be the latest highlight on a long road of improvement.
This was a championships to build for the future and to blood the new generation. But on the evidence of last week, what a new generation that is. Becky James, still only twentyone, stormed to gold in the Keirin
SWANSEA’S ROAD TO WEMBLEY Round 2 beat Barnsley 3-1 Round 3 beat Crawley 3-2 Round 4 beat Liverpool 3-1 Quarter Final beat Middlesbrough 1-0 Semi Final beat Chelsea 2-0 (agg.) Final beat Bradford City 5-0
University news VARSITY
Reading Knights sports teams take on neighbours Oxford Brookes in what is the arguably the biggest sports event in the Reading calendar. The Centre for Sport in Oxford is the setting for the 25 events that will decide who will be called best. Check the ‘Reading University Sport’ page on Facebook for all the results.
The golden era of British cycling is likely to continue for a long, long time Laura Trott won omnium silver
Dyer celebrates scoring at Wembley
SOCCERPARK CUP
The Student SoccerPark Cup will run on Saturday 16th March to crown the university’s best 5 a side team. Benefits include a free pitch to train on before the tournament as well as free entry for the winners at Saturday Union. Check the SportsPark website for all the details.
INTRAMURAL FOOTBALL
Teams are currently battling it out to reach the Campus Sports 11 a side quarter finals to be held on 9th and 10th March. Con Soc and GeogSoc currently top the two leagues with the top four from each league to progress to the knockout stages. Meanwhile in the Campus Sports 5 a side tournament, ‘outlaws’ currently top the league with an impressive 13 wins out of 17. ‘Substandard Liege’ and ‘MSc A Real Estate of Mind’ are languishing at the bottom of the table, yet to win a game in the 5 a side league.
The 2016 Olympics in Rio is still a long three years away, but Great Britain have started that three year journey by showing great potential on the cycling track. On the evidence of these successful World Championships, the golden era of British cycling is likely to continue for a long, long time.
Spark* Sport round up: all the sport news in brief TOM NEWBOLD
FOOTBALL Fa Cup 5th round decided Chelsea and Everton have confirmed their place in the FA Cup quarter-finals with victories in their fifth round replays. Chelsea will face Manchester United and Everton will face Wigan. Following Chelsea’s victory at Middlesbrough Interim Manager Rafael Benitez launched himself into an extraordinary tirade against the club’s fans as well as the reality of his own title as Interim Manager.
Benitez angrily stated, ‘Chelsea gave me the title of Interim Manager, which is a massive mistake. I’m the manager.’ as well as arguing that Chelsea fans were ‘wasting time’ and that they ‘have an agenda’.
Benitez’s short tenure at Chelsea has been fraught with difficulty Benitez’s short tenure at Chelsea has been fraught with difficulty and marred by protests from the fans since his November appoint-
ment, relations have become increasingly strained in recent weeks following a downturn in the team’s form. It remains to be seen whether Benitez will survive this outburst with owner Roman Abramovich being notoriously trigger happy and unlikely to respond well to perceived criticism of the club’s board.
CRICKET England warm up for test series England have warmed up for their test series in New Zealand with a tour match against a New Zealand
XI in Queenstown. Ian Bell’s 158 in the first innings was no doubt one of the main positives to come from the match, and bodes well for the upcoming series.
COMMONWEALTH GAMES Coe backs Glasgow 2014 Lord Coe has suggest Glasgow have the potential to host the ‘best ever’ Commonwealth Games in 2014, whilst also talking up the opportunity for the Games to help continue the legacy from London 2012 to ‘inspire a generation’. Glasgow 2014 are currently looking for volunteers to work at the games.
SNOOKER O’Sullivan announces return Ronnie O’Sullivan has announced a return from snooker after a sabbatical taken due to personal reasons. He will defend his world title beginning on Saturday 20th April. Having dropped to 24 in the world rankings, he will face stern competition from the likes of high-flying Mark Selby and Judd Trump. O’Sullivan’s snooker hiatus was the latest drama in an eventful career that looks set to carry on for a little while more yet.
40 SPORT
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SPORT Inside...
Swansea League Cup Triumph 2013 World Track Cycling Championships University News Sport Round-Up
BUCS Gatorade Nationals 2013 bucs press release
Nearly 6,000 student athletes from 134 UK universities and colleges were in action over the weekend 22nd-24th February as the inaugural BUCS Gatorade Nationals took place in Sheffield. The BUCS Gatorade Nationals is the pinnacle of the university sporting season for Athletics, Badminton, Boxing, Climbing, Fencing, Judo, Karate, Orienteering, Rifle, Swimming, Tenpin Bowling and Trampolining.
The BUCS Gatorade Nationals is the pinnacle of the sporting season The Nationals is a unique competition which gives student athletes the opportunity to earn points for their university which feed into the overarching university points table to show which university really is the best performing sporting university in the UK.
With those points and the title of National Champion at stake the athletes delivered some remarkable performances in the face of fierce competition. Highlights of the BUCS Gatorade Nationals included: · 145 National titles were decided across 12 sports · 180 athletes won gold in individual and/or team championships · Of the 134 Universities taking part 77 took home a medal · Loughborough University finished top of the medal table with 24 gold’s and 62 medals in total delivering some outstanding performances particularly in the pool and on the track · Sheffield Hallam placed second with seven gold’s (from 14 medals) ahead of the University of Bath in third (6 gold medals, 27 in total) · There were many senior internationals representing their Universities, and in swimming there were guest appearances from 2012 Olympians Kerri-Anne Payne, Hannah Miley and Olympic Champion Ruta Meilutyte. · Treymayne Gilling (Middlesex) was the fastest person at the BUCS
The men’s 60m was won in an impressive 6.76 seconds Gatorade Nationals winning gold in the men’s 60m (athletics) in 6.76 seconds. Middlesex can also claim the Nationals fastest woman, Ashleigh Nelson finishing the women’s 60m final in 7.39 seconds. Full results of the BUCS Gatorade Nationals and specific sport reviews will be available on the BUCS website. Karen Rothery, CEO of BUCS, said: “The BUCS Gatorade Nationals delivered a fantastic experience for 6000 students. There were some remarkable performances from world class athletes supported by an inspiring volunteer network.”
“We are proud to work with the city of Sheffield, Sheffield International Venues and our headline sponsor Gatorade to deliver the largest annual multi-sport event in the UK”. Hayley Stringfellow, Gatorade UK Commercial Director, said: “Congratulations to all the athletes and Universities who took part over the weekend.” “We’re sure that the inaugural BUCS Gatorade Nationals will prove to have been the first of many fantastic joint events and we look forward to building on our close links to student athletes and coaches over the coming years.”
England edge closer to Six Nations triumph Wales, England and Scotland win in round 3 of action cameron humphries
The Six Nations has been awash with drama in its three weekends of action this far, and with places on the line for this year’s Lions tour the intensity looks set to continue to rise as England and Wales have emerged as the two contenders to win this year’s championship. England produced another gutsy performance to vanquish the French in a 23-13 victory at Twickenham. Captain Chris Robshaw produced his second successive man of the match performance as England continued on course for a first Grand Slam in 10 years. England have won three from three and the positive points difference of 36 makes for happy reading for Stuart Lancaster’s men.
England have won three from three The party line from England has been that the focus will not switch from the next game, a home encounter against Italy next Sunday, yet it is hard to believe England’s players will not have joined their
England overpowered France
supporters in dreaming of the Slam. England have thus far cruised past Scotland in style, toughed their way past Ireland in Dublin and outlasted a classy but frail French side. Following the stunning home triumph over New Zealand in November, England’s future looks overwhelmingly positive with a home World Cup in 2015 on the horizon. However, Stuart Lancaster and his coaching team will be aware of the many sides with grand designs at world domination who have fallen in the past and it is their job to successfully manager expectations over the next two years with it crucial for England to peak at the right time. Despite achieving their third Grand Slam in eight tournaments last time round Wales entered this year’s Six Nations to little fan fare and low expectations.
A gutsy second half performance in a 30-22 defeat to Ireland suggested the bookies, fans and press had judged Wales just about right. However following successive wins in France and Italy the Welsh now have an opportunity to face England at the Millennium Stadium on March 16th for the title. A win against Scotland will not be easy and the points difference may be a problem but it would be foolish to rule out the possibility of one of the great Rugby days in Cardiff. While England were expected to be serious challengers for this year’s competition both Ireland and France will be disappointed in their campaigns. The French have endured their worst start to a season in 31 years and coach Philippe Saint-Andre has been heavily criticised for his decision making throughout the tournament, notably his continued faith in the unpredictable Frederic Michelak. Ireland looked strong as they opened with a 30-22 win over the Welsh but subsequent defeats to England and Scotland have left the Irish camp in disarray. With Brian O’Driscoll playing in his last Six Nations and the chance of glory gone, it is now left for the Irish to attempt to salvage any pride in
their matches against France and Italy. Scotland’s wins against Ireland and Italy marked the first time the country had won successive Six Nations matches in a decade. If the Scots could find a way to see of Wales and France a first Six Nations title could beckon dependent on results elsewhere, the Scots having last won the competition in its Five nations form in 1999. That prospect remains highly unlikely.
Italy are a far cry from the team of a few years ago, indeed they are now a competitive threat in every game as their dramatic 23-18 victory over France showed. However defeats to Scotland and Wales have dimmed the enthusiasm surrounding the early campaign. With a visit to Twickenham to come no one expects an Italian victory, yet it would not be beyond reproach to suggest the Italians could yet play a part in the destination of this year’s trophy.
Ireland suffered a surprising defeat to Scotland at Murrayfield