Issue 1 – November 2010

Transcription

THE FRESHERS’ EDITION
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
I ONLY
DATE
MODELS
FEATURES Welcome guide to Freshers
HEALTH Don’t let a good night out get wasted
ARTS Marcia Farquhar
FILM Top films of the summer
GAMING & TECH 10 essential apps for students
UNION NEWS Upcoming Initi8 projects
EX-TRENT ARMY
MARCHING TO STARDOM
et
online.n
er 2010
Novemb
| Volum
rm| platfo
1
e
u
s
s
e 19 I
FREE
Editor’s Letter
www.platform-online.net
E D ITO R- IN - C H IE F
MARY ANN PICKFORD
[email protected]
D E P U T Y E D ITO R
OLIVER WHITFIELD-MIOČIĆ
[email protected]
N E W S/ F E AT U RE S E D ITO R
KENNICE MORRISON
[email protected]
M U SIC E D ITO R
ZOË TURTON
[email protected]
F ILM E D ITO R
JAMES GORDON
[email protected]
P H OTO GR A P H Y E D ITO R
STEFAN EBELEWICZ
[email protected]
A RTS E D ITO R
MICHAEL WORRALL
[email protected]
FA SH IO N E D ITO R
CHLOË CULHANE
[email protected]
T R AV E L E D ITO R
LIZ RIORDAN
[email protected]
GAM IN G & T E C H N O LO GY E D ITO R
AARON LEE
[email protected]
H E A LT H E D ITO R
LAUREN ROITMAN
[email protected]
Helloooo Trent Army!!
I’m so ridiculously happy to see that Platform has finally made it back into print - well, at
least for this first issue only. As you probably already know the past few issues of Platform
were only made available online over at platform-online.net. For those of you who
didn’t know, let’s backtrack a little to see what happened to it earlier this year...
In a nutshell, the SU was going through some financial difficulties in January. They then
decided to cut Platform’s printing budget to help stop them getting into deeper doodoo. This meant that the mag, which had been printing for 20 years, was no more. It
was forced to go online as an electronic version instead of a physical version - which
is what it rightly should be.
But fast forward to today and we now have a student mag in glorious print
that’s even more dedicated to you, Trent students, and your lifestyle here in
Notts.
We’ve got a special welcome to all you Freshers Week survivors out there
(page 10) and an article on how to get acquainted with your campus doctors in case you get the dreaded Freshers Flu (page 42). That’s right, it’s so
notorious it even deserves capital letters. We’ve also compiled a list of 10
apps which you may find useful during your time here as students (page
54) and if you’re into your cycling there’s now a new scheme here at Trent
that lets you rent a bike all year for your travelling needs (page 42). Voila.
No more costly trams or buses!
Not only that but a band quickly rising up the ranks in the underground
scene share their own account of what being part of Trent Army was
like back when they were freshers. Make sure to read the I Only
Date Models interview (page 16) to see how they rolled.
We don’t ask for much here at Platform, but this magazine
can only continue to print with your help and support.
Please pick up a copy for your flatmate, your best friend,
the person you’re seeing or going out with, and even
your mum just so she knows what you get up to round
here (ha).
I promise you, you won’t be disappointed. If you are,
take it up with me. G’onnn I dare ya!
Big love,
SP O RTS E D ITO R
WILLIAM TAYLOR
[email protected]
D E SIGN E RS
SIMONA CIOCOIU
ANDY LAWRENCE
LEE SKINNER
LAURA WILLIAMS
[email protected]
Mary Ann Pickford
Editor-in-Chief
Platform Magazine
Nottingham Trent Students Union,
Byron House, Shakespeare Street
Nottingham NG1 4GH
0115 848 6200
0115 848 6201
EMAIL [email protected]
TEL
FAX
EDITORIAL ENQUIRIES
Email the relevant address above left
PRESS/PR ENQUIRIES
Email [email protected]
ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES
Contact BAM Student Marketing on 0845 1300 667 or
www.trentstudents.org/student_marketing
Cover photo: Gareth Ford
Platform is an independent publication, and any views expressed herein are not necessarily those of the
Editor or of Nottingham Trent Students Union and its Elected Directors and Officers.
Companies advertised in Platform are not necessarily endorsed by Nottingham Trent Students Union.
No part of this publication may be reproduced without the prior permission of the Editor.
Contents
6-7 Union News
26-30 Travel
+Initi8’s upcoming projects
+A welcome from your library
+2 minutes with the Exec...
+India
+Thailand
+Tuvalu
+Festivals
+Whirlwind tour of the British Isles
8-9 MeettheTeam
10-15 Features
+Welcome Freshers
+Making friends at Uni
+Column Diary of a Fresher
+Initi8: get involved!
+Column Up the A1
16-19 Music
32-37 Photos
+Freshers Ball @ NTSU
38-42 Health
+Don’t let a good night out get
wasted
+1,2,3... STD
+Get a fresh start
+Don’t keep the doctor away
+Nottingham Trent, get ready
to ride
Cover Story
+Interview I Only Date Models
+Gig recommendations
+Review Muse @ Wembley
+Interview Frank Turner
21-25 Fashion
+What’s hot / What’s not
+Trends Back to school
+Steal her style
+Trent street style
43 Trent Voices
+What Trent thinks about the
higher education funding cuts
44-47 Arts
+Review Marcia Farquhar @
Nottingham Contemporary
+Alternative nights out in term one
+It’s almost panto time
+Review Milton Jones @
Just the Tonic
p18
p50
+Review Joseph @ Theatre Royal
+Review Gert & Uwe Tobias @
Nottingham Contemporary
48-53 Film
+Top summer films
+Top trilogies
+Review Made in Dagenham
+Review Wall Street: Money Never
Sleeps
54-56 Gaming
+10 essential apps for students
+Review Wii Party
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| Nottingham Trent Students Union Magazine
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Union News
2
MINUTES
WITH THE
EXEC...
Phil Docherty, NTSU President
www.trentstudents.org
Interview by
Mary Ann Pickford
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6
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To b
elcome! We hope that you are going to
enjoy your time at NTU!
While you are here, you’ll need lots of books,
journals and electronic resources; knowledgeable
library staff to help you find the best resources for
your studies; quiet or silent places to study; places
to work in groups and excellent IT facilities. You’ll
find them all in your library. To find out more go
to www.ntu.ac.uk/llr/using_llr/tours
to take a web tour or watch our video.
The library staff are a friendly bunch ready to help
you whenever you need it – all you have to do is
ASK.
We look forward to meeting you.
Good luck with your studies.
M: Hey Phil, how’s it
going as president?
P: Yeah it’s not too bad.
It’s quite a different job
from last year [as VP
Student Democracy]
but I’ve been enjoying
it and yeah it’s going pretty well.
M: Have you completed anything that you’ve
promised in your manifesto?
P: Ooh that’s a tough question. Yes and no - one
of the things I was looking at was improving
services over a wide range of things. The smallest
thing we’ve been able to change is that you can
pay by card in Byron shops. Then there’ve been
a few new nights which have been launched or
which have been tweaked here and there.
M: What’s the hardest thing about being a president
so far?
P: I think, not the hardest thing, but one of the
differences I’ve noticed between last year and
this year, is line-managing the Exec, which can
be quite difficult particularly as a lot of them I’ve
worked with last year and am good friends with.
But I think probably it’s, the university meetings
take quite a lot of preparation and you kinda get
a small window of opportunity to make your case
on behalf of the students. So you really need to
make sure you know what you’re saying before
you go in. I’m not sure if it’s the hardest thing
but it’s probably the thing that takes up the most
time and it’s the thing which you need to make
sure you get right as well.
M: Are there any other plans you’re working on for
Trent students in the future?
P: Yeah obviously the biggest one I’m working on
at the minute is the NUS National Demo which is
on 10th November and that’s for every student
in the country so we’re gonna be taking people
down to London to march against the cuts to
higher education which will knock on to tuition
fees. But there’s still things on our manifesto
which unfortunately due to things like that
have not had time to look at, so both myself and
Sarah Mason [VP Welfare & Involvement] need
to go and look at some student union letting
accommodation agencies which were in our
manifesto, but yeah the national demo is taking
up a lot of everyone’s time at the minute.
www.platform-online.net |
7
MEETTHE
TEAM
It’s a new uni year and another new start for Platform. Here we introduce to you the 2010/2011 committee so if you ever wanted to
get in touch about contributing to the mag you’ll know who to turn to...
Mary Ann Pickford,
21, Editor-in-Chief
I’m a Print Journalism student and I love food, dancing, music and travelling. My favourite city
is Valencia (big up paellas!) and I can never leave the house without some type of lip balm in my
pocket. I love meeting new people and being Editor-in-Chief gives me the chance to do this and
to network with others in the media.
Lauren Roitman
20, Health Editor
Hi! I’m editor for Health this year! I’m a third year English student and wanted to get involved with
Platform this year so I could really make the most out of my final year at uni - whatever I don’t do
now I’ll never get to do! I like lie-ins, eating out and McFly (guilty pleasure, no shame!) and I don’t
like spiders and the cold and rain.
Michael Worrall
Oliver Whitfield-Miocic
19, Arts Editor
I hate talking about myself. So let’s try this another way…
Likes: Theatre, Disney, Harry Potter, Desperate Housewives, a good RomCom, free stuff, London,
Wednesdays in Ocean, Domino’s Pizza. Dislikes: Slow walkers, mushrooms, beer… it goes on.
It seems to me that my ‘likes’ (apart from maybe Ocean and Domino’s) sum up why I wanted to
be the Arts Editor this year. It’s gonna be a good year.
21, Deputy Editor
Party animal and then some! This half Croatian half Geordie creature can be found most
weekends in his natural habitat - nightclubs. Oliver is a third year broadcast journalism student
with a passion for investigative reporting. He has previous experience selling stories to The Sun
and Daily Mail.
Stefan Ebelewicz,
22, Photos Editor
Likes: photography, football, going out, day time tv. Dislikes: very hot weather, hangovers.
Being picture editor of platform gives me the chance to put into practise what I am studying,
whilst giving me a valuable insight into the industry I want to work in. It also gives me an
opportunity to photograph subjects I otherwise wouldn’t be able to get access to if I wasn’t part
of the magazine.
James Gordon
20, Film Editor
I have a passion for film, and an innate need to discuss films with people. I started writing film
reviews for Platform in my first year, as well as interviewing a few stars, and fell in love with
critiquing. Two years later and I’m running the section and loving it all the more.
Kennice Morrison
Aaron Lee
21, News/Features Editor
Likes: music, going out with mates and working with Platform as well as studying, no idea why
but I like studying. It was NOT like that when I was in secondary school.
Dislikes: I don’t know I guess, right now it’s probably noisy neighbours, and being hung over and
having to go a lecture. That sucks.
Zoë Turton
20, Music Editor
Hey guys. I’m pretty much obsessed with anything to do with vampires, I am completely
addicted to True Blood. I also love American Apparel hoodies, Ben & Jerrys ice cream and
cheese. Although not at the same time. I wanted to be music editor because of my absolute love
of music and I also wanted to learn more about print journalism as I study Broadcast.
Liz Riordan
20, Travel Editor
Hey, I’m Liz the brand new Travel Editor :) The reason I wanted this role is ‘cause I LOVE travelling
(you’d never have guessed?) and enjoy being really nosy and reading about other people’s
adventures on the road. I’m also a massive fan of music. So music plus travel equals my idea of
perfection.
8
20, Gaming & Technology Editor
Writer, gamer and sufficient dancer. I’ve been a section editor on Platform for two years now.
The volume of work can be hard to handle, but it’s opened so many doors and brought me into
contact with so many great people. I’m on a mission to bring you the best of video game culture.
Chloë Culhane
22, Fashion Editor
Fashion has always been a big part of my life, starting from when I would go to town on a Saturday in
head to toe Spice Girls gear! I am on the Broadcast Journalism course and after doing several fashion
internships I decided to focus on a career in fashion journalism. Platform has been a great way to
implement the skills I have already learnt and learn a great deal more from others. I hope to build
Platform Fashion up to a high standard and make it a really integral part of Platform magazine.
Will Taylor
19, Sports Editor
I’m really honoured to have been given the position of Sports Editor, and look forward to
producing some quality sports news this year. Football is my main passion, and I am a massive
fan of Ipswich Town, no surprise, therefore, that my main dislike would have to be Norwich
City.
9
Features
Edited by Kennice Morrison ([email protected])
Welcome
Trent
Army
Freshers
A
nother year and new faces have
emerged on Trent soil. There are still
many who are struggling due to today’s
exhausting financial situation. Many
school leavers are sadly looking at the
idea of further and higher education as a
waste of time, while others are struggling
to keep their faith in our educational and
financial system.
Those who have made it across the ocean
of doubt, clinging to the lifeboat of their
futures, university will open a whole
new world to them. They’ll think about
the friends they will make, the societies
they’ll join, the life lessons they’ll learn
and even wonder if they will make it out
in the world on their own without the
safety net of their parents/guardians
ready to catch them if they should ever
stumble and fall.
Platform contacted Trent-students-tobe who shared with them their inner
excitement and worries:
Shannon Peter (18), studying Fashion
Communication and Promotion, says:
“The thought that in two months
time I will have started university is
overwhelming, exhilarating, nerve
racking, exciting and scary all at the same
time but I am more than certain that it
will be the best period of my life.
“I aim to make my experience even more
10
enriching by keeping myself involved
and taking advantage of everything
the university has to offer me. I think I
will thrive on every opportunity to be
involved in all aspects of student life
and hopefully will be able to bring my
own fresh ideas, which I think going to
university is all about - taking all that you
can from the experience but also giving
back and leaving your mark.”
Shannon adds: “It’s going to be weird
living without my Mum doing everything
for me, and I just might have to learn
how to cook something! I think my
positive and upbeat personality will
enable me to really make the most of
my time at university and I plan on not
wasting a minute.”
Stewart Anderson (20) studying
Marketing, Design and Communication
says: “I think the next three years will
be a truly surreal experience. The great
thing about university is it gives you
the opportunity to be what you want
and meet a whole variety of different
people and I’d be lying if I said the social
side wasn’t a factor. I’m personally quite
an active lad so I’m looking forward to
joining some of the Trent Sports team if I
can drag myself out of bed on time.”
He adds: “Being a tad older than the
average starting student I have to be
careful I am not given a ‘Grandpa’ tag!
There are some advantages though,
unlike many of the students going, I
have lived away from home before and
can cook. I’m thinking the latter may
mean I will regularly have a room full
of hungry peers and some very grateful
housemates.”
Kelly Sutheran (19), an English and
Media Honours student says: “I hope
that my 3 years at Nottingham Trent
will give me an insight into future career
prospects and allow me to evolve as a
person. Hopefully, I will become more
independent and get to know myself
better.
I have heard a lot of people say that
university is the best time of their lives and
I sincerely hope that I will be able to join in
with this opinion at the end of my 3 years.
“I am really looking forward to Freshers’
week so that I can join NTU Pride which
I hope will be a big part of my time at
University. I would also really like to join
the Journalism Society as this is a career
that hopefully one day I will be a part of. I
cannot wait to meet people that share the
same interests/lifestyle as me and joining
societies is a great way to do this.”
Kelly adds: “I am nervous about starting
university because I have never lived
anywhere else other than home and I can
be shy around new people, but I know
that all new students will be in the same
boat and everyone will help each other
adjust. Aside from my worries, I am very
excited about university. I have spoken
to current students who have made me
feel at ease and I think I am ready for this
independent new start to finally become
my own person and study something I
am passionate about.”
From the first to the last, Nottingham
Trent has been a good home to previous
students for the past three years and
before they leave the outgoing students
would like to pass on a few words of
advice to those who will one day take
their place.
Third year student Luke Wells, studying
International Relations and Chinese,
says: “Don’t be so judgemental and only
go for people in your typical cliques you
would at home - makes uni life a lot
easier. More socialising, more friends
and more confidence. Not only that, but
losing the ‘college mindset’ is a must.”
Natasha Chaudhary, also a third year
studying Media with Pathways adds:
“When I was a Fresher it was horrible.
I found it hard to adjust to this place. I
remember just wanting to go home but
despite everything, the people I met
were amazing and left a mark on my
soul. I love the friends I’ve made at uni.
They’re quirky and I love them to pieces
- so if anything, when I was a fresher, so
were my friends and we got through it
together.
Kennice Morrison
11
Features
M
Got the grades,
secured a place.
Now
about
how
Mates?
some
getting
any freshers coming to Trent this
year will be facing the daunting
prospect of leaving home for the very
first time. For most it will be the first
time they will move away from their
comfort zone, their hometown that they
know so well, the family life and groups
of friends they have known all their lives.
However, the first few weeks and months
of university life do not need to be time
spent depressed and lonely. It should be
embraced - a time to enjoy independence
and make new friends and see new sights.
Of course, as easy as this sounds, people
are different. Not everyone will be able
to just adjust and settle. Some may need
advice and guidance to make university
the happy and prosperous time it should
be. Natasha Chaudhary, a fresher at Trent
in 2008 is a prime example of this point
and highlights how lonely being a fresher
can be.
She says: “Basically for me, being a fresher was horrible. I thought it was going
to be amazing and it fell short. If you’re
a party-mad student who has money to
burn on beer and taxis, Freshers Week is
great, but it’s not for everyone. Don’t get
me wrong, fresher reps do a great job of
helping people try to make new friends
and get together, but sometimes it can
still make you feel lonely and just want to
let your thoughts and emotions out.”
How to make friends and
not alienate people:
This is where groups like YouthNet come
in, groups that are there to help freshers
settle and make the most of the exciting
times to come. Matt Whyman, an agony
aunt and author provides emotional
support for 16-25 year olds through
YouthNet’s website, TheSite.org.
+ Knock on your neighbours’ doors and
offer them a drink as an ice-breaker.
It doesn’t have to be alcoholic - tea or
coffee will do.
He says: “Our advice to freshers is to find
out what support is available so they know
where to turn if things get too much. That
way, they can settle in to a problem-free
and friend-filled university life.”
TheSite.org, founded in 1995, responds
to 800 queries a month via the company’s
bespoke online question and answer section. Around 600,000 users visit the site
each month, and to assure the minds of
those freshers who may fear the weeks to
come, the company has released a few top
tips to help them along.
+ Eat in your communal area even if
it’s empty - you’re more likely to meet
your hall mates.
+ Don’t stay in your room watching
Friends, go to as many freshers’ events
as you can and make real friends.
+ Join clubs and societies where you’ll
meet people with similar interests to
you.
+ Get over nerves and introduce yourself to others – they’ll be relieved you
took the first step.
+ Be yourself! Being loud might get you
noticed but you’ll be stuck with these
people for years and it could be a hard
act to keep up.
+ Ask open ended questions. This will
allow the conversation to flow freely
instead of being cut off by simple ‘yes’
or ‘no’ answers.
+ Swap phone numbers or emails addresses with people you meet and get
in touch with them.
+ Don’t pressurise yourself to make
friends overnight. You may not stay
close to people you meet initially, and
that’s okay.
If you’re finding it really tough, take
a breather. You can speak to Student
Support Services at Trent Uni by phoning 0115 848 6060 or visit TheSite.org
for help and advice.
Chasing a degree is a stressful time as it is. Money worries are
high on the student agenda and competition for university places and for jobs after you graduate is as demanding as it has ever
been, and so social life is hugely important. Friends and social
networks play a vital role in making the university experience
enjoyable, and freshers will be relying on their ability to make
new friends to aid their adjustment to their new surrounding
and sudden change in lifestyle. Everybody needs friends and the
ones made at university often become friends for life. So freshers get out there and make yourself known! There is nothing to
be scared of.
Photo: Saira Macleod
12
Ian Davies
13
Features
A
Nottingham Trent students can boost
their CV with the help of Initi8, Trent’s
very own volunteering group. Students
are encouraged to get involved with
Initi8 because volunteering is a great
opportunity for them to give something
back to the local community, while also
showing future employers that they are
self-motivated, and willing to give up
their time to help others.
It was an overcast day in Leeds,
my home city, but somehow the
weather didn’t register in my mind
as it usually did. I was focused on
getting everything loaded into the
car (garlic press and all) and setting
off down the M1 to Nottingham. As my dad stuck Radio One
on, I knew the adventure was beginning. The next three
years will hopefully be the best thee years of my life and
despite knowing I would miss friends, family and other loved
ones, I was ready for the change.
With activities such as conservation
work, going on an archaeological dig and
the Sleep Out End of Term challenge
which aims to give an idea of what
sleeping rough is like, there is plenty for
everyone and anyone to get involved
with. Initi8 is flexible so students can
give as much or as little time as they wish
depending on their studies and other
commitments. It also has many other
activities ranging from volunteering for a
local organisation regularly to setting up
your own project.
Diary of a Fresher
fter weeks of counting
down, panic-buying useless
utensils and going through
every emotion under the sun from
nervousness to excitement, the
time to pack the car up had come.
The trip didn’t seem to take long and before I knew it we
were pulling into Norton Court. Moving in didn’t seem too
painful a process, apart from having about three times as
much stuff as I needed, of course. All the typical fears were
running round my head - would I make any friends? What if
someone’s really messy? But they soon disappeared as one
by one a group of lovely people moved in. By the time I’d
gone to enroll with a new friend, my worries had been safely
quashed. Here I was, a big new city, and lots of opportunity
to have the time of my life.
Get
Involved!
The first night out was one of the best to date. Forgetting
that we’d known each other a few hours, we put on our
finest clothes, cracked open the beers, wine and vodka, and
in true student style had a great night for just over a tenner
(it‘s amazing what a cheeky grind to David Guetta can do to
strengthen new friendships). This seemed to be the pattern
for the rest of the weekend. A Baywatch Beach Party and
Trent Army themes kept it all interesting. As inductions
began, things settled slightly, but our flat and the flat next
door (which I am proud to say is still a great team) continued
to have the times of our lives. We’d met, we got on, and we
all loved a great night out, and the week sorted itself out
from there.
While Freshers Week taught me to party constantly and in
style, I also learnt that a 9am lecture should probably mean
a night in beforehand - heavy eyes and note taking do not
go well together! Trent Freshers definitely deserves its title
of best welcome week. There are so many events that are
put on not mentioned here, either because there was such
a whirlwind of activity during my week or I have simply
forgotten them or didn’t have time to attend. One thing’s
for sure: I will always count it as one of the best weeks of my
entire life, and thank everyone who organised it for helping
me make friends, learn some new life lessons and have a
genuinely fantastic time!
Saul Bosworth, 18, Print Journalism
14
Jennie Mann, Student Volunteer Coordinator for Clifton
and Brackenhurst, says:
“Unfortunately a degree is not enough to get you into employment.
With the economic climate as it is now, there are not many jobs
about, so you really need to stand out and compete for a position.
Volunteering really does help to develop your CV, and makes you
stand out from the crowd.”
Up
A1
The
W
ith the country still in the grip of a credit crunch, and
numerous worrying newspaper headlines concerning students
and graduate jobs, students are more than aware that life after
university will not be an easy ride when it comes to finding a
job. Thousands of CVs are landing on the desks of prospective
employers every day, so what can students do to make
themselves stand out from the rest, ensuring they are successful
in finding employment?
Another huge benefit for students
who are regularly strapped for cash
is that getting involved with Initi8 is
completely free. With free transport, free
training and even free lunch for the day
challenges, students really couldn’t ask
for more.
‘Up the A1, along the
A52’ is the answer to
the question that I have
been asked regularly
throughout the summer
by various friends and
family, the question being, “how do you
get back up to Nottingham?”
And here I am, having made the journey
for the third October in succession,
ready to embark on what I hope will be
a successful and exciting third and final
year.
Whether it’s up the A1,
down the M1, or in from
the A60, thousands of
students have slowly
been crawling their way
back to their student
homes, cars filled to the
brim with saucepans
and Asda Smart Price
loo roll. Upon arriving,
they meet up with the
friends they haven’t seen
all summer, and attempt
to settle back in to a life
that is consistently 4
hours behind the rest of the
world. Getting up at 9am soon becomes
1pm, lunch becomes a Deal Or No Deal
snack, and dinner is usually cooked in the
company of the moon’s reflected light.
Aside from fitting back into new
surroundings, the new timetable is
always smaller than you have imagined
it being throughout the summer, yet
Trent students
are advised to
think beyond
their studies, their
partying and general university lives
and bear in mind the world they will be
entering when they graduate, whether it
be in a year, two or three, and to ensure
they have a successful life afterwards
by getting involved and joining Initi8.
If you are interested, check out their
website: www.trentstudents.org/
thewednesdayproject
manages to be more stressful than you
could have anticipated. Three afternoon
lectures a week suddenly become the
bane of your life as you drag yourself out
of bed, wading through the pot noodles
and pepperami wrappers that decorate
your bare student floor.
And who can forget Ocean, surely the
home of any Trent student’s life. Every
Summer and Christmas holiday I return
home, convincing myself that I will never
step a foot in Ocean. But holidays fade,
and as a new term begins, we all return
to the home of cheesy music, overpriced drinks and a smell that rivals the
Glastonbury toilet blocks. Despite all
this, ‘up the A1’ represents a return to
home, a return to a life I wouldn’t change
for the world. It’s good to be back!
Tom Wallin, 20, English with
Creative Writing
15
Music
recommendations
Gig
Alexisonfire -12th November at Rock
Less Than Jake- 13th November at
Edited by ZoË Turton ([email protected])
I Only Date
Models
Photo: Gareth Ford
U
16
niversity is where you meet your
friends for life. They’re the type of
people that help you settle in to your
new life away from home and ultimately help
you enjoy your last years of freedom before
the 9 – 5 day job kicks in. For four guys who
graduated a year ago, Nottingham Trent was
where they found their band mates. They
decided to make Notts their permanent
home after finishing uni and now I
Only Date Models (IODM) are
making big noise here in the
city. Having read Platform [in
logo type please] magazine
back in their halls at Clifton
campus, they always dreamt
of seeing
themselves
in it, and
now here they
are.
The band is made up of
singer and guitarist Sammy
Ault, Michael Meadows on guitar, Tom Ford on drums and Tim
Bollans on bass. Reflecting back at
their time at Nottingham Trent, all four
of them recognise how important uni
was to them as a band. “When you go to
university you just discover so much new
music,” Sammy says. He remembers during Freshers Week people making him listen to music he would never have chosen
personally, but ending up loving it. Sammy
and 23-year-old Tim, who both studied Media and Cultural Studies, knew each other
previously from home and moved in to flats
next to each other at Clifton campus. Tom,
24, hadn’t moved in yet but they had been
told he was a drummer and when he moved
in bringing Michael aka ‘Meadows’ with him
(they had previously been in a band together)
the band was complete. “As crappy as halls can
be, I really miss it, it’s so good having everyone
together in the same place,” recalls Tom who
studied Forensic Science.
As their time at uni started
to develop so did the band. “Meeting at uni was the start of something
beautiful,” laughs 25-year-old Sammy.
They enjoyed living in Nottingham
so much they decided to relocate here
after graduation and make the city
the permanent base for the band. “We
started to become really passionate
about it, and we thought why don’t we
give this a go?” he adds, “Especially as
we graduated last year, we decided to
do some little jobs in the background to
get some money, but really focus on the
band.”
Staying in Nottingham has
been a positive move for the band
as they have been gathering fans
throughout the city and have been
greatly supported by the local media.
Earlier this year the band featured on
BBC’s The Beat and in July they won
the Young Creative Award through the
Contemporary Arts Centre, Trent FM
and the Notts Unsigned programme
which supports new local talent. It gave
them the platform they needed to get
their music heard. “That really boosted
our profile and won us some studio
time”, says Sammy,“It’s really cool to
be appreciated.” With Sammy and Tim
hailing from Cambridge and Meadows
and Tom from Peterborough, living in
a city such as Nottingham has opened
them up to so many more opportunities
than moving back home. “It’s brilliant
making music in Nottingham, there’s
some people putting loads of effort in.
The places we’re from, small towns and
villages don’t have that infrastructure
in place for new bands.”
Having spread the IODM
love around the city playing venues
such as the smaller, intimate Bodega
City
Rock City
If you’re a fan of melodic hardcore/punk
rock then Alexisonfire will be a gig you
won’t want to miss. To look at this band
you might justthink that they are all image
and no substance because they look like
every other hardcore band out there with
tattoos dotted about their bodies and a
lot of facial hair. However, with prominent
heavy guitar playing and a varied
performance by the singers this is not the
case. I would be at this gig early because
if the support bands are like Alexisonfire
then you will be in for a good night of
heavy,moshing wonderment. Peter Dean
This is a call out to all you skater boys
and girls to save November 13th
in your gig planners as American
sensations Less Than Jake and
Zebrahead will be playing at Rock City
for a night of intense dancing along
to some of their greatest tracks such
as ‘All my best friends are metalheads’
and ‘Anthem’. The atmosphere is going
to be booming and the crowd will be
energetic so all you ska and rock fans
prepare yourselves for one hell of a ride
with these yanks. James Fairclough
Social Club and Stealth, they are all
adamant playing Rock City was their
best experience as a band to date. Supporting Twenty Twenty in Nottingham
for three nights, they were greeted
by a sell out, heaving crowd of
teenagers screaming back
at them. “It was a really
good reception,” says
Tom. Meadows, who’s
one of the eldest in
the group at 25
years old, continues “You
get some
gigs where
they’re not
so good and
you can’t help
but feel, do we
really want to do
this? But then you
get gigs like that and
it’s so worthwhile.”
Playing the infamous
Rock City helped them
gather more followers.
Recently they hit more
than 100,000 plays on
MySpace which just
goes to show how popular they’re becoming.
Meadows adds, “Stuff
really exploded on
Facebook and MySpace
as a knock-on effect
after those shows.
We played at Stealth
afterwards and
people came who had
first seen us supporting at
Rock City, which felt really
rewarding.”
Although they are all
busy with jobs and being in the band,
Interpol – 24th November at Rock City
Having released their fourth album at the
beginning of September, Interpol’s current
tour comes to Rock City on November 24th,
and they are certainly a band you want to
see if you’re interested in the post-punk
revival era. With a sound leaning towards
the late Joy Division end of the spectrum,
Interpol’s dark and broody music makes for
a brilliant and disturbing live show. Their
recent single, Barricades was released to
great praise and critical acclaim. I strongly
suggest giving it a listen, because this is
a band you do not want to miss. Jamie
Middleton
they still find time to enjoy the city
they now call home, although they don’t
visit their old Trent Uni haunts quite so
much anymore as Tom explains, “You
definitely go through a natural progression when you go to university. You start
off going out in Ocean but then you
discover new places that you like with
your mates.” Sammy continues, “I really
like going out in Hockley, places like
Market Bar and stuff because there’s a
really cool scene and everyone’s really
nice that you meet there.”
After a year out of the student bubble all four of I Only Date Models miss being at Trent Uni. And what of
their wise words to the freshers of this
year? “Forget the work, get hammered.”
Maybe it’s not what your lecturers will
be promoting but above and beyond that
they recommend getting out in the city
of Nottingham and really exploring it.
“Make lots of friends and enjoy the city.
If you sit at home you’re not going to
enjoy yourself. If you go out there and
find new places, you will really live it
and enjoy it,”advises Sammy.
Their status as an unsigned
band doesn’t worry them as they recognise the music industry is changing and
the process of bands being signed is taking much longer. You will undoubtedly
come across I Only Date Models during
your time in Nottingham with more gigs
on the horizon and new songs aplenty. It
may actually be hard to escape them as
they spread their ‘indie, poppy, dancey’
vibes around the city and beyond.
Zoe Turton
Check out I Only Date Models on their
MySpace page at myspace.com/ionlydatemodels or add them to Facebook: ‘I
Only Date Models’.
17
Music
muse
wembley
ii september
th
AN ENGLISH
GENTLEMAN
INTERVIEW WITH FRANK TURNER
We caught up with Platform favourite Frank Turner to
talk about being English, playing with Green Day and
being a minstrel. Andrew Trendell talks to Frank…
AT: Your songs sound
quintessentially British. How does it
feel having these songs embraced by
an international audience?
FT: It feels good. If I could just be
pernickety for a second, I do prefer the
term ‘English’ to ‘British.’ Not out of
disrespect to anyone else but in a nonaggressive way. I think it’s cool because
the best example for me is Springsteen,
who’s quintessentially from New Jersey,
but that doesn’t effect anyone else’s
enjoyment of his music. In fact, it almost
enhances it, and I think that one of the
things that attracts me to folk music,
conceptually is a sense of place. I want
my music to sound like its English, and
I like it when people say that it does. It
goes down well in America where they are
total anglophiles.
T
hey have conquered it before and
after tonight will unquestionably
be back do to it all over again. This
trio from Devon have nothing to prove.
Well, maybe apart from being one of the
greatest live bands on planet earth.
and multiplying the status of the men
that play within it. The pace is brought
down for what seems like quite some
time. Bellamy flaunts himself over his
piano. It’s a pretentious but beautiful
display of talent.
The second encore of the evening sure
doesn’t disappoint as Plug in Baby just
about lifts the stadium into orbit itself.
The place explodes with the crowds
singing, every word sung with such
intense passion.
Since releasing their fifth studio album in
2009 entitled The Resistance, Muse have
toured relentlessly, thrashing every major
city, festival and venue in their path.
Tonight they are more prominent than
the structure they stand beneath. They
enter Wembley Stadium in a rather
political Rage Against the Machinefashion, emerging after a herd of flag
wavers and banners stating ‘We will not
be controlled’.
Undisclosed Desires enhances the tone,
it sees the band float through the crowd
on an elevated stage, pirouetting for
the duration. Resistance accompanies
and although the lyrics were sang with
real implication, neither are as forceful
or substantial as their early work.
This is quickly rectified as Starlight, a
rendition of House of the Rising Sun
and the mighty Time Is Running Out
compensates for anything that may have
been lacking.
And then it was time for Knights of
Cydonia. The initial racing beat drives
the fury in the audience and then ninety
thousand breaths hold for a split second
before Bellamy shocks each one back into
harmonious, momentous hymn.
They hurtle straight into Uprising, the
R’n’B funk of Supermassive Black Hole
and MK Ultra making the stadium rings
echo like a gospel church. Map of the
Problematic hits just as hard, instantly
cultimating its way through the audience
causing the stadium to pulsate feverishly.
Their set is as innovative as ever and the
stage is architecturally grand, mirroring
18
During Exogenesis the audience’s
attention is drawn from the band as a
flying saucer appears from behind the
stage and gracefully glides around the
entire stadium. The opening in the roof
sets an authentic scene and as eyes were
cast upward the disc soars below a back
drop of stars.
Muse make sense here - their music
suddenly becomes so apparent and live.
They put definitely put on a show. It
was lavish, extravagant and exceedingly
pretentious but that is Muse. They are
worthy of the title they have proved they
still own, which clearly is that they are
one of the best bands still standing here
on earth.
Alice O’Leary
AT: Yes, I’ve often found that just the
English accent will send an American
weak at the knees.
FT: Yes, you do get a lot of that. My line
with Americans is always ‘the language is
on loan, and if we get it back and there’s
been any damage, you will lose your
deposit.
AT: I understand you supported
Green Day at Wembley Stadium this
year. Was that a headf*ck at all or did
you just get on with it?
FT: Yes, it was ridiculous! We did
Manchester LCC as well, which was cool.
It was a wild few days. It was amazing
and a new experience. There’s definitely
a new kind of art to play on that kind
of stage to that sized crowd. You have
to learn quite fast. But it was great and
Green Day were nothing but sweetness
and light and we played to an absolute
shit-tonne of people.
AT: How did you cater to that kind
of crowd, because as we said before,
your songs are quite anthemic
without being dull, three-word Kings
Of Leon sing-a-long crap.
FT: What does Sex On Fire actually
mean?
AT: I’m not sure, but it sounds
violent.
FT: It sounds like it’s about STD’s. But
yes, we just do what we do and do it well.
You need to trust your audience.
AT: So would you agree with the
premise that entertainment doesn’t
need to be dumbed down to reach a
mass audience then?
FT: Yes. This is one of my big theories. I
would describe myself as an entertainer.
I hate the word ‘artist,’ I think its deeply
pretentious for people to call themselves
artists. I think you can call other people
artists but never yourself. There are a
lot of people that have a problem with
describing themselves as an entertainer
and I have no idea what they’re talking
about, because if you use that word it
puts you in the same terms as Vaudeville
and travelling players and folks singers
etc. These are people whose job it was
to make people smile and I think that’s
the oldest and noblest profession there
is, and I want nothing more than to be
associated with that. So whether it’s
dumbed up, down or sideways, I don’t
really care, as long as I’m part of it. That’s
our function. In taking a wider view of
society as a whole, we’re the minstrels,
we’re the entertainers, we’re the
sideshow, but we’re important in our own
way. Nobody lives or dies because of rock
n’ roll but people do laugh or cry because
of it, and that’s something.
ber 10th.
ber 4th and Leicester Academy on Decem
.platform-online.net
Frank Turner plays Sheffield Plug on Decem
ls, his future and John Lennon, visit www
festiva
of
thinks
Frank
what
out
find
To read this interview in full, and
Gig recommendations
Good Shoes – 25th November at The
Social
If, like me, you’re not interested in what
goes off at OceanaorWalkaboutthen
The Bodega Social Club would
definitely be up your street. If you’re
not washing your hair or cleaning your
already messy room on November
5th then I suggest you get down to
the Social and drag your housemates
too to see Good Shoes. This Morden
based group started up in 2004 and ever
since then they have been releasing
really catchy guitar pop as well as some
slow songs to keep their set nice and
balanced. So get yourselves down there
to see these lads because I don’t think
you will be disappointed. Peter Dean
Biffy Clyro- 30th November at Trent
FM Arena
Biffy Clyro come to Nottingham on
the back of a busy year, with their fifth
album Only Revolutions earning them a
nomination for the Mercury Music prize
and acquiring an army of new fans. This
success has led to their first arena tour
after seeing them at Rock City. With so
much energy and madness crammed
into a small venue I wonder how epic
an arena concert will be. Biffy Clyro
is a must-see band, with Simon Neil’s
child-like enthusiasm and an arsenal of
thunderous songs, I guarantee you won’t
stop moving for the whole set. Daniel
Maddock
19
Fashion
Edited by chloe culhane ([email protected])
Examinations held on a Saturday
can have significant negative
effects. They impact on students’
employment and finances, are in
some cases incompatible with
religious beliefs, and erode
personal time at the weekend.
SIGN THE PETITION
trentstudents.org/petition
NOMINATED ‘BEST LIVE ACT’ Q AWARDS
Faux Fur
It’s all over the high street this Winter,
from coats, to hats, to mitts. It adds
glamour and luxury to everyday life but
beware - head to toe fur is less fabulous,
more farm.
Pastel Nails
This year’s Spring/Summer trend of pastel clothing
was about as exciting as the weather, but dulled,
muted colours are big this Winter. Lilac nails on
a miserable day will immediately make you feel
happier.
Roberto Cavalli had one of the most
theatrical shows in London fashion week.
As the undisputed king of leopard print,he
has sent us crazy for cat prints.Check out
H&M for a great range of wearable prints.
A 13 & ZOMBIE PRODUCTION
ESCAPE TO PLASTIC BEACH TOUR
PLUS SPECIAL GUESTS
LITTLE DRAGON & DE LA SOUL
PLUS SPECIAL GUESTS
Animal Print
SATURDAY 04 DECEMBER 2010
ESCAPE TO PLASTIC BEACH TOUR NOVEMBER 2010
BIRMINGHAM NIA
Wednesday 17th November
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AN SJM CONCERTS PRESENTATION BY ARRANGEMENT WITH WME & JHO MANAGEMENT
Bed Head
Students everywhere are letting out a sigh of relief, as messy
bed hair takes the fashion world by storm. Why spend hours
recreating the look with tongs? Jump out of bed, spray salt
water into unkempt hair and just head out.
‘Hevage’
The worst celebrity trend since plastic trousers
(yes, you 90’s boy bands) has infiltrated our high
streets. The low cut t-shirt for men are terrorising
women everywhere. Not even a good look on
Marvin from JLS, so unsurprisingly it looks
rubbish on that boy in your lecture.
Harem Pants
Tailored cigarette pants were big on last
month’s catwalks, with the unflattering
and unsexy harem pant nowhere in
sight. Good riddance.
Nude Lips
This Autumn/Winter
is all about making the most of
your lips. Bin the gloss for dark
vampy reds and plumy purples.
Military
Boots
They may be all over the high
street, but that doesn’t make
them acceptable. A big trend
last winter, unfortunately still
lurking in shops.
21
Fashion
Back To
School
TRENDS
Starting uni should be the most
exciting time of your life, and
everyone wants to make a good
first impression. It sounds simple,
but if you look and feel good your
confidence will shine through and
any nerves will be put aside.
Nottingham is a great place to shop,
with large high street stores as well as
smaller boutique and vintage shops.
Your first few weeks at Trent shouldn’t
be spent scouring the high street getting
acquainted with all the amazing shopping
the city has to offer, there’s three more
years for that! We want to make it easy
for you, so we’ve selected some of the
best, must-have pieces in the shops at
the moment. From Winter staples to
the ultimate, big impression dress, feast
your eyes on these gorgeous wardrobe
additions that won’t make a dent in your
loan.
Aviator Jacket - New Look £49.99
It has become this season’s must-have coat ever since Burberry sent their
models down in a fleet of aviator jackets. Virtually every high street store
has brought out its own version, but it seems it’s a tricky item to get right.
Many of the jackets on the high street are very short in the body, which
is impractical and will not help you out on a freezing
Winter’s day.
NEW LOOK JACKET
New Look’s version of the aviator is
a soft, feminine interpretation of
the trend. It comes in four colours,
but this sand waterfall aviator coat
looks fantastic with jeans and a
student’s staple, Uggs. Definitely
our favourite jacket on the high
street this season.
The ‘Look at Me’ Dress Motel - £39.99
Motel dresses are an absolute life saver
when it comes to a night out. We’ve all
been in the situation when you need
a killer dress, but can’t seem to find
anything quite right. A Motel instantly
makes you look and feel hot and they
constantly release new designs and
prints, so you’re spoilt for choice. Head
over to House of Fraser in the Victoria
Centre or Ark in the Lace Market for a
great choice of Motel clothing.
MOTEL DRESS
With long sleeves, black detailing and a
sexy plunge back, the ‘Gina’ dress needs
minimal accessorising. Team it with black
platforms and Autumn/Winter’s hottest
hair trend, grunge, for effortless glamour.
22
Winter Boots Office - £80
Finding an amazing pair
of boots is the holy grail
of fashion. It is nearly
impossible to find boots that
look great, feel comfortable
and are versatile enough to
wear every day. This pair from
Office are not only all of the
above, they are also over the knee
boots which are bang on trend,
make your legs look amazing and
add some spice to even the plainest
of outfits.
OFFICE BOOTS
New Look has a nice selection of overthe-knee boots, along with boutique
shops in the city. But these definitely take
the crown for comfort. At £80 they aren’t
cheap, but we guarantee you will wear
them till they fall apart, and then you will
grieve the loss!
Snood - Topshop - £16
A snood is the Winter’s must
have accessory and when you’re
sitting in a lecture feeling a
little worse for wear, you can
wrap yourself up in it as the
minutes tick by.
TOPSHOP SNOOD
This sexier reinvention of the scarf
is all over the high street. At £16 this
Topshop snood is slightly on the pricey
side. We love how it covers two big trends
from the catwalk: chunky knitwear and
oversized accessories. If you want to go
for a cheaper option, New Look and H&M
have a variety of snoods starting from £5.
23
Fashion
trentStreet
style
Steal
Her
Style
e bar
raised th ame
y
ll
a
e
r
Nicole
hen it c
Factor w
on the X
. She
st month
,
to style la y outfit perfectly
r
e
v
e
d
e
rock
re and
g her figu
r
all suitin
o
look is u
style. This it is so simple
, as
favourite but beautifully
nt
and elega
ing too.
eye catch
Eghosa
Amy
Christian
Scarf – H&M
Jacket – New Look
Bag – Primark
Leggings – H&M
Shoes – Primark
Fur Waistcoat – H&M
Green Trousers – New Look
Brown Boots – Barratts
Blue Bag – Top Shop
Shoes – Blue Vans
Chinos – Levis
Top – Wrangler Denim
T-shirt – Radiohead
Bag – H&M
20, Law
“This is a classic shaped
dress that would probably
suit most body shapes as it
flatters her curves. A good
one to wear for the office
as it’s quite sophisticated
and is in keeping with this
season’s ladylike trend.”
Fiona, 21, Graphic Design
20, Politics
This version of Nicole’s outfit is more
wearable than her stone grey outfit,
while keeping all of the sophistication
and elegance. Grooming is key to this
look. Shiny, healthy looking hair and
manicured nails will set the look off
better than any accessory.
STEAL HER STYLE
DRESS:
Asos - £40
SHOES:
New Look £25
24
19, Law
Alice
Sam
AJ
Dad’s old Jacket
Top – Top Man
Skirt – Can’t Remember
Boots – Knock off Top Shop - Cheap
Jeans – Top Shop
T-shirt – Nike
Cardy – Top Shop
Plimsolls – Can’t Remember
Jumper – Lyle & Scott
Jeans – Humör Jeans
Shoes – Vans
Bag – Adidas
21, Fashion Design
20, Graphic Design
20, Forensic Biology
25
Travel
streets until we turned the corner on
the main street and there they were,
thousands of people with banners and
chants hurling rocks at soldiers.
Edited by Liz riordan ([email protected])
A taxi in front of us decided to try and
drive through but was mobbed by the
angry crowd throwing the rocks through
its window, probably what happened to
my taxi the day before.
Shimla is a very popular holiday
destination for wealthy Indian tourists
on honeymoon or anniversaries and the
old town is representative of that with its
classy restaurants and shops but again
the huge gap between India’s rich and
poor is on show.
India is one of the world’s greatest emerging economies. It is catching
up with the superpowers USA, Japan and China and has long overtaken
its once rulers, the British. But what is India really like? How do the one
billion people live side by side in the world’s biggest cultural melting
pot? Shaun Taberer went to find out.
[Photos: Liam Joseph}
L
eaving Heathrow bound for Delhi
on a frosty English morning I
decided to say goodbye to the
pleasures of life that we take for granted,
clean water, clean food, clean streets and,
well, clean everything really.
The first-time traveller to India is
bombarded with anecdotes and facts
about how careful one has to be when
arriving in the vast country, people make
out that it really is hell on earth.
But in truth India is a beautiful and often
mesmerising place. At some points you
will feel uncomfortable being hassled by
jumpy, antagonistic people asking for
food or trying to sell you a flight to some
unheard of place but that is how life is in
their world.
I will concede that India is not for
everyone.
When arriving at Gandhi International
Airport stepping outside I was hit with so
many new sensations.
The smell of frying samosas, the sound
of hundreds of beeping cars, rickshaws
and motorbikes, the sight of barely clad
26
children with their hands out and eyes
widened by the presence of a Western
face.
Like no other country, India has an
immediate impact, an assault on the
senses, a real slap in the face.
The first port of call was Paraganj Street,
a hustle bustle road filled with working
men and women, hyperactive children
and a smattering of tourists with their
cameras hanging underneath a gaping
jaw.
Next on my journey was Shimla, the old
headquarters for the British Raj during
colonial rule.
Perched high in the Himalayan mountain
range, the town was built in the late 19th
Century and is akin to any British town,
with a church that still holds Sunday
service and a Victorian library.
It makes for a surreal stay.
The journey from Delhi to Shimla is only
really achievable, on a low budget, on the
old toy train – The Himalayan Queen.
The place really is fantastic.
Herds of cows are constantly being
ferried through the mingling people
trying to avoid the young boys pulling
huge crates of chickens, which are on
their way to one of the many restaurants.
Electrical wires droop from the poles
to the ground, a health and safety
nightmare, but no one cares, or notices
it’s a way of life and helps create the
wonderful character and rich diversity
that India possesses by the bucket load.
A small gauge railway (hence its name,
the toy train) snakes up through the
mountain range at a tediously slow speed
but it allows for the real magnitude and
beauty of India to make itself apparent.
Creeping past small villages, reliant on
personal crops and old men wandering
through huge cannabis bushes which
grow wild, picking the top of each plant
and stuffing it into an already bulging
rucksack, the route really does provide a
snapshot of the huge paradoxes in Indian
society, the difference between Delhi and
the countryside.
A small stroll down the hill past the
church and you will come across what
seems like a completely different place,
alcoholics and drug addicts wander
around with their brown paper bags,
openly defecating in the streets, sick
people lie scattered around with no help
likely to arrive.
Instead of the gap decreasing it is in fact
expanding.
Indian capitalism has left behind the vast
majority of its people and is taking the
few for a big-money ride.
After a few days in Shimla I travelled up
further into the Himalayas stopping off
at Mandi and Kasol in the Parvati Valley.
It made for a refreshing change as the
temperature dropped to a nice 20 degrees
from the unbearable
45 degrees on the
plains.
to be the most beautiful principality in
India but a cloud of violence sullies its
reputation.
When the British gave independence to
India in 1947 Pakistan was formed as a
Muslim state apart from the Hindu and
Sikh dominated India.
On the border of this new nation lay
Kashmir still unsure as to which way to
accede and it lapsed into war.
Eventually it fell to India, despite its 95%
Muslim population.
Three wars have broken out since and
border clashes still happen from time to
time.
Unfortunately I arrived on one
of these days.
Leaving the
airport in a
windowless
car a feeling
of unease was
present as we
drove through
The local community, many of whom have
arrived from Tibet, is almost completely
reliant on tourists.
After two weeks in the green mountains I
tip-toed back down to the comparatively
unbearable Delhi and immediately flew
up to Shrinagar in Kashmir.
Known as the crown of India, Kashmir
is a deeply spiritual place, widely said
So under the cover of darkness, three
days later, at three in the morning I got
to the airport and safety in Delhi.
After four weeks my Indian journey was
nearing its end but I had to see the Taj
Mahal, only an hour’s train ride from
Delhi’s central station.
Everyone has seen pictures of the white
temple but only when you see it with
your own eyes can its true beauty be
conveyed.
The sheer
size and force
is beyond
any other
building I
have seen, its walls radiate a
grandeur and power unlike
any other site, such peace
and respect is observed by
all there, everything else in
one’s mind is pushed back to
another part of the brain as
your eyes take it all in.
“its walls radiate
a grandeur”
“sick people lie
scattered around”
The valley is the capital
of India’s hippie
movement, coffee bars make for over
50 percent of the shops and the rest are
filled with home-spun clothing for sale.
After some hurried driving and a muchneeded U-turn we took another route to a
hotel, only to find out there was a curfew
meaning we couldn’t leave the building
for three days.
the empty
streets passing
a huddle of
soldiers every
mile or so.
The driver
explained to us
that the Indian army were not letting
the Muslims go to the mosque to pray
because of recent violence.
This seemed to quieten the atmosphere
further, still ten miles on and not a
glimpse of anyone but the army on the
Then it was time to head back.
I would recommend India to
all, it’s fabulous landscapes,
culture, food, architecture and
people all stand out against
a backdrop of quite shocking
poverty, but it is changing, the
Commonwealth games will
soon be in Delhi helping to
pump much needed money into
its infrastructure.
India will be a very different place in
as little as ten years but I’m sure its
many people and cultures will go on
being, making it as vibrant, colourful,
passionate place as it is now.
27
Travel
Thailand
My Five Week Thai Adventure
to be our best option of
travel here costing us
no more than £30 each
and only taking an hour
to get there. We first hit
a town called Patong
and instead of blissful
beaches and beautiful
scenery we seemed to
have descended onto a
copycat of Magaluf with
sick trailing down the
streets during the day
and ladyboy’s prowling
the streets at night.
We soon moved on to a
much quieter area called
Kata which was pleasant but still very touristy.
Our trip then took us on to Krabi, Koh Phi Phi, Koh Samui, Koh
Tao, Koh Phangan and finally back to Bangkok.
If you’re looking for stunning beaches, chilled and friendly
atmosphere, scuba diving, cool nightlife and decent grub then
Koh Tao is the place. We found some great bars here including
an old information shack which had been converted into a tiny
bar and was always busy. Everyone on the island is respectful
with the beaches staying pristine the next day for walks and
sunbathing.
Koh Phangan is possibly on the top of the list of places to go
depending on your priorities. With the famous Full Moon parties
taking place monthly you need to try and fit one in on your trip
here because it will be like nothing you have experienced before.
Fire skipping ropes and hoops, hundreds of cocktail shacks
stacked in a huge line along the beach, ‘Mushroom Mountain’
which is pretty self-explanatory and thousands of different
people all crowded onto one beach make up the Full Moon party.
After our Patong experience we didn’t expect the beaches to
live up to much
but they are out
of this world, pure
beautiful.
B
efore June I’d never taken a
gap year before and only ever
holidayed with family and friends
going no further than Greece. So this
summer I was well and truly ready to get
out of Europe and see the other side of
the world. I honestly did not know what
to expect, what with the slums in India
and various weather disasters that hit
Asia I was half scared, half ecstatic.
My friend and I saved like hell (cooking
instead of getting takeaways, predrinking instead of buying drinks out,
you get the picture) and finally decided
to go to Thailand for five weeks where we
knew we could live off as little as £150
a week including accommodation, food,
drink and travel around Thailand.
We knew that when we planned to go
28
it would be low season and possibly
torrential rain, but we decided to risk it.
So after revising extra hard to avoid uni
resits and buying all new holiday and
travel stuff we were set.
Our first destination was Thailand’s
capital, Bangkok, and boy could you
believe it. There were street food vendors
along every path allowing you to taste
real Thai cuisine at an unbelievably cheap
price. A common site is Thai’s wearing
masks because there is so much traffic
and pollution. The most fun way to travel
was by Tuk Tuk – a three-wheeler moped
with a roof, no sides and no seatbelts.
The guys who drive these things seem to
have no idea of what health and safety
is but that’s kind of what makes them so
exciting. Another shock to the system
was seeing the eight lane motorways with
cars ducking and weaving all over the
place and no-one really checking their
mirrors.
When arriving in Bangkok it’s hard to
know where to go first but a great place
to start is by sightseeing the temples and
boat rides that are on offer. Chinatown is
another on the list of to-do’s where there
are a crazy amount of markets and the
atmosphere is chaotic to say the least.
Everything you ever imagined and more
is on sale here and they even sell Pepsi in
a glass.
After a very busy few days in Bangkok
we decided to focus the rest of our visit
travelling the southern coats and islands
of Thailand. The largest island, Phuket,
was a real disappointment. Plane seemed
Last, but not least,
is Koh Phi Phi
famous for the
movie The Beach
which was filmed
on Maya Beach.
This island was
badly affected by
the Tsunami and evidence of this is apparent where some ruins
still lie. We stayed here for a good week because it was so much
fun. Don’t be put off by expensive hotels. If you’re not too fussy
about where you sleep and want a backpacker vibe then The
Rock Backpacker is available for £3 a night and is in the heart of
shopping and the beaches.
Tuvalu
Sorry Where?
D
uring the summer I was lucky enough to visit one of
the remotest countries in the world. Tuvalu only receives
about a hundred tourists a year and is situated in the South
Pacific half way between Australia and Hawaii. At 180 degrees
longitude it’s exactly at the other side of the world from Trent
Uni. A former British colony, it’s the fourth smallest country
and with a population of only 10,000 it’s also one of the least
populous.
When I first arrived I noticed a huge amount of commotion
at what seemed to be an airport but largely resembled a
garden shed, the entire village had come out to greet us as we
got off an old flimsy plane. This is what the locals call ‘plane
day’ it’s the only physical contact Tuvaluans get with the
outside world. Everybody is excited and eager to explore this
unspoiled Polynesian paradise. Tuvalu offers it in bucket loads
- breezy tropical beaches with crunching sand coupled with
coconut palms and breadfruit trees.
The main island (Funafuti) which I stayed on had an enormous
lagoon encased by uninhabited islets. On the outer islands,
which even fewer people get to visit, it is like going back in
time with no television, electricity, or rush hour. You can tell
Tuvalu only gets a few tourists each year, with only one hotel
and a hand full of B&B’s there aren’t many facilities here so
all you can do is sit back and admire the stunning views of the
lagoon, go fishing or watch the locals perform their traditional
singing and dancing.
I was surprised to see that on the main island it had satellite
television and internet access - but these were the only
modern amenities available. There are few shops and fewer
roads so getting around is either done by bike or by walking.
Fresh fish is sold everyday caught just an hour or so earlier by
the same person selling it. At night there are no street lights
so it can be quite tricky getting around but at the same time
you can hear choirs singing well into the early hours. Besides,
due to the size of the island it’s almost impossible to get lost!
If you’re looking for culture, cuisine out of this world, extremely
friendly and helpful people and stunning sites (to name some)
then Thailand is the place. What an amazing country.
The weather is typically sub-tropical. Hot sunny days are rarely
below 30 degrees and it is very humid so not it’s particularly
comfortable. A dip in the lagoon always cools you down but
be careful not to go into the ocean as there are sharks, as I am
often warned by the locals. Unfortunately Tuvalu has a rather
bleak future because it’s only 4.5 meters above sea level and
due to sea level rises, it will have completely disappeared into
the ocean by the end of this century and this is typical of other
small island nations in the Pacific. Visiting Tuvalu is like going
to another time, and due to it’s remoteness it has held onto a
unique culture and language, which not that many are lucky
enough to see and because of climate change it makes it rarer.
Words & Photos: Liz Riordan
Scott Evans
Travel
When summer comes
along everyone
enjoys a good holiday
on a sandy beach
with the sun blazing
down on them. But
a person like me
enjoys Wellingtons,
tripping over guy
ropes and messy hair
for a week.
F
estivals are ever
expanding all over the
world and England is
home to some of the most
popular.
This year after I
finished my gruelling exams
and then tried to fit about
thousand items of clothing
into three suitcases, I made
the train journey to my
home in South London from
Nottingham – but not for
long. Glastonbury was on
the horizon.
Worthy Farm
makes way every year to
250,000 people and for three
years I have experienced the mud, the
floods, the long drop toilets and this year
the sun paid a visit.
There is everything and
anything to do at Glastonbury. I watched
Snoop Dogg surrounded by people in
their 60’s and the next minute I was in
a Fatboy Slim mosh pit. My legs decided
to incorporate the annoyance of wellie
Whirlwind tour of
the British isles
Okay, so you’re a student. Welcome to
the masses of economic cannon fodder.
You’re at the age where you’re ready to
set off and see the world, but you feel
like you should come to uni and study.
Well, cheer up buttercup. An empty
wallet doesn’t have to be the bane of
your traveling fancies. There are plenty
of travel opportunities while you’re at
uni, and I’ll be bringing them to your
attention.
Grab your shiny new student rail card
you probably got when you signed up at
a select corporate bank, or that fixer bike
you’ve been keeping for show, a crate of
30
marks for weeks, and my skin was a
mixture of brown and white, although
the brown could have been dirt. The only
low point of the festival was standing
in a crowded field of 20,000 football
fans, watching England go out of the
world cup but alas the beer tents were
conquered as soon as the final whistle
blew. The highlight had to be watching
tinnies, and a compass app on your applepie-phone and get yourself over to…
Bonny Scotland. That’s right- there’s
more to offer here than Mel Gibson’s
terrible accent. There really is freedom by
the bucket load. You see, unlike England
where wild camping is frowned upon
there is no law against it in Scotland at
all, with the exception of camping on
private land without permission.
This wondrous fact means, for bugger all
you can tour the country before it gets
too cold, even on your knackered one
gear bike if your puffers are feeling up
to it! What better way is there to bond
with friends or to find yourself than to
travel across the free-country taking in
its amazing sights and whiskeys? There’s
plenty to do in Scotland, from its parallels
Stevie Wonder on an empty
stomach and a jam packed
bladder. A long drop toilet
rave finished off my last
night. Imagine hippies
dancing and singing to
R.Kelly’s ‘Bump N Grind’, I’d
like to say I had no influence
on the choice of song we sang
but people I know are reading
this, so I won’t even bother
lying.
Glastonbury then
closed its gates and just two
days later I was re-packing
my bag. My six girl mates
and I decided to take a
gamble and bought tickets
to a cheap festival in Eastern
France called Eurockeenes
– we still don’t know how to
pronounce it.
The line up
included Jay-Z, Missy Elliott,
The XX and many more
delights. We set up camp and
soon realised that we were
the only English people at
this festival, which is why we
made many friends and some
foes – French people really
do think we are crazy and none of them
understood our love for the Migraine
Skank routine. That was a benefit for us,
as getting to the front of Jay-Z and Missy
E was easy peasy. (To read the rest of this
article go to platform-online.net)
Words: Eleanor Jeffrey
Illustration: Jess Phillips
of city life to its quiet coastal towns,
cracking golf courses and vast water
sports lochs. There’s still some amazing
surfing in Scotland this time of year, but
if you fancy a crack on that, I’d suggest
a thick wet suite as the water rarely goes
above 10 degrees.
The most important thing is to respect
the country’s slightly treacherous
geography and plan well ahead, storing
important numbers like mountain rescue,
and planning your route carefully. That
said, the free camping means you’ll
always find somewhere to lay your head,
and the mishaps usually end up being the
best part of the trip. So if you’re stuck for
something to do next break, take a few
weeks up across Adrian’s wall as the Scots
would say, “aye ya ken!”.
Tarran Huntley
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Photos
‘Title’ | 00.00.09
Photos: Name
Edited by stefan ebelewicz ([email protected])
Freshers Ball
11th October 2010 @ NTSU
Photos by Gabrielle Brooks & Tom Seager
32
33
Photos
34
35
Photos
36
37
Health
exactly fresh out there but it’s better than
nothing. Remember that you don’t have
to go crazy constantly to have a good
time.
Edited by Lauren Roitman ([email protected])
HOME SWEET HOME
So the night’s over and you’re back at
your place (or someone else’s). If you can
manage to hold off collapsing in bed for
a few minutes, get yourself some water.
Drink one or two glasses before hitting
the pillow and you’ll benefit from it in
the morning. As you sleep, that water
will hydrate the stuff you used up going
overboard waving the glow sticks around.
THE MORNING AFTER
THE NIGHT BEFORE
DON’T LET
A GOOD NIGHT OUT
GET WASTED
H
ere’s the scene: you’re heading
off for a night out with friends,
and large amounts of alcohol
are going to be consumed, so how do you
manage to have a good night out minus
a messy ending? There’s a few easy ways
to make sure your night out is a good one
without ruining the fun. Alex Adams will
show you how.
EATING AIN’T CHEATING
Before heading out try and grab
something to eat. It doesn’t need to be
a huge meal - just a quick sandwich will
suffice while sorting out your makeup/
shirt. I know it sounds obvious but
having something to eat means you won’t
be the one calling a cab home at 11pm
because the booze has hit home and your
empty stomach can’t cope. You’ll also
be able to keep partying longer because
your stomach has something to work on
(it could stave off the craving for a dirty
kebab at 4am too).
THAT HANDY TENNER
It’s always a good idea to stick some cash
for the cab home somewhere separate
from your drinking funds. For example
38
another place in your wallet, your sock,
bra (for the girls not the guys, obviously)
- not somewhere where you’re going to
lose it when you’re a little fuzzy, but out
of the way enough to not tempt you when
you’re down to your last few pounds.
BETTER TOGETHER
It’s happened to all of us at least once
- you get to the club and within five
minutes you’ve lost all your friends and
no-one answers their phone - but don’t
fret! Find a good spot where you can look
over the crowd and leave them a text
telling where to meet you and stay there
for a bit. If you can’t find them and you
just want to go home, be sensible. It’s
unlikely your friends have decided to go
back to the first bar you visited so grab a
licensed cab from as close by as possible.
Resist the urge to walk home alone as,
guy or girl, stumbling around in the early
hours alone is never a good idea.
TAKE IT DOWN A NOTCH
Pace yourself. That doesn’t mean stop
drinking completely, just try and give
yourself some time in between drinks.
It’ll mean you won’t crash out early and
also your cash will go further as many
forget that it takes the body a while to
react to alcohol. If you think you aren’t
feeling it after your first Aftershock
(apart from the horrible burning
sensation in your mouth) give it a few
minutes before judging if that second one
is really needed.
H2…OHH
If you feel like you might have had a bit
too much there’s no shame in asking for
a glass of water before your next VodBull.
Most bars and clubs will provide free tap
water so it could mean you’re less likely to
spend the rest of the night getting better
acquainted with the club toilet (trust me,
it’s not a friend worth having).
NOT REALLY FRESH BUT
GOOD ENOUGH
Things getting a bit too hectic on the
dance floor? Feel like you’re overheating?
Take a break from showcasing that
awesome robot dance and have a stroll
round the club. Grab a drink from the
bar and relax for a few minutes. Even if
you don’t smoke you can always chill out
outside for a while – that’s if the smoking
area isn’t too packed. I know the air isn’t
Even if you ate beforehand and paced
yourself through the night, there’s a
chance you’re going to have some sort
of hangover, but fear not! You can
sort yourself out by using AWESOME
SCIENCE...
BE LIKE JAMES BROWN
Get up! I know walking around is possibly
the last thing on your mind at the
moment but it’s a lot better than lying in
bed in a horrible sickly haze - it gets the
blood flowing around and kick starts your
body into doing its ‘thang’ to process all
that booze. I’m not saying you should
go and do some sprinting - any light
exercise is a massive boost (yes that can
include “bedroom exercise” if you catch
my drift… Though I wouldn’t recommend
using “hey do you want to help cure my
hangover?” as a chat up line).
THIS AIN’T NO YOLK
While it sounds a bit strange, the myth
about eggs helping to cure a hangover
might actually be true. So grab that pan
and sort yourself out with some eggs on
toast. Not a fan of eggs? Beans work just
as well. As long as you eat something
that isn’t too greasy (that leftover kebab
can wait) you can’t lose. Getting food in
your system will help soak up any alcohol
left over in your stomach and gives you
energy to keep going through the day.
SUGAR,
AHH HONEY HONEY
One of the main reasons your head feels
like it’s being drilled is due to a loss of
sugars. So go grab something sugary but
try to avoid fizzy stuff if possible. Fruit
juice has naturally occurring sugars and
it’s healthy so that will do nicely.
THIS SH*T IS BANANAS
Another awesome cure for hangovers
is those wonky yellow things. The
potassium in them will help kick your
system back into shape and sort out
aches and pains. If bananas aren’t your
thing, sports drinks have some essential
vitamins in them too, so drink up!
KEEP IT GOING
Try to keep doing things throughout
the day. Resist the temptation to take a
nap at 3pm and just take things slowly.
Keep drinking water and that hangover
will soon dissolve, making you ready for
another good night out without the mess.
Alex Adams
39
Health
123
STD
W
ith the fun and frolics of
Freshers Week last month,
the last thing on students’
minds is the prospect of catching an STD.
Clare Bradbury explains how you can be
protected.
A record of 482,696 STDs was diagnosed
in the UK last year. These shocking
figures released by the Health Protection
Agency demonstrate a dramatic increase
in the number of STDs being recorded,
with Nottingham being a hot spot for
infections. Worryingly, Chlamydia, an
STI with very few symptoms but with
consequences as serious as infertility, has
increased by an alarming 7% since 2008.
Even more worrying for students is that
they are being most affected, with adults
aged 20-23 at the highest risk of infection.
So what can be done to prevent such an
increase?
What really needs to be asked is whether
young people are as concerned as they
should be by these recent revelations.
It would appear not. Amongst young
adults, STDs are not taken seriously
enough and this is scarily demonstrated
GET A FRESH
START
Here to help you get a fresh head for your fresh start, Tarran
Huntley, aka The Urban Monk, will help you gain some
enlightenment that you might not find in the deepest, darkest
depths of your hangover. Read, absorb and practise.
by the revelation that one in ten young
adults become re-infected within a year
of diagnosis and treatment, proving that
people are not learning from previous
mistakes.
It has been suggested that the reason
many of today’s youth are so naïve
when it comes to the prevention and
consequences of STDs is because they do
not receive enough guidance on safe sex
early on in life. Natalie Hurst, third year
Marketing, Design and Communications
student at Nottingham Trent confirms
this speculation: “I believe we are not
given enough advice prior to starting
University. It’s only since I have started
at Trent that I have really begun to think
about STDs.”
Third year International Business student
Jonny Upton disagrees, believing that
people are being made aware of STDs,
he says: “Something obviously needs to
be done but I think we are seeing signs
of this already, especially with the STD
checks at the Student Union.” Jonny adds
that the main cause for the problem is the
behaviour and attitude of young people
when they go out: “Students go on nights
out, get drunk and then don’t think about
the consequences of their actions.”
So what can students do to protect
themselves? A nurse from Nottingham
Trent’s City campus Health Centre advised
the use of condoms and regular screening.
Screening should be carried out whether
or not students have symptoms and is
available at the Trent City Health Centre
and NHS walk-in clinics. Students should
go for screening every time they change
sexual partner, and if they experience any
symptoms at all they should visit their
doctor as soon as possible.
Most STD tests are simple and quick,
with the Chlamydia test compromising
of urine test for boys and a simple swab
for girls - you can even get your results by
text. It really is worth the five minutes it
takes to have a test as it could save you
and your future partners a lot of pain and
embarrassment.
Clare Bradbury
I
n all honesty, is there one amongst us
who doesn’t wish they could be just
a little bit fitter? In a show of hands
for who wants a fresh start this year - I’m
sure I’d be looking at a sea of palms. So
why not make sure that this is the year
where you achieve a best-to-date on all
aspects of your health and well being. Be
it shedding that beer induced spare tyre,
beating the year long hangover that was
09/10, or just wanting to feel more like
you in a crowded club or busy street.
For me I’ve always struggled with my
identity, and like most men, wanted to
always be that little bit faster, a little bit
harder. But rather than lock myself away
and train or fly to the far flocks of outer
Mongolia to don a monk robe and skin
head, I’ve learnt how to balance myself
as a better all rounder by following
several principles of health, many from
the wisdoms of the East. Women, keep
reading as I shan’t leave you out - all
round health is the key for you too to
obtain a better body and better results.
There’s more to health than how many
star jumps you can do, or how many
press-ups you can strain out before the
inevitable flop to the floor - good health
starts with a strong head, and works from
there. The impacts of having good health
are innumerable. Good health means
good confidence - a feeling of well-being
that comes from within and shows on the
outside, a healthy body and outlook on
life means a healthier head and that could
be the missing link to that first or 2:1
you’ve been unable to reach.
So here’s how to start:
Respect yourself, no matter what the
40
situation, or the consequence, act honestly
and as you see right
Do not hesitate for deliberation is
dishonour. The hero is the one who
jumps in with honour in all situations,
yet does not seek this out. This is in
essence a piece of advice from the
samurai code of honour, or ‘Bushido’.
Still practised in Japanese culture today,
roughly translated it means that if you
don’t agree with something, don’t do it
because then you won’t respect yourself.
But never look down on those who do
things you disagree with, it doesn’t hurt
to have a foot in all walks of life. You
might be surprised who turns out to be
your best friends. If you respect yourself,
you don’t dwell on mistakes - you act in
the moment and can reflect with fond
memories and trust in yourself as a
person. The winner is the guy who fights
an army of a thousand on his own, with
no regard for his self. And he’s the only
man that will still be standing when it’s
through.
If you slack, win it back
You just wouldn’t be at Uni if you didn’t
kick back and chillax every now and
then. Have a few bevvies with some good
friends and do far too little work. But
there comes a time when you have to
step up to the ball court and shoot some
hoops. A deadline is a deadline, and work
should be done a long time before that,
so that you don’t worry yourself. If you
do it straight away, you can slack after,
and laugh at the people rushing around at
the last minute. If you want to stay lean
and trim, alcohol is not your friend, but
that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy it and
go a bit mental from time to time. But
the next day, you’ve got to man up and
shake off the hangovers. Hit my all time
best hangover cure of Bacon (full of sugar
and heart helping nitrates) and a pot of
anti-oxidising green tea.
A work out is one thing,
but a sport is a passion
If you’ve been hitting the gym, but not
quite hitting the level of fitness you
wished for, then maybe a sport is exactly
what’s missing. Training to keep in shape
can never provide the motivation that
a sport can, simply because if you’re
enjoying a good game, you barely notice
the physical strain. There are plenty of
sports to sample at NTU, so why not get
involved.
If it’s not fun, don’t bother
You get one shot at life, so make every
second count. Don’t do something if
you’re not going to enjoy it, or enjoy the
future benefits that it will bring. That
said, only boring people get bored, so
if you can’t find something to do, then
maybe you only have yourself to blame.
During your time here, do what you want,
but do it honestly.
So that’s basically what you got to do to
keep your head strong. Be yourself, work
hard and play harder. If you’re happy
on the inside, it shows on the outside.
You’ll find it easier to work, easier to
meet people, and most importantly, feel
comfortable in your own skin. From there
on you just keep reading my articles, and
I’ll soon have you looking like Bruce Lee,
sprouting Confucius wisdom and busting
the freshest moves seen this side of the
Serengeti. Have a great fresh start, and
I’ll see you next issue. I think I may still
don the skin head, if you see me around,
rub it for good luck or something.
41
Health
DON’T KEEP THE DOCTOR AWAY
W
hen you were at home, your
mother may have tended to that
temperature, got you the medicine for
that cough and booked you in to the
doctors for that interesting rash. Now
you’re at Uni, these are all things you
need to take into your own hands. To
ensure you’re not left scratching at that
flaky bit, Lauren Roitman will talk you
through how to get registered with your
campus doctors.
If you have already registered with your
new campus GP by filling out the forms
included in your welcome pack, then
you are one step ahead of the game. If
you weren’t that organised, there’s no
need to worry. Registering with your
campus doctor is easy and only takes five
minutes, a small amount of time that
could save you the agony of a serious
illness or ease your mind about an
ailment.
It really is as simple as dropping in to
your clinic and asking at reception to
register with them. They will then give
you the relevant paperwork that you
can fill out there and then. As a student
at Trent Uni you should put down the
address of your halls of residence or
house to check that you fall within their
practice boundary. You need to change
this when you move out of your halls.
After filling out the paper work you will
be offered a New Patient Check which
you can schedule to a time that you
are available. This check is important
to attend as this will give you an
opportunity to voice any health concerns
you have and discuss your medical
history. The campus clinics offer sexual
health screenings, repeat prescriptions,
contraception advice, and general
checkups.
The Sunrise Medical Practise,
Clifton campus.
The health centre here can at first appear
hidden away but don’t be deceived - it is
there, located behind the Lionel Robbins
building. You can call up to book an
appointment on 0115 848 3100 or walk
in and book an appointment. There are
two male GPs, Dr Avtar and Rashbal
Ghattaora. The female GPs also provide
regular session work for the practice and
you can request to see a female GP when
you book your appointment.
The practice is open in term time from
08:30 – 18:30 on Monday, Tuesday,
Wednesday and Friday and 08:45 –
13:00 on Thursday.
The Health Centre,
City campus.
The City health centre can be found
next to Byron House, the City Students
Union. Again, you can call up to book an
appointment on 0115 848 6481. There
are three GPs, Dr Kamlash Kaur (female),
Dr Richard Lonsdale (male) and Dr FahOnn Liau (male).
The practice is open in term time from
8:30 to 6:45 on Monday, Tuesday,
Wednesday and Friday and 08:30 –
13:00 on Thursday. In non-term time
the opening times vary as 08:30 –
16:45 Monday – Wednesday and Friday
and 08:30 – 13:00 on a Thursday.
Southwell Medical Centre,
Brackenhurst campus.
Brackenhurst campus does not have an
on-site health centre but the university
recommends that students register at
Southwell Medical Centre, about a mile
and a half from the campus itself. You can
contact the surgery on 01636 813561.
You can find out more information at
www.ntu.ac.uk/healthcentres
Lauren Roitman
Trent Voices
In just two days time Trent Uni will take to the streets of London for the NUS Demo to campaign against
the funding cuts to higher education. It’ll mean less financial support for students, as well as universities charging whatever they want for tuition fees. Sounds horrific, right?
Let’s see what everyone here on campus thinks...
Shwayb, 19, Law
Conor, 21, History
To be honest it’s probably a good idea coz
it’s so easy to go to university these days
that it devalues getting a degree.
Miguel, 20, Fashion
Photography
I wouldn’t be happy would
I, it’d be depressing.
I think they’re taking
Depressing times out
opportunities away from
there. I wouldn’t like it.
its own people so I think
it’d be the most horrible
thing.
NOTTINGHAM TRENT
Charlotte, 19, Business
Management and
Marketing
I’m already broke so I don’t
think it’s a good idea coz
no one has any money
‘cause we’re students. We
don’t have time for a job
coz we’re always at uni.
GET READY TO RIDE...
M
any students will have begun the
new academic year with optimistic
ideas for a fresh start and a healthy year,
hoping to burn off some of those calories
gained from the consumption of too many
Jagerbombs and VKs.
In the hope of achieving these
healthy intentions some students will fork
out for gym memberships which regrettably
might only be used a handful of times
because let’s face it, for many, the thought
of heading to the gym after being stuck in
the library and lectures all day really is the
last thing anyone wants to do. But surely
there must be a cheaper, easier and more
convenient way for students to get fit,
something that fits easily into their day to
day university lives? Well now there is.
NTU has teamed up with one
of the UK’s leading charities, Sustrans, to
introduce Nottingham’s first ever student
bike loan scheme. The £3.2 million scheme
42
encourages students to hop on the saddle
and hire a bike for the whole academic
year to use for all their travel and leisure
needs. Whether it’s to get to Uni and
back or for trips down to Market Square
for some shopping, the bikes provide a
fun, convenient and cheap way to travel
around the City. They are available for hire
at the amazing price of
£49 with a refundable
£100 deposit, making
them cheaper than a
year’s tram pass. Not
only that but that
£49 will get students
many biking benefits,
including lights and
locks, so students and their bikes will
always be safe and secure. Hirers will also
be provided with maps of Nottingham and
offered cycle training, guaranteeing that
students can cycle with confidence around
the busy city.
But the bikes are in high
demand and so signing up for a bike
through the Student’s Union website is
strongly advised. Steph Knowles, Health
and Wellbeing Coordinator at Nottingham
University Hospital NHS Trust strongly
encourages students to get involved with
the scheme, believing that it will have
enormous benefits for their wellbeing.
She says: “Being active reduces the risk of
a number of health conditions and helps
reduce stress and anxiety.” Therefore
students can have an easy way in their
daily lives to help combat the stress from
studying. Trent Students are strongly
encouraged to get involved in the Sustrans
scheme and hop on a bike, ensuring them
a healthier and happier year.
Clare Bradbury
Rose, 20, Fine Art
Charlie, 21, Fine Art
Luke, 19, Law
It’ll stop people who could
be brilliant at uni from
going coz they don’t have
enough money to go. So
it’ll be that the more
well off that’ll be able to
go rather than the more
abled.
It’s getting more and more
hard for students to go
through uni and they’ve
also got this huge debt
that they’ve got to pay
before they can even get
started on getting a job.
The cuts need to take place
somewhere but there’s
many other places that the
cuts can take place and I
don’t think education’s
one of the areas that the
government’s focusing on.
Poonam, 20, Biomedial Science
I’m already struggling with how much
the government’s given me so I definitely
wouldn’t be happy at all.
43
Arts
IT’S
ALMOST
PANTO
TIME
Oh no it isn’t! ...
Edited by Michael Worrall ([email protected])
Review
MARCIA
FARQUHAR
at Nottingham Contemporary
You get the idea...
‘Absent Friend’
L
Marcia Farquhar, Monkey House, 2003. Photo by J. Maizlish
W
hen taking my seat in Nottingham
Contemporary’s The Space, I
had no idea what to expect from the
performance lecture I was about to view.
Surrounded by ‘artsy types’, I wondered
if the piece would be utterly pretentious
and leave me feeling totally confused.
However, Marcia Farquhar’s down to
earth ramblings and Qcomplete openness
when talking about her personal life
appeared to touch the hearts of every
member of the audience.
Marcia Farquhar, a London based
performer, photographer and
video artist, was there to discuss
the fascinating people she had met
throughout her life, in relation to
the current exhibition of incredible
photographs by Diane Arbus. However,
from the moment the lecture began it
seemed obvious to me that the most
compelling character in this performance
was Farquhar herself.
Farquhar begins by saying that she is not
sure what she is meant to be doing here.
Is this a lecture or performance? “Well it
must be a performance”, she proclaims,
“I’m wearing a sparkly cardigan!”. She
then continues to joke around in her
44
scatty way, telling us of bad reviews she
has received, before suddenly realising
that she has a prepared lecture to give.
Her lecture, consisting of charmingly
verbose stories of characters who were
committed to mental asylums for pulling
their trousers down in public and midgets
who didn’t fancy other midgets, were
interspersed with harrowing tales of
an unloving father and a brother who
tried to kill her mother whilst on an acid
trip. It is this mix of humour with dark
personal stories that makes Farquhar so
mesmerising to watch.
The videos that Farquhar shows us are
strangely less compelling to watch than
watching Farquhar herself, cringing in
the front row with complete embarrasment.
Farquhar’s human emotions and
acceptance of all things strange and
eccentric is what will stay with me after
this performance. The audience left with
a feeling that it’s ok to be who you are,
even if you are a bit ‘odd’. In fact, the
odder the better!
Emma Melton
ALTERNATIVE
NIGHTS
OUT
IN TERM ONE
Freshers week is done
and dusted so if you’re
in need of a change or
want to do something
different, have a look
what else is happening
during Term One…
British Art Show 7
Nottingham
Contemporary
Saturday 23 Oct–
Sunday 9 Jan
Amy’s View
Nottingham Playhouse
Friday 5-20 Nov
Shakers
Arts Theatre
Tuesday 16-20 Nov
Jimmy Carr
Royal Concert Hall
Monday 22 Nov
Alan Bennett’s
The Habit of Art
Theatre Royal
Tuesday 2-6 Nov
Nottingham Operatic
Society’s
Beauty and the Beast
Theatre Royal
Tuesday 9-13 Nov
Ludovico Einaudi
Theatre Royal
Sunday 14 Nov
Chess
Theatre Royal
Monday 22-27 Nov
Mother Goose
Nottingham
Playhouse
Friday 26 Nov –
Saturday 22 Jan
Dick Whittington
Arts Theatre
Saturday 4-12 Dec
Aladdin
Theatre Royal
Saturday 4 Dec –
Sunday 16 Jan
ike it or not, it’s nearly Christmas
which can only mean one thing: it’s
almost panto season. The last week of
September saw the launch of this years
Theatre Royal pantomime, Aladdin,
starring Stephen Mulhern in the title
role.
The Platform team were
lucky enough to be invited to the press
launch event where the producers
revealed details of the 3D genie that will
be featured in this year’s pantomime.
For the first time at Nottingham’s
Theatre Royal, audience members will
have to wear 3D glasses for parts of the
performance to fully experience the
effects of the genie. Producers say, “Many
of the moments in the show such as
Aladdin’s cave and the magic carpet will
all be done as interaction between live
performers and 3D effects.”
Andrew Ryan is returning to
Nottingham’s pantomime for a second
year as Widow Twanky. He says, “I’m
delighted to be back! Last year I had
such a good time. It’s such a good town,
beautiful theatre and a nice company
we’ve got.” This will be Andrew’s
twentieth time playing the role of the
dame in a panto.
Gray O’Brian, recently seen
in Coronation Street, will take the role
of Abanazar, the same role he played
in Manchester last year. Gray hasn’t
been to Nottingham in 10 years since
he appeared in television show Peak
Practice. He says, “I’m looking forward
to playing Abanazar in a completely
different production and working
alongside the 3D genie.”
Stephen Mulhern will be
known to many as the presenter of
Britain’s Got More Talent, the ITV2
spin off of Britain’s Got Talent. After
performing a somewhat unsuccessful
magic trick with a member of the press
audience, Stephen says, “It’s an absolute
pleasure to be here, this will be my ninth
pantomime. To play Aladdin is going to
be great, I really can’t wait!”
Aladdin opens at the Theatre Royal in
Nottingham on Saturday 4th December
2010 and runs until Sunday 16th
January 2011. Tickets range from £10 £24.50.
Twanky. He says, “I’m delighted to be
back! Last year I had such a good time.
It’s such a good town, beautiful theatre
and a nice company we’ve got.” This will
be Andrew’s twentieth time playing the
role of the dame in a panto.
Gray O’Brian, recently seen
in Coronation Street, will take the role
of Abanazar, the same role he played
in Manchester last year. Gray hasn’t
been to Nottingham in 10 years since
he appeared in television show Peak
Practice. He says, “I’m looking forward
to playing Abanazar in a completely
different production and working
alongside the 3D genie.”
Stephen Mulhern will be
known to many as the presenter of
Britain’s Got More Talent, the ITV2
spin off of Britain’s Got Talent. After
performing a somewhat unsuccessful
magic trick with a member of the press
audience, Stephen says, “It’s an absolute
pleasure to be here, this will be my ninth
pantomime. To play Aladdin is going to
be great, I really can’t wait!”
Aladdin opens at the Theatre
Royal in Nottingham
on Saturday 4th
December 2010
and runs until
Sunday 16th
January 2011.
Tickets range
from £10 £24.50.
Michael Worrall
Review
MILTON
JONES
at Just the Tonic, The Forum
I
t’s standing room only as Milton Jones
takes to the stage for his sold out show
at Just the Tonic. Playing one of the
launch week headline slots at the club,
“him off Telly”, as the compere referred to
him, had the crowd constantly in stitches
throughout his hour long set.
Jones arrived on stage at about 9pm
dressed as an old man and pretending to
be his own grandfather. He then spent
the first 20 minutes of his set telling
jokes from this man’s perspective before
finally removing the disguise and finishing off as himself.
The warm up act, a young Geordie lad by
the name of Kai Humphries, really shone
and it’s fair to say that if tonight’s performance was anything to go by, it won’t
be very long until he’s selling out his own
headline gigs.
Every punch line hit home perfectly with
his superb timing, and it’s clear to see
why Jones has risen to fame so quickly in
the past year. With just the right mix of
edgy yet somehow acceptable material,
and with a quirky personality which
is instantly lovable, Milton Jones is a
comedian who will be gracing our screens
as well as stand up stages the nation over
for a long time to come.
With an entire new set, even from when
I last saw him a month ago, he showed
himself to be completely versatile and
ready to make the step up from clubs this
size to the bigger theatres and arenas
that will no doubt come calling.
James Gordon
45
Arts
Photos by Alistair Overbruck
Review
Review
GERT &
UWE
TOBIAS
at Nottingham Contemporary
JOSEPH
AND THE
AMAZING
TECHNICOLOR
DREAMCOAT
at Theatre Royal
U
pon entering the Gert and Uwe
Tobias exhibition at the Nottingham
Contemporary, I was immediately met by
a set of disturbing and unnerving images
that appear to mix the two brothers’
Romanian folk history with a sense of
bold, fast moving modernity.
The works consist of large scale woodcut
prints, small watercolour pieces, technical
typewriter works, and crude ceramic
figures. They are interspersed almost
randomly throughout the two rooms of
the gallery. The large mixture of mediums
create an instillation like style, allowing
the whole gallery to feel transported into
the world of the artists.
T
he UK tour of Joseph and the
Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
recently ran at Nottingham’s Theatre
Royal for two weeks. Having not seen
the show since I was eight years old, I
thought it was time for another visit.
The twin brothers develop their pieces
together and sometimes separately, but
they never take sole ownership of any
one creation. The way the contrasting
styles of work are mixed together allows
the audience to never quite distinguish
the work of one brother from the other,
enhancing the cohesion of their artistic
relationship.
Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s
songs were as catchy as ever and
audience members were humming along
to many of the shows hugely well known
numbers such as Any Dream Will Do and
Close Every Door.
Keith Jack, runner up in BBC1’s
Any Dream Will Do (the reality
TV search for someone to
play the role of Joseph in a
West End revival) returns
to the tour production in
the leading role two years
after playing the Narrator in the
2007/2008 season.
Jack’s young face lent itself to his cheeky
portrayal of the role. However as the
story progressed, I didn’t see any growth
in his character as he matured which I
imagine Lee Mead, winner of Any Dream
Will Do, would have been able to portray
more convincingly.
On the other hand, Jack excels in the
role vocally, a particular highlight being
the raw power of his ending to Close
Every Door.
Trina Hill stole the show as the narrator
and provided the vocal highlight in
Pharaoh’s Story. She opened the show,
radiating charm and warmth as she
interacted with the children’s chorus
46
Each work is untitled and no information
is given to lead the audience into an
interpretation. This adds to the strange
otherworldly feel of the show and allows
the viewer to get lost in their own fears
and imagination. However the lack of
during the prologue. Overall she carried
the show and I have no doubt that she
will go far.
The production is charming but doesn’t
take itself too seriously. The simple
set provides a colourful backdrop to a
production that relies on the talent of its
cast and popular score rather than the
spectacle.
The ensemble of brothers were pleasant
to watch as a whole but Will Tyler as
Reuben and Kevin Grogan as Benjamin
stood out and were particularly engaging
to watch.
Lachlan Scheuber brought the house
down as the Pharaoh but I found the
description could be detrimental to
an audience with less knowledge of
modern art looking for guidance into an
interpretation.
The main focus of the exhibition is on
the monumental scaled woodblock
prints. Some images appear to be almost
completely abstract while others portray
unusual and menacing gargoyle-like
characters with bold flat shapes hinting
at skulls and circus-like imagery. The
figures seem to link to folk art or
fairytales and ancient myths, however
the rough application of bright colour
on to flat square blocks denotes ideas of
painted modern machinery, suggesting
an interest of how the past and the
present can be mixed together.
This juxtaposition of time periods
appears again in the typewriter works.
These images, made by placing one piece
of paper repeatedly through a typewriter,
depict similarly unsettling characters. The
typewriter is an interesting object to use
as it was once considered revolutionary
and modern but now has been
overthrown by today’s computers. These
works again appear to link to machinery
with its technical drawing appearance.
In contrast to the drawn and painted
pieces, there is also a selection of surreal
collage style works inside large cases
in the centre of room one. These pieces
seem slightly separate from the rest of
the exhibition and have a sketchbook
type of feel to them. The collages mix
intense colours and sharp shapes with
creepy
Victorian style imagery and only add
to the unearthly uneasiness of the
exhibition as a whole.
Emma Melton
slapstick Elvis illusion a little dull. I
would have much preferred the stage
time wasted on the second part of
Pharaoh’s Dream Explained to be given
to Trina Hill’s Narrator who is most
definitely deserved of larger roles.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a show
with such a lengthy finale with endless
repeats of Close Every Door and Any
Dream Will Do and the everlasting
Joseph Megamix.
The show is a great night out, especially
for students who fancy something
different. If the tour production comes
near your hometown, it’s definitely
worth a visit.
Michael Worrall
47
Film
Edited by James Gordon ([email protected])
Director: Christopher Nolan
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Ellen Page, Joseph Gordon-Levitt
TOP SUMMER FILMS
Wright
stead,
Director: Edgar el Cera, Mary Elizabeth Win
ha
ic
M
Starring:
eran Culkin
Ellen Wong, Ki
The summer of 2010 was a great one for film. With some superb sequels, remakes as well as some excellent
original movies, the year’s blockbuster season has taken some really interesting turns. Indeed several of the films
will go down in history as all-time greats. Let’s look back at some of the very best.
U
Director: Lee Unkrich
Starring: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen
S
o often animated movies blitz out
rubbishy cheap gags to keep the kids
happy and just leave it at that. But Pixar
has never really gone down that route.
And they aren’t going to start now. Toy
Story 3 is a tale of loyalty, morality and
redemption, and it’s a truly cathartic
experience. You will cry with the
characters, you will fear for their very
lives, and you
will leave utterly drained.
Having grown up with this series, we
were the kids playing with toys the first
two times out, and now are in university
ourselves, and this is possibly why this
film works so well. We have all discarded
our toys thoughtlessly, with so little
regard for them, and it’s as if this film is
here to teach us the error of our ways.
There will be no Toy Story 4. This movie
has an utterly perfect end, and this
is where the trilogy must conclude.
It is impossible for any film to ever
be deemed “perfect”, but my, oh my,
does this come close. Pixar refused to
release a sequel to Toy Story 2 until
they thought they could better it
and indeed they have, and not
for nought: it’s a mile and away
better than anything else you’ll
see this year too.
Director: Ben Affleck
Starring: Ben Affleck, Jeremy Renner, Jon Hamm
F
ollowing on from Gone Baby Gone,
The Town is another stunning
example that Ben Affleck is far more
capable behind the camera than in front
of it.
I’d be lying if I said that a good 20
minutes into the film and similarities
between this and ‘Heat’ don’t make
themselves known, but what’s even
more interesting is how much big Ben
gives Mann’s masterpiece some decent
competition.
nless you’ve been living under a rock
for the whole of the summer, you’ve
probably heard the buzz surrounding
Scott Pilgrim. Based on a series of graphic
novels (created by Bryan Lee O’Malley),
this movie can only be described as a
cross between a video game and a comic
book, told through the medium of film.
Edgar Wright is quick to set out his stall.
This movie is going to be heavily stylised,
and it’s not going to compromise for
anyone. If you don’t like it: we don’t care.
H
ot damn Inception was good wasn’t
it? Not Toy Story 3 good, but in a
summer dominated by sequels about
jolly green ogres and big robots hitting
each other it was great to see a truly
original blockbuster title.
features some wonderfully layered
performances particularly by Juno’s
Ellen Page and Leonardo DiCaprio who,
between this and Shutter Island, is
having the sort of year most actors can
only dream of.
At its core Inception is basically a heist
film. A rag tag crew led by Leonardo
DiCaprio break into somewhere and
leave a great deal richer. Of course,
there’s far more to it than that, with
all sorts of mind-bending ideas about
dreams and the human consciousness
thrown about. However the reason
it works so well is down to these
surprisingly simple foundations.
Christopher Nolan is really proving
himself to be the master of the ‘thinking
man’s blockbuster’ and given the success
the film has enjoyed it seems that the
general public don’t mind exercising their
minds every once in a while after all.
Nick Staniforth
So much has been made of the films
perceived complexity that it seems
to have overshadowed all the films
other strengths. Obviously it
looks stunning but it also
The movie was met with cheers when it
screened at San Diego Comic Con, but
struggled to find a commercial holding
which is a real shame.
As a self confessed nerd myself, I loved
this movie – indeed it’s one of my
favourites of 2010 so far, and I can’t wait
to see it again soon.
James Gordon
Whilst the De Niro and Pacino film was
slick in every area, The Town is almost
intentionally rough around the edges as
Affleck orchestrates a brilliant game of
cops and robbers with Boston at its very
heart.
James Gordon
Like Good Will Hunting, the Boston is
just as much a character as the criminals
and coppers that are running around
in it.
Affleck’s talent in front of the camera
is just as good as when he’s behind it.
Bringing a cool and charismatic crook
to the table, this is another doomed
character with too many things holding
him down.
Nick Staniforth
48
49
Film
Back to the Future
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Starring: Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson,
Crispin Glover
I
will always remember the first time I
ever came across Marty McFly and Doc
Brown.
My dad had the trilogy on VHS, way back
in the day. I found it sat around and put
it in, and I literally watched the entire
trilogy in one go.
Delorean rocketing along at full speed
through the skies of 2015.
With a supporting cast including Lea
Thompson and Crispin Glover as lovebirds Lorraine and George McFly, and
Thomas Wilson as the evil bully Biff
Tannen, the cast gels so perfectly, no
matter which time period they’re in.
Every interaction is wonderful, and there
isn’t a weak link in the bunch.
With Back to the Future back in cinemas this month, and a Blu-ray release
imminent, one of the greatest trilogies ever is right back in the public eye.
This got the Platform film team wondering: just which trilogy really is the
best ever made?
Director: George Lucas
Starring: Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford
W
hat is there to say about Star
Wars that hasn’t already been
said somewhere before? George Lucas
created, in the space of three films, an
entire universe, full of characters and
stories which have stuck with the world
ever since.
Spawning an entire new trilogy, as well as
various Special Editions, and even a 3D
re-release in the works, this is one space
opera which just doesn’t know when to
say die.
It was amazing, and from that point
on I was hooked. I got the DVD as soon
as such a thing existed, and plan on
upgrading to Blu-ray in a few months
when that comes out because even my
DVD is looking tattered from over usage.
With action, comedy and romance
mixed to perfection, one minute we’re
laughing at an utterly cringe-worthy
scene in which Marty’s mother wants to
“park” with him, and the next we see the
Star Wars – The Original
Trilogy
The Lord of the Rings
Director: Peter Jackson
Starring: Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen,
Orlando Bloom
F
or me, seeing The Fellowship of the
Rings in the cinema was the moment
I fell in love with movies. It was the
Star Wars of our generation, a massive
fantasy epic with fantastic characters,
a real sense of place and jaw dropping
special effects.
What’s most impressive is the ways in
which the subsequent films continued
so naturally from the first, forming
a seamless experience while still
retaining their own identity.
The Fellowship of the Ring
was the wide-eyed exposition
heavy one, The Two Towers
was the dark one, The
Return of the King was the
epic one. Yet they were all
unquestionably part of the
same whole.
Of course all three films
are staggeringly good but
what makes The Lord of
the Rings my favourite movie
trilogy (over, say Star Wars or
Toy Story) is not simply the quality
of the individual films but the way in
which all three flow together into one
stunning whole. It’s a proper trilogy with
a beginning, middle, and an end. And it’s
stunning throughout.
Fielding some of the best known lines
in movie history – “No Luke, I am your
father”, “use the force”, and various
others, not seeing Star Wars is more
socially abnormal than actually having
done so.
To put it very simply: Mr Lucas is a
genius.
Toy Story
Director: John Lasseter (Toy Story and Toy Story 2),
Lee Unkrich (Toy Story 3)
Starring: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen
T
oy Story witnessed the birth
of the fully CGI movie, and the
birth of Pixar as a movie making
powerhouse.
Teaching a powerful lesson of
friendship, the first two movies
formed an important part of
all our childhoods – indeed
despite the wide range of
films Pixar has put out since
I don’t think they’ve come
even close to matching the
brilliance of those first two movies –
that is until Toy Story 3 came out.
Having seen it five times is plenty to
judge my reception to it.
Three literally perfect movies with a
message of loyalty and love. Woody,
Buzz, and all the rest of the gang will
always have a place in my heart, from
here to infinity (and beyond).
Kane Basterrechea
50
51
Film
Cinema R
eview
WALL STREET
MONEY NEVER SLEEPS
Director: Oliver Stone
Starring: Michael Douglas, Carey Mulligan, Shia
LaBeouf, Frank Langhella, Josh Brolin
Released: 06/10/2010
“
Well, you’re all pretty much f***ed.”
This is the view presented by the
infamous Gordon Gekko (Douglas), as
he makes his return to the big time. He’s
not just talking to the characters in the
film but to the audience, speaking of the
dangers of bad banking.
Director: Nigel Cole
Starring: Sally Hawkins, Bob Hoskins,
Miranda Richardson
Released: 01/10/2010
B
ased on the true story
of the Dagenham
Machinist’s Strike in 1968,
Made in Dagenham tells the
story of a group of women who
fought for their rights. They saw
an opportunity to raise the issue
of universal equal pay for women,
and seized it through the first major
industrial action for women in over
100years.
The leader of the group in the film is
Rita, a character created solely for
the film and an amalgamation
of several of the key people
in the real strike. It seemed
screenwriter William Ivory
created her as a figurehead
through which he could tell
his story.
Rita is a woman who did
not ask for the power she
was able to yield. She was
simply thrust into the
limelight and seized an
opportunity to unite the
country behind her.
It wasn’t going to be an easy
journey and her marriage, as
well as the other relationships
in her life, was brought right to
52
the very
edge as
the strike
went on.
But she
refused
to give up
and she
persevered regardless, leading eventually
to a speech at the Trade Union Congress,
the likes of which the Rita of the start of
the movie could never give, and yet her
growth as a character and as a person
brought her there.
With an all star British cast, the film’s
most powerful moments come from a
superb cameo from Roger Lloyd Pack
(best known for The Vicar of Dibley
among others), as George, an exserviceman, ravaged by the horrors of
war. George’s relationship with Connie,
one of the union liaisons at the factory is
briefly yet powerfully explored on screen
and when an inevitable tragedy strikes
in this subplot, repercussions are felt
throughout the remainder of the film.
Equal parts funny and overtly political,
Made In Dagenham has the potential to
do well not just here on home turf, but to
make the jump to international success.
James Gordon
If there was anyone better in the world
of cinema than Mr Insider himself to
teach us this lesson, I can’t think who it
might be. And with Oliver Stone in the
director’s chair, this had all the makings
of being the first film to really capture
the anger behind the banking sector
crisis and turn it on the right people.
Set against the modern day credit crunch,
the film follows Jacob Moore (LaBeouf),
a “wall street guy”, working for a firm on
the brink of collapse in 2008.
When his boss commits suicide, and
with the entire banking sector on the
edge of the inevitable meltdown, Jacob
seeks revenge on the man he sees to have
been to blame for the rumour mongering
which caused the crisis – rival banker Bretton James
(Brolin, in by far the best performance in the movie.)
The problem with the film is that there isn’t nearly enough of the
Gordon Gekko character in it. Every scene Douglas is in is superb, but
there are whole stints in the two hour plus runtime in which he just disappears
from the screen for a while, and ultimately Shia LaBeof isn’t good enough to hold
the film up on his own in the lead role.
What the film needed to be was a deep, involved exploration into the power of the
banks and the issues at the heart of Wall Street before the crash, but instead too much
time is wasted on the sub plot surrounding Gekko’s attempts to reconcile with his
estranged daughter (Carey Mulligan), who as it happens, is engaged to Jacob.
The film is certainly an entertaining watch, and well worth a viewing if you enjoyed
the original, but somehow it lacks the real punch that would once have been expected
from Stone’s work and which would really have been needed to drive this story to
be what it could have been: a crippling exposé on exactly why the world allowed the
banking sector to pull wool over our eyes for so long.
James Gordon
53
Gaming&Tech
Edited by Aaron Lee ([email protected])
The wheels have once again begun turning as the
academic year gets underway. Whether you’re a fresher or a
returning Trent Army recruit, you’ll no doubt have settled in
to your new homes, met lots of new faces and probably be
wondering where all the start-of-term celebrations went. If,
like us, you spent a little too much time partying instead of
reading that module booklet or brushing up on your cooking
skills then fear not - we’ve got an app for that.
by Aaron Lee
For those that don’t know, Skype is
a free web service that allows you
to send instant messages and make
calls to anyone in the world - just so
long as they have a Skype account.
All you need is to be connected to a
3G network or Wi-Fi hotspot and hey
presto, chat to your heart’s content. It
even supports multiple callers. It can
put a drain on your data limit, but it’s
a great way to save on your phone bill
without switching contracts.
Pricey by app standards, but this
app is perfect for those of you who
regularly travel by train, whether
you’re returning home to see friends
or visiting other parts of the country.
You can plan journeys between
stations, look up platform departures
and save multiple stations to your
favourites. Best of all, the ‘next train
home’ feature automatically finds
your nearest stations and checks the
time of the next train back to your
home station. It’so much easier than
waiting in line when your connecting
train is cancelled.
54
It’s an unwritten fact that Facebook
will destroy your degree. Fortunately,
Wikipedia will most likely be the
source that saves it. This mobile
version gives you instant access to the
world’s constantly-changing free
encyclopaedia on the go. This means
you can do some much needed background reading before that theoryheavy seminar. Only, don’t trust
everything you read. But you knew
that, right?
Though oddly named, this is actually a
surprisingly capable scheduling
application. Through it, you can
organise your entire university
timetable, post notes for deadlines,
appointments and more. Once filled in,
a summary of your day is automatically
displayed and additional information
on locations and people can be added.
But the downside is that, at the time of
writing, thie app only uses US settings
and language i.e semester for term. A
free version, iStudiez Lite, is
also available.
The following apps are for iPhone
and iPod Touch devices, however
most have similar Android and
Blackberry equivalents.
Being students, we’re all prone to a bit of
healthy experimentation. Of course, that
can all too easily become a pattern of
unhealthy abuse, leading to nightmare
hangovers and embarrassing ‘cold
turkey’ doctor’s orders. This app won’t
help you stay on your feet after having
one too many, but it may help to avoid
such unpleasantness in future by
gauging your alcohol intake.
See more tech features online at www.
platform-online.net
Unless you’ve got some kind of vendetta against social networking, chances
are you’ll already be using this app.
Though some may loath to admit it, Facebook is an essential app for students,
connecting you with coursemates,
societies, union activities, parties and
gossip that’s best left in halls. Seeing
as 90 percent of group work now gets
arranged via its messaging services,
Facebook will be a frequent retreat
for work and leisure. Careful though,
scientists are still yet to discover a cure
for 24/7 Facebook addiction.
Late to a lecture and forgotten your
notebook again? No worries. Evernote
supports text, photo, and audio notes.
All of them can be synced with an
online account, so you can access your
notes anywhere. It’s a useful way to record quick memos or full lecture notes.
Geo-location tagging and the ability to
search text within photos also makes
finding the note you want in a snap.
Okay, strictly speaking this one isn’t
an app, but you can still access it from
your smartphone. Supercook is a nifty
little website that generates recipes
specifically for your food stocks. Add
your available ingredients and
Supercook will source hundreds of
recipes to satisfy your hunger. It
clearly marks which recipes you’re
ready to make and offers others if
you’re willing to pick up one or two
ingredients. If you want to steer clear
of old student fallbacks, like pasta
smothered in ketchup, Supercook
should be in your bookmarks to keep
your meals exciting and practical.
For second and third years especially
when marks go towards your degree,
myHomework is a neat organisational
tool. It allows you to keep track of
your essays, projects and exams with
a straightforward calendar system.
Assignments are colour coded, so you
can see when they’re due and when
they’re late.
A little encouragement can go a long
way. EpicWin is an interactive
to-do-list with a role-playing game
twist. You assign your own tasks and
are rewarded with points for every
conquest. After all, completing that
lingering essay is a triumphant feat of
intelligence, or calling that old friend
- you know the one we mean - for
the first time in months surely takes
great spirit. Alongside your everyday
persona, you can add many more
outlandish and fantastic quests of
your own design in this outstanding
productivity app. Collecting loot and
levelling up has never felt so
righteously fulfilling.
55
Sports
Gaming&Tech
Wii Party (Wii)
Publisher: Nintendo
Released: Out Now
W
ii Party is the latest mini-game compilation for the
Nintendo Wii, complete with more than 80 minigames for you, your friends and family to enjoy in
front of the TV. From the start you are captured by the vibrant
and colourful charm of the game. A little side Mii character gives
you information and instructions throughout the game which
makes it simple and easy to pick up and play - perfect for a bit
of casual gaming and something to bring out when you have
friends around.
There are three different modes: Party Games (1-4 players), Pair
Games (1-2) and House Party (2-4). Party Games were the clear
favourite after playing with friends and family. In total there
are five games taking on the role of virtual board games - very
Edited by William Taylor ([email protected])
similar to the Mario Party series for those of you who have
played it before. The games last between 30 minutes to an hour.
Board Game Island is by far the most enjoyable of the games,
with constant hilarious mini-games in between to keep even
those without a controller entertained.
Unfortunately, the Pair Games are a little weaker. They mainly
consist of matching up colours and answers with a few minigames in between. They are also shorter than the party games
ranging between five to 15 minutes. The House Party games also
share this time limit but are much more interactive. A few of
them require you to listen to sounds and share the Wii Remote.
Having the choice of being able to share remotes is a wise
feature for us students because, like many people, you might
only have two remotes and don’t have an extra £60 floating
about to splash out on more.
Welcome back to your new year at Trent!
A
s the term starts, it’s just the right
time to get into the new ice hockey
season and support your home team, the
Nottingham Panthers.
Now I know many of you will possibly
prefer the likes of the more mainstream
sports like football and rugby but I urge
you to give this a go.
The Nottingham Panthers are currently competing in the Elite Ice Hockey
League and they have got the season off
to a good start with a 4 – 3 win against
the Belfast Giants.
Kim Dowthwaite
For more reviews, head online to platform-online.net
56
A review has been called for.
Speaking to the local paper the Nottingham Post, coach Corey Neilson admitted
the referee did have a say in his side’s
defeat.
With the Challenge Cup trophy securely
under Coach Neilson’s belt, maybe the
Panther’s can still snatch this year’s
elusive League title with a little more
hard work.
been signed as the new netminder for
the Panther’s this year replacing Kevin
St Pierre.
But for all you freshers and Trenters that
have returned to Nottingham, I must
mention that the Panthers aren’t the
only ice hockey team in Nottingham.
The two universities also have their own
joint team, the Nottingham Mavericks,
which is the most successful university
ice hockey club in Britain.
This, paired with a more cohesive element
to their game, could see them beat their
rivals, the fierce Sheffield Steelers.
Annually the players from Nottingham
Trent and the players from University
of Nottingham will go head to head for
the big varsity game which is not to be
missed. The A team for the Mavericks
have been entered into the University
League this year.
The team this year welcomes back forward left shooter David Clarke and for his
third year straight we see the return of
Jade Galbraith.
Oliver Soward, President of the Mavericks, says: “We won the league in 2005,
2006 and 2007, and were runners up
last year.”
Belfast Giants have stormed into the
league top spot with Sheffield Steelers a
close second.
Former Boston Bruin, Jay Henderson
also makes a welcome return after a
strong finish for the Panther’s last year
although he’s currently not playing in any
games due to injury.
So if I haven’t managed to convince you
to go and watch the Panthers, I hope I
have convinced you to go and support
your university’s team so we can show
Beeston the real Trent Army.
Consequently the sell out game against
American Craig ‘K-Wall’ Kowalski has
Emma Baker
They have kept up this winning streak
with a 7 – 4 away win against Coventry
Blaze and then a good 6 – 4 home win.
After celebrating their 25th anniversary this year it’s becoming
a struggle for Nintendo to find new and innovative games. A lot
of them have been done in other mini-game compilations before
and similarities can be seen with Mario Party. While there is a
lack of main games to choose from it’s priced quite well at £35
and comes as part of a Wii Remote bundle pack. It’s good value
for money and a good way to start off a party in your house.
Nintendo isn’t short of games in this genre and Wii Party may
not convert you, but it’s harmless fun and does what it says on
the tin.
bitter rivals Sheffield Steelers saw another defeat for the Panthers which has
sparked speculation regarding some of
the referee, Andy Carson’s, decisions.
The tight Braehead Clan were the first
team to beat the Panthers in a league
match, who ironically are coached by ex
Panther Bruce Richardson.
This 4 – 3 loss resulted in the Panthers
being knocked down from second place
in the all important league table.
57
Sports
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Owen Bra
Here,
Nottingham Forest – ‘The Reds’
T
he biggest outfit in the city,
Nottingham Forest are most famous
for their success in the 1970s when they
became one of a select group of clubs to
win two European Cups. It wasn’t always
this way though.
After being founded in 1865
Forest spent their formative years
playing second fiddle to city rivals Notts
County (more about them later). They
enjoyed a couple of early FA Cup victories,
but spent most of their time languishing
in the second and third divisions of the
Football League.
That was until 6 January 1975
when legendary manager Brian Clough,
later joined by partner Peter Taylor, arrived
to transform Forest’s fortunes forever.
The Reds won promotion to
the First Division in Clough’s first full
season in charge and their ascendency
didn’t stop there. In their first season
back in the top flight, Nottingham Forest
became Champions of England for the
first – and only – time in their history.
That wasn’t all. The following season
Forest became Champions of Europe after
beating Malmo 1-0, and retained the
trophy the following season with another
one goal victory, this time over Hamburg.
In less than five years Clough & Taylor
brought a glut of silverware to the City.
Peter Taylor left the City
Ground in 1980, but Clough stayed
for another 13 years, going on to win
another pair of League Cups. He forever
stamped his mark on the club which
he himself had dragged from relative
obscurity, and his statue stands in
Market Square as a testament to that.
It could be said that the ghost
of Clough still lingers over the club that
he built – in the years since his departure,
Forest’s search for a return to the glory
days has been in vain.
Yes, there have been
highlights, such as when manager Frank
58
Clark, himself a player under Clough,
marshalled a team consisting mainly of
his former boss’ players to a runnersup spot in the Premier League and an
impressive UEFA cup run, but that has
been about all.
He was sacked when the
1996-97 season turned into a relegation
battle, and that really was the final
taste of glory for Reds fans. In the years
that followed a succession of managers
came and went with little success (don’t
mention David Platt’s name to Forest
fans) before in 2005 the unthinkable
happened: Nottingham Forest became
the only European Cup winners to slip to
the third tier of their domestic league.
But enough of that. Recently,
things have been looking up. The Reds
finally fought their way out of League
One in 2008 and last season were just
two games away from a return to the
Premier League. Now managed by Billy
Davies – a feisty Scot whose enemies
outnumber his friends (not that he
would care) – Forest are a different
proposition to the side who limped
through the 2008/09 season under
previous manager Colin Calderwood.
A controversial figure at the
best of times, Davies is currently locked
in a power struggle with the Nottingham
Forest board – owner Nigel Doughty and
chief executive Mark Arthur to be precise
– and some feel Forest’s on-the-field
progress have been slowed by the conflict.
Speaking before the season,
after a summer in which speculation about
his future was rife, Davies said: “I’ve got
two years on my contract. I want to get my
head down and look forward to this great
challenge. Time will tell how we move it
forward and what happens in the future.”
He’s still in charge at the time
of writing this, though Forest are yet to
find the form which saw them dominate
the Championship at times last season.
Davies is also another example
of the curious ties that exist between
Forest and their arch-rivals down
the A52, Derby County (if you’re ever
referred to as a ‘sheep-shagger’, you’re
being compared to a Derby fan).
Davies took Derby to the
Premier League a few years ago, while
Brian Clough managed Derby to a First
Division title a full six years before he did
the same in Nottingham. Forest fans will
argue both men are a more successful fit
at this end of Brian Clough Way. Since
2007 every time the two teams meet they
compete for the Brain Clough Trophy.
Even now, former Reds &
England striker Nigel Clough (son of
Brian) is in charge at Derby. Safe to say
the rivalry between the two clubs is as
fierce as ever.
If you ever fancy taking in a
Forest match, head for the City Ground
on the banks of the River Trent. The Reds
have called this place home for over 100
years, but if your stay in Nottingham
becomes an extended one, this could
change because Forest have announced
plans for a move to a new 50,000 seat
stadium elsewhere in the city, as part of
England’s 2018 World Cup bid.
A final piece of advice: never,
under any circumstances, refer to
Nottingham Forest as ‘Notts Forest’. It’s
wrong, the locals don’t like it, and it’s a
good way to lose native friends quickly.
Player to watch – Lewis McGugan
There are plenty of candidates for this,
including Polish midfielder Radoslaw
Majewski, but since he’s a local boy
McGugan gets the nod. Still in his early 20’s,
the England under-19 international already
has more than 100 appearances for Forest.
A creative player who mainly features
from the bench, McGugan has a knack for
scoring wonder-goals, and already has a
pair of braces to his name this season.
Notts County – ‘The Magpies’
F
orest may be the biggest club in the
city, but there is no doubting that
County are the oldest.
In fact County are the oldest
professional club in the world, having
been founded in 1862 and becoming one
of the founder members of the Football
League in 1888.
There is also much truth
to the legend that Notts County are
responsible for the black and white
stripes synonymous with the giants
of Italian football, Juventus. Magpies
fans will rightly point out that they had
the strip first, before it was exported to
Turin after Juve’s old pink kit faded too
much in the wash.
County call Meadow Lane
home, and have done since 1990. The
stadium is remarkably close to Forest’s
City Ground, with only a gentle meander
of the River Trent separating the two sides.
For obvious reasons, the two teams never
have home matches on the same day.
The Magpies struggle to
match their cross-river rivals in terms
of silverware or glory – County have
just the single FA Cup victory in 1984 to
their name – but also found success in
the 1970s under a legendary manager of
their own. Jimmy Sirrel spent ten years
at Meadow Lane in two spells, and guided
the club to the First Division in 1981 to
end a 55 year absence from the top flight.
Thanks in part to Sirrel, Notts
have the dubious honour of being the
club with the most Football League
relegations and promotions in history –
that’s 13 promotions and 15 relegations
if you’re counting.
In recent seasons Notts
County have returned to the national
conscious, though again for slightly
dubious reasons. If you’ve heard of
Munto Finance, Sven and Sol, then you
already know the end of this story.
County fell into financial
trouble in the early naughties, and
only the intervention of local business
saved the club. Notts struggled along,
flirting with relegation to the nonleagues virtually every season. Then
in 2009 Munto Finance took over the
club, promising multi-million pound
investment and a plan to reach the
Premier League in five years.
Ex-England boss Sven-Goran
Eriksson arrived to become Director of
Football, Kasper Schmeichel and Sol
Campbell arrived on big money deals,
and the future looked bright for the
black and whites.
The wheels quickly fell off.
Campbell played just one match before
leaving (apparently League Two football
wasn’t what he expected), Eriksson left
claiming he had been lied to along with
everyone else, and Munto Finance were
gone – the promised millions having
never materialised.
Miraculously, Notts survived
and were promoted at the end of the
season, and are now adjusting to life in
League One under new owner Ray Trew
and new manager Craig Short.
They’ve kept the core of last
year’s winning team and Short, who spent
three years at Meadow Lane as a player, is
excited by the challenge: “If I can enjoy half
as much success here as a manager as I did
as a player, it’s going to be a fantastic time
for myself and the club.”
Short added: “We have made
some good signings. Some of them
have stepped down a level to join us.
They have all come here because they
think we have got a chance of winning
promotion, and we have got a chance.
We are not just going to make up the
numbers in League One.”
Nottingham United
B
ased in West Bridgeford, Nottingham
United occupy a place at the opposite
extreme of the football spectrum.
While Forest and County
reside in the second and third tiers of
the English football pyramid, United’s
top team compete in the 12th, eight divisions and a million miles below League
Football.
United are the babies of the
Nottingham football scene. Formed in
April 2008 when a group of friends from
around the Midlands decided to form
a team, the club has blossomed to now
include numerous teams in different
divisions, a ladies team and even a cricket
team.
Player to Watch – Ben Davies
He may not be a spring chicken, but at
29 Ben Davies is arguably in the form of
his life. The attacking midfielder found
the net 16 times last season as Notts
were promoted, and already has seven
this campaign. His performances have
been attracting the attention of clubs
higher up the league, and the Magpies
might struggle to hang on to him in the
January transfer window.
59
Sports
Apart from a degree and plenty of new friends, Trent Uni has loads
more to offer you, such as 40 different sports clubs which you can get
involved in. We’ve put the spotlight on two of them so you can find
out exactly what they do and how it works.
I
B
rash and full of confidence, staring into a camera,
his eyes bulging with showman insanity, and
his mouth wide open uttering the words ‘I am the
Greatest, I am the Greatest’.
It was 1975 and the young man making these
bold claims was Muhammad Ali.
Ali is recognised by many, including himself,
as the greatest boxer of all time not only
for his genius inside the ring but also for
his political pursuits and endeavour to
promote human rights outside of the ring.
Even this legendary figure had to start
somewhere and that’s in the hearty but
modest world of amateur boxing.
Amateur Boxing is where the whole spectrum of fighters begins their career, from
the featherweights like Manny Pacquiao
to the heavyweights like David Haye.
Its rules are simple. Three sets of three
minute rounds with a one minute break
in between. Due to the headgear being
worn by amateur boxers the matches
get scored on the amount and quality of
valid and skilled punches that hit your
opponent.
This lively and somewhat brutal sport
was at its most popular when the world’s
top fighters slog it out in the Commonwealth and Olympic Games.
However this noble routine of trying
your hardest to knock your opponent to
the floor using the speed and power of
the punch is making its way into the vast
and exciting territory of NTU Sports.
Some may see boxing as an animalistic
and slightly idiotic pursuit – perhaps a
pursuit that is no longer as important
in the modern times of iPhones, Xboxes
and microwave meals.
60
The logic is undeniably appealing: why
spend your free time dancing around in
a ring with another bloke whose main
priority is to knock you out when you
can be downloading the latest app or
thrashing your mate at FIFA?
Yet boxing is a sport which can give you
extreme fitness. As well as power and
stamina, you can learn to be quick and
agile. Its rhythms and routines promote
discipline, courage and creativity.
The Trent Boxing society has been a
prime sports society at Trent Uni for a
few years now and with the infamous
catchphrase of ‘float like a butterfly,
drink like a fish’ the boxers always make
a lasting impression on the Wednesday
night socials at Ocean.
This year dawns a new era in Trent
boxing because we will be competing
in amateur boxing competitions
and representing Nottingham
Trent University in our first ever
fight against University of Nottingham as part of the Charity
Varsity Series at the end of the
academic year.
After a year of hard work and hours
spent in the gym perfecting skills in
exchange for sweat and lactic acid we
will hopefully have a fighting fit team to
represent us at the Varsity Series.
Whatever your gender, size, shape and
boxing ability join us in our campaign to
get Trent fighting fit and skilled in the
mastery that is boxing. Whether you just
want to be a spectator, or train with us,
make sure you are a part of what promises to be an amazing year for
NTU Boxing.
Dan Burden
ntu lacrosse
magine the scene: not long after getting off the boat which has carried
you from your native Europe, you find
yourself in the new world (United Sates
of America).
You are confronted with hundreds and
thousands of new humans with darker
skin and long unkempt dark hair throwing a small wooden ball between sticks
made of wood with deer guts and skin as
a net all in the name of the Creator.
It’s no wonder that the pilgrims were
terrified of the game the natives called
Tewaarathon or ‘little war’.
In the past six years the number of people playing Lacrosse has gone from six to
sixty-four making it the fastest growing
sport in British Universities & Colleges
Sport (BUCS) alongside its growth in the
UK and USA.
The first and probably most obvious
difference is that the men have to wear
helmets and gloves. Why? Well because
men’s Lacrosse is full contact.
This includes the hitting of the stick on
stick and also the body check, fists and
arms onto the chest of the main person.
Try typing in ‘Lacrosse Hit’ into YouTube
and see what it comes up with. You won’t
be disappointed I assure you.
There are ten players on the men’s team.
One goalie, three defenders, three midfielders and three attackers. Each player
has their different roles to fulfil and even
have different sticks.
Defenders are allowed a stick two feet
longer than the other players - only four
of these are allowed on the field at one
time however.
This year NTU Lacrosse will be having
both their men’s and women’s team featuring in BUCS and with a huge success
from the girls last season, the men will
need to step up to the plate.
The offside rule is different here than in
most sports. In Lacrosse you must have
four people in your half at all times. If
you were to drop down to three then the
ball is transferred to the other team.
If you want to get involved but have no
idea how it works, no worries. Below
you will find the basics of the men’s and
women’s game which will hopefully get
you amped up and ready to get training
for the new season.
There are no free throws or free shots
unlike other sports, players get sent off
from anywhere between thirty seconds
and five minutes.
The Men’s Game
Before I started playing, if someone
had mentioned ‘Lacrosse’ I would have
assumed they were talking about that
odd girls game with gum shields and long
wooden things.
I was very wrong. Since playing I have
learnt that when it comes to the men’s
game there are a lot of fundamental differences.
This doesn’t sound a lot for an eighty
minute game but when the ball regularly
travels over sixty miles per hour and the
ball can be thrown the length of the pitch
it can be the difference between a win
and a loss.
The Women’s Game
Lacrosse is originally an American sport
and those who have watched American
pie will have experienced first hand what
the male version is like.
With girls however there is one fundamental difference. They don’t have padding, just a mouth guard.
Women’s lacrosse does not promote
physical contact as such but it does allow
stick to stick contact.
Players are able to hit the opponent’s
stick to try and obtain possession of the
ball.
This is commonly known as ‘checking’.
To prevent checking a player can ‘cradle’.
Cradling involves moving the stick from
side to side in front of your face.
No one player is important - everyone is
equal on the playing field and everyone
makes a difference.
Whether you’re attack, defence or even a
goalie you will matter. Lacrosse consists
of 12 players - 5 in attack, 5 in defence, a
centre and a goalie.
The aim of the game is to hold possession
and throw the ball in the back of the net.
A game lasts 20 minutes each way so 40
minutes in total.
This may seem brief but when you are
running up and down the pitch the whole
time 40 minutes feels long enough. So
what is lacrosse? Lacrosse is fast, physical
and most of all good fun!
For more information about the team
head to trentlacrosse.weebly.com to see
our pretty faces and stats.
NTU Lacrosse train at Clifton’s all weather ground every Tuesday and Thursday
and welcome players of all experience.
For more information Facebook search
NTU Lacrosse Society or email at [email protected]
Christian Baker
61
OVERHEARD
Student 1: “That homeless guy’s looking
at me like he wants my money.”
Student 2: “No, he’s looking at you like
he wants a blowjob.”
Boy pointing at the pavement to his
friend: “This is where I threw up last
night...”
Girl to her boyfriend: “Well you
should’ve shaved your balls then...”
Boy: “But I hate it when it grows back and
you feel like you have a hedgehog under
your cock.”
Girl: “I wouldn’t know...”
Guy: “Sorry about the sex...”
Girl: “...Don’t worry you will get better.”
‘If you overhear something hilarious send it in to Platform at
[email protected] and we’ll try to feature it in the next issue.
Guy in library: “I don’t really like children
at the best of times... when they’re naked I
HATE THEM!”
Two girls about to go on a bar crawl
Girl 1: “Where we going first?”
Girl 2: “Lloyds.”
Girl 1: “Oh where does he live then?”
Girl 2: “....”
Girl: “Why did you accept my hamster
on Facebook but reject me?”
Lecturer: “How would you persuade
someone to do something? Discuss.”
Student (in hushed tones): “Just whip
out your mandingo...”
HOROSCOPES
Aries As Mars aligns, and perhaps
collides with, Jupiter, the resulting
massive explosion is reflected in that
horrible wart that will start growing
out of your neck next Tuesday. A close
friend will promise love - love for tequila
and unspeakably greasy donner kebabs,
washed down with your drunken snog.
You silly, silly sheep.
Taurus A load of bull? Well, that’s
probably not what you thought will
emerge from a future presentation.
But you’re wrong. Halfway through the
third slide, your bottom will parp so
loudly that a nearby car alarm will go off.
Pfffwwaaaarp.
Gemini A relative will send their best
wishes, but more importantly they will
also send a wad of cash which shall be
duly “put towards studies” as you down
Apple VKs for a week straight. Soon after,
an intimate encounter with a black bin
bag will draw near. Take the chance which
fate has given you.
Cancer Tread cautiously this month
because you’re walking on eggshells. That
may be due to Neptune’s orbit or because
a housemate plans to stage an egg-rich
food fight in the kitchen. Something
involving fancy dress will appear on the
horizon, but watch out for dodgy dark
alleyways. You never know just who, or
what, will be lurking around the corner.
Leo Move on quickly, very quickly, because
62
a dare will materialise and for some reason
it involves locating expensive cars and
jumping up and down on their bonnets. A
big impact to your life occurs soon. More
accurately, to your skull when the Mercedes
owner tracks you down and introduces you
to the wrath of Mars, or a severe pounding,
or whatever.
Virgo Why do you always destroy
everything you touch? I’m not talking
about the TV or the car battery that
you’ll put in the microwave in about
two week’s time. I’m talking about
‘RELASHUNSHIPS’. Perhaps that
explains why you’ll make a move on your
best friend’s ex and have the asteroid belt
rain death and fire on their face. Or just
make them feel bloody awkward. Sigh.
Libra Squelch. That’s the sound of
you attempting to come to terms with
a tonne of overwhelming, overflowing
emotions. Well, actually just plain
motions. Because this is just a clever way
of saying that you will sit in a literal pile
of your own steaming, well, poo.
Scorpio F*ck, the sun is bright. Well
it’s brighter than your brain apparently,
because the ‘close encounter’ with this
hot ball of gas everyone likes to worship
is a direct result of you agreeing to try
to steal it. A random stranger will have
major meaning soon. Hurrah. At least
that’s one more friend to add to your
four-digit friend list on Facebook. Aren’t
you popular this month?
In the shop on Clifton campus Girl: “I can’t get on with lasagne, I
don’t like all the different levels, you eat
some and you get like a million different
levels... Okay, not a million, about four,
but still.”
Lecturer: “This is an exam! Therefore
please switch off all Blackberries,
Strawberries, Raspberries, or any other
forms of soft fruit that can be used for
communication purposes!”
At Clifton cash machine Boy: *smashes keypad* “GIVE ME
DINNER!”
NOTTS EVENTS
November
8th- Paramore- Trent FM Arena
9th- Bomb The Music Industry – The
Maze
10th – Formosa – Belle & Jerome
(Beeston)
11th – A Genuine Freak Show –
Spanky Van Dykes
12th- Professor Green - Gatecrasher
13th – David Rodigan – Stealth
14th – Oxjam – Golden Fleece
15th – Dirty Mondays – The Forum
Capricorn Seven days will appear
round about the start of next week. I
can feel a Monday approaching shortly
afterwards. But unfortunately for you,
you hate Mondays.
Aquarius You will get dragged,
drugged and Gandalfed into appearing in
a live action roleplay game in the middle
of a Nottingham Forest peat bog. Then
you’ll wake up and realise you’re stuck in
the middle of a real actual peat bog, or
whatever that giant leak is at the bottom
of Gavin’s, ahem, Gandalf’s basement.
And he’ll be getting hungry/horny. You’ll
wish you still had that foam sword.
Pisces All of the above, but not via the
stars. Pagan style, you will chuck up at a
mate’s birthday next week and tell the
future from your own horrific chunder
which looks suspiciously like burnt cabbage
and the contents of the cup at the centre
of ring of fire that your housemate swears
he never added shoe polish to. Look, don’t
shoot the messenger, eh?
24th- Dark Dark Dark – The Malt Cross
25th- Good Shoes- The Bodega Social
Club
26th – Johnny Foreigner - Gatecrasher
27th- Wherehouse
28th – Wild Honey DJ’s – Fade and the
Hard to Find Cafe
29th – Salem – The Bodega Social Club
30th- Biffy Clyro - Trent FM Arena
NTSU Entertainments
Weekly Events
Sagittarius The constellations show
that you’re taking control of things. But
you are about to hit an obstacle, lose
control, and learn that ‘things’ refers to
‘steering wheel, gearstick and brakes’
while Orion’s dog appears celestially run
over. Look forward to the full moon,
because it’s going to be standing in the
middle of Maid Marian Way with its
trousers down during RAG week.
16th – A Skillz – Spanky Van Dykes
17th – Castrovalva – The Central
18th – Haiku Salut – Lee Rosy’s Tea
Shop
19th- Jamie XX, Joy Orbison - Stealth
20th- Smokescreen – The Maze
21st – Isy Suttie On Tour – The Forum
22nd – Exodus – Rescue Rooms
23rd – BBC Philharmonic – Royal
Centre Hall
EVERY MONDAY
Event: Dirty Mondays
Time: 10pm – 3am
Cost: £4 on the door (Discount tickets
available from The Pulse)
Venue: The Forum - NUS ONLY
EVERY TUESDAY
Event: Kiss Kiss @ Oceana
Time: 9:30pm – 3am
Cost: £4
Venue: Oceana - NUS ONLY
EVERY WEDNESDAY
Event: Campus
Cost: £3.50 adv
Venue: Ocean - NUS ONLY
EVERY THURSDAY
Event: Quids In
Time: 8pm
Cost: Free
Venue: The Pulse, NTSU - NUS ONLY
EVERY THURSDAY
Event: Chic @ Gatecrasher
Cost: £4
Venue: Gatecrasher
Discount tickets available from Quids In
at The Pulse from 8pm - NUS ONLY
EVERY THURSDAY
Event: 2UNED
Cost: £4 b4 midnight / £5 after
Venue: Rock City - NUS ONLY
Discount tickets Quids In at The Pulse from 8pm
EVERY FRIDAY
Event: Double Vision
Time: 9:30pm – 2:30am
Cost: £4
Venue: The Point, Clifton - NUS + Guests
EVERY SATURDAY
Event: Climax
Time: 9:30pm – 2:30am
Cost: £4 b4 midnight / £5 after
Venue: NTSU - NUS + Guests
Featured Events
Friday 12th November
Assault, The Pulse, 9:30pm
£2 b4 11pm / £3 after
Monday 15th November
Big Quiz, The Pulse & The Point, 8pm
Kinki Kasualty, The Forum, 10:30pm
£3 ADV / £4 Door
Funky Friday, NTSU, 10:30pm
£2 in advance £3 on the door
Monday 22nd November
Giggle, The Pulse, 8:00pm
£3 adv / £4 door
Assault, The Pulse, 9:30pm
£2 b4 11pm / £3 after
Tuesday 30th November
Assault, The Point, 9:30pm
£2 b4 11pm / £3 after
Sunday 28th November
uLive Presents Missing Andy, 7:30pm
£6.50 in advance
Big Quiz, The Pulse & The Pulse, 8pm
er
Clifton Events for Novemb
Live Sport at The Point. Keep up to date
with live sports action along with great food
and drinks offers. See posters around The Point
for more details.
NTSU Ents wants to bring you what you want. Do
you want a night of stand up comedy? Do you
want some live music? Do you want a night of
cheeeesy Karaoke? Or do you want some good
old fashioned Bingo? We will be finding out what
you want, then serving it too you on a plate with a
big helping of drinks offers to get you in the mood.
Keep an eye out for Thursday, its coming to The
Point, Clifton.
er
Brack Events for Novemb
Mon 8th , 22nd The Big Quiz
Thu 11th, 18th, 25th Chillout Thursday
Fri 12th, 19th, 26th The House Party
Saturday 13th, 20th, 27th Quids In!
Sunday 14th, 21st, 28th Chillout Sunday
Tuesday 16th, 30th Casino Night
Wednesday 17th November Casualty Event
Stay in the loop
Join now for exclusive info, event listings,
ticket giveaways plus all the latest videos and
photos!
Facebook Fanpage:
facebook.com/trentstudents
Facebook City Group:
Search for ‘The Official Nottingham Trent
Freshers 2010’
Facebook Clifton Group:
Clifton Students’
Facebook Brackenhurst Group:
Brackenhurst Students’
Twitter: www.twitter.com/NTSUents @
NTSUents
Website:
www.trentstudents.org/cityents
www.trentstudents.org/cliftonents
www.trentstudents.org/brackents
63
Your Union.
Your City.
Your University.
Your Big Idea.
The Students’ Union is here to make your time at Trent the best it can be.
To make sure we can do this, we need to know what you want changing.
Whether you want something changing in the union, university or local
community, letting us know what your Big Idea is could not be easier:
1. Go to www.trentstudents.org/bigideas
2. Fill in the form with your Big Idea
3. Keep checking your email and trentstudents.org
for the latest on how your Big Idea is progressing.
Remember:
we can’t try and give you what you want
unless you tell us you want it!
www.trentstudents.org/bigideas

Issue 1 – November 2010

Transcription

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