haze of thunder - The Courier Archive
Transcription
haze of thunder - The Courier Archive
www.thecourieronline.co.uk Monday 24 March 2014 Issue 1290 Free The Independent Voice of Newcastle Students HAZE OF THUNDER Rap’s foremost enigma Angel Haze on sexuality, rivalry and frontin’ p.28 COSTA DEL MARS p.32 Est 1948 COME WITH ME p.22 Cockroach catastrophe THE FILTH AND THE FURY: Several cockroach traps laid in Bowsden Court filled up quickly as students battled the famously nuclear resistant critters. Image: Katherine Jones By Emily Keen Deputy News Editor Residents of university accommodation at Bowsden Court have been battling a cockroach infestation since September. Speaking to The Courier, students of the accommodation block criticised the University for the way they have handled the situation over the last six months. The pests were identified as German cockroaches, a small but tenacious species, that can survive for up to five days without food. Most commonly active at night, the roach is know to emit an unpleasant odour when excited or frightened. Paul Bandeen, University Flats Manager at Newcastle University, said: “Our staff were notified of a problem with cockroaches at a flat in Bowsden Court on 9 December 2013 and we arranged for our pest control officer to address the issue the next day and visited the property on a number of occasions.” However, first year student Katherine Jones from flat 14B, told The Courier that the pests were present in September when freshers moved in but that she’d “never seen many cockroaches before so wasn’t exactly sure what the pests were”. She says “a cleaner first identified them as cockroaches in October”. Traps were then set up in December throughout the “The worst block. The morning thing was after the traps had when two been set up Kathercrawled out ine said: “I thought I was going to throw of the up, it was disgustmicrowave” ing, the traps were all full.” Katherine and her flatmates complained about the state of the traps and lack of action taken by the University to continually tackle the problem. They were told that over the Christmas holidays the whole block would be sprayed by pest control and that more traps would be set. By January, although the rest of the block appeared to be free of cockroach- es, ground floor flats remained infested. Katherine described how they returned at the beginning of the month after the break to find dead and pregnant cockroaches in the traps and others still running around the kitchen. “They kept coming out of my food cupboard, the worst thing was when two crawled out of the microwave!” Some traps were placed on work tops in the kitchen that “were right next to where we were cooking and next to the oven so we were making food surrounded by dead and squirming cockroaches”. Bandeen acknowledged that “when the students came back to the flat after the Christmas break they found that the pest control action had not resolved the problem, the University offered to move all residents to alternative accommodation while we rectified the issue” and that this didn’t happen until “midJanuary”. Flat 14 say they spent the January exam period addressing the issue of cockroaches in their flat rather than revising. Katherine told The Courier that their repeated complaints were often met with dissatisfactory replies of “I’ll let some one know” and “we’ll see what we can do”. Andrew Crawford, a first year History student and resident of the infested block, told The Courier how, even though his flat was clean by January, he felt sorry for fellow residents. “I wouldn’t have liked to have lived fearing into Leazes using the metro and paid for multiple taxis. Katherine said: “For the five weeks in Leazes we were stuck between two places. I didn’t really feel like I had a home and the University were keeping us in the dark, they didn’t keep us updated with the Bowsden situation.” With little warning, the uprooted residents were told in mid-February they had to leave Leazes within a sin- that a cockroach could come crawling out of a cereal box in the morning, plus they didn’t get help with the problem for a long time, which was unfair,” he said. Three of the five residents of Flat 14B moved into temporary accommodation after the exam period in Castle Leazes. Although they were offered a van to help them move, it turned out to be an empty promise. The students moved gle weekend and move back to Bowsden. They were welcomed back by the sight of dead cockroaches on the floor. This story prints just days after an NUS report into student accommodation called ‘Homes Fit for Study’. Widely picked up by the media, it reveals that over three quarters of students have Continued on page 4 Traps were laid right next to the oven so we were cooking and making food surrounded by dead and squirming cockroaches News 2 News Editors: Anna Templeton and James Simpson Deputy News Editor: Sabine Kucher and Emily Keen [email protected] | @TheCourier_News BREAK THE STIGMA ROW YOUR BOAT Newcastle coach awarded brand new rowing accolade “A man with one watch knows what time it is; a man with two watches is never quite sure” In SU pledges to tackle preconceptions about mental health 9 10 SPORT Joe Wood debates whether the world is all going to shit BOYCOTT THE BOYCOTT Lecturers threaten to refuse marking work- is it fair? 36 38 STRIKE A POSE We take a look at sport’s best celebrations MARCH MADNESS The ultimate bracket for the Wednesday cup A Prince Harry imposter has conned an Austrian floor fitter out of thousands of pounds over Facebook. The pretend prince asked the workman to renovate the parquet floors of Buckingham Palace and persuaded him to transfer £23,000 to various UK bank accounts. The floor fitter visited police on Friday having not heard from ‘the prince’ for more than two weeks. - Lee Segall COMMENT IS THIS THE END? Facebook fraudster ix 5 6 Wise words: Technology Crime m e h t thecourieronline.co.uk/news NEWS The Courier Monday 24 March 2014 Beauty Cheeky spunky 67-year-old Stella Ralfini from London claims to have discovered the secret of younger looking skin. She leaves a mask of semen on her face once every two weeks for up to 15 minutes. The protein and minerals in sperm are thought to reduce wrinkles. Ralfini says “Your lover’s semen is the freshest cell therapy available on our planet. This beauty secret is worth its weight in gold, and it’s free!” Social Media #nomakeupselfie Last Tuesday a flood of ‘#nomakeupselfies’ started inundating social media timelines along with calls to cure cancer. The fad has been perpetuated by nominations and cropped up over 15,000 times on Twitter alone. The campaign appears to be entirely spontaneous although many cancer charities claimed the selfies to promote donations. It is hoped that the nudienominations although potentially equally prolific, will prove a safer pastime than nekandnominate and altogether more philanthropic. Britain Emily Keen Politics #Hashtank Ukraine has been harnessing social media to raise much-needed funds for the army. The Ministry of defence’s official facebook page urges people to “support the army of Ukraine with material, technical and medical supplies”. 9.9m Hryvnyas (£611,000) has been donated over mobile phones in less than three days. You can text 565 to contribute. Bizarre NUSU, King’s Walk, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8QB. Tel: 0191 239 3940 The Courier is a weekly newspaper produced by students, for students. It’s never too late to get involved in the paper, whether you’re a writer, illustrator or photographer. Just visit thecourieronline.co.uk/getinvolved for more information. Luffable campaign Last Wednesday Tory MP Sir Peter Luff mounted a heartfelt campaign to address the plight of left-handed pupils. Left-handers, declared Sir Peter, “are having their self-esteem eroded because they are not being given the correct support in the classroom”. It has been suggested that a child’s scissor choice, if incorrect, could lead them to believe that they are not good at art and design due to “cutting out difficulties”. Sock Horror Sandwich chain Subway is investigating claims that store ovens have been used to dry socks in Worcester. Jessica Hinton spotted an image on Instagram showing wet socks and gloves drying in the ovens. The staff member in question apologised in a private message to Ms Hinton saying her boss “didn’t think it fair (she had) wet feet for a nine-hour shift’.” Politics Culture Hide and Sheikh Paul Stainthorp(Flickr) Metro trains in Dubai are to be turned into an art gallery it’s been reported. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum says he hopes to “inspire and communicate with every employee on his way to work, every student on his way to pursuing education and every tourist visiting Dubai”. Construction is to start in the next few weeks. Bizarre Crime Pound palava A new pound coin billed to be the most secure coin in the world is to be introduced in 2017 to combat counterfeits. The coin will be modeled on the old threepenny bit a 12-sided coin used between 1937 and 1971. Fears have been expressed that the coin will not work smoothly in the Robinson Library’s hot beverage vending machines. Food Politics Snap, crackle and cock A man from Teeside is in a stable condition after having his penis cut off last week. Kelvin Hewitt was found on the A66 in Middlesbrough last Thursday and claims his penis was mutilated in a gypsie revenge attack. The emergency services and police closed the road for several hours but despite thorough searches they have not managed to recover the organ. Masha Maltsava (Flickr) Beggar’s banquet JD Mack(Flickr) A 100-year-old beggar in Dubai has died leaving behind a secret fortune. The woman known as Eisha has been begging since she was a child and has collected over 3m riyals (£480,000). When asked by friends to stop begging, she apparently refused telling them “she was preparing for hard times.” Editor George Sandeman Deputy Editor Tom Nicholson Web Editor Ben Brown News Editors Anna Templeton and James Simpson Deputy News Editors Sabine Kucher and Emily Keen Comment Editors Lydia Carroll and Joe Wood Deputy Comment Editor Victoria Armstrong Culture Editor Sam Summers Lifestyle Editors Evie O’Sullivan, Elizabeth Archer, Hazel Parnell and Katie Smith Fashion Editors Amy O’Rourke and Frances Stephenson Deputy Fashion Editors Rebekah Finney Beauty Editors Amy Macauley and Safiya Ahmed Arts Editors Millie Walton and Charlie Dearnley Deputy Arts Editor Laura Wotton Film Editors Muneeb Hafiz and Jacob Crompton-Schreiber Music Editors Kate Bennett and Ian Mason TV Editor Beth Durant Deputy TV Editor Helen Daly Science Editor Lizzie Hampson Deputy Science Editors Peter Style and Emad Ahmed Sports Editors Nick Gabriel, Freddie Caldwell and Francesca Fitzsimmons Copy Editors Lucy Davis, Emma Broadhouse and Megan Ayres fabio achilli (Flickr) The Courier is printed by: Print and Digital Associates, Fernleigh House, 10 Uttoxeter Road, Derby, Derbyshire, United Kingdom, DE3 0DA. Established in 1948, The Courier is the fully independent student newspaper of the Students’ Union at Newcastle University. The Courier is published weekly during term time, and is free of charge. The design, text, photographs and graphics are copyright of The Courier and its individual contributors. No parts of this newspaper may be reproduced without the prior permission of the Editor. Any views expressed in this newspaper’s opinion pieces are those of the individual writing, and not of The Courier, the Students’ Union or Newcastle University. The Courier news.3 Monday 24 March 2014 Campus celebrates diversity day By Charlie Dearnley On Wednesday 19 March, the basement of Newcastle University’s Student Union played host to 12 stalls, and performances from a variety of Newcastle University’s cultural societies for Diversity Day 2014. There are currently over 4000 international students from over 110 countries studying at Newcastle University, but the event was aimed at all students interested in exploring new cultures. The event invited students to come and learn about other nation’s cultures. International officer Sophia Doan, who co-organized the event alongside Varun the racial equalities officer, commented of World War 2 to promote peace and union. Society representative Thuy Anh divulged her own exchange experience: “I went to Brazil for one month this summer, it was a bit of a culture shock. People were concerned about crime, but everyone was so friendly.” Alongside these stalls there were a variety of performances throughout the day, ranging from traditional cultural dances, to music and clothing displays. Amidst these performances the Indonesian society performed an arrangement of John Lennon’s Imagine solely with angklung; a traditional Indonesian instrument made of resonant bamboo. There was also an incredible solo Bollywood dance performance from Roma “Some societies even needed to transport their costumes from other cities to Newcastle. I was very touched when listening to their stories. I was very proud of them” that, “we planned this event for all students to come and explore different cultures. I contacted many societies but only a few of them could manage to participate.” She followed, stating, “I think the main purpose of having a national or cultural society is not only to bring all students from that country or culture together but also to present that culture to other people.” Entry to the society exhibition was free throughout the day, and in the evening food was offered from many cultural and religious societies at the rate of £5 for five plates. During the day the Malaysian Society stall was teaching people how to make origami cranes. Visitors were then invited to write a short message upon the model and leave it amidst the growing pile of origami sculptures on the table. This activity was done in acknowledgment of the current missing Malaysian Bizarre Airline airplane; flight HM370, which went missing on 8 March with 239 people on board. Conversation regarding the flight was rife at the stand, and many people enjoyed contributing to the origami with respectful recognition. Upon many of the cranes was written “Pray for HM370.” The AIESEC stall sported large number of cupcakes, each with a different national flag. On the back of each flag was a quiz like question, providing information and fun facts about various countries. AIESEC is an organization present in over 110 countries promoting youth exchange. It was created in the aftermath Wadke. Sophia Doan enthused “I love all of the performances in the event. I particularly appreciate the commitment and enthusiasm of all students who represented their cultures in the event.” An array of traditional clothing demonstrations from various societies took place throughout the day, showing an extensive assortment of style and colour spanning many cultures. At the Vietnamese Society stall visitors were given the opportunity to don traditional Vietnamese attire for a photograph, includThe activity ing nón lá, which was done in roughly translates acknowledge- as leaf hat. Sophia Doan exment of the plained “Some socicurrent eties even needed to transport their cosmissing tumes from other Malaysian cities to Newcastle. airplane, I was very touched flight HM370 when listening to their stories. I am very proud of them.” The society representatives were extremely welcoming and conversational, obviously incredibly keen to share all of their own cultural differences, differences that showed all the more clearly with other cultures readily approachable in one room. The evening event saw food from various religions and cultures decorate the hall. At any stand a ticket worth £1 was exchangeable for a plate of cultural cui- CULTURAL COMMUNITY: Stalls, performances and national cuisine were enjoyed by students. Images: Diversity Day sine. In reflection of Diversity Day 2014, Sophia Doan had this to say: “Although we did not have many societies, all stalls, performances and food were prepared carefully and presented lively.” “I am very pleased that all of the visi- tors and the members from the societies had such a great time at the event. I saw many happy pictures on Facebook during and after the event. It was wonderful to see students in their colourful traditional costumes and watch them performing their traditional music. Our efforts in 2 months were definitely paid off.” “I hope that next year there will be more societies signing up for the event… I hope our successors next year will continue this “tradition” and organise even a better event.” Police bid to bin Toon happy hours By Alice Kirkland Northumbria Police Commissioner Vera Baird has said she is fed up with Newcastle’s attitude towards drinking and wants to punish irresponsible bars and clubs that promote happy hours and the infamous ‘3 Trebles for £5.’ On the 1 November, Newcastle was the first city in the UK to introduce a late night levy. This meant that bars and clubs selling alcohol beverages between the hours of midnight and 6am have to pay a variable tax which is then split be- tween the council and the police. A report by Balance, the North East alcohol office, showed that close to £160 million was spent by Northumbria Police on dealing with 112,545 alcoholrelated crimes. Councillors insisted that the levy’s aim wasn’t to reduce night-time drinking but to recover some of the costs of these alcohol related crimes. Club owners had been resistant to the tax initially however they were assured that the money would be put back into areas such as increased CCTV and police officers which in turn, could save them money. But Ms Baird wants to go further still. She claims bars and clubs offering deals in Newcastle such “People as 3 Trebles for £5 obviously get are irresponsible and dangerous. drunk but She wants to offer I rarely see a ‘lose it or pay up’ anti-social offer of a tax cut to bars which promise behaviour” to scrap these deals. “If they introduce good policies such as not selling to people who have had too much to drink, or not having the likes of happy hour deals, we will see if we can reduce the levy for them.” When asked if she felt Newcastle’s drinking culture had gotten out of hand, Katie Read, a Second Year Modern Languages student said: “People obviously get drunk but I rarely see anti-social behaviour. I always feel safe because there’s so many bouncers around. “The scrapping of drink deals would make going out more expensive for me as a student and unaffordable.’ The news has provoked mixed reviews in Newcastle. Although the plans ap- pear to deal with drink related crime and disorder, some people worry about the economic effects, especially taking into account tourism income. Second Year Geography Student Natasha Hemsley told The Courier: “By taking away happy hours and drink offers, you’re reducing the appeal of Newcastle’s nightlife which is the main source of tourism and economic income for Newcastle. “The clubs are confined to Osborne Road in Jesmond and a small part of the city centre away from main residential areas so it’s doing little harm.” 4.news Monday 24 March 2014 The Courier Business sets out to vet landlords By Holly Abbotson Mark Robinson, a third year Business student at Northumbria University, is launching a website that aims to provide students with the information they require to make more reliable housing choices. He spoke to The Courier about the benefits the website, StudentLandlOrder.com, could bring students: “The main aim of the website is to make the student housing market a much better place through providing information on which businesses provide the best service and which aren’t as attentive or reliable,” he explained. A large proportion of students experience problems with their house or their landlord, which can often be left unresolved. “During my second year at University my housemates and I really struggled with our landlord and letting agent. The house itself was in a poor state of repair but the letting agents didn’t care less and made no effort at all in getting the house into a fit state for us to live in. There was no urgency on their part or any real sign that they were even taking us seriously.” Due to his negative experience with his landlord, Mark decided to use his business degree to his advantage, spending a year on a placement, establishing and developing a website to help students like himself. The website provides a service that allows students to review and rate their landlords and letting agents. The website also allows landlords and letting agents to reply to students concerns. “This shows both sides to the story, makes the service fairer for all users, but still allows students to make up their own minds on the businesses being reviewed.” Mark believes that this type of service will play a huge role in helping househunting students, as well as preventing problems that can occur once students occupy a house. “The excitement of looking for a student house can often get to students who start to think that all of the good houses will be taken, leading to them jumping into deals on the first reasonable house they come to. By using the website students can see who is rated highly and make their decisions accordingly.” Mark has had a positive response from the launch of his website, the test site having been “a real success” with plenty of feedback from students that have been using the website. With the launch of the official website, Mark is aiming to get more students across England and Wales to post their reviews, so the service can progress to be even more informative and helpful. In the future Mark is hoping to expand this service across the rest of the UK: “The aim is to eventually to cover all University towns and cities within the next two years. “This will allow students living in small campus towns to benefit from the service, not simply those students who live in the larger cities.” ACCOUNTABILITY: The website allows students to review housing services. Image: Mark Robinson “It is both disgusting and unacceptable that students should live in vermin infested housing” Continued from front page had problems with the condition of their home. Over half have condensation issues, almost half have mould and a quarter has slugs, mice or other pest infestations. NUS Vice President of Welfare Colum McGuire said that: “Although there’s a commonly held perception that poor quality student housing is a right of passage, it is “The infestation both disgusting and unacceptahas already that students overshadowed ble should live in a long period of vermin infested housing in this the year” day and age”. Since 2004, Newcastle University has been registered to the Student Accommodation Code designed “to protect students rights to safe, good quality accommodation”. Students living in block B at Bowsden court pay £98.84 per week at an annual rate of £3,755.92. This cost will rise to £3,994.78 next year. The University’s accommodation website assures students that they “endeavour to provide a comfortable living environment favourable to both study and relaxation” and that they “take their responsibilities seriously”. The Student Accommodation Code states that if necessary, “urgent work should be carried out within 24 hours” and that “you should be given 7 days notice for planned work”. Despite the presence of roaches in September, the University did not start addressing the infestation until December and it took six months for the accommodation to be entirely free from cockroaches and in a state “comfortable” to “study and relax” in. The students’ main concern was with the way the University’s accommodation service dealt with the issue. Paul Bandeen, Manager of University flats and Henderson Hall, told The Courier: “The unfortunate reality is that infestations of pests do happen from time to time where large groups of people live together and although we have a dedicated pest controller, the nature of the problem means occasionally we do not resolve the issue first time but we do all we can to tackle these issues quickly and with as little inconvenience to our students as possible.” Katherine acknowledges that unfortunate things can happen but said, “the way we’ve been spoken to and the way it’s been dealt with hasn’t been right at all”. The students were awarded with three weeks worth of rent in compensation. They believe it is an inadequate sum to cover the upheaval they have faced since September. “I haven’t lived away from home before and I wasn’t comfortable to call a cockroach infested kitchen home,” she said. “It hasn’t been a great start to university, the infestation has already overshadowed a long period of the year,” she added. German cockroaches are one of the most persistent of urban pests, it has popularly been suggested that if humanity destroys itself in nuclear warfare, these hardy roaches will ‘inherit the earth’. Although no cockroaches have been found in Bowsden for nearly one month, and the University tells residents “the situation has been sorted”, Katherine remains sceptical: “they told us it was sorted before Christmas and it wasn’t. I wouldn’t be surprised if they came back.” The Courier news.5 Monday 24 March 2014 LGBT Queerstion Time hits campus By David Leighton Newcastle LGBT society hosted a question time in the history room of the SU on Thursday 20 March, named Queerstion Time. The event promised to answer questions like: Have you ever had an LGBT* related question but you were too afraid to ask? Why do gay people feel the need to discuss their sexuality? Can a LGBT person have a faith? What is the difference between a transgender person and a transexual person? Panellists ranged from asexual, straight, trans*, bisexual, gay, gay and of faith and lesbian. The LGBT society at Newcastle University is first and foremost a social and support society that runs ‘weekly socials plus many other events, as well as a 24/7 support, advice and guidance for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans students at Newcaslte Uni’. There is also the option of offers and events for members, including trips to larger cities, ice skating and more. During Fresher’s a bar crawl is held, as well as other introductory events soon after Fresher’s week. The community is without agenda: “We exist as a way for lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans students to meet each other, talk about and problems they may have and (most importantly) have a good time.” A phone number was given to all attendees upon arrival to allow them to text in their questions with complete anonymity before and during the meeting, allowing for questions ranging from ‘To what extent do you think that a persons’ sexual orientation/identity is a choice’, and ‘To the members of the panel who are both LGBT and religious, do these two interests ever come into conflict or has your religion been a problem to your faith?’ to ‘Do you think gay people rush into relationships too quickly to prove their sexuality? After the meeting I asked a member why they joined. “I joined to meet other LGBT students really. As a minority it’s hard to find other like-minded people so the society offers a great environment to do so, whilst having fun and getting quite Questions drunk,” they reasked included: plied. Another mem“Do you think on what they that gay people ber, enjoy most about rush into the society, said “I suppose my relationships favourite aspect too quickly is the commuto prove their nity of it all, plus the nights out are sexuality?” brilliant – everyone just gets along.” In terms of getting involved with the society, either as member or to help out, “We normally get involved in campaigns that are run, it’s completely up to you what you help out with and what you steer clear of!” a member of the LGBT soc said. “We want to ensure that all LGBT students gain the most out of their time here at Newcastle, so please feel free to come along to any of our socials.” LATERS DIMBLEBOT: The society put on the Q&A to help increase understanding. Image: David Leighton SU ready to fight mental health stigma By Anna Templeton News Editor Newcastle University Students’ Union is organising its first ever mental health project for May 2014. The project, called “Mind the Gap”, is aiming to promote understanding of mental health. “Mind the Gap” will also be working on ways to reduce the stigma about the topic of mental health and engage people to speak about the issues surrounding it. The project will culminate in a mental health conference on Saturday 3 May. The conference will consist of different sessions and talks from the Royal Col- strands of engagement: diverse communities (LGBT, international and BME students), local schools, local businesses and GPs, and the wider student body. Emily Waller, Welfare and Equality officer in the Students’ Union, spoke about the importance of the project: “I think this is long overdue and the instant uptake and engagement we had from students – we’ve already have over 70 students involved in planning the project – shows how important a topic mental health is. “Students are under a lot of stress throughout their University lives, from the huge life changes of moving house and being responsible for bills and food, Mental health is something everyone has and is just as, if not more, important than physical health TAKE CARE: Students wrote down 5 things which keeps their mind happy. Image: Welfare & Equality lege of Psychiatrists, school councillors, well-known researchers and mental health sufferers. The sessions planned are designed to be engaging and interactive. A Sensory Room at the conference will recreate the experience of mental illnesses such as body dysmorphia and psychosis through distorting the senses. A True and False session will aim to instantly reduce the stigma around mental health via myth busting. A Media Room will examine how the British media have dealt with the topic of mental health through the decades. The project and conference are both completely created and organised by students, many who have suffered from mental health issues. The project is divided into four to the stress of academic pressure and job applications, especially in the current economic climate. “We want as many people as possible to come along to the conference and engage with the project, and hopefully we can really smash the stigma and myths attached to mental health illnesses, because they’re well outdated now and it’s time we all started talking about these things – not brushing them under the carpet. Mental health is something everyone has and is just as, if not more, important than physical health.” For more information and to register for free tickets: www.nusu.co.uk/mindthegap 6.news Monday 24 March 2014 The Courier Rowing coach receives highest recognition By Antonia Velikova Newcastle University rowing coach Angelo Savarino has been presented with the British Rowing Special Award in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the sport and the development of young rowing talent in the North East and UK. Angelo, whose career in Newcastle University began in 2005, is the first person to be honoured with the prestigious new award. “I was surprised and honoured when I heard I was to be presented with this award,” Angelo commented. “A coach is only as good as his athletes and the support that he has. This award wouldn’t be possible without the commitment and dedication from my athletes and colleagues alike. In fact, I feel I am being rewarded for other people believing in me.” Since Angelo’s arrival in 2005, the boat club has grown remarkably, from a small team of nine senior men and five senior women, to one of 30 and 20 seniors respectively. Angelo has also developed a very strong coaching team who will continue to guide the rowers on the path to their ambitions. “We felt Angelo was absolutely the right person to receive the first British Rowing Special Award because of his dedication to bringing out the very best in his crews, who have a unique loyalty to his programme,” said Peter Sheppard, GB Rowing’s Chief Coach for Under 23s. “He and his athletes work incredibly hard and their results speak for themselves. The way he develops promising young rowers is inspirational and his work in developing the women’s squad has seen it grow into one of the best in the country alongside their men’s programme.” The GB Rowing honour is not the only award Angelo has under his belt. The Italian National Association of Rowing Coaches recognised his achievements in last year’s Under 23 World Championships and has given him the ‘Italians in the World’ honour. This award is presented to those who achieve ‘prestigious results on the international stage’. The Newcastle rowing club got gold, silver and multiple bronze medals in the World University Championships. Men’s eight have won the championship’s eights race three years in a row at BUCS Regatta, the University Rowing Championships. Six students went on to take part in last year’s U23 World Championships in Linz, Austria, which is more than any other boat club or university in the country. Nicole Lamb won a silver medal in the women’s eight and Gemma Hall won a bronze medal in the lightweight women’s quad. Angelo also coached the men’s coxed four at the event. Colin Blackburn, Newcastle University’s Director of Sport said: “Angelo fully deserves the accolades he has received. His hard work has helped the University Boat Club become one of the best in the country and he inspires our rowers to do their very best every time. We‘re incredibly proud of him and the teams he coaches.” OAR-SOME: Angelo Savarino has coached the Newcastle team since 2005. Image: Steve Selwood The Courier Monday 24 March 2014 news.7 Student noticeboard crashes onto campus By Maria Case A group of students from Newcastle University Business School have set up a new intra-university student notice board, G8crash, which provides everything needed for student life in one easy app and website. Currently run by five Newcastle students, Emma Lewis, Penny Williams, Holly Hunter, Beth Thomasson and Sally Williams, the site was originally created by entrepreneur Charlotte Howard-Jones. The girls have already raised awareness and encouraged many sign-ups to the site; however they are keen for new members to take advantage of The girls can what G8crash has often be found to offer. G8crash has giving out free been designed cakes and to cater for all student needs, sweets providing useful information in one app. The ‘Events’ section details what is happening near you and can be personalised with events from your own social calendar. Local companies and businesses also have the opportunity to provide special offers for students, giving discounts and deals exclusively for G8crash members. Under the ‘Carpool’ section, students can organise shared journeys with other students to help save pennies and the ‘Globetrotter’ element of the app can help you to find other students who are going abroad or on a placement. Students with a spare room, along with local Landlords, can advertise their student homes to help students find private sector University accommodation. The G8crash website further provides much more helpful information and features. PR Manager, Emma Lewis, said “G8crash provides everything students need in one place and knowing that all the users are verified students makes the website entirely student-orientated and safe. It’s run by students for students.” The girls are eager for the membership numbers to increase in order for the website to reach its full potential: “we need more students to get involved so that G8crash can become a truly interactive and beneficial part of student life.” The girls believe that one of G8crash’s strengths comes from the fact that they do not spam their members with constant emails and notifications; the website can be used as when each individual student wants to use it. A monthly newsletter is a possibility for the future of G8crash; however this will be an optional extra for G8crash’s members. The girls can often be found giving out free cakes and sweets at the Students’ Union and in the Business School for those who register with G8crash. Sally Williams, Finance and Budget Manager, has been known to recruit new members by dancing and singing to attract attention to their stand and last week, the Business Summer Ball saw the girls awarding a bottle of Moët as a raffle prize for the winning G8crash member. For more information go to the G8crash website: www.g8crash.com PROMO: The sites founders promote their new platform in any way they can. Image: Maria Case 8.nationalstudentnews Monday 24 March 2014 The Courier NEWS STACK Radio 1 loves election videos BRASSED OFF: ICMuS students playing in the Hancock Museum. Image: Newcastle University Job Title: Camp Leader/Instructor Employer: SportNE Closing Date: 01/07/2014 Salary: £6.67 per hour Basic job description: SportNE require a sports and Activity camp leader/coach to work with children between the ages 3 and 11 at either Morpeth, Newcastle, Gosforth or Cullercoats. The successful candidate will be able to speak to parents in a formal but friendly manner and possess an easy and comfortable attitude with children. Coaches are required throughout school holidays - including week before Xmas and are required for October half term. Person Requirements: CRB/DBS and a passion for working with children are essential! Coaching qualifications, First Aid, Child Protection and Education training are all desirable although support is offered and a willingness to learn and develop is a must! Location: Newcastle, Gosforth, Morpeth, Cullercoats. Job Title: Barista/Waiting Staff Employer: Beckleberry’s (Artisan Foods) Closing Date: 03/04/2014 Salary: National Minimum Wage Basic job description: Baristas/Waiting Staff are required to work 8-16 hours per week at the Beckleberry’s cafe in the Metrocentre, Gateshead. Everyday duties include making coffee, preparing food, working with a cash register, serving customers and general cleaning. Ideally new staff should be available to cover Monday, Tuesday evening shifts and weekends when required. Person Requirements: Ideally we are looking for candidates with full flexibility with regards to working hours as shifts are often rotated. Previous experience is favourable but a great working attitude and providing excellent customer service are key as training is always available. Location: Gateshead. Job Title: Newcastle Work Experience Adventure Travel Sales Advisor Employer: Gap Medics Closing Date: 30/03/2014 Salary: £2400 bursary Basic job description: Gap Medics is a young and dynamic company that provides placements for aspiring medical students giving them first-hand insight into the work of hospital doctors in exciting locations, including Tanzania and Thailand. As a member of the UK sales team, the successful candidate will be the first point of contact for many of our students. Key responsibilities will include: responding to student email enquiries, performing follow-up phone call checks, inbound and outbound calls with students and closely monitoring our in house booking system to ensure the information provided is accurate. Person Requirements: We are looking for an individual that is: highly organised with excellent attention to detail, proficient in the use of Microsoft Office, particularly Word and Excel, familiar with using Mac computer systems, outgoing, confident and friendly. Location: Newcastle city centre Job Title: Catering Staff Employer: Direct Recruitment | Newcastle upon Tyne, Durham | £6.31 per hour Closing Date: 06/10/2014 Salary: £6.31 per hour Basic job description: Bar and Plate Waiting Staff needed for busy events in the Newcastle and Durham areas, especially working over the summer months. Person Requirements: The ideal candidate will be enthusiastic and hardworking with excellent time keeping. Location: Newcastle upon Tyne, Durham Job Title: Newcastle Work Experience Event Coordinator Employer: St Oswald’s Hospice Closing Date: 30/03/2014 Salary: £1200 bursary Basic job description: St Oswald’s Hospice provides services for both children and adults with life limiting illnesses. We are seeking an organised and enthusiastic individual to support a series of events following the launch of our ‘Life List’ campaign - activities and achievements we’d like to complete in our lifetime. The successful candidate will primarily focus on the ‘Kaleidoscope 5k’ taking place on Sunday 6th July. You will be an integral member of the fundraising team and will be involved in the planning, execution and evaluation of events. Person Requirements: Organisation and enthusiasm is essential. You must have strong communication skills, drive and creativity, and the ability to motivate and coordinate others. Location: Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne Job Title: Student Tutor Employer: Student Tutors Closing Date: 20/05/2014 Salary: £10.00 per hour increasing to £20.00 Basic job description: Interested in becoming a Student Tutor? Tutor GCSE and A-Level students on-line? Are you an exceptional student or graduate looking to pass your expertise down to students who sat the same exams you did a couple of years ago? Earn while you learn; teach GCSE and A-Level students in your own time, from your halls, using our virtual classroom. Free training provided. Person Requirements: Good communication skills, exceptional academic history and a willingness to help others. Location: Home based Job Title: Newcastle Work Experience Games Developer Employer: Tint Digital | Newcastle upon Tyne | £1200 bursary Closing Date: 30/03/2014 Salary: £1200 bursary Basic job description: Tint Digital are a digital agency specialising in the production of mobile games, apps and websites across multiple platforms including iOS, Android, Windows and Blackberry. We are looking for a student to work with us to create a brand new game. A selection of genres and ideas will be available for the choosing. Backed by a developer and a designer, the lucky candidate will be able to take the game idea and see it through to completion. Person Requirements: We are looking for an enthusiastic student with a passion for game development/design. We would be looking for a candidate with experience in one of the following areas: Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, Autodesk 3ds Max or Maya, Unity3D, Cocos2d or Cocos2dx, HTML5 or ImpactJS or other suitable HTML5 game engines. Location: Newcastle upon Tyne Radio 1 DJ Scott Mills recently made his mark in the Leeds Student elections by playing the campaign video of a candidate live on air. Mills played George Bradley’s video in his afternoon show last Tuesday. He introduced the video saying “This is a guy from Leeds student Union called George running to be Community Officer” and made a running commentary throughout the video. He said of George’s video that “the song choice is very strong” which featured a re-worded version of Cher Lloyd’s ‘Swagger Jagger’ and then a transition into a re-worded version of Beyonce’s ‘Drunk In Love’ of which Mills said “it blew my mind”. The video sees George clearing up rubbish in the student area Hyde Park, and dancing provocatively in a wrestling singlet in Leeds’ Edward Boyle Library. George is a third year music student at Leeds University and the video credits him as producing the music for his campaign video himself. His manifesto includes creating a rating and feedback system on all Unipol properties in Leeds and to create a student skills exchange. Students disrupting the peace Residents of a suburb of Loughborough have complained about the ‘anti-social behaviour’ that they claim is coming from a Halls of Residence in a residential area. The local Neighbourhood Watch scheme have kept a log of all the incidents that have taken place over the last month and claim that the total number of complaints has hit the over 100 mark. The complaints include everything from vomiting and urinating on the streets, streaking and noise disorder at inappropriate times in the morning. Residents claim that since the university opened a second gate into the area they live, they have been “terrorised” by the “thoughtless” behaviour of students. While relations between “town and gown” in Loughborough have generally been quite calm, there is increasing pressure from locals for the university to take firmer action on their students. The university has claimed that disciplinary measures had been taken on over 340 students over the past academic year, but not all of these were in relation to anti-social behaviour or noise complaints. Free University in capital A new way of studying the humanities for fee has been proposed which involves using the London area as a “giant lecture hall”. The initiative proposed by journalist Barbara Gunnel and musician Jonny Mundey, involves using the free to access cultural capital that already exists in London to. They argue that in the teaching of this course they can use the vast collection of free to access resources such as museums, galleries, concerts, and libraries, and also signpost participants to the thousands of free talks and lectures that are given by experts throughout the city on almost every subject imaginable. To get the course in motion and prepare a thorough syllabus Mundey and Gunnell say that they would need to collate these resources, negotiate access for paidfor events, and provide access to the best online lectures by acclaimed academics. Gunnell and Mundey have launched a fund raising appeal and have so far managed to raise £7,000 from 92 backers, and once they reach their target of £10,000 they hope to be able to hold an initial summer school. May and then to begin teaching in January of next year. Images: YouTube, Phil McIver, J.A.Alcaide (Flickr)W Jamie Shephard The Courier .9 Monday 24 March 2014 Comment thecourieronline.co.uk/comment Comment Editors: Joe Wood and Lydia Carroll Deputy Comment Editor: Victoria Armstrong [email protected] | @Courier_Comment Is this the end? Probably Between a broken smart phone, Osborne’s budget and an ominous prediction of the end of civilization, it might well be time we have a think about how we and our leaders behave with a good old nag Joe Wood T he other day I had a troubling problem, which at the time seemed to impair my comfortable existence no end. It was, as is so often the case, a technological issue. My phone was playing up, I couldn’t call anyone, the Internet was down; all in all it felt like a bloody nightmare. But this was a relative problem. It still necessitated me having in my possession a phone that would blow the minds of people living only a few decades past. This was a ‘first world problem’ if ever there was one. Now, the division between me, or whoever might be reading this, and those who live in the less industrialised parts of the world is massive. Yet, what have we done to change this? Well if you’re anything like me, probably very little. It might simply boil down to the fact that we West- erners have become so used to the problem that we have become desensitised and believe it to be unchangeable. It would be an understatement to say that in the West, and even more so in our stoic Britannia, we are growing dangerously complacent. Indeed, we British may well be the world leaders of having a nag without doing anything. It is simply impossible to feel strongly about politics, social injustices, or the world, when the leaders you elect, or as with our current coalition don’t elect, can’t seem to give a (excuse the French) flying monkey fuck either. Convictions seemed to die in British politics a long time ago. Tony Benn may well have been the last dying vestige of an idea people once shared. The idea being that doing what you believe must outweigh the infinitely fickle and eternally unsatisfied immediate opinion of the public. Well we can’t expect any better from Old Etonians like Georgey and Dave. Neither can we look with much hope at Ed Miliband, the man who puts all other wet blankets to shame. Actually, I consider his grace more akin to a sodden duvet. I digress. The problem is that our indifference Is history repeating itself? Apocalypse indicators The Ancients - 3000 year old Egyptian civilization collapsed through weakening of natural resources from the Nile and foreign invasion - Incas, Tiwanaku peoples and the Moche civilization vanished from staggering sizes to fragments of their former glory through resource disparity - Roman Empire crumbles within a century from the world’s greatest super power to a shell of its former self through the Dark Ages - Kings and rulers ruin their nations through inability to plan ahead; Richard I, all the Louis, etc - The death of some 50% of Europe through the emergence of the Black Death Modern Day - Trade embargoes for oil, amongst dwindling resources - Continued climate change - Limited resources - Expanding populations (7bn) - Toppling of established governments in Africa and now Europe. - Continual economic booms and busts since 1870s - Politicians obsessed by short term policy to appease public; lack of foresight in policy making - Emergence of fiercely resilient diseases, threat of antibiotic immunity - 5 Richest UK families = Britain’s poorest 20% might well mean the end of Western civilization. Or at least that’s the prediction of one group. Who’s the group? Maybe some crazy conspiracy theorists who claim to drink tea with the abominable snowman and go on holidays with the Loch Ness Monster? Or those people who think the CIA follows everything you do? Admittedly, they were kind of right in the end. Well, actually, it’s a resounding no to any of the above. Who then? In fact, NASA is the answer. Yes, the people who put man on the moon have released a paper under the Nasa-funded Goddard Space Flight Center, using the innovative ‘Human And Nature DYnamical’ (HANDY) cross-discipli- “How can you imagine the collapse of civilization?” nary model to warn of Western civilization’s eventual collapse. The paper determines that “accumulated surplus is not evenly distributed throughout society, but rather has been controlled by an elite.” “Even using an optimal depletion rate and starting with a very small number of Elites, the Elites eventually consume too much, resulting in a famine among Commoners that eventually causes the collapse of society.” When I read this report, the first thing that came to mind was probably something like you. I didn’t give it much heed. How can you imagine the collapse of civilization? I mean it was fun in 2012 when everyone was talking about the Mayans and Armageddon, or when the LHC was going to cause a black hole. But this isn’t quite the same; this is real for a start. Honestly, do you think the Romans or the Incas or the mighty Egyptians believed that right round the corner was their expiration date? After some reflection, the penny started to drop. Only history possesses true dramatic irony. The present is a mess of incomprehensible futures that are impossible to fully predict. This may be why governments find it so difficult to plan ahead. It’s just too daunting. Yet, it is imperative that they do. Something like the Budget exemplifies this shortsightedness of politicians. Admittedly, my first thoughts were undoubtedly a joyous huzzah! “A whole penny off my beer? What a generous government we live under”. Of course, this was followed by a slightly less impressive increase on the price of my beloved tobacco. My real problem with it is that it does nothing to reduce the disparity between Britain’s poorest 20% and its richest 5 families in Britain. Similarly, it provides no real sense of where the UK will be in 10 or 20 years time or how we will fund research into more efficient energy for the future generations of this century. Our ‘professional’ politicians are too concerned with appealing to the immediate wants of the public. Like opening a loan with Wonga or spending a weekend on Frosty Jacks, governments can’t imagine the cold hangover and empty wallet of tomorrow. The Budget is just another example of the frightening inability we have in creating perspective. My dying phone seemed like such a problem the other day and as I type this my computer’s lagging is causing my blood to boil. Yet beyond the horizon, my future and that of probably most people reading this could be dramatically altered by a very different and far less comfortable Earth. I would love for my conclusion to include a suggestion for what we do. Honestly, I haven’t a clue. But we’re British, so let’s nag. But instead of simply having a grumble over a cuppa or a pint, let’s make it a proper loud one, in hope we might be heard. Because, if life and history have taught me one thing, leaving your shit under the rug means a much bigger mess when you’re eventually coughing up that slobbery dust ball we call hindsight. 10.comment SOAP BOX QUIZZES Monday 24 March 2014 The Courier Boycott the marking boycott After the recent series of lecturer’s strikes failed to secure an inflation based pay rise, the UCU has proposed a marking boycott of student’s semester two work. Does this move try to force bosses to compromise at the sake of student welfare, satisfaction and success? Scrolling down my Facebook newsfeed in those oft occurring moments of procrastination, I see countless offers to find out more about your life, and who you really are. Ever wondered which country you actually belong in? Which mythical creature you would be? Or the question we just can’t live without knowing: which Leonardo DiCaprio character are you? Follow the link, answer the clearly rigged multiple choice questions which ask you (in varying ways and with varying pictures) to pick a food, drink, song, city, descriptive words and dog, and the clearly reliable answer is yours. If these oh-so-reliable quizzes cause you some level of personal gratification, then I assure you I am happy for you. The problem is that I just really don’t need to know. I don’t care if you’re the triangle in the orchestra, or how unfair it is that you wouldn’t survive long in The Hunger Games, so please stop clogging up my newsfeed and drowning out any actual news which may have happened in the ten minutes since I took my last procrastination break. Ruth Davis MY LITTLE PONY Grayson Bruce is a 9-year-old boy from North Carolina who happens to love My Little Pony, so much so that he takes his books to school in a bag shaped like his favourite technicolour nightmare steed. While I’ve always found MLP inherently creepy as a concept, there was no need for what followed. Grayson was bullied for playing with ‘girls toys’, and his teachers somehow though that the best course of action was to ban the bag, claiming it was too ‘distracting’. Obviously the Brony community, second only to Anonymous in terms of their power and influence, flooded the internet with complaints until the school relented and let the poor kid have his bag back, but we’re far past the point at which the school should have concentrated their efforts on punishing the little shits responsible by taking away their krazy bones or battle conkers or whatever the hell boys are meant to play with these days. Even worse, force them to sit through a few dozen episodes of My Little Pony and see if they can stand the Lovecraftian dread of Twilight Sparkle and her hell-born equestrian ilk. Sam Summers THE NME I don’t have any idea who reads the NME these days. Back when I did, the publication was at the forefront of the Nu Rave scene and the only place one could find out everything about Brummie baggies the Twang. Now, though, it’s gone and sold the entirety of the front page of its website over to adverts for the Enemy’s UK tour. Apart from the fact it looks utterly gross, the Enemy are playing at third-string venues and sold about 40 copies of their last two albums put together, so they can’t be throwing crates of gold bullion about. It’s embarrassing that they’re having to take a rather thin wedge of dosh from such a twobob outfit to keep going. Clearly the NME doesn’t have much idea of who reads it these days either: despite having relaunched twice in the last two years, it averaged dismal weekly sales of about 18,000 in the second half of last year, which is unsurprising for a great many reasons - Alex Turner’s on the front cover every six weeks, for instance, or the fact that the writing is a ‘who can be the most selfindulgent’ wankathon. I wouldn’t welcome the closure of the NME, but it’s pitiful to see it stumbling toward the firing squad. Tom Nicholson Illustration: Victoria Kaye A Victoria Kaye marking boycott by UCU (University and College Union) will come into force on April 28th. This will involve the markers not releasing examination results, not giving feedback in a way in which a mark can be deduced and not attending any examination board meetings. From a student perspective, this is terrible. Our fees have tripled within recent years, to the point where it feels like we are paying for a service at a huge mark-up (pun intended). Of course, the universities have taken it upon themselves to give us the ultimate customer experience - by ensuring that the administrative staff are as caring and considerate as any customer service desk ought to be. Next thing you know, plans will be launched to replace all graduation services with automatic check out machines. And now to add to the financial burden – sorry, bundle - of joy, we will have to suffer delayed marking, which for third year students means they could graduate later than those whose lecturers are not members of the UCU. Obviously, this will put them at a massive disadvantage when searching for an employer. “It feels like we are paying for a lesser service at a huge mark-up” The other bad news is for the lecturers. Not only will there be no leather elbow patch and corduroy jacket allowance as part of your employment package (a travesty!) but your pay will not reflect trends in the price of living at all. If recent figures are anything to go by, then that’s an average 13% pay drop in the last 4 years. So it looks like your vocation won’t be to inspire future specialists in your field and to write works important enough to be used as paperweights – but to live like students for the rest of your lives and to never, ever go on holiday. But why would you want to when you have all those important paperweights to write? To the credit of the lecturers they want to avoid a marking boycott if at all possible, which is why they have appealed for the help of the students. If we apply our student pressure (which is at least 85% more effective than pressure from their own peers, it seems) on the administrators then this could kick start actual negotiations. No matter which side of the fence you’re on, or if indeed, you are on the fence, trying to kick start negotiations is our best option. Well, second best - the best would be having a university edition of Gladiators to settle the dispute, but according to sources this is sadly unlikely to occur. In the absence of such a tournament, some student reps for the school of Classics, Archaeology and History have recently set up a petition and I would like you to sign it. It will take two minutes of your time, it will help your lecturers and it will help you. If you agree, you can access the petition via: www.facebook.com/blocktheboycott. SPICY HOT NEWS - BUDGET SPECIAL SIDEBAR OF SHAME Students advised to ‘be richer’ Students who have aspirations of paying off their debts and achieving the hallmarks of adult life - such as a mortgage - have been advised to ‘be richer’ and get ‘richer parents’, the new Budget plans reveal. Last week George Osborne stated, ‘under the new plans, we’ve given young people no allowances at all. A this rate students should be sponging money off their parents and grandparents until they’re late twenties or early thirties. It’s very unlikely they’ll ever get a mortgage, so they might have to live at home, too. Fortunately, we’ve made this easier than ever by allowing the wealthy tax breaks and granting pensioners increased benefits, which they will have to use more or less immediately to bail out their struggling children and grandchildren-’(...cont p.4) Images: WorldEconomicForum, Tony Alter, Tax Credits, BobPetUk Cheese-rolling enthusiasts ‘outraged’ at Budget snub A dedicated group of cheese-rolling enthusiasts in Gloucester have complained after the recently announced Budget ‘made no allowances for them at all’. The group’s coordinator, Fred le Camenbert, complained that Osborne hadn’t given ‘a single tax credit’ to fans of the sport. He said in a statement, ‘it’s clear that the Chancellor doesn’t give two hoots about cheese-rolling talent.’ ‘I’m a decent, hard-working taxpayer, like everyone else. A much needed tax break or cheeserolling subsidy could mean the difference between the club being able to roll a nice Davidstow Cheddar down a hill, but now we’re stuck with Tesco Value mild white. But as usual, we’ve been passed over in favour of the beer-drinking Bingo fans or, as we call them, the bourgeoisie.’ ‘Unlike Bingo, which involves a lot of sitting down, cheese-rolling has many health benefits which- (...cont p.4) Chic in the cold! George Osborne steps out in daring plunging blue tie and crimson bag combination as he flaunts tight new bikini budget Natural beauty! Boris Johnson shows off glowing skin in new no make-up selfie with gal pal Rival Cameron take note Dave flaunts weight loss in red trunks during tropical getaway from stresses of budget and flooding Lost his mummy tummy after Ed Balls’ ‘small towel’ jibes Lydia Carroll The Courier comment.11 Monday 24 March 2014 The Be mindful of mental health Voice of Reason The stigma attached to mental health can delay sufferers from seeking treatment - and it can actually exacerbate their illness. That’s why Ruth Davis thinks that Mental Health Awareness Week is so vital Ruth Davis I f a person found that they were ill, and the illness persisted, they would have no qualms about going to a hospital or doctor’s surgery. They would expect to be treated with dignity and respect, and offered treatment methods. This would be seen as a normal and sensible reaction to illness. It would be considered foolish if the person suffering chose to leave the illness untreated with the hopes that it would go away. However, if a person has a mental health problem, they would be much less likely to seek treatment from professional healthcare services. They would often be scared of the reactions of others, whether that is friends telling them to be more positive and pull themselves together, or doctors being quick to prescribe medication and cognitive behavioural therapy without trying to seek the most suitable treatment for the specific problem. Yet the truth is that mental illness is no different from any other form of illness. Mental illness is the result of biochemical imbalances in the brain, which in some situations can be bought on by personal circumstance. Treatment and recovery is possible, and there is no sense behind social stigma attached to it by healthcare professionals or so- cial peers. This is the attitude which Mental Health Awareness Week seeks to promote. The week began in 2000, as a result of a survey which showed the stigma attached to mental health, with 70% of participants having experienced discrimination as a result of suffering from mental health problems. The causes of this were “Almost half of first year students don’t feel comfortable talking about mental health with their friends ” surprising, showing the workplace as one of the lowest places of discrimination, but family and friends as those who most commonly displayed attitudes of discrimination. There was also a large number who felt discriminated against by the health care professionals to whom they were going for help. People suffering can also find themselves on ri- diculously long waiting lists for treatment, or being told complete recovery is near impossible. However, 91% of people believed this stigma could be reduced, and as a result of this, the annual week began, with an aim to increase awareness about mental health in order to lessen discrimination. The annual week aims to increased awareness and the break of preconceptions associated with mental health problems, with previous years tackling issues such as anger, loneliness and sleep. This year’s theme is anxiety, which is experienced by one in four people. University coincides with the ages associated with the onset of mental health difficulties, and the change of lifestyle which it brings can also have a triggering effect. Almost half of first year students don’t feel comfortable talking about mental health problems with their friends, meaning they can feel isolated in a difficult situation. Reported cases of anxiety amongst students have increased substantially throughout the last decade, thereby increasing the importance of raising levels of awareness. Whilst support and treatment for mental health problems has improved considerably over the last decade, with issues such as eating disorders being much more openly discussed and recognised, there is still a long way to go. Mental Health Awareness Week is an attempt to help speed up the rate of this process, and help improve care and treatment for many. ‘We seem to live in a society where a woman’s natural, unmade face has become a hidden taboo’ Image: aforiers, ClevrCat, FonnaTasha, Idhren, Janelle Hope Morrison, Katie Holliday, Liana Skewes, Lotus Carroll, ndanger, noisy_nisroc, patr!c!a, sofiavannek No make-up selfies: the naked truth The recent ‘no make-up selfie’ trend has raised over £2 million for Cancer Research. But does it reveal a more troubling element of why women use make-up? C Lydia Carroll ancer awareness is becoming a shady business. I’ve seen a spate of awareness campaigns which seems to conflate ‘knowing and checking for the symptoms of cancer’ with ‘barely disguised tomfoolery marauding as charity’. For instance: the group of LadsLadsLads who went around last year motorboating female strangers with the promise of giving $20 of their own cash ‘to cancer’ for every pair encountered, and a further $100 for every 100,000 hits on the subsequent video. As they declared on the YouTube video chronicling this totally not self-interested bacchanal, ‘We love boobs – so let’s save some boobs!’ And, um, the lives of the women inconveniently attached to them, I guess? But only if we have to – you know, to provide a sort of life support machine, for the boobs. Inevitably, their donations were rejected outright by Cancer Research, who curtly asked them not to use the charity’s name in any of their - ahem - charity work, again (what a burn). In a statement - e.g. on Twitter - the lads blamed a vague faction of ‘haters’ for de-railing their campaign. Of course, I don’t think I need to explain how withholding from charity the $7000 you happen to have going spare until you feel you’ve got enough titty-action and YouTube hits makes you a massive plank. That’s simple - if you’re more interested in the gimmick than the donation, then you are a bit of a twat. In this case, the ‘no make-up selfie’ occupies a strange middle ground. It’s raising loads of money for Cancer Research – brilliant! But when held up to close analysis, the reason the campaign has been so successful is rather more troubling. It means that wearing no make-up – that is, literally having a female face – has become an act of bravery worthy of donation. That just says something extremely dispiriting about society - that is, we live in a society where a woman’s natural, unmade face is a hidden taboo, worth £3 a pop and a clap on the back. Not that the selfies aren’t brave, as I’ve seen some claim – the women doing this are brave. And that’s why it’s sad. We shouldn’t need to be brave. Of course, there’s probably a point to be made in the way that both examples seems to equate bits of women’s bodies as having a ‘donation value’; £10 for a go on your breasts, £3 a pop for your monstrously natural, normal face. That’s why my heart still sinks a little when I see a photo uploaded to Facebook, along with an accompanying timid self-depreciating apology – ‘this is my face, sorry guys, Gee I’m such a monster’. Make-up is creative, expressive and fun – until it’s a constant requirement. Raising money and symptom awareness for Cancer Research is great, too – until it tells us something terrifying about the ways women are made to feel ashamed. Although one final question; I know that you’ve donated and done something that required (sadly) great bravery. But just how many of you who took a selfie actually did the breast check you were encouraging? No. 14: The Bingo Budget W ell, woof. All an established pedigree can do is bark disconsolately after enduring the most prole budget ever delivered by a Conservative government. Cuts on bingo tax and beer duty? Are you pulling my f*cking tail Gideon? You peasant loving, whippet racing, barm cake eating, plebeian wannabe! I’d rather be a Korean meatball before I erect another ruddy ‘Vote Conservative’ lawn sign at the next election. Dearest Maggie, may she rest in peace, would be turning in her grave if she saw this Trotskyite scroll of shitty plebeian hogwash. Where are the responsible policies I expect from a Tory government? Tax breaks for millionaires, reinstatement of a hereditary House of Lords and where, in the name of all that is monetarist, is the bloody tax relief on Iams treats? If I wanted to vote for something Michael Foot would have been proud to birth I’d buy a subscription for the Socialist Worker, invite Len McCluskey to speak at one of my garden parties and bankroll Diane Abbot’s leadership bid. But no, as my kennel has for generations, I voted for this proud country’s natural party of government and instructed my land dwellers to do the same. The good Reverend allowed me to address the congregation in the week prior to election day and remind them of their duty. (It was all very Francis Underwood and House of Cards, well, the lesser Yank version anyway.) However, in spite of such unwavering loyalty, the best you can give me is a Grant Shapps (or should I say Michael Green) baked proclamation of crap. “Cutting the bingo tax and beer duty to help hardworking people do more of the things they enjoy,” are you f*cking serious CamBorne. Like myself, they are both proud Oxford alumni, members of the buller with pedigree bloodlines each respectively marrying a descendant of Charles II and a baron is a jolly good effort - so, I ask again, what are Gideon and his wonks playing at? Increasing untaxed income to £10,500? That doesn’t help me in the slightest, I spend more annually on Sandeman’s Port, Cesar’s finest, and Hoyo de Monterrys (cigars to you plebs) what selfrespecting, landowning, pedigree canine doesn’t? Inheritance tax waived for members of the emergency services because they give their lives in the line of duty? What about we members of the aristocracy whose forebears gave their lives in defence of the empire? Remember, never was so much owed by so many to so few. What I would give for some Churchillian leadership in this country right now. Instead I’ve got Gideon on a prole inspired jolly, what a f*cking liberty. Then, as if this uppity modern history student (can’t quite believe that’s an Oxon accredited degree) couldn’t find another way to shaft the country’s most important populous, he decides to extend taxation on residential properties owned by companies from £2 million to £500,000. You just couldn’t keep your grubby, hippy hands off of my little holiday estate, could you Gideon? Yours, Pugs Overheard by George Sandeman Illustration by Flora Anderson Pugs has got a new iPad, and he’s been dictating tweets to his manservant Timmons. Follow him on Twitter at @LaVoiceofReason 12.lifestyle Monday 24 March 2014 The Courier Lifestyle Editors: Evie O’Sullivan, Elizabeth Archer, Hazel Parnell and Katie Smith The big question: Can your love survive a long distance relationship? Annie Lord L Stage fright #8 ast week at pre-drinks with my friend Sarah and her ex-boyfriend, the ex announced that he intended to ‘shag her and take a shit on her new boyfriend Nick’. I laughed, because I hate Nick, but weirdly Sarah laughed too. Which made me think that her laughing at that joke is just as disrespectful to Nick as kissing someone else would have been. It seems as though when it comes to cheating that the ‘it doesn’t count if you don’t kiss’ rule is too blurry a line. So what constitutes cheating? At Christmas I was chatting to my childhood babysitter Maisy. I get really jealous of my boyfriend’ she said, ‘especially of his sister. Just think about it, they used to take baths together. And he’s from one of those naked hippy families, so his mum and sister have probably seen him naked more times than I have. They have this unshakable bond which I can never break, or be a part of, or even compete with. When is he going to realise that I’m the only woman he needs! Only I can give him blow jobs inside of the law!’ “Since when has spending time with a sibling been considered cheating?” My first reaction was that Maisy is a psycho. However when I rang my friend Ellie she just said ‘everyday I thank God that Jack’s sister is a lesbian.’ Since when has spending time with a sibling been considered cheating? Perhaps everyone has been watching too much Jeremy Kyle and reading too much Pick Me Up. It seems paranoia about cheating can work in more than one ridiculous way. When in Zante, having not eaten anything but Cheetos for a week, the staff brought free food out onto the bar. A Lion King style stampede ensued. A guy who was stood behind my friend asked her, ‘Is that even nice? It looks grim’ my friend Katie replied by shovelling a forkful of Moussaka into his mouth. Thinking nothing of it we all went back to lying like basting turkeys in the Greek sun. When I looked over at Katie I was surprised to see her in tears, ‘What have I done? I feel so guilty’, she said ‘What for?’ I asked ‘Is it cheating to feed another man food?’ Well maybe it would be cheating if you fed the guy by squirting whipped cream onto your nipples and encouraging him to lick it off, but I’m pretty sure stuffing moussaka into a guys mouth is more reminiscent of how a mother would feed a baby. “Despite being single, I’m no less paranoid about cheating than my loved-up friends” But who am I to talk? Despite being single, I am no less paranoid about cheating than my loved up friends. In fact maybe I’m worse. I get possessive about people I’m not even in a relationship with. Every time I see a girl chatting up a male friend of mine I get this uncontrollable desire to assert a sort of authority over them. Even though my brain is screaming, ‘Annie he’s not your boyfriend, he’s not cheating on you,’ before I can stop myself, out of my mouth comes this rambling verbal diarrhoea where I say stuff like ‘God Tom is such a nice guy’ ‘Yeah we’ve been friends forever’ ‘We’re like brother and sister’. They’re just dancing in Trop for heavens sake, I’m sure she doesn’t really want to hear his life story, you’re not making a speech at their wedding rehearsal dinner. With so many psychos around it seems like anyone can be accused of cheating. You’re cheating if you watch porn, you’re cheating if you flirt with someone else, you’re cheating if you like another girl’s picture on Facebook, and I wouldn’t ring 999 if I were you because if someone of the opposite sex picks up, then you’re probably cheating too. Oh yeah you can The possibility of being apart from your other half for a long period of time is daunting and it may make you want to throw in the towel on your relationship, but there are many reasons why doing a LDR is worth it. You learn how to compromise: Before my boyfriend moved back home I didn’t even realise just how important to a relationship being able to compromise is. So many arguments start because you want to stay in but they want to go out or because you travelled to meet all their family but they won’t travel to meet yours. In a long distance relationship, if you don’t compromise, you don’t last. You learn how to work around each other’s schedules in order to keep each other happy. What would be a massive issue to another couple is no biggie to you, because that’s just the way it has to be. Sometimes we just have to be okay with not getting what we want all the time. Nah mate , leave it Before I embarked on a long distance relationship, I would have told you that it is not worth courting someone who lives outside of a 5-mile radius from your house. After the descent of my relationship, this is a sentiment that I still hold dear to my heart. In my bitter and experienced opinion, long distance relationships do not work. If you were using the awful Drew Barrymore/Justin Long Rom Com, Going the Distance as your yardstick and spiritual teacher, then like me you’ll soon find yourself wiping away your tears, listening to Stevie Nicks songs on repeat while shovelling a litre of Ben & Jerry’s into your mouth faster than you can say ‘Timbuktu’. “Spending every second weekend on a Megabus sat next to a man with a questionable hygiene standards will soon become tiring” First of all, the further you are apart, the less likely your relationship is to survive. Trust me. Stay within the recommended 5 mile radius and you’ll be running down the aisle in no time, step outside of the comfort zone and you’ll be heading for Splitsville, population. More than anything, this rule of thumb is for practical reasons. Spending every second weekend sat on a Megabus next to a man with questionable hygiene standards will soon become tiring and expensive and if your newly placed partner comes with a time difference like mine did, then you’ll find “Sometimes we just have to be okay with not getting what we want all the time” You remember why you liked them in the first place: It’s easy to forget when you’ve been together a while how you felt when you first fell for your boyfriend/girlfriend. It sounds corny but when you’re in a LDR you start to miss all the things that made you like them in the first place and when you finally see them you get excited and nervous all over again, every time. You learn how to be an independently functional human being: It’s scary when the person who you always spend time with, who looks after you if you’re sick and listens to you when you want to moan is suddenly in a different city, but, as the weeks go on you start to realise you’re alright, you’re forced to stand properly on your own two feet and live without your safety blanket. It’s not nice at first but once you’ve mastered it you feel pretty great, safe in the knowledge that even though you obviously love your significant other, you don’t need no man or woman and if you were by yourself you’d be fine. It makes your relationship stronger: If you can get through an LDR together, you can pretty much get through anything. You’ll appreciate each other more and make the most of the time you have together when you’re back in the same city, because you know what it’s like to be apart. Lizzie Hampson “Snapchats revert back to ugly, hungover selfies” yourself shifting your already strained timetable to fit in. The first few months will fly by in a whirlwind of Skype dates, morning texts and the odd sexually explicit Snapchat. However, after these initial months, conversation runs dry, Snapchats revert back to ugly, hungover selfies and morning texts become mundane. While apps like Facetime help to replicate, nothing beats a real one-on-one face-to-face conversation and spending long stretches of time without this can be draining. Although you can dabble in a bit of risqué activity on Skype, you’ll start craving the real thing and that’s when some people will succumb to temptation. After a night out you’ll find yourself sharing your bed with a box of cheesy chips rather than arguing about who gets to be the little spoon with your partner and at this point you’ll realize how far you really have fallen. Let’s just face it: distance does not make the heart grow fonder. Josie Ayre Textual intercourse Wondering what your prospective beau actually meant by “See you later pal”? Allow Charlotte Maxwell to go the full Bletchley Park The one word text: Babe/ Baby This is always a ‘I am seeking a degree of attention from you and I may well want more than just your textual attention’. Guys tend to use baby when they’ve done something wrong, or they want something from you or they’re just being plain old cute. Girls either require more attention than you are providing or they want something from you (probably sexual). Kisses: What guys mean x xx xxx xxxx 1 kiss means he’s being friendly and views you as his mate or his pal, or (if they suddenly appear) he’s becoming mildly interested. Props to you honey, it looks like your game plan is working. 2 kisses means he’s being very, very friendly or he’s attempting to cross the friend boundary- things are hotting up. Either that or he was rushing and made a mistake. Soz. 3 kisses means yeah, he’s very interested, possibly a little love struck or if they’re in capitals (XXX), he probably wants to jump your bones - if he hasn’t done so already. 4 kisses. Oh god, now you’re in for his soppy side. Get out of there. Just go. You would be safer on Tinder. Kisses: What girls mean x 1 kiss is used for general pleasantries between friends or ‘I need to establish to you that we can only be friends, no you cannot hustle me to feel differently’ or ‘we’ve had our awkward moments, so it may be best for us to just use one kiss for now’ 2 kisses means ‘we’re close friends so we can do two’ or ‘there’s the potential that we’re a little bit more than friends…’ 3 kisses is when things start heating up. It means ‘we are most definitely more than friends’ or ‘we have a 2 kiss standard, but as I’m a little drunk I’ll show you my true feelings’. 4 kisses means ‘I’m into you’ or ‘I’m obsessed with you, I know how many minutes you spent thinking about jalapenos in Subway.’ Keen. xx xxx xxxx Charlotte Maxwell Culture The Courier .13 Monday 24 March 2014 thecourieronline.co.uk/culture Culture Editor: Sam Summers Sections: Lifestyle, Fashion, Beauty, Arts, Music, Film, TV and Science [email protected] | @CourierOnline Blind dateLaura Richards, 2nd Year English Language meets Tom on Laura Tom Nicholson, MA Media & Journalism What do you usually look for in a girl, and did Laura fit the bill? The main thing is an ability to carry a conversation and give good chat, so in that respect Laura was an absolute dream. Did the convo flow well? It did, though the Peter Andre calendar in my eyeline was extremely distracting and broke up the chat a few times. Cheers, Pete. “I was very nervous, to the point of nearly getting a last-minute haircut” What do you think is her best feature? Her adherence to the universal law of getting rounds in, or possibly her ability to look and sound genuinely interested when I was talking about pinball machines. Laura on Tom Describe your first impressions of Tom in three words. Late, nice smile. What did you talk about? For some reason we always ended up reverting back to Peter Andre. Were there any funny or awkward moments at the start? Not really At any point in the date did you understand why he is single? No, he’s a post-grad so I assume he’s really busy? What do you think is his best feature? His sense of humour. “He went to play on the pinball machine and I went off to Worldies” And if you had to name a worst…? He likes One Direction. And if you had to name a worst…? Nothing terrible came to light in the couple of hours we were together. At any point in the date did you understand why she might be single? No, though the fact that she’s from Whitley Bay might put off some. Not me though, I love dilapidated seaside towns. Any mentions of ex boyfs? No, thank heavens. What do you think your parents would make of her? My parents would be utterly enchanted, I’m sure. Would your flatmates approve? Definitely, she was a good laugh. Would you describe her as cute, sexy or hot? Mostly cute. Would you describe her as clever, funny or sweet? Laura was a combo of all of the above, with the greatest emphasis on funny. How did the date end, anything cheeky? Alas, no – she had to find an off-licence which was still open past 10pm, so naturally she was quite distracted. I spent half an hour playing on the 24-themed pinball machine, which was cheeky insofar as it nicked a fiver off me. Who paid? They went dutch What did you drink? Lots and lots of cocktails How did you find going on a blind date? Were you nervous? I was very nervous actually, to the point of nearly getting a last-minute haircut. Describe your first impressions of Laura in three words. Patient (I was a bit late, bloody Heaton buses); nervous (she struggled with folding the drinks menu back up - in Alvino’s they come in cassette tape boxes, so they’re extremely fiddly at the best of times); and sweet. Where? Alvinos Would you take him home to meet your Mum and Dad? Yeah, why not? Shag, marry or see-ya-bye? These options are horrible! He’s definitely marriage material, but just not for me. Do you think there will be a second date? Probably not. Would you describe him as cute, sexy or hot? Cute. Would you describe him as clever, funny or sweet? Clever. Do you have a usual type, and if so did Tom fit the bill? I only like tall lads, so not exactly – sorry. How did the date end, anything cheeky? Nah, just a kiss on the cheek – he went to play on the pinball machine and I went off to Worldies. Rate yo’ date: 6.5 – he was a lovely guy but it was like going out for a drink with one of my friends. Do you think you’ll see each other again? We both live out Heaton way, so perhaps we’ll lock eyes over the freezer cabinet in Loco one of these days. Rate yo’ date : 7.5 Unlucky in love? The Courier is here to help Send your details to: [email protected] 14.lifestyle Monday 24 March 2014 The Courier Lifestyle Editors: Evie O’Sullivan, Elizabeth Archer, Hazel Parnell and Katie Smith Celebrity BFFs Ever wondered who A-listers trust their secrets to or who they go to when they need a shoulder to cry on? Lifestyle Editor Katie Smith lists some of Hollywood’s best and most long-lasting friendships Sir Ian Mckellen and Sir Patrick Stewart 1. @SirPatStew Friends for longer than I’ve been alive these two prove that true bro-love lasts a lifetime. And that the party doesn’t stop just because you’ve hit 70. Some top moments include those pics of them gallivanting around New York in matching bowler hats on their boys day out. That time Patrick called him and Ian “the boys” in a tweet. The fact that they call each other Sir, and when Ian officiated Patrick’s wedding ceremony. The list goes on. and Penelope 2. Salma Hayek Cruz Egg-stravagent Easter eats Creme egg melty pudding Method: 1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C/Gas Mark 4 2. Melt 40g of the butter and use some kitchen roll to coat the inside of the mugs. Sieve 1 tbsp of cocoa powder and 1 tbsp of caster sugar into the mugs to line them, and then tap out any excess. Place a creme egg at the bottom of each mug. 3. Melt the rest of the butter over a medium heat in a small saucepan. Remove the butter from the heat. Break the chocolate into pieces and stir into the butter until the chocolate has completely melted. 4. Whisk the eggs and yolks together in a mixing bowl until pale and mousse like, incorporating the sugar a tablespoon at a time. 5. Once the butter and chocolate mix is cool, slowly pour it into the egg mix and gently stir in. 6. Sift the flour in mixture and gently stir it in. 7. Divide the mix between the four mugs. 8. Cook the puddings in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes until slightly cracked on top. 9. Once the puddings have been removed from the oven leave them for two minutes to cool a little before turning out. If they don’t come out at first, run a knife around the edge of the pudding to loosen them. The puddings should be firm and spongy on the outside, with a molten centre of creme eggy goodness within. 10. Devour immediately. Alice Fishman Ingredients: 40g melted butter (for greasing) 1 tbsp cocoa powder 1 tbsp caster sugar 110g butter 110g dark chocolate 110g caster sugar 2 eggs 2 egg yolks 110g plain flour 4 Creme Eggs Equipment: 4 mugs 1 mixing bowl 1 small saucepan 1 sieve 1 wooden spoon If you’re fast running out of ways to eat your creme eggs this Easter, why not try one of these egg-citing recipes? Creme egg brownies Ingredients: 185g unsalted butter 185g best dark chocolate 85g plain flour 40g cocoa powder 100g cadburys mini Creme Eggs 3 large eggs 275g golden caster sugar Method: 1. Preheat oven to 180C/160C/Gas Mark 4 and line a 20cm square tin with baking paper. 2. Melt the butter and dark chocolate together either in the microwave or in a bowl over boiling water. 3. Break 3 large eggs into a large bowl and tip in 275g golden caster sugar. With an electric mixer on maximum speed, whisk the eggs and sugar until they look thick and creamy, like a milk shake. This can take 3-8 minutes, You’ll know it’s ready when the mixture becomes really pale and about double its original volume. 4. Pour the cooled chocolate mixture over the eggy mousse, then gently fold together with a rubber spatula. 5. Hold a sieve over the bowl of eggy chocolate mixture and sift the cocoa and flour mixture, shaking the sieve from side to side, to cover the top evenly. Gently fold in to the mixture. 6. Then cut the Cadbury’s Mini Creme Eggs in half and add them into mixture, making sure they are evenly spread. 5. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until fully risen. 6. Serve warm or at room temperature. Lizzie Batchelar I know a great little place called... The Great British Cupcakery These two are such close friends that a this year’s Oscars, the Academy Award’s official Twitter mistook Penelope for Salma. Awkward? Not for these two, they are two peas in a pod. Or, as they call each other, ‘huevos’ (eggs). A way of calling each other lazy, it started when Penelope wouldn’t get out of bed. The bed she often shared with Salma herself. Calm down, boys. Kidman and Naomi 3. Nicole Watts In the late 80s they auditioned for the same swimsuit add in Australia and shared a taxi home. They have since been representing Aussie talent in Hollywood, all whilst being best friends. But it’s not always been such sunny success for these two. In the 90s when Naomi was finding the move to LA tough, it was Nicole’s support and encouragement that stopped her from giving up and moving home. DiCaprio and 4. Leonard everyone He may not have an Oscar and he wasn’t in the selfie, but who cares? Kate Winslet publically declared her love for him from the Golden Globe stage. Jonah Hill regularly accompanies him on yacht trips with bikini clad babes, reliving the Wall Street days. And lets not forget Spiderman, A.K.A. Tobey Maguire, Leo’s best pal for a quarter of a century. T ucked under the Tyne Bridge on Newcastle’s Quayside, The Great British Cupcakery sits in one of the quieter and prettier parts of the city. The brainchild of mother-daughter team Carole, Leoni and Naomi, the Cupcakery was opened in May last year and has since become a thriving business. Apparently inspired by their grandmothers’ baking, Team GBC say they aim to provide traditional British home-baked goodies to conjure childhood memories of your own. “With wide eyes glued to the 6 inch tall red velvet cake, we sat down” Upon first impression, the tearoom is just as cutesy and nostalgic as you would imagine, decorated in Wedgwood blue with white painted furniture and strategically placed jam jars filled with flowers. What immediately draws the eye however is not the decoration, but the counter in the middle of the room, laden with a staggering selection of cakes, scones, tarts and brownies, with trays full of cupcakes and macaroons underneath. So far, so appetising; with wide eyes glued to the 6 inch tall red velvet cake, we sat down. Photos by Instagram user @gbcupcakery Since it was my flatmate’s 21st birthday, we had gone all-out and booked ourselves in for afternoon tea, which at £19.95 per head is probably more than we’d usually have spent. However, I can safely say it was worth every penny. With the unlimited tea flowing, we stayed for hours as we gallantly tried to munch our way through the generous spread of cakes and sandwiches. Served on vintage mismatched china were scones with strawberry jam and cream, Eton Mess cupcakes, chocolate ‘townies’ (a cross between a tart and a brownie) and many more delectable treats. In the end we had to admit defeat and left feeling spherical with boxes of leftover goodies in hand. Coming from a family of keen bakers myself, I’m a harsh critic when it comes to homemade cakes, but I was impressed at how fresh and tasty the spread was, with motherly must-feed-you-up-beforeyou-go-back-to-uni style portions to boot. If afternoon tea sounds a bit pricey for an everyday treat, then The Great British Cupcakery’s cream tea is a student friendly alternative at just £3.95 per head, and with Mothers’ Day on the horizon I might be back to sample the cream tea soon. The staff at the Cupcakery were relaxed and friendly, making us feel instantly at home. Although perhaps they were a little too relaxed at times, as our cakes took a while to arrive when we first sat down. The music in the background was also a nice touch, with a retro style playlist creating a cosy atmosphere without being too intrusive. Overall, the Cupcakery’s combination of retro styling and copious amounts of cake make for a refreshing change to what thousands of generic coffee shops offer closer to town. And with tea and scones for under £4, their pricing is a refreshing change as well. I would recommend taking a trip to the quayside for a relaxing and slightly fattening afternoon every once in a while; it’s good for the soul. NB: The Great British Cupcakery do offer gluten-free cakes, but it’s best to call ahead and check availability as they tend to sell out quickly. Elizabeth Archer The Courier lifestyle.15 Monday 24 March 2014 thecourieronline.co.uk/lifestyle [email protected] | @Courier_Life What Easter animal are you? Do you lick yourself? YES NO Tom Tibble Pet Hate #2: Dodgy doggy-do Flowchart design by Elizabeth Archer Do you like your roast dinner fancy or caught yourself? CAUGHT S YE S TER ER NO Are you a grunter or a squealer? YES YES NO If your blind date had to describe you in three words they would be the three Cs: classic, cute and cuddly. You are everyone’s favourite Easter animal, a true crowd-pleaser. You hop from garden to garden bringing cuddles and chocolate. You are quite literally a ‘ledge’. They say there is nothing better than a good friend, except a good friend with chocolate. YE Do you even lay, bro? GR UN L EA Bunny “Dog walkers out there just want to see the eyes and nostrils of the public burn” NO Are you at your best when covered in chocolate? Katie Smith NO Y NC FA Does your significant other use a lot of pet names? U SQ W arning. This pet hate is quite graphic, but the fault lies with the anarchical dog walkers out there that just want to see the eyes and nostrils of the public burn. A pet hate is anything that annoys you a bit more than it probably should, and this tends to be inconsequential things like those fiddly little stickers on apples or Clive Tyldesley’s comainducing football commentary. Do you like to roll around in your own filth, you dirty Easter monkey? Pig They call you the black sheep (pig) of Easter and many will fail to see how you fit into this holiday. Mysterious though you are, you sometimes don’t feel as if you belong. A pig on the outside but a babe on the inside, you are often misunderstood. Like every other unwashed. People think you are pretentious but you are actually pretty down to earth. Run free this Easter little piggie, you are The Courier’s Easter Animal 2014. Like Winston Churchill said: “I am fond of pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals.” The man knew his onions. Lamb Chick Mary had a little lamb, its fleece as white as snow and everywhere that Mary went that lamb was sure to go. Innocent, pure, virtuous and particularly tasty with a side of mint sauce, you enjoy the traditions and history of Easter. Always willing to go that extra mile for your friends you are loyal and lovely. Kentucky Fried Chick’ and an Easter Egg. Just kidding! The resident baby of the bunch you like to be well looked after by your pals and the centre of attention at all times. But a true Easter baby you are. Your entire life span is devoted to Easter, from your painted egg shell to the dinner table. We thank you for making Easter so special. And adorable. Illustrations by Daisy Billowes That’s where this week’s pet hate may be up for dispute since it probably receives a sensible dose of revulsion. But if this pet hate, despite involving both pets and hate, doesn’t class as one, then maybe this can act as a public service announcement to the following - dog walkers that do not pick up their dogs’ shit. Don’t get me wrong, shit is a fantastic natural compost, but not when it is smeared all over a sports field where it’s putrid aroma and remarkable power to blind is able to exist to the best of its havoc-wreaking ability. Picture a hulking ogre of a rugby player make a 30 yard run only to find that having nailed a well-earned try line belly slide, he realises that he has launched straight through a rotten dollop of dog excrement. And yet, what is possibly more annoying than the formation of the dogshit itself is the dog walker’s charade in pretending that a dogshit has not formed at all. Often it plays out like this: the dog walker strolls along, lost in thought as his dog lags behind sniffing some tree or bush or public footpath. The dog walker then finds his walk halted by his now squatting companion and decides that ‘no Fido, you cannot shit here, this is too public, let me take you down some concealed route where no one will see me not pick up your shit’ and so with a swift yank of the lead poor Fido is elevated back into load baring trot mode. “Shit is a fantastic natural compost, but not when it’s smeared over a sports field” But not for long. The squat process soon happens again and this time Fido manages to make a little progress, only to find his owner react with a yet stronger yank of the lead. Since the owner won’t let poor Fido finish in one go, the staccato of squat walk squat walk slowly introduces the tree or grass or public footpath to a ghastly trail of Fido’s digested breakfast. And why must this happen? In the scenario of waiting for Fido to go in his own time, it becomes too obvious to the on-looking public that the owner has left Fido’s turd without ever having the intention of picking it up. Instead the dog owner drags his dog along under the pretence that he has no idea what Fido is trying to do. Shameless foul play. Dog shit: just pick it up. 16.fashion Monday 24 March 2014 The Courier Fashion Editors: Frances Stephenson and Amy O’Rourke Deputy Fashion Editor: Bex Finney My week in fashion With ball season round the corner it’s time to think about what you’re going to wear to the biggest photo opportunity of the year. Finding ‘the’ dress can be stressful, Rohan Kon considers some alternatives I Kathryn Holland L ast week I took a well-needed excursion home to see my family and get some rest and relaxation. I was (and still am, to noone’s surprise) low on funds and in need of some parent-funded retail therapy. My mum is a firm believer in the “sensible, comfortable shoe” so Clarks was a particularly favourite haunt during my school years, I yearned for the “cool” shoes that the other kids had. You can guess my surprise then during my trip home she announced her admiration of trainers: ‘‘I’ve heard that they’re very fashionable at the moment!’’ According to my mother, if The Telegraph says it’s on trend then it’s on trend. If only I’d realised this in my childhood. It seems that my Mum and The Telegraph were on to something. No longer resigned solely to the gym bag or when you realise that your feet are bleeding, the trainer is now a must-have fashion accessory. This spring, Karl Legerfield sent the Chanel couture line out on to the Runway accessorised with trainers. What’s more many of the attendees of London fashion week sported Nike, New Balance and Adidas to name a few. “No longer resigned solely to the gym bag or when you realise that your feet are bleeding, the trainer is now a must-have fashion accessory’’ Even though the performance trainer’s popularity is on the rise there’s no shying away from the fact that, aside from the welly, there probably isn’t a less flattering shoe. It shortens the calf, it doesn’t lift the bottom. Despite this, however, it seems that fashion is a sporty place right now. The trend at the moment is for slouchy garments that look good with a chunky, perhaps ugly, shoe. With my lack of money at the moment I have been unable to attain this season’s must have footwear. Thank the Lord then that my Mum’s new found love of the trainer arrived at such a good time. She was the one who picked out the pair I finally settled on, some Nike Junior Free 5.0’s (junior because I’m lucky enough to still fit into children’s sizes - no V.A.T so I’m not complaining). They are super comfy and look great with my black skinny jeans, my go to item of clothing for uni. My mum approved, not only because they featured in The Telegraph, but because ‘‘they have a great instep, and are super supportive’’. Everyone was a winner that day! The only downfall to my new favourite shoe was, because of how comfortable they are, my Mum recommended them to my nana. She’s now ordered a pair… Topshop Nike Prom dress alternatives W f finding the perfect dress isn’t a problem for you, but what you can’t stand is the impracticality of a floor-length gown, the jumpsuit is the sly variation for you. Going for a flowing material with a wide fitting leg can give the impression that you are wearing the demur dress you’re expected to, but secretly your legs have the freedom to dance. If you go for a wide-leg you can get away with wearing flats too, if heels are something that you struggle with. The jumpsuit is also a must-have item for your summer wardrobe, for going on holiday, or even just going out for meals with your friends. The Tux “Blocking is still in, and is a really great opportunity to show off your knowledge of this season’s colours’’ Many jumpsuits are halter-neck or strapless, and so give your look a really summery feel. Like with the tux, there are innumerable options for the jumpsuit. You could of course reject the pretence of a dress, and go for a fitted leg. This will give your body a silhouette which can’t be achieved by a dress, and show off the summer bod you’ve worked so hard for! Similarly to choosing a dress, you then have the option of wearing a block colour or a bold pattern. hat comes to mind first, when thinking of an alternative to wearing a ball gown, is the conventional rebellion of wearing a tux. This subversion of gender stereotypes has been going on since the 70s (when it usually came in the form of flared suit trousers with a polar-neck under the jacket) as a bold statement against the patriarchy forcing women to wear skirts. Suits have an air of sophistication, and are effortlessly stylish however you choose to wear them. You can, for example, put yourself right on trend with the androgynous look by sticking to neutral colours, and wearing a slim fit trouser with a thin tie and brogues. ‘‘A tux can look great with heels too, and can give you an opportunity to show off your statement accessories’’ The Jumpsuit However, it needn’t make you look masculine if that look isn’t for you, because finding a suit that fits you properly will accentuate your figure, and you could emphasise this by wearing your suit jacket and trousers with a tight colourful top. A tux can look great with heels too, and can in fact give you an opportunity to show off your statement accessories. White suits can look a bit cheesy, but a white jacket with black trousers can create a nice contrast, and whilst black, navy and grey are always classy, you may find these neutral colours a bit boring. You’ve got a trend in me Adithya Sharanya takes her outfit to the streets and asks what the public make of her spring, pastel combo. Kirat I like how the look includes many different colours simply by using pastel shades. The scarf really complements the pretty white border on the skirt and the fitted jumper going in at the waist would flatter many body shapes. Harpal Like the colour of the top, think it blends in well with the scarf and light colours. I think this outfit would be more complete with a set of skin colour tights. The boots are also a good match and add to the generally good flow of the clothing. Beata The skirt length works on you and beige goes with your skin tone. Love the scarf. Loving the recreation of the classic white-denim look Taz The top is really good, goes really well with the scarf. Kinda classy actually The scarf is a bit bulky, although it still works! The skirt looks like curtains. The shoes are very smart! All in all the outfit works, just need a better skirt. Vidhi Shoes and top together have a very pastel edge to them. The scarf is a bit too bright but does the outfit good as a whole! Ruhi I think the denim skirt with the white frills is a fresh look despite the slight shade dampening of the top, the outfit works as a whole bringing in the natural colours and binding them to produce an outfit that brings out natural beauty. The Courier fashion.17 Monday 24 March 2014 thecourieronline.co.uk/fashion [email protected] | @Courier_Fashion She’s always a woman to me Hannah Fitton tells us how to pull off the androgynous look without being mistaken for a 12 year old boy I Trucker sandals Topshop nitially, I wasn’t sure which was more difficult, being able to spell the word androgyny, or to wear it. Whilst images of Carrie Bradshaw working the tux in Sex and the City spring to mind, I do fear getting it wrong and ending up looking like a well dressed guy. These chunky shoes from Topshop are a perfect addition to the outfit. The chunky corrugated sole is as masculine as it can get, however the sprinkling of glitter embedded within the sole adds that little bit of femininity. If this shoe couldn’t get any better, it has a jelly sole, bringing back memories of your favourite shoes aged six. Moreover, the thick black strap and buckle look great worn with trousers turned up at the ends. Hannah’s look Nevertheless, androgyny does appeal to me; tailored trousers and structured shirts are key staples in my wardrobe. Here I have taken a pair of gingham trousers from Topshop, and a simple white shirt as a basis for the look. For those afraid of looking too masculine opt for shirts with lace, or intricate detailing, and trousers with patterns or a tight fit to add femininity. Clutch bag Whistles Envelope style clutches are very popular this season, with Whistles spearheading this trend. However, you don’t need to stretch your budget that far when Asos do such great copies. The unusual iridescent colour of this clutch looks beautiful when under different lighting, so is perfect for in the natural daylight and on a night out. “Initially I wasn’t sure which was more difficult; being able to spell the word androgyny, or to wear it...” “Envelope style clutches are very popular this season, with Whistles spear heading this trend” Duster coat ASOS This black duster coat from Asos is perfect for the androgynous look. The blazer style and oversized shape of this jacket is a definite nod to the androgynous look, however the slouchy shape makes the coat more informal and less like your dad’s coat for the office. A coat like this is super versatile too, and wouldn’t have to be worn just for creating the androgynous look. Two piece Topshop If trousers aren’t your thing you can still create the androgynous look just in a slightly different way. This matching two piece jacket and short combination is masculine due to its sharp tailored lines, however the small details such as the sweet dot print, small triangle cut outs and bumpy texture add a little femininity to it. Investing in a suit like this is ideal, not only does it look great together, but both pieces can be worn alone with other items of clothing and look perfect. “Images of Carrie Bradshaw working the tux in Sex and the City spring to mind, yet I do fear getting it wrong and looking like a well dressed guy” Spend, save, splurge: sunglasses Charlotte Davies seeks out which sunglasses to save, spend or splurge on this spring/summer F or just £2 who could say no to this little bargain? Yes, you heard right, if you’re looking to save this season, look no further. This nifty little bargain can of course be found in no other than good ol’ Primark (though they don’t look it!). The leopard print pattern and cat eye shaping will keep you bang on trend, without even making a dint in the bank balance. And, even if you’re looking for a bit of a higher end product, these shades would be the perfect back up pair for an unexpected sunny day. S o, if you’re looking to splash out a little more on your shades this season, then Topshop is the place to look. The combo of oversized hexagon with tortoise shell printing will make for the ultimate stylish statement. The trend oozes 1970s vintage, giving a stylish finish to any of your spring/summer looks. The good news? This look will cost you only £16. These sunglasses are the perfect guilt-free treat for any fashion conscious student. Set to be a statement style this summer, you’ll wonder how you ever did without these babies. A nd finally, for the ultimate splurge. Priced at £168 if these shades are your thing, its time to get saving. Though on the pricey side, this timelessly classic look from Chloe screams stunning sophistication. Price tag aside, who could deny such a gorgeous set of frames? And with their timeless look, you’re sure to get your moneys worth. Nothing quite finishes a look than a pair of designer shades. If you’re prepared to dig a little deeper into your bank balance this summer then this pair will serve you well. Ladies, I believe its time to start spoiling ourselves. 18.beauty Monday 24 March 2014 The Courier Beauty Editors: Safiya Ahmed and Amy Macauley Before, during and aftershave Aftershave, cologne, fragrance: whatever you want to call it, Tom Tibble shares his wisdom on how to smell heaven-scent T here is a saying, ‘aftershave should be found rather than announced.’ An allusion to the value of subtlety, the idea that aftershave should not turn a room into a gas chamber, but should instead be worn sparingly making stumbling into a stray waft a pleasant surprise. “When The Lad walks into a room he wants everyone in it to taste his scent in every meal they eat for the following decade” Well the Ladnation says sod that. When The Lad walks into a room he wants everyone in it to taste his scent in every meal they eat for the following decade. The Lad wants to make a bolder impression than any Rival Males, so to supplement his aftershave he uses beforeshave and duringshave as well. This use of before, during and aftershave, in combination with a hearty amount of deodorant makes the irresistible aromatic concoction that lands Lads so much Action. And yes, by Action I mean when a Lad brings a female mate back from a night out and engages them in a heated game of chess, or scrabble, or on occasion hungry hippos. (A side note here: I want to reinforce a backing for the recently maligned scrabble, it’s as Laddish as any other board game and though it receives flack in the Ladrealm for being ‘words’ based I feel it belongs up there with the best of the ‘logic’ based games. Sure, it’s no Connect 4, but it certainly possesses more charisma than noughts and crosses.) Anyway, this is how The Lad attains this night of passion. The Lad watches television when suddenly a before, during and aftershave advert comes on in typically cryptic fashion. The setting is a low-lit swanky poker table and the camera cuts to one of the players whose name looks as if it should be something majestic like Alessandro Del Piero. The poker player, Del Piero, looks an absolute boss sporting a pinstripe suit and a somehow neat-butrugged beard. The camera pans to the rest of the poker players who look weak and nervous. Then we get the contrast, a close up of Del Piero’s confident face as he says in a raspy Italian accent, ‘I am… unpredictable’. Then boom, we get a quick cutaway to a jewel-plated snake coiling itself around a bottle of Paco Rabanne One Million and then boom, back to Del Piero who is now stood and saying to the camera, ‘I am… unexplained’. Del Piero then pushes his poker chips across the table and firmly declares, ‘I am… all in’. Boom, again here comes the cutaway of the snake who slowly unfurls from around the bottle and the watching Lad is left wondering what on earth he has just witnessed. But whatever it was, it worked. Because what The Lad does next is he buys a bucket load of the advertised fragrance and applies it heartily before, during and after the shaving process. That alternative Paco Rabanne One Million (named for how many men in every million men wear the fragrance) advert is just one example of classic Ladvertising but do make sure to be enticed by a variety of Ladverts to mix it up. Aftershave: it’s your call. Tom Tibble as Alessandro Del Piero: ‘I am... unexplained’ Underneath the covers Hannah Bullimore tells us how to achieve the looks from this month’s top mags so you can be a cover girl every of the week F or years the most glamorous and fashionable magazines have relied upon the effect of one strong image to draw the attention of readers. The cover girl offers the height of aspirational beauty so we at The Courier have decided to help you achieve that cover star look every day. Lea Michele for Glamour your fingers using a little serum to soften the curls and prevent any frizz. Next tie the top section of the hair back with a small, clear band then secure slightly forward with a grip to create shape and volume at the front of the head. This half up, half down do is incredibly flattering. Katie Holmes for Elle Photo: Chad McNeeley, Her look is sleek, sharp and modern, perfect for this year’s spring trends. Start with a light foundation and then focus on good sculpting techniques. Use a highlighter such as Benefit Watts Up Soft Focus Highlighter to add definition to eyes and cheeks bones. This slight glow will give a flattering warmth to your skin. Katie’s look uses the brows rather than the lashes to draw focus to her eyes, so make sure you have a well-defined arch and use a soft eyebrow pencil to define eyebrows. A touch of hairspray on a brow brush will keep eyebrows in shape and make sure they stay defined all day and all night. A pale rose lip balm adds a touch of colour and moisture to lips. The look is naturally sexy and can be carried off for day and night – perfect for those who love to head out straight after their last lecture. To begin create natural, soft looking skin. Start with a matte foundation such as Maybelline Stay Matte Foundation. Stay clear of shiny products such as highlighter and instead use only a light powder blush to add a little colour, Rimmel Pink Rose 004 Blush gives a fresh faced touch of pink. ‘‘Lea Michele’s look is perfect for those who head out straight after their last lecture” Next is eye make-up. Leah Michelle is drawing the reader into the magazine with that powerful gaze, but she’s not depending on heavy eye make up to do it. Instead use a brown kohl pencil as an alternative to black eyeliner to add delicate definition that suits all eye colours. Blend a natural pale brown eye-shadow over the lid and finish with just a touch of mascara. Finally create that soft, relaxed hair by using a curling wand to create soft waves using wide sections of hair. Then comb the hair through with Photo: David Shankbone ‘‘The cover girl offers the height of aspirational beauty” Photo: Eva Rinaldi To achieve Katie’s hair use a high shine shampoo and conditioner and then blow dry hair straight. This look definitely requires freshly washed locks. Next, use straighteners to create a straight texture then curve the straighteners slightly at the end to soften the look. Leave the top layers of hair just blow dried straight to create a more modern texture. Georgia May Jagger for Vogue The blonde beauty is sporting a sexy, bedhead look on Vogue’s cover, perfect for this season’s sports luxe trend. To create the look, begin by towel drying hair until nearly dried. Next use a texturizing mousse and rub in from root to ends, rubbing the hair between your hands to create thickness and texture. Next, rough dry with a heavy side parting using a paddle brush. Be careful not to use too much product as this will weigh the hair down. If you are not starting with fresh hair use a quick blast of heat from the hairdryer and some hairspray to fix hair in a side parting. Next use a little dry shampoo or root boosting powder to give extra bedhead texture. ‘‘There’s a cover star in all of us” To achieve Georgia May’s make-up use a pale gold eye shadow before using a smudgy black kohl on the bottom lash line. Foundation should be creamy to give a healthy, dewy appearance. You could try Clarins Skin Illusion Foundation. This look is the perfect excuse not to use blusher or highlighters as it’s all about an undone, just rolled out of bed kind of look. Instead, add colour with a lip shade that is warm but not too bright. Try a long lasting colour to take you from day to night, such as Revlon Colour Burst Lip Laquer in Coquet, to get Georgia May’s luscious pout. Whichever cover girl you aspire to be, these top tips should help you achieve a cover star look on an everyday basis, from day to night. After all, there is a cover star in all of us. The Courier beauty.19 Monday 24 March 2014 thecourieronline.co.uk/beauty [email protected] | @Courier_Beauty Daters gonna date Ellen Dixon shares her top tips for perfect date makeup, whatever you’re up to W hen preparing for a first date you’re probably going to want to look as gorgeous as you can when you step out together. This is especially true considering the Tinder revolution which has earned a few of my friends at least 2 dates a week. All of our makeup bags need to be bulging with the best makeup out there - not necessarily the priciest. Let’s be honest, for the majority of us the process of applying makeup is either a ten minute rush before we go out or is complete 3 hours before, and then has to be re-done anyway. With the added pressure of having to impress a date with your killer cheekbones and luscious lips, whichever sort of girl you are it’s always nice to have some beauty inspiration. From simple and pretty English rose lips to sexy smoky eyes, you’re bound to make an impression (a good one) with these looks. My thanks to my model, Kat. All looks include : Benefit Porefessional Primer - £24.50 Maybelline Fit Me Foundation - £7.99 Benefit It’s Potent! Eye Cream - £24.50 Rimmel Stay Matte Powder - £3.99 Rimmel Natural Bronzer - £5.99 Rimmel Lasting Finish Mono Blush in Santa Rose Rimmel Day 2 Night mascara Bobbi Brown Long Wear Cream Shadow in Sandy Gold The concert date The drinks date Probably the most popular kind of date and the one that causes the most deliberation where your makeup is concerned. Simple yet alluring has to be the way to go, unless your drinks are at the Oscars or in your own flat (weird). Rimmel 1000 Kisses Lip Tint and Balm in Timeless Tango Maybelline Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner in Black The daytime date Whether going to the cinema, taking a day trip to Durham or maybe even travelling as far as Whitley Bay, your makeup needs to look effortless for this date. Glowing skin, glossy lips and a springtime freshness will do just the job - after all, the sun has been shining all week. Think Miranda Kerr in all of those sickeningly beautiful Instagram pictures. Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick in Coral Britannia The Body Shop Lipgloss in Lychee Hoola Benefit Bronzing Powder (as blusher) Eyeliner and mascara as above If you apply your makeup stage-by-stage using primers and powder, your makeup shouldn’t come off during a sweaty gig. This is no guarantee though if a bottle of warm, yellow looking water comes flying at your head (not to put you off a concert date of course.) Make sure those eyes are smoky and intense enough for any mid-song eye contact. Eyeliner and blusher as above Rimmel HD 5 Pan Eyeshadow Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick in Nude Delight Rimmel Scandal Eyes in Retro Glam Hairway to heaven Rather have ten minutes more in bed than perfect hair? Us too. Luckily, Charlotte Dickson has some hair hacks to look like you’ve spent hours styling rather than snoozing W hether it’s because you’ve continually pressed the snooze button, or completely forgotten to set your alarm altogether, we’ve all been there and slept in for too long. With this leaving little to no time to get ready, your bedhead may seem impossible to tame and a bad hair day inevitable. So here are a few tips on how to style your hair before uni when you are short on time. This bun purposely meant to look effortless and messy, so if you really need to be running out the door, this is probably the quickest style to do before uni (you don’t even need to brush your hair!). Every girl has their own preference on how they put a bun together, so the following steps are just one of the many ways you can create the messy bun. First pull back your hair into a loose ponytail, as low or as high as you’d prefer, and don’t worry about your hair being perfectly slicked back. Then separate the strands in the ponytail into two sections and wrap them in the opposite directions to create a topknot. “Sometimes, if all else fails, it is better to embrace your hair’s natural messy state” Depending on how much time you have you can either then use another hairband to secure the bun, or use a few pins a few centimetres into the bun, leaving the edges to fray. If the body of the bun is too tight gently pull it apart, and put a few pieces around the face. This style works best with a messy texture, and holds better when hair isn’t freshly Jazzy distractions There are ways in which you can disguise a messy do, and one of these is accessorizing. Chucking on a headband or sliding a few fancy grips into your hair can make it look as though you spent a lot more time doing your hair in the morning than you actually did. A quick and easy style to do when in a rush is pinning back the two small pieces from either side of your parting at the front, and putting in the slides where these meet in the middle, at the back of the head. Keeping your hair off your face can really help when working or making notes in a lecture, so this style definitely has more than one benefit to it. The natural look Sometimes, if all else fails or you only have time for a quick comb/brush through your hair, it is better to embrace your hair’s natural messy state. If your hair is frizzy or static, there are lots of products that can help tame these, whether it’s a mouse or a good finishing cream. The two products that I recommend and buy over again are L’Oreal’s Elvive Extraordinary Oil and Umberto Giannini’s Perfect Beauty Finishing Cream. Even if your hair gets greasy easily and quickly, a little bit of oil or cream does help the overall appearance of your hair, so don’t feel as though these products can’t be used on your hair-type. Additionally, a bit of oil on the ends of hair can also calm the appearance of spilt ends and help avoid dryness. “Chucking on a headband can make it look as though you spent a lot more time doing your hair than you actually did” The week in... purple Ever wondered how to incorporate those cool shades of plum or lilac into your everyday makeup looks? Grace Beddow tells you how P urple elements in makeup seemed to be a recurring theme in many of the Spring/ Summer 2014 fashion shows. The purple trend found its way into the Prada show, as the models wore a bright lilac shadow in a feathered style on their eyelids, and the Rochas models wore a beautiful (if not a little out-there) pale Barbie lilac matte lip colour. Although a matte light lilac lip is not the most wearable look to be sporting in the Robbo, there are ways of incorporating the purple trend into our everyday makeup and night out makeup looks with some of these products. Lilac nails Painting nails in a trend colour is always a good place to start for those who don’t want to fully commit straight away. Finding pale and creamy nail colours in effective and non-streaky formulas seems like a near impossible task, however Essie’s Lilacism priced at £7.99 is a choice that wins my vote. A slightly cheaper alternative at just £2.99 is Barry M’s Berry Ice Cream, which is a slightly darker and richer creamy lilac hue. These pale candy lilac colours look beautiful on all skin colours, as their light pigments stand out against darker skin tones, whilst they have a subtle and delicate effect on more porcelain skin shades. Soft purple eyes Purple is known to typically bring out green eyes, however the notion that those with certain eye colours should wear certain eye shadow colours is now rather outmoded, which is good news for all those wanting to sport purple lids. The Revlon Colourstay Quad in Seductive, which consists of two pale shimmery shades, a lilac and a deeper plum is a good, and affordable place to begin. The benefit of this quad is that just one shade can be used as a sheer was over the lid for a pretty day look, however for an evening eye, the dark plum can be used to define the crease and the shimmery shades in the inner corners for a more dramatic appearance. Plum blush Using a plum shade to add a flush of colour to the cheeks is an easy way to incorporate the purple trend into your everyday makeup, as it is an alternative from a candy pink, but without being too extreme. Despite the ever increasing price tags of MAC blushers, they have a beautiful range of plum toned blushes, such as Breath of Plum, which is a gorgeously subtle matte pale plum shade. There are a wide range of plum toned blushes by drugstore brands too, however, as they are often more pigmented than the baby pink shades, a light hand is recommended to avoid looking like you applied Purple pout your makeup in the dark. The thought of purple or lilac going anywhere near the lips is a scary prospect for most. A safe option for summer is to wear a purple toned lip gloss, such as Topshop’s Lip Cream in Double Take. This gloss is non-sticky and gives a beautiful fuchsia purple sheen to the lips, and comes with the added benefit of its blue toned quality making teeth appear whiter. A deep hue can still look summer appropriate if it is patted on rather than applied straight from the bullet and if the rest of the face is kept simple with dewy skin and very minimal eye makeup. The Courier 24 March-27 Aprillistings.21 Monday 24 March 2014 thecourieronline.co.uk [email protected] | @Courier_Listings Listings Magical Worlds Until 22nd June Great North Museum: Hancock The Hancock Museum brings you a a feast of fantastical fairy tales and figments in this new exhibition, featuring fancy dress for adults Free Jason Derulo 25th March O2 Academy JASON DERULO. The man himself is riding solo all the way to the Academy. If you show him a good time, maybe he won’t wanna go home Tickets £32 Frank Skinner 25th March City Hall David Baddiel’s old sparring partner and a legendary comic in his own right, Frank Skinner brings his Man In A Suit tour to the toon Tickets 27.50 Susan Boyle 26th March City Hall Everyone’s favourite ‘I Dreamed A Dream’ interpreter until Anne Hathaway came along and destroyed everything she’d worked so hard to build Tickets from £37.50 Franz Ferdinand 27th March O2 Academy Mid-’00s indie innovators who are probably indirectly responsible for a lot of the tat to follow but who, let’s face it, have some absolute tunes Tickets £25 The Four Tops and The Temptations 27th March Metro Radio Arena Two of Motown’s biggest boybands, collectively responsible for such all-time classics as ‘My Girl’, ‘Get Ready’ and ‘Reach Out (I’ll Be There)’ Tickets £42.50 All The World’s A Stage Opens 28th March Hatton Gallery An exhibition curated by Newcastle University art students of works addressing celebrity and performance. Sounds like a laugh Free UB40 1st April Sage Gateshead Immeasurably cheesy British reggae group known for ‘Red Red Wine’ and its immeasurably cheesy ilk. Each to his own, though Tickets from £27.50 A Midsummer Night’s Dream 19th & 20th March Metro Radio Arena A Shakespeare play about a donkey-headed bell end and his fairy friends, but you already knew that. I expect there’ll be a ‘modern’ ‘twist’ Tickets £27.50 Adam Ant 4th April O2 Academy Is he a pirate? Is he a highwayman? Is he even still going? Well, the answer to that last one is a firm ‘yes’. Tickets £25.50 Dancing On Ice 4th April Theatre Royal Torville and Dean present a group of people much worse at ice skating than they are falling over and hurting themselves. With Joe Pasquale! Tickets £32.50 Floating Island 5th - 21st April BALTIC A hands-on art project which lets punters work with sculptors to create a giant suspended island of art, a ‘floating island’ if you will Free Matt Cardle 6th April O2 Academy The second coming of Steve Brookstein deigns to visit Newcastle to trot out his latest bunch of soft-rock pap, and probably ‘When We Collide’ at the end Goldfrapp 7th April Sage Gateshead The “Ooh La La” hitmakers take to the Sage to bring you their trademark electropop, as well as their more recent pastoral work Tickets from £18.50 Harlem Globetrotters 9th April Metro Radio Arena New York’s finest comedy basketball exhibitionists surface in Newcastle. Will they give the Eagles a run for their money? Tickets from £15 Gary Barlow 12th April Metro Radio Arena Take That frontman, X Factor judge, and all around nice young man Gary Barlow takes to the arena to play a selection of the Queen’s favourites Tickets from £35 Sophie Ellis-Bextor 17th April Sage Gateshead It’ll me murder at the Sage when Sophie gets going, bringing all of her hits from ‘Groovejet’ to whatever the hell her last hit was Tickets £20 Catch-22 19th April Northern Stage Joseph Heller’s classic novel about fighter pilots and the bureaucracy that threatens to drive them mad (it’s a comedy) arrives at Northern Stage Tickets from £14.50 22.arts Monday 24 March 2014 The Courier Arts Editors: Millie Walton and Charlie Dearnley Deputy Arts Editor: Laura Wotton Art & technology: cyborgs This week, Lauren Stafford indulges in a cybernetic obsession, seeing what literature has to say about cyborgs I t’s the end of term and hours in the library feel like they’re getting longer; more time studying means more time procrastinating and, in attempt to avoid staring at a blank Word document, I’ve been spending a lot of time Googling anything and everything. Plus, lately I’ve been thinking a lot of about cyborgs (no, seriously) and naturally this led to obsessively reading about wearable tech.; in particular a start-up called Wearable Sonar who claim to be uncovering methods of charging smartphones through our clothes. It’s a scary thought for the future – how long before we’re fitting iPods like pacemakers? – but maybe it’s all closer than we think. What is a cyborg? A person (or organism) whose physical abilities are enhanced by mechanical elements – though there’s significant academic debate around the definition. I rely on my contact lenses. I forgot to wear them once and ended up in Killingworth. Does this make me a cyborg? I sure don’t look like Arnie in The Terminator (I hope). Let’s turn to Literature for clarification. Here are a few examples of our cyborgic pals. Rat Things in Neal Stephenson’s Snow Crash Cyborgs aren’t exclusively a fusion of human and machine. Rat Things in Snow Crash can recall their previous life as dogs – though their minds are mostly controlled by implants. Physically they’re part pit bull terrier, part cybernetic components (complete with an ugly, artificial tail); also, unlikely to appear in Paris Hilton’s handbag anytime soon. Frankenstein’s Monster in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein The original meat and metal combo, Frankenstein’s Monster is a gruesome amalgam of fleshy parts crudely stuck together then jolted into life with a spark of electricity. And he’s got a pretty terrible rep, the poor bastard; I mean, he doesn’t even have a name – unless you count “Wretch” or “Devil” – which seems a bit harsh considering all he really wants is to find a nice lass to settle down with. Besides, I’m not sure his wooing technique is necessarily all that bad (he’d probably fit in at Koosday if he was wearing VNeck and a healthy dousing of Lynx Africa). Yod in Marge Piercy’s He, She, It Yod, for all intents and purposes, has overtly human characteristics apart from the odd niggling complication like the fact he doesn’t sleep. Or eat. When the community find out he is an artificially intelligent creation, they must make decisions about his welfare and rights. Blimey. QUOTES SO SIMPLE Thirteen curators, one exhibition Arts Editor Charlie Dearnley sat down with Briony Carling, one of the thirteen strong curatorial team for All The World’s A Stage, an upcoming exhibition at the Hatton Gallery C urating is a hugely exciting prospect, providing the chance to command a gallery space, and create a socio-cultural event. Two exhibitions are never the same: the artwork, the space, the imposed message or liberated interpretation of the viewer, the lighting and the canapés differ every time. Amateur curators and art students can only dream sweet transitory dreams of curating an exhibition for such a renowned space as the Hatton Gallery, such a chance is left at lofty heights beyond the reaches of under-grads. But this fantastic opportunity is something that has been judiciously gifted to the team of individuals on the Gallery Studies Masters. I had the chance to sit down and have a chat with Briony Carling, a Gallery Studies student part of the marketing initiative in the run up to the exhibition All The World’s A Stage. I selfishly snapped up the interview opportunity, fascinated to explore her curatorial approach in comparison with what I had already encountered whilst studying Fine Art. She began by indulging with an enthused expression that the curatorial team bureaucratically included all thirteen people on the course. All old wives tales and suspicions aside, thirteen people is a huge number, especially when working without one overall project leader. Briony explained that they had to be “quite careful in group discussions to try and encourage everybody to have their say.” There is an obvious concern with such a group that discussion would descend into an apprenticeesque ego entwined power struggle, but “every- one’s come together really well.” The show’s title is taken from Shakespeare’s As You Like It. All The World’s A Stage is a captivating, clever and mystifying exhibition title, and not just that but “It looks good on a poster.” Briony’s matter of fact statement is blindingly true, it’s something one may not initially consider when coming up with an exhibition title, but I have to give it to the team, it does look great. They were given a vague theme of the celebrity by their course instructors, and have decided to explore how the celebrity is portrayed through art and the media over a wide expansive time-frame. Briony explained that, “celebrity persona displayed through an image may not be their true self,” it may simply be a visage. The proceeding line in the Shakespearean monologue that the title was borrowed from reveals “all the men and women are mere players.” The world is a stage and we are all “What happens when you blend together 13 curators, 2 archives of artwork, an undisclosed amount of free wine, and 1 exhibition” inadvertently implicated. Some of us may find stardom and shine brighter than others, but we are all still playing out our own stories as part of some grander scheme. The depiction of the celebrity is enthralling when considering them as mere players on the world’s stage, and it is something that the curatorial team has explored with access to the Llaing and the Hatton’s impressive archives. Briony disclosed that included within the chosen artwork are portraits of The Queen, Amy Winehouse, Sir Charles Grey, and Billy Purvis – A clown who liked to steal people’s nap-sacs. Touching on both national and regional history I am eager to see how the chosen artwork explores their theme of the celebrity. Regional relevance is important to the team, and something they even considered as a thematic mechanism. Briony explained that whilst curating within institutions in the North East, there is a huge amount of regional appropriation and pride. These institutions are a fascinating and often frustrating world in which to work. The implications of this environment range from having to include certain logos on posters, to the fact that they have to “run everything by Tyne and Wear museum as we are effectively ambassadors for them.” Briony also enthusiastically believes that this is a particularly interesting time to be embroiled in curating as so much of it is fuelled by social media. “I was intimidated by Twitter,” she explained, something I can shamelessly relate to, but she is now using it as a publicity vehicle. Her main concern now is instead “how to get my hands on enough booze for the opening.” Free alcohol… frequented incentive for attending exhibition previews, whilst it also furthers the exhibition as a social event, not just a cultural phenomenon. All The World’s A Stage opens at the Hatton Gallery with a preview on the evening of the 27th of March. I urge you to go along to discover what happens when you blend together 13 curators, 2 archives of artwork, an undisclosed amount of free wine, and 1 exhibition. Desert island books We asked Emily Jeffrey which four books she would take with her to while away the hours on a desert island. Here’s what she came up with Bridget Jones’ Diary Helen Fielding Tragic and heroic singleton Bridget Jones has long graced our screens with her miniscule skirt and oversized pants. Helen Fielding’s original creation not only captures the fast-paced lifestyle of our favourite thirty-something but allows us a sneak peek into her most prized possession: her diary. Throw in a variety of hilarious misunderstandings and a couple of heart-throbs (Mr Darcy, I’m and looking at you) you’re guaranteed comedy gold. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time Mark Haddon Mark Haddon gives us glimpse into the mind of Christopher Boone, a teenage boy with Asperger’s syndrome. Obsessed with detective stories, 15 year-old Christopher becomes determined to solve a mystery of his own: The murder of Wellington, his neighbour’s dog. Using a broken narrative, Haddon explores the innermost thoughts of a young boy with a much stigmatised disorder. There really is nothing else like it. The Night Circus Erin Morgenstern With a dollop of candyfloss and a dash of magic, Erin Morgenstern creates The Night Circus, a feast for the senses and a delight for the fantasy-fiction reader. On the surface, the circus is a spectacle to behold, but behind the scenes trouble is brewing. Could it be that the circus itself is a façade for something much more sinister? After reading this, I have never been more tempted to run away with the circus. The Book Thief Markus Zusak With an ominous narrator, The Book Thief follows Death on the eve of his busiest hour: WW2. Death quickly becomes intrigued by Liesel, a young girl with a kleptomaniac tendency to steal books at significant points in her life. Hovering on the cusp of history, it won’t be long before Liesel and Death meet again. Deeply touching with breathtaking imagery, ‘The Book Thief ’ is a haunting tale of love and loss. Indifference and neglect often do much more damage than outright dislike…We wizards have mistreated and abused our fellows for too long, and we are now reaping our reward. JK Rowling, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix The Courier arts.23 Monday 24 March 2014 thecourieronline.co.uk/arts [email protected] | @courier_arts Pic of the Week #nclarts E ach week we choose the best arty Instagram pic to feature in the paper. Whether its taken on campus, on a night out or in your own house, we want your snaps. Simply hashtag #nclarts and we’ll pick a weekly winner. Besides featuring in an award winning paper, the winning pic is worth a delicious bag of sweets too. Get instagramming, folks. This week’s winning pic is ‘Moscow Sunset’ by Instagram user... ...thisisnotforyou... Creativity & Coffee This week Will Ibbott seeks out Heaton’s Friends inspired coffee spot, Heaton Perk Poetry corner Promoting the creativity and talent of Newcastle students This week, an anonymous writer has submitted a poem entitled ‘Roots’, and Jamie Shepherd reflects on tattered love in ‘Like Playing Radiohead at a Disco.’ ‘Like playing Radiohead at a disco’ ‘Roots’ My bud was ripped Clipped Replanted away from the roots Unable to know Grow The tree is gnarled Twisted Stunting as the pot Neither can flourish Together Apart Roots at the heart Scarring, tearing Clawing into The dead earth Poisoned “It’s not working” she said, As she stuffed five months of ferocious romance Into a tattered leather holdall. Mine. Desperately I find something to cling onto, A window ledge, a memory of kindness, the nights of passion When she first became mine. We had reached a demilitarized zone, Stagnant and stale. Irrelevant and irresponsive. I said “I can change”. Lies. I said I would put her on a pedestal, Taller than any of my overcoming blues, And higher than rising smoke. Lies. She looked at me with those pale emeralds, “We’re not working” she sighed. “We’re like playing Radiohead at a disco, …you get me?” Begrudgingly, I got her. I ’d always wanted to visit the Friends-inspired coffee shop Heaton Perk, but was always unsure exactly of its whereabouts. It’s located rather inconspicuously a block behind the main drag that is Heaton Road and its plethora of eateries and cafes that tend to the neighbourhood’s dominant student/bohemia market. And you’ll find a very similar ambience here, too. Think of gingham tablecloth, lots of 40s/50s American memorabilia (images of comically large Cadillacs, sexist cigarette advertisements et al) and a playlist in which you can guarantee you’ll hear ‘Johnny B. Goode’ by Chuck Berry more than once. They’ve affected an endearingly idiosyncratic air in Heaton Perk, and the café is busy throughout the day. Decent food, nice coffee and straightforward service. Heaton Perk gets my vote. ‘Poetry Corner’ is a new running feature in our Arts Section this semester, encouraging the hidden poets amongst you to show off your talents to the student body. If you too would like to contribute to this section, don’t hesitate in emailing c2.arts@ ncl.ac.uk with your submissions. Whatever the content, length or style, we look forward to reading them. Simon Bill Get On Your Dancing Shoes Translations Lee Paterson: Orefield imon Bill’s Lucky Jim exhibition currently inhabits the phenomenal Baltic Centre; a must see by any measure. Do not, however, traipse across the river to be singularly struck by Bill’s oval canvasses. The underwhelming ground floor room fails to be lit up by its sterile exhibits. The space is as broad as his subject, ranging from science to poetry and philosophy. The exhibition lacks a focus and conjures no perspective. It feels meaningless. The variety is to be applauded on one hand; the mixed media produced across the 28 large oval canvasses incorporates spaghetti and foam, but the lack of consistency is equally frustrating. In the smaller room, adjacent, the work seems more profound. The microscopic element is brought to the fore and the science museum feeling of the project becomes an asset. Like bacteria on a petri-dish, the textures are erratic, original and the repeated motifs are more evident. Perhaps the sculptural play on Wittgenstein’s Duck/Rabbit illusion reveals a deeper meaning to the exhibition? Or perhaps I’m a philistine of the highest order and simply did not get ‘it’ whatsoever. Or perhaps you’ll share my view of its vacuous monotony. Joe Tetlow very year Newcastle’s Dance Society puts on an end-of year show, which every member can get involved in. This year, they performed ‘Get On Your Dancing Shoes’ at the Northern Stage on the 14th and 15th of March. The show was full of variety, with dances from many different genres - contemporary, jazz, street, tap, ballet...you name it. The performance was also technically diverse, with choreography to suit the varied abilities of every member of the Dance Society, from beginners to advanced. Although I enjoyed the entirety of the show, there were a couple of routines which really stood out: the lyrical group performance to Sara Bareilles’ ‘Gravity’, and the advanced street number. It’s not surprising that these dances placed highly in their most recent competition earlier this month, with a win for lyrical and a second place for street – both were incredibly choreographed and executed. A huge well done to all the performers, those involved backstage and of course the Dance Society Committee. I loved every minute of the show – the choreography, the music, the costumes - everything. It was obvious that everyone was having an incredible time on stage, and I will definitely be attending next year’s performance. Jade Holroyd ith an abundant composition of dramatic romance, comedy and tragedy, Brian Friel’s nineteenth century-set play resolves around the eradication of traditional Irish place names, forming the basis of controversy within this drama. This provides the play with a meaningful and educationally timeless message, as the performers physically illustrate the irate feelings of the Irish for the loss of their etymological heritage on stage. This March, the Sheffield Theatres & Rose Theatre Kingston theatre group have relit Brian Friel’s spectacular play with the interspersion of dancing, vibrant music and brilliant acting featuring the combination of the Gaelic language, creative use of facial expressions and theatrical staging. Featuring dangerously complex love triangles and the battle between Irish heritage versus English ignorance, the fight for imperialism serves as a passionate plot for the deeply moving performance. As the title suggests, the difficulty between translations and language proves vital for all of the characters, as misinterpretation is just as misleading as badly translated language. The romance promises to be grippingly exciting, stealing audience attention from the onset. Holly Suttle n Friday 14 March the Sage hosted an AV festival premiere of two live sound pieces: John Butcher and Rhodri Davis’ Roughting Linn, and Lee Paterson’s Orefield. The room was a large dimly lit cube. Sound filled the room, swirling and ebbing around along with the gentle shuffling of the audience’s feet in its most peaceful moments, and industrially crashing off the walls in its greatest cacophony. Roughting Linn is a sonic exploration of a section of ancient Northumberland landscape, so named after a small waterfall (Linn) and the bellowing noise is produces (Roughting). John Butcher performed on Saxophone, whilst Rhodri Davis played Harp, and sounds of the musicians performing at the site of the waterfall was integrated electronically. The piece was haunting and engulfing at times, and fascinating in the percussive nature of some of the sounds the musicians achieved. Orefield was incredible; exploring abandoned mines in the Pennines. But all Paterson did was occasionally alter the levels on his laptop. I wanted to move around the room with the sound but was confined to my seat. The composition was stunning, but it’s ‘performance’ detracted from the captivating sound. Charlie Dearnley Drinks Art Vibe Kitsch and foodie reviews S Baltic 8 March - 1 June E Northern Stage 14 - 15 March Northern Stage 25-31 March W Sage 14 March O 24.filmfeatures Monday 24 March 2014 The Courier Film Editors: Muneeb Hafiz and Jacob Crompton-Schreiber Do you want to retry? Editor’s Word Michael Hicks looks at the seemingly impossible task of good video game adaptations The Easter funnies T here are murmurs of disquiet of the ‘sequelisation’ that cinema has experienced of late, but you can’t help but smile at the thought of seeing the Incredible Parrs back on the big screen in The Incredibles 2. Along with that of course is the small matter of Star Wars Episode VII eliciting vibrant speculation and frantic hope across the globe (see Lupita Nyong’o and Adam Driver as potential castings). The wheels are in motion for one of the most eagerly anticipated/feared releases in decades. With deadlines looming and stress taking us down dark roads, there’s much to look forward to over the Easter break to anaesthetise the assignment aches and provide some escape from the heavy textbooks and endless journal articles. Here are just a few of the films to look out for. Noah A film already shrouded in controversy and development trauma, the modern take on Noah the radical, the father, the servant, the saviour, is a biggie. Heavyweights such as Russell Crowe, Anthony Hopkins, Jennifer Connelly, Frank Langella among notable others, are set to feature with seasoned pro Darren Aronofsky at the helm of the project. An epic film which hopefully won’t be an epic fail. Release Date: 4th April The Raid 2: Berandal I won’t mince words, it’s no secret that everyone universally agrees that video game adaptations are pretty terrible. At surface level, it’s quite hard to figure out why this is. Books and comics have made the leap to the big screen fairly successfully and many argue that video games can be easily as immersing, moving and entertaining as any other medium; so it really does beg the question, why do movie adaptations of video games suck so badly? Before I dive into the main reasons I believe video games are difficult to adapt into films; it is worth noting that there are some that, in my opinion anyway, are fairly good adaptations. Despite its rubbish plot, awful acting and completely and unintentionally hilarious dialogue, 1995’s Mortal Kombat is considered by some to be one of the better video game adaptations. Director Paul Anderson has gone on record stating that he is a fan of the original arcade game, something which is clearly reflected in the film. Character designs are very faithful to the source material and the plot (which involves a series of expert martial artists, three of which are the same ninja wearing different coloured pyjamas, are brought to an alternate dimension to fight in the most ridiculous Transcendence As the directorial debut of Nolanite Wally Pfister comes the slick, sexy, techno-glossy tale of a terminally ill scientist’s attempt to download his mind into a cyberbeing. Eagerly anticipated with some big big names on board, this is potentially a sight to behold and definitely one to look forward to. As a cinematographic virtuoso, Pfister’s project will surely be a delicious watch and Transcendence is a date for the calendar. Release Date: 25th April “It’s no secret that everyone universally agrees that video game adaptations are pretty terrible” in one of which dinosaurs still exist. There’s also a strange absence of a kidnapped princess to rescue. Those video games which do have engaging and provocative narratives simply don’t work outside of their native medium. The Silent Hill series is one of the more cinematic game series out there. The player has to wander through the smoky, desolate eponymous town; running from hordes of Eldritch abominations due to the scarcity of weapons. The main meat of the plot comes from the cutscenes, which are largely based around the idea of player choice and urgency. You are the major mover in how the story unfolds. This was simply impossible to recreate in film, and as a result the Silent Hill film series is merely a fairly standard horror affair with really intricate monster designs. The major reason as to why video game adaptations are terrible is that writers don’t have the time or patience to sit down and play the source material, which results in half-hearted attempts to capture the essence of the games. This often results in cookie-cutter films which miss the point of the game entirely (see Tomb Raider, Hitman and the entirety of Uwe Boll’s resume). Despite these reasons, the film industry has been making baby-steps in improving the quality of video game adaptations, Prince of Persia, while nothing special, is evidence of that. With films based on such series as Assassin’s Creed and Mass Effect on the distant horizon, only time will tell if games finally make the jump to cinema successfully. Just for Kickstarters Ian Mason discusses the idea of crowd-funding, which Kickstarter has re-energised T After the action masterpiece of the first Raid, hopes are high and after Sundance spirits are up at the thought of the sequel. Expect a test of stamina, of adrenaline levels and on-screen scraps to make you wide-eyed and gasping for breath. With director Gareth Evans reprising his directors chair, the intoxicating formula of good vs. evil, elbows and knees to faces, we at The Courier are super-pumped for this one. Release Date: 11th April tournament ever) sticks quite closely to the game’s. It also has the best theme song ever. Despite its status, Mortal Kombat raises two initial problems as to why video games are so hard to adapt. Many early video game movies originated as fighting games. Street Fighter, Double Dragon and Mortal Kombat are games from which entertainment derived from pure gaming skill. The issue with this is that there is simply no way to capture what made these games so entertaining and transfer it to the big screen, it would be simply too boring without the direct involvement. This usually results in fairly boring action movies with little to nothing involving the original game. The other main reason why video games are so hard to adapt is that early examples often had little to nothing in the way of engaging narratives. A textbook example of this is the infamous Super Mario Bros. movie. For the uninitiated, Mario games have a paper-thin plot; stomp on turtles, take alarming amounts of mushrooms, save the princess, repeat ad nauseam. The Super Mario Bros. movie decided to go in a completely different (and bonkers) direction with a plot involving a meteorite splitting the universe into two, he launch of the Veronica Mars movie comes from what is surely the biggest success in picture to come from a Kickstarter campaign thus far. Having struggled to bring together the financing to make a movie to close off the cult television show, the cast turned to the one body they knew they could count on, their fans. They looked for the fans to pledge between them $2 million dollars to bring the movie to life, and an astonishing ninety-one thousand backers participated, pledging an enormous $5.7 million. But why Kickstarter, and what is it? Kickstarter is effectively a spin on the Dragons Den television show, but instead of ideas being presented just to a small crop of millionaires, anyone can get involved. If you believe in a project, you can back it. This can be anything from kitchen appliances to movies, as we see with Veronica Mars. When it comes to movies, the cut and chase is that they must make money, or there would be no reason for backers to agree to fund them. Kickstarter however changes that. It allows cinematographers the freedom to put their idea into the public realm and if enough people want the movie to be made, then realistically it can. Investors can’t lose their money, as Kickstarter doesn’t take any until the goal is reached and therefore funds are only put in place if the project is definitely going to go ahead. This summer will also see the launch of the new movie from Scrubs star Zach Braff, Wish I Was Here which has also been funded by Kickstarter. Braff as many will remember wrote and produced the movie Garden State back in 2004, but despite it’s cult following and commercial success he hasn’t up until now followed it up. In the campaign Braff documents his reasoning for this; artistic merit and total control. What many wouldn’t realize is that the director doesn’t always have control over the casting of their movie; it may on occasion be overruled by those funding it. Braff wasn’t happy with that, wanting to protect the integrity of the ideas he had for how the movie should be shot, and who should be in it. That’s where Kickstarter came in. “All ideas... now have that opportunity to reach out to those passionate [fans]” Kickstarter’s biggest advantage is it allows those making the movie complete creative control. It allows them to finance the movie how they see fit, and in effect the ideas in a filmmaker’s head is what you will see in the eventual film. One of Kickstarter’s biggest stories has been in the world of documentaries. For instance, Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl has recently launched a campaign to create a documentary about the history of the iconic Smart Studios in Wisconsin, a studio which produced legendary albums such as Nirvana’s Nevermind and Smashing Pumpkins’ Gish. A quick browse on Kickstarter finds over thirtythousand current film campaigns, featuring documentaries about everything from Cosplay to Camgirls and to coffee. These are all ideas which may never come to light, but now have that opportunity to reach out to those passionate about these ideas to bring them to life. It’s all well and good to hype a movie on the internet, but before now it has always needed to succeed at the box office. With the influence of the viewer before the movie is ever made, it takes away the aspect of films failing despite enormous hype beforehand, such as in the case of Snakes on a Plane, but far more importantly makes films of the niche variety all that more possible. The Courier reviewsfilm.25 Monday 24 March 2014 thecourieronline.co.uk/film c2.fi[email protected] | @Courier_Film “I feel the need... the need for speed!” Top Gun (1986) Need for Speed (12A) Top 5 Weird Characters A 5 dapting any video game in itself is a challenge, but in paying tribute to a worldwide gaming bestseller, director Scott Waugh has got himself in the firing line. The 20-year-old Need For Speed series famous for its immense modification options, its extravagant set of exotic cars and a set of spectacular environments push the boundaries of high speed racing. For Waugh to succeed in the perfect motion picture, Need For Speed needed to strip away any serious intentions and exploit the fast-paced world of speed-racing in glamorous cars. Need for Speed starts off with former drag racer Tobey Marshall (Aaron Paul) being framed for his colleague’s death after drag race with him and the perpetrator Dino Brewster (Dominic Cooper). Two years later, Tobey is released from prison to seek revenge in the ultimate speed race set up by the notorious host Monarch (Michael Keaton) in California. The plotline itself mainly pivots around the journey to California and how Marshall’s relationship develops with love interest Julia Maddon (Imogen Poots). Need For Speed features plenty of anticipated fiery explosions, drawn-out racing scenes, clichéd “will they, won’t they” scenes and ridiculous stunts involving helicopters and police cars. Aaron Paul’s performance is sufficient to keep audiences entertained yet doesn’t live up to the standards of his Breaking Bad days. Paul’s chemistry with fellow actors gradually enhances as the plotline develops, with Poots easing off the cringeinducing British stereotype as she gradually bonds with Paul’s character. As for the one-dimensional Cooper, his antagonistic role as bad boy racer goes from poor to downright uncomfortable. Waugh, however, does replicate the Need For Speed car racing admirably, camera angles are applied impressively, showing the angst and exhilaration in each driver. The soundtrack is both commendable and clichéd, with the drama-filled scenes featuring predictable instrumentals, while other scenes showcase fresh artists like Battle Tapes to ol’ favourites like Linkin Park which com- plement racing scenes seamlessly. Many of the game series’ cars are featured, whilst Waugh guarantees game lovers satisfaction by applying alternate terrain from the rough city, to the fiery crimson desert to the open air green roads. Waugh even features the racing series at the start to tie in the series. Overall, an admirable attempt at adapting a remarkable gaming series. Waugh’s cast care, at times, sub-par, but the overall camera technique, soundtrack and vibe is impressive enough to make the film attention-grabbing. The Zero Theorem (15) Veronica Mars (12A) Under The Skin (15) Jake the Poacher More like this: The Fast and the Furious (2001) Alex Gibbs In a movie full of strong and colourful protagonists (Withnail & I), it’s quite easy to overlook the classic scene in the Cumbrian pub where Michael Elphick makes the act of brandishing a slippery eel look menacing. Just don’t ask him for anything for your “pot” as rebuttal will most likely occur. Lady in the Radiator 4 Nightmarish would be one description for David Lynch’s first film (Eraserhead) and the bedlington terrier-like Lady in the Radiator has to be one of the weirdest bit parts in cinema. Her random musical number “In Heaven” obviously made an impression though as the Pixies covered it. 3 Mike Yanagita I n Terry Gilliam’s latest feature film Christopher Waltz plays Qohen Leth, a number crunching recluse who refers to himself in the plural yet is always alone. Living in an abandoned church the plot sees Qohen given the task of proving the mysterious Zero Theorem, a mathematical equation that would prove that all is for nought. The visual art style of the film is that of an almost child-like vision of the future, including numerous neon colours and roller-skates. Yet this colourful aesthetic hides the true society in which the film takes place. With God being replaced with ‘Management’ the film has numerous statements to make about the world we live in today, and is largely a social commentary. Commenting and exploring themes of technology, faith, meaning and sex which reflect back a world that is not far away from our own. A particularly strong scene appears with Qohen attending a party where he is in the stark minority not engrossed in technology and social media. Throughout his journey of self-reflection and discovery Qohen is accompanied by three other members of this dystopian society; Joby (David Thewlis), Bainsley (Mélanie Thierry) and Bob (Lucas Hedges), each used to explore differing themes. Though Waltz, and his bald cranium, are truly the highlights of the cast. The deep meaningful sense the film does all it sets out to achieve, however this at the expense of the plot. Although the movie explores some interesting ideas, in terms of story there is no such depth. With the events unfolding largely in the same locations, a lack of characters (particularly non-sexualised female ones) and characters of any depth (besides Qohen), the film is not much for entertainment. More like this: Brazil (1985) H ey there Marshmallows. How long have you been craving the reprisal of Miss Mars? Fast forward nine years and Veronica Mars (Kristen Bell) has everything. The perfect job opportunity, perfect boyfriend (Chris Lowell), perfect New York apartment (you get the picture) and then she gets the phone call she never expected. Ex-boyfriend Logan Echolls (Jason Dohring) is suspected for murdering his ex-girlfriend and Veronica is called to save the day and resume the job she once had as a private investigator. Funded by 91,585 Kickstarter donors, Veronica Mars gives its fans everything and more. Packed with almost all the treasured characters from Vinnie Van Lowe to Dick Casablancas; marshmallow addicts will be kept on their toes with how each actor has aged to comical cameos (Justin Long, James Franco), to the witty chemistry each character has on-screen. However, the film is teaming with advertising references, to the point where you’d be passed out cold on the floor after drinking every time a Pepsi can or Samsung gadget popped up. The soundtrack itself is commendable, having an indie vibe with featured emerging talents such as Emperor X and Typhoon. At times, the characters seem a bit rusty warming back up into their roles, but they make up for it by sheer brilliance in improvisation from kooky dance moves to witty repartees. The film itself is nonchalant, entertaining and unruffled; exactly what the show was all about. It is the fans deserved; playing to no other crowd. It is exactly for this reason that I adore it. An extravagant treat for Mars fans, with a commendable cast and soundtrack; but not one that will excite the general public anytime soon. More like this: Brick (2005) Daniel Lowther M ichel Faber’s Whitbread shortlisted novel Under the Skin gets mutated into a silver screen art house flick which leaves the audience confused and terrified, and perhaps not entirely sure why. To give a summary of the plot of this movie is hard because, as anybody who has seen this film will understand, I know no more than you do. In short, Scarlett Johansson plays a femme fatale, of unknown origin (as it turns out, an alien), prowling the streets of Glasgow for her victims. She lures these young men into her dark lair, allowing them to be pulled into a black tar like floor where they remain in a sort of suspension until they are sucked dry of all their insides, leaving only a flappy sack of skin and hair behind. As the movie progresses, a glint of humanity, curiosity, takes hold of Johansson and we follow her in this exploration. I’ve been looking forward to this film for a while and was spectacularly excited to get the review. What impressed me most was how ugly it was. Unlike the glitzy Hollywood films Johansson is typically known for, one could see its warts. The actors were not silver screen hunks and the streets of Glasgow are hardly the glamorous boulevards of LA. We wander with the alien through crowds of normal human beings, looking with confused fascination at the everyday passing of life. Johansson’s lack of emotion is where the true horror in it comes from. She does not show the slightest bit of emotion as she watches a couple drown leaving an infant to die, but we still, for some reason, pity her. This film is a nightmare from which you cannot tear yourself away from, searching for answers that you aren’t certain are there. More like this: Species (1995) Alex Gibbs George Smith When Marge meets up with her old flame Mike Yanagita in Fargo, what ensues is classic Coen Brother dialogue. Hilariously awkward to watch, at times heart-breaking, Mike is obviously a lonesome soul and when it is revealed that the wife he claimed to have died is still alive, well... The Satanists 2 This fast food loving duo is probably just a harmless middle aged couple, but in the cynical and overactive minds of Enid and Rebecca, of Ghost World, these two fast food diners are transformed into devil worshippers of the highest degree. The giveaway sign - they put their umbrellas up after leaving the restaurant in the middle of the day! 1 The Hitchhiker While it seems that most hitchhikers in films tend to have homicidal tendencies, I doubt most of them have a potentially golden business idea for “7 Minute Abs”. Just when you thought Ben Stiller in There’s Something About Mary couldn’t get himself in an even more awkward situation. Jamie Shepherd 26.tvhighlights Monday 24 March 2014 The Courier TV Editor: Beth Durant Deputy TV Editor: Helen Daly TVintage T he best British children’s TV programmes all featured either inflatable obstacle courses, gunge, or Dave Benson Phillips – who became a sort of jolly surrogate uncle figure for everyone born between 1982 and 1996. Get Your Own Back had all three elements of this golden triumvirate, and this is why it’s one of the greatest kids’ shows of all time. You’d get home from school and settle in for half an hour of DBP enthusiastically goading kids into the ultimate act of revenge – pulling the lever that propelled your long-suffering mum, dad, teacher or other responsible adult into a large tank of gunge. The show became such a cultural touchstone over its twelve years of transmission that kids up and down the country used ‘the gunk dunk’ as a threat to their wayward parental units - “if you make me do X/don’t do Y, I’m going to write to CBBC and you’ll have to go on Get Your Own Back and I’LL PUT YOU IN THE GUNGE TANK”. Or maybe this was just my family. It was a bit like Gladiators but Gladiators as imagined by Timmy Mallett after a lifetime of psychedelic drug abuse The adults were dragged out at the beginning of the programme to a booing studio audience, in the manner of a suspected paedophile being dragged into court in front of a baying media. We’d be informed of the heinous acts of cruelty these bastards had inflicted on the child contestants – wearing an embarrassing jumper, perhaps, or restricting Jammy Dodger consumption to some unreasonably low number. The kids competed against each other in games to win points while the adults attempted to thwart them; these being the days before the current childhood obesity crisis started to bite, the games all involved the kids running about on large inflatables. There was the one where they were strapped into a bungee harness and had to run from one inflatable wall to another, depositing yellow discs while the adult tried to steal as many as possible. There was the one where they had to run up and down a set of inflatable stairs with a large bucket, collecting watery gunge (the good stuff was saved for the finale – BBC budgets, yanno) and pouring it into a container; the adults meanwhile had to try and scoop it out with oversized ladles, dressed in what I can only described ‘dayglo Irish washerwomanchic’. It was a bit like Gladiators, only Gladiators as imagined by Timmy Mallett after a lifetime of psychedelic drug abuse. Whoever got the most points would be given a one-question advantage in the final questions round, with the person who first answered five questions correctly getting to pull that magic lever and send their grown-up headlong into the gunge pool. It was a beautiful moment: the unfortunate adult floundering about like a pissed manta ray, but with the shellshocked, gulping facial expression of someone whose auntie has had too much Bucks Fizz at a golden wedding anniversary and accidentally told them they’re adopted. With the tragic decline of gunge-use in children’s television programming over the course of the last decade, we will never see its like again. Kate Bennett Gogglebox “How much is it to get in to the cinema now-adays?” “About 7,8 pounds” “They’re lucky! I’ll wait for the DVD, get it 3 pound from the DVD woman. DVD? DVD? 3 quid mate, I’ll wait” which is just a perfect example of the kind of stuff I’m talking ogglebox: the show where you can watch members of the public getting drunk, having arguments and generally pissing each other off. Oh yeah, and watching telly. Who would have thought that watching strangers commenting on the week of television could be so funny? According to the Channel Four website Gogglebox is “Highly opinionated households across Britain watching and reacting to a range of television shows, giving sharp, passionate and sometimes emotional critiques of the week’s TV’ It started off with a 4 episode series in series 1, and then got elevated to bigger and better things with a 13 episode second series. Now it is back with 12 episodes to play out each Friday night at 9pm, and it’s lucky it’s past the watershed because Ste- phen says fuck more than I do, and that’s saying something. From the upper class, to posh to trot, Stephanie and Dominic, to the downright hilarious antics of Sandra and Sandy, the stars of this show are completely ordinary and yet entirely extraordinary at the same time. They are real, which is part of what makes this show so watchable. Watchers gain far more amusement from watching caricatures of themselves and their families in the show, and I know in my case, my mum and I are constantly talking and arguing when we’re watching the telly. The emergence of Gogglebox in early 2013 made our television nights complete, and it’s certainly comforting to discover we’re not the only ones who chatter more than watch. Just the quotes that come out of Gogglebox make it worth the whole of the TV licence fee. This series alone we’ve had “30% of fuck all, is fuck all” from Steph during Dragon’s Den. “This is as pointless as pointless can get” from Amy on Top Gear, and the brilliant exchange between Sandy and Sandra, Wilfred Law and Order: UK Joanna Lumley meets Will.i.am Channel 4, Friday 9pm G BBC3,Monday, 12am O ne night, a man named Ryan (Elijah Wood) decides to kill himself by overdosing on pills, he doesn’t die however. The next day, a neighbour asks him to watch her dog, Wilfred, for the day. Soon enough Ryan realises that while everyone else sees Wilfred as a dog, he sees the dog as a man in a dog costume (Jason Gann). Does that sound too trippy for your liking? Maybe, maybe not. Fact remains, though, that the US interpretation of the Australian TV show has gone completely viral for its three seasons. Even if the FX has announced that Wilfred is now entering its last season, the show’s pilot remains the channel’s most-watched comedy premiere. Fans are certain to miss the beer-guzzling, cigarette-smoking, overgrown frat boy of a dog that is Wilfred. Jason Gann, who is, incidentally, also one of the show’s creators was born to play the role. He is the perfect juxtaposition of Ryan, and turns his life upside-down. Elijah Wood, on the other hand, offers a surprisingly balanced performance as the exasperated everyman, a gloriously created contrast to Gann’s Wilfred. Apparently, he is also game to do everything with the character, the most notable of which is leaving a prize-worthy poo in his neighbour’s shoes. Crude in some ways and charming in other, Wilfred is one of these titles that fans will certainly regret saying goodbye to. We’re hoping that the mystery of whether Wilfred is a figment of Ryan’s imagination or a magical, immortal being will be revealed in the show’s final season. Yet ultimately, the reason we tune in to it, is because Wilfred is sure to make us laugh. Antonia Velikova ITV, Wednesday, 9pm T here’s something incredibly comforting about Law and Order: UK; I think that this can be attributed to the sight of Bradley Walsh in his long coat, or the knowledge that our CPS barristers are morally superior to the selfinterested bigwigs in defence. I enjoy the standalone episodes and, whilst the regular characters form the core of the show, attention is not overly lavished upon them. This has allowed the programme to evolve as the regular cast members have changed, and made sure that the show continues to focus on producing thoughtprovoking cases, rather than melodramatic farce. Series eight opened with a new partner for DS Ronnie Brooks and, in a deviation from the past, newbie Sam is not a young, tough-but-sensitive type angry at the world’s injustices but has a background in Child Protection. This is used to build and overcome obstacles for the team in episode one, and I hope that it will cause a subtle change in the dynamics of the police team – I am hoping for an equal footing between the partners, rather than the father-son relationships that we’ve seen before. Over on the side of ‘order’, both of the prosecutors seem slightly less self-righteous than in series seven. This is likely to change though, so for those who miss the furious arguments about whether the counsel should pursue a charge of murder or manslaughter (by reason of diminished responsibility), I am sure you need not wait long. But at the end of it all, I think what I enjoy most about Law and Order: UK is the reminder that the cases don’t stop for the police or the CPS, it’s just another day at the office. Jonny Lusha “Who would have thought that watching strangers commenting on the week in TV could be so funny?” about. As far as I’m concerned, Gogglebox is one of the best shows on Channel Four at the moment, and is the only thing I actively try to tune in for. 3 minutes of episodes 2 was devoted to Sandy and Sandra panicking that something was stuck in the sofa, then half the participants singing the Match of the Day theme song for another 2 minutes. Some brilliantly un-missable moments. Sophie Baines BBC, Friday J ust this title alone is a massive selling point and amazingly, it’s not courtesy of Channel 4! I am shocked but very happy with the BBC for pulling this out of the bag: The Voice meets Absolutely Fabulous - what more could you need for an hour of evening telly? This hour-long documentary will have Joanna jetting off to LA to visit the lovely Will on his home ground. They’ll be heading off on a walk down memory lane (Will’s of course) and visiting places from his childhood. It’s most likely going to be a very fabulous remix of This Is Your Life - sorry Michael Asbel, and Trev and Eamon (not Holmes, guys). Joanna has openly said that she has always wanted to meet Will.i.am, as his character and his achievements fascinate her. After being in the public eye for so many years, Joanna was slightly perplexed as to why she had not come across Will in person and so jumped at this offer from the BBC. She described him as “sweet as pie and as dandy as a peacock”- which Will would most likely interpret as him being ‘pretty dope’. So why did the BBC pick Joanna? Quite simply because she’s a fabulous and well-loved TV personality that can add a quirky twist to any factual TV show. There’s no doubt therefore that Will.i.am will also give an additional quirky viewing bonus. So if you fancy a break from The Voice and want to know what made Will.i.am so damn dope, have iPlayer at the ready. It’s gonna be a bumpy ride, this time without Edina Monsoon and Fergilicious. Charlotte Maxwell The Courier featurestv.27 Monday 24 March 2014 Gherkin overtime Everyone loves an adult-oriented animated comedy, and Bob’s Burgers is the latest to grab plaudits. TV Editor Beth Durant takes a look at what makes it so special B ob’s Burgers was one of my favourite shows of 2013, and that is saying an awful lot when you consider that watching TV is pretty much my job at this point. The show centres around the Belcher family, made up of Bob, Linda, and their three kids Tina, Gene and Louise. They own a hamburger restaraunt, with all the kids chipping in to help run it. The family-based animated comedy is such a tried and tested trope, yet Bob’s Burgers manages to surpass everything that has come before it. Where The Simpsons is perhaps often lazily cynical, Bob’s Burgers manages to be stubbornly hopeful about everything it portrays. The Belchers are one of the most coherent and believable families on television, with well-written, nuanced characters that compliment each other. The kids are not just their own separate characters, but instead a product of their parents. All the jokes are not just played for the audience, but instead are the Belchers interacting and bouncing off each other, telling their jokes to each other like an actual, living, breathing family. It is remarkable that “It is the unpolished reality of the Belchers which makes Bob’s Burgers so endearing” an animated comedy with such crudely designed characters could be so intimately connected with the audience, and it is this unpolished reality of the Belchers, with their financial woes and struggling business, which makes it so endearing to watch. Tina, the eldest kid of the family, is the centrepiece and unsung hero of this coherency. Voiced in a monotone drawl by Dan Mintz, she has an obsession with horses and butts and writes a lot of erotic ‘friend fiction’. When she gets too overawed with a situation, she sits (or lies on the floor) and endlessly groans in true awkward Belcher fashion. When Bob takes her out for her first drive in an almost-empty parking lot, she monotonously remarks “Let’s make this kitty purr” and manages to hit the only car parked in a 100 metre radius, choosing to groan in panic instead of turn the wheel. Yet despite Tina awkwardly stumbling her way through her teenage years, she is never made the butt of the joke, although she loves to “touch the butt”. A TV audience has never seen a character grow up in such a untypical manner. Whilst she fantasises about being prettier and bolder, she also fantasises about talking politics with adults. Although the title of the show leads you to be- lieve that Bob is the reigning character, it is Tina who remains the at heart of everything the family does, and they all want to make her happy and unperplexed. In one episode, the plot is centred around Tina being anxious about shaving her legs, not wanting to “let go of her furry friends” (Truly, some brilliant lines from Tina) but wanting to do it anyway. Yet this anxiety makes the family rally around, with Gene jumping on her legs to hide them from bullying girls in their school, Linda trying to shave them in the tub, and Bob taking her to a waxing appointment, in true Belcher family fashion. You might be recoiling at some of the awkward, uncomfortable moments a show like this might afford you, but I can only promise you that it is one of the most honest shows you will possibly ever watch. We’ve been waiting months for new episodes of GoT. But can too much hype ruin a show? Christopher Addison and Deputy TV Editor Helen Daly lock horns T he Doctor Who Christmas episode of 2013. The start of Sherlock Series 3. These are just a couple examples of shows that personally let me down in terms of how excited I was to view them. The whole problem being that they were just completely over hyped. It seems that in today’s society there is no way that you can simply just have a successful TV show and not hype it up in some way, whether that be enticing viewers into new seasons or even just intensifying our excitement from episode to episode. Whilst this is understandable in an age of declining viewing figures and new entertainment mediums, it more often than not simply leads to a rais- W No e’ve all seen the new posters and trailers for series four of Game of Thrones right? Aren’t we all a little excited by them? If your answer was ‘yes’, then good: the whole point of the hype has worked. Hype is a fairly new concept for TV; we’re used to seeing the build-up of films and even games, but with the increasing popularity of certain television shows, it has become more and more necessary to create excitement surrounding them. Hype can come in many different forms. Most commonly we find ourselves ogling a teasing poster or trailer to find any snippet of information that will hint at what we can expect from the new Lizzy’s Life Lessons Ja’mie: Private School Girl J a’mie (pronounced Ju-may, definitely not Jay-mee) King is a seventeen year old student at Hillford Girls Grammar, a private school in North Shore, the richest borough in Sydney, Australia. She’s everything you wish you were in high school. She’s an academic, teacher’s pet and the most popular girl in the whole entire school. Either that or she’s just 37 year old Aussie comedian Chris Lilley (of Summer Heights High fame) kitted out in remarkably convincing drag. The mockumentary style show follows the road to graduation for Ja’mie and her clique. Ja’mie: Private School Girl may have aired its final episode on BBC Three only a few weeks ago, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get your fix. Her internet legend lives on and this very column gives you the only life lesson you’ll ever need to know from Ja’mie. And that’s how to become her. First things first, the word ‘hot’ is out and if you The hype machine Yes thecourieronline.co.uk/tv [email protected] | @courier_tv ing of expectations that cannot be met. The problem with hyping up TV shows is that it leads to a warped view of the program in question. Often we are treated to a range of teaser trailers and various clips of episodes before anything is even aired, with the number of such clips increasing every year. This might raise interest, but it runs the risk of revealing too much and throwing away the interesting elements of the program before things have begun. Then of course there is the problem of when excitement is increased for upcoming shows, the viewer develops their own ideas about how storylines will go. When storylines are actually revealed, they either can’t believe things have gone that way, or they feel deflated because the whole reveal is worse than what they imagined, with the latter feeling being more probable when a show has so much hype surshow or series. More frequently though, just having a popular actor or writer in the show can create more hype than any poster can. Let’s be honest, how many of us had heard of Broadchurch before the casting of David Tennant? Hype is not just what the show put out themselves, it’s the advertising and coverage that comes from it. It would be almost impossible to discuss hype without mentioning the new fad of fandoms. More than often, it seems that the trailer and posters are specifically aimed at the fandoms of cult shows on TV. In some cases, (not naming any names, cough SHERLOCK), you can almost hear the writers and producers whispering ‘oh yeah, this will get them’, and faster than you can say ‘Benedict Cumberbatch’, the internet has erupted at the thought of potential answers and returning characters. As I draw to the end of my hype investigation, I can rounding it. TV shows need to stop trying to get us so excited and just let the actual work do its magic, because if it worked for Beyoncé, then it will work for them. see just how important the very notion of ‘hype’ is. Without it, we probably wouldn’t have tuned into Broadchurch, and Sherlock probably wouldn’t be the massive success it is today. So does hype ruin a show? I don’t know about anyone else, but I can’t wait for the new series of Game of Thrones. Is it April yet? want to be popular, you better start referring to yourself as ‘quiche’. No, I’m not talking about the egg-filled, crust-based pastry. ‘Quiche’ is a word coined by Ja’mie and it basically means that you’re hotter than hot. Ja’mie’s usage of quiche is now the fifth search option when Googling the word and Lindsay Lohan hashtags it on Instagram daily. Here’s another lesson – be innovative. Strive to change. Alter the English Language as we know it. Ja’mie didn’t ask to be born quiche, okay? But she was and you dumb bitches just have to deal with that. Don’t be jealous. Use Ja’mie as a style icon. She isn’t afraid to mix it up. One minute, she’s rocking a leotard and the next she’s a rebellious, wristband-wearing indie kid. She’s also not afraid to show a little skin. Nothing says risqué like a cheeky flash of bra behind your school uniform. Though bear in mind that your aim is to look semi-slut, not full sluzza. Finally, Ja’mie keeps her enviable figure by not eating anything for two days a week. One thing that definitely doesn’t scare Ja’mie is getting what she wants by any means necessary. The best advice she can give is to work that flirty baby voice and those innocent puppy dog eyes… because it will make your father more likely to buy you stuff. Being honest means being brutal. It might hurt the first time you tell your mother she looks like a ‘cancer patient’, but it’s about time she learnt her place in the family! Sometimes, the claws have to come out. ‘You know what would be embarrassing? Having your head’ Nobody fucks with Ja’mie and gets away with it. Last but not least, Ja’mie is all about helping the less fortunate, because she really cares (about winning the school medal) and you should too. She frequently reads to the poor, retarded and black communities of Sydney. She’s sponsoring eighty five children in a ‘povo’ country. She’s gone as far as allowing Kwami, an African man awaiting housing placement, to live in her family’s ‘massive house’ for a whole month. She’s even offered him the opportunity to see her tits on Skype. If that’s not charitable, I don’t know what is. Elizabeth Atkin 28.music Monday 24 March 2014 The Courier Recess Skrillex ROUTINE Music Editors: Kate Bennett and Ian Mason RAGE against the F Josh Nicholson’s love is gone for superstar DJ David Guetta W e all know David Guetta as that slimy French bloke with greasy hair and a weird nose but really, underneath this stereotypically French façade, is potentially one of the worst DJs in the history of music. With a great lighting show he covers a multitude of sins, mainly the sin that his music is shit. Let us start with his most recent work, ‘Shot Me Down’, feat. Skylar Grey. It should be feat. Audio Bullys, really, because frankly it’s just the original with a shit bassline that has no connection to the song at all plonked in the middle. It’s this kind of despicable DJ-ing that made people lose faith in the charts. People like Guetta getting to Number One makes a mockery of those who actually have some talent rather than just standing, arms aloft, asking “are you ready to jump?” repeatedly in Franglais. Now, I know English may not be his native language, but if you’ve only got one saying, don’t overuse it. If the music was up to scratch, he wouldn’t have to talk to the crowd. It’s different with people like Zane Lowe, for example: they’re paid to talk so you can understand why they would, but Guetta is paid to make ‘music’ (in the loosest sense of the word). “There’s evidence that he doesn’t plug in at gigs and isn’t actually mixing his own sets on stage” I heard David Guetta from my back garden last year when he played Creamfields; I was meant to be there but was quite grateful for being ill, having heard the dross spilling out of the Cheshire farm where the festival takes place. His stage lighting and setting is quite something, being 4D and all, but it’s just a shame it’s him who has made it work. Fair play, I can be seen dancing around to some of his tunes whilst absolutely muntered in the Sinners cage, but that’s no credit to the work - it actually shows how bad it really is. He works with top pop stars - the likes of Kelly Rowland, Rihanna, and the almighty Snoop Doggy Dogg - but they just end up carrying the whole song rather than augmenting it. There’s evidence that he doesn’t plug in at gigs and isn’t actually mixing his own sets on stage SURPRISE SURPRISE. This might be commonplace, who knows, but it would be a bit different if Fatboy Slim did it because he’s actually credible in his own right whereas Guetta seems to keep stealing things from people and getting away with it behe just shoehorns a massive dance cause bassline in the middle. I refuse to use the word ‘drop’ simply because it’s disgusting and doesn’t sound cool coming from anybody but the Beastie Boys. It’s scary to think kids are growing up with this horrible music these days; a man stood behind a desk he’s not even using, covering himself by using space age technological l i g ht i n g shows. rom the man who told us about his perspiration problems and that he was going ‘wild for the night’ comes something much along the same dirty dance production line. On first glance it was exciting to see that there was a track featuring the immortal Fatman Scoop, who brought us his very own bass drop in ‘Be Faithful’. However, all my dreams were slashed when I listened to Recess, because it was only a sample - a sample that saved my ears from bleeding, but a mere sample nonetheless. The weird thing about Skrillex is his illusion that he is God’s gift to music and to Earth in general. It all started with the aforementioned ‘Wild For The Night’ video, featuring him walking about in the Dominican Republic with a load of child soldiers as if he owns the town. Bit off. “I had to turn ‘Stranger’ off, as it genuinely started to hurt my eardrums” He seems intent on continuing this image in the video for Recess’ lead single ‘Try It Out’, a stereotypical DJ ego-massage of a video with the camera filming in a way that enhances his misguided sense of importance (selfie alert). He goes on to kiss a lion at a zoo, in a classic “what have I just seen?!” moment. The track itself is pretty much what you’d expect from him - a heavily scratchy bassline, supplemented by a lot of ‘drops’ and ending with a random deep voice yelping “OK?” By about the sixth time I felt like screaming “YES I AM OK, ARE YOU?”. It was either the song or the fact I’d been in the library for near on seven hours and thought someone wanted to talk to me. I had to turn one song, ‘Stranger’, off, as it genu- inely started to hurt my eardrums due to the high pitched squealing note he places over the entire track. I’m partially deaf at the best of times but I imagine that Skrillex might just kill any use of my hearing in the future. For all these negatives, there is one little gem in ‘Coast Is Clear’, featuring Chance the Rapper. This track features a much more accessible dancemeets-hip hop style, and for once, I actually quite liked it. It was a hallelujah moment, a moment where the world feels at one again and there’s a genuine sense of optimism that Skrillex could pull Recess back from the brink of awfulness. Sadly, this redemption doesn’t last long: Skrillex follows it up with ‘Dirty Vibe’, co-destroyed by Diplo. Why would you do that to me Skrillex? You led me on and I can now never forgive you. I do love The Cut on a Tuesday; as my friends will concur I have had many a drunken night skanking away to dirty trap music in there. However, if any of this gets played I might cry, because with Recess, Skrillex has broken my heart. There is a song on it called, ‘Doompy Poomp’, which doesn’t even sound like its ridiculous title suggests it should. Either he had severe lack of creative thought at this point, or he realised nobody really cares because most of his music is mostly appreciated by pilled-up people who are chewing on their own faces as if it were a Fruit Pastille. All in all, Recess is a bit all over the place; one thing is for sure, like someone who’s just emerged from a toxic relationship, I’ll be putting a nice clean break between Skrillex and myself. Recommended download: ‘Coast Is Clear’ Josh Nicholson Supermodel Kylie Minogue Deadmau5 For Lack Of A Better Name I f, unlike Josh, you love car alarm beats, reverberating basslines and Star Wars-esque lightsabre sounds, give Deadmau5 a go. Highlighted by the smash hit ‘Strobe’, this album is surely the pinnacle for modern dance music. Notice the cover art similarity, too? Night Time, My Time Foster The People Kiss Me Once If you like this, try ... Sky Ferreira S F T Recommended download: ‘I Was Gonna Cancel’ Recommended download: ‘Pseudologia Fantastica’ Recommended download: ‘Heavy Metal Heart’ ince Kylie’s second imperial phase petered out after Body Language, she’s rather been coasting while occasionally throwing out brilliant singles. The single is Kylie’s natural habitat, and Kiss Me Once sounds like a collection several singles from several different albums, all of varying quality. Sometimes it works. Kylie is joined by Pharrell for ‘I Was Gonna Cancel’, which marries tasteful Random Access Memories funk with bells(!) and an opera singer(!!) to alluring effect. That said, the opera singer’s buried so far down in the mix that it sounds more like someone left a studio window open while an opera singer wandered past outside. There are flashes of most of Kylie’s various guises throughout: while the Chic guitars on ‘Sexy Love’ are presumably drawn from Daft Punk’s last album, they’re also a straight nod to 2000 album Light Years, ‘Spinning Around’ and the Hot Pants Years. There’s even the traditional excursion into badly miscalculated hard dance - witness ‘Sexercise’, a Kylie-goes-dubstep track written by Sia and produced by ‘Swagger Jagger’ hitmakers The Monsterz & the Strangerz. As chopped and sped up vocal samples shout “SEXERCISE”, lurching sub-bass rears its head again and again like a stoned hydra. It’s aurally wounding. Overall, while the highs aren’t that high, the lows are never enough to knock away their sheen. It is Kylie’s great gift that she can slip so easily between whatever pop byways are being trod at whatever point she reappears, and Kiss Me Once largely carries on the trend of Kylie’s work of the last ten years admirably: solid, with some stand-out moments. Tom Nicholson rom the early writing stages, Foster The People’s Mark Foster claimed that their follow up to 2011’s Torches was going to be ‘very guitar-driven’ and ‘not the record that people are gonna expect’. In some ways, Supermodel isn’t the album that I was expecting to follow on from an album as electric and percussive as Torches, yet it still contains some aspects that made the debut what it is. Foster’s ability to write a chorus that you’ll be whistling for weeks on end (deriving from his career as a jingle composer) shines through in ‘Nevermind’ and ‘Pseudologia Fantastica’. ‘A Beginners Guide to The Moon’ encompasses the departure that Foster was aiming for when he wanted to merge guitar into his compositions, whereas lead single ‘Coming of Age’ fails to execute this due to an extremely lacklustre chorus. Unlike their debut, which manages to find an overall balance, the latter half of Supermodel nosedives with ‘Goats In Trees’ and ‘The Truth’ defining the term ‘throwaway songs’. ‘Fire Escape’ shows Foster’s unique lyrical style making a return, and would find its place more efficaciously by closing the album, with the former songs removed. Supermodel is equally as experimental as Torches, but there isn’t an urge to flip the record back over and start again. The main reasoning behind this is probably because Torches’ memorable electronics and beats are now faded into the background, creating a much more flat sound. The band wanted this album to be a departure from Torches, which it definitely is, but there could be a debate over whether it is a progression. Tom Ardron he first time that I heard Sky Ferreira, I was quick to write her off as another pop starlet wannabe who would have a cataclysmic struggle to make a name for herself in the immense landscape of the music industry. But after a continuous series of delays and a musical and personal maturity, Ferreira has delivered to the world Night Time, My Time. It’s a slightly psychedelic, empowering record that finds Ferreira navigating an array of emotions over a delectable mix of 80s synth pop and 90s grunge. Throughout the album Ferreira comes across as both a fragmented individual who has had to suffer in life, and a strong, powerful young woman who sees the world in a positive light, where everything ahead is going to be great. Whether it is the reflection on her label issues in the form of ‘I Blame Myself ’, the youthful romanticism entwined with the jaded output of ‘Heavy Metal Heart’, or the bold feminism displayed in album opener ‘Boys’, Ferreira always brings a palpable sense of honesty to her music, whilst just happening to wrap these life truths around infectious melodies. The record definitely benefits from the use of exclusivity in terms of co-writers and producers, creating a really cohesive body of work and a distinctive sound. The blend of genres nicely syncs the artist’s previous pop persona with an inner rock chick vibe and some indie sensibilities to great effect, whilst Ferreira always sounds vocally chilled but still emotive. Night Time, My Time stands as an album that can cater to the masses and the alternative in abundance, and shows that sometimes the wait for both artist and fans alike is definitely worth it. Christopher Addison The Courier music.29 Monday 24 March 2014 thecourieronline.co.uk/music [email protected] | @courier_music LECTURAL HEALING SceNE: Venues Each week we take a closer look at a different spot in Newcastle’s music scene. This week: Think Tank? @ Riverside Will Ibbott (1st year Media, Communications and Culture Studies) swapped albums with Dr Chris Haywood, Senior Lecturer in Media and Cultural Studies; here’s how they got on R iverside may be renowned for its history as a sub-standard student club, but having been brought under the Think Tank? banner it’s revamped itself into a really excellent music venue. I sampled it for the first time to see Interpol, a band who really will test a venue for sound quality, and I have to say it passed with flying colours. The dance floor is well-sized and spacious, with a good view from all locations, as well as an overhanging walkway for the vertically-challenged who want a better view. The high ceiling stops the echoing reverberation many DIY venues suffer from, and the sound travels well, holding the integrity of the track. Location-wise the venue is well placed on the Quayside, with bars in all directions and an easy route into town afterwards. With the summer months encroaching upon us, obviously this becomes all the more picturesque and enticing. Alcohol choices aren’t vast, which is a drawback the venue offers run-of-the-mill lagers and Strongbow along with the obvious bottles of Irish cider. The range of alcohol choices we’ve become used to with DIY venues means this is disappointing, but it’s early days, but they could do with being a bit cheaper. There are several bars dotted about Chris on Errors’ Have Some Faith In Magic (2012) Had you heard the album before? No, this was completely new. First impressions: The beauty of this album is that although I kept trying to locate it the venue meaning despite the credible capacity, queuing at the bar isn’t an issue. There’s also an enclosed, heated smoking area if you’re that way inclined, so you aren’t freezing to death between now and the summer months, or waiting desperately until after the gig has finished. One aspect that stood out, though it may seem trivial, was the ventilation - believe me, for heavy gig-goers, this is a big deal. Despite the fact the gig was packed out, the high ceilings and air conditioning meant the place was cool and lacked the stuffy atmosphere that leaves you gasping for breath if battling for a place at the front. If you’ve ever experienced coming out of a gig with your jeans glued to your thighs, you’ll appreciate this little perk. There is a really good listing of upcoming gigs at the venue too, including the just-announced Courtney Love, as well as a nice mix of national and local acts, so worth keeping your eyes on - and with affordable ticket pricing its a venue worth taking the time to visit. Directions: Walking: Head straight down Dean Street, past Brewdog, turn right at Chase and it’s straight in front of you, beside Victoria 22 Buses: The green Quaylink Bus from Central Station stops right outside Metro: Given it’s on the Quayside, it’s pretty much half way between Central Station and Gateshead, take your pick, just walk down the hill to the river from either. Ian Mason Every step I take, every move I make, I’ll be dissing you Jack Nuttgens reports on the North East’s fertile, febrile, filth-flinging battle rap scene Battle-rap is a strange beast. It has something of a cult following; a lot of people may have seen it in 8 Mile, or the YouTube series Epic Rap Battles of History, without scratching the surface of what a battle really is in the 21st century. I met Adamzy, founder of North Eastern battle-rap league Get Slated, to find out more. I started off asking him how battle-rap is different from what everyone’s seen in 8 Mile. “I’d say it’s nothing really- well it’s a little bit like 8 Mile but they use mics and it’s mostly freestyling; in Get Slated it’s written, so that’s the difference there.” “Most battles are a capella, opening battling up to people such as poets and stand-up comedians” This is the biggest development in battle-rap: nowadays, professional battlers begin preparing and writing rounds as far as a month in advance. Watching their opponent’s previous battles and listening to their tracks to make their bars (rhymes) as relevant as possible. And although battles take place all over the world (the most viewed battle-rap league on YouTube is Flip Top, from the Philippines) the format is usually the same: three rounds each, usually about 90 seconds in length. Hip-hop purists are often scornful of written battling, but Adamzy is positive, as it brings a guarantee of quality: “I started liking it because it was written, because you could plan everything out.” Most battles are a capella too, moving the emphasis very much away from the rapping side and opening up the opportunity of battling up to people who don’t make tracks. Mark Grist, best known for the viral ‘Teach- within my own (albeit limited) musical reference points – I’m thinking early 90s dance, Talking Heads, Bowie, electropop – I kept dismally failing. Although I was unable to place it musically, the capacious intricacies of the oscillating melodies carried me into a series of vivid imaginary soundscapes. In particular, the vibrancy and understated intensity brought me sunsets and seas. Where edges become softened, where colours merge and disperse across simultaneous moments of darkening and lightening and patterns gently assemble and fall away. And yet whilst lost in a haze of warmth and vividness, the elemental vocals tenderly haunt and searing musical phrases often provide passing rebukes to perfectly cascading harmonies. Furthermore, episodic openings within each of the tracks initiate flares of multiple cross rhythms that despite their apparent random emphasis coalesce in perfect synchronism. Marks out of 5: A host of new tracks for the chill out playlist. Definitely 4. Will on David Ford’s I Sincerely Apologise For All The Trouble I’ve Caused (2005) Had you heard the album before? Nope, no idea whatsoever. er vs Student’ concept battle, is a poet first and foremost and draws on this in his performance; others have more in common with stand-up comedians. That said, battling is a viable platform to promote music; Lunar C, one of the UK’s most popular battlers, has since featured on the track ‘No Prisoners’ on Labrinth’s Atomic EP, and Professor Green was an accomplished battler before his first record deal. And it happens in South Shields. Adamzy started in hip-hop as a turntablist. He then joined a rap group and started rapping himself - his tracks are on SoundCloud - and in January 2012, tried out on Don’t Flop, the most viewed battle league in the UK. He was invited back, but when Don’t Flop did not get back to him, he decided to start his own league instead and use it as a platform to give local rappers a chance to perform, as well as bringing some of the UK’s premier battle rappers to the North East. In July 2012, Get Slated was founded, and has since gained a steady following in South Shields; to date, its most viewed battle, Jack Sexton vs Triple B, has garnered 12,000 views on YouTube. The next Get Slated event is on the 29th March, featuring UK veterans Innuendo and Olde English as the main battle, with local rappers on before them. “Within battles, more or less anything goes” I ask Adamzy what misconceptions there are about what he does, and he replies: “I think people judge it before they’ve even watched it and then when they do actually watch it they’re like, this is actually really funny, they love it because it’s just two people standing there taking the piss out of each other.” Within battles, more or less anything goes (though whether or not this is a good thing is up for debate, as some battlers get very offensive) - jokes about physical appearance, sex, skin colour and class abound, but what is striking is the sheer variety of people who battle. The most viewed UK vs UK battle to date features Mark Grist facing off against Blizzard, a 17-year-old grime MC. The public face of battle-rap has changed, perhaps irreversibly, since Eminem’s day, but what has emerged has its own appeal, and it’s not going away any time soon. First impressions: It’s a record that grew on me. At first I was unsure whether I liked it, but quickly came to appreciate David Ford’s knack for creating woebegone, acerbic one-liners that counter a milder state of orchestral/folksy music that marks him out as a James Blunt with attitude (for want of a better description). For this reason alone, I appreciate Ford for his prowess as a songwriter than a musician overall. It’s interesting to notice that we’ve exchanged albums where the one album is driven by its musical energies and the other by its lyrical dexterity. Marks out of 5: I’ll give it a 3. For gig reviews, interviews and more web features, visit us online at thecourieronline.co.uk/music 30.musicfeature Monday 24 March 2014 The Courier Haze of thunder Angel Haze ignited the blogosphere with a wave of controversy, personal revelation and excellent rapping. Now she sits down with Culture Editor Sam Summers to talk beefs, Bastille and braggadocio I meet Angel Haze in a hotel lobby following a blistering performance opening for rockers, Bastille. She arrives slightly dishevelled, having been boxed in by some equipment on her way out of the O2 Academy, and having gone all out to impress her first crowd of the tour. While she’s hardly reached the commercial heights of her tourmates, and she was only announced as the support act the night before, she’s quick to point out that it’s hardly the mismatch you might expect. “When we booked the tour both our agents are going ‘what the fuck?’”, she tells me, “and we were just like no, there’s a lot more in common than you think. A lot of people think that my crowd would be a lot more urban that it actually is, but definitely not”. Looking out across the crowd earlier, that certainly seemed to be the case. It turns out that your typical group of Bastille fans is actually remarkably receptive to Haze’s swaggering, unflinchingly lyrical brand of hip-hop. Granted, Haze had a full band in tow, with live drums and guitars beefing out the sparse beats of early tracks like ‘New York’, but there was clearly a huge crossover fanbase in attendance. I certainly wasn’t expecting to see, for example, a 13-year-old girl in a Bad Blood tee spitting the Casper-and-castration hook of ‘Werkin’ Girls’ as her friends looked on in bemusement, especially given the disappointing sales of Angel’s album. Dirty Gold sold only 857 copies in its first week on our side of the pond, a number generally put down to the rapper herself having leaked the album in December, allowing fans to pirate the album early and forcing her label to release it in the notoriously quiet post-Christmas period. Looking back on the leak, she blames her decision on battling labels. “I’m signed in the UK to a label and I’m signed in the US to a label, and that’s one of the worst decisions I think an artist can make. Basically, all of my time for seven months after my album was done was spent going back and forth with two people going ‘we wanna do this with you, we wanna do this with you’. They can’t come to an agreement, they can’t do anything with you. It just so happens that I got tired of waiting and I was just like ‘fuck it, if you guys can’t come to an agreement I’ll give you an option, there you go.’” “People don’t acknowledge my sexuality. Guys meet me and think I’m straight and hit on me like a straight girl” Despite speculation at the time, Haze maintains her decision wasn’t influenced by Death Grips, who gave away their album No Love Deep Web online a year earlier following a conflict with their label XL. “I just found out about Death Grips three weeks ago” she clarifies, “and they were telling me that they were being sued for $30 million. That’s crazy to me, I had no idea that that could even happen”. Her labels, Island and Republic, weren’t nearly so aggressive in their response. “It was weird because I thought they’d be a lot more pissed at me than they were, and it just didn’t happen that way. They were like ‘we get why you did it, why the fuck did you do it, this could mean this, this could mean that’. I was like ‘dude, the music’s out now. I could write another album in two months if I wanted to, it’s not a big deal to me’. I just wanted fucking music out”. “I don’t go around going ‘I like whatever I like’, so I’ve had people ask if I’m asexual because I don’t really date” Although she’s the first to say she shies away from confrontation, Angel is far from shy when it comes to bearing it all on record, especially with regard to sexuality, frequently speculated upon in the media. “No, I’m not gay”, she raps on her cover of Macklemore’s ‘Same Love’, “no, I’m not straight/ And I sure as hell am not bisexual/Damn it, I am whoever I am when I am it”. It’s something that she doesn’t feel alienates her from others in the music industry. “People really don’t acknowledge my sexuality. It’s funny, like guys meet me and they think I’m straight and they hit on me like I’m a straight girl. It’s one of those things where I don’t mind it cause I don’t really care what you think”. Coming amid claims from artists like T-Pain that LGBT musicians, chief among them Frank Ocean, are ostracised by the hip-hop community at large, Haze feels that her gender may be behind the lack of prejudice she’s encountered; “It could be very much that I’m a woman because guys generally seem to think that they can just change girls to whatever the fuck they want with their magic stick”. “It’s one of those things where I feel like if I don’t acknowledge it it doesn’t exist” she tells me. Far from being ashamed of her sexuality, she seems to prefer to keep it at the back of her mind to avoid becoming defined by it. “I’ve been in places where like, people still have to sort of ask me if I’m into whatever I’m into”, she continues, “and it’s not one of those things that I’m overly proud of, it’s just a part of who I am. So I don’t go around going ‘I like whatever I like’, people just go ‘do you even like...?’ I’ve had people ask me if I was asexual because I don’t really date. I don’t do well with it, so I’m like one of those people who just stays off to myself.” Haze has always distinguished herself by going deeper into her own personal issues than most rappers would dare, and not just in terms of sexuality; ‘Black Dahlia’ is a ‘love letter’ to her mother, while her cover of Eminem’s ‘Cleaning Out My Closet’ describes the sexual abuse she suffered as a child in excruciating detail. She balances this out with brash odes to her own prowess which, while lyrically scorching, are far more typical of the genre. Despite this, she often finds arrogance difficult to affect. “The personal stuff ’s easier to write, cause it all comes spilling out like a vein was hit or something” she confesses. “With the braggadocio stuff I’m really, really bad, and it’s mostly due to the fact that I’m introverted and super shy and I don’t really feel comfortable with going like ‘I’m so much better than you are, ha ha ha’ cause I just think it’s mean, and it takes me a long time”. “The personal stuff ’s easier to write, cause it all comes spilling out like a vein was hit or something” In particular she found it difficult to come up with the acerbic boasts of her album’s lead single: “I wrote ‘Echelon’ in eight hours, I wrote ‘Black Dahlia’ in 15 minutes, and it was one of those things where I was sitting there like ‘ugh, I don’t wanna say this’ scratching it out like ‘this is stupid, I don’t wanna say that, I don’t wanna say that’. ‘Black Dahlia’ was just like ‘here’s everything I wanna say to you, it just happens to rhyme.’” Lyrical claims that she’s an “undefeated bastard” whose “tongue is the fucking rapture” aside, Haze’s modesty is her undoing when it comes to these kinds of raps. “I’m so in my head about who I am and how I wanna be perceived, and what being humble means to me as a person that I don’t really do well with those songs. It’s one of those things where I’m really, really self conscious about it and I just... I can’t”. As difficult as she finds writing songs based around boasts and insults, it seems she can sometimes put them out incredibly quick given the right motivation. Following a Twitter spat with rival MC Azealia Banks last year, Haze wrote and recorded two diss tracks about the rapper within hours. However, it wasn’t all empty bravado: “To be honest, that was emotional, because Azealia Banks and I know each other outside of work. It wasn’t just a Twitter feud. It was a personal thing, and it was like ‘ok, you’re on jokes’”. Haze soon came to regret her actions, posting an apology video online. “It was just bad character on my part” she continues remorsefully. “It was like ‘ok, I thought we were friends, fuck you, blah blah blah, whatever, move on’. I could have been bigger, you know. I wanna be the person who practices what they preach, not go on the internet and say ‘bullying is wrong, don’t speak on people’s appearances to make a point, don’t do x, y and z’ and then go around and do it. But it happened, and the best I could do at the time was apologise, and I did, and I left it there”. “I feel like the only person I compete with is myself. I do what I do, and I can only do ‘me’ best” With the Banks feud dead and buried as far as she’s concerned, one thing Angel makes perfectly clear is that she won’t be the next rapper to follow Kendrick Lamar’s lead and challenge her contemporaries directly. “I feel like the only person I compete with is myself ” she tells me as she laughs off the idea, citing her aversion to confrontation, “I do what I do, and I can only do ‘me’ best. Nobody else can compete with me in that arena”. With her complete willingness to share herself through her music and her refusal to bend to the whims of the industry, that much seems to be true of Angel Haze. Going up against such raw a talent and unique a mindset as hers, I’d say she has her work cut out for her. The Courier science&technologyfeature.31 Monday 24 March 2014 How close are we to... Back to the Future 2? As we edge ever closer to 21 October 2015, the date to which Marty McFly travels in Back to the Future Part II, we take a look at how modern technology measures up to the film’s world of tomorrow They think it’s all hover – it’s not yet I f you tell me that you’ve never stood barefoot on a pillow, wiggling around, and pretending you’re driving a hoverboard, I will raise my eyebrows and genuinely question the truthfulness of that statement. As a person with two left feet, skateboards terrify me, however if I did have a hoverboard, I would honestly use it to go into uni every day. Marty McFly’s crazy chase in Back to The Future: Part II made all scooters and bicycles seem infinitely boring. Now, almost a quarter of a decade later, we’re a year away from finding out whether the real 2015 will match the one in Zemekis’ movie. Are hoverboards more achievable now than they were in 1989? There are plenty of guides on the internet how to make your own, using simple household items. To prove this point, engineer William J. Beaty compiled a detailed step-by-step guide to making an “amateur hovercraft”. It functions with the help of pressurized air, powered by either a leaf blower, or a reversible hoover, and a sheet of plastic draped over a wooden board, which creates, according to Beaty, a “ground-hugging skirt”. The pressure on the air, trapped inside the “skirt”, is higher than the air surrounding it, which leads to the board levitating a few inches off the ground. Depending on the air discharge, it can even go up to a couple of feet. If done right, it can be a great deal of fun, and looks pretty cool, too. “The amount of energy it takes to lift 180 pounds into the air is positively massive, to hold it there even larger” Commercial hovercrafts don’t operate that much differently. They usually have an oval or rectangular platform, a motorized fan (to replace the hoover/leaf blower) and a large “skirt” material to trap the air underneath. The air cushion that forms beneath the hovercraft, by the bottom and the skirt material, is called the plenum chamber. The air flowing into it will form a ring of air circulating around the base of the skirt to insulate the air cushion from the lower pressure air outside the skirt. This ring of pressurised air keeps the air under the craft from escaping. This is all very great, however, Marty McFly’s hoverboard doesn’t rely on any pressurised air. It doesn’t have any visible engines, either. It is literally a levitating board that can lift up to 180 pounds in the air. Recently, the video introducing the HUVr Board went absolutely viral on social networks, managing to convince most of the world (myself included) that we are indeed getting a hoverboard this December. Despite that, it took only a week to reveal that the levitating board was nothing more than a hoax. A very expensive hoax, indeed, with budget enough to create a realistic hoverboard effect and get video appearances from Tony Hawk, Moby, Schoolboy Q, but still undoubtedly (and sadly) a hoax. The essential problem with the mechanics behind the hoverboard is power. The amount of energy it takes to lift 180 pounds a few feet into the air is positively massive, and the amount to hold that mass there or move it around is even larger. The energy and power density requirements are well beyond what’s capable with lithium-ion batteries. Technically, it is possible that a hoverboard is powered by permanent room-temperature superconducting magnets — but even then, there’s the problem that the magnets must have something to push against. In the case of the Japanese hovering maglev trains, there are superconducting rails, however, in the case of a hoverboard there is nothing more but very nonmagnetic concrete. The final verdict? While we are definitely trying valiantly, I don’t think we’ll be able to traipse around on hoverboards any time soon. And, to be fair, once discovered, the secret of antigravity might have slightly more significant cultural implications. Antonia Velikova Illustration by Rachel Templeman Haves and have-nots Retro ‘80s Restaurants Self-tying shoes We could see self-tying shoes from Nike as early as next year but don’t they keep saying this about hover boards?! Self-tying and potentially self-aware shoes would offer the benefit of relieving you of a simple task for a large portion of your bank balance but what if they went rogue and wouldn’t let you untie them…? Holograms Holographic technology has come a long way since its depiction in 1989’s impression of 2015, just ask Tupac. The late rapper appeared onstage and performed flawlessly at Coachella 2012 but sadly that doesn’t mean to say movie posters will physically reach out and grab you any time soon, but then as Marty McFly himself astutely put it: “the shark still looks fake.” Flying Cars This is probably setting the bar a little low but it’s one of the few things on this list that humanity didn’t feel immediately compelled to create with the inexorable approach of 2015 just to prove that Back to the Future was right. 80s diners of the kind that Marty McFly Junior stumbles goofily into at the start of the second movie exist in little pockets of American obscurity all over the world. Frankie Goes To Hollywood playing from a jukebox? Check. Frizzy-haired waitresses and garish neon décor? Check. Civil unrest, exploding inequality and fear of nuclear war? Errrm… Probably the most ambitious of any of Robert Zemeckis’ predictions for our period of history, you don’t need me to tell you that he was wrong. But could we see aeronautical motorway travel in our lifetimes? Well there’s a company in America called Terrafugia that’s currently working on a prototype: the TF-X with foldable wings to allow it to transition back into a road-safe car which is, amazingly, even scheduled for release next year. So keep watching the skies and as early as 2015 you could take to them for the low, low price of 25 million Dollars… Video Conferencing Mr Fusion The ability to talk to someone on the other side of the planet, face-to-face, as if they were in the same room falls only just short of magical when you stop to think about it. In the 80s that’s all it could have been. Future Marty McFly’s sacking via Skype reminds us however to be careful what you wish for – just because the world can show up in your living room doesn’t mean you should look forward to it. Written by Jack Marley It probably says a great deal about mankind when we bemoan the false promise of a levitating board but completely overlook the premise of a machine that can instantly convert our mountains of garbage into clean energy. The Mr. Fusion is a blender-like tube that sits atop the DeLorean’s fuel tank and churns up banana skins and what looks like a can of Special Brew into rocket fuel, allowing the driver to go conceivably anywhere in time and space. If ever Biff needed to steal something and bring it back to the past, it’s this. The Weather Service In the 30 years since Marty left his life in 1985 humanity has advanced to a state where we’re basically our own Roman Gods of nature and consequence. A quaint government agency controls the weather to a tightly kept schedule so that Doc knows precisely when the pouring rain will let up when he and Marty arrive, which is convenient if not for the fact that such colossal overreach would likely mean a few people in an office are now responsible for ensuring that the entire planet’s climate system remains artificially in balance. One slip-up and you just levelled the whole East Coast with a tornado-strewn hurricane hail blizzard. So roll 32.science&technology Monday 24 March 2014 The Courier Science Editor: Elizabeth Hampson Deputy Science Editors: Emad Ahmed and Peter Style How close are we to... colonising Mars On the back of all the hype surrounding the ongoing physical and psychological testing to select the elite human crew that will travel and dedicate the rest of their lives to landing and living on Mars, Heather Flint investigates just how close we really are to actually fully colonising the red planet S pace travel, and the idea of humans forming or nuclear rockets could cut down travel times to civilisations on other planets, is the focus of 40 or 14 days respectively. It is safer for astronauts many a sci-fi film. From the looks of things, to cut down their travel times, as long periods of the reality of putting human life onto another weightlessness can cause bone and muscle deterioworld seems like fiction, but last year a Dutch ration, causing healthy bodies to behave like old, company turned this concept upside down and tired ones, not ideal for the work involved during sparked a worldwide push for the colonisation colonisation. of the red planet. The hostile Red Planet has no global magnetic Mars One is a non-profit organisation field and a very thin atmosphere, which with the aim of establishing a permanent allows large amounts of ionising human settlement on Mars. radi at ion down to the surface. The company will send This radiation can ingroups of four volunduce cancer and age the teers to Mars every volunteers faster. Not two years with the inonly that, water has tention or expanding yet to be found on the the ‘habitat’ they live planet’s surface - only in, and learning more as a layer of underabout what it is like to ground ice. And toplive on Mars’ surface. ping it off, the air There are many obstapressure at ground cles the group must level is greatly reovercome before this duced compared sci-fi becomes nonto that on earth, fiction. and only contains For starters, Mars 0.1% oxygen. This is not just around the is enough for some corner. Its closest aplichens to photosynproach for more than thesise, but not for hu50,000 years was 56 milmans to breathe. lion kilometres, back in Mars One’s solutions 2003. This distance fluctuates to these problems involve Rachel Templeman depending on the relative posending ‘cargo units’ that sitions of the planets in space, so contain ‘living’ and ‘life supat the moment, our current technolport’ units. These life support units ogy allows us to traverse the gap in around are assembled by a pre-stationed rover, 230 days. Proposals for electromagnetic rockets and are powered by solar panels. By send- ing them to Mars a year ahead of the astronauts’ arrival, the life support unit can start providing stable conditions for human survival. Water is extracted by sifting through Martian soil and boiling off the ice particles within. Some of this water is used to produce breathable oxygen, while nitrogen and argon are extracted from the planets current atmosphere and added to the mixture. By the time the first group gets to Mars, the system would have produced 3000 litres of water and 120 kg of Oxygen for the volunteers to live on. It will be the astronauts’ job to prepare and maintain the next set of life support systems that arrive a year later. There are many individuals, however, prepared to take up the challenge of living on Mars, leaving family and friends behind for the chance of adventure, and a permanent mark in the history books. More than 200,000 men and women responded to the first call for volunteers, and in subsequent rounds applicants are chosen to move forward in the selection process, until six teams of four are found. These teams will be rigorously tested in hostile environments, such as the arctic deserts, and be trained in vehicle and system maintenance. After nine years of training, the first batch of astronauts will be launched to begin their new life on Mars. “Radiation on Mars can induce cancer and rapid ageing,. Not only that, water has yet to be found on the planets surface” Alkuin Banishing the stigma around Autism Spectrum Disorders A lifelong developmental disability, around 1 in 100 individuals are diagnosed with autism, but do we really have a grasp on how this disorder works? William Ibbott discusses its meaning Public awareness to Autism and what it entails is comprehensive. Scientific research is surfacing all the time in order to broaden our understanding of the condition: it’s now estimated that 1 out of 100 people in the UK are afflicted with autism, while a recent article published in The Independent revealed a study which concluded that females are more resilient to autism due to a preponderance of X chromosomes which, ergo, makes them less susceptible to ‘genetic mutations’. “There are many grey zones that come with a condition such as autism, once that’s realised we’re closer to understanding what it really is” But in spite of all the ongoing research, how does the umbrella term of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) still encompass so much grey area in between? We know how closely-related autism is to similar conditions such as Asperger’s Syndrome and ADHD. We know how broad the scale of the spectrum is which teeters between mild symptoms and more debilitating ones. We know of all the stereotypes that earmark the condition (social interaction problems, limited interests and repetitive behaviours). In spite of all the findings, which give new dimensions to our understanding, autism remains difficult to diagnose, virtually impossible to cure, and there’s very little evidence to show what causes it to begin with. Not to mention the stigma that’s often par for the course, whereby autism is merely used as a tool for explain away an individual’s awkward nature or socially unacceptable pursuits. My verdict? Stop distancing ourselves from it like it’s leprosy and come to terms with the reality that it’s much more relative than we think. Despite having previously mentioned the unclear causes of autism, Drriad discovery of this area is probably the best means of tackling the enigma. Prolific research has cropped up in the US recently which indicates that autism is highly related to environmental factors during pregnancy, such as pollution or pesticide. However, whether this remains to conclude anything outright is yet to be decided. In past years, many believed that the MMR vaccine was a cause for autism, but following research on the case in a worldwide context, nothing substantial was proven. The genetics vs. environment debate still continues, but the National Autistic Society stress that if the cause for an individual developing autism were genetic, it would be drawn back to multiple genetic factors as opposed to simply one, a realisation which stresses the complex and relative nature that comes with the condition. They also maintain that there is no link between an individual’s upbringing (such as emotional deprivation) and development of autism. There’s certainly no cure, but once recognised in an individual it can become easier to keep at bay. Sadly society’s norms dictate that a condition such as autism is ‘abnormal’, like it dictates that taboo topics like depression, OCD or any other state of being which challenges the human mind being infallible. There are many grey zones that come with a condition such as autism, and once that’s realised, we’re steps closer to understanding autism for what it really is. “Autism remains to be difficult to diagnose, virtually impossible to cure and very little evidence of an outright cause to begin with” The Courier Monday 24 March 2014 science&technology.33 thecourieronline.co.uk/science [email protected] | @courier_science Have I seen you before? Theories about why so many of us experience déjà vu have been around for centuries. However, new research is starting to shed light into why we experience this. Meagan Mallen helps us understand the developments H ave you ever felt an overwhelming sense of familiarity in a place or situation you know you’ve never been in before? If so, it’s likely that you experienced the mysterious cognitive phenomenon of déjà vu (roughly translated to already seen). This feeling, although difficult to describe to those who have not encountered it, is unmistakable and can be triggered by sights, sounds, conversations, or even smells. Over the centuries, there have been countless conjectures attempting to unearth the cause of déjà vu, including many supernatural explanations regarding past lives or extra sensory perceptions, as well as Freudian proposals regarding the expression of subconscious desires. Recently though, modern science has revived an interest in understanding this occurrence and offered more plausible theories for why and how it may happen. “Although déjà vu remains such an elusive and complicated occurrence, scientists are making great strides” Most of these theories revolve around some sort of slight malfunction in the processing that occurs in the temporal lobe of the brain. One theory is that déjà vu takes place when there is a delay between sensory information being received and that information being knowingly identified. This delay tricks the brain into a feeling of familiarity because the surroundings have been unconsciously processed, but not yet consciously recognized by the individual. The experience and the thought process are not simultaneous, and therefore the experience appears similar to a memory. Another hypothesis that is somewhat related to this is named the Divided Attention, or Cell Phone Theory. This is the idea that when we are distracted, we still subliminally observe our surroundings, but do not consciously process them until our attention is undivided. Experiences of déjà vu are scientifically proven to diminish with age, with the most frequent of experiences occurring in subjects from the ages of 15 to 25. It is thought that the diminishment in episodes is correlated to levels of dopamine neurotransmitters, which peak in late adolescence and early adulthood then steadily decline afterwards. Another recent development in the research of this phenomenon is the observable connection between incidents of déjà vu and seizure in epileptic patients. People with medial temporal epilepsy (which affects the brain’s hippocampus) often experience the feeling of déjà vu before a seizure. This association has lead to the formulation of yet another viable possibility in the déjà A Martin Jones gives us his take on the highly anticipated sequel from From Software “Experiences of d déjà vu are scientifically proven to diminish with age age” the individual never actually encountered before. Although déjà vu remains such an elusive and complicated occurrence, W scientists are making great strides in their realm of understanding. They are using their findings to research other related occurrences, such as jamais vu (never seen), in which an individual interprets something or somewhere familiar to them as foreign and unknown. As we learn more about the intricate processes of the human brain, we can further demystify the eerie and haunting experience of déjà vu. Robyn Gallant With the arrival of the much-anticipated reboot of the classic “Cosmos” series, Penny Polson gives us the lowdown on presenter Neil deGrasse Tyson, and how any scientist can become an effective communicator bishing the Hayden Planetarium in 2000, they wanted to “future-proof ” what they were developing, so they wouldn’t have to continually change it for scientific developments. It was at this point that he and his colleagues “noticed there were more icy bodies in the outer solar system who looked more like Pluto, than either Pluto or they looked like any other planet”. He went on to note that the Kuiper belt – a collection of icy objects beyond Neptune – explained the presence of Pluto, and said that Pluto was simply “grandfathered in as a planet, but it is really puny”. Yes, he did use the word ‘puny’. And maybe this is why he is a such a popular science presenter – he has huge depth in knowledge, enthusiasm for the subject, but when he is expressing information, he is able to merge these factors into speech that feels like every day conversations. Sarah Elliott Even if the listener Dark Souls II vu canon that mimics in healthy individuals what occurs in epileptic subjects: the misfiring of the brain’s neurons. These neurons fire random signals that can often prompt recall of a scene or situation that The spacetime odyssey of a scientist n American science presenter, Neil deGrasse Tyson is known for his ability to deliver content in a clear, accessible way. His fascination with the stars came at the early age of nine, when a trip to the Hayden Planetarium gave him the opportunity to taste the dark, mysterious world of space. He attended the Bronx High School of Science, and went on to earn an undergraduate degree in physics at Harvard University, before a doctorate in astrophysics at Columbia University by 1991. After a few years conducting postdoctoral research, Tyson returned to the Hayden Planetarium where he eventually became Director. His biography is inspiring so far, but what about the claims that he was the murderer of the beloved cosmic underdog Pluto, who lost its planetary status in 2006? Sitting crosslegged on internet chat show On The Verge, Tyson said that he “drove the getaway car, but did not commit the crime”. He described how when refur- Game Review: has no previous knowledge about the topic, by the end you not only understand, but share his passion too. His knowledge is contagious, which is a sign of a truly excellent science presenter. So do you want to be the next Neil deGrasse Tyson, Brian Cox, Alice Roberts or even David Attenborough? Well, how do you get there? In a feature by The Guardian, BBC Commissioning Editor of Science and Natural History Kim Shillinglaw noted that presenters are created from a strange and often unpredictable concoction of factors. Presenters need to be able to make people “lean towards the telly”, and be memorable. Both traits Tyson has, so it’s wonderful with the UK arrival of the TV reboot “Cosmos” that we have the opportunity to learn from the best. ith a new world to explore and new enemies to survive, Dark Souls II once again delivers the frustrating (yet somewhat enjoyable) feeling of helplessness where everything is against you. Just like its predecessor, you again take on the role of a cursed undead character, plagued with the task of collecting souls to becomes stronger and avoid the hollowing. Unaware of your goals and nearby surroundings, you travel the land of Drangleic as you attempt to survive the brutally unforgiving enemies who have previously failed at the task you must now accomplish yourself. Staying true to the series, Dark Souls II holds no punches in finding new, innovative ways to promptly show you why it will shortly be known as “the hardest game ever”. Other than a series of initial conversations and cutscenes to set up the story, you are open to explore as you see fit, with the only advice being provided by messages left by other online adventures. This contrasts with most modern games which provide overly lengthy (and unavoidable) tutorial sections and constant reminders of controls or story elements which can leave players feeling watched. Running on an entirely new engine, the game provides a much more refined experience than the original. Although these changes aren’t massively noticeable in terms of graphical quality, additions to character movement and combat replace the rigid, fixed protagonist with the lifelike movement brought in kind by motion-capture. Gameplay elements seem relatively unchanged. Progression is largely dominated by exploration of the open world and gruelling large-scale boss fights which provide no easy task, often requiring the summoning of allies to assist you in these battles. This ability to assist and be assisted by other players remains the main contribution of online-play. However, players who prefer to remain offline can find assistance through some NPCs, specifically in place to assist in more tough environments. “Running on an entirely new engine, the game provides a much more refined experience than the original” A key feature remains the vast array of character stats within the game, allowing for multiple build paths and play styles. Some people enjoy being a tank-like knight, an immovable force garnished in thick armour, whilst others may enjoy the role of a dexterous thief or seasoned mage. Regardless of your preference, each can be achieved through the unrestricted levelling system. This same fact allows for further replays, allowing you to travel the world multiple times, using multiple weapons and defeating foes in multiple ways. Dark Souls II is a fantastically refined game which expands greatly on previous iterations. For regulars of the series, it’s a fantastic expansion to the series and a strongly recommended purchase. If, however, you have never played Dark Souls, it does not prevent you from fully enjoying the game. All that is required to play and enjoy Dark Souls II is a love of RPG games, a love of exploration and unfathomable patience as you die over and over, yet still press on. The Courier 35.puzzles Monday 24 March 2014 Puzzles There’s no quizness like show quizness, like no quizness I know. Hand in your answers at The Courier office to have a chance of winning drinks at MensBar Crossword 1 2 3 4 5 Puzzles Editors: Tom Nicholson and Sam Summers Win a MensBar voucher Grandma’s Pictionary I sat down with Grandma for a game of pictionary, but she’s just not very good, bless her. Can you help me figure out which common phrase she’s trying to draw? 6 7 8 10 9 11 12 14 Sudoku 13 9 6 4 1 3 16 17 18 19 20 Across 1 Human League tune which is crashing back into the Top 40 this week due to Aberdeen’s Scottish Cup win (4, 3, 4, 2) 7 To take the wind from a ship’s sales, rendering it motionless ‘pon the high seas (6) 8 Roman god of wine and shenanigans, A.K.A. Dionysus (7) 10 Ruddy clever bloke who invented the phonograph and the electric hammer (6) 13 Top of a hill; bosom of a bird (5) 14 See 4 down 16 Korean car manufacturer (3) 17 An old-timey sort of shop in the same vein as a cobbler’s, except in this shop you buy material and sewing stuff (12) 20 1990 AC/DC single which is, bizarrely, still at number 16 on this week’s rock singles chart (13) The first person to bring the completed puzzles to The Courier office in the Students’ Union will be awarded the prize and the respect of their peers, which let’s be honest is priceless 8 15 Down 1 2003 Gamecube instalment of the Mario Kart series (10) 2 Government informer on illegal drug dealing (4) 3 Affirmative (4) 4, 14 across Country with a football team famous for conceding the most goals in an international match ever ever ever - 31 (8, 5) 5 Work of fiction which works hard to drag salty water from your ducts (10) 6 Swiss cheese (9) 9 One of the arm bones (4) 11, 18 down Scottish drink made of girders (3,3) 12 Film award which looks like bald man (5) 15 Type of goat fur used for suits etc (6) 18 See 11 down 19 Get ahead; get a ___ (3) Why didn’t Richard Ashcroft’s dog dancing troupe get through the opening round of Britain’s Got Talent? 9 8 2 6 2 2 6 4 8 6 1 7 5 7 1 9 5 4 7 9 5 Oh, Smiggsy! Because the pugs don’t twerk! 36.sportfeatures Monday 24 March 2014 The Courier Showboating This week, The Courier takes a look back to the sporting celebrations The Sprinkler The recent ashes tour of Australia will not be one English fans will look back on fondly. Not only were the team humiliated in losing the series 5-0, there were also splits in the camp which saw talisman Kevin Pietersen effectively fired from the national team and coach Andy Flower resign from his post shortly after the squad returned home. Not the obvious place to start when discussing famous sporting celebrations, however just three short years before this debacle, the England cricket squad was a much happier place to be. The ashes tour of 2010/11 was special for England, as it was the first time since 1986/87 that an English side had won the ashes in Australia. Previous visits had been just as tough as the most recent tour, with England often being on the receiving end of a thumping. But not this time. In 2010 England travelled to Australia as favourites and performed as such, winning the series 3-1, sparking celebrations amongst the Barmy Army in the stands and also on the pitch. Cricketers are renowned for respect and whilst they do celebrate wickets, centuries and victories, traditionally it is practice to remain reserved in front of your opponents. England did not cross this line and bring the ‘spirit of cricket’ in to any sort of disrepute, but the squad did show its emotion and joy at winning the series in a slightly more animated way that cricket fans will have been used to seeing down the years, by virtue of the sprinkler. The sprinkler is in all honestly a pretty cheesy move, normally reserved for dark and dingy dance floors, but the England squad brought it to the green grass of Australia, as the entire squad performed the routine in front of their adoring fans upon winning the series. Led by Swann, Pietersen and Anderson, players with enough character and confidence to pull off such a move, the team almost made the sprinkler look cool and certainly made it funny. There were of course certain members who looked entirely uncomfortable throughout this process, such as Strauss, Cook and Trott, but in a period when English cricket was going from strength to strength it was great to see the team spirit in such abundance in a part of the world so often associated with disaster for our national side. Of course, the days of the sprinkler are long gone. Parity has been restored and for at least the next four years English cricket fans will go back to associating anguish with the land of Oz, but at least the squad have until 2017 to come up with a move to better the sprinkler. Will Crane SWANN LAKE: Graeme Swann leads ‘The Sprinkler’ after winning the Ashes. Image: Getty Robbie ‘Powder’ One of the most outrageous, albeit darkly comic celebrations of all time comes from Liverpool’s own folk-hero, Robbie Fowler. Fowler was certainly never known as the subtlest man in football, however, nobody could have predicted his reaction to scoring an equaliser at Goodison Park in 1999. For a proud scouser, it seems the mania of scoring an equalising goal against bitter local rivals, Ever- ton, cannot be subdued. In an adrenaline fuelled Merseyside derby, Fowler tucked away a penalty to bring the score back to 1-1. Fowler proceeded to get down on all fours and “snort” the touchline, in front of the disbelieving Everton faithful, in response to the media insinuating he was doing something similar off the pitch. Seemingly, you can take the boy out of Toxteth, but you can’t take the Toxteth out of the boy. This shocking, narcotics-based gag bought Fowler a £32,000 fine and a four match ban. The finishing touch in immortalising this celebration was supplied by manager Gérard Houllier, who later claimed it was a ‘grass-eating celebration’, taught to Fowler by Cameroonian defender Rigobert Song. Don’t worry Gérard, we believe you, honestly... Ryan Hill The Bench Breaker When Zinedine Zidane knocked down Marco Materazzi in 2006, he would have doubted himself that of all the mindblowing moves in his repertoire, this headbutt could become someone else’s inspiration. But having hung the boots a long time ago, Zizou is maybe now enjoying another similar performance with Italian flavour. Jacopo Violani was having a regular day leading Riolo Terme’s attack against Ponticelli in the lower leagues of amateur football when he suddenly became a superstar. achievement in pure fashion. Whilst this resulted in both laughter and swearing from the witnesses, the referee kept his poker face to send Violani off for an earlier show, and gave him the red card. Meanwhile, the clip has been uploaded on YouTube and received 8 million views. But as spontaneous as it might seem, Violani had reasonable motivation for his actions after not being able to play for 2 months due to a meniscus injury. “Not being able to help my teammates As a means of celebration, he forced his head through the plexiglass window of the subs bench END OF THE LINE: Robbie Fowler acts out snorting a line of cocaine in his goal celebration. Image: Getty Thanks to some poor goalkeeping, Violani put his side in the lead 3-1 and then decided to turn the goal into the most memorable one of his career. After striking the ball to find the back of the net, the 23-year-old forward was apparently running towards coaches and teammates to embrace them. Then, out of nowhere, he dribbled past his allies and, in a moment of madness, forced his head through the plexiglass window of the bench to celebrate the caused a mixture of anger and frustration. So when I saw the ball go in the net, the adrenaline rushed into my head and I acted on instinct. I felt no pain or discomfort.” After the incident, Riolo Terme once again missed their top scorer due to a two-match ban. On the other hand, Violani was nicknamed “The Hard-headed” while relishing his moment of glory with a couple of interviews. Peter Georgiev The Courier intramuralsport.37 Monday 24 March 2014 sports stars which have made their way into the sporting Hall of Fame Shrug it off MJ Image: Getty For the most part, well remembered sporting celebrations can be divided into two categories. The first of these are supposed ‘funny’ routines or preplanned actions situated within a wider context. The second denotes exhibitions of pure emotion; unbridled joy in the aftermath of achieving something remarkable. While Michael Jordan’s ‘shrug’ celebration in Game One of the 1992 NBA Play-Off Finals bears some similarities with the second category in that his reaction follows the completing of something incredible, the understated nature of his actions arguably works to distinguish his celebration from anything that had come from before it, or has even followed since. The celebration occurred on the stroke of the interval in the heavily anticipated opener to the best-of-seven Finals between Jordan’s Chicago Bulls and the Portland Trail Blazers, a team that had previously passed up the chance to sign Jordan in the 1984 Draft. As the half-time buzzer approached, Jordan sunk his sixth three-pointer of the contest to take his individual points total of the half up to a ridiculous 35 points, breaking a 30-year record for points scored in a half of a Finals game previously held by Elgin Baylor with 33. NBA radio commentator Joe McConnell would later go on to call Jordan’s performance that day as “the greatest performance ever in a single half in the history of the league”. Jordan’s reaction to achieving such a feat was astounding; a casual shake of the head and a simple shrug in the direction of the Bulls bench, as fans, players and coaches alike lost their proverbial rag around him. The celebration is incredible in its simplicity and rawness. Nothing preplanned or pre-meditated. Just an exhibition of inner calm and almost sheepish embarrassment deriving from an inexplicable sense of personal surprise as a result of what he himself was capable of. The feat itself whilst being incredible, arguably pales in significance to other accomplishments Jordan both had, and would go on to achieve in his basketball career. However, whilst he would go on to score more important points, put in more impressive all-round performances and do more one-off disbelieving things, this reaction will long stand the test of time as a fitting summation of it all. Nick Gabriel Bolt strikes a pose Having become a household name following his Olympic gold in the 100 metres in Beijing, Usain Bolt’s celebration has become the trademark gesture of athletics. Audiences around the world witnessed Bolt’s elation as he crossed the finish line in a record speed of 9.69 seconds, and followed it up with an equally infamous celebration. Bolt proceeded to strike a pose resembling a lightning bolt for the thousands of new fans he had won over in only a matter of seconds. STRIKE IT LUCKY: Bolt’s lightning bolt pose after winning. Image: Getty In the 200 metres it took Bolt under 20 seconds to run the race, and it took him over two hours to make his way out of the stadium tunnel - 20 metres from the end of the track. From the moment he crossed the finish line and pointed his arms in the air, Bolt became a commercial necessity. Global stars, including Prince Harry, Richard Branson and Miss Universe Leila Lopes, have been photographed displaying his famous pose, which has since been named ‘To Di World’. Since being catapulted onto the scene five years ago, Bolt now reportedly has a net worth of $30 million to his name. At the time the gesture was there to add comedy value to the track and field and cause a chuckle among his colleagues, but now it has become a world renowned symbol. After winning gold in 2012, Bolt jokingly celebrated his third Olympic medal by trading celebrations with fellow Olympic legend Mo Farah by displaying the ‘Mobot,’ with Farah returning the favour and displaying the lighting bolt after his double gold in London. In a sport associated with drug doping, bans and disqualifications, Bolt’s humour and energy on and off the track is what has made him such a commercial success. The lightning bolt has well and truly set the benchmark for sporting celebrations for years to come. Fran Fitzsimmons CRO-BOTICS: Peter’s infamous robot celebration. Image: Getty The Robot While some celebrations are extravagant, infuriating or acrobatic, this particular gem is just plain funny. Even the most capable of dancers would struggle to make the renowned ‘80s dance move ‘The Robot’ look credible. When deployed by 6”7 beanpole Peter Crouch decided to try his hand at robotics following an international goal against Hungary. The results were outstanding. Even Pe- ter himself, wouldn’t have been able to anticipate the popularity that his robot would have on the world of football. Putting it behind him, Crouch promised the robot would only make another appearance if England won the World Cup, and he stayed true to his word. Until recently. Now one of the most popular images in football, Crouch’s Robot is both endearing, and timeless. Ryan Hill 38.sportintramural Monday 24 March 2014 The Courier Boca into debut cup final with comfortable win over Toonich Intra Mural Wednesday Cup Boca Seniors 4 Hunter 36, Laksari-Adams 62, McCartney 70, Crosland 75 Bayern Toonich Armour 20 (p) 1 By Dom Oldham in Longbenton A solid 4-1 win saw Boca Seniors continue their good form as they dispatched Bayern Toonich and booked a place in the club’s first ever cup final on Wednesday evening at Longbenton. Both teams went into this tie high on confidence. Seniors had assuredly seen off 1st Division Dyslexic Untied in the previous round in addition remaining unbeaten in the league. Toonich meanwhile are pushing for promotion from Division 3 and came into the game on the brink of a fairy tale cup run after knocking out top division sides in the previous two rounds. On a blustery evening Boca started Round One Buckminster - 4 Kevin Kilbane - 1 Barca-Law- Na - 3 South Sandwich - 2 Medic 1sts - 2 Henderson Hall - 1 Agrics BYE Roman Villa - 1 Sub-Standard - 0 Brown Magic - 5 Monchenflapjack - 1 Castle Leazes BYE Newhist FC - 1 Aftermath - 9 Medic 2nds - 14 Geogsoc - 2 Bayern Toonich BYE Ecosoccer - 4 Politic Thistle - 2 Thundercats - 3 Sons of Pitches - 0 Larrikins BYE Boca Seniors - 2 Dyslexic Untied - 5 KFC - 1 FC Twente Bag - 0 Boca Seniors - 2 S.S. Ladzio - 0 the stronger, controlling much of the possession and seemed the more likely to open the scoring but it was actually Toonich who took the lead with a well-placed finish from the penalty spot from their skipper Johnny Armour. A strong attack was not cleared by the Boca defence and eventually led to keeper Avison felling a Bayern attacker, Oldham which was well attacked and headed in by centre back Hunter for, remarkably, his 10th goal in 10 games from defence. For the rest of the half Toonich seemed to sit back, allowing Boca to control the majority of possession, and attempt to hit them on the break. However neither side created any clear Boca Seniors striker McCartney then came up with a wonderful finish from the edge of the area, going in off the bar and post, to give his side the lead with 20 minutes to play with the referee pointing immediately to the spot. However an undeterred Boca went in search of the equaliser and with the trickery of Greenhill and Chadwick in the middle of the park causing problems for Toonich it didn’t take long for them to be level. A foul on Greenhill led to a floated free kick to the back post from Round Two Buckminster - 3 chances so the game went into the break level. With the wind now at their backs, Seniors took the game to their lower league opponents at the start of the second period, and thought they had taken the lead when Oldham headed in a Greenhill cross only to see the flag raised much to the wingers surprise. Man of the match was undoubtedly Andrew Leyden, who put in a Yaya Toure-esque performance over the course of the 90 minutes. Avison Gascoigne Hunter Toal Stalley Chadwick Leyden Greenhill Laksari-Adams Oldham McCartney Armour O’Callaghan Wallace Whiteaway Saxton Adams Kershaw Harwood Dunn Wednesday Cup Table Quarter-Final Semi-Final Final Buckminster - 1 Barca-Law-Na - 2 Medic 1sts - 2 Nonetheless, not long after that they were ahead when the Bayern keeper failed to deal with a whipped free kick which saw Laksari-Adams head home well from the rebound. They looked to put the game safe but were nearly pegged back when in one of Bayern’s few dangerous second half moments they fired wide following a goal mouth scramble when perhaps they should have done better. They lived to regret this as first, striker McCartney came up with a wonderful finish from the edge of the area, going in off the bar and post, and then substitute Crosland’s miss hit cross inexplicably found its way in off the front post to take the score to 4-1 and take the bite out of a spirited Toonich performance. From this point Boca created enough scoring opportunities to really stretch the score line but several spurned chances and the woodwork denied them. Seniors will go into the final confident of lifting the trophy whoever their opponents may be while Toonich are sure to be pleased with their performance in the competition. Medic 1sts Medic 1sts - 5 Agrics - 1 Medic 1sts/ Roman Villa Roman Villa - 7 Roman Villa - 1 Brown Magic - 0 Castle Leazes - 10 Roman Villa Aftermath - 0 Aftermath - 11 Medic 2nds - 1 Bayern Toonich - 3 Bayern Toonich - 3 Ecosoccer - 4 Bayern Toonich - 1 Ecosoccer - 2 Having now booked their place in the final, Boca Seniors await the winners of the other semi-final between Medic 1sts and Roman Villa, to be played this Wednesday. Whilst Medic’s peerless league form continues to make them the bookies’ overwhelming favourites for the competition outright, both Villa and Boca will be hopeful of upsetting the odds with justifiable cause. The final is scheduled to take place at 2pm on Wednesday 14th May. Thundercats - 3 Boca Seniors Larrikins - 2 Dyslexic - 1 Dyslexic - 5 Boca Seniors - 4 KFC - 4 Boca Seniors - 5 Boca Seniors - 3 Page Heward The Courier sportbucs.39 Monday 24 March 2014 Karters conquer windy Wales By Freddie Caldwell in Glan Y Gors The team: Newcastle karting A. The destination: Glan Y Gors, North Wales. The vehicle: KIA c apostrophe d. Cue the music. It was a slightly tired Newcastle team that arrived in Glan Y Gors after a four hour road trip but they were consoled by the spectacular countryside and what looked to be a very exciting kart track. Somewhat miraculously, and for the first time in this year’s championship, the weather appeared to be set fair so a day of quick lap times lay ahead. However, as this was a new track on the British Universities Karting Championship calendar, very few of the participants had driven the track before meaning that the day’s initial action would be fairly chaotic, but at least it put the Newcastle team on a level playing field. This was somewhat ironic given the large undulations in the lap that presented a unique challenge for the karters. Tom MacKenzie was the first to take to the track and did well to put is kart into a decent position after the first few corners, despite starting on the outside half of the grid. However, things went from good to bad in a split second after an incident further up the field on the last corner of the first lap. Several karts came together which spun a driver from Exeter and left him facing the wrong way in the middle of the pit straight. Due to the close proximity of other karts, Tom could not see the incident in time to react and ploughed head-on into the stationary kart and its occupant. Thankfully none of the drivers or karts involved were seriously damaged and were all able to continue. Tom recovered and set an impressive pace to eventually end up 20th, two places above his unfortunate victim. Next to go was stand-in team captain Freddie Caldwell who was looking to benefit from a 6th place grid position. Unfortunately, this put him on the outside half of the grid and he was unable to cut to the inside and was crowded out onto the grass resulting in him being demoted to 23rd place. A few laps later injury was added to insult as he was hit from behind going into the tricky ‘spoon’ corner which spun him round and down into 31st. Overtaking a few back markers provided some conciliation, but the final result was a somewhat disappointing 28th. Next up was A team rookie Ben Fisher who put in a very impressive performance after being in 30th place after the first lap. His consistent pace allowed him to climb up to 24th by the end of the race, only losing out on 23rd to Loughborough A by 0.08 seconds. Rob Langthorp was up next who was also racing for the As for the first time. The extra pressure did not seem to faze him as he climbed from 26th place to 17th and was involved in some terrific battles in the process. This was certainly the most entertaining race of the day and Rob did well to deal with having so many drivers in close proximity throughout. After a break for tea and yum yums in the clubhouse, the endurance racing got underway with Ben and Rob up first. They stayed out of trouble and finished in 27th but benefitted from a few disqualifications and were eventually given a 24th place finish. Tom and Freddie contested the last race of the day as the light faded and the wind picked up to the point where even the many sheep that surrounded the circuit looked slightly perturbed. The level of wind did make some of the corners more difficult and initially it looked like the team would struggle after Tom found himself in 32nd place after the first lap. However, from that point both drivers kept up a really good pace throughout their stints and the pit stops went like clockwork thanks to Rob and Ben’s help. All of this hard work meant a 21st place and a satisfying end to a long and physically demanding day. The team rewarded themselves for their efforts with a well-deserved KFC at Charnock Richard services as they made their way back up the M6. They will now look forward to the last race meeting of the season at Clay Pigeon circuit in April where they will be looking to move 3 places further up the championship to better their finish from last season, a feat that is definitely possible on this evidence. The intensity of the game was accompanied with vocal support from the supporters of both teams, creating an atmosphere fit for a fixture of this magnitude. The game was watched by approximately 200 spectators with current Newcastle Eagles player/coach Fab Flourney and former Knights coach Dave Elderkin both in attendance. The first quarter saw both teams nip and tuck at each other, with the Knights opening up on a George Beard three-pointer. Defensive lapses allowed Northumbria to respond with their own baskets as both teams traded blows simultaneously to end the quarter tied at 14 apiece. The second quarter saw Northumbria go on a 9-0 run before a basket from captain Mark Elderkin ended the drought for the Knights. The Knights ended the second quarter on an 8-2 run to cut Northumbria’s lead to just 2 going into half time. third quarter would prove costly for the Knights as Northumbria increased their advantage, outscoring the Knights 2314 in the period. goals from Chuck Duru and George Beard saw the Knights half the deficit into a two possession game at 60-66, prompting Northumbria coach Marc Steutel to call a timeout. The Knights would outscore Northumbria 9-8 to close the game, 6 of Northumbria’s points coming from the line after intentional fouls to stop the clock. Overall, it was an outstanding effort from the Knights who will certainly feel hard done by the end result as well as a number of questionable calls from the officials going against them throughout the game. The Knights fate now depends on the result of the Northumbria’s fixture against Derby on the 2nd April at Sport Central. Ballers slip to play-off loss Netball Newcastle 1sts 69 Top Scorers : C. Duru - 18, G. Beard – 14, M. Elderkin – 11 Northumbria 1sts 74 Top Scorers : M. Martin – 15, S. Clifford - 12, T. Devitt – 11 By Chuck Duru in Newcastle In an electrifying fixture that comprehensively lived up to the pre-game hype after the Stan Calvert fixture just two weeks ago, the Knights came up short in their first of two playoff games against local rivals Northumbria. It was an outstanding effort from the Knights who will certainly feel hard done by the end result as well as a number of questionable calls from the officials The Knights struggled offensively in the third quarter as Northumbria were able to convert their chances, taking an 11-2 run to open the third, with only Jack Beresford scoring in the opening four minutes for the home team. The The fourth quarter saw the Knights step up their intensity on both ends of the floor with Coach Ian Hewitt urging his players to put everything they had into the final ten minutes. With the Knights down 54-66, field League Tables Wednesday 11 a-side Football Division 1 1 Division 13 Division 2 Team Pld W D L F A Pts Newcastle Medics 1 11 10 0 1 50 10 30 1 Team Pld W D L F A Pts Aftermath FC 10 6 2 2 29 16 20 Team 1 Politic Thistle Division After another round of41 Salisbury found himself ball in feet and tucked it Pld W D L F A 10 8 2 0 40 11 Pts 26 1 1 Sons of Law Pitches Barca Na 2 Newcastle Medics 2 11 9 1 1 38 12 28 2 Boca Seniors 7 6 0 1 21 7 19 2 Sub-Standard Liege 3 Dyslexic Untied 10 5 0 5 27 28 15 3 SS Ladzio 9 4 4 1 15 11 16 3 FC Bayern Toonich 4 Henderson Hall 12 3 4 5 22 24 13 4 Roman Villa FC 8 3 1 4 15 18 10 4 South Sandwich FC Photogra21 43 10 17 23 phy: Nick9 8 43 1 Gabriel 5 Brown Magic FC 9 3 1 5 16 22 10 5 Thundercats 9 in action 3The Wildcats 1 5 21 26 10 6 Castle Leazes 11 2 2 7 20 24 8 6 Newcastle Agrics FC 10 3 7 Newcastle Dynamos 8 0 3 5 9 27 3 7 Buckminster Fullerenes 10 0 5 Barca-Law-Na 11 3 1 7 6 Ecosoccer 10 2 3 5 7 Larrakins 9 0 1 8 Team Team 12 6 3 3 33 22 21 2 2 Newhist FC Medics 1sts Newcastle 10 6 3 1 28 19 21 3 3 KFC Henderson Hall 11 3 2 6 19 29 11 Dyslexic 4 4 We need toUntied talk about KK 5 5 FCCrayola Twente Bag last season. Photography: 1 6 12 24 10 6 (R) Geogsoc Aftermath Andrew Beesley 2 8 8 30 2 7 (R) Borrusia Monchenflapjack Castle Leazes ricochets, with the home to Pld Pld WW DD LL 11 12 89 21 1 2 4250 1415 26 28 F F AA Pts Pts 12 12 78 32 2 2 5336 2220 24 26 11 12 57 51 1 4 2841 1529 20 22 12 12 46 31 19 5 5 2332 2926 15 11 12 11 12 35 30 23 10 10 12 11 11 5 7 2518 3522 12 15 8 9 1314 5347 79 8 10 1512 3142 44 Sport www.thecourieronline.co.uk Monday 24 March 2014 Issue 1290 Free thecourieronline.co.uk/sport Sports Editors: Nick Gabriel, Freddie Caldwell and Fran Fitzsimmons [email protected] | @Courier_Sport LAND OF OUR KARTERS: Motorsport in Wales p.39 BALLERS BLOCKED Poly edge out Uni in nervy play-off affair p.39 CELEBRATE GOOD TIMES From the sprinkler to the robot p.36 Photography: Freddie Caldwell Uni boost survival hopes with victory Netball Newcastle 1sts 54 Birmingham 1sts 31 By Sassa Hamilton in Newcastle Big rivals Birmingham travelled up to Newcastle for the promotion/relegation playoff. If they won they took Newcastle’s place in the Premiership, and if they lost then Newcastle continued to play in the top league of University Netball. Having had their promotion hopes crushed by narrow Newcastle wins on several occasions in the last few years, it was clear they wanted blood. Their coach, who was strangely triangular, was no match for Gilly’s lean frame, and it was clear who would win the shouting match today. Anxiety levels could be felt all round the court before the game began, as the big match to stay in the Prem got under way. Newcastle flew out faster than Usain Bolt on speed, intercepting ball after ball in the defensive 3rd, and not giving Birmingham a chance to find their feet. Louisa Sorensen and Emily Whiteside easily shot 19 goals in the first quarter, rebounding every miss and slotting them in on their second attempts. Newcastle kept calm despite their excitement and played a possession game, working the ball into the shooters safely NUNC girls. Newcastle upped the pressure in defence, forcing errors and allowing Helen Jones and Mia Archer to make turnovers. Katie Rimmer bounded on despite injury, majestically working the ball around the circle edge and allowing NUNC to capitalise on the lead they had already sustained in the 1st quarter. Half time approached and the Newcastle girls now knew it was their game to lose, and this match was theirs if they had the composure and mentality to keep the lead of 33-13. Danger levels had been hit on the Bir- Newcastle upped the pressure in defence, forcing errors and allowing Mia Archer and Helen Jones to make turnovers and showing great teamwork in making sure no ball was left unconverted. As the 2nd quarter commenced Birmingham’s coach raised the vocal levels, but the intimidation failed to affect the mingham side of the court as steam rose from the coach at the half time talk. All the same, a thundering bull couldn’t get through 5 months of S&C trained NUNC girls. New tactics came into play and Birmingham brought on a nippy C who still did make life slightly more difficult for Newcastle. Despite this NUNC brought their recent training into play. By using defence Mia Archer and Jasmine Whitlock, they broke the defence and continued to increase the goal count. Centre Alice Hagyard worked well, breaking up defensive zones to bring the ball safely to the shooting pair. However, Newcastle were visibly beginning to tire. Birmingham noticed this and jumped at the opportunity to get back in the game, only losing the 3rd quarter by 1 goal. Fresh legs were brought on to push NUNC through the final quarter and the home side pressed on. The match finished solidly with a satisfying and convincing win of 54-31. Birmingham yet again being denied a Premiership shot by an unyielding Newcastle 1st. NUNC deservedly make their way through to the final playoff. They will play either the hope of maintaining their place in the Premiership. Photography: Getty Images THE FINAL COUNTDOWN Boca Seniors triumph over Bayern Toonich p.38