the official student magazine

the official student magazine
Issue 2 - Winter 2011/12
Inside this Issue:
Health:
Cancer: How you
can fight back
page 06-07
Drink Driving Costs Lives:
The dangers of drink driving
page 12
Skate Culture in Britain:
An interview with
Casper Brooker
page 20
Inside the Mind:
Artist Jo Chen
page 22-23
Page 02
Introduction
‘The Source’ team 2011
Meet the Team
The fabulous students who created the magazine:
Kieran Barley
Age: 19
Hometown: Burntwood
Biggest Fear: Fear of one day having a
fear
Loves: Photography
Interesting Fact: Can eat whole lemons
Danny Wright
Age: 18
Hometown: Burntwood
Biggest Fear: Needles
Loves: West Brom
Interesting Fact: Been around the world
Conor Byrne
Age: 17
Hometown: Sutton
Biggest Fear: Villa getting relegated
Loves: Aston Villa
Interesting Fact: Got a house in France
Natalie Lancuch
Age: 18
Hometown: Lichfield
Biggest Fear: Clowns
Loves: Twilight
Interesting Fact: Her last name is unique
Samantha Fox
Age: 18
Hometown: Polesworth
Biggest Fear: Pigeons
Loves: Kinder Eggs
Interesting Fact: Shares the same name
with a page 3 model
Greg Cadman
Age: 18
Hometown: Burntwood
Biggest Fear: Frogs
Loves: Music
Interesting Fact: He saw Ronnie James
Dio’s last ever performance in Europe
Page 03
Welcome...
to the second edition of “The Source”, this
magazine has been created especially for
you, the students. It contains all the topics
you need to know about from music and
sport to college news. Created by students
for students, if you want to get involved
e-mail us at [email protected].
Contents
Occupy Birmingham .............................................04 - 05
Cancer: How I Fought Back .................................06 - 07
Bullying: Don’t Suffer in Silence ..................................08
Internet Predators ....................................................... 09
Well-being ................................................................... 10
Youth Careers ..............................................................11
Drink Driving Costs Live ..............................................12
Car Insurance ..............................................................13
College News ..........................................................14-15
Music Reviews .....................................................16 - 19
Skate Culture in Britain ................................................20
Fashion ........................................................................21
Inside the Mind .....................................................22 - 23
Pottermore .................................................................. 24
Staff Interview ..............................................................25
Sport .....................................................................26 - 27
Contributors ................................................................. 28
Harriet Townsend
Age: 17
Hometown: Lichfield
Biggest Fear: Spiders
Loves: Pickup Trucks
Interesting Fact: She can dislocate her jaw
Jade Neale
Age: 17
Hometown: Kettlebrook
Biggest Fear: Rats
Loves: A day to remember
Interesting Fact: Music nerd
Victoria Barnett
Age: 17
Hometown: Hednesford
Biggest Fear: Feet
Loves: Harry Potter
Interesting Fact: Won’t be beaten on Harry
Potter knowledge
Natalie Jones
Age: 18
Hometown: Kings Hurst
Biggest Fear: Spiders
Loves: Eliza Dusku
Interesting Fact: She is a huge Whedonite
Nikki Powell
Age: 18
Hometown: Burntwood
Biggest Fear: Needles
Loves: Family
Interesting Fact: Her mom tried to sell her
for a camel in turkey
All of the team will like to give a
huge thank you to everyone who has
supported and contributed into making
the magazine such a success!
Page 04
Occupy Birmingham
Winter 2011
WHAT IS WALL STREET?
WHO ARE ANONYMOUS?
• Wall Street is the heart of the USA’s
stock market, which is why it was chosen
for the original Occupy location.
• Since September the Occupy Movement
has seen over 22,000 protesters.
•
They are an internet group originating
in 2003, the name describes a shared
online identity for anyone who does
not wish to be identified, so knowing
how many active members there is,
is impossible.
•
•
They usually specialise in cyber attacks
on various companies and organisations
that they deem to be oppressing free
speech or other human rights.
Wall Street was originally set up in the
1640’s by the Dutch, they fortified it
against the English and it was originally
called “de Waal Straat”.
• They adopted the mask from the
‘V for Vendetta’ film and comic.
• They encourage their members to join
the occupy movement as they both
share a common goal.
“We are the 99%”
While some of you may find politics
boring, the global economic crisis
is affecting every student in the
country, be it through the ALG and
EMA cuts or University fees rocketing.
The government’s decisions have
seen outrage across the nation and
thousands of people have stood up
in protest against it. Protests have
stretched around the world from the
United States to your doorstep
in Birmingham.
On 17th September 2011 a thousand protesters
marched to Wall Street in New York. Their
demand was simple: get the financial playing
field levelled, their uniting slogan “We Are the
99%” “Formed from the data that shows that
the other 1% of the world’s population, control
almost 50% of the money.”
These protests gained momentum over the
following weeks, gathering supporters and soon
numbers reached to around fifteen thousand,
clogging the streets of New York’s financial
district, with similar protests sparking up in over
six hundred communities all over the USA.
These protests and marches were met with
opposition from the police, with multiple assaults,
pepper sprays and arrests, although this had
little effect on the huge public support towards
the Occupy movement.
The 15th of October 2011 saw the Occupy
Movement go global. Protests crept up to nine
hundred and fifty one cities across eighty two
countries. This was fuelled by social networking
sites such as Twitter and Facebook as the
mainstream media has almost refused to cover
it. The now infamous group “Anonymous” fully
supported it encouraging their members to go
and bolster the numbers for the protests; they
are also supporting the cause in their usual way
by threatening to shut down any news agency,
such as Fox News, that publishes any stories
with false information about the protests
through vicious cyber-attacks.
One such protest occurred in Birmingham on the
15th October; while their numbers were initially
small they are still occupying Victoria Square in
the city centre on a daily basis.
The Source went down to Victoria Square
on the first day of the protests, while small in
number, the protests made sure their message
got out. There was someone from every walk of
life protesting on the first day, from Cambridge
University-educated businessmen to plumbers to
teenage students. All of these people would not
usually be connected but were united by
their common desire for change.
Winter 2011
Page 06
Health
Cancer:
How you can
fight back
Every day in the UK, six young
people aged 13 to 24 are told
they have cancer. That’s about
2,100 young people a year.
However there is a positive to
these scary statistics. Even
the most dangerous cancers
now have a high survival rate,
nearly three-quarters of British
teenagers and young adults who
develop cancer now survive.
The greatest increase in survival
rates is for leukaemia, which
has risen by over 20% over the
last 20 years. Although many of
us are at a great risk of cancer
this does not spell disaster for
us all, but even with the survival
rate high and many ways to
help prevent cancer there is
still more we need to do to
help the few unlucky who have
terminal cancer or who are still
in vigorous treatment.
It is important to help those with cancer
and their families as the reality of the
physical side effects is devastating to
see. Some of the physical side effects of
cancer include: pain control, sickness,
tiredness, diet problems, mouth problems
and bowel problems. Not to mention the
emotional side effects of the patient and
the family. Different cancers predominate
at different ages: leukaemia, lymphomas
and brain tumour in 13 to 18 year-olds
Winter 2011
and lymphomas, carcinomas (soft tissue
cancers) and germ cell tumour in
19 to 24 year-olds.
Race for Life is a charity run by Cancer
Research UK which is a 5K or 10K walk
or run and raises money and awareness
for the charity, which helps patients and
their families cope with the trauma of
cancer and the treatment. Dom Dichen
has experienced this first hand.
Dom was diagnosed with osteosarcoma
at the age of 17. After over a year of
treatment, he is now in remission and
back at college. “I was in my first year at
sixth form when I started experiencing
severe pain and swelling in my left leg,
around the knee. After six weeks of
doctors, tests and scans I was diagnosed
with osteosarcoma in my knee. I was
treated with chemotherapy and surgery to
replace 40% of my lower femur and my
knee. I received all of my treatment on
the Teenage Cancer Trust unit in London,
which made me very lucky. I could talk to
other people who’d been there longer than
me and get their support and views on
how to deal with problems, and I did the
same for other patients when I’d been there
longer. The entire vibe was friendlier and
the nurses were always cheery and up for
a laugh. There was plenty to do when I was
awake and I was able to indulge my love of
guitar during chemo.”
Page 07
How your money can help:
• £10 could buy 300 glass slides for
studying cells and tumour samples
in detail under the microscope
•
£30 could buy around 250 plastic Petri
dishes. They’re an essential resource
for thousands of scientists who are
working hard to understand cancer
•
£54 could buy 22 thermometers
(range -10°C to 110°C) – indispensable
for many experiments that need to be
performed at very precise temperatures
•
£94 could cover the cost for one
woman to take part in a clinical
trial aiming to improve survival for
post-menopausal women with
early-stage breast cancer
•
£123 could fund one cancer information
nurse for a day. Our experienced
cancer information nurses provide
a confidential service for anyone
with concerns about cancer
•
£260 could buy a sophisticated
microarray, a powerful piece of
technology, helping scientists to
scrutinise thousands of genes in
a single experiment, and identify
which are switched on in cancer
•
£677 could cover the cost of one
person taking part in a clinical trial
testing chemotherapy before and after
surgery, and the antibody drug
Vectibix, to improve survival for
bowel cancer patients
•
£1,000 could cover around 22 day’s
running expenses for an important lab
project into a type of children’s cancer
called rhabdomyosarcoma. The study
aims to identify molecules that are
involved in driving tumour growth,
and this could lead to improved
treatments so that more children
survive the disease in the future.
Links:
www.raceforlife.cancerresearchuk.org
www.cancerresearchuk.org
Winter 2011
Page 08
Well-being
Bullying: Don’t suffer in silence
DID YOU KNOW?
• That almost half of all children and
young adults, have been bullied
at some point?
THE EFFECTS OF BULLYING
• Cyber bullying is the most common
There are many effects that bullying can
have on an individual, that no person
wants to go through.
• Around 16 young people take there
own lives every year due to stress
from bullying.
• Makes their lives miserable.
...and that’s not all.
THE FACTS
• It reduces their confidence.
• According to the BBC figures, 8/10
children will be bullied at some time
in their lives.
• Makes them feel insecure.
Bullying can be done over mobile phones,
on the internet, social networking sites,
and degrading images can be sent to that
person being bullied or other people.
•
Bullying is the biggest reason for
children to call ChildLine and now
accounts for one in four calls to the
free, 24-hour helpline.
•
There were 46,705 children on child
protection registers or the subject of
child protection plans in the UK on
31st March 2010 - NSPCC
• Between 2007 - 2011 the total number
of abuse cases on children in England
increased by 14,000.
Statistics in November 2011
showed that:
• 38% of young people have been
affected by cyber-bullying.
• 30,439 children called Child Line
in 2010/11 about bullying.
Winter 2011
• It makes them feel sad, lonely
and left out.
This can also lead to self harm,
depression, suicidal thoughts and
even suicide.
There are many help lines and websites
you can contact if you or anyone you know
is being bullied.
• Childline: 0800 1111
• Bullybusters: 0800 169 6928
• NSPCC website
• Bullying UK
These are just a few of the numbers
and websites available but more can be
found online with specific areas of bullying,
such as a website for people who are
being bullied because of their sexuality
or their disability.
You are a bully if...
• You call people names.
• Make up stories about them.
• Tell others to not be friends with them.
• Leave them out.
• Take or damage their belongings.
• Send nasty text messages.
• Spread rumours.
• Physically hurt them.
• Damage their belongings.
• Make jokes about them.
• Make remarks about them.
Bullying is not tolerated in college but if
you need support, speak to your mentors.
Page 09
Well-being
Internet Predators
Many people are now using chat-rooms and have
been for some time now. It is still important to
keep safe on the internet, chat-rooms particularly.
There are many different chat-rooms that you can log into; such
as Facebook, Twitter, DeviantArt and Tumblr. We all know what
chat-rooms are of course, but do you know how to keep safe on
them? The most important thing to remember is not to give out
any personal information to anyone you talk to in a chat-room;
especially if they ask for it and you don’t know who they are or
have never met them. Remember even if you think you know
who the person you are talking to is, people can pretend to be
someone they’re not using your friend’s name.
someone else then you can still report it to the Internet Watch
Foundation or you could ask them to contact Childline. Your
complaint or claim goes to The Child Exploitation and Online
Protection Centre (CEOP). This is staffed by specialist police
officers, social workers, councillors and investigators. All
complaints go to them directly.
If you have been affected by any of the subjects mentioned
then this might be a useful link for you to look at:
www.childline.org.uk
On a chat-room you are encouraged to create your own blog,
upload a profile, and display your photos and videos etc. What
you must not forget is that once someone is added to your
‘friends list’ they have access to all your other friends and their
information. If you have added your boss to your ‘friends list’
and create a post that may be personal you may find yourself in
trouble with your employer or College lecturer! It seems silly to
mention this but there are many, many people who forget and this
sometimes results in them losing their job, or getting into trouble
at their college or school. 33% of young people have been the
subject of some form of cyber-bullying in America. 35% of young
people tell their parents about the abuse, and 72% have told one
of their friends about what is happening. This could have made all
the difference no matter how small the chances are. An average
of 16% of preteens and teens told no-one about the abuse they
were experiencing.
You need to make sure that you know who to contact if you are
having issues on a chat-room and you need to tell someone
you trust if you are worried. You can also contact Childline in
confidence if you are not comfortable talking to someone who
knows who you are. If you have seen something aimed at
Winter 2011
Page 10
Well-being
Safer Internet Day is an annual
event taking place on 7th
February 2012. The Insafe
Network was originally set it up
in 2005 and each year Insafe
aims to be at the forefront of
emerging online issues and
chooses a topic reflecting
current concerns.
In 2012 they are focusing on connecting
generations of all cultures and encouraging
families to work together to stay safe
online. Whether you are 5, 40 or 75 years
old, whether you use the internet once a
month or several times a day - each person
has something different to bring to the table
that can help shape our online experiences
and our understanding of online
competences and safety. We all have a
role to play in ensuring that every child is
safe online. Children and young people all
over the world use the Internet more than
ever now and they need to be aware of the
potential risks awaiting them.
Today our offline and online worlds
are strongly connected, from families
communicating via webcam with relatives
and friends abroad to children doing
their homework online. The online world
is a unique arena where people of all
ages can learn together and from each
other, especially regarding online safety.
Tech savvy youngsters can teach their
Winter 2011
elders how to use new technologies,
while grandparents can draw on their life
experiences to advise younger generations
on how to stay safe online, as they discover
the digital world together.
Did you know that..?
• 26% of children report having a public
social networking profile.
• Children of all ages are lacking digital
skills –confidence is often not matched
by skill!
• 12% of European 9-16 year olds say
they have been bothered or upset by
something on the internet…
• …However, 56% of parents whose child
has received nasty or hurtful messages
online are not aware of this
• One in eight parents don’t seem
to mediate their children’s
online activities…
•
…While 56% of parents take positive
steps such as suggesting to their
children how to behave towards
others online
Helping each other stay safe online:
• Teachers’ engagement with children’s
internet use is least among 9-10
year olds
• 36% of 9-16 year olds claim that they
definitely know more about the internet
than their parents
• 73% of children say their peers have
helped or supported their internet use
•
44% of children claim to have received
some guidance on safe internet use from
their friends, and 35% say that they have
also provided such advice to their friends
•
Yet, children say they receive most
online safety advice from parents (63%),
then teachers (58%), other relatives
(47%), then peers (44%)
• Parents get internet safety advice
first and foremost from family and
friends (48%)
• 87% of children use the internet
at home.
Want to know how to take part in SID?
If you want to take part in Safer Internet
Day or simply want to know more, you can
visit www.saferinternet.org or register at
www.saferinternetday.org. You can also
follow the Facebook and Twitter pages:
• twitter.com/saferinternetday
• facebook.com/saferinternetday.
Page 11
Youth Careers
They say we are lazy because
we don’t work. We apply for
jobs, but they say we don’t have
any experience, but how can you
get experience when you’re
not given the chance?
Are you one in three of young
Staffordshire people that are unemployed?
In Staffordshire alone unemployment
drastically increased from 8,000 to 2.47
million people in just three months from
July 2011. As well as this, the number of
people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance
in August increased from 2,300 to 1.47
million, the first rise since January 2011.
This reflects the national trend where
young people are NEET (Not in Education,
Employment or Training) and at the end
of 2010, 141,800 (7.3 per cent) 16 to 18
year olds were NEET.
With the current economic crisis it is
no surprise that more and more people
are finding themselves falling into the
unemployed category. This is due to no
fault of the employee, but due to perhaps
their lack of experience in the work area
or other problems. It is especially hard for
teenagers to find a part time job and also
work around their college/school/university
timetable. For those that aren’t in full time
education, it would seem that they would
be more ideal for full time jobs, but this is
not always the case and it is just as difficult
for these people to find work. However,
even though it is proving difficult to be able
to find work, there is a percentage that are
working part time jobs and some are taking
part in an apprenticeship.
Just recently, a report in the Guardian
stated that teenagers are being offered
apprenticeships under a new million
pound scheme. These provide many
young people with the opportunity to work
and learn at the same time. There has
also been a youth centre created to give
teenagers a second chance at finding a
job. TAG (Transforming A Generation) is an
organisation aimed at helping teenagers
who come from difficult backgrounds or
have had no work experience. They also
aim to give them a chance at a good
career and a brighter future. It is funded by
the government and there are a number
of youth centres opening up around the
country as well as being promoted online
using social networking sites such as
Twitter and Facebook. In March 2011,
they organised a Second Chance Week
UK that enabled them to talk about the
problems that teenagers face when trying
to find a job and ways to try and prevent
these problems and to talk about the
organisations attitude which is, “not letting
your past hinder your future”.
It is becoming even more popular after
singer Tinie Tempah praised the charity for
their work. Speaking about TAG he said;
“With youth unemployment hitting a record
high at one million, organisations like TAG
are vital for getting young people out of
vicious cycles into employment. It’s a tough
time to be a young person, and I can relate
to the struggles young people go through
in order to find their place in life.
“The problem of youth unemployment
isn’t going away any time soon and rather
than just talking about it, TAG is doing
something about it. More still needs to
be done to highlight the struggles young
people go through in trying to find work
and purpose in their lives.
This is why I support TAG’s Second
Chance Week. Everyone deserves a
second chance – regardless of their past.”
Each teenager taking part in the scheme
has a mentor guide them and help them
through a 12 month Personal Development
Plan that helps them realise their potential
and achieve their goals. If you would be
interested in looking more into TAG and
seeing if it is the right path for you then
visit their website or find them on
Facebook and Twitter.
In Staffordshire alone unemployment
drastically dropped by 8,000 to 2.47
million people in just three months
from July and did you know that 86%
of students from South Staffordshire
College progressed to employment,
further education or training proving
education matters!
Winter 2011
Page 12
Safety
Drink driving costs lives
Some people worry about the cost of
insurance to keep their motor on the road,
others worry about the petrol prices. But how
many people actually consider the cost of
taking someone else’s life when under the
influence of alcohol?
Each year on average 3,000 people are killed or fatally injured
due to drink driving. The most common age group involved in
this are young men aged 17-29. The cost of this not only affects
insurance premiums, but it also has an effect on peoples’ lives.
The Source spoke to a mother who tragically lost her 19 year old
son earlier this year.
“After a hard day at work on a Saturday, Marcus often went out
with his friends to the local night club in town and always got a
taxi home. He was always up for a night out with his mates but he
wasn’t like his friends when it came to drinking, he was sensible
and knew his limits. But on the Saturday when I last saw him, it
was the birthday of a friend from work so they wanted to party
somewhere new.”
“They had never been to Stafford before as it’s quite a while a
way from our house in Birmingham, so Marcus offered to drive.
I didn’t want him to but he said ‘one night of drinking won’t hurt,
I’ll be back about 5am’ and then he gave me a kiss on the cheek
goodbye on his way out the door to pick up the guys. That was
the last time I had ever saw my boy.”
Winter 2011
Unfortunately, Marcus ended up drinking a lot more than the legal
alcohol limit and decided to drive home as the taxi fare home was
expensive. There were 3 people in the car, the accident killed both
Marcus and his friend whose birthday it was, as neither of them
were wearing a seat belt. The other man was severely injured.
Next time you decide to drink, reconsider how you are getting
home. Don’t just pick the cheaper option of driving as this could
cost more than just a few quid – it could cost your life or even
someone else’s.
Just remember what happened to Marcus when driving under
the influence of alcohol your ability to see distant objects is
reduced and the brain works inefficiently.
The government has tried to combat this and has brought
new rules in for newly qualified drivers such as:• If a new driver receives six or more penalty points within the first
two years of passing their test, their licence will be revoked and
both theory and driving test will have to be retaken.
• If a person is convicted of drink driving within two years of
passing their test then their licence will be lost.
• Even if someone is found sleeping or sitting in their car with
excess alcohol in their blood; that would count as committing
the same offence.
Page 13
Car Insurance
Car insurance is an expensive
burden for many in this day and age
- and it’s on the increase, especially
for young drivers! This high pricing
is making driving a nightmare for
new drivers and it’s causing
up-roar all over the UK.
Statistics suggest that the average amount
of money spent on car insurance is now a
whopping £4,500, and this is because 17-18
year olds are twice as likely to have an accident
and five times more likely to sustain an injury
from it. There has been a large increase in the
number of crimes and a fifth of new drivers
have considered driving without car insurance.
Others have considered not being honest when
providing information to the insurers in order
to get a cheaper quote. It is said that one in
three young drivers will write off a car in the
very first year of driving and that one quarter
of convictions for causing death by dangerous
driving are for drivers under 20, these statistics
are shocking when this age group only
represents 3% of all drivers!
So what is being done to tackle this ever
growing problem? The Association of British
Insurers (ABI) are attempting to introduce
graduated licences, this will gradually build
up the new driver through a number of
stages provided they don’t break any of the
agreements. Also the ABI are increasing safety
on the roads, it’s good to know that someone
is looking out for young drivers.
So all in all with the evidence gathered by
the insurers, the future is looking very costly
indeed for young motorists – but there are a
few things that can be done to reduce these
daunting prices:
• Don’t assume that third party insurance
is cheaper than fully comprehensive
• Don’t pimp your car!
• Don’t be tempted to lie to the insurers
• Ensure that you minimise the risks of
anything happening
• Do tell your insurers about all changes
and special circumstances
• Do look around for motor insurance,
especially the ones that aren’t included on
comparison sites. They may be cheaper.
Winter 2011
Page 14
College News
HE stu
dents g
ra
Cathed duated at Lic
ral on 1
h
1.11.11 field
.
d Public Services
Mark Robertson an
the Remembrance
students support
Sunday parade.
Winter 2011
g
inspirin
s
e
iv
g
ll
ts.
Campbe
Alastair r talk to studen
caree
Victoria
Ri
of Exce chards wins M
llence f
or Flori edallion
WorldS
stry at
kills co
UK
mpetiti
on.
Painting &
Cannock - Level 2
ts give playground
Decorating studen
e of life.
furniture a new leas
Tamworth
-S
Edithas C taff help clean St
hurch in
Tamworth
ready for
Christma
s.
Page 15
Volunteer Day, organised by the College,
involved both students and staff working
with local community groups to raise
money for charities, whilst performing
essential tasks at the same time.
Rodba
ston - S
tu
includi
ng a W dents held m
ii da
any ev
ent
challen nce competi
tion, ga s
ge and
me
cake sa
le.
loma
nded Dip e
e
t
x
E
3
- Level
s to rais
Lichfield dents wash car pice.
in IT stu or St Giles Hos
f
money
Winter 2011
Page 16
Music Reviews
ED SHEERAN
+
COLDPLAY
Mylo Xyloto
EVANESCENCE
Evanescence
+ is the debut number one album from
singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran and it’s
not a bad effort.
With this latest effort, Coldplay show that
they can still be successful without having
to succumb to the expectations of the
mainstream.
Amy Lee and co.’s long-awaited comeback.
After trying since 2005 to make it mainstream
he’s finally cracked it with his debut single ‘The
A Team’, which became the highest selling
single of 2011 from a new artist. The vibe of
the album is acoustic, but tracks such as ‘You
Need Me, I Don’t Need You’ branch out to be
edgier with a quicker feel. Sheeran has been
constantly praised by critics and was even
been branded ‘the one to watch’ for 2011 and
so far he hasn’t disappointed. Sheeran is a
valued new British artist who, up to now and
most likely always, will survive on pure talent
and not have to rely on the auto-tuning and
studio produced sounds that many other
British artists have fallen foul to.
For Fans of: Jack Johnson, Jason Mraz.
They’ve returned from a 3 year break with an
album that combines rock, pop and even R&B
influences and still manages to make it work.
‘Mylo Xyloto’ is the opening track of the album
and is a short 40 second prelude to what else
is to come. It’s simplistic, but effective for its
purpose. The band is, unusually, not alone on
this album, with R&B star Rihanna featuring
on ‘Princess of China’ which is bound to upset
some fans. However, her vocals mix well
together with Chris Martin’s to produce a track
that will surprise listeners due to the unusual
pairing. ‘Charlie Brown’ takes up a repetitive
lyrical structure to tell the song’s story, with
simple guitar chords that mix with Martin’s
vocals to create a track that is sure to become
the album’s main highlight.
Rating:
Best song: Charlie Brown.
Best song: Little Bird
For Fans of: Athlete, Keane.
Rating:
It’s been a long time – five years, to be exact –
since Evanescence’s last release. Fast-forward
to today and their long-awaited third album is
finally out. It represents a brand new start for
Evanescence, hence being self-titled. Considering
their debut album sold seventeen million copies
and its follow-up a respectable six million, it was
going to be a bit of a challenge but with this, their
third album, Amy and the brand new line-up
have managed to create a record worthy
of the name Evanescence.
The album rejuvenates their sound and adds new
life to their electronica-tinged gothic rock. There
are nods to Amy Lee’s heroes Björk, Portishead
and Depeche Mode throughout, while songs like
‘Made of Stone’, and ‘The Other Side’ wouldn’t
feel out of place on a Staind or Alter Bridge
record. There’s also a poppier side to proceedings
too – electronics are aplenty, and the album
opens with single ‘What You Want’, with a vocal
hook so catchy you’ll almost wish you never heard
it. Practically every song sounds purpose-built for
the end credits to a blockbuster action flick.
Anyone who’s heard Evanescence before will
know that the core of the music has always been
Amy’s distinctive vocals, and the situation hasn’t
changed. Nearly all of the hooks and memorable
moments on this album are delivered by her, with
the rest of the band having more of a supportive
but not at all insignificant role. She’s stated that
this album forced her to really push herself and it
shows – she really shines on ‘Lost in Paradise’,
a melancholic yet massive-sounding ballad that
is easily the standout song of the album. The
new line-up and newfound focus has done
them a world of good – they sound like a
completely new band but at the same time,
undeniably Evanescence.
Female-fronted gothic rock acts have always
been a case of musical marmite but it doesn’t stop
Evanescence from being a strong record indeed.
Best song: Lost in Paradise
For Fans of: Within Temptation,
The Pretty Reckless.
Rating:
Winter 2011
Page 17
EVILE
Five Serpent’s Teeth
NIRVANA
Nevermind
PINK FLOYD
Dark side of the Moon
Thrash revivalists reach new heights with
crushing third album.
Led by lead singer and guitarist Kurt
Cobain, Nirvana’s ‘Nevermind’ album is
their second studio album released on
September 24th 1991.
One of Britain’s long lived and most
successful avant-garde rock bands, Pink
Floyd emerged in the mid-sixties introducing
the country to a psychedelic movement
that will be sure to live on. ‘Dark Side of
the Moon’ includes a lot of techno and a lot
of electronic instruments along with some
stunning sound effects and synthesizers.
The thrash metal revival of recent years was
fun, but it wasn’t going to last forever and the
novelty has more a less worn off now. Scene
leaders Evile have returned with an album that
shows them develop their identity as a metal act
with their own voice and individuality, instead of
simply paying homage to their favourite Slayer
and Exodus records. There is still obvious
influence from their 80s forefathers, but Evile
are their own band now. The musicianship
on this album is impeccable, as is the song
writing. Tracks like ‘Origin of Oblivion’ and the
title-track relentlessly pummel the listener with
high-speed riffs, while mid-paced numbers like
‘Cult’ and ‘Xaraya’ are just as dynamic and
engaging. There is even a ballad in the form of
‘In Memoriam’, a touching tribute to the band’s
late former bassist. ‘Five Serpent’s Teeth’ is a
genuine triumph from one of England’s most
genuine metal bands.
Best song: Five Serpent’s Teeth.
For Fans of: Slayer, Machine Head.
Rating:
Nirvana truly brings out the Seattle Grunge
scene and tests the mainstream tolerance for
alternative music. Nevermind includes a wide
range of sizzling power chords, plenty of energy,
and aggressive lyrics. This album is defined by
groups such as The Pixies, The Melvins and
Sonic Youth as well as a few punk influences as
well, so expect a lot of guitar havoc and frenzied
screaming. ‘Nevermind’ possesses a confident
spirit and character. With a large variety of
tracks from ‘Breed to Stay Away’ to ‘Something
in the Way’ and ‘Come As You Are’, this album
captures a lot of emotion, anger and rage. Too
often, underground bands squander around on
records their not ready to make, but Nirvana
definitely stand out and settle their sights on a
land of giants.
Best song: Smells like Teen Spirit.
For Fans of: The Pixies, Sonic Youth.
Rating:
‘Dark Side of the Moon’ is Pink Floyd’s ninth
album and is a single extended piece rather than
a collection of songs. This album will send you
off into a trance and a blast from the past with
its trippy psychedelic movement and textural
and conceptual richness. Most popular and well
known tracks on this album include: ‘Money
and Great Gig in the Sky’, which is almost an
explosion of emotion and passion that unleashes
beautiful arrays of cries and wails. ‘Dark Side
of the Moon’ is one of the most famous, most
recognizable albums of all time.
Best song: Money
For Fans of: The Doors, The Who.
Rating:
Winter 2011
Page 18
Music Reviews
Maroon 5
Hands All Over
NEW FOUND GLORY
Radiosurgery
MASTODON
The Hunter
This is the third album from Maroon 5 and
although it seems they have lost the original
sound that first got attention nine years ago,
what they have developed into isn’t too bad.
Pop Punk veterans hit the jackpot yet again
Lightning strikes five times for Georgian
rock titans.
‘Misery’ is the opening track of the album and
sets out the feel-good pop style of the album,
as ironically as the track name may seem. ‘Just
a Feeling’ and ‘I Can’t Lie’, are both rich with
emotion written by lead singer Adam Levine,
but seem to of sacrificed the fun interest of the
songs for the emotion. They have even included
a cover of Queen’s hit ‘Crazy Little Thing Called
Love’, which may make some people cringe at
the idea, but actually isn’t too bad, it somehow
manages to save itself as it goes on. New fans
of Maroon 5 will enjoy this, but older ones will
find themselves comparing this to their previous
work and whether it manages to measure up in
their eyes is unlikely.
Best song: Moves Like Jagger.
For Fans of: Rihanna, Gym Class Heroes.
Rating:
Those disappointed by Blink-182’s latest offering
can rejoice; pop-punk’s most reliable and
consistent band has returned with yet another
gem of an album. Blink’s new experimental
nature will have divided opinions but New Found
Glory (NFG) have stuck to what they do best and
delivered half an hour of fantastic pop-punk for
you to feast your ears on.
If you’ve heard any of NFG’s previous work you’ll
know what to expect; New Found Glory stick
to their tried-and-true formula, but it works for
them. Anyone looking for something a little more
original should perhaps look elsewhere, but
those who don’t mind revisiting familiar territory
are in for a treat.
‘Radiosurgery’ is packed to the brim with
infectious melodies, catchy choruses and ageold tales of love and friendship delivered via
three chords. There’s little here that hasn’t been
done before but at the same time, the songs
here have been injected with a focused sense
of fun and enthusiasm that put their competitors
to shame. Songs like ‘Dumped and I’m Not the
One’ sound just as timeless as classic NFG hit
singles ‘Hit or Miss’ and ‘My Friends Over You’.
For a band now on their seventh record, to
sound just as relevant and exciting as they did in
2002 is a very impressive feat indeed, especially
considering the current sea of pop-punk acts
who owe a lot to New Found Glory for perfecting
this style of music. The song might remain
the same but Radiosurgery is another strong
addition to NFG’s already brilliant catalogue,
and might even be their best release yet. It is
essential listening for fans of pop-punk and great
rock music in general.
Best song: I’m Not the One.
For Fans of: Blink-182, Paramore.
Rating:
Mastodon have had one of the most impressive
track records of recent years. Everything they’ve
put out has been more or less universally loved
and raises the bar for all other competitors. Can
this, their fifth album, keep their reputation as the
last decade’s best metal band intact?
Normally Mastodon spend months upon months
writing intricate, complex album concepts, but
this time, they entered the studio with rough
ideas of songs and left with ‘The Hunter’, an
absolute beast of a record in which the band
unleash their inner animals. It is a much more
immediate and straightforward affair than its
predecessor, opting for a more wall-of-sound
approach than Crack the Skye’s epic journey
through time and space.
You won’t find any twelve minute epics here –
in fact, the longest song is only five and a half
minutes – yet Mastodon remain as dynamic
and engaging as ever. Opening track ‘Black
Tongue’, makes this clear as day. Following
are ‘Curl of the Burl’, (which sounds a bit like a
heavy Queens of the Stone Age) and ‘Blasteroid’,
creating a triumvirate of monstrous tunes that will
have you absorbed into ‘The Hunter’ before you
know it. It doesn’t end there though, more or less
every song on ‘The Hunter’ is instantly catchy
and grabs your attention from the get-go, pulling
you into its own world and not letting go for the
entire 53 minutes. Fans of ‘Crack the Skye’
needn’t worry about the change in sound though,
‘The Hunter’ contains plenty of weird, ethereal,
space-rock moments, such as ‘Stargasm’ and
‘Octopus Has No Friends’. This is an album that
is very much a multi-dimensional creation.
There are obvious nods to their earlier material,
but by no means have they simply copied what
they’ve done before. ‘The Hunter’ is very much
its own unique being, that stands apart from the
rest of their catalogue, and practically anything
else released this year. ‘The Hunter’ is truly
Mastodon’s finest hour, and a testament to this
fantastic band’s staying power.
Best song: Black Tongue.
For fans of: Black Sabbath, Queens of
the Stone Age.
Rating:
Winter 2011
Page 19
Reunions: Do We
Really Need Them?
Madchester legends The Stone Roses recently announced their comeback in the same week that 90s
pop gems Steps revealed they were reforming. The two musical giants have caused excitement with their
respective decisions to reform as legions of fans buy tickets for the upcoming Heaton Park gigs and
Steps: Greatest Hits tops the album charts. Which reunion should we get more excited about?
STEPS
THE STONE ROSES
WHO ARE THEY?
A group of five, cheesy, stage school alumni who dominated the pop
charts in the 90’s with their feel good disco tracks and a remake of a
Bee Gee’s classic which transformed the wedding dance completely.
WHO ARE THEY?
Four moody, mop headed Mancunian blokes, who used a mixture
of 60’s guitar chords with modern beats which appealed to self
confessed warehouse ravers and indie kids of the time.
INFLUENCES
ABBA, The Spice Girls, 5ive, Bucks Fizz.
INFLUENCES
The Sex Pistols, Joy Divison, The Clash.
FORMATION
Manufactured by manager Tim Byrne after auditioning via an ad
in The Stage magazine to look for a new generation of pop stars.
FORMATION
Old schoolmates Ian Brown and John Squire formed a Clash
inspired band and then gained a following from their warehouse gigs.
GREATEST HITS
5, 6, 7, 8, Tragedy, Deeper Shade Of Blue.
GREATEST HITS
NUMBER OF TIMES PLAYED ON UK RADIO IN PAST 30 DAYS
106
SIGNATURE DANCE MOVE
Rotating hands raised to the temples with a curiously happy facial
expression.
WHAT THEY SAID WHEN THEY SPLIT
“After five incredible years, we’ve decided it’s time to move on.
We will all remain good friends”.
WHAT THEY DID NEXT
Panto, reality shows were the obvious choices next to a failed
duet attempt by H and Claire.
TRIBUTE BANDS
Step By Step, Step On Up.
WHO THEY’VE INFLUENCED
S Club 7 and thousands of X Factor boy/girl groups.
I Wanna Be Adored, Fools Gold, She Bangs The Drums, I Am The
Resurrection.
NUMBER OF TIMES PLAYED ON UK RADIO IN PAST 30 DAYS
495
SIGNATURE DANCE MOVE
Mindlessly shuffling on the spot, head bowed low, tambourine optional.
WHAT THEY SAID WHEN THEY SPLIT
“Having spent the last 10 years in the filthiest business, it’s a pleasure
to announce the end of the Stone Roses”.
WHAT THEY DID NEXT
Mani became drummer for indie giants Primal Scream where Ian
Brown launched a solo career earning him 13 UK Top 40 singles.
TRIBUTE BANDS
Fools Gold, The Clone Roses.
WHO THEY’VE INFLUENCED
Oasis, The Charlatans and thousands of Mancunian bands who try
and fail to emulate them.
To find out whose reunion is the most significant, we asked our fellow college students, tutors and workers whose they preferred;
60% - THE STONE ROSES
40% - STEPS
According to our survey, it’s clear that The Stone Roses resurrection is what people are most looking forward to. Selling 10, 714 tickets per
minute for their upcoming Heaton Park gigs, Ian Brown and Co had to add an additional Sunday date. In the end they broke records as the
fastest selling gig tickets in rock history selling over 220,000 in just 14 minutes.
However, Steps are sure to have their legions of deeley-bopper fans lapping up every pop hit, from Stomp to Summer Of Love. Their recent
album The Ultimate Collection was re-released and topped the UK album charts beating the likes of Adele and Rihanna.
They have also announced a fourteen date arena tour set for next year.
Winter 2011
Page 20
Social
Skate Culture in Britain
How does British skateboarding
differ from other countries?
This question is on the minds of many
skateboarders from the United Kingdom. I have
taken the time to try and find out what makes us
British, ‘Wood-Pushers’, unique from the rest of
the world. Thank goodness for Facebook and
politeness of skateboarders. With such a variety
of British skateboarders, the question showed
such a range of different opinions.
This was seen in my interview with
Londoner Casper Brooker. Casper is an
amateur skateboarder who rides for Heroin
Skateboards and Emerica footwear. I met
with him to discuss skating in Britain in
comparison to the rest of the world.
Which country do you feel has
the best skate scene?
Casper Brooker: “I think London has the best
scene; I would like to say the whole of England
does but it’s all pretty different to be honest.
London’s scene’s just got it, I don’t really know
what it is. Manchester’s got a pretty good scene
as well. I really like the entire American skating
style, but I wouldn’t say the scene is good apart
from New York.”
So London has the best skate
scene; do you feel that they have
the best skateboarders and spots
in Britain?
Casper Brooker: “Well I’m not saying it has
the best scene but that is how I feel about it. I
think it’s got the rawest skateboarders but so
does everywhere else, and nah London has the
worst spots. I know it sounds cliché but it adds
to it all, it wouldn’t be the same if we had perfect
marble ledges and perfect stairs etc, I like it
because of how terrible it is (laughs).”
Winter 2011
I also spoke to the two biggest Mancunian
skateboarders in the business, Joe Gavin
and Ben Grove on how skateboarders
from other countries feel about
British skateboarding.
As you don’t just do comps in
Britain, do you feel that the British
style goes down as well in
other countries?
Ben Grove: “Yeah, definitely, man!”
Joe Gavin: “People love the British style, the
music, the culture, the red bricks and letter
boxes...It looks good on film too. Look at
American (West Coast) skate videos and a lot of
clips look similar e.g. school yards, loading bays
and ditches... Here you will film a line with spar
or Morrisons in the background making it look
gritty and harsh. Which is good (laughs).”
Photography and filming is a big part of
skateboarding and to not include this in this
article would be a crime. I spoke to filmer and
photographer for Axe Distribution Company,
Forde Brookfield, about his experiences.
As you film skateboarding, can you
see different skateboarding styles
through filming?
Forde Brookfield: “I think everyone can notice
someone with a different style in skateboarding.
Some go faster, some go slower. Everyone has
a different style, some much better than others all down to opinion.”
These interviews have shown that the
British have a unique style in skateboarding,
from the style of the skateboarding, to the
skateboarding spots, to the style of photograph,
this all shows how unique Britain is in the
skateboarding culture.
Page 21
Fashion
Things we do
for Fashion!
College Jewellery
Sale for Newlife
We women have many things that we love... but
do we really know the true extent of our love for
the latest trends or newest band for example?
Is this something a new obsession which you
will keep for a life time or is it just a spur of
the moment? The Source we are looking in to
an obsession for shoes, so watch out Carrie
Bradshaw we may have found the newest
fanatic about shoes!
The enrichment centre hosted a charity jewellery
sale last term, with all funds going to the Newlife
Charity Foundation for Disabled Children.
I’m the girl who wants to be comfy, but still on trend. Shoes
are my weakness and I think I have found my new obsession
for this autumn. I think I have had this obsession from a young
age as I always used to wear my mother’s favourite shoes, this
still remains with me. When it comes to a shopping trip I am
automatically lured to the shoes, from flats to heels, I’m like a child
in a sweet shop; I could spend hours looking for the perfect pair!
South Staffordshire College’s Cheryl Whittingham sold some
beautiful items some of which were modelled by the Lichfield
Campus Performing Arts Students, raising £173 for the charity.
South Staffordshire College has a reputation for charity work as
it also hosted an annual volunteer day last term. Numerous
students and staff took park in a variety of activities from car
washing to producing amazing floristry arrangements.
I always get excited when pay day comes, as I know that it’s time
for a new pair! The thought of a shiny new pair of shoes is what
gets me through my shifts at work.
In my opinion, I think that every girl should own a pair of UGGS!
This is a must! They are the perfect boots for winter; they will get
you through the cold days and nights and are ideal for everything.
They are super cosy with their sheepskin fur inside, and look cute
with everything. I fell in love with my first pair! I know that some
people don’t like them, they’re like marmite, you will either love
them or hate them, and in my case, I love them!
My dream pair of shoes would be a beautiful pair of Christian
Louboutin, I always promise myself I will save up, but it always
seems to fail as I buy some KG’s or comfy flats to still be on trend
this winter. However, when I do find the perfect pair for me I will
save, though it may be a few pay checks that I won’t be able to
spend on other pairs of shoes, but it will defiantly be worth it as I
will own my very own pair of Christian Louboutins.
So that’s my secret... what’s yours?
UGGS
Places to buy UGGS include; Office, Schuh Bank and
even online stores, ASOS.com and Very.com.
Prices can range from £100 - £200
Well worth the money!!
CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTINS
These shoes are very expensive, and the places where
you can get a pair is very limited. The best place to buy
a pair would be websites like, Selfridges and Harvey
Nichols and even net-a-porter.com
Prices can start from £400 so not the cheapest of shoe.
Best start saving now!
Winter 2011
Page 22
Inside the mind
Artist Interview: Jo Chen
Don’t judge a book by its
cover! A commonly used phrase
but it’s something we all do. The
art on the cover of anything be it
a video game, magazine, book, or
comic is always the first thing that
catches the eye. A good cover will
draw in the consumer and make
them look further into the product,
capturing someone’s attention at
that first glance is the key to a sale.
If the person in question is drawn
to a certain piece of artwork they
will more than likely look up the
artist to become more familiar with
their work and perhaps even go as
far as becoming a fan. Pencilling
the inside of a comic and doing
the cover art is one of the more
underappreciated forms of artwork.
That is why The Source magazine is
doing a feature on possibly one of
the most talented artists out there
to date, Jo Chen.
Jo Chen is a Taiwanese American comic book
artist and illustrator. She was born in Taipei,
Taiwan, and emigrated to the United States in
1994. Chen, is best known for her work on the
Buffy The Vampire Slayer comics and also the
Runaways series. She has also done work for
Batman & Robin, Thor, Racer-X, Star Wars and
Serenity amongst many other projects. Chen’s
beautiful artwork is well known for her larger than
life sketches and her uncanny ability to capture
the likeness of characters.
Hey, Jo. Thanks again for doing an interview
with The Source magazine. They say it’s
always best to start at the beginning, so
when was it that you first started drawing?
I began drawing at age 5, trying to be like my
sister, Christina Chen.
How did you get into the comic
book industry?
At 14, I was self-publishing with a group
of friends and some of the publishers took
notice and helped us. At 18, I signed my first
professional contract with Tong Li Publishing
in Taipei.
Do you have any advice to give to people
who are looking to get into the same line of
work as you?
Winter 2011
Well, the death of the floppy (the monthly
comic book issue) is on the horizon and most
publishers don’t have a viable business model
to replace the one they have that is capable of
generating sufficient revenue. Not that I can see.
If you want to enter this industry, it might be wise
to consider a delivery method for your art work
to your readership. It’s going to be a rough
time for new artists.
How do you prepare yourself before
a project?
I gather all the information I can about the
subject matter I will be drawing. If it’s a cover
like Buffy or Serenity in which I have to create a
pretty good likeness of an actor, I start watching
DVDs or looking at whatever photos I can of his/
her face. Then I decide on a style and select or
create my brushes for the final work. Pick the
right CD of music for inspiration while
I’m working and I’m off.
How long does it take you to do
an illustration?
A cover painting takes me, on average, about 5
days. Interiors, I can usually get 2 pages done/
per day, provided I’ve done my prep.
Is there a specific comic series you would
like to do art for?
My own of course, I enjoy and appreciate the
opportunities I’ve had to work on some wonderful
and high profile books. I only wish I had enough
time to spend more time on my own creations.
It’s tough when you’re providing for a family and
a balance between creative satisfaction and
income is necessary to survive.
Which other artists inspire you?
Yoshikazu Yasuhiko, James Jean, Kent Williams,
Alan Lee.
Do you enjoy drawing in your spare time? Do
you create pieces of artwork for yourself? or
is it strictly work based only?
I try to divert every minute in the day that
I can toward my art. Sometimes, I get carried
away, but I love drawing for fun, working on
my own projects, etc.
Although you are well known for doing cover
art, you’ve also done vide game art. Which
do you prefer doing, cover art or video game
art? and why?
Six in one hand, a half dozen in the other. I like
getting paid. Video game art, naturally, pays
more. Much larger budgets and more investment
capital at stake, but it isn’t always the most
rewarding, artistically. It just depends, really.
What was it like having a book of all your
beautiful cover art made?
I made it so of course, I love it.
What has been your favourite cover out
of all the projects you have done and why?
Not sure I have a favourite but I do like many
of the Runaways covers I did. I really enjoy the
Victor cover (Runaways series 2, issue 2 - I
think) where Victor is painted in the foreground
and late 1970s/early 1980s offset villains in the
background. I also like the last cover I did for
Joss’ stint on Runaways (Runaways series 2,
issue 30). I also like those first several Buffy
covers; the first Willow (Buffy Season 8, issue 3)
cover. I don’t trust my opinion on this question
because I’ve been doing this for so long and
have done so many covers that I don’t trust my
memory. Since memory degrades over time,
what I may have thought then is now not
what I think.
When drawing the Buffy covers do you
try and make sure that the art looks like
the actors and actresses who portrayed the
characters in the TV show. Or do you draw
the covers with your perception
of the characters?
The first is correct. I have to ensure that the
actors are recognisable since Seasons 8 and 9
are extensions of the television series, and most
of the people who read the books are not really
comic book fans but read the books because of
their connections to the show. For this crowd, it’s
pretty important to ensure that my Buffy looks
like Michelle and my Willow looks like Alyson.
My first Serenity cover with Kaylee, I exercised
a little more liberty and the result was a more
comic book version of Jewel’s face. However,
with the subsequent Serenity, I’ve taken
the Buffy approach and made them look
much more like the actors.
You did the art for Always Darkest (the
supplemental e-comic featured in MySpace/
Dark Horse Presents #24) will you be doing
anything like that for season nine of Buffy
The Vampire Slayer or Angel & Faith?
Nobody has asked me yet. I am involved in
some of the Season 9 covers but so far, there
are no plans for me to draw interiors at this time.
That may change, of course.
Page 23
You’ve done covers for Buffy season eight,
and you’re going to be doing the covers for
season nine as well as the Angel & Faith
covers. What’s it like getting to do covers
for Joss’s creations?
Great. Joss is great. A huge fanboy, himself.
He’s supportive and generous and everything
someone would want in a boss/partner/team
mate. Editor Scott Allie is equally great to work
with. Not just Scott but all of the folks at Dark
Horse...Sierra Hanh, Freddye Lins, Randy
Stradley, etc. Great people and I’m
very fond of them all.
What’s it been like working for Joss
Whedon? are you excited to be working
with him again?
Sure. At first, I had decided not to continue
with Season 9. I felt I needed a change; do
something different. But both Scott and Joss,
directly and indirectly, can be quite persuasive.
They make me feel needed and necessary
to the success of the book.
Thanks again, Jo for taking the time
to answer these questions. I’m sure I speak
on the behalf of everybody when I say
we cannot wait to see more gorgeous
artwork from you! So lets finish with
a few fun fan questions.
What is your favourite season of Buffy?
and moment from that season?
I don’t really have a favourite.
Do you have a favourite character or
couple from the show?
Caleb (Nathan’s fallen priest character). I love
his eye-plucking antics.
Who is your favourite character from
the runaways?
I like Victor. To paraphrase somebody on
a Runaways blog a few years back, Victor
represents a proud, proud day in America for
Mexican-American cyborgs. Also, some of my
favourite covers have Victor as a subject.
Do you have a favourite character
from Firefly?
I like all of those characters very much. But
Mal is the glue that holds them together.
Winter 2011
Page 24
J.K. Rowling has been in collaboration with Sony and has now created
a brand new state-of the art free website for her loyal fans, named
Pottermore. The website will be an online interactive reading experience.
For the chance to get onto the site early J.K. Rowling held an online
competition where she released clues at different times every day based on
the different Harry Potter books. They then had to find a ‘Magical Quill’ on
the website that the answer directed them to. Finding this quill put you in the
running for being able to get early access to the site.
After waiting for your acceptance letter ensuring your place, you had to wait
for another e-mail welcoming you to the site. From personal experience
I can say this takes a few weeks, but it is well worth the wait.
Once you get onto the site you can explore the first book (the second book
will be released in 2012), buy a wand and get sorted into your own Hogwarts
House. Once you have explored the book you can brew potions and battle in
Wizards Duels.
The Pottermore Inside blog posted this about the site; “The best way to think
of Pottermore is as an interactive, illustrated companion to the books. J.K.
Rowling wanted to create a site where her stories could live on and where
readers could explore them in a new way. In addition to discovering new
material from J.K. Rowling about Harry’s world, you’ll be able to interact with
key story moments (the Sorting Hat sequence, for example) and upload your
own comments, thoughts and artwork for all
the characters, objects and places that you come across.”
The Beta period for Pottermore has ended for now but will
re-open in the near future.
Winter 2011
Page 25
Staff Interview
Chris Payne
Chris Payne has been a lecturer at Lichfield
College for 4 years, teaching music to students
at the college. For Chris, teaching music is
something he has always wanted to do. Through
his whole life, music has always been there from
playing piano at a young age and becoming
a producer. But there’s more...
You think you might know Chris if you’ve had classes with him,
but little do some students know that Chris is actually a successful
DJ, going by the alias ‘Casper’, and has actually been described
as ‘instrumental’ in the development of an underground style of
electronic music also known as ‘Hard NRG’, and has released
several of his own original works as well as having participated in
international DJ events. Chris spoke exclusively to The
Source about his experiences.
How long you been a pro DJ?
I’ve been a DJ for 11 years.
Why did you become a DJ?
Because when I was 5 used to play the piano and I was in the
school orchestra until I was 14 but still played piano at home. But
at age 16 I was getting bored and discovered dance music through
my mates, I enjoyed listening to it and thought I would try and
make a record. I found a studio in Burton-upon-Trent which only
cost me £100. After making the track I found a company which
was able to press the track for me, which meant I would be able
to sell the record. Once I got the record pressed I successfully
got a distribution deal. Worldwide, we sold 800 copies in
a week, increasing to another 1000 copies.
After all this a company called Passion Records asked me to
be an in house Producer of Records, where I produced ten singles
in two years, two of which BBC radio 1 played on air time and
selling over 6000 copies.
What are the best and worst bits about a DJ?
I love it - I get to play in front of thousands of people and I love
the atmosphere.
However, on the other hand, going to bed at 7 o’clock in the
evening on a Saturday and then having to get up at 2 in the
morning, to travel to Liverpool for a one hour set and then
travelling home again is definitely not a high point.
Where else have you DJ?
I have played in Australia twice, New Zealand, and Poland
and all over the UK.
What else have you done within the music industry
apart from DJ’ing?
Within the music industry I have been a producer and remixed
hardcore dance music, having 40 tracks released worldwide and
19 remixes where I had to edit other producer’s music.
What is the biggest event you have done when DJ’ing ?
Bull Dog Bash was the biggest event - it was different to other gigs
because we made the music in front of the audience using mixing
decks, synthesisers, keyboards and with a computer linked into the
deck as well with drum beats on and little recording of singing. Our
act was called Antimatter live.
Winter 2011
Page 26
Sport
Tamworth Academy
Over the next season Danny
Wright and Conor Byrne are
providing match reports for the
Tamworth Academy football
team. The lads are currently sitting
in 9th place in the Central Division
with 4 points from their opening
three games, despite having
two games against Oxford and
league leaders, Birmingham
City Whites postponed.
Tamworth opened their season with a thrilling 2-2
draw with Luton Town, which was followed by
an unfortunate 3-0 defeat at the hands of Corby
Town. Their third game of the season saw them
come up against Kidderminster Harriers at the
Lamb. Kidderminster had won all their games up
to this point. Danny and Conor were at the game
and provided a great match report of the fiery
encounter between the two sides.
“The opening few minutes saw the away
team start strongest, keeping the ball mainly
in the Tamworth half. Kidderminster’s Stefan
Popovic saw his volley from outside the area
go straight into the arms of Tamworth
goalkeeper, Sam Andrews.
Winter 2011
After 15 minutes Tamworth’s right back, James
Wilcock, hobbled off injured to be replaced by
Kieran Clayton.
Tamworth had their first real chance of the
game after 30 minutes when Jake Healey played
a brilliant ball through to Luke Shearer who had
his shot blocked by Harriers’ Jack Bryan which
almost found its way into the back of the net,
but for the safe hands of Harriers’ keeper
Joshua Goddard.
This sprung life into the Lambs and a lofted
through ball from Ansu Lissa couldn’t be
converted by Scott James in an awkward oneon-one. This was followed by an ugly challenge
from Lambs’ centre back Hoshane Gabbidon
who saw a yellow card for mis-timing the
tackle on Jack Rogers.
Tamworth’s pressure then found a way through
the Harriers’ defence after 40 minutes. Luke
Shearer’s run from the middle of the pitch gave
him momentum to carry the ball through the
heart of the resistance who found Scott James
on the edge of the 6 yard box to tap the ball
into an open net.
Kidderminster kicked it up a notch in the second
half and on the 51st minute Ollie Long looked to
have slotted the ball into the corner of the net,
only for Sam Andrews to produce a great save
to keep Tamworth ahead.
On the 70th minute mark Kidderminster won
a penalty after a foul from goalkeeper Sam
Andrews, despite the ball seeming to be in his
hands when he made contact with Harriers’
striker Richate Derby. Kidderminster’s Declan
Kirby stepped up to take the spot kick, but
smashed the ball against the crossbar, which
was then cleared by the Lamb’s defence. After
the spot kick was taken Tamworth manager Dale
Belford was sent to the stands by the referee
for reacting angrily to the decision to award the
away side a penalty, despite them missing it.
The final whistle blew and Tamworth got their
first win of the season. The lads proved that
quality of possession is more important than the
quantity as they defended superbly throughout
the game and created more threatening
chances than the away side.”
After that game Tamworth played Chesterfield
in the FA Youth Cup. The trip to the brand-new
B2NET stadium was a great experience for the
young squad, however they succumbed to a 7-0
defeat to a very strong Chesterfield side.
The Tamworth Academy has important games
coming up against Chasetown and Football CV
Reds during November.
Page 27
Rodbaston lead
the way in the
Annual Inter College
Competitions Trophy.
Thursday 10th November – 34 Students from
all 4 Campuses of South Staffordshire College
took part in the first event in the 2011/12 Inter
College Competitions Trophy – Table Tennis!
After Round 1 Rodbaston lead the way with 560 points, ahead
of Tamworth in second place with 380 points. Lichfield came
next with 340 points, leaving Cannock Campus with some
work to do at the foot of the table on 40 points. This low score
is due to a low attendance from Cannock students, but there
is plenty of time to make up ground!
League Table
PosTeam
P
W D
L
F
A
GD Pts
1Birmingham City Whites431013
4910
2Watford Hertswood 531111
4710
3Hitchin Town
531115
9610
4Chasetown
531196310
5
5
Corby Town
3
0
2
12
6
6
9
6Kidderminster Harriers
43016429
7Oxford City
411212
14
-24
8Kettering Town
5113810
-24
9Tamworth
311135-24
10
St Albans City
511310
15
-54
11
5
Football CV Reds
12
Luton Town
0
1
4
2
11
-9
1
4013316
-13
1
South Staffordshire College (Tamworth Campus) 3 – 0 Newcastle College.
In the first round of matches in the Staffordshire Colleges League
Tamworth Campus were selected to represent South Staffordshire
College against Newcastle Under Lyme College at Croft street on
Wednesday afternoon (9/11/2011). After a very entertaining game
South Staffs ran out 3-0 winners, goals coming from Brady Byrne
(2) and a contender for goal of the season from Jake Davies.
Ian Smith (Team Manager on the day) added “Considering this was the first time these
students had ever played football together I am extremely pleased. The work rate, attitude and
commitment of the players was excellent, which is all I ask of them. They did the College proud.”
Winter 2011
Page 28
Contributors
Student Names
Occupy Birmingham – Keiron Barley
Nirvana – Jessica Beale
Cancer – Harriett Townsend
Pink Floyd – Jessica Beale
Bullying – Victoria Barnett
Mastodon – Greg Cadman
Cyber-bullying – Natalie Lancuch
New Found Glory – Greg Cadman
Youth Careers – Jade Neale
Reunions – Harley Cassidy
Drink Driving – Lucy Notarantonio
College Jewellery Sale – Keiron Barley
Car Insurance – Sam Dodd
Fashion – Grace Wooley
Students Support New Life – Keiron Barley
Skate Culture – James Dobson
Music Reviews:
Artist Interview – Natalie Jones
Ed Sheeran – Alix Penn
Pottermore – Victoria Barnett
Coldplay – Alix Penn
Staff Interview – Declan Kerr
Evanescence – Greg Cadman
Sport – Danny Wright and Conor Byrne
Evile – Greg Cadman
South Staffordshire College,
Lichfield Campus, The Friary,
Lichfield, Staffordshire WS13 6QG
t. 0300 456 2424 f. 01543 301 103
e. [email protected]
w. www.southstaffs.ac.uk
South Staffordshire College,
Cannock Campus, The Green,
Cannock, Staffordshire WS11 1UE
t. 0300 456 2424 f. 01543 574 223
e. [email protected]
w. www.southstaffs.ac.uk
South Staffordshire College,
Tamworth Campus, Croft Street, Upper
Gungate, Tamworth, Staffordshire B79 8AE
t. 0300 456 2424 f. 01827 594 37
e. [email protected]
w. www.southstaffs.ac.uk
South Staffordshire College,
Rodbaston Campus, Rodbaston,
Penkridge, Staffordshire ST19 5PH
t. 0300 456 2424 f. 01785 715 701
e. [email protected]
w. www.southstaffs.ac.uk