Issue 1 – November 2009

Transcription

w w w.pl at for m- on l ine.net
pe
Fr e s h e r s P h o t o S
c ial
Editors
Novemb er 20 0 9
Reign in Spain
Feel like royalty in Madrid
on electronic evolution
The Future’s
Brighton
The development of gaming
Money Games
Vampire Special
Films with bite
Talking Frank
Rock stars give advice
to students
Is cash killing football?
Mind the Gap
Where have all the students gone?
PROD.
Editor-in-Chief
Glen Davies
[email protected]
PL
speed dependent on location
www.platform-online.net
Designer
Stephanie Combs
CD
BROADBAND
WITH UPLOAD
SPEEDS OF UP
TO 2.5 MEG
[email protected]
AD
SOMETHING
WORTH
TAKING
Deputy Editor
Andrew Trendell
CW
[email protected]
Online Editor
Aaron Lee
LS
CMYK
352X265
[email protected]
Community SUB-Editor
Nik Charity
[email protected]
Music SUB-Editor
Tom Warmsley
A1
[email protected]
Film SUB-Editor
Becky Wojturska
[email protected]
–
with a 9 month
student contract
News SUB-Editor
Jennifer Rosewarne
Photography SUB-Editor
Stefan Ebelewicz
[email protected]
–
SAVE MONEY
PUBLICATION COPY DL INS. DATE PROOF FIN. SIZE COLOUR
AW
[email protected]
Arts SUB-Editor
Position Vacant
Editor’s Letter
F
our months is a long
time. Long enough for
several influential music
and television stars
to bite the dust. Long
enough for a government to fall flat on its face. And long
enough for a handful of moral and
medical panics to come and go.
It’s also long enough for Platform
Magazine to reinvent itself. Now
released monthly with twice the
content as before, it’s something
you can be proud of to showcase the
talent here at NTU. It’s also your
student lifestyle bible, crammed
with in-depth features, reviews and
interviews.
As well as this lovingly-made beacon of publishing, we have a brand-new independent website – www.platform-online.net – where we have half a hundredweight
of exciting and intriguing web-exclusive content, plus digital flash versions of the
magazine. Platform is now well and truly up to date.
So as the newbies settle into the routine of hangovers versus lectures, and the veterans bury themselves in the library before deadlines, take a little time out to indulge
yourself in this magazine. Your magazine. After all, it’s the only publication out
there that caters directly for NTU students, and now it’s better than ever.
And you could, frankly, do with cheering up. Night after night, stern-faced people
appear on the television and in the press, telling us that students will ruin the
economy and be forced to live on the streets after graduation, jobless and broken.
So, before we become clinically pessimistic, remember that there’s more to life than
an ugly MP who can’t count his own expenses.
BROADBAND
www.
bethere.
co.uk
/9month
or call
0808 101 3423
Subject to location and availability, BT line and minimum term contract. Speeds vary depending on factors including your distance from the exchange. Fair usage policy applies. For full terms and conditions go to bethere.co.uk/terms.
FORGE
SHEFFIELD
Fashion SUB-Editor
Rebecca Uren
[email protected]
22 09 09
Food & Drink SUB-Editor
Molly Woodruff
[email protected]
02950
JOB NO.
DATE
Email [email protected] to apply
Travel SUB-Editor
Lucia Miyashita
Glen Davies
Editor-in-Chief
[email protected]
Gaming SUB-Editor
Aaron Lee
[email protected]
Health SUB-Editor
Danielle Almond
[email protected]
Sports SUB-Editor
James Haigh
[email protected]
Platform Magazine
Nottingham Trent Students Union | Byron House | Shakespeare Street | Nottingham | NG1 4GH
Tel | (0115) 848 6200
Fax | (0115) 848 6201
Email | [email protected]
Editorial enquiries | Email the relevant address on the left
Advertising enquiries | Contact BAM Student Marketing on (0845) 1300 667 or
www.trentstudents.org/student_marketing
Cover Photo by Stefan Ebelewicz | Featuring Mark Lawrence
Thanks to Hickling & Squires Print Solutions - www.hickling-squires.co.uk. This publication is printed on sustainably-sourced recycled paper (80% recycled, made up of 10% packaging
waste / 10% best white waste / 60% de-inked waste fibre / 20% virgin totally chlorine free fibre) using vegetable-based inks.
Platform is an independent publication and any views expressed herein are not necessarily those of the Editor or of the Nottingham Trent Students Union and its Elected Directors and Officers.
Companies advertised in Platform are not necessarily endorsed by Nottingham Trent Students Union. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the prior permission of the Editor.
www.platform-online.net |
3
News
Contents
News
Film
Travel
Cover Story
24 | Platform Interview:
Dacre Stoker
44 | Madrid
5 | Mind the Gap
Why students are staying abroad
25 | Vampire Film
Reviews Special
8 | Overcoming Fresher
Pressure
Jennifer’s Body, The Vampire’s
Assistant, The Lost Boys, Dracula,
Twilight, Kiss of the Vampire
10 | Give the Gift of Life
27 | Film Reviews
12 | Union News & Events
Up, The Informant!, Harry Brown
Mind the Gap | Overcoming Fresher Pressure | Give the Gift of Life
Edited by Jennifer Rosewarne | [email protected]
Gaming
48 | Seaside Secrets
The future of video games revealed
at Develop in Brighton
50 | Gaming Reviews
Find out what’s happening this
month in your students’ union
Uncharted 2, FIFA 10, Halo 3
p14
p44
p48
Mind the Gap
Numbers of returning students all over the country have plummeted this year. Jennifer
Laura Rosewarne examines one possible reason.
Photos by Stefan Ebelewicz
Community
Photos
Health
14 | Dublin Dash
30 | Freshers Photos
52 | Student Depression
56 | Saturday Antics Photos
53 | How to Look After a
Drunk Person
Music
Arts & Fashion
17 | The Rise of the
Machines
38 | Statement Jewellery
Platform meets: Editors
39 | Book Reviews
19 | Gig Reviews
39 | Surface Gallery’s
Arts & Crafts Fair
Maccabees @ Rock City, Bombay
Bicycle Club @ Rescue Rooms, Bat
For Lashes @ Rock City
21 | Platform Interview:
Frank Turner
Food & Drink
22| Sound Advice
40 | Robin Hood Beer
Festival
54 | Should you worry
how loud your music is?
54 | Students and
Dentists
Sports
60 | Is Money Ruining
Football?
62 | Cycle to Uni
63 | Georgi the Great
42 | Restaurant Reviews
Fat Cat Cafe Bar, Chiquito
4
| Nottingham Trent Students Union Magazine
5
News
E
very year we see thousands of students across the
country graduate from university. Many look forward to
successful future job prospects. However, this year has seen
students experience something very different: the recession. Rarely
avoided in the media and never far from any student or graduate’s mind,
this one phrase projects many different opinions and is still a regular
point of controversy.
2008 saw the first recession in the United Kingdom since 1991, after
its GDP fell by 1.5%. This economic downturn was followed by serious
issues of unemployment, a problem which at present is still a major
concern for graduates, and rightly so, as the latest figures for youth
unemployment stand at 947,000.
However, students are now turning their backs on the UK’s employment
crisis altogether. Established in 1991, Projects Abroad are a commercial gap year company in Britain. Offering placements ranging from
two weeks to 12 months, they have received requests from over 130
students requesting to extend their gap year placements, with some
requesting not to return to the UK at all.
The firm’s founder, Doctor Peter Slowe, says: “The prospect of gap year
travellers returning to bleak employment prospects in Britain is not
particularly exciting.” He adds that the recession has seen a phenomenon in the volunteering industry rarely seen before, saying “In nearly
20 years of operation we have never seen young people not wanting to
come back home.”
Students who are still currently at school or university are expected
to plan gap years because of the recession. Slowe also adds “ten weeks
is simply not long enough for young people eager to work and make a
difference.”
6
“
Gap year companies have
seen a surge in the number of
students requesting to extend
their gap year placements,
with some requesting not to
return to the UK at all”
T
his news follows a protest at Parliament
on September 16th by Youth Fight for
Jobs, which was launched at the start of
2009 as the severity of the crisis became clear.
Arguing that the credit crunch is resulting in
our generation being unable to display their
skills, Youth Fight presented a giant CV showing the potential of the unemployed.
Sean Figg, Youth Fight for Jobs organiser said:
“Job losses continue, and the prospect of getting another dims. Gordon Brown and David
Cameron are calling for massive cuts in public
spending - this will clearly have an impact on
young people, especially those unlucky enough
to be unemployed.”
Whilst students are still requesting to stay
abroad, and with many planning gap years,
another protest is planned for November 28th
in central London to fight the unemployment
crisis. Figg is ‘bringing together young people
from universities, from the workplaces and
from the job centres to fight against Brown and
Cameron condemning us to become the lost
generation.’ In his own very bold and forceful
words, Figg adds: “We’re organising a fight
back.”
7
News
By Jennifer Laura Rosewarne
Coming to university is one of
the biggest gear-changes in
life. Jennifer Laura Rosewarne
looks at how to overcome the
stress it can cause.
A
s a new academic year at
Trent begins, the atmosphere around university
is one which returning
students are undoubtedly
familiar with. Whilst freshers arrived
in their masses, keen to embark on
one of the most exciting times of their
lives, existing students have had the
chance to re-live fresher’s week and
continue with their studies. However,
as charity YouthNet explains, university is not always an experience that
comes easy for everyone.
Founded in 1995 by Martyn Lewis CBE,
YouthNet aims to create ‘a socially
inclusive environment where all young
adults are engaged, informed and
inspired to achieve their ambitions and
dreams’. Defined as a ‘young people’s
charity’, YouthNet is particularly useful in assisting university hopefuls.
With a new university term imminent,
thousands of students prepare to leave
home for the first time every year. However, whilst some students can adapt to
this transition easily, others can find it
extremely challenging. YouthNet author
Matt Whyman explains: “The transition
from school to college or university can
be one of the toughest changes a young
person has to face.” He adds: “Studying
a degree brings incredible opportunities and experiences, but the pressure
to achieve combined with living in an
entirely different environment can leave
many young people feeling overwhelmed
- especially in the first weeks and months.”
“T
he pressure to achieve
combined with living in an
entirely different environment
can leave many young people
feeling overwhelmed”
8
In order to overcome such pressures,
Whyman is one of a team of experts
offering advice for 16-24 year olds
through YouthNets online service, TheSite.org. Advertised online as ‘your guide
to the real world’, the website promises
a 24 hour -a day anonymous service
on subjects including drink, drugs,
work, sex, travel and relationships. Its
popularity is easily recognised, with
over 500,000 unique users that have
access to over 2,000 articles written
by a series of experts and journalists.
To keep the website easy to negotiate,
the articles are also presented among
different formats through a series of
podcasts, videos and blogs. Very fitting
for a society where media and the social
are increasingly working together as
technology develops in the 21st Century.
So why is this website considered as being essential when starting or returning to university? Whyman explains
that students can often feel that there
is a lack of support which is intensified
particularly in a new environment. He
explains that: “[They’re] encouraging
fresher’s to be prepared and find out
what support networks are available so
they know where to turn if things get
too much, and hopefully settle in to a
problem-free and happy university life.”
Though there are thousands of students using the website, YouthNet are
enthusiastic in reaching this aim, so
much so that a guaranteed response
is provided within three working days.
As one anonymous user writes on the
website: “thanks for making it so easy
and thanks for making it anonymous I don’t think I would have had the courage to write otherwise - and I’d still be
swirling around”
For more information on the YouthNet
charity, visit www.thesite.org.
In the mean time YouthNet offers the following tips for
the class of 2009:
• Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Phone home, ask a friend, talk
to your student welfare officer or send a question in, even if you
feel like what you’re asking is obvious.
• Consider your cash flow and make sure you set aside enough
for the essentials (food/rent/bills). Fresher’s week can be a drain
on your dosh, so plan ahead.
• Universities and colleges have their own rules and can
enforce disciplinary action, no matter how much of an adult you
think you are.
• It’s totally natural to miss your old life - give yourself time to
get used to your new surroundings.
9
News
Give the Gift of Life
By Jennifer Laura Rosewarne
I
t was a typical morning: a routine
indulgence of the cosmopolitan lifestyle of coffee and croissants before
heading out to work.
The interruption created as the letter
box opened was also no different. However, what stood to attention among
all the obligatory bills was the second
blood donation letter sent in a week.
It’s a harsh reminder of reality and the
idea that there are people out there less
fortunate than us that need our help.
It’s often too easy to overshadow this
with our own priorities, but ten minutes
of our time could actually save someone
else’s life.
A staggering 2.1 million donations have
taken place from 1.6 million donors
in the past year, however that only
accounts for five percent of the British
population. With eight thousand units
of blood needed every day, the National
Blood Service are urging new and existing donors to give the gift of life as
stock levels decrease.
10
Giving blood is a simple process and
anyone wanting to give blood can do so,
providing they are over 17 years of age
and in relatively good health. In order
to establish this, a series of questions
will be asked to the potential donor at
any chosen location across the country,
including Nottingham Trent University.
The National Blood service first visited
NTU on 20th November 2008 at Byron
house. The first donating session at the
university for over five years saw 134
people donate blood, 111 of which were
first timers. This success story resulted
in another blood donation session in
March with more sessions planned
following this. Other locations around
Nottingham also offer similar services
with no appointment necessary.
So, there’s no excuse as donations can
even take place at your own convenience.
For more information or any queries on
giving blood, visit blood.co.uk. To find
out your nearest donation centres, call
0300 1232323. Save a life, give blood.
Facts about giving blood:
• You must weigh at least 50kg (7st
12lbs).
• You can’t give blood if you have
had a piercing or tattoo less than six
months before donating.
• You can give blood every four
months, with each donation providing
just under a pint of blood (470ml)
• If you have travelled abroad, specifically to an area at risk from malaria,
you should wait at least six months
before donating blood.
• The donation process itself takes
between five to ten minutes.
• The process from the start to finish
takes approximately an hour.
Union News & Events
Initi8
Student Volunteering in
the Local Community
Initi8 One Day Volunteering Projects
Want to do something fun, give your CV that extra boost and help out the
local community at the same time? Join initi8 volunteering!
Our opportunities are organised for students by students, so that they
reflect your interests and your passions, giving you the chance to make a
difference. Whether you want to help restore habitats for Britain’s wildlife,
host a Christmas Party for the elderly or practice drumming with primary
school children, we’ll have an opportunity to interest you! And we only ask
for one day of your time.
D
o you want to do something
fun, give your CV an extra boost
and help out in your community at
the same time? Try volunteering
with Initi8! There’s loads for you to
get involved with, whether you’re
looking to volunteer within a local
organization, just for one day, or
even set up your own project.
One Day Challenges – Schedule looking pretty hectic? We’ll have a fantastic activity to take your fancy, without
taking up too much of your time! (See
article, right, for more details)
[email protected]
Volunteer Shop – Perfect if you want
to volunteer with a local organization on a regular basis to develop
your skills and interests, or get that
vital course/work experience.
[email protected]
Student Led Projects – Your chance
to lead your own voluntary project
in the local community, making your
ideas a reality!
[email protected]
So, what’s in it for you? By volunteering you can learn a wealth of new skills,
make fantastic new friends and get some all-important work experience.
You’ll make incredible memories whilst really helping out the local community.
Free water coolers are now in every NTU
Library thanks to the Students Union.
Ruth Cannavan, Vice President Education & Representation made free access
to water in the Library a key part of her
successful election campaign last year.
Do you have project ideas that you want to make reality? If you’re interested
in leading your own One Day volunteering projects then why not join the
initi8 committee? This is your opportunity to direct the volunteering activities at NTSU – to find out more, email [email protected]. Be quick!
Places are limited.
Visit us: Union Central, City Campus; above The Point, Clifton;
The Orangery, Brackenhurst
Phone: 0115 848 6211
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.trentstudents.org/volunteering
Volunteer Opportunity for All Chinese Students
Super Chinese is an Initi8 student led volunteer project. It ran for 7 weeks in
four different local schools last year, and 12 Chinese volunteers joined us.
The aim of this project is to teach local school students Chinese language as
well as Chinese culture and arts. We also want to let more university students have unforgettable volunteering experience. The project last year was
very successful and we want to make it even better this year!
We are looking for Chinese students, and students learning to speak Chinese
to volunteer in our SUPER CHINESE project, which will run for 7/8 weeks in
Term Two. This is a brilliant way to get some part time experience, and to give
your CV that extra boost. [Emily Zhuo]
1) Your name
2) Your student ID number
3) Your email address
4) Your nationality
5) Date of birth
6) Course title and year
7) List any previous experience and your hobbies
NTSU Entertainments this month:
Climax @ City - Every Saturday during term
time (9:30pm)
Double Vision @ Clifton - Every Friday during
term time (9:30pm)
The Library has listened to Ruth and
the wishes of students and now in every
campus library has a source of free
drinking water.
No Cars Go
Assault @ City – Fortnightly Fridays - Nov
13th & 27th (9:30pm)
Tone Club @ City – Fortnightly Fridays - Nov
6th & 20th (8pm)
Touch:Me @ City – Wed 11th Nov (10:30pm)
To find out more about our volunteering events, sign up to our weekly
newsletter by emailing [email protected] with your name, student
number and campus.
To apply, please send the following information to ntuchinesevolunteer@
yahoo.co.uk by Monday 23rd November at the very latest:
12
Water Coolers
Giggle @ City - Mon Nov 2nd & 30th (8pm)
Giggle @ Clifton - Mon Nov 16th (8pm)
See www.trentstudents.org for more info
Clifton students have begun the year
in a campaigning mood. Led by Clifton
Liaison Officer Firoz Bhatty Clifton
students are signing a petition demanding better car parking facilities from the
University in their droves.
The student car park at Clifton is shoddy
and in a terrible state of repair. Originally
designed as a temporary solution to car
parking on campus it has continually been
overlooked for much needed investment,
even though the staff car park hasn’t.
To find out more or to sign the petition
please visit
www.trentstudents.org/campaigns
Free Stride Training & Development
Sessions on offer in November:
Sessions @ City:
NEW - Self Defence: Mon 2nd November 2.30-4.30pm & Thurs 5th
November 6.30-8.30pm
Boosting Your Potential Programme:
Essay Writing and Referencing - Tues 3rd November 4-6pm
Perfect Presentations - Tues 10th November 4-6pm
Handling Stress - Tues 17th November 4-6pm
Revision Skills - Tues 24th November 4-6pm
Mas-on It
Business Management and Leadership Programme:
Motivating Your Team - Wed 4th November 3-5pm
Delegating to Your Team - Wed 11th November 3-5pm
Dealing With Difficult Situations - Wed 18th November 3-5pm
Managing Meetings - Wed 25th November 3-5pm
Vice President Welfare and Involvement,
Sarah Mason has secured a partnership
agreement with Nottingham Cars for the
coming academic year. The deal not only
includes the Climax Taxi Rank, but a 10%
student discount, Negotiated Fixed Fares
between various union sites, halls of
residences and popular taxi locations such
as the train station and supermarkets.
Sessions @ Clifton:
Students now have a cheap, safe option for
getting home from Climax – a marshalled
Taxi Rank operated by Nottingham Cars.
Look out for the fixed prices in the
Union, your Halls and
www.trentstudents.org/welfare
Boosting Your Potential Programme:
Essay Writing and Referencing - Wed 4th November 2-4pm
Perfect Presentations - Wed 11th
November 2-4pm
Handling Stress - Wed 18th
November 2-4pm
Revision Skills - Wed 25th November
2-4pm
For more info and to book a place go
to www.trentstudents.org/stride
13
Community
S
t Patrick’s Day: Tuesday 17th March, 6.30am
Getting out of bed is a struggle for me, as it usually is... but
today I’ve got a bit more motivation, given that in 12 hours
time I’ll be in the capital city of Ireland for the biggest party of
the year. It is St Paddy’s Day and we’re hitch-hiking to Dublin
for charity. After showering, throwing on my bright yellow
Childreach International t-shirt and stuffing a toasted teacake
into my mouth, I am out of the door: late.
8.30am
I meet the rest of my team – Stacey and Dominic (who are typically disgruntled by my
tardiness) – at the bus stop, ready to head into the unfamiliar territory of Nottingham University. Through a haze of sleep-deprivation we muster as much enthusiasm
as 8.30am permits: “we’re going to be in Dublin in 10 hours!”
9.15am
We arrive at Nottingham Uni, sign in and brave the cold, complete with our banner
emblazoned ‘charity hitch-hike’ and a perfectly manicured thumb. We wait around
for about 40 minutes before we get picked up by Ashley – a shaven-headed Northerner who likes to drive fast.
11am
Ashley drops us at Sandbach Service Station. If we’re honest, we’re not entirely sure
where we are, but we’re certain we’re on the right track. After warming our mitts
with a steaming mug of hot chocolate we’re keen to get back on the road. We’re
quickly picked up by ex-policeman, Pete, who unnervingly recognises Dom...
12.15pm
At Chester Services, lorry after car after van after bus drives past us, spraying a little bit more dirt in our faces, tooting their horns and looking apologetically at our
disappointed faces. We’re feeling dejected and worried that we won’t hit Anglesey
in time... until a glistening black Jaguar X-type pulls up. We cannot believe our
luck as we sink into the cream leather seats. I could get used to this...
14.30pm
It’s 2.30pm and we are not yet in Wales. Panic has set in. We look at our phones
and wonder whether it’s time to call the back-up vehicle – a team drive past us,
tooting their horns and waving happily! We’re contemplating numerous gesticulations until they pull up and ask us if we want a lift. YES! We bundle into the
Mountain Rescue vehicle and it’s onward to Anglesey!
5pm
We check in at the ferry terminal just in time, board the vessel and excitedly meet up
with friends on board. We are on our way to Dublin town...
6.30pm
We’ve made it to Dublin in one piece; surviving our first hitch-hike and the notoriously
vomit-inducing Irish Sea. Hooray! We meet
Dave, the charity rep, at the hostel before hitting the town. It’s been a long day and we’re
exhausted, but it is definitely time to party...
Road trips are a popular student
activity. But one in particular lets you
raise money for a very good cause.
Laura Buckland explains...
14
9pm
Dublin City Centre is positively buzzing –
women clatter down the street in their high
heels, while men dressed as leprechauns,
adorned with Guinness hats, stumble merrily
into Temple Bar’s hottest pubs and clubs. The
atmosphere is electric. We dance long into the
night before heading back to the hostel to rest
our bones, ready for a new day of sightseeing,
soda bread and falling in love with Dublin all
over again.
Interested?
We’re doing the St Patrick’s Day
Dublin Dash again this year –
17th March 2010.
Fundraise £160 for Childreach
International and pay your £29
registration for free t-shirt, free
ferry travel and one night free
at a Dublin Hostel! Can’t say
fairer than that.
To get involved, email
[email protected]
15
Want to save money?
Then become a regular user of NTSU services
and be rewarded for your loyalty.
Music
Editors Interview | Maccabees Review | Bombay Bicycle Club Review | Bat For Lashes Review | Frank
Turner Interview | Sound Advice
Edited by Tom Warmsley | [email protected]
Just pick up a loyalty card from any NTSU bar or
shop on any campus and start saving today!
Free coffee
when you buy 8 coffees
at any NTSU coffee bar
Meal Deals
Only £2.99. Buy 5 get 1
free @ any SU Express
(free meal can only be claimed on Saturday / Sunday)
Platform meets: Editors
Change. Change is a funny thing. Naturally, there’s an
inescapable problem with another new wave: it’s all
been done before. Of course you could just play it safe
and wander aimlessly into the middle of the road but
then you’d be, well... Snow Patrol. Just before they kick
off their UK tour and release their third album ‘In This
Light And On This Evening,’ Andrew Trendell caught
up with Editors’ guitarist Chris Urbanowicz to discuss
evolution and bringing a little humanity to machines.
Words & Photos by Andrew Trendell >
17
Music
“We
always thought that
we were going to stay
as this dark cult band. When our
first single came out Zane Lowe
just jumped on it and things
went crazy. We sold way too
many copies of our first album
than we were supposed to.”
>
From there the band went on to widespread critical and commercial acclaim.
After some heavy radio play and some
relentless touring the band dropped their
second album ‘An End Has A Start’: a more
expansive and richer soundscape, but not
a million miles from the guitar heavy postpunk broodings of their debut. Many bands
would find themselves stuck in a rut. Chris
adds: “The last thing we wanted to do was
become bland. We wanted to try new things,
especially after the second record. We’d just
got a little bit bored of what we were doing.”
The band discovered synthesizers and attempted to implant a human heart inside the
machine: “We were worried about making an
electronic record that sounded too ‘clinical’.
A lot of dance music, for instance, may not
sound very human, it can sound very robotic.
The first thing we wanted to do was to make
it sound human and so we had to play these
instruments live. We just needed to react to
the songs to make the machines sound more
alive.”
Fans of their early sound should not be too
alarmed. They may have been touched by
machines but they’re still recognizable as the
gloom-drenched anthemic Editors: “It’s still
the same four brains making the music and
telling us what to do. Even if you’re playing a
melody on a different instrument it sounds
reminiscent of things you’ve done in the past.”
Editors have always been plagued by lazy
comparisons. Understandably the band now
wander elsewhere to find avenues of inspiration: “We’re influenced by much less music
now. We’ve been compared to a lot of bands
and we just got a bit sick of that and just
started taking influence from a lot more films,
sci-fi and horror music and things like that.
As people we’re a lot more grown up in comparison to who we were five years ago. We’ve
grown a lot and that’s our biggest influence.”
‘In This Light And On This Evening’ is out now.
To read this and all other Platform interviews in full, head over to www.platform-online.net
18
The Maccabees @ Rock City - 5th October 2009
By Thomas Edison Warmsley
M
accabees could be perceived as a
band brimming with luck. While
they have no doubt earned their
acclaim, touring the globe to death and
making a welcome return to Reading/Leeds
festival this year, they have found themselves
fortunate enough to still have everyone’s
aural attention.
Where many bands would wilt and collapse
with the pressures of the ‘sh*t, I hope they
like it as much as our old stuff’ second album,
Maccabees have surpassed even their own sly
inhibitions. ‘Wall of Arms’ cleverly reinvented their two-a-penny indie serenades and
judging by tonight, their adoring fan base has
stuck close by.
Accompanying the headliners are fellow
Brighton buddies Lyre Birds, a five-piece who
attempt to blacken cheerful souls with their
dark brooding melodies, enough gloom fit for
any dark 80s dance floor. Singer Adam Day
croons over Bauhaus synths and pulsating
bass lines. Subtle but effective guitar work
makes songs like ‘This is the Way’ sound like
Interpol but with more personality.
Maccabees’ loyal fan base is easy to admire, as
the band take to the stage receiving a raucous
ovation. The band begin with ‘No Kind Words’,
complete with excessive lightshow, which
at best becomes unnecessary and annoying.
Featuring on stage particularly for current
songs is the band’s newly acquired horn
section, giving recent single ‘Love You Better’
much greater depth. A perfect complement
to vocalist Orlando Week’s chimney-sweep
charm.
However classic tracks like ‘Latchmere’ have a
re-worked and almost muddled feel, now also
featuring a brass section, which confuses the
assortment of sound in their set. It is clear
that album number two ‘Wall Of Arms’ has
influenced the boys, but with older songs like
‘X-Ray’ and ‘First Love’ are still highlights of
their set, it’s unclear if Maccabees are still
clinging on to the laurels of their debut.
19
Music
Platform Interview:
The
People’s
Poet
Frank Turner
Interview by Andy Trendell
Platform: Your songs are quite anthemic whilst also being
quite articulate. How do you find the balance?
Frank Turner: I really like the idea of a crowd singing along to
unusual words. I’d love it if I good get an entire crowd to sing
along to along to a word like ‘psychoanalytical’ or something
like that.
P: ‘Symbiotic’ is one of my favourite words at the moment.
FT: Exactly! Just imagine ten thousand people singing
“SYYYM-BIO-TIIIC.” I might even try and use that myself now.
P: Wow. Can we shake a deal on that right now?
FT: Yeah sure. But yeah, I guess the point you could draw from
that is that I don’t think music is popular because it’s dumb,
because I don’t think that people are dumb.
P: Do you always approach songs in the same way since the
days of ‘Million Dead’? Have any of your methods translated
or are they more or less the same?
Kick
Off the
Training
Wheels
FT: Things have changed a lot. Mainly because writing with
Million Dead was a very creative process. We all wrote together, but at the same time we were aiming for different things.
We wanted to be some kind of cross between Black Flag and
Refused and destroy the entire world with the power of hardcore. Whereas now, I kind of have this feeling that there is the
platonic ideal of ‘the song’ and I think that everybody, in one
way or another, is grasping towards that. I think Bob Dylan
came close, I think Pete Townsend’s came very close, as has
Bruce Springsteen. It’s not necessarily reinventing the wheel
or trying to be progressive or radical in any new way. It’s more
just trying to make something as classic as possible. So I just
sit down and try to do my best to do that. That moment where
you feel like you’re touching a nerve.
Read this and all other Platform Music interviews in full over at
www.platform-online.com
as she floats and skips across the Rock
City Stage.
Bombay Bicycle Club @ Rescue Rooms - 28th
September 2009
By Thomas Edison Warmsley
Y
ou would be forgiven for letting some of the massive
stream of new British, indie bands pass you by. The
sheer amount of bands that the music press claim to be
the ‘next big thing’ after one radio friendly tune about teenage feelings and heartbreak is a long list. Some aren’t worth
spending your precious time exploring - others are. Bombay
Bicycle Club fit into the latter category, as they are showing on
their most recent tour off the back of the release of their debut
album ‘I Had The Blues But I Shook Them Loose’.
Front man Jack Steadman’s charmingly quirky voice begins
to melt the Rescue Rooms’ ears on opening track and latest
single ‘Magnet’. Swooning the opening lyric ‘Now its decision
time…’ to a crowd that is throbbing right from the first guitar
riff, it seems the decision was instant - Bombay Bicycle Club
deserve the hype.
20
Tagging them as a new band isn’t quite justified as despite
being younger than a lot of the crowd they have been making
perfect pop since 2006. These youngsters have already opened
V Festival and first played Reading Festival in 2007. In high
spirits with huge grins radiating from their faces the bands
energy is infectious, as they run through melodic but frantically played tracks from their album that so many people
here in Nottingham must own due to the raucous response
to every lingering word. ‘Always Like This’ sweetly captures
everyone’s hearts, as arms wave in mass union and clap to the
dreamy crescendo. ‘Evening/Morning’ stabs at the audience
with urgency and has everyone chanting ‘I am ready to owe
you anything’ as the intense guitar echoes around the room,
showing they can do sweet soundscapes and punchy pop tunes
alike. Ending on the effortlessly beautiful ‘Cancel On Me’, here
tonight Bombay Bicycle Club have an army of fans that would
do no such thing.
Bat For Lashes @ Rock City
5th October 2009
Words & Photo by Andrew Trendell
W
hat’s that? Oh, no I haven’t
heard from Speech Debelle in a
while. Last reported sighting
of her was after the Mercury’s when she
was being led into a police car for theft.
She stands accused of robbing Bat For
Lashes of what was rightfully hers. It
makes you sick doesn’t it? Nominated
twice but never the victor. Exhibit A:
Bat For Lashes at Rock City.
Enigmatic wacky frontwomen have
been ten a penny this year. If you
would dare to put Natasha Kahn in
with this bad bunch then you would
be oh so sorely mistaken. Since 2006
Bat For Lashes has been perfecting
her bewitching and celestial brew of
fairytale pop. Without gimmickry,
nostalgia or a kerrr-azy red quiff,
Kahn proves to be a divine presence
BFL’s sincerity and warmth saturate
her performance, as her wild child
imagination explodes into the room.
Her performance of ‘Pearl’s Dream’
is perfect soundtrack to something
between a litany and a rave at a witch
trial. ‘Daniel’ is infused with a haunting
and infectious energy whilst ‘Siren Song’
is an altogether otherworldly lullaby.
Stepping out for an encore armed only
with a TV screen, her lungs and a whole
lot of soul, Kahn does well to make
the vast venue seem so intimate. With
every word and gesture she tends to the
audience with maternalistic tenderness.
Every moment is flawlessly beautiful
without exception.
No Mercury this year, but one day the
rest of the planet will recognise Bat
For Lashes as one of the best of her
generation. Always the bridesmaid, eh?
Marry me. Actually forget awards. Who
needs silverware when you’re born with
majesty? Long live the Queen
21
Music
Sound Advice
Words & Photos by Andrew Trendell
Welcome to all new Trent Army recruits. To ease you into the next chapter of your life, we asked a few of your
favourite bands for a few words of advice on university life as well as their views on the city of Nottingham
from the likes of Foals, Scouting For Girls, Frank Turner, Fightstar, The Living Daylights and Nottingham’s
own Chris Urbanowicz from Editors:
Film
Dacre Stoker Interview | Jennifer’s Body | The Vampire’s Assistant | The Lost Boys | Dracula | Twilight
Kiss of the Vampire | Up | The Informant! | Harry Brown & Ticket Giveaway
Edited by Becky Wojturska | [email protected]
Chris Urbanowicz (Editors): Don’t spend too much money in the first weeks. That’s what happened to
me and then I found myself struggling. Just be careful with what you do and who you do. The most commonly held misconception about Nottingham is probably the 3:1 girls to boys ratio. That’s something that
was quite big in the 70s and 80s. When I first started going out when I was 17 in the era of 1998/1999, the
3:1 ratio was pretty spot on, in a good way. I think with the universities, everyone has got hold of that and
it’s caused it to level out a little bit so it’s pretty equal. I don’t really go clubbing much anymore, I’m a bit
old for that now. I’m always drinking and seeing bands at The Bodega Social. The food is awesome as well; I
think they’ve got a new chef in recently. It’s pretty good.
Roy Stride (Scouting For Girls): Wear a condom. Don’t worry about anything too much. Just have a good time. Everybody gets ‘freshers’ flu’. It’s alright
if you spend your student loan in 3 days. I bought a new guitar, a phat effects
pedal, I spent the lot. I did choose my degree on the basis that I was in a band
and trying to get a record deal so I chose English, because it’s only eight hours
a week. I made so many friends, I’d recommend University to anyone. Also,
spend a few quid of your loan on a Scouting For Girls ticket maybe? Your first
year doesn’t count. Drink a lot.
Yannis Phillipakkis (Foals): Arrive at uni with pot because you’ll make friends and instantly get to
know everybody. My time at university was brief but sweet. I dropped out after first year so I did the freshers’ thing and that was it. I do remember that I didn’t enjoy Freshers’ Week. I found the pressure of trying
to integrate myself into a big group of people quite difficult. I did make friends but I found forcing it a little
bit weird. I instantly just got involved with the people who smoked cigarettes, because it was a common
interest. I liked Uni though. I really like Nottingham, it’s one of our favourite UK cities to play in and go
out in. I love Rock City and I love Stealth. Very sweaty. It’s quite fun.
Frank Turner: At the risk of sounding like a boring old man; if you’re going
to go to University and rack up a huge debt then you might as well do some
f*cking work. You know, have some fun in the first few weeks but then do some
work. I worked my arse off to get my degree and I realised that there are other
ways to go out every night and get p*ssed, if thats what you want to do without
racking up a massive debt. Get incredibly wasted in the first few weeks, then do
some work. Oh yeah and avoid crack. STAY OFF THE CRACK.
Alex Westaway (Fightstar): Go Crazy. The first few weeks of university are
really important. That’s the time when you get to know a lot of people. It’s important to make a group of friends as quick as you can because these things can
be quite difficult to form. Just go all out first week. Lose it.
Sam Cook (The Living Daylights): Leave university now.
Join a band and start touring the country. Ruin your life.
Definitely sort your life out. You don’t get any qualifications, you don’t get any
money, you don’t get fed, but its such a better thing to do. Work yourself into
the ground in every way possible: financially, physically, mentally – you’re going
to be f*cked. Oh and don’t do drugs.
22
Film Sub-Editor | Becky Elizabeth Wojturska
F
irst off, welcome, or welcome back. We are kick-starting the new month (and uni year) by celebrating
the mania that is vampirism: past, present and future. From blood suckers to vegetarians, we’ve covered them all (including Jennifer’s Body, above), both in print and online. So don’t forget to check out
our reinvented website – www.platform-online.net – for all the extras we couldn’t squeeze into the
magazine. We’ve even got an interview from Dacre Stoker – a living descendant of Bram Stoker.
November promises to be an exciting month, with the release of Disney Pixar’s new film Up, Soderbergh’s The Informant! and
Michael Caine’s Harry Brown, just to name a few. Check out our Harry Brown ticket giveaway to go and see the film before it’s
released. Enjoy. >
23
Film
Platform Interview:
Dacre
Stoker
Platform: Firstly, did you feel daunted taking on such a huge
task?
Dacre Stoker: Absolutely! People identify him through videos,
literature and of course movies. Good thing I had a little foot in
the door with the name up there!
P: Did you have your own image of Dracula when writing?
DS: Well, he wasn’t a charming Eastern European who could
charm women out of their blood! Bram described him as
grotesque but you need a cool leading guy. We left a lot to your
imagination.
P: Do you think you captured the characters in true Bram Stoker
style?
DS: We all interpret characters in our own way. We (Ian and
myself) poured over notes and read about Bram […] and thought
‘what would happen to the characters?’ They saved the world! We
interpreted as we thought Bram would have, we certainly hope
his spirit is there!
P: Why now? Did you predict the current obsession with vampirism?
DS: If you go back six years, you couldn’t have predicted the current mania. We were blind to what was going on until two years
ago and we were like – boy we better get a move on!
P: Halloween must be fun!
DS: Yeah, it’s always like, “what are you guys serving, is it Bloody
Mary’s at the Stokers?”
P: And finally, what’s your favourite vampire film?
DS: The 1931 Browning version of Bram’s Dracula. The Coppola
version has great costumes and erm… ok acting!
Check out more film interviews and reviews on www.platform-online.net
24
Film
Reviews
Jennifer’s Body (15)
Cirque du Freak: The
Vampire’s Assistant (12A)
With nudity, kissing and Megan
Fox; vampires
have never been
so sexy. Or so
the trailer would
have you believe.
Jennifer’s
Body actually
comes from the
viewpoint of Jennifer’s (Fox) best
friend Needy
(Seyfried) who watches her go through a
ritual change from a boy-hungry vain girl
to a, well, boy-hungry vain vampire. Jennifer then begins to feast on boys in order
to retain her strength, health and beauty.
As Needy uncovers the truth she sets out
to stop Jennifer before she claims her next
victim.
Based on the
first three
books of
the series by
author Darren
Shan, we follow teenager
Darren (Massoglia) who,
after receiving
a mysterious
flyer for illicit
freak show the
Cirque du Freak, is encouraged to attend by his rebellious best friend Steve
(Hutcherson). After a series of sinister
events, Darren is given little choice
but to strike a life-changing deal with
a vampire (Reilly). He becomes the
vampire’s assistant – on the provision
he becomes half-vampire himself.
This film is more dark and sinister than
you would expect and so reaches a wider audience whilst providing a unique
twist on vampirism. However, the script
is hit and miss with some embarrassingly cheesy lines but the indie-rock
soundtrack more than makes up for it.
Jennifer’s Body is enjoyable and clever
with its symbolic insight into the corruption of beauty. And ok, maybe it’s a little
sexy. Becky Elizabeth Wojturska
Fans of the books should not expect
the film to be as thoroughly somber in
tone. Rather, this solemnity is balanced
with wry humor, action and drama.
Cirque du Freak will probably appeal
mostly to a teen audience. Although it
is entertaining, for the most part, with
distinguished interpretations of author
Shan’s quirky characters and his nontraditional vampires. Melanie Ward
Starring: Amanda Seyfried, Megan Fox,
Adam Brody
Directed by: Karyn Kusama
Released: 6th November 2009
Starring: John C. Reilly, Josh Hutcherson,
Chris Massoglia
Directed by: Paul Weitz
Released: 23rd November 2009
The Lost Boys (15)
Starring: Jason Patric, Corey Haim, Keifer
Sutherland, Dianne Wiest
Directed by: Joel Schumacher
Released: 31st July 1987
“Sleep all day.
Party all night.
Never grow
old. Never die.
It’s fun to be a
vampire.”
This story
centres around
the son’s of a
recent divorcee,
Lucy (Wiest)
who uproots
her family to move to her father’s in the
coastal town of Santa Carla - ‘murder
capital of the world’. Sons Michael
(Patric) and Sam (Haim), both of whom
give a remarkable performance, soon
find the town is plagued by a rebellious
vampire biker gang. Who, led by David
(Sutherland), cause a spiral of death,
anguish and infatuation that plagues
the boys’ lives.
This teen horror flick isn’t exactly what
you would label ‘scary’ (unless you
bring Sutherland’s ‘80s hairdo into
the equation). But then again, this film
won’t let you down on the gore factor –
if you can stomach it then you’re in for
a treat. Combined with the comedy and
music, you have a vampire classic. Sian
Lomas-Morgan
Dracula (PG)
Starring: Bela Lugosi, Helen Chandler, David
Manners, Edward Van Sloan, Francis Dade
Directed by: Tod Browning
Released: 14th February 1931
Based on Bram
Stoker’s classic
Dracula, we
follow the
story of Count
Dracula (Lugosi)
as he travels to
England.
After meeting
the Harkers, Jonathon
(Manners) and
Mina (Chandler),
Dracula soon becomes a terrifying
presence, claiming the life of their close
friend Lucy (Dade).
But his unquenchable thirst takes him
towards Mina, and it is up to Jonathon
and his friend Van Helsing (Van Sloan)
to stop him.
This classic provides horror that, whilst
not jumpy or indeed scary like modern
films, is certainly eerie and spooky.
This is the epitome of vampirism and a
must-see. Becky Elizabeth Wojturska
25
Film
UP 3D (U)
Starring: Ed Asner, Jordan
Nagai, Christopher Plummer
Directed by: Peter Docter
Twilight (12A)
Starring: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner,
Cam Gigandet
Directed by: Catherine Hardwicke
Released: 19th December 2008
Twilight is the adaption of
the best selling novel by
Stephenie Meyer. It tells the
story of Bella Swan (Stewart),
who moves to a small, gloomy
town to live with her Father
after her Mother re-marries.
It is in the dark, rainy Forks
where she meets Edward
Cullen (Pattinson), with whom
she falls madly in love and
also just happens to be a
vampire. However, this isn’t
the traditional vampire movie.
Edward and his “family” aren’t
the neck-munching, bloodguzzling vampires of old,
but a new breed who pride themselves on being “vegetarian” – only drinking animal blood. Edward’s natural vampire
instincts, though, tell him to kill Bella and things are never
easy for the couple. Can they be together in such danger?
The film embodies the idea that not everything condemned
to be bad has to be so; there is always a choice. Sweetly idealistic, this is perfect for the romantics. Emma Breward
26
Kiss of the Vampire
Starring: Clifford Evans, Edward de Souza, Jennifer Daniel,
Noel Willman
Directed by: Don Sharp
Released: 26th January 1964
Honeymooners Marianne
(Daniel) and Gerald Harcourt
(de Souza) end up staying in a
remote village after their car
breaks down, and are invited
to Dr. Ravna’s (Willman) castle
where they make friends with
the family and locals.
When Marianne goes missing
after a masked party, Gerald
finds out the truth about their
new blood-sucking friends and
with the help of vampire killer
Zimmer (Evans) he sets out to
save his wife.
With giant bats, rituals and unfolded mysteries, this predictable but fun cult classic is sure to entertain. Becky Elizabeth
Wojturska
Check out more reviews on www.platform-online.net
The tenth film from Pixar
takes us on a journey with
old man Carl Fredricksen (Asner) as he fulfils the dream of
him and his late wife Ellie by
moving to South America …
via attaching 20,622 balloons
to his house. Interestingly
this adventure provides a
range of different age groups,
species and personalities all
interacting together, with
his motley crew including
Russell, the persistent eight
year old Wilderness Explorer;
packs of talking dogs and
Kevin the snipe bird. A
Dick Dastardly style villain
completes this unforgettable
journey.
Graphically the whole thing looks stunning, with an alluring combination of colour and severe attention to detail which only
serves to make the 3D look even more impressive. An original animation concept, it is life affirming, loveable and full of laughs; a
pleasure for all ages that has real warmth and heart. Amy V Gathercole
The Informant! (15)
Starring: Matt Damon, Eddie Jemison,
Scott Bakula
Directed by: Steven Soderbergh
Matt Damon absolutely shines in this true
story as Mark Whitacre, a smart but simple
man who works for the rich and powerful
agri-business ADM.
After believing he has uncovered a damaging conspiracy from their Japanese rivals
and finding price-fixing exploits, Whitacre
starts working as an informant for the FBI
against his company, gathering hundreds of
hours of video and audio tapes as evidence.
Soon the stories get bigger and you don’t know
what’s truth or lies.
Once you think you have it figured out, a new
twist develops as he delves deeper into the
company’s wrong-doings. But is Whitacre as
simple or innocent as he seems?
This film is genius with just the right amount of
secrecy and humour. Whitacre’s thoughts and
nature make it hilarious which, along with the
wonderfully written script, make this a five star
film. Becky Elizabeth Wojturska
27
Film
WIN
Harry
Brown
Tickets
Up For
Grabs
Enough Relentless to last all term!
Break morning, noon and night with just a can... With a No Half Measures attitude and 3 variants
Relentless will take you from morning to evening (ensuring you are ready to party from dawn ‘til
dusk!); Relentless is an energy drink that helps give you the stamina, focus and drive you need, when
you need it!
Wake up and shake up the morning with Relentless Juiced Energy, a 50% juice variant that blends
passion fruit, orange, guava, mango and apricot - a drink specifically made to answer your wake up
call - gearing you up to break the morning! Stoke the fires of the afternoon with a Relentless Inferno, a
delicious fruit flavoured energy injection. As the sky darkens and the stars come out to play, crack open
a Relentless Origin to ensure you keep the pace of the party all night!
Harry Brown was shot on location in and around London’s
Elephant and Castle, and at
Elstree Studios.
The supporting cast includes
Liam Cunningham (Hunger,
The Wind That Shakes the Barley), and up-and-coming British
talent like Ben Drew aka Plan
B (Adulthood), Jack O’Connell
(Eden Lake), Lee Oakes (Two
Pints of Lager And A Packet Of
Crisps), Joseph Gilgun (This
Is England) and Sean Harris
(24 Hour Party People). David
Bradley (Harry Potter, Hot
Fuzz) and Iain Glen (The Diary
of Anne Frank, Kingdom of
Heaven) also star.
Harry Brown (18)
Starring: Sir Michael Caine, Emily Mortimer, Jack O’Connell
Directed by: Daniel Barber
“MICHAEL CAINE IS HARRY BROWN”… a widowed, ex-marine pensioner who turns vigilante
after his only close friend becomes the latest victim of the vicious gang who are terrorising
their council estate. Confronted with daily reminders of violence that the police have failed to
stop, Harry decides he must administer his own brand of justice. Undoubtedly, the film will be
compared to Eastwood’s Gran Torino, but the latter is sentimental in tone, whilst Harry Brown
aspires to create the sort of gritty British drama achieved by the likes of Shane Meadows (This Is
England).
Due to Caine’s accomplished performance, it is easy to empathise with the title character. Yet
the intensity and passion intended to be incited against such gang violence is lost, as the harsh
realism conveyed from the outset somewhere transforms into an urban-style Western hero
story. Having said this, the film depicts the plight of the thousands of people facing this sort of
violence every day… and it’s surely worth a watch to see Michael Caine on a chav-obliterating
rampage. Melanie Ward
28
There are going to be previews
of Harry Brown around the
country before it opens in
cinemas on 13th November.
Nottingham is holding a
preview on 2nd November, and
See Film First is offering 100
C
tickets to give away. All you
M
have to do to claim yours is to
Y
visit their website –
www.seefilmfirst.com CM
and then enter the code:
MY
588509.
CY
Tickets are available on first
come first served basis, so get
clicking!
CMY
Put the details on your phone
now:
www.seefilmfirst.com
Code: 588509
www.harrybrownthemovie.com
K
F
or a chance to win three crates of Relentless, just tell us which one of the following is a
variant of Relentless:
A. Squashed Lethargy
B. Juiced Energy
C. Blended Insomnia
Email your answer along with your name, student ID number, and postal address to
[email protected] no later than Friday 27th November. Good luck!
Quarter page - Skylink1.pdf
21/10/2009
12:39:19
There’s a reason we
only hired 5% of
applicants last year.
It takes nothing less than total dedication to handle
the complexity and sheer scope of an organisation
that looks after 60 million people from their very
first breath. Combine this with the 1.3 million staff
it takes to provide the service, and you can see
why management roles really don’t come much
bigger than this. After gaining further professional
qualifications on placements across England, you’ll
get the chance to wield real influence within one
of the most innovative and forward thinking
organisations in the world.
To find out when we’ll be visiting your campus, or
to discover more about our Graduate Management
Training Scheme, just visit our website at
www.nhsgraduates.co.uk
30
Photos
Photos
‘Trent Army’ | 5.10.09
Photos: David Bullock
‘Freshers Ocean’ | 6.10.09
Photos: Leila Buffery
& Stefan Ebelewicz
31
Photos
‘Freshers Oceana’ | 7.10.09
Photo: Sophie Draper
32
33
Photos
‘Freshers Oceana’ | 7.10.09
Photos: Gabriella Brooks
& Sophie Draper
34
35
Photos
‘Freshers Ball’ | 19.10.09
Photos: Thomas
Seager, Jodie Herbage
& Lucy Greenhill
36
37
Arts&Fashion
Statement Jewellery | Book Reviews | Surface Gallery’s Arts & Crafts Fair
Edited by Rebecca Uren | [email protected] | [email protected]
S
tatement jewellery is all over the catwalks at the minute,
and the latest collection from Doloris Petunia will definitely
get you noticed.
The designs are a heaven to any jewellery magpie, offering a range
of beautiful, jewel coloured stones to give any outfit a personality.
Courtney Prince, designer of the collection, has taken inspiration
from her 96 year old grandmother, with the mix of the old with
the new, to create a stunning new collection.
The most popular piece so far has been the Violet Statement
Necklace. Purple is a popular colour for all those who want
something a bit different. It also adds that luxury factor to a look
with its rich tones, and this necklace is surely not one to ignore.
With ten necklaces within the collection and fans including Heidi
Klum, the range is available online at www.hannahzakari.co.uk,
with prices starting at £45.
Then again, you could visit Miss Selfridge on the high street,
where they sell a cheaper alternative for the purse-friendly price
of £15. Rebecca Uren
Statement Jewellery
Book Reviews
Beyond Duty
Shannon Meehan & Roger
Thompson
Till death do us part, this
heart touching memoir
documents what the
War in Iraq has been.
This is the true story of
one soldier’s attempt to
reconcile what he has
done with what he felt
he had to do. Bare and
devastating, it re counts
first hand the reality of a
new type of warfare that
remains largely unspoken
and forgotten on the frontlines of Iraq.
The narrators voice reminds us that the bleeding commences, even after the guns have gone silent, even if we
don’t realize it. This honest and painfully intense narrative
is one to be read, and will always be returned to many
times after. Rebecca Uren
Celebrities
Behaving Badly
Carol McGiffin &
Mark Leigh
Co- written by one of our
favourite Loose Women
presenters, this book captures a tongue in cheek
glimpse of the life of the
stars.Read all about their
diva- like demands, and
ponder over their barmy
behaviour.
From insisting on having
their tea stirred anticlockwise, to one celebrity screaming at his PA because
there were too many clouds outside in the sky on his plane
journey, this book really does cover it all.
A gripping and entertaining read, guaranteed to leave you
in stitches. Rebecca Uren
Do you enjoy creating
original, handmade
items?
If the answer’s yes, then why not consider selling your creations to the public and stirring up a creative storm?
Surface Gallery is holding an Arts and Crafts Fair on Saturday
28th - Sunday 29th November 2009.
Situated opposite Sneinton Market in the centre of Nottingham, the venue is an excellent place to sell anything
handmade, from original artwork to ethically sourced textile
products, championing the dynamic.
This is an ideal opportunity for anyone, whether you aim to
raise money, or to get your talent recognised with the public.
Stalls will open to the public from 10am-5pm on Saturday and
Sunday, and will cost £10 per pitch, per day. There are also a
limited number of tables available at £5 each per day.
These will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. So
you’ll have to get in early to show off how your creative juices
flow.
Necklaces (left and above):
www.hannahzakari.co.uk
38
Necklace:
www.missselfridge.co.uk
For further information and to request your
application form visit www.surfacegallery.org
Rebecca Uren
39
Food&Drink
don’t think I’ll be swapping my dainty
wine glass for a big pint pot and a beer
froth moustache anytime soon. The
Nottingham Brewery showcased some
great ales as well as Holmfirth who
offered a wide selection of very light
and fruity bitters. I have to say I was
slightly disappointed at the amount of
beers that had already sold out though
especially after plucking up the courage
to ask for a spanked monkey (that is a
drink just to be clear) only to be told it
sold out on the first day. Saying that - I
was nowhere near as dismayed as some
of the Saturday evening punters who
had queued for more than half an hour
only to be turned away because the beer
had almost completely ran out.
Robin Hood Beer Festival | Fat Cat Café Bar | Chiquito
Edited by Molly Woodruff | [email protected]
Inside, the sheer amount of people all
rushing about eager to try the different
ales, just added to the vibrant atmosphere of the event and made my whole
experience enjoyable. There wasn’t just
an abundance of stereotypical beer
festival-goers with their long beards
and woolly jumpers either. This event
seemed to have wider appeal with a
healthy mix of customers. It was also
good to see a lot of students had been
able to drag themselves away from the
typical drinking hotspots to try something truly different.
The food available at the festival was
varied and reasonably priced. The curry
I got from the vegetarian food stand
was well worth a try. The other food
varied from traditional dishes like
hog roasts and homemade pork pies to
freshly caught cockles or oysters.
W
hen I got told that my first
assignment as Food and Drink
editor was to go and review one
of the biggest beer festivals in the world
my eyes lit up like a child’s on Christmas morn. This would definitely be one
Uni assignment that you wouldn’t have
to drag me kicking and screaming to. I
was so eager in fact that I was one of
the first to join the queue early on the
Saturday afternoon.
Delicate wine lends itself to an exquisite meal. Beer, with twigs
and mud in it, lends itself to a festival. Molly Woodruff went to
one that’s just for the stuff.
40
The event held in the beautiful grounds
of Nottingham Castle spanned over four
days and saw breweries from all over
the UK coming together to celebrate
real British ales and ciders. Not being
a hardened ale drinker myself, I set to
work on tasting as many different ciders
as I could out of the hundreds on offer.
My favourite and the one I would recommend anyone trying was Moonshine, a
very pale sweet cider from Broadoak
Brewery. Maybe after my third pint of
the 8.4% drink I was not only a bit biased but slightly tipsy. Others which are
well worth a try are Rose Hip Perry and
an orange infused cider with a distinctive luminous colour. I would however
warn others to choose from the Perries
wisely as according to my taste buds
some of them could only be enjoyed by
those who had a liking for pure vinegar.
After a while I decided I needed to
sample some of the wide selection of
ales and I even surprised myself at how
much I liked some of them. However, I
The biggest downfall for me was that
the entertainment left very much to
be desired. At one point I was actually
stood at the bandstand listening to an
ageing rock group who had quite frankly
seen better days singing about a Black
and Decker power tool.
Tickets cost £10 which included a
souvenir glass and two beer tokens in
the price. The entry fee may have been
slightly pricey, especially for our ever
decreasing student budgets, but I would
recommend it to anyone for next year
if only to try something different as
apposed to getting lost in Gatecrasher
or sticking to the floor in our beloved
Ocean. Just be sure to get there early
before they drink the bar dry.
41
Food & Drink
Restaurant
Reviews
Fat Cat Cafe Bar
Chapel Quarter
The Fat Cat Cafe bar is an
award winning bar located
in the heart of Nottingham.
It has several bars located
all over the UK, from London, Wrexham, Cardiff and
Derby.
Fat Cat has a great atmosphere where you can go
to have lunch, dinner or
even breakfast and offers
a wide variety of menus,
offers and discounts for
students. Inside there are
two floors. The ground
floor gives you an informal
dining experience and is
the perfect place to relax
after a hard day of lectures.
The first floor has a formal
restaurant and offers the
same menu has the ground
floor.
A wide variety of drinks is
available, with cocktails
being at a reasonable price
and generally mixed well.
Though die hard mojito
fans may prefer an actual
cocktail bar.
Fat Cat Cafe Bar also holds
events ranging from quiz
nights which happen every
Sunday from 8pm, where
customers can win great
prices, to a Student night
called Cat Lovin’. Here, all
students can get 20% of
everything just by showing
their NUS card.
Interested? Visit the
website www.fatcatcafe
bars.co.uk/Nottingham
for more details on menus,
opening orders, event
nights and directions.
Kennice Morrison
Chiquito
The Cornerhouse
If you’re like me, and Mexican food is
one of your ultimate favourite meals,
then look no further to get your fix for
the week.
You no longer have to make do with
packaged fajitas or chilli con carne from
a jar, thanks to Chiquito who are now
offering students a two course meal and
a drink for £10.
Mexican Mayhem night, which runs
every Thursday evening, lets you choose
from a whole range of starters, mains
and desserts including classic dishes
like tacos or chimichangas and even
their famous fruit enchiladas.
They don’t even skimp on the drinks
42
list which includes some favourites like
bottles of Corona and frozen margaritas - which I would strongly recommend
anyone to try.
To start, I had the flautas; rolled flour
tortillas filled with cheese and refried
beans, which are then fried and served
with salsa and a mixed salad.
This vegetarian starter was unusual but
really tasty – even if it was meat-free.
I then moved on to spicy chicken and
tangy tomato enchiladas served with
Mexican style rice with a side order of
spiced fries (well who can resist).
The main meal was really enjoyable, although I thought it would have had more
of a kick as it was a bit bland in comparison to what was described on the menu.
I can say this was my only slight disappointment with the
meal and even saying that my friend tried the citrus pork version and said that he loved it.
The service was also second to none – with very friendly and
helpful waiters and waitresses who were eager to make our
night enjoyable.
This came as quite a surprise – especially after a not so satisfying experience in another Chiquito restaurant back home in
Yorkshire.
The budget price of this meal plus drink makes it a perfect
place to go before a night out or just as an alternative to having to cook in our messy student digs.
I would highly recommend checking out this offer at one of
the Chiquito restaurants round the city, but I have to say the
setting of the one in the Cornerhouse is great for views of the
city or a spot of people watching. Molly Woodruff
43
Travel
Madrid
Edited by Lucia Miyashita | [email protected]
Madrid
Spain’s capital isn’t exactly a minger. And, as Lucia Miyashita found
out, it could fast become one of your favourites.
Words & photos by Lucia Miyashta >
44
45
Travel
“Madrid escapes the
dreary traps of urban
life through the green
of its many parks and
gardens”
“The plaza is often jampacked with tourists
making their way to
and from the ten major
streets to which the
square is connected”
S
tep into the bustling heart
of Spain for a trip that will
warm your senses and enlighten your spirit. Located
on the country’s striking Iberian
peninsula, Madrid is bound to capture you with its glistening avenues,
majestic plazas, and historic marvels,
all of which blend in to create a magical, almost surreal atmosphere. One
of the city’s most unique characteristics is its vibrantly astonishing
mix of both medieval and modern
architecture, ranging from traditional fifteenth century houses on the
historic calle Major, to the twentieth
century bank buildings surrounding
the notorious Gran Via.
To me, Madrid appeared as the city
of open spaces, with its vast roads
and grandiose squares which often
intertwine into a maze of traditional
avenues and historic districts. One
of my favourite squares - which also
happens to be one of Madrid’s most
popular tourist destinations - is the
charming and vivaciously animated
Plaza Mayor. This charismatic rectangular plaza is surrounded by a row of
luxurious restaurants and has now
become Madrid’s central spot for all
major festivities. I suggest you visit at
night when the square lights up and
people swarm in to enjoy the plaza’s
street shows and performances – it
is a spectacle not to be missed. The
enchanting Plaza de Espana is also in
the list of favourites. This wide stretch
of green, always buzzing with tourists,
is located in the centre of the city and
is a perfect place where to take a break
from your sightseeing. Yet Madrid’s
busiest square has to be the shimmering Puerta del Sol, home to the city’s
regional government headquarters.
The plaza, surrounded by buildings
displaying the city’s deeply cherished
baroque styles, is often jam-packed
with tourists making their way to and
from the ten major streets to which
the square is connected.
Despite being a major hotspot for
Spanish business, finance, and
manufacturing, Madrid escapes the
dreary traps of urban life through the
green of its many parks and gardens.
El Retiro is probably the biggest and
most beautiful park in the capital, and
is well worth a stroll in. Decorated
with vast flowerbeds and Frenchstyle fountain cottages, its true gem
remains the glossy Crystal Palace; an
exhibition edifice made entirely out of
iron and glass.
For those of you who know they will
eventually give in to their burning
shopping temptations, Madrid truly
has it all. The Gran Via boasts a range
of exclusive brand stores from around
the world, while traditional districts
such as Serrano and Castellana offer
high quality boutiques and street
markets.
Needless to say, Madrid embodies its
country’s exalted art history to the
fullest, from the El Prado Museum to
the Museum of Academia de Bellas
Artes de San Fernando. Museums of
weapons, carvings and antiques are
also vastly popular.
From street to street, and from corner
to corner, Madrid displays its cultural,
historic, and artistic beauty in all its
splendour. It is easy to fall in love with
this neat and peaceful city, embraced
by the wonders of Spain’s modern
world, yet still characterized by its
country’s alluring past.
It’ll happen before you know it.
Madrid will become the journey of a
lifetime.
46
47
Gaming
Seaside Secrets | Uncharted 2 | FIFA 10 | Halo 3
Edited by Aaron Lee | [email protected]
Seaside Secrets
The future of video games revealed at Develop in Brighton. By Aaron Lee
S
itting half submerged in the sea,
the burnt out shell of Brighton’s
West Pier is an inauspicious
sight. What once was a haven
for British holidaymakers and
symbol of Brighton’s tourist economy
is now just a decaying lattice of iron
and wood. However, this prominent
landmark is also situated opposite the
Hilton Metropole hotel - where our rendezvous with some of the finest minds
in the games industry and beyond took
place this summer.
Develop in Brighton is one of the UK’s
largest dedicated game development
conferences. For the past two years the
event has attracted developers, publishers and press from around the world,
and this year was no different. Over the
course of the three day conference, we
witnessed prototype technologies, the
inner workings of top console games
and discussed, with attendees, just what it all means
for the industry.
overarching impression we got was that
the games industry is ready to plough
millions into social networks with
large user bases. In the future, games
will be directly integrated into these
services with friend invites, photo and
video sharing, and maybe even a page
chronicling all of your recent gaming
achievements. In fact, some of these are
already in effect. Uncharted 2 was set to
have Twitter support, until comments
from disgruntled fans forced developer,
Naughty Dog, to tape the bird’s beak
shut before its retail release. And later
this month Microsoft will be welcoming
Facebook and Twitter to Xbox Live.
Another forward thinking game designer with a would-be success on his hands
was David Jones, creator of the original
Grand Theft Auto. On day two of the
conference he gave attendees a glimpse
of his new online-only game, All Points
tion system. It solidifies Jones’ claims
about wanting APB to appeal as much to
the punk crowd as the fashion designers
of the world. Seriously, women will love
it. Hundreds of clothing items, accessories and patterns. Jewellery, tattoos,
piercings, hair extensions, you name
it. Almost every facet of every clothing
item, skin texture or hair styling can
be customised to your complete desire.
And this ideal extends to the game’s
customisable licensed vehicles, as
well as the in-game soundtrack which
is directly controlled by your music
library. APB left us so impressed that
we’re already gelling our hair, recruiting a punk girl possy and practicing our
intimidating walk in preparation for its
launch in 2010.
Motion control was the final big headliner at Develop in Brighton. All of the
three major platform holders - Nintendo,
Microsoft and Sony - have
invested heavily in motion
control technologies. The
Wii now has Motion Plus.
Microsoft is working on their
futuristic witchcraft, Project
Natal, which will apparently
do away with controllers completely. We settled in for day
three’s PlayStation keynote
to witness the upcoming PS3
motion controller in action.
Sony’s R & D team were on
hand to give us a demonstration of the prototype with an
archery tech demo. Using two
remotes, each with a glowing
ball at the end, players will
be able to control the movements of ingame avatars on a one-to-one basis. The
motion controller performed actions
from quick movements to more precise
aims, and proved to be an extremely
capable device from the demonstration.
This proved to be yet another piece of
kit, arriving next year, to get excited
about.
“Develop in Brighton
is one of the UK’s
largest dedicated
game development
conferences”
The importance of preparing
for the impending ‘online
revolution’ was a continual topic of debate at the
conference. David Perry,
accomplished game designer
and creator of Earthworm
Jim, presented Gaikai - an
online, browser-based
answer to the distribution
and technology behind the
next generation of video
games. Without getting too
technical, Gaikai is to video
games what BBC iPlayer is to TV. Users
will be able to login to the service from
a standard web browser and play games
just as you would with a PC or home
console. Perry claims that almost any
basic broadband-connected computer
should have the power to play games far
more complex than they were originally
built to handle via Gaikai. So, in few
years time we could potentially see
Burnout 6, Crysis 3 and Spore 2 streaming on demand to homes across Britain.
Of course, in this day and age, you
can’t talk about the internet without
mentioning social networking, the
impact it’s had on consumers and, more
importantly, on businesses. Google,
Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Bebo - the
Bulletin (APB). This contemporary
action game is set in a “persistent”
open world environment. Players ally
themselves with a faction - criminals
or enforcers - and undertake missions
to benefit them and their online clan.
The exciting thing about APB is that
Scottish developer, Realtime Worlds,
is promising an experience the goes
beyond just being the best at gunning
down adversaries. In the world of APB
you will be able to gain creditably by
perfecting the traits that appeal most
to you, such as fashion, music or maybe
even wooing... but we don’t recommend
actively trying the last one.
From what we’ve seen, there is also
enormous potential in APB’s customisa-
From what we’ve seen there’s certainly
a plethora of surprises in store for the
future of games and those that follow
them. Games are becoming more social,
more personal and more user friendly.
Not every idea will lead to success,
but unlike the hulking skeleton of
Brighton’s west pier, game developers
are ready to rebuild and evolve.
For full coverage of Develop in Brighton, including interviews and in-depth reports, visit www.platform-online.net
48
49
Gaming
FIFA 10 (PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, PC)
Publisher: EA
Released: Out Now
With the football season well underway, great expectations were coming
for the new FIFA. Has EA made the
greatest ever football game to date?
Game Reviews
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (PS3)
Publisher: Sony
Released: Out Now
Two years ago Naughty Dog made their next gen debut with the PS3 exclusive
title, Uncharted: Drakes Fortune. Now they’re back with the follow-up, Uncharted
2: Among Thieves. The game brings back our hero, Nathan Drake, a witty treasure
hunter who is basically the new Indiana Jones but better, along with some other
familiar faces and several new ones too. Although it isn’t essential to have played
the first game, you will certainly get more out of the story. A story which this time
round sees Drake globetrotting in search of a mysterious new treasure, whilst trying
to outsmart the devious antagonist, Lazarevic.
Anyone who’s seen Indiana Jones will enjoy the adventurous theme of the story.
Drake is a very personable character which is refreshing. The voice acting, cinematics and sound all come together extremely well in one of the most polished experiences this generation. Uncharted 2 offers some of the most dramatic, breathtaking
set piece moments ever. The phrase ‘cinematic experience’ doesn’t do it justice. The
game is so incredibly captivating throughout the entire length of its 15 hour campaign that you just won’t want to stop playing. It’s pacing is perfect. Between the
tense shootouts, death defying platforming and the odd puzzle, there’s more than
enough to keep you constantly entertained.
The first new key feature to FIFA 10 is
the 360-degree control. After playing PES 2009 and switching over to
FIFA 10, you can see a whole lot of
difference to this feature in the way
the players can move into space, skip
pass opponents and lunge into those
last minute challenges. 360-degree
control is a great aspect to have as
it establishes FIFA 10’s gameplay as
being the most realistic to date, along
with a continuous fluidity throughout
the game.
What makes FIFA 10 really standout
is so much more than just the latest
major addition, although 360-degree
player movement is, admittedly, huge.
Yet, the entire game has been attentively tightened up in every department. So, passing play is more reliable,
shooting feels brilliantly exciting, and
timing a well placed through ball
brings the match defying moments which can sometimes create a lot of
banter when playing with flatmates.
As if that wasn’t enough, Uncharted 2 offers an in-depth multiplayer mode with
competitive and co-operative game types. The game offers five vs. five in team
deathmatch, Capture the Treasure, king of the hill, turf war and so on. In co-op
games - Survival and Gold Rush with up to two other players - you work together to
survive waves of increasingly difficult AI enemies, while also attempting to transport
a treasure from one side of the map to the other.
This isn’t just a tacked on feature. There are days worth of entertainment to be
had from Uncharted 2’s online multiplayer mode. Perhaps even more so than the
single-player experience. If I was to point out a flaw or two, I would only state that
the game could be longer and harder in certain points, but these are minor points
on what is an incredible game.
Uncharted 2 has to be PS3’s proudest moment yet. No other platform has matched
this level of technical achievement or attention to detail. Finally, a game that shows
just what the PS3 is capable of. A captivating story, mind-blowing set pieces and a
quality multiplayer mode to boot. Uncharted 2 is the best adventure game so far
this generation. If you own a PS3, this is the treasure you need. Stuart Kent
For more in-depth reviews, visit www.platform-online.net
50
With FIFA 10, it adds another level of
realism, although not being graphically on par with PES it makes up for this
in the matches themselves. A lot more
attributes of the real players have
been taken into account by EA Canada,
and this is evident on the pitch. For
example, FIFA 09 made pace the most
important attribute for players, Ryan
Giggs with the ball was a hard man to
catch. Now, in FIFA 10, playing with a
Halo 3: ODST (Xbox 360)
Publisher: Microsoft
Released: Out Now
strong, skilful forward man, like Wayne
Rooney, you can see how he can outmuscle the likes of a less strengthened
player, such as Jamie Carragher. Or
a through ball, from Michael Carrick,
ending up with a finesse shot curling
into the top corner.
FIFA 10 has many great and unique
features, but it still has niggling floors.
Playing with a few mates can sometimes turn into more of a strategic battle rather than a quick pickup and play.
The soccer AM crossbar challenges
(hidden from view) also need attention, as pinging the ball with a great
striker ends up hitting the crossbar or
post on more than one occasion. The
jerky cut-scenes and replay slideshows need to disappear. Areas, such
as manager mode and custom set
pieces, require plenty of refinement to
match the high-quality of the rest of
the game.
With PES 2010 just around the corner
can it damage FIFA 10’s win streak?
I feel that won’t be the case, as FIFA
09 stepped up the competition and
EA has done it again. So, is this the
greatest football game to date? No
doubt. FIFA 10 stands as one of the
best sports simulations ever released.
The on-pitch action is convincing and,
more importantly, a lot of fun. Played
with friends, the game is even better.
A great game for the spare hours that
uni may throw your way. James Coad
Finish the fight? Bungie doesn’t seem to
want to. They may have cut the bonds
from their former parent company,
Microsoft, but so far we haven’t seen
anything except more Halo coming
from the world-class FPS maker.
Halo 3: ODST (originally revealed as
Halo: Recon) is the first game from
Bungie that doesn’t feature Master
Chief - the green-armoured supersoldier
found in the main trilogy. ODST may
sound more like a brand of deodorant,
but it actually stands for Orbital Drop
Shock Troopers - an elite group of tactical warriors trained to turn the tide of
battle. Set just under halfway through
the events of Halo 2, you play a rookie
ODST dispatched on a very special mission in the city of New Mombasa.
At the start of the game, you and your
fellow ODSTs are freefalling towards the
city when a nearby starship causes your
pod to fly off course. Hours later, you
awake stranded in the abandoned city.
You must discover the fate of your teammates and accomplish your original
mission.
As the rookie, you can use the mission
map to place waypoints, check mission
objectives and locate the nearest beacon. Beacons are the key to unearthing
clues to your team’s fate. The bulk of
ODST’s story is told through flashback.
Upon reaching a beacon you might find
a shattered helmet or a bent rifle. This
initiates the more action orientated sections, where you play one of four other
ODSTs in events leading up to that night.
These sections are filled with more
traditional Halo set pieces - storm a
skyscraper rooftop, blow up a bridge
to slow the enemy’s advance, secure
a plaza as dropships release waves of
troops. Anyone who’s played Halo 3
will love every minute of these ‘fight or
flight’ skirmishes. Keeping your health
up is important in ODST. There’s no
regenerating shield, so health must
be siphoned from scattered medkits.
Your troop does have stamina, which at
least offers a one hit protection when
you first come under fire, giving you a
chance to take cover.
ODST also has a new mode, Firefight.
This mode is comparable to Gears of
War 2’s horde mode. You, and up to
three friends, fight a series of increasingly tough enemy waves in an enclosed area. Skulls, or handicaps, add to
the challenge, making enemies dodge
grenades or giving your less ammo generally making life difficult. Firefight
is possibly the best reason to buy ODST.
The action never lets up and it’s feverishly addictive with friends.
Bungie are right to try new things with
their million-selling franchise, but
tiresome sidewalk strolls and optional
stealth aren’t something many Halo
fans will warm to. Then again, when
the gameplay and set pieces are this
good - consistently - the campaign
still deserves a look. But it’s Firefight
and multiplayer that truly make Halo 3:
ODST a strong package. Go commando,
and get ODST. Aaron Lee
51
Health
Student Depression | How to Look After a Drunk Person | Should you worry about how loud your music
is? | Students and Dentists
Edited by Danielle Almond | [email protected]
M
Student
Depression
Leaving your life behind you be a bigger jolt than most students expect.
Danielle Almond looks at how you can cope.
52
oving to university and leaving
your family and friends, for some,
marks a new and exciting chapter
in their lives, but naturally others find it hard to cope.
Many students around the country may be
experiencing depression with many factors
increasing students vulnerability to become
depressive. With the recession in full swing
whilst many were making their university
decision some may feel that the decision
whether to go to university or not was taken
out of their hands with many finding joining
the job market impossible.
With the highest ever number of students
attending university this year, students, especially those from small villages, may begin
to feel like a small fish in the ocean.
Again, in links with the economy top-up fees
and financial worries can also contribute.
With more students having to take up part
time jobs to help fund university stress can
easily build up.
The typical student lifestyle also does not
help those who may be vulnerable to depression with excessive alcohol intake, drug use
and sleep deprivation playing a role in the
downward spiral.
With more and more students being the first
from their family to attend university those
students may find it particularly difficult as
it can be hard for families to guide you on
how to manage a university lifestyle.
Ann Heyno from the students against
depression website believes that depression
is a common reaction saying, “Any situation
where you are thrown out of your comfort
zone and into something new, can trigger a
bout of depression. At university there is
no-one to get you out of bed, to keep you
motivated or to feed and clothe you and for
some, this can be a difficult adjustment to
make.”
Daniel, aged 19, is an example of a student
who suffered from depression during his first
year at university. After coming back after
the Christmas break Daniel found himself
increasingly anxious. He found dragging
himself out of bed particularly difficult. After
a bad break up things got even worse.
Eventually Daniel told his parents how he was
feeling and began to make changes to bring
himself out of the downwards spiral he was
stuck in. He sought help from a counsellor and
now sees things a lot more positively.
More info about depression
Resources that can offer help include:
http://www.studentdepression.org/
http://www.thecalmzone.net/
NTU also has its own counselling service on all
three campuses which can be contacted through:
http://www.ntu.ac.uk/sss/counselling_service/
index.html
53
Health
How to
Look
After a
Drunk
Person
By Danielle Almond
S
M
Safe levels are between 80-85 decibels but some players
have been found to go up to 120 decibels which is the same
amount of noise an aeroplane makes on take off. Headphones can be particularly dangerous as the noise is directed
straight into the ear.
ost of us will have been there at some point
in our lives. One of your mates gets wasted
when you’re out and then you’re the one left with
the job of carting them back home after they’ve
had more than one too many.
With many new students taking the opportunity
whilst at uni to test their limits, many perhaps
for the first time, it is quite possible that they may
need the help of a good friend to look after them
when they can no longer do it themselves.
There’s a lot of different advice out there for these
situation and a plethora of old wives tales about
what you should do to help someone who’s now so
drunk they’ve lost the use of their legs.
The first thing to remember is that it should be
a sober person, or if no one is, the least drunk
person available to take charge of the inebriated
friend. Even one or two drinks can have an effect
on judgement so all decision making is best left up
to someone sober. It is never a good idea to put a
drunk person in charge of another drunk person.
Next thing is to give them some water, alcohol is
diuretic, meaning that you’ll be losing more water
than you’re taking in. However, the water won’t
sober them up but will make them feel a bit better
in the morning. Despite its healing properties you
must not force them to drink water, as their swallowing or gag reflex may be dulled making it easier
for them to choke. Although it is commonly thought that food will
make them sober up quicker this isn’t the case. The
only thing that can sober them up is time which
will allow the alcohol to pass through their system
naturally. This is because by the time someone is
drunk the alcohol has already left the stomach and
54
Should you worry
about how loud
your music is?
is being absorbed through the walls of the lower
intestine, so putting more food in their stomach
won’t make any difference.
When your friend wants to take a lie down it’s
important you keep them on their side with
something behind their back to stop them from
rolling over onto their back or stomach. If they
threw up whilst on their back they could choke
on it or on their front there is a risk they could
drown if they breathe it in.
A cause for concern is if your friend is having
trouble breathing, severely ill, or unconscious. In
these cases it is advisable to call an ambulance
immediately. It is also wise to stay with them to
continually monitor them.
There are some obvious things to avoid, don’t give
them any more alcohol and a cold shower will not
sober them up either. The shock could cause them
to pass out and injure themselves. As well as this
don’t try to walk, run or exercise your drunken
friend.
If you’ve found your friend to be in a drunken
state whilst having consumed little alcohol it is
possible they are either a light weight but also
remain aware that it is possible that their drink
may have been spiked. If you think this is the
case take them home and report the incident to
the police.
urveys have shown that two-thirds of us are listening to
our music at dangerously high levels.
The risk of developing hearing loss also increases with the
length of time you spend listening as it has been discovered
that any level over 85 decibels can, over time, add to the risk
of hearing loss.
At the moment it is suggested that up to 10 million people
throughout Europe could be at risk of permanent hearing
loss which is as much as 1 in 10 people.
For this reason the EU has announced plans that could save
millions from becoming deaf. Exact plans have not been announced yet but it is expected that MP3 players and phones
that play music will be limited to 80-85 decibels. However
these limits should be able to be over ridden after a warning
pops up on screen.
Another survey has also revealed the general ignorance of
young people when it comes to what is safe for their ears.
38% did not know that loud music on personal stereos, loud
concerts and machinery can cause damage to their hearing
despite more than 80% of us having experienced ringing in
our ears.
The RNID, charity for the deaf, has set up a Don’t Lose the
Music campaign to help young people understand the risks.
According to the RNID’s website noise in night clubs can
reach 110 decibels which is only safe for two minutes a week.
It’s not just the volume but the length of time you’re exposed
to it for, so it’s recommended you take a break outside where
it’s quieter to reduce damage. Also if you’ve ever experienced
ringing in your ears its means you’ve exposed yourself to
damaging levels of noise and can lead to permanent damage.
Danielle Almond
Students and
Dentists
W
hen first moving to university most of us will have
signed up at a health centre by now but less of us will
be registered with a dentist.
However finding a dentist in Britain is notoriously hard with
reportedly three million people unable to find an NHS Dentist
despite the government’s promises to improve services.
It is recommended that you have a check up from the dentist
at lease once a year. However, in Britain, most people have to
pay for this but an NHS dentist will be substantially cheaper
than a private one.
It’s also worth noting that an emergency dental service is
available from Nottingham NHS Walk-In Centre however this
does still charge NHS rates.
To get free dentistry you can fill in an HC1 form if you’re a
full-time student and meet their requirements for income
and savings.
Even without any discount a check-up is only £15 from the
NHS and is important to have. Other than just tooth decay
regular check ups can find and treat gum disease early which
cannot be prevented through brushing and flossing alone.
Having regular check-ups can also prevent you from having
to fork out more in the future to fix problems which regular
check ups could have prevented in the first place.
Danielle Almond
55
Photos
‘Saturday Antics’ | 10.10.09
Photo: Patrick Taylor
56
57
Photos
‘Saturday Antics’ | 10.10.09
Photos: Patrick Taylor
58
59
Sports
Is Money Ruining Football? | Cycle to Uni | Georgi the Great
Edited by James Haigh | [email protected]
Sports Sub-Editor | James Haigh
I
t has been a strange summer
for sport – full of highs and
lows that has made even the
nerdiest of fans head spin.
Notts County, the world’s oldest
football club, is challenging mega-rich
Chelsea and Man City for the title of
England’s wealthiest team, snapping up
superstar Sol Campbell – if only briefly.
Meanwhile Liverpool FC have seen both
Premier and Champions League title
hopes crash after four straight defeats,
their worst run for 22 years.
Jenson Button won his first F1 title,
while one rugby player’s bleeding mouth
caused such a stir that it threatened to
ruin the game itself. And if that wasn’t
enough, the England cricket team
finally overcame that century-old curse
and beat the Aussies in one of the most
exciting Ashes tests yet.
But back in the East Midlands, this
promises to be another sport-packed
year in Nottingham - and if it’s your first
time at Trent, then you’re in luck. Once
again we find ourselves challenging that
“other university” across the city, for the
most prestigious sport prizes of all - the
Varsity cups.
Is Money
Ruining
Football?
Remember, these converted trophies are
only handed out to the winning team, so
if you’re a football fanatic, an ice hockey
hero, a superb rugby star or just crazy
about cricket, you must join a Trent sports
club, take on the challenge and give our
beloved neighbours a deserved battering.
The rest of us will be cheering from the
stands, singing that infamous song: “I’d
rather be a Poly than a ...” – well, if you
don’t know it by now, I’m sure you’ll pick
it up in the next few months.
Welcome back to Nottingham.
60
Football today seems to have a fresh topic of debate, revolving
around the financial contribution in teams, particularly the English game. Many have deliberated about the effects of a wealthy
new owner to clubs and whether the amount of money they are
pumping in, is a valuable asset for a club or a derogatory one.
There are examples of teams thriving under new ownership
and investment such as Sunderland and more notably Chelsea.
However such projects don’t necessarily go to plan in the cases
of Newcastle and Liverpool, where the ventures have led to other
stresses and strains on the clubs.
Yet we supporters are somewhat ignorant to an element of this
extra money, which is starting to ruin the game. It doesn’t seem
to ever be mentioned with the new financial highs in the game.
Hemal Mistry comments on the future of the ‘beautiful game.’
T
he change of footballers’ attitude due
to the influx of cash, understandably,
the game is made for those with an
ego, but money has enhanced this
predicament to a whole new level. Never has
the game ever had so many egotistical players
in the game before, admittedly there were
colourful players in the past such as Graeme
Souness, Charlie Nicholas and Paul Gascoigne.
Today however there is a growing feeling
among fans that players ego’s are so large
that they feel they are bigger than the club.
Finding examples of this are ten a penny
these days, particularly this summer as Real
Madrid, Manchester City and Barcelona were
all determined to flex their financial muscles.
The most notable illustrations have to be the
transfers of Cristiano Ronaldo and Emmanuel Adebayor. They claim that they felt
a change was necessary in their career, yet
neither of the clubs they joined have had
any success in the past few seasons. Ronaldo
always said it was his dream to move to Real,
but this speculation and dealings occurred
the previous summer but he ignored the callings to stay with Manchester United.
What seems pretty clear is that he has moved
for the money on offer at Madrid, however
whether this was his main motive for leaving
the best team in England over the past couple
of seasons is unknown. In complete contrast
to Gareth Barry who chose to leave Aston
Villa who are very much in the same boat as
Man City, to allegedly cement his World Cup
place, surely however it made more sense to
play for
a side who qualified for Europe, nonetheless
it seems pretty evident that money proved a
major factor in the switch.
The same goes for team mate Adebayor, who,
some have said, only left Arsenal for the
money. He claims he was shown the door by
Wenger and his ‘cronies’, begging the question, what did he expect, as he was touting for
potential suitors to come in, with AC Milan,
Barcelona, Real Madrid and Chelsea all flirting with the prospect.
The problem with these players’ innocent acts
is that everybody can punch holes in their
creditability, as at they were all first choice
players, in some cases a guarantee on the
team sheet, but they epitomise the changing
face of football, effectively meaning money
has ruined the game but not in the way we
think. This will become more evident in
future transfer windows as loyalty will be
replaced with greed as a key attribute for a
player, in actually fact there are only one losers from this situation.
The fans who will become detached from
the stars they see gracing the pitch, as role
models in the game for the future will be
those from the past, and higher prices for
the average person to pay to help fund the
player’s lucrative wages.
For now though, the big money clubs are
unfairly moving ahead of rest – buying up
valuable players as assets. Who knows what
the future holds for a game dominated by
money and business men – particularly after
they get bored and want move on.
61
Sports
Georgi the Great
Cycle
to Uni
By Hemal Mistry
M
By Nick Calladine
Like it or not, Freshers’ Week is over,
and it might be time to think about
putting the pint down and setting
about getting rid of that rapidly growing beer gut.
Well, if the gym isn’t your thing, what
about cycling to uni? It might sound
obvious, but every day the tram is
packed full of people travelling in
from all corners of Nottingham when
the cycle paths are barely touched.
Similarly, roads are full and parking
spaces at a premium with students
and staff facing a constant battle to
avoid having to pay for the privilege.
This has not gone unnoticed by the
cities officials either, with the sustainable transport charity Sustrans now
teaming up with Nottingham City
Council, the NHS Trust and the two
universities to try and get people
cycling or walking to where they need
to be.
At a cost of £3 million, the two-year
project aims to improve bicycle routes,
provide safety training and best of
all offer discounts at cycle stores and
make more bikes available to hire.
Sustrans Regional Director Yvonne
Gilliigan said: “There is enormous
potential to improve the health of
staff and students – and reduce traffic
congestion around universities – by
encouraging them to walk or cycle
more of their everyday trips.”
62
Cycling England is to put £1million in to
the project with the other partners contributing a further £2million between
them. Phillip Darnton, Chairman of
Cycling England, said: “This initiative is a
great example of how we can help people overcome the barriers to getting on
their bikes, as well as creating innovative
solutions to encourage existing cyclists
to use two wheels as often as possible.”
However, there are of course issues
with cycling in Nottingham. Jacqui
Pickup, third year Multimedia student
(21) from Basford, said: “Theft is
a problem, probably the biggest
problem in Nottingham; I had my bike
stolen in the first year.
“But it is good exercise and it’s green,
although I think most people would
prefer to walk in and the lack of bike
stands can be a problem.”
Jacqui was however keen to point out
that although Nottingham’s roads
might seem daunting at first, they are
actually good to cycle on. She added:
“Most roads are one way and as long
as you have experience of cycling on
busy roads you’ll be fine.”
So with training being offered and
discounts available in shops, health
benefits and improvements to paths
and stands on their way, what more
can be said then: on yer bike.
anchester City is a club with a patchy
history of rising and falling through
the leagues, and their past looks
even more disastrous compared to the team
up the Stretford Road.
However the man who everyone will accept as
a true great, someone who would fit in to Man
City’s current squad of attractive football,
would be a little known Georgian player –
Georgi Kinkladze.
But those days looked numbered particularly
with the takeover by the new Arab owners –
and their vast financial backing. A complete
contrast to a decade ago where Manchester
City were eking out their existence in the old
Division 2 – equivalent to today’s League One.
Although there was a happy ending for the
Sky Blues that season after they won the playoff final against Gillingham.
The diminutive star arrived at Maine Road
back in 1995 and had a number of successful
seasons, despite the Sky Blues struggling for
survival and then finally getting relegated.
But Kinkladze battled on dazzling the crowds
with his ability and audacious runs, notably
the one he unearthed against Southampton
when he took on the five Saints players then
outrageously dummied Dave Beasant before
lifting the ball over the big keepers sprawling body, in front of the Maine Road faithful.
This was a common occurrence from the little
genius who seemed calm despite the scoring a
fantastic individual goal.
It is now a changed world for the blue half of
Manchester, as Maine Road disappeared and
the sudden adoption of the City of Manchester Stadium, signaling the end of Man
City’s torrid past. Now life could not be rosier
for Man City fans with the star acquisitions
that Manchester United would be proud to
have gracing the hallow turf at the Theatre of
Dreams. The likes of Robinho, Carlos Tevez,
Gareth Barry, Nigel De Jong, Vincent Company, to name a few, are all quality signings
who will provide the ability for City to battle
for a top four place. This is already evident
with their performances this season.
The question is: do these stars see Man City
as a club they love as much as the fans love
them. Undoubtedly the money factor has a
big influence on their desire to play at Eastlands, but the question has to be asked when
more established and successful sides were
touting for them. However there is one thing
that will come out of this, that no matter how
many class assets arrive at Eastlands and how
many fans have the names printed on their
shirts, there will always be one true great star
for Man City in the modern game. Some may
point to Naill Quinn, Nicky Summerbee or
even Keith Curle.
Georgi was a true star, who no doubt Mark
Hughes would relish to have at his disposal,
someone who had a relax attitude to the game
and his ability. It seemed when he had the ball
at his feet and running past defenders, his
talent was never really being stretched. He
made the game look ridiculously easy, which
is a significant achievement at a club like Man
City where he was star in a below average
team, whereas today with the many stars in
the team it will be easier to make this happen
as most players will have a similar ability.
A lot of the new City acquisitions have big
reputations, but to become a legend in the
blue half of Manchester they have to show
the qualities from a relatively unknown
player from a distant unheard of land.
If the players can show a modicum of modest
like Kinkladze they will be on the right track
to be following in the footsteps of Georgi the
Great. Only time will tell.
63
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Issue 1 – November 2009

Transcription

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