Bablake | Issue 10 | autumn 2013 | ÂŁ5 | issn: 1758-5236
theteam
flannel
l e n pa
was: 0 1 e u s s am for I e T h c t e The Str Charlotte Loasby – Student Editor Anna Knight – Assistant Editor and Photographer Sepi Latifi – Assistant Editor Bethan Mordey – Creative Editor and Chief Photographer Aniruddha Bose – Photographer Ollie Weaver – Film and Music Editor Rory Dulku – Sports Editor Marco Ciao, Seth Hillyer, Lauren Morris – Sales and Marketing Team Beth Brankowski, Katie Carlson, Dulcie Emery, Tom Grantham, Natalie Layng, Tom Slater – Reporters Particular thanks to: Laura Bates (Everyday Sexism), Josh Buggea, Ben Cooper, Coventry Blaze, Coventry University, Jonathan Glendening, Jo Harrison, Lucy-Anne Holmes (No More Page 3), Kick It Out, Kian Patel, Stuart Smith (Seismic Records), Bethany Starkey (model) and Richard Cooper (Stonewall). With thanks to: Mark Woodward – Teacher Editor Paul and Luke Dibbens – Design (www.mustardhot.com) Stretch is a student magazine produced by 6th formers at Bablake School in their work experience week. Opinions expressed in the articles do not necessarily represent official school viewpoints.
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Editor’s Welcome
Issue 10 of Stretch – The ‘Respect’ Issue – has involved hours of writing and discussion with one of the best teams anyone could ask for. For me, bearing in mind our theme, it only seemed appropriate to make how well everyone worked together in so little time the first thing mentioned.
We all hope that when you read our issue, the articles encourage you to question your own personal response to the idea of ‘Respect’. Do you give it? Do you receive it? Is it important to you? Charlotte Loasby
A View from the Staff Room Charlotte’s inexhaustible passion for this issue has stood out throughout the process. Immensely organised, she has mapped out the whole issue in a beautifully presented and versatile sketchbook. Coordinating the collection and sub-editing of the magazine to an immaculate level, she has been a perfect editor. If we add her vibrant character and immense creativity, it is very clear she has immense employability. Her team was always enthusiastic, driven forward by the creative energy and vision of Bethan Mordey, Anna Knight and Aniruddha Bose. Sepi Latifi, Rory Dulku and Ollie Weaver all played major roles in driving sections of the magazine forward to meet tight deadlines, while the standard of individual reporting was as high a standard as I have seen in any of the issues. Mark Woodward, Teacher Editor
theagenda
Artwork by Jo Harrison
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theword Photo: Laura Bates by MGAW
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sexism project 04/ Stretch | Respect | Issue 10 | 2013
Stretch Editor Charlotte Loasby met Laura Bates, founder of the ‘Everyday Sexism’ initiative on a visit to Bablake earlier in the summer. The ‘Respect’ issue was delighted when Laura gave us a few spare moments within her very busy schedule to discuss her project and shed light over the controversial issue of sexism.
Firstly, thank you for agreeing to be involved in our issue. This issue’s theme is ‘Respect’. What does respect mean to you? To me, it means accepting everybody equally and affording them the same rights and opportunities regardless of differences like race, sex or disability. How did you become involved with the ‘Everyday Sexism’ project? I founded the project in April 2012, after realising how many women were experiencing sexism on a daily basis and yet accepting it as a 'normal' part of life. We realise that your project is web based. How has using this platform helped the project? It has helped enormously because it enables us to reach a worldwide audience, not only in terms of supporting women and uniting them to stand together in fighting sexism, but also in terms of reaching out and opening the eyes of people who might not have been aware of the problem before. What have been the project’s biggest successes? Collecting 40,000 women's stories and making the issue of sexism hit the headlines around the world, from the ‘New York Times’ to ‘Glamour’ in France and ‘Grazia’ in South Africa, have been very significant. In terms of an individual campaign, our #FBrape campaign achieved a landmark victory in eliciting a public promise from Facebook to change its policies and moderation guidelines on content related to rape and domestic violence. What do you find the most rewarding part of being involved in the project? The emails I receive from girls and women around the world saying it has made a difference to their lives and that they feel stronger as a result of it. Do you think there is enough involvement from the media on the issue of sexism? I think it's improving in terms of coverage, but still dire in terms of the media portrayal of women and there's so much more the media could do. From the coverage of the looks and families of female politicians, to the fixation with female tennis players' looks instead of their skills, to the constant stream of objectification on Page 3, the media still sends a clear message that women are there to be judged on their looks, not their talent. That needs to change.
Some of the Stretch team (including myself and our Staff Editor) follow the ‘Everyday Sexism’ account on Twitter (@EverydaySexism) and have noticed that most of the submissions are by women and girls. Do you think the issue of sexism is more prominent towards females? Yes, definitely. That's not to say that it doesn't affect men and boys – it certainly can, and we've shared their stories too – but against the backdrop of social, political and economic gender imbalance and a long history of prejudice and disempowerment, it certainly remains a problem that disproportionately affects women and girls. You only have to look at statistics, such as how 1 in 3 women on the planet will be raped or beaten in their lifetime, to realise what a huge battle there still is to fight. If you could give advice to those who are affected by sexism, what would you suggest they do first? It depends very much on the situation. Sometimes it is unsafe for a victim to respond: for example, in a situation of street harassment. That's why the ‘Everyday Sexism’ project's focus is very strongly on making the problem completely unacceptable and stopping perpetrators from doing it in the first place, rather than suggesting that victims should react in a certain way. What are your plans for the future of the project? To expand into even more countries worldwide; to deliver more talks and complete more outreach work in schools and universities; to work more with politicians, the police and other bodies to turn the experiences women have shared with us into real world change to prevent the next generation from dealing with the same things. How can we be involved in the project? You can add your story at www.everydaysexism.com, tweet us at @EverydaySexism or join us on Facebook!
www.everydaysexism.com @EverydaySexism
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thebackground
ullying let's
stop it... 06/ Stretch | Respect | Issue 10 | 2013
by Sepi Latifi and Annabel Knight
How do you distinguish bullying? Is it always psychological or is it mostly physical? How far does bullying have to escalate before action is taken? How far can a ‘joke’ be taken until there are physical or emotional consequences for those involved?
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ullying is not an uncommon problem. The statistics concerning bullying are worryingly high with, according to www.bullyingstatistics. org, about 71% students reporting bullying as an on-going problem. Cyber bullying, the form of bullying through the Internet, has become increasingly common in the 21st century. Children as young as 10 have free and uncontrolled use of the Internet and are using chat rooms where they may be exposed to anonymous users. Bullying can be defined as a superior influence intimidating others by highlighting behaviour in the victim that is abnormal. It is usually unprovoked and is generally a defence mechanism hiding the bully’s own insecurities. Victims of bullying can suffer from anxiety and psychological disorders as well as physical damage, and in the most serious cases look to commit suicide. For young people, suicide is the third leading cause of death, resulting in around 4,400 deaths per year. According to studies by Yale University, bully victims are between 2 to 9 times more likely to consider suicide than non-victims. This could be blamed on the advance of technology in allowing disturbing and sometimes threatening instant messages to be repeatedly sent and received by the victim, before the implications can be realised. It is easy to recognise the lack of respect that bullies have for their victims due to their relative superiority. However what we as outsiders may not realise is that there is a high level of respect within groups of bullies themselves. They share similar opinions to their own personal hierarchy in society, and therefore form a group in which they believe they can exert their 'power' that they supposedly have over others. The pressures of society can also be a factor instigating bullies. Teenagers have been brought up in a world of idealistic glossy magazines exploiting pressure on individuals to comply with a ‘perfect’ social norm. Victims of bullying are seen as ‘different’ from what is expected by society and so may experience isolation, resulting in behavioural changes in order to avoid the pressures. A weaker victim may not give in to these pressures and choose to give up altogether.
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About 71 percent of students (reporting) bullying as an ongoing problem.
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by Sepi Latifi
ANONYMOUS ANONYMOUS ANONYMOU
thevictim
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When did you first become a victim of bullying? I started to get bullied in my first school because my academic levels, for my year, were really bad. Despite this, my teachers thought I had potential, so I did extra work at break and lunch, and the kids questioned why I was receiving special treatment and not them. What forms of bullying did you go through? At that time it was mostly verbal which wasn’t really bad, but it was worse later on at my other school. What happened at your other school? Essentially I have quite a big personality, but a new girl joined and she was the ‘ the best thing since sliced bread.’ I didn’t take an immediate liking to her, and as we were both of similar academic ability, it became a bit of a competition. I like a bit of healthy competition but she saw me more as a threat and so tried to exclude me from my friendship group. And that just escalated? Yes, it started with little things like them not inviting me places, which obviously resulted in a larger group of friends excluding me. The mothers of the girls would ring each other up to ensure I wasn’t invited. I still don’t know what the children were telling their mothers. At school I would be jeered at, and they’d shout at me and sing songs about me on the playground. They also excluded me from their group whilst on a school trip to France. I didn’t even do anything to upset them.
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They continued to spread rumours between nearby schools and furthermore tried to twist the situation and say that I was the bully.
Did the bullying continue into secondary school? They were all moving to a different senior school, so I thought I would no longer have them on my back. However I found out that the girls had created a website with nasty photos of me and abusive comments, which were available for everyone to see. Did someone intervene? If so, how? My friend told me about the website and I told my parents who then contacted school. The girls involved were made to write a letter of apology, but to me it wasn’t sincere or genuine. You are suggesting they sent a ‘jokey’ letter. What caused the bullying to finally stop? The teacher told them they had to take the site down and explained how it was in fact cyber bullying, which they didn’t seem to understand at the time. Are you still being bullied? No, not anymore. So they took it down and it stopped there? They continued to spread rumours between nearby schools and furthermore tried to twist the situation and say that I was the bully. How did it make you feel? At the time I blamed myself but didn’t know what I’d done. Now I’ve grown up and come to terms with it, I feel sorry for the girls. Does it still affect you? Well, I choose my friends very wisely now, and it definitely made me stronger as a person.
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theweight
size
by Charlotte Loasby and Annabel Knight
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The issue of ‘size zero’ has been a prominent feature in the fashion industry since the turn of the curvaceous model in the late 1990s.
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...it can lead to conditions such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia...
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odels such as Naomi Campbell with their ‘Amazonian figures’ have been replaced by the likes of Lily Cole and Cara Delevingne who represent the slim, tall body that is deemed ‘unnatural’ by some. Dawn O’Porter, for example, challenged herself to become size zero in her documentary ‘Super Slim Me’ shown on BBC Three, where she criticized the ‘ridiculous obsession’ young girls have with their body image and their need to be ‘stick thin’ surviving off a mere five hundred calories a day. Society has a huge influence on our behaviour, through the media and peer expectation for example; and by showing ‘size zero’ models on catwalks and magazine covers, young girls are exposed from an early age to the pressures and expectations to become like the airbrushed celebrities we are subjected to each day. However, the fundamental issue seems to be: who decides what size we should be, who defines the correct body weight, and how has society become so obsessed over our image that it can lead to conditions such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia so easily? With all of the controversy over what is a sensible weight and whether or not it would be appropriate to target the fashion industry to improve the situation, it is now time to question the influence of the industry on the desire for ‘normal’ figures, and take into the consideration the respect we have lost for ourselves as a result of the social pressures and high expectations society has on individuals.
Tips on how to banish 'self respect' fears... > Don’t make your appearance your priority > Your image is a minor component of your whole being > Never jeopardise your health for your looks > Stay healthy > Don’t believe everything you see and read. Airbrushing and insane diets are a product of twenty first century media that we should not adhere to.
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theissue
rainbow laces by Charlotte Loasby
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tonewall began work on breaking down homophobia in football in 2009 but since homophobic abuse continues to be witnessed on the terraces throughout the Premiership, Championship and Divisions 1 and 2, this organisation turned to the clubs in September 2013 with a direct campaign: ‘Rainbow Laces’. Alongside Paddy Power, Stonewall sent rainbow laces to every footballer across all 134 professional clubs in the UK, so they could show their support for gay players by lacing up during matches on 21st and 22nd September. Within a week, tens of thousands of people including players, fans, sports journalists, sports presenters and politicians showed their support for the campaign and for gay players and fans. The campaign was a massive success with the message eliciting 72,000 tweets using the hashtage #RBGF and the total reach was measured at over 320,000,000 feeds across Twitter. Numerous players, managers, fans, TV presenters and celebrities wore rainbow laces during the course of the week including QPR's Joey Barton – photographed also for the campaign’s publicity by Old Wheatleyan Ben Duffy – and Arsenal's Olivier Giroud, Burnley's Euan Holden, Everton's Leighton Baines, Hull's David Meyler, Newcastle's Mike Williamson, Norwich's Robert Snodgrass, Port Vale's Louis Dodds, Reading's Sean Morrison and Stoke's Eric Pieters. England Ladies superstars Toni Duggan and Eni Aluko, and BBC commentator Gary Lineker and many more joined the campaign.
The clear message for fans and players was support for gay players and the desire to kick homophobia out of football and all other sports.
For more information about Stonewall’s campaigning to kick homophobia out of football, please email: football@stonewall.org.uk
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the3rs
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the3rs respect reputation retaliation By Google definition, the term respect equates to ‘a feeling of deep admiration for someone or something due to their abilities, qualities, or achievements’. However, in past years, areas of youth culture have distorted what it means to be respected, presenting a somewhat sinister demeanour write Natalie Layng and Tom Slater
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arped changes to the meaning are most prominent in today’s gang culture, savagely egged on by the cult media that surrounds it. It would be right-wing and ignorant to blame rap, grime and hip-hop artists like Tyler the Creator for creating the siege mentality street gangs are notorious for, but lyrics that condone violence as a means of getting respect certainly fuel it when interpreted literally. If you don't feel like you belong in the community or society where you live, it would be natural to create a new community – one where you feel you could belong. That is the nature of gang culture and where the quest for ‘respect’ derives. Most gang members consider their 'colleagues' as family, in one way or another, and that is not wrong. Being a member of a gang, much as being a member of a pack or family, is in answer to the basic human instinct to belong. However ‘The Three Rs’ – Respect, Reputation and Retaliation – twist and taint the humane foundations upon which the gang is built. Boys
from the age of 10 are taught to abandon all others apart from the gangs they belong to and to fight for turf with rivals and equality with members. Defending the reputation of the gang becomes expected behaviour among gang members; it becomes a primary function of gang membership. Any disrespect or challenge towards the gang or one of its members, whether perceived or real, requires action – usually of a criminal nature. The challenge must be completed in order to maintain the respect, reputation and individual status. So respect in most gangs really means intimidation or fear. At any age, respect is something you can earn by gaining an education and accomplishing goals in your life. Respect in the gang culture will go away the first time you fail to hurt someone who insults you or puts you down. Where tolerance is weakness, where a criminal record is a badge of honour, where lack of respect justifies bullying, torture and even murder, that kind of ‘respect’ is not real and it does not last. More realistically, it often ends with the imprisonment of a misguided teenager and the tragic death of another – since 2005, in London alone, there have been 152 teenage homicides.
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theimage
thelookofrespect 16 / Stretch | Respect | Issue 10 | 2013
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Models: Marco Ciao, Seth Hillyer, Sepi Latifi Clothes and Make Up: Models’ own Photography: Bethan Mordey, with assistance from Aniruddha Bose and Anna Knight.
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thenhs
emery enquiry Everyone has heard something to do with the controversy surrounding the NHS, even if it is just from the odd snippet heard on the 6 o’clock news writes Dulcie Emery
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I suspect the outstanding service is more common but... we don’t hear about it.
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he issues also really started hitting the everyday news when it was announced there was an unusually high number of deaths in the Mid Staffordshire Hospital. The eventual Francis enquiry showed that serious failings in care in the hospital had led to many deaths of patients that could have been prevented. It was found that up to 300 of the 4,253 deaths in a four-year period might have been due to neglect rather than any other causes. However the issues don’t stop at the Mid Staffordshire; even after this scandal, there has been yet more controversy: constant reports of bullying of disabled patients at care homes; Cynthia Bower of the Care Quality Commission allegedly covering up the unusual deaths of babies in a Cumbria hospital. All you have to do is Google ‘failings in the NHS’ and you discover a plethora of harrowing results. So what does this mean for the standing of the NHS and healthcare workers in our society? I asked members of the public for their opinion on the healthcare profession and the NHS, as well as whether their opinion has changed since the issues have come to light. One viewpoint was that the NHS has become a system which tries above all to meet targets instead of wanting to treat patients as best as it can. For many ‘medicine isn’t about meeting targets’, but is that possible now? The economy has hit all aspects of the country and the NHS is no exception to this rule.
Cuts have had to be made and strict targets to reduce the cost of the NHS have had to be put in place. While it’s clear most people do believe some sacrifices have to be made, whether they have been made in the right place and to the right degree is questioned. Another opinion that came to light was that the trust and respect shown towards medics, especially GPs, have not been particularly reduced; one person said their own experience of NHS staff was that they were ‘professional, friendly and caring’, and that anything asked for is usually provided. However, it seems as though the public’s trust and respect towards the corporation behind the workers have been lost. With reports of failings in hospitals and fudged statistics – such as the government stating spending on the NHS had increased when in fact it had decreased due to changes in budget plans – it is clear to see why the public’s trust and respect in the running of the NHS have decreased. Belief in doctors and healthcare workers has not really changed all that much; obviously there are bad cases, but as one member of the public noted: ‘I suspect the outstanding service is more common but we don’t hear about it’.
therating
Cons: Clearly, the NHS scheme to release surgeons’ mortality rates is being released with the best possible intentions. The official line is that greater transparency will allow patients to make more informed decisions about surgery and make substandard care easier to detect writes Katie Carlson
p r o s
But there are undoubtedly dangers that stem from this. Statistically, the most experienced and skilled surgeons are the most likely to take on pioneering surgery which carries a far greater risk of death, significantly lowering their survival rates when in fact their skills are far better. Vascular surgeon Peter McCollum states that publishing death rates will ‘put pressure on younger surgeons not to do any difficult surgery at all’, decreasing their own mortality rates but failing to give patients the best chance of survival. Surely a system that prohibits patients from receiving the best standard of care for fear of a statistical loss fails to meet one of the NHS’ core principles, that it be ‘based on clinical need’? The future of
Pros: People wonder how fair the new scheme to rank surgeons based on the death rates of their patients in the operating room is and what are the benefits of using such a system, once the public is able to see openly the ranking of their surgeon? writes Dulcie Emery Increased transparency and improved communication between the surgeons and the patient must be advantgeous, allowing patients to make an informed decision on the person they want to perform potentially life threatening surgery. Surely the public should be allowed to choose who it is putting its life into the hands of? Surely patients should be able to choose the person they feel safest with? To those who worry the scheme will lead to patients cherry-picking their surgeons and that the surgeons who choose to perform more risky surgeries
will be put off from doing so, it is reassuring to hear confirmation that the rating will be contextual so that surgeons who perform cutting edge procedures will not suffer. Choice will be subjective but it will be a very good idea at last to be given information on context and a lot of other facts around the death rates.
healthcare professionals balancing work on their PR as well as on patient health is surely dangerous. Furthermore, will forcing patients to review and choose a surgeon before entering hospital just add more bureaucracy to a process already ruled by red tape? Despite government pledges to ‘deliver lower waiting times’, the NHS’ are currently at a nine-year high. The British Medical Association already states that private sector-style competition within the NHS and an excess of red tape is ‘hindering care’, and it seems likely the introduction of this service will aggravate the existing problem, rather than alleviate the stress on the NHS.
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theaction
lights, camera To you and me, the concept of respect entails a due regard for the feelings, wishes, and rights of others, and this same concept operates within the film industry – there is a clear and obvious hierarchy between producers, director, cast and crew, one in which respect between the multitude of professions on show is integral. However, during production of the latest instalment of the Terminator franchise – Terminator: Salvation – Christian Bale’s infamous onset rant broke down all conceived barriers of integrity and respect between cast and crew write Ollie Weaver and Tom Grantham
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oming to light in early 2009, the media was soon teeming with reports and revelations surrounding the star’s meltdown, and the circumstances that elicited it. Whilst filming, Director of Photography Shane Hurlbut had wandered into Bale’s eye line during a take. Bale responded in the most outrageous fashion, by threatening to destroy his equipment and leave the production if the mistake was repeated again, despite Hurlbut’s protestations. Though Bale apologised profusely after the incident, this still brings to light the reliance the industry has on respect, and how easily this balance can be abused. The hierarchical arrangement of a typical film project usually stands with the producer residing as chief power. They seek out promising material, and, along with an appropriate screenwriter, pitch the idea to any number of studios,
which in turn work in financing and/or distributing a film project. Immediately below this is the director – the creative driving force on set, and the person on whom the essence and structure of a film project relies on. Still, the producers can override any creative decision in their position as project supervisor – something which regularly throws up concerns of ‘creative differences’ in the industry. Then, there is the core team, without which a project could never be completed – the director of photography, the production designer, the camera operators, the actors, all the way through to gaffers, grips, make-up artists, runners and caterers. Such an extensive web of people can only operate under a tightlyknit atmosphere of respect – if one department does not acknowledge the importance of each individual’s role in a project, then this immediately throws up problems for a production. Most widely reported are instances where the actors
do not agree with the director. Is it right for an actor to exit a project because their ideas do not fit with those of the main creative force? Al Pacino recently left the summer hit ‘Despicable Me 2’, only two months before its première, citing ‘creative differences’ as his reason for exiting. A director has a responsibility to his cast and his crew – without them, the overarching vision could never be achieved, and it is part of a director’s job to act on the suggestions and ideas of their team. Similarly, an actor has to pay respect to a director’s vision – it’s their passion that fuels a project, and ultimately they shape the direction and final realisation of a film. Besides this dynamic, there are the core relationships of any team, and the incident with Christian Bale demonstrates how respect, as fundamental as it is, can be irrevocably damaged by one individual’s neglect of that delicate balance.
Is respect a vital aspect to any team? Can you survive without that mutual respect? And is the end product more important than the pains gone through to achieve it? Let us know your views on Twitter via @stretchmag
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bad reaction
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...respect, as fundamental as it is, can be irrevocably damaged by one individual’s neglect of that delicate balance. 25/ www.stretch-mag.co.uk
thereeldeal
firsthandinfilm
Interview by Ollie Weaver
choice cuts
NB Please remember to check the classifications before viewing any of these selections!
A – Avengers Assemble, Aliens, Argo
G – Green Mile, The Grey, Ghostbusters
B – The Beach, Bronson, Bruce Almighty
H – Hercules, The Hobbit, Hanna
C – Contagion, Crash, Castaway
I – Inglourious Basterds, Iron Man, Independence Day
D – Die Hard, Dawn of the Dead, Drive
J – Jackass 3.5, Jackie Brown, Jurassic Park
E – The Elephant Man, The Exorcist, The Empire Strikes Back
K – Kill Bill, Kick Ass, The Karate Kid
F – Fight Club, Fargo, The Fast and Furious
L – The Lord of the Rings, Lilo & Stitch, Les Miserables M – Memento, Mamma Mia, Man of Steel
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Director Jonathan Glendening in the spotlight... Are you working on any projects at the moment? I am not currently shooting any movie projects, however I’m in the process of completing a script with a number of producers and am planning to do some shooting in South Africa, since the film concerned focuses on a nature reserve there. What draws you to a project so much that you take it on as your next production? I am usually involved in the real life situation of one of my productions beforehand. How important is it to you as a filmmaker to have a good relationship and dynamic between the cast and crew on set? It is essential for this to be the environment on set. While I am aware some others do not respect this, I believe that everyone who is working on a film is a family and should be treated as such. As actors are put emotionally on the line and everyone is there to help you, you need to have a good relationship with them. Do you see the director’s creative vision as the final word on the direction a project takes, or do you prefer working in an environment where everyone in the cast and crew influences the project? While I believe the director does have the final say as he is in charge and an ‘architect’ for the film, there needs to be a level of collaboration with actors as they are the ones performing and so they must also care for it.
In your experience, have there been any incidents of an abuse of respect between the various professions and departments that make up a film production? I did have one experience where I was once a runner for a director. I was asked to fetch a sandwich but returned with the incorrect sort. The director shouted at me in front of the whole cast which was shocking, but this director was made to apologise so I was fortunate to some extent! Do you prefer to work with the same cast or crew on each project you take on or will you accept anyone so long as they have the right skills? I like to be loyal to workers but I believe there is nothing wrong with using new people and utilising new talent as everyone has something to offer. What does respect mean to you? It is a two-way thing. Everyone must be civil no matter whether director or runner. Disagreements are natural, but rudeness is unacceptable.
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As actors are put emotionally on the line and everyone is there to help you, you need to have a good relationship with them.
Ollie Weaver & Tom Grantham N – The Notebook, The Nightmare Before Christmas
T – Titanic, Toy Story, Terminator 2
O – One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Ocean’s Eleven, Orphan
U – Underworld, The Usual Suspects, The Untouchables
P – Pulp Fiction, Prometheus, Pan’s Labyrinth
V – The Virgin Suicides, V for Vendetta, Valhalla Rising
Q – The Queen, The Quick and the Dead, Quadrophenia
W – Wall-E, War Games, Wild Wild West
R – Ratatouille, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Rebel Without a Cause
X – X-Men 2, xXx, The X-Files
S – Snatch, Submarine, The Shawshank Redemption
Y – Yellow Submarine, You Can't Take It With You Z – Zulu, Zombieland, Zodiac
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theculture
seismic activity With music purchases over the internet increasing massively, Beth Brankowski wanted to find out what it means to shops selling vinyl and how the sales and importance of physical records have been affected, so she contacted Stuart Smith, owner of Leamington Spa’s Seismic Records.
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Tell us a bit about you and Seismic Records... We established in 2005, and have over 13 years’ experience in music retail. We supply vinyl and CDs to customers in the UK and worldwide, as well as music equipment, T-shirts and tickets for music events. The shop is situated next to The Assembly in Leamington Spa and has an excellent online store too. As an established independent music store, we can offer a diverse selection of good music to music lovers, young or old, with an extensive catalogue in store specialising in vinyl and CDs and rare and deleted classics. We also offer an unrivalled ordering service with friendly and knowledgeable staff. Seismic Records has an expanding customer base, located throughout the UK and around the world, offering excellent customer service, good prices and quick postage on its mail order service. The shop has gained respect and critical acclaim since opening, with a number of articles in ATM and Knowledge music magazines, culminating in a feature in the Guardian and appearing in the Guardian Shopping Directory which was a selection of the UK's best Independent shops. What inspired you to open a record shop? I've always had a passion for music and worked initially at Andy's Records & then Fopp where I became the vinyl buyer for over 5 years. Fopp decided to stop selling vinyl in its stores which I thought was a mistake and the opportunity for Seismic presented itself. Within 6 weeks I had opened Seismic Records, having learnt my trade at Fopp and gained contacts in the process for the easy transition. Who are your favourite bands and artists? My tastes are extremely varied; they can change from week to week and depend on what mood I'm in to be honest. My favourite bands and artists are currently Fat Freddy's Drop, Deap Vally, Phaeleh, The Bonnevilles, Mungo's Hi-Fi and Scott and Charlene's Wedding who I booked for a gig in August at the Zephyr Lounge in Leamington.
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Respect in the music industry is very important as music tends to recycle itself every few generations and new bands look to the past for inspiration.
How important is respect in the music industry generally? Respect in the music industry is very important as music tends to recycle itself every few generations and new bands look to the past for inspiration. They have respect for the bands of the past that were innovators in their area and use the vast catalogue of music to create new music with an ode to the past. And vinyl – why should we still buy it? Vinyl, without a doubt, is the best way to listen to music. The analogue sound of vinyl captures the complete sound, as it was intended to be heard, and has a richer tone, whereas digital music is compressed and does not capture the complete sound waves. The vinyl format as a package is also much more impressive as you have full artwork and sleeve notes. How successful have schemes to encourage respect for vinyl – like Record Store Day – been for Seismic Records? Record Store Day has proved to be very successful and seems to be going from strength to strength. It brings in lots of new faces, and people search out the participating shops and often travel from out of the area to come to the stores. This was especially useful this year as I moved the shop to its new premises on Spencer Street, attached to The Assembly live music venue, so we were put ‘back on the map’. The atmosphere in the shops on the day itself is excellent with lots of giveaways and live music; it is a hub for like-minded people coming together with a mutual love of music. What do you think the future is for the format? The future of vinyl is looking very healthy and looks set to outlive the CD. The companies are pressing smaller quantities, but they are better quality which is making them more collectable. The record companies however need to be careful that prices of vinyl remain affordable.
29/ www.stretch-mag.co.uk
thesound
the vinyl word Beth Brankowski presents the argument for respecting Vinyl.
OUR A-Z IN MUSIC A – Arcade Fire, Arctic Monkeys, A$AP Rocky
H – Haim, The Horrors, Hospitality
B – Babyshambles, The Beatles, Belle and Sebastian
I – Imagine Dragons, Iggy and the Stooges, Interpol
C – The Clash, Coldplay, Crystal Castles
J – Jeff Buckley, Jessie Ware, Joy Division
D – Daft Punk, Daughter, David Bowie
K – Kasabian, Keaton Henson, Kid Cudi
E – Echo and the Bunnymen, Everything Everything
L – Led Zeppelin, Little Mix, The Lumineers
F – Foals, Foo Fighters, Frank Ocean
M – Melody’s Echo Chamber, Mumford and Sons, Mystery Jets
G – Gabrielle Aplin, Goat, Girls
N – New Order, Nirvana, The Notorious B.I.G
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aret
in l k n a ha fr 45 r p m
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1 – Sound quality: Nothing beats the clear sound – plus, most modern releases on vinyl format include the download too, so you can still maintain a digital library and listen on the go. 2 – The artwork: Album covers always look best in their original 12” format and look great framed too. 3 – Discovering new music: As Sheffield’s own rock and roll son, Richard Hawley put it, 'you are never going to discover Captain Beefheart or the 13th Floor Elevators or the Velvet Underground in your local supermarket ever'. 4 – To support your local record shops: Keep them alive by buying records and CDs instead of illegal downloads. 5 – It’s common knowledge that buying new records can be rather expensive, but it’s great fun rummaging through stacks of records at car boot sales and charity shops and you can find some real bargains! 6 – And finally, nothing beats holding, seeing and interacting with the music! Vinyl lets you experience this!
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you are never going to discover Captain Beefheart or the 13th Floor Elevators or the Velvet Underground in your local supermarket ever...
Beth Brankowski & Tom Grantham collate the Stretch team's recommendations. O – Of Monsters and Men, One Direction, Outkast
V – Vampire Weekend, Veronica Falls, The Verve
P – Passenger, Pixies, Primal Scream
W – The Who, Wild Beasts, Tom Waits, White Denim
Q – Queens of the Stone Age, Queen, Queen Latifah
X – The xx, XTC, Xander and the Peace Pirates
R – Ramones, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Rival Sons
Y – Yeasayer, Yuck, Youth Lagoon
S – Slow Club, The Smiths, St. Vincent
Z – The Zutons, Frank Zappa, The Zombies
T – Talking Heads, Tame Impala, Toots and the Maytals
123 – 2:54, 50 Cent, The 1975
U – The Undertones, Uncle Tupelo, UNKLE
31 / www.stretch-mag.co.uk
theshot
behind thebarrel Respect can take many different forms, but is essential within the armed forces in order to attain success. Within the Army’s values and standards, respect is labelled as a ‘hallmark of the British Army’. Army life is also focused on six fundamental values write Sepi Latifi & Bethan Mordey
» Courage: be brave enough to do the right thing. » Discipline: set a good example and follow lawful orders. » Respect for others: treat people as you’d want to be treated. » Integrity: be honest and never lie, cheat or steal. » Loyalty: look after your mates and stick with them, even when the going gets tough. » Selfless commitment: put the team, your mates and the mission before yourself.
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We interviewed Kian Patel, who is Bablake School’s Combined Cadet Force (CCF) Colour Sergeant, and questioned him about his role and views on respect. We are aware that you’re a part of CCF and would like to ask you about your experience as a colour sergeant. How long have you been in the CCF? I joined in the 3rd year and am now in L6th, so four years. What attracted you to joining CCF in the first place? At first, I didn’t know much about it, but had always wanted a career in the armed services, so felt it would be useful and enjoyable.
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To me, respect is treating others how you would want to be treated.
Which aspects of CCF do you enjoy and what made you carry on with it? It is really well structured, and I always knew where I was going. I was also able to lead younger cadets, after being promoted quickly, and really enjoyed the variation from the classroom to the field which I felt really developed my leaderships skills. Being a Colour Sergeant, what responsibilities and roles do you have? When on camp, I’m partially in charge of the cadets, making sure their uniforms are immaculate and ensuring they’re in the right place at the right time. I’m also there for them if they have any problems and am able to act as the bridge between the pupils and staff.
Do you find people respect you? If so, why? In the CCF certainly, the rank structure works for a reason: you have cadets, who listen to their lance corporals, they then listen to their corporals, and then you have the colour sergeant, who is able to delegate roles and responsibilities. So if you tell someone to do something, they do it. So yes, people do tend to respect me, and especially now I think the profile of CCF in school is increasing. And people who aren’t even in the CCF recognise me as a colour sergeant with an important role. Although the respect is primarily in your favour, to what extent do you think you have to show the same amount of respect to your lower ranks? That’s one really important thing, not to be a didactic character within the CCF; you have to work with other people because if you give them respect, they will return that respect and all will run smoothly. The rank structure is there, and you will obviously receive commands from above, but across all ranks it’s vital to have the same amount of respect. Do you think that people in our society are respectful enough of each other? Why? I think in society as a whole, we do respect each other; there are more good things going on than there are bad things, we just hear about the bad things in the news. It’s not anarchy outside, it’s a nice environment, and we have to accept that there will always be bad things going on. However, in a day, you can probably name more instances where people show acts of respect than not, such as holding doors open, helping you out, saying something nice to you. So yes, overall I think I think we do respect each other. What does respect mean to you? To me, respect is treating others how you would want to be treated.
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thesport
ON THE PITCH
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Sport is a high profile area of culture all over the world. With its huge following and extensive reach, it would seem to be the perfect platform to promote respectful attitudes, as well as the principle of equality. However, this is not the case, and there has been a definite increase in disrespectful behaviour associated with sport over the last few years writes Rory Dulku
T
he most prominent example is football. Although FIFA and UEFA have been implementing ‘Respect’ and ‘Kick it Out’ campaigns since 2002 and 1993 respectively, recently the number of cases of racism and threats to the referees has risen considerably. Most notably AC Milan midfielder Kevin Prince Boateng was racially abused by opposition fans in an Italian Cup match. Boateng kicked the ball into the crowd and led his teammates off the pitch in defiance. This action led to FIFA and UEFA sitting down and agreeing that racial offences will now carry an automatic 5-match ban, with an option for the ban to be extended after adjudication from an independent panel. Referees also experience considerable abuse, be it death threats after a game or even abuse during it. For example, referee Anders Frisk felt he had to retire to protect his family from the violent nature of the threats he was receiving from fans. More recently, there was an horrific end to a non-league match where a referee, knocked out by a player, died later in hospital. Even with the campaigns like ‘Respect’ and ‘Kick it Out’, there is still too much disrespect in football. Football can learn a lot about respect from rugby. There is a discipline drilled into all players; the referee can only be addressed calmly and must be called ‘Sir’. This has led to rugby being known as a ‘hooligan’s game played by gentlemen’ and football as a ‘gentleman’s game played by hooligans’, but there is a relaxed atmosphere at the games, allowing rival fans to sit next to each other, which never happens (openly) in football. Not that rugby is perfect, by any stretch of the imagination. Just recently, British and Irish Lions prop Cian Healy was cited for biting an opponent from the Australian side Western Force and then sent home in disgrace.
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Boateng kicked the ball into the crowd and led his team mates off the pitch in defiance.
Women’s sport is still the victim of inequality and its participants have not had the respect they deserve from their male counterparts; ironically though, the women’s national teams tend to escape the vitriol of the media more than the men. Women’s sport should not be ignored because it may be as fast and furious as the men’s games. There needs to be equality in the recognition both genders receive for sport, before sport can be classified as a platform for respect. Perhaps the most disrespectful thing for a female athlete is to be accused of taking male performance enhancing drugs, like the runner Caster Semenya or tennis’ Williams sisters. For these athletes to be smeared with these allegations is disgraceful, and can cause a lot of pain for them. Another group that has suffered a similar level of inequality is the homosexual contingent of sport. However, recently the world of sport has become more understanding of the gay athletes, leading to more high profile players like rugby’s Gareth Thomas and football’s Robbie Rogers ‘coming out’. Rogers thought that coming out as gay would end his playing career for good, due to the amount of negative publicity it would generate. This is not the case however, as his coach, teammates and fans offered their support, and he is still an integral part of LA Galaxy’s attacking line up. Although there is definitely more respect for gay sportspeople, there needs to be significant improvement in the respect towards coloured athletes, female athletes and officials before we can even consider trying to hail respect in sport as an example for all to learn from.
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theq&a
Here are former pupils Ben Cooper and Josh Buggea, as well as the head coach of the Coventry Blaze, Mathias Soderstrom, to answer a few questions on respect in sport writes Rory Dulku
I remember one game, swearing and Mr. Burdett threatened to substitute me, so it's not something that's been a part of my game.
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What does 'respect' mean to you? Mathias: Respect to me is to be a professional in whatever you do. It does not matter if it is in sport, work or in life… you have to respect people around you and treat them as you would like to be treated. You might not always agree with people but everyone is entitled to their own opinion and you have to respect that. Ben: When people think of respect, I think they mainly see respect to the ref and officials, but respect in general, especially in a sport like rugby, means your fellow players. Obviously rugby's a physical game but you work within the laws of the game and make sure you're not doing anything to harm the other players, sticking within the laws, playing fairly and no matter what opposition you're playing against, treating every game the same. Josh: Respect to me is something that you earn and build over a period of time. How respectful would you say today's sporting world is? Mathias: I think overall athletes respect each other, but you will always have bad eggs in sport and unfortunately they are the ones that receive the attention when something happens. Ben: I think it varies from sport to sport. Football is one everyone talks about and there are a lot of campaigns there, but I still don't think that's at a level yet like rugby where in a premiership final, Dylan Hartley said one swear word to the ref and was sent off. In football, swearing is a regular occurrence and it needs to be stamped down on. It even happens on an international level that doesn't set a good example, so it definitely needs to be tightened up. With regards to football, how could rugby or ice hockey be seen as an example to follow, for on and off field respect and conduct? Mathias: For some reason, hockey players seem a lot more down to earth people. Not sure why, maybe it has something to do with the fact that we can release all our aggression out on the ice. You have egos in hockey, as you do in other sports, but we all know we are nothing without our teammates. Off the ice, we know we could not do what we do without the fans; essentially they pay our salaries, so for us the interaction with fans is important. Josh: Respect differs in my opinion from sport to sport, for example officials in sports such as football seem to be given less if any respect, whereas in sports such as rugby and cricket, there seems to be a mutual culture of respect between the officials and players, which starts from an early age. How early in your rugby careers, Ben and Josh, did you learn the importance the game places on the principle of 'respecting the ref' and how could you see this principle being applied in other sports? Ben: For me, my parents were really right on it. I played football till I was 12/13 and with the coaches I had, that was always a massive thing and if they hadn’t, my dad would've. I would have been substituted for swearing at the ref. It's been a big thing since I was young and obviously going to schools like Bablake and latterly Sedbergh, disrespectful behaviour was discouraged. I remember swearing in one Bablake game and my coach Mr. Burdett definitely threatened to substitute me, so it's not something that's been a part of my game. Josh: From day one, it was always drilled into me to accept the ref’s decision, whether I agreed or not. From an early age, an individual needs to respect the officials, so that this process can be used in all spheres of life, sport-related or not.
How much importance, Mathias, does ice hockey place on the principle of 'respecting the ref' and how closely do the Blaze attempt to stick to that principle? Mathias: We always try and respect the ref, but there are times in the heat of the moment when we say and shout things we should not do. We all know we should not do it, but, with adrenaline pumping, it’s hard to control your emotions and you need emotions in sports. I think the refs themselves can help a lot more by communicating to players and coaches during games. The governing bodies can help by giving refs more training and update their knowledge of the game on a regular basis. In light of the recent racism cases in football, and the 'Kick it Out' campaigns, what more could be done, in your opinion, to eliminate racism from sport, and improve the respect for athletes of different races? Mathias: This is a really hard question to answer because I think, whatever you do, you will always have idiots in sports. It has always been around and I think it will still be around for a long time unfortunately. I have had teammates from different races and have only come across racism once though and we dealt with it hockey style. Josh: Racism needs to be attacked at grassroots level to prevent its culture from growing. Incidents of racism have occurred from as far back as the 1930s when The Olympic Games were held in Germany, but I believe it is becoming more unacceptable within my generation. Punishments need to be a lot harsher and not always in monetary terms, but maybe in being denied the chance to represent the country or club. What is your view on women's sport, particularly in rugby and ice hockey? Ben: I think it's great. I think obviously the equality is not correct yet; some people think women playing rugby is a bit unnatural, but there are a lot of talented players out there and I think the game’s profile is really going through the roof with the increased support and coverage of Sky. I think it's great that women are receiving the opportunity and the publicity to play sport like rugby. Josh: I have great respect for women's sport, especially rugby players, as I have been surrounded by very professional women rugby players whilst at Hartpury College. They definitely worked just as hard as the men, if not harder, in order to get to the top of their game. And finally, which sport do you think entails the most respect for players, officials, staff and fans? Mathias: That’s hard to say, seeing as I am only involved in hockey, but I see a lot of similarities in hockey and rugby. Maybe because they’re two hard and physical sports, played by proper men! Ben: After years of playing, I'd have to say rugby, but regardless I think people see rugby as a game being full of respect, the 'firm but fair' approach; it is a tough, physical game and you do try to get the edge on your opponents, but you do it fairly, and the ref is always called ‘Sir’, so that's the game that stands out for me. Josh: Rugby without a doubt. It's one of the few sports where players, officials, staff and fans alike all show a mutual respect for each other. Cricket would come a close second.
37 / www.stretch-mag.co.uk
themessage
a little respect written by Otis Redding sung by Aretha Franklin
What you want, honey you got it
And what you need, baby you got it All I'm askin' is for a little respect when I come home
Hey now, hey hey hey, yeah now
Do me wrong honey, if you wanna
You can do me wrong, honey while I'm gone But all I'm askin' is for a little respect when I come home
Hey now, hey hey hey, yeah now Hey little boy, you're so sweeter than honey
And I'm about to give you all my money But all I'm askin', hey
Is for a little respect when I get home 38/ Stretch | Respect | Issue 10 | 2013
r.e.s.p.e.c.t. find out what it means to stretch
‘Learning to understand those around you’ – Charlotte Loasby ‘Accepting both qualities and flaws’ – Bethan Mordey ‘Showing deep regard for someone’s abilities, despite their actions towards you’ – Ollie Weaver ‘Treating everyone the same way, regardless of race, disability, age and gender’ – Rory Dulku ‘Allowing others to be themselves without judgement and abuse’ – Dulcie Emery ‘If you respect someone, you don’t lie to them’ – Tom Slater ‘You have to give it to get it’ – Anu Bose ‘Accepting one another for who we are’ – Anna Knight ‘The ability to look past someone’s flaws and value their qualities, despite your differences’ – Seth Hillyer ‘Treating others as you wish to be treated’ – Lauren Morris ‘Accepting and appreciating people’ – Natalie Layng ‘Respect is earned, not given’ – Sepi Latifi ‘Respect is what we owe, and what we give’ – Marco Ciao ‘Treating people with dignity’ – Beth Brankowski ‘Being conscientious and responsible for your actions towards others’ – Tom Grantham ‘Self-respect creates the firm foundation to treat others with similar regard’ – Katie Carlson
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season of action Anti-discrimination group Kick It Out is to replace its two weeks of action with a season-long campaign to mark its 20th anniversary.
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Racism is not only a problem in football, it's a problem in society. Until we tackle it in society, we can't tackle it in football. John Barnes former England midfielder
www.kickitout.org
Think again Kick It Out insists the new drive is not a reaction to the criticism last season from some players, including Rio Ferdinand and Jason Roberts, who claimed it had failed to tackle the issues brought up by John Terry’s racism ban and refused to wear the group’s T-shirts. A statement said: ‘The traditional weeks of action campaign in October will this year be replaced with a special 'season of action', which commences at the beginning of the 2013/14 season and conclude the following May.' ‘For 20 years, Kick It Out has contributed to making football a safer, more enjoyable and less intimidating place for those from under-represented communities wishing to participate in the game in whatever capacity, at whatever level. ‘To that end, a season’s worth of events will take place to acknowledge the wealth of groups and individuals supporting this work in their own communities over the past two decades.’ Kick It Out insists it has taken on board their views and says clubs still have the option to wear the T-shirts but it is encouraging ‘more in-depth involvement over a sustained period’. A spokesman said: ‘Kick It Out is far above and beyond simply wearing a T-shirt. We hope clubs, community groups and County FAs take this on board again.’