www.thecourieronline.co.uk Monday 26 November 2012 Issue 1260 Free
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NUS leader pelted with eggs at demo Newcastle joined the ranks of thousands of students in London last week, as they lined the streets to take part in the NUS National Demo March, a protest which ended in anger, unrest and president Liam Burns covered in eggs. It is estimated that between 3,000 and 4,000 people in higher education turned out for the event, which was attended by universities in every corner of the country, from Bath to Edinburgh.
the Houses of Parliament where chaos amongst peaceful protesters ensued. Charles Barry, chairman of the student council, claimed: “There was a large rush of people from far-left groups such as the Socialist Worker’s Party. So far they don’t seem to have broken through the police lines. I was pretty worried that it was all going to go pear-shaped, but things seem to be holding up together.” The demo follows on from the violent protest two years ago, which hit global news when 50,000 students turned up,
The march took the slogan of, ‘Educate, Employ, Empower’, with its aim being to protest against the rise in tuition fees, alongside the rise in youth and graduate unemployment. Early risers from Newcastle University arrived in central London last Wednesday at 11am, joining protesters gathered at Temple Place on the banks of the Thames, where the march departed from shortly afterwards. Newcastle was joined by students from nearby Sunderland University, as well as Newcastle College. Lizzie White, a second year studying English Literature, said: “Now I’m here I’m actually really excited. The crowds have gathered and the rain has stopped. So let’s get on with this and go.” The demo started along Embankment in Central London, heading towards
occupying the Milbank Tower in response to the trebling of tuition fees. “When we discussed whether to have the march in April, it was a big concern that it would be hijacked by a small group of students who had their own political agenda which wasn’t in line with the students.” Outbreak ensued amongst a minority of students outside the Houses of Parliament who were protesting against the Gaza crisis, which was consequently broken up by standby riot police, leaving students to disperse along Westminster Bridge. Newcastle followed the demo along Westminster Bridge, crossing the city onto Southbank and towards Kennington in South London, where a rally was held with speeches given by comedian continued on page 4
By Susie Beever News Editor
SU Council chair Barry said: “I was pretty worried that it was all going to go pearshaped, but things seem to be holding up”
The students are revolting: Uni students and Students’ Union sabbatical officers stood outside Parliament during the NUS Demo Photo: Shahin Nikman
Funding cuts put Northern Stage in danger By Anna Templeton News Editor Several major arts and culture venues in Newcastle have been notified about 100% cuts in funding from the city council. Cultural centres, such as the Theatre Royal, Northern Stage, Live Theatre, Tyneside Cinema, Seven Stories and Dance City may potentially be affected by these cuts. News of the cuts comes from the reve-
lation that Newcastle City Council have to cut £90 million from its budget. Tony Durcan, Newcastle City Council’s director of culture, libraries and lifelong learning, said he had informed the bosses of 10 major cultural organisations about the cuts. Between them, these centers receive £1.5m from the authority. “We are looking at up to 100% reductions in revenue support to parts of the cultural sector,” he said. He explained how there was no legal
requirement to subsidise arts and culture projects, but added: “That isn’t to say we don’t think they’re important.” D a v i d Faulkner, leader of the Opposition Liberal Democrats Group at the City Council said: “Some arts organisations
Newcastle City Council have to cut £90 million from their budget, suspending all arts funding for three years
will be able to cope (somehow) without council funding but inevitably it will impact upon the more discretionary work such as educational and outreach. The smaller organisations will be more dependent on council funding and their survival will be more questionable’ “Everything depends upon how diversified their income is, what scope they have for replacement funding or for economies, such as sharing back office services with other arts organisations. “If the council is challenged on 30% of
its funding over 3 years because of cuts and increased costs then it should not require any organisation to take more than a 10% hit each year in my view. Complete withdrawal of funding is arbitrary.” The independent Tyneside Cinema expressed their concerns about the impending cuts, saying: “This is worrying news for the city, and for the arts and culture around the entire country. “We recognise that the city has a continued on page 7
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NEWS
HAUNTED TOON
The Toon is listed as one of the most haunted uni cities
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LECTURER’S WEEK David Kavanagh integrates science and politics in London
COMMENT
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CONVICT RIGHTS Should prisoners be entitled to the vote?
COMMENT ON CAMPUS What do you think of biometric scanning?
SPORT
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News Editors: George Sandeman, Susie Beever and Anna Templeton Online News Editor: Aine Stott courier.news@ncl.ac.uk | @TheCourier_News
Oxfam Bookshop sells atlas for £2000 By George Sandeman News Editor A 300-year-old road atlas has been sold for £2,000 by the Oxfam Bookshop on Hood Street. Speaking to The Courier, volunteers Gemma Davies and Denise Dixon described how an anonymous friend of a volunteer donated the Britannia Depicta first edition, knowing it was valuable; in the hope it would raise a significant amount. Davies explained: “[The donor] decided to have a bit of a clear out and decided he didn’t want it anymore. No idea why but he knew we would get it valued and priced correctly.” Oxfam had it valued by two different antique book collectors who confirmed it was original and that the binding and paper were contemporary. Davies explained the valuation process, saying that: “When we originally looked online these books were going for around a £1,000, and that’s what we expected the book to be valued at, but it was brilliant when the professionals said it was around the £2,000 mark.” Thought to have been published in 1720, the shop initially kept their prized possession quiet whilst it was being valued. The day after they informed the press, an anonymous buyer came in the very next day to snap it up. Davies said: “We were over the moon. I was just shocked, I came in that day to show the book to a friend and the manager said that it was sold. “I thought he was joking, there’s no way it’s gone in one day.”
Dixon mentioned: “I’d heard [the buyer’s] friend had seen it on the lunchtime BBC News and told her about it.” She also talked about other valuable items the shop, who sell hundreds of books each week, had sold: “[The atlas] is the most expensive I think but we once sold a bible for £500 but we have quite a few first editions which are quite rare.” Davies added: “[First edition books] are where the big money is as they The donor, who are quite hard to hold of.” knew the book getInlaid gold was valuable, leaf, the with atlas condecided to tains 273 pages have a bit of a showing vertical clear out and road maps with historic landdecided he marks also feadidn’t want it tured. anymore. No The full title of the atlas is the idea why but succinct ‘Ogilby he knew we d Being a would get it val- Impov’ Correct Coppy ued and priced of Mr. Ogilby’s Actual Survey of correctly all ye Direct & Principal Cross Roads in England and Wales: Wherein are exactly Delineated & Engraven, All ye Cities, Towns, Villages, Churches, Seats & scituate on or near the Roads with their respective Distances in Measured and Computed Miles.’ To find out more about the Oxfam Bookshop on Hood Street, visit http:// on.fb.me/W9C7kM
ROAD TRIP! Uni student and shop manager Morgan Williams shows off their valuable acquisition Image: Oxfam Bookshop
33 Police appeal for witnesses Ricky Road kitchen fire 40 after attack outside CCTV
FEEL THE POWER A night at the darts featuring Phil Taylor
Monday 26 November 2012
RINGER ALLEGATIONS Further claims against Northumbria players
By Susie Beever News Editor
Authorities are appealing for witnesses of a brawl outside Newcastle University students’ union last Saturday night after CCTV, in which a 22 year-old Law student was injured. Matthew Copeland was leaving the building with his friends when the attack ensued in the smoking and seating area. He was taken to the Royal Victoria Infirmary, opposite the Armstrong Building, shortly afterwards where he was diagnosed with a fractured skull.
NUSU, King’s Walk, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8QB. Tel: 0191 239 3940
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Copeland, who lives in Jesmond, said: “The last thing I remember is being outside with my friends and it’s a complete blank after that.”
A spokesperson for Northumbria Police issued a statement saying: “We are appealing for witnesses after a report of an assault.
Doctors believe the damage will not permanent, they “hope he will only suffer short-term disorientation and pain while the bruising heals, rather than long-term brain damage.”
“It happened in the early hours of Sunday morning at Newcastle University Students’ Union, when a disturbance took place outside in the seating area.”
Copeland said: “The last thing I remember is being outside with my friends and it’s a complete blank after that”
Editor Ben Travis News Editors George Sandeman, Susie Beever and Anna Templeton Online News Editor Aine Stott Comment Editors Georgie Moule and Laura Wotton Online Comment Editor Jennifer Evans Features Editor Tom Nicholson Listings Editor Sally Priddle Lifestyle Editors Emily Rae, Catherine Davison and Ellie Cropper Online Lifestyle Editors Rosie Devonshire Colette Hunter Fashion Editors Elissa Hudson and Lizzie Hampson Online Fashion Editor Sally Greenwood Beauty Editor Annie Morgan Online Beauty Editor Amy Macauley Arts Editors Lisa Bernhardt and Millie Walton Online Arts Editor Grace Harvey Film Editors Hayley Hamilton and Sam Hopkins Online Film Editor Chris Binding TV Editor Chris Taylor Online TV Editor Ben Parkin Music Editors Chris Haywood and Sam Summers Online Music Editor Sophie Coletta Sports Editors Ralph Blackburn, Nick Gabriel and Lucy Williams Online Sports Editors Freddie Caldwell and Jack Gelsthorpe Copy Editors Harriet Andrews, Helen Battrick, Georgina Grant, Rachel Horrocks, Maddie McNeill, Charley Monteith, Leanne Penning, Amy Preston, Tom Rhodes, Gemma Thompson, Jessica Timms, Chris Smith, Matty Aston
By Anna Templeton News Editor
A fire broke out in Block 12 of Richardson Road last Tuesday at 1.20pm. Substantial damaged was made to the kitchen of the flat. The cause is still unknown. In a statement released by the university. Paul Bandeen University Flats Manager said: “The fire started at around 1.20pm on Tuesday and no-one was injured. “The kitchen of one flat at Richardson Road has suffered significant damage and as a result, we have temporarily rehoused six students while repairs are carried out.”
The Courier is printed by: Print and Digital Associates, Fernleigh House, 10 Uttoxeter Road, Derby, Derbyshire, United Kingdom, DE3 0DA. Established in 1948, The Courier is the fully independent student newspaper of the Students’ Union at Newcastle University. The Courier is published weekly during term time, and is free of charge. The design, text, photographs and graphics are copyright of The Courier and its individual contributors. No parts of this newspaper may be reproduced without the prior permission of the Editor. Any views expressed in this newspaper’s opinion pieces are those of the individual writing, and not of The Courier, the Students’ Union or Newcastle University.
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Monday 26 November 2012
Toon has most skeletons in the closet By Ciaran McKenna The Toon has topped a list of the ten most haunted university cities in the UK. In a recent report on The National Student, Newcastle came third in the list, which also included Eerie Exeter and Deadly Derby. Evidence in Newcastle include sightings of a ghostly figure beating the city streets, and the discovery of two Roman tombs on a site in the city centre back in 2008. The list claims Newcastle has paid
“Though after a few pints, Homeless Bill could well be mistaken for the undead.” Newcastle featured on Living TV’s show Most Haunted back in 2005, where presenter Yvette Fielding and medium David Wells spent a night in the city’s infamous castle keep, which dates back to the 12th century and is reputedly haunted by the spirit of a girl selling poppies to members of the public. Last year, one local Geordie family tried to leave their house in Newcastle due to an unearthly presence. The fam-
It is alleged that archaeologists found a tomb containing the headless body of a six yearold boy, whose identity remains unknown. homage to many sinister spooks. When student archaeologists dug up the site of a former chapel in the city centre back in 2008, two tombs dating from the Roman era were found. It is alleged that one of the tombs contained the headless body of a six year-old boy, whose identity remains unknown to this day. The bodies were excavated from the site shortly after, and now lie in the Hancock Museum on the University campus. The report, which was written by Hannah Embleton-Smith, stated that: “if you’re looking for a more concrete experience, get down to the pub. In the alleyway of The Cooperage you may well see a man with sockets for eyes on the prowl.”
BUMP IN THE NIGHT
Newcastle has been listed as one of the country’s most ghostridden university cities. Image: Wikimedia Commons
ily began to suspect the property was haunted after their 18 month-old baby began to point around the room, and was found by his mother screaming with his hands around his neck. The north is seemingly a hot spot for supernatural activity, with both Durham and York featuring in the table, sixth and fifth respectively. ‘Lady Grey’ is said to prowl Durham’s eight hundred year old corridors. In 2002, York was described as ‘Europe’s most haunted city’ by the International Ghost Research foundation. There are reports of echoes of the screams of children once murdered there as well as a troop of Roman legionnaires, who were spotted in the cellar of a local building.
Students raise money for children ‘across the globe’ By Alix Pickles Students gathered for a great cause last week, as Osbornes bar in Jesmond gave host to a charity night in aid of Comrades of Children Overseas (COCO), a small Newcastle based charity. COCO raises money for international health and education projects aimed at improving the lives of children living in poverty in developing countries, mainly in Africa. Its message is ‘Brighter futures across the globe.’ Since COCO was founded by former Olympian Steve Cram in 2000, over £2.4 million has been raised. Newcastle University’s COCO society works to raise awareness and fundraise for the charity. The Sunday night event raised £240 and was organised by three Newcastle University students: president of the society Claire Eden, secretary Aimee Vickers and Graeme Barella. Aimee Vickers said that they knew they wanted to do a pub quiz and offer “an alternative to a quiet Sunday night in.” The idea rolled from there to create an evening full of activity and a great atmosphere. One project that COCO supports is the Kenyan Acorn Project, which contributes to healthcare in Ndhiwa, Northern Kenya. This rural community has an infant mortality rate of twice the Kenyan national average, and COCO research found that only 24.4% of children here were fully immunised. COCO funded training for nurses at the Acorn Community Hospital in Ndhiwa. There was also a chance to win large boxes of sweets, a coveted £10 off code
for Desserts Delivered and a voucher for 4 meals and 4 drinks from Zapatista Burrito bar in town, when the raffle was drawn. The night was rounded off with live music from different students. The first performer Daniel Morris had travelled from Cumbria University to support the event and played a range of covers as well as his own songs. For his finale he taught chorus lyrics to the audience and initiated a sing along. The two female performers were Newcastle University students. Dena One project that Po o r k h a t a i e a soulful COCO supports gave p erformance is the Kenyan which captiAcorn Project, vated the audiwhich contributes ence. Rosie Glasse to healthcare in played her own Northern Kenya, guitar and sang where”, the infant songs like Bon mortality rate is Iver’s ‘Skinny twice the national Love’ and an acoustic veraverage sion of Asher Roth’s ‘I Love College.’ 58 tickets to the event were sold and £240 was raised, after paying costs. Money raised from extra donations and raffle tickets. The organisers are looking to do more events throughout the year. Current ideas include a bungee jump and more live music gigs. The quiz included: general knowledge, sports, photo identification, and sex trivia rounds and brought out a feeling of friendly competitiveness among the team.
DOING IT FOR THE KIDS Rosie Glasse performed at Osborne’s in Jesmond , where students raised money for COCO. Image: Alix Pickles
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Monday 26 November 2012
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“People with masters degrees are stacking shelves in supermarkets. This can’t go on for any longer”
continued from page 1 Josie Long and NUS President Liam Burns. Post-graduate officer Ben Coulson said: “I think it’s a great day. I’m enjoying the disruptions we’re causing around Parliament, it’s the nature of protest. It’s not meant to be organised or civil, it’s meant to disrupt which is exactly what
which ensued at the Demo 2012 rally: “Although there was a loud minority who tried to disturb what the student movement were trying to achieve I feel there were effective speakers who brought about a new generation of activists who can take the messages we’ve talked about today, get them alive on campus and show this isn’t just a one off
“I think it’s a great day. I’m enjoying the disruptions we’re causing around Parliament, it’s the nature of protest. It’s not meant to be organised or civil, it’s meant to disrupt which is exactly what we’re doing.” we’re doing.” One member of the demo commented on the protest: “there seems to be a lot of union. I love when students raise their voices for a great cause. It’s quite peaceful and I haven’t seen any sign of violence.” “People with masters degrees are stacking shelves in supermarkets. This can’t go on for any longer.” The rally ended in Kennington Park, from which students dispersed after a scuffle involving a small minority throwing eggs during Liam Burns’ speech. Rachael Thornton, NUSU’s Education Officer, commented on the events
event.” “People like that aren’t going to ruin it and this is something we’re going to carry on throughout the year.” Burns was met by angry students yelling ‘NUS Shame On You’, before they broke the barrier and stormed the stage as the president and speaker ran off to escape. Rupert Walker, a student at Lincoln University, said: “Invading the stage is counter-productive, it’s obviously not going to help matters. Then again, Liam Burns deserves it. He’s done nothing to push forward the cause for free education.” North East students reformed before
making their way back to Newcastle at the end of the protest, with generally positive opinions among those who partook. Eve Bowen, a third year English Literature student, told The Courier: “The atmosphere was really positive and empowering.” Charles Barry added: “I’ve never been on something like this before, but I’d do it again. I can’t say the weather was perfect, but it was great to see so many students enthusiastic and positive about getting things done and making changes.” “There’s no denying it was smaller [than the protest two years ago], and as it was not focused around a specific event it lacked a sense of urgency. But at the same time it did what it was meant to do, which was to illustrate the rest of the country that there are students who want to make changes, who want to fight for what they believe in, and who aren’t going to just sit down and take it quietly.” “This protest is about the future, and building an activist base for the next three years.”
I PREDICT A RIOT
The rally in Kennington Park was disrupted by a group of students who pelted NUS president Liam Burns with eggs and fruit Image: Mackenzie Lloyd-Smith
What did you think of the NUS Demo? Let us know at:
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Gaza flags and socialists: My day at the NUS demo
I
By Leela Prasad Commentary
am a student of Newcastle University first and an international student second. The rise in tuition fees may not affect me because international students have already been paying double what a home student is paying for many years now. But if the Newcastle Students’ Union sounds its war bugle against the government’s education cuts, what would an international student do? Does he/she join the #Demo2012 in London or give it a miss? The union represents the students collectively and does not segregate them based on their nationalities. It is with this feeling of togetherness that I joined a 50 odd group of students from both Newcastle and Sunderland universities to show solidarity. In the wake of the London Metropolitan University scandal, the manipulation of international students was one of the key points on the NUS agenda, however the main theme was “No ifs, no buts, no education cuts!” However, the demonstration’s message was diluted by the Socialist Worker’s Party (SWP) waving Gaza flags and piggybacking on the NUS march. It is not wrong to protest against war, but this is not the time, or place to draw attention to an international crisis when local problems are mounting by the hour. Things got ugly when the students assembled at the rally point in Kennington Park. Some protesters, who I believe were members of the SWP, stormed into the park chanting:
“NUS, shame on you, where the fuck have you brought us to?” They then threw eggs and fruit aimed at NUS president Liam Burns ,with their central argument being that the NUS must take the fight to the government and protest in front of Parliament instead of assembling in Kennington Park. Shortly afterwards, some protesters took over the stage, not allowing Burns to finish his speech, and bringing an early end to proceedings. To me, the SWP seemed only interested in spreading their ideology. They appeared to have stalls set up at key points along the marching route and I saw anti-NUS leaflets being distributed inside Kennington Park before Liam Burns was heckled. “Their message was totally incoherent, they were rude and anti-social”, said Charles Barry, Chair of Union Council at NUSU, speaking to The Courier. Charles went onto say: “In unity it is a symbolic point but it illustrates the fact that, as a student union we are powerful when we are united. “And these silly petty divisions, which could be easily ironed elsewhere, looked ridiculous and are entirely self-indulgent. “They have to ask themselves what they have achieved. “They knocked over a disabled student, possibly severely injuring her and scared off a lot of people who might be activists over the next two years, and all in all made the event look like an embarrassment. “They have to look at themselves in the mirror, and hang their heads in shame, as they have done nothing positive to the movement whatsoever.”
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Monday 26 November 2012
Senior lecturer spends week at Westminster WOMEN IN WHITE COATS University lecturer David Kavanagh joined a group of genetic researchers alongside Newcastle Central MP Chi Onwurah Image: David Kavanagh
Earlier this month, 20 scientists from various backgrounds recently descended on London as part of an innovative Royal Society programme. They travelled to the heart of the British political system in aid of demystify-
forefront of debate in parliament at the present time. The need for scientists and politicians to work together, then, has never been more called for. And with less than ten MPs boasting a scientific background, Kavanagh said: “Scientists are needed to provide the evidence so that politicians can make
liamentary Office of Science and Technology and the Commons and Lords Science and Technology Select Committees. As an example of scientific engagement with politics, Kavanagh was then asked to ‘play’ the role of Government Chief Scientific Adviser. He and the other scientists were told
ing the role science plays in the government. Dr David Kavanagh, a senior clinical lecturer in nephrology at Newcastle University, was one of the 20 who swapped their lab benches for the benches of the House of Commons. As part of a unique pairing scheme, he spent a week in Westminster in an attempt to integrate the scientific and political spheres. Science is at the heart of many global concerns. Cloning, climate change, and nanotechnology are all issues at the
an informed choice”. David, a Welcome Trust intermediate clinical fellow and Consulting Nephrologist, said about his week in parliament that: “My goals were to learn first-hand how the political process works and specifically, how I could contribute to and engage with this as a clinician and a scientist”. Upon arrival in London he was taken on a tour of the Palace of Westminster. He then attended a series of seminars on the mechanisms of government, held by the famed Hansard society, the Par-
that an earthquake and Tsunami had struck Japan and were asked to give their input on how to solve the problem. He stated that he was “surprised that scientific evidence was the predominant basis for the response to the crisis. It opened my eyes to how eager [the government] were to learn”. Kavanagh was then paired with an MP originating from a science background – Chi Onwurah, MP for Newcastle Central and Shadow Minister for Innovation, Science and Digital Infrastructure. Among other things they opened a
By Aine Stott Online News Editor
Dr Kavanagh, a senior clinical lecturer in nephrology at Newcastle University, was one of the twenty who swapped their lab benches for the benches of the House of Commons
new think tank, held a meeting on digital infrastructure and a round table on science funding with the Russell group universities. Kavanagh said that his time had been “exhilarating, exciting, but mostly enlightening. I found an organisation reaching out to harness the world leading science this country produces. “If as scientists, we want to have a voice, then we must engage with the government”. He currently investigates, at Newcastle’s Life Centre, the role of the complement system in atypical haemolytic uraemic syndrome (aHUS)- a severe kidney disease which leads to kidney failure. When asked at what point his attention was first drawn to the idea of merging science and politics, he answered: “The work of the Renal Complement Group in Newcastle has ultimately resulted in the use of a drug, Eculizumab, to successfully treat atypical haemolytic uraemic syndrome. “When confronted with the need to highlight to the Government the necessity to fund the drug in the United Kingdom, I became aware that noth-
ing in my training had prepared me for this. The Royal Society Paring Scheme provides a wonderful opportunity to engage in the political process. “It has provided me with an understanding of the mechanisms through which “It has provided the scientific comme with an munity can influence policy. understand“This knowledge ing of the the basis mechanisms provides for an ongoing dithrough which alogue with government throughthe scientific out my career”. community When quescan influence tioned how politipolicy” cal and scientific engagement in Britain compares with the rest of the world, David stated: “Every major government department in the UK now has its own chief scientific advisor (CSA) including the Treasury, which demonstrates the understanding of a requirement for a scientific bulwark at the heart of government”.
Not if, but when By Ben Travis Editor
BURGLAR BUSTERS
City police officers, along with representatives from Newcastle and Northumbria Students’ Unions, patrol Jesmond and Heaton Image: Not If, But When
Northumbria Police supported a student campaign aimed at reducing burglaries in Newcastle. The ‘Not If, But When’ campaign, partly organised by Newcastle University Students’ Union in conjunction with Northumbria Students’ Union and the Northumbria Police, ran last week from Monday 19 November. Volunteers from both universities were joined by Newcastle Area Command Police and Community Support Officers (PCSOs) and Police Cadets in the Jesmond and Heaton areas. As well as speaking to students, giving them advice about crime prevention and burglaries, balloons were put through any windows which had been left wide open by householders – the idea being that if there’s enough room for a balloon to get through then there’s enough room for a potential burglar. Newcastle University Students’ Union Welfare Officer Esta Innes said: “This year we decided to not only post balloons through open windows and doors but knock on doors and talk to the residents about how at risk they were. “I was so shocked at how many people
actually leave their windows and doors open. On Monday in Jesmond, we saw at least three houses that had their front doors wide open and we were able to walk straight into their hallways to leave a yellow ‘Not If, But When’ balloon.” Neighbourhood Inspector Louise Cass-Williams said: “Many of the burglaries we’ve been called to have involved the thieves getting in through insecure doors and windows. Sometimes these have been left wide open. “It’s vital people realise opportunist burglars will take advantage of this kind of open invitation and we’re pleased to be backing students at the University who have been running a campaign to raise awareness among their peers.” The balloons used point people in the direction of the ‘Not If, But When’ website where there is crime prevention information to reduce the risk of burglaries. Esta Innes concluded: “I think sometimes students, myself included, think because we are living in areas heavily populated by other students it won’t happen to us. This really isn’t true - because we are students, we are targeted even more. We all have laptops and iPhones and other gadgets. A student house is like Christmas to a thief!”
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Monday 26 November 2012
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New referencing app helps to improve essays By Holly Callis The new smartphone app aimed for students has been released. ReferenceME which allows students to scan the barcode or insert the ISBN of a book to create the perfect citation, has been created to simplify the essay writing process. The app costs 69p from the App Store and is the product of a creative digital
on the App Store have given it an almost exclusively 5 star review and it has featured regularly in the top ten educational apps on iTunes. User Will456 said: “This app is brilliant, it saves so much time and ensures that you reference correctly every time so you don’t have to worry about losing marks.” Creative Director Toby Green told The Courier how getting the universities
“This app is brilliant, it saves so much time and ensures that you reference correctly every time so you don’t have to worry about losing marks” media agency based in South London, T and Biscuits. The app was initially aimed at students, and has also received a large amount of interest from lecturers and researchers. Able to create citations in eight different major styles; the team at T and Biscuits are looking to expand into smaller, subject-specific styles as well. The app also allows the user to create ‘Projects’ for each of their essays, allowing the user to collate their references and create a bibliography. The references can then be sent through email or via Facebook, to then be copy and pasted into the essay. On an individual level, students are embracing this time-saving app. Users
themselves on board proves a challenge. “Ironically, universities seem to like it but getting them to approve it together is difficult. This is because the universities are ‘entrenched’ in their ways, and getting their approval will require years of review.” ReferenceME are still looking to get universities involved as wholesalers of the app in order to reach a larger student audience. T and Biscuits said: “many lecturers say that they will be recommending the app to their students as a more attractive alternative to learning the referencing process and slogging through each bibliography themselves, despite the universities’ uncertain response.”
APP-EASE
The app has been designed in order to make the process of referencing in students’ essays quicker and easier.
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Monday 26 November 2012
“Newcastle and Gateshead together have become a beacon of how cultural regeneration can change the landscape of a city. It would be a tragedy of enormous proportion if this were lost” continued from page 1 significant challenge to face and we look forward to entering into discussions with them about this during the forthcoming consultation period.” As well as cinemas such as the Tyneside and the Star and Shadow, Northern Stage, in the heart of Newcastle University’s campus, may also face difficulties. Erica Whyman, chief executive and artistic director of the theatre, who will leave Newcastle at the end of the year to join the Royal Shakespeare Company, explained how investment in arts has been a catalyst in the city’s cultural transformation. She said: “What I had to say about
Kate Edwards, the chief executive of Seven Stories said: “We recognise that the local authority is taking difficult decisions and many services that it believes in will be affected by government imposed cuts. “There are difficult times ahead, but we will work hard to find solutions and will work with our partners and supporters to build our fundraising and earn income.” Jim Beirne, chief executive of Live Theatre, also expressed how news of the cuts was worrying, but said how “we look forward to discussing this in greater detail with Newcastle City Council during the consultation period. “Newcastle and Gateshead together
Newcastle City Council’s position is that they are having to make very savage cuts which I sincerely believe they don’t want to make. “The council have been terrifically supportive and have held onto cultural investment pretty tenaciously in the last couple of years.” Changes in the structure of the Arts Council England will see the North East sector relocated to Manchester as a North major office. Other councils will also be centralised into major offices in London, Birmingham, Manchester and Bristol. Full-time posts in the Arts Council will be reduced by 21 percent, and there will be a 50 percent cut in property costs. This reshuffle will mean that 25 job losses will come from the North alone. The chief executive of Arts Council England, Alan Davey said that these changes would mean “we’ll do less and we’ll do it differently”. This month, the children’s literature centre Seven Stories celebrated becoming the National Centre for Children’s Books. The centre are part of Art Council England’s National Portfolio of funded organisations, so will potentially be affected by the cuts.
have become a beacon of how cultural regeneration can change the landscape of a city – economically, socially and educationally and together have become renowned around the world for this. It would be a tragedy of enormous proportion if this were lost” In addition to cinemas and theatres, the revelation of cutbacks may mean that swimming pools, playschemes, galleries, museums and libraries may close under the £90m government-ordered cutbacks. Funding of the Laing Art Gallery and the Discovery Museum will be affected, and council chiefs plan to completely pull their £150,000 contribution to the Great North Museum. Alison Clark-Jenkins, the Arts Council Regional Director of the North East said: “We understand that Newcastle City Council (NCC) has to make some very difficult decisions about how to deploy its reduced budget. However, we believe that a small amount of local government funding in culture can go a long way in making somewhere an attractive place to live, work and visit. “Sustained investment in culture over the last 15 years has made Newcastle a centre of culture for the North East, home to some of our most treasured
Full-time posts in the Arts Council will be reduced by 21 per cent, and there will be a 50 per cent cut in property costs. This reshuffle will mean that 25 job losses will come from the North alone
and exciting galleries, theatres and museums – all of which contribute significantly to the regional economy and the quality of life in the area. “All of this is at risk if NCC does cut cultural investment by 100% over the next three years. That is why we will continue to work closely with the Council, arts organisations and the wider cultural sector in the city, arguing hard for the value of continued investment in art and culture. It is good to know that NCC’s proposals will be put to public consultation from 20 November.” However, Erica Whyman (Northern Stage) said: “All these so-called non-essential services are essential to people’s quality of life. “The savings you make in cash terms in cutting the arts are so tiny compared with the good they can do.” When asked about whether the university would help to support the oncampus venue, spokesperson for Newcastle University said: “It is too early to say what the full effect of the council’s budget cuts will mean to the University and the projects we support but we are committed to working with them to manage this process. “The University is a major partner in Northern Stage, providing a substantial rent rebate for which they deliver specific programmes of staff and student development, access to theatre facilities and contributions to modules.” Chi Onwurah, MP for Newcastle, expressed her concern at the impact the cuts may have on the cultural climate of the city. She said: “Since very early childhood the Theatre Royal, the Tyneside and Northern Stage have been part of my cultural life. Live Theatre is a more recent innovative addition, which staged my very first playlet just a few months ago. “I believe a city like Newcastle, with our strong and vibrant cultural and community, should subsidise the arts and local talent and creativity. “But the Governments disproportionate and excessive cuts, £90m over three years, leave the Council with a choice between funding the Arts and leaving the elderly without social care and cared for children without a home. “It is not a choice I would want to make, it is not a choice a council should have to make.”
CROSS CUTTING The independent Tyneside cinema, which is also the last surviving newsreel theatre still operating as a full time theatre Image: ^Ren
A ROYAL MISTAKE
The iconic Theatre Royal will lose £600,000 per year, roughly 6.5% of its turnover Image: Wikimedia Commons
8.news
Monday 26 November 2012
The Courier
Cuts leave council looking for park volunteers Newcastle Council are hoping for volunteers to take over park maintenance in the city, after being forced to make cuts. The council must make up to £90m worth of cuts over the next three years, due to government grant reductions and rising costs. £11m of this will come from money behind neighbourhood services. Inevitable redundancies will result, making it likely that park keepers
the feeling of community they bring to the place.” Nigel Hails, the city’s director of neighbourhood services, said: “The level of maintenance of our public parks, grass cutting and landscaping activities will be reduced in frequency and some labour-intensive areas replaced. Street cleaning will be reduced and the council will no longer be able to provide its floral programme every year. Our parks are our treasures.” He added: “We have invested a lot in recent years and won several awards.
will be out of work. Although around 1,000 volunteers have helped out in Newcastle’s parks over the last two years, reductions in paid staff will mean even more are required to keep parks and open spaces in their best condition. Volunteers will be asked to undertake tasks such as pruning, fence repairs, and mending damage from recent floods, in parks such as Jesmond Dene, Heaton Park, Armstrong Park, Paddy Freemans and Jesmond Vale. Ouseburn Parks manger Seamus Tollett spoke out in praise of the work of previous volunteers, saying: “They make a big difference and carry out a whole range of jobs. They are really important to us. It is not just the work that they do - it is
But what matters most is that they are open, safe and used well. We will reduce maintenance in some; but still work with community groups and we will keep a number of high quality parks across the city.” These cuts to park maintenance may have ramifications for the otter pups which were born in Jesmond Dene at the start of this year. This breakthrough was the culmination of a revival in the otter population on Ouseburn River in recent years, and is the first time that pups have been born in the park. It is vital for the survival of the otters that rubbish or invasive plants do not pollute the river, so it is hoped that the recent cuts will not have adverse affects on the otters.
By Sophie Green
It is hoped that the recent cuts will not have adverse affects on the new family of otters in Jesmond Dene.
GREEN AND PLEASANT LAND
Park managers hope that the inevitable redundancies due to council cuts will not deter people from visiting gems such as the Jesmond Dene Park Image: bonnie5649 (Flickr)
The Courier
nationalstudentnews.9
Monday 26 November 2012
Cops seize £7 million cannabis haul By Joe Wood On the 14th of November, a haul of cannabis with an estimated value of £7m was discovered at a North Shields ferry terminal. This has been the largest seizure of cannabis for the Border Agency in the North East. The cannabis had been transported by ferry from Amsterdam stashed inside a lorry loaded with lip balm and bottles. Sam Bullimore, from Border Force, commenting on the 1.6 tonnes of resin found at the port, stated that the haul was “the biggest discovered in his 19year career with the agency”. One of the most recent large-scale drug hauls was at Heathrow airport
Job Title: Newcastle Work Experience Brand Development and PR Officer Employer: Newcastle YMCA Closing date: 02.12.12 Salary: £600 bursary upon completion of placement Basic job description: YMCA England has recently undergone a brand review, Newcastle YMCA requires assistance to achieve the following: Compare Newcastle YMCA’s current brand position to the position required by the brand review; Write a brand strategy to deliver the new position; Create a PR and Communications plan to deliver the brand strategy; Design and create a suite of marketing materials to deliver the Communications and PR plan. Person requirements: We require an individual with excellent knowledge relating to brand, marketing and communications with the ability to transfer and apply to a real life situation. Self management is key. Location: Newcastle upon Tyne. Job Title: Newcastle Work Experience Business Development Officer Employer: Newcastle YMCA Closing date: 02.12.12 Salary: £600 bursary upon completion of placement Basic job description: Newcastle YMCA has a current annual turnover of £600,000 raising 42% of that from our own assets. The remainder is raised by securing contracts to deliver services, grants and donations. In the current economic climate that model is unsustainable. The successful candidate will develop a business model that leads to the establishment of a profitable trading company that creates employment for young people and delivers £60,000 of profits annually. Person requirements: An individual with skills and knowledge of business strategy, planning and finance is essential. You must be self managing and able to deliver outcomes against a planned programme. You must also be a strong team player, working well with an existing motivated and successful team. Location: Newcastle upon Tyne. Job Title: Newcastle Work Experience Business Improvement Officer Employer: Newcastle YMCA Closing date: 02.12.12 Salary: £600 bursary upon completion of placement Basic job description: Following a 2 year
where £4.3m of cannabis was reprimanded. The North Shields operation produced a third larger haul than the one at The cannabis Heathrow, making it an excephad been tionally important transported cannabis bust. by ferry from Mr Bullimore said: “We are deAmsterdam to make stashed inside termined life as difficult as a lorry loaded possible for those with lip balm involved in drug smuggling”. and bottles In conjunction with the success of the operation, Home Office figures show that over the past 12 months more than 15 seizures were car-
period growth, including a merger and opening of a new service centre, our strategic focus over the next 12 months is to consolidate and improve our current services to enable us to attract a social investor in the future. The primary aim of this programme is to provide improvements to the quality, effectiveness and efficiency of our business. A secondary aim is to create a social impact report that evidences the quality and value of the work we do with our young people. Person requirements: You must be self managing and able to deliver outcomes against a planned programme. You must also be a strong team player, working well with an existing motivated and successful team. Location: Newcastle upon Tyne. Job Title: Barista Employer: Starbucks Closing date: 01.12.12 Salary: To be confirmed Basic job description: A Barista is required to work 16 hours per week at the Starbucks in the Metrocentre, Gateshead. Duties to include serving customers, making drinks, merchandising, cash handling and ensuring the shop is kept clean and tidy at all times. Person requirements: A passion for coffee would be preferred. No experience is required as full training will be provided. Excellent customer service and communication skills are required along with the ability to work as part of a team. Location: Gateshead. Job Title: Seasonal Bar & Waiting Staff Employer: One Stop Recruitment Store Limited Closing date: 15.12.12 Salary: £6.19 per hour Basic job description: We are a local Recruitment Agency who require up to 50 experienced Bar & Waiting Staff to assist us with the busy Christmas period and beyond for part-time contracts (mainly weekends). The assignments are based in venues in Central Newcastle, Gateshead and North Tyneside and will be paid on a weekly basis. If you very kindly assisted us with our successful Christmas Season last year we would love to hear from you and welcome you back for another successful Season. Person requirements: The successful candidates will be required to be flexible, reliable and presentable. Location: Newcastle, Gateshead and North Tyneside.
ried out every day in the Northumbria Police area command. These statistics provide strong evidence of the validity of Mr. Bullimore’s claim. Mr Bullimore continued by stating: “We have strong controls in place at all our ports. Our officers use the latest technology, sniffer dogs and their own considerable expertise and experience to protect the UK from banned substances. “We will continue to work with partner agencies, both in this country and abroad in the fight against illegal drug smuggling. “We would also encourage anyone with information about suspected smuggling to get in touch.”
Job Title: Leisure Assistants Employer: North Tyneside Council Closing date: 02.12.12 Salary: £16,830 - £18,453 per annum, pro rata Basic job description: 4 Leisure Assistants are required to work between 7.75 and 13.5 hours per week at the Waves Leisure Centre in Whitley Bay. You will: provide an efficient and friendly service while working as part of a team as well as own initiative, supervise members of the public using swimming pools, carry out cleaning and maintenance inspections as directed by management. Person requirements: Excellent customer care skills, experience of working with people, RLSS Pool Lifeguard qualification and up to date training records, must be physically capable of carrying out the full range of duties. Location: Whitley Bay. Job Title: Personal Assistant Employer: Disability North Closing date: 28.11.12 Salary: £8.00 per hour Basic job description: A Personal Assistant is required to work 1-2 hours per week. You will be supporting a bi-polar individual with various aspects of daily living, helping them to get out and about and engage in social activities. Sometimes the individual won’t feel well enough to go out so as a Personal Assistant you will need to learn the cues that indicate their wellbeing. Person requirements: None given. Location: Newcastle upon Tyne. Job Title: Personal Shopper Employer: ASDA Closing date: 26.11.12 Salary: To be confirmed Basic job description: A Personal Shopper is required to work part-time hours at the ASDA in Gosforth. As a Personal Shopper, you are effectively the customer - they have placed their trust in you to pick items that meet their selection criteria. Customer service is extremely important at Asda - it is everyone’s responsibility to ensure we deliver warm and friendly service to our customers, always. Person requirements: We’re one big team, so we’re looking for helpful, outgoing people who can get along with and support others. Location: Newcastle upon Tyne.
Depression strikes York students
Negative press deters applicants
University of York
London Metropolitan
York University has revolutionised the way it offers help to students with mental health issues. The university has taken the step of placing student leaders as the first port of call for those who are struggling with adapting to student life. The university’s health e d u c a t o r, Leah State claimed: “We need to invest in these s t u d e nt s who are a link in the chain.” This follows a survey of 6000 York University students which found 89 percent felt overwhelmed by student life, 62 percent felt very lonely and 36 percent felt so depressed that it was difficult to function. In October, York announced they were spearheading an unprecedented investigation into depression among the elderly a field that is relatively unexplored.
London Metropolitan University, which hit the headlines in August after losing its licence to recruit overseas students after claims by the UK border agency of inadequate checks, has also seen a sharp fall in the number of new domestic students. Evidence unearthed under a Freedom of Inform at i o n request reveals t h e number of UK and EU recruits at the university has fallen from 11,000 last year to around 6,000. The number of new students from outside the EU has fallen from 2,000 to about 300, while accepting that negative headlines have been a “substantial” factor in the fall the University has claimed it is “84% towards their recruitment target for domestic and EU students.”
Plagiarists cause havoc down in London
Durham team banned over ‘Jimmy Savile’ night
Cases of “contract cheating” are on the rise across London as pressure mounts for end of term exams. Businesses offering “model assignments” are an untraditional form of plagiarism that many universities are struggling to detect. An undercover BBC reporter was told that submitting t h e work as his o w n would b e fine. Pro fessor Robert Clarke of Birmingham City University estimated a £70 essay as a 2:1, while a separate £125 piece was described as “rubbish”. Any student caught buying an essay in this way risks being stripped of their degree. When questioned, one of the representatives used by the BBC defended himself vigorously stressing all assignments were models and that handing them in would be plagiarism.
A student rugby team in one of Durham University’s colleges has been banned from playing in any games, after a controversially themed fancy dress night. St. Cuthbert’s rugby team caused major public offense on a night out when they took the streets dressed as alleged paedophile Jimmy Savile. The fancy d r e s s theme was org an i s e d so that first year students dressed as young girls, while s e c o n d years went as the disrgaced former Top of the Pops presenter. Third years also partook in the event dressing as members of the police as well as reporters from the TV show Panorama. Team members have each been given a £50 fine, while the team’s captains and social secretaries ordered to do 20 hours of community service as a result of the event.
University of London
Images: Wikimedia Commons
Durham University
Ciaran McKenna
10.comment 3 reasons why...
Monday 26 November 2012
The Courier
No-Bama, no drama
On Barack Obama’s November re-election, Jake Unsworth discusses whether the ...I didn’t vote in USA are on a similar path of economic decline as Europe the Police Crime Commissioner Elections 1) What IS a Police Crime Commissioner?
The role of a Police Crime Commissioner is to give the public more say in how their local area is policed. How will they do this? Are the candidates police officers? Why are they associated with political parties? Does anybody know the answers? It seemed to me that the media focused more on the expected low turnout and cost of these elections, than answering these important questions. As a female history student, I take my right to vote very seriously. But I do not believe in wasting my vote. I am not prepared to vote if I don’t know what I am voting for.
2) Who am I supposed to vote for? Perhaps if I had have received flyers through my door outlining the proposed policies of the candidates, I would have been better able to decide who and what I should be voting for. However, I received no information about the candidates standing for election in the area. I can’t help thinking that if they can’t make themselves known during their campaign, will they really make themselves known to the public once they are elected?
THE START OF DECLINE
Obama’s re-election brings a fresh wave of economic disappointments. Image: National Defence University (Wikimedia)
3) The Police Force should remain independent According to the Home Office website, those elected as commissioners will have to sign a pledge of impartiality. So why was each candidate affiliated with a political party on the ballot papers? And why are we voting for politicians to take on such important roles rather than experienced and informed police officers? These are just some of the issues that 80% of the population, including myself, did not understand. Clearly, campaigns must be run differently next time, if this system is to work.
Image: Southbanksteve (WIkimedia)
JAKE UNSWORTH
B
arack Obama’s recent re-election places the USA on the same inexorable path of decline as Europe. This doom ridden and probably not particularly popular message is a salient one for those who cheered Obama’s triumph three weeks ago. Obama’s victory in 2008 was remarkable due to his skin colour, a fantastic moment in which an American of African ancestry was elected President for the first time. Four years later Obama’s re-election marks the acceptance of the European mantra of ‘Rich-bashing’, the perusal of client-state politics, and the acceptance of the righteousness of liberal interventionism. It is these three things that place the USA on the same path of economic, political and moral decline as Europe. And that’s a sorry shame. Class-warfare leads to middle-class suffering and economic decline. This is because the idea of a ‘rich’ and a ‘poor’ is a false dichotomy. Income is quite evenly distributed; that’s
not to say everyone earns the same, but that there is not a major divide between a ‘poor’ class, and ‘rich’ class, but rather a more gradated spread. The very rich can hide income, and regularly do because of the bonkers complexity of Western tax systems (developed to fund the ‘goodies’ offered to voters).
“The idea of ‘rich’ and ‘poor’ is false dichotomy ” The rhetoric of increasing the tax burden on the rich then invariably afflicts the middle-classes. This culture sadly leads to a punishment of those who strive for better. In recent years Britain has seen a mass exodus of those with ‘no family money, no assets, but an education’. Around 75,000 of these people leave per year. Taxing this group 31% of their income when on £40,000 may seem ‘fair’, but it is likely to make people leave. Britain, Europe, and the USA, cannot af-
ford for these people, who will pay off our debts and pay for our welfare goodies, to leave. Obama’s election marks the true beginning of client state politics in the USA. Previously the reserve of European nations, this endless offering of public service improvements, more hand-outs and specific tax-cuts, essentially bribes the electorate to vote for whichever party can offer the most. Which is inevitably more than can be afforded. This kind of politics has bankrupted Europe, but also entrenched a deep misunderstanding of politics itself. The ‘right’ is now defined by austerity and the ‘left’ with increased goodies. When in reality both sides of the political spectrum have significantly more to offer than this. This has led to a bankruptcy of politics itself in Europe, and now the USA looks set to follow in our wake. Lastly Obama’s re-election marks the unambiguous acceptance of the virtue of liberal interventionism. Obama’s drone strikes in Pakistan have, in the last four years, killed an estimated 2,600 people, only 13% of the 283 drone strikes have successfully killed a Taliban or al-Qaeda militant. That’s at least 2,200 innocent deaths. This death toll ‘dwarfs’ what has been unleashed by Israel over the past week or during the First Gaza war in 2008, when around 1,400 Palestinians died. Obama’s emphatic re-election shows that Americans still believe it is their prerogative
to bomb people whom they have disagreements with. The fury (often from the same group that cheered Obama’s victory) over Israel’s aggression in the Middle East complicates this. It tells us that some of Obama’s supporters value the lives of Palestinians more than tribal Pakistanis.
“Americans still believe it is their prerogative to bomb people who they disagree with”
If moral decline is marked by the belief that one innocent life is worth more than another innocent life; this is clearly a representation of such moral decline. Lauren Th e USA will soon be treading the same Smith path as European nations, but Obama’s supporters here in the UK should question what is so great about Europe that the USA should follow: Is it our distrust of all politicians? Our financial circumstances? Or our perception of superiority which has led to us pursuing wars across the globe?
The Courier
.11
Monday 26 November 2012
Comment
Comment Editors: Georgina Moule and Laura Wotton Online Comment Editor: Jennifer Evans thecourieronline.co.uk/comment courier.comment@ncl.ac.uk | @Courier_Comment
CRIMINAL CASE
Will MPs continue the blanket ban on allowing prisoners to vote? Image: Kevinhu (Wikimedia)
Should prisoners get the vote? ROGER HAMILTONMARTIN
YES P
arliament is currently debating whether to amend legislation which places a blanket ban on prisoners voting in elections. The majority of MPs have been against a change - David Cameron recently described how the thought of prisoners being able to vote brought on nausea. This kind of unthinking is an appeal to instinct. The instinct says “prisoners just shouldn`t be allowed to vote.” It is an instinct which is not grounded in any theory of what constitutes citizenship, and is amplified by the childlike resistance to any perceived loss of British sovereignty to a European body. As a deterrent to people committing crimes, the ban serves absolutely no purpose. For the aim of reforming those who break the law, it is actively harmful. This means that the current blanket ban is unhealthy for the free population (as well as the imprisoned) because it discourages civic responsibility in prisoners who will in most cases re-enter that free population at some point in their lives. Parliament has been on the wrong side of history on this question. Of course, the fact that on an issue of human rights we side with countries which have questionable records on hu-
man rights does not necessarily mean that we are in the wrong, but it seems a good indicator. Or perhaps those countries are just misunderstood? An interesting paradox in this debate is that the current law obliges inmates to participate in society from a fiscal standpoint, just like any other adult - they pay tax on savings, and capital gains on earnings received during the time spent inside. When it comes to contributing to the electoral process, they suddenly become surplus to requirements.
“The current blanket ban is unhealthy for the free population”
In this way the blanket ban undermines the claim of the electoral process to represent the populace. The idea that when a member of the populace breaks a law they die a civic death is certainly old, but it has not aged well. Central to my argument is the premise that rehabilitation is possible. If we put that question to one side, then we can say that it is a contradiction to not affect a change in the law which would instil civic virtue in the prison population, and then mark down lack of civic virtue as a cause of former inmates reoffending. A wider implication of flouting international treaties in this way is that it
would make a rod for the backs of those people who fight for human rights in countries whose governments will look to this case and say that it is fine to ignore European rules, because Britain does it. We don`t get to cherry pick which human rights we want - that option went when we agreed that we would defer to the European Court as a body, because they can be more consistently vigilant on these questions.
ISABEL HEALY
NO L
ast week, a draft bill was drawn up regarding giving convicted prisoners voting rights. The options that MP’s will decide between include continuing the blanket ban on allowing prisoners to vote, allowing prisoners who are serving six months or less to vote, or permitting convicted prisoners who are serving four years or less to vote in elections. David Cameron is making it very clear that he is unhappy to call a vote on this issue, as he does not believe prisoners should have the vote, and I have to say I agree. Despite the European Court of
Human Right’s attempts to force the UK’s hand on the issue, Cameron is standing strong, telling MP’s, “No one should be under any doubt: prisoners are not getting the vote under this government.” Personally, I would find it worrying if prisoners, who haven’t been capable of abiding by our current laws, had the power to decide who could change and decide on future laws. When someone commits a crime they have to face the consequences, and one of those is forfeiting the right to vote.
“They shouldn’t participate in a society they have been removed from” When a prisoner commits a crime and is sent to prison, their rights are temporarily removed: that is the point of prison. Why should the law be changed to give prisoners the right to vote when they can’t respect the society we live in? Gaining the right to vote if convicted for six months or less is the only reasonable middle ground, as the prisoner is out of society for such a short period of time. This may help to create an easier transition from prison to normal life again. Politicians may have to commit to this option or perhaps no voting rights for sentences over four years to avoid breaking European law, which the UK has signed up to, and having to pay
millions of pounds in compensation. However, it will also cost taxpayers a significant amount to set up voting systems in prisons. Equally, this could be seen as a waste of MP’s time, when they should be concentrating on the active members of society within their constituency, and helping them with their immediate problems. Alternatively, a system could be set up which encourages people who have recently been released from prison to vote, and educates them on the benefits of doing so. In the meantime, however, I do not feel it is appropriate for them to participate in the running of a society that they have been removed from, for whatever crime they have committed. Fighting the looming prospect of giving prisoners the vote may also be an opportunity to try and break from the right of European Courts to rule over local political issues in the UK. There are many politicians who agree with keeping the outright ban on prisoner voting, including the Attorney General, Dominic Grieve, who was quoted by the BBC as saying, “If convicted rapists and murderers are given the vote it will bring the law into disrepute and many people will see it as making a mockery of justice.” I have to say I agree.
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12.comment
Monday 26 November 2012
The Courier
Keep calm and Cameron
David Cameron has said that Britain must realise their ‘Blitz spirit’. He also announced plans to make judicial review proceedings harder. Alexandra Rogers discusses if this is the right course of action for the Government to take
ALEXANDRA ROGERS
I
n his speech to the CBI conference on Monday, David Cameron issued a call to arms for the British public to realise their ‘blitz spirit’ in a bid to bolster the economy and reinstate Britain as one of the major contenders in the ‘global race’ of competitive industry. His historical analogy alludes to a time where Britain, in a time of war, threw it’s conventions out of the window in order to address the fundamental issue: the threat of Nazi Germany. Cameron argued that Britain currently is in an ‘economic equivalent of war’ and could no longer be hindered by legal processes which frustrated its economic growth, the number one priority. Specifically, Cameron pledged to end lengthy judicial reviews and Labour’s
Equality Impact Assessments, pieces of legislation which are designed to review the lawfulness of a decision made by a public body, as well as their affect on different social groups. But for Cameron, their cost outweighs their effectiveness. He has therefore issued a number of measures which can be said to disincentivise protest, including raising the cost of an appeal, as well as reducing the chances for public appeals to be made. According to the Prime Minister, the government needs to be bold. It has been too slow in cutting the deficit, since judicial review applications are taking too long, and time is money. He further stated that Equality Impact Assessments had been causing civil servants to be ‘too slow in getting stuff done’ and that the fairness of such policies does not need to be validated by ‘bureaucratic nonsense’ whilst ‘businesses are going bust’ and ‘jobs are being lost.’ Instead, there are ‘smart people in Whitehall who consider equalities issues when they make the policy’ which would stop any delay in the plans of British businesses. Where the Prime Minister’s suggestions to cut red tape appear liberating
and hold a certain appeal in the current climate of economic crisis, desperate times do not necessarily call for desperate measures.
“The law should speak the same language in war as in peace”
Cameron’s clamp down on bureaucracy should sound alarm bells. Although judicial reviews and Equality Impact Assessments can be costly and time consuming, they frustrate in order to be fair. Scrapping them altogether would do no more than silence the voice of
SPEECH Cameron has announced plans to make judicial review proceedings harder. Image: UK Home Office (Wikimedia)
protest and make it harder for the public to challenge the government. Such legislation is needed to hold the government accountable for its decisions and its decision making processes – and this why entrusting matters of equality to individual ministers ‘the smart people in Whitehall’ is not only elitist but also irresponsible. Objections have not just come from the opposition, but from those in the legal sphere who have argued that judicial reviews are
‘one of the beacons of Britain’s modern democracy’. In wanting to axe such a linchpin of the British legal system, David Cameron is essentially saying that in times of crisis the government can afford to be above the law. But what should be clear is that justice should never be sacrificed to suit convenience, and the law should speak the same language in war as in peace.
Bishes be trippin’
Last week, the Church of England voted against introducing female Bishops. Sally Priddle discusses the implications for the church
SALLY PRIDDLE
L
ast week, after years of campaigning by high profile members of the church, including the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Church of England voted no on allowing women to become bishops, by just six votes. The decision has been criticised widely, with many people saying the church is on the way to becoming irrelevant in modern life. I am going to start by giving you some information about myself. I am both a Christian and a woman and I am very proud of being both. I do believe that faith should be a political issue but on the other hand I do think that religious practice needs to be appropriate for the modern age. I know some would argue that the advances in science mean that religion playing a part in politics can never be appropriate. I disagree with that but I do think that some of the more unnecessary, rigid aspects of the church need to change so that people understand being a Christian doesn’t coincide with all their generic stereotypes. When some people already have a (unjustified in my opinion) perception of the church and what it does for people, I don’t think that putting its foot down on such a tedious and unnecessary issue is a good idea. Women have been fighting for decades to demonstrate their equality to men, and despite what some people draw from the bible, it says that we are all one under God and he loves us equally. So as a man is just as capable as
doing wrong than a woman then why an earth is it not right for them to be a head of a church? If anything, in a time when men and women in Britain are daily facing worries about redundancy, rising fuel prices and generally just the day to day effort of balancing all they have in their lives, now is the time for the church to step up and show Britain why faith is good, and I don’t mean in a preachy in your face way, I just think that holding on to out dated traditions when there are more important things for the church to be focusing on is ridiculous.
“Now is the time for the church to step up and show Britain why faith is good” Gender is possibly the most trivial factor to base whether you can lead a church on, surely the point of being a Christian is to love God, spread his love and share his message to the world; as far as I am concerned whether it is a man or woman doing this it shouldn’t matter. I know there is a tradition of male leadership in churches and therefore it would be going against that to instate a female bishop, but honestly, the church has to accept some things need to change. How can a body of people preach about doing right, being equal and unconditional love if they won’t accept that women can lead them?
The Courier
comment.13
Monday 26 November 2012
“The logistics of the idea would be difficult because in lectures with large numbers of people there scanning could cut into lecture time.” Stuart King, 2nd Year Business Management
“I’d like to know how much the system would cost, especially since there are rarely any free computers in the library – I’d rather see money spent on that!” Sarah Day, 2nd Year Chemistry
“I think this would be unnecessary. Not attending lectures is a waste of your own money, and installing that kind of a system would be a waste of the University’s!” Victoria Harris, 2nd Year Maths
“Gasp! I don’t want my finger prints on record, what if I accidentally do a crime?! Or what if the system is hacked and my finger prints are stolen, far too risky!” Katie Bean, 2nd Year Animal Science
“The whole point of University is that contact time is noncompulsory. If students feel that they can do the required work without attending lectures then it’s their money they’re wasting.” Josh Longden, 4th Year Medicine
“I don’t think I’d mind. It’s the best way to catch people out who aren’t attending and it would probably be a good incentive for me to attend more” Caoimhe McMullan, 2nd Year Accounting and Finance
COMMENT ON CAMPUS
This week, Sarah Brown went out on campus to ask students:
What do you think about finger print scanning to monitor attendance? “I think there’s only so far they can go with monitoring lecture attendance. In the end we all know why we’re here and they shouldn’t be babying us.” Lauren Wardle, 2nd Year Zoology
“I’m in favour of it. I know lots of students that have their friends sign their name or take in their card. Using finger print scanners would eliminate that.” Dominic Gunn, 2nd Year Computer Science
“I think in theory it’d be a good way of getting more students to attend lectures but the disruption it would cause at the beginning probably isn’t worth it.” Arjun Nair, 3rd Year Biomedical Sciences
“It would probably be better for security reasons with international students but it seems a little excessive in nature.” Harry Mason, 1st Year Ancient History
“It would be better than the current signing in process which can be distracting. I would be concerned about how data was stored and as a clean freak, how hygienic it would be!” Rich Vine, 1st Year History
“On the one hand it’d be great because it would be so quick and simple. On the other hand, it wouldn’t be any more efficient than smartcard scanning.” Jack Voller, 3rd Year Economics and Business Management.
As violence continues between Israel and Gaza, Ralph Blackburn debates the best course of action for the Middle East and discusses if there is a point to the attacks on Gaza by Israel
RALPH BLACKBURN
A
fter eight days of fighting, another pointless attack on Gaza comes to an end, thankfully far quicker than Operation Cast Lead three years ago. The speed in which it has ended emphasises how futile the attack was, with perhaps the only result being the damage to Gazan infrastructure, and loss of Gazan life. Every time when perusing the internet, one comes across the same farcical explanation for Israeli violence. Either, if you keep hitting someone lightly they’ll hit back hard, or if you keep hitting a dog eventually it will bite, are bizarre tropes that are continually offered forward as excuses. Danny Ayalon, Deputy Foreign Minister of Israel, summed up the outrageous views of the government, stating, “I would say that most of the people that were hit in Gaza deserved it, as they were armed terrorists.” This comes after a UNICEF report stated that hundreds
“The problem is that this has been the only response from Israel for the last ten years” The Israeli reasoning, is that Hamas leaves them no choice, the only option left is violence. The problem is that this has been the only response from Israel for the last ten years. Between the year 2000 to 2011, 8,261 Palestinians have been killed, as a result of Israeli policies, with just over 51,000 Palestinians being
injured due to illegal Israeli settlements. Included in this is Operation Cast Lead, where 1,417 Palestinians were killed compared to 13 Israeli deaths. The point is that was all this violence worthwhile? Binyamin Netanyahu, Israel’s Prime Minister, thinks so, stating that all of the goals of the operation had succeeded, depleting Hamas and reducing the threat of terrorism. This however, is questionable.
“Surely this blockade only encourages terrorism.” Israel continually use the stick, never offering the carrot which is a fallible policy at best. Many Gazans see the conflict as a signal that armed resistance works far better than Mahmoud Abbas’ peaceful negotiations. Talal Okal, who was for many years a secular, left wing politician, far different to Hamas, commended them, “we don’t have a balance
ON THE BLOG
#7 - Pubes: Let’s not beat around the bush
Tough stance must be taken on Israel of children were injured, including a minimum of 88 under five years old. Over 160 Palestinians were killed over the eight days, with the bombing raids targeting press agency buildings, with a hotel many British journalists were staying attacked via airstrike.
LYDIA CARROLL
of power with Israel. But now because of Hamas we have influence and that makes a better situation.” Comments by William Hague blaming Hamas for the violence entirely misunderstand nature of living in Gaza. The Israeli blockade, which Danny Ayalon explained in an article for The Guardian this week, is Hamas’ fault; it is a punishment for terrorism. Surely this blockade only encourages terrorism. I in no way condone what action Hamas take, but given Nelson Mandela’s time in the ANC, a terrorist group, is looked upon lightly, surely we must study Hamas’ actions with similar caveats. The United Nations call the blockade “a denial of basic human rights in contravention with international law.” Unless a tougher stance is taken against Israel, violent action like we saw this week will in no way help the peace process, only hinder it.
Got an opinion you want to share? Come along to our meetings: Mondays 3pm in the History Room on Level 1 of the Students’ Union
So. I did Movember. With my body hair. I just let the hair grow out. But wait! Before your knee-jerk disgust forces you to stop reading, hear me out. What were the catalysts that motivated my radical Grovember decision? 1) PETA’s latest campaign, featuring a celebrity lady I’ve never heard of, with a wig down the front of her knickers, in imitation of over-spilling hair. The slogan: “FUR TRIM: Unattractive!” Now, if PETA had such a problem with the forcible removal of mammalian fur for fashion purposes, you’d think they’d also be wholly against women waxing and shaving, but alas, the hypocrisy was lost on them. 2) The LAD Bible rearing its ugly, gurning head. I know, I know: The LAD Bible is the pinnacle of ‘ironic’ sexism as banter, and as an easily irritated feminist I’d probably be better off sticking my head in a septic tank. Their latest vogue seems to be posting pictures of attractive women with minimal, normal hair glimpsed above their underwear, captioned: “Would you SMASH or DASH?? Nasty surprise down there!” Look through the comments left by viewers you soon see that this echoes genuine popular sentiment. How did this message filter through that women and hair is just disgusting, and you must get rid of it? Having any hair other than that on your head has become repulsive, and unnatural; the modern day equivalent of being a bearded lady in a cage at the local fair. It’s like hair has become some kind of peculiar twenty first century chastity belt, which keeps men away. ‘Bikini line’ maintenance has become just what women do to be normal, albeit costly, time consuming, and painful. Why?. Logically, you should only really be worried about your ‘bikini line’ if you’re constantly paranoid that someone’s going to spring a bikini on you at any time, force you to wear it, and make you walk up and down in front of people. Probably people with powerful binoculars, who read a lot of LAD Bible articles. Ranting aside, how has my Movember experience been? Well, pretty good. I am on average half an hour earlier getting to my boyfriend’s house (still an hour late, but small steps). I no longer itch chronically. I can spend my razor money on fun things, like lipstick and chorizo. And, I have not received one negative comment. Imagine if women could ‘have’ their body hair in the same way that men ‘have’ their beards. Some men have them. Some don’t. Some grow a full beard, wizard style. Goatees – whatever they want. Imagine if the same creativity and choice applied to female hair; if it was just another outlet for self expression in the same way as saying ‘I might wear red lipstick today’, rather than this constant denial that the hair exists. Or even better; imagine if body hair was something you never even had to think about. Just quietly having it, without feeling terrible. Like men. Ah, yes. Men. What do men want? Do they want women to have none? Some? Lots? Trimmed into the shape of the Batman logo? I don’t think it matters. Did my boyfriend hit me with a broom and chase me out onto the street, thinking a rat had invaded his bed? Nope. Because at the end of the day, what they want, I think, is a woman. The hair is irrelevant.
14.lifestyle
Monday 26 November 2012
The Courier
Lifestyle Editors: Em Rae, Catherine Davison and Ellie Cropper Online Editors: Rosie Devonshire and Colette Hunter
How to: Choose your profile picture
What goes through your mind when you’re picking your latest DP? Use our guide to find your perfect pic...
How often do you change your profile pic?
I see my snugglemuffin every fortnight Congratulations, you’re the luckiest person in the world! You and your little snugglemuffin have found everlasting love, complete with his ‘n’ hers onesies, cutesy baby talk and extreme PDA’s. Your Facebook page is a hub of love, showing every intimate detail of your relationship – who wouldn’t want to show off someone as charming as your smoochie-pookie? Your status is more romantic than Titanic and Love Actually combined, but that’s nothing compared to your profile pictures – a menagerie of tongues, sunsets and nudity. Anyway, why wouldn’t your friends and family want to see photographs of your post-coital c u d d l e s … i t ’s adorable, right?
START
Who do you visit most during term time?
Whenever I fancy a change
Words: Ellyn Bramley, Eleanor Moore, Jessica Belton, Erin Balden, Jen Alexander and Katie Smith.
Umm, after every night out, of course
Does every pic look like you’ve cricked your neck?
No Covered in band posters. You probably won’t have heard of them...
You wear t-shirts featuring obscure bands that no one has heard of; your musical taste is absolutely original. They look totally cool under the jumper you borrowed from your Grandad last year. Talk about vintage! The print looks way better on you anyway, and just so edgy. You wear black-rimmed glasses regardless of your perfect vision, but it’s such a classic look. An Instagram picture, complete with the perfect filter, means everyone can see how alternative you are. Phew. You wouldn’t want to be mistaken for some kind of mainstream Ugg-lover. Photo: Flickr, Phil Campbell
Wall montage of all my new besties, complete with a traffic cone some joker on my floor stole last week. Standard. You’ve just moved to Newcastle from a small town in Shropshire, and despite pretending that you get wasted on the reg with the gals from home you’re struggling with relentless ring of fire for pre-lash and being forced to down three trebles in Sinners. Freshers week was AMAZING because you can’t remember a thing. You love to get absolutely smashed from one VK and take photos with traffic cones. You have a collection of roadwork signs in halls, which you’ll be told to remove by the cleaners. Banter. Tucked in bed for half ten, covered in your own vomit, you’ll be hanging the next day but still on it for another messy night out. YOLO.
I Megabus it to my friends every now and then
What’s your Uni room like? Which one? That’s my cousins and I all lined up in height order You are totally devoted to your family. You love these natural pictures of you all hanging out in white t-shirts and blue jeans. Your dad and brother stand arm in arm, you and your mum hold hands. You’re really close to your mum and it’s really tough living away from her but ,of course you are Facebook friends and she comments on all of your pictures. You have a photo collage up in your room of all your besties from home and you all make frequent trips across the country to see each o t h e r… a n d your families, of course. Photo: Flickr, Amrufm
What are you more likely to be tagged kissing on Pull Cam? Some mug you’d rather not be reminded of
Hey, who’s the cute kid in your DP?
I don’t get it?
You love going out. In fact, you love the bit beforehand as much if not more. Pictures and pre-drinks, gossip with your bestest girls - followed by more pictures to ensure you got your ‘best side’. When you’re out you follow the camera man round striking your famous hand on hip, head titled to the side pose. After a few more drinks (preferably bought for you by some overly friendly guy at the bar), you hit the dancefloor to show off your most seductive moves. After countless trips to the toilet (involving appliance of more makeup and more pictures), the night draws to a close, your camera memory left full, and your actual memory of the night left somew h a t hazy the morning after.
My guns You have fond (albeit hazy) memories of your lads’ holiday. Zante 2k12 saw the best two weeks of your life and you will never forget it. Well, you can’t forget it due to the matching tattoos which really commemorate the times you had on the strip, all the ouzo you saw off and what a total Bantersaurus Rex you were. Your bromance with your main boy is summed up in that picture of you all on the booze cruise smashing the shots wearing wife-beaters. Ladies, roll up and buy your tickets to the gun show. You may all be at different unis but your bromance with the boys is solid.
Some orphan I saved, I totally lost count You’ve had an a-mah-zing year abroad, the time of your life, and have taken the coolest photos ever with the Nikon D3X that Mummy and Daddy got you as a going away prezzie - it would be a crime not to show everyone how you spent a whole year finding yourself. Everybody wants to, needs to and must see Machu Picchu in the background whilst you pose front and centre in your new alpaca jumper; how the sunset highlights the smile of the African orphan in your lap and finally you, covered in body paint, at the Full Moon Party, taking a well deserved break from your hard work building orphanages.
The Courier
Monday 26 November 2012
sex&relationshipslifestyle.15 thecourieronline.co.uk/lifestyle c2.lifestyle@ncl.ac.uk | @Courier_Life
Blind Date
Georgie Moule, 2nd year French, Spanish and History meets Tom Chapman, 3rd year Geography Tom on Georgie
Georgie on Tom What’s your usual type? I usually go for tall, dark and although it sounds kind of weird, I like guys that are a little awkward and shy. First impressions? He came across as nice straightaway. It really put me at ease that he text me beforehand telling me when and where he was going to meet me. He even texted telling me he’d set off ! He bought all my drinks all night so I thought he was a gentleman. Would they have caught your eye if they were walking down the street? I would maybe have noticed he was doing ‘Movember’, although it was kind of off putting. What was the weirdest thing you talked about? We didn’t talk about anything particularly radical. We did discuss our mutual friend and how unbelievably shit his tattoos are! Any awkward moments? There was one moment when the conversation stopped for a moment, it wasn’t really awkward but instead of waiting for it to pass he said “So, what are you into then?”. I didn’t really know what to say or do at that point. Did anyone dominate the conversation? Not really, we both seemed to carry the conversation quite well. I was a bit worried because I’d been warned that he was very chatty and confident so I thought I might not be able to get a word in edgeways. It turned out we were both fairly equal. Halfway through the date, would you have ‘No likey, no lightey’-ed by now? No, that’s really mean! He didn’t do anything wrong at all, it was just a shame there was no spark. What was their most attractive physical feature? Probably his smile and he did have nice eyes, I think they could have been blue... What was their worst personality trait? He was a smoker, which I’m not a fan of. Although, he was polite about it. When we went outside, he asked me whether it was OK if he lit up. Do you think they fancied you? No, I think he thought of me as a friend. He did walk me home though which was really kind of him. Were you tempted to lean in for a kiss? No, but we did have hug on the doorstep. Even if I’d wanted to kiss him, the moustache would have put me right off ! Would your parents approve? My Dad is 6 foot 5 so I reckon their initial meeting would have been quite awkward seeing as he was quite small. I think as long as he was chatty and a nice guy, my Mum would have liked him. Marks out of 10? 6.5/10 Snog, marry or avoid? Marry, because he’s a nice guy.
What’s your usual type? I normally go for brunettes. I normally go for exotic looking girls and they’ve got to be fun and bubbly. However I wouldn’t limit myself to just that type. First impressions? She came across as a really nice girl and I thought she was pretty. She’s not my usual type but that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. Would they have caught your eye if they were walking down the street? To be honest probably not, but that’s probably just a personal type thing. What was the weirdest thing you talked about? We didn’t really talk about anything weird. We chatted about all sorts of things - she likes The Smiths so that was some common ground. We were chatting in Spy Bar for about 3 hours. Any awkward moments? There were a few awkward pauses but I did try my best to save them. One time she laughed at my attempt though which kinda made it more awkward. Did anyone dominate the conversation? I don’t think so, I would say we were pretty even. Halfway through the date, would you have ‘No likey, no lightey’-ed by now? No I wouldn’t have turned my light off. Like I said, she was a nice girl. What was their most attractive physical feature? I noticed on the date that she had a nice smile. What was their worst personality trait? I didn’t notice anything terrible in the three hours we spent together. There were a few pauses in conversation but that wasn’t anyone’s particular fault. Do you think they fancied you? It didn’t feel like there was any particular chemistry between us. So she probably didn’t, but who knows. Were you tempted to lean in for a kiss? Not really, but I did walk her home. It wouldn’t have really been right. Would your parents approve? Yeah definitely. She’s a really nice girl and a budding journalist so there’s nothing not to like. Marks out of 10? 7/10 Snog, marry or avoid? I think she’d be a marry. She was a nice girl who you could have a lot of fun with.
Unlucky in love? The Courier is here to help! Send your details to c2.lifestyle@ncl.ac.uk
16.lifestyle
Monday 26 November 2012
The Courier
thecourieronline.co.uk/lifestyle c2.lifestyle@ncl.ac.uk | @courier_life
Fitz’s World of Food - Italy Food is something to be passionate about, whether you like cooking it or just stuffing your face with it! There’s a whole world of food out there just waiting to be explored and I’m going to show you some of the best dishes from all corners of the globe, so you can recreate them in your own kitchen and impress all your mates! This week, we’re trying out Italian cuisine. Italian food is so diverse and varies regionally. Here are two classics which everyone should learn how to make well: Risotto and Tiramisu. They’re super indulgent and the ultimate comfort food, perfect for combating those winter blues; after all, Tiramisu translates for “pick me up”. So here is the secret to making an oozing chicken mushroom and asparagus Risotto and a Tiramisu to die for. Risotto Ingredients: Olive oil 1 Onion 2 Cloves of garlic, crushed 100g Mushrooms, roughly chopped 2 Chicken breast, chopped 300g Arborio rice Glass of white wine Grated parmesan 1.5L of chicken stock Asparagus 1. In a wide saucepan, on high heat, add a splash of olive oil and brown the chicken. Reduce to a medium heat and add the mushrooms. 2. In a separate saucepan, leave 1.5L of chicken stock on a gentle heat. 3. In the original pan, with a large knob of butter cook the onion and garlic on high heat, until soft. 4. Stir in the Arborio rice and fry for 1-2 minutes; you should start to see the grains turn translucent. Add a glass of white wine and stir, let the alcohol simmer off and reduce to a medium heat. Season with salt and pepper. 5. Add the stock, one ladle at a time stirring throughout. Ensure not to boil the rice. 6. When the rice is almost cooked, stop adding stock, stir through the chicken and mushrooms and remove from the heat. Stir through parmesan and if you want a luxurious restaurant finish add a splash of cream. 7. Serve over a bed of griddled or steamed asparagus and garnish with a sprig of parsley.
Diary of a Party Girl
#5 - Geordie Style Lavinia Eastwood I lived up in Newcastle all through this last summer, having moved into the house early and worked at a few bars in Jesmond and down on the Quayside. Without the students the Toon is an entirely different place, at least as far as the outfits on nights out are concerned. The Geordies like to glam up and really make an effort, so not to be left behind my summer party wardrobe was full of sparkly dresses, pretty skirts, blazers and (shock, horror) even heels. Out at night, there isn’t an army jacket or a pair of ripped fishnets in sight, and I can pretty much guarantee the local girls would sooner break all ten acrylic nails than shove their hair up into a 90s style scrunchie. Once the super solid safe kids have returned from London, the look of the city transforms, and I’m not convinced it’s for the better. The Geordies tend to get a lot of stick for the way they dress. It’s a classic part of Newcastle that
Restaurant Review The Living Room
will never go unmentioned, whether it’s the skin-tight shirts being paraded around on ‘Geordie Shore’ or comedians discussing the girls’ complete disregard of the concept of tights. And here is where I begin to sympathise, perhaps due to being semi-Northern myself. Whilst standing in the queue for the loos in The Den last Friday night, I commented on a girl’s outfit ahead to someone standing behind me (drunkenly befriending people in the toilets – you definitely do it too). ‘I really like what she’s wearing,’ I said, to which the reply was ‘Yeah…but like, why isn’t she wearing tights?!’ Why would she be? Because it’s cold in this packed and sweaty club? Where’s your coat then?! We’re inside, it doesn’t matter. Don’t think though that the Geordie’s are happy to sit back and take the criticism people seem so keen to dish out. If you were ever to happen across the Twitter account @ ToonLassProbs you’ll soon see a lot of the hashtag #fuckstudentsandtheirkittenheels. In fact, the
Matthew Fitzpatrick
On arrival we were impressed. Chris, our waiter, greeted us with a beaming smile, and treated us like royalty. On more than one occasion we had not one, but two waiters serving us at the same time! They were very attentive, had a great knowledge of the menu and were keen to offer their opinions. The interior is beautifully decorated, with high ceilings, wooden beams and potted plants, and the addition of dimmed lighting creates a very calming ambience. Our only criticisms were that the tables were a little too wide to have a private conversation, and the reasonably high prices – it’s more of a setting for a celebration than a casual Sunday afternoon lunch. The ‘Sunday Comforts Menu’ is the Sunday Lunch special (although the regular menu is also available if you prefer something lighter). It is a set menu offering two courses for £14 or three courses for £17.
Illustrations: Francesca Ede and Daisy Billowes
Opening times: Sun - Wed: 7am - 12am Thurs: 7am - 1am Fri and Sat: 7am - 2am 12 Grey Street NE1 6AE 0191 2554450
Tiramisu Ingredients: Pack of sponge fingers 3 eggs 200ml Strong coffee 4 tbsp Amaretto/Tia Maria 60g Caster sugar 100ml double cream 1 heaped tbsp cocoa 500g Mascarpone cheese 60g Plain chocolate 1. In a large mixing bowl soften the mascarpone with a wooden spoon whilst adding 1 tbsp of liqueur. Mix the rest of the liqueur with the coffee. 2. In a separate bowl, whisk two egg whites forming soft peaks. 3. In a separate bowl again, whisk 1 egg and the yolks from your other two eggs with the caster sugar until thick and pale in colour. Then gradually add this into the mascarpone mixture and whisk. 4. Beat the cream and stir into the mascarpone mix, and then fold in the egg whites with a spoon. 6. Grate the chocolate and stir in cocoa powder. 7. One at a time, dunk the sponge fingers in the coffee mixture and fill the bottom of your serving dish with them. Sprinkle over a third of the cocoa mix and spoon over half the mascarpone mixture. Repeat the layering once more and scatter the remaining cocoa mix on top. 8. I decorated the top of mine with curls of chocolate. To create them, run a knife firmly along the flat side of a bar of chocolate.
girl in charge has written her own blog post which perfectly sums up their attitude to us, and wouldn’t hurt some denimjacket-clad offenders to have a quick read of. So what can we learn from the inhabitants of this city that we know and love? It’s that making an effort from time to time is not something to be mocked. In fact, if you’ve got a problem with fake tan, then I’ve got a problem with you. I’m not saying rush off and Tango yourselves, but it’s a fact that tan makes everyone look a little bit better. It’s the important part of the GTL (Gym, Tan, Laundry) lifestyle, which without the T would really just be a short list of dull chores. So my challenge to you is dress up this week – you never know, you might like it.
To start we chose the Thai Chilli Fishcakes and the Butternut Squash, dolcelatté, walnut and honey tart. The portion sizes were both just right for a starter, not too big but not too small. We both definitely preferred the tart as the fishcakes had a slightly earthy taste. It was the perfect start to our meal, as it was enjoyable whilst not being too heavy, so we looked forward with anticipation to the arrival of our main course! For main course we had the traditional roast beef with horseradish and homemade gravy – a typical Sunday roast, and smoked haddock with mashed potato, poached egg and hollandaise sauce. The cabbage that accompanied the roast was particularly delicious, and having asked to have the meat pink, it was cooked to perfection! The haddock was incredible. There were ample amounts of hollandaise sauce and the egg and fish combination was
“the egg and fish combination was mouthwatering” mouth-watering. The starter and main course were delicious however dessert definitely came out on top! There were four options, and the decision to pick just one was unbearable! We reached the conclusion that we would much prefer to avoid the starter and main courses and enjoy three courses of dessert instead. However deciding that this was socially unacceptable we were forced to exercise some restraint. After much deliberating, we decided to opt for the sticky toffee pudding with vanilla ice cream (which Chris informed us was homemade that day) and chocolate truffle cake with vanilla ice cream coated in honeycomb. The huge smiles on our faces and the lack of conversation portray just how sensational our choices were! In all, we had a very enjoyable dinner, and would recommend The Living Room to everyone. Ideally it is the perfect setting for a birthday celebration, family dinner or a date. The service was impeccable and our food was absolutely delicious and arrived without delay! However if you don’t fancy a three course meal, then why not just pop in for dessert… we would! Sian Ayling and Tara Fenttiman
The Courier
lifestyle.17
Monday 26 November 2012
Lifestyle Editors: Em Rae, Catherine Davison and Ellie Cropper Online Editors: Rosie Devonshire and Colette Hunter
One member of Social Tennis Club drops her balls and tries out the shuttlecock instead...
When I was offered the chance to play badminton in society swap for The Courier, I leapt at the opportunity. I used to love playing and even competed for the county at one point, but after school I found it difficult to find the time to play, so an opportunity for a game brought back lots of memories and made me excited to find out how good I still was! As a regular member of Social Tennis, I also wondered how much difficulty I would have in swapping back to my old sport: although they look similar from a distance, the two sports require very different techniques. Held every Saturday afternoon in the Sports Centre, these sessions are, like Social Tennis, designed for those who love playing but aren’t quite good enough to make the team. I arrived, 5 minutes late and having forgotten my badminton racket – very unprepared! Fortunately this meant that I got to watch the first round of matches and eye up the competition, and between everyone there, there were plenty of rackets to go round when people weren’t playing. Because there are only six courts and lots of people wanting to play, and badminton is obviously only a four player game even when played in doubles, we all had to take it in turns on the courts. I was asked my name and given a peg, and the pegs are moved along a board; when your peg reaches the front of the board it’s your turn to have a go, and after your go your peg is moved to the back again. This means that you are paired randomly depending on when everyone finishes their last game, which is lots of fun because you get to play with members of all different abilities and get to meet lots of new people whom you might not otherwise have had a chance to chat to. By the time my name reached the front of the board and it was my turn to play, I was starting to feel a bit nervous - everyone seemed so good! However, I was paired with a lovely guy called Jonathan who reassured me that he also hadn’t played badminton in years, so after that I felt a lot
less nervous. It was a little bit awkward when he started explaining all of the rules to me, obviously thinking that I was a complete beginner – after explaining that I’d played before at a pretty high standard and was just a bit rusty, he looked a bit embarrassed! After a shaky start I soon remembered that the shuttlecock required a considerably different touch to a tennis ball and stopped trying to whack it out of the court, my technique improved and I forgot about feeling nervous and out of place and started to enjoy myself. We played to fifteen points and in the end Jonathan and I thrashed our opponents, so I obviously haven’t forgotten everything! Overall I had a really good time, made lots of new friends and remembered why it was that I used to love badminton so much. I will definitely be going back next Saturday! Niamh Kirby
Hottie of the Week
Danny Youssef, 20
Interviewed by Sian Ayling and Tara Fenttiman
Single or Taken: Taken What do you look for in a girl? I like her to be shorter than me (but only slightly), brunette, funny and fit. If you had to choose two people (dead or alive) to sit next to at a dinner party who would it be? The first person I’d choose would be Eminem because I have been listening to him since I was twelve, and have always loved him. The second would be Malcolm X because I think his conversation topics would be very interesting and he would start up a good debate. What is your best chat up line? 07780871133 Most prized possession? My Beats headphones and my Nike trainers Your best quality? My charm Who would win a fight: a bear or a lion? Obviously a bear! Because he can stand on two feet or four, has sharper teeth and is twice the size.
With Pandora EdwardsGrey Image: Jinx! on Flickr Jonathan, Niamh’s partner in her first game of badminton for a number of years, discusses how she did... As her partner in the first game, how do you think Niamh did on her first badminton session with the club? Really well, I was surprised! It was obvious once she got into the swing of the game that she’d played before. Any funny or embarrassing moments? Only that I must have sounded like an idiot explaining everything to her when it turns out that she already knew the rules from when she used to play, and had learnt them when she was about 5! She also turned out to be better than me, which was a bit embarrassing... What was her best quality as a badminton player? She was a genuinely good all-round player but if I had to pick something it would be her drop shot. Why should people come and try out Badminton Society? Because it’s loads of fun and a brilliant way to meet people! We have team training, social badminton, and we are also always out on a Wednesday, so there’s plenty to keep you occupied.
Fancy trying something new and promoting your own society in the process? Get involved with Society Swap! Email us at c2.lifestyle@ newcastle.ac.uk or tweet us @Courier_Life.
Trending Topics of the week #10ThingsIHateAboutMyself A wave of low self-esteem hit recently, as users began to air their biggest insecurities to the world. From being lazy to feeling fat, apparently Lady Gaga’s ‘Born This Way’ has fallen on deaf ears to the population of Twitter. #Bulge A tight-trouser wearing Olly Murs caused a hot flush around the Twittersphere at the weekend after his performance on The X Factor. Wellendowed or clever crotch stuffing? Either way, it’s simply wonderful to see Twitter being used effectively. #AMA2012 Justin Bieber dominated the American Music Awards this year, taking home three trophies – much to the delight of the Twitter Belieber community. With an MC Hammer/Psy mash-up, the AMA’s 2012 was bound to cause a Twitter overload. #Christmas With Christmas fast approaching (less than a month to go!) the excitement of sparkling lights, frosty mornings and copious amount of mulled wine is growing. Time to get the fluffy socks out, make a hot chocolate and settle down in front of The Grinch! #WhenIWasACarrot Despite the complete disregard for biological constraints, users trended this topic for a whole 8 hours. Yeah, I don’t understand either. Tweet of the Week @weirdhorse ‘Just met a really old, generous cow. I think it’s Udder Teresa.’ Yet another philosophical observation on life from our favourite farm animal, Weird Horse. Eleanor Moore
19th November Walking down Osborne Road I bumped into Louisa, and thought ‘put some makeup on, your skin is not good enough for that’, but I gave her a one arm hug and a kiss on one cheek anyway. Pretended that I cared how her day was but really I was just thinking, ‘let’s make this quick because I want to see Henry.’ It’s so funny because she likes him. He’s so sweet, yesterday he got me a prawn and salmon sushi pack from Pret and brought it to the library. I was doing an intense session for mid semester assignments, so it really helped me through it. It’s so funny because she thinks he’s really into her but I know he’s bought two tickets to go to Val d’Isère at Christmas and I sure know who the second ticket is for. Me. 20th November Went into lectures, everyone was saying how great it was that Obama won the election. I have no idea what’s going on with all that stuff, Daddy tends to write my essays for me. He’s an MP. It was so great, over summer he got me some work experience shadowing DC (that’s David Cameron to you). It was a real eye opener. That job isn’t as easy as it looks. Had a meeting with my tutor because he’s worried about my progress. Averaged a third last year. But Daddy told me not to get worked up about it because he’s got a job lined up for me after graduation. Well after I’ve taken a year out to go travelling. Again. Third year is all about the party. Getting up late, going to bed late, it’s non-stop. It’s great because I always miss breakfast, not that I’d ever eat it anyway. Too carby. I’m doing this new thing where I just eat seeds and raisins and then have 4 multi vitamins before bed. Lost five pounds last week so it’s really working. 23rd November Friday night. Had an awful week, Mummy put £200 in my account so I could treat the other girls to a nice meal. We deserve it, been such a stressful week writing one essay. Mummy really understands because Daddy’s away on business all week, every week, so she gets how stressful life can be sometimes. Went to this cute place on the Quayside, Malmaison. I had a salad and a Martini. Only had half the salad, it was so filling and the cocktail went straight to my head. Tanqueray Export Gin does it to me every time. It was so tiring so we ended up staying the night and then had a spa day the following day. Really good to get out of Jesmond and away from all the drama.
Ellie Cropper, Ellyn Bramley and Frances Allenby Illustrations: Francesca Ede and Daisy Billowes
18.fashion
Monday 26 November 2012
The Courier
Fashion Editors: Elissa Hudson and Lizzie Hampson Online Fashion Editor: Sally Greenwood
Daisystreet.co.uk style-off
Fashion Editors Lizzie Hampson, Sally Greenwood and Elissa Hudson style their favourite pieces from award-winning online boutique daisystreet.co.uk Disco Pants: £20.99
Mohair Jumper: £19.99
Jumper: £20, New Look Hat: £22, Topshop Boots: £70, New Look
Skirt: £12, Primark Boots: £60, Urban Outfitters ‘Super cosy’ tights: £3.50, Primark
Over the past few months, Disco Pants have quickly become a musthave item, but at £72 from American Apparel, they’re not tailored for everybody’s budgets. Thankfully there are some less expensive versions out there, like these from daisystreet.co.uk. They may seem daunting at first, but Disco Pants actually flatter you in all the right places. Because they’re fairly thick, they’re also perfect for night’s out during the winter, meaning they’re a great piece to invest in.
I was pleasantly surprised by this jumper. Described as having a ‘mohair effect’ texture, I must say I was dubious to how comfortable it would be to wear. However, this jumper is the softest piece of knitwear I own. Its texture is absolutely gorgeous, and I really like the way it can be worn off the shoulder if you choose. It’s thick enough to keep you warm in the upcoming winter months, and the raspberry/wine colour is vibrant enough for a night out.
The charcoal colour of this pair makes them easy to wear in the daytime or at night-time. Here, I’ve paired them with a simple long, black jumper, a wine coloured, furry winter hat and black, heeled boots for a casual yet put together daytime look. For night-time, I’d probably pair them with a fairly simple but dressy top. I definitely wouldn’t choose something too over the top, as their shiny texture works best with something simpler on top. Lizzie Hampson
I decided to pair this jumper with my all-time favourite bargain piece, Primark’s leather skater skirt. I was a bit worried about putting together an overwhelming amount of textures, however I think this look works. Paired with the comfiest high heeled boots I’ve ever owned, I would happily wear this outfit for drinks on Osborne Road. I like how versatile this jumper is; an advantage to that is down to its unusual texture and rich colour. Sally Greenwood
For 15% off at daisystreet.co.uk, enter this code at the checkout:
CASTLE15
Studded Boots: £37.99
Coat: £39.99, H&M Blazer: £30, River Island Dress: £3, Zara (via charity shop) Belt: vintage Necklace: £3, Primark The Chloé ‘Susanna’ studded boots have become a firm celebrity favourite over the course of the past year, and as is the case with all catwalk success stories, ‘Susanna’ inspired boots have been cropping up all over the high-street. Daisystreet.co.uk is no exception. Their ‘Draco’ ankle boots are available in tan and black and at just £37.99, they allow you to channel the Chloé look without spending £846 on the real deal. I’ve chosen to pair my daisystreet.co.uk ‘Draco’ boots with a plain black skater dress, adding a bit of interest at the waistline with a textured leopard print and brown leather belt. By keeping the rest of my outfit fairly simple and neutral toned, which is the kind of look I usually go for anyway, the boots become the main feature. The herringbone blazer separates the expanse of black in the outfit whilst still keeping things simple enough to allow the boots to remain the main focus of the look. By adding this H&M coat over my outfit, the idea of keeping things toned-down may have slightly been discarded, but the fur trim makes the outfit feel much more wintery, and as the boots are at the opposite end of the outfit, I feel like it’s acceptable to wear two statement pieces together. Elissa Hudson
The Courier
fashion.19
Monday 26 November 2012
An outfit for under £80
thecourieronline.co.uk/fashion c2.fashion@ncl.ac.uk | @Courier_Fashion
Rebecca Adam takes on the challenge of putting together a budget outfit for a night out, here’s how she did... Belt: £3, Primark
Skinted to minted Bucket Bags
Sequined Dress: £35, ASOS
I put a plain black belt with this outfit to clinch in the waist and divide up the block sequins. When you’re wearing a dress as eye-catching as this, it is important not to overload on accessories. Anything with more detail than the belt I’ve used would clash terribly and make the outfit look cheap.
I bought this dress recently in the sale. I think it’s perfect for the party season as it’s a real statement piece. The embellishments are on trend at the moment, meaning it will stand out at a Christmas party. When opting for sequins, I always like to make sure that the dress is well made. Nobody wants to suffer the nightmare of leaving half the embellishments on their dress in the food at a Christmas party! This is why this bargain from ASOS.com is perfect as it’s not cheaply made like some high-street knock offs and is also great if you’re shopping on a budget!
Shopping under a budget means you have to try and cut corners with money wherever you can, without letting your outfit suffer. So don’t forget, although accessories are a must, they don’t need to break the bank. The one used in this outfit is a steal from Primark!
Top tip: Be open-minded! If you’re looking for a bargain, try places like Garage shoes and Quiz in Eldon Square, rather than heading straight for the Topshop sale.
Top tip:
Primark, £8 When skint and on the hunt for a handbag, especially when looking for leather, it’s always quite the feat to find one that doesn’t have the ‘plasticy’ look. This Primark number is not what you might expect, it looks and feels quite the opposite of cheap and nasty faux leather and is almost an exact duplicate of the real deal (and by real deal, I mean the infamous Zara bucket bag) for under ten pounds, bargain!
Leave your card at home, and take cash. By having actual money in your hand, you’re likely to be more aware of exactly what you’re spending, meaning that you’ll find it easier to stick to your budget.
Clutch: £5, Freshman’s Vintage Store in Sheffield Vintage shopping is great if you’re on a budget; I found this plain black clutch in a vintage store in my home-town, it’s perfect for nights out. I added it to this outfit because it is very plain, I wouldn’t want to over accessorise such a statement dress.
Shoe Boots: £35, M&S These are my favourite winter shoes that I have bought recently; they are perfect for night or day and I chose to add them to this outfit to dress it down a little and give it a bit of edge. Heels aren’t for everybody and are especially risky in the icy winter weather, so these boots are a handy alternative.
When trying to find a complete outfit for under a certain amount, do not under estimate the potential of vintage and charity shops! Often you’ll find high-street and sometimes even designer bags that people no longer want for a fraction of the price. Also remember leather is expensive, so a good quality faux leather replica can work just as well.
Again, I kept my shoes quite simple so they don’t divert attention from the dress. If i was going fro drinks with my friends I would simply put a leather jacket with this outfit to keep the North-East winds at bay and finish off the outfit with a bit of edge.
Top tip: Be open-minded! If you’re looking for a bargain, try places like Garage shoes and Quiz in Eldon Square, rather than heading straight for the Topshop sale.
A-shu, £24.99 One of life’s greatest problems is hearing your phone ring whilst it’s lurking in the bottom of a bucket bag; the frantic rummage never ends well. A-Shu’s answer to the classic shape comes with this nifty detachable pouch, ideal for zipping away valuables and of course, making things easy to find. The removable strap and classic shape make it the perfect bag to carry those hefty books around Uni, without having an equally hefty price tag!
GladRAGs fashion show An evening of fashion hosted by RAG in aid of the Teenage Cancer Trust
NUSU’s Raising and Giving team are hosting an exclusive fashion show in aid of the Teenage Cancer Trust on Tuesday 27th November at 7.30pm The event is being held in the Union’s Venue and will be a night full of beautiful models, wardrobe inspiration and will feature a special appearance from the University’s rugby team. Tickets are selling fast so get yourself on the guestlist at the NUSU reception as soon as you can, or you can just turn up and pay on the door!
Dune, £140 As a real investment buy, this Dune beauty really is the cream of the crop. A handbag, especially in a classic shape like this, is timeless and means spending a little bit more than you usually would is definitely worth it. Worrying about your bag looking cheap is not an issue here as Dune are renowned for luxury and quality; this bag is versatile and classic. Amy O’Rourke
20.listings26November-2December
Monday 26 November 2012
The Courier
Listings Editor: Sally Priddle
Monday Steve Hughes: Big Issues
7pm The Stand Comedy Club
Inimitable Australian comic and ex heavy metal drummer, Steve Hughes embarks upon his eagerlyawaited debut tour. Direct from sell-out shows at the Sydney and Melbourne Comedy Festivals and storming sets on Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow (BBC One), Stand Up For The Week (CH4) and One Night Stand (Dave). Expect intelligent, straight-talking social commentary from one of the most original and thought-provoking performers to grace the UK circuit. Tickets £14 available from The Stand’s website or box office.
Tuesday Debate on Racism in Football 5.30pm The History Room, Students’
Union The NUSU Convenor of Debates and Racial Equality Officer will be holding a debate titled ‘ This House would punish football clubs for racist incidents committed by their fans or players’ Guest Speakers: Ged Grebby, CEO of Show Racism the Red Card. Mike Coulson, Secretary Gateshead FC.
Aladdin: The Pantomime
7pm, 27 Nov - 19 Jan Theatre Royal
Dirty Three 8pm The Sage
Dirty Three are the renowned Melbourne trio comprising Jim White, Mick Turner and Warren Ellis. Hard to categorise but instantly recognisable, their style draws from alternative folk roots, the enormity of nature and a real connectivity of improvisation and creative bravery. Their latest album, Toward The Low Sun, might be described as a punk avant-garde art-jazz record – the sound of the band heading back toward the raw electricity and excitement of their roots. Tickets £17.50 available from The Sage’s webiste or box office.
It is Panto time people...oh yes it is! A long time ago in the far off city of Newcastle, just north of Peking, lived a boy called Aladdin – join him on a magical carpet ride for another lavish Theatre Royal pantomime. Theatre Royal favourites Clive Webb (Mr Twankey), Danny Adams (Aladdin) and Chris Hayward (The Empress of China) return in another unmissable show packed with genies by the lamp-load, an abundance of laughs, spectacular sets and stunning costumes. Tickets from £11 available from the Theatre Royal’s website or box office.
Gladrags fashion takeover 7.30pm Students’ Union
Ben Kenwright presents: Soul Sister 7.30pm, 26 Nov - 1 Dec Mill Volvo Tyne Theatre
The story follows the highs and lows, passions and heartbreak, of Ike and Tina as their careers soared and their marriage crumbled. Full of heart and soul, electrifying chorography, and stunning musical numbers, Soul Sister is sure to have you on your feet, partying the night away. Tickets from £11.50 available from Mill Volvo’s wesbite or box office
Join RAG for their first event of the year: an exclusive fashion show in support of Teenage Cancer Trust in memory of the young people who have lost their battle with cancer. Whether you are looking for wardrobe inspiration, interested in the beautiful models or just want a good night for a good cause then come along and support RAG! Tickets are £10 and available from the Union’s reception
Wednesday Thursday Animal Health Conference 1.15pm, Clement Stephenson
Annual Animal health conference organised by 3rd year Agriculture and Animal Science students Free for all
Ray Harryhausen: Special effects titan 6pm Tyneside Cinema
There’s only one person who so accurately personifies movie magic in the history of film, and that man is special effects maestro Ray Harryhausen. Focusing on the man behind the landmark effects on films like Clash Of The Titans, Jason And The Argonauts and many more, this in-depth film features interviews with the great man himself, and with an array of animators and directors influenced by his work. Tickets available from the box office.
Setting yourself up for success
Time: TBC
What’s in it for you? - Meet like minded people and share experiences - A chance to take stock of your unique skills and talents - Identify what ‘lights your eyes up’ and keeps you motivated - Learn how to get noticed without feeling big headed - Take away something to keep your vision for success alive Workshop attendance based on application process. Details of event confirmed upon success of candidate. Email v.dorling@ ncl.ac.uk for an application form closing date Monday 26 November.
Illustration: Fran Ede
2.
Monday 26 November 2012
The Courier
It’s time to have your say LAURA PERRY NUSU PRESIDENT
S
o, it’s that time of year again! People run around in coloured t-shirts, facebook is deluged with endless notifications, and the campus goes wild for your vote in the Students’ Union elections! This autumn week each year, the whole campus turns into a wash of brightly coloured, hassle-factor-guaranteed, keen beans – who just want you to vote! They’ll be throwing flyers at you, knocking on every door in Halls and plastering posters across the University just to gain your attention. WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT? The madness that is Freshers’ Week and the International Students’ Welcome Week... The na-
tional campaigns run on your behalf... the epic socials that could be organised for your Halls... all of these are organised and decided upon by elected student representatives. Every current student at Newcastle University has the right to have their say through an online vote, ranking each candidate in order of preference where “1” is your favourite. This week, you’ll need to choose who should organise Freshers’ Week in September 2013; who will represent the University at the NUS (National Union of Students) conference in 2013; who would be best to champion the rights of international students on our campus and who’s going to make the biggest difference in your Halls of Residence! All manifestos and candidates’ details are available online at www.nusu.co.uk/elections The ballots will open at 4pm on Monday 26 and close at 12pm midday on Thursday 29 November at www.nusu.co.uk/vote Any questions during the week? Feel free to drop me an e-mail at president.union@ncl.ac.uk
HOW DO I CHOOSE?
During elections week, candidates will be out and about asking you to vote for them; you can read their manifestos and ask them why they think they will be good for the role. We will also have a Candidates Question
Time, where candidates will each give a short speech and answer questions from you on why they think they’re the ones for the job. Come downstairs to the Students’ Union Venue at midday, Monday 26 November.
WHO IS RON? Do none of the candidates in a particular ballot seem like a good choice to you? Well, that’s not excuse not to vote give RON a chance. No, not either of the Rons
pictured here - RON stands for ‘Re-Open Nominations’. If RON wins a ballot, the nominations you guessed it - are opened again to allow different candidates to put themselves forward.
WHEN ARE THE RESULTS?
Elections results will be announced from 6pm, Friday 30 November in the Students’ Union Venue, just down the stairs from Mens Bar on Level -1 of the SU. Candidates are told the results in a separate room and successful candidates will emerge onto the stage to say a few words. Come along
to find out first, just exactly who the new Officers are. Hopefully we now have you convinced! Unable to make it down for the results on Friday night? Don’t forget to check out The Courier next Monday for full results.
WHY SHOULD I VOTE?
It’s all “by students, for students” and about having a good time here – choose the people that best represent your views and you’ll end up with a pretty decent SU. Your Students’ Union is run by elected student Officers. These people oversee the campaigns, services and facilities that your SU offers, they advocate student views in many University, local and national meetings, and generally strive to improve the student experience while studying at Newcastle. If you think that you’ve never had anything to do with the Students’ Union, then you may be mistaken. Are you a member of a society or sports club? Ever been part of or would like to take part in Freshers’ or RAG Crew? Have you ever given feedback on your course
to a course rep, or taken part in a Students’ Union campaign? Hell, we may have even served you some food or a beverage… If you answer yes to any of these questions, then the Students’ Union has hopefully had a positive impact on your experiences here. An elected student officer even runs the very paper you are reading. Therefore it’s really important to use your vote in electing the best candidate for the job. In these Elections, the Freshers’ Week Organisers tasked with sorting out the best introduction to Newcastle in September 2013 are elected, along with the International Officer, NUS Delegates for the upcoming NUS (National Union of Students) conference, and Hall Representatives for the University halls of residence.
HOW DO I VOTE?
All voting takes place online at nusu.co.uk/ vote. Log in using your student login details and you’ll see a list of ballots and the candidates who are standing for election (you will already be logged in if you are on a campus computer). Simply put a ‘1’ next to your first choice candidate, a ‘2’ next to your second choice, and so on. If you like, you can just put a ‘1’ next to your favourite candidate and leave it at that, or just ‘1’ and ‘2’, and so forth. In our Students’ Union, we use the Alternative Vote (AV) system. A candidate must have 50 per cent + one of the votes to win the election. If this is not reached in the first round of voting, then the candidate with the lowest votes
is removed and their second votes are counted. This is repeated until a candidate has 50% + one of the total votes, so second and third votes carry just as much weight and everyone’s votes are taken into account. Voting is open from 4pm Monday 26 November until 12pm Thursday 29 November - any and every Newcastle student can vote. You will notice that for each position running there is another candidate, ‘RON’ (Re-Open Nominations), he’s not actually a real person… Choose RON as your first preference if you’d like the Officer position to remain unfilled because you reckon none of the remaining candidates reflect your wishes.
VOTE ONLINE NOW:
nusu.co.uk/vote
The Courier
electionsmanifestos.3
Monday 26 November 2012
FRESHERS’ WEEK ORGANISERS • Amazing on site entertainment • Theming the DAY as well as the night! Fuel the freshers! Barbecues and grub crawls throughout the day!
CREME FRESH We plan to utilise our union to full potential throughout the day and create a true hub of activity. A week based around one central theme!!! Activities: Aiming for interactive smartcard sign up system. We want to keep the union busy! • Showcase our societies • Great offers and giveaways
Party through the era’s: A TRUE BATTLE OF THE HALLS. Battle around the bars of the toon with historic fancy dress starting from the comfort of their halls. Swing into to the 1900s, party in style! Glad rags, monocles you name it! The music generation: hippies to punk rockers return! True British festival: an all day blowout! Home grown talent from the union into the gate, only the best current acts! PANDAMONIUM: A futuristic fresher’s week favourite! Featuring one huge act. The Friday De-fresh... • Massages, detox packs, need we say more? • “Beyond freshers” information Experience Twelve weeks experience as supervisor and crew on fresher’s week and RAG. Multiple Union Council and sport/society committee positions. The past, the present and the fresher. Amey, Charlie, Henry and Mike xxx
you can chew on the streets of the toon • HEAVEN AND HELL- guilty pleasure, or just rewards? • TMP: THE TOWN MOOR PROJECT– Mud, music and madness. Experience euphoria as we storm the moor. • ALTERNATIVE NIGHTS – rock gigs, comedy nights. Real university experience • REFRESHERS– whole week of events after Fresher’s Week dedicated to 2nd and 3rd years
FRESH DIRECTION 2013 is the year to freshen things up; we’re going in a FRESH DIRECTION!! WHAT WE AIM TO ACHIEVE! Why party for just 5 days? The Longer, The Better… 6 days of fresher’s week! • JURASSIC PLAYGROUND - battle of the halls, takin’ it back to the old school • PANDAMONIUM AND THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS - Pandas are the root of all evil!! • THE BLACKOUT- lights off, party on! • ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE - bite off more than
INVOLVEMENT? • Themed daytime HALL EVENTS • GUINNESS WORLD RECORD ATTEMPTset a new one every day! • Gender specific daytime events • More venues and larger capacity on trips and events • Enforcing better communications throughout FW2013, utilising texts and online sign-up. CAN WE PULL IT OFF? 14 weeks Fresher’s experience, and previous RAG and Fresher’s Organisers. The ONLY team with experience of hosting events on this scale. ‘WE’VE GOT THAT ONE THING!’
INTERNATIONAL OFFICER
MOLLY BUSHELL My name is Molly Bushell. I am a first year international BMus student from Vancouver, Canada.
divides. DEDICATED...Someone who spends time and energy accomplishing tasks and trying to set the best example they can. RESPECTFUL...Someone who is able to listen to new ideas and implement them; building mutual respect. CREATIVITY...Someone who can think outside the box, leading to new ways of thinking and empowering others. CONSIDERATE...Someone who can be consistent and fair; taking everyones views, ideas and personal beliefs into consideration. ASSERTIVENESS...Someone who is able to clearly state expectations and provide evidence based on a variety of opinions. SENSE OF HUMOUR...Someone who is can effectively lead by using humour to connect cultures and separate barriers of cultural divides.
These are qualities that embody me and therefore I believe would make me a good International Student Officer:
Being International Student Officer would enable me to become more involved and understanding of Newcastle University through helping others in the process.
TRUSTWORTHY...Someone who is dependable, reliable, approachable and understanding of others which in turn can help bring together cultural
Thank you for this opportunity, and hope you agree I would be the best person for this job!
with more than 700 fans! • Organized a variety of multicultural activities during the last half a year! • Hosted weekly live radio show – Go Global, with loads of international students’ enthusiasm!
If I am elected as YOUR International Students Officer, I will
NICOLE COUTINHO Hi, I am Nicole Coutinho and I am a second year Biomedical Sciences student. Being an international student myself, I feel very strongly about International Students rights and I understand the many issues international students face when studying in a country other than their native. I am friendly, approachable and willing to answer and advise students on any queries they may have regarding their time at Newcastle University.
You contribute millions pounds to the higher education in a foreign country… You don’t fear to leave home and challenge yourself in a non-native environment… You, brave and self-motivated international students deserves the best Newcastle could offer. We, Sophia and Annie here, have joined hands, serving for international students! Our achievements last year were: • Held an online community – Culture Exchange,
Annie: Runner-up in NCL Students’ Achievement Award in 2012; Hall President in 2011 – 2012. Sophia Doan: Course Rep of Media School in 2012 - 2013
Vote for me as YOUR International Students Officer.
tional Conference this year. This is a conference at which National student issues are debated and priorities for NUS are agreed for the following year – something I believe, it is important to have well-informed delegates attend, to contribute on behalf of our Students’ Union policies and constitution.
• Fully represent your voice in Student’s Council and policy debates! • Mobilize as many resources as possible for international students! • Build up a website to bring all culture-related societies together! • Host online forum/chat room to engage with prospective/current international students and even international alumni! Elect us, for our enthusiasm and contribution! Elect us, for your welfare and interests! Elect us, for our common dream of getting this campus much more internationalized!
Let me work with and for YOU so that through me your voice can be heard.
NUS DELEGATES
Now it is time to make a real change! Elect us and we will:
ANNIE ZHANG & SOPHIA DOAN
• Represent the international community and their interests at Union Council and General meetings • Be the first point of contact for any student who feels dissatisfied with their experience at Newcastle University and provide the required support • Organise events and activities to encourage integration within the Students Union • Voice awareness about the recent UKBA visa restrictions • Work closely with the Welfare & Equality officer in problems affecting international students • Raise awareness of the SU amongst the INTO students • Convene monthly meetings where international students can voice their concerns and tackle these accordingly
I intend to ensure that National policy reflects the best interests of Newcastle students as a whole and that NUS are working to further our aims next year.
JASMINE WALKER Why vote for me? I believe my experience as Activities Officer this academic year has provided me with a good working knowledge of the issues faced by Newcastle students in order to best represent both the Students’ Union and University at the NUS Na-
SEE MORE CANDIDATES FOR THE NUS DELEGATE POSITIONS OVERLEAF
4.electionsmanifestos
Monday 26 November 2012
The Courier
NUS DELEGATES 4. Greater discounts from NUS Extra 5. Electing people focussed on all students to NUS positions
dents’ Union I have been at the forefront of representing all students on the aforementioned issues at the university level via the Students’ Union. Thus, I have firsthand experience of pushing for change and fighting for what is right.
Experience
We as students have been unduly disadvantaged by the policies of today and we cannot continue to see our chances of obtaining a good education, graduate jobs and social mobility get slimmer with each passing day.
OBREN AMIESIMAKA • Tuition Fee Hikes • Attendance Monitoring • Graduate Unemployment
Therefore; do Vote for me OBREN AMIESIMAKA #1, to enable me push for these pressing issues to be the campaigns of the NUS so that we can put pressure on the decision makers to remedy this sad situation and focus on student-friendly policies; for WE ARE THE FUTURE!!!
These are but a few of the problems facing us as university students today; and I intend to represent you as NUS Conference Delegate in order to push for change on these issues at a national level via the NUS.
CHARLES BARRY With 3 years experience in clubs, societies and our Students’ Union, I believe I’ve the knowledge and skills to be the best delegate for Newcastle University – plus buckets of enthusiasm! I stand for: 1. Giving clubs, societies and student media a strong voice in our national organisation 2. A proper student loan system that covers fees for postgraduates and your rent 3. Opposing fingerprint scans to check attendance at any University
As the current Racial Equality Officer of the Stu-
• Attended NUS Conference 2012. Spoke in the first debate in front of 1000 people • University Senator 2011/2012 – represented students on the University’s highest academic decision making body • Picked by the Government to be a Student University Reviewer – recognising my strong knowledge of national higher education issues • Student Councillor since 2010 – Chair for 2012/2013 – helping run your Union democracy. • Boat Club Treasurer 2011/2012 – managed budget of £90,000 Others say… “I literally can’t think of anyone better suited to this role.” – Dan Allsop, Surgical Society “Charles lives, eats and sleeps this stuff. He’s the best person for the job” – Pieran Marris, Caving Club VOTE CHARLES BARRY #1 FOR NUS DELEGATE For more information, visit http://tiny.cc/charles4nus
the NUS delegation.
scanning in universities should be opposed.
Overall I believe that NUS should strive to empower students to allow them to achieve their potential. There are a few issues that I feel are especially relevant for the NUS Conference this Year:
- Support increased education accessibility: We must widen access to higher education and ease the burden on students who want to further their studies. Education is a right not a privilege; everyone should be able to afford it.
• To oppose further dismantling of the higher education system and ensure that the government and universities offer adequate support for those who require it. • To ensure the continuing transition to higher fees does not damage the quality of our education.
PAUL FREW I believe it is important that there is a member of the delegation to NUS conference who is not a Sabbatical or Part-time Officer to represent the perspective of most students who are not frontline student politicians. As the President of the Debating Society; representative in SU Council, Societies Executive, Welfare and Campaigns Committee, Steering Committee and other committees I have a broad experience of Newcastle students’ relationship with their union, so I believe that I can diversify the views expressed in
• To oppose UKBA forced attendance monitoring, which the university is considering “fingertip scanning” and other restrictions that harm our international students. • To deal with very harmful sexism and debauchery which has infiltrated student media and Fresher’s Week nationally.
AHMED GATNASH I am running for the position of NUS conference delegate to represent Newcastle University students at a national level. If elected I will: - Protect international students: This summer 2,600 students were threatened with deportation through no fault of their own. We need policies to prevent what happened at London Met this summer from happening again anywhere else. - Protect our civil liberties: The use of biometric
strict future and current student’s opportunities or impact the quality of our education. - I am active in fighting for the future of higher education and will be participating in the upcoming Nov20 demo. ➢ Widen the participation of decision making in the union. ➢ Press for the support clubs and societies need - As a member of five university societies I understand the vital part they play in enhancing university experience.
ALISON GIBSON I’m campaigning to vote on your behalf at the upcoming NUS conference. As your delegate I would; ➢ Vote for a president who will best represent our interests at Newcastle University. ➢ Ensure that we influence decisions to most benefit the students of Newcastle. ➢ Challenge the introduction of biometric attendance monitoring. ➢ Continue to contest cuts that dictate and re-
I am open-minded to the ideas you wish to be expressed at the conference and promise to listen to your opinions and concerns. Representation of over 20,000 students is a challenging task, however I know I have the determination, passion and experience to ensure you’re views are heard. I would love to be part of a team representing you – so please VOTE!
important to have well-informed delegates attend, to contribute on behalf of our Students’ Union policies and constitution. I intend to ensure that National policy reflects the best interests of Newcastle students as a whole and that NUS are working to further our aims next year.
LAURA MASON Why vote for me? I believe my experience as AU Officer this academic year has provided me with a good working knowledge of the issues faced by Newcastle students in order to best represent both the Students’ Union and University at the NUS National Conference this year. This is a conference at which National student issues are debated and priorities for NUS are agreed for the following year – something I believe, it is
The Courier
electionsmanifestos.5
Monday 26 November 2012
nusu.co.uk/vote Resisting the commodification and privatisation of education Protecting funding for the Arts and Humanities Opposing lecture-based attendance monitoring and biometrics
ZOE McNAMEE As NUS Delegate, I will bring a much-needed ANTI-CUTS, ANTI-FEES perspective to the group representing our university. ANTI-CUTS, ANTI-FEES candidates are what we need in order to make sure that the NUS continues to represent us, particularly those of us who are being forced to pay £9000 fees for an academic education that is still under attack.
I am inspired by the good that I have seen from the National Union of Students – but I have also been disappointed by the damage I have seen unworthy leaders do to its reputation. We need ANTI-CUTS, ANTI-FEES candidates in order to send a powerful message to the leaders of NUS, to our universities, and to the government that today’s students will accept no excuses. As NUS Delegate, I will give Newcastle University students a voice in the NUS Conference. But we are only strong when we are together: we are only heard when we speak with one voice. Let me be your voice. VOTE ANTI-CUTS, ANTI-FEES – vote for Zoe McNamee.
LUKE NEAL About me: I am a second year politics and history and student and the Community Officer at the Students’ Union. This term I have also been organising regular educational meetings on Biometric monitoring, fees and privatisation with Newcastle Free Education Network.
drop in university applications, less students are going to college courses after the loss of EMA, and our HE system is being quietly privatised. - Free, democratic education, funded through taxation; abolition of all student debt. - Defending international students from attacks by the UK Border Agency – this means opposing lecture based biometric monitoring and deportation. - The NUS needs to have a coherent strategy to oppose these attacks which goes beyond occasional demonstrations. - NUS should be supporting the unionisation of all workers on campus and greater action within these unions, while building local antifascist and liberation campaigns. We should be learning from the recent successes in Québec, which were based on democracy, direct action and student-staff unity. Vote Luke Neal for a democratic NUS that fights fees and cuts.
What I stand for: - Defending education from privatisation and cuts: university staff face compulsory redundancies and pay cuts, £9,000 fees have produced a
I stand for: • Fighting all fees
tation and leadership on a local and national level throughout my time at Newcastle: • Chair of the BMA Medical Students Conference 2012/13 and Deputy Chair 2011/12 • MSc Public Health course rep 2012/12 • Newcastle’s BMA Medical Students Committee rep 2011/12 • Newcastle Medical and Dental Students’ Council President 2010/11
CLAIRE NORMAN Hello! I am currently studying for a Public Health and Health Services Research MSc between my fourth and final years of Medicine. This puts me in the position of being part of two groups who currently have less contact with the Students’ Union than the majority of students: medics and postgraduates. I feel that attending the NUS Conference will provide me with more information on what the NUS can do for these groups.
If chosen to be a delegate I would definitely make the most of the opportunity to learn about NUS policy and how it affects all university students. I am very interested in student politics and am keen to find out what is going on at national level in light of the tuition fees increases and in particular, what widening participation efforts are being put in place.
I have been very involved with student represen-
JAMES RICKETTS My name is James Ricketts and I am running for NUSU delegate. My primary pledge is to expand people’s perception of Newcastle University as a cultural and artistic centre point. I want the students of Newcastle University to be proud of their University for being a place where you can creatively express yourself. I would want to influence the Students Union to place more resources into the arts; whether it is Theatre, Dance, Creative Writing, Music or Fine Art.
An end to persecution of international students- International students make up an important part of our University. We must ensure their right to study is defended and stop all attempts to introduce biometric scanning of students within our University.
campaign and the beginnings of the 18-25 year old age group, unmentioned in previous years. Working with student parents and student carers is positive and progresses every day. Thanks to the university, NUSPC Facebook Group members have gone from 30 to 129. With a place at the NUS conference next year I welcome the challenge to work on a bigger scale.
EMMELINE TANDOC My name is Emmeline Tandoc, final year linguistics and your Student Parents’ and Carers’ officer. I am running as NUS Delegate for a place at NUS conference because I have recognised that the need for universities to pay attention to its student Carers is not just a local concern but also a national one. I believe that it will be beneficial to go because it will be a great platform to speak to students from around the country. In addition, 2012-2013 is becoming a great year for student carers. Particularly, the NUS Women’s Officer ‘Is it fair to care?’
Graduate Jobs- With youth unemployment rising and benefits to under 25s being cut, the problem of graduate unemployment is increasingly important. The NUS should push for assurances of job creation and more support for new graduates.
ELLA THORP Running for NUS Delegate Course : 4th Year- French and Politics What do I stand for? An NUS fighting for education- With the rise in tuition fees, budget cuts and attacks on Further and Adult education we need an NUS which is committed to opposing any further cuts to, or fee increases in, our education.
As a passionate campaigner against the fee increases and all government attacks on education and public services, I believe I can represent our University in pressing NUS conference for a firmer stance against any further attacks on education which price out students, dilute our education and damage our University experience.
6.electionsmanifestos
Monday 26 November 2012
HALL REPRESENTATIVES HENDERSON HALL
PRESIDENT
nusu.co.uk/vote
SOCIAL AND CAMPAIGNS REPRESENTATIVE of special interests. Well this ego is at least an ego which will promise you things he can deliver, and will only shamelessly plug for more members of Wetsoc because he is Social secretary.
JOSEPH SMITH When I was a boy I was told anyone could become President. I’m intent on proving them right which is why I, Joe Smith, am standing for President of Henderson Halls.
and running campaigns with both vInspired, the London 2012 Young Leaders Programme and at the London 2012 Paralympic games. These experiences have taught me that a successful event or environment is based upon commitment, support and confidence.
In the coming weeks and months, if you vote for me then I am looking forward to reaching out and working with members of all wings to meet the challenges that we can only solve together. Reducing our deficit, Reforming our gate opening times. Fixing our laundry system. Freeing ourselves from foreign oil. We’ve got more work to do, like fixing the boiler, and if we succeed then I will organise a party at the end of June. Thank you, Newcastle. God bless you. God bless these Henderson Halls. Also thank you Barack Obama for your excellent speech.
My four main focus points are:
MATTHEW HUTCHINGS Henderson Hall needs changing!! The hall is divided based on the wing in which you live. Only events that bring us all together can change this.
I know that political campaigns can sometimes seem small, even silly. And that provides plenty of fodder for the cynics that tell us that politics is nothing more than a contest of egos or the domain
believe the role of President is a responsibility not to be taken lightly as we have the opportunity to deliver real change not only to St Mary’s accommodation, but to the student union as a whole.
President JFK once stated, “One person can make a difference but every person should try.” We could explain why we believe we are the ideal candidate to stand on behalf of the residents of St Mary’s, but our real aim as President’s is not to dictate but to advocate the will of the people. We
Spending many year growing up in Newcastle we have developed intimated relations with the city and its culture. We can provide residents with real local experiences, living up to the friendly Geordie persona. Being personable, approachable and open minded; we believe in an open door policy and will be available via all medias such as Facebook, Twitter, email and a simple knock on our doors.
BOWSDEN COURT
PRESIDENT
HISHAM HAMID Hey, I’m Hish! I study Chemical Engineering, work part time in River Island and live in Bowsden Court. Bowsden has always been deemed the “quiet” and somewhat “dull” hall. We are somewhat secluded and out of reach from the buzz of the city centre and other halls of residence. But as Hall President I will strive to ensure that Bows-
For a con tenuous stream of events, campaigns and good times. Vote for me as Henderson Hall Social and Campaigns Rep.
ACCOMODATION REPRESENTATIVE
Back home, Jak has gained vital skills as a tennis coach. He developed skills in communication, team work and leadership working with colleagues and children. Olivia has had much experience in this type of role as she has taken on similar roles on school councils and as head girl at school. We are very approachable people and would enjoy this opportunity to get to know everyone in St Marys and help with any issues.
Organization and reliability is imperative as President as we can deliver on our promises expeditiously and effectively. We have vast experience in this field as Ben has acted as Head Boy for several years, with Amy being a potent member of the student council.
BEN ALLISON & AMY FENNY
• A more open and accessible bar area. • More themed nights. • A change in operating hours of the bar to increase accessibility • Campaigns focusing on local issues to maximise impact within local areal.
I have a range of experience organising events
ST. MARY’S COLLEGE
PRESIDENT
The Courier
OLIVIA PETIE & JAK KATTERFIELD
Although everyone knows St Marys is already amazing, we would like to investigate improving the common room facilities, in particular the café and the television. Many people have raised concerns that the café is rarely open, which is something we would like to try and change. We also think getting sky sports in the common room would be a great way of bringing everyone together to socialise and get to know each other better.
We would like to be accommodation reps because we think it is important that everyone has someone they can approach for support. We feel accommodation reps also play an important role in the moving in process for new students so next year we would hope to help them settle in.
PRESIDENT den Court is provided with the perks of city life as well as the benefits of living within a peaceful and tightly knit environment! My main aims in hope of achieving this goal are the following: • Working towards organising buffets, days out, sporting events and other day time activities in order to encourage students to get to know each other better and to meet other members of our hall, whilst having fun at the same time! • Making sure that promoters, event organisers and general social links are made to and with Bowsden Court. • Having weekly parties and nights out so that residents don’t need to worry about transport to and from the city; there will always be groups to get a taxi back with! • Improve Bowsden Court as a whole by listening to the views of each and every resident!
SAM LEE • I will hear out and endeavour with everyone’s various ideas over the course of the year. I will ensure that everyone’s voice is heard and that no one will have to be unhappy with their flat • I will fight to get the best deal for us students here at Bowsden. Can we negotiate Metro Prices? Can we set up communal Greenhouses? Are we paying more than students in other Halls?
• For any student who wishes to run for a position on the Student Council or in any of the various societies I will offer my unwavering assistance. I will attempt to provide a point of contact with the student council, will assist in marketing and campaigning and will do my very best in uniting all of Bowsden behind you. • I will work wholeheartedly with the Social secretary to ensure great new offers on great nights out and we will be innovative in retaining the great sense of community we have here. • I will offer support with new accommodation to all students as we move away from Bowsden Court and I will publicise means for us all to remain connected. Bowsden is Great, let’s make it Greater Vote Sam Lee
The Courier
electionsreferendum.7
Monday 26 November 2012
REFERENDUM - ATTENDANCE MONITORING What’s all this then? QUESTION 1: DO YOU AGREE
This is your chance to have your say on a huge issue which could affect all students at Newcastle University - should attendance in lectures be monitored, and if so, how? This week, alongside the elections, the Students’ Union are asking how attendance should be monitored at Newcastle University from September 2013 onwards… This referendum will be open at the same time as the election ballots and will close on Thursday 29 November at 12-noon. Any questions should be directed to the Students’ Union President, Laura (president.union@newcastle.ac.uk). In order to maintain its “Highly Trusted Sponsor” status, the University has a legal obligation to the UKBA (United Kingdom Border Agency) to ensure that international students are attending at least 80% of their programme as a condition of their visas. Changes in UKBA requirements mean that the University must now ensure these students (with visas) are participating regularly in their course and that evidence of this attendance is available promptly on demand. Newcastle University currently believes that all students should be treated fairly and with equality so that any attendance monitoring should also apply to all students, including those without visa
requirements. The University has informed Students’ Union Officers that; “UKBA have indicated that attendance in classes is the key measure – not visits to the library or other activities... the University does not seek to monitor everything – the policy is only 2 check points a week”. Newcastle University is also keen to monitor the attendance of home (UK & EU) students to ensure that they are engaging with their course and to provide help with any issues that lead to absence. For some courses, attendance is already strictly monitored however the University is not currently planning to make all classes compulsory. This monitoring may present the University with several issues; one being the administrative task of recording all students’ attendance and the cost implication of this. Student consultation is required for the University to move forward appropriately with its plans for recording attendance. This is where your opinion can fundamentally change the way the University operates next academic year.
SURVEY: SPORTS FACILITIES What should be built in the leftover space after the Richardson Road refurbishment? As reported in The Courier a year ago (“Ricky on the Road to Ruin” Issue 1240) – Richardson Road Halls of Residence are set for demolition. This presents the students of Newcastle with a unique opportunity to suggest what they would like to see in its place! The accommodation of more than 1,000 bed spaces will be rebuilt, however there is a chance that some of the space could be used to extend the University Sports Centre which has seen a large increase in memberships since its construction
and cannot currently meet student demand for sport and exercise space. Have your say on the voting webpage during this election season and answer the survey questions below on sports facilities: This survey will be open online at www.nusu. co.uk/vote at the same time as the election ballots and will close on Thursday 29 November at 12noon. Any questions should be directed to the AU Officer at au.union@newcastle.ac.uk.
QUESTION 1: WHAT ARE THE TOP 5 SPORTING FACILITIES WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE AT NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY? QUESTION 2: PLEASE RANK IN ORDER OF PREFERENCE WHICH SPORTING ACTIVITIES WOULD BE MOST BENEFICIAL IF PROVIDED? (SEE LIST ON THE WEB PAGE) NUSU.CO.UK/VOTE
WITH ATTENDANCE BEING MONITORED AT UNIVERSITIES? Responses to this will confirm whether Newcastle students believe attendance monitoring beyond school-level education is a positive or negative thing.
YES
• There is academic research to suggest that monitoring is helpful to overall engagement, support and successful completion of study. • Many students don’t proactively raise problems at an early stage, so unless the University does monitor attendance by some means they have no way of knowing whether students need assistance. • For international students, it’s a legal requirement. Penalties for non-compliance with the UKBA could result in the University’s licence to recruit and teach international students being revoked.
NO
• University students are adults, they should have the choice of whether they choose to attend the courses they’re paying for, or not. • This could harm our freedom as students to choose when and how we learn. • Attendance monitoring does not confirm whether a student is actively engaged in their course – and participation in a course, to some extent, can be done remotely.
QUESTION 2: DO YOU THINK THAT ALL STUDENTS’ ATTENDANCE SHOULD BE MONITORED AT NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY*? *Although it’s only international students’ attendance that is a UKBA requirement.
YES
• All students will be treated equally and no divide would be created between those with, and without, visa requirements. This is a question of equality, but also of perception – monitoring all students would be fairer and could prevent the differing attendance requirements from being apparent. • All students could benefit from earlier support from the University. • The administrative process could be refined and improved to be more efficient over time.
NO
• This could increase the difficulty that international students may face integrating into University life - the differing attendance requirements could be perceptible. • If only international students’ attendance was monitored, home (UK & EU) students could “opt-in” to have their attendance monitored so that earlier support from the University could also be possible. • Administrative burden and cost could be greater if all students are monitored, rather than only those with visa requirements.
QUESTION 3: WOULD YOU AGREE TO HAVING “BIOMETRIC MONITORING” OF YOUR ATTENDANCE AT NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY IN THE FORM OF “FINGERTIP SWIPING”*? *Fingertip swiping does not record a picture of your fingertip (or fingerprint), rather a numerical value that represents it. This value cannot be reversed nor used to recreate an image of your fingertip/fingerprint.
YES
• It confirms the presence of the person rather than the student smartcard or a falsified signature and swiping at the start of lectures may not cause delays. • The numerical value cannot be used to create an image of your fingertip; it would therefore mean nothing to anyone other than the University and it would be deleted after a student leaves. • This method provides a more automated administrative process and would be more resource-efficient in the longer-term.
NO
• The swiping of fingertips could cause delays at the start of lectures or distractions during teaching. • Creates a “surveillance culture” at University. • “Fingertip swiping” is not a UKBA requirement - all UKBA require is that the University has a robust system in place to monitor attendance. Other methods are available, although they are less-automated and would require more University staff time.
The Courier
Monday 26 November 2012
26November-2Decemberlistings.21 thecourieronline.co.uk/listings courier.listings@ncl.ac.uk | @Courier_Listings
Friday
Cream
10pm Venue, Students’ Union
Hosted by size records and Third Party this will be an unmissable night out. Tickets £10 on the door
DENNIS 8pm The Sage
An evening of local heritage music with DENNIS; an 8-piece roots folk rock and brass band. This show will celebrate the towns pit and brass heritage, featuring a collaborative performance between DENNIS and the Houghton Area Youth Band. Tickets from £8 available from The Sage’s website and box office.
Something for the weekend Hellion Rising
Saturday 1 December, 7pm Venue, Students’ Union Thrash, metal rock band. Tickets available from Union reception.
This Is Spinal Tap
Saturday 1 December, 7.30pm Star and Shadow Cinema, Ouseburn Valley Famous spoof music documentary. Spinal Tap, the world’s loudest band, is chronicled by hack documentarian Marty DeBergi on what proves to be a fateful tour. Tickets available from box office.
Not in Newcastle...
With the Metro going to Sunderland, trains to Durham only £5 return with a Railcard and special weekend deals on trains and buses to Scotland there really is no excuse for your weekend or evening activities to be limited to the Toon. Expand your horizons and find out what the whole of the North East and beyond has to offer.
Peter Pan Pantomime
30November-6January Evening and Matinee performances
Fly away on a magical journey to Neverland with Peter, Wendy, Captain Hook and Lost Boys at the Sunderland Empire this Christmas! Starring Tom Lister (Emmerdale’s Carl King) as the dastardly Captain Hook and children’s TV favourite Katy Ashworth (CBeebies’ I Can Cook) as Peter Pan, plus spectacular costumes and sets, stunning effects, hilarious jokes, song and
dance and lots of audience participation, Peter Pan guarantees fantastic festive fun for everyone aged 3 - 103! Tickets from £14 available from The Sunderland
Radio show of the week: Ed and Fred Show Imagine Mock the Week meets Have I Got News For You but with a little bit less direction/organisation. This is your chance to hear Ed and Fred’s take on the weekly news, but neither of these boys with be the next Jeremy Paxman, this is witty, sarcastic observation at its very best.
When do you tune in? Mondays from 2-4pm
Something free: Running Clubs New network of free running groups, led by students in areas where students live. Jesmond – Weds 7pm, Fri 7.15am, Sat 10am Castle Leazes – Weds night Business School - Tues 11 am and Weds 4pm Main Campus – TBC More coming soon. For info, like on Facebook: [NUSU] Go Play Running Groups
Something to look forward to: The XX live 11 December, 7pm o2 Academy
Following the release of their second album Coexist, The xx announce some live UK dates, inlcuding a date at O2 Academy Newcastle this winter. Most other dates have sold out, so you should get in there fast so you don’t miss you chance to see this award winning band. Tickets are £24 available from o2 Academy’s website and box office.
@CourierListings
22.features
Monday 26 November 2012
The Courier
Hey sister, go sister, soul sister Lee Abrahams takes a look at the Tina Turner bio-musical, in the Toon for one week only
Preview: Soul Sister, The Mill Volvo Tyne Theatre, Monday 26 Nov - Saturday 1 Dec Tina Turner. The name resonates with soul lovers everywhere and especially with the yuppies frequenting Flares on the weekend. So it comes as no surprise that everyone’s favourite 80s diva has received the inevitable broadway treatment and been subjected to what can only be described as a musical celebration of her glittering career. Everybody’s at it these days; Abba, Queen, Green Day, even bloody Atomic Kitten have ventured into the world of musicals with differing levels of success. It seems, at this rate, you won’t be able to walk into a musical without being audibly mindfucked by some god-awful one hit wonder from the mid to late 90s. A tragic scenario, I’m sure you’d agree. Thankfully, Soul Sister, a brand new musical inspired by the life and times of Tina and her equally talented late husband, Ike, should retain some credibility when it opens at Newcastle’s Mill Volvo
Tyne Theatre this week for a five night showing. Created by West End big-wig and acknowledged genius, Bill Kenwright of Blood Brothers fame, the musical follows the highs and lows of the couple’s tumultuous relationship as both of their careers soared and their marriage crumbled. For one week only, the original cast from the Savoy Theatre production grace our fine city, reigniting the spirit of the 80s in us all. Chris Tummings takes on the role of Ike Turner, while Tina is played by the up and coming yet super talented Emi Wokoma, who has transcended expectations and gained widespread critical acclaim across the cultural spectrum for her portrayal of the legendary queen of disco-soul. So whatever your background, be it massive Tina Turner fan, misguided fool or if, like many you just fancy cutting loose with your friends, this comes
highly recommended. Featuring all the songs you’re bound to have heard while picking yourself up off the floor of Sinners, namely the scintillating ‘What’s Love Got To Do With It’, the emotional electro-ballad ‘When the Heartache is Over’ and, of course, the iconic and uplifting ‘Simply The Best’, it’s guaranteed to have you out of your seat and dancing like a member of Austin Power’s entourage.
Tickets are priced at £11.50-£26 and can be bought in person from the box office, over the phone on 0844 493 9999, or online at www.millvolvotynetheatre.co.uk
Simply the best! Josh Nicholson counts down four of the greatest hits from Tina Turner’s illustrious back catalogue 1
River Deep Mountain High
Possibly one of the single greatest songs of all time on the karaoke machine, but also in actuality. She uses a big build to the chorus to get you excited. ‘If I lost you would I cry?’, she asks; if I lost this song nothing would be worth it. An absolute masterstroke of a tune. With its very sixties, somewhat surf beat making you groove there is no way of stopping yourself from grooving and twisting through the whole song. The anthemic chorus can only make you smile every single time as well. Boys, beware, Tina’s after you.
2
Nutbush City Limits
With Ike on the throbbing funk guitar driving the melody along and Tina’s iconic big, husky voice, this song is another rocker. As far as songs about journeys go, Tina Turner makes hers sound pretty interesting, she tells us what she does on her way through Nutbush City. She keeps reiterating that she goes to church on a Sunday, which is apt as she is the goddess of divas. Whether she goes to worship herself and her music I don’t know, but this is another brilliant tune. I’d avoid the 90’s version where possible.
3
Proud Mary
She starts with a tease on this one, saying she wants to give us something ‘nice and easy’, but for anybody who’s heard this song it is far from nice and easy. It builds and builds to a whole load of feisty woman coming at you. You might question why she ‘left a good job in the city’, you might question why she ‘cleaned a lot of plates in Memphis’, but never doubt wor Tina, oh no. She caught the ‘riverboat queen’ and all was good. You hear that? Forget economic crisis, forget debt, forget everything, let’s all follow Tina!
4
What’s Love Gotta Do With It
Covered famously by Cliff Richard, listen to this after a messy break-up and it could make you do something you’ll seriously regret. Should probably come with a health warning. ‘What’s love but a second-hand emotion?’ Tina asks, which is very, true. Compare this to the other diva anthems of this Top 4 and you’ll find that this song is much more toned down and thoughtful. Her next question, for instance, is ‘who needs a heart when a heart can be broken?’ EXACTLY TINA. EXACTLY.
The Courier
beauty.23
Monday 26 November 2012
thecourieronline.co.uk/beauty courier.beauty@ncl.ac.uk | @Courier_Beauty
Beauty Editor: Annie Morgan Online Beauty Editor: Amy Macauley
How To: Holy Grail Product Vampy
Vampy make-up is always in around this time of year and is an easy to way to look put together and sophisticated. Fashion Editor Elizabeth Hampson shows how.
Step 1:
Tip of the Week
Peach and coral blushers have been big for a quite a while now and there are so many out there that it can be difficult to find one that is worth investing in. Online Fashion Editor Sally Greenwood shares her all-time favourite blusher. Product: Lancôme Blush Subtil in the shade 20 Peach Forever Price Tag: £27 Cheaper Alternative: Dainty Doll Powder Blusher in the shade You are my Sunshine (£11.50)
Lancôme Blush Subtil in 20 Peach Apply your base as normal, then use a highlighter on your cheekbones and down the bridge of your nose. This gives your features a more sculpted look. Blusher or bronzer can be used as long it is not overdone. A tip is to apply a little less than you would normally as vampy makeup is all about pale and beautiful. I used a mix of both; bronzer is used to add a little bit of colour and a dark pink blusher to further enhance my cheekbones.
Step 2:
Dainty Doll Powder Blusher in You are my Sunshine
One thing I cannot live without is a good blusher. Even though I do love a good splurge in Boots, I like to keep my make-up fairly simple, so when I find a product I like, I tend to stick to it. One of my all-time favourite staple blushers is Lancôme Blush Subtil for all skin types in 20 Peach Forever. I first fell in love with peachy toned blushers earlier this year, and was seriously tempted by Benefit’s Coralista blush, but I am glad I chose this one. It has a really nice texture and gives my skin a really healthy glow. Moreover, it’s not too shimmery, and looks great on fair and darker skin. This blusher is an absolute staple for my holidays, but I’ve been enjoying it during these past few months also, as I just feel it gives my skin the glow it lacks in harsh weather. It is a little bit pricey at £27 a time, but believe me, it’s totally worth it. I must use this blusher at least every two days, and I still have a considerable amount left after about eight months. If this is too pricey for you, there are plenty of really nice, cheaper options on the high street at the moment. Nicola Roberts’ ‘Dainty Doll’ line available in Boots, boasts a lovely alternative in their Powder Blusher You are my Sunshine (£11.50). Also, Sleek, available in Superdrug, do equally nice highly pigmented blushers, with the closest match to Lancôme being the tone Rose Gold (£4.49).
Why waste your student loan on expensive beauty products when you can make them yourself? Beauty Editor Annie Morgan shows you how to make your own body scrub. Body scrubs are great for smoothing out your skin and getting rid of any dead skin cells, which means your moisturiser will be able to sink into the deeper layers of your skin rather than just sitting on top of it. If you have got a case of serious chicken skin, or you want your skin smooth skin before applying your fake tan, scrubs are a must-have. Some scrubs can set you back over £10 and the more expensive ones can even cost £40, which is unnecessary when you can make one out of ingredients and products you probably already own.
How to make your own body scrub 1 Your main ingredient is going to be sugar
(although you can use salt instead). Start off by mixing a cup of sugar with about a double shot’s worth of olive oil, or you could use a nutbased oil instead. Use whatever you have in. 2 Next you can add a tablespoon of a nice smelling shower gel, or a teaspoon of an essential oil. 3 Keep it in the fridge! Especially if you are using any fresh ingredients. This also helps to keep it from going too runny.
The under-£20 challenge Line your eyes with a dark eyeliner along the top of the eyelid to the inner corner of the eye, making the liner at the outer corner much thicker and more defined. Line the bottom lid with the same eyeliner pencil, this time stopping midway to the inner corner: make sure this is smudged in to avoid it being separate from your eyelid. Choose an eye shadow which closely matches the colour of the eyeliner you used. The more dramatic the eye shadow used the better, avoid golds and creams as vampy makeup requires darker sultry tones. Here I’ve chosen an iron grey. Apply all over your lids, blending into the eyeliner. This gives a graduated colour from your darker liner to slightly lighter eye shadow. Finally, grab your liner again and define the outer corner or your eyes. Be as dramatic or as understated as you like; add some mascara and your eyes are complete!
Step 3:
You usually get what you pay for in this world, but sometimes products can surprise you. As students, money supplies tend to be fairly low, and so spending hundreds of pounds of make-up is not usually a possibility. The Beauty Section challenged Mathilde McKenna to do a full face of make-up for under £20, and this is what she came up with. Elizabeth Arden Color Intrigue Eyeshadow Duo in Autumn Leaves (£5)
I really only bought this palette for the lovely dark brown colour in it (I feel like that is the major thing the Urban Decay Naked palette is missing) and I used it to lightly fill in my brows. I’m not sure how much this originally retailed for, as I bought it discounted online (from http://www.directcosmetics.com/). If you know where to look you can often get high-end products at reduced prices.
2true Effortless Eye Liner (£1.99)
This step took the longest to do, mainly because I’m used to using a felt tip liner. If I wasn’t doing my makeup on a budget, I would use my Collection 2000 Extreme 24 Hour Felt Tip Liner. It makes it a lot easier to do flicks and to get an even line.
Natural Collection LashBuild Mascara in Black (£1.99)
I wouldn’t say this is a wow product, but for the price you can’t go wrong. I’m yet to discover my Holy Grail product when it comes to mascara (I usually just get whatever is on offer) but this did the job. It’s a firm favourite of one of my housemates though.
Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Ultimate Wear Foundation in Ivory (£5.99) If you read any beauty blogs then you will probably be aware of the hype that surrounds the Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer. This foundation version does not disappoint and is amazing value for money. I think it is usually quite hard to find drugstore foundations containing such high SPF so, if you are pale like me there is another reason to rush out and buy this foundation! I also have combination skin and the fact that this is oil free stops me turning into a shiny mess during the day. It gives medium to full coverage, blends nicely and lasts all day. It is probably also worth mentioning how far this goes; half a pump is more than enough to cover my full face.
The key to vampy make-up is lip colour, deep and rich colours are ideal. I chose a wine red colour, which is suited more to the daytime. However, for a night out, purple lipstick is dramatic and different from the usual pillar-box red everyone else will be wearing!
Natural Collection Blushed Cheeks in Peach Melba (£1.99) This is another hyped product within the blogging community and rightly so for the price. This lovely blusher adds a subtle hint of colour to the cheeks and I think the peachy colour would suit most skin tones (especially fair- medium ones).
Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Plump Perfect Lipstick in Perfect Tulip (£1.99)
This was bought from the same website as the eyshadow, hence the ridiculously cheap price. I absolutely love this lipstick which is strange as it’s very pink and shimmery, which I usually hate! It has a lovely, moisturising formula, but I guess you’d expect no less from Lizzie herself.
Mathilde’s verdict “I wouldn’t say I’m a snob or anything when it comes to make-up, but I found this article surprisingly difficult to do! But, after rooting through my makeup draw, I settled on a few cheap and cheerful products which I would recommend to anyone on a budget. And here is the finished result, I think I will definitely be turning a few heads in the library later.”
24.arts
Monday 26 November 2012
The Courier
Arts Editors: Lisa Bernhardt and Millie Walton Online Arts Editors: Grace Harvey
Writers’ Corner ALWAYS
by Rebecca Lightfoot Some things never change They are there season, after season, Hidden underneath, With no rhyme nor reason. Yet they rise to the surface, To leave a trace. And although my scars have healed, And became invisible, I still ache. I am broken. I am always confused. I am always bemused. Always.
Dearly Beloved...
The Wisdom of the Boulle-jeweled Blitz Our favourite entrepreneur, part-time skater and full-time philosopher Francis Boulle from Made in Chelsea has done what (almost) all great characters of history have done: he has written a book. Boulle’s Jewels (published by Quercus Editons Ltd.) is a collection of his top quotes and tips on success in love, lifestyle and business, inspired by his own exciting life- and it even comes in a practical pocket-sized format! To give you an idea of what to expect from Boulle’s latest brainchild, we collected the opinions of our highly literate team of editors.
‘On the film page, Boulle states that “Molly Ringwald is hot”, and describes Point Break as “Bitchin”. I would trust this man with my life.’ - Ben Travis
‘More thought-provoking than Plato and da Vinci combined; Francis Boulle truly is the ultimate role model for the modern man.’ - Ralph Blackburn
‘Hilariously seductive; his puppy dog eyes deter from the outrageously (comedic) capitalist comments.’ - Millie Walton
‘I have no idea who this man is, but I am considering forming a sect based around his teachings.’ - Sam Summers
‘Alexander the Great had created one of the largest empires in the ancient world by about the age of 30. Francis Boulle is only 24. Boulle’s Jewels is proof enough that, in the remaining 6 years he has left to equal Alexander the Great, he looks like he might just do it, or even better it.’ - Chris Taylor
by Rebecca Lightfoot
I have never loved like I love you, The feelings you evoke I cannot undo, A warmth is here within my heart, My tears erupt when we must part, But I have been hurt many times in the past, Humiliated, deceived, and found out last. Yet with you there is no fear of such things, I trust in you and Cupid’s wings… …I have never felt like such a fool, Felt played as a pawn or used like a tool. But whither in this pain, I will not! My tears are dry now; it’s my rage that hot; So remember oh dearly beloved; Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.
Counting Sheep by Anna Scott
When I get home I know that you’re dreaming, I picture you wrapped up, counting your sheep. I’m late from work, thought only of leaving To see you smile before drifting to sleep. I make sure I’m silent, tip-toe around, Dishes from the last week litter the sink, Our books are scattered, letters form a mound We’ll sort it tomorrow, I like to think. I slip inside our room, my head aching listen for your breathing, gentle but clear. I’ll mould to your shape, prevent you waking, kiss you softly, let you know that I’m here. Ignoring the fact it’s an empty bed I climb in to hold you once more in my head.
To read more contributions to our Writers’ Corner column, visit www.thecourieronline.co.uk/arts
‘He makes the working class girl in me utterly annoyed, yet manages to warm my heart by skating in a suit- I adore his urban sophistication.’ - Lisa Bernhardt
‘The best book I’ve ever read, and I’ve read nearly three books.’ - Tom Nicholson
Celebrity writers: Star-spangled literature?
Should ‘VIP’s be taken seriously as authors? Hannah Carthy and Sally Priddle discuss YES, PLEASE! HELL NO!
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any people disagree with the likes of Katie Price ‘writing’ books, as they are not exactly canonical pieces of literature. However, something that encourages young people, in fact anyone, to read is surely better than nothing. Katie Price has unfortunately given celebrity writers a bad name, when there’s some very good celebrity books in publication. Take Ricky Gervais, for example, and his series of books about invented creatures known as ‘Flanimals’. They are designed as a humorous read and are a source of amusement for children and adults alike. These books constitute a different side of Gervais’ sense of comedy and it works very well. Their simplicity makes them accessible for all ages and the images and silly facts inspire the imagination to run wild - and surely this is what a good book should do. These kinds of books can be more effective at promoting literature to the masses than complicated short stories and lengthy novels. Other good writers out there include novels by Quentin Tarantino, Martin Scorsese and Woody Allen. As they have all worked in the film industry and produced numerous award-winning movies between them, they understand the value of having a brilliantly gripping storyline and consequently, are able to guarantee a good read. By having famous names attached, especially trusted household names, readers believe that the book is worth purchasing and are more likely to give it a go. And in this day and age anything that inspires people to use their imagination and release themselves from the grip of the television set is better than nothing at all. Hannah Carthy
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Should Katie Price continue to write novels (i.e. let other write them for her) or stick to... well, being Katie Price?
elebrity’ and ‘writer’: two words, but many ways to interpret them. Katie Price for all her publicity is in my opinion not a celebrity but rather a well-known idiot and, as for her writing career, well, as she didn’t actually write the books she signs I don’t know how on any level she can even be associated with the term writer. I understand that for some people ghost writing is a legitimate form of writing, but those people are wrong; if you can’t write a book yourself then don’t pretend to. I know I have now asserted myself as slightly aggressive towards celebrities, but I do understand that some celebrities who dip their toe in the author’s ink pot do actually have some credibility, for instance Emma Thompson. Despite my unlimited love for her, I do believe that she should stick to creating wonderful films that bring warmth to my heart and tears to my eyes, rather than writing children’s books. Although her 110th celebration book of Peter Rabbit was charming, I felt it was purely the imitation of Beatrix that made it okay. There are many talented writers out there struggling to gain success, so I don’t see why ‘celebrities’ should abuse their status to push through, publish and promote a book that if wasn’t associated with their name wouldn’t have been touched by any self-respecting publisher. I understand that there are exceptions; some celebrities will have been writing for as long as they have been acting/singing/being a modern-day feminist business woman (good one Katie), and I will give credit where it is due, however most celebrity written books that I have had the misfortune to read have not been enjoyable and purely surrounded by hype. Celebrities should stick to their day jobs and Katie Price just needs to find a real one. Sally Priddle
The Courier
arts.25
Monday 26 November 2012
thecourieronline.co.uk/arts c2.arts@ncl.ac.uk | @courier_arts
Top 5 Most Expensive Auctions of Art & Arts Memorabilia How much would you pay to own Dorothy’s red slippers? Milli Atkinson enters the auction house to find the most expensive arts memorabilia to date. Prepare to be astounded.
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Judy Garland’s Wizard of Oz dress
The infamous blue and white pinafore dress worn by child star Judy Garland in the 1939 movie classic The Wizard of Oz was sold for $480,000 (£302,000) at Julien’s Auctions in Beverly Hills this month. The dress was designed and made by Adrian Greenberg, the famous MGM costume designer. Along with the dress, a collection of 100 images from the iconic movie went for $38,400.
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Marilyn Monroe photographs
A collection of photographs, taken by celebrity photographer Milton H. Green, of iconic US actress Marylin Monroe and other classical Hollywood celebrities were sold for $750,000 (£472,230) at a Polish auction house this year. The pictures were taken from 1953 to 1957 and include a series of black-and-white shots taken of Monroe in natural surroundings exhibiting some provocative poses. The collection also included snaps of Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly and Liza Minnelli. The most expensive auctioned photograph went for $18,000 and was a black-and-white portrait of Monroe posing in a tutu.
previews
reviews
Steve Hughes
Starlight Express
resh from his sell-out performances at Sydney and Melbourne Comedy Festivals, Steve Hughes will be landing in Newcastle to grace us with his hilarious show ‘Steve Hughes: Big Issues’ at The Stand Comedy Club. Originally a heavy metal drummer, Hughes started performing stand-up in the mid 1990s and has made a huge impression on the comedy circuit with his laid-back Aussie charm and his original one-liners. He has recently been based in the UK and has been displaying his comic genius on the infamous sets of Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow (BBC One), Stand Up For the Week (Channel 4) and One Night Stand (Dave). In this entertaining and thought-provoking performance, we can expect a broad variety of big issues to be discussed. From discussing health and safety concerns to questioning authority, we can be assured that Steve’s routine will be controversial, witty and thoughtful. This will definitely be an exciting and genuinely funny show to liven up a miserable Monday.
tarlight Expreeeeees, Starlight Expreeeheees… The most (and possibly only) memorable line from the musical of the same title is even known to anyone who isn’t particularly into musicals, but then again, there isn’t too much to know about it. The story of the little steam train Rusty who competes as an underdog in a race to become ‘the fastest engine in the world’ and to win the heart of the pretty observation car Pearl is rather cheesy and absurd if you consider that it’s about the emotional life of trains. And with hardly any speaking between the songs involved, it’s more like a rock opera than a musical on roller skates that looks like a Thomas the Tank Engine-themed Nicki Minaj video. However, it is simply tremendous fun to watch. The Sunderland Empire might not be venue especially designed for the show, but even without much sophisticated acrobatics, the light show, the fantastic costumes, the snappy songs and the show’s entire over the top attitude make it a glittering visual feast for the eyes.
Milli Atkinson
Lisa Bernhardt
The Stand 26 November
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Faust
Sunderland Empire 13 - 24 November
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Theatre Royal 13 & 16 November
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ay Arthur Braun and Rob Kearley’s production of Faust for Opera North was, in a word, ambitious. The interpretation transported Gounod’s classic into the present day US elections, repositioning Faust (Peter Auty) as a modern man in the grip of a mid life crisis and Mephistopheles (James Creswell) as an ancient ponytailed rocker with a toothy grin. Thus, Faust’s exchange of his soul for eternal youth was given a new dimension, reflecting on the contemporary obsession with appearance, an idea which was further emphasized by the chorus singers taking pictures on their smart phones. Though the interpretation drew interesting parallels between the classic tale and modern society, the moral issues raised somewhat deterred from the central story line, making it difficult to follow at times. That said, the choral and individual singing was immensely powerful and dynamic as were the multi-media aspects such as the video projections by artist Lillevan. However, I think it’s safe to say that when it comes to Faust – there’s nothing quite like the original. Monika Varzinskaite
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Andreas Gursky’s Rhine II
A photograph of the river Rhine by German artist Andreas Gursky was sold for $4.3 million (£2.7 million) at Christie’s New York in November last year. Rhine II is three metres wide and has set an auction record for photography by beating the previous record held by Cindy Sherman. The print is the largest of six photographs and is the only which is not displayed in a museum. Other prints hang in London’s Tate Modern and New York’s Museum of Modern Art.
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John James Audubon’s Birds of America
A rare first edition of Birds of America was sold at auction for $7.9 million (£4.9 million) in January this year. Another first edition of the book was auctioned at Sotheby’s in London in 2010 for £6.5 million. The book is three and a half foot tall and features life-sized illustrations of all known bird species. Today there are 120 copies known to exist with 107 in institutions and 13 in private hands. Birds of America is recognized as one of the rarest and most expensive printed books in the entire world.
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Edvard Munch’s The Scream
The Scream has broken records by becoming the most expensive piece of artwork to be sold at auction. The 1895 pastel was bought for $119.9 million (£74 million) in May this year. The piece is one of four in a series by the Norwegian Expressionist artist Edvard Munch and is the only one still privately owned. The bidding started at $40 million and 12 minutes later, the final offer came in via telephone from New York billionaire Leon Black.
Northern Footprints 2012
Ersatz
Fiddler on the Roof
s the winner of the People’s Play Award, my expectations of Ersatz by new writer Kevan Ogden were high and for the most part, were met. The story was a highly thought provoking exploration of familial tensions and a mother’s grief after her son is rendered brain dead by a vicious gang attack. The first half of the play was a slow introduction of characters and set-up of the situation, but the second half gained momentum as the family unit collapsed under strain. The presence of the disabled son on stage was very poignant and demonstrated the ugly side of society from which we all feel so removed despite the plethora of news stories on gang violence. The production also made great use of a simple set and props to transport us into a range of different environments from a family home to a seedy motel. However, in my opinion, the acting failed to convey the inner conflict of the characters and varied emotions that accompany grief which very much weakened the impact of the play as a whole. That said the play’s dealing with the theme of family conflict was original and interesting, making it well worth watching.
iddler On The Roof is always guaranteed to the get the crowd hooting and howling and NUTS’ interpretation was no different. The light-hearted, jovial affair was marked by the convincing lead rendition of conflicted father, Tevye, by the flamboyant Max Elton. Historically it is this character that makes or breaks the performance and therefore this portrayal of doting but confounded father deserves praise. Trying to abide by the ‘good book’ is struggle enough but pleasing a haggard wife with ‘proper’ marriages for his daughters will question any man’s faith. The audience is engaged with humour throughout and Tevye’s internal monologue provides insight to the baring of religion over the cast’s lives. Although the beards and accents may run a little thin for utter authenticity the integral spirit of the play is unwavering. The cast was engaged whole-heartedly in dancing and singing numbers accompanied and assured by a terrific orchestra. Particular highlights were ‘The Dream’ and the performance of ‘Now I Have Everything’ coming when yet another daughter is liberated from the premise of ‘tradition’. Overall, a ‘Mazel tov’ is in order for an involving and often hilarious take on this timeless play. Angus Innes
Northern Print 15 November - 21 December
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elebrating its 5th birthday, the annual exhibition Northern Footprints was opened once again at the award winning Northern Print gallery space, showcasing a collection of original prints that have been created in the studio over the last 12 months by some of the 170 studio users around the region. The forty-two featured artists have drawn on their varying backgrounds to create sixty original and intricate pieces of work. From the delicately composed screen-print featuring a peacock at a window to the stunningly expressive mono-print depicting the flow of water, the exhibition’s pieces are both emotive and unique displaying a wide range of printing techniques. Print in general has long been wrongly considered as purely copying, but far from being a collection of reproductions, Northern Footprints 2012 was the ultimate visual feast exploring the possibilities of the imagination and print techniques. On top of this, all printings are for sale at mostly reasonable prices, so if you want to splash out this Christmas and make an arts enthusiast happy, get them one of the unique pieces on exhibition. Lidan Deng
People’s Theatre 20 - 24 November
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Millie Walton
Newcastle College 19 - 21 November
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26.tvlistings
Monday 26 November 2012
The Courier
TV Editor: Chris Taylor Online TV Editor: Ben Parkin
BADvertisement
Amazon, we all use it. But Becca Price doesn’t seem too keen on their advertising strategy. They created the Kindle! Remember! Please remember that it was great! Please! Remember!
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never had much of a problem with Amazon, until they turned into the Smuggest People on Earth. Smugger than Apple. Smugger than smoothies. Smugger than men in car adverts. Smugger than Kevin Bacon. Smugger than that Colgate bloke who shows off about his bloodless, sparkling gums. Smugger than those Littlewoods ads last year which killed off Santa because Holly Willoughby had better presents. Smugger than…oh, what’s the point, they’re all awful. Amazon have declared themselves ‘The Re-inventors of Normal’, and created a self-congratulatory ad reminding you that they single-handedly invented the 21st Century. It compares the invention of the Kindle to the Moon Landing. All hail Amazon, bringer of light into our bleak caveman existence. ‘Customer reviews? Our light bulb!’ - No. Customer reviews have not made as much difference to anyone’s life as the light bulb did. Or maybe the light bulb thing is accurate; there wasn’t one person who invented it, just a long list of people who didn’t get it quite right. Then Edison comes along with the resources to make light bulbs a widespread thing, and gets the credit. I bet he was a smug prick too.
Peep Show Channel 4, Sunday 10pm stonishingly, it’s been a whole two years since Mark and Jeremy last graced our screens, but fear not! The agonising wait is finally over as Peep Show has made its glorious return to Channel 4 this week, promising yet more hilariously awkward situations for two of TV’s favourite man-children. The award-winning comedy has gained a loyal, cult fan base in its nine year run (making it the longest running Channel 4 sitcom since Drop the Dead Donkey!) and deservedly so. Over the years we’ve witnessed Jez and Mark finding themselves
in the most ridiculous of social scenarios. Who could forget the last minute change of heart when Mark hid from his own wedding next to Jeremy, literally pissing his pants? Or the cringe worthy moment that saw Jez gnawing on the barbequed leg of a dog he’d run over in front of its clueless owners. The unconventional use of inner monologues which reveal the duo’s hysterical inner thoughts as well as the outlandish supporting characters really puts Peep Show in a league of its own. Fan favourite Super Hans, last seen beating Jez with a pole on New Year ’s Eve, is renowned for his ‘moreish crack’ habits and will undoubtedly return with more ridiculous, drug-related antics for the new series, but are things patched up with Jeremy? Also, teetotal nut-job Alan Johnson has the potential for comedy gold with his battle over alcohol which saw him manically guzzling champagne in last series’ finale.
The new series for Mark involves the development of Dobby moving in, but of course he can’t be happy for long. Jeremy has yet to leave the flat despite promising he’d find a place of his own and tensions rise as Mark’s super geek rival, Gerard, still continues on a path for Dobby’s affection. He also starts a job in a bathroom fittings shop, surely leading to a host of new work-related mishaps. Meanwhile, Jez decides to visit a therapist because he realises his life hasn’t amounted to much. With Mark’s support of a meaningful relationship and Jeremy’s bid to take some responsibility, does this mean the pair are finally starting to grow up? Most probably not. But let’s face it, who would want them to?
House of Lies Sky Atlantic, Tuesday 10pm
Heston’s Fantastical Food Channel 4, Tuesday 9pm
Boardwalk Empire Sky Atlantic, Saturday 9pm
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The ad goes on for over a minute, and keeps popping up with slight variations all over the place in the Christmas run-up. They’ve announced a Kindle that has films and music too. You know, like your phone. Or an iPad. But not as good. It looks as if ‘normal’ may be now be two steps ahead of them, not behind. Amazon is the parent who sends their child to stage school after being cast as ‘Donkey #3’ in the Nativity play. Amazon is the person who can fix the economy because it held a mildly successful cake sale, broker world peace after they got back with an ex, and considered a career in medicine after taking a First Aid course. They’ve got a bit carried away, and somebody should politely put them back in their place. If Amazon wanted to show off what they’d really achieved, there would just be an endless video of shut down bookshops. Perhaps they could get Dylan Moran to sit on the empty set of Black Books, crying and rocking his last box of wine like a sleeping baby. I’d watch that. You know, I think I’ll get next term’s books from Blackwells. They seem a bit less up themselves there.
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he world of consultancy is apparently more akin to the world of con men than any other career. Only, y’know, kinda legal. The book of which House of Lies is based on contains the sub title How Management Consultants Steal Your Watch and Then Tell You the Time. That tells you everything. House of Lies follows a group of management consultants as they try and fleece money out of companies that need a bit of a boost. Featuring the unusual pairing of Don Cheadle, Kristen Bell and Ben Schwartz (Jean Ralphio from Parks & Recreation), House of Lies mixes the class of Mad Men with the clever, con men stylings of Hustle (when it was good mind you). The similarities with Hustle go so far as to have Don Cheadle pausing the scene and breaking the fourth wall to explain certain consultancy witticisms. It’s nowhere near as witty as early Hustle but the charm of Don Cheadle makes the dialogue sparkle. Ridiculously cynical and, at times, a lot of sex (apparently being a management consultant does well for your sex life), it’s funny and smart, taking the con man formula and applying it to “trying to make a business more money” (but mainly taking them to cleaners on expenses). It’s always nice to see Richard Schiff from The West Wing doing something as sardonic and cutting as White House Communications Director, Toby Ziegler. It’s nothing mind blowing but it’s a great “switch off and enjoy” type show.
razy bald science chef, Heston Blumenthal, returns with his new series Fantastical Food in which he attempts to bring back the kid in all of us by creating gigantic versions of childhood favourites. The first episode saw him recreate breakfast, a meal missed by many of us, on a massive scale with a gigantic egg and cereal, for commuters on a train, also creating the biggest ice cream ever at over 5 metres and a future episode promises to show Heston making a massive pot of tea and biscuits, big enough to feed a town. Heston can at times be quite annoying with his presenting style, but this doesn’t stop the show being quite enthralling, and you do find yourself saying “that’s pretty cool” on various occasions during the show, for instance where he makes a giant ‘Shreddie’ filled with various other cereals. The main draw for the show is that it’s a food show rather than a cookery show, which makes it a bit different as well as a bit more entertaining, as the TV cookery show has become a bit overused. A problem with the show is this misty eyed view Heston takes that these foods have become ignored, such as breakfast, and that we all need to rediscover our inner child to find them again. By getting in the way of busy commuters in a train station in rush hour, he then seems surprised no one takes up his offer of breakfast. Though all of this doesn’t take away from just how amazing it is to see Heston make massive versions of foods we all know, it certainly makes you hungry.
Chris Taylor
Tim Sewell
Helen Jamison
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he latest season of Boardwalk Empire sees Atlantic City crime kingpin Nucky Thompson come under fire from an ultraviolent young gangster named Gyp Rosetti who wants to muscle in on his territory, as well as having to deal with his failing marriage and a treacherous attorney general. Also, lots and lots of people are shot and killed. The season started off slow, with a bit too much time devoted to once-central characters who have become peripheral over the course of the show, and even Nucky’s wife Margaret, whose development was key to the earlier episodes, is just a scapegoat for unnecessary subplots these days. Recently, though, things have really started to heat up in Atlantic City, and given episode eight’s particularly devastating final scene, the last third of season three promises to be rife with major character deaths, which is exactly what fans have come to expect. A lot of viewers, including myself, were a bit wary of what could possibly follow in the wake of fan favourite Jimmy Darmody’s untimely demise at the end of season two, but the writers have proven that they have enough narrative meat to play with for this series. As well as all that, the cast remains as spectacular as ever. Steve Buscemi is still doing his best Steve Buscemi impression as Nucky, and there are some great additions in the form of Bobby Canavale as Rosetti and the spritely Meg Steedle as Nucky’s latest moll. Sam Summers
The Courier
featurestv.27
Monday 26 November 2012
thecourieronline.co.uk/tv c2.tv@ncl.ac.uk | @courier_tv
Off the Radar: US TV shows you should be watching
Hidden away in the darkest depths of our TV channels (or even only on Netflix), you will find a few little gems; the angler fish of TV. Ignored by many but loved by the few that watch them. They may be on the most obscure channel you can think of (one of which being VIVA, a music channel) and some only on DVD but they’re all worth your time. Let us shine a light on these shows you should definitely be watching!
Suits follows Mike Ross and Harvey Spector, a high flying law duo- not exactly a new concept except Ross doesn’t have a degree (just an eidetic memory), and is only hired because he hides in Spector’s job interviews while escaping the law with a ton of drugs. While a completely absurd (and, on most levels, stupid) concept, the creators pulled it off and created something not only compelling but addictive. On this side of the Atlantic, it was only deemed worthy of Dave’s 8pm slot but it’s still a lot better than some prime time TV.
Community is one of those shows that has a cult viewership, but poor ratings. It even spawned an art show and has a ridiculously dedicated fan base. Chock full of parodies and references to popular culture, meaning you laugh and point madly at the screen shouting ‘I understand that reference!’ all at the same time, it focuses on Jeff Winger and his study group as they try to work their way through a pretty below-par community college.
Alexandra Stonebanks
Forming an unlikely partnership of an FBI agent and former art thief, you experience the duo of Peter Burke (Tim DeKay) and Neal Caffrey (Matt Bomer) as they attempt to re-learn everything they thought was true about the underbelly of New York crime. Aided by the ‘white collar’ department of the FBI, the combination of the skilled forgery and tightly-strung criminal defenses creates a crashing clash of worlds with cleverly-intertwined storylines. Beth Durant
Tria Lawrence
Community Season 1 & 2 is available on DVD The League and White Collar are available on Netflix Suits is showing on Dave Parks & Recreation is potentially maybe coming to BBC4 ...hopefully
Parks and Recreation Recreation, now in its fifth season, revolves around the life of Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler), a ditzy but driven bureaucrat in a local government department of Indiana. Filmed in the same single-camera mockumentary style as The Office, the extended shots follow Leslie and her peppy group of eccentric workers in an attempt to improve and beautify their town of Pawnee. Worth a watch for Jean Ralphio alone, the best peripheral character. Beth Durant
“There are many things a man can do with his time, and [Fantasy Football] is better than those things.” Another thing better than those things is to watch The League and witness the mayhem unfold in the lives of those playing in the same fantasy football league. An affinity for the NFL or fantasy football isn’t required to enjoy this wonderfully funny show, but an appreciation for smack talk and swearing is. One of the funniest comedies about a group of friends since, well, Friends. George Sandeman
Guilty treasures
We all watch them, don’t lie! Be they the Chelsea nouveaux riches bitching or a poor lad being paraded in front of 30 girls who are more akin to hungry vultures, low brow TV shows are the ultimate guilty pleasure. Tria Lawrence takes a look at why we love them
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am one of those people who refuses to watch low-brow TV like Made in Chelsea. I would like to say it’s because I recognise that they’re crap TV and genuinely don’t like them, but the thing is, I would probably be lying. A big reason why I don’t watch them is because I am so scared that I would get addicted. So what is it that makes them so appealing? A lot of it is to do with relaxing. With programmes like these you can switch your brains off. If you’ve just had a long day and need a break, rather than trying to keep up with the complexities of something like Homeland or trying to decipher the slang of The Wire you’re far more likely to simply want to turn on mindless drivel – it gives your brain a rest. They also appeal because you might know someone who’s on them. Last year someone from this university was on Take Me Out - at the moment, one of the girls on it is actually someone I went to school with. For some reason we love to see peo-
ple we have any sort of connection to on TV. And it’s not just people - around here especially we like to watch Geordie Shore purely because it’s in Newcastle. When it cuts to a shot of the queue outside Perdu we can say “We stood outside of there for ages one time!” TV always seems like the magic box that connects the world, so when you know someone or somewhere on the box, for some reason it makes you feel like you’re that little bit cooler than everyone else who’s watching. However there are other reasons, for example my flatmate’s reasons for watching Made in Chelsea and TOWIE were for the ‘gossip’ and because they’re ‘real people’. So basically, we enjoy it because it’s like having a group of friends who you can freely bitch about behind their backs. Coming into the flat after a new episode has aired, all I can hear is people talking about the cast as if they know them personally and how much they dislike the actions of one cast member or the hair style of another. We like to be able to judge without the
consequence of a broken or strained friendship at the end of it. With a lot of these (like Made in Chelsea, TOWIE and Keeping up with the Kardashians) we know it’s staged and for some reason that is part of the appeal. Especially with Made in Chelsea, part of the fun of the show is being able to imitate their voices
and the stilted ways they speak to each other after, purely revelling in how idiotic they sound when they fake their own lives for TV – essentially judging them again. So what is the appeal of low-brow TV? Basically because we love to judge people and these programmes give us a lot of opportunity for it.
28.filmfeatures
Monday 26 November 2012
The Courier
Film Editors: Hayley Hamilton and Sam Hopkins Online Film Editor: Chris Binding
Top
5
Cinematic rant
Vampire Films
5
Nosferatu
Released in 1922, this was one of the first vampire films ever made and is a classical masterpiece to boot. Though it was an unauthorised adaption of Bram Stoker’s book with Count Dracula renamed Count Orlok; this German silent was revolutionary and led the way for vampires on the silver screen.
4
Bram Stoker’s Dracula
This big budget blockbuster has a stellar cast including Gary Oldman and Anthony Hopkins and is directed by Francis Ford Coppola. Surely these are the foundations for a fantastic re-telling of the original 1897 book by Bram Stoker. The dark, gothic style complements the tale perfectly to create a great Hollywood adaption.
3 Blade In this film, vampires are the enemies and humans need Wesley Snipes as Blade to protect them. As a human-vampire hybrid and loosely based on the Marvel Comics character, Blade has the gadgets and style to kick vampire but and the visual style makes this a fun flick for everyone. Give part three a miss though.
2
Dracula (1958) The great Christopher Lee redefined Dracula in this Hammer Horror classic. His piercing bloodshot eyes haunted the audience then and now and he portrays Dracula brilliantly. Racked up with tension, plenty of suspense and an X rating upon its UK release, this is a great British take on the classic tale.
1 Let the Right One In A Scandinavian take on vampires, with the strange relationship between a young vampire and an awkward, loner boy during a cold and dark Swedish winter. This part horror, thriller and drama is one of the best foreign films of recent years and the vampirical theme makes this gem a must-watch.
Jacob Crompton-Schreiber
When vampires really suck
Call me cynical, (it’s kinda my thing) but the vampire genre has become more bark than bite in the last decade. As a culture that has become obsessed with the world of the undead, one can’t help but notice the ever decreasing level of quality when viewing the latest vampiric interpretations in modern pop-culture. (See my Breaking Dawn part 2 review) It was hard enough to avoid the words ‘twi-shite’ (oops), but from a reflective point of view, I finally had that epiphany moment when Taylor Lautner took off his plaid shirt and heard an entire audience scream with delight and thought to myselfhow the hell did we get here? Aren’t vampires the frontiers of the entire horror genre? Maybe because I’m a fan of nostalgia, but things were always better in the good old days. What happened to the ‘creep factor’ that I felt when watching Nosferatu or Dracula (1931). Those were the days when vampires
were enticing but also ‘real’ characters. There was a connection to the horror which has been lacking in more recent times. Nowadays there is far too much emphasis on either gore (Blade, Underworld), hyper sexualisation (Twilight Saga), or making Vampires overly tween friendly (True Blood). While I’m not enforcing the values of a shocking parody film (Vampires Suck), one can’t help but relate to the fundamental messages that it emits. It’s pseudo parody themes speak a thousand truths about blood suckers for the 21st century audience. As long as there’s a chiselled jaw paired with the fake contacts, the girls will swoon. And as for the lads, show some hardcore violence and some subtle side-boob angles then everything’s peachy. Not all hope has faded over the horizon. It is true that you may have your patience stretched like a rubber band over an elephant when watching the likes of Abraham Lincoln : Vampire Hunter, Lesbian
vampire killers and Hotel Transylvania. However, once in a few years, something decent will rise from the darkness that you can truly sink your teeth into. Tomas Alfredson’s Let the Right One In actually reignited the trend for vampire films and rightfully so. It’s just a pity nothing has come close to its quality as of late. Luke Hearfield
Fatal attraction
What is the attraction of the undead? Chrystina Martel considers why our society is obsessed with vampires, werewolves and other mystical crea creatures.
Halloween has come and gone but horror still remains on our screens. We’ve got The Walking Dead, Derren Brown’s Apocalypse and the final Twilight film…just to name a few. Why are we so obsessed with the supernatural? Sure, let’s point a finger at Twilight and blame Robert Pattinson and his greasy hair for romanticizing vampires in a global never-before-seen kind of way. But let’s face it: it’s more than that. Undead stories have existed for hundreds of years; you can find them in old Haitian tradition, Egyptian scrolls and let’s not forget our very own western heritage. Necromancers used to be alone in seeking them out as everyone else feared them. Along came Hollywood and produced some truly horrific (interpret that as you will) horror movies, but the undead were still portrayed as something to be feared. That is, until recently in the form of the monster-human love stories. The monsters that, according to legend, were only concerned with killing and slaughter became men and women with feelings and emotions capable of complex thought. Intricate plotlines. Moral dilemmas. Teens. Tweens. Sparkling. Doesn’t it say something about us that we cannot get enough of monsters? I hate horror films and flat-out refuse to watch them. But I’ll watch True Blood and The Vampire Diaries and Supernatural and The Walking Dead. I’ll sit there and inhale them as I do the air around me, afterwards wondering why the hell I do. Why have I invited these monsters into my home? Is it because I’m scared of death? With medical advancements and improvements in standards of living and life expectancy, the final frontier and inescapable reality is that, whilst we can solve a multitude of problems, we are all still going to die. This is when religion jumps in and offers up heaven (and hell: let’s not forget that there’s that option). But I’m not a religious person and I’m going to push that aside, not out of arrogance or simple disbelief, but because it still doesn’t solve the ‘we are all going to die’ problem. Life as a human being is a finite thing.
Becoming a vampire would solve this problem, in a way. I would kind-of-maybe die, but in return I would become a god: not only would I be able to live forever but I would also be able to gift this life (or death?) to others. Yes, I would be a monster, but not really: TV and film have taught me that. Come on, we’ve all thought about it. Would you want to live forever? I think everyone has pondered the question, whether it be through finding the Philosopher’s Stone, drinking from the Fountain of Youth or joining the world of the undead. But is this question and suffocating fear of dying why we are surrounded by the supernatural? I think not. I understand wanting to sparkle (sort of) and live forever, but I don’t understand wanting to stagger around the place and eat peoples’ brains. To me this doesn’t fit in with our desire to live forever/ cheat death. At all. I may be going out on a limb here, but I don’t think anyone has ever watched a zombie film and thought, ‘wow, I wish I were a brain-dead zombie whose only drive in death was to chew on a bit of flesh, preferably brain’. I may be wrong. So I did a bit of research. Apparently zombie films draw parallels to modern society in that as consumers we have been zombified. Okay, sure, I mean I’ve seen the way people flock to the Apple store and buy iPhone after iPhone, Macbook after Macbook but let’s be realistic: it’s still a bit of a leap. After all, when we watch zombie films we’re not rooting for the zombies (unless the blonde is really, really stupid) and I’d argue that on a whole it’s not the zombies we identify with. We watch the films for the heroic (often stupid) attempts of the human protagonists’ burning desire to live. So maybe zombie films do indeed comfort our struggle to accept fate. Maybe they stroke our egos and make us feel like we’re ready for it, come what may.
I remember sitting in school d u r i n g English literature and laughing at my teacher’s audacity to presume that the author/poet had handpicked every single word and thoroughly thought out every metaphor and simile that was being massacred on the whiteboard. I realise I’ve just written an essay in which I do the very same thing, how proud he must be of me now. But just take a second to think: yes, I may be over-exaggerating the meaning of it all, but why do you think we are so obsessed with the supernatural? People like me, who have never been interested in this field of thought, why are we suddenly possessed by it? Why are people making movie after movie, show after show and writing book after book on the matter? And more importantly: why are people consuming it so readily? Why is, what was once a very confined little niche, now open and invading our lives from all sides? There’s been an explosion of undead media in recent years and I am certainly not the only one looking around wondering why. Maybe it’s our struggle to accept death as inevitable, maybe it’s how vampires have been romanticised and how our desires would be far more obtainable with their blood in our veins. The fight against a zombie apocalypse certainly has some positives, and leaves many planning their survival of a similar situation. So tell me, what does your undead obsession say about you? With films such as World War Z, The Evil Dead remake and zombie romance Warm Bodies (starring Nicholas Hoult: About a Boy, Skins) coming to our screens within the next few months, it is clear that our obsession with the undead remains as prevalent as ever. Illustrations by: Isabelle Owens
The Courier
reviewsfilm.29
Monday 26 November 2012
thecourieronline.co.uk/film c2.film@ncl.ac.uk | @Courier_Film
Breaking Dawn-Part Two (12A) Yes, I (a male) went to see the final Twilight film (willingly I should add). As an optimist I thought this couldn’t be all bad. With my mind wide open, and an auditorium filled of oestrogen, I swallowed my pride and experienced firsthand that the Twilight Saga really does live up to its Marmite reputation. Between the ‘Team Edward/ Team Jacob’ debates, and the raunchy ‘sexploits’ of Kirsten Stewarts love life, there’s no denying the Twilight saga has left its bite on the neck of society. It’s been four years since ‘Twi-hards’ first became obsessed with the vampiric love story, and now five films later the franchise closes its cover on the phenomenally popular series by Stephanie Meyer (hallelujah). Disregarding the fact that I haven’t read the books, I evaluated part 2 simply as film. Whether it sticks to the literature content is another question, however as a film, it’s nothing but complete and utter tripe. (There I said it) The plot follows immediately on from where part one left off- Bella is adjusting to life as a vampire, so now she and husband Edward are trying to live a secluded life with their baby daughter Rensemee. However when the Volturi (‘the Vampire police’) discover the abomination that a half human/ half vampire child has been born, they decide to ex-
tinguish the Cullen family due to the violation of some ancient vampiric law about half breeds. While the penultimate film provided the building blocks for the narrative, part 2 was supposed to deliver the juicy summary, so we could finally put the franchise to rest. But unfortunately what was most infuriating about this film was its ending. As the audience sits through the monogamous first eighty minutes, enduring the most vanilla dialogue and holding back every urge to shout “let out a bloody smile for once in your miserable life Kirsten Stewart!” You expect to be rewarded with the supposedly epic fight sequence. Did it deliver? Well, I’m all for a good twist but when it purposely undermines the whole reason you sat through the film, it felt like an absolute punch to the jugular. While director Bill Condon has an eye for artistic scenery, he lacks a script with any engaging vernacular. It doesn’t help that he has actors hired simply for their abs, and a special effects department whose efforts seem juvenile. The rapid growth of Rensemee was clearly a noticeable challenge, as it looked like they had poorly photoshopped a toddlers head onto a baby’s body. It looked gimmicky and didn’t work whatsoever. Not only that, but the werewolves never felt plausible either. While I am well aware these films are primarily
Preview: Life Of Pi
20 December sees the arrival of Ang Lee’s (Brokeback Mountain, Sense and Sensibility) Life of Pi; an adaptation of the beloved novel by Yann Martel. The film follows the character of Pi, a young man who survives the sinking of a cargo ship. Whilst cast-away, he forms an unlikely camaraderie with a range of animal survivors: a fearsome bengal tiger, a hyena, a zebra and an orangutan. The sumptious visuals and excellent special effects see this film ranking as a favourite for Best Picture at the 2013 Academy Awards. Make sure you catch this one in cinemas!
Competition: The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy all-nighter
Don’t lie - you’ve been having sleepless nights lying in bed, elf ears on, clutching the one ring in your left hand and your replica of Frodo’s Elvin-made sword Sting in your right. Well, the time has almost come for Peter Jackson’s return to Middle Earth, with The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey hitting cinemas in a matter of weeks. Well, the Tyneside Cinema are as excited as you are, and in anticipation are hosting an all-nighter of The Lord of the Rings trilogy on 12 December. The event may have
SOLD OUT, but we have two preeeecious tickets to give away. To enter: send an email to c2.film@ncl.ac.uk with the names of all nine members of the Fellowship of the Ring. The deadline is Monday 10 December. Winners will be chosen at the Editor’s discretion and notified via email.
aimed at girls who have just discovered the Tampax brand, there is simply no discernible way for men to enjoy this film. The action lacks creative sophistication, the men on screen are constantly whinging over a woman who has the sex appeal of a toilet brush and there’s a ridiculous amount of footage of brooding characters staring sheepishly at the audience through ‘penetrative’ contact lenses. VERDICT: Fans of the Saga will be able to forgive the blatant flaws with its’ execution, but for anyone with a shred of taste will find the viewing a torturing experience. Whatever your opinions on The Twilight franchise, its closing ceremony is a less-than thrilling mess, riddled with poor visuals, poor actors and poor implementation.
Still Showing People Like Us (12A) Argo (15) Here Comes the Boom (12A)
Luke Hearfield
The Master (15)
Amour (12A)
Freddie Quell (Joaquin Phoenix) is discharged from the army after World War II and finds himself an alcoholic, apathetic drifter. That is until a chance meeting with Lancaster Dodd (Phillip Seymour Hoffman), charismatic leader of a cultlike faith known as The Cause. Suddenly, Quell is presented with the opportunity to change and find some purpose and meaning to his rootless existence. In vintage Paul Thomas Anderson style, The Master engages and astounds from its opening seconds. You simply cannot take your eyes off the screen for fear of missing anything. The appeal is not simply the subject matter but perhaps more to do with the tense silences, masterful script and cinematographic brilliance. The work of The Cause is ambiguous at best but embodies all that is the cult spirit, as does its patriarch, who you love and loath simultaneously. This film is as much an in-depth insight into the mystery of cult as it is an analysis of absolute ideological submission. Admittedly, the plot wanders and wavers at times, seemingly with little purpose. However, every time excitement is at a trough, along comes a moment of almighty power resonating through the subconscious and rocking ones core. There is a dubious power The Master holds in the stories of Quell and Dodd. As both archetypes of the American national spirit of the time, the lack of certainty with their own histories and motivations translates to a profound emotional, psychological and at times, comical journey.
Alongside Lars Von Trier, Micheal Haneke is a European director who has built a controversial reputation on the back of challenging material. Haneke’s films re –interpret the notion of cinematic spectatorship and are often painful, challenging films to watch. Yet this is what makes him such a powerful force in world cinema. Casting art house legends Jean Louis Trintignant and Emmanuelle Riva, the film chronicles a husband attempting to deal with drastic changes when a series of degenerative strokes strikes down his wife. Testing the ‘love’ of their relationship to the limit, Haneke’s unsparing account of mortality is handled with an honest documentary realism that is uncomfortable to swallow. While Amour can be viewed as an archetypal Haneke film with controversial visuals, uncomfortable long takes and periods of unbearable silence, the script and performances create quick identification with the characters, rendering the expected controversial scenes incredibly potent. With the characters being music teachers, music, silence and nostalgic dream sequences become powerful tools at Haneke’s disposal to explore themes of degeneration and death. Ironically the film is far from nihilistic and rather optimistically realist, refusing to gloss over the realities of ageing and raising questions of the emotional, physical and psychological stresses of seeing someone you love fade away. Although ‘love’ itself is fittingly a redemptive force in Amour, it’s hard to separate it from the incredibly bleak and uncomfortable experience as a viewer.
VERDICT: Compelling, enigmatic and evocative, The Master plunges the viewer into a murky cauldron of sex, love, will and faith. Although slightly allegorical and ambiguous at moments, these are soon forgotten with scenes of genius.
VERDICT: As an incredibly ‘serious’ film about equally serious subject matter. As an honest, powerful and emotionally pure ‘love story’, this is cinema at its highest form and an incredible achievement; but if you like ‘happy’ endings, stick to ‘The Notebook’.
Munneeb Hafiz
Chris Binding
30.musicreviews
Monday 26 November 2012
The Courier
Music Editors: Chris Haywood and Sam Summers Online Music Editor: Sophie Coletta
Unapologetic
How To Buy...
Rihanna
Blur
A If Damon Albarn is to be believed, we’re never more than a couple of months away from Blur’s ‘last ever show’. Fancy getting into the Britpop kings before they eventually do call it quits? For Beginners: Parklife (1994) Blur were struggling to get out the starting blocks with albums such as Modern Life is Rubbish finding it hard to make an impact. However, Parklife brought them to the front of the Britpop movement with its clean guitar riffs supplied by the geeky looking Graham Coxon and military-precision drumming from now-politician Dave Rowntree. The album contains some of Blur’s greatest hits like the anthemic ‘Girls & Boys’ and ‘Parklife’, featuring actor Paul Daniels doing a cockney accent and talking about how boring everyday life is. Both are songs which introduce a listener to Blur, brilliant musicianship with a whole load of social messages and humour.
For Experts: Modern Life Is Rubbish (1993)
nother year, another Rihanna album. It’s almost becoming a bit of a scheduled event now isn’t it? It’s quite hard to believe that this is her seventh album at such an age, it’s becoming a question as to how long she can keep up with the momentum. What’s special about Rihanna however, is that she can basically pick any song she wants from a massive of list producers and they will give it to her, as she’s probably got the star power to cover a Wham song and have it chart high. As a result, her albums are never a question of quantity over quality, and Unapologetic goes to demonstrate that. Rihanna is smart. Just when you question if you can handle another LP of dance breakdowns, urban beats and cocky innuendos, she releases the refreshing ‘Diamonds’ as the lead single. Maybe a bit underwhelming if you were expecting the new ‘We Found Love’, but its ‘shine bright like a diamond’ hook and atmospheric backing make for a strong release, even if it takes a few listens to catch on. That’s not to suggest that there aren’t massive uptempo numbers; this is still Rihanna we’re talking about here. ‘Right Now’, for example, sees RiRi team up with David Guetta, an up and coming dance producer who you should definitely watch out for. In all seriousness, the song sounds exactly as you would imagine. ‘Jump’ on the other hand, is a bit more exciting. Produced by Chase and Status, Rihanna asks you to ride her ‘pony’ in the way that only she can get away with, and its eastern tinged guitars and mighty dubstep breakdown are definitely a worthwhile listen. Whilst the big dance numbers are good and all, the mid-tempos and ballads are probably stronger. ‘Stay’ strips Rihanna down to a simple piano back-
For The Bin: 13 (1999) Unlucky for some and definitely unlucky for Blur. Although there are highlights on the album such as ‘Coffee & Tv’, ‘ Tender’ and ‘Trimm Trabb’, which are great, there isn’t much to this album. It’s quite self-indulgent and doesn’t live up to the usual Blur sound. For instance, ‘B.L.U.R.E.M.I’ consists of a punk style beat and sound but half way through the recording it would appear that a duck enters the song and it all just gets a bit weird. If you look at Blur’s live sets, notably few songs off this album are played. They probably realised, as I have, that their other material is much better than the unknown genre of this extravaganza. The less said about this one the better. Josh Nicholson
‘Six Directions Of Boxing’
Whilst the big dance numbers are good and all, the mid-tempos and ballads are probably stronger... ‘Numb’, alternatively, is a trippy, repetitive number in collaboration with Eminem that’s a pretty unusual listening experience, but Rihanna somehow makes it work. ‘Mother Mary’, moreover, is another strong ballad, perhaps her most personal offering to date, in which she solemnly confesses ‘Mother Mary, I swear I want to change’. If you want to change then Rihanna, please, ditch the awkward Chris Brown features. Even though you proclaim in your duet that your relationship ‘ain’t nobodies business’, we are all growing a bit tired with it. Rihanna demonstrates with Unapologetic that she’s not really one to jump on a band wagon; if her previous albums are anything to go by, she’s usually the one driving it. Although Unapologetic shows Rihanna progressing with her slower jams, the album is still in essence everything you expect it to be. Jordan Lebbern Recommended download: ‘Stay’
bastards
The Man With The Iron Fists
Björk
Although not as major a hit as Parklife, this album is underrated. It is harder to listen to if you don’t ‘get’ Blur but for the enthusiast it is a joy. You can see the beginnings of Parklife but it is a much rawer album with harder basslines from cheese farmer Alex James and Damon Albarn’s essex boy twang merely enhance the greatness of this album. Due to poor reception at home and in America for first album Leisure, Albarn decided the band needed a face lift and changed to a more ‘British’ sound. They tried to follow in the comedic style of The Small Faces which can most definitely be heard and enjoyed on songs such as ‘Sunday Sunday’.
ing, a haunting duet with Mikky Ekko in which she begs ‘I want you to stay’. The overall effect is a song that would fit perfectly on one of those epic John Lewis Christmas adverts.
If you like this, try ... Robyn Body Talk
The culmination of three EPs worth of instant-classic tracks, this felt like a ready-made greatest hits collection when it hit the shelves. Dance, pop, hip hop and Snoop Dogg – what more could you want?
(III)
Various Artists
Crystal Castles
I
he soundtrack for The Man With The Iron Fists is astonishing. I haven’t seen the film, but listening to the music makes me want to track it down; hardcore Tarantino style kung fu fought to a hip hop soundtrack… why has no one thought of this before? Watching Lucy Liu cut through her enemies while the Wu-Tang Clan vibe on some harsh tasty beats; beautiful. With the likes of Pusha T, Kanye West, Wiz Khalifa, Talib Kweli, Raekwon, The Black Keys and the Wu-Tang Klan, rapper/producer/director RZA has gathered an outstanding cast that is bursting with prestige and talent. These artists all throw their own styles into the mix, from old school hip hop, to bass pounding beats and even some slow bluesy Motown. The result is an immensely diverse album that has something for every rap fan. With such an esteemed group of musicians it is near impossible to pick one song that stands out from the rest. The opening track, ‘Baddest Man Alive’ featuring The Black Keys and RZA, is a beguiling blend of alternative bluesy rock and distorted vocals, whilst Mable John’s ‘Your Good Thing (Is About To Come To An End)’ is a beautiful blues ballad that melancholically floats through the air. WWHowever, the song I found myself playing the most was ‘Six Directions of Boxing’. It is an undisputed classic and shows the Wu-Tang Clan at their very best, with remarkable lyrics over a beat so laid back it’s tripping over itself. RZA has been hugely successful hugely in creating a diverse and captivating soundtrack that seamlessly drives forwards, and it will undoubtedly strongly support his directorial debut in The Man With The Iron Fists.
T
rystal Castles, the experimental electronic duo of Alice Glass and Ethan Kath, are not known for making ‘nice’ music. Nihilistic lyrical themes and abrasive electronic noise are an integral part of their sound, giving their work a unique – but admittedly limited – appeal. Their third LP, (III), is their most lyrically ambitious album, vocalist Glass turning her focus to injustices on a global scale. ‘Oppression is a theme, in general … It feels like the world is a dystopia where victims don’t get justice and corruption prevails.’ Fittingly the cover art depicts a Yemeni woman cradling her injured, naked son. It’s bleak, it’s political and it’s definitely not going to get you in the party mood. Unfortunately, for much of the record’s 40 minute runtime, Crystal Castles toe the line between being boring and abrasive. The down-tempo beats feel repetitive and merge together forgettably whilst the more aggressive tracks often overstep the mark making them an unpleasant listen. Many of Glass’ lyrics are difficult to decipher amongst busy electronic arrangements. It’s a shame given the weight of her ambition and the fact that, when audible, she does deliver some intense lyrical blows. (III) does offer some compelling moments. On ‘Affection’ Glass’ breathy, hushed vocals glide over icy pop synths anchored by a futuristic R&B beat. It’s a dreamy lullaby of a song, the most beautiful on this LP. The album’s high energy point, ‘Sad Eyes’ sees the bands trance sound its most euphoric as its skips along with a wonderful sense of urgency. Crystal Castles have taken a step forward from (II) in terms of production, but at the same time have lost some of the dynamism and unpredictability that made them successful.
Recommended download: ‘Crystalline (Omar Souleyman Version)’
Recommended download: ‘Six Directions Of Boxing’
Recommended download: ‘Affection’
ncorporating self-designed apps, live shows, and slowly-released downloadable remix singles, Björk’s Biophilia project in 2011 integrated her work with the collaboration of writers, musicians, app-developers, and scientists, to create an eclectic multimedia experience. Having previously released all of these 13 remix tracks as stand-alones, the Icelandic veteran decided to compile them all into one, easy, bite-sized LP stylistically titled bastards. Omar Souleyman’s remix of ‘Crystalline’ immediately injects something new into the usual eccentricity of Björk’s material. Expanding the sound to an undeniable spread of international colours and themes, the original chorus lines are accented with heavy eastern-sounding keyboard riffs. Death Grips supply two remixes to this compilation and in a lot of ways provide similar ideologies and sounds to Björk herself, in that both artists reject modern and contemporary conventions yet seek to break the populist sound of most mainstream media. Their remix of ‘Thunderbolt’ seeps in with a thumping bassline that will leave you shaking for days. The contribution of Matthew Herbert is immediately identifiable, with his ‘teutonic plates mix’ of ‘Mutual Core’ far surpassing the original. His ‘pins and needles’ spin on ‘Sacrifice’ is 30 seconds of pure bliss; and the closing sounds of ‘Crystalline’ round off the album leaving you panting for more. Being in many ways finer material than the album it’s spawned from, bastards seeks to challenge the original LP and bring the core elements of the music to forefront, yet it’s safe to say that there’s still that undeniable head-vibrating sound of original dominance from Björk that’s hard to ignore.
Beth Durant
Charlie Dearnley
C
Mike Slaski
The Courier
localmusic.31
Monday 26 November 2012
thecourieronline.co.uk/music c2.music@ncl.ac.uk | @courier_music
sceNE: Natasha Haws
Delving into the region’s exploding music scene, Lauren Stafford brings you a sample of what the North East can offer you...
Unknown Pleasures
No artist. No title. No clue...
This week we gave Kate Bennett a copy of Ariel Pink’s critically adored 2010 masterpiece without telling her what it was. How did she get on with the trippy modern classic?
A
singer-songwriter, hailing from glorious South Shields, Natasha Haws is a self-proclaimed ‘finger-picky sarcastic ear pleaser who makes music fuelled by crappy experiences’. Quite apart from that, she is the stuff that floppy haired indie boys dream about. Attractive, sarcastic and quietly intense; she’s like the reluctant heroine in an obscure, North East based, art house rom-com. Oh, and she’s got a bloody good voice to boot. I first saw her perform at this year’s Split Festival in Sunderland. We shuffled on the wet grass, waited with pint of Swedish Blonde in hand and tried to ignore the smell of damp tent. The setting was less than romantic but it was intimate crowd of dedicated music lovers and through a sea of khaki parkers, I watched her amble onto the stage. Her set was by no means perfect and there were a couple of technical mishaps (including one painful feedback screech), yet somehow it was easily ignored as the audience were won over by her strong vocal and strangely charming off-hand rapport. Critics often focus on her age. “She’s only 17. She’s wise beyond her years,” they say. It’s true, she’s a teenager, but more importantly she has a rare tal-
ent for story telling. Song writing is a hazardous business. Lyricists can spend long hours shaping their emotional angst into twee, insipid nonsense for us to abjure at all costs. Fortunately, Natasha Haws doesn’t fall into this category and her songs are carefully crafted pockets of melodic sentiment. ‘Constant Fairytale’, she explained to the crowd at Split, is about her younger brother who suffers from epilepsy. ‘My little boy sees things differently/ Through spaceman’s eyes and a wandering mind’, she crooned softly and we stared at our feet, uncomfortably aware of her vulnerability. She’s a got an uneasy presence and she does her best to hide behind her guitar and her blunt fringe, occasionally surfacing to make a pithy comment or two. This is what I like about her. There’s no smoke machine here, no hoochy dress; it’s the definition of good, gimmick-free musicianship. In 2011, she took part in ‘Transmission’, the official Split Festival Fringe event. It celebrated up and coming North East talent and featured Tom Robinson of BBC 6 Music. “What sets Ms Haws apart is being abrasive and edgy and funny and outrageous and sassy - as well as being sensitive and melodic”, he enthused. “What a great talent
and lovely songwriter. She has the potential to be enormous”. Since then she’s played gigs across the country and received acclaim from both press and punters alike. On November 9th, she launched her new single ‘Stranger’ at The Lit and Phil, supported by Let’s Away and Lucas Renney. It’s accompanied by a shiny, new video, which is filmed (in part) by the North Sea. In typical self-effacing style, Natasha Haw’s biography on Twitter reads ‘gracefully goofy’. Perhaps. But an exciting, emerging artist? Definitely.
Single Release Natasha Haws Strangers
Opening with a lusty tribal drumbeat, ‘Stranger’ is a broody tale of misguided desire. There’s no youthful awkwardness about this record; it’s selfassured, confident and showcases her melancholy vocal at it’s best.
Oh, What A Night
Mamma Mia! Hayley Hamilton catches up with Anglo-Italian adonis Jack Savoretti
L
ast weekend I was lucky enough to meet a musician I’ve admired for five years. After first seeing him on his debut TV performance on GMTV in 2007, I’ve always wanted to see him live. I couldn’t refuse the opportunity I was given tonight. Jack spent his adolescence writing poetry and made the transition to music after encouragement from his mother. Influenced by musicians from all over the world, he describes his music as ‘travel, photographs and romance’. Like snapshots of stories, his songs feel experiential in nature; it’s this engaging quality which first attracted me to him. One thing I’ve always found curious about Jack’s lyrics is his preoccupation with war imagery. ‘I’ve never been at war’, he says, ‘my family has been hit by war in the past…it’s definitely in my DNA’. But aside from his ancestral connections, he also notes the metaphorical qualities of conflict that transcend specific experience. There is internal struggle in every journey and emotional oscillations in every life. ‘I’ve always had this bizarre connection…a feeling of other souls and other memories…waves of energy’. I asked him the motivations behind using a range of first and third person perspectives in his lyrics. Was his music entirely introspective or did he inhabit the voice of a character? He replied: ‘bit of both on both sides. Some songs I’ll write entirely as first person and then I’ll switch it to third or vice versa’. In particular we discussed ‘Killing Man’ – a song from Jack’s first album Between the Minds (2008) and a reflection on the ‘murder ballad’ genre popularised by Johnny Cash. He was inspired when travelling around Nashville: ‘amazing songs, funny…but carrying that symbolism of that fine line of loving someone to death and hating someone to death’. Music became a creative tool for ex-
ploring the psychology of intense behaviour: ‘why are there assassins? Why do we do things?’ We moved the focus to his third and latest album Before the Storm. ‘‘Knock knock’ was the one that made me realise it was good to write from an alterego perspective as well as personal’. Whilst his former albums have explored themes of identity and introspection or as Jack suggests, his ‘education’, Before the Storm was his ‘first real job’. Being able to leave some characters on the stage after a performance was liberating, whilst still being able to communicate experiences outside his and his fans’ frames of reference. ‘It makes you listen because it is in first person’. With this in mind, I wondered if his song writing ever felt less like catharsis and more like work. His co-written song ‘One Day’ was featured in blockbuster Post Grad starring Alexis Bledel. ‘It was quite daunting because they gave us three hours. It’s Hollywood; you don’t want to screw around be-
cause there is a queue of people waiting to do what you do’. This tension between creative freedom and commercial constraints is also reflected in his attitudes towards recording. It is ‘so strange because what you record…people make it theirs and they’re quite defensive’. As his relationship to his songs is subject to constant change, to freeze one version of it on the day of recording can feel oppositional to what is otherwise a flexible medium of self-expression. ‘If they come to see you they wanna hear that, so if you suddenly tweak it…they become a little bit upset’. Lastly, I enquired into his perception of ‘musical success’. He said: ‘being able to do it. Not giving up. Not being shelved…the day it stops being fun, it’s game over’. Overall, I was chuffed to discover he was as interesting a person as his music suggested. His three albums: Between the Minds, Harder than Easy and Before the Storm are definitely worth a listen: poetic, intriguing and intensely varied.
Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti Before Today (2010)
I
have no idea when this album was recorded, but I’d be willing to bet a significant amount of money I don’t actually have that it’s from the 1970s. While it’s not true that I hate all music from the 1970s – I like Roxy Music and punk rock - it’s certainly true that I hate the vast majority of it. If this album is indeed from the decade that taste forgot, it’s done little to change my mind on the matter. If it isn’t, then it’s clearly the peddlings of some long-haired nostalgia-merchant who hasn’t switched a radio on since the Ramones released ‘Blitzkrieg Bop’. There are plenty of great albums that start off weirdly; Nirvana’s In Utero begins with a chord so blatantly dissonant that you wonder if it’s an accident of the recording process, while The Smiths’ The Queen Is Dead goes for a sample of a musichall song from 1916. This one sure starts weirdly – we kick off with what sounds like an aeroplane engine, gradually filtered out and replaced by languid saxophone melodies and strange yelping sounds – but I couldn’t honestly tell you that it’s a great album. The whole thing is odd, both in the songs themselves and in that I can’t get a handle on what sort of genre the band or artist is even aiming for. The result is an incoherent, self-indulgent mish-mash of features from seventies pop and rock music: some squealing hard-rock guitar licks here, a two-anda-half minute instrumental keyboard jam there. Track 2 [‘Bright Lit Blue Skies’] is a fairly straightforward, ELO-ish soft-rock number; Tracks 5 [‘Round And Round’] and 6 [Beverly Kills] could almost be described as disco, with some cracking funk basslines and high-pitched Bee Gees-esque vocal harmonies. In track 9 [‘Can’t Hear My Eyes’] we’ve even got a bit of a ballad, with lyrics like ‘I want a lady as beautiful as a sunset on the strip’ crooned over cheesy electric organ chords. Track 11 [‘Menopause Man’] is the craziest of the lot, starting off with a low-key, ‘Psycho Killer’-ish bass and drum intro before things take a decidedly weird turn (yep, weirder even than ‘Psycho Killer’). ‘Rape me, castrate me, make me gay’, the singer drones; shortly afterwards the whole thing degenerates into unintelligible, possibly-human mumbling and the sound of a guitar being severely abused. The whole thing reeks of a bunch of guys with a King Crimson fixation and too much time on their hands. I think I’m going to stick with the Roxy Music, thanks. Kate Bennett
32.musicreviews
Monday 26 November 2012
The Courier
Wor Kelly’s back in the closet
R. Kelly’s notoriously ridiculous ‘hip hopera’ Trapped In The Closet returns to the internet this week. Music Editor Sam Summers tries his best to explain what is quickly becoming the R&B Ulysses...
Sylvester Big Man Introduced with the now-classic line ‘not only is there a man in the cabinet, but the man is a midget’, the diminutive Big Man seems to be representative of Kelly’s own hidden demons. His enormous penis reflects Kelly’s uncontrollable libido, and his short stature reflects... the fact that Kelly finds midgets funny.
The protagonist of Trapped In The Closet is the only character played by R. Kelly without heavy makeup, and can therefore be seen as a particularly thinly veiled avatar for the man himself. A morally bankrupt character, as quick to pull out his Beretta as he is to cheat on his wife, Sylvester is an outlet for all of Kelly’s gangster fantasies. Kelly clearly sees himself as a kind of ‘guardian angel’ figure, often bursting onto the scene to rescue the innocent. Here ‘the innocent’ is usually a philandering midget, but still.
Rosie & Randolph Rosy the nosy neighbour and her cranky husband Randolph watch all of the action from their bedroom window, in a Hitchcockian statement on the increasingly blurred lines between the public and the private in suburban America. Perhaps even more pertinently, Randolph gives R. Kelly an opportunity to dress up in a ridiculous ‘fat old man’ costume, to the delight of all.
neighbours of...
Twan
Bridget
Sylvester’s immature brother-in-law/partner in crime serves as an outlet for some of Kelly’s more rash narrative impulses, such as shooting policemen, shooting gangsters, shooting lesbians, and shooting midgets.
James
Gwendolyn
A police officer involved in a sordid affair with Sylvester’s wife, clearly represents the corruption inherent in the police force. Actor Michael K. Williams is no stranger to this theme, having played Omar Little in The Wire. You might want to re-read that a couple of times for it to sink in.
As Sylvester’s wife, Gwendolyn represents the philandering Kelly’s subconscious desire for domesticity. Also, she manages to give him cramp after 20 seconds of cowgirl, something we can’t imagine he’s used to.
Tina
Pimp Lucious
best friends with...
sister of...
The only white character in a black-dominated cast, Bridget’s name could reflect the ‘bridge’ she represents between the two races. That, or Kelly just needed something to rhyme with ‘midget’.
Twan’s ex-girlfriend-turned-prostitute is revealed in one go to be pregnant and in a lesbian relationship. She has a characteristic nervous twitch, which is reflective of her innocence, and a penchant for stabbing people with broken bottles which... erm... isn’t.
works for...
Cathy
Shrouded in mystery, we aren’t told much about Pimp Lucious. We do know that he’s a conflicted soul, torn between his life of crime and his church. Plus, look how funny R. Kelly looks in that pimp costume! Pimps are funny.
married sleeping together Catch up on the full saga over at R. Kelly’s VEVO, and head over to www.IFC.com for the new episodes...
other relationship
friends with...
Sylvester’s affair with Cathy is what kickstarts the story, and finds our protagonist trapped in the titular closet. While Cathy’s closet has this literal use, it also has a much deeper meaning for her husband...
Pastor Rufus congregant of...
Cathy’s devout husband is revealed to be having a gay affair with a deacon. Clearly, he represents the duplicity of the church, an issue apparently close to the heart of the man who wrote ‘Feelin On Yo Booty’.
Chuck Rufus’ secret lover is central to Closet’s final cliffhanger: through Chuck, every major character could be infected with HIV. This new batch of episodes will finally reveal how Kelly plans to handle this incredibly delicate subject. Probably with a Beretta.
The Courier
featuressport.33
Monday 26 November 2012
Hungry for ‘The Power’
Last week, Newcastle University’s own Martin ‘Apollo’ Osborne took on 15-time darts world champion Phil Taylor at a competition in Gateshead. Martin Reynolds reports Newcastle University’s fledgling darts talent Martin Osborne was knocked out in the quarter-finals of the Tungsten on the Tyne darts exhibition by 15 times world champion Phil Taylor on Thursday night. ‘Apollo’ Osborne succumbed to a 4-0 defeat by eventual winner ‘The Power’ at the Lancastrian Suite in Gateshead after spectators had seen Joe Cullen, Raymond van Barneveld and current world champion Adrian Lewis advance to the semis. Taylor would later advance to the final after beating recent Grand Slam of Darts winner, van Barneveld, where a showdown with Lewis was on after ‘Jackpot’ had survived a mini comeback from Cullen in his semi-final match to triumph 5-3. In the final, Taylor made a lightning start in winning the opening 3 legs with an unprecedented 3 dart average score of over 110. The Power eventually overcame Lewis in a 6-2 victory to end the largest non-televised darts exhibition of its kind in Europe. However, Newcastle University eyes were focused on the 2nd Year Biochemistry student, who was incredibly still in the running to win the exhibition before his clash against the most recognisable man in darts history. Following his sensational qualification from the Precision Sports 9-Dart Challenge at G Casino earlier in the month, ‘Apollo’ Osborne was set the daunting task of facing the 2009 Sports Personality of the Year Runner Up in the final quarter final match. Taylor won the bull-off to throw first and raced away to take the first leg in 15 darts. When he also won against the throw in the second leg, defeat looked imminent for ‘Apollo’ and so it proved with chants of ‘there’s only one Phil Taylor’ echoing around the Lancastrian Suite
as he took the next two legs to wrap up the match. Osborne ended with a very respectable average 3 dart score of exactly 60, but the gulf in class became evident as Taylor barely moved out of second gear, averaging 89 during the match, denying the 2nd Year Biochemistry student a single dart at a double in the process. However, MC for the night John McDonald noted in summary that “the future of the sport is in safe hands with players such as Martin” which reflected the general mood that Osborne had represented himself and his University very well. Although the match ultimately ended in defeat, for promising darts talent Osborne it was an experience that will stand him in good stead for his exciting career. “It was a really fantastic night and everyone seemed to enjoy it” said Osborne “practicing alongside the greats and seeing how they dedicated they are to their sport was a fascinating insight”. Although the match ultimately ended in defeat, for promising darts talent Osborne it was an experience that will stand him in good stead for his exciting career. “I’ve had a taste of what darts can do for you now so with a bit of luck and a lot of practice I hope to progress even further”. With future tournaments lined up – both individually and in the University society – including regional BDO tournaments mooted, where that progress will take him is unknown. One thing that looks fairly certain, though, is that Apollo’s career, like the rocket, is on the rise. If you would like to get involved with the Darts Society and become the future Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor, the society meets every Thursday at Hustlers Bar, at 7.00PM.
Back of the net Video of the week
From the right: Taylor, Mark Thomspon (Darts Society member), Adrian Lewis and ‘Apollo’ Osborne
Spot the ball
Testing times
1) How much did Newcastle pay for the services of Alan Shearer in 1996? 2) How many World Championships has Phil “the Power’ Taylor won? 3) In what year was West Ham United (called Thames Ironworks originally) founded? 4) What is Stuart Broad’s away test bowling average? 5) When was the last time the Welsh beat the All Blacks in a rugby union match?
A 1 2 3
1.) 15 million ; 2.)15 ; 3.) 1895; 4.) 41.71; 5.) 1953
David Beckham kicks ball in bin (50m away): http://www.you-
tube.com/watch?v=9ZE8X0tmUOo David Beckham kicks some
balls into a bin, kind of like where his football career has gone. It is rumoured that he is preparing himself for when he makes his mega money move to Medics 2nds. He failed to impress in the trials for the 1sts.
- Samuel Ameobi - @SammyAmeobi “Looking to really top last years Xmas jumper...gonna be tough!”
(21 Nov) Good old Sammy is really looking forward to The Courier Fashion’s upcoming feature.
Long shot of the week With Newcastle’s dismal form of late, their chances of winning the Europa League may seem hopelessly slim, yet this is the world of football and anything can happen.
26/1
(Odds from Betfair)
4 5
B
C
D
E
F
34.sportintramural
Monday 26 November 2012
The Courier
Cheekies and Armstrong lead in disrupted season Rugby Round Up This year has been a mixed bag for the boys playing Intra Mural rugby. Despite some good and entertaining games being played, due to the lack of referees, 6 teams out of the 10 have only played a single fixture. Of course the team to have started brightly are the Armstrong boys, who like the Cheeky Ladies have somehow managed to have played 3 games apiece, both unbeaten. Led by their big skipper, Snapper, Armstrong have battered all of their opposition so far, particularly in their first encounter against the Agrics, in which not even the ‘HeartBreaker’ Stephenson could stop the boys in blue and white smashing them off the small Close House pitches. However, since the likes of the Titans have struggled to recreate the form of previous seasons due to the loss of a lot of boys to graduation, the main challengers are without a doubt the Cheekies. With the return of key players, the team have come back with a bang, whilst Godfather Navy Haveron has done wonders recruiting fresh meat.
The Ladies are looking stronger than ever both on and off the pitch. This has been reflected in their results, as new boys BioMed Falcons found out as they came undone on their Intra Mural debut. Yet, despite so few games being played there have been a few upsets along the way as the Agrics 2nds narrowly overcame a strong Engines team to skip over their first team in the league table. In an epic battle of the societies, the Agrics 2nds, led by the bruising bull, Johnny Bear upfront and Israel Dagg himself, battled to an epic two point victory in surely the game of the season so far, despite missing key players like Sniffer Lang at halfback. This now means that the Agrics 2nds lads, and the Engines are sitting pretty, in 3rd and 4th place, behind both the Cheekies and Armstrong, with the Ladies just nipping the top spot on points difference. All the other teams are all yet to record a victory in this years competition. It appears that perhaps the decision of the AU to change all Intra Mural fixtures, from Wednesday to Saturday, has had a profound effect on the league,
with not only teams struggling to field teams, but for the Referees society to find enough officials for the fixtures, an issue which to the society’s credit has been more or less resolved as a fresh batch of good refs has been blooded into the system. Yet, so far it seems like the two big teams, Armstrong and the Cheekies are likely to run away with it, which makes for a fantastic rest of the season. Yet with so much rugby to be played again it’s too close to call. Ted Bunn
Saturday League 1
Team
Pld
W
Pts
L
F
A
Cheeky Ladies
4
4
18
0
9
3
2
Armstrong
4
3
15
1
12
4
3
Engines
3
1
7
1
10
3
4
Titans
2
1
6
1
1
2
5
Agrics 2nds
1
1
4
1
1
4
6
Newcastle Medics RFC Team
3 Pld
1 W
4 Pts
1 L
1 F
8 A
7
Southern Fairies
1
0
1
0
9
3
8
Agrics 1sts
1
0
0
1
12
4
9
Law Blacks
10 BioSci Falcons
1
0
0
1
10
3
2
0
0
1
1
2
Crayola swing in a freekick Photography: Tom Womersley
Crayola write off flailing Forsyth Division 1 Wednesday Crayola
3
Borussia Forsyth
1
By Tom Womersley at Longbenton New look Crayola secured a comfortable victory over Division One strugglers Borussia Forsyth at Longbenton on Wednesday. The first half was a hotly contested affair, with Crayola perhaps enjoying the lion’s share of possession. Both sides created chances but thanks to two strong goalkeepers the score remained level at the break. We can only speculate what the Crayola manager said at half time, but the effects were there for all to see. The ‘Blue and Whites’ came out firing after the break, scoring three well-taken goals within ten minutes. The sublime Simon Hetherington spotted a gap in the Borussia defence and played in striker Tom Womersley, who calmly turned the keeper and rolled the ball into the back of the net to put Crayola one up. Crayola’s second came just minutes later when Womersley pounced on a bouncing ball in the Borussia box, beating the keeper with a left footed finish. Borussia must have thought the half couldn’t have started any worse when Hetherington’s mazy dribble from outside the area - beating Mike McManus and several other defenders - was rounded off with a cool finish past the dazed Borussia keeper. Crayola, looking comfortable at 3-0 up, continued to push in search of the
goal that would guarantee the three points. Substitute George Grace marauded up the right wing and was a constant thorn in Borussia’s side. Somewhat against the run of play, Forsyth managed to pull one back. Some careless defending from the otherwise exceptional Crayola defence, led to striker Andrew Kemp neatly side footing into the bottom corner to give Borussia hope. Borussia enjoyed their best spell of the game as the match drew to a close, with Crayola happy to sit back and absorb the pressure. The Crayola back four of Alex Green, Ben Barnes, Ben Royals and Adam Cook all performed heroically, looking effortless on the ball and barely gave Borussia a look in. Credit must go to the Corinthian spirit of this Forsyth side, especially debutant and gloveless keeper Tom O’Brian, making some outstanding saves despite being hit by a virus hours before kick off.
Magill
Green
Royals
Barnes
Hetherington
Strong
Chapman
Allred
Peterson
Whiter
Turner (c)
Womersley
Eaton
Tapp
Kemp
Simpson
Clarke
Smith
Blofield O’Brien (c)
Carson
McManus
The Courier
intramuralsport.35
Monday 26 November 2012
Barca hammer Untied to kick start season Division 1 Wednesday Barca-Law-Na
8
Dyslexic Untied
2
warrior, Michael Diss, a man not afraid of to use his strong tackle. Barca soon began to make the most of the 3G’s perfect surface, with some passing moves their namesakes would be proud of. The first goal of the game came from some neat interplay by Barca’s attacking contingent, as they fashioned a chance that was calmly dispatched by left winger Tom Saunders. It was clear from this moment that Barca meant business, and their second goal arrived in a matter of minutes, as a well worked set piece saw central defender Dave Bagot convert at the back post. It looked for a minute that Dyslexic might have worked their way back into the game, when the quietly prolific Antonio Da Silva sneaked into the Barca box, thanks to some clever play from Dom Robson, and halved the difference between the two teams. It wasn’t to be for Dyslexic, however, as Jamie Hurworth’s deflected shot extended Barca’s
By Freddie Rose at Longbenton A gusty, windswept evening was the setting for another duel between Barca-Law-Na and Dyslexic Untied, in a fixture mirroring the Intra Mural Cup final of the 2011/2012 season. That match ended 1-0 to Barca, and unfortunately for Dyslexic this tie lacked the competitive edge which made last years final such a tense affair. The game began tentatively, but the friendly tactical jousting soon gave way, with some big tackles flying in. This was much to the taste of Dyslexic’s defensive
lead to 3-1 as half time approached. The second half proved to be more of the same as Barca’s wealth of quality attackers showed their brilliance with a wonderful display of long distance shooting putting Tom Saunders, Alex Hoctor and Joe Babos on the score sheet, the latter two bagging braces, as Barca’s ruthlessness put the Dyslexic challenge to bed. A sparkling long range strike from Freddie Rose gave Dyslexic a well earned second goal, however, the class of the finish ultimately didn’t match the importance of the goal as it proved to be little more than a consolation. Untied need to start picking up points before the Christmas break, otherwise they could find themselves in a relegation dog fight for the second season running. For Barca-Law-Na, however, the win further excels their strong position in Division One and after a rocky start to the season, it appears last year’s champions could finally begin their title push.
Towers
Greenless
Hoctor
Bagot
Howard
Beahon
Ingram (c)
#4 The ‘Beckham’ Effect
Hurworth Robson
Da Silva
Massey
Slattery
Jones
Milton Diss
Beverly
Smith (c)
Higgins
Fletcher
Boomtime for Eco, Aftermath lose formula Division 2 Wednesday Ecosoccer
4
Aftermath
2
The showpiece event of the Intra Mural schedule was given the recognition it deserved, when Ecosoccer met Aftermath under the Longbenton 3G floodlights, for an 8pm kick off last Wednesday. Just like other monumental Champions League fixtures, this particular night had a special feel in the air, as all four Ecosoccer supporters had turned out, full of voice to see the Division’s early pace setters battle it out to protect their 100% records.
By Rob Stacey at Longbenton
“Just like other monumental Champions League fixtures, this particular night had a special feel in the air, as all four Ecosoccer supporters had turned out full of voice to see the Division’s early pace setters battle it out to protect their 100% records.”
Jones
Smith
Homer
Dennis
Warren (c)
Wheeler
Jesmond
Welltart Stacey
Finelli
Goddard
Perhaps the inexperience of playing in front of a capacity crowd initially got the better of Ecosoccer, as Aftermath started on the front foot and were looking the more likely to break the deadlock. However after 15 minutes it was Ecosoccer who went ahead, settling their nerves. The Aftermath keeper tried to keep a Will Finelli shot from going out for a corner and in a fairly in-
Golzari Jones
Wilson Dickens
Widdal Lund Birley
Jordan
Jones
nocuous situation, he spilled his efforts and Rob Stacey accepted the loose ball and slotted in to put Eco 1-0 up. Aftermath pressed for an equalizer, but it proved to be a tricky problem with astute performances from defensive duo Bart Smith and James Homer. Meanwhile, utility defender James ‘Coloccini’ Wheeler was having a solid game at left back. Whatever was said in the Aftermath dressing room by captain Robert Shelton worked wonders as the mathemati-
Basham
Shelton (c)
cians multiplied their efforts after the break. An acute corner was sent in right under the crossbar and after a punch as strong as a decaf coffee, by Eco keeper Chris Jones, James Hunter was on hand to balance the scores. However, joy was cut short when Ecosoccer again regained the lead. Making the most of his last moments on the pitch, Finelli pounced on a quick
throw out to the Aftermath right back and his shot beat the hand of the keeper. Eco did not settle for that and continued to push forward. Captain, leader, legend, Tom Warren has a knack of scoring spectacular goals in vital games throughout his Ecosoccer career, and the third goal satisfied both the requirements. Joey Jesmond deceived everyone with a corner which fell outside the penalty area where Stacey headed into the path of Warren, who set himself up for a volley with his first touch, before zipping it perfectly into the bottom left, giving the Eco boys some breathing space. Aftermath didn’t do anything to simplify the game for Ecosoccer, as they again closed the difference. A loose ball was bounced upon and Chris Lund was on hand to slam in a volley to spark belief of a possible comeback. However it wasn’t to be as Christopher Humberston closed the game out and in doing so aided his goals to minutes ratio. Goddard held the ball excellently up front, and teased the Aftermath defence before getting his shot away. Humberston was on hand to crisply strike the rebound into the corner to secure the three points. Up next for Ecosoccer are local rivals Boca Seniors. With mind games already beginning between the two camps, The Courier Online is the only place to catch all the pre-match build up.
League Tables
Wednesday 11-a-side Football
Division 1 1
Division 13
Division 2
Team
Pld
W
D
L
F
A
Pts
Newcastle Medics 2nds
6
4
1
1
23
9
13
1
Team
Pld
W
D
L
F
A
Pts
Ecosoccer
4
4
0
0
13
5
12
1
The Secret Intra Mural Footballer
Adamson Saunders Rylance
Campus has been a hive of rumour and excitement this week as word spread that ‘Golden Balls’ himself, David Beckham, might soon be transferring to play Intra Mural football in Newcastle. After six years at MLS Club, Los Angeles Galaxy, Becks has decided to swap the glamour of America’s entertainment capital for a new home city, and ‘expert’ predictions suggest that place could be our very own Geordie wonderland. After all, there are few differences between these two great cities. LA has Hollywood; Newcastle has ‘The Biscuit Tin Studios.’ Whilst Las Vegas is only a day trip away, Newcastle has an Aspers on its doorstep. Beverly Hills? Jesmond. In a statement this week, Beckham claimed to be seeking “one last challenge” before he brings a close to his playing career. What better challenge than that of Intra-Mural Football? Becks may be well known for his immaculate technique and impeccable ball control but whether he can reproduce that on a wet and muddy Close House pitch is an entirely different matter. The move would also require the Beckham clan to learn a new language: ‘Geordie’. Someone as well-spoken as David should have no problems overcoming this barrier, but Victoria remains the ‘black sheep’ of the family. At least the little ones should be alright; the names Brooklyn, Romeo, Cruz and Harper go hand-in-hand with the North-East’s incredible rate of teenage pregnancies. I’m sure there will be a whole host of lcubs willing to snap him up. Rumour has it that Crayola are in pole position to sign Beckham, who is unwilling to be tied down to a contract which would require him to register at the university in order to play. If Becks is forced to undertake some studies whilst in Newcastle, one can only ponder what course he might apply for. Pharmacology has been touted as the likely candidate for Becks, who is apparently interested in the science behind the ‘perfect’ brylcreem.
Division 41
Team
Pld
W
D
L
F
A
Pts
Jesmondino FC
4
3
1
0
23
7
10
Team Team 1 1 Sub-Standard Barca Law NaLiege
Pld Pld WW
DD
LL
FF
5 12
21
02
25 50 13 15 10 28
39
AA
Pts Pts
2
Newcastle Medics 1sts
5
4
0
1
21
4
12
2
The Hurricanes
5
4
0
1
17
12
12
2
Newhist FC
4
3
0
1
10
10
9
2 2 FCNewcastle Bayern Toonich Medics 1sts
4 12
38
12
02
26 36 8 20 726
3
Henderson Hall FC
5
3
1
1
13
10
10
3
Aftermath FC
4
3
0
1
20
12
9
3
Newcastle Dynamos
4
2
1
1
6
6
7
3 3 Thundercats Henderson Hall
4 12
27
11
14
22 41 8 29 622
4
Barca-Law-Na
4
2
0
2
16
9
6
4
Roman Villa FC
5
2
0
3
11
15
6
4
Brown Magic FC
4
2
0
2
8
10
6
Dyslexic Untied 4 4 The Establishment
4 12
26
01
25
32 1026 619 13
5
Crayola
4
2
0
2
8
13
6
5
Boca Seniors
4
1
1
2
11
14
4
5
Politic Thistle FC
4
2
0
2
10
13
6
5 5 Geomatics Crayola FC
5 12
25
00
37
13 18 15 22 315 6 14 26 47
6
Dyslexic Untied
5
1
0
4
6
21
3
6
Lokomotiv
5
1
1
3
16
20
4
6
Bioneverlosen
3
0
1
2
1
6
1
6 (R) Trigger Happy Aftermath
4 12
13
00
39
7
Borussia Forsyth
5
0
0
5
6
27
0
7
Castle Leazes
5
0
0
5
4
14
0
7
Multiple Scoregasms
5
0
1
4
7
13
1
7 (R) Crystal CastlePhallus Leazes
4 12
01
01
4 10 2 12 2742 0 4
Top Goalscorers 16: Batham (Medic 2s) 6: Campbell (Medic 1s), Hurworth (Barca)
4: Robson (Dyslexic), Holt (Medics 2s), Womersley (Crayola), Hoctor (Barca) 3: Kemp (Borussia)
Top Goalscorers 13: Duckworth (Hurricanes)
(Aftermath), Wilson math) 4: Stacey (Ecosoccer)
5: McCrory (Hurricanes), Jones
3: Golzari (Aftermath),
(After-
Top Goalscorers
3:Wren (Brown Magic)
6: Smith (Jesmondino), Thornton (Politic Thistle)
2: Grosvenor (Scorgasms),, 15: Wimhurst (SubWalton (Newhist) Standard Liege)
Top Goalscorers
9: Armour (Toonich)
6: Prichard (Thundercats) 5. O’Callaghan (Toonich) 4: Page (Toonich), Parkinson (Liege)
Intra Mural Round-Up Henderson Hall FC 4 - 4 Medic 2nds Crayola 3 - 1 Borussia Forsyth Barca-Law-Na 8 - 2 Dyslexic Untied
Lokomotiv 1 - 4 The Hurricanes Castle Leazes 2 -4 Boca Seniors Ecosoccer 4 - 2 Aftermath FC
Multiple Scoregasms 1 - 2 Dynamos Jesmondino 5 -1 Brown Magic FC
09
Trigger Happy 3 -1 Geomatics FC The Establishment 2 - 4 FC Bayern Toonich Thundercats 4 -4 Sub-Standard Liege
36.sportfeatures
Monday 26 November 2012
The Courier
Not so great expectations
With the Premier League season now more than three months in, The Courier looks at two teams, one defying expectations, the other trying the patience of their supporters Newcastle United “And I’d like to thank the fans, they were terrific”, said Alan Pardew after Newcastle’s home game with Swansea, just over a week ago. This was the first sign, in nearly two years of management of Newcastle United, that Pardew was beginning to sound a bit desperate. The man dubbed ‘Pardiola’ had no reason to thank the fans; they’d been poor. The crowd had booed the team at the end of the match, with a girl sat behind me remarking earlier in the game, “it’s been quiet all season.” At this point last season, Newcastle were fourth in the Premier League, having only lost one game, that to eventual champions Manchester City. This year, Newcastle have already lost the same amount of home games that they did the year previously, the tem-
peramental St. James’ faithful hardly helping. After last seasons thrill a minute ride, involving a couple of length of the field runs by Hatem Ben Arfa, Ba and Cisse smashing the goals in from every angle, and a three nil victory over Manchester United, it is understandable that fans are disappointed. It is worth bearing in mind that many of these fans were season ticket holders when Kevin Keegan’s entertainers were smashing teams for six, and when Sir Bobby Robson’s team of the early 2000s regularly held a Champions League spot. It appears as if such glory is still embedded in the minds of some of the players. Newcastle’s speciality last year was getting three points every time they came up against a second half of the table team. They were chasing something tangible then, a Champions League place, and every point was vital. It ap-
pears as if many of the players feel that Newcastle are already doomed to mid table, with games against some of the less glamorous teams not worth bothering about. Only against Sunderland, and for about 45 minutes against Manchester United, did Newcastle look at their best, with the team passing and moving incisively. Pardew, far from casting a furrowed and forlorn face from the sideline, was gesticulating and urging his team on. It is important to remember that this Newcastle team is not viewed the same way as it was last season. Teams are now alert to the threat of Ben Arfa, Cabaye and Cisse, something fans need to bear in mind. Mike Williamson, speaking during the week, explained that the team had had a meeting to work out what was going wrong. He made the point that teams were sitting very deep and marking their
best players out of the game. Newcastle were at their best last season when they were hitting teams on the counter attack, with space to exploit their pace on the break. Sides are now putting two or three men on Ben Arfa, and are wise to
“If you can’t support us when we draw or lose, don’t support us when we win” the threat Newcastle probe. This was where the promised new signings should have come in to help. Competition for places is needed to loosen the pressure, which is tightening like a noose around the key players. Mike Ashley appears to have thought
that last years efforts were repeatable with the current squad, however Chelsea and Liverpool’s poor form was never likely to be repeated, and Newcastle stopped having the surprise factor. Europa League commitments appear to be taking its toll on a small squad beginning to be overcome by injuries. However, all is not lost for the Toon Army: Newcastle have already qualified for the knock out stages of the Europa League, hopefully a big tie will stir the crowd. Despite the poor start to the season, this is where Newcastle belongs, and during the loss to Swansea, Newcastle recorded the record amount of shots on target in a Premier League game, 26, since March 2011. Booing Newcastle fans best remember what Bill Shankly said, “If you can’t support us when we draw or lose, don’t support us when we win.” Ralph Blackburn
Photography: Getty Images
West Ham United After a roaring start to the 2012-2013 campaign, that has seen them take 19 points from 12 games, newly promoted West Ham United are sitting pretty in the top half of the table in an incredible 7th position. They stole a point against Manchester City at home a few weeks ago, and managed a heroic 1-0 win away at Newcastle; it is undeniable that West Ham find themselves in a very strong position heading into a run of games that will see them face Spurs, Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool successively. For the first time in a while the Hammers can boast a strong, balanced squad that has proved more than capable of producing results, and much of
the credit for this great form is due to manager Sam Allardyce. Over the last two seasons, Allardyce has rebuilt West Ham and reformed their style of play, reigniting the determination and competitive spirit that they lacked after being relegated at the end of the 2010-2011 season under Avram Grant. Allardyce has introduced some much-needed experience to the team, bringing in the likes of Yossi Benayoun and Matt Jarvis, both of whom have proved instrumental in previous Premier League performances. The arrival of Andy Carroll at Upton Park has also been positive, and despite failing to score many goals, Carroll’s partnership with captain Kevin Nolan on the pitch has been highly encouraging. Carroll provides a reliable outlet under pressure, and his dominance in
the air has given the Hammers a definite edge. While their performance in the Championship last season was positive and ultimately ended in a well-earned promotion, at times West Ham’s style of play seemed less than effective. It appeared to lack creativity, relying heavily on the long ball up to the likes of Carlton Cole, who consistently struggled to win the ball in the air. However this has not been the case with the Hammers’ arrival in the Premiership, and with the exception of a less than inspiring performance away at Wigan in late October, their story has been a much happier one of late. The Hammers are invariably more measured in their style of play, keeping the ball on the ground and creating a short passing game that compliments
the ‘long ball’ tactic for which Allardyce received such criticism. This has allowed West Ham to regain an element of control in their gameplay, an essential quality for an underdog Premiership side. The best way to silence the doubt that will always befall a newly promoted side is to perform well on the pitch. One of the most prolific tacklers in the league is Mark Noble, who has proved himself essential to a strong West Ham side in the top flight. Noble demonstrates the kind of dominance and competence on the ball in the midfield that the Hammers no doubt felt they had lost when they sold Scott Parker to Tottenham Hotspur, and his overall contribution has been invaluable to West Ham’s premier league campaign.
Furthermore, James Collins has shown that he is a physical match for any striker in the league, and Mo Diame is arguably one of the most effective summer signings across the whole premiership. Back in defence, Winston Reid, Tomkins and Collins have all proven themselves perfectly capable of holding their own at this level West Ham came into the Premier League with one objective: to stay up. The tough run of games the Hammers have in the lead up to Christmas could see them sitting a little lower down the table by the January transfer window, but on current form and under the stewardship of ‘Big Sam’ there is no reason West Ham fans shouldn’t dare to dream of a top half of the table finish. Izzy Rice
The Courier
bucssport.37
Monday 26 November 2012
Wounded Owls soldier on in style Men’s Rugby League Newcastle 1sts Leeds Met 2nds
By Chris Griffiths at Cochrane Park
42 14
A wet and rainy Cochrane Park was the venue for another Wednesday afternoon win for the pride of the North: Newcastle University’s Rugby League. After numerous solid performances in previous weeks, Greek fresher Andreas Methenitis proved he is not as hard as he looks by dropping out late on. Rob Corner was brought in and attempted to fill his size 7 boots. Handsome hooker Matt Woods also wimped out with a minor ankle injury, despite being spotted kicking a ball in Jesmond Tesco car park just days earlier. Matt Toe’nail was brought in as an ample replacement.
right side from Tom Clarke eventually led to the unnamed halfback getting his talented hands on the ball; then cross field kicking to an awaiting Watts, who safely finished in the corner with Irish imbecile Dave Knox adding the extras from wide. After not scoring all season, Big Boy Watts now had a taste for it, and was not going to be stopped, sliding over for his second later on after a perfectly weighted forward pass from clueless pineapple head Marty ‘I like to party’ Jones. By this point, the Owls were in full control and this metaphorical wheel, which I so often speak about, was this week steered by last year’s man of bash, Myles Hudson, who put in a bruising display which nearly saw him lose an ear in contact. Jack English was then brought on out of position into the centres, dropping the ball immediately. Eager to make amends, Jack later used all his native strength to muscle his way over the line for a further 4 points. Dan Capaross’ try scoring record for the Owls in previous years has been very questionable, however this can
“Four points clear in the league, NURL were well aware that a win in this game would all but guaranteed them the league weeks ahead of schedule ” Four points clear in the league, NURL were well aware that a win in this game would all but guaranteed them the league weeks ahead of schedule. Not to be named , again due to recent complaints, NURL’s top points scorer was playing at 50% fitness, but still managed to set up George Matthew for his first of the day from a well-worked scrum move. As regular readers are well aware, the Nottingham preppy rarely scores in ones, and this proved to be the first of a hat trick within 40 minutes. After recent cocky facebook status’ and numerous emails to fellow AU clubs about how he would easily make any first team, Jonny Watts finally began to walk the walk. A 40m break down the
now be compared to ‘waiting for a bus’ - you wait and wait then two come along at once. After 70+ appearances, the PHD drongo bagged his first try last week only to go and get another this week in even finer fashion. Staying with the older end of the team, Andrew Beanz scored a rare try to finish another successful day for the league toppers. A special mention must go to horse loving farmer boy Charles Hyland, who was solid in both attack and defence. Unbeaten but wounded, the Owls will be resting their wings this week to ensure an away win at Edge Hill next Wednesday to wrap up the league title for the third time in three years.
A gleeful Newcastle team after the match Photography: Freya Cromarty
Newcastle firsts on target for success Netball
Newcastle 1sts 48 Leeds Met Carnegie 1sts 44 By Lucy Williams at Sports Centre
After the hard fought match against league leaders Loughborough the previous week, which disappointingly resulted in a loss, Newcastle 1sts were hoping to prove their credentials as high flyers of the league when they faced Leeds Met Carnegie 1sts at the Sports Centre last Wednesday. The visitors went into the match unbeaten so far this season, and after the first quarter, Leeds Met were winning, albeit by a slim margin, with the score at 11-8. Yet, in the second quarter, Newcastle came fighting back; Leeds opened the scoring of the quarter, however, persistent fouling from the Leeds Met goal keeper coupled with excellent on-point shooting from Emily Whiteside meant the deficit was reduced to only 1 point. Impressive link up play between goal defence Mia Archer and wing defence Claire Roach saw Newcastle lurking round the semi-circle hungry for a goal. Leeds Met’s wing defence gave away a penalty for obstruction and wing attack
Katie Rimmer took full advantage, picking out goal attack Hannah Swainson, who wasted no time in going for the net, and levelling the score at 21-21. The whistle blew signalling the match had reached the halfway point and Newcastle had done well to get back in the game. At the start of the third quarter, some excellent interception from keeper Lauren Barnett prevented Leeds from immediately making an impression on the score-line, and it was Newcastle who were to score first with Swainson calmly shooting on target. In quick succession, Whiteside capitalised upon a series of
The start of the fourth and final quarter witnessed a confident looking Leeds Met, scoring within the opening seconds, yet good spells of pressure and marking from Newcastle, particularly from Roach, saw the gap increasing to 13 points at 41-28. The leaders started to get complacent, and began to give away penalties, and with five minutes of the match remaining of the match, Leeds were back in it with a chance of victory with the score at a tentative 4540. There were fighting shouts from the Leeds bench and the visitors started to look dangerous. Newcastle shooter Whiteside kept her team in it though, as
“It has been a stressful week with injuries but it’s all been worth it” penalties caused by some excessively close marking from Leeds Met, and soon the score was 27-21 to the home team. Generally, the third quarter was characterised by end to end play; some sloppy passing from Newcastle allowed Leeds Met to get back on the score sheet. Midway through the penultimate quarter, the visitors were trailing Newcastle by only 5 points at 30-25. Newcastle showed great fight: skilful drives down the centre, helped on by excellent passes from centre Alice Hagyard to the shooter and attack, meant the third quarter finished with the home team opening up an eleven point gap at 38-27.
she netted three well-taken shots in the dying minutes to counteract the Leeds comeback and the game finished at 4844. At the end of the match, there were scenes of jubilation amongst the Newcastle players and supporters; this marked an impressive win for the blues as they now moved up to second in the table. Newcastle’s stalwart defender Mia Archer said, “I can’t believe it. It has been a stressful week with injuries but it’s all been worth it”. Hopefully the girls will carry on this good from when they face Leeds Met’s Varsity rivals Leeds 1sts at Gryphon Sports Centre next week.
Swashbuckling Knights in jubilation Women’s Basketball Manchester 1sts Newcastle 1sts
By Rosie Wowk in Manchester
The unbeaten Owls are set to continue their success from last year Photography: Neil Hanratty
40 57
What started as a gloomy day in Newcastle ended in a sunny victory for the Knights away at Manchester University. Four men down and setting off nine hours prior to tip off, the away side were full of trepidation, yet extremely hydrated thanks to the advice of team nutritionist, Dr. Monney. A good warm up preceded an energetic first quarter, with an excellent early basket putting Team Newcastle into a two-point lead. Hungry for the ball, and most importantly, the win, both teams accelerated into action with the knowledge that this was a game-changer, separating the Knights from the squires. The international contingent racked up the points on the board with a FrancoLithuanian shooting presence finding 3-pointers and lay-ups. Manchester could only look on in slack-jawed dis-
may. Poor ball handling skills from Manchester’s number two led to an easy steal for Newcastle’s Laura Tognarelli for a basket. Below-par ball movement from the Knights was banished by a fast break pass to the giant Rosie Wowk, as the two Manchester defenders crashed together Laurel and Hardy style, leaving the basket open for a bank shot for the Suffolk forward. The battle cries from the sideline drowned the whimpers of the poor Mancunian turnout on their home turf. Buoyed on by support from current and old players, the Newcastle Knights took no prisoners as they stretched the lead in the second quarter. Precision passing, that would leave even the netballers quivering in their skirts, allowed for a medley of 3 pointers from best shooter in the league, Egle Duleckyte. Mr Tickle Arms, Tass von Trapp, appeared from nowhere, as she blocked the weak attempts at a basket from the Manchester attack. The ball was fired up court to the French duo, Corrine Vaughan and Amalie Bareille, as Bareille ironically performed a euro step, securing the basket. At the end of the first half, Manchester were sent out to sit on the naughty step and think about what they had done, or not as it were. Hydration was clearly lacking at the start of the sluggish third quarter, but
luckily newly appointed hydration team, JenBen and Jambler, were on hand to rectify the situation. Newcastle managed to cling onto their lead with well-executed plays under the basket. The rest of the quarter passed quickly, as Manchester took a 7-point advantage in the quarter. The final quarter saw a pathetic press from Manchester, and resulted in easy baskets for the Knights. Unrelenting rebounding from Olivia ‘Y’all’ Bowles gave the Knights numerous opportunities, and they further increased the lead. One such example, which stood out from the rest, was a rather innovative knee ‘pass’ from Vaughan, who managed to turn a scramble for the ball into an unorthodox, but otherwise perfectly legal, two points. Overall, the Knights were the ones left standing victorious at the end of 40 minutes with a respectable final score of 57-40. Obviously a rigorous regime of S & C and proper hydration has proved a winning combination for the team. 15 hours later, the girls finally crossed the iconic bridges with thoughts already on their next win against Cambridge in the cup next week. Final words from the man of many, Chris Bunten, were summed up eloquently with Team Newcastle’s next big catchphrase: #Seeyouatthetop.
38.sportbucs
Monday 26 November 2012
The Courier
Club a go-go karting Go-Karting
By Freddie Caldwell Online Sports Editor It was on the darkness of Wednesday morning that the karting team departed Newcastle on a relatively short road trip to Teesside for the Northern qualifiers of the British Universities Karting Championship. Unfortunately, what had begun as light drizzle in Newcastle had become heavy rain by the time Middlesbrough appeared on the horizon; not ideal conditions for the first karting meet of the year, and one that would decide if Newcastle made it into this year’s championship. Upon arrival at the circuit, it became apparent that the weather would play a major part in the day’s events with large amounts of standing water on most of the track. This did not seem to disturb the team captain Paul Abson and Aiden Spink, who are the veterans of the team, but it did mean that new members Sam Charlton and Freddie Caldwell were going to be quite literally thrown in at the deep end. Once race suits and rain suits had been donned, everyone was ready for the 2-hour practice session, the entirety of which took place in heavy rain. This lead to a few spectacular offs and the accumulation of a significant amount of mud in the kart, however, this did not deter the team from getting some laps under their belts. By the end of the session the rain had begun to abate, but there were still some rather spectacular water features littering the track when it was time for the first sprint race. This was contested by Spink, who drove a consistent race in the treacherous conditions to finish in an excellent 8th place. Abson then backed up this result with an impressive 6th to put Newcastle in with a great chance of qualification. Now it was time for the new mem-
bers of the team to test their metal in the BUKC for the first time. First up was Caldwell who spent a good deal of his first few laps either on the grass, or on the tarmac but facing in the wrong direction. These incidents meant that he found himself right at the very back of the field but he was able to eventually put in some consistent lap times to work his way back up into 31st place at the end of the race. Charlton then took on the last sprint race on a track where a slight dry line was starting to develop. Although he had some prior karting experience, Charlton had never raced in the BUKC before but this lack of experience did not show as he set fastest laps in the early stages. This allowed him to climb from a grid position of 15th up to 6th, but unfortunately he was then caught up in a spectacular multi-kart incident involving a back-marker that caused significant enough damage for him to be unable to continue. However, he was then allowed to get into a spare kart that gave him the opportunity to climb up from last into another 31st place finish.
With the sprint races out of the way, and the Teesside circuit now resembling a motorsport venue rather than a rowing one, it was time for the hour-long endurance races. Spink and Caldwell took to the track first and put some solid lap times in as the sun set over the Middlesbrough skyline to record a useful if unspectacular result of 28th. The second endurance race took place in complete darkness with just the floodlights to help Abson and Charlton navigate around the track. They were unlucky to be black flagged for having a tinted visor that meant that they found themselves in the now familiar midrace position of last. However, some quick lap times, coupled with some smart work at the pit stops from the other members of the team led to yet another 31st place for team Newcastle. Eventually it was announced that Newcastle had achieved a respectable finishing position of 23rd, which sparked jubilant celebrations amongst the team. This will enable the team to compete at competitions across the country.
LAP GRAPH - ENDURANCE RACE Fuel stop 1 - Caldwell takes over
Caldwell spins as conditions deteriorates
Caldwell does the long middle stint
Fuel stop 2 - Spink returns
Spink finishes strongly with some consistently fast lap times
Men’s Rugby Union
Spink takes on a short first stintstint
Newcastle 1sts
Seconds continue Rich vein of form Men’s Rugby Union Northumbria 2nds Newcastle 2nds
7 33
By Guy Holt at Bullocksteads Last Wednesday, Newcastle’s Rugby Union Men’s 2nd team hammered Northumbria’s 2nd team 33-7 at Bullocksteads. The closely fought early encounters were fraught with errors due to the wet conditions. However, 10 minutes in, a Newcastle penalty was kicked into the corner by Jack Goode – sporting his usual miserable lid, mitts and shoulder pad combination. The resulting line out saw a dominant drive by the Unay forwards against a significantly heavier Poly pack. The move, clearly straight off the training ground, saw captain Rich Skowernyk fall over the line for the first of his brace of tries, on what proved to be good afternoon for the back rower. Goode, true to form, sliced the conversion. The next 15 minutes remained closely fought, with very strong defence as well as some good attacking phases from the Unay XV. Two penalties were the ulti-
Valiant First XV
mate fruits of Newcastle’s labour, both of which were slotted by Goodey. Uni began to really show their dominance for the final 15 minutes of the half, playing some beautiful running rugby – later described as “the best rugby the team has played all season” by coach Gavin Beasley. The next score came when a Poly kick over the top was gathered by superb lock Guy Holt, before a pass to key distributor Ibi Forsure enabled winger Luke Roberts to be released down the left.
Captain Skowernyk strolled over for his second. Goodey converted to take the score to 23-0. The last score of the half came from Tom Banks, who performed admirably throughout, taking the score to 28-0 as the half time whistle blew. The second half was a different story altogether, with catalogues of errors from both sides resulting in a very stopstart affair. An average run by the Poly No.11 resulted in their only score of the game mid way through the half. At 28-5, cries from the Poly suggest-
“At 28-5, cries from the Poly suggesting they were ‘back in the game’, clearly showed the intellectual ability of the opposition ” The storming run was stopped only by a last ditch tackle, enabling the ball to be recycled quickly, before some marvellous handling through the centres eventually saw Lee Wallace finish in the right hand corner. The next score came soon after, just a single phase after the Poly kick off. No. 8, Eddy O’Hare, bounded up the centre of the pitch, running through gaps and people alike to reach the oppositions 10m line. A good offload meant the move continued. O’Hare however, was not content; he received the ball once again and trundled further. A good pass to Ibi, again in a key distribution position, allowed a simple 2 on 1 before
ing they were ‘back in the game’, clearly showed the intellectual ability of the opposition. The final play of the match saw a late Newcastle flourish. An unbelievable break from substitute flanker Tom Sinclair was miraculously stopped by what can only described as a ghost, having left the Poly in his wake. A phase later the ball reached Ibi who dotted down in the corner to score his 3rd try in 2 outings for the side. It is hoped that their impressive run of form can be carried into the cup game against Liverpool Hope University next week. Man of the Match: Rich Skowernyk
14
Loughborough 1sts 25 By Ralph Blackburn Sports Editor Jonny Neville and Jonny Patterson knelt with their heads in their hands, looking down upon the Loughborough tryline in disbelief. The opportunity to get within a point of their opponents, who had been dominant for the majority of the game, had been spurned in surreal circumstances. With just under thirty minutes to play and the score at 15-7 to Loughborough, Newcastle’s Falcons’ contracted fly half , Jonny Burn, who had played poorly up until that point, finally showed his class. Catching an errant Loughborough kick on the half way line, Burn stepped through the upcoming pair of tacklers, bursting towards the tryline and completely opening up the field. He finally got caught on the five metre line, but the momentum was firmly with the Royals. After keeping the ball in the forwards for a couple of phases, inside centre Neville called for the ball out wide with Newcastle having numbers on the overlap. With the Loughborough players flat footed on the line, Neville threw the pass just as he was about to cross the whitewash. Patterson standing on the try line, with not a Loughborough player around him, inexplicably knocked on. It was a surprisingly errant moment from both players - who had fine games otherwise - with Patterson sadly going to hospital in the closing stages, with the game stopping for a full ten minutes as he required treatment.
This proved to be the turning point, as five minutes later, Loughborough hooker, Caldon Pike crossed the whitewash and inside centre Chris Surman added the extras to take the game out of reach for the Royals. Newcastle’s blindside flanker Pete Alston crossed late on, however it wasn’t quite enough to secure a valuable bonus point. Newcastle started the game excellently, after winning a line out on half way, they put into place a training ground routine, which Loughborough would have noticed if they’d been more observant prior to the game. Neville flicked the ball back to halfback Lewis Crosbie, who looped round, spraying the ball wide to Burn who slipped captain Jo Beckett in on the overlap. Beckett, sporting the moustache of a 70s cop, held off a couple of tacklers, making good ground up to the twenty two. Eventually Newcastle secured a penalty, with Loughborough hands in the ruck, which Burn surprisingly missed. The game slowly began to stutter to life, with a lot of kicks back and forth, and Loughborough blindside Gus Davies always taking several Royals clinging off him before he fell to earth. The first try came after a moment of controversy on fifteen minutes. After a blatantly wonky line out throw, Loughborough moved the ball from right to left, with the excellent right winger Craig Dowsett plowing through the Newcastle defence, going straight past Patterson at full back, before being courageously held up on the line. Loughborough however, didn’t panic, and patiently kept the ball in the forwards, before working the overlap to the left, with big blindside Davies crossing. Fly half Elliot Markham failed to add the extras. Both sides’ backs looked threatening, without having much ball to work with. Lock Fraser Wem looked threatening every time he had the ball in hand, with some exceptional offloads.
The Courier
bucssport.39
Monday 26 November 2012
Royals reign supreme Men’s Hockey Patterson
Perkins
Beckett (c)
Davis Neville Burn
Crosbie
Alston
Wem
Johnson
Proctor
Kitching
Elrington
Pike
Altham
Deaville Whitfield
Davies Messum (c)
Markham Surman
Grabham
Hutchinson
Dowsett Meads
6 fall to clinical ‘Borough Lost
Loughborough however, made the most of their opportunities, with the excellent Surman adding to their tally after half an hour. After a Newcastle spill, Loughborough worked the overlap, with left winger Blair Hutchinson leaving Jonny Burn in a heap on the ground as he zipped down the wing. Burn did manage to slow down Hutchinson enough for a covering tackle to be made. Loughborough once again remained calm, moving the ball from left to right, with a slick dummy from Surman doubling the Midlands outfit’s lead. Markham again pulled his conversion to the left of the post. From the restart, Burn sliced his drop kick short of the 10m line. From the resulting scrum, Loughborough put together phases down the left, with captain and number eight George Messum crashing through tackles and galloping across the line, to add a third try in as many minutes. Luckily for Newcastle , Markham once again fluffed his lines, so the Royals were still in the hunt. Newcastle’s undoubted strength this season has been their clinical ruthlessness when the tryline comes into sight. Despite having a fairly even share of the possession against Leeds earlier this season, the Royals absolutely battered them, and so it proved in this game, as they scored with their first venture into the opponents twenty two. After excellent work by the pack, making ground up the right hand side, Loughborough twice gave away penalties for hands in the ruck, with the referee bizarrely not warning the Loughborough pack. Newcastle made the most of their territory, with a slick switch from Burn and Neville giving the inside centre the small gap he needed to crash over. Burn added the conversion to leave Newcastle eight points behind at the break. For the opening ten minutes of the second half, the Newcastle defence had to be at its absolute best, with excellent hits and rucking stopping Loughbor-
ough on the Newcastle line. The Loughborough back three looked dangerous every time they got the ball in hand, and the Newcastle backs remained organised to contain their threat. In the end the match hinged on the Burn breakaway. Most people would have put their mortgage on Neville or Patterson going over to bring the game back into the reach of Newcastle. Instead, with the opportunity missed, Loughborough minutes later crossed to put the game out of reach for Newcastle, with Surman, who had moved to first receiver instead of the poor Markham, adding the extras. Heavy Newcastle pressure at the death resulted in a try for Alston, however, by that point the game had become irrelevant with Patterson being taken off on a stretcher. Patterson sustained a broken leg and dislocated ankle meaning he’s likely to be out of the game for over a year. The Courier wishes Patterson a speedy recovery. Newcastle will certainly be buoyed by their performance against the top sporting University in the country. With a consecutive home game against Leeds Met next time out, they will be looking to avenge a close loss away in Yorkshire earlier in the season. Man of the Match: Craig Dowsett (Loughborough)
What the stats say
As can be seen from the graphics, the two packs were fairly even, however Newcastle kicked the ball nearly twice as much as Loughborough, which played to their strong lineout’s strengths. Despite receiving more penalties Newcastle were unable to capitalise, with Loughborough making the most of their opportunities.
3
“This leaves the Royals with destiny in their hands. Hunting promotion and still trailing Manchester by just three points ”
Bliss
Photography: Ralph Blackburn
Newcastle 1sts
The mens hockey 1st XI made the trip to South Yorkshire for a must win encounter with Sheffield. The Royals started the game at a frenetic pace. The midfield play of Kempe and Ramsden was at times irresistible whilst defensively the Royals looked assured. Half way through the first half, the sustained pressure was capitalised on by Adams after a free flowing move. The ball flowed in a passing move from one side of the pitch to the other before it found its way to Adams; after much thinking time, he realised this was his moment and finished with a convincing push into the bottom right hand corner. With the defensive duo of Max Un-
Gue
Waterwoth
0
By Ben Underwood at Sheffield
Banks
Burnie
Sheffield 1sts
Scrums 3 Lost
Lost
1
Lost
6
6
Won
Won
Newcastle
Loughboro
Lineouts 6
1
Lost
Lost
3 Lost Lost 8
14
Won
Won
Newcastle
Loughboro
Penalties Conceded
10
8
Newcastle
Loughboro
the second half, the Royals decided on a counterattacking style of play. With most in agreement and Kempe on the fence, this plan was enacted. The second half started tentatively with the Royals not wanting to be pegged back and Sheffield not wanting to fall further behind. This resulted in a frantic scrap in the midfield. After 10 minutes, however, the Royals did find an opportunity. The ball was swept beautifully into the path of Newcastle’s only Olympic representative, Adams, who once again was on hand to place the ball beyond the helpless Sheffield Keeper. Newcastle continued to dominate proceedings with Dodd-Moore finding pockets of space and Colville enjoying his hockey more than ever as he terrorized the seemingly bamboozled Sheffield midfield. This pressure led to a golden opportunity to kill the game. Ramsden picked the ball up outside the 25, and as all good players do, found himself some space before playing an inch perfect ball to Ben Underwood with his reverse stick. The forward, with all the time in the world, deflected the ball wide, much to
derwood and Calum Mackenzie setting a solid foundation, the flamboyant Russell-Jones and the seasoned veteran Colville were able to take up more offensive positions. This resulted in a golden opportunity for the Royals. After another sweeping move from Newcastle, the ball found its way to Adams, who turned sharply and unleashed a ferocious shot that ricocheted off the post and out much to the in-form strikers dismay. With half-time approaching, the Royals slowed their intensity and as such allowed Sheffield a lot more freedom. This might have been decisive were it not for the quick work of German import Linden in goal. Half-time words of caution were sounded from wordsmith Gowing. The captain was having a good game himself before pulling up with a suspected hamstring tear during the first half. After much deliberation on the plan for
the disbelief of everyone. With the game becoming more open it was time for yet more heroics from the stoic Linden and the wily duo of Mackenzie and Underwood Snr. As Sheffield chased the game, the Royals found themselves with some golden opportunities to put the game beyond all doubt. First Max Underwood was thwarted by some fine work by the Sheffield goalkeeper and then Hector Hall made a triple save. The game was soon to be over as a contest, however, as the ball found its way to Ben Underwood who cannoned the ball past the onrushing keeper into the roof of the net for his 11th goal of the season so far. This leaves the Royals with their destiny in their hands. Hunting promotion and still trailing Manchester by just 3 points. Newcastle next face Edinburgh 2’s, looking to progress further in the cup in their next fixture.
Judo Club come out on top at South Shields Judo The previous weekends competition hosted by South Shields Judo Club at Temple Park Centre, has proved that our judokas are a force to be reckoned with in the North East. Competing against regional clubs, all of our fighters came back with hard earned medals. The first fight saw our Matthew Davidson executing a textbook over-theshoulder seio-nage throw near the beginning of the bout, landing his opponent square on his back and earning him a full ippon score. His first ever competition couldn’t have begun better and after a tough series of 4 fights, Matt ended up taking the bronze medal home. Philippe Dembele was up next, competing for the first time in the UK, and despite losing his first fight by disqualification, went on to win the rest of his bouts in quick fashion, ending the competition in second place with a silver medal to his name.
His fellow Frenchman, Cyril Eleftheriou, managed to fight his way to a bronze in the U90kg category. The U73kg category saw an exciting turn of events as our Club Secretary Greg Hill and Club Treasurer Nathan Williamson, having come up from the knock-out rounds, fought for second place. No love was lost on the mat with the more experienced Greg having the upper hand and winning by a tai-otoshi hip throw leaving Nathan with the bronze. The afternoon was concluded by Jakub Rzeplinski’s wins in the Heavyweight Open 90+kg category, earning him the gold and adding to the season’s two gold medals won earlier this month at Sheffield by Gladyshevskyi Mykola and Rachelle Fallon. NU JUDO Club trains Mondays and Thursdays at 8pm in the Sports Centre Jakub Rzeplinski
Sport
www.thecourieronline.co.uk Monday 26 November 2012 Issue 1260 Free
thecourieronline.co.uk/sport
Netballers edge past Leeds Met
Sports Editors: Ralph Blackburn, Nick Gabriel and Lucy Williams Online Sports Editors: Freddie Caldwell and Jack Gelsthorpe courier.sport@ncl.ac.uk | @Courier_Sport
Full report p.45
HUNGRY FOR
BIOCHEM STUDENT BATTLES 15 TIME WORLD CHAMPION
THE POWER
P.33
Photography: Getty Images
OWLS CONTINUE New ringer allegations expose THEIR failings of Intra Mural football WINNING STREAK Photography: Freya Cromarty
By Nick Gabriel Sports Editor
Two Intra Mural football teams are currently under investigation after being accused of fielding students from Northumbria University. The fresh allegations come two weeks after The Courier published an article drawing attention to the issue of unregistered players taking part in the Wednesday league. The two players under investigation are those of Boca Senior’s ‘Sam Turnock’, and Crayola’s ‘Alex Hind’. Whilst both Turnock and Hind are actual Newcastle University students, it is thought that these names are aliases under which two Northumbria students have played. It is believed that the real Alex Hind is currently down on the injury list of the university’s Rugby Club with a broken wrist. Ironically, the game that drew attention to the supposed ringers was an Intra Mural cup game between the two sides. In a match that finished 3-3 after extra time, Hind scored twice whilst Turnock netted all three times. Boca ultimately triumphed in a penalty shootout, with Hind missing the decisive penalty. When quizzed over what sanctions might be used against teams fielding players not at Newcastle University, head of Intra Mural Football Denis Murphy said: “The same sanctions as always will apply – a three point deduc-
tion and a £25 fine.” Prior to last week’s fixtures, Murphy continued: “I will also be checking smart cards and squad registrations at a venue on Wednesday. Furthermore, I will be speaking with both the Crayola and Boca captains to investigate these reports.” True to his word, Murphy saw that all players participating in games at Close House were subject to smart card checks on Wednesday. On the subject of fielding ringers, an unnamed Boca Seniors player said: “I don’t think this is acceptable.” He went on: “Other players and students of Newcastle University, including myself, have paid for a gym membership and a considerable fee for kit and registration in good faith in order to play but get overlooked for ineligible players.” Certainly, this point raises concerns about the current state of Intra Mural football. Whilst issues of ‘foreign’ students taking part in Intra Mural may appear trivial, instances such as these can be linked to more pressing matters of whether Intra Mural football provides a sufficiently level playing field that enables all those who want to get involved to do so In a survey conducted by The Courier regarding the number of freshers taken on by each team at the start of the year, of the 22 sides that responded, 8 teams were found to have not welcomed any freshers aboard. Four sides acquired just the one. In total 39 were taken on, an average of just 1.7 per team.
Acquiring a low number of freshers can also prove detrimental to an Intra Mural team’s long-term future. The best sides are those that are able to integrate fresh blood with more experienced heads, enabling a smooth transition between seasons. Teams that become reliant on third-years can find themselves in a perilous position the following season, as a result of quintessentially lengthening the period that it will take for a new-look side to ‘gel’. Speaking to The Courier, a former Intra-Mural footballer bemoaned the lack of opportunities on offer to freshers. “I played a few times for a Division 2 side, but wasn’t really given much of an opportunity so I decided to sack it off.” The player continued: “It’s frustrating as the teams don’t even train, so it’s hard to impress enough to break into the starting XI.” When one combines the popularity of football as a sport, along with the fact that over 4000 people begin their time at the university each year, it would suggest that more must be done to ensure freshers are provided with enough opportunity to get involved with intramural sport – a form of participation that prides itself on being competitive , whilst remaining extremely inclusive. With university attendants now paying as much as £9000 a year in tuition fees, students are right to expect a university experience that provides them with sufficient opportunity to make the most of their three years in further education. Sadly, at present, these kind of stories suggest that this is not the case.
RUGBY LEAGUE REPORT, P.37
Photography: Neil Hanratty
CRAYOLA EASILY OVERTURN BORUSSIA FORSYTH Photography: George Grace
INTRA-MURAL ACTION, P.34-35