www.thecourieronline.co.uk Tuesday March 6 2012 Issue 1247 Free
STUDENT UNION ELECTIONS 2012
Combined Five-time Stan Calvert honours students face Champions Exclusive mistreatment pull-out inside
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Diminished access to marks, modules and choice of dissertation topics
By Wills Robinson News Editor Combined Honours students are enduring unjustified discrimination within their course, as schools choose to prioritise single honours students. During the last academic year many students who have chosen to study combined degrees have faced problems of unfair treatment due to their lack of direct association with a single school. This has included being unable to register on certain modules, reduced opportunities to attend course related workshops, failing to be included within distribution lists and not having access to relevant Blackboard information. Other students studying joint courses have received their assessment marks later than those doing single honours, with some exam scripts going missing altogether; causing much distress to those involved. One third-year, studying History and English Literature, who chose Newcastle specifically for the strength of the School of Historical Studies modules looking into American Civil Rights, was told that single honours students took priority over combined students. The email from a senior lecturer read: “I am sorry to hear about your disappointment in not being able to study your first choice module, but as you must appreciate, students studying History as a single honours must have first claim on the available options”.
This particular student was then cautioned against pursing a dissertation on a topic in which they had already shown a vested interest, with the email reading: “It is not the case that you will be debarred from working on Civil Rights. If anything we tend to caution against work across two modules”. This was not the first time the student was left disappointed, having missed out on a first choice module the previous year, even though the application was made only two minutes after the module choice selection opened. Problems of module selection has also arisen in the past, with combined students receiving emails regarding a module briefing just fifteen minutes before it was scheduled to start. There has also been a problem between two different schools when exam papers were misplaced. Five students studying English and Classics received an email with the rest of the students, informing them that they had feedback to collect. However, when they arrived to pick up the marks at both the Historical Studies Office and the English Office, they were unaware as to where the papers where. They were told how they had been lost in the internal postage system. As a result, the students were sent photocopies a week after the rest of the students had received their results, with still no sign of the original transcripts. continued on page 4
Photography: Moises Bedrossian
Union Pres held under spotlight By Helen Lam Online News Editor
Elections “hampered” by decision to rerun The attendance of NUS President Liam Burns to Student Council last week was overshadowed by the heated interrogation of current President Laura Perry over an explanation for the poor promotion of elections. The March student election, which covers both full-time Sabbatical Officers and part-time Officers, originally had the date for when voting was to take place as this week, had the
original deadline for nominations set as 10am on Monday 20 February. However, after the first meeting of Elections Committee it was decided that the deadline would be extended until 10am on the following Wednesday. No official reason has been given, but it is believed to be due to the low number of nominations. continued on page 7
News
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Tuesday 6 March 2012
News Editors: Wills Robinson and George Sandeman Online News Editor: Helen Lam courier.news@ncl.ac.uk
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NEWS
HAPPY FEET
Newcastle Dancers bring home glory after Edinburgh competition
39 PROBLEMS
New Baltic gallery finally opens after seven years of turmoil
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COMMENT
10 11 SPORT
EXPERIENCE POINTS
Minimum alcohol price “unlikely to have substantial effect” say university researchers By Helen Lam Online News Editor Researchers at the University have revealed that placing a ban on the minimum price of alcohol is unlikely to have a noticeable impact on the price of alcohol in Newcastle. The research comes following David Cameron’s recent visit to the North East and his labelling of the level of drunkenness in the UK as a “scandal.” Indicating that the low cost of alcohol was a major factor in binge drinking, Cameron has since stated his aims to tackle excessive drinking and its harmful effects.
The study, conducted by Dr Jean Adams, centred on Newcastle city centre and focused on all price promotions, representing the cheapest end of the alcohol market. Researchers targeted 29 outlets selling alcohol and found over 2000 promotions available to the public. Despite this, however, only two percent of promotions lead to alcohol being sold at below cost price. Researchers also found that many of the promotions required customers to purchase large quantities of alcohol to receive the discounted promotions. Dr Adams said: “Our results indicate that the current government proposal to ban sales of alcohol at below
‘cost’ price is likely to affect very few products and so would be unlikely to have a substantial effect on purchasing and consumption. In contrast, a minimum price of £0.50 per unit would impact on more than one quarter of the price discounts we identified.” Colin Shevills, Director of Balance, the North East alcohol office, said: “We welcome this research, which further demonstrates the real need for a minimum price per unit of alcohol if we are serious about tackling the problems caused by its misuse. “Alcohol continues to be sold for pocket money prices across the North
Is the coalition’s work experience scheme good?
Perspectives on the upcoming US elections
Twelve-page pullout special covering all the action - head to the centre of the paper!
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JOLLY AMBITIOUS The Marine Bio student applying to swim in the Olympics
East, where we have the highest rate of alcohol-related hospital admissions and male deaths in England. Research we published last year revealed that alcohol was available for as little as 12p a unit, meaning a man can drink at his recommended daily limit (3-4 units) for just 48p. This can’t be right when we know that consumption is driven by price.” Shevills also highlighted that support across the North East for a minimum price per unit of alcohol is continually growing; with more than half of the people they questioned supporting the measure.
Noise still a problem in Jesmond
SUPER TUESDAY
STAN CALVERT
The Courier
By Wills Robinson News Editor
Photography: Flickr
Meakin steps down over indecent images By Clare Atkinson An NUS leader has stepped down from his position, following the release of a controversial picture in which a woman simulates perforing oral sex on him. Until his resignation on March 28, 21 year old Ben Meakin held the position of Guild of Students President at Aberystwyth University in Wales. Allegations were made of misconduct towards Meakin, acting with a female student at a pub in the University town, which were later revealed to be have been photographed. The photograph shows a woman crouched down in front of him, imitating an act of oral sex, whilst he downs a beer.
NUSU, King’s Walk, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8QB. Tel: 0191 239 3940
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The former Guild of Students President later posted on his Facebook page: “I go out on a night for a few drinks, it’s the worlds [sic] biggest scandal and they are content in doing their utmost to drag my name through the mud. Priorities kids, sort it out.” However, after stepping down on Tuesday, the next day he issued a full apology: “I sincerely regret my participation in the social event held outside the Guild after our superteams day. I compromised my role as Guild president. This morning, I resigned as a member of the NUS Wales national executive committee. “My actions go against the fantastic work of the women’s liberation movement, which I fully support. Personally, I am a strong advocate for
the women’s movement. This is clear through my work banning the event Carnage coming to the Guild this year. “I have learned from this experience and plan to carry on my work here at Aberystwyth University.” The superteams event is an annual women’s sporting competition within Aberystwyth University. Due to the nature of the photograph and it being taken shortly after the superteams event, there have been cries of sexism from some parties. However, during his apology Meakin was keen to reiterate his long-standing support for women’s rights. The seat in the NUS will now remain empty until the next election, with the next member taking up the post in July.
Editor Kat Bannon Deputy Editor Elliot Bentley News Editors Wills Robinson and George Sandeman Online News Editor Helen Lam Politics Correspondent Bethany Staunton Comment Editors Sophie McCoid and Susie May Beever Online Comment Editor Jack Torrance C2 Editor: Aimee Philipson Lifestyle Editors Olivia Mason and Ben Parkin Online Lifestyle Editor Emma Balter Fashion Editor Victoria Mole Online Fashion Editor Rosanna Sopp Arts Editors Sally Priddle Online Arts Editor Lisa Bernhardt Film Editor Chris Binding Online Film Editor Hayley Hamilton Music Editors Ben Travis, Chris Scott Online Music Editor Graham Matthews Science Editor Mark Atwill Online Science Editor Shaun Butcher TV Editors Sophia Fairhead and Nicole Stevenson Sports Editors Colin Henrys, Harry Slavin and Rory Brigstock-Baron Online Sports Editors Grace Harvey and Charlie Scott Design Editors Gabe Mason and Tom O’Boyle Copy Editors Sarah Collings, Rachael Day, Dave Dodds, Grace Marconi, Rebecca Markham, Charley Monteith, Adam Rummens, Alice Sewell, Marleen van Os, Emily Wheeler
Local residents in Jesmond are continuing to tackle the constant problem noise, nuisance and antisocial behavior in the area. The Jesmond Residents Association (JRA) in its February newsletter, which is distributed to the majority of households in the Newcastle suburb, stated that anti-social behavior in the area is having a detrimental impact to the quality of life. The association’s Committee has met with both Newcastle and Northumbria universities, as well as Northumbria Police, to discuss the on-going matter and continuing concerns of the residents. The JRA have been running a campaign to encourage residents to report all incidences to each of the multiple organisations involved. As residents are made increasingly aware of the problem, the local community is reporting more anti-social based disturbances. There has been extra policing in Jesmond for three nights a week during University time under the alias Operation Oak. Newcastle University staff have been increasingly concerned with the continued problems experienced by residents and students alike.
The Courier is printed by: Harmsworth Printing Limited, Northcliffe House, Meadow Road, Derby, DE1 2DW. Tel: 01332 253013. 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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Tuesday 6 March 2012
You light up my world like nobody else By Wills Robinson News Editor A surprisingly romantic proposal was waiting for a Newcastle student at one of the North East’s most iconic landmarks. Last week third-year Lisette Moren was popped the question by boyfriend Niels van Norel at St Mary’s Lighthouse in Whitley Bay. Surrounded by champagne and flowers, 22-year-old Lisette had only one answer on her mind– yes.
Surrounded by champagne and flowers, 22-year-old Lisette had only one answer on her mind - yes. The medical student was already in shock after her boyfriend’s unexpected arrival in the North East on Thursday, from where he lives in Holland. “I thought that Niels’ sister was coming over because she said she wanted to see Newcastle and we had planned what we were going to do,” she said. “But when I went to the Airport to pick her up Niels came walking through the terminal. “I just couldn’t believe it, it was such a surprise”. However, Niels had everything planned out, suggesting that, on the way back from Newcastle Airport, they made a detour by Metro to see the coast on the way back to the flat. He had already contacted the Port of Tyne, which manages the lighthouse to discuss his plan. The lighthouse normally only opens to the public a few days a year.
THE LOOK OF LOVE
Third year Medical student Lisette Moten not only had a surprise visit from her boyfriend last week, but an unexpected proposal at St. Mary’s Lighthouse in Whitley Bay. Photography: NORTH NEWS
Niels, 24 said: “Lisette and I are both big sailing fans so I wanted to do something special close to the sea. “Because she was studying in Newcastle, I started looking at places on the Internet where I could propose. “I thought a castle would be a bit clichéd, but the lighthouse caught my eye. “The Port of Tyne was absolutely fantastic. “They even had champagne and flowers waiting for us when we got there. I couldn’t have imagined a more perfect setting. Niels, in traditional fashion, had already spoken to Lisettes’ father to ask for permission: “That was probably more nerve-wracking than proposing to Lisette”. “We have been together for nearly five years now, and have known each other even longer than that. Lisette was thrilled with how Niels managed to keep the proposal a secret. “It was a lovely a surprise when he asked and I had no hesitation in saying ‘yes’.” The day was rounded off with the breaking of a champagne glass, which in Holland means seven years of good luck. “I certainly hope we are together much longer than seven years,” joked the medical student. Mike Nicholson: Port of Tyne’s harbour master said: “The lighthouse is normally open to the public during heritage open days in September but we couldn’t help but make and exception and do our best to make it a memorable experience.”
The circle of strife: Rory’s safe return
Kidnapped mascot home in lion’s den By Helen Lam Online News Editor Rory the Lion, Team Newcastle’s valuable mascot, was returned safe and sound to his home in the Student’s Union with only days to spare before the Stan Calvert Cup commences. Following a fortnight of uncertainty as to Rory’s whereabouts, the release of a ransom note and even a kidnap video on Team Newcastle’s Facebook page, Rory was back to cheer Rory the Lion was first introduced by the 2007/08 Athletic Officer, Lydia Oxenham and has since supported Team Newcastle through 4 consecutive triumphs over rivals Northumbria University. On his return, Rory told The Courier: “It was a horrible experience. I wish I knew where they had taken me but they had me blind-folded. “I’m glad I’m back for my favourite
day of the year,”. Alice Holloway, current Athletics Officer told The Courier: “I am over the moon that Rory is back where he belongs! The AU Office was in absolute disbelief when we saw he had been stolen. It was so great to have him back for Sunday, he’s our lucky charm - we’ve now won Stan Calvert for the fifth consecutive year with him now! I don’t know what I would have done if he hadn’t turned up.” It was initially suspected that another Sabbatical Officer was to blame for Rory’s abduction, in playing a practical joke, however that idea was soon dismissed. Wilfred Wildcat, Newcastle University’s Ice Hockey club mascot, expressed his delight at being reunited with Rory saying: “I’m so happy Rory’s back, we were a whisker away from calling the police. He made sure Stan Calvert was purrrr-fect!”
THE CAT IS BACK
Rory Lion returned back to his rightful habitat ready to cheer Newcastle on as they took on Northumbria over the weekend Photography: Alice Holloway
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Tuesday 6 March 2012
The Courier
“It’s not that Combined Honours students aren’t as valued, it’s just that priority is given to single honours.” Continued from front page Furthermore, some Combined Honours students studying Psychology were only able to access their exam results three days after the rest of the students sitting the same exam. Daniel Ashall, Chair of the Combined Honours Student Staff Committee (SSC) said: “There should be simple solutions around the issues. Students should simply be able to be attached to mailing lists. “Its not that Combined Honours students aren’t important, it’s just that priority is given to single honours students. “Departments are making a conscious effort to amend things. But menial things such as adding people to mailing lists and Blackboard communities should come naturally, along with the fact that some Combined Honours students are receiving correspondence that they shouldn’t. “When students are left off from resources such as Blackboard it becomes problematic. For example, different schools have different methods of referencing, so when it comes to essays, combined students who don’t have access to the community are at a disadvantage. “There are some technical problems that are out of the hands of some
schools hands, and we are always working on these issues to try and remedy them. “I believe the problems of some our students sometimes seemed to be overlooked. Even though there is cooperation from departments, we continually face issues on both a large and small scale”. Colin Bryson, Director of the Combined Honours Centre said: “Studying Combined Honours offers many advantages to students, particularly
ing Combined Honours can be so valuable, giving students a greater opportunity for choice of modules and subject areas. This should be celebrated rather than students being ‘punished’ for choosing this option. “The fact that these students are still being treated unfavourably compared to single honours students is completely unacceptable. These problems appear to be based locally in different schools and appear quite minor yet would have significant impacts on the
“But mostly, I love the variety that my course offers me and the choice of my modules means I have got to do a course that is perfect for me.” Another third year Combined Honours student said: “Combined honours students take on a lot of responsibility when they start their degrees such as managing their own timetables and anticipating clashing deadlines, and they are fully aware of this when they start first year. “However, it would be ten times eas-
“it would be ten times easier, and fairer, if schools could tighten up on their communication with combined honours students and treat them like they do any single or joint honours student.” flexibility and considerable autonomy in navigating through the degree choosing preferred subjects and modules. “However this flexibility raises inevitable issues as students will not be studying all their modules within one subject. Any disadvantages arising are not the intention of staff, and the Combined Honours SSC and myself are working hard to alleviate any negative impact of such issues”. Newcastle Students’ Union Education Officer, Liam Dale said: “Study-
affected students. Due to the nature of these issues, it seems that they can be resolved easily by the relevant schools and they should be seeking to do so immediately.” Another third-year Combined Honours student said: “The Combined Honours school itself is brilliant, and they always do all they can for you. “However, on most courses you are counted as not as important as their full time students. Particularly in English, where you aren’t offered enough support or help anyway.
ier, and fairer, if schools could tighten up their communication with combined students and treat them like they do any single or joint honours student. “It would be interesting to find out of joint honours students suffer this discrimination from any schools too.” Newcastle University’s equality policy suggests that: “all students and all employees are treated on the basis or their relevant merits and abilities and are given equal opportunities within the University.
“No prospective student or student, job applicant or employee, should reieve less favourable treatment on any grounds which are not relevant to academic ability and attainment for students or to good employment practice for employees”. Combined Honours students have always been faced with more problems than many other students. Two years ago, the University tried to remove the opportunity to undertake a Combined Honours degree at Newcastle University. However, a student-led petition quashed the proposal, and new undergraduate students are still able to opt into a degree which allows more variety than many others. Despite this, communication problems are still prevalent, even though the issue is trying to be continually resolved. This has brought into question whether certain schools see Combined Honours students as being outside their subjects by prioritising their single honours students. If any other students are experiencing similar issues, or any other problems relating to courses, they should contact Education Officer Liam Dale at education.union@ncl.ac.uk.
Being treated in the same way is optimistic JENNIFER CANNON COMMENT
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he past couple of weeks have seen the release of January exam results, a process that generates anticipation and dread in equal measures across campus. However, for many Combined Honours students the wait was more frustrating than most. Although students took the same exams at the same time, single honours results were released up to a week earlier than their combined counterparts, causing confusion and worry. No explanation was given as to why the two groups of students were treated differently, and so combined students simply had to remain in suspense until their transcripts were finally released. This singling out of Combined students is not restricted to exam results. It’s reasonably common knowledge across the Combined Honours community that it’s optimistic to expect to be regarded in exactly the same way as other students on your modules, or even included in everything your subject has to offer. Although it is by no means true that all schools fail to be inclusive, it’s not uncommon to find yourself left out of Blackboard communities and mailing lists (I’m looking at you, English!), uninformed about
additional workshops or module fairs, or losing out on module signup because other students are given priority. As a Combined student, I find this baffling to say the least. There is no difference in the workload or assessment of students who take a particular module; we all attend the same lectures, do the same assignments and take the same exams. Perhaps some schools believe that by taking Treating more than one Students subject you are differently somehow less depending on committed to each individutheir degree ally. Howprogramme ever, surely it is undermines obvious that an the entire interest in Psypoint of giving chology has no bearing on how students the you can right to choose much enjoy English which modules Literature, and they take the assumption that someone who studies more than one subject area will be less likely to want to further their learning in any of them is absurd. Treating students differently depending on their degree programme undermines the entire point of giving students the right to choose which modules they take: if you are interested in a certain topic you take it, if not, you don’t. To choose to give time to a subject and then be told you’re not committed enough to be ‘fully included’ must be as frustrating as it is ridiculous.
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Tuesday 6 March 2012
Cars hit by mindless damage in Jesmond By Kat Bannon Editor A number of cars in Jesmond have been repeatedly hit by vandalism. Police are currently investigating the repeated scratching of parked cars on Larkspur Terrace, and other nearby roads, that has taken place over the last couple of weeks. Overnight between Wednesday 22 February and Thursday 23 February, 12 vehicles were reported as damaged. Following this, between Friday 24 February and Monday 27 February, a further 11 incidents were reported in the same street, with numerous panels on each vehicle damaged. Perpetrators have focused on the end of the road connecting Larkspur Terrace to Mistletoe Road, seemingly trying to avoid CCTV situated at Coral betting shop on the corner. They first targeted cars parked on one side of the road, and then the other, stopping halfway down the street. As part of their investigation plain clothed as well as uniformed officers have been on duty around the area. Also, one resident of Larkspur Terrace, who also happens to be a professor at the University, was asked by police for access to an attic room in his house overnight in order to have the best viewing vantage point of the whole street. A third-year History student said her car was one of those hit on the first evening. “It doesn’t seem like they’re personally attacking students - they go for
SCRATCH AND RUN
Perpetrators targeted first one side, then the other of Larkspur Terrace to mindlessly damage residents’ cars parked outside their homes. Photography: Katie Leitch
any car on the street. Then just odd cars are missed out. “It’s a pointless, random act of vandalism and it’s completely unfair. “It’s so disheartening that people think they can get away with this. They aren’t gaining anything either. I’ve been hit with a completely unnecessary expenditure.” The case is currently being dealt with by the area’s Neighbourhood Policing Team. PC Mike Fawcett, of the Newcastle East Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “The panels have been scratched to the bare metal meaning the vehicles will need to be re-sprayed costing the victims large amounts of money. “This is absolutely mindless damage causing anger and frustration amongst those people affected. Criminal damage not only impacts on the individual but also the wider community. “We’re carrying out enquiries to trace the person or people responsible for this spate of damage and there will be additional patrols in the area. Officers are also checking CCTV footage. “People are urged to pass any information they have - they can do this anonymously - about who is responsible. It’s important these people are identified so they can be dealt with appropriately for causing such an extensive amount of damage.” Anyone with information can contact police on 101 ext 69191, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. Callers to Crimestoppers could be eligible for a cash reward.
400 students warned for improper use of ISS By Wills Robinson News Editor A number of Newcastle students have been warned for improper use of the universities computer services. Last year, 411 students received warnings via email for visiting sites with indecent, obscene or abusive content, with 98 students receiving second warnings about their failure to comply with the Universities’ policy on internet usage.
did give me a shock. “Now, its safe to say, I try and stick to Facebook and Twitter”. Internet use is monitored on all computers with are connected to the Universities’ server, including those in computer clusters, libraries and halls of residence, both on and off site. Newcastle follows the requirements of JANET (Joint Academic Network) AUP (Acceptable Use Policy), which details the types of internet activity that are deemed unacceptable. This can vary anywhere from pornograph-
35 students were then interviewed for continuing to misuse servers with 23 students having their accounts suspended. 35 students were then interviewed for continuing to misuse servers with 23 students having their accounts suspended by Information Systems and Services (ISS). As of yet, however, there have been no referrals to the police for severe breaches of the ISS policies. Misuse of the computer services can result in extreme circumstances for students, such as suspension or exclusion from the University, as well as the potential of criminal proceedings. A first-year student living in Richardson Road, who preferred to remain anonymous said: “I received a warning email during my first semester. It was a genuine surprise as I had no idea that the sites we visited were being closely monitored. “Then I found out we could be thrown out of university, which really
ic material to extremist or terrorist based sites. ISS staff do not perform random checks on internet activity, with manual detection being used to spot habitual breaches of the system’s policy. When a student is alleged to have breached the policy, he will be asked through email to stop immediately. Then, if unacceptable usage persists, the students will be constantly sent emails threatening them with account suspension. In their Statement on Internet use, the University stresses the role of the Internet on campus for undertaking their academic coursework or research. However, the university does concede that students can also use the system for personal use, as long as it is in line with ISS usage policies.
CHECK WHERE YOU CLICK Students risk their academic future if they misuse the Universities’ internet systems. Photography: Rachel Wilson
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Tuesday 6 March 2012
Dance Society takes Tyneside by storm By Emily Richardson Countless hours of planning, rehearsing and practicing paid off for Newcastle University Dance Society last weekend after they reaped the awards at the second annual Inter-University Dance Competition in Newcastle. On Saturday 25 February competitors from universities all over the country such as Leeds, Sheffield, York, Manchester, Hull, Imperial College, Nottingham Trent and Sunderland gathered together to compete in multiple dancing categories, with Newcastle claiming the top spots in several. One of the greatest successes of the day was when third-year Biology student and competition coordinator, Lauren Anderson, securing third place in the Solo category- a highly prestigious triumph, especially given the standard of the opposition. The Beginners categories also had many winning claims. Second-year students Amy Wilcock and Laura Nicholson won first place for their choreographed Beginners Ballet piece, Beginners Jazz, choreographed by Niki Holgate-Smith and Claire Geoghegan, stole second place, and Beginners Tap saw Emma Wakefield
take home the third place trophy for the category. Entries into the Advanced categories also secured wins. Advanced Ballet and Advanced Contemporary, both choreographed by talented committee members Hannah Houghton and Sophie Bennison, took third place and second place, respectively. Advanced Jazz gave Inga Chen and
Frankie Willis a solid third place win, one that was extremely deserving and long awaited. One of the biggest accomplishments for Newcastle was securing a first place win in the Advanced Street category- the competition was fierce but Bethany Bresnen and Sadie Riley came out swinging, and the dancers earned their ‘street cred’ by securing the first place finish. The competition proved a great day for all involved with feedback from competitors saying that it was the most organized and well-run competition of the year and so confirming that the Newcastle Dance Society came away with more than trophies. It was also a solid result after their triumph in the Edinburgh Competition two weeks ago saw them claim a number of trophies, including ‘Best Dancer’ for president Bethany Bresnen. However, although she was unfortunately unable to collect it due to her winning the position last year, it was obvious it was meant for her! This Saturday the dance society headed South to take part in the Loughborough University Competition. See next week’s issue to see how they got on.
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Tuesday 6 March 2012
Union Pres interrogated over poor election turnout Visit of NUS President Liam Burns overshadowed continued from front page However, this decision was overturned the next day by the Returning Officer.
Until handing in her nominations form on the Monday morning of the nominations deadline Perry stood as Chair of Elections Committee. Students commented that this could
ance centred on the current Coalition Government’s policies surrounding Higher Education in the UK. He spoke about the fight against such reforms “goes on” and con-
During the ‘President Question Time’ at Union Council last week there was the predominant feeling that Perry’s decision to rerun may have affected the smooth running of Elections Committee
REACH FOR THE STARS
Newcastle’s Dance Society were highly successful in Newcastle, with third year Lauren Anderson securing second place in the prestigious solo category. Photography: Newcastle Dance Society
He deemed it unfair on the candidates that had already put their nominations forward, and ruled that only ballots without candidates were to remain open. Colin Henrys, running for Editor of The Courier, said “It felt unfair as I’d worked to meet the deadline; however, in order to make the Student Union run effectively it needs the right candidates for the role, and so a two day extension shouldn’t really have been a problem to anyone.” However, during ‘President Question Time’ at Union Council last week there was the predominant feeling that Perry’s decision to rerun may have affected the smooth running of Elections Committee, as well as having potentially hampered the number of candidates that came forward.
be seen as unfair on other candidates, as she would have received manifestos prior to the nominations deadline, giving her an advantage as well as
LIAM BURNS The NUS President’s address to students was overshadowed by the intense scrutiny NUSU President Perry was subjected to
awareness of who was running. Criticism also fell on the marketing of the positions available. However, Perry was adamant that all publicity was adequate. Burn’s speech to those in attend-
demned the Conservative-led Government’s reforms as pricing students out of a university education. The former leader of NUS Scotland also revealed a national campaign to be launched by the NUS entitled “Come Clean” which seeks to tackle the perceived lack of bursaries available to students and the manner in which they are awarded. He asserted that 30% of students will never actually pay back their tuition fees and that, therefore, the policy of fee waivers was pointless and instead greater access to bursaries should be prioritized. A motion was also passed at council to support the main aims of the National Week of Action but not to actively build for a walkout. Photography: NUS Scotland (Flickr)
PhD student to join UN leaders in Brazil
Competition winner to petition conference on global environment By Jennifer Evans The winner of a competition to attend the Rio +20 conference on sustainable development has been announced. Civil Engineering PhD student and
focus geared towards making each area more environmentally sound. According to the Guardian newspaper’s website, attendants at the conference will also be asked to “negotiate a new agreement to protect oceans, approve an annual state of the planet
Henrietta Smylie (BSc Marketing) took fourth place with Luke Barnwell (MEng Civil Engineering and Geosciences) taking fifth and Martin Findlay (MEng Civil Engineering and Geosciences) taking sixth respecitvely.
The conference aims to examine seven critical international development issues; jobs, energy, cities, food, water, oceans and disasters Culture Lab employee Ed Byers will attend the Earth Summit, which runs from June 20 to 22. The prize, sponsored by Northumbrian Water and in association with the Newcastle Institute for Research on Sustainability (NIRS), will see Ed travel to Rio de Janeiro to rub shoulders with the UN’s leading experts on sustainable development and UN leaders. Throughout the conference Ed will also produce a blog reporting on the debates and discussions he will be attending. The conference aims to examine seven critical international development issuest; jobs, energy, cities, food, water, oceans and disasters, with the
report, set up a major world agency for the environment and appoint a global ombudsperson, or high commissioner, for future generations.” Ed won the competition by submitting a discussion piece focussing on one of these key areas. This followed a huge publicity campaign, which saw the number of applicants rise from single figures to around the 200 mark. There were five runners up selected by the judging panel, supported by the Port of Tyne and Planet Earth Institute. Second place went to James Robinson (MEng Civil Engineering and Geosciences), third place was Claire Chisholm (BA Combined Honours).
In addition a further three enteries were also seleted to be featured on their blog site, as the standard of entries was so high. An announcement on February 28 by NIRS also confirmed that thanks to Northumbrian Water, the Planet Earth Institute and NIRS, two runners up in the competition, James Robinson and Claire Chisholm would also be attending the conference. Furthermore it was also announced on March 1 that fourth place winner, Henriette Smylie, will be travelling to Sao Paulo over the summer to spend time with one of Brazil’s leading PR firms and will be visiting some of their clients, including the Planet Earth Institute.
ED’S THE RIO DEAL
The PhD student will rub shoulders with some of the world’s top leaders as he reports on the development conference Photography: Ed Byers
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Tuesday 6 March 2012
The Courier
Eighth Student Pride weekend takes over Brighton By Sophie McCoid An estimated 1000 students attended the eighth Student Pride event in Brighton over the weekend. The National Union of Students LGBT campaign marks its 30th anniversary this year with politicians such as Nick Clegg and Ed Miliband voicing their support for the event. Prime Minister David Cameron proclaimed it as an important landmark in the LGBT student calendar. The weekend included a Question Time style debate staged in association with Attitude magazine. The panel included prolific personalities such as Attitude Editor Matthew Todd, BBC newscaster Jane Hill
Job Title: Sales Assistant Employer: G-Star Raw Closing date: 05.03.12 Salary: Competitive Basic job description: A Sales Assistant is required to work 8 hours per week at the store in the Metrocentre. Duties include liaising with customers to create sales and meet targets, cash handling and other general store duties as requested. Person requirements: Applicants must have previous retail and sales experience, possess excellent customer service skills and be able to work within a team. A knowledge of the brand and interest in fashion beneficial. Location: Gateshead. Job Title: Food Associate Employer: BHS Closing date: 07.03.12 Salary: National Minimum Wage Basic job description: Food Associates are required to work 4+ hours per week within the BHS coffee lounge and restaurant in Gateshead. Duties include advising customers on menu choices, serving customers hot/cold food, keeping the restaurant clean and tidy, clearing tables and other general duties. Person requirements: Experience preferred but not essential as full training and development provided. Applicants must be dedicated to excellent customer service, have excellent communication skills, the ability to work within a team and be able to follow instructions. Location: Gateshead. Job Title: Waiting staff Employer: Charlie and Evelyn’s Table Closing date: 10.03.12 Salary: £6.08 per hour Basic job description: Personable, energetic waiting staff are required to work with a young catering company to help out at a Wedding taking place on Saturday 31st March (all day, exact timings TBC) in Northumberland. Main duties will include: Room set up, waiting table, serving food and drinks, attending to guests’ needs, clearing table and general clear up. Person requirements: We are looking for reliable team players who love meeting new people and working to high standards. Waiting experience preferred. Clear communication and attention to detail advantageous. Although not mandatory but a passion for
and Dan Gillespie Sells , lead singer of The Feeling, to name but a few. Other events People may included an see Gay Pride LGBT jobs fair as ‘in your face’ and various social events, conor aggrescluding in a massive but they sive night at the are simply a Brighton Dome chance to be complex. A spokesman who we are and a bit of fun for the LGBT society at Newcastle said: “Student pride is a great opportunity for LGBT students to get together and be happy in who they are and celebrate how positive it is being LGBT in the
food (cooking and eating) useful. Location: Northumberland. Job Title: Male Personal Assistant Employer: Disability North Closing date: 16.03.12 Salary: £8.00 per hour Basic job description: A Gentleman recovering from a stroke who lives in the Slatyford area of Newcastle is looking to employ a Male Personal Assistant (Support Worker) to work 15 hours per week helping him with personal care such as showering and meal preparation at a weekend and to drive him to destinations of his choice on a Wednesday and a Sunday. It would be ideal if the applicant was also able to provide cover on a Friday. Person requirements: Other than a driving licence (which is an absolute requirement), no specific qualifications are required; just need a reliable, friendly individual who is physically fit enough to assist with getting into and out of bed and the shower and who will be happy to do whatever other basic tasks, such as tidying up, shopping etc that are needed on any given day. Location: Newcastle upon Tyne. Job Title: Waiting & Bar Staff Employer: Frankie and Bennies Closing date: 15.03.12 Salary: Competitive Basic job description: We are looking for part time Front of House Team Members at Frankie & Benny’s in Sunderland. Positions available include Waiters, Waitresses, Door Hosts, Bartenders, Bussers, Food Runners we’re looking for great personalities with a great passion for hospitality. Person requirements: If you have relevant experience and a genuine passion for hospitality and providing excellent service we would love to hear from you. Location: Sunderland Job Title: Domestic Assistant Employer: NHS Closing date: 07.03.12 Salary: £13,903 to £14,614 pro rata Basic job description: A Domestic Assistant is required to work 20 hours per week at North Tyneside General Hospital, North Shields. Your main responsibility will be to maintain the standard of cleanliness
twenty-first century. Although people may see Gay Pride events as ‘in your face’ or aggressive, these events are simply a chance to be who we are, have a bit of fun, and are generally really fun events for all who go along, including heterosexual people. It’s also a chance to highlight and publicise some of the key issues at the moment like gay marriage and homophobia”. Danica Histed, Chair of National Student Pride expressed her excitement for this years event: “The move to the Brighton Dome enables the event to get much bigger and much better, including allowing the Under 18s in to the daytime event for the first time.”
as specified throughout the designated work area by means of approved cleaning methods. Person requirements: If you are a friendly, conscientious and highly motivated individual with good organisational and communication skills and enjoy working as part of a team we would like to hear from you. The successful candidate should have previous experience preferably in a care setting and be able to maintain excellent standards of cleanliness and hygiene in the ward and surrounding areas. Location: North Shields. Job Title: Lunchtime Supervisory Assistant Employer: Gateshead Council Closing date: 08.03.12 Salary: £12,787 - £13,589 per annum, pro rata Basic job description: A Lunchtime Supervisory Assistant is required to work 5 hours per week at Highfield Community Primary School. The key roles of this post will include: Helping pupils to select lunchtime options with due regard to health and hygiene requirements; ensuring table used for packed lunches is cleared and cleaned after use and assisting in the delivering of age appropriate activities over the lunchtime period. Person requirements: N/A Location: Gateshead. Job Title: Food & Beverage Team Member (casual) Employer: Close House Hotel Closing date: 31.12.12 Salary: £5.05 - £6.08 per hour Basic job description: Working as part of the Restaurant, Bar, Clubhouse and Banqueting Teams, this position is on a 0 hour/casual basis. The purpose of this role is to provide guests with a speedy, efficient service that is of the highest standard, ensuring food and drink service standards are maintained, under the supervision of the department manager. Close House Hotel is based in Heddon on the Wall which is approximately 8 miles west of Newcastle upon Tyne. Person requirements: You should be able to work as part of a team and have a “can do” attitude. Previous experience preferred however training will be given. Location: Heddon on the Wall.
PRIDE PERSONIFIED
The NUS LGBT community celebrated its 30th anniversary in Brighton with marches commonplace amongst such communities throughout the world Photography: philipe leroyer (Flickr)
NUS to find ‘true’ cost of going to uni By Harriet Sale With university fees and funding being very much at the forefront of peoples’ minds recently, it is unsurprising that studies are underway to find out how much it actually costs to be a student. Both Warwick University and the National Union of Students (NUS) have introduced the ‘Pound In Your Pocket’ campaign to expose the true cost of university life. The main focus of Warwick Students’ Union’s investigation is to find out how students spend their maintenance loans, and the cost of courses compulsory ‘extras,’ such as textbooks and field trips. The study will also illustrate the amount of debt graduates expect to face having left university. National Book Tokens deduced that
over half of all first year students do not anticipate or accommodate for the cost of requisite books. Warwick SU hope to introduce several iniWarwick tiatives such as University and bursaries, books and the NUS have tokens printer credits to introduced help compensate the ‘Pound In u n r e c o g n i s e d Your Pocket’ course costs. The NUS surcampaign to aims to evalexpose the true vey uate the financial cost of uni life support systems set in place for students, as they do not believe that enough attention has been paid to this issue. They will look to similar systems internationally, whilst testing the current support system.
The Courier
nationalnews.9
Tuesday 6 March 2012
Baltic 39 finally opens after seven long years of turmoil By Elliot Bentley Deputy Editor The Baltic gallery is set to expand over the river into Newcastle after seven years of scandal and controversy. The first exhibition in Baltic 39, as the new space is to be known, will open on 6 April and will be curated by Phyllida Barlow, a Newcastle-born sculptor. Situated around the corner from the Royal Theatre, Baltic 39 will also house studios for 32 artists and serve as a new home for Northumbria University fine art students. A statement released by the Baltic Centre said that the new studio is
been a smooth one. Plans to convert the site to an art gallery have been in place since 2005, and were originally to be overseen by an arts organisation called Waygood. However, by February 2010 the project was £6m over its £4.7m budget. After an independent review described Waygood as having “been in crisis for five years”, the Arts Council withdrew support for the project - just three months before The Waygood, as it was then known, was set to open. The Journal reported that Arts Council England justified the decision over “concerns about the organisation’s governance, business plan-
The new studio is hoped to “act as a magnet to draw artists from across the world for teaching, residencies and exhibitions” hoped to “act as a magnet to draw artists from across the world for teaching, residencies and exhibitions”. The road to opening an art gallery in the unoccupied Grade II listed buildings on High Bridge has not
ning ability and capacity to work in partnership”. These accusations were at the time rebuked by Waygood’s chairman Ivor Stolliday, who accused the council of “panicking” over a £1m project deficit.
However, despite Waygood’s protests – including a Tumblr website for members of the public to post messages of support on – the project was taken over by Newcastle City Council. Some of the complex has already been renovated into a new comedy venue, The Stand, and another art gallery, High Bridge Studios. Waygood, which was originally founded in 1995 by Newcastle University graduate Helen Smith, was also embroiled in scandal over two tribunals. In the 2009 tribunal, a judge described Smith’s behaviour as “not normal and unpredictable”, and though the second tribunal was dismissed it served as a bittersweet finale. Stolliday, who had only served as chairman for six months, said that “with the case out of the way, we can go ahead and close the company”. Councillor Henri Murison, Newcastle’s cabinet member for quality of life, told The Journal last week: “I think the council has learned a lesson and what we now have is of fantastic benefit to the city. I think we need to talk about what this project has become rather than how it got here.”
Leeds stand up Expulsion threat to slow Virgin for St. Paddy’s broadband speed Day shenanigans By Emily Osmond and Helen Lam University of Leeds It seems Newcastle University students aren’t the only ones having problems with their Virgin internet connection. Hundreds of students in Leeds have complained to Leeds Student Union, OFCOM, and even their local politicians about Virgin’s terrible service in an attempt to get their voices heard. Despite Virgin’s promise of fast and cheap broadband, the average house in a student area of Leeds is getting only one tenth of its promised bandwidth, meaning even simple pages such as Google won’t load; and to add insult to injury, Virgin are putting their prices up on 1 April. Local Councillor Jamie Matthews is now involved, demanding an apology and financial compensation for all those affected, and failing this, Virgin are set to be banned from advertising at any of Leeds University’s Freshers’ Fairs.
Welsh pitch tent for recovering uni drunkards University of Cardiff Plans for a new recovery centre in Cardiff for drunken students were revealed this week. Serving as a space for patients to be taken to sleep off their alcohol induced lethargy, the centre will take pressure off doctors and nurses in A&E who will be able to focus more heavily on patients with more serious conditions. The decision came after representatives from Cardiff Students’ Union, the local A&E, police, and the Cardiff health board came together to discuss the issues of excessive student drinking with a main problem arising from the shortage of much needed beds taken up by drunk students in A&E every evening. The scheme has already been provisionally used in London’s Soho, over Christmas, to so much acclaim that the trial has been extended to March. Photography: kelp and jovike (Flickr)
University of Ulster Students at the University of Ulster have been warned that if they get into trouble on St Patrick’s Day they will face expulsion. In the past, rioting and drunken street parties have become accustom to ‘Paddy’s Day’ celebrations, and in the prerecorded video warning, Vice Chancellor professor Richard Barnett tells students: “If any of you are involved in anti-social behaviour this year I will ensure that the University’s disciplinary procedures are brought in swiftly and severely. So let it be clear - within one week of St Patrick’s Day you could be expelled from this University.”
Infamous Oxford thief finally jailed University of Oxford A 47 year old man has been jailed for two and a half years after stealing thousands of pounds worth of items from a student property in Oxford, including a laptop containing a student’s whole dissertation. Martin James has 27 previous convictions, and committed this crime within weeks of release from his last stint in prison, something which the judge described as “utter folly”. The student whose items were taken had not saved his dissertation anywhere else, and so lost hundreds of hours of effort.
Atlantic Records give 35 humanities scholarships University of Oxford Oxford University has been given a £26 million donation from Atlantic Records label, which released music from Soul legends such as Aretha franklin and Ray Charles. Mica Ertegun donated the money, which is to go towards 35 fully funded student scholarships in the humanities department. It will also pay for the refurbishment of a building, which will become a base for these scholars. John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin attended the announcement of the donation in London, which is Oxford’s biggest ever donation in humanities and remarked that: “the money couldn’t have come from a better place.”
Comment
Tuesday 6 March 2012
The Courier
Comment Editors Sophie McCoid and Susie May Beever Online Comment Editor Jack Torrance
No money for nothing: Innovation or exploitation?
SLAVE LABOUR? Fast food chain Burger
King is one of the corporations to drop out of the scheme. Photography: miskan (Flickr)
Is The Government’s youth WE scheme beneficial? JOE WOOD
YES
E
xperience is often considered the most valuable asset a person can have when they are looking for employment. However, providing work experience for people on Job Seeker’s Allowance has been severely criticised in the past days and weeks, being compared to a form of modern “slave labour.” In my opinion this is a completely unfounded view, when it is considered from a wider perspective. In reality, it is a highly innovative scheme. It provides young people with very little to no qualifications an opportunity to immerse themselves in a working environment and gain skills and recommendations they can use for future references. Yet, despite the benefits this scheme and schemes that follow it could bring, large businesses have begun flocking away in droves and as such it may well cease to exist while still in its infancy.
Under these work placement schemes, people have a much greater opportunity of escaping Job Seeker’s Allowance and finding employment, especially as employers are often reluctant to take on people with no experience in the workplace. Consequently, the scheme encourages social mobility by offering unemployed young people opportunities that would, in any other instance, be unavailable to them. It is a great shame that large businesses, such as Burger King, have recently pulled out of the scheme, due to mounting public and political pressure. Yet, this scheme is one of the few ways in which young people can find work experience, and there is now a great possibility that it will be eliminated while still in its early stages. The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, expressed the predicament of the jobless youth, in a column in the Daily Telegraph: “They are told they can’t get a job unless they have some work experience; and they can’t get any work experience unless someone is willing to give them a job.” Considering how British youth unemployment is at an all-time high, it is unfathomable that there are such strong criticisms against the scheme. It is, of course, not the only way that unemployment can be lowered; however, it is a massive opening into some of the largest private companies in Britain and is a powerful means to strengthening our weakened economy. As a nation, we are suffering from increasing ‘measures of austerity’ and
it is not possible for Britain to function without a working populace in these times. Therefore, helping people, who would otherwise remain idle, become part of a work force is a reasonable approach to take. In light of this, one of the great detriments to reducing unemployment in Britain could be seen as those who have so severely criticised this scheme without truly considering what it actually provides for unemployed young people and for the country as a whole.
JOE MATHERS
NO
I
n principle, the government’s flagship work experience scheme seems like a great idea for getting the young and jobless into work. However, there has been intense public criticism of the scheme, accusing it of using job seekers as “slave labour”. While I don’t take the view that the government’s work experience
scheme amounts to “slave labour”. I would argue that there are a number of fundamental issues with the scheme both morally and practically. Participants in these schemes can have their Jobseeker’s Allowance cut if they drop out after the first week. It is argued by the government that this rule protects small businesses using the scheme. However, if we look at the 100 or so businesses and charities taking part in the scheme, only a tiny proportion is small businesses. Additionally, many of these businesses already run their own work experience schemes, where there is no threat of benefit cuts. So there seems little point to this new government scheme, unless it is a government cost cutting exercise. If we look at the statistics of who receives employment after the scheme has finished, the figures are very illuminating. Only 25% of the participants on the scheme receive full time employment and the government’s own figures suggest that these participants would have found employment swiftly anyway. Another 25% receive part time employment that often doesn’t amount to more money than job seekers allowance, but they can still lose their benefits if they don’t take a job offered by their work experience placement. Furthermore, the unpaid work experience scheme distorts the labour market. It means that businesses in the current economic climate can access an almost unlimited supply of free labour. This means that there is less need for paid employees, which is
extremely beneficial for big businesses but not for the young and jobless. Often only a limited skill set is required, so companies can rotate unpaid employees on a four weekly basis. A study conducted in 2008 by the Department of Work and Pensions, investigated the effectiveness of work experience schemes for the young and jobless in other countries. It concluded that, “there is little evidence that workfare increases the likelihood of finding work” and “it can even reduce employment chances.” Although the job scheme is not compulsory, it is often portrayed as such by job centres that are looking to hit targets on reducing the number of job seekers. There have also been huge inconsistencies in the implementation of the scheme. Additionally, there are some serious moral questions that need to be asked. Executive pay for a large proportion of the businesses involved with this scheme has risen on average by 49% just last year. It seems perverse that unpaid employees are now making money for extremely well paid executives. In principle, the government’s work experience scheme seems very beneficial for the jobless. However, in practice there are a number of underlining issues that need to be resolved before I will support it.
Emails in response to articles should be sent to: editor.union@ncl.ac.uk
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11.comment
Tuesday 6 March 2012
‘Abortion is used as a tool of discrimination’ SOPHIE HUNTER
However the physical traits of a child are not the only things some parents wish to control; they also want to be able to pick the sex of their child. This
ONE IS NOT BORN... But becomes a woman.
P
arents often wonder about how their child will look and what physical traits it will inherit; maybe it will have the father’s black hair, or the mother’s blue eyes. These traits are a random matter of genetics, but what if you could choose? What if for a certain sum of money you could hand pick the physical traits you wanted your child to have - would you? In 2009 a Los Angeles clinic offered just that, the opportunity to pick the physical traits of a child by selecting the embryo that contained the genetic makeup of the desired physical attributes, for the small price of $18,000. This is carried out by PGD (Pre-implantation genetic diagnosis) where a cell is tested from an embryo, and the embryo with the desired physical traits is put into the mother’s womb to continue the pregnancy and the rest are discarded. This case sparked outrage across the world, due to its dubious morality. Dr Kearns, who was one of the scientists who discovered PGD, spoke out against this pick and mix approach to genetics saying “traits are not diseases” and therefore embryos should not be screened and picked out because of them. PGD was invented to stop children being born with serious genetic illnesses, such as Parkinson’s disease, not for whether they have red hair or not.
This investigation involved secretly filming women going to nine clinics across the whole of the UK to ask for an abortion based on the sex of their
Illustration: Alicia Knight
has resulted in a rise of sex-selective abortions across the world. In the United Kingdom abortions due to the sex of the child are illegal but despite this a recent investigation carried out by The Telegraph has revealed that numerous abortion clinics are willing to do this, despite the legal and moral implications.
unborn child. Of the nine clinics they went to, a third agreed to the abortion: Calthorpe Clinic in Birmingham, Pall Mall Medical in Manchester and Chelsea and Westminster Hospital. At the Calthorpe Clinic, Dr. Raj Mohan agreed to the abortion, even though he compared it to “female infanticide”: with the clinic even falsify-
ing the paperwork, writing down the abortion was due to the mother being too young. The Health Secretary Andrew Lansley has said that the “carrying out an abortion on the grounds of gender alone is in my view morally repugnant” and steps are being taken to stop this from happening any more. But no matter how many laws and safeguards are put in place to stop gender specific abortion, nothing can stop women hiding the truth from their doctors to get an abortion based on gender, a point backed up by Dr Gillian Lockwood this week. I believe that if the selection of embryos to choose physical traits and sex selected abortions continues then a whole new set of social issues will be created. Firstly a gender imbalance would occur, as is the case already in China where there are 120 boys to every 100 girls. Secondly, abortion is now being used as a tool of discrimination, mostly against the female sex, as male children are preferred over girls. This is a clear show of how in some communities males are still seen as the dominant sex, despite the supposed equality in our society. It is rather ironic one might say that the choice to have an abortion and control their own bodies, which women fought for in this country and others, is now being used to discriminate against their own sex. To stop this discrimination it would not be enough to create new laws and regulations, the investigation has proved these do not work. We need to educate people against this trend for designer babies and single sex abortion and show them that every child, no matter its hair colour, eye colour or sex, is a beautiful gift to be loved.
US Elections: where do you stand? JACK TORRANCE
GEORGIE MOULE
Tomorrow will see ‘Super Tuesday’, the biggest day of the Republican presidential primaries and possibly the definitive point of the campaign. With one fifth of states going to the polls, including the strategically important Ohio, the candidates will be desperate to make their mark. Rick Santorum’s recent spate of success in Midwestern states will place Mitt Romney under severe pressure to succeed tomorrow. If he fails to make a strong showing it could be the beginning of the end, both for his campaign, and for any chance of a Republican win in November.
What really surprises me is how different the mood of the candidates, the pundits and the American public is from 2008. The ‘American dream’ that the world fell in love with seems to have all but collapsed. However, the mudslinging isn’t just reserved for Obama, the Republican’s don’t have any qualms about attacking their fellow party members. This has led to not only a lack of a credible Republican candidate, but has left Republican party fractured, and short of a figure to rally around. Without this, I don’t see any chance of a Republican President come November.
GEORGE SANDEMAN
JAMES TITLEY
The Republicans are in trouble. There is no other way to put it. The Grand Old Party don’t have a candidate, and are set to lose what many commentators and pundits believe to be a thoroughly winnable election. Enthusiasm for longtime frontrunner Mitt Romney has as much buoyancy as a lead balloon and this is abundantly clear in his current inability to seal the nomination despite having superior finances, campaign infrastructure and no big names to run against. The GOP’s ‘Big Guns’ are sitting this fight out and only Obama benefits.
In a recent CBS interview Barrack Obama made a plea to the American electorate: “Don’t judge me against the almighty. Judge me against the alternative”. Come November the alternative for America will be Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum or Newt Gingrich. All three are anti-abortion, oppose same sex marriage and gays in the army, and wish to repeal universal healthcare. With only eight months left Obama is already ahead in the polls - suggesting that whatever his faults, Americans are prepared to give him a second chance over his rivals.
THE NEWS THAT MADE ME EMILY RAE
#4 -Size up my sausage This little piggy went to market, this little piggy stayed at home. This little piggy had roast beef, this little piggy had none. And this little piggy...got his own website and 800 Facebook fans. Not quite as catchy, I admit. However an unusual German website hit the news this week showcasing pictures of pigs that consumers can vote for slaughter. The pig with the most votes is then claimed the “winner”; although I’m not quite sure what they get apart from their modelling debut on the website. The consumers can then choose to purchase sausages and other meat produce from their hand-selected piggy. Despite sounding slightly whacky, Dennis Buchman, the creator of Meine Kleine Farm (My Little Farm) is no Big Bad Wolf. Buchman hopes it will force consumers to think of the face behind the meat and the website initiative is aimed at reducing meat consumption. So would it put you off your food if you had hand selected the animal you were eating? At least with the pigs on Meine Kleine Farm, you are promised they enjoy a happy life on a free-range farm near Berlin before entering the “lucky draw”. This article struck a chord with me because I have never once eaten red meat. I always find it a bit embarrassing admitting this as there is no passionate vegetarian stance or animal rights activist principle behind it. I have a sneaking suspicion that my ‘rents watched a scary “What Really Goes On In McDonalds Kitchens” type programme before having kids and although it was never forced upon me at home, it’s become a habit. Friends can never understand why I go along with this ridiculous ritual. I guess no matter how much I insist turkey rashers are a good post-night-out snack substitute for bacon; they will always think I’m a tad odd. I admit it is pretty limiting, especially at BBQs. Despite normally being scorned as a “Half Hearted Veggie” this is the one occasion where I am allowed in the exclusive VegHead-club, but where more often than not I get left with a bread roll. However now I’m cooking for myself, I’ve started to think about what I’m missing out on. Maybe it’s time I lost my meat virginity once and for all and embarked on a magnificent meat feast. When exploring the German website, I was astonished at not only how many different camera angles are apparently essential to showcase a pig, but also the amount of meat produce you can get from one animal. It got me thinking, do I lose my red meat virginity to a mere Chipolata or do I go the whole hog with Honey Roasted Gammon? Talking of hogs, I just can’t help but feel uneasy looking at the piggy poses, especially when the only difference from one happy piggy pic to the next is the rather blunt “Slaughtered”. Although his methods are unorthodox, I have to say I agree with Buchman’s meaty principles. By taking the time to showcase and describe the pigs, he is encouraging an “eat less meat, show more respect” way of thinking. I think for now I’ll stick to Percy Pigs. For now let’s ignore the fact they contain gelatine.
12.
Tuesday 6 March 2012
The Courier
Courier Dine With Me Four students. Four nights. But only one winner.
22 4th Megan White, third year Psychology
Gemma
As I was hosting the Saturday so I made sure there was plenty of alcohol involved with some sex on the beach cocktails! All the cooking I really know how to do is from watching my mum since I was little, so decided to cook what she does best. I made banoffee pie for dessert; I boiled a tin of condensed milk for 2 hours to make the toffee and poured this on a butter and biscuit base. To finish it off I topped it with sliced bananas and whipped double cream. For starter I cooked prawn pravencale, which sounds a lot more impressive in the name. I chopped tomatoes, onions and garlic and added to a pan with a glass of white wine and king prawns. I seasoned with mixed herbs, salt and pepper and served with hot bread rolls. For main I slowed roasted lamb steaks on a bed of rosemary and garlic and served with asparagus and potato dauphinoise, seasoned peeled and sliced potatoes cooked in double cream and milk.
Megan’s starter of prawns served with a crispy bread roll was delicious and probably my favourite during the week. The main course was well presented; I’d never tried asparagus before however I enjoyed trying it. The dauphinoise potatoes were seasoned well and complemented the rest of the meal. Megan’s banoffee pie was delicious. Despite stealing my idea for my evening’s entertainment, playing the post-it note game provided the evening with a lot of fun. Megan’s Sex on the beach cocktails were a nice addition to the meal.
7/10
Matthew
Megan served up a racy cocktail to get the social juices flowing. Sex on the beach. But having just run a marathon in under three hours (with virtually no training), I was simply ravenous and could think of nothing other than getting stuck into a hearty starter. Prawns. My heart sunk. The main course however was simply magnificent. The succulent lamb steaks had been roasted to perfection and they were complimented beautifully by the carefully steamed spears of asparagus and dauphinoise potatoes. Dessert was highly satisfactory.
8/10
Sally
Megan began her night in style with ‘Sex on the beach’ cocktails and wine, a recipe that I could definitely get on board with. The prawns provincial were absolutely gorgeous. Unfortunately the second course was lamb, which I really don’t like, but I tried my best and powered through a chop. The asparagus and dauphinoise potatoes were beautiful though. The banoffee pie was lovely, but I am not the biggest cream fan and there was loads of it. Megan put on some great entertainment and was a fantastic host, it was literally my own awkwardness that meant I didn’t appreciate Megan’s food enough.
3rd 23
Sally Priddle third year Combined Honours Matthew
Although the peppers themselves had been cooked to perfection, the couscous stuffing was somewhat damper than one may have wished for and rather uninspiring. Main course however was a rip roaring success. The complex layering of flavours simply had to be tasted to be believed! The delicate pink, moist salmon flesh caressed the palate and was complimented beautifully by the rich saltiness of the cream cheese topping. Dessert was decent.
Gemma
Sally’s starter of stuffed peppers was simple yet filled with a lot of flavours. The main was well presented, and I was very impressed considering that Sally said she’d never made it before as it was delicious. My favourite course had to be the chocolate caramel torte for dessert as it was really sweet and finished off the meal well. Sally was a brilliant host and her choice of entertainment of Articulate for the evening was a lot of fun.
8/10
8/10
7/10
Megan
Sally had the tough job of being the first host. Everyone was pretty nervous but she made us feel really welcome and once the wine was poured the conversation started to flow. All the food was really good and I was surprised how much I enjoyed the salmon not being a massive fish eater. Being a huge fan of chocolate, the pudding was amazing and I could have easily eaten it again and again. For entertainment we played Articulate. I was lucky to be on a team with Sally who had obviously played the game a fair few times before, however Gemma had a classic moment describing Winston Churchill as an ex-president of America!
7/10
8/10
As the first person to start the week I was absolutely petrified about what to cook, the standards, people’s tastes and whether we were going to have anything at all to talk about. I went for stuffed peppers with sundried tomatoes, couscous, courgette and mozzarella for starter as it was simple and I could prepare most of it before. For the main, I cooked salmon with garlic and herb philly and balsamic glaze. I was worried people weren’t going to like fish but everyone ate it all. My biggest issue was my pudding: it didn’t look like it was ever going to set as the recipe said ‘spoon in’ the mixture and I could do nothing but pour mine but luckily it ended up setting. I forced everyone into a game of Articulate which meant our knowledge weaknesses were humiliatingly illuminated but it was hilarious.
The Courier
.13
Tuesday 6 March 2012
2nd
24
Matthew Higgins, 4th year Medicine
Matches made in heaven
What to drink with what food
Megan
Matt was the only one of us to make his night themed, he picked French and we were all asked to dress accordingly. The dinner was all very French and the standard of cooking was high, I was really impressed that he’d made his own pastry too. I’d never tried onion soup or fennel before and was pleasantly surprised, the soup was really well seasoned and the lamb was cooked to perfection. For drinks Matt made us all Woo Woos which is always a winner with three ladies! Tres bien!
Having spent five months working as a professional caterer, my extensive experience allowed me to attempt a highly creative and challenging menu. The theme of the evening was French and the food was as elegant and sophisticated as one expects from “la Cuisine Française”. The entrée was French onion: a humble yet vibrant classic. Sweet caramelised onions submerged in a rich earthy broth with freshly sliced baguette topped with grilled gruyere cheese. Delightful. Naturellement, the main course was to be the real showcase of the evening. Pan fried lamb chops served on a bed of fennel and courgette with a delicate sauce vierge. Simply divine. For dessert I always like to offer a gentle palate cleanser. This evening it was to be une tarte au citron. Again, an opulent French classic done to absolute perfection!
Canapes with Kir Royal
Sally
8/10
Gemma
Matt’s theme was all good fun... until I had to walk back through Jesmond. I had never tried French onion soup before but it will be a starter that I will choose again. Continuing with the French theme, I really enjoyed the main course of lamb chops with sauce vierge served with fennel and courgette. The tarte au citron for desert was really nice and I was impressed that Matt had made the pastry himself and it had set well even though Matt was sure that it wasn’t going to. Playing consequences was another amusing choice of entertainment for the week.
8/10
1st
Dressed as a typical Frenchman, I had a mild panic attack when Matt didn’t answer the door for a while, thinking I had drawn a moustache on my face and just knocked at the wrong front door. Luckily Matt was hidden in the kitchen. The starter arrived, and unfortunately my least favourite thing in the world is onions, but I ate half of my bowl. We had lamb again for the main, and I did my best to eat as much as I could as I felt really bad for being so picky, but the sauce was gorgeous and all the sides were lovely. The tarte au citron to finish was beautiful, and the fact Matt had made the pastry himself impressed me. We had hilarious game of consequences and were highly entertained by Matt’s resident tagalong, it was a moustachalicious evening.
8/10
25
All Gemma’s food was beautifully presented, something I’m hopeless at, and for me the fish cakes were the best starter of the week. The cheesecake was delicious and her main equally as good. For her entertainment we all played charades; there was some very dodgy choice of actions including Matt imitating someone have a poo for ‘word sounds like ‘Who’’ in ‘Who Wants to be a Millionaire’. The night was very relaxed and everyone got on really well.
For my Come Dine with Me evening I made homemade fish cakes with a sweet chilli dressing and side garnish for the starter. It was the first time I’d made fish cakes however they didn’t fall apart when I was frying them and I think they turned out well. My main course was chicken wrapped in bacon with a creamy leek sauce served with roast potatoes and broccoli. I chose to make this main course as it is one of my favourite meals. To finish off the meal I made white chocolate and raspberry cheesecake. I chose to make this cheesecake for dessert as everyone seems to have enjoyed it when I’ve made it for occasions before. My secret ingredient is the white chocolate and vanilla essence in the topping of the cheesecake.
9/10
Matthew
After some pleasant conversation it was time for our first course and having just found out that my exam results were in the top 1% of my year for the 4th year running (medicine) I was naturally in the mood to celebrate with some fine dining. Fish cakes. My heart sunk. Main course was acceptable. Dessert however, was literally mind blowing: hands down my favourite dish of the whole week (excluding my own starter and main). A firm yet buttery, rich biscuit base that even a qualified chef could boast about. This was topped with a delicate soft cheese layer which was brought to life by subtle acidic nuances of raspberry which cut through the creaminess to produce the ultimate cheesecake. In all sincerity the best I have ever tasted in my entire life.
9/10
Seafood with Pinot Grigio Moving onto the starter. If you choose to go with a seafoodbased course, say something with prawns or scallops, then open a bottle of Pinot Grigio. This white wine sometimes gets a bad rep for being boring, but its light and crisp flavour is what makes it a great wine to pair with anything fishy. The other plus to Pinot Grigio is that buying a bottle wont break the bank. At Tesco, Pinot Grigio generally runs between £5 and £10.
Filet mignon with Pinot Noir
Gemma Turner third year English Literature
Megan
Canapés are a great way to get the evening started before the dinner is served, and a cocktail is the perfect accompaniment to any hors d’oeuvres. For example, if you opt for some goat’s cheese and caramelised onion stuffed pastry nibbles or baked honey brie with crackers, try making Kir Royal for your guests. This cocktail is champagne based with a splash of crème de cassis. Kir Royal is known as an aperitif, which means it is usually served before a meal to stimulate your appetite, making it perfect to pair with canapés.
Sally
I saw Gemma before her meal and she was really nervous, which was completely unwarranted as all her food was beautiful. We started with homemade fishcakes, a triumph on its own, they were the best fishcakes I have ever had. The main course of chicken in a cheese and leek sauce was lovely, although simple it was really tasty and the sauce was particularly good, that I actually asked for more. Gemma did my favourite dessert of the week as I absolutely love cheesecake and she won me over completely with her white chocolate and raspberry one (which she injured herself to make for us), it was so yummy and I could have happily eaten more. We played charades which just led to realisation that none of us should ever take up acting and Matt knows some socially unacceptable poses. Gemma’s food was so nice, and I particularly appreciated the effort she went to by stealing a table from across the road.
7/10
If you choose to cook red meat for your main course then red wine is the best match. A medium-rare filet mignon is hard to resist, and a glass of Pinot Noir will compliment it nicely. Hailing from the Burgundy region of France, this wine combines flavours of fruits and spices. For those who aren’t keen on red wine, Pinot Noir is generally a lighter red, compared to a heavier wine like a CabernetSauvignon. Like Pinot Grigio, Pinot Noir can be fairly inexpensive.
Curry with Kingfisher While wines are great for most meals, let’s not overlook beer’s ability to accompany dinner. Light beers go well with spicy foods, so if you’re making a curry then try the popular Indian beer, Kingfisher. This beer is usually recommended alongside rich, spicy food because of its light, crisp taste. Light beers are also less filling than darker beers, which make them a better match for heavier meals.
8
9
Chocolate with Muscat To finish off your dinner, try a Black Muscat wine with your dessert. Muscat is specifically known as a dessert wine because of its sweet flavour, and can go well with chocolatebased desserts. Pair it with a chocolate soufflé to polish off your last course. Alexandra Carr
14.lifestylesex&relationships
thecourieronline.co.uk/lifestyle c2.lifestyle@ncl.ac.uk
Top six... words for genitalia
1
Most likely to be spouted in Albert Square or by Guy Richie gangsters as they are kicked in the nads, this one is a strange incarnation. Skipping the idea of ‘value’, the idea of your genitals as an encrusted formation of rock isn’t the most appealing sentiment, especially one that is passed down throughout generations as a ‘family affair’. Yes, sharing the same genetics might have something to do with it, but please refrain from making me imagine an extended family tree of collective penis use.
2
A bit wordy this one; but a ‘pet’ name that, in 2008, coincidentally spawned several ridiculous film incarnations Bad Biology and One-Eyed Monster, presenting penises with a consciousness, going wild and causing mayhem. And as the euphemism suggests, that’s the way a lot of people like to view their appendage. A trusty concealed pet, hidden up the trouser sleeve and shown only to ‘special’ friends. Names for your trouser snake are optional. Although ‘Johnson’ is recommended.
3
Wizard’s sleeve
Originally called a Merlin’s sleeve, this whimsical moniker harks back to the time of King Arthur, a misogynist term wielded by the ‘lads’ of the round table. Although these days it ranges from the name of cocktails to mediocre hip–hop acts, its true meaning remains in describing a ‘well used vagina’ of poor repute. Even today wizards and warlocks keep their sleeves loose to perform magic effectively... you get the idea.
Axe-wound
4
Disgusting? Yes. Hilarious? Undoubtedly. As opposed to the aforementioned I don’t use this one on a day-to-day basis; I prefer to bust it out on special occasions in order to maximise its effectiveness. This euphemism stems from the resulting injuries of the kind implemented by Jack Nicholson in ‘The Shining, bringing an interesting Freudian edge to the film’s most famous scene. Here’s Johnny.
5
Pork sword
Engaging in a struggle to survive, procreate and become the alpha predator is still part of our evolutionary heritage, raising its ugly head especially in the fuelled haze of one too many trebles. From the Excaliburs to the Swiss army knives of the pork sword world everyone’s got one: and before you know it everyone’s grinding, groping and getting them out in a sort of modern day rapier duel. Case Study: Bigg Market.
Flesh cavern
6
Hello!! ... hello! ... hello ...
hello ...hello ... hello ...hello
The Courier
Got your number Scared to share your magic number with your friends at university? Don’t want to be judged for it being too high or too low? Emily Rae investigates who’s the cheeky chappy around campus
Family jewels
One-eyed trouser snake
Tuesday 6 March 2012
Chris Binding
T
his question prompts either a boastful answer or a bashful one. Or in one case, someone giving the number 25 under the assumption premise that we were wanting to know what their lucky number as opposed to their magic one. It turns out, there’s not really a way to broach the ‘So, how many people have you slept with?’ question particularly politely.
Although we had no qualms in giving an honest answer ourselves, going around campus asking strangers is a slightly different (excuse the pun) ball game. First, we confronted our preconceptions and speculated as to what the results would reveal. We were pretty certain that male students would reveal the highest numbers as they were (stereotypically) more likely to play the field than women. This is partly due to the age-old double standard that high levels of promiscuity somehow make a guy a “lad” or “player” and a girl simply a slut. Gosh, how dare we explore our sexuality, girls! Also, we thought that guys would probably
amend their figures because of this and girls would downplay their sexual experience. Although the results may confirm some preconceptions, the undertakings of the survey led to several surprises. For instance, we found that guys who had slept with between 2 and 5 girls would happily answer straightaway, whilst those with a higher or lower figure thought more carefully before answering. Interestingly, on the whole, girls were far more cautious in giving their answer instantly and often asked what kind of responses had been given so far, as if we, as strangers, would judge their number. Whatever the number, whatever the story - it’s irrelevant, as long as you enjoy it and stay safe.
The Courier
Tuesday 6 March 2012
sex&relationshipslifestyle.15
Lifestyle Editors: Ben Parkin, Emma Balter, and Lauren Stafford Online Editor: Lauren Cordell
Blind Date
Alex Robinson, 3rd year Medicinal Chemistry, meets Jack MacKenzie, 3rd year History Alex on Jack
Jack on Alex
First impressions? Jack looked fairly petrified as I opened the door. Matters were probably made worse when I made him come in to meet my eager housemates, who had positioned themselves directly in front of the door for the unveiling moment. Despite this, by the time we left the house he was at ease and the conversation was flowing.
First impressions? I was a little bit nervous after some ‘encouraging’ words from my mates but once I’d met Alex I knew there was no need to be. She looked really good and greeted me with a friendly hug. As soon as we got chatting I quickly realised how lovely a person she is and that there was a good chance the date wouldn’t be a disaster!
What do you think of the choice of date venue/activity? It was well and truly a classic date - drinks in Osbornes, dinner at Scalini’s and then heading to the cinema to see The Muppets. Although it was Jacks’ film suggestion, I was quite pleased with the choice, due to it being a childhood favourite of mine. Jack was a gentleman and paid for everything and had even been organised enough to plan ahead and pick up the cinema tickets. However, we still had to rush through dinner, so as not to be late for the cinema, I was absolutely gutted there was no time for dessert! Though it probably saved me breaking my Lent of no chocolate.
What do you think of the choice of date venue/activity? We arranged to go to Osborne Road for a drink before getting something to eat and then going to see The Muppets at the cinema. I was a little bit worried that it wasn’t the most exciting choice but Alex seemed happy with it and said she wanted to see it anyway as she used to like the Muppets as a kid. After a really nice chat and a drink we went to Scalini’s for our meal, which was lovely. I think we both really enjoyed the film as well, which was a relief!
Any striking conversation topics? Unusually, we got onto the topic of who had been hospitalised with the most serious illness. My broken wrist and fever definitely lost out to Jack’s week-long stay with pneumonia. But apart from that, conversation ranged from our upbringings to dissertations and drunken holidays. There wasn’t an awkward silence or gap in conversation. Any awkward moments? Naturally there were a few awkward moments, for example when Jack brought up how he’d been to see Star Wars in 3D at the cinema on Wednesday. Not being a Star Wars fan in the slightest, I swiftly had to change the topic to something I knew a little more about! My geographical knowledge was also put to shame when Jack told me he wanted to visit Seattle and I replied with how much I wanted to visit Canada too - I’m going to put that down to a few too many G and T’s though! Thankfully, apart from the odd glitch, the date was free of any majorly awkward moments. If you were to get married and have babies, what would you want your baby to inherit from your date? I would want them to inherit his kindness and his height would be quite useful, due to me being vertically challenged. Did you open the ex-file? No, the ex-file was left well alone. At any point did you understand why they were single? I think Jack’s a great guy, maybe a little shy but he’s probably just not met the right girl yet! Were you tempted to lean in for a kiss? Unfortunately no, Jack’s a lovely guy but for me there wasn’t any chemistry. If you were to take them home do you think your parents would approve? I think my parents would definitely warm to Jack, though would probably be surprised as he’s not the usual type of person I go for. Marks out of 10? Although there was no spark I had a really super evening, Jack’s good company and I would give the date an 8/10.
Any striking conversation topics? Not sure about striking but we had a really nice chat and I thought we got on quite well. We seemed to have a few things in common and Alex was really easy to talk to. I did get a bit excited that her friend knew Peter Beardsley, who’s one of my favourite footballers ever, and we swapped a few embarrassing stories from nights out and holidays. We also had a bit of a competition over who’d had the best serious illness, which was unique! Any awkward moments? Not really, Alex was really friendly and chatty so there were no awkward silences. I nearly choked during the meal, which wasn’t great, but it didn’t seem to bother Alex and her reaction made sure it wasn’t too embarrassing for me. If you were to get married and have babies, what would you want your baby to inherit from your date? Definitely how lucky Alex is. From her stories of winning raffles and Grand National bets she seems to win everything! Hopefully they’d inherit her good looks, lovely smile and great personality as well. Did you open the ex-file? No, not at all. At any point did you understand why they were single? No, I’m not sure why Alex is single really. She’s really pretty and is a lovely and interesting person so I’ve got no idea how she’s single. Were you tempted to lean in for a kiss? I didn’t want to do anything that might have made things awkward so I thought it best to play it safe! If you were to take them home do you think your parents would approve? Yes, I’m sure they would. I don’t think they could find a reason not to, really. Marks out of 10? I’d give the date 8/10. Alex was lovely, I had a good time and I hope we’ll keep in contact as we seemed to get on well. I definitely want her tip for the Grand National as well!
Tashin’ on in the Toon Victoria Mole
From personal experience, or from watching every sitcom on E4, we’re all too aware that people don’t always mean everything they say. That’s not to suggest that people are always lying intentionally, but it’s easy to make a claim and not follow through. “Baby, if it’s between Fifa or you, it’s always you” comes from the sweetest, purest part of the male heart that, although they know that’s about as likely as you also revealing that you’re insanely attracted to your sister, is well-intentioned and they’re hoping to keep a smile on your face. Some lies are easy to spot: “I wasn’t really drunk as such, just felt particularly musical last night…” But, when you’re not totally sure whether someone’s asking you innocently to “hold it right there” or to hold it right there, actions speak louder and clearer than any amount of words. The science of body language is a bit of a taboo. There’s definitely truth in it; however, if you’ve been keeping up to date with New Girl on Channel 4, Zooey Deschanel’s feet-pointing dance was something rather spectacular and is an example of when supposed body language cues of attraction can be misleading (we are all predicting a romance with the other character involved in the dalliance, though that’s beside the point). It’s said that you point your feet towards someone when you’re attracted to them, and this is true to some extent. When you like someone, you’re more likely to turn your body to face them as a way of getting closer; if you’re speaking to someone and they turn away from you, that’s a display of disinterest on their part. Decoding body language can be useful in determining whether to make a move or not; however, note that not every person that points their feet towards you wants to chain you to a bed post, and if someone you fancy doesn’t do this, well, you shouldn’t be looking at their feet anyway. When you look at something that disgusts you, your face instantly has a Donald Duck moment. You do the opposite of this when you see something that you like, which is raise your eyebrows (explaining why everyone walking around Cadbury World looks like they’re in a permanent state of shock). If someone greets you with this expression, unless you’re flashing a pair of Bridget Jones-esque knickers, the likelihood is you’re sexy and they know it. When someone wants to look good for you, they’ll also preen themselves with little gestures that they believe will make them more attractive, such as adjusting their hair (though be careful, excessive preening can look like you have an unfortunate tic). Men will often go all caveman in the presence of a woman they’re attracted to. They’ll stand tall, puff out their chests and walk as though they have a stick stuck up somewhere uncomfortable: pulling success for centuries. Women have a tendency to pout to appear more feminine, which, if the theory that we mirror the actions of those we’re attracted to is anything to go by, means that courtship is taking a strange turn. Being aware of body language is useful but it can have you seeing what you want to see. At the end of the day, when getting to know someone you like, it’s important to listen to what they have to say, that is, unless they’re someone who says ‘hash tag’ out loud…
16.lifestyle
Tuesday 6 March 2012
The Courier
thecourieronline.co.uk/lifestyle c2.lifestyle@ncl.ac.uk
Shorthand
Feminist Society
Hold the fort whilst I burn my bra. That’s classic misconception number one. Honest? Perfectly: the society is at least as (if not more) open-minded and welcoming than any other. People are encouraged to go along to discussions or socials, whether they are that way ideologically-inclined or not. So what would an interested but noncommittal student encounter…? Mainly open-ended discussion about topical issues in women’s rights. Sex, the sexualisation of women in culture and women’s appearance are particularly prominent. That doesn’t mean, however, that guys aren’t welcome. Sounds a bit intimidating for your average bloke though… Not at all - the society, which already has male members, is trying to get more men involved - it’s not about separation of the sexes; equality’s the aim, ‘and to defend women’s rights on the campus and beyond.’ Defend? Violence? Really? The society is about liberation, not violence - ‘about identifying with others who feel the same way’, especially in terms of appearance - women feeling comfortable in themselves, and not pressured to conform to a stereotype. A stereotype? Never… Clearly you haven’t watched Take Me Out or any other dating programme for a while… That was sarcasm. Lost on some, evidently. Evidently. More importantly, SPEAK, a collection of sexual experiences compiled from anonymous contributions from people in Newcastle will go live in March, in collaboration with NUSU. The compilation will be sold on July 7 at the Cluny event, or at a stall on campus the following week. Really? It all sounds a bit risqué … And you sound like my grandmother, frankly. It’s anonymous, as stated, and last year’s was a big success. ‘We hope it promotes an open and honest dialogue about sex.’ It certainly promises to be an interesting and, hopefully, inspiring occasion; if nothing else it is a unique event ‘crammed with all your weird, wonderful, beautiful, sad, inspiring stories.’ Anything else? The society meets at least once a week and, apart from discussions, often organises a night out in the pub, but no raves per se. Two upcoming events also include International Women’s Day Eve on March 7, and a collaboration the following day with Newcastle Women’s Collective, with more music, spoken word, film and photography, ‘all from women in order to celebrate the existence and diversity of women performers.’ Sign me up! To join go to the facebook page or email feministsociety@ncl.ac.uk.
Nonie Heal
Seth from Su perbad “All mouth and no trousers” Somebody that only gives oral sex “Bloke” Choking whilst giving somebody a blow-job “All to pot” A call for everybody to start smoking cannabis “Pissing around” A guy that attempts to urinate whilst windmilling his penis “Agony aunt” A dominatrix that can be called on for sexual punishment “Arse over tit” A guy that prefers butts to breasts “Butty” Somebody that regularly moons in public “Cock-up” A guy that gets easily turned-on “Backie” Taking a chick from behind “Tit for tat” A girl who shows a guy their breasts to see his penis
British Slang as interpreted by... Paris Hilton
The Queen
“Bagsy” Somebody that has really dark circles under their eyes “Totty” A cute toddler “Kip” Somebody with kissable lips “Bricking-it” What a builder does
“Chavvy” Somebody that is cheese savvy “Grub” An Australian larva “Barf ” When somebody laughs loudly “Bugger” Somebody with an interest in insects “Batting for the other team” Somebody that plays cricket for Australia
“Chap” A cheesy wrap “Shit-faced” a new beauty treatment
“Plastered” Somebody covered in bandages
“Dishy” somebody that fits satellite dishes
“Rug muncher” Moths that infest the house when the domestic staff don’t clean properly
“Slag” A slow-motion slap
“Jammy” A cake filled full with a large amount of jam
“Snog” A sneaky frog “Chuffed to bits” Someone chopped up into little pieces “Bog roll” Rolling around in the mud
Illustrations: Daisy Billowes
“Minging” A male singing “Pikey” An expert fisherman, most likely to catch a pike “Knuckle sandwich” A snack eaten with afternoon tea
Lauren Cordell
You’ve got problems!
Moderately attractive but still single, embarrassed by your metrosexual male friend , perturbed by your peculiarly shaped penis ... oh dear! Luckily Uncle Monty’s here to help... I am getting really frustrated with my love life. I have been single for three whole years now, with barely a blip of interest on my radar. I consider myself to be a moderately attractive girl and a pretty decent person, so why the drought? I just don’t understand how it is possible for me to have stayed single for my whole time at uni! And it’s not like I have been sleeping around either - my love life just seems to be literally dead. Help! I think I can probably understand why – you’re a needy, moaning, bedwetting crybaby. If I can tell that from this short missive, imagine how many character flaws would become apparent after spending time in your actual company. The
answer is, of course, somewhere in the region of 30 to 40. If you tone down the self-pity, then maybe – MAYBE – I’ll let you take me out. I was quite the eligible bachelor back in the day, though that was when I couldn’t count how many teeth I had on one hand. Our mate dyes his hair blonde, waxes his chest and wears what he describes as ‘fashionable’ clothing. He thinks he looks cool and is really manly, but we feel kind of embarrassed to be out with him on nights out. How do we tell him he is trying too hard and to tone it down a bit without hurting his feelings and damaging our friendships with him? I had a similar problem with an old roommate of mine at Cambridge, name of Liam. Our mutual friends decided that the best way to go about changing him was to crush his sense of self-worth and individualism through the time-honoured male-bonding technique of ritualistic bullying. After three months of taunting, stealing his belongings, ignoring him and referring to him only as ‘Haircut’, his selfesteem was low enough for him to accept our demand that he shave his hair off in exchange for basic social contact. Now, 23
years later, he’s a fat mess and lives under the sheet of corrugated iron opposite my shed, bellowing profanities at children who rattle his wacky shack with sticks and pebbles. Still, better to be like that than a preening turd. Uncle Monty, help! My penis is bent. It bends all the way to the left and hurts when I masturbate. This is really annoying and ruins my sex life. I’ve only ever shown it to two people. One said it was okay and the other just laughed at me. This really ruined my confidence in the bedroom. One thing I would suggest is attaching your penis to a splint, much as one might train one’s begonias to climb a trellis. Alternatively, have you considered that your penis is going the right way, and that your body is at the wrong angle? Sorry if that sounds a bit poncey, I found an anthology of existentialist philosophy quotations in Leazes Park under Crackers Alan’s collection of issues of Horny Housewives. I’ve been meaning to have a word with Alan about that actually – it’s incredibly irresponsible behaviour to leave such filth lying about near a playground. The kids might read the magazines, too.
The Courier
lifestyle.17
Tuesday 6 March 2012
Lifestyle Editors: Ben Parkin, Emma Balter and Lauren Stafford Online Editor: Lauren Cordell
#4 Meal Deals, Mimo Burgers and Bargains!
Penny Pincher
Rosie Jenkenson
What’s Hot
Food glorious food. We can’t live without it, yet the cost of it can stack up pretty quickly. I think the worst place we splash our cash where we could actually save is with lunches. Yes, I know walking around with your little Prêt A Manger brown paper bag makes you feel like you are scoring extra chic points, but these little splurges every day can take their toll. Spend between £3-£5 a day on lunches and snacks and that could cost you between £180-£300 this semester alone! Here are my tips on how to make those pennies stretch at lunchtime. The truth is, Boots don’t do the cheapest meal deals (£3.29 currently). Greggs’ meal deal is £2.99, M&S have one for £2.95 and Tesco’s is £2.50. And they all have quite a good choice. So if you can’t curb your meal-deal spending immediately, make sure you don’t just always head straight to Boots to get it! Make lunch to take with you. Selected Lloyd Grossman delicious pasta sauces have been reduced to just £1 in Tesco and Asda. Cook up some pasta and just
Restaurant Review Bob Trollop
mix a jar of this in with it. It will make at least two portions so that’s your next two lunches set! Instead of buying individual snacks to keep you going throughout the day, save money and buy in bulk! You might think it’s expensive to fork out £2-£3 for a pack of multigrain cereal bars at the supermarket, but it will work out much cheaper in the long run. Plus, it’ll help you resist the temptation to indulge in that extra bag of crisps. Because it’s Lent, the supermarkets are cramming loads of special offers on their chocolate to try and tempt us - and it’s working! Buy a 350g Cadbury Roses box for only £2 at Morrisons (RRP £4). Bargain!
32-40 Sandhill, Quayside, Newcastle upon Tyne. NE1 1UN Tel : 0191 2611037
From its exterior, Bob Trollop looks like a rustic, traditional pub. This theme carries on throughout, with the dark wooden beams and intriguing black and white framed photographs creating a warm and relaxed ambiance. On entrance, we were immediately welcomed, led to a quaint seating area and offered drinks. Bob Trollop is a 100% vegetarian eatery and resides beside Red House, which serves traditional, nonvegetarian food. The two are adjoined by a quirky passageway and we were offered
Get 50% off ALL burgers at MiMo bar (next to Revolution!). It’s a student-only offer so take your smartcard! 1 voucher per person, available on www.eatsleep.co.uk to use when dining before 7.30pm. Valid until March 8. All Tresemme shampoos and conditioners are better than half price at Tesco! Buy 900ml bottles for £2 each to have silky, smooth hair (RRP £4.49). Valid until March 13. Pizza Express have 25% off their food Sunday-Friday with a voucher that is easily printable from their website. Valid until March 11, but doesn’t apply to takeaways from Jesmond unfortunately! Argos are selling a George Foreman Seven Portion Entertaining Grill (RRP £79.99) for £39.99! Cook everything on this from your fish fingers to huge chicken breasts. So handy, and much healthier than frying! Split the cost and buy one for the house, it’s big enough to fit everyone’s portion on it!
both menus. At first glance, we were pleasantly surprised by the extremely reasonable prices, particularly considering the brilliant location right next to the Quayside (around £6 for the most expensive main). Also there is a generous 15% NUS discount available, so it’s perfect for a budget bite. For starters we opted for two dishes from the ‘light bites’ section of the menu, which despite the cheap prices, offered some rather delectable ingredients. Both the goat’s cheese bruchetta with mixed leaf salad (£3.95) and tomato mozzarella and pesto ciabatta with potato crisps and salad (£3.50) were served promptly and the portion size was impressive. It was certainly enough for a lunch meal! Despite being a meat eater, I had no qualms ordering from the tempting vegetarian menu and opted for the five bean vegetarian chilli (£4.50) accompanied by rice and bread. My dining partner ordered beer battered haddock with chips and peas (£5.95) and was assured the fish was MSC certified – a comforting note for the pescetarians out there. The taste of these
Food to
dishes did not falter and I was particularly impressed by the hand cut chips as, regardless of the danger of slipping further and further into a carb-coma, I could not resist eating all of them! We thought it only fair to sample from every part of the menu and proceeded to order pudding. We went for the chocolate brownie with ice cream and sticky toffee pudding with butterscotch sauce. They were a steal at £2.50 each. The presentation of the brownie was impeccable, even topped with a chocolate shard (something I have only seen before on MasterChef!) and a strawberry. The following five minutes consisted of orgasmic noises from both sides of the table, a sure sign of appreciation. Vegetarians and meat eaters alike should make haste to Bob Trollop. This unpretentious pub will leave you contented both in stomach and bank balance. I will certainly be heading back soon! Clare Vaughan
Rosemary Focaccia
put in your packed lunch Running out of money rapidly? Bored of the library cafe rolls? Too lazy to make it into town? Why not get creative with your packed lunch... And save a little dough! So we all know, as students, how poor students are. With debts looming over our futures and overdrafts calling, you know grabbing lunch in town every day is a sure way to unnecessarily increase those debts. London South Bank University recommends students budget £20-25 per week to cover lunch costs if not taking a packed lunch. This is a huge chunk of your student loan. You could opt for skipping lunch, but if you have a busy schedule this is going to leave you pretty hungry and probably grumpy too. Scrounging off others is quite likely to leave you friendless.
Get them before they’re gone!
Ingredients: 500g self raising flour 300ml warm water 15g dried yeast 50ml olive oil 10g sugar 6g salt ½ tbsp dried rosemary
With a little effort you can more than halve this cost by taking food in with you. And why not have fun with it! Everyone loves a good cook, so get practising. For a tasty snack or a whole sandwich, try this recipe for some delicious Rosemary Focaccia! Hannah Friend
1. Make up the yeast and water combination according to the yeast packet instructions. 2. Mix the flour with the salt, rosemary and olive oil. Add the water-yeast combo gradually until you have a very sticky dough. 3. Knead the dough and then wrap in cling film rubbed with a bit of olive oil. Put it in a warm place until it starts to expand. 4. Knead again and flatten out onto a baking tray. Sprinkle with salt and rosemary and bake for around 15 minutes at 200˚C. 5. When it’s cooked, leave to ‘stand’ with a tea towel over for a few minutes - this makes the top nice and soft. For a caramelised onion topping, sauté sliced onions until soft. Then add a little sugar and turn up the heat until they are slightly crisp.
Spring is almost here! The absence of a real winter this year has definitely turned into an advantage for Newcastle students. You can enjoy a spring walk with your friends around the city or organise a picnic with some snacks and maybe some guitar music in the park. Live mannequins Bank on Northumberland St has started displaying live mannequins. This is definitely a creative and unique approach to Saturday shopping Have your say! Student elections are coming up. Each year, six full-time sabbatical officers and 19 part-time officers are elected by the student body. Make sure you vote. Waking up at 9am The worst thing about 9am lectures and seminars is that you can be late even when you set your alarm for 6am. Coming into university in your PJs is definitely not a good look. Orange Fights If you are so stressed that you want to throw things at someone, like oranges, Ivrea is a perfect place to visit. Every year the Italian town organizes a fight for three days. However, there is no guarantee that you won’t get a bruise or a broken nose. Snoods A horrible mix of scarf and hood, snoods are the strangest clothing invention to date. They’re unflattering and altogether odd.
What’s Not Thuy Anh Phan Illustrations: Daisy Billowes
18. health&beauty beauty
Tuesday 6 March 2012
Beauty and The Geek
Lip Balm Dry lips happen to everyone, and a cracked, chapped pout isn’t something a girl wants to kiss. If you aren’t prepared to slather your lips every day, at least take a pot when you go to a festival or on holiday: it’s a suitcase staple. Plus, with most having sp15, at least one part of you won’t be lobster red. Tom’s Thoughts: “It smelt and tasted really weird. I can see the benefits, and always take one for festivals, but it made my lips really slippy! The flavour tasted really odd too; kind of like really old, slightly off chocolate.” Would he repurchase?: “No, greasy lips is not a good feeling!”
Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula Lip Balm, £1.83
Hair Gel Hair gel is a good choice for those nervous about taking the plunge into male grooming. Everyone will have had either good or bad experiences with hair gel in their teens, from attemptng and failing at a mohawk to the spikes you had when you thought you were an emo.
Garnier Fructis Surf Hair Texturising Gum, £3.05
Tom’s Thoughts: “The smell was alright, not great though. It was really sticky on my hands but felt fine in my hair, however it made my hair look really damp and had pretty weak hold. The fauxhawk I styled only lasted about five minutes!”
Meet Tom. His version of grooming is brushing his teeth and looking in the mirror before he leaves. Beauty’s mission: to convert this vanity virgin into a grooming god. Or at least something in between.
Would he repurchase?: “I’m not adversed to the concept of hair gel, but I probably wouldn’t fork over the money for this one.”
Face Wash
A good face scrub or wash is something every man should invest in, even though many don’t even know what they are or how they work. Tom, for example, afte reading “Do not rub in eyes” proceeded to practically massage the scrub into his retina’s, then complain in confusion when it burned. Face washes clean your face, gets rid of all the dirt and generally improves your complextion. A must for anyone with skin complaints! Tom’s thoughts: thoughts “It felt tingly and nice when I first put it on, although it burnt a bit; I was told this was a good thing. Since when is burning good?! The more I use it thought the less it burnt, which is always a good point in my book. After a week my skin definitely looked a bit clearer, and felt cleaner.” Would he repurchase? Probably not; my skin is pretty good as it is, so I don’t feel I need to. Neutrogena Visibly Clear Spot Stress Control Daily Scrub, £3
Hair removal
Editor’s Explanation: Whilst predominantely a grooming technique used by women, more and more men are turning to hair removal. From waxing their chests to plucking their eyebrows, men are embracing the urge to purge. The sadistic part of me decided to choose this, as the opportunity to wax a man was too delightful to pass up. Tom’s Thoughts: “She clearly enjoyed this too much. Waxing my chest was extremely painful, I looked like a plucked chicken and I missed my hair once it had gone..” Would he repurchase?: “Definately not. Lots of pain, no gain.”
Moisturiser
Especially for those winter months and for those with dry skin, moisturizer is an essentual that is often over looked. Chapped, dry, flakey skin is never a good look, and moisturizing daily can do wonders for your face, as well as body. With so many moisturizers aimed directly at men, there is no excuse not to look after your face!
Is he converted?
Tom’s Thoughts: “It smelt weird and made my skin feel oily. However, once I’d gotten over my initial shock, it did make my skin feel clearer.” When asking Tom what skin type he was, I received a rather bemused look, and telling him to ‘feel his face and see if it’s oily’ wasn’t well received either. The moisturizer he used wasn’t for his skin type, so the oily feel was understandable. Once he tried a moisturizer specifically for his skin type, he admitted he felt much more of an improvement. Would he repurchase?: “The second one I tried, probably. Definately gave my face the TLC I didn’t know it needed.”
The Courier
rosanna.sopp@ncl.ac.uk rosanna.sopp@ncl.ac.uk health&beauty editor: Rosanna Sopp
Botanics Men’s Normal/Dry Intensive Moisturiser, £5.99
Admittedly, this wasn’t the most successful mission. My opinion is probably tainted because my chest still burns from the rather violent waxing session, but most of the products I tried I wouldn’t use again. I’d definitely dabble in face care again though, because my face reached a new level of good tingly that I hadn’t felt before. I’m not adverse to the idea of male grooming though, and this experiment has made me more open to trying new things. Never letting a girl with a wax strip near me again though.
Veet Short Hair Ready To Use Wax Strips, £11.99
20.fashion
thecourieronline.co.uk/fashion c2.fashion@ncl.ac.uk
Tuesday 6 March 2012
The Courier
what’sinyourbag? your yourbag?
Hannah Walsh
Alice McLinden Second Year Business Management
What did you buy? Polo tee Where is it from? Burton
What did you buy? Tweed blazer
Miles Freeman
Where is it from? All Saints
#5 The urban gentry from pasture to pavement
How much did it cost? £79 (reduced from £197)
For a long time there has been a cold reception from city dwellers towards what they deem the welly-wearing country folk. Folk who, apparently, know nothing about the hustle and bustle of the metropolis. When it comes to attire, it used to be easy to distinguish your home postcode by whether your staple piece on a rainy day was a battered Barbour or a Harrington Jacket. However, in recent times, we have seen these fashion opposites merge into a single collective that embraces the styles adorned by both groups. The first sign of this symbiosis became apparent when the quilted Barbour and wax jacket grew exponentially in popularity and acquired distinctive esteem amongst the streetwear elite. Now we see the quilted jacket being replicated in high street stores, influencing the design of many niche outerwear companies. Once upon a time, the utility quilted jacket obtained its character with year-old stains, tears at every workable joint and pockets full of empty cartridges. Now, you’ll see it strutted down Northumberland Street in pristine condition, worn over a nondescript hoodie with a pair of trackies and grubby trainers. This amalgamation of fashion trends doesn’t stop there. Hunter Boots Ltd, one of the most famous Wellington boot brands, has grown into an internationally-acclaimed company. A staple item on the summer festival scene, you can now see a pristine box-fresh pink pair powering down the street even when rain hasn’t been sighted for weeks and the closest thing to mud is last night’s donner kebab on the floor. Capitalising on this popularity, Hunter is now, unfortunately, catering for its new market with some ‘interesting’ adaptations to the traditional boot. With new editions featuring buckles and lace-up loops from top to bottom, I worry that the brand is losing its flawless heritage. I must apologise in advance to the poor person who chooses Hunters in gold or pink, as my lunch may inadvertently make a re-appearance all over their feet. In terms of menswear, we’ve seen the classic walking boot influence style, with new editions of footwear taking clear inspiration from the outdoors staple. Whilst the designs are a push in an exciting direction for street-wear, for me there is an underlying complex that prevents me from buying them. As a child I was bought a pair of walking boots and refused point blank to wear them, simply out of childhood rebellion. Now this has come back to bite me. When I see the latest Native Fitzsimmons being repped around the UK, I want to like them, but an inner gremlin just says I can’t. It is clear there is now a stronger sartorial relationship between our urban and countrydwelling demographics than ever before. Whilst we have seen the country influence on urban wear, I cannot see there being as strong a reverse relationship. Tweed has been used as an accent material on jackets, shoes and sweaters and the rural utility jackets have inspired much of our streetwear, but I will be intrigued to see if it extends much further. I will be severely annoyed, however, if there comes a day that Nike release a limited capsule collection of the Air Max Wellington 90, as then I will have to remove my bid for that flying pig on eBay.
How much did it cost? £18 (with an NUS) Why did you choose this? “I very rarely wear polo tops and it’s perfect to take you from a day to night look without needing to get changed.”
Why did you choose this? “I tend to steer clear of All Saints, but I absolutely love the blazer. You’d never guess where it was from!”
Fashionista’s Verdict? “You can never be too far ahead of your time! Burnt reds and olive greens are going to be huge for Autumn/Winter so this contrasting burgundy collar is going to ‘spring’ Ben right into next season.”
Fashionista’s Verdict? “With the classic fit, the blazer is the perfect preppy addition to any spring wardrobe. For a pure English rose look, throw it over a floral tea dress and team with a pair of pastel brogues.”
On trend
Ben Hales
Second Year Business Management Amanda Old picks the prettiest prints of spring/summer 2012
Fanciful florals
Topshop, £36
Topshop, £55
Miss Selfridge, £35
Zara, £40
The Courier
stylingfashion.21
Tuesday 6 March 2012
Fashion Editor: Victoria Mole Online Fashion Editor: Rosanna Sopp
Valentine’s Ball
Love, laughter and live fashion
Rosanna Sopp and Lauren Cordell bring you the highlights from the fashionfabulous annual black tie affair at the Newcastle Falcons Rugby Ground
The Valentine’s Ball combines the best of two worlds: a high fashion experience to rival London Fashion Week, and a chance to raise money for an extremely worthwhile charity. Fundraising for the Robbie Anderson Cancer Trust, the ball was a glamorous, elegant and luxurious event that wasn’t to be missed. The guests themselves were almost as fashionable as the models, with every guy decked in a tux and every girl wearing her prettiest dress - even the organisers from Stage One Events, who had worked tirelessly for months to create the event, looked like they belonged on the catwalk. Overall, just being in that opulently decorated room was a fashion journalist’s dream. The atmosphere changed palpably when the models began to grace the runway to some of this year’s biggest songs, their routines obviously carefully choreographed. With clothes donated from shops including Topshop and Miss Selfridge, it was obvious they were going to be extremely fashionable and current, and the avid audience was not disappointed. Sports luxe, vibrant jeans, metallics and pastel colours draped each of the models’ bodies - bodies, in fact, of every size and shape, proving that you can model whatever your size and look great doing so. The clothes could tickle anyone’s fashion taste buds; there were glamorous evening dresses, the perfect outfit for a first date, jeans and a t-shirt, and everything in between. Their hair was coiffed in perfectlystyled bows (think Lady Gaga circa 2009; it’s taken some time, but it’s finally being absorbed into the high street like fashion osmosis). The make-up included bold, silver eyes; something I was particularly pleased about, having sported the same look that day (although I dare say they carried it off better). The male models were equally fashionable, with looks ranging from hipster to dapper. The men looked particularly delighted to be parading down the catwalk, but that could have been to do with the wolf whistles emanating from every corner of the room. Fur seemed to be a popular choice for the guys with an impressive variety - from hats, to bags, to stoles so it would seem women’s fascination with fur is rubbing off in a big way. This year the event was on February 25 and tickets were priced at £35 for students; this included a three-course meal, champagne reception, a photobooth and live music. If you haven’t been so far, it is well worth attending in future as part of the student experience.
Model Interview Rosie Leatherland, Second Year, English Language (top-middle in the pink dress)
How did you get involved in modelling for this event? I heard about the event around campus last year when I was a fresher and, with the Teenage Cancer Trust being so close to my heart, and having never done anything like it before, I thought why not give it a go. We attended a day of auditions and then were invited back in the afternoon for rehearsals. With the event being so successful last year they planned it for the second time and it once again blew people away!
How did you find the experience? It’s hard to describe the adrenaline I felt on that catwalk- a combination of keeping myself upright, avoiding falling over, showing the best of the clothes, the hair, the make up, and remembering what I’m doing all at the same time! It’s such an incredible rush and everyone was going wild every time we were on the catwalk (especially the guys’ underwear walk which I think was probably the winner)!
What do you think of the concept? It’s a brilliant concept simply because it’s such a fun, glamorous and exciting way of raising thousands of pounds for people our age who are battling cancer and need every bit of help to just keep going. Making it into a ball enabled the fashion show to be a small part of a huge event which was thoroughly enjoyed by 500 guests. Getting a group of students together from different year groups and courses who are all up for having a laugh on the catwalk, and all for an amazing charity - win win!
22.listings6th-11thMarch
Tuesday 6 March 2012
The Courier
thecourieronline.co.uk/listings c2.editor@ncl.ac.uk
Wednesday
Thursday
Global Issues book club
Chinese State Circus
Smoove and Turrell
We are a group of people who are interested in educating ourselves and discussing global issues, as well as just sharing our thoughts on some good books. This month we are discussing “The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down” by Anne Fadiman. Absolutely anyone is welcome to come, our discussions are very informal and relaxed. To get involved at any time please come along or email: globalissuesbookclub@ gmail.com.
To say the Chinese State Circus is merely a show is to grossly underestimate it; it is the embodiment of a traditional art form which can trace its history back over 2000 years. The result is the purest, honest, most abiding and exhilarating circus that is a true privilege to see. www.millvolvotynetheatre.co.uk
Tuesday Tuesday 6th March, 6pm City Library Cafe
10pm WHQ
7.30pm Journal Tyne Theatre
Since the launch of their debut album Antique Soul in 2009 things have started accelerating very fast for the Geordie duo Smoove & Turrell. Singles I Can’t Give You Up, You Don’t Know and Beggarman scored two Records of the Week on Radio 2 and a playlist on 6 Music between them. £7.50 advance, tickets available from Beatdown and RPM Records.
This is what feminism looks like
Enlisting Dumbledore’s Army: children’s stories and human rights
5.30pm History Room, Students’ Union
5.30-6.30pm Curtis Auditorium, Herschel Building
Where do human rights come from; are they passing figments of the imagination or something more real and enduring; what makes us value human rights across the globe, from one generation to the next? In her 2012 Fickling Lecture, Shami Chakrabarti, Director of Liberty, will draw on some favourite children’s stories to illustrate how they can be as much a force for human rights and freedoms as political speeches and legal doctrine. Free admission, no booking required. www.ncl.ac.uk/events
Itchy Feet
10pm World Headquarters
It’s the iconic WHQ night bursting with Jump Blues, Rock n’ Roll, Soul, Swing, Reggae and Ska. It can’t be missed! So grab your (flat) dancing shoes, buy your ticket and tell all your friends! See you there! www.welovewhq.com
International Women’s Day 7.30pm Venue, Students’ Union
There will be a free film showing of ‘Made in Dagenham’ with free refreshments. Also be on display will be the posters from the History Society’s poster campaign ‘Unsung Heroines of Gender Equality’, with a short discussion about these inspirational women and any other contributions from the audience.
Discover Islam Week 5 - 9 March Journal Tyne Theatre
Nowadays, it’s so easy to get a distorted picture of Islam, with some parts of the media always keen to propagate the hysteria that sells newspapers. The annual DIW is here to give you an opportunity to find out about the reality of the fastest growing religion in the world. Here’s your chance to explore what Islam stands for - an opportunity to hear from renowned academics, speak to Muslim students about their faith and have all your questions on Islam answered. There will also be an opportunity to hear from Newcastle United’s very own DEMBA BA so stay tuned! All events are free of charge and free refreshments will be served.
International Women’s Day 6.30pm Monument
Norma
7pm Theatre Royal
One of the greatest of Italian operas, Norma marks the climax of the bel canto repertoire, and in Casta diva, contains one of the most prized of all soprano arias which made legends of both Maria Callas and Joan Sutherland. Bellini’s long, sumptuous melodies, lush orchestration and Norma’s story of fierce passion, battle and sacrifice will move you to tears. www.theatreroyal.co.uk
Get your kit off 6pm Mens Bar, Students’ Union
The traditional post-match entertainment is back at the Union and kicks off as soon as the first Wednesday fixture ends. Get your kit off after the match, dump it in the SU cloakroom, then hit the bar with all the other AU teams in preparation for Tiger Tiger. Food is available from Mens Bar, as well as Subway, so you’ve got the best of both worlds! www.nusu.co.uk/events
Join the Women for Women International Charity Society as they march to Millennium Bridge in support of women in war zone countries.
T-shirts for sale from Gender and Equality officer for £2 with ‘This is what a feminist looks like’ on the front. All proceeds go to Tyneside Rape Crisis centre. On International Women’s Day we are all going to meet wearing the t-shirts at 5:30pm in the History Room. We will take some pictures and hear quotes from people about what feminism means to them. There will be a short talk from your Gender and Equality Officer about the campaign and then afterwards people are welcome to join us on the march down to Millennium Bridge with Women’s for Women International.
ELECTIONS 2012 WHO’S GOT YOUR VOTE?
2.electionsSabbaticalOfficers
Tuesday 6 March 2012
Why should you vote in the PRESIDENT Student Union elections? LAURA PERRY By Kat Bannon Editor
WHAT ARE THE STUDENT UNION ELECTIONS? Elections week 2012 is the week that will decide the future of your Students’ Union for the next year - or even longer. This year almost 30 candidates are battling it out to win your vote and represent you in the decisions made about how to run your Students’ Union - and make sure your time at Newcastle is unforgettable! Amongst them are 17 candidates competing for the six full-time Sabbatical roles for next year. For them, this election means not only the chance to represent students’ needs at the highest level within the University and wider community, but also the opportunity of a full-time paid job after graduation. You are sure to see them all over campus this week with their campaign teams, brightly coloured T-shirts, flyers, as well as sweets and cakes trying to convince you to give them your vote. This isn’t about saving tigers or free make overs - what they have to say really affects you. This guide will hopefully help to explain to you what it’s all for, why you should vote, how to vote, and most importantly, the manifestos that will help you to decide who to vote for.
SO, WHY SHOULD I VOTE? In coming to Newcastle University you automatically become a member of the Students’ Union. The Students’ Union is completely student led and run by students, for students. Student officers are divided into two categories. Firstly, there are the Sabbaticals, who work full-time for a year and are usually graduates. Then there’s also the Part-Time Officers or PTOs, who are fulltime students and carry out their roles voluntarily in addition to their studies. The officers are there to represent you and your opinions, run campaigns on issues that affect you, and ensure that you have the best time
CANDIDATE QUESTION TIME Running Order
possible while studying at Newcastle University. The March election week is by far the most important week in the Students’ Union calendar, as the candidates you vote for will form the team of students who will shape the future of Newcastle’s Students’ Union. Having moved into a new building this academic year this year’s Sabbatical team have worked to ensure the state-of-the-art facilities are used to their full potential. However, new students and new needs come year after year, so it is important that next year’s officers will continue to move forward. Many people do not realise the role that the Students’ Union plays in the opportunities that so often make up the typical student experience. If you are involved in a society or sports team, taken part in RAG or Freshers’ Week then you have benefited directly from events organised and financed by your Students’ Union. More importantly the people in charge of organising these events are all contained in these next eight pages, exactly which of them have the opportunity is down to you. Now is the chance to make a difference and choose the officers that will run your Students’ Union the way you want it to be! It is your responsibility to use your vote and go online to make sure who you believe are the right people for the job are elected.
HOW DO I VOTE?
Voting couldn’t be easier, so there’s really no excuse! All you have to do is go online to vote.ncl. ac.uk and from there you will see the list of candidates running for each officer position as well as their manifestos. Simply select the number 1 from the drop down box next to your first choice, a 2 next to your second choice, 3 next to your third choice... you get the picture! Voting is open from 4pm Monday until 12 noon Thursday and any student is eligible to vote. Simply log in using the boxes at the top of the screen. As well as all of the student candidates that are running for election, you will notice a mysterious candidate named RON. In fact, he is not a real person and RON stands for Re-Open Nominations. If you decide that you do not want any of the prospective candidates to be elected into a particular officer position then you can vote to RON. In the event that RON has more votes than the other candidates, the election will be run again at a later date and other people who were not previously nominated can nominate themselves as candidates.
NSR Station Manager International Students’ Officer President HOW DO I CHOOSE Gender Equality Officer WHO TO VOTE FOR? Editor of The Courier Convenor of Disciplinary During election week the candidates will be tirelessly campaigning on campus to try and conStudents with vince you to vote for them. From flyering outside the Robinson Library to Disabilities Officer knocking on the doors of your halls, all candidates will be out on the streets donned in their Athletic Union Officer campaign colours this week looking to secure Chair of Union Council your votes. Candidates have rules they must abide by durOfficer Without Portfolio ing the week, which includes no negative campaigning. They also all have the same budget to Welfare and Equality Officer spend on publicity. Each candidate has written a 200 word maniEthics and Environment Officer festo, which you can find in this special election week pull-out and they must all give a speech Campaigns Officer and take part in a live debate at Candidate Question’s in the Venue, Students’ Union between Racial Equality Officer 1pm and 4pm on Monday. Education Officer WHEN DO I FIND OUT THE RESULTS? RAG Officers The election results will be announced on Friday LGBT Officer evening in the Courtyard Cafe. Alternatively see the The Courier next Monday Activities Officer for full results!
The Courier
vote.ncl.ac.uk passion to take them further. - A second-year President could bring more to the role, earlier in the year. Next year:
Why vote for me? I believe my leadership experience through representing both the Union and University is unrivalled. - Elected and currently working as President 2011-12. - Having had in-depth experience in running the Athletic Union, volunteered as a student ambassador, hockey club secretary, biology society treasurer and had three years involvement in Freshers’ Week. - Fulfilled my manifesto policies and have the
- Raise awareness of Union activities and structure. - Increase direct access to Officers for all students. - Regular office hours dedicated to any student wishing to voice their requests directly to the President. - Improve commercial services with big nights, better acts. - Strengthen established links to build community relations and influence national decisions. - Improve life on our overseas campuses (where no student-led clubs, societies or volunteering opportunities currently exist). - Increase funding again for all sports clubs and societies. - Improve Union website and social media communication. - Target inclusion of international, postgraduate and mature students. My overall aim: To continue the change - maximising the student experience through greater involvement and participation.
CARLTON SHEPHERD Let’s transform the Union into a premier entertainment venue • Halt price increases at the Union. Since the Union’s reopening, prices of some popular drinks have been hiked at Mens Bar. Budweiser, Becks, Heineken and Guinness all increased by at least 12% between semesters one and two I don’t believe this is acceptable - Habita at Northumbria University is selling similar brands for significantly less • The Union recently published a report (Commercial Operation 2011/2012) forecasting £202,563 and £412,866 Gross PROFIT on its Retail and Liquor sales respectively • Revolutionise entertainment at the Union. Northumbria University hosted Pendulum, Queen’s University Belfast is hosting Korn and Cardiff University Students’ Union are holding the Kerrang Tour. Why can’t we host these events? I believe the Union has failed to provide Grade A entertainment following its £8m refurbishment
WHO’S RON?
In tough financial times, I believe it’s inexcusable for the Union to be cashing in on students this way – let’s economise elsewhere and stop students from having to bear the brunt of the costs • Why me? I believe my practical and realistic policies will revolutionise your student experience It’s time to put students first and make our Union the best in the country
RON stands for ‘Re-Open Nominations’. He’s not actually a real person. And his last name is definitely not Weasley. If you decide that you do not want any of the prospective candidates to be elected into a particular officer position then you can choose RON instead. In the event that RON has more votes than the other candidates the election will be run again at a later date and other people who were not previously can in the running can nominate themselves as candidates.
The Courier
SabbaticalOfficerselections.3
Tuesday 6 March 2012
vote.ncl.ac.uk
EDUCATION OFFICER EMMA WAKEFIELD
RACHAEL THORNTON
My Manifesto • ENGAGEMENT and VALUE, -ensuring students get as much out of university education as possible • MENTORS: I believe the best way to organise this is by having variety and a better student:mentor ratio • COURSE REPS: what issues are universitywide or repeated? • Support students through part-time officers i.e. international/mature/parent/carer/disabled students • POST GRADUATES: make sure you don’t fall through the cracks! • EXPERIENCE: Ncl+ career development module, volunteering and placements - Alumni Events: former students return to the university to give advice and tips for undergraduates • FORUM: older students offer advice on issues such as module choice and assessments
The forthcoming year will be important for OUR University due to fee increase and the controversial government proposals. As Education Officer, I aim to ensure that no Newcastle student suffers because of this and that the University is doing all it can to represent and support ALL its students, both current and future.
My Experience: • History Society - 2010-11 Treasurer - 2011-12 Vice President • Mentor 2011-2012 - by 2013 every first year will have a mentor: use experience to help with this aim • Dance Society – member and dance coach • Union Council • Library Refurbishment: attended meetings
Aims: Continue representation through the Student Staff Committee and enhance staff involvement. Recap available for all subjects. Ensure staff and subject complaints are taken more seriously. Increase support and representation of postgraduate, mature and international students. Wednesday afternoons to remain off timetable encouraging rounded student experience balancing both academic and social life. Strong campus presence increasing approachability.
Experience: Course representative for three years running. Representative at University and subject open days. Attended London Demo against cuts and the rise in tuition fees Freshers Crew Member 2010 and 2011 RAG Crew Member 2010 and Supervisor 2011 Sociology Society Committee joint President and joint Social Secretary 2010-11. Swimming and Waterpolo Committee Social Secretary 2010-11 and Secretary 2011-12.
ANNALIESE MURRAY
Vote Annaliese for Education!
Hello everybody,
Having been a student representative for the school of Historical Studies since first year, as well as chairperson of my respective Staff Student Committee, I feel I am more than qualified for the job as education officer.
I am standing to promote and improve educational activities at a time when education itself is undermined: rising tuition fees and subsequent changes to our courses are threatening the quality of our education.
I have experience dealing with the various problems that arise throughout your degree, and I have had real success in effectively solving these issues.
As a third year student, I recognise communication between the student body and the university administration should be improved, which will ensure that the student voice is more representative and acknowledged. I believe that my amendments will best facilitate these improvements.
I am passionate about wanting to improve the student experience to make Newcastle University the best it can be. I intend to: • Continually fight the government against the rise in tuition fees. • Work hard to make sure each student is getting value for money teaching, with the best degree possible, and a fully rounded education. • Increase the lacking communication between students, the students union and the university: there is so much information students do not hear, and I intend to ensure this information is passed on to you. • Ensure that your issues are heard and that your feedback is valued and acted upon; so many students are unhappy with their degrees but do not speak out. VOTE #1 FOR ANNALIESE
If you feel as passionate about these issues as I do, then VOTE RACHAEL for Education Officer: Putting the ‘U’ back in Education!
ESTA INNES
Everyone is entitled to a fantastic university experience. As your Welfare and Equality Officer I would facilitate this by: Expanding • Informative financial campaigns like ‘Fools Rush in.’ • Mental Health awareness campaigns. • Awareness of the ‘Zero Tolerance to Sexual Harassment’ policy that I initiated. Supporting • Vulnerable students to overcome setbacks and
make the most of their university experience. • International students with their transition by working with relevant societies to engage with specific cultural issues. • Students in leading the campaigns they want through a campaigning forum. Tackling • The stigma attached to having a learning difficulty. • The issue of sexual assault; prompting debate about consent. • Casual racism with a big push on ‘show racism the red card’. Achieving • Increased engagement with students, by listening to what YOU want. • Welfare at the union that is more student centred and relevant to YOU. My passionate, dedicated and enthusiastic character would make me ideal for this role so please vote ESTA #1 for Welfare and Equality http://vote.ncl.ac.uk Experience: • History Society Publicity Officer • Students’ Union Gender Equality Officer • President of COCO Society • Rag Crew 2011 • Officer during 2011 Fresher’s Week
To benefit you, I aim to: • Improve measures that canvas the voice of all students. • Ensure that changes to our courses reflect our needs. • Ensure all students are aware of the support available to them. These can be achieved by more responsive communication between, we, the student body, and the university administration, including such methods as: • Improving communications with course reps. • Publishing SSC decisions. • Improving support access. Throughout my time at Newcastle University, I have been an active member of the student community, so you can count on me to be a committed, an active and a vocal representative, to promote your needs. Please vote Paul #1 for Education Officer at http://vote.ncl.ac.uk
VOTE.NCL.AC.UK
WELFARE AND EQUALITY OFFICER
PAUL ROBINSON
JACK WOODS
Hi! I’m Jack and I’m hoping to be your Welfare and Equality Officer. I’m an enthusiastic person with a lot of passion for helping people and becoming YOUR voice to the university. I’ve got experience as a RAG supervisor and part of Fresher’s crew, and I’m currently the Circus Society president, providing me with skills that have helped me grow, and will help me make YOU grow if I’m elected. My aims:
• Provide a society that has religious, faith based and atheist freedom of speech. • Fight against bullying and combat the ever growing ‘Lad-Banter’ culture. • Continue raising awareness about sexual safety: - Both sexual abuse and consented sex. - Educate the university about the worldwide issue of sex trafficking. • Introduce a new non-alcoholic social community. Add to the standard Wednesday night out so that those of you who don’t like going out have some way to participate in socials. • Provide a confidential, personalised and relaxed drop in service and if you want, pass on your welfare issues to the university. • Build personalised relationships with YOU so that you can see me and feel more relaxed in discussing any issues you have. Please vote Jack #1 for Welfare and Equality! http://vote.ncl.ac.uk
4.electionsSabbaticalOfficers
Tuesday 6 March 2012
vote.ncl.ac.uk
ATHLETIC UNION OFFICER
ACTIVITIES OFFICER JASMINE WALKER
I am organised, passionate and approachable. I think I have what it takes to keep the union up to date and make sure everyone gets the most out of their time at uni. My aims….. • We have a NEW UNION - LETS USE IT! Increase involvement for all students not only the ones in societies • Create the biggest and best Grad ball you’ll never forget - finish your uni years with a bang!! • Encourage and increase society involvement and awareness of Fresher’s and RAG weeks • Create an online space where society execs can discuss issues and help each other • Create event notice boards around campus telling more students what is happening all year round • Increase student participation in activities such as SCAN and other volunteering opportunities Why vote for me?!?!…. • Societies have made my university experience - I want everyone to have the opportunity to get involved. • 3 years in dance society - 2 years as secretary, a HUGE JOB! Experience of organising events such as inter-university competitions, dance shows and classes • Member of BioSoc for 2 years • Fresher’s crew I believe my experience makes me the perfect candidate for the job. ********Vote JASMINE FOR ACTIVITIES lets make it a year to remember!! ********
YEYEMIDE SANNI
Hi, I am Yeyemide Sanni (Stage 3 Information Systems), running for the position of the Activities Officer. I understand the responsibility that this position demands and I will give my all to upholding the main functions of the position should I be elected. Not forgetting to maintain students focus and tend to your needs. Past Experiences • Student Ambassador, • Stage 3 Course Representative, • Information System’s rep for Board of Studies • Voting Member of the Union Council • Scan WAC representative(10-11) • President Afro Caribbean society(10-11) • Society Executive(10-11) • Faith and Nationality representative(10-11) • Student Helper for Computer Science Admission Days • Social committee Nigerian Society(09-10) If I am elected I will…… • Cultivate inter-societies relationships • Provide improved quality of communication between students and society officers • Get more societies involved in the annual IFAM I believe I would be best for the job because…… I have never hesitated to take opportunities to work for other students. I have been a part of loads of activities to represent students including and grad ball2011. I believe I have gained enormously the necessary skills for this job. I would love to be given this opportunity to be a part of the next officers to help you run your Union.
ACTIVITIES OFFICER EXPLAINED
The role of Activities Officer is there to help you get involved in all the societies Newcastle has to offer (over 140 of them!), to give committee members support and advice onhow to run a successful society, as well as provide further information on setting up your own. Here there is the perfect opportunity to host events, have meetings, start socials and recruit new members. The year that have will be hectic but masses of fun. The job as Activities Officer also means overseeing RAG week, organising Refreshers fair alongside the AU officer, coordinating IFAM and creating the best Grad ball so far. As a Sabbatical Officer they also work alongside 5 other full time officers as a team to engage with students all over campus making sure they are representing the needs of all Newcastle Students. Make your opinion count for voting for who you think will be the best at achieving all of this!
The Courier
ABBY CAREY
Being part of a successful society can completely change your experience of university. Not only will it give you an incredibly full social calendar but being part of a society can also help you acquire skills you would have otherwise never have gained and thus aid your future career. Newcastle University has an amazing array of societies and clubs all with something unique to offer and they require someone who is knowledgeable, organised, and energetic to enable them to truly flourish. I am passionate about our union and all involved with it. Having been heavily involved in the running of a prestigious society I believe I have all the above qualities to continue forwards in the role of Activities Officer and expand our growing union even further by; • Giving a bigger platform to advertise, looking especially at campus coverage of internal and external success of Newcastle’s societal achievements. • Increase the profile of Refreshers Fair and help increase society membership across the entire board. • Increase support to new and upcoming societies with further training and the creation of a support network. • Finally I want to create a network of better connected societies all working together towards success.
LAURA MASON
I really believe I will be the best candidate for the AU Officer Job. I am passionate, dedicated to sport and organised. I feel it’s my turn to make sure everyone else’s experiences are as good as mine! My experience: • Elite athlete squad 2011/12 for Modern Pentathlon. • Women’s Fencing Captain 2011/2012. • Fencing secretary 2010/11. • Organised teams for BUCS Modern Pentathlon, 2011 & 2012. • Been an AU member for 3years. • Intra-mural: Hockey and Netball. My aims for: Team Newcastle are to: • Increase sponsorship for teams, to improve equipment, helping to raise our BUCS ranking. • Distribute finances more equally across clubs. • Explore more innovative classes for AU members to attend, on top of ‘Boot Camp’. • To win Stan Calvert. • Promote profiles of smaller clubs. • Post live results on Twitter. • Make the AU Ball better value for money. Participation is to increase opportunities for students by: • Reducing cost for intra-mural teams with a Bronze membership at the sport centre. • Increasing the number of intra-mural sports and teams. • Having more training times for ‘social’ sports and ‘beginners’ sessions to encourage students to explore new activities. VOTE LAURA #1
ATHLETIC UNION OFFICER EXPLAINED
The Athletic Officer is in charge of 59 different sports clubs! They’re responsible for training members as officers, being a main point of contact for all committee members throughout the year, and negotiating as much money as possible for AU clubs through external sponsorship. AU Officer is a great job because you also get to organise some of the biggest events at Newcastle University! Over 700 students attend the AU Ball, and who could forget Stan Calvert – a day in which over 70 teams take on our Northumbria counterparts – and it’s your job to help organise it! As well as this, the AU Officer liaises with key University staff to make sure students are getting the best deal within sport at Newcastle, whether this is facilities or scholarships wise. They work alongside the Activities Centre staff in the Students’ Union to make sure BUCS fixtures run smoothly, as well as getting involved in other activities like Give it a Go and Go Play. Plus, you get paid to go and watch sport on Wednesday afternoons, and are a sporting representative for all Newcastle students!
STAN CALVERT CUP WINNERS 2012
100.5 - 52.5
Photography: Zander
Record victory makes it five in a row
Uni bring the cup home for another year after monumental defeat of the Poly By Rory Brigstock-Barron Sports Editor
On Sunday night Athletic Union officer Alice Holloway hoisted aloft the most prestigious sporting trophy in the North East as Newcastle claimed the Stan Calvert Cup for an unprecedented fifth consecutive time. An array of outstanding performances, not just in the last week but over the season, from Newcastle students and teams alike, saw a huge margin of victory for the winning side as they stormed to a 100.5-52.5 win. Despite failing to cap off the overall victory with a win in the Rugby Union showcase event, Newcastle were the side celebrating as the Poly went home with their tails between their legs. The 100.5 points earned by Team Newcastle is a record, as well as the 48 point margin being the second highest. One of the most striking aspects of the victory was the number of teams that upset the
odds to beat a Northumbria side with a far more impressive BUCS record. The Women’s Football First’s performance on Friday night was a prime example of such giant killing, the BUCS Northern Division Three B side winning a close encounter over Northern Premier League leaders Northumbria Firsts. At full-time in that match, Performance Sport Manager Fraser Kennedy told captain Steph Dalby that it would be the stand out result of this year, no matter what else happened, but the events of Sunday certainly pushed it hard. The Netball Firsts achieved a great result by beating their counterparts from the Poly, despite being a league below them in BUCS competition and some of their opponents playing in the Netball Superleague. Women’s Badminton also, earned a shock point for the Uni, stealing a draw against a side that had beaten them comfortably earlier in the season. The result was even more remarkable after they had found themselves 4-1 down with three games to play.
Prior to the day there had also been a surprise win for Ladies’ Cricket, albeit thanks to some horribly wayward Northumbria bowling and as the surprise points racked up, a Newcastle win began to seem inevitable. Other sides such as Rowing and Women’s Lacrosse handed out a proverbial ‘Poly-bashing’. The Intermediate Women’s rowing side still managed to win despite Northumbria sneakily switching their crew and even though a win for Women’s Lacrosse was expected, their 34-1 annihilation of the Poly was as comprehensive a victory as you can get. While Newcastle went in to Sunday having already established an impressive lead in the events leading up to Stan Calvert Sunday, it was the day itself that held most of the excitement, as those who tuned in to The Courier’s live blog can attest to. With the surprise Badminton draw proving to be an early blow for the Poly, they did not even get close to the Uni score throughout the whole day. A shock defeat for
the Ladies’ Hockey Seconds and a narrow defeat for the Men’s Football Firsts were the only negative results to filter in from Coach Lane, while results elsewhere around the City, such as two rugby wins, a victory for Men’s Lacrosse and the demolition job done by Women’s Lacrosse at Bullocksteads and wins for both Fencing teams at the Sports Centre meant the mood as Newcastle fans filtered into Gateshead Stadium was positive to say the least. While the showpiece event finished in a disappointing defeat, it was the overall score that mattered most and AU officer Alice Holloway could not contain her joy as she lifted the coveted trophy in front of the Uni supporters. Speaking after the day, Holloway told The Courier: “Winning five years in a row is a massive achievement for Team Newcastle, and I am so honoured to have lifted the Cup! Now I can breathe a sigh of relief; it was a huge team effort and everyone should be really proud.”
2.StanCalvert2012
Tuesday 6 March 2012
The Courier
Poly save face in Stan Calvert main Stan Calvert Cup 2012
MEN’S RUGBY UNION
3
Newcastle 1sts Northumbria 1sts
10
By Colin Henrys at GATESHEAD STADIUM Safe in the knowledge that the Stan Calvert Cup would be staying at Newcastle for a fifth consecutive year, all that was left was for the Men’s Rugby Union Firsts to secure a win in the showpiece event at Gateshead Stadium. It was to prove to be an anti-climatic finish for the Uni however, as a second-half try from Scotland Sevens international Michael Fedo was enough to secure a Poly win and salvage a slither of pride for Team Northumbria on what was a bitterly disappointing day overall for them. After a couple of great encounters between the two sides on recent occasions, this was far from another classic. With the atmosphere muted due to the wet conditions and the segregating of the fans into separate stands, the match proved to be a scrappy affair with too many handling errors and infringements in the ruck by both teams creating a stop-start match that never really got going. After an early let-off for the Royals when captain Richard Walker-Taylor’s kick was charged down on the tryline but ran out of play, it was the Uni who created the early chances. The captain made a great line break himself, and soon put Newcastle 3-0 up with a long, straight penalty. Walker-Taylor was central to the next at-
tack too as he ran on to his own huge up and under but, with the Poly fullback having horribly misjudged the kick, the Newcastle captain knocked on. From then on however, the Royals rarely threatened. After a couple of poor attempts at setting the scrum, Northumbria won a penalty and found a good touch. One play later and they had a kick at the posts, which left-footed Ross Burton converted to draw the scores level. With the game failing to inspire, the crowd took to alternative ways to entertain themselves, such as requesting that the TCTV camerawoman ‘get ‘em out’. Their attempts proved futile however, as did the Royals’ attempts to get out of their own half. Despite having all of the territory and possession however, Northumbria did not create anything of note either, and after Burton had missed a penalty from near the right touchline, half-time arrived at 3-3. After the Newcastle Angels had entertained the crowd at half-time and outnumbered and outperformed their Poly counterparts, there was hope that the second half would be an improvement. Walker-Taylor missed an early penalty, which was made harder by the fact that the PA man had still not turned the half-time music off, and a huge hit by Jo Beckett forced a good turnover, and when the Poly stand-off Brad Pears was sin binned for a high tackle things looked up for the Royals. The sense of optimism was not to last however, as despite their numerical disadvantage, Northumbria forced the territory and Fedo scored what proved to be the decisive try, which Burton converted. Newcastle nearly replied immediately but Johnny Neville knocked on just short of the tryline, but frequent infringements at the breakdown and far too many handling errors due to the wet conditions meant that New-
castle struggled to create a period of sustained pressure. It was to get worse for the Uni too when Walker-Taylor had to limp off after a nasty knock to his knee when he was tackled off the ball trying to run on to his own kick over the Northumbria back line. The match was epitomised shortly afterwards when a Poly fan braved
the cold to produce a customary Stan Calvert streak. Newcastle mascot Rory Lion, despite his streakertackling history, chose to do nothing about it allowing the naked rogue to slip away into the night for a certain brush with hypothermia. Back to the action and Newcastle secured a couple of penalties in the Northumbria 22, but with time run-
ning out called for a scrum on both occasions to no avail, as the ball was eventually lost and the Poly were able to close out the match and kick to touch. Their muted celebrations reminded everyone that this was far from a good day for Team Northumbria as a whole, but in terms of the rugby their win puts them out of reach of the
Total domination ROWING
Stan Calvert Cup 2012
Newcastle
8
Northumbria
0
By Lizzie White at NEWBURN BOAT CLUB
‘Newcastle are the ones in the distance’: NUBC storming to victory on the Tyne Photography: Boat Club
On a surprisingly sunny day in the North East, crowds gathered to watch the annual Stan Calvert Boat race on the Tyne. Newcastle supporters casually sat back and basked in the sun on the steps of their boathouse - the finish line for the 1km race - while a significantly smaller bunch of Northumbria supporters clung to the sides of the Newburn bridge with a glimmer of hope that this year they may finish within a boat length of Newcastle. Alas this was not to be as despite their typical Poly tactics, such as de-
laying their arrival, swapping their crews over and doing their best to prevent laughter from the Boat Club steps at their “poor rowing tekkers”, their efforts were in vain against the strength and depth of Team Newcastle. The four races that followed were done in coxless quads- boats with four rowers who row with two oars (skulling). The Women’s Intermediate Quads paddled to the start line at the top of the Newburn straight, with Flic Warner, Georgia Parry, Charlotte Irving and Sally Hickney representing Newcastle. In the first 100m it seemed that Northumbria were actually holding their own (much to their handful of supporters’ amazement) however, this was not to last and their hopes of a shock win were quickly dashed. The NUBC girls put the power on and surged home to beat their rivals by a clear three boat lengths. The result was particularly disheartening for the Poly as they fielded their four strongest girls in their intermediate quad, clearly with the hope of snatching some cheeky points from the day. The girl’s win was followed by a similarly commanding performance
The Courier
StanCalvert2012.3
Tuesday 6 March 2012
event No way through: the Royals succumbed to a defeat in the day’s showpiece event Photography: Moises Bedrossian
Knights unable to overcome the odds Stan Calvert Cup 2012
MEN’S BASKETBALL Newcastle 1sts
57
Northumbria 1sts
74
By Owen Evans at UNN SPORTS CENTRAL There was to be no shock result in the Men’s Basketball 1sts match as favourites Northumbria produced a fantastic display to record a victory over a valiant Knights side. It was widely believed before the match that Northumbria – who can boast of fantastic basketball facilities – would easily walkover the Knights, and although they finished with a 17 point lead, the match was mouth-wateringly close for the first three quarters, before Northumbria moved to put the game beyond doubt.
Northumbria took an early lead in the game, but it was Newcastle who dominated the first quarter, as Giannis Giokaris put two points onto the board thanks to a long pass from Andrew Ply before Rafael Franca sunk a fantastic three pointer from range. Newcastle continued to have their share of the spoils in the first quarter, as the imposing Epameinondas Chalkidis moved the ball to Ply, who was just inside the three-point line. He moved into space before effortlessly sinking the ball to take the lead for the first time in the game. The Knights ended the first quarter with the scores at 14-15 and it looked at this point as if Northumbria were somewhat rattled. As the second quarter began, however, Northumbria began to reassert their dominance. Two pointers from Justin Hitchman and Toby Hutton, and a long three pointer from Jack Thompson, gave Northumbria a four point lead, and they began to look a lot more comfortable. At this point neither team were playing particularly well, with a number of easy chances squandered, although Northumbria continued to keep their lead, thanks to a long three pointer
from Thompson and some great linkup play between Toby Hutton and Simon Stewart which led to two points. An easy two pointer from Franca and a nice shot from Giokaris just inside the key kept the Knights within touching distance of Northumbria, and Franca could have leveled the scoring on the buzzer as a long hurl up the court missed the basket by inches, but the Knights had to settle for a 30-27 deficit going in at halftime. The first few minutes of the second half saw a quick flurry of scoring, as both teams started moving away from defensive stances. Northumbria took more advantage from this with Toby Hutton adding four points to the board in quick succession. A fantastic run and finish from Nick Yii and a two pointer from Chaldikis who was left in space kept Newcastle close, but the gap was beginning to widen between the two teams. Northumbria stepped it up a gear with fantastic passing moves between Ian Berry and Justin Hitchman leading to a couple of two pointers, before Toby Hutton sat Franca onto the ground before passing wide to Berry who sank a three pointer to the delight of the Northumbria fans. An
immediate three pointer from Franca allowed him to hide his blushes a little, but by the end of the third quarter, Northumbria were leading 52-45. The Knights still seemed confident that they could get something from the game, but they soon succumbed to a fourth quarter slaughter at the hands of Northumbria, who created a 15 point lead. As Northumbria defended sternly and seemingly benefited from a larger squad, Newcastle began to tire, unable to bridge the gap that had been formed. Northumbria continued to dominate and when Hitchman ran from the half court line to smash home a slam dunk, the writing was on the wall for Newcastle. It is fair to say that the 74-57 scoreline did reflect the class Northumbria brought to the court, but the Knights showed that they are no pushovers in this match, and it took a great deal of effort for Northumbria to eventually gain their widely anticipated win. Elsewhere in the Basketball, the Women’s Firsts were heavily beaten as expected, but managed to improve on last year before succumbing to a 110-44 loss at the University Sports Centre. Their seconds did fare better but lost 47-39.
Six of one, half a dozen of the other: points split in track and field events Royals in the BUCS Northern Premier League and denied Newcastle a clean sweep of the Stan Calvert rugby points. The Royals have one match left this season and they will be looking to go out on a high with a win against bottom of the league Nottingham Trent.
on Tyne
by the Intermediate Men, comprising of Alex Leigh, Nicholas Buckle, Matt Smith and Sam Wilson. They won comfortably by five boat lengths over the tiring Northumbria crew, who appeared to just be “chopping around” in the water. The Senior Quads then took to the water fresh after winning silver in the Women’s Championship Quad at BUCS Head and dominating on their way to Gold in the Men’s Championship Quad. Both crews (Women Quad: Gemma Hall, Nicole Lamb, Franziska Christiane and Phillipa Neil; Mens Quad: Ed Ford, Tom Ford, Sam Arnot, James Reeder) began their races with full intent, drive and power but soon found themselves lowering their rates from a ‘racing 35 strokes per minute’ to a mere training paddle as they saw the Poly fall by the wayside once again. Both crews finished over 200m in front of their opponents, crossing the finishing line without a bead of sweat on any of their brows. Needless to say the race was unforgiving for Northumbria who crossed the line having once again been thrashed by NUBC at Stan Calvert.
Stan Calvert Cup 2012
ATHLETICS
Newcastle 1sts
6
Northumbria 1sts
6
By Andrew McClune at GATESHEAD STADIUM After seeing the Cross Country team draw 1-1 on Saturday morning, it was down to the athletics team to bring home some more points for Newcastle. Sunday was to be a day of two halves with Northumbria leading after the field events, although there were some
The Men’s and Women’s 4x100m teams prepare for the start of the race, which was eventually won by the Poly Photography: Moises Bedrossian
very good displays from seasoned performers like Emma Pringle and new comers like Martha Achimugu. However it is fair to say Newcastle dominated in the track events. Amy Radcliffe ran an excellent 60m closely followed by Becky McAllister and Sabrine Razik to ensure victory in that event. Newcomer Keil Stephenson also ran a comfortable 60m, easily finishing first. Then onto the outdoor track and onto the business of the 1500m, which unfortunately the men lost, but an impressive last 100m from Joel English almost led him to gaining 1st spot. Again the girls dominated what was a comfortable 1500m with Amy Jesset coming in first and PB’s for Jo Armstead and Lauren Barr. In the 400m races Northumbria were shown how to run by Sam Colby and David Dempsey who both emerged victorious letting Newcastle
Events took place both inside and outside Gateshead Stadium on Sunday. Photography: Sam Tyson
gain the points from both races they were supported by the likes of Emma Williams, Mark ‘War Horse’ Collier and Martin ‘Hans/Arnie’ Ferguson. This left the small case of the 4x400m and the 4x100m relays. The 4x400m went the same way as the 400m with Newcastle easing to yet another track victory with El Presidente David Dempsey giving a President’s performance and leading the lads home. This left the score at 6-4 to Newcastle with 2 points to play for. So it came down to the 4x100m relays which unfortunately were both lost with the girls missing out by just 0.1seconds, even with a last minute replacement, therefore leaving the final result as 6-6. So, in what was expected to be a very tough affair for Newcastle, it’s right to say that Newcastle athletes can hold their heads high after many a spirited and determined performance supported by a large crowd from the athletics club and the rest of the fans in Gateshead Stadium.
4.StanCalvert2012
Tuesday 6 March 2012
The Courier
Odds are on for netball club Royal
Firsts and Thirds victors but Seconds and Fours lose out
Men’s Stan Calvert Cup 2012
MEN’S HOCKEY
Newcastle 1sts
3
Northumbria 1sts
2
By John Colville and James Jordan at COACH LANE CAMPUS A large crowd gathered at the £30 million Northumbria sports complex for the Men’s Firsts clash. The pressure was on the Royals to deliver having witnessed the Seconds and Thirds dismantle the opposition beforehand with emphatic scorelines Newcastle were the hot favourites to take the spoils for a fourth consecutive year following the vast majority of Northumbria players receiving bans from all competition. However as the scorelines in recent years would suggest Newcastle could not take the tie lightly and could guarantee their opposition would be fighting like their benefits depended on it. Newcastle started fast and applied the early pressure driving hard at the Northumbria defence. Creating the better chances, Newcastle were unlucky not to score early on but they were not made to wait long to find the breakthrough. Harry Kempe, playing in his first Stan Calvert for Newcastle had his heart set on solving the problem that had plagued his season to date, and he proceeded in the 10th
It was mixed results for NUNC at the weekend at Gateshead Stadium, but all games were hard fought by the girls. Photography: Moises Bedrossian
NETBALL
Stan Calvert Cup 2012
Newcastle 1sts
44
Northumbria 1sts 35 By Fiona Moss at GATESHEAD STADIUM Losing last year to the Poly was a tough defeat to swallow for the 1sts, however it only gave them more determination to finish on the right side of the score line this time around. Newcastle, currently unbeaten this season in the league, prepared for the match with confidence, a stark contrast to their local rivals who are currently sitting at the bottom of their table and face demotion once the season has drawn to a close. Uni took the lead straight away, calming converting their own centre pass, settling any nerves. However the first quarter remained tight, with the score at the first break leaning in Newcastle’s favour by two. The girls came out in the second quarter and really put their foot down. Pressure in defence forced mistakes from Northumbria and consequently it gave the
rest of the team more confidence to go in for interceptions. Rachel Saville played with real commitment, containing their WA, a real strong clog in the Poly’s attacking play. By half time the firsts were leading 24-17. Aware that the Poly would come out at half time hard, Newcastle remained disciplined and managed their opposition’s attack very well. Though Northumbria reduced the goal difference, the calmness of the team saw them take advantage of their opportunities when they came their way, with Sarah Cressy giving a resilient performance in the circle against a strong defense. With only two goals dividing the teams going into the final quarter, it was all to play for. The way in which they had dominated the match, the firsts knew that it was their match to loose. The support from the crowd played a vital part in keeping the momentum on Newcastle’s side, whilst the girls never lost focus, maintaining their concentration against a side that became quite physical as the game progressed. It was an outstanding win from the first team who have developed massively this season. Taking the lead from the start and maintaining the same consistent standards throughout the match shows how they have all developed as individuals and as a team and they proved to Northumbria why they deserve to be promoted back up to the Premiership, taking the place of the Poly.
Newcastle 2nds Northumbria 2nds
39 51
With illness and injury plighting the seconds and a great deal of reshuffling taking place on the morning of the match, the team faced this momentous occasion with huge uncertainty about the potential of their team. Nevertheless they started well, showing strength and confidence. However this confidence was somewhat depleted after the first few minutes when Allie Strang went down with an injury, bring yet another change to the team. The Poly settled into the game and took advantage of feeding into their giant goal shooter; eventually building up a lead that Newcastle couldn’t claw back. Having brought in two players from NUNC not normally in the seconds, the combination was untested territory. Despite this, the girls played with true grit and fought hard, never letting their heads drop.
Newcastle 3rds Northumbria 3rds
54 42
This was the best match all season for the Thirds. Not only an epic win at Stan Calvert but also a fantastic performance as a team, with one hundred per cent effort and commitment coming from every player. The strong defensive unit of Lucy Greenwood, Charlotte Plumtree and
Amy Hill laid the solid foundation for the attack to shine on, while phenomenal shooting from both Louisa Sorensen and Anna Rosenberg provided the best statistics in the club. Rachel Brown kept a cool head against a tough opposition and played outstandingly, whilst Rachael Logue had a great game, shining not only as a player, but also in her role as captain, showing real skill in motivating her team to a well deserved win. Dominating throughout the match proved how the thirds have glued so well again this year.
Newcastle 4ths Northumbria 4ths
31 37
Nothing could separate the two teams in the first half as both sides persisted in converting their own centre pass. Newcastle attacked well, with strong play from player of the match Joanne Pilkington, who fed well into the circle. Using the impressive height of goal shooter, Ella Davison, to their advantage, Newcastle ensured the scoreboard remained even. A loss of momentum in the third quarter, alongside a few silly mistakes, put the team behind, however Northumbria’s score was not out of reach and the Fourths kept at them until the final whistle. However, unfortunately, the small ground that they had lost was too much to pull back and although they kept themselves in the match, they were unable to press for a win.
Seconds NUHLC secure Stan Calvert Cup 2012
LADIES’ HOCKEY
Newcastle 1sts
9
Northumbria 1sts
3
By Alice Hogg at LONGBENTON Yet again the Poly failed to show up to Stan Calvert this year as they were demolished 9-3 by Newcastle University First team on Sunday. Despite both teams being anxious from the outset with so much pressure having mounted from 1-1 score lines in previous games, Newcastle University almost instantly assumed dominance of what was to be an eventful match. The first 10 minutes saw an equal distribution of play between both sides, both tentative to assert authority in case they risked jeopardising
The Courier
StanCalvert2012.5
Tuesday 6 March 2012
flush continues for hockey against Poly minute to ‘Latif ’ the ball into the roof the net to the delight of the NUMHC faithful providing support on the sides once again. Before and after the half-time whistle, Northumbria scored. Despite Newcastle President Sam Mawer’s attempts to row to the rescue, the home side were able to capitalize on a Newcastle team who were tired following a heavy schedule playing six games in the last eight days and hit the visitors on the break. Nevertheless the Uni were playing well and, despite continued Newcastle pressure, Northumbria defended valiantly, frustrating their opponents. Being accustomed to desperate clearing situations they were able to draw on valuable experience from their UCAS days to keep the Royals from finding the back of the net. Captain John Colville gave a passionate war cry at half-time, and attempted to restore his relationship with centre-back partner after the lovers tiff that had occurred last Wednesday. With Rob ‘Ramborghini’ Ramsdens firing the engines of the midfield, Newcastle got back into the game, Kieran ‘Baz’ Borrett stomping into the ‘D’ to stroke the ball past the hapless Poly keeper. Newcastle were dominating Northumbria and repeating his feats from Wednesday, Calum MacKenzie seized the initiative. As the game edged closer to its conclusion, fresher Ben Underwood scored with his first touch of the ball to claim the glory for Newcastle at the back post. In typical fashion the Royals ended the game in nervy fashion. As always the case in Stan Calvert the home um-
pires were able to help make the closing minutes anything but comfortable, awarding a controversial penalty corner to Northumbria with two minutes left on the clock. With appeals falling on death ears Newcastle had to defend well once more and a scramble on the goal line was eventually cleared. In the melee the ball found its way to the back post where a stretching Northumbria striker put the ball wide when it seemed easier to score, letting Newcastle off the hook and allowing them to take the precious Stan Calvert points.
Newcastle 2nds Northumbria 2nds
9 3
The Seconds came into Stan Calvert this year still in the hunt for BUCS promotion and fired up for a feisty game against the Poly. The first 10 minutes were fairly quiet with most play in the Poly half before Charlie Wilkes-Green took advantage of a goalmouth scramble to tuck away his first goal of the day. It was then time for the man who many are calling ‘The White Heskey’ to make his mark on the game, with Newcastle playing liquid hockey and netting four goals in 10 minutes, 2 for Tim Plail who also set up Dan Walker for a tap in and fresher Will Ducker managing to get in on the action as well. Going into the second half 5-0 up Newcastle were determined for more goals and they duly arrived with Wilkes-Green getting his second of the day soon after the restart. The 2s really started to exert some dominance against a determined poly
side with Jack Moody scoring a beautiful half volley on the turn and Josh ‘the dipping rod’ Mackey scoring a drag flick to the top left corner. It was at this point in the game at 8-0 down and with Newcastle pressing high that some extremely questionable umpiring decisions lead to a poly short corner. The Poly converted and a following frantic few minutes saw the score stand at 8-3 with ten minutes to go. However Newcastle managed to settle down with good work from high forward Nick McLellan and won a short corner in the final minute which was put away with a Tim Plail deflection, completing his hat-trick and earning himself a pitchside shinpad after the game. Man of the match went to Tim Plail and the highly desired Dick of the Day to Charlie Russell-Jones.
Newcastle 3rds Northumbria 3rds
3 1
In all it was as good a day for the Men’s hockey club as they have become accustomed to in recent years. The Thirds put on a fine display to smash their opponents 6-0 with a committed performance. Tearing their opponents apart with a pacey attack, the pick of the goals came from Harry Millington who struck the ball high into the top corner form the edge of the ‘D’. Overall a clean sweep and maximum points once again for NUMHC and Newcastle.
Central mid fielder Kieren Borrett and forward Hector Hall are becoming a formidable duo. Photography: Moises Bedrossian
fail to make the grade in shock defeat
convincing 3-1 and 9-3 wins but fall short of Calvert clean sweep again the 0-0 score line. However, it soon became apparent that it was Newcastle who was going to dominate the game, the Poly rarely venturing over the halfway line. So when Newcastle’s first goal came courtesy of an excellent long ball from President Holly Ost to Jenna Watt, who beat their stationary goalie in a one-on-one, it was just a sign of things to come. Shortly followed was a second goal which came courtesy of an undetermined scorer. Picking the ball up around the halfway line Watt drove straight for goal with pace. However, it is still in dispute whether her closerange shot on goal was aided by Rachael Clements to give Newcastle a 2-0 lead 20 minutes into the game. The Poly constantly being dispossessed by the determined Uni team led to the third goal, an absolutely text book run of play. With excellent passing all the way from Milly Powers in defence through Nicki Mollison and up to the forwards, Charlotte Howatson crossed the ball to a waiting Laura Kate Moore on the post to slot it in. The Poly began to notice that they were meant to be playing a hockey match, and capitalised on a 10 man
Newcastle side after Erika Coakley let the tense situation get the better of her, allowing her stick to fly for a ball. Newcastle, still in the midst of reorganising, caused a poly one-on-one which bought the score to 3-1 just before the half time break. Newcastle knew that they had not yet won this match and opening the second half with the same optimism they had started the match with. This calm and effective display soon bought rewards in the form of a short corner. A scrappy opening was rectified by Nicki Mollison who easily emerged from a pile of Poly players to slot the ball in the back of the net. From then the onslaught continued when the Poly goalie, unable to perform her proper skills, went for forward LKM to give away a flick, which was dually converted by captain Alice Hogg, bringing the score line to 5-1. The Poly from then on let the embarrassment of the situation get the better of them and their captain was carded. Newcastle by comparison held their heads and continued the annihilation, with two excellent goals from Caroline Macmillan and Ra-
chael Clements. However, Newcastle unfortunately dropped concentration for a millisecond and again down to 10 women due to Hattie Cunningham’s over active stick, the reshuffling of players allowed Northumbria to score two scrappy goals, bringing the score line to 7-3. Strong defensive play from Olivia O’Malley and saves from Rachel Wilson when the Poly had a series of Short Corners allowed Newcastle to maintain this impressive lead. Newcastle, annoyed that they had let the Poly score at all, and to further irritate the now red carded Poly captain, allowed goal-hungry Watt to net another two goals, sealing the win for the Newcastle Team. The team and fans were ecstatic and celebrated the 9-3 victory with champagne, while a dismayed Poly fan club looked on in confusion having never seen the bubbly stuff before.
Newcastle 2nds Northumbria 2nds
1 0
It was heartbreak for NULHC Second team when they were subjected to an
undeserved 1-0 defeat against their Poly counterparts, despite having come out 4-0 the better side less than two weeks previously, Although dominating from the start, it was clear confidence was lacking by forwards in the attacking 25. Good running from tonsillitisfighting Fresher Viki Monk and solid defending at the back by Kate Robertson kept the Seconds fighting, however, the lack of public school educated forward Gayle Telford and her beloved stick Graham was evident. 20 minutes in a loss of possession in midfield led to a unwarranted lead for Northumbria which they retained into half time. Play stuck at a level pegging with the Royals unable to make that final push in the D to draw even. Into the last ten the play turned scrappy as the Poly worked to hold on to their lead and the Royals threw everything into grabbing that much needed goal. Roxanne Morris and her signature pirouettes were relentless in midfield, however despite constant battling the final whistle blew to the sound of a Poly victory.
Newcastle 3rds Northumbria 3rds
3 1
NULHC Thirds got off to a flying start dominating the Poly both on and off the pitch. Miss Jessica Hall did a superb job captaining for the day, scoring a blinder from a short corner and creating an impenetrable defence with her trusty left-back Nicole Haines. The second goal is accredited to the infamous Sarah Mckinley after a beautiful cross from general hero Lucy Kent, driven up the pitch by our dream team of mids comprising of Katy Jones, Helen Gaskell and Katie Hay. Third goal was scored by our resident whipper-snapper Rosie Griffindor with a nifty touch into the corner of the goal after a bit of a coffufel. Second half the poly stepped it up a bit and we got a bit floppy, letting one goal in. The end of the game was tense, Northumbria being awarded a few shorts after the final whistle had been blown, not that they would’ve won anyway! Regardless of the Poly’s unpromising attempt to bring it back we played very well and deserved the 3-1 win.
6.StanCalvert2012
Tuesday 6 March 2012
The Courier
Owls Leagues ahead of city
NURL Firsts triumph in brutal encounter while Seconds have to settle for draw in Sta Stan Calvert Cup 2012
RUGBY LEAGUE
Newcastle 1sts
18
Northumbria 1sts
7
By George Clark at GATESHEAD STADIUM After being inspired by the Seconds and watching “My Little Pony” montages in his y-fronts all morning NURL journeyman Davide Knocks fired his troops up for what was to be a clash which would go down in the NURL history books. A superlative kick-off from Kris Grifwos lead to Zak Dingle doppelganger Mikael Wart, Dr Daniel Cawoowoopuss-Midways and Ian Macpherretson driving back a primordial Polytechnic into his own in goal-area. After this defensive frontup the Poly’s goal-line drop-out lead to Warry Higby and Jammie Boyd taking in numerous carries for the AU’s most beloved team. This soon lead to a try from NURL mystery man and Desmond from “Lost” lookalike Boyd prancing around the cavemen to go over under the sticks to bag the first of three tries for the Death Machine. Having been put ahead by Boyd, The Owls try magnet George Mathwho looked to be in for his ninth try in three games only for the officials to deem that he had stepped out the field of play, despite the replays on the big screen showing otherwise. The Poly were however surprisingly quick to react. After dragging themselves into the Owls’ final quarter the nouse-lacking Polytechnic managed to capitalise on what was a uncharacteristic lapse in defensive concentration by NURL. This try was quickly converted and then followed by a completely unnecessary drop goal by Northumbria’s Dawn French stunt double stand-off. After some solid carries from Hylo Muddyson and Jack Sillycox the Owls
found themselves inside the Poly’s red-zone thanks to Dame Knox carrying out a great rip only to be turned over again by a Poly ogre. With the match drawing closer to an end the self-christened “Northumbria Ninjas Wolves” were starting to look more like stray dogs lost on a Byker industrial estate. The linchpin of the Owls’ go-forward Mikael Wart was held up inches from the line before Gary Sherbert steam-rolled over from all of three inches to help the University lead 12-7 thanks to a conversion from Griffiz. The Poly, for whom courses of study generally involve nothing more complex than dot-to-dot books, were shocked by Christ Griddifths’ dainty little chip over the defence. However the Owls were to be narrowly robbed of another score. With the masses arriving to watch the Rugby Yawnion finale and night drawing in the Owls struck again through Gaz Sherbert leading to the Death Machine trumping the “Ninja Wolves” who are a league above them in the “Super 8” in a much deserved 18-7 victory. The season is not over for NURL with the Firsts having Loughborough in the Cup away at Sheffield’s Don Valley Stadium a week on Thursday and the Seconds having Aberystwyth in the plate at fortress Cochrane Park in what should be a juicy encounter.
Newcastle 2nds Northumbria 2nds
12 12
The Death Machine rolled across the Tyne on Sunday to the birthplace of Paul “Gazza” Gascoigne to stun their cross-city counterparts. Despite being labelled “Rahs” and “freaks” on numerous social networking sites in the run up to this clash the NURL chaps were still ready to have some jolly good fun against the City’s resident “Sport” University. The biggest underdogs of the Stan Calvert cup, NURL 2nds, started with the return of Andrew Lenerski after he managed to drag himself away from the colouring-in he enjoys so much for his Geography degree. The recently slimmed-down prop forward returned from his diet of carrot sticks, urinal cakes and battery acid to weigh-in at a slim 168KG to carry the
Newcastle have got bigger fish to fry after demolishing Northumbria Photography: Alexander Wilson
NURL 2nds. After dedicating his performance to his mother, NURL’s resident Polish plummer stuck a spanner in the works with his first of many monumental 20 yard carries. The NURL stalwart was backed up by solid displays from hooker Jash Cronage who put his forwards in copious amounts space leading to Georgeous Clarke setting John Bournemouth on for his first of two tries against the IQ-less Polytechinic.
The Poly, who had just managed to drag their knuckles off their cave floors, were slow to react, scoring through a try which wouldn’t have even made a tiddlywinks team proud with the most simple one-up rugby league footy. Wory Bill-Williams lead the Owlets through a period of solid defence for repeated sets against the Poly Neanderthals. In the second half the Poly looked cream-crackered as John Plymouth crashed his way over through a super-
lative NURL attacking display lead by Jim Walker, for his second try of the game. As a consequence the Owlets’ cross-city rivals were trailing 12-6 thanks to a conversion from Davideé Fagahanan with 15 minutes to go. Justìne Owars, Ed Speaks and Jamie House-O’Payne carried well leading to NURL 2nds pinning their intellectually inferior rivals into their own 20. Archaeologist Sean Rowlings dug deep but the nervous Polytechnic managed to score through an over-
Uni undone by Wilson’s moment of Stan Calvert Cup 2012
MEN’S FOOTBALL
Newcastle 1sts
3
Northumbria 1sts
4
By Charlie Scott at COACH LANE
Newcastle went into this one knowing they were up against a quality Northumbria side at Coach Lane and though they were 4-3 losers on the day, they can take solace from the fact that they were at no point outclassed by their opponents, and could even have grabbed a point from this clash. A scrappy opening half hour was epitomised by two fortuitous goals from Northumbria. Both came from Dan Riley corners from the left, with Newcastle’s defence struggling to clear their lines; first Tom Chippendale poked home from a couple of yards out, before Weston Murau then failed to claim a second cross that was eventually turned home following a
goalmouth scramble. A shell-shocked Newcastle struggled to find a way back into the game as the first half wore on, with their best efforts coming at the end of the half. The usually clinical Ed Savitt came close to reducing the deficit with two volleyed efforts, the first of which was well saved by Neil Postlethwaite and a second that flashed just wide of the post, before centre-back Luke Fisher eventually got Newcastle off the mark with a well-struck volley following a corner. The second half started with the score at 2-1 to the Poly, but they soon extended their lead to 3-1 courtesy of a wonderful lobbed effort from
Luke Wilson after the diminutive forward had raced on to a well-weighted through ball from midfield. The introduction of Kurran Dhugga for Newcastle gave them greater impetus going forward and the substitute should have perhaps done better with a couple of one-on-ones. Poly’s left-winger, who had been as quiet as a mouse all game, then produced the game’s poorest attempt, with a limp finish straight at Murau after being put clean through inside the penalty area. The balance of a play swung in Newcastle’s favour following the miss, and after an extended period of pressure they grabbed a second through Kur-
ran Dhugga, who made amends for his earlier misses by firing home from 10 yards after a well-worked counter attack led by Rishi Dhand down the right-hand side. The goal could not have come at a better time for the Royals as they were well in the ascendancy at that point. An exciting final 15 minutes ensued as Newcastle threw men forward in search of an equaliser. However their desire to draw level meant they were left exposed at the back and Northumbria pounced on this to extend their lead to 4-2 when the impressive Mike Byram was allowed to carry the ball 20 yards before drilling a low effort home from the edge of the pen-
The Courier
StanCavlert2012.7
Tuesday 6 March 2012
rivals Kim-credible: Poly stunned
an Calvert battle
by courageous NUWFC Stan Calvert Cup 2012
WOMEN’S FOOTBALL Newcastle 1sts
4
Northumbria 1sts
3
By Charlie Scott and Rory Brigstock-Barron at LONGBENTON 3G
lap of more than 2 (a number which is coincidentally the shared number of SATS between the entire team). This was duly converted by their stand-off. After some epic carries from Mensa members Henry Cumminghand and Adrian’s Wall O’Smith the Owlets looked as if they’d sunk their dumb cross-district rival dungos for the final time but the Poly airheads survived in a 12-12 draw which complimented the GCSE-less Northumbrians.
magic alty area. There was still time for more drama though as Newcastle refused to accept defeat, and their dogged commitment to attacking paid off as Nathan Campbell clawed one back with a header to make it 4-3 with just seconds left to play. As Newcastle tried in vain to get the ball forward one last time the referee blew the whistle and ended what was an entertaining tie at Coach Lane. Sadly for the Royals their second half endeavours were not enough to overturn Northumbria’s first half advantage, with the Poly leaving the pitch in possession of a rare two Stan Calvert points.
Two goals from Gibraltan genius Kim Baglietto and one each for Lucy Crann and Lizzie Campbell helped Newcastle University Women’s Football Firsts to an astonishing 4-3 victory over illustrious rivals Northumbria in Firday night’s Stan Calvert clash. With their opponents’ top of the Northern Premier – a division three tiers above their own – the Royals could have been forgiven for not expecting much from the game. Nevertheless, to the shock of everyone in the know and the opposition, the Royals produced one of the best performances ever seen under the famous Longbenton lights, to send the Poly home with their tails between their legs. Both sides took advantage of the artificial surface from the off playing exceptional football at times, the first ten minutes seeing a back and forth battle for possession. However, the deadlock was soon broken, a sumptuous ball over the top from Kim Baglietto released Newcastle midfielder Lucy Crann, who cut on to her left foot and finished expertly despite the despairing last ditch tackle of Northumbria defender Kirsty Lincoln. Going behind seemed to spur on the Royals’ illustrious opponents and it was not long before parity was restored. Poor defending from a corner allowed Poly captain Sarah Wilson to level the scores with a brave header from close range. Both sides looked dangerous, Newcastle’s patient build up and excellent wing play was causing the opposition all sorts of problems but Northumbria always looked dangerous on the break. It was the Royals though who
took the lead again, a neat, sweeping move ending abruptly with a right footed screamer from Baglietto in to the top left corner of the goal. Newcastle’s support erupted on the sidelines, shortly before chants of “2 – 1, that’s a real degree” began to ring out from the Royals faithful who were now in full song. The second half wound down with each side registering rather speculative long-range efforts, (Newcastle’s slightly less wayward than that of the Poly) before Referee Steve Catchpole called time on the first period. Newcastle took a 3-1 lead when the impressive Lizzie Campbell stole a yard on her marker wide on the right in the penalty area before lashing home an unstoppable strike into the far corner. With the Royals performing superbly, the highly-rated Northumbria side struggled to contain the likes of Campbell and Baglietto, the latter of whom was enjoying one of those performances where everything seemed to go right, and Newcastle looked comfortable as the second half wore on. Northumbria’s Amelia Hall seemed to have other ideas though, single-
handedly dragging her team back into the game with a fabulous 25-yard strike that flew into the top corner of Jade Redhead’s goal. With the score on a knife-edge at 3-2 both sides sensed that there were still goals in this one, and embarked on increasingly gung-ho approaches, leaving few players at the back as they went in search of the goal that for Newcastle would have given them some breathing space, and for Northumbria would have drawn the scores level. The Royals took the initiative through the irrepressible Baglietto, after a fine move down the middle eventually found the tricky winger out wide on the left. After driving past the challenge of Wilson, Baglietto demonstrated her undoubted class by curling an effort into the bottom right hand corner as nonchalantly as if it were a training game. On the sidelines Northumbria’s manager Colin Stromsoy fumed at Catchpole’s correct decision to ignore an offside flag against Lizzie Campbell in the build-up. Replays confirm that Catchpole made the right decision, as at no point was Campbell either interfering in play or with an opponent in
9
Won
the move that led to Baglietto’s goal. A late rally from Nothumbria produced their third goal of the game, a confident header from Kirsty Lincoln after a lofted corner to the back post. Too little too late for the Poly though, as Newcastle sustained some heavy pressure in the remaining minutes to hold on to one of Newcastle’s best results of the whole Stan Calvert competition. There were jubilant scenes on the sidelines as Catchpole blew the final whistle, with Newcastle telling The Courier afterwards that they had gone into the game considering a 2-0 loss as a good result. How wrong they were. After 90 minutes of pulsating action the Royals fully deserved their 4-3 victory after dominating their more illustrious counterparts all over the pitch. Newcastle Captain Steph Dalby spoke of her joy at the win, telling us how the team were ‘over the moon’ with their victory against ‘the best team in the country’. She went on to describe how their current crop was ‘the best team we’ve [Newcastle] have had in years’ and that her side ‘definitely deserved the win’.
Newcastle Women’s Firsts celebrate their shock victory over Northumbria on Friday Photography: Kimberley Lee
Even field in Cross Country contest Stan Calvert Cup 2012
CROSS COUNTRY Newcastle
1
Northumbria
1
By Andrew McClune at TOWN MOOR
The Great British weather can be a cruel and unpredictable creature at time and this was definitely the case on the Town Moor Saturday morning for the five kilometre Cross Country Stan Calvert race. After several days of sunshine, the weather turned leading to cold and blustery conditions. The build-up to the race suggested a very close men’s race, which could go either way, but the women were predicted to dominant, as they have done in the last two years. As competitors made their way to the start line, confusion was struck across the whole Newcastle team as it appeared Northumbria didn’t have
a women’s team. After speaking with the Northumbrian Director of Sport he was also unsure why there was no women’s team and could only apologise. This allowed some of the women to save themselves for the Athletics event the following day but did not deter many of the women from running. Amy Jessett was first in 17.03 followed by Charlotte Christensen in 19.58. It was now just down to the guys to bring home the points. The poly proved to be slightly too strong on the day, claiming the top three positions.
However Newcastle did claim fourth and fifth with Nathan Reed coming home in 16.33 closely followed by Joe Turner in 16.37. This meant the total men’s points were 24-12 in favour of the poly and that the Cross Country finished one point apiece. A quick race lead to many PB’s being broken, with Cross Country captain AP McClune stepping up to the plate and smashing his PB by over a minute. Many positive can be taken from the race, especially the fact that our women’s team intimidates them enough to not even bring a team.
8.StanCalvert2012
Tuesday 6 March 2012
The Courier
Narrow win at Fortress Cochrane for
Tries from Boyle and Malins earn third consecutive Stan Calvert victory as unbeaten Stan Calvert Cup 2012
WOMEN’S RUGBY
10
Newcastle 1sts
7
Northumbria 1sts By Sofie Raine at COCHRANE PARK
Despite there being snow forecasted for this tie at Cochrane Park, Newcastle went into this game against struggling Team Northumbria with high hopes of a convincing victory against a side 15 points below them in Division 1A. Although Newcastle were confident of sealing a win they were aware of the threat that a hurting Northumbria posed, especially with the conditions far from suiting Newcastle’s normally fluid play. Newcastle received the kick off and immediately attacked Northumbria, moving the ball nicely across the full width of the pitch before it was eventually fumbled into touch. The Royals stormed into a 5-0 lead within five minutes when Holly Malins scored just outside the post, after decent support play from Roo Chintoh. The try eased the side’s nerves as they appeared to struggle to acclimatise to the horrible weather. However Northumbria were not going to just let NWR walk all over them like in previous matches; this was Stan Clavert and no matter which position they were in the table this meant more. Both sides stepped up their performances for the occasion, with Rosie Neal and Charlotte Flint unable to penetrate Northumbria’s rock solid defence. Northumbria then began to
exert some pressure of their own, pinning the Newcastle team inside their own 22 for large periods of the half. With the pressure being kept up by Northumbria, the outsized Newcastle pack struggled to counter Northumbria in the scrums despite the words of Captain Phoebe Lebrecht ringing in their ears, “its not the size of the dog that matters but the fight inside”. The ground gained from stealing scrums was lost at breakdowns, the ball becoming stuck in rucks. With the ball coming loose and the end of the first half near, there was no respite for Newcastle who were still trapped in their own 22. An attempted clearance up the centre of the pitch from the Royals wasn’t properly followed up and Northumbria’s stand-off took control of the ball and drove the ball over the try line to the Poly’s delight. The conversion was good, leaving NWR in a situation not known to them all season, behind on the scoreboard 5-7 at half time. The spirit of the Royals was not dampened and after half time they came back with pressure and determination, the reason NWR sit undefeated at the top of their league. With constant pressure being exerted on Team Northumbria, Newcastle returned the favour of the first half by camping inside Northumbria’s 22. Phoebe Lebrecht kicking for position with the wind made all the difference and with Sarah Bannon and Hannah Rosa causing great disruption to Northumbria’s line outs, Newcastle began to turn the screw. Ruck after ruck formed with Penny Miles being stuck in every one of them, securing clean ball for halfback Hannah McShane to whip the ball out to the back and Livvy Coombs making fantastic breaks with Pat Lapierre. The kicking game wasn’t working at all for Northumbria, with hardly any territory being gained from their clearing kicks. Newcastle took advantage of these poor clearances and consistent pres-
sure eventually paid off when the quick thinking and pace of halfback McShane allowed for clean ball out to the winger Lauren Wallace, a neat switch back into Emma Boyle confusing Northumbria’s defence and allowing Boyle over the line to score Newcastle’s second try of the match.
With no conversions it left the score poised at 10-7. Newcastle kept the pressure up in the 22, but with the greasy ball and cold fingers and toes setting in, the telling score never arrived for the Royals. With calls going against Newcastle,
but not really giving an advantage to Northumbria, it was hard to tell who wanted a hot shower more; NWR, Northumbria and the referee all suffering from the conditions. With minutes left to play a scrum was engaged, the ball popping out to the side to Pat Lapierre who used her
Ace of Blades: double win for fencers FENCING
Stan Calvert Cup 2012
Newcastle 1sts
4
Northumbria 1sts
0
By James Docherty at SPORTS CENTRE For as long as anyone can remember, the points between the fencers have been shared. All that changed this weekend over four frenetic hours in the Sports Centre.
Newcastle Men’s 1sts Northumbria Men’s 1sts
124 119
In a massive coincidence, both the Men’s and Women’s teams chose ex-
actly the same weapon order of Sabre, Foil and Epee, which suited Newcastle in the Men’s match, but probably favoured Northumbria in the Women’s. With the Men’s match starting first, returning saberur Pat “Prodigal Son” Navein acted like he’d never been away, racing out into a 5-0 lead from the first match. With tidy fencing from Tom “Southerner” Patterson and Andrew “Dixy Chick” Dixon giving fine backup, Newcastle quite literally put Northumbria to the sword and left them without an answer. By the time any thought had been given of how to deal with the relentless attack from the Royals, Newcastle had run out convincing 45-29 winners. Foil was always going to be a close affair, with Northumbria known to have strength in the point-scoring weapons. Perhaps trying to make amends for their sabre score, Northumbria started quickly and built up a safe lead. Some thoughtful fencing from Rob “The Good Captain” Walker, and Grant “Needs a Nickname” Turnbull kept Newcastle in touch, with Dixy Chick attempting to close the gap in
the last bout of the weapon. Sadly, the lead was too great and eventually Northumbria ran out 3845 winners, leaving Newcastle as winners if they could score more than 38 points in the final weapon, Epee. This would be no easy feat, as Northumbria were known for their strength in this and so began a tactical battle for the first Fencing Stan Calvert Points. Northumbria knew they had to take the match to Newcastle to stand any chance of winning and did exactly that, chasing down points and fencing aggressively to take points and put Newcastle on the back foot. However, more tactical work from the Good Captain and Dixy Chick kept the target in sight and Captain “Navy” Dan Grant pulled off points of epic proportions to pull the match back and leave Northumbria floundering. Eventually Dixon took to the piste, needing two points to put the match beyond Northumbria and take a historic victory for Men’s Fencing. The effort by both fencers was clear as neither wanted to make a mistake. With an explosive fleche, Dixon
surged forwards and landed the hit, giving Newcastle the critical points and victory over Northumbria. The remaining points played out with Northumbria ending up 45-41 winners, but Newcastle triumphed overall and gave great momentum for the Women’s Team going into their match.
134 Newcastle Women’s 1sts Northumbria Women’s 1sts 122 Women’s sabre was a much closer and even affair, with teams trading points tit-for-tat in an entertaining encounter. The Newcastle team of Ambreen Drummond, Sarah Willis, Holli Prescott and Captain Laura Mason doggedly pressured Northumbria , nipping away at the lead they had created; eventually tying the score at 44-44. Captain Mason timed her final attack to perfection and delivered an excellent hit, taking the weapon by the narrowest of margins, 45-44. Foil was a one-sided encounter, with
Northumbria’s unfamiliarity with the conventions of the weapon seized on by an eager Newcastle team. Mason and Prescott ensured Newcastle maintained their lead through the bouts, with Drummond’s distance and timing sublime, undoing Northumbria and leading to Newcastle claiming an excellent 45-33 victory. This gave Newcastle a 13 point lead for Epee, a weapon they had lost by 20 points the last time they faced Northumbria. However, Stan Calvert often brings out the best in people and this was no exception. Mason delivered excellent hits into the Northumbria fencers’ preparations, with Willis also fencing well. The winning point was won by vicepresident Prescott, a fitting final act following her three years of excellent fencing for the women’s team. In the final, irrelevant bout, Mason undid the tactics of Northumbria’s finishing Fencer, closing the gap they had maintained throughout the weapon. Although Northumbria ran out 4544 victors, Newcastle took the match overall and succeeded in delivering four Stan Calvert points to the cause.
The Courier
StanCalvert2012.9
Tuesday 6 March 2012
NWR
season goes on
Comeback queens earn Badminton draw while men secure decent win Stan Calvert Cup 2012
WOMEN’S BADMINTON Newcastle 1sts
4
Northumbria 1sts
4
By Rory Brigstock-Barron at GATESHEAD STADIUM
NWR captain Phoebe Lebrecht sets the tone for yet another win at fortress Cochrane Park Photography: Sam Desbruslais
instinct to kick the ball out for full time. Newcastle picked up the Stan Calvert points but the score of 10-7 illustrated the battle of the game. Nevertheless it is now three consecutive Stan Calvert wins for NWR, and yet another match unbeaten during their fantastic 2011-12 season.
Full Results round-up
p.12 >>>>>
Three doubles wins and an inspiring singles victory from Jessica Wilkins helped Newcastle University Ladies Badminton come from behind to draw their Stan Calvert fixture against BUCS superiors Northumbria. Things didn’t get off to the best start for the Royals in their first two singles encounters, as both Jessica Wilkins and Victoria Howarth lost to impressive opposition. Wilkins match was a close one, and she started strongly against Mandy Lam whom she lost to in a close league encounter earlier in the season. The Newcastle ace got the better of the first 12 points, ending a fantastic rally with an angled shot in to the corner to make it 8-4. Lam came back strongly winning the next five points, out manoeuvring her opponent and cutting off the angles fantastically to take the lead. Lam didn’t look back from here on and closed out the first 21-17, despite Wilkins coming close to turning the tide. The second game was to be even closer. Wilkins, after a shaky start, began to dominate and the match seemed to be going to a decider as she led Lam 17-12. However, Lam once again showed her resolve and skill to outlast Wilkins and once she levelled the score at 19-19 never looked like loosing. On the next court, stand in Victoria Howarth battled hard but went down to impressive Poly captain Holly Robson in two. The doubles presented more hope for Newcastle with seasoned pair Kat Turner and Kirstin Miller having won both of their matches in the side’s previous encounter this season and Rocio Osuna and Chloe Yim coming close as well. Turner and Miller raced through their first match, dominating the court against Northumbria’s second pairing of Kerry Myers and Hannah Tipler. The match started fairly even with the Newcastle duo a little slow to get going until an excellent angled shot from Turner decieved the Poly pairing and gave the Royals a 5-4 lead. A smash from Turner then took their advantage to two points as the girls began to pull away. The lead was extended in the first to 13-9 when Miller smashed the shuttle in to the corner and from this point Tuner and Miller didn’t drop a single point in the game to take the first 21-9. Bouyed by their performance in the first the girls flew in to an 6-0 lead thanks to some impressive smashes from both Turner and Miller. The Rest of the game followed a simlar patern to the first and whilst Myers and Tipler tried to claw their way to find a foothold, Newcastle’s top pair were just too good. The final score in the match being 21-9, 21-10. Osuna and Yim were not quite as
successful in their first game but put in a good performance against Northumbria’s top pairing of Vicky Henry and Rebecca Godlen, almost forcing a third after being 19-17 up in the second. Once the impressive Mandy Lam managed to get past Victoria Howarth, the Royals were 4-1 down and needed an unlikely singles victory in order to draw the tie. The burden rested on the shoulders of Jessica Wilkins and after she lost the first against Holly Robson things did not look hopeful for the Royals. Yet, after clawing her way back in to the game Wilkins managed to force a third, and with the pair exhausted, managed to close out a crucial victory against a very talented opponent, 2119 in the third. Wins in the remaining doubles matches would seal an unlikely win for Newcastle and although both pairs made hard work of it, they came out on top to spark off the kind of celebrations that left onlookers thinking they have won the fixture.
Stan Calvert Cup 2012
MEN’S BADMINTON
Newcastle 1sts
5
Northumbria 1sts
3
9
Won
By Rory Brigstock-Barron at GATESHEAD STADIUM
An exhaused Jessica Wilkins helped Newcastle to an unlikely draw - Moises Bedrossian
The Men’s side also had a good result on the day and although they would have expected to beat a Northumbria side in the league below them, being without a league win this season, there was certainly potential for an upset. Two victories each for Ben Lambden and doubles pairing of the two Adams (Lodge and Attaheri), coupled with a single victory from Josh Au Yeung was enough to take a deserved 5-3 win against the Poly denying them any Badminton success in this years Stan Calvert. The two Adams were in a fierce doubles encounter early on but came through in the end, just too quick for the Northumbria duo at the net. Perhaps the most crucial of the mens victories was Josh Au Yeung’s first singles match, in which he went to three games with Northumbria’s top singles player. Au Yeung (pictured bottom right) looked exhausted at the end of the encounter which perhaps explains his loss (again in three games) to Northumbria’s second singles player who had a relatively short game when he was easily despatched by Ben Lambden. Lambden’s first victory coupled with the second for Lodge and Attaheri left the score at 4-1 to Newcastle after defeat for the second doubles side. Wth Lambden going in to his second singles match against Northumbria’s number one, a win would seal the overall victory. The club President did not fail to deliver and finished off his opponent in two to take the pressure off his team mates and put another two points on the overall leadrboard. Despite being pegged back in the last two matches Newcastle deserved their victory.
Josh Au Yeung hits a smash in his crucial win for mens badminton - Moises Bedrossian
10.StanCalvert2012
Tuesday 6 March 2012
The Courier
Swimmers’ party not dampened by sizeable Stan Calvert Cup 2012
SWIMMING
Newcastle 1sts
1
Northumbria 1sts
5
By Becky Hair at UNN SPORT CENTRAL Newcastle’s swim team suffered a heavy 5-1 points reverse at the Sport Central pool, despite the screaming and chanting of their passionate fans and team mates. Despite missing their two best individual swimmers due to this week’s British Olympic Trials, the individual boys’ team secured Newcastle’s only point after winning all of their races. By contrast the girls came close in many races but were unable to secure any points for the Uni despite the best efforts of, to name but a few, Julia Michler who swum brilliantly and worked so hard in competing in both relays, the 100m Individual Medley and the 100m breast stroke; Annie Byrne who again pulled a Season’s Best out of the bag by completing the 100m backstroke in one minute, ten seconds - knocking two seconds off her BUCS time! The whole boys team put their absolute all into the event; Chris Dixon and Steve Addison did some especially good swims, while Northumbria showed some true gamesmanship with their competitor against Will Jolly for the 200m freestyle, who gave up half way through and left Will to cruise it. Even with our male captain Chris Garner-Jones and a couple of other swimmers injured the whole event was just so close on each swim, sadly for Team Newcastle however it was a case of so near and yet so far as Northumbria racked up the points. Despite this loss there were positives to be taken from the day however, namely the number of PBs recorded and the fact that Newcastle secured a comfortable victory against the Northumbria B Relay Team, whom they face in the BUCS Team Finals on Saturday. Confidence is high therefore that Newcastle can bounce back immediately and annihilate them.
Squash quash N’umbria challenge Stan Calvert Cup 2012
MEN’S SQUASH
Newcastle 1sts
2
Northumbria 1sts
1
By Marc Pass at UNN SPORT CENTRAL Sunday saw a successful Stan Calvert campaign for men’s squash with an overall away victory against Northumbria.
The first team narrowly missed on making it a whitewash. A wining performance from Johnny Honeyman, who breezed through his second seed match, set the pace whilst Mike Collins battled to a 3-2 victory in a tiresome five setter at fifth seed. Marc Pass and James Worsick had close matches but failed to clinch a win. First seed and captain George Marley was left the crucial decider but came up against extremely tough opposition in Northumbria’s Matt Hardy, barely missing victory but displaying excellent “England circuit” standard squash. The second team also came up against strong opponents. A win from third seed Sam Voller and close loss from Joe Harvey paved the way for first seed Chris Garner to secure an excellent triumph and more vital
points in the race to Stan Calvert victory. However, the Royals’ squash third team managed to come up with the goods. Solid 3-0 wins from Kevin Lees and Matt Goodwin ensured the win with an unfortunate loss at second seed for captain Jack Voller, who was unable to match the performance of his brother earlier in the day. After Northumbria invested so much in their new facilities, it was apparent the standard of their squash didn’t quite match up. Bad courts with dead corners and large nicks gave a home advantage from the off, but Newcastle’s skill came through under the watchful eye of coach Bryan Beeson. A hard days work culminated in an important win and building on a great season.
Snow problem for SKIING
Stan Calvert Cup 2012
Newcastle 1sts
2
Northumbria 1sts
0
By Alex Abbott at SILKSWORTH SKI SLOPE On a clear, Tuesday night, two Newcastle University Ski teams turned up at Silksworth to defend their Stan Calvert title. A rejuvenated team spir-
it was still on display after NUSSC’s trip to Val Thorens over Christmas as the team followed up their numerous successful displays since the festive period with a dazzling performace against Northumbria. Having never lost to the Poly in this event it was inevitable that a double victory was on the cards. With NUSSC fielding two very strong teams they went into the competition confident, although with the Poly putting out their strongest team to date it was important not to get too over-confident. First race up was the Seconds, who had already ran out victorious against the Northumbria Firsts team earlier in the season. The Seconds without doubt absolutely smashed the opposition, led by their rock, Seb Kirk, and ably supported by Dom Younger, Phil
The Courier
2012StanCalvert.11
Tuesday 6 March 2012
Poly loss Double figures and double delight for Waterpolo after convincing wins Newcastle’s swim team were humbled by Northumbria, despite some promising individual performances Photography: Laura Anne Brown
Stan Calvert Cup 2012
WOMEN’S WATERPOLO Newcastle 1sts
19
Northumbria 1sts
2
By Tom Connolly at UNN SPORT CENTRAL Northumbria Sport Central was the venue for the Men’s and Ladies 1st team Waterpolo matches on Friday evening. Although Newcastle were in the Poly’s backyard they were positive in their approach to the matches and confident they would be able to embarrass them as they had the previous season, which was the first time they had played in this competition. The ladies were the first to play and although they had been knocked out of the BUCS semi-finals the weekend previously, they were fired up for this derby match. The Poly’s only joy of the match came in the opening minute as they nicked the opener, but it was to be all downhill from there on for Northumbria as a long range screamer from Newcastle’s Nikki Powley to level the match was followed by a counter attacking goal for Scot Kat McDowall to take the lead. Powley added another before the break meaning the Royals were 3-1 up at the end of the first quarter. With only a two goal cushion, the well drilled Newcastle began to ex-
tend their lead with clinical counter attacks giving further goals for McDowall, swimmer Annie Byrne, Finnish Hanna Ratilainen and team junior Hannah Daglish. This unstoppable attack combined with unbeatable defence produced a 7-1 lead at halftime. The third quarter was much of the same as the Poly managed to double their tally, but McDowall and Powley once again proved worthy in attack by adding their third each of the game. Daglish also struck gold to take the score to 10-2 going into the final quarter. It was here that the super fit Newcastle really showed the Poly how tier one waterpolo is played as the clinical McDowall bagged another four alongside a further two for Christina Zacharia and one each for Byrne and Ratilainen. It fell to veteran Lauri Simkiss to seal the deal producing a solid 19-2 victory for the Royals. Player of the match was Kat McDowall whose powerful offensive play produced seven goals for the Scot.
Stan Calvert Cup 2012
MEN’S WATERPOLO
Newcastle 1sts
26
Northumbria 1sts
11
By Tom Connolly at UNN SPORT CENTRAL With the home crowd silenced by the ladies result, Newcastle men knew
they could and must do the same. The match got underway and within twenty seconds captain Stuart Mac Manus opened the scoring however shortly after the Poly also got off the mark to level the scores. With a point to prove Newcastle player, but exNorthumbria captain Mark Gabrielle, picked up a sin-bin for a reckless challenge but quickly proved his worth by regaining the lead shortly after reentry. Another for Mac Manus saw the Royals pull two goals ahead but a sinbin for Ralph Baker gave the Poly a chance to score to get back into the match which was followed by another from their captain to level the scores 3-3. From here Newcastle knew they had to put the foot down and with goals from playmaker Luke Watkins, future captain Mike Grantham and team junior Josh Baldwin, they did not look back. The Poly managed to scrape one back before the end of the first quarter to leave the score 6-4 to Newcastle. The second quarter belonged to Grantham whose powerful attacking play saw him pick up a hattrick within two minutes. The home side could only manage one of their own before Grantham once again rippled the back of the net. Another for the Poly captain was outshone by an emphatic finish by Newcastle captain Mac Manus. Golden boy Grantham picked up a sin-bin, giving the Poly a chance to grab another, but on re-entry Grantham slotted home his sixth of the match. Now came the time for Gordon Pearson, whose terrier like approach saw him on the end of two crosses, both of which he converted with style. Once again the Poly got the last of the quarter giving a half time Won
score of 15-7. With an eight goal lead all Newcastle could do now was to capitalise on an already textbook performance. This was exemplified early in the third as Mac Manus scored from a perfectly implemented man-up play. The Poly hit back just 16 seconds later which was to be their last of the quarter whilst Newcastle pushed on with two goals from Gabrielle, who was really turning the screw, another each for shooters Mac Manus and Grantham, and a debut Stan Calvert goal for fresher Ben Hughes, giving them a 21-8 lead going into the final quarter. With the introduction of substitute goalkeeper Nathan Taylor, for first string ‘keeper James Hillmen, Newcastle knew they were already over the finishing line. A relentless Grantham once again scored two in quick succession, followed by another for the clinical Gabrielle. The Poly got another conciliation goal and a ball under from Taylor gave them a penalty and another goal. Grantham took his opportunity to take his tally to 10, which brought about aggravation from the Poly supporters, which helped sway the referee’s decision in giving Mac Manus his third sin-bin of the match disallowing him from re-entry. The Poly captain scored their last of the match but there was still time for veteran Watkins to finish the scoring giving Newcastle a convincing 26-11 win. The MVP for the men was awarded to the powerful Grantham who, inspired by McDowall’s performance for the ladies, bettered her score to produce 10 goals, a Stan Calvert Waterpolo record, an unbelievable show of technique, especially at this level.
tenth place, which left Northumbria to claim the last two places. The total scores were very close with
Northumbria just edging a win by 40 points to 38, which meant two Stan Calvert points apiece from the day.
9
Mountain Bikers share the spoils Stan Calvert Cup 2012
MOUNTAIN BIKING
NUSSC
McKenchie, Chris Thompson and Heidi Parker. The First team’s race was a little closer, but inevitably Newcastle still came out with a convincing win thanks to the performances of captain Alex Abbott, president Hannah Parker, Martin Trotter, Chris Penrose and Toby Hughes. The regional dry slope and indoor skiing champions showed no complacency as they convincingly won out against a despondent Northumbria team. After this strong performance, as well as recent victories at Kings Dry Slope and BUISC indoor championships, NUSSC are confident of a strong performance at the upcoming British Uni Snowsports Champs under the watchful eye of their captain Alex Abbott.
Newcastle 1sts
1
Northumbria 1sts
1
By Ali Masson at HAMSTERLEY FOREST Having gained a convincing victory in last year’s Stan Calvert encounter with a significantly weaker team, confidence amongst the Newcastle Cross Country team was high before the race. And with Northumbria only able to field five racers, it looked set to be Newcastle’s day. However, a late appearance from a lycra-clad team Great Britain racer significantly raised the standard of the competition. The race began with a mass start on the four cross track with Sam Sharp taking an early but short-lived lead while a Northumbria rider was left behind with what he initially feared to be a spinal injury but proved only to be a grazed elbow. From then on the race for first place was a close battle between Henry Smurt and the Northumbria team GB
racer. Aiken Harrap and James Robinson followed closely behind. Ultimately first place was taken by the Northumbria rider but positions two to eight were all taken by Newcastle resulting in a win with a final score of 51 to 21 points. The Downhill team however had more of a battle on their hands and needed to step it up a level to compete for a win against Northumbria’s more experienced team. After a recent dry spell the track was running fast with a healthy dose of technical sections ready to catch out anybody with a momentary lapse of concentration. On the first of two race runs Krzysztof Dabrowski was fastest of the Newcastle riders but was sitting third overall behind two Of Northumbria’s riders. Krzysztof managed to knock a couple of seconds off his time on his second run but his third place was snatched by 0.8 of a second by a Northumbria rider. Gaz Hughes and Tristan Tinn put in some solid runs to take fifth and sixth place respectively. Ali Masson managed to hold it together for a second run after a big crash in his first run, taking seventh place in the end. Simon Wilkins had a lot of weight on his shoulders after being Newcastle’s fastest rider the previous year. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite come together this year and an incident with a tree in his second run meant he was left with his first run time and a respectable eighth place overall. Josh Lodge took
Newcastle’s team went to extreme lengths to secure points against Northumbria, putting their bodies on the line. Photography: Newcastle Biking Club
STAN CALVERT CUP 2011/12 - RESULTS
ALL THE ACTION FROM STAN CALVERT SUNDAY RECORD BREAKING POINTS TOTAL FOR UNI
EXCLUSIVE MATCH REPORTS INSIDE
Photography: Hubert Lam Photography: Moises Bedrossian
Photography: Moises Bedrossian
CONSOLATION FOR POLY MEN’S RUGBY UNION, P2
Photography: Moises Bedrossian
Date
Sport
Venue
13 November 2011 4 March 2012 4 March 2012 4 March 2012 4 March 2012 2 March 2012 4 March 2012 4 March 2012 4 March 2012 4 March 2012 22 February 2012 22 February 2012 22 February 2012 3 March 2012 3 March 2012 4 March 2012 4 March 2012 4 March 2012 4 March 2012 4 March 2012 2 March 2012 4 March 2012 4 March 2012 4 March 2012 4 March 2012 29 February 2012 4 March 2012 4 March 2012 4 March 2012 4 March 2012 4 March 2012 4 March 2012 4 March 2012 4 March 2012 29 February 2012 29 February 2012 4 March 2012 4 March 2012 4 March 2012 4 March 2012 29 February 2012 29 February 2012 29 February 2012 29 February 2012 4 March 2012 4 March 2012 4 March 2012 4 March 2012 4 March 2012 4 March 2012 4 March 2012 28 February 2012 28 February 2012 4 March 2012 4 March 2012 4 March 2012 4 March 2012 4 March 2012 4 March 2012 4 March 2012 4 March 2012 4 March 2012 4 March 2012 4 March 2012 4 March 2012 3 March 2012 3 March 2012 1 March 2012 1 March 2012 2 March 2012 2 March 2012
American Football Athletics Badminton - M 1 Badminton - M 2 Badminton - W Basketball - M 1 Basketball - M 2 Basketball - M3 Basketball - W 1 Basketball - W 2 Cricket - M 1 Cricket - M 2 Cricket - W 1 Cross Country M Cross Country W Fencing - M Fencing - W Football - M 1 Football - M 2 Football - M 3 Football - W1 Football - W2 Gaelic Football Golf - 1 Golf - 2 Gymnastics Hockey - M 1 Hockey - M 2 Hockey - M 3 Hockey - W 1 Hockey - W 2 Hockey - W 3 Lacrosse - M Lacrosse - W Mountain Biking DH Mountain Biking XC Netball - 1 Netball - 2 Netball - 3 Netball - 4 Rowing - IM W Quad Rowing - IM M Quad Rowing - Senior W Quad Rowing - Senior M Quad Rugby League - 1 Rugby League - 2 Rugby Union - M 1 Rugby Union - M 2 Rugby Union - M 3 Rugby Union - M 4 Rugby Union - W Skiing - 1 Skiing - 2 Squash - M 1 Squash - M 2 Squash - M 3 Squash - W 1 Squash - W 2 Swimming - M Swimming - W Table Tennis - M 1 Table Tennis - M 2 Table Tennis - W Tennis - M 1 Tennis - M 2 Tennis - W 1 Tennis - W 2 Volleyball - M Volleyball - W Waterpolo - M Waterpolo - W
Gateshead Stadium Gateshead Stadium Gateshead Stadium UNN Sport Central Gateshead Stadium UNN Sport Central Gateshead Stadium UNN Sport Central NU Sports Centre NU Sports Centre South Northumberland CC South Northumberland CC South Northumberland CC Town Moor Town Moor NU Sports Centre NU Sports Centre UNN Sport Central Gateshead Stadium Gateshead Stadium Longbenton Sports Ground Gateshead Stadium Bullocksteads Parklands Matfen Hall Matfen Hall UNN Sport Central UNN Sport Central UNN Sport Central Longbenton Sports Ground Longbenton Sports Ground Longbenton Sports Ground Bullocksteads Bullocksteads Hamsterley Forest Hamsterley Forest Gateshead Stadium Gateshead Stadium Gateshead Stadium Gateshead Stadium Newburn Water Sports Centre Newburn Water Sports Centre Newburn Water Sports Centre Newburn Water Sports Centre Gateshead Stadium Gateshead Stadium Gateshead Stadium Bullocksteads Bullocksteads Heaton Sports Ground Cochrane Park Silksworth Ski Slope Silksworth Ski Slope UNN Sport Central UNN Sport Central UNN Sport Central NU Sports Centre NU Sports Centre UNN Sport Central UNN Sport Central NU Sports Centre NU Sports Centre NU Sports Centre Northumberland Club Northumberland Club Churchill College Churchill College NU Sports Centre NU Sports Centre UNN Sport Central UNN Sport Central
Winner NCL Draw NCL NCL Draw N’BRIA N’BRIA N’BRIA N’BRIA NCL NCL NCL NCL N’BRIA NCL NCL NCL N’BRIA Draw N’BRIA NCL NCL N’BRIA N’BRIA NCL NCL NCL NCL NCL NCL N’BRIA NCL NCL NCL N’BRIA NCL NCL N’BRIA NCL N’BRIA NCL NCL NCL NCL NCL Draw N’BRIA NCL NCL NCL NCL NCL NCL N’BRIA NCL NCL NCL NCL N’BRIA N’BRIA Unknown NCL NCL Draw NCL NCL NCL N’BRIA N’BRIA NCL NCL
The Courier
SabbaticalOfficerselections.5
Tuesday 6 March 2012
vote.ncl.ac.uk
EDITOR OF THE COURIER ELLIOT BENTLEY
As this year’s Deputy Editor (and with three years’ writing experience), I believe I am the MOST EXPERIENCED candidate for Editor of The Courier. I believe The Courier should be a varied publication with content for everyone: from political news to fun features on nights out. I pledge to produce a paper with content for ALL students at Newcastle.
WILLS ROBINSON
I have already: • Brought The Courier into the 21st Century by creating the MOST SUCCESSFUL WEBSITE in the paper’s history • Carried out IN-DEPTH INVESTIGATIONS into rogue landlords, outrageous library fines... and a cardboard cutout of Colin Firth • Brought you interviews with chart-topping bands, disease-curing doctors, and the founder of Wikipedia • As Deputy Editor, helped shape EVERY SECTION of the paper • Presented radio shows on NSR for TWO YEARS I pledge to: • Report STORIES THAT MATTER to you, with more in-depth features into what’s really happening in Newcastle and LIVE COVERAGE of breaking news • Continue improving the website, adding a MOBILE VERSION and VIDEO CONTENT • Introduce a Guardian-style FACEBOOK APP • Comprehensive sport coverage, with online results updated on match day and coverage of a greater variety of sports • Ensure the all-important puzzle section is 100% CORRECT
Comment and Music sections along with News and Sport. • Have covered stories such as the on-going Josh Cryer Twitter saga, the Northumbria Initiation and revealed that Richardson Road was set for demolition.
COLIN HENRYS
I believe that this experience will help me to IMPROVE not just The Courier, but our student media as a whole. If elected I would:
Why vote COLIN HENRYS for Editor? I believe that I have the EXPERIENCE, DRIVE and COMMITMENT to make The Courier BETTER THAN EVER next year. I am currently one of the Sports Editors, meaning that I have already had practice editing one of The Courier’s LARGEST sections. I also have three years of writing experience, was part of
HARRY SLAVIN
Experience • I am currently News Editor and was Sports Editor last year, which, I believes, makes me the MOST EXPERIENCED candidate. • I have conducted interviews with the likes of GEORDIE SHORE, MATT DAWSON, New Zealand Rugby players RICHIE McCAW and SONNY BILL WILLIAMS, and MP NICK BROWN. • I have written articles for the Life and Style,
BEN TRAVIS
Who? • Current music editor and writer for three years with The Courier. • Enthusiastic, approachable, hard-working, creatively-minded, dedicated. As Editor of The Courier, I believe I can give you: • A REAL STUDENT FOCUS - delivering news stories and issues that bring Newcastle University’s students to the fore. • WEEKLY ENTERTAINMENT with features
Remember…When there’s a Wills there’s a way
ranging from sex and relationships, to nights out and what’s going on around campus. • A MOBILE APP to keep The Courier at students’ fingertips 24 hours a day. • UNPARALLELED SPORTS COVERAGE for Intra Mural and BUCS - regularly updated league tables, match reports and quality images. • A REFLECTION OF NEWCASTLE’S CULTURE across the music, film, arts, and lifestyle sections. • A STRONGER RELATIONSHIP with Newcastle’s students through increased use of FACEBOOK and TWITTER. • A MORE VISUALLY-ENGAGING PAPER with professional design. • A UNITED STUDENT MEDIA by networking with NSR and TCTV. • INCREASED SOCIETIES AND EVENTS COVERAGE to represent the interests and achievements of students. • INDEPENDENCE from political bias, presenting the varied opinions of Newcastle students. The Courier is a brilliant newspaper, but it could be super. A super paper needs a super editor - vote for Ben Travis. www.bentravisforeditor.com #BenTravis4Editor
• Be more FORWARD-THINKING with news and comment articles. • Work to ERADICATE inexcusable spelling mistakes, especially on the FRONT PAGE. • Further EXPAND The Courier Online – even more web exclusive news stories, blogs and reviews; LIVE SPORTS COVERAGE and more REGULAR UPDATING of content. • Overhaul the C2 section – more music and film reviews, a TRAVEL section and WIDER COVERAGE of societies and forthcoming events. • Expand TCTV to bring you NEWS roundups, SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS and more Bigg Market Banter. • Actively promote NSR and TCTV to give them the coverage that they deserve. Want all this and more? Then vote COLIN FOR EDITOR! that matter to you • Even more creative and in-depth coverage of BUCS and Intra Mural Sport • Bringing you the best in new and innovative features, including the return of ‘hottie of the week’ First, Fast, Now: • Breaking news pieces online instantly to keep you up to speed with top stories. • More exclusive interviews with the best talent from the worlds of entertainment and sport • Greater distribution around campus to make it the most accessible paper to date • Stronger ties with NSR and greater use of TCTV
What I would bring to The Courier • Expand The Courier Online, with more online exclusives throughout the year, spreading the site’s contents via social media to reach all of Newcastle’s students. • Run more campaigns to meet the demands of Newcastle’s students. • Free publicity for clubs and societies. • Free student advertising on a specially designated page, as well as online. • Maintain and strengthen links with NSR and TCTV, combining them with The Courier to create a stronger media base at Newcastle • Remain loyal to the features that hard working editors have introduced before me, including the continued use of the C2 supplement and student favourites such as blind date.
the AWARD-WINNING Courier Online team and have sat on the TCTV committee.
The Courier is the heartbeat of Newcastle University and I believe that with my experience as current Sports Editor and seasoned contributor to the paper, I am the perfect candidate for Editor.
Have Your Say: • Improved online comments system • More opportunities for new, aspiring writers • ‘Letters’ feature to promote feedback and get you involved
A vote for Harry Slavin could guarantee greater content, coverage and participation:
The Courier is not about picking up national awards; it is about informing and entertaining YOU, our invaluable reader.
On The Ball: • A paper bursting with news stories and issues
VOTE HARRY FOR EDITOR AND LET’S SLAV IT!
EDITOR OF THE COURIER EXPLAINED The Editor of The Courier is responsible for overseeing the production of your weekly student newspaper. The Courier is not only for entertainment purposes! It keeps you informed of what is going on in and around campus, is representative of your time here at Newcastle and provides a professional platform for a career in the media for over 200 students that dedicate their time and energy into contributing to its pages. is in charge of running a team of over thirty student volunteers that choose content, edit articles and design pages They also oversee NSR (Newcastle Student Radio) and TCTV (The Courier Televsion) to ensure all three arms of Student Media here at Newcastle are represented farly. They also liase with the University for the production of the Alternative Prospectus,
6.electionsPartTimeOfficer
CAMPAIGNS OFFICER ANDREW TODD
My name is Andrew Todd and I want to be your campaigns officer next year because I believe I have the skills and experience to give you a voice. I spent the first 14 years of my life in Oman, and have experienced different cultures all over
At the heart of every great society or organisation there’s a need for order and rules; the guidelines that everyone follows and can rely
the world and know that clashing attitudes lead to a need for change. We are experiencing change now – when the world is reeling from an economic disaster, I believe the rights of groups or individuals can be overlooked by those purporting to protect the wider collective. I believe passionately in ending the discrimination we face in getting a good start in life. I believe in giving people the opportunity to make change for the better. My involvement with trade unions has given me an appreciation for what can be achieved when driven people take on inequality. For instance, I am confident we will soon see an end to age-related pay. As a friendly and approachable person, I want to reassure you that I have the confidence to fight for what is just. If you want someone who will listen to you, and take on any issue, vote Andrew Todd for your Campaigns Officer.
on, and be certain that others do the same. As Winston Churchill famously said: ‘The price of greatness is responsibility’. And so it is our responsibility to look after our Student Union and show respect for the people within it. As the Convener of Disciplinary I would do my upmost to be entirely impartial at all times whilst vigilantly safe-guarding our Union and the people’s rights within it. I would be fair but firm, if and when disciplinary matters occur, so students can have the confidence that the Union continues to provide a safe and friendly environment. The Union is filled with positive vibes-but unfortunately things do happen, and when they do, I believe I would be the right person you could count on to deal with them due to my skill as a scientist to be objective. Finally, I would aim to bring even more enthusiasm into the Union Council and be an approachable, active member of the Officer’s team, endeavouring to better the Students’ Union evermore! Please vote for me!
GENDER EQUALITY OFFICER EMILY WALLER
Hi! I’m Emily and I’m running for Gender Equality Officer. Here are a couple of reasons why you should vote for ME: • I’ve been thoroughly involved with all aspects of University life in my past one-and-a-bit years
The Courier
vote.ncl.ac.uk
CHAIR OF UNION COUNCIL CHARLES BARRY
CONVENOR OF DISCIPLINARY JASON WATSON
Tuesday 6 March 2012
Experience • First elected to Union Council in December 2010. • Sat on Steering Committee of Union Council since Feb 2011. • Other committee memberships include Elec-
ETHICS AND ENVIRONMENT OFFICER ROSS CHAPMAN AND ALASDAIR MORRISON
Our Ultimate Aim: ‘Effectively change the way the environment is viewed by the Student body and incorporate ethical issues into the Student ethos.’ We want to: - Conduct events, which give students the opportunity to get to know more people from a
variety of different backgrounds. - Promote the importance of environmental issues and make the university campus more environmentally friendly. - Spread the word through social media and events whilst actively campaigning to achieve our Ultimate Aim. - Encourage students to come and present their own opinions on preserving the environmental and ethical issues that are important to them at specially organised debates and events. This information could then be used to implement positive changes on campus. - Incentivise good practices on campus in areas such as recycling and freedom of expression surrounding ethical issues. Why us? We believe that we have the right qualities to be Ethics and Environmental Officers as we are currently Stage 2 Geography and Economics & Geography students giving us good insight into the world of environmental and ethical issues so… VOTE ALASDAIR & ROSS!
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS OFFICER ADIT AGARWAL
here, through my course, sport, and societies. • I’m used to representing a wide range of students, as I have positions on Societies Exec, Community Exec, a voting position on Union Council and am also Secretary of the English Society and Captain of the Badminton Club. • My involvement means I hear the opinions of men and women across the board on a day-today basis, so I know the concerns of the people who count: the regular students of the uni. • I’m very ‘enthusiastic’ about getting my point across – if I feel a gender issue needs to be voiced, I will find a way of saying it! Achieving a University where both sexes are represented with one hundred per cent equality is the goal. It’s the little things that make the big difference, and if anyone has ANY concerns I promise that I will represent them to the best of my ability! Thanks for reading… you know what to do now!
tions Committee, Scrutiny Committee, Officer Performance Review Committee and Education Executive Committee. • Elected as Student Representative on University Senate in June 2011, which is the University’s governing body on academic matters. I have made representations to the Senate on many issues, including opposing higher fees for part-time students. • Passed seven motions at Council to improve the way the Union works, including reforming Council itself. • I have detailed knowledge of the way Union Council works, having re-written many of the governing rules. • I have pushed for many improvements to the way Council is run, including providing training to members to help explain how meetings work. If elected, my policies would be: 1. Be an experienced and knowledgeable Chair who can run meetings without issues; 2. Build a new section on the website to make Council more accessible to students; 3. Work with other Officers and Councillors to simplify Council meetings;
changes, making the government change their proposed plans, being cited by the home affairs committee, to getting a motion passed in the union wanting the union to campaign for international students if the university tries to increase international student fees. It has been a challenging year for all the current and future students. While post study work visa has been abolished, the home student fee has substantially increased. With the removal of Post-study work visa, we all are waiting for details of its replacement.
Over my time at the University, and as YOUR current International Students’ officer, I believe I have continually strived in the best interests of YOUR interests. From the campaign against immigration
I ask you all, to re-elect me as YOUR International Students’ Officer, so that I can continue to help raise YOUR voice, and continue lobbying the government with the help of NUS, for a fair scheme in its place which is just and reasonable. I have tried to increase more awareness of the Union among the INTO students, and I will continue to work towards integration of the campus and turn Newcastle into a true Global University!
The Courier
PartTimeOfficerelections.7
Tuesday 6 March 2012
vote.ncl.ac.uk
NSR STATION MANAGER
LGBT OFFICER CHRISTOS MEXIAS
Hey hey! I’m Chris – a second year History student – and I’m running for LGBT officer. I’ve always passionately believed in LGBT, or ‘Life Gets Better
DAVID BENDALL AND RACHAEL FOSTER Together’. To me being gay, lesbian, bi, or trans is more about a good night on the scene; it’s also about shaping the community we all live in.
and being voting Union Council Members, we believe with this valuable experience we can lead NSR through its sixteenth year of broadcasting and serve as part time officers.
If I’m elected I plan to drive community involvement forward in two ways. In Semester One I’m going to build on the ‘It Gets Better’ campaign run by the LGBT society and hold anti-homophobia talks in local schools in order to tackle the issue of homophobic bullying head on.
If elected we aim to:
In Semester Two I’ll be organising a wideranging debate on how being gay doesn’t have to preclude you from being anything else you want to be. To this end I’m planning to reach out to the Newcastle Ravens, other LGBT organisations, Anglican bishops and local MPs in order to have a meaningful discussion on equality and the law, the evolving interaction between faith and sexuality, and homophobia in sport. I will also be reaching out to local PFLAG groups for support and advice on coming out.
OFFICER WITHOUT PORTFOLIO LISA WILSON
What? • Officer without Portfolio is a supporting role with the aim of assisting the officers with projects and services within the Union. • To promote all aspects of the Union with the goal to increasing participation and engaging all students. Who? I am Lisa, in my third year studying Chemical Engineering. Currently I am President of the Engineers without Borders Society, Secretary of
the Women’s Basketball club, Student Ambassador and Academic year representative for my course and I’ve decided the Union is the next step! Proposal? • Improve visibility of the Officer without Portfolio role in becoming an approachable figure to everyone, whether familiar or not to the running of the union. • Create a humanitarian centre to allow greater and easier opportunities for students to be involved in volunteering and development, through local charities or international organisations- presenting the right instruction, information and support on how to do so. • Boosting the existing union activities such as ‘Go Play’ and ‘Give it a go’, integrating sports clubs, societies, international students and those who are too lazy to get off their bums! HOW? • Being realistic and in tune with what students want and need. • Bringing new energy and positivity to the Union. • By smiling!
RAG ORGANISER
We are Dave and Rachael, and together we want to be your Newcastle Student Radio Station Managers. We believe NSR is an extremely important and valuable asset to our Union. This past year NSR has experienced great success and undergone huge and lasting changes. After being executives and presenters for NSR over a combined 4 years, as well as having experience of sitting on the Media Executive Committee
RACIAL EQUALITY OFFICER OBREN AMIESIMAKA
ciety Newcastle University; I am also a Course Rep for my course. I also held many positions of leadership at my secondary school which include being; an assembly prefect, a member of the Social and Prom committees, Secretary of the Bible Society, Public Relations Officer of the Chemistry Society and Captain of my Sports House leading my house to victory 3 consecutive times in the Inter-house sports competition. As a straight talking and very friendly person; I just have a one point agenda which is;
As a Black African international student, racial equality is an issue I feel very strongly about. Over the years a lot of progress has been made to improve racial equality but we must not relent in our efforts to reduce racial discrimination to the barest minimum. I am presently the Secretary of the Nigerian So-
• To ensure students of all races are given equal opportunity and not discriminated against in any way. If elected Racial Equality Officer, I promise to do my very best in protecting and representing the needs of students of all races. Many thanks, OBREN AMIESIMAKA
MARTINA DIETRICH AND CAROLINE SHORTHOUSE dents – particularly Freshers – are aware of the help and support on offer from the University. • To work towards developing a community both on and offline through which disabled students can support one another in a sociable context.
• PROMOTION: Using some of the best promotion companies from Newcastle’s vibrant club scenes, we aim to improve the publicity of RAG events, to involve as many of you as possible. • Two words: RAG RAIDS! Fancy some new faces? We hope to raid as many student cities as possible and, with your help, we can choose which cities to stumble upon and which charities you want to raid for.
VOTE for us for RAG officers 2012/13, for a new and improved RAG experience.
Newcastle Student Radio: This is our radio station
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES OFFICER
HATTIE HILL AND ROSIE LEATHERLAND
We are Rosie and Hattie, the ‘RAG Dolls’. Both with RAG and Fresher’s Crew experience and a passion for charity, Rosie studies English and works as a volunteer representative for a children and young person’s cancer charity. Hattie is a Politics student, and is climbing Kilimanjaro for charity in September.
• Create a Freshers’ Week presence • Continue the hard work done from this year in updating NSR’s website. • NSR should aim to broadcast more live music from the union, related events and host specialist music weeks and gigs. • Encourage clubs and societies to use NSR to broadcast to their membership and use it as an advertisement platform. • Fully consider purchasing a short-term FM licence and create an experience similar to that of March 2011, in order to showcase NSR’s talent and hard work. • Create a stronger relationship with The Courier and TCTV
• LET’S GET TOGETHER: We aim to spread the word of RAG far and wide from Freshers, to Post-Grads. • ALL YEAR ROUND: We believe RAG should be more than a weeklong event, raising as much money for the RAG charities as possible. VOTE for us to change the face of RAG- meet new people, aim to beat raising records and above all have a LAUGH.
Why Us? Our Aims: • To work with the Education Officer to ensure that catch-up is available for all lectures. • To continue to help improve access in and around the University, as well as reviewing access from popular student areas to the Campus. • To promote disabilities awareness through a ‘Not All Disabilities Are Visible’ campaign. • To continue to ensure that all disabled stu-
Our Combined Experience: • Ambassadorial work for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust, demonstrating an ability to represent people and speak out on behalf of others. • Work on an executive committee to raise funds for and organise a Holiday week for disabled children over two summers, developing the skills required to organise campaigns and implement changes. • Extensive voluntary work with adults and children with learning difficulties and/or physical disabilities, developing an understanding of different types of disabilities, and the different levels of support available and required for them. • Caroline is also the current Students with Disabilities Officer, so has direct experience in this role.
The Courier
6th-11thMarchlistings.23
Tuesday 6 March 2012
C2 Editor: Aimee Philipson
Friday Clothes swap
7-9pm Teasy Does It Cafe, Heaton Park Road, Heaton
To celebrate International Women’s Day 2012, come along to a charity clothes swap at Heaton’s newest cafe, Teasy Does It. Bring your clothes, shoes and accessories along (clean and in good condition) **with their coathangers**. All proceeds go to the domestic abuse charity SixtyEightyThirty. See Facebook event for more details.
Caledonian Society Ball 7pm Assembly Rooms
See Facebook event for more details.
Av Festival: Slow Cinema: Films and Directors Q&A 6-11pm Star and Shadow Cinema
6pm-8.30pm: Nightfall (Dir. Fred Keleman) - One of the boldest German filmmakers of the last 20 years, Kelemen’s third feature is a devastating, tender and sublime masterpiece. 9.30pm-11pm: Elegy To The Visitor From The Revolution (Dir. Lav Diaz) - A woman waits on the street curb, a group plan a robbery, a musician plays guitar and a visitor wanders the city; these are the enigmatic components of Diaz’s work-in-progress film – the start of an ambitious series of 15.
Something for the weekend
Looking forward to...
X Factor Auditions
Fine art exhibition
Do you have The X Factor? Are you in a group or a solo singer aged 16 or over? This is your first step to stardom! Open auditions take place at Newcastle’s Metro Radio Arena starting at 8.00am. If you haven’t already applied online, don’t worry, just turn up. This audition could change your life forever! You will need to prepare a verse and chorus of at least one song in acapella (i.e. without backing music or instruments). Remember you need to stand out from the crowd. www.itv.com/xfactor
A group of second year Fine Art students will collaborate together over the course of 60 hours to produce an exhibition to run alongside the AV Festival. Preview on 14 March from 7pm - 10pm. Exhibition open 15 - 17 March from 10am - 5pm.
7-9pm Metro Radio Arena
COCO ‘Street Scenes’ dance night Saturday WHQ
Performers include Newcastle Dance Society, Newcastle DJ Society and many local hip-hop and break dancers. Tickets are £4 in advance and are available from the Students’ Union Reception. +
15-17 March, 10am-5pm Newbridge Site, 18 Newbridge Street
Charity comedy night 19 March Hoochie Coochie
Like comedy? Want to support a really good cause? This is the night for you! We are proud to present a packed and varied lineup , headlined by local legend Gavin Webster. Nine acts, all for £3! There will also be a charity raffle, with fantastic prizes such as champagne, M&S giftcards, iTunes cards, John Lewis vouchers and more TBC! All you have to do is visit www.justgiving. co.uk/charitycomedy, donate £3 & your name will be added to the guestlist for entry on the night. Tickets will also be available on the night. Every single penny raised will go straight to charity!
Let’s Get Lyrical 31 March Newcastle City Hall
Get your Glee on! The final of Let’s Get Lyrical - the annual choir competition held in aid of St Oswald’s Hospice in Gosforth - is coming up soon, so grab a ticket and get down to Newcastle City Hall to support your favourite on 31 March. Tickets are available from Newcastle City Hall or St Oswald’s Hospice for £12.
Lonesome West 15 March The Cluny 2
The Lonesome West features the constantly arguing brothers Coleman and Valene, whose father has just died in a shotgun ‘accident’. Another death forces the brothers to consider their situation, with an interesting outcome! Last NUTS production of the term!
Want your event listed?
Email c2.editor@ncl.ac.uk with all the details and any photos you have by Monday 12pm of the week before the issue you want to feature in.
24.arts
Tuesday 6 March 2012
The Courier
thecourieronline.co.uk/arts c2.arts@ncl.ac.uk
Going past the razzle-dazzle
The book that... taught me all I Alexandra Walker talks needed to know glitz and glamour with Grace Harvey on why Wikipedia isn’t always her first port of call
M
ost of us have a treasured book from our childhood that we can happily reminisce over. I however refused to stop reading my most beloved books, and after the BBC commissioned the series into a CBBC programme presented by Stephen Fry, I knew that I was not alone. Terry Deary’s best-selling collection of Horrible Histories, is not only a guilty pleasure, but a genuine academic source that I cherish greatly. Although I do hold myself to be a reasonably intelligent student, I do manage to learn a great deal from The Horrible Histories. Whilst my hard-working lecturers will despair at this confession, the knowledge Deary imparts to the young and apparently mature reader is generally historically accurate and guarantees to irrevocably imprint itself into your brain. Unsurprisingly my reason for returning to these books is effectively procrastination and after attempting to plough my way through the ever growing stack of academic books on the Stuarts, I turned back to my copy of The Slimy Stuarts for light relief and found myself reliving the fond memories I once had of these books. And in a bid to avoid “the final-year fear” decided I would reread the lot. Bizarrely this was not an afternoon wasted, and the banal facts that overwhelm the book are actually quite useful. And from a gingerbread recipe from the Restoration era to Stuart beauty tips, and their contemporary slang (Slabberdeguillion is potentially the greatest word in existence but unfortunately rarely used anymore) are not only funny but strangely practical for a humanities student. Yes, it might be ridiculous that a 21 year old student should find these books so hilarious and engaging but I defy anyone to argue otherwise. The humour in the books is real and not just for the younger reader. Fair enough, there is a line and when you realise all you can contribute to a renaissance literature seminar is the ‘King of Bling’ rap you know you’ve crossed it. Each time I re-read The Slimy Stuarts I find an extra gem of political comedy that convinces me that Milton really should have drawn pictures. The BBC’s decision to turn the books into a television series has been possibly one of the wisest decisions to have left their commissioning office and I’m exploiting this too for its obvious academic prowess. Whether you’d agree with me or not it is truly impossible to deny the charm and real hilarity of the books which have entered the hearts of anyone who has ever been bored in a history lesson.
Chicago star Ali Bastian
P
erhaps best known for her roles as Becca Dean in Hollyoaks or as Sally Armstrong in The Bill, Ali Bastian has taken the leap from screen to stage as she now plays Roxie Hart in the UK touring production of Chicago. During an interview with her, I was able to get an insight into her hectic training schedule, her dedication to this new role and her distinctly successful transition from soap actress to musical theatre star. Fresh from two full house nights at Hull’s New Theatre, Bastian is exhilarated to perform her starring role in front of a live audience. ‘’It’s funny, you rehearse the show and it’s not until you get the audience in that you get a real feeling for it.” Both the public and critics have given the prestigious production a thumbs up and Bastian is exhilarate by this response as she says that “to get that kind of feedback is amazing, it seems to be going down really well”. With six Tonys, one Grammy, one Olivier, two Baftas and six Academy Awards the West End production of Chicago holds about as much critical esteem as musically possible. In response to any pressure felt for the success of the touring production, Bastian said that “the wonderful thing about this production is that we’ve all joined the company together, I think if you go to the West End, you’re dropped into something that’s already up and running, but we’ve all learnt the show at the same time.”
Northern Stage 5-7 March
Tickets are £7 and available online, the Northern Stage’s Box Office or outside the Union
Bastian stars alongside a host of soap stars, West End stars and other musical prodigies and on this subject she notes that “we’ve all really bonded and there’s amazing chemistry on stage, mixed with a feeling that we want to put our own stamp on it, so I hope we’re achieving that.” Part of Chicago’s charm is in its sharp, dramatic and seductive dance routines, to which Bastian gives all her praise to the incredible musical choreographer, Bob Fosse. “Fosse’s style is a very, very precise, immaculate and stylised kind of dancing, very different from anything I’ve done before, but I absolutely love it.” When I asked about the amount of training she went through, she laughed and said “it’s getting better, Tupele and I (Tupele Dorgu plays Velma Kelly) were given a lot of training and we started training before the rest of the company in order to get all our numbers under our belts. But once you’ve learnt the choreography, you really enjoy it and it’s a lot of fun to perform.” I wanted to know how her success on Strictly Come Dancing elevated her theatrical career and whether the show was necessary for the transition from screen to stage. To this she excitedly responded that “this is the first musical I’ve done as an adult, so it’s all very new to me, but I’m absolutely falling in love with it. Doing Strictly really did add another string to my bow… that’s the whole thing with doing a show like that, I found some-
Pictured above Ali Bastian as Roxy Hart
thing that I really love.” She went on to say that “off the back of Strictly, I got a job called Burn the Floor (a ballroom and Latin dance show), I learnt an awful lot as a I was given daily lessons with the choreographer Jason Gilkison, who’s a world-champion ballroom dancer, so I think it opened a lot of doors for me and for that I’ll always be grateful.” Bastian held long-term positions on both Hollyoaks and The Bill, so I wanted to know how she finds the transition between both performance styles and whether she has any preference between the two. In response to this, Bastian said “they’re totally different; it’s like asking which of your children you like best! I suppose nothing beats the buzz of a live performance, there’s a certain magic around a live show that I really enjoy. Television is so fast-paced and you don’t always get the opportunity to get into the text as much as doing a play or show. With television it’s much more organic and very quick, but at the same time, I really enjoy it.” Bastian will be starring in Chicago at the Sunderland Empire from 26 – 31 March; Student Offer: £20 from noon on the day of the show (Mon-Thu eve and Fri matinees).
Hot pants and high kicks
Sally Priddle sells you singing, sex and sensationalism with NUTS’ musical A Chorus Line
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roadway, the world of glitz, glamour and non-stop sensationalism but look past the sequins and the glitter and you will see a whole other world. A Chorus Line provides you with a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the world of theatre and ambitions of 17 Broadway hopefuls. A Chorus Line reveals the struggles, triumphs and failures of aspiring actors, all of whom have stories to tell and songs to sing in order to win the chance to dance on Broadway. This is a chance to see dreams made and destroyed all under the hot lights of the theatre, showing that razzle dazzle is one side but it is blood, sweat and tears on the other. Watch as the contenders put it all on the line in order to achieve their dreams, find themselves and finally become part of the lusted after chorus. A Chorus Line when first opened on Broadway in 1975 was a box office and critical hit, receiving 12 Tony Award nominations and winning nine of them. In addition the show won the 1976 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and was the longestrunning Broadway production until surpassed by Cats in 1997. It has achieved world-wide success, with theatres all over the world falling in love with the passion,
music and not to mention the many, many high kicks. If you’re still not convinced, here are five reasons that are sure to persuade you to go and see NUTS’ A Chorus Line:
1
There are girls in very short shorts, doing high kicks and singing about tits and arses.
2
There are some very beautiful men who will melt your heart with their lovely voices.
3
There’s a great love story in amongst the glitter and hot pants.
4
The show works through some real issues too including homosexuality, plastic surgery and self -esteem.
5
There are many many great songs and the NUTS’ cast.
The Courier
arts.25
Tuesday 6 March 2012
Arts Editor: Sally Priddle Online Arts Editor: Lisa Bernhardt
Top 5 musicals West Side Story
5
They don’t come much better than this. The genius pairing of Bernstein’s music with Sondheim’s lyrics gave the Musical Theatre World such classics as ‘America’ and ‘Tonight’, and once performed in tandem with the ground-breaking choreography of Jerome Robbins, ‘West Side Story’ took the Broadway Scene by storm. It proved that musicals could be gritty, and is arguably the most successful transformation of any Shakespeare play to date. Best Song: America!
4
Charlie Burt
Wicked
The combination of flying monkeys, talking goats and a sarcastic green woman in Wicked creates the perfect potion for an utterly hilarious and thrilling musical. The ultimate number has to be Defying Gravity as it is both visually stunning to watch and is epically sung to a point where goose pimples will appear on your skin. This remoulded tale of Oz is an absolute classic and guarantees enjoyment. Best Song: Defying Gravity
Aimee Vickers
Les Miserables
previews
The Midnight Oil Northern Stage March 8-10
Pygmalion Cluny 2 March 10-12
I Dreamed a Dream Theatre Royal February 18
The Midnight Oil, is an exciting and brand new play written and directed by MA student Ben Schwarz. The Midnight Oil follows the story of Henry Caldwell, a journalist in late Victorian London, as he fights to resist temptation and remain respectable. Caldwell is called to an opium den by his old friend Dr. Alexander in order to uncover the identity of illusive novelist George Kramer, but he is loath to enter for fear of compromising his upright nature. Once inside, Caldwell finds more than just the squalor and degeneracy he expected. He is shocked to discover that the den’s inhabitants, fascinate him and that opium’s potential to generate creativity tempts him far beyond his anticipations. This underground world is uncertain but irresistably addictive. The Midnight Oil is a play about creativity, opium, addiction and social respectability. With an original script, a dynamic student cast, this will certainly be a highlight of the spring theatre season. Tickets available outside the Union Rosie Tallant
Pygmalion is more popularly known from the 1964 film adaptation ‘My Fair Lady’ starring Audrey Hepburn. It is an incredibly moving, timeless romantic comedy in which Henry Higgins, a professor of phonetics, makes a bet that he can transform an uncivilized Cockney flower girl, Eliza Doolittle, to pass for a duchess. Higgins sets off on his mission to train Eliza to ditch her Cockney accent for flawless English, and by this she assumes the veneer of a gentile woman. What Higgins does not anticipate is how much Eliza will change, and how much his feeling for her will alter also. The play follows Eliza’s journey from the mean streets of London to the dazzling world of the upper class, dealing closely with questions of social mobility, while showing the rigid British class system and offering subtle remarks on women. This romantic comedy period drama with social criticism, charismatic characters and ridiculously good lines is not to be missed! Tickets available outside the Union Bethia Moorhouse
Stepping on stage at the first audition, Susan was met by a low murmuring from the crowd, but within moments of her opening her mouth, managed to throw the entire audience into a reverie with a version of ‘I Dreamed a Dream’. Three years on, Susan Boyle has become an international star, selling 14 million albums in 14 months. It seems the British nation has taken Su-Bo to heart not only for her powerful voice, but because she is the perfect advertisement for how anyone can reach the dizzying heights of fame. ‘I Dreamed a Dream’ is a musical based on Susan’s rise to fame, starring Elaine C Smith and the leading lady herself, Su-Bo. Theatre Royal will be hosting the World Premiere of the musical which promises to make you ‘laugh and cry’ and follows the story of Susan’s rise from a council house in West Lothian to, well, a bigger house in West Lothian. Although it initially seems a strange premise for a musical it is undeniable that Susan boasts a good pair of lungs and is rather enigmatic: it may be an unexpected hit. Amelia Wareing
Elektro Kif
Taming of the Shrew
The Vagina Monologues
3 reviews
With a stellar 24 year run on the West End shown in 43 counties, 300 cities to a total worldwide audience of 60 million, this musical is something if an all-singing phenomenon despite the fact it’s about the French revolution… and who reeeally cares about the French? (Only joking)
2
Best Song: Well it’s one big, giant song all rolled into one – go see it! Anya Thaker
Grease
Arguably the most popular musical of all time, Grease manages to capture the essence of the 1950s in its styling and songs, whilst remaining timelessly entertaining. Set at Rydell High, it follows the trials and tribulations of growing up, love and the inaugural school prom. It is clear to see its huge impact on every high school film ever since. ‘Grease is the word,’ enough said. Best Song: You’re the one that I want
1
Catherine Langley
Chicago
Chicago’s intoxicating mix of sex, sin and scandal which has made it Broadway’s longest-running musical revival, and its’ captivating plot and score deliver on all levels. From its roots of a sharp satire on judicial corruption and a sinister tale of murder and deceit, to the dizzy heights of its daring song and dance numbers, Chicago has earned its place as one of the most prolific musicals of our generation and as our No. 1. Best Song : All That Jazz Georgia Snow
Northern Stage February 21
Despite the initial shock of seeing eight superbly toned dancers flailing their arms around and shouting in unintelligible French, Elektro Kif proved to be an incredible performance. Their original choreography, put together by the internationally acclaimed Blanca Li, was moulded to represent a typical day at school. Each scene was infused with a different sub-genre of dance technique, ranging from Latin-inspired dance, to Michael Jackson- inspired moves. Although slightly crude at times, the 70 minute performance produced tones of every emotion possible, supported by Tao Gutierrez’s superb score. A particularly striking moment was achieved when two of the dancers switched from a break- dancing routine, to a highly emotive ballet-infused scene, showing the immense versatility of their talents. Each individual further showcased their capabilities, as they mastered incredibly unique solos. As the dance troupe are currently touring, I would definitely recommend Elektro Kif,as they provide a fresh and exciting take on modern dance. Alexandra Walker
Theatre Royal February 23
Last week the RSC made the impossible happen; not only did I enjoy The Taming of the Shrew, but I laughed as well, and yes it was genuine. What I’ve found to be usually tepid humour at best was transformed into real comedy that was echoed into the deepest crevices of the theatre. Director Lucy Bailey’s unique adaptation of the Shakespearean classic featured a host of RSC legends including Lisa Dillon’s moving performance of the Shrew to be tamed Kate alongside debutant David Caves who truly commands the role of Petruchio. Staged on a giant bed, set in chauvinistic 1940s Italy, Bailey exploits the true potential of the actors and what was usually the funniest was generally what was not said. Despite being largely slap-stick performed by seemingly one-dimensional characters, it’s impossible to deny the moments of true sadness and the blatant misogynistic ideas that fuel the play. Dillon downplays female obedience and dilutes the sexist ending, masking what is typically the resignation of woman as raw sexual comic genius and this is where the play truly triumphed. Grace Harvey
Theatre Royal February 15
Don’t let the title put you off: The Vagina Monologues are not a tale about female genitalia that magically start talking. Nevertheless, hoo has, fannies, coochie snorchers, whatever you like to call them, are the centre of Eve Ensler’s cult play that has equally entertained and moved worldwide audiences since 1996. Based on real-life accounts of women from all ethnic, social, sexual and agerelated backgrounds, each monologue offers a different perspective on women’s relationship with their vulvas. Some killingly funny, some heartbreaking and deeply touching Either way, none of the individual stories fails to enthrall the audience and make everyone re-consider their preconceptions of the significance of what’s going on ‘down there’. The three actresses performing the monologues, each of the three women, all from different age groups, read out their monologues with so much gusto and intuition that they proved a good performance doesn’t need any sophisticated setting. A very enjoyable, thought-provoking evening for men and women alike! Lisa Bernhardt
26.filmfeatures
Tuesday 6 March 2012
The Courier
5 It’s time to face the music
thecourieronline.co.uk/film c2.film@ncl.ac.uk
Top
With film and music often overlapping, Mallory McDonald looks over the fabled musicians who have braved the divide.
Movie Soundtracks
5
Lord of the Rings If you only considered the main theme of LOTR, you’d still be looking at a marvellous sound, but it’s the smaller themes that really make the soundtrack. The strings in ‘Journey in the Dark’, the violin in ‘King of the Golden Hall’, the brass in ‘White Tree’; it all comes together beautifully, and with the upcoming The Hobbit, it looks like the trend will continue.
4
Watchmen An odd choice, perhaps, but one of the best selections of period pieces and modern tunes that helped crystallise the mood of the piece, from Bob Dylan in the opening titles to Philip Glass’ haunting Prophesies with Doctor Manhattan. A pity the trailer music didn’t make it into the film.
3 The �ilms of Ridley Scott A bit of a cheat, but Scott’s choice of music is brilliant for setting the mood of a piece. From action themes like ‘The Battle’ in Gladiator to more melancholy title pieces for Black Hawk Down and Kingdom of Heaven, Scott has near faultless taste.
2
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hile in the real world, crossing into another profession without the required training doesn’t happen, in the entertainment industry, where people get paid millions to play make believe for a living, this is kosher. However, as arrogant as it is when a pop star decides they can pursue acting and vice versa, there have been a few successes. It’s arguably most appropriate to switch professions like this when it’s a popstar playing a popstar on film. Two intertwined and un-ignorable figures in this are Diana Ross and Jennifer Hudson. In Berry Gordy’s development of Motown to create films/take over the world, he produced Lady Sings the Blues about the late songstress Billie Holiday, casting Diana Ross as the lead. For this role Ross received an Oscar nomination but no Oscar. In 2006, Jennifer Hudson, failed American Idol contestant, portrayed Effie White in Dreamgirls (aka Florence Ballard from the Supremes) while Beyonce took on the role of Deena Jones (aka Diana Ross). Whereas Beyonce’s efforts were ignored by the Academy, Jennifer Hudson walked away with an Oscar for portraying Florence’s story of betrayal by her bandmates and descent into alcoholism. While in Dreamgirls Effie White is given a happy ending, the reality is Florence’s story ended in an early death catalysed by her treatment at Motown. Hudson receiving the Academy Award for the portrayal of her life, while Ross never achieved the prize, is arguably a last laugh at Ross and Gordy who made the most out of the publicity from Ballard’s death.
Beyonce and Madonna are two popstars snubbed by the Academy for roles they believed were tickets to Oscar gold. Their attempts to win nominations included Madonna, after her stint as Eva Peron, continuing to dress as the late Argentinian and Beyonce dressing like an Oscar in the lead up to the nominations. You know, because it’s not how you do your job, it’s what you wear. However, Oscar gold is not always the aim of pop stars turned actors; some just
While ticking all the boxes on your CV tends to receive criticism for selling out this is Newcastle and we like putting our fingers in lots of pies enjoy mixing the two careers. Elvis is arguably the first connoisseur of this art, his film career coming hand in hand with his music. While ticking all the boxes on your CV tends to receive criticism for selling out, this is Newcastle and we like putting our fingers in lots of pies... well, we like lots of pies. And finally Will Smith, the man, the myth, the (I Am) Legend. Is Will a musician? Is he an actor? Is he even human? All we do know is he is a gift, a walking enigma sent to Earth as a guiding light and inspiration to us mere mortals. (Disclaimer: this is my own opinion and I am in no way under threat from the music section of this paper to write this).
Illustration: Daisy Billowes
That’s terri-brill! Sam Hopkins discusses the appeal of terrible cult films.
W Schindler’s List
Intimate, sorrowful and chilling, John Williams’ work here is hauntingly brilliant, epitomising the themes of loss and senselessness. The use of Hebrew folk music is superb in reinforcing Spielberg’s desire to give identity to the victims of the Holocaust.
1 The ‘Three Dollars’ Trilogy Again, Enrico Morricone’s famous theme from The Good The Bad and the Ugly overshadows a superb series of work; from the title themes of each, to more intimate tracks like ‘60 Seconds to What?’, these redefined the Western genre as much as Eastwood’s performance.
e all know that feeling: sitting down to watch a film, whether it be in the cinema or at home, and realising it’s truly dire. Awful acting, laughable screenwriting and sloppy direction are so often the staple of these kinds of films; yet often, these films are so bad, so dreadful, so pitiful, that they can become true classics. They are so badly executed that they have come ‘full-circle,’ and it can be argued that they have in fact formed a new genre: one entitled ‘films so bad that they’re good.’
Take a look at last year’s Trespass. Starring a botox-ridden Nicole Kidman and a truly terrible Nicholas Cage, an undisputed master in the art of making bad films, it was an absolute mess. The script was absurd and went around in circles, the acting, particularly from Cage, was abysmal, and the characters were so badly sketched a three-year-old could have done better. But, I for one absolutely loved it, and my flatmates and I spent hours in uncontrollable hysterics watching it, maybe because of Nicholas Cage’s refusal to speak below shouting voice, or Nicole Kidman’s inability to move her forehead. But, all the same, we loved it. The joy of watching a bad film can be traced back through numerous films, ranging from Paul Verhoven’s abysmal
Serial Offenders: With many dire career turns, Nicolas Cage (top left) Tommy Wiseau (bottom left) and Arnold Schwarzenegger are amongst the zany actors who sustain the ‘so bad its good’ genre.
Showgirls, to Martin Brest’s Gigli, and Luis Llosa’s Anaconda. They’re awful, but isn’t that kind of the point? Who can forget 1997’s Batman and Robin? A film widely panned and slated on its release, it has become something of a cult classic. Sure, it’s beyond camp, and Arnold Schwarzenegger possibly gives the worst performance in movie-making history, uttering ice-based puns such as “ice to see you…”, but this is perhaps what makes it so great: you can’t help but bellylaugh and question how on earth this film has ever seen the light of day. Another example is Tommy Wiseau’s The Room. A film so bad that it has to be seen to be believed, this is an exercise in the worst
of everything film-oriented. Wiseau himself championed it as a ‘masterpiece,’ which it was, but not in the way that he intended. Now a cult classic, it has been cemented as one of the front runners in the ‘so bad they’re good’ films. And what of John Travolta’s vehicle Battlefield Earth? Originally intended as a pseudo action movie based on the novel of the same name, the film has widely become considered as one of sci-fi’s greatest comedies of all time - unintentionally, of course. But that’s not to say that all bad films can be considered within this new genre: there are still films that are so bad that they’re bad. Unfortunately, I will never get back the two hours I wasted whilst watching 2004’s Catwoman, a film so horrific that I despair thinking of it. Although the line between bad and ‘so bad it’s good’ will always be a fine one, and although these films don’t aspire to lofty intellectual pretensions, they still hold a special place in our hearts, minds and most importantly, drinking games.
The Courier
reviewsfilm.27
Tuesday 6 March 2012
Film Editor: Chris Binding Online Film Editor: Hayley Hamilton
Safe House
book as shaky, handheld cameras return, for the better I believe, as it helps rack up the pace and makes the chases that much more exciting. The film could have gone further by focusing more on expert manipulator Frost’s attempts to get into the mind of the rookie Weston while they are alone on the road. Throughout the film he does offer advice – such as not to have relationships in their line of work and to use better towels whilst being water-boarded – but apart from this, Frost does not really try to psychologically control his captors. Safe House certainly focuses more on the action element rather than the thriller side, to its detriment.
Grizzled, veteran thriller actor Denzel Washington and hot property Ryan Reynolds unite in Safe House, already a solid hit at the US Box Office and directed by Hollywood newcomer Daniel Espinosa. It is the Swedish director’s first English-language film, and it will be a memorable debut with the thrilling and entertaining Safe House. Safe House follows ex-CIA agent gone rogue, Tobin Frost (Washington), as he is taken to a safe house manned by CIA rookie Matt Weston (Reynolds). Predictably, looking after your safe house guest is not easy when mercenaries are in pursuit of a prized package Frost has in his possession. Forced onto the road, Weston must take care of Frost until a new safe house can be found and Frost extracted. It is a rather typical CIA thriller plot with plenty of twists and the usual suits on the end of the phone back at the CIA HQ in Langley. Brendan Gleeson makes an appearance as one of the suits, along with the impressive Vera Farmiga and Sam Shepard but there is the feeling that their talents are wasted, as they spend most of the film answer-
ing the phone. However, Washington – in his favoured lead role as a mean, tough action veteran – plays his part well, as does Reynolds, which is a welcome relief after last year’s disappointing Green Lantern and The Change-Up. The rogue veteran vs. rookie match-up is reminiscent of Training Day, but I don’t think Washington will win an Oscar this time around; even though both lead roles are solid, they are somewhat too simple
for an actor like Washington. The film is set in vibrant and colourful South Africa, which really is refreshing and original. With exciting chases through a township’s rooftops, the 2010 Football World Cup Final stadium and the buzzing streets of Cape Town, the film takes advantage of the location to add to the pacey, gritty realism and frantic atmosphere. The camerawork for the action scenes take a leaf straight out of the Bourne series’
Hadewijch
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Rampart
VERDICT: An enjoyable action/thriller let down by an average and unoriginal plot typical to most CIA and other spy-agency based films. The South African location offers improvements as do impressive performances all round. Had the scope to be much better and ‘thrilling’, but still an impressive debut for Espinosa. Joseph Cromton Schreiber
One for the Money
Picture: New Wave Films
Picture: Canana Films
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Picture: Lionsgate Films
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racist cop on the streets of LA.. Sounds like a familiar movie trope, doesn’t it? Yep, it’s practically its own sub-genre by now. Crash, L.A. Confidential and Lakeside Terrace set the template, and now Rampart seems destined to join that ouvre. Set in 1999, Woody Harrelson stars as Dave Brown, Vietnam veteran turned corrupt cop, asserting his own brand of justice on the L.A. streets. Living with his decidedly unconventional family (he has two children by two women, who happen to be sisters), Dave’s mental state begins to unravel – a situation which isn’t helped when he’s caught brutally beating a perp on camera. Plot-wise, that’s about it. Rampart is more character-study than thriller. Those expecting linear plotting and a neatly tied-up ending will find themselves disappointed by the film’s impressionistic feel. The pacing is generally on the slower side, but the film never truly drags. Though the posters boasts the presence of Cynthia Nixon, Sigourney Weaver and Steve Buscemi, this is Harrelson’s film – indeed, the smaller parts are practically cameos, whilst Harrelson features in every scene. It’s a brilliant, intense performance, though there’s not much that can be done to make Brown a particularly sympathetic character. The ‘rebellious teenage daughter’ cliché is pushed to the limits, and an abrupt ending is a bit unsatisfying. Rampart is a decent enough film and a welcome addition to the renegade cop genre, but won’t stick in the memory. More interesting than entertaining.
hen I sat down in the cinema I was unsure of what I was about to see. A brief synopsis alluded to a plot about a devout Christian girl trying to become closer to God. It also has subtitles, so I wasn’t expecting very much. In the opening chapters of the film I was strangely satisfied. The bleak and beautiful scenery and the casting of non-professional actors evoked a sense of realism unlike anything I had ever seen, creating a real world that was quite ordinary, mystifying and convincing. Julie Sokolowski, an unpractised actress, portrays the role of Céline, whom we first see making her pilgrimage through bleak French woodland to an effigy of Jesus where she prays, finding out later that she is overzealous in her religious faith. In the nunnery in which she resides, her passion translates into praying and fasting and eventually becomes an obsession. Her behaviour leads to her being asked to leave. She returns home to Paris to her unexpectedly luxurious home and her dad, a wealthy politician. Meeting some young Muslim men from the city projects, a boy she has feelings for and his brother, a teacher and religious extremist, Céline adopts the Jihadist mentality on a spiritual level and turns to violence as a means to rectify the absence of God and Christ in everyday life. As an ultimate violent act occurs, implicating Celine’s involvement, we’re left wondering whether her journey took her closer to God, with her desperation in the end suggesting otherwise.
dapted from Debra Moggach’s 2004 novel These Foolish Things and brought to the screen by Shakespeare in Love’s director John Madden, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel has all the trappings of a great British film. Flanked by a cast that includes Dames Maggie Smith and Judi Dench and the incomparable Bill Nighy, the outset looks promising. Sure, many of their characters are stereotypes, such as Smith’s racist Muriel who realises at the end that Indians aren’t so bad after all, or Penelope Wilton’s Jean who can’t hack the change in climate and culture, but it’s genuinely a thrill to see such a great British cast onscreen together. The plot is a simple one: a group of old aged pensioners, desperate to flee their respective lives in dreary England, head to a Jaipur retirement home run by enthusiastic teenager Sonny (overplayed by Dev Patel). There, they form a variety of complex relationships and bonds amongst the exotic Indian culture. And it sure does look exotic. Madden contrasts the monotony and bleakness of England fantastically with the clichéd India so often seen in the cinema: a lively, colourful, and seemingly magical place. Sure, it all has the whiff of an English Sunday afternoon TV movie, may be twenty minutes too long, and really is predictable; but it doesn’t matter. This is an easy-watching, light-hearted, ‘tourism drama’ at its root, and with a cast this good, you can’t help but enjoy it. A harmless and easy watch, especially when hungover on a Sunday evening.
ne For The Money is based on Jane Evanovich’s best selling 1994 novel of the same name. Katherine Heigl stars as unemployed Stephanie Plum who, after finding herself out of work for six months, is desperate for some fast cash. As a last resort she turns to her disreputable and imaginatively named cousin Vinnie for help, and so begins her career as a relatively incompetent bounty hunter. It’s obvious that Stephanie’s temperament is meant to be ‘sassy’ and ‘independent’, and so it seems somewhat contradictory that she spends the majority of the film hankering after her two brutish co-stars, Jason O’Mara and Daniel Sunjata. Her first case is to trail an ex-cop-turnedfugitive (O’Mara), and in an overwhelming unconvincing twist of fate, said cop turns out to be a boy she slept with in high school. Shocker. Despite the obvious appeal of Katherine Heigl wielding a gun, she is ultimately let down by her questionable Jersey accent and an atrocious script. Key aspects of the plot were missing, which is likely to anger fans of the original text, and any humour that was present in the book clearly didn’t translate onto the screen. Arguably, this is a new career low for Heigl, and that’s saying something if you consider her previous roles both in New Year’s Eve and The Ugly Truth. Debbie Reynolds as Grandma Mazur is perhaps the only highlight amongst a slew of miscast characters. Congratulations to Julie Robinson and her writing team for managing to successfully massacre any cinematic potential this narrative initially promised.
VERDICT: Overman’s film is an impressionistic drama rather than hard-hitting thriller, and remains interesting despite a controversial central character. It’s no groundbreaker, but is worth a watch for Harrelson’s performance.
VERDICT: Hadewijch is an engrossing and superbly acted narrative that makes you think about your own faith. Eerie and realistic, it is a film perfect foraudiences who want to engage with deeper social and theological issues.
VERDICT: A predictable and whimsical film that may be more enjoyable for the older crowd, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel nevertheless is a charming look at old age and retirement.
VERDICT: A banal romantic comedy clumsily masquerading behind forced humour and tame thrills. Boring, cringeworthy and just downright terrible. I’d rather eat my own arm than watch this film again.
Ben Travis
Seluck Cam Bulut
Sam Hopkins
Lauren Stafford
28.musicreviews
The Courier
Tuesday 6 March 2012
Music Editors: Ben Travis and Chris Scott Online Music Editor: Graham Matthews
Five reasons why... ... Robbie leaving Take That again is a national tragedy 1) Without him, they are a charisma black hole. We all saw Gary’s innate tediousness on XFactor. Howard Donald gives Ed Sheeran a run for his money in the bore stakes, which is saying something since Sheeran’s head looks like it’s being crushed by the sheer weight of his dullitude and his eyes appear to be attempting to crawl off opposite sides of his face and leap onto someone more interesting. Robbie once managed to reduce a friend of mine to tears simply by appearing on Top of the Pops and doing that thing where he spins the microphone round in one hand. Jason Orange couldn’t do that. He’d drop it and then write an apologetic note to the sound guy saying sorry for not treating his equipment with respect. 2) Robbie’s mini-set was the best bit of their gigs last year. It takes something extraordinary to upstage a 60-foot robot called Om and the sight of Jason Orange riding a unicycle, but introducing Robbie back into the band by giving him 15 minutes in which to stick a rocket under proceedings and tremble the knees of tens of thousands of mums was a masterstroke. If there’s a better five-song set than ‘Let Me Entertain You’, ‘Rock DJ’, ‘Come Undone’, ‘Feel’ and ‘Angels’, I’ll eat my hat (it’s a hat made of nachos so I will piquite haply be proven wrong here). 3) Staying with ‘the lads’ might stop him making more of his own albums. Since Escapology, his career’s been an unmitigated stink-fest. Rudebox sounds very much like the work of a man who at roughly the same time went crackers, grew a massive beard (sure sign of madness and loneliness – see below) and decided to hunt UFOs. 4) Progress wasn’t half bad. By some distance Take That’s best album since the glory days, Progress was a thumping, techno-flavoured addition to the Take That oeuvre, and in ‘The Flood’ boasts both a fantastic, soaring lead single and probably the best rowing-based video in pop history. It was a gauntlet thrown down to all the young bucks threatening to knock them off their perch, and one which has yet to be picked up - though I’m not sure Niall from One Direction has the upper body strength to pick up anything heavier than a tea towel. 5) Nobody wants to see Gary get all fat and beardy again. Gary’s from my home town, and while in his post-solo-career-failure twilight zone, he moved back into his mum’s house for a bit. In an attempt to go incognito, he grew a massive beard and started wearing jogging bottoms. A friend of my brother’s saw him in the pub having a steak dinner, stood up and shouted, “IT’S GARY BARLOW!” at him. Gary looked up at him sadly, down at his bloated stomach, then back down at his steak. Don’t let this happen to him again. Just give £5 a month to Barlow Relief and help bribe Robbie back into the gang. You can make a difference. Tom Nicholson
Wrecking Ball Bruce Springsteen
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he Boss enjoys a welcome return to form with his latest effort and seventeenth studio album Wrecking Ball. Following 2009’s distinctly mediocre Working on a Dream, it was obvious Springsteen would return with another fiercely politically-driven album. The difference is that this time, he has really hit the mark. The veteran rocker’s ability to consistently reinvent his sound is stated clearly on Wrecking Ball with a diversity of songs. Springsteen shows little desire to produce a rock album similar to 2007’s Magic, instead maintaining a folk-rock approach that works remarkably well. Essentially, this record is about the failed American Dream containing a collection of protest songs including opening track, ‘We Take Care Of Our Own.’ This rocking anthem sets the tone for the rest of the album, highlighting the stirring rocker’s deep-rooted, but constantly questioning, patriotism. The sublime six-minute piano ballad ‘Jack Of All Trades’ is a standout track, showcasing The Boss at his storytelling best. The track is lifted to new heights when the trumpets kick in and then ending in style with a guitar solo. Whilst principally a solo album, members of the E Street Band feature along with musicians including Rage Against The Machine guitarist Tom Morello, whose cameo in ‘This Depres-
sion’ reinforces the record’s darker tone with a trademark guitar solo. With the album’s title track having been debuted live in the fall of 2009, there were big expectations for the studio version and Springsteen has delivered. This search for inspiration is passionately conveyed by the angry refrain of, “Bring on your wrecking ball,” and becomes better with every listen. The record also features the final recordings
The veteran rocker’s ability to consistently reinvent his sound is stated clearly on Wrecking Ball of the late legendary saxophonist Clarence Clemons on the reworked studio version of ‘Land of Hope and Dreams.’ The guitar and drum-driven track is undoubtedly one of the highlights of the album and it’s a magical moment once the Big Man’s sax solo takes centre stage one last time. This particular member of rock’s elder statesmen has certainly not lost his touch. Simply put, Springsteen is back.
Ghostory
Shallow Bed
Dry The River
Recommended download: ‘Land of Hope and Dreams’
School of Seven Bells
Love at the Bottom of the Sea
The Magnetic Fields
iving up to the hype is a hard thing to do at the best of times. Featured in the BBC’s Sound of 2012 list, and with several promising EPs behind them, Dry The River bring us their first LP offering, Shallow Bed. They bring US Hardcore influences into the mix with folk sound and add a new dimension to an already popular genre. Will this album be their Sigh No More? Well, although being very accomplished, it’s not the collection of sublime songs I was hoping for. Standout new tracks include ‘Demons’ and ‘No Rest’, but it’s the better-known ‘Bible Belt’ and ‘Weights and Measures’ that steal the show. Shallow Bed, having been recorded in analogue, has a marvellous old record feel which really enriches the more acoustic folk tracks, but even this can’t help hold your interest in a couple of the plain and ordinary inclusions on the album. Bonus track ‘Family’ is a moment of pure brilliance, marrying their sounds so effortlessly to produce spine-tingling crescendos of epic proportions. It begs the question: why is it just a bonus? As a debut album it works well and in the most part satisfies, but I can’t help feeling a little disappointed. From a band that promises so much, Shallow Bed is at times bland and unremarkable.
t’s not often that an album grabs me from the first song and takes me on some sort of magical dream ride, flying through the crowds in a state of bliss. Normally, it’ll take me a few listens to get into and few grab me from the start. Those albums come once in a blue moon and usually, after a month, have been played so much my Last.fm chart is dominated by them. Ghostory is one such album. Who says losing a member means the loss of quality? Ghostory is the third album from the dreamy School of Seven Bells, this one with the departure of one of the identical twins (Claudia Deheza). Whilst the twins bounced off each other in previous albums, here Alejandra has to fend for herself and does a mighty fine job at it. It seems that whenever describing a dreampop/shoegaze album, you need to mention “whooshing” and “sweeping” and, although it’s cliché and pretentious, it just works here. Alejandra’s pastel sweet vocals compliment the beautiful soundscapes from former Secret Machines member, Ben Curtis. It flicks from New Order to Bat for Lashes to Simple Minds to The Smiths to My Bloody Valentine with even hints of Chairlift’s fantastic album that came out last month. Ghostory is a melting pot of influences alongside the usual School of Seven Bells charm. And it’s just wonderful.
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Recommended download: ‘Bible Belt’
Recommended download: ‘The Night’
Recommended download: ‘Your Girlfriend’s Face’
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Alex Brophy
For tonnes of web-exclusive columns and live reviews, check out The Courier music section online.
Matty Aston
Chris Taylor
he Magnetic Fields’ new album sees a return to the synth-led tracks that used to be their signature, and in so doing will certainly please a great deal of their fans. However, despite this change in sound, the album’s roots are instantly recognisable; all the hallmarks of Stephen Merritt’s song writing are in evidence, with the tracks peppered with jilted exes, unrequited love, and what one suspects are Merritt’s own romantic failures. Once described as “the most depressed man in rock”, it is unsurprising that the lyrics come with a sharp wit, and dark comedy abounds. Best evidenced on ‘Your Girlfriend’s Face’, Merritt’s female counterpart Claudia Gonson simmers angrily, whilst playfully admitting that “in the evenings I’ve devised your death / being buried alive on crystal meth”, all to a heavily synth-led backing. The whimsical nature of much of the music adds an edge of menace to those songs where Merritt strays into the darker areas of his mind, and those songs tinged with more macabre elements are again the ones that stand out. With Love at the Bottom of the Sea the listener is once again privy to the whole gamut of human emotions thrown up by infatuations, and whilst it is merely a continuation of form from previous albums, it has enough about it to please ardent Magnetic Fields fans, and new listeners alike.
George Fellows
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featuresmusic.29
Tuesday 6 March 2012
thecourieronline.co.uk/music c2.music@ncl.ac.uk
On the record
Preview: Above and Beyond o2 Academy Newcastle, April 19th, £17.50
I
t’s a no-brainer. If we’re talking trance music then Above & Beyond is the name on most people’s minds. Like you would associate bread with butter, you would associate Above & Beyond with the trance genre. If anyone was lucky enough to get close to their sell out performance in Digital last year then you, like me, would have been exposed to the full force of their magical mixing. If you did miss out last year, don’t lose hope, you’ve been given a second chance - but this time they’re filling the O2 Academy. Like us, they too were mere students, way back in the year 2000. Twelve years on and Jono, Tony and Paavo have been busy boys. Since beginning their DJ careers in front of 8,000 people in Tokyo along side Tiësto and Ferry Corsten, their music has since covered every continent. With an act that once hosted the largest DJ gig ever in Rio de Janeiro, playing to one million people, it would be madness to miss such an opportunity. That’s more than twice the number that attended Woodstock in 1969 – just to put it in perspective. The tour is named after their latest album Group Therapy featuring a plethora of guest vocalists, including the seductive sound of Zoë Johnston. Tickets are £17.50 and doors are at 8.00pm on Thursday 19 April. For any fans of electronic music this is the gob-stopper of all gigs. Rory Smith
Classic album. Fresh perspective. Until last week, I had never listened to Purple Rain by Prince.
The songs you didn’t know you knew
We’ve all experienced it; listening to a song for what we think is the first time, but something’s not right. You have heard it somewhere before, it’s already been rooted somewhere in your brain box by some prior experience. Then suddenly the penny drops: you actually have heard ‘Teardrop’ by Massive Attack hundreds of times on the opening credits to House. Here are a load of other tunes that may unexpectedly ring a bell
What? pture ‘Echoes’ - The Ra it from? Where do I know Misfits. to ne tu The theme : ays sing along to That bit you alwo screechy to easily The lyrics are to at funky bassline make out, but thd into your subconne will be ingrai sciousness.
What? ‘Flagpole Sitta’ - Harve
y Danger
Where do I kn The theme tuneow it from? series two onw to Peep Show from ards That bit you al ways sing alon “I’m not sick bu t I’m not well...g to: ”
What? an’ - Lazlo Bane ‘Superm it from? o I know s. Where dme tune to Scrub e th e Th ng to: s sing alo. It’s a y a lw a u yo s it That bit superman”. That’no other “I’m no possibility that distinct r this song exist. lyrics fo
What ‘The C? hai
n’ - Fle etwoo Where d Mac Curren do I know t i ly t from th for For ? mula 1e BBC’s them covera e musi g c e That You mbit you alwa Fleetw ight not th ys sing alo knows ood Mac, bink you knong to: u w that ba ss riff toEVERYON any E nce it hits.
What? p ‘Trash’ - The Whi
it from? Where do I know ic. us m be Tu The Rude to: ways sing along That bit you alas h” “I wanna be tr
What? ‘Whole Lo tta Love’ Led Zeppel in Where do I k n o w it from? The ‘countd Top of the own’ music on goo Pops. d old That bit yo u always si Again, even ng alo g to : know any L if you think you n don’t ed Zep, you’ll know this. definitely
l Face What? e Home’ - Radica m o ‘Welc from? I know itNikon adverts, o d e r e h e W from th g That songbie Williams bein s. b o flash bulb R f o s n with o li il m y b d blinde ng to: ys sing aolome”, a lw a u o That bit ys are “Welcome h st gone The lyric l probably have ju but you’lh-oh-oh-oh” “woaaaa
What? ‘Paradise C ircus’ - Ma ssive Attac k Where do I k n o w it from The theme ? tune to Lu ther That bit y “She will loou always sing alo ng to: ve you”
Over the years I have heard so many people wax lyrical about the big man so I decided it was about time I found out for myself – just how fresh is Prince? In short: very. To me, Prince sounds like the funky love child of James Brown and Led Zeppelin who was brought up by David Bowie as a boy. With the strength of a future king, the young Prince made it through and somehow drew on all these contradictory influences to write and produce a brilliant record. He really had it all: in the last minute of opening track ‘Let’s Go Crazy’ he busts out a mind blasting guitar solo, on ‘I Would Die 4 You’ the guy shows that he’s smoother than Beyonce’s bottom, and on ‘Purple Rain’ – the timeless crescendo of the album – Prince’s charming vocals are so tender they could melt even the coldest hearts. How can the modern man possibly compete with that? Based solely on a single play of this album I am sure the man got a lot of sex in the eighties.
Prince might well have been the last pop-star with genuine funk After a bit of research I discovered that the Purple Rain album was produced as the soundtrack to the film Purple Rain in which Prince stars as the main character. The film is supposedly inspired by his life, so I suppose that means that the album is really his soundtrack. The front cover could therefore be considered a graphic interpretation of his life at the time. To set the scene: Prince poses in a dark back street flooded with mystical smoke; the silhouette of a beautiful woman watches him from a doorway as he stands astride a custom Harley Davidson that matches the ecclesiastical purple of his crushed velvet suit, ready to speed off into the night. His life looks seriously bad-ass. To summarise: Prince might well have been the last pop-star with genuine funk - before all the prepubescent, talentless boy-band Biebers and the sexist, soulless rappers that have polluted the airways ever since. That being said, I don’t think Purple Rain is destined to feature too heavily in any of my future iTunes playlists. Credit where credit’s due, I can see how it made waves that still resonate in the record industry today. The man is a living legend; long live Prince. Jamie Brown
30.musicfeatures
Tuesday 6 March 2012
The Courier
thecourieronline.co.uk/music c2.music@ncl.ac.uk
Live: Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds
Metro Radio Arena, February 23rd
N
oel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds marked their first appearance in the North East with a date at the Metro Radio Arena as part of their current UK tour. After previously playing much smaller venues it was a test to see how Noel’s new project, on the back of their hugely successful self-titled debut, would translate on to arena stages.
With ease, is the answer to that one. After a lacklustre opening act in the form of Newcastle locals The Smoking Barrels, Gallagher finally took to the stage and dived straight in to Oasis tunes ‘(It’s Good) To Be Free’ and ‘Mucky
Fingers’. Noel and his Birds then launched into some of their own tracks, received as well with the crowd as the old Oasis ones, a particular highlight being the single ‘If I Had a Gun’. Noel’s trademark dry wit wasn’t missing either, even though the singer claimed to be ‘sweating champagne’ after a heavy night that ended at 5am, and with this, he did appear slightly more subdued than his usual self. However, this didn’t stop his banter with the Newcastle locals, his mocking of the renaming of St. James Park especially getting a big reaction from the crowd. Noel looked at home on the larger stage, accompanied by a 3-piece brass section and choir that added a surprisingly good new element to many of the songs. It was still the old Oasis favourites, such as ‘Half the World Away’ and
Live: The Wanted
Metro Radio Arena, February 25th Filthy cardboard signs, glass-shattering squeals and immaculately groomed pop stars: for Tom Nicholson, nothing quite spells terror like being a lone man in a crowd of screaming boy band fans. Armed with a pair of earplugs and a hefty dose of cynicism, he faces his fear.
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f you ever fancy a bit of a terrorbuzz, don’t bother with skydiving or bungee jumping; just try wandering through a crowd of 12,000 pubescent girls and getting to your seat without being put on any sort of register.
With the nonce obstacle course successfully negotiated, support band Lawson began. Then, some time later, they finished. They were handsome and wore guitars. One of them had a hat, I think. The averageness of their plodding soft-rock made it quite hard to focus my eyes on them, though I was brought sharply back to Earth by the oestrogen-fuelled shrieks which punctuated their set. The Wanted themselves appeared after a short film set in a dystopian future, wherein ‘the lads’ had to find five numbers to put into a computer
which will make the totalitarian government go away. Quite who built this supercomputer (which looked like a fax machine plus a tape player on trestle table in an underground car park) and why, is anyone’s guess. It doesn’t really matter anyway. With three corking singles in ‘All Time Low’, ‘War Zone’ and ‘Glad You Came’, and the kind of obsessive fans who bring homemade signs to gigs (tonight’s highlights: “I’M FOREVER BLOWING JAY’S BUBBLES”; “NATHAN & JAY FANCY A 3SUM?”; “THOMAS THE WANK ENGINE”), they couldn’t really fail. They were competent, and (shock horror) actually quite likeable. One song was introduced as, “…a song about love, and finding someone to share your life with…”, before the one that looks like a squashed Steve McManaman chirped up: “Yeah, this one’s called ‘Smack My Bitch Up’”. For that alone, the evening was worthwhile.
‘Talk Tonight’ that got the crowd going, the mature crowd (no hipster 14 year olds here) singing along with every word. Though this isn’t to take away from the new songs, ‘AKA… What a Life!’ proving a particular crowd favourite. The Birds wrapped up the show with an allOasis four song encore, including the treat of an acoustic version of ‘Whatever’ (a personal favourite) and of course Noel’s anthem to end, ‘Don’t Look Back in Anger’. The setlist barely differed from Noel’s last set of gigs, though it mattered little (by little… apologies), every song, new or old got the same huge reception from a massive crowd of true fans. Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds have cemented themselves as a brilliant live band capable of playing arena shows as easily as more intimate ones. Tim Sewell
SceNE: Beth Jeans Houghton The North Eastern music scene is currently one of the most exciting and explosive in the UK - get to know your new favourite local acts.
This week, Chris Haywood speaks to Beth Jeans Houghton - dubbed the North East’s Laura Marling, she’s been kicking up quite a storm with her band The Hooves of Destiny since she last performed in the toon last October, with debut album Yours Truly, Cellophane Nose released in February. Who are Beth Jeans Houghton and The Hooves? There’s six of us in total: Rory on bass, Dav on drums, Ed on guitar and trumpet, Callum on keys, Fin on guitar and I sing and play guitar too.
How do you all know each other? I met Rory and Dav about six years ago; it started out with just us. Then I met Fin at a party and I’ve known Ed since I was ten because he was my brother’s friend.
What have you done with the band so far? We’ve done a lot of tours and a few festivals. We’ve travelled a lot, had a lot of fun. And we’ve made a record, which is the first step to making the next one.
Summarise the band in five words Fun musical alchemists of sonic theatre.
Who are your musical heroes? I don’t really listen to any new music; I’ve always listened to rock ’n’ roll from the ‘50s to the ‘70s before it started to become a parody of itself. So stuff like Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention, and also The Lemon Pipers.
What was the first album you ever bought? The first album I listened to on vinyl was Ladies of the Canyon by Joni Mitchell.
What’s your favourite venue in Newcastle? I don’t see us as a Newcastle band; we never really cut our teeth as a band in Newcastle. In fact, on a few UK tours we’ve missed Newcastle altogether. So, I can’t really say.
What’s next for the band? We’re touring Europe and then America; I love travelling and playing these songs, but I’m also really excited to get the ones that we have inside us right now out there. I want to get into the studio as soon as possible to be honest and I’d like to begin recording a new record by the end of the year. And then I also want to move out to L.A.; it looks like the land of my dreams.
Where and when can we see you next in Newcastle? Not again on this tour; I always take the attitude that if we played once in every place, that’s fine. We can move on then for the time being.
The Courier
technology.31
Tuesday 6 March 2012
thecourieronline.co.uk/science c2.technology@ncl.ac.uk technology editor: Shaun Butcher
A smarter way to write Writing and revising written notes is undergoing a technological revolution, and the echo Smartpen is at the forefront of this. Technology Editor Shaun Butcher reviews the product.
T
he pen is one of the fundamental tools of the student trade. Whether you use a biro, a fountain pen, or even a quill, we all need to write things down and then review them later. Problems can occur if you misplace your notes or you can’t remember why you wrote what you did; you might even have problems reading your own writing, especially if you go to your lectures after a heavy night! Well, that chore has just got whole lot easier thanks to the Livescribe Smartpen. To describe the Smartpen as an electronic pen does not do the gadget justice; it’s much more than that: it’s a computer disguised as a pen. I’m amazed at how easy it is to use, how aesthetically pleasing it is, and how much more there is discover. The Livescribe Smartpen consist of a microphone which records audio, a speaker which plays it back, and an OLED screen which acts as a display; a 3.5mm headphone jack, a micro-USB connector, and a power button; a high-speed infrared camera capturing 70 images a second, 2-8GB of storage which allows 200-800 hours of recording time, and, last but
Boredom Busters
L
ooking for some cheap thrills, or maybe a bit of entertainment while we still have dark cold evenings? Well look no further, below are some console games we found for under £10! Most game stores around Newcastle will stock them so there’s no excuse not to crack out the Coca-Cola and Doritos and get some “friendly” competition going!
Wii
Our favourite for this console is Wii Play (£4.99). We like the Sandbox Tank mini level. It works great as a drinking game too (drink every time you hit an enemy or down your glass when you die, simple!). Wii Sports (also at £4.99) makes a great addition. It’s a great game to
in no way least, a ball point ink pen. All this is crammed into a pen that is, although a little chunkier than a fountain pen, not uncomfortable to use. It makes the whole process of writing and revising lecture notes so much easier. You needn’t struggle in your attempt to scribble everything down - you can simply click a word that you wrote and the recording will playback what was said at the corresponding time you put pen to paper. You can create interactive PDF files which allow you to click and playback your lecture notes on the computer and you can sync them to the cloud allowing you to access your notes and audio anywhere! You can even download the Livescribe app allowing you access your documents on the move. What I find really amazing is that after you’ve plugged your pen into a laptop and transferred the data, your handwritten notes become searchable! This pen effectively indexes your notes. You don’t need to worry about your untidy handwriting either because it recognises different handwriting styles (I asked my housemates to write using the pen), and it even recognises symbols. You can save particular notes into particular folders and although you
play with mates and if you don’t already have it, it will definitely fill that 30mins waiting for your chicken nuggets to cook. A cheaper option is Trauma Centre (£2.99 Pre-Owned at Game). You play as a doctor and perform cartoon-ised surgery. At first this may seem slightly macabre but it has an addicted quality that perfectionist will thrive on!
Xbox 360
Although many 360 games hold their price above the £10 barrier, Mirrors Edge at £9.99 (Game) is an understated game if there ever was one. This unique game offers impressive sceneries, vivid colours and an engrossing story line that will keep you hooked. As one of the few free running based games this opens up a new areas in gaming that most people probably haven’t seen before. With the levels taking approximately 20 minutes to complete, you can fill
might have to spend a little time configuring everything on first use, you can just drag and drop and it does the organisation for you (near enough). Apps are everywhere these days and the Smartpen even has an app store. The pen comes with a piano app, and a translator demo app. The piano works great but it is simply a gimmick designed, perhaps, to show off how responsive the pen actually is. If so, it does exactly that. The translator app is where the pen shines. As I was only able to test the demo, I could only translate a few words. Nonetheless, I simply chose a language (my choice was between Spanish, Mandarin, Arabic, and Swedish), wrote a word in English and the pen translated it – the pen spoke the word and displayed it on the screen. You can also buy an app that turns your handwritten notes into text! It is clear that this pen could be very useful. I am amazed. However, there are some drawbacks to using the pen. The price of the thing itself starts at around £80 for a 2GB pen, so it may be difficult to justify spending that much on an ‘electronic pen’. The pen uses ink and you therefore have the same issue you get with other pens: you will need to by replacement nibs. Furthermore, the pen relies on special dotted paper and the price of stocking up for a three year university course will not be cheap! You can print your own but you’ll need to have a high quality printer, a lot of ink, and you still need to buy paper! Having said that, when you consider how extremely useful this pen can become, you will be able to accept that this is a great piece of kit that will no doubt be beneficial to most students. I have to admit, after my initial test I started using the old fashioned pen and paper once again and stopped using the Smartpen, but after discovering more features, and how useful this will be when revision starts, I’ve used it during every lecture since. any spare time that you have!
PS3
PS3 owners can pick up the following games from Game, Gamestation, or Granger Games. The price of Fifa 11 has been slashed to £4.99 and offers the usual standards of a football game. Alternatively Dead Nation (which can be found on the Playstation network) will fill any need for the zombie killing urges you may be feeling this time of year. However, if you’re willing to spend a little more money, we would recommend Limbo (£9.99). This dark and haunting game will have you glued to the screen for hours; it’s also great to play with friends!
PC
A little nostalgic gem for the PC gamer, without a doubt, is Theme Hospital. Build a hospital, hire or fire staff, expand and modernise nursing wards all in order to make a profit (oh, and cure the general public of course). This wacky game could have you engrossed all night if you let it. Jenni Butler
Top 5
Ridiculous �lying ideas
Franz Reichelt’s Parachute-suit Austrian inventor Franz Reichelt caused a splash, or rather a crunch, when he demonstrated his “parachute-suit” by leaping from the first deck of the Eiffel Tower in 1912. Reichelt was attempting to develop a piece of clothing for aviators in the event of a plane failure. Despite failures with dummy drops, Franz decided to make the jump himself. This was, sadly, a fatal decision, and the whole gruesome event was captured on early film.
Antonov A-40 The Antonov A-40 was an interesting construction. Tanks were obviously a huge part of warfare during World War Two but they were relatively difficult to transport and deploy. There are obvious benefits to aerial deployment and the Antonov A-40 was an attempt to exploit these benefits for tanks. While one prototype was built, it had little success. It seems that almost every major power made some attempt at flying tanks, the Antonov merely being one of the most ambitious.
Focke-Wulf Triebflugel The Focke-Wulf Triebfluegel was a truly bizarre cross between a helicopter and a giant propeller. It was developed by the Nazis as an ambitious attempt to create a Vertical Take Off and Landing aircraft and because, who knew it, they were crazy. Each of the blades had a ramjet mounted on the tip to spin it at incredible speeds. We will never know whether such an outlandish project could have succeeded as the test sites were taken by allied forces before prototypes could be constructed.
Vought Disc-form Now a lot of early flying machines had pretty crazy designs but of all these early aerial oddities, the Vought Disc-form takes the prize. It was obviously an attempt to make some kind of flying saucer and looks to be an impressive and sturdy construction. There was only one major flaw: it was designed with no apparent aerodynamic principles and so would be completely unable to take off.
Icarus Wings of wax were never going to work but all of these deranged people had a little bit of Icarus in them. Adam Bristow-Smith
32.science
Tuesday 6 March
The Courier
thecourieronline.co.uk/science c2.science@ncl.ac.uk
Space bugs in the River Wear
5 things you need to know The ocean
99% of livable space
Joe Willet on the bacterial battery made from stratospheric organisms found in the River Wear
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While it’s commonly known that the ocean covers something like 71% of our planet’s surface, you may not realise it contains within it 99% of the habitable space on earth. Within this 99%, as much as 95% of the life on earth is found.
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Deep as the ocean
90% of the ocean is considered “deep” (over 2000 metres) and the average depth of the ocean is around 3795 meters. The deepest point (the Challenger Deep) is 10,916 metres. That’s as much as 1.23 Mount Everests. The pressure of the water on top of you at this point is equivalent to supporting 50 Jumbo Jets by yourself.
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Only 10% has been mapped
of electricity. Bacillus stratosphericus and Bacillus altitudinis, which, as the names suggest, are commonly found in the stratosphere, are being utilised as key components of a new ‘super’ biofilm that has been engineered by a team of scientists from Newcastle University. 75 different species of bacteria - including stratosphericus - were isolated from the bed of the Wear Estuary in County Durham, and the power-generating potential of each was tested in a Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC). Selecting the best of the electricity producing species, a kind of ‘pick and mix’ was used to create an artificial biofilm which doubled the power output of the MFC. The fuel cell produces about enough power to run an electric light, and could be invaluable in parts of the world without other sources of electricity. Grant Burgess, Professor of Marine Biotechnology at Newcastle University, said the research demonstrated the potential power of the technique.“What we have done is deliberately manipulate the microbial mix to engineer a biofilm that is more efficient at generating electricity,” he explains. “This is the first time individual microbes have been studied and selected in this way. Finding B. Stratosphericus was quite a surprise but what it demonstrates is the potential of this technique for the future – there are billions of microbes out there with the potential to generate power.”
Picture this
Only 10% of the sea has been explored by humans. In this 10%, around 200000 species have been described; it is estimated that as much as 30 million species may remain undiscovered.
Biggest animal ever
2
The largest animal ever to live on the earth is the blue whale, measuring in at 30 metres long and weighing 180 tonnes (although the bootlace worm can grow longer than a blue whale, with some being measured at 50 metres long and 10 cm wide). It is also one of the fastest aquatic animals, reaching speeds of 50 km/h (the fastest are sailfish, clocking in at 110 km/h)
1
acteria found 30km above the surface of the Earth have been identiB fied as extremely efficient generators
Alarming rate of destruction
The ocean is being destroyed at an alarming rate. More oil reaches the oceans as a result of leaking cars every year than the BP spill, and as much trash is dumped in the oceans each year as fish are taken out. Around 100 million sharks are killed yearly, 30% of these for their fins and the rest as by-catch.
Carl Jonsson
ConCERNing cables
Photo dkodigital
Using microbes to produce power is an idea already facilitated in the treatment of waste water and sewage plants. Portable MFCs work much like a battery, relying on a biological process known as bio-catalytic oxidation to convert organic compounds into electricity. The source of the power derives from the slime of bacteria, or biofilm, which coats the electrodes of the MFC; electricity is produced as the bacteria feed. Previous practice was to permit the biofilm to grow unchecked, but this is the first time manipulation of the speciation on the cell has demonstrated a relative increase in electrical output.
This is the first time individual microbes have been studied and selected in this way.
Funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), the study identified a number of electricity-generating bacteria. Led by Prof. Keith Scott of the University’s school of Chemical Engineering and Advanced Materials, the team are recognised as world leaders in fuel cell technology, having already played a key role in the recent development of novel lithium/ air batteries. It is hoped this research can take fuel cell research to a new level.
Last year, physicists at CERN published findings that neutrinos were apparently travelling faster than light, a result that threatened the theory of relativity. Now it appears the results may have been due to a loose cable in the clock mechanism. Clumsy, or cover-up? James Ricketts
The Courier
science.33
Tuesday 6 March 2012
Science Editor: Mark Atwill Science Online Editor: Adam Bristow-Smith
The right of the living dead Science Editor Mark Atwill resurrects the science of the Zombie Apocalypse
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St James’ Park (sorry, Sports Direct Arena) empties post derby defeat Walking Dead
f you’re interesting, you like zombies. Zombies are so much cooler than vampires, which are just so Imainstream these days. So now that you like zombies, you may be interested to know that there is actually some remote scientific possibility of the living dead being a reality. Remote is enough to have a little fun; we probably will never have to face a zombie horde. It’s fanciful, but we can hope. Now read this article while I pop out for a machete and a WW2 service rifle.
1. Brain Parasites
Something on your mind?
In science, parasites that turn animals into mindless, zombie like slaves are commonplace. One, toxoplasmosa gondii seems particularly scary. A bug that breeds inside the intestines of a cat, actually infests the brains of rats, forcing them to mindlessly congregate near the scent of their most feared furry predator. The rat is actually programmed to get itself eaten. Half the human population is infected with toxoplasmosa, and are completely unaware of it. While there is a small association between infection and mental disorder, all it would take is a more human-specific mutation in the parasite to trigger ratlike behaviour in host brains - our anatomy is not too dissimilar. Think then, that military scientists work very hard at weaponising such common bugs. The world’s population suddenly loses all instinct for self-preservation and rationale; does a shambling horde need to be dead to be called zombies?
2. Neurotoxins
Venomous thoughts
Some venom can slow down your metabolic function to the point you may be declared medically dead, only to re-awaken at your funeral, or worse, inside your coffin. Fugu poison can do this. Just like voodoo slaves, the afflicted may be revived with certain alkaloids that leave them in a trance like state, still able to eat, sleep, and shamble around like, you guessed it, Romero zombies. The dark visions of Dr. Wade Davis, 1962, a Haitian guy was declared dead and buried only to be found shambling around his village 18 years later under the ‘spell’ of the local voodoo priest/sugar plantation owner.
Voodoo Lady-Creme Brule -
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4
What are birds? - Re-Animator H.P Lovecraft
While these zombies are not aggressive or cannibalistic, they’re still real zombies. I’m sure someone could tweak the formula a little.
3. Rage virus
Wild? I was absolutely livid!
The T Virus, Rage, Solanum; in popular zombie fiction, the rage virus is the common vehicle that turns humans into mindless killing machines. What if you knew this was an actual possibility? Mad Cow disease was popular a few years ago. I didn’t eat much beef as a child but you might be too young for all that, so in case you don’t know what happened, this crazy and enormously contagious virus infected British herd cows, attacking their nervous system and turning them into stumbling, mindless and aggressive beasts. Here’s the grind. When infected meat is eaten, Mad Cow’ disease becomes Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, or CJD, which causes characteristic changes in gait, hallucination and rapid onset dementia, and ultimately a very nasty death. Not quite instant zombie, right? Maybe, but this does prove mass infections of the CNS are possible in humans. Depriving the brain of serotonin in rats has caused interesting results, in that they begin to tear each other apart for apparently no reason. With a few mutations, a CJD or Rabies-like virus with the ability to act as a serotonin antagonist could easily sneak into the human food chain. That would be bad news.
4. Neurogenesis
On the eighth day, man created zombies
It’s not quite cut and dried, but neurogenesis is currently making great strides in the ability to repair neural damage in rodent limb transplants. In essence, the science re-grows dead and damaged cells, and is forefront in the new discipline of neurogenesis. Brain death means curtains for the unlucky patient, whereas failure of most other organs is theoretically reparable or treatable through transplant. With that in mind, research into the rather morbidly named ‘reanimation science’ has resulted in extraordinary results when apparently re-growing brain tissue of head trauma patients. Take this a step further. Science believes the technology could be used to revive the recently deceased, if performed
Skin scream ith anti-ageing creams becoming ever more popular, we’ve all W seen the adverts full of jargon about
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Head Crabs!!!!! Photo DuckPuppy
Weird Science
Que? - Walking Dead
quickly enough post mortem. However, the brain is an organ that requires a lot of oxygen, and when deprived of it it dies, rapidly, outside in. The cerebral cortex is the folded bit on the surface of your brain that controls your perception of morality, pain, language...humanity. Take away that, and you’re left with the primitive brain of a lower animal, just enough function to stay alive - and eat.
5. Nanobots
Domo arigato Mr Roboto
Science fiction? Maybe not. Scientists have already created a nano-cyborg, a virus fused to a silicone chip that operates long after the death of the host. Zombification. Nanobots are a technology that science apparently engineered to make the future absolutely terrifying. A myriad of microscopic, self-replicating robots that can invisibly build, or destroy anything is the choice in zeitgeist technology investment. Everyone knows this can’t end well right? Surely this is just morbid curiosity? Developers claim that within a decade nanobots will exist that can replace damaged neural connections within the human brain, or just maybe put a few new ones in there. The scariest thought is that with all the excitement surrounding the potential of the technology, no-one has really thought enough about how you switch them off. Do the robots continue to function after death? Do you walk around decomposing until your legs fall off? Theoretically, the death of the host means nothing to the nanobots, which will simply strive to find new hosts in order to preserve themselves. Imagine the scenario: a shambling, rotting robot-controlled dead person bites a healthy victim to permit the nanobots to infest, which then proceed to ‘rewire’ the victim’s cortex. Sound vaguely familiar? Technology of this type exists, right now, right this minute. It’s out there. Not meaning to be a harbinger of doom, but doesn’t every major religion’s version of Armageddon basically agree that the dead will rise to walk the Earth? Two words. Zombie. Apocalypse.
‘anti-ageing particles’, which supposedly make you look less like a dinosaur and more like an airbrushed model. But the question remains, do they really work? We put them up against science to find out if they remained firm, or just wrinkled under pressure. They claim to ‘visibly reduce the look of wrinkles’ by using special formulas and ‘repairing skin fibre restoring complexes’ (whatever that means) using Vitamin C. This is a common substance found in most of the citrus fruits – oranges, lemons – and it’s thought our bodies need 40 milligrams a day (according to the Food Standards Agency) which is around two slices of orange. But what does it really do for our skin? Well, it is a successful antioxidant which removes particles, which break down collagen in the skin causing wrinkles. It can help prevent wrinkles but does nothing for those already present, as collagen is already damaged. There is also a high chance none of the Vitamin C will reach the right place as it will either be broken down inside the body, or simply degrade in the air. Another main component is peptides. These short chains of amino acids are now a common additive to many anti-ageing creams. If they work perfectly – according to research – they can actually stimulate collagen growth and repair, so would reduce the visible effect of wrinkles. In practice, though, this sometimes isn’t the case, as the chance of them penetrating the top layer of skin is very small and they are very unstable, so become broken down very quickly. Peptides are also extremely expensive. Credible scientific studies, published in peer-reviewed journals, have been carried out on the effects of different compounds on the skin and has shown that some are very successful. These are usually prescription creams and medicines used to treat more severe skin conditions such as dermatitis and can come with side effects, so are not available over the counter at your local Boots! Creams and lotions can often be extremely expensive for insignificant amounts and require a long time period to actually see the (sometimes minimal) effects. Alternatives have been shown to give healthier looking skin; applying sunscreen every day helps keep out harmful particles which cause breakdown of collagen. Simple things like ensuring a balanced diet, getting your RDAs of essential vitamins, and avoiding stress and smoking are also proven to help. The jury’s still out on this one but just remember, whilst you’re worth it, that tub of glorified moisturiser might not be. James Simpson
Photo: Geir Halvorsen Flickr
Puzzles
34
Tuesday 6 March 2012
thecourieronline.co.uk/puzzles c2.puzzles@ncl.ac.uk Puzzles Editor: Laura Armitage
You can find the answer s to this week’s pu thecou zzles at rieronli ne. co.uk/p uzzles
Sudoku
Crossword
Medium
Across
The Courier
Catchphrase
1. Pins and ___ (7) 5. ___ 22 (5) 8. ___ - eyed monster (5) 9. ___ orchestra (7) 10. ___ coffee (7) 11. An ___ trip (3) 12. Tried and ___ (6) 14. ___ of the trade (6) 17. As cold as ___ (3) 19. Practice makes ___ (7) 22. ___ is the spice of life (7) 23. Make the ___ (5) 24. It takes all ___ (5) 25. Beat a hasty ___ (7)
Hard
Wordsearch
Down 1. It’ll be all right on the ___ (5) 2. With friends like that, who needs ___? (7) 3. Read between the ___ (5) 4. ___ climber (6) 5. ___ and verse (7) 6. Put your cards on the ___ (5) 7. Chamber of ___ (7) 12. As thick as ___ (7) 13. Pony ___ (7) 15. A ___ industry (7) 16. On a wing and a ___ (6) 18. Trial and ___ (5) 20. Pieces of ___ (5) 21. Short and ___ (5)
In your dreams CATNAP DAYDREAM DOZE DREAM DROWSY EXHAUSTED FANTASY FATIGUED FORTY WINKS HIBERNATE IMAGINATION KIP MIRAGE NIGHTMARE NOD OFF RELAX REPOSE REST SHUTEYE SIESTA SLEEP SLUMBER SNOOZE STARGAZE TIRED VISION WEARY
the plete d hand m o C n ord a urier ofw s s Co to cro The chance o t n i e ar for th Mens B fice £5 ! win a ouncher v
Hub Words
How many words can you make from the letters in the wheel? Each word must contain the hub letter I. Can you find a 9-letter word and at least 20 other words of five letters or more avoiding proper nouns?
Word Link Find the missing word that connects these three words together.
Whale
Weed
Pain
Current
Bank
Joint
Riddle Banana
Sheep
Deep
Statesman
Sister
Berry
Sport The Courier
35
Tuesday 6 March 2012
thecourieronline.co.uk/sport
Sport Editors: Colin Henrys, Harry Slavin and Rory Brigstock-Barron Online Sport Editors: Grace Harvey and Charlie Scott courier.sport@ncl.ac.uk
For he’s a Jolly good swimmer
Elite Athlete and Marine Biology student bidding for place at London Olympics
“I just want to be able to get to the end of my career and look back with no regrets. I want to be able to say that I gave it everything...” Newcastle student Will Jolly celebrates more success in the pool, something he hopes to be able to replicate at the swimming trials for the London 2012 Olympics later this week Photography: Newcastle University Swim Club
By Linda Guma Ambitious is one word that encapsulates Will Jolly, a final-year Marine Biology student and athlete at Newcastle University. The 20-year-old from Lincolnshire is on the pursuit of becoming the next swimming champion to bring glory to Newcastle since 1988 when Kevin Boyd made it to the finals in the Seoul Olympics. He is also striving to achieve his dream of becoming a shark scientist. “Anything’s possible if you put your mind to it. And if you have a dream, go for it. Don’t let anything stand in your way and hold you back. And even if you don’t achieve what you set out to do, as long as you’ve given it everything you can and you can look back with no regrets, then no one could ever fault you.” Will Jolly expressed these inspirational words during an interview at 9.00am in the morning last week. That was just after he swam 6,000 metres at 5.30am that morning. Will has been swimming competitively since he was nine years old and trying to break into Internationals for the past three years. At the age of 18 he played in his first national games, right before coming to Newcastle University. Then, he was the first swimmer at Newcastle to win gold
in the 1,500 metre freestyle race at the British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) Long Course Championships in Sheffield two years ago. This week, Will is going to be participating in the trials that will determine whether he will have the opportunity to represent Britain in the 1,500 metre freestyle races in the upcoming London games. He will be facing a fierce competition, as those who will qualify for the final round can be any eight of the trial’s thirty participants, of whom some have previously won bronze and silver medals and several have participated in multiple international competitions. Only the fastest two of these finalists will go on to compete in the Olympics themselves. The up-and-coming marine scientist and swimming star has to juggle his time between his studies and his sport. He spends 20 hours a week in the pool, training at Newcastle City pool Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday between 5.30am and 7.30am, and then again between 4.30pm to 6.30pm Monday to Friday. Ahtough that doesn’t mean he gets the weekends off. On Saturdays he heads over to Sunderland to train in the 50m pool from 8.00am to 10.00am. During a light set of skills and drills he’ll swim “only” between 4,000 and 5,000 metres, whereas in a heavy set, when he’s really going for it, he’ll do a good 6,000 to 7,000 metres in a single
session. That’s about 250 lengths per session or 500 lengths per day. On top of that, Will has two weekly weight sessions, one of which he takes place at the Sports Centre Tuesday or Wednesday evening, and the other one Saturday morning over at Gateshead with a coach. Not to mention that that he’s got to fit in eating, catching up on sleep, travelling to and from the pool, and strength work to prevent shoulder injury. As if his schedule isn’t already inundated, Will has to fit twenty lab and library hours into his already jam-
arduous training session. Now in the third and final year of his degree, Will is busy writing his dissertation, which involves long hours in the lab, collecting and transcribing data. For Will, leisure time is a limited resource which he doesn’t take for granted: “Saturday night is the one time in the week where I can relax a bit and socialise. Any weekends when I’m not competing, I catch up with my mates and watch a film or some TV, mainly sports. These are the things that I may not have time for during the week. Real luxuries, you know.”
“Anything’s possible if you put your mind to it. And if you have a dream, go for it. Don’t let anything stand in your way and hold you back.” packed schedule: “Last year was particularly hard work; they really put us under the cosh. We had days when we had 9.00am-10.00am lecture, 10.00am-1.00pm lab, 1.00pm-2.00pm lecture, 2.00pm-5.00pm lab, 5.00pm till 6.00pm lecture. Those were hard days, especially if you’ve been up till 5.00am!” He usually does his assignments in the evening and on particularly heavy days he works from 8.00pm until midnight, leaving only five hours of sleep before he’s got to get up for another
How does he do it? “I’m just trying to fulfil my potential and see how far I can go within my sport, as well as combining it with my marine biology degree, which takes up a lot of time as well. Time management has been crucial these last two-and-a-half years” he says. “I just want to be able to get to the end of my career and look back with no regrets. I want to be able to say that I gave it everything I could have and it could have been no more, even if I don’t end up making it to internationals. I work as hard as I can,
because I don’t want be in the position where I think, ‘What could I have done more? Could I have done more?’ So that’s what keeps me going.” After completing his Undergraduate degree, he intends to spend the next four pursuing both a Masters and a PhD, whilst keeping up his swimming and trying to qualify for the Rio games. After 2016, he wants to retire from swimming and fulfil his other big dream in life, that of becoming a shark scientist out in the tropics. He also wants to stay in Newcastle to continue his studies: “I’m settled here. Newcastle is vibrant and I’ve had many good times here. Moreover, Newcastle University has an excellent Marine Biology department and a great athletic training programme. The sports programme has been brilliant and the support has helped me a huge amount.” Fraser Kennedy, Newcastle University’s Performance Sport Manager, says: “My role is to put in place all the mechanisms necessary for supporting our best athletes so that they can be the best they can be. We provide them with sports medicine support, funding, psychology, nutrition, sports vision, coaching in time management, and strengthening and conditioning. Of course, no one can do the training, academic studies, and time management for them, but we’re here to support them.”
36.sportfeature
Tuesday 6 March 2012
The Courier
The Curious Case of Cesar Rodriguez Online Sports Editor Charlie Scott discusses the man that Lionel Mess wishes to emulate
Lionel Messi’s strike against Atletico tive games, Cesar was never given the Madrid last weekend took his goal opportunities at international level tally this season to 43 in 41 appear- that his talent and performances at ances in all competitions, and was his club level clearly merited. Back at Barcelona however, Cesar 223rd in a Barcelona shirt. But, what of the man whose title as flourished, scoring 235 goals in ofBarcelona’s all-time leading goalscor- ficial competitions before his retirement in 1955. The talented striker er, Messi so craves? The only person left standing be- won his first league title in the 1944tween Messi and his aim is Cesar 45 season, and went on to win further Rodriguez Alvarez, the scorer of 235 titles in 48, 49, 52 and 53. Effective and undoubtedly prolific goals for Barcelona, 13 more than the diminutive Argentine’s current total in the 40s it was not until the joint arrival of Ferdinand Daucik as manager of 223. With Messi scoring at will- it has and the creative, free-scoring midtaken him under two years to net fielder Laszlo Kubala in 1950 that the his last 100 goals- we take a moment club witnessed the extent of Cesar’s to reconsider the career of the man powers. Alongside the sensational whose record Messi looks set to sur- Hungarian, Cesar reached a new level. The two stars shone as Barcepass before the season’s end. Cesar’s time at the Catalan giants lona won five trophies during the 51spanned three decades, from 1939 52 season, scoring 68 goals between until 1955, and interruptions to his them, and terrorizing defences week career meant he probably could have in week out. Another La Liga title folscored even more than the 235 goals lowed a year later in 53, but aged 33 that currently make him the club’s all- that would turn out to be Cesar’s last. Cesar is fondly remembered by time top goal-scorer. After joining the club as a 19-year Barca fans, not just for his abundance old in 1939 for a measly 1,000 pesetas of goals, but particularly for who he both he and Barcelona had no choice happened to score regularly against. but to authorise a two-year loan move 14 of his 235 goals came in El Clasicos to Granada CF after the young striker against Real Madrid, making him the was relocated to the city to complete third highest scorer in the fixture ever. Unsurprisingly Messi military service. is hot on his heels with 13. After hauling Granada into the top flight in his first season at After leaving Barthe club he then cemented their celona in 1955 status in La Liga with an impresCesar played Getty sive 23 goals in 24 games the folfirst for his Images lowing season. Despite clearly hometown enjoying himself at the Andalucian outfit, Barcelona unsurprisingly wanted to use his talents themselves and he rec l u b turned to his parent club in 1942. Cultural Despite scoring freely for Barcelona Leonesa, then to such an extent that he became, and for Perpignan remains for the time being, their allin France betime leading goalscorer in competifore moving
Who are ya? One would have thought Barcelona’s fans would remember their top goalscorer Getty Images
back to Spain to play for Elche, whom he led to back-to-back promotions from the third to the first division. A fairly uninspiring managerial career followed with a 6-game spell at Barcelona and consecutive relegations at Real Betis and Mallorca proving particular lowlights. His managerial ability aside, on the pitch his ability is beyond question. Cesar should be rated more highly
Back of the net Video of the week
Testing times 1.) Which club holds the record for the most English Second Flight League Championships won? 2.) Who was the last England player to score a winning goal against the Netherlands in a full international? 3.) In what year did the European Cup last not have an English side in the last eight? 4.) Which female tennis player holds the record for the fastest serve? 5.) Which two Argentinian footballers won the Premier League Player of the Month Award?
than he is. Kubala tends to receive all the plaudits whenever Barcelona’s success in the fifties is mentioned yet Cesar’s contribution should not be undervalued. 235 competitive goals and 5 league championships. The numbers speak for themselves. Perhaps he gets overlooked because he remarkably never appeared regularly for Spain, playing just 12 times for the national team and being an
unused substitute at the 1950 World Cup in Brazil. If this is the case then it is a shame, and maybe his contribution to the club and to football should be reconsidered. Messi is only 13 goals away from surpassing his goal-scoring record yet many fans have still not even heard of Cesar Rodriguez. They really should have.
Spot the ball A
B
C
D
E
F
1
2
Mike Dean ‘celebrates’ Tottenham goal http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fg33RXiK_
Tweet of the week -@maxrushden
The Soccer AM host’s daily summising of thoughts take a bizarre, and very expensive, turn:
“#Todaysconclusions without my accountant I’d be in prison, you can have pizza for lunch & dinner, £35.99 is too much for an easter egg.”
1.) Manchester City (7), 2.) Teddy Sheringham (Euro 96’), 3.) 1996, 4.) Venus Williams (205kmph), 5.) Juan Sebastian Veron (2001) and Carlos Tevez (2009)
As Louis Saha’s chip over Wojciech Szczesny heads towards goal, referee Mike Dean gets a little too involved jumping up and down as the ball goes in.
This week in sport University Sport: 11 Mar 1967: Newcastle’s Men’s Rugby Union 3rds beat Liverpool to reach the UAU Cup Final, where they were set to face a Loughborough side who had scored 15o points in their last two matches. Intra Mural: 11 Mar 1967: P. Martin wins the Close House Memorial cross country race, after the unfortunate P. Vale lost his early lead after his shoe came off in the muddy grounds. World: 7 Mar 1987: Mike Tyson unifies the WBC and WBA belts by beating James ‘Bonecrusher’ Smith to becoming the youngest undisputed heavyweight champion.
3
4
5
Send the correct coordinates of the ball to courier.sport@ncl.ac.uk to enter a draw to win a £5 Mens Bar voucher.
Last week’s (27 February) winner: John Logan (E2). Please come to the Courier Office to collect your voucher.
The Courier
intramuralsport.37
Tuesday 6 March 2012
Boss bags brace as Dyslexic defeated
INTRA MURAL FOOTBALL DIVISION ONE (WEDS) Dyslexic Untied
2
Barca Law Na
4
Wheelhouse 22, Clements-Hunt 87
Allinson 30, 51, Bagot 45, Foley 74
By Simon Schofield at LONGBENTON 3G Barca Law Na came from behind to claim a much needed win on Longbenton 3G on Wednesday. An early strike from ‘Foreign’ Tony da Silva for Dyslexic was usurped by a Barca onslaught, who were looking to ensure that this wouldn’t be a third week on the trot that maximum points were dropped at this most important stage of the season. You would have thought it was Untied who were the league leaders in the first ten minutes and they were rewarded early on with a simple ‘For-
eign’ finish. Ben Wheelhouse beat his man down the left channel to drill a cross into the box, and while Barca keeper Wadhams saved Jamie Hudson’s initial effort, da Silva fired home the rebound. Barca looked stunned and played in a panicky fashion which wasn’t helped by Dyslexic’s early hustle marshalled by the excellent Chris Smith. However Barca played their way back into the game and replied from a chaotic corner on 30 minutes. Captain Dan Allinson found himself in the right place at the right time to power home a header after Dyslexic had franticly cleared the ball off the line seconds earlier. The league leaders continued to dictate play through Josh Cryer and Dave Bagot, with the later getting on the score sheet with literally the last kick of the half. Another corner was fisted away by the immense Nathan ‘Fletch’, but Bagot collected the loose ball, controlled it and sent a looping effort into the top corner.
The second half followed a similar pattern with Dyslexic struggling to make enough clear cut chances. The best being a flowing move between Schofield and Dom Robson who failed to make his effort count with the oncoming keeper easily smothering his effort. Barca picked up where they left off and a sweeping Allinson free kick made it 3-1, tucking the ball into the bottom left corner. ‘Fletch’ continued to show off his reflexes with fine saves from Tyler and McKee, the best being a fully stretched palm away from a powerful Cryer drive. A Foley header extended Barca’s lead from another corner after a rapid double save from ‘Fletch’. Dyslexic rallied late on with Robson showing he is one of the hottest properties in Intra Mural football by doing Allinson all ends up on the byline before squaring to youngster Cameron Clements-Hunt to slot home. It proved too little too late however as Barca go marching on in their push
for the Wednesday First Division crown.
Parker was on hand to prod the ball home and give Medics the lead. The Hurricanes failed to find there footing in the game and subsequently found themselves further behind after a defensive mix up. A long ball wasn’t cleared and Nick Holt muscled his way onto the ball into the box before laying off to MacMillan for the easiest of finishes to put his side in a commanding position after just 20 minutes. Medics 2nds were looking to have the game wrapped up by half-time but The Hurricanes suddenly burst into life midway through the half, and miraculously managed to haul the game level before the break. Having forced a series of corners, Hurricanes were finally awarded a lifeline when fullback Chris Adams was needlessly chopped down inside the area. This gave Adam Duckworth the chance to add to his tally for the season from the spot and he duly converted, his penalty nestling in the side netting well out of the reach of Medics ‘keeper Morris. Hurricanes completed their first half comeback moments later when a half cleared corner was swung back in by Aaron Smedley and met with a towering header from Ben Mile, which sailed into the Medics net.
However, after the break, a seemingly controlled situation turned into mass panic as Adams misplaced a pass right into the path of Chris Holt who powered through on goal. Despite the defence getting back in numbers they could do nothing the stop the ball falling into the path of MacMillan who lifted the ball over Will Hollis to regain Medics the lead. Their advantage was short lived however as ‘Canes once again rallied to peg back their opponents moments later. A Nick Gibby delivery bounced around the Medics area and eventually fell at the feet of Joe Moffatt, who composed himself before guiding home a half volley from the edge of the six-yard box. Both sides grappled and continued to make chances to win it but it took a goal of the most dramatic proportions to settle the match. A lethargic foul by Aaron Smedley on Holt allowed the Medics one last chance to whip a ball in to the Hurricanes box and they took full advantage as Gardiner rose highest to decide the contest with virtually the last touch of the game. The contrasting scenes at the end of the match were poignant as a euphoric Medics side attempted to conceal there delight while shaking hands
with a despondent ‘Canes side, everyone aware that both sides had given their all. The result consolidates Medics position at the top of the second division, while The Hurricanes will be hoping similar performances can provide more deserving results over their last three matches.
Wadhams
Beahon
Foley
Allinson
Cryer
Ingram
Bagot McKee
Rawlings
The Hurricanes
Duckworth pen 31, Mile 36, Moffatt 56
3
Newcastle Medics 2nds 4 Parker 12, MacMillan 20, 48, Gardiner 90
By Harry Slavin at CLOSE HOUSE The Hurricanes players were left stunned and dejected after their last minute defeat to Medics 2nds on Wednesday afternoon. A highly spirited comeback was undone in the last minute by a Gardiner header in the dying seconds to confine The Hurricanes to back-to-back defeats and cement the Medics position at the top of the Second Division. The Hurricanes appeared to still be on the sidelines as the Medics Seconds raced into a two-goal lead early in the first half. A strong cross-pitch wind wreaked havoc throughout the game and it was the Medics who took full advantage of it in the opening stages, a corner was got caught in the wind and when the defence didn’t deal with the loose ball,
Robson
Wheelhouse
da Silva
Jackson
Schofield Zikmund
Davidson
Windle
Smith
Player of the Month
Dave Edwards (Newcastle Medics 1sts) In a month where the defending champions have got there faltering season back on track, and now look set for an unprecedented fourth straight league title, Newcastle Medics 1sts’ Dave Edwards (below, right) has stood out as being the best player in the Intra Mural competition. With manager Josh Davison and other star players such as Rishi Dhand and Nathan Campbell often unavailable due to commitments to the University’s sides, the Medics have needed somebody to step up and fill the void left by their absences. Midfield Fresher Edwards has done exactly that this year.
Over the past month he has scored four goals in as many matches from midfield, including two ‘goal of the season’ candidates, and has helped his side to four consecutive wins, including victories over title rivals Henderson Hall and Barca Law Na. On the form of their new found star, Medics captain Andrew Fretwell (below left) told The Courier: “Dave has been in phenomenal form all season and thoroughly deserves the award.” As reward for his performances, Dave will receive complimentary drinks at Sam Jacks.
Hollis
Adams
Mile
Laurence Smedley
Moffatt
Butler
Gibby
Duckworth
Thomas
Rammel
Tam
#14 Crunch time
Forster
Fletcher
C.Holt
ta s i s s A er g a n Ma
Rakshi
Hurworth
Gardiner mows down ‘canes with late strike INTRA MURAL FOOTBALL DIVISION TWO (WEDS)
The Secret Intra Mural Footballernt
Slavin
MacMillan
Dalton
N.Holt
Parker
Johnston Morris
Rhodes
Mysko
So. Here we are. Staring relegation straight in the nuts. It’s crunch time for my boys. With one game left to play, all we can do is win and then spend an anxious few weeks praying to the Intra Mural Gods that results elsewhere go in our favour. There have been highs and lows this season, far too many lows and not near enough highs if truth be told, and now our tumultuous season boils down to 90 (sometimes less depending on the referee’s mood or his reaction to the weather) beautiful minutes on the 3G at Longbenton. We’ve had Al Pacino, and we’ve had emotional blackmail as forms of encouragement so far this season. A former manager of mine once demanded the whole squad turn up in shirt and tie to a county cup final aged 14, and then proceeded to play Lose Yourself by Eminem from a ghetto blaster in the changing rooms. We went on to win that game quite comfortably, but I’m still not convinced that Marshall Mathers had much to do with that performance. Players do react differently in situations where there is a lot at stake though. Some prefer an intense, macho shouting session to psyche themselves up, while others retreat into their own shell and choose to stand back and motivate themselves rather than jumping around screaming and chest-pumping. We have a diverse squad at the club in terms of personality, and before our final game it will be important to gauge what kind of approach to take with each player. Some will want an arm round the shoulder, and some carefully chosen words of encouragement. Others will no doubt hide their fears about relegation by playing up to the situation, joking around and being louder than normal. There are a handful of players in the squad with the ability to win us this ‘must-win’ game single-handedly. Between myself and the manager, we need to make sure that these players know, not just what they’re capable of, but what is at this point expected of them. For many of the squad it will be the last time they pull on the jersey in a competitive match. If that’s not motivation to go out there and get a win I don’t know what is. 90 minutes. The biggest game of our professional(?) lives. We have the opportunity to defy The Courier’s damning pre-season predictions and at the same time create the kind of fairytale story we can tell our grandchildren in decades to come.
38.sportintramural
Tuesday 6 March 2012
The Courier
Titanic unbeaten run finally ends Armstrong and Agrics reach cup INTRA MURAL RUGBY CUP SEMI-FINAL Armstrong
37
Titans
17
By Colin Henrys at COCHRANE PARK One of Intra Mural’s longest unbeaten runs finally came to an end on Wednesday as Armstrong defeated Titans 37-17 in the cup semi-final at Cochrane Park. Titans, who won the double last year and the cup the season before that, had previously not lost a match since November 2009 but Armstrong completely dominated to set up a cup final with Agrics 1 on Wednesday. Braces of tries from giant number eight Craig Millar and Jack Greer and one for the impressive Charlie Rose continued Armstrong’s impressive season and leaves them well set to complete a league and cup double this year. Already forced into a reshuffle by some late arrivals, the match could not have started much worse for Titans when a dislocated knee forced them into a reshuffle in their front row just two minutes in. As was expected prior to kick off, both sides put in some huge tackles in the opening stages but this led to several infringements being called up by the referee. Former Uni first teamer Casimir Gross took advantage of one such penalty call to kick Armstrong into the lead, but Titans hit back almost immediately after winning a penalty of their own. Opting to kick to touch, Chris Thompson’s line-out was claimed by his team and a rolling maul enabled the hooker to reclaim the ball and touch down over the try line. This proved to be the only time in the match that Titans led however, as after missing the conversion and then a penalty attempt shortly afterwards they found themselves behind again when Alex Spooner broke the line and laid off to Rose to score under the
Powerful Number Eight Craig Millar was instrumental in Armstrong’s victory. Photography: Hubert Lam
posts. Gross added the extras, Armstrong regained the lead and never fell behind again. After another Titans penalty was missed, Armstrong extended their lead to 17-5 thanks to a Millar try and they could have gone further in front when Titans inexplicably conceded a scrum in their own 22 for a forward pass, which came about purely as a result of trying to avoid a massive Armstrong hit. The Titans defence held firm on that occasion, and a Henry Cunningham try on the stroke of half-time brought them right back into the match but any hopes of a comeback were extinguished after the restart. Gross kicked another penalty after an infringement in the ruck by Titans and then the game became scrappy. A series of cynical and deliberate offsides by Armstrong to prevent some quick counter-attacks had the Titans fans baying for a yellow card, which in truth probably should have been given, but the referee instead opted to speak to the captains to calm things down. When things did calm down, Titans looked to get back in the game but a good run by their stand-off, which only needed a better pass at the end, was the closest they came to adding any points and when Millar scored another try, which Gross converted, the game was beyond reach. Titans were then reduced to 14 men after a ridiculous high tackle and Armstrong piled further misery on their depleted opponents as a brace of tries from Jack Greer, either side of Dave Fagan’s consolation effort, saw Armstrong to a 37-17 win. Despite dominating the competition so far this year, there were still questions as to whether Armstrong could overcome title favourites Titans. They have comfortably proved their critics wrong and it is difficult to see beyond them securing the double in the next two weeks. For Titans, every unbeaten run has to finish at some point, and perhaps it is fitting that it happened on 29 February. If they are to earn any silverware from their season however, they must improve drastically before they face Armstrong in the league decider later this month.
INTRA MURAL RUGBY CUP SEMI-FINAL Agrics 1
29
Cheeky Ladies
19
By Patrick Reade at HEATON It was a tale of two halves in the eagerly anticipated semi-final between Agrics 1 and Cheeky Ladies at the Heaton Medicals Rugby Ground, which saw the Agrics force their way into the final of the Intra Mural Cup. The Agrics, enjoying a rich vein of form of late, controlled the early stages of the game, with good ball retention and fast running rugby. Hard forward work was rewarded with a try in the first few minutes of the game, as a scrum deep inside enemy territory resulted in scrum half Will Scott finishing off a well worked blindside move, giving the Agrics a vital five point lead. However, any ideas of an Agric annihilation were removed just minutes later, as a huge scrum by the Cheeky Ladies resulted in an outstanding forty meter try by their captain Danny Price, who managed to beat three defenders on his rampant charge to the line, touching down in the cor-
ner. The resulting conversion drifted wide, leaving the score tied at five apiece. The try proved to be the turning point of the half, as the Ladies’ newly found desire was rewarded in the 18th minute when their relentless battering of the Agrics’ try line resulted in a quickly taken penalty being finished superbly in the corner by Hugh Risk. The conversion was added by fly half Stuart Robinson, taking the score to 12-5. Any Agrics’ pressure was soaked up well by the Cheeky Ladies, with excellent counter rucking and the use of a generous wind ensuring that the majority of the play was battled out in the Agrics half. On 25 minutes, brilliant handling from the Cheekys saw the ball flash across the pitch, only to be stopped meters short from the Agric line. As the retained ball came out to Robinson, a cry of forward runners sucked in the Agric defence, allowing him to give a classy ‘show and go’, strolling in under the posts untouched. The conversion nudged the score along to 19-5 with the Cheeky Ladies firmly in the driving seat. A changing point in the game came on the stroke of half time, as a penalty rewarded to the Cheeky Ladies needed only to be sent into touch for the half time whistle to be blown. However, having missed touch, the Agrics searched for a much needed try be-
fore the break. Several phases later, an outstanding team move resulted in an overlap, brilliantly exploited by the Agrics winger, who bundled his way across the line, clattering the corner flag as a scrambling Cheeky defence did all they could to send him into touch. The referee, unfortunately unable to refer to the video referee, (a facility not yet available in Intra Mural rugby), awarded the try, following the advice of the touch judge, hiding the green jersey from beneath his training top as he did so. The Cheekys were outraged but the decision had been made, leaving the match poised at 1910 at the break. The second half saw the roles reversed, as the Agrics dominated with good attacking rugby and solid defence. A five meter scrum was finished in the opposite corner, following excellent handling from the back line, as Andy Whiteford managed to power his way over, clawing his team to within two points of the Cheeky Ladies. It was Whiteford who struck again just minutes later, finishing off another flowing backs move in the corner, with the ex-Scotland school boy showing every inch of class in his performance, with such clinical finishing being the ultimate difference between the two sides. Next it was Agrics’ fly half Jack Cook’s turn to exploit the generous
The Courier
intramuralsport.39
Tuesday 6 March 2012
while final
League Tables Wednesday 11-a-side Football Division 1 Team
Pld
W
D
L
F
A
Pts
1
Barca Law Na
11
8
1
2
46
15
25
2
Henderson Hall
12
7
1
4
41
29
22
3
Newcastle Medics 1sts
9
6
2
1
29
13
20
4
Dyslexic Untied
10
4
1
5
25
25
13
5
Crayola
10
4
0
6
14
18
12
6
Aftermath
10
2
0
8
11
43
6
7
Castle Leazes
8
1
1
6
10
32
4
Top Goalscorers
10: Daniel Rech (Crayola) 9: Dave Eccles (Aftermath) 9: Liam McAllister (Hendo)
14: Jamie Hurworth (Barca) 11: Dave Edwards (Medics)
Armstrong left Titans chasing heels as they secured a place in the Intra Mural Cup Final. Photography: Hubert Lam
Division 2
Barca Law Na Dyslexic Untied
4 2
Henderson Hall Newcastle Medics 1s
2 5
A
Pts
Team
Pld
W
D
L
F
A
1
Newcastle Medics 2nds
11
8
2
0
35
9
29
(C)
Roman Villa FC
13
11
0
1
48
7
36
2
Boroussia Forsyth
11
8
0
2
39
16
27
2
Politic Thistle
12
8
0
3
36
19
24*
3
Ecosoccer
12
7
1
4
48
28
22
3
Shakhtar FC
13
6
1
5
21
16
19
4
Lokomotiv
10
7
1
2
45
26
22
4
Jesmondino FC
10
4
0
6
17
23
15
5
The Hurricanes
11
4
1
6
35
32
13
5
NCL Galacticos
10
4
0
5
19
28
12
Boca Seniors
12
4
0
8
32
37
12
6
Brown Magic FC
10
3
1
6
25
27
10
(R) Newhist FC
12
1
2
9
16
58
5
7
Newcastle Dynamos
12
3
0
9
21
47
9
(R) Ar U Shavin A Laugh
13
1
1
11
18
62
4
8
Combined Honours
12
3
0
9
14
43
9
Top Goalscorers
12: Josh Batham (Ecosoccer) 12: Zack Goddard (Ecosoccer) 10: Archie Norman (Forsyth)
Top Goalscorers
8: Lewis Cockerill (B Magic) 8: Rob Grady (Roman Villa) 8: Ollie Griffiths (Roman Villa)
16: James Dunn (P Thistle) 11: Tom Islip (Roman Villa)
Boca Seniors Lokomotiv
L L
Ecosoccer Newhist FC
8 0
Combined Honours Brown Magic FC
L L
Politic Thistle Shakhtar FC
4 0
Boroussia Forsyth Ar U Shavin A Laugh
5 1
The Hurricanes Newcastle Medics 2s
3 4
Jesmondino FC NCL Galacticos
L L
Roman Villa Newcastle Dynamos
4 0
Mixed Hockey Group A Pts
Team
Pld
W
D
L
F
A
Pts
Uni Hockey
Intra Mural W D L F A <<<<>>> round-up 12 10 0 2 192 85
40
1
Agrics
6
6
0
0
13
2
18
2
Mansoc
12
9
1
2
142
74
38
2
Larrikins
6
4
0
2
23
6
12
25
3
Leazes Ladies
12
8
0
4
134
100
32
3
Oral Specialists
6
3
1
2
13
7
10
117
22
4
Net Assets
12
7
0
5
151
122
28
4
BioSci Hockey Legends
6
3
0
3
13
9
9
118
134
18
5
Biology Netball
12
6
2
4
122
111
28
5
Law School
6
3
0
3
10
12
9
4
133
179
18
6
CHS
12
4
1
7
120
117
18
6
Pink Panthers
6
3
0
3
7
18
9
0
5
98
150
14
7
Agrics B
12
1
2
9
77
156
8
7
MLS
6
1
1
4
5
12
4
2
0
6
50
261
8
8
RRE
12
0
0
12
22
195
0
8
NUTS
6
0
0
6
3
21
0
0
0
8
46
272
1
11 8
RRE Biology Netball
3 20
Group B
Uni Hockey Agrics B
Team
Pld
W
D
L
F
A
Pts
18 6
1
Toon Raiders
3
3
0
0
11
0
9
2
The Gunners
4
2
1
1
5
3
7
3
Green Sticks
3
1
2
0
6
2
5
4
NUSSC
5
1
2
2
2
10
5
Team
D
L
F
A
Pts
1
Armstrong
7
6
0
1
290
40
31
1
2
Titans
7
7
0
0
219
43
30
3
Agrics 1
8
5
1
2
161
104
4
Southern Fairies
8
4
0
4
185
5
Larrikins
8
4
0
4
6
Cheeky Ladies
8
3
1
7
Engines
8
3
8
Agrics 2
8
9
Medics
8
29 0
Leazes Ladies Net Assets Mansoc CHS
Pld
9 8
5pm-6pm 29 19
Pts
6
W
Titans Armstrong
17 37
Wednesday’s Intra Mural Fixtures Football Div One: Div Two: Div Three:
AGRICS 1 Round One: BYE Quarter-Final: bt S Fairies 20 - 3 Semi-Final: bt C Ladies 29 - 19
F
Pld
Agrics 1 Cheeky Ladies
ARMSTRONG Round One: bt Medics 50 - 7 Quarter-Final: BYE Semi-Final: bt Titans 37 - 17
L
4pm-5pm
Cup Semi-Finals
FINAL
D
Team
Agrics 2 Engines
ROUTE TO THE
W
Netball
Rugby Union Division 1
conditions, with measured kicking ensuring that the Agrics maintained their territorial control of the game. A try under the posts in the final minutes sealed victory for the Agrics as a tired Cheeky Ladies defence was breached once more. The successful conversion moved the score to 29-19 in the Agrics favour, a score which remained until full-time. As the men in green’s post match huddle formed, a cry of ‘Final time boys!’ was met by a roar, not only from the fifteen men battered and bruised from their heroic efforts on the field, but from the entire squad, each willing to put their bodies on the line to ensure victory for their counterparts; a key component of their journey to the final.
Pld
14: Adam Duckworth (H’anes) 13: Jake Wimshurst (Shavin)
L L
Castle Leazes Aftermath
Division 3
Team
Team
Pld
W
D
L
F
A
Pts
5
Black Panthers
3
1
1
1
3
4
4
1
Agrics
10
9
0
1
185
64
36
6
Combined Honours
4
1
0
3
7
12
3
2
Netball Ninjas
9
9
0
0
137
54
36
7
Mojoholics
2
0
0
2
1
4
0
3
Polly’s Dollies
10
6
0
4
133
105
24
4
Chem Eng
11
5
0
6
100
115
20
5
CHS
11
4
0
7
120
154
16
6
NUSSC
9
2
0
7
44
109
8
7
The History Girls
10
0
0
10 28
146
0
Castle Leazes vs Medics 1sts (Close House 1, 2pm) Newhist FC vs The Hurricanes (Close House 5, 2pm) Brown Magic FC vs Jesmondino FC (Close House 4, 2pm) Dynamos vs Galacticos (Close House 2, 2pm) Quarter-Final: Barca Law Na vs Lokomotiv (Longbenton 3G, 3.45pm) Dyslexic Untied vs Boca Seniors (Longbenton 2, 2pm) Henderson Hall vs Shakhtar FC (Longbenton 3G, 8pm) Politic Thistle vs Aftermath (Longbenton 1, 2pm)
CHS Chem Eng
Rugby Union Cup Final: Agrics 1
Netball Ninjas NUSSC
vs Armstrong
(Heaton 2, 2.15pm)
14 21 P P
Polly’s Dollies Agrics
14 21
Fixtures - Sunday 11 March Toon Raiders vs Combined Honours vs Mojoholics vs
Green Sticks Longbenton Artificial - 10:30 Black Panthers Longbenton Artificial - 11:30 The Gunners Longbenton Artificial - 12:30
The Courier Online
Check out thecourieronline.co.uk/ sport every week for exclusive match reports and updated league tables
Clinical Edwards downs Hall
INTRA MURAL FOOTBALL DIVISION ONE (WEDS) Henderson Hall
2
Warburton 20 McAllister 43
Newcastle Medics 1sts 5 English 13, Dodsworth 23, MacMillan 30, Edwards 52, 80
By Owen Evans at COCHRANE PARK Newcastle Medics Firsts recorded an important victory over Henderson Hall on Wednesday to ensure that the fate of the Division 1 title is still in their hands. With three games left to play and nine points needed to guarantee the title, the Medics will be confident they can pip Barca Law Na to that illustrious post. The match started relatively evenly, with both teams attempting to play a passing game, but it was not long before the Medics took the advantage. Joel English made a mazy run down the left wing before putting the ball into the danger area. A poor clearance from Jordan Warburton
gifted the ball back to English, who easily struck the ball into the back of the net. The game continued to flow evenly after the first goal, with both sides coming close to scoring. It was Henderson Hall, however, who got that goal, with a stunning strike from Jordan Warburton from 35 yards out, which hit the post before finding the back of the net, giving the goalkeeper no chance. Henderson’s joy after equalising was not to last long, however, as Alastair Dodsworth received the ball from wide minutes later and slotted it into the bottom corner to return the Medics one goal lead. From this point, Henderson Hall began looking shakier, and it did not take long for the Medics to capitalise on this. Ali Watson tried to get a ball into the box, which Warburton cleared straight back into the front man’s path. Watson unleashed a strike which came off the post, but MacMillan was lurking at the back to slot the ball home. It took this two goal advantage for Henderson Hall to get back into gear, and it was not long before they had again given themselves hope. A
throw in from Matty Alsop found its way into the mix, and a shot from Armarni Zafar could only be parried by the keeper. The ball went as far as the feet of Henderson’s top scorer Liam McAllistair, who was happy to fire the ball into the back of the net and give Henderson a chance heading into half time. After the excitement of the first half, the second period proved to be more of a damp squib, with the majority of play being restricted to midfield. The Medics continued to play the better football, however, and after around 20 minutes, Intra-Mural Player of the Month Dave Edwards used his attacking instinct to head a cross downwards, causing it to bounce over the keeper and into the back of the net. Henderson continued trying to get back into the game, but could not convert the few chances they had. With ten minutes left on the clock, the Medics put the game beyond all doubt as Dave Edwards paced past a high defensive line, before rounding the keeper and slotting the ball home to finish the game at 5-2. The result, which is Henderson Hall’s final game of the season means
that the losers are resigned to a probable third placed position. The Medics, however will go on to play their final three games – which are against the three bottom teams – believing they have what it takes to snatch the title. Davies
Wilson
Checkland
Warburton
Tollefson
Carr
Zafar
Nangle McAllister
Prichard
English
Allsop
Edwards
Watson
T-Mac
Fairmichael Dodsworth
Fretwell Emmerson Anderson
Durkin
Jones
40.sportBUCS
Tuesday 6 March 2012
Tennis boys lose their grip on promotion hopes MEN’S TENNIS Newcastle 1sts Sheffield 2nds
4 8
By Daniel Carnie at N’UMBERLAND CLUB Wednesday’s clash with Sheffield’s Seconds was always going to be a pivotal match in the season but it grew in significance with Newcastle laying just a solitary point ahead of their opponents before the start of play. Additionally, with Durham’s Seconds still in sight at the top of the table, Newcastle harboured hopes of catching their North-East rivals and with it, promotion. Due to the ladies’ team playing indoors, the men’s’ team played on the outdoor courts at home for the first time this year but a largely sunny day ensured pleasant conditions. Unfortunately, proceedings got off to the worst possible start with number one Tom Loughran being swept aside by his Greek opposite number who looked anything but a tennis player going by his attire – long shorts and no socks gave off a Mardy Fish vibe. He let his tennis do the talking, however, and wrapped up the win in double-quick time 6-1 6-2. His use
of the drop-shot, in particular, drove Loughran absolutely mad and he tested the durability of the fence with his racquet more than once. Number two for the day, Kyle Cowper, didn’t fare much better as he lost to his lively opponent 4-6 6-7. Cowper tried to get himself going with growls of “come on” after the odd inspired passing shot but couldn’t string enough good points together to turn the match around. To add insult to injury, the net chord was not kind to Cowper and lost him three or four crucial points along the way. After the first two lost their singles matches it was crucial that Mike Tang and Ben Maynard won their doubles match to keep hopes of a victory alive. They came up against a sprightly, little and large combination which helped ensure a lively first set which Sheffield edged 7-6 – partly due to some untimely double faults by Tang. That tiebreak proved to be the turning point in the match and the second set was surrendered far more easily 1-6. The result meant that a draw was the best that Newcastle could have hoped for out of the match. Newcastle threatened to do just that as Mike Tang ignited a possible comeback by beating his stubborn opponent 6-3 6-2 to maintain his unbeaten singles record for the season. Both
The Courier
Owls devour
players played their part in a thoroughly entertaining match with some superb points dotted throughout the match. It came down to a couple of important breaks of serve by Tang as he served consistently, unlike his doubles match. Numbers one and two, Loughran and Cowper, joined forces to keep the momentum going as they won a feisty encounter 11-9 in the deciding Champions tie-break after sharing the first two sets. Some neat touches at the net by Loughran helped tip the balance in their favour, with an acrobatic backhand volley providing one of the highlights of the day. Those two wins meant that it was down to team Captain Ben Maynard to decide if Newcastle would escape with a draw or go down in defeat, and in doing so, ending their promotion charge. Sadly for Newcastle, it proved to be the latter as he lost 2-6 4-6 to his steady opponent who took charge early on and didn’t allow Maynard much opportunity to reply. The loss to Sheffield means that it is now impossible for Newcastle to be promoted and they will have to wait another year to get out of the third division. Now though, the team must pick themselves up for the most important fixtures of the year, the Stan Calvert match against Northumbria.
NURL Firsts made light work of their Quarter Final against Hull, racking up almost a half century of p
Men’s teams embroiled in promotion and title battles BUCS IN BRIEF
8-2 win at Longbenton. The Thirds are promoted after losing just one match all season, winning six of their ten matches.
Men’s Hockey Firsts unbeaten streak came to an abrupt end last Monday night as they were humbled 7-3 by Leeds University Firsts. The result put a dent into their title charge and left them trailing Leeds in the table by two points. The firsts were able to keep up the pressure on Leeds on Wednesday thanks to a comprehensive victory over lowly Liverpool Firsts, who have gone the whole season without picking up a single point. Newcastle Firsts ran out 5-2 victors and will now be relying on Liverpool to pull off a massive shock against Leeds this week in order to have any chance at the title.
FENCING
MEN’S HOCKEY
MEN’S FOOTBALL In football, the Men’s Thirds won promotion from The Northern 5B BUCS Division after finding the back of the net eight times against Teesside in an
In fencing, victory against Durham this week ensured promotion for a strong and consistent Newcastle Firsts side, who continued their winning streak and remain unbeaten in both the league and the cup. This came as welcome news to all at the club after the BUCS relegation fiasco of last year. Despite the injustice, Newcastle were determined to fight their way back up, and have done so in stunning fashion, dispatching all comers, including their comprehensive victory over Durham on Wednesday, who looked to be their toughest opponents. The Firsts made light work of their Durham counterparts, beating them by 135-75. The Fencing Seconds team had the chance to guarantee promotions for the Firsts but they were unable to pull off a shock result against Leeds, losing out 129 points to 109.
The Courier
BUCSsport.41
Tuesday 6 March 2012
Hamsters to reach semis RUGBY LEAGUE Newcastle 1sts Hull 1sts
47 12
By Chris Griffiths at COCHRANE PARK
points on their way to setting up a Semi Final date against Loughborough. Photography: Hubert Lam
Barbados-like temperatures and rolling green pastures at Cochrane Park was the setting for the Owls to take on the Hull Hamsters. With these animals clashing there was only ever going to be one victor. The hundreds of NURL ultras watching on from the sidelines were in for a bigger treat than the McDonalds from the night before. A Warrington Wolves like display was about to take place in a clinical and ruthless fashion. Late call-ups to an enthusiastic John Portsmouth and hairy-backed gorilla Sean Rawling proved to be a great decision from Irish tactician and Pilates socialite Dave Knox, with both boys putting in solid performances. As ever, toothless ladies man Dave Chatterton and Larry Jigby lead from the front, sweating out a full 80 minutes at second row. This built the platform for the likes of new found centre Barry Yeend and lightweight half back Dave Knox to cut through Hull’s defence with ease, eventually leading to English Language heartthrob George Matthew going over in the corner for the first of his three tries for the afternoon. This was George’s 8th try in two games, a phenomenal streak and a test of character awaits to see if he can continue this form into Stan Calvert this Sunday. Neil Hanratty pipped Myles Hudson to the post in a recent job interview but there was no sign of Myles being beaten to the prize again as he went over for a try down the right hand side of pitch. There was no sign of the notorious Hanratty who is now earn-
ing over £40,000 a year with a Transit van company vehicle as standard. Half time approached and Dave Knox dribbled his usual trash to his team. Sammy Boyd insisted Dave to ‘shut his wordhole’ and went onto mastermind a smart second half game plan, which he willingly shared with his associates. The game plan was executed and NURL had the Semi Final at Don Valley Stadium in their sights.
SAMMY BOYD Boyd was instrumental in NURL’s victory on Wednesday, his powerful running and passing constantly finding holes in Hull’s defence
A fifth tackle power play saw ‘Gigantic Ian’ crash over from close range under the posts with dreary Dave Knox going over the whitewash not long after. NURL now had a firm hold on the game, similar to the firm hold Barry Yeend would have on a one penny piece. There was still time for Thunder’s ninth choice halfback Griffiths to break through a tiring defence and round the full back to go under the posts before adding another pointless trademark drop goal. Talking of trademarks, Erasmus student Daniel Capaross failed to score again. The Death Machine will now travel to a really, really big stadium in Sheffield to face Loughborough University in the semi finals, how exciting!
SEMI FINAL LINE UP
L’borough 1sts V NURL 1STS, Leeds Met 1sts V G’shire 1sts
Sweet dreams for Newcastle LAX
Dominant performance against York ensures winning run continues for NUWL firsts WOMEN’S LACROSSE Newcastle 1sts York 1sts
25 3
By Hannah Fisher at COCHRANE PARK The sun was shining on a beautiful Wednesday afternoon at Cochrane Park, and Team Newcastle took to the pitch confident that they were about to add another game to their recent winning streak. The girls knew that their opponents, York Firsts, would be a much less challenging side than the teams they had faced in previous weeks due to their position at the bottom of the Northern 1A league. Nevertheless, York surprised the Newcastle defence and began the game in a confident and assertive manner, quickly replying to the first Newcastle goal with one of their own. With swift realisation that they would have to step up their game in order to construct a comfortable lead, Newcastle shifted up a gear and the goals began to build. Lucy Pinkerton was a consistent presence in midfield,
ensuring the majority of centre draws ended with Newcastle possession and this lead to a number of textbook fast break goals. As well as these quick scores, the match also provided an excellent opportunity for the attack to practice some set plays. These baffled the York defence once too often and lead to straight attacker Emily Cullen scoring no less than five goals in the half that she played. Shona Buchanan and Serena Pelly also proved to be solid attacking players, scoring three and four goals respectively. The Newcastle’s attack took advantage of some confused s chaotic ‘organisation’ to continue to hammer home goal after goal following half time. York could only muster the strength for two more goals in the short period of time that the Newcastle defence lost some concentration. Having umpired the first half, cocaptain Abi Sands entered the fray for a piece of the action, and slotted away another two goals for the home side. There seemed to be no hope of a second half comeback for the York side, who grew ever wearier as Newcastle’s onslaught and superior fitness refused to waver. However, special mention
must go to the York goalkeeper, who was possibly the most optimistic and positive goalkeeper ever encountered on a lacrosse pitch – even when the fatiguing York team were trailing by over 20 goals, her enthusiasm and vocal support was ever present. Of course, the match could not have been won by such a vast a score line if it were not for the goal-machine that is otherwise known as co-captain Antonia “Toto” Pollock. Despite the fact that she seems to attract violent play against her the same way a moth is drawn to a flame, she proved to be an unstoppable force in attack and a solid member of the midfield cohort, accumulating a huge eight goals for the Newcastle side. Lastly, a special mention must go to straight defence Fran “Franny” Andrews, who was so close to scoring the goal she so desperately wanted in the dying seconds of the match after making the switch to straight attack. The score finished at 25-3 to Newcastle, and the momentum is continuing to build for the Firsts, who are preparing to bring their best game to Sheffield for BUCS finals on March 16th.
Promotion still on the cards after Firsts win NETBALL By Fiona Moss
Newcastle 1sts Leeds Met 2nds
In the first of their final two league matches of the season – both of which will be played against teams directly below them - Newcastle faced Leeds Met Seconds. A narrow defeat last time suggested that it would be a tough match but with home advantage Newcastle secured a crushing win, with huge support from the rest of the club giving the team an added boost. Leeds Met took the first two goals; however, this was the only point in the match in which the away team were in front. Newcastle soon levelled the score and adapted to Leeds Met’s pace and put into play defensive practices which placed a huge amount of pressure on their opponent’s attack, creating a number of interceptions and turnovers. By the end of the first quarter, Newcastle were ahead 125; a lead which they then extended, through good, patient work around the circle, to 26-12 at half time. Throughout the second half Newcastle continued to play with discipline and calm heads. Defensive work all the way up the court was excellent. Katie Rimmer, player of the match, picked off numerous Leeds Met balls, putting in a great defensive performance as well as controlling the team’s attacking play. Jo Murnane equally had an outstanding game, before being replaced after the third quarter by an impressive fresh-legged Autumn Colledge. The entire team played with superb skill and hopefully they can repeat this strong performance next Wednesday against Liverpool John Moore University, a match that they must win to decide the outcome of their season and whether they are to win promotion or not.
Newcastle 4ths York 2nds
Newcastle’s victory was largely down to an impressive attacking display Photography: Hubert Lam
55 23
30 34
Playing a York team that sits comfortably in the middle of their table, Newcastle Fourths expected a difficult and tight match. However, playing after the Firsts’ home match, they hoped the atmosphere would give them the victory that they have been denied on numerous occasions this season. Battling with York for the lead in the first half, York pulled away in the third quarter leading by seven at the break. The tension of final quarter resembled that of a Stan Calvert tie, a warm up to the atmosphere expected on Sunday. Pulling back considerably to a gap of only two goals, the support of the crowd and the momentum of the Fourths suggested an upset for the away team. Despite great efforts from a defensive combination of Freya Cromarty and player of the match, Charlotte Plumtree, and interceptions from Rachel McCumiskey, Newcastle could not steal the victory. With only one game remaining this season, the Fourths hope that they can turn this result around to end the season on a high.
42.sportBUCS
Tuesday 6 March 2012
The Courier
Polo opposites: mixed results in MEN’S WATER POLO By Tom Connolly at SPORTS CENTRAL
ROUND ROBIN 1. SHEFFIELD 2. NEWCASTLE 3. NOTTINGHAM 4. ST ANDREWS
6pts 3pts 2pts 0pts
Before the men’s Waterpolo team could turn their attentions to Stan Calvert, last weekend they had BUCS Semi-finals held as a round robin in Newcastle. After winning their group and securing promotion, they met in the semis with second placed St Andrews and from the other tier two Northern league group winners Sheffield and Nottingham who had finished second. With a spectacular recent run of form in which they had dispatched of tier one Leeds in a local league match 20-12, they entered the tournament confidently and eager to rectify last year’s mistakes as they crashed out against the odds at this stage of the competition. Friday evening saw the first of the three matches, in which they faced Nottingham, whom they had defeated in last season’s semi-finals. The Royals started nervously, as Notts quickly got off the mark, a sin bin for Michael Grantham then gave them an opportunity for a second and rapidly Newcastle were put on the back foot. Newcastle reacted in emphatic style, individual brilliance from Grantham who scored a hattrick gave the royals the lead going into the second quarter. The visitors fought back with two of their own to regain the lead and neither team could take advantage of a man up powerplay before Cypriot Alexis Georgiou levelled the scores seconds before halftime. With a big support behind the Royals and with them looking to put a message out to the other teams they knew they had to push on, none more than club veteran Luke Watkins who scored early on, spurred on by the knowledge that in his nine years at the club, he had never made the BUCS finals. A heated battle at the back earned captain Stuart Mac Manus a sin bin, however, solid defence meant the visitors could not convert. At the other
Women just miss out on finals in Leeds
end Grantham took the chance to add to his tally making the score 6-4. Nottingham once again hit back to level the scores but Newcastle soon pulled away again. From here on ultra fit Newcastle took advantage of the lagging Nottingham and a fourth quarter hattrick for Mac Manus and two for national league partner Georgiou took the Royals to a 13-8 victory. The other match of the evening between Sheffield and St Andrews was a very closely fought affair with the final score at 7-6 thanks to a last minute winner from the Sheffield skipper. As Newcastle had already beaten St Andrews comprehensively this season they knew Sheffield would be a crucial match and perhaps the tournament decider. So they entered the first match of the day tentatively. The first quarter started slowly however a sin bin for Terry Clarke gave the Yorkshire side chance to break the deadlock and take the lead. Plenty of attacks but unbeatable defence for both sides saw out the rest of the quarter out without any score however Clarke picked up another sin bin, as did Georgiou providing a sign of things to come. With confidence lacking through being goalless the Royals continued to concede as the Sheffield captain stole the ball during a Newcastle man up and swam the full length to make it 2-0 at the other end. Another man up for the home side connected with the woodwork and Sheffield made it 3-0 before halftime. A stern word from captain Mac Manus brought the Royals back into action however it took a captains goal to get them off the mark. This was followed up by reliable veteran Clarke who poached one for himself. Five seconds before the end of the penultimate quarter with Newcastle on the comeback a questionable decision saw Georgiou excluded for violent conduct in the form of an accidental high foot. With the Cypriot ruled out of the rest of the match and the home side a man down for four of the five minutes left in the game it was a huge ask for the Royals to get back into it. A courageous effort saw Newcastle come close but the equaliser but the goal proved to be illusive. A devastated side left the pool knowing they deserved more. Meanwhile there was another very tight match between Nottingham and St Andrews who scored at the death to win 7-6. Newcastle entered their last game against St Andrews knowing they had a point to prove. It was Georgiou who struck with a vengeance early in the
WOMEN’S WATER POLO By Lauren Wilson at LEEDS
ROUND ROBIN 1. LEEDS 6pts 2. CARDIFF 4pts 3. NEWCASTLE 2pts 4. BIRMINGHAM 0pts After four long years, many exhausting hours in the pool and gruelling matches against stiff competition, the Newcastle Ladies Water Polo team finally returned to the BUCS Semi-
first quarter to give the Royals a two goal start however this was equalled by the Scots to level the scores. Mac Manus who could see an early lead was vital bagged twice himself getting on the end of a pinpoint pass from Watkins, whose unrelenting assists have been vital to the side’s success this season. Knowing they must fight back the visitors scored two quick goals at the start of the second quarter to level the match once more at 4-4. Grantham scored from a long range
effort and Mac Manus took advantage of a man up to regain the two goal lead. Clinical attack from the Scots brought them back level pegging but Mac Manus struck again to make it 7-6 at halftime. Unfotunately the next three goals went against the Royals and the team once again turned to Mac Manus to reduce the deficit leaving them one goal adrift with a quarter to play. The Scots were the first to strike in the fourth but ex-GB Grantham kicked
up a gear and nicked another. A sin bin for Connolly gave the visitors chance to score again and Newcastle found themselves two goals down with only minutes to play. Georgiou, with a point to prove, pounced on an opportunity to score and in the dying seconds of the match it fell to future captain Grantham to seal the draw. Emphatic scenes at Sports Central and a superb display for University Waterpolo and the Royals felt they could have topped the group, howev-
finals, putting in commendable performances against tough opposition. Although a win against Birmingham was sandwiched by defeats to Cardiff and hosts Leeds. This was a proud achievement for the Royals as only one team veteran, Lauri Simikiss, had seen the Semis before. The finals were held in Leeds on the weekend of 25 February, and the Royals were pumped and prepared for the forthcoming matches. They arrived in Leeds primed for their first game against Cardiff. Undeterred by a difficult first quarter against the aggressive side, the Royals bounced back in the second quarter. Impressive defending from Catherine Freeman and leaps of glory from goalkeeper Emily Fairbrother allowed the Cardiff side only one goal, while the Royals’ Nicola Powley, Katrina McDowell and Lauri Simikiss put
three impressive goals in the back of Cardiff ’s nets. An inspiring speech at half time from Captain Fairbrother kept the team in high spirits allowing them to score from a textbook perfect set play, but Cardiff began to dominate and took a hold of the game with six goals of their own. The Royals held their heads high in the fourth quarter and allowed Cardiff only one more goal, but were unable to prevent an 11-5 defeat to the Welsh side. Preparations for the second day of the tournament were hampered by an injury to Lauren Wilson, but as the team prepared for their second match against Birmingham, inspiring speeches from coaches Stuart Mac Manus and Michael Grantham set the Royals up for a win. The team entered the pool in a positive mind-set despite their earlier defeat and gained
the lead in the first quarter with a striking goal scored on a counter attack by Katrina MacDowell. The second quarter saw Birmingham step up to the challenge set by the Royals by pulling the score back to 2-2. However, determined not to be defeated, despite dubious decisions from the referees resulting in the red card of novice player Christina Sanchez, Newcastle bounced back scoring five goals in the third quarter and one in the fourth, securing an 8-4 win. Newcastle had a long wait before their final match against Leeds, but any friendliness formed between the two sides was lost as soon as costumes hit the water, with both teams clamouring for a win. Despite valiant efforts from centre-back Freeman and goalkeeper Fairbrother, Leeds took the lead in the first quarter with a
The Courier
BUCSsport.43
Tuesday 6 March 2012
semis
Bangor mashed by captain Michael MEN’S LACROSSE Newcastle 1sts Bangor 1sts
17 4
By Charlie Scott at REDHALL DRIVE
Men’s Water Polo make a splash in the semifinals Photography: Moises Bedrossian
er, Newcastle were safe in the knowledge they had done enough for second place and finals. The last game of the day saw Sheffield crowned champions as they saw off Notts beating them 5-3. MVP of the tournament goes to exNorthumbria captain Mark Gabrielle whose ruthless defence was key to the Royal’s performances and bodes well for the following week’s Stan Calvert. score of 4-1. The hosts maintained control of the pool throughout, but Newcastle’s former GB pit-woman Nicola Powley put three goals in at the other end. The Royals held their heads high in the face of inevitable defeat entering the fourth quarter and club president Catherine Freeman placed a breathtaking goal into the top corner of Leeds’ goals from ten metres to at least earn some pride. The game finished on a score of 10-4 to Leeds. The team displayed unity and enviable teamwork and sportsmanship throughout the weekend and despite being eliminated, they plan to carry on training and prepare for the next season of BUCS, where they plan to smash any opposition and continue the remarkable performances of this season.
Bangor had to leave their campus in North Wales at 6.00am on Wednesday morning in order to make it to the intimidating Redhall Drive for a 2.00pm face-off, and those that did make the arduous journey will have no doubt been left wishing they had stayed at home, as Newcastle dominated their weary opponents throughout, running out eventual 17-4 winners. Newcastle captain Zanner Michael was the undoubted man of the match as he led by example from start to finish during his performance. The skipper mixed some fine defensive play with a clinical performance going forward that resulted in seven goals, including an acrobatic diving finish late on. After falling behind against the run of play to their less illustrious opponents, Newcastle seemed to take it up a notch or three, and it was not long before Harry Mead brought the score level with a fine individual effort. Cue the introduction of club captain Zanner Michael. Cometh the hour, cometh the man. Michael was soon up to speed in what was a high intensity game and shortly after his arrival Newcastle took the lead through the imposing Duncan Oliphant, as Bangor failed to deal with the physicality of a side with their eyes firmly set on promotion. Bangor began to lose their discipline, losing two men to the sin bin at the same time, as Newcastle played some fantastic lacrosse towards the end of the second quarter. The home side took full advantage of their numerical superiority, with Michael scoring two in quick succession after exploiting the space left by Bangor’s sinners, to give his side a 4-1 lead. Bangor pulled one back through Matt Altridge before Newcastle strode to a four goal advantage at the break courtesy of a further goal from Oliphant, and a fine finish from Ian Reeds. The third quarter started in a similar vein to how the second had finished, with Newcastle crashing wave
after wave of attacks onto a battered Bangor backline. Ben ‘Birthday Boy’ Beattie added a smart brace early in the quarter before Michael then completed his hat-trick to make it 9-2. Not content with a meagre trio of goals, Michael soon added another, while Andy ‘El Presidente’ Oliver also got himself in on the demolition act to make it 11-2 to the dominant home side. Michael scored Newcastle’s twelfth goal of the afternoon after a wonderful flowing move down the left-hand side, before Bangor finally responded with a couple of goals in the space of as many minutes to take the score to 12-4. Newcastle’s Captain Marvel grabbed his sixth of the game after dispossessing a Bangor defender, driving at goal from the left-hand side, and firing an emphatic finish past the hapless Alex Wilkinson in the Bangor goal. Oliver then scored his second to make it 14-4, finishing off a straightforward move made all the more simple by Bangor’s physically and emotionally drained defenders.
BADMINTON
M1 v Nottingham 1sts M2 v Hull 1nds W1 v Sheffield 1sts
BASKETBALL
M1 v Teesside 1sts
FENCING
M1 v Durham 3rds M2 v Leeds 1sts W1 v Bradford 1sts
3-5 3-5
40-37
135-75 109-129 NCL W/O
tober Newcastle have won seven games on the bounce following this resounding victory in their last BUCS game of the season. Their lengthy unbeaten run has guaranteed them a top two finish in the league, that means, regardless of results elsewhere, they will be playing in the Northern 1A division next year. Yet not all the team that performed so brilliantly today will still be part of the Men’s 1sts come September. Graduation, the most irritating of milestones, will force some of these warriors to lay down their sticks and immerse themselves in the world of work. For that reason, here is a special mention for those that finished their BUCS careers in style: Zanner Michael (capt.), Phil ‘The Pain’ Elwood, Toby Crow and Rupert Grimes, and also Duncan Oliphant who will be on a year abroad next season. Michael told me after the game that two years ago the team finished that season on zero points. They have come a long way since then.
9
Won
Things get physical as Newcastle dominate Bangor to improve promotion chances Photography: Hubert Lam
FOOTBALL
RESULTS
The whole Newcastle team wanted in on the goalscoring spree, with Sam Cuntliffe finishing off a great move to add his name to the scoresheet, and Oliver completing his hat-trick in the dying minutes to give his side a 16-4 lead. There was still time for one last moment of Michael magic, however, with Newcastle’s skipper saving his best goal until last. After collecting the ball behind the opposition’s goal he sprinted round the other side of it before diving between two Bangor defenders and hammering an effort home in mid air, prompting serioussounding queries of ‘Is this man human?’ from the crowd. The game finished 17-4 as Newcastle ensured promotion in what outstanding CBO James Kolokontroni described as the ‘best performance of the season’. While Michael may dominate the headlines in the wake of this comprehensive showing, it was a fine team effort from Newcastle, with players in all positions contributing to the win. Since their 6-1 loss to Hull in Oc-
M1 v UCLAN 1sts M2 v Durham 2nds M3 v York 2nds W1 v Hull 1sts W2 v Leeds Trinity 1sts
GOLF
1 v UCLAN 2nds 2 v Northumbria 3rds
2-4 0-5 8-2 7-1 3-0
M1 v Bangor 1sts W1 v York 1sts W2 v Sheffield 1sts
NETBALL
W1 v Leeds Met 2nds W4 v York 2nds
1-5 5.5 - 0.5
HOCKEY M1 v Birmingham 2nds M2 v M3 M4 v Teeside W1 v Sheffield 1sts W3 v York 1sts W4 v Teesside
LACROSSE
3-2 1-0 5-2 0-3 1-5 1-2
17 - 4 25 - 3 2 - 15
55-23 30-34
RUGBY
M2 v M3 26-26 M4 v Sheffield 2nd 14 - 49 W1 v Sheffield Hal 1sts 13 - 17
RUGBY LEAGUE M1 v Lincoln 1st
SQUASH
W2 v Sheffield 2nds W3 v Bradford 1sts
47 - 12
2-3 4-0
TABLE TENNIS
M1 v Lancaster 1sts
TENNIS
M1 v Sheffield 2nds M2 v York 2nds W1 v Leeds Met 3rds W2 v Leeds Met 4ths
12 - 5
4-8 8-4 4-8 12 - 0
LEAGUE TABLE 8 EDINBURGH 9 NOTTINGHAM 10 NEWCASTLE 11 BRISTOL 12 OXFORD
1598 1587 1330 1306 1299
Sport
www.thecourieronline.co.uk Tuesday 6 March 2012 Issue 1247 Free
thecourieronline.co.uk/sport
YORK LEFT BEHIND BY NCL LAX
LACROSSE, P45
Hull feel the force of NURL p.45
Photography: Hubert Lam
Storming through to finals: Armstrong and Agrics Hallam no match for NWR make grade Firsts prevail despite Captain Lebrecht’s injury theIntra Mural Rugby, p42-43 Photography: Hubert Lam
WOMEN’S RUGBY
Newcastle 1sts Sheffield Hallam 1sts
31 17
By Phoebe Lebrecht at SHEFFIELD With the sun shining down on them, the undefeated NWR travelled to Sheffield for the first of two consecutive Wednesday fixtures against Hallam. Once off the bus, the girls braved the third-world changing rooms and tiptoed through the toilets before donning their team Newcastle crests and jogging out for the warm-up. With only one ball, the warm up was slow and concentration was slipping. Due to injury, there was a bit of a shuffle in the starting side and with Captain Phoebe Lebrecht on the sidelines, little fresher Rosie Neal stepped up for her fly half debut. A rocky start saw NWR under pressure, but it wasn’t long before number 12 Holly Malins was galloping through the Hallam defence to place the ball under the posts. Pat Lapierre showed off her Canadian converting skills putting NWR 7-0 ahead. Hallam came back with a vengeance and a scrum on NWR’s five metre line gave Sheffield’s bean-pole of a no.8 the chance to break blind, and break
blind she did, breaking a couple of tackles and crossing the line to bring the score back to 7-5. Trusty fullback Pat Lapierre did not let her head go down and within minutes NWR struck again, some excellent support running from Vice Captain Sophie Bale and strong running from the likes of Jenny “the machine” Richards and Charlotte Flint saw Pat firmly over the line. Lapierre added the extra points to the board with ease and the Nubiles had extended their lead to 14-5. Hallam restarted and immediately put NWR on the back foot. The pressure from the strong Hallam forwards saw NWR losing their defensive line. This momentary lapse of judgment created an overlap for their powerful fullback who left no prisoners when she flew down the wing. Malins, fuming at the cheek of Hallam putting 10 points past the mighty NWR so quickly, returned the favour before half-time. Lapierre failed to convert but the Nubiles were up 1910 at the half-time whistle. After an inspirational team-talk from Coach Greeny and Captain Pube, the girls were hungry for a win. They kicked off with all the right intentions but Hallam took the ball on the full and came back fighting. Early into the second half, Richards went down with an almighty scream and
she wasn’t crying wolf. With a boot to the face, Jen had an eyebrow to challenge Rocky Balboa. The medi-bag was in full use as NWR (who all think they’re doctors) nursed Jen’s brow. There was no stopping the machine and once Jen was bandaged up she was back on for round two. Some strong forward balls and trusty hands from our friends Hallam saw them catapult their bean-pole no.8 across the try-line. They converted, putting the score at 19-17. At this point Captain Phoebe Lebrecht had called for cardio as her heart wasn’t going to be able to take much more of this. Seeing their fellow Politics buddy in such a state, Centre Emma Boyle and scrum-half Hannah McShane rallied the troops and injected some inspiration. In the closing eight minutes, excellent hands and great communication saw NWR play at their finest. They laid Hallam to rest with two more tries, leaving the pitch with a 31-17 victory. ‘Forward of the match’ was awarded to Rhian Hockey for her outstanding tackles and perseverance. ‘Back of the match’ went to Lauren Wallace, our courageous winger and ‘Player of the match’ was picked by Sheffield as Rosie Neal, for an excellent performance for her debut at stand-off.
Photography: Hubert Lam
MEN’S THIRDS SECURE PROMOTION BUCS IN BRIEF, P45
Photography: Moises Bedrossian