Courier 1352

www.thecourieronline.co.uk July 2017 Issue 1352 Free

The Independent Voice Of Newcastle Students

Est 1948

Graduation class of 2017 commemorative edition

“Isn’t it funny how day by day nothing changes, but when you look back, everything is different...”

- C. S. Lewis

2.

Graduation 2017

News

The Courier

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CONTENTS

04 06 09 10 12 14 17 18 20 22

News: LGBT+ Week

Interview: Professor Chris Day News: Celebrating Success

Feature: Fashion highlights A year in the life of The Courier Feature: Fashion highlights Feature: Restaurant reviews

It’s Tyne to say goodbye to the Toon Jade Holroyd Editor 2016/17 Although today marks the end of an era, your Graduation day also marks the first day of a new chapter in your life.

For many, it’s time to bid farewell to your student days and say hello to the world of work or travel. For others those with a lot more stamina than I had at the end of my third year - the degree you receive today is only a stepping stone in your journey through Higher Education. Regardless of your plans, I’m sure you’ll agree that your time at Newcastle University has put you in good stead for the future.

You are now a member of the Newcastle University Alumni community, a global community made up of over 180,000 graduates living in over 200 different countries and independent states around the world. Your university is for life and the University offers a range of lifelong benefits which I can’t encourage you enough to take advantage of.

Newcastle University is an exceptional institution, most recently achieving the highest possible rating in the governmental introduced Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF). As I’ve experienced on many occasions myself, just mentioning Newcastle University is met with open ears and a ton of questions to follow. In my three years as an Undergraduate and the past year I’ve spent working at the Students’ Union, I’ve yet to hear negative comments about the University, or in fact the city itself.

There is just something about

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Newcastle as a city, something of which despite spending the past four years here, I’ve yet to put my finger on. Be it the people, the beautiful architecture, or just the general buzz of the city, Newcastle is like no other.

So here we have it, the Graduation special edition of The Courier, which looks back at the highlights of this part year. Despite the odd hazy night here and there, which may or may not have been a result of one too many drinks in Soho Rooms, the 2016/17 academic year has been one to remember. As you flick through the pages of this issue, I hope that you have time to reflect on what a truly fantastic year it has been.

I’m sure today will also be a time to reflect on the fantastic memories you’ve made throughout your time as a student here. It may seem yonks ago since you arrived as a fresh faced first year, but I have no doubt that the friends and the memories you’ve made over the years, will stay with you for the rest of your life.

Congratulations to each and every one of you; you may have experienced a couple of bumps along the way, but you did it and you should be immensely proud. As your Graduation ceremony begins and you take to the stage to collect your degree, cherish that moment, along with all the memories you have created over the past three years or so.

Whatever the future holds for you, Newcastle will always hold a special place in your heart. So, think of today as more of a see you later rather than a goodbye, to the University, the friends and the memories, and the city we have been lucky enough to call home for the past few years.

Enjoy your day with your friends and family, it will definitely be one to remember. In whatever path you choose next, I wish you the very best of luck for the future.

James Sproston Editor 2017/18 It’s finally here. Graduation seemed so far away when your mum was ringing up asking you to get nine extra ceremony tickets for your nan, her two neighbours, Pam from work, Michael H. the barber and those four friends you starred alongside in your primary school production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat. After all, they got you this far, so you owe them everything.

However, you probably completely forgot about it, and now your favourite grandparent will have to make do with balancing on a wheelie bin propped up against the delicate brickwork of the Armstrong building.

That’s the definition of a day to remember.

Though you’ve probably have a good rant about the cost of gown hire and the fact we don’t have hats, it’s not the first and definitely won’t be the last time you question what your £9,000 a year actually paid for. Let’s be honest though, you never even contemplated not coming today, because today is going to be great.

For most of us, it’s been a long few weeks separated from our beloved coursemates, housemates and miscellaneous uni mates, so to see them all again in the flesh, not burdened with revision and powered by coffee, but full of life and hope will warm your little heart.

More so than that, you get to return to your spiritual home for a couple of days.

Admit it, you’ve missed it. Whether you live in Stroud

“So, think of today as more of a see you later rather than a goodbye, to the University, the friends and the memories, and the city we been lucky enough to call home for the past few years”

or Sheffield, the toon has that little bit of something that you just love, and it’s probably not the weather.

It’s common knowledge that Geordies are probably the nicest breed of people going, and that’s almost always one of the key bullet points that you reel off when you’re convincing people that Newcastle really is the best university you can go to, whether it’s those naïve 17-year olds’ parents you pitch to at open days or those mates at home that went to the University of Strathclyde and are convinced that it’s the centre of the universe.

Despite that, most of us have spent the majority of our time at university avoiding everyone who’s not a student, rarely venturing into toon on Saturdays and mostly staying within the sanctuary of Jesmond the rest of the time.

But now that you’re an adult, you have to talk to other adults, and there’s no better place to do that than here, where people actually want to talk to you. So if you’re ever lost and lonely out there, Newcastle will always take you back with open arms.

Whilst graduation may seem like an extravagant way to say goodbye, it’ll be a fantastic occasion, and the perfect way to take the next step. That may be a masters here or elsewhere, a brilliant job that you stumbled upon, or nothing at all. University has taken its toll on all of us, and if you need a break, don’t feel ashamed to take one.

Graduation is an incredible day, so don’t worry if you feel nervous about the details or sad about leaving, it’s an opportunity to have a quality send-off and enjoy a great night with your mates.

It may well be too late to learn the name of the geezer you’ve been calling “pal” for three years, but it doesn’t mean you can’t have a canny good time with them.

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NUSU, King’s Walk, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8QB. Tel: 0191 239 3940

The Courier is a weekly newspaper produced by students, for students. It’s never too late to get involved in the paper, whether you’re a writer, illustrator or photographer. Just visit thecourieronline.co.uk/getinvolved for more information.

Editor Jade Holroyd Deputy Editors Ollie Burton and Daniel Robertson News Editors Liam Carson Valentina Egorova, Louise Hall, Kotryna Kairytė and Helena Vesty Comment Editors Jamie Cameron, Sinéad Corkett-Beirne and Sunil Nambiar Culture Editors Jack Oliver Parker and James McCoull Lifestyle Editors Ana Beretsos, Antonia Coleman-Harvey, Ruth Loeffler and Brooklyn Shakeshaft Ward Fashion Editors Liz Rosling, Izzi Watkins and Zofia Zwieglinska Beauty Editors Miranda Stoner, Ellie Trent and Ellen Walker Arts Editors Johnathan Hastings, Meg Holtom and Tamsin Rees Music Editors Sophie Ahmed, Serena Bhardwaj and Ben Grundy Film Editors Emma Allsopp, Zoë Godden and Simon Ramshaw TV Editors Luke Acton, Dominic Corrigan and Alison Scurfield Gaming Editors Errol Kerr, Jared Moore and Jordan Oloman Science Editors Matthew Byrne, Natalie Farmer and Ciara RitsonCourtney Sports Editors Lucy Brogden, Tom Shrimplin and James Sproston

The Courier is printed by: Print and Digital Associates, Fernleigh House, 10 Uttoxeter Road, Derby, Derbyshire, United Kingdom, DE3 0DA. Established in 1948, The Courier is the fully independent student newspaper of the Students’ Union at Newcastle University. The Courier is published weekly during term time, and is free of charge.

The design, text, photographs and graphics are copyright of The Courier and its individual contributors. No parts of this newspaper may be reproduced without the prior permission of the Editor. Any views expressed in this newspaper’s opinion pieces are those of the individual writing, and not of The Courier, the Students’ Union or Newcastle University.

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Graduation 2017

Inspiring Women conference lands on campus

By Siobhan Fuller On 11 March, Newcastle University Students’ Union hosted the annual conference “Inspiring Women”, as part of International Women’s Day’s celebrations.

Each year the event is devoted to a single theme or idea, and this year the concept was ‘Be Bold For Change’.

With a specific focus on the role of change-makers, it was a celebration of women’s achievements in all parts of society - social, political or economic.

Professor Kathryn Hollingsworth, a Newcastle University Law lecturer and the Chair of NU Women, opened the conference with a talk on how women face sexual harassment within the university environment, from both seniors and students.

Hollingsworth highlighted how female students and lecturers are often overlooked for their academic achievements as a result of their gender that eventually puts them in vulnerable situations.

Tina Simbo, an activist for the Angelou Centre, discussed race relations and gender. The work at the Angelou Centre supports BME (black and ethnic minority) women as well as educating pupils in North East schools about racial identities.

The event was also focused on how women in history had overcome both race and gender stereotypes in some of the greatest revolutions of time, such as the overthrowing of slavery in Haiti.

Alison Boydell, co-founder of JURIES campaign, featured and spoke out about Jill Saward, whose publically analysed

story as a burglary and rape victim led her to her fantastic work in gaining legal rights for other women, who have suffered similarly. This was through campaigns and the charity J.U.R.I.E.S., which is still fighting for action after her recent passing.

In an open discussion between Bridget Hamilton, founder of Verbal Remedy, and Dr David Jones the floor was opened up to the audience with the question ‘Can Men Be Feminists?’

It began with an exploration of what is the role of men in supporting gender equality but broadened to issues surrounding politics, ethnic and cultural backgrounds, and what it truly means to be a feminist.

Saffron Kershaw-Mee, Marginalised Genders Officer, said: “Events like Inspiring Women are completely necessary to kindle a passion for change, to challenge societal norms, and hear stories from women who have been campaigning and fighting for decades on gender inequality whilst bringing to light the intersections between being a woman and being of colour.

The NUSU Inspiring Women’s conference was a breath of fresh air, and the atmosphere of community and togetherness made for a great day for all who attended.”

Mental health’s role in activism was also featured by Lucy Morgan, former president of Newcastle University’s Feminist Society.

Morgan said: “The Inspiring Women Conference is something that NUSU should be really proud of as it gives women such as myself the confidence and the voice to talk about issues in a supportive, inclusive environment.”

Be Inspired Image: Rebecca D’andrea

University ranked top 5 for International student satisfaction

Students enjoy campus Image: Newcastle University

By Louise Hall News Editor Results from the latest International Student Barometer Survey have placed Newcastle University as top 5 in the UK and in the top 20 worldwide for international student satisfaction.

According to the influential survey more than nine out of ten international students are satisfied with their experience here at Newcastle.

The survey itself compares many different aspects of international student experience aiming to give prospective students about choosing a university to enhance their experience abroad. This years survey was the biggest of its kind, reaching almost 160,000 students from 82 institutions in 17 countries from

a spectrum of backgrounds, areas of study and ages.

International students placed Newcastle University among the best in the world for the learning environment on campus, but the University also scored highly across the board with over 90 percentage for student support, living experience and campus safety and libraries.

Meenakshi Lachman, a postgraduate student from Malaysia, said: “The Master of Medical Education course seemed like a good addition to my undergraduate medical degree as medical professionals are expected to be involved in education more than ever.

“As students, we are able to interact with professionals working in the medical field and academics alike being able to share ideas with them and learn from

their experiences. The University has great facilities which are very accessible throughout the course and help in the planning and executing of our research projects.

“Newcastle as a city is beautiful and student-friendly, there’s never a lack of things to see and do” “Newcastle as a city is beautiful and student friendly, there’s never a lack of things to see and do. The University is in walking distance from most student ac-

commodation sites making it incredibly easy to get around.”

Newcastle University also achieved high satisfaction score of 91% in the latest National Student Survey, placing it joint 12th in the UK against comparator institutions.

Newcastle University Students’ Union (NUSU) received an impressive 98 percentage for its satisfaction rate, a score well above the average IBS score.

Jack Taylor, President of Newcastle University Students’ Union, said: “We are extremely pleased with the results of the ISB as we have once again scored highly in terms of satisfaction levels with our international students.

“NUSU works to encourage all students to engage in as many opportunities as possible throughout their time at University, so it’s great to see that we’re

providing this to such a high satisfaction level for another year.”

Professor Richard Davies, Pro-ViceChancellor, Engagement and Internationalisation at Newcastle University also commented: “We believe that education and research transcend international boundaries and we are proud to be a thriving global community, with approximately 6,000 international students from over 130 countries.

“The consistently high ISB scores are a great achievement. They reflect the commitment of everyone at Newcastle University who provides outstanding academic and personal support to our international students.”

The impressive results are no doubt an inspiration for both the University and its students.

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Graduation 2017

The Courier

LGBT+ awareness week colours campus

By Kotryna Kairyte News Editor LGBT+ awareness week took the University campus by storm last week bringing in various events to raise awareness about the issues that the LGBT+ community face on daily basis.

Organised by Courtney Levin, LGBT+ officer, and Newcastle University’s LGBT+ society members the week invited students to take part in various workshops, talks and film screenings in order to celebrate the equality and diversity amongst the students.

Courtney Levin told the Courier: “As always this year we hired a large tent to host a variety of stalls on many LGBT+ issues, including bisexuality awareness, gender identity, and a memorial stall remembering those we have lost this year. New this year in the tent however was our LGBT+ history stall, which contained excerpts from the Courier archive about the LGBT+ society and about the history of LGBT+ support on campus.”

Kicking off with a Mental Health Talk, organised alongside the Mind the Gap society, the organisers welcomed students interested in the state of mental health in the LGBT+ community. The event allowed interested students to listen to Society’s members testimonials about the challenges they faced dealing with their mental health and being a part of the LGBT+, and to discuss what changes could be made in order to improve the current situation.

“LGBT+ mental health issues are so rarely addressed, so it was great to see such high levels of engagement from the student body,” said Courtney adding that the event had the best turn out of all.

The week also offered students a LGBT+ Sex education talk where they

could gain important information about safe sex practices that they may not have heard about in school, but also pick up plenty of freebies for protection.

Those interested in the history were welcomed to attend a public lecture delivered by Peter Tatchell, British human rights campaigner, on the LGBT liberation (Read more about Peter Tatchell on page 6).

Members of the LGBT+ society also invited students to get to know different sexualities and identities by organising talks on bisexuality, asexuality and QTIPOC (queer, trans* and intersex people of colour) panel about whitewashing of the LGBT+ history.

Finally, students were able to ask all remaining questions of the two panellists, LGBT+ officer and the President of the LGBT+ society, at the final day time event – Queer Question Time.

Courtney was very happy with the support received from the Union: “They also edited our promotional video for the week, which can be viewed on the union Facebook page.

As a part of the LGBT+ awareness week, Newcastle University Fashion Society organised a photoshoot featuring the members of LGBT+ society and Courtney Levin, LGBT+ officer.

Overall, Courtney and the LGBT+ society were very happy with the week.

She told the Courier: “I hope the week has given marginalised groups within the LGBT+ community the chance to educate people on key issues.

“In March I will also be convening the LGBT+ forum with the society, so I can feedback about the work done in the Union this term for LGBT+ students, and students can tell me what campaigns they would like to see in the future.”

“I hope the week has given marginalised groups within the LGBT+ community the chance to educate people on key issues”

Photoshoot dedicated to LGBT+ week Image: Newcastle University Fashion Society

Students launch DaNSoc

By Isabel Sykes Newcastle University Disability and Neurodiversity Society (DaNSoc)is a new society for people who have a disability, are neurodiverse, or are carers for these groups. They are currently liked by 70 people on Facebook and are very close to being ratified by the Student Union. Anybody simply interested in this topic is welcome to join.

The founders are encouraging people to sign up through the NUSU website.

Throughout the year they will be holding events to spread awareness of the issues surrounding these groups and encourage discussion.

On 28 October, the founders of the society – Daniel Wood, Errol Kerr and Zoë Godden – spoke to blog project Verbal Remedy to give an insight into how the group started, what it hopes to achieve and importantly, how people can get involved.

When asked why they started the group, Errol said that his inspiration stemmed from “hate speech” and “slurs” used during the Brexit campaign this summer, followed by events such as the killings in Sagamihara. He saw a need for a “solid, representative body” for

students who are disabled or neurodiverse, to form a strong community he said could have helped him with his own undergraduate experience.

Verbal Remedy asked Daniel what kind of experience disabled and neurodiverse students have at university, and he pointed out the importance issue

“DaNSoc is aiming to change university life for disabled and neurodiverse students” that disabled students without much confidence can experience loneliness, and going out for social events is difficult due to problems such as inaccessibility. DaNSoc events are all going to be accessible for disabled students and at suitable timings, Daniel says, so that people who are “all in the same boat” can easily get together in a social environment.

DaNSoc is aiming to change university life for disabled and neurodiverse students. Errol tells Verbal Remedy that at first the society is about bringing people in these communities together, but he says that “this is only the beginning”.

DaNSoc plan on tackling some campus-wide issues surrounding disability in the future once members feel comfortable talking as a group, and for the moment they hope their society can be “confidence-building” for people both in and out of university life.

As part of their endeavour, on Friday 28 October DaNSOc teamed up with Mind the Gap – Mental Health Society to discuss how having a disability can affect students’ mental health, and about the consideration of mental health problems as disabilities in themselves. If you missed the discussion, check out their Facebook page to keep up to date with upcoming events.

It seems that the Disability and Neurodiversity Society have had a very positive response from students so far, but they are eager for more people to get involved. If you’re interested in joining this society you can sign up on the NUSU website, or for more information like their Facebook page and follow their Twitter and Instagram.

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Graduation 2017

Amnesty International Soc celebrates IWD

By Beth Stevens International Women’s Day, an annual event that’s been observed since the early 1900’s, was celebrated around the world on Wednesday 8th March.

It is an annual celebration of the economic, political and social achievements of women around the world and aims to tackle the inequalities that women still face.

Key areas that IWD is aimed to address includes challenging bias and inequality, campaigning against violence and for equal education, forging women’s advancement, celebrating women’s achievements.

The annual worldwide event, is not affiliated with any one organisation, but brings together various charities, businesses and governments.

Here at Newcastle University, Amnesty International Society and Women for Women Society teamed up to celebrate women’s achievements and to call for an end to gender inequalities.

They focused on female leadership figures and the gender pay gap as well as the general concept of feminism.

Members of Amnesty International Society and Women for Women Society ran a stall outside of Students’ Union, which hosted a bake sale, informative leaflets, posters, and a collection box for hygiene products for women.

They also provided an interactive activity, where passers by could get involved and contribute their ideas of what women’s rights means to them, and also have a photograph taken of them holding a ‘This is what a feminist looks like’ photo frame.

Natasha Chalk, president of the Women for Women society, said: “IWD is crucial- there are still so many challenges that women all over the world face. Women for Women International directly targets women in countries of conflict - supporting and helping these women recover from violence, persecution and helping them become economically independent. IWD is a vital tool for us to go that bit further and highlight the importance of women in ALL our societies and the deep connections we share as women in the 21st Century.

paign) and #internationalwomensday, encouraged a high level of awareness across the region through social media.

The students also managed to raise over £100 in cake sales. Sophie Glover, president for Amnesty International Society was pleased with their success, saying: “it was great to see so many people willing to bring cakes and getting generally involved in the day”.

Amnesty International will receive half, which will go towards general human rights campaigns, whilst the other half will be sent to Women for Women, who provide support and valuable skills training for women around the world affected by conflict and war.

Glover suggested that International Women’s Day is still a fundamental event for women to “show support for, and raise awareness of, women’s rights issues and to fight gender inequality, not just in this country, but globally”.

Glover was referring to worldwide issues such as the high percentage of girls without access to education, forced marriage and motherhood, FGM and the lack of females in leadership roles.

However, the stall maintained a positive and empowering atmosphere, with images of successful and powerful women such as Ellie Simmonds, Emma Watson and Michelle Obama, and the day followed a series of social media posts including empowering quotes and images of women such as Malala Yousafzai, Lupita Nyong’o and Angelina Jolie.

Glover described the day as a huge success, and said it was “a great opportunity to celebrate the achievements of women and their contributions to society”.

“Amnesty International Society and Women for Women Society teamed up to celebrate women’s achievements and call for an end to gender inequalities” The stall was extremely successful and we raised money towards both Amnesty international and WFF international.

What was the encouraging aspect was the amount of men who came along and had their photo taken in support of women all over the world. It was a fantastic platform to talk about feminism and clear up stereotypes around its meaning and significance.”

With the plan to gain a big social media presence, the societies collaborated with York and Durham universities that where hosting similar events at their respective campuses.

Uploading collages of photographs from the day, all with the shared hashtags #beboldforchange (International Women’s Day campaign), #wewontwait (Amnesty International cam-

RAG society raises record amount

By Sarah Holland

Newcastle University Raising and Giving (RAG) Society has gone from strength to strength over the course of the year.

After transitioning into a society in 2015, RAG has firmly stamped its mark this year after raising thousands for charity and involving over 300 students in hundreds of hours of volunteering across campus and the North East. With a committee of 30, led by Co-Presidents Harry Young and Liam Day, ten fundraising events have been organised over the year.

Starting off with a coffee morning during Freshers’ Week and a pub quiz in The Charles Grey in October, with over 150 attendees the committee (and staff !) were taken by surprise. With this initial appetite for RAG already present, the society grew with every event.

Next up was the infamous Speed Dating event, taking place in the SU in November with 240 single students looking for love.

Ending 2016 with the legendary Naked Calendar, a Day Raid to Durham and a Christmas Pub Crawl, RAG ended the year with a total of £2,108 raised for six charities.

With the new year came the imminent arrival of RAG’s biggest event, RAG Week. This week took months of planning an organisation from the exec and the rest of committee, co-ordinating hundreds of students in activities ranging from bucket collections in

the city centre and the Quayside, to taking care home residents about the Metrocentre to help them with their shopping.

In addition to fundraising and volunteering, RAG held five nights of evening entertainment including a barn dance with a live band and the legendary Take Me Out. As the week drew to a close, over £5000 was raised across the week making it one of the most successful RAG Week’s that Newcastle has ever seen.

As a celebration for all the hard work put in by everyone, the RAG Ball returned at the end of February at The Biscuit Factory. Dressed to impress, a three course dinner with a live jazz band was enjoyed by members of RAG Crew and their friends. To top it all off, the evening raised £400 for charity too.

With exams and deadlines looming, RAG’s second biggest event of the year was on the horizon. Newcastle RAG Fashion Show (NRFS) was back. This year had over 80 people attend casting sessions, which were narrowed down to 32 models.

Featuring eight clothing brands including Topman, Jack Wills, Next and local dress maker Fash1, the event was a huge success. Collaborating with five different societies including Music Production and Women for Women International, the evening sold out and had people standing to watch. The return of the Rugby Boys and their baby oil covered performance was a hit with the crowd too, with the event raising over £3000 for charity with the

help of profit matching from Santander Universities.

Looking to the future, the committee have just held their AGM, with Jonny Hall and Jack Green taking over the reigns as Co-Presidents for 2017/18.

Additionally, RAG have been shortlisted for three awards at the

upcoming Celebrating Success Awards at NUSU; Most Improved Society, Best Fundraising Event and Best Society Collaboration. RAG have also been shortlisted at the National Society Awards for Best Fundraising and Volunteering Society and Most Improved Society.

Commenting on the year, CoPresident Harry Young said: “I’m so proud of everything RAG have achieved this year, we’ve managed to raise a lot of money for some fantastic charities.

A big thanks to everybody that has attended our events”.

RAG Committee and models at Newcastle RAG Fashion Show Image: Harry Young

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Graduation 2017

The Courier

Professor Chris Day Image: Newcastle University

Interview: Say hello to your new Vice-Chancellor

By Jade Holroyd Editor At the end of 2016 calendar year, Newcastle University bid farewell to Professor Chris Brink, Vice-Chancellor (VC) and President of the University since 2007. Brink’s successor, Professor Chris Day, took up the role of VC with effect from 1 January 2017.

Prof Chris Day, one of the country’s leading medical academics, previously held the position of Pro-Vice-Chancellor (PVC) for the Faculty of Medical Sciences at Newcastle University.

Speaking exclusively to The Courier shortly after taking up his position in office, Prof Day discusses Brexit, Mental Health and University life.

What was your university experience like?

I went to Chuchill College at Cambridge and it was really at the start of student diversity and widening participation, so you can imagine what that was like at an Oxbridge College that was, and continues to be, hammered for diversity.

There’s the impression that it’s all white, rich kids from private schools.

The reason I went to Cambridge was because Churchill College was one of the early colleges that said ‘we have a problem here’. The College would send minibuses up to places in the North East and ask schools to fill them with kids who they thought were bright.

These minibuses were sent to schools like mine that typically never sent anybody to Oxbridge.

I read recently that some Students’ Unions are appointing specific Working Class Officers - nobody did that sort of thing for me and my generation. I felt completely lost when I first arrived.

Everybody that I met had been to Eton

or Harrow and I was there from a North Shields comprehensive school.

Do you think similar problems exists today within universities?

Definitely. The Teaching Excellence Framework )TEF is very hot on this; it’s one thing to have widening participation policies that increase the chances of a student from a low-income background or a disadvantaged group getting into University. But it’s important to look after these students when they actually arrive.

Nobody was thinking of that in the late 1970s when I went to University. Most of the time they were just pleased that they had got a comprehensive, state school boy from North shields into Cambridge. You were kind of just left there to swim, but luckily for me, I was a good footballer. I immediately went off and joined the University football team and from there I met a lot of people like me to go out drinking with. But, if I hadn’t of had the sport to fall back on, I would have really been like a fish out of water.

What I’m hinting at is that universities, either by choice of through things like the TEF metric, are going to be forced to make sure that once a widening or ethnic minority student beings at university, they are looked after.

On a similar note, how much pressure do you think there is on the University, if any, on its European student body following Brexit?

A degree at Newcastle might be more difficult to sell to European students for

all the issues regarding Brexit that we are aware of.

Brexit also places further pressures on our partnerships across the globe.

But in fact, we have as many growing partnerships with the likes of China, Australia and the U.S., as we have in Europe. Following Brexit, you could argue that these partnerships are going to strengthen even more.

You would hope that the collaborations and connections that we have in Europe continue, but it does place more emphasis on our non-EU partnerships.

lieving it to be the ‘cold North’, all built from ship-making and coal-mining.

Conversely somebody from say Frankfurt, just thinks of our university as the U.K. We have certain departments which are run by 60-70% of European staff.

On 24 June last year, we received a large number of calls from these staff members when the result of Brexit was announced.

More generally, can you see any parallels between your former student self and current students?

Generally, student life doesn’t seem that much different. Actually, my observation is that students nowadays seem to work a lot harder. I get the impression that my generation went to University and thought we would just get a degree and everything else would be fine. Whereas now, I get the impression that, going off the example of my two children and their friends, students have it in their heads that they must get a 1st class degree and work experienced whilst at uni. Students seems to be much more focused on the end game and using their degrees as a core way to build their career.

I went to university to grow up a bit and see what life away from home was really like.

Do you think that the pressure of university life has led to a direct increase in Mental Health problems?

Yes - I suspect that if my perception is correct, then of course you are going to end up with more students suffering from mental illnesses because they are absolutely driven and focused. The

“Whilst at university, definitely make the most of every opportunity that comes your way, whether it be academic, social or cultural. You’ll never have it as good in life as you have it when at university” We have a Newcastle University campus in Malaysia and a campus in Singapore. Hopefully International students, both inside and outside of the EU, as well as staff, continue to want to be a part of Newcastle University.

You mentioned University staff, do you share any worries related to staffing following Brexit?

We’re not actually as dependent upon EU students as other universities, I think it’s out our staff. We have found it easier over the years to recruit from say Germany than Cambridge.

I think that South Easteners have particular prejudices about Newcastle, be-

pressurised student environment that now seems to be part of our culture is bound to have a downside to it.

As a University, I don’t know where we go from here in terms of Mental Health with students however I’m keen to take the issues very seriously. In my day it was a lot different with everybody trying to claim that they were dyslexic in order to get extra time in exams.

I know that many universities are keen to ensure that all the problems that students are registering through PEC are actually genuine. I think it’s a very good topic to discuss with the Sabbatical Officers in the near future to understand the student perspective.

Finally, what piece of advice would you give to your former student self?

Whilst at university, definitely make the most of every opportunity that comes your way, whether it be academic, social or cultural. You’ll never have it as good in life as you have it when you’re at university.

I have no doubt that university is the best years of your life. I knew the minute I got to university that the experience was going to be better than school and probably never as good as that again.

Don’t pass up any chance to join a society or play for a sports club, or even taking that extra course in a new language. There are lots of quotes revolving around the idea that you always regret what you didn’t do.

So yes, I think my piece of advice would be to grab every opportunity with both hands and maybe look back on a few mistakes you made, but at least you made them.

Thank-you for taking the time to speak with The Courier. We wish you the very best of look in your new position.

The Courier

news .7

Graduation 2017

Motion passes to rename ‘Mensbar’

By Valentina Egorova News Editor Mensbar is set to be renamed following a Newcastle University Students’ Union vote.

The “Christmas council” passed a motion to change the controversial name of the bar by 76% in favour to 15% against, while 9% abstained.

The sabbatical officers who introduced the motion argued that the name ‘Mensbar’ could be interpreted “as a bar only for men”.

Commenting on the result the sabbatical team told The Courier: “” The motion reads: “The names “Men’s Bar” and “Mensbar” are in essence the same name – and therefore implies they share the same history.”

The haunt, which was first opened in 1925, was formerly called “Men’s Bar”.

It came at a time when women were excluded from a number of public places on the grounds of their gender.

Ladies were only allowed into the Men’s Bar once a week, on Tuesdays.

On February 7, 1963, The Courier reported on “a mass invasion of the Men’s Bar by a crowd of women, who entered the bar as if they had every right to do so”.

The protest was strongly objected by male habitués of the bar, who thought they had an escape place from the opposite sex.

Four years later, the Men’s Bar opened its doors to women, which made the name no longer relevant.

In the early 1980s, the apostrophe was removed and since then the bar has been transformed into a modern, allinclusive Students’ Union Bar. Today the name comes from the Latin motto “mens agitat molem”, which means “mind over matter”.

But the sabbatical team argued that it “does not promote a progressive and inclusive message” to those, who do not speak Latin.

Mark Sleightholm, a former Newcastle University history student, said: “While Mensbar is now inclusive to all students, and should have a name chosen by a majority of students, the bar and its name have a history mixed up with discrimination and “lad culture”.

“Taking away the apostrophe linked the name to the Union’s motto, but still caused confusion, prompting calls to change the name every few years.

“None of these attempts have been successful or even generated any serious alternative names, except from ‘Stonewall Bar’, which was imposed against the wishes of most of the students, who actually used the bar.”

He added: “The Union used to have way more bars than it does now, including the Cochrane Lounge, named after the man who funded the construction of the Union’s building, and Spiny Norman’s Organic Garden, named after Spiny Norman.

“Men’s Bar has been the most enduringly popular bar name with students, with the failure of all these attempts to change it proof of that.

“But attitudes change, and maybe now

is the time for a new name.”

The current controversy could’ve been settled decades ago, with complaints about the name dating back to the 1975, when The Courier suggested the bar could be renamed.

The name has also come under fire many times for being sexist in the Student Council, with a number of motions passed to rename the bar.

The most recent failed attempt was in 2014.

A spokesman for Mensbar said:“ It’s not something we weren’t expecting.

“The motion has gone to council a few times in the past few years so it’s been something regularly debated.

“As it has just happened we aren’t sure how the name change will happen or who will decide, but it’s something, which, I am sure, will be discussed by the officers with input from a variety of people.”

It’s not clear when the bar will be formally re-named.

Commenting on the result, Jade Holroyd, Editor of the Courier and one of the six sabbatical officers that proposed the motion said: “We’re absolutely ecstatic with the outcome.”

The new name will be chosen via a vote by Newcastle University students, with an option to pick one of two names.

The bar will be exempt to change the new name for the next three years.

Mensbar said that they would fully support any decision taken by students.

Mensbar no more Image: NUSU

MLK Who?

By Ava Forbes Speakers from across the country gathered in King’s Hall on February 18 to celebrate the 50th anniversary since Dr Martin Luther King was awarded an honorary degree from Newcastle University. Organised by the International Development Society at Newcastle University (IDS), “Martin Luther Who? IDS Conference 2017” was a part of Newcastle’s Freedom City 2017 celebrations.

The conference was opened by Chi Onwurah, MP for Newcastle Central and patron of Freedom City 2017, and featured guest speakers, Dr Kehinde Andrews from Birmingham City University, Prof David Bailin from University of Sussex, Muzoon al-Mellehan, and Dr Megan Armstrong and Dr Silvia Pasquetti from Newcastle University.

The event was hosted by Jack Taylor, NUSU President, and Liberty Blythe, president of the International Development Society.

IDS had been organising their annual conference since September, Liberty Blythe told The Courier.

She said: “This year, David Moffat, who is one our alumni, got in touch with us about Freedom City and so we decided that IDS would team up with the Students’ Union to bring it together.

“We thought that it was really important to address racial issues and to put them on a stage so people can address them.

“I don’t think we always do, especially when you are at a university and caught up in your exams, modules or deadlines, so it is really nice to say look, these are issues they are important as well.”

The Martin Luther Who? Conference 2017 is just one event amongst a whole year of celebrations marking the anniversary of Newcastle University offering Martin Luther King an honorary degree in 1967.

In a ceremony that took place in the

King’s Hall, Dr King made a speech that then became the last one he had ever made outside of the United States before he was assassinated less than a year later.

Dr King addressed the university saying: “Although I cannot say that I am worthy of such a great honour, I can also assure you that you give me renewed courage and vigour to carry on in the struggle to make peace and justice a reality for all men and women all over the world.”

He continued: “There are three urgent and indeed great problems that we face, not only in the United States of America but all over the world today.

“That is the problem of racism, the problem of poverty and the problem of war.”

Liberty Blythe told The Courier that IDS chose speakers who would reflect on these three problems and discuss how to combat them.

Ms Onwurah said: “I was of course aware of our region’s tradition of fighting for social justice.

“From the trade union movement to the cooperative movement and to the fair trade movement, from religious freedom to the Jarrow march we have a long active history in the struggle for progress.

“In the light of this, it was clearly no accident that Newcastle was the only university outside of the United States to honour King in his lifetime.

“And, newly independent from Durham, I am sure that we wanted to set our stall as a modern university committed to social justice.”

Jack Taylor, NUSU President, said: “The Conference was a great success and had over 100 people in consistent attendance throughout the day.

“Some challenging and interesting views were brought to the fore. This generated a fantastic discourse during the conference.

“A huge well done to the International Development Society and all the volunteers that helped out on the day.”

The Courier

news .9

Graduation 2017

High praise for Newcastle University in QS World Rankings

By Isabel Sykes The latest QS World University Rankings by subject has placed Newcastle University amongst the world’s top universities in a range of subject areas.

The ranking is based on the academic and employer reputation and the research impact. Twenty-seven subjects across Newcastle’s three faculties appear in the list. Newcastle is ranked in the top 100 universities for five subjects and in the top 200 for further 13.

Dentistry and Geography are ranked as the best performing subjects, placed at 32nd and 50th places in the world respectively.

Hugh Vermont, a geography undergraduate student, said: “I really value the flexibility and the variety of the modules offered on my course as it allows me to study a broad range of academic material from different disciplines.

“My favourite module has been the Berlin Fieldtrip module for very obvious reasons! I got to spend a week in one of Europe’s most interesting cities, I made a load of new friends and the basis of the trip was one of the areas I am most fascinated.”

Anna Davies, a dentistry student, said: “The teaching quality is excellent within the Dental School – you have leading world experts giving you lectures on their specialist subjects. There are also a lot of dentists that come in to

supervise clinics this allows you to get advice and teaching from several different sources.”

She added: “Every student has a personal tutor for their five years within the dental school. You can go to your personal tutor for advice and help throughout your time at the dental school” QS World University Rankings by subject has been published since 2011. This year they evaluated 4438 universities and 1117 of these were ranked.

This involves evaluating universities across 50 criteria and awarding them between one and five stars. Last year Newcastle University was one of only 17 universities in the world, and only 2 in the UK, to achieve 5 plus QS stars.

Professor Richard Davies, Pro-ViceChancellor, Engagement and Internationalisation, Newcastle University, comments on Newcastle’s success: “The latest QS World University Rankings by Subject results reflect the worldclass teaching and research, across all of our three faculties. The ranking is a testament to the brilliant work done by everyone at the University and the outstanding support we offer to our students during their time at Newcastle.”

“The positive results highlight our commitment to delivering the best possible teaching, learning and research for our students through continuous investment in improving facilities on campus and teaching standards.”

“The ranking is a testament to the brilliant work done by everyone at the University”

Glorious university campus Image: Wikimedia Commons

Standout student efforts recognised in Celebrating Success

By Isabel Sykes

Success in student media Image: NUSU

Last week Newcastle University Students’ Union (NUSU) hosted its annual Celebrating Success Awards week.

The Celebrating Success Awards give Newcastle University students the chance to have their extra-curricular achievements recognised. The Awards are open to current and recent graduates from any course or stage across the University.

In the awards, students had the opportunity to nominate themselves, other students or groups, to be rewarded for their efforts in six extra-curricular areas: Sport, Student Representation, Community, Societies, Media and Business and Enterprise. Nominations for the awards closed on 24 March 2017 and were judged by NUSU staff and student body executives.

The awards are a great opportunity for students to be rewarded for the hard work they do outside their course, whether on-campus or reaching out into the wider community.

The Celebrating Success Awards began with the Sport category at the annual Atheltic Union Ball on 30 March. The following five ceremonies took place 8-11 March, beginning with the Student Representation Awards and ending with the Media Awards.

At each ceremony, at least ten individual awards were presented, allowing a large breadth of knowledge and expertise to be recognised.

Full details of each event, the nominees, and the winners and photos from the ceremonies will appear on the NUSU website.

Commenting on the awards, Jade

Holroyd, Editor of The Courier, Sabbatical Officer and judge of the Media category said: “I attended every awards ceremony and they were all just fantastic.

“Working at NUSU I know how much extra-curricular stuff students get involved with and it really is commendable. It was an absolute pleasure to see the tremendous work of students being acknowledged on such an official basis “Once again, a massive Congratulations to all those who won and were nominated.”

Rewards for the extra-curricular achievements of students doesn’t stop with the Celebrating Success Awards; all winners are automatically short listed for the relevant outstanding category in the Pride of Newcastle Awards.

The Pride of Newcastle Awards focus on celebrating students’ outstanding contributions to the University and the wider community. The awards consist of eleven award categories linking to the University’s societal challenge themes.

Nominees are invited to a celebration dinner where awards are presented in front of an audience of students, staff, graduate recruiters, and city leaders.

When assessing the nominations, judges are looking for evidence of outstanding innovation, effort, contribution, skill development, and impact on the University and/or wider community.

Short listed entrants for the Pride of Newcastle Awards will be announced during the week following 15 May .

The Pride of Newcastle Awards ceremony will take place on the 8 June 2017 in the Civic Centre.

To find out more information about the Pride of Newcastle University awards, go to the Newcastle University NCL+ website.

10. fashion feature

Graduation 2017

The Courier

Fashion Editors: Liz Rosling, Izzi Watkins & Zofia Zwieglinska

Halloween photo shoot 2016 When the lights go down on the fair of fun, there’s nowhere to hide and no place to run. Step right up if you dare, who knows what horrors you might find there...

The Courier

Graduation 2017

feature fashion .11

thecourieronline.co.uk/fashion

Clothing by TOPSHOP Eldon Square Models: Ellen Walker, Yasmine Jessy Amr, Maximilian Fosh and Charles Mason Hair and Make-up: Ellen Walker and Miranda Stoner Photography: Fiona Leishman, Fay Jang, Kevin Wth, Meera Vaidya, Irene Lu

A year in the life of

14. fashion feature

Gradution 2017

Fashion Editors: Liz Rosling, Izzi Watkins & Zofia Zwieglinska

It’s the 90s baby

The Courier

The Courier

Gradution 2017

feature fashion .15

thecourieronline.co.uk/fashion

“Let’s party like it’s 1990!”

Clothes supplied by Topshop Eldon Square and Retro Clothing.

Photography by Kevin Wong and Leslie Deng. Makeup by Ellen Walker. Styling by Izzi Watkins, Liz Rosling and Zofia Zwieglinska.

Modelling by Yannick Thompson, Charles Mason, Rose Hinds and Ellie Trent

The Courier

reviews .17

Graduation 2017

presents your personal guide to Graduation grub In true Courier style, we sent two of our writers, Alexander Killingworth and Kathryn Deeds, to tackle the taste bud test at two of the best rated restaurants in Newcastle

Alexander Killingworth on Blackfriars “Blackfriars was voted Taste of England in the North East England Tourism Awards and after visiting the restaurant, this does not come as a big surprise to me whatsoever”

D

uring my time as a student at Newcastle, for the sake of my bank account, I’ve ventured beyond the likes of Eat4Less only a few times. So when it came to choosing somewhere to eat with my family on Graduation day, I was very much at a loss. Alas, my first trip to Blackfriars saved the day and my family and I will certainly be satisfied with our graduation grub.

If you’re looking for a restaurant with a unique atmosphere, Blackfriars is located in a 13th century former medieval friary, so it most definitely offers you just that. With its interior true to its historical heritage, Blackfriars is

up there as one of the most aesthetically pleasing eateries I’ve ever visited in Newcastle.

If you haven’t already guessed, I absolutely loved Blackfriars and that was even before I’d even tried the food. Blackfriars offers very reasonably priced set menus for both Lunch (£15 for 2 courses/£18 for 3 courses) and Early dinner (£18 for 2 courses/£21 for 3 courses). With the different menu choices, Blackfriars would be a feasble option for both early and late Graduation ceremonies.

With only £3 difference between the 2 course and the 3 course set menu, it would be a shame for both your appetite and your purse/wallet to only order the 2 course meal. For that price you most definitely can’t go wrong and after all, it is your Graduation day.

Before visiting Blackfriars, I made my guest agree to sharing plates to ensure I had the opportunity to taste as much of the delicious food as possible.

For starters, both the fish cakes and the Northumbrian ham fritters were cooked to perfection. As a rule, I’m not

much of a fan of fish, but after tasting the fish cakes at Blackfriars, I think I’ll be more inclined to try more fish in the future. Served with poached egg and brown sauce, the saltiness of the slowcooked ham fritters was counteracted and the overall dish was first-rate.

The main courses included high-end meats and epitomised everything I thought I couldn’t afford as a student.

The Northumbria hanger steak was cooked to order and because of my personal preferences, I choose to order the steak medium-rare. Although I haven’t eaten much steak whilst at University, I am fairly fussy when it comes to getting the grill correct. As soon as the steak arrived and I saw how tender the middle of the meat was, I knew I was in for a treat.

The roast belly pork was also cooked extremely well and as with the steak, the presentation of the dish was second to none. Both plates were served with a selection of sides which further complimented the tastes of the meats.

Before the desserts arrived, there was an element of doubt in my mind as to

whether or not I’d be able to finish all three courses; rest assured, I did. Both desserts were impeccably presented and both tasted as good as they looked.

The salted caramel sauce was a great addition to the sticky toffee pudding and because of the caramel, I’d have to say that this dessert ranked higher than the Summer berry Eton mess.

Blackfriars was voted Taste of England in the North East England Tourism Awards and after visiting the restaurant, this does not come as a big surprise to me whatsoever.

When thinking back to my time as a student and taking into consideration the reasonable price of both the 2 course and 3 course set menus, I do wish I had visited Blackfriars sooner. Obviously it wouldn’t have been somewhere that would have been able to afford to visit on a regular basis, but it sure would have been somewhere good to go as a treat. I’m very happy that I discovered Blackfriars before I left Newcastle and even more so after having selected it as the place to eat on my Graduation day.

On the menu Guest 1: Starter: North Sea fish cakes, tartare sauce, lemon Main: Northumbria hanger steak, creamy mash, mushroom, crispy onions Dessert: Sticky toffee pudding, salted caramel sauce, banana ice-cream Guest 2: Starter: Slow-cooked Northumbrian ham fritters, poached egg, brown sauce Main: Roast belly pork, salt baked carrots, brown shrimp & roasting juices Dessert: Summer berry Eton mess

Blackfriars

Dobson and Parnell

Kathryn Deeds on Dobson and Parnell “Dobson and Parnell is situated on the Quayside; if that’s not enough to sway you, I don’t know what is. For first-class food in a first-class location, I’d definitely recommend taking time to visit this restaurant”

D

obson and Parnell has always been somewhere that I’ve wanted to eat at. Ever since first hearing about it from a friend, I’ve regularly looked at the menu online but I’ve never actually got round to going. Now I’ve actually been, I’m kicking myself for not going sooner.

Dobson and Parnell opened in December 2016 by the team from Blackfriars Restaurant. I’ve never been myself to Blackfrairs, but a couple of my friends have and I’ve only heard good things.

Although I’m not a vegetarian, I did opt for one of the vegetarian start options: Heritage tomato salad, gazpacho jelly, buffalo mozzarella with

croutons. When ordering the starter, I think I just wanted to try something new and I was very pleasantly surprised.

There was so much going on with the dish that I didn’t feel as though meat/ fish was missing.

I also tried some of the mussel chowder, fried bread crumbs and horseradish creme fraiche, and I was pleasantly surprised. Although I like mussels, I thought that I would be put off by the chowder however it turned out to be a really refreshing dish.

Before visiting Dobson and Parnell, being the massive foodie that I am, I’d spent a lot of time looking at the menu so when it came to the main course, I’d made my decision way in advance. For main course I ordered charred rump steak, beef fat chips, greens with mustard sauce. The whole dish was absolutely fantastic, with the steak cooked exceptionally well and the sides of greens and chips equally as appetising. My favourite part of the dish was definitely the beef fat chips - you could really taste the beef and they were absolutely delightful.

I’m a sucker for a good dessert and if there’s anything chocolate related, I’m almost always sold immediately.

With this said, of course I went for the chocolate option but with the array of desserts on offer at Dobson and Parnell, I have to admit that it wasn’t a particularly easy choice. With dark chocolate, fudge salt caramel and peanut butter, my dessert went down an absolute treat. Restaurants can often get the balance of components wrong when it comes to desserts, but this certainly was not the case. The dark chocolate was incredibly rich but the hint of peanut butter balanced the taste out perfectly.

Overall, the food was fantastic and considering the price, I would definitely recommend trying Dobson and Parnell’s set menu. When looking at the set menu, I was fairly surprised at how reasonably priced both the 2 course and 3 course meals were. After tasting the food, I’m even more so surprised at the value for money. With this said, Dobson and Parnell would definitely be a good choice for your Graduation day, or any celebration at that matter.

The service was also fantastic. When you visit a restaurant like Dobson and Parnell, you certainly expect a certain level of service, paying for both the food and the service. The staff were all really pleasant and happy to explain anything

on the menu. I asked one of the staff a very specific question about something on the menu and without any hesitation, they answered straight away. I think this is really important when you’re eating out because you want to know exactly what you’re eating.

After hearing that Dobson and Parnell opened as a sister restaurant to the well established and reputable Blackfriars, I had high hopes of Dobson and Parnell and it certainly did not disappoint.

Although I’ve not eaten at Blackfriars, I have no doubt in my mind that Dobson and Parnell will soon establish a high reputation for itself. In fact, after eating at Dobson and Parnell, I will definitely be making a visit to Blackfriars. For now, I’m just going to pretend that this will be to compare the two, but in reality I know I just love good food.

Dobson and Parnell is situated on the Quayside; if that’s not enough sway you, I don’t know what is. For firstclass food in a first-class location, I’d definitely recommend taking time to visit this restaurant. The location, the atmosphere of the restaurant, along with the great taste of the food, would make Dobson and Parnell the perfect place to eat on your Graduation day.

On the menu Guest 1: Starter: Mussel chowder, fried breadcrumbs, horseradish creme fraiche Main: Charred rump steak, beef fat chips, greens, mustard sauce Dessert: A selection of ice cream and sorbet Guest 2: Starter: (v) Heritage tomato salad, gazpacho jelly, buffalo mozzarella, croutons Main: Charred rump steak, beef fat chips, greens, mustard sauce Dessert: Dark chocolate, fudge salt caramel, peanut butter

18. sport

Graduation 2017

The Courier

Stan Calvert eludes Newcastle again Stan Calvert Round-up

Hendo’s Tourte de la Semaine

By Alex Hendley former Sports Editor New year, nouveau Hendo. Anybody who thought I couldn’t make a return to the Courier Sport has clearly forgotten how many times Brian Laws returned to Scunthorpe United, and that’s a man who threw chicken wings at people.

Aside from poultry matters, last year’s ‘Pie of the Week’ has returned and gone all continental – a bit like Thornton’s Christmas Selection. Last year, I managed to piss off the Niall Quinn fan-club after slating him in this very column and now it’s about time I did the same to the whole of Europe, as I pick apart the failings of football from this side of the channel.

Not too long ago I visited the nearby Allianz Riviera, the stadium of ‘Les Aiglons’, OGC Nice. The match day experience was, without doubt, pretty good. Official club pint glasses emblazoned with Nice’s crest were served up full to the brim with ice-cold bière while the noisy ultras, who can only be described as lunatics, jumped up and down with more energy than Jamie Vardy after a glass of Skittles vodka. Just to make you feel even more unsafe, an incredibly angry man rocked up with a microphone and a set of speakers bigger than the Vitality Stadium to conduct the crowds chanting, insults of the opposition (despite the fact Lorient had a grand total of zero away fans) and general bouncing around.

However, I firmly believe that had Mario Balotelli not scored and got sent off three minutes later it would have been one of the worst games of football I have ever witnessed, just ahead of every single game at Euro 2016. Despite at the time being leaders of Ligue 1 by about four points, the football was lethargic at best, with no intensity and less quality than the Evo-Stik Northern Premier. I suppose the moral of the story is you can always rely on a man who set fire to his own bathroom.

The story is even worse in Spain, where the football culture is about as Mickey Mouse as it comes. Visiting the city of Málaga, it was plain to see there wasn’t an inch of loyalty. People regularly wore Málaga shirts under Real Madrid tracksuits or Almería shorts with Barcelona scarves.

Forgive me, but I’d drop kick the first treacherous nutter I saw wearing a Burnley beanie and a Chelsea snood (remember snoods?) simultaneously.

In Spain, my good friend and Spanish resident Liam Hanna reliably informs me, supporting Hull City just isn’t good enough for the locals.

“Yeah, but which big team do you support?”

Scandalous. Behind the “Big Three” of the two Madrids and Barcelona, the standard of football is pretty dreadful here too. If Sunderland were in La Liga, they’d probably finish fourth. A wise man once told me, “Barcelona can play tiki-taka against Real Tinpot, but not Manchester City”, and how right he was. With an influx of top class managers into the Premier League, perhaps it is time that British clubs began their European resurgence to regain continental domination. In terms of European fixtures, any club that gets fined if they haven’t filled their stadium sufficiently for the TV cameras doesn’t even deserve to qualify.

European football, consider yourself pied.

Newcastle

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Northumbria

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By James Sproston Newcastle were found wanting on Super Sunday, as Northumbria sealed their fourth trophy in as many years with a nail-biting win in the futsal.

The omens had not been great for Newcastle leading into the day’s action.

After Winning Wednesday, we went through Terrible Thursday and Solemn Saturday, as Newcastle lost all of their fixtures. Whilst in some of those ties we were underdogs, we also missed the ball in hockey and cricket, two events that we really needed to pick up points in.

The morning’s action kicked off at the Northumberland Club, where Newcastle’s women’s teams valiantly battled with Northumbria. Despite their spirited efforts, Northumbria were named worthy winners.

From the uppermost point of Jesmond, we travelled to Gateshead International Stadium. There we saw NUAXC in action, picking up deserved wins in the 60m, 1500m and 4x400m relay, but ultimately being overcome by

Northumbria’s scholarship schemes.

Defeats in the golf, football and badminton were all forgotten about as our heroic women’s rugby sides battled it out at Heaton. Though the 1s lost, the 2s provided us with a fantastic entertainment, as they took apart their opposition to win 52-10.

Similarly positive news was emerging from Benfield throughout the day. Our fencers, who unexpectedly lost last year, redeemed themselves with an emphatic victory over the old enemy. The women and men won 135-42 and 135-50 respectively.

“The scoreline calls for a reconsideration of the sports involved” Our brilliant women’s badminton team also continued their fantastic form this season, winning 3-2 in difficult circumstances, whilst our squash sides lived up to their premier reputation, sealing two wins from two in their fixtures.

Over in Sport Central, joining the squash club in their great results, were the table tennis teams that were in action. The club won four from four fixtures, bringing home a lovely eight points to add to the total that Newcastle

Dominant: NUWPC women’s 1s yet another Stan Calvert fixture Image: Katy Ball

Ultimate performance: Pies dispatched Northumbria Image: James Sproston had managed to accumulate so far.

One team that we could rely on, no matter the other results, was our Newcastle Ultimate team. Led by Ivan Mladjenovic, and orchestrated by Chris de Leeuwe, the Pies blended youth and experience to come away from Coach Lane with another solid performance and a 100% Stan Calvert win ratio.

Our women’s lacrosse team enjoyed similar success. The favourites drummed their opposition 19-5, but the men could not repeat such an emphatic performance. Unfortunately, the lacrosse side that we’re used to seeing didn’t turn up, and the underdogs brought the two points home with a 6-3 victory.

As expected, our 1s and 2s netball sides lost to their respective Northumbria counterparts, but Newcastle’s magnificent 3s were triumphant, as a 46-25 scoreline reflected their dominance.

Staying in Sport Central, we saw brave but ultimately fruitless performances from our remaining basketball teams, as Northumbria collected another six points.

To wrap up Super Sunday, we were presented with the futsal. Having expected to be trounced in all our fixtures, I think I speak for all Newcastle fans to say that they did us proud. Our 2s, led

by NUAFC stars Olly Walker and Pete Mairs, raced into a 4-1 lead, but were

punished for not being clinical enough in front of goal, as the game ended in a 4-4 draw.

To close the varsity, this year’s masterpiece was conducted by the men’s futsal 1s. Both Northumbria and Newcastle looked like quality outfits, and were evenly matched on the balance of play.

In the first half, Newcastle created more chances, but were penalised for their more physical play.

In the second, Newcastle looked to be out of it at 6-3 down, but utilisation of the rush keeper tactic gave Newcastle a glimmer of hope. Newcastle’s No.1 set up one goal and bagged another, and given one more minute, could well of drawn his team level.

At the final whistle there were jubilant celebrations from the rowdy Northumbria support. Col Stromsoy gave every single person within reach a celebratory fist bump, and Emily Watkinson lifted the trophy.

We all know that there is such thing as sore losers, of which I can definitively categorise myself, but this was certainly a case of sore winners. Northumbria knew they were going to win this year from a very early stage, and have tailored the competition for years to make this the case.

Having made their position clear that they no longer prioritise Stan Calvert, should Newcastle still humour such a competition? It’s a fantastic event to be involved in, for competitors and supporters alike, but there needs to be a far wider extension of the sports and teams included for the competition for it to have a worthwhile future.

Though Northumbria are wholeheartedly worth every point of their victory, surely the scoreline calls for a reconsideration of the sports involved. We all want Stan Calvert to be a proper contest, and for that, Stan Calvert needs a serious change.

Newcastle earn Boat Race bragging rights Boat Race of the North

By James Sproston at Quayside

On a wind-swept Saturday afternoon at the Quayside, Newcastle University Boat Club battled it out with Durham across six races to see who truly rules the waves in the North East.

Having competed against each other on the Tyne since 1997, the Boat Race of the North pits rowing’s two northern heavyweights against each other across the 1500m distance along arguably the most iconic backdrop in the North East.

Starting at the High Level Bridge, the boats travel through the arches of the Swing Bridge before heading under the Tyne Bridge, at which point it’s a sprint to the finishing line under the Millennium Bridge, where the boats are greeted my hundreds of cheering spectators.

“Hundreds of people packed out the banks of the Tyne to watch” Looking at the history, Durham won every year from its inception in 1997 to 2004, ignoring the 2000 and 2003 events that were cancelled due to poor rowing conditions. Newcastle’s change in fortune was undoubtedly down to the arrival of Angelo Savarino as Head of Rowing in the Sports Centre. In 2005, Newcastle won two of the four races to prevent an outright Durham victory for the first time, and did so again in 2007.

But Newcastle have reasons to be confident, as Durham have not claimed the

trophy since 2008. Last year’s encounter finished with an overall 4-2 win for Newcastle, as Durham claimed both novice victories, but came up short against Newcastle’s 1s and 2s.

Nevertheless, hundreds of people packed out the banks of the Tyne and the Millennium Bridge to watch the boats in action, and it was Durham that took the early advantage. The first race of the afternoon, the Novice Women’s category, was won by Durham’s boat of first years by clear water.

Ten minutes after the Novice Women’s race had started, the Novice Men’s race got under way. Coxed by Hannah Taylor and consisting of Peter Robins, Hal Wheatly, Francis Gainsbourgh, Freddie Strawson, Arthur Newman Alex Manson, Tom Padwick, Tom Astell, Newcastle put in an assured performance, with two lengths between the two boats.

The next race was equally as one-sided, as Newcastle’s Women’s 2s stormed home to have clear water between themselves and the Durham boat. Hav-

ing won by five and a half boat lengths last year, Newcastle were under pressure to deliver again and they did, leaving Durham well in their wake.

Next up, the Men’s 2s set up underneath High Level Bridge ready to do battle. By the finishing point, the Newcastle boat had matched last year’s performance, winning by the boat and three quarters margin that they achieved last time out.

With the score at 3-1, Newcastle had already secured the trophy for yet another year. However, there was still much to be played for as the biggest and best were still to compete.

Newcastle had the psychological advantage, bettering Durham at the BUCS Regatta just a week before in both the men’s and women’s categories, but with that came an added pressure.

First up were the Women’s 1s. At BUCS Regatta, less than a second separated the two boats at the 1500m mark, nevertheless, Newcastle started the stronger of the two, emerging from the

Swing Bridge with a clear advantage. As the crew of cox Sasha Adwani, Megan Barry, Harriet Roddy, Emily Ford, Lola Anderson, Kate Woolley, Lydia Davis, Natasha Harris-White, Fiona Chestnutt passed under the Tyne Bridge, Durham seemed to find something extra, but with the spectators cheering them on from the NE1 makeshift beach, Newcastle still cruised home with over a boat length advantage.

Finally, it was time for the Men’s 1s.

Durham had disappointed at BUCS Regatta, not making it into the final, whilst Newcastle’s boat finished fifth in the A final. When it came down to the race, Newcastle were again dominant from the off. The remaining supporters crammed onto the Millennium Bridge to cheer Michael Trevena, William Stewart, James Robson, Alex Haynes, William New, Henry Lambe, Barnaby Stroud and cox Alex Turner over the finish line for the final time and celebrate a convincing 5-1 victory.

Ruling the waves: Newcastle’s women’s boats won their 1s & 2s races but lost in the novice category Image: James Sproston

The Courier

sport .19

Graduation 2017

Pippa McLeod-Brown takes TNSPOTY crown Team Newcastle Sports Personality of the Year 2016 Interview by Lucy Brogden How do you feel to have been named TNSPOTY? Really surprised! I was so surprised to be nominated at all, let alone make the shortlist, and then to win! I can’t believe it, I really didn’t expect it at all. There’s a lot of debate as to whether dance even qualifes as a sport, so it’s great for us to be recognised.

How did you get into dance?

I started dancing when I was two, attending weekly ballet classes. When I was four, I started going to tap classes.

From the age of four I tried in ballroom dancing, jazz, and contemporary. Then, when I was 9, I joined a CAT scheme (Centre for advanced training), and I danced there for four years, which was really intense. I trained for 25 hours a week on top of taking classes at my local scheme, and playing basketball. Most people from on the CAT scheme chose to audition for dance school, but I decided to come to university instead.

What’s your favourite style of dance?

Contemporary has got to be my favourite. I was never going to be a ballet dancer, and I love how expressive and fun contemporary is. At Newcastle I do around 12 hours of dance a week.

TNSPOTY 2016: Pippa McLeodBrown came out on top after a rigorous judging process Image: Lucy Brogden

What do you do for the club?

I taught the advanced contemporary class last year, and this year I’m teaching the advanced jazz class. This means choreographing and teaching routines

to my classes for competitions. We only have four hours to teach a group an entirely new routine, so it can be stressful!

All of our teachers (and we have about 40 for all the different styles of dance) are students.

What does it mean to be president of Dance?

Being president of Dance means that you’re the president of both the society, and the club. The society is mainly social, and members dance for their own enjoyment. With the club, members have to audition, and go on to dance in competitions across the country. There are a lot of dancers at Newcastle, we have 404 members in the society, and 104 members in our club.

What did you do for the club during your time as president?

When I became president, it was only the second year that dance had been a part of the AU, and I wanted to make sure we became fully integrated. There were small things like ordering kit from the Team Newcastle supplier and making sure we had the Team Newcastle logo on our kit, but I also wanted to work towards making the club more serious, so that it ran more like a competitive sports team.

To do this, I made limbering sessions compulsory, since flexibility is so important in dancing, and inflexibility is often what brings you down most at competitions. I also became stricter with session attendance, which encouraged members to become more committed. It was hard to change people’s minds on why becoming more stringent was a good thing, but eventually people seemed to come round.

We also ran our own dance competition last semester, which was a big financial risk, considering that the last competition we hosted three years ago made a big loss. Thankfully, it was a success, with over 450 dancers from all across the UK coming to compete at the Sage. This year, we’re planning on running the competition again.

“A personal highlight was that it was our most successful year as a club, winning 31 trophies” I also tried to make dance classes more consistent, with so many classes it’s logistically diffcult. The timetable used to be emailed every Sunday night, and your classes would be at a totally different time each week, which meant if you did more than one class you just had to hope that they didn’t clash. I tried to make is so that all classes were held roughly at the same time every week, and that as many as possible were held in the sports centre.

What have been your best moments?

We were shortlisted for the Pride of Newcastle University awards, which was great. We also came second for ‘Best Society’ and won ‘Best Event of the Year’ for our competition too! A personal highlight was that it was our most successful year as a club, winning 31 trophies, which was a huge improvement on the previous year where we won 18. It’s not until you go to a competition and get an actual result that you see if what you’re doing is making a difference, so it was amazing to see that the changes were making an impact.

What are your plans for the future?

I’m doing my year in industry in London next year, and I’m looking forward to dancing while I’m there because there are so many great schools in London.

What I love about dance is that people dance forever.

Any final words?

The year required a lot of really good time management, and it was tricky to fit in with my degree, but I enjoyed every minute.

Image: Lucy Brogden

“Pippa is such a diverse dancer and a huge success in so many different categories. She’s also clearly a brilliant committee member, with a bubbly personality and has helped the Dance Club to succeed in so many aspects!”

Sophie Matthews. AU Officer

Another Clash win for victorious Titans Men’s Rugby Union Newcastle

19

Northumbria

18

By James Sproston at Kingston Park Newcastle once again clinched the Clash of the Titans crown in dramatic fashion as a last minute try snatched the title away from Northumbria.

The win also counts towards Newcastle’s Stan Calvert total this year, pulling them level with Northumbria after losing the cricket in June.

Though the two sides didn’t meet in Stan Calvert last year, Northumbria were out for revenge after losing both matches in the league last year. With Northumbria having been selected over Newcastle to compete in the new BUCS Super Rugby league, this looks to be the only meeting between the two rivals this academic year, so victory would be that little bit sweeter.

Though unconfirmed reports claimed

that Northumbria had sold all of their tickets, it was Newcastle that filled up their seats quicker. The louder Newcastle crowd seemed to spur their team on in the earlier minutes as they received the kick and pressed forwards.

After two scrums that Newcastle seemed to overpower, Northumbria’s Rob Haldane broke clear. Though the number 10 ran into traffic, referee Hamish Smailes brought the play back for a penalty to Northumbria. Despite being in a relatively central position, Haldane couldn’t squeeze the ball between the posts.

Newcastle were again on the back-foot from the restart as Joe Luca Smith’s kick didn’t make much distance downfield.

After the lineout, a George Wacokecoke dummy disorganised Newcastle, leading to yet another penalty. Haldane made no mistake this time, dispatching the kick with confidence.

Smith’s kick was better from the restart and sent Newcastle into Northumbria territory. In the second of the two resulting scrums, Northumbria’s front row collapsed, awarding Newcastle an opportunity to level with the penalty,

Hungry for more: NURFC will return to Kingston Park next year to retain the Clash crown Image: Lucy Brogden

but Newcastle captain Joe Luca Smith, sent his penalty went wayward, leaving the score at 3-0 to Northumbria.

In the passage following the restart, Newcastle took the initiative. Breaks from Sam Matanle and Alex Nissim showed promise but were defended well by the black-clad Northumbria players, with the ball being kicked into touch away from danger.

“Goodwill looked to have got the ball over the line” Turnovers from both sides eventually led to a Northumbria penalty that was kicked into the corner. Newcastle once again stole possession, but a wellorganised Northumbria line kept their opponents at bay.

A neat exchange by Matanle and Harry Glover allowed Joel Macfarlane to run clear. However, Newcastle’s no.14 was hit hard and knocked the ball on.

From the subsequent scrum, Northumbria won a penalty that Haldane clinically converted to double his team’s

lead. By the end of the half, it was damage limitation for Newcastle. With the wind against them it was a noticeably difficult task to get the ball downfield.

Newcastle’s fans gave a hostile reception to Team Northumbria as they took to the field, and it seemed to shake their confidence. Two questionable kicks from Northumbria’s Nat Lunt and Ruairi Howarth allowed Newcastle to pile on the pressure.

A scrum led to a Newcastle penalty that Smith kicked towards the corner.

From the lineout Alex Todd retrieved the ball and charged into the opposition’s half at the rear of a maul. After two scrums, Newcastle won a penalty and once again kicked into the corner.

Another Newcastle maul from the lineout bulldozed down the Northumbria defence and this time Alex Todd was able to get the ball over the line. An impressive conversion from Joe Luca Smith put Newcastle 7-6 in the lead with half an hour left on the clock.

Northumbria reacted strongly, with Aedan Moloney bursting clear, but Ben Sinclair ensured that the attack was stalled. In the ensuing scramble Northumbria won another penalty. Again Newcastle were let off the hook as Haldane hit a routine-looking kick wide.

With that scare in mind, Newcastle looked to increase their advantage.

Smith again kicked Newcastle into a good area, with Jordan Tisdale breaking through the Northumbria line.

The no.12 passed onto substitute Will Scholey who then released to Macfarlane who hit the deck. Ewan MacGarvie picked up the ball and ran for the line.

Despite looking like he was going to be stopped, the winger defiantly forced his way through to score Newcastle’s second try of the game.

After yet another classy kick from

Smith, Northumbria showed immense character to bounce back. Having caught the ball from a somewhat lucky bounce, Moloney sprinted away from the Newcastle defence to score his team’s first try of the tie. Haldane converted to put Northumbria back in contention, being only one-point shy of Newcastle.

In the final fifteen minutes the game opened up. Within twenty seconds of having the ball within 10ft off their try line, Northumbria were in the corner inches from a try. Two minutes later the try came, but Howarth missed the conversion.

From the restart, Newcastle struggled to regain control. Northumbria’s no.22 Dave Elliot broke free, but was brilliantly tackled by MacGarvie. Ed Bloodworth was then flattened by the Newcastle defence, giving Northumbria then chance to extend their lead with the penalty. Instead they went for touch and found no luck in the subsequent play due to a fantastic challenge from Tisdale.

A late Newcastle penalty gave the team a lifeline, but Northumbria turned over possession and seemed in control. A wayward pass gifted Newcastle a lineout that would lead to the decisive moment in the match.

One ruck after another ran the time down as the clock ticked past the 80-minute mark. Mike Scott pressed forward after Tisdale hit the deck, then Piers Goodwill looked to have conclusively got the ball over the line.

However, Smailes took his time over the decision, and, after a long discussion with his assistant, awarded the try.

Rapturous and animated celebrations followed amongst both fans and players as the score read 19-18 to Newcastle with no time left.

20. sport

Graduation 2017

The Courier

These girls definitely can! We take a look at some of Newcastle’s most decorated female athletes The nationwide ‘this girl can’ campaign aims to get women getting active and participating in sport at all levels and disciplines. To mark the AU’s ‘this girl can’ week, we’re launching our newcastle based ‘this girl did’ campaign to show that girls definitely can. from Commonwealth Games participants to national finalists and international stars, newcastle certainly has a host of talented individuals.

Image: Jo Gascoigne-Owens

Image: Amelia Pettitt

AMELIA PETTITT 22 MEng CHEMICAL JO GASCOIGNE-OWENS ENGINEERING CROSS 38 RESEARCH FUNDING COUNTRY DEVELOPMENT MANAGER

AQUATHLON

2013 Aquathon World Champion Achievements “Winning my first world aquathlon championship was pretty special. The race is quite complicated so I had no idea that I was in the lead until I heard the commentator announce it as I ran to the finish line. My whole family was there to watch, which was brilliant!

Another amazing moment was winning my ‘home’ running race for the first time. The Northumberland Coastal Run finishes on the beach right near my house and it had always been a secret ambition to win it – that was pretty special for me. I should say, though, that what I’ve gained from sport is far more significant in my life than what I’ve achieved.”

“What I’ve gained from sport is far more significant in my life that what I’ve achieved” Appearances “I have represented Great Britain in aquathlon (swim-run) in my age-group at the World Championships in 2013 and European Championships in 2015 and 2016. On each occasion I won the event. I was also a member of the Great Britain Elite team for the World Aquathlon Championships in Chicago in 2015, finishing 8th. I represented England Masters at Cross Country Running in 2015. I ran in the elite field

of the Great North Run in 2014 and 2016. I was 19th in the Berlin Marathon in 2016, and first British woman.

Newcastle University has really supported me in achieving all of this, through its Elite Athlete Programme.”

2015 & 2016 Aquathon European Champion

When did you start playing?

“I started playing when I was 13 years old. Fenton’s curling rink (the only dedicated curling rink in England) is situated close to where we live. My dad had his 50th birthday party there and enjoyed it so much that he took me along to try it. I was doing a lot of gymnastics then, so enjoyed the balance and strength aspects required. As soon as I started, I fell in love with the sport.”

How did you get into competitive curling?

“I started off playing in the junior training sessions twice a week. I brought one of my school friends along to try out curling and she loved it too, so we travelled to and from training together.

There were other girls who were also quite good at the time, so the five of us started going to an elite session where we were coached separately. After about a year we were told that the England Curling Association were going to be sending a junior team to the European Junior championships. As we were the only team around at the time, we took hold of the opportunity. Our success grew from there.”

Why should more girls should get involved in sport?

“I think the most important thing for women and girls to appreciate about sport is that it is something that we are completely in control of. No matter what sport we do, everything about it is our choice. We can be slow or fast. We can wear baggy trousers or lycra. We can be obsessed or do it for a laugh. We can use it to travel the world or do it in our back garden. We can use it to make friends or do it alone to clear our heads.

We can use it to get out of our comfort zone or to relax. We can take part in an event with 30,000 others or we can do it with a DVD in our lounge. We U21 European Curling can do it for charity or we can do it for ourselves. We can get a lot from it and Champion we can give a lot back. There is a place for all of us in sport. It can be whatever We saw that you competed at the Euwe want it to be.” ropean U21 Curling Championships, was that your first tournament with British woman in the the national squad?

“This was actually our seventh time atBerlin Marathon tending the under 21 European Championships, which was held in Prague.

For the last seven years, myself and my “There is a place for all childhood friend Hetty, have played in the England junior team. Our current of us in sport.” team has now been playing together for

1st

Achievements Ran for England at the British Athletics Cross (finished 6th); Ran for GB at the World University Cross Country Championships (finished 17th and Team GB won the silver overall).

“If you have a goal, you will find a way of getting there, even if the path isn’t clear at first” How did you get into cross country?

“Since the age of 10 I have been involved in Athletics, training at my local running club and competing. I was I was keen for this to continue when I joined Newcastle University. In freshers’ week I sought out the Athletics and Cross Country team and got stuck in with their training schedule, making great friends in the team through competing at races all over the country.

My chemical engineering degree took me on a placement year in Middlesbrough where I was surrounded by male engineers in the workplace. It was a completely new area of the country for me, yet I was keen for my running to continue. I joined a local running club looking for a team to train with similar three years, so we know each other well, which definitely helps team dynamics. We won all of our first five games, which meant we were top of the table and therefore qualified automatically for the quarterfinals, where we beat Latvia. We then played a tough game against Hungary in the semis, which we also won, and then had a pretty easy win against Turkey in the final to become U21 European Champions. Last year we won Bronze, so winning the Gold this year was a real achievement for our team. This is also the first time that any U21 England team has won the

to my university one. Unfortunately, I found it difficult to find a club with the same age of runners. However, I joined a very friendly club who welcomed me and helped me train competitively for the competitions I had ahead including BUCS XC, which was the World University Cross Country trials.

Despite the only runners at the club my pace being middle aged men I loved training with the group with my goal to try and make the Great Britain Cross Country team. I was committed to my training schedule every week, and it paid off when I finished fourth in the trials and was selected for the championships in Italy.”

Why should more girls get into running?

“I would like to emphasise that throughout both my running and my studies I have been outnumbered by a male presence and new situations. Not letting this put me off has led to my success. If you have a goal, you will find a way of getting there, even if the pathway isn’t clear at first. Keep persevering, and never let negative thoughts, people’s comments/views or obstacles alter your goal or desire to reach it. Being part of a club or society is also a great way to increase your friendship group and self esteem.”

Europeans, which meant that we qualified for the World U21 Championships in Estonia.”

What other major tournaments have you taken part in?

“In 2013, I got selected to play in the Women’s (over 21s) England team, where we won bronze in our first major European competition in Norway.

I have also competed in the England Mixed team (consisting of 2 men and 2 women), where we played the Europeans Mixed Championships in Turkey in 2012.”

Image: Naomi Robinson

NAOMI ROBINSON 22 BSc GEOGRAPHY

CURLING

The Courier

sport .21

Graduation 2017

Image: Lucy Hyde

Image: Nic Robinson

Achievements Representing Wales at the 2014 Commonwealth Water Polo Championships, and currently captaining the Wales team.

5

th placed finish for Wales in the CWPC

LUCY HYDE 24 MB BS MEDICINE

ULTIMATE

Achievements Vice captain of the GBu23 Women’s team who competed at the u23 World Championships in 2015.

Captained Newcastle Women’s team for two years, achieving third place at University Nationals and also playing for some very good club teams including Relentless and SMOG.

6

years playing for Newcastle Pies

Why should girls play frisbee?

“I joined the Newcastle University Ultimate Frisbee Club in my first year,

having never heard of it before. Frisbee just required weekend commitment (and the odd training), which I could manage with my degree, and I fell in love with the sport pretty quickly. It’s fast-paced, involves a lot of skill and encompasses all the things I loved about netball, tennis and athletics into one.

Plus, there are opportunities to play both Women’s and Mixed, which is very different to most sports. The big bonus on top of all of that is how incredibly friendly everyone is; I have friends all over the country and further from teams I’ve played against and with. I could not recommend it more!”

Image: Steve Ashworth

HARRIET ROBINSON 24 MSc CLINICAL SCIENCE

WATER POLO

Achievements 8 Marathons in 8 Days for the Teenage Cancer Trust. Starting with Manchester Marathon on April 2nd and finishing with Brighton Marathon on April 9th.

Ran her own Marathon every day in between around the country.

“All you need is a pair of trainers and almost everyone can do it” “It probably sounds really cliché but it truly was the hardest 8 days of my life but I absolutely loved the experience and would recommend it to anyone.

Before this challenge, I didn’t have a huge amount of running experience. I had run 1 marathon (in 1 day) so logically thought the next step from there would be to increase it to 8 marathons

in 8 days. At the time I didn’t realise how ridiculous a challenge I had set myself, after having read about Ben Smith who ran 401 marathons in 401 days, I thought 8 couldn’t be too difficult! I was very wrong. Looking back on my achievement now, I still can’t believe how I managed to finish it but I couldn’t have done it without all the amazing support.”

Why should girls get into running?

“Running is amazing! It’s so cheap, all you need is a pair of trainers and almost everyone can do it. For women in particular, it’s an empowering way to exercise given that historically, women were never allowed to participate in organised races because no one believed they could physically do it. Parkrun is a great place to start if you need a bit of motivation/inspiration.”

Image: Holly White

DAISY BAGGS 23 BSc AGRICULTURE

TRIATHLON Achievements Women’s Winner of Triathlon X – the world’s hardest Triathlon. 3.8km Swim in Lake Windermere. 180km Fred Whitton bike route in Lake District.

Marathon up and over Scafell Pike.

17

hours taken to finish Triathlon X

Why should more girls get involved in sport?

“Playing water polo has given me so many opportunities. It has allowed me to keep fit, make friends and learn skills that can be used in all sorts of situations.

As well as studying my masters part time I also work full time, training a couple of evenings a week allows me to relax and forget about work for a few hours.

I’d recommend everyone gets involved in sports of some sort, check out local teams, and give yourself a chance to socialise and keep fit at the same time!”

Image: Gabby Withrington

GABBY WITHRINGTON 23 MB BS MEDICINE

TRIATHLON Achievements Representing England in the UK and Ireland Schools Swimming League.

“Swimming has given me the confidence to branch out”

HOLLY WHITE 28 MRes/PhD CANCER RESEARCH

SWIMMING

Image: Lucy Nehring

Achievements Tokyo final at Olympic trials 2016 and at world trials 2017; swam for England at the French open in Vichy 2016.

Why did you get involved in sport?

“I used to do lots of sports when I was younger including dancing, tennis and gymnastics. My teacher suggested I try for a swim club and I did. Now I have now been swimming competitively for around 8 years.”

LUCY ELLIS 20 BSc SPEECH AND LANGUAGE SCIENCES

SWIMMING

Why do you stay in sport?

“I think the reason I’ve stuck with swimming so long is because it’s hard work and challenging- sometime you wait years to scrape a hundredth of a second off your personal best, but it’s worth it because you know how much you sacrificed for it. Swimming has taught me to be resilient, to be organised and good at time management, to push myself as far as possible, and to

Why should girls get involved?

“I started swimming lessons at a young age, simply to learn how to swim. I absolutely loved the social element of being in a team and have ever since enjoyed an active lifestyle. Being involved in swimming has given me the confidence to branch out into other sports in more recent years and has enabled me to have good health and focus in other things I do. Ultimately, sport should be fun and, whether female or male, we ALL need more fun! I think the first steps that girls should take to get involved in sport is try out different sports and activities to find out what they enjoy doing the most.” keep pushing even when you think your body can’t do anymore and your brain is telling you to quit. It’s also taught me new skills, such as strength and conditioning exercises and Olympic lifting, as well as given me opportunities to meet new people.”

“There’s absolutely nothing wrong with pushing yourself and feeling proud of yourself for doing so” Why should more girls get involved?

“More girls should get involved in sport because it’s good for you physically and mentally, it’s versatile and it can be really challenging but there’s absolutely nothing wrong with pushing yourself and feeling proud of yourself for doing so.”

22.sport

Graduation 2017

The Courier

Sporting success for another season Sports Editors James Sproston and Lucy Brogden reflect on Team Newcastle’s season

1 MCLEOD

st

Image: Lucy Brogden

PIPPA

BROWN

DANCE

Image: Phil Haswell

EMMA

3 MARQUEZ

2

rd

nd DIANNE

LITTLE

Image: Elgan Jones

WATER POLO

LOPEZ

Image: James Watson

OLLY

ULTIMATE

4

th

WALKER

BEN

FOOTBALL

5

th

Image: Tom Clare

SMITH

CANOE

IImage: Ryan Doran

Image: NURFC

Clash of the Titans Newcastle started off their sporting year by regaining their Clash of the Titans crown in a narrow 19-18 victory over local rivals, Northumbria in only the second Stan Calvert fixture of the

OCTOBER

year.

Students from both universities turned out in their droves to support both Men’s 1s in the highly-anticipated, hard-fought match.

NOVEMBER

Squash make Premier debut DECEMBER

FEB

JANUARY

Image: Michael Oakes

Image: Magno Carlos

Raiders 38 Northumbria 20 Twice the force for Jiu Jitsu Image: Tom Clare

NUCC enjoy wild water success

Newcastle’s Jiu Jitsu club enjoyed double success this year. In December, the club won the Atemi National Club

Shield at the 2016 National Championships. In March, the club repeated their earlier success at the Randori Nation-

als, a standing throwing and ground fighting event, with every member of the club winning at least once.

Image: Katherine Smith

Dancing to success Newcastle’s Dance Society has had a tremendous year. Highlights of the society’s semester included competing in Durham and Edinburgh’s dance festivals, and hosting their own event in Newcastle. In Durham’s Dance Fusion, the society took home four trophies in Tap, Street, Jazz and the solo wildcard. In February, they repeated this feat in Edinburgh, before hosting their own competion at the Sage later that month. Newcastle were in fine form at the event, taking home an impressive 8 trophies.

The Courier

sport.23

Graduation 2017

Rowers remain Head strong

Image: Al Johnston

2016/17

As Stan Calvert Sunday was well and truly the centre of the Courier’s attention, Blue Star once again showed their class in a competent performance as BUCS Head.

Toby Bryant branded it “a very successful day for NUBC”, which kind of sums up most of their competitions.

10th in BUCS

Image: Daniel Knight

Badminton victory in playoff Come Easter, a fair few of our teams were in with a shout of winning their respective leagues after a hectic season.

Those knocking on the door of the Prem were subject to playoff fixtures.

Out of the four Newcastle teams looking for promotion, only the Women’s Badminton 1s made it into the top division, as Men’s Lacrosse 1s, Men’s Football 1s and Women’s Tennis 1s all failed to win the necessary games.

Several other of teams besides the badminton girls got promoted this year. Amongst the most impressive were the Men’s Volleyball 1s, winning all ten of their league fixtures along with the Northern Conference Cup. Other teams with 100% records this year were the Men’s Ultimate 1s, who won 8 from 8, and Men’s Squash 3s that repeated that feat in Northern 4B.

Other honourable mentions this season go to Men’s Tennis 1s, Men’s Football 2s, Women’s Netball 4s, and Men’s Squash 4s, who all achieved promotion in their respective leagues as well.

Cup performances were also impressive this year, with Men’s Futsal 1s and Men’s Hockey 2s winning their respective Conference Cups, as well as Men’s Water Polo 1s winning the Northern Conference Cup. Towards the end of the season, several teams went to Nationals for various sports. Pole dancing won the IUPDC Nationals and Pool & Snooker won their national tournament down in Great Yarmouth, whilst Men’s Ultimate 1s and Women’s Water Polo 1s went to BUCS Finals and came away with a silver and a bronze medal respectively.

Image: @NCLBC

BUCS POINTS: TOP FOUR Fencing: 182 Rowing: 180 Squash: 157 Water Polo: 148

Dan Adams takes the NUDL singles title in York

BRUARY

MARCH

APRIL

MAY

JUNE Image: Nigel Vick

Fourth Stan Calvert heartbreak Big performances from several of our teams, especially Courier Team of the Tournament, Women’s Rugby 2s, wasn’t enough to reclaim the Stan Calvert Cup as Northumbria again cemented their sporting dominance over Newcastle.

However, when we say ‘heartbreaking’, what we mean is predictable and frustrating. Though everyone did their upmost to do Team Newcastle proud, we still saw the vast majority of our athletes reduced to sitting on the sidelines as spectators.

Overall: 2223

It’s been a trend over the last four years that Northumbria have refused to field teams in fixtures that they wouldn’t expect to win, especially regarding third and fourth teams.

Unfortuantely Stan Calvert has now become an elite competition rather than a participatory event, like most other varisity competitions. With fewer people involved, fewer people will pay attention. It’s a slippery slope and both Northumbria and Newcastle need to be aware of it.

Image: Jordan Carr

Top Gun win for NUSYC in Oxford

Takraw tourney returns After laying the groundwork last year, the Newcastle University Sepak Takraw Open returned for a second year with resounding success.

This year there were more teams, more skills and more backflips, and the fans were honoured to see a number of their favourite teams back in

action, such as Berocca Juniors (below), Tiki Takraw and the holders, Balai Malaysia B. The third edition of the tournament will no doubt be a blinder next year, as this year’s controversial winners Male Assvengers will look to defend their title in style.

Image: Megan Lord